Minneapolis in full bloom, we made it to May. The apple tree in the back yard blooming. Powderhorn Park. South Minneapolis. Soft and fierce on the first Sunday of May. Love y’all.
Now it’s been 27 years, but I share this every year. I guess sometimes mourning is complicated. Thoughts from 2014….
15 years ago this month my dad died. He was the smartest person I have ever met. He was a sub par parent and a terrible husband. He was often in jail and when he wasn’t he was narrowly escaping it. He always had a giant ink stain under the pocket of his shirt where he kept the zillions of pens that he would never lend you. He smelled like onions. He told awful jokes that he wrote himself. He borrowed money from every member of our family. He taught my grandma to drive which was nice. Then he borrowed money from her which wasn’t. He was always broke but, somehow, always had a car. His greatest accomplishment as a parent was almost always remembering to pick us up from school...almost...when he was around which wasn’t often. He single handedly alienated every member of our biological family, including the few family friends we had. He had an enormous collection of books. Which we hauled with us everytime we moved, which was often. He knew a few very famous people. He borrowed money from them. He taught me to love books. He taught me to think critically about things. He always said that if people didn’t like you that was their problem. I think he should have rethought that concept a bit. When that many people don’t like you it might actually have something to do with you. He could answer almost any question I asked him. I wanted to ask him something the other day. I can’t remember what it was which is okay because he is dead and can’t answer. I miss him.
Having a buddy for 31 years ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Phase after phase after phase we keep finding ourselves at the mall or running errands together and looking out for the day to day of life. Tuesday we walked around the lake on a beautiful night. In this city far from the one where we met. 31 years called for a photo shoot. Enjoy. Love @dmajic and her face and her gentle loving care. #tendertransmanandlittlelesbianatthelake
I’ve got tasks that have haunted me for years. I once moved a shelf, still packed flat in the box, three different times over three different years. I gave up and sold it at a garage sale. Anyhoo, here is a long rambling video about the full calendar year it took me to assemble a thing. Enjoy. #queerandadhd
Another spin around the sun for my very favorite old man @easein . And what a spin it’s been. Emily has dreamed and created and loved into being so much this year. I love her big heart and garden and joy. I love how curious she is, about topics far and wide. She is both tender and fierce and generous with her love. Happy Birthday boo. Ps. Do you like to party.
Training is going well. I have now had opportunity to drive the street car multiple times over two different sessions. Today I earned my first crash badge, I’m the first trainee of the season to earn the distinction. Anyhoo, train ya later! 📸 courtesy of my kick ass trainer Bill. 🚃🚃🚃
I’m not sure I’ve ever been anywhere as beautiful as this. Excellent choice for our last full day. All in all these past four days have been a tonic. My sweetheart helps me remember that it’s okay to rest. #transadventure #playadelcarmenmexico🏖️🏖️
In an attempt to keep up with my love @easein ’s levels of peak eccentricity I have started training to drive the Como-Harriet Streetcar. I’ll be training on the 46,460 pound 1300 car built in 1908. What I’ve gathered so far is that learning to stop a 23 ton antique streetcar is super important if you plan to drive it. I’ll let you know when I’ve earned my hat. See you this summer around the lake! 🚋#comoharrietstreetcar #queerconductor
I am trans and I want to be seen. I want my transness to be seen as the beautiful and magical gift that it is. I want my transness to be seen by the beloveds who are still finding a place of home in who they are. I want my transness to be seen by the families and friends who are worried that being trans is the scary thing and not the forces that seek to erase us. I want my transness to be seen because it is a goddam miracle and we could use more miracles. This trans day of visibility I hope you feel seen. I hope you feel loved. I hope you feel safe. I love every inch of being trans. From the tip of my childhood ruffled dress and itchy tights to the top of my bald head and newly grey beard hairs. There is a galaxy in me that being trans invited me to explore. One I may have never noticed if I had believed that people could only be one thing. Transness makes room for every person to be more than one thing. It’s spacious. I wish for all of us more space. More love. More rest. I wish for all of us the tenderness required to fill our brief blip on this planet having lived as authentically as possible. Love you. Mean it. #transmasc #tdov #transdayofvisibility #queer #transismagic
