Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Rising from the crypt...


The Countess has taken to her bed for the past week since returning from New York City. The cold from Hell that started at Christmas just keeps coming back to bring me down. I did get some Happy Pills from the doctor this time so hopefully this will be the final round for this particular virus.


I have a lot of pictures to post and New York Adventures to relate but that will have to wait for a little bit longer. For now I am going back into the crypt with my Happy Pills......adieu!
Countess Bedelia 3/31/2009 09:14:00 AM | 0 comments |

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Posting from Joe's Pub In New York City...

All I can say is that the "Our Hit Parade" show is fantastic! Bridget Everett, Kenny Melman, and the assorted cast that they assemble for their show...including my friends Jenn Harris and James Barry are so fantastic. It was a wonderful show from beginning to end.

Then I have to toot my own horn because The Countess got dragged on stage, strutted her stuff, won all the prizes, AND Bridget asked her back for a repeat performance.

A Star is Born!!!!!!
Countess Bedelia 3/21/2009 01:16:00 AM | 2 comments |

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Let's return to South Beach memories.....


What more can I say about the fabulous time I had in South Beach this year. Every day I had a chance to see old friends and meet new ones. Everyone was so nice and hospitable to me. It was just a wonderful vacation from beginning to end.
At Twist it was such a pleasure to visit with my dear friend, Chris. Chris is one of the nicest and most generous men on South Beach..... (that's Mrs. Astor peeking between us)



At Score I got to meet Rodrigo, one of the most handsome men in SoBe. He actually was named Bachelor of the Year, or something like that, by The Wire.






Chris, one of the bartenders at Score, knows how to pour a good scotch and how to keep your glass filled.....




This delightful gentleman is Parzham. He is the man who makes the Pool Party such a success and he has become a new friend.....




At the Winter Party Welcome cocktail party, Mr. and Mrs. Astor ran into one of our great friends, Gary.....known to bloggers everywhere as The South Beach Bum....






And The Countess got to meet Daniela Sea, one of the stars of the The L Word on Showtime....





We made a couple of trips to the mainland to see Ditmar at Magnum.



Ditmar's family was visiting from Austria and The Countess loves to visit with Papa, Sonja, and Mama.


Officer Brian came with us one night.....



And Mark 1 and Mark 2 were hanging out.....




Ditmar runs a tight ship at his bar and it is always his worst nightmare when The Countess gets behind the bar and starts pouring shots for everyone!!





These are just a few of the wonderful people in SoBe that I am privileged to call friend.
Now I am off to New York City for more mischief and mayhem. Lots of plays and parties to go to and more fabulous friends to have fun with.
Countess Bedelia 3/18/2009 10:10:00 PM | 2 comments |

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Two Girls for Five Bucks!!

Two Girls, Heartbreakers Aplenty, Worth Every Penny!


Another shameless plug for my friends! Darling Daiva Deupree and her friend Cathleen Carr have created a fabulous show with hilarious sketches, outlandish characters, video interludes, and an expansive comedy performance with an unforgettably exhibitionist edge. AND a live band.





Their show is currently appearing at Ars Nova in New York City. Check out the website and see videos of the show. Final performance is March 28th, so hurry over and see it while you can.


If you go this Saturday, you will see The Countess laughing hysterically and cheering very loudly.
Countess Bedelia 3/17/2009 06:56:00 PM | 0 comments |

Monday, March 16, 2009

"Out of Sterno"


We interrupt our regularly scheduled program of reporting Miami Beach escapades to bring you an important bulletin!



"Out of Sterno" is playing at the Portland Stage Co. in Portland, Maine, and you only have until this Sunday, the 22nd, to see it. It is hysterically funny. A wonderful campy play about what it means to love and to be a "real" woman.






The Countess and the adorable Bennett took a ride up to Portland last Saturday to see the show and visit with one of the stars, Phillip Taratula. Phillip has a multitude of roles in the play, most of them as women, and he is fabulous! As I told him later, "You have gorgeous legs and look great in high heels!"





Here is Phillip in one of his roles as Mrs. Cuthbert.....





Janice O'Rourke, Phillip Taratula, and Patricia Buckley - Portland Stage Co publicity photo



You might remember Phillip from the blog I posted on his one man show last fall, "Call Me Anne". He is a very talented actor so get up to Portland if you can and see him in "Out of Sterno". You only have a few performances left to see the show.
Countess Bedelia 3/16/2009 09:06:00 AM | 0 comments |

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Pool Party.....

Now let's see......where was I? Oh yes, standing on the balcony looking down at the gorgeous men by the pool.....






The bottle of Glenlivet was waiting in the cabana. Let the party begin!!!



Winter Party is put on by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Rea Carey, the Executive Director of the Task Force, stopped by to say hello and get a picture taken with Father Tony.



The South Beach Bum and Leopoldo were modeling ladies and gents hats.....


A dear friend from the Berkshires flew in just that morning to attend the party. Steve promptly found a new friend to hang with. I bet Rumpy's Tavern was just green with envy!



Those two lovely ladies from Ft. Lauderdale, Penny and Vickie, joined us for the party. Both of these fabulous women are involved in South Florida's TERI-Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives.




It wouldn't be THE Pool Party if The Countess didn't find a few handsome men to hang out with...




And a few more.....




AND I got to meet a REAL count when Count von Mirsky came calling....




Thankfully my Chief of Security, Officer Brian, was on the job....




Here is Mrs. Astor trying to persuade Leandro not to run away with The Countess, as Mark and Penny look on....




A charming portrait of the First Couple of South Beach, Mr. & Mrs. Astor....




The ever fabulous Ditmar, the famous Miami bartender, arrived and posed with a friend....





A good time was had by all. Don't you wish you could have been there?

Countess Bedelia 3/15/2009 07:57:00 PM | 0 comments |

Friday, March 13, 2009

Getting back on track....


The Countess has been a little lazy the past couple of weeks but I am getting back on track.


Pool Party at the Surfcomber, Miami Beach.....one of the Winter Party week's premiere events.


You can scroll through the official party pictures on this site. You'll see The Countess in a few of them but I'm sure you would rather look at all the beautiful men that were there.


I once again had a VIP Cabana on the balcony and invited the creme de la creme of society to my party. The only one missing was the late Countess duBarry. That dear lady was much missed but her hats were there to carry on her legacy.



The Countess once again ruled from her balcony....



My dear friends, The Mrs. Astor and Susie, joined me for the party....





Mr. Astor, Mrs. Astor, and the famous Father Tony, the New York blogger.....



Father Tony posted about meeting "the fabled enchantrix" and immortalized me forever in this photo on his blog....



Mrs. Astor, Mr. Astor, The Countess, Walter, and Gary, the South Beach Bum


Thank you, Tony, for making me look so good!


I'll post more later. Have a great day, everyone. The sun is shining in Boston and the temperature is starting to rise. Things are looking up!


Countess Bedelia 3/13/2009 11:18:00 AM | 6 comments |

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

California: Help is on the way!

Breaking: MassEquality’s Solomon to lead Equality California’s marriage effort







"After successfully leading the effort to preserve marriage equality in Massachusetts and overseeing his organization’s transition from a single-issue political campaign into a broad-based LGBT political organization, MassEquality executive director Marc Solomon is leaving to head up Equality California’s (EQCA) effort to restore marriage equality in that state.



"It’s been my greatest honor to help protect marriage rights in Massachusetts," said Solomon in a statement. "I’m excited to take the lessons we’ve learned to California, and I’m so pleased MassEquality will continue to help other states win marriage equality while advancing a full equality agenda in Massachusetts."



...... Solomon is heading to California as the state’s LGBT community struggles to find its footing after the devastating passage of Proposition 8, an anti-gay marriage ballot amendment, last November. The amendment’s passage reversed the California Supreme Court’s May 2008 ruling in favor of marriage equality and has thrown into question the legality of the roughly 18,000 same-sex marriages that occurred in the state prior to Prop. 8’s passage. Earlier this week, the California Supreme Court heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by EQCA aimed at invalidating Proposition 8. However, after harsh questioning by the seven justices legal LGBT advocates aren’t terribly optimistic the court will rule in favor of tossing the amendment. Should the court rule against EQCA, the only recourse would be to mount a ballot initiative campaign to pass a pro-marriage equality constitutional amendment, an unprecedented feat.



On top of the difficult legal and political terrain, Solomon will also likely face a skeptical grassroots LGBT community in his new role. Following the passage of Prop. 8, EQCA, its executive director Geoff Kors, and a host of other LGBT organizations and their leaders were roundly criticized for running what many saw as an ineffective, top-down campaign that failed to harness grassroots support or find proper messaging. In the aftermath of the November election, grassroots groups like Join the Impact and the Courage Campaign seized on the perceived failings to call for new leadership in the state’s marriage equality movement, in addition to organizing anti-Prop. 8 protests and other direct actions.



Solomon, however, brings to his new job significant experience running a grassroots campaign, given that the mobilization of thousands of same-sex couples and their families to political activism -- from lobbying to volunteering on political campaigns -- is largely seen as the key to MassEquality’s success in winning the marriage battle here in Massachusetts. Solomon’s tenure as the leader of MassEquality began in 2006, after the departure of Campaign Director Marty Rouse. Solomon had previously served as the organization’s political director. In addition to leading the organization through its most crucial battle -- the defeat of an anti-gay marriage amendment sponsored by the Massachusetts Family Institute in June 2007-- he has also steered the organization to success in its new iteration as a multi-issue LGBT political organization. Most notably, Solomon and MassEquality led the effort on the repeal of the 1913 law that prevented non-resident same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts. Gov. Deval Patrick signed the repeal bill into law last July in a public ceremony. The organization also played a leading role in the passage of the MassHealth Equality bill, which enables same-sex spouses in Massachusetts to access MassHealth benefits, and was pivotal in securing increased state funding for a host of LGBT and HIV/AIDS programming in last year’s budget. Solomon’s tenure also saw the launch of the "6x12" strategy, a partnership with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) to win marriage equality in every New England state by 2012."
Countess Bedelia 3/10/2009 10:16:00 AM | 0 comments |

Monday, March 09, 2009

What a difference a week makes...




A week ago The Countess was congratulating herself about changing her flight back to New England and extending her stay in beautiful Miami Beach. There was a major storm raging across the northern part of the country and the Boston area got several inches of snow. Boston and New York airports were closed for several hours and major delays caused major headaches for everyone traveling that day.



Instead of dealing with the snow I took a lovely walk along Ocean Drive and the Beach walk....








Then I had lunch with Susie at a sidewalk table on Lincoln Road Mall......




Later that evening Mark and I had a lovely dinner at Cardoza, sitting at a table on the veranda and enjoying the delicious food and the balmy breezes....





One week later.....today.....I awake to this.....




Will this winter ever end? :(



Countess Bedelia 3/09/2009 01:05:00 PM | 0 comments |