It's Xmas time in the city ...

[Atlanta - 28 December 2005]

Wow! It's been a busy month.



I am sure I'll forget something but here's a recap:

My move into Bryan's flat to 'house-sit' went flawlessly. I miss the neatness & order of Michael's apartment but I can walk to work at The Fox from Bryan's. And no rent ...

Work at The Fox has been overwhelming since late November. Along with the Rockettes Xmas hoo-ha and The Nutcracker, we've also had concerts and ballroom events at which I have worked. The concerts netted FABULOUS tips (!) ... and that money is needed as January will really see a slow-down in my workload & income.

I had lunch with Jim & his son James (who just turned 16) twice before Xmas. James is a great kid ... if a bit quiet. I suppose I'd be quiet and cautious, too, if I was meeting my father's boyfriend/partner for the first time. I am just pleased that Jim has invited me into his family life. Jim is a wonderful father and I have encouraged him all along to be the best daddy he can be! Given that we both had rather crap fathers, I support Jim totally in his role as 'daddy' to his three kids.

My Xmas was great. I was off work on Xmas Eve and just sat around doing nothing for a change. Jim was over on Xmas Day in the late afternoon to open presents & swill champagne (he's taken to champagne like a duck to water!). Note: I get champagne at cost from The Fox!

I'd teased him earlier in the day by emailing this image:



Yeah, Jim got lots of presents from me ... but I rather enjoy making him feel loved & giving him thoughtful gifts. Highlights include: a coffee table book from WICKED THE MUSICAL, a lovely button-down shirt, a French & Saunders DVD, a humourous book about Denmark and a copy of my favourite book, NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND by Bill Bryson. He also got a few CDs and such ... thrown in for good measure!



Jim got me just what I asked for ... socks! :-) Okay, so I also got a lovely button-down shirt, some fleecy sweatpants and some cufflinks ... all needed! I had asked for practical things. I have two shirts with me here in America that I've been unable to wear, as I left my cufflinks in London.



Whatmore, Jim had resheduled our cruise as an Xmas surprise ... but it seems it might be postponed again! The delay would be my fault this time.

Jim has been a real sweetie lately. More important than the gifts, he has been giving me so much of his time since he returned from Chicago. I just love him, I do!

My mum even came for a visit on the 26th. She was in town with my sister & brother-in-law (who I'm only just now meeting!), along with my neice Taylor and her half-sister Jessica. Mum & I had brunch down The Flying Biscuit and coffee at Caribou across the street. Once back at mine, we nattered on a couple hours while she enjoyed her ciggies on the balcony. Chest cold aside, she was in remarkably good form. I can't recall when we've last had such pleasant, positive conversation. [Note: I get 'the whingeing gene' from my mother yet this entire day was nearly complaint-free.]

One final bit of Xmas cheer arrived a bit late ... a lovely handmade Xmas card from my best mate Androo in London. The card features a red reindeer sewn onto a green patch on the front. Such texture & design ... how delightfully fabulous! Androo is the best, he is ... he even included some Jesus fodder that came through his letterbox! He knows how to make me laugh, he does.

Now I am looking for a new place to live (see the advert here). Bryan is back from his world tour on the 7th and this house-sitting gig is up!

Wish me luck.



Richard the Big Bunny

My family ...

[Earth - After Midnight - Thursday]

My family has returned from the Caribbean!

I rather liked this photo of mum and my brother David ...



She's a dancehall queen, she is!

:-)

'Cha bedda come-down-wid-it, Mummy ...

Some of you are surely in shock, as I so rarely speak of my family ... much less show photos!

They were all in the Caribbean except me. This entire trip was planned whilst I was still in London.

Peace, love & irie !!!

Richard

Weekend of work. Monday of mischief.

[Atlanta - 3 AM]

Updates to this blog seem to be coming less & less frequently this month. My apologies! I think it's my aversion to dial-up & the evil AOL (back to Bryan's & DSL soon!) ...

My shifts at The Fox have been insane! I worked four shows on Friday, four shows on Saturday and three shows on Sunday. Damn those Rockettes! Up at dawn ... home at midnight ... kids & Xmas themes ... increasingly bitchy & exhausted co-workers ... not to mention the tips were rather shite, too.

Needless to say, I slept late today (Monday) and focused on nothing but my time with Jim.

Here's a snapshot taken just after he arrived:



Jim & I got a great deal done in three-&-a-half hours ...

We went to Ansley Mall (the 'gay shopping centre' here) for practical reasons. After spending $15 on deluxe non-cow-gut soap, we had a quick dinner at Moe's (again!), nipped into CVS to get my heart medication and then to Starbucks for a coffee & a Xmas CD for Androo (by request ... it contains a rare Pet Shop Boys track).

We stopped by Walgreen's on the way home in persuit of a goatee/beard trimmer for me ... not to mention some festive antlers (about as Xmas as I'm gonna get) ... think Bette Midler donning reindeer horns as she suffers through an insufferable Xmas singalong in the The Stepford Wives: "Maybe I could use hundreds of pine cones to spell out the words B-I-G J-E-W on the front lawn!"

:-)

Our evening ended with the delightful-but-unmentionable ... I'm still all-smiles. 'Twas particularly good ... 'tis the season!

[*blush*]

Back to work tomorrow for six days straight ... two, three or four shows a day ...

Am I the only one who thinks the nativity scene could be livened up a bit ... maybe Jesus could pop out with jazz-hands?

Bah-humbug!

Richard the Big Bunny (with reindeer antlers)

Overdue update ...

[Atlanta - 11.11.05]

No update to this blog in ages so I thought I'd do a quick recap of what you've missed ...

Before I left Bryan's, I passed my 'assessment' with Wachovia, which makes me *employable* ... if not employed (yet).



I have moved into a lovely condo on Ralph McGill Boulevard for the month of November. I live with a nice guy named Michael who isn't home much. I moved my bed from David's garage and now I have to sort out what to do with it next month when I housesit at Bryan's! No clue what I'm doing for January lodging yet.

Jim seems to be questioning our relationship suddenly. He seems to fear that I'll leave him for London (which is a valid conern that I understand) but I have to wonder if there is more he's not saying. No matter what, I love that man and I am grateful that he came into my life when he did.

Without the 'bandage' of my relationship with Jim, my life in Atlanta will most likely be immediately exposed as the festering boil that it is ... I have no reservations about saying Jim is my only source of happiness here.

There is nothing on at The Fox so I'm out of work for about 10 days in a row! Needless to say, that's not good ... no tips or paycheque!

I seem to be having several health concerns lately ... not least of which is the sudden appearance of 'floaters' in my left eye. No insurance and little money doesn't bode well for me getting to the doctor anytime soon. America does NOT have a national health service like England.

Today was a particularly shite, lonely day and I miss my friends in London so much right now (Oi'there, Androo !!!).

My return to England might not be imminent but it is definite. I do love Jim enough to delay things ...

Yours in exile,
Richard the Big Bunny

Good news all-round!

[Atlanta - Late Saturday night]

Good news!

I have had two viable offers for November lodging from my advert (see the latest one here).

One is in Grant Park with a fellow Mac Titanium Powerbook user (female) and the other near Piedmont Park with an older poof ...

:-)

We'll see how things go in person.

Also, I made $200.00 in tips in just two nights at The Fox !!!

Don't stop. Get it! Get it!

[*does a wee jig in a mo' money stylee*]

So that's the news ... I'm off to bed ...

Tomorrow is my day off and will be spent on 'quality time' with Jim.

We plan to see WALLACE & GROMIT: Curse Of The Were-Rabbit.

Hurrah!

Richard the Big Bunny

Sorted-esque ...

[Atlanta - Friday morning]

Okay ... so DJ Bryan has saved the day!

I'll be staying with him (as I did when I first arrived back in Atlanta in July) on the lovely hide-a-bed sofa at his condo on Renaissance Parkway ... but only until the end of October.

Wait ... there's more good news ...

I'll also be 'condo-sitting' for him for the entire month of December when he goes on his world tour (see his website).

HURRAH!

So that leaves the obvious problem of what to do for the month of November ...

I have placed a flash & festive advert on craigslist.com ... click here to view it.

I welcome suggestions of where I might stay for November. Cheap hotel? Boarding house? Hostel? Any hidden Atlanta gems out there? Know anyone who could put me up (I can pay rent!) for November?

Let me know!

Email me by clicking on the photo below ...

Thanks.

Richard the Big Bunny

So this is goodbye ...

[ATLANTA - The wee hours of Thursday the 20th]

Kanechiwa, Bitches!

So today's the day ...

I am moving out of David's garage.

To where? I dunno! I've no idea ... no, really ... I've not even asked anyone yet ...

Suffice to say I might be out of touch and more difficult to reach.

Keep checking this blog for an update if you don't hear from me.

2005 continues to be the most challenging year of my life ... and I know nothing will be right in my life until I return to London.

You know it, too ...

Richard the Big Bunny

EVICTED! Big Brother has spoken ...

[ATLANTA - Friday, 14 October 2005]

Here's a newsflash for you:

David wants me out of the garage by the 20th (though he originally said he was thinking the 15th!).

Mind you, I was only told this news myself on late Wednesday evening (the 11th).

October 20th is now only six days away !!!

To be honest, it's well past time for me to go from here. I have been living in a garage for about 90 days and I truly do not want to be here any longer ... but I've not found a better solution or earned enough money to get a place on my own yet.

I have nothing else to add ... not sure what I'll do. There is certainly no obvious solution. No cards in my back pocket to play.

Financially, my ends are not at all meeting yet ... I am behind on my British credit card payment and barely up on the US one. And I certainly have nothing saved up (for a rainy day or a move back to London).

I've continued looking for a proper full-time job (including live-in positions) but nothing has come of it.

Work at The Fox has been going well. I don't mind it but the end-of-the-shift prep & clean-up work certainly leaves me knackered. Tonight and Saturday are concerts ... so the bars don't close at all ... which should mean massive tips for me & my co-workers (tips are split equally amongst the bartenders).

No work until NEXT Friday & Saturday after that ... but at least those are concerts with open bars, too. Gives me time to move, eh? But to where ?!?

[*grin/grimace*]

The only bright spot in my life is Jim. I am so grateful that he's around. I am not sure what state I'd be in without him and that glimmer of hope & happiness that he's brought to my otherwise miserable life.

Richard

SIX FLAGS WITH MY PUDDIN' !!!

[Atlanta - Saturday - Midnight]

Jim took me to Six Flags today. He always has season passes ...

The last time I was there was literally half a lifetime ago -- age 16!

We had a wicked time!

As a leisurely day out, we did not try to 'do it all' but rather enjoy the day and take it as it comes.

Our first stop could have been our last. I did NOT care for this ACROPHOBIA thing at all. It's not the height or the sudden drop, it's the tilted-forward seat that than tilts even MORE forward once it is up 161 feet in the air. I found it uncomfortable and worrying more than 'thrilling'. Jim says I cried like a girl (which I did not, thank you).

Melting in the sun while recovering:



Continuing on that theme, I also worried (and whinged!) a bit (a lot!) about the SUPERMAN ULTIMATE FLIGHT while we queued up for it. This ride also positions its passengers downwards, hanging forward out of the seats, 'flying' like Superman. As it turned out, I *really* liked it and thought that it ended far too soon!

Having survived that, we posed for what has become my favourite photo of us:



Notice my weight-loss and the glow of love & happiness in my face ...

:-)

I found myself entertained by some of the locals, too:



Jim was amused by this woman's questionable positioning of her ample equine winning. Practical if, perhaps, a bit unsettling ...

One of the biggest surprises of the day was at the FRIGHT FEST musical show. Jim dragged me in for a rest and a cool-down and I was SHOCKED (indeed!) when the third song & dance number was my dear Army of Lovers' WALKING WITH A ZOMBIE !!!



This was then mixed directly into PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (a techno remix) ...



Camp as tits but kept me smiling for an hour afterwards ... I'll just ignore how it all went a bit 'MEATLOAF: THE MUSICAL' towards the end.

At least all of the performers could sing well ...

Here's a list of the rides at Six Flags Over Georgia. According to Jim, we rode Acrophobia, the Dahlonega Mine Train, Ninja, Scream Machine, Superman, Batman and the Mind Bender.

The SCREAM MACHINE is still a thrilling classic. It doesn't even go upside down but something is very exciting about it. Perhaps it's because of the length of the ride and the well-arranged peaks & valleys. Or perhaps it is that this huge structure is all wood and could snap at any moment and kill us all!

[*fit of naughty bunny giggles*]

On our way out, I saw this:



I am not really sure what that's about!

[*larf*]

But it was a grand day out ... I had a blast.

An entire day of thrills & spills with my Puddin' !!!

Look at him:



Handsome bugger. Words fail me. Jim is certainly the epitome of my type.

He's darn sweet, too ... and clever ... and talented ... just a great big ball of love & laughs.

I do love him so very much.

Richard the Big Bunny

I HAVE A JOB !!!

[ATLANTA]

I am now employed by The Fox Theatre.

HURRAH!



More details soon.

Richard