June 11, 2011
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Paris and Drag Queens and Bears Oh MY!
I have my ipod set to shuffle. Have you ever noticed that it decides on a theme on it’s own. Right now it just played Led Zep and Black Sabbath back to back.
Believe me, my son downloaded over fifteen THOUSAND songs on that thing. The amount of metal is pretty miniscule to the rest of the mix. My pod is in a head banging mood this evening.
I have been quiet around here, and on facebook too. I am always around to comment here and there. Just keeping a low profile in my life at the moment. No particular reason.
Percolating some ideas, plans and some adventures.
Getting lots of domestic things taken care of.
I will be booking my trip to France in the next week. Fine tuning some things. Air fare is crazy high but it is my own fault for going during the height of the tourist season. But alas, that is when my birthday falls and I have it in my haid to wake up fifty in Paris. That is my plan and I am sticking to it.
Friends have given me terrific advice. A young woman who I worked with at the gallery for some time lived and studied in Paris a few years back. She had great thoughts. And several pals have been and also offer great advice. I think everything will be wonderful. The dollar is about half that of the euro, so I have to be budget minded. I can do it.
I have been listening to French cd’s for months and cannot get anything to stick. Gah! What is up with that?
My band friends from the eighties, The Sheets, have their debut and cd release show this coming weekend. I will be heading for an over night trip to San Francisco with Carrie and her sons. I hope Laura makes it too. She is unconfirmed, as usual. The Punk Globe (a punk zine that has been around since I was a punk in the eighties!) has asked me to review the show and include pictures. Cool!
We will have much fun. The two supporting bands are terrific as well.
My son, Michael, – check out this video he made for his upcoming tour here
Have had more time with my son than usual lately. He is doing all kinds of recording and has a tour planned with baby daddy (Daniel of Pregnant). I love spending time with him. He is a funny young man and we seem to talk more than we have in awhile. He is meeting challenges in his life with impressive wisdom right now. I appreciate being around him to let him know that I see that.
I stole this from facebook – this is Juniper’s first birthday in April (with Jocelyn)
No grandbaby time at all. I asked about going to her first birthday and was denied. I get very sad. Very sad. I even get mad but that isn’t going to help so I put that aside. I have dreams about Juniper all the time. The last one I remember was wonderful. She knew exactly who I was and grabbed my hand and held it to her face. I smiled for days after that.
I miss my daughter bunches. I miss being her mom. The grand daughter thing is her tool against me, I realize that. She is still a kid. And life is stressful with a baby. I love my daughter and look forward to seeing her and kissing her pretty head.
I am working lots. That is good. I like my work. The mortgage stuff and the cleaning stuff.
There may be an opportunity for me to move out of my place into a place with a wonderful room mate. My friend Shelly, I use to work in the same building as she did several years back, moved into a sprawling Victorian in Woodland last year. Her room mate might be moving out. She will need to be looking for someone to share expenses with if that happens. This is not confirmed but oh my dog, it would be a dream come true.
Shelly and cool dude (he had this curly fro and chops going on, he reminded me of Bernie from Room 222) at Rubicon, one of our stops in midtown
First of all, Shelly is wonderful and would be a positive person and great room mate. Her son Mason is nine or ten. I could be wrong about that. I am always wrong about stuff like that. He is a great kid and I would love to be around his energy. It would do me good. Second, it would be awesome to not have to pay for every thing. I don’t know how I have done it all this time. Davis is ridiculously expensive. So, my fingers are crossed. It would be a terrific move for me.
My bad moto scooter!
I finally got my scooter! I have to learn to ride it. And I want to get leopard print painted on it. I am looking for someone who does airbrush to kitten up my Vino!
We’re Friends at Headhunters
Catching music in midtown. My friends, Bogdan and Quentin, along with their amazing singer Tucker (known as We’re Friends) played a wonderful show at a place in Sac called Head Hunters. It is a gay bar. Carrie, her friend Pat and I stopped by after a girl night out to the movies (Bridesmaids – funniest flippin’ film ever). They put on an outstanding show. Their newest cd is my current favorite. Smooth classy vocal stylings to such standards as Fever, What Lola Wants, My Room, Gypsy Kings and originals written by Quentin. Fantastic.
This leads me to telling Shelly about the show. She laments that she needs to get out more. And she has NEVER been to a gay bar. Sistah PLEASE!
That’s a man baby – cheap drinks that I payed for twice (as in the next morning) – Dancing Queen
So Memorial Day weekend, I take her out to Headhunters for an adult beverage. We meander around mid-town. All the little boutiques, breweries, small galleries and such. We end up at THE Gay Bar scene of Sacramento, Faces. A huge dance club with a outdoor pool. The weather is very pool accommodating. The place is hopping. The boys are wearing sarongs (and not much else) and dancing on pedestals above the dance floor. We had drink specials, pounding disco music, drag show music divas and dance lessons from the boys we kept bumping into on the dance floor (more hips ladies – hands in the aiiirrr!!!). Oh my dog! We had so much fun we had to call her boyfriend to come get us. Shelly has now officially been to a gay club. This is the only place a middle aged straight gal can dance her ass off. Without fear of scorn or security escorting her out.
Wait, this is not my car…confusion after drag queens and swilling cheap hooch…
I really need to get started on getting my real estate sales license. It keeps getting waylaid and that has to stop. Mom’s house is not for yet sale but we do see the light at the end of THAT tunnel.
Dinner for One (this is the Bear from my title…)
An aside…I hear many people say they just can’t cook for themselves. They do not see the point. I want to say that I love cooking for just me. I love cooking for many but I do not mind exerting the energy in making myself something healthy and delicious. I have been having many dinner and movie date nights with myself. But hey, don’t worry, I don’t even let myself get to first base.
Love you xanga crew. Thank you for reading and your comments and your support and your prayers and ideas and friendship for all these years. I love you all very much.
xxoo
Comments (20)
Hey Chickey Cassi you sure have a knack at keeping life busy and fun. I hope that the plans for your birthday come together and for a lesser cost.
I am sad that you haven’t been able to see your sweet JuneBug I hope you will be able to soon.
Loads o’ love
My iPod on my iPad does that sometimes, too. I have no idea how it manages, I really don’t. I don’t have the multitude of songs you do, but seriously… it would still be a statistical anomoly to have it do what it does as often as it does.
I love the photo of the band & getting to do a review with pics is awesome! The pic of Michael is very cool. Did you do that?
You’re going to Paris?!?!? Awesome! I have no desire to go to France, but did look into traveling to Ireland/Scotland. Just too expensive for me at the moment. Some day, though. Maybe I’ll turn 50 in Ireland…
Sorry you can’t be with Juniper. That makes me very sad.
The scooter is awesome! And I hope you get to move in with your friend… sounds like a cool place and a cool lady, too.
You have so much more fun than I do on a consistent basis. I think I live in the wrong part of the country for having fun, lol. There’s really nothing here. Well… cows. We got cows. And corn. We got cows & corn. Not a lot happenin’ or fun with corn & cows, I’m afraid.
oh to wake up in Paris at 50 … yahoo!!!
You’re hilarious. I love the photojournalistic updates of your life. Maybe I’m too easy, but I tend to let myself get to 3rd base, oftentimes.
@twistinsidej - Hey you, thank you for the awesome card. I adore you! Oh, I am way past the easy days of my youth. Dinner and a movie just is not enough to get into my own pants any more…
Not even a really great home cooked dinner and a foreign film…
I wish you could go easily in Paris . You know it is not too far from Amiens ( 150 km by train ) .
I suppose you go with a group .
About foreign language it is hard to learn. I know what it is for English ( in fact I cannot understand English spoken ).
For your daughter better days will come . But I confess it is hard for you .
Love
Michel
Happy Birthday in Paris. I can’t imagine a more thrilling way to have a birthday. (maybe San Francisco)
If you happen to see the Eiffel Tower, say “Hello” from me. 
I spent my 50th in Boston with two of my Xanga pals, “Macphoto” and “Jacksoncroons”! It was the best birthday ever! Your life sounds amazingly fun and busy Cassie! I love your zest for life and always enjoy stopping by your site. I do so wish your daughter would come around and patch things up between the two of you. Maybe time will heal wounds and soon you will be holding little Junebug in your arms again.
@fauquet - Michel, I am putting together my trip and know I should travel outside of Paris. I would love to see the Mediterranean sea. I would appreciate any advice you have on that. I will look into train or flight to see what is the most affordable. This is a once in a life time trip. I want to do it right. If you thought you might like to meet while I am in France, I would love the opportunity. My trip will be between July 18th and the 27th.
Gotta luv facebook for pictures of those you can’t see. My album of missing family members is growing exponentially thanks to the wonder of fb.
My friend Cassie does seem to know how to live life to the fullest. I would give you my little black book of paris numbersh but whatcha goin do with a 75 year old Rue Pigale girl (pig alley to a drunken soldier).
@lotsayears - for starters, I would get a translator, buy her some wine and listen to her stories!
My friend Jacki went to Paris when she was 37 – she said it was almost like in the Ballad of Lucy Jordan… ‘At the age of 37, she knew she’d found forever as they rode along through Paris with the warm wind in her hair’.
Fingers are crossed for a new, less expensive place to live!
So sad about the lack of Grandma time. Your daughter will regret that later, I’m sure. I love that photo of your son.
I’m not convinced about the scooter but that red car is soooo YOU!
So much in one posting I don’t know where to start. It has to be Paris! I could go on for pages about MY four days in Paris but it wouldn’t mean a thing to you until you’ve been there. I listened to a French for travelers VHS (obviously, many years ago) too. I learned how to ask for eggs boiled, fried, scrambled. I learned how to order coffee. I even learned how to order a ham and cheese sandwich, even though I don’t eat ham. Most importantly, I learned to ask “oo son les toilettes?” To this day I can tell you that a Toyota is a Japanese vehicle, in French. That said, it was mainly useful for comic relief in France. I wouldn’t say they laughed at me but it certainly broke the ice. You don’t say with whom you are traveling but I think I should go as your chaperone.
The scooter is awesome. Now I’m sure my sister will want one. She was set to buy one a while back but I convinced her that she should actually ride one before she plunked down the money for one. The salesman wouldn’t even consider it so we walked away, wallet intact.
Cooking for oneself is a necessity for me too. I’m the cheapest, best cook I know. Last night I grilled fresh salmon with lemon butter, and some freshly harvested zucchini (sprinkled with basalmic vinegar, freshly ground pepper and olive oil). I cooked up a pot of Thai jasmine brown rice and and a pan full of homegrown green beans with onions (also just picked from the garden) and garlic. For dessert I had a chili mango popsicle. A nice glass of Menage a Trois made the whole meal as good as any restaurant in town. Tried to get my sister to stay for dinner but she had cats to tend at home.
I miss your stories of Juniper. I hope Jocelyn gets over whatever she’s mad about soon.
@judyrutrider - I am bringing my pal Ronn. He is my busker musician friend. He travels quite a bit so he will be fun and helpful in a foreign land. We are going to call this his Pedi’s Across Paris Tour. He is excited. But not nearly as excited as I am.
I got the scooter for a terrif deal, I traded most of the cost in housekeeping. Barter is still alive and well! I do have to learn to ride it though.
I loved your cook for yourself description. I love you even more knowing that you know how to love yourself so. I think people have a tough time cultivating that part of their “self”. xxoo You are an awesome xanga buddy.
@queenie - Takes one to know one
You are my favorite free spirit for sure.
Birthday in Paris? OMG. I’m so envious!
Happy birthday, happy trip, happy everything!
how did I miss this? wait, probably the usual – me floating in lala land.
sorry your daughter is still not being nice, and that your aren’t seeing Juniper. nice that you have dreams of her, though. she might be sharing them with you. : ) dream walking.
you look uber hot by that car.
have fun in France. luckyyyy.
xo
@ofunlo - I just posted a new blog too. No rest for the wicked. I hope you are doing well. I worry about you.