I Can See Clearly Now....

... the Reign is gone! 


But, let me make one thing PERFECTLY clear!  I am still, and ALWAYS will be, Queen Olympus XLI !!!  But, after as spectacular ball last night, Queen G is totally ready to pass the reign on to QOXLII !

As called for by protocol, after the Ball Captain is presented and seated, the show begins as the audience rises to welcome the reigning King and Queen- moi!  


The ball theme this year was "Mythology", chosen by this year's captain, and the reigning King and Queen were presented as the Ice King and Queen from Norse Mythology,  as chosen by last year's captain, the captain who crowned us!  Queen G was thrilled with the choice and had a blast with the concept! Framed by wreaths of glittering snowflakes in a frosty-cool palette, we entered to greet our adoring guests and be toasted by this year's captain!


The presentation came off without a hitch, which is pretty miraculous, since, the week before the ball, Queen Ginger's MRI revealed that she has not 1, but 5 herniated disks in her spine!!  Certainly, carrying all that snow on her back would not have been prudent, so a team of attendants was assembled to handle the issue.  It's good to be a Queen!  And, in a show of gallantry, as not to make his Queen feel singled out, King Tony chose to have his back piece carried as well, to keep the presentation balanced.  Chivalry is not dead in the royal world of make believe!

Queen Ginger looked resplendent, if she does say so herself, in a gown of her own design and creation, made of sequined lace, faux ermine, and enough silver and blue satin to cover a quarter of a football field- seriously!  There are 27 yards of fabric in that outfit, and it turned out EXACTLY like she wanted!  Just goes to show- if you want something done right, sometimes  you just gotta do it yourself!! Her makeup continued the icy theme, with blue lips and a blush of blue on the cheeks.  BTW, they don't make blue blush, so the Queen had to make that herself, as well!

There was a face in the crowd that many of you will recognize!  That's right, biotches- Chloe Dao, or Project Runway fame, was one of the many well-heeled Houstonians who came out that night to share the Mardi Gras madness with Queen Ginger and the Krewe!  

What a time King Tony and I had watching the ball from our seats on the proscenium, as costume after costume parade down the floor solely for our entertainment!  Of course, we shared the fun with a ballroom full of almost 1,000 of our closest, most personal friends!  By the time the show was ending, we realized we could have partied all night, but soon enough if was time to reveal our successors,  King and Queen Olympus XLI, who were presented at the Royalty of the Myans.

It is, of course, bittersweet, to hand over the realm to the new regime, but Queen Ginger was very pleased to bow to her new Queen and one of her dearest friends, who shall jokingly be referred to on these pages as QEXBF!  


So, the new King and Queen will have their hands full running the day to day activities of the realm, and preparing their return to preside over Ball XLIII, while Queen Ginger will bask in her retired glory!!




Good news is, she'll have much more time to keep all of her loyal GingerSnaps posted on what's going on in her FABULOUS world!

The Year has Started!

The new year starts today for the Krewe of Olympus- Texas, Inc, with the election of new officers!  We are truly Mardi Gras TEXAS-style this year, with 3 of our officers living in other cities! In addition to Houston, we now have Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin on the board!  With Skype, email, and Southwest Airlines, who says we all have to be in the same city?!!


Last night, King Tony and Queen Ginger had a whirlwind night, beginning with the Krewe's Campaign party, at Chez Ginger.  The campaign part is where we all get together to booze and schmooze, and the members who have announced their candidacy bring "groceries" to bribe the members for their votes!  It's all in fun, and a great chance for the candidates to share their vision for the upcoming year!




King T and Queen G snuck out early to head over to "Bringin' in the Green", a St. Patrick's day fund raiser for the Montrose Counseling Center.  Once the social hour was over, our royals headed over to the Brazos River Bottom to check out the Mr, Ms, and Miss BRB contest, and wish our dear friend Aurora Briar the best on her step-down.  


Tomorrow, the Krewe hosts it's Appreciation Party to show our love to all in the community who support hour endeavor!  It's always a lot of fun, and our first chance to watch the video recording of the event with our guests!


After that, a day in the office and then in the air again to Baton Rouge!  It's been since December that Boy G hasn't had a business trip, but now the twice-monthly travels begin again!  


With the election of Ball Captain, next year's theme is secured! Now, you KNOW Queen Ginger is not going to spill the beans, especially during her return year!  This year, Queen G and King T will have the entire year to plan and execute the costume and presentation, to create the most extravagant, over-the-top return for the ball over which they will reign!  It also gives you far-flung GingerSnaps a full year to save your pennies and plan your travel- if you ever thought someday you'd want to see one of Miss G's balls  Mardi Gras shindigs, this would be the year to come!  There's room at Chez Ginger- first come, first served!! Ball XLII will be February 11th, 2012, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Hope to see you all there!

It's Good to Be the Queen!!!

One of the best things about being Queen of the Krewe is "call-ups"!!  Yasee, at the end of the Ball, after the King and Queen are revealed, the Krewe has "call-ups", where the newly named King and Queen "call up" representatives from various community organizations to be "recognized" by the new royalty.  The best part of all? They almost always bring PRESENTS!! 

Queen Ginger LOVES presents, so she was SO excited that today finally arrived and she and King Tony got to open the presents that have been piled on her dining room table since the ball!!

The first present revealed was the present Queen Ginger presented to King Tony,  which was a custom-made sash to wear at "state obligations".  Queen G made them by hand, and as you can see in this photo, Prince Jackson found them quite cozy!

As the gifts were presented, Queen Kaylynn, QOXXXVIII assumed the role of Royal Scribe and recorded the gifts and their generous donors so appropriate thank yous can be penned and posted!

There were many, many, lovely and thoughtful gifts from Krewe members and community organizations,  and the Royalty were overwhelmed by the generosity and good wishes from the Krewe and community at large!

Prince Jackson and Princess Shelby were particularly appreciative of the gifts bestowed upon their Daddy and Tante Tonya, and had a great time playing in the discarded wrappings and ribbons!












Once the gifting was complete, we retired to the back garden to enjoy a few more cocktails and discuss our ambitions for the Krewe's upcoming year!!

For those of you out of town Ginger Snaps, mark Feb 11th, 2012 on your Calendars for the presentation of Ball XLII, our 42nd tableau!!  This is the ball presented in honor of Queen G and King T,  so you KNOW the return Royalty presentation will knock you socks off!!  Start saving your pennies NOW so you can make it southward for this momentous occasion!

Congratulations to the Krewe of Bacchus!

What a FABULOUS weekend Queen Ginger and King Tony have had this weekend with the Krewe of Bacchus!!

Friday night, Queen G checked into the fabulous Palm Suite at the Tremont House hotel on Galveston Island, napped a bit, and then met up with King Tony and Captain Bill upon their arrival.  After a quick bite at the hotel,  we headed out to explore the bars in Glaveston, most notably, Robert's Lafitte,  where we knew there was certain to be a drag show of dubious quality!  Never to disapoint, we were treated to the "Miss Lafitte's Sweetheart" pagaent, and, as expected, discovered that, among the 4 contestants, there were probably about only 3 healthy teeth to share!  We're not sure what it is about Galveston Island, but if you are a drag queen of questionable dental health and you don't live here, you might as well start packing... you will end up her eventually!

After an "interesting" night of drag entertainment,  our royal threesome awoke to enjoy breakfast at the hotel,  where they reviewed the latest edit of the ball video with Captain Bill.  After a bit of liesurely shopping on the Strand, we had a yummy lunch,  and then retired to our respective chambers for a pre-ball nap!

The evening began with a cocktail party here in the lobby of the Tremont,  where Our Royal Majesties had their first audience with the new Bacchus Royalty, Queen Bacchus I.  We also got to meet King Bacchus I, as well as Bacchus I, the official representation of Bacchus, in effect, the Krewe's "mascot", for lack of a better term.  All were lovely and cordial, and appreciative of our rather large envoy from the big city to the beachy island!

After a couple of drinks at the bar,  our entourage paraded about 2 blocks down the Strand to the Galveston Railroad Museum,  as stunning preservation project to save an incredibly beautiful Art Deco station, as well as a collection of actual locomotives, cars, and equipment chronicling the golden age of rail travel.  The ball was a beuatiful affair, with a live band, plentiful cocktails, and a delicious buffet catered by Chopin of Galveston!

After supper,  visiting dignitaries were invited to the floor for a rather undignified dance contest,  where Queen G and King Tony won the prize for their respectable minuette!  No bump and grind for this royalty!  If Miss G is gonna represent,  she's gonna REPRESENT!! 

Once the ball was over,  our Royal Entourage headed to Stars Beach Club,  were they were treated to yet another drag show, and more face time with many of the beautiful people who had attended the ball!  It was  FABULOUS evening, and Queen G is suitably exhasuted and ready for a good night's rest!

So the Reign Begins!

Queen Ginger is rested up from a VERY busy and exciting weekend,  and has taken the time to snag a few pics from various facebook albums to let some of you far flung Ginger Snaps see what Mardi Gras is all about!  So, here's a recap of the night:


Unlike a Bal Masque, where guests participate in the costuming- much like a British "Fancy Dress Party- the Krewe of Olympus stages a Bal Tableau for the pleasure of the reigning King and Queen. The "official" purpose of the party is to entertain the royalty, but it pleases them to share this with their subjects, so guests at a Tableau Ball, in formal attire, are seated at the extravagantly decorated tables of their Krewe Member hosts. 


The Olympus Ball, by tradition, begins with the blowing of the Captain's Whistle, signalling the start of the Ball. The Captain's Whistle, by the way, has been passed down from Captain to Captain since 1970, and is a special treasure of the Krewe.  Having survived so many drunken parties, it is as temperamental as some of our members, so now we always keep a spare handy in case it chooses not to blow! After the signing and signing of the National Anthem, the opening chorus takes to the stage to set the theme for the ball.  


This year,  "museum guards", with their obligatory flashlights, were so busy scanning the audience looking for trouble, that they failed to notice a band of notorious "art thieves" trying to abscond with their collection.  Upon trying to take the biggest prize, an enormous pink jewel, they are foiled by it's protective systems, the alarm sounds, and mayhem ensues as the guards try to thwart the theft. Ultimately, however, the guards are tied up by the thieves, just in  time for their leader, the Pink Panther (Captain Bill) to take to the stage to assess the progress of his minions.  

The jewel is freed from it's protections so the Pink Panther can easily grab what his minions were unable to obtain! Once he has the jewel, he quickly leaves the stage as the guards return from their capture, discover the loss, and begin the search for the missing treasure.  Captain Bill returns to the stage as Inspector Clouseau, jewel in hand, and returns it to it's vitrine so the ball can continue!

Once the  Ball Captain is seated in his place of command,  the Reigning Royalty returns to enjoy the show. King Dwane and Queen Randy, as Nicholas and Alexandra, greet the masses, and then take their thrones onstage to enjoy the show.

During the Ball, the reigning Royalty and the Captain are the only Krewe members seated to see the show.  Everyone else is backstage, either preparing their costume for presentation, helping others get in costume, or managing curtain calls, sound cues, and all of the other details it takes to create such a production. Per the Krewe's bylaws, each member is allowed to present one "major costume" in the ball, although they may play "bit parts" to support other presentations, and most participate in the chorus numbers,  as well. Some member choose not to present a major costume, but participate as stage hands, set builders, and seamstresses.  Every person contributes something to make the show a success!

The only Krewe members that present 2 major costumes are yours truly and her consort, the new royalty.  Because our identity is a closely guarded secret that is only revealed to the Krewe members the morning of the ball, the new royalty are required to create "decoy" costumes keep Krewe members from surmising our identity because there is nothing being built in our garages!

King Tony's decoy costume was the Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  

As you know by now, Miss Ginger appeared as Elvis- the fat postage stamp Elvis that appeared in Vegas, not the young movie star Elvis that Miss G could never pull off.


I'm sure the irony is not lost the the Queen went as "the King", and the King appeared as 'The Queen of Country Music"!














After the Elvis presentation,  Miss G had about one hour to transform from "the King" into the Queen of pre-revolutionary France! 


Meanwhile, what visit to a museum would be complete with the requisite field trip children, being corralled by a group of frazzled teachers? 

Being the coastal South, and Mardi Gras, of course our school is Catholic,  and our rainbow nuns had their hands full as they tried to prevent their screaming schoolkids from giggling at the appendages on the various statues!

After the museum visit,  the school children grab their lunchboxes and take to the audience to collect donations for our designated charities!

Meanwhile, it's almost time to reveal King and Queen Olympus XLI to the world!  Just a few more costumes are being presented as we are getting suited up for our reveal to the world!

We first appear in a cloud of fog, with Swarovzki-crystalled masks concealing our faces.

Representing le Chateau de Versailles, we are wearing costumes inspired by the artworks featured on our backpieces.

This painting of Marie in her coronation robes was created by Jacques-Fabien Gautier d'Agoty, who, interestingly enough, was most famous for his morbid paintings of human anatomy!  A glittered representation adorns the backpiece, and the dress was custom made by an Easter European seamtress with hand-stitched details!

By another Krewe tradition, the Royalty select attendants to serve them on stage, as well as to ensure we don't become entangled in those 16 foot trains!!  It is considered to be an honor to attend the new royalty, and I was thrilled to have 2 of my dearest friends in the Krewe onstage with me!

After the reveal,  we proceed down the ball floor to greet the Captain who crowned us, and receive toasts from him in the beautiful jeweled crystal goblets that are his gift to us.

Once the toast is complete,  we return to our positions to receive King and Queen Olympus XL as they step down from the throne and greet the audience for the last time as King and Queen.

When they leave the stage, our reign begins as we receive members of various community organizations, many of whom bring gifts to show their esteem.  They are each presented with a gift from us, as well.  Then entire Krewe then comes to be received in the Grand March, and then in open court we receive members of the community at large.  


Because we get to do whatever we want, and because we had not had an opportunity to rehearse court positioning anyway,  the "ceremony" just sort of deteriorated into a big l party on the ball floor at that point, with lots of hugs, a few tears,  and many well-wishes from the crowd!  It may have seemed like bedlam to Marie, but to Queen Ginger it was exactly the way she wants to receive her subjects-  at a high-sprited party with a cocktail in hand!!


There was a bit of confusion about the scheduling of the after party, but it all turned out fine as King Tony and Queen Ginger arrived at the Hilton Hotel to discover many of their well wishers right there in the lobby bar.  So Queen Ginger,  in hoop-skirt drag with whiteface makeup and a pompadour on her head,  continued to hold court until midnight, at which point a very tired queen retired to her chambers!!


There's lot's more to tell, and lots more to show,  but Queen G suspects you GingerSnaps need a rest from all this Royal talk for a bit!


PS:  How do you like the new blog header?!


Love to all!!!    QOXLI  !

Elvis Has Left the Building!

The ball is over and the cat's out of the bag. The theme this year was museums, and Miss Ginger was inspired by Nutwood Beth's post about the Googie Signage museum in Las Vegas, and this was the result! The sign lit and the star flashed, and everything was controlled by switches in the microphone.  It was a fun costume and the crowd really seemed to like it.  Miss G brought it home intact, so she's going to wire it to a 12 volt transformer and use it as garden art! 




As always, King and Queen Olympus are revealed at the end of the ball.  So here is QOXLI:

That's right, dear Ginger Snaps!  Your own Miss Ginger Grant has been named Queen of the Mardi Gras for the Krewe of Olympus, Texas, Inc!  This is her reveal photo as Marie Antionette!!  More later- the Queen's presence is required at her first state event- brunch in her honor!  More later!!

T Minus 3 and Counting!!

 Miss Ginger can't believe there are only 3 days left until the Coronation of King and Queen Olympus XLI!!   It seems like just yesterday she had "Barcelona" looming large in her living room!

This year's endeavor, believe it or not, is not quite so large!  It is, however, somewhat "technical", so a lot of time and love has gone into it!!  She's also managed to keep it confined to the garage this year... at least the glittery, messy parts.  Indoor work has been held to sewing, stoning, and gluing, so there's not quite the mess she lived with last year!  

Can't wait 'till Sunday morning when she can let you all in on the secret!!

The Mardi Gras Madness Begins!!!

Well,  Christmas is finally over, and the greatest holiday of the year is ahead of us:  Mardi Gras!! This one's going to be particularly crazy for Miss G, as she has barely begun working on her costume!  As you may have seen in the past,  they are usually quite elaborate, and huge! 
But first, there's money to raise to pay for this shindig!  There Krewe's 12th Night Party, our final fundraiser of the year, is coming up January 8th, and it should be a real humdinger!!

Part of the fun that night will be a silent auction, and we're really excited to be able to showcase the art of one of our supporters, Houston's own Kermit Eisenhut! Kermit is an incredible artist and one helluva nice guy!  Miss Ginger has had the pleasure to come to know him through his work with Art League Houston, one of the Krewe's beneficiaries this year! Kermit is integrally involved in the League's Healing Arts program, and has worked with the group to create a couple of art chairs that he has donated for our silent auction!!

We're really excited to be able to offer an item from this noted artist, so you local 'Snaps make sure you come to the event and submit your bids!!  Hell, even if you're not local,  email Miss Ginger your bid and she'll submit it for you!

This is a "red letter" Mardi Gras for Miss G for a several other reasons, a couple of which she will note here!  First,  Miss G will return to the Crescent City to celebrate this glorious holiday, something she has not done for many, many years!!  There is NOTHING like Mardi Gras in the French Quarter, and everybody should see it at least once in their life!!

It's crowded and loud, but everybody is there to party and have a good time, so you hardly even notice it!  And, don't think it's too late to plan a trip to the Big Easy!  Miss G just made her reservations last night, so she knows for a fact there are still plenty of rooms available!  Let her know if you need hotel recommendations- she's stayed in most of them at some point or another!! She'll be at the Omni Royal Orleans this time... she's never stayed there before, but Momma G loved it so it must be nice!! And, it's a GREAT location!!

Another reason this will be a special Mardi Gras is because she will get the chance to meet the one and only, incomparable Amber LeMay!!  Yes, folks, the LeMay sisters are leaving all that snow in Vermont to vacation in the Big Easy for Mardi Gras, and Miss G certainly looks forward to meeting them!! 

Miss G has more to share, but that's for later!  She's got to get to bed, and you folks all have reservations to book!  Orbitz, Expedia, or whatever you have to do, but figure out how you're going to get yourself to NOLA for the big party!!  And, since Mardi Gras is so late this year,  you really don't have to worry about NOLA becoming SNOWLA and ruining your trip!

See ya there!! 

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!

Ketchup...

Okay, quickly, before Miss G passes out from exhaustion, is a chance for you to catch up:

Tomorrow is the underwriter "Booze and Schmooze" that Miss G is hosting to (hopefully) convince folks to underwrite the ball this year. Her plan is to get them drunk the minute they hit the door and convince them to write a check while they still have some control of their motor skills. Wish me luck! While Celia's sister cleaned the house today (long story), Boy G cleaned the yard so Miss G could plant some pretty flowers. They completly skipped spring gardening this year and went straight to summer, selecting heat tolerant plants that won't burn up since it is already swealtering in Texas! Pictures later.

She's also been hard at work trying to get the first fundraiser of the year to come to life, and has finally set a date and a venue. That's a load off of her mind... the venue is the hardest part. After that, it's all smooth sailing!

In other news:

The box didn't work. Color Miss Ginger surprised. What's next? A giant shop vac outfitted with a humongous coffee filter to separate the oil from the water? Meanwhile, tar balls are washing up in Alabama. Believe it or not, Alabama actually just got grosser!

AND:

Mr. Cushing swears the illegal substance wasn't steroids. And Miss Ginger wants to believe him. She's even given him his key back. But, he's going to have to sleep in the guest room until she's sure. She can't be having a 265 lb. hunk of burning love going off on her in a 'roid rage with her busy schedule! She doesn't have time for such drama!

AND FINALLY:

Betty White on SNL! What a hoot! Miss G will be laughing about "Wizard of Ass" for a long, long time!

Updates to the Social Calendar!

Miss Ginger has been a busy beaver getting the social calendar updated all the way out to February, 2011!! She needs a cocktail after all that!! It's a true "homosexual agenda!!" Check it out and print a copy for yourself! It's a veritable compendium of all things Ginger!!

Next on the list: "All Hands On Deck: the Love Boat Sails to Gilligan's Island" presented by Aaron Patterson to benefit the Krewe of Olympus- Texas, Inc.


Aaron is a prospective member of the Krewe and a Mr. Mint Julep, and is a major supporter of Miss Ginger and the community!

And, Miss Ginger gets to play that bitch who copied her name, "Ginger Grant"! Should be a lot of fun!!!

And, as fans of Miss Ginger, you'll be the first to know about this "hot off the presses" event!
Be sure to put a big red circle around Saturday, June 19th, for the Krewe's "Waking up in Vegas" party!! This is not your grandpa's casino night, and it's sure to be lots and lots of "stays in Vegas" fun!

I Am BUSSSYYYYY!

Miss Ginger has been busy preparing the Underwriter mailing for the Krewe! Oye, that took a lot of time to create, print, address, and stamp over 600 letters!! Some of the gang came over last night for a "lick and stick", so off to the post office they go!!

On top of that, work is crazy, the kitties are needy, and we have a Krewe garage sale this weekend, so Miss G needs to get through the closets and garage to get all the "stuff" out that she wants to be rid of!

Not much time left to discover interesting things about which to blog!

EGGShausted!!

Miss Ginger will not be making any of these EGGSquisitely detailed specimens this year... she is FAR too tired!!!

This bitch has been some SERIOUS busy!!


A whole string a visits at work (why can't they just stay in New York and send emails?!), plus the passing of the torch as Miss G takes on Fund Raising for the Krewe! And on top of that, this weekend is Bunnies on the Bayou, Houston's premier outdoor fund raising cocktail party! As a member of "Camp Bunny" Miss G gets her own tent at the party for her and her guests, along with private bartenders and private "facilities" for Miss G and friends to conduct their "delicate business". If you've ever stood in line at a party with your eyeballs floating, you will appreciate this amenity! All you local peeps, come check us out in our tropic paradise! That's all I'm sharing for now!

After that, Miss G's back in the skies for work in NOLA!

What are all of you peeps doing this weekend?