International Drag Day....bidiatches!

Apparently, July 16th is International Drag Day

So, in honor of this auspicious occasion, we went up to The City with our friends, Bart & Sinders Parrish, to hit some clubs in celebration!  Funny thing...seems no one else even knew this was a "holiday"!  Most thought Sinders had been at the Nicki Minaj concert ~ HA! 

Perhaps being all dolled up in pink led to their wrong conclusions!

I took this nite out as another opportunity to get dressed up (cuz everyday can be Halloween!) and...

...went as one of the boys!!!

Do you like my moustache??

I made it at work that day!!!  Found a template online that I printed, cut out, then traced onto a black paper plate and cut out!  When I got home, I taped it to a dowel rod!!! 

Funny thing, my moustache became a microphone for each of us and made quite the fairy wand (like when we were wishing for a good parking space)!!!

I tried out my new hot pink hair gel.  You can see just a hint of it here.  I think I will have to use most of the bottle if I really want it to be evident.  I would like to find an electric blue one now, too ~~ plus, Chris would like to try it out.

And what you can't see are my comfy shoes!!!  I wore my (imitation, yet blingy) Chuck Taylor tennies.  I felt super super short, especially next to Sinders in her 4 or 5 inch heels...but it was so freeing and my toes were thanking me that nite and the whole next day! 

We celebrated, Hawaiian-style, Bart's 40th earlier in the month!  I tried my hand at my aunt's chocolate coconut bonbons!  They seemed to be a hit with only 1 remaining at the end of our evening!  I wore my new(er) aqua sundress, with the straps up, along with a rainbow-colored lei and sandals.  The temps dropped considerably, however, so at times it was a bit chilly.  We danced and some sang, we ate great food and enjoyed some adult beverages and we met some cool people.  Always a grand time at the Double B's!!!

We did the 4th of July at Aunt Nita & Mike's, as usual.  This year, the mayor of CP closed off Main Street an hour before the parade and there were DJs stationed all along the parade route.  We were able to do some Dancin' in the Streets!!!  I got out there a couple times ~~ but it was another scorcher (it was being referred to as the Scorch of July!!!). 

Spent the parade under a tent with Aunt Nita spraying us with the hose!  Even the parade participants got wet...with many of them asking for it!!!

We also visited with some family at our cousin's daughter's and stepson's open house.  Super yummy food!!!  (Wish I had some of it right this minute!)  We bought some college insignia stuff for Danielle, as she is attending Valparaiso University where Chris works, and a university bookstore giftcard ~~ all of which I know will be put to good use!  Jake is off to the Army, so he got some cash to spend before he heads off to basic training. 

 

We went to see the movie "Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter" last Friday (the 13th).  I read the book and looked forward to the movie.  BIG disappointment!  The storyline was completely changed!  This girl was not a happy movie-goer!  I could have (should have) walked out in the middle because it never got better!!!  So happy we did a Buy One Get One Free purchase! 

I have been getting extra hard training at LA Boxing!  The circuit stuff that got mixed into some of our boxing and kickboxing classes is now offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays as a full class.  It is CRAZY!!  Nick works us like we are training for secret ops!  Generally, it is like the Spartacus Workout you can find online ~~ 10 exercises for 1 minute each, with 15-30 second rest in btwn for one circuit...you do 2-3 circuits!  One of the days, yes these hot, hot days, we were outside flipping truck tires!!  It was intense...to say the least!  I was sore for 2 days ~~ ibuprofen became my best friend!  I take the circuit, at least, one of the days, along with my 3 days of regular classes.  LOVING IT!  The hard work will pay off in chiseled results!! 

I think we are caught up! 

Meeting up with our nephew, Jake, Friday nite in Chicago for dinner at Harry Caray's and a ride on the Navy Pier ferris wheel (I ain't gonna lie...I am scared!!).  Dinner with my co-worker and her husband Saturday nite as a thank you for watching after their cats, fish, garden and plants for a week.  UFC Saturday nite.  Oh, and, hopefully, buying a new lawn mower b/c ours decided it was kaput (well, after Chris ran into some of our landscaping rocks, I believe)!!

Keep having a blast this summer!  We sure are!!



Glamazons!

I have been out & about!  Enjoying summer and friends and new experiences!

We have hit Boystown in Chicago so many times in the past 2 weeks!  It's been a total blast!  First, we went to RuPaul's Official Drag Race Tour at Roscoe's where we saw Chad Michaels, Latrice (Motherfuckin') Royale, Phi Phi O'Hara, The Princess and a few others.  We got there early enough to secure a great spot on the dance floor, but then we headed outside to grab a bite to eat...MISTAKE ~ it was so crowded when we got back inside!  We were relegated to a side room where I could just barely peek some glimpses of the queens performing!  Ah, well!  Lesson learned!  It was still fun!!!

With Sinders Parrish outside Roscoe's, Chicago

Two nights later, we were at SPIN Nightclub for Pandora Boxx and The Princess!  This time, we secured our spots and didn't leave!  It was a much smaller crowd, too, which helped!  We paid for "Meet & Greet" tix which got us in photos with the queens after both shows!  Then, we had breakfast a few blocks north of the club!  We didn't get home until 4:30 AM!  I had been up since 7AM Saturday morning!  22 hours of awake time for this girlie ~~ insane!  Then, I only slept about 3 hours Sunday morning!  What?!?  Who knows where I got the energy reserves for Thursday thru Sunday! 

With Bart & Sinders @ SPIN, Chicago

The Princess @ SPIN

Pandora Boxx @ SPIN

With Bart, sitting on the stage, securing our spots for the show!!!

My "Meet & Greet" pic with the queens

And this past Saturday, we enjoyed Chicago Pride festivities for the first time!  We went up with our friends for a fest, where several blocks along Halsted were closed down for bands, DJs, food booths and other vendors!  It was crazy busy and our friend, Sinders Parrish, was in all her glory!  Her photo was in constant demand!  (I suggested a donation box for the future...like the street performers in New Orleans!!!)  We had another late-night meal and then hit a bar real quick for Sinders to do some karaoke (to "Blue Moon" ... to match her color scheme this nite, of course!!) 

With Jim & Sinders at Pride Fest on Halsted, Chicago

This weekend, we will spend some time with family at an open house for my cousin's daughter and step-son.  We will also do some yardwork.  That is a job in & of itself and we haven't felt like giving the yard the attention it needs, but we haven't fully ignored it, either.  We have had to water the landscaping and grass b/c we are so very dry here (can't wait for the water bill, right!!!)!  Everyone has a crunchy yard!!  We are more concerned about the plants than the grass, so we have some pretty dry patches all throughout the front and back yards.  

Still not one single bite on the house!  Frustrating doesn't even come close to describing where we are right now!  We won't renew the contract with our current realtor at the end of July and will, instead, go with our friend, Bart.  Also, it was suggested that we RAISE the asking price (we have lowered it twice now...down $6000), so that we bring in a different group of potential buyers.  We will give it a shot!  In the meantime, we did some more cleaning, rearranging and purging on Sunday ~~ if we could only sell our sleeper sofa and open up space in the front room!  (Might even be willing to part with the chair, too, if the sofa buyer wants it for just a tad more.)   We will then set up that room as a dining room, just like the previous owners had when we looked at the house.  So, we have a couple things we will try & keep our fingers crossed that they work!  

Oh, Chris had a phone interview with UCAR last week!  This is the same place he interviewed last September...however, this new position is management!  We were hoping he would get a call this week for a second interview, via Skype.  (It is Tuesday, one week since the 1st interview, and he hasn't heard anything....YET!)  I am just remaining positive that once Chris is offered a job, we will get an offer on our house!   

SPIN Nightclub

Chris & I, along with our friends, Bart & Bobby, are going to SPIN Nightclub to see Pandora Boxx and The Princess from RuPaul's Drag Race!  This will be my & Chris's first time at SPIN.  We have wanted to go in the past to see Ru's queens, but haven't ever had anyone to go with and we just never felt comfortable heading there on our own.  Well, while at my birthday bash, we learned that Bart & Bobby are going and they asked if we wanted to go, too!  Yippee!!!

A new experience and some fun times to be had!!!!

We got the VIP Meet & Greet tix...I have no idea what to expect.  Bart & Bobby said we are going to get in line by 9PM!  And the show doesn't even begin until midnite!  Can you say long nap Saturday afternoon in preparation?!?  

Now, to figure out how to dress for this "occasion"!!!  Chris suggested I do steampunk!  Perhaps...