The Setting

Not just one night, that Saturday night, we were actually going to be awarding our trophies, but starting on Thursday with PlOne arriving from California, then the next night with Philip21 and Tornado coming here from Indiana.  For me, it all started Tuesday night and didn't end until everyone left early Sunday afternoon.  Seven p.m. sharp, Saturday night...that's when we  started our official ceremony.   Holding up for the women all weekend was Angel 1.   She had been with us on Friday night, not to mention helping me pick up PlOne at the airport on Thursday.  Then Rocker and Ronnie, Big Howard (my ex Dollies club manager pal), Nilman, Tigger, her husband Allen, and Michelle joined us.

Tigger had met me when she was dancing at Dollies. Barely 19 she had starred in many photo shoots.  Tigger had always been there for the camera, never hesitating for a moment and never holding up a photo session.  Often she had sat with me while I was online at the club just 8 feet from the stage.  Michelle who's recently lived in New Athens, is a good friend of hers.    Rocker and Ronnie had also come up up from New Athens.   We were to go through the awards ceremony in a hurry before continuing on to  Platinum  and other clubs.  We were looking forward to being joined by Big Mike  in Toronto but he came down with the flu.  Delilah was to  come down from Michigan but was unable to get a babysitter.   She did the next best thing coming online in the Lost Angels chat for the awards ceremony.    Morgana, then Jeff, would meet us at the Platinum Club.   Late the next morning, Philip21, Plone, Tornado, Nilman, Morgana, Angel 1 and I would have breakfast together before our out of state friends went home.  

How the Voting Went

Lost Angels Woman of the Year

Let me say just one thing first.   We are lucky to have two exemplary women here with us who have won the two top awards for women.  But first is "Woman of the Year".   Last year for the last time we voted on "Dancer of the Year".   During last year's awards party we discussed renaming the award to woman of the year. The women present agreed enthusiastically.   For one thing a non dancer or a retired dancer can win all the marbles.   Any woman can regardless of profession.  I also got the feeling that most of the dancers present several of whom had either temporarily or permanently retired didn't consider themselves as dancers but as women who for one reason or another found themselves in this profession but looked forward to doing something else.   This is not to say they didn't enjoy many aspects of their dancing careers---just that they had other aspirations ahead of them.   I also felt that the women felt that as dancers they might be stereotyped by being called "Dancer of the Year" whereas if we honored a woman as Woman of the Year it would be clear that the winner had demonstrated womanly virtues that are not limited to just dancers. 

Although the Woman of the Year might do well on the pole dancing ability has nothing to do with why the winners are chosen.   Our woman of the year is a woman any man in his right mind would be proud to have on his arm.   She's the kind of woman who's going to conduct herself well in practically any circumstances, from the typical pub to a presidential party.  She's the sort who makes an excellent companion in a variety of situations.  She has an agile mind and a great sense of humor.  She is into personal growth through developing new skills and interests and perhaps even becoming an even better person.  The Woman of the Year has her own mind, drawing her own conclusions, and not given to accepting the gossip from others.  She is not a drug addict and she prefers a real man over the kind of homo sapiens who leeches off of women.  She is involved on a meaningful level with the Lost Angels group.  After all, it is Lost Angels who are voting for her. Above all she's more of a giver than a taker (Takers are useless).  

Our 2000 Woman of the Year is Delilah whose identity we are now divulging for the first time.  She was Renee when we met her dancing at Stimmelators in northern Indiana.  I've taken pictures of many women at this club but Renee set herself off from the rest of the pack right off.  She was the first to sign a release and if she wasn't the first to take pictures there she was close to the first.  Knowing that the digital pictures taken of her and the other girls would be shown in the Lost Angels chats she called the club from her southern Michigan home in order to get the url for the Lost Angels chat.  Little did we realize then that Renee was online and that she had a strong interest in computers since she was fourteen.  

I've been taking pictures of her for years and she was never the kind to push herself ahead of the other women to monopolize the camera.  But she took great pictures then and still does, yet there was something more. It was this little impish quality that seemed to set her apart.  Still, we didn't know her.  The best was yet to come.

She retired from dancing at 27 or 28, coming out of retirement to perform on the stage here and there.  But for the most part she was into other things now.  But during our last few visits to her old club she'd come down from Michigan to be with us, driving one and a half hours one way just to party with us at Stimmelators.  And she was online, silently taking an avid interest in our uproarious antics at Dollies in the St Louis Metro East.   Then, one day when we were instant messaging each other I got this crazy idea for the Dear Delirious Delilah Advisory column or news group.  I bounced a bunch of wacky questions off on her through our Yahoo pagers and she threw back at me her replies.  "She'd give it a shot," she told me.  Since then her "Dear Delirious Delilah" column took off like a rocket.   I ended up staying with Delilah and her husband, Lee for a couple days up in Michigan recently and I can vouch for Renee or Delilah being the kind of woman who's the perfect companion with the great sense of humor, poise, keen intellect, and caring disposition  I spoke of earlier.   

I asked Alex, our 1998 Dancer of the Year, "Who should be our year 2000 woman of the year. Alex didn't hesitate, replying:  "Renee."  I was hoping Alex would say that.   That was around four months ago.  There was no one else in sight---that is, until we reacquainted ourselves with an Angel.  But before we move onto Angel, let's just say that even Angel firmly believed Delilah should be our Woman of the Year and enthusiastically voted for her. 

Our Lost Angels 2000 It Girl 

I met her in a Metro East Club and back then I'd go out at night to different clubs, get drunk on my ass, then return home to rate the women I had encountered the winner being called the most memorable woman of the evening.  Angel---Angel 1, in the chats now, invariably won.   She'd come up to me and say:  "Get me a drink, Jack."  And after I did, she'd buy me a beer.   Not just once but most of the time.  And I didn't go around tipping the girls.   She was always a ball to be around.  When she didn't win, a waitress from Miss Kittys usually did and it was usually on those nights that Angel wasn't working that the Kittys waitress was proclaimed as the most memorable woman of the evening.

She was quite the lush in those days and still was until forty days ago.   The drunken Angel was loads of fun but the sober Angel is even better---a lot better.   At first it looked like rehab city for her, then AA.  She decided to quit drinking on her own.  Back in her drinking days she was only good looking.  Now she's gorgeous with a mind that's as clear as a bell.  It's hard to fool someone who has as much common sense as Angel.   And if it seems as if you have, don't gloat about it because she's probably just feeling sorry for you and is putting you on.  

She was there with me when I met with the owner of a magazine to discuss writing for his publication.   A small group of us went to visit Alex at a new Missouri club.  Everyone wanted me to take pictures but I hadn't planned on it so I had forgotten to bring releases.  Angel rounded up the dancers, filled out some simple releases on paper napkins, had the girls sign them, then kept track of the impromptu releases for me.   When a famous feature entertainer came to PT's, it was Angel who went with me after I interviewed her for Xtreme several days earlier to keep me company when I got a few pictures for magazine publication.  When PlOne arrived at the airport Thursday night before the Awards party it was Angel who went with me to greet the plane.  She was with us at least part of every day or evening during the four days I had guests during awards party weekend.  

She's become one of the most active members in the Lost Angels chats.   But even all this does not give one a sense of Angel's measure.  She rarely complains even when she has every reason to.   Her sense of humor is as contagious as it is riveting.  Above all, like Delilah she's a giver rather than a taker.  

We got the term "It Girl" from the 1920's when Clara Bow, the silent film star of all stars, was considered to just have it--that rare something that attracts everyone to her, both male and female.  Now we never met Clara Bow but I'd be willing to bet that she never had anything over Angel.  

Lost Angels Rookie of the Year

And that's Angel.   Now I'm willing to bet we have everyone confused.   Our "It Girl's" real name is Angel but in the Lost Angels chats she's Angel 1.   Our rookie of the year's real name isn't Angel and that's why we are calling Angel 1, Angel.  But in the chats the woman who's our rookie of the year goes by Angel.  Jeez....I've even got myself confused.   But hey, we are lucky to have two Angels.  Since both Angels are very active in the chats just remember, Angel 1 is really Angel but Angel is in real life somebody else.   But like Angel she's loads of fun.   And I've better start writing about the next award because I'm getting too twisted up.  

Lost Angels Derelict of the Year

Shudder. What's the world coming to?  The trophy's going to Canada.   Don't we have anyone here in the U.S. who can win the coveted derelict of the year trophy?  Unfortunately, the answer is no.  Big Mike's got this one all sewed up.   This urban native of the Toronto area's been pulling off for some time his impression of the hopelessly backward hillbilly, Billy Bob, both in the Lost Angel's chat and in Delirious Delilah.   Then there was his drunken performance as "fuckuallimpissed" when he came onto Rocker in the Lost Angels chat by telling him they had met at a Gay Bar, had a great night together, but Rocker was now trying to play hard to get.   Big Mike, or Billybob was last seen posting to Delilah in her column about having a goat glued to his pecker which he's not been able to get off.  

Lost Angels Most Full of Shit Award

We would actually have at least several contenders for this one, a notable one we will not mention here being a woman.   Now we have a lot of fun in the chats and in some of the other forums, notably "Dear Delirious Delilah" where several of the men pretend to be people they are not.  But this is all meant to be taken as a lark.  It's another matter when you intend to be taken seriously.   And claim to be somebody or something you're not.  Voodoo...We love you to death.  You are fun, you are smart, and you are sensitive.   But you are also Full of Shit.  The trophy's yours.   

Lost Angels Asshole of the Year

This one's for you How Weird.   First off, you and Beater have been posting all kinds of base and insulting remarks in Gossip Metro as "Dancers Who Hate Jack", which is pretty interesting considering one of you is a lawyer and the other is a Canadian grocery store stock boy.   Female Dancers who are working in a club you certainly are not.   I can also single out certain girls working in the clubs you have belittled and tried to cause a lot of pain to.   But my fingers are getting tired from all the typing, you lucky bastard.   We are all amused by your entering the one girl's house when she wasn't home and going through the place looking for her and by your keeping the key to her locker thus depriving her of her dancing clothes, then lying to her about it telling her that you know nothing about the key.  But don't worry, we got it all down on tape which is pretty incriminating.  Did you really say you were a lawyer?

Lost Angels Leech of the Year

Usually a male wins this one.   Note that we don't call the guy a man here since he leeches off of women.  Often he is a pimp.   Suffice it to say that he is a lazy guy who prefers living off of women to having a job.   This year we break precedent to announce that our year 2000 leech of the year is a woman.  Lori.....you got this one hands down.   You are a taker.  Case closed.  Enjoy the leeches.  

Lost Angels Club Manager of the Year

I have recently met several outstanding club managers.   Last year we awarded Sam Stimmel as Club Owner of the Year which he richly deserved.  But you can't win twice in a row so this year we decided to give a trophy to a  club manager who we feel has an impeccable management record for excellence.   Over the last couple of years I've had the opportunity to watch Frank Marsala in action, not once but on many occasions, spending lots of time in his office as he dealt with many problems and management chores.   As General Manager of Platinum Club for ten years, Frank's got to be doing a lot of things right to attest to his longevity.  What I see is a man who takes his job very seriously and who works very diligently at his job.  I also see a man who is eminently fair and who genuinely cares about the people who work for him.   Above all Frank's obviously very competent and it shows.  

Lost Angels Studmuffin of the Year

Big Howard, our ex manager friend from Dollies, is beyond a shadow of doubt the reigning Studmuffin of the World, never to be eclipsed.   Still, we had to find a U.S. champion for the year 2000.  At first Voodoo had entered the fray, then strangely withdrew never to be seen again.  This left the battleground to Ronnie and Rocker. Michelle who had come to the party with Ronnie voted for her date.   Angel 1 showed strong support for Rocker.  Caught in the middle Tigger voted for Rocker after being practically bludgeoned by Angel 1 into voting for the Tom Selleck looking heart throb.   Meanwhile both Delilah and Wandering Poet, online with us during the critical voting stage of the party, turned their support to Rocker.  Final vote---four votes for Rocker and one for Ronnie.  

Lost Angels Pervert of the Year

Hey, What can we say.? We love Philip21 to death but our old friend keeps asking Angel 1 for her soiled underwear not to mention his constant espousing the virtues of dancer's panties in the Lost Angels chats.   Besides, at last year's annual awards party, Philip21 gave me the Dirty Laundry Award which was a glass display case with my jockey shorts which I had left at his place on my way to Stimmelators.  So fair enough, Philip, Angel 1 gave me a pair of her undies just for you and Walmart provided the little display case.

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