THREE YEARS LATER......

 I'm going to start off by saying that I most definitely am coming out of an absolute shell shock that rang my bell for the last few years. From the beginning of the Trump campaign to his reign of self-serving, criminal bullshit over four years to the Capitol Insurrection on January 6th in which he and his staunch GOP supporters, brainwashed followers and ass-kissing media devotees stoked and caused, it's taken some time to get over. Not saying the acid in my stomach from all that will ever go away but it's brew has slowed. Thinking about what it  takes just to process the fact that if you take your eye off the ball, get complacent, think everything is going fine, get lazy about checking facts, it all culminates in a fiery crater crashing down on the land you love. And look, if you support that insanely corrupt, megalomaniac, that's your prerogative and we'll just have to agree to disagree because that's how you get on with life. I can't change your mind and you can't change mine, so let's talk about other things so we don't choke each other out, yeah?

So, aside from the free and fair election with the biggest turn out of voters in the history of elections (last dig, I promise) there's a global pandemic going on with COVID-19 and all it's variants. In the UK, we started off with a little lockdown business, stay home, wear a mask, wash your hands, only go out if it's absolutely necessary, nothing is opened that isn't essential, clean surfaces, wash your deliveries, blah blah blah. I don't have to tell you, you were dealing with it wherever you are, unless you lived in Florida, where that asshole governor didn't do anything because he wanted Trump to notice him (ok, THAT was the last dig!). We went through upticks and  waves and surges as hospitalizations skyrocketed and death tolls rose. Then we went through a HARD lockdown over here in England for like 4 months (maybe even more, I lost track!), we were hanging on the Downing Street press conferences explaining the plan as holidays approached and road maps of science-data driven directions and phases were laid out. We all had to adjust to working from home, being couped up, bubbled with whoever, Zoom meetings took the place of office discussions, home schooling kids (never been happier NOT to have kids, that's for sure), cars just basically sitting in the driveway untouched. We did all the Netflix, Amazon binges, then getting Apple +, getting Disney +, just about any streaming service you could afford out of a fear of viewing everything out there and not having anything to watch. We got groceries delivered, the UberEats driver waves at you through your door window every other day, we walked outside only to clap for NHS and healthcare workers, staying far away from your neighbors. We Facetimed, WhatsApp'd, and texted with friends. We taught our parents how to use Zoom (no easy feat, there), we cooked a lot, ate a lot and gained a lot of weight. Except for you die hard joggers, Peleton pricks and Yoga woo-woo'ers. Everything changed. 

It was hard to understand, hard to get used to and really difficult to make the necessary adjustments. Stuck home with a wife and two cats, trying not to touch my face or bite my nails. Thank god for it, though. My wife is a trooper. We did projects together, we cooked together, we gardened together. It wasn't bad at all for us. I'm sure there were times but nothing stands out so I'm secure in saying we did good through it all. My wife was able to work from our friend Hazel's house, her boss, basically, just a street away. So we weren't in each others faces the whole time. But for me, I had to find something new to focus on. My bartending pub job had ended in 2019, but I'm grateful having made so many friends who I still keep in touch with. I had published 3 books that year. I celebrated a big birthday, my parents flew in and we all went to Dublin. And now it felt like the whole world stopped and I didn't know how start up ANYTHING again. I mean, yeh, I did the same thing as everyone else did at first. I cleaned out closets, cabinets, reorganized cupboards, rearranged rooms, cleaned, painted, fixed things previously ignored, worked in the garden, cooked, but even all that got boring and monotonous. It felt like I was doing things to pass time, but after a while, there was no end in sight, nothing more to clean, and I got sick of cooking, sick of little house projects. I was basically sick of that Groundhog's Day feeling. I have to say,  though, I didn't spiral, I didn't sink, I didn't feel low. I just felt out of sorts and like I needed to do something....fun, something for me, something familiar. Since I couldn't go back to work in a pub, I couldn't write another book (I felt overwhelmed at that idea), I wanted to do something, I just didn't know what. 

It was around last July/August time that I got a call from a friend of mine, JD Danner. She's a singer/songwriter who's been a buddy for YEARS. I remember seeing JD singer on the Pride stage way back when. My friends and I followed JD's career, going to her gigs all over South Florida, buying her CD's and eventually having her as a regular guest on our podcast "The Lesbian Lounge" over the years and working together at numerous LGBT events from West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale Pride Fests to Girls At Gay Days in Orlando. Once I moved here to London, I kept in touch with JD mostly through Facebook, and in person when I went back to Florida to see family and friends a few times a year.

So, JD reached out and said, "Hey, I'm thinking of starting a podcast, do you think you'd want to be a guest?" and my response was "Be a guest? Hell, man, I'll produce it and co host with you!" So, I pretty much steam rolled my way into that job, but JD was relieved and delighted. We actually worked well together. JD was a full of ideas but wasn't sure how to go about getting podcast things done, and I was experienced in getting things done after doing that stuff for 15 years. So, after months of planning, coming up with a vibe, topics, pics, and logos, we launched "The Whiskey Rock Lounge" which is a bit of a play on the old Lesbian Lounge days, coupled with the fact that both JD and I have a weakness for good whiskey and the Rock....well, that's exactly what JD does- she rocks out with a band or even on her own acoustically, with a loyal legion of fans and an impressive book of original music. She's done tours entertaining troops, she's released music and a video that brought awareness to domestic abuse, she's played to a stadium of fans at an Indianapolis Colts NFL game, she's played the legendary Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville just to name a FEW things. I knew the milestones, and I have my own from my career, but we were both pretty excited about digging a bit deeper and learning some things about one another we didn't know and sharing it with listeners. 

Our first show was uploaded on September 27th, 2020 and we averaged about 450 downloads that week. We've been going strong ever since, and have 38 episodes up currently with a pretty cool line up of guests. We have our own Whiskey Rock house mixologist, Tyler Routley, from Memphis, TN, who is not only an engineer, but he tends bar at two of the trendiest places in downtown Memphis: "The Gray Canary" which boasts a gorgeous menu and classy cocktails. He also works his magic at "Eight and Sand" an exclusive cocktail club, creating top notch drinks with a flare. But, whats most impressive about Tyler is his incredible amount of knowledge when it comes to spirits and liquors. So, once a month, Tyler joins us to create a new drink and teach us something we didn't know. He's knock our socks off a few times now from using a special blend of tobacco and  showing how to "smoke the glass" to create notes in a cocktail, to freezing rose pedals in an ice cube to add a bit of romance in his Valentine creation, to spewing an incredible amount of information when it comes to casks, ages, notes, blends, mash tuns, ingredients, processes and of course -recipes. We're also lucky enough to have JD's niece, Joanie Cox-Henry, drop in from time to time.  She's a local South Florida journalist who's written for everything from New Times, to the Sun-Sentinel. She's interviewed more celebrities than I can name, she's covered fashion, pop culture. trends, and she's even started her own blog: martinisandmomslife.com  We love having Joanie on for special segments, like the time she gave us a run down on what she's been watching on Netflix - AND what food & drink pairs best with the shows!  

So, we have guests, regulars and sometimes it's just us. It's fun to talk about the nostalgia we both remember from the toys we loved as kids, to the television shows that were our favorites, the songs & artists we listened to and as we got older, the jobs we had back when we were growing up or what our high school years were like. Those shows are super fun. But, man, we got guests! We're getting great guests joining us! We've got actors, comedians, directors, reality stars, singers, bands, writers, business owners, artists , food bloggers and charity organizers - some grounded in LGBT history and some not. Some straight allies (like Tyler!), some family and sometimes even my cats make an appearance- because we're not JUST a podcast anymore. We have an actual Zoom show that you can see on our YouTube channel. Which is pretty awesome when you think about it. Now, you can actually SEE singer Lori Michaels, MTV's "Real World Miami" and "Challenges" star Dan Renzi, out lesbian comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer, presenter, actor, comedian Dana Goldberg, iconic Scottish singer Horse McDonald, British all girl band "Eeek",  out actor Michelle Bonilla from NCIS: New Orleans, Castle, General Hospital, ER, Criminal Minds, Jane The Virgin, plus comedian and all around entertainer Sandra Valls, filmmaker Christin Baker,  and coming up - we've got British musician, actor artist MiRi, and out foodie Chyno the BlueBearded sensation from Baltimore who is hit it big on Netflix new show "Fresh Fried and Crispy" when it filmed in Maryland. So, we've got more good stuff coming. Have a look:

                                                                 

                                                                   Dana Goldberg at home

            

                                                     Scottish  singer Horse McDonald

                                         

Actress, writer, producer Jill Bennett

British band "Eeek" sings for us  

                                              Bridget McManus from The Queen Latifah Show

Joanie Cox-Henry -

South Florida journalist gave us great Holiday gift ideas

Tyler, at work

                                                      Tyler, topping off his latest creation

So, I hope I've enticed you into listening or watching our newest ....ZoomPod ....show....thingy. I'm pretty proud of how well it's going. Keeps me busy, it feels familiar and fun, and I sure hope you enjoy it. 

We are on Podbean, Itunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube and most places that you get podcasts  & videos from.  We've also got all the socials:  Facebook (The Whiskey Rock Lounge), Instagram  (@whiskeyrocklounge) and Twitter (@whiskey_pod)  Follow us for updates & news. 

For the PODCAST, click the image:    

To watch the Zoom shows on our YouTube channel, click the image:

I'm trying to make better use of my time now, as you can see. Letting politics seep away for a bit, reconnecting with my favorite thing to do: make podcasts, have Zoom catch ups with friends & family, sharing it with you guys - and my goodness, its a great feeling to be back at it. I'll get back to regular blogging again, too. I was just testing the waters. So far, so good. My ass gets numb faster, so I'm gonna do this in stages. No more binge ranting. 

Vaccinations are available now. I'm fully vaxxed. I'm still a little people-phobic but I guess it's just time to get back to doing what you love as we safely ease back into an incredibly new normal. Pace yourself. Go at your own speed. But, do stuff.  Have a bon fire, have a wander in the park (not at night), stick your toes in a pond, find an old album you loved once and listen to it, watch Stanley Tucci's "Searching For Italy" again, make a frozen margarita in your fancy blender, read a book, bake something fun, get a fish, go for a bike ride, learn to roller skate, try painting a picture, go outside and wash the car, talk to a neighbor, squirt the neighborhood kids with the hose, donate to a charity or a good cause and definitely find a better work/life balance now. You don't have to work endlessly because your stuck inside in front of a laptop and there's nothing else to do. Do something you love. Stay away from the negatives. Turn off the news, get off your iPad, don't stress over emails. Eat ice cream and watch an animated movie. Focus on the positives. Oh...okay, maybe don't travel internationally just yet, but you know what I mean, right? Ease back into the things that make you happy. We deserve it. It's been a long, hard, challenging year or so. But slowly, it's changing. 

We're gonna be okay. 

Cheers, mate.