Adventures in Gastronomy

My friend, Dave, wasn’t feeling well yesterday so he didn’t fly into Boston. He’s going to see what magic he can work with the airlines to try and get a flight on Saturday (he looked into changing it to today and they wanted to charge an extra $300 on top of what he already paid). Since the room on the Cape is non-refundable, I’m going to call and see if I can downgrade to a cheaper room or spread out the stay fover two nights (since it’s silly to let the room go to waste and since Randy and I don’t need a two story suite for just the two of us).

Oh, and I’m stealing Karyn’s idea from yesterday and doing my “I” list:

• I AM: still unable to adjust to daylight savings time (which took place nearly two weeks ago).
• I MISS: childhood naivete’ (I couldn’t figure out how to get the accent mark to appear) .
• I LONG: to be close to you (thanks Karen C).
• I WISH: I was less prone to anxiety.
• I FEEL: more optimistic today than I have the past 6 years because of this week’s elections.
• I DROVE: way too many people crazy when I was younger.
• I WANT: world peace and fluffy kittens. Or lifelong financial stability and health. Either/or.
• I FEAR: pain and suffering. I don’t fear death, though.
• I MIGHT: never find a condo I can afford (despite my very simple standards).
• I DISCUSSED: where this relationship with Randy is going recently. So far, so good.
• I AM EXCITED FOR: my upcoming trip to Japan.
• I AM SAD TO: admit that I tend to be selfish.
• I LIKE: who I’ve become in the past few years.
• I PLAN: everything to death. I need to loosen up.
• I DISREGARD: Gideon bibles that I find in American hotel rooms.
• I WITNESSED: the Dali Lhama walking past me – he was just a few feet away.
• I ENJOY: urban explorations. Just walking through old cities and taking in the streetscape.
• I HATE: flying. I don’t fear it anymore…I just hate the confinement.
• I PLAYED: quarters (using just ginger ale) when I was 11 or 12 and ended up puking.
• I LOVE: that I live in an area that has four separate seasons (though they do often blend together).
• I WENT: to a sex club once (but didn’t realize that’s what it was). It was closed at the time.
• I WILL: hopefully die in my sleep.
• I KISS: yes. Yes, I do. Quite well, I’m told.
• I HAVE: amazing parents…and am so grateful how much I lucked out.
• I DID: lots of stupid things in my youth. Who am I kidding, I continue to do stupid things.

And finally, Lise sent me the photo below and I have to say that it just may be the funniest photo I’ve seen in years. Seriously! I mean, after Jesse Helms and Tom Delay got out of politics, the only remaining senator or congressman that I feared and loathed was Rick Santorum (well, that’s not true…Trent Lott is still out there, isn’t he?). Anyway, this photo is classic. It’s like John Stewart took the photo himself to use on the Daily Show. What’s up with that girl clinging to a doll…a doll that is wearing an identical outfit as her!?!?! And that accountant-looking son (thanks, Lise)!?!?! Or the pouty chick in the back?

Oh, this photo puts such a smile on my face.

November 9th, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 9 Comments

I’m happy. For the first time since the 90’s, I’m happy with how the vote turned out. The last two presidential elections were severe disappointments to me. And the last gubenatorial election (2002) was a bust. This time around, Massachusetts got it’s first democrat governor in well over a decade (the country’s second African-American governor…which surprised me), but it looks like the national administration is no longer under a one-party rule. A party that, in my opinion, has helped make the U.S. of A. the laughing stock (and one of the most hated and misunderstood countries) of the world. For that reason, I’m thrilled that the people of this country have provided the appropriate slap-in-the-face to the Republican party.

Of course, I am being hypocritical here because now Massachusetts is under one-party rule. I have to admit that this does concern me a wee bit. I do have some conservative traits in me and do believe a system of checks and balances is healthy. But after the last few Republican administrations in this state, I’m optimistic about this change.

In addition to being optimistic, I’m also happy today. My friend, David, is arriving from Chicago this afternoon. He comments on here as “Dave from Chicago (2)”. This should be fun. I’ve only spent time with him in Chicago. Now it’s my turn to play host in Boston. Of course, I’m working tomorrow so he’ll be on his own all day (what a great host I am). But on Friday and Saturday we’re heading down to the Cape – which should be a blast. It’s going to be me, him and Randy and we’re staying in a suite at a guesthouse with bedrooms, fireplace, jacuzzi and deck. The weather is supposed to be perfect, too.

And hopefully I can introduce him to Karyn (Vexed in the City) since he’s a huge fan of her blog. I love being matchmaker.

November 8th, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 4 Comments

After voting this morning (more on that later) I decided to walk from the North End to the Charles/MGH red line subway station. It was lovely autumn morning so I thought “why not enjoy it?”

As I went behind the Boston Garden/Shawmut Center/Fleet Center/Bank of America Center/TD Banknorth Garden, I noticed a new billboard on the side of that lone tenement building that was never demolished during urban renewal in the 1960’s. On it was an advertisement for some sort of alochol. Was it called Mark Maker? Marky Mark? Marcia Brady? I don’t know – I’m alcohol illiterate and I’d never purchase the product anyway.

The point is that it showed nothing but the top 3/4 of the bottle and it had a wax coating (instead of a plastic seal or cork). The wax was not even and was dripping down the sides of the bottle. The tag line at the top of the ad said “Naughty or…”

Maybe it’s just me…but the image of the long narrow bottleneck with a liquid oozing down the sides clearly resembled something else for me. Perhaps that’s the point.

I still ain’t buying it.

And speaking of being bought and sold, I voted this morning. It got me thinking, too. I always read about how voter turn-out in this country is horribly low. Yet it seems that every person I know votes. Who are these people that aren’t voting? I don’t believe Massachusetts has any higher turn-out than any other state so either the people I know are lying, or there’s a select audience in our society that I somehow don’t mingle with that doesn’t vote.

Anyway, my voting place is some Knights of Columbus hall (or Masonic Lodge or something) in the North End. But I have to admit voting there can be intimidating. At both the primary and the regular elections, there are always these burly working-class Italian types loitering outside. They’re not holding signs for candidates…they’re just lingering and talking loudly in MAJOR Boston accents. I’m sure their goal isn’t to harm or intimidate….but I do find it intimidating. I’ve never noticed this in other polling areas where I’ve lived. Maybe that’s the reason for low voter turn-out? Narrow street surrounded by brick apartment houses and not much natural light with 20 or more rough men congregating in the middle of the road?

Either that or laziness.

November 7th, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 10 Comments

On Saturday I joined Randy and two of his friends (Sandy and Ben) to go furniture shopping. Randy is on the hunt for a new dining room set so we ventured out to the Greater Gardner (MA) Furniture Outlets. For some reason, there are a bunch of furniture shops dotting the retail landscape of this rather depressed area of the state. It reminded me a lot of Texas (strip malls, rundown houses, fast food restaurants) but with rolling hills and old mill buildings. In fact, most of the furniture stores seemed to be in former mills or factories (one shop was 80,000 square feet).

The stores aren’t much to right home about. I would guess that 75% of the furniture was utter crap. I saw patterns on reclining chairs that I thought (no, prayed) would have disappeared in the 70’s. Horrific vomit colored (and patterened) sofas surprised us around every corner. And then there were the knick-knacks. A fake cherry cheesecake here, an 18-inch round brown, green and orange ceramic flower bud there, a glass sheep (or penguin) over there. Who buys this stuff?

It was quite the experience. In Templeton, though, Randy did find a rather fine table that he’s considering buying so I guess the trip wasn’t a complete loss. Besides, the four of us had a blast mocking the furniture…and we shared a lovely meal in one of Gardner’s finer restaurants: KFC. Yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was either that or a frankfurter place called Hot-Diggity-Dog.

November 6th, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 6 Comments

Well, it wasn’t all that quiet since my 125 pound (going on 400 pound) upstairs neighbor was home banging away as she always does. I honestly can’t figure out how such a tiny woman can make so much noise without jackhammers and diesel trains up there.

But despite her on-going contructions projects distracting me, I was rather productive last night. Aside from general manscaping and giving myself a haircut, I updated my iPod. It’s been ages since I’ve done that. I’ve added loads of songs to my iTunes over the past few months but haven’t sync’d my iPod to it.

I bought the iPod mini because I didn’t think my music collection was that extensive and 1,000 songs seemed like more than enough. But now I have 1,300 songs saved and I have to remove songs to add songs. Complicating matters (and DON’T judge me) my project last night was to, gasp, incorporate my Christmas music onto my Ipod.

Mission Accomplished! (not in the G.W. Bush sense…I actually mean I finished doing it!)

Oh, and I’ve also been studying a Japan guide book. Did you know that there is a neighborhood in Tokyo where you can go to get fake plastic food? I’m so intrigued. Apparently, there’s an entire district filled with shops that restauranteurs go to to purchase plastic food to display in their restaurant windows. I’m not sure what benefit i will have by going there – but I do see a pretty, non-edible display coming home with me on the plane.

November 3rd, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

Randy invited me to dinner last night with a work associate of his who was in town on business. We ended up at Aquitaine in the South End. Randy claims it was because of the restaurant’s reputation. I say it’s because gay porn star Johnny Hazard is a waiter there (and I think I’m right).

We started off with cheese plate and escargot. Then we moved on to the entrees (I had a lovely chicken with plums and spinach and some sort of questionable (yet tasty) starch. A $65.00 bottle of wine topped off the meal.

We then retreated back to the North End where we were to meet up with another coworker of Randy’s. But first, Randy and I stopped off at Trani. Yep, Trani. This place had been under construction for 2 years before they finally opened in July. Basically, they take traditional Italian desserts like eclair and cannoli, and “infuse” them with ice cream. Randy and I opted for the “bust in” which was two cupcakes that we violently injected with vanilla ice cream right before our eyes. They were then place under a dripping spout of hot chocolate. Not bad for $2.79 – but quite messy.

We left there and headed over to Hanover Street, where we picked up even more desserts at Modern Pastry. Then we sat down at Cafe Vittorio for drinks (and to eat the pastres/truffles we’d purchased). All in all – a delightful (and free!) evening.

Then I came into work this morning to an email from Golden…my childhood ex-girlfriend. In elementary school she pulled me into the closet (how ironic) at recess and kissed me…then TOLD me that I was now her boyfriend. We dated off and on through high school. Anyway, she’s previously commented on my blog and had threatened to expose long-lost pictures of our youth. Today, she came through on her threat. Below you shall find evidence of my pseudo-heterosexual childhood. Please abstain from laughter until the show is over.

First, here I am on the front steps of the old Cape Cod Academy in 1985 (my Dad went to school in this building back in the 1930’s):

Here you can see Golden (my girlfriend at the time) and me on the playground house-thing. Also circa 1985. Killer socks, don’t you think?

Yet another photo of Golden and me (and my cousin, John, dangling from the tree in the background. Even more revealing, you can see the side of my childhood home in Osterville (circa 1985). Love my parents’ wood-paneled station wagon in the driveway!:

Finally, Golden managed to dredge up this photo of me in her dorm room at Wheelock College in 1992. Wow – I used to have some hair, didn’t I?

HMMM – this is making me want to go into my old photos and scan a few myself. I’m sure I’ve got some “fun” ones of Karyn and Golden (and a few other readers).

November 2nd, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 15 Comments

On Monday night I went my usual local produce market in the North End to pick up the basics; bananas, yogurt, and milk. Directly next door (actually, two doors down since there is an oyster bar in between) there is a shop called Dairy Fresh Candies.

It’s wonderful. The place is packed with every style of confection your heart could desire (chocolates, nuts, gummis, marzipam). Most of their packaged stuff comes from Europe (German gummi bears, Belgian chocolates, Italian pizzelles). Then, along one wall is the glass display case where you buy your treats by the pound.

After picking up the healthy foods at the produce shop next door, I entered here and purchased a pound of peanut butter cups. It was 6:00PM. By 7:30PM there was a half pound left.

By noon yesterday the entire pound of peanut butter cups was gone. I didn’t share them with anybody. When you consider that I was asleep for 8 hours and prepping for bed/bathing/commuting for another 2 hours – that means I ate a pound of peanut butter cups in less than 5 hours.

Needless to say, it all kind of hit me in the early evening last night. It was a most unpleasant feeling that was all too familiar. You see, I’d done the exact same thing two weeks ago. In fact, both of these were not isolated incidents. Oh no, I’m afraid to say I have a bit of a history when it comes to my tasty confections.

But in the immortal words of Depeche Mode: “I go out of my head. I just can’t get enough, I just can’t get enough.”  

November 1st, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

A while back, the U.S. Census Bureau claimed that Boston had lost over 30,000 residents between 2000 and 2005. Boston’s mayor disputed this data (rightly so since it affects how much federal/state money the city receives) and now the Census Bureau has come back with corrected results and reported that not only did we not lose population…we actually gained over 7,000 people.

Hmmm – that’s a nearly 40,000 person difference. For a city of 596,000 residents, that’s nearly 8% of the population that would have been left unaccounted for. Actually, i’ve always questioned the census statistics for this city. I mean, I believe the 596,000 people are the year-round, tax-paying citizens who call Boston home. I suspect that figure doesn’t count the nearly 200,000 college students who descend upon the city for 9 months of the year (and claim their parent’s states/cities as their home address). That said, I certainly hope Boston gets funded appropriately for this population increase of nearly 40% each September. 200,000 people produce a huge strain on services (trash, public transit, police).

Meanwhile, as others states have been increasing their police/security forces after 9/11 (I recall articles a few years ago about places like North Dakota taking advantage of funds alotted to such things), Massachusetts has actually DECREASED it’s public safety staff (police, fire, ambulance) by over 1,000 people. So much for the Republican administration’s claims of being tough on crime.

Ugh – where is this political side of me coming from? Maybe it’s next week’s election. Either way, I prefer to think happy-fluffy thoughts so here goes: It’s official, Randy reserved my ticket to Tokyo last night. In one month I’ll be in Japan.

Eek!

I don’t speak the langauge, I don’t know its geography, I don’t know its customs or foods…and I’ll be on my own for the first 48 hours while randy does the busines trip portion of his travels. I think I’ll just hang out in a Hello Kitty store until Randy is available again to show me around.

October 31st, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 6 Comments

On Friday night, Randy had a cheese tasting party. A cheesemonger came and taught a group of 24 people about 12 different types of cheeses. My favorites, as expected, were the brie (a triple cream with 75% fat) and a pecorino toscano. YUM. It was also an opportunity for me to meet nearly all of Randy’s Boston-area friends.

My friend, Chris, arrived from Washington, DC on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, JetBlue lost his luggage and much of the wet and dreary afternoon was spent calling and waiting for it to be delivered. But we made the most of it by having lunch in Eastie at Santarpio’s (ain’t much to look at, but the pizza was pretty darn good….and the local folk were a hoot to listen to).

That evening, we went to the newest play by Ryan Landy and the Gold Dust Orphans. Normally he takes old movies and camps them up with witty dialogue and his hilarious drag theatre troupe. This time, in honor of Halloween, he took three Twilight Zone episodes and camped them up. We got there shortly before “curtain” time and ended up in the back. But we could still see and hear everything.

After the play, we did a quick walk-thru of Machine/Ramrod (the bar) before heading out for dinner at Brown Sugar: a nearby Thai restaurant. YUM.

By now it was about 11:30PM and we were all quite tired. We decided to go up to the Top of the Hub (the restaurant on the 52nd floor of the Prudential Tower) and have a quick drink. We got there just in time because once we found seats at the bar, the place got packed and people had to stand. The rain had finally subsided so we had pretty nice views of the Boston area.

On Sunday, the three of us headed up to Salem for Haunted Happenings. It was freakin’ windy! But the sights and sounds were fun (though less croweded than I’ve ever seen in the last 5 years). Here are some photos taken by Chris and Randy (for once, I didn’t take my camera). The last photo is my favorite.

Some shots of Salem homes and doorways

A shot of me and Chris

Every gay man’s favorite liguor store (where you can buy a t-shirt that says “I got it in the bunghole”)

Randy being a “pain the ass”

And my favorite shot…worthy of a postcard

October 30th, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

I don’t have much to go on aside from the ads I’ve seen on the sides of the buses that pass me on Mass Ave in Cambridge, but that man looks so gay my ass hurts.

He could be the butchest thing on earth when on the air, but his photo alongside the Good Morning America news team makes him look like plastic surgery gone wrong, mixed with blonde hair dye, over-done teeth whitening, and excessive make up. I wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for the fact that 6 buses passed me this morning and every single one had his photo on the side.

In other news, my friends Jason and Bryan talked me into going to a play last night. We were supposed to get together for Rummy, but Jason got tickets to See a Gilbert & Sullivan operatta called Iolanthe. As written, the story is set in Eduardian England where a colony of fairies is treated differently than the mortals. A boy, born of a fairy mother and a mortal father wants to marry a mortal – but it causes scandals in both circles.

However, this being Massachusetts and an election year, the director put a bit of a twist on the story by casting the opposite gender in each role. The opening scene consisted of a dozen or so men dressed as fairies prancing on the stage singing the women’s parts. I swear they raided the set of “Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.” The costumes and make-up were amazing (perhaps I saw Sam Champion singing and dancing up there?)

Anyway, the female actors all played the mortal men (hunters, chancellors, etc…) and sang all of the male roles. Basically, the production was all about tolerance. As the Boston Conservatory of Music website stated: it was “both a fairy tale and political satire that evokes controversies over ‘family values’, trule love, and liberalism vs. conservativism.” I had fun – and can’t thank Jason and Bryan enough for dragging me along (I’m so reluctant to be social on school nights – I need people to push my boundaries).

This weekend my friend, Chris, is coming up from Washington, DC (the poor guy will be arriving during tomorrow’s huge wind and rain storm). To expand upon my cultural explorations, we’re going to be seeing the latest Ryan Landry play at the Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts (essentially, the play takes place at Boston’s biggest leather bar). His theatre troupe is doing a spoof of three Twilight Zone episodes…all in drag, of course. Should be fun!

October 27th, 2006
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 9 Comments