23 November 07   Total Lazy Day

And I couldn't have asked for a better birthday-month gift from Father Time!

What, you didn't know that I celebrate and accept gifts for my birthday during the entire month of November (and the first few days of December)? Now you do. I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was great! As for me, CivilianJenny invited me down to the Philadelphia area to spend Thanksgiving with her and her family. It was nice to have a place to go this first year really far away from friends and family, and her family was great and made me feel right at home. Thanks again, Jenny!

But today, I slept in late, played video games and watched TV like all day, and finally showered around 5pm. It was AWESOME. I haven't been that non-productive in a long time. I've been replaying Half-Life 2 (finished that today), HL2 Episode One (started & finished that today), and now HL2 Episode Two, which is actually pretty challenging!

I've got some more pics to share with you today. On Wednesday, went and took some pictures of the Rockefeller tree from my balcony because the scaffolding came down that day, so the tree is completely visible now. All the lights are on the tree too, but they're not actually 'on' just yet. That's next week some time. Then on my way home, I gave myself the 'treat' of walking up and down 5th Avenue with every effin' tourist and their mother (literally) who was in town for the weekend and the parade and everything. Oy vay. Ridiculous. But I did stop by the Saks Fifth Avenue store to see their Christmas windows, which were pretty cool. Apparently I also need to stop by Bloomingdale's and Macy's to see their windows as well. I'll make sure to provide a detailed ranking report of whose windows were the best!

21 Nov 07 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas in NYC....
Rockefeller Tree without the scaffolds...it's FREE!	And of course I had to go out and point at the damn thing	The view straight up from our balcony. this is the central building of the Rockefeller Plaza Complex	Another point, this time with the damn star (thanks, Arielle!)	Here's Arielle, one of my coworkers I've made great friends with. She's got a Queens accent, so she gets bonus points.	Dan and Arielle up on our balcony. You can see the TODAY show studio building behind them.	Here's the door/window into my office	The FTPs have truly invaded. It's so ridiculous right now.
The Tree! Look at that star too!	I had to get a picture at work....	...but let's be honest, you know I'm surfing myspace all day!!!! (I'm kidding of course)	The tree from the actual plaza	Here are some pics I took of Saks Fifth Avenue's Christmas window displays - in the reflection you can see the tree from Saks	A perspective view of how the windows are all set up	I liked this one because it had the subway stop in it	All these window displays were all motorized and moving and stuff - quite impressive!
Up on 5th Avenue and 57th Street, they've suspended a huge star over the intersection	And looking South on 5th Avenue - the mass of humanity. That's Trump Tower in the center background.

20 November 07   Attack of the FTPs!

FTP = Fucking Tree People.

I've been meaning to use that acronym as a headline and it was totally going to be used yesterday but I HAD to draw attention to my mockery of a person who changed the world instead, so not only did I have to come back and bring pics but I also had to use FTPs on the site. So here it is! Anyways, this is an acronym (acronyms DO exist outside of the military) used here at Rockefeller Plaza to discuss the ridiculous amount of tourists that have descended upon NYC, but especially here at Rockefeller Plaza and our world-famous tree. Literally, the crowds have gotten so damn plentiful ever since the Christmas Tree went up. And that mo'fo is huge and impressive and it's not even decorated yet. I can't even begin to imagine how crowded it'll be after the end of the month when the lighting occurs. That'll be something to see.

Okay, I don't have too much else to say - I'll elaborate a bit more on the pics below as we go through them, but it's been a good couple of weeks. I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving and I look forward to surviving the holiday season here in New York and hopefully also back home!

11 Nov 07 & 13 Nov 07 - My folks before I left & Rockefeller Plaza Tree
My Mom and Harv	Me and Mom!	Harv and Me!	The Rockefeller Plaza tree from almost below it	There's the tree from a bit aways - that tree is fucking huge	And here's from the balcony outside my office - you can see the lines that help hold the tree up.

And now here are the pics from Mila's wedding! It was great to see everyone again and you could tell Mila was relieved that the wedding went so well and everyone had a blast. I think she mentioned that was really her only concern going into the ceremony and she needn't have worried. It was a fantastic affair. Great music (Hava Nagila at the beginning of the reception is SUCH a good idea) and great company and great food all combined wonderfully. Seeing Sveta and Mila again though was probably the highlight of seeing my friends again, although getting to see all of them pretty much rocked. That and seeing my family again makes me miss LA and home, but I can't lie, when I got back to New York after a miserable red-eye flight, I was also happy. So I think I'll be here for a bit - but one day, I'll be back, West Coast-style.

10 Nov 07 - Mila & Scott got married!
Mom and Harv that morning	The reception tent before the ceremony	Sveta!	Sveta and Tony	Me and Laryssa - it was great to see her again. She hasn't changed!	Sveta and Me	The rose-strewn aisle to the altar..(is that the right word??)	Me and Monina and random stranger guy - it was awesome to see Monina too!
Mila getting escorted down the aisle by her proud parents, Roman and Ada	Mila and Scott taking the walk back as a married couple	Jacen and Me - it's funny.. none of us have really changed our personalities!	Kevin and Jacen and their spouses	Monina, me in a jacket that should have been unbuttoned, and Laryssa	The Cancun Table - named that way for a trip they all went on. I was an honorary member.	Candid shot of Mila visiting around	Mila getting some wedding cake
Mila with her bud Kathy and Kathy's husband	Dancing Mila!

And as a note about the flashback picture on the frontpage - I just crack up everytime I see it. And I miss my buds back in Colorado Springs. Because even though life is definitely different and better in many ways now, I still miss the hell out of my friends that I had in the Springs. I seriously wish I could just transplant their lives and jobs out here into NYC. THAT would be perfect. Because I still haven't found that great group of friends or such to just hang with. And then that pic also has my house's kitchen in it!!!! I miss my house!!!!! <sigh> Oh well...

19 November 07   Inventor of the Internet! Pshaw.

So while my foot wasn't really in my mouth, my mental foot was definitely in my mental mouth, if that actually makes any kind of sense.

We had a meeting at work today with some folks from various companies that deal with telecommunications technologies. From one company there were three guys who were telling us about one of their upcoming really groovy products that may be a great tool for our use in the future (I have to be intentionally vague in the details of what company and technology we were talking about, sorry!) but the main guy talking kept throwing things into the conversation like, "well, when I was designing the Internet..." or "when I designed that into the Internet, I was thinking that...." and seriously, I kept secretly rolling my eyes back into my head because I was like, "PuhLEASE stop claiming you invented the Internet". Honestly. I think we all know that Al Gore was responsible for that (Okay, that's an old joke, my bad). But seriously, he kept tossing these little bon-bons of fun out into the conversation and I definitely picked up on them. So after the FOUR HOUR Meeting finally ended, me and my boss eventually had a chance to sit down and talk about what our thoughts were. I actually had some smart things to say about things and my boss agreed with my assessment. But then snarkyHobie came out...and I started joking with my boss about this guy's frequent claims about inventing the Internet. I went into full-on mock mode, doing my snobby voice and saying things like, "Well, yes, after I invented the Internet I had a chocolate sundae..." and "if you had invented the Internet, you'd understand things sooooo much better".... yes, I was totally in my groove as I can only get when I'm mocking someone...especially behind their back. My boss and I had a good laugh...until my boss decided to do some googling of 'Creators of the Internet'....which I wish he hadn't. Because on the very first fucking page of results, THERE WAS THIS GUY'S NAME. I literally met one of the creators of the Internet today, and had the tenacity to mock him (at least it wasn't to his face). There's not too many people who can actually claim they've changed the world...but this guy has every right to say he did. I am such an asshole.

So I've been gone for a bit from the website, haven't I? Well, it's been kinda busy around HobieLand lately. A week ago I was in LA to see one of my best friends Mila get married and of course dance the Hava Nagila. I took pictures but I haven't downloaded them yet from my camera and I will totally do that probably tomorrow (don't you love that sentence - totally and probably are so totally probably related). It was such a great time to not only go home and see my family and their home and get some awesome food (In-N-Out Burgers and the illustrious meal of roasted chicken, italian sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes and broccoli are beyond compare) and to see some of my great friends from high school was awesome. When i put the pictures up tomorrow (after getting home I'm sure late as work has definitely picked up) I'll explain more. But just know it was a lot of fun.

And my social life has been a lot more fun than I would ever have hoped after getting out of the military. It's a relief to have this part of life finally.

Anyways, I just wanted to finally throw out an update before Thanksgiving and to tell my ridiculous story above. I should have some pictures up tomorrow once I get home (I'm staying up way too late for YOU!) so stay tuned!

And finally, I have to say thanks to everyone who's not let the fact that I'm gay change things between us. You can probably imagine the fear and nervousness I had in finally being truthful (or at the least, not being untruthful...?) about things, but I guess let's be honest, it wasn't exactly hard (sts) to figure out. I'm no different than I was when you knew me before and don't let my hot pink daisy dukes tell you any different....JUST KIDDING. They're yellow. BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAA.

Remember, pics tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

4 November 07   Defying Gravity

This has certainly been one hell of a birthday weekend. It definitely defied expectations especially for being brand new to the city and having a very small small initial group of friends.

The week at work has been good - still making lots of progress and I think that I will totally not get fired. Yay for me!!!! But I have to be honest - it was hard to focus on work because I knew that I was more anxious anticipating my extracurricular activities. I'm not in the business of being too gossipy, especially about my personal personal life, but I am definitely happy to be out and about in the world of dating.

This first date out on Friday night was an incredible experience. I got to go out with a great guy and also see more of the city's fun areas, this time over in Hell's Kitchen. Went to a few very cool bars, a good Italian restaurant, a really fun dance club, and overall just have a great time. I was definitely tired though and I knew that I had still had more to do on Saturday, primarily going to see the musical Wicked and then anything that came up afterwards (sts). So I was able to get a bit of sleep in the afternoon (thank God) and then got ready for the theateh (you have to say theateh with a very snobby drawl). Shelly and I made quite the well-dressed pair going to the Gershwin Theater on 51st and Broadway!

About Wicked....AWESOME. For those that don't know, Wicked is based on the book Wicked that details the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West from the world of the Wizard Of Oz. It aims to show just why and how the Witch (her name in this story now Elphaba) was truly 'wicked' and gives a fascinating story that lets you see that your perceptions can be totally off if you don't have the whole story. It's fun to rewatch the Wizard of Oz with Wicked in your mind. So the story is actually very interesting and when I heard they were making a musical based on it back in 2003, I was intrigued. Unfortunately I hadn't had the chance to ever catch it as it didn't start touring the country until this year, I believe. One time in Colorado Springs at a Barnes & Noble, I saw one of those coffee-table books all about the making of Wicked and it looked amazing, mainly based on just how fantastic the sets, staging and costumes were. But I had never heard the songs, so I picked up the soundtrack. I was kinda bored, to be honest, by it. In hindsight now, it's hard, especially in musicals, to really identify with Broadway-style music if you don't have an associated visual memory to help you remember how you felt when you heard the song. So flash forward to now - I decided why not treat myself to an awesome experience by going tix to the hottest show on Broadway? And after paying a ridiculous amount of money for two tickets, me and Shelly were off to the theater! And wow....just wow. It's an amazingly staged production and the performances were outstanding. There were a few standout songs for me, including 'Popular', which if you hear DOES NOT LEAVE YOUR HEAD ever; 'Defying Gravity', which has a mind-blowing production associated with it and a chill-inducing performance mixed with mesmerizing special effects; and also one called 'What is This Feeling?' which almost starts you thinking it's about two college girls realizing they feel more than friendship for each other....when in fact it's pure and utter loathing for each other. So those of you out in LA where I know Wicked is also playing right now: Go See It!!!! You won't be disappointed.

Anyways, after Wicked, Shelly and I met up with her boyfriend, Ray, and her best friend, Claudia, who also brought her brother, Ray 2. We first went to the Marriott in Times Square, which on the top floor (48th) has a bar/lounge called The View. It's kind of obvious why the title exists but in addition to a knockout view centered in Times Square, is also the only revolving restaurant in New York City. Pretty damn cool, yet also damn expensive and a little touristy. It was definitely something to experience though. After a few hours there, we then headed downtown to 3rd Avenue and 4th Street, where there were some more cool bars. Seriously, NYC has cool bars everywhere it seems. It helps to have a good guide, which my date from the night before and Shelly's Ray both were, as they knew all sorts of fun cool places to go.

And now here I am, sleeping in and happy as hell to get some long needed sleep! I took some pics from yesterday so they're below for your enjoyment. We were in the middle of Times Square and I realized, "HEY, I need some pictures from my birthday!!!" I didn't think it would be appropriate to take pictures during my date, so that will have to just go in visual memory.

So in consumerist stuff, I picked up the Twin Peaks Gold Box DVD set that has every episode of Twin Peaks in it. Ah, I miss that show. I haven't gotten Guitar Hero III yet - I haven't even hooked back up my video game systems to the TV in the living room yet, but eventually I will. And in something I feel only a twinge of embarassment about (just a twinge), I did get the new Britney Spears album. I am hooked to that song, Gimme More. That seems to be the song du jour at the clubs too, but that's a seriously awesome song to dance to.

Okay, I think I've caught up enough for you for now. Happy Birthday to me - I'm 31 and don't care at all. 30 was the stressful one and even that turned out not to be all that bad. I think I haven't felt this good in a long time, so seriously, if my 30s are the best time, which they certainly seem to be looking to be, then score! Oh yeah, I totally ran the New York City Marathon too this morning, just knocked it out before breakfast. That's how I roll.....NOT! My lazy ass woke up at noon today...actually 11am when I realized daylight savings time had occurred (which I should have known about anyways - that damn time change causes all sorts of ridiculousness in the scheduling system we maintain and design at work)

3 Nov 07 - Wicked and Times Square
The stage for Wicked before the show started. I've never seen such an intricate and decorated stage like this.	Ray, me, Claudia and Ray 2.	A more angled view up of us	Me, Shelly, Claudia and Ray 2	Me and Shelly facing the other direction. BTW, this is where the Naked Cowboy plays..when it's warmer I'm guessing	Me and Shelly laughing at how awesome NYC can be