Pamela and Christine are part of our DC trans community. A few years ago, they decided to open up their lovely home to the trans community for more-or-less monthly "soirees."
Since it was still difficult for me to get out, I missed several. But eventually I made it to my first and it was a new and wonderful experience.
I was out in a relaxed atmosphere meeting new people and enjoying it. Some of the girls already knew me, through the blog, which was cool. But three important takeaways:
* I felt like I was at an elegant party. I would have felt fine in an evening gown. It was a place to dress UP and fit in, which was special.
* Every time I went, there were girls who had never been out before. Christine and Pamela offered them a safe place to go OUT and they recognised it and ran with it. At least one went from never going out to Christine's to Freddy's (a gay club some of the girls go to after the soiree) and then out after that. That's kind of zero to sixty in five seconds.
* I never knew how diverse our community is. There were girls and SO's of every variety. There were girls in every stage and level, from casual dresser to transitioned. It was wonderful!
The soiree has since outgrown their house and moved to another venue but I will always think of Christine and Pamela as the perfect hostesses.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Dog/Doug
I know I've had Brian Anderson's Dog Eat Doug in here at least a half-dozen times. I've probably mentioned that I don't like baby strips in general but I enjoy watching Sophie (dog) and Doug interact. The cats that show up regularly are just... odd. Maybe perplexing is a better term.
Anderson's blog and other strip is called the conjurers and it is also odd. Or perplexing.
Anderson's blog and other strip is called the conjurers and it is also odd. Or perplexing.
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| Great eyes |
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| Is this worse for Doug or the kitty? |
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| LOVE this one! |
Saturday, May 16, 2015
If It Wasn't I'D DO IT ALL THE TIME
Once upon a time, Dennis was a Menace. Then the big bucks that accompanied the Dennis the Menace tv show corrupted Hank Ketchum and Dennis became just another boring kid. You can tell which Dennis you're seeing if you get your hands on some of the very old comics: look at his eyebrows. In the Menace days, they turned down, towards his nose. When he mellowed, they turned up in the middle, looking more benign. So .\/. = menace and /..\ = dullard.
As I mentioned before, good CD cartoons are becoming scarce, even as we're in the news more and more. I think these trends are related.
As I mentioned before, good CD cartoons are becoming scarce, even as we're in the news more and more. I think these trends are related.
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| ALL THE TIME! |
Friday, May 15, 2015
Speaking of Games
At one of the first game nights, our (now) friend Star noticed me, noticed Charity was with me, and told her that her partner was trans and asked if we'd like to join her (monthly or so) game days.
At Star's I can show up dressed or drab, and the other members of the group (including kids) don't really care. There are usually one or more trans members at game days, and by now they mostly know "both of me."
It's a unique experience, and Star and Pooch are unique friends.
At Star's I can show up dressed or drab, and the other members of the group (including kids) don't really care. There are usually one or more trans members at game days, and by now they mostly know "both of me."
It's a unique experience, and Star and Pooch are unique friends.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Just Regular Folk
Although I haven't been there in quite a while, I have to give a shout out to the Meetup gamers group I visited several times. Only Meg went, and no-one ever had a single word to say about her that was not in line with what they might say about any other member of the group. No-one avoided her, or didn't want to play with her, or display any unfriendly manner. In fact, I always felt welcome as a girl at the meetups. I don't know what they said behind my back, but I'm sure it was all good.
They have irregular "girl gamer" nights and although I've thought about joining, so far I have not, for three reasons:
As the first "civilian" group I spent some comfortable Meg time with, they have to go on the list.
They have irregular "girl gamer" nights and although I've thought about joining, so far I have not, for three reasons:
- I haven't been to any of their game nights since the "girl nights" started
- I don't want to change the dynamic of the group. I may not, but I may
- They're all way younger than I am.
As the first "civilian" group I spent some comfortable Meg time with, they have to go on the list.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
It's nice to know I'm not just writing for the black hole that is the internet.
Several people have written to say, basically, "what happened?" and I apologise for not saying something in advance.
So normally, life just kind of goes in predictable cycles and I go right along with it. The last couple of weeks have been, well, different.
Monday, 27 April, Charity called me from work around 5, very upset. A sister called. Her father, who's been sick for a while, had taken a turn for the worse and she wanted to head to Alabama.
By the time she got home, I had a ticket on an 8pm flight to Birmingham, the closest airport. She packed, I drove her to National, and she was in Alabama before midnight.
Why didn't I go? At the time I really wanted to but now I'm glad I didn't. It was a family affair; they spent a lot of time in hospital or making arrangements for her dad. At the time I didn't go because I had committed to a full weekend in Hampton (2.5 hours away without traffic) with Number Two Son at the Technology Student Association. I promised to drive him and three teammates down there and to judge a couple of events.
My big fear was that there would be a funeral over the weekend and I wouldn't be there to support Charity when she needed it.
There's no upside to any of this, but at least the timing worked out: he died on Friday (5-1-15). The viewing wouldn't be until Monday and the funeral Tuesday.
The kids and I were stuck in traffic coming back on Sunday and I had to drop four kids off around the area. By the time I got home it was after 8. I unpacked, repacked, made a reservation for 6am the next day and 6pm return flights for Tuesday. I got to BHM around 10 and we spent a few hours together before catching up with the family again. She really had no "away" time for a week and seemed to need it. We had some quiet time dining, shopping (she needed shoes), and getting manicures.
I only met her dad once. He was ailing and weak but he showed me around his property, pointing out all of the different things that he was growing so he could can them. Afterwards, he kind of had to rest up, but I thought I was pretty important that he'd put in that scarce energy to do that. But now I think he'd do that for anyone.
Charity is doing better. I did as short a day as I could on Wednesday when I found out she decided she needed to take the day off and I didn't want her to be alone. Today is our fifth mensiversary... and we're still going strong!
Three notes: the cemetery was in a churchyard where they had the service (the town she grew up in is not quite a one-horse town but it is a one-hearse town: they recently got their second funeral home). The service was run by three ministers, two southern Baptists who spoke a hundred miles an hour and used "father" the way other people would use "you know:" father, he's gone, father, to a better place, father, and although, father, his family father and friends, father, will miss him father...." No exaggeration. The third was with the VFW and did a graveside prayer. There was also a singer who, during prayers, stood by the organ and took what I called the "heckler" role. He punctuated each prayer with loud "Amen!" "I hear you!" "Yes!" and so on.
As a veteran he had a military presentation of the flag and taps. Two soldiers wear dress whites, down to their white gloves, and move like mechanical men. Taps is played flawlessly because it is a recording while the soldier mimes playing. I don't mean to be disrespectful but I found it a poor climax to a nice service.
Finally, the next time you're flying think of this: I was on a 6am flight. I caught a cab at 4am to get there on time. At the gate, in front of me, was a couple and their three elementary school age kids. They handed the woman at the gate their passes and she said "these are for the 6pm flight." They turned around and walked away briskly without a word. One of the adults had the worst day EVER, and your next trip won't be as bad as theirs.
Several people have written to say, basically, "what happened?" and I apologise for not saying something in advance.
So normally, life just kind of goes in predictable cycles and I go right along with it. The last couple of weeks have been, well, different.
Monday, 27 April, Charity called me from work around 5, very upset. A sister called. Her father, who's been sick for a while, had taken a turn for the worse and she wanted to head to Alabama.
By the time she got home, I had a ticket on an 8pm flight to Birmingham, the closest airport. She packed, I drove her to National, and she was in Alabama before midnight.
Why didn't I go? At the time I really wanted to but now I'm glad I didn't. It was a family affair; they spent a lot of time in hospital or making arrangements for her dad. At the time I didn't go because I had committed to a full weekend in Hampton (2.5 hours away without traffic) with Number Two Son at the Technology Student Association. I promised to drive him and three teammates down there and to judge a couple of events.
My big fear was that there would be a funeral over the weekend and I wouldn't be there to support Charity when she needed it.
There's no upside to any of this, but at least the timing worked out: he died on Friday (5-1-15). The viewing wouldn't be until Monday and the funeral Tuesday.
The kids and I were stuck in traffic coming back on Sunday and I had to drop four kids off around the area. By the time I got home it was after 8. I unpacked, repacked, made a reservation for 6am the next day and 6pm return flights for Tuesday. I got to BHM around 10 and we spent a few hours together before catching up with the family again. She really had no "away" time for a week and seemed to need it. We had some quiet time dining, shopping (she needed shoes), and getting manicures.
I only met her dad once. He was ailing and weak but he showed me around his property, pointing out all of the different things that he was growing so he could can them. Afterwards, he kind of had to rest up, but I thought I was pretty important that he'd put in that scarce energy to do that. But now I think he'd do that for anyone.
Charity is doing better. I did as short a day as I could on Wednesday when I found out she decided she needed to take the day off and I didn't want her to be alone. Today is our fifth mensiversary... and we're still going strong!
Three notes: the cemetery was in a churchyard where they had the service (the town she grew up in is not quite a one-horse town but it is a one-hearse town: they recently got their second funeral home). The service was run by three ministers, two southern Baptists who spoke a hundred miles an hour and used "father" the way other people would use "you know:" father, he's gone, father, to a better place, father, and although, father, his family father and friends, father, will miss him father...." No exaggeration. The third was with the VFW and did a graveside prayer. There was also a singer who, during prayers, stood by the organ and took what I called the "heckler" role. He punctuated each prayer with loud "Amen!" "I hear you!" "Yes!" and so on.
As a veteran he had a military presentation of the flag and taps. Two soldiers wear dress whites, down to their white gloves, and move like mechanical men. Taps is played flawlessly because it is a recording while the soldier mimes playing. I don't mean to be disrespectful but I found it a poor climax to a nice service.
Finally, the next time you're flying think of this: I was on a 6am flight. I caught a cab at 4am to get there on time. At the gate, in front of me, was a couple and their three elementary school age kids. They handed the woman at the gate their passes and she said "these are for the 6pm flight." They turned around and walked away briskly without a word. One of the adults had the worst day EVER, and your next trip won't be as bad as theirs.
Friday, May 1, 2015
But Wait! There's More!
I have several more people I want to write about but I have to take a trip to the other side of Virginia (absolutely no obvious girl weekend) ~ I'll be leaving in a few minutes. And there's a family emergency that will likely require a second trip as soon as I get back, so I may be scarce at least until Tuesday.
In the meantime, take a look at the comments from Wednesday. Several people, almost as many points of view.
I think I've done this before but I can't resist...
Ted Striker: Mayday! Mayday!
Steve McCroskey: What the heck is that?
Johnny: Why, that's the Russian New Year. We can have a parade and serve hot hors d'oeuvres..
In the meantime, take a look at the comments from Wednesday. Several people, almost as many points of view.
I think I've done this before but I can't resist...
Ted Striker: Mayday! Mayday!
Steve McCroskey: What the heck is that?
Johnny: Why, that's the Russian New Year. We can have a parade and serve hot hors d'oeuvres..
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