Masquerage 2008

I spent a most bizarre, yet superb, evening Saturday at an event called Masquerage.  A benefit held each year to raise awareness of and funds to cure AIDS.  This year’s theme was “Outer Space Sci Fi”.

As the title suggests, it is a masquerade.  Masks of some sort are expected.  Either masks to wear or masks painted on the face.  A Dear Friend went two years ago, did do the dress up with a mask painted on her face.  She warned me that the ticket takers get militant if you’re not wearing a mask.  So, I fretted some,  But, my ‘date’ for the evening was a good theater friend, DK, who suggested complementary outfits for us to wear in line with this year’s theme, complete with face paint.  No, I’m not thinking I’ll put that picture up… yet.

I was warned about the evening being a bit bizarre, but I still wasn’t fully prepared.  There were strange and wonderful costumes… Beautiful masks… and great entertainment.

party animals

Given the nature of Masquerage, there were quite a few cross dressers in attendance.  Friend DK would

yep, chest hair

gleefully point out who was and wasn’t a man.  I found myself unsure, quite a few times, if she was telling the truth. The most difficult to discern were those men who had mastered “Hide the Willy”… or, in their own vernacular, the “Cock Tuck”.  There were some men who were wearing very tight hot pants… and I could not see a hint of their boy bits showing.  No, sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to point my camera at their crotch for proof.

well hid willies

Porsche her...umm himself

A favorite entertainer for the evening was Porsche who had a lovely soprano voice and belted out just about any song you could thing of (including a version of Rosemary Clooney’s “C’mon-a My House” sung in Japanese!).  I got the biggest kick when she would be singing her soprano songs, then stop in the middle and, in a rich, deep baritone, say, “Yes, I AM a man… why?”

Friend DK got drunk as a skunk and happily so.  I hit back quite a few to begin the evening, but was designated driver, so stopped and just enjoyed the rest of the drunks.

some boys were too pretty

It was for a good cause… and, oh yeah, we got swag bags… those are gifts they give you for donating.  My

they are real... foam

swag bag had lots of coupons for hair styling (Nah!), a coupon for a facial (no, not *that* kind), a plastic beer glass with l.e.d. lights in the bottom, and, my favorite, a “Wet Sex Kit” with some lubricant and a condom!  Can’t wait to try out that one!

If I’m in town next year, yeah, I think I’ll go again… for the great show, on and off stage, if not for another “Wet Sex Kit”!

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Call Sign Confusion

Always in poor weather and often otherwise, when I fly I will put myself in the hands of Air Traffic Control. This puts me on the same radio frequency as airlines and corporate flights.

When talking on the radio, most of us ‘regular’ pilots identify ourselves by the type of aircraft, followed by the plane’s full (or after contact, shortened) registration number. So when talking to Air Traffic Control, I may be “Cessna 7-3-Bravo” (more on the fun of the phonetic alphabet another time).

Airlines and corporate flights are almost the same, but they get to use more fun names in place of the type of aircraft. And the airlines use their flight number instead of their registration number.

Some airlines are proud of their name and heritage, so listening on the radio you’ll hear—“American 4-1-2-1” or “Aeromexico 2-0-7”

Other airlines, no less proud of their name, still use other identifiers for their flights—“Speedbird 2-7-9” (British Airways) or “Springbok 3-9-4” (South African Airways)

Corporate flights vary in the same way—“Ford 1-7-Foxtrot” (Ford Motor Company) or “Air Johnson 3-7-4” (for Johnson Air)

And some relate to individual people—“Shepherd 1” (that would be the Pope’s jet) or “Unicorn 1” (Prince of Wales)

So, on a flight a few years back, I was surprised to hear a call sign I’d not heard before. I had to listen closely to hear it again. Then asked my passenger to confirm what I’d heard. I later looked it up and could not find an official call sign, so the mystery deepened and continues.

So I ask you, gentle reader… who do you think is being flown in an airplane with the call sign identifier: “Cross Dresser”?