Welcome to the summer swelter '05 edition of Adam's Place; thanks for checking it out. Hard to believe that winter's chill is six months behind us now, but better too hot than too cold for me. It's been a while since I updated this, so let's see what I've been up to. I welcomed in 2005 quietly, down with a cold on New Year's Eve. My 46th birthday was equally low key. This past winter in NYC was all about the Gates in Central Park, and whether you appreciated the Gates or not (some derided them as construction signs), the opening day in the park was tremendous. I'd never seen so many cameras before or so many people in the park on a winter's day.
After exploring the Gates on foot, I got the aerial view at Robby Brown's Gates opening party. Here I am with Robby at his fabulous Central Park West digs. Notice that splotch of orange over his shoulder -- that was just a wee part of the Gates. More about how my year's been going, but first let's visit the Bookpile....
The Bookpile
My sister gave my brother a copy of Augustin Burroughs's Running with Scissors for Christmas; however, he had already read it, so it was immediately regifted to me. The book details one of the mostly dysfunctional families you are likely to encounter in either literature or real life. I must admit that I found great amusement in reading about other's misfortunes, mostly because the characters brought them on themselves. That kept it entertaining for me.... If you ever want to feel really smart, read Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. It's actually not a history book, but a natural history book, taking us from the Big Bang to the Ascent of Man. Astronomy, geology, paleontology, meteorology, chemistry, physics -- they're all here. The book is also a history of science, filled with fascinating lore about the scientists who created it. Did you know, for example, that Isaac Newton developed calculus then didn't tell anyone about it for 27 years? Or that he died literally mad as a hatter from experimenting with mercury alchemy in his latter years? I've read criticisms that Bryson's science is at times oversimplified, suspect or just plain wrong. Still, I'd call this a great book.... Noir, noir, noir with undercurrents of red and pink. That's James Ellroy's awesome The Big Nowhere, a classic L.A.P.D. thriller that takes three cops on a journey involving the Communist scare of the 1950s and a series of grizzly gay slayings. It starts off strong and just keeps on going, raising the stakes with every chapter. I can't wait to get to the next Ellroy in the bookpile.... Robert Kurson's The Shadow Divers is a true-life adventure about the dangerous sport of wreck diving. A diving boat stumbles upon an unidentified WW2 U-boat off the coast of New Jersey and a race begins to ID the ship. In the process, the two main divers (who now have an occasional show on the History Channel) rewrite history through their investigations. The story moves like the wind and it offers plenty of interesting facts about U-boats and wreck diving.
The annual Gay/Lesbian Business Expo always provides some nice cruising and the opportunity to meet a few hunks. I got to flirt with (clockwise, from top left) Marcado, Peter, Ivan (Carlos) and Cliff. Look at the smile on Peter and the eyes on Cliff.
At the New York Auto Show, I met Super Bowl Tommy Brady of the New England Patriots, who was promoting his Sirius Radio talk show. He was a little intimidated to meet me at first, but when he realized that I'm just a down-to-earth kind of guy, he relaxed and we got along just fine. Like me, he's even prettier in person. He asked if I had seen any cool cars at the show, and I remarked that I liked the headroom and stereo in the Scion XB. We'll probably hang out again when the Pats come in to play the Jets.
Later, Tommy and I went down to the gym set up by Dodge and had a weightlifting contest. He beat me by ten pounds
In April, I traveled down to Miami to visit Scott and some other old friends, take in some sun, and (the highlight) bike the Florida Everglades. Scott drove us out along the Tamiami Trail to Shark Valley in Everglades National Park, where we rode its 15-mile bike path. It's a great ride with tons of wildlife all along the way: herons, egrets, storks, ibises, anhingas, turtles and of course, alligators -- dozens of them. Some wandered right up onto the bike path. I didn't know if I'd get Scott past the first one, but after the initial shriek, he got used to them being around. Later we stopped at the souvenir stand in the pic to get even closer to the gators.
Scott and I relaxed Bedrock style at one of Florida's more offbeat tourist attractions: The Coral Castle. One man -- as a tribute to a lost love -- carved, transported and set up this coral limestone sculpture garden all by himself using only primitive tools. Note the Florida shaped table in the background. It even has a puddle to represent Lake Okeechobee.
While in Miami, I also caught up with mi hermano viejo, Senor Orlando, shown here with his hula bitches at the Score Sunday tea dance. He looks pretty good for sixty, right? If you're ever in Miami and need a massage, look him up. (Release is optional and extra.)
Mookie turned 15 in April; that's 105 for all you trying to convert into dog years. He's not the party animal he used to be, so we celebrated quietly with a couple extra Pup-Peronis at dinner time. Arthritis continues to hobble him, so he has retired from taking the stairs and insists on riding the elevator. His stomach is more sensitive and his hearing is fading. But other than that, he's happy and doing fine. This spring, he sported one of his most gorgeous coats ever.
Top Gun, Parts I & II. Fleet Week is always a favorite Memorial Day event, so I ventured to the piers to look at the ships (and the sailors, and the marines) and see my tax dollars at work. I toured the aircraft carrier JFK, the troop transport Shreveport and the destroyer U.S.S. Porter. The Shreveport, with it's weaponry demo by hunky marines, was by far the most interesting. Pictured: Left, on the flight deck of the JFK. Right, no I haven't joined the SLA and changed my name to Tanya. I'm just getting a quick lesson in machine gunmanship from a helpful marine aboard the Shreveport. The guns are gas powered, weigh 25 pounds, and can kill accurately over a kilometer away. So don't mess with the U.S.
This June marked my virginal Disney GayDays experience, one that I recommend to all Gay brethren and Lesbie friends as much as a pilgrimage to Amsterdam or Provincetown. Scott, with Sgt. John (on leave from duty in Iraq) in tow, drove up from Miami to meet me in Orlando where we congregated with tens of thousands of like-minded souls. The first day looked like a washout until it cleared up for the evening Beach Bash at Disney's spectacular Typhoon Lagoon water park. We were greeted at the park entrance by Goofy and Mickey (nice face, Scott -- you out-goofied Goofy) then spent much of our time getting wet in the tidal wave pool and Castaway Creek. Scott, scared shitless of the water slides, waited patiently while Sgt. John and I made a few runs down the Humunga Kowabunga.
Unfortunately, Scott had to leave us on Saturday, but fortunately he left us his hotel room, car, a can of cashews and two bottles of wine. So we dumped him off at the airport, then rushed over to Universal's Islands of Adventure, which to me ranks as the most fun Orlando theme park for adults. The Incredible Hulk roller coaster is the best I've ever ridden, while the park's Dueling Dragons, Fire and Ice -- we rode Fire -- rate very high as well. The Amazing Spiderman Adventure is one of the all-time coolest thrill rides, combining rollercoaster, motion sensor and 3-D film. And I laughed like a kid on Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Barge. I must admit it was really awesome seeing all the gay men and women enjoying the park together in their red t-shirts (though I had forgotten to bring one). Pictured: I posed down with Captain America on Superhero Island. Later, I got him down to his superhero underpants. Great chest, right? (Actually, that's one of the hot models from HEswimwear.com, which staged a fashion show in one of the host hotels. Blessedly, the show featured much more skin than cloth.)
Sunday morning I enjoyed coffee at the Sheraton with my very handsome German friend Herr Michael. He strongly recommended attending the Reunion Pool Party at the Wyndham Hotel. So I followed his advice and had a terrific time -- lots of goodlooking, friendly people, beautiful setting, decent music and great energy. Hey, if you ever want to feel old, pale and flabby, stand next to superhunk triathlete Hector at a pool party. He had just run (and swum and biked) a race that morning, and still had the energy to smile for this picture. In addition to being a superhunk, he's also sweet and friendly.
I attended to business on Monday morning and spent a couple hours at a conference that was ostensibly the reason for this trip (and the excuse to write off some of the expenses). But right after lunch I headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the only major Orlando theme park I had yet to visit. I'm a sucker for animals, even stuffed and extinct ones, so I was thrilled to walk through the gorilla and tiger sanctuaries, to ride the corny safari, to shake hands with Rifiki, to pet filthy goats and sheep in the petting zoo and to see Lucky the Dinosaur, Disney's first free-ranging animatron. That's not Lucky in the picture. Lucky is greener, expresses more emotions and was really quite impressive to see. I also caught part of the Tarzan musical (but couldn't find him later on); took the river rapids ride (weak compared to the one at Islands of Adventure); and viewed the Bug's Life 3-D show. The park is still expanding and definitely needs a few more thrill attractions, but the animals and that Disney magic still make it worthwhile. Overall, the Orlando GayDays experience is highly recommended. You've got the fun and excitement of the theme parks, the relaxed social atmosphere of the pool parties, and the big production nightlife parties. Pick and choose as you like -- there's something for everyone.

Recommendations
I got a new DVD player for Christmas, so I caught up on flicks and boxed set TV series I missed the first time around. The best were:
Movies --
Vera Drake --Mike Leigh's powerful abortion film with the amazing Imelda Stanton.
The Life Aquatic -- I should have listened to my good friend Mitch and seen it in the theater. I don't get tired of Bill Murray's deadpan
TV --
The Office (the BBC version) -- The first season is sublime; the second gets a little strained, but the reunion special pulls it all together. Ricky Gervais is tremendous as the deposed boss.
The Ali G Show (HBO version) -- Inspired stupidity. I still can't believe the interviews he pulled off with public officials.
Music --
Van Lear Rose -- I'm no big fan of country, still I was impressed by the enduring songwriting talents of Loretta Lynn. Of course, it was the intrigue of a Jack White collaboration that drew me to this record, and his mark is unmistakable. Favorite tracks: Little Red Shoes, This Old House.