“We're going to the chapel…”

“…and we're gonna get married.”

No, not me silly.

The Chapel of Love popped into my head as I was sitting here, writing to inform you that I'll heading out tomorrow morning to San Francisco for a friend's wedding.

It'll be the first gay union I'm attending.

I'm excited. It'll be fun.

Posts will be light (well, even lighter than usual) to none.

As a consolation, I'll have more shots of me in a suit to post, when I get back.

Have a safe Labor Day.

Back on Wednesday. Toodles.

Birthday Celebrations

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 36. I’m okay with it.

Celebrations started last Thursday with cocktails with the Robos, RoboCub and BF RoboPapi at GYM bar. Drinks were imbibed, gifts were given. Well, one is on it’s way and I’ll most certainly post pictures when I get it. Regardless, it was a fine start to festivities with two of my favorite people, even if I did get a little soaked from the torrential downpour that started just as we were leaving. I waited 10-15 minutes for the rain to let up and still got pretty wet.

Friday night, the BF had arranged a barbecue at a friend’s house. I’d thought it’d be just us, our friend and his BF. I was mistaken. I was clued in during the week as the BF was running about, dropping things off at said friend’s house. I also found a “To Do”, shopping and invitee list. It was a much larger affair than just a meal I gathered. I’m usually loathe for anyone to go out of their way for me, especially organizing a party. Still, it was nice to see people for my birthday. It turned out to be a beautiful night to hang out in the friend’s backyard. The humidity of the past few weeks was gone.

The BF got smashed, I stayed sober. go figure. I yelled at him to keep things quiet as he whooped, hollered and cranked up the radio. It was about midnight, I was trying to be considerate of the neighbors. Gosh, that makes me seems old, doesn’t it?

My younger brother and his wife gave us a ride home. The BF passed out immediately.

Saturday day was quiet, celebratory in that way because I did absolutely nothing. I neither felt the urge or the impetus to do anything. I’d thought about going to the gym and hitting the beach but it required too much effort. Instead, I sunned myself on the roof and I worked out briefly at home.

Having saved my energy during the day, I released it all dancing in another night of birthday celebration with the Robos. We hit the Roxy, not knowing quite what to expect from DJ Mike Cruz. I’d heard him before at Krash at Club Deep and Krash’s original home in Astoria. I couldn’t really rely on that experience since the house/dance sessions were always interrupted with salsa/merengue.

The music turned out to be a blast. DJ Mike Cruz surprised me and the Robos. It was all fresh and new to me so I couldn’t trainspot any of it. Needless to say, we danced our asses off.

The crowd was thin which was not surprising. It did get “more crowded” but never unbearably so and it mysteriously emptied out around 3:30-4:00 I estimate. There were some handsome men in the crowd. By 5:00 however, it was getting to be the witching hour and the dance floor predators were out. My hackles were raised as they started trolling around for after-dance partners, bumping into me and trying to get my attention. I seriously hate this. RoboCub noticed my tenseness as we’d rubbed up against each other and I turned, ready to clobber whoever it was.

With my defenses at full power and shields at maximum, it was time to leave.
Thanks again to the Robos for helping me celebrate my birthday.

Sunday was another quiet day, spent with the BF’s brother’s family in SI. They had a barbecue for my birthday and cake, italian cannoli cream cake and chocolate jelly ring ices too. Yummy.

Monday, the official birthday, I worked. Too many expensive habits to support. :-P
It was a great day, fielding all the phone calls, wishing me a Happy Birthday. I truly felt blessed for all the friends I have. Thank you to everyone.

It was a quiet birthday day otherwise. Drinks at G and dinner at Rocking Horse with the BF and our friends, O and M, closed out my birthday celebrations.

I turned 36. I’m okay with it.

Gay Pride Wrap-Up

Goodness, where did the time go?
It’s Wednesday. Gay Pride has just passed yet it feels like it happened weeks ago.
The festivities and the parties have ended. Yes, Pride should be lived everyday. But we all need a little reminding, “Life is a party. take part no matter how you do it.”

I’d enjoyed myself the first nights (mornings) of the weekend with goods friends, good music and a fair amounf of dancing. They only whet my appetite for a more robust and full on experience for Pride. I knew the folly of such high expectations, but I wanted a party to knock my socks off.

I rested most of Sunday, waiting in quiet anticipation for Monday morning. By the time 3:30AM rolled around, I was done waiting. I was ready to go. Friend Frank asked I call to see if he’d be up to joining me at that time. He wasn’t, he’d meet me later. Fine by me, less for me to hassle with.

I rode in on the subway. It was a clockwork experience, moving easily from one train to the other with little wait.

I’d arrived in Chelsea around 4:45AM. I was a tad on the early side *sarcastic grin* but I wasn’t walking into the club with the sun peeking out in the sky. It’d been rising around 5:30.

I walked quickly as if in fear that the sun would ignite my skin. I’m not a vampire. Swear. Just a night owl. I have a tan line. Wanna see? :)

Anyway, arriving at Spirit, I breezed in. Club security was extremely lax. Not even a pat down. The will call woman asked my name and she looked through her stacks of enveloped tickets.
First stack, nothing.
Second stack nothing.
Third stack nothing.
Back to the second stack.

“There it is.” she exclaimed. “I wrote these myself. I know your name.”
“Err, you do?“ I questioned.
”Yeah, you buy from the website ALL THE TIME for ALL THE PARTIES.“
”Um, yeah. So how about a comp the next time?“ I said.

No, I didn’t really say that last part. I took my ticket and slinked away to the doorman.

Upon entering, the sound of hip-hop hit me. WTF?!? I headed for the bathroom (it was long train ride you know). The hip-hop music was playing right in front of the restrooms. There were people grooving to the music. I peed, quickly, and headed down to the main floor where I was greeted with the sound of proper progressive house being served.

YES!

Junior was purportedly coming on at sunrise. DJ Escape was opening for him and currently playing. He was having quite a time in the booth, bouncing and dancing around, having a fine old time with the homos. Escape was doing a more than respectable job. In fact he surprised me how good he was throwing down, to the point I worried that Junior would have a tough time following up his act.

Yes, he was that good.

But honestly, I had NOTHING to worry about. When Junior went on, he was on. His music selection was insane. It was relentless, it was inspired, it was uplifting. Junior mixed fluidly with nary a hiccup, at least none that I could perceive.

The crowd had been light when I walked in. Not surprising since Alegria was happening across the way. Still, it was a cute crowd. As expected an hour or two into Junior’s set, you could see the migration of boys/men from Crobar into Spirit. A muscley, handsome infusion beset the dancefloor and the vibe was elevated more as this took us into peak time. Such a wonderful time to be gay and dancing amongst our own. Hee.

I don’t think I ever danced so hard. There were times that sweat was pouring off my body, the tops of my jeans were soaked through. I worried that I’d over-exert myself but doing it as often as I do, I guess I shouldn’t.

I stayed till about 1:30PM. By then, RedBull was becoming putrid to me and I couldn’t mentally fortify myself to stay any longer. I left happy and content. The party ran till 5:00 which some people complained was too early. But I say whatever, the party has to end sometime. I was certainly happy to leave at 1:30PM. I didn’t want to take a train home wearing clothes that I’d sweat through at least three times over, with normal working folk. I reeked. No, that would have been unseemly and skanky of me. The trains were nice and empty in the middle of the day.

Arriving home, I peeled my clothes off, showered and slept, soundly.

I can unequivocably say, Junior’s Gay Summer Camp was exactly what I hoped it to be.

It has been an exhaustingly good weekend. I’ve been a state of fatigue, trying to catch my breath since Monday morning, only getting back to the gym today. My body refused to do my bidding yesterday.

Heh. Can’t wait to do it again next year. Who’s with me? :)

Gay Pride 2006… thus far

Happy GAY Pride New York!

Everywhere, my gay brothers and sisters, and our straight, ever so accepting, fun-loving friends are being themselves, going with the flow and the flow is good positive energy.

Thus far…

Friday
mr. Black
It was rainy and wet that night. I was tempted to go the big wussy route, stay home and dry. During a respite in the rain, I charged out of the house, contrary to my instinct and I'm glad I did.

Second time I've been to this little party down in NoHo. Meet up with H and N, and their friend, M. Lots of cute Village-y boys. Happy Coincidence, friend O and his band of friends were there as well, cutting up a rug. Music was surprisingly danceable, funky and fresh. Nice chunky, hard beats.

Saturday Night
Ok, it was more Sunday morning.
Evolve, Victor Calderone at Crobar.

The usual Friend Frank shenanigans withstanding (ie. say he'll pick me up 4:20 (late 4:38), have to stop at his apt. so that he can shower, have friends sit in car waiting for 10 minutes for no reason yada yada yada. TIRED!), we arrived at 6AM. (Ok, it WAS Sunday morning) I'd probably have arrived at that time had I left and taken the train in. Most likely untrue. I just wasn't letting Frank's antics give me a bad head.

Crobar was packed, more than I'd ever seen it for an Evolve party.
Hard to break into the solid mass of bodies on the dancefloor, but we did.
Nice and handsome crowd. When we'd arrived, you could see the exodus of straight people leaving. It was the gay squeeze as the usually mixed crowd, became gayer in the late morning hours especially for GAY Pride.

Victor was doing a decent job. He'd flubbed a few times which was surprising. In my recent memory, he hadn't ever messed up till tonight. He was using the stage DJ booth as opposed to the house booth, maybe that was it.

Anyway, the music? Good techy, progressive, tribal beats. I've heard him a few times in recent months and it's starting to sound repetitive. I'll need to take a long break from him.

During the morning, we learned that he was only spinning till 10AM. Bother. I wouldn't have waited for Friend Frank, opting to have arrived earlier, had I known. However, that explain why musically, something was missing. I never got fully engaged by Victor's spinning, music selection and programming. He spun like there was an end.
Still, had a good time but not the great time I hoped.

Well, here's looking forward to Junior tonight but I'm trying to keep my expectations low so that in any case, I'll be surprised.

Gay Pride Weekend

It is upon us. Well, at least for me and my NY readership.

They’ll be plenty of partying happening.
Bars, Parade, Dances, Boats. Oh My.

So many choices.

What to choose?
Choose your entertainment. Choose your poison, carefully and in moderation please.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve made my choices. :)




Pony up the cash. It'll be a great opportunity to stalk meet me. Please, please don't stalk me, I'll rip out your intestines and wrap them around your neck be very upset. Cross even.

I can't guarantee you'll see some skin… oh who am I kidding?… it's pretty much assured I'll be bounding around without a shirt on.

Join me for a dance and a prance. Yeah, I'll prance a little bit. Just a little. Once I get my dance on, keep up or step aside, have a seat and watch. I'll get back to you when I'm done.

It's Gay Pride baby.

I'm officially excited.