A Moment to Type

"I'd like to dedicate this song to the bartender, B***e, who I spent 25 intimate minutes with in the bathroom last year. . ." That's how I opened my version of New York, New York this year in New Orleans.

It was a mild year. That moment though was a good closer to the vacation. It was a small enough bar, filled with enough locals that I think I'll be remembered by both the bartender and those people who go to sing karaoke for a little while.

I sit here eagerly awaiting a phone call, that at 8 minutes to five, I am pretty sure won't come. Do I wonder if that means I got the job? Or that they have told someone else. Is no news good news? It upsets me that I haven't heard anything, though I'm trying not to take it personally.

This game tires me and one cannot be expected to have much more motivation than I have been putting out there.

No news is good news. . .no news. . .

My Own On the Road

"I dance because I love dancing and I love men."

Jeffery Marx tells the story of New Orleans better than I could ever do it.

I feel like I'm reading a novel.

The Who's Tommy Reunion

Two Things.

One.

I'm seeing the The Who's Tommy the musical's 15th Anniversary Concert tonight. This show came out in 1993/94 and was about to close until they performed on the Tony Awards. I wish I could've seen it on Broadway. It's one of my favorite soundtracks...

Two.



In New Orleans. At Pat O'Briens. We discovered Babs Woods. She played the piano, took requests and made darling jokes to her drunken audience members...

Endings and Beginnings

I am home from New Orleans.

I am working on that tale. Now begins the final three weeks of insanity that teachers like to pretend is "normal". The projects, on top of tests, on top of presentations, on top of first and final drafts, on top of biology labs, on top of scheduling for classes.

It is hell these next few weeks. I will be living off the money I don't have anymore. I will be doing final projects until I bleed. And I WILL bleed, trust me.

I am exhausted and I need to sleep. Tomorrow is the beginning of a marathon I don't wish to run in. Finals have never been my forte, but finals without financial stability is even worse.

I am taking an Ambien, falling into a sleepless haze and hoping that all the answers come to me in a grand dream.

I will return in full mind.

I am Thankful for...

• My wonderful friends (Eric and all the Jeff's I've met) who I am going to New Orleans with. Making me laugh and understanding my eccentricities. No matter how unique they may be.
• My roommate, who has allowed me to feel comfortable in my living situation for the first time in 2.5 years. It's been a nice feeling to have her always close by, I hope she feels the same way.
• My Ex-Husband, no matter who else he dates or if he withholds information from me. He will always have a special place in my heart and soul.
  
• K, the lady who is twice my age, but loves me for me. As I love her for her.
  
• My Florida Lover, who keeps me entertained for hours.
  
• My Australian connection. His wisdom and smarts make me smile. His comments I always take to heart. He is a beacon of positive energy and I know whenever I am down. He will send a wonderful comment my way.
  
• Jim, who lives across the country, but showed me that caring can cross these lands without any trouble.
  
• Anita Morris. Patti LuPone. Judy Garland. Liza Minnelli. Betty Buckley. Barbara Cook. All those Diva's who's voices that have entertained my ears everyday for years.
• My strength and determination. Though sometimes I am the Maid of Constant Sorrow on here. I am in a place I haven't been before, it's a good place.
• My family who is supportive and will always love me. No matter how much of a Wayward Prince I may be to them. To my mother, father, brother and sister. I love them all, even if I don't show it all the time.
  

Thank you all, Happy Thanksgiving.

Miss Otis Regrets...

So much to not say. So little not to do. Where doth the time fly?

New Orleans, this Thursday. Back on the plane, this time heading towards the gorgeous South! Land of Plastic beads and Tennessee Williams! Oh, perhaps I should reread some 10? I sometimes long for him, I long from that time when I first read his words and felt whole new worlds opening. Beautiful and tragic. The Kingdom of Heaven does not come at an easy price!

Today has been a day of no work. Shame, shame, shame. I did discover Patti LaBelle's version of Miss Otis Regrets that has sent me giggling like a 14-year-old school girl every time I start it! You need to hear it to believe it! She turns it into a harrowing tale.

When she woke up and found that her dream of love was...GOOOOONNNNNE! Madame! She ran, she ran to the man! Who lead her astray!

And from under a black velvet gown! She drew a gun and SHOT her love down...Madame!

Miss Otis Regrets! She's unable, unable, UNABLE! To lunch...TODAY!

When the mob came and got her! And dragged her from the jail! MADAME! They strung her up! Up! UP! On the Willow across the way!

Tonight a boy I have befriended has revealed that he has feelings for me. It was straight-forward and to the point. I appreciated that, and felt warmly happy inside. I responded with, "I am all types of unstable right now. Just be my friend for now." He's young and naive and I feel that if I touched his body it would melt like a freshly fallen snowflake.

I want him to be in my life. As a friend for now. I don't know how I feel about him, but I like his friendship. That's what's important, right? To value the friendships you have before anything else. Perhaps someday I'll be able to feel that same way in return. Of course, then it will be to late and I'll realize how "Julia Roberts" my life has become.

Lastly, I leave you with various pictures of Jennifer Holliday making weird faces at the Tony Awards:

The one that got her the Tony Award:

Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to lunch today.

Why Do The Wrong People Travel?

I'm going to San Francisco. Don't try and stop me. The month of November will be filled with travel. The fall is pushing me out of the city, as displayed today by the gray.

Stop 1. San Francisco. I will of course sing one of my favorite Judy tunes while I'm there. I'll meet with a friend who's blog I have been reading for years. And I shall be with a woman who has made me feel loved and cared for in such dire times. I will escape the city to go across the country. I am getting chills just thinking about it.

Stop 2. New Orleans. To relive the New Orleans Trip of '07. With the same people and the same amount of days. This time we will do the things we didn't get to do. I will return to that awful theater and see what's playing this season.

I am jobless true and without money. I have been saving for both these trips though. In a separate account. I need these trips. The San Francisco one crept up on me. I want it terribly though! I am going to have it.

Trips are a reason to be happy!

Beyond Therapy

The New Orleans reunion was a hoot. Except for the one part. That part where you're 3 hurricane's in and your friends point out that of the four of you. Three have had terrific dates this weekend.

Yet, due to these three hurricanes that are in your system. You feel like bursting into tears, which is absurd. It's my emotional state. I am happy for all my friends having good dates. Here are pictures taken from Jeff's blog. Just so you know I did have a good time:

Oh and I suppose life's balancing out for my lack of dating, was to let me see William Finn in person...which was grand.

Picture-A-Day #043

We're having a New Orleans friend's reunion tonight at ACME Restaurant. I couldn't not go! Regardless that I see these friends often as it is.

The Text of New Orleans Part II

Day 3:

After stumbling home at about 3 am and surprisingly not dying. I died a little on the inside. I awoke the next morning and threw up. This is a theme that would continue through the whole day. I believe that someone had placed a Voodoo Curse on me that night. Much like The Curse of Monkey Island...which someone made into a live stage show...What?! Yet, the writing for that show was really intelligent so I can see how it translated. I digress.

The pattern of my day was: Move, puke, move puke, drink water, puke, move, puke, etc.

We went to this amazing restaurant/bar called Coop's Place. Sleazy as hell looking, but the food was great. We even saw a big cockroach crawling on the wall later in the trip. Yet, we ate there like 3/4 times. I kept moving somehow, it was amazing I should have been in bed. I didn't want to waste a day.

We went on a bus trip to the Swamps of New Orleans. I almost puked while riding across Lake Pontchartrain, it was very Marie Christine. I kept it in. While we drove we saw the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the rest of New Orleans. It was rather depressing, I feel as though they need to start from scratch almost. The city was already poor enough. Too bad we're too focused on a War to REALLY care.

The swamp tour was surreal. We had a choice of a covered boat or a topless one. It was cold and most people chose the covered boat, my group and a English couple choose the topless boat with was controlled by Captain Ted. If you've watched the movies I posted, you'll know why this trip was so memorable. Somehow Captain Ted held back my puking the entire trip.

We returned to New Orleans where I proceeded to get sick again and fall down and sleep and puke every two hours.

Day 4:

I woke up and felt much better. I got a start on my day by eating Beingets and all the other food I missed the day before. I then went to my little local theater production of Purlie. Waiting for Guffman can not define the horribleness this was! Not horrible actually, but just really amateur in the best way possible. The spotlight kept missing the person it was one. The acting was childish. The band was completely wrong. And the lead actor couldn't sing OR act. His actor bio proudly stated he'd been acting for 10 years, but never on a stage. I can assure you it showed completely.

It was NOTHING like this.

I left after the first act, for it was enough to satisfy my curiousity. I wish I'd held out for Hot Flashes the Musical Revue they were also performing.

I returned to the Hotel and met up with my friends who had gone to the Garden District. I missed out on that, but it was worth it. We decided to go on the town again. Another Magical Cookie and we were off. We had Oysters and fried Crawfish at ACME. I ate so many ice cubes. you can see it in that movie I posted. So many ice cubes.

We went walked around, searching for live music and found a rock bar, where I hear some amazing Improv Rock and lost myself in the music. It was truly magical.

The Text of New Orleans

I have the photos and the videos of New Orleans, but what about what REALLY happened to me? I may as well write about it.

Day 1:

We boarded the plane, it was a very interesting trip to JFK Airport. I finished having sex with the Tall Man and I kissed him goodbye. He made Pot Brownies for his Thanksgiving Dinner and gave me one. So yes, I was getting stoned at like 11 am. I met up with a friend, we went from Subway to LIRR to the AirTram to JFK. JetBlue is one of the terminals. When I go to China I'll be in a different International Terminal which is equally thrilling!

We got on the plane and drank. I watched TV for the first time in a long while. The King and I was on, which was thrilling. Deborah Kerr ROCKS the giant skirt like it's no one's business. We arrived in New Orleans on time, which is an hour behind. We got to our cute little Frenchman Hotel. It's a beautiful place.

We hung out and went to Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel on Royal St. It was 38 dollars and was basically a HUGE meal...in the Style of Thanksgiving. We chatted and took pictures and drank. It was a very relaxed and merry time. I love Thanksgiving with my friends. I ordered a Pumpkin pie for dessert, but we think they gave me Quiche Lorraine instead. I ate it.

We went to Bourbon St. and played tourists. The "leader" of our Group, Jeffery, was getting as happily drunk and decided we needed patronize a sleazy bar that was called Big Daddy's Live Sex Acts. This was basically a stripper bar with a bed on stage, yet no fucking ever happened. We were approached by the male dancer who reeked of Meth-use. His missing teeth helped us discover that. Apparently he could tie his penis into a knot. Jeffery saw it during his lap dance.

We went to the two Bourbon St. Gay bars called Oz and Bourbon Street Pub, they're literally right across the street from each other. We hung out and drank, the drinks were weak.

Day 2:

I awoke and started my day off with Beignets. A love that would soon consume me throughout the trip. We split up, two Jeffs went to get a psychic reading. Eric joined me on my Tennessee Williams Walking Tour I created.

I saw his first apartment he lived in the French Quarter. The Apartment he wrote Ten Blocks on the Camino Real, his most surreal play, that his agent said to lock it away and never show anyone it. The apartment where he first wrote his first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire and the apartment he owned when he died. It was a very insightful walk and I loved every moment of it. I also bought two books called The Tennessee Williams Annual Review. The 1999 and 2000 editions. Yes, people still write articles about his writings. Wunderbar!

We had lunch at Napoleon's House and I ate Jambalaya. Which tasted like Uncle Ben's, but I'm not picky. We walked around and I bought tickets to a little showing of Purlie in The Little Theatre on The French Quarter. It was celebrating it's 91st Season...that means it'll be good...right? More on that later.

The psychic was so amazing my friend's said that I got a reading. His name was Philip and he felt my palm and told me different traits about me, before I told him I'm a Cancer. Which was impressive they were specific enough to not seem fake. He told me I'm very routine oriented and I don't like my shit thrown up in the air. He then asked me how my stomach was. I told him fine. According to him I'll never leave the city. I'll find the love of my life in 3-4 years and sooner than that I'll have a chance for children in 2 years. I'm perplexed by it, but we shall see. He also told me I will get a chance to write a play soon...hmmmm. He also told me I won't leave my job until I finish school. And that folks is where I go against my fortune...

We returned to the hotel and I decided to go out walking, I had half of a magical cookie and called my mother. We chatted I told her my psychic encounter, she loved it. I found The Bourbon Street Pub and sat watching the New Orleans gays. It was about 10 minutes later that the Magical Cookie kicked in. I wasn't moving, wasn't talking and was just sitting there enjoying the ride.

My friends called me and I met up with them. They saved me from my trance. We went out drinking and drinking and drinking and drinking. I got dizzier and dizzier, but was having fun. We went to a new bar called Raw Hide and yes it had that very demeanor.

At this point I was just dizzy, meaning I can't see much. I am not close to passing out. I just can't focus on anyone in particular. This man shows up and just starts rubbing my leg. I can tell two things through my haze. He's way old, but trying to pretend he's young. Also he's probably a prostitute of some kind. I excuse myself to go pee and get away from the creepy man. He follows me into the bathroom and proceeds to try and jerk me off.

In my drunk/high stupor I look at him and say, "I'm just here to watch." Probably with a goofy smile on my face too. He walks away and perhaps it was my state of mind, but I swear he walked into a bathroom stall and about seven other men followed him in there. Just like a clown car. I swear!

I returned to the bar with my friends and the creepy man followed me. I was a little surprised, finally one of them stepped in and told him, he's not interested! I decided I couldn't continue on. I walked...stumbled home. It's a surprise that I didn't get killed. I was clearly out of it and hiccuping the entire way home. People were looking at me.

To be continued...

Videos of New Orleans...

For an EXTRA added bonus, here are some videos my friend took. I'm posting three of my favorites and a fourth that's funny. The rest you can view HERE. They're all rather short and enjoyable.

The first three about from our swamp tour. Our tour guide was Captain Ted. He was amazing. He told stories throughout the entire trip and it never stopped! We were mesmerized by it all. One of the Jeff's thought it was all an act. You be the judge...










The last video is of our time eating at ACME Seafood. It was GREAT and delicious. I'm in the background eating ice...

New Orleans Trip...

Our favorite house on the trip...SO Sunset Blvd.

Will I ever blog before midnight?

Some notes before the picture posts of my trip to New Orleans.

1. Broadway Strike is over!!! And unless you had a second doubt I bought tickets to see A Chorus Line again. It's going to be thrilling to see a show the day after the strike ended. Especially one of my favorite all time shows. I feel as though my arm is complete again.
2. Patti LuPone is coming BACK to Broadway in Gypsy...this time full scale! So many good things to learn about in ONE day!

Onto the trip. I'm going to use pictures of my journey progressively while telling a tale...

This is the group of us at a bar. We're all VERY drunk here. I'm actually drunk and stoned. We had these "magical" cookies that helped enhance my trip

This is before the above. My first time having Mexican food and enjoying it A LOT. You can thank those cookies for that one.

In a New Orleans Cemetary, three of my travel mates names was Jeff. How odd right?

We love Beignets. Those are like Fried Dough but amazing. I think I ate about 30 of them in the five days I was there. We were walking home and saw this creepy statue, we shared our food. The bitch didn't respond.

Eric, Jeff, Me, Jeff on Bourbon St. We went into one of those sleazy sex bars where they promised us LIVE SEX ACTS, but nothing like that happened. Only badly made 6 dollar drinks.

I look chubby here, but my friends claimed this looked like a record album. The Velvet Goldmine?

If you can't tell Eric is one of my good friends we dress alike not on purpose, but because we are kindred spirits. He's in Florida now, I miss him almost TOO much. This is Thanksgiving dinner, which was delicious.

Now if you can't tell, I was drunk and stoned in this picture. Can you tell? I love the disco ball though.

This is us being VERY loud and obnoxious at the famous Blacksmith Bar. The piano woman hated me after I requested Judy Garland and Cole Porter.

No comment. I did love being allowed to smoke in the bars.

This is us going through the Wardrobe into the Land of Narnia...

These are my good friends. Posing gaily (well I'm posing gaily) on our first night there. The other Jeff I'd just met that day.

Because I don't necessarily want to write about the whole trip my friend Jeff's Blog is doing a GREAT job of that for me...

Back to the Old Grind

Where to begin, where to begin?

New Orleans was fun. Incredibly. I could start in the beginning, but it's late and I'm tired and no one TRULY cares about my trip...

However, since it's FAR to late to start tonight, I leave you this this little prelude...

Prepare yourself for a tale of psychics, Tennessee Williams, Hurricanes that don't taste like alcohol, swamp tours that leave you teary-eyed. Piano bar singers with attitude, cunty/ellitist drag queens. Zeydeco, Rock and Jazz music. Magical cookies. Throwing up. Ghosts and Cemetaries. Southern Go-Go Boys, love and over-priced tattoos...

William Finn would write an amazing opening number just based off this little blurb.

A Streetcar Named Retarded

I leave to New Orleans tomorrow. Yet I'm so tired and groggy. I got stoned with The Cyclist last night, but then I decided halfway through foreplay I wasn't feeling sex with him. Therefore I didn't go to the gym. Which means I may be starting this vacation off badly.

Since I just woke up and I have to go to work in less than an hour and I need to bring my suitcase because I'm spending the night over someone new in my life's house. That I haven't mentioned. Anyway, in order to get pre-New Orleans sex, I have to be ready today! So I'll have more to discuss when I return.

Another Closing of Another Show

Oh daddy, that fatso! Then he flew out the window, dirtied the ground below...

The play is finished, I start back to the normal bump and grind. I'm in a slight fear though. I have a research paper due on the 20th for my English class. I don't know how I am going to write it, but I will. It's ridiculous this work I get and can't do. Can't do all in time, it keeps coming and coming. I am trying, this is due, that is due...It's all DUE!

I kissed the cat, my daddies dead. I'm feeling fat, my mommies thin. Daddy is a winner, but we all fall down.

I usually look forward to going back to work, yet I don't tomorrow. Not at all. Not in the least. In fact it makes me very upset I am going back. My mother said I should quit next year. I think I will quit next year. Not next year but soon, very soon. It's too much. I'd sooner have no job.

College days...My best of friends had married men, with brains and money!

I went to a show in Brooklyn tonight called Yank! A new Musical. Not as dirty as it sounds. In fact it was a brilliant little piece of theater. I hope there can be success for it. It was nice to have a new musical that was REALLY good. Not for show. Like certain movie musicals that run Broadway.

Then the crash, there I said it! No more cash no more credit!

It also reminded me that I am not happy. This is how the progression of my mind worked. Leaving the school show, going to a small theater, seeing all these older gay men from the theater world. It all came to me. I shouldn't tell people about my job and feel horribly upset about it. I just shouldn't! Yet, that's how it starts all the time. "I am a financial printer...it's awful...picture the most boring job in the world and take away the lunch break."

On Wall Street these men stood. Then they flew out the window, right on the neighborhood...

That's how it always starts and plainly I'm getting sick of it. I'm getting tired of the mundane nonstop work. With no perks. They don't even buy us pizza when we're slammed, instead they just work and work and work us. Expecting us to be content. How exactly does that work? I ask you? The only reason I haven't had it is because I only work there three days a week. Yet, if that's enough to drive me nuts. Then really how can I make it through the summer? Oh yes, summer classes/possible internship. It's gotten to the point if they let me go I would shrug. A simple job would truly be nice.

I was young and he was rich! He made his pitch and we got married.

China first and then the future. China first. You can make it through China, of course you can. Actually, New Orleans first, China next.

He read books and I wore furs. First there's smoke, doom is brewing we went broke...

I don't remember if I've actually ever mentioned that for Thanksgiving I am going to New Orleans with some of my good friends. I'll be there for five days. I will not worry about anything. I don't care what papers or such are due. I won't really touch them, I don't plan on it.

I want to work in theatre, I don't care how. But I do know with this job I can no longer pretend it's helping me achieve my goal. It's only keeping me back.

Then he flew, then...then he flew. Dammit he used the doorway, left me for someone new...

It's odd how my mind works. I wanted to write about how I took the bus to the theater today and ran into a guy who I was going to sleep with, but never have. He was on a date/hookup. Who knows. We said hello, we were on the bus together. It couldn't be avoided. In my mind though I wanted to say, "I'm going to put on my ipod now. I am glad you're so busy to hang out you can go home with this guy and have dinner and watch a movie." Though, I didn't. Instead I laughed and joked. I can say though I looked good in my new coat (that I stole, more on that later) and my scarf. So though deep down inside he had the upper hand with his date/hookup and I was going to the theater alone. I looked good...Yes, tell yourself that and you'll feel better...right?

My daddy, friend's husbands they at least used the window! Credit where credits due! I wish mine died, then I wear black. I'd eat my pride and say I shoved him! Holy Christ I think I loved him!