Green Mountains

(At this time of the year, the mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley are a vivid green.)

Our mountains are green. No not green like the Green Mountains of Vermont, but for us here in the desert where we get five or six inches of rain in a good year we are always surprised at how green they can get with such a little bit of rain.

With most of our rains coming in January and February (this year we got more in February than January) when the warm sun comes out the grasses and low-lying shrubs that grow on our rocky mountains sprout and voila, the mountains become green. Of course we only get to enjoy this phenomenon for about four to six weeks and then the heat returns in April and everything dries and turns brown again.

So for the next few weeks we'll get to enjoy green mountains, desert wildflowers and imagine that we actually don't live in a desert. Who said we don't have a change in seasons?

The Reader - How Illiteracy Can Ruin a Life

(David Kross as Michael Berg the young teenage boy reading to Kate Winslet playing Hanna Schmitz during their brief love affair in the movie The Reader.)

Tight lipped, discrete and closed to revealing anything too much about themselves, the main characters in the film, The Reader, don't tell us a lot about the Holocaust and those who lived through it, but about the flashbacks of our lives. The what ifs.

And in this film it is literacy. What if Hanna Schmitz could have read? Would she haven't taken a job as a Nazi prison guard? And, then what if she could have read and been willing to write her name during her trial and spared herself her many years in prison? Would her life have been different?

Directed by Stephen Daldry, and based on the award-winning book of the same name by Bernhard Schlink, the movie shows us how eroticism, secrecy and guilt can ruin lives. Tightly crafted, there are many times in the movie when each of the main characters could easily have told their secret, when you were sure they would, or at least acknowledged a lot of what was going on. Yet they don't and that is what makes this such a compelling drama.

Was the young love affair between Hanna and Michael manipulative? Did Hanna take advantage of the young boy? Shouldn't Michael have revealed to the judge his intimate knowledge of Hanna's inability to read? Did all of their actions scar them for life? Shouldn't the young woman who escaped the horror of Hanna's actions during the War somehow acknowledge understanding any of her difficulties and circumstances, even after she was dead? All of these questions are left to us as viewers to decide.

Kate Winslet's role in being the seductress, train conductor, defendant and prisoner, displayed all of her remarkable talent that was rewarded with this year's Oscar. No wonder she won. And, although Ralph Fiennes stars as the older Michael Berg and does a great job of showing the conflict, distance and intelligence, David Kross as the younger Michael certainly does his part to set the tone for the tension that follows. As a young actor he has mastered the art of being comfortable in his skin, while at the same time showing impatience, conflict and reticence as a teen.

If you haven't seen this movie, go out and do so. You'll be moved and in addition, have lots to think and talk about.

Public Art

(The sculpture Jungle Red at the entrance to the Warm Sands neighborhood of Palm Springs was dedicated today.)

Public art is something that almost everyone wants, but almost everyone disagrees with. It can be one of the most controversial topics in any city or town. So it came as no surprise to me that Palm Springs most recent public art project took almost three years from its germination to its dedication today.

City Councilman Rick Hutcheson, along with members of the Public Arts Commission, were on hand at the historic Warm Sands Villas to dedicate the sculpture dubbed "Jungle Red" by local artist Delos Van Earl. The bright red piece, which is 12 feet tall by 12 feet wide and made out of fabricated steel, is named for the "Jungle Red" nail polish color made famous in the 1939 Joan Crawford film, "The Women," according to the artist. The sculpture is from his "Luna Series" that is based on linear form and movement. "Junge Red" is a subterranean piece, he said, moving in and out of the ground, juxtaposing the linear line against the sky and the imaginary line beneath the ground.

(The Lucy Ricardo statue by Emmanuil Snitkovsky on the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Palm Canyon.)

Most of the public art has been supported by the Public Arts Commission has been representational art. Of course this is often less controversial and understandable, yet in many ways rather bland. Most cities have sculptures of famous civic or governmental figures, but I doubt there are many that have statues of Lucy Ricardo or Sonny Bono. Maintaining public art is also a challenge. One such installation, the Rainmaker fountain at Frances Stevens Park, has been undergoing renovations designed to keep it flowing instead of a dry basin with colorful pipes.

But whether you like the various public art that is installed throughout a city is not really the point. Art should evoke beauty, tell a story, be interesting, evoke a feeling, and in some cases commemorate events and people. I'm glad that I live in a city that still continues to value art and believes that the arts are critical to the quality of life and livability of a city. Art not only improves the aesthetics of a city but improves the perception that it is a great place to live and work.

To see a slide show of all the public art in Palm Springs, go here.

It's the Food that Wins in Top Chef

(Hosea Rosenberg emerged as this year's Top Chef after beating out the confident Stephan Richer and gregarious Carla Hall.)

So after many quick fires and elimination challenges, Hosea Rosenberg, Executive Chef of Jax's Fish House in Boulder, Colorado, emerged the winner of the most collegial group of chefs ever to compete on Top Chef.

I know that there were those, myself included, who loved Carla Hall's personality and wonderful facial expressions. But in the end, she seemed to listen to too many other people's opinions instead of sticking with the food she knew and her gut instinct. This did her in. Yet, if I could ever eat her food from Alchemy Caterers in Washington, DC, you bet I would.

Stephan Richer was this year's chef to despise. I didn't hate him, I just found him a bit over confident and cocky, lacking the passion that it takes to make the perfect meal. I am sure his food is good, but in many ways he seemed to believe that it was a production rather than an art.

All during the show it seemed that Hosea had to play second fiddle to Stephan and Fabio Viviani, the owner and and Executive Chef of Café Firenze Italian Restaurant and Martini Bar in Moorpark, California, who had lots of personality. Yet for all their posturing and bravado, they often didn't deliver on every detail believing that either their European accent in describing what they had done would carry the day.

It is always tough with Top Chef to really know if the winners of each challenge actually delivered. On TV we can only see the food, we can't taste it. That is something the judges get to do. Sometimes based on the editing and the presentation of the food, I disagree. However, tonight I was really impressed with Hosea's food. It looked great and sounded great. And the fact that he actually finished the meal with venison was kind of a wow. I love venison, but I also love desserts. But I definitely would have taken the venison dish over the ice cream or cheese plate that Stephan and Carla dished up, even if Carla's hadn't flopped.

Congratulations. Hosea you made me hungry and I want to eat at your fish house.

We Are Not Quitters

(President Barack Obama's Address to Congress was met with enthusiasm.)

After years of hearing our president more or less bully his way around the world and not care too much about our own issues here at home, it is so refreshing to be able to sit and listen to President Barack Obama speak to us as Americans in words that are not only moving, but hopeful, succinct and challenging.

Like a good preacher or teacher, he was able to explain why we need the Federal Government to help jump start our economy, as well as tell us what his priorities will be: Jobs, Energy, Healthcare and Education.

These are some of my favorite excerpts.

"But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this:

We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

Now is the time to act boldly and wisely — to not only revive this economy but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jump-start job creation, restart lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down.

We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril, and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again. That is why, even as it cuts back on the programs we don't need, the budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education.

As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us — watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead.

Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege — one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans. For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or for ill.

We are not quitters.

I know that we haven't agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground."

Desert Wildlife

(This Granite Spiny Lizard was one of hundreds that we saw while hiking up Tahquitz Canyon.)

Whenever I go hiking there are always signs of wildlife, either on an informational sign or brochure, as well as tracks in the sand or mud, but usually I don't come across much myself. However the past few days while my friends, Ed & Dan were here, we saw quite a few things, especially lizards.

When we were at the Coachella Valley Preserve we saw a few very small ones that were probably the Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed Lizard (Uma Inornata). Then today while hiking up to the waterfall in Tahquitz Canyon about a mile from my house, we literally saw hundreds scurrying about over the granite boulders and through the brittle bush and mesquite bushes. Some of these were also quite small, but we also got to see several rather large Granite Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus Orcutti) with their distinctive scales and blue tinted tails and under bellies.

(This tiny Kangaroo Rat got very close to Ed's shoe.)

In addition to the lizards we also saw Coyotes, Kangaroo Rats, Jack Rabbits and a Great Horned Owl, as well as many other birds and some fish. Unfortunately we did not see any Bighorn Sheep.

(Sitting way up high and hidden in the fronds of a California Fan Palm tree was this Big Horned Owl.)

My Best Year for Movies

(Sean Penn's acceptance speech following his winning Best Actor for Milk was one of the best tonight.)

Wow... I can't remember a year that I saw more than half of the films that won an Oscar. But this year I've seen seven of the thirteen that managed to snag one: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Duchess, Man on Wire, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Spielzeugland (Toyland), and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Each of them were moving in their own way, and although I am still not convinced that Slumdog Millionaire deserved all the accolades that came its way, I am glad that I saw all of them.

Awards shows can be tedious and full of self-promotion. The Oscars can certainly do this. They have a certain formula and no matter who is hosting or what type of production numbers they produce, it always seems that I want them to just get on with announcing the winners. I suppose for that reason I am not always glued to my TV, but do like to watch the nominees and winner of each category being announced. Tonight's presentation for Best Actor and Best Actress was really more original than most. Having five former Oscar winners give tribute to this year's nominees gave an insight and warmth to each nomination.

And, then of course, there are the speeches. Both Sean Penn and Kate Winslet's were memorable; with Kate calling out for her dad to whistle and for Sean chastising those who had voted for Proposition 8 for their short sightedness and bigotry.

"I think I was probably eight years old and staring into the bathroom mirror. And this (holding up her statuette) would've been a shampoo bottle. Well, it's not a shampoo bottle now! ... And, just to the Academy, thank you so much, my God! Thank you!" - Kate Winslet

"You commie, homo-loving sons-of-guns. I did not expect this... And finally, for those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone... Thank you all very much." - Sean Penn

And another fine speech...

"But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk." - Dustin Lance Black (Writing - Original Screenplay)

There are still two more winners that I want to see, The Reader and Departures.

Ed & Dan Visit

(Ed & Dan coming out of the Paul Wilhelm Grove at the Coachella Valley Preserve in Thousand Palms, California.)

It is always fun to show "Palm Springs Virgins" around when they come out to visit us. And, it was especially so for our friends Ed & Dan from the Boston area since they had had to cancel their trip last year.

Only here for a long weekend, we wanted to show them as much as we could, to wet their appetite so that they'd have to come back real soon. When they got here on Thursday we had a quick lunch at our place and then after a quick nap we went out for a drink at Palm Springs' oldest gay bar, Streetbar, and then walked up and down Palm Canyon Drive for VillageFest.

(Ed & Dan are dwarfted by the massive boulders at Cap Rock in Joshua Tree National Park.)

Friday was another full day with a nice short walk to the McCallum Oasis at the Coachella Valley Preserve in Thousand Palms where we saw a few flowers, as well as some wildlife like lizards, a pocket mouse, a great horned owl and of course the pupfish. Wanting to get the full experience, they took off for lunch at Peak's Restaurant atop Mt. San Jacinto after taking a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. The evening was filled with a wonderful dinner at Tommy Bahamas on El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert, a great concert by Michael Fienstein and Debby Boone at the McCallum Theatre, and a quick tour of the gay bars back in Palm Springs.

Saturday was mostly taken up with a drive to Joshua Tree National Park where we drove from the West Entrance off of Route 62 in Joshua Tree, California, through the park to Cap Rock, Keys View, Hidden Valley where we had our picnic lunch, on to the Cholla Cactus Garden, Ocotillo Patch, and out the Cottonwood Springs Entrance off of I-10 about 50 miles from Palm Springs. That was followed by cocktails at the nearby home of our mutual friends, John & Steve, and dinner at Tropicale.

(Ed & Dan enjoying some Palm Springs glam at the recently renovated Riviera Resort & Spa.)

Tomorrow and Monday they've arranged to have massages from our good friend Joe, do some shopping, enjoy the pool, perhaps another hike, the Sunday afternoon beerbust, and a dinner party at our house with four other friends before they have to head home early Tuesday morning. There is never a lack of things to do here and we're always happy to show our friends what living in paradise is all about.

Old Palm Springs and Big Bands

(Tonight's concert with Michael Feinstein and Debby Boone was like being in a 1950s supper club in Palm Springs.)

Everything about tonight's concert with Michael Fiestein singing the songs of Frank Sinatra, along with Grammy Award winner and stage actress Debby Boone for a fond tribute to her late mother-in-law, the unforgettable Rosemary Clooney, just oozed old Palm Springs.

The lighting, the scalloped backdrop curtains, the big band and the songs that Sinatra and Clooney sang at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert just took you back to the days when that was the entertainment at places like The Riviera, The Biltmore and the Chi Chi Club. If you just closed your eyes, you could imagine the glamour and sound that eminated from those places.

Opening the concert that was dubbed "A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney," Michael Fienstein came dancing out and swooned his way across the stage, while he introduced Debby Boone who then sang the songs of her mother-in-law using even the same arrangements. Mixing family stories and songs, Debby entertained us for a good hour with songs from her recent release, "Reflections of Rosemary." Regaling us with the likes of "Blue Skies," "The Best is Yet to Come," and "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face," Boone transported us back to another era.

But the real treat came in the second half with Fienstein singing songs from his album "The Sinatra Project" with George Shearing. His smoothness in singing songs like "I've Got a Crush on You," "How Long Will It Last," and "Fools Rush In," was just spectacular. Backed with a full "big band" orchestra, while the floodlights lite the stage, it was so easy to imagine one's self back in another time. A time of Hollywood glamour, fur caps, big finned cars, Scotch on the rocks, and Havanna cigars.

It was a night to remember.

Palm Springs Modernism Week

(This cool turquoise Ford Thunderbird was a part of the Vintage Car Show during Palm Springs Modernism Week.)

Palm Springs is known for many things, but one of the most well-known is mid-century design. Because the village enjoyed such a boom during the 1950s and 1960s, much of what we now refer to as Mid-Century is highly prized here. Not only is this the style of much of the architecture of many of the buildings and some homes, but also in home furnishings, accessories, art, and of course, cars.

To celebrate all of this, a Modernism Week is held here that is a collaboration between the Modernism Show, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs Modern Committee and the Palm Springs Art Museum that focuses on design and architecture. There is a lot about mid-century design that I actually don't like, especially a lot of the home furnishings and accessories that I find rather hard edged and sterile. Some of the architecture of the period is interesting and forward thinking, yet in many ways needs to be updated for today's needs. But there is one thing about that era that I love, and that is the cars.

So yesterday I decided to go to the Vintage Car Show that was part of Modernism Week at the Camelot Theatre parking lots. From Edsels to Citroëns the show was a terrific way to enjoy a sunny Palm Springs afternoon. I only wish I actually knew more about the various years and makes of cars, since I can't really tell you by sight much about them. But for your enjoyment, here is a sample.

Audiobooks

(The Overdrive Digital Bookmobile made a stop on its cross country tour today at the Palm Springs Public Library.)

I don't know about you, but until a few years ago, my concept of audiobooks was somewhat limited to what were known as "talking books" that were primarily marketed to people with vision impairments. It wasn't until just a few years ago that book sellers and libraries began to offer books on cassette and CDs for the general public.

I am sure that the first book of any merit that I listened to in an audio format was Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris. Since I often find that books written by comedians often don't have the same dynamic pull as when I hear them tell or read their stories that I knew I didn't want to read this book, but actually wanted to hear Sedaris read it. I loved it, and mostly listened to it while driving in the car. But like anything, once I heard the stories a couple of times, I no longer wanted to hear them again.

And, of course this is where libraries come in. Audiobooks on CD are relatively expensive. Listening to them once or even twice it doesn't actually seem worth the price, however checking them out of the library makes even more sense; especially if you are going on a long drive or have a long commute to work. But now there is something that is even more convenient, and that is audiobooks that can be downloaded onto your computer, a CD or your MP3 player. Libraries across the country are now offering this service, and the Palm Springs Public Library is among them.

Contracting with OverDrive, you can now browse, check out, and download hundreds of titles using your library card and a connection to the Internet. To help promote this service and familiarize patrons with what is available and how to use it, the OverDrive Digital Bookmobile made a stop here in Palm Springs today. Not terribly familiar with how the concept worked I wanted to see for myself. The library staff and technicians on board the van explained much of how the concept worked in easy simple steps, as well as pointing me to the links on the library's website where it is also easily explained. To learn how to browse, check out, and download books and more from your library's website, go here.

I haven't tried it yet, but in a couple of weeks we'll be going on a few longer drives and I am going to check it out and listen to one of the many books available. I think it will be fun and sure will be cheaper.

To find out if your library offers this service, go here.

High School Friends

(My senior class photo from South Lancaster Academy in 1969.)

I think there are two kinds of people who went to high school; those that loved it (they seemed to be the jocks and cheer leaders) and those that hated it. I can't say that I actually fit into the later, but my high school years were by no means the happiest years of my life. I could hardly wait to get into college where I was sure I could blend in better and take subjects I liked, as well as find friends with whom I had more in common.

It's been years since I have thought too much about most of my high school classmates. I actually attended two high schools: Laurelbrook Academy in Dayton, Tennessee, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding academy, where I spent my freshman year, and South Lancaster Academy, a day school run by Seventh-day Adventists in conjunction with Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts.

The first school I absolutely hated. The rules were never ending, and as part of its philosophy we had to work afternoons when we were in class. I did enjoy some of the comraderie with the students in the dorm, but mostly I had a few female friends while there that I quickly lost touch with once I left.

Attending South Lancaster Academy was better. For one, I still lived at home, and I also had friends from grade school and church who attended there. Of course, there were still times when I felt out of it, especially when I took sports or tried the dating scene. But at least at SLA there were subjects, teachers and kids that I liked.

It will be 40 years this spring that I graduated from high school, and due to social networking sites, I've actually begun to talk to and find several classmates from that time. And, believe it or not, most of them are not who they were 40 years ago. The first to find me was a friend from Laurelbrook who now lives in Florida and has a wonderful photography blog. The others are all on Facebook. It's been fun catching up and seeing where they are today. For many of us, we're no longer Adventists, but have found our own way through life. We've been married, divorced, come out, have children, grandchildren, and seem for the most part to be happy with our lives.

That all is a good thing. But I don't think I'll be rushing to the reunion. A virtual reunion seems enough.

First Novels

(Harry Revised published by Bloomsbury is a first novel by Mark Sarvas.)

Reading a first-time novel is always interesting and sometimes risky. A lot of work certainly goes into getting a novel not only written but also published and then out into book stores, libraries and into reader's hands. As someone who is affiliated with libraries, I sometimes have an advantage in that publishers often try to get librarians to read their books and recommend them to readers.

Harry Revised: A Novel by Mark Sarvas is just one such novel that I picked up at a recent library convention. Not having read any reviews, my only criteria for picking it is up was the cover, the synopsis on the inside flap, as well as the advance blurbs on the back cover.

The story is about Harry Rent who has just lost his wife during a surgical procedure. Now incredibly wealthy from her family's Greenwich, Connecticut, fortune, he stumbles about visiting a diner and falls for one of the waitresses there. The book is readable, and goes backward, as the story of Harry's life with his wife is told. Yet, at the same time, Harry has to deal with his inability to deal with his lot in life. He is perplexed, torn by emotions and his actions in trying to manipulate those around him.

Did Sarvas accomplish his task? In some ways yes, but in others he left me hanging. Just why did his wife undergo cosmetic surgery? It is not only a question asked by me, but also his wife's sister. Did I like Harry? Not really. He doesn't seem to be very well-rounded, and is certainly obsessed about trying to make individuals like him by buying his way into their hearts. Was he in the end revised? I don't know. In some ways I got that he was trying to take the opportunity of his wife's death to revise the way he lived, but I don't think Sarvas really convinced me he did.

Sunday in the Park

(Broadway musicals like Sunday in the Park with George are a staple at the Video Bar Spurline.)

When you hear the term, Sunday in the Park, many people immediately think of Stephen Sondheim's musical based on the painting of Georges Seurat. Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin were the stars of the original Broadway show, and although it didn't garner the number of Tony's it was nominated for, it did fix itself in the gay man's showtune repretroire.

It is kind of funny how gay men are drawn to certain things: opera, drag, leather, showtunes, piano bars, two stepping, etc. Often these overlap, but there certainly are guys in this town you are totally devoted to your own specialized interest or club. Bars too often seem to specialize. At least here, you will find that people go to one or the other at a certain time or day of the week. And the other night I met a friend at Spurline for their "Showtunes" where the place is packed and everyone is signing along to everything from "The Sound of Music" to "Don't Cry For Me Argentina."

Today it being Sunday, I couldn't get that thing out of my head. And yet Sundays are not really like that for me, nor are they what they used to be. They used to be church, brunch, reading the Sunday paper, and when I was growing up, the ubiquitous Sunday drive. But now that I am retired and not working full-time, Sundays often don't seem a whole lot different than other days. True there are some new rituals and some that I have tried to keep from years of living. Others that I thought I would begin to incorporate like taking the dog for a "walk in the park" have yet to materialize.

But it is still Sunday. The end of the week or the beginning, however you look at it.

Lounge Acts

(We began our Valentine's Day with brunch at Norma's at The Parker Hotel.)

Yes I know it's Valentine's Day. So instead of lots cute pictures and mushiness, I'll just say it was a lovely day that began (courtesy of our nephew) with a wonderful brunch at Norma's at The Parker. We've eaten there several times, including having their signature "Chocolate Decadence French Toast." This time however we went with the "Chunks of Lobster Swimming in Cheesy Macaroni" and "Norma's Eggs Benedict" that are on "Buttermilk Pancakes layered with Canadian Bacon and Grilled Asparagus." Quite delicious. Of course this was accompanied by a Chef's "Fruit Smoothie Shot," and a glass of champagne and a Mimosa. Then for dessert, we shared "Norma's Donuts," a dozen freshly-made donut holes rolled in cinnamon sugar, served warm "with Lemon Custard and Blueberry Jam," along with French-pressed coffee.

But what I really wanted to write about was our experience this evening at Jeff Trachta Live at the Spa Resort Casino. Not a follower of "The Bold and the Beautiful," Jeff Trachta (who played Thorne Forrester) was an unknown to me. However he is being marketed here something crazy with billboards on the highways, on buses and on the flashing marquee in front of the casino. It just so happened that the other night at a benefit Valentine's Dinner for the Golden Rainbow Senior Center we won two complimentary tickets to see his show.

Not being gamblers we also hardly ever go into the casino downtown either, so when we got there we were somewhat surprised by the number of people inside. It was mobbed. You'd think they were giving money away, which I suppose is what folks hope happens. And although I have been only to a few casinos and don't frequent them, it seemed that there was someone at every single slot machine and all of the gambling tables were full. So even though the recession may be hurting, at least in Palm Springs on this President's Day Weekend, the town was jammed.

(Jeff Trachta has appeared on Broadway, TV shows, and now is appearing at the Spa Resort Casino in Jeff Trachta Live!)

Meeting friends for the show, we made our way to the Lounge where Trachta would be performing. Inside it reminded me of a show lounge on a cruise ship. Sort of glamorous, but not as fabulous as an Art Deco Movie Palace or Theatre. Fortunately we weren't seated near the front, but that also was unfortunate in that it took forever (we had to ask a manager twice) to get a waitress to order our drinks. Oops... we're grumpy!

And then, at exactly 7 o'clock, on the four TV screens situated in the room, a video promo for Jeff Trachta came on, and as it was going off, out he came singing while psychedelic 60s pop flowers came up on the screen behind him. And then, oops he stops the show. Apparently his back up video is not working. He can't sing, do his impersonations or dance without it. It is part of his shtick. Feverishly the technicians go to work while Trachta spends the next 20 minutes or so telling jokes and picking on people in the audience to humiliate.

Fortunately the technicians get the show back on track, and we once again get to watch the video introduction advertisement and have Trachta come bounding onstage once again this time with his video backup singers. Trachta can actually sing. Especially the television and Broadway shows that he works hard to mimic. His other claim to fame are his impersonations. He can just about mimic any one's voice, including his chihuahua. Taking us through his repertoire of musical numbers from the earliest days of television up until today's current dance tunes, he kept up a fast pace that ended on a patriotic-themed blowout.

After a little more than an hour the lounge act was over. That Trachta is talented there is no doubt, but his choice of material isn't very good. It was a "bad show done well."

Superstitions

(Do you think Friday the 13th is really bad luck? If so, that's too bad. We have two more this year.)

I don't think I'm very superstitious. However, after today, I might change my mind. Not that anything particularly bad happened to me, but my partner, Steve, had a terrible day. You know, one of those days where everything seems to go wrong.

Since in folklore Friday the 13th is supposed to be unlucky, I had warned Steve to be careful. But sometimes I don't think you can actually prevent accidents or mishaps from happening. They just do. (So you won't ask, Steve's fine, nothing terrible happened, but he did break his glasses. And, I don't know if that is like breaking a mirror, which on Friday the 13th would I suppose be doubly bad luck.)

But if you break a glass, trip on your shoe laces or stub your toe on any other day than a Friday the 13th, do you think it is bad luck then too? Most of us probably would. We just don't like it when things go awry. You know when the electricity goes out, the computer freezes and everything you were working on is lost, or you drip salad dressing on your favorite shirt or blouse. These are just things that are part of our every day lives.

So next month when Friday the 13th comes around I just don't want any black cats to cross in front of my car.

Darwin & Lincoln

(IN THIS TEMPLE AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS ENSHRINED FOREVER)

Lots of people today are commenting on the unlikely coincidence that today is the 200th birthdays of both President Abraham Lincoln and Evolutionist Charles Darwin.

It is kind of unusual that two individuals so very different at birth could have had such an impact on the world as we know it. Of course, neither one actually set out to have such an impact, but eventually during their adult lives, they realized that their actions would affect their world, as well as those around them.

In many ways they were not similar, while in others they were. Their belief that they were somehow being led in their study and actions, as well as their resoluteness to follow through and let the consequences of their actions take their course makes both of them seem somewhat superhuman. Both were hated, admired and have been studied to death, and even now 200 years after their birth are still being examined by scholars.

I am not one of them, yet I am in awe that against incredible hardships, odds, adversity and skepticism, they were both able to continue on the path that they believed to be correct, and for which today we are still in awe.

(IT IS NOT THE STRONGEST OF THE SPECIES THAT SURVIVES, NOR THE MOST INTELLIGENT THAT SURVIVES. IT IS THE ONE THAT IS THE MOST ADAPTABLE TO CHANGE.)

Procrastination

(Is it procrastination if you can't think of what to do next?)

Yesterday's post probably was a bit of a cop out, but I honestly couldn't think of anything profound, witty or newsworthy to say. And then today I realized a lot of what I spend my time doing is procrastinating.

I think I have probably always been somewhat of a procrastinator. I tend to like deadlines and I'm not very good at making my own. It is much easier if I actually have something on my calendar. That really worked when I was working, but now that I am basically the scheduler of my own time, I've found I'm not very good at self-imposed deadlines.

It seems I am not the only one with this problem. No one really likes to do hard stuff, and if it absolutely doesn't have to be done by tomorrow, we quite often don't do it. Being disciplined is not easy and that is why I am sure that there are all kinds of support groups; people need external measures to often stay with their goals.

There are also a lot of theories about how to tackle procrastination, (checking e-mail and Facebook are not good ones), but I think setting a goal, and then having someone (a trainer, coach, buddy) help you meet that goal is what works best for me.

Writer's Block

Wow... You know what they say about Writer's Block? Well I think I must have hit a wall today.

For almost two years I have been writing faithfully every day on this blog, and today, for whatever reason, I could not think of a thing to say. Or if I did, I didn't feel like putting those thoughts on here for everyone to see.

So for today's post, this is all I have to say, "I'll be back with my writing soon."

Puppetry, Animation and 3-D Technology Makes Coraline Amazing

(In Director Henry Selick's film, Coraline, she spends a lot of time crawling between her real and imagined world.)

You probably think I spend a lot of time at the movies. Well, you'd be somewhat right. I do spend a lot more time at the movies than I do watching television. However, I've never spent too much time either watching or reading comics, so it might be somewhat surprising to know that I went to see the animated fantasy horror movie, Coraline, directed by Henry Selick, today.

But it was one of our very few truly rainy days here, and after a bit of shopping therapy at Macy's to buy a pair of shoes, it seemed like a good way to spend a wet chilly afternoon. Having only read a brief review of the movie in the Los Angeles Times, (I didn't read the book by the same name by Neil Gaiman), I knew I only wanted to see this movie in 3-D. So off we went to the Century @ The River in Rancho Mirage where we also had lunch before the movie at The Yardhouse.

It is hard to know exactly just who this movie is made for. As a fairy tale it has all of the traditional good and evil, yet the three-dimensional effect of it larger than life up there on the screen would probably scare a lot of young children. Watching Coraline come to life with the help of Dakota Fanning's voice, it was hard to imagine that she, along with all of the other characters were puppets. Her sweet looking pixsi face, along with her childhood friend, Wybie (using the voice of Robert Bailey Jr) and Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders' voice) and Miss Forcible (Dawn French's voice) as puppets made you laugh with their range of movement, emotion and character.

(Miss Spink and Miss Forcible provide lots of comic relief in the movie Coraline.)

Of course Coraline's real parents pay her no attention, while her imaginary identical ones are just wonderful, yet conceil a monster within. It is kind of funny that in the past couple of days that I've seen two movies (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Coraline) in which buttons play a central role. In Benjamin Button's case it was his family business and what makes him rich, and in Coraline it is what her imaginarly evil mother wants to replace her eyes with. And unless you sew, people now-a-days don't have the button jar or can like my mother did filled with all sorts of wonderful buttons that I found so fascinating. So to a young child like Coraline, buttons would have been very common, something one played with and looked at, yet she knows they are inanimate and therefore knows she can't loose her eyes for them.

Once she realizes that her perfect imaginary mother has stollen the eyes of other children, thereby imprisoning them, the story takes a much more scary and sinister turn. As adults, we know that in end it is going to turn out all right, and it does. But the flying animation of the puppets as they are whipped about, dance, crawl and perform all sorts of wonders makes the trip through this imaginary land a wonder to behold. Hold onto your seats as you fly down the well and into Coraline's pink apartment house.

California Native Plant Society

(The wild cucumber "Cucurbitaceae" with their delicate white flowers that produce prickly gourds were abundant on our hike today.)

Normally I go hiking with local gay hiking groups or on my own. However today I was intrigued that one of the groups I go with, Great Outdoors - Palm Springs Chapter, was joining with the Riverside-San Bernardino Chapter of the California Native Plant Society for a hike at the Whitewater Preserve.

I know I've mentioned this place before since it opened to the public a little over a year ago, but I was curious to see what new information I might glean on a hike that had some more botanists and geologists along. Since we also had some friends from Great Britain visiting Palm Springs, I brought them along.

Unfortunately it was a rather cool and drizzly day, but not enough to dissuade the more than 50 or so who had gathered to go on the hike. So off we went. Each time I go to the preserve I notice that they have made improvement, and today they told us they had purchased an additional 600 acres of land down from their headquarters into the Whitewater Canyon runoff area.

For the first time this hike took us up the switchbacks about a half mile from the headquarters and up to the Pacific Crest Trail. A light rain came down on and off and the clouds on the San Bernardino mountains were very low. This however produced some of the most wonderful rainbows that I have ever seen. The rainbows here seem to be so much more plentiful than I remember back in Massachusetts. Part of that I am sure is that the mountains often hold back the moisture, while the sun comes from the east and produces huge rainbow archs across the panorama. The other reason is that here there are great open vistas that are not blocked by lots of forests or trees.

(The rainbow across the Whitewater canyon over the fields of Chamise was just spectacular.)

There were some spring flowers, but not as many as there probably will be in a few more weeks. Among the flowers blooming were wild cucumber, desert apricot, sugarbush and a few others. But the best part of this hike was the vistas, the fields of Chamise Rosaceae, and the gorgeous rainbows.

To see all the photos from today, along with others from Whitewater Preserve, go here.

David's Cheesecakes

(The Joy of Cheesecake by Dana Bovbjerg & Jeremy Iggers and published by Barron's has been the mainstay of my cheesecake recipes since I received it as a birthday present in 1986.)

Way back in the late 80's, I once had a cheesecake business called, "David's Cheesecakes." At the time, I was trying to make a few bucks on the side, and since it seemed that I was always making a cheesecake for someone, I decided to start a small business. It never generated a whole lot of income, but it eventually led to my branching out into doing more as a self-taught pastry chef. For a time, I even baked and supplied the deserts for two of my brother-in-laws restaurants.

I actually still enjoy baking a lot, and cheesecakes are still my favorites. I am not sure what it is about them but I find them easy to make, wonderful to eat and always a hit with everyone. I do have several favorite flavors that I tend to make a lot: Cappuccino, Bailey's Chocolate Chip, Coconut, Dutch chocolate-mint, cranberry and lemon, to name a few. This being the height of the lemon season here (the trees on our homeowners association property are loaded with lemons), I decided to make a lemon cheesecake to serve for dinner tomorrow night when we have some friends over.

For that, I went to my other favorite cheesecake cookbook: Cheesecake Extraordinaire: More Than 100 Sumptuous Versions of the Ultimate Dessert by Mary Crownover and published by Taylor Publishing Co. This book seems to have lots more rather untraditional cheesecake recipes and this one is just fabulous. I am planning on serving it with a lemon marmalade-like sauce that one of my friends gave me for Christmas.

Creamy Lemon Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust
1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, melted

In a small bowl stir together the crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter. Stir till well combined. Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Creamy Lemon Filling
3 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese (room temperature)
¾ cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch. Beat with an electric mixer till smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemonade concentrate, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla extract and lemon peel. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 200° and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or till the center no longer looks wet or shiny. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Turn the oven off; return the cake to the oven for an additional 1 hour.

Lemon Sour Cream Topping
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel

In a small bowl stir together the above ingredients. Spread over the cheesecake. Bake at 400° degrees for 10 minutes. Remove cake from oven, let cool about 30 minutes, then chill, uncovered, overnight.

To serve, remove sides of springform pan. Take a large sharp knife and with knife, slide cake onto a serving cake stand or platter. To garnish, top with thinly-sliced lemons, or serve with a lemon marmalade sauce.

Advocacy

I don't know what's come over me the last few weeks, but instead of just sort of fuming about what is happening in Washington, DC, I've actually done something. Of course I have no idea whether or not my efforts have made any difference.

It used to be when I lived in Massachusetts that it didn't seem to make much difference if I happened to disagree with what was happening legislatively. In Washington, DC, the Republicans were in charge and our congressional delegation was all Democrat so I never felt that they would have much influence, and probably were going to vote the way I wanted them to anyway.

But things have changed. We now have a new president, and for all practical matters, a Democratic congress, even if the Republicans have now become the obstinate ones. Every day the news gets worse and worse. Millions of people have lots their jobs, homes and savings, and yet all we hear from the Republicans is cut taxes. Well if you aren't making any money, who cares if you get a $300 rebate check. That hardly goes far.

During the past week a couple of legislative items have come to my attention. Granted, now that I am a Trustee of the Palm Springs Public Library and these issues could affect the library, I was a bit more moved to contact Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack. But even that has surprised me. It is one thing to think that you should do something, but quite another to actually do it.

So off went the emails on two subjects (I haven't graduated to phone calls yet). Who knows, maybe they'll get sick of me soon. Now if I could only think of something to say to spur our California State Legislature to do something about our budget mess, I'd really think I'd changed.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(It is easy to see why both Taraji Henson as Queenie and Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button were both nominated for Oscars in their roles in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.)

When The Curious Case of Benjamin Button came out, it wasn't a movie that I was immediately drawn too. However in the weeks that have followed since its first preview showing here, there has been so much buzz about it (including 13 Oscar nominations) that my curiosity was piqued. I was more than pleasantly surprise; I loved it. And, if you want my vote, it is a whole lot better than Slumdog Millionaire.

There was lots of wonderful acting and the story, although linear, took you on ups and downs as the various people in Benjamin Button's life came and went. The effectiveness of the telling of the story by Julia Ormand as Caroline to her mother Cate Blanchette as Daisy as she is dying in a nursing home in New Orleans while Hurricane Katrina is barreling down on them is masterful. There is no doubt the story is odd, but David Fincher as director does a marvelous job of weaving the original story by F. Scott Fitzgerald into a modern-day tale. As Benjamin's adopted mother Queenie, Taraji P. Henson, brings tears to your eyes as she mothers, nurtures, loves and manages not only her "odd" son, but the many older residents in her home as they come and then "pass on." My only grip in the Oscar nominations is that Blanchette's role as Daisy is just as charismatic as any one's in the film.

This film had passion, love, poignancy, humor and a story to tell. Each actor played their part so well that none of it felt like they were acting, and even many of the supporting characters were individuals that you could understand and empathize with. The Oscar nominations for the craft of putting together a film of this depth and length are also very much deserved; especially Makeup, Visual Effects, Directing, Art, Cinematography and Writing (adapted screenplay).

I am certainly glad I went to see this film, and just sorry I took so long to do so. My fears that the story would seem silly or corny were not founded, and Brad Pitt made looking old seem like something we shouldn't be afraid of. Now if only we all could enjoy life like he did.

Books I've Read Recently

My reading habits are rather sporadic. Sometimes I am reading two or three books at once, while other times just one, and then for a while I go off reading. Guess this blog and the computer eat into my free time. Anyway lately I've finished a few books, and although they were all good or even excellent, I thought I'd give you a flavor of what I've read.

In no particular order, they are

Back Where He Started by Jay Quinn - Alyson Books

I loved this book. The story of man who for 22 years spent his life in a relationship with a gay man and helps to raise his children, only to be told by his partner that he has fallen in love with another woman and is leaving. Suddenly single, middle-aged, with no job skills, he leaves with the family dog and some money to set out to build a new life for himself. In the end he finds happiness and new love, while at the same time reconciling and making peace with his former partner and their children.

Not only is this story beautifully told, the writing is descriptive, warm and makes you feel as though you are an observer in the room. A real nice heartwarming story that still shows the cruelty of life, as well as its joys and rewards.

A City Comes Out: How Celebrities Made Palm Springs a Gay and Lesbian Paradise by David Wallace - Barricade

A Christmas gift, this book attempts to shed light on the various gay and lesbian Hollywood celebrities who lived or stayed in Palm Springs. For someone not familiar with the city, this book might provide a few interesting cocktail tidbits, but generally nothing new is revealed here. In fact, I was hard pressed to know why certain individuals were lumped in together in the various chapters.

The writing is very clipped, rather like a news story, and if you truly want to know more about the various characters that have made up the history of Palm Springs, there are a whole lot of other books that do a much better job. For me it seemed as though the author had spent too much time attending cocktail parties and just published whatever notes he took on the gossip he heard.

Brother I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat - Vintage Books

Haiti is not any easy place to live, and although Danticat outlines some memories of the place, this book deals primarily with her closest relatives who are living there, as well as here in the U.S., but are nearing the end of their lives. A lot revolves around her father, a taxi driver in New York, and his illness, as well as that of his brothers and their wives.

The writing was bleak and at times a bit too much like a documentary, rather than a family memoir. Somehow I never got too much of an emotional tug from Danticat as she reacted to the telling of their lives and deaths. And although the book deals with the subject of death and dying, I just wished it had pulled more at the heartstrings rather than just relaying the details.

My Father's Keeper: The Story of a Gay Son and His Aging Parents by Jonathan G. Silin - Beacon Press

Okay so another book about death and dying. Guess I have a pattern going here. The difference though in this book by Silin is that not only is his overly controlling and narcissistic father dying, but his partner as well. As more and more of us deal with not only our children, and aging parents, we also must deal with the lives of our partners and spouses and the challenges and stresses this puts on everyday life.

Silin's book is beautifully written, moving and provides lots of feeling, both happy, sad, angry and resigned, as he deals with the challenges hitting him from all sides. And, like many gay men, he also gives us insights into his feelings of inadequacy and loss in the relationship with his father, as well as at times his mother. Some of us are better caregivers than others, but Silin certainly provides a look into what for many is one of the more difficult passages in one's life.

Desert Regional Medical Center

(The local hospital is Desert Regional Medical Center on the site of the former El Mirador Hotel.)

One of the things we looked for when we were deciding where to move for the "next stage of our lives," was its health care. Knowing that top notch medical facilities are within miles was important, even if we don't need them.

Locally there are two hospitals, Desert Regional Medical Center and the Eisenhower Medical Center, and about an hour away, even more major facilities like Loma Linda University Medical Center. Luckily for us, so far we haven't needed any of them.

And, although we know people who work at them, and even who've used them, we actually hadn't been in any of them to visit a patient. Unfortunately, early this morning we learned that one of our friends had contracted pneumonia and had been admitted to Desert Regional. Knowing that he was going to be there for a couple of days, we stopped by to see him, and bought one of those environmentally-incorrect Mylar balloons in the shape of a "Campbell's" soup can of chicken soup. All of us got a kick out of that.

The hospital is very convenient, but like every hospital I have ever been in, a maze. If I hadn't gotten a map at the front Information Desk (staffed by a security guard instead of a volunteer in a pink smock) I am sure we would have gotten lost. Down one hall, turn right, down another, turn left, down another, turn again, find the elevator and then land onto a patient floor with its ubiquitous carts and wheelchairs filling the halls. The room was small but the care seemed fine.

No longer a not-for-profit facility, Desert Regional Medical Center is now run by Tenet Healthcare. It wasn't always so, and so the hospital is filled with photos and portraits of those who helped fund and build it over the years: Frank and Barbara Sinatra, Bob and Delores Hope, Loretta Young, Lily Tomlin, Kaye Ballard, etc. In fact near the room where our friend was there was a whole cluster of those black and white promotional movie star portraits all signed. It's a good thing they're bolted to the walls as I'm sure someone would rip them off if they weren't.

Hopefully we won't be needing any of these facilites anytime soon, but it is great to know that they are only a few miles away if we do.

The Rose Art Museum

(The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, was founded in 1961 while my dad worked there.)

A few days ago The Boston Globe announced that the Board of Trustees of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, would be selling off the collection of its on-campus Rose Art Museum "to bridge a budget deficit that could be as high as $10 million." As you can imagine, this has caused quite a ruckus. (Statement from Michael Rush, Director of the Rose Art Museum; The New York Times; Palm Beach Daily News)

From 1948 until he retired in 1971, my dad, Wilford Gray, worked at Brandeis as a Master Plumber working his way up to one of the head's of the power plant and maintenance department. As a child, there were days that I would accompany him to work, and I especially remember being in the huge power plant after it was built, the various dorms, cafeterias, chapels, the Ulin Castle, and other buildings on campus.

Always interested in art, I went there a couple of times after it was built but don't remember too much about it. Specializing in modern art, my parents were more interested in the various things that happened at the Spingold Theater and Slosberg Music Center.

College and university art museums, especially in an area like Boston, often have a hard time attracting audiences. There is lots of competition and unless they can mount large shows or gain a huge endowment or acquisition, don't attract the audience that major art institutions can. That doesn't mean that it isn't important to have world-renowned or excellent art on campuses, especially for teaching purposes.

I don't know what the final outcome of this decision will be, but breaking up a collection like Brandeis has will not only be difficult, it is also rather sad. Times change, situations change, and even museums need to make decisions concerning what they will keep or try to sell, but art is much more emotional than it is a commodity and its loss will hardly make up for the dollars it might bring way down the road.

Currants

(Bright red currants are one of the things that remind me of my childhood.)

Every once-in-a-while something really reminds me of my childhood. And, very often, it has to do with food. Pears are one of those things, but currants, gooseberries, blackberries and raspberries are surely some others.

Yesterday when we were at Trader Joe's, there they were, packages of bright red fresh currants. "Oh, I have to have those," I said. The funny thing about them is that I don't really remember what we did with them other than eat them straight off the bushes that grew in our back yard in Marlborough, Massachusetts. I know they can be used for jams and jellies but I don't think my mother ever made any. So for me, I prefer to just eat them raw, and like all berries, I often mix them in my vanilla yogurt that I have for breakfast.

As crazy as it seems now, we lived in the country on about four acres of land that contained lots of old apple and pear trees from an orchard that must have been there from long before my parents bought the old farm. And, as clear as day, I remember the two or three bushes of currants and gooseberries that grew by the pear trees behind the barn. What I didn't remember is that they have seeds, but they're so small that you can just eat them. And, unlike some things that you remember from your childhood and then taste them again after a long time only to be disappointed in the reality instead of the memory, these currants tasted just like I remembered; a delightful soury taste as you pulled them off their stems with your lips.