Back in the Saddle Again

"A man's LIFE is his image."
-as heard in the 1998 film
VELVET GOLDMINE

Last Friday night I saw the new 2009 GI JOE movie. Moscow was saved from destruction by a nanomite infested missle by a GI JOE American in the film. This reminded me of a recent photo I had seen last week of the former Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in the local Los Angeles Times.

Vladimir Putin's career is rooted in the Russia's KGB. He looks so 'secret agent' in this B&W portrait. He will be fifty-seven on October 1, 2009.

Due to constitutionally mandated term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive Presidential term. After the victory of his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, in the 2008 presidential elections, he was then nominated by Medvedev to be Russia's Prime Minister. Putin took the post on May 8, 2008. I don't believe Putin wants to relinquish his power any time soon.

Photographs of Putin were published on August 4, 2009 all over Russia, showing him shirtless and riding a horse on a brief holiday in Siberia. This image in itself displays a rugged sort of look that he must like depicted. He would not have allowed the media release otherwise, right?

Tony Halpin from TIMES ONLINE, in Moscow wrote:

The photos will inevitably trigger mass swooning by women all over Russia — as well as unfavourable comparisons of their husbands to Mr Putin’s manly physique. They will also confirm the Russian Prime Minister’s status as a gay icon.

Every hear that Gene Autry tune called 'Back in the Saddle Again'? I bet Vladimir Putin likes this one. CLICK here and sing-a-long as you imagine Vladimir would while on his vacation in the Siberian mountains:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=back+in+the+saddle+again&docid=1052522578092&mid=1EECB8A074CF5ACEF02D1EECB8A074CF5ACEF02D&FORM=VIVR10#





Twenty-five years ago today:

Thursday,
August 9, 1984

I managed to catch the 7:25AM BART train ‘on purpose’ this morning just so I could see Linda Nannizzi but she was not there. Oh well, I can’t win ‘em all.
I went to Carl’s Junior for a breakfast nibble and Anthony Ramirez happened to be there, so I joined him at his table.
“Yeah, my ballet dancer boyfriend is moving out,” Anthony revealed. I guess that confirmed that fact that he is gay.
"They come and go and usually live with me for about a year," Anthony continued.
“You sound kind of depressed about it,” I said.
He sighed a breath of fresh air after my statement.
“Why don’t you move to The City?” he asked me as I wondered if he was searching for a new roommate.

I thought, "Not me…that’s for sure!" Anthony is a nice guy but his “choice of words” is curious to say the least. He used the phrase “lust of me”. It kind of surprised me.

For lunch I ate at the Galleria and it was fun to just plain be all by my lonesome.
I had a fun day of training. Even though Peggy gets on my case I know she likes me. Maybe I can join Stan and Peggy for lunch one day.

The day went by fast. I caught the 5:04PM BART train. I believe Linda Nannizzi saw me get on the train. She disembarked from the train at the Fruitvale Station. I had a feeling she had eyes behind her head and knew I was looking at her, walking behind her. I just called out.
“Linda!”
She turned her head and gave me a polite, “Oh, Hi.”
I mentioned getting stood up for lunch but she claims to have apparently left before I had arrived for the lunch date. Oh well. She still seems interested. We talked near my car in the BART parking lot. She proceeded to give me her business card and telephone number. I did the same. I love her smile. She is beautiful.
“Do you think you might want to go out on Friday,” I asked.
“Well, I’m going with my sister…camping,” she honestly replied.
“What about tonight?”
“I’m riding my bike to Montclair with my sister.”
It was time to move on.

When I arrived home I went riding on my bike. Coincidentally, I saw Linda Nannizzi fly by on her Bianchi bike. She wore black bike shorts and a gray half top and looked ‘oh so fine’. I turned around and caught up to her near Bayview and High Street. She stopped and we were such an eye-catching team.
“I’m on my way to a friends’ house,” Linda said. I would later learn that she was on her way to a male friends’ house named Marty Esparza.

Linda was born on May 13th and she definitely enjoys talking to me. She stated more than once that she’d see me on Monday. We also decided that Carl’s Jr. was the half-way point for lunch. So maybe a lunch outing together will work out next week.

I continued to ride my bike alongside her en route to her friends’ house. Then I proceeded to bike the beach alone to collect my thoughts. These people crossed my mind: Karyn Kossoff, Ron Shelly and Ryan Hargrave, Chris Cordellos, Bill Helbush and Linda Nannizzi!

I had a bite to eat at moms’ house. She had homemade tortillas and avocado. Yummy!

I tried calling Karyn Kossoff last night and again tonight. Both times her line was busy. Who is she gabbing away with lately? I finally succeeded in getting a hold of her. She reminded me of how we set off the Barnaby’s alarm by opening their bottom floor entrance. That was hilarious.
“Oh, and I heard from Ryan and Ron and their sweet ‘ever-so-forgive-me’ apology about the fact that their answering machine went on. They had apparently fallen asleep,” Karyn said.
While I was talking to Karyn my call waiting interrupted, so I got off the phone.

It was Danny Garcia calling.
“Do you have my shirt? Have you gotten your hair cut? I was just wondering if you were still alive,” Danny questioned me with these words all rolled into one.
I listened and I guess after he heard my voice he knew already that I was alive and breathing just fine.
“Were you talking to Chris the other night?”
“Yes,” I replied even if it was probably Karyn that I was speaking with.
“I thought so because you sounded all excited. Mary and I went to the I-BEAM and Trocadero and some drag queen was making love to her ice-cream cone. It was funny because the drag queen was mad at Mary because she had nicer legs!”
I laughed and barely remember how we ended our conversation. I was just happy to get off of the phone.

Tomorrow I get my bicycle pendant back from Ron Shelly at the jewelry store, his place of employment. I might get to go for one drink at five o’clock. It’s a possibility.

It wasn’t until Sunday, August 12, 1984 that I would learn from Helen Wong that her sister, Geneva Wong, gave birth to a baby girl named Nicole on this night of August 9th. While Geneva was in labor I was on the telephone with Karyn Kossoff, having a lengthy chat. We confirmed our meeting for a drink at Barnaby’s tomorrow. Then, I slept soundly.