Poncho wins big at birthday beer bust bash

The Cavaliers held our first 50/50 raffle at our March 28 beer bust, and the big winner was our own beloved Poncho!

It couldn't have been more appropriate, since Poncho was also celebrating his birthday the same night. The 50/50 raffle made both Poncho and our club $51 richer. Special thanks to Doug who not only suggested we start adding the raffle to our monthly beer bust, but also shook down the patrons of the Phoenix for all that cash.

The balmy spring night brought out lots of people. George and Michael W. presided behind the bar, leaving David to roam around and shoot some pictures for the web site. William, Guy, and Michael D. also joined the party.

We also had an opportunity to meet two of our friends from Mississippi, both of whom showed up on their bikes. Michael showed up from Jackson on his classic Honda Gold Wing, and Keith showed up from Natchez on his stylish Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter.

The warm weather brought out lots of bikes in front of the Phoenix. In addition to Mike's and Keith's, Guy rode his Harley Road King, Mike and Doug brought their Honda Shadow 750s, and David cruised over on his Honda Gold Wing.

Cavaliers linger on the lakefront

A group of Cavaliers took a short in-town ride on March 23 and wound up hanging out on Lakeshore Drive.

Cavaliers party at LUEY Weekend in Houston

The Cavaliers made their first weekend road trip to LUEY Weekend for Houston's biggest annual leather event.

The 30th annual Let Us Entertain You Weekend fell as it always does on the weekend after Mardi Gras. LUEY was founded by some Texans who just didn't want the party to end after visiting Mardi Gras in New Orleans. This year's event drew more than 1000 registered participants, and hundreds more who just showed up for all the great LUEY parties.

Mike and Doug rendezvoused at David and Michael's house Uptown early on Friday, March 7 to prepare for the ride. The plan was for David and Michael to ride David's Gold Wing, and for Doug and Mike to take turns riding Mike's Honda Shadow 750, with Doug's Shadow riding along in their support truck. This allowed the group to carry extra gear for the weekend.

An overnight rain cleared out in time to present a mild and sunny day for the start of the ride. It was really perfect riding weather, with temperatures near 70 as we headed out Interstate 10 across the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Approaching Baton Rouge, David heard on the radio that an overturned truck had traffic backed up for miles in the state capital, so the group exited I-10 at Highland Road and followed Airline Hwy. and Florida Blvd. as a detour around the mess.

Before long the group made a stop in Lafayette for a quick tour of Lafayette Honda and inquired with the dealership staff about a nearby place for lunch. They sent us to Rich's Seafood and Grill, which was a real trip. Part restaurant, part seafood shop, part convenience store, the Cavaliers dined in high Cajun style. The seafood shop had the most intruguing menus, including "goo," which the proprietor gladly showed was a large fish from the nearby Atchafalaya Basin.

After checking the clocks on the wall, (set to show the time in Lafayette, Carencro, Scott, and Cankton), the Cavaliers finished up their meal and headed for the Texas border, arriving in Houston just as rush hour began, leaving time to check into the hotel and rest a bit before heading out for the first LUEY party of the weekend. On the way there we made a stop at Walgreens for some cold remedies for the two Michaels, both of whom were suffering the effects of the bug that's been going around.

The Friday night crowd at Mary's Naturally on Westheimer was enormous. The small front bar and both patios were jammed with LUEY attendees. We picked up our registration packets and run pins, grabbed a couple of cold drinks, and wandered around to check out the crowd. Michael D. soon commented that after a long weekend of crowds at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, he was just a bit burned out on being around this many people, and we all agreed. But we enjoyed a few of the free cocktails being passed around the patio by members of the host clubs.

LUEY is presented by the Houston Council of Clubs, an umbrella organization for many of the city's leather, bear, and social clubs. They have thrown this party for 30 years, always on the weekend after Mardi Gras, and it just keeps growing. In 2002 LUEY had nearly 800 registered participants from 29 states and four foreign countries. And the most amazing part is that registration is entirely free for visitors from outside Houston. That includes all the *bleep*tail parties and all the food. It doesn't get better than that!

We hung around Mary's for a while Friday night before retiring to Houston's biggest leather bar, the Ripcord. We found bike parking a bit more of a challenge than usual because of muddy puddles where the Ripcord's motorcycle parking usually is, but after circling around a bit we found a spot nearby. Inside the bar we were surprised at all the recent changes. The outside bar has become an inside bar, and part of the back patio has been extended. The Ripcord was busy, but thankfully not as jammed as Mary's.

We had originally planned a day ride on Saturday to Galveston led by Seth from the Battalion Motorcycle Corps. But since Mike and Doug had never been to LUEY before, we decided to leave the day open for LUEY events. As it turned out, Mike's flu bug worsened on Saturday, and he spent most of the day in bed. David and Michael took the afternoon to head to suburban Pasadena to visit Pasadena Honda and drop in on Michael's mom. Susan was an avid motorcyclist in her younger years, piloting her own Honda Rebel. She was thrilled to get a chance to ride on the back of David's Gold Wing when they went out to lunch. We all heard that the Saturday afternoon LUEY party at the Ripcord was a smashing success.

Saturday night brought everyone to the Brazos River Bottom for dinner and dancing. The BRB is Houston's biggest gay country/western dance bar, and they served up some delicious Mexican fajitas, along with rice and beans. The BRB never looked more like a leather bar with the hundreds of LUEY participants in attendance. Unfortunately, Mike's worsening flu bug caused Mike and Doug to leave the BRB only minutes after they arrived and head back to their hotel.

At 10 pm, the BRB staff cleared the dance floor of the banquet tables, and cranked up the country music. David, an experienced c/w dancer and dance instructor, led Michael around the dance floor for a couple of two-steps and a country waltz. David ran into his friend Cliff, who was recently named Mr. BRB 2003, and his new boyfriend, also named David. After a few dances, Michael and David headed again to the Ripcord, where the bar unveiled yet another new section of the patio to handle the overflow LUEY crowd.

After a good night's sleep, the four of us had a hearty breakfast Sunday morning at the IHOP across from the hotel, then headed east to New Orleans for the return trip. The entire weekend was graced with perfect, sunny, mild weather, just right for a long-distance trip and a quick weekend away from home.

Upon returning the New Orleans, the four vowed to make the a return to LUEY next year, for an even bigger and better post-Mardi Gras party.

Cavaliers celebrate Mardi Gras in high style

The Cavaliers celebrated Mardi Gras 2003 with one party after another during the last five days of Carnival. Galleries from all the events are posted at the links below.

Night of the Black Mask
The weekend started with the annual Night of the Black Mask party, hosted by the Knights d'Orleans at the Phoenix on Friday, February 28. The annual street party is always a great place to see and be seen as you kick off the holiday weekend. Mike, Doug, Poncho, William, George, Guy, Michael and David had a great time promoting the Cavaliers.

Founder's Thoth Parade Party
David Lester and Michael Wheeler hosted the third annual Thoth parade party on Sunday, March 2. Mark, George, Poncho, William, Mike, Doug, and more than 30 other guests (including a surprise appearance by our friend Seth from Houston) ate, drank, and caught beads as the colorful Thoth parade rolled right past David and Michael's home.

Lords of Leather Bal Masque XX
The Cavaliers were honored to be seated at a royal table at the Lords of Leather Bal Masque XX on the evening Sunday, March 2, courtesy of Lord King XX Todd Cole. Seated at the Cavaliers' table were Poncho, William, George, Mark, Michael, David, and their guests. Also in attendance at the ball were Alan, Mike and Doug, while Todd, Guy, and Adam all participated in the ball's tableau.

Mardi Gras in the French Quarter
The Cavaliers converged on the French Quarter for Fat Tuesday, March 4, 2003. George, Mark, Poncho, William, Mike, Doug, David and Michael spent most of the day on the streets of the Quarter despite a persistent mist, enjoying the costumes and the crowds Check out their adventures in the Cavaliers' exclusive Mardi Gras gallery.