What I remember most about the first few months of 2008 was me pounding pavements. Being that things didn’t end horribly with Jordan & I, there wasn’t a complete rush for me to find a place. I think I checked out places all over Manhattan. The East Village, Hell’s Kitchen, West Village, Chelsea, Gramercy, Midtown…. I even hiked my ass up to Inwood. At one point I lost my phone on the train. The amount of pills I was having to take was still a lot. I had been hoping that they could have tapered off. In fact I was hoping that I would just be Super Man & all the headaches & everything that went with it would stop. I was back at the gym & shedding the pounds that I had put on due to one of the meds. I felt like I was constantly looking forward to something being checked off the list. Get better, find the right apt, get moved, get situated, get happy. I’m such an inpatient person & I swear it must be one of those things that God is trying to teach me. Then, right before the end of March I came across an apt in HK on 56th. It was a converted 2 bedroom which meant there was no living room. One guy was moving out (hot guy named Pablo) while the other (Italian straight & reserved Andrea) was staying. The rent was right in my budget & I could move in asap. Next thing you know I had an army of gays helping me pack & move my stuff from Jordan’s place. I was so incredibly happy to have found something I liked & for the guy to not seem crazy. I had already done that as we all remember. As I gave the keys I had to Jordan there was a long moment of sadness. As I walked away I realized that so many dynamics would change. It was time for something officially new.
For months I had not been able to drink & being Sober Sister Sally was not easy. I saw things through Ej’s eyes for once. A week or so after I had moved I had another MRI. This one I was really nervous for. The one before it hadn’t shown much progress but the tumor had been removed. All my fear went away when the Dr showed me the results. Things looked much better than the previous one from 3 months before. I would just have to continue MRI’s every year to make sure all was well. Also, I was going to come off my seizure medication. All was going to be right in Nick Padron’s world. I remember my friends & I had a little countdown to when I could drink again. We went to Arriba Arriba for my first drink… a massive margarita. After a few sips I was definitely tipsy. It’s funny how much one’s tolerance can go down after not drinking for 6 months.
Those first few months found me getting to see my favorite artists. I got to meet Janet Jackson at a cd signing for ‘Discipline’. The moment had happened much like the one I had with Kylie in 2002. Stand in line, have cd, meet the star, say a few things, get your cd signed & then get the fuck out. I was ecstatic when Janet told me I was so cute. I’ll never forget that. At the end of April was the big one. Madonna was gonna do a mini concert at Roseland which was just a few blocks from my new apartment. It was quite the experience. I got in line after work with Vadim, Scott & John & prepared to stay there for the next 13 hrs. Over that time frame we met tons of other fun people & more of our friends came so we could get the bracelet that would allow us in to see our pop Icon. At points we would hear her rehearsing. Towards the end of the night the whole crowd got the pleasure of her driving by in her limo with the window down saying hello. When she got by us she said I’ll see you tomorrow night, looking right at John & I. I shit you not. John can attest to it. For what seemed days later we waited until the morning & got our bracelet. Some of us went to work, some of us took a few hrs to sleep. But we all knew we had to be back at a certain time to get another place in line. By the time that happened I had managed to get a better spot than before & by the time they let us in I managed to get close to the stage. When she came out I was pushed even further to the front. The experience was amazing. Joyous, screaming at the top of my lungs, sweaty. You would think I was talking about sex. This was 10 times better. A week later I got up early in the morning to go see Mariah at the Today show. She didn’t disappoint either. A little bit of diva antics, good vocals, & looking like she was on Fiyah! I’ve always loved how she always has help down the stairs. Diva overloaded, I was ready for summer so I could be with my boys…. meet some boys & get a little rowdy.
There were trips to Fire Island & me finally & fully able to enjoy myself. Pride came & we all came out in full force. Even though it rained we didn’t let it get us down. I missed the big storm because I was up in Jason’s office hanging. The whole day was pretty fun until the end. It was the straw that broke the camels’ back with Vadim & Jason. They had been on a tightrope for sometime but I think this when the friendship ended. An uncomfortable scenario all around I had to leave when I got a call from Jordan. His bubby had passed away & he wasn’t dealing with it well. I went to go be with him. I remembered what it felt like when mine passed & I was alone. Even though we weren’t together it felt ok to still lean on each other.
By the time Nickakah rolled around I had a plan for every single day. I was going to attack 30 with every fiber of hotness I had in me. A trip to 6 Flags, a trip to Fire Island for the Pines Party, dancing at all of my favorite clubs with my boys & girls, a performance at Therapy complete with a glass being thrown at a tranny next to me. We even ended it with a brunch with too many cocktails (of course) It was probably one of the best birthdays I have ever had. During that time I found my love for a new singer named Lady Gaga. She had performed at some of everywhere. I liked her talent & thought this girl is definitely my favorite new artist. That girl is going places! She completed the list of female singers I had met that year when I saw her at Hammerstein Ballroom. Her performance was crazy & complete with her crowd diving. I had an amazing time.
Halloween was spent as a blonde wrestler. We were all over the streets in full force & the night ended up at a Madonnathon. The election was soon after & history was made. As excited as I was for who won I was slapped in the face the next day when Proposition 8 was passed as well. There were also a bunch of lay offs at my job. Luckily, I was fine considering I’m the only person who does my job. But for everyone else times were not so pretty. I had about 15 friends that were laid off. Shuley, Tommy, Jason…. so many found themselves jobless & not sure what to do. By Christmas I had once again decided to stay in NYC & for this one it was a small & intimate dinner at Jason’s. Since the whole Pride debacle some friends were divided but I decided I wanted to spend it with him. Dinner was amazing because he cooked it. Once again, I supplied wine. Not the best of cooks mind you. Then again, I think everyone knows that. I spent New Years with Jason & some more friends. A drunken time was had by all & it found me out until 7 am.
2009 was not so divine. I spent the first few months forever plagued by my tonsils. It would get better & then somehow 2 weeks later they would get worse. I was ready to have them ripped out even though the dr didn’t advice that. A major highlight was seeing Britney Spears very up close & personal at her concert. The Pussycat Dolls opened up for her (all 20 of them lol). Through all the sickness I managed to make it for birthdays galore. Then in March I got sequestered to be a grand juror for the whole month of April. Talk about a pain in the ass. I was able to be at work for half the day & then I had to haul my ass down to court & sit & listen to cases & then decide if it was worthy to go onto trial. I sat right in front & like always I found myself falling asleep if I have to listen to someone monotone for too long. Some cases were terrible but then some were just straight up boring. I squeezed in another Gaga show & by this time she had definitely blown up. I was so proud. I saw En Vogue, some ladies I used to love in the 90’s, with Scott. At both shows I found myself incredibly close to the stage which is just the way I like it.
By summer, I was once again prepared for boys & booze & shenanigans. Nothing much is memorable enough to discuss. It was the events of my NC trip that has to this day left a bad taste in my mouth. It was wonderful seeing my sisters, Shuley, my friend Lisa, Wilmington peeps, & re-bonding with peeps from high school. Like I said, always an amazing time with them. My friends have truly become a substitute for family. Especially when you family become retarded. I had not even been down in NC for 24 hrs & my mother caused a scene & in her angry rant(s) said that I should have died after my surgery. I have not spoke with her since. I have always tried to be a positive person so moving right along once again Nickakah came along & I had an awesome time. I decided to take Nickakah on the road. Well basically the train & ferry to Fire Island. I spent the whole week there in a house through my friend Rob & Brad. It was like a gay frat house & everyone running around in hardly any clothes. By the end of the week I had hooked up with the 2 members of the house that I had not known. I know this may sound a little slutty but in pales in comparison to all of the other trysts throughout the years.
In the time after things calmed down. Not by choice. One of those last few moments that were fun were when Erick & Jason & I hung out before heading to a club. Jason had been jobless still for months & couldn’t afford to stay here in the city so he decided to take his dog Gem upstate to stay with his cousin. He had left shortly after his bday in May. There had been a joint celebration since Erick & his bday are around the same time. We had a great time so us being able to get together again was nice. I noticed it looked like he had been losing weight & he exclaimed he had not been able to keep weight on. He said he was kind of worried but not incredibly worried about it. Besides, not having health insurance makes it incredibly pricey to go see the dr. I had health insurance for all my brain tumor stuff & I’m still to this day getting bills for it. Absolutely sucks.
One Friday night, Jaime’s bday to be exact, I decided to come home & chill & not go out after hanging with Jaime for a few hrs. I slept a few hrs & then around 3 I woke up feeling disoriented & my arms in pain. I went to the bathroom & looked in the mirror. They weren’t dislocated but I couldn’t shake that something was wrong. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I had a seizure in my sleep. My thought turned out to be right. As I waited for the MRI results fears came rushing back to me. I was not prepared to do all of this again. It’s one thing when you go through it but to have it as a possibility that something may have grown back is even scarier. After the MRI I was told it was scar tissue. I had no idea that this could happen. The dr hadn’t told me this could happen. It felt like I needed to be put on an alert chart. I was put back on seizure medication. There was this massive bruise on my arm that I think I had for about a month. The positive with this medication was that I done my homework. You could drink with this one.
Determined not to keep a good bitch down I went to see Kylie & in true form I rushed my ass to the front. The concert was amazing & had me in a high. I also attended the Divas Live show with my friend Chase. You could see us throughout the whole show while we were dancing in the pit. Me, not being able to properly raise my arms because they were still in pain, & Chase because he is so damn tall. I also attended the Pink concert which was awesome. This also found the time for me to be cast in a commercial that I had yet to see. Feeling unfulfilled with work & missing what I had originally set out to do when I came here I went to a casting agency. That’s how I got the commercial. It was a long day & I was reminded of how long shoots & stuff could be. I didn’t mind. It was better than being at a job I was completely bored with.
November rolled around & I had been trying to get a hold of Jason. He had gotten sicker & had been in the hospital a few times. As far as I knew he had been released. I knew he was terrible about returning phone calls so I finally called & left a message. ”I guess you’re dead since you can’t call a bitch back! Seriously call me because we need to go see a 2-4-1 this Saturday.” Still no word & I went on to the movies. I can’t even remember what I saw. What I will always remember is being at work & having my phone ring & it was a number I didn’t recognize so I didn’t answer. The voicemail was from Jason’s cousin Jerry asking for me to call him back. When I did he told me that Jason had passed away the night before in the hospital. I think I went through a state of shock. I was standing outside of St. Patrick Cathedral with people walking by me. It felt like everything just kind of stopped. It was like the whole world was whizzing around me & I was in a haze. When it stopped I felt tears down my cheek that I couldn’t stop. Jason was one of the most important people in the world to me. First real boyfriend, life-long friend. You hear people say a phrase like ‘So & so is in my thoughts everyday.’ There is not one day that goes by that I don’t think about him.
The holidays were not easy because I was in a depressed state. Ej & a few others managed to get me to go out a little. But it’s so easy to mask a smile & pretend you’re having a good time. I think over the years I’ve semi-mastered it. I was invited to a Thanksgiving dinner with my friend Anabel & her family. It was such a nice time she invited me again for Christmas Eve dinner. She has taken me in as if I was her own. It was a nice feeling. I thought about how I spent the previous one with Jason. Instead of being depressed about it I tried to think about how wonderful it was to have the time with him. I try to take solace in that & just know that I will see him again. It doesn’t change the fact that I still miss him everyday. He’s in my thoughts a little extra this week because it would be his 30th birthday this week.
TO BE CONCLUDED
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Decade of Decadence Chapter 3: No Longer Singing Acapella
Before the end of 2005 we had another death in our family. While outside doing some kind of work, my step-father had a heart attack. To make matters worse no one found him for a while. Unfortunately, it was one of my sisters who made the discovery. It was right before Christmas & once again we had a reason to not love the holiday. He & my mother never had the best kind of marriage & as an example it left me thinking a relationship/marriage probably wasn’t for me. The only good that seemed to come from it was my sisters. It wasn’t all bad times but for a large majority of their time together I remember my mother complaining. I remember thinking I would never stay in a relationship if I was that unhappy.
By the new year I declared that the slogan would be ‘A life remixed in 06′. I had no idea how right I would be. I was temping like a mad man & working at jobs all over places. Wherever my agency could get me work, I was happy. My home life at West 47th had remained nutty as ever. I had always claimed I would stay there until I could live alone or if I met someone that I thought I could live with, perhaps a boyfriend. One night towards the end of January my roommate Oz got into a fight. An actual physical fight. Jordan called the cops & my friends were freaking out. It was all over a cd. Looking back it made no sense but it was just one of Oz’s insane ways. In a split second decision Jordan looked at me & said, “I don’t want you living like this. Why don’t you move in with me?” Without much thought I said yes. A few days later we started packing my stuff & we moved all of it to his place in Union Square. Oz was incredibly remorseful for his actions but by then I was highly over it all. His antics with not paying the rent on time, using our money to buy cds/dvds, inside escort jobs, his crazy ways…. I was done. So living with Jordan made sense in my head. In my heart, I was freaked out. This was my first time living with a boyfriend. I worried that we would get on each others nerves. I worried about a lot of things. I have a very telling face & I remember my friend Tom seeing this & him assuring me that all would work out fine. He was there to help us clean & organize & make everything look homey. I remember us taking days at a time just to clean & organize. I had days off from temping & Jordan was looking for another job at the time & Tom was able to come on his downtime. I say this like we were fixing up some massive house but in reality we’re talking about a one bedroom apartment. Certainly big for NY standards but not massive for those of you reading who hasn’t quite experienced homes in NY. Everything was fixed up like a club. Jordan had set up moving lights & fog & I had my wall of sound. We referred to it as Club 415. Soon all of our friends would come over for pre-drinks & to hang out before we would set out to whatever club that we would go to at the time. I also had my first passover with him & a few months later we hosted an impromptu wedding reception for his friend Dawne & Pablo. I deejayed & we all had a blast, including her 94 year old grandmother. By this point everyone had definitely become to just refer to us as Nick & Jordan. What had once kind of freaked me out was now bringing me solace. I thought hey, maybe I can be good ad this.
In May of that year my sister was about to graduate from high school so I decided to go down to NC for it. I had not been in 2 & half years. Whenever I go down I try to spend at least a week since I rarely go. I spent a few days with the family & had a great time & then took myself to Wilmington to hang with my friends there. As the summer came trips to Fire Island begun & that involved a lot of the arguments between Jordan & I. I found myself not really spending a lot of time with him when we were out there because he would be working or dealing with some kind of EMT situation. Family arguments also left me feeling really uncomfortable. I felt like I would be happier staying in the city. He felt like he would be happier if I just came out anyway. The word compromise was not fully in my dictionary. By the end of June I did find some good luck with temping at an ad agency. They said it would be 2 weeks, possibly longer.
That summer I also saw Madonna’s Confession show with Vadim & a full fledged birthday celebration was staged. I basically had been celebrating my birthday for a week since 2001. That was when I saw Madonna’s Drowned World Tour. But this was the year I gave it the name of Nickakah. I figured if the Jews could have Hanukkah then I could celebrate in my own way. Each night was spent just the way it should be. Being with the people you love & dancing & having a great time. Jordan made a t-shirt that said Nickakah 2006 with a quote from me that I can’t remember now. Vadim has this shirt to this day (it’s been Basic Trashed each year). In August Jordan took me see Mariah at MSG as a late bday present since he knew how much I loved her. I made more trips out to Fire Island & Mother Nature would reward me by raining the whole entire time. Seriously, no joke…. every time I would go out there, it would rain. I would stay in the city & hang with my friends & it would be sunny & gorgeous all over. It was like all parties would win even if we were apart for a few days. In September we went to go see Janet on the Today show. The year had been awesome so far. I got to see my 3 of my music diva’s. I found myself at one job for more than a few weeks. I was still a temp at my job at TBWA but by now there was talk that I was finally going to get hired as a permanent employee. Finally, right before Christmas I was hired. The holidays, like always came quickly & fast. I remember that Christmas being a lot of fun. A lot of food & a lot of wine & a drunken walk up to see the tree in Rockefeller Center. A drunken crazy made some mean comments about us & our gayness & I was ready to throw down. By New Years Eve we decided to throw our own party. Everyone had done the club thing before & other parties that cost way too much money. So, this made more sense. It was an awesome party until we realized that Jordan’s corporate card had been stolen. He (like any one else would be) was angry & was determined it was one of my friends random people. I was SURE it wasn’t. Turns out it was someone we considered a close friend. ’The Hamburgler’ & him haven’t been friend since. All in all 2006 the life that was remixed was shaping up to be quite a good one.
The new year brought in tons of bday celebrations like always. Every single year now I seem to be deluged with bday parties because all of my friends were born in the first few months of the year. Valentine’s Day is 2 days before Jordan’s bday & for this day he presented me with a ring. He had one for himself as well & it wasn’t like an engagement ring. More like a symbolization I suppose. When I was 9 I remember my Aunt’s second husband having to have his ring cut off his finger because it had gotten stuck. It freaked me out so much that from that point on the thought of a ring on my finger highly bothered me. I didn’t even get a class ring in high school because of it. So when Jordan did this I freaked out. I did my best to wear it but even with the slightest feeling of it being too snug I broke out in hives. To him it was Nicolas just being Nicolas. To me it was so much more. We had definitely fallen into the same ol same ol that any couple falls into. It’s reality & it just happens to everyone. By March, everyone came together for the ending of something much more symbolical to NY. The closing of the Roxy. Every single one of my friends were there. All of gay NY was there. Hell, this is the place that so much had happened to me. Now my favorite place to go to just let go & dance was shutting down. It was the end of an era. I haven’t found a place I loved quite like the Roxy. As I look back on past blogs throughout the years there were so many blogs dedicated to what went on there & the friendships I made & the boys I met, the superstars I’ve seen there. Madonna, Cher, Beyonce, The Pussycat Dolls just to name a few. I remember when Cher was there I called my Aunt just to make her jealous. The night Madonna was there it took me forever to get in & I was separated from my friends. All I could think of was get to the middle, get to the middle! Once I was there I turn at my right & all of a sudden I notice that Jordan was on my right. At the time we weren’t together & shortly after that was when we had decided to get back together. So for me, Roxy held a lot of my memories….. good & bad.
In April all of us were dancing & getting our drink on at Pop Rocks when I randomly popped my shoulder out of it’s socket. The same shoulder that had plagued me with problems since I was 19. I had to go to the hospital & had to have them pop it back in. I remember hoping & praying that that would be my only trip to the hospital that year. In May I decided to visit NC again. This trip ended up to be a pretty good one because I was reunited with a friend I hadn’t seen in years. We got drunk in my hotel room & she stayed over. The next morning my mom showed up thinking I had hooked up with her. I should point out that my mom was the only person in the family that didn’t know I was gay. The rest of the trip was pretty fun even if Shuley lost her keys. Looking back & reading about it gives me the giggles.
By the time summer started the arguments about Fire Island had become discussion meets compromise. Had we been in the gay section The Pines, things may have been different. I would have definitely wanted to go more. When I would go Jordan didn’t want me to go out there. It was more of a control issue I think. When I was out there with his family we did manage to have some good times with his sister & her bf. Jillian & I have always gotten along well. But for the most part I looked forward to having the weekends in the city to myself. My me, myself & I time was something I treasured because I got it so rarely. I don’t know. Some couples I know are attached at the hip & it has always sickened me. I mean if it works then fine but have a sense of yourself. Don’t lose who you are. I loved being able to just go to Virgin or a music store & spend hours just doing my own thing. Not all people feel that way though. Throughout the year we had many fights about the fact that Jordan just wanted to stay home & I wanted to go out. If we were out we would somehow still fight because there were time limits & we would have to leave at a certain time. It didn’t make for an easy time for us or our friends.
Pride 07 had come & gone & drunken shenanigans had happened plenty. I never have considered myself an alcoholic but there have definitely been times where I should have stopped myself. There is a fine line between being the life of a party & becoming a hot hot mess. Since the beginning of 07 I had fallen in love with the album Back To Black by Amy Winehouse. So many of the songs lyrics were things that I felt I had went through myself. ’You Know I’m No Good’, ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’, ‘Back To Black’ & “He Can Only Hold Her’ felt like it was just for me. ‘Rehab’ was my song for the year & the year was only half over. Nickakah came & another glorious celebration was had. For my bday Jordan bought me a dual cd player which aided in the deejaying process. Music flowed continuously (unless my drinks were kicking in). It felt very complete with his lights & my wall of sound.
For the next few months nothing of significant importance happened. One Saturday night in mid-October changed that. We were out with a friends at Splash when one of them had apparently done too much coke & overdosed. Off to the hospital we had to go. I remember thinking how much I hated hospitals & I had just been a few months back after dislocated my shoulder. I didn’t want to be back at one at all. The following night we sat down for a normal night of Chinese & watching tv. We went to bed like normal on any other Sunday night. I went to sleep thinking about the things I would have to do at work the next day. In the middle of the night I woke up to see EMT people around me & Jordan looking stressed but trying to remain calm. My shoulder was in pain & I felt really loopy. I realized I must have dislocated my shoulder in my sleep again. The same way that I had been doing randomly since I was 19. Once they got me to the hospital they popped it back in & after doing MRI’s of my head they discovered a brain tumor. I was floored & in a state of shock. My friend Larry was with me when I got the news & after having a good cry I decided to just stay strong, The doctors said they had to remove it & hopefully all would go well. Friends came by to visit. My Aunt & my mom came up from the south. To say the whole experience shook up my whole world would be a major understatement. While I was in ICU I had nothing but time to think about everything. I remember being scared. I remember being grateful for having Jordan. I thought back on what my grandmother had said. She had been worried that if something bad had happened to me I would be alone & no one to take care of me. Only now at least i had him, he was my rock. To say the whole experience changed my world would be an understatement. Once I was released & back at home it was like I was a delicate flower for real. During those first few days at home I came out to my mom while she was staying with us. She didn’t take the news well & the next day she left to go back home. She said she would just need some time for it to process. Meanwhile, I had to heal. I had to take so much medicine it was insane. I barely slept. I had headaches. I was out of work. I had to shave my head. I gained so much weight from the meds making me incredibly hungry. I couldn’t go to the gym. I felt the ugliest I have ever been in my life. I was happy to be alive & I decided the only thing to do was to get better. I had a lot of time to think & reflect about things in my life. One of the big changes was there was to be no drinking while I was on this medication. I went from having Rehab as my theme-song to Sober by Kelly Clarkson in a drastic change.
As time passed I was able to go back to work. I rocked a hat every single day as I waited for my hair to grow. Thanksgiving was about to come & in the few weeks time my mom had begun to be ok with my news. She even decided to come to visit with my younger sister. All of a sudden she was a different person. I hadn’t spent a Thanksgiving with family in years & I was a little apprehensive about this one. I had always spent it with my friend Larry & a few others. So we decided that he would come over & do his dinner at our place. Meanwhile, Jordan was going to go over to his family’s house upstate for Thanksgiving. All was going to be ok. That is until his parents didn’t like the fact that my mother wasn’t coming up to see them. It invoked this massive fight & strife between us. My mom had never been to NYC & she was really excited about doing all these things that I wasn’t about to squander for her. I couldn’t understand why this had to be such a problem. Larry said, “Do these people not understand you just had your head fucking cut open?!” I was so angry about this & I can’t really say this was the straw that broke the camels back but it was definitely the catalyst in the decision that was to happen later.
Christmas & New Years came with less drama but seeds had been planted. Sometimes you go through with motions just to go through with them. You smile for pictures to show everything is ok. That’s how it feels looking back at pictures for Tom’s birthday at the beginning of January. There was another fight & we both agreed to not ruin his bday. When he left the apt all excited about what a good time he had we sat on the couch & after a semi-short conversation decided to break up.
TO BE CONTINUED…….
By the new year I declared that the slogan would be ‘A life remixed in 06′. I had no idea how right I would be. I was temping like a mad man & working at jobs all over places. Wherever my agency could get me work, I was happy. My home life at West 47th had remained nutty as ever. I had always claimed I would stay there until I could live alone or if I met someone that I thought I could live with, perhaps a boyfriend. One night towards the end of January my roommate Oz got into a fight. An actual physical fight. Jordan called the cops & my friends were freaking out. It was all over a cd. Looking back it made no sense but it was just one of Oz’s insane ways. In a split second decision Jordan looked at me & said, “I don’t want you living like this. Why don’t you move in with me?” Without much thought I said yes. A few days later we started packing my stuff & we moved all of it to his place in Union Square. Oz was incredibly remorseful for his actions but by then I was highly over it all. His antics with not paying the rent on time, using our money to buy cds/dvds, inside escort jobs, his crazy ways…. I was done. So living with Jordan made sense in my head. In my heart, I was freaked out. This was my first time living with a boyfriend. I worried that we would get on each others nerves. I worried about a lot of things. I have a very telling face & I remember my friend Tom seeing this & him assuring me that all would work out fine. He was there to help us clean & organize & make everything look homey. I remember us taking days at a time just to clean & organize. I had days off from temping & Jordan was looking for another job at the time & Tom was able to come on his downtime. I say this like we were fixing up some massive house but in reality we’re talking about a one bedroom apartment. Certainly big for NY standards but not massive for those of you reading who hasn’t quite experienced homes in NY. Everything was fixed up like a club. Jordan had set up moving lights & fog & I had my wall of sound. We referred to it as Club 415. Soon all of our friends would come over for pre-drinks & to hang out before we would set out to whatever club that we would go to at the time. I also had my first passover with him & a few months later we hosted an impromptu wedding reception for his friend Dawne & Pablo. I deejayed & we all had a blast, including her 94 year old grandmother. By this point everyone had definitely become to just refer to us as Nick & Jordan. What had once kind of freaked me out was now bringing me solace. I thought hey, maybe I can be good ad this.
In May of that year my sister was about to graduate from high school so I decided to go down to NC for it. I had not been in 2 & half years. Whenever I go down I try to spend at least a week since I rarely go. I spent a few days with the family & had a great time & then took myself to Wilmington to hang with my friends there. As the summer came trips to Fire Island begun & that involved a lot of the arguments between Jordan & I. I found myself not really spending a lot of time with him when we were out there because he would be working or dealing with some kind of EMT situation. Family arguments also left me feeling really uncomfortable. I felt like I would be happier staying in the city. He felt like he would be happier if I just came out anyway. The word compromise was not fully in my dictionary. By the end of June I did find some good luck with temping at an ad agency. They said it would be 2 weeks, possibly longer.
That summer I also saw Madonna’s Confession show with Vadim & a full fledged birthday celebration was staged. I basically had been celebrating my birthday for a week since 2001. That was when I saw Madonna’s Drowned World Tour. But this was the year I gave it the name of Nickakah. I figured if the Jews could have Hanukkah then I could celebrate in my own way. Each night was spent just the way it should be. Being with the people you love & dancing & having a great time. Jordan made a t-shirt that said Nickakah 2006 with a quote from me that I can’t remember now. Vadim has this shirt to this day (it’s been Basic Trashed each year). In August Jordan took me see Mariah at MSG as a late bday present since he knew how much I loved her. I made more trips out to Fire Island & Mother Nature would reward me by raining the whole entire time. Seriously, no joke…. every time I would go out there, it would rain. I would stay in the city & hang with my friends & it would be sunny & gorgeous all over. It was like all parties would win even if we were apart for a few days. In September we went to go see Janet on the Today show. The year had been awesome so far. I got to see my 3 of my music diva’s. I found myself at one job for more than a few weeks. I was still a temp at my job at TBWA but by now there was talk that I was finally going to get hired as a permanent employee. Finally, right before Christmas I was hired. The holidays, like always came quickly & fast. I remember that Christmas being a lot of fun. A lot of food & a lot of wine & a drunken walk up to see the tree in Rockefeller Center. A drunken crazy made some mean comments about us & our gayness & I was ready to throw down. By New Years Eve we decided to throw our own party. Everyone had done the club thing before & other parties that cost way too much money. So, this made more sense. It was an awesome party until we realized that Jordan’s corporate card had been stolen. He (like any one else would be) was angry & was determined it was one of my friends random people. I was SURE it wasn’t. Turns out it was someone we considered a close friend. ’The Hamburgler’ & him haven’t been friend since. All in all 2006 the life that was remixed was shaping up to be quite a good one.
The new year brought in tons of bday celebrations like always. Every single year now I seem to be deluged with bday parties because all of my friends were born in the first few months of the year. Valentine’s Day is 2 days before Jordan’s bday & for this day he presented me with a ring. He had one for himself as well & it wasn’t like an engagement ring. More like a symbolization I suppose. When I was 9 I remember my Aunt’s second husband having to have his ring cut off his finger because it had gotten stuck. It freaked me out so much that from that point on the thought of a ring on my finger highly bothered me. I didn’t even get a class ring in high school because of it. So when Jordan did this I freaked out. I did my best to wear it but even with the slightest feeling of it being too snug I broke out in hives. To him it was Nicolas just being Nicolas. To me it was so much more. We had definitely fallen into the same ol same ol that any couple falls into. It’s reality & it just happens to everyone. By March, everyone came together for the ending of something much more symbolical to NY. The closing of the Roxy. Every single one of my friends were there. All of gay NY was there. Hell, this is the place that so much had happened to me. Now my favorite place to go to just let go & dance was shutting down. It was the end of an era. I haven’t found a place I loved quite like the Roxy. As I look back on past blogs throughout the years there were so many blogs dedicated to what went on there & the friendships I made & the boys I met, the superstars I’ve seen there. Madonna, Cher, Beyonce, The Pussycat Dolls just to name a few. I remember when Cher was there I called my Aunt just to make her jealous. The night Madonna was there it took me forever to get in & I was separated from my friends. All I could think of was get to the middle, get to the middle! Once I was there I turn at my right & all of a sudden I notice that Jordan was on my right. At the time we weren’t together & shortly after that was when we had decided to get back together. So for me, Roxy held a lot of my memories….. good & bad.
In April all of us were dancing & getting our drink on at Pop Rocks when I randomly popped my shoulder out of it’s socket. The same shoulder that had plagued me with problems since I was 19. I had to go to the hospital & had to have them pop it back in. I remember hoping & praying that that would be my only trip to the hospital that year. In May I decided to visit NC again. This trip ended up to be a pretty good one because I was reunited with a friend I hadn’t seen in years. We got drunk in my hotel room & she stayed over. The next morning my mom showed up thinking I had hooked up with her. I should point out that my mom was the only person in the family that didn’t know I was gay. The rest of the trip was pretty fun even if Shuley lost her keys. Looking back & reading about it gives me the giggles.
By the time summer started the arguments about Fire Island had become discussion meets compromise. Had we been in the gay section The Pines, things may have been different. I would have definitely wanted to go more. When I would go Jordan didn’t want me to go out there. It was more of a control issue I think. When I was out there with his family we did manage to have some good times with his sister & her bf. Jillian & I have always gotten along well. But for the most part I looked forward to having the weekends in the city to myself. My me, myself & I time was something I treasured because I got it so rarely. I don’t know. Some couples I know are attached at the hip & it has always sickened me. I mean if it works then fine but have a sense of yourself. Don’t lose who you are. I loved being able to just go to Virgin or a music store & spend hours just doing my own thing. Not all people feel that way though. Throughout the year we had many fights about the fact that Jordan just wanted to stay home & I wanted to go out. If we were out we would somehow still fight because there were time limits & we would have to leave at a certain time. It didn’t make for an easy time for us or our friends.
Pride 07 had come & gone & drunken shenanigans had happened plenty. I never have considered myself an alcoholic but there have definitely been times where I should have stopped myself. There is a fine line between being the life of a party & becoming a hot hot mess. Since the beginning of 07 I had fallen in love with the album Back To Black by Amy Winehouse. So many of the songs lyrics were things that I felt I had went through myself. ’You Know I’m No Good’, ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’, ‘Back To Black’ & “He Can Only Hold Her’ felt like it was just for me. ‘Rehab’ was my song for the year & the year was only half over. Nickakah came & another glorious celebration was had. For my bday Jordan bought me a dual cd player which aided in the deejaying process. Music flowed continuously (unless my drinks were kicking in). It felt very complete with his lights & my wall of sound.
For the next few months nothing of significant importance happened. One Saturday night in mid-October changed that. We were out with a friends at Splash when one of them had apparently done too much coke & overdosed. Off to the hospital we had to go. I remember thinking how much I hated hospitals & I had just been a few months back after dislocated my shoulder. I didn’t want to be back at one at all. The following night we sat down for a normal night of Chinese & watching tv. We went to bed like normal on any other Sunday night. I went to sleep thinking about the things I would have to do at work the next day. In the middle of the night I woke up to see EMT people around me & Jordan looking stressed but trying to remain calm. My shoulder was in pain & I felt really loopy. I realized I must have dislocated my shoulder in my sleep again. The same way that I had been doing randomly since I was 19. Once they got me to the hospital they popped it back in & after doing MRI’s of my head they discovered a brain tumor. I was floored & in a state of shock. My friend Larry was with me when I got the news & after having a good cry I decided to just stay strong, The doctors said they had to remove it & hopefully all would go well. Friends came by to visit. My Aunt & my mom came up from the south. To say the whole experience shook up my whole world would be a major understatement. While I was in ICU I had nothing but time to think about everything. I remember being scared. I remember being grateful for having Jordan. I thought back on what my grandmother had said. She had been worried that if something bad had happened to me I would be alone & no one to take care of me. Only now at least i had him, he was my rock. To say the whole experience changed my world would be an understatement. Once I was released & back at home it was like I was a delicate flower for real. During those first few days at home I came out to my mom while she was staying with us. She didn’t take the news well & the next day she left to go back home. She said she would just need some time for it to process. Meanwhile, I had to heal. I had to take so much medicine it was insane. I barely slept. I had headaches. I was out of work. I had to shave my head. I gained so much weight from the meds making me incredibly hungry. I couldn’t go to the gym. I felt the ugliest I have ever been in my life. I was happy to be alive & I decided the only thing to do was to get better. I had a lot of time to think & reflect about things in my life. One of the big changes was there was to be no drinking while I was on this medication. I went from having Rehab as my theme-song to Sober by Kelly Clarkson in a drastic change.
As time passed I was able to go back to work. I rocked a hat every single day as I waited for my hair to grow. Thanksgiving was about to come & in the few weeks time my mom had begun to be ok with my news. She even decided to come to visit with my younger sister. All of a sudden she was a different person. I hadn’t spent a Thanksgiving with family in years & I was a little apprehensive about this one. I had always spent it with my friend Larry & a few others. So we decided that he would come over & do his dinner at our place. Meanwhile, Jordan was going to go over to his family’s house upstate for Thanksgiving. All was going to be ok. That is until his parents didn’t like the fact that my mother wasn’t coming up to see them. It invoked this massive fight & strife between us. My mom had never been to NYC & she was really excited about doing all these things that I wasn’t about to squander for her. I couldn’t understand why this had to be such a problem. Larry said, “Do these people not understand you just had your head fucking cut open?!” I was so angry about this & I can’t really say this was the straw that broke the camels back but it was definitely the catalyst in the decision that was to happen later.
Christmas & New Years came with less drama but seeds had been planted. Sometimes you go through with motions just to go through with them. You smile for pictures to show everything is ok. That’s how it feels looking back at pictures for Tom’s birthday at the beginning of January. There was another fight & we both agreed to not ruin his bday. When he left the apt all excited about what a good time he had we sat on the couch & after a semi-short conversation decided to break up.
TO BE CONTINUED…….
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Decade of Decadence Chapter 2: Down the Rabbit Hole
It’s hard to remember how 2003 began actually. I definitely remember the music of the year & certain events. But, if I was to sum it up it would have to be it would be Beats, Drugs, Highlights & Depression. I fully embraced the life of a club boy then. Only going to certain parties where certain dj’s were gonna spin. Meeting tons of new people in the nightlife world. Promoters, djs, go-go’s, dealers, bouncers, straights, gays….. I was fully into it. Don’t get me wrong, I was still a functioning person. Had a job, paid rent on time & had an abundance of places to go to have fun. Speaking of rent, around this time I came to find out that the wonderful wizard of Oz had been overcharging me in rent. If you have stabilized rent on an apartment here in NYC, you do your best to hold on to it. If you have that AND something called section 8 then you pretty much never have to leave your place. I can’t fully remember when I found out but I know I managed to get my rent down to paying $400 for a huge room in a 3 bedroom apt in midtown. That was nothing & if I had that now, well things would be easier that’s for sure. How a grown man couldn’t afford to take care of himself I do not know. We went from semi-hating each other when I first moved in to me almost like a ‘older’ younger brother. I handled bills & made sure they were paid on time, except the rent….. that was his one he had to take care of since it was in his name. We saw roommates come & go, but somehow our relationship stayed in tact. I accepted him for all his crazy ways & decided I didn’t want to live anywhere else. Besides, it was like I was rarely home.
In these days, there were tons of parties to go to. Every day of the night there seemed to be something to go to. Happy Hour at Posh, Pop Rocks, Splash, a few trips to Esquelita, Opaline in the East Village, Limelight (Avalon) on Sunday, any other random club that was also opened during the week. My favorite was Roxy on Saturday nights. I would take ecstasy & dance the night away. I remember Jason coming back from school & being utterly shocked of my new behavior. I was with my crew & we took care of each other so it was ok. It wasn’t like every single person I hung out with did these things. It was definitely balanced. I would leave Roxy early Sunday morning & go straight to work at the gym. Rolling (literally) in with shades & off to my office to sleep under my desk. I’d have the front desk call me in case any one came in. There is no way in the world I could do that now. Looking back it’s kind of funny. Sad, but a little funny. I had also taken on some part time work at the hair salon where I got my hair done. That was the beginning of my love of changing my hair color so much. I had gone dark a few times before but this found me embracing the lighter side. Working with Doris & ‘the Asian Hair Mafia’ was a hilarious experience. That wasn’t really their name but one I gave them with the way they treated each other. I only stayed there a few months while Doris tried to find a replacement. I left to go back to full time at a different NYSC gym. This took me out to Forest Hills, Queens. It was odd to be traveling out of the city for work but the money turned out to be wonderful. Train rides out there gave me an abundance of stories to give to my GGB’s that still today make us laugh. Who could forget the crazy homeless popping up in my face saying, “You Gotta Dolla?” Or my personal favorite of sitting there watching a woman talking next to this Latina girl. I surely thought they knew each other because the woman had been talking for a full 30 minutes when all of a sudden the girl goes, “Would you shut the fuck up? U been talking for 30 minutes & I don’t know who u talkin’ to!” Then the lady goes, “If I wanna talk to me, myself & I Ima talk to me, myself & I!” Classic good times, for sure. Only in NY can you find characters like these.
In August of 2003, I got called into jury duty. I was the first person to be picked for a case that continues to give my friends & I laugh to this day. A man was arrested for one count of selling cocaine & I thought ‘Not guilty!’ & then when they said another count for selling a fake like substance I immediately thought ‘Guilty! Put em away! Screwy Lewey would have never tried to sell fake stuff.’ At one point they asked him where he had been at such & such time & he says nonchalantly, “Uhh uhh approx-itlee approx-itlee I don’t know.” (Writers note: I know how to spell approximately) In the middle of debating his innocence we had the blackout. It was the hottest of days & I remember walking all the way from downtown towards my apt. Initially, everyone thought we were having another 9/11 like scare but luckily this wasn’t the case. It was just an excuse to get semi-naked in the streets & drink up all the alcohol before ice melts. A new friend at the time found me at my apt & we went to his apt uptown where we were joined by the love of my life (at the time) Tim. We hooked up in hot, steamy encounter while our friend fell asleep in the other room. On that night he told me he was ready for us to be a couple. I was elated. That next week Tim introduced me to his soon to be bf. Once again, my heart was crushed. I hated this whole thing called love & wanted so desperately to have my feelings fully reciprocated. I found a wonderful friend in this guy who lived uptown & we started to hang out a lot. His boyfriend was an awesome guy as well but he was rarely in town. This was the beginning of that trouble.
Also around this time, my grandmother began to be constantly sick. As long as I could remember she would cough. I had always hoped she would quit smoking but she didn’t & this was when we found out she had lung cancer. The month of September is NYSC’s big anniversary & it was basically impossible for any of us to get off of work during this month. Sale, sale, sale! Bring in the members & make that money. The family was going crazy & my grandmother’s health was declining at a rapid pace. When I got down to visit her it was such a sad situation. I had never seen my grandfather cry before & my mom & aunt were not speaking. Someone had to stay strong so it had to be me. In the short time I was there it was like she was unrecognizable. My grandmother was always a little bit vain (no wonder where I get it from) & she didn’t like not being able to do things on her own. She would all of a sudden talk to someone from cheerleading squad about so & so not doing a cartwheel right. At one point she snapped to reality & said, “Nicky I worry that this will happen to you.” I said, “Grandma I don’t smoke so I won’t get cancer.” She said, “No, that something bad will happen to you & you’ll be up there all alone with no one to take care of you.” She then went on about how she could tell I had been hurt by someone & just wanted to make sure I would open myself up to another man. Which was incredibly weird. I had come out to her on the phone months & months before but I had never once talked about any one I had dated or even loved. So I sat there a little stunned & just said, “Don’t worry about me Grandma, I’ll be ok. I just want you to be good again.” My time there went by way too quickly & I had to return to NYC. Thanksgiving came & for some reason or other I couldn’t go down. Thinking back it may have been too tough on me. I wish I had gone. Meanwhile she told my mom that I had made a perfect dinner. For the next week & a half after I went to work, did my job, went out & felt the need to escape. A little bump here, a lot of bumps there. Any thing to make me not feel. On December 8th I was at Limelight with everyone & I remember being high in one of the rooms when all of a sudden it was like I had this sobering moment. I felt empty. Something had left me. I told everyone that I had to go & when I went outside I saw my phone show that I had a voicemail. It was my mom telling me that grandma had passed away.
Christmas was not a good time for any one, family drama peaked at an all time high. No one was speaking with each other. This is a theme that seems to occur a lot with my family. I made the decision to not ever go down to NC for Christmas, something I have still remains. Things just haven’t felt the same in so long that it doesn’t seem worth it. On one of the nights I went out & very, very late at night I took too much ecstasy. The rest of my friends had left & after that I must of had a seizure. This experience caused me to come out of the depression. I couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to do such a thing. My grandmother would have kicked my ass. My friends were with me including my new friend who had the boyfriend. We became closer & closer in a very short amount of time. A hook up ensued. I fell for him a little more than I ever should. Another friend of mine had fallen for the boyfriend & we all found ourselves in this situation that had terrible consequences. It wasn’t the first time dealing with guys who have open relationships but it was a first for me to be friends with both of them. I decided I would never have one of those if I was to ever have another boyfriend. Out of what seemed nowhere there was a suicide attempt by one of the bfs. It more or less changed everything. Certain friends hated me & everyone took sides. The couple split & eventually moved far & away. Talking about this with my friend the other day we realized that these events still somehow affect us to this day. While they escaped NY we are still here to every now & then be reminded of that terrible time. I haven’t spoken to either of them in years & it is probably best. To this day whenever I hear ‘Who Knew’ by Pink I can’t help but think of this person. A part of me will probably always miss him in some degree.
In early September of 2004 I left the gym in Queens bc there was an opening at a gym on West 14th in Union Sq. Still really good money & the chance to not have to travel out of the city. Checking out the boys was another nice perk. I remember checking out a blonde guy doing dips in front of my office. Something had happened with his membership & I ended up having to re-sign him up. Later during the week my friends & I went to Pop Rocks newest home on 13th st. I was on top of a box naturally & seriously ‘giving it to the fans’. When the song was over I stepped down to get a drink & a guy came up to me. ”You probably get this a lot but my friend thinks you’re really hot.” I looked over at his friend & low & behold it was my little crush from the gym. I went over & his friend said, “Look Jordan, look who I brought over!” He looked a little embarrassed & I assured him the feeling was mutual. We danced together for the rest of the night & when the night was over I went home with him. It always seemed funny to me that the first night we hooked up was Tim’s birthday. Things happened really quickly & we began to hang out a lot. It was easy because my work was right next to his apt. I met his friends & he met mine. I found myself doing couple things. Doing a limo ride with Larry & Nico, Rob & Brian & us. Going out to the country to do a Halloween hey ride with his friend Dawne & her man Pablo. It was like a foreign thing to me. Someone wanted to be with me & not feel guilty about it. There was no worry of age difference because he was only 5 & 1/2 months older than me. I couldn’t help but think that Grandma doesn’t have to worry about me being alone.
2005 started off to be such a better year than 04. I decided to start blogging. Re-reading some of those old passages are funny because they’re basically just rants & raves that only my friends would get into. It took me a few months before I started putting things together with a little substance. Around February I dragged my friend Tameika with me to TRL so I could see Mariah Carey. They told us at the beginning of taping there would be a giving away of some kind & we needed to make sure we could get away for the weekend & a Monday. I figured there would be no way I could get out of work so I gave Tameika my ticket. To our amazement Tameika won a trip for 2 to see Usher live in Puerto Rico. Obviously I was now going. We got to meet him & be in the very front row. It had been an awesome week. I was right next to Mariah again (first time since Glitter), flown to PR & met Usher & saw Beyonce. Things were definitely looking up. My relationship was also a bit of a whirlwind. I took Jordan down to meet my friends in Wilmington, NC. They weren’t quite ready for such ummmm loudness. This early part of our relationship was a ride I should say. I was still doing drugs but not as much as I had before. Jordan hated it. There were nights where we would be fighting at whatever bar we were at with our friends. Then all would be ok again. It was a trip to DC that kind of changed things around for me. Tempted to cheat & a dislocated shoulder later made for a crazy end to that trip. I thought that maybe this wasn’t meant to be. I was too ‘clubby’ for him & he was too do as I say for me. I’m very stubborn & so is he so put it together & makes for a rough time. On a drunken angry night at Xl we ended our relationship.
The next day I took Rob as my plus one for this VH1 concert that Mariah was doing. It was all about the Emancipation of Mimi & in ways it was the Emancipation of Nicky. After being at the gym for a while I felt the need to get away. I was still seeing Jordan & we were not speaking. The summer was just around the corner & I decided to do something crazy. Quit NYSC & take the summer off. Looking back it seems silly because it’s not like I wasn’t having fun & good times for years. But at the time it sounded wonderful. I had saved up money & like I said I never had a problem paying rent. As far as I knew Oz was paying the rent on time. So that summer I was fully blonde, tan & ready for a good time. I went to DC for Pride to party with the DC boys, I took my first trip out to Fire Island with Rob & Nathan, I took time to just be extra wild & crazy. Looking back I’m still glad I did it, I should have just come up with a better plan when no proper jobs came through. I started working at a bar/restaurant that basically we sat around & drank all day. I became a sub again for NYSC. I was performing at Don’t Tell Mama a little. I met a guy who was really, sweet, & kind & French. Another quick romance & we went down to Florida for Labor Day. While we were there I found out he was married & had children. He had fallen for me quickly & I had honestly wanted to try a relationship with him but all of that combined made it pretty hard for me to go on with it. One night we found ourselves at an after party & I met a guy named Joe. Straight guy Joe. Same old story. Guy questions his sexuality, goes out & meets blonde, tan gay boy writhing around on a couch. Guy can’t resist. Later, we ended up back at my apt & needless to say he wasn’t so straight. After that I would get calls late in the night asking if he could come over. Sigh sigh sigh, looking back I’m surprised I dealt with it but it definitely gave my friends & I something to talk about at brunch. Speaking of brunch, I found out about a certain ex trying new things. It infuriated me since that was the reason we had fought so much. On one of those late night occasions I found myself hanging out again with him. After a night of seeing Madonna at the Roxy we were at an after party hanging out & shortly after we hooked up again. Deciding not to rush into anything like how the last time was we were taking it cool. Meanwhile I was still getting calls from Joe & one night he came over drunk & angry & upset about not being able to come out. That serving of crazy was too much for me to take & I cut ties with him. I have seen him on rare occasion out & about over the past few years but not much seems to have changed. All I know is that isn’t the way I would want to live my life.
Towards the end of the year I had an awful drunken fight with my friend & I was pushed into a gate. I remember Jordan calling me over & over because he was scared for me. It was then that I knew that this whole taking it slow thing wasn’t gonna last. We went to DC with our friend Tom to see my friends Chuck & the DC crew. Once again in a drugged up haze Jordan came to my rescue. Looking back I don’t understand why I would do so much or even do it at all. I was certainly not the boy who had moved to NYC. The one who said he would never do this, this or this. How had I let something take over so much & so often. I would get ok & then something would happen & I would think sure, why not. If everyone else is doing it then why can’t I? It’s just one little pill. It makes me you feel so lovely. How can it hurt you when it looks so good? It was like I was a little boy that needed to be taken care of. It’s like I tried to give myself good advice but then very rarely followed it. I should have known there would be a price to pay. Will I ever learn to do the things I should?
TO BE CONTINUED
In these days, there were tons of parties to go to. Every day of the night there seemed to be something to go to. Happy Hour at Posh, Pop Rocks, Splash, a few trips to Esquelita, Opaline in the East Village, Limelight (Avalon) on Sunday, any other random club that was also opened during the week. My favorite was Roxy on Saturday nights. I would take ecstasy & dance the night away. I remember Jason coming back from school & being utterly shocked of my new behavior. I was with my crew & we took care of each other so it was ok. It wasn’t like every single person I hung out with did these things. It was definitely balanced. I would leave Roxy early Sunday morning & go straight to work at the gym. Rolling (literally) in with shades & off to my office to sleep under my desk. I’d have the front desk call me in case any one came in. There is no way in the world I could do that now. Looking back it’s kind of funny. Sad, but a little funny. I had also taken on some part time work at the hair salon where I got my hair done. That was the beginning of my love of changing my hair color so much. I had gone dark a few times before but this found me embracing the lighter side. Working with Doris & ‘the Asian Hair Mafia’ was a hilarious experience. That wasn’t really their name but one I gave them with the way they treated each other. I only stayed there a few months while Doris tried to find a replacement. I left to go back to full time at a different NYSC gym. This took me out to Forest Hills, Queens. It was odd to be traveling out of the city for work but the money turned out to be wonderful. Train rides out there gave me an abundance of stories to give to my GGB’s that still today make us laugh. Who could forget the crazy homeless popping up in my face saying, “You Gotta Dolla?” Or my personal favorite of sitting there watching a woman talking next to this Latina girl. I surely thought they knew each other because the woman had been talking for a full 30 minutes when all of a sudden the girl goes, “Would you shut the fuck up? U been talking for 30 minutes & I don’t know who u talkin’ to!” Then the lady goes, “If I wanna talk to me, myself & I Ima talk to me, myself & I!” Classic good times, for sure. Only in NY can you find characters like these.
In August of 2003, I got called into jury duty. I was the first person to be picked for a case that continues to give my friends & I laugh to this day. A man was arrested for one count of selling cocaine & I thought ‘Not guilty!’ & then when they said another count for selling a fake like substance I immediately thought ‘Guilty! Put em away! Screwy Lewey would have never tried to sell fake stuff.’ At one point they asked him where he had been at such & such time & he says nonchalantly, “Uhh uhh approx-itlee approx-itlee I don’t know.” (Writers note: I know how to spell approximately) In the middle of debating his innocence we had the blackout. It was the hottest of days & I remember walking all the way from downtown towards my apt. Initially, everyone thought we were having another 9/11 like scare but luckily this wasn’t the case. It was just an excuse to get semi-naked in the streets & drink up all the alcohol before ice melts. A new friend at the time found me at my apt & we went to his apt uptown where we were joined by the love of my life (at the time) Tim. We hooked up in hot, steamy encounter while our friend fell asleep in the other room. On that night he told me he was ready for us to be a couple. I was elated. That next week Tim introduced me to his soon to be bf. Once again, my heart was crushed. I hated this whole thing called love & wanted so desperately to have my feelings fully reciprocated. I found a wonderful friend in this guy who lived uptown & we started to hang out a lot. His boyfriend was an awesome guy as well but he was rarely in town. This was the beginning of that trouble.
Also around this time, my grandmother began to be constantly sick. As long as I could remember she would cough. I had always hoped she would quit smoking but she didn’t & this was when we found out she had lung cancer. The month of September is NYSC’s big anniversary & it was basically impossible for any of us to get off of work during this month. Sale, sale, sale! Bring in the members & make that money. The family was going crazy & my grandmother’s health was declining at a rapid pace. When I got down to visit her it was such a sad situation. I had never seen my grandfather cry before & my mom & aunt were not speaking. Someone had to stay strong so it had to be me. In the short time I was there it was like she was unrecognizable. My grandmother was always a little bit vain (no wonder where I get it from) & she didn’t like not being able to do things on her own. She would all of a sudden talk to someone from cheerleading squad about so & so not doing a cartwheel right. At one point she snapped to reality & said, “Nicky I worry that this will happen to you.” I said, “Grandma I don’t smoke so I won’t get cancer.” She said, “No, that something bad will happen to you & you’ll be up there all alone with no one to take care of you.” She then went on about how she could tell I had been hurt by someone & just wanted to make sure I would open myself up to another man. Which was incredibly weird. I had come out to her on the phone months & months before but I had never once talked about any one I had dated or even loved. So I sat there a little stunned & just said, “Don’t worry about me Grandma, I’ll be ok. I just want you to be good again.” My time there went by way too quickly & I had to return to NYC. Thanksgiving came & for some reason or other I couldn’t go down. Thinking back it may have been too tough on me. I wish I had gone. Meanwhile she told my mom that I had made a perfect dinner. For the next week & a half after I went to work, did my job, went out & felt the need to escape. A little bump here, a lot of bumps there. Any thing to make me not feel. On December 8th I was at Limelight with everyone & I remember being high in one of the rooms when all of a sudden it was like I had this sobering moment. I felt empty. Something had left me. I told everyone that I had to go & when I went outside I saw my phone show that I had a voicemail. It was my mom telling me that grandma had passed away.
Christmas was not a good time for any one, family drama peaked at an all time high. No one was speaking with each other. This is a theme that seems to occur a lot with my family. I made the decision to not ever go down to NC for Christmas, something I have still remains. Things just haven’t felt the same in so long that it doesn’t seem worth it. On one of the nights I went out & very, very late at night I took too much ecstasy. The rest of my friends had left & after that I must of had a seizure. This experience caused me to come out of the depression. I couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to do such a thing. My grandmother would have kicked my ass. My friends were with me including my new friend who had the boyfriend. We became closer & closer in a very short amount of time. A hook up ensued. I fell for him a little more than I ever should. Another friend of mine had fallen for the boyfriend & we all found ourselves in this situation that had terrible consequences. It wasn’t the first time dealing with guys who have open relationships but it was a first for me to be friends with both of them. I decided I would never have one of those if I was to ever have another boyfriend. Out of what seemed nowhere there was a suicide attempt by one of the bfs. It more or less changed everything. Certain friends hated me & everyone took sides. The couple split & eventually moved far & away. Talking about this with my friend the other day we realized that these events still somehow affect us to this day. While they escaped NY we are still here to every now & then be reminded of that terrible time. I haven’t spoken to either of them in years & it is probably best. To this day whenever I hear ‘Who Knew’ by Pink I can’t help but think of this person. A part of me will probably always miss him in some degree.
In early September of 2004 I left the gym in Queens bc there was an opening at a gym on West 14th in Union Sq. Still really good money & the chance to not have to travel out of the city. Checking out the boys was another nice perk. I remember checking out a blonde guy doing dips in front of my office. Something had happened with his membership & I ended up having to re-sign him up. Later during the week my friends & I went to Pop Rocks newest home on 13th st. I was on top of a box naturally & seriously ‘giving it to the fans’. When the song was over I stepped down to get a drink & a guy came up to me. ”You probably get this a lot but my friend thinks you’re really hot.” I looked over at his friend & low & behold it was my little crush from the gym. I went over & his friend said, “Look Jordan, look who I brought over!” He looked a little embarrassed & I assured him the feeling was mutual. We danced together for the rest of the night & when the night was over I went home with him. It always seemed funny to me that the first night we hooked up was Tim’s birthday. Things happened really quickly & we began to hang out a lot. It was easy because my work was right next to his apt. I met his friends & he met mine. I found myself doing couple things. Doing a limo ride with Larry & Nico, Rob & Brian & us. Going out to the country to do a Halloween hey ride with his friend Dawne & her man Pablo. It was like a foreign thing to me. Someone wanted to be with me & not feel guilty about it. There was no worry of age difference because he was only 5 & 1/2 months older than me. I couldn’t help but think that Grandma doesn’t have to worry about me being alone.
2005 started off to be such a better year than 04. I decided to start blogging. Re-reading some of those old passages are funny because they’re basically just rants & raves that only my friends would get into. It took me a few months before I started putting things together with a little substance. Around February I dragged my friend Tameika with me to TRL so I could see Mariah Carey. They told us at the beginning of taping there would be a giving away of some kind & we needed to make sure we could get away for the weekend & a Monday. I figured there would be no way I could get out of work so I gave Tameika my ticket. To our amazement Tameika won a trip for 2 to see Usher live in Puerto Rico. Obviously I was now going. We got to meet him & be in the very front row. It had been an awesome week. I was right next to Mariah again (first time since Glitter), flown to PR & met Usher & saw Beyonce. Things were definitely looking up. My relationship was also a bit of a whirlwind. I took Jordan down to meet my friends in Wilmington, NC. They weren’t quite ready for such ummmm loudness. This early part of our relationship was a ride I should say. I was still doing drugs but not as much as I had before. Jordan hated it. There were nights where we would be fighting at whatever bar we were at with our friends. Then all would be ok again. It was a trip to DC that kind of changed things around for me. Tempted to cheat & a dislocated shoulder later made for a crazy end to that trip. I thought that maybe this wasn’t meant to be. I was too ‘clubby’ for him & he was too do as I say for me. I’m very stubborn & so is he so put it together & makes for a rough time. On a drunken angry night at Xl we ended our relationship.
The next day I took Rob as my plus one for this VH1 concert that Mariah was doing. It was all about the Emancipation of Mimi & in ways it was the Emancipation of Nicky. After being at the gym for a while I felt the need to get away. I was still seeing Jordan & we were not speaking. The summer was just around the corner & I decided to do something crazy. Quit NYSC & take the summer off. Looking back it seems silly because it’s not like I wasn’t having fun & good times for years. But at the time it sounded wonderful. I had saved up money & like I said I never had a problem paying rent. As far as I knew Oz was paying the rent on time. So that summer I was fully blonde, tan & ready for a good time. I went to DC for Pride to party with the DC boys, I took my first trip out to Fire Island with Rob & Nathan, I took time to just be extra wild & crazy. Looking back I’m still glad I did it, I should have just come up with a better plan when no proper jobs came through. I started working at a bar/restaurant that basically we sat around & drank all day. I became a sub again for NYSC. I was performing at Don’t Tell Mama a little. I met a guy who was really, sweet, & kind & French. Another quick romance & we went down to Florida for Labor Day. While we were there I found out he was married & had children. He had fallen for me quickly & I had honestly wanted to try a relationship with him but all of that combined made it pretty hard for me to go on with it. One night we found ourselves at an after party & I met a guy named Joe. Straight guy Joe. Same old story. Guy questions his sexuality, goes out & meets blonde, tan gay boy writhing around on a couch. Guy can’t resist. Later, we ended up back at my apt & needless to say he wasn’t so straight. After that I would get calls late in the night asking if he could come over. Sigh sigh sigh, looking back I’m surprised I dealt with it but it definitely gave my friends & I something to talk about at brunch. Speaking of brunch, I found out about a certain ex trying new things. It infuriated me since that was the reason we had fought so much. On one of those late night occasions I found myself hanging out again with him. After a night of seeing Madonna at the Roxy we were at an after party hanging out & shortly after we hooked up again. Deciding not to rush into anything like how the last time was we were taking it cool. Meanwhile I was still getting calls from Joe & one night he came over drunk & angry & upset about not being able to come out. That serving of crazy was too much for me to take & I cut ties with him. I have seen him on rare occasion out & about over the past few years but not much seems to have changed. All I know is that isn’t the way I would want to live my life.
Towards the end of the year I had an awful drunken fight with my friend & I was pushed into a gate. I remember Jordan calling me over & over because he was scared for me. It was then that I knew that this whole taking it slow thing wasn’t gonna last. We went to DC with our friend Tom to see my friends Chuck & the DC crew. Once again in a drugged up haze Jordan came to my rescue. Looking back I don’t understand why I would do so much or even do it at all. I was certainly not the boy who had moved to NYC. The one who said he would never do this, this or this. How had I let something take over so much & so often. I would get ok & then something would happen & I would think sure, why not. If everyone else is doing it then why can’t I? It’s just one little pill. It makes me you feel so lovely. How can it hurt you when it looks so good? It was like I was a little boy that needed to be taken care of. It’s like I tried to give myself good advice but then very rarely followed it. I should have known there would be a price to pay. Will I ever learn to do the things I should?
TO BE CONTINUED
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Decade of Decadence Chapter 1: School Of Life
Last week was my 10 yr anniversary of living in NYC & it had me thinking back about all the time I have spent here. It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. The longest gap in time I’ve had for a few yrs in fact. It seems that life is beginning to once again change for me & I’ve been so busy that I’ve not really had the time to sit down properly & get it all down. So I figured before I start discussing the future how about I look back on the past.
It was 1999 & right at the stroke of midnight I was running down the cobblestone streets of downtown Wilmington, NC. Shuley & some friends were waiting for me to get to the club to ring in the new year & a new decade. They say that whatever you’re doing at the time of the new year you’ll be doing it all year. Mine couldn’t have turned out to be more true because just a month or so later I decided to move to NY. I ran into an old friend from high school very randomly & he mentioned wanting to move to either LA or NY. Ever since I was able to form the sentence I’m moving from this town I had started to plot my move far, far away. Our discussion went from let’s move in a few months to when is your lease up & with that we decided to move in March. Just so happened to also be the bday of my wonderful Shuley. It wasn’t easy for her & it definitely wasn’t easy moving here. Money was borrowed, lies were apparently told by real estate agents, van was packed & next thing you know we were saying goodbye to friends & family for the big apple.
My first apartment was a one bedroom apt in Roosevelt Island. The building was awesome & looking back I still find it strange how we got this apt. I blame it on 2 young guys from NC not really sure of what they were getting into. It took forever to find a job for both of us as we both pounded the pavement all over. My poor feet were not ready for all the walking. By the end of the month my friend told me he wanted to go back. We couldn’t afford our rent & had a lease that we didn’t know how we were gonna get out of. The buildings management found this odd since our forms showed we made an incredible amount of money in our own internet startup company. That’s right, the agents submitted phony forms. On my own I embarked on finding a way out of the mess I was in & in the meantime I got another friend from NC to fill in as my roommate. Ahhhhh what a mess that person became when he tried to use my card to get money for coke from some random guy in Central Park. A fight ensued & I was out for blood, cops were called & he was taken away as some random trick he had brought home from Splash sat there squealing in fear. All of this took place w/in the first few months of living here. I was so bummed about my friend backing out when the going got tough & was incredibly stressed that it was all on me. I had been on my own since I was 18 but this was the first time I really felt independent. While working at HMV (one of the major music stores at the time) I would also take time to audition & dance at a few clubs trying to make a little more money. One of the things I ended up being on was some atrocious show on VH1 How To Make A Boy Band. (Thank God there is no clip on youtube) There would be days where I just didn’t eat bc well I couldn’t afford to. I was sure as hell not gonna tell any one from NC about this because I didn’t want to hear an ‘I told you so, now come home’. Luckily I had me a Shuley’s Care Package from time to time. Just thinking of it makes me miss Boo Berry Cereal. One of my co-workers at HMV heard about my struggles & told me he was working on being able to get roommates once something went through with his landlord. It seemed promising but as another month went by I didn’t see it working out. I had found a couple with a newborn that could take over my lease & I would have to move by the end of June. As the time came close I feared for the worst. I had experienced my first Pride here in NYC & the city seemed alive with possibilities. Only none for me. I went into work fully prepared to give my notice when Oz, my co-worker came rushing in telling me I could move in. Like so many things in my life it had to be dramatic & right at the last minute. My rent would be dramatically cheaper & I would be living in an area called Hell’s Kitchen on West 47th st.
I moved in at the end of June & I can’t even remember how I got all my stuff over there. It was a scorcher of a night & I was sitting in the living room with one of my 2 new roommates. The window was open bc of the heat & we had no AC. Out of nowhere I heard a shot. Apparently a woman decided to shoot her husband & they lived right across the street. Top that off with my new roommate telling me he was an escort I was like ‘What the hell have I gotten myself into now’? Oz, this new roommate who was the same age as my mom, & I fought on so many things. He had lived with his mother his whole life & hadn’t ever experienced what it was like living with other people. I had never experienced what it was like to live with the great & wonderful wizard of Oz himself. I thought this will last a few more months & I’ll need to get the fuck up out of here. Meanwhile, I got a job at New York Sports Club as a front desk person which at first made me uneasy. I wasn’t the work out, get muscled type. I had been to Roxy once & I felt so intimidated by the big, shirtless muscle guys dancing to boom boom music. I also took my first NY dance class. I had danced since I was a kid. I won dance contests, was always told I was the best dancer…. I was hot shit. Boy oh boy was I in for a surprise. I couldn’t keep up, I was about 4 counts behind & my endurance was crap. Instead of giving up, I trudged on.
I got a part dancing in a club scene in what would become the bomb Glitter. To this day I still don’t think that movie was THAT bad. Then again we all know I’m partial to Mariah & when I got to see her I was all nervous & couldn’t speak. Either way it was a fun experience. I was in Limelight dancing up a storm with my new friend Krizia. I had made quite a few new friends through the gym & I ended up crossing over from front desk to sales. Home life with Oz was still insane but I was really beginning to love the life of an NYC boy. Even though I still clearly sounded like a country boy. I would go out & people would just say, “I just wanna hear you tawwk” in a terrible NY tries Southern accent. When Christmas came around it was my first visit back to NC to see the family & friends. All of a sudden all the turmoil I had went through to get to NY & stay in NY seemed incredibly worth it. I was happy to see everyone & we took tons of pics of the family all together. It was to be one of the last times we would all be like that again.
Mid January of 01 was when I met some of the people who would become some of my best friends. My friend from work, Kevin, introduced me to some guys he knew…. Ej & Larry. We met at one of the places that would become our hangout every Tuesday night for months & months after. Pieces, a karaoke bar was the place where we could get our dance & sing on. This was also around the time I would learn about a lil party called Pop Rocks. Krizia & I would go all dressed up & jam out to Britney, ‘Nsync, Xtina, Madonna, anything pop basically. This was when I would meet my first real boyfriend in NY, Jason. It was a fun time for sure. Looking back at pictures I’m reminded of the beginnings of open bars, vodka drinks, late nights, glitter & having some of the best times with new friends & really finding my own niche in this wonderful city that is NYC. I got to see my first Madonna concert at MSG & even though the show was not as good as the ones she’s done since it holds a nice place in my heart bc it was my first. There was a tad of drama when one day on the way to work I was hit by a mini-van. I had been so excited to get away form driving. I had not had the best of luck in that department in NC. Luckily I was ok in the end, but as I went flying through the air the same could not have been said for a homeless man’s house. I remember being put in the ambulance & thinking damn I’m not gonna be able to go out tonight to Pop Rocks. Low & behold I went out with a semi busted up face & we called it a celebration of life night. Thinking of that I can not help but LOL because had that happened now I would be sitting my ass at home.
When that had happened I had been on my way to a new job that I had gotten. On top of my NYSC sales job I got a job at a dance school for children. Ballet Tech, Elliot Feld’s school of dance. I had never taken ballet class while in NC. I had gotten enough grief from kids in school for doing acrobatics & theater & the other dance. I basically was helping with the kids that they taught, ages 5 and up. Those kids gave me plenty of stories throughout the time I was there. Those of you who know reading this, all I need to say is ‘Special White Kids’ & it should make you laugh. A small school but an eye opening experience. We would audition children for the school & I would at times be the instructor. I remember the first time I met one of the instructor’s it was my first lesson in how different ballet is from other dance. She looked at me & said “You have bad feet & you don’t have a dancer’s body.” To this day I still suck at that style & I’m always a little jealous of the people who can triple turn & make it look so effortless. I had continued taking my other classes as well & became a much better dancer in my normal style. I would take a girl name Sheryl’s class. She would later go on to be in Gaga’s Just Dance video & she choreographed Beyonce’s Ego video just to name a few things. It was in these classes I met certain other people who went on to have a little bit of fame. I’ll not say names bc they’re kind of dicks now. But that’s the way it goes in anything I suppose.
The summer came & summer boys came & gone as well. Jason & I had broken up & had decided we were much better off as friends & he was returning to school down south anyway. I was single & ready to mingle & on Labor Day weekend I went out with Krizia & John to Webster Hall. it was here that I met 2 people who would become major players in my life for years & years to come. I was dancing on a box when I first saw Tim. Handsome & older but I couldn’t tell if he was straight or gay. He had the dancing ability of a very non-coordinated straight guy. Krizia went up to him & then introduced us & needless to say he was gay. I was smitten but in those days I was very innocent. I didn’t go home with people I just met & preferred going on a date first. He was ok with that & then introduced me to his friend Jaime. Jaime was a crazy bitch if there ever was one. Loca in la cabeza for sure. He was wearing a Princess t-shirt that was size small & was getting his dance on. We all hung out before I left to go home & I made plans with Tim for an actual date. A few days later, Tuesday September 11th I got a phone call from my friend Russell who was frantic. ”I just wanted to make sure you’re not at the World Trade Center.” Barely wiping the sleep from my eyes I asked, “Why?” He said turn on the tv.
From time to time we would have sales meetings down there & that month it was gonna be held somewhere else. I had friends that worked down there & they barely made it out with their lives. I remember the time so vividly. My family was frantic & trying to get through but all phone lines were jammed. The city had a smell that was just beyond describable. It was the only time I ever considered really moving. I was that scared. There was a unity though throughout New Yorkers. All of a sudden the place that was known to have nasty attitudes & nasty people became nothing but love. Within a few days I decided I couldn’t leave. New York was my home. To this day though I find it hard to go down to that site. I may have been 3 times since. Then again I tend to stay in my little areas. But we’ll get to that jaded NYer story later.
During that next year I learned all about love & what it was to actually think of someone other than yourself. While I had dated & a few boyfriends I fell absolutely head over fricking heels in love with Tim. 10 years older than me but this was his original problem with me. We would go on to be friends one minute & then lovers the next. My famous New Years Eve party of 01 was spent me getting my heart broken. A theme that would seem to go throughout the whole year. I guess ‘they’ really aren’t fucking kidding about that saying what you do at midnight you’ll do the rest of the year. This heartache went on to make some pretty good songs if I don’t say so myself. I continued my job at NYSC, Ballet Tech with some various jobs throughout dancing in a few clubs. I was also performing doing some of my own songs at a Cabaret bar. By doing that I had also met some people who produced demo’s & needed vocalists or writers for their music. I found myself going out to Staten Island of all places for one producer. Of all those tracks that I did I think I liked actually one of them. Mind you if I read about him getting famous I would hunt him down in a hot second.
I was still taking plenty of time to go out with friends on the weekend & these days I wasn’t so intimidated by the muscle boys of Roxy the way I was a few years back. I still had been anti drug anything & all my friends were amazed by the way I could dance & dance for hours & not be chemically enhanced. I saw the way they were & it would make me giggle. I saw the way it was like a hunt for good ecstasy at the club. I remember one night being with Chad & Shane & so many of my other friends. I was in good company & I was safe. I remember thinking, “Hell, why not?” I looked at my friend & said, “Gimme a hit of E.” He said, “What? Are you serious?” ”Sure, why the hell not?”
TO BE CONTINUED
It was 1999 & right at the stroke of midnight I was running down the cobblestone streets of downtown Wilmington, NC. Shuley & some friends were waiting for me to get to the club to ring in the new year & a new decade. They say that whatever you’re doing at the time of the new year you’ll be doing it all year. Mine couldn’t have turned out to be more true because just a month or so later I decided to move to NY. I ran into an old friend from high school very randomly & he mentioned wanting to move to either LA or NY. Ever since I was able to form the sentence I’m moving from this town I had started to plot my move far, far away. Our discussion went from let’s move in a few months to when is your lease up & with that we decided to move in March. Just so happened to also be the bday of my wonderful Shuley. It wasn’t easy for her & it definitely wasn’t easy moving here. Money was borrowed, lies were apparently told by real estate agents, van was packed & next thing you know we were saying goodbye to friends & family for the big apple.
My first apartment was a one bedroom apt in Roosevelt Island. The building was awesome & looking back I still find it strange how we got this apt. I blame it on 2 young guys from NC not really sure of what they were getting into. It took forever to find a job for both of us as we both pounded the pavement all over. My poor feet were not ready for all the walking. By the end of the month my friend told me he wanted to go back. We couldn’t afford our rent & had a lease that we didn’t know how we were gonna get out of. The buildings management found this odd since our forms showed we made an incredible amount of money in our own internet startup company. That’s right, the agents submitted phony forms. On my own I embarked on finding a way out of the mess I was in & in the meantime I got another friend from NC to fill in as my roommate. Ahhhhh what a mess that person became when he tried to use my card to get money for coke from some random guy in Central Park. A fight ensued & I was out for blood, cops were called & he was taken away as some random trick he had brought home from Splash sat there squealing in fear. All of this took place w/in the first few months of living here. I was so bummed about my friend backing out when the going got tough & was incredibly stressed that it was all on me. I had been on my own since I was 18 but this was the first time I really felt independent. While working at HMV (one of the major music stores at the time) I would also take time to audition & dance at a few clubs trying to make a little more money. One of the things I ended up being on was some atrocious show on VH1 How To Make A Boy Band. (Thank God there is no clip on youtube) There would be days where I just didn’t eat bc well I couldn’t afford to. I was sure as hell not gonna tell any one from NC about this because I didn’t want to hear an ‘I told you so, now come home’. Luckily I had me a Shuley’s Care Package from time to time. Just thinking of it makes me miss Boo Berry Cereal. One of my co-workers at HMV heard about my struggles & told me he was working on being able to get roommates once something went through with his landlord. It seemed promising but as another month went by I didn’t see it working out. I had found a couple with a newborn that could take over my lease & I would have to move by the end of June. As the time came close I feared for the worst. I had experienced my first Pride here in NYC & the city seemed alive with possibilities. Only none for me. I went into work fully prepared to give my notice when Oz, my co-worker came rushing in telling me I could move in. Like so many things in my life it had to be dramatic & right at the last minute. My rent would be dramatically cheaper & I would be living in an area called Hell’s Kitchen on West 47th st.
I moved in at the end of June & I can’t even remember how I got all my stuff over there. It was a scorcher of a night & I was sitting in the living room with one of my 2 new roommates. The window was open bc of the heat & we had no AC. Out of nowhere I heard a shot. Apparently a woman decided to shoot her husband & they lived right across the street. Top that off with my new roommate telling me he was an escort I was like ‘What the hell have I gotten myself into now’? Oz, this new roommate who was the same age as my mom, & I fought on so many things. He had lived with his mother his whole life & hadn’t ever experienced what it was like living with other people. I had never experienced what it was like to live with the great & wonderful wizard of Oz himself. I thought this will last a few more months & I’ll need to get the fuck up out of here. Meanwhile, I got a job at New York Sports Club as a front desk person which at first made me uneasy. I wasn’t the work out, get muscled type. I had been to Roxy once & I felt so intimidated by the big, shirtless muscle guys dancing to boom boom music. I also took my first NY dance class. I had danced since I was a kid. I won dance contests, was always told I was the best dancer…. I was hot shit. Boy oh boy was I in for a surprise. I couldn’t keep up, I was about 4 counts behind & my endurance was crap. Instead of giving up, I trudged on.
I got a part dancing in a club scene in what would become the bomb Glitter. To this day I still don’t think that movie was THAT bad. Then again we all know I’m partial to Mariah & when I got to see her I was all nervous & couldn’t speak. Either way it was a fun experience. I was in Limelight dancing up a storm with my new friend Krizia. I had made quite a few new friends through the gym & I ended up crossing over from front desk to sales. Home life with Oz was still insane but I was really beginning to love the life of an NYC boy. Even though I still clearly sounded like a country boy. I would go out & people would just say, “I just wanna hear you tawwk” in a terrible NY tries Southern accent. When Christmas came around it was my first visit back to NC to see the family & friends. All of a sudden all the turmoil I had went through to get to NY & stay in NY seemed incredibly worth it. I was happy to see everyone & we took tons of pics of the family all together. It was to be one of the last times we would all be like that again.
Mid January of 01 was when I met some of the people who would become some of my best friends. My friend from work, Kevin, introduced me to some guys he knew…. Ej & Larry. We met at one of the places that would become our hangout every Tuesday night for months & months after. Pieces, a karaoke bar was the place where we could get our dance & sing on. This was also around the time I would learn about a lil party called Pop Rocks. Krizia & I would go all dressed up & jam out to Britney, ‘Nsync, Xtina, Madonna, anything pop basically. This was when I would meet my first real boyfriend in NY, Jason. It was a fun time for sure. Looking back at pictures I’m reminded of the beginnings of open bars, vodka drinks, late nights, glitter & having some of the best times with new friends & really finding my own niche in this wonderful city that is NYC. I got to see my first Madonna concert at MSG & even though the show was not as good as the ones she’s done since it holds a nice place in my heart bc it was my first. There was a tad of drama when one day on the way to work I was hit by a mini-van. I had been so excited to get away form driving. I had not had the best of luck in that department in NC. Luckily I was ok in the end, but as I went flying through the air the same could not have been said for a homeless man’s house. I remember being put in the ambulance & thinking damn I’m not gonna be able to go out tonight to Pop Rocks. Low & behold I went out with a semi busted up face & we called it a celebration of life night. Thinking of that I can not help but LOL because had that happened now I would be sitting my ass at home.
When that had happened I had been on my way to a new job that I had gotten. On top of my NYSC sales job I got a job at a dance school for children. Ballet Tech, Elliot Feld’s school of dance. I had never taken ballet class while in NC. I had gotten enough grief from kids in school for doing acrobatics & theater & the other dance. I basically was helping with the kids that they taught, ages 5 and up. Those kids gave me plenty of stories throughout the time I was there. Those of you who know reading this, all I need to say is ‘Special White Kids’ & it should make you laugh. A small school but an eye opening experience. We would audition children for the school & I would at times be the instructor. I remember the first time I met one of the instructor’s it was my first lesson in how different ballet is from other dance. She looked at me & said “You have bad feet & you don’t have a dancer’s body.” To this day I still suck at that style & I’m always a little jealous of the people who can triple turn & make it look so effortless. I had continued taking my other classes as well & became a much better dancer in my normal style. I would take a girl name Sheryl’s class. She would later go on to be in Gaga’s Just Dance video & she choreographed Beyonce’s Ego video just to name a few things. It was in these classes I met certain other people who went on to have a little bit of fame. I’ll not say names bc they’re kind of dicks now. But that’s the way it goes in anything I suppose.
The summer came & summer boys came & gone as well. Jason & I had broken up & had decided we were much better off as friends & he was returning to school down south anyway. I was single & ready to mingle & on Labor Day weekend I went out with Krizia & John to Webster Hall. it was here that I met 2 people who would become major players in my life for years & years to come. I was dancing on a box when I first saw Tim. Handsome & older but I couldn’t tell if he was straight or gay. He had the dancing ability of a very non-coordinated straight guy. Krizia went up to him & then introduced us & needless to say he was gay. I was smitten but in those days I was very innocent. I didn’t go home with people I just met & preferred going on a date first. He was ok with that & then introduced me to his friend Jaime. Jaime was a crazy bitch if there ever was one. Loca in la cabeza for sure. He was wearing a Princess t-shirt that was size small & was getting his dance on. We all hung out before I left to go home & I made plans with Tim for an actual date. A few days later, Tuesday September 11th I got a phone call from my friend Russell who was frantic. ”I just wanted to make sure you’re not at the World Trade Center.” Barely wiping the sleep from my eyes I asked, “Why?” He said turn on the tv.
From time to time we would have sales meetings down there & that month it was gonna be held somewhere else. I had friends that worked down there & they barely made it out with their lives. I remember the time so vividly. My family was frantic & trying to get through but all phone lines were jammed. The city had a smell that was just beyond describable. It was the only time I ever considered really moving. I was that scared. There was a unity though throughout New Yorkers. All of a sudden the place that was known to have nasty attitudes & nasty people became nothing but love. Within a few days I decided I couldn’t leave. New York was my home. To this day though I find it hard to go down to that site. I may have been 3 times since. Then again I tend to stay in my little areas. But we’ll get to that jaded NYer story later.
During that next year I learned all about love & what it was to actually think of someone other than yourself. While I had dated & a few boyfriends I fell absolutely head over fricking heels in love with Tim. 10 years older than me but this was his original problem with me. We would go on to be friends one minute & then lovers the next. My famous New Years Eve party of 01 was spent me getting my heart broken. A theme that would seem to go throughout the whole year. I guess ‘they’ really aren’t fucking kidding about that saying what you do at midnight you’ll do the rest of the year. This heartache went on to make some pretty good songs if I don’t say so myself. I continued my job at NYSC, Ballet Tech with some various jobs throughout dancing in a few clubs. I was also performing doing some of my own songs at a Cabaret bar. By doing that I had also met some people who produced demo’s & needed vocalists or writers for their music. I found myself going out to Staten Island of all places for one producer. Of all those tracks that I did I think I liked actually one of them. Mind you if I read about him getting famous I would hunt him down in a hot second.
I was still taking plenty of time to go out with friends on the weekend & these days I wasn’t so intimidated by the muscle boys of Roxy the way I was a few years back. I still had been anti drug anything & all my friends were amazed by the way I could dance & dance for hours & not be chemically enhanced. I saw the way they were & it would make me giggle. I saw the way it was like a hunt for good ecstasy at the club. I remember one night being with Chad & Shane & so many of my other friends. I was in good company & I was safe. I remember thinking, “Hell, why not?” I looked at my friend & said, “Gimme a hit of E.” He said, “What? Are you serious?” ”Sure, why the hell not?”
TO BE CONTINUED
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Nick's Top 100 of 2009
It’s that time of year again. Time for my top 100 of the year. Last year this lady topped my chart with her first single, which went to go on to #1 here in January. Since it was at #1 in my chart I couldn’t put it on this years. The same for Beyonce’s Single Ladies which was in my top 10 of last year. But, there were a few songs that were below the top 10 that has now made big jumps on this years chart. Like the song at #1. Once again it is my Gaga. She has the most singles with 5. Last year it was Rihanna….. this year not so much. I hate those first few singles on her album. B.E.P’s take over as well & Beyonce has 4 singles as well. Gaga also closes out the chart with a single that wasn’t released here in the states. Hope you enjoyed my top 100 as much as I did. Here’s to all the new music of 2010!!!!
1. Poker Face/Lady Gaga #1 (8 weeks) Australia/Canada (3 weeks) UK (1 week) US
2. Boom Boom Pow/Black Eyed Peas #1 (12 weeks) US/Australia (4 weeks) UK/Canada
3. I Gotta Feeling/Black Eyed Peas #1 (14 weeks) US/Canada/Australia UK
4. Love Game/Lady Gaga #2 Canada #4 Australia #5 US #19 UK
5. Love Takes Over/David Guetta & Kelly Rowland #1 UK/US Dance #6 Australia #22 Canada #76 US POP
6. Love Story/Taylor Swift #1 Australia/US Country/US AC #2 UK #4 Canada/US POP
7. Circus/Britney Spears #2 Canada #3 US #6 Australia #13 UK
8. My Life Would Suck Without You/Kelly Clarkson #1 (2 weeks) US/UK/Canada #4 Australia
9. Broken Strings/James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado #1 Germany #2 UK #41 Canada
10. Empire State Of Mind/Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys #1 (5 weeks) US #2 UK #3 Canada #4 Australia
11. Party In The USA/Miley Cyrus #2 US #3 Canada #6 Australia #11 UK
12. You Belong With Me/Taylor Swift #1 US AC/Country #2 US POP #3 Canada #5 Australia #30 UK
13. Good Girls Go Bad/Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester #5 Australia #7 US/Canada #17 UK
14. I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)/Pitbull #2 US/Canada #4 UK #6 Australia
15. Bad Romance/Lady Gaga #1 UK/Canada #2 US/Australia
16. Tik Tok/Ke$ha #1 Australia/Canada/US #5 UK (currently charting at #1)
17. Celebration/Madonna #1 US Dance/Italy/Russia #3 UK #5 Canada #40 Australia #71 US POP
18. Halo/Beyonce #1 US Dance #3 Canada/Australia #4 UK #5 US POP
19. Obsessed/Mariah Carey #1 US Dance #7 US POP #13 Australia #15 Canada #52 UK
20. Million Dollar Bill/Whitney Houston #1 US Dance #5 UK #16 US R&B #100 US POP
21. Hotel Room Service/Pitbull #7 Canada #8 US #9 UK #11 Australia
22. I’m Yours/Jason Mraz #1 US AC #3 Australia/Canada #6 US POP #11 UK
23. Paparazzi/Lady Gaga #2 Australia #3 Canada #4 UK #6 US
24. Meet Me Halfway/Black Eyed Peas #1 UK/Australia #5 Canada #7 US
25. Sexy Bitch/David Guetta & Akon #1 Australia/Canada/UK #6 US
26. Knock You Down/Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo #1 US R&B #3 US #5 UK #9 Canada #25 Australia
27. She Wolf/Shakira #1 US Dance #5 Canada #4 UK #11 US POP #18 Australia
28. Sober/Pink #6 Australia #8 Canada #9 UK #15 US
29. Sweet Dreams/Beyonce #1 US Dance #2 Australia #5 UK #10 US POP #17 Canada
30. 3/Britney Spears #1 US/Canada #6 Australia #7 UK
31. I Hate This Part/Pussycat Dolls #1 US Dance #5 Canada #10 Australia #11 US #12 UK
32. Please Don’t Leave Me/Pink #8 Canada #11 Australia #12 UK #17 US
33. If You Seek Amy/Britney Spears #11 Australia #13 Canada #19 US #20 UK
34. Right Round/Flo Rida feat. Ke$ha #1 US/UK/Australia/Canada
35. Use Somebody/Kings of Leon #2 Australia/UK #4 US #8 Canada
36. Untouched/Veronica’s #2 Australia #5 Canada #8 UK #17 US
37. Heavy Cross/Gossip #7 Australia #14 US Dance #37 UK
38. Waking Up In Vegas/Katy Perry #1 US Dance #2 Canada #9 US POP #11 Australia #19 UK
39. Already Gone/Kelly Clarkson #13 US #15 Canada #66 UK
40. Happy/Leona Lewis #2 UK #15 Canada #22 Australia #31 US
41. Don’t Trust Me/3OH!3 #6 Canada #7 US #21 UK
42. Evacuate The Dancefloor/Cascada #1 UK US Dance #3 Australia #4 Canada #25 US POP
43. Fire Burning/Sean Kingston #2 Canada #5 US #12 UK
44. Blame It/Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain #1 (14 weeks) US R&B #2 US POP #7 Canada
45. New In Town/Little Boots #13 UK
46. Fallin’ For You/Colbie Caillat #3 US AC #12 US POP #28 Canada
47. Great DJ/Ting Tings #3 US Dance #33 UK #52 Australia
48. Fight For This Love/Cheryl Cole #1 UK
49. Gives You Hell/All American Rejects #3 Australia #4 Canada/US #18 UK
50. Make Me/Janet Jackson #1 US Dance
51. I Took The Night/Chelley (no chart info)
52. Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)/ A R Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls #1 Australia #3 UK #4 Canada #15 US
53. Love Sex Magic/Ciara & Justin Timberlake #5 Australia/UK #6 Canada #10 US
54. Ride My Tempo/Ida Corr #1 (6 weeks) German dance #8 Denmark
55. Fuck You/Lily Allen #1 US Dance #23 Australia #37 Canada #68 US POP
56. Break Your Heart/Taio Cruz #1 UK
57. I Do Not Hook Up/Kelly Clarkson #9 Australia #13 Canada #20 US #36 UK
58. Make Her Say/Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West & Common #11 US Rap #43 US POP
59. Day N’ Nite/Kid Cudi #2 UK #3 US #10 Canada #15 Australia
60. The Climb/Miley Cyrus #4 US #5 Australia/Canada #11 UK
61. Bad Boys/Alexandra Burke feat. Flo Rida #1 UK
62. Patron Tequila/Paradiso Girls feat. Eve & Lil’ Jon #3 US Dance
63. Run This Town/Jay-Z feat. Kanye West & Rihanna #1 UK #2 US #6 Canada #6 Australia
64. Now I’m That Bitch/Livvi Franc #1 US Dance #40 UK
65. Fireflies/Owl City #1 US #2 Australia/Canada
66. Down/Jay-Sean feat. Lil’ Wayne #1 US #2 Australia #3 Canada/UK
67. Mama Do (Uh Oh)/Pixie Lott #1 UK
68. Bulletproof/La Roux #1 UK/US Dance #5 Australia #45 Canada
69. Get Sexy/Sugababes #2 UK
70. Funhouse/Pink #6 Australia #21 Canada #29 UK #44 US
71. The Loving Kind/Girls Aloud #10 UK
72. Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)/Freemason’s feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor #2 UK Dance #13 UK POP
73. Beating My Heart/Jon McLaughlin #18 US Adult Top 40
74. Diva/Beyonce #1 US Dance #3 US R&B #19 US POP #40 Australia
75. The Boy Does Nothing/Alesha Dixon#5 UK #8 Australia
76. Work/Saturdays #22 UK
77. The One/Mary J. Blige feat. Drake #32 US R&B #63 US POP
78. The Spell/Alphabeat #20 UK
79. Krazy/Pitbull feat. Lil’ Jon #11 US Rap #30 US POP #38 Australia
80. Take Me Back/Tinchy Stryder feat. Taio Cruz #3 UK
81. The Fear/Lily Allen #1 UK/US Dance #3 Australia #33 Canada #80 US POP
82. Don’t Stop Believin’/Glee Cast #4 US #5 Australia
83. Doesn’t Mean Anything/Alicia Keys #8 UK #14 US R&B #60 US POP
84. Goodbye/Kristina DeBarge #3 US Dance #11 US Pop #15 Canada
85. I Don’t Believe You/Pink #23 Australia
86. Ego/Beyonce #3 US R&B #6 Brazil #39 US POP
87. Want/Natalie Imbruglia #4 Italy #22 Australia
88. Whatcha Say/Jayson Derulo #1 US #3 Canada/UK #6 Australia
89. Did It Again/Shakira #4 US Latin #26 UK
90. Bottle Pop/Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg #1 US Dance #17 Australia
91. Hush Hush/Pussycat Dolls #1 US Dance #10 Australia #17 UK #41 Canada #73 US POP
92. Thinking Of You/Katy Perry #24 Canada #27 UK #29 US #43 Australia
93. Remedy/Little Boots #6 UK
94. White Horse/Taylor Swift #2 US Country #13 US POP
95. Love Etc./Pet Shop Boys #1 US Dance #14 UK
96. I Want To Know What Love Is/Mariah Carey #2 US Dance #10 US AC #19 UK #40 US R&B #60 US POP
97. Burn/Jessica Mauboy #1 Australia
98. Second Chance/Shinedown #1 US Rock #7 US #29 Canada #19 Australia
99. We Are Golden/Mika #4 UK #5 US Dance #10 Australia #15 Canada
100. Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)/Lady Gaga #2 Sweden #15 Australia #68 Canada
1. Poker Face/Lady Gaga #1 (8 weeks) Australia/Canada (3 weeks) UK (1 week) US
2. Boom Boom Pow/Black Eyed Peas #1 (12 weeks) US/Australia (4 weeks) UK/Canada
3. I Gotta Feeling/Black Eyed Peas #1 (14 weeks) US/Canada/Australia UK
4. Love Game/Lady Gaga #2 Canada #4 Australia #5 US #19 UK
5. Love Takes Over/David Guetta & Kelly Rowland #1 UK/US Dance #6 Australia #22 Canada #76 US POP
6. Love Story/Taylor Swift #1 Australia/US Country/US AC #2 UK #4 Canada/US POP
7. Circus/Britney Spears #2 Canada #3 US #6 Australia #13 UK
8. My Life Would Suck Without You/Kelly Clarkson #1 (2 weeks) US/UK/Canada #4 Australia
9. Broken Strings/James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado #1 Germany #2 UK #41 Canada
10. Empire State Of Mind/Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys #1 (5 weeks) US #2 UK #3 Canada #4 Australia
11. Party In The USA/Miley Cyrus #2 US #3 Canada #6 Australia #11 UK
12. You Belong With Me/Taylor Swift #1 US AC/Country #2 US POP #3 Canada #5 Australia #30 UK
13. Good Girls Go Bad/Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester #5 Australia #7 US/Canada #17 UK
14. I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)/Pitbull #2 US/Canada #4 UK #6 Australia
15. Bad Romance/Lady Gaga #1 UK/Canada #2 US/Australia
16. Tik Tok/Ke$ha #1 Australia/Canada/US #5 UK (currently charting at #1)
17. Celebration/Madonna #1 US Dance/Italy/Russia #3 UK #5 Canada #40 Australia #71 US POP
18. Halo/Beyonce #1 US Dance #3 Canada/Australia #4 UK #5 US POP
19. Obsessed/Mariah Carey #1 US Dance #7 US POP #13 Australia #15 Canada #52 UK
20. Million Dollar Bill/Whitney Houston #1 US Dance #5 UK #16 US R&B #100 US POP
21. Hotel Room Service/Pitbull #7 Canada #8 US #9 UK #11 Australia
22. I’m Yours/Jason Mraz #1 US AC #3 Australia/Canada #6 US POP #11 UK
23. Paparazzi/Lady Gaga #2 Australia #3 Canada #4 UK #6 US
24. Meet Me Halfway/Black Eyed Peas #1 UK/Australia #5 Canada #7 US
25. Sexy Bitch/David Guetta & Akon #1 Australia/Canada/UK #6 US
26. Knock You Down/Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo #1 US R&B #3 US #5 UK #9 Canada #25 Australia
27. She Wolf/Shakira #1 US Dance #5 Canada #4 UK #11 US POP #18 Australia
28. Sober/Pink #6 Australia #8 Canada #9 UK #15 US
29. Sweet Dreams/Beyonce #1 US Dance #2 Australia #5 UK #10 US POP #17 Canada
30. 3/Britney Spears #1 US/Canada #6 Australia #7 UK
31. I Hate This Part/Pussycat Dolls #1 US Dance #5 Canada #10 Australia #11 US #12 UK
32. Please Don’t Leave Me/Pink #8 Canada #11 Australia #12 UK #17 US
33. If You Seek Amy/Britney Spears #11 Australia #13 Canada #19 US #20 UK
34. Right Round/Flo Rida feat. Ke$ha #1 US/UK/Australia/Canada
35. Use Somebody/Kings of Leon #2 Australia/UK #4 US #8 Canada
36. Untouched/Veronica’s #2 Australia #5 Canada #8 UK #17 US
37. Heavy Cross/Gossip #7 Australia #14 US Dance #37 UK
38. Waking Up In Vegas/Katy Perry #1 US Dance #2 Canada #9 US POP #11 Australia #19 UK
39. Already Gone/Kelly Clarkson #13 US #15 Canada #66 UK
40. Happy/Leona Lewis #2 UK #15 Canada #22 Australia #31 US
41. Don’t Trust Me/3OH!3 #6 Canada #7 US #21 UK
42. Evacuate The Dancefloor/Cascada #1 UK US Dance #3 Australia #4 Canada #25 US POP
43. Fire Burning/Sean Kingston #2 Canada #5 US #12 UK
44. Blame It/Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain #1 (14 weeks) US R&B #2 US POP #7 Canada
45. New In Town/Little Boots #13 UK
46. Fallin’ For You/Colbie Caillat #3 US AC #12 US POP #28 Canada
47. Great DJ/Ting Tings #3 US Dance #33 UK #52 Australia
48. Fight For This Love/Cheryl Cole #1 UK
49. Gives You Hell/All American Rejects #3 Australia #4 Canada/US #18 UK
50. Make Me/Janet Jackson #1 US Dance
51. I Took The Night/Chelley (no chart info)
52. Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)/ A R Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls #1 Australia #3 UK #4 Canada #15 US
53. Love Sex Magic/Ciara & Justin Timberlake #5 Australia/UK #6 Canada #10 US
54. Ride My Tempo/Ida Corr #1 (6 weeks) German dance #8 Denmark
55. Fuck You/Lily Allen #1 US Dance #23 Australia #37 Canada #68 US POP
56. Break Your Heart/Taio Cruz #1 UK
57. I Do Not Hook Up/Kelly Clarkson #9 Australia #13 Canada #20 US #36 UK
58. Make Her Say/Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West & Common #11 US Rap #43 US POP
59. Day N’ Nite/Kid Cudi #2 UK #3 US #10 Canada #15 Australia
60. The Climb/Miley Cyrus #4 US #5 Australia/Canada #11 UK
61. Bad Boys/Alexandra Burke feat. Flo Rida #1 UK
62. Patron Tequila/Paradiso Girls feat. Eve & Lil’ Jon #3 US Dance
63. Run This Town/Jay-Z feat. Kanye West & Rihanna #1 UK #2 US #6 Canada #6 Australia
64. Now I’m That Bitch/Livvi Franc #1 US Dance #40 UK
65. Fireflies/Owl City #1 US #2 Australia/Canada
66. Down/Jay-Sean feat. Lil’ Wayne #1 US #2 Australia #3 Canada/UK
67. Mama Do (Uh Oh)/Pixie Lott #1 UK
68. Bulletproof/La Roux #1 UK/US Dance #5 Australia #45 Canada
69. Get Sexy/Sugababes #2 UK
70. Funhouse/Pink #6 Australia #21 Canada #29 UK #44 US
71. The Loving Kind/Girls Aloud #10 UK
72. Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)/Freemason’s feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor #2 UK Dance #13 UK POP
73. Beating My Heart/Jon McLaughlin #18 US Adult Top 40
74. Diva/Beyonce #1 US Dance #3 US R&B #19 US POP #40 Australia
75. The Boy Does Nothing/Alesha Dixon#5 UK #8 Australia
76. Work/Saturdays #22 UK
77. The One/Mary J. Blige feat. Drake #32 US R&B #63 US POP
78. The Spell/Alphabeat #20 UK
79. Krazy/Pitbull feat. Lil’ Jon #11 US Rap #30 US POP #38 Australia
80. Take Me Back/Tinchy Stryder feat. Taio Cruz #3 UK
81. The Fear/Lily Allen #1 UK/US Dance #3 Australia #33 Canada #80 US POP
82. Don’t Stop Believin’/Glee Cast #4 US #5 Australia
83. Doesn’t Mean Anything/Alicia Keys #8 UK #14 US R&B #60 US POP
84. Goodbye/Kristina DeBarge #3 US Dance #11 US Pop #15 Canada
85. I Don’t Believe You/Pink #23 Australia
86. Ego/Beyonce #3 US R&B #6 Brazil #39 US POP
87. Want/Natalie Imbruglia #4 Italy #22 Australia
88. Whatcha Say/Jayson Derulo #1 US #3 Canada/UK #6 Australia
89. Did It Again/Shakira #4 US Latin #26 UK
90. Bottle Pop/Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg #1 US Dance #17 Australia
91. Hush Hush/Pussycat Dolls #1 US Dance #10 Australia #17 UK #41 Canada #73 US POP
92. Thinking Of You/Katy Perry #24 Canada #27 UK #29 US #43 Australia
93. Remedy/Little Boots #6 UK
94. White Horse/Taylor Swift #2 US Country #13 US POP
95. Love Etc./Pet Shop Boys #1 US Dance #14 UK
96. I Want To Know What Love Is/Mariah Carey #2 US Dance #10 US AC #19 UK #40 US R&B #60 US POP
97. Burn/Jessica Mauboy #1 Australia
98. Second Chance/Shinedown #1 US Rock #7 US #29 Canada #19 Australia
99. We Are Golden/Mika #4 UK #5 US Dance #10 Australia #15 Canada
100. Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)/Lady Gaga #2 Sweden #15 Australia #68 Canada
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Island of Misfit Boys
If we’re on the Island of Unwanted Toys
We’ll miss all the fun with the girls and the boys
When Christmas Day is here
The most wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day of the year!
Another year, another Christmas. My sentiments were wake me up when it ends. Not to say I didn’t have a lovely time. Scott & I hightailed it to the Bronx for my friend & co-worker’s Christmas Eve dinner. I had had such a good time there for Thanksgiving & Anabel’s food is amazing so this was sure to be a goodie. When we stepped off the elevator we could hear the sound of loud club beats. Scott & I looked at each other like ‘alright now’. Even though Anabel had never met Scott & I had not met the rest of her family, they welcomed us with huge open arms. We ate & ate & ate some more. My body was like WTF. We also drank a lot but it was one of those rare occasions that since we ate so much we never got drunk. Which was fine because we were in wonderful company. The music blasted from the speakers & it was old club music I hadn’t heard in a long time. It was definitely a dinner I was not used to. I had brought a Xmas cd that I had made & I laughed & told Anabel had I known it would be club beats I would have just made plenty of those cds. We left with full bellies & by the time I got home all I could do was lie on my bed & wait for all the food to digest. I thought about how it’s funny this year families I had not even known had been so open to me. It made me thankful.
On my wall I have some photo’s of me that marked some happy times through my life. Me as a baby laughing at something I’m sure my stuffed animal was telling me. Me on the beach getting my tan when I was probably around 6. Me with my dance troupe when I first came to NYC. Me with my family the first Xmas I had come down from NYC. It was the last time all of us were together & we looked truly happy. My sisters were really young, Auntie M was with her last husband, my mom actually looking happy, my grandma still with us. Had I known then that she would not be here just a few years after I would have probably embraced the moment longer. But that’s just the way it goes I suppose. Flash forward to now & that picture is just a memory. I’ve still not spoken to my mother & still not sure that I could. I suppose I’m still just not ready to make nice. I haven’t heard from my sisters so I don’t know how to take that. I think I speak to my grandfather maybe once a year. At least my aunt & I still have each other. As long as I can remember we have been the black sheep. Bah bah bah is what we’ll keep singing.
Christmas day I woke up & decided that I would spend the day at the movies. I had no other plans so why not? I got in the shower & turned the water on. Seconds go by & it was still freezing cold. Another minute. Well I’ll be damned… happy cold shower Xmas. Luckily, my gym was one of 3 NYSC gyms open. So I went there & decided to work out & get my shower on. I expected it to be empty but it was a lil crowded. Jordan had also decided to come to get his fitness on. I thought kudos to you all but if I didn’t have to be here I wouldn’t. I ended up spending Christmas with Jordan at his apt, the apt I had once lived in. We watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation which IS kind of a tradition for me. The old lady never fails to make me laugh & when Randy Quaid’s character say’s ‘The shitter’s full. Merry Xmas!’ always gets a hearty laugh from me as well. We had a lil dinner & listened to music & had some drinks. I was fine until I began to think about my Christmas from 08. A few of us who had no family here got together to have our own little Christmas & we decided to do it at Jason’s. Our little island of misfit boys banded together & had a wonderful time. Had I known that would be my last Christmas with him I would have held onto that moment a little longer. So thinking about that made me a little emotional. I’m always ok until I think about it. I can be the king of locking my feelings away & then I let my guard down & those feelings rush to the surface. I swear I get more emotional as I get older. I guess that’s what life does to you. I was talking with my aunt & we made a pact. This time next year for Xmas we are gonna be together. Somewhere warm would be absolutely perfect. I would like to come back with a tan that’s for sure.
Having time off from work this week is absolutely wonderful. I went out last night which is the first time I’ve been out on a Sunday night since almost a year ago. I normally just have my Chinese & watch my shows. Scott, Sean, Paul, Isaac & I went out to Hiro & had a blast. The music was good & the boys were surely acting like some misfits. I didn’t get home until almost 7 which hasn’t happened in a long, long time. Now I’ll be chilling out until New Year’s Eve. I’m looking forward to it. A new year, the beginning of a new decade. 2009 has been a little rough. I seem to have better times during the even years. SO here’s to this one being better. May you all sip on some champagne or vodka or whatever poison it may be. I will most likely be doing both.
We’ll miss all the fun with the girls and the boys
When Christmas Day is here
The most wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day of the year!
Another year, another Christmas. My sentiments were wake me up when it ends. Not to say I didn’t have a lovely time. Scott & I hightailed it to the Bronx for my friend & co-worker’s Christmas Eve dinner. I had had such a good time there for Thanksgiving & Anabel’s food is amazing so this was sure to be a goodie. When we stepped off the elevator we could hear the sound of loud club beats. Scott & I looked at each other like ‘alright now’. Even though Anabel had never met Scott & I had not met the rest of her family, they welcomed us with huge open arms. We ate & ate & ate some more. My body was like WTF. We also drank a lot but it was one of those rare occasions that since we ate so much we never got drunk. Which was fine because we were in wonderful company. The music blasted from the speakers & it was old club music I hadn’t heard in a long time. It was definitely a dinner I was not used to. I had brought a Xmas cd that I had made & I laughed & told Anabel had I known it would be club beats I would have just made plenty of those cds. We left with full bellies & by the time I got home all I could do was lie on my bed & wait for all the food to digest. I thought about how it’s funny this year families I had not even known had been so open to me. It made me thankful.
On my wall I have some photo’s of me that marked some happy times through my life. Me as a baby laughing at something I’m sure my stuffed animal was telling me. Me on the beach getting my tan when I was probably around 6. Me with my dance troupe when I first came to NYC. Me with my family the first Xmas I had come down from NYC. It was the last time all of us were together & we looked truly happy. My sisters were really young, Auntie M was with her last husband, my mom actually looking happy, my grandma still with us. Had I known then that she would not be here just a few years after I would have probably embraced the moment longer. But that’s just the way it goes I suppose. Flash forward to now & that picture is just a memory. I’ve still not spoken to my mother & still not sure that I could. I suppose I’m still just not ready to make nice. I haven’t heard from my sisters so I don’t know how to take that. I think I speak to my grandfather maybe once a year. At least my aunt & I still have each other. As long as I can remember we have been the black sheep. Bah bah bah is what we’ll keep singing.
Christmas day I woke up & decided that I would spend the day at the movies. I had no other plans so why not? I got in the shower & turned the water on. Seconds go by & it was still freezing cold. Another minute. Well I’ll be damned… happy cold shower Xmas. Luckily, my gym was one of 3 NYSC gyms open. So I went there & decided to work out & get my shower on. I expected it to be empty but it was a lil crowded. Jordan had also decided to come to get his fitness on. I thought kudos to you all but if I didn’t have to be here I wouldn’t. I ended up spending Christmas with Jordan at his apt, the apt I had once lived in. We watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation which IS kind of a tradition for me. The old lady never fails to make me laugh & when Randy Quaid’s character say’s ‘The shitter’s full. Merry Xmas!’ always gets a hearty laugh from me as well. We had a lil dinner & listened to music & had some drinks. I was fine until I began to think about my Christmas from 08. A few of us who had no family here got together to have our own little Christmas & we decided to do it at Jason’s. Our little island of misfit boys banded together & had a wonderful time. Had I known that would be my last Christmas with him I would have held onto that moment a little longer. So thinking about that made me a little emotional. I’m always ok until I think about it. I can be the king of locking my feelings away & then I let my guard down & those feelings rush to the surface. I swear I get more emotional as I get older. I guess that’s what life does to you. I was talking with my aunt & we made a pact. This time next year for Xmas we are gonna be together. Somewhere warm would be absolutely perfect. I would like to come back with a tan that’s for sure.
Having time off from work this week is absolutely wonderful. I went out last night which is the first time I’ve been out on a Sunday night since almost a year ago. I normally just have my Chinese & watch my shows. Scott, Sean, Paul, Isaac & I went out to Hiro & had a blast. The music was good & the boys were surely acting like some misfits. I didn’t get home until almost 7 which hasn’t happened in a long, long time. Now I’ll be chilling out until New Year’s Eve. I’m looking forward to it. A new year, the beginning of a new decade. 2009 has been a little rough. I seem to have better times during the even years. SO here’s to this one being better. May you all sip on some champagne or vodka or whatever poison it may be. I will most likely be doing both.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Nick's Top 100 of the Decade
Figuring out my top 100 of the decade was not the easiest of tasks. There have been so so many favorites that I haven’t included because I tried to keep this consistent with other big hits on other charts. I could have easily had all my ladies of pop dominate this but I thought not. Billboard & I agreed who should have the #1 song, but after that we differ. A lot of their songs show up on this one & I also have a lot of songs that were not hits here in the US or missed their top 100. Here’s how I came up with the ones in the top 10. We Belong Together was at #1 for 14 weeks & brought Mariah back to the tops of the chart after not charting in the top 10 with Thank God I Found You in 2000. The Emancipation of Mimi was the biggest selling album of 2005 & not only did she receive the #1 song of this decade but also had the #1 in the 90’s with One Sweet Day. Beyonce is the female artist with the most charted singles of this decade & if you count the ones with Destiny’s Child it puts her even further in front. Madonna toured 3 times & had the biggest selling tour by a female artist with Sticky & Sweet. Music should have made Billboard’s top 100 so I felt the need to pump it up even higher on my chart. The first American Idol winner was Kelly Clarkson & with her single Since U Been Gone, she showed she was more than just a one hit idol wonder. Gaga has become one of my most favorite artist’s with just one album & one EP, but I think she is here to stay. Kylie has been around since the late 80’s & this song put her back on everyone’s map all over the world. It went to #1 in 40 countries around the world. Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis was inescapable & the #1 single in the UK of 2007. This X-Factor winner has grace & poise that is not seen by most pop artist’s out there. Rihanna was unstoppable with her singles from Good Girl Gone Bad & Umbrella was the biggest & most covered song in 2007. It also has the most weeks at #1 by any other artist in the UK. Amy Winehouse may be a hot mess but Back To Black was my favorite album of 2007. Rehab was MY anthem & it was her biggest hit to date. The lone male in this top 10 that isn’t featured is Justin Timberlake who showed he was more than just the curly haired lead of a boy band with his first debut album. But, with his first single from Future Sex/Love Sound he had us all wondering where the hell had sexy been? At least it was back. Big props to Jay-Z for being featured in 2 of the songs in this top 10. I’ve included how many weeks the song spent at its position here in the US but not in other countries. Hope you enjoy the rest!
1. We Belong Together/Mariah Carey #1(14 weeks) US/Australia #2 UK
2. Crazy In Love/Beyonce feat. Jay-Z #1 (8 weeks) US/UK #2 Australia/UK
3. Music/Madonna #1 (3 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
4. Just Dance/Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis #1 (3 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
5. Since U Been Gone/Kelly Clarkson #2 US #3 Australia #5 UK
6. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head #1 (4 weeks) UK/Australia/US Dance #7 US POP
7. Bleeding Love/Leona Lewis #1 (4 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
8. Umbrella/Rihanna feat. Jay-Z #1 (8 weeks) US (9 weeks) UK #1 Australia/Canada
9. Rehab/Amy Winehouse #7 UK #9 US #10 Canada
10. SexyBack/Justin Timberlake #1 (6 weeks) US/UK/Australia #3 Canada
11. Lady Marmalade/Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya & Lil’ Kim #1 (5 weeks) US/UK/Australia
12. Yeah!/Usher feat. Ludacris & Lil’ John #1 (12 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
13. Gold Digger/Kanye West feat Jamie Foxx #1 (10 weeks) US/Australia #2 UK/Canada
14. All For You/Janet Jackson #1 (7 weeks) US/Canada #3 UK #5 Australia
15. Toxic/Britney Spears #1 UK/Australia/Canada/US Dance #9 UK POP
16. Fallin’/Alicia Keys #1 (5 weeks) US #3 UK #7Australia
17. Single Ladies/Beyonce #1 (4 weeks) US/UK #2 Canada #5 Australia
18. Boom Boom Pow #1 (12 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
19. Hot In Herre/Nelly #1 (6 weeks) US/Canada #3 Australia #4 UK
20. Poker Face/Lady Gaga #1 US/UK/Australia/Canada
21. Hollaback Girl/Gwen Stefani #1 (4 weeks) US/Australia #8 UK #12 Canada
22. Hung Up/Madonna #1 UK/Australia/Canada/US Dance #7 US POP
23. Don’t Cha/Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes #1 UK/Canada/Australia/US Dance #2 US POP
24. No One/Alicia Keys #1 (9 weeks) US #2 Canada #3 Australia #6 UK
25. Beautiful/Christina Aguilera #1 UK/Canada/Australia/US Dance #2 US POP
26. I’m Real/Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule #1 (5 weeks) US #4 UK #6 Canada
27. Promiscuous/Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland #1 (6 weeks) US/Canada #2 Australia #3 UK
28. Be Without You/Mary J. Blige #1 (16 weeks) US R&B #3 US POP
29. Baby Boy/Beyonce feat. Sean Paul #1 (9 weeks) US #2 UK #3 Australia
30. SOS/Rihanna #1 (3 weeks) US/Australia #2 UK/Canada
31. Lose Yourself/Eminem #1 (12 weeks) US/Australia/Canada/UK
32. I Kissed A Girl/Katy Perry #1 (7 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
33. I Gotta Feeling/Black Eyed Peas #1 (14 weeks) US/UK/Canada/Australia
34. You’re Beautiful/James Blunt #1 US/UK/Canada #2 Australia
35. Chasing Pavements/Adele #2 UK #21 US #28 Canada
36. Just Like A Pill/Pink #1 UK #2 Australia #4 Canada #8 US
37. If I Ain’t Got You/Alicia Keys #1 (6 weeks) US R&B #4 US POP #18 UK
38. Ain’t It Funny(remix)/Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule & Caddillac Tah #1 (6 weeks) US #4 UK #9 Australia #12 Canada
39. U Remind Me/Usher #1 (4 weeks) US #3 UK #4 Australia
40. Womanizer/Britney Spears #1 US/Canada #3 UK #5 Australia
41. Work It/Missy Elliot #1 US R&B #2 US POP #6 UK/Australia
42. Low/Flo Rida feat. T-Pain #1 (10 weeks) US/Australia/Canada #2 UK
43. Touch My Body/Mariah Carey #1 (2 weeks) US #2 Canada #5 UK #17 Australia
44. I’m Yours/Jason Mraz #1 (16 weeks) US AC/UK #3 Australia/Canada #6 US POP
45. Hips Don’t Lie/Shakira Feat. Wyclef Jean #1 (4 weeks) US/UK/Australia #2 Canada
46. Don’t Stop The Music/Rihanna #1 Australia/US Dance #2 Canada #3 US POP #4 UK
47. Say My Name/Destiny’s Child #1 (3 weeks) US/Australia #2 Canada #3 UK
48. Irreplaceable/Beyonce #1 (10 weeks) US/Australia #4 UK
49. Crazy/Gnarls Barkley #1 (9 weeks) UK/Canada #2 US/Australia
50. Makes Me Wonder/Maroon 5 #1 (3 weeks) US/Canada #2 UK #6 Australia
51. Milkshake/Kelis #1 US Dance #2 Australia/UK #3 US POP
52. Buttons/Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg #1 US Dance #2 Australia #3 UK/US POP
53. Apologize/Timbaland feat. One Republic #1 Australia/Canada #2 US #3 UK
54. Family Affair/Mary J. Blige #1 (6 weeks) US #8 Australia/UK
55. Get Ur Freak On/Missy Elliot #3 US R&B #4 UK #7 US POP
56. Doesn’t Really Matter/Janet Jackson #1 (3 weeks) US #5 UK #6 Canada #28 Australia
57. All I Have/Jennifer Lopez feat. LL Cool J #1 (4 weeks) US #2 UK/Australia #6 Canada
58. On A Night Like This/Kylie Minogue #1 Australia #2 UK
59. Can’t Touch It/Ricki-Lee #2 Australia
60. Glamorous/Fergie feat. Ludacris #1 (2 weeks) US #2 Australia #6 UK #12 Canada
61. Broken Strings/James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado #1 Germany #2 UK #41 Canada
62. The Sweet Escape/Gwen Stefani feat. Akon #2 US/UK/Australia/Canada
63. Lose My Breath/Destiny’s Child #2 UK #3 US/Australia
64. Hey Ya!/Outkast #1 (9 weeks) US/Australia/Canada #3 UK
65. Get Busy/Sean Paul #1 (3 weeks) US #4 UK/Australia
66. In Da Club/50 Cent #1 (9 weeks) US/Australia/Canada #3 UK
67. Dance Wiv Me/Dizzee Rascal feat. Calvin Harris #1 (4 weeks) UK #13 Australia
68. I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’/Scissor Sisters #1 (4 weeks) UK/Australia #2 US Dance Airplay
69. Let Me Blow Your Mind/Eve feat. Gwen Stefani #2 US #4 UK/Australia
70. Underneath It All/No Doubt feat. Lady Saw #3 US #18 UK #28 Australia #35 Canada
71. Love Story/Taylor Swift #1 US Country/Australia #2 UK #4 US POP/Canada
72. U + Ur Hand/Pink #5 Australia #9 US #10 UK #31 Canada
73. Again/Lenny Kravitz #4 US #19 UK #30 Australia
74. Cry Me A River/Justin Timberlake #2 UK/Australia #3 US
75. Get Right/Jennifer Lopez #1 UK/US Dance #3 Australia/Canada #12 US POP
76. Bootylicious/Destiny’s Child #1 US #2 UK #4 Canada/Australia
77. Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)/Christina Aguilera #1 (3 weeks) US/Canada #3 Australia #8 UK
78. My Immortal/Evanescence #1 Canada #7 UK/US #11 Australia
79. Bad Day/Daniel Powter #1 (4 weeks) US #2 UK #3 Australia #7 Canada
80. Breathe/Faith Hill #1 US Country #2 US POP
81. Don’t Tell Me/Madonna #1 Canada/US Dance #4 US/UK #7 Australia
82. My Life Would Suck Without You/Kelly Clarkson #1 (2 weeks) US/UK/Canada #4 Australia
83. Independent Women (part 1)/Destiny’s Child #1 (11 weeks) US/UK/Canada #3 Australia
84. Black & Gold/Sam Sparro #2 UK #4 Australia #8 US Dance Airplay
85. How Many Licks?/Lil’ Kim feat. Sisqo #11 US Rap #36 US R&B #75 US POP
86. Try Again/Aaliyah #1 US #5 UK/Germany #8 Australia
87. The Way You Move/Outkast feat. Sleepy Brown #1 US #7 UK/Australia
88. Always On Time/Ja Rule feat. Ashanti #1 (2 weeks) US #2 Canada #3 Australia #6 UK
89. Shake It Off/Mariah Carey #2 US #6 Australia #9 UK/b-side of Get Your Number
90. Dilemma/Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland #1 (7 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
91. Thank You/Dido #1 US AC/Canada #3 UK/US POP
92. Mr. Brightside/The Killers #10 UK/US
93. Girlfriend/Avril Lavigne #1 US/Canada/Australia #2 UK
94. Goodies/Ciara #1 (7 weeks) US/UK/Canada #19 Australia
95. I Knew I Loved You/Savage Garden #1 (4 weeks) US/Canada #4 Australia # 10 UK
96. Hero/Enrique Iglesias #1 US Latin/UK/Australia #3 US POP
97. Unwritten/Natasha Bedingfield #1 US Dance/AC #4 Canada #5 US POP #6 UK
98. Before He Cheats/Carrie Underwood #1 (5 weeks) US Country #4 Canada #8 US POP
99. Mercy/Duffy #1 (5 weeks) UK #11 Canada # 26 Australia #27 US
100. Foolish/Ashanti #1 (10 weeks) US #4 UK #6 Australia
1. We Belong Together/Mariah Carey #1(14 weeks) US/Australia #2 UK
2. Crazy In Love/Beyonce feat. Jay-Z #1 (8 weeks) US/UK #2 Australia/UK
3. Music/Madonna #1 (3 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
4. Just Dance/Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis #1 (3 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
5. Since U Been Gone/Kelly Clarkson #2 US #3 Australia #5 UK
6. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head #1 (4 weeks) UK/Australia/US Dance #7 US POP
7. Bleeding Love/Leona Lewis #1 (4 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
8. Umbrella/Rihanna feat. Jay-Z #1 (8 weeks) US (9 weeks) UK #1 Australia/Canada
9. Rehab/Amy Winehouse #7 UK #9 US #10 Canada
10. SexyBack/Justin Timberlake #1 (6 weeks) US/UK/Australia #3 Canada
11. Lady Marmalade/Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya & Lil’ Kim #1 (5 weeks) US/UK/Australia
12. Yeah!/Usher feat. Ludacris & Lil’ John #1 (12 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
13. Gold Digger/Kanye West feat Jamie Foxx #1 (10 weeks) US/Australia #2 UK/Canada
14. All For You/Janet Jackson #1 (7 weeks) US/Canada #3 UK #5 Australia
15. Toxic/Britney Spears #1 UK/Australia/Canada/US Dance #9 UK POP
16. Fallin’/Alicia Keys #1 (5 weeks) US #3 UK #7Australia
17. Single Ladies/Beyonce #1 (4 weeks) US/UK #2 Canada #5 Australia
18. Boom Boom Pow #1 (12 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
19. Hot In Herre/Nelly #1 (6 weeks) US/Canada #3 Australia #4 UK
20. Poker Face/Lady Gaga #1 US/UK/Australia/Canada
21. Hollaback Girl/Gwen Stefani #1 (4 weeks) US/Australia #8 UK #12 Canada
22. Hung Up/Madonna #1 UK/Australia/Canada/US Dance #7 US POP
23. Don’t Cha/Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes #1 UK/Canada/Australia/US Dance #2 US POP
24. No One/Alicia Keys #1 (9 weeks) US #2 Canada #3 Australia #6 UK
25. Beautiful/Christina Aguilera #1 UK/Canada/Australia/US Dance #2 US POP
26. I’m Real/Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule #1 (5 weeks) US #4 UK #6 Canada
27. Promiscuous/Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland #1 (6 weeks) US/Canada #2 Australia #3 UK
28. Be Without You/Mary J. Blige #1 (16 weeks) US R&B #3 US POP
29. Baby Boy/Beyonce feat. Sean Paul #1 (9 weeks) US #2 UK #3 Australia
30. SOS/Rihanna #1 (3 weeks) US/Australia #2 UK/Canada
31. Lose Yourself/Eminem #1 (12 weeks) US/Australia/Canada/UK
32. I Kissed A Girl/Katy Perry #1 (7 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
33. I Gotta Feeling/Black Eyed Peas #1 (14 weeks) US/UK/Canada/Australia
34. You’re Beautiful/James Blunt #1 US/UK/Canada #2 Australia
35. Chasing Pavements/Adele #2 UK #21 US #28 Canada
36. Just Like A Pill/Pink #1 UK #2 Australia #4 Canada #8 US
37. If I Ain’t Got You/Alicia Keys #1 (6 weeks) US R&B #4 US POP #18 UK
38. Ain’t It Funny(remix)/Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule & Caddillac Tah #1 (6 weeks) US #4 UK #9 Australia #12 Canada
39. U Remind Me/Usher #1 (4 weeks) US #3 UK #4 Australia
40. Womanizer/Britney Spears #1 US/Canada #3 UK #5 Australia
41. Work It/Missy Elliot #1 US R&B #2 US POP #6 UK/Australia
42. Low/Flo Rida feat. T-Pain #1 (10 weeks) US/Australia/Canada #2 UK
43. Touch My Body/Mariah Carey #1 (2 weeks) US #2 Canada #5 UK #17 Australia
44. I’m Yours/Jason Mraz #1 (16 weeks) US AC/UK #3 Australia/Canada #6 US POP
45. Hips Don’t Lie/Shakira Feat. Wyclef Jean #1 (4 weeks) US/UK/Australia #2 Canada
46. Don’t Stop The Music/Rihanna #1 Australia/US Dance #2 Canada #3 US POP #4 UK
47. Say My Name/Destiny’s Child #1 (3 weeks) US/Australia #2 Canada #3 UK
48. Irreplaceable/Beyonce #1 (10 weeks) US/Australia #4 UK
49. Crazy/Gnarls Barkley #1 (9 weeks) UK/Canada #2 US/Australia
50. Makes Me Wonder/Maroon 5 #1 (3 weeks) US/Canada #2 UK #6 Australia
51. Milkshake/Kelis #1 US Dance #2 Australia/UK #3 US POP
52. Buttons/Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg #1 US Dance #2 Australia #3 UK/US POP
53. Apologize/Timbaland feat. One Republic #1 Australia/Canada #2 US #3 UK
54. Family Affair/Mary J. Blige #1 (6 weeks) US #8 Australia/UK
55. Get Ur Freak On/Missy Elliot #3 US R&B #4 UK #7 US POP
56. Doesn’t Really Matter/Janet Jackson #1 (3 weeks) US #5 UK #6 Canada #28 Australia
57. All I Have/Jennifer Lopez feat. LL Cool J #1 (4 weeks) US #2 UK/Australia #6 Canada
58. On A Night Like This/Kylie Minogue #1 Australia #2 UK
59. Can’t Touch It/Ricki-Lee #2 Australia
60. Glamorous/Fergie feat. Ludacris #1 (2 weeks) US #2 Australia #6 UK #12 Canada
61. Broken Strings/James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado #1 Germany #2 UK #41 Canada
62. The Sweet Escape/Gwen Stefani feat. Akon #2 US/UK/Australia/Canada
63. Lose My Breath/Destiny’s Child #2 UK #3 US/Australia
64. Hey Ya!/Outkast #1 (9 weeks) US/Australia/Canada #3 UK
65. Get Busy/Sean Paul #1 (3 weeks) US #4 UK/Australia
66. In Da Club/50 Cent #1 (9 weeks) US/Australia/Canada #3 UK
67. Dance Wiv Me/Dizzee Rascal feat. Calvin Harris #1 (4 weeks) UK #13 Australia
68. I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’/Scissor Sisters #1 (4 weeks) UK/Australia #2 US Dance Airplay
69. Let Me Blow Your Mind/Eve feat. Gwen Stefani #2 US #4 UK/Australia
70. Underneath It All/No Doubt feat. Lady Saw #3 US #18 UK #28 Australia #35 Canada
71. Love Story/Taylor Swift #1 US Country/Australia #2 UK #4 US POP/Canada
72. U + Ur Hand/Pink #5 Australia #9 US #10 UK #31 Canada
73. Again/Lenny Kravitz #4 US #19 UK #30 Australia
74. Cry Me A River/Justin Timberlake #2 UK/Australia #3 US
75. Get Right/Jennifer Lopez #1 UK/US Dance #3 Australia/Canada #12 US POP
76. Bootylicious/Destiny’s Child #1 US #2 UK #4 Canada/Australia
77. Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)/Christina Aguilera #1 (3 weeks) US/Canada #3 Australia #8 UK
78. My Immortal/Evanescence #1 Canada #7 UK/US #11 Australia
79. Bad Day/Daniel Powter #1 (4 weeks) US #2 UK #3 Australia #7 Canada
80. Breathe/Faith Hill #1 US Country #2 US POP
81. Don’t Tell Me/Madonna #1 Canada/US Dance #4 US/UK #7 Australia
82. My Life Would Suck Without You/Kelly Clarkson #1 (2 weeks) US/UK/Canada #4 Australia
83. Independent Women (part 1)/Destiny’s Child #1 (11 weeks) US/UK/Canada #3 Australia
84. Black & Gold/Sam Sparro #2 UK #4 Australia #8 US Dance Airplay
85. How Many Licks?/Lil’ Kim feat. Sisqo #11 US Rap #36 US R&B #75 US POP
86. Try Again/Aaliyah #1 US #5 UK/Germany #8 Australia
87. The Way You Move/Outkast feat. Sleepy Brown #1 US #7 UK/Australia
88. Always On Time/Ja Rule feat. Ashanti #1 (2 weeks) US #2 Canada #3 Australia #6 UK
89. Shake It Off/Mariah Carey #2 US #6 Australia #9 UK/b-side of Get Your Number
90. Dilemma/Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland #1 (7 weeks) US/UK/Australia/Canada
91. Thank You/Dido #1 US AC/Canada #3 UK/US POP
92. Mr. Brightside/The Killers #10 UK/US
93. Girlfriend/Avril Lavigne #1 US/Canada/Australia #2 UK
94. Goodies/Ciara #1 (7 weeks) US/UK/Canada #19 Australia
95. I Knew I Loved You/Savage Garden #1 (4 weeks) US/Canada #4 Australia # 10 UK
96. Hero/Enrique Iglesias #1 US Latin/UK/Australia #3 US POP
97. Unwritten/Natasha Bedingfield #1 US Dance/AC #4 Canada #5 US POP #6 UK
98. Before He Cheats/Carrie Underwood #1 (5 weeks) US Country #4 Canada #8 US POP
99. Mercy/Duffy #1 (5 weeks) UK #11 Canada # 26 Australia #27 US
100. Foolish/Ashanti #1 (10 weeks) US #4 UK #6 Australia
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