Summer Travel Blog is Here

Looking for Dawnie Dee’s Travel Blog? It’s over here:
http://dawniedee2.wordpress.com

Get Yer Two Liners Here

Something new on Tuesdays: dedications! Now you can dedicate your two-liner.
This one contains the clue in the lines. Dedicated with love and fond memories to the Pittsford Mendon High School Girl’s Soccer Team of 1977, (Pittsford, NY) of which I was a captain. Let me know if you figure it out.

And if she asks you why, you can tell her that I told you
That Im tired of castles in the air.
Ive got a dream I want the world to share
And castle walls just lead me to despair.

Thankful

Midterms happened, did you miss me? I was Skyping with an old friend in Amsterdam this morning, and she asked me about the political and economic climate here in the U.S. and how I’ve been affected by it. In the Netherlands, she told me, banks are dropping one by one and the panic is being felt on a global scale. All because a bunch of white guys just had to make more money, had to play both ends against the middle.

I told my friend that I was very afraid about what could happen if McCain wins the election, but that for the most part, I’m thankful every single day that I’m not worse off. Even though today is usually for venting, and I encourage you to go ahead, if you’ve got something to post–I’m declaring this Monday “Be Thankful for What You Got” (William DeVaughn) Day. Maybe it will show up in a Two Liner on Tuesday, but Mr. DeVaughn wrote his famous “diamond in the back” song and paid out of pocket to have it recorded–$900 in 1974. It went to number one, sold 2 million copies, and is still played frequently on radio stations today.

I’m so thankful it isn’t much worse, thankful that my motorcycle and my car are both over 15 yrs old and totally paid for. Thankful for the roof over my head. We can all look around, no matter what our lives are like, and ask ourselves how folks worse off than we are can be making it at all. Post some thankful vibes for me, and think of a way to give to someone with much less than you.

8 Minutes and 6 Seconds: Two Liners

OMG. My two liner today is 8 minutes and 6 seconds of fabulous! The soaring vocals, the bittersweet memories, and the look-at-her drag. My two lines today can be reduced to a single glorious word:

Sylvester

Enjoy, and post your two-liners below, I so love deciphering them.
Last week Marcy sent me a terrific one, “Don’t Panic” from Coldplay.

And Then What??

Go ahead, just ask me if I had a great time in Atlanta this weekend. Wow, those folks really know how to roll out the red carpet. I was there with 11 other scholars who had received The Audre Lorde Scholarship. Now, recently, I’ve been noticing something strange–everyone from my taqueria counter guy to the gym rats at Gold’s have asked me about the degree I’m working on. They all have basically the same question, asked in basically the same slightly challenging tone: “And then what? What are you going to do with it?

DO? Do? I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do. Maybe I’m going to teach you some manners, you little…! If a friend says, “I’m having another baby!” I’ve never asked, “And then what? What are you going to do after that? What are you doing with your degree, now? What are you doing for your community? What about your friends? What about your SELF?” They would think me rude.

Interestingly, in Atlanta this weekend, nobody asked the 12 gay and lesbian people of color who were honored what they would do–it’s understood: getting to college, staying in college, paying for it yourself, and finding emotional and financial support is PLENTY for queers of color to do. For a start.

Seriously, here’s what I’m going to do with my degree, first.

I’m going to sit down for an afternoon, with that sheepskin in my hand, and I’m going laugh and I’m going to cry. I’ll laugh at every crappy boss I ever had who got their kicks by putting others down. I’ll cry for my dad and my grandparents who never got degrees, and didn’t live long enough to see me get mine. I’ll laugh because when you’re black and female, no matter how much you achieve, it’ll never be good enough for some. I’ll cry for all my butch ancestors–tears they may not have shed, and I’ll thank them for their courage. I’ll laugh, because, honey, if my own mother couldn’t destroy my self-esteem, the big wide world is never going to manage it.

Mostly, I’ll laugh until my sides ache. I’ll pump my fist in the air, because I am the kind of woman who does what she sets out to do. I’ll call my sister and we’ll cheer. I’ll call Mary Anne Adams at ZAMI and give her the good news. I’ll send one of my book proposals to some publishers. I’ll check on my grad school start date. I’ll get dressed for my graduation party.

Then my wife and I will get on a plane, go to Brazil, rest and celebrate–because nobody does any of this without the love and support of all of your peeps, and along the way you gather more great people, who you never dreamed would become your family.

Together, we’ll eat, and drink, and dance. Later, we’ll all go back out into the world and find more dreams to support. That’s what we’re going to DO. I’m going to just BE– another amazing individual who pushed until their dream was a reality.

Friday Foto

Good Eating in Atlanta, GA

Help me out and post at least one restaurant I ought to try while I’m there this weekend. I like every kind of food there is, but I especially love foods that rep their town, like beignets in New Orleans, or pizza in NYC, or buffalo wings in Buffalo. I don’t know what is classically Atlantean, do you?

Since I’m going to be in the South, in the land of Scarlett O’Hara, I thought I’d share Tim Wise with you–he wrote an amazing piece called “This is Your Nation on White Priviledge” which is on his blog on Red Room, or at www.timwise.org.

Thanks for all your sweet birthday wishes. I gotta scoot.

Happy Birthday to Me! Gimme Two Liners

Dang, I’m old. You know what I love best about now, today? The power. I am so powerful right now, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m that way for good. All the love i have to give is being given, my brain and body are engaged, and the universe keeps on dropping candy into my lap. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’d like to share a two liner and a photo of what I might have continued to be– if I had not learned the Art of Calling My Own Shots. (Tequila, anyone?) My two liner today was written by Prince, and it perfectly describes the deal I made with the little girl in the photo below.

Until the end of time
I’ll be there 4 u
U own my heart and mind
I truly adore u
If God one day struck me blind
Your beauty I’d still see
Love is 2 weak 2 define
Just what u mean 2 me.

Happy birthday, cutie.

I Need Equal Rights, Justice

It was de-lovely, it was de-lightful, it was delicious! On our third anniversary, we celebrated by getting married again at City Hall. Why? Because we CAN. You know that my wife pulled out and put on that wedding dress. Yes she did, girl. So I had to brush down my tux. Long lines, my gays all grinnin’ to beat the band. Champagne flowed at the Beach Chalet later, where we accepted congratulations from young and old.
Sated, mated, No on Eight-ed!
Can’t resist a two liner from Peter Tosh:

I don’t want no peace-
I need equal rights, and justice.
I got to get it. Equal rights, and justice.

My Girl

Whatta Woman!

Damn, That’s Good Eating

In San Francisco, tons of little gems exist, and to prove it, there’s Yelp. Try this one out, and let me know if you came out saying “Damn, that’s some good eatin’!”  Been going there for years, but it bears repetition.

Citrus Club, Haight St.– Singapore noodles– They wok-tossed me right up to Cloud Nine.