More vacation highlights

Mon after a light breakfast on the terrace the 3 of us spent the day at Green Chairs, next door to Blue Chairs.  The actual name is Ritmos but everyone calls it Green Chairs because most of the beach chairs are green. When it was time for some hydration I had tequila and limeade which was absolutely delicious.  

Clever use of the portrait mode for this shot

As I was getting into the ocean I realized I was still wearing my sunglasses.  Rather than get out of the water to put them away, I decided to just be careful and hold them to my face if need be.  But before I could get fully into the ocean a large wave came up and yanked my sunglasses off my face before I could secure them.  Fortunately there is no shortage of locals walking around the beach selling sunglasses, hats, jewelry, henna tattoos, and massages.  So I treated myself to a pair of "Dior" sunglasses!

My new "Dior" sunglasses purchased from a beach vendor

I picked them because they were unusual.  I hadn't seen anyone else wearing this shape of lens.  I got many compliments on them throughout the week.  After our day at the beach we stopped into Blue Chairs hotel for their Foam Pool Party.  

Crowded Foam Pool Party

We didn't stay very long because it was really crowded and there was no place to sit.  After returning to condo for showers we headed back out for dinner and ended up at Derby City Burgers (which Spouse mistakenly called Dirty City Burgers because he can't hear).  The burgers were delicious and so were the fries.  

Me & Spouse at Derby City Burgers

Afterward we walked over to Mr Flamingo, an indoor/outdoor bar which was so crowded we ended up hanging out on the sidewalk, where we met Kirk & Mark from Portland.  Then we went back to Los Amigos for another visit before going to CC Slaughter for their disco party.  Oh my god, the music was SO GOOD at the disco party!  We danced without stopping for well over an hour, in flip flops.  There was even a trio dressed in Abba-like satin jumpsuits!

The disco party

While at the disco party I had to take a picture of this guy's t-shirt:

On Tues we went to the Mantamar Beach Club for the day.  It was another beautiful day, and we had food and drinks on the beach.  That afternoon we went to the Mantamar's pool party where we had fun frolicking in the water with lots of other guys.  Afterward Spouse went back to the condo while Carl and I went for massages.  One of my favorite things to do in PV is to get a massage because they're so relaxing and so inexpensive.  An hour massage was 500 pesos which is about $25 USD.  What a bargain!  After our massages we walked next door to the Blondie's Slushbar and had a raspberry/lime/gin slushy before returning to the condo.  Deelish!!

We walked to Tizoc for dinner and had an absolutely amazing Mexican dinner.  We'd eaten here on our previous trips and it was just as good as ever.  Then we walked back to Blue Chairs hotel for Bearaoke on the rooftop.  It was hosted by Tammie Brown, season 1 contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race.  She was actually very funny!  She said everything twice; once in English and again in Spanish. Some of her 'filler' dialog as she awaited singers to enter the stage was hilarious.  We had a fun time.

Carl watching Bearaoke

No, I didn't sing at Bearaoke.  I did sign up, but it was going on 1am and the 3 of us decided to go home before my name was called.

Palm Springs: day 4

On Tues we had breakfast at home, then drove to Desert Memorial Park, the cemetery where many celebrities are buried.  It was an earnest request of Carl that we go there since he is fascinated with the Gabor sisters. Ava and Zsa Zsa aren't buried there but Magda and their mother Jolie are, as well as Frank Sinatra and Sonny Bono.

Next we pulled up a website that listed the addresses of several celebrities who once had homes in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood in Palm Springs and created our own driving tour. I absolutely love the mid-century modern homes so I snapped some photos while driving.  Sorry I wasn't able to edit out all of the car parts, but the homes are worth seeing.

Marilyn Monroe's home

Clark Gable's home.  Yes, its pink.

One of Elvis' Palm Springs homes.  Rather tame in my opinion compared to Elvis' homes elsewhere

An example of a Swiss Miss style home

I love the patterned concrete block fence on this home

I love the pattern of the gate/door on this home

Again I love the patterned concrete block fencing!

Although my photo is poor, and doesn't really show it, this is a butterfly roof home

Next we stumbled upon a Shakey's Pizza!  All 3 of us grew up with a Shakey's near us, but we all thought the chain was long gone until we saw this one in Palm Springs. While I didn't feel any need to go inside, Spouse talked me and Carl into going in and having lunch.

It was certainly a blast from our past.

Then we went home, spent some time in the pool and spa, then went to happy hour at Streetbar. Happy hour is really when most people are at bars here, which is the opposite of what we're used to.  Go to a bar or club here around 11pm and there will only be a handful of folks remaining.  After happy hour we walked over to Las Casuelas Mexican restaurant for dinner.  On our previous visit to Palm Springs Spouse & I ate at 2 Mexican restaurants, neither of which we found to be particularly great.  So when we were getting our rental car I asked the Latina woman assisting us for her recommendation and she said to go to Las Casuelas.  We sat in the large open air courtyard, there was a band and funny white people dancing, and the food was absolutely amazing!  We really enjoyed it and appreciated the spot-on recommendation.  After dinner we walked back over to Streetbar for karaoke. There was a very cute bartender I couldn't resist capturing for you:

Karaoke was well-attended and there were quite a few singers.  Carl and I both sung too.  It was a lot of fun and we met some other vacationers to hang out with the rest of the night there.

Carl captivating the crowd!

We left about 12:30 and stayed up until after 1am, which is really unusual for us!

Carl & Lisa's visit and holiday weekend recap

My old friends Lisa and Carl arrived on Thurs around 1:00.  We met each other in elementary school and have maintained contact, on and off, over the years.  Within the last 10 years we've made sure to see each other at least once a year at Christmastime.  Last Christmas we decided Lisa would come from NYC and Carl would come from Northern VA and meet here in DE for a few days.

Since it was lunchtime I took them to a local favorite, Arena's.  The weather was nice so we sat at an outdoor table with an umbrella and ordered food and cocktails, because, well... cocktails! Roughly 3 hours later we returned home and sat out on the screened porch and continued talking.  I opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, a birthday gift that's been burning a hole in my pocket since receiving it.  Joe came home and gently teased us for being tipsy but we just laughed it off.  Literally.  

He went to his personal trainer appointment and we continued visiting on the porch.  Then the 3 of us went to Cafe Azafran for tapas and cocktails, and then onto the Blue Moon for karaoke.  Since it was the Thurs before a holiday weekend it was super crowded, and we got there late, so we could only put in 1 song.  We decided to turn "I Love the Nightlife" into a trio!

Karaoke selfie

It was really fun, and afterward 3 different people told us what a great job we did!  It was such a pretty night that after karaoke we sat on a bench in front of the Blue Moon and enjoyed the breeze and watched the 'boys' go by in their short shorts and tank tops.

Fri morning we had a continental breakfast and then continued drinking coffee on porch. 

Next we went for a walk through downtown and eventually to the beach, stopping at Dairy Queen.  We sat on a bench facing the water and ate our ice cream, then stopped for a beach cottage tour (a home my team has for sale) on the way back to the house.  Since the Dairy Queen had eliminated our desire for lunch we just had some snacks along with cosmos on the porch.  

Spouse joined us after he got home from work, and then a little later we walked to dinner at Gilligan's waterfront restaurant.  

We spent the rest of the night talking and listening to music on porch.  In fact, we spent the entire day outside!

Sat morning we had a continental breakfast again and then said goodbye to Lisa & Carl.  They were heading to NYC (where Lisa lives) so they could spend a few days in the city, then Carl would head home on Mon.  We had SO MUCH FUN together, and I feel really lucky to have such great friends.

After Carl & Lisa left I met up with a client who wanted to see 5 houses very close by, and then that evening we met Steven & Thad for dinner at Bethany Blues.  It was also mine & Spouse's 22nd anniversary.  But since we'd had Carl & Lisa visiting we really didn't make special anniversary plans, which was fine.  Its not like it was a milestone anniversary or anything.

Sun morning we met up with Steven & Thad and Carolyn & Derwin for breakfast since it was Carolyn's birthday.  

Carolyn and most of the gang

We went to a diner we'd never been to before and which was kind of like stepping back in time, but not in the cool 1950s way.  The food was good and cheap so that was nice. 

Back at home Spouse & I made 2 strawberry/blueberry pies. 

Spouse made the filling and I did the lattice top

Before baking

After baking

A little later we went to a BBQ at Joey & Glenn's house and took 1 of the pies.  That night Spouse & I just ordered a pizza and ate at home.

Mon (Memorial Day) I went on a listing appointment.  The client to whom I'd sold this home 5 years ago was about to go out of town for a week so he asked if I'd come take a look on Mon and advise him about selling.  When done Spouse & I had lunch with Steven & Thad, and then I caught up on some work emails while Spouse made enchilada casserole.  Steven & Thad came over for dinner & pie.  The weather had turned cooler so we ate indoors.

It was a VERY full and VERY fun 5 days!

Patrick's visit

My longtime friend Patrick came for a short visit.  We've known each other for over 35 years, and he was instrumental in my coming out and self-acceptance.

Patrick arrived on Wed evening just after I got home from work, so we chatted for a little while on the back porch with Spouse, then went to dinner.  We went to Ruby Tuesday because I was craving a good salad bar.  Afterward we talked some more on the porch, then came inside and watched a little TV together.  Marvin & Walter remembered him right away.

On Thurs we hung out at home for a while, went to the local diner for a late breakfast, then ran a few errands (car wash, dry cleaner, etc) then came home to change clothes and go to the beach.  It wasn't the greatest day for tanning, but at least it was warm and breezy so we enjoyed a couple hours of relaxation by the ocean.  After coming home and taking showers, Patrick took a nap and I checked in on work stuff.  Spouse came home and then went to his personal trainer appointment, and then Patrick and I went to have dinner and listen to a local entertainer we'd heard on his last visit.  However, the wait for a table was 45 minutes and we were hungry, so we decided to have dinner elsewhere.  We ended up eating at a window table (my favorite) at the Blue Moon.

Cheers!

Patrick had the sesame encrusted chicken and I had the short rib.  Both were outstanding, as were our cocktails.  After dinner we walked next door for karaoke.  I couldn't get Patrick to sing with me even though we used to perform together in high school, but we had a fun time.

This morning we had coffee and conversation, then decided to go for a late breakfast.  Afterward Patrick headed back home and I got prepared for a walk-thru and settlement.  It was nice to visit with my old friend!

Karaoke compliments

Last night I went to karaoke at the Blue Moon as I often do on Thurs.  Since its now peak vacation season there were quite a few people there.

The 1st song I sang was "Crazy", made famous by Patsy Cline, and the 2nd song I sang was "Dark Lady", made famous by Cher.  I did throw in a bit of impersonation since both artists had such definitive singing styles.  I've sung both songs before so I was very comfortable with them.

I was kind of amazed that the folks were so forthcoming with their appreciation.  I mean, its not uncommon for me to get a compliment or 2 after singing at karaoke.  I've had lots of vocal training and performance experience, yet its still nice to get a compliment here and there.

But last night I had 6 different people tell me how much they liked my songs!

One gentleman told me he was a retired opera singer from NY, so when he said I did a good job I should really consider it a compliment.

Another guy said that he was a huge Patsy Cline fan and that he wasn't hopeful when he saw "Crazy" come up on the screen, since most people butcher the song.  He said I'm the only 'karaoke singer' he's ever heard do the song justice.

A couple complimented my singing and asked if I sung professionally.  I thanked them and told them I performed in the Legends show and explained what that was about, to which they responded  "Oh, so you're a star!"  I chuckled and said "Well, a local star perhaps."

I had a lot of fun and it was really nice to get so many compliments.

Cards, party, and karaoke

I'm not sure why, but this year I'm really behind with my Christmas cards.  And by 'really behind' I mean I haven't even started them.

This is not because I didn't have the cards, or the stamps, or the return address labels, or the list of recipients.  I've had all that stuff for at least 3 weeks.  For some reason I just haven't spread everything out on the table and gotten busy, until yesterday.

I put Marvin & Walter in their crates as if I were going to work, put the 'Soundscapes' music channel on softly so they wouldn't hear me in the other room, poured myself a cup of Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice coffee, and got to it.

Rather than rotating through my Christmas CDs like usual, this time I went to Pandora on my iPhone, typed in Pentatonix Holiday and listened to that station via a bluetooth Sony speaker.  It worked great and I didn't have to stop what I was doing to change the CDs.

I got 76 cards written, hand-addressed, sealed, stamped, and into the mail, leaving me just 43 more to finish the job.  I actually paired down my list by 4 this year.

While this may sound like a chore, I actually like doing it.  I love to send brightly-colored cards, often times with glitter, that add beauty to the holiday season.

After dropping off the cards at the post office I got my hair cut, and then Spouse & I got dressed for my company's Christmas party.  It was held in a restaurant that was closed to the public.  The food was good, there was an open bar, a band, and everyone had a nice time.

I brought Spouse home, changed my clothes, and went to the Blue Moon for karaoke.  Normally I wouldn't go to a Christmas party and sing karaoke the same night, but I love singing Christmas songs at karaoke and there are only a few opportunities to do that between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is the acceptable time to sing Christmas songs.  Since the company Christmas party was only a few blocks from the Blue Moon, about a dozen of my colleagues from work came to karaoke after the company party ended and got to hear me sing "Merry Christmas, Darling".  Karen Carpenter-style, of course.  It was a lot of fun!

LEGENDS returns

Last night I was at karaoke at the Blue Moon and (finally) got confirmation of the characters I will be impersonating in the 2014 season.

I was hoping for some new characters/legends, since I have done all 3 of my legends for 2 seasons.  I even gave suggestions for new legends that I thought I could do a good job interpreting.  But, I will be repeating my interpretations of Elton John and Neil Sedaka again this year.

This may be because we have 2 new performers this year, and they will be doing 2 characters each, so the folks running the show will have 4 new costumes to decide on and source, and 4 song medleys to create and edit, so I guess they had their work cut out for them without creating new legends, costumes, and medleys for me.

But at the end of the day, I have a real blast doing the shows, and they pay me well to do them, so I will sing and dance to whatever legends they ask me to.

Small world

Last night I went to sing karaoke at the Blue Moon, as I often due on Thurs nights.

The mistress of karaoke, Mona Lotts, introduced me to a guy named Scott who was visiting from Phoenix.  Just to kind of 'make conversation' with this visitor who didn't know anyone, I casually said that I went to high school with a guy who now lives in Phoenix and works as a bartender at a gay bar.  I knew this from his facebook posts.

Scott asked the name of the bar and I said it had the work "pump" in it.  Scott immediately said "Oh, the Pumphouse", to which I said "Yes, that's it."

Scott explained that the Pumphouse had closed down a little while back but said he knew many of the guys who worked there.  He asked my old high school friend's name so I told him.  Lo and behold, he said he was very good friends with my old high school friend!  Today I sent my friend a message through facebook and told him about meeting Scott the night before.  

Small world...

Later that same night, a very nice 'mature' gentleman and his boyfriend/spouse/husband complimented me on my singing, so we got into a brief conversation.  I asked them where they were from and the 'mature' gentleman said they lived in DC, but that he was originally from Cumberland.  I asked if he meant Cumberland, MD and he said yes.  

I told him that my grandparents lived in Cumberland their entire lives (they lived to be 77 and 81) and that I spent many a summer there.  My parents would spend a weekend with my grandparents and leave me there for a week or 2, then come spend another weekend with my grandparents and take me home.  It was great because I was raised in the suburbs but my grandparents lived in the country.  They had a huge vegetable garden and a creek in their back yard that my cousins and I would swim in.  I told him my grandfather sold insurance until he retired, and then worked part-time at an orchard.

The 'mature' man asked my last name and when I told him, he said "Oh, that sounds very familiar.  I'm sure our families know each other somewhere along the line."  What a funny coincidence to run into someone who knew Cumberland so well, visiting Rehoboth Beach!  

Small world...

Karaoke update

I hadn't been to karaoke since Christmas.  The Blue Moon closed for the month of January for renovations, Spouse & I went to Puerto Vallarta in Feb, I was sick for about 3 weeks, then I was tied up with the blogger meet-up weekend followed by Easter weekend.  I finally went back last night.

One of the updates that took place in Jan was a total revamping of the karaoke system.  They used to have 2 binder books, 1 with songs listed by title and the other with songs listed by artist.  You'd write down your song name/number and hand the paper to the karaoke DJ.  The song selection was rather limited too.

Now there are 2 large touch screens where you can view songs either by title or by artist, adjust the key if necessary, and electronically submit your selection directly to the DJ.  The song selection was improved greatly as well.

Mona Lotts, the drag queen hostess of karaoke at the Blue Moon, jokingly provided instructions to patrons suggesting they could select their favorite song AND their sandwich order using the Wawa monitors on the table!

I had a Linda Ronstadt themed night last night, as I sung "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" and "When Will I Be Loved?"  A couple of my friends where there too, and it was lots of fun as usual.

Do any of you sing karaoke?

Idol

The place where I often sing karaoke, the Blue Moon, is hosting Rehoboth Idol, a singing competition like American Idol, starting tonight. The winner will receive $1000. in cash and an invitation to sing in future Blue Moon productions for money.

Shortly after meeting the Blue Moon's mistress of karaoke, Mona Lotts, last Aug she began asking me to compete in Rehoboth Idol in 2011. By Dec she'd made me promise I would do it so I've had this contest in my mind for several months. But unlike karaoke, there will be no lyrics up on a monitor during Rehoboth Idol. Contestants must memorize the song and lyrics and 'sell it' to the judges.

Unlike American Idol which feels like it goes on forever, Rehoboth Idol only lasts 4 weeks. Each week there is a theme. Tonight is the 1st night and contestants get to sing any song they wish. Then it goes like this:

• Week 2: any song from the TV show "Glee"
• Week 3: any song from a Broadway show
• Week 4: any song from the disco era AND a 2nd song from any genre

I've pretty much decided on all my songs but I'm not going to list them yet in case I change my mind. But tonight I'm going to sing "Laughter in the Rain", made famous by Neil Sedaka. I've sung it at karaoke many times, I know all the lyrics, I'm very comfortable singing it, and people usually respond well to it.

So wish me luck tonight!

Legends

For a couple of weeks now I've been teasing you with brief mentions of a series shows in which I'll be performing this summer. Now I'm finally at liberty to say more.

I was approached during karaoke 1 night about being in a series of shows this summer called "Legends" where I would sing and impersonate 2 musical legends. I was told the shows would have professional costumes, choreography, wigs if needed, and be produced like a tribute show you might see at a theatre, only these would take place in the performance space within a bar. It sounded like fun, and judging from all the positive changes the owners had made to the bar since they took over a few years ago, I thought I could trust them to do a good job with this. I certainly didn't want to be a part of something that would turn out to be tacky or embarrassing.

In late April I attended a meeting where I met the other 5 "Legends" cast members and received my info packet. It contained photos, bios, and song lyrics for my celebrity impersonations, and then we discussed the flow of the shows.

The shows are to be 30 minutes long, with 3 legend impersonations each lasting 8-9 minutes, singing a medley of 4 well-known hits, followed by a group finale number. There are 6 cast members but only 3 perform in a show so we don't have to perform every week. Each performer impersonates 2 different legends, so there will be 12 different characters in total throughout the series of shows, taking place every Sat night between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend.

The bar owners thought the free shows would be entertaining, different than anything else available, and would draw even more people to the bar who will likely stay after the conclusion of the shows to dance, socialize, and drink. I think its a genius idea!

So, who will I be impersonating and what will I be singing?

Neil Diamond
Cracklin' Rosie
I am I Said
Brother Love's Travellin' Salvation Show
Sweet Caroline

Neil Sedaka
Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Calendar Girl
Laughter In The Rain

Obviously I don't look a thing like either of these guys, but the idea is to impersonate their vocal style, inflections, and movements/body language. Costumes and wigs will help too.

Impersonating Neil Sedaka will be easier of the 2 because people have told me my singing voice reminds them of Neil Sedaka, which is likely 1 of the reasons this legend was chosen. We have the same vocal range and tone. In addition to having a successful singing career in the 60s and 70s, Sedaka also wrote songs that loads of other artists recorded.

I was a bit skeptical of my ability to impersonate Neil Diamond. His range is a good bit lower than mine and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to reach the lower notes. But through the miracle of modern technology, they will be able to adjust the key of the songs so I can reach the lower notes.

This evening we had our first costume fitting and the cast in the 1st show (May 28) did a rehearsal on stage with mics. I'm really excited about performing in these shows! I enjoy singing and think its important for everyone to have an outlet for creative expression. Oh, and did I mentioned I get PAID?!?!

Weekend highlights

Sat morning Spouse decided to go back to VA to visit with his family for the weekend. Since I had to work on Sat I couldn't go with him. But I had a good day at work. I accompanied another agent on some property showings, which allowed me to see the properties with the client, and allowed me to gain some extra info the agent knew from working in the area for so many years. The day seemed to fly by.

After work I chilled out at home for a couple hours, then got myself together and met my friend Steve for dinner. I just got to know Steve recently; he's a single guy from PA and is very nice. As we talked over dinner I learned that he is a licensed real estate agent! A few years ago when the market got really tough he decided to do something different for a few years so he currently works as a construction consultant at a big hardware store. After dinner we stopped in at several nightspots to check the vibe. Steve & I both sang karaoke songs at 1 place, then moved on. It was a fun night!

Sun I met my friends Thatcher, Ron, and PW for breakfast, then stopped at Walmart to pick up some stuff. On my way home I decided to drive by some homes that my potential clients might like. Once back at home I did some tidying up around the house and washed a couple loads of laundry before Spouse returned home. We caught each other up on our respective weekends, then decided to go out for a casual dinner.

Weekend highlights

Fri night I had dinner with 'the usual suspects' (Spouse stayed home), and then Steven & I went to the Blue Moon for their Fri night Divas (drag) Show starring my friend and local drag legend Mona Lotts. We met a very nice female couple, Roxanne and Lisa, who were in town for the long weekend. We had a lot of fun hanging out with them and watching the show.

Sat I went to real estate school and Spouse went to VA to visit with his family. After school I had a snack then went to theatre to see "Violet Tendencies". My friend Jesse Archer wrote the screenplay and also played the character Luke. The film was funny, campy and an enjoyable time. Mindy Cohn, who played Natalie in TV's 'Facts of Life', did a brilliant job playing Violet. Also noteworthy was Samuel Whitten who played Reilly. His acting was great and he's absolutely gorgeous.

Above from left to right: Casper Andreas (director and character Marcus), Samuel Whitten (Reilly), Mindy Cohn (Violet), and Jesse Archer (writer and character Luke). After the film I was starving so I went to Dos Locos and grabbed a table in the bar area. I had a pomegranate martini and a 7-layer Mexican dip with chips. Dee-lish! Seated at the table next to mine were 3 young people who were enjoying margaritas and singing along with the karaoke singers. We began to chat and I learned that the young man and 1 of the women were married on the beach last Oct, and the other young woman was her maid of honor. They live in the DC area but frequent the beach since 1 of the women's parents own a beach house. I decided to sing a few songs since the karaoke selection book was so comprehensive. It was fun!

I decided to skip real estate school on Sun. It was math day and the instructor is so bad at teaching that I felt I could learn just as much by reading the chapters in the book and skipping the class. So I had breakfast with Steven at the Long Neck Diner, then returned home watched a little TV. Then I went back to the theatre to see "You Should Meet My Son" with Steven and 1 of the Bobs. It was very funny. I highly recommend it if you can see it locally or get it from Netflix. After the film Steven, Bob and I decided to have a drink and hang out at the bar at 1 of our fave places: Saketumi. Our friend Kim is the manager there and he and his staff always take expert care of us. I had delicious Cosmos and we shared some fried wontons and coconut shrimp. While hanging out at the bar I discovered the woman seated near us was the pet psychic who'd given psychic readings at our neighborhood block party a few years ago. I introduced myself and reminded her where we'd met. Spouse returned from VA and joined us at a table for dinner. I had 2 sushi rolls and Spouse had Generals Tso's chicken. We had lots of fun eating and spending time with our friends!

Spouse & I returned home and watched more episodes of 'United States of Tara' and then went to bed.