Welcome Back....?

Alrighty folks. Once again, I've spaced out from posting anything new in recent months. In a nutshell, Donald Trump is once again elected as president, and he basically suckered this country into voting for him; Kamala Harris, the sudden Democratic candidate after Joe Biden dropped out all of a sudden, had momentum in their first televised debate. Matter of fact, Harris whooped Donny Boy's ass. Yet, it was Pumpkin Head's successful, $215 million anti-trans campaign that got him over the top. Many GOP candidates followed his trail, even though their info given was complete bullshit. The voters responded for Pumpkin Head in greater numbers than first believed. Hell, even Black men and Latinos voted for this creep. 33% of voters stayed home, not wanting to believe their votes would matter. Oh, would've they! Many of us were vehemently pissed at seeing this blonde-haired bully back as Commander-in-Chief, myself included. I'm still wondering what made him dislike the Trans community so much to routinely make fun about us at our expense. 

Obviously, Trans followers were disgusted seeing the Orange Doofus in charge once again, but reminded their friends that we've gone through a lot worse during the Stonewall days and then some. However this time, it seems #47 wants us to make like David Copperfield and disappear. He said during his inaugural speech that there were ONLY TWO GENDERS, which made the GOP family cheer in unison. Following this ballyhoo, he has made executive orders left and right, from eliminating gender-affirming care to trans patients, imprisoning doctors for providing care to trans youth, making trans folks who renew their passports come back with their birth gender on them-even if they've completed the transition,etc. The list goes on. GOP minions have followed suit, especially in Texas, where the AG has forced the DMV NOT to alter driver's license for the trans community. I've also recently read about a bill that passed in the Lone Star State about forcing all trans folks to de-transition to their birth genders. OH FUCK THAT NOISE! Some folks would rather die than go back to whom they were.

This news came just before I made my annual late April trip to Dallas for the annual BTAC convention-and some needed vacation time. Thankfully, I had in my possesion...a REAL ID card. That way, when flying to any US airport, they can look at my ID and say nothing. It PROUDLY refers to me as a FEMALE, thank you. Going through the TSA gate still sucks. At the time, my ankle was giving me fits, so I requested wheelchair assistance. Good thing too, because my gate was at the far end of O'Hare Airport, which would've meant a lot of walking. (nevermind knowing how big ORD is. Took me 30 minutes trying to find the baggage claim area last time I flew!) I flew non-stop both ways, which is always a full plane. I didn't mind. Let's say I learned from my past flying experience from 2023 about what to expect when flying the friendly skies. I still am a bit goofy when the plane is on the runway, preparing for takeoff. That instant sudden jolt of acceleration is more forceful than any roller coaster launch. To myself, when the plane takes off from the ground, I go crazy...OH SHIIIIIITTT!!! This is where the chewing gum comes in handy to prevent the ear popping. Now, every airline may have wi-fi service for those to listen to music or watch a movie to kill time while in flight. I was smart to download some music on my tablet for this. Using the phone may have better results. 

So I get into DFW around 12:30 pm on a Saturday when I get a message from one of my credit card companies asking if I made this charge. I figured someone tried to hack my account again. I called the company while waiting for my car rental, informing me that I could no longer use that card. Shit. I transferred the dough from that card to another to make sure I had the funds to start my vacay. I know it was the Saturday before Easter, but I didn't expect the car rental places to be that slow. Time elapsed before I got my car: 45 minutes. No, it was nearing 4:00 on this overcast day in the DFW Metroplex. Several days earlier, I double checked to make sure I paid for the car rental. It was a go, and I wondered what kind of ride I was going to get. They at first mentioned a Ford Escape with EcoBoost, which I though would do me fine. I wound up getting something smaller--a Hyundai Venue, a subcompact crossover. Oh, okay. The trunk was large enough only for one suitcase, so the other one went in the back. I might be a bit technologically savvy, but this car had a push button to start/stop the engine. I had to ask one of the folks on how to start this thing...push in the damn brake. DUH!! After that mishap, I took off from the airport parking lot and got myself comfortable with the Dallas area traffic. When you've driven in big city traffic like I have, getting through Dallas is a walk in the park. I've explained that Big D is comparable to Chicago, yet more spread out. More to see, more of the occasional driving assholes you'd see anywhere. 

I'm getting comfortable with this Venue and the Bluetooth system, so I connect my phone to the system. Next task: find AT&T Stadium, home of those sad-ass Cowboys. GPS on my phone leads me towards the stadium, when I got to see...Six Flags Over Texas, the original Six Flags park, in nearby Arlington. Gee, did that TITAN roller coaster get re-painted? Sure did! I had to pull over to look at the place with my own eyes. Looky-looky, there's the new home of the 2023 World Series champions, the Texas Rangers! (it does look like a Home Depot!) Then, in the distance, there it was...AT&T Stadium. WHAT A FUCKING DUMP!!! That's right Cowboy fans, I called Jerry Jones' $2B doghouse a DUMP!! Especially the team that plays in it. I pulled up in front of AT&T, stared at it, and proudly FLIPPED IT OFF!!! Yeah, i took a few photos to show proof, then I saw some folks near the gate and shouted, "GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO!!" That's right! This native Cheesehead wasn't missing the opportunity to let the so-called America's Team know they've been overthrown. Besides, my Packers KICKED THE HOLY SHIT out of the Cowboys the last time they played here...that post-season debacle where every Cowboys fan thought they'd thrash my team? HA HA HA! It was over by halftime!!  Oh, Green Bay DID win their last Super Bowl in Jerry's World. WHAT THE FUCK CAN THE COWBOYS SAY???! THOUGHT SO!! I added more insult to injury by posting on Facebook a pic of me in front of AT&T, saying the 'Boys will once again be the Packer's bitch (GB is undefeated in Jerry World, and plan to keep it that way!) There are a few friends from college who are devoted Cowboys fans, and I let them have it! 

After I had my fun at the Cowboys' expense, I decided it was time to find this Motel 6 in downtown Dallas to crash for the next few nights. Once again, I had to use the GPS on my phone to find this place. It took me a while on this late overcast Dallas afternoon, alas, I found it directly right across...a Denny's. This hacienda-looking building must have had some renovations previously due to its close proximity to downtown. Little would I later discover how close I was to the eccentric part of town. Looking back at this now, I should've hung out with a friend I knew on Facebook who resided in neighboring Fort Worth in the adjacent Tarrant County instead of wasting my time trying to find something interesting to watch on local TV and ordering WingStop for dinner. We could've went to go see SINNERS or driven around town for some fun. Better plan that for 2026.

Easter Sunday had arrived (and, as it turned out, the last sermon for the reigning Pope, who died a day later), and my plans to attend Easter service with my fellow Dillard '96 colleague Erika was in doubt. She later told me that there was a crawfish boil hosted by a few Dillard alumni to raise funds to help future Dillard students pay for college, or something like that. I guess she wanted to bring me over, but forgot when I was arriving in town. Maybe I'll see them next year at our 30th class reunion...but that's another story....

So here's what happened: I was dressed up, wearing this decade-old outfit that I had once wore when I first came out in church back in 2014. Since I'm almost a senior, there was no way in hell I was going to wear pumps! Instead, I wore these comfy Skechers shoes with the holes in them to give it an airy support for my feet. E-Mac was looking for which Motel 6 I was staying at. She went to the location a mile away---OOPS! Found it, picked me up, and away we went to Hamilton Park United Methodist Church, which to me was a pretty massive-looking church. Maybe not like Bishop T.D. Jakes' Potter's House, but still it's a place of worship. We did get there a bit late for the start of service, but we made up for that in no time. Had to park across the street due to the small parking lot filling up quick. Took some photos to show how divine we both looked; we were FABULOUS!! Inside, we chatted about the possibility of her stopping by BTAC if her schedule wasn't too busy. You don't have to be black or trans to attend the BTAC conference, just have an open mind. 

We finally got to go take a seat with the congregation, where Erika introduced me to her mom. She reminded me of a few aunts I knew in my own family. Throughout the Easter Service, I really felt comfortable being in a Black church, definitely not like the craziness seen during a COGIC sermon, which could take as long as watching Titanic or Avatar straight through. I even felt good enough to pay my tithes, regardless if I was only visiting this church. It felt right. I got to meet the the pastor after service ended and thanked me for visiting Hamilton Park UMC. Got to meet a host of folks, keeping close to Erika, I didn't want to miss her taking me back to my hotel. I got to meet one person whom had ties to my native Milwaukee. That was probably the best Easter Sunday I've had in years. Erika showed me around downtown Big D, even showed me where the American Airlines Center (home to the Mavericks & Stars) was located. Shame that it was a bit windy, so my age-appropriate hairpiece looked off in the photos. Then Erika showed me the eccentric area of Dallas where a lot of the local bars and restaurants were located. Even saw a few LGBTQ+ bars, too! If I had known where these places were in previous years, I would've gone there in a New York minute to relieve myself of being cooped up in the BTAC hotel. Gotta remember this place for 2026. We headed back to my hotel, where we hung out in her car in the parking lot. She tells me that I shouldn't even sweat it about being who I am when it comes to next year's reunion back at Dillard or anywhere else. She'll always be a close friend in my life. 

I basically stayed in my room for the remainder of the day. My lazy ass didn't even THINK of walking across the street to eat some dinner at Denny's.  What the HELL was I thinking to DoorDash that shit? Not to mention I used my tablets to find some gainful entertainment while lying on an extremely comfortable queen-sized bed, hoping that this coming week would not speed through so i could cherish BTAC '2025. The steak I had gotten from Denny's was hard to chew, and I got myself wasted on the side appetizers. Geez! It couldn't be even salvaged with the microwave! Monday was nearly approaching, and the time had come to say adios to the Motel 6 room with a sad-ass cable TV channels and puny tubs to make my way for the BTAC hotel in Duncanville for the second straight year. 

But first, a return trip to one of the most popular places to visit while you're on the road...BUC-EE'S!!!!

(more fun on this journey next time....)