I find out from Craig+ that we stand a good chance of doing a newsletter for the Diocese of New Jersey.  Quick background:  Funding for the diocesan newspaper has been cut because of the drastic budget situation exacerbated by the right wing attacks on Bishop Doss.  So we have offered to help in any way we can, and communication is our specialty.  Remember, communication was the key in bringing down communism.

Thursday, April 2 … choir practice, then martinis at Jim and Jamie’s afterward with Donna Reagan.  Go home, watch the Melrose Place season finale and thence to Friday.

Friday, April 3, Bryan has taken the day off; he had dinner with his boss Michelle Petersen (at Pangea) the night before.  It’s such a beautiful afternoon we decide to take a walk to 23rd Street in Chelsea, as we need fabric for our bedroom curtains.  So we take a nice stroll down 7th Avenue, wandering through the Village and finally making our way through Washington Square Park.

On the way, we pass a storefront on LaGuardia Place with a large-scale group exhibition curated by artist Kenny Schachter.  26 artists have large pieces installed in this huge space (with prices to match).  Very interesting and “far out” stuff!  Just sort of plopped out in the middle of nowhere.

We walk back to the Village and have dinner at Osteria Fiorentina (across the street from John’s Pizza on Bleeker Street).  We’ve eaten here before (the waiter – owner? – is probably 400 pounds!) but the food just wasn’t exceptional this evening.  On the walk back, we stop at a tobacco store where we get B a silver cigarette case, Turkish Specials for me, and colorful Collory’s from the Netherlands, which we will send to Alli.

By midnight, we are just about home, but see that “Lost in Space” (which premiers this evening) is at the Loew’s on the corner at 12:30 am.  Why not?  Well, perhaps because it’s not a very good movie.  I’m almost obliged to go (being of that generation) but Gary Oldham just isn’t as campy as Dr. Smith needs to be, although Matt LeBlanc makes a fine Don West (there’s no acting involved!) – ps, some of the original makes a cameo, along with June Lockhart (and maybe more that we don’t recognize).  William Hurt and Mimi Rogers play the Robinson parents in rather modern, psychological way and Penny is an obnoxious punk.  Oh, well.  The special effects aren’t bad and the plot isn’t either, it’s just not the campy version we expected.

Saturday, April 4, we head uptown and wait in line at TKTS (the discount ticket service in Times Square) to see what matinee we can get.  We score with third row center seats for the late Howard Crabtree’s “When Pigs Fly.”  Incredible.  Five guys (and a piano player) with outrageous costumes in a tres gay musical.  What fun!

At 7 pm, we meet Ted Smith and Jim Shewalter to see “The Butcher Boy” from Neil Jordan, the director of “the Crying Game.”  The movie, set in Ireland 1962, features Stephen Rea, from that movie, as the narrator and the father of the lead character who moves from mere childhood delinquency to murder and mayhem, finally descending into madness as the movie progresses.  I’m not sure if the movie is good or bad, but it’s certainly hard to get through.  After the movie, we eat at Gloria’s, a Mexican restaurant in Tribeca owned by the MaryAnn people.  Very good food and drinks.

Sunday, April 5 … Palm Sunday, I’m narrator of the Passion Play at Trinity.  And because of an accident on the Pulaski Skyway I almost don’t make it!  But the reading goes well and Mom arrives just after the service begins and gets to see it.

In the evening, we walk to the Village and after strolling around, wind up at the Village Lantern on Bleeker Street (between Thompson & Sullivan).  It’s got a large bar in area in front where we sit (for the smoking section) and are very surprised to find incredible food.  B starts off with shrimp cocktail, then portobello mushrooms in a rosemary/tomato sauce and then fettuccine with salmon.  I start with tasty clams in garlic and wine, then a pear/apple/gorgonzola salad and finally a perfect steak au poivre.

Monday, April 6, we’re up early and at work correspondingly so.  Later at the apartment, we decide to grab dinner at Pangea (and many caipirinhas for me); later we have a late night breakfast at Odessa with Vinny and Steve.

Tuesday, April 7, after work, Bryan’s off to bowling.  I get there around 10 pm and we partially walk back to Dick’s, taking a cab the final leg.

Wednesday, April 8 … a productive packing day at work and then back into the city.  Around 8, we get a phone call from Dangerboy and Susan and join them for sushi at Takahashi on Avenue A between 5th and 6th Streets.  Much sake.

Thursday, April 9; being Maundy Thursday, we have a service at 7:30 (and sing some beautiful music including an excerpt from the Messiah).  During the stripping of the altar, I read Psalm 22:1-22:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.”

while the bells play an aria that continues after I’m finished.  I’m hard pressed to read it without emotion.  After the service, I go over to Jim and Jamie’s for some of his fabulous boeuf caponade (ok, stew, but made with light ale) and stuffed clams from Trader Joe’s.  While at my parents I’m also in the midst of watching “Robin and the Seven Hoods” with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.  Hmmm, doesn’t seem to hold up as well as memory serves!

Friday, April 10, Good Friday … sleep late and then go down to the shop to work on Connections.  After, we have dinner with Philip at Brunetta’s.

Saturday, April 11 … up relatively early, breakfast at the Lunch Box and a walk through Union Square and we start to enjoy a beautiful spring day.  Bryan spends much of the afternoon working on his plants.  Around 7 pm, we’re at John’s Italian down the street.

Easter Sunday, April 12 … Bryan and I get up around 8 am and go into Cranford for Easter services at Trinity (the choir sings the Hallelujah chorus from the Messiah and another Bach piece among some strong hymns).

After the service we have bloody marys at Jim and Jamie’s before going to my mom’s house for the traditional Easter lasagna – and it’s mom’s best yet!  Mario and MaryKay are there along with my parents and Aunt Virginia.  We stay for about 3 hours and then head back into the city.

Monday, April 13, I get back to the apartment about an hour before Bryan and do five loads of laundry!  Once he’s in, we go to Brunetta’s for dinner.

Tuesday, April 14, a productive day at work.  While Bryan bowls, I work on the new medicine cabinet … we’ll see how that works!  After bowling, we get a bite at Pangea, a drink at Dick’s and then bed.  We don’t notice that we one of the things we don’t notice is Rosebud, our cat.

Wednesday, April 15, Tax Day, but I already know that I’m getting $2000 back – yeah!  Not a minute after I wake up I realize that Rosebud isn’t on the bed nor making noise.  Where is she!!!  Well, after looking long and hard, and fearing that she had fallen out of the fifth story window, we find her behind one of the flowerpots on the back porch.  Yes, she had been out all night, even through the rain.  She has no voice so she couldn’t even meow her way back in!  But she seems none the worse for wear; she’s definitely one of us!

Bryan and I go to the International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Center.  Sometime over the summer I’ll trade in my Oldsmobile.  Our current front runner is the Nissan Maxima but we’re also looking at the VW Passat wagon and Ford Explorer; others include the Buick Riviera, Saab 9-5 and Mitsubishi and Mazda sedans.  After, we go to the Candy Bar in Chelsea for food and the beginning of four Cosmopolitans (fancy martinis) – the last one at Alley’s End (where we must return for food someday - we’d seen David Schwimmer there before at a party for Joe Fiore).

Thursday, April 16 … a relatively quiet day at work except that my father wants to re-organize the company’s finances by using our bank stock as collateral.  And he wants to have a meeting after work on Friday.  Well, since his behavior is aimed entirely at my brother, I’m not attending (tough luck) and have instead written a three-page letter describing my objections and defending my own management.  Choir practice as usual, except that I’m the only bass there so I have to hold my own!  Yech!  Then pizza and drinks at Jim and Jamie’s.

Friday, April 17, well, well, a major blowout with my father.  He calls Mario and I into his office with complaints that the company doesn’t make enough money, that we’re no good … the usual stuff.  I have prepared for this with my letter defending myself, which of course he doesn’t want to read.  Boring, boring.

Anyway, leave work normal time and pick up Bryan at work; he’s got roses in hand – it’s Tony Appreciation Weekend!  Stop for martinis at Dick’s before a nap and then dinner at John’s Italian on 12th Street so we can see the waiter (Donn Boulanger).

Saturday, April 18, we get up for our normal breakfast at the Lunch Box, the meet Donn at the Dia Center to show off the Richard Serra sculpture (see previous diary).  After, we go to Pangea for a light bite.

Around 7 pm, Bryan and I go to Flamingo East for dinner.  Mark Parenteau comes by with his boyfriend (they’re in the city for the weekend) and we go walk around the East Village for a while before coming back to the apartment to chat.

Sunday, April 19, Pangea for brunch and a bloody mary at Dick's.  In the evening, Vinny and Steve picked us up and we went to Alley’s End for dinner (ask and ye shall receive!).  Many restaurants this evening are donating part of their proceeds to God’s Love We Deliver (dinners to AIDS persons).  We go to the Monster for about half an hour and then taxi to Dick’s.  Tony Appreciation Weekend comes to a close a little after midnight.

Monday, April 20, dinner at Brunetta’s.

Tuesday, April 21, another simple day at work.  Bryan goes bowling while I finish re-wiring our new medical cabinet and a new phone machine.  The cabinet works great – and the interior lighting is really something.  After bowling, B throws his knee out going down some stairs; it has us worried, as that was his “recreated” knee.  So we just have a quick bite at the diner near the alley.

Wednesday, April 22, a gorgeous day – perfect spring weather.  After work, I meet with my lawyer to update my will.  With Bryan in my life it was time to make sure that he is protected.  Getting into town, we remember that Pangea is having a benefit for Quentin Crisp, the gay icon.  We had said we’d attend, so, against our desire, we go.  Pretty lame, I have to say.  Quentin was “indisposed” – harrumph!  We had two drag acts (well, barely drag) – Joey Arias (didn’t quite get his act) and John Kelly.  Kelly is most famous for his impersonation of Joni Mitchell (yes, you read it correctly).  Ms. Mitchell has even attended one of his shows.  Maybe I’m missing the point.

Thursday, April 23, a very good choir practice and drinks with Jim and Jamie and Doug Reagan, who has produced the first ever color cover for Connections.

Friday, April 24, a beautiful day outside.  Garrett Lanzy will be staying with us for the weekend as he’s working the Gay and Lesbian trade show for IBM; he’s down from Endicott, New York where he’s Advisory Software Engineer for them.  We walk down to Little Italy and have dinner at Fratelli Ristorante at 115 Mulberry Street.  Not bad food, B having a portabello mushroom parmagiana and Garrett and I both ordered superb artichokes smothered in a grain-type sauce.  Then on to pastas.  B drinks white wine but Garrett and I split a bottle of very good Amarone (a little over-priced here at $38).

Saturday, April 25, Bryan and I get up for our normal breakfast at the Lunch Box and a fine walk down to Chelsea (I needed summer shorts), Krispy Kreme doughnuts (Bryan loves them, I just don’t), a stop at his office to call his boss Michelle (on Lake Cuomo in Italy) and then arriving at the convention.

We only stayed about an hour because it really wasn’t that interesting.  The most famous person was the emcee of the talent show, Dan Renzi, who was on the Florida edition of MTV’s Real World.  He’s quite tall, bleached blond hair, and with a very young boyfriend.  B and I had dinner at Flamingo East (B had superb tuna appetizer and entrée, I had their tender calamari and lemon chicken).

Garrett didn’t get back to the apartment until around 11 pm (dinner for he and his co-workers and dates, about 50 people, at Cucina della Fontana in the Village, cost IBM $2200, not including drinks!).

Off we went to Splash, where we stayed for almost four hours, with the exception of an hour at Kings around the block.  Dan Renzi is there also.  So of course they’re willing to go to breakfast at Odessa on Avenue A until almost 6 am!

Sunday, April 26, we awaited Garrett’s arrival around 6 pm.  He came with a friend, Eric, from his chorus in Binghamton.  Eric is 22, a waiter, and living on West 58th Street … and cute, cute, cute.  Garrett works for awhile on our computer, trying to get the CD-ROM recorder to work.  We haven’t tried it yet, but it should be ok.

We go to Pangea for dinner where we have caipirinhas (I’ll never get the spelling right) and then a Cuban drink made with mashed mint leaves and light rum that Arnoldo makes for us.

Monday, April 27, the day before my birthday.  That doesn’t stop me from going back to the apartment and buying four dozen roses (four different kinds) to welcome Bryan home.  B and I eat at Brunetta’s but first a drink at Dick’s.  Stephen Fort is there and Bryan and I invite him to dinner with us.

After dinner (I’ve got to remind myself to have the ravioli with pesto that Bryan had, but didn’t care for himself) we go back to his apartment on Avenue A between 13th and 14th Streets.  He is a “set designer” if you will for Sak’s Fifth Avenue and his apartment, although in a tenement building, is gorgeous with fabulous things.

Tuesday, April 28, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me … 45 years old.  Two years ago, I was in Santa Fe with John deCarlo, last year at a romantic dinner at the Paris Commune with Bryan, a week before moving in together.

Dinner is at Theresa’s in Westfield with my parents, brother and Pat Faraone and Elaine.  Afterward, I decide to stay overnight in Cranford as Bryan is supposed to be bowling his final night of the season.  I watch the “Dallas” reunion movie that I taped the previous week.  Yes, I was a “Dallas” fan (and Falcon Crest, if you remember that); I’d watch it before going to Spit (where I spun records every Saturday night) to see Oedipus dj.

Wednesday, April 29, a beautiful spring day.  While at work, I also start working on Ecclesia, the diocese newsletter for clergy and lay leaders.  Craig+ and I have taken over the project which excites me greatly.

At 9 pm, we walk to the West Village and have dinner at the Paris Commune, where we celebrated my birthday last year.  I had smoked salmon and chicken in mustard sauce, Bryan warm brie and salmon with pesto; we split a superb chocolate mousse cake.  After a quick drink at Dick’s, we were back to the apartment (hey, that’s a long walk both ways!) and bed.

Thursday, April 30, I sign my will at 4 pm, then it’s choir night for me and a night off for Bryan.  An easy end to the month.