There was a time when I tried to do these daily and it turned into an impossibility. So for now I am going to content myself with doing a weekly update ...

The Boathouse
Well, I was really enjoying myself at the Boathouse. Things were settling down and I was getting along with all of the managers. But then I had a really eye opening conversation with my friend Rebecca, who is the manager of the small coffee house in the park. They are both owned by the same man and I have learned what a complete an utter asshole this man has become or maybe has always been ... They let a girl go about month ago. Nobody was ever sure of the reason. We all speculated but nobody ever knew for sure. Well, now we know. She was let go because one night during the dinner shift, she had a seizure and had to lay down in the back booth. Word got back to the home office. It seems they were afraid she might have an episode in front of guests or might drop something or might hurt herself or a guest. Lots of what ifs involving insurance and people throwing out the whole lawsuit card. So he trumped up some charges and had her dismissed. How do we know this? He did the same thing when he found out the head of his HR has epilepsy. He fired her as well saying since she didn't have a driver's license she couldn't do her job. (Bullshit!) So she told all of this to Rebecca when she called her to find out how she was doing with it all. She also told her that they are planning to fire her (Rebecca) and my friend Brian, who is the manager of the restaurant. I don't know if I should say something to Brian and give him a heads up - I'm not supposed to know any of this information. In the meantime, I am looking for something else. Any advice? I welcome it!

Jest Mysteries
The mystery shows are going well and I am going to such fun places as Tennessee, Alabama and Illinois. Chicago was pretty amazing I must admit! I need to get my ass out there and do some sight seeing / improv when I am not busy with a show. I don't care for the current show, so if I can lure any of you out here, I want it to be for the Christmas show which is much, much better.

Improv
We opened up at Westport on Friday! The audiences were a joke! It seems nobody bothered to advertise. We can play the blame game all we want, but we all could haven taken a little bit more responsibility. I was given the job to host the second show of the evening. I was a little excited and a little scared. I thought the shows went very well overall. We kicked some major ass in the second improvised Shakespeare!

I got to host my first Atomic Cowboy show this past Monday night. It started as a small crowd and really blossomed to a great big group by the end. I had a lot of people from the restaurant in the audience. I think I hit the nail on the head and got the patter down nicely. Everyone told me I did a great job and that I was even better than I was on Friday. I am looking forward to doing it again and again and again! I'm hooked! The show itself was better than average but with no air conditioning and a heat index of 110 degrees we were fighting an uphill battle.

Diet
The diet is going well. The past month has been a plateau. I haven't gained anything back but I've only lost a little. My trainer says it is going to happen. Your body is afraid that you are starving so it holds on to the fat as protection. He actually upped my calories a little bit to make my body feel like it is ok and then he thinks it will start coming off again.

Family
My mom was told her breast contains cancerous cells and they are recommending removing it. I really can't get a feel for what she is going through. Honestly, I am surprised that she told me this - she usually reveals bad news way after the fact. I am flying in to surprise her for her birthday next week. Any suggestions for a good gift?

Jerry
Sigh. Jerry is amazing! Always has been always will! I will hopefully see him soon! We are still talking about him moving here as soon as the job allows him to work from home! I am flying down Saturday morning to see his pro wrestling debut! I got him the most amazing gift, but I can't say anything here because he reads the post. I will send a picture of it when I get back! God, I love that man!

So that is my life in a nutshell. And now you know.

Current Mood: happy

In honor of today being the 23rd of July and for no other reason that, here are the top 23 things I love about Jerry Barrows:

23. He said we can get a dog!

22. He has quit smoking all on his own without me having to say a word!

21. He kisses me like a madman!

20. He has no qualms about beating the crap out of me when we wrestle!

19. He loves The Price is Right computer game almost as compulsively as I do!

18. He supports me in my theatre and improv!

17. He jumped right up and performed improv with me without any hesitation!

16. He bought me the teddy bear that now lives on my bed!

15. We look great in our photo together of the wrestling Team, Absolutely Fabulous - meet Pat C. Stone and Eddie Monsoon!

14. He was willing to try some stuff in the bedroom he had never really done before!

13. He didn't kill me after the lube we were using almost dissolved our "special parts" - Gentle heating sensation my ass! Literally!

12. He loves ABBA!

11. He cried during Mama Mia!

10. He introduced me to French and Saunders!

09. He loves board games!

08. He amazed my friends at game night on how great he is!

07. He is an amazing wrestler!

06. He is strong enough to lift me on his shoulders!

05. He lets me wear his wrestling gear!

04. He worries about me and always takes the time to ask me how I am doing!

03. He is the first person I talk to when I wake up in the morning!

02. He is the last person I talk to before I go to bed!

01. He loves me! Truly, deeply and emotionally! I love him just as much!

Current Mood: ecstatic

I have been feeling out of sorts for the past few days. I can't pinpoint the exact cause of it. I can't say that I feel sad or upset or even angry - just out of sorts. Something is not quite right but I don't for the life of me know what is causing this to happen.

I am wondering if it is the approach of birthday number 3-5. A part of me is perhaps discontent that I do not have a career. That I am sort of passing time in this world. But truth be told, the other part of me is perfectly content with where I am. I may not have a house. I may not have children. But I am pretty content. My job gives me flexibility to do the things I want to do. I make enough money to live comfortably. I have a really amazing man coming into my life. I have my murder mysteries and my improv. I have pretty good friends. So where is this uneasy feeling coming from, I wonder?

I need to snap my ass out of it - Jerry is coming in ten days and I am not going to be in this mood for the few days we get together.

Must think happy thoughts.

Current Mood: discontent

I have been watching Password with Regis Philbin for the past five Sundays. My roommate and I play along with the contestants and by my tally we would have cleared close to 1,000,000. It's a great show and I love it and want it to have a long successful run. I want to be on it. I want to win big bucks and retire to open a small wrestling bed and breakfast somewhere on the West Coast.

As much as I have enjoyed the show I have become worried about the stupidity level of Amercians. Now looking at the celebrities is no way to base this assumption. I assume they don't audition them and they just ask them to be on the program. Apart of Rosie and Betty, they have been pretty sad. But looking at the contestants - I shudder. I assume that personality played a big part in the casting, but I assumed the intelligence level is tested in some degree. So if you assume they cast twelve contestants out of all of the thousands who auditioned, you got the twelve smartest of the bunch. You would assume. You'd be wrong.

Out of all of the contestants who have played I would say maybe four of them have been good at the game. The other eight just truly scare me. They don't have the intelligence God gave them. They pass on words like yogurt. Who the hell passes on a word like yogurt?!?

I need to get on there and raise the bar.

Fuckin' yogurt.

Current Mood: frustrated

I have been working out hard for the last week. Unfortunately, I am at another plateau. I have made it down to 245.5 - but that is the same weight I made it down to last week. I think I need to switch up the diet and exercise this week. See if I can make my birthday goal of 240. Wish me luck!

We have another show this evening! What can possibly top Strap On Massacre?
Only time will tell ...

Jerry is coming in eleven days! Things to plot and things to plan. Kaloo Kalay!

Current Mood: full

My feet hurt!
Getting yelled at by an 18 year old hostess in front of customers sucks!
Working a 14 hour shift and being one of the last ones cut sucks even more!
Having nobody home to comfort me blows!
Grumble Grumble Grumble
I need a hug!
Grrrrrr Arrrrrghhhhh!

Current Mood: pissed off

This morning I came across an old VHS tape of when I was in Guys and Dolls.
It brought back a flood of memories. I had just graduated Emerson College with a degree in theatre education. I was living with Elizabeth Angelozzi in a cute little apartment outside of Jamaica Plain. I had just went online for the first time. (The role in Guys and Dolls gave me my first screen name - JBiltmore ... well second screen name, my first being MFisGay ... but that's a whole other story)

I clicked on the tape and sped through to the Crapshooters Ballet. The instant I saw myself all I could think was ... "Good Lord I am so God damned fat! How the hell did I ever let myself get like that!" It sort of put a damper on the morning. But I didn't let it wash over me like a wet blanket like I would so readily do in the past. I didn't give into temptation. I went to the gym and did 45 minutes of cardio. I stuck to my diet today.

And by the end of the day I felt good about myself. Little things made me smile. I talked to Jerry. I was complimented by my trainer's wife at my show when she told me that my costume was too big for me. My pants fell down during the final act of the show (luckily hidden by my overcoat) because I didn't wear a belt with them.

I am not the same person I was back then in Boston. I am stronger. I am getting leaner! I am getting muscle! I am getting to be the man I always wanted to be!

Stand the fuck back world cause I am coming to kick ass and take names later!

I am Michael Fitzgerald! I matter! I am loved!

Life is great!

Current Mood: energetic

I wrestled my friend, Mike, last night. The matches were long and sweaty just the way I like them. I slammed the crap out of him and he returned the favor. We hadn't seen each other in about two months and greeted each other like two rabid wolf hounds fighting over a piece of meat. All in all a good way to spend the afternoon. The best part of the whole thing was that he complimented me on the weight loss and told me he could see muscle tone that wasn't there before - and that just made me feel great - great enough to body slam him through my living room floor!

Current Mood: happy

I have been inspired by the man in my life to create another logic puzzle.
I hope I did the clues correctly. Keep your fingers crossed.

Jerry, newly graduated from the wrestling school of Hard Knocks, was eager to show the world his newly acquired wrestling skills as well as his newly acquired wardrobe! Jerry was booked to wrestle five different wrestlers over the course of the next five weekends. Determined to look good for the local yokels, Jerry decided to don a stylish new outfit paired with an equally fabulous accessory. Due to his hard work and determination, Jerry went over in each match and was hailed as the next up and coming champion. Using the following clues, can you determine the order in which he faced his opponents, the gear and accessory he wore in each match and also the way he dispatched his opponent.

Opponents: Blackjack McQueen, Chris Coonrod, Dirk Keystone, Matt "Battle Boy" Thorne, The Professor

Gear: electric blue square cuts, gold lame tights, hot pink singlet,
purple trunks, silver speedo

Accessories: boa, cape, mask, sunglasses, tiara

Finishers: Backbreaker, Boston Crab, Camel Clutch, School Boy Pin,
Small Package

01. In one of the matches, Jerry wowed the crowd with his wet look purple trunks with a mysterious matching mask. The hot pink singlet with the lightning bolts wasn't worn in the third match with the handsome face, Dirk Keystone.

02. The rhinestone studded tiara was not the accessory in the match where the electric blue square cuts smothered the hapless opponent in his victorious school boy pin.

03. Jerry came down the aisle draped in a bilious boa for his first match against the tiny terror known as Chris Coonrod. Jerry unleashed his devastating Boston Crab for his last match of the series (where he faced the double dealing Blackjack McQueen).

04. In the fourth match against the egocentric Professor, Jerry slithered to the ring in silver speedo. In the match where Jerry snatched victory from defeat with a small package, Jerry did not entertain the audience by wearing a boa.

05. The free flowing cape was involved in the match where Jerry wrenched the back of his opponent with his vicious camel clutch.

06. The electric blue square cuts were not girding the loins of Jerry in either the match before or after the match which saw Jerry wearing his trademark hot pink singlet (which wasn't the fifth match).

07. The victory using the camel clutch came immediately after the match where the opponent begged for mercy from the destructive backbreaker.

Current Mood: creative

I am smoking my trainer in our little competition and it feels great! We did our first weigh in together. Not only have I cut the gap that was between us, I am actually under his weight as we speak! 225 here I come!