Birthday Road Trip - Palm Springs Splurge

I celebrated my 70th birthday this past week.

As I typed that sentence I had a slight dissociative experience...as though it was some other 70 year old who was typing and certainly not me.

Anyhow, before I bore you with photos of our birthday trip to Palm Springs, I want to say a word or two about the March for Our Lives protests this past weekend. I was truly inspired and extremely proud of the young people who organized and marched and gave such poignant speeches. Among them were Emma Gonzalez and 11 year-old Naomi Wadler whose eloquence put to shame every do-nothing politician in America.

The young people who have come together in cities all over the United States (and the world) have a cause that will propel them into the future, as voters, as activists, as politicians, as men and women who can turn around this country that has gone astray.

I really hope these kids kick ass and vote out every lazy, hate-mongring, bought-and-paid-for by the NRA politicians cluttering up the halls of congress.

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Now for a few photos of our road trip to Palm Springs, California. I call it our Palm Springs splurge because we really blew our wad on this trip.

We stayed at the Triangle Inn - a gay guest house with very nice accommodations, swimming pool, hot tub and continental breakfast.

Let's just say it was not Econolodge or Red Roof Inn. Can we say "splurge?"

The gardens and the bougainvillea really made for a relaxing tropical/dessert atmosphere.

[click photos to enlarge]

We did Joshua Tree National Park which was about a 5-hour tour. Amazing rock formations, vegetation and Joshua Trees which look like something out of Dr. Seuss.

The Palm Springs Tram took us to 8,516 feet at the top of Mt. San Jacinto (I think that's the name of the mountain). I didn't take a whole lot of pictures...there are more, but they're not great photos.

The Indian Canyons were interesting. A babbling brook in the dessert, flowing down through a palm tree lined canyon lush with vegetation. A real oasis.

A light rain one day made a visit to the museum a nice change. We saw an Andy Warhol exhibit. I never really appreciated Warhol. I think most people associate his art with Campbell Soup. He really is so much more than that.

Some other exhibits included Mid-Century Modern, Glass Sculptures, and an art piece made of white bread, or was it toast?

In town, while Spanish architecture is one of the more prominent styles, Mid-Century Modern rules in Palm Springs.

We did some "furniture shopping" as Leon wants to redecorate the house in Mid-Century Modern, a style he always liked.

But we blew our budget on a groceries from Aldi (so we could make a few lunches and dinners without spending half our IRA) and ate out a few dinners and a lunch. I thought P-town was expensive. Yikes.

We did pick up a couple of bargains at an antique/flea market store and got a new rainbow flag at the local Q-Trading Co.

All in all, we had a very nice time - a great respite for Leon (who's been working 60-hour weeks) and a memorable 70th for me.

Ugh. I said it again. Can't possibly be...I still feel 27 on the days when nothing hurts.

Article By A Friend And Former Teacher

In Memory of All Victims Of Gun Violence

Chuck Radda, a former Plainville, Connecticut teacher and one of my publishers in Connecticut wrote an excellent article that is a must read.

I will give the link below. Please feel free to share the link on your Facebook page or in other media.

Link to the Blog Post here.

Our First Snow Of The Season

We finally had some snow here in the dessert. Badly needed precipitation as we have been in drought mode for months. Unfortunately, I think much of the moisture will evaporate before being absorbed by the soil and vegetation as evidenced by our driveway completely being dry.

But that is a nice change from New England...we don't have to shovel...

Remembering the days when we spent HOURS with the snowblower and shovel...not missing that at all.

Day to Day in New Mexico

Life in New Mexico is pretty good...Lots of sunshine, outdoor activities, museums, cooking, eating, walking with dogs.

Outdoors:
I've hiked Kasha Katuwe - Tent Rocks National Monument four times since November. It's 2 miles up and 2 miles back with a vertical rise of 630 feet to an altitude of approximately 6385 feet. Not bad for an old guy.

The last two times were this month when I went as an official volunteer to help my hubby, Ranger Leon, with trail maintenance. We put up roping to hopefully keep people from going off trail onto fragile tuff rock and causing erosion of the areas to the sides of the trail.

Off trail offenders seem to be increasing according to the rangers there. The damage to the unique and beautiful landscape is deplorable. Rangers are down to a bare bones staffing and cannot be out on the trails much of the time.

Food:

I am going to get myself in trouble here: As far as new Mexican/Mexican cuisine goes, I'm pretty much bored with it. It all seems like much the same things in different wraps. Or a few different things in the same wraps. Or posole, (grits) or carne adovada or rice and beans or everything smothered in red or green chili so that even different dishes taste alike. There doesn't seem to be any creative differences in dishes from one burrito factory to the next restaurant. Green chile cheeseburgers, green chile mac and cheese, chile ice cream, burritos smothered in red and green chile...do you get the picture? It mostly looks like they put everything into a food processor and dump it onto a tortilla. I think it was developed to disguise the taste of spoiled meat with hotness. Boy am I in for a lecture by Mexican food lovers...

Give me Italian any day. When I'm  not out hiking or doing yard work or surfing the net, I'm usually grocery shopping or cooking. My idols are Lidia Bastianich, Mary Ann Esposito, Clara, and, yes, Giada DeLaurentiis.

I cook lots of Italian dishes (see my blog Dinner's Ready) and variations thereof.

This morning I made bread dough for calzones and a loaf of Italian bread. We had calzones tonight. One stuffed with spinach, sausage and potato; the other with ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella.

The bread is for tomorrow, but I snuck a piece with butter just a while ago and I said it was better than chocolate cake!

One of these days I'll make a video of me making bread dough - the old fashioned way...

Walking with dogs:

Landscaping - still not done:

Museum - the Hippie Days:

Saint Valentine...lest we forget

Saint Valentine - Shrine Somewhere In Italy

Kisses to you all on St. Valentine's Day.

A Few Links to Past Valentine's Day Posts:

http://reluctantrebel.blogspot.com/2013/02/exchanging-valentines-in-age-of.html

http://reluctantrebel.blogspot.com/2010/02/happy-valentines-day.html

http://reluctantrebel.blogspot.com/2010/02/de-gaying-of-valentines-day.html

Netflix Review - Queer Eye

The new Netflix "reboot" of Queer Eye is not necessarily always for the "straight guy" (in one episode the new Fab Five make over a gay guy whose been struggling with his own internalized homophobia) but it keeps to the original format which always went beyond fashion and grooming to compassion and understanding.

I was skeptical about the show, figuring it would be all superficial and too contemporary. But because the show does stick to the original premise, the episodes are far from shallow presentations of guys being a canvass for fashionistas and pop culture. The Fab Five are truly compassionate, feeling, non-judgmental human beings who not only zero in on their subjects psychology but, in the process, reveal their own vulnerabilities, challenges and life experience.

While each is an expert in some area - design, fashion, food, grooming, culture - I am amazed that they have such a gift for focusing on the interpersonal and psychological elements of their subjects lives - and facilitating what appear to be deeply personal transformations. And they do so with respect and sensitivity.

I do have some questions, however: Who pays for all the furniture, clothing, painting, grooming and products? (One shirt probably costs more than my yearly clothing expenditure at KMart) How much of the show is scripted? How do Leon and I get a makeover from the Fab Five?

Yes, there is plenty of frivolity and silliness in each episode (we've seen 3 so far), sometimes embarrassingly so, but if the shows don't bring a tear to your eye, you may be hopelessly hard-hearted.

Refusing To Provide Medical Care Based On Religion Is Unacceptable

This is a very strong statement by a gay pediatrician against the new Division of Conscience and Religious Freedom in the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The government under the current administration, rather than protecting the rights of all to non-judgemental health care, is cow-towing to the fringe element of the religious right who blindly support him despite his very questionable ethics.

Read the article here.

Cory Booker passionate speech during Senate hearing

Dr. Matilda Krim,AIDS Activist and AMFAR Founder, Has Died

AIDS researcher and activist Dr. Matilda Krim dies at 91.

So many young people probably never heard of Dr. Matilda Krim, but her name was a gay household word back in the 80's, especially among those of us who were intimately involved in the AIDS arena and/or public health. She championed science over judgement, compassion over discrimination and activism over status quo.

Celebrating With Friends and Neighbors

I've been baking and cooking for weeks. Last Saturday we had 14 guys for a guys get together and today we had prepared for nine (too bad one wasn't feeling well enough to come).

 After the salad, lasagna, braciola, wine, pie and cookies we broke out the Irish Cream and Limoncello.

Santa's Elves - Dogs and Cats with Human Hands Making Toys - Freshpet

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

This made me chuckle...and heaven knows, we need a little humor these days.

Blessings From Our House To Yours

World AIDS Day: Sharing A Post From Back2Stonewall

Here is an article for World AIDS Day for Will Kohler at "Back2Stonewall" about St. Vincent's Hospital, New York City.