Tonight mother returns East. She has always enjoyed meeting the people that are close to me. All through High School she encouraged my friends to come to our house whenever they wanted. How convenient that our outdoor fridge came equipped with a tap of Miller Genuine Draft and a fully-stocked bar downstairs from the days when my parents owned and operated a bar. She loved meeting my friends and why should this visit and time of my life be any different? I had her meet Boy Wonder at one of our favorite little places, Cheebo. I also thought she would enjoy seeing the studio where all the magic happens. The day we visited the studio, I sat my mom in front of the new edition of Unzipped as I went upstairs to see who was there. I immediately saw Chi Chi and Rob Reimer, my publicist viewing the trailer for “GAYVN Performer Of The Year” in her office. “I have a guest here” I said in a non-chalant tone and yelled downstairs “come on up.” “Who is it?” Chi Chi asked. “My mom” I said. She couldn’t have reached for that remote to press stop fast enough. My mother gave her a big hug and as Chi Chi peered over her sholder, she caught my eye and said in a big smile with a very condescending tone “Do you really think it’s OK for her to be here”…”Are you kidding me?” “It’s soooooo fine”. After getting my approval and losing the quite attractive shade of embarrassment Chi Chi had just put on, she said “Great, look at this” With that being said, she pressed play and all 4 of us watched as man after man was introduced as contender for “Performer Of The Year.”

Right before we left, Rob kindly supplied my mom with all of my recent magazines and the “Warning” book put out by Greg Thompson. She took a quick look through the mags and said that she couldn’t wait to show some of her girlfriends back home.

I was so glad that she finally got a face to put to the multitude of descriptions and constant references I put out all the time. Now when I say that I am at the studio or that I’m having lunch with Boy Wonder at Cheebo, she can sit back in her Lazy Boy recliner 3000 miles away and see it just as if she were here.

At the GAYVN convention following a relatively long night of open bar antics at the CyberSocket awards I was getting ready for my shift at the Channel 1 booth when my old buddy Jared approached…no…ran up to me. He informed me that they were doing this book documentary thing a couple of booths over and asked if I would like to take part. Jared is the photographer responsible for the photos used to adorn this blog; we have history, so I knew doco was legit.

I had just arrived and was the first one scheduled to sign, Chi Chi was due any moment. She doesn’t always look like that you know. It takes a bit more than a set of false eyelashes and some light application done in an vanity mirror to create the Diva that is Chi Chi LaRue. I really wanted to do this…after all, it’s a book…it’ll be around forever on coffee tables all over the nation! I told the sales guys that if Chi Chi was to arrive - I was in the loo. I ran over to the doco booth and busted out the supermodel quick poses to get it over with quickly and efficiently. The entire thing lasted about 4 mins and some change. I ran over just as Chi Chi was strutting down the aisle toward the Channel 1 booth. I grabbed my Sharpie, greeted her good morning and began my arthritic afternoon of signing and smiling.

My supermodel 1, 2, 3. That’s Jared on the right.
Photo by Felicia - Thank you!