Rockets Red Glare

Had an amazing view of the fireworks last night from a houseboat across the lake from the barge where they were set off.  Also had fun a a great block party thrown by Jeff's brother, thanks to everyone for a great time.  

Dawg

More pics of fireworks are here.

Oh Happy Day!

This is shadenfrued, plain in simple, but as a gay man living with HIV I take great joy in the fact that the former Senator from North Carolina, Jesse Helms is dead!  

I danced when Reagan died, again when William F. Buckley (who suggested  that people with HIV should be tattooed to protect innocent Americans great story about him here) and today I will do an Independence Day jig to celebrate the demise of Jesse Helms.  Helms was not only a racist and homophobe but also opposed all civil rights, public education money, funding for art, and just about every cause that is near and dear to my red blooded liberal patriotic heart.  

Some great quotes from Joe. My. God. on Helm's ideals about AIDS, President Clinton, and the progressive ideal.  

To quote: "Burn Baby Burn."

Bella & Me, Traveling

You meet the nicest people on trains.  Giz is still in the Midwest for another 2 weeks (groan) so Bella and I jumped at the chance to visit my brother Chris in Seattle this weekend.  The fact that he is houseboat sitting and it has been stifling hot in PDX this past week only sweetens the deal!

So Bella and I packed up a kit bag, my camera, and her back pack and headed off to Union Station for the trip to Seattle.  I was a little nervous about traveling long distance with her, only ever having done so with Giz in the car, but my fears were soon put to rest.  I had the great fortune of having a ticket agent at the Union Station who "helped" me answer the questions about what purpose Bella served.  It seems that a recent ADA ruling states that only service animals, not companion animals, may travel free and unrestrained.   She "suggested" that Bella was in addition to a therapy & companion animal also a "seizure" dog.  Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, and wanting to get on the train I understood the inference and agreed.  

Ironically Bella has served as the good will ambassador for dogs and Pitts on this trip.  We met a nice young man with Cerebral Palsy and his mother traveling who Bella with and let him pet her, as well as 6 other kids who have been petting her, playing with her and generally being her new best friends.  A nice relaxing trip was had by all, even though we were an hour late (ah Amtrak).