Winter Is a Drag Ball XXV

There were so many hot guys at the Drag Ball Saturday night. It was amazing. Eye candy was everywhere. One in particular was the guy wearing only a jockstrap picking up the money on stage for the “Just the Tip” contest. While he had a pornstache, which usually would have been a turn-off, his perfect behind made up for any other flaws. He won “Best in Show” for the men’s costume contest. He deserved best in show for that butt alone.

Let’s back it up just a little. The evening started with an hour long show with Rev. Yolanda. She’s a Radical Faerie, who happens to have lived in a commune that was in the town I live in, though it has since moved elsewhere in Vermont. This group of Radical Faeries started the Drag Ball 25 years ago as a way to raise money for AIDS charities. With the help of the LeMay Sisters, who currently host the Drag Ball, they’ve raise nearly $250,000. Anyway, Rev. Yolanda’s show was very spiritual in a the counterculture way of the Radical Faeries. I have to say that the Rev. Yolanda’s outfit was a yellow and red dress that looked like something that would get you eliminated on Project Runway.

Then we moved to the smaller lounge where they began the Just the Tip contest. Whoever got the most tips that night would win, and all tips went to charity. The winner turned out to be a burlesque dancer named Dixieland Delight, who really was fabulous. Anyone who’ll dance to “Dixieland Delight” by Alabama in Vermont is a winner in my book. The Just the Tip contest was hosted by the drag king Mike Oxready. As drag kings go, he’s my favorite.

After the first act of the Just the Tip contest, we went back to the main ballroom to watch the performances over there. My favorite was Green Mountain Cabaret, of which my friend Emoji Nightmare was part of. While the rest were pretty good, I think last year’s performances were a bit better. Eventually, we headed back to the Showcase Lounge to see the end of the Just the Tip contest.

We people watched for a while after that and then decided to head home before the costume contest began. All in all, it was a fabulous evening, and we had a great time.

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Those Who Argue

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? (KJV) ( Isaiah 45:9 ) 

How do you treat God when things in your life don't go according to your plan? Do you argue with Him using logic, blame, or coercion? Maybe you thought you would have had kids at your age, or perhaps a loved one was supposed to be on the earth longer. Your Creator is all powerful and all knowing. Is your faith strong enough to trust in His power and His divinity? 

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Moment of Zen: Drag

I know with the title of this MOZ, this is not the picture you expected. However, this is my outfit for Winter is a Drag Ball, which is tonight. My outfit though will have a black shirt and a sequined jacket. The theme tonight is “Be Who You Be.” I wanted to share something from an article in The Bridge, a Montpelier, VT based newspaper:

“I think that in this day and age people need encouragement to express themselves,” reflected Bob Bolyard, who performs as drag queen Amber LeMay. “One thing people always say to me is, ‘I don’t want to dress up as an opposite gender. I don’t want to be in drag.’ And I say, ‘Everyone is in drag every day. Whatever you wear to work could be considered drag, because you’re representing something you aren’t. Everyone has that one piece of clothing in their closet that they want to wear but never get an opportunity to wear it. The Drag Ball is the opportunity to wear it.”

On February 15, the House of LeMay and the Vermont People with AIDS Coalition will host the “Winter is a Drag Ball Silver Jubilee.” The event, celebrating its 25th year, opens at 7:30 pm at Higher Ground in South Burlington. The seated show begins at 8 pm with a performance by Rev. Yolanda, one of the original organizers of the Drag Ball, which has raised more than a quarter-million dollars for the Vermont People with AIDS Coalition.

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Happy Valentine’s Day

I hope all of you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. If you have a significant other, I hope that today is very special for y’all. For those of us who are single, I hope you’ve learned to love yourself. Years ago, I read a book called Finding the Boyfriend Within. It was basically a book that said you had to learn to love yourself before you could love a partner. I don’t know if I’ll ever find the right man, but I have learned to accept who I am and to do my best to love myself. I hope you can love yourself too.

PS Thank you Susan for the beautiful card that is seen above.

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Opening

Tonight is the opening reception for our new exhibit about swords and guns. We have everything from pre-Islamic Arabian swords to a Star Trek Bat’leth (You know me, the Trekkie, it’s actually a replica of the Klingon Sword of Kahless). In the gun department, we have a Chinese wall gun which is over six feet long, and took two men, one in front and one at the trigger, to hold and fire it. We also have Persian rifles, a gun owned by Abraham Lincoln, and dozens of pistols. We have a massive arsenal in our gallery right now. The cadets will love this exhibit. Some of these weapons are really beautiful pieces of art.

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Ugh!

While I was getting the rest of the stuff out of my old apartment, I slipped on a wet patch on the stairs and fell down. I hurt my back but not too severely. I’m ok. All of my stuff is now out of that apartment. Thank goodness, I’m rid of that place.

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The Poet

The Poet
by Raymond Garfield Dandridge

The poet sits and dreams and dreams;
He scans his verse; he probes his themes.

Then turns to stretch or stir about,
Lest, like his thoughts, his strength give out.

Then off to bed, for he must rise
And cord some wood, or tamp some ties,

Or break a field of fertile soil,
Or do some other manual toil.

He dare not live by wage of pen,
Most poorly paid of poor paid men,

With shoes o’er-run, and threadbare clothes,—
And editors among the foes

Who mock his song, deny him bread,
Then sing his praise when he is dead.

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