Dear Diary,

Dear Diary, Has it really been that long since we've talked?

Life here continues to go forward at warp speed. Traveling here and there, long days at the office, the engaging political atmosphere we're enjoying, and my new camera are keeping me on my toes these days.

A few things to share:

1- I LOVE my new camera! I'm so thankful to have such wonderful family to support my entrepreneurial hobbies. It's a Canon Rebel XS and it takes vivid and sharp pictures. Although I'm still learning all of the features, I've read the users manual twice and feel like I'm getting the hang of things. Ken (our corporate accountant and President of the Chamber) offered to give me lessons on how to take great pictures. He's a semi-professional photographer and he's already taught me so much.

2- Enjoyed a very nice weekend in KY. Spent quality time with family, including our niece, Searcy, and Hubs grandparents. We stopped by Tim and Emily's house and met little John, who is a complete 50/50 mix of his mommy and daddy. I suggested to Tim that he carry around a tape recorder and record his words to JT. In the 10 minutes he was showing me around his house, I got the biggest smiles because of the funny/cute/sincere/hilarious comments that came out of Tim's mouth. Aimee and Johan surprised us by showing up and it was great seeing Erin and Seth, too. There should be an SNL skit fashioned after Tim and Johan. They are freaking HILARIOUS together. Emily described to me the walk Johan and Tim took with JT in the baby bjorn (?). Her comment, "I'm sure the neighbors were startled by the nice gay men and their mail order baby." Wish we could have stayed longer (especially since Aimee and Johan drove in from LEX to see us), but we had plans to stop by the cemetery and visit Nana. Luckily, A & J came over to Hubs parents house and enjoyed our evening bar-b-que with us.

3- I cannot wait for VEGAS next weekend! We're meeting Jim and his partner, Nathan, and Katherine and her beau down there for a weekend getaway. We also convinced Hubs 21 year old sister, Lauren, to join us. We have a suite at Trumps new hotel. Seriously, what else do I need in life?

4- I cannot wait for Florida after Vegas! Hoping the weather holds up, though...

5- My contingency calendar is going great. Besides the first day when I forfeited the $3 to hubs, I've earned my money each day. I now have $36 that I can spend on whatever I please...I'm eying (eyeing) several Premiere Jewelry pieces, such as the Mahogany necklace. But, I'm also considering buying the Flylady Digital timer for all of my 10 minute tidies (the timer fits on a lanyard...what else does one need in life? It's a TIMER that goes around your neck...as Alex would say, "it's ahhhh-mazing. Just amazing."

6- My favorite daily reads lately have been from GayPatriot.net. GayPatriotWest is blogging from the RNC and his insights fascinate me, mostly because you rarely hear/know/see any gay Republicans. His thoughts on issues (all issues, not just of sexuality) intrigue me. GPW said yesterday:

"It’s a lot easier being an openly gay person in the GOP than being an openly Republican gay person in West Hollywood."

7- Speaking of politics, Red Mind in a Blue State nailed it. Back in February, my friend Tony called Sarah Palin his "out of the box" choice for Republican VP. Her choice for VP has me totally engaged in politics right now. I had been in the back row, kinda of paying attention, but not really. I was learning just enough to take the test and pass; but now, I'm in the front row with my reading glasses on and my digital recorder on my desk. I'm ready for class.

Other than that, the usual day-to-day tasks consume me. I'm hosting my sisters baby shower in Oct, so I'm actively planning for that. I'm handmaking the invites (why do I do this to myself?) but have most of the planning already done, so its just a matter of staying on track.