weekend update

helped friend move

hurt back

cleaned apartment

went on a date

went bowling

drank beer

got beads

churched it

brunched it

looked at new lofts in the area

watched sunday fox tv shows

ate chinese

4 loads of laundry

me misses my mort

me misses my mort
shit-ass, fuck-face, god-damn mort
mwuhg ugh flubh hugh snort

sleeplessness sucks

the last few nights i've taken great pride in being able to snuggle-up in my flannel sheets at times i never knew people could fall asleep at... say 9:30... 10... 10:30.

one problem though... i can't sleep.

i toss, i turn, i meditate, i project myself, i pray, i even get up and drink milk but no matter what i do, i just can't sleep.

last night, for example, i crawled into bed at 10:30 and crawled back out at 11:30 frustrated and angry. i turned on the tv and ate some sharp cheddar. at 12 i crawled back into bed and tossed and turned until 12:58 in which i sad "shit... i'm never going to fall asleep again." in which i fell asleep about 3 minutes later.

the point isn't that i eventually fell asleep, it's that it took 2 1/2 hour to do so.

but the cheese was good!

march on colorado springs

would anyone care to join me on a trek to colorado springs in early may for the dear dr. dobson rally at focus on the family? it's a non-violent 3-day weekend dedicated to debunk dobson's horrible allegations against gays and their "alternative" families. horrible allegations like this:

"they [homosexuals] don't just want marriage. they want to destroy marriage -- and the family -- as we know it." dr james dobson

destroy the family???

it's time that people started thinking logically about these things. why, in god's beautiful earth, would the wonderful and loving gay families in this country want to DESTROY the family? last i checked they were looking for marriage so they could, at the very least, find security and acceptance for their families.

someone go with me... i used to support focus on the family... it's time i stood up to the unwarranted hatred in this world...

jen? will you go with me?

these are a few of my favorite things

snow falling on skyscrapers

candles all over

flannel sheets

weather guys that say we are going to get 6-9 inches of snow

lesbian coffe shops

any given friday

when a cute guy is wearing his pants low and a short t-shirt and he keeps reaching his arms up

january in minnesota

a martini that comes with 1 more olive than you expected

cute waiters

your second family

your first family

warm blankets on soft couches

cats that do the "sleeping jerk" when they're napping on your lap

nightime on a deserted beach

camping

welcome home

when i decided to change the format of my blog i basically asked myself (1) "what DOES your personal universe look like anyway?" to which i also had to ask (2) "what IS your personal universe?" to which i ended with (3) "when in your life have you felt like you were in your own personal universe?"

my answer to these questions (last to first) was this:
(3) i've most often felt like i was in my personal universe when around water. i grew up on lake michigan and had a small stream in my backyard... since birth, water has been my focal point and i've always been in my own world when around it ever since.
(2) my personal universe is where i feel the most comfortable... where everything around me disappears... where life as i know it no longer matters... where i can sit for hours and never miss the time.
(1) it looks like a rocky beach on lake michigan. it looks like the lighthouse i grew up by. it sounds like the waves crashing on the rocks on the shore. it looks like water.

welcome to the new "nakachunkoff's personal universe"! my foundation is a sandy shore. my words are backed up by river stones. and my title is the very same lighthouse i grew up by, the one i used to sit on for hours while only staring into the lake and hearing only the sound of water and seagulls.

everytime i look at this blog i'll remind me of what i dearly miss... what i dearly love... and what brings me the most peace i've possibly ever experienced in my entire life. hopefully the visuals will help you, too, to find your own personal universe.

i see big changes ahead...

fyi - i'm making some asthetic changes to my blog either today or tomorrow... be aware that in that timeframe my blog may have some times where it's a little funky, please be patient!

crabby lobster

i'm a crabby lobster today.

ok, so i'm not really crabby... just looking for an excuse to be able to say whatever i want to say with absolutly no accountability at all (which is the best way to speak if you ask me).

i've already blamed:
being up late last night (although i wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway),
oversleeping this morning (though i was still at work on time),
almost missing the bus (note the word "almost"... i really caught it just in time),
oh, and the cold (though it's going to warm up to a balmy 29 today - shorts weather!).

ooh, i think i'm going to blame the lack of snow. yeah. that's it.

there's no snow on the ground so i'm crabby. (although there really IS snow on the ground... it's just not fresh).

crap... i have no real excuse for being crabby... other than it is SO MUCH FUN!!!

stangel elementary school

i happened upon this pic this morning... my old elementary school!!! it's amazing how tiny those buildings look when you see them 14 years later. wow.

i also noticed that the school's nickname is still the "stangel stars." i'd like to set the record straight and mention that we had a contest when i was in 5th grade or so for a school nickname... we ended up with the "stangel stars." how cool is it to know that you left your mark on elementary students for years and years.

the memories i have there...
like how the bus drove along the shores of lake michigan every morning on the way to school (damn, i miss that lake terribly)...
like getting detention for throwing ice on the playground...
for being afraid of fingerpainting in kindergarden because i was afraid of getting my fingers dirty (no comments please)...
of my FAVORITE teacher in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD, mr. o'...
for crying when 3rd grade ended because i didn't want to loose mr. o' as a teacher...
for the school forest...
for sex ed...
for new kids on the block!!!

gosh, i had a good childhood = ) thanx stangel elementary!!!

pregmata

i, the pious and humble tom, am showing signs of the pregmata. yes, the pregmata, those holy signs of the virgin mother's pregnancy. many claim that the pregmata is fake and even blasphemous, but i am a testament to it's reality... how do i know these to be true?

1) last night i almost fainted... i got all light-headed and pale. i had to sit down and get some water to make sure i didn't whack my nose on the concrete.

2) i'm having cravings... i want to eat everything in sight and nothing sounds bad.

3) certain things have started to make me sick to my stomach... diet soda, sugar-free producs, "lite" fares... etc. even the smell of a soy-latte makes me want to vomit.

and the most obvious reason why i'm showing signs of the pregmata:

4) my mid-section has been getting bigger, my pants are getting tighter, and i'm bloating.

if you'd like to come and pray at my feet in the presence of this most holy of miracles, please contact me. take your time though, i'm not sure this miracle will be leaving me any time soon.

O benedictum fructum ventris Maria,
Ad te clamamus, Ad te suspiramus,
Gementes et flentes, in hac lacrimarum valle.

never in the united states

Across Europe at noon Wednesday (6 a.m. EST), politicians, workers and tourists observed a three-minute silent tribute for the victims across southern Asia. TV and radio stations interrupted programming and church bells rang.

never in the united states of america would this EVER happen... it makes me sad to even think of what people would say, how big-business would react to the "3,000 [employees] x 3 minutes", or our citizens simply not caring to stop their life for something literally 1/2 a world away.

ka-RAY-zeeee day...

offsite meetings, onsite meetings, crazy project meetings, and not enough time in the day to finish it all.

wow, 2005 is starting off to be a really busy year for me!

first rehearsal for the firebugs was last nigth... wow, this is going to be a really cool show. fyi - no nudity, no gay stuff, and not even really controversial... just a good ol' "make ya think" play from the 1950's. should be fantastic. check out the side bar for dates of the production and put them on your calendar!

ok, back to work now!

man bag

the minneapolis star tribune has a GREAT article on the popular rise of man bags. i must say i've never really gotten shit for carrying around my man bag (or a purse as i call it) as a matter of fact, i'm quite proud of mine *proud grin*

check out the article here

don't make resolutions, continue revolutions

every year people around the world make so-called "resolutions" for the next year of their life. they start their year off totally wrong by reflecting back upon all the stuff they did or didn't do in the previous year and then "resolve" to make sure things change in the future.

i'm sick of beginning my year by trying to figure out what's wrong in my life... dammit... i'm starting my own new years tradition.

invariably, each of us has had something that has gone miserably wrong in the past year... but each of us has probably also seen major changes in our lives because of that event. mindsets change and we find the good out of an evil situation... this drastic change in thinking is a revolution in your life. a revolution is defined as "a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving."

this year, instead of focusing on the resolutions to "fix" your life, pinpoint the revolutions that occured in your life in the last year, celebrate them, and vow to continue that revolution into next year.

now, for my first 2004 revolution:
in 2004 i ended a physically and emotionally abusive relationship. unfortunately it ended with me needing to get a restraining order and needing to go to court to argue my case. this situation is quite possibly one of the most trying and emotionally fucked-up times of my life.

in 2004 i had a revolution in my life. i realized that i didn't have to take shit from anyone. i realized that friends are one of god's greatest gifts to a person, and i realized that true friends will do anything for you. i realized how wonderful strangers can be in a person's life. i realized that i am a stronger man than i ever thought i could be.

in 2005 i vow to continue this revolution in my life so that i may become even stronger as a gay man... even better of a friend... and even more of a humanitarian to strangers.

i pass this new tradition on to you, my friends. please start your own years off with these blessings, please find your own revolutions, please continue to change your lives.

i love you all = ) happy new year.

shit...

116,000???

jesus man...

i think life in the pink has put into words my exact feelings on this situation...

"
December 30, 2004
Tidal Wave of Denial
I haven't mentioned the tsunami here because I've decided to deal with it by going into deep denial. I have enough things to be neurotic and upset about: the last election, how I'm totally not going to get into grad school, whether or not my pores are too big, the war in Iraq, gay people being defined as second class citizens, my job, etc. If I have to really comprehend this latest tragedy, I'm pretty sure that I will never sleep again.
"

*huge sigh*

the few, the proud, the gmailers...

i am totally PSYCHED to announce that i now have an ever-so-coveted gmail account!!!

i can now be reached at tnechodomu@gmail.com.

(thanx brain!)

*** UPDATE ***
thanx for the question bruce... for the rest of you, he asked what was so great about gmail anyway.

GMAIL, is a new, currently in pilot-mode, email host provided by google. gmail gives you 1 whole gig of storage (1,000 mb) and also a slew of other features, including email searching, intuitive and killer organization functionality, as well as showing whole conversation strings when you bring up an email. and quite possibly the coolest thing about gmail... you can only join if you're invited by an existing member. *grin*

now for a question to my friends around the world... do i officially ditch my yahoo email account for my new gmail account??? hmmmm...

ho ho ho!

i'm in good ol' nebraska right now, and having a very nice time w/ my family. the trip down was freakin' awesome with my new mercury grand marquis from enterprise car rental place-ish thingy = ) what a smooth ride!

and now i'm helping mom with last minute baking and such.

church tonight and then let the holiday goodness begin, hell, the holiday goodness has already begun.

merry christmas everyone!!!

tom's "be sure to" list

when you're an old man driving north on cretin avenue in saint paul at 7:50 in the morning in -20 degree weather be sure to look before pulling out of your lane in front of a 2002 mazda 626.

when the officer arrives at the scene of your newly formed accident be sure to flirt. yes, even if he's a man, he'll enjoy it.

when you work with a lot of people be sure to know their work phone extensions so you can call them in the case of an unplanned morning prediciment

when you're about to miss the bus be sure to drive a tad bit faster. if you don't, you'll most certainly miss it.

if you miss the bus be sure to bundle up.

when you are going to teach a class about the mainframe be sure to check the computers in the room first to see if they even have the mainframe on them.

when you schedule an important meeting in lotus notes be sure to look for a meeting acceptance, if there isn't one, chances are there is no meeting on their calendar.

when ordering chicken fingers at the minnesota life cafeteria be sure to check them before you eat them, they may be raw still.

when you get raw chicken fingers from the minnesota life cafeteria be sure to bring them back, they give you WAY more food than you can eat because they feel so bad that they almost killed you.

and the most important one:

when you're day is going shitty and nothing seems to be going right be sure to remember that it can get worse. keep smiling.

i've learned a very important lesson today, when you feel like breaking out in tears, try smiling and thinking of the good stuff. like i'm going home tomorrow to spend a week with my family. christmas is in 3 days. i have all my christmas shopping done. and amazingly so, this year i was able to keep my final christmas costs significantly lower than in previous years. and quite possibly the most important: only my car is bruised... i'm fine... and i still have the most important things to me; my friends, my family, and yes, my health.

merry christmas everyone! may the spirits bring you a most blessed holiday this year.

happy friday!

well my friends, it's friday. and a hell of one too. what a week... what a week.

good news though, not only did i get a new pic of myself on here (it's actually my headshot) but i also just finished two MAJOR projects at work as well as put another major one into review status which means it's out of my hands until monday afternoon!

unfortunately i won't have a very relaxing weekend, but it'll be a very fun one regardless = ) it includes a concert, several brunches, shopping (hopefully to complete the xmas list), a party, church, decorating the church, and a callback for a play (see the sidebar). so you can see the most relaxation i'll get is on sunday after the callback in which i'll prolly be so wired i won't be able to sleep.

184 hours till christmas!!!

trot down memory lane...

this posting will prolly bring warm fuzzies to amber and jen... for the rest of you - enjoy it anyway!

so anyway, i came across some pics today from my college years, so's i thought i'd give you all a glimpse to my past so you can, well, see some pics from my college years! hold on, here we go!!!

this pic was at the end of my freshmen year. in the picture is the new and fresh faces of the ambassadors, grace university's premier traveling and singing group. we rocked! (pssst! the one on the far right is amber).

and this pic was the NEXT year's ambassadors (yes, i was in it two years... yay for me!!!). we were making a CD that we totally ROCKED on! and note again, amber made it two years also! as a matter of fact, we're all buddy-buddy in this pic. we're so FREAKIN' CUTE!!! and notice erin looking at us like we're freaks... *giggle*

the FINAL pic is of my friend joe and i. we were the bestest of friends first semester of our freshmen year. it was not long after that that i realized i was actually pretty much in love with him. and why not!?! look at him, he's fucking GORGEOUS! plus, we look pretty hot together... don't-cha think? *huge sigh* even now, i'm still in love with that concept of him and i together. he was my first love you know. truly! after looking back in my life i realized i first fell in love when i met joseph. hey, joe... if-n you're out there, come back to me (foks, there's a much larger story to this, yes, he was in love with me too as i found out years later... trust me, it gets even more complicated, no need for it now).

so THAT'S some of my past! hope you enjoyed it!!!

*sentimental hugs* to jen and amber