Of
8 books(and 1 play) I have had published my favorite is "The Free
Prisoner" which I wrote the first few months of 2004 and was published 
at the end of the year. I sent out 12 copies to friends and 12 to
critics. I wonder where those 24 books are now?!!? In any case I am
still getting royalties, (wish I knew who was buying it), $1.08 last
month! LOL And I have to pay tax and report it to Gateway so they can
get their share. At the end of 2005 my book "Letting It All Hang Out:
Commentaries, Musings and Essays From An Old(er), Poor, Gay Man" was
published. I wasn't that  aware of blogging yet though I had posted a
few what was called 'articles' and basically the book are all blogs but
if anyone wants to know about me all I have to do is tell them to read
this!

By the way my favorite short story was published in a book in 1995, called "My First Time" and, yes, it was about that!

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I
don't know/remember the first time I met Allen but the first mention I
have of him in my diary is December 19, 2004 "Jill, Allen, Jim, Bob and I
went to see "Art" at the Mosiac Theatre (closed) and then Sweet
Tomatoes (open) afterwards."  I do know he started to come over to the
Wednesday afternoon sessions before that but it was awhile before  the
Wednesday lunch, Thursday food shopping and Friday movie day became part
of our weekly routine. More about Allen and me in part 30B

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The
year started off with a few good movies in January like "Hotel Rwanda",
"Sideways" and "The Woodsman." Gino and I went to see "The Great
American Follies" with Robert Morse and Kitty Carlisle (ask your
grandmother!) at the Parker Playhouse and The Cheesecake Factory after.
The next night Gino and I had dinner at the Lone Star Restaurant
(closed) and a movie while the next day after taking me to the dentist
Anita and I went to Big Louie's for lunch! The following weekend Robert,
James, Allen, Jill and I went once again to the Mosiac Theatre where we
saw "The Memory of Water" and to Too-Jay's Deli (open) and the month
ended with seeing Hillary Swank in "Million Dollar Baby" and then to the
Red Star Tavern, where, finally, they had the carrot cake, which is so
tall a piece it towers over an iced tea glass. The constants in my life
whether going good or bad are: eating out, restaurants, movies, theatres
and, yes, sex.

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Life
was going along smoothly with the birds adding a lot of fun to my life.
The first time I let out the finches I learned not to do it again. They
are very small and get in the tightest places not to mention they are
swift and I am glad there wasn't a camera to watch me trying to catch
them--but, eventually, I did. The baby budgies were doing great and
getting along with the rest of the birds.
It was a good time in my life and I didn't see anything ahead to change that for me so, obviously, I still had a lot to learn.