(JESSE on the BRINK) A Big Birthday. I survived!

by Jesse Archer

Living the philosophy "here for a good time, not a long time", I have to acknowledge that turning 40 is more miracle than milestone. And somehow I have managed to outlive the world's most important poets. Jesus. Rimbaud. And this year, the great Anna Nicole Smith.

Thankfully tons of friends were on hand to celebrate, and we won't stop for at least another few months. First up, I always wanted to do laser tag since I was a kid.

Laser Fag!

So we did that and it got really aggressive. My friend Dave had to apologize repeatedly to a gaggle of 12 year old girls for calling them "sluts" in the heat of the action. At another point, the lasers weren't firing. We're all running around shooting but nobody was dying, so I went outside to the operator who said he wouldn't activate the game until "that woman finishes her drink". In the locker room, all alone, is a girlfriend, Shelly, suited up in armor, drunkenly sipping a cocktail, lasergun in the other.

Guess we shouldn't have started drinking at my friend Aaron's birthday party at noon!

happy birthday Aaron!

Back to UNLIMITED LASER TAG:

Afterward, we headed to celebrate at this really daggy/homey old-time pub (just my style!), The Cricketer's Arms, and yeah - thankfully not much photographic evidence survives.

Great cake! Despite lack of copy editor...

The next day we got dragged up and entered Polly's Follies at the Stonewall Hotel for my birthday bonanza. Well, Mai Tai and I entered, while Bam (Belle Igerent) and Simone (Simone de Beavoir) just got drunk! Surprisingly, the injuries from the drag adventures paled in comparison to laser tag.

Pics from our frocked-up affair are still being fumigated, but here are a couple of teasers.

stopping traffic in Darlinghurst.

I'm the 40 year old lady in red!

 Who cannot keep her leg down!

My Drag Debut on Film:

uncut and uncensored