Too Busy For Love - Lonely Hearts Club Be Damned!

Were you alone this Valentine's Day?

Were you sad about it?

I was alone, but totally not sad.

Listen, just because I am perfectly content not being partnered,

I do sometimes feel the pangs of loneliness.

...Sometimes!

One way I've come to beat the lonesome blues is to keep busy,

or keep interests that don't require other people 

to be enjoyed.

One of my interest is colorful things.

I enjoy colorful things. ...many different colorful things.

For example, I have a large Dunny collection.

(That means a bunch of colorful vinyl crap takes up space in my home)

I also enjoy art.

I enjoy many types and styles of art.
My favorite would have to be Pop Surrealism,

with artist like Mark Ryden, Mark Bryan and Buffmonster.

I also enjoy shirtless men,

So, I enjoy the art of the shirtless mans.

One particular artist I like to support is

Alfredo Roagui

I like his style and we have the same taste in men.

Here are a couple of his

Valentine's Day offerings. 

So, as you can see, one way I keep my heart full

and too busy for love

is following, admiring, collecting and displaying art.

While it would be nice to have someone to share this folly with,

I certainly don't need anyone to validate my fun.

If you do find yourself lonely

more often than you can stand,

there are other ways to combat that.

I'm no doctor
(even though I am quite wise in the art of alone...)

 So, I'll hand this topic off to the folks at 

Psychology Today

Who'll provide 18 ways to overcome loneliness.

(Click the Psychology Today text above)

CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC!!!

Social Distancing? Self-Quarantine?

I've been shut in at home since the the afternoon of March 17, when The City of West Hollywood sent us home away from possible exposure to the virus.  I've only left to get groceries.  To be honest, I haven't really minded be home all the time.  I'm so used to house/pet sitting so often that being home is still kind of fresh to me.  I thought I'd have to time to do so many things, but I've been keeping myself pretty busy... and not all with TV!  Working from home, at first, was spending the entire day by my laptop trying to get connected to GoToMyPC, taking meetings about how we're going to do what we need to do and constant emails from various departments and divisions figuring out what works and what doesn't... Then finally last Wednesday, I got hit with time sheets and logs and invoices... all needed to be done quickly and just organizing myself with the actual practice of 

getting it all done was painful.

I am social with family and friends via Marco Polo, which is like a video walkie-talkie.  I like that you can leave your video message and the recipient(s) can respond immediately or get to it later.  I find it a nice way to check in and let everyone know I'm still alive.  I've also been active with friends on other platforms to play You Don't Know My Life,

hang out,

or have a cocktail party!

I also embarked a project that has taken much more time than I anticipated- I reorganized all my Dunnys.  I had at least 5 boxes of Dunnys that weren't displayed, so I retired a great portion of my Dunny wall and replaced them with the newer sets.  I still have to figure out storage for the retired ones, where they can be safe and organized, hidden away until another great rotation, so my dining table is cluttered with grouped Dunnys and empty boxes (that a collector must save).  That means I can't live out the daytime fantasy of working on a huge jigsaw puzzle until I get the Dunnys all situated.

Surprisingly, I've not increased my on-line porn enjoyment.  In fact it might be a little less. I guess, without the busy schedule and my time a little more relaxed, I don't feel the pressure to enjoy it in the only chance I'll get (usually, just before sleeping).  Lately, I've been tiring myself out either staying up too late watching a movie or playing my newly rediscovered XBox One.  Seriously, it had been over a year or so since I had last turned it on (I was too busy!) now, If I'm not careful (Which I haven't been) I could stay up 'til 3:00 am making colorful things go >POP<.  It's stupid, but fun.  I allow it, since I'm still waking up within an hour, or so, of my regular wake-up time... perhaps it's because it's a lot easier to sneak in a nap, now.

(Cuphead: Don't Deal With the Devil)

Most importantly, I figured I'd have more time to write in my blog. (Yeah, I know they're dead.)
If so, why has it taken almost 2 weeks for me to post?  Well, I'm busy being busy!

Hopefully, more to come soon!

STAY HOME!!

Gay of A Certain Age - 12th Day Come Down

My Christmas tree is put away and my holiday themed Broadway show posters are re-filed.
Today, I used my day off of work to put away my holiday decor, the tree, the posters and festive tchotchkes, which include my collection of Christmas Dunnys!

I showcased this year's model, the Rise of Rudolph,  designed by Frank Kozik.  Is it surprising I have Dunnys that sit put away for 11 months of the year? It is to me!

I only wanted you all to know that I did all this so you would know that just because I live alone, I don't think it doesn't matter that I'd leave this stuff up for months after.  As a Gay of A Certain Age, I know how important it is to keep current and in touch with what's going on outside of my home.

Mostly, I posted this so that I wasn't the only one who saw my tree this year...

STILL VERY BUSY

11:40 AM - My goodness!  With this illness, work and stage stuff, I'm quite the busy beaver!
Last night's Mismatch game was a hoot... that I'll tell you about later! I'm too busy!

3:30 PM - I should be writing whatever I'm going to perform on Monday night, but I'm updating my blog, instead.

4:23 PM - Did I tell you I saw this in West Hollywood Park earlier today?

4:59 PM - I'm actually writing!! Well, I was, then I stopped to post this.

5:22 PM - Have I shown you my new Dunny?  It's 8 inches!!

5:29 PM - Is my character Reba Areba smart enough to make a statement like, " he just opens his mouth and vomits up words, like he was possessed by the Underwood Devil"?  I like the the typewriter reference that is also a food reference... but does anyone even remember Underwood typewriters?  Does anyone even remember Underwood Devil potted meats?  Arg!  this is why I can never finish writing anything!

5:49 PM - Almost there!  I need a "graceful dismount".

6:00 PM - DONE!!!  Oh my God!  I hope you come to the show Monday night because this may be a pretty good performance of one of my better first drafts!!   Now I have to memorize it.  I'll do that later.  I have to go get muh DAB Glenn, 'cause we're going to dinner, then to see The Mismatch Game!  I love it even when I'm not in it!!

Writing rocks!  

The Trials of Man Solo - If a tree is decorated in the forrest and no one sees it...

Earlier this year, I overheard this exchange between me and me immediately after I took down my Christmas tree;

Me:  Oh, Crap!  I wanted to take a picture!
Me: Why?
Me:  No one saw it.

NOT THIS YEAR!
I put up my Christmas tree today!  By golly, I swear someone besides me will see the dadburned thing this year!  Yes, this will encourage me to have more (any) interaction with folks! (Mostly guys. Mostly gay guys.)  So, even though I have nothing on the books I decorated my place a little.
I started with the tree.  I let my friend, Superman help...

(Don't worry, we don't actually talk to each other.  He's just a big toy.)

We hanged the ornaments with care.

I also put out my Holiday Dunnys...

and a few more vinyl toys

All in an effort to make my place a cozy, colorful, holiday home.

Heck, even my Broadway posters are holiday themed (Including the Broadway Bares one...)

Alas, these are the Trials of Man Solo; Sometimes all the decorating you do for holidays or special occasions is solely for oneself.  I do enjoy decorating for myself, because I deserve celebration just as much as anyone else.  But, it is nice to share the fun isn't it?  So, let's hope I'm not Too Busy For Love this season and get at least one, eligible man-suitor to see my tree!  

Gay of A Certain Age - The 13

I know, I just turned 48, but something in me makes me squeal like a third grader
when a new Dunny Series comes out!  I have no idea what's going on with KidRobot,
but they've been lacking in Dunys this year.  Suddenly there's a few new special editions and finally a series release!  This series by Brandt Peters rocks!   I like it because I love his style and it fits in with the Halloween season so well!

I know I've written about how I worry that so many Dunnys in my home may scare a potential suitor away, but c'mon!  These Dunnys ROCK!!  Also, as a Gay of A Certain Age, I know it is important to mourish my inner child.

I just need to find someone who can appreciate my like for these vinyl treasures, 

but doesn't collect his own, because if we ever broke up and he tried to claim some of my Dunnys as his own...  ...let's just say, I'd be dying alone because I would be in solitary confinement.

Maybe this shoud be a This Is Why I Am Single entry.

He Don't Even Know!- The Trinket King

This is my "Boyfriend", "George".

He's a sweetheart!
My favorite thing about him is that

he lets me know he's thinking of me

by grabbing a little something while he's out & about.

This particular day, 

he was thinking how I was his little monkey

and then he saw this,

so, he got it for me!

Better yet, when the place starts looking cluttered,

he'll tell me to clear out some of the stuff,

because he knows the real value is in the gesture

and not the item.

Of course, he doesn't know that I hide away

some of my most favorite trinkets from him.

I know that the item is not really the gift, 

but I'd be a nut to get rid of a hard to find Dunny!

He must have known how hard it is to find this when he got it for me, 

but he put a material value on it, 

as if it was as thirfty as the paper rooster 

he got off of a stack of promos!

He said the real worth was in my smile when I opened it.

I did smile, really big,

and I smile every time I see it.

...But I smile bigger when I see "George"

This is Why I am Single - I Dunny Know!

What you see in my hand is a Dunny.  It is a 3 inch vinyl toy from Kidrobot.
Not too long ago, I went nutsy for collecting these things.  I have, literally, hundreds of these little guys in my home.  I have more than I want because of a brilliant marketing ploy called the blind box. Blind Box means you purchase the little fucker without knowing which one is in there.  That's right, I could buy four boxes at $10.99 each and  could have potentially bought 4 of the same one.  Each set of artist designed vinyl thingies consists of 16 or so designs, with a few variants, along with a list of odds for attaining each figure.  So, if you get the 1 in 600 odds one, you can go directly to eBay and sell it for, maybe, $200 or so.

Not me!  I collect these for the fun of it.  Or the sport of it.  Maybe I have a budding gambling problem.  I get some of the same feelings when I'm going to yank the arm that may send GODZILLA on a rampage in the penny slot machine in Vegas.  I'm not spending all I've got on these fellas.  I've developed a money saving strategy for purchasing these, now, but once in awhile I'll buy two or three boxes for the chance that I've gotten one of the really hard ones to get!

I learned something about myself when I began collecting this and who would have thunk it? Who knew I was such a completist?  I find that I will work very hard to get the complete set of Dunnys for each collection. I've completed a few of them, but I find I have limits and will go without if the last one I need is more than I'm willing to pay.  Otherwise, I'm on top of it, scouring eBay and the likes, trying to find that 1 in 600 piece that someone's willing to part with for not too crazy a price.  My completist tendencies don't end with Dunnys.  One weekend, I spent a crapload of late night hours on Hulu Plus trying to watch all of the PUPPET MASTER movies.  It's a cheesy series featuring killer marionette puppets from the 80's that waiver in quality as they go, but I MUST SEE THEM ALL!

Also, I do enjoy photography, and they all make such willing models.  As you can see from these shots, they'll stand still in almost any situation!  Another reason the Dunnys appeal to me is because I like colorful plastic things.  If I had the decorating skills, my home would be like walking into a David LaChappelle set-up in Ikea. But I don't have the skills, so it doesn't.  That doesn't mean my place is a mess, with Dunnys and other vinyl crap strewn about...  Most of my obsessions are represented in contained areas and small displays.

I know not everybody is into colorful plastic or they may find this childish attraction to toys symptoms of a Peter Pan complex, but I can't imagine giving these guys up!  I said before, I buy these because I enjoy them, not because I wanna make a profit trading & dealing on eBay.  Why would I have all of these nutty colorful things and not display them?  No closet for them!  I look at the above photo and I see multitudes of happiness in 3X3 squares.  This affection for plastic is the equivalent of the broken down lazee-boy chair that makes its way into every cliche movie about the guy moving in with his girlfriend.  I know some of you love optimists are saying, "When you find someone you really love, you'll be willing to give these up for them."  Well, how's about they love me so much they let me keep them?  Or, maybe if I find someone who really loves me and is well enough off that he has a few extra rooms, he lets me have my obsession room? (put together by a qualified interior designer).

So, for now, I am single, but I'm kept company by hundreds of 3 inch (and some 8 inch) colorful friends.  One of my favorites is the one above.  Sometimes we'll watch TV together and we'll laugh at the same things.  He gets me.  (not actually- I do not treat these figures as actual beings- I was being funny- They're plastic! - They don't talk to me!) This is why I am single.