Birthday Wish for Our Country

Why is it always so HOT on the 4th of July? I know, it's summer, and of course it's hot in the summer. But here in DC we always have a heat wave on the 4th. I can tell you of 4ths that I spent in shopping malls to avoid the heat (once it was Pentagon City, so I guess that counts at least as patriotic). I've also spent the entire 4th at home, having declined invitations to BBQs, pool parties and fireworks on the Mall.

But this year I want to brave the crowds, search endlessly for a parking space, and endure the evening heat -- all to be with a local like-minded community as it celebrates the birth of our country with music and a display of fireworks. In the past, I've watched the fireworks from the Mall on TV. (Kathleen even hates that. She says that they roll the credits before the finale is over---whatever!)

But I'm feeling a little patriotic this year. And I'm feeling a little hopful too! Maybe we can get Barack re-elected, and the world can continue to follow a saner path. That's my birthday wish for our country...and the world!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

I just dread triple digit (100+ degrees) heat waves. It wouldn't be so bad if it was the dry heat of the West Coast. But no, it's that wet, stuffy and humid kind of heat. It often feels like you're walking in a pool, several feet underneath the surface, and it's close, hot and really wet. Definitely not my idea of a good time. But oh well, it's part of the package out here where things happen.

These heat waves have an interesting impact on relationships too. Even for those of us blessed to have air-conditioning, we know what's coming: confinement and general irritability that lasts for days. We both bank a lot of "I love yous" and "Thank you, Sweetie" in advance of the "duration." Basically we know we'll be going through something together, and we want to start off from a positive emotional high.

Even if the worst comes and we lose power, we've survived even that. Because of our health issues, we got ourselves an air-conditioned hotel room. It was a small room, and the confinement was even harder on us, but we managed. We just hauled our laptops to a restaurant with wifi. We ate well, and Kathleen worked, and I facebooked and wrote. We got by.

All I can say is be a survivor. You can cope with this heat. Just keep drinking water, and, most importantly, have a Plan A and a Plan B if you lose power. Good luck!!!

Uniforms Are Out, Costumes Are In

I'm sorta into fashion. Well, what's trendy this season for plus sizes and over 50 women. It's more limited than you might expect. My biggest finds were pink tops with 3/4 sleeve lengths. Never knew sleeve length and a V shaped neckline would make me part of a fashion trend, but I guess it does. Sorta makes me look a little femmey too. There doesn't seem to be too many fashion trends in butchy men's clothing. But I will admit that it's durable and yet dull as far as color goes.

But then I wear what amuses me...whatever costume pleases me. I leave the uniforms to people in the military and the civilians who are in business. I just play with my looks. How about you?

I'm So Superficial

I'm indulging in all things superficial. Stuff like bad movies, what celebrities are doing and wearing, what's in fashion and what's out. There are too many serious things to worry about nowadays. I've got to take cover in more superficial things, like where am I going to get my next manicure/pedicure. Maybe I'll even change my hair color or just buy more clothes that are finally on sale.

There are so many superficial things to do. At least I'm not just distracted. I'm focused in a way. The way of the superficial. Hmmm...I don't feel as stupid as I thought I would. Guess I'm in it for the duration (the elections that is). No doubt life will get really serious again next winter. Until then shop and spend money is my motto. (I'd rather eat, drink and be merry, but its heavy on the caloric intake---we're dieting, you know!)

The Confinement

We had a hot one today. I bet with the heat index we were in the triple digits (100+ degrees). We stayed inside. Kathleen can work at home and well, I write at home. So there we are, home in the comfortable air-conditioning and having our groceries delivered and our house cleaned by a service. And guess what...? We are cranky and irritable. We have no excuse except the CONFINEMENT. 
 
In the olden days people went out to the movies for the air-conditioning and the entertainment. Nowadays everything has come to our homes: videos, cds, video games, TV, radio and personal computers. You see, you can be throughly entertained and never leave your home except for the confinement issue.
 
Being home is great especially when the weather is awful. But when it's beautiful out, who wants to be confined? Not me and I bet not you. So as soon as the heat wave breaks, I'm eating outside at a lovely patio restaurant. Sound good? Its what's keeping me from biting off my beloved's head during this confinement. (Don't mistake me, I really do love her a lot.)

It's Almost Midnight on Mid-Summer's Night

It's been a long hot June day. Appointments made and cancelled. Deliveries postponed. All because of hot temperatures. It's the first day of summer. Oh my, what does this forbode? I've predicted a hotter-than-usual summer since we had a warmer-than-usual winter. I didn't consult the faithful Farmer's Almanac, but I'd bet we're in agreement.

And now it's nightime and Mid-Summer's Night. I don't have anything planned. Just the usual stuff. But the music that's being played is a little bit softer tonight. And I hear the drum beat a little clearer too. Oh yeah, I'm listening to the latest Buddha Bar cds. It's primal, like this night was for millennia. Now I live in a modern age with personal computers and air conditioning, but it's still a sultry night of sorts.

I don't even remember Shakespeare's Mid-Summer's Night's Dream. I remember loving it though. Must put it on my reading list. Just so I can remember it. It's almost midnight, and I wish I was younger and frolicing in the woods after nubile maidens. For my dreams and yours...

Done Short

My friends from my UCLA days are now 50+ years old. When we were young and sexy, we talked about feminism, being gay and who was the best in bed. Now a few of us are on Facebook together, and we all talk about facials, pedicures and yes, even getting a regular manicure.

We would have been horrified to say we got our nails done when we were young. Because for us nail length has so many connotations and consequences. I assume most of us still keep our nails short, even if its only as an insignia for being a lesbian.

I'm trying to get a manicure once every two weeks. It's a wonderful experience, especially the hand massage part. My nails are done short with clear polish. Kathleen's are done short too but buffed. We often get our nails done together. It's quite a turn-on.

A Rotation of About a Handful

Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Since I'm home a lot, I get to do a lot of household chores. It's hard to not feel like a housewife with an income, albeit a small one. And then there's always MORE chores to do than can get done or that I want to do. So, like a housewife I'm never ahead of the game but almost always playing behind the eight ball.

So what do I do when I'm not home? We do errands and eat out. If it wasn't so hard on the wallet and the waistline, I could review a lot of restuarants we eat out at. Some boast many stars, and others are barely hole-in-the-walls. But to be frank, we're running out of new finds. We do the rotation of about a handful. And the handful is local. It's a deal to go into DC and eat there. We do it occasionally, but because of the limited parking getting there usually involves a combination of Metro and taxis.

Another reason I think we avoid going into DC is because local is far more gentle than the big city downtown intensity of DC. As I age I'm more drawn to the familar and less likely to go for the "adventure." I swore I wouldn't be like this when I was young, but I just can't fight Mother Nature I guess.

But still, we have our favorite restuarants...a place for a steak....a place for a milk shake...or maybe a place for a salad or good deli. Sure we'd like them all to be a little better in quality, but hell, at least we've got them. And sometimes its OK to be happy with what you have. Gee, I guess, retirement really is pretty sweet after all.

Was It a Circus or a Rally?

As promised I did a little review of the media coverage of Capital Pride. No big surprises I'm afraid.

ABC News' front photo was of a young nipple-painted woman who was topless and standing next to Mayor Gray (his eyes were leveled at the young woman's chest, not her face or her eyes.)

In the photo slide show that followed there were a lot of provocative shots that focused on sexuality (but not in a romantic or let's get married kinda way). An I'm-still-in-the-closet-but-here-for-the-fun-shot of two people shielding their faces from the photographer's camera reminded me that not everyone is out yet.

Huffington Post had a photo of a handmade sign equating gay/lesbian rights with human rights, quoted from Hilary Clinton. At least Huffington Post didn't treat PRIDE like a circus but more like a political rally.

The media really doesn't get us, or if they do, why are we selling ourselves so short?

National Pride Weekend

Capital Pride will host an estimated 250,000 this weekend. The parade will be on Saturday, and the festival will be on Sunday. Even though Kathleen and I won't be attending either (we don't do crowds well), I will be very interested in monitoring for positive media coverage on TV and the Internet. If you're interested in more information, I suggest that you google Capital Pride or look for Pride activities in your local area on the Internet. In the meanwhile, I want to wish a HAPPY PRIDE to everyone who is LGBT and to all our friends and supporters too!!!

Coming Home

Sometimes it's hard to go back home again. And then again it's hard to come home again too. My recent trip to LA left me confused about where home was. 

Once we arrived in LA, the very sunlight struck me as familar. Oh, how I remember that bright white sunlight that shone almost every day. I felt a string being plucked like my soul was a cello resonating some deep note. But then everything also had a honeyed/tannish cast about it. The colors of LA, its roads and its landscrapes, shook me up. I had painted  for years but never with a Southern Californian palette. I guess I hide away these colors for a private inspiration or maybe as a source of grief.

I left California over 25 years ago with a heavy heart. My girlfriend and I couldn't afford to live in LA and finish our degrees at UCLA. So we chose to go to the University of Oregon to finish our degrees. We both got our degrees from the University of Oregon, but we didn't get them together. We had split up.

But of course I met another wonderful woman that I would share Oregon with as well as a cross country road trip to a life in Virginia. We were together for over 8 years and then we split up. I was left alone in Virginia. I called it home for a while even though I never really ever felt "at home."

Finally I met the love of my life, Kathleen. We set up house in Maryland. I was at loose ends for a long time in Maryland. Everything felt "off" and "odd". I was still very consumed by my former life in LA. My life in LA seemed unfinished, and I always wondered what kind of person I would have become if I had stayed there.

While DC has many drawbacks, and I've never felt appreciated here professionally, I've become a better person for working in the psychological field. If I had stayed in LA, I would have gotten sucked up into the Entertainment Industry. And then gawd only knows what the condition of my soul would be.

Now I've lived as many years outside California as I did growing up in California. And while LA can still tug at my heart and soul, I like living in Silver Spring with Kathleen, Perrier and Evian. Because with them I have a home.