Palazzo Nueva York

Yesterday I had a "new York" kind of day, and I missed my old stomping grounds just a little less. We went to the Strip and to the Palazzo, where they had a branch of one of my favorite stores, Barney's New York.  Most specifically, they have one of the best perfume departments in the country, carrying most of my favorite houses: Serge Lutens, Le Labo, L'Artisan, Byredo. And thankfully, the Palazzo carries all these lines, so if I ever need to get something, I know where to go and look. And then they all wanted to go to Serendipity 3. It would not have been my first choice, as in NY it is one of the biggest tourist traps and I would imagine it would be the same here, but that's what they wanted so I went along. The Frozen Hot Chocolate is also the specialty here, and just like over there, there was a wait. It was about twenty minutes for us, so it could have been worse. 

Shacked

Mother's Day is always bittersweet for me. I love celebrating Moms, but I don't have one anymore, so I feel a little sad about that. But we were with May's mom today - the closest thing to one for me - and we went to mass, and then to Cravings at The Mirage. It's nice to be back somewhere in The Strip, and I tell myself I should do it more. It's funny how small things trigger a lot of emotions for me. When I was watching "Something Blue" yesterday, I kept on trying to identify where they were in New York. Oh - that's Madison Square Park, ooh that looks like Charles Street in the Village. It became a mental game for me. And then they film a whole bunch of scenes at Shake Shack, which is one of my favorites. I missed being in the city, having my burger, just walking around. Someone told me I should let go, but I don't know if I really should. I want to hold on to my memories. Maybe I do need my NYC fix, and I would do it in a heartbeat, but these Summer fares are so exorbitant. Almost $600 for a roundtrip? I refuse, by principle!

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."

- Lao Tzu

Singing Queens

If you saw "Priscilla Queen Of The Desert" on Broadway and loved it, then I have no doubt you will love its cast recording. I did, and find myself grooving.  The vocals on it can be a little tepid  - Will Swenson seems uninterested, and Nick Adams has never been known to be a vocal powerhouse - but if you listen and imagine the costumes and sets which are the real stars of the show, it becomes an extremely satisfying aural experience. Listening to it out of context, though, I wonder if an ordinary listener would be able to "get" the whole thing. Like - what is with the different tempos of "Don't Leave Me This Way"? The countrified "I Love The Night Life" doesn't make much sense on record. And the inclusion of "Follie! delirio vano e quest?" from La Traviata? Don't even try. All the pop songs sound like one interminable one after a while. Perhaps because those songs are shoehorned into scenes as opposed to creating music to move the scenes forward. The cast recording, unfortunately, showcases the weakness of the production as a musical. But as a "souvenir" for an enjoyable night of theater, this recording succeeds. Choose your experience.

Party Pooped

Remember the party at Aedes I wanted to go to? Well,  it still went on without me, of course, and here are two pictures Mike took since he went for my stead. It's funny because my friend Miguel told Mike that I must be very upset that I wasn't at the party. He was right. I so wish I was there...