A Tearful Goodbye to DD and NYC!

After another FABULOUS day in the Big Apple Miss Ginger left dear DD on the corner of 44th and 8th with a mist in her eye as she bid goodbye to her dear sister and the city that never sleeps!

It was a great day overall! Miss G started the day with brekkie at the hotel, then a walk to the mothership to check things out.

After everything passed inspection, she headed up 6th avenue to Bryant Park to make sure progress on the tent erection was progressing as planned. (She loves her a good tent erection!) Since those plans seemed to be firming up nicely, she decided to check out the sistership, Bloomingdale's, so she headed up 5th Avenue. On the way, she realized her brown plaid shorts were riding way too low since she has gotten too damn skinny, so she stopped into the Banana Republic near Rockefeller Center to buy a belt, and enjoyed her second celebrity (?) sighting of the trip!

Who should be browsing for a new pair of chinos but Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President of Programming for the Food Network. Apparently, it's a pretty good gig, since he clearly doesn'twork on Monday afternoons, since he was out shopping in chino shorts and a t-shirt. He's such a cute little thing! Here's his high school yearbook picture!

After a quick spin through Bloomingdale's, Miss G navigated 3 subway changes to get herself to the Village, where she stopped by the Garage for still more delicious and well priced beverages! She decided to make a shopping tour of the village and found a great sale at Jack Spade where she picked up a beautiful leather bag for Boy G to carry his "stuff" to work!

After all that shopping, she twisted Mamie's arm to allow her to buy a birthday dinner for her dear, dear sister! We decided upon Centro Vinoteca, which happens to be the current "haunt" of Top Chef skank Leah Cohen, famous for schtupping Hose A Ya, the winner, all season long! We wanted SO BADLY to hate it, being the evil bitches that we are, but both had to admit the the food was delicious, the atmosphere delightful, and the service really top-notch! We also wanted to link to their website, but apparently Leah hasn't paid the bill, so instead I'll link to this review site, which makes it sound way more lesbonic than we found it to be!

After our delightful dinner, we ambled up 8th Avenue to the High Line, a park that has been created out of an abandonded elevated train track! What a beautiful and ingenious space!! It was a gorgeous night for such a jaunt, and many of the cities most lovely people were enoying the space as well!

We continued our wanderings through Chelsea, and before we knew it, we were approaching Midtown! The weather was so cool and comfortable, we decided to forego taxis and subways and walked the rest of the way to Time's Square, where we said our goodbye for this trip!

Miss G is SOOOOO happy to have a connection to New York, because she truly loves this city and really appreciates the chance to come and visit! She has every intention of returning in October for DDBW II !!!!

Snax in the City!

What a beautiful day we had in NYC today! After our dreary, rainy day yesterday and a derailed PATH trip to Arby's in New Jersey, Miss Ginger was thrilled to see the beautiful sun shining on Manhattan today!

We had kind of a long night at the Urges last night, so it took Mamie and Maddie a little while to get themselves moving this am! Miss G had a little brekkie at the hotel, and then well all met up in the early afternoon and took the train to Chinatown.

Maddie had her a hankering for a "borbequed pork bun" that she discovered the last time she was here, so we headed to this most excellent dumpling house, called, aptly, the Excellent Dumpling House. Nothing like just the right combination of grease, dough, and salt to pull a gurl through a wicked hangover! Poor Maddie and Mamie were hurtin'!

Then it was off to Pearl River Trading for some serious tchochke shopping! Miss Ginger has never seen so fuckin' many teapots in one place in her entire life! She did find herself a lovely black dress and she even bought Boy G a cotton kimono that won't be too hot to wear like a terry bathrobe is!

Next we strolled through Little Italy, snacking on gellatto and shopping the papis! All that walking made Maddie hungry again, so we stopped at another little dumpling house for some pork buns to go, and made our way through the village to Garage, where we knew us gurls could take a load of for a few minutes and refresh before continuing our journey!

It was just outside of the restaurant that Miss G had her "celebrity" sighting for the week, and she uses that term VERY loosely! Waiting to cross the street, with a gaggle of poseurs pretending to be his friends, was Merlin, from "The Fashion No"! He was dress in a pink polo and jeans, but that donkey -faced smile was a dead give away. Then, when he put his hands on his hips and stuck his little belly out like he always did on the show, we knew it was him! I couldn't get a clear shot to snap a pic, so you'll have to trust me on this one!

After a couple of cock-a-tails and snackies at Garage, we took the subway back to Times Square, where I bid Maddie and sad goodbye, and headed back to the hotel for a quiet evening and an early turn in!

Tomorrow.... shopping!

HBD Nutwood Beth!

Another GingerSnap is having a birthday! Damn, you people are getting OLD!!!
Anyway, Nutwood Beth is celebrating her 29th with her handsome husband Bucko in Indiana, while several of us GingerSnaps are her in NYC raising glasses in her honor (thanks for giving us an excuse!)
Birthdays always makes me hungry for cake! I just love a bit of cake! I do, I just love it! Cake!

Is it just me....

or do this season's Top Chef contestants seem extra skanky? Miss Ginger is changing the name from "Top Chef- Las Vegas" to "Top Chef- Extra Skanky!"

I mean, c'mon- chest tattoos, leg tattoos, guyabara shirts, and black pantyhose with open-toed shoes! Just looking at them make me want to vomit- I can't imagine eating anything they'd cooked!

I can only IMAGINE what Maggie would think:

More from Little Britain!

Bubbles De Viere is a woman after my own heart!

Sometimes Life is Pretty Cool!

Boy Ginger has a pretty good gig right now- he has a Monday-Friday schedule, comfortable business travel, and a role where he feels like he makes a difference almost every day! (And he gets a discount on Miss G's FABULOUS wardrobe!) And he works for a reputable, progressive company that does some really cool things for the communities it serves. In our largest markets we sponsor parades, fashion shows, and family events that help us earn our customer's loyalty and respect.

This season, Macy's is kicking off a national campaign of which Miss Ginger is really proud to be a part! They are inviting the people of America to "Come + Together" and donate money to feed our nations' underpriviledged. The concept is quite clever, actually. Just throw a dinner party, but instead of a hostess gift, ask your guests to bring a donation for Feeding America, our nation's leading hunger relief charity. Macy's special "Come + Together" website offers party planning tools, menu suggestions, and even an online invitation builder to help you get started! After your party is complete, you can take the donations to your local Macy's store, and Macy's will process and MATCH your guests donations, dollar for dollar! How cool is that?! Together with their customers, Macy's will provide 10,000,000 meals for America's food banks!

We all eat every night, and pretty much take it for granted! How about participating in "Come + Together" and helping so many people who can't take a daily meal for granted?!!! You won't forget to do it, because Macy's most famous stars will be featured on our nationwide television commercials during your favorite shows, just to remind you! Miss Ginger is all about helping others, so she's going to be watching her mailbox for those invites! You'll all get yours after she's been through the party planner and decided on her theme!

Happy Birfday, Dear DD!!

A VERY Happy Birthday to my dear, dear David Dust from Miss Ginger and the kitties! I hope you have a special day today, and can't wait to be there this weekend to help make sure you get a proper, papi-filled celebration!









I checked with Marjorie from FatFighters and she ensured me that birfday cake and bacardi limon are both low in fat, just like dust! So you can have as much as you like!

Season One Finale- "Little Britain!"

Still more "Little Britain!"

More "Little Britain!"

Here's 1/3 of an episode of "Little Britain". I hope you think it's as funny as I did!

Miss Ginger Salutes "Little Britain!"

Miss Ginger LOVES her some "Little Britain!" Matt Lucas and David Walliams star in this HILARIOUS sketch comedy show that explores the diverse people of a very homogeneous nation. And it's made even funnier because they do it all in BRITISH ACCENTS!!!

It's kind of a cross between Laugh In, SNL, and Tracy Ulmann..... with BRITISH ACCENTS! This clip, featuring Marjorie, the leader of Fat Fighters, hits home with Miss G as she struggles to reduce her ginormous frame!

Oh, PS. Miss Ginger would LOVE to make David Walliams her next husband!

The Gingers Take Separate Vacations!

That's right, folks! Boy Ginger is going to NYC this weekend to visit his beloved DD and the Mistress Maddie! 5 days and 4 nights at Manhattan's FABULOUS Sofitel are just what the boy needs to unwind and relax! Then, he'll dash home, work for 2 days, and transform into the jet-setting Miss Ginger for her trip to NOLA for Southern Decadence!

Usually, the Boy goes to SD and Miss G stays home, but this year she's been invited to participate in a command performance of a sister act that she just couldn't pass up! Plus, she can't wait to meet Northwest Dan!

We promise pics from both trips!!

Weekend catchup...

Boy Ginger had to work this past Saturday... he hasn't had to work weekend in a long time, and thankfully won't have to again for awhile! It was "Texas Tax Holiday", meaning retailers don't have to collect sales tax on clothing purchases under $100. Now, at America's Favorite Department Store, we often have sale and clearance events where we discount prices by 25%, 50%, up to 75% or more. But it always surprises me how people seem to come out of the woodwork to save 8.25%!!! And it's an ugly crowd, with lots of snotnosed kids running amuck. Ick!

Boy G decided to make the most of the situation and decided to give himself a project to keep himself busy and make the time go by faster. So, he decided to "shake down" the shoes stockrooms in his 2 largest stores. This would give him the opportunity to discover the nitty-gritty condition of the operations AND shop for bargain shoes for Miss Ginger at the same time! And so you know he found not one single pair for that picky bitch?! It doesn't help that she has gargantuan size 11 feet! He's so glad that project is over!

Then last night Miss G's "Little Britain" DVD's arrived!! Miss G LOVES her some Little Britain! The DVD player wasn't hooked up correctly, so Boy G spent hours reworking the AV setup, but now the wires are labeled, and stapled, and all is good in the world! Miss G stayed up till 3am giggling at that show and lusting after the cute one, David Walliams! He may be the cutest thing to come out of Britain since, well..... surely Great Britain has been responsible for SOMETHING cute I could use to finish this similie, but I think I need a little help here!

Anyho, today should prove to be a busy day as well! My yoga teacher, the Darlie Lama, is coming by to bring me some kefir grains. (More on kefir later!) And then, a group of us going to NOLA for Southern Decadance are meeting to discuss our group costume and drink vodka. More on that costume as well.

And I only have 4 days of work this week, then I leave for NYC to visit my darling sister DD!! I hope he takes me sightseeing like he did last time I was in NYC!!

I've given you plenty of links to keep you busy for a while! What were all you 'snaps up to this weekend?!

Just a TINY bit bitter...

that as soon as we got an adorable #55, someone dropped off! I know, I know... no one's counting... 'cept me! Stings a bit.... 'ya know!

Help Elect Miss Ginger Grant!

No, she isn't going all political on your asses! It's not that sort of election, although I'm sure Miss Ginger could shake some things up a bit if she ran for office...

No, Miss Ginger is just hoping you'll vote for her as OutSmart Magazine's "Houston's Gayest and Greatest Drag Performer". Or "Houston's Gayest and Greatest Fund Raiser". Or "Houston's Gayest and Greatest Community Activist". Hell, she doesn't care if you write her in as "Houston's Gayest and Greatest Cocktail Whore!" She just wants to win!!
There's lots of other categories, if you feel like voting them all! And for you far-flung GingerSnaps out there who don't know much about H-town, just click on the graphic (or here) and vote for "Miss Ginger Grant" wherever it seems appropriate! And while you're at it, throw in "Legacy Community Health Services" for all the health and welfare stuff, "Krewe of Olympus- Texas, Inc." for the community organizations, and "Macy's" for all the places to shop!
IT'S WORTH YOUR TIME, 'cause there's a contest at the end! One lucky voter will win round trip airfare for 2 from Orbitz! So vote all those random email addresses you created to get all that free porn, and let's get us a winner!

Trash Disco!

Trash Disco was lots of fun and we raised lotsa money for the Krewe! Once again, Miss G was so busy being a social butterfly that she didn't get very many (any?) photos taken! So, once again, she has relied on the kindness of the handsome Mr. Hlavinka and swiped his promptly posted photos from facebook!

Here's a snap of Miss G with Mr. H himself, in the gold. Not at all a flattering image of Miss G, but doesn't Mr. H look as handsome as evah!?

Here's Miss G with a blogger you all know as Str8upwithatwist. Very rugged, no?

Miss G was hoping to run in to her new friend, Kitty Cash at Trash Disco, but instead she found this handsome boy who had taken his crazy Aunt Vera out for some afternoon cocktails!

Here's Auntie Tonya having a glamour moment in the loo. Does she look familiar to you?

And, finally, here's Miss G with a handsome muscle daddy that she doesn't yet know, but would certainly like to! Maybe he'll become our newest Ginger Snap! A girl can dream!

Just One More Reason....

...I'm so devoted to the memory of my dearly departed Momma Ginger, who taught me always to put my toys away when I finished playing with them!

Loaded Question???

Someone please explain the healthcare debate to me!? I'm blonde and conflicted!

Tire Pressure!

Oye, this tire thing has gotten way out of hand!!!


Ya see, even though she is Swedish, Veronique was born with Italian tires. (The Swedes are not known for their tires, ya know!) Expensive Italian tires. Expensive, rare, Italian tires.



Only one tire company in Houston even carries them. And they had to order it. And it finally came in today. And Boy Ginger actually got home from work early, so Miss G sent him out in Veronique to get the tire put on.



After paying (through the ass) for it, the car went on the rack... briefly. Then the guy comes back in from the garage and says the words you don't want to hear: "It needs a new wheel!"
Sure enough, he showed me where there is a big crack and a bend, caused by one of Houston's infamous crater-sized potholes!

The new wheel, of course, has to be ordered, too. So for yet another night, Miss Veronique cowers in the garage, missing her Manolo Blahnik and wearing instead an ugly black and yellow walking cast!

A New 'Snap Among Us!

Seems like it's been years since we had a newbie around here! Welcome Kyler to the hot tranny mess we call TFBOMGG!

And check him out, everybody:

he's a cutie!

His blog is called Out Left. Hmmm, wonder what it's all about?!

Not that anyone's counting, but that makes 55 GingerSnaps in this crazy box of cookies!

To Hell With the Package....

.....show us the guys who made the cake! I mean, beautiful fruits who know how to make a cake out of wine! I gotta meet these guys!

Better yet, show us THEIR package!

I Love This!

I hope you do to!

FABULOUS Funnies!

Flawless and Fearless!

Miss Ginger never really thought of herself as "fearless" person, but recently Bob and Edder put a meme on their blogs listing their fears, and it made Miss G realize that she doesn't have a lot! Really, there are just 2. Snakes, for sure. Growing up in South Lousiana, most of the snakes you are apt to come across are deady, so Miss G has always had a healthy fear of them. And as I've grown older, and have lost my mom, I have developed a healthy fear of strokes. I'm not scared for a stroke to kill me- I'm not afraid of death. I'm just afraid of being left without my occupational abilities, unable to take care of myself. That would suck, and it's been my primary motivation for losing weight.
Other than that, I don't have a lot of other common fears:
1. Bugs. We have roaches in Texas that have to pay taxes. They gross me out but I'm not scared of them.
2. Heights. As long as I'm on a stable surface, they don't bother me.
3. Vomit. Again, grossed out, but not scared.
4. Public speaking. Give me the microphone and get outta my way!
5. Hurricanes. Healthy respect, yes. But I survived Ike and it was pretty bad.
6. Losing friends and relatives. SO MANY people who were important to me are already gone. I can and will survive!

I thought this was a really thought provoking meme! What are your fears?

Joan Was a RIOT!

OMG! I have not laughed so hard in AGES! Joan's opening act was this guy who was kind of lame, but Joan TOTALLY made up for it with her unique, irreverant form of comedy! Her "schtick" was that she would start the show as soon as she got rid of all the people she didn't like! The LESBIANS: "They don't laugh!" The CHILDREN: "They piss me off!" The OLD PEOPLE: "They can't hear!" The ASIANS: "They don't understand!" It's much funnier when Joan says it, but you get the drift: by the time she was "done", all that was left was an audience full of gay men! Of course, they hooped and hollered! She has incredible energy and enthusiasm, and a true appreciation for her fans! What a great night of entertainment!

Can We Talk?

Tonight Miss G is off to the Hobby Center for Performing Arts to see the FABULOUS Miss Joan Rivers! I have always thought she is totally hilarious! She is glamourous, funny, and she loves the gays!

It's actually a double whammy of the funny ladies tonight in H-town. Across the street from Hobby at the Aerial Theatre, Lisa Lampanelli will crack up all the gay boys that didn't make it to see Joan! There'll be a few more laugh lines on all of our faces tomorrow!

20,000 Hits!

Wow!! The ole' hit counter just hit 20,000!!!! That's a lot of hits!
Thanks and love to all my loyal readers out there! I love each and every one of you!

Miss Ginger Goes Flat!

No, she didn't forget her fake boobs again! (That was an embarrasing night!) And thank goodness it wasn't Miss Ginger, it was Boy Ginger. But then again, what's the diff, really?

Anyho, after work yesterday Boy G drove out to the Volvo dealership to get a part for the passenger side mirror that got mysteriously broken. At first she was trying to be kind and not blame it on the valet, but after buying one part, and discovering that the more expensive part behind that is also missing, the auto parts guy speculated that the valet stole the part to sell to someone he knew who needed it, and Miss G had to concur. After ordering the part (not in stock.... GRRRRRR) Boy G hopped backed into Veronique to drive home. Cruising down the freeway, literally a mile or so from the house, Boy G smelled burning rubber. He couldn't determine the source at first, but at the ride started to get bumpier, he realized he was losing a tire. BIG GRRRRRRRRR! Luckily, he made it safely across 4 lanes of traffic to the nice, wide shoulder. So, in his suit and tie, Boy G proceeded to put on the spare like the butchest thing you've ever seen. The original tire is in shreds- practically falling off the wheel. Luckily, Veronique's jack and spare are easy to access and easy to use, so Boy G was back on the road in no time.

Also as luck should have it, Miss G had enough sense when she bought the car to purchase the tire and wheel insurance. Those Italian performance tires are expensive, and Miss G is notoriously hard on wheels! Miss G is also discovering that Italian tires are hard to find, and it looks like she will be having to order one. Leave it to the Italians to create a product that costs a fortune, looks and performs beautifully, and lasts about 15 minutes! Whatcha gonna do?!

At least it didn't happen when Miss G was in heels and hair!

Photos Posted

For those of you who have inquired, I've posted some of my vacation photos on facebook. You can check them out here. I'm still working on videos!

Miss Ginger reenters her "Salad Days!"

No, unfortunately she did not discover some European elixer to restore her exhuberant youth! She did, however, rediscover her love for adult beverages and argentenian beef! (There seemed to be a "grille argentine" on every corner in Amsterdam!) So Miss G's love of booze and beef put back on a few of the pounds she worked so hard to lose!
Hence the salad days. She's made a big bowl of fat free cole slaw, and has refilled the crispers with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and all the fruits of summer!
A minor setback, not a total derailment!

Home at Last!

Miss G is finally home from her travels, and glad to be back with the kitties again! She loves to travel, but it always feels good to get home! Especially that first shower, when you can wash the "airplane crud" off of you!
Miss G got up at 5am in Amsterdam. It's now 8pm in Houston. If Miss G is counting her fingers correctly, that means she's been up for 21 hours, with only a couple of minor catnaps on the plane! She's going to bed- but here's a little treat for you.

Miss Ginger Rates the Airports- 2009 Edition!

Everyone in Europe warned Miss G about Schipol Airport in Amsterdam- "leave early", they would all say. "The traffic into the airport is terrible". "You have miles to get to your gates." "The lines are atrocious!"
Uh, no. Schipol is the most convenient, well-designed aiport Miss G has ever seen, and it was quite easy to find her way around. We walked a couple of blocks from our hotel to the central train station, where we discovered that, due to an accident, the express train to Schipol was cancelled. But the "local" train only makes 2 other stops, so we got to Schipol in pretty much the same time anyway. Upon arrival, we were just a few steps from our respective check-in counters, and at my Continental counter there were 4 attedants waiting to greet me- no line at all! After check in, I breezed through passport control and quickly located the KLM Skyteam lounge that the girl at the counter directed me to.
I gotta say, this place makes the Continental lounge at Newark or IAH look like snowcone stand at the state fair! The place is HUGE- 5 times bigger than Continental's biggest lounges, and it's brand new and spotlessely clean! There's a breakfast buffet, self-serve cappuccino machines, and the liqour service is open bar- pour it yourself! As strong as you want! Miss G is has decided not to partake at this early hour, but it's kinda cool to know that she could if she wanted to! Miss G has about 30 minutes until boarding time, so she'd better get herself to the gate! More from Newark- maybe I'll have more pics or some video ready by then!

Miss Ginger Bids Amsterdam a FABULOUS Farewell!

After a bit of travel consternation this morning, Miss G got her issues resolved and is ready to end her lovely vacation in Holland. As she went to check in for her homeward flights, she realized her stupid travel agent, Boy G, had booked WAAAAY too tight of a connection in Dublin for her to get home tomorrow. A 45 minute connection in an international airport is not gonna cut it. Trouble is, the flight to Dublin can't be changed. Aer Lingus is already oversold. And the European offices for Continental are closed on Sunday. Quelle dommage! Luckily, being the clever international traveller that she is, Miss G had brought along her internationally enabled cell phone for just such an emergency! She dialed back to the One Pass operators in the states and rebooked herself directly from Amsterdam, cutting Dublin out of the return altogether. Yes, she had to grab her ankles and pull out her credit card, but at least she won't have to stay in some Dublin Airport Marriott because she missed her transatlantic connection. C'est la vie!
Miss Ginger sadly says goodbye at the end of a FABULOUS few days in Amsterdam! She's actually been here once before, but got to see much more of the city this time and really developed a much better respect and appreciation for it! We started the day with breakfast near the edge of the famed "Red Light District", which really is not as seedy and gross as one might expect. Miss G also learned that the "XXX" that is Amsterdam's claim to fame is just sort of a strange coincidence- the early settlers used "XXX" to mark the harbor for boats and fisherman trying to find their way back, and it was adopted into the city's coat of arms long before the invention of film and the "porn" industry.

After breakfast we headed to the open flower market and oohed and ahhed over the tulips, orchids, and bonsais in all of the shops!

While we were browsing, we heard drums from the next block, and discovered an informal "parade" of latin dancers and drummers in the street. Low and behold, it turned out to be a block with several of the bars we had yet to visit, so we decided to stop in at "Soho" since Miss G was in need for a bloody!

After several. MeeMaw remined us we promised we would have lunch at "Burger Bar" so she could have a Kobe Beef hamburger. Damn, they were good!
After Burger Bar, we stopped back by the hotel for a package drop off, and then stopped by "Prik" for 5 euro cocktails. We sampled several from the menu, and met a cool guy from Boston who now lives in the Netherlands. He wanted all the scoop on American politics- he truly has become totally European! Why are they SO fascinated by our political system?!

After Prik. we wandered back to Soho (it was a long way!) and stopped into another club called "Arc" that was so ultraloungey it was too cool even for Miss G. It's been YEARS since someone charged Miss G to pee, and the music was that cheesy, monotonous, no-lyrics, ultraloungey dance shit that just drives Miss G apeshit, so we downed our overpriced beverages and headed 2 doors down, back to Soho. There was a better crowd there, but the real crowd was another couple of doors down at a place called "April". We couldn't figure out why the crowd was so huge outside of a bar 2 doors down from Soho, yet completey separate and distinct from the people outside of Soho. In New Orleans, our closest frame of reference, the crowd would have just sort of blended together, but not here!

After Soho we realized we have an early day of travel tomorrow, so we headed back to the hotel. Miss G discovered this fascinating store! Unfortunately, it was Sunday night, so the store was closed, but you can bet next time Miss G is in Amsterdam (and there will definitely be a next time) she will visit "Sissy-boy Homeland!"


Time to pack! See ya back in the States! Love to all!