Thursday, April 27, 2006
  Finally Its Over! (Not feeling too good) It is the last, but most dreadful week in a college semester. I would love to report a feeling a relief, which I do have in a way, but I am also very upset. I did horrible in my last exam for Trigonometry, something I thought I would not do because of the amount of time I had to study. Who is as at fault? Without a doubt, it is me! Assuming I learned enough lessons last semester about my study habits (and all), but one thing I just keep on experiencing is that mistakes should be expected. Overall, I am happy with my effort and discipline, but studying, doing assignments, and attending class is just one aspect of a huge criteria of getting graded. The similar link between the two classes I did poorly on (economics and Trig.) is the damn EXAMS. Both classes, had professors that solely based my grade on four tests. Did I mention that I hate tests! It was my fault I did not learn that valuable lesson, even though I learned how to manage my time well. I don't know what you are going to get from this, but just remember to follow your instincts and do not repeat the same mistake twice. Now I have to live with a lower GPA probably dipping just below 3.0. It will be a matter of time before I start feeling upbeat, besides I did great on two of my three classes this semester. When I come back in a few days, this blog will be in full swing. There will be a new look and perhaps some surprises coming ahead. -- UPDATE (5/4/2006): I am happy with the grades I got from Humanities and Biology. Fortuantely, I did not flunk Trigonometry... I only got a D. 
Monday, April 24, 2006
  Finals are not White HOT!
Not Wade or Shaq, but Jason Williams deserves a spotlight.
Final exams do not fit the criteria of being fun, AT ALL! The reality is there is no other way to avoid this week than just study (Boooo!) and take the two exams I have left this week. Despite the bad news, there is a silver light in the end of the tunnel. First bit of news is it's almost over and the summer break is about to begin, Thursday night after the Trig exam! Second, I have Wednesday free with no exam, but I have to fool my brain into thinking the day is made for... You guessed it, STUDY TIME! Only if I had a hot dude as a tutor for trigonometry, right? The ultimate good news involves the "White HOT" NBA Playoffs that started last Saturday. The HEAT barely escaped the wrath of the Chicago Bulls in game one, but all in all, it was a victory. There is only 15 more games the "White HOT" HEAT will need to win in order to win the NBA Championship. Three more against Chicago and four more to get past each round (three in total after this round). The "White HOT" term I am using is name of the theme for the 2006 Playoff run for the Miami HEAT. According to the official playoff website...
When a flame burns its brightest… When the intensity is at its peak… That’s White Hot!
It's cool (no pun intended) that the marketing team for the HEAT is promoting the playoffs with a theme of this kind. The focal point of the promotion is to motivate all HEAT fans, around the nation, to wear white clothing (primarily, shirts) from now until the HEAT are out of the championship hunt. They did the same promotion technique the past two years, motivating fans to wear one color to the games, school, work and home. Last year was my favorite, "The Red Zone" and in 2004 the theme was "Back in Black". It was nice to watch all the fans in AmericanAirlines Arena wearing red last year's postseason and white on Saturday's opener. I never missed a beat last year when the HEAT came up with the "Red Zone" promotion. I went frantic in order to get any clothes added to my wardrobe with the red color scheme! Call me nuts, but its just fun to see everyone getting involved with the hype. Still, it was upsetting when Miami lost to Detroit last year and it will be more devastating if the HEAT do not win the NBA Finals this year. The bottom line is the Miami HEAT will need to sizzle with consistency in order to be champs! In other news: I still have to update you guys about my Easter Weekend, sorry about the delay. Could April 28th come any slower, gwarsh! -- ["White HOT" HEAT: 2006 NBA Playoffs theme for the Miami HEAT]
 
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
  Unexpected Surprise When I was reminded to expect the unexpected, especially with meeting guys, from Mike and Brad I never knew I was going to find a candidate so fast. On Friday I met a guy, Jon, in a college-related event that was being held by the honor society. The purpose of the event was basically a ceremony to induct new students that met the criteria of becoming a member. I was already inducted and became a full member in November, but I was asked to attend to support the new inductees. For the record, Jon was there to be inducted. I met him while I was walking around and greeting my friends that were about to leave. I mentioned to the group that I was there for the ceremony, that was when Jon looked at me with curiosity. I thought he was a friend of a friend of mine, so I introduced myself. The truth was that Jon was not with my friends, he was just walking around trying to kill time waiting for the ceremony to begin. I was also in the same situation because at that moment the event was 90 minutes from starting. I don't blame you if your mind is wondering if I took advantage of the extra time spared to chat with him, but things got complicating and prevented me to start a conversation. Those include:
  • I was volunteering for an Easter event that was also being held that day in the college campus. Jon left to go back to the auditorium's lobby, in the other side of the campus where the ceremony was going to be held.
  • I was not absolutely sure if he was gay (or bi). Even though he peeked at me a few moments before in a sense that gave me the impression he "digged" guys. All that, though, gave no proof of his sexuality.
  • When I finished volunteering, I raced to the nearest bathroom to make sure I was visually stunning [I was :) ]. I went to the building where the campus auditorium was, trying not to sweat, but the door was locked. I knocked on the door... Guess who opened? Yes, JON! Bad news was, his parent came along to support him in this special ceremony. Bummer! I did not know if he was "into" guys and I figured if he was, that his parents would not know.
Fast Forward... After the reception and the induction ceremony, I made sure Jon did not leave without congratulating him. Most importantly, I wanted to him to leave with a faint impression (if not a strong one) of me. I had faith that I would see him again. Besides, the campus is not that big and he showed interest in participating with the honor society. My guess turned out to be an educated one because I saw Jon yesterday and conversed about the honor society and his interest in becoming an active member. I had a stronger sense that he may be gay (or bi), but nothing official. Fortunately, there is a chance I can get to meet him again in the near future. When that happens, I am hopeful in starting a new friendship with Jon. --
 
Monday, April 17, 2006
  Orange Update: Easter Weekend Edition I am in a slim budget of time so... Let's GET TO IT! Thanks to Brad, Mike and Ryan for wishing me a Happy Easter. I am sure that everyone had me in mind over the weekend, as if I was an essential part of you life [HaHaHa, not really]. Right? Well, you don't have to answer the question but I would love to believe that in your hearts you wished every one a happy weekend. No matter the importance people may have of the weekend, may it be a holy one or a great time to get some chores done around the house.
  • For me, this Easter reminded me of the weekend I had the same time two years ago. It was a very religious holiday, because, like in 2004 I went to church. I won't get into details right now, I'll reserve that for later on this week, but it was a moving experience. But there was a certain act I did that I would love to share with you, and my reasoning behind the move.
  • Before the bunny holiday, I had an encounter of which I did not expect to happen so soon. I wish to report that it was a perfect hook up, but the reality is that I never materialized "a future" with the guy I briefly met and sought out, Friday night. Darn, I never knew meeting people [potential guy-friends] was going to be so obvious but be so difficult at the same time. Because I met the guy, Jon, in a college-related activity that encouraged parental involvement, his parents was present... I'll get into that a bit later.
I did not want to leave any of you out of the loop, so I secured this time to type a post and update you all on my life... In a way, this post served as a cliffhanger for you to come back and read. Your hooked, I knew it! Now you are begging me to spill the beans. I will, but not at this moment. I do not have the time to think clearly, all you will get is gibberish to read. So just hang on a bit, my league, college life will hit a break next Friday. Until then I will study... After next week, however, I am all yours! --
 
Thursday, April 13, 2006
  4 Revelations: Apr.13.2006 Its back, the moment that I will post four things that I never mentioned or a selection of you know already. Consider it as me telling you a "semi" secret. Some will be juicy while other will be bland, but they all will be... my 4 Revelations for April 13, 2006!
  1. My first kiss came when I was really, really young. 10 years old? Nope. 7 years? [Loud Buzzer] Try Again. If you guessed 6 years old, pat yourself in the back. I'll blurt out this fact; it was not with a boy. The embarrasing part of the confession is that it was with a girl that I was losely related with the female. It was a cousin seperated by 3 generations, we did not share the slightest of last names, but it is kind of awkward.
  2. I have visited, traveled through, laid my foot on and/or lived in the following places: New York, Washinton, D.C., Florida, Puerto Rico, Virginia (to get to D.C.), Arizona (just the Sky Harbor Airport for a connecting flight to Las Vegas), and Nevada. If I mentioned this before, consider it a reminder of my defiency for traveling. I love the subject of traveling, but I have not been too familiar of the world outside of Florida and Puerto Rico.
  3. I was teased by my friend, JD, back in middle school because I had certain mannerisms that were not considered masculine. I remember that he would always poke fun at me, I considered it offensive because it would be nonstop, but besides that negative aspect of him, he was always a good friend. He stopped teasing me, with some exceptions, after the seventh grade. When I moved back to Miami, after spending a year in Puerto Rico, and after high school started he stopped completely because I had an altercation with him about the teasing. In case you did not get the abstract lead-in's, the jokes were mostly geared towards the fact that I "acted gay", and I never started exploring my sexuality until after. The teasing did nothing to influence my decision... The next revelation is tied to this one, are you ready for this?
  4. I found out through MySpace that my friend, JD, came out of the closet and is Gay. Nothing wrong with that, if you ask me, but what is astonishing is that JD was a "closet case". I assume that he repressed his sexuality and teased me because I "acted gay". In reality he was also questioning his sexuality. I have not mentioned the "teasing" episodes to him and he does not know that I am questioning my sexuality. Once I find that he is trustworthy and I come out to him, I will ask him the question... This is a real case of "As the world turns".
--
 
  Dolphin Stadium gone HD
Look Ma! I'm on High Definition.
For a change, some good news in South Florida sports. Dolphins Enterprises, the company that oversees the Miami Dolphins, Dolphin Stadium, and anything related, introduced two new High Definition scoreboards a few days ago. It really gives any Dol-Fan the incentive to make a trip to the re-re-named Dolphin Stadium to "experience" a game, not just watching it. Of course, Marlins fans are getting the benefit of the HD scoreboards, but I will not bore with that subject again. I, for one, prefer to watch a game in my house or a friends house. The most I am willing to do is go to a sports bar/restaurant to watch the game with my fellow Dol-Fans. Mike and Ryan may also want to make a trip to South Florida to experience the HD quality to their NFL Sunday. I almost forgot to mention the most important fact, the HD scoreboards are the world's largest. The bigger sibling has a diagonal length of about 1,750 inches (50 feet tall and 140 feet wide) and the smaller scoreboard is 50 feet tall with 100 feet across. These screens are too HUGE in price and size for me to enjoy in the comfort of my house. With that in mind, I might reconsider and maybe take a trip down to Miami and go to a game, assuming there are any tickets left. -- P.S. Take a look at this video clip see the new HD additions... Dolphins style! [Photo: Sun-Sentinel/Michael Laughlin] [Sun-Sentinel: Dolphin HD] [FLTV: blog post by a South Florida media fanatic]
 
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
  Preparations for baseball heartbreak Before I begin ranting about my dubious "heartbreak", I want to give a disclaimer about the post. Yes, I understand that there are other important things in life than to worry about a vulnerable baseball team. Even with that comprehension, I still feel remorse for what is taking place in South Florida which may lead to the relocation of the Florida Marlins. There is so much emotional attachment to this team because the Marlins mean so much to me. I went to my first baseball game to then-called Joe Robbie Stadium to watch the Fish beat the Colorado Rockies in Mother's Day 1996. In addition, that was also my first game of any professional sports league. It hurts to read news from the Miami Herald, or of any media source, to find out that the future of the Marlins in Miami are very slim. The owner and team management belief that there are considerable chances to stay in Miami, but discussions on getting a new, roofed-stadium are silent. The Florida state legislature disagreed to subsidize the stadium with tax money, so that is the reason behind the halt of progress for the team. I am not going to get too much into the situation, I have a few links below that summarizes the situation and the emotions felt by any Marlins fan. Including the fans outside of South Florida, as far away as San Diego. Speaking of San Diego, the Padres spoiled the Marlin's "home" opener yesterday, winning the game 9-3. The Fish are currently, and always, have been playing in a stadium shared with the Miami Dolphins football team. The name? Dolphin Stadium. I have to admit, it was not a surprising loss considering the NEW roster for Florida reads drastically different from a year ago. Why? Every player (excluding two) were released or traded to other teams. I am not in a somber mood, or depressed, but I am preparing for the worse. The announcement that my Florida Marlins will move to another city (San Antonio, Las Vegas, who knows). If that happens I will make sure I'll be at the last home game of the Marlin's south Florida existence and bid farewell to a franchise that brought two championships to Miami. Upset that they were let go because they were left "homeless" with no new stadium, but the Miami Heat was able to get a new home. In that last game, I will also make sure I am there to heckle Jeff Loria (the greedy owner), that refuses to cut costs for a new stadium so HE is the one paying for it. To conclude the long post, here is an excerpt from Miami Herald's Greg Cote:
In the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday -- it is the bottom of the ninth for this franchise now -- a small band of very young voices chanted ''Let's go Mar-lins!'' even with the game hopelessly lost. It almost made you cry. How do you explain to a 6-year-old under a too-big ballcap about the economics and politics that are strangling the team he loves? How do you tell the smallest fans that their Marlins might disappear and become the faint childhood memory they'll try to recall?
That my friends is why I am so upset. Baseball is more than a game, it is a lifestyle for many fans around the world [I love the game and my team, but its not a lifestyle for me]. Its a great opportunity to hang out with family or friends and have a safe time. In south Florida, however, baseball is second to many things, and for that it will be gone. -- [Photos: Sun-Sentinel/Robert Duyos] [Miami Herald: Dan Le Batard's opinion on the Marlins apathy] [Miami Herald: Greg Cote sums up what I feel]
 
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
  What is coming up? I have finished taking my Trigonometry exam. You do not know how relieved I am right now, the monkey is off my back... For now. The past several days I have been visiting, reading, and commenting on blogs that I just love. For that, and the academic scrutiny I am imposing, I want to pardon for the lack of pixie dust production... Okay, did I just write that? That's what happens when someone works at Disney for a long period of time. Disney has the capability to turn a ruthless New Yorker into a cuddly magic-making Cast Member for all the guests to see, young and old. Getting to the point, I have a few goals that I have before the month of June rolls by. I am going to find a second (summer) job, using the spare time to do something productive. Like earn the money I have been in need but Mickey Mouse will not fess up, no matter how long I have been working there. Instead of resigning and signing away my Disney perks (discounts, park admission), I will just find another job. Of course, there has to be benefits with working hard and long hours. So I will probably work at a movie theater or at a retail store. The next thing I would love to accomplish is to finally update this blog. I am not talking about posting my thoughts, I am aiming into a new look for a change. I was kind of getting bored of the simplicity of the current layout. The new design will not be a shocker, I will just customize a template into my liking. In fact, I opened a "test blog" and started playing with the CSS codes yesterday. I need a helping hand with some questions I have, so if anyone is so gracious, please let me know. The last goal, is a long term process that I have mentioned previously about exploring with the local crowd here. I just need to hang out more... Socialize for once, right? If I tell you that I have only been clubbing twice, you'll probably shoot me in my knee cap. In all honesty... It's the truth :). So I will polish my people skills, and expect the unexpected because I know it will not be a smooth sail ahead. -- 
Saturday, April 08, 2006
  aMAZEing Quote: Joan Rivers
You will never find a guy if you expect him to come in your front door. Unless he is a very-sexy-single FedEx delivery man, you have to go and look around.
This is a paraphrase that I heard from Ms. Rivers herself. She participated in a news segment for the "Today" show and signed up to a dating website. For me, this is significant because I am expecting to be found by someone. Not the case, VJ, you have to get your hands dirty and leave the protective zone. This phrase sums up the purpose of this blog post. --
 
  Five W's with Bret Harrison This is truly infatuation on first sight, but I consider it love even if I don't know Bret personally. The guy is hilarious, very cute, attractive personality, he might be the model of my perfect guy. He has the looks, humor, personality.... [Sighs]. If only I can get a piece of him. In order to overcome my infatuation fever with Bret Harrison, I watch his new show "The Loop", Thursday nights on FOX. Who: Bret Harrison What (I like most about him): I will include something that I have not included in the paragraph above. He ain't shy when it comes to showing off, he is seen shirtless in a brief moment in the show's opening credits. He has also taken his shirt off a few times in the past episodes. He does not have a toned body of a divine being, but he is good to look at. He is better in making me laugh. The other actors in the show are also hysterically humorous. Where (was he born): Portland, Oregon Why (is he funny to me): I purposefully said to me because not everyone is fond of him as much as I am, but there is a cult of fans that keep him on primetime. Both, Bret and his new show are unique when it comes to comedy and jokes. He plays a young executive or an airline company that is struggling to make profits. In every episode he is doomed to screw up but escapes getting sacked by odd coincidental events. When (is his show on): There will be an encore presentation (repeat), this Wednesday at 8:00pm EDT. -- [FOX: The Loop] [Bret Harrison] 
  Time for the next step! I have been thinking that I have accomplished many goals of my self-discovery by meeting new people (awesome friends!) and getting to put my thoughts on a published blog. Creating this blog was a big step because I have tried, but with no success, to find open minded people that will accept me for who I am. The majority of the guys that I have talked to were gay. I tried to find girls but I felt comfortable talking with guys because... Well, I am a dude! Before blogging, AOL Instant Messaging, gay chat rooms (Yahoo, AOL), and MySpace were the different modes I used to network and meet friends. I have to say, it might come to no surprise to most of you, but the gay chat rooms and IMing were mostly sexually driven. I won't lie, sometimes I looked to get off by having a bit of cyber sex, and trying to hook up with guys and pull a One Night Stand, but in the end I am thankful the sexual meets never took place. If I met a guy online that had substance and personality, other than looking for sex, it would start with a bang but fizzle after a few days. Talk about long distance relationships, even through the friendly cyber space Now that I have moved on and established a great way to post my thoughts and meet new people through the world wide web, I feel that is time to move on! Relax, I am not shutting the blog down. I am just declaring to myself that I have to meet warm-blooded people that I can relate too and trust with me confessions of my secrets, most of those can be found in this blog. I do not want this post to sound that all of you guys are unimportant to me, because you still are and always will be my role models, its just that I need to find at least ONE friend that I can truly call a buddy. I was going to write that I preferred to find guys, but there is no catalog I can choose from when finding a friend. Yes, I may prefer a guy, but a girl maybe an equal match of a person I am looking for. I just have to socialize more than I am right now, get out of my comfort zone and explore. I should not be afraid to open up to a person. It's funny because I restrict myself from going to a gay nightclub just because I feel I am being watched and conspired against. As if I will find someone that knows me or my mother and speculate to her that I am gay. I am not saying that I am ashamed of it, I just want my mother to know, if I end up declaring myself as a gay guy, of my true personality by me. Yesterday, I learned by a keynote speaker at a leadership conference that I have to face my fears and create excitement to my life by getting out of my comfort zone, in this case is my homosexuality. One of these days I have to do just that, expand my horizons and in the process, make more friends while I am at it. -- Update (4/8/2006 8:48 PM): Brad made a great point in that what happens in a gay bar almost always stays there. Thanks for the reassurance because I needed that. Another point that I wanted to clarify is that I will not stop blogging, what I am doing right now is just that I am focusing on my studies so I am takin' a break. I will resume my blogging routine soon. Once I do, I will keep all of you posted on my progress... I'll Be Back! 
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
  Orange Update: "Restricted Mode" edition Until the college semester is over for me, I will not post as often I wish (operating in restricted mode). Like I explained in the last blog, I want to focus on my studies. You guys do not want me to under achieve academically as much as I don't, so it will be a while before the blog will be in full swing. This does not mean I will disappear, it is just that I will probably be posting once a week (no more than two). I will, however, visit the blogs I love to read almost daily. So look for me commenting on your blog, that will not change. In other news... I woke up this morning upset and without hearing in my right ear. I assumed my ear was clogged with ear wax [Eww!], like before, but at this very moment my serious fear of losing my hearing was lifted because my ear got unplugged. That's a sigh a relief :)! I was upset this morning and throughout the afternoon because I failed to wake up early to finish my Biology homework. That led me to be in my "Somber" mood, or semi-depression. Listening to some of the songs in the Cirque du Soleil soundtrack, "Varekai" did not help, I was almost tearing up. To top it all off, my Biology lecture this morning added to my somberness when I learned about fatal diseases (that I already know about) and how life is cut short for those people that have it. I guess that's the way life works, right? Did I mention that I saw the movie trailer to a movie about 9/11, more specifically Flight 93? I am going to see it, "United 93", and think that Americans need to be reminded how we found courage that day, because the majority Americans lost it. So yeah, watching the trailer was depressing, but needed to say the least. More on the movie (premiering on April 28), and my reaction when I watch it... After the Semester. -- 
  It's Great... To Be... A Florida Gator! Today's headlines of the historic feat by the U-of-Florida Gators taking the Men's NCAA National Championship include... SWAMP KINGS... GATORS WIN IT ALL... GATORS, "CHOMP"IONS! Man, I can give you all the headlines from newspapers, and websites of Florida and beyond (including those from Los Angeles). But I won't and I can't because I am (1) busy with celebrating the Gators for the championship and (2) I have to focus on my "edu-ME-cation" so I can pass my classes in a winning fashion. Just like the way the Gator Men's Basketball team (WARNING: this sentence may be a fragment)... I just want to congratulate the basketball team and all of the loyal Florida Gators for the win. Now, the Gator Nation, can celebrate a national title that was long overdue. I am not a Florida Gator yet, I am just a fan, but the enthusiasm is comparable to any celebrations I have had by my teams' championships. Last night would have been a lot sweeter if I was a student, but I have faith that I will experience a championship once I arrive in Gainesville. I also want to mention that the team the Gators beat, UCLA Bruins, deserve recognition for the challenge in facing Florida. I have tremendous respect for the program and the institution. But in a humorous note, UCLA Fans, 11 NCAA championships is more than enough don't you think. The win last night, for the basketball championship, is not only the first for UF it is also the first for the whole entire Sunshine State. Finally, to all of my readers, you may want to thank (Kiss my) Mike for convincing me to take the time and celebrate the Gator win on my blog. I was planning to not post here until later on this week, but the news is too BIG to ignore a posting in my blog. To add the icing to the cake... Here, Ladies but mostly Gentlemen, is the University of Florida fight song...
UF students react after the win, in the "Rowdy Reptiles" section in the O'Dome. "Orange and Blue" So Give a Cheer for the Orange and Blue, Waving Forever! Forever Pride of Old Florida, May She Droop Never. We'll Sing a Song for the Flag Today, Cheer for the Team at Play! On to the Goal, We'll Fight our Way for Flo-ri-da!
-- P.S. Thanks (Kiss my) Mike for the reminder of posting this now. UCLA was not that great of a challenge, but they were a worthy opponent. [Photos: Thanks to the Gainesville Sun]
 

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Name: V.Jay Kendall
Location: Florida, United States

22 | Gay man | goofball | introvert | clumsy | nice | caring | love sports | wannabe athlete | love my family | love to meet new people | UF student | me

ME.MYSELF.MY ORANGE
Orange Maze is my blog that will allow me to display my thoughts and updates in my life -- "the Maze." I have to forewarn you, this blog is more like a journal than a scholastic novel. I may wish to be an eloquent writer and I may think I am. The fact is, I'm not.
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