Today is Saturday, August 6th, 2011 and it is Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday. Google is honoring the occasion with a really cool logo, so if you’re reading this today, you should definitely check it out. Though Lucy was even before my time, I still grew up watching those hysterical reruns and still get a chuckle whenever I see them. Classic!

Throw Me a Topic

Ah, what to write, what to write? I’ve really wanted to talk more about the situation with my house, but I’ve been distracted from it the past couple of days (in a good way!) and I don’t really want to talk about it until I’m back in that mode, which I know will come soon. I made several phone calls this week and things are being looked at by the bank, so I have no idea where this is going to go, but I know I’ve got to prepare myself mentally. Stay tuned…

Friends and Food

As I mentioned the other day, my friend Eddie (AKA Rose) is here from Florida and I’ve been spending some time with him and Rich and Bobby (Dita and Blanche!). He, Rich and I hit the Good Steer the other night, which is one of those Long Island places that everybody around here knows. They have these delectable fried onion strings that they serve with their delicious burgers and though I don’t get there too often, it’s always reliably fantastic! In fact, I posted the words “Good Steer” on my Facebook page when I got there and several former Long Islanders made yearning comments about the place. For more on the place, check out this article on Y!CN:

Where to Find Great Burgers on Long Island

A Saucy Night at Splash with Oz

After leaving the Good Steer it was off to Splash. This was the third straight time that I’ve gone there with people. First it was Laura Kim and Michael, then it was Paul, and this week I went with Ozzie. Campus Thursdays is one of the club’s most popular nights and this Thursday it was as crowded as I’d ever seen it. Not only was the place packed in, but many of the patrons were a little wild, to say the least.

I’m starting to learn that Mr. Oz is one popular dude! We ran into a lot of people he knew, all from Long Island, of course, including Julian, the guy who won the Mr. Gay LI at Circus the other night. That dude I met at Ozzie’s house last week, Jeremy, also showed up and boy was he a grouch! All in all it was a great time, despite the naughty groping by the wild crowd. The deejay was rocking and before you knew it, Ozzie and I were heading out the door at 4:30 AM. I walked in the door to my house at 6… Am I getting too old for this…..nah!

Grove Party Tonight!

I don’t know what’s been happening lately, and I actually think I’m starting to miss going out alone, but we four friends are going to Cherry Grove together this evening. It’s been like forever since Rose has been there and I know several people who are also going, so I am very excited!!!! Stay tuned…

In honor of Lucille Ball’s 100th Birthday, here’s my all time favorite scene from the I Love Lucy Show. It’s an early episode when Lucy thinks Ricky is missing his native Cuba and she tries to make him feel more at home by dressing the place up like Cuba and putting on a side-splitting imitation of Carmen Miranda, of course with the help of Ethel, her partner in crime. So funny!



So thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend!

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Happy August! Today’s Monday, August 1st and summer is just about half over…I feel like I’ve been busier so far this summer being off than I am during the school year. I think I may just have to start looking forward to going back soon, but not just yet. There’s still some summer to do! Here are some snippets of my so-called life these past few days…



Inside the bar at Cherry's

Foot in Mouth Disease

“Wow, just when you've had it with everything, somebody does something to surprise you!”

Yep, I have it! That disease, you know the one, when you tend to say things you shouldn’t have said. I put this as my status on Facebook late Friday night and rather than take it down I just left it there. Any normal person might’ve just not even have put it there or at least removed it after they realized they shouldn’t have written it, but I admit, I’m no normal person. Besides we all make mistakes, and I don’t think that we should ever pretend that we didn’t….we just accept our actions, learn from them and move on…

A couple of friends asked what the surprise was and it’s too long a story to answer there, but I’m going to share a little of it here cause that’s just how I do. You see, for the past few months I’ve been talking to this guy, his name is Scott, online. Scott lives in Philadelphia and being that he comes to Long Island for work sometimes he was perusing guys here and found me. It’s not normally how I do things, but I’d say that I’ve spent quite a few hours chatting with him over the past few months, and though I have no idea what he looks like, I was kinda sorta liking him…a lot!

I never really put any stock into anything with him…he lives so far away, after all, but I really have been hoping to meet him one of these days and last week he told me he’d probably be coming to LI this past Friday. He’s had my number for awhile and he said he’d give me a call on Sunday and we’d take it from there. He really wanted to go to Fire Island and of course meet me finally.

Well, by Thursday I hadn’t heard from him and pretty much wrote the whole thing off. I ended up spending Friday with my new bud Ozzie and didn’t even really think about Scott, until he im’d me late Friday night. Scott was being his usual joking self, but during our conversation he was being kinda cryptic, almost to the point of making me think he was actually here on Long Island. He was asking about the ferry times and such, and I don’t know, I just had a feeling he was going to surprise me at Cherry Grove on Saturday night. Thus the FB status.

To make a long story short, Scott wasn’t here after all, at least I don’t think he was. I haven’t heard from him since that Friday night conversation and I’m back to being mentally where I was on Thursday, at least concerning him. Grrrrrrrr….

The White Party

Cherry’s on the Bay was having a White Party on Saturday night and with the whole Scott thing, I was kind of excited about going, that is, until the night actually happened. I guess there’s always a night or two where things don’t go as you would expect them to, and Saturday night sucked all the way around. Now I go there often enough that I always know people there. Even though I usually go it alone, I’m hardly ever alone while I’m there, but on Saturday there was no one I knew, not even my fellow regulars.

My friend Michael works on Fire Island and he wasn’t there. My lesbian friends had a barbecue so they weren’t there either. Even my regular buddy at Cherry Grove Pizza was off on Saturday. It was very weird. In fact the only person that I saw that I knew was my friend Paul, who I had just gone to the city with on Thursday, and even though he said hello, he pretty much ignored me all night long. It was just one of those nights!

Memories with Mac…

The only enjoyment I got out of Saturday night was hanging with an old buddy of mine. His name is Mac and he’s one of the bouncers at the Ice Palace. He’s a very large black man, kind of looks like he could’ve been a pro football player, and I’ve known him since I first came out way back in the early to mid 80’s. Back then Mac was a bouncer at Thunders, one of LI’s best-ever bars, and he used to kind of look out for me. Even he, Joe and I used to shoot the shit together all the time back in the day. Mac’s an awesome person!

Anyway, through my frustration of the night, I decided to walk over to the Ice Palace and say hi to my old buddy. We ended up chatting for a long, long time, reminiscing about the old days and catching up. I bought him a shot of SoCo, which we did together….that was always Mac’s thing….and I truly had an awesome time with my old buddy. Thanks Mac!

Sunday Night Sea Tea

Last night me and my pals Blanche and Dita went into the city to catch the Sea Tea, which is a summertime Sunday night party boat cruise in NY Harbor. We usually go a couple of times a year, but we hadn’t gone this summer until last night. It was a beautiful summer evening and I was really looking forward to it.

Now one of these days I will surely write more on the Sea Tea…there have been some really good and some really strange times there over the past few years that we’ve gone, but last night’s experience left me full from the whole experience. You see, when you go on the Sea Tea, it’s a four-hour experience that you cannot escape from if it’s not good. The crowd and the deejay always dictate how it will go, and last night the crowd was okay, some of the usual crazies and some cuties, too, but the deejay totally sucked!

Anyone who knows me knows how much I like to dance (just see today’s “Song of the Day”), and last night’s set was total house, which is okay sometimes, but to me not really for that setting. I think there were maybe three songs he played that I knew, and the versions he played were just okay. Of course I danced some anyway, but it definitely wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. I’m starting to think I’ve had my fill of the whole thing.







Ex’s on the brain

Another part of my evening was one that I didn’t even really mention to my friends. It began on the ride to the Sea Tea and soon transformed into something entirely different later on. You see, the Sea Tea is located at the Christopher Street Pier on the West Side, and we get there by going down the FDR, around the Battery and then back up the West Side Highway. It’s much faster than simply going across town.

For the first time since January, I think, we passed by the place where ‘he’ lives, not far from the Brooklyn Bridge. I started thinking about it as soon as we hit the FDR, and of course I couldn’t help but glance over towards where he lives as we passed it. I mentioned it in the car and Blanche actually said, “Oh God, are you gonna write about this now?”

Hehe, I said I wasn’t, but here I am. It was no big deal, really. Within a few minutes, whatever thoughts that came into my brain had passed, but strangely enough that was when suddenly Joe popped into my head. I don’t know, there’s something about the city that conjures up all sorts of feelings within me. A couple of years ago, I had gone into the city with Rich and we just hung around, having dinner and then a little bar hopping, and Joe had been on my brain that day, too.

I remember on the ride home thinking about it. He and I had lived so many memories together in the city. We even talked about moving there once. I had realized during that ride home that most all of my city memories were with Joe and I was actually moved to tears about it. I felt so alone at that moment…but that was a long time ago and I’m in a much better place these days.

Still, for some reason I had Joe on the brain for most of the night last night. I pictured him smiling and dancing and laughing and joking around like he used to. When we first started going on the Sea Tea, he and I were still together, so being there was what conjured him up. I don’t really know why. I’ve been there since and it never happened before, but maybe it was just passing ‘his’ place that brought the happier memories of Joe into my brain.

Now I don’t miss being with Joe, mind you, breaking up with him was definitely the right thing for both of us, but I do miss him. He was not only my lover, but he was also my best friend for 20 years, and I just guess I get a little nostalgic every once in awhile.

Another Busy Week

Wow, when I began this blog post I really didn’t expect it to go this far. I’ve got another busy week ahead of me, with lots more plans. Tonight I’m having dinner with an old friend that I’m just a little nervous about. At one time, he and I kinda sorta courted, but I don’t feel that way about him anymore. I’m pretty sure he does, so I need to be very careful with what I say and how I act tonight. He’s one of those guys that I’d love to be friends with, but I’ve always been afraid that attraction gets in the way like it does so often with guys…we’ll see!

Tomorrow’s work and then the doctor’s appointment I’m actually looking forward to, and then lunch with Laura Kim on Wednesday before she heads off to Alaska, Circus Wednesday night with Ruby, and possibly Splash on Thursday before our pal Eddie, AKA Rose, comes in for the weekend from Florida. We’re all going to the Grove together on Saturday so that’s something I’m really looking forward to and as I mentioned earlier, I may be going to see Britney in Jersey on Friday.

Well, now that I’ve given you so much reading to do, I’m going to sign off now, at least for a little while. I hope to get my “M” entry in sometime today, so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, have a great and beautiful Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!


I Love It!
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Today is Thursday, almost the end of another summer week and we just keep rolling along fast. It hasn’t taken me long to fall into the stay-up-late/wake-up-late mode, I’ll say. I think the earliest I’ve gone to sleep this week has been around 2:30 AM, and that was early. The only thing I don’t like about it is that I’m missing my mornings, because that’s when I usually get a lot of writing done. Now, by the time I write and post my “Song of the Day,” I’m lucky if it’s noon, and then it’s either keep writing (which I need to do) or get stuff done. It’s a daily struggle, lol.



Circus Wednesdays

A few weeks ago I mentioned this guy I met that night I went to Alfie’s Bar in Patchogue. His name is Ozzie and we became friends of Facebook soon after we had met. I actually mentioned this a little this morning, but Ozzie is also a drag performer known as Ruby Diamond and he’s the weekly hostess at Circus Wednesdays, which I’d never been to. I promised Ozzie I’d be there, dressed in pink (they were having a “Pink Party”), and I was.

I have to say I was really impressed with the place. All of these years I’ve passed it by and never gone in, I never would have guessed it was so nice. The décor, the atmosphere, the bartenders…all stellar, and the crowd had quite a few familiar faces, too, though like many Long Island bars, the clientele is pretty clickish. Jay Antonio, the guy who runs the place is an awesome guy...he came over and introduced himself, bought me a shot, and I could tell that he's really intoo his clientele and they all like him a lot, too! Of course, being Ruby’s guest got me in with the cool crowd, and I have to say I really enjoyed myself. Thanks Ruby…I think I may just become a regular on Wednesdays.

Splash Thursdays

Oy, I’m starting to think that maybe I’m going out too much! Well, last night wasn’t expected, and I did stay later than I thought I would have, but at least I slept late and I’ll be okay for going to Splash tonight. This will be the second week I’m actually going with somebody. Yes, through all the craziness of my week, I forgot to mention that last week I met my buddy Laura Kim and her friend Michael at Splash. It was totally unplanned and totally a blast (except when the dancer who was dancing on the bar above me knocked my drink over three, count em’, three times!).


A cool Cam Wow double shot of the show at Splash last Thursday


Me and LK

Anyway, tonight I am going to Splash with my friend Paul, who actually asked me earlier in the week if I’d be going tonight. Since I went last week, I wouldn’t ordinarily be going, but I kind of turn him down a lot, so I said okay. We’ll see how it goes…I’ve spoken of Paul before, and we’ve had both good and bad times together there, but now I think things will be okay. I've come to like him more the more I get to know him and I think we have a good understanding of one another. He and I are definitely in a better place than before, for sure!

Uninspired Plans

I’ve got more tentative plans all the way through Monday, and none of them are etched in stone. A couple of them, with guys, are making me a little apprehensive. I tell ya, I just don’t know about guys anymore. I’m starting to feel like no one out there is really worth it. It seems every experience I have with a guy always ends up in a negative way…either I’m not really interested, or there’s that one thing that makes it seem like it’s not worth even trying, and then of course there are the ones who like me, but the feelings are not mutual. I'm getting a lot of those lately!

As I said, two of my tentative plans are with potential guys, and I hold no real excitement for either. Not the guys, necessarily, just the situations….I dunno, I’m starting to believe that I’ll just know the right one when he comes along and that I should never expect anything from any encounter with anybody. I guess in that way my experience with "him" taught me a couple of good, but hard lessons.

He was the first person since Joe that I knew…I don’t know how, but I just knew I wanted to “hang” with for awhile. It’s inexplicable really, but it wasn’t attraction or sex or what he did specifically or anything like that. I guess it was just the connection that we had at the time that made me not want to think about anyone else.

Then of course, there’s what happened in the end. When it ended the first time, I was completely shocked, and then after the second time… I guess the rejection was a little dose of reality that hardened me a little, and it’s going to be a long time before I trust in a relationship with anyone.

So these two experiences, I guess, have shown me their value in the lessons they’ve taught me. For now I feel as if I’m just going through motions with guys. I’m just playing it day by day and we’ll see where the weekend and the rest of the summer take me… In the meantime, I just know that when the right one does come along, if he does, again I'll just know it, but hopefully next time the feeling will be mutual, so I've got to be very aware.

Doctor, doctor

My good buddies are happy to know that after months, okay years, of bugging me, and months after I stated on this very blog that I would start taking care of things, health-wise, I finally made two appointments with doctors I’ve really needed to see for a long time. I had my first one yesterday, and now I have to go for a colonoscopy, ugh! Just what I was afraid of, but…my next appointment is on Tuesday and that one I’m kind of looking forward to. I will keep you posted.

So that’s my story for the past and the next few days, for the most part. Hopefully I’ll get back soon enough so that I won’t have so much to say and keep you reading so long, but I do appreciate the page views! Have a great evening!

Here's a photo I found on the Internet the other day that I thought was cool...


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Since my night was so long and there is so much to tell, I felt it was better to do this one in two parts. Just take a look at the previous post for the first part.

So the lesbians left me just before 11:30. That was okay, though, because I do alright by myself. Besides, there were a lot of cute guys in Cherry’s and the music was pretty good. Though I tried to take a break from Cherry’s by going to the Ice Palace, once I found out they were charging ten bucks to get in (a joke, really!), I just went back to where I started.


My friend Michael trying to catch a few more z's before the ferry

Late Night Cherry’s and an Uh Oh Moment

It seems that the men come out late at Cherry’s and though there were still plenty of lesbians in the bar, there were an ample amount of dudes to go around. I saw my friends Michael and Christian, whom I later found out were both really named Michael (They were joking with me the first time we all talked.), and we danced for a bit. All in all, it was a good time, but around ten to one I figured I’d had enough and went to catch the ferry. I was about a minute too late! At least there is a 2:00 ferry on Saturday nights.

I headed back to Cherry’s once again for a little more dancing. I danced with a whole group of cute guys for about a half-hour and then decided to go for some pizza and head for the ferry. I went over to Cherry Grove Pizza and ordered two slices to go. When I got outside the two Michaels were sitting at a table and I asked if I could join them. We chatted and chatted like old friends and before you knew it, one of them asked what time it was. I looked at my watch and answered “quarter to.” I dunno, something told me to check the time on my phone, too, and when I did it said 2:09. Uh oh!

The other Michael checked his and it said 2:12. Big uh-oh’s!!! The three of us booked it outta there and headed over to the dock. There was no line. There was no ferry. At first I didn’t think anything of it, figuring we could just chip in and take a water taxi. None of us panicked, and I looked on my phone for a number for the water taxi. I dialed and asked the question…”how much?’ The answer was not what I was hoping for: $225.

Just as this happened, the workers from the pizza place were walking by towards their own boat for home. A little excitement ensued, but it lasted for just a split second as these two girls hocked their last two spots on the boat even before we could ask. The unthinkable became reality: we were going to have to spend the night. The next ferry would be at 8:30, a mere six hours away!

Docks were not meant for sleeping!

One of the Michael’s picked a spot for us to sleep in. It was towards the beginning of the dock, right next to Cherry’s, and it was covered. The three of us huddled down for a rough night. It was hard to sleep, as you can imagine. The music and revelry was still going on at Cherry’s and did I mention the wood was quite uncomfortable?


Our first shelter

After a little bit one of the Michaels took off, leaving the other one a little pissed. The two of them used to be a couple and now they’re like best friends, so I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. He didn’t say where he was going and so the two of us were left to try and sleep. It was absolutely freezing!

We caught some zzz’s for about two hours before stirring to find Michael still missing. The one I was with tried calling him, but he didn’t answer his cell. We took off in search of him and to waste a little more time, as the sleep did not come easy. As we walked, the missing Michael texted the other Michael to say he was on the beach, which was precisely where we were headed. On the way I finally got to see what goes on after hours in this gayest of gay places, and it’s a little too X-rated for me to explain here. Just use your imagination…Needless to say it wasn’t pretty!

Anyway, after a couple of unpleasant calls between the two Michaels, we never saw him and went back to our spot to get some more sleep. By then it was around 4:30AM. A few stragglers from the bars were mulling about and one in particular knew Michael.

“Hola chica, I haven’t seen you in like forever! How you been?”

They exchanged hugs and this one Hispanic guy was as loud and irritating as one could be. I could see how he might be fun at any other time, but I was in no mood for his loud, queeny plays on words, especially at that moment. After what seemed like forever, he took off into the night and the two of us finally headed back to our spot.

The proverbial tip of the iceberg

Michael and I nuzzled down together once again for warmth and sleep. As I said before it was absolutely freezing and I was shivering the whole time. Here and again, people would walk by towards the water, barely noticing our strewn bodies on the floor, but their voices just added to the restlessness of trying to catch some shut eye. I know now how homeless people in the city must feel all the time. At one point, these two guys walked right near us and were chatting away, not even knowing we were there.

Then the ultimate incident to the whole evening happened. One of the guys decided to dump his drink over his shoulder, right on the floor next to me. My whole body got splashed with vodka and some kind of juice. I couldn’t help but laugh and Michael joined in. We decided to move…

Finally, a nice place to relax

We walked across the boardwalk to the restaurant that’s right against the ferry dock, I forget its name. Its outdoor seating area is semi-protected and so it was already warmer than the other spot. Michael grabbed a tablecloth from one of the tables and we had our blanket. Finally, we could both get some sleep. Every bone in my body ached from the boards beneath me and against my head, but at least I was able to some z’s. Around 5:30, the other Michael returned and joined us. The sun had already risen in the Sunday morning sky.


Our second and final resting place


An empty and quiet Cherry's in the morning

At around seven, I couldn’t take it anymore. I went in search of a cup of coffee and a seating spot in the warm morning sun. The two Michaels eventually joined me, as did these three girls who had also been in the same predicament as us. Before long, the Hispanic guy from earlier came down, still bubbly and loud, but at least he was more pleasant in the morning. The seven of us sat and chatted, actually feeling better that the ferry was almost here. Finally, around 8:20, our moment came. We saw the ferry on the horizon, heading our way.


Our ship coming in

The boat docked and we all boarded, the happy end to our long night. Back in Sayville, the three of us parted ways and once again we forgot to exchange numbers. Oh well, we’ll see each other again, I’m sure, only next time we’re all gonna be more mindful of the clock, that’s for sure. In the meantime, I’m starting to think that I should change the name of this blog to “The Misadventures of John, a Lovable, Strange, and Sometimes Funny Type of Guy.” What do you think?
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I actually wasn’t going to post today, but something happened today that just made me giddy and I wanted to get it out there before I lose it. I just finished a workout and I’ve got to get this out before I jump in the shower for my trip to the Grove tonight. Let’s get right down to it…

NOTE: Please play the video below as you read this post!



Blanchie's "David"

Weezie, I bought the David statue. One problem…I can’t get it out of the car by myself. He’s made of cement. He’s in the back seat, naked, laying down.

That was the text I received while I was working out in the backyard. I hadn’t had my phone nearby so I got it about a half-hour after Blanchie sent it to me. I laughed to myself as I read it. I dunno, it was funny and it was Blanche! I called him up as soon as I got the message.

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Now Blanche and I live close by and we often help each other out with things (See I’ll never be a moving man), and of course he could count on me to help him with, uh hmmm, David. Ah yes, the famous statue by Michelangelo, the idyllic male form captured forever by the hands of the great artist. Joe and I saw the real thing in Florence, or Firenze, back in 2002, and for awhile there I was wanting one for my backyard. Yes, I was a little jealous, happy, and giddy all at the same time.

I rushed on over and jumped right out of my car to go check out Blanche’s homoerotic sculpture. I walked up the driveway and peered in the back seat of his car. I gasped! There he was laying down in Blanchie’s backseat in all his glory. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the thing, lol.

Blanche came out and greeted me and we got right down to business. I grabbed David by the head and Blanche took up the feet. Boy was he heavy, almost as heavy as that freezer a couple of weeks ago. We huffed and puffed as we carried the naked statue around the house and into the backyard, setting him down on the cover to Blanchie’s cesspool, the perfect spot!

Of course, pictures tell more than I could here, so I’m gonna share a couple of photos I took with my iPhone. I have to say, David’s body in the statue is pretty spot on, I guess, but the face was a little strange…you be the judge.


Blanche checking out the goods on his new man.



Strike a pose!

Well, I gotta run! Have a great Saturday night!


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Happy Monday! Not to tease you or anything, but it’s so nice not to have to worry about what day it is anymore, at least for the summer. Monday, Hump Day…whatever…it’s all the same to me and I love it! Anyway, it’s a beautiful day once again, summer life after another beautiful weekend…



The Grove Saturday

On Saturday evening I ventured back once again to Cherry Grove. After returning to the city during the week it was nice to go somewhere close by, and besides the weather was absolutely perfect! I hopped on the 8:20 ferry and I was off. I stopped for a slice of Cherry Grove pizza before heading to the bars and this really nice dude who works there gave it to me for a buck fifty, just because I had a great smile! It was the beginning of a fun night.

I went to Cherry’s at first and was surprised to see that there were only a handful of people in the bar. It was weird because as I said it was such a beautiful night, but even the ferry wasn’t that crowded. It was strange, but once again I saw my friend Michael and we hung out for a little bit. Apparently the weekly drag show at the Ice Palace had started a little early and that’s was the reason for the small crowd at Cherry’s, which got really busy later on.


The lifeguards all aboard

Lifeguards!

When I had first gotten to the ferry terminal I saw this group of nice-looking guys. I didn't realize it until the ferry started moving that they were Fire Island lifeguards, who were going to the Grove to try and raise money for an upcoming competition in Cape May. One of them got up from his seat upstairs on the ferry and solicited donations for their cause. They were selling lifeguard t-shirts and such and they were going to have a 50/50 raffle in all of the bars.

Of course, with gay people there's always a little naughtyness, and one dude from the boat asked what else he could buy with his money. With that, another lifeguard jumped up from his seat, lifted his shirt and said, "I'll give ya a lap dance."

"Oh my, we've got abs!" I Facebooked right then.

The dude had what looked to be a ten-pack. I couldn't help but smile at how cool these obviously straight guys were. It turned out that I saw them again dancing at Cherry's with each other and pretty much everyone else. I donated my $10.


The lifeguards whooping it up on the dance floor

All in all it was a fun night, with of course a lot of dancing and a lot of sweat. I actually left a little early because Saturday was also the opening night for Alfie’s Bar in Patchogue, which I told you about the other day.



Alfie’s Guys Night Out

Well, I can’t really gauge how the first night at Alfie’s was because I didn’t arrive until 2 A.M. By that time, there weren’t many people left, but from the chatter going on I think the guys were pleased overall with the turnout. I did stay until the wee hours, not really sure if I wanted to reveal my identity to George, the owner, for whom I penned the piece on Examiner. In the end, he never recognized me and I didn’t say who I was. I’m not really sure why, but who knows???

I did meet this nice guy named Ozzie who was very chatty with me. He told me he was a drag queen at several place on the island and I could definitely see that. I forgot his handle, but I know he performs at Circus Wednesdays, so I may hit it one of these days. Ozzie was a character, funny and sweet at the same time. Hopefully I’ll see him again and hopefully I’ll get to Alfie’s earlier so that I can give it an honest review. They’re having a White Party next Saturday so we’ll see…



Cherry Grove in the Daytime

I’d almost forgotten how nice Cherry Grove can be during the day, as well. The place is so beautiful. Being over there at anytime feels like you’re on a vacation even though you’re just a few miles from home, and the daytime has a whole different feel to it that the night. There are no cars and no roads, only boardwalks through a little town of bars, restaurants and gift shops. Then of course there’s the beach…I think that maybe I will hit it the next, or the first, time I make my way to la playa (I need to go...someone told me the other night that I was really white.)

Anyway, yesterday I planned to spend the day with my good buddy Laura Kim, who just turned 40 a couple of weeks ago. She and I hang out every now and again, mostly for a bite and some chit chat, and I wanted to treat her to a meal for her birthday in a special place. We’d been to the Grove together before and so she was up for it as well as I.

I can’t say enough how beautiful the weather was, clear, sunny skies, warm temps and beautiful views. We’d both been really hungry once we got over there on the ferry so we headed to Cherry’s Restaurant, overlooking the Great South Bay. We were seated for Sunday brunch in the cushiest chairs I’ve ever sat in overlooking everything below. Even though breakfast was not on our minds, the breakfast choices on the menu sounded delectable and so that’s what we ordered. LK had poached eggs with crab cakes (not my thing, but they looked good) and I dined on steak and eggs, which were out of this world.


The view from brunch at Cherry's Restaurant

After brunch it was time for one of Laura Kim’s favorite pastimes (mine, too!), shopping. We hit all of the gay shops in the Grove, she trying on a dress or two and I buying a cool muscle shirt. It’s funny but of all the times I’ve ever spent at the Grove I never went shopping. It was obvious, though, that LK has because she knew the guys in the shop at the Ice Palace, who were absolutely giddy when they first saw her.

After a few rounds of window shopping, we had some ice cream, which I’ve been eating too much of lately. I couldn’t resist the “Moose Tracks” with the peanut butter cups inside and LK had some black cherry with Oreo cookies in em’. Yum!


Pina Colada!

Burlesque at Cherry’s on the Bay

By that time I was ready for a cocktail and I suggested we hit Cherry’s. That was where the real fun began! Laura Kim and I chatted, mixed and mingled at Cherry’s for a few hours, having fun all along. At 5 P.M. they had a burlesque show featuring a guy and a girl doing several R-Rated numbers in front of a largely unappreciative crowd.



Me and LK with our cherries

Really, they weren’t very good, although there were moments of fun in their show. The gal did a few comedic renditions of songs like Rebecca Black’s “Friday” and other such camp, stripping layers of (some very cool!) costumes along the way. The dude mostly stripped, in a burlesque sort of way, with some theatrical movements and props helping him out. At one point, Laura Kim mentioned, to my agreement, that we’d seen way too much of his ass. Really, the whole thing was a little over the top and the crowd weren’t enjoying themselves too much. In fact, by the time we’d left, most of them weren’t even paying attention.

The audience participation portions of the show, which I always hate, had one fun spot and another moronic one. The more enjoyable of the two came in the form of a cute twink, whom the dude in the show dubbed as the New Go Go Boy. The poor guy was stripped down to his skivvies and at one point the guy from the show even yanked them down, giving all a quick glimpse of his buns. He took it all in stride, though, and for me at least it was the most enjoyable part of the show.

Next came the beer drinking contest. Two members of the audience, one guy and one gal, were chosen to drink a beer from the crotches of our hosts. It was everything everyone hates about these types of shows, idiotic and stupid, but the worst of all was the last skit we saw.


The beer drinking contest...pretty much the only pic of the show I can share with you...

It was the dude’s turn to entertain (?) and he came out with a large lollipop to the sounds of the song “Candy Man,” by Sammy Davis, Jr. He did his thing, slowly peeling off portions of his costume right down to his g-string underwear, and that’s where it got downright disgusting! During the number, a couple of strippers came into the audience passing out Hershey Kisses, which were a little soft from the sun. As they did so, the dude peeled one and ate it, then grabbing his stomach with a painful looking grimace on his face. That was when he revealed his buttocks once again, spreading his cheeks to reveal the melted chocolate caked all over his crack.

“Let’s go,” I said to Laura Kim.

Without a word, we got up and left, headed for the ferry. It was a disturbing finish to what was otherwise a pleasant day at the Grove. LK and I came home and we made a tray of my world-famous mac and cheese, with spicy pepper jack, filling ourselves happy on what I must say was my best ever.

Well, folks, that’s all the time we have for today. As always, I am forever grateful for your readership and I hope that you enjoy my little space on the Web. Here’s a video of another “Candy Man,” one I like, by the Mary Jane Girls. Enjoy!




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Cher is one of the gayest divas around! Not that she's gay, of course, but I would say that the overwhelming majority of her fans and followers are also friends of Dorothy. I even saw a t-shirt at Gay Pride the other day with the diva's face emblazoned over that famous photo of Che Guevarra. It gave me the giggles.

So if Cher is the gayest diva, then this one is her gayest song. I remember when it was out and popular and it was being played all over the place. I can just picture all the PLU's with their hands to heaven, singing along, a la Jack on Will and Grace. So take a look and a listen to today's "Pride Song of the Day," Cher's 'Believe.'




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Once upon a time there was a little black girl
in the Brewster Projects of Detroit, Michigan.
At 15, she was spotted by an Ebony Fashion Fair talent scout,
and her modeling career took off.

YOU BETTER WORK!

Many of you might remember this one from 1993 by drag queen extraordinnaire, singer/songwriter, actor, television host, and a whole lot more, RuPaul. The opening, for those of you who might not know, includes a little nod to Ru's (and my) diva, Ms. Diana Ross, who grew up in those Brewster projects and portrayed a model in the film Mahogany. The rest of the song is as camp as camp can be, with a funky music track and some fabulous lyrics. It's a perfect showcase for a "Pride Song of the Day."

I especially love the little homage interlude towards the end of the song:

Linda, work
Naomi, she is fierce!
Christy, foxy lady other side
Cindy, I can feel it!
Claudia set on the cover
Nicky, work that runway sweetie

Then of course there's the:

sashay, chantee, chantee, chantee, chantee, chantee, chantee...

Can you tell I love this song? LOL Anyway, I became a big fan of RuPaul's music from that time on. She's released several albums of surprisingly good, campy stuff. I own the first two, 'Supermodel' and 'Foxy Lady,' and I can tell you they're both full of catchy, fun songs like 'Back to My Roots,' 'Party Train,' 'A Little Bit of Love,' 'Snapshot,' and more. It's really too bad that none of these are available on YouTube, otherwise you'd get a much bigger (and funner!) post than you're getting. RuPaul's 'Supermodel' is a perfect song for pride and I hope you enjoy...




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"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"

Happy Gay Pride Day in New York! It looks to be a picture perfect day today, a great day for a parade, festival and celebration. This will be my second year going to join my fellow PLU's for some out and proud joyousness. God seems to be pleased about what happened on Friday because he's smiling down on us this fine day.

I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

I really wanted to find a song that would capture what today was all about. I perused my iTunes library to try and find something of an anthem that spoke to gay people everywhere. At first I was going to feature Gloria Gaynor's 'I Am What I Am,' but it's a little outdated and played out. Then all of a sudden it hit me: 'Born This Way' is the perfect song for today. I think that maybe it replaces Gaynor's anthem just like Jay Z replaced Old Blue Eyes with his 'Empire State of Mind.'

Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
You're Lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'cause baby you were born this way

What makes this song so special is that it's not just an anthemm for gays, but for everyone who's ever found themselves objects of scorn, hate, ridicule, whatever. I know a lot of people out there dislike Lady Gaga, especially my fellow Madonna brethren. Even though I believe Gaga doesn't hold a candle to Madge, I still thinkk she's pretty good and this song is pretty good too. Yes, it sounds a little like 'Express Yourself,' but so what? It's happy, it's fun, and it makes you want to put your hands up in the air and dance. Isn't that what good music should do?

No matter gay, straight, or bi,
lesbian, transgendered life,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to be brave.

So today we celebrate what we all know to be true in the hopes that others who don't might just get it. Yes, whether any of you out there believe it or not, I know, my fellow LGBT's know, and Lady Gaga knows that we were born this way. Happyy Pride everybody!






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It's Pride Weekend in New York City and if you read my last post you know that this year we have a lot more to celebrate than just our pride in who we are. In recognition of this historical moment in time, I'll be featuring special "Pride Songs of the Day," with great songs by LGBT artists.

First up is an openly gay duo that got their start in the 80's New Wave movement, but these guys are so good they're still going strong even today. I featured one of their songs in my last post, a beautiful one called 'In My Arms,' and since I couldn't decide between two others, I'm celebrating them both here.

Chains of Love

'Chains of Love' is an up tempo ditty from 1988 that's catchy and melodic, uplifting and fun. It was the group's first big breakthrough in the US and no one who was around back then could not know this one. Enjoy...





A Little Respect

Next up is an irresistably melodic tune that became one of the group's signature songs. It showcases the tender side of lyric writing by the group's members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. Great tune!







I hope you've enjoyed these songs as much as I did. Stay tuned tomorrow for some more great songs from LGBT artists. Happy Pride!
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And walls come tumbling down
We'll be forever calm

I was listening to these words late this afternoon when I first heard that the New York State Senate was finally going to vote on the Marriage Equality Act, which would have legalized gay marriage finally in the great state of New York. Though I'm not a big believer in marriage as an institution, I do believe strongly that all people, including people like us, should have the same right to marry that straight people do.

The words are from a song by Erasure called 'In My Arms,' and the "walls" referred to in the song symbolize tonight the wall that's stood between gay people and the legal institution of marriage for years and years. When I saw the announcement of the vote on Twitter via my iPhone, I had a good feeling. Yes, this time it would pass. I turned up the volume and sang the words to this beautiful song at the top of my lungs, and this time with a whole new meaning...



I am a lifelong New Yorker. It's the place where I was born, the place I was raised, and the place I call my home. I've always been proud of being a New Yorker and I'm even prouder tonight.



Though I've been meaning lately to post links to some of the pieces I've written lately, I've been remiss, and I'm going to change that now for tonight's historic action by my state government moved me into action to share and to reiterate what I believe with all my heart. Here are links to what I wrote earlier tonight and some related material from the past. Check it out:

Some NY Pride as Gay Marriage Bill Finally Passes

Why Same Sex Marriage is a Civil Rights Issue

The Lovings and Today's Gay Marriage Debate

Gay Marriage Shot Down Again: When Will the Hate Stop?

Gay Marriage and the Traditional Family

As always, thanks for reading!


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Warning: This content may not be suitable for all viewers.

Queer as Folk was a groundbreaking hit series on the Showtime Network that aired from 2000 to 2005. The show was the first of its kind here in the U.S., based on the British series of the same name. The show centered around the lives of a group of gay friends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and tackled all sorts of issues that surround the gay community.

At first, most of the hype around the show focused on the racy, never before seen scenes of male on male nudity, but eventually the shock wore off and the show became taken more seriously for its superb acting and its mesmerizing storylines. The cast of the show was a talented group of actors, featuring Gale Harold as the show's central figure Brian Kinney, Hal Sparks as his best friend Michael Novotny, Randy Harrison as Justin, Brian's on again-off again love interest, and two time Emmy Award winning Sharon Gless as Debbie Novotny, Michael's proud and outspoken mother.

Since this Z-A Blogger's Challenge is all about music, I'm going to focus on some of the fabulous music that accompanied the adventures of Brian and Justin, Michael, Emmett, Ted and the rest of the folks at Club Babylon, Pittsburgh's resident fictional hotspot in the show. But before I get to some of that stuff, I'd like to start off with the theme song to the original British series, a fun, island-sounding tune with spoken overlays that set-up that series, as well as the American one. Check it out...




Then of course there's fast-moving theme to the American version of the show:



The next one is from the first season. Justin, who's falling quickly for promiscuous playboy Brian, tries to stir up his jealousies by performing in an amateur strip tease performance at Babylon. Though Justin was a big hit, his little trick ultimately failed. After all, it was only the first season.

High School Confidential



The next one came at a tender moment of the first season, after Brian's college sweetheart, Lindsay, gave birth to his son, along with her lover and Brian's newfound nemesis Melanie. The song is one of my all time favorites, a tender and inspirational tune sung by M People's Heather Small.

Proud



'Dive in the Pool,' by Barry Harris and featuring the vocals of Pepper Mashay, was a bona fide club hit even before it appeared on QAF's Season 1 Soundtrack. The video accompanying this song is a typical Club Babylon sequence that was shown throughout the series and is pretty much waht you might see in any big gay nightclub.

Dive in the Pool



Sexy Boy

Though this vid depicts scenes from the American version of Queer as Folk, the song is actually from the UK series. Sultry, sexy...sexy boy!



Straight to Number One

This is the Showtime series' answer to 'Sexy Boy.'

Ten, kiss me on the lips...
Nine, run your fingers through my hair...
Eight, touch me...slowly...slowly
Seven, hold it! Let's go straight to number one...



The last onse is one of my favorites from the entire series. The video was filmed as a promo for the third season. Beautiful and deep voiced singer Kristine W is joined by the cast for what looked like a really fun video to make. It's got a great hook and is danceable as all heck. Check it out...

Some Lovin'



Well, I hope you've enjoyed these clips from the great Showtime series 'Queer as Folk.' All of this listening and I'm ready to watch the whole series all over again. I miss it and the great music that came with it. If you'd like to purchase any of the songs presented here, I highly recommend the Season One Soundtrack for starters. You can get it below:


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Happy Saturday night everybody! It’s been a long, busy day and I’m a little beat. I just wish life would slow down sometimes so I can just kick back and relax for a change…maybe come summer! Here’s what’s going on:

Last night at Bunk House – literally!

Upon hearing and reporting on the news that the Bunk House was officially closing this weekend, I called my buddies Dita and Blanche and we all agreed to go there one last time. Though the Bunk was never any of our favorite bars, it has been a staple of the gay community of Long Island for a long time, and we’ve all had our moments there, so it was fitting that we had one last drink and dance in the old place.

The three of us met there for a few drinks and a couple of dances like we used to do more often back in the day. Rich and I got there first, around 11:15, and it looked like it was going to be a slow night, sadly. They had just announced the closing of the bar at 4PM, so at first I thought that if more people would have known it would have gotten a bigger crowd, but happily the place packed it in later on.

Blanche was the last to arrive and the first to leave…he was tired and maybe just a wee bit cranky, lol. It’s okay, though, because the three of us shot the breeze just like we always do and I even got both of them on the dance floor for a bit. Once Blanche had left, Dita and I danced some more and hung out until the wee hours of the morning. It was towards the end that he finally expressed sadness over the demise of the old standby.

“Now I’m getting a little sad.”

I knew what he meant. Even though the place has had a lot more downs than ups in recent years, it was still a place where we’d spent many a night having a good time. The downs, though, undoubtedly left us all with sour thoughts in our minds:
At one time, for a long time, there was a horrible odor permeating the bar area towards the front of the building. It smelled like puke and the disgusting smell lingered there for months at least. The Saturday night crowd became smaller and smaller as more people headed out to Industry in Levittown for Gation Saturdays and the $10 cover charge had gotten to be ridiculous, especially considering other, better bars that charged the same or even less to get in.

The biggest thing that irked me about the last incarnation of the Bunk House came in the form of a Mylar balloon. I remember when the present owners first took over. There was this silvery, broken balloon stuck in a branch just over the fenced-in area over the outside deck. It stayed there for months, possibly even years before it was finally removed. That to me represented what had gone wrong there in the first place. It was often filthy all around, with cigarette butts and garbage strewn everywhere, broken bricks on the stairs, and eyesores such as the balloon adding to the negative atmosphere of what the Bunk House had become.

Thankfully the owners got their act together the last year or so, and thanks to ‘Da Bunk’ Fridays they actually got their crowd back. They say they’re moving to a new spot in Patchogue very soon. There’s a gay night going on tonight at a place called Alfie’s on Rte. 112 in Patchogue. I’m wondering if that’s going to be it. I’ll keep you posted as I hear news, but wherever the new place may be, and whatever they call it, it won’t be the same. That unassuming building on Montauk Highway in Sayville has seen a lot of action over the past 30 years or so and to me that will always be the real Bunk House.

As Rich and I headed to our cars to leave the Bunk for the last time, he turned to look at it and said he was going to miss it.

“Me, too, Dita, me too!”

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I received an invitation through Facebook today, one which came unexpectedly. Though rumors and speculation about the closing of the Bunk House have run rampant for almost two years, no one knew exactly when that end would come. For me and my friends, that end will be tonight, and for everyone else the bar that's been around for thirty years or so will close its doors for the last time tomorrow night.

It is truly the end of an era. The Bunk was the very first bar I ever set into, and though my relationship with the place has had its ups and downs over the years, especially lately, it's sad to see it go. I just published a piece on the announcement, which you can read here. In the meantime, I have to start getting ready soon for my own finale at the joint.

The Facebook invitation and its ensuing commentary says that the Bunk House will reopen soon in another location, perhaps in the town of Patchogue where I live. That could be cool, but I'm thankful it's summer and at least I've got Fire Island for a couple of months, but then what? We'll just have to wait and see...

Here's a song tribute to the place that holds so many memories for me. It's one of my favorite slow jams and it kind of fits the way I'm feeling right now at the end of this era. Enjoy 'Reflections (I Remember)' by Mary J Blige:





P.S. - On Sunday, the Bunk House will be holding an auction of many of the items found in the tavern, from pictures to urinals and more. Some of the proceeds will be going to Thursday's Child charities. The auction begins at 8PM. Check out the Bunk's Facebook page here for more.

Stay tuned for more on this as things develop.
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