Another good pic from New Year’s Eve. Well, I mean, it’s a cruddy cell phone pic from the balcony of a crowded & dark Gay Old Man Bar, but my smile & the way that my champagne matches my hair? That is all pretty awesome. :)

Best pix from last night. I love my laugh in that first one.

(And my New Year’s Eve outfit was so awesome I’m wearing a version of it again today.)

Right now, I’m dying my hair a mix of “Mystic Heather” & “New Rose,” doing dishes & laundry, and waiting for Angus to come over. Tonight, A. & I will dress up fancy, eat delicious food, hang out with my beloved brother Aidan, watch New Year’s Eve unfold in the Castro, and toast from the bottle of pink champagne I impulse-bought at Rainbow last night (I have never bought a bottle of champagne before, but I dunno, it was pink & that seemed right). This is all very good. :)

Also, just sayin’: 2011 ended up being a great year, despite the many bumps along the road. So much love, joy, & success came to me, in addition to a clearer sense of myself, my calling, and my life’s work. I’m humbled & very grateful for the lessons of this year, for all the big & small adventures I’ve had. And I’m really excited for what’s next!

Also? THANK YOU to all the friends who stuck by me, held me, lent me your ears to listen, your shoulders to cry on, your sage advice, your beds & couches. Thank you to everyone who fed me, went on long rambly walks with me, and generally reminded me to take care of myself and to be the best Gina I can be. I love you all.

<3

Oh. I love this!!!! EVERY TIME, LYNDA BARRY. EVERY TIME!

thenearsightedmonkey:

Will 2012 be a good year for you? Marlys asks the crystal ball on your behalf and it answers…….

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
So much! Get into graduate school (three of ‘em!!! but I chose SF State), start writing a novel, move into a studio to live on my own for the first time ever, live in the South Mission, have a cat, perform at Yale, curate a fucking amazing show with Julia Serano, curate an another fucking amazing show for Int’l Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, leave my OfficeJob to start school, learn how to code-wrangle, have some sweet & new kinds of bdsm dynamics with sweeties. Most importantly, realize that I am actually a pretty incredible person — and believe it.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I’m not much for resolutions. But I will say that I am ending this year with a very deep appreciation of myself and my full-on awesomeness — that I have grown into myself in this year in amazing ways, and feel so comfortable and confident and kick-ass. Also, relatedly, I’m increasingly comfortable with my boundaries and my standards for life, love, work, school, etc. As in, I don’t feel ashamed for setting limits, or for having high standards for friends and lovers. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nathan & Miranda!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. My friend Paul died in late 2008, though, and I was grieving him for much of January, though.

5. What countries did you visit?
None.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Better paying work. A better, more confident sense of self. And I’m working hard to make both those happen.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory?
I’m not always great at remembering specific dates, but — The Creating Change conference in late January. My birthday (Feb. 3rd), which was so sweet & healing considering my recent heartache & the grad school app stress I’d been dealing with. The whole two weeks in April that I had my incredible east coast tour. Pride weekend with the SHAAAARKS!!, going to the beach with Qwo the day of Pride, and then having late-night gay old man drinks & Sparky’s with Qwo & Colin, during which Qwo drunkenly impersonated a cell phone — maybe you had to be there, but that was still one of the funniest moments of my life and has become a recurring joke in our friendship. Some important First Dates with sweeties. July 19th — the date I landed Ginaland (aka my awesome studio). August 25th, the day I started school. My awesome workshop at Toni’s in October.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting into grad school AND GOING. Taking the plunge & living on my own. The Yale gig. Personal growth. Girl Talk with Julia! Ecstasies & Elegies! Starting a novel! 

9. What was your biggest failure?
Being way too hard on myself. Not speaking up till too late. Being so scared of my anger/negative feelings that I often repressed them.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not too much! I had some flus, but my health was pretty under control.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Custom made bookshelves. Repairs to some shoes I love. Some new, basic, nice-looking grown-up warm weather clothes. Several hella hot vintage slips. Three super-posh lingerie sets from Dollhouse Betty on massive sale.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My chosen family.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
People who I thought I could trust/go deep with who proved otherwise. And some folks who deeply hurt friends/family of mine.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving and setting up my new place! School. Food. Paying down debt. My bike. My bookshelves. New fucking clothes to replace my 5 y/o ratty ones.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Grad school!!! Traveling to Boston (twice!), Amherst (twice!), & NYC. Creating Change! The Yale gig! Girl Talk! Ecstasies & Elegies!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
This is embarrassing, but: “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. Less embarrassing: “Sweet Thing” by David Bowie, and pretty much the whole rest of the Diamond Dogs album while we’re at it.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Oh my stars. So much happier!!!!!!!!!!!!!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Rest & more consistent exercise. Pacing myself & taking breaks. Also, dancing. Also, going to the beach.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Beating myself up, holding resentments & grudges.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
This a very Christocentric question. But: I spent Xmas Eve with Blood Fam and Xmas Day with Chosen Fam. Best decision I coulda made, and I had a lovely time with both sets of Fam.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I fell in love in 2008 for sure. In 2009, I fell into some pretty soft mushy crushy places with particular sweeties — not quite “in love,” but loving/tender/lusty/sweet. 

23. How many one night stands?
None! Ever single encounter I’d figured would be a one-time thing turned into something more. :)

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Torchwood! Ahem.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I try not to hate — but I was severely unimpressed with how some folks treated some of my dear ones. ‘Nuff said.

26. What was the best book you read?
I read some awesome books for school, actually! Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murikami. Chronic by D.A. Powell. Also, Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson, which is just unbelievably good. Also, Accidental Creatures by Anne Harris — so fun! And I finally started reading Nalo Hopkinson and love love LOVE her stuff!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Do I listen to anything released after like 1980? I re-discovered Easter by Patti Smith. And found Diamond Dogs by David Bowie at the library. Also, Nina Simone <3. Also, I blame Fran & Rose: I bedroom danced to a lot of Lady Gaga.

28. What did you want and get?
Grad school, community, stronger sense of self, awesome friends, awesome sweeties, a kitty, a new cheap studio apartment in an amazing neighborhood, a fig tree in my backyard, living alone, walking & biking, cooking & baking.

29. What did you want and not get?
More moniez, less anxiety.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn’t watch many movies. I saw Boogie Nights with Guy, and that was fun. Also, I loved Torchwood: Children of Earth, if miniseries count as movies.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26. I went to the beach with Jordan, ate dinner at Chow with Giselle, Jordan, & Beena, and went hot-tubbing with Jordan & Yalith. Then I spent the next day with Giselle, who left for Chile. It was a sweet, low-key birthday with good friends. Then I danced that weekend with a lot of people.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less doubt.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Aging riot grrrl. Love child of Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson & David Bowie. Vintage slips, bright colors, skinny jeans, miniskirts & fishnets. Lots of hot pink & fuchsia, lots of glitter, a smattering of argyle here & there.

34. What kept you sane?
My friends/chosen family. Therapy. Taking goddamn breaks & letting myself have vacations.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Um… David Bowie circa 1974?

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
There are sorta too many to name here. Gaza. The Oscar Grant case. When they found Ruby’s murderer after sitting on the evidence for 2+ years.

37. Who did you miss?
All my faraway friends. (Esp. Padre, Melissa, Furytron, and Giselle. And Aidan when he’s been outta the country.)

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Nomy (we met ages ago, but got closer this year). Colin. Rachel from Yale and Jac from Cleveland and Bailey & Aria and the whole Creating Change Dance Party Gang. Also, Rose & I didn’t technically meet this year, but we got a lot closer & I am very thankful for that friendship/connection.

39. Important lesson learned:
“ABUNDANZA, BELLA!” Grazie mille, Padre. <3