This weekend: Love :-) Pride ;-) Sadness :-(

So this weekend was San Diego Pride!  I kicked it off by volunteering my time with the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) and their STAND UP FOR EQUALITY comedy event featuring comedians Dana Goldberg & Alex Mapa. HYSTERICAL!!  OMG...I nearly pissed myself.

Then I went out with my new gay boyfriends Ryan & Moises (not a couple...but we all volunteered together.) They were about the only two I didn't know at this event because the others were a chick I used to date and her cronies...which we're all pretty nice and pleasant with me but the girl was such a meanie...I'm so glad it didn't work out uugghhh!  Cheryll met up with us for some apps & drinks and we had a good 'ole time!

Saturday morning was another story. Couldn't drag my butt outta bed early enough and we didn't get down to the Hillcrest area for the parade until about 9:30am-ish. Parking was a biatch. We drove around for nearly an hour before finding a lot that was sufficient...but also about 1 mile walk to the end of the parade route. All in all it was a prime location because after the parade we were only blocks from our cars. We got to eat some good food...meet up with my FB friends from Closet Talk...and I think I even saw a few people from from the wedding blogs I stalk on-line! My friends and Cheryll all think I'm nuts with this blog stalking stuff hahaha so I'm forbidden to approach or otherwise make an ass outta myself in public.

Here are some pics from Pride:

The Fam

Jo on the curb

Ms. Jujubee from RuPaul's Drag Race!

We found my company at the end of the parade and hopped in for a bit!

Us with my BFF Michelle (her baby Elijah was sleeping)

Elijah & Jo

Me & Cheryll

Ok...so now comes the tough stuff. The weekend was grand until Cheryll got a message from her brother on Sunday afternoon telling us that her dog, Babie, was not doing so well. She had stopped eating and drinking. Babie was 16 years old and the first dog Cheryll ever bought with her own money. She has been Cheryll  best friend for over half her life. We drove out to her parents house and I sucked up all my crap to be with her and support her through this. Her family was nice...met her mom, dad and brother. They weren't particularly emotional about Babie's condition but her dad helped us load her into the truck so we could take her to the emergency animal hospital. Poor Babie...she was so quiet, so sweet...she was ready to go. This was my first experience with having to put a pet to sleep. I've never seen Cheryll cry at all and it was hard to see her so upset. We were able to spend her last moments with her and it was very peaceful. I'm very proud of Cheryll that she made the decision without hesitation knowing that it was the right thing to do so that she wouldn't suffer anymore. I would have hesitated and possibly gone broke in the process of trying stuff that in the end wouldn't have made a huge difference. So now on to the healing. It's particularly difficult for me to stand by and just kinda be in the background while Cheryll's grieving. I suppose this is what a good partner does and this is part of the bad with the good, huh?  Tonight we're gonna lay low, take my two doggies for a long walk and defrag. Work has been horrendous for both of us and we need to take better care of each other during our off hours.  We're what matters most after all!

RIP Babie (1994-2010)

 

OMG OMG - I DID IT! I BOUGHT THE RING!!!

I am SUPER emotional right now as I'm posting this (as if i'm not typically emotional HA!) lol

I have SOOO much to blog about but I need to start with this one as it's fresh and I'm in the moment.

So my baby's down today because we had to put her dog down yesterday (which I'll blog about in another post.)  I'm at work feeling helpless. She's so sad and there's nothing I can do. So what does a woman do when she's feeling this way?  SHE SHOPS!! lol

Now...Cheryll and I have spoken about rings, likes/dislikes, etc. In passing a few weeks ago I showed her this one and she said she liked it the best out of all!  My baby works with her hands and she's definitely not the traditional kinda girl. She wanted something in an inlay setting, flat, won't catch on anything.  Today when I went to look at it again...the price had increased. Now I've also been thinking about this ring for a while now. Even this morning lying in bed I'm telling myself, "Just do it! You have the $$ right this second...just do it!"  So I DID IT!! I BOUGHT HER RING!!

My hands were all clammy and my heart was beating WAY fast and my breathing was icky lol and I was on the phone with my friend Shanda at the time talking about something else...she had no idea what I was doing until I interrupted her and told her to be quiet I had to buy Cheryll's ring lol...I started to cry lol What a sap I am!!

WOW...I'M SOOOO EXCITED!!!  I CAN'T WAIT TO PROPOSE!!!  I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA WAIT HAHAHA

Why I started this blog on the 4th of July...well, isn't it "Independence" day after all???

Happy Birthday America! Land of the free...home of the brave! We hear this all too often. Blah blah blah blah blah!

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE MY COUNTRY! This is not a post about "let's hate on Obama" or "bless the troops, damn the military." We are extremely fortunate to live in the USA.

I've let someone who I don't even know affect my mood this morning as I reflected on a post in Facebook (of all places!) I know better...but this individual is family of my girlfriend and it triggered some thoughts. Ironically it's "Independence Day"...and I'm contemplating my own independence and what it means for me to live here, now, and how I wish.

I am a lesbian. This is my truth...as natural as tying your shoe is to you. I did not choose this...this is me! Most of my family and all of my friends are accepting, loving, supportive and caring of me. Their love transcends any ignorance or religious politics. But there are real hard sentiments, words and situations we LGBT individuals cross paths with everyday. I cannot legally marry my girlfriend in most of our states...even then it is not "acceptable" to many, whether legal or not. I get awkward looks when holding her hand in public or kissing her. And some even feel the right to vocalize their opinions in ways that are completely disrespectful (uugghh my sister!) or make comments about the travesty my daughter is experiencing by being raised in a home with two lesbians! The horror! lol Sometimes these things make me sad, like today, but mostly they give me strength and the umpf that I'm so well known for in my circle.

So this blog is a tribute to everything that I am and a tribute to this beautiful family we're trying to build together. I love my girlfriend and can't wait until I can call her my wife one day...she's the one!

Have a happy & healthy 4th of July people!!