Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Photo Wednesday Absolutely perfect.....   10:27:49 PM    comment []

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Home again The only bad thing about a holiday is going back to the grind afterwards (sigh). Sailor Boi and I spent Thanksgiving weekend at Sawmill (our local gay campground/resort) for their vendor weekend. It was a great time to mix business with pleasure, and the weather was gorgeous. It was fun talking and partying with everyone, and we met lots of wonderful people and several other great LGBT vendors. This was the first time that 2Grrlz has done anything other than online business. I wasn’t sure about all the preparing, packing, setting up, and then physically sitting around in a booth, but we had fun....so much so, that we are planning on doing it again for Sawmill’s women’s weekend in March. The only hitch came when we were setting up and I realized that I had forgotten the tablecloths in Sailor Boi’s washing machine–3 hours away from where we were. However, being the inventive lesbians that we are, we saved the day by using the sheets off our bed for the tablecloths!! With the table runners on them, you couldn’t even tell. We also set up one of the large purple tinsel trees with all the ornaments on it. It was a hit....so much so, that I even sold the demo model tree that we brought. I have just a couple of trees left here in the warehouse, so I’m putting them on sale this week. If you are looking for a different tree, this one is gorgeous–and very purple! Besides the branches and lights, the cords on the lights are also purple, so they completely disappear on the tree. Today I am fighting off a cold (or something)....I have a scratchy throat and a bad case of the dizzies....I know I didn’t get enough sleep this weekend. It was so hard, when the place is rocking until way after 2:00am. I guess I need to learn how to sleep in....even when we were up very late, I’d pop awake at 6:00 just like I do when it’s a work day. Very annoying! At the show I also sold out of several of the new items that I brought to see the reaction people had to them. They were such a hit, that I am going to have to work extra hard to get them photographed and up this weekend! I did get two new bracelets up right before I left for the weekend. Check these out...a stainless engraveable (or not) bracelet and a cool techno-modern stainless bracelet with encased springs: I’m off to have some chicken soup and then crawl into a warm bed.....gotta fight off whatever is trying to get a hold of me! 7:37:04 PM    comment []

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Photo Wednesday One for the horse riders (and those who love them!) 10:08:39 PM    comment []

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The End of Fall Tonight is my first fireplace night of the season. Not that this is the first cold night. I have the belief (probably wrongly) that if I shiver through the first couple cold snaps that I become more ‘winter-hardened’ and therefore need to spend less on heat. Our first cold snap was the week of Halloween and we had another one last week. But tonight it will dip down into the low 40s. And basically, I’m indignant......where did our fall go? We had less than a month of fall weather and now we’re into winter. It’s not fair! (If you can’t tell, I really hate cold weather!) So tonight, I’ll let the temperature in the house drop to around 55 degrees, then light my first fire of the winter. I know it will be beautiful, smell great, and probably make me fall asleep right there on the couch....but really, it’s way too soon! 6:52:07 PM    comment []

Monday, November 17, 2008

Great Saturday! On Saturday, Sailor Boi and I went to the protest rally in Orlando organized by JoinTheImpact and the HRC....I am so glad we did! It was great to feel like I was doing something–that even with my small action I was making my displeasure known at the forces that are trying to strip us of our rights. But it was also wonderful to feel a connection with others in our community. At one point during the speeches my eyes welled up from the emotion of it all. There is power in numbers, and even though we are beaten down now, we need to regroup, and commit ourselves to working harder to secure our equal rights. It’s apparent now that we still have further to go than we thought–there are powerful and monied people against us. But we can prevail. As Jason Lambert of the Human Rights Campaign said, "they (our opponents) are fighting the tide of human history.” Check out the article in the Orlando Sentinel about our local protest. They estimated our numbers at 1000! Not bad. 8:31:11 PM    comment []

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Saturday.....join the protest GLBT groups throughout the country are gathering to protest.....finally!!!! The coordinated time is 1:30 EST on Saturday. Check Join the Impact to find out your location, and spread the word among your friends. Sailor Boi and I will be in Orlando. I hope to see you there--or send me an email and tell me how it was in your state. From HRC: "This protest is also a place for emotional release... a chance for those of us defeated by Amendment 2 to tell the world 'no more'. It's a chance to say that although Amendment 2 knocked us down... we are back up on our feet, standing united against discrimination and will not accept further assaults on our humanity. It's our responsibility to say 'enough'. We can’t do this alone! We need your help! We need you to step out for equality. If you have plans…cancel them. If you don’t have plans... you do now! This could be the biggest outpouring since Stonewall and we hope you will join us and be a part of it. So, bring your friends, bring your families, bring your neighbors... This is about GLBT people standing shoulder to shoulder with our straight allies and sending a message to those who have discriminated against us. It's time for the world to see that we are a strong, adamant and powerful community that deserves equal rights and that even though we were knocked down, we are back on our feet and we can not be defeated." It's up to us. 9:35:02 PM    comment []

Monday, November 10, 2008

The Road Show.... We've decided to make 2 Grrlz a physical entity (at least for a weekend) instead of being just a virtual store. Over Thanksgiving weekend, our favorite gay campground, Sawmill, is having a 'shopping weekend', so Sailor Boi and I have decided to mix business and pleasure! It will be the first time that I've taken 2 Grrlz on the road (so to speak), although I have thought before about doing the local Pride events. The problem was I just wanted to party and not be tied down to a booth--but it's funny how things change with the right woman. (Ain't it so!!) To make it easier, this time we're staying in a cabin (with all the conveniences of home) instead of tenting like we usually do....I want to mix business and pleasure, not business and exhaustion!! It will be fun.....and if you are in the area, stop in and meet us! Early shopping All of the cigarette and poket cases on 2Grrlz are on sale this week. They are usually 28.00, but are marked down this week to 19.99 (and free shipping!). Personally, I love using one of these pocket cases when I go out......my driver's license, credit cards, business cards and cash stay safely in my pocket. Great for dancing! 10:08:33 PM    comment []

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

America may have won last night, but GLBTs lost Around me everyone is happy and hopeful. And I feel numb. I sat last night watching everyone celebrating and crying in joy at the change in direction in America and the open future given to those who have felt oppression in the past--and all I could feel was numb. The same voters who gave our country a new future, took away my rights--they put discrimination into our state constitution, and made their hatred of me and my girlfriend apparent. What a terrible feeling--the citizens of my state hate me. I knew there were those who didn't want me to 'marry', and I chalked it up to mis-information given to them from their church. But I didn't believe that they really wanted me to suffer....to not be able to leave inheritance to the one I loved, not to be able to enter into contracts with the one I loved, not have a say in medical emergencies, not be able to share health benefits, or even to have a say in my loved one's final wishes. But that is the ramifications in the evil Amendment 2 that was passed last night. I am heartbroken. No photo this Wednesday...sorry. I just don't have the joy in me. 9:07:30 PM    comment []

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Election Fever!! Today has been so charged....excitement and energy in the air everywhere! There was even Obama t-shirts at work–so cool! The patriotism and the concern for our country felt very good....things have been down for so long, it was a great feeling today. On the way home I stopped at the grocery for some ‘fun food’ for the long television night. At the local large intersection the two camps were faced off...McCain supporters on one corner, Obama supporters on the opposite corner. The honking was fierce! However, I do have to report that the Obama group outnumbered the McCain group about 2 to 1–and they were also more enthusiastic–one man was dancing! Also the McCain side had a sign that stated “Democrats....ruining the economy since 2004". I don’t understand what twisted logic came up with that one. But I had to laugh at the handwritten ones that stated “Obama = socialism. Think before you vote.” I guess the sad part is that some will believe it or in their mind will read it as ‘Obama = communism’. Isn’t that what the group is really trying to say? This morning I passed by my polling place just to see how long the lines were. I voted last Friday and stood in line for 2 hours. Today the line was less than 10 people long (sigh). But out front of the precinct, there was a man waving a “Vote Yes on 2" sign. This is our evil marriage amendment. I was dumbfounded. What is the opposite of honking in support? Silence just didn’t seem to do it, but I’m not the kind to yell obscenities at an old man on the side of the road. And the finger didn’t seem quite right either. We need something that is the opposite of ‘honk’...silence did not convey my disapproval. I’m off to settle in to watch the results.....I’m hoping all votes will count for a change....or should that be 'Change'? :-) 6:28:13 PM    comment []

Monday, November 03, 2008

It’s been a long time It really has been a long time since I’ve written. First it was Sailor Boi’s birthday. On the weekend we got a hotel room and among other things, went to the Cirque du Soleil show (she had never been to a circus). We had third row tickets, and it was fabulous. The next weekend was my daughter’s birthday, and I hosted the whole family at my house. Wow! What a whirlwind! Then for work I presented (and manned a booth) at the annual Florida science teacher conference. My feet about died. And then this past weekend the water pipe going to my second story bathroom burst causing quite a mess–and a lot of work. Thank god for Sailor Boi who knew what to do with the plumbing. I learned a lot from assisting her, but when it happened I had not a clue what to do besides turning off the water main (and cussing a lot!). I’m glad that one of us is handy with tools!! In between these things I’ve been catching my breath and not feeling much like writing. I was also sucked into the news during our recent bout of the economic meltdown. (I don’t think we’ve seen the worst of what will happen yet). And of course the election. I early voted last Friday....the line was two hours long! I wonder sometimes why I bother....living in Florida do I really think my vote counts, or is this election going to be stolen also? At any rate....tomorrow will be the end of the political commercials for awhile. Thank God! They were getting very obnoxious....made me think that none of the candidates were civil enough or ‘grown up’ enough to hold office...what a bunch of whiney, nasty, back-stabbing babies! Ah well....get out and vote tomorrow! It will be good to get Shrub out of office. 9:45:02 PM    comment []