By time I got to the southeast corner of the Loop, I was leaning into the wind and shielding my face from ice chunks. Boy, did that winter storm move in quickly. If I hadn�t left when I did, there�s no way I would have made it to the salon, instead sequestering myself in my condo, drawing the shades to make it especially cave-like.

At home I continued with my quest to get as much as possible done, so I dyed my hair a more winter-y shade of it�s ever-present red. While waiting the 45 minutes for that to develop, I cleaned the heck out of the master bathroom and set my sights on cleaning the rest of the house.

That, unfortunately, is where my quest somehow got thrown off. The ever-distracting nature of the Internet connection I finally installed in my house (a business expense -- whee!) kept me from dusting, spraying, and wiping all of the surfaces. Meh.

After encountering that time warp, I got ready to go out that night with a few of my favorite gays. I think I�ve successfully mastered wearing a button-up shirt and a sweater together in that pretty combo that makes everyone look really well put together, and they confirmed it.

As part of the Ch!cago G@y M3n�s Ch0rus, there�s a push to support each other in our out-of-chorus endeavors. This leads me to attend a benefit each month, shell out a few twenties, and sip well drinks with people I love. Last night I went out with my favorite gays, and we hit up two events for other chorus members.

The night started with dinner in the South Loop. I don�t spend much time over there since all of my friends live north of here, so it was nice to try somewhere new. About a year ago, I went an entire month of only trying new places. Note to self: Do this again.

After dinner, we hit up a chorus member�s art show. There wasn�t much to see since it was a coffee shop display, but it�s still neat to (sorta) know the person putting on the show. He explained that the motivation for a lot of what he did came from his joining the chorus.

That led me to think about what my art work would look like if I were to reflect on my interactions with the chorus. Something tells me that it would involve glitter.

(Ok, who am I kidding? Whether chorus inspired or not, anything I created would involve glitter.)

After wishing the artist well, we headed to Boystown to support another chorus member. We got all of the well drinks we could drink in a couple hours, and an organization that helps house HIV-positive community members got a $20 donation from each of us. I bought a few raffle tickets and stuck around.

Since the winter storm blew in, not many people attended the event. My few raffle tickets were roughly 10% of what the crowd had, so I was certain to bring something in. I did indeed score a gift certificate for pizza, a facial, and a big bag of sex toys.

If anyone wants a stress ball in the shape of a nut sack, cola flavored lube, or a calendar of naked men, do let me know.

I�m heading out now for another low-key night in Boystown, so I�ll tell you about today when I write again tomorrow. �