The Peacock 1440

Carol and Sarah have just arrived, and I have to stifle myself from yielding to temptation and telling Carol that we have saved plenty of food for her. Everyone is seated in spontaneous little groups and circles. i am sharing the couch with Amanda and Sarah. George and jeffrey are engaged in a deep conversation with Norma and Cynthia, Carl and Francisco are getting caught up with Melissa, Lazarus and Jason, and Carol has just joined them with her second full plate of food. I am amazed that that woman is not morbidly obese, now rubenesqe, as they say, and perhaps could shed around forty pounds, but seriously, where does she put all that food.

The Peacock 1439

And what a banquet Melissa has prepared for us, beginning with an avocado tomato and brie salad, then a potato, egg, tofu and leek salad dressed in yogurt and dijon, then a Danish Greek salad, because the cheese is blue cheeese in this case and not feta. Plus several loaves of her homaemade sourdough whole wheat bread, and a selection of European and domestic cheeses and fruits. No one will be leaving hungry...

The Peacock 1438

"I would imagine that he was caught off-guard", says Amanda. "Off guard or not, there is one thing that has not changed with Robert Griffin since his hour of repentance, which my sister and I were witnesses to twenty years ago in Switzerland", says Carl. "He is still a liar, and every bit the liar he was before his crocodile tears. Better that we lose him forever. He is not an honest broker. he is an absolute control freak, and it is time that this community gets its life back, and that everyone here recover their lives from that Svengali. "I think you're right", says Lazarus. We have both had our share of problems with him." Jason appears not interested or willing to say anything. His racism is also a problem", says Francois. "In spades", concurs George. And being the two people of colour present, I am not one to argue with them. "what are we going to do about lunch", say I. "Fear not", says Carl. "Melissa has brought us a banquet on wheels..."

The Peacock 1437

"Excuse me", he mumbles as he makes his way to the front door which he shuts behind him with a sound of tomblike finality. I am suddenly devastated and I sink into a chair, astonished and dumbfounded at my brazenness. All eyes are on me. "Don't worry, Chris", says Carl. "He had it coming." "What was that all about", are the words that burst out of Amanda. "Long story." Carl says, "Chris was one of the many young men and boys being victimized by Robert Griffin in the church." "I can continue", say I. One Sunday he tried again to proposition me. I was seventeen, so it was almost three decades ago. I demanded first a hundred bucks from him which he eagerly shelled out. I bailed on him, threatening if he followed me to announce to everyone in earshot since we were at coffee hour after high mass, that their priest was buying sex off me. When I got home, my dad, also an Anglican priest, persuaded me to give him back the money. Then he phoned Robert, who came over to collect his hundred bucks. And he had the nerve to lie here aout it, in front of all of you....

The Peacock 1436

I am smiling snidely at Father Griffin as the little imp takes control of me. "I remember your last visit here, Robert." "I beg your pardon, Christopher, but I have never been here before." And I can't believe that he can lie to me boldface and get away with it. The imp is in charge. "Well, you did get your hundred bucks back, since my dad did not want an extortionist for a son." "Your dad was a very fine man of God." "A fine man of God who did not want his kid servicing clergy for pay." he is bound and determined not to react or respond, and I don't care. This feels like unfinished business. "Father Griffin", say I..." "Robert please". "Father Griffin, I know that you believe yourself to be a changed man. Carl and Melissa have told me all about your repentance and regeneration in Switzerland some years ago. But you have never really come clean with me about what you were trying to pull off when I was just seventeen years old. Yes, we had what appeared to be an emotional reconciliation at the altar in the Blessed Sacrament Altar, but not one single word of regret or apology ever issued from your lips in my hearing. And if you are going to sit in here as a guest in my father's house, then you are going to have to accept your obligation for transparency....

The Peacock 1435

The toilet is being flushed and now appears Robert Griffin, presumably fresh from having a pee following his long drive from Mission. "Father Griffin", say I. "From now on, please call me Robert", he says smiling as he finds an empty chair. "I hope you won't find my presence too unwelcome here." "No, by all means, you are welcome." And, yes, because we are going to be talking about the mansion and the community, of course he is going to be part of the conversation. Well do I remember almost thirty years ago, Father Griffin's only and previous visit here in this house, to recover the money that I extorted from him in the church, at my father's behest. "Sarah and Carol are also on their way." "Jenn and Maureen wanted to also come, but we were afraid there wouldn't be enough room", says Melissa. "The others don't seem to really care that much and are happy to stay behind, though I imagine soon enough they will be moving to the house that Carl bought...

The Peacock 1434

Everyone is seated in the living room, clearly awaiting me, and to my surprise, here are Jason and Lazarus, on the sofa, flanking Amanda who is perched between them like a queen enthroned. Naomi is in the recliner chair and Melissa occupies the other, her face almost lost in what appers to be near scowl. I seem to have forgotten how grim and forboding she always looks. Carl, Francois, George, Jeffrey and Jesús have all taken chairs from the dining room table, where they have formed a kind of outer circle. "You came together", says Amanda chirpily. She is clearly very pleased with herself right now. "It was a happy accident", says Cynthia. Christopher stumbled across us in the coffee shop so we drove back together." "which coffee shop", says Carl. "The Bean Around the World on Hastings and Cambie, where we all met last time." "What were you doing there?" says George. "I went back to the condo where i had a three hour nap. Then I wanted to go out for coffee, and there they were." "They?" says Francois. Chuck and Nicole were sitting with her." "Nicole?" says Carl. "The green haired girl singing at the bakery with Sarah yesterday?" "There must be some kind of story there", says Naomi , smiling... "

The Peacock 1433

"what do you make of her otherwise?" "I am still processing the meeting. I've never met anyone like that before. Basically, she just walks in, takes control, and we are all her captive audience. Like we're being held completely in her power until she's done with us, and then..." "Then she spits you out." "Something like that. I am feeling a bit exhausted from talking with her, or listening to her since Stella basically does all the talking." I don't know how to answer any of this nor what to tell Carl. I am not sure if he really wants to know that his erstwhle protector is in town, if that is indeed Stella, and I really can't see who else it would be. I see Melissa'ss red Honda parked in front of the house, but we appear to be arriving right on time

The Peacock 1431

"what is Stella bringing to the table." "I did say it's hare-brained and I would say very unworkable. She wants all the sex workers to somehow plant on their john's clothing, socks or underwear, a mlnute tracking device that will lead Stellas's agents to them. They will in turn abduct them and take them to a secret holding place where they will be taken off to different secret locations in countries all over the world. There they will be held captive and incognito while specially trained personnel work on them, reeducate them, basically brainwash them and program new information into them, and then send them off to other undisclosed locations where they will work as slave laborers for the rest of their lives. "That does sound pretty bizarre." "And illegal and dangerous. But she hasn't told us everything, and we are holding out until she does, at least given that both Chuck and Nicole approve of letting her go forward with what she has already told us...

Costa Rica, Visit Number 11

Hi everyone I just arrived today. it was supposed to be last night, but my connecting flight to Costa Rica from Houston was cancelled just as we were boarding. I felt very frightened and confused, being alone in a country that I perceive as hostile and unsafe (I feel safe in Mexico and in Colombia and Costa Rica but not in the USA. Go figure!) So I had to stand almost half an hour in a huge line before I could talk to the airline staff about options. It turned out that United Airlines does not pay for emergency hotel lodgings for their passengers on cancelled flights though they will provide a discount. However, it was late afternoon and it turned out that the flight we were rebooked on would be leaving at 6:30 am. So I decided to suffer it out and spend the night in the terminal. I also decided to get over the self pity, because others were suffering as well, some worse than me. I camped out in a hugely overpriced airport pizza joint (aren't they all?. )I swallowed an entire Marguerita pizza and really enjoyed the two servers. I also spent a lot of time line with emails and the novel I am writing on this same blog. (look for it), and I did a lot of work on my second drawing of a resplendant quetzal, a gorgeous bird iconic to the Monteverde region of Costa Rica. Look it up. One of the servers was a very elegant and poetic and ironically hilarious black man in his forties the other a white woman maybe around sixty with the most incredibly painted sapphire blue fingernails, .an ex-beauty with a strong working class vibe..., hard-ass eyes and the smile of one who cares deeply from the heart. The male server and I shared a joke about the unusal chairs, since they are all bolted to the floor. i asked if they might be afraid that a customer might carry it off and include it with their carry on. They did turn the football game up extremely loud for quite a while, not pleasant, but also a stark reminder than when you are travelling you are a guest in someone else's home. I walked up and down the huge terminal for exercise, then as I was passing the pizza joint just in the process of clsing, I saw the black server and mentioned to him how much I enjoyed the pizza. He smiled very warmly and said, "keep passing on the blessings baby, they are beautiful." I tried to find space in the boarding lounge to read and rest, but there were a lot of chatty people nearby, my nerves were strained and there was loud dance music playing from one of the stores. Later I learned that the departure gate had been moved a bit so I went there instead, where I sat on a chair in a quite spot and went into deep meditative prayer that also turned into deep sleep. I also noted that there were quite a few stranded travellers camping out here, some familes among them. At 4:30 am I decided that I'd slept enough and went for a walk. I had a nice little chat with a Costa Rican woman and her little boy. I was back in the departures lounge with my art and they wanted to chat a bit. Then a white American man in his thirties sat next to me. He also liked my art and we engaged in quite an interesting conversation. it turns out that he lives now in Costa Rica, had a profound Christian conversion and has been adopted into a local faith community. He was also telling me how he struggles with learning Spanish. The conversation went into all kinds of places and when his questions got a bit too invasive I replied that I might say more in a future meeting. I am many things...and by the way, so are you. Please feel free to pray for him as he is going through some major experiences of recovery and change in his life. His name is Logan. The flight to Costa Rica was timely and uneventful, I slept a lot, and managed to get passengers nearby to smile a bit, and since I was in the very back row in an aisle seat right next to the washroom and watching the potty parade you could say it was like shooting fish in a barrel. i didn't have to wait in a line at customs and immigration. There were hardly any people there. one of the officers called me over to him and there was a bit of a distance, so I smiled and said in Spanish "hazme caminar ("you want me to walk") and he laughed asked me if I speak spanish so we did everything in his language. It was fun. The cab driver did't seem to believe me when i gave him the name and address and location of the hotel where i am staying. he confessed after to having had a brain fart and it also turns out that the beautiful church across the street is the same place where he and his wife got married in 1979. he is from a rural commnity and was talking about how great the fishing was and also food grown on your own land. very enjoyable fellow just one year younger than me. This is already turning out to be quite an adventure. i believe there was a divine purpose for me staying overnight in the airport. Being so vulnerable out in the open with strangers who are also being so vulnerable out in the open is tweaking my boundaries somewhat, and I believe this is going to help me to be more open, less judgmental and more compassionate towrds others. God being my help. I am back in the same hotel room as last year. The first thing i did was pour water into the plastic jug and refrigerate it knowing how much I would apprecite it when I got back from my outing. Very hot today around 27 or 28, or low eighties for you untransformed Farenheit folk. A bit of rain off and on. I did all my unpacking and cleaned up a bit. Then I went out and had a huge meal at a local Mexican restaurant. It's called Jalapeños. I had nice contact with two of the servers and they seemed to appreciate that I speak Spanish. And it also seemed to help when I told one of them that I had just used the last paper towel in their washroom. Then a retired Canadian couple from Jasper and I started chatting. The husband is getting dental work done here. Really nice people and enjoyable conversation. After they left, another Tica (Costa Rican) mom with her boy approached me to talk about my art. We did this in both languages because she speaks good English and I could tell she wanted to practice it with me. Then her younger son wanted to ask me about my art. After that I spent arond an hour and a half or so wandering around the area and doing random shopping in different places. First I wanted to sit in the cathedral which is a very beautiful quiet space usually, but they were doing some repair work and it was noisy, so I left quickly. I walked around inside the public market. It is similar size to our own Granville island Public Market, but not at all tidy and well organized which is part of the place's beauty. Before that I stopped at a sidewalk window where I bought two pieces of yuca cake a local delicacy and so delicious, tasty satisfying and good. The fellow there asked me if I wanted one piece and I replied, dos porque soy glotón (two, because I'm a glutton) he smiled. Then I bought a papaya, some avocados and the most delicious bananas I have ever tasted from a sidewalk vendor then coffee beans freshly ground from a local shop, then I went into the local supermarket where I bought bread, salsa, lizano sauce which is rather like a gentle form of Worcesteshire, mora jam (moras are like Latino blackberries), peanut butter, milk and a big chocolate bar which I dragged back to my hotel room. I had to omit a couple of items because I didn't want to be carryng too much. I also found on the sidewalk a lovely yellow, green and blue wing feather from one of the many local parakeets here. I am going to use it as a bookmark. Since I got back to my hotel room I have been resting, eating listening to CBC ideas, checking correspondence and soon I am going to read more of a Swedish thriller in Spanish translation that I brought from home. Tomrrow i would like to look for some more books in Spanish in the big fat mall here. People here seem to spend a lot more time on each other than they do on their phones. Neat eh? hasta luego a todos.

The Peacck 1430

"That sounds interesting" "It is interesting. I think her premise is sound, if poorly explored, but her modus operandi seems really hare-brained." "Continue." "Stella' take is that we get rid of all the johns, and there will be no more prostitution. Sex work will have completely dried up." "Who then is going to bell the cat." "You know your Aesop. Good man." "and even if that were to happen, what would all those suddenly unemployed sex workers do. They do need to make a living and this is understandably and for good reason called the World's oldest Profession. "That is problematic. Even though the militantly politically correct in our neighbourhood really gag on the idea, one of our goals is, after giving each woman adequate support and harm reduction, to also help channel them into legitimate longterm employment. And that is not going to be a cakewalk. So far, no one has made that transition yet. Because they simply are not ready and it is really a monumental labour persuading anyone to take a chance on hiring a former sex worker. But it's been done in other places. The problem is, some of the militantly politically correct, also happen to be on our board of directors, and they want the women to remain in sex work and have it treated like a legitimate career choice, and we simply are not prepared to let that happen. Fortunately, Chuck and Nicole are on board with me, but we are outnumbered

The Peacock 1429

"Sorry if I interrupted the process." "No problem at all. We are all going to need a night or two to sleep on it before we can come to any decision." "How did she find you?" "That is completely shrouded in mystery. She appeared at our doorstep announcing that she is Stella, a British national based in Amsterdam where she did sex work for a good number of years and that she has come here to advise us, so, in order to get rid of her as promptly as possible, I told her to come meet with us this morning at the coffee shop." "Did she tell you anything else about herself." "Nothing. As soon as she sat down with us at the table today, without so much as introducing herself or sayng, hello, what miserable weather we are having, she launched into an hour long lecture about how to support sex workers by effexctively dealing with their clients...

1428 The Peacock

As we are turning onto Cornwall Avenue I ask Cynthia, "So you don't want anyone to know where you work." "It's essential for the safety of the women. Some have pimps seeking them out, and not all the women I work with are sex workers. They are battered women fleeing from violent spouses and partners. Safety comes with invisibilty." "I can't imagine what that would be like..." "Men never seem to get it. Patriarchy. There is still male privilege and male power and that protects everyone born with a penis." She has said that very drily and matter-of-factly, as though telling me what she just bought in the grocery store. "What do you know about the woman who was meeting with you today. I think she's trans?" "I don't know what to make of her. She appeared at the shelter just yesterday and said she wanted to arrange something with us. I asked her how she found the place, because we so far have not admitted trans, not because I am against transpersons but because some of the women we help feel unsafe around them, but because they still react to them as though they are men. It's because a lot of them have deep manly voices and that can really mess with a woman's head when she's escaping from a violent male. Anyway, this Stella wants to help, but I think i am going to have to turn her down. I first want to get feedback from Nicole and Chuck...

The Peacock 1427

"I've never seen that side of her", says Cynthia. We are now driving over the Burrard Bridge. The sun is finally peeking through the clouds, and glints off the waters of English Bay, an incandescent wonder. "She had the look of a killer blowing the smoke off of the barrel of her gun." "Did you know her parents." "Briefly. Her mother was a real piece of work. When they found out tht we were helping our women access bortions they found out where we were nd started to picket us. We had to have a peace bond made against them, and we lso hd to move, twice, in order to completely get away from them..."

The Peacock 1426

I did return to the police with the extra information that I had sat in on some of their planning sessons for the knife attack on the doctor. Nothing really came of it. The doctor's lawyer agreed to an out of court settlement, which meant that mom and dad were to leave Vancouver and maintain a distance of at least one hundred kilometres from the city. That was when they disbanded the community and moved to the interior. I have not seen them since though mom still acknowledges my birthday on Facebook." "That must have been all very hard on you, Nicole", says Cynthia.. "On the contrary. Standing up to my idiot family is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. Ever since, I am able to get on with my life. yYou don't know what a libertion this is..."

The Peacock 1425

They were both apprehended and held in custody by police. Both denied everything and they had to let them go for lack of concrete evidence. Then, one day, I was viaiting them for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom, while dishing out the stuffing, asked who would ever think of turning them in like that. My moment had arrived. We were surrounded by relatives, extended family, friends, and various local unfortunates we had presumed to help and support. I forced one big fat shit-eating smile and I said in a clear, loud voice, "i did it." This is no time for your little acts of mischief, Nicole, said my mother. "But I am the one. I saw Albert's face in the police drawing and knowing what a complete and total jerk you are, Albert, I thought it was time to put you in your place. And boy, was I surprised to see dad's face in the other drawing. Then I faced both, Albert and Dan, my father, and said, "listen, you can't tell me that you hadn't been planning this for years. I sat in on some of your little planning sessions and I happen to be also an expert eavesdropper. In fact, I am still tempted to return to the cops to tell them what went on in your little thug workshops together." Then shoving my plate aside, I said, "I seem to have lost my appetite." owen took my cue and followed me to the door. Just before we left, I said to my horrified extended family, "Oh, and one other thing. Four years ago, I had an abortion. And you want to know something, everyone? I am so glad I did..."

The Peacock 1424

it happened about four years later. I had already moved out with my younger brother Owen. He had come out as gay and even though my parents tried to tamp down their homophobia, since they wanted people at St Jude's to like them, they did next to nothing to hide their disappointment and disapproval from my brother. I defended him and so we found a one bedroom in East Van. That was when a well known abortion provider was attacked in an underground parkade by a man wielding a knife. He survived the assault and there was a police drawing of the alleged suspect. A dead ringer for one of the men in my parents' community. After a couple weeks careful deliberation, I went to the police to identify him. They showed me another drawing of a profile, presumably the same person. It was not the same person. It was my father. Then the shit really hit the fan....

The Peacock 1423

None of this i disclosed to my parents. Fortunately I had just turned eighteen, the day after the rape. Happy birthday to me! So, as a legal adult, they could not tell my parents, and I made that pretty damn clear to the police. The morning after pills I was not going to even mention to them. To them it is no different from getting an actual abortion. They are still radical, rabid pro-lifers. They have attended and set up demonstrations in front of clinics and hospitals that provide abortions. They have, my dad, anyway, with a couple of the idiots in their community, even violently assaulted an abortion provider. And that was when I struck...

The Peacock 1422

"I went straight to the cops. They took down the information, but for some reason didn't proceed. This guy's dad is a supreme court judge, and we have only a few little dots to connect. The following Tuesday there was a high mass and potluck at St Jude's for Holy Cross. Who should I spot trying to slip out of the church away from his parents, just returned from their cruise, but the little weasel himself. Just before he got to the door I flew at him, punched him hard in the face, givng him one gusher of a nose bleed and before anyone could intervene he was running down the steps to his car. A week later, I noticed my period was late. I waited another five days, then took a pregancy test. It was positive. I went to my doctor who prescribed me some pills. I took the pills and, no more baby..."

Rememrance Day

I do not celebrate the memory of those who went overseas to kill others. There is no excuse for war. Killing for peace is like fucking for virginity.

The Peacock 1421

"Would uou like to tell me what happened?" "Nicole", says Cynthia in a very maternal voice, "You don't have to, not if you don't want to." "This guy's an honest broker. It's painted all over him. I was date raped when I was seventeen. I had just started going with this guy, two years older, who was visiting the church. I also knew him from the music academy. He was studying violin, did extremely well. and now is playing in a symphony orchestra in Europe. Anyway, he took me back to his place one night after we'd been out for dinner. i thought it would be safe because he was living with his parents in their fancy West Pont Grey home. Turns out his mom and dad were on a world cruise and he was alone feeding the kittens so to speak. We had not slept together yet. In fact, I was still a virgin. He served us up some of his dad's best scotch, and the next thing I knew I was waking up in his bed. naked, the next morning. He had already left the house. Nothing felt right, I was dizzy with a collossal headache....

The Peacock 1420

"Did you meet them here", I ask Chuck. "We have all been involved in this neighbourhood for some time now, so naturally our paths are going to cross, and we are also going to cross-pollinate somewhat. Right now we are organizing against vaccinations and working hard at talking sense into people's heads." "Oh, don't start that again, uncle Chuck", say Nicole with more than a taint of menace. "The vaccinations are part of an international conspiracy,..." "No more of that bullshit. i am waiting my turn to get jabbed when it comes time for people my age and you are just going to have to live with it." "This is neither the time, nor the place", says Cynthia firmly but diplomtically. "Agreed", concurrs my ex-flame. Hoping I am not pouring gas on the sofa while the rug is on fire, I ask partly out of curiosity, partly caprice, "Nicole, I seem to recall your family and their community were really totally anti-abortion." "Which is why we are no longer on speaking terms...

The Peacock 1419

"Wait a minute. You are Lorena and Dan's kid." "Along with my seven brothers and sisters. Wait a minute, I think I saw you at St Jude's a few times." And now it's all coming back to me. I never got to know anyone in that ecccentric community, but now I can say that Nicole looks vaguely familiar. It's been a long time. "Are they still there, your parents." "They bailed from here and moved to the interior with my three ypungest siblings. Now they're organizing with a network of anti-vaxxers and eventually they are planning to march on Ottawa. We haven't spoken in a couple of years. I found them so embarrassing that I cut off all contact with them." "I have some contact with Nicole's family", says Chuck." "You're my conduit of information about them. Dear Uncle Chuckie."

The Peacock 1418

"And what's your connection here" I ask Nicole. "We're part of a larger network of care and support providers in the DTES. I actually grew up in the area." "Really." "My parents were operating a radical Christian community on the edge of Oppenheimer parK. I was a kid in grade school, along with my many siblings." "How many siblings?" "Seven. My parents didn't believe in or practice birth control. And they strongly disapproved of and fought against free choice for abortion. Now that most of us are hitting our twenties we have collectively rebelled against their sanctimonious stupidity

The Peacock 1417

"How do you all connect anyway?" says Chuck. "Carl", says Cynthia. "We are cousins, a couple of times removed. We have the same great grandfather, who was a Dutch mining executive in indonesia at the turn of the century." "And where do you come in, Christopher", says Nicole. "I was recently on a retreat at his mansion in the Fraser Valley. It's in the mountains." "A mansion in the mountains, you say. This guy must be loaded." "He is loaded. he inherited millions from his father." "but between you there..." "You are one nosy little parker", I sputter. "Sorry. I just can't seem to help it", and now she is giggling like a naughty little schoolgirl with tattoos and bright green hair...

The Peacock 1416

To Cynthia I say, "So you're coming to my place for lunch today." "I hope this isn't an impostion" she says. I'm not going to lie so I choose to ignore her plea for clemency. "You can come with me in my car." "Thank you. Thats very kind." "Practical anyway. What is it we are all gathering together for." "We can talk about it on the way over." "And so the plot thickens", says Nicole.

The Peacock 1415

"Carl and I are distant cousins." "Carl." "He was with us in your bakery yesterday. Short blonde hair." "Oh, yeah. He's kind of cute." "Uh-huh." "You don't mean to say..." "We're friends." This Nicole is incredibly nosy. "Oh." "No benefits." "i wasn't asking..." "Just in case..."

The Peacock 1414

"So, you two have already met", says Chuck. "Christopher, is that your name?, brought some friends into the bakery yesterday, and all of them but him got totally...baked", says Nicole with a dry little cackle. "I understand the cookies are great." "I wouldn't know", say I. "Well, later you will", says Nicole. "And you guys, where do you know each other from." "Long story", says Chuck, rescuing me. "We go back quite a number of years, then, just the other day, we saw each other on Pender Street, near the International Village Mall, and now it looks like Christopher and his friend Francois might be working with us." "Small world", says Cynthia. "And how do you two know each other", says Nicole. "i understand you're going to his place for lunch tody?"

The Peacock 1413

Even I heard of her, and I only listen to classical music. "But Priscilla had an operatic range. She was like Patti Smith with the voice of Nina Hagen, sometimes Kiri Te Kanewa." "You also like classical." "I took three years of voice at the Vancouver Conservatory of music." "Had I not heard you sing like you did with Sarah yesterday I would have hardly believed it." "You mean because of my green hair and tattoos. No, don't deny it, but that's part of the fun. Never dressing the part, then playing it to the hilt...

The Peacock 1412

"What brings you here?" say I to Nicole. "this is my other gig. I manage a a safe injection site in a homeless shelter in the area and I also network with others who help take care of the local people. My partner and I just opened Baked a couple of weeks ago. He's usually there, but I come in a ocuple of times a week. It's lots of fun." "Plus, you get to sing." "That friend of yours, she has an incredible voice. She could sing classical." "Her wife was a locally famous punk artist." "who would that be." "I think they were called Priscilla and Her Little Mouthbreathers." "Priscilla? She is punk royalty"