Pattycake and I have been visiting my folks (and Nana) this week in NW Montana and have had a blast. We were staying at their brainchild Flathead River Ranch, an exclusive ranch community they've been developing for the last five years.
It was Nana's 83rd Birthday and we celebrated in style on Tuesday: with lemon cake and Pinot Noir. You'd never know Nana was 83 and I swear, she is still sharper than most people I know. Mom and I were surrounded by three Libras (Dad and Patty's birthday are earlier in October).
We spent this week lounging around in flannel pajamas, going for walks during fleeting snow storms and eating. Did I mention the food? There was plenty of eating. (In fact, as I type, my mom just walked in and said "donuts!")
The photo above is of the four girls, taken at another project my parents are developing on the other side of the valley. It's called Canyon Creek Ranch.
The adorable dog in Pattycake's lap is Trapper, their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He is ten months old and totally owns my parents. He goes everywhere (even to the Bulldog Saloon for buffalo wings) and on the raft to float down the Flathead River. (In case you're worried about him, he has his own life jacket--no joke.)
Sadly, we're leaving today. We road-tripped here and we're hitting the pavement again today, this time headed up north to Calgary and then to Banff. It's my first trip to Banff and I'm super excited.
Stays in Vegas. Except for these little details from our trip to sin city:
We hit the city big this week to celebrate Nana's 82nd birthday. And what a time we had. After checking into the Wynn, Texas, Nana, my parents and I, hit their casino and hit it hard. Blackjack is Texas and my game and we don't mess around. We're all business until the dealer busts or one of us draws a blackjack. And then anything goes. Hoots and hollers, whistles, high fives or even a smooch at the table.
Overall, we did give sin city all of their chips back, but had a kick ass time losing. Doesn't that count for something? To us it does. Nana won, which was fitting, since it was her big birthday.
Aside from the endless games of blackjack we played, other highlights from our Vegas trip include: Naps by the pool. Ahhh. The sun was out and it was a scorcher to these Oregonians, especially this time of year. Although it was brave for Texas and I to put these painfully white bodies in bathing suits, we couldn't resist. Everyone needs Vitamin D that doesn't come in a multi-vitamin every now in then.
Le Reve was also a highlight, although we all agreed that O was far better. There was some girl on girl in Le Reve, however, which earned it some extra points from all of us, even Nana. Even though she's straight, she loves her some lesbian action. Not only is one of her granddaughters/soul mates a lesbo (me!), she also loves the L Word and has just discovered Exes and Ohs (on her own!). She's a great ally.
The world stopped turning on the last night when we stepped into the Las Vegas Hilton to see Barry Manilow. Holy Hell does that man put on a great show! We were all huge Barry fans going in and Nana was especially wooed by him. You probably wouldn't guess this, but I'm a biggest Fanilow out there, second only to Nana. Texas took me several years ago and I actually shook Barry's hand. I took some video for you to enjoy below. The first one is when Barry came out. The second when he sang "Even Now" and then when he ended up over our heads singing Copacabana on a jutting bridge. Fucking awesome!
Other mentionables:
- A great dinner at The Country Club (at the Wynn). The best steak ever.
- Spending quality time with my parents and Nana.
- Texas and I were at the Imperial Palace very late one night and this drunk chick (she left the table at one point to puke--Texas heard her in the bathroom) yelled across the table to Texas: YOU HAVE HUGE BOOBS! Texas had just hit a blackjack and had thrown her arms up, prompting the girl to notice and comment. It was hilarious. She was a frickin' mess. Knocking over her chips and burning holes in the felt. Classic.
- We were at Harrah's one afternoon, again, playing BJ, when the dealer asked Texas and I if were related (for the tenth time that trip). It happens ALL the time. No one ever assumes we're a couple. Ever.
"Sisters?" the man said. "No," Texas sighed, rolling her eye. "Try again." With that, the dealer, kidding and very dramatically said: "Are you lessssbian lovvvvvers?" "Yes!" I exclaimed. "Bingo!"
My hip grandmother recently discovered that she has Logo. She lives in Arizona and found it deep in her cable channels. Since then, I don't think she's watched much else--except maybe her soap operas and Murder She Wrote.
"I had no idea there were so many gay people," Nana said last week. "There are tons."
I've dwelled on this comment for days now. Before discovering that we had our own cable channel, did she only think there were a handful of us? The six or seven friends of mine she's met and my gay uncle Danny. Surely she knew there were at least fifty; after all, she does watch the L Word and cut a clipping in the paper and sent it to me when Rosie came out.
Since the discovery, she's seen the Round Trip Ticket show Dipstick and I were on last year that continues to run several times a month. In the Portland, Oregon show, I talk about grooming and whether or not two male tops can make it work. I also briefly fought with host Marc Savoia with, you guessed it, a rubber dildo. I bet Nana was proud.
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Pattycake and I have been visiting my folks (and Nana) this week in NW Montana and have had a blast. We were staying at their brainchild Flathead River Ranch, an exclusive ranch community they've been developing for the last five years.
The photo above is of the four girls, taken at another project my parents are developing on the other side of the valley. It's called Canyon Creek Ranch.
Stay tuned for more. 
