Hi everyone:

For those of you who thought I had dropped off the edge of the planet—surprise!

To be honest, not much earthshaking has happened since my last missive in October. Life has settled down into near predictability, although definitely not to the point of “rut” status. I’ve spent a lot of time in the audience, a lot of time getting to know New York City better, and a lot of time editing boring little quick reference cards for Morgan Stanley.

Last Friday marked my two-year anniversary of officially becoming a New Yorker—that was the day I closed on my co-op. I celebrated by refinancing at a lower rate. No fun task, that—paperwork and lawyer fu. Still, I’m glad I did it, as I’ve saved a lot of money over the life of my mortgage, so happiness is the order of the day.

I've been to only one audition in the last year—for “My Fair Lady” at the Mountain Play in Marin County. Otherwise, I’ve decided that I stand a much better chance of getting in front of an audience if I do my OWN show, as opposed to someone else's. So, my cabaret act, which I’ve been putting off for WAY too long, is now officially in the works. The working title is “Pushing the Envelope”; it’s about going where one dare not go, and doing what one normally wouldn’t do. It’s not as deep as it sounds, so don’t be thinking that I’m going to change worlds or move mountains. I’m hoping to stage it at “Don’t Tell Mama” on 46th St. More to come on that as it develops.

The sunniest part of the last nine months has been my membership in a terrific club called Urban Outings, a gay social group based in New York. Thanks to them, I’ve zapped dozens of men with laser tag rifles, sheared sheep, downed many martinis in some of the best bars in town, played Frisbee, Scattergories, Clue, Gayopoly, and other fun games, cooked chicken marsala, strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge, climbed rocks, watched Joan Rivers do standup (“she’s a TRAAAAAAMP!”), gone treasure hunting in Central Park, and on and on and on. I’m certainly not lacking for anything to do on any given day or night.

Speaking of the job at Morgan Stanley—it comes to an end in just a few weeks. I’ve landed a PLUM technical writing gig at Citigroup. The pay is terrific, I get to work from home, I may be traveling to Japan and Singapore (!!), and if all goes well, I will become a full-time employee (as opposed to a mere contractor) in six months, with benefits and everything.

I’m finally fixing up my home! The drab post-it-note-yellow paint is gone from the living room, replaced with a cheery, creamy, orangey-squash. Next up is the middle room—I’m leaning towards a cool blue to contrast with the living room. After that, the kitchen and bathroom, both of which I’m leaving up to the professionals.

Sad to say, I’ve gained a little (luckily, not a LOT) of new girth around the waist. This is due in part to Titus’ untimely departure. We spent SO much time walking, both at nights and on weekends, so now that I don’t have those regular strolls with the poor monster. . . well, you get the idea.

Vacation time is coming up. I’m spending a few days visiting some old and dear friends of the family, then going on to Boise to spend a week with another old friend, hiking and camping in the mountains. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve had a real vacation, so I’m looking forward to that one a lot.

Write to me and let me know what's going on with you. Better yet, come and visit me. You've got a place to stay if you're ever in New York.

Love always,

Michael