Just Hilly

On Thursday, June 20, my mom and I were harassed and threatened at a local fair by that man in the photo. I am spreading his image and what happened to us warn others and create awareness of the unstable and violent individuals in our communities. What should have been a fun night out was tarnished by this incident and him getting away without any real consequences isn't right.

I recently went on a date with my partner to a local Irish Bar in my area called Kitty Mulligans. I follow them on Instagram and was excited to see them post about having bingo nights as a weekly event on Thursdays. I'm a big fan of playing bingo, I find it to be a fun game to play while chilling and having some food. Our reservation was made the day before and when we went in our name was on a little chalkboard on our table. A very cute touch that I haven't seen before. The owner introduced himself and was a sweetheart.  The layout of the bar was separate from the large counter was a side section for tables and booths with nice big barn doors separating them. The side with tables and booths is a space that can be booked for private events which I thought was cool. The list of food and drinks on their website was actually shorter than the actual sit down menu. We took quite a while to decide on what to get. My partner and I both shared their Grilled Chicken Flatbread and their ...

One of the pros to having a healthy and active social life is being more motivated to take part in festivities and making plans. Armed with a solid group of friends, some old and new, taking part in things has been a lot less difficult to do. I was actually able to attend quite a few Halloween themed activities this year, both on and off campus. I ended up having three looks this season, and I'm super happy with how they all turned out.  First up is Pokemon Trainer. As an avid Pokemon Go player, especially during the school year, I felt it was fitting to get out this old backpack and throw a look together. I won that backpack back in high school at a costume competition my local library was having - I was dressed as Fiona (Finn's official gender bend) from 'Adventure Time'. I had both a fem and masc fit planned out, I like having options that express my identity - not knowing how I'd feel the morning of the party. Decided on a masc look due to how I was feeling that...

There is a general respect for the arts among Long Islanders, and there are quite a few spaces in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. In my town, or hamlet really, Bay Shore has been renowned as the place to go for things like festivals, parades and free outdoor activities for the community. The Westfield Mall, roughly a mile or two from main street, serves one of the main commercial hubs in the community. The Islip Arts Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to the showcasing of work by Long Island artists and authors, is located in this commercial hub right next to the Dick’s Sporting Goods.  The IAC focuses on hosting exhibits to uplift different communities within the LI greater community as well as offering a myriad of art classes year round.(Dekoning, par. 5) Like most places, the IAC suffered a huge hit during the height of the covid pandemic- their former residence closed down; the manager of the Westfield Mall in Bay Shore invited them to relocate to an open space avai...

Last Thursday night, I went out on another date with my partner at the same little bar I mentioned a few posts ago. It's called Nostalgia and is a very cute 90's themed bar in Bethpage, NY. We went for what we found out is going to be a new monthly drag show hosted by some of my friends who are drag queens along with performances by other local queens as well.  (Video shows a quick vid I took of one of the sets done by my very talented friend Gemma Tolstoy  ) The bar is very queer friendly and definitely in my opinion a safe space for LGBTQ+ folks looking to go out and have a fun time. Definitely a mixed crowd bar depending on the night, when I go tends to be more folks in their 20's with just a  sprinkling of those in their 30's and 40's. The place is totally decked out throughout with everything 90's from movie memorabilia, autographed headshots of 90's celebs, fun colored lighting, Pokemon decor around the bar, CD and comic book themed bathrooms and the r...