This is her, in one of my very favorite photos on earth. With twin sis in tow.
Went this afternoon to Stillwater for a lunch at Dock Cafe, with a view of the St. Croix. The nieces had way too much energy and we tried burning it off with walks to the marina and to Teddy Bear Park. I haven't been to downtown Stillwater in ages but it somehow felt familiar. Back home for more chillin', making stuffed peppers and a simple cake. The real celebration is tomorrow after all, but it seems that whenever the kids are involved, all of us are much more interested in relaxation than excitement. It rubs off on me too; no matter how much I know I have to get done on a weekend, errands, writing or otherwise, when I'm in Shoreview with the parents and the Hodges all those plans go kaput and I laze like nobody's business. And despite the failure of discipline, I have no qualms.
As for Mom, she is plum-happy with this birthday. I feel I should mention, as one of three children and a twin, just how much respect and love I have for this wonderful woman, not least of all due to the fucken PAIN of moving two babies out of the womb in rapid succession. If a person can give life like that and come out smiling, then I want them on my team. Gratitude to you Mom. You are too amazing.
Other amazingness: the Pride Festival and Parade this last weekend. Major downside: saw next to none of it. Pulled a freaking all-nighter on Saturday night, writing and research if you can believe that, still made it to the parade where there was terrific wind all up and down Hennepin Ave (which of course makes you more tired, more quickly), stayed awake enough to see the procession and my co-worker Reggie marching with the R.T. Rybak contingent, then promptly boarded a bus home, flopped onto my bed, and woke up the next morning for work (16 hours sleep for those of you guessing at home). I'm saddened by how little I saw and was involved in, although Pride is now so overtly commercialized and mainstreamlined (I think I just invented that word), purged of all radical roots and more interested in building the gay white male market than building urgently needed social movements, but still, saddened. It is not often you can walk about and find fellow queers, gays, lesbians, and transgender folks flooding the public arena. Not so much engendering hope or joy or promise, but (forgive me here) rather a whole helluva lot of confidence, love, sassiness, sexiness, style, and flat-out gayness. It's what we're good at.
So it was fun and funny and funky for a while there, the highlight being the block party at Bryant-Lake Bowl with old and new friends, and I trust come next year I'll be stepping all in it, the Trans March, Dyke March, and by stepping I mean doing some for-real participation, ya hear? Can't do shit by moaning about the state of things and how detached I am. Gotta get it on.
As for the July 4th weekend, this and this look attractive.
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