How are all these people affording month-long summer stays at vacation spots?
Am I the only one who has to go to work?
03
July
2019
No comments
July
2019
Summer Memories: Dawn of Delta in P-Town
DELTA DAWN WHAT’S THAT FLOWER YOU HAVE ON?
COULD IT BE A FADED ROSES FORM TIME GONE BY?
AND DID I HEAR YOU SAY HE WAS MEETING YOU HERE TODAY
TO TAKE YOU TO HIS MANSION IN THE SKY?
A Tanqueray and tonic.
A wrap-around porch in Provincetown.
An evening cocktail with a cherished friend.
The drink sat before me with a requisite lime, made by a bartender who learned it instantly and who would remember it for all my time there. My friend Kristen sat beside me as we waited for the rest of our group to make it to the very tip of the Cape. We were all of twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and this would prove to be one of the first, and one of the last, of our youthful vacations together.
At the Gifford House, just down the road from the place we had rented out, a gaggle of gays had already started gathering. In mid to late July, the height and hounding of deep summer had commenced. Men milled about while a few ladies laughed and tore through the place in summer shorts and sun-blonde hair.
SHE’S FORTY-ONE AND HER DADDY STILL CALLS HER BABY
ALL THE FOLKS AROUND BROWNSVILLE SAY SHE’S CRAZY
CAUSE SHE WALKS DOWNTOWN WITH A SUITCASE IN HER HAND
LOOKING FOR A MYSTERIOUS DARK-HAIRED MAN…
It came on the sound system at the bar and everyone except me immediately began singing along. We had apparently landed in the very gay world of ‘Delta Dawn’ – a world I didn’t even realize was slipping away before I even had a chance to learn its wondrous ways. I sat there with Kristen and we looked around in happy amusement. Our extended weekend had started when we boarded the ferry in Boston – I didn’t have a boyfriend and it was already summer and we just wanted to have fun. Kristen was game for anything, so we sat there people-watching, and now listening as the whole place sang along to a song I’d never heard. Making a mental note that this was something I needed to learn, we listened as guys intermittently laughed, joked, talked, smoked, and sang along. It was the end of the 90’s – the end of the world’s innocence. I ordered another Tanqueray and tonic and we moved to the outside porch. It was still light out, and we were going out for dinner. Kristen had a boyfriend – she drew people to her and captivated them with an outgoing friendliness that I adored and envied. That night I was just happy that she was my friend. It emboldened me to be brave, and brave meant that I could flirt with a guy without worry or care.
At the other end of the porch, a handsome man was sizing me up, and I was doing the same. We would go our separate ways before ending up back at this porch by the end of the night. Without Kristen by my side, I had only my own wiles and wit to sustain conversation, and I tended to veer into cutting criticism far too easily. He didn’t seem to mind, and after a while of feeling him out I decided it was better to be kind.
He was cute. I was available. It was the end of the night. We were so young.
Moving shadows, soft moans, summer mugginess, sweaty stickiness, salty sweetness… he came and went and in the coolness of the night I waited for the next chapter to begin. When we saw each other on Commercial Street the next day it was as if we had never met.
How long it seemed to have taken for a man to be a mere footnote in my story, and how soon I’d learn to relegate them to even less. My heart had been slow to understand, but once the lesson was figured out, once I understood the basic mechanism of the thing and how everything related, it was impossible to forget. I would never not be a little cold again. That’s how the heart protects; that’s how the heart heals.
IN HER YOUNGER DAYS THEY CALLED HER DELTA DAWN
PRETTIEST WOMAN YOU EVER LAID EYES ON
THEN A MAN OF LOW DEGREE STOOD BY HER SIDE
AND PROMISED HER HE’S TAKE HER FOR HIS BRIDE…
As for Ms. Dawn, she knew her way around heartache. It debilitated her, but she lived with it. Dwelling inside perpetual disappointment is also dwelling within the realm of hope. They are sister spirits, and one is rarely encountered without the other. Not to say that it makes the hurt any less, and sometimes I think the smallest bit of hope is the most dangerous thing in the world. How long had she waited? Is she waiting still?
In Savannah, there’s a statue of a young woman by the river, looking out to the water and waiting for a sailor she loved who never returned. As the boats pass by her, some blow their horns in honor of this woman-in-waiting. In a city renowned for being so haunted, that might be the most haunting story of them all.
In that last summer of youth in Provincetown, we left our own ghosts behind. Friends and strangers, lovers and dangers, they wander the nights of memory, summer phantoms carried on the sweet, rotting scent of privet and salty sea mist.
DELTA DAWN WHAT’S THAT FLOWER YOU HAVE ON?
COULD IT BE A FADED ROSES FORM TIME GONE BY?
AND DID I HEAR YOU SAY HE WAS MEETING YOU HERE TODAY
TO TAKE YOU TO HIS MANSION IN THE SKY?
02
July
2019
No comments
July
2019
Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series
With all of our modern-day technology, you would think someone could make an oven door that you can actually see through.
02
July
2019
No comments
July
2019
A Turkey Family Resides In Boston
A flash of feathers and a fluttering of brown and gray alerted me to the presence of a large creature right across the street from our brownstone in Boston. It was much too large to be a pigeon or squirrel (both regular denizens of the street) and soon enough a head popped up, then went down, then popped back up again behind a car, and as it traversed the sidewalk I saw it was a turkey. More incredible were the four or five baby turkeys waddling in its wake (turklings?) How this turkey family came to be living across the street from me in the middle of a metropolis is a mystery. There must have been a nest in the shaded little square of bushes, and since I’m told turkeys are highly territorial (kids have been attacked while straying into their supposed territory near school bus stops) I don’t see how one would make a nest on a relatively-well-tread street.
Yet there it was. There they all were. Against all odds and reason, they kept to their corner while curious and amused onlookers whipped out their phone cameras and aimed for the best shot. I watched from the safety of our second floor vantage point, puzzling out what circumstances could have brought them to Braddock Park.
In addition to listening about their rumored territoriality, I heard that they were dumb as rocks. Some are so stupid that they reportedly look up at the sky when it’s raining, open their beaks, and drown themselves. I suppose the validity of that is as suspect as their vicious territorial nature. One never knows quite what to believe these days. We watched them a little longer before leaving for a show; the neighborhood children were transfixed and every passer-by paused in befuddled delight. Turns out turkeys make the people come together.
The next morning we looked for them again. Some of the neighbors were looking too, but the turkeys had disappeared. I saw the nosier of them poking around in the little garden, trying to prod anything to come out, but there was no one there. Maybe something got them in the night – a raccoon or possum or dog. Or maybe they had decided they’d had enough of city life and took off to somewhere more rural. More likely it was the work of humans. We’ve always been the most destructive species.
01
July
2019
No comments
July
2019
Shirtless July Heat
Kicking off this month with the heat of some hunks, here’s a nifty shirtless collection of some gentlemen who have previously graced this site with their lack of clothing. We begin with a beach summer scene featuring perennial Speedo-clad (and unclad) favorite Pietro Boselli. Shine on, summer sun, shine on. And the question remains whether he’s better from the front or the back; judge for yourself with the GIFs on hand.
See also a naked Pietro Boselli here.
Ronnie Woo knows his way around the kitchen, cooking for an impressive living, as well as the gym if we are going by his body. See more of him here.
Tyson Beckford is one of the classic male supermodels, whose looks have lasted far better than some of his female counterparts. And many of his male counterparts for that matter. Check out his naked ass here.
An old standby and a promising newcomer share a pairing here, as Gus Kenworthy poses and pouts, while Thomas Bradfield licks and leers. Ken worthy was completely naked here; Bradfield got into his underwear here.
Chris Salvatore has always been generous in showing off his underwear – his own line especially. We are nothing but grateful, especially for nude shots like this.
Another pair of hotties is Bryan Greenberg and David Beckham. Greenberg’s hunky pecs were on display here; Beckham’s bits were all over this post.
Chris Hemsworth was one of the funniest part of the last Avengers movie, and he has a knack for comedy that makes him almost more endearing than hot. Almost. Because look at Hemsworth’s almost-naked body here.
All the world loves a ginger. Bryce Eilenberg of RuPaul’s Drag Race certainly embodies that adage, as he will show off in bulge shots here.
Finally, and fittingly, bringing up the rear of this post is the rear-end of Will Young, who let it all hang out in the name of music video glory. I don’t have the link for when he was featured here, but scroll down a bit further and type something into the search box. See what comes up…
01
July
2019
No comments
July
2019
July Begins With This Recap
How in the fuck is it July already? Where the hell did June go? What a rip-off! Summer is moving too quickly. We need more fun and sun! Let’s rewind a bit and recap the previous week, then we’ll dip our toes back into July…
These #TinyThreads slowly unraveled.
Madonna doing what Madonna does best: #GodControl.
June nights are for lovers… and love.
Jazz in July for a good cause.
Summer music for summer days.
Shades of pink petunias.
30
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Saigon Summer in Boston: Night
An early summer night in Boston is often filled with the sweet fragrance of elderly linden trees, and on this late evening the perfume was prevalent as soon as we skirted Boston Common. Following the show, we walked over to the Four Seasons, where we each teetered on the edge of ordering that amazing multi-layer chocolate cake, but ultimately refrained. The server remembered us from last time, and insisted on a second pour of a sparkling rose. Who am I to say no? Across from the hotel the Boston Public Garden was shrouded in the shadows of more linden trees, while in the lobby the post-celebration vestiges of a wedding spilled out from the elevators. Everyone, it seemed, was having a happy night.
We took an Uber back to the condo, where I promptly crashed. We had brunch reservations back beside the Public Garden the next morning; it’s so much nicer in the sunlight. As the air conditioner hummed in the window, and the quiet Boston night settled around us, the next thing I knew Andy was waking me and asking what time it was. I looked at my phone and panicked: it was 10:30 and we had 11:00 reservations.
Luckily, in times of dire need and urgency, I can be ready in ten minutes, and with both of us rushing we walked into the restaurant a minute shy of 11 AM.
A Bellini and Croque Madame made for a lovely pairing while we looked over at the Boston Public Garden. The day was splendid 0 sunny with just a small smattering of clouds to add interest to the blue sky.
On almost every trip to Boston, I try to make a stop in the Public Garden. It holds a special place in my heart, and on this day it was doubly fun as Andy was along for the stroll. We passed the spot where we got married over nine years ago (our 10thwedding anniversary looms happily within the next year – yes, plans are already being made!) There were fleets of ducks landing in the pond, and the pair of white swans stood together on the island. Squirrels were about, dodging dogs and children, and the lingering bracts of the Chinese dogwood held their white starbursts brilliantly against the sky.
It was a beautiful day.
30
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Saigon Summer in Boston: Day
It’s been years since I first (and last) saw ‘Miss Saigon’ and unlike some of those British mega-musicals from the 80’s (‘Les Miserables‘, ‘Cats‘, ‘Phantom of the Opera‘) this one didn’t show much promise of aging well. Fortunately, thanks to some clever re-staging and earnest performances, the show was surprisingly effective. Most of that goes to the irresistible score, delivered by a company of pros. That helicopter scene is still a bit of a gimmick, but a genuinely powerful one. Andy was impressed, and that’s all that mattered on this quick little trip to Boston as summer officially got underway.
The sun welcomed us back in the early afternoon, and as Andy took a nap to restore himself from a sleepless night (and drive) I made a quick shopping expedition, more memorable for the walk through Boston in full summer bloom than any extravagant purchases. We are not quite to the searing heat that can cripple a city – the kind that comes with the first heatwave and then sticks around until October – but the sun was out and it was on the warm side of things. I stayed to the shady side of the street, where it was easier to notice the little enclaves of cool respite, gardens where hosta and ferns gently swayed in the slight breeze. There are many of these tiny squares, and more expansive vistas along the Southwest Corridor Park, where local denizens have been steadily improving the flora in every available space of dirt. It’s come a very long way from the barely-tended stretch of unkept landscaping standards that once populated that place. A long and beautiful way.
I picked up a few items at Eataly – some razor thin prosciutto and a trio of fresh apricots – then returned to the condo for a siesta and a snack. Andy put some Cole Porter on and we got ready for an early dinner in Chinatown. In keeping with the show, it was Vietnamese, and though I was not planning on a steaming bowl of pho, the air conditioning was blowing directly on my skin so I went for it.
With a little time left over, we stopped at the Avery Bar at the Ritz Carlton – a favorite haunt for a fancy cocktail, and right around the corner from the Boston Opera House.
In the cool splendor of such a venue, we found our seats and the show began…
29
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Pretty Pink Petunias
If you look closely enough, and are as obsessed with color as I am, you may notice that each photo here makes it look like a slightly different shade of pink. Part of me abhors such inconsistency, and part of me lives for it. The part that loves it is winning out because I’m filling the space in between the picture with words.
It’s like the tricks you can play with your belt and shoes. The break of your legs is just enough to make shades that aren’t quite the same when viewed next to each other work perfectly together when far enough apart. There’s a metaphor for life somewhere in this. Find it, because I’m in no mood to explain.
As for these little petunias, they share one of my favorite color combinations: outer petals of hot pink and deep throats of chartreuse. They are so bright and cheery I defy you not to be made a little happier by seeing them. (If you’re successful, I don’t want to hear about it. The person that finds a way to shit on the happiness of others is the person who has no place in my life.)
Whoa, that went a little too deep a little too quickly. [Shrugs.]
29
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series
Debating who is worse: people who use no caps or PEOPLE WHO USE ALL CAPS.
29
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Summer Sun Day (Possibly in the Rain)
The big bad weather man, who has been such a total dick to us this year, has threatened the day and the weekend with summer storms. That’s ok – I’ll take a summer storm over a winter storm any day of the year. We are due to visit Missy and Joe and their sons Cameron and Julian this weekend, and nothing can dampen our spirits. We had such a lovely time last year, we’ve been looking forward to this for a while.
In honor of that, and the start of this summer season, another summer song to set the scene and theme. This is ‘Summer Sun’ by Koop.
HEY, SUMMER SUN
YOU ALWAYS SMILE
CLOUDS IN THE SKY
YOU NEVER MIND
HAPPY OR SAD
YOU ALWAYS SHINE
NEVER BEFORE
I’VE MET YOUR KIND
LOVE HAD NEVER GOT A HOLD ON ME
UNTIL YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM
MY LIFE ONCE A MISERY
NOW YOUR LOVE HAS SET ME FREE
This is a great song for lounging by the pool, or waking to a sun-drenched morning. Ideal for a summer brunch or an afternoon cocktail. Slightly fizzy, a little effervescent, and bubbly beyond belief. Summer haze, summer daze. The sun makes a lot of us just a wee bit giddy. Giddy is good. Giddy-up.
HEY, SUMMER SUN
YOU ALWAYS SMILE
CLOUDS IN THE SKY
YOU NEVER MIND
HAPPY OR SAD
YOU ALWAYS SHINE
NEVER BEFORE
I’VE MET YOUR KIND
LOVE HAD NEVER GOT A HOLD ON ME
UNTIL YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM
MY LIFE ONCE A MISERY
NOW YOUR LOVE HAS SET ME FREE
HEY, SUMMER SUN
YOUR LOVE’S DIVINE
NEVER BEFORE I’VE MET YOUR KIND
AND NOW YOU’RE MINE
AND NOW YOU’RE MINE
AND NOW YOU’RE MINE
AND NOW YOU’RE MINE
28
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series
Sadness is a pile of fallen peony petals you never got to smell.
28
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Jazz in July: In Our Own Voices
A good party has a good cause. One of the highlights of the Capital Region’s summer season is the ‘Jazz in July’ event as put on by In Our Own Voices. Taking place on Sunday, July 21 from 5 to 8 PM at the Rivers Casino & Resort, this is always an exhilarating afternoon and evening of fundraising, and a way to recognize the individuals and organizations and businesses who work to create a safer and more inclusive environment for LGBT People of Color. This year’s event aims to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
The mission of In Our Own Voices has been “to work for and ensure the physical, mental, spiritual, political, cultural and economic survival and growth of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People of Color communities.†That’s a tall task, especially in today’s worrisome world, but they’ve managed to accomplish much of it thanks to the guiding force of a dedicated group of individuals.
Tandra Leone gave a powerful speech at a recent Pride Month Celebration presented by the New York State Office of Diversity & Inclusion Management – a testament to those New York State workers who have been steadfastly living our lives openly, bringing our diversity and strengths to the workforce. As the Executive Director of In Our Own Voices, Ms. Leone has been at the forefront of working towards a more inclusive and diverse community, one that values our individually-distinctive talents and backgrounds, and one that finds its greatest goals are only met when we work together, raising each other up.
Giving voice to a community that has been egregiously and systematically silenced and ignored is a noble cause, but it requires a great deal of resilience and persistence. The wounds of our country’s history run deep, and such fissures are not easily mended. As Ms. Leone extolled, if justice is the ultimate goal, we must begin on a much smaller plane – the simple demand for dignity and equality one step at a time. We must stand in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters. We can only honor equality when we embrace our differences.
In Our Own Voices has consistently fostered the development of a diverse and inclusive community. Check out their website here and then get your tickets to the Jazz in July event. A party is always better when it’s for a good cause.
{Jazz in July will take place on Sunday, July 21, 2019 from 5 to 8 PM. Rivers Casino & Resort is located at 1 Rush Street, Schenectady, NY. Find tickets here.}
27
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
On This Lovers’ June Night
MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT
ON THIS LOVERS’ JUNE NIGHT
AS I SEE THE MOONLIGHT
SHINING IN YOUR EYES
CAN’T RESIST THEIR POWER
IN THIS MOONLIT HOUR
LOVE BEGAN TO FLOWER
THIS IS PARADISE …
Despite what you may be wishing, I’m not going away this summer. ALANILAGAN.com will not be taking its summer break as I’ve done for the past two years. Don’t get me wrong, I loved those breaks. Love loved LOVED those breaks. But I have to admit, I’m a Virgo, and I like structure, and without this personal sounding board I felt a little lost at sea. This place has become, for better (for me) or worse (for you) a diary and calendar of sorts.
Because of that, I’ll be able to spread out some summer songs – and a summer song means something different for everyone. Mine are born from any reason such as the time they were released, the sentiment, the melody, or a couple of sunny references. We begin with ‘Magic Is The Moonlight’ and I’m partial to Julie London’s version of it. As the pool water glistened hazily in the background, and the night breeze gave us a little relief, I played this song to lure summer to stay as long as she would deign.
LIVING IN THE SPLENDOR
OF YOUR KISS SO TENDER
MAKES MY HEART SURRENDER
TO YOUR LOVE DIVINE
MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT
MORE THAN ANY JUNE NIGHT
MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT
FOR IT MADE YOU MINE.
Will she stay with us a little longer, having arrived so late? She is welcome to linger, beyond September, beyond October… let her balmy embrace last. It’s been so long in coming, we don’t want to rush anything. Take your time… make it slow…
As for our summer schedule, we are also taking it slow and perhaps slowing things down. There will be daily posts, they will just be a little lighter in tone and length – the sort of thing that can be read on your phone while lounging by the pool or sea, or while riding in the car with the windows down, wind blowing through your hair as you adjust the stereo and someone brings you to some glorious summer destination.
This will be a place of respite for when the days get too hot and unbearable. At the moment, such heat would be a welcome novelty, but I know that by the end of next month some of us will be looking for cooler reprieves. Let this be such a sea of cool tranquility.
LIVING IN THE SPLENDOUR
OF YOUR KISS SO TENDER
MAKES MY HEART SURRENDER
TO YOUR LOVE DIVINE
MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT
MORE THAN ANY JUNE NIGHT
MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT
FOR IT MADE YOU MINE.
27
June
2019
No comments
June
2019
Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series
Honey syrup cures many an ailment: bland tea, bitter cocktails, and/or not-quite-ripe fruit. Try some, you’ll like it.
