Tuesday, August 1, Scott Reich and I hadn’t seen Dangerboy in a couple of months it seems, other than via email.  So, we decided to meet halfway and see where it would land us; our destination winds up to be Pisces, a restaurant specializing in fish on Avenue A at Sixth Street.  We both have some vodka and then he has a field greens salad and very good looking shrimp while I have steamed mussels in a rather good spicy sauce and linguine with littleneck clams (which weren’t quite so little and somewhat tough).  Dinner was about $75.

Wednesday, August 2 and an extremely well written episode of Star Trek: Voyager; a memorial makes the crew react as if they were the killers of innocent people – or at least have the memories of those that did.  Much like having to relive the Holocaust in the brains of Nazis.  Anyway, quite moving.
 

Thursday, August 3 and Joanne Vallis and I walk down to Little Korea to the New York Kom Tang Kalbi House Korean Restaurant.  She’s never had Korean but I can’t really say that she learned all that much except for the condiments.

Friday, August 4, the 100th birthday of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.  I headed over to Grace Church just before noon.  On Sunday, I heard Canon Andrew mention something about a special service for the Queen Mum’s birthday and thought I’d attend.  Little did I know that it was being covered by AP and assorted local news agencies!  Well, well.

‘A Celebration of Thanksgiving for the 100th Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’ ... there were two readings, the OT by Mr. Duncan Taylor, Deputy Consul General and the NT by the Rt. Rev. Richard F. Grein, Bishop of New York, also hymns, anthems and prayers and an address by Canon John Andrew, Priest-in-charge of Grace Church.
 

Saturday, August 5 and I read the first ten chapters of the Gospel of Mark; Craig+ had suggested reading it in one of his sermons, which he mails to those not in attendance at Trinity.

Bryan picked up food at Taco Bell and we watched ‘The Pretender’ starring Michael T. Weiss.  And a comment on this very unusual show; yes, it's not very good generally except for a continuous coincident subplot involving the people chasing 'Jarod' (for some reason, he always uses his first name which would seem to leave them lots of clues).  This episode is based on the Wizard of Oz.  The three character actors playing them are just incredible and the best lines seem to be reserved for them; they are Andrea Parker, Patrick Bauchau and Jon Greis.

Sunday, August 6 and Grace Church.  Canon Andrew preached with the assistance of Lyndon Harris, the Curate (it just occurs to me that I’ve never heard him preach).  He referenced an old song and the lyric “I danced with a man who danced with a girl who danced with the Prince of Wales.”  This in reference to the letter of Peter where he told his eyewitness account of the Transfiguration.
 

Monday, August 7 and Bryan and I stop at the East Village Cheese Shop for ingredients for his lasagna; and boy does it turn out good!  It’s made with spinach and fresh tomatoes and is just perfect; we eat right around 7:30 which is about the same time that Ellie Mason, Bridget’s sister calls.  We’ll be seeing her on Friday.

Tuesday, August 8  Television Memory:  When I was young I would alway watch Chiller Theatre with Zacherley (ne John Zacherle).  I later heard him on the radio in NYC on WNEW-FM and WPLJ until the end of the 70s.  Believe it or not, he's still alive (he'll be 82 on September 27, 2000) and still doing public appearances!

Music: I am reading Q magazine; yes, more about the Oasis breakup or whatever they’re calling it.  Bryan sends me this note.  And can I resist sharing it with you?  No I cannot!

Should Oasis bad boy Liam Gallagher change his name to “Harry Butz”?  Depends on how reliable you find Posh Spice.  The skinniest Spice has apparently told the UK Sun that Gallagher’s “bum is disgusting.  It’s covered, and the hair is about two inches long.”  An Oasis roadie has reportedly confirmed Posh’s furry assessment, sharing this lovely image with the tabloid:  “I remember one gig in Oslo when Liam picked up a tambourine and I saw a fuzzy bit of hair over the top of his jeans.  It looked like the beards that ZZ Top wear.”

Thursday, August 10 and Ross Humphrey of the Blue Man Group and I met at Mexican Radio for drinks which expanded into dinner.  And very tasty it was.  Their margaritas are superb and made with fresh lime juice and my dinner was quite sublime - tacos suave which are white corn tortillas with filling (I had roasted veggies) with a black bean salsa, guaguillo pepper sauce, queso anejo and pico de gallo.  Forget the translations and order it!

Friday, August 11 and Bryan has taken the day off from work in honor of his birthday the following day and we go off for lunch.  There’s a serious lack of simple diners around the East Village and we actually wind up on St. Mark’s Place for lunch at Dojo, a cheap half Japanese/half sandwich shop.  Can’t complain though; although not great food, raisin french toast for Bryan and a chicken sub with pesto and a side salad (with drinks) comes to less than $10.
 

Then we get back to the apartment to see Ellie Mason, Bridget’s sister, standing outside.  She’s been in New York for the week and we’d planned on going to the Museum of Modern Art with her today. So after a quick stop upstairs (see traditional couch picture), we walked all the way up Fifth Avenue, stopping at the new H+M department store.  Although the shoppers are either Eurotrash or want to be, the prices certainly are cheap, cheap, cheap and Ellie gets a shoulder bag for only $9! Then we get up to the MoMA; after looking in the museum store we go in to see their latest exhibits, culled from their permanent collection.  The whole day has been quite gray and by evening it’s mainly a light rain (except for a monsoon that kept us at the MoMA longer than planned).  Back at the apartment, we have whiskey macs in her honor (half Scotch whiskey, half Ginger Wine – in this case from Tesco’s as we didn’t have Stone’s).  The phone rang around 8:30; it was Joe Fiore and David Feight.  They had just been to Telephone Bar and Grill having fish and chips and decided to call and see if we were home.  Indeed, they actually remembered that it was Bryan’s birthday so we went over to DeRobertis for pastries and coffee.  Well, this place has gone downhill; one may remember that their cannoli were almost famously good.  Tonight, it and the others were dry and doughy. Since they put the taste of fish and chips into Bryan’s mouth that’s where he and I went next.  Now, at night, the Telephone Bar and Grill is quite the loud place but has a respectable and fairly priced menu (both entrees are $11 each).  He enjoys his NY Times Fish and Chips; I have a quite respectable Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak Sandwich (which on the down side doesn’t have much steak!). In existence since the beginning of the 20th century (as the Cafe Metro), the Greenwich Village Gazette review says it was frequented by Emma Goldberg, Eugene O'Neill, Leon Trotsky, William Burroughs, Allan Ginzburg and Jack Kerouac, among others.  Today it plays host to many events.

Saturday, August 12 and Bryan is 31 years old.  At 4 pm, we pick up Bryan’s flowers at work; Michelle has gotten him the hundred dollar bouquet so it’s huge and beautiful.  Next stop is Julius for a drink and then dinner at Tanti Baci on West Tenth Street in the Village.  Dinner of course is wonderful; Bryan has the caprese salad and pasta while I have a grilled asparagus and mesclun salad followed by linguine with incredibly perfect manila clams, so small and perfect and sweet and beautiful.  Get the drift?  It’s just down the street from Julius so go have a drink and then get yourself there.

Roger Ebert called The American President  "great entertainment - one of the year's best films."  I have cried every time that Michael Douglas utters the words “and I am the President.”  Well, you’ll have to see the movie to know what I mean.  Annette Bening is wonderful in this movie and if you don’t like it get your own website.

At 11 pm, I’m lying in bed watching Judgement at Nuremberg (1961) with Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich and even Judy Garland.  It leads me to the thought, “perhaps by what we have done, left undone and not understood what we had done” as that seems to be the problem these convicted jurists have in common.  Glad I saw it though.
 

Sunday, August 13 and I’m on my way to St. Bartholomew’s.  It’s a wonderful service even if I’m not the biggest fan of the Franz Schubert’s Missa in C Major.  But the reading of the Gospel (John 6:37-51 … “I am the bread of life”) is impeccable, as is the sermon by the rector, the Rev. William McD. "Bill" Tully.  It centers on the film Babette’s Feast.  Naturally, the hymn is #335 to go along with the Gospel (‘even if they die, they shall live forever’); by Suzanne Toolan, it’s become a big favorite around the country.  Later, Jim Lenney tells me it’s because of the I-VI-IV-V chord progression.  Bryan and I are having brunch with Jim and Jamie.  We relax through an afternoon of drinks, cold cucumber soup and then ribs cooked outside with potato salad and corn from Dreyer’s Farm.  We have a great time. In the evening we watch Love! Valour! Compassion!  And yes, the movie has dated somewhat (it’s about 8 men during the AIDS crisis) but still has moving moments.  The cast is mainly from the stage cast with the exception of Jason Alexander as Buzz (a roll I saw filled by Mario Cantone in Los Angeles many years ago and originally designed for author Terence McNally’s friend Nathan Lane).

Monday, August 14 and dinner is Mexican at MaryAnn’s followed by a broadcast of the movie version of the Who's Tommy.  I'd forgotten exactly how bad that movie was!  Then an hour of Classic Arts Showcase, one of those unusual channels that broadcasts only a few hours a day; it's generally two or three minute clips of old classical music pieces that were originally filmed or on kinescope but generally interesting.

Tuesday, August 15, the Feast of the Assumption and also the 78th birthday of Lucas Foss; WQXR plays his “Salomon Rossi Suite” performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic (New World NW 375-2) and conducted by himself.  A ‘somewhat’ more heroic piece than some I have recommended to you in the past, simple but clear.

I hear noises downstairs and remember that they’re filming scenes from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit with Christopher Meloni (yes, he’s also in Oz, Runaway Bride and was on the cover of the June issue of OUT) and Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer and Ice T (Q magazine tells us his real name is Tracey).  

And yes, there’s lots of time spent with nothing happening (Mr. Belzer, in particular, seems to just sit in the front seat of his car the whole time) but of course it’s exciting for me.  Most of the scenes involve Meloni and Hargitay talking except for some action shots of Mr. Meloni chasing the bad guy and jumping over a cab.  I get some pictures to put on the website (yes, all these shots are mine).

The Democratic Convention is on and we see Jesse Jackson and Ted Kennedy but neither has their finest oratory hour.  Have I mentioned that you should vote for Al Gore?  Yes, it's that time again when I abandon all caution and dive head first into political opinion.  So vote.  And if you have any sense, vote for Al Gore.  Don't like Al?  Then you're going to tell me that George W is the better man?  Um, I don't think you want to debate that one.
 

Thursday, August 17 and although there were no permanent jobs to be had at Church Publishing, there was a temp job in data entry starting on the very next morning!

Then it’s off to sushi at Mie after which I watch the Democratic National Convention and Al Gore’s speech.  Like most people I found that he galloped his way through it (probably since so much of it was substance and he knows how bored people get and also because of perceived wooden expression); nonetheless, he earned my vote by the end of it.  Most importantly because he pointed out that although he is though of as 'very serious' the position of President of the United States is "not a popularity contest" - exactly!  I truly believe that he will seriously carry out the pledge he makes at his inauguration.  Vote for him!  Vote for Al Gore!

Friday, August 18 and I start my first day of work at Church Publishing doing data entry.  It may not be the 'job of choice' but it's certainly one of the few places at which I've wanted to work   It’s dinner at Siam Lemon Leaf for dinner alone.

Saturday, August 19 and a dining tip:  Zito’s is very hit or miss as the good cook is off and our food doesn’t taste quite right.  So I retreat to the television.  On Ovation, I watch two shows on English rock, the first on Alan McGee and Creation Records (the home of Oasis) followed by one on Blur.  Both are very good and make me yearn for England again.

At 11, I watch the end of Eric Leinsdorf conducting Benjamin Britten’s The Turning of the Screw followed by a brief description of Guy Fawkes on the Travel Channel.
 

Sunday, August 20 and St. Bartholomew's as I want to hear Mary Haddad speak on “My Journey” in the Rector’s Forum.  I meet Bob Armstrong in front of the church right beforehand and are greatly impressed by her story.  Then it’s another in their Summer Festival of Sacred Music and Choral Eucharist centering on Louis Vierne’s Messe Solennelle with a sermon by the Rev. Jay Sidebotham, their vicar.

Monday, August 21 and my second day at work.  My job is somewhat boring; thankfully, I happen to be interested in individual parishes so I actually see many that I’ve visited or written about when doing the bishop’s newsletter.  Then dinner at Pangea for calamari and spaghetti bolognese (along with Redondo wine from Portugal - yes, quite dry - and a Fermet Branca with espresso).

Tuesday, August 22 and I talk to Steve Pelle for over half an hour.  Who's Steve?  None other than my college roommate and a truly great guy.  Not many years after graduating from Tufts University with me, he moved back to his home state of Florida where, after marrying his wife Vicky, he still lives.  Although we talk on the phone (and now, finally, email) we have only seen each other a handful of times in the last two decades.

Reading: Bryan is reading Men on Men 2000, the eighth in this series of collections of gay short stories from Plume, an imprint of PenguinPutnam; the reviews are fairly good also.

Wednesday, August 23 and, at the 6 pm Eucharist at Grace, the celebrant and preacher is their vicar, the Rev. Janet Broderick Kraft and I enjoy her analogy of Jesus offering his body and blood in direct opposition to the rage and hostility of the world and tell her so afterward.  I like her.  And yes, you gossip mongers, her brother's name is Matthew and she officiated at his wedding to Sarah Jessica Parker, star of the acclaimed Sex and the City in 1997.

Bryan and I, like most Americans, watch the conclusion of Survivor.  We’re somewhat surprised by the winning of Richard Hatch, the gay motivational speaker, but we learn that men will pick other men over women (sexism trumps homophobia) and that the image of gay men being manipulative pays off in this game!
 

Friday, August 25 and my father is 77 years old.  It’s a very long day at work, and I hope somewhat productive.  I only take a short break for lunch; Bryan and I split a sandwich from Green Pea on the steps of the Library.

Since nothing major happened today, I thought you might like some lessons on forms of address.  Here are four links that will help you the next time Miss Manners isn't around:  If you're with British royalty you'll want the site for Debrett's Peerage (although if you're with them for long, you'll want the book, Debrett's New Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners by John Morgan); Laura Wallace's British Titles of Nobility is not only comprehensive but contains many links; if you find yourself time traveling to the Middle Ages you might need these from the The Society for Creative Anachronism; and Romans may need these forms of ecclesiastical usage.

Saturday, August 26 and for music, I listen to the Queens of the Stone Age but find it lacking.  I was really hoping that their press hype would hold up but it just doesn’t for me.  And trust me, I know that this is the biggest thing around; Dangerboy loves it and it was even sent to me by Debbie Southwood-Smith at Interscope.  So I tried guys!

Bryan gets home from the office around 6 and prepares his world-famous lasagna and we rest until dinner.  I’m reading Time and am reminded of Al Gore’s comments during his acceptance speech.  “I know my own imperfections.  I know I won’t always be the most exciting politician.  But … I will work for you every day, and I will never let you down.”   Please remember that in November and vote for Gore!

Sunday, August 27 and Janet Kraft is the preacher at Grace; it’s a fairly strong sermon too, the theme (I believe) is that we come to Christ almost because there’s nowhere else to go, that he is the only one left to accept us.  Ok, certainly a bad paraphrase but I like it.  And speaking of churches, did you know that the Episcopal Church in America has a branch in Florence, Italy?  Yes, St. James; I've got to remember that the next time we're there!

Tony Jewiss+ invited us out to the rectory at Christ Church Holy Family in Brooklyn.  It was drinks and buffet dinner for about a dozen.  I think we had a pleasant enough time, visiting the church next door again so Bryan could see it.

Monday, August 28 and I put in a full nine hour day.  I will be getting a co-worker starting on Tuesday and I’m sure many more in just a few days so now is the time to start learning and doing.

Tuesday, August 29 and a very full and productive day at work with only a short break to show our summer intern the trading floor at HSBC.  Even I had never seen it in action before.
 

Wednesday, August 30 and after the 6 pm Eucharist at Grace, a discussion on why the Gospel appears before the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  Bryan’s concept is that perhaps it should be the last item so that we leave “on the word of God.”  I believe that the short answer is historical but can’t prove it.  Indeed, as far as I can tell there has been a sea change in the emphasis from the Word to the Eucharist.  Good question for the experts.  Here is an answer from one of my correspondents ...

I think you're right: it's historical.  In the early church the Liturgy of the Catechumens, which came first in the Service, contained instructions for the unbaptized, taken from letters etc.  They could not remain for the Holy Mysteries, which, it was felt, they could not fully understood or appreciate without extensive instruction first.  (The catacumens were probably copied from the practice in the Mystery sects, like the Elusinian Mysteries, where the first grade was called acousticoi or listeners).  For a while in the West the catecumens were dismissed before the Gospel.

The practice of reading scripture was probably taken from the Jewish worship service.  As I understand it, matching the OT and NT message also came from the Jews when in Christian countries they were forbidden to read from the Torah in their worship.  So they substituted text from the prophets and other books of sacred scripture, which illustrated the message of the Torah that would have been read.

And so ends August as we roll into Labor Day weekend.