Woody's 20th Anniversary Party

After watching Flash Forward on Thursday night, I made my way down to Woody's for their 20th anniversary bash. When I reached Gloucester Street, I ran into Lee, a self-proclaimed tomboy lesbian, Apple geek, photographer, and recent transplant from Montreal , whom I met at Java Jive this summer. She asked me where I was going, and I said to Woody's for their anniversary party. With humour in voice, she asked me if I would mind a lesbian escort. I replied, "Not at all." She explained that she was originally going to venture there later to meet with some friends.

By the time we arrived at Woody's, two bouncers were stationed at the entrance, counting patrons as they walked in. This was definitely a sign that it was going to be a busy night. Inside, people were milling around and the air was thick with the din of conversations. We walked to the back of the bar and found a free table to sit. Then I went up to the bar and ordered a pitcher of Keith's for us. As we chatted and drank, I looked up at the monitors on which were displayed slideshows showcasing the many patrons and performers who have graced this bar over the years. By 11 pm Woody's was packed and a long line of people waiting to get in had formed outside.

Around 11 or so, Lee's friends showed up. Among them there was a mutual acquaintance of ours, Andrew, an up and coming DJ, known in the club circuit as DJ Pluto. Lee introduced me to the other members of Andrew's small entourage as Daniel and James, who were both in their late 20s. Of the two, I must admit, that I found James to be quite cute, but I didn't say anything to him until later.

When I went to take a washroom break, I had to venture onto the Sailors side of the bar because of the crowd. There I noticed the magnificent spread of finger foods, ranging from veggies to sushi, laid out where the pool table normally is. Tempted, I decided that I would do some sampling on my way back. Upon my return to the table, I reported my food findings to the others.

Eventually, James and I struck up a conversation and a chemistry quickly developed between us. Much to my surprise, I discovered that we shared a passion for sci-fi, including Star Trek, Doctor Who and such classics as the 1953 version of War of the Worlds and Forbidden Planet, and, who like me, has ADD. In fact, he's such a big Doctor Who fan that he sports a tattoo on his lower left arm whose design is based on the seal of Rassilon. In the Doctor Who series, Rassilon was the founder of Time Lord society.

As the evening wore on, drag performers of all descriptions and in all sorts of costumes came out on stage one by one. Among the performers gracing the stage that night was Michelle Ross, a legend in Toronto's gay community, who performed that night one of Shirley Bassey's classics, This is My Life.



At one point during the evening, James had to grab a smoke and asked me to accompany him. Since we couldn't exit the bar without having to get into the long line of people which had assembled in front of the bar, we ended up on the small patio. It was there that I revealed that I thought he was quite cute. In turn, he said the feeling was mutual. Almost immediately thereafter, we exchanged some hot passionate kisses and caresses between us. It had been a while since I had experienced such intimacy. I had almost forgotten how wonderful it felt.

By 1 am or so, Andrew, myself and James decided to leave the bar. I walked them to the subway and then I took myself home to bed.