ABBA

I love the ABBA greatest hits CD. It's amazing how many songs on that CD that I know! It's not like I ever used to really follow the group, it's just that the songs ended up sinking into my brain. I can't believe how many words I know for the songs.... well, they were a Pop group, the songs were very popular in their time.

The songs remind me of a very wonderful time in my life...

durlx in the middle, hehe...


On my right was crazy Sophie, and on the left, my wonderful and almost enchanted friend, Danny Jones, Ms. Danny Jones in the phone book... We had sooo much fun! (That particular day, as we walked around the Quarter, a tourista asked Danny why he was dressed up like that and he calmly told the woman that the city paid us $200 a piece to entertain the visitors, but that we would also accept tips. The woman and her Iowa girlfriends took us to the nearest gay bar and bought us many rounds of drinks. At one point, one of the women said, "You guys are so much fun! We don't have anything like this back in Iowa! All we have is CORN!"

A hush fell over the bar and one of the queens swirled around on her barstool, fixed the woman with her well made up eye and said, "We call it maize!"

Everyone fell out, that's when that Maizola Margarine "indian girl" commercial was on national TV. Everyone laughed so hard!.

I have no way of knowing where these Iowa housewives are today, but I bet at least one of these women remembers this. Lying next to her husband... laughing to herself..."damn, those boys were so funny!"

Funny? We were brilliant, hysterical, fabulous!

A day without pictures is like...

..this journal entry!

I spent most of the day working on an a page that will introduce the Mardi Gras pics that I'm going to take this year. However they turn out, there's going to be a fabulous opening page for them! It was fun to do a little graphic design and I'm just learning the new stuff from a recent update, so it's been most interesting. I found some new fonts today as well.

I'm also working on a lil birthday animation for a certain British Subject who turns 29 tommorrow. It will be posted in a bit.

I did stop in at the Phoenix, but the early evening group, (one couldn't call it a crowd) did not hold my interest. meow hehe.

I think I'll go back later, though.

There's an odd looking vehicle parked in front of the house.



Which can only mean one thing... Nina's here!

Nina and Robert waving hi!


Nina comes to visit every year for Mardi Gras and spends a couple of weeks. She originally came to visit the guys next door, but over the years, she's become friends with everybody in the neighborhood. She's certainly become part of my group of Mardi Gras friends. After living in New Orleans for a while, you acquire a group of MG friends; the people that you do Mardi Gras with. The group will generally include some long term local friends, some people who show up from out of town every year and a few new people you just pick up along the way. We usually have about 20 or 30 people at the breakfast we do on Fat Tuesday Morning. It's the group that makes Mardi Gras fun.

Nina looking funny.


Nina actually drives here in that thing from St Louis and stays in it while she's here. She had a few breakdowns this trip, but she made it thanks to some guys along the way who helped her replace the starter. (One of them was real cute, she says, and she tried to convince him to come along. That Nina, she's always thinking of us. hehe.) She travels with her dogs, three of them!

The dogs, whose names I can never remember.


Now that she's here, I think it's time for a Mardi Gras Martini!

They're serving this martini at Galatoire's this year, but if you can't make to New Orleans, don't worry, I've got the recipe!

2 onces vodka (very good vodka, please)
1 ounce Triple Sec
1/4 ounce creme de menthe dark

Combine ingredients with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into chilled martini glass rimmed with purple sugar (red and blue food coloring does the trick) and garnish with a lemon twist.

You got yer Mardi Gras colors; purple, green and gold and yer ready to party!

Winter?

It was hot today! I think we broke the previous record for the day of 80 degrees. (It's still 82 in the house at 6:30 PM). This winter had been mostly mild with no real hard freezes and quite a few unusually warm days.

I spent most of the day plugging away at the computer, working on the opening page with the flash sunrise. It takes a long time to load and wasn't very friendly to those with slower connections, so I added a menu at the bottom which shows up immediatly for those who don't want to or can't wait for the page to load. This all takes me far longer than it should, since almost everytime I do something new I have to learn how first, but each time it gets easier. The website is doing a good job of making me learn things.




Fosse: From Broadway



Great Performances on PBS tonight features a show devoted to Bob Fosse! I first became aware of who Bob Fosse was with Caberet. He definitely changed the way people dance and he's certainly one of the great choreographers. This should be a really fabu show!


Went over to the side of the house where my friend Margaret lived; only been there a few times since she passed about a year ago. Robert's done a lot of work over there and it doesn't really look like her place anymore. We sorted through some things and I hauled back a box of silverware and some kitchen stuff. For years, we did holidays over there and I always ended up leaving things after a big dinner. Now I have serving spoons again...

Is that all there is?

Peggy Lee


Peggy Lee passed away last night at the age of 81. I think my favorite song of hers will always be "Is That All There Is?" for which she won a Grammy. I remember thinking, the first time that I heard it, that I'd never heard another song even remotely like it. The recording shows off her interpretive skills at their highest peak taking a highly unusual song and turning it into a classic. She had an incredible career with many hits, many memorable performances. You can read more about her at her official web site. Peggy Lee

That's all there is.










How did I forget this?

Alex and friends



I was going through the pics from Vegas to send a few to someone and I came across this photo of Alex at the MGM Grand at the Wizard of Oz store. I know that I had intended to post it... At any rate, here it is!



No news yet on the job. But I've got some people making calls for me...

Monday and MLK Day

I woke up late today and in poor condition; indigestion and just a generally rotten physical feeling. So I didn't make it to the Martin Luther King day parade that passes three blocks from my house, but I could hear the marching bands as the parade passed. MLK day is a big deal in New Orleans; a day for all the politicians to get out and make speeches and ride in the parades, and a big day for partying. Remember this is a town where people have jazz processions at funerals!

Saturday night/Sunday morning, I finished the first installment of the Words/Stories of Love section. It's a memorial to Bill and our relationship. The anniversary of his death is coming up soon and after seeing someone that looked shockingly like him in the airport on my way back from Vegas, I felt like it was time to do something to document the memories. Stories of Love.

I watched most of the Golden Globes Awards last night. It was good to see Six Feet Under get some recognition; it's simply one of the best television show ever made!

More Carnival

The Queen Of Barkus 2002


There are over 100 Mardi Gras organizations in New Orleans, but the Krewe of Barkus is devoted entirely to dogs! They have a canine King and Queen, a canine court and a parade (with costumed dogs) through the French Quarter. The event was started years ago by the owner of several of our most successful gay bars and has grown to include a party and a ball. It's a big event with national and local sponsors and it gets a lot of media coverage. For a couple of years, Delta Burke marched with the parade. Many of the former canine kings and queens of the krewe were adopted by their owners from the Louisiana SPCA, which receives the proceeds from registration and membership.


Tomorrow morning I'm going to interview for a position at a new hotel that's opening up. I'm well qualified for the job so I am hopeful. Wish me luck!

The Amon Ra Ball

Before the ball


Well, it was fabulous! The theme for Amon Ra's 37th ball was "The History Of The World According To Amon Ra". As usual, it was a unique presentation of the sublime and the bizarre! Unfortunately, I can't provide any pictures of the actual ball, that's not allowed. The official photos and videos come out later....

I did get a chance to talk to a lot of very amusing people and during the intermission, I had a chance to pee next to Nelson Savoie, who's running for City Council, District "C". I've met him before, I like him, (he's a person who get's things done...) and I hate one of the people he's running against. They'll be bringing some signs over to put in front of the house...

Later, after the ball, we ran into Nelson again on stage after the ball, as we were talking to Pat, the President of Amon Ra this year. He was also the narrator for this years ball.

Patrick was God


Pat narrates most of the gay Mardi Gras Balls and has done so for many years: an incredibly witty and intelligent man!

We sat at the table of a former Queen of Amon Ra, Peaches...

Peaches, as Queen Of Amon Ra


Peaches, this evening, and Joel


And, of course, I was there with Robert, ("Robea" on the msg boards), my next door neighbor and friend, the man whom I've spent many Mardi Gras seasons with...

Robert and Darryl


Thank you, my dear friend!

After the ball...


A good time was had by all.