Vodka is a Breakfast Food, Right?

Shaunna Rai, Miss E'on, Katie, and Lorena.

Sunday morning started, much the same as the rest of the weekend.  Get up, run to Cumberland Farms, and pick up breakfast. (This is when I finally realized that their homemade peanut butter/chocolate rice crispy treats were my new favorite food.) While I got breakfast, Benni and Dan got into E'on and Shaunna Rai, respectively.

By now, we had things down to a science.  By the time faces were on, I had everything extraneous, that wouldn't be needed later, packed in the car.  And, just like that, it was time to head to Bessie's for the Drag Brunch.

Shaunna's Taking Orders

This was the final part of the fund raising for Frannie Peabody, for the weekend.  We got there, and there were already quite a few people.  The menus were handed out, and people were told that they got their choice of a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary with each meal they ordered, and that part of the proceeds from the meals went to Frannie Peabody.  And, then, the Bessie's staff disappeared.

I found myself a corner, per my usual, and hid out there, while the girls socialized with the customers.  And, then, Shaunna jumped behind the bar, and got a quick rundown on "how we do it here".  So, drinks started going out.  But, still no meals.  All the while, I keep thinking, there's something really weird going on here.  

The lady who ran the golf cart taxi for the AIDS Walk came in with a couple of friends, and we started talking a little bit.  She kept telling me how much fun she had had with taking us around the day before, and wanted to make sure that if we were back in Ogunquit that we looked her up, for any travel needs.

Lorena, Katie, Joe and DJ

The next thing I knew, Shaunna was back on the customer side of the bar, saying that she was told she needed to get out from behind the bar, as she was not employed at Bessie's.  Shaunna's mouth tends to be one of her more endearing traits, and one of the most cringeworthy traits (from my perspective.)  After all, this is the same mouth, that one of the first times my parents met Shaunna, said that she was going to "fuck my boyfriend doggy style, because he says I look like a dog," after I made the mistake of drunkenly saying that she reminded me of a husky, because one of her colored contacts was missing.  But, anyway, the same lady who told Shaunna that she couldn't be behind the bar, made the mistake of saying that she was volunteering her time, and not getting paid for being behind the bar.  Shaunna took her down right after. She went off about how, "you may be donating a couple hours of your time, but I've donated 5 days of this!" The customers loved it.  And, so did I, because, quite frankly, Shaunna is the voice that I wish that I had, in real life.

Shortly thereafter, the meals started to come out, and Bessie's got quiet. Because, let's face it,  whenever food is involved,  people stop talking until it's gone.  So, while everyone was eating, I spent time trying to figure out ways to make sure that I didn't eat.  The weekend had been a long one, and so much traveling had been done, that I didn't want to even think about how much money had been spent.  And, the last thing that I wanted to do was to spend more money, just to feed myself.

Katie, from Frannie Peabody, and DJ and Joe from Gaycation Magazine came in for their brunch, and invited me over, to hang out with them for a while.  The Gaycation boys started talking about the magazine, and how they were considering having people doing some freelance work for them, via YouTube.  Which, I think is an amazing idea...people would go to events, and report on them, and they'd get recognition from the magazine.  And, then I got bummed.  Because, this is something that I would love to do, but I hate how gay I sound on recordings.  And, I feel like I do better writing about my experiences than I ever do talking about them.  This was also when I found out that the boys had bought me a drink to try to break me out of my shell of silence.  And, I felt foolish, because it totally backfired, because I didn't know what to say, aside from "thank you," when I got the drink.

Jimmy and the girls. Shaunna sporting Jimmy's Red Party hat.

The end of the weekend fast approached.  The guys left to go home.  Katie took off.  Jimmy, who is one of the driving forces of the entire weekend, stopped by, and bequeathed the hat that he wore to the Red Party (in drag) to Shaunna Rai.  And, put brunch on his tab for the three of us. (Me, E'on and Shaunna)  Thanks Jimmy, the food was great!

Then, the faces came back off, and it was time to take Benni home, and come home and crash.

The Girls and Chris, the waiter at Bessie's.

Looking back, at the weekend, as a whole, this was probably the most fun that I've had.  And, it's the first time that I've really felt like a part of the gay community in Maine.  I spent time with people I didn't know, and people who I do know, but haven't really ever spent time with.  And, I got the chance to document it all, both with pictures, and with the blog here.  And, it finally occurs to me that this is the reason that I actually do the blog.  It's not because I want to get rich and famous from it...although that would be nice...but, it's because I want a way of looking back at my life, later and being able to say, "Look, I was there.  I was a part of that."  I may be 45 years too late for being a part of Stonewall, but I'm a part of the current fight for equal rights.  And, if that just means attending events, so be it.

The Red Party

Most of my gay life, I've heard about the color parties, all over the place. Black parties, white parties. And, I've never been to one. Well, until Friday.

I'm a bit behind, because I've internetless, for a week or so. So, this is day two of the amazing weekend of drag. After going home Thursday night, we drove back to Ogunquit on Friday afternoon. On the way we stopped at Starbucks on the interstate.

We arrived at Mainestreet again, with overnight bags and stuff.  And, like the good drag husband I am, I did the majority of the transporting of suitcases and bags and makeup.  As we were going to be spending the night, and I'm able to eat little of anything that can be found in the immediate vicinity due to a gluten allergy, I was sent shopping.  But, before that, I was asked to pop open the wine for Shaunna Rai and Miss E'on.  Only, we didn't bring wine glasses.  So, wine in Starbucks cups it was.

When I got back from the store, faces were half put on, and I was getting excited.  E'on had made Shaunna a Red Ribbon dress, and for months that's all I'd heard about, was how the dress was going to be amazing.  So, I was excited to see it in person, with the face.  (I'd already seen it in fittings.)  And, finally, the faces were done, the bodies went on.  I changed into my red pants and black shirt with red bow tie.  Shaunna asked me to take some pictures before we left, so she could post one before the Red Party.  (Little did I know, it was going to be one of the "most liked pictures I've ever taken, with over 100 likes.)

So, it was off to the Red Party, at the Front Porch.  The Front Porch is a piano bar, practically across the street from Mainestreet.  I think, years ago, when I was 18, I went there for dinner, once with some friends. Aside from that, I've only been there for the Red Parties.  So, we get there, and there's a donation to get in.  After all, this is a fund raiser for the Frannie Peabody Center.  At the top of the steps, there is a photographer, who will take your pictures, for a donation, and immediately, the girls get pulled aside for photos with random strangers. And, I melt into the background for a few minutes, trying to stay out of the way of the waitstaff.

Shaunna recognizes Katie, who has been the contact for all the Frannie Peabody stuff for the weekend.  The usual, "you look beautiful", and "that outfit is amazing", goes on.  And, I'm offered a drink...which I take, because, let's face it, it's going to be a long night, and I barely know anyone here, and the girls are going to be mingling for quite some time.  Especially, since there's another event at Mainestreet immediately afterward.

And, then, they're off.  I spend a while just kind of standing in the corner, with some people who I actually know.  I realize how few people I actually know anything about.  And, I realize that at some point, I need to change my behavior, and try to be a little more social.  In the 20 minutes or so that I spent with Mat, Doug and Patrick, I learned more about them than I have learned in the last year and a half that I've known them.  Meanwhile, the waitstaff keep coming around with appetizers, that smell amazing.  Unfortunately, they're all either flatbreads, or fried stuff with a breading on them.  So, no appetizers for me.

The girls come back around, and then it's time for the auction.  So, I get up front, and start taking pictures of the items, and the caller.  I knew from last year, that this was going to be a weekend where money flowed freely.  I was not prepared for the amount of money that was dropped at the auction.  A massage went for like $600 or some crazy large amount.  Murals that had been done specifically for the Front Porch, years ago, went for a minimum of $1000 each.  One was almost $3000.

And, it's time to head back to Mainestreet.  On our way out, we run into Joslyn Fox, who is there out of drag.  And, same as the night before, he's super sweet, talking about how beautiful Shaunna is.

Once we get back to Mainestreet, the girls go back upstairs to readjust, and touch up.  And, I take up my post at the corner of the Gaycation Magazine table. Before they go upstairs, Shaunna meets a lesbian couple, and introduces them to me.  It turns out that they've been together for like 30 years, and been married for 8.  They were very nice, and bought me a drink.  And, we chatted for a while.  They begged me to make sure that nobody roofied Shaunna's drink (since they'd bought one for her as well) and then had me keep an eye on their drinks as well, while they went out and danced.

Meanwhile, I get all in a bad head space, and decide that this life is not for me. I hate being shy. I hate having to be the guy behind the scenes. I want to just not be me anymore.  I want to go home. I want to blend further into the woodwork, and disappear.  When they came back down, people started asking to snap pictures with us...and for once, I actually get to be in the pictures, which is exciting for me. Why is this exciting? Well, because I'm always on the other end of the camera...by choice. But, it's nice, sometimes, to be able to prove that I was actually at an event.

Shaunna did a number. Karaoke happened. E'on performed while doing karaoke. The guys from Gaycation Magazine bought me a drink. (I later found out that it was because they thought I should loosen up, and thought that a drink would help me break the silence. )

The night ended for us, relatively early. The girls left before I did. I was still nursing my Cape Cod, at the Gaycation table. Shaunna gave me the perfect excuse to leave the drink, and head upstairs to go to bed.  This was a moment for me. When we go out, I'm never alone, by design, for longer than a bathroom break. I needed to prove, after my headspace breakout, that I could do my own thing for a little bit. Of course, once the drink was gone, I booked it to bed. But, I managed to prove to myself that I could be happy doing my own thing and not needing to be entertained by anyone...even though I enjoy my people.

Joslyn Fox Guest Bartends

Thursday was the "beginning" of the long

weekend of drag. It came down to the wire as to whether I was even going to be able to participate in the weekend. Fortunately everything worked out.

The ladies started putting on face, and I did my own thing. I did my little flitting around thing and got drinks and stuff for them. And then, they were ready. The suitcases were filled. I loaded them in the car, and then we were on our way to Ogunquit.

We got to Mainestreet, where Joslyn Fox was going to be guest bartending,  and the ladies would be mingling and performing around karaoke songs. We arrived and checked in with Steve and Eddie about what was the plan for the night. So, the first stop was the Gaycation Magazine table. The ladies would be selling tickets for a raffle, with a Maui grand prize and a Key West first prize. This table would end up being my perch for the majority of the weekend.

The Gaycation guys, DJ and Joe were snapping pics all over the place.  And so was Steve. I had liked them on Facebook prior to actually meeting them, but knew nothing about it. Over the course of the night, I heard the story of how the magazine came to be. Apparently, the guys had taken an RV trip cross country,  and upon returning home,  decided to start a magazine.

Shaunna Rai started talking to a lady, which is nothing new. And, she turned out to be a relative of Joslyn, who had come with some other family members.  In the course of conversation,  they bought us drinks. This is one of those weird moments that doesn't happen for me...I didn't want to make them pay for my drink,  but also didn't want to offend them by saying no. So, while I battled it out in my head, Shaunna placed an order for me.  Joslyn's family was super sweet.

Then, Joslyn arrived.  She made the rounds, starting with her family and Shaunna.  When I imagined what she would be like, I thought that she was going to be nice, because that's how she came across on Drag Race. What I didn't expect was how nice she actually was. Who she was on tv is who she is in real life.

Dan talks a lot about how during shows out of state, the audience kinda freaks out because the performers generally hide out until it's time for the show, and leave immediately after. Shaunna will mingle. Joslyn mingled. A lot. Pictures were snapped left and right...some were mine, most were not. And, finally I got my picture taken with her. unlike Jujubee,  I had no idea what to say to her. So, I just asked for my picture,  then spent the rest of the night with a foolish grin.

Shaunna introduced Joslyn on stage, and Joslyn did an impromptu performance, while the ladies were selling raffle tickets and mingling.  And I just spent time in my little corner. Then, before I knew it, the night was over, and it was time to go home. It almost came as a relief, knowing that we were going to be back at it all again Friday.

I Love the Night Life...

It's Monday, and I'm alive. We made it through the weekend of drag.

I went into the weekend not sure what to expect.  Because,  let's be honest.  I'm painfully shy. To the point of standing around in a corner, being perceived as anti-social,  because I just don't know how to go up to someone I don't know and start talking. I expected it to be fun, because Ogunquit is always fun.

I did what I always do at events, and took pictures all weekend. And managed to get them all posted to Facebook within 24 hours...which is a rarity...I still have pictures from last summer that I haven't posted,  I think.

There were so many events to cover, that it will take more than one post to get them all. So as a preview of what's coming, here are some highlights:

*I got my picture with Joslyn Fox.
*I took a Shaunna Rai picture that has received over 100 likes.
*I got to be a part of the Red Party and the AIDS Walk.
*I got to see another Dragapalooza with my parents.
*I got to promote this blog to people I don't know.
*And, I got to have a weekend away where I wasn't worried about the stresses of real life.

For one of the first times in my life, I felt like I was actually a part of something far bigger than myself.  I was part of an event weekend that not only blew my socks off, and made Frannie Peabody fund raising history, but also gave me an opportunity to give back to the community.