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    Next to our home was a small wooden house. It was vacant, window broken, doors open for many years.We even asked Mayor Greco to “tear it down!” Everyday it received more code violations. Finally the house was sold on the courthouse steps. The neighborhood was so excited. Finally, they would tear it down & build a new house. WRONG!!!  The new owner wanted to rebuild it. In February moved in an old man named Ed with his guns & his crazy drugged out white trash maybe son(??) Jimmy. They moved in with a dozen chickens and roosters. They soon started repairs without any permits & no windows. Code & city building permit staff started to come out eveyday. By the second week Jimmy & Ed thought it was us calling. It was not, there is an active neighborhood crime watch that were calling daily and the city already had sights on this questionable duo. Jimmy put a noose around a large stuff toy in an old car tire & hung it on the front porch with a handmade scribbled sign that read, “DIE FAGGOTS DIE”.

    Lucky for us we have a 6′ wood fence around our property. Our other neighbors were not so lucky and were faced with daily confrontations from Jimmy. This went on for 10 months. Code violations, building inspectors and roosters crowing at 5am!  Then 4am one night we were thrown out of our bed by a super vibracious & loud explosion. We both jumped up & then again hit the floors. For the 1st time we called the police. The police came out and after checking it out told us to not go anywhere close to them. The police were kicked off the property!  “They were really crazy!”

    Then New Year’s Eve night, we spent the night at the Suncoast Resort in St. Pete. When we came home the next day there were fire trucks in the front yard. The house next doors had caught fire & burned thru the roof and half the back of the house outer walls. Ed came over & told us Jimmy had set the house on fire (making meth) and he had kicked him out. Great now they were going to tear the house down. WRONG!!!

     Ed pulled in a travel trailer to live in. The house was condemned and scheduled for demolition. That didn’t stop ED, he put a new soso roof over the burned one. Over the next 10 months Jimmy came back, the police & code enforcement were there many times every week. One day Jimmy was out of control screaming ” F**k this & F**k that” in the backyard. The police were called again. Mark was watching all this thru the blinds out the windows.

    As the officers entered the side gate in front of Mark lurking, Jimmy’s mean pitbull dogs charged the officer and the officer shot his gun POP! POP! POP! killing one of the dogs. Jimmy then attacked the officers. We again called the police, “Shots fired & officer needs help, NOW!” You couldn’t count the police cars that came within minutes. They took Jimmy away!

    About 2 months later I thought I saw something fall off the roof. I heard moaning and looked over the fence. There was old man Ed rolling in the dirt completely naked! For the second time ever we called the police. When the paramedics arrived Ed told them that his chickens had attacked him and picked away all his clothes. Then the chickens chased him up on the roof. They then took Ed away. Then we called the code violation department. They were excited that Ed was not there & knocked the house down the very next day.

    The following week Ed was knocking at our door. He actually said, “Somebody stoled my house! Was it you?” Then he went on to say that everybody here was” F**k’n nuts” and he was going to take his trailer and move to Colorado where all the people are normal. That was the last we ever saw of Ed & Jimmy. Today there are two beautiful town homes on the lot. You just can not make this stuff up!

There is a wonderful & kinda nutty professor who is Loved by everybody here in GaYBOR. One night she was so excited that their daughter & son in law were coming for a concert in GaYBOR. The 3 of them & their friends all had a VIP space with bottle service. The perfect son in law ordered the second bottle of Grey Goose. The concert ended and when nobody was looking the daughter poured the rest of the bottle into a water bottle and sneaked it out. Monday, the professor was running late for work so she grabbed some fruit and a bottle of water. In the middle of a lecture she reached into her purse and pulled out a bottle of water & took a big sip! OMG you guessed it. The water bottle was vodka. We asked if she finished the bottle. Our favorite nutty professor just smiled and said it was a very interesting relaxing teaching day. LOL LOL

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Several years ago Steve Donahue of G.BAR was telling us that we had to come out on a Sunday Night to hear this new singer. That night she gave a great performance. We remember her over the top costume. Sadly not to many were at her meet & great after. Last year I was going thru a stack of music CD’s on my desk. I opened the cast to her CD and to our astonishment it was signed to us! We had totally forgot it was signed.  The person was Lady GaGa!!!! you just can not make this stuff up!!!!

    Early Monday 6-4-12 morning a huge party started in Heaven!!! The legendary Mary Ann Bonsey (The Queen) passed away. Her bigger than life “Auntie Mame” positive personality inspired many in our community. Mary Ann LOVED; Cigarettes, Stoli Vodka, Southern cooking, her friends (especially the Gay ones) & her custom signature mega 100’+ built yacht, The Miz Scarlett. It was not uncommon to meet professional ball players, sports club owners, national political leaders and recognized national newscasters in her condo or aboard Miz Scarlett. To say she will be missed a is a huge understatement. Left behind will be many wonderful memories and unforgettable stories. She was a professional ballroom dancer. Her sleek jeweled performance dance dresses are pure designer silk fashion treasures. She had them showcased in glass throughout the condo! We will remember the stories she told us about living next door to former President Jimmy Carter and when she met the love of her life, second husband Frank. When Mary Ann & Frank decided to move to Florida. Here is just one of the many stories.

     Frank went ahead to find a new home. Frank was a famous hospital / building architect. He purchased 4 units on the top floor of the Treasure Island Tennis & Yacht Club. Then Frank re designed the units into one beautiful penthouse. When he first showed the finished new home to Mary Ann he asked, “What do you think.” Mary Ann said, “Very nice but I will miss my basement we left behind in Georgia.”

     A couple of months went by when the elevator stopped on the floor below. Mary Ann asked, “What’s this?” As Frank opened the door he said, “It’s your basement!” There was a large rec room complete with pool table, pinball machines, sports posters, a complete guest condo & tons of basement storage. We can still hear Mary Ann with her Georgia accent say to Judy, “Judy dear would you mind running down to the basement & get me…” then everybody would laugh. We all will miss Mary Ann very much.