THANKFUL: Day 16

I'm thankful for friends.  One of our friends, Wes, had been going through a rough time.  He lives in Salt Lake City now so we don't see him as much as we'd like.  We saw him briefly today and it made my heart happy.  He's so great.  We also saw our friends Annette and Rebecca in the afternoon while delivering macarons and then saw a movie with Nick and Kyle.  David joined us later for a bit of Cards Against Humanity.  It was a great night, ending with a wild drive to McDonald's, weaving in and out of traffic while blasting The Prince of Egypt soundtrack.  Dollar Menu for the win.

THANKFUL: Day 15

I'm thankful for margaritas.  I'm also thankful for friends like Tara who buy me margaritas.  I'm thankful for Brian and my coworkers and friends who join me for such a beverage from time to time.  Just time to time, Mom.  I promise I'm not an alcoholic!  I'm thankful for the folks at La Casita in Springville who make such a delicious (and strong) margarita on the rocks.  1 = tipsy; 2 = falling face-first into the calle.  We at Zales go so often that the waitress recognizes us.  She knows what we want.  We feel cool.  It's kind of a hole-in-the-wall, but it's fun.  We laugh, gossip, eat, and smile.  Sometimes our La Casita antics are put down in history in the form of Instagram videos... embarrassing Instagram videos.  Thanks, Tara.  Thanks a lot.

THANKFUL: Day 7

I'm thankful for my coworkers who make life in the jewelry business a little more fun.  I'm thankful that we all get along and that we are all equally crazy, silly and immature.  Like when I'm busy helping a customer, these two take my phone and set the above photo as my new wallpaper.  I'm thankful for our Zales Quote Book, which has hilarious entries such as:  "Get down on your knees and eat me!" or  "I'm mo-la-la-la-la-la-lesting you!" and "I need $111... that's 10 dalmations more than a Disney movie."  I'm thankful that HR has not found said book.  I'm thankful our new manager turned out to be a nice guy and puts up with us.  I'm thankful I don't feel 27.  I'm thankful that Tara, my Work Wife, sends me text messages that say, "I get a open wit ma nigga/boo," when we find out we work the same shift.  I'm thankful to be employed, even if I complain about it half the time.  My work peeps make everything better.

THANKFUL: Day 2

I'm thankful for my husband, Brian, and the fun times we have together.  Like our first-ever trip to  Wendover, Nevada.  We went with the Provo Pride Fun Bus today and boy was it ever fun.  We filled up our red Solo cups with margaritas and chatted up other gay and gay-friendly Utah County citizens as we drove northwest towards our destination.  Once there Brian learned to play Blackjack and I learned how to say no to desserts at an all-you-can-eat buffet.  It's harder than it looks.  I'm thankful for the group of people we went with, most of whom I met through my work with the Provo Pride Council.  I'm thankful for the transgendered and the gender-queer.  I'm thankful for the straight, the bisexual, the bi-curious and the gay.  I'm thankful for those who resist gender stereotypes, who fight for equality in our community, who refuse to be marginalized.  I'm thankful for men in floppy, white sun hats who are thrown out of BYU-housing.  I'm thankful for straight bandmembers who played at our wedding reception and ours only.  I'm thankful for fat comedians and gay florists and Japanese-manga-reading women who tell me of their love lives, who sit with me or hug me or tell us that we're their favorite gay married couple.

I'm thankful for my husband, Brian... or have I mentioned that already?

Limon=Lemon

"Your last name, Limon, it means lemon, right?"

"No," says Zeek.  "It means lime."

"Isn't that lima?" I ask him.

"I'm Mexican; I would know."

I'm pretty sure I'm right, but I let it slide.  At the Mexican restaurant, days later, Tara brings it up again, smiling coyly over her margarita.  The margaritas there are pretty strong, and that's mostly why we go, although I enjoy my pork and bean burrito.  The service is pretty good too.  The waitress smiles warmly and puts her hand on my shoulder.  "Weren't you just here on Saturday?" she asks.  Wow, she even remembers us... and yes, yes we were.

Meanwhile, Zeek's cheeks are flushing.  "You guys are wrong!  It means lime."

"Then how do you say lemon in Spanish?" Tara asks.

"Lemon," says Zeek, laughing, licking the salted rim of his glass.

As we tipsily pay our check, I say to the waitress, "Can I ask you a question?  How do you say lemon in Spanish?"

"It's limon," she says.

"Told ya so!" Tara and I both shout out to Zeek, turning to smack him but hitting each other instead.

"Where did he go?" she asks.  "He was right here!"

Zeek reappears a second later, he had returned to the table to leave a tip and perhaps mourn the fact that I was right and he was wrong.  Zeek's last name, like the car he drives, means lemon.

Stage Fright

Sydney came over after all and we had a great time.  She shot some footage of Brian and I in the kitchen (Brian gave me the simple task of washing vegetables) and then we sat on the couch and she asked us a few questions.  Brian did most of the talking of course.  I just nodded a lot and acted uncomfortable.  Stupid camera.  And when I did speak, I sounded like a rambling fool.  Luckily the project she's working on is only a minute and a half, because I'm not quite ready for my Barbara Walters interview.

She ended up staying a little longer than planned, saying goodbye several times before inevitably settling back in again.  Good conversation has that effect on people.  We talked about movie musicals and politics and religion... but mostly musicals.  We're agreed that Russell Crowe disappointed in Les Mis, we're excited for Anna Kendrick to be in The Last Five Years and on some level we all miss the theater.  I don't miss it as much as those two do, but I do sometimes miss it.

It's funny how as a child and teenager I was once able to sing and act onstage in front of people.  Nowadays, I get panic attacks from being called on to answer a question in class.  I shake like a leaf when giving a class presentation.  And I was sweating bullets as soon as Sydney set up her tripod and focused that camera on us.  Thursday I'll have to give a presentation in front of an estimated 80 or so people including the president of Utah Valley University and I am terrified.  Terrified.  I wonder whatever happened to the confident boy who used to perform.  I wonder if he's gone for good, or if he'll ever come back again.

A Text from Sydney

I got a text message this morning from a friend of mine named Sydney.  I haven't talked to her in a while, so it was a nice surprise.  We talked about our busy lives for a bit before she said, "Hey so I hate to like randomly talk to you after forever and then ask a favor... but I'm doing a story on the gay marriage debate for one of my journalism classes and I would love to interview you and Brian."  I wasn't expecting that sort of favor to be asked, but I couldn't say no.  I mean, for a lot of people Brian and I are the only gay couple they know... let alone a married gay couple.  So even though I'm completely swamped in schoolwork this weekend, we agreed to the interview.  She's coming over to film us tomorrow.

That's right, film us.  When I initially agreed to help out I thought it would be for a written article.  But no, she wants to show Brian and I cooking in the kitchen and acting all cute and coupley.  Then we'll sit down for a filmed interview session with her. It's a little nerve-wracking, and I have to remind myself that nobody's going to see it other than her professor and a smattering of classmates at Brigham Young University.

Speaking of BYU, I know that their men's chorus sang at one of the sessions of LDS General Conference today.  I have a couple of gay friends, Michael and Andrew, who sing in that choir.  They were pretty excited to be a part of it all.  Also, while I'm on the topic of gays and BYU students, I know a guy named Nathan Cunliffe who co-created a comic strip for BYU's Understanding Same-Gender Attraction (USGA) organization.  The strip is called Bronicorns and it's about two brothers, one gay and one straight, who attend BYU.  It's pretty cute, so you should check them out!

February?

I'm not sure if any of you are aware, but it is March now.  Yeah, March.  I'm not sure what exactly happened to February.  Maybe March ate it up like chocolates in a heart-shaped box.  Gobbled it down so quickly that it didn't even notice whether it was coconut-filled, caramel or raspberry-creme.  Just gone, like that, in a flash.

Well, over President's Day weekend Brian and I flew to Colorado to watch my little brother get married.  It's pretty crazy, but in a 6-month time frame my entire family got married.  My sister in August, me in November and Daniel in February.  All of us 3 months apart, can you believe it?

Of course, how could any of you know that considering I haven't blogged about it!  I'm so sorry.  The trip was great.  I enjoyed spending time with my family, especially my adorable baby niece!  My dad and I had some good talks over coffee, my mom took us out to dinner and my brother's wedding was simple and small, but very sweet.

The rest of the month was a blur of work and school and friends.  Some of us went out to a really fun piano bar in Salt Lake City called Keys on Main and had an absolute blast.  Our friends even paid to have the pianists play "It's Raining Men" and somehow coerced us to get up on stage and dance.  Well, either they coerced us or the cocktails did.  Probably the latter.  Then our month capped off with Oscar Sunday, which is by far the biggest and most celebrated gay holiday of them all.  We had a great time watching the ceremony with Brian's family followed by hot tubbing with friends.

So while February came and went in just one bite, it left me pretty full and satisfied.  Now we're almost a week into March... yikes.

Christmas Gifts, Part One

Brian, Michelle, Wes, Brett and I got together on the 21st to exchange Christmas gifts.  Here's my impressive haul!

A.  Brian got me a new printer!  My old printer lasted a good four years or so... but it finally died out on me.  Printing at the UVU library got old really quickly, and it will be nice to print photos and stuff again (especially now with all the wedding pics).  And this new one is wireless!  So fancy schmancy!

B.  Michelle got me Horrible Bosses, which is a hilarious movie.  Luckily I now have a super awesome boss so I won't have to murder her any time soon.

C.  Friends With Benefits, another fun movie from Michelle, features my Justin Timberlake.  He's my other husband that Brian doesn't know about.  Well, one of them.  I have a lot of celebrity husbands.

D.  Ink for my new printer (A).  Brian had me open the ink first and I said, "But honey, our printer is dead..." and that's when he said, "Your new printer is hiding in the trunk of my car!"  I was so happy!

E.  Aveda shampoo and conditioner from Michelle.  It smells of rosemary/mint and should help my scalp while strengthening my hair.

F.  Aveda exfoliating cleanser, also from Michelle.  Hopefully my face won't be as ugly anymore.

G.  Michelle continued to pamper me with Aveda Lip Saver.  My lips really love that stuff!

H.  One last Aveda product from Michelle (who is a very recent Aveda graduate, can you tell?): grooming clay!  It keeps my hair lookin' all sexy.

I.  Brian got me the first season of New Girl!  I love that show and even Brian likes it... and he pretty much hates television.  We both just laugh and laugh while watching the current season.  "Puppy in a cup!"  Sorry, only those who watch it will get that reference.

J.  Even though he's not a fan of Home Alone, Brian knows that it's one of my favorite Christmas movies so he got it for me.  Isn't he a sweetie?

K.  Brian got me the second season of Glee (I already had the first) and now I can gleek out whenever I want.  Well, I can gleek out whenever he's not home at least.  Or within listening distance.

L.  Michelle gave me a new gray tie from Old Navy to wear to work.  I really like it!

M.  Michelle also got me a baby blue Stafford dress shirt to wear with my tie (L) and I look pretty dang sexy in them both.  Minus my love handles...

N.  Michelle got Brian and I tickets to an upcoming production of Spring Awakening at the University of Utah!  I'm so excited to go because I love that musical so much; I sing songs from it in the shower all the time.  I hope U of U does a good job staging it.  Of course, nothing can compare to my shower performances, but hey, they can try.

O.  Brett got me an awesome blue hoodie from Express!  He was spot on with the color choice, because I love it!  It's also super comfy (and I'm sure expensive).  Thanks, Brett!

P.  Brian got me seasons one and two of the classic TV series I Love Lucy.  We both love that show a ton, so it's really a gift for himself as well.  I can't wait to start re-watching them!

Q.  Brian also got me an iTunes gift card.  I could use some new tunes, so I'll definitely be using that!

R.  Wes got me a Best Picture collection of movies on DVD.  It came with Braveheart, Forrest Gump, American Beauty, Gladiator, Titanic, The Godfather and Terms of Endearment.  So many great movies!

S.  Brian got me the Barnes and Noble edition of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Anansi Boys.  He was quick to capitalize on my new-found love for Gaiman's writing, and I haven't yet read Anansi Boys so I'm excited for that.

Early Christmas with Brian and Friends

Since we'll all be with our own families for Christmas, we decided as friends to celebrate Christmas a little early with dinner, gift-giving and much merriment.  On Friday the 21st Michelle, Wes and Brett came over to our place where Brian made us delicious pork chops and mulled wine.  Then we exchanged our presents which had been piling up under our tree over the past couple of weeks.  It's amazing how quickly a pretty present can be unwrapped!  So many great gifts were given, but most importantly we shared our love and friendship.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

On November 25th, Brian and I put up our Christmas tree and other decorations with the help of Amy, Brett, Emeli, Michelle and Wes.  It was a holly, jolly time!  We had Christmas music playing, hot cocoa brewing, chocolate chip cookies baking and Brian even made us Belgian waffles with a yummy apple topping.  We sure do love Christmas!

Our last Christmas tree was sold when we moved to California, so we had to buy a new one.  Brian got a good Black Friday deal on an artificial, 7-and-a-half-foot, pre-lit, slim Virginia Pine from Target.  Some of our decorations came from Target also, but many were purchased at Hobby Lobby and Tai Pan Trading.  The leaf candle holder was a wedding gift from Brett, from Bath and Body Works.  The wreaths were decorated by yours truly.

Our color theme this year was brown, gold and red, which was quite the departure from previous years.  Our Christmas decorations in our Salt Lake City apartment in 2010 were red, white and silver.  Click here to look at old photos!

Wedding Photos: Friends

From the rest of our friends in attendance (at least those willing to jot something down!):

"Congrats on this new chapter!  I am so excited for you and hope the next years are the best.  Love you!" -Kayla

"I'm so happy everything worked out in the end in NY.  I wish you all the best moving forward." -Ryan

"Felicidades!  Les deseo lo mejor del mundo.  Espero que cada dia tienen exito.  Les quiero mas que un completo de vienesas!  Que Dios les bendiga amigos." -Gabriel

"Congratulations!  I'm so glad everything worked out.  You two are so cute together.  I wish you the best!  And many, many happy years!" -Caitlin

"Congrats!  We are so happy for you!  Good luck with everything!" -Tyler and Vicki

"I love the both of you and am glad to have amazing friends like you guys!" -Mesun

"Best wishes to you!  I'm glad I got to come, everything looked wonderful!" -Rebecca and Joseph

"... I think that you are GREAT and I can't wait to get to know you better.  I'm so happy for you.  Congratulations!" -Hannah

"I'm so happy for you two... and excited for your future together.  Love ya!" -Andrew

"Best wishes for a happy life together!" -Martha

"What you've done here, what you've achieved together, is wonderfully inspiring." -Jonathan

"You guys are gonna have a beautiful life together." -Jake

"I love you guys and am so glad to have gotten to know you better." -Karrie

"Woo Hoo!  I am so happy for the 2 of you!  You are such a good example of selfless and sincere love: I hope to be like the both of you!" -Annette

"I love you guys so much!  I am happy for you and am grateful to be a part of your lives.  You can make it through any challenges with love, trust and respect." -Krystal

"Hey Jack and Brian.  Best of luck to you two.  You make a great couple." -Stan and Ryan

"We hope you both enjoy this time as newlyweds and will continue to grow with one another.  Congrats!" -Andy and Amberly

"Leave it to you guys to have a fancy cake.  Renae and I just saw it and thought you were all fancy.  Oh, and I just burned my hair in your candle as I was writing this.  Sorry, now it stinks.  You guys both look amazing tonight and I love your hair [Brian's]..." -Candace

"You guys look so great!  I am so glad we're friends... Oh, congratulations (the decidedly most important part of my sentiments)!" -Renae

Wedding Photos: Party

From our friends in attendance who weren't afraid to shake their money makers:

"I love you guys so much!  I'm glad that you two were finally able to get married." -Dyann

"Umm... yeah pretend I said lots of nice, heartwarming stuff.  I'm not much for words." -John

"Congrats!  I love you two!  And wish a happy life for you both!" -Riley

"You guys are so brave for going out on a limb like you did!  I'm so happy you went to NYC to show your love for each other.  Just remember to love each other over everything else and don't forget that life's about the little things." -Kevin

"Love you!  I'll miss you guys but I hope to see you more before I leave." -Brandon

"May your love be everlasting.  Too cheesy?  No?  Okay.  I wish you happiness all your days, much laughter, and many smiles." -Katie

"I am happy that in my lifetime I got the pleasure of seeing two lovely human beings fully commit to each other.  Thanks for paving the way for gays both here in Utah and the country at large." -Dean (Lamar) and Adam

"Congratulations!  Now keep it together and make the rest of us look stable!" - Curt

"I love you!  But you guys know that.  I would love to write something clever, but I'm not.  So let me know when you guys want that baby!" -Mineh

"Congratulations on your marriage!  I'm so happy for you and I know you'll have a lot of great years together!" -Dani

Ask Joaquin: Who Proposed to Whom?

From Amberly:  Who proposed to whom?

That's a fantastic question.  Not too long ago we invited our friend Hannah and her boyfriend Andrew over to carve jack-o-lanterns and enjoy homemade pumpkin pie and apple cider.  It was an enjoyable evening, and being fairly new in our friendship there was a lot to talk about.  At one point we started to discuss how Brian and I got engaged... and funnily enough, the two of us got into a little argument over it.  His version didn't match mine!

Here's how I tell it.  One day in August 2009 I came home from work to find a dressed-up Brian and a table laid out with a scrumptious meal.  It was a random weeknight so I was a little surprised.  Then while we were eating, he got down on one knee and pulled out a box with a ring in it and proposed, saying something ridiculously sweet and romantic.  I, of course, smiled from ear to ear and said a most emphatic "YES!"  Brian says he had wanted to propose on my birthday (the 20th), but as soon as the ring came from online he just couldn't wait any longer!  He had to propose ASAP!

A few months later, November 2, we were celebrating our first anniversary in Park City, Utah.  We were in the hotel room when Brian asked for his anniversary gift.  I got on one knee and returned his proposal with a matching ring.  (The site he had used was still in our browser history, so finding the same ring was surprisingly easy.)  Unfortunately the ring I had gotten him was way too big and I had to send it back and get him a replacement.  I'm not sure how I was so off with the size.  I had printed out a paper ring sizer and while he was sleeping I measured his finger.  I realize now how creepy that sounds.

So to sum up, Brian proposed to me and then I proposed to him.

But here's where Brian swoops in to correct me.  That wasn't when he first proposed, even though that's what I consider to be the "official" proposal.  That's the story I usually tell people.  But in reality, Brian asked me to marry him much sooner than that.  And when I say "much sooner" I mean like Mormon-dating fast.  He unofficially asked me to marry him like a week or two into our relationship.  Kinda embarrassing, so you can see why I would choose to tell the version where we had been dating for almost a year.  I believe we were in his car and he just asked me if I would marry him.  And I said yes.  He talked about how it would have been cool to take me on a carriage ride in Salt Lake City to propose (which they have around Christmastime), but again, his anxiousness to ask me interfered with grander romantic plans.

So really, Brian and I have wanted to get married pretty much from the get-go.  Four years later, we're finally going to make that happen.

Four-Year Anniversary and Change of Wedding Plans

Today, November 2, 2012, is our four-year anniversary (which means traditionally I should receive flowers, or silk/linen depending on which website I choose to trust) and it was also the day Brian and I were supposed to get married in New York City.  Well, Superstorm Sandy came in with all her wrath and flooded the east coast, putting a damper on our wedding plans.  "Damnit, Sandy!" said our friend LoriAnn, echoing the sentiments of pretty much everyone we know.  "Do NOT name your first kid Sandy," quipped my friend Mary.  Don't worry.  We won't.

So now our wedding will be postponed a week, with the new wedding date of November 9th which I don't like nearly as much.  "Sorry your gift will make less sense now..." said my friend Rebecca, who engraved Jack and Brian November 2, 2012 onto a beautiful frame for us.  "It's still the anniversary of our first date," I said, trying my best to console her.  "It will still have meaning to me."  And it's true.  Even if the 9th will be the day we officially become a married couple, November 2nd will still be our anniversary in my heart.  Always and forever.

In a way, we were prepared for this.  Originally I had wanted our reception to be on the 9th, right after our return from NYC.  But that date was already booked at the venue we wanted, so we pushed the reception back to the 16th.  If we hadn't done that, we wouldn't have had the extra week in between to reschedule our wedding.  We might have had to get married after the reception, which would have been a little weird, but luckily it will all work out (barring the possibility of another freak disaster, of course).  We were also lucky that both of our employers are supporting us in this endeavor and are willing to redo the work schedules to accommodate the change of plans.

"That's the fun part of getting married," said my friend James in a text.  "Everything will go wrong until you get there!"

The Bride of Frankenstorm

To celebrate Brian's birthday, we had dinner with Nichole and Emily at Tucanos Brazilian Grill.  It was a nice night out.  The food was of course delicious and left me feeling so stuffed that I swore never to eat again.  That's pretty typical of the place.  I eat so much meat that I start to consider vegetarianism... and if you know me, you know that ain't ever gonna happen.  But still the thought creeps in there and just settles unpleasantly on my stomach until all the buttons on my shirt pop off.

Anyway, feeling like a Brazilian heifer we said goodbye to the ladies and met up with Michelle and Wes at the movie theater for a special screening of Halloween (1978).  Although I've seen the movie multiple times (and somewhat recently), it was the first time seeing it on the big screen.  Pretty fun.  The day before a bunch of us went to see Frankenstein (1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) which were being presented as a double-feature in theaters for one night only.  I had never seen either movie before and I really enjoyed them.  Boris Karloff is legendary for his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster and I was pretty impressed with the special effects of the 30s.  They weren't really that scary to me, as a modern viewer, but they were sure entertaining.  And although sequels usually suck, I'd have to say the second one was my favorite... even if the "Bride" only shows up at the end!

But do you want to know something that really does scare me?  More than monster movies or overeating?  The thought that I might not make it to New York City to get married!  Right now a terrible storm is brewing on the east coast and it's supposed to strike New York City before Halloween.  It's a combination of Hurricane Sandy which is heading north from Haiti and Cuba and some smaller winter storms coming from the west and down south from Canada.  Weather forecasters are calling this combination "Frankenstorm" and it's supposed to bring high winds, heavy rain and extreme tides.  As of right now, JetBlue is cancelling flights for Monday the 29th and Tuesday the 30th.  We're supposed to fly out on Halloween, late at night, and we just hope to God that weather permits!  Because if we can't make it out to New York City to get hitched, I'm going to turn into something far scarier than the Bride of Frankenstein!

25 Reasons We LOVE Brian!

1.  “Brian’s very enthusiastic and passionate about things he loves.  He refuses to go through life complacent.”—Wes King

2.  “My favorite thing about Brian is his kindness.  He’s always welcomed me into his home and made me feel comfortable.  He never makes me feel stupid even when I disagree with him or am not very knowledgeable on a subject.  And he shares his amazing cooking with me!  He’s just a nice guy!  My second favorite thing is this incredible potato dish he makes!  It’s so yummy!  Like a foodgasm!”—Michelle Stokes

 

3.  “Brian makes me wish I liked politics.  Oh!  And he’s the shit!”—Mineh Palacios

4.  “He’s passionate.”—Jenny Kesler

5.  “Brian has this unparalleled ability to express very fairly and evenly his opinion but without watering it down—he is honest and straightforward and always worthy of respect.  Also he has a great sense of humor.”—Hannah Wheelwright

6.  “His food is scrumdiliumcious and I love all his interesting movie facts!”—Courtney Kesler

7.  “Brian is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”—Emily Mattson

8.  “I think Brian has the nicest sexy man bum out there.”—Nichole Christensen

9.  “Brian is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met.  I met and talked to him for a brief time at a meeting once, and from then on he has been a huge help to me—even though he hardly knows me!  He is supportive and funny and clever and oh so classy!  I'm grateful to know him!”—Annette Harris

10.  “I think Brian is an outstanding gentleman.  I don’t think he realizes it, but he is a near daily influence on my life.  He is a great example of what it means to be a mature, thoughtful and genuine man.”—Brett Kesler

11.  “When I think of the two most important decisions I’ve made, coming out and going to Europe, I realize Brian was influential in helping me do both.  I look up to him as a musician, intellectual, and a human being.  I hope the utmost happiness for him in his life.”—Patrick Barrus

12.  “Brian is a caring and giving man.  I have always felt welcomed by and warmth from him.  I am happy to know him!”—Krystal Olsen

13.  “He’s pretty, with a cute laugh!  Plus I like how he’s not afraid to express his opinions.”—Renee Garcia

14.  “To Brian—the guy who introduced Jack to politics and good cooking!”—Jack Garcia (my father)

15.  “Brian is one of the most passionate people I've ever met! He really stands up for what he believes in, from music, theater and cinema to politics.”—Rebecca Hackett Lisor

16.  “Brian is the most honest person I know, and I value that most.”—Brandon James

17.  “Brian has a passion for life and movies—and anything he's interested in, for that matter—that is inspiring.  My best memories of him were sitting in the attic of his parents’ house and learning how to defeat Ganondorf and navigate safely through all the temples of Zelda.  I still think of him when I play through Ocarina of Time.”—Freddy Kesler

18.  “Brain has been an awesome friend for me all of my life.  Brian has always been very creative.  I think it was fourth grade when we would walk around the playground after every lunch for probably several weeks in a row and discus our great ideas for movies.  We had come up with a very sad story about a poor orphan puppy with 3 legs and a bitten-off ear.  We wanted to send it into Disney, sure that they would make a movie of it for us because it was just SO wonderful. Another great quality about Brian is that he is very honest and well informed to this day and that is something that I admire very much about him.  I feel so blessed to still be his friend.”—Candace Bonsteel

19.  “Dear Brian, Thanks to me you’re a better person.”—Nick Frandsen

20.  “He’s a classy guy.  And interesting.  I like that we’re both into old school things like old Hollywood-type stuff.  I haven’t met anyone like that so I would say he’s an old soul.”—Ana Frutos

21.  “Brian is my favorite brother.  I’ve always looked up to him and wanted to be just like him.  I remember when I was in junior high I would go see him in shows and that was the only reason I ever wanted to do shows—because he did!  Oh, and he is just like amazing at everything he does.”—Amy Kesler

22.  “Brian’s cooking puts Julia Child to shame, he has a wit sharper than a razor and has a heart bigger than the sky!  How could you not love this wonderful guy?”—Kelsey Roberts

23.  “He is a great cook and is extremely funny when he makes fun of movies.”—Daniel Garcia

24.  “He’s kind.  Always has been to me.  For that I am eternally grateful.”—Rafael Butron

25.  “When I first met Brian we just instantly clicked.  As cheesy as it sounds, I knew that he was the one for me and I decided then and there to do everything in my power to keep him!  I love him so much.  He’s adorable, funny, intelligent, creative, helpful and an all-around good guy who makes me happy.  I honestly don’t know what I would ever do without him.  Just shrivel up and die somewhere I guess…”—Jack Garcia (me, the future husband)

September Happenings

Brian and I have been busy lately.  I'm still working five days a week at Zales, including weekends, and my only days off are Tuesday and Thursday when I attend my three classes at Utah Valley University.  Brian has had an extremely heavy workload the last few weeks at Culinary Crafts, going in really early and working 12-hour shifts.  On top of that he's taking four classes at UVU (two on campus and two online) and barely finds time to do the coursework.  Heck, we barely have time to give each other a goodbye kiss before we part ways!

But here are some things we have managed to do this month that weren't school/work-related:

• We attended a doggy birthday party!  Brian's sister Jenny's dog Lou celebrated his birthday on the first.  Since Brian's a pastry chef, we thought some pastry-shaped rawhide treats would be a good gift for the canine.
• That same night we drove up to Layton to celebrate my (human) cousin Tanissa's birthday.  It was at the Fahrenheit Lounge and it was fun... even if we had to skive off early to drive all the way home.
• Brian wanted to try out a duck recipe so he invited Stephen and Lexi over as guinea pigs.  The food was delicious and the conversation was great.  We even had Shirley Temples!
• My coworker Tara invited us out to party at The Madison in downtown Provo the following weekend and we had a blast!  I got to see one of my old coworkers, Riley, and then Brian and I ran into our friends Karrie and Ana on the dance floor!  It was great to see them!
• I officially became a Utahn this month!  Woohoo!  Or should I say "boohoo"?  I'm not sure if I'm happy about that or not...  Anyway, my Colorado driver's license finally expired on me so I got myself a Utah one.  My buddy Wes was kind enough to accompany me to the DMV and we had so much fun we just decided to hang out all day.  Brett came over later and we played Wii Super Mario and ordered pizza.  Oh, I should also mention I look dead sexy in my driver's license photo, but no surprise there.
• Glee started this week, which you know I love, and I've also become hooked on The New Normal.  Such a great new show!
• As far as wedding planning goes, Brian and I have purchased the plane tickets to New York City and reserved the hotel room.  We've also set the date for our reception (November 16), booked the venue (Rock Canyon Room), hired a band (Van Lady Love), registered for gifts and ordered the invitations.  Brian's mom and I even went on a little shopping excursion for decorations.  Things are progressing smoothly!
• My dad turned 50 this month!  He's so old!
• My friends Curt and Lamar invited me to their monthly Gay Poker Night.  I've got the gay part down but boy do I suck at poker.  I had a couple of good hands, but ultimately I went down in flames... no pun intended.
• Brian's sister Courtney turned 17 on the 27th and we celebrated with a family dinner at the Kesler house.  Then my little sister Renee turned 19 the next day, but unfortunately she lives too far away to visit.
• My friend Michelle (and yes, we're friends again) had her birthday the day after that and Wes and I went to her birthday dinner at Red Robin and then the midnight showing of Looper, which was pretty dang cool!
• The birthdays continued with our friend Nichole who threw a shindig at her new home in Lehi (which she shares with her girlfriend Emily) and Brian, Mineh and I drove up together to celebrate.  We played some new games, met some new people and had so much fun we ended up staying the night.  Slumber party!

So that was the month of September.  Let's see what October has in store!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

My 26th birthday is coming up soon and last night I threw a fantastic birthday party.  Knowing me, it was a themed party because, well, that's what I do.  The party was dubbed "Jack's 26th PB&J B-Day" aka "Peanut Butter Jelly Time!"  You know it's a good party when it has two different names.  That's a sign of quality.

So what happens at a peanut butter and jelly-themed birthday party, you ask?  Well, for starters we served various bite-sized gourmet versions of the classic sandwich.  For example, "The Spicy Thai" with curried peanut butter, orange marmalade, Thai basil and sriracha on naan bread.  Or another one on French bread featuring cashew butter and brie cheese with apple jelly.  Sandwiches with bacon and caramalized onions and goat cheese.  Yeah, we're fancy.

We also decorated in brown and purple (peanut butter and jelly), gave out Smuckers' Uncrustables as prizes and served a peanut butter and jelly birthday cake!  It was a pound cake shaped like bread with a layer of peanut butter frosting and strawberry jam in the middle.  Very delicious.  Brian worked so hard making all the food for my party and I am eternally grateful.

Oh, and we even served a peanut butter and jelly martini.  A PB&J really can be for grownups.

Many friends showed up to celebrate and I couldn't have been happier with the turn-out.  My friends Kayla and Melinda from Salt Lake City came down, my cousin Tanissa who I haven't seen in years graced me with her presence, and my newlywed friends Lexi and Stephen even showed up to party and I haven't seen them in months!  Other guests included coworkers, tons of homos, and regulars like Wes, Brett and Rafael.

I had every one of my guests write me a little note, and here are some of my favorites:

• "Jack is the most awesomest gay person in the world..." - Unknown Source (Brett)
• "Today is your birthday and I am still prettier than you." - Nick
• "P.S. Your veggie bowl is full of wieners and balls..." - Emily
• "Dear Jack, F*** you.  (With love)." - Curt
• "You are the pus in a pimple on an otherwise perfect complexion..." - Rafael
• "Don't take life too seriously and drink some Kool-Aid" - Bryce
• "ERMAGERD JACK!  You be 20-f***ing-6!  ERMAGERD!" - Wes
• "Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm probably going to do straight things to you!!" - Nichole

Goodbye May, Hello June

May was a pretty decent month.  The best part of it was that I wasn't in school!  I almost took a Spanish course over the summer, but I was unable to obtain summer financial aid and the class would have cost me $1000 out of pocket.  No thank you.  So instead I'm just working and when I'm home I have time to clean the apartment, hang out with Brian and work on personal projects.

Apart from working on the upcoming Chihuahua Comics (the first month and a half are already scheduled to post), I've been doing some writing.  At first I was combing over the first draft of Jacky Boy and improving upon it, but it wasn't really working for me.  So then I decided to start completely over and I'm enjoying this version a lot better.  It's the same story, but I'm approaching it in a different way.  I thought my first draft said too much at the beginning, so I'm withholding more information to be more mysterious.  It's been fun to do.

Here are some other highlights from May:

• We threw a Cinco de Mayo Party at the beginning of the month and invited a random grab bag of people.  Some friends from my old Cinemark job, some Zales coworkers, Brian's family, and an old mission companion came over to eat shrimp tacos and converse with one another.  It was pretty low-key, but it was fun.
• My friend Wes came home from school and we caught a movie and had some lunch.  We even looked at some scooters because he's thinking of buying one.  I'm starting to wonder if I should get a scooter... or a car... or hell, a broomstick even if it will fly me to work!  Brian's sister Amy just got a new car and I'm jealous.  Sometimes relying on the bus or organizing rides with coworkers gets annoying.
• Mother's Day was enjoyable.  I called and spoke with my mom and my stepmom, which was lovely, and then we had dinner at Brian's parents' house.  Brian's mom loved all her gifts, including The Help on DVD which we all watched with her.
• Brian and I had a particularly enjoyable date night.  He wanted to surprise me so I didn't know what we were doing.  He took us to Macaroni Grill and then we went to paint pottery at Color Me Mine!  It was so fun!  Brian painted a sundae dish and I painted a mug.  They both turned out really great.  However, I must say that dating these days is really expensive.  Between dinner and the pottery, we spent $100 on one night out!
• Jenny's sister just had a birthday and closed on her new house around the same time.  Congrats!  May brought other moves as well.  My brother moved into an apartment with his girlfriend, which is a big step for them.  Now that they have an empty nest, my dad and stepmom moved into a new apartment as well.
• My sister found out the baby is going to be a girl.  She's naming her Amaya!
• Brian started taking art classes on Wednesday nights with a friend of his named Renae Bonsteel.  He's really been enjoying them.  One night after his lesson, Renae and her sister Candace came over to watch Spirited Away.  Brian popped some Parmesan and black pepper popcorn and it was a lot of fun.  Renae had once been to Japan so she had a lot of insight into the movie.
• Speaking of Japan, Brian has been obsessed with Japanese cuisine lately.  He's been poring over a Japanese cookbook and watching this crazy internet cooking show called Cooking With Dog.  A new Asian Market opened up in Provo recently and Brian spent a sizable portion of our grocery budget there!
• May didn't come without its share of drama.  My friend Michelle and I had a falling out and are no longer on speaking terms.  Brian's family is going through some stuff as well.  And at work, I missed my monthly sales goal by a measly $65 or so.  I was so close!!  Oh well...

Now I'm ready for June, which is Gay Pride Month!  To start it off, Brian and I are going to Salt Lake City's Pride Festival tomorrow with our friends Wes and Brett.  I'm hoping for a fun weekend.