I really wanted to be there, too, and I was totally prepared.
We were tasked with wearing a hat and telling a story about it.
Boy, oh boy, did I have a hat for that!
But I could not get to her house.
Literally.
Road construction on Abercorn Street, the part that lay south of Savannah Mall and led to King George Boulevard and her house, had transformed the three lanes into a parking lot. After forty-five minutes on the road, and going only 100 feet, I maneuvered over to the ramp for Veteran's Parkway and escaped.
Not wanting to give up on the party, I drove down to 516, took 16-West all the way out to I-95 South, then took the exit to 204. You know, the other end of Abercorn Street. I had hoped to be able to reach King George from the opposite direction, right? No such luck. I hit another "parking lot" just past the exit for 17.
By that time, the party would have been at least two hours into it before I might even hope to be there.
Shiite.
So, I did what other drivers were doing: took advantage of the cut-through - and the lack of traffic on the other side of 204 - to turn back around. This time, I got onto 17 and came on back into town, straight to home.
I still want to share my story about the hat.
I'll just have to remember to link this to Dawn.
Here goes!
My honorary "little sister" lives in San Diego. She once attended Armstrong State College with me and we were both active with the Armstrong Masquers.
Now, she and her wife and their three adopted children -who are all natural siblings- live in a very nice gay-borhood in Chula Vista. I love visiting them!
In the summer of 2009, I was there to help celebrate the younger girl's 4th birthday. Hooray!
My visit also coincided with the huge San Diego Pride Parade. They would be marching with their school, the San Diego Cooperative Charter School. Would I care to join them?
Of course! I am so proud of Sue and her family!
The theme that year was "Activism for Equality".
It was quite timely, as California's Proposition 8 had just banned same-sex marriage once more. Same-sex weddings had blossomed in the short half-year that they were legal, but now those very unions were in jeopardy of annulment. Pride's goal was to bring attention to the right to marry by choice, not by gender.
You bet I was on board with that concept.
After all, Sue and Cyndi had to go all the way to Canada to legally wed. How ridiculous! It's one thing to go to Canada to be wed because it was a lifelong dream to do so in that country. It's quite another to have to go to Canada because your birth nation would not otherwise allow the wedding to be legitimate.
But I digress.
There we all were waiting for the real parade to begin, waiting for our time to march, waiting. Thank goodness everyone was in a great frame of mind and enjoying the show all around us!
nieces and nephew!
That's Riley, the baby girl,
in front of me.
To my left (your right) is her
older sister Dylan.
Cooper, my little man,
is wearing his ball cap backwards,
just like Mama Sue does.
(smile)
very popular!
The kids loved hanging
around it!
And who doesn't like seeing
an Angel?
Especially one as
drop-dead gorgeous
as this sweet young thang!
My, oh my!
out of this one!
The "Rocky Horror
Picture Show" float,
complete with dancing -
and singing -
and scantily clad characters!
Hooray!
Sweet lookin' bunch,
aren't they?
Actually, they had a
great sense of humor
and loved posing for pics!
for Parade Entry 134
to join the Parade route.
134?! Hey, that's us!!!
And see the redhead on the scooter on the right?
That's Cyndi, Sue's wife
and Mom to the kids.
Tally ho, y'all!
Nice hat, right?
Oh, wait, I didn't tell you how I came to have it, did I?
(smile)
Cyndi had bought some fun parade stuff for the kids from one of the street vendors. While they were shopping, the guy noticed how much I liked the dragon-tail hats... and he just gave one to me.
Just for me being me!
Right place, right time!
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