Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Sunday in New York with duBarry....


The day started with a lovely brunch at Le Madeleine on W. 43rd St.


Then it was off to see the final performance of Edward the Second by Christopher Marlowe.
As I had told duBarry, "gay love, gay sex, and gay nudity :) Also murder, intrigue, and great costumes." Everyone dies by the end of the play......the blood was dripping all over the stage! It was GREAT!!!


Kenajuan Bentley as Gaveston and Marc Vietor as Edward the Second


After the play we met up with Bryce who took us over to The Ritz Bar & Lounge for drinks. I had met Bryce and Davo at Rumpy's Tavern last fall and looked forward to seeing him again. We had a delightful visit and lots of laughs. The Ritz was fun. They have a room in back of the bar set up with couches and a big bed at the head of the room. The cutest boys kept holding court on the big bed and providing much amusement to the rest of the us. Thank you, Bryce, for meeting us. See you back in the Berkshires (when the weather warms up!!).



We had 9 pm reservations at Lips, the drag show bar. All the wait staff are the entertainers. Our adorable waiter was Chandelier, a 6'8" tall and slender beauty. They all sang and put on a great show for us.






Frankie, the Lips bartender, made a perfect Dolly Parton.





We ended the night at Don't Tell Mama on 46th St. where we were entertained by the resident piano player, Michael Edelstein, and several singers including our bartender, Jennifer Pace.






And so we end another trip to the fabulous New York City. The Countess has returned to the Castle Bedelia where we will remain in residence until the next adventure calls.
Countess Bedelia 1/30/2008 10:24:00 AM | 0 comments |

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Shopping, dining, and a great rock band....

Countess duBarry arrived in her fur-lined dogsled after an uneventful journey from that frozen tundra place she has exiled herself to. After peeling off 25 layers of outer garments, she produced a beautiful little treasure chest with an exquisite ring inside. Thank you, darling duBarry. We love our new ring!


Then we immediately went out......SHOPPING! First over to 6th avenue to check out a few jewelry shoppes this Countess has had her eye on. A Countess can never have enough bling! I snapped this picture of a most unusual glass sculpture in a store window. It reminded me of KnottyBoy's work.




Off to Canal Street for the serious shopping.
Sorry, Mrs. Astor, I didn't see any Prada bags for Mr. Astor. Dolce & Gabbana and Jimmy Choo seem to be all the rage now. Here is the Countess duBarry getting serious about a Cartier watch.




You never know what you will find on a sidewalk table in New York City. This table featured a golden Buddha among other treasures.

After a few hours of bargaining and buying, we were ready for a little lunch and libation so we headed uptown to Rosie O'Grady's on 7th and 52nd St. Art Funk was our adorable waiter. He is an artist who will soon be showing his work somewhere. Unfortunately I didn't write down the particulars, so Art, send me an email and I will put up the location of your show on my blog.




Later that night it was back downtown to Piano's to see James Barry and his band, Grand Army Arrows. What a fantastic rocking show these boys put on. The Countess was dancing up a storm. Great fun, great sound, great performance. Check out their MySpace page and go to see them perform live.




The very beautiful and talented actress Tara Franklin was there to cheer on the band. It was great to see her again. Can't wait to see her on stage soon.




We ended the night with a nightcap at Therapy. Oh how I love New York City!
Countess Bedelia 1/29/2008 01:13:00 PM | 1 comments |

Saturday, January 26, 2008

"The Homecoming" on Broadway

The Countess traveled to New York City yesterday for a few days of fun and frolic.



I saw "The Homecoming" last night at the Cort Theater. This revival of Pinter's play stars Ian McShane who played Al Swearengen on HBO's Deadwood, among many other roles in his long career. The actor who surprised me though was none other than Michael McKean. He played Lenny on the Laverne and Shirley show so many, many years ago. He is a very powerful actor and has had quite a career since then...who knew? Go see this if you can. Funny, terrifying, disturbing, and wonderful acting....you can't get much better entertainment.



Now I am just waiting for the Countess duBarry to arrive in her dogsled all the way from the frozen north. After we thaw her out with a little Glenlivet, we will be on our way to Canal Street for a little shopping.
Countess Bedelia 1/26/2008 09:18:00 AM | 2 comments |

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Revisiting an old favorite.....

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
A poem by Robert Frost, published in 1923



Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


I am amazed at the websites devoted to this poem. By entering the title of the poem, 108,000 sites came up. And there are several YouTube videos dedicated to it.



The video showing the book illustrated by Susan Jeffers is lovely.

There have been many commentaries written about this poem but most agree that it is a little gem. It has found its way into popular culture as varied as an episode of "The Sopranos" and one of "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer".

As I sat in my sunroom tonight looking out at the snowy landscape outside the windows, this poem seemed to say it all. In fact the photo in this post is a picture of the night view from those windows. It is beautiful and serene and inspires a calmness of the soul.
Countess Bedelia 1/24/2008 12:29:00 AM | 2 comments |

Friday, January 18, 2008

"Crank this sucker up"

That is a direct quote from the President of the United States. He is talking about the economy which his policies have put into the toilet and now he is attempting to do something about it. You have to wonder what LaLaLand he lives in. Maybe he is looking through blinders???


And imagine the rest of the world listening to the President of the United States talk like that............It's humiliating.


I made the mistake tonight of clicking on a news article on Comcast. I usually avoid any news of Dubya like the plague but the economy concerns everyone and so I read the article and ruined the rest of my evening.



All he would have to do is try to fill up one of the White House limos at the local gas station and he would know that the economy tanked two years ago.


When he was wiretapping U.S. citizens, maybe he should have tried to tap into a few foreign calls. He might have seen that he was getting BACK STABBED.



When he went to London to visit his buddy Tony Blair, didn't he buy a couple of souvenirs for the twins and see that his dollar only got him fifty cents worth of merchandise. Never mind the Yen or the Euro.


Does he have a 401k plan with his employer that is only worth half of what it was one year ago?




"Despite darkening economic reports, he said that if Congress passes a quick federal relief package, "We're gonna be just fine."" (The Dow dropped 300 points on hearing that we are gonna be just fine....so much for "fine"...and confidence in our President.)



I just hope all the voters in the red states that put him in the White House are taking comfort in the fact that gay marriage is not legal across America when they buy gas, get in line at the Unemployment Agency, and try to keep a roof over their heads when the mortgage company forecloses on them.


And now we have our new candidates....and this is what they have to say.....


God bless America!


Countess Bedelia 1/18/2008 10:48:00 PM | 1 comments |

Did you "Get Rumpy'ed" ????

I hope everyone in the Berkshires had a blast last night at Rumpy's Tavern. It was Jane Fonda Workout night by Valour Overdrive.



The carrier pigeon delivered another message from Troy, Bartender Extraordinaire:


"Rumpy's will be closed for 11 days for winter vacation January 20 - 31."


The suicide rate will probably rise significantly when the Berkshire Folks can't get their Rumpy's Fix!
Have a great vacation, King Troy!
Countess Bedelia 1/18/2008 11:34:00 AM | 0 comments |

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

We're Gettin' Out!!!!!


I knew something was up when I saw the dog sled round the corner in front of the Castle Bedelia. The driver jumped out and left the poor panting dogs lying on the drawbridge.



"Telegram for The Countess" he yelled as he banged, banged, and banged the large door knocker on the castle gates.


The poor man was half frozen when he stumbled through the door. Countess duBarry had sent him halfway round the world from the frozen tundra she has been exiled to for the winter.


The message was simply stated:


"got the time off....STOP...gettin out..STOP....see you in New York..STOP...du Barry"


Of course I was the perfect hostess and offered the poor frozen man a nice glass of Glenlivet before sending him on his way with my reply:


"Put your glad rags on, WE'RE GETTIN' OUT!"


It was almost exactly a year ago that duBarry and I were in New York City together. As I recall we were a little overserved in a cute little gay martini bar off 9th Avenue after the theater one night. You can tell because the temperature was around 10 degrees and duBarry didn't need a coat!!


Is the Big Apple ready for us? Cause...........
"We're Gettin' Out !!!!"
Countess Bedelia 1/16/2008 10:40:00 PM | 0 comments |

Monday, January 14, 2008

Snow Day in New England

I awoke this morning to SNOW in the front yard......


And SNOW in the back yard.....


SNOW is a four letter word, ya know! Apparently it has been coming down at a rate of about one inch per hour. This is the heavy, wet snow that downs power lines and makes driving a nightmare. So I will stay warm inside the Castle Bedelia today and enjoy another of My Favorite Things.


My plasma TV.....Here she is in all her glory, just hanging there looking beautiful.



It is amazing that this black screen can be turned into living art. She can be a virtual fish tank with beautiful tropical fish swimming (and you never have to feed them!!).....




Or a visit to a Caribbean beach complete with crashing waves and the ocean's roar....


Or on a winter day she can become a fireplace, complete with crackling logs burning....




Isn't technology wonderful?
Countess Bedelia 1/14/2008 11:28:00 AM | 0 comments |

Do you want to hear the good news.....or ???

You just know that it is always a disaster when someone calls you up and asks, "Do you want the good news first or the bad news?"


My computer guru had been to the Castle Bedelia to connect my home printer to my work network server but he couldn't do it offsite so he packed up my printer to bring into the office. By the time I got to the office, the printer was on the floor in several pieces!!! Yes, he dropped it!! He took it back to the palace to see if he could reinstall it and get it working again and that is when I got the phone call.



The good news? I got a new printer.
The bad news? It won't be here until Tuesday.


Oh well, I had a good weekend in spite of it all.




I went into Boston to see the touring company production of RENT at the Wang Center. It was only here for a week. But don't cry if you missed it because it wasn't the best version of this great show that I have seen. Which is a shame because it is such a wonderful show and one of my all time favorites. I'm not sure where they went wrong but some of the people could sing but not act and some could act but not sing.




The next show is the U.S. premiere of "Whistle down the Wind" by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Direct from London, discover what critics have proclaimed “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best show since The Phantom of the Opera.” Whistle Down the Wind is an uplifting musical about a young Louisiana girl who finds a mysterious stranger hiding in her barn. While the townspeople are determined to find the escaped felon, she vows to protect him from the outside world. It will be at the Wang Center from January 29th to February 3rd if you want tickets.


My friend and I enjoyed a very nice dinner at Jacob Wirth on Stuart Street and had a couple of Glenlivets and a lot of laughs. All in all, a very good weekend in spite of the printer crisis!
Countess Bedelia 1/14/2008 12:06:00 AM | 1 comments |

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Communique from The Berkshires....

The missive from Troy arrived from The Berkshires by carrier pigeon in the middle of the night (as my dear friend The Mrs. Astor would write it)......




"Oh Countess, you Devil!! When can we count on seeing the countess?"

Darling Troy has given a gig to my favorite living artist, Michael Allen Lowe. Thursday nights at Rumpy's Tavern...




How exciting!! I wish I could be there. But for all you wonderful people who are, go and dance, dance, dance!



You just know that Michael will put on a great show. After all, he is the most faboo dancer, so handsome, talented, AND he usually takes off his shirt!!



Now we have a new catch phrase..... "Sukkahs"


Countess Bedelia 1/09/2008 06:20:00 PM | 1 comments |

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there,
I did not die.


This weekend has been a very hard time for my grandson and his friends. They lost one of their best friends on New Year's Day and they came together from different parts of the country to be pall bearers and say goodbye to their friend. They all went to high school together, played sports together, and maintained their friendships through college and careers.


The Countess took the boys out for a bite to eat and a couple of drinks after the wake.

Four beautiful young men.....



There isn't much you can say at a time like this so I usually try to lighten the atmosphere with a few Countess stories. I did get the boys laughing a little; especially when I told them about the World Erotic Art Museum in South Beach and getting my picture taken on the Golden Penis. So, just for them, I'll post the picture again.....to remind us that life should be fun and, with a sense of humor, you can get through anything.



Take care, boys. You are much loved.
Countess Bedelia 1/06/2008 11:57:00 AM | 2 comments |

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

I Am What I Am....

"I am what I am, I am my own special creation
So come take a look, give me the hook or the ovation"


These are words that I live my own life by.


Tonight I watched the most wonderful documentary on the music and life of Jerry Herman.
Composer of such iconic hits as Hello Dolly and Mame as well as the revolutionary "La Cage Au Follies", Jerry Herman wrote so many songs that are part of Americana today. A thrill for me as I watched the documentary was seeing Mimi Hines name in lights on Broadway.
To see Angela Lansbury and so many others singing Jerry's wonderful songs makes my heart soar. I love all theater so much but musical theater brings so many people and cultures together.
Jerry Herman suffered the loss of his partner to Aids and even questioned his own survival because he is HIV positive, but still wrote the most beautiful music for the stage. He is an inspiration to all of us to be the best we can be and enjoy life every day that we can.
Countess Bedelia 1/01/2008 11:01:00 PM | 1 comments |

Rock 'n Roll New Year

So I skipped "the ball at Times Square" in favor of VH1 Rock Honors concert.


HEART....One of my very favorites...when Ann Wilson first sang "Barracuda", my heart stopped. Imagine! Women rockers who could compete with the boys! Oh yeah!




ZZ TOP... "Sharp Dressed Man" said it all with great guitar vibes




GENESIS... Ahhhhh...Peter Gabriel and then Phil Collins..."Turn it on again"



and then....TaDah.....Ozzy Osbourne...first with Black Sabbath and then on his own..



Oh how I love the sound of guitars playing hard rock. Great show.


And then....a KISS concert!
What a great night of TV on VH1.
Countess Bedelia 1/01/2008 12:40:00 AM | 0 comments |