Anchors AWAY!!!!

This past Sunday was the monthly Tea Cruise on the Musette. There is free parking right near the ship's berth on the south bank of the New River. After checking with Peter and his crew, the Damron Vacations' staff(no pun intended) boarded the ship. Dana, Sherry, Kirk, his partner David and yours truly took a quick tour. Kirk and David set up the Damron Vacations display in the main lounge on the first deck, meanwhile the rest of us found 'adult beverages' on the open second level and found space at the rail to watch out departure.
After a slight delay for one of the performers, are drag queens ever on time?, we pulled away from land and headed east. The New River winds it way along the south side of downtown towards the intercoastal and the open waters of the Atlantic. Lining the shores are some of the most expensive homes in the area. Large waterfront compounds with plenty of outdoor living space with pools with attached spas, outdoor kitchens that rival most suburban homes.
The on board entertainment included performance from two local female impersonators, a stripper, a porn star and a young guy in his underwear. Of the group, the stripper was DEFINITELY the best. I'm guessing that he was well into his 30s, but had a body to die for. Well muscled but not steroid looking, dark hair, what had not been shaved, and appeared to be nicely equipped under his torn, wet, white, tee shirt. YUMMY!!!
The porn star was no slouch either. A tasty looking Latin man in a well packed Speedo. One of my coworkers(and me) thought it was nicely filled in the rear. So many men work on their chests but ignore other ASSets. He did pose for a group picture, but I have included the other I took.
The weather was beautiful, sunny with a nice breeze, so was a great day for a boat tour. The Tea Cruise is an optional feature for all of Damron Vacation packages if travel includes the first Sunday of the month. There is a variation with the next cruise the last Sunday in May so as not to interfere with Gay Days at Disney.

Swine Flu? We have a cure......

With all the media attention on Mexico and the Swine Flu Pandemic, travelers are avoiding many of the most popular vacation spots in the Western Hemisphere, Cancun, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta.
Travelers already booked are re-booking to other destinations in the Caribbean.
This is a hard blow for Mexico. With the press it has recently received with the drug lords and border issues, this is the last thing the tourist destinations need. While it seems that the disease has over run the country, the vast majority of cases are in Mexico City and not in the beach resorts. But people are still wary of the whole country.
Damron Vacations is offering a cure for the swine flu. Currently Damron Vacations is offering a $100 instant savings for packages to the Caribbean. Destinations like the Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Antigua, and the list goes on. Fantastic beaches, turquoise water, frozen drinks with little umbrellas, what more is needed?
When traveling, do not forget to bring your Damron Guide. For over 40 years the Damron Guide has been helping gay travelers find places to relax and feel accepted. While some islands are not very gay friendly, all-inclusive resorts make leaving the property unnecessary.
So if the swine flu has made you postpone a Mexican vacation, let the experienced agents of Damron Vacations help you plan a Caribbean Escape. Leave CNN, cellphones, and flu reports at home and relax under a palapa and enjoy.

I Dreamed a Dream

Yes, the song sung by Susan Boyle on Britain, You've Got Talent. A rather frumpy woman in her late 40's, single, lives alone with her cat, never been married or romantically involved. Up until her death a few years past, she cared for her mother. Sounds familiar?
To an extent, her life parallels a lot of gay men's lives, except for the not being kissed or romantically involved. But there are a lot of single gay men out there that pushing 50 and wondering where there youth has gone.
Growing up every child has dreams and aspiration of how they will be as adults. Changing the world for the better through science or medicine, being happily married with children and grandchildren.
Then comes reality. Career paths take detours and never get back on track, marriages or relationships falter, health fails. Sexuality changes. Outside forces alter the options forever. But time marches on, slowly ticking away from youth to middle age.
That is what makes the song I Dreamed a Dream so poignant. The words are very cutting to core of many people's lives, whether gay or straight, married or single. Life has lost most of its excitement and has become routine. Days flow into weeks, then months and eventually years. We have become our parents, something we swore we would never do.
But all is not hopeless, life is still alive. Susan Boyle always wanted to be a professional singer, but never had the chance until almost 48. After the first few notes of her song, it looks like her dream might come true, probably long after she gave up hope. The same holds true for people everywhere. Maybe it has become too late to study medicine, or discover a renewable non polluting power source, but there are other ways to change the world and make a lasting impression. Volunteering for a cause, every locale has an AIDs hotline or fundraising committee. There are possibilities everywhere to help the less fortunate. Even when you think you life has been wasted, remember somewhere there is at least one person that smiles when they think of you.
Maybe a career change is in order? If you are bored and unfulfilled at your current position, try job.travel for opportunities in the travel and hospitality industry. Jobs in travel and hospitality are world wide and encompasses many talents. Perhaps a trip to a place you have always dreamed of visiting? Damron Vacations can help with the planning. So do not let the rest of your life pass you by, make some changes to spice it up and enjoy.

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living,
So different now from what it seemed...
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed...

Memories......

I commute to work with a fellow employee. She lives about 4 blocks away and picks me up after dropping her daughter off at school. We have a great relationship, I am dramatically older, 2 FULL days, her brother is gay and lives with is partner in Chicago, and I entertain her with jokes. On Friday she asked me to bring in a picture of my family. after hearing storied about them, she wanted a visual. So today I bought in two photos, one of my mom and one of the whole family. Mom's picture was taken just before her health started to fail, taken in my parent's home at the time. The second is my brother's wedding about 20 years ago.
My mom was just past her 70th birthday and is the last picture she had taken. Though this is the picture I have in my room of her, I remember her as she was in the mid 1960s. When our birthday parties were events to be celebrated, ice cream in individual containers with wooden 'spoons, cupcakes topped with coconut tinted in different colors, birthday cake and games. For my older brother's fifth birthday there was a rented pony for rides. This was a big deal in suburban New Jersey.
The wedding picture is from the late 80s when my younger brother got married the first time. It was held in a boy's school in Subiaco, Arkansas. Yes, out in the middle of nowhere, halfway between Little Rock and Ft Smith, right near the nuclear plant in Clarksville. It was a fun time, most of us flew into Memphis to my parent's home at the time and then we drove over to the wedding. I drove my father's Tempo(a real stylish ride) with Mitzi and Dawn my two sister in laws. I remember the drive and we had a good time.
Though I only looked at two pictures memories flooded back of these events and others too, family vacations, holiday preparations and meals among others. So break out the old photo album and take a stroll down memory lane with your family. For future memories, call Damron Vacations and plan a trip off your bucket list, time will not wait.