Charlie’s Blog

It’s 11:11! I made a wish! Actually I made two wishes, and they both must come true.

Today was jam-packed with activity and people, and I’m just too pooped now to brave the gays again for one of the biggest nights to go out in Chicago.

Market Days is going on. It’s a big, gay street festival…not a circuit party. My favorite thing about it is that you run into guys you’ve met through the years who you don’t keep in contact with. While there’s probably one or more good reasons why this contact has been lost, it’s always nice to know that old friends are still alive, and it’s even better to know if they are fatter or thinner than before. It’s kind of like the gay high school reunion. For example, I saw a guy who was seriously in love with a certain friend of mine who no longer lives in Chicago, and he had grown a bit and was pulling behind him a tall, tan, Latin hottie. I also ran into this guy with whom I was seriously in love (until I realized far too late that he was NOT for me, to be polite), and he had both a bad haircut and an ugly boyfriend. People get what they deserve!

I had a great lunch at the only raw food restaurant in Chicago, Karyn’s. I went there two or three years ago, and it wasn’t very good. This time, however, it was da bomb! They made a raw Chicago-style stuffed pizza that was so delicious, I’m planning on going back for more tomorrow. Actually tomorrow it’s an all-you-can-eat special, but I think it’s going to be all-they-can-make if I show up. Besides the food, the company was very fun. It was Jean and Stephanie again and Stephanie’s bf, Ian, who is just too funny. We had fun with our waitress, and I ran into her at the festival a few hours later.

The highlight of the day was at Sidetracks, my favorite bar in Chicago, where they played my favorite music video of all time. Can you guess? Can you? OK, It’s Funkytown, the disco song. Jeff and Phil agreed that it was pretty great. If you haven’t seen it, you don’t know what your missing. Also there, a woman who I think used to be a man told me I had a cute face and asked me if I was a freak. I was like, "uhh…no." Then she was like, "oh, because you look Greek." I guess I misheard the question, but my answer was the same. I’m neither Greek nor a freak.

I’ve also been busy lining up apartments to check out while in San Diego. My plan is to find a room in Hillcrest which is SD’s gay ghetto. Lots of gays hate on the gay ghetto, but I’m not trying to hear them, see. I just want to live in a place where I can hold hands with boo or wear short shorts without everyone on the street stopping, staring, and making optional rude comments. Maybe I’ll change my tune one day, but after my present shitty, drug-and-rat-infested street, this is what I need.

I’m in Chicago! It’s so beautiful here! So much better than my last visit in March…I don’t know what I was thinking coming here then.

Last night was so much fun, although my stomach burned and burned the whole time. It was definitely something I ate. The thing about eating healthy is that if you slip off of the wagon, you will definitely feel it. And feel it I definitely did. I was so bloated and in pain by the end of the night that I had to manually hold out my elastic pajama bottoms so they couldn’t place any pressure on my tender belly. It’s great to be back to normal this morning.

Almost everything worked out for me yesterday. I actually got to the airport in Long Island two hours before departure which is very unlike me. I didn’t pack any clothes because I’m eventually going home, and my mom didn’t want me to use any of my luggage for fear of bringing my bedbugs into her house. The bedbugs are all long dead, but I went along because that bitch can get crazy, and I don’t need to deal with that! So, right after I got off the plane, I stopped at my favorite ghetto-ass thrift store on the South Side and found a bonanza of cute shirts and a new-used Jordache suitcase. I also got a pair of cowboy boots! They’re so cute and in…I’m just so excited about them! When I say cute shirts, I don’t use the word cute lightly. They’re so cute I can’t decide which one I want to wear to Market Days today. OK, I did decide. If I had a camera with me, I’d post a picture of my shirts so you can get an idea, but if you just imagine really cute ones, you won’t be far off.

Even with my burning insides last night, I was going and going like the Energizer bunny. I stayed out until four which I haven’t done in New York like ever! Jeff and I had dinner at the vegan restaurant in Boystown, and my friend from the NYC gay vegetarian group came and met us. Then we went to the hip new bar/restaurant, XO, to meet Jay who was hanging with some old friends of mine. We ended up at the Lucky Horseshoe, which is a seedy stripper bar with average-looking dancers that get in some questionable positions. After enough of that, Sidetrack, my old watering hole, was our next spot. They played the Kelly Ripa spot from SNL where she peddles hair dye with crack. That’s my girl!

After we closed down Sidetrack, I hopped in a cab headed due west to meet my other girls, Jean and Stephanie, at a hot spot in Wicker Park. They are two of my very favorite people, and we had so much fun dirty-dancing to the beat. The bar was kinda grungy, but you could tell the people there were serious about going out. They were there to PARTY. It was an incredible energy of joy and release that I haven’t felt in a while, especially in stick-up-your-butt Manhattan.

Yay! Jeff just came in to tell me that he cut up watermelon and strawberries for me! What a guy! He gave me the most delicious watermelon and canteloupe when I arrived yesterday, and I can’t wait to try today’s fruit.

So much has happened in the past two days! You won’t believe it.

Why hasn’t Charlie updated his blog? You have no doubt been asking yourself and your friends this for the past four days. Well, I spent the weekend in Provincetown, MA which is gay paradise. When I got back, I couldn’t find my computer, but I just assumed that my roommate had taken it somewhere. Yesterday I learned that both of our laptops had been stolen. We’ve already fingered a suspect, but the level of drama is high! Thankfully, W is letting me use his computer to keep all of you abreast.

In other news, tonight was a bittersweet night at apartment 5E. Kitty was taken away. They found a permanent home for him. He was with me for two months (my longest and most meaningful relationship!), but now he’s keeping a blind woman in Chelsea company. I’m so jealous that Kitty gets to live in Chelsea, right around the corner from Park. In fact, I’d keep a blind lady company to live in Chelsea. The president of the cat agency told me that she has 48 cats! Can you imagine? Anyway, I kinda miss Kitty, but now that he’s gone, I realize that the responsibilty of having him was much greater than I want to take on at this point of my life. One day, I’ll settle down and have kitties, but this really isn’t that day.

I wish I could write more, but my fingers won’t let me.