Boda del Siglo

We'd like to give a shout out to our peeps, Andre and Edison for throwing a kick-ass party last night and FINALLY saying "I do."

We had such a good time dancing at your wedding and watching you glow!

Have a great trip. We love you both!!!

Serious about lipstick

This morning I had the pleasure of visiting our local mall in order to purchase lipstick. I know, I know, those of you who knew me in college (the early years) are probably thinking, LIPSTICK? But I had the good fortune of receiving a tube on my departure from Community Health Services from the nurse practitioner who was taking on my panel of patients. She wore lipstick nearly every day and it really made me think... "It's time to get serious about lipstick." So she bought me a tube (something that requires skill as I would never know which shade to purchase) and I wear it nearly every day. It's down to a nubbin' now, so it was time to venture to the Mac store for my first purchase.

The mall is a strange place in general, but it is particularly interesting in the early morning when there are hardly any other customers around. I was greeted by two sensations at once: the powerful smell of pretzels cooking (Auntie Ann, my fave) and the sound of elevator music. As I traveled past the bajillions of stores to get to the one I was looking for I experienced them as they are presented and not as a teeming mass of people.... the overpowering and somewhat disgusting smell of Yankee Candle, the overpowering and definitely disgusting smell of Sephora, the sneaky smell of teenage boys cologne from the Abercrombie & Fitch store that reminds me of college (is that wrong?), the extreme sparkle of jewelery stores, and, of course, the flamboyant gay man at the Mac store who told me in no less than 15 different pitches of his voice that, yes, 3-D Frost was still available.

The trip left me feeling like I was part of a car commercial where the car drives through different seasons.

Some good news for a change

You are not going to believe it: ConnectiCare came through like a champ!

Okay, a little back-story is probably necessary... As all of you know, human babies are normally delivered by storks (or in Las Vegas, occasionally- flamingos). The Christian Coalition and the Right wing of the Republican party (like there is a difference in membership between those 2 organizations) have claimed control over procreation since the beginning of time. But they have really only had their misguided eye(s) on baby distribution since 1967. When the supreme court ruled that prohibiting inter-racial marriage was unconstitutional, conservative politicos raced into action in an effort to prevent storks from delivering babies to the "wrong kinds of people."

Quietly, oil tycoons and other rich folk have been backing and buying into the struggling stork-breeding industry. US stork breeders have gained increasing control in the regulatory aspects of stork-delivery as well. This plot, though rooted in profound racial bigotry has proved an effective weapon against lesbians and gay men also. Now that we are the lightening rods of bible-thumping, religious outrage, it seems we just can't get the damn stork to deliver!!!

That's where insurance and infertility treatment come in...

Some of you know and others will be surprised to learn that Katy and I have been trying to get pregnant for the better part of a year now. At some point in January, ConnectiCare realized that we were a couple "without a male partner" a fact that we did not attempt to hide from anyone; especially not ConnectiCare- since Katy is listed as my spouse and gets her health coverage through my member ID. After several months of unsuccessful insemination attempts, we were encouraged by our doctor to try IVF. At that point the insurance company looked around as if to say, "It can't be my kid, you must have slept with someone else," and tried to avoid picking up the tab. Several phone calls, 30 days, and 2 strongly-worded letters later, we were told, "the denial of care is being overturned." Who can even believe this?!? We didn't come close to threatening a lawsuit, we just asked reasonable questions and were treated reasonably. Oh my heavens, Pat Robertson must be praying for our insurance company and threatening a natural disaster on them right now. Thank you ConnectiCare, you made our week!

Everyone looks good in Pink

Some people are afraid that I might post unflattering photos of them, so I wanted to set the standard right here and now... I vow to only post the most professional, glamorous photos of myself that I can find. I will air-brush when necessary, and will never allow myself to look foolish, sloppy, or unprincipled. I want to shine in these pages, and I care deeply not only about how I am perceived, but also, how good I look!

The rest of you are on your own.

Cup holder

We had the 3rd of Web's three baby showers last night. And I hope the sonogram was read accurately, or we are going to have to tye-dye a boatload of pink clothes. Yes, I say BOAT-load b/c butt-load would be an insufficient modifier.

I don't think anyone will disagree, my sister looks AWESOME pregnant. You should have seen her today, scrubbing her hardwood floor on her hands and knees, she's a machine! She hopes to make us all look idle and sluggish by tiling a bathroom floor at 38 or 39 weeks gestation. I doubt that Bill will allow this, however. He joined forces with Ma and Pa Weber today, sending Teri out of her own home when she started to get giddy off of paint fumes. I know this was a smart move, but I was enjoying the show- her first buzz since July!!!

VD used to be something no one wanted to celebrate.

Happy Heart day to all you lovers out there...
My only wish for you is that if you are considering proposing marriage to your beloved today, you do not stumble across a BFF checking her mail for the first time in days- in the middle of dying her hair... Someone who only went downstairs to stop you from coming up and "wasting her date preparation time" to glance briefly at the sparkly new ring you just spent a small fortune purchasing. I hope if you are thinking of proposing marriage to your beloved on V Day your BFF doesn't find out by pony express that her VD date has been cancelled...

But then again, if that does happen, you will have several years of open-season teasing of your BFF's husband about his "it's not you, it's me" attempt to cut and run early in their relationship. It's true what Fox news says VD is tough on couples, especially men!!!

Can superstitions affect a wedding not recognized by the state?

It appears that 2 startling events have occurred at locations central to our wedding celebration 2 Septembers ago. There was a shoot-out at the very cozy and posh EconoLodge on Lily Pond Avenue where Katy and I drank with our friends until approximately 4:30 am and then passed out for our first 3 hours of sleep together as a married* couple. It was not so much a "shoot out" as a man's unsuccessful attempt to rob the lobby. When an unopenable safe thwarted his efforts, he shot a few rounds into the walls (so unnecessary.) I understand that frustration can sometime have physical ramifications, but this is why I don't carry a gun: because my cell phone takes enough of a beating every time my Cingular service fails me, and the walls of my home are in enough danger every time I am using a wrench that slips and rips up my knuckles open.

This news report comes as no surprise to some west-coast Webers who spent a unsettling first night at the E'Lodge in 2004. When you grow up in Cheshire, 5 police cars in a parking lot could be anything from a fundraiser to a cookie-swap to a rowdy band of high school kids drinking in the woods. Something more serious would require more manpower. But anytime 5 cruisers converge on a New Haven hotel's parking lot, you're wise to create bedding for your toddlers in the middle of the bathtub and turn up Dora the Explorer - keeping yourself somewhere away from the windows.

Also, Thursday of this week, the popular hot spot Bar on Crown Street in New Haven had a structure fire. All four walls were left standing, but the word is that the inside of the joint is badly burnt up (and now flooded.) Bar is relevant in our family history. Not only is the back room at Bar the first local place I saw chicks getting busy together in my younger years, it was later the splintered-glass and dusty setting of our rehearsal dinner. (Flashback to me grabbing a nubile, waif-like waitress squarely on both shoulders and staring with wide and serious eyes after 15 minutes of non-service to articulate: "We NEED DRINKS! We are trying to have a gay wedding here, and I don't think we can properly do that without alcohol." She moved her head in a staccato nod that indicated understanding and tiny amounts of fear as she stared at the cell phone trapped between my right hand and her left shoulder.) I digress... Bar was also where Katy and I met for the first time. We had a delightful conversation about RENT, a play she had never seen.

I would just like to say that if I find out that Brian Brown was responsible for burning down Bar, I am going to be pissed!!! This guy is a serious threat to the institution of marriage!

*Friendly reminder to family and friends, though we call ourselves married and feel married and believe that church and loved ones bless a marriage (not the government,) we still can't file our income taxes together, or collect social security, or be protected as a family when we travel to other states because there was a federal law passed in 1996 that says that no matter what each individual state decides, the federal government will not treat committed same-sex relationships the way it treats committed opposite-sex relationships. If you're interested, there are important organizations working to change this situation. Become a member or give time or money to: Love Makes a Family, Lambda Legal, The Human Rights Campaign.

Opening the ceremonies

A few observations about this evening's broadcast of the Olympic opening ceremonies: 1. There was a preponderance of 80's disco and pop music being played as the athletes entered the stadium. 2. Everytime the countries were announced in the 3 languages (Italian, English, then French), it sounded like the French guy said only: "Uuunnnh". 3. Our proud American athletes were the only ones that acted stupid in front of the cameras (at least that's what the cameras showed us).

Bottom line: always watch Olympic opening ceremonies on TiVo (or other DVR)

The A.V. Club ROCKS

The A.V. Club has a new album: AV CLUB. Available now at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. A guy we know (Aaron) is part of the group. A brief tasting of the CD at B&N reveals quite the fun album. Check it out if you have a chance: www.avclubmusic.com Congratulations Aaron!

A 2 year old's birthday

To start this blog off right, we have to wish Happy Birthday and Feliz Cumpleanos to our favorite two year old: Claudia. She has been known to show flashes of the terrible twos from time to time, but we think she is FABULOUS! Happy Birthday Claudia!