PERMANENT LIPSTICK by Ginger Knoxx
Whatever your plans may be for the summer's kick-off weekend, remember two things: walking to the store is a good idea after drinking in the sun at a barbecue, and sunscreen IS your best friend. Nothing is worse than a hangover complicated by a fierce sunburn on the back of your knees. OK, there are much worse things, but when you realize you can't bend your legs to sit - you'll know what I'm talking about.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
Even though we're a couple, The Italian and I went to a singles wine tasting at Jazzbones to try out the stellar sparkling wines. They were fabulous! We got giddy pretty fast. I recommend going to one of the many tastings offered around the Sound. It's a great way to get into wine. Leaving the Boneyard as the sun went down, we swung by Fort Bender to visit the girls. Miss Kate and a very tuff looking Jess with a sassy as hell short haircut were gabbing it up on the patio while the munchkins threw dirt at each other. We stood around chatting and passing a bottle of framboise. We killed it in, like, 10 minutes. Good times.
THIRD THURSDAY, MAY 18
Straight after work I headed for Embellish Salon to check out the 2 Foot Crew, who had art on the walls and were spinning some old school tunes - we're talking stuff I hadn't heard in, like, eight years. People started showing up and going gaga over the graffiti style pieces. Jason of Fab5 brought his beautiful baby and young son, who looked like he was having a blast. Can-U showed up and did some vocal freestyle on the mic. Rad. The Benders came waltzing down the hill looking like a picturesque Hollywood family - stylish and fashionable. Hume, Olson, Bennett and the lovely Miss Hayward elected me as tour guide for the Wine Walk through the Theatre District. But first we had to drop in on Ebony and Pops at Galore and Dead Mans. Foiled! The Boones Farm and Cheetos had been gobbled up. While browsing the cool kitschy antiques whose voice did I hear from behind but that nasty girl herself - Natasha. We did air kisses and made promises to do lunch soon. Who knows what trouble that girl got in when she and her equally hot, raven-haired sidekick sashayed down the road (my money's on a cocktail at Doyle's). Murphy strolled by, pausing for hugs and more air kisses. Such a handsome devil he is. Miss Hayward found herself much too sober and slammed back some whiskey at Ida's Pub while the rest of us chatted before going to Dame Lola's. Then it was down the hill and to Over The Moon Café with Bria tending to a good walk-up crowd for dinner and Russ deftly handling the Anselmi - a delicious Italian white wine. The Frenchman and his girl were out tooling around on bikes. We also ran into Uncle Steve, who's usually manning Rampart but had a work thing that kept him from opening the humongous multi-use art space. The Ruby Collection was just too expansive to try exploring mid-Wine Walk, so we bounced (the place was out of wine). Across Opera Alley, Horatio's had just the thing for two tipsy girls - flamboyant hats and handbags - while the guys talked with Horatio himself. Rocky and CoCo's clothing shop did not impress me at all. I just can't get excited about a store that carries women's clothing and the biggest size looks like it would barely fit Lady J's daughter. Fibers Etc. was the coolest. The nicest lady ever fed us cheese and crackers and Italian orange soda. That was a good wine break. We kept saying we had no idea all of those cool shops even existed. Making our way back up St. Helens to our last stop (and more framboise), we had the pleasure of getting a tour of Remedy 450 - massage rooms and fab photography on the walls by a SOTA student. I can't wait to have a facial there. Our now revved up pack of merrymakers bid adieu outside - parting ways for The Swiss, the newly re-opened Kickstand Café, and Hell's Kitchen.
FRIDAY, MAY 19
Speaking of the Kitchen, Naja's band was awesome. I knew they would be. That girl has some pipes on her, and the trio backing her up in The Demise was tight. Songs were crafted well, and the lyrics worked. Naja was just a ball of nervous energy before she went on, but she channeled it all into her stage performance. Dang girl, where you been hiding all that talent? Bluecifer and Carl were holding up one end of the bar between telling funny stories and lauding how much the 6-6-06 show is going to rock. Murphy and Mister Dan (as in Dangerrrrous) from Come Down Heaven waited in line for cocktails like the swell gents they are, and tall as hell Robby looked only too cool all in black. Murph and Trash are having a birthday bash June 10 with DJ dAb and - all the way from New York City - DJ Lauren Devine. Yours truly will be there fo sho. Dazzling disco attire encouraged. After Naja's set, The Italian and I blazed over to Tempest for some of Larry's close-to-famous liquid concoctions.
Give me a wink and a kiss here. Knoxx knows.