Who? Me? You Shouldn't Have.......

That wacky Kyle, over at OutLeft, has honored me with the Circle of Friends Award. If you haven't checked out kyle's blog, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? There is a mix of politics and environment, a hint of pop culture, some movie reviews, and one of my favorite Kyle segments, My Gay Journey Represented In Books [love that one].

So, what is this Circle Of friends blog award all about. Well, apparently, I am to post Five Things That I Enjoy, or Like To Do, and then pass the award on to blogs I find noteworthy.

Let's begin, shall we?

Cook: I love to cook. And I rarely use a cookbook or recipe; not because I'm that good, but because I am that experimental. I like to create my own meals, although there are some things that you won't find in my kitchen. I am not a fan of The Red Meat, simply because I don't like the taste, so a lot of my food is skewed towards chicken and fish and veggie-like. But I like heat and spice and flavor; I never met a curry I didn't want to call friend.

Read: I love a good book. Hell, at times, I even love a bad book. and I read a wide variety of books. I can be found reading about the life and times of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford, just as easily as i can be found reading about politics and social issues. I love a good novel and much as I like a great work of non-fiction. Right now, I have Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol on the night table, and Molto Agitato, about the history of the Metropolitan Opera, on my dresser. I am usually good for at least two books at once.

Writing: I like the creative aspect of putting out an idea in some form or another and sharing it with others. I like writing about current events that involve the LGBT community, or any group that is a put-upon, downtrodden, segment of society. But I like to write a good story as well. I have one completed novel, called, oddly enough, I Should Be Laughing, which I call a feel-good novel of familial dysfunction, alcoholism, suicide and child abuse, because, well, not to spoil it, but there is a happy ending. I like the voice that writing gives me, because it never ceases to amaze me how truly alike we all are, no matter what our lives are like.

Sarcasm and Humor: I am quick with a comeback. I love a good joke and thrive on sarcasm. I think that helps get through some of the "stuff" that gets hurled my way for being an openly gay man with a mouth he uses for more than one thing. I think it comes from wanting to fit in and be liked, so I chose to be The Funny One; no one throws sticks at The Funny One.

Working On Casa Smallville: I loved moving into this house with Carlos because it is "our" first house. I had my house in California and he had his house in Miami--which became my house by virtue of my moving there--but this is our first place that we picked out because we love it. This place is a blank canvas for us, to create , both inside and out, our home, our life, our family. I am a homebody at heart. I love painting and fixing the house; tending to the gardens and mowing the lawn; raking up leaf after leaf after bloody leaf! I love that sense of home.

Well, that's five, narrowed down. I love and enjoy other things, going new places, talking to people, hearing other opinions, art, music, nature, on and on I could go......but I stop at the Five requested. And now, I will choose some blogs that I love, and give them a shout-out, pulling them into a Circle of Friends:

Mac at Old Midhurstian: Mac's blog is the telling of his story, a sort of "mental archeology," as he calls it, of own his childhood of sexual abuse. His space in the blog world is thoughtful and thought-provoking; his stories are painful, because they're true, but Mac believes his is a story that needs to be told. and so do I.

Stephen at Post Apocalyptic Bohemian: His is a blog about a very interesting man, his life, his love, his home, his career, his thoughts. Stephen will take you places and remind you of things you thought you'd forgotten. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll come to terms.

Dan at 41North87West: Why Dan? Why indeed. Well, for starters, he has one of the most passionate voices on the issue of gay rights, most specifically marriage equality, that you'll ever hear, and he doesn't buy bullshit. His anger and frustration are as contagious as is his desire for seeing that what's right be made right. Plus, Dan shares the same love of his partner, his home, his friends and his pets, as I do mine, and we also share an intense dislike for that Grand Poobah of Self-Promotion and Self-Congratulations, Oprah!

Kevin at The Lisp: It's one of my first stops in the blog-o-sphere. It's always fun, always funny, campy, pretty, and often thoughtful. Kevin's simple elegant, eloquent post on World AIDS Day alone is reason enough to stop in every chance you get. I love the mix of fun and serious, because that's life, that's Kevin, that's The Lisp.

Mistress Maddie at A Day With The Mistress Borghese: This is the spot for everything from window dressing to drag queens, man candy to the Tales [or is it Tails] of Buster Borghese. Mistress Maddie is fabulousness personified; it's like Roz Russell and Cher, with a little Hedda Lettuce and the Travel Network. It's design; it cock-a-tails; it's fun. It's.A.Must.

So, there's Five Things I Like, and Five Bloggers I Enjoy. Check them out. They may take me up on the Five Things challenge, or they may not, but they are still shiny happy spots around blogtown.