There was big news this week will the sale of the Kress Building in Tampa. In the 1990’s the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival rented a ground floor portion for a video cabaret. The volunteers worked very hard to clean it up. When the water was turned on the pipes broke. There had to be toilets for code so portable blue outhouses were brought in. They were set up in the back of the huge room. In the front of the room there was a small vendor festival set up. We had one of these booths. One night in the Tampa Theatre was the showing of “Naked Civil Servant” . The film was based on the life of Quinten Crisp (who was a good friend of ours) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Crisp Quinten was here to do a question and answer after the film. He had a few to many cocktails with us and didn’t make it to the question and answer. TIGLFF was so upset with us! While we were in the booth a guy walked up and asked “Where is the Restroom” we told him. On his way out…….. he was very upset. Walked up to us and said “I tried 4 of those toilet before I could find one that flushed!! I demand to speak with the person in charge!!! ” He was serious so we sent him to the bar next door to complain. LOL Quinten & us laughed for many years to come about this guy. http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/historic-kress-department-store-building-to-get-makeover
Category Archives: “You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up…”
You Just Can Not Make This Up!!!
A while back, half asleep, I took a pair of jeans out of the dryer. Put the jeans on and walked into the living room. With a big smile I announced it was going to be a GREAT DAY!!! Inside the pocket of the jeans was a $20 bill. Carrie said “I wore those jeans last. That’s my 20 dollar bill.” So I gave him the 20. Then latter, after I woke up, realized that we don’t wear the same size jeans!!! Hum so from work I gave him a call and asked if I could borrow 20 dollars. Carrie said NO!!! How very rude! Fast forward several months. Walking into work there on the floor in the parking garage was a 20 bill. So I called Carrie and once again he said it was his. Humm …… So I took a pen out and wrote on the bill “If Lost return to Carrie”
You Just Can Not Make This Up!!!
Back in the early 1980’s we had a friend called Crazy Richard. His name should have said it all. His parents owned an orange grove and was always bragging that he was a “True Southerner.” We invited him to a Thanksgiving Party. Richard said that he would be happy to bring a True Southern Holiday Dish. Proudly Richard walked into the party with a fancy cut crystal dish. In the dish were raisons mixed with pecans. We asked what makes raisins southern? Richard said that this were not just plain raisons but homemade raisons that his grandmother made. Then we got the lecture that the nuts were not pecans but pecons!!! A pecan is something you put under your bed and pee in. Pecon is what you eats. Ever since then we call them pecons and make this dish all the time. Sadly the next year Richard died of AIDS age 24.
You Can Not Make This Up
Here is a very cool “Did You Know?” story. Back on the 1990’s Ybor City was thinking about decorating for Christmas. Diane & Dean James were very active property & business owners in Ybor City. Dean is a very creative artist. At one time owned and operated a stain glass studio and glass blowing studio in Ybor. Dean is also very talented with metal. At one of the many Ybor meeting, Diane & Dean came up with the idea……. To build light bridges across 7th. Then they wrapped lights on the metal art works. Everybody so loved them that the light bridges were never taken down! Today they are maintained by TECO. Some Holiday decorations are just so FABULOUS that we should enjoy them year round!
You Just Can Not Make This Up
There was this guy who dressed up like Batman. He drive his motorcycle thru Ybor City to the delight of everyone. One night a friend and me stopped at the Wooden Nickel in North Tampa. We had his dog with us so we put the car window down a little. When we cam back to the car the friendly dog had jumped on the door lock. Opps the keys were inside too. My friend was putting his arm into the car when from behind us in a deep voice we heard…. “HAVE A PROBLEM CITIZENS?” We turned and there was the Ybor Batman. Staying in charter Batman pulled the window and we got the keys. We asked Batman “How did you know we needed help?” Batman said “I’m everywhere citizens.” Then jumped on his bike and drove off. We looked at each other and said “Holy Cow did that just happen? Did Batman just save us
You Just Can Not Make This Up
There was this drag queen friend of ours. One night she was upset about something. We asked her what was wrong? With hands waving in the air and very dramatic fashion she told us how upset she was with the police. OMG What happened? She had pulled over to the side of the road. The police stopped and told her that if she did it again they will give her a ticket or arrest her. Hummm…. Where did your pull over at? With a look like “How could you ask me that???” She said ” On top of the Howard Frankland Bridge in the middle of Tampa Bay!!!” Humm.. Why would you stop there? After another ARE YOU KIDDING ME LOOK she said “That is where Marilyn Monroe comes to me and we have conversations there!!!” Hum…WOW we though for a minute then said ” You know spirits do not like water. Maybe if you were to talk to her from the shore line she would talk longer.” Every time we cross the Howard Frankland we look for a stopped car. http://www.mcfilm.co/category/you-just-cant-make-this-sht-up/
You Just Can Not Make This Up
Cruise Ship passengers say the craziest things!!! One Friday Night, on the balcony at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City, at 10PM there was this young couple from some small town up north. They were so excited about going on their 1st cruise. I had been taking care of them all night and they had just finished when asked them where they were going next? They asked me for a suggestion. So I was telling them to take a fun walk on 7th Ave. I went on to described some of the colorful people. Being Friday night I said “On one corner will be the religious right all telling us that we are going to hell. On the other corner is PFLAG telling us we are loved. The young girl asked what is PFLAG. I said Parents and Friends of Gays & Lesbians. With a surprised look she said “WHAT you have Gays & Lesbians HERE!!!?? I have never meet a Gay guy before. WOW!” I just smiled and said “I’m sure you have you just didn’t realize it.” She replied back to me (A Big Queen) “NO I WOULD KNOW A GAY GUY IF I SAW ONE!!!” Her new husband then asked “We would really like to go dancing. What’s the best club to go to?” I just couldn’t resist…. and sent them to The Honey Pot. A big GAY Club. Hum do you think she saw a Gay guy there?!? LMAO
You Just Can Not Make This Up
Hurricane Irma was on her way to Tampa. Several of us were helping Hamburger Mary’s Ybor get ready. The restaurant was closed, Mark & Bryan were working in the main dinning room. A homeless guys with wild hair came shuffling in. We tried to tell him that we were closed today. He just continued walking then stopped picked up a chair and…. threw it at us. He was screaming that he was going to fu*king kill us. WELL, we do crazy all the time but this was too much even for me. We went out to the balcony and got Manager Phil (All 6″3″ with big muscles) and Carrie. Phil walked up to him and told him that the police had been called and he needed to get out now. On his way out he took Bryan’s cigarettes. Screaming they were his cigs. LOL It felt with the scene in the Wizard of Oz where the fortune teller-Wizard just sent Dorthy home during the storm. “Hope she makes it home OK.” I thought to my self where do the crazy homeless go during a hurricane? Hope he makes it thru OK. The next week we saw him again on the street. Guess he made it OK thru the hurricane.
You Just Can Not Make This Up
We all have a favorite shirt. RIGHT? Many of us have shopped late into the night on Amazon. RIGHT? I have a favorite shirt with Florida Flamingos on it. One day I lost a button on it. A week later there the shirt was with the button replaced. I went to put it on but it was now to tight??? So the next couple of weeks I dieted. Then went to try it on again. It fit but the button was gone again??? What happened to the button?…I then took a closer look in the closet. I had purchased 2 of the same shirts on Amazon. The smaller size had the button on it. LMAO
You Just Can Not Make This Up
This week the University of Tampa started back up. 1,000’s of people filled the dorms up. We meet a fun Italian couple from the North east. They were excite that their only son & child was starting at UT. After our 3rd cocktail together, in Ybor City asked “Is your son Gay or straight?” With a very shocked look they said…..”Nobody has every asked that question before?” Hum… “Well dose he have a girlfriend?” She replies “Oh no he is too busy studying for all that?” “OK so then he is GAY. We will see him in Ybor City. Tell him about 18 and up night at the Honey Pot. And this Thanksgiving when he comes home with his friend. That’s probably his boyfriend ” OMG then I realized did I just out this guy? BUT WAIT Mothers always know!!! The couple said that they can’t wait to come back to Ybor over the next 4 years. Did you know there is a LGBT group at UT? http://www.ut.edu/diversity/lgbtq/