Upright & Stowed

3 Seconds of Fame

This is last time (I promise) that I'll write about the now defunct Florent restaurant.  But I got a tip from my friend Allen that I was featured in New York Magazine's online video coverage of the restaurant's final hurrah, so I thought I'd share.  Curtis and I appear in the background a few times.  Most significantly we can be seen animatedly chatting it up for three full seconds (:35 to :37).  I'm not sure whether I'm being featured as "...a star, an investment banker or a drag queen," but I'm just happy to be in the mix.

The Power of Positive Thinking

My deck, 30 minutes before hosting a gaggle of proud gays:

Same deck, after thinking positively (and slightly panicky):

Acceptance

All good things must come to an end.  So with many a deep sigh along the way, I have journeyed from Denial to Anger to Bargaining to Depression to, yes, Acceptance that Florent is no more.  Last night I enjoyed the final public dinner service at this amazing little diner that defined a neighborhood and was home and refuge to New York City’s finest.  Thanks to Curtis for making the reservation (months ago).  He and Danny were my table-mates (see below).

As a final farewell, here’s an off-the-cuff list of some of the people with whom I shared laughter and joy at my favorite NYC restaurant, since 1985.  Thanks for the memories, and feel free to share …

Sibyl, Steve, Phil, Lee, Howard, Laura, Linda, Gene, Margot, Mom, Devorah, Paul, Viv, Ian, Bobby, Danny, Danny, Curtis, Adam, Jeff, Jeff, Dad, Doris, Carl, Sarah, Rachel, Tom, Joanne, Michael, Tom, Diedre, Barbara, Billy, David, Vince, Eduardo, Emily, David, Tom, Michael, Seth, Scott, Steve, Ed, Derek, Steve, Michael, Shel, Matthew, Rob, Gaetan, Mario, Sean, Lisa, Allen, Paul, Tony, John … and the list goes on.

Of Pride, Poses and the Pier

This weekend is Gay Pride in NYC.  It's easy to fall into the "over it" camp when it comes to Gay Pride.  But really, can we ever be "over" taking pride in being our true selves?  Heck, can we ever really get over loving rainbows?   The annual Pier Dance  is the culmination of Gay Pride weekend in NYC.  My favorite Pier Dance year was 1990 – when Madonna's Vogue was the #1 hit in the country.  As the song blasted over the then-decrepit Hudson River pier, queens of every size, shape and color were voguing as big and bold as the city itself.  It was a fabulous sight, and pride truly overflowed that year. 

My friend tipped me off to a YouTube video this morning, created as part of an effort to make presidential candidate John McCain seem a little more exciting.  The soundtrack: Vogue.  While the video gives McCain a bit of flair, it does little to erase his association with the party that has repeatedly leveraged fear mongering of gays to achieve its highly questionable objectives.   So here we are at Gay Pride 2008, on the cusp of some long-needed change.  Stand tall, people, strike a pose and be proud of who you are.  

Down The Block

Friends of the High Line, the inspiring organization that imagined and is shepherding the building of NYC's most amazing new park, unveiled revised and closer-to-final renderings of the soon-to-open Manhattan destination.  "Soon" meaning this coming winter, another delay from the last announcement.  But good things come to those who wait.

This is a shot of the slice of the park that will be just down my block, on 22nd between 10th and 11th.  For a fabulous slide show of all the new drawings, click here.  Be sure to click in the circular "i" if you want more info on an image.

Ginkgo, Observed

The tree on the left is a Ginkgo tree.  Ginkgo trees line my block on 22nd Street.  In fact ten percent of all trees in New York City are Gingkos.  My friend Lee and I annually chat about Ginkgo trees in early June, when they put out a smell very closely reminiscent of male ejaculate.  We call them Cum Trees.

So imagine Lee's and my delight when the New Yorker ran an article this week about the Ginkgo odor that is emitted in the fall, when the trees bare fruit.  It’s a cute piece.  Read it if you’re Gingko-aware.   Photo credit

Where Artists Live

This is a shoe.  More important, this is a shoe that I drew.  Yep.  Back in 2002 I took a drawing class at the Berkeley Extension program, located near my then-home in San Francisco.  This drawing was the fruit of my week studying cross-hatching. 

I took the course to push myself in an area where I felt I had little skill.   I loved my semester studying drawing, and I was happy to discover a small amount of artist in me.  (Admittedly, very small).  The funny thing about my not being an artist is that I have had so many friends in my life who are: graphic designers, actors, clothing designers, writers, chefs, dancers, painters. 

So I was particularly amused and engaged by an article last week in the New York Times, listing the Top 10 metropolitan areas ranked by the percentage of artists in the labor force.  The top four cities were – to my surprise and delight – my four favorite places in the United States:  San Francisco, Santa Fe, Los Angeles and New York.  Here's to living in good company.

A Toast to Summer

Summer officially began this weekend, with the solstice on Friday.  It’s funny:  The summer solstice always fills me with a bittersweet joy: the happiness of the long, warm day lessened slightly by the knowledge that each day to follow is going to have a little less light than the day before.  Similarly, the winter solstice evokes the complete opposite. 

But as Eduardo would say, why focus on the negative?  And he’s right.   So here’s to the next few months of deliciously long days, walking around in shorts at night, entertaining friends in my garden, barbecues, flip flops, hanging out along the Hudson, exploring new neighborhoods, sweating, outdoor art, blueberries, heat waves and everything else that makes summer so special. 

In The Zone

The other night, I technically left the United States and visited international territory.  This occurred when I walked east of First Avenue at 45th Street and entered the teensy zone of global land known as the United Nations.  Interestingly, this international property sits above the very New York FDR Drive. I had not been in the U.N. since I was 17, and the experience was a thrill.

The highlights of the U.N., of course, are the amazing General Assembly and Security Counsel meeting rooms. These buildings – designed by a team including Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer – are modernist icons.  They look great from the outside, and are, for the most part, super cool on the inside.  I felt like I was on the set of Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove.

The U.N. is soon to undergo a 5-year, $994 million renovation.  So I suggest that you head over to this international zone in Manhattan and take a tour while there’s still time.  You’ll be glad you did.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Tonight I attended a most excellent benefit for the Stonewall Community Foundation, a charity that supports many amazing LGBT organizations through grant-making, donor-advised funds, endowment funds and charitable education. 

These name-tag kinds of dinners can be a bore, but this one wasn't.  It took place at the United Nations (more on that tomorrow), lending the event an incredible setting and a special feel from the get-go.  The crowd was heavy on the handsome eye candy.  Fantasia (yes, that one) sang two songs with all her heart.  And most incredible of all, a perfect rainbow appeared after a brief shower ... soaring over the East River and framing a huge swath of Brooklyn and Queens.  After the rainbow faded into the ether, the drinks flowed freely and a full moon rose over the city.  What a lovely reminder that charity is a blessing ... and that good things come to those who care.

Del and Phyllis

A simple act.  Put a ring on the finger of your beloved in the presence of an authorized official, declare your love and commitment, and enjoy the rights and responsibilities of marriage.  Del Martin (87) and Phyllis Lyon (84) have been a couple for over 50 years.  Yesterday, they became the first gay couple to legally wed under the laws of the State of California.  A roller coaster of political and legal maneuvering lies ahead, but for today, let's celebrate liberty and justice for all.  Photo credit

List

Some of the things I remember seeing during my week riding from San Francisco to LA.  Compiled partly so that I don't forget.

strawberry fields, seals, brussels sprouts, wind surfers, live oaks, eucalyptus trees, blooming jacarandas, hippies, artichoke fields, golden beaches, a perfect lighthouse, cows, grapes, soccer fields, petroleum processing plants, snakes (in the form of roadkill, thankfully), palm trees, mansions, mexican field workers, wine-tasting rooms, hills, highways, back roads, surfers, islands in the distance, cheering schoolchildren, orange-y sunsets, Spanish missions, olive trees, cars, crashing waves, rolling surf, military bases, coffee houses, horses, roadside fruit stands, smiling faces

Virginity

Two weeks ago, I flew Virgin America from JFK to SFO and, this week, back to JFK from LAX.  As you know, I peddled the distance in between. 

I was once a Virgin Virgin.  Now I am a Virgin Gimme More.  The carrier thoroughly won me over with the best in-flight entertainment system – hands-down – for domestic coach travel.  Not to mention the free, plentifully re-stocked bottles of H2O on the flight, and the nifty and efficient food/bev ordering system. 

But nothing on Virgin America made me happier than the presence of a 110 volt outlet, right at my seat.  This small but obviously valuable plug meant that I could spend the entire 5 hour flight responding to emails (to be sent upon arrival), preparing my post-AIDS LifeCycle video, listening to iTunes and catching up on work projects ... without even thinking about my battery running low.  Before I knew it, the time had come to turn off all electrical devices and prepare to land.

Ah, Virginity.

The Wrap Up

After thinking about how to capture my AIDS LifeCycle experience for the blog, I decided that a complete narrative would be far too long, and that it would come up far too short in many ways.   So I’ll settle for a few brief summary points … and the little slide show, above.

The LifeCycle was a physical challenge that I am thrilled to have met.  It was a fund-raising effort that wildly exceeded my goals.  It was a California travel experience of exceptional beauty and diversity.  It was a highly emotional journey, rich in every possible way.  It was seven days and 545 miles of pure, positive energy.  And more than anything else, it was a demonstration of the power of a community of people to come together and do something good.  I am so very proud to have been part of this particular community effort.  Thank you so much to my generous donors, and to my friends and family who helped me get from training all the way to the finish line.

Exuberance

I did it!  I rode my bike 545 miles in 7 days from San Francisco to LA as part of the incredible AIDS LifeCycle.  This is me at the halfway point between San Francisco and LA.  That's my bike over my head, the Pacific Ocean in the distance and one of the happiest smiles of my life on my face.  More to come after I return to NYC on Tuesday ...

Ready to Roll

After three months training, thinking about our inspirations, being blessed with the support of  friends and family, and dreaming of a world without AIDS, Peter, John and I are packed, orientated, carbed up and ready to roll on the AIDS Lifecycle 7 ... 545 miles from San Francisco to LA.  Between the three of us, we've raised over $72,000.  Now that's a powerful threesome, no matter how you cut it.

I've decided to take my first week-long blog vacation, staying in the present throughout the ride.  I have so much to look forward to during the next several days: Challenging myself physically, as never before.  Sharing this journey with two very special friends.  Meeting new people, each with their own stories to tell.  Seeing California in a way I've never seen it.  And crossing the finish line in the presence of my parents, sister, cousins, and many incredible friends who are heading to LA to be with me.  It's going to be amazing.  I look forward to sharing the journey with you upon my return.  Much love, David

Virgin No More

There's nothing like a killer in-flight entertainment system to make you forget that you are in the "New Economy" – uncomfortable seats, little legroom, grumpy, underpaid flight attendants and 1 oz bags of pretzels for lunch or dinner.  JetBlue made excellent in-flight entertainment a reality, and we are all  forever grateful.

I flew my virginal Virgin America flight to San Francisco the other day, and true to form, Virgin has set a new standard for domestic in-flight entertainment.  Movies, music, games and a food-ordering system that eliminates the need for the attendants to push a cart up and down the aisle. 

Most brilliant of all, however, is the pre-flight safety announcement. Virgin hired animators to create a video that is so refreshing, you will actually enjoy listening to information you've been consciously blocking out for decades.  You may even find yourself thinking about the origins of my blog's name.

20,000

If we had a $20,000 note in the U.S., I would have used its image for today's blog post instead of this 20,000 ruble note from Belarus.  Alas, we don't.  But here's the good news:  Today I surpassed my AIDS LifeCycle fund raising goal of $20,000!!!!  I am absolutely thrilled and honored that my friends, family and unknown blog readers were moved enough by my decision to do this ride that they stepped up and made a donation.  The 545 mile journey from SF to LA will be tough at times, but the spirit of those who have given so generously will be like the wind on my back.  Thank you thank you thank you.

Then/Now: LifeCycle Edition

On February 2nd I completed my first AIDS LifeCycle training ride in Central Park.  Four laps, and it almost killed me.  This weekend I did the same ride, and I barely felt a thing.  So I head to the west coast feeling confident, though not cocky.  Here's the photographic evidence.  No retouching.

Then/Now: Brown University Edition

I just returned from an absolutely wonderful weekend in Providence, Rhode Island celebrating my 25th reunion with my classmates from Brown 1983.  I headed north with that classic pre-reunion combination of excitement and nervousness. 

As with everything, it's the people who make the experience, and it was downright thrilling to be back on campus with the same friends I'd shared the journey with, beginning 29 years ago.  Among many wonderful friends, none was dearer to me than Julie Gutman (she still is).  So here we are.  The first shot is of Julie and me just before heading off to our pre-graduation dance at the Rosecliff mansion in Newport, RI.  Jump ahead a quick 25 years, and here were are again:  Leaning on the same pole, smiling bigger than ever, and not – in my opinion – looking any worse for the wear.  As I type this, my face hurts from smiling and laughing.