Tee-shirt Approved Sellers

 Here are some of the Tee-shirt sellers I have patronized and can vouch for their quality, customer service and overall value.  100% satisfaction all around.

T-Shirt Obsessed.

 It all began with my back surgery and a pair of T-shirts.  One to wear to the procedure.  A pre-op statement.  And one as my mantra post-op.  And now I'm enamored with some amazingly comfortable, beautiful T-shirts.

My post-op T-shirt

My latest--my 2025 Christmas T!

Round House Theatre: The Inheritance, Part 2

 How to describe it?  "The Inheritance" is a monumental work of theatre by Matthew Lopez intended to represent the complexities of Gay Life over two generations; The AIDS Plague survivors and the contemporary Post-AIDS generation, that no sees HIV as an inevitable lethal virus, but something we live with.  There a certain allegory between the way gay men (and others) have made peace with HIV and the need to make peace between ourselves as generations.  In two parts, with six total acts, the entire commitment to the experience is 6 hours and 50 minutes.  It is inspired by E. M. Forester's novel "Howard's End."

As a thing, you can imagine, this is a rare opportunity.  In many ways, it's the younger gay generation's "Angel's In America."  Unfortunately, it's no "Angels."  It's, in my humble opinion, too preachy, too salacious, and too tedious.   I struggled to be more diplomatic with my review of the first part back in August when I saw it.  In the interim, my subconscious has spent a lot more time digesting the experience.  I was better prepared to take in the saga's conclusion with a critically prepared mind.

Generally speaking, the acting again was fine.  We pick-up the story of the lives of the younger and older gay couples where we left them:  Eric Glass has just been betrayed by his lover of 7 years after Toby Darling's play is a sudden smack hit.  Toby is a drug-addled user who men find charming, but whose presence is toxic.  Eric's friendship with his elder neighbor, Walter Poole has also come to an abrupt end at the sudden death of Walter.  Walter's passing has left his partner, Charles Wilcox a billionaire real estate mogul alone and a flirtation begins between Eric and Charles.

In part two, Charles proposes to Eric and Eric accepts.  Charles is sincere, but is looking at the relationship as a transaction; Eric, ever the romantic wants love, something Charles can't really do.  The whole production revolves around a house in the country that Charles had given to Walter after he surreptitiously turned it into a retreat for their gay friends to come to to die, back when that was the only option.  Walter's compassion is mirrored by Eric's.  Upon his death, Walter left the house to Eric, but Charles and his sons decided to hide this truth from Eric.  

As with the first half, the life of a younger man (played by the same actor), Leo interjects a tension between Charles and Eric (as it had as Adam between Eric and Toby in part 1).  Leo is a street prostitute who's life we've watch descend throughout the work.  He has contracted AIDS and without any support.  Like Walter before him, Eric takes his care under his concerns.  And once again, to the initial chagrin of Charles, the house in the country becomes a sanctuary.

Three observations: 1) The role of Charles given to the actor Robert Gant of Hollywood fame: a lead in the popular "Queer as Folk, American version" was played by his understudy, Eric Hissom, a local fixture in the DMV theater world and a tried and true member of any cast in any roll.  I enjoyed Eric's portrayal of the character far more than I did Robert's.  2) In the final act which takes place at the country home, we are introduced to Margaret (the only woman in the cast).  Margaret's son was one of the first of Walter and Charles friends to come to the country house to die.  It was there that Margaret came to accept her son's homosexuality on his dying bed, and she has remained in the community every since, a sort of de facto care-taker of the place.  Played by another local luminary, Nancy Robinette, she was such a moving and grounding presence as this ship finally decide to land.  3)  The principal cast contains 10 younger men.  In Part 1 back in mid-August, it's safe to say, all were of reasonable build, some much more muscular, but def to fatties.  Well, Jesus, Joseph and Mary!  They've all been working out at the gym!  During a Fire Island beach orgy scene (oh, come on, surely you expected one of those!) we got a hell of a lot of six-pack ab undulation action going on along with a call and response choral narrative that would have made George Carlin's 6 words look as quaint and ridiculous as "See Jane.  See Dick.  See Spot."  In its candor, it reminded me of my first viewing of the original British version of "Queer as Folk" when Stuart Jones (Aiden Gillen) goes down on Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam)'s ass and rims him into ecstasy!   For someone (me) who has been to many fucking "rodeos," my prudish streak even confused me.  Chalk it up to coming from a closeted generation.

I am so glad that Round House has their Press Photos out now so that I can share some of the images with you. 

Standing [L-R]: Leo (Jordi Bertran Ramirez), Toby Darling (Adam Poss), Eric Glass (David Gow); croutching [L-R]: Tristan (Jamar Jones), Jasper (back, Hunter Ringsmith), Jason #2 (Jonathan Atkinson), #1 (John Floyd)

[L-R]: Jasper, Jason #2, Leo, Charles (Ben Bogen), Morgan (Robert Sella), Young Man #4 (Dylan Toms)

Morgan is the muse of E. M. Forster who appears to narrate portions of the plot.  Robert Sella also played Walter Poole.

Eric and Toby after some graphically narrated and choreographed love-making

In a simpler time: Toby, Adam (also Jordi Bertran Ramirez) and Eric

Robert Gant as Charles Wilcox with his two stones from a former straight marriage: Paul Wilcox (Hunter Ringsmith) and Charles Wilcox Jr. (Ben Bogen).  The paper holds Walter Poole's dying request to give the country home Eric Glass, and here they choose to ignore it.

Leo describes his sexual assault and emotional betrayal by Toby on Fire Island

Morgan returns to share his thoughts with Leo.  Morgan is Leo's muse.

Leo, Eric and Margaret (Nancy Robinette) sharing a photo album of Margaret's son, Michael, who died of AIDS in the country home.

Breakfast: Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper Tahini and Fresh Fruit

 

Last Black Velvet Petunia of the Season

 

Dinner: Soup with Seared Beef Bites, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Green Beans, and Button Mushrooms; Seasoned with minced Garlic, Butter, Pink Himalayan Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper!

 

Breakfast: a Breakfast Egg Burrito with Cheddar Cheese and Mushrooms with sliced Tomatoes and Baby Spinach served on One-side Toasted Sourdough Bread with my Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce.

The description was a mouth full...so was the sandwich!

 

Audrey's Big Day

 Audrey, my Tree Philodendron, has been with me now for just shy of 40 years.  She spends her summers outside on my deck, and her winters in my modest sun room.  Today was the end of her summer basking.  My neighbor, Tim, has for the past few years now done the heavy lifting for me in lieu of my back surgery.

I prep her by binding her fronds so they move through doorways much easier.  She is not the only migratory plant, but she is by far the largest.  The others will come in over the next few weeks depending on the forecast.  

I cut up a stretchy garbage bag to create the ribbons I use to bind up Audrey's fronds.

Once bound, they take up much less space, and are far less likely to be damaged.

Inside the sun room, but still bound as I add a few more plants near her.

Fronds free.

Celebrating the Senior Living Actors of the Star Trek Franchise

 

Native Stink Bug!

FLORIDA PREDATORY STINK BUG

Euthyrhynchus floridanus

A surprise visitor on my deck yesterday!  This little beauty is a Florida Predatory Stink Bug--so much more attractive than those Asian invaders, AND they love to eat them!  Mother nature dealing with an evasive species with any more of our interference.  Best way to go.

 

Saturday's Dinner: Pork/Beef Meatballs in Cabbage, Roasted Tomatoes and Sauerkraut.

 Such a comfort food.  Even when life is good!  I served it with rice.

Who The Hell Are We? #1

 

Folger's Shakespeare Theatre: Julius X

 I do love to go to the Folger Library's Shakespeare Theatre to see a play.  In fact, I enjoy it so much that I was willing to walk nearly a mile to get there today!  The damned Metro System's Green Line was down for maintenance, so I had to take the Red Line to Union Station and the schlep my way over.  For me, that was a good 25 minute walk, and that partly because though I knew where I wanted to go--getting there with the United States Capitol smack dab in the way was not as clear cut a path as I wanted...

Besides the venue, what would draw me to make the trek (both there and back--though going back was easier being that it was also downhill)?  "Julius X" by Al Letson.  If you are an NPR-phile like me, you will probably recognize the name Al Letson.  Letson has been kicking around public radio venues for some years now.  He's most famous for his show "Reveal," an expose of various crimes and criminal enterprises.  He's a Peabody winning journalist and honestly a very interesting fellow.  "Julius X" was a project in which he combined the life of Malcolm X with Shakespeare's plays "Julius Caesar."  It was a fascinating conflation that preserved the heart of Julius Caesar while telling the story of Malcolm X from his return from the Hajj and its transformation of his message.  Harlem was substituted for Rome.  The Assassins took the place of Brutus and Cassius.  

It was a fascinating production made all the more dynamic by the use of various elements of African American cultural performance, both historical and contemporary: from call and response to rap.  The set was simple, but well used with the integrated Audio/Visual.  The costumes were elegant and beautiful.

As for the actors, it would be difficult to praise one over the other.  As an ensemble, they played very well together.  Brandon Carter certainly embodied the frame and magnanimous presence of Julius (Malcolm) X.  Jonathan Del Palmer's Marc Anthony was likewise every inch the faithful friend.  His delivery of the eulogy starting, "Friends, Harlemites, Neighbors, lend me your ears" was one of the real highlights of the production.  However, it was second to the speech given to Portia at Caesar's first memorial.  It opened the second half of the play and I'm not sure that it was original to Shakespeare, but it certainly should have been.  Renee Elizabeth Wilson gave a take no prisoners performance that honestly caused my eyes to leak.  From the first time I experienced her talent in "Radio Golf" at Round House Theatre back in 2023, she's quickly become one of those actors who never disappoints.

Congratulations to Al Letson for a worthy addition to the ever growing and varies cannon of Shakespeare inspired art.

Brandon Carter as Julius (Center).  Behind him L-R: Jonathan Del Palmer (Marc Antony), Lilli Hokama (Addara), Gaelyn D. Smith (Cinna) [Behind Julius], Jay Frisby (Cassius), and Dwayne Alistair Thomas (Flavus)

Members of the Chorus: Shawn Sebastian Naar, Gaelyn D. Smith, and Lilli Hokama

Brandon Carter as Julius X and Greg Alverez Reid as Brutus

Spidey Surprise!

 Isn't she beautiful!?

Dinner: Shrimp Corn Chowder

 

Smithsonian National Zoo: The Main Pathway

 After reaching the top of the Asian Trail I looked at my phone and discovered that I had just over an hour left before the National Zoo would close.  So much left to see--thankfully, the zoo made my first decision for me.  The Cheetah Conservation Station and adjacent habitats were all closed and basically in some degree of total redesign.  This still left about a dozen possible areas of interest.  I immediately, discarded all of the smaller ones.  No Bison, No Prairie Dogs, No Gibbons and Siamang, No Przewalski's Horses, No Lemur Island, No Wallabies, etc.  Then on to the larger complexes; No Great Ape House, and No Think Tank with the Orangutans and Allen's Swamp Monkeys.

What's left?  Time to connect three dots.  I started with a breeze through the Small Mammal House. One of the many early 20th Century Romanesque masterpieces.  Renovated over the years to host an interior full of open and creative habitats--probably, in the most perfect world--it's ready for a next generation upgrade.  l would love to see more naturalistic design and live foliage, flowing water features, natural light--all toward a more immersive guest experience.  My upgrade would include an extension on the rear side of the building to also double the existing space to 1) increase the size of all the habitats, and 2) create interior/exterior habitats for many that will provide greater options for both animals and guests.

SMALL ANIMAL HOUSE

Golden Lion Tamarin

Leontopithecus rosalia

Slender-tailed Meerkat

Suricata suricatta

Bearded Emperor Tamarin

Tamarinus subgrisescens

REPTILE HOUSE

 The Reptile House is on the renovation block.  I wanted to see it before it closed.  Like the Aviary, this is a multi-million dollar endeavor that will take several years from inception to completion. As herpetariums go, the National Zoo's is average, and average is good.  I feel like the majority of the upgrades will be infrastructural in nature, though an entirely new set of glass windows will undoubtedly reset the habitats to a more pristine appearance.  Also I would like to think the arrangement of species within the habitats might have a more geographical theme.

Exterior of the National Zoo's Reptile House.

Shingleback Skink

Tiliqua rugosa

Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle

Podocnemis unifilis

The Grand Cayman Blue Iguana

Cyclura lewisi

LIONS & TIGER, OH MY!

coming down to the wire, I still wanted to end with a visit to the Big Cat Island at the bottom of the main pathway.

Shaka & Jumbe, brothers born at the zoo in 2014.

African Lion

Panthera leo

Amur Tiger

Panthera tigris altaica