At the Phoenix airport in the bar enjoying a cocktail. On the way to Boise for a long weekend to celebrate Grandma's 85th birthday. It was meant to be a big open house, but she is just out of hospital, so I think just the family.

Boise will be cold and frosty. I hope there is a little snow on the ground, just so I can say I've seen it this winter. I don't think I've seen snow for a couple of years.

Overnight with mother to check out her new computer, and hopefully get her iChat set up so I can help her out remotely, along with Apple Mail and the rest. I sort of threw her into the briar patch with the iMac. But she seems to be loving it.

Work has been looking up a bit. Big project releases Monday night. Hopefully goes smoothly, but I'm ramping up for a hell week next week.

Positive attitude.

Labels: boise, vacation

In the Boise Airport, on the way back home.

Thanksgiving was low key, as advertised. The standard turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, followed by bourbon and apple pie. Without the apple pie part.

Two nights in Boise (coming and going) visiting Keith's new location for the Lucky Dog Tavern. It seems to be a success, so far. I frequently ranted that Boise could do better by it's gay folks. The bar scene in Boise was tired, run-down, dingy, and mostly straight-owned. Cynical me wrote off the Emerald Club as a bald exploitation of gay people and their money. The other bars had varying degrees of success or failure. The Lucky Dog seems to have stepped into the vacuum, and now draws a decent crowd 5-6 nights a week. It's still early enough to be novel, but I think they'll do well. My only (minor) complaint is the music. XM is too repetitive for a bar where people could reasonably gather a few nights a week. I was only there two nights, and heard the same songs both nights.

Now to round out the holidays in Phoenix. I'm taking my usual birthday trip to San Francisco this year for a long weekend, and then spending Christmas at home.

Labels: boise, idaho, vacation

I'm off to see the parent(s), grandmother(s), spouses, cousins, and assorted hangers-on.

Boise is likely to be cold and frosty.

Despite the chaos of the Thanksgiving travel day, leaving Phoenix seems relatively painless. The flight is on time, the crowd here is remarkably calm, all things considered. Apart from the standing room only bars in the airport, it could be any other travel day.

Labels: boise, idaho, travel, vacation

Last night in Las Vegas. We did fuck all today, opting to sleep in and hang at the hotel. Extra restful, which is just fine.

Yesterday was shopping at Fashion Show Mall and the shops at the Wynn, followed by multiple cocktails and snacks at the Parasol bar inside the Wynn hotel. The Wynn is uber-nice, and I'd love to stay there sometime. We got to spend quite a bit of time in the hotel this trip, but we weren't really guests. The clientele is a bit posh, but it really is quite a nice property. I wish we could have spent some time in the sun by the pool, since the Flamingo pools are a bit crowded and ghetto.

Last night was dinner at Bouchon in the Venetian. I spent the last three years chatting up this restaurant (albeit the one in Napa Valley), but it was worth the wait. Thomas Keller's perfectionism coupled with really fantastic French bistro food. I loved everything we had last night. Champagne. The petit plateau (oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, and lobster). Pate and begnets de brandade. Steak frites. Yum. I told everyone at the table that the fries were probably the best in the country. They were. Better than Les Halles.

Alas, no dessert. We were stuffed after all that food. We schlepped home and passed out, very happy.

Today was a bit less fancy: the buffet at the Flamingo, plus room service. Tomorrow we head home. It's been a very nice weekend, especially being part of Todd and Val's wedding (Mr. and Mrs. Michaels).

PS. While spell checking this post, my MacBook decided to take a swan dive and its hard drive ceased to be. All I could get it to do was go click-click-click. So I'm finishing this up on Jason's laptop while I install Mac OS on my new 160GB laptop drive. Joy. And I haven't backed up for weeks! Ugh.

Labels: dining, lasvegas, vacation

After a quick drive (4.5 hours...zoom), we're here in San Diego. It's overcast and a bit gloomy, but I don't care. It's not nine million degrees outside.

After a quick stop at Brian and DJ's last night, we went out for happy hour at Top of the Park. Wall to wall homos, and a great view of Balboa Park. Then we knocked on the door of the condo shared by our favorite Phoenix boys and went up for another couple of cocktails.

Afterward, we hit Phil's BBQ. I gotta say that was the best barbecue meal I've had in awhile. A bit more upscale than the hole-in-the-wall ambiance of our favorite Phoenix place: Honey Bear's. This was stylish and busy, and the food was excellent. We each had ribs. I had ribs and chicken, which was served in pieces as opposed to the usual pulled-style meat I'm used to. Plus we shared a pile of onion rings: beer-battered thick cut onion rings piled high, with a side of ranch dressing. Perfect.

Labels: bbq, food, sandiego, vacation

In Boise last night, doing my traditional stopover on the way to Gooding. Walked from the new Hotel 43 downtown across the parking lot to the bar for a couple of beers. I was very underdressed (flip flops and shorts) for the cool May weather.

Hotel 43 is quite posh now. Redesigned with a bit of style. The red and black zebra striped carpet in the halls was a questionable design choice, but the rooms are warm and comfortable, with excellent amenities you'd find in an upscale establishment. They've even fixed the bathroom lighting that was so horrible first thing in the morning. The beds are fluffy and soft, with tons of pillows and a feather top mattress.

A few gripes: still the same old bad coffee in the room, the showerhead is anemic and without water pressure. And the front desk answers the phone "This is _____, how may I inspire you?" Yech.

Now, off for breakfast and to Gooding to see mom.

Labels: boise, vacation

Warmer today. The sun seem especially bright, and the day is fine and hot.

I spent two hours after breakfast by the pool enjoying the breeze and the sun. Then a break for a brief massage. Nice enough, but left me wanting more....

Now lunch and naps.

Labels: vacation

Arrived home yesterday evening. I'm still slightly jetlagged, but happy to be back. The trip was lovely, and I did virtually everything I had planned.

All my treats arrived home in one piece, surprisingly. New books, cologne from Penhaligon's, CDs, and chocolate from Hotel Chocolat store in Cambridge, plus a few odds and ends.

I'm at that point already where I'm trying to recapture all the cool tastes and experiences I had in London. New Tracey Thorn CD. Cheese and pickle sandwiches. Cheese and bacon croissants. (Hm. A pattern.) Strong espresso coffee.

The virtually 2:1 exchange rate I won't miss so much.

After a haircut, the rest of the day will be spent resting and recovering for work tomorrow.

Labels: london, vacation

Last full day in London. I'm ready to be home for a bit, although I'm off to the Keys next week.

The clocks changed in the UK this weekend. We were meant to be out at XXL when it happened, which would have cut short our evening by an hour, I think. But two days of walking, churches, and trains took their toll. We settled for a Lebanese dinner at Maroush, then a few tragic drinks at the City of Quebec. Maroush was lovely. Falafel, fried haloumi cheese, chicken schwarma and fresh vegetables, with Lebanese beer. The staff hovers in a disconcerting manner, but the place is busy and the food good. We picked Maroush Gardens, which is one of four different Maroush restaurants within about 100 metres of each other. (Three of which have exactly the same menu and prices.) We were seated next to a young guy dining alone, who was curiously earnest with every request he made. "Would it be possible to....", "Could I ask you to....", "May I ask you....". Each question was accompanied by a strange bow of the head. He was obviously nervous.

Labels: dining, london, vacation

I'm to the point in my trip when my feet have started to hurt and I'm running out of clean clothes. London requires a great deal of walking, even though I love riding the Underground.

Today was a half day of South Kensington, Knightsbridge, and Oxford Street. A bit of shopping, but not much. I'll be hard pressed to get all this stuff home. I resisted my usual urge to buy clothes at the Gap, which I inevitably seem to do when travelling. (Although they had some great knits that we don't get at home. And a cute salesman with sparkly blue eyes.)

But overall it's been fun so far. Beers at The King's Arms on Monday night turned into a marathon Korean dinner. Yesterday visited Hampton Court, where it was windy and cold, but interesting. I skipped the hedge maze in lieu of the Tudor kitchens, which were very interesting. We ate in last night and were in bed early.

Tonight is Patrick Stewart and the Royal Shakespeare Company in The Tempest. Then tomorrow I'm up early to go to Canterbury. Friday I think we're going to Cambridge for a night to check out the college boys.

Labels: london, vacation

In London after a 10 hour flight on British Airways. Despite the upgraded "World Traveller Plus" seat, it was still bloody uncomfortable. I slept for probably 1 hour of the flight, so needless to say I'm a bit fagged out now.

But in other news, I'm thrilled to be in London. Brian and I had dim sum at Ping Pong for a late lunch. Now we're watching a ridiculous movie.

Labels: london, vacation

The goal for yesterday was brunch at Suppenkuche, followed by a bit of shopping in Hayes Valley. German beer and sausages for breakfast is damn good. The concept at Suppenkuche is homey and friendly, with shared tables and good service. The portions are large, and everything is delicious. We started with potato pancakes, served with applesauce. I had sausage scrambled with potatoes, eggs, and spinach, served with a dill-cucumber salad. Jason had skirt steak served with fried eggs and potatoes. I was able to steal bites of weisswurst from other-Jason's plate as well. Two beers and big plate of food and I was feeling pretty good.

We did a bit of shopping afterward: Timbuk2 store, Lavish for house gifts. Then we retired back to the house for naps.

The early evening was designated for beerbust of one kind or another. The Lone Star was wall-to-wall bears, crowded around the pool table for muchies and packing the patio. Although there was at least one SF Fog Rugby boy there that I've had a crush on for awhile, I gave in early. It was too hard to move around.

Last day of vacation in the city. We'll probably meet up with Brian for breakfast or something fun. I have a little shopping [NSFW] I'd like to do before we go. Then our flight leaves at 6:30pm.

Labels: sanfrancisco, shopping, vacation

Well, dancing was the plan last night. The plan crumbled at about 10pm. Jason wasn't feeling it, and neither was Linus. The net result was that John was left ready and needing to go out with no dancing partners. Instead I made it South of Market again for S&M bars. The Stand and Model queens were out in force last night at Powerhouse. Although it was a full house, most of the crowd was standing around admiring their muscles and not doing much else.

Made the circuit between Lone Star, Powerhouse, and elsewhere. A few hunky bearcubs getting busy with each other, amusing to watch. The rest of the crowd elsewhere was kind of eh. I bailed at 2am and taxi'd my way back to the house. So ends another day.

Labels: sanfrancisco, vacation