Straight, Not Narrow

Ronnie Spector was the headliner at "All Love, All Woodtsock" in Woodstock earlier this summer. The concert was inspired by the fight of Mississippi teen Constance McMillen, who sued her school for the right to bring her girlfriend to her prom, a case that moved Spector.



Spector: "I'm so willing to support her, I'm glad, I really am, because it's the first thing I feel so strongly about.I know what it feels like to grow up as an outsider because I'm a half-breed. People would picket me, cut my hair off & everything. I could identify with her because when I grew up my mother was black, & my father was white. I got picked on so much because they didn't know what I was."


Spector could also empathize with McMillen's fighting spirit. Rather than roll over & accept her school's decision, McMillen battled the school with the help of the ACLU in a case that is still pending. Spector; "I'm so proud of her because I did the same thing. I spent 21 years in litigation because I refused to give up. That's the same with Constance.As a mother, I felt for Constance. We have to accept all kids for who they are & treat them with love & understanding. How could you not let a girl come to a prom? I just thought it was outrageous."






Veronica Yvette Bennett became Ronnie Spector as the lead singer of the 1960s girl group- The Ronettes who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She was the "original bad girl of rock and roll." Ronnie knows a thing or 2 about hardship & challenge, married for 6 years to that crazy ass producer - Phil Spector who kept her near-prisoner & limited her opportunities to pursue her musical ambitions. In her autobiography, she said that he would force her to watch the film Citizen Kane over & over to remind her she would be nothing without him. She turns 67 years old today. Love her. Love the voice. Love her spirit.

You Gotta Have Friends

I rarely mention my job on Post Apocalyptic Bohemian. I am the store director for a Portland institution- a deluxe gourmet food-to-go emporium, now in its 31st year. I do the hiring, training, & maintaining of a staff of fifteen 20-30 year olds, & I buy the candy & wine. I love my work, but on occasion, it becomes “the job that ate my life”.

Even while working 25 hours during the 2 weekend days, I was still able to thoroughly enjoy a visit from my friend MGC.


MGC & I have been friends for 36+ years. We attended college together, & with no planning (& not because of each other), we have lived in 3 different cities together at the same time. In all that time, including living together at one point, & despite having once been in love with the same man at the same time, MGC & I have never had a fight, disagreement or intrigue. We will go a while, even a couple of years, without communicating, but we always come back to each other. He is handsome, lovely of disposition, a bit reticent around other people, keen, spiritual, & possesses extraordinarily beautiful penmanship & housekeeping skills. He has a great sense of adventure while also being a man of restraint & moderation. In many ways… he is my opposite. Is that why we stay friends? Does a modest man need a hedonist for some balance?

MGC had met a member of the Portland band- Sneakin’ Out at a social function in Seattle & wanted to see them perform. This outrageously talented musical outfit often plays at a venue in walking distance of Post Apocalyptic Bohemia. The Husband & I have seen them perform, including an amazing gig opening for k.d. lang, playing Rhapsody In Blue with Thomas Lauderdale (of Pink Martini) on piano, & the band playing the orchestra’s part on mandolin, bass & wood blocks, typewriter, children’s xylophone & assorted other objects. Sneakin’ Out combines astounding musicianship paired with a really nutty sense of humor. Among the cover versions at Friday night’s show were the Green Hornet Theme & Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb. They seem to specialize in Beatle covers, including doing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety. I have always really dig their lush sound, but now I am determined to become a groupie, & not just because they are so sexy.

Junior looking for his Daddy to come home. Photo by MGC

This morning, MGC sent me this photo from his Iphone, a device that MGC seems to think is of more use & more fun than a boyfriend. He loved showing it off, & I have to admit to having a bit of a crush on it myself. The Iphone can identify music playing in public place, give real time MAX train arrivals, scan bar codes for consumer info, cruise the internet, link to email accounts, take photos & videos, & fart. The only “ap” it seems to be missing is kissing & oral sex.

New Friends

The Husband & I welcomed my fellow blogger- distinguished Will & his handsome husband Fritz, from New Hampshire, for wine & dinner in the Boys' Fort last evening. I am a daily follower of Will's interesting & entertaining blog DesignerBlog. I thought it would be fascinating to put the 4 us together: 2 couples with a lifetime of acting, directing & designing for theatre. I had made a joke on their arrival, that on paper it seemed that Will & Steve were 2 American guys with our Teutonic lovers- Rolfe & Fritz. I drove the boys to see the St. Johns Bridge, my favorite structure in Portland, while the Husband put together a dinner of Caprese Salad & Rice Cakes with asparagus & shitakes. We sipped, or rather they sipped & I gulped a bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. We talked & shared stories to candlelight until it was way past all the bedtimes for men of a certain age. Will is the first fellow blogger that have met in person & it was a lovely evening. How fun to meet another couple from the other side of our country & to make a connection. Will & Fritz were here to see their brand new granddaughter & family, but I am pleased they made time for a couple of old dudes.

Will has a passion for Opera, while I have only a passing interest, but for my new friend, here is my favorite aria-"Ebben, ne andro Lontano" from Le Wally.

My Hero!

This past week, it came to light that a very important player in the life of the husband, & me, & our life as a couple, has been complaining to the husband about me. I am not even slightly upset with Mr. X, although why, after two years of spending time with us & knowing me pretty darn well, would Mr. X choose to complain to the husband about my penchant for booze, pot & procrastination is a tiny bit surprising.

The husband has long been my most loving, but toughest (& by that I mean-honest) critic of my behavior, clothing choices, drinking, drugging, garden design, acting, singing & writing. He is very nearly always correct. He is honest to a fault, as in answering- “YES” to the query- “Does this outfit make me look fat?” So… it was a bit of a surprise to discover that the husband was very unhappy about the complaints by Mr. X & that he stuck up for me, stuck by me & defended my honor.

I adore & cherish Mr. X. He is an amazing, very attractive, talented & accomplished man. I am pleased to have him in my life. I am better man for knowing him. I am not surprised that he finds pieces of my personality & lifestyle disagreeable… I am after all, very much in touch with my inner-grouch & inner-slut & I have a hedonistic bent. I own up to being opinionated & a tad bit louche. I really don’t mind that Mr. X lives a life just short of being a nun. In my defense, I am also a good & loyal friend, responsible, honest, good at my job & generous to a fault.

The husband has always been quick with praise when I get it right. "You should always wear blue. It brings out your beautiful soulful eyes"- is lovely to hear. He was always lavish in his praise of performances that he found to be especially good. He will still tell friends & acquaintances how much he loved my work in his favorites- Horace Vandegelder in Hello, Dolly!, Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum or "LM" in Pump Boys & Dinettes... or even compliments that are qualified- "You were the only good thing in Side By Side By Sondheim." I am always thrilled & warmed by his-"The garden looks so beautiful". I actually glowed when our friend Bryan told me that one day at Rooster Rock, while sunbathing, the husband turned turned to him & announced- "Stephen doesn't even seem to realize it, but he has the most beautiful & original singing voice, especially when he was doing jazz with a jazz trio... even I was shocked by how good he can be."

I really wish, beyond all measure, that the husband & Mr. X would have no bad energy between them, especially because of me. I am deeply touched & somewhat taken aback by the husband’s defense of me. When I mentioned how I felt about this to the husband, as we went to bed last night, he tenderly said- “Yeah? Well complaining about you is MY JOB & not for ANYBODY else!”

The painting is by one of my favorite American painters- Marsden Hartley (1877-1943)