NYC

Last Wed Spouse & I spent the day in NYC.  My realtor association charters a bus every year on the 1st Wed in Dec so Realtors and others can spend the day in the city.  Many of us go to see a matinee, while others prefer shopping, looking at the department store windows dressed for Christmas, and site-seeing.  We try to do a bit of it all.  Our friend Joey and his husband Glenn went with us again this year too. The weather was in the upper 30s so it was cold but it wasn't windy so it was pleasant to be outside.

We started with a Christmasy photo in front of the giant balls.

Next we stopped in at Capital Grille and just beat the lunch rush.  Spouse had a rib-eye steak sandwich with caramelized onions and Havarti.  I had a lobster roll, and we both had yummy truffle fries.  Wow!

Next we headed toward the theatre, stopping in at a few stores along the way.  I admit it - I love to look inside those "I Love New York" stores at all the souvenirs and touristy crap!  I don't know why but I do.  Then we arrived at the Helen Hayes theatre.

And right next door was the famous Sardi's.

We all enjoyed Torch Song!  Its interesting because the play Torch Song was written in the early 80s, then made into a film in 1988 called Torch Song Trilogy.  Now the original play is back on Broadway.  I saw the film first so it was interesting to see how they condensed all of the locations in the film back into just a few locations in the play, like the original.

The Helen Hayes theatre is a smaller, intimate venue which we enjoyed a lot.  I'd purchased tickets online ahead of time so we were just a few rows from the stage.

After the show we walked over to Rockefeller Center to see the official tree.

While there Spouse & I posed for a photo with the tree in the background.  I posted it on Facebook and got many compliments on the photo, which I agree is one of the best of us.  I typically don't like photos of myself because my smiles don't look natural or my eyes are squinty.  But this photo turned out really well I think.

It was a very nice day in the Big Apple.

New York, New York!!

Today Spouse & I are in NYC for the day with our friend Joey.  

Our local realtor group charters a bus every year, giving us an easy opportunity to get in and out of the city.

Last year we saw the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.  This year I'm super-excited that we're going to see Torch Song!

This is based on one of my favorite films Torch Song Trilogy.  If you've never seen the film, find a way!  It was one of the earliest films portraying gay men with both tenderness and strength.  I'm hoping Spouse & Joey enjoy it too.

TV shows

There's been some interesting TV shows on recently.  Not on the networks, since they're all in repeats for the summer.

On PBS we watched "Man in an Orange Shirt".  This was written by author Patrick Gale and was essentially 2 stories, 1 set in the 1940s and the other set in modern time. The stories deal with love, "gay shame", and families' ways of dealing with gay family members.  The 1st story focuses on Michael Berryman (played by the uber adorable Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and boyfriend Thomas March, both soldiers until the war ended in the mid 1940s.  The 2nd story focuses on veterinarian Adam Berryman (the grandson of Michael) and Steve, the owner of a pet treated by Adam.  Flora Berryman (played by Vanessa Redgrave) is the wife of Michael and grandmother of Adam, and is the connecting thread of the 2 stories.  The stories were sensitive, the acting was brilliant, and the cinematography was lovely.  All in all a very well-done program that left me wanting more.  "Man in an Orange Shirt" can be viewed on-demand from your cable provider or on the PBS website.

On FX we're watching the series "Pose".  Set in the late 80s, this series explores the NYC ball culture, AIDS fear, and the lives and struggles of several transgender characters. The series showcases many transgender actors as well as Tony Award winner (Kinky Boots) Billy Porter who is phenomenal in this role as the legendary ball announcer.  The series is created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, known for their work on "Glee", "American Horror Story" and "American Crime Story". Unlike "Glee", this show takes a deeper look into the complex lives of the characters and is both poignant and fun.  If you're not already watching, you can catch up by watching on-demand.  Current episodes air on Sun nights.


Have you watched either show?  If so, what did you think?

NYC birthday

Well, my day trip to NYC on my birthday was great!

The bus left at 6:30am and I was greeted by birthday decorations on my seat.

We were dropped off near Radio City Music Hall, but we had plenty of time before the show so we began exploring.  Our 1st stop was St Patrick's Cathedral, which was not a place I wanted to go see necessarily, but it was pretty cool in the sense that its huge and old.  Next week walked to Madame Tussaud's was museum, but after finding out it was $32 to get in, we decided to skip it.  Then my friend Joey and his husband Glenn and I broke off from the pack of women who wanted to go shopping.  We decided to have lunch at a spot that looked interesting called Burger Heaven.  Great burgers! 

Then we went to Radio City Music Hall.  While waiting in line I decided to take a selfie.

Once inside the grand lobby I was struck by the amazing chandelier!

Joey had purchased the tickets online and paid for mine as a birthday gift so I didn't know ahead of time that our seats were going to be so good.  We were in the center orchestra in the 7th row.  We were close enough to see the expressions on the Rockettes' faces!  The show was really fun and the 3 of us really enjoyed it.

After the show we stopped into the MoMa store where Joey & I bought the exact same Christmas tree ornament and the exact same Tiffany glass coasters.  Then we walked over to Rockafeller Plaza and watched the people ice skating.

Then we stopped into a couple stores as we walked to Central Park.  It was getting to be dusk but we enjoyed the winter beauty of the 'park in the middle of the city'.  Here are Joey & Glenn watching more ice skaters with the skyline behind them.

Then we decided to stop for cocktails at the bar inside the legendary Plaza Hotel.  I'd never been inside before but it was just as elegant and fancy as I'd imagined.  Check out the absolutely gorgeous granite bar!

Our cocktails were so delicious we had to have a 2nd round.  Then we walked back toward Radio City Music Hall where the bus was to pick us up.  We stopped and bought cashmere scarves from a street vendor (3 for $25) and then got hot dogs and pretzels from another street vendor.  Joey & Glenn were a bit skeptical but I told them "real New Yorkers eat street vendor food all the time".  Near the food vendor there was this pretty grouping of trees lit with white lights.  I felt compelled to take a photo.

Then we walked back to Rockafeller Plaza again to get a picture of the giant lit tree before getting back on the bus.

The weather was mild and not at all windy so it was the perfect winter day to be in NYC.  It was a really fun way to spend my birthday.

Birthday

Today is my birthday.  I'm not going to say which birthday, so if you really, REALLY want to know, you'll have to email me.

I'm in NYC today.  My local Realtor's association charters a bus to NYC every year on the 1st Wed in Dec.  The bus leaves at 6:30am and returns at 10pm, so you've got an entire day to do whatever you want in the Big Apple.  I've haven't done this trip before but decided to go ahead and do it since it was my birthday.  

Some of my Realtor and mortgage friends and I have tickets to the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.  If you've never seen this show, you should add it to your bucket list.  I saw it 20+ years ago and was amazed by the sheer mechanics of all the set changes, stage changes, costume changes, animals, etc.  "Spectacular" is definitely not an over-statement.

I'm not sure what else I'll do but in NYC there's definitely no shortage of interesting things to see and places to go.  Even regular buildings and stores will be dressed for Christmas and will be even more beautiful than usual.  Maybe I'll wander through Central Park, see the Christmas tree and ice skaters at Rockafeller Center, and for sure I'll have some good food.  

More details to follow.

As seen on facebook

One of my friends posted on facebook a link to a Tumbler photo site that is fun and sexy called New York Subway Guys.  

It is exactly what the title suggest: photos of hot/sexy/attractive guys seen on the NYC subway system. This makes total sense since NYC's subway system has a very ridership and NYC has a wide diversity of ethnicities in its ridership.

Check it out and I bet you'll bookmark it or become a follower.

New York in 1941 & 1942

A friend sent me this cool article about an Indiana man who took photos of New York in 1941 & 1942. The unusual thing is that he used expensive color film which was not readily available then so the photos appear to be much newer than they actually are.

Many of the buildings have been demolished or replaced since, but some still remain like McSorley's Old Ale House, then...
and now...

Have a look at these interesting photos!

Celebs tweet up

The passing of marriage equality in NY prompted several celebrities, gay and straight, to speak - err, I mean, tweet up on the topic.

“I can’t stop crying. We did it kids.” – Lady Gaga, on Twitter.
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“happy gays r here again !!!!!” – Rosie O’Donnell, on Twitter.
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“I have never been prouder to be a lifelong New Yorker than I am today with the passage of marriage equality.” – Cyndi Lauper, in a statement.
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“Time to celebrate!!! Marriage Equality for NYers! Its about… love!” – Ricky Martin, on Twitter.
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“It PASSED! Marriage equality in NY!! Yes!! Progress!! Thank you everyone who worked so hard on this!! A historic night!” – Neil Patrick Harris, on Twitter.
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“I’m thrilled about the news from NY. Marriage equality! Every day we get a little closer. What an amazing feeling.” – Ellen DeGeneres, on Twitter.
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“tonight we’re all New Yorkers! Straight & gay alike, let’s all celebrate marriage #equality. The right side of history!” – Kathy Griffin, on Twitter.
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“Happy that New York passed marriage equality tonight. A victory for human rights. Progress.” – John Legend, on Twitter.
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“congratulations!!!!!!!!! About time!” – Pink, on Twitter.
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“Alec! Now we can get married!” – Steve Martin to Alec Baldwin, on Twitter.
“Ok. But if you play that … banjo after eleven o’clock…” – Baldwin’s response.
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“I sing it every night, but now it has better meaning: `New York- concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do.’ As if I didn’t already have enough to celebrate and enjoy today. A big hug for New York from my lone hotel room in London.” – Darren Criss, on Twitter.
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“Way to go, New York. One people. One planet. One love.” – Alyssa Milano, on Twitter.
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“Proud to be FROM NY! – Lindsay Lohan, on Twitter.
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“Yay for Gay Marriage! NY, it’s about time…jersey we’re next! How you doin?” – Wendy Williams, on Twitter.

Source

Weekend low lights

I worked on Sat and then met up with Steven & Thad, Jack & Alisha, Robin, and Joe P for dinner.

Sun morning we drove to Cherry Hill to get BoltBus. Since we hadn't driven there in over a year we decided to use our GPS. It took us different route but I remembered seeing the new route on the map so I wasn't worried. However, a few miles from our destination the GPS suddenly went crazy! It told us to make right turns where there was no street and to make a sharp left turn when we were on a divided road. It kept "recalculating" over and over and I was getting frantic. We finally got to bus stop... 30 minutes late. Obviously we missed our bus so I called to check on when the next bus would arrive. My heart sunk when I was told that all the later buses were sold out. The reality hit me that we weren't going to NYC. We were going to miss visiting with our dear friend Lisa, the jazz concert, and seeing Tornwordo and Serge. EPIC. FAIL.

We were so angry/upset/disappointed that Spouse & I drove the entire way home without speaking. I tried to salvage the day and get him to do something else fun like go to dinner and/or a movie but wouldn't budge. So we stayed at home that night feeling sorry for ourselves.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget yet too small to be their own post.

I received these two from my friend Jared:

Spouse & I both got our hair cut yesterday. Spouse went after work, about 4:30 and I went after work at 5:30, to the same stylist! We used to get our haircut by Dallas at a local barbershop, but the shop moved to an inconvenient location and Dallas became too unreliable. Several times Dallas was not there and the shop wasn't open despite the hours posted on the door. So I found a new stylist/salon and now Spouse goes there too.

I'm really excited because we're going to NYC this weekend! I'm working on Sat, but we're leaving Sun morning and returning home Mon night. As usual, we're driving to Cherry Hill where we'll hop on the BoltBus. Our plan is to visit with our friend Lisa, go to see her friend Ruth sing at Small's jazz club, check out what's blooming in Central Park, and see the High Line. Then I found out that Tornwordo & Serge will be in NYC also, so I'm really excited to finally meet them in person too!

NYC highlights

Thurs it was sunny and warm, so I wore shorts and a t-shirt on the BoltBus to NYC. We came dangerously close to missing the bus because Spouse & I were talking and missed our exit. Once in NYC Lisa took our suitcase up to her office so we could roam around and explore. We met her back at her office at 5:30 and went to dinner with her and her friend/colleague Howard. We liked him a lot, as she knew we would. We had Thai food at Yum Yum Bangkok which we all liked. It was a gorgeous night and quite enjoyable to be in the city. Celebrity siting: Cole Escola from Logo's Jeffrey and Cole Casserole.

On Fri it was as if we'd woken up in a different month. It was overcast, quite chilly, and windy. The temperature literally dropped 20 degrees overnight. Dressed in jeans, long sleeves, and jackets we made our way to the tip of Manhattan to visit the Cloisters.

As I was taking the photo above, one of the guards yelled "No flash photography please!" Although he said "please", I knew he really meant "@sshole". It kind of pissed me off. I mean, what are they afraid of? The flash might cause the LIMESTONE to fade? Give me a break. The place is like a cave inside and since it was overcast there was very little light coming in from the windows. Without the flash it would be pointless to take photos. Honestly, it kind of soured the experience for me. I did take some outdoor photos though.

I thought it was neat how they trained this tree to grow vertically and horizontally, rather than at its natural angles.

The views from the gardens were gorgeous, especially at this time of the year. I took more scenic photos, but Spouse accidentally deleted some of them while trying to change a light setting on the camera.

Just outside the Cloisters we had lunch at New Leaf Restaurant, housed in an old building in historic Tryon Park. Initially we thought it might be one of those rip-off places that charges an arm and a leg because there's no competition around. But we were delightfully impressed with the quality and tastiness of our food. I took photos of our plates since they were so beautifully presented, but the photos were deleted. Then we took the train down to West Greenwich Village to browse about the many gay-owned/operated stores. As we walked down W 4th St we noticed Village Cuts, a barbershop. Spouse joked that since he'd not had a chance to get his hair cut before this trip, he should stop in. I quickly agreed, since he was looking a little shaggy. Gregory gave him a great cut and was very nice. Who'd have guessed that a haircut in Manhattan would cost less than in DE! Next we stopped in for a pastry and a hot cup of coffee at Patisserie Claude which really warmed us up. I had a pumpkin tartlet and Spouse had a chocolate eclair. Then we hopped the train back to Lisa's so Spouse could have a nap and we could change clothes.

Later we met up with Miss Ginger Grant, Howard, and David Dust at David's apt before having a tasty Afghan dinner at Ariana. Since it was raining we took cabs to "The Urges", also known as Urge Lounge, for a little 'entertainment'. A favorite among the Dust Bunnies, Urge has good-looking, well-built guys walk around the bar top for appreciative patrons to admire and tip. I must admit the 'performers' we hot!

Since we were out late the night before, we enjoyed a nice, leisurely Sat morning with Lisa. It was raining off and on, but it was much warmer than Fri. Umbrellas in hand, we eventually made our way to Chinatown and met up with David, Ginger, and Howard for lunch at the Excellent Dumpling House, which truly lives up to its name. We stuffed ourselves with all kinds of dim sum, and Spouse & I even had the audacity to order entrees! Next we walked over to the famous Pearl River Mart, followed by Jack's $.99 store, both of which were real experiences! We hopped the train back to Queens to shower, nap, and chat with Lisa. Then the 3 of us headed to Chelsea for a 25th anniversary party for Lisa's friend Bobby and his partner Bruce. It was nice. Our plan was to meet up with David, Ginger, and Howard at Escuilita to see Lady Bunny, but this was cancelled due to the yucky weather and the general lack of Dust Bunny turn out. So Lisa, Spouse & I had a late night snack (read: meal) at Pete's Grill, then returned to Lisa's and talked until 1:30.

Sun morning Lisa made omelets and biscuits for breakfast, we packed up our suitcase and took the train to meet the BoltBus at noon. Unfortunately the bus wasn't scheduled to come until 12:30 (I looked at the boarding pass wrong) so we had to stand and wait and extra 1/2 hour on top of the extra time we'd allowed. But we got home by 5:00 and had a relaxing night of TV watching before going to bed.

So ends another DDBW, al-be-it a much more tame one than before. It was great to see Lisa, David, Ginger, and Howard again!

Crush du Jour: George Vidanov

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Its day 2 of our NYC trip and our plan is to visit the Cloisters today. I've heard its amazing.

The garage/bathroom/closet/dressing room addition should be finished when we get back from NYC. Well, not completely finished since the old driveway and sidewalk won't be poured yet, but practically finished. I suspect we will sleep in our bedroom when we return Sun night, and use the bathroom once its cleaned. I am practically GIDDY over the idea of moving our clothes and shoes from 3 separate closets into our new closet/dressing room!

Next Tues a guy is coming to give us a quote for regular housecleaning every other week. We had a housekeeper when we lived in VA and we felt it was a worthy expense, but when we moved here we just couldn't afford it. But things have changed and now we can afford it. We do not want to spend our evenings and/or weekends cleaning. We are active people who have lots of houseguests. Its time to get a housekeeper again. I hope we like this guy who's coming on Tues.

Have you seen those new Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets? Its a sheet that contains detergent, fabric softener, and anti-static you toss in the washer AND dryer.

Spouse picked them up at the store (because he loves gadgets and this is sort of like a gadget) and I must admit they are pretty nice. Saves me from having to measure liquid detergent (which I always seem to get on my hands) and remember whether or not I tossed a dryer sheet in the dryer. Print a coupon and try them yourself. Now, if I could just get Spouse to empty his pockets before throwing his pants into the hamper.

This video made the rounds on Facebook this week. I think its very good. Imagine if straight people had to ask for their community's permission to marry? As obsurd as it sounds, that's exactly what is happening for GLBT people in states where same sex marriage is put on the ballot for community vote.

Crush du Jour: Robert Gonzalez

Off to NYC

Today we are leaving for a 4-day weekend in NYC.

As we've done before, we will drive to Cherry Hill NJ where we will board the BoltBus. Its cheap and comfortable, and will drop us off right by Penn Station. If interested in photos or our agenda from past NYC trips, click here and here (May 2009) and here (Oct 2008).

We will be staying in the home of our fab friend Lisa again, in Sunnyside Queens. Its so convenient, only 25 minutes from Penn Station to her doorstep. We're looking forward to having dinner with Lisa and her friend Howard on Thurs evening. She has talked about Howard several times and he seems like our kind of guy.

We are planning to tour the Cloisters on Fri during the day, meet up with an old high school friend of mine for drinks/dinner in the evening, then join the other Dust Bunnies later that night.
Sat we will do some sightseeing, including Pearl River Mart and Chinatown during the day, then meet up with the Dust Bunnies again for more cocktails and hijinx. If you are reading this and will be in NYC this Sat night, consider joining us!

Sun we'll have a good, hearty breakfast at Pete's Grill before catching the bus home.

Spouse doesn't like me to over-schedule our trips so we feel free to do what we want, as opposed to feeling like we have to do what's on the schedule. We travel well together so I'm sure we will have a great time.


Crush du Jour: Andre Coelho

DDBW2 & PRs6

What???

DDBW2 & PRs6? What does all of that mean?

You may recall that when we told DavidDust about our plans for a trip to NYC in May, he put the word out on his blog and several other bloggers wound up scheduling trips to NYC for the same time, and the Drunken Dust Bunny Weekend (DDBW) was born.

Actually, the 'drunken' part is mostly over-stated (except for Kailyn!) and largely used for dramatic effect. There was definitely some alcohol consumed, on several occasions. But all of the bloggers we met were super-nice, super-fun, and relatively sober for the most part. When we met we were all bloggers, but when we said goodbye we were all friends. We had such a good time! Click here and here for a recap of all the fun, chaos, foolishness, and mayhem from the 1st DDBW.

Spouse & I have decided to make another such extended (4-day weekend) trip to NYC. We're going Oct 22-25. Once again, David has notified his peeps that DDBW2 has officially been scheduled!

I really hope that all the folks from last time (TrannyBeth, Mister Maddie & Boy-Toy, Zombie Mom, Miss Ginger Grant, Howard, Marker, Kailyn) will return again, AND that other folks who missed it last time (Bob, Joy, Java, and readers of my blog) will also come and join the fun. Of course ALL are welcome! Seriously, if you've ever met up with fellow bloggers before, you know the fun and friendships to be had.

Think about joining us!

Although Spouse & I will arrive on Thurs and stay with our fabulous friend Lisa in Sunnyside/Queens, most others will arrive sometime on Fri and stay in hotels in Manhattan. Contact me if you're interested, as we may be able to help keep the hotel costs down by getting a discount and/or by room sharing with other bloggers.

Its going to be legendary!

And speaking of legendary...

The wait is over. Tonight at 10:00 ET is the return of Project Runway, season 6 (PRs6)!!!

And as if that alone wasn't exciting enough, at 8:00 ET is the Project Runway All-Star Challenge, featuring former contestants! Don't forget its on Lifetime this season, not Bravo.

Yes, 3 full hours of Project Runway. I suspect all gay bars will be eerily vacant tonight from 8:00-11:00 ET.

Crush du Jour: Chris Messina