In about 2007 a good looking 20ish guy, we had never seen before,
walked into our store. He was carrying a piece of framed art work. The guy told
us he wanted to give this art to us. We asked why? He went on to say that he
was Gay and his family did not know about it. He was in the military and was
about to ship off to Afghanistan. He had just put everything from his apartment
into storage. If he didn’t come back, he didn’t want his family to find this
picture. We smiled and said that we
understand. But how about we just hold it and when he returns, we will give it
back to him. He was very happy to hear
this. That was 13 years ago and we are still holding it for him.
Our good friend Bradford is moving away. Once you get Florida sand in your shoes you always come back. We are sure Brad will be back. There are many stories we can share about Brad. Here is one of our favorite. April 29,2009, we made a short film. Brad was the star!!! Not co star of the film. One high public official called us and said how much she liked the film. Then laughing asked about BRADFORD. We told her of course he is GAY, just look how SEXY he is!!!! Good Bye & Good Luck Bradford will are looking forward to more future stories about you. With LOVE Uncle Mark & Uncle Carrie
We all have that one crazy friend, who thinks just like yourself. We were at a restaurant and I went to the men’s room. Coming back, I was laughing so hard, I had tears in my eyes. My friend asked what so funny? I told her that there was a guy standing at the bar with his pants pulled down below his butt with his underwear hanging out. Not so un common but there was a hug stain on his underwear. She jumped up and went right over to investigate herself. Comes back and says “That’s not a sh*t stain…. its gum!!!” I just had to ask what flavor was it!!! You just can not make this up.
This year for the Holidays Carrie got me a log splitter. YAAAA… Being the good Minnesota Lumber jack, that I am, 1st I read the instructions. Wonder who wrote these instructions??? Sure had a good sense of humor. LMAO
I was talking with a couple friends in the bar when a well-dressed older guy with a cane walked in. He started to talk in Spanish. I told him in my own bad Spanish that I did not speak Spanish very well and to please speak in English. He went on in Spanish and I asked him to speak slower. I heard him say “agua” which means water. I nodded and smiled. Then gave him a glass of water. He took a couple sips’ then put the water down and started to yell in Spanish. I understood the bad words (“CONO”) then he switched to English and said FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! Turned and walked out. My friends at the bar started to laugh. They said, “he asked for scotch and water!” I asked “why didn’t you tell me???” They said, “You should have seen the look on the guys face when you gave him just water” …. LMAO LMAO
The Welcome & Scholarship Reception was at the Residence of the Netherlands Ambassador. Our group of 600+ all meet in the hotel lobby. Our hosts came out and announced it was a short 10 minute walk to the residence. Following them out of the Hilton to the park across the street. Thru the park and out on the other side we noticed that the streets were closed and police going up and down. Hummm… then we all saw there was a protest going on! OMG We walked past some of the protesters and turned to our left. There right in front of us was a wall of riot police lined up with shields out. Wonder what the police thought??? A large group of LGBT+ people dressed up with convention badges? LOL The host went up to the police and started to talk. All of a sudden 2 police moved and lets us pass. Behind the police line were 100’s of police, those small police motor scooters, horses and busses. I guess they were protecting embassy row. A couple more blocks and there with a rainbow flag flying was the Embassy residence. At the front door to greet us was the Princess of the Royal Family. Wonder if she ever had that many Queens in her home at one time? LOL She was quite beautiful and gave a warm welcoming speech. What a night to remember.
Our readers know that every week we write one “You Just Can Not Make This Up” story. On our recent trip to Greece there were many. Remember laughter make the world a better place. The names have been changed to protect in incent. LMAO LOL LMAO
You Just Can Not Make This Up
On our flight from NYC to Athens our Gay Dar was going off DING! DING!! DING!! in the plane. I said to the guys across from us Hi I’m Tea Cup and we are going to InterPride. We are too they replied. Then others said InterPride us too!!! LOL Our section was full of InterPride people. The 9-hour flight began. Carrie watched 2 movies then fell asleep too. About 1 hour before landing a big cute bear of a guy stood up and was wearing PJ’s with bears on them. LOL He made his was to the restroom and came back almost skipping wearing a new festive outfit. Took a twirl and said “Puff I Feel FABOULOUS NOW!!!” We all broke out in laughter. This was going to be a fun trip.
You Just Can Not Make This Up
Landed in Athens Greece
Walked out side of the airport to get a cab. The Taxi cabs were all yellow and new Mercedes-Benzes. Standing next to the cab was the driver wearing a suite & tie. We get in and start off. The driver spoke perfect English and was very talkative. Then he pulls off the highway and into a gas station. He tells us that the gas is too expensive here at 2.24 euros per liter so will order only ONE liter here. He tells us that he can get gas for 2.21 in Athens. (sounds like my Carrie who drives miles to save on gas) The gas attendants come out and actually pumps the 1 liter of gas. The driver digs for some coins then starts to yell at the attendant in Greek!!! The attendant came back and washes the already spotless windows. As we drive off the driver says for 2.24 the very least they can do is wash the windows too!!! LMAO LOL
You Just Can Not Make This Up
Our 1st night in Athens we took a cab to the Hard Rock Café in the Blacca, the old downtown district. The one thing both of us love is collecting Hard Rock pins from around the world. Over 35 years’ worth. The driver got us almost there and stopped. Told us this is as close to The Hard Rock as I can get you. Just walk down a couple blocks turn left and keep walking. That will be 10 euros. We get out and I google map it. Humm it’s a 20 minute walk 1.1 miles away OMG. We find the Hard Rock and had a great time. Asked here where to get a cab. They sent us 50 feet way. The fare home was 5 euros. LMAO LOL
You Just Can Not Make This Up
We decided to take a guided bus tour of Athens, Greece. Our bus picked us up in front of the Hilton Hotel. Then it went on to stop at several other hotels and picked up more people. The bus was almost full by then. The tour was nice with stops at the Parthenon & Museums. At the end of the tour we all walked down a winding street to meet the bus. Our tour guide is on her cell phone and get a WTF Look on her face. Then she announced to the group. There have been some unforeseen road closures today. But don’t worry everyone if with in 2 miles of your hotels and I will tell you how to walk back to your hotels. OMG!!!! The people staying at the Hilton are lucky and the bus will take you back. Just walk 6 blocks this way. I guess we were lucky. LMAO On the bus it’s us 2 and a straight couple. The husband said they were from NYC. He went on to say… “I was not going to walk back! You know we didn’t come all this way to take that shit from a Greek.” Carrie said “Of course not. Why come all this way when you could have gone 2 blocks in NYC and get into a fight with a Greek there?” LMAO LOL
You Just Can Not Make This Up
On a cruise ship you have meals with strangers. This can be very interesting. One morning at 6AM we were sat at a table with 2 straight couples. A retired couple with New Jersey accents and a Barbie with her beaten browed husband. Barbie was bubbly with perfect hair and makeup on. At 6 AM? Her and husband had matching country club outfits on. Barbie was Miss Chatty Cathy and said that they were on a tour with their church and celebrating 25 years together. The Jersey couple grunted they were married 53 years. I asked him in the 53 years how many arguments did she let him win? He laughed and she said “Don’t answer that! What about you 2?” We said that we have been together 43 years and were in Athens for InterPride, a World Gay Conference. She smiled and said Mazel Tov!!! Then went on to say that her grandson was Gay. At this point Barbie stood up and looked like dear in headlights at us. Announced that they were going… but her husband said he was staying. We went on to talk about NYC Pride and did her grandson go. Yes, he went and brought his grandma back a t-shirt too. She just wished he would find the right person and settle down. We asked how old was he? 26 we laughed and said he has plenty of time. This conversation went on for 15 minutes. Then Barbie’s husband spoke up and said, “WOW I have I have never heard people talk this openly about homosexuality before. No yelling, just conversing.” Grandma said “What’s the matter with you??? It’s 2019 and we love our grandson no matter what!” All we could think was GO GRANDMA!!!! LMAO LOL
You Just Can Not Make This Up
On a cruise ship when you enter a port everyone usually meets in a large show room to find out where & which tour bus is yours. We were sitting in this room talking with a couple that reminded us of Edith & Archie Bunker on the TV show, “All in the Family.” They were traveling with their church group. He started to judge and talk about everyone in the room. Just then a big guy stumbles in. He trips over a small wall then a low couch and falls on the couch cushions, rolls off onto the floor, knocking over 2 chairs and 2 lounge tables. The guy then crawls up & tosses his hands in the air. Everyone is in shock then starts to laugh and clap. Archie actually says “That’s our favorite Priest, he likes to drink a little.” Edith then leans over shaking her head in a positive gesture and says “Were from Chicago.” Hummmm…. What does that have to do with being drunk at 7AM??? LMAO LOL
You Just Can Not Make This Up
Our flight from Athens to Tampa had a layover in Amsterdam. We arrived at 8:30 PM and the flight out was at 1. We looked at the time wrong it was not 1AM but 1PM WTF!!!! So, we found a comfortable place to chill out. Flights were coming and going so it really wasn’t to bad. Then around 3AM the flights all stopped. It was us and 1 other person alone in the huge international cement terminal. It became very quiet. Carrie had fallen asleep and I was playing games. Then I notice something black move. Was it a small bird? No, it was a mouse!!! He also had many friends too! LOL Carrie woke up and asked why I wasn’t sleeping. I told him I was keeping the mice away. Ya Sure you are. Then they started to come out again LMAO LOL We spent the next couple hours teasing the mice and watching them run all around. The terminal came back to life and the mice went away. Until another quiet night. LMAO LOL
OK I am going to age myself just a little. I met and stared dating Carrie in 1978. It was a time before internet and cell phones. Many guys all carried a small black address book called “Little Black Book.” When you meet someone, you would write down NAME & phone number in this book. If not in this book we would write it down on the back of a matchbook. Many clubs would also give out business cards. These cards would say met at…. Etc. In these books we always wrote in pencil. So….. One day I came across Carrie’s Little Black Book. Hum…. There were guys with stars next to their names. That naughty Carrie was rating how much he liked these guys. I just pulled out a pencil eraser then erased all their stars!!! Then erased my name and re wrote it back in ink with 5 stars!!!! Must have worked 40+ years later I’M STILL 5 STARS!!!! Poor Carrie LMAO
HGTV has been featuring “A Very Brady Renovation”. In this series HGTV have been renovation the house used for the outside photos. The inside is being renovated into what the set of the Bradys TV show actually looked like. https://www.hgtv.com/shows/a-very-brady-renovation There is an Ybor Cty Connection to the Brady Bunch. It is Mike Brady who was played by Robert Reed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Reed Robert had a favorite bar in Ybor City. “The TAMPA EAGLE” also known as The Eagle’s Nest, located at 2201 N 15th Street. This was a 1980’s hard core gay leather club. The only one harder than this I have ever been in was Mother’s in Miami. The Eagle was previously known as The Yellow House a notorious Ybor City MAFI BAR. http://tampahistorical.org/items/show/86 That helps explains why this club was so WILD. Our first time at THE TAMPA EAGLE was in 1980. On closed party nights patrons would walk up the fire escape on the build next to it. Then walk across the roof and onto the front balcony to enter the club. It was in the mid 1980’s that Robert Reed frequent the Eagle. People said that he was in town working on Summer theatre at Don Sherwood SHOW BOAT Dinner Theater. (The same Don Sherwood that owned Village inn Restaurant. After his death the family sold the Show Boat and it was torn down.) Robert Reed had many friends in Ybor City. In 1992 he passed away from colon cancer and was HIV positive.
The TAMPA EAGLE became Impulse. On the 1st floor was a restauran. November 16, 1988 there was a big fire. Today there is a shell of a building standing. Impulse moved downtown next to the flour plant. A couple years later Impulse was sold to THE TAMPA EAGLE. This was one of our all-time favorite clubs in Tampa. The owner with partners went on to open The SunCoast Resort in St. Petersburg. Here opened the SunCoast Eagle. Later there was a TAMPA EAGLE opened in Sulphur Springs by the Tampa Dog Track. We had a MC Pride Store in this location for a very short time. After it’s closing there was a TAMPA EAGLE opened on Franklyn Street in the former London Victory Club. Today Tampa Leather club is Cristoph’s located in the former 2606 Bar Location at 2606 N Armenia Ave.
Last week we were talking about a very cheap person who has passed away. Both of us could not remember his name. It finally came to me 2 days later. How sad… We will call him John. One day John came into our store very upset and shared this story with us. John was in charge of a LGBT Group that meet once a month at a restaurant. They had found a South Tampa restaurant that had a private room and was owned by a Gay person. The owner told him he would wave the rental fee but the group needed to be on one check. No problem and the group had meet there 3 times. John went on to say that he could not believe how much the group over tipped. So after he collected the money. John took his meal out of the tip money and after he left a 5% tip there was even money left over for his cocktails later. The restaurant owner couldn’t get staff to work the group and found out why. He then suggested they go to different restaurant because his private room was booked. The group did find a different restaurant and had separate checks here. John was very upset and mad that he now had to pay for his own meal and drinks. John went on to trash the restaurant and said he was never going back!!!! Hummm… and now 10+years later we remember the story, but couldn’t remember his name.
This week passed away, at the age of 90, a very strange and sad guy. We will call him Bob. We have known Bob since the 1990’s. He was a major closet case and just a plane dirty old troll. Bob was from a famous Tampa family and also owner of a multimillion-dollar company. Bob didn’t think his wife or kids knew that he was gay. Years later after his wife passed away Bob told his kids who said “we have always known and Mom knew too.” Because Bob was in the closet he would hook up with male prostitutes. Bob once told us he never carried more than $30 and never any credit cards. In all the years Bob came into our store he never spent one dollar. Bob would flip thru the magazines and cruise guys in our store, sometimes for hours. He would talk and talk and we would listen and listen. One day Bob was bragging that he just had the best BJ ever. Went on to say it only cost him $18 dollars. I asked him why 18 and not $20. With a big creepy smile Bob said “Well I deducted the price of the beer I bought him before paying for services rendered.” Today it makes me smile when I think of birds flying over his grave saying Cheap Cheap Cheap
