Probably my favorite weekend of the year. It really is the first day Buffalo comes alive and feels like summer.

Friday night we headed down to the Banshee of all places for. Gay and Lesbian Youth services fundraiser. It was free so I'm not sure how much funds they were really raising. (E:Terry)'s aunt is in town and had never seen a drag show so that was the primary goal.

The place was packed mostly with gays I don't know, but overall it was a decent time. On the second floor there was a free buffet of pierogies, baked ziti, fries and baked cauliflower. I'm usually skeeved out by buffets, but at one point they put out fresh untouched trays, and then five minutes later brought a cart out to throw them out. Some:Paul and I activated bear mode and really went to town.

When that shht down we went with (e:) libertad and (e:Mike) and a few others to underground.

It's recently gotten new ownership and a revamp, mostly involving some circus like rainbow stripes, removal of the gross carpet, and now some twink slideshows playing on the TV. Honestly I don't hate it, I've always had a soft spot for the divey-ness of the place.

Afters were are at our place and we stayed up too late.

Saturday was a manic day of cleaning preparing for hosting people Saturday night and Sunday. I think I did a good job but I did get bogged down in electronic recycling. We were supposed to check out the Intersect Pride arts festival Mickey had started but they cancelled it a few days before due to weather. Surprise, the day was beautiful.

Having cleansed in time, we hosted the Buddy Buddy pre party.

Following that was Buddy Buddy at Duende until 4am. Minx is a great DJ - dancing fell so different for some reason.

Back home and a few hours of sleep, up at 9 to get ready for the parade.

(e:Paul) and I listen to this song and band quite a lot.

This song is in my head even I'm that weird half-sleep in-between before you really wake up.

I would love to see some of these Austrian indie bands.

I will make no pretensions about 2026 being a good year





but we can hope, right?

We say the ping pong movie Marty Supreme at the second last day of the downtown AMC. I bought tickets for the Amherst theater accidentally but they let us in anyway. Hopefully it reopens as another chain, it is nice having a theater in walking distance.

I am trying to remember the first time I had met Mickey.

I think it was way back in 2013, at what felt like the beginning of my adult life. If it wasn't at one of those Block Club parties, it was at (e:mike)'s birthday ((e:joe,58048)). I remember sitting around a fire in the backyard. I think (e:robert) had brought him not long after meeting Mickey himself.

The first photo I have is in our attic during that year's Halloween party.



It feels so impossibly long ago right now.

I remember meeting Jordan for the first time in the summer of 2021, when it finally felt like we could start leaving COVID behind.

I don't really have the words to say how I feel about all this right now. Anything I write feels wrong because nothing about this is right.



All I know it is I love and will miss them so much. They were a beating heart in the living being that is Allentown, Buffalo, our sprawling network of Rust Belt queers. I hope we can carry that light they shared.