Minneapolis Gay Pride Weekend 2009 Was Awesome

-Thousands of gay men lined the streets of Minneapolis on Sunday to watch the 2009 Minneapolis Gay Pride Parade…it was a fantastic day.

-Hello everyone and good morning … we’ve returned home and today it is back to reality.

Taking a look outside in our back yard this morning it is cloudy and 53 degrees.  Not feeling any to warm out there.

Today’s national weather service forecast for our area is: Cloudy with a 60 percent chance of light rain. Highs 55 to 60. North winds 10 to 15 mph.  Then for this evening they are saying: Cloudy. A chance of light rain in the evening…then a slight chance of light rain after midnight. Lows 43 to 48. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

It is looking like it is going to be cooler the rest of the week up until Saturday, the 4th of July.

Color weather radar does show a few very small areas of rain in northern Minnesota at this hour.

-Steve and I got home last night about 7:30 p.m., unpacked and he washed a few clothes for his softball game tonight.  Our time away was fantastic and the weather was almost perfect.

Here is just a quick run down of our activities:

• We left Thursday afternoon, when Steve got done with his second job about 2:30 p.m.
• Arrived in Minneapolis around 5:00 p.m. and stayed at the Minneapolis Hilton for only $50.00 per night plus parking.  We had a very nice king suite with a very relaxing bed.
• Thursday night we went to see Power Balladz at the Lab Theater in downtown Minneapolis – a great show.
• Friday night we went to see the Twin Cities Gay Mens Chorus in their Diva Concert – it was wonderful.
• Friday night we went out the to Minneapolis Eagle and Bolt – where we had a couple drinks.  Steve has about six or so, we danced, we had fun but unfortunately Steve ended up having a few to many and got sick when we got back to our room around 2:30 a.m.
• Saturday Steve spent the vast majority of the day in bed, and I was with him until mid day.  Then I showered and dressed and went to see the Gay Pride events in Loring Park – which I walked to – which was only about 7 blocks from our hotel – the Minneapolis Hilton.
• Steve did manage to get up later that evening and we did go out – but not to bars.  Steve and I did enjoy the Minneapolis Gay Pride fire works over Loring Park at 10:00 p.m. that evening.
• Sunday, we were up early and both feeling a lot better – having breakfast at Panera Bread on the Nicollet Mall then walking over to Hennepin Avenue and joining the thousands of gay men who lined the street for the big Minneapolis Gay Pride Parade.  The parade lasted nearly three hours and was just fun to see, and it was fun to be around thousands of gay men.
• Sunday afternoon, after the parade was over we walked from our parade location down to Loring Park where we stayed until about 5:00 p.m. just mingling and walking around the park from exhibit to exhibit – seeing the many hundreds of displays available.
• Sunday evening we were going to go to the block party – but we were both just tired and didn’t feel like standing and walking anymore – so we went to a movie in Roseville at the new AMC Theater.
• Monday was spent, hitting a few of our favorite shops and Steve’s buying – you guessed it – some DVD’s to add to his collection.
• About mid afternoon on Monday we headed back home ~ having had a great weekend away together.
• The weather was perfect, the event was the best and being with my partner Steve – made our time togther the most special of all.

-Gay pride has come and gone … and “reality sets in today” as Steve returns to his primary job and then goes to softball tonight.  We had fun, we saw some great events and did some great things together.  We laughed, we argued a bit, we ate (and yes, I did stay on my diet), we had a great great time … but the truth remains that gay men in America are still second class citizens not being able to enjoy all of the rights and privileges of other Americans in this year of 2009.

As for us … we had a fantastic time.

-I love you Steve, and thanks for a great “gay pride weekend” together, away and always in love with one another.