I had heard some rumblings about recession this and deflation that, but it seemed like something distant from my life. The bars seemed just as crowded as ever and at work the dining room was packed every night. I just didn’t see it and seeing is believing. Then I was faced with the harsh reality that I would have to move back to Palm Springs. I tried to make the best of a bad situation and the full horror didn’t seep in until I was knee-deep in harsh and sticky reality: Palm Springs in the off season in the middle of an anemic economy. Maybe I should back up a little bit.

A few months ago I lost my renter and that left me paying for two residences – something far beyond my financial reach so far. Unable to find someone to rent my condo I realized I had to suck it up and return to the desert. It’s July here and it’s crazy hot, not the best place to be if you hate AC. Petey and I lay in front of the box fans patiently panting, waiting for the sun to go down so the poor dog can get out and get some running in; right now, after 10 mins in the sun he begins to over heat and runs for the nearest shady spot.

Some of you might be asking yourselves “Did you quit Channel1?” No, but porn does not pay everything. Petey still needs to go to dog camp and daddy needs his East Coast fixes. So much like the rest of you I need to work to keep this family in the life to which we are accustomed. Dance gigs and appearances are slim these days. I saw this coming though. About 6 months ago there was a huge influx of gigs, I theorized that this was the clubs’ last attempt at bringing in some bodies and once they saw that people just weren’t coming in no matter what they did or who they had, they stopped booking.

Palm Springs and I have a past, but I didn’t think we’d have a future. This is a place where I am, as BW so eloquently put, a prisoner of my property, I can’t find work here and to be honest, there is a surplus of really strange people here. I think it’s the heat, and yet I walk outside in the morning or will be driving somewhere and the light will catch one of the 4 mountain ranges and I will be speechless at the raw, unadulterated splendor of it all. “Fuck, that is so god damned pretty!” and I forget that I’m almost running on empty.

Tired of the same old steamed vegetables? So am I.