Los Angeles Gay Pride 2008

Do you all remember my special friend from last year's Gay Pride?

Here she is. Lovely.





Well, guess who we ran into this year!

















I think this is the start of a new annual Gay Pride tradition for us. (God willing.)















Steve and I started the day off at my old roommate Mark's condo where we had brunch with a group of his friends. Here Mark and I are, recreating the photo pose that's in every picture from when we lived together.

The group of us then walked down to Santa Monica and began our usual Gay Pride adventures. Here's how it works...

1. Walk into a bar. Realize it's very warm and we must take shirts off.

2. Get a beverage (with friends Kurt, Don, and Kurt's partner Robert who I accidentally hit in the face just as this pic was taken).

3. Look at the video monitors. Race outside when PFLAG walks past and applaud.

4. Walk into another bar and order another drink.

5. Realize the time/space continuum has warped and the parade somehow ended without us noticing.

6. Eat pizza.

7. Go to another bar. Or two. Meet Norma Jean and have your picture taken with her. Make a mental note to put her in the blog so that years later when you look at these photos you'll remember who she was.

8. Stumble into the festival. Eat bad carnival food.

9. Consider dancing but realize you're too tired.

10. Go home and watch HGTV while eating pizza.

11. Go to bed by 10pm.

Pride was a little off for both of us this year. Steve and I decided to leave at the same time, exhausted, and not feeling like it was an amazing weekend. It was fun, definitely, and we had a great time with Kurt and Robert, but it felt like a normal drunken Sunday out-- making us think we probably go out more often than necessary.

We missed seeing Olivia Newton John perform at the festival (we did hear Joss Stone singing on Saturday night). Olivia went on at 8:30pm and we knew we had no energy/interest in trying to be out that late. So we went home, and we're both very happy to not be hung over this morning.

But it did feel like something was missing. Maybe Steve and I are getting old; maybe (as I suggested) we go out too often; or maybe we missed having our enormous posse of 100 friends (like brothers Jeff & John) around. Whatever the case, there will certainly be plenty of other opportunities for us to get our pride on in the coming months.