Social life: Activate! in Adventures in paradise

There's a fair bit going on in my life these days. I don't usually have this much on at once, but it all seems to be happening over the next week or so, so I figured I'd better get some of it down on paper so I can keep up with my own life :)

I thought I was working tomorrow, as my manager told me earlier in the week he may have a shift for me on Sunday, which I don't mind at all as it's time-and-a-half rates. However, I double-checked with him on my way out of work tonight and he apologized and told me I didn't have to work, so I guess he changed his mind about playing games all day haha. My manger is a gamer. In fact a lot of my workmates are. I guess there's not much else to do at night besides that, unless you're me. The only games I play are Tapped Out and Songpop, which aren't very exciting. So what that does mean is I now have a day off tomorrow, which I wasn't expecting :)

I had planned to visit my friend Alex (the guy with the adorable cat) after work, but now I can probably head over there earlier and maybe even join him for some dinner. It'll be good to see him again. He's a gamer as well and is very easy-going and carefree and doesn't mind if we just watch movies or do nothing all day. I like guys like that who aren't in-your-face. Speaking of!...

So you know how I'm heading to Toowoomba next weekend for my nephew's 21st? Well Ayden came over yesterday (as he was in the city) and we chatted for a bit. He was telling me all about his drama - apparently this time he got his drink spiked on the Gold Coast over the weekend and ended up in hospital and nearly died, which is kinda scary, but let's face it, Ayden is a boy-who-cried-wolf kinda guy. I still believe it happened though, as he can certainly spin a story with complete detail. He showed me a photo of this guy he went home with (before he managed to ring the ambulance, asked them to track his phone because he didn't know where he was, and collapsed) and he was SM-OKIN'!
Anyway, I told Ayden that I was heading to Toowoomba next weekend and that I wasn't looking forward to it. Without missing a beat, Ayden suggested to me that he could be my date for the night.

Christ. Could you imagine? MY parents meeting Ayden, of all people? Shit, I could almost see a priest being called in to perform a gay-demon type exorcism. It did cross my mind for a while that it would be kinda cool to throw something that full-on in my parents faces, but the problem I have is that it wouldn't be real, ya know? Ayden would only be acting as my date, and I've never been very good at not being genuine in most aspects of my life. I say 'most' because, let's face it, you guys read me :P But I do like for things to be real, and if it was a real date, I wouldn't have an issue with it. So my sister needed numbers by this weekend, so I just told her "Put me down as 1 for the time being." I kinda wanted to put 2. Ayden doesn't know my family even 1 bit, and although I know he would get along with everyone (as he is naturally a social conversationalist), I know I wouldn't feel completely comfortable. I mean, I know I already won't feel comfortable just being there by myself, so maybe him being with me wouldn't be any different haha. I'm sure he would behave himself.... Maybe. So now I'm kind of thinking, if he still wants to come with me, he can, but I'll drop him off at the movies and pick him back up after the dinner. I can't see myself hanging around, or ignoring my dad, for anymore than a few hours.

I booked my car tonight to pick up Friday. I've decided to pick it up a little early just to account for Friday traffic trying to get out of the city for the weekend. Hopefully I've given myself enough time, but I'm sure I have and will probably get to Toowoomba way too early and be bored shitless until the dinner starts, where I'll be bored shitless again with my boring family.
Is it bad that the most exciting part of this whole trip for me is seeing what the menu has to offer? Never mind the fact I haven't seen my family in almost a year. This is just the way my father has made me feel like an outcast, and naturally it has had a knock-on effect toward my entire family. I hope he's happy with his stubborn self. I do laugh when I think back to September and some of his last words to me before he deleted me from facebook, "Grow up, It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." ^rolls eyes^ How original, dad!
Fuck, if I ever have kids (HA!), I'd never even THINK to treat them this way. Unconditional Love, all the way.

Anyway, if I keep writing about that, I'll be here forever. I'm sounding like a broken record. This is bloody hard for me to even face my family, but I know I have to be the better man, and I only have one family after all.
I have a week to search for a birthday present for my nephew. I don't really know him at all, so it'll be a complete fluke if I can find something he'll actually like. I still see him as a 10 year old, and here he is, about to turn 21!

Anyway, before that happens, Tuesday seems like it'll be an interesting day. I had a random message from my ex-girlfriend's brother, asking to meet me before he moves to London. Of course I said yes. How could I not? Meet up with my ex-girlfriend's (Who I might add, ceased all communication with me when she heard I was gay) gay brother. No, he's not out either. OH the irony. Here's me, as a 15 year old, having to sleep on the bunk bed in this brother's room (when he was only 13 I believe), and I remember being more attracted to him than I was to her lol. Fuck that sounds weird writing that at my age now, as I am double that age now, but I definitely remember the situation. She even snuck into his room to make out with me before heading back to her room. Ergh. What was I THINKING?? So I haven't SEEN this guy in 15 years, and he's apparently moving to London, as he doesn't feel comfortable here. I guess I'll ask his story when I meet up with him on Tuesday afternoon. He's not my type at all these days, at least not based on pictures. Amazing how time changes things.

To not be out and moving to London in an effort to find himself, is a big move. Good on him I guess. I suppose he's having similar struggle to what I used to have, just much later in his life. My God, I truly do feel for every single religious teenager growing up out there who us struggling with their sexuality. I'll never forget how hard that was for me, especially growing up out in a rural area. Even when I thought about it, there were absolutely no resources to turn to. No support groups or friends to confide in. I hope it's been an easier ride for him. London will love him, from what I hear and the stories from my landlord.

I also found out tonight that my friend Ryan is coming to Brisbane! He hasn't been here in 8 years. I always thought he hated Brisbane, so I'm very surprised he's coming. He's having issues of his own, poor guy. He just hasn't been happy for a long time, and his boyfriend isn't helping. He was originally going to fly here tomorrow, but I'm hanging out with Alex, so now he's coming on Tuesday, when I'm hanging out with Shaun, but that probably won't be for long. I figure I'll stay overnight at Alex's and wake up with his cat between us. It's SO cute. I think she's gradually warming to me.

I swear I'm forgetting something, but that's probably all. I was chatting to a very funny Asian guy on Grindr last night when we were both up watching the World Cup. I don't even follow Soccer all that much, but it's the only thing on really, so I watched it. He's really into it and it was nice to have a decent conversation with a guy obsessed with it and him joking about them removing their shirts and celebrating in the change rooms by doing each other. Oh gay guy humour - always finds it's way back to the sex haha.

I need to make a fav's only entry soon. There's a lot on my mind that I don't feel like sharing publicly.

Hope everyone's having an awesome weekend.