In 2009 Tampa Hosted the Super Bowl. The NFL Experience was on 8^th ave between 15^th &17^th Street, in Ybor City.  At this time Carrie was on the Barrio Latino Commission.  We were invited to a VIP NFL Party at Rock’n Sports in Centro Ybor.  Which located on the 2^nd floor, next to the old Hamburger Mary’s. We also took our good friend and football nut, Judy B. Goode with us. At the party suddenly July yells OMG that’s Michael Strahan 7 takes off running. We had no idea who he was. The next thing you know Judy is pulling on the leg of this HUGE SEXY GUY asking for a photo. He was very nice to us.  I took the photo, which later was in the Watermark Newspaper. Several years later we were watching Good Morning America and said to each other. WOW that guy looks familiar. Just then the phone rang and it was Judy all excited…. Are you watching Good Morning America? That is the football player I had my photo with in Ybor! We all love Michael Strahan today on TV.

The year was 1977. We were very young and in a downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota un-named Gay bar. There was a big motorcycle convention in town. Late one night some bikers got very drunk and decided to teach the fags a lesson. About 8 of them stumbled into the Gay bar with chains just a swinging and yelling.  Their big mistake was that this was a hardcore Gay Leather bar!!! Of course, the gays fought back. With in minutes the bikers were on the floor. Then they took the bikers, boots, jeans and underwear off. Then tossed them back onto Hennepin Ave. naked.  They never came back. I wonder what story they told the other bikers???

I was very lucky to Barend with one of the most beautiful real women in Ybor City, who was blessed with rather large chest. Not only beautiful but very flighty and fun. One day there were 2 straight guys, from some small town up north,  giving us a hard time. Finally, she had enough and said “OK, just stop it guys or do we have to pull out our dicks and see who’s is the biggest? I’m ready and I know I will win!” They looked at me and I said “That’s why we call HIM Daddy” They guys looked like dear in headlight. Sat down ad didn’t give us anymore trouble. LMAO

In the bar business you either have Great bar backs or the opposite. I was working in a very Gay Friendly Club. The new bar back asked me what my cologne was. I told him and he said “That’s what I thought. My Dad wears that.” LMAO RUDE…  I said Great then you can call me Daddy. He had a I don’t understand look on his face and didn’t come back the next day. LMAO

My crazy husband Carrie! I just notice that under our bathroom sink he has my bottle of blue mouthwash next to a bottle of bleu Fabuloso!  Hum….. do you think he is waiting for the day I mix them up? LMAO LMAO

We all have a Favorite Crazy Great Aunt! One day we were talking with our Great Aunt and said that Jesus and the Disciples probably did not know how to read and write. They communicated thru stories in that time.  Auntie said “YES he did! He learned how to read and write in Sunday School!!! They wanted him to be Lutheran too but he stayed Catholic.”  She was serious…. LMAO LMAO Then this week we were at the convenience store. Our friend John was behind the counter. He was telling the guy in front of us that in England today is Boxing Day. It starts the day after Christmas and everyone exchanges gifts. The holiday goes on for 12 day. The guy behind us said No that sounds like a Jewish Holiday. John said no but you know Jesus was a Jew. The guy then said “NO HE WAS A BAPTIST!!!” LOL LOL The Holidays WOW

Do you remember your worst Holiday Gift EVER??? I do!!! We were together about 6 years when Carrie gave me the worst gift ever. He truly though that his gift to me was very nice. Carrie gave me a book, titled “How to clean your house”. WTF Really??? I said is this a joke? Carrie said no it has some good ideas. I said well I going to start cleaning right now and tossed it into the fireplace. The next day I called a cleaning service.

This week it was announced. After two terms as Tampa’s mayor and nearly seven years as president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Pam Iorio is retiring. The LGBT Community loves and respects Mayor Pam so much! We all wish her and her family the very best.  It was my pleasure to campaign on stilts for Pam many times.   Here is a funny story you might not know….. The 1^st Lady of Ybor City, the Legendary Miss Joey Brooks and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio both went to high school together.  Miss Joey Brooks often jokes.  Joey went on to become the Queen of Tampa and Pam went on to become the King of Tampa!!!! LMAO As Paul Harvey would say, Now you know the rest of the story.

One of our favorite Facebook Groups is “Our Old House” We accidently got 100’s of people talking on this site.  We live in a one-of-a-kind 100+ year old home. I asked people what they thought about the unusually upside-down cross wood trim on the stairs. We know that actual history but wanted to see what people would say.  Many people guess Arts & Craftsman. Wrong answer. Then they asked to see more, so we posted a photo of the upper stairs. Here is where it got CRAZY!!! In the window, when you zoom in, was the image of a face. People went nuts!!! You can just imagine the stories.  After and hour we posted a 3^rd photo. In the window sitting on a shelf is our Merman from our store. LOL Now here is the real story of the stairs.  These stairs are from the original Hillsborough County Court House. Build in the late 1890’s in a Greek Revival style. When the courthouse was demolished, Judge Leo Stalnaker salvaged these stairs and had them re proposed into his home. These were the stairs the prisoners walked down from the court house then off to jail. The Judge said he could feel the regret in the hearts of the convicted on the stairs. The upside down cross has been interpreted by many as good and evil.   The Judge and one other home owner both passed away in this home and these stairs were probably the last thing they saw.

A good friend of ours just did a mail in cancer test. He had a video conference to talk with the Doctor about the results. His test came back positive. The Doctor said it wasn’t something to be alarmed about. If the test would have come back negative then they were 100% sure it was correct. If the test comes back positive there could be many different reasons for a false positive. He was told to see his primary doctor for a follow-up. Then the Doctor said that he could see our friend was upset. He asked if it was OK to pray with him to whatever God he believed in. Our Jewish friend said OK. At the end of the prayer the Doctor made the sign of the cross. Last our friend told us. This was the 1^st time he went to a Doctor and was prescribe “Good Thoughts & Prayers.”  Living in the times of covid brings out the best and strange.