Adventures in Gastronomy

I don’t really have that many friends with children. I suppose being gay has something to do with that (though, gays adopted kids has become the “in” thing to do).  HMMM – looking back, it seems that most of my friends who have kids kind of fell of the face of the earth after their children were born. While DINK’s (dual income, no kids) they all lived in/around Boston. When the wife got pregnant, they moved to great outer suburbia. Once the child was born, we all just kind of lost contact. Yeah, there’s the occasional email promising to get together soon. But overall, dyanmics change.

Anyway, this past weekend we threw a baby shower for two of our friends, Mark and Kana. She’s due on Halloween so this was a good a time as any to host the shower (technically our friend, Zach, graciously hosted it at his place). It was a fun time…and despite Mark and Kana not having any family in the immediate area, their son is going to be surrounded by the family they’ve created in Boston.

Plus, this kid is going to have more uncles than any other kid I know (as evidenced by the baby shower being attended/hosted by 6 gay men – far outnumbering the 1 straight man and 4 women in attendance).

The rest of the weekend was low-key thanks to the non-stop torrential rain. We went to the Griffin Photography Museum in Winchester on Saturday before the party. On Sunday, we went to the gym and then did nothing the rest of the day.

I love days like that.

September 29th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on Goo Goo Ga Ga

I’m not an economist. I’m not a politician. I’m not even remotely knowledgable about the topics of economics or politics. I suspect that my forthcoming rant will be chock-full of ignorance, but it’s my opinion and until we lose our rights to be opinionated (along with our retirement savings) I’ve still got my right to piss and moan.

Quite simply, WTF is going on? This whole $700 billion (BILLION!) bail-out is shrowded in secrecy. We know their working on something…but I still can’t tell who this will be helping. My two cents is this:

• The government has no right to set salary limits for CEO’s. Personally, I find it obscene how much CEO’s make (even when their business is tanking). But I don’t think it’s the government’s job to regulate their salaries (should the government be able to choose your salary?). The shareholders and boards should institute rules within their own organization. However, if a company goes bankrupt, THEN the government should prevent CEO’s from getting salaries and bonuses. It’s the same way how employees will end up on unemployment and not get bonuses…why should the CEO who led the company to bankruptcy receive a bonus? The company goes under, he stops getting paid. Period.
• Speaking of companies going under…let it happen. Seriously, why are we bailing out companies that made stupid decisions and were greedy (loaning money to unqualified people at higher interest rates)? They should go out of business, and deservedly so. From what I can tell, other companies will most likely take over the failed ones. A fair portion of jobs will likely be kept within the new company and eventually other companies will come into business and hire people. The others will collect unemployment.
• Speaking of unemployment, that is the ONLY place where I think the government should be getting involved. Why not add some more money to that pool for the actual tax paying CITIZENS (versus bailing out CORPORATIONS) who lose jobs as a result of businesses going bankrupt? That way, they can continue to feed themselves and pay for their mortgage.
• Speaking of mortgages, the government should NOT be bailing out people who purchased homes they can’t afford. Home ownership is risky – prices go up and down (but will eventually go up again). When I purchased my previous condos, the lenders kept offering us more and more money. We went in seeking money for up to $300,000. They came back to us saying that we qualified for $600,000…and then they asked if we wanted them to search higher amounts to see if we qualify for more. HELL NO! People in this country need to learn to live within their means. Just because lines of credit (or mortgages) are offered at absurdly high amounts, it doesn’t mean you should accept them. My solution? Instead of foreclosing on people (which hurts the bank and the home-owner) banks should stop being such cheap asses and renegotiate. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should they change the amount the person owes. The person borrowed a certain amount, the borrower should pay back that amount…plus interest. However, they could lower the interest rate to what it was before the ARM changed. Here’s a thought, why not also simply extend the payment period of the loan from 30 years to 40 or 50 years? That will lower payments. Considering that people usually don’t stay in their home for more than 5-10 years, extending it to 50 won’t matter in the long run, but it sure as hell could help over the next few years. Plus, the value of the property will eventually go up again so when they sell, they’ll still make a profit. Just wait and stop being so greedy.

Phew, that was exhausting. I’m normally a liberal. I still think I’m liberal (just not of the bleeding-heart variety). But Ialso think I’m fiscally more conservative than most liberals. This country is already in debt beyond belief. Spending an additional $700 BILLION to bail out corporations that should fail because of their greed and stupidity offends me. Similarly, using $700 BILLION to bail out home-owners who spent above their means offends me. As a non home-owner and a responsible spender, I get no benefit, yet the gluttonous among us with gas guzzling SUV’s and room sized hi-def flat screen TV’s in their McMansions get taken care of. I know there are individual cases where circumstances are more dire, but we already have systems in place to handle that (welfare, food stamps, WIC, generic foods and medications, unemployment, utility assistance, etc…). There just needs to be more regulation to prevent corporations from acting so irresponsibly, and some regulations requiring banks to alter the terms of their mortgages instead of allowing foreclosure.

‘Nuff said. You can hate me now.

September 26th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

Fortunately Randy and I aren’t celebrities or on a reality show because scenes from last night could have become a YouTube classic. Entertainment Tonight or TMZ would have had a field day watching us play tennis and would have shown the clip repeatedly.

A few weeks ago Randy thought it would be a smart idea to buy tennis raquets and a tube of tennis balls. We tried playing last week but couldn’t find an available tennis court anywhere in the area. Last night we drove a bit and found a tennis court in either Arlington or Medford (it was along the Mystic River).

There were 5 or 6 courts and the only available ones were in the middle. We never really played a “game,” we just hit the ball back and forth.

Correction: we TRIED to hit the ball back and forth.

Randy missed the first few (ok, dozen) balls that I hit toward him. When he started hitting the ball, the almost always ended up in the court next to ours (I can’t count how many times I had to apologize to the people next to me ).

I didn’t fare much better (though I do think I was slightly more skilled at at least getting the ball over the net). But I did miss my share of balls. I eventually became exhausted from running into other courts to retrieve balls that I progressively got worse as Randy got better.

I discovered that my back hand is just as bad as it was when I played tennis regularly as a kid in my neighbor’s tennis court (but at least that one was in their back yard and not in plain view of the public).

After a short while, our neighbors in the court to one side left so we moved over to their court (since it was the end court and there was at least one side with a fence). It didn’t help much. Randy managed to hit two balls over the fence, and I hit one.

I think he wants to do it again.

September 25th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on 10ISNE1?

Fortunately for me, airport security isn’t as strict as I thought it was.

I forgot to mention this yesterday, but as Randy and I were getting ready to go through the security check at the airport last weekend, I pulled out my wallet to grab my license only to realize that I didn’t have it. You see, the day before, Randy and I changed into shorts to go play tennis. Instead of carrying my entire wallet, I opted to bring my license only (for ID).

Well, I forgot to take the license out of the shorts and the next thing you know, I’m standing before a TSA agent with no valid ID.  I suddenly became the person that I hate at the airport (since I’m always one step ahead of the game with my shoe laces untied, my ID and boarding pass out, and my liquids in a ziplock bag pulled out and ready to scan).

Anyway, the agents were friendly and after looking at the remaining contents of my wallet (two ATM cards, a credit card, my insurance card, and…fortunately…my Harvard photo ID), the agent placed a call to who-knows-where and validated my identity. Somehow, somewhere, there is an agency that knows I live with Randy because one of their questions was “what’s the name of the other man you live with?”

Eventually, they let me through, but only after I had to get frisked/patted down and my bag had to have a special screening (swiped with that cloth to detect bombs, I suppose).

So I made it out of Boston OK. When our plane landed in LaGuardia (where we were to switch planes) we had change terminals and go through security once again. As expected of a New Yorker, the TSA agent was far from friendly. When I explained what happened in Boston, all he said was “Yeah, well we’re not in Boston now.”

Oh dear.

But then he looked at my Harvard ID and credit cards, called over a co-worker, then waved me through. I didn’t even have to deal with the extra security screening (pat-down, bag search).

The return trip from Nashville was fairly easy, too. They looked at my ID’s and waved me through (but did the pat-down and bag search).

I suppose my identity is less important than what I’m carrying in my carry-on luggage. Still, I would have thought LaGuardia and Nashville would have at least called looked me up in a computer or something to confirm I’m not fugitive.

Oh well.

September 24th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

Randy and I returned from Nashville last night. All in all, it was actually quite a nice trip. I had fears, as I mentioned before, about being in the south, gay, on a farm, and with three children 24/7. But it wasn’t bad!

We arrived late on Friday night and just chatted a bit before heading to bed. On Saturday, we stayed at the house (yes, on the farm). I even got to help feed the chickens and goats which, though caged, seemed to find ways to get out and walk all over the yard.

Later in the day, they even somehow got me to, gasp, play some football. I’d like to mention here that I was able to throw the ball the furthest and also kick the ball both highest and furthest. I’m still not sure, as a gay men, if I should feel shame or pride…but it’s leaning toward the latter.

That night, Randy’s sister-in-law prepared pulled pork for dinner.

On Sunday, we drove into Nashville to participate in Randy’s nephew’s cross-country track meet. Hundreds of elementary school children running about in one of the most disorganized sporting events I’ve ever seen. It was also around 90 and humid.

After the race we went to the Parthenon. For some insane reason, Nashville proudly calls itself the Athens of the South. Now, I’ve never been to Athens, but I’m fairly positive I can assure you there are no similarities between the two cities. The Parthenon (supposedly an exact replica, but made with tacky pebbly concrete) sits in a big field, but was closed because it’s after September first (WTF)??

Randy and I did, however, make it back to Nashville on Monday. We explored the Lower Broadway area…home to country music and chock-full of honky-tonks (and cowbody hat and boot shops). Oh, and the Charlie Daniels Museum of course (where I modeled a confederate flag cowboy shirt for Randy). We were in the area on a Monday between 1PM and 3:30PM and all of the bars had live music playing; the doors were wide open and country music blared out of every doorway we passed. I can’t imagine what the place is like after dark…or on a weekend.

We had lunch at some earthy/crunchy place called the Pita Pit, then walked around some more.  Nashville is a surprisingly small city. It has a very small downtown then very close by were single-family residential areas. On the plus side, it’s got a fairly remarkable collection of art- deco buildings.

We flew home last night and now I don’t have a single trip planned until December 26th.

But we’ll see about that.

September 23rd, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 4 Comments

I’m heading south…again. Randy and I fly down to Nashville after work this afternoon. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Nashville from Boston so we’re connecting at LaGuardia ( we connect in DC on the return flight). Consequently, that makes this short trip take nearly six hours to get there (just under 4 on the return thanks to a shorter layover).

I’ve never been to Tennessee. And actually, we’re just flying into Nashville before driving to rural Murfreesboro where his brother has a house and farm. It’s funny, this morning Randy asked if I wanted to bring a baseball cap since it’s going to be sunny and in the 80’s the whole time. I said sure, but then realized that my two caps are either a Boston Red Sox hat (yay….advertise I’ma northerner in the south) or a Human Rights Campaign hat (yay…advertise I’m gay in a red state).

Still, it’ll be interesting to meet the final person in Randy’s immediate family.

Oh, and we confirmed our entire Key West trip yesterday…everything from airare down to the condo and rental car. And my Mom is thrilled that we’re heading down the day AFTER Christmas instead of the day of Christmas.

HMMM – with all the travel I do, I might want to consider changing this blog from Adventures in Gastronomy to Adventures in Travel….but gastronomy is such a fun word. I’d hate to lose it.

September 19th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

Of course, the Village people were referring to San Francisco in that song. But it looks like Randy, Chris, Pete, and I will be heading west ourselves this winter…to Key West, that is.

Come to think of it, the Village People had a lesser hit out of a song called “Key West”…but nobody has probably heard it so I’ll still with “Go West” as my title.

Wait, I’m getting distracted…where was I? Oh yeah, so we’re going to fly out the day after Christmas and and return on Monday, January 5th. We’ll spend 7 days in a 2 bedroom/1.5 bathroom condo about 5 minutes from Duvall Street. It’s in an area called Truman Annex” which apparently incorporates an old Navy Yard with tennis courts, pool, and sand beach (a rarity for Key West, apparently).

We’ll be there for New Years Eve which is apparently a big to-do in Key West (reminiscent of Provincetown’s Carnival, from what I can tell) complete with a drag queen descending from the top of a building in an enormous red high-heeled shoe, similar to the ball dropping in Times Square in New York. Good times.

Seven days later we’ll drive up the Keys to Fort Lauderdale and explore the Fort Lauderdale/South Beach area for three days before returning home all toasty from the sunshine and beach.

Well, that’s the plan right now at least. We’ve got all of the elements on hold at the moment. Barring any disasters, we’ll be confirming everything later today.

WOO HOO!

So, as the Village People sang:

Mama, I’m freezin’ (mama, I’m freezin’), I wanna go to the sun (to the sun)
These icy winter breezes (winter breezes) are chillin’ all my fun (all my fun)

I’m headin’ for Key West, the key to happiness
(I’m on the run, gonna have some fun)
I’m headin’ for Key West, where leisure nights the best, oh yeah
(Gonna spend my days lyin’ in the sun)
I’m headin’ for Key West, that’s where it’s at for me
Well, (gonna spend the nights meanwhile)
I’m headin’ for Key West, I’m on the run
(Ba-da-da, ba-da-da, ba-da-da, ba-da-da, ba-da-da-bah)

September 18th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

Aside from our 3 night getaway to Nashville this coming weekend (to visit with Randy’s brother, wife, and kids), I had no plans to travel for the rest of the year. None. Zip. Zilch.

Then this past weekend Randy, Chris, Pete and I thought of perhaps getting away for the week between Christmas and New Years. Of course, that got my travel juices flowing so Sunday night Randy and I were online until near midnight looking at various options.

That process continued into yesterday and last night we did the same (but only until just after 11PM).

I do find travel planning fun….tweaking the dates here and there to find a better bargin, looking into alternate destinations, flying into one city then driving to the actual city you want to visit. All of these things can change the price drastically. And I treat it all like a little game; some sort of puzzle I can solve.

But doing it in the evening is probalby not smart beceause I just lie there in bed wondering “ooh, what if we went to this place, but on these dates instead….and instead of two hotel rooms we get a suite?”.

The next thing you know, there aren’t enough sheep in the world to count and help me fall asleep(though, there are enough pills).

September 16th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

I hate shopping. I really do. I don’t necessarily mind grocery shopping, which is good since it needs to be done with such frequency. But I’ve never been into shopping for the sake of shopping. Even if I have a goal in mind (“I need a dress shirt,”, or “I need to get mom a birthday gift”) I still fail miserably and proceed to make everybody else around me cranky in the process.

But this weekend I needed to buy shoes for a wedding I’m attending in two weeks, plus I needed some new sneakers. I have this nasty habit of wearing holes into the bottom of them within 3 months. Then I wear the sneakers for another year, but only when it’s dry because my socks get wet otherwise. This ghetto habit of mine also embarrasses Randy a bit, I think.

We thought about going on Saturday. Seriously – we gave it some great thought. We packed up the car to head to the gym, I brought along my DSW coupon, and we were getting ready to go to DSW after working out when I just didn’t feel like it. Blah.

We decided to rest until later that evening when we went up to rural New Hampshire to our friend, Maggie and Dick’s place. They have this amazing (and enormous) white clapboard farm house. Maggie prepared for us an incredible dinner (risotto, broccoli rabe, osso bucco) and her husband prepared a yummy apple pie-like dessert. The company and food were great.

On Sunday, we slept until the wonderful hour of 11AM and then finally made it out to DSW…where I stocked up on shoes, buying 4 pair (one dress, 3 casual). With the wear and tear I put on them, this should hold me over until at least November.

September 15th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on Shopping

That’s how I felt this morning as my work computer kept screaming at me (well, in bold font, at least) that my desktop was not connecting with the Harvard network. It took about 40 minutes but they finally determined that the data port (in the wall) died. So they plugged me into another one (for now). Let’s hope this one lasts a while.

But this 40 minutes with no connection to the outside world was scary! Seriously – withdrawal symptoms kick in immediately. I like knowing I’m just a click away from the world.

Randy and I have been toying with the idea of going to Peru for Christmas break. I’ve been looking into it and this third-world country would be the farthest of been from “civilization” than I’d ever been (talk about disconnected!). One goal would be to visit Machu Picchu.

To get there you have to fly 1.5 hours from Lima to Cusco. Then stay 24 hours to acclimate to the 13,000 feet elevation. Then the next morning you take a 4 hour train ride up to Aguas Calientes (based on the photos, these trains utilize the most modern technology available…

…for 1952.

From there, you spend the night in a hostel (there appears to be only one traditional hotel…at $695/night). None of the hostel/hotels have websites since they’re so small/remote…but the descriptions in travel tour guides brag about the following amazing amenities:

1. many with private bathrooms
2. twin beds
3. 24 running hot water
4. candles in case of power failure

I’m sorry – but if you have to advertise that a basic amenitiy like hot water is an “option”…that scares me. I’m not so sure I’m up for such adventure travel. I mean, it looks gorgeous, but it’ll take 2 days to get there (between flying, acclimating, taking a train, then takin the bus to the drop off, and hiking a bit from there). I’m impatient….maybe I should wait until they build an international airport, and subsequent resorts, next to it.

September 12th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments