Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I saw this on facebook and liked it so much I shared it with my friends there AND here on Blogger. It really makes a lot of sense when you stop and think about it.

I also saw this on facebook and laughed out loud. So true!!!

My friend Joe P shared this video with me about how to get corn on the cob with no silk and no shucking. I can't believe I'd never heard of this before!

So another celebrity has 'come out': Zachary Quinto.
I thought he did a great job as Spock in the Star Trek movie, and I think he's really attractive, too.

Here's hoping everyone has a great weekend.

Don't rush me

I've written before about my dislike for people and retailers who rush the seasons and the holidays.

Even here in this beach resort area, you can't find a bathing suit in any store in July because they've all been cleared out to make room for the winter coats... in July!!

I was in a store in September and was shocked to see Christmas decorations for sale!

Its also frustrating to see Valentines Day merchandise in stores between Christmas and New Years.

And although I don't shop at Nordstrom, I absolutely LOVE that they absolutely refuse to decorate their stores with Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving. Why? Well, this sign in a Nordstrom window explains it rather simply:
I suggest we all vow to live and decorate 'in the moment' and resist rushing the seasons or the holidays. Who's with me?!?!

Stoopid lyrics

Now that I've figured out I can copy text and paste it into Blogger as long as I'm not using Internet Explorer, I can resume my blog feature "Stoopid Lyrics".

A song's appearance here does NOT mean I think the song is stupid or that I don't like the song. In fact, often I like the songs a lot, but find the lyrics just don't make sense.

Judge for yourself!

Stoned Soul Picnic

performed by the Fifth Dimension

Can you surry, can you picnic?
Can you surry, can you picnic?
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
There'll be lots of time and wine

Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Red yellow honey
Sassafras and moonshine (moonshine)
Stoned soul, stoned soul

Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Rain and sun come in akin
And from the sky come the Lord and the lightning
And from the sky come the Lord and the lightning

Stoned soul, stoned soul
Surry on soul
Surry, Surry, Surry, Surry

There'll be trains of blossoms (there'll be trains of blossoms)
There'll be trains of music (there'll be music)
There'll be trains of trust, trains of golden dust
Come along and surry on sweet trains of thought
Surry on down

Can you surry, can you surry
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
There'll be lots of time and wine

Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Red yellow honey
Sassafras and moonshine (moonshine)
Stoned soul, stoned soul
Stoned soul yeah
Surry on soul
Surry

Just because

Weekend highlights

I don't have a lot of 'highlights' from the weekend since I worked both days.

After work on Sat. Spouse & I had dinner with Steven & Thad and 1 of the Bobs at Fins Fish House & Raw Bar. Although Fins has been in business for several years, I've just started eating there now that I know it isn't just raw food. The food is very good but a little on the expensive side, even for downtown, which may be the reason they don't put any prices on their website's menu. After dinner we strolled the streets of town in search of jazz. Since it was jazz fest weekend I assumed we'd be able to duck into various bars and restaurants to hear a little music, as we'd done in past years. I don't know if we happened to stop in just at the time most performers were on break or what, but we had a difficult time finding music! One place had music but it wasn't jazz. Another place or 2 had jazz but they were restaurants so we didn't want to go in and take up a table and not order. We wound up sitting on a bench in front of a restaurant and listened to their jazz from a distance. But the weather was amazing so we didn't mind walking around town and just enjoying being outside on what was probably 1 of the last nights of the year that we didn't need a jacket.

While I worked on Sun. Spouse cooked boneless pork chops and roasted a veggie medley for dinner. Apparently that morning while he was having breakfast with Steven & Thad, 1 of them suggested he made dinner for the 4 of us, so he did. He didn't feel like cooking AND cleaning the house, so he told Steven & Thad he'd bring dinner over to their house to eat. It was delish and we had a nice time visiting with our friends after dinner was over.

Since I worked yesterday I was off today. I didn't have any special plans so I had time to washed 2 loads of clothes and 3 loads of towels. I also stopped in at my office for an hour or so to handle a few things like copying and dropping off offer #8 at the office of another realtor. It was nice weather to have the day off.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget yet too small to be their own post.

A friend sent me this which I found funny and true.

A friend sent me this and I just had to share it. Love it!

This weekend is the big Jazz Fest in our area. There's a concert at the convention center and all the local restaurants and bars will also have live jazz musicians and singers as well. I'm scheduled to work Sat & Sun but am hoping to duck into a few places after dinner Sat evening to check out the live music.

Here's wishing everyone a great weekend!

Demolished

You may remember about 2 years ago when pediatrician Earl Bradley of Bay Bees Pediatrics in Lewes, DE was accused of sexually assaulting over 100 of his child patients over a period of several years. This scandal shocked the community, and many parents of children treated by Bradley remained in disbelief for months. He was found guilty and sentenced to multiple life sentences in prison.

The bank that held the mortgage took possession of the land on which Dr Bradley's ofc sat some time ago, and this week the structures were demolished. I pass this site everyday.
Some parents and local politicians attended the event which they hoped would erase the reminder of the horrific behavior. You can read the story and view more photos here.

Just because

National Coming Out Day

Today is National Coming Out Day.

NCOD was founded by a psychologist and an openly-gay politician to raise awareness of the GLBT community and equally. Gays and lesbians are encouraged to 'come out' on NCOD to someone who may not know they're gay.

Although I fully support the idea of NCOD, personally I've had very little need for it. Ever since I 'came out' the first time, I've always lived openly. My daily conversation contains references to my partner and our lives together. So rather than needing to 'come out' to anyone on any day, I'm always 'out'.

But 'coming out' isn't easy for most people. My 'coming out' to my family was extremely emotional. I delayed it for several years because I knew it would truly be a life-altering action. I've shared my 'coming out' story here before, but if you haven't read it and you'd like to, you can do so here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

If you feel so inclined, please 'come out' to someone today.

Weekend highlights

As usual I worked on Sat. The offer I wrote on Fri for the small old house was countered by the seller on Sat and then ratified later on that day. That's deal #7 for me. That afternoon I met with a new couple and showed them a number of homes.

That evening Spouse & I met up with Steven & Thad and 1 of the Bobs for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Then I went to the Blue Moon to perform as Neil Diamond in the encore presentation of the Legends show. There was a good crowd at the show, likely because it was a holiday weekend and there were several activities going on in town. After the show I hung out for a while with a couple friends from the show, but was home by midnight since I had to work the next day.

Sun I met with a client at 9:30 and took him to see a few homes he'd selected online that were very low priced. He's never bought a home before and is not sure if he can afford to buy or how much he can spend, so I gave him business cards for 2 local mortgage specialists and explained that they can pre-qualify him for a mortgage over the phone, letting him know how much he can afford to buy and what the payments would be. As we drove from home to home I asked him questions about his work and where he was from, and also helped explain some general real estate processes to him (home inspection, closing costs, transfer taxes). None of the homes we saw today suited him so I suggested that, depending on the results of his pre-qualification, he may find something he likes better in a slightly higher price range. He agreed and I look forward to working with him again in the future. Then after lunch, the guys I'd shown property to on Tues, saw at karaoke on Thurs, and showed homes to on Fri came in to write an offer on one of the homes. That's #8. It was a good week for me real estate-wise!

Sun evening Spouse & I used our VIP invitation to attend the 30th anniversary celebration of the Blue Moon. There were roving spotlights and red carpets announcing the establishment's special night. Inside it was very crowded and everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. There were passed hors d'ouvres and both of the bars were slammed. Then the emcee for the night, Miss Richfield 1981, did a short but hilarious stand-up act and then introduced the special guest entertainer: Thelma Houston! Thelma performed a Motown medley followed by her 70s disco hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". I was really impressed by how great her voice sounded after more than 35 years. Everyone danced and sang along. It was really great! Another fun surprise of the celebration was a photo booth. Spouse declined to have his photo taken so I hopped in the booth with 2 of my favorite drag queens Mona Lotts and with Phoenix Rising. It was a really, really nice celebration.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I saw this on facebook and had to include it here.
Seems pretty accurate to me.

Last night my clients to whom I showed property on Tues and earlier today showed up at karaoke! They didn't know I'd be there; its just 'the place to be' on Thurs nights. We hung out for a while and they got to hear me sing. It was fun!

Today I wrote an offer for a commercial client on a small, old house that's on a street that's now zoned commercial. Its rather inexpensive because the value is primarily in the land, but every deal is a good deal. They plan to renovate the house and relocate their office in the old house. Let's hope this one gets ratified too, so it will be deal #7.

I saw this on facebook and thought I'd share it.Feel free to send this to an ungrateful teenager you know.

I'm really looking forward to Sunday's 30th anniversary party at the Blue Moon. They'll have a red carpet, spotlights shooting up into the sky, and all kinds of surprises. Look for my recap on Mon.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Busy

Since I live and work in a beach/resort area, I assumed that shortly after Labor Day when "the season" was over, there would be fewer visitors and work would slow down from the hectic summer pace. I was wrong.

Its Oct and work has still been quite busy; so much so that I've had trouble taking a full day off. I was supposed to be off today, but the offer I presented a few days ago was countered by the seller last evening, so today I was on the phone with my buyers discussing the counter, their options and our strategy. Then I spoke with another client and eventually had to go into office to send some documents to the 1st buyers and schedule property showings for next day for the 2nd buyers. This seems to happen every time I try to take a day off.

I know I shouldn't complain. I mean, how many people start a brand new career in real estate and in just over 6 months are so busy they have a hard time having a real, full day off? I'm lucky to be this busy, but at times it gets a little frustrating.

Diva

This coming weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the Blue Moon restaurant and bar. As a part of the weekend's celebration we're doing an encore performance of the Legends show Sat night.

Its been over a month since we performed these characters so the bar owners asked each of us to come in today to run through our segments. I went today at 3:30 to rehearsal my Neil Diamond routine. I'm very comfortable with the material and really didn't need the rehearsal, but I dare not say so.

See, the night of our very first Legends show I was the last performer and after finishing my medley I left the stage knowing I had just a few short minutes to change out of my Neil Diamond costume and into my finale tuxedo. So as I exited the stage I handed my mic to the show coordinator and simply said "mic", then yanked my silk scarf from around my neck and handed it to the costume coordinator and said "scarf" and began unbuttoning my shirt. Thanks to this, the show coordinator gave me the nickname Diva.


So I dared not tell them I really didn't need today's rehearsal. That would have cemented my Diva status for sure!

After finishing the rehearsal we talked briefly about plans for the Legends Christmas show. I love Christmas music!! I was thrilled to learn that I'm going to be impersonating Neil Sedaka and singing 'Merry Christmas, Darling' - one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs!

Just because

Weekend highlights

Fri night we had Fri night dinner with 'the usual suspects' and a crazy weather front moved in while we were eating. There was lightning and rain and when we left the restaurant the temperature seemed to have dropped 20 degrees. It was really chilly! That night I wound up having to get up during the night to get a blanket from the amoir.

As usual I worked on Sat. I had an 8:30 walk-thru followed by a 9:30 settlement for my clients from CT. They aren't a young couple, but they were so excited about closing on their new home. They loved the beautiful decorative glass bowl I gave them as a settlement gift. That evening Steven & Thad went to a wedding so Spouse & I went to dinner at Saketumi with Joe P. I was in the mood for sushi and Joe P always says yes to sushi. Steven & Thad joined us there after the wedding, about 1/2 way through our meal. Afterward we stopped at their house for wedding cupcakes they brought home from the reception. I confronted them about their role in the banana mystery!! As I suspected they denied it, but I still think it was them.

Sun I was scheduled to be off work, but 2 of my clients wanted to come and see property so I wound up working from 11am-5:30. It was worth it, as 1 of the clients decided to write an offer. That's #6. That evening it was still chilly - only in the very low 50s - so we decided to have Italian food for dinner. We met Steven & Thad and Joe P at the Tuscan Grill and had a great meal together. I put on my flannel pajama pants and Spouse & I watched 'Pan Am' and 'Mike & Molly' on the DVR.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I saw this on facebook and had to share it. So true.

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE the Progressive Insurance commercials with Flo? Seriously, I love them! I can't believe the actress that plays Flo hasn't shown up in any of the new sitcoms that started this week.

A friend sent me this video of a tsunami filmed by someone in a car. Its captivating!

A friend sent me this and I thought it was funny.

I was supposed to be off work today but a client wanted to come to town for a 2nd showing of a home I showed them, so I met her and her mother at 1:00. Although I had the entire morning to get things done at home and have a little 'me time', I found myself looking at the clock every few minutes to make sure I wasn't running late for my 1:00 appointment. She didn't end up writing an offer on that home, but she did decide to go up in price in order to try and get what they really want. I think they're serious!

Here's hoping everyone has a great weekend!

Family matters

Me neither

Just because

Weekend highlights

There isn't much "highlight" from my weekend...

I worked all day on Sat. but Spouse & I and Steven & Thad went to Joe P's for a dinner party that night. Joe made a fabulous prime rib roast, baked potatoes, and a penne side dish. Spouse made a roasted veggie medley with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, red pepper, and onion. Steven & Thad brought dessert. We had a delicious dinner and a lovely evening.

I worked all day Sun too. Steven & Thad went to dinner for their 11th anniversary, so Spouse & I were on our own for dinner. We decided to go to the Cottage Cafe for their Sun evening dinner special: turkey dinner with gravy, stuffing, and a vegetable of your choice. I had zucchini and yellow squash, and Spouse had creamed spinach. It was really good! The turkey was tender and moist, just like Thanksgiving. So often we eat out with others, and when we eat at home its usually in front of the TV, so it was nice to have a meal out together, just the 2 of us.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

The offer I wrote for my client last weekend (when I was supposed to be off work) got ratified this week, so that makes sale #5 for me. It feels good to think I'm getting the hang of this. But just when I get to thinking I'm comfortable, something new comes up. I'm now working with a client who wants to purchase a vacant lot in a residential community, upon which he'll build a house in a few years. Believe it or not, there's a different sales contract for land.

A friend sent me this photo.
At 1st I thought "He's kind of handsome", and then I noticed the mirror on the wall.

I'm scheduled to work Sat & Sun this weekend so we don't have many plans. Joe P is having a small dinner party on Sat night so we'll take a side dish and go to that. Otherwise, I'm not sure what Spouse will do with his free time. Hopefully he'll be productive and not sit at home in front of the TV all weekend.

I saw this posted on facebook and thought it was worth sharing.

I hope everyone has a fun weekend!

Yet another banana!

As I was coming from the car to the front door the other day I saw something on the door step that gave me a chuckle.

Another banana!
Only this time it wasn't porcelain or frosted; it was real. And cold. The person(s) behind the banana mystery had left a cold, real banana on my doorstep.

This made me chuckle for a couple reason. One, its funny to me that someone would go to all the trouble to perpetuate the banana mystery. Two, the fact that this real banana was personally dropped off at our house and was still cold gave me a very strong clue toward the identity of the person(s) responsible.

The porcelain banana was left in my laundry room but I'm not sure when, and there were lots of people in our house then. Spouse's family stayed with us, Anne Marie from Philly had stayed with us, and we'd had friends over for dinner so it could have been anyone.

The frosted banana was shipped to my office from NJ. Literally anyone could have sent the banana to a friend who lives or works in NJ with instructions to send it to me.

But this latest banana was hand-delivered and was still cold when I got home from work, which tells me it was kept in a fridge and delivered very shortly before I got home. This had to be done by someone local.

I have yet to confront/expose the anonymous banana sender, but rest assured that I'll write about it when I do.

Just because

Happy birthday Steven!!

Today is my good friend Steven's birthday! Here's a photo of us taken last Nov on our cruise.Happy birthday Steven!!!

Weekend highlights

Since I had an appointment for a 2nd showing of a house at noon on Sat, Spouse & I went to the car show when it started at 10am. The weather was very chilly and overcast. Unlike past years when everyone was in shorts and t-shirts, this day they had on jeans and jackets. We walked around and admired the lovely cars and chatted with a few friends we met along the way. This year's theme was "In the lap of luxury" so many of the club members with multiple cars brought their most luxurious models. There must have been a dozen Cadillacs which delighted me immensely, a few Lincolns, and even a 1960 Rolls Royce. We left at 11:30 as it began to rain, so I could drop Spouse off at home and then meet my client at the house. I felt bad for the guys at the car show.

My client brought her architect brother along for the 2nd showing to give her ideas. She liked the home's size and location a lot, but its style was a bit too modern. Her brother and I both had some great ideas to make the home feel more cottagy. She promised to call me later that afternoon with her decision. I had a good feeling!

My plan was to pick up Spouse after the house showing and go to DE Pride, but it was raining pretty steadily by then. Since the entire event is outdoors, we thought that if we waited for a while the rain might pass on and we could go to Pride later when the entertainment was scheduled. So we met up with Steven and Alisha & Jack for lunch, then hung out at home for a while. I played a few turns of WWF and tidied up the house a bit while Spouse took a nap. My client called to say they wanted to write an offer on the house I'd shown her twice so I met them at the office to prepare the offer. By the time we finished it was 5:00 and it was still raining so we gave up on attending DE Pride and seeing Taylor Dayne perform. That night we went to our friend Doug's surprise birthday party at their friend's house. They had great food and we had a good time.

I was supposed to work on Sun but my colleague asked me to switch Sundays with him so he could be off next Sun. This gave me an entire weekend off (with the exception of the showing and the offer writing). Our friends Koset & Jim were in town and texted me so we met them for breakfast. Afterward they invited us to their house since we'd not been there before and we talked until noon. I hoped the weather would clear up so we could go to the beach in the afternoon but it was cool and overcast instead. Again we relaxed at home for a while until it was time to have dinner at Steven & Thad's. Thad's mother was visiting so they invited us and Robin and Joe P over for dinner. Spouse was helping to set the table for dinner in the sunroom and looked into the kitchen window and made a comment about being the 'zany next door neighbor' from a 1950s sitcom stopping by to gossip, and we all cracked up! Joe P took this photo.We had a delicious meal and a fun evening!

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

My friend Jared sent me this:I love how its done in 'traditional' needlepoint!

Earlier this week Spouse & I went to dinner with our friends Deb & Greer and Bob & Michael. We met Bob & Michael at Greer's birthday party a few weeks ago and we seemed to click with them. This week we had dinner at Planet X, one of my favorite local restaurants. The weather was pleasant so we had a table on the porch, but for some reason there was no breeze and we all became uncomfortably warm. So after dinner we walked to the boardwalk to 'cool off' with the ocean breezes and an ice cream cone! It was a very nice evening.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend! Its the car club's annual Beach Ball car show on Sat. I didn't renew my membership in the club this year or pay to participate in Beach Ball (car show, banquet, parties, etc.) due to funds, but I am definitely planning to attend the car show as a spectator. Click here for photos of last year's Beach Ball. I even requested off work to enjoy the car club, although I will take an hour or so at noon to show a house to a client for the 2nd time. Hopefully it will be worth it.

Also on Sat is DE Pride! This year talent is pretty amazing, especially for this relatively small Pride event. The headliner is Taylor Dayne!! I loved her back in the late 80s/early 90s and even saw her in concert. Also performing are Jonny McGovern, Calpernia Addams, and Pepper MaShay. In addition to the talent I always find it nice to wonder around the festival and see lots of friends.

Sat night Spouse & I are going to our friend Doug's surprise birthday dinner so that should be fun too.

My current pet peeve is when people say "navy blue" because its redundant. Navy is only a shade of blue so there's no need to distinguish which color is a shade of. There's no navy red, navy green, or navy brown, so don't say "navy blue". Just say navy.

Here's wishing everyone a great weekend!

My clients in the news

Last week a writer from CNNMoney called our office. He said he was writing an article about couples who were taking advantage of historically low interest rates and buying their retirement homes now, rather than waiting a few years when they actually stop working. He wanted to know if we had any clients in this situation.

My colleague confirmed with me that 1 of my clients was doing that exact thing, buying their retirement home now, and asked me if I thought the clients would be willing to be interviewed. I thought they probably would so I called and asked them. They said yes so I provided their phone number to my colleague who then passed it onto the writer.

The result is this short article. I was a little disappointed the writer didn't mention me or at least my agency's name, but I suppose he was trying not to show any favoritism. Still it was exciting for me to see MY CLIENTS and the home I found for them featured in the article.

I do but you don't

I began reading this article with the intent of being satisfied that the number of people who favor same sex marriage is going up. After all its title is "Near Split in US Over Legal Gay Marriage".

And while I was encouraged that half the people polled are in favor of marriage equality, I was simultaneously disturbed by the hypocrisy of the mother who "thinks the world" of her daughter's same sex partner and believes they should have equal rights, but can't support marriage equality due to her religion.

The writer is kind, in my opinion, by suggesting that "its complicated" and that "Americans are grappling with it". Maybe I'm overly sensitive to religion-based hypocrisy because of my own family's estrangement, but really... how "complicated" is it? You either believe in equality and vote for it or you don't.

Some may feel like the mother in this article, that gays should have equal rights in everything except marriage. But that really wouldn't make them EQUAL, now would it? Getting the same rights through an alternative measure (not through marriage) inherently creates a separate class.

Some seem to think that same sex couples should simply move to a state that offers same sex marriage. Can you imagine how preposterous it would be if that were truly implemented? What if 10% of the US population moved to the 6 states and the District of Columbia where they can legally marry? Even more preposterous is the idea that such a suggestion might have been made to African Americans 50 years ago when they sought legal equality.

The other grossly overlooked piece of the puzzle is that same sex couples who are married in the 6 states plus the District of Columbia where same sex marriage is legal only receive equal STATE rights. They still do not get equal FEDERAL rights.

Yet somehow these well-meaning people like the mother in this article allow their religion to override their consideration and respect for their very own daughter and her partner. The mother concludes the article by saying “We had to bring them to the house and hug them and love them and tell them these things and not let that keep us apart.”

In my opinion, this should keep her and her daughter apart. My parents and siblings chose their religious beliefs over their relationship with me and in a twisted way I'm glad they did. At least they aren't hypocrites. At least they don't "think the world" of me & Spouse in their home and then vote against our equality. My family's behavior is at least consistent with their speech.

It seems to me that some people want to act hypocritically and then excuse it or try to reduce its impact by saying "its complicated". Well, important decisions frequently are complicated but that does not mean we have any less responsibility to do the right thing. The true measure of one's character is how they act in "complicated" situations.

You can read the article here and feel free to share your thoughts with me by commenting on this post.

Just because

Weekend highlights

I worked on Sat. Afterward Spouse & I had hot dogs at Steven & Thad's for dinner. I left early for Legends show. Spouse, Steven & Thad, Joe P, and our friends Koset & Jim and Doug & Jim all came to the show. Koset took this video of my performance. Not long after the show, everyone left but Koset. He and I decided to hang out together and we really had a good time! Koset took this photo of me and Karla who performed as Donna Summer.
I took this picture of Karla and Koset.

Sun I worked. Spouse went to the beach with Steven & Thad and Joe P. Anticipating the season finale of True Blood that night on HBO (which we don't have but Steven & Thad do), Spouse offered to cook dinner and make dessert for them if they let us watch the show at their house. They don't follow the show like we do, so bribery was in order. Chris & Jason came over for dessert and the show. Spouse made a trifle for dessert and had me write True Blood on the top with gel icing.

Since I worked yesterday I was off today. I slept until 9am, watched a little TV while I drank my coffee, played several turns of Words With Friends (WWF), did several loads of laundry, had lunch, and then went to the beach. It was a beautiful day: sunny, low 80s, and low humidity. After returning home and having dinner with Spouse we settled onto the sofa and I played several more turns of WWF while Spouse watched TV. The original film 'Hairspray' by John Waters was on so that was going in the background as I played my turns. I love that film!

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Last Sat at what I thought was my last performance of Legends, I learned that we were doing an encore Legends performance tomorrow night! I've had SO much fun doing the Legends show, I'm happy to do an encore performance tomorrow night.

Last night I learned from Steven that the 'Words with Friends' (WWF) game he plays with Joe P and Jack & Alisha on their iPads and iPhones is also available on Facebook, so I started playing on Facebook. OMG, I'm completely addicted! I have 20 simultaneous games going on already! Its similar to Scrabble, a game I played a lot as a kid.

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous this weekend. But there'll be no beach time for me this weekend. I am scheduled to work both Sat & Sun. I hope I get some good new clients to work with to make it worth it.

Rick Perry

OK, I know this is Photoshopped but its still funny.

Just because

Another banana

You may recall my discovery of a porcelain banana in the laundry room. No one claimed responsibility nor has anyone cracked under the pressure of my interrogations, so who placed it there remains a mystery.

The other day a small box addressed to me arrived at my office, delivered by the UPS man. There was no return address. I wasn't expecting any mail order deliveries so I wondered if it was a gift from a client.

I opened the box and pullled back the decorative tissue paper to reveal another banana!

This time the banana was 'frosted'. I'm sure you're familiar with Christmas decorations and ornaments that have the appearance of having been rolled in fine sugar crystals. This treatment is known as frosting. Spouse & I have frosted apples, plums, pomegranites, grapes, and pears we put in a glass bowl at Christmastime. Well, now we have a frosted banana!

Of course there was no return address on the box; just the zip code from which it was sent. I'm guessing the sender first sent the banana to a friend with instructions for the friend to then send it to me so that the zip code wouldn't give away the identity of the sender.

How 'special' do I feel to now have 2 bananas from an anonymous donor???

Given the texture of this latest banana, I'm changing this post theme from "the mystery of the porcelain banana" to "the banana mystery".

Obviously I'll keep you posted about future bananas.

Weekend highlights

Sat I worked until 3:30. I left early so I could go home and run through my Legends show routine a few times before heading over to Steven & Thad's cookout. Spouse made potato salad and helped Steven & Thad get ready. Here's a photo of my back and ass in the background and some of the food in the foreground.
From left to right: Steven's macaroni salad, Steven's black bean and corn salad, and Spouse's potato salad.
They had a great turn out! Jason & Kevin, Chris & Jason, Jack, Allen, Joe P, Robin, the Bobs, Rusty and other friends and neighbors came. The food was great and we had fun talking and laughing. The weather was perfect for a cookout. I left at 8:30 to go to the Blue Moon for the Legends show. Our friends Marty & John and our neighbors Jim & Barb came to the show!

On Sun I went to work again and Spouse met up with Steven & Thad, Joe P, and Allen for the annual Drag Volleyball game. For years now 2 teams of volleyball players dress up in themed drag and play. There's always a dramatic introduction and a 1/2 time show too! Here's a photo from this year's game:That evening Spouse & I met up with another bunch of friends for a birthday/cocktail party. It was fun to hang out with this group of friends again as well as meet some new friends. Afterward many of the guys went to a big dance in town but Spouse & I picked up an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery (an early birthday treat for Thad's upcoming birthday) and took it over to Steven & Thad's and visited with them and Allen and Joe P.

This morning Spouse & I had a quick breakfast, packed our stuff and arrived at the beach at 10:15. The weather was mostly sunny, breezy and about 80 degrees. Steven & Thad and Allen were already there, and shortly after we arrived Joe P showed up too. We had a great day hanging out at the beach. We saw lots and lots of friends, including the guys from the previous night's birthday/cocktail party. The sun disappeared behind the clouds for an hour or so, but came back out again later. We'd brought lunch so we were able to stay until 4:15. What a great beach day! Once back at home we showered, dressed, and headed over to Steven & Thad's for dinner. Steven used the leftover chicken to make chicken enchiladas which we ate with the leftover salads. We ate outside in their yard and enjoyed the great breeze until it got dark and the bugs started biting. We went inside and had cherry pie and watched "True Blood".

It was a terrific holiday weekend filled with friends, food, celebrations, beach, and work.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Tomorrow night is the last night of Legends show series. I'm really sad to see it come to an end since it has been such a pleasure to perform in it. I'm happy to be in the very last performance tomorrow night though.

This video had me completely mesmerized!

I had 2 settlements this week, 1 on Mon and 1 today, so you know that THAT means... commission checks!!!

Its hard enough when an adult feels they are transgender, born in the wrong gender body. But this amazing story is about a 10-year old who has made this same discovery. Even more amazing? Her parents understand and support here. Watch the video here.

This is Labor Day weekend and I am scheduled to work on Sat. I'm supposed to be off on Sun but I am showing property to a young couple who work opposite schedules and are only off on Sun together. Although my office is open 1/2 day on Mon I'm not going in. I'm hoping to spend the day at the beach, weather permitting.

Here's wishing everyone a fun and safe holiday weekend!

There comes a time

Last night we went to the fabulous Miss Coco Peru perform her latest show "There comes a time..." at the Blue Moon. Miraculously I was able to get Spouse off the sofa to come with me and we met Steven & Thad there.

I always look forward to seeing Coco perform because its always hilariously funny, smart, and fresh. She never recycles old stories or material from previous shows as some comedians do. This is my 5th time seeing her perform at the Blue Moon. Read about last year's show here.

I was really surprised when she walked onto stage with a new, short hairstyle! I'd only ever seen her with her classic Flip. But the new hairdo was just a part of her act and not a permanent change. In fact, after the show she came out to greet guests and have her photo taken wearing her classic Flip which suits her so well. Many thanks to my friend Marty who took this photo with his phone and emailed it to me!

One of the funnier bits in her routine was her dislike of skinny White gay men who behave like sassy Black women, doing diagonal 'snaps' and saying things like "Girrrrrlllllll" and "No she di'nt". Its not nearly as funny reading it as it was when Coco was telling it.

That's the thing about Coco: she isn't just a drag queen, or a comedienne, or a storyteller, or a singer. She's ALL those things... she's a real entertainer. Everyone in the audience was thoroughly entertained last night, I'm sure of it.

Coco travels so look at her schedule and go see her!!