I'm back with an 808 cause I'm Bossy...

apparently, I am not the only one gearing up for a wonderful trip to PTown. As you can see, Stan and Barry have been real busy. They picked up this handsome hunk while cruising this weekend at the Wal-Mark Supacenter near the Perimeter. You know, because three-way and open relationships are so the in thing right now....at least for the gays. And they almost always work out. ...

Here is how it all happened.....

johnbrown and I ventured out on Saturday for a full day of shopping and preparing for PTown. We did in fact visit a newly renovated Wal-Mart over near Perimeter Mall. lort, why go anywhere else? they have a vision center, grocery store, hair salon, nail salon, and a massengill Refill station for the environment friendly folks. or really hungover teachers who want to stay uber fresh after a late night at the swinger's club Trapeze out on fulton industrial. yuckt. the journey was fruitful and without even trying, a theme to the week was created and the gift bags were finished. creative minds think alike i guess.

next it was lunch at Six Feet Under where I finally had one the city's top rated hamburgers. the bartender is incredibly cute in a very Jake Gyllenaalesque sort of way. so we may have stayed a bit longer and have about 4 beers with our lunch. and then we headed east for a stop by DJs beauty salon where I purchased the most beautiful wig. it's very wynonna judd meets Samantha Fox with just the right amount of blond without looking like a bottle job. and i can spot a bottle job from 20 paces. I had to have a new outfik to accompany my new locks so on to value village where my drag costume finally came together. as did my drag name, "Davita Dialysis". how fitting for someone who works in healthcare. having big feet and all, we stopped by Payless shoes where the outfit was completed. johnbrown picked up a lovely pair of freesparks to round out his Ponce De Leon Barbie number.

cut to my house an hour and a 6 pack later, where we were dancing in full drag to Gnarls Barkley.

only 5 days until we leave..........there is much to be done. thank god i am only working 3 days....

Rouge

 

and i miss you....

johnbrown will find this funny. i saw my horoscope this morning in the local fag rag and it says, "It may take some effort, but Caps can dazzle like nobody's business when they want to." we shall see......

The flight staff served the curry chicken

I have had this strange craving for Lasagna over the past week, so I left work early yesterday and went to work in the kitchen. I wanted to make real Lasagna, with italian sausage and fresh ingredients, rather than using spaghetti sauce. I invited the Mayor over for dinner, and he arrived almost a six pack ahead of me, as he had been at the Vans Warped tour with his boss earlier in the day. The recipe i printed off of some random site seemed easy enough; browning the meat, simmering the sauce, baking the final product. (note: i don't cook very often so this is a big deal to me). While the lasagna was baking, the mayor and i took advantage of the beautiful evening and sat out on my balcony admiring the new condo building across from me. We sat there trying to figure out the dynamics of the guys living on the 7th floor of the new glass building: two guys in their mid-thirties and one in his late 60's. And I know this by peering through the pair of Bushnell binoculars that my mom gave me. Is it a 3 way relationship? An ill parent? Still, every afternoon, the three of them sit out on the balcony together, staring into the bright afternoon sun.

The lasagna turned out to be quite good, though it could have used a bit more sauce. I was thinking that we would walk down the street for dessert, maybe some ice cream from the new place over at Spire. Instead, a few bottles of wine later, I found myself engaged in a full-fledged-above-the-waist-make-out-session. Which was just fine in my book. I awoke this morning, 10 hours of restful sleep later, with my jeans still on and no sign of diane. So I wonder, will something as simple as a home cooked meal end this drought?

on tap for the weekend: some pool time with johnbrown. i wonder if the assistant is receiving?

and when all your dreams have turned....into dust

No, I didn't take this photo out in Paulding County, it was actually taken in Athens, Georgia. Go figure, a college town with southern boys, so the above sign is real important if you 'dip snuff....

You see, I was there for a wedding. And it was a big weekend, it being Pride and all, so there is much to discuss.

Friday night, I spun an A-List Pride Party hosted by LittleJohn and his crew over at the Plaza midtown, complete with rainbow decorations and a couple of middle-aged bartenders that I presume were straight. Though I did catch them bouncing side to side to the beat later in the night. In true gay fashion, no one really arrived until after 9pm. but when they did, they marched in like the doozers on fraggle rock. geez, I couldn't believe how many handsome men were packed into that clubhouse. Though my set wasn't planned, I just fed off of the energy in the room and I feel that everyone enjoyed the music. i even spotted anderson cooper in the crowd, and word is he flew in just to hear me spin....or that is just what I keep telling myself.

I drove to Athens on Saturday for a wedding for a college friend. With Diane in tow, I had to nap before heading off to the wedding with Becky as my date. Now never having been a bride, i just don't understand why someone would have an outdoor wedding in the middle of June in Georgia. It is safe to say that I didn't stop sweating until almost midnight. and it was a highly emotional wedding. The bride, a girl i dated in college and have know for over twelve years, cried throughout the ceremony. afterwards, food was served (again outside, at least it was under a very large tent) and later a band inside? we danced and i continued to sweat.

me and Beckyeah

I drove back on Sunday s it was time for me to get my Pride on and spend some time with the gays. Eric and Johnbrown hosted a wonderful party on 11th street. I showed up at 1pm with Pride tunes in hand only to be greeted to a packed condo with just about all of my friends. And just like clockwork, the rain came, only this time the lightning was close by and later caused the closing of piedmont park. that was fine, as we just continued to be Proud on the porch. it was much fun indeed. we later walked through the drizzle to Brad and Joel's for more porch time. and without planning, we did make it to Eleven50 for the T-Dance but I left after only about two hours. The place was entirely too dark, and unlike Backstreet, they don't have lit staircases. oh, and I was wearing shorts and wet sneakers from the aforementioned walk through the park and just wasn't feeling too cute.

And then there was the music. I was interested in hearing Chus & Ceballos but I am not sure that their progressive Iberican Sound from Portugal is the appropriate type of music to be playing at a closing Pride Tea Dance. What happened to Classics? Pete Heller - Big Love? Fun? Happy? Half the people there were all chewed up from partying all weekend, and the other half were just having trouble getting into the groove with the theater filled with reverberating sounds. I walked home around 9:45pm and called it a night. There is always next year.

Me and La Rose at "Bagels and Bloodys" 

Making love to you is a habit

Last night, I went with Mark and Chris to hear Bonnie Raitt at Chastain. One of my many new years resolutions was to attend more concerts, instead of going out to the same clubs to hear the same DJs. Believe it or not, I do enjoy other types of music. Hell I was a spreadhead at one point in my life. So we packed several bottles of wine and headed to north buckhead in the blazing afternoon heat. parking was an issue, and we drove past several of the reserved lots, and even asked one of the uniformed officers where we could pay to park. She asked, "how much you willin' to pay", and when I replied with "$20" she laughed. so i drove on and later found a free spot that required some very skilled parallel parking.

it was damn hot outside and so we started drinking the white wine, being sardonnay shipping queens that we are, and soon I had a nice buzz going. nevermind the fact that we didn't plan well like all the other suburbanites with the full spread of light bites and chicken fingers. Mark brought us all back hotdogs that managed to soak up some of the alcohol.

Bonnie came out and I was really impressed with how beautiful a voice she really has. Even in her Late 50's, she was stunning, both visually and acoustically. The majority of the show featured new tracks from her 18th album, yes 18th, with a perfect blend of rock, blues, and even country. Towards the end of the show, she did break out some of her signature tracks like "something to talk about" and "I can't make you Love me" which gave me chills.

It seems that everyone caught a brief glimpse of Diane this morning. I wonder why?

...spinning the rhythms in 331/3 servings preaching the sound of our new gospel..

It was a rather low key weekend for me. I did get to see my parents twice this weekend. First, Robert and I met them Saturday afternoon for lunch, and just like clockwork, they ordered the same thing...again. i don't know why I find that so amusing, I guess all of us become creatures of routine as we get older, but come on....live a little. and getting older is a definite. my dad turns 67 this year and is really beginning to age. I noticed at lunch he as all these bruises on his arms where he just bumped into something. It really made me feel sad as I know he is in good health, but you can't expect him to live forever.

so being Father's Day on sunday, I drove out to east cobb (said in a snooty voice) to visit with my parents and have a perfect southern meal. Mom caught me up on all the gossip and drama with the neighbors living around them. The "supper" consisted of barbecue ribs, corn on the cob, and baked beans. And my dad's favorite: Key Lime Pie. It was a nice visit, only I wished my sister and her family were there.

So no going out for me as a busy week lies ahead. as john brown has said, I suppose it is just the calm before the storm, with Pride coming next weekend. Though I am a little disappointed that I won't be spinning at the Woodruff Arts Saturday night, I am excited about spinning over at John Flippen's condo friday evening. It seems necessary to play some crowd favorites, you know, so everyone can sing aloud and be Proud. It's funny to think about how I spent Pride weekend through the years, and how I now find it only necessary to be among friends to have fun, rather than attending the circuit events and t-dances. Not to say that I may never end up at one this year, it just isn't a priority anymore. Erik and Johnbrown's "bloodys and bagels" party will surely be a blast.

'cause I got jesus as my copilot....

I just love when my monthly meeting with the nurse practice council finishes early for the day. it seems that we had exhausted reviewing all the policies and procedures for chest tube insertions and tracheostomy care by 1 pm. or maybe it was because there was a uniform scrub sale taking place in the Rich Auditorium today. all the ladies were looking forward to being fitted for the new window-pane-patterned- flair-leg Landau scrubs. apparently, they provide a slimming effect and make the thighs appear smaller, ifyouknowwhatimean. I ain't complaining as I get to work a half day in the middle of the week which is a refreshing change.

Plus, it allows me time to get ready for my date tonight with Eric. It's been awhile and I am all jazzed about manscaping with my new Norelco Body Groomer. Seriously, we are heading over to Actor's Express this evening to see The Last Sunday in June, a play about a group of friends that get together to celebrate NYC's gay pride. And what a perfect piece of theater considering that Atlanta's own celebration will take place in less than two weeks. Did I mention that I am putting together a PRIDE megamix for Sunday's "Bloodys and Bagels" fete over on Erik's terrace? I am thinking something anthemic, happy, bouncy, slightly poppy, and even a bit cheesy. Suggestions are appreciated.

Here's one: Rozalla - Everybody's Free (to feel good). I just came across the DJ nick's extended mix on Beatport, this cheeky little number may just be the perfect start.

all around that's me, many troubles

if there is one word I could use to describe this past weekend....it would be.....Typi.....er....HOT. and i mean that in many different ways. here's why....

friday night, i went to the Buddy Guy concert at the Botanical Gardens. this was my first time at this venue, and it is really nice to be sitting out on the lawn listening to blues with a view of the midtown skyline in the background. the crowd was extremely diverse, from hemp-wearing Spreadheads to salt and pepper daddies from garden hills to the occasional middle-aged gwinnetian in a woven leather belt. buddy put on a show, but my favorite part of the concert was the keyboardist. incredible talent. i just cannot wait for Taylor Dayne later this summer.

then is was a stop by midcity cafe where jefferson was spinning house music all night. i just love that place.

Chris Heard's cookout on Saturday was very nice.....and hot. no one else could pull off grilling burgers and chicken for 40 people and make it seem so effortless. I caught up with a few people I haven't seen in some time, and then it was off to work for FUPA duty. definitely not my favorite part of the weekend.

And then there was Shout. I was a little disappointed when I heard that I would be spinning inside due to noise complaints in the past, until I saw the new DJ table. plus it was hot as hell outside and I was in the perfect place to spin and watch the beautiful boys arrive in clans. the greats, the near- greats, the junior league, the big bicep club. they were all out in their $90 stretchy t-shirts from bloomingdales.

As much as I like to play obscure white labels and tracks you may never hear in a club, I know that these boys still like anthems. This became clear when I put on Mariah's new "say something" and one guy took his shirt off and danced in front of the giant fan on the patio in a real seductive kind of way. that's hot.....

find yourself a friend

you know, i could go the rest of my life without hearing the song they played each time a contestant was kicked off of American Idol.... the one that goes, "so you've had a bad day...". It is everywhere now, radio stations, IPOD playlists, even at the gym. As Erik says, the only thing bad about their day is that they are now committed to a full American Idol tour. You know the cheesy, glitzy, tour that will sell out the Des Moines arena with thousands of overweight women in acid washed jean shorts singing along to "play that funky music".

on the other hand, I could get used to four day work weeks. What a treat they are. and I am looking forward to tomorrow night's happy hour and heavy hor d'oeuvres atop the Glenn Hotel. With panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline, it doesn't get much better. unless, of course, it was 70 degrees outside instead of a balmy 90. welcome to summer in atlanta.

If you can see where this is gonna lead

It's a sad day in Atlanta. This morning, the bulldozers arrived at the shell of its former self...Backstreet. To begin the demolition of a dilapidated building that I spent so many nights (and early mornings) dancing to some of the best (and worst) music.

it was a place that we all loved to hate. of course, like so many things in life, now that it is gone we seem to long for the days when there was a place that was always open and pouring. back when i would drop by early on a saturday evening to get my hand stamped "just in case" and to avoid "the long line". a place where all walks of life could be found; and oddly enough despite the booze and drugs everyone seemed to get along.

if you never walked through the doors, you will never fully understand what it was like. from the cabaret, to the creature at the poker table, to the "glow stick man" in his sequin blazer, it truly was an interesting place to say the least. so it is sad to see it all left behind.... in a pile of rubble. but I also think about some of the bartenders and security personnel who made their career at backstreet.

farewell backstreet.

 

and the demolition begins....

 

after two drinks he's a loser, after three drinks he's a star

well my weekend wasn't nearly as fruitful as others but i did enjoy myself...several times.

friday night featured a lovely roat dinner on Beverly, courtesy of the Sharley-Turnbulls and Kroger of course. spinach salad, black beans, broccoli.....sounds like a perfect commercial for Beano, and it was. Eric and I ventured over to Amsterdam, the new bar/club adjacent to the fitness factory. it was my first visit and i don't see where all the criticism comes from. I mean, it does remind me of a very large Gordon Biersch, complete with exposed brick walls and plasma tvs every 5 feet, but the crowd was cute and not at all like the "burkhart's west" as it had been described to me. soon after the bewitching hour, i realized that my ride was very buiszy with his next mission so I opted for a cab ride home....alone.

Saturday was John time on the couch with diane. we watched movies and generally didn't do much of anything. I was smart and stayed in saturday night for I had plans with the family on Sunday morning.

The drive out to scarietta on a sunday morning is short and sweet. I was joined by my sister and my 5 year old niece, who is in her bossy stage. lunch featured a delicious strawberry pretzel salad, honey baked ham, fresh green beans, and spiced sweet potatoes. dessert was a rum cake made that morning by my mom. you can't deny that we are a southern family, or alcoholics for that matter.

after lunch, my sister and I went though two large bags of old photos that my mother was looking to throw away! what? I couldn't understand the logic behind it, so I just sat down and flipped through picture after picture. it's funny how many things you forget through the years, from your favorite terry cloth ernie shirt to the sun-in dyed "bowl cut" I had in my 5th grade school photo, not to mention the "mock" turtle neck. pretty.

I came home with an abundance of left overs and finished the evening with a cookout for Joel's birthday. again, amazing food was served, spirits were consumed, and i even finished the evening with a little breakdancing in the living room. happy birthday jolene.

ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent

I sure would like to have been at the closing party of Paradise Garage in september of 1987. marking the end to an era of house music, and Larry Levan's 10 year residency at a very famous club. but things inevitably come to an end, much like the closing of backstreet. oh how i do miss backsteet, though I know that i am at a point in my life where going out clubbing several weekends a month is far from a priority. none of us planned to go to backstreet, however, it is funny how you would somehow end up there.....amongst several of your friends. and now today, i am sure that i wouldn't be there every weekend.........but it would be nice just to know that it is there should you change your mind.

but i think what is most frustrating to me is that there never was a final party of backstreet, a night where we could dance and reminisce about a magical place that had become a part of our lives. a way to bring closure to an era, and hopefully move on. with the closing of backstreet at 2am, to the removal of all liquor in a place that was proud to say "always open and pouring", we all thought these changes were just temporary. no one could believe that this place, this institution to gays and straights for nearly 30 years, really would close its doors for good. but it did without a final blow out, something that i think the city and the local residences should have allowed.......



I feel much better today, despite the rainy, dreary weather outside. this morning started with the "service awards breakfast" honoring people for their work of 5+ years. This year marked my 6th year at piedmont as the breakfast was held last year just short of the 5 year mark. The food was really good and the pastel linen napkins were real real fancy. naturally Mary Jenks, the cafeteria manager, was real busy acting busy and just being real busy. the president of piedmont spoke, sharing service awards for people that have been there for 20 years or more. i got a little bored and found some of the introductions sort of funny. they would say something like......"miss emma whitehead, the lead housekeeper in environmental services, enjoys gardening, antiquing(sp?), and creating crafts". creating crafts? what's that?

yes, I feel much better today, though i still have to work on one more thing....

now i have errands to run but the traffic and rainy weather have me thinking otherwise.

bending the truth...

much like the donkster, I am in a bit of a funk today as well. and for no reason. I got 8 solid hours of sleep (despite all the weird dreams), had a productive day at work (even though the joint commission for the accreditation of hospitals made a surprise visit today), and had a fairly good work out. I don't feel bad, but for some reason people have been getting on my nerves. a good friend of mine at work told me I as "hormonal" today, and I suppose that just may be the case. As it's not just women that can play the "PMS" card, men have hormones too.....I am really looking forward to the male menopause, often times referred to as the "male climacteric". I guess that is when I will go out and by a boat or a fancy convertible. I think when it comes down to it, I really just need to get laid.....

my weekend wasn't very exciting as it was spent on call. In fact, I only left my condo to go into the hospital for FUPA duty. I did meet the Mayor and his friends at the movie on Sunday to see MI 3. I enjoyed the flick, full of action from start to finish, with the usual love story thrown in somewhere. And some may argue with me, but as weird as tom cruise is, he is still very handsome.......and short. i don't like short.

I'm spunky, I like my oatmeal lumpy

Here's a digital underground hump day list of things on my mind:

--what's up with poor dentition these days? especially those that are aware of the condition and refuse to accept a mint or piece of gum. do you think the rest of us want to smell the peridontal disease on your breath? instead of buying the convertible mercedes, maybe you should have considered the $20,000 you need in dental work.
--I wonder if Rosie Odonnell dons a FUPA starter sling every morning? and and does she have a combo starter-sling-strap-on for the bedroom?
--I am absolutely loving Jody Wisternoff's new track "cold drink, hot girl". At only 29 years old, this DJ/producer/remixer is one to watch. Also known as one half of the popular group Way out West, Jody's new track can be purchased on digital download from Beatport. Melodic house? me like.
--McDonough's Angie Aparo has a new EP out this week with an appearance scheduled for Saturday night at Smith's Ole Bar. The EP, set to be released in three parts, is available online here.
--I like Chicane's new single "Stoned in Love" featuring Tom Jones. The remix package features work by the Young punx and vertigo and I have to say the track is starting to grow on me.
--I'm on call this weekend so I don't foresee a cinco de mayo celebration in my future. Unless it occurs on Thursday. Halo anyone?

Cold drink, hot girl

I was surprised when I got into the car yesterday morning and turned on the radio to hear the morning dj talking about FUPAs. Well, they were ACTUALLY using the term "Panis", which in the medical community is defined as "an overhanging apron of redundant, abdominal skin". Sort of like a FUPA but not quite the same. Either way, I would be mortified to have one. Could you imagine the humility? It seems that a local hospital has invested in a Panis retractor (similar to the FUPA starter slings we have in the cath lab), yet this device costs $1400 and allows the nurse or clinician access to the skin underneath the panis. Usually for cleansing purposes or possibly some sort of vaginal or pelvic exam. Of course I was picking up the phone to call in and share some stories about all the Paulding county specials with malodorous, pungent, and moist FUPAs. But I resisted as others jumped at the opportunity.

One girl was talking about her work at a nursing home where she came across a half eaten PB'nJ sandwich tucked between one of the folds of a low hanging Panis. Another man told a story of a patient brought into the ER where a remote control was found in his Panis, having gone missing just three weeks prior. I guess you never have to worry if your pants have pockets, as you always have a place to hide your keys, your wallet, or even a protein shake.