esrosedotblog

White is the color of virgins.

Not here. This is the White Party Weekend in Palm Springs.

For a night, a weekend, white is the slutty color. Or non color.

I don't even have a link. Do it yourself.

I do not want to be mean but this event is beginning to show its age a bit.

Four days of party is a long time and it takes a champ to endure it.

In Miami, they made over-40 gays to pay a cover charge. Really.

We will not see any of it but we will hear some. The thump thump thump of the disco beat will resonate over the desert far and wide.

It is held in the convention center. It is that big.

I just mention it because it is a big boost to our economy and it is happening and I think it is a good thing. Really.

I had my days. We even tried to go to one once but chickened out. And it was in Miami! I am glad we didn't go. We got to see all the "babes" on South Beach anyway. Getting ready for the prom.

Thump thump thump. Have fun boys.

This is the outside portion in Palm Springs, daylight. Probably only half of the men who got up in time.

Labels: gay life, Party

BIG DAY

I went and spoke at another Meeting this morning. One I do not normally attend.

It was a good thing. A different crowd. Many from recovery houses. Nice. Newcomers.

I don't go around to other Meetings much and this was a nice puff of new air.

I came home and picked John up and we went to a party for one of my sponsees. Ten years clean and sober. Very nice.

Almost all the people there were "related" to me somehow. One of those things where one just walks around and says hello, eats lunch and an hour has gone by.

I have to admit that this was a pretty good party especially for an orthodox introvert.

It helps when people already love you and you don't have to earn it in any way.

If you know what I mean.

They had lots of young men in and out of the pool. Never hard to take. And some older ones as well. Me included. Out of the pool.

It was very hot but the house was perfect size for the gang that was there and going in and out.

There was a disc jockey (working outside, in the shade, but still) and one of those twenty foot long sandwiches. Very nice.

Labels: Party

NO REST FOR THE WEARY

The party last night did me in.

It wasn't very successful for me I am afraid.

The first three people I met, including one of the hosts greeted me with "I didn't think you would come" without John.

Not, "Oh, We didn't expect to see you, how nice that you came."

Then some people needed to go over how the guy we sold to is an asshole and his dogs keep barking and all of that. I offered to buy the house back.

A few, more familiar to me as I dog walked, didn't really know who I was.

I can't say that I blame them. I have never been one to seek to make an indelible social impression. It doesn't help that I always left this particular party after about half an hour.

I also have to admit there were a few people I didn't remember either.

I think we have passed the sell-by date of our Mesa neighborhood relationships. Some also were gone and not likely to reappear in our lives. Moved, not attending these functions themselves or, this year, dead.

I do not blame. I accept the situation.

Then today, an interview which was a really nice one. Again, toward the end of the line (only one more kid Tuesday), I am having "good luck".

This guy was different in a nice way. He is a genuine jock, rare among MIT prospects.

He is also a long time volunteer worker with Mexican victims of the Mexicali earthquake two years ago.

I have had a couple of others. The government did little or nothing for poor people. These kids are doing the job and even after two years are still helping reconstruct.

He also works with deported Mexican workers who had no plans to be picked up one day and sent to Mexicali (people in our part of the desert, this side of the mountains).

One problem is that the people deported are not all Mexican but nationalities from all over Central and South America. They will be serially exported from each country until they get to their own. Very sad.

So he is good kid and has a great personality.

I was sorry when the interview ended. I often am.

Then there are about two hours to write it up. And then other stuff as I am the only Dad on site today and tomorrow morning.

It is 650 and I am done done.

Labels: gay life, MIT, Party

GUESS WHERE I FIT?

I read this blog every day.

Indexed.

I have mentioned it before. Why haven't you gone to read it every day as I do?

Well, some days are a little hard to figure. But most days, wow.

She is a wit, a great social observer and has an uncanny ability to synthesize and get it all into a small graph or diagram.

There was a big party yesterday and I decided not to go a long time before it was to happen. I figured the guilt over not going or the possible reprimand was nothing compared to standing around in the sun watching extroverts have fun.

And you can't go to other introverts to connect because they don't want to either.

So I didn't go and, sure enough, the party boy was disappointed and said so and I felt about three minutes of mild remorse and it was over. I said I was sorry but couldn't come, He asked why I didn't call. What? I just shrugged. Call?

So. Three minutes of discomfort versus the 20 minutes of agony staying there had I gone. No brainer.

Labels: Introvert, Party

PAARRRTEEE

We went to our one holiday party last night.

It is the one we go to every year.

But it is the first time that we are not "neighbors". We moved during the summer so I haven't seen most of these people in about 6 months.

It was OK.

The few folks that I hoped to see were there, mostly. A few not. I could always visit them I suppose.

I have been through this a hundred times here. I do not enjoy parties.

Every since I designated myself as an introvert I have felt OK about this.

It is normal for me to drift off into a corner or sort of fade out in a conversation that I am not interested in. I am happy to talk for a few minutes and then, well, I would rather find a book and browse.

Last night, I did pretty well. I was able to sustain an interest and maintain my energy for about an hour. It used to be 20 minutes. Of course, I had not seen some of these people for awhile. I could vamp longer.

In the old days, when we lived in the neighborhood, I walk home when I was "done". Now we don't live down the street. So I drove.

When John was ready to leave, he called and Booker and I went over to pick him up. It was fun. Booker loves night time drives. Well, any time drives but night is somehow very exciting. Maybe because we rarely do it.

The food this year wasn't very good. A lot of cheese and no vegetables. Everything in dough or fried. Or both.

When I got home I had a few broccolis, a couple of carrots and an apple. Cleansing.

I went to bed an hour late but it is Sunday so I could stay in bed a bit this morning. Late hours. Nine pee emm.

Labels: food, Party

LIFE OF THE PARTY

So I went to the party today and it and I were a success.

It was for 12-2 and I got there at 12:30.

I knew 80% of the people there and what is more, I like all of them.

Mutual friends attract mutual friends, huh?

I went around and talked to everyone that I knew and then I got to meet at least 5 that were new to me.

I didn't ever make small talk and neither did any of them.

I met a nice young man who lived in the South End at the same time we did in a house not two blocks away.

They had the signature event--a cake with candles--at 1 PM.

Perfecto. I even got to be present for the high point.

I talked a little more.

I ate and drank nothing.

And then when there were a few others beginning to leave, I was right with them. In the middle of the huddle.

Less than an hour. A good time. Pleasant memories.

Not one cringe moment in the whole time.

Bingo.

Life of the party. No corners and no lampshades on my head. Right down the middle.

Labels: culture, holidays, life, Party

SOCIAL LYIN'

You know.

"I have a commitment that night".

That kind of lie.

Or, if it is an open house and you don't intend to go but no one will really notice, "Sure, thanks a lot".

I used to be an expert at this sort of thing.

I am a committed lifetime introvert.

I carry a membership card.

We take a pledge.

It involves standing in corners and not indulging in small talk ever. And leaving at the earliest possibility.

And those are the rules for if you have to go in the first place. The real emphasis is on creative fabrication of reasons not to attend.

But then,last year, I foolishly went off the reservation I gave my own party. This is actually OK for an introvert to do because you are sorta in charge and it is in your own house so you know where to hide.

The downside was that I had to start accepting some other invites of people who came to my place.

Don't get me wrong.

The rule of thumb pretty much holds that people who come to your party will not invite you to theirs, if any.

But a few will. The committed extroverts.

As a matter of fact, here they are.

And you know that they are all looking at YOU!

Last year I stumbled through more of other people's parties than I wanted to. I had fun at a couple but not in general.

This year I am rationing the invites out.

I will go to two affairs.

One is today and actually marks another milestone more than it does the holiday. I went to the same place last year. I know the layout and the plan. It is an open house.

Lots of leeway for escape and many many corners. Even some trees to hide behind.

Next Saturday we will go to our neighbor's house—the Dads to Franklin's best friend Bruno—for a prolonged buffet and small talk marathon.

I will go for awhile and then disappear.

I have their house cased out and know all the secret exits.

No one who will be there will be surprised at this, if they notice, nor will John have to explain.

That is what is nice about having a reputation. A repeat of last years' behavior is just more or less accepted. And all the closet introverts enviously give mental applause for an escape well carried out.

Labels: culture, holidays, Party

HEDONISM HEADQUARTERS

One nice thing about living in Palm Springs is that we have a continual parade of party events that keep us in the national eye and also provide some local excitement.

Right now we have the famed Dinah Shore golf event:

Daughters of the Dinah, Unbound

Next week will be the original, notorious (turn down the sound on your computer)

White Party

Well, it is not the original one. It is one of the biggest gay circuit parties and a huge commercial undertaking. The originals were much more 'hand made' affairs.

This weekend the hills are alive with the sound of lesbians.

Next weekend, 'the gays'.

Not that this is so much different than any other time.

We are actually about 40% gay in PS and equally divided I think between men and women. Maybe more men.

It is just that the party gangs are here to party! And party they do.

Turn the sound down indeed.

The home boy homos stay in their homes with the windows closed while all this is going on. At least this boy does.

And they are over a mile away!

Oh.

'The straights' have their events too.

The October Cycle convention is an ear splitting run up and down all the streets (except the no-fly zones) and the town's percentage population of bottle blondes increases ten-fold.

We also know that dick size increases with bike horsepower.

There are also strippers, sex workers, drag queens, nudists and many others who avail themselves of our permissive environment.

We are an equal opportunity convention site.

Labels: civic pride, dick, Party

SHOTS

Today is the last part of the party we held two weeks ago.

Did I tell you about it?

Yes. Go see January 28th.

I turned 70! We had a few people over.

Huge. Including a wonderful east coast kid contingent.

We had pictures taken. Professional.

They are pretty good.

So I went through them and picked out one or two or more for as many people as I could and had them printed.

I ended up with 175 prints!

I will send them out today to the 120 or so who are pictured.

I thought it a nice touch to finish off the whole event.

Labels: me me me, Party, photos

PARTY PIX

We have been having fun with the photos from the birthday party 012807.

The photographer delivered the disc Sunday night and I now have them installed on two computers and a backup disc.

I have sent a few email photos to people who are close.

This is a wallow in good feelings.

Very nice.

I plan, eventually, to get a photo to everyone who came and has a photo in the deck.

I think that he missed only a very few.

I am not going to put them on line and you will not see any of them here.

I like the anonymity in life and I try to preserve it for the people who I interact with when I write or work with the blog.

Actually, I don't think that I have ever put my own photo on here either. And do not intend to.

Franklin has made an appearance here. He craves attention.

The house has appeared from time to time. A car.

But no people.

I can tell you about the photos though.

What fun they are.

Labels: me me me, Party, photography