The year is half over

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

 
2025 is half over and this year has been so weird. Horrific, deteriorating conditions in my country and a fandom obsession where I am constantly chasing dopamine hits, topped off with my in-laws needing more and more care so my wife is rarely home.

Despite that previous sentence, most of the time I'm okay or even happy? I miss Doris when she's not here, which is most of the time. I'm in too deep with my fandom though IDK if it's all due to boredom or wanting dopamine or because this is just what I do. (I really do LIKE the two queens though. They are so pro-lesbian and pro-woman, and so blatantly in love with each other). 

I guess all you can do is take one day at a time and appreciate the things to be grateful for.

In the fandom world, some things to look forward to:

- Friday, Lydia will be here in Chicago. It's for a viewing party at Roscoe's, which is good because there are seats and I have a ticket. On the not-good side, there is no meet & greet. And there will be a performance from her and other queens after the show, but they take the seats out for that and it'll be late - so if I can last long enough, I will enjoy it but if not, I am ok with going home and missing her performance. Gonna be realistic about my limits.

- Then they announced, a few days ago, a drag brunch in Pittsburgh in mid-July. Pittsburgh is Lydia's home city, Kori is moving there so even though Kori is not scheduled to perform, she might appear. And the show is early in the day and at a venue with seats - so I am going. There were too many reasons to say yes.

- I don't think it's excessive for me to go. Been stanning since February and this will be only the 3rd time I'm flying to go to a show - it's not like I've gone every month since February. I am still being measured with what I fly to; it still has to have things like both queens, a venue with seats, a reasonable time. 

- But my fandom bestie is feeling FOMO, and i hate that. (I can't get into it, but there are many reasons why she can't go). She's helping me familiarize myself with the who's-who of Lydia's scene in Pittsburgh, and I will bring gifts for all the queens performing. But....I am also need to be realistic and remember that i am a 51 year old who is not from the Pittsburgh scene, who Lydia has met a couple times and kinda-sorta knows from the IG page; it is not like the major players are gonna be rushing to hug me and want to hang with me. (LOL, I wish). I might not really have any sort of interactions with all these people. Well - it never hurts to remember your goals:
a. enjoy the show and tip all the queens 
b. give Lydia a gift at the M&G, and let her know that my fandom bestie says hi (and get gifts to the other queens too)
c. anything else is gravy. (okay, I hate that expression but it fits here)

We still get so much Kori/Lydia content that it's still like drinking from a firehose and I have to remind myself to appreciate it more and do less chasing dopamine.