Former fashion model, Kitty! werks the runway.
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Well, it's been almost one full year with Kitty!. As such, she was due for her annual vet visit. I knew she needed a few tests, plus her annual shots, but it ended up snowballing.
Three lumps that turned out to be benign tumors, crystals in her urine tests (two of them) to make sure she's not developing another stone. She's now on a special S/D diet for that. Blood work. A year supply of her heartworm/flea/tick medicine, skin tests, shots, doctors fee…..$500 later…geeeeesh!
Thankfully I had gotten a surprise check from my last mortgage company. Apparently a bit of money left over in my escrow.
Kitty! is one lucky dog. She seems to time her ailments with a small windfall of cash. Ya think she somehow knows?
Since she was getting her insides all renewed, I decided to get her outsides looking spiffy too. Yep, it was time for the hair to go, and the vet clinic has a groomer on staff. For $35 more bucks she got a summer shave, nails clipped, and glands expressed. Eeeewww!
The woman did an awesome job! No spots shaved too close. In fact, I may just keep her hair short. She sure seems happier, and the drifting tumbleweeds of black hair have seriously been reduced.
You can really see in this picture that she is an 'ole gal, but I think she looks great! She is older than they thought, so just my luck I end up with another dog with “old dog” woes.
It's June! And that means' BIRFADAYS!
I myself am doing NOTHING for my birfaday next weekend. It's going to be a stress-free do-nothing weekend. That seems like the best present. Next year I turn 40 and will do a big blow out for it, so I will save my energy for that.
In the meantime, my buddy Bill turned 32 on the 4th.
He picked a somewhat new restaurant called the Salt Grass to have his Birfaday dinner.
We all enjoyed our meal, especially the shoestring onion rings! YUM!
Christy and Christian organized the dinner. Christy just had her second baby, Magnus, who slept the entire dinner. Congrats go out to you two!
We kind of round tabled the photos. Here is Bill with Christian on his right.
And here is Bill with Martin's super model sister on his left. Her name is Marissa.
Flipping to the other side of the table is lil 'ole me and Martin.
And then me again with Christy. Good seeing everyone again.
After dinner, Martin and Bill talked me into going to Texas Swing. I hadn't planned on going, and after spending all that money on Kitty!, a $40 ticket was looking kind of steep. But hey, it's for a good cause, and Martin played a trump card by reminding there was a silent auction on hand. Shhhhooooopppping! Maybe I could bid on Silent Auction item for veterinary services!
We got there and immediately hit the bathroom. Here Bill and Martin take time to read the literature while I try to not get arrested for taking pictures in a public bathroom.
Bill and I hung out while the more social Martin wandered around catching up with friends old and new. Bill and I actually went to the patio fairly quickly and hung out there cuz it was way too hot inside.
The party was well attended, and I hope Project Transition made some good money this year. Project T does this event at Christmas (Holiday Swing) and of the two, I have to say I like that one better. It's swankier, dressier, and fits with the Holiday vibe. And its cooler!
Martin came back and we did another photo op.
Bill and I then left, and I came home and worked for a couple hours.
The next morning I worked out, road, and then had a really cool thing planned.
Tony is a guy from Berkley (San Francisco area) who has followed my site for a while and even participated in the chat room and message board.
His boyfriend, Adam, emailed me a couple months back saying that they were coming to Austin for 4 days, and that he wanted to surprise Tony with a visit and a couples photoshoot.
So Adam kept it quiet, and we made arrangements for me to just walk in while they were having breakfast at Magnolia Café.
Adam snuck off to the bathroom and made a quick call to me to tell me they were sitting in the back patio, and I casually walked in.
“Hi Tony! Good see you.” I said as I shook his hand to sit down.
“Adam, you're looking good, nice to meet you!”
Tony was floored. His mouth hung open and he was kind of flabbergasted. Ok, so I don't really know why, but I think we really did catch him by surprise.
Tony was even wearing a ChaosInAustin muscle shirt, and had jokingly asked Adam if he thought they'd see me while here.
It was really crazy. He was so surprised.
I had planned to spend the day with them. I knew they liked to get nakie, and Adam had asked about Hippie Hollow, so a trip up to the lake was on the agenda.
After lunch I made them abandon their car rental, and it was a quick tour of Austin. We stopped by my house and got towels and floaties, and headed up to the lake.
There they frolicked in the water. I think they genuinely enjoyed the lake and its surroundings. Tony is a botanist so he was identifying plants and such as we wandered the trails, so I think he even dug seeing the local plant life.
Then it was back to my house for some photos. Since I had already seen them all naked-like, they weren't real shy, and we got some fun fun fun pics..and a few naughty ones too.
Uh..we even shot some video. Yow! But here is one nice romantical shot.
After that, we went and had dinner at EZ's, one of the best places to eat on a Saturday night as it's not over booked.
Saturday night I worked on some of their images and video and tried to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Tried.
Got up on Sunday unrested, fixed my pancakes, and headed for the gym. Another big day planned.
Gay Pride was this weekend, and I knew I was gonna have to go to shoot Omar Lopez and possibly Matson Belle performing at the festival.
Also, Jonatan the metal sculptor was gonna have a booth, and last year I missed Pride because I was traveling, and he actually remembered that I didn't get to see his both last year, and wanted to make sure I came by this time.
I saw a new sculpture that I had to have too. RATS! I told him I would swing back by to get it, but I got distracted with the filming and had a meeting at 4pm that I had to get to. So I hope he still has it! It's cool. Can't wait to show it to you.
The Austin Baptist Women performed, and as always the crowds just congregate in masses while they rake in lots of money for charity. I think he said they have been performing 18 years with over 5 million raised. Truly the hardest (and oldest!) drag queens in the business!
I wasn't here last year, so I'm not sure how new this new Pavilion is, but it's awesome. Normally all the entertainment is out in the open and it is so bloody hot that it is difficult to sit and enjoy more than one or two entertainers at a stretch.
The new covering keeps it cool and the music doesn't seem to fade off into the wind.
Speaking of wind, it was a bit breezy. I few booths were being held down by their owners, but overall, the breeze kept everyone much cooler. Crowds seemed a little lighter than normal, but lots of happy festival patrons. Bless those lesbians and their organizational skills!
Omar Lopez is branching out with his own band, and played a wicked a violin. I only stayed for two songs as I had that dang 4pm model meeting.
The model meeting was a bit of bust, and Adam and Tony took apart my Neptune washing machine 'cuz it done got all broked.
Adam has a way with machines and he took it apart and found that the mainboard was blown, and that that part was covered under warranty (But not labor)
I couldn't find my receipt, which means I prolly didn't get an extended warranty. I actually had to do a search of my journal to find “Neptune” to figure out exactly when I purchased it. July of 2002! So almost two years ago and its blown. Not good.
They come out Wednesday to look at it, so will work at home photographing more products for the bat catalog.
That's about it. Didn't hear too much reaction on the new version of the site, so either everyone hates it or loves it so my they're fingers are frozen!
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