Yes, we had another one of our “AC Install” fire drills here this morning!

Just FYI, it takes me about 45 minutes to get the house ready for the repairmen to get here.

I have to get cat food and water into both bedrooms. A litterbox in each bedroom. Round up the cats and then close them up in the bedrooms — without sustaining too many claw marks on my arms.

And then clear out that area at the top of the basement stairs, where 3 litterboxes and a ton of cat litter usually hang out.

Set up my laptop at the kitchen table. Pour a cup of coffee. Sit down…

And then — voila!!

At 7:59 AM–

The HVAC company called to re-schedule me for Monday. They didn’t have enough service guys today.

So out they all trot again…

And my day off begins.

You know, at least it was better than last time — where everyone had to stay closed up for 5 hours before the appointment was re-scheduled…

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Before I forget!!

45 years ago today!!

Chong and I became Mr. & Mrs. Chong Foun Kee!

At this lovely building at 1 Centre Street, in downtown Manhattan:

It is a place you absolutely do not forget. It’s an enormous building.

It was a sunny morning in NYC. I wore a very 1980s-style short white satin dress, with a little matching white satin jacket.

After the ceremony (we were married by a Judge, and we had 2 witnesses in tow) we had lunch at a diner downtown, called Dolly’s. But it apparently is gone now.

Anyway.

Chong texted me this morning that our relationship has “withstood time” — with a bunch of various “clock” emojis.

And on we go, I guess, until the sands run out…

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It’s going to be a really gorgeous day here, today. Up into the 70s Fahrenheit and sunny all day.

I’m hoping to have a great day, so we’ll see how that pans out.

Meanwhile–

Here’s this.

Todd West is part of James Tabor’s private Patreon Research Group. He has a new scholarly book out: Where Was Jesus Crucified? Texts, Archaeology, and a New Case for Golgotha on Jerusalem’s West Side.

History Valley interviewed both Todd and James yesterday.

Where Was Jesus Crucified? A New Case for Golgotha | Todd West & Dr. James Tabor (2 hrs):

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And in a totally unrelated “here’s this”–

Here’s this!

From Phyllis Stein. Johnny Thunders, in NYC, 1982! (Photo by Marcia Resnick.)

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And here’ this.

Coming April 21st, the 60th Anniversary “Sip-in”. Visit NYC LGBT History for details:

In case you’re too young to know this — among other things, it used to be illegal to serve suspected gays & lesbians in bars in NY:

“On April 21, 1966, a “Sip-In” was organized by members of the Mattachine Society, one of the country’s earliest gay rights organizations, to challenge the State Liquor Authority’s discriminatory policy of revoking the licenses of bars that served known or suspected gay men and lesbians. The publicized event — at which they were refused service after intentionally revealing they were “homosexuals” — was one of the earliest pre-Stonewall public actions for LGBT rights as well as a big step forward in the eventual development of legitimate LGBT bars in New York City. Through the efforts of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, this site was listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places in 2015 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The Project’s advocacy also led to the site’s designation as a New York City Landmark by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2022. ⁠”

[full details for the nationwide sip-in are HERE]

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And here’s this.

Janis on a bed somewhere in blue lace stockings!

And just FYI — it was Peggy Caserta’s 1973 memoir, Going Down With Janis, that finally made me feel that it was okay to like girls.

I had been erotically attracted to girls since I was 6 years old. Honestly. And every one of my friends would tell me there was something weird about that. That book, which I read when I was 13 (and paid for — I bought it at a bookstore at the mall, I didn’t steal it!!), changed my relationship with myself.

And ironically enough, also when I was 13, I “lost” my virginity (it was more like, “take it — please!”) to a really gorgeous guy — a violinist — while smoking hash, drinking tequila, and listening to Janis Joplin’s (Big Brother & the Holding Company’s) 1968 record Cheap Thrills.

I can unequivocally state that:

A.) Janis Joplin was quite an enigmatic influence on me! (3 years after she died, no less)

B.) I miss the 1970s!!!

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And here’s this!

4 of my cats on the bed with me this morning!!

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And here’s this.

Joe Strummer in 1986:

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And here’s this!

With Nick Cave (almost) fully behind him, Rowland S. Howard takes on the world!!

And we’ll close with this!

An iconic classic of Nick Cave smoking! (Also, me, in 1973!!)

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And that is it for today!

I hope I get a lot done here. Sandra called and had to postpone our chat because she has to go to the dentist today. An emergency.

And for some weird reason, I don’t have any Zoom meetings or webinars scheduled for today. (Although the Zoom Town Hall meeting with Lambda Literary yesterday afternoon was another good one!)

So I might just actually get some writing done.

I also want to start getting organized to launch the Marilyn’s Room mini-podcast with sometimes co-host Valerie in Brooklyn!!

Meanwhile, enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with 2 options today!

Number One — the most classic oldies wedding song of all time!

1964, The Dixie Cups, “The Chapel of Love”:

Number Two — my favorite Janis Joplin song (written by Kris Kristofferson). 1971. From her posthumous album, Pearl. “Me & Bobby McGee”.

(And I absolutely still fucking LOVE her version of this song. I sing it to my cat, Bobby McGee, all the time, and I sing it to him note-for-note the way Janis sang it.) Okay. Enjoy, gang.