When arriving in a new city, whether due to retiring, new job or coming to be discovered, we all face the same daunting task of finding an apartment. For me, having arrived from Japan with nothing but a carry-on suitcase and my man-bag, there was the added burden of furnishing one from scratch, that is, from salt and pepper shakers up.
My new acquaintances all seemed to have been born with a double supply of the gay decorator gene and couldn’t wait to take me to some of the shops in the malls and even some exclusive private shops where I was shown sumptuous suites, “faaaabulous” window dressings and stunning objects d’art which I was assured were suitable for my lifestyle and tastes. What these treasures were not suitable for was my budget.
I hemmed and hawed and put off committing myself to any particular item by declaring that I hadn’t quite decided on the period, color or motif of my decor. Truth to tell I was actually thinking of “’70s Haight-Ashbury” for a “fun” theme. Those of you of a certain age remember bricks and boards for bookshelves and orange crates and an old door for a desk.
I convinced myself I would soon be hearing them all raving, “Oh, Bill, how clever …What a camp … Such an imagination … etc.” Luckily, other friends introduced me to the world of thrift, I mean, antique shops. I was saved. Careful selection and a discerning eye brought my apartment into a suitable condition for receiving guests.
San Diego has many such shops and almost all of them are associated with some worthy cause or charity. Keeping this in mind, I followed instructions and ventured into the wilds of North Park one afternoon and eventually discovered that great boon to the gay community, Auntie Helen’s. I was happy to spend some time and money there and hope you will too. As gay men and women, we should do our best to patronize the gay friendly/oriented businesses in town and the “antique” shops such as Auntie Helen’s and the newly opened Revivals.
They have all sorts of furniture and household goodies, not to mention a large selection of clothes. I found the most stunning coat, fancy shirts and stilettos with boa (for a friend), and … well, don’t get me started, let’s just say all sorts of treasures I didn’t know I needed.
As for the team in this article’s title, I was upset with the reaction to a recent article when my butchness was called into question by some as I had jokingly mixed up the Chargers with a baseball team. Just like the smart-ass little bastards who would gleefully point out a spelling mistake on the blackboard which I had deliberately written to see who was paying attention!
To assure everyone of my support for our local team I have now purchased a darling little hat at Auntie H’s with a big P on it. So now I can show my loyalty to San Diego and join all you other studs (Yeah, right. I believe you) cheering on our team. Go, Pedros! Go!
