Friday, August 14, 2026

Act Two: Full Calendars, Loud Flight Attendants and Late-Night Pages

 Working from home meant kicking off Thursday with an early morning gym session - legs, back and abs were on the menu yesterday again. Every rep felt earned, which was a good thing, because the rest of the day was an absolute desk marathon. Work was so relentless that standing up felt like a luxury, though I managed to squeeze in a couple of quick breaks to keep my brain from completely frying. I need to buy that standing desk I’ve been eyeing recently.

Yesterday officially kicked off what is shaping up to be a brutal social calendar for the next six-plus weeks. But you know what? I refuse to apologize for it or start turning things down. I said "no" to way too many things back in Act One of my life, and in this, my Second Act, if something (or someone) catches my eye, I’m saying yes.

Last night’s main event was my weekly gay men's group dinner. Every Thursday, they arrange small-group dinners at great spots around downtown Orlando and Winter Park. It’s been a fantastic way to meet new people, and I’ve even made a few great friends outside the group over the past few weeks.

The downside? The organizers need to learn the art of rotation. We ended up at Bosphorous on Park Ave in Winter Park. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Turkish food and Bosphorous is fantastic, but we’ve been there a few times now. Shake it up already, guys!

The table dynamic was entirely dominated by an extremely outgoing, loud-voiced flight attendant for American Airlines. Getting a word in edgewise with anyone else was pretty much mission impossible due to his overall volume and airtime. The silver lining? He was undeniably cute. When he asked if we might hang out soon, we ended up exchanging texts. Let’s just say if we do meet up, I can think of a few better uses for his mouth than monologue delivery. (wink)

I made it home in time to catch the 11:00 PM news and decompress with a book. I always keep two going at once, usually a fiction and a non-fiction.

Right now, I'm rereading Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl in anticipation of a trip to Amsterdam in a few months. I forgot just how heavy and difficult that read is, no matter how many times you encounter it. On the non-fiction side, I have Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. I skipped that one tonight because it's a completely different flavor of difficulty. It just leaves me infuriated and embarrassed by the political state of things.

When my eyes finally couldn't take another page, I stripped down and called it a night. Birthday suit only for me, it’s truly the only way to sleep.

Overall, a solid, packed day in the books. On to the next.

 

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Act Two: Full Calendars, Loud Flight Attendants and Late-Night Pages

 Working from home meant kicking off Thursday with an early morning gym session - legs, back and abs were on the menu yesterday again. Every...