I've never been much of a newshound, instead combing the headlines online like most of us... that is,
until
this Presidential election has persistently (and inexplicably)
become closer and closer between our Commander in Chief, President Barack Obama and his flip-flopping foe Mitt-Wit Romney.
For the past couple months, I have Tivo'd Anderson Cooper's
360 on CNN every single night, as well as
Rachel Maddow on MSNBC and then back to CNN for
Piers Morgan... watching obsessively as the truth continues to be revealed that the Republican candidate leans toward whatever the polls drive him to say in a given week... or whatever the given state he's visiting stands for. That is, of course, except for social issues, where his point
of view is clear: women and gays should be second-class citizens, backing up
the nation's civil rights and social agenda a good 40+ years.
I gather that in the coming week, I'm likely to remain sequestered in Brooklyn as NYC subways continue to work their way back post-Hurricane Sandy (currently, there's no service between Brooklyn and Manhattan), so Friday night I began exploring options. Thankfully, there's a joint just up the street from my apartment that will be airing election results all
night long... Custom House, an Irish bar that's open until 4 a.m.
I hope to god Obama adds up his 270 electoral votes long before the bitter end, but as the results come in state by state, I'll at least be
amid a crowd of New Yorkers to celebrate—or commiserate—through the long haul. My pal Jimmy who works there has already reserved a table for me at 7 p.m. Tuesday. I'll be sitting tight as the first states roll in...
I'd love to think it's going to be a short, precise evening... but so many U.S. states still seem to be potentially duped by the Mitt-Wit... and god, it could be close. Or it might not. Or this nation could decide to take a frightening step decades into the past. In any case, I will fueled by plenty of gin to endure the drama.
Hopefully, I'll be
skipping home... and not crawling on my knees, drowning in tears. *
Dear friend Fredly Bronson returned to NYC once again as the writer for ABC-TV's "New Year's Eve With Ryan Seabreast," and tonight brought together a fab posse of his pals for dinner at NYC's iconic Sardi's... including "American Idol" finalists Diana DeGarmo and her fiance Ace Young, and my beloved Kimberley Locke. Can you imagine a more festive way to usher in 2013? *
Man, New Year's Eve can be such a fussy affair, can't it? This year, my pal Alex came up from Washington, D.C., and we joined my NYC extended family for what turned out to be an absolutely perfecto event. Met many friends at East Village dive rock bar Manitoba's and hung... complete with seating, no overtly unnecessarily loud mayhem and an ideal festive welcome to a new year. That felt oh so right! *
Ayhan hosted a festive gathering in the East Village Friday night for longtime friend Ulf, who was an Ambassador to Sweden in Turkey when Ayhan first composed his musical "Swedish Style." Ultimately, their connection led to Ayhan meeting Bjorn & Benny from ABBA, one of the highlights of his career.
There was certainly no mistaking that Saturday, December 15, was New York's annual Santacon celebration, 
as I moseyed through Times Square. The "non-denominational, 
non-commercial, non-political non-sensical Santa Claus convention that occurs once a year for absolutely no reason" packed NYC's densest neighborhood with thousands of twentysomething Santas, elves and other Christmas disciples of every shape and size.
Brooklyn food banks.
Despite my ongoing apartment renovation that just tipped into its eighth week (albeit, with delays from Hurricane Sandy, a gas crisis, and a hasty snowstorm), I have been able to get out and about now and again.
And last, would it be a week without Sunday Tea? Happy Hour at Julius with Leo and then Ayhan...
On Monday, friend excursion 2.0, as I met Trix Moose, son Jack and sis Chris for the traditional Ruby Tuesday outing—always a highlight, since a kickin' salad bar just ain't to be had in NYC. Didn't hurt a bit that our waiter Eric was a fetching fellow.
While my trips home to Virginia usually comprise staying putting with the parents, fortunately there's time for a couple escapes from the Big House... On Sunday, I hooked up with Donna Mae Moose for supper at the parents' complex, then a shopping excursion to Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl's... Once again, like Black Friday in Lynchburg, we sailed through the stores with no lines, no mobs, no madness... *
A couple weeks ago—before bitch Hurricane Sandy took her swipe at NYC—I joined pal Paulie at Boxer's 
NYC in Chelsea... which just happens to be bud Leo's fave hang... and so there were the three of us. Also in attendance: long-lived drag fave Hedda Lettuce... and hot bartender Josh Monrad, who The Smoking Nun profiled in our regular Model Perfect feature last November.
become closer and closer between our Commander in Chief, President Barack Obama and his flip-flopping foe Mitt-Wit Romney.
of view is clear: women and gays should be second-class citizens, backing up 
night long... Custom House, an Irish bar that's open until 4 a.m.
amid a crowd of New Yorkers to celebrate—or commiserate—through the long haul. My pal Jimmy who works there has already reserved a table for me at 7 p.m. Tuesday. I'll be sitting tight as the first states roll in...
