Hunky guys, geriatrics club and the longest opening ceremony ever

I originally posted this on July 16th, 2006.

Is it as swelterlingly hot where you are as it is over here? Today temperatures will reach 105 degrees (Fahrenheit) over here, but with the humidity it will feel as if it's 45 degrees Celsius - trust me: no fun. Mark & Dave are going out in a bit to play some beach volley. Not this little kitty; I'm going to meet up with Stacey – and a couple of other people from the Strangers in Paradise forum – later on and have dinner. Mark keeps saying it's my booty call everytime she calls the house, but she's not! She's just a friend...

The flight into the Chicago was long and tiring. (The guy next to me had stinky feet and I wonder if he's ever heard of cotton socks...) I’d forgotten how friendly people in Chicago are! So not like people at JFK Airport in New York. 

I got "sir"-ed both at the airport and on the plane (no shit). Dave and I sort of analyzed it, because I can't imagine why people keep mistaking me - especially after I start talking... He thinks that even though my speaking voice is high it still could be a man's since my pitch might actually be slightly lower than Mark's. Huh - what? I cannot imagine that for the life of me. Plus if I were a man I would be a very very effimate one (can you spell "nelly"?).

I sorta checked out the neighbourhood on Friday and got my brother Arnold a little present :) There are really beautiful houses here (or rather: mansions). I saw one that could house my entire family in Indonesia. Yes, it is that big. I also picked up anti-histamine pills at Jewel Osco’s – just in case… I had lunch at Noodle Zone on N. Clark Street. It was yummie and cheap! And the chicken broth actually reminded me of my mom’s at home. And on my way home I almost ran into a group of elderly women. I don’t know whether they were having a field trip or something, but they were moving and shuffling along the sidewalk with their canes. One of them was talking to her lady friend and started gesturing wildly with her stick to point out something and almost poked my eyes out in the process. Good thing I ducked away in time ;p

Mark & Dave keep introducing me to friends (I'm skipping a friend's BBQ tonight because I'll be having dinner with Stacey) and I've met a couple of very hunky men. Thank gawd I'm not straight; I'd be so in trouble! Unfortunately, apart from a little eye candy, there haven't been much on the women's department: no offense, but why are the majority of American lesbians so fat? Don’t they care about their bodies?

Mark & Dave's friends are all so nice and they seem to like me, too, and I had a blast going out with them after volleyball practice on Friday night - I was the only woman amongst 9 gay man. One of them spoke a fair amount of German! That impressed me alright. Oh, te funny thing is that everytime I get introduced to new folks they all ask me what sports I participate in and I have to tell them I'm just a spectator to the Gay Games ;p

Mark took me to Cafe Too on 4715 N Sheridan Rd for dinner. I like their concept: a part of their proceeds is used to school homeless people to help them get a job and to break their cycles of homelessness. Ok, now on to the opening ceremony last night: it lasted 4 hours and fifteen minutes! I think that's the longest opening ceremony I've ever been to! Goodness. Mark and I were sweating our asses off, waiting for Dave and team Chicago to come out last (nice pun, eh?).

I saw a lot of supposedly famous people (there were a bunch of 'm that I had never heard of - and I'm pretty much American minded according to some of you, eh?). Megan Mullally was there (that's Karen from Will & Grace) and what I liked about her was that after she did her thing and had stepped off the stage the took time to shake fans hands and give out autographs! Margaret Cho (a Korean American stand up comedienne) was a riot - loved her! Andy Bell performed two Erasure song: "Victim of love" and "Respect" (DEBS anyone?).

I do have one huge point of critique: all of the speeches and references where (with the exception of mentioning Amelie Mauresmo) very American minded. I do realize that most of the participants/contestants are from America and Canada, but still the Gay Games should include EVERYONE: gay, straight, abled and disabled from all over the world. I can imagine that some people just didn't get the speeches - or couldn't relate to them entirely. Btw who wrote those speeches? Some of them were just horrible and boring. Dave used the phrase "bored to tears", ha ha ha. He's a funny guy.

There was only one participant from Uganda who got a very warm welcome, just short from a standing ovation, from everybody at Soldier Field stadium. What guts! And there were three from Indonesia - I am so proud!

I hate to say it, but I think I'm growing milder as I grow older... Just being there with all kinds of people from around the world somehow touched me. I think I actually felt a loving vibe there. And apart from traffic control I didn't see much of Chicago's finest. (Unthinkable in the Netherlands if there's a football game.) Oh, there were people picketing, but I could not care less. I pretty much felt elated throughout the ceremony...

Mark and I visited the Chicago Botanical Garden yesterday and stayed for almost two hours - despite the heat. It was nice, even though the Japanese Garden was a bit of a disappointment. Let's just say that's the garden's a work in progress... On our way to the exit we came across a little chickie bird, who - according to Mark - has probably fallen out of it's nest and momma bird was nowhere to be seen. It sat very quiet and still in the shade, but I could tell the chickie wasn't doing fine. I didn't scamper off as I carefully approached it and I soon found myself giving it some water. It was screaming for it's momma, but it sure loved the water! A few minutes later it hopped towards my feet to bask in my presence (I am not kidding - I was afraid it might actually start following me home). We left the little birdie and we hope it's doing better now...

Stay cool!