It's No Laughing Matter

This election is killing my funny bone. I'm sad, sad at the Republicans for being hateful and anti-gay. I know I shouldn't be surprised. But I forgot about their "agenda" for a while. And well, now I've been reminded. And I'm sad, very sad.

Because this isn't just some bridge/road/traffic policy issue. This is about my life, the love of my life, our friends and our community. That's right. Real people who are fighting for their dignity and their civil rights.

Obama and the Democrats have given us some positive regard lately; something that few out gays or lesbians receive much of from our society. But you know all about how we are hated and persecuted both here at home and around the world.

So I ask you to say a kind word about someone known to be LGBT to your friends or a member of your family. And please stand tall with us and vote yes for marriage equality if it's on the ballot this November in your state. That's right, vote for human rights for everyone!

Wishing Everybody Happiness

What's on your car's bumper? We've got two bumper stickers. One is for Obama, and the other one is MEOW. We're very comfortable with our bumper stickers; everybody has them here in the DC area. What I'm thinking about now is getting a car license frame with a pithy saying. But not just any kind of saying.

How does "May You Be Happy" and "May You Be Free of Suffering" grab you? Somehow I believe that "I'd rather be playing tennis" will probably make fewer people uncomfortable than wishing everyone happiness as I drive away. Especially so here in Washington, DC. But I don't mind making some people uncomfortable.

Now even though the pursuit of happiness is so very American, actually wishing people happiness seems slightly radical, especially when they're your political foe. But I guess if more people were happy, there might be fewer haters running around and doing harm. Also happy people are more fun. Don't you agree?

So I may get that car license frame and spread a little message of happiness in my wake!

And The Ball Bounces Again

Guess what? The US Open starts on the 27th, and I'm going to be tuned in for the next two weeks. Nadal isn't in, but Serena is. So we've got some excitement. And it's all about the tennis, the players, the commentators, the clothes and shoes, the sponsors, the endorsements, and the spectators. And it's all in New York City too!!!

Kathleen and I went to the US Open in 2004. We saw Serena. She's awesome in person. What a killer serve. With her new humbler attitude, Serena is my girl. If she can keep her tennis manners about her, I hope she takes the championship. But there's quite a few matches to go in a tournament. I'll be watching the matches along the way (even if I have to watch them taped and in the evenings).

I hope Martina does commentary. I never got to see her play at a tournament (in person and live), but she has been my inspiration in so many ways. And continues to be an inspiration today.

So join me. Watch a little of the US Open. You'll have a blast!!!

Rx: Send me your kitten videos

The news isn't too funny lately. All that talk about rape and abortion can really blow your socks off and can get a girl down too. But we showed them. We fought back with the Internet. Yeah, did we pack a punch or what? But we'll see if it changes the way people vote.

Sometimes it's truly shocking to discover how other people think. I'm of the firm belief that there are a lot of crazy people out there in dire need of medication. Because people have some truly unique and strange ideas about things.

But I can't wait to get back to the kitties on Facebook. I'm all for cute and cuter. And well, send me your favorite kitten video in the comments section (just the link.)

Yeah, I'm in need of some good news and a few laughs! Send me some soon!!!

#100 Posting!!! I Think I’m Now a Blogger

Wow…I’m one of those people who write and who write a lot. In a little over a year I will have posted 100 times. They’ve been short postings, but each one topical in its own right (no pun intended).

And you have been my faithful readers. You’ve read about relationships, clothes, butch-femme stuff, cherry trees and all my issues with my hometown, which is LA. I appreciate your attention. Please feel free to leave more comments. Your comments are like a trail of bread crumbs; you have no idea how much direction they give my whimsical musings.

So I’m a blogger now. And I finally have got an identity. And it’s all free of charge too. How about that???

Marilyn's Ghost Might Be Here

Amazingly enough, I did some touristy things while in LA. We went to the Grove, which I highly recommend if you like outdoor shopping and a cool farmer's market. The Grove is an outdoor plaza with winding streets and stores that would be the envy of any covered mall. We only went briefly into the Nordstrom, but I would have liked to pop into Barnes & Noble as well.

And at last I bought my long-coveted Panamaian hat (that of course is made in China). These Panamaian hats have become iconic at the French Open (tennis) for two years now. I almost tracked one down at the online merchandise store of the French Open. But I had no luck. It took going to LA and shopping under the shadows of the CBS Studios to find my hat.

But the best touristy thing we did was going to the beach in Malibu. While the rest of LA was sweltering in a heatwave, we sat watching the ocean waves at a beachfront bar and restaurant. The Sunset Inn has a long history with some stories mentioning that this little beach restaurant had been known as "Marilyn's (Monroe) place." I tried to pick up a Marilyn vibe, but I believe that too much time has passed even for the acutely aware. Nevertheless, the beach and ocean waves lent itself to day dreams and wanderings of the imagination.

So, you see, you can still go back home and be a tourist. I think I've figured it out: It's just a state of mind. Maybe Kathleen and I will take a tour somewhere interesting again...

Now I'm Just a Tourist

"When in Rome do as the Romans do..." ---source unknown (to me)

I'm a tourist now when I visit LA. Oh I've already visited most of the sites a long time ago. I could get more current I guess. But I'm content with my memories. And they are good memories too. Now when I visit I want to have fun like retired people do.

I'd like to see my old school again. I've heard they've done some building on the UCLA campus. And I wonder if that round wooden table is still at Kerckhoff Coffee House. I drank too much coffee and debated too many arguments at that round table. Met a few lovers at that round table too. I was in my element at the Coffee House. Now I'm old enough to be everyone's mother. And they all refer to me as ma'am. It's hell getting older.

I still can't believe that I'm an AARP person now. They got me even before I turned 50. Kathleen is the older woman between us, and she added me as a domestic partner when she signed up. I wonder how many lesbian AARP couples are out there? Many I bet.

Following or Vacuum??

Does this happen to you often?

Kathleen and I are out and about. And we walk into a store or a restaurant, and it's almost completely empty. If it's a restaurant, we sit down at a table and look at the menu. And when we look up to order, the restaurant is now full with people waiting to sit down. I often just write it up to "we beat the lunch/dinner crowd". But we don't always go to restaurants at lunchtime or dinnertime. We've gone between 2 pm to 4 pm and still brought in a crowd behind us. My rational mind says "It was tea time".

Every so often Kathleen and I go to a shopping mall. We like empty stores to shop in. It's more like personal shopping that way. So we're walking around and looking for an interesting store to walk into. We find some place that we like, and we often walk into an empty store, which suits us just fine. In no less than five minutes the store is full of people shopping. If I haven't found something to buy by then, I'm leaving empty-handed now.

Now my logical minds says that nature abhors a vacuum, and an empty restaurant or store is just like a vacuum. Kathleen and I just happen to be the first people inside the vacuum. If I was feeling weird, I'd say we had a following. But I'm not. I took physics in college so I'm going with the vacuum story. What's your explanation?

Thanksgiving in August

Even though I know we are all supposed to wait until Turkey Day in November, I am feeling a swelling of gratitude lately. Oh, it's not because I won the lottery or hit the jackpot at Vegas. It's because I just feel so much appreciation for Kathleen, our lives together, our health care, our cats, our house and our families. It's a bit overwhelming when you count your blessings and realize that "yes, indeed" we have so very much to be thankful for.

Being thankful doesn't mean I don't have problems like you probably do. The gratitude just helps me to not totally focus on the negatives. And if I'm feeling especially good, I've even been known to laugh at my problems.

So take a play out of my gratitude playbook: count your blessings...I bet you'll be surprised at how many you have.