"can i help you, sir?"

I went to a St. Patrick’s Day party last night with my Crazy Straights friends, so named because they are crazy and well, straight. Actually, the group consists of a couple of lesbians and a couple of straight married women. We almost always a great time, and I like hanging out with them. It’s good for several laughs (and usually results in some embarrassing photos as well).

But last night, I took a moment to look around the room. It really hit me that there was no one there even remotely like me. I was probably the most like the straight guys in the room, but the ones who didn’t know me had to give me the suspicious once over before being cool with me. The straight women I knew goofed with me, and the ones I didn’t either flirted with me or also gave me a once-over evaluation. And the two lesbians, well.  They’re an on-again, off-again couple, so they tend to be wrapped up in each other most of the time anyway because things are really good or really bad between them. I spent most of my time with my friend’s husband, who has become a pretty decent buddy of mine whenever this group gets together.

While thinking about this further today, I realized how much I appreciate this online community with which I’ve been able to interact. Yes, I mean you. I don’t experience much solidarity or community on a daily or even weekly basis, so having you all around to converse, brainstorm and debate makes all the difference. For those of you who blog, being able to read your writing helps me combat that feeling of isolation.

What do you do to counteract the times when you feel isolated? What helps you feel more connected?

I think someone just wanted to see me use the word “lezzy” on my blog. I don’t know if I’ve ever typed that word before today. It’s kind of exciting.

I’m sure several of you have seen the Lezzy Awards going around in the last day or so, either on blogs you read or hey, maybe on your very own blog.

I’m putting this little badge thing up since my blog was nominated in the Best Lesbian Personal category, and it’s a RULE.

This post isn’t to get you to nominate MY blog. It’s to tell you to go nominate any blog you like. There are bunch of categories to fill, like Personal, Humor, Sexy Time, Bad Ass, Homecoming Queen and King, Most Likely to End Up in Prison … stuff like that. Please write me in for For Most Likely to Become an American Gladiator. I missed out on that one in high school, and to get it now would be total redemption. IN YOUR FACE, JODY MARSHALL.

You can nominate blogs once a day until February 22, 2010, at which point the three top blogs will go to Hollywood, where they will perform for Ellen and Simon Cowell.

So in the hubbub of work and all kind of other craziness going on, I kind of forgot about my one-year anniversary here at this blog.

It’s so strange. When I started writing here, I really had no idea what would happen; I just wanted a place to write, express and vent. I had no expectation of community, mostly because I had no clue what or who was out there. Who would want to read my blog, anyway? It’s just about my journey, which. Yawn.

But here it is a year later, and holy shit. Not only have I really, really enjoyed the blogging part of it, but I’ve also really appreciated the one part that I didn’t expect and or necessarily care about to begin with: the community. For those of you who read my blog, I genuinely thank you. If you haven’t commented yet, I hope you do sometime soon, because I have the smartest, funniest, friendliest, amazingest group of readers. (I might be a teense biased.) Some of you make me think and re-examine my position on things. Some of you make me burst out laughing. But all of you help me feel like part of something bigger than I am, which is just … nice.

GROUP HUG.

Okay. It’s hard for me to remain serious for too long, so I’ll share with you some of the best search strings that have led people to my blog in the last year. Some searches are an obvious match made in heaven for this site; others, well. What the hell.

• how do i get a girl to let me feel her boobs? (If you find out, let me know.)
• boobs on the dance floor (There were a LOT of boob-related searches. Hmm.)
• you sir, are a complete boob (What did I ever do to you?)
• butch fashion help (Hopefully they were here to give advice.)
• can my big brother buy me boxer shorts if he wants to? (I don’t see why not?)
• When does Whoa Horsie come out (Oh, you’ll know.)
• another word for blouse (Yes. Please. Use something else.)
• reloading boobs (Awesomest search ever.)
• Dwight Schrute weaknesses (Beets. Bears. Battlestar Galactica.)
• is there a way to turn on hot women (Again. Please pass on any tips.)
• hard slaps from dominating women with strong hands (Which post was that again?)
• why do straight girls flirt with lesbians (One of life’s great mysteries.)
• pretend if incapable idiom (Come on. Now you’re not even trying.)

I’m busy. As in, BIZZY. Work is crazy right now, what with a huge project I have going on and it’s impending launch in a few days. And as soon as I get that deployed, I have another big campaign coming up right behind it. So. I’ve been working long hours. I usually work from 7:30 to 4:30, which is crazy for such a non-morning person like me. But as much as I don’t like getting up early, I dislike being stuck at work late even MORE. But since I got back from my little holiday at the end of 2009, my hours have been more like 7-ish to 6-ish, all in the name of getting this project done.  Then I’m up late trying to catch up on laundry, cleaning, bills, and friends. Sprinkle in a few days where I haven’t had time to go get lunch, and that makes for a very cranky G.

[Sidebar: I know, I could just bring lunch to work with me. But I stopped doing that a long time ago so I'd be forced to leave the office to get lunch, get some fresh air, see the sun, etc. But lately I don't get the break OR the food, so I'm working on a solution for that.]

In the meantime, my blog has been a little more Swoon-y than anything lately. I’m pretty sure no one minds the photos of hot women, but there’s a lot in my head that I need to write about so I can get it out of there (and hopefully make room for new things in the process). I’m excited to write about some things that have been on my mind, but I’m even more excited to write about some topics that have been suggested to me by readers (something that is always welcome). The fact that you trust me enough to ask me to lend my voice to something that interests you, well. That’s pretty damn cool.

One great thing about the last couple of weeks is the discovery of some great blogs, too. Some are new, some are just new on my radar. I’ve added them over on my blog list. Hopefully I haven’t left anyone off, especially if I’ve visited and commented on your site. I’m a big believer in reciprocity, sharing the love, spreading good vibes, or whatever else you want to call it.

That’s the beginning of my 2010. How’s yours?

I did this whole collaborative blogging thing about how I don’t like to smell bad over on fit for a femme’s blog. In other words, I teamed up with M, her tomboy, to discuss men’s colognes. You dig?

So go check it out. And while you’re at it, subscribe to her blog and follow her on Twitter; she has impeccable feminine fashion sense, but it’s not just for the ladies. I like to know what the ladies like, so I get gift ideas from FFAF. Plus I get shopping ideas from the always sharply-dressed M.