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If Boystown Chicago is not interesting enough on a typical night, one must only wait for Halloween to roll around in order to be shocked, surprised, and awed by the diversity and sheer craziness that takes place.

While I would love to be creative during this time of year, laziness typically gets the best of me. This year I was the same thing as last year; a doctor. I figured since I had the lab coat, scrubs, name tags and everything else, a Doctor would be an easy choice. Better yet, however, was Edward who dressed up as my patient. He went all out searching for the perfect bandages, make up, and fake blood to play the part well. Since he couldn't find a hospital gown he decided to go out wearing only boxers (with little penguins on them, so cute!) and a plain white t-shirt.

We met up with Bill Pritchard, James, Ross, and Reggie at Wang's to start off the night. Ross's costume most definitely did not disappoint. His "old man" mask was custom made to Hollywood standards, which left us all asking "is this really Ross?" I look forward to seeing the photos of him from that night! We ended the night at Mini Bar with Linda Little and of course a couple of shots.

VOTE

November 2nd is VOTING DAY! I encourage EVERYONE who is registered to vote to GET OUT AND VOTE!!!! Yes, it is very important to cast your ballot even if you think those who are running might not be the brightest crayons in the box. It is imperative that our community's voices are heard loud and clear on ELECTION DAY.

HRC DINNER GALA

Another friendly reminder about the HRC Dinner Gala taking place this upcoming Saturday at the Fairmont Hotel Millennium Park. This is a terrific event to see and be seen along with contributing to a fantastic cause.


Lastly I just want to mention that if you are ever curious about any event on The ChicagoPride.Com website or in my blog, please do not hesitate to shoot me a message. Even if I do not have the answer, I will do everything I can to get you the information you need. Don't be shy!

The Gay community always advocates getting tested especially in Chicago where there are so many options to have it done at no cost to you. But there is always the fear of being uncomfortable going through the process. I personally wasn't too concerned regarding the results, I had no reason to suspect I was positive, however, I was nervous about the process since I was going to get tested specifically for HIV in a place I have never been tested before, by someone who I did not know.

A couple weekends ago I went to The Center On Halsted to be tested. I will be honest, I was a bit nervous going at first, but it helped that I was 1. Not alone on my adventure and 2. The welcoming attitude of the people at The Center on Halsted made the experience a breeze.

The process itself takes about 15-20 minutes and the total time you will spend at the center should not be more than 30-40minutes. It is something that is available daily at the Center. For those of you who are hesitant of the unknown, here is how the process works:

1 - You check in on the second floor. If you have an appointment you will be seen right away, even if you don't have one, there is probably not a long wait.

2 - You go in the back offices to a comfortable, cozy room. You can remain anonymous don't worry. You are asked some questions. These questions pertain to your age, sex life, etc. They are basic, not embarrassing. They are mainly for statistics for the Center, CDC, etc.

3. - You receive a small finger prick that draws literally only a drop of blood. You wait 15 minutes for the test to finish (literally right in front of you. Almost like a pregnancy test). During this time you are asked a few more questions and you just wait.

4 - You get your results. It is that simple.

No matter what the outcome is, Positive, Negative, or Inconclusive, the Center on Halsted has options for you if you need them. The process was virtually pain free, quick, easy and you will definitely feel better after. I cannot advocate enough how important it is to get tested.

Volunteer

Programs like this at the Center on Halsted do not run themselves. They are in constant need of volunteers for many different programs from helping out area Youth to their new SAGE program where you get to hang out with senior citizens. You can volunteer as little as a couple hours a week or more if you have the time. Some programs require no training, some require training, it is all up to you. I encourage you to check out what is available if you are looking to get involved in the community. Click on Center On Halsted to visit their website and receive more information.

HRC NO EXCUSES CHICAGO GALA

If you want to rub shoulders with the who's who of Gay Chicago while at the same time participating for an incredible cause this is your chance! On November 6th at the Fairmont Hotel at Millennium Park, HRC is hosting their No Excuses Chicago Dinner Gala. Awards will be given, a silent auction will be held, incredible food will be served, and you will get to be a part of history.

Our community is ever changing. Every day laws change that bring us one step closer to full citizenship, however, they do not come free and they certainly do not come by having our community sit on the sidelines. It is events such as these that allow you, me, your family and friends to enjoy the freedoms we all deserve whether you are part of the LGBT community or not.

Visit The HRC Chicago Gala Dinner Page visiting this exact webpage to learn more! http://chicago.hrc.org/dinner

Meet The Parents was a great movie don't you agree? I know I found it entertaining...didn't care too much for the sequel however. A couple weekends ago I was able to live the real deal, however, I was lucky enough to not be sitting in Ben Stiller's chair at the dinner table. My special someone Edward met my parents on a Saturday. Joining us, was no one other than Mayor of Boystown himself, Bill Pritchard. The original plan was to have dinner at Adesso Cafe, however, due to my lack of planning we had no reservations and the wait was too long. We simply headed right next door with our three bottles of wine to Ping Pong and had a great window table.

Bill quickly started the evening off on a light foot by telling the story of how his father thought him and I were dating when Bill told him he was meeting my parents. This was quickly followed by my mother asking Edward "Oh what year did you graduate from college?....oh that is when Paul graduated from High School!" Thank you mom for that....thank you. Despite the fact that Edward was a nervous wreck at the beginning and chugging glasses of wine in a matter of minutes, the evening went very smoothly and it was a complete success! Thankfully my dad is not an ex CIA Agent.

We continued the evening at Hot Chocolate in Bucktown (one of my favorites) where we ate a great pumpkin desert and polished off a bottle of Prosecco. We then headed to Mini Bar where we saw Linda Little right before she was leaving for San Francisco on the night of her Birthday! Happy Birthday Linda!

Be sure to check out my next blog, being posted in the next day, discussing all the great events going on throughout Chicago and Boystown. There are many great charity events in the coming months and you definitely don't want to miss any!

I was telling someone the other day about one of my dreams, which was to eventually be able to teach just for the hell of it. A subject I have a passion for, something that I can get involved in and the day just flies by. I described a teacher I had in High School named Mr. O'Malley. He was my freshman English teacher. If anyone could model their teaching career after someone it would most definitely be him.

The same person then asked me the other day who gave me the inspiration to want to cook. The answer was easy, my mother. Granted she worked full time so she didn't cook every night, however, when she did it was always a great meal. Growing up she would tell me little things that were important to cooking. Most of the time I would ignore what she would say, but I currently find myself using most of her techniques in the kitchen.

When it comes to sports, whether recreational for myself such as racquetball or tennis or something more competitive such as bowling or golf for myself, I see I am taking in the footsteps of my father. He taught me everything I knew about the sports I excel at and I find him to be the inspiration behind my competitive nature.

So let me ask all of you, who inspires you? Who makes you want to be a better person? I can most certainly tell you that Bill Pritchard makes me want to be more involved in my community and definitely makes me want to have a kinder heart. But, what about those everyday things. Who inspires you to get up in the morning? Who inspires you to try a new food you would never have tried before? Who inspires you to start a project at work that you've put off for months? Who makes you want to be a better person?

I briefly sidetrack to a movie named "As Good As It Gets." Jack Nicholson has just insulted Helen Hunt in the movie and Helen Hunt forces Jack to pay her a compliment or she is walking out of the restaurant. Jack then says "That night you came over, I started taking my pills....You make me want to be a better man."

For all of you reading my blog, have you met that person yet? That person who challenges you to be better than yourself? Who makes you try new things, who makes you feel so great that you want to be greater? They don't have to be a lover, they don't have to be someone you are attracted to, but they have to exist. Have you met them? And if you have, have you told them what impact they have had on your life?

So with all these past blogs that have been rather emotional you must be thinking, what the hell has happened to Paul? Where are his drinking blogs? Well, I will give you a quick update on the bar scene!

Check out D.S. Tequila Lounge. Great please, you will definitely enjoy, especially their lunch. Don't forget EVERY THURSDAY at Scarlet is Frat Night which is always a great time!

If you go to MiniBar be sure to say hello to my absolute favorite bartender, Linda Little, she cannot be beat, she is the absolute best!

Finally, while I have not been there in a while but plan to visit soon, I must stress the incredible food at HB (Home Bistro) located just north of Roscoe on Halsted. It is a terrific BYOB, makes for an amazing night out and you will most definitely enjoy the incredible food.

Take Care All! Stay Safe in Boystown Chicago!

Do we ever know what we really want? I mean lets face it, the majority of the time we want something we cannot have: The model in a magazine, the Ferrari parked on Rush street, the $6million dollar condo over looking the city & the lake...the list goes on. But then there are the questions of what we want on a different, more practical level. What do we want to do for a living, where do we want to live or what kind of a person do we want to end up with?

The largest problem about "knowing" what we want is that everything is relative. What we want is relative to what we have or what we have had in the past. You've had an excellent dinner at the restaurant Table 52. The next time you are thinking of a nice place to go, your want will now be influenced by your previous experience at Table 52.

What about relationships? What about finding that perfect someone? Do we really know what we want from another person? Of course we can name the basics: Good looking, smart, funny, honest, trustworthy...but we all can name many people who possess such qualities so why are we not with them? Is it because we don't know what we want or do we not truly know what we want until we find it? Perhaps once we see it we will know! Ever go shopping for a watch or a piece of furniture? You have an idea of what you want, you can name the qualities, but you don't know exactly what you want until you see it and then you know that is EXACTLY what you WANT.

I believe the same holds true when we are looking for a partner. We are looking for the basic qualities sure, but we are looking for that X factor, for that ah ha moment that makes us say "that is what I want!" The problem is many times we stumble upon these people at the wrong time, or at what appears to be the wrong time. After all timing plays a big roll in how people meet and get together. You might think you've found that perfect person only to find out they're on a ship for the next few years of their life. Or you may stumble upon someone else while they are dating someone else. What we want is influenced by what we can have and sometimes by what we can't. At the end of the day, do we really have what we want? If we don't, do we know how we are going to find it? Are we really happy if we don't find it? Would you be? Or maybe we have already found it but it is just out of reach. Is that better than never finding it, or is it worse?

This blog doesn't have too much of a point, just some random banter and food for thought I suppose.

Keep an eye out for my Market Days blog. As always enjoy Boystown Chicago, keeping following ChicagoPride.Com to keep you up to date on everything that is going on, but above all have fun and stay safe!