We’ve had a gallery wall in almost every apartment since our last stint in Dallas, and this time around it is no different.
The latest iteration of the gallery wall has a hodgepodge of new wall art, vintage album covers, diplomas, and even a family photo or two.
The dogs don’t seem to mind it, so I guess it’s a success?
I am continually surprised by how poorly LGBT events (and drag shows in particular) are promoted.
However, instead of reading people to filth complaining on Facebook, I realized that the marketing basics may not be common knowledge to everyone.
So, in the interest of helping all LGBT events succeed, here are the the basics of promoting a local drag show, according to me:
Overview — there are the three main components of promoting most drag shows:
Dallas sidewalks are notoriously bad — either filled with junk, deteriorating, or, filled with plants apparently.
Sidewalks in Oak Lawn in Dallas.
Sidewalks in Oak Lawn in Dallas.
It’s by the far the most pleasant nuisance in the neighborhood. And, not many people walk in this area so it probably doesn’t bother many people.
I am not sure if this bulk trash day, a hoarders situation, or a particularly rude eviction — but there was recently a huge mess in the neighborhood in front of one of the many vintage apartment buildings.
Surely it’s not an eviction, which have been banned during the outbreak, but who knows? Also, why would a landlord trash their own property like this? Seems odd.
Trashed yard in Oak Lawn, Dallas.
It’s not the strangest or even most unsightly thing in Oak Lawn right now, but pretty strange nevertheless. 🤷
One of the most jarring things about moving from Washington D.C. to Dallas during a pandemic is how differently the cities approach the virus.
The social norms surrounding physical distancing and mask wearing are very different in Dallas. We’ve actually had neighbors say, “Oh, so you’re mask queens?” In the same condescending tone that you’d use with an anti-vaxxer.
The Texas heat was not kind to the beautiful, supposedly-resilient Haworthia succulent plants that I brought from D.C.
The plants died, and they died quickly on my new balcony. After a string of 100-degree days, the plants shriveled despite daily watering.
Apparently Dallas also has crickets, who are totally unbothered by the heat. I found my already-suffering plants devoured one morning after they became a midnight buffet for those little terrors.
It was time to toss the plants and start over.
This weekend we went to a new drag brunch in Uptown Dallas and it was fabulous!
TNT Tacos and Tequila drag brunch is a sprawling afternoon show hosted by Mayra D’Lorenzo. There’s good food, a rotating drag cast, and lots of crowd interaction.
I’ve had my biking desk and faux green wall for a few weeks now and I love my new WFH setup.
The inspiration for the green wall was this post from “A Beautiful Mess,” but I did some modifications.
Specifically, my green wall has lighting, which means that I needed to modify the installation process so the apartment doesn’t burn down. If you want to build your own green wall, I highly recommend consulting an electrician or omitting the lighting element.
Here’s what I used to make the wall.
A new rainbow gateway sign was installed this week in the gayborhood, near the intersection of Oak Lawn Avenue and Cedar Springs Road.
The sign is immediately in front of the Centrum office tower and right by the Legacy of Love monument that was erected about 15 years ago.
The new Oak Lawn sign is… interesting.
I’ve never heard of “cedar-planked salmon” before, but the package at the grocery store convinced me to give it a whirl.
I made the salmon with a bed of bacon-infused rice, which turned out to be the best part of the meal.
Dallas must have heard that the drag brunch critics are back in town because a new event just launched this week!
“The Last Virgin Drag Brunch“ is a new Sunday show at The Commons Club in Dallas’ new Virgin Hotel — only blocks away from the gayborhood.
The inaugural cast consisted of Jenni P., Nicole Michell, Layla LaRue, and Kenya Blue.
It was lovely to see some Dallas legends get back in the game as the other drag venues in town remain shuttered due to the pandemic. The Commons Club is also a gorgeous venue with very generous lighting for the queens.
I was recently invited back to Georgetown Law to participate in a panel for incoming LL.M. students. Like every responsible event right now, this panel was held virtually.
The theme was how LL.M. students can best navigate this (not so new) virtual environment for job-hunting purposes.
I recently ran into this adorable French Bulldog puppy at a breakfast spot. As always, the type of person who brings a dog into a food establishment is remarkably consistent.
But this is one was so cute that I didn’t mind this time.
I don’t know if I’d ever want a Frenchie — I think I prefer larger dogs, despite being the current owner of a sassy Chihuahua mix, or perhaps, because of that.
Proof that home cooking is not necessarily healthier — Michael figured out how to make a fast-food style breakfast sandwich at home.
The ingredients were simple enough and available at the local grocery store — English muffin, cheese, egg and sausage. I think the German breakfast sandwiches are probably healthier, but perhaps it’s time for a breakfast salad instead. 🥗
“Mobile order?”
“Yes. For Dennis.”
“Douglas?”
“Dennis.”
“Dubas?”
“Dennis. Den-nis. Like ‘Dennis the Mence'”
*Barista stares in 23*
*I spell my name*
This happens every week, and it’s even more comical for the rare non-mobile orders.
One of life’s small amusements is the various ways that my name gets misspelled on coffee cups. The most common misspelling omits the second “N” in “Dennis,” but I also get “Denise” frequently.
The cup surprises are less common now that I moved to mobile-ordering. But I’ll still get some odd-ball spellings at cafes where baristas have to manually write mobile orders on the cup.
“Dennis” seems like a relatively simple name to spell, but I am always cognizant that it’s not a very common name for people under 50 in the US. I’ve also met a few people who spell their name with a single “N,” so perhaps it’s not truly a misspelling for everyone. ☕
One new addition to Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood is this beautiful mural featuring LGBT rights activists Martha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera on the side of Cedar Springs Tattoo.
The quote on the Martha P. Johnson side of the mural says, “Pay it no mind,” which is what the “P.” in her name stood for (and also the name of her documentary).
I always remind my friends that Dallas is a major American city and not the rural, oil-rig dotted cow town from TV, but there is randomly a “ranch” of sorts right outside of downtown.
The “Fuel City Ranch” is attached to a gas station with a 24/7 street taco stand on the banks of the Trinity River. The small ranch has longhorn cattle, a donkey, and a zebra.
The zebra and longhorns were thoroughly disinterested in us (probably because it’s 100 degrees), but the donkey came over in hopes of getting some illicit snacks. He was disappointed.
Ingrid the labradoodle was surprisingly not freaked out by Mr. Donkey (unlike the Deep Ellum sculptures). The donkey sniffed Ingrid, double-checked for treats, and then trotted off.
Ingrid the labradoodle at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas, Texas.
Zebras and Longhorns at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas Texas.
Tacos from the Fuel City gas station outside of downtown Dallas.
At least the tacos were good. 🌮
You can visit Fuel City Ranch at 801 S Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207.
The final Nellie’s Drag Brunch diva of the day is, of course, Chanel Devereaux!
Chanel is the longtime host and HBIC of Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch. She is a powerful performer, popular costume designer, viral TikTok star, and a much-loved icon of the D.C. drag community.
Chanel’s impact extends far beyond Nellie’s — her brunch is a platform that helps support many local LGBTQ artists who go on to inspire and support others. Chanel’s investment in her community has a positive rippling effect that cannot be measured in ticket sales or a day’s tips (although those are plentiful!) Chanel’s work is one of the reasons why D.C. remains a top city for drag performers in the U.S.
Today’s featured Nellie’s Drag Brunch diva of the day is Celestia Cox!
Celestia is a Richmond-based drag queen who performs all over Virginia and frequently in Washington DC. I always enjoy seeing Celestia perform because she brings big hair and show-stopper outfits when she makes the trek up to the District.
In addition to the bright outfits and feathers, Celestia adds interesting variety to Chanellie’s brunch with country numbers (probably because she feels like a woman! 🎶🎶)
You can keep up with Celestia’s bookings and charitable work on her website, Instagram and Facebook.
Here are photos from brunch!
Micromobility vehicles are a welcome addition to Dallas’ transportation options because the public transit here is famously-inadequate. However, I think they are going to have to come up with a docking solution for some parts of the city because the sidewalks are becoming quite the obstacle course during the morning dog walks.