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Jun. 1st, 2004
Full Weekend
Jun. 1st, 2004 11:21 amA few years ago I had some photos taken by Jim who runs www.woolsrake.com. When I first saw his site it occurred to me that he took pics of guys who looked like me, guys who weren't unattractive but didn't usually photograph well, and that maybe I could have some pictures taken. I sent him mail, sent him some photos, we talked some, we set up a time, and I had a great time. Made a friend, got some amazing shots taken. Very good all around.
I was talking to him about a month ago and he said that he was taking photos at the "Blessing of the Bikes" event put on by NYC-based Empire MC and I offered to help him out. It wasn't going to be anything too formal but it's helpful to go into that kind of situation with someone you can trust as a backup and another set of eyes. So he agreed.
It was Friday night. I got there about 6:30 and it was nearing the end of an amazingly beautiful day. We talked and I met another friend of his who was going to be assisting as well. I had picked up Ernie from his rehearsal on the way down, and he stayed for a while but then took the car home to meet up with Ken and John (and dog Gus) from Boston who were already at our house. (Gus and Cooper were playing constantly. We may have to get another dog.)
The people on bikes started showing up. The light was coming down 28th St and with the bikes turned the right way they looked gorgeous. The owners/riders were great too. I don't get the whole religious aspect of these things and these days, anything that smacks of non-logical belief in religious mythology usually indicates that some sort of oppression/violence/intolerance/hate is quick on its tail, so I was dubious. But whatever, these were polite people who were very happy and excited about what they were doing and just seemed *good*. We got a good assembly line of getting some information filled out, taking the photos, finishing the forms. Satisfying.
I watched part of the blessings but then left to go up to the roof deck and watch the final bits of the sunset. Went back down and talked to the other assistant M. who was recovering from some rough times and (like everyone else I talked to that night) seemed to be happy and invigorated by the choices they were making. Big sexual attraction click too, but that's probably too complicated to go anywhere.
Ernie and Ken and John joined us later and we had a fun night out, although I really don't remember why going out to bars used to be so much fun for me. Some good eye candy, and the bootblack (really not my physical type at all) was SO FUCKING TURNED ON when doing my boots that by the time he was doing his final lickdown I was sporting major wood. I don't think that's ever happened to me before in that situation.
Saturday day was gorgeous again. We slept late and then worked in the yard while Ken and John hung out. It was not even June yet and we had over 20 green tomatoes, some of which will be red after a few more warm days. Gaby zucchini, several baby peppers, and we've been eating big salads out of the garden every other night. The first crop of bush beans will be on our plates Wednesday night. I'm loving it.
Another friend came over to work on music, and then another just to visit. I made tarted up hamburgers:
- 2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, savory, sage, oregano)
- 3 onions that were actually closer to small-tomato-sized scallions, chopped well
- 2 Poblano peppers that I'd grilled, peeled, and stored in olive oil, chopped
- some of the oil from the peppers
- about 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- a splash of coffee
- 2 green garlic (I shoved a bunch of cloves in the garden back in may, and they're large but undifferentiated, and I use about 5 inches of the green stems as well.
I threw all that in a cup in the micro for about 4min, to soften the onions.
4.5 lbs of ground beef
2 eggs
and I smooshed it all together.
Fabulous. Also used the Joy of Cooking recipe for quick Sangria, one of the best I've found.
Showered, had coffee, then took off to see _The Producers_. I won't give a full review, but what a disappointing piece of shit mess. I suppose with really really good and entertaining actors you wouldn't notice what a miserable, homophobic, crass (and rarely in a funny way) and musically and lyrically impoverished thing it is. I am still in shock that it won so many Tony Awards.
Got home to a message from my brother in No Cal that his GF's daughter was going to be landing at JFK the next morning and needed a place to hang for the day until her friend in Ct. got home. No problem, she went with us to a BBQ in Jersey City (good mix of fags, dykes, hets, mothers, children and lots of good good food). Got to see my favorite crush-object, a guy so handsome and generously friendly that his smile can make me happy for a whole day.
The plan was to go into the city, drop the ~niece off with some other friends, and then hit the Dugout for what was likely going to end up as a majorly sleazy evening. Well, the friends never call back and the main friend is still in Ct. waiting for her bags. After a couple of beers we decided it wasn't right to have a 21-year-old girl in the Dugout surrounded by increasingly sloppy, friendly, shirtless men. So sadly we left. Dinner at an OK Thai restaurant then home to crash.
Monday was slow. It had turned colder and overcast. The friend in Ct called and she was going to be at our place by 5. Off to the Nursery to get more impatiens, then Ernie took off for rehearsal and we had another bbq and watched the rain with the sounds of a musical adaptation of a Vonnegut short story drifting down from the top floor. Friend called again, now it was going to be 7:30. So Ken and John took off, I cleaned up and Tiff and I watched _Abre los Ojos_. Ernie got him, the friend arrived at 8:30, they finally left at 9:45, and I passed out.
So contrary to other people I've been reading, my weekend wasn't what I expected it to be but it was full of nice, smart, funny, easy-going people and the pleasant socializing that goes with them.
I was talking to him about a month ago and he said that he was taking photos at the "Blessing of the Bikes" event put on by NYC-based Empire MC and I offered to help him out. It wasn't going to be anything too formal but it's helpful to go into that kind of situation with someone you can trust as a backup and another set of eyes. So he agreed.
It was Friday night. I got there about 6:30 and it was nearing the end of an amazingly beautiful day. We talked and I met another friend of his who was going to be assisting as well. I had picked up Ernie from his rehearsal on the way down, and he stayed for a while but then took the car home to meet up with Ken and John (and dog Gus) from Boston who were already at our house. (Gus and Cooper were playing constantly. We may have to get another dog.)
The people on bikes started showing up. The light was coming down 28th St and with the bikes turned the right way they looked gorgeous. The owners/riders were great too. I don't get the whole religious aspect of these things and these days, anything that smacks of non-logical belief in religious mythology usually indicates that some sort of oppression/violence/intolerance/hate is quick on its tail, so I was dubious. But whatever, these were polite people who were very happy and excited about what they were doing and just seemed *good*. We got a good assembly line of getting some information filled out, taking the photos, finishing the forms. Satisfying.
I watched part of the blessings but then left to go up to the roof deck and watch the final bits of the sunset. Went back down and talked to the other assistant M. who was recovering from some rough times and (like everyone else I talked to that night) seemed to be happy and invigorated by the choices they were making. Big sexual attraction click too, but that's probably too complicated to go anywhere.
Ernie and Ken and John joined us later and we had a fun night out, although I really don't remember why going out to bars used to be so much fun for me. Some good eye candy, and the bootblack (really not my physical type at all) was SO FUCKING TURNED ON when doing my boots that by the time he was doing his final lickdown I was sporting major wood. I don't think that's ever happened to me before in that situation.
Saturday day was gorgeous again. We slept late and then worked in the yard while Ken and John hung out. It was not even June yet and we had over 20 green tomatoes, some of which will be red after a few more warm days. Gaby zucchini, several baby peppers, and we've been eating big salads out of the garden every other night. The first crop of bush beans will be on our plates Wednesday night. I'm loving it.
Another friend came over to work on music, and then another just to visit. I made tarted up hamburgers:
- 2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, savory, sage, oregano)
- 3 onions that were actually closer to small-tomato-sized scallions, chopped well
- 2 Poblano peppers that I'd grilled, peeled, and stored in olive oil, chopped
- some of the oil from the peppers
- about 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- a splash of coffee
- 2 green garlic (I shoved a bunch of cloves in the garden back in may, and they're large but undifferentiated, and I use about 5 inches of the green stems as well.
I threw all that in a cup in the micro for about 4min, to soften the onions.
4.5 lbs of ground beef
2 eggs
and I smooshed it all together.
Fabulous. Also used the Joy of Cooking recipe for quick Sangria, one of the best I've found.
Showered, had coffee, then took off to see _The Producers_. I won't give a full review, but what a disappointing piece of shit mess. I suppose with really really good and entertaining actors you wouldn't notice what a miserable, homophobic, crass (and rarely in a funny way) and musically and lyrically impoverished thing it is. I am still in shock that it won so many Tony Awards.
Got home to a message from my brother in No Cal that his GF's daughter was going to be landing at JFK the next morning and needed a place to hang for the day until her friend in Ct. got home. No problem, she went with us to a BBQ in Jersey City (good mix of fags, dykes, hets, mothers, children and lots of good good food). Got to see my favorite crush-object, a guy so handsome and generously friendly that his smile can make me happy for a whole day.
The plan was to go into the city, drop the ~niece off with some other friends, and then hit the Dugout for what was likely going to end up as a majorly sleazy evening. Well, the friends never call back and the main friend is still in Ct. waiting for her bags. After a couple of beers we decided it wasn't right to have a 21-year-old girl in the Dugout surrounded by increasingly sloppy, friendly, shirtless men. So sadly we left. Dinner at an OK Thai restaurant then home to crash.
Monday was slow. It had turned colder and overcast. The friend in Ct called and she was going to be at our place by 5. Off to the Nursery to get more impatiens, then Ernie took off for rehearsal and we had another bbq and watched the rain with the sounds of a musical adaptation of a Vonnegut short story drifting down from the top floor. Friend called again, now it was going to be 7:30. So Ken and John took off, I cleaned up and Tiff and I watched _Abre los Ojos_. Ernie got him, the friend arrived at 8:30, they finally left at 9:45, and I passed out.
So contrary to other people I've been reading, my weekend wasn't what I expected it to be but it was full of nice, smart, funny, easy-going people and the pleasant socializing that goes with them.