Monday, June 29, 2009

Gay Pride Parade on Sunday

Dang, I was thinking that Doris would have gotten enough of The City & parades yesterday at the Dyke Parade.
But nooooOOOOOoooo.

So off we go after she returned home from church, back to the Big Apple in the grueling Gay Pride Traffic. shit.

By that time the Parade was maybe half over, but we were so hungry.

Well so often I think about how lucky it is that I hooked my wagon to Doris' star years decades ago because she truly has angels on her shoulders, & God Goddess Universe often reigns FAVOR down on her...

We found a GREAT parking spot on Bank St. WITHOUT a meter (free!) only 3 blocks from the parade on Christopher St. & Bleeker!
Manatus is on Bleeker where we were seated in a BOOTH! immediately!
Not only is all this so impossible, but afterwards we somehow came out & EASILY slid into the FRONT ROW of the parade on Christopher & Bleeker which is just freakin' insane.
I used to live in the building on the corner & believe me it is the MOST desirable spot!

3 miracles! Bing Bang Boom!

Guess D was rewarded for sharing her gifts & singing in the choir all morning ... while I played hookey, stayed home & languished.

I wasn't able to walk down the midway after the March ended (which was around 730pm - told y'all it's too long in NYC) because of my durn hip. So we drove back to Jersey with easy traffic since it was still so early! Could NOT believe any of it!

As for the parade, the children were out! There were a billion kadrillion GLBT folk & their friends & it was just crazy. Then there were a trillion cops. Everything seemed fine that I saw, except for all the Black women who gave Doris evil looks because she was with a white woman. Some things never change.

Glad to be back home in bed. Yeaaaaa BED!!!

PS: There's been a Charlie's Angels /Farrah Fawcett marathon on TV all night long!!!
Loving it.
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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Dyke Parade Today (Saturday)



17th Annual NYC Dyke March
Saturday June 27, 2009 at 5:00pm
Bryant Park
40th St. & 6th Ave.
New York City, New York Get Directions
The 17th Annual NYC Dyke March steps off at 5 pm sharp on the evening of Saturday June 27th 2009. Everyone should assemble at Bryant Park, located at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue. The march goes down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park.

It's time to hit the streets! Make some noise. Be visible. Be heard. Demonstrate, agitate, liberate at the New York City Dyke March. Bring signs, banners, drums, giant puppets, flags, hula hoops or just be there!

The New York City Dyke March is a protest march, not a parade -- we don't ask for a permit, because we have the right to protest. As queer women, we recognize that we must organize amongst ourselves to fight for our rights, our safety, and for visibility. Thousands of dykes take over the streets every year in celebration of queer women everywhere and to protest against ongoing , harassment and anti-women violence in schools, on the job, in our families and on the streets.

As always, the Dyke March is open to all women, biological or otherwise - no sign-up or registration required. Just come out with your banners, signs, noisemakers, and beautiful dyke selves, and join in the march!
Website: http://dykemarchnyc.org

There is also a Lesbian Dance on Pier 54 afterward!

We went into The City, watched many people in the comfort of our little RV while chowing down on Papaya's Hot dogs. We drove around different favorite areas & parked for a time. Then we parked right on 8th St & 5th Ave & waited for the parade to pass. Finally they came..hundreds of Lesbians & friends, some were topless & they were all singing When the Saints Come Marching In. But they passed by SO fast. SEVEN MINUTES, I kid you not.

While we had been waiting, the sky had opened & rain started pouring. Everyone got dowsed, (except for us!) Afterwards we drove down the West Side Highway to check out Pier 54... And Low & Behold - There they all were!!! The rest of the parade! A gillion hot. sweatty dykes, jumping around to the DJ's tunes at the big Dance. It was $25 a person to get in, but Doris & I kept on driving... We had to go line up for the Holland Tunnel to get back to Jersey.

Ahhhh. Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
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Sunday, June 21, 2009

My Daddy

Today is Father's Day.
I had a really great Daddy!
His name was Paul.
Paul Euclid xxxxxxxx,
an odd middle name, but he turned out to be an accountant
so it was actually fitting.
He was always an executive in his jobs,-
always a vice president-treasure,
so he was able to be a great provider!
Actually, he was very smart, close to brilliant...
at least in my eyes,
Definitely the smartest in our family.
And he was always nice to me.
He loved me & I knew it.
Altho' he was not demonstrative, warm or fuzzy.

He lived more in his head than in his heart.
He often would be reading during his time off, whether it was newspapers, magazines, or one of his many hard-cover books - while listening to classical music of which he had vast amounts of LPs. Not to mention a fabulous sound system. He had a library where he had books BEHIND books. And after he had bypass surgery, he took a speed reading course so he could try to finish reading all his beloved books before he died at the age of 68.

He also had a work bench & giant tools in the garage & was very handy - when he got the chance.

His other hobby was photography, he had Nikons & also could develop his own pictures which he taught me to do at a young age. (8yrs!). (I now am a great amature photographer, but didn't retain the development process!)

Since all his hobbies & interests were something he only did alone, I figured out a way to get more attention by becoming the center of many of the photos he took. My brother & I were chronicled growing up & I love being able to visit our childhood thru all the pictures.

My father was a very dapper dresser with all his suits, ties, shoes & hats. However he had no clue how to dress on the weekends, or when he got home from work to relax. He had bermuda shorts with tucked in izod type button-down tees with a Belt... and hurache sandals with socks. heh heh. My poor little daddy.

He was nice to me, kind. And I could tell there were often times I fascinated him. He was my smart, little ole Daddy & I loved him.

But he was gone a lot - traveled abroad often for his job. Emotionally he was a vapor. He frustrated my Mother no end, never gave her much attention, was not at all romantic, never gave her compliments for all her cooking, house keeping, & the lovely way she always dressed & took care of herself. She tried so hard to please him, but he barely noticed. Too me it was his power struggle & defense.

My mother was VERY difficult. NOTHING EVER made her happy. We all tried & tried, but she would scream & yell, throw hissy fits & slap & hit my brother & I constantly.

I think after his initial shock at the jeckle/hyde crazy, emotional wreck he married, my father just retreated into his shell to escape the insanity. But it certainly didn't help. She was SO needy & he basically refused to get caught up in her craziness. He froze her out. It was cruel.

And her ego was too damn fragile to admit she needed help, so she would only go for "counseling" with our church pastors, develop a crush on them & scare them off.

Mother & Daddy both could have used therapy, but were too busy trying to present a "perfect family" front to the outside world. I think maybe Daddy wasn't that kind to Alan either because my brother would rebel at all the "perfection" that was asked of us & ended up being somewhat of a problem... Poor Alan.

Of course I was always trying to be perfect in order to keep the family together & the happy scherade up. I didn't rebel & go nuts until I moved out to NYC at 21yrs.

Well anyway, this was supposed to be about my father, but I had to bring up the truth in how he never got help for my mother. When I told him she was crazy, he said 'NO she's NOT." I really don't know how they stayed together all those years, pretending to the world that everything was fine.

My Dad tho' DID try to give us wonderful vacations, driving us cross country, camping in different National Parks each year! It was his way of educating us & it was glorious! Apart from my Mother exploding every 3 days at just the stress of being Ruth, (don't you love it - Ruth & Paul?) it was great fun & adventures, & some of my best childhood memories.

And my Most Favorite memory is when driving me to my 3rd year of college, he pulled over for fuel at a gas station & bought me a BEAUTIFUL, shiney red Corvair convertable that was for sale there, so they wouldn't have to keep driving 3 hrs to pick me up & take me back!!! It was the biggest thrill ever!

He was a great father - to me. I miss him a lot. He passed about 25 yrs ago. My mother 12 yrs after that. They both did the best they could & I do appreciate it. I wish I would have told them more often.

One thing I learned for sure... It is MUCH easier to forgive after someone dies. I'm so sorry for ALL the pain my Mother lived her life in, altho' she always took it out on us. It is tragic to recall.

And I'm so sorry for the pain my father also lived with (if not contributed to.) I think he may have been living in the closet. In another lifetime perhaps he would have had courage to come out & be gay. We'll never really know & at this time it doesn't even matter.

Happy Father's Day Dad. Thank you for Everything! I'll love you always. xxxooo.

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Friday, June 12, 2009

Happy Birthday Alan!

Today is my baby brother's 60th birthday! OMG,
I can NOT believe he's really hit the big 6-0.

I remember when we adopted him at 9mo's old. He came toddeling out of a doorway, holding the nurse's hand. He was dressed in little overall shorts with his pudgy legs bulging out into little white sox & lace up baby shoes.
His blonde hair was parted on the side & combed neatly framing those chubby pink cheeks.

It was my birthday that day & I wasn't too sure of this new birthday present. We fought a lot as kids, but thru the years I came to dearly love him.

Not to mention we are the only ones who really know what it was like to have grown up together in our disfunctional household (didn't everyone have one of those?) with our crazy mother (she did the best she could..) & our docile father (a great provider, but he was gone a lot -both physically & emotionally.)

It all was what it was (Hell!) no - just kidding... ah, not really, but anyway - we both SURVIVED!!!

He's a great little brother, even though he grew to 6'4",
& is very talented, generous, good, sweet & thoughtful, jovial -

corny jokes & all! haha!

His wonderful wife Annie has baked a delicious apple, pecan, preline birthday pie for him & no doubt they are celebrating now as I write.

When I called earlier to sing him happy birthday, I asked him how it feels to be 60? He said it really hurts.
He had fallen down wooden steps on the way to work. landed on his butt & tailbone, then his elbow jammed into his already messed up shoulder & he was feelin' the PAIN.

Luckily he was able to take a nap
(yep yep, naps are good after 60!)
& is feeling better. Okay brother dear, onward & upward one day at a time!
Welcome to geeserville!

Happy Birthday A L V I N !!!!

He hates when I call him that, har har!!

I LOVE YOU!

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Party Time

We went to a grand LESBIAN! birthday party last night. One of my Flight Attendant friends turned 50yrs & had a huge blow out. The invitations said "elegant white" so everyone dressed in white. (I hate wearing white- I'm so pale & end up looking like a big adhesive bandage..) But everyone else looked fab & it was lots of fun.

It was a catered affair in their back yard with 6 big round tables under a huge yellow stripe canopy. There was a long buffet along side the beautiful swimming pool, a DJ playing jazz while we chowed down, then disco tunes when everyone hit the dance floor!

I didn't dance. I really wanted to, the music was so good & Doris was egging me on. But there were camera shots, video cameras, & other Flight Attendants there, plus I didn't need to chance making the pain in my hip worse. So I sat & ate birthday cake (3 pieces-ha!) while everyone partied thru the night.

Seeing that we live down the street from this soiree, all we needed to do was walk home! Love that. We left around 1100p (geesh, we are old - the craziness was still ensuing with all the other Younger (drunk-ha!) dykes. Actually there were old inebriated lesbians too. Sometimes it's kinda hard to hang around folks who have been drinking all night when I've been clean & sober for so many decades.

It was wonderful to spend time with so many lovely lesbians WITHOUT children running around. (Okay one did bring her beautiful new baby from across the street to show us all, but took it back to her mother after 20 minutes. perfect!)

Everyone had a great time, esp Doris & me! I have to admit though, it was wonderful to get home. There's just no place like BED alone with Doris!

Good GOD, am I a truly sorry boring dud or what? I just re-read this entry & am amazed at how droll I sound. Strange, I don't FEEL like such a giant yutz. Hmmm. Maybe it would have come off different had I been able to dance!

Or not.

Guess I'm just tired from all this sitting around.
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Friday, June 05, 2009

A True Pain In the Ass

The MRI showed fluid in or on my hip, the doc called it effusion... whatever the hell that is. Plus I have sciatica. Okay, figured that much. Now I have to go for a bone scan to make sure there's no fracture before I start physical therapy. I'll be off of flying the rest of the month! Can't argue with that! Yea.

Did I mention my knee?
And the bottom of my feet hurt ALOT?
Guess I'll go to the foot Dr too.
Might as well make the rounds since I have time now.
Good thing I have 700 hrs of sick time available.
I've been feeling fucking polio stricken
for months now.
Waa waa waa. Okay, I'll shut up.

I'm really not complaining, I feel very blessed it's not worse.
And I'll be patiently biding my time while I heal.

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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Freakin' Mammograms

Went for a mammo today.
My GOD is there any more a barbaric thing than having your breasts smashed between 2 freezing shelves while you hold your breath & they count & take the xrays? At least this technician was nicer than the last 'nurse Rachett' I had do this 6 years ago. It is so painful.

I expect to be called back for more xrays & the sonograms because I am very cystic, it happens ea time. What a drag. An angel on my shoulder told me I am fine & not to worry.

Hope it's not just denial.
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