Hey, I have a blog!
Jan. 8th, 2008 12:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
figarofigaro1Wow, I haven't posted in a while. Oops.
We enjoyed the Mozart Festival's winter production of the first three cantatas of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. We sat with D&A, and D got a shout out from the conductor. We met for dinner before at Bangkok Bistro (now something of a pre-performance tradition), and it was good, as usual. The following evening we had D&A over for dinner. It was our first time entertaining here in the new place. Dinner turned out nicely. I made a herb-stuffed boneless leg of lamb and individual eggnog cranberry bread puddings. Everyone got admirably sloshed.
We drove from here to Columbus, Ohio for Christmas celebrations with my family. It is basically a 13 hour drive, and B doesn't do well on long car trips, so we broke it up. We spent one night each way in Rochester, New York, which is almost exactly halfway. The family celebration was before Christmas this year, so it felt different. Also my brother-in-law, LD, had asked for the wrong weekend off, so he couldn't make the trip. The kids are all growing up and much more fun to be around. We also spent a wonderful evening with my friend R and her husband T. We went to an excellent restaurant in Columbus, Lindey's. Highly recommended.
Worst part of the car trip was coming back to Rochester on 12/24. The hotel restaurant was closed and they sent us down the street to a barbecue place, that was also closed. We wandered in the cold a bit more only to find everything in downtown closed up tight. So we just went to bed. I think if we'd stayed on the interstate instead of downtown, we'd have had more options. But B likes to stay in bigger city hotels whenever possible.
Best part of the car trip: Listening to Armistead Maupin read his Night Listener (second time for me, first for B). I still think it is a great book. It is an excellent story with no resolution, and a great exploration of what it is to be gay and middle-aged gay at that.
New Year's Eve we spent with the Vermont Gay Social Alternative. They had a big party at the Hyatt downtown. I'd estimate 100 people there. We had a wonderful time with our usual set of friends: D&A (of course), J&M, and R&G (who didn't sit with us but hung out with us a lot - G is an officer in VGSA, so he was working the crowd). Also met up again with G&M (whom we met at the Uniform Party the week after Halloween). Midnight brought everyone out onto the balcony to watch some excellent fireworks over the lake. New Year's Day we had brunch at Leunigs with D&A. We all stayed at the Hyatt overnight so no one would have to drive. After brunch, B&I went to a movie. (I think I'll do a separate movie posting.)
Other highlights: Making new friends LR&J and going with them to Asian Bistro, buying snowshoes, a trip to the Montpelier Winter Farmers Market, exploring Montpelier, and the last Key Sunday Cinema Club offering for the fall. I also finished some knitting projects and got more yarn, but I'll do a separate knitting posting, too.
Last Thursday was the coldest day so far here in Vermont. The high was +4 F, and the low was -10. The low happened at about the time B and I went to the gym. It was cold, yes, but the coolest thing (heh) was that the snow got very dry and separated, like sand, and squeaked when we walked or drove on it. The temps had already come back up to +3 by the time we went to bed. And we've had higher temperatures ever since then. In fact, it was 40's this weekend, 50's yesterday, and over 60 as I write this today. The only snow left is that in big piles. The brand new snowshoes are languishing in the garage. I'm told this is a regular occurrence, the January thaw. (My friend LR says it is so the bees can poop.)
We enjoyed the Mozart Festival's winter production of the first three cantatas of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. We sat with D&A, and D got a shout out from the conductor. We met for dinner before at Bangkok Bistro (now something of a pre-performance tradition), and it was good, as usual. The following evening we had D&A over for dinner. It was our first time entertaining here in the new place. Dinner turned out nicely. I made a herb-stuffed boneless leg of lamb and individual eggnog cranberry bread puddings. Everyone got admirably sloshed.
We drove from here to Columbus, Ohio for Christmas celebrations with my family. It is basically a 13 hour drive, and B doesn't do well on long car trips, so we broke it up. We spent one night each way in Rochester, New York, which is almost exactly halfway. The family celebration was before Christmas this year, so it felt different. Also my brother-in-law, LD, had asked for the wrong weekend off, so he couldn't make the trip. The kids are all growing up and much more fun to be around. We also spent a wonderful evening with my friend R and her husband T. We went to an excellent restaurant in Columbus, Lindey's. Highly recommended.
Worst part of the car trip was coming back to Rochester on 12/24. The hotel restaurant was closed and they sent us down the street to a barbecue place, that was also closed. We wandered in the cold a bit more only to find everything in downtown closed up tight. So we just went to bed. I think if we'd stayed on the interstate instead of downtown, we'd have had more options. But B likes to stay in bigger city hotels whenever possible.
Best part of the car trip: Listening to Armistead Maupin read his Night Listener (second time for me, first for B). I still think it is a great book. It is an excellent story with no resolution, and a great exploration of what it is to be gay and middle-aged gay at that.
New Year's Eve we spent with the Vermont Gay Social Alternative. They had a big party at the Hyatt downtown. I'd estimate 100 people there. We had a wonderful time with our usual set of friends: D&A (of course), J&M, and R&G (who didn't sit with us but hung out with us a lot - G is an officer in VGSA, so he was working the crowd). Also met up again with G&M (whom we met at the Uniform Party the week after Halloween). Midnight brought everyone out onto the balcony to watch some excellent fireworks over the lake. New Year's Day we had brunch at Leunigs with D&A. We all stayed at the Hyatt overnight so no one would have to drive. After brunch, B&I went to a movie. (I think I'll do a separate movie posting.)
Other highlights: Making new friends LR&J and going with them to Asian Bistro, buying snowshoes, a trip to the Montpelier Winter Farmers Market, exploring Montpelier, and the last Key Sunday Cinema Club offering for the fall. I also finished some knitting projects and got more yarn, but I'll do a separate knitting posting, too.
Last Thursday was the coldest day so far here in Vermont. The high was +4 F, and the low was -10. The low happened at about the time B and I went to the gym. It was cold, yes, but the coolest thing (heh) was that the snow got very dry and separated, like sand, and squeaked when we walked or drove on it. The temps had already come back up to +3 by the time we went to bed. And we've had higher temperatures ever since then. In fact, it was 40's this weekend, 50's yesterday, and over 60 as I write this today. The only snow left is that in big piles. The brand new snowshoes are languishing in the garage. I'm told this is a regular occurrence, the January thaw. (My friend LR says it is so the bees can poop.)
