i love Lewiston, maine

This past weekend was one of the most action packed weekends we’ve had in a really really long time. It seems like we were doing something, or on our way to do something, or coming home from doing something all weekend. Which isn’t a bad thing – it’s good to have a lot of “action” every now and again. Though I will admit that waking up this morning was a little rough.  I managed to do our taxes, go ice skating, go to Boston to see a movie, hit up my favorite two year olds birthday party, and well, have perhaps one of the best night’s EVER, thanks to Bates College and the City of Lewiston, ME.

We have a friend who is a professor at Bates and who is also friends with Annie Sprinkle. So she brought her to the college to do a lecture about her life and career, which was an amazing hour and a half of hysterical (mostly bad) 70’s porn, viewed some awesome slides of her art and activism work, and had good conversations about feminism, porn, sex work, and…basically, every woman’s right to enjoy her body and experience pleasure. I’ve followed Annie’s career for some time, and it was really neat to meet her and see her work up close and personal. Uh, we also got to see her “Bosom Ballet,” which words can not describe how brilliant the performance was. But the best part???

We arrived early to the event and before the presentation our professor friend introduced us to Annie. Which was awesome in itself, but it gets better. After that, I asked my friend where the restroom was, because you know, it was a bit of a drive. I had to pee very very badly. And my friend said “great, Annie needs to change and so you can escort her to the bathroom.” I’m like, ok. So I go stand near where Annie is setting some stuff up. A few minutes go by. I still really have too pee. I’m getting restless, but she’s still futzing with presentation stuff.  Just as I’m starting to get desperate, she looks over at me as if she’s ready to go. But then says that she’d really like to do a “ritual” before the presentation, and could she have some people help her with that.

Now, I’ve known for years that my professor friend doesn’t do “ritual.”  Though until that moment I didn’t really know what she was talking about, as we’ve always had a nice time celebrating holidays together (she’s the other Jew in town (joke,)) and though the formalities of things seem to not be her “thing,” they’re not really mine either. So I never really asked for clarification on the whole ritual thing. But when Annie announced that she was doing one, professor friend high tailed it across the room to where S was hanging out.  Being as I was a foot away, she kind of pulled me in to her circle, and along with 2 other students we had a few minute long Annie Sprinkle led ritual to the g-ddesses of sexual pleasure (amongst other things.) Now…I will not discredit or discount someone else’s expression of spirituality or spiritual awareness.  I think that if it works for you, it works for you. But I must confess that this kind of ritual does not work for me. At all.  Which I kind of knew beforehand but you know, it’s something (and good story fodder) to have your “ritual” cherry popped by Annie Sprinkle.

One might have thought that that excitement would be enough for one evening but no, not quite in our case. After the presentation, the lovely J and her partner and S and I decided that because we were in Lewiston, we owed it to ourselves to get a drink at the local gay bar, (which I believe is the oldest running gay bar in ME) Sportsman’s Athletic Club. It’s the kind of place where probably less than 10 or so years ago you needed to have a “membership” to gain entry. But now it’s a very hole in the wall, working class gay bar, with a bar, a small empty dance floor with a disco ball, and some tables in the back.  I LOVE bars like this.  What made it even better? Going up to the bar, ordering some drinks and having the bartender tell us “Oh, it’s an open bar right now. See that guy at the end of the bar (there were like, 6 people in the place) in the white sweater? He’s running an open tab for the bar right now. Enjoy. But don’t bother to thank him because he’s a pompous ass.” Yee Haw. We had a few rounds on Mr. Pompous, and enjoyed the atmosphere and music (mix of hip-hop, country, and heavy metal. Right on.) and each others company.

After this much excitement, good times, chatter, and drink, we were hungry. The only place open in ME for food after oh, say 10pm is Denny’s. This is true in Portland AND most other ME cities. So, even though we knew it was a gastrointestinal nightmare waiting to happen (and it was, believe me) we went and had breakfast at midnight, at Denny’s.  All I can say is…there’s nothing like the scent of snowmobile fuel early in the morning.  Mmm-hmmm…

So, How was your weekend??