One of my Best Days Ever.

Today was a wonderful day! It started by me waking up at three am for a call. I got back to bed for a little while and then the alarm woke me up at six am. I headed to Colfax to let Amber out and change for work. I was going to get off early so I could go to the bars earlier. While at work I had an hour long meeting with the boss talking about computer upgrades for the department and the county. I worked on a few computer problems around the county. I got into a conversation about politics with the head of the juvenile department. It was a pretty laid back day. I guess what was nice is that my paychecks are in the bank now, so I am no longer broke!!! What a relief. That was a bad twenty days for me.

I took off half past four. I let Amber out and played with her for a little while. Then I drove to Pullman to My Office Bar. I got a table near the back that was reserved for us. I was drinking some pop and water waiting for the others to arrive. Dan was the first one there. We chatted for a little bit and the other arrived within the next thirty minutes. Dan got a pitcher of beer and a few glasses. Let it start.

Ron, Dan, and I started to talk about the people we have for the tournament. It is looking like we will have ten guys on the nose and Dan will be an emergency back up. Then Ron asked me how IM's are looking. I think he did that so the subject of Garrett would come up. Dan and Ron both said they could see something is going on. They said that I have been visibly upset about something. When at the bar one time a few weeks ago, I would top off peoples beer but I would skip Garrett all the time. I guess people were seeing that. Some of them asked Garrett what was going on. Garrett said we are friends as far as he knows. They asked me what was going on. I did not say. Then Dan asked if there was a problem. I just stared at him. He then said, obviously there is one since I did not deny it. Ron was asking if Garrett was going to play IM's with us. I did not give him a for sure answer. I figure if Garrett wants to know or cares he will say something sooner or later.

They said I need to talk it out with Garrett. They said that the problems between Garrett and I can cause poison to the whole team. They said that it is my team and I can have who I want on it, but they felt I should have Garrett on it, and I should deal with the problem.

They also asked about my last game with the My Office guys. They said I was noticeably down about it. The related me to C-Bass about it. I told them it was because I thought I should have had a chance to pitch and prove that I can. To redeem myself. But instead someone on injured reserve the whole season was pitching. I said that I question my value as a pitcher and my ability to pitch. They said if I had a problem with where I was being played I needed to talk to Jason about it. I told them I don't do that. I play where I am told to play. I am not going to be a baby on the field and whine about it, and make others pissed at me.

I am one while I am pissed or miffed about something I tend to get very quiet. I usually will go out and do my job. I will not go above and beyond like I normally do. I guess Dan and Ron noticed that. I did not tell them, but I am thinking hard about putting my own team together, and I very well might have played my last game for My Office. Only time will tell.

It was getting close to seven pm. I thought I would talk to the women. I knew some of them had called Brad a jackass in the past, and I wanted them to be prepared for his arrival. I told them that I have talked to him many times and he is a nice guy. I said to give him a chance to start from scratch.

Brad showed up first, and shortly thereafter Mark showed up. I introduced Brad and Mark to everyone. Brad bought some beer for everyone, just like anyone else on the team. Then He sat by the women and Mark was at my end where Russell was sitting after he showed up. Russell and Mark hit it off and got in a good conversation. Brad was hitting it off with the women. When he went to the bathroom at one point, Michele said to me that Brad is a nice guy, and they were giving him their approval. I felt good about that.

As a welcome to the team the women bought Brad and Mark a drink. Then when they found out it was Mark's birthday around the corner, they bought him another drink. The one though, you could not use your hands to drink. It had about two and a half inches of whip cream on it plus a shot sat inside of a second glass. You suck the whip cream off first, then you get the glass in your mouth and do the shot. When he finished the whip cream, the women said now drink the shot. He said it was already gone. The women were giggling about his tongue work.

I chatted with Mark for a while about a relationship I had with this friend. It was one like no other. We were best of friends. We did stuff everyday. Some days we would hit dinner and watch the Simpson's. We would chat about politics all the time. He is a Southern Baptist and very conservative. I am not all that religious but I too am very conservative. We had met at the beginning of the school year of the ought-one/ought-two school year. Scotty and I went to the WSU all campus picnic. We were sitting in this large gassy field. The guy came walking up to us and asked if he could sit with us. We said sure. And that was the start of our friendship. It grew and grew from there, finally to a point where we would always have dinner together, we would play basketball, do stuff on the computers, watch movies, play air hockey (I had a fifty plus game win streak), we both loved the Simpson's and Family Guy. I invited him to party's my friends would invite me to. Him and I did everything together. He was truly my one and only best friend. Since I don't believe you can have two best friends. He was my best friend. As the school year went on we went to the WSU football games together. We would get there hours early so we could get our good seats on the front row. We started to sit at a different spot than normal. We started to sit behind the defense rather than the offense. This is where we became fans of coach Robb Akey. He would fire up his players and the crowd at the same time. Then the next school semester we had a radio show together. We even had Robb Akey on the show. He was a kick in the pants for a guest. But as the school year was coming to an end we got into the same debate more and more often.

It was a debate on homosexuality. As a southern Baptist he felt homosexuality was a sin, and that it was immoral. He did not hate the person, but he does not support the sin they choose to participate in. Summer was fast approaching, and I know how a summer away can change someone. I was afraid our friendship would change or end with the passage of three months apart. He said it would not change. He was sure of it. I was not sure if I believed that, but I had too. I was also afraid that one of these days he would find out the secret I had been holding back from him. I figured that if I told him at the end of the year and our friendship breaks up, then I would not wait all summer for him to come back. I thought if I wanted all summer and he comes back, then I tell him and our friendship ended, that it would be harder since I had waited all summer thinking about our friendship only to lose it. So, I decided that I would tell him before summer. However, I did not know how exactly. I was not sure how he would take it. All I was sure of is that I wanted to make sure we were in an environment without distractions, and where we would have time to talk if we would need the time to talk about it. I kept trying to build the courage to do it, but I would always fall short. I would elude to in it our IM chats. I would tell him he would probably not be my friend any more. He said he is not that way, and I do not give him enough credit. Finally we were at my apartment watching TV. It was about time for him to leave and I told him that I had to tell him something. At this point I was highly nervous. I was sitting on one side of my couch he was on the other. I had a carabineer in my right hand, and he was hold the other side of the beener with his left hand. I was gripping it tightly as my hands started to sweat. I was all fidgety and moving it around slowly. I felt like I was being sucked into the couch and my face was turned to my right to look him in the eyes at the same time my face felt like it was being melted into the couch. I have a nervous grin on my face I had a hard time wiping off. I told him I had to tell him something, and that I thought he knew what I was going to say. By this time in our friendship with all that had happened and especially my behaviour leading up to it, I figured he had to know. So, he responded, "yes, I do know, but you have to say it". I was at the same time melting farther into the couch and the nervous grin was making my eye twitch. He was going to make me say out loud something he knew. I guess he knew that unless I could say it to him issue might still arise. So, I looked at him and said, that "I am gay." I responded that he knew. I was in shock that he knew. I asked how. He said "you don't become as good of friends as us, without figuring it out." I asked when he knew, he said he figured it out at the Christmas Party. So, he had known, or at least suspected for five months. The rest of the two weeks before summer vacation were hard as I was going to be without my best friend for the summer.

When the new school year started everything picked up from where it left off. We were doing stuff all the time. We were out on the boat having a ton of fun, we were doing it all together. He came back and stayed at my parent's place on the weekend we went back to see the Cougars play a football game at Seahawk's Stadium. It was the next weekend he went to see his aunt. Then he was elected to Vice President of Waller hall. From that point on our friendship changed dramatically. He would never return phone calls, e-mail, or instant messages. Once in a while I would call and he would answer the phone, but he would never answer the phone when I called him on his cell phone. The difference being that he had caller ID on his cell phone. He would sometimes agree to do something with me, but then cancel and never tell me. This was a hard time for me. Since I did not know what was going on. He would claim we are friends, however he would not do anything to show that was the case. We went from doing things all the time. We never went more than two days without at least hanging out for dinner. Now it has been weeks and I did not even get a phone call. It was like over night he decided that he hated me. I never knew why he did that. I still don't know. He has been in Pullman all summer. He finds time to do stuff with other people, but never time to do stuff with me. So, this coming Labor Day weekend it will have been one year since we were hanging out like best friends. He many times makes it out that we are friends, but he has just been so busy. He even promised me we would do stuff as soon as the ASWSU election was over. But that was not the case.

That was quite a bit more than I told Mark, but I wanted to list the whole story out here for others to understand. Mark got the cliff notes of the above. Mark felt that maybe my friend had some feelings pent up about his own sexuality, and with me being out now, he was more uncomfortable being around me, and he needed to stay clear of me. I would think that would have happened closer to me telling him, or maybe we would not get together after summer was over, but it seemed just so out of the blue. Mark could be right. His comfort level could be too low to hang out. I also think that he has some aspirations be my in school politics. I think that to do that he wants to rub elbows with and hang out with those with political power. I think that for what he wants to do our friendship will not help him along. I think that he is going through one of those phases everyone does in their schooling. Where they start to question who they are and what they do. Where they find different experiences. I am not sure what the case is, all I know is that I don't know. He refuses to tell me. I believe that if he would tell me, even if he say, I hate faggots and I hate you, at least I would have closure. Right now, I have someone who was my best friend, who claims to still be a friend, but has not done anything to show that. Has not hung out with me in almost one year. What am I supposed to think? This is not as hard on me anymore, but I still wish we had our friendship. He was so fun to hang out with, we had so much in common. We was in many ways like a little brother. They say time heals all wounds. I say that it just makes the memories less sharp and they don't cut as deep when they are replayed for the heart.

We drank more.

Kristine showed up and we did a shot of tequila and a shot of something else. Then drank some more beer. By this time I am feeling lightly toasted and happy. Steve showed up again. He is the guy who I asked if he was family a few weeks ago and he did not know what I was talking about.

Brad was getting ready to leave the bar. Earlier in a conversation he said mentioned how something was "gay". I personally don't care about that, but since Brad is already on some of the women's "dubious list" I figured I would talk to him so he knew that some women did not like that being used like that. I told him some of the women are gay on the team and they don't like to hear that said. I said I could careless, but they do, so I said just watch who you say it around. He said that he figured that out about the women, and that there were some gay women on his team. I said "only women?". He looked puzzled for a second and then said you have gay guys on your team too? I said yeah we do. He asked who. I looked him squarely in the eyes and without pausing, I said "me". He smiled and said really? I said "yep, I am." He turned around and bent over at the waist and was laughing so hard. I think that totally caught him off guard. I thought his reaction was funny. What cracks me up was him turning around, and more or less putting his ass in my face. Then he said that he does not have a problem with gay people. I told him, that for me it is a fact of life that I am not proud of, nor would I happily choose. I said that if a pill were presented to me that would make me not gay, I would say "can I get a glass of water to go with that?" No question I would change.

We drank some more.

Mark had to go after a while. Russell said goodbye to him and Kristine also left. Then Russell told me he could not wait to go out camping to St. Maries. He thought that talking to Mark is so fun, he wanted to do it some more.

Steve and I started to talk about some stuff, computers, boating, etc. He sounds like he could be gay, Russell thinks the same thing, but I think that is just the way he is.

Another guy also showed up who I did not know, but did look familiar. It was Craig. He is a local realtor. I have heard of him from other "family" members. His friend David also came. I chatted with Craig for a little bit about some stuff. Craig said for a while he was a volunteer at the Pullman Fire Department. He invited everyone in the group to his place for an after party. It was approaching midnight and we decided to all head up there. He was only a few blocks from the bar, so Russell and I decided to walk up there. Everyone else was gone, and I was waiting from Russell to finish up his last beer.

Nik also showed up again. Russell recognized him as a friend from the past. What surprised me the most is that he remembered my name. He came up to the table and shook my hand and called me by name "Scotty". I was impressed by that. Russell, Nik and I chatted for a minute or so. Then Russell and I left. On our way out we saw the guy from Dissmore's again. He was the one from ValHalla wearing the "Wally World" shirt. I was told by someone that he is highly homophobic and is afraid of looking gay. Which is funny, he dresses like he is gay, with the tight fitting t-shirts with the rest of what he wears. Russell saw him and pointed him out to me. I looked over and stared at him and I was walking by. He looked right back at me. I was loving every second of it.

We got to Craig and David's place. It was a wonderful house. It was built in the twenties and had a whole bunch of the old styling in it. Hardwood floors, nice woodwork near the doorways and window sills. They also had really neat decoration. In David's office there was a pump pipe organ. It is something built around the turn of the century. There are foot pedals that are pumps which produces the wind for the pipes. Then David would play some music on it. It was neat to listen to.

When we first arrived we hung out on the deck outside the house. There were several lawn chairs. We were there for a matter of a few minutes as Dan and Michelle arrived followed a few minutes later by Alan. Craig offered us beer. I turned it down as I was trying to sober up enough to drive a while later. I needed water to battle my soon to onset dehydration. After being on the deck for a while, that is when David took us into his office to play on the organ. He made a funny joke, as we were walking into the room. He said "do you want to play with my organ?". I was cracking up at that one.

Michelle was listening to him play as well. I love to listen to people play music in their house or dorm room. While living in the residence halls at WSU I watched a lot of people play guitars. It was neat to just sit there and relax. This was neat as well. He did well. A little while later everyone filtered into the living room. The living room was awesome. It was well decorated. There was a large throw rug that I am sure would cost thousands of dollars to replace. In one side of the room there was a grand piano. It was well maintained. I could see my reflection in the surface.

Everyone sat around the room. Each person facing the piano listening to David play his heart out. It was wonderful. It was an experience I have not had before. People sitting around with drink in hand, not talking loudly, screaming, nor yelling. We were having civilized conversation, listening to music coming from a grand piano. Drinking on our drinks in nice glasses. Talk about out of my element. This was pretty high brow compared to what I normally do. It was so awesome. I was having a wonderful time. Then David played Amazing Grace. People quietly sung along as David would throw in some special notes.

It was getting late and people were starting to retire for the night. Dan, Michelle, and Alan all were ready to leave. Russell, David, and I were chatting for a little while longer. David is closer to our age, he was around twenty-one. We were out on the deck for a while chatting. Russell and David were talking about the stars and then a few other subjects. I was getting pretty tired and I knew I had to get home since I had to work the next day at eight o'clock am. In fact I should have never went to the after party, but I felt the tiredness I feel the next day would be worth the experience I have while there. I was correct about that. I sat down on a chair and Russell said I fell asleep for a short period of time. David got Russell's and my phone numbers and e-mail address. We walked us outside. He thanked us for coming and then gave each of us a hug goodbye. David was so highly mannered. He was very gracious and very nice.

Russell talked about how much fun we had had. The level of the pleasure we had was definitely above that of what we normally experience. We said goodbye at Grand and MacKenzie street. We had parked in different locations. I drove home as fast as I could since my sleep time was rapidly being eaten up. I knew I would only have a few hours of sleep and that was the case. I got to bed at four o'clock am, closing one of the best days I have ever participated in.