What a difference a week can make! This time last week I was sitting at a friend's house in West Hollywood (CA) after spending a wonderful day at LA Pride -- replete with a 2 1/2 hour parade! LA is stunningly beautiful! It was great to spend time there (after having a 2 hour layover and then spending 3 hours on the tarmac in Philadelphia -- what a nightmare! Jen and I spent time both in LA and in Palm Springs -- blogs about that to follow.
I got to see Gavin Newsom again in the Pride Parade....he's running for the Governor of California. Very personable -- and he has some great green ideas!
The mountains surrounding Palm Springs are beautiful -- especially at Sunset!
AND THEN I GOT A CALL......
I was having such a fun time in LA. It was all turned upside down when I found out that a friend of mine -- and co-director of the camp for deaf and H/H kids that I volunteer at committed suicide. Bonna, the other co-director called me at 3 a.m. EST time -- I knew something was wrong when she texted me so late and told me that she wanted to talk to me and couldn't do it over text..When I called her, I could hear it in her voice. She started "Are you alone? Are you driving? I have something I need to tell you. I will NEVER understand why John did what he did. I spent the better part of two days in shock. I would spend time posting on FaceBook and sending private message to both camp counselor friends and campers -- I have dealt with the loss of a child before -- we lost a camper two years ago in a tragic car accident...but I have never had to explain the death of an adult -- at their own hands. I hope to never do it again.
John at camp interpreting .... during better times. Rest in Peace, JTB.
MOVING FORWARD AND UPWARD.....
Wednesday Jen and I flew back from LA. At first we were bumped...and they told us we would have to catch the 11:30 PM red eye to Newark (they are telling me this at 11 a.m. on WednesdaY) and then fly out early Thursday AM....I had a little "chit chat" with the boarding agent...needless to say, we got a flight...it was uneventful -- and unlike USeless Air...they gave us food...I now know why airlines are going out of business.
THEN CAME STONEWALL!
I am Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the 5th largest Gay and Lesbian Community Center in the US. Each year we celebrate the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 with the "Stonewall Ball" at the BEAUTIFUL Harriet Theater at CityPlace. This year we scaled back the ball in favor of encouraging people to eat out in the city and then join us for a dance -- it was a HUGE success! We were lucky to have ELAINE NOBLE the first openly-gay elected official in the US as our guest! We also added several other events (a cocktail reception in Palm Beach, a night out in West Palm Beach, a screening of an Independent film we created, a meeting between Elaine and the Youth Group members -- where they made presentations and sang, an awards ceremony at a local B and B -- a day at the beach (in Lake Worth -- there's now a "Gay Beach" section of LW Beach...and a tea dance reception at the Cottage (which I am going to later. We were also blessed to have Bruce Sutka -- an International Designer help us with our decorations....pictures to follow.
The "Group" at Stonewall Ball...the theme was "Black and White"
SO....AS YOU CAN SEE, it's been a busy week....I need a vacation from my vacation! No work at my night job this week....I think I will focus on cleaning my house!
More later.....
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