RIP Moose a.k.a. Eddie from Frasier

I ran across this bit of information while surfing on Yahoo. I thought of Dann immediately since he's as big a fan of the show Frasier as I am.

Fuck David Barrett: The Revenge!

So this post should have been done in April at the time of David Barrett's birthday but it took a little while for me to get a copy of the picture. Jenny came up with the awesome plan to have us all wear the "fuck David Barrett" tee shirts and as you can see David has the "fuck me" shirt. It was a riot. This weekend kicks off the beginning of gay pride week in Oklahoma City and I believe this picture encapsulates what gay pride means to me: my friends, especially Dann, Butters, Barrett, Jenny (a.k.a. Jimmy), and Kim. Our commonality and diversity is what makes our friendship and community strong. Take away the parades, the victories for equality, and the defeats and all that's left is my friends, my family and the bond we all share. I love you guys!

What exactly is Butters looking at off camera? And what's Dann doing to Randiva to elicit such a happy response?

Happy gay pride week OKC!

Cancun, Mexico: Day 4: Flea Markets and Clubs

Our final day in Cancun... just when my burn was starting to turn bronze. We took the day to go shopping, and I mean ALL FREAKIN' DAY! It's unreal the amount of time that the Brown family can spend shopping without water, food, or water closet breaks. We checked out a modern mall and a Mexican flea market as well as some tourist restaurants and shops. We also stopped in on every jewerly store within a five mile radius along the strip. The only thing I purchased all day was the traditional tee shirts for mom and dad.

Timmy and I at an outdoor shopping area.

Is there anywhere on earth that Planet Hollywood hasn't invaded?

Oh look a Hooters! We picked up an application for Fefe.

Monica and Veve in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. As I mentioned earlier I picked up a couple of shirts for mom and dad here. I'm carrying on the tradition that I belive my brother started; everytime he travels (mostly abroad) he sends us some Hard Rock shirts usually two sizes too big for anyone to wear.

Hail to the King baby!

Timmy spent 400 Pesos for a temporary tatoo that promptly starting peeling off that night.

After the shopping nightmare we relaxed for a bit to prepare for a night on the town. Timmy and I set off to hit some night spots about 11 PM. We stopped off at Carlos n'Charlie's for a couple of drinks and luckily we weren't abducted. Next we walked around the strip while fending off drug and prostitute pushers (you may want to leave the kids at the resort during this part of the trip). Not finding anything of real interest we hopped into a cab in search of the gay bars. Luckily for us the cabby was gay and knew where we needed to go. Naturally the big gay dance club was closed. We finally landed at Picante the oldest gay bar in Cancun located off the strip and in the town of Cancun itself. I have to say I had a blast even though the bar was tiny (about half the size of the Park Club) and I was the only white man to be seen! I was surprised that Timmy's Spanish was so good and grew even stronger with each drink consumed, unfortunately he couldn't figure out how to translate Jagermeister or Rumplemintz. The DJ working the club had a mixing machine that was about the size of my computer keyboard yet it was some of the best music and mixes I've heard in any upscale dance/techno club. We requested 'Dragostea din tei' ('Love in the linden tree)' by O-Zone and it was funny to hear the song in English which is rare back home. By 4 AM it was time to head back to the resort and get a little sleep before the journey home. The gay cabby I spoke of earlier waiter for us all night outside the club, what a guy! We tipped him extremely well.

During the trip I was burned by playing along the beach and pool and then tanned by playing along the beach and pool. I saw Mayan ruins, jungles, and coral reefs! I shopped and drank Mexican beer for hours at a time. The trip was fantastic and I would go back again in a heartbeat not only to partake in some of the activities from before but to find all new adventures! My previous trip to Mexico really soured me on the country but Cancun has really changed my mind.

One last shot of the beach before the return trip home.

Next up, Vegas in one week!

Cancun, Mexico Day 3: Swimming with Sharks

Day three of Cancun allowed us some time to sleep in and buy some sunscreen before the next adventure, a Jungle Tour. The name was a little deceptive since we only took some little trails through the mangrove and out into the ocean. The destination was the coral reef, second in size only to Australia's reef. Pictures below:

The boats, docked and ready to go. Timmy, Veve, and myself had one boat while Monica and Willard rode in another.

View of the jungle from the boat.

Follow the leader.

Our destination (not much to look at from above). We tied the boats together and did some snorkeling above the reef. Unfortunately none of us had an underwater camera. Throughout the trip Veve mentioned that she was afraid of having a shark encounter though we told her it was unlikely. Naturally our guide pointed out a small shark underneath us near the reef. Fortunately for Veve the shark didn't feel like Asian for lunch.

Timmy drove the boat on our return trip; it was terrifying! I've driven a boat many times in my life but never on the ocean. In the size of boat we were using it was tense at times jumping over large ocean waves and wakes from other boats. Veve drove the other boat on the return trip, we wouldn't allow her to drive ours.

The short day (about a four hour tour) allowed us some free time to do some shopping, hit the beach and pool, and enjoy the sun set seen above. It's hard to see but part of Isla Mujeres (Island of the Bitches) can be seen in the top left.

Even more to come: shop 'til you drop and Gay Cancun.

Cancun, Mexico Day 2: Welcome to the Jungle

We awoke very early on the second day for an all day adventure into the the middle of the Yucatan to visit Chichen Itza (or as we call it Chicken Pizza). This was my favorite day and site of the entire trip. Tourism information in italics.

Chichen Itza ("Mouth of the well of the itzaes") is one of the most controversial, studied and visited ruins of the mayan world. Its history and its chronology are the subject of debates and the fate of its people a puzzle that archaeologist continue to theorize about as excavation continue. The Itzaes settled in Chichen Itza in the IX Century a.C. forging a wide empire with one culture centered in Chichen Itza. Around 1250 a.C. the city was abandoned for reasons still not completely understood (the travel guide believes that drought and a revolt by the under class over the upper class was the main factors). In its Golden Era, Chichen Itza covered an area of over 25 square kilometers. The religious, cultural and administrative center covered approximately 6 square miles and was located close to the area where the elite resided in carefully decorated and brightly painted palaces. Around this central area lived between 50,000 and 100,000 people in thatch-roofed palapas or cottages.

Enough with the history lesson, more information about the Mayan civilization can be found here . On to the pictures...

Along the way to the ruins we stopped at a Mayan shopping area. So while there are still Mayans living in the Yucatan their civilization is long lost. Being the sucker tourists that we are we all bought pendants with our names spelled out in Mayan hieroglyphics. The tour guide told us that all proceeds of our purchase go directly to the Mayan people and the quality of the gold and sliver is backed by the Mexican government.

Another stop found us at one of many sink holes in the Yucatan region. These "watering holes" were formed naturally throughout the region and were a source of water for the Mayan civilization.

Finally to the ruins! Shortly after arriving we were greeted with cloudy weather and a brief shower of rain. Being burnt from head to toe I was thankful for the lack of sun.

Temple of the Observatory. The Mayans were keen astronomers because of their worship of the sun. They developed a 365 day calendar long before Europe and the Gregorian calendar.

Temple of the warriors and Square of the 1,000 columns. Believed to be a market place and similar in design to other ancient market places of the time.

Ball court and Tzompantli. Being the captain of the winning team in competition earned you the "honor" of a sacrifice. Yikes! You can see Timmy ahead in the picture half-naked as usual.

The Castle of Kukulcan rising 30 meters from the earth is the most impressive building. It's age is difficult to calculate, being estimated between 650 and 800 a.C. The numbers of its different measurements relate to digits in the maya solar calendar; for example, 91 steps on 4 sides, or 364; plus the platform, 365, the number of days in a year. The five adornments on each side of the temple are 5 X 4 or 20, the number of days in a maya month. The building, revealing the profound knowledge of the mayas, every year during equinox demonstrates the descending of the god Kukulkan, "The Feathered serpent", to earth, in a light and shadow phenomenon that every year attracts visitors from all over the world.

Timmy and I in front of the north side of the temple in front of the head of the god Kukulkan. As you can see the transformation into Lobster Boy is nearly complete.

One last shot of me in front of the castle soaked from the recent rain. Unfortunately we were unable to climb to the top of the castle as it has been restricted since an accident involving a tourist who fell to her death from the structure.

Still to come: boating to the coral reef, shopping, more shopping, and even more shopping. Did I mention we did some shopping?

Cancun, Mexico Day 1: Cooked Medium or Well?

We arrived in Cancun on June 3rd on a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth early in the morning. After a couple of hours of immigration and travel to the hotel RIU Caribe we hit the beach and the booze. Here's some highlights of the first days activities spent at the resort:

View of the beach from a small bar where we had our first Mojito, Pina Colada, and Cerveza.

The Mexican bathrooms left a lot to be desired. It appears Timmy forgot the TP!

View of the resort from in the water.

Veve practicing for the Village People YMCA dance competition.

Timmy after his tenth Mojito.

A special vacation message to Fefe who was left behind to toil in the States. Contrary to the spelling we don't mean to say a garden tool.

From the ocean to the pool.

Taking a siesta.

Comming soon in future posts: Lobster Boy sightings, a journey to the Heart of Darkness, speedboat Shimmy, and Montezuma's Revenge!