Raise the roof!

So it was a nice weekend here. Had a beer with my bro after work Friday night before meeting up with my boo and my gurls Tophie (who flew the coop smartly b/c we ended up wasted!)and Dagmar. I was also joined by Watusi and eventually Il Schiffo and my other friend the Chesapeake Dog. Of course here we are again - a new work week. But I'm not too anxious or overly miserable for once - I am far too sore and tired, but in a good sort of way. I spent yesterday afternoon and a good portion of this afternoon helping my friend Watusi (not his real name!) build his new roofdeck. It is a pretty amazing feat, considering he fired his architect and contractors b/c of fraudulent plans and absentee workers. Because Watusi is crazy, he is building the roof deck himself. When complete it will span 2 levels of his 3 level house - complete with stairs, lighting and a unique system of self-watering flower pots. I will post pictures of the finished product - it is no doubt going to be awesome!

The most amazing thing is how much he accomplished - BY HIMSELF - 3 stories up and in the worst heat and humidity of recent memory. I am glad he lived to talk about it - I was checking on him daily to make he didn't die of heatstroke! He did have help from some dayworkers (read: illegales) to hoist these huge timbers to the roof. The rest he did himself, including the framing, supports etc. It is no small feat. Thankfully I was able to help him a bit yesterday and today. We are like sisters and he has been there to help me move, clean and stage my condo for sale etc. We do a lot together - we are dangerous alone and terrors as a pair. Look out when Watusi and I are comin' at ya!

I am actually pretty impressed with myself. I'm not known for A) my handyman skills or B) liking that kind of work - especially in the sun. But it was cool and breezy the last few days and it was nice to help my gurl out, get a workout and some sun in the process. Plus I successfully used the jigsaw and drove some screws in addition to being brute force labour. Typically I shy away from those things and just rely on my lifting and hauling abilities. I'm not graceful but I am a lot stronger than I look.

I admire my sista - he has had an interesting life thus far. I met him through my first boyfriend more than 3 years ago at Gay Days at King's Dominion. He and his bf (who now have this soon to be fabulous roof deck) were definitely fun at first glance. However it was not until we (like 10 gay men) had dinner at Applebees (whatever - we were starving) in Fredericksburg, VA. Watusi was about 6 seats away from me when I for one reason or another mentioned my FAVOURITE movie of all-time: To Wong Foo, Thanks for everything. - Julie Newmar (yes I am very gay in that one regard - and proud of it!). I think Watusi knocked the 6 queens out of the way to come sit next to me. He has the entire movie memorized - just like I do. We have been terrors ever since. He has a real name but I call him Watusi (Ms. Shirley Q. Liquor's sidekick). He comes from Dorothyland - was in the Navy, served as a scrub nurse on the USNS Comfort and now goes to school to get his BS in Nursing. All of this, plus fun and ignance and somehow can assemble roofdecks nearly alone - wow. That's my gurl!