Tuesday, February 2 … well, if the groundhog tried to see its shadow today, I think it’d be hard-pressed to find even its feet!  Yes, it’s that rainy and foggy.

Side note:  reading the current issue of the Advocate, I find that drag queen Sylvia Sidney (“the bitch of Boston”) passed away from diabetes on December 15.  A search of the internet reveals nothing except a mention in an old web page advertising an AIDS benefit put on by Rick Berlin.  So I called the phone number listed and got his voice-mail!  I don’t know if I’ll hear anything back, but it’s interesting to find people still around.

Wednesday, February 3, Bryan and I decide on Italian at La Balconata; tonight it’s very good.

Thursday, February 4, Bryan and I go to Pangea.  This evening they have a very tasty Thai chicken breast in a lemongrass sauce with rice noodles.  We watch “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” on our new DVD player, in letterbox format.  I’ve seen it before (with David Littler in LA) and found it just as good the second time.

Friday, February 5, and it’s off to Rainbow Mountain for our ski weekend!  Our room is somewhat small, and their claim of “antiques” is stretching it a bit – obviously they bought a 1950’s resort and just cleaned it up.  But if you like fifties kitsch you’d appreciate this place.

By 6 pm, we’re seated at the bar having martinis.  Next to us is Erin, who turns out to be a straight cross-dresser from near Philadelphia.  He just recently came out to his wife of 30 years and they seem to be handling it well (at least she lets him come up to the lodge for weekends).

After a quick rest we go to dinner (included in the rate).  Although the lodge bills its restaurant as haute cuisine … well, maybe we’re jaded being from the city.  The appetizers (Bryan has grilled romaine and I have a Southwestern onion soup) are interesting but Bryan’s salmon entrée is over-cooked as is my duck.  But as Bryan has a bottle of white wine and I have a bottle of red, I’m not sure that it mattered!

After dinner, we joined Erin down at the disco barn (karaoke downstairs, dancing upstairs).  By this point I’m sure I couldn’t even spell my last name but I wind up singing the Animal’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” to some acclaim (my later rendition, or “interpretation,” of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” doesn’t fare as well).  My, my.

Saturday, February 6, we’re off to the Pocono Candle Factory where we get over $500 worth of candles for about $150.  It’s amazing the markup on these things!

We spend most of the late afternoon resting and then decide to pass up the included dinner at the lodge in favor of The Big A, a steak and chops joint down the road.

Not only is it decent American food, but the service is beyond friendly.  Just incredible.  Bryan has shrimp cocktail and baby back pork ribs while I have buffalo chicken wings and a very decent t-bone steak.  While not gourmet (or anywhere near the heights of the Old Homestead of last week) it’s quite acceptable.

Sunday, February 7, we rise early and have breakfast a fifties style diner near the lodge (virtually everything is within a stone’s throw of us on Rt. 209).  By 11 am we’re feeling good and ready to shop.

Our first stop is the flea market at the end of the road.  Tons of small booths selling all sorts of things!  Then it's The Christmas Factory down the road; we get a nice box for the candles that we’re giving to Danger and Susan as a thank you for always taking care of the apartment and particularly our cat.

Then it’s back on I-80 and off to Stroudsburg where we visit the American Ribbon and Craft Outlet (“incorporated in 1913 American Ribbon has been manufacturing ribbon for over 85 years”) – yes, Bryan likes ribbon.

And then down the street from them is Vitale’s Antiques, a large building housing various antique dealers.  Although the prices aren’t very good, Bryan does find out that the Hull, Roseville and McCoy ceramics that he’s been collecting are worth about five times what he’s paid for them.  Pretty good buying B!

Next stop is a few miles west in Tannersville – The Crossings is a huge factory outlet mall.  As we leave, we see snow starting to fall.  And since it’s the Poconos we know enough to get immediately on the road.  We stay just ahead of the storm and get into the city around 4 pm.

Then it’s dinner at 5 pm at Gloria’s Tribeca Mexican on Broadway, not too far from the World Trade Center.  It’s the sister restaurant to MaryAnn’s, our regular Mexican in the East Village.  Unfortunately though, it tries to be more upscale and misses the mark.  Although the squash and chili soup is pretty fine, my camarones veracruzano isn’t that interesting.  Isn’t shrimp en brochette supposed to be grilled on a stick?  Maybe I’m wrong.  But these supposedly jumbo shrimp are swimming in a tomato sauce which is supposed to be roasted tomatillo with green olives and capers.  Well, there’s not many capers and the olives are obviously canned.  Oh, well, at least Bryan’s vegetable fajitas are good, if standard, and certainly the company is good!

I monitor NBC’s "The Sixties" which is rife with cliches.  The general consensus is "at least the soundtrack's good" but I wouldn't even go that far.

Monday, February 8, I find out from my brother that my Aunt Annie (my favorite aunt and Carol’s mother) has passed away in her sleep.  We thought she had a few more months in her fighting cancer, but it’s probably better this way.  My mother seems to holding up well, even considering it’s her eldest sister and she’s spoken to her every day that I can remember.

Dinner is Korean at Dok Suni; we haven’t been there in awhile and the food is still great (and spicy!).  Part 2 of NBC’s “The Sixties” doesn’t get any better.  For some odd reason, we get peckish around 11 and pick up some Ben & Jerry’s butter pecan ice cream.

Tuesday, February 9 and dinner at Brunetta’s on First Avenue.  My stuffed clams (with asparagus) are very tasty, as is my Chicken Brunetta’s (although it’s somewhat weird, being wrapped in a frittata).  Bryan’s frittata of the day and pasta in a spicy chicken and pancetta sauce is quite good.

Wednesday, February 10, we get up to a funny story on the Today Show.  It seems that Jerry Falwell feels that Tinky Winky, one of the Teletubbies, is gay because “he’s purple, carries a purse and has a triangle (the symbol of gay rights) on his head.”

Ann Curry reports that “it’s not a purse, it’s a magic bag,”  Katie Couric follows with “I think Jerry needs a big hug,”  Matt Lauer follows with “he’s got too much time on his hands” and Al Roker finishes with “perhaps he needs to watch more outdoor tv!”

Aunt Annie’s wake is at Galante Funeral Home in Union.  The Galante’s have been burying both sides of my family for generations (the late Elvira Galante was rather famous for being imperious).  Anyway, it’s a very sad occasion and we Sorvillo cousins are not exactly known for stoicism during wakes.  How nice to see my relatives; but it was certainly more fun when my godchild got married in August.

After the afternoon viewing (it’s my view that morticians never make the deceased look like themselves as a comfort to the living), my mother and I took Uncle Emil, Carol and her two children, Nicole and Matt, along with cousin “Sam” (nee Rosemarie) to dinner at Adagio Bistro, a new restaurant in Union center where we have some excellent Italian food (my father joined us halfway through dinner with a bottle of fine red wine).

After closing, I went back into the city and had dinner with Bryan and our friend Greg at Da Nico, on Mulberry Street in Little Italy.  The sign outside claimed that Zagat’s refers to the friendliest waiters in town.  Huh!  Although the food is quite good, the service is the absolute worst.  We were treated like intruders even though both Bryan and I are wearing suits!  And they didn’t even tell us they were closing so we couldn’t even have coffee.  Da Nico – NOT recommended.

Thursday, February 11 and the funeral mass was at St. Michael’s in Union; the sermon was somewhat odd.  As Bryan said, at times it seemed too light and even inappropriate.  The too light?  He told us about asking Aunt Annie, in the confessional booth, where she got her turbans as his aunt also had cancer!  And then telling us that her penance was always extremely minor and her confession short.  Well, I think we knew that but we felt that he was really treading on the sanctity of the privacy of the confessional.

Then it was a long trip to the cemetery where my grandmother and grandfather are buried along with Aunt Tessie, who passed on a couple of years ago.  My uncles will join them in the, hopefully, far distant future.  At 1 pm, we had lunch at the Galloping Hills Inn at Five Points, Union.  It’s been there forever and seems to be part of the funeral tradition along with the funeral home.  At 3 pm, everything was over except that now I have one less close friend.

Then it’s dinner at La Balconata which is quite good this evening.

Friday, February 12, back to regular work; naturally it’s gray outside.  I’d forgotten that the Sorvillo sisters control the weather; Aunt Annie’s funeral was under beautiful warm and sunny skies!

The day before, I received a surprise call from my cousin Lorraine inviting me to a play at the New York Theatre Workshop on 4th Street (her husband is sick with the flu).  So of course I said yes.  We had dinner at Marion’s Continental Restaurant & Lounge at 354 Bowey at 4th Street; it’s the hip new place.  This night we got the full French bordello experience.

Lorraine had a simple potato and leek soup followed by burger while I opted for their house salad (with superb honey vinegraitte dressing) and cassoulet.  And very good it was too!  Along with a glass of terrible South American red for Lorraine (I’m sorry, but she and I both agree that South Americans just should not be making wine) and a Ketel One cosmopolitan for me, the bill was only $47.  Quite good.

Then it was off to the theater to see their musical adaptation of Jay McInerney’s “Bright Lights Big City” with music, book and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman (who also stars as “writer” – the narrator with the guitar) and directed by Michael Grief.  [Lorraine’s daughter Maria, who’s doing graduate drama work at University of San Diego, just passed him as he left there to come to NY.]

If I were pitching this in Hollywood, I’d say “Rent minus AIDS plus Jay McInenrney.”  To which the suit would say, “Doesn’t that mean drugs?  People don’t do drugs anymore.”  “Yeah, that’s right, but they want to hear about them.”  “Oh, yeah!  Good!”

Anyway, I found the first act to be conceptually off-putting.  I could only assume that the lead would continue screwing up a perfectly good writer’s career with coke.  And who cares anymore?  But the second act improved things considerably along with better music.  We found the writing to be clever and with some minor work (a couple of characters could be easily cut from this ensemble piece), it’s ambition is to take over from “Rent” when that finishes it’s run.  By 11 pm, and in the pouring rain, Lorraine headed back home.

MSN's Sidewalk adds that "Goodman, a Glasgow-born musician and former publicist for Keith Moon, says he originally got the idea to adapt McInerney's book in the mid '80s but didn't work on it again until 1996, which is, coincidentally, the year that the huge hit Rent was first produced at this same theater." And, "The musical gets off on the wrong foot and never recovers."  And, "Despite the energetic performers, the musical fails to convey any real sense of New York, of publishing or of the era.  Bright Lights, Big City was the wrong project on which to pin hopes for the next Rent.  New York Theatre Workshop, which launched Jonathan Larson's musical three years ago, hired the same director and design team, but despite similar elements — downtown demimonde setting, rock score, racially diverse casting (and fresh-faced, unknown actors) — it's a no-go this time around."

Saturday, February 13, WQXR is broadcasting Aida, which Bryan and I will see on March 27.  From the audience reaction, it looks like it will be a great performance (it’s conducted by Placido Domingo).

We have dinner at In Padella on Second Avenue at 9th Street; unfortunately I have to send back two separate dishes before I get a so-so pasta putanesca; Bryan has very good polenta followed by crepes stuffed with a creamed spinach.

Then we stop into Hollywood Video to rent DVD’s of Slaughterhouse-5, Diva and Sliding Doors.  But we wind up watching the Pretender and the Profiler on NBC followed by a new Saturday Night Live with host Brendan Fraser (he’s gained some weight since George of the Jungle!).  We’re pleasantly surprised to find that it’s fairly funny this evening; that’s a change!  The opening monologue is the best, with John Goodman making another cameo as Linda Tripp – hysterical!

Sunday, February 14, it’s Valentine’s Day and our second anniversary.  We do a little window shopping in SoHo (Broadway and Spring Street).  One place is 3-D Art at 508 Broadway; I’m fascinated by tons of Victor Vasarely’s and Bryan by the Keith Haring’s.  And the prices couldn’t be cheaper; the salesman simply wants us to walk out with something.

More shopping and then the New Museum to see an exhibit by the late David Wojnarowicz (who died of AIDS in 1992 at age 37); I believe I enjoy it more than Bryan.  I also pick up Optic Nerve, a CD-ROM of his work.

We look into some more galleries before finally stopping for lunch at Il Bocconcino, 168 Sullivan Street near the corner of Houston Street.  We start off with two glasses of Pinot Grigio; Bryan has some delicious porcini mushrooms and penne with vodka sauce (a bit less “pink” than most places) while I have asparagus followed by rigatoni in a Roman tomato sauce of meat and celery.  Along with complimentary glasses of nocello (a walnut liquor), the bill is $65; the restaurant itself is quite romantic and, while very Italian, a recommendation.

We watch the DVD of “Sliding Doors” with Gwyneth Paltrow (in English accent) which Bryan likes but which I give a B-.

Bryan and I head off to Woody’s on Seventh Avenue for our anniversary dinner (my marinated skirt steak is particularly good).  It’s Ketel One cosmopolitans there and at the Stonewall nearby.  Then off to Dick’s for one last nightcap.

Monday, February 15, Bryan goes bowling from 8 to 11; I stay home to watch Melrose Place (they just announced that this will be the final season).  While home I receive calls from Matt and Paul, our friends from London.  They are leaving for Malaysia this week (Matt’s father lives there) and they will stay with us the week of March 22.  I go to the bowling alley at Port Authority around 10 pm to catch Bryan’s last game of the evening.

Tuesday, February 16, around 8 pm, I went to Lanza’s on Second Avenue because the light is good for reading and I knew I wouldn’t be rushed.  Although the food is so-so (for some reason I decided on steak which is quite dry), I manage to kill almost three hours there.  One of the things I read was Entertainment Weekly’s issue on “100 Greatest Moments in Television.”  Number 92 was Public Image Ltd.’s performance on American Bandstand on May 17, 1980.  EW says:

Call it anarchy in the U.S.  Seeing Public Image Ltd., the noise-rock band led by ex-Sex Pistol John Lydon, performing on ABC’s Saturday sock hop was disorienting enough.  But then Lydon sneeringly dispensed with the de rigueur lip-synching, and later mugged his way through a chat with host Dick Clark.  “It’s taken on a life of its own in later years,” says Clark….  Given Clark’s 23 years of (in his words) “screw[ing] the system from within,” we should’ve know it was planned.  Lydon “told me he was going to be rambunctious.  I said, ‘Be my guest,’” says Clark.  “We were in total control.”

Dinner at Pangea.  Afterward, we watch the two-hour Star-Trek: Voyager special (Seven of Nine rejoins the Borg collective; we get to see another Borg queen, just like the movie).

Thursday, February 18, music is Hector Zazou’s "Reivax au Bongo."  This is French music and quite compelling.  Back at the apartment, I watch a DVD of “Diva.”  I’d forgotten how much I like that film.

At Pangea I have the same superb cold vichysoisse that I had the previous night, this time with the duck confit that I passed up.  I must say, they really did it superbly; a perfectly moist duck leg in a very light orange glaze.  Just perfect.  Bryan has coquilles st. jacques, presented beautifully in a scallop shell, along with their version of lasagna.

Friday, February 19, musical selection is Minnie Riperton, “Her Chess Years,” which features two Cream covers from her Rotary Connection days (a stunning “We’re Going Wrong” and a very psychedelic “Tales of Brave Ulysses”).

Then it’s dinner again at Pangea!  Three nights in a row but it just seems right.  And are you surprised that I get the cold vichysoisse again?  This time with the duck leg in a chouceterie (which I’m sure I’m misspelling).  Bryan gets calamari and tuna.

Saturday, February 20, for most of the early afternoon we listen to the live broadcast of Arnold Schoenberg’s “Moses und Aron” on WQXR – quite good and very accessible.

Sunday, February 21, Gene Siskel has passed away at 53; one would have guessed Roger Ebert, huh?  We meet Danger and Susan for dinner at Cremcaffe on First Avenue near 3rd Street.  We’d passed this Italian a number of times but never noticed it.  We found the food very good if not surpassing.  But certainly the company is fun and much wine is consumed (a bottle for each couple).

Monday, February 22 and Melrose Place.  After bowling, it’s drinks at dick’s.

Tuesday, February 23, the car must go to the Infiniti dealer for its 7500 mile check-up.  How time flies with cars.  Then I finish Ecclesia at work; and don't think that I don't notice that not one of you has e-mailed me from this site and requested a copy of either Ecclesia, the newsletter of the Bishop of New Jersey, or Connections, the newsletter of Trinity Church in Cranford.  Oh, well.

Then it’s off to Pangea as we can’t decide on anything else.  But I can’t complain as I get their fine Moroccan soup and an interesting penne with butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes (Bryan plays it safe with a gorgonzola salad and penne in chicken cream sauce).

Wednesday, February 24, I get Bryan and we go to … Pangea for dinner!  Tonight, it’s the menu for me with their tomato/walnut puree followed by the Moroccan chicken; Bryan has the dip also followed by the gorgonzola salad.  He’s slimming down for San Diego!

Thursday, February 25, a play at night.  And what a bad one.  Snakebit, written by David Marshall Grant and directed by Jace Alexander, has four good actors but I won’t embarrass them by giving out their names.  The Century Center Theater is nearby at 15th Street on Union Square.  We received comp tickets from Joe Fiore, his friend Ted Snowdon is the producer.  The theme of homosexuality (why’d you think we’d go?) runs through it, but in the old-fashioned way of the straight guy who loves his college roommate or the gay guy who once slept with that guy’s wife.  And yes, the baby might be HIV positive.  I think that’s when we decided that we could leave at intermission; very rare for us.  I apologize to Joe as one always wants to like one's friends' projects but it just didn't happen here for us.

Now, on the other hand, Peter Marks of the New York Times wrote that the characters “of Snakebit, Grant’s solid and savvy new yuppie melodrama at the Grove Street Playhouse, should have found a measure of contentment by now.  Bright, good looking, capable, they present themselves as a group that is as likely as any in the culture to attain full and rewarding lives.  But look again.  Psychologically speaking, they’re nothing if not downwardly mobile…  Mr. Grant comes up instead with a rather smart and absorbing evening of water-cooler theater, the intimate sort of Off Broadway experience that has you picking apart the recognizable characters long after the curtain calls.”

Um, we also thought the writing was bad, a verdict seconded by a two other friends of ours.  To compensate, and for the fact that it’s snowing, we eat on the way home at Café Centosette on Third Avenue.  It’s the place with the incredible mustard sauce for the chicken.

Friday, February 26, I pick Bryan up at work and we begin our relaxing Friday.  We’ve planned this evening with nothing on the calendar.

Saturday, February 27, I spend most of the afternoon assembling the first of our two bedroom sidetables and it looks just beautiful.  We meet up with Mario and MaryKay.  They saw Brian Dennehy in “Death of a Salesman” on Broadway and we meet for dinner at John’s Italian; if nothing else having Donn “Waiter Boy” for help is a good shock to them !!!

Bryan and I don our tuxedos to play bartender for Bryan’s friend Greg’s 35th birthday party.  Greg is throwing it at his apartment and has it totally decorated (right down to rented tables, bar and balloons).  Bryan has never bartended (and I really haven’t) but we own tuxedos and that seemed to be the raison d’etre.  Nonetheless, he and I have a ball, especially as we didn’t know most of Greg’s friends so this was a perfect way to meet everyone.

Sunday, February 28, we watch “Alice in Wonderland” on NBC.  Quite a let-down, especially as compared to the other fantasies they’ve done.

And so ends February.