Look, I just want to know if Tampa tied up the series.

A lunch discourse with my very straight boss.

GreyGoose: Ugh. I'm just trying to look at sports. And there are these two women flirting with me.
Everyone: What?
GreyGoose: I'm on Fox sports.com, and there's this ad! Of this girl in a tank top. She's winking at me, it's distracting! I just want to read sports.
Sugar: Are you sure you're not on foxy sports?
GG: No! Ugh...now she's in her bra and panties! Subversive advertising and there are chicks trying to flirt with me!
Pen: ...Those bastards.
***********************


First ladies get tagged on a lot of things: health care, libraries, international relations. But also a lot of things that don't make a whole lot of sense: chocolate chip cookies, hostessing and their wardrobe choices.
To me, the clear front runner this year has been Michelle Obama. She epitomizes well cut, classic and exemplary American style. She's not trying to be French or European, nor has she resorted to stuffy, ill-fitting pant suits. Girlfriend can wear the hell out of a floral pattern just as well as online favorites from J. Crew. And the Democratic nomination purple dress? Iconic.
And now there's a website where you can view Michelle's wardrobe selections on a daily basis. I kid you not. (What? Like Carla Bruni doesn't have one?) Mrs. O dot org.

ahah! The Review for Rocky from the San Francisco Tribune

ORIGINAL SPANISH TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH via the Google Translator. Fabulous program really....

Grisly show that will make you die of laughter and enjoy the great music of Rock. A classic and cultists, a play super crazy and fun, finally there's a lot we could use adjectives to describe what indescribable, but words are not enough ... you have to see it in shade for you to be the main witness to this crime against the seriousness and the good manners count. The Rocky Horror Show will be presented for the first time in the real drama of the royal court in London; the year: 1973. This book was written by Richard O'Brien, together with Jim Sharma Australian director. In a short time I place the number eight in the BBC radio and the first scene of the musical key. This show has won countless awards and musical theater, and also because it has not received much criticism for his subject as controversial and that no call: crazy. The only downside is that without this madness, without this incredible creativity of someone who possibly take LSD before writing it, had not been the success it is today. As well as music groups of the caliber of the Grateful Dead, which has many followers, this musical also has many supporters and usually presents at midnight. It left the 1973 movie Rocky Horror Show, and was a success. Mostly this movie shown in theaters around the world and obviously they do at midnight, while the effect of horror is more stimulating. The people in the audience are essential and crucial part of this musical so much fun. These viewers are dressed in the costumes more incredible, the costumes imitating sensual and unimaginable of artists. Girls and boys are Negligees, men dressed as women and vice versa, or dressed as Dracula, or beings beyond the grave ... there is no limit to the imagination. These same viewers interact with the players and fun to shout at them all, jokes, insults, lines learned from the libretto, but all with respect and class, but if a lot of atmosphere in celebration, celebration and excitement. The direction of this fun musical is very well done, tant0 the theater director: Cate Caplina, as the musical director Shane R. Ray has developed a Herculean task to bring this difficult production to the stage and do so with an incredible taste. They have succeeded in bringing the audience to a "scary" that kills laughter. This music has its own rock band that gives life to the festive atmosphere in case, we will see James Deprato on guitar, living his own music; Michael Shion on bass; Hermann Lara in the Christian Schnorr saxophone and drums. The group of players is great, masterfully developed jointly and individually, we need to give much credit Al Franken-N-Furtado (Jef Valentine) that puts the gold in this funny musical, Jef is the transvestite vampire who seduces half world and commits the most incredible monkey. Do not miss seeing this fun book, will weary laugh. It is presented until November 15, in the theater district victory of the Mission, 2961 16th St. San Francisco. Reports http://www.rockysf. com/

ahah! Classic. And trust me, with our snarky cast, there have been plenty of jokes made in the last four hours alone. Mostly about who is the monkey. But also that our artistic director is now apparently our musical director. hee hee.

the crucible

"As wonderful as moments of being-to-being union can be, the alchemical play of joining heaven and earth in a relationship involves a more subtle and beautiful dance: not losing our twoness in the oneness, while also not losing our oneness in the twoness. Personal intimacy evolves out of the dancing-ground of dualities: personal and trans-personal, known and unknown, death and birth, openness and karmic limitation, clarity and chaos, hellish clashes and heavenly bliss. The clash and interplay of these polarities, with all their shocks and surprises, provides a ferment that allows for deep transformation, through forcing us to keep waking up, dropping preconceptions, expanding our sense of who we are, and learning to work with all the different elements of our humanity."

-John Welwood, Intimate Relationship as a Spiritual Crucible.

*************************************************************

I think my greatest wish in this lifetime for others is that they would have the possibility of having a friend like Jerrsika who will send things like this to them.

(photo credit: Vaillencourt Fountain - Justin Herman Plaza, SF. Christopher Chan on Flickr)

Material concerns

Status: still partially unemployed. Blah. Kissed a lot of ass over the last couple days. Told Jerrsika, "I can't believe that I am totally thinking of selling my eggs while my boss is comissioning some dude to make two wooden address numbers for his house for $1000." Sent out three resumes. Will have to do lots more this week. I still have to remember that I'm one of the lucky ones. I could have lost my job completely. I could have lost benefits. And I will now be competing for part time work with people who don't have jobs at all and have children to feed or mortgages to pay. Unlike the majority of Americans, I have 0 debt. Really, none at all. My parents are frugal saints and both my brother and I are well taken care of, with cash left over I might add. Though with the state of the market, it might be at $5.00 right now.

The other day, I got to thinking. I used to survive in college on $100 a month. It went up to $200 in junior year. Then in Senior year, I got a job and survived on my one day a week, law clerk job for the entire month. Roughly $320. This bought architecture supplies, food and tiny extras like a movie or a sweater. And I still felt well taken care of. To the point where I was offended if my office asked me to come in on a Saturday. Basically, I didn't go clothes shopping. I didn't purchase magazines, books and relied upon my parent's Costco trips for shampoo, toothpaste and the occasional anti-perspirant. My biggest purchase was a set of contacts. Then full time started and I became an honest to god CONSUMER. Full on. Full-priced items, double lattes, travel. And I invested in myself, put myself through a vocal/acting training program which has benefitted my artistic side as well as provided a type of mental health sanctuary. The only thing I didn't get was a designer purse or a car. Every time I would come home with a bag, my dad would stare witheringly and ask me if I had put any money away recently. And a lot of you will remember the book incident. But you know what? My dad takes two vacations a year, eats delicious, healthy food and can always pay for car repair, insurance and a nice CD/savings bond for my cousin's new baby.

So I'll be cutting back. Something that people around me have been doing for ages. I may have to get another job and stop buying unnecessary items. Ditto. Have go to on more creative dates. Yup. I'll have a real budget. Amen.

The crappiest thing is that I've had to pass on all my voice lessons til January of next year. Put a knife in my heart and I'm done. But at the same time, it's enough to find out what I'm made of. Let's see if 6+ years of lessons can keep this girl maintained.

Gates, who writes Hellafied, posted an excellent entry inspired by her friend DMB Meg. Quite honestly, modern economics was founded on the idea of checks and balances. When one element in a system goes out of whack, another steps in to balance it out. It works in anatomy, it works in nature, and the bigger one element is out of whack - the bigger reaction there is to put it back into balance. For too long, people in our country have been behaving as though they have a money tree in their back yard. Tax cuts for SUVs? Mega mansions that reek of faux finishes and insecurity. TV shows that promote high end and self-destructive lifestyles ie. the Hills or My Super Sweet Sixteen or the Real Housewives? Are we all so sick that we believe that material things make us better human beings? Instead of working on who we are? Or being with one another. I spent this Sunday in the park with my castmates. I brought a $.99 bag of Fritos and some on sale salsa. And had an awesome day in the sunshine, drinking donated champagne and munching on Bi-Rite cookies. Seriously, it was nothing.

You are who you are, not for your car, clothes, shoes or apartment. It's time for my parents to be right. Dear god, I just wrote that.

Hurdling towards fate.

Welcome to the 200th post of Pentemporary!

Milestones can be like hurdles, things that you have to leap over with a huge amount of momentum...as you're sailing over, the sheer extents of your body as it defies gravitational force can be a thing of delight. But what happens if; you're running on quicksand or you trip on your shoelace or the wind factor slows you down or something gets in your contact or you just lose focus? Then the hurdle can hinder, nay stop your acceleration altogether.

But it's all in how you see it right?

This economic climate has not been good for anyone. The stock market indexes look more like a game of Pong (or me drafting after a cup of espresso) than a plumb line. People everywhere are getting desperate. Cars are getting stolen or broken into, 401(k)s have dwindled to mere shadows of their former selves and businesses are closing or losing a significant amount of cash.

My recent milestone? Getting cut to three days a week at my office from full time.
yee-ouch.

And yet, still there are people getting married. Getting pregnant and having children, delighting in theater and having fun in spite of it all.

So there were cuts to be made. Granted, I was one of the least at risk people, and I've been told that it's only temporary til the beginning of next year. I won't lose my healthcare or retirement (or what's left of it) But like this blog, temporary can often mean transitionally what will end up being. Personally, I'll be doing alright and looking for part time work from now on. And, inspired by Jerrsika and our friend Curlie - will be looking at the extra time off as an advantage and opportunity. Maybe I'll have more time to act or sing or hang out with J. Maybe I'll find another high paying job. Maybe I'll just clean the house more often. Who knows.

Come on hurdle. I've got mud in my eye, haven't shaved in a week and I'm wearing flip flops. But I'll take you on, it's all that I've got so I'm not going to sit on the track and cry. I'm gonna race you and try.

ps. another fall out of my car being stolen last week? They have purloined my favorite striped, fingerless Marc Jacob's gloves that were in the bag. Assholes.

Yo yo yo.

So Gala recently posted an interesting query to her readers: what would you be like if you were the opposite sex?
That's such an awesome question, I'm often railing against the stereotypes that come with my sex, I wonder if I would be as offended or bitterly righteous if I were a man. (Note: I don't hate being a girl, a lot of the time I love it-esp. when I get to dress up, but you know there are glass ceilings, periods, thong underwear etc.) And can I be honest? I'd be fat. I love eating way too much-were it not for my current girly desires to fit into cute clothes and a penchant for dance classes, I'd be eating like a delinquent at Jenny Craig. The good thing is that I think I'd still be funny. And I think I'd always be attracted to superficial out-of-my-league pretty girls.

I'd be REALLY good at something like Quake or WoW. I'd spend a lot of time at bookstores, the park and my favorite coffee shop. And probably watching tv with my boys. I would totally go thru some sort of random life-epiphany at age 20 after reading 'The Fountainhead' or Nietzche and lose a bunch of weight, start listening to emo rock and become a hipster fucktard. After having my heart broken by a Kristen Kreuk look alike, I'd frequent Amnesia a lot for gypsy jazz and maybe go to Taiwan or Hong Kong for a year. Then I'd settle into a nice casual pattern of well made, interestingly detailed items that were good for everyday. A more upscale version of Sears? I think my heroes would be: Obama, Howard Roark and Peter Zumthor (who is my hero anyway)


A40 as a Guy by Alexis40

Another Big Gay Weekend.

You know, back in middle school when you had to run the mile, and right around lap 5 or 6 - you started to lose track of where you were and settled into that meditative pacing or just running? But then once you realized you were on lap 8 - and you could see the end of the finish line where you could finally bend over your knees, wheezing in agony, white particles crusting up at the corners of your mouth and grab a drink of warm water from the barely used ancient water fountain at the corner of the gym - it started to hit you about how far away the end of the lap was?

I finished my 8th lap this weekend. Which is a nice way of saying, I went to my 5th and final wedding of the year after we opened Rocky Horror on Friday.

Bratz and her lady finally decided to make it official; but since they currently live in Florida, they wanted to come back to SF to have the ceremony and at least be legally married by California standards. So they were married on Friday in a wonderful civil ceremony performed by a friend of ours who actually works for Gavin Newsom (man meat) at City Hall, and then invited about 50-60 people to a luncheon at the Women's Building in the Mission.

The Audre Lorde room was a wonderful, marigold painted room with white wainscot and molding that was a beautiful fall foil to the decor. Food was fantastic, Bratz's family friend is a chef at the Hilton and he offered to cater the event. So we had:

Cocktail hour: Melon balls in wine, chicken wings, homemade farm pate with blue cheese on country toast, charcuterie plate, crudite plate, dolmas, smoked salmon on rye, roasted peppers on crostini, shrimp cocktail, tapenade stuffed cherry tomatoes and the most amazing fried cheese and potato ravioli (that were closer to pierogi)

Main course: Roast beef with boiled yukon gold potatoes, green beans, spring mix salad and au jus.

The caterer even carved a huge ice sculpture himself with a chainsaw! Best of all, the couple looked amazing. Bratz has been through a couple of relationships with other girls, but her LadyKay is the first one that we've all collectively liked and thought was a good match for our endearing friend.

Congrats Ladies on, what I bless to be a fruitful and long marriage.

It's astounding.

What did I do all weekend?



You know.
A little of this.
A little of that.

We opened. We are fully blown wide open. Come check it out!

My Semi-big gay weekend, Version 2.0 coming soon.

Baby got back?

Update: So the SFPD found my car! There definitely is something to be said about filing your police report right away.

Half alive due to the three hours of sleep, barely eating and becoming so muted - yesterday was a bare survival. Having rehearsal and work to do actually helped. There's a peace to remembering that in situations where you are powerless to do anything, accepting it and moving on and trusting in the wheels that turn the universe to work and doing what it is you're supposed to do makes the inevitable come that much sooner. I got the call from my dad around 10:45 that they had recovered the car. And it is pretty much intact.

Well, except for the battery. And the ignition lock which had to be replaced- which is how the guy probably got the car hotwired in the first place. But the car itself wasn't trashed and most of my belongings were in the car. EXCEPT for my Wicked sheet music book and two full binders full of sheet music. Which doesn't make me happy, but if those are the only casualties then...well...it's all good.

And getting the car TOWED was a trip. Because the thief had very considerately parked it in front of what my dad and I were sure was either a crack or whore house. Seriously, in the span of the 20 minutes I sat in the car with him, we saw about 10 guys walk into this one apartment building and come out. Or do shady deals through the front gate. (17th and Mission, across the street from Thrift Town, next to Clarion Alley)

But today, today I am relieved and relaxed. And today I'm sitting and blogging in the sunshine of my backyard, with a great set of tunes and an Italian soda. And tonight I'm rocking it out in the transsexual Transylvanian lab with an amazing set of people.

Today life is good.

Gone baby gone.

UGH.....my car was stolen last night in the Mission, while I was in rehearsal.
Yes, I locked it.
No, I did not have valubles visible in the car-unless you count a dirty pair of sneakers and a first aid kit.
No, I did not misplace it or forget where I actually parked.
It's an Accord, one of the top 10 cars in the world to steal.
So someone decided they would do that.
Which sort of fucking sucks.

If you happen to see a light blue '94 Honda Accord with a dent in the passenger side front headlight and a crack in the windshield on the passenger side - gimme a call will ya? And don't buy meth from that guy.

Repetitive death wishes.

My Nantucket Nectars bottlecap says:

There are two historical districts on Nantucket: the Old Historic and the Sconset.

Wow. Shit that I will NEVER need to know or use. Fabulous. And by definition, aren't historic districts OLD? So the obvious repetition is killing me.

Like the combination of thong underwear and tampons. Which is doing the same fucking thing right now.

Let us pray that rehearsal doesn't go til 12am again tonight.

Karma

Fantastic article on the Secret of Real Success from Zen Habits.

The truth is, no one likes a person who tears others down. If you are bad-mouthing someone, it might make you feel better, but others won’t like it. You will gain a bad reputation, and your bad-mouthing will come back to hurt you. If you are sabotaging others, that’s even worse.If you become an obstacle to others’ success, they will despise you for it. They will try to get around you, and failing that, will try to go through you. Your energies and time will be spent trying to stop others, and defending yourself against their attacks.What a waste of precious time and energy!

Couldn’t you spend that better on building things yourself? On creating something beautiful and truly useful? On helping others to succeed? Of course you can! Tearing others down is destructive. It hurts other people, and in the long run, it’ll hurt you. Don’t waste your time and energy on it. Instead, build others up. Praise their success. Learn to be truly happy for the successes of others, rather than envious. Be a part of their success, rather than an obstacle. Participating in something great, including the successes of others, is a wonderful thing to have accomplished.

It all started with those damn calendars

AAAHHHHHHHH!!

NO!

WRONG!

FAIL!

People, do not dress your babies as food. In other news, Martha promotes cannibalism.

Won't you take me to...

Fung Kee town?

Found at work. Yes, laugh, it's funny. :)




“ I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us. If the book we are reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow on the head, what are we reading it for? We need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us. — Franz Kafka
Reading again for the billionth time: 'The Power of Myth' - an interview with Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell.
******************************************
Hey guys, Maggie Mason at Mighty Girl turned me onto this. Intel is doing their annual tech makeover contest. There is a young girl, Panchy, who is sharing a room with her single mom in a 600sf apt. and is a Young Superwoman...if there is such a thing. She's on the school newspaper, has all honors classes and natch is the only girl in her Auto Mechanic class. She must share a computer with her family but still maintains top grades. Hop on over to Intel and vote for her tech makeover!
Although, Morgan the musician with a congenital bone disease is currently kicking ass.

***********************************


Holy Camoly
Yes, people in SF can dress stylishly.
She looks like Jane March in, 'The Lover', perfect cloche. Sexy/innocent school girl dress.
View here: GoldenGauge SF Style Blog


ooh ooh ooh! Indie Thread Show! Who wants to go? November 16th!! Presale tix only $10 and VIP tix only $25!!! (goodie bag included)

Blast from the past.

My Little Pony, My Little Pony
All in a twinkling spring is here








My Little Pony, My Little Pony
When did all the leaves and grass appear?







My little Ponyyy.
My little Ponny!
Oh...wait a minute.







oh shit. (via CuteOverload)










All custom ponies created by Mari Kasurinen on her DeviantArt site. Amazing!

We all have impulses.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! / The world forgetting, by the world forgot / Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! / Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.

Watched, 'Eternal Sunshine' finally.
I'm not quite sure why it confused so many people. I pretty much got it - or thought I did - and I liked it. But didn't love it. For such an odd movie, something about it seemed so predictable. The main thing with ESotSM is that you have to sort of go with the dream sequence hyper enhanced fantasy of it all. But it follows a rather logical path of artsy progression. Or maybe I thought it did after watching, "The Science of Sleep." which I found vastly more confusing than ESotSM (oh wait...der, der, der Michel Gondry directed both of these movies - of course it makes sense now). I loved the sequences where Carrey was only ever able to see the back of Patrick's head or Clementine walking away but never catching up to her - something that happens enough in my own dream sessions.

But it brought up an interesting quandry. Do we love whom we are attracted to, regardless of our past knowledge and drawn strictly by the base instincts that lie in our physical/psychological makeup? At the end of the movie; even with their memories wiped, both Clementine and Joel are drawn back to one another. Joel, by his realization of his enduring love for the real Clem during his rebellious wiping sessions, in which he learns to save just the one memory, "Meet me in Montauk." And she, unwittingly by Patrick (Elijah Woods)'s machinations of seduction - by tampering with her memory too soon with the words, visions and artifacts of Joel, nearly has a mental malfunction trying to resolve the confusion of recall with instinct. And even with her own memory erased by her ex lover, Mary (Kirsten Dunst) falls infatuated with him all over again.
It also brings up the question of the complexity of the human brain. Even if we seemingly have our brains mapped and chemically or electronically have our memories wiped - are there deeper biological urges that trigger our attractions? Would a person essentially have to be brainwashed from the beginning of their existence in order not to be attracted to what they are attracted to? It literally changes what it means to be homosexual, racist or even our preference for chocolate chunk ice cream.

And I'd also like to think that my whacked out dreams may be caused by Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood coming in and putting a huge colander on my head as I sleep. I would like to ask them though, to let me keep my 'Rocky Horror' choreography straight.

"Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours."

-Clementine

And possibly Yaddle.

"Dude, there are only three types of Asian women in Hollywood: Sandra Oh, Margaret Cho and Tila Tequila."

-me to Kimclown at Bella's wedding on Saturday.

LOL.

Best thing I have read today?

"It's like American Apparel farted on San Francisco."

in re: Lovefest Parade 2008. Touche sir, touche.

Confucius says...you're a 'tard.

You know...I don't know why people have to quantify 'Asianess'.

Cause we all know, at some time or another, we've referred to people as:

'The Asian guy, in American Pie.'
or
'Mitch, the one with the Asian girlfriend.'
or
'I had an Laotian/Vietnamese/Filipeno maid once.'
or
'Remember Long Duk Dong/Short Round/Dat Pham? He's fucking hilarious!'

Even me. I guess, I was recently very disappointed when I was reading an SF Culture Blogger's site - whom I frequently lurk on - she's smart, sassy and a writer for SF Gate. She's a co-worker of Pandarollin' (whose blog I linked to the other day) Take no prisoners, ballsy, funny...in other words, my type of chick (were I lesbian). And this actually wasn't a statement made by her, but by her friend who was nice enough to accompany said Blogger to a bar and then home, where they both fell asleep watching a movie. Here is their convo - verbatim from the site.

"You know, I was supposed to go on a date with some Asian chick tonight."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because if I don't hang out with you, no one will."
"You're retarded."
"I'm just saying, I could be having saucy Asian sex right now, but instead, I've decided to take pity on you."

GODDAMN IT. Stupid boys..you want to know why girls won't date you? You allow ludicrous statements like this to be printed on the interwebs on a fairly well trafficked site. I feel like, 'some Asian Chick' (SAC) got fucking LUCKY that night. Lucky that she didn't have to sit through drinks (cheapass) with you let alone bone you, jerkoff. But it also made me sad that this blogger, who I thought was fucking cool...allowed herself be just one of the accepted Asian mocking populace. And reprinted it.

Why did she do it?
Because her friend is a douche and should be avoided at all costs?
Because all Asians are saucy lovekittens who deserve to be degraded and defaced?
It's funny when your friends threaten you with insensitive commentary?
or am I just being an uptight chuppie?

Yes, I am afraid to link to her post because I don't want to be flamed like a campfire marshmallow held by a pyromaniac three year old. Penny = BIG OLE CHICKEN. And because, even after all of this, I still think she's funny and awesome and a writer of awesome. (I've shed tears of laughter reading her trainer workout entries) But I still cannot wait til the fucking day when my 'Pennyness' overcomes, 'the Asian girl over there.'

email me: pen UNDERSCORE i AT hotmail DOT com
for a link to the original entry should you so care to read it. but most of it can be summed up from the conversation copied above.

My Big Gay Weekend Pt II

So other than the Folsom Street Fair, which I did not attend, the other part of my big gay weekend consisted of my very first Grooms Commitment Ceremony. Schwarzer and RunningMan decided last year, appropriately on their Birthday Taint, to take the plunge. Over a bevy of gay men and cupcakes from Citizen Cake. But the engagement was announced so long ago, that all of a sudden, when it snuck up on me as Wedding #3 for this year(!), that I was surprised, yet estatic to be asked to fill a somewhat significant role.
Cultural attache.

See RunningMan is originally from Hong Kong via Hawaii and so as a nod to his, lovely mother and ancestral piety, wanted to perform a traditional tea ceremony. And I as the, 'non-drinking actor' got the honor of presenting and explaining the whole shebang to a room full of 60 strangers. No problem....

Except for the event manager at Foreign Cinema. About three days before the event, I got a call from Shwarzer telling me that the planner had expressed concern about breaking up the courses (because she didn't want to mess up the server pattern) and also about Shwarzer and RunningMan switching tables between courses. She also wasn't a fan of the tea ceremony - more in placement than in theory. But her constant lamentations led RMan to get rather - feisty and he bit back. In the end, the boys did pretty much everything we had planned upon.

The space was gorgeous; it's always hilarious to me to have such a refined and arty space in the middle of the working class and seedier part of the Mission and the food - delicious. I ran out of battery initially, so I only got the amuse bouche. Bacon wrapped fig on marscapone + Prosciutto wrapped cherry tomato on boursin.

Also, loved the table arrangements and rubber ducky theme running throughout. And the two gents in Emporio Armani suits with their moms in matching soft cream beige outfits.

AS + HC (andhow!) September 28, 2008

My Big Gay Weekend - Pt I

So my Friday consisted of this,








this and












this.












When the shit hits the fan, it has HIT. But mostly in a good way. I'm not quite sure how I end up in these sorts of things, but some of the greatest things in my life (ST, T-Labs, going to Skywalker Ranch) have come from me not knowing what the hell I'm doing but just going along with it. So when Ms. Munro approached me at rehearsal about possibly performing in her show, even though I had about 4 or 5 other things going on that weekend, I allowed myself to get sucked in. The funny thing is that I did it, as any Taurus would, dragging my feet slightly and saying, "Well, let me see..." while all the time, my brain going, "We don't know if this is a good idea..."
In the end, it was a ton of fun. And so intimidating to be around just as many gorgeous women as men. One of the drink servers was wearing a gold mesh halter and was one of the prettiest (real) girls I've ever seen. What was most striking was the precision of it all. Every wig had to be carefully styled and placed. Fringe and feathers fluffed. Corsets laced; makeup applied with generous abandon but always within very exact lines-creating cheekbones, finer bridges, larger, more doe like eyes. And over 50% of the queens had brought back up dancers. Including one of my high school friends - who ended up being in the winning diva's ensemble (a full on Americana pastiche to a remix of 'Hey Mickey').









But nobody else danced 2 day old choreography with a porn star. muahah.
All of this was for a very cool cause; the AIDS Housing Alliance. Check them out here. You can also pre-order next year's calendar, I believe.