HAPPENINGS OUT OF TOWN
It’s definitely a New Year and already my resolutions have gone to pot— literally! My most important promise to myself, to restart my exercise program at the gym, was immediately put on hold in favor of a long weekend trip to Las Vegas. Of course, the pounds that I intended to lose at the gym, were supplemented by pounds gained at the buffet table! About the only place that I did lose weight was in my wallet. On January 11th I packed up my boyfriend, Jason, and my best friend, Sharon, and armed with antihistamines, nose spray, and ear plugs, off we went for a long weekend in “Lost Wages.” What more appropriate hotel to stay in than The Four Queens? There were three of us from Kansas City along with the nine Canadians who joined our party, having flown in from Winnipeg just for the weekend.
Talk about luck, it was so cold the four days we were there that I doubt if it got above freezing. Apparently all weather records were shattered. On the second day in town, we were blessed with a blizzard of sorts to accompany our trip down Las Vegas Blvd. The cab driver was ecstatic—he had never seen snow before. We were over it.
When you go to Las Vegas, be sure to take in the Fremont Experience, which occurs nightly downtown on the old strip. The city fathers made a wise decision about ten years ago to cover Fremont St. for about four blocks with a semi-roof complete with a grid of lights that are computer-driven into a spectacular show of animation and lighting. Unfortunately, the roof provides no protection from the elements, and we found ourselves able to shiver in the cold only for the five-minute light show, which occurs every hour. Because of the inclement weather, I was prohibited from visiting the rather new gay resort, Blue Moon Resort, that boosts a clothing optional pool area as well as asauna and steam room. I can just imagine the hearty souls who would have been sitting by the pool in this frigid weather, shrinking anatomy and all!
We did manage to take in a T & A show at Bally’s Hotel and it was fabulous. It is sad that this is one of the last visages of the Old Las Vegas where feathers, g–strings, and cod pieces and beautiful show girls and boys were the standard. Unfortunately, unless you hit it big at the tables, the star-studded shows that are standard now are out of price range for most of us.
The burden of our return to Kansas City on the 15th was eased when we realized that even while we were freezing our asses off, we escaped the horrible ice storms that you all suffered through.
The next weekend found Jason and I again traveling to our sister city, Des Moines, Iowa, for the 70th birthday party of my dear friend Patty L. Patty, for those who have been around as long as me, owned a bar in Des Moines during the 80s named Our Place. Thanks to OP I forged many lasting friendships and still consider Des Moines my second home. We spent time at the bar wtih Patty, her daughter Jean, and my dear sister Mitch helping her to acknowledge all the friends and family who honored her on the occasion. Many of her close friends then ventured downtown to the Blazing Saddle Bar to continue the partying long into the night. The picture with this column shows some of the pretty boys we encountered at the Saddle before they threw me out for being a “dirty old man.” Only kidding, I know Stinky the manager and he gave me a free pass to be old and go to his bar any time!
Speaking of the Blazing Saddle, all you leather queens should take note of the upcoming Mr. Iowa Leather Contest to be held there over the weekend of Feb 9 thru 11. Believe me there are some hot leather boys and men in Iowa, and some of them are just fresh off the farm, ripe for picking. It’s only a short jaunt over the border and the fun is guaranteed.
HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN
Just a few quick remarks and then I will cut this column short to save some banter for the next issue of Camp, which will be available on Feb 16th. Happened by Outa Bounds on Saturday to take in the Texas Holdem Poker Tournament Benefit for AIDS Walk. These are some serious gamblers. I understand from Mike L. that they raised over $3,000 for AIDS Walk and one lucky card player won a trip for two to Las Vegas (hopefully when the weather’s more normal). According to Allen, one of the owners of Outa Bounds, these Texas Hold ‘em No limit card games are really catching on and it’s becoming harder to get a seat on Monday, Thursday, or Sunday evening at the poker tables—so you all better spend less time in front of the mirror and get your butts down to Outa Bounds.
My good friend Jimmy W. tells me that Good Samaritan Project is sponsoring a conference on AIDS to be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel on the Plaza on February 9th. It promises to be quite informative. Check out the details on the Good Samaritan Project Website www.goodsamaritanproject.org.
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, so grab that special someone and take in a dinner at one of our fine dining establishments. You can have a wonderful dinner for two at Sharps Restaurant in Brookside, Outa Bounds Sports Bar and Grill on Broadway, or take in the evening’s entertainment at Bar Natasha and indulge in one of Missie K’s special appetizer trays. After dinner, take your valentine to Out There Cards and Gifts for just the right gift that says I love you. Perhaps some rubber goods might do the trick. (Notice how cleverly I mentioned some of our wonderful advertisers?) If you don’t have a special someone, just ask me, I’d be happy to accompany any of my readers on Valentine’s Day. Oops, I guess I should check with my boyfriend first! Remember to tune in same place in two weeks. Until then, stay warm and find someone to cuddle up with on these cold winter nights.
