Author: Jeff Tabaco

In three weeks, on Saturday, Oct. 1, Thom and I will be walking in AIDS Walk Washington, a 5K walkathon benefiting Whitman-Walker Clinic, which provides important community-based health care, especially HIV/AIDS services, in the D.C. metropolitan area. The Clinic needs help to keep these services available and to reach everyone who needs them. We are walking with Team AGLA (Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance). If you’d like to help support Whitman-Walker Clinic’s mission and programs, please consider making a worthwhile (and tax-deductible) donation.

Every little bit helps!

My newest mantra: I do not need an iPod nano. My regular iPod, which I’ve had for about a year now, is just fine… with its sturdy heft and monochrome screen. I mean, sure, periodically I think, if only it were smaller and lighter. And had a bright color screen. Get out of my head, Apple!

I can at least go to the Apple store at conveniently located Pentagon City (a welcome new addition to the mall) one of these days and take a look at it. Just look. For now.

Last night we went to the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage for a concert performance of Nevermore, a new musical by Matt Conner, based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. All the songs are beautiful, and I am looking forward to seeing the full show when it goes on stage at Signature Theatre next year. (Speaking of anticipated Signature productions, we will be seeing Urinetown next month.)

And so my long Labor Day weekend draws to a close. As I’ve mentioned previously, I had today off, and while I thought I was going to go out and spend the day in D.C., inertia got the best of me and I stayed at home. It was a lovely day, and I took some photos on the balcony, including one to add to my seasonal tree series. Here it is so far:

As you can see, I missed spring.

Strange. As of around 12:30 a.m., the Post‘s D.C. webcam, which usually shows a view of the National Mall (and which I used to display in the sidebar here), has been showing a screen capture of German TV. (The woman on the screen is politician Angela Merkel, for you Germanophiles out there.) Thom jokes that maybe Washington has been invaded while we’ve been ensconced in the condo all weekend.

I tried sending the Post a message about it using their contact form (and I even attached a screenshot), but it didn’t generate any kind of confirmation screen, so who knows if it has been received.

[Update (15:22): It’s back to the Mall. The Germans have retreated.]

This morning as I was reading more news about Hurricane Katrina, I kept feeling like I was on the verge of breaking down or something. I can’t even imagine. I’m still a little speechless about it.

The least I can do right now is make a donation to the relief efforts. Network for Good is one of many websites out there with lists of aid organizations accepting donations. Please give what you can, and as a follow-up action, check with your employer about matching programs. (The company I work for is matching its employees’ donations to hurricane relief, beyond its normal annual matching limits, and I hear our donation drive is going well.)

Yes, I’m alive. Things at the office have been busy, as I’m trying to get a lot of work done before the upcoming holiday weekend. Mmm, weekend. I’ll be out of the office on Labor Day and the following day as well, which is great. But for now, it’s nose to the grindstone.

Last week, Thom was in a funk, and yesterday I got into a funk; we had a good talk about it, aired some issues, and things are better. Less funky.

This is a photo of the roses I sent to Thom last Friday, inspired by the song “Love is Red” by David Poe.

I’ll drink whiskey from the bottle
I’ll drink sherry or moonshine
But my love is like a rare, red wine:
A sacrament, exquisite, hard to find

The gladiolas in slow motion
Scar of tulips in the snow
But my love is like a red, red rose:
Coveted, expensive, hard to grow …

My love is red
As red as love can be …

Just to catch up on the last few days: On Saturday we went to Gay Day at the Hillwood Museum and Gardens. It was our first time to Hillwood — once a private estate, now open to the public — and what an amazing place it is. The mansion holds a huge collection of Russian art, and the gardens, especially the Japanese-style garden, are excellent.

There were talks throughout the day, and a performance by the Rock Creek Singers, an ensemble of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. (We also took in an ongoing exhibit on designer Eva Zeisel, which runs through Dec. 4.) The day ended with refreshments on the back lawn of the mansion. So very civilized. Most of my photos from that day are up on Flickr; there are still a few more to come (though none from inside the mansion, where photos are prohibited, unfortunately).

Last night we had an excellent dinner of Mediterranean food at Zaytinya with Tina and RK (happy birthday!), who were also going to the Washington Nationals game. It was Thom’s and my first Nats game (and in fact the first time both of us had been inside RFK per se), and we had a couple of good seats just past third base (section 226) thanks to Thom’s friend Craig, who has season tickets. The game was moving along at a pretty quick pace, but we were already a bit tired and also wanted to beat the exit rush, so we left at the middle of the eighth inning. (The Reds beat the Nats, 6-2.)

Tonight we’re off to the Birchmere to see Duncan Sheik, which I’m excited about. And the Birchmere has a special place in our hearts, since that’s where Thom and I met each other in person for the first time, two years ago.

[Update (Aug. 25): Check out Thom’s blog for entries about the Duncan Sheik concert and the interesting guy we talked with afterwards.]

That title is a line from Strangers with Candy, which we’ve been watching on DVD. It’s from a season-two episode (“The Blank Page“) in which Jerri (Amy Sedaris) tries out for the high school cheerleading squad, and it’s revealed that she can’t read. When it’s Jerri’s turn, the gym teacher asks her what “V-I-C-T-O-R-Y” spells, and after first guessing “win” (as in the previous girl’s cheer), Jerri guesses, “Fandango? Hobo camp? Hobo camp!”

Thom and I cracked ourselves up for a good minute imitating her and trying to get the intonation just right. In fact I’m chuckling a bit right now. The episode also has a dance sequence to “On Broadway” featuring art teacher Mr. Jellineck (Paul Dinello) in leg warmers and a leotard. I guess you have to watch it for yourself. The whole series is hilarious. Definitely worth Netflixing.

[Addendum (Aug. 31): We just watched an episode from season three (“Is Freedom Free?“) in which Mr. Jellineck appears in a Speedo. Who knew he was such a hunky stud?]