Legacy Luncheon Video 2010

Here's a great video that describes perfectly why Miss Ginger feels Legacy Community Health Services is so important to the community- I think Martha Turner says it best in the video when she says "I cannot imagine what it would be like to know that I could not go to a doctor..." Miss Ginger couldn't have said it better herself, Martha, and it's great to know that know matter what happens in our lives, Legacy Community Health Services is there for all of us!

It's Caturday Here as Well!

Since David Dust and Behr Mark have sorta started a "Caturday" theme, Miss Ginger thought this would be a good time to share this little story.

Yasee, Boy Ginger is a bit of a cat whisperer. Not quite as bad as depicted on this obviously gay man's Prius, as Boy G only has 3. But he ALMOST had 4 this week. Almost!

This week, while working in Dallas, Boy G met the sweetest little cat at the Courtyard by Marriott (luxurious, I know!!) When we got home from work Thursday night he came right up to us, meowing and mewing and skinny as could be! Another lady was there and I said "is that your cat?" and she said that it wasn't, but it looked hungry and she was trying to find something to feed it but couldn't. So, Boy G hopped back into the car and head up the expressway to Tom Thumb to pick up a couple of cans of food.

When he first got back, he got a good look at the cat in the headlights and realized that he was a beautiful white color, with tips of tan that made him a beautiful ivory color. Since to this day he's still not sure of the gender of the kitten, he decided "Ivory" would be a perfect name because it could go either way.

When Boy G opened the first can, Ivory came right to him, but seemed to want love and snuggles more than food. He would come right to Boy G's hand, sniff, rub his cheek, circle round, rub on Boy G's shoe, etc... all the flirting a cat does when it wants human attention. As Boy G sat on the curb, Ivory crawled right up into his lap, and even let Boy G hold and carry him! This led Boy G to believe that cat had been abandoned, because a feral born cat would probably not be so friendly.

Ivory was quite a talker, which may be what led to his cruel dismissal. With his sort of seal-point coat and all that vocabulary, Miss G assumes he is part Persian or Siamese, both notorious talkers! He also had clear blue eyes, like a bottle of Windex... another sign of his Asian persuasion!

Anyho, Boy G sat with Ivory until he finally ate, and then petted him a bit more before heading back to his room for the night. He sent several texts trying to find a home for Ivory to no avail. The next day, Ivory was once again skittering around the parking lot of the hotel, and came right up to Boy G as he opened up the second can of food before he headed off to work, and then the airport.

At work, he asked around a bit more to find out if anyone needed an ADORABLE pet, but alas, no takers. Boy G toyed briefly with the idea of trying to bring him to Houston, but there is no way he would ever place an animal in a cargo hold of an airplane, and his mewing from a carrier under the seat would have made Boy G the most unpopular co-passenger in airline history. Keeping the car and driving home with Ivory was quickly dismissed, since Boy G can only drive for about an hour or so without falling asleep. At that rate the drive from Dallas would have taken forever!!!

So, Ivory is left to fend for himself at the Courtyard Marriott on North Central Expressway in Big D. If there are any Dallas GingerSnaps out there who could help find Ivory a good home, I know the GingerNation would be eternally grateful! As Okrah often says: "pay it forward!!!"

Happy Burch Day to You!!

When Miss Ginger awoke this morning, she knew that Boy G would be receiving an award from Legacy Community Health Services at their 8th Annual Luncheon.

What she did NOT know is that he would also receive an award from Mayor Annise Parker declaring today, September 21st, 2010 as George Burch Day in the City of Houston, Texas!!!

That's right!! Boy G has his own day!! September 21st!! Learn it, biotches!

Actually, he was truly touched and honored by the turnout today, and by the love and support shown him by his friends, family, and the entire community!! We ended the day with (several bottles of) prosecco at the Boom Boom Room! A delightful end to a delightful day!!

Today was so special, and ya wanna know the best part? Boy G marched right up to that microphone, swallowed his butterflies, and gave the acceptance speech of his life to almost 400 people!! He only had to fight back one tear, and I don't think anyone even noticed!! It was so easy because it was so heartfelt, and even though he had made notes for himself, he barely needed them!! Here's what he had to say:

"On behalf of Macy’s and all my coworkers, I humbly thank Legacy Community Health Services for this recognition, but more importantly, for the great work they do to keep Houston healthy! The commitment and dedication of my friends at Legacy is inspiring, and the work they do is truly what deserves accolades and awards.

5 years ago, when Macy’s expanded to the nationwide presence we enjoy today, the company made a commitment to give back to the communities we serve, at both a national and local level. Among the focus categories are HIV/AIDS awareness, women’s issue, and education: all hallmarks of the programs Legacy Community Health Services provides to Houston’s neighborhoods. It’s extremely gratifying to represent an employer that is so committed to causes that mean so much to the city, and I’m thrilled that through Macy’s Matching Gifts program, the District Grants program, and the Partners in Time Employee Volunteer program, we are able to directly support Legacy’s goal of “Extraordinary healthcare for Extraordinary people” throughout the community. Macy’s nationwide sponsorship of the United Way and the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign also provide support for Legacy’s local healthcare initiatives. We look forward to October, when our Galleria Hidalgo store will host our first ever in-store event benefitting Legacy Community Health Services.

When I moved to Houston in the mid-80’s, AIDS and HIV infection were in still in crisis mode, and the Montrose Clinic treated many of my friends with dignity, compassion, and respect. Today, advance in medicine allow most people to survive HIV infection, and Legacy Community Health Services follows the legacy of the Montrose Clinic by keeping my friends alive with dignity, compassion, and respect. Truly a legacy worth celebrating!

As HIV infection has been managed and controlled with some success in the Gay community, it has continued to infect Hispanic and African American youth at an alarming rate. I’m proud to be able to help Legacy Community Health Services expand it’s care into the Lyon’s Avenue and Gulfton areas of Houston, not only to treat infection in those areas, but to educate the public and stop the spread, as well.

In closing, I’d like to thank Katy Caldwell and Chree Boydstun, and their staff and coworkers, for the friendship and encouragement that they have shown me these past few years. It’s been an honor to work with individuals who care about people as much as the folks at Legacy, and that’s really a reward of its own!"

Thanks to all of you who have left such sweet messages!!

Isn't this ADORABLE?! New magic Macy's Commercial 2010 (Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, ...)

Time to Ketch Up with Miss Ginger!

Damn, Miss G has been a busy gurl lately, and not in a That Girl, Mary Tyler Moore kind of way! She's been way too busy to blog, so here's a round of random updates, if anybody gives a shit:

1.Chez Ginger has the 5-year blues- everything is breaking! Dishwasher, icemaker, upstairs commode- fritz, fritz, fritz!! What a pain in the ass!!

2. Miss Ginger has the- ahem- 29 year blues. Let's face it, our gurl's not getting any younger, and this whirlwind lifestyle is taking a toll on her! She's tired all the time, her BP is up, and she has no idea where her cholesterol and triglycerides are, but they can't be good. And she hates going to the doctor because the diagnosis and treatment are always the same: you're fat- lose weight. Fuck you!

3. Boy Ginger has the workplace blues. The Ivory Tower Bosses are in their "mingle with the little people" mode and have developed an uncomfortable fascination with Texas. After hosting them here in H-town a couple of weeks ago, he's now being sent of to Dallas to help them get ready for a repeat performance. Grrrrr!

In the good news category:

The luncheon honoring Boy G's work for Legacy Community Health Services is coming this Tuesday. Boy G was planning to take the day off from work and make a party of it, but the Dallas trip and a couple of other responsibilities kinda shitted on that. Kinda sucks, really, because last year we had a hoot of a time drinking martinis and shaking the stress off, but time just won't allow this year. There's a few vacant seats- if any local snaps want to come, Miss G would love to see you!

Then in October, the Krewe has it's annual Fais Do Do dinner. It's a big shindig, and worth a trip to H-town if anyone's in the mood to travel! There's always plenty of libations, put Krewe-made cajun food, music, a silent auction, and an art show and sale.

Then, the weekend after that, Miss G jets off to Oakland, CA, to mingle with FABULOUS GingerSnap Nancy and her little mermaid munchkins! Miss Ginger spending the weekend with children should make for some interesting blogging, at least!

What have all you snaps been up to? Leave a comment- Miss G needs to feel the love!

Galveston, Oh, Galveston!

Almost 2 years to the day after Hurricane Ike tore across Galveston, Miss Ginger and her friends from the Krewe of Olympus spent their annual weekend retreat on the Island. Miss G had never been a real fan of Galveston- she always found it to be a bit seedy, run-down, and low-class. What a difference a little wind can make!

Newspapers and magazines were filled with images like this 2 years ago, so you might wonder

how the small Island has recovered since the storm. Very well, according to Miss G's recent observations! While you may still see the occasional "boat in the wrong place", and the venerable Flagship Hotel has not yet been restored, most of the Island looks like nothing

ever happened!

Most of the City of Galveston was protected by the Seawall, built after the devastating Hurricane of 1900 pretty much decimated the city. Prior to that, Galveston was an international trading city, on par with the likes of New Orleans, but the storm of 1900 wreaked so much havoc that much of the industry that sustained it moved inland. There are still vestiges of Galveston's Bell Epoque glory in the center of the city, along the Strand. The Seawall has become the resort destination

for the beach goers of South Texas, and is lined

with motels, hotels, and resorts of all ratings, from the practical Commodore to the ultra-chic San Luis Resort, Spa, and Conference Center.

Many of the cottages and homes along the streets that lead to Seawall Boulevard serve as vacation homes for fortunate Houstonians, and many also serve as vacation rentals. The Krewe's weekend adventure was centered just off the corner of

25th and Seawall, in a lovely 2-story owned by one of Miss Ginger's neighbors. This was where we ate, drank, cooked, drank, watched videos, drank, and sometimes slept. Did I mention that we also did a lot of drinking?

For a working-class city of only about 57,000 permanent residents, Galveston boasts a remarkable number of gay bars and venues, probably due its tourist trade. And like most small working-class cities, drag punctuates the landscape and defines the trade in each one!

After dinner a few of us, including Mee Maw and Miss Ginger's favorite lawnmowing lesbian, decided to make a little pub crawl. Right next to our beach rental was Robert's Lafitte, said to be the oldest gay bar in the state of Texas since the closing of Mary's here in Houston. It's a small place, kind rough looking from the outside, with plenty of patina on the inside. According the drag queen hosting the show, "there's a pool out back, unless you're from the health department. It's closed on Tuesday's for cleaning, so come on Wednesday if your funny about those things!" Locals tell me that it's filled with chlorine on Tuesday, which reacts with the ammonia in the water and creates a huge cloud that lasts most of the day. Miss Ginger chose to stay away entirely!

There's a drag show every night, and the four queens that entertained us Saturday night did a great job! It's a shame we couldn't stay until Monday, the anniversary of Ike, because the bar never closed when Ike came through, and even though the power was out and there was an inch of water on the floor, those girls did their show by flashlight, and every year since have commemorated the date with a "Flashlight Show" that you just know would be a hoot!

If Robert's Lafitte is the oldest and "roughest" bar in Galveston, Stars Beach Club is probably the newest and nicest. The place is filled with fiber optic pinpoints in the ceiling and the bar, with as state of the art light show and a liquid gel dance floors filled with still more LED's. The dance floor was closed the night we arrived, however, because apparently the establishment has just discovered the floor has a 400 pound weight limit, as proven by that evening's entertainment! The gel is contained in rectangular "bays" under the surface of the floor, and this girl's weight had broken on of the dividers, allowing the gel to squish from bay to bay, rendering the surface unstable. Quelle domage! It sit's right across from the seawall and seems to cater to a mixed crowd of vacationers looking for a casual place to get their groove on!

Since we had missed the show at Stars, we decided to head into town to 3rd Coast, where we caught the end of a show hosted by Texas's Twins of Drag, Kara and Tara Dion. Twin brothers by birth, Kara and Tara have been rocking the South Texas drag scene as long as Miss Ginger can remember, and they are just a skinny and pretty as ever! There was quite a crowd, including several recognizable Houstonians, but after a short while, our little group became over-vodkaed, and it was time to make like a baby and head out!

So Miss Ginger has reconsidered Galveston a weekend destination- it's fun, diverse, and just different enough from home to make it worth the trip! Miss G's not much of a beach person, so the fact that the water is brown and the beach is narrow is not a problem for her! Pick a hotel with a nice pool and a proximity to the party and you'll have a gay ole time!

Great Night in NOLA!

Miss Ginger had a great first night in NOLA, heading straight to the 700 Club after unpacking her bags at the luxurious New Orleans Marriott French Quarter! The place was packed with Decacadent Ducks, and among them was none other than Candy Samples, who made it down to the Big Easy from the Big Apple! She's a hoot and half, and really cute boy, too! Miss Ginger had the chance to meet him and chat him up for a while, and hopefully she'll get to catch at least part of her show on Sunday! Check out her site!

After a few hours of boozing, it was time for "Miss Ginger's Annual First Night Midnight Nosh" at the Clover Grill! I'll tell you, there's nothing like it!!
With a full tummy, Miss G headed to bed.... there's still a lot of weekend ahead of her!