sistawendy: a cartoon of me in club clothes (dolly)
I finally made it to the Modular monthly at Substation. Usually it's on a Sunday at 1700, but this time it was on a Saturday at 1900. It's exactly what the name suggests: a bunch of people pushing buttons and tweaking knobs on modular synthesizers. Yeah, you know that crowd was nerdy. And I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only trans lady there.

But did I like the choonz? Quite often, yeah! Honorable mention: local boy EZBOT, who reminded me by turns of Aphex Twin, drum & bass, and several others. I was a little ambivalent about club hopping to the Mercury after two of the eight (!) artists that they had lined up.

So why club hop to the Merc? Caturday, Pride edition, which I used as an excuse to wear my "I [Pride heart] [beaver graphic]" tank top. I was hoping to run into some of the trans girls from the other day. Instead, I saw a lady in a butterfly costume like the ones I saw in Sydney. In a fit of nostalgia, I went over to talk to her. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was Temptress.

Fun fact about me: like my mother, I have the world's worst poker face. I may have looked absolutely horrified at her, but only for a second. Had her vile boyfriend been with her, I wouldn't have even gone over there. I chatted about Sydney, maybe a bit nervously.

Despite being seriously caffeinated, I didn't make it to midnight. I did to a ton of bike riding and chores around the house on Saturday, so I don't feel like too much of a geezer. I have to get the Devil Girl House ready for Tacoma Girl on Saturday. (The joke here is that TG is probably the least judgy person I know.)
sistawendy: me at a house party cradling a taco like a baby (taco madonna)
I've reached the point where the gaps in some of my C-cup bras have disappeared. This would be an OK point for my breast growth to stop.

(Yes, I can hear some of my cisgender girlfriends' bitter laughter from here.)

But even if it doesn't stop, which is likely to be the case at least in the short term, I've got the relatively large chest and shoulders to support bigger boobs without backaches. And it'll probably never get truly out of hand because it took me fifteen years on hormones to get where I am now.

Oh: last night went to latex drinks in my civvies — yes, you can do that without being awkward — where I got to (Yay!) see K again. Then briefly to the Merc, where things were just picking up just as I had to go home: I didn't take today off. Pity I didn't get to see any of the regulars I know; apparently the night to do that was the night of the 25th, but I was all partied out that night.
sistawendy: a cartoon of me in club clothes (dolly)
Hit Issian with Dancer last night. It's always bananas in there, so make a reservation, but their fried chicken is amazing. (Dancer stuck with the chirashi as something easier on her tummy.)

Got dolled up in my rebirthday* outfit and hit the Merc. Goth standards from DJ JQ and lots of women femming it up old school for the theme, plus some of the latex gang. If dancing or standing a lot are a bad idea, you could do far worse than that kind of eye candy. Happy rebirthday to me!

The rest of the weekend: grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning.



*I started living as a woman on December 10, 2010. I got a big, fancy dress from Gallery Serpentine as pandemic revenge shopping for the 10th anniversary in 2020.
sistawendy: a cartoon of me in club clothes (dolly)
I went with the Tickler to the Mercury's annual Hardcore German Sparkle Party last night. The Tickler, as so often, arrived nearly an hour after they said they would. I had visions of us waiting in the around-the-block line, but Dancer rescued us! I felt a tiny bit guilty about joining her, but it sure beat waiting.

The Coat, my great big red and black one from Dracula Clothing, was the last one into the coat check. It filled up in half an hour. We filled up the coat check. Bananas.

SFDs: the theme was Hell, so I was the high-key version of the Devil Girl, natch. I didn't wear my Grand National boots because I'm not that kind of masochist, but I was astounded to see a certain venerable kinkster wearing their Grand Nationals. I'm pretty sure I saluted.

There were people who put so much effort into their outfits and makeup that as at every HGSP I've been to, I felt a little underdressed.

One of the DJs was a veteran of the well-known Bootie mashup night in San Francisco, so I did dance to some glorious mashups.

It was a sardine scene to match or exceed the best of the aughts. The decoration was amazing, including a throne covered in gilt pool noodles. [profile] seelenschwester outdid herself, which is saying quite a bit.

I had a chat with the unfairly attractive Vienna La Rouge, who was, unusually, not in the company of my least favorite Mercury regular. In fact, he was nowhere to be found. Icing on the cake.

The Tickler & I didn't last much past midnight because places to sit were hard to find, and it was so loud and crowded that it wore on even me, someone who loves crowds and noise.

I woke up early due to the warm night. Then I got my phone blown up by on call at 0710. Brunch at Made In House, adieu to the Tickler, the usual Sunday chores, and then this: Marmalade, the gelato joint that's been under construction since I moved in two years ago? Opened tonight! I may have been the first customer! The pistachio gelato was the stuff. Said the lady behind the counter, crepes will start next week.
sistawendy: a cartoon of me in club clothes (dolly)
Almost against my better judgment I went to official Halloween night at the Mercury. I was dressed as the low-key Devil Girl: corporate goth, but also over-the-knee boots, leather opera gloves, and of course horns. (I'm saving the formal Devil Girl outfit for next weekend.) It warms my cockles to see everyone turn up on a Thursday, but I do wonder where they are when I'm there and they're not.

I have a date (?) planned for early Sunday evening, and that's it for the weekend. I'm looking forward to a weekend of doing things like battery recycling and clothing donation.
sistawendy: my 2006 Prius at the dealership (Prius)
On Friday evening I took the commuter train to Tacoma, where the Tickler and I went to the Church Cantina, Tacoma's official goth joint. I found that:
  • The Cuban food and drinks are right on!
  • The DJs, too, are right on.
  • The dance floor, however, is nonexistent. There isn't even a vestigial spot on the floor. In truth, such a spot would likely have been overwhelmed because the place was crowded despite its considerable size.
  • There were a few craft booths out front.
  • There were actual, factual Black people there, way more than you'd see at any goth gathering in Seattle. The Tickler says that's because Tacoma simply has a higher proportion of them.
  • They have a pool table, which is apparently common in goth joints.
  • Some Tacoma goths have style, some don't. Both geographically and fashionwise, Tacoma is somewhere between Seattle and Portland.
  • A group of about a half dozen young people dressed as gnomes showed up fairly late in the evening. Many cheered as they entered. That, folks, is Tacoma.
I spent much of Saturday at the Tickler's, playing with their cats and hanging out in their yard. I had to insist that we eat lunch, which the Tickler doesn't usually do. (?!) The deal was, they had a thing to go to late in the afternoon on Saturday, so I carpooled home with them.

Went to the Merc for A's birthday. I was surprised at how many people expressed, unprompted, displeasure at the presence of [personal profile] jengalicious's ex. Surprised, but also pleased: every one knows how vile he is, as they ought to.

I thought I'd nap for maybe an hour this afternoon. I napped for three. I've done all my weekend chores. Happiness.
sistawendy: me in a green velvet dress in front of a brick wall, laughing and looking up as I think, "WTF?" (wtf laughing)
I got all dolled up on Saturday for the Caturday monthly at the Mercury with Dancer. I grudgingly admit that the eetz at Union, the gay bar above the Merc that demanded so many upgrades, aren't bad.

About an hour and a half after arriving at the Merc, we both found something out: no putting Gatorade packets into drinks, not even water. I'd never even seen anyone do that, but Dancer insists that she & her pals used to do it all the time. I can see why it's verboten: it could make dosing yourself or someone else pretty easy.

Nevertheless, Dancer was fit to be tied after she got her vodka & tonic and then her water bottle taken away. So fit, in fact, that she asked me to drive to my place. I did, natch; it was the first time I'd driven in months, so it's a good thing I'm used to older models of what she drives. It was probably the least aggressively anyone has driven her car. I had an earlier-than-expected night. Ah well, she & I have plans for this coming Saturday as well.

Annual ravey thing called Forest For The Trees at Myrtle Edwards. It seemed a little lightly attended, which I ascribe to the relative warmth. Still, I did get some groove and social on. We hippies in the park got buzzed by the Blue Angels because 'Murrica.
sistawendy: a cartoon of me in club clothes (dolly)
To reepeat, this entry is not about Wave-Gotik Treffen. It's about two going away parties, both for friends who've fallen in love and are moving across the country to be with their respective sweeties, and the Mercury's 25th anniversary.

Shallow fashion details, one of which is relevant below: violet brocade corset from Dark Garden, violet accessories, black boot licker skirt from Gallery Serpentine, and the Fluevog Atria boots that I got for my fiftieth birthday. Yes, the knee-high boots with the rococo heels. I dropped a lot of money on rideshares yesterday because transit was not happening in those boots, and indeed couldn't happen to one of my destinations.

Party #1: The Purdy Persian roasted a whole piglet, dubbed "Pigcasso", and served it up with many other goodies on the roof of her apartment building. I'm glad I didn't listen to the Florida voice in my head and wore a coat, because it was windy up there. Honestly, I'm kind of glad I had an excuse to go, because a lot of the guests were tech bros or bro-adjacent. I wish the PP all happiness in New York State.

Party #2: R of J&R fame has found his lady love in Pittsburgh, PA. He located his party at a friend's house south of Seattle. Honestly, I had more fun here. Many Burners, and R trying his darndest to give away all his booze because movers don't want to deal with it. (I brought a bag and left with a couple of bottles, even though I'm not much for cocktails.) This one is going to sting, because R, for all his imperfections, has been there for me when I needed him. As I told Tacoma Girl, I'm 65% happy for him, 30% jealous, and 5% worried it won't work out. She expressed a qualitatively similar opinion.

The Mercury 25th Anniversary: Let me tell you how sweet Dancer is: she drove us there, and she brought a camping chair for me to sit in as the line to get into the Mercury stretched down the block. It was quite the sardine scene, on a level with membership drive nights. The difference was that old-timers who I hadn't seen in the Mercury in at least ten years showed up including the ever-dapper Graves and the Empress*. A of A&J fame dressed in silver sparklies because of course she did. Despite stopping by home to drop off the booze and take my boots off briefly, my feet were pretty trashed not long after arrival. I didn't get up much, but that's OK because we really needed a table bitch.

I gotta love it when Dancer asks me, "How flexible are you?" The answer turns out to be, flexible enough to put my boot on your shoulder from a sitting position. I made a spectacle of myself. That, Dreamwidth friends, is what the Mercury is for. It's also for getting flirted with for the second time by a certain lady M.

Oh, the Merc is also for rather strong drinks; Shiny G had something that I could smell from a couple of feet away, possibly poured even stronger than usual because the drink line stretched all the way to the far exit at one point.




*I'm the only one who calls her the Empress. Cyrus, Cyra. Get it?
sistawendy: me in a green velvet dress in front of a brick wall, laughing and looking up as I think, "WTF?" (wtf laughing)
I hit the Mercury for May the 4th. I've largely outgrown my once intense Star Wars fanship, and I don't have any Star Wars-specific costume pieces, but it warmed the cockles of my heart to see a goth club full of Sith, Twi'leks, and Stormtroopers.

Plus, I got to pump a couple of people — A of A&J fame, Marc17 — for info about Wave-Gotik-Treffen. Said the latter, Moritzbastei is a good venue for larger bands and general hangout. To see bands you want to see, some planning and waiting will be necessary. I'll have to scan the (long!) program and do a little planning, but for better or worse, my capacity for going bAnAnAs as usual with planning will be limited by my ignorance.

Fear not, I'm only bringing practical shoes. We're talking Europe here, so there will be walking, even though I'm assured that German mass transit is the stuff.

Speaking of WGT, yesterday I emailed the fine folks there about my ticket. It said, contrary to their original and likely automated email, that they don't send tickets overseas and that I'll have to hit will-call. Kein Problem, and whew.

Edited to add: The tic in my right eye has stopped jumping. I don't think that's a coincidence.
sistawendy: me at a house party cradling a taco like a baby (taco madonna)
No journal entries lately because busy. I hit the Mercury twice in one weekend because on both nights, I had friends ask if I was coming. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Friday night: I didn't stay out very late at all, but I did get to see Shiny H and confirm my suspicion that her ex is once again her ex. I hope this time it sticks. I also got flirted with by M, whom I met at one of C's basement parties. Or was it one of her barbecues? Anyway, that got my attention.

Saturday night: I got to see R, formerly of J&R fame, which is always lovely. I also ran into a lady I've written about before whom I met twenty years ago (!) in the context of... the kinds of activities I put in locked entries. She hasn't been engaging in such activities much lately, but she looked favorably upon my suggestion of a play date. She drove me home, and I got to hear in further detail how rough the last few years have been for her. But just a few minutes ago we tentatively arranged that play date! Aw, yeah. It doesn't hurt that I'm physically attracted to her. And she's a particularly outrageous flirt. Are you seeing a pattern here?

Oh yeah: I questioned C about M, natch, but she doesn't know much. I'll just have to find out for myself.
sistawendy: a head shot of me smiling, taken in front of Canlis for a 2021 KUOW article (Default)
I just finished cleaning my house before finding out that I'd have visitors. Go me!

My Burner Buddy K from the Bay Area and her local pal J went out with me to the 'Rose and later the Mercury on Saturday night. A lovely evening was had. J&K are more optimistic about my dating prospects than I am, but they're both younger than I am. Pity the three of us have so much in common.

Shallow fashion details: I wore my big blue Rebirthday outfit from Gallery Serpentine. Yes, I wore a hoop skirt on the bus.

Oh: I ran into Vienna La Rouge, looking ever so dapper an a black suit to my guests' delight. I have a(nother) gripe about getting old: my high-frequency hearing loss is bad enough that Vienna is really hard for me to hear. She and I are the same height, but only I have to struggle not to sound like a dude.

I'm looking forward to seeking K in Fremont at some point this week. No, that's not dirty, even though K is cute and I like her.

I didn't go to Flammable, the house music night, as planned last night because my body said, "Nope." I got the best night's sleep I've had in a while. Je ne regrette rien.

There's no calling Mom this year, but there was texting with Good Sister. Happiness. I was surprised to learn that she was looking into making an offer on a house in Roanoke near where we stayed. I hope she doesn't move out of the DC area, because I have grand plans of someday visiting her there and being a tourist in DC for the first time in decades.

Tonight: my son is coming for dinner. I shall circumflatulate this afternoon.
sistawendy: me in the Mercury's alley with the wind catching my hair (smoldering windblown Merc alley)
I've started working through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The professional artists I know need not fear for their jobs. It's just something I've always wanted to learn how to do. That, and I can draw my own pr0n. As with sex toys, I think some DIY is in order.

And speaking of a professional artist I know, the Stroppy One accurately described Vienna La Rouge as a "staggeringly beautiful wom[a]n". How fabulous, then, that I should run into her at the Merc last night in a Bettie Page wig and a very fitted Catwomanish outfit. Who me, gaze into the flawlessly made up eyes of an unfairly attractive lesbian exactly my height while I told Australia stories under the influence of nice absinthe? Yes. Yes, I did. (Shallow fashion details: the Sydney outfit.) Someday I'll ask her why her partner never comes.

Also at the Merc: Temptress, but without [personal profile] jengalicious's ex, praise Goddess. I didn't ask about that either, because as gift horses go, that's a Belgian. Maybe I'll ask if it becomes a pattern. She was with another fella, awfully dapper, who seems all right.

I punked out of the Merc, more or less as planned, at 2300 because I've forgotten how to sleep lately. I've only had one solid, seven-or-more-hour uninterrupted night of sleep in the last week. The Tickler has been nagging me to see somebody about it, and I'm beginning to wonder if they may have a point.

And now for something completely different: even with a new Mac, my (mechanical) backup drive had a few of the same issues. So, I replaced it with an SSD. It's so physically small it was hard to make it lie flat when connected to my Mac on its stand. I've kept the old drive for now.

And for something even more different: it occurred to me while I was doing my morning leg lifts that I might be able to make the little chair in front of my Mac comfier with a lumbar support. But why buy when you have a completed bum roll from an abandoned sewing project? The experiment begins.

Plan for tonight: ravey goodness at Substation. I shall abuse caffeine.

This is what happens when I neglect to write an entry for a few days. You get all the things at once. Sorry?
sistawendy: me at a house party cradling a taco like a baby (taco madonna)
The heavenly bodies aligned, and [personal profile] cupcake_goth and I had dinner together last night. We'd had to postpone many times, usually due to her health. But! That's improving, thank Goddess. We talked. A lot. About everything and everyone. I really miss seeing her as often as I used to.

It's worth noting, both for her and for the rest of my readers, that mass transit is a good way to get between Seattle and Tacoma. I got from my door to the restaurant where we ate in 98 minutes during a Friday evening rush, albeit with freakishly favorable mass transit mojo. I was so early that I got out of the cold at a boba joint, little realizing how close [personal profile] cupcake_goth lived.

And speaking of where she lives, I got to see it! It's lovely! And there are a few blocks of good eats, drinks, etc. nearby. Am I jealous of all the indoor space she has? Maaaybe a tiny bit. Honestly, I'm doing fine with what I have, especially since I haven't been circumflatulating a lot lately in ways that need more space. But for biking, walking, busing, clubbing, doing hippie stuff, and varied and fancy-ass eats & drinks, I think I win. Neener neener neener? Not everyone has the same priorities.

I have to wonder, though: can artists afford to live in her part of Tacoma? It looked as if maybe they could. That hasn't been possible in Fremont this century. I've personally watched three different musicians' rehearsal spaces get gentrified out of existence in north Seattle. In case you were wondering why she moved there.

(Some of the area between Aurora & Biker's place, by the way, looked about as slum-like as the Seattle area gets. Aurora has that effect, it seems, along most of its length. There's a fine line between dangerously depressing and nascent cool.)

But on a happier note, I planted the following bug in my old friend's ear: the Mercury, in addition to no longer allowing smoking*, spent the early pandemic replacing the smoke-saturated furniture and renovating. So if the smoke and its residue were your main reasons for staying out of the Merc, have no fear. And of course, a quiet night in or near the Devil Girl House is always an option.



*The Merc had to legally reorganize as a regular business to survive the pandemic, and that means no more lighting up inside. I'm OK with it, and I'm not aware of anyone who isn't. Smoking at the Merc had tailed off quite a bit anyway, so I don't think they'll get much grief from the die hards.
sistawendy: me in a Gorey vamp costume with the back of my hand to my forehead (hand staple forehead)
I went to the Mercury last night perfectly aware that many of the people I usually get to see there were at the VNV Nation show across town. DJ Hana Solo spun a more danceable (by me) than usual set, but shortly before midnight I got tired of waiting for people and just bailed. The universe obliged me by granting reasonable transit mojo on the way home, and now that I have tea and a nap in me I'm not a zombie. Apparently everyone showed up right after I left and had quite a time.

So I've had zero socializing this weekend. Anyone who's spent more than half a minute reading this here Dreamwidth knows how I feel about that, to wit, poo. And on Wednesday I'm heading alone into the unknown of Roanoke, VA. Apologies in advance to a certain pair of ladies if I seem a little crazed when we meet up. I think I'm ready for Halloween weekend a couple of weeks early.

Why wasn't I at the show when all my friends were? Because VNV is another one of those artists beloved by the black-clad masses who've struck me as OK, but not worth the rigors and expense of a show. I have all their biggest hits.
sistawendy: me in my nurse costume looking weirded out (weirded out)
I'd planned to go to the Mercury for two reasons. First, I wanted to talk to [profile] ack_yeahright, Burner buddy extraordinaire who I usually get to see once a year if I'm lucky. But she's got some kind of respiratory ick that I sure hope isn't COVID because she's pretty high risk. But the second reason still held: talking to Temptress about maybe going to Dore Alley in July.

What's Dore Alley? The Folsom Street Fair's hardcore little brother. Both Temptress & Madame Zoie have encouraged me to check it out, and I just might. Temptress says there's a "blessing of the bikes" that she wants to go to, she being an avid motorcyclist. She says that as for places to stay, she may have a line on a friend's place, but it's a half-hour transit ride from SoMa. I said I was willing to go full bourgeois as I did for Folsom, but she says she can't split that cost. I did, of course tell her about Wednesdays at the Cat Club and that I would insist on arriving on that day of the week.

Now for the elephants in the room. First elephant: Temptress confirms my suspicion that Dore Alley is a sausage party. I mean, Folsom kind of is, but Dore Alley is apparently more so. That may bother her & Zoie less than it bothers me. Second elephant: Temptress's trash boyfriend, i.e. [personal profile] jengalicious's ex. She said he's "cool" about the trip, which I take to mean that he doesn't want to go and doesn't say he cares who she goes with. He was standing right there for the tail end of our conversation, so I have reason to believe Temptress, at least for now.

Speaking of [personal profile] jengalicious, there was a woman there in shiny hot pants just like the ones she used to wear to the Merc. Similar dark curly hair, too. I congratulated the lady on freaking me out. I also thought I recognized a former co-worker for a second. Three people did recognize me whom I didn't recognize, including one who worked for my company pre-pandemic.

I ended up talking to DJ Wrain Havoc, who had tales of Treffen. Transpo is cheap within Europe, but apparently lodging for Treffen is ungodly expensive because the people who run hotels in Germany aren't fools. Still, she confirms Shiny H's assertion that it's a big kink event. And she's split up with her partner, who's broken the hearts of at least two of my queer girlfriends. All kinds of temptations!

But seriously, all the déjà vu and memory lapses are about making me think I'm too old for this stuff. Not that the Merc will miss me: it was a membership drive, and the line stretched halfway around the block. Local folks, that's from the door of the Merc all the way to Madison. Bully for them!
sistawendy: me in my nurse costume looking weirded out (weirded out)
Long time no post. The most noteworthy thing in my life in the last five days was going out with Funny Lady on Saturday night. I texted her that morning saying I had no plan, and asking for suggestions. She's mad for sushi, as you may recall, and there's a new place called Sakana in her neighborhood.

A good value? I guess. As good as Shiro's, which FL also turned me on to? Definitely not, despite her being sold on it. But I spotted my favorite sake on a shelf above the counter, and Funny Lady ordered a small bottle for us on the spot. She also bought me what, two drinks at the Merc? She said she was just paying me back for all the times, which weren't that numerous, when I footed the bill when she was unemployed. But that was a lot of alcohol, even for a five-hour outing. Yesterday's hangover wasn't very painful, but I didn't catch up on sleep until half an hour ago.

After Funny Lady went home at a reasonable hour, I got to talk to I. We both noticed something about the Merc that night: DJ Hana Solo seemed to be playing a lot of the goth standards, and not playing much that was "stompy", which is I's jam. She's said in the past that she doesn't like doing that. Non-theme Saturday nights haven't been as busy as in years past. I worry about the Merc. My plan before calling FL was to go there twice this month, above my historical average. Now I don't feel so bad about going there three times this month.

And why do I worry about the Merc? By way of illustration, there was another trans woman at the table next to ours. It's the most trans-friendly joint in the city. Looking around at the crowd, we weren't all geezers, but there seemed to be a disproportionate number of us. How to attract the young darklings?
sistawendy: me at a house party cradling a taco like a baby (taco madonna)
I spent all of two hours at the Mercury last night, which was just about right given that I had two vaccinations in me and a date tonight. Highlights:
  • chats with our esteemed DJs [profile] seelenschwester and JQ. A was there, but not J.
  • The latex gang showed up, with Mme. Zoie looking fabulously consistent with the Mad Max theme. Yeah, I know, she's not that queer, but she's super cute and I like her. It also occurred to me, sitting next to her at the old Cool Kids' Table, that her height is close to mine. (It's hard for me to tell because she's usually wearing towering heels when I see her.) This is a huge plus in my opinion. Also: I learned from her that going "gummy" is the way of most if not all latex.
  • Yeah, the latex gang meant that [personal profile] jengalicious's ex showed up, but that meant that Temptress showed up. As ex-girlfriends go, she's pretty great. She's expressed a desire to go to Dore Alley, an (ahem) event in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, the same one that hosts the Folsom Street Fair. I share this desire. No, really, I've wanted to go since Zoie told me about it. Temptress and I have more in common than I thought, If You Know What I Mean. Hey, I'm trying to keep it work-safe here.
SFDs: my latex LBD, Fluevog Monza in silver for A, horseshoe nail necklace.
sistawendy: a cartoon of me in club clothes (dolly)
Donned my purple latex skater dress and headed on down to the Mercury on Friday night. The Seattle Latex Circle showed up, which is always nice. My fave outfit, though, was DJ JQ's panniers made of black zip ties. Some of them were heavy duty and sharpened to points; she was very careful about how she walked, especially around the people wearing expensive but fragile rubber clothes.

Good: Temptress was there in her own latex.
Bad: The dude who made it, [personal profile] theda's ex, was there with her, unsurprisingly enough.
Good: Vienna la Rouge was there in latex...
Bad? ...with them.

The first thing I said to V was how awful that dude has been to his trans son. She said she's aware, and that she's told him in no uncertain terms that she's not down with it. Like most cis queers, she knows plenty of trans adults. Oh by the way: J of A&J fame* expressed similar disapproval, and J is as cishet as they come.

But I did get to talk to Vienna a little! I gave her a very quick summary of my last fourteen years, making sure to tell her about my (ahem) extracurricular activities. After she realized that she's a lesbian, not bi, her first relationship was abusive, which may partly explain her presence in Seattle. You know, as much as I complain about being single, I've never been in anything like the relationship hell that a lot of my friends have experienced. She was noncommittal about going to Folsom this year; given the expense for anyone who isn't a Bay Area resident, I don't blame her.

I spent much of yesterday recovering. No Goth clothing swap in Volunteer Park for me this year, but that's OK as far as my wardrobe goes.



*A&J are just gal pals. Really. I just usually happen to see them together.
sistawendy: me in the Mercury's alley with the wind catching my hair (smoldering windblown Merc alley)
At the last minute, the Purdy Persian lent me her car to go to Pride celebrations in Snohomish, WA, a picturesque little town about an hour's drive from Seattle. I don't see eye to eye with her about everything, but I can't help but be impressed with her generosity. And she looks fabulous in a bright yellow maxi with matching lemon wedge handbag.

And why would I want to go to Snohomish Pride? Mainly because Taller Woman volunteered for it. She's undergoing treatment for cancer for the second time since I met her. I, well, figured it would be a Good Thing To Do. The hell of it is, I didn't tell her I was coming and she left early because the incision sites for her most recent surgery were hurting her. But hey, I was there.

And how was it? Well, it was small, naturally, but it was super mellow. Yes, the churchy types were there, but they weren't nearly as nasty as the ones you see in Seattle and I could count them on one hand. There were lots of kids walking around in their Pride colors. I talked to a lady wearing a dress made of banned book covers, and a trans person who'd come from Monroe.

Monroe, another small nearby town, reminds me: Monroe, Arlington, and now Snohomish have all had their first Pride in the last few years. That alone is cause for hope. The mellowness that I saw makes it even better.

One gripe: the parade was at 10:00 AM. Even if I hadn't been dependent on the grace of the Purdy Persian, I would have been loath to hit the road before 0900 on a Saturday. Seattle's parade officially starts at what, noon?

Would I go there again? Wayell, maybe if Taller Woman invited me again, but honestly, I love the big city Pride vibe. We tried to make plans for the day before Pride in Seattle, but our schedules clashed yet again. Rats.

I went to Substation for a hippie ravey night. The bartender told me they'd gotten rid of a bunch of practice spaces to make room for more performance space. I... don't feel good about that. The music? Not bad; it was the Psy Ops crew. But I bus-and-trained it over to the Mercury to get my social on. I gotta love a chat in the alley with a young woman wearing a pig snout. The symbolism was not lost on me.

Was I hoping to see a certain burlesque dancer? Is the pope Catholic? Did I? No. I shall try again later.
sistawendy: me in C18-inspired makeup looking amused (amused eighteenthcent)
I did all the things yesterday morning – getting my purse repaired, repotting violets, circumflatulation, and the on-call grind – so I rewarded myself with an evening out.

Funny Lady had arranged to meet me at the Wildrose and, characteristically, forgot her ID. Luckily, she doesn't live too far away and got it.

I guested her into the Merc, wherein were R; C, a certain strawberry blonde kinkster of my acquaintance; Temptress; and Autumn from Dark Garden corsets.

I knew Autumn was in town; she comes up here once or twice a year to sell corsets. I wasn't planning on seeing her this trip, though, because every time I do I end up buying something from her. Autumn was looking low key perfect in, of course, one of her corsets; she may well be the most attractive and stylish woman my age whom I know personally. Fun facts: she mentioned in passing having a partner – not a business partner – but not what gender. Both of these facts are surprising as the sunrise.

And speaking of the Devil Girl outfit that Autumn's company made, C said that wearing that outfit and holding a sign telling people to do evil things is too subtle for most of its intended audience to grasp. Le sigh. C would know: she's from rural Missouri.

'Twas the night of the exes: Autumn was there with Shiny H's ex, whose place Autumn has used for fittings, including one of mine. Temptress was there with [personal profile] jengalicious's ex, whom I'd rather never see or speak to ever again if I can help it. Even R is the ex of a friend of mine. And oh yeah, Funny Lady and Temptress are both my exes. It's starting to freak me out a little.

[profile] seelenschwester played my request as her first song of the night. I'm honored!

Stayed out well past the last train home. Lyft it was. Je ne regrette rien.

By the way, I now have nineteen (19) violets in pots. I'm well on my way to becoming a crazy plant lady.

Profile

sistawendy: a head shot of me smiling, taken in front of Canlis for a 2021 KUOW article (Default)
sistawendy

July 2025

S M T W T F S
  123 45
6 7 89101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 9th, 2025 10:03 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios