Monthly Archives: April 2023

gay travel long time ago

Old story. Part one.

Pre-Internet traveling abroad, not knowing where to go, arriving Madrid and wanting to dance in a gay club the first night, a quick yet unreliable way was to get into a taxi, and if the driver didn’t look like he’d be bothered by it, ask where to party.

I stopped a few cabs looking for a younger driver who might know what was trendy. All of them were old, so I got in with an old one and asked. He confidently popped it into drive.

He drove me to the red-light district full of sex clubs and workers walking the street. I asked the driver, “but where are the dance clubs?”

He said, “I thought you wanted sex?”

Me, “well sure, maybe later, but I need some hours of drinking and dancing first.”

I paid, got out, and asked some people in the street if they knew. They pointed me to some nice clubs.

Part two. Many years later.

Once the Internet got going, and early way of finding the party places was to go to a net cafe and get on certain channels on IRC (Internet Relay Chat). Mérida, Mexico, was well set up in that way. Clear, quick, information, and offers of company to the clubs.

I figured anybody that eager might not be a good date, and I was with my spouse anyway, so we’d just log off and go ourselves. At least in the clubs, we could look somebody over first.

Funny how things go.

savings bonds redemption

Something I had put off a long time.

I got out some paper U.S. Savings Bonds that I knew had matured some time ago and were no longer earning interest. There is an online tool that will tell you the status of any that you might have.

I took them to the bank and redeemed ’em. It’s not something that happens frequently, so it took the lead teller to assist.

The bonds had the bank names on them from where they were bought: Valley Bank of Phoenix and Triad Bank of Greensboro. Both of those names are now gone. I remember Valley National had a great retro logo.

Now I have a little mad money! 💰👍

Savings Bonds were once a popular way to save money and were often given as gifts.