Planning to attend this years EXXOTICA event Detroit Jason and I decided ahead of time this would likely be or last. I have a very good feeling it will be Larry’s last for certain. My favorite part other than Ginger Lynn was seeing my friends. Jason and I each had our own rooms and mine would service as an impromptu hospitality suite complete with booze and snacks. Lost of each .Spending time in my room with the gang, Mario and Vicky, Adrian, Max Bravo, Jason, Josh and myself was the highlight. Sharing conversation about an array of things including the continuing wave of Chicago violence were topics of conversation. Not to mention a visit from Amy Abramite the night before.
And then there was this fucking guy:
Trix 400mg THC infused Cereal. Only AZ didn’t realize it wasn’t a snack until it was too late.
But that story comes later.
It was around 3 PM Thursday 4/20/2023 that I heard Jason walk down the hall of casa Diablo toward my office. The back door and windows were open as it was a mild and warm day. I told him to peek in the fridge and that’s where he found the ceremonial 12 pack of PBR that I always have here for his visits.
Jason is a kind and considerate friend, and he knows that the last few weeks I’ve been struggling with chronic insomnia. I don’t have a problem falling asleep, I have a problem staying asleep and once I’m up I’m basically fucked. And that makes work more difficult than it needs to be. To put it into perspective I’ve been in the recruiting/research world since 2005. The company I serve is the most stress free easy going company of understandable leaders I have ever known. Some of my other employers have been ruthless and cut throat. It was get the win/results at any cost. That work environment at one time contributed to a lot of my insomnia. This project, zero stress.
So Jason being the person he is offered to pick me up some edibles in Michigan on the way in. 1 pack of edibles in Michigan is $10. The same product in Illinois, $40. That’s the insane tax of this state. I asked him to pick me up 5 and I’d pay him $50. However he told me it was only $35 because of it being 4/20 there was a sale. HELLUVA DEAL and yes, I’ve been sleeping very well dear reader.
Edibles are food products infused with marijuana. Though smoking marijuana is the most prevalent method of consumption, eating marijuana is quickly becoming a popular way to consume the drug. THC gummies — also known as weed gummies or marijuana gummies — are edible cannabis products that are infused with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. THC is what gives users a sense of a “high.
The next stop would be Lou Malnati’s in Lincoln Square and at 5 PM when I logged off from work for a week, I ordered and Uber and we were en route.
Lou Malnati’s is a prototypical Chicago style pizza, and its deep dish pizza is generally referred to as a “pie”. A thin crust of pizza dough is laid in a seasoned deep-dish pizza pan and raised up on the sides. The ingredients are placed on a Chicago style deep-dish pizza in the opposite order of a thin crust pizza, with sausage lining the bottom layer instead of the pizza sauce. The first ingredients are thick slices of mozzarella cheese that are placed directly on the dough. Then, additional ingredients like mushrooms, pepperoni, and onions are spread on top of the cheese. The pizza is topped with a tomato sauce made with whole chunks of tomatoes. A “Lou-Mal” pie uses a “sausage patty”, a single patty of Italian sausage below the layer of tomato chunks or sauce, as opposed to the more traditional crumbled sausage. The company has gluten-free pizzas available in small deep dish only; as well as a crust-less version where the dough is replaced with sausage. The total time to bake a deep dish is 30 minutes for carryout orders. If it is scheduled for delivery, it can take up to one hour, 30 minutes to bake it then a 30 minute window to deliver to customers.
It was nice because being Thursday after work we pretty much had the entire large dining room to ourselves. Jason has had Chicago style pizza before but not Lou’s. We were both hungry and devoured our pies. Jason cleaned his plate to the point that it could have been reused without washing.
It was so nice our we decided to walk up Lincoln Ave to Hansa Clipper and go have a post dinner drink. This has long been one of my favorite watering holes where my very favorite bartender works or worked. She had a baby. We had a round then to an Uber to Wrigleyville North which wasn’t very busy considering there was a home game. We hung there, walked to El Mariachi for a margarita then back to WVN. Fuck it. We have Rosemont tomorrow. Time to sleep.
Carola’s Hansa Clipper
Wrigleyville North
We got a decent head start and I needed to drop off 2 pairs of jeans to wash at my local laundromat. I tossed them in a machine and being in a rush asked the attendant if she could throw them in the dryer and I’d pay her. She told me she wasn’t allowed. The place was packed and like I said I was in a hurry. Then we drove to Mariano’s where we stocked up on supplies for the rooms. Snacks and refreshments. The plan was to put the food in the cooler of the car which was now fully packed, pick up my jeans and put them in the dryer and go. As I was checking out I reached for my wallet and it was not on my person. I naturally panicked but here I was with Jason who is one of the most calm people I know. I asked him to cover my purchase and he did with no hesitation. My dilemma was it at home, or did I drop it at the laundromat which would spell certain doom.
We drove to the laundromat and the attendant who I asked to put my clothes in the dryer asked if I had last something. She had my wallet. As it turns out as I was digging in my front right pocket for quarters I had laid my wallet on the top of the washer and rushed out. If this honest woman had not found it not one person in that place would have returned it to me., and that would have left me fucked in soooo many ways. And at the top would be checking into and paying for my room at the hotel. As a legal citizen I am having such a hard time getting a Real ID from the state I cannot even imagine trying to get a replacement.
I put my jeans in the dryer for one round, went back up to my apartment, then came back, went to the laundromat, picked up my jeans and we were on our way to Rosemont to check in at the Embassy Suites.
Checking in was not as easy as I had hoped as I needed to acquire a cart to take all of the gear and luggage up to the room. It required my ID which was in the car in my wallet. (WTF my wallet this day?) I went out grabbed my wallet and then found myself again at the back of the line so I figured I’d just check in and they’d have my ID and credit card info. However it is so strict at hotels around here anymore because of people having big illegal parties that a getaway anymore has a LOT of fucking rules.
I checked in and they kept my ID anyway and I told Jason room 509 and then he parked and checked in. Jason had a room one level up and across from mine. Max would be joining us later. We got setup and it would be a few hours till Amy would be joining us at the hotel. Till then Jason and I had a couple drinks and I went downstairs to get my welcome bag which they failed to give me when I checked in. That’s when I saw Adrian, Vicky and Mario in the bar and walked over to say hello. I gave them my room # and they came up. After hanging out we went to the bar sans our pineapple gear. The swingers were already coming in. One guy had very bright pineapple shorts on. He was really making himself known. We sold have already put on our Swinger shirts (and Even Stone pineapple shirts)
Pineapples are used as a secret way for swingers to identify each other. If you see someone wearing an upside-down pineapple badge or pin, it means that they’re actively looking for a partner swap. An upside-down pineapple on someone’s front porch can be seen as an invitation to join a swinger party.
I had the shirts made a few months ago this time and had one made for Evan since he liked the one we made last year of his face in crosshairs. Below is a photo of Evan wearing the shirt I just mentioned.
Detroit Jason representing
Amy finally arrived and now I have to give this woman major props. She took the Blue Line all the way out to Rosemont after work and then walked to the hotel to meet us. That really says a lot. She and Jason met for the first time and he got a really good impression of her. She was a really good sport and hung awhile before heading home as she had to work the next day unlike us.
There’s the upside-down pineapple club crew
The owl rings that I bought for the people I like the best
Family reunion 2023: Max Bravo, Detroit Jason Kenski (Malone), Mario (Xian Li Wong) AZ, Vicky (Viniko Richmond) and in front Adrian Holman.
Lucky Starr formerly of Chicago returns home to sign books.
This is the true story of Lucky Starr and her journey into the adult film industry. It contains actual online journal entries and personal recollections from the author from the beginning of her career to present.
Above are the Ginger Lynn (Rockford Tribute) Shirts I had made with the CHEAP TRICK logo. She was the only person I really card about seeing and in my state of mind was lucky that it happened. More on all of that later and I have much more pix to add to this section. I’m obviously very busy right now.
Ginger w/ shirt. She’s super sweet and doesn’t need to be however that’s just her nature. A true legend.
Jason with his personal fave RAY RAY of Columbus OH
Lexi Belle just a great person/spirit in ever sense of the word.
When I got home Sunday evening I got good news about a couple shows coming up, BH and AZ back again! Summer 2023. Jason went back to the show to spend another afternoon with Max and the gang. I jumped right into networking and setting up shows.
Out last meal on this visit at El Palmar. We were there for awhile and even made a new friend.
Jason had a few hours before he had to get on the road back to Sterling Heights MI so I rented the Mojo Nixon doc again for him to watch. The next day to was back to the grind for both of us.