Monday, March 1 starts off with Donny Osmond getting a massage from Sean P. Hayes, the “flamboyant” co-star of “Will and Grace.”  Now that's irony!

Scott “Dangerboy” Reich has gotten himself a job with VH-1, specifically their on-line service.  So we meet him at Niagara, a bar on the corner of Tompkins Park at 7th Street and Avenue A.

Well, who should be there but “Handsome” Dick Manitoba of the Dictators!  It seems he has his own bar now nearby called Manitoba’s.  Hey, Tom Lane, we'll have to check it out!

Tuesday, March 2, I meet Bryan, along with his boss Michelle Petersen and her friend Art Tsavaris.  First it's dinner at Giovanni Ristorante + Bar at 47 West 55th Street; quite fancy Italian food.

Then it's off to the Royale Theatre to see “Art” with Judd Hirsch, George Wendt and Joe Morton.  As Bryan said, it's somewhat french.  In other words, ninety minutes of straight talking, no intermission.

Wednesday, March 3, and I hear on the radio that Dusty Springfield died of breast cancer just days before her inauguration to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; she certainly managed to appeal to many types of audiences during her singing career.

Thursday, March 4, we decide to go upscale for dinner and have Kentucky Fried Chicken after watching the comedies on NBC.  Pretty wild and swinging, huh?

Friday, March 5, Bryan and I join Ted Smith and his friend Jim Shewalter.  Our film tonight is “Analyze This” with Robert deNiro and Billy Crystal.  We’re very surprised to find out that it’s hysterical; Bryan can’t believe how funny deNiro can be.  After the movie, we all go for Mexican at El Cantinero on University near 11th Street and have mucho tequila.

Saturday, March 6, we watch Star Trek: DS9 and then Bryan and I go off to Dick’s for cosmopolitans.

Sunday, March 7, Pangea for dinner; we call Dangerboy and Susan who come over to join us.

Monday, March 8, after work, we grab some Chinese food from the Golden Garden around the corner on Third Avenue.  Now the best part about this place is the menu which declares “We truly honor your No MSG Request, Proven by NBC TV News, May 25, 1995.”  The food itself is not bad which is the most one could say for Chinese around here.

By 8 pm, Bryan’s on his way to bowling and I’m watching the eighth to last episode of Melrose Place.  I also get a nice phone call from my college friend Dana Wharton.

Tuesday, March 9, dinner is MaryAnn’s on Second Avenue for Mexican food (and margaritas before and after dinner at Dick’s).

Wednesday, March 10, my foreman and my brother Mario have gone to a trade show so it’s relatively quiet here (except for the arrival of my mom and her friends before lunch).  Over at Dick’s later, we can’t decide on where to have dinner; I’m pushing for John’s but B doesn’t seem interested.  But we go in anyway to have a drink with our friend "Waiter Boy" Donn; he’s not working but just visiting.

He decides to join us for dinner and we wind up at Pangea.  After a very good dinner, we go back to Dick’s where we see Mark Harrington again.  His career as an AIDS activist is going quite well; it always seems like he's back from some major conference.  We leave him and Donn and go back to the apartment to pack.

Thursday, March 11, a little late for work but ready to fly!  Bryan sleeps the whole flight while I watch the in-flight movie Enemy of the State with Will Smith and Gene Hackman.  I find it better than I anticipated.

Arriving at 9 pm at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA, we pick up our Chrysler Sebring convertible and a little after 10 pm, we’ve checked into our room at the Coast Inn (a/k/a the Boom Boom Room) in Laguna Beach.  But there’s no decent restaurants within walking distance that stay open late so we’re forced into Jack in the Box!  Bryan’s happy but not my palate!

Afterward, we have drinks at the Boom Boom Room where we see Bill, the bartender I used to work with when I lived in Laguna and worked there.  He fills me in on all the gossip.  Then by midnight Bryan and I are in our sumptuous room on the upper deck – fireplace, wet bar and all (if you go, this room is priced above all the others, but still was only $160 a night).

Friday, March 12, we’re up and out by 11:30.  Shopping in downtown Laguna, Bryan and I shop at Hobie Sports as I have for years.  We pick up a pair of purple sweatshirts (ah, the Bobsy twins) and B gets a pair of Billabong khakis which never again leave his body.  I see that the Villa Romana, an old favorite of mine, is closed for lunch but at least they’re still in business.  If you’re down that way, make sure you eat there.

Indecisive about restaurants as we always are, we go back to the hotel to have lunch and find that they have truly upgraded their food service.  An English chef rules the kitchen with the finest of ingredients.  I had a superb New England clam chowder in a sour dough ball that was dense with clams; then followed by a roast beef sandwich where the thick slices of juicy beef were cut from a freshly roasted beef!  Bryan did just as well with shrimp cocktail and a Mazatlan burger (salsa and avocado) that was perfectly prepared.  The fact that we had been given $20 in food vouchers for staying at the hotel didn’t hurt either.  Kudos to the Boom for a very pleasing surprise.

From 2 to 4 pm, we walk around the beach and the surrounding shops before changing to meet my friend Jean Kaye and Bryan’s ex Philip for dinner at the Royal Hawaiian (just north of the center at 331 North Coast Highway).  I’ve been dying for their mai tais for ages and they don’t disappoint.  The food is quite inexpensive and they’re famous for their ribs; good advice is a reservation days in advance!  We have a wonderful time together, Bryan and Philip catching up on things and Jean and I discussing the Episcopal church (she’s master of ceremonies at St. Mary’s, my parish while living there).

We make a short stop for drinks at Jean’s afterward and she shows us her web tv.  Quite impressive.  Then we went back to the hotel and crashed; for all our ambitions for the evening we never awaken!  Oh, well, we needed our rest!

Saturday, March 13, up at 10 after twelve hours of sleep!  Downstairs, Bryan tries the huevos rancheros but should have tried the English breakfast instead (I told you, the chef is English).  It was good but not the authentic meal B has been looking for.  I have a superb omelet with Italian sausage on croissant.

By noon, we’ve checked out and take a long and leisurely drive down the coast (on Pacific Coast Highway when applicable or Historic Route 101).  It’s an absolutely perfect day and we enjoy having the convertible.

By 2 pm, we’re in San Diego (sorry, my Mormon friends, but that new temple down there looks like a pointed concrete slab).  Our hotel there is the Hillcrest Inn, right in the center of the gay district at 3754 Fifth Avenue.  It’s recently been refurbished so now it’s a step up from the bathhouse it had been!  The room is small but clean, and has a small kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave.

From 3 to 5 pm, we walk around the area and stop into Gay Mart, part of a new chain of stores run by the two guys I worked for in Laguna; neither one is in however.  Then it’s a late lunch at Hamburger Mary’s, the famous gay watering hole attached to Kickers bar.  We have a couple of huge cosmopolitans and even more huge sandwiches.  So by 6 pm, we’re ready for a nap.

At 9, we watch The Pretender and Profiler on NBC before going out.  Our first stop is the Brass Rail, on the corner of our block.  It’s one of the oldest gay bars in SD; each night revolves around something, this night it’s “latino noche” – Latin night.  Although that seems to mean mainly drag queens, everyone is smiling and having a great time.  And yes, the music is mainly the Spanish versions of Gloria Estephan and the like.

Then we walk down University Avenue to Flicks, a very good video bar, and then back to the Brass Rail.  Our original plan to hit five or six bars never materializes so I can’t tell you about Club Montage or Rich’s, both of which are supposed to be the big deal.  In California, the bars close at 2 am, so after picking up burgers and coffee (for the morning) at AM/PM, we fall asleep to “The Towering Inferno.”

Sunday, March 14, I’m up at 9 and Bryan at 10.  We have breakfast at the City Delicatessen at 535 University, not bad but Bryan just can’t get good huevos rancheros!

From 1 to 5 pm, we take our driving tour of San Diego.  Bryan was in the Navy here many years ago; he was in the medical corps but got discharged before the days of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  Consistently at the top of his class and well-decorated, it’s just another example of the stupidity of the armed forces policy towards gays in the military.  Oh, well, their loss is very much my gain!

Anyway, Bryan takes me around to all the places he lived during and after his service and showed me the various bars.  Bryan passes a huge Goodwill and of course has to stop; he gets three very cute ceramic animals and probably would have bought the store if we could get it on the plane!  While he’s in there I listen to 91X which seems to be somewhat alternative.

Then it’s off to the Gaslamp Quarter, a gentrified old district.  We park next door to Croce’s, owned by Ingrid, the widow of Jim Croce.  Our first stop is the Cracker Factory which is now all small antique dealers.  Fun!  Then to Seaport Village where we get the cutest shirts for Bryan’s niece and nephew, a Surf Angel for Angel and five of the cutest sharks each in a sweatshirt with one of the colors of the gay rainbow (yes, I got one for myself also).

We had wanted to have seafood at a fish market there but it was closed on Sunday so we headed back to the car.  Our first stop is Chee Chee, a true dive bar that Bryan used to drink at when he was under-age.  But the music was fine, the drag queens appropriately older and the Budweiser fresh; Bryan even shot a game of pool with Gene, an affable African-American.  Truly memory lane for B.

Then to Balboa Park which was just beautiful.  There are lots of small museums and attractions (not rides) and of course the weather was perfect for walking.  Finally, after touring more of Bryan’s old stomping grounds we headed back to the hotel.

At 6:30 pm, after discarding the idea of going back to the Gaslamp Quarter for Mexican food, we wound up at Arrivederci at 3845 4th Avenue, an Italian restaurant around the block.  Not bad, but also not the best; dinner for two with a couple of glasses of wine was $52 with a $15 tip.

We also stopped at the Rainbow Road, a gay emporium, and drinks at Kickers after.  Normally a gay country-western bar, on Sundays it’s techno brunch.  Then we stopped back at the Brass Rail.  On Sunday nights, it’s Goth night, although that seems to mean techno here.  We get to meet Miss Hillcrest, who is normally a 29 year old beautiful Asian man.  Then, while leaning over the bar to ask for a drink, the bartender says, “look at me.”  I do and it turns out to be Deb DiCenso, an old gym buddy of Mark Enos!  I haven’t seen her in more than five or six years and she looks great!  We have the best time catching up; Mark had lost track of her and thought she wasn’t interested in finding him.  Nothing could be further from the truth as she had been searching the Internet for him, knowing of his computer attachment.  Except that he’s taken the last year off from playing with a computer!  By the time we leave, it seems that most of the area bars are already pulling in the sidewalk so we grab some more burgers and coffee from AM/PM and crash at 2 am.

Monday, March 15, we’re up at 7:30 am to a horribly rainy morning; it follows us right up until we get back to John Wayne Airport (Bryan has driven exclusively the whole vacation).  Having some time to kill, we eat there at Orange Bar and Grill; we’re surprised at the quality of the food.

At 1 pm, we’re in the air (always fly to Orange County if you can when going to southern California) and by 2, Bryan is watching Adam Sandler in The Waterboy.  B loves the guy from SNL (“a turkey for you, a turkey for me”) but even he thinks the movie is awfully dumb; I pass on it entirely.  We arrive in Newark at 9 pm and by 10 we’re home and at Pangea for dinner.  We’re in bed and asleep by 1 am.  A wonderful trip all in all.

Tuesday, March 16, the first thing I find out is that my bishop, Bishop Joe Morris Doss of the Diocese of New Jersey, has resigned due to overwhelming pressure from the conservative forces of southern Jersey.  I’m totally disgusted by the right wing of America; I’m not surprised that so many of you from outside this country find Americans abhorrent.  Bryan even says that if the country continues on its present course we may simply have to find another country to live in.  Of course, Canada would top the list if it weren’t north and colder!  Interestingly, it looks like I’m still doing the bishop’s newsletter … but without a bishop!

After work we go to La Balconata with Scott “Dangerboy” Reich.  This was his second day on the job at VH-1; B and I think of him as our son, we’re so very proud of him!  Dinner is quite good and we have a great discussion about music.  After getting home, we watch a bio on Iggy Pop on VH-1 that’s lots of fun.  Scott has certainly landed at the right place.  After midnight, I fall asleep to Bob Geldof in The Wall.

Wednesday, March 17, my driving music the last two days has been the Philip Glass opera “Akhnaten.”  The beauty of Glass’s late-period serialism is stunning; please find me if you ever hear that it’s being performed live anywhere in the world … I’m there.

At work, it’s more computer upgrades, this time to Netscape 4.51 and a host of add-ons.  After work, Bryan has dinner with AIDS activist (and friend) Mark Harrington, one of the founders of TAG (Treatment Action Group) and recipient of a MacArthur genius grant.

Back at the apartment, I watch a great episode of Star Trek: Voyager (featuring Ray Walston as Boothby, the groundskeeper) and have a fun phone call with Mark Enos.  Bryan finishes with his dinner a little after 11 and I meet him for a drink at Dick’s.

Thursday, March 18, driving music is New Order’s Movement, hearing songs like “Doubts Even Here” remind me of what I liked about music then.  For dinner, we head over to Yaffa on St. Mark’s Place; a semi-hippie place, it was the first place that Bryan and I had dinner at (on our first date).

Friday, March 19, driving music consists of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Let Love In which I believe to be his most commercial album.

Also Leonard Bernstein leading his NY Philharmonic in Nielsen’s Second Symphony.  When I was young, I would attend Lenny’s Concerts for Young People which I believe led me on my classical music journey.  Every child should be so lucky.

Music on the way home is a bit harder, John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon’s Psychopath.  His solo album away from Public Image Ltd. isn’t much different than his other work but I sure enjoy it.  Of course, I’m one of the few who do!

Saturday, March 20, we’re out and walking around a cool but sunny NYC afternoon, stopping at the Farmer’s Market in Union Square and The Fan Club (“A Fashion Design Resource” at 22 West 19th Street).  The latter gets costumes (for instance, a gold lame full length cape and bowler from MGM for $1000) and resells to give the profits to charity.

Then lunch at Cozy’s Soup “N” Burger at 739 Broadway.  Open 24-7, it’s a real diner with big juicy burgers.  From 6 to 7 pm, we clean house and then I watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Then we wander the East Village with a ’93 bottle of white wine looking for a restaurant (our original choice had too long a wait).  We finally wind up at MaryAnn’s for Mexican.

Sunday, March 21, we spend most of the day preparing for the arrival of our houseguests, Matt and Paul from London.  We watch the Oscars (on and off) from bed and it’s lights out around midnight.

Monday, March 22, we welcome our houseguests for the week; Matt Matterson and Paul Adlam were the gay couple that we met on our London trip.  We take them to Dick’s for martinis; since B has to go bowling, we have dinner at Pangea.

Tuesday, March 23, I pick up some Earl Gray tea for the boys before I drive Bryan to work.  They meet B for lunch at Joe Allen’s in Midtown; we’ve eaten there twice together after “…Forum” and “Lion King.”

By evening, we take off for a walking tour of Greenwich Village, the West Village and Chelsea with the boys.  We become very cuddly during drinks at the Candy Bar and dinner at the Food Bar (the food was just ok, one goes more for the “scenery”) discussing a possible future vacation to Malaysia.

But by the time we stop at Splash for drinks, it’s almost 1 am and I’m very tired.  I cab back home and the three stay out until almost 4 am.

Wednesday, March 24, when I get in from work, the boys are back from shopping at Century 21, a large discount house in the financial district.  And yes, they shopped; but also found time to admire the architecture of the area.

For dinner, we decided on Italian food to everyone’s unanimous ascent and (adding a bit of “over the top”) figured on John’s Italian down the street.  Yes, Donn “Waiter Boy” was there and we sat in the “smoking section” (the two booths opposite the service bar).  And yes, he was in fine fettle; a fun dinner had by all.

Thursday, March 25, after work, the four of us decide to have dinner at Old Devil Moon down the street on 12th Street between Avenues A and B.  The food is somewhat faux cajun but very, very good.  Just like Mom’s home cooking … if she can cook better than my mom!

We send the boys over to Chelsea; suffice it to say that I’m asleep by midnight while the rest of the world stays up!

Friday, March 26, my day is consumed with the bishop’s newsletter, even though it’s only eight pages this time instead of twelve.  I leave work at 5 and grab Bryan; we have drinks at Dick’s while waiting for the boys to finish their day (they saw the famous “Earth Room” presented by the Dia Center on Wooster Street and more).

Then it’s sushi next door at Mie which we all enjoy; dinner takes us awhile and then it’s back for nightcaps at Dick’s.  By midnight, Bryan and I are tired but the boys go off to the Cock and are out until almost closing.

Saturday, March 27, we’re up around 11 am and it’s off to show them the world-famous Lunch Box – ok, our Saturday morning brunch spot.  After, they wanted to take the Circle Line cruise around the tip of Manhattan but the taxi makes them literally miss the boat.  So they go off the Guggenheim Museum instead where Paul gets to see a picture of his childhood idol Yul Brynner in the nude.

While they’re out doing that and more, Bryan and I pick up the house and shop for ingredients for the evening’s meal.  Matt is making us bangers and mashed for Bryan, just like he did in London.  From 7 to 9 pm, we all drink and talk while cooking and prepping, then eat from 9 to 10.  Everyone loves the way dinner comes out; the bangers are sausages that they picked up at the Farmer’s Market in Union Square along with organic potatoes.  Along with the spinach and two bottles of good white wine (a pinot grigio and a 1993 Portuguese), it makes for a great meal.

Dessert is at Ben & Jerry’s which they don’t have in England; they both have my favorite Cherry Garcia along with other flavors.  Then instead of going out to the bars we decided to all flop in our bedroom and watch “Fargo” on DVD.  By 1 am, we chat for awhile and then crash around 2:30 am.

Sunday, March 28, Palm Sunday, and everyone sleeps late.  The goal, at least on my part, was to go to St. Mark in-the-Bowery (the current spelling) but …  I actually find a service leaflet for it later in the day so I guess that must have been a hint!

By the time everyone’s up around noon, we decide on brunch at the Telephone Bar and Grill on Second Avenue.  I wasn’t even thinking that it’s a theme restaurant, not just telephone but even more specifically English.  Yes, lots of Union Jacks and the pictures of old monarchs!  I guess I’m not very observant.  But everyone except me gets eggs Benedict (which the boys had particularly been looking for) and the food is quite good.

After, we take the car and drive through SoHo (they needed to change more money), up through Chelsea and then to Penn Station where they were taking the Amtrak to Boston for a couple of days.  They are staying at the 463 Beacon Street Guest House but, except for a quick phone call upon their arrival (they couldn’t remember the address) we don’t hear from them their whole trip there.

Monday, March 29, at noon, we have lunch together at Confetti on 38th Street; we’ve eaten there before.  One chooses from over a dozen possible add-ins, a pasta and a sauce (from among five) and the cook puts them all together.  You also get a salad and bread, all for around $7.  I really enjoy my linguine in a combination of spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers and onions in an herb sauce; B goes for a combination in alfredo sauce that’s equally good.

We’ve decided on MaryAnn’s on Second Avenue for Mexican, but when we walk over to Dick’s for a pre-dinner cocktail we find the place shuttered!  It’s never closed, not even on Christmas.  We fear the worst but later find out it’s just a small violation.  But were we worried!

Tuesday, March 30, driving music on the way to work is Marta Sebestyen’s “Kismet.”  She is one of the great interpreters of her native Hungarian folk music but on this album expands her vision to include other Eastern European tunes along with some from Ireland as well.  It's a very impressive and moving album.

Got an interesting phone call during work from Mark Parenteau, ex-WBCN disc jockey.  He’s broken up (for the second and probably final time) from his boyfriend Keith.  And since he’s now living in an apartment in Times Square (he’s now the afternoon jock on Q-104, a classic rock station in NYC), we’ll probably see more of him.

I also got a phone call from Jim Lenney, the choirmaster at Trinity Church in Cranford; I haven’t spoken with him in months in my passive-aggressive way of leaving the choir.  Hopefully, we’ll see each other before Easter Sunday.

Driving music on the way home is Soft Cell.  Now, this album doesn't hold up as well; maybe because it's a bastardization of a compilation album.  A greatest hits album without "Tainted Love?"  Where the biggest hit is "Sex Dwarf" (although I certainly think it is).  Since the album touts "featuring Marc Almond" my guess is that he bought back the rights to a bunch of old songs and did a quick re-packaging.  Oh, well.

After meeting Bryan at home, we debrief the boys on their trip to Boston.  Leaving for dinner, we’re happy to see that Dick’s is back open so we stop for a drink before going to Yaffa Café on St. Mark’s Place for dinner.  It's got a great hippy atmosphere and very fresh food.  Then I.C. Guys (they've got to see one of NYC's more unique bars) and back to Dick’s.

We make a quick stop at the apartment and then the boys head off to Christopher Street and the area, stopping in at Pieces, the Stonewall and the Monster before returning to the East Village and Cock.

Wednesday, March 31, I stay at work late, until after 6 pm, working on the church newsletter; by the time I get into the apartment Bryan is home along with the boys.  Before dinner, we stop into Flamingo East on Second Avenue so they can have proper Manhattans in Manhattan (yes, they’ve had them before and still want them!).

For their final meal, they want to go back to Pangea and how can I blame them.  As opposed to last week, Pangea is crowded and both Arnoldo and Steven, the owners, are there.  The calamari is a little tough but my pasta special is tasty.  The boys both have some form of steak (and don’t complain but neither do I hear hosannas) and Bryan has the blackened tuna, good as ever.  And then their final drinks at Dick’s before heading back to the apartment and our formal good-byes to them and to March.  Hopefully, they will be sending copies of pictures that they took so I can put them on this page.