Proper Post

I don't have to work tomorrow, so I can properly explain my awesome Pride and non-Prideful but still Pride Weekend where I worked all day.

I left my apartment Friday morning, laden with everything I needed for the weekend, plus a tent, 2 tote bags of St. Olaf Swag, and a sign. Then, I took the bus to downtown Minneapolis, and took the train to Anoka. I arrived about 3 minutes before a storm. Lucky me!

It was scary looking, and its weird to drive in pouring rain, but there was a poor, senseless man on a motorcycle. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and it was raining sheets. He was shielding his eyes from the rain and everything.

Anyway, I went to sleep in my bed at Mom's house, which hasn't been slept in for quite a while (this becomes important later, so remember that).

I got up at 6am, and caught the bus back to Minneapolis, taking everything with me, plus a collapsible chair for us to sit on. The bus driver let me ride the handicap ramp off the bus because my cart was heavy and burdensome. It was kinda fun. Luckily it was a Saturday morning and I was the only person on the bus, so I didn't slow down traffic at all.

Anyway, long story short, I set up the St. Olaf booth, and tabled most of the day, until 5ish, when Teddy came to join me so we could go see Ellis! It was actually a village people concert, but it started raining during the second group, Electric Avenue, so Teddy and I headed to the 90s instead after a couple songs by the third performer, CeCe Peniston. Seeing Ellis was great, though. I lurve her. We invited her to Olaf in October, so she'll be performing at some point that month. Excited!

Anyway, 90s. One of Teddy's friends has good connections, so we got front row seats reserved for the drag show. I love the 90s queens. They're so lively and awesome. Anyway, there were also $3 Bacardi cocktails, so I spent $6 on heaven. Dragonberry and 7up? Awesome. Razz and Sprite? Equally awesome!

So, at 2:30 am, Teddy and I headed back to Northfield. Bed at 3:30, up at 8:30 to shower and go to campus. I noticed as I got ready for bed a strange splotch on my upper thigh. I figured I just scratched myself somehow. The next morning I noticed another one underneath my bra strap by my collar bone. Must just be some skin irritation. I ignored it, and just went to campus.

You see, instead of going to the Pride Parade, I babysat during a wedding for a couple of Ole alums. Another girl and I hung out with 5 kids, ages 17months to 10 years. It was hard to keep them occupied, but apparently 10 year olds are into this thing called Club Penguin. It works. The 17 month old was really fussy, so she occupied herself by crying herself sick all over the other babysitter. Poor dear. At least we got paid $35 for the 2 hours.

After, I went to my first shift of work at Target. I cashiered for 4 hours, and I'm pretty good at it, if I may say so. After, I came home and crashed, dead tired. I noticed a few blotches on my shoulder before I went to bed. Weird. Oh well, right?

I got up this morning for Day 2 of work, and my shoulder and back were covered in red splotchy welts. So I made an appointment for after work (which went well. Theres a lot to remember for salesfloor, but I'm sure I'll get it right eventually). My doctor examined the bumps for a while, in awe over this weird rash.

We eventually decided it was probably some sort of bug bites that my body was not reacting well too. Most likely spiders (you know, from my bed at Moms which I haven't slept in for quite some time? Told you that you should remember it!). So, she wrote me a prescription for a stronger allergy medicine than Target-brand Claritin, and told me to pick up some hydrocortizone for the itching. So far, my sinuses are really clear, but thats the only difference.

Anyway, the lesson learned from this weekend: (1) Pride is awesome, even with rain. (2) Sleep is important. (3) Keep your room clean and spider-free!

PRIDE

This weekend is the Twin Cities Pride Festival, a wonderful weekend filled with queers and fun and joy. I have never attended such an enthusiastic and welcoming series of events before. Dogs and children (today I also saw a parrot) mingle with the "sinners" and "morally decrepit fiends" scantily clad in leather and latex. In addition to most welcoming, it is also the most skanky and sexy festival. The nudist and bdsm groups are all clustered together in the "R-rated section" of the park, though (no nudity actually happens: the nudists wear barrels and everyone else just looks barely dressed).
Despite the vast amounts of heretofore unseen skin (today there was a pregnant woman with henna covering her stomach, a man in his 50s wearing plaid shorts and gray boxer briefs [yes, I know the color and cut of his underwear. His shorts rode VERY low], a woman in her 60s wearing a strapless sundress that sagged very low, and a multitude of teenagers [male and female and otherwise] wearing things that hormone-ridden teenagers wear to fairs: almost nothing, the TC Pride festival is very family friendly. 73.8% of the people there are entirely unremarkable. I gave rainbow stickers and "I'm a future Ole!" button to dozens of kids today. The family activities are also on the complete opposite side of the park from the R-rated area. I was closer to the r-rated area, so I saw a lot more of people that I think I wanted.
As always, the drag queens were dressed the classiest out of everyone. High heels and glamorous dresses, wonderful makeup and the biggest hair in Minnesota.
Most importantly, for me anyway, everyone who I could possibly want to talk to about GLBT issues is there. From other colleges GLBT organizations and social justice organizations to almost every religion present that I think exists in Minnesota and orgs for community building for the most obscure groups (my favorite of which is Minneapolis Movie Bears, a large contingent of hairy large gay men who watch movies and have dinner together once a week).
I love Pride. It is a gathering of all sorts of people. It is a time when one cannot assume who someone is based on appearance. It is a place of lower pressure to be who one is supposed to be. I can dress however I want, and no one will think less of my for it. I can act however I want, and no one will be suprised. I can be who I am (and who I want to be) without people judging me.
It is a wonderful escape.

I hope to see you all at Loring Park on Sunday. The parade starts at 11am along Hennepin Ave.