Let The Battle of The Seasons Begin...

We bought tickets for the RuPaul BOTS (Battle of the Seasons) show, at the State Theatre, as soon as the tickets were available.  It was almost a no brainer, that we would go, and get the VIP tickets.  And, literally, since the day that we bought them, I'd been looking forward to the show.  We had printed out our tickets, and they had a place of honor on the fridge, so that I wouldn't forget that the show was going to happen.  Finally, the wait was over and we were going to get to make use of the tickets.

The night before, Facebook started blowing up with announcements that the girls were in town (and on Grindr.)  Which only heightened my excitement.  It meant that it was almost time.  

Finally, the afternoon of the show, Shaunna started getting ready.  The outfit was made, and matched the shoes perfectly.  The hair, which had been a question, looked perfect with the outfit.  And, so it was finally time to walk out the door, and head to the theater.  Foolishly, because I didn't think that we could afford it, we didn't take a taxi, so I had to drive.  With my love hate of parallel parking, let's just say it wasn't fun.  Or, it was about as fun as standing outside in 10 degree weather, with a wind chill for half an hour, waiting for the door to open.

Me, Michelle Visage and Shaunna Rai

The wait was actually pretty interesting.  We'd seen Wendy (at the front of the line) and the boys (from New Hampshire) we'd invited.  And, we took our place in line, letting them know that we'd meet up with them, after we got inside.  At this point, the Famous Drag Queens of Maine Facebook page was only about a week or so old, and was still being talked about a lot.  And, I got to meet someone from it.  Cheeta, a queen from before my time, and his partner and a friend were in line right behind us.  So, the page was discussed extensively on the trek to the inside of the theater.  

Cheeta hyping up the audience

Once we got inside, it was time for the meet and greet with the queens, and Michelle Visage.

First in line was Mimi Imfurst, who had texted Dan earlier in the evening asking if he had anything that she could use to look like Maya Angelou  (which I had misheard as more like May-a Ann Jello and thought must be a new drag queen).  The search was on, and nothing but a couple hats could be found in Shaunna's extensive closet.  We talked to her for a couple minutes, and I thanked her for retweeting my blog about her Christmas show at Styxx.  

Then, came the pictures.  Ivy Winters, Darienne Lake, Jiggly Caliente, Alaska Thunderfuck, Michelle Visage, and Jinkx Monsoon.  Jinkx would only do selfies, and I didn't quite know what to do...but I got my selfie with her.

Michelle Visage starts the show.

If I'd died right after I got my last picture with the girls, I would have died happy.

Walking into the theater, I remembered, that the last time I was at the State Theater, I was there with my ex, and we saw Ellen Degeneres.  It was a fleeting thought, and I came back to the present.  Getting to our seats, it dawned on me, that I was surrounded by pretty much everyone that I know.  The majority of the Pride committee was in the row in front of us, Wendy and the boys were in the row behind us.

While waiting for the show to start, I was reminded that "local" queens have a little spark that not all queens have.  Cheeta, who was there as his male self, stood up, and tried to get the audience involved in a bit of a warm up for the show.


And then, the show started.  Michelle Visage came out, and introduced the show.

Dress has always been Ivy Winters's
Strongest Suit

Alaska was the first act, with Whitney Huston's "I Have Nothing," which morphed into a discussion about what was allowed during the show...tipping, photos, drinking, and a reminder that if you don't want to be there, LEAVE.  Oh, and I can't forget the ever famous:   HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

BenDeLaCreme performs a
burlesque number.

Ivy Winters was up next, with one of my favorite songs/acts of all time.  "My Strongest Suit," from Disney's Aida, with her bajillion costume changes. After having seen the act from the livestream in Chicago, I spent most of the time trying to figure out for myself how she managed to accomplish 3/4 of the costume changes that she did.  Because, it totally didn't seem possible that she could have done it all in the amount of time that she had...

Next up was BenDeLaCreme.   Ben was one of my favorites during season 6 of the show, and I was really upset with the fact that she didn't make it further.  Her burlesque number showed me that I was right.  She's hilarious.  From the acting, to the lack of a lip sync, to the tassles, to the hidden stash of glitter (I won't say where), it was amazing.  The first time she sprinkled her glitter on the front row, I lost it.  (And, I'm pretty sure, I didn't recover until well after the show was over.)

Darienne Lake

Darienne Lake was up next.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect from her.  She wasn't part of the show in Chicago, and I hadn't really seen much of her, aside from on Drag Race.  She blew me away.  While a majority of the acts were live singing, Darienne did a killer lip sync of "Total Eclipse of the Heart."  (I was glad to hear many of the people around me singing along with it, so that I didn't feel like a total fool, like I usually do, when I'm singing or lip syncing, myself.)

Jinkx Monsoon 

After Darienne, was Meryl Streep's witch from Into The Woods...er....Jinkx Monsoon.  The mash-up of the garden rap and The Last Midnight, was amazing.  While I was disappointed in the transition on the video from the Chicago show, due to the fact that it was in HD, and there was no blending of the two wigs, in real life, it was much better.  There were places where you could tell that the tear away was there, but it wasn't like it was a glaring, LOOK WHAT'S COMING, like I had half expected it to be.  And, she sang it live.  Her performances in Chicago put me #teamjinkx.  If there was any question, the performance here in Portland made me wonder what it was about her on Season 5 of Drag Race that I didn't like.  She is amazing!

James in the Fashion Design
Challenge

The weakest part of the show, although, one of the funniest, as long as you knew who James was, was the design challenge.  I get that Battle of the Seasons was supposed to be a "beginner's guide to Drag Race," sort of.  And, during every show, there's the design/makeover challenge.  Taking three random people from the audience, and bringing them up on stage and making a look out of trash...well, it was interesting.  BenDeLaCreme, Ivy Winters and Jiggly Caliente were the "contestants" and they had 3 minutes to make some kind of outfit, and the audience would choose a winner.  James, who is a bartender at Styxx, got to be one of the makeovers.  From what I hear, people were upset that he was really drunk when he got up on stage...but, it made for good viewing.  He kind of stole the show, and displayed major amounts of attitude...and photobombed most of my pictures of the other two contestants.  In the end, though, his personality lost to Jiggly's design asthetic...causing the first LOSS for Ivy (who designs clothing in real life).  By the end of the act though, my face hurt from laughing so hard.  In spite of what other people thought, I thought it was hilarious.

Pandora Boxx, was up next.  With the Hunger Games Captiol/Showgirl look, I had really high hopes for her.  She's one of those queens that I just liked watching on the show.  She lip synced to one of her own songs (which one, though, I can't remember.)  Nothing really stood out about this performance.  I was disappointed by this, because it felt a bit like what sometimes happens here in the Northeast with RuGirls...like, "I'm in Maine, I don't have to be at the top of my game."  Whatever it was, this act just didn't quite do it for me.

Gotta Have A Gimmick

Next up was "Gotta Have A Gimmick".  Jinkx, Bendela, and Michelle.  Can I just say, that these three made my night that night?  Michelle with her horn, Bendela with her light up costume, and Jinkx with her wings.  And, they all sang it live.  I loved it.

Jiggly Caliente as
The Queen of Hearts

Next up was Jiggly.  I really didn't know anything about Jiggly.  What I did know, was that she was famous for jump splits.  She came out, dressed as the Queen of Hearts, and did a mash-up of Gaga's "Poker Face" and "Heads Will Roll".  While she didn't do any of her famous splits (for medical reasons, which I later found out), she turned it out.  High kicks, and dancing.  I loved it.

Snatch Game was up next.  I was supremely fearful of this, because in Chicago, I hated it.  I didn't really feel like it was all that funny.  Alaska as LaGanja, Darienne as Adore Delano, Jinkx as Bette Davis and Pandora as Alaska, thankfully saved this version.  I don't even know how to describe how funny this act was. The best I can do, is let you watch for yourself.  Thanks to Chris Merrill, for posting the video from the show, so that I could share it.  Just watch.  You'll want to thank Mr. Merrill too.

Michelle Visage does
Amy Winehouse

At the end of Snatch Game, Michelle took a seat, and sang us an Amy Winehouse song.  Someone from the audience brought her a shot, which she thanked them for, but, didn't drink.  She then explained that she doesn't drink alcohol, and never has.  I'm not sure why this surprised me, but it did.  And, it leaves me a little in awe of her.

Ivy Winters

Ivy came back out for her next number, and I was super excited.  She was doing her stilts/butterfly number again.  I'd seen it before on the livestream.  And, it was amazing.  It was even better in person.  The couple of times that she came close to the edge of the stage, it was a little scary, because, in order to keep her balance, her feet were always moving...and there was always the question of, is she going to step too far forward?  She didn't.  Thank God.

Mimi from Titanic

Mimi was up next.  Again, I'm at a loss for words about how to describe her act.  Mimi pretty much acted out the entire movie of Titanic.  From the Old Rose, on the video screen behind her, to the giant hat, boarding outfit, to the outfit that she wore on the bow of the boat when Leo was King of the World, to the nude "Draw me like one of your French girls, Jack" body suit.  This was one of my favorite parts of the evening, because it was Mimi's birthday, and she was "home" for it.  They brought out a cake on the stage, and Mimi made a speech about how it was good to be home.  (And, it was kind of good to hear, again, that she's admitting to being a girl from Maine...even if it's only when she's home.)  Either way, she has cemented a place in my mind as one of the best queens I've seen.

Pandora Boxx as Elsa

Pandora came back out for her final number, a mix of Let it Go and Try Some Blow.  This one had me cracking up.  I felt a little bad, because, literally, as a part of her Titanic act, Mimi had done Let it Go, and so I was kind of like, why didn't they check against each other's music before hand?  She came out with a bag of blow glitter snow, that she would sprinkle around the stage, and then later in the act, would "snort".  And, I think my favorite part, was when she accidentally dropped the bag into the audience. My only issue with this, was that she still didn't seem to have the level of energy as the rest of the cast.  So, her Alaska Thunderfuck, was the best of her acts during the show.  And, I wish that they would have showcased a little more of her comedic timing than her lip sync.

Jinkx Monsoon performs Creep

Jinkx was back for her "Creep" number.  With the amount of live singing that she did during the night, I was surprised that she could sing.  And, I was reminded of how much I loved this song, when I was a kid.  At the end of the song, she showed us what she had to go through to get the dress to look the way it does...with an under-bustle (if that's a thing...)  And, then, she sat down on the stage, and took some time to talk to us.  She proceeded to tell us how 10% of us would talk about how drunk she was, and how bad the show was.  She pretty much wrote off that 10%.  She then reminded the rest of us that these girls are the ones who care.  They're the ones who made the trek cross country to be here.  And, that it does them good to see that we care, and want to see them, to be there to support them.  It was the most heartfelt thing that I've heard, and I'm not sure whether that was actually part of the show "storyline" or if that was something special that we in Portland, Maine got that nobody else did.  Either way, it was awesome.

Alaska battles the Hair Monster

The show ended with Alaska and "This is my Hair", and her epic battle with the Hair Monster. (I kinda want a hair monster of my own...)  I was trying to conserve my camera battery at this point, because just before Jinkx's last number, my battery started screaming that it was dying.  And, then, I realized that I still had battery power in my phone, and took pictures that way.  I still missed out on a lot of pictures, because the phone camera doesn't make up for shaky hands...

The show got over, and Wendy went home, since she had to be in Boston the following day.  The boys went back to their hotel, and we (Shaunna Rai and I) went to Styxx for the After Party.  The hope was that the girls from the show would come down and raise some hell.  And, we weren't denied that.  Mimi, Alaska and Bendela came down, out of drag, and spent the rest of the night at the bar.  I, as usual, felt a little odd, because I didn't know Alaska or Ben and I only know Mimi a little.  But, I was happy that I got to be a part of the after party, and the after after party.  Now, what I need to do is learn to stop being the listener, and start being a talker.  Because, otherwise, (in the words of Radiohead), "I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, What the Hell am I doing here? I don't belong here."

Don't Cry For Me Argentina...

...because, the Truth is, I don't promote you...

Drag is a dying art in the state of Maine.  Shows are becoming more and more of a rarity, and they're a surprise, when they actually happen.

Styxx, last weekend, hosted: An Evening with Danielle Dior.  I found out about the show about a week before it was supposed to happen.  And, given that I definitely didn't have time to get the time off for the show, I figured that it wasn't going to be one that I would make it to.  Surprisingly, due to the time warp that is caused by drag, I was able to get out of work, and back to Portland, in time to make it to the show.

But, it got me thinking.  The lack of shows, is compounded by the fact that gay bars in general, in the state of Maine, are not doing well.  And, as someone who has been doing a lot of promoting, and making promotional materials, to use online, or printed out, as hand outs, I have a few suggestions...again.

After hearing from Mimi Imfurst, that Styxx knew, months in advance that Mimi was going to be coming to do her show, why is it that we only got a poster a few weeks before the show?  Why would you not, as soon as you book a show, get promotional materials together?

I get that gathering together all the information, a month or more in advance, is a hassle, but promotion is your friend.  If you can't promote, you can't bring people in.  If you can't bring people in, you lose money.  If you lose money, your bar closes.  It's as simple as that.  Take the time, get the information together, and get a responsible graphic artist to throw something together.  I'm always game for making a poster.  It gets my work out there. It gets your event out there.  It's a win-win for us both.  (BTW, if you're interested in poster work, email me, for pricing details.)  The longer you have your promotional stuff out there, the more people will see it, and potentially, the more people you will get to your events.

Truth be told, making a poster or flyer for a show, really doesn't take long.  An hour, if you have all the information ready up front, maybe two.  There's probably a few adjustments that will need to be made.  But, nothing major, unless the artist and the patron have completely different ideas about what the material should look like.  (Occasionally, it does happen.)

I want to make it clear, that this is not just an issue with Styxx.  This is an issue with multiple venues for shows.  Styxx just happened to be the catalyst for the post. Queens get frustrated with the bars, because nobody knows that the show is happening, so nobody comes.  Bars get frustrated with the queens, because nobody knows that the show is happening, so nobody comes.  If you give the queens and the bars a chance to advertise the shows, there is potential for much more business...especially, given the fact that the queens I hang out with, often end up having drinks bought for them, by audience members.  This can only be good for the bars.  Especially, since half the time, the performing queens are not getting paid for the shows, or they're getting paid very little.

RANT OVER:

Where I Come From...

My parents, Kathy and Steve, with Mimi Imfurst

"You really should write an article about your parents."  That was Wendy, at the Seacoast Rep show, last weekend.  "I loved that picture that you got of them with Mimi."  Wendy really likes my parents.  She has met them a couple of times.

But, what does one say about their parents?  Generally, people don't have anything good to say about their parents, until after they're gone.

I grew up in a small town, near Rockland, Maine.  Up until I was about 5, my parents moved around quite a bit.  Robbinston, Waldoboro, Thomaston, before they finally settled down in Warren, Maine.  They've lived in the same house for nearly 30 years.  They've been married for 36.  And, they have the kind of love that most people only dream of, or see on tv.  I've never seen them fight.  On rare occasions, I've seen tears, but they were never inflicted by each other.

My mom, Kathy, has had a number of different jobs, throughout her life, before settling into a job as a manager of a group home.  My dad, Steve, has worked for the Maine State Fire Marshall's Office, for as long as I can remember.  He started off working as a Fire Investigator, and has since moved on to being an inspector...he inspects amusement park/fair rides, and things like that now.

Mom and Dad with Latrice Royale at Styxx.

Like most kids, I spent a good amount of time disliking my parents.  We were far from rich, growing up... Back to school clothes shopping meant going to second hand clothing shops.  When we wanted video game systems, we actually had to work for them...We spent a whole winter, shoveling driveways around the neighborhood, in order to get our Super Nintendo.  And, I hated that they wouldn't just buy it for us, because I had friends, whose parents would, and did, do that kind of thing.

What I recognize now, is that they were, at the time, trying to prepare me for life.  Contrary to what drag queens will have you believe, life is not all about Rainbows and Butterflies, and pretty faces.  Life is about working for what you want, and appreciating it more, because you worked for it.

My parents allowed me to go to Art School, in Philadelphia, 500 miles away from home.  It was what I wanted, and they supported it.  They also supported me through the mental breakdown, that brought me back home, to Maine, a year and a half later.  They didn't throw me out of the house when I finally came out to them.  They instead, continued to show me the unconditional love that they have always given. They have always had my back.

Mom and Wendy with Me and Shaunna Rai at Paradym
for Alyssa Edwards.

When I decided to make the move to Portland, for the first time, my mom wasn't really okay with it.  It was really going to be my first time on my own.  I was going where I knew hardly anyone.  And, I was going to be further away than she thought I should be...especially given that I was still grieving a dead relationship.

Little did any of us know, how much that move would change things for all of us.  Three years later, I can't even think of how many times that my parents have come to drag shows.

The first drag show my parents ever attended, was at the (now defunct) second location of Altera, in Lewiston.  My mom was excited, because she was going to meet Shaunna Rai, and Taffy Pulls...I actually think that she was most excited to meet Taffy.  She made sure to tell me that she was knocking things off her Bucket List that night.  It was her first time at a Bar.  It was her first ever drag show. (I think she had forgotten my one night stint as Spice Andrews, in Damariscotta...) And, it was her first time at a gay bar.

Mom with Taffy Pulls at Altera.

I was more uncomfortable than either of them, I think...because, I felt the need to protect the straight couple, who seemed totally out of place.  They didn't really need protection though.  I'm sure that they both had cameras blazing, as did I.  I get the photography thing from them.  They never go anywhere, without a camera.  Literally.  There is a camera in the back seat of the car at all times.  After the show, I introduced my mom to Taffy, and she got her picture with her...a high point of the night.  And, I found out how my dad felt about the show in the bar...he was great with the show, but thought that the bar patrons were rude, because they were there for a show, so should not be talking.

They've come quite a ways.  During the first Dragapalooza that they came to, Shaunna had been in their lives long enough for my mom to be "inspired" by her.  She came to Dragapalooza decked out in a Duck Dynasty t-shirt, and glittery heels.  Again, cameras blazing, during the show...and then, they came to the after show, at (the now defunct) Mama's Cabaret, also in Lewiston.  At this point, I knew that my parents would be "safe" at a show, and so I was less protective, and let my inhibitions down a little.  And, had a few drinks.  Enough so, that at one point, I noticed Shaunna's contact was out, and she had two different colored eyes, and said that she reminded me of a husky.  She then, went on the mic, not once, I don't even think twice...I think it was three or four times, and told everyone in the bar how she was going to "fuck me doggy-style", because I said she looked like a dog.

Dad with Alyssa Edwards.

Obviously, they enjoyed themselves, because they continue to come to every show that they can.  They were there for JuJubee, Latrice and Mimi, at Styxx.  They took the trip to Manchester, NH, to see Alyssa Edwards (where they met Wendy for the first time.)  And, I still get asked, so when is the next show?

During Mimi's Holiday Hangover Show, at Styxx, my mom got to see what really goes into making Shaunna Rai into Shaunna.  She knew how long the makeup took, and that there was some work to make the body.  But, she had never actually seen the process.  That night, she did.  And, she left, saying that she had a new appreciation for it.  Although she had known that there was a lot of work to it, she had no idea about the hips, and the butt, and the corsets and the bras...the list goes on and on.  She seemed to be in awe of the process.

Mom with one of her favorites, Alyssa Edwards.

While I'm on the receiving end of being given unconditional support, I am often reminded of the fact that not everyone is so lucky.  In three years, I have yet to meet Dan's parents.  And, they definitely haven't been nearly as supportive of the drag.  My parents, in the short time that they've known Shaunna Rai, have been to see her more often than Dan's own parents.  I'm extremely grateful for this, and a little bit saddened by it as well.

I started the blog, as a way to let my parents see what I was up to, much like any other blogs that I have had since I first got the internet.  It was a way of sharing people, places and events that I enjoyed.  And, in the process, I hadn't really thought about how much it has actually affected them.  Mom wore heels! She's looking for RuPaul's Drag Race to buy on DVD.  And, she was trying to talk Dad into going on the Drag at Sea Cruise next time it happens.

I realize now that I haven't been the only one dragged to the inside.  My parents have as well, although, to a slightly lesser degree.  And, I think I love them more for that.  Mom, Dad, thank you for being you.  Thank you for being so supportive of us both.

Me, Me, I'm First!

Me, with Mimi Imfurst

Over the summer, last year, Dan and I watched some Dvd's of past Dragapalooza performances. On one DVD, was a familiar face.  Mimi Imfurst, who is one of the most hated RuPaul's Drag Race queens, was performing on the same stage with Shaunna Rai. I watched amazed, and was at a loss for words.

When Styxx announced Mimi's Holiday Hangover Show was coming for one night, and the cover was only $5, it was a given that I would have to go. I needed Mimi to redeem herself for doing androgynous drag at the Pride finale on Peaks Island. I needed a picture, so I had proof that I had met her. And, the androgeny just wasn't going to work for me.

Just after the announcement was made, Shaunna Rai made the announcement that she would be performing with Mimi and a "new" girl, from New Hampshire, Cece Georgia. I quickly rushed to update the poster with the guest performers.

Mimi visited my parents' table, and kept grabbing my drink.

Over the next few days, I heard about how Mimi was texting Dan, talking about how excited she was for the show, and getting music sets for everyone. And, in the meantime, I'm just still thinking how cool it is that my boyfriend is texting Mimi Imfurst. 

Since the show was two days after Christmas, I made it part of my parents' gifts. They came to visit, took me out to eat (since Dan doesn't eat until Shaunna is packed away) and we got a doggie bag for later.

Having been given a time constraint on when to be back, I made sure we made it back on time.  Then came the process of putting on the body. This is the part that I think I like the least. I know what needs to be done, and I have a bad habit of not communicating what I need Shaunna to do. Needless to say, it causes a bit of tension.

 For the first time, my mom saw exactly what goes in to putting Shaunna Rai together. For the rest of the night, she couldn't stop talking about it.

We got to Styxx early. So early, that Mimi wasn't even Mimi yet. Finally they opened up the dance room, for the show. I bought the tickets and then we went in to wait for the show to start. 

Cece finally showed up, and looked lost. Doing my duty, I showed her to the dressing room.

Shaunna Rai

Finally, it's show time. Mimi comes out, introduces everyone, and starts her performance. Somehow, I had forgotten that Mimi actually sings live. And, in the first song, my feelings toward Mimi as a performer changed completely.

Given that during Mimi's appearance on Drag Race, she picked up India Ferrah, and earned a place as a "Villain", she ended up relatively low on my list of queens I wanted to meet. But, after seeing her performances, she earned my respect. Mimi is now at the top of my list of queens I would see again.

Shaunna, as usual was amazing. It was funny hearing Mimi talk about Shaunna. What I didn't know is that Shaunna has been around since before Mimi was created.  Hearing Mimi call her a legend and "historic" was really cool.

Cece Georgia

I was nervous for Cece, since it was her first time in Portland, and she was working with someone famous...and needed to impress. She did great. As a photographer, I had a hard time getting pictures of her, just because she was in the audience more than on the dance floor/stage.

And, just like that, the show came to an end. My parents had to leave, as mom had to work early in the morning. After they left, I went out back, and got in a couple of selfies with Mimi and Shaunna. We stayed for a couple drinks, then it was time to go home and get some food.

Mimi proved that she could bring it, the same way she did on the Drag at Sea Cruise, roasting Michelle Visage. Seeing her live and in person, she is super sweet and, not at all the villain she was portrayed as on RuPaul's Drag Race.  And, unlike many of the Drag Race performers that I've seen come "from away," she didn't "dumb it down". Maybe she picked someone up during a lip sync for her life, but I think it's time to forgive her and move on. Thank you, Mimi Imfurst, for a great show, and giving me a reason to reexamine what I thought I knew.

2014: A Year in Drag

Each year, I realize that I'm getting older.  A thought that I am still not ready to succumb to.  This year, like every year before, has gone by faster than I would have liked for it to.  Some awesome things happened.  Some horrible things happened.  Some things that are really sad happened, and some things that I will never forget, (because I took the time to write about them, so when I get to be old and senile, I'll at least have some kind of record of what I have done).  Over all, I don't have a lot to complain about for the year.  And, yes, I know I still have 4 days, technically, before the year is over...but the news channels have been pushing this end of the year crap for a week now, already, even before Christmas...

Manila Luzon

I'll start with the sad stuff, first, and get it out of the way.  This year marked the passings of Crystal Eaton, Scott Randall, Chase Wakeling, and Mildred Poland.  These are all people who at some point have had some kind of impact on my life.  Only one did any kind of drag.  Evie Does-It/Scott, made an otherwise exciting day, less so, as his passing happened to coincide with Latrice Royale's appearance at Styxx.  Crystal, who got her own post at the beginning of the year, was my babysitter, when I was a kid.  Chase invited Dan to live with him and his husband, when Dan had to evacuate an apartment, with only days notice, and Dan was still living there, when we met.  Chase was a supporter of us as a couple, from the very beginning, and it's still a shock to me that he's gone.  And, Mildred was my ex's aunt.  She reminded me an awful lot of my grandmother, and even after the breakup, she kept in contact with me via Facebook.  Her passing was a shock, but, it wasn't unexpected, and she had already made plans that it was her time to go.  Out of respect to the family, I opted to not go, because I didn't want anything to be weird, nor did I want to make it about me.  

Jessica Wild

2014 also marked the passing of one of the first "drag queens" that I was exposed to...Robin Williams, as Mrs. Doubtfire.  When I first heard the news, I thought it was another hoax, like, Macaulay Culkin's three deaths.  When it turned out to be true, it brought up a lot of things, for the kids I work with, as well as myself.  If nothing else, Robin Williams, as Mrs. Doubtfire, taught me that there is sometimes a thin line between the place where Love is Everything, and Love just isn't enough.  And, his final teaching, was that life is short, and let the people who mean anything, and everything to you, know that, because you never know for sure, when you won't get the chance to tell them again.

Joslyn Fox

There, now that the sad stuff is out of the way, I'll focus on some of the big things that happened this year.

2014 brought about my biggest year in RuPaul girls, yet.  I will have met, by the end of tonight, seven different RuPaul girls... Jujubee, Joslyn Fox (twice), Manila Luzon, Jessica Wild, Alyssa Edwards, Latrice Royale, and Mimi Imfurst.  It also brought about the first time I've ever won any kind of contest.  It only took me 34 years to win something more than a participation ribbon... This was the year, that I accidentally won a VIP ticket to see Alyssa Edwards...accidentally, because I forgot that I had entered, and, given that it was a Facebook contest, I didn't actually expect to win...

Alyssa Edwards

While my attempt to create a graphic novel, featuring drag came to a screeching halt, due to a lack of interest (on my part), and an attack on my creativity and imagination, due to doing some actual research by interviewing some queens, I put it aside.  It hasn't been scrapped entirely.  But, it's not a main focus.  At this point, I'd do better, writing a book..."The Boyfriend's Guide to Drag Husbandry." While it wouldn't necessarily be a best seller (or maybe it would), it would give me an opportunity to write what I know, and then nobody could attack me based on a lack of creativity, or plagarizing stories, by using bits and pieces of someone else's life...

Latrice Royale

I learned just how much my parents love the drag.  I have to admit, when I first started dating Dan, the biggest fear, was how they would react to the drag.  I obviously had nothing to worry about, since my mom's goal for this year was to start getting picture

s of her with the RuPaul queens, and, she's now working on hunting down DVD's of all the seasons of Drag Race.  It's been through this whole process, that I realized just how cool my parents really are.  They probably always have been, but you never think that your parents are cool, when you're a kid.  

Mimi Imfurst 

The year has been a giant teaching experience for me. I started to take my blog seriously, as a soapbox of sorts. On top of teaching about the acceptance of drag as an art, and an understanding of trans issues, I have also tackled why drag is dying in Maine, why we need to continue to teach about AIDS, and I grew a beard for testicular cancer. 

My No-Shave November Beard

At work, I've also been able to teach more about acceptance as well.  We took the kids to Salem, Massachusetts back in October, just before Halloween.  While we were there, the (at the time) Duchess Gigi Gill was out and about taking pictures with the tourists.  The boys all saw her, and started saying really mean things about her. So, it was my job to talk about the fact that not all drag is RuPaul "grade". And that it is as much about playing a character, as it is about dressing in the opposite gender's clothes.

Cherry Lemonade

Over the course of the year, I made some friends, and lost some friends. The friendscape of my life is in a big time flux right now. People are moving away. Other people just have stopped making the effort. And, I've done the same. Yet other people have surprised me. Cherry Lemonade has become someone  I consider to be a good friend...and she's going to be famous now. Starting January 7th we'll get to see her journey on American Idol.  

I went to so many shows throughout the course of the year.  Two fundraisers in January, March Dragness,  Jujubee at Styxx, Joslyn Fox at Mainestreet,  the Frannie Peabody AIDS Walk weekend in Ogunquit, Dragapalooza,  Zumba Wekend at Point Sebago,  all the Pride events and fundraisers, the shows at Seacoast Rep with Manila Luzon, Jessica Wild and Joslyn Fox,  Alyssa Edwards at Paradym, Latrice Royale at Styxx, the Miss AIDS Awareness Pageant, and Mimi Imfurst at Styxx. And I'm sure I missed a few shows as well.

The year gave me a totally different view of RuPaul's Drag Race, as a show. While it is still one of my favorite shows on tv, I learned through listening to stories from some of the girls, just how much the show is edited. What you're seeing on air, likely is not necessarily the way things happened in reality. 

I learned that some people just don't get how to promote. If you're trying to get people to come support your venue with a show,  it's important to get the word out on the street as early as possible. A last minute, "I need a poster for tomorrow,"  is NEVER going to get you the same business that you would get if you let people know a month or more in advance. 

I'm looking forward to New Year's Eve in Lynn, Massachusetts. I'm hoping that this will be the beginning of a year when I finally step out of the role of silent photographer, and start mingling on my own. I've done it a couple times this year, but it's always awkward.  I just have to keep trying. You know, "Fake it til you make it."

And, here's to a great 2015,  to all of you, my readers. Thank you for your support!