THE DONALD

The thing that bothers me, keeps me awake these nights, is that it seems that no matter what idiotic, inflammatory statements Donald Trump makes, he remains at the top of the Republican list of choices for the nomination for President of the United States. Now, I know it’s almost a year until the election, but really, people, isn’t anyone else getting nervous? What if he is the Republican candidate? Oh, no, you all say, he’ll never make it that far. Really? I wonder. Remember Sarah Palin? What if he does get nominated, or worse, elected? With each passing day his chances for success improve.

    Of course we live in a free society, and he can say whatever he wants to say. Because he is so wealthy, he can air his views from a very wide platform, and that is his right as an American. However, his recent remarks indicate he’s perfectly fine with ignoring some of the most basic principles upon which this country is based. These are principles I am very fond of, and hearing him talking about keeping an entire religious group out of the U.S. and perhaps incarcerating those of that group who are already here makes me very uneasy. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very glad Trump has made his views clear. I am glad to know where he stands. I’m not glad that so many people appear to agree with him. It makes me wonder where I’m living. I thought we had evolved beyond thinking like the Donald’s. Do most of the Republicans in this country really buy what he’s selling? How long are we going to listen to his raving? When will he disappear so we can get down to the serious business of choosing our next leader?  The only way to silence him is to withdraw support for his campaign. I know it’s entertainment that rivals the most extreme “reality” TV, but the clock is ticking on this. Let’s not sacrifice our national integrity for the sake of entertainment. I long for the day we say,

            “Donald Trump, you’re FIRED!”

Food Trucks!

     So what’s the big deal about allowing food trucks? I think it’s a great idea. I think it would elevate the food production industry in our fair town. From what I see on the Food Network, today’s food trucks are not the bean wagons they once were. No, these rolling kitchens are dispensing pretty sophisticated cuisine and in my humble opinion would give our existing restaurants a run for their money. Of course, I don’t own a restaurant, so I see this as a good thing, a view not shared by some of those who do. But isn’t this America, home of the competitive? Isn’t good, honest competition one of the mainstays of our capitalist system? I’ve asked several people, (none of them restaurant owners), for their thoughts on this, and without exception they have said “Bring on the food trucks!” It seems there is a certain school of thought that embraces the idea that our restaurants need a good ‘kick in the pants’ to relieve a complacency believed to exist in the local food industry. Personally, I think it’s a good way to get people to come here. Why couldn’t this be a foodie destination? Of course the trucks would have to be regulated, and subject to the same health laws and licensing as any food distributor here in town, and we would need to designate areas where they could operate with appropriate fees for the spaces they occupy, but that’s all just an extension of the regs already in place.  

     Or, if that’s not acceptable, how about allowing them in a designated area only on certain days of the week, the way we do the Farmer’s Market? That might work. In fact, what’s the big difference between the two? I see them as more similar than different.

     I’m sure there are other ways to do this that I haven’t thought of. Why not consider it? Food trucks might be a great addition to our town, and I don’t think we should reject the idea out of hand, just because it’s a change. It could be a good change.

I'm Back!!!

November 18, 2015

            I know, I know. If I’m going to have a blog, I have to keep it up. My apologies. I hope I haven’t lost the few readers I had. All kinds of things got in the way, none of them a valid excuse. I can only say I will try never to do that again.            

            A lot has happened since I last wrote, but to me the most dismaying were the attacks on Paris. I know I’m not alone in feeling the same way I felt after 9/11, but also there’s a touch of the way I felt living in New York during Son of Sam. It’s a little scary to go outside.

            We all know there is evil in the world, and to our credit, we seem to pull together when it manifests itself. The around-the-world response to Friday night in Paris was quick and touching. Our finest hour. It wasn’t until Saturday that I heard someone use the attacks as a political instrument, and of course it was, who else? Donald Trump. (I guess he doesn’t like being referred to as “The Donald” anymore. I haven’t heard that in months.) He thinks we should ban all refugees from Syria. Period. Jeb Bush evidently wants to allow Christians only to come in. My question is: What happened to “Give me your tired, your poor…” What about the “wretched refuse yearning to be free…” ? Do we just trash all those values and standards? If so, what’s left? This is supposed to be a free society we have here. To me, that means we let everybody in. Terrorists? We’ve been told for years they are already among us. What’s changed? The attacks in Paris were hideous, but they didn’t suddenly signal every terrorist in Europe and the Middle East to join the flood of refugees. Obviously that’s what Isis wants us to think, but it seems ridiculous to me.

            Well, this turned into quite a rant. Let me know what you think. It’s good to be back. 

LASAGNA

I decided to make some lasagna yesterday. I don’t often make it because there are only two of us eating and it’s impossible to make a ‘mini-lasagna’. It simply isn’t worth the time. Besides, I had bunch of late-season eggplants and tomatoes that needed to be used up and lasagna seemed a good way to incorporate all those things. Of course, I still had to go to the supermarket to get fresh ricotta and sweet sausage, and a box, (yes, I said box) of tomatoes. Not to sound too much like a commercial, I LOVE Pomi tomatoes in the box. Anyway, back to the lasagna. After slicing, breading and baking the eggplant, and cooking each component separately, sausage, onions, mushrooms, and tomato sauce, I began to “build” my lasagna, as they say on the Food Network. Layers of mozzarella and ricotta separated layers of sausage, onions, mushrooms, and pasta, all surrounded by the tomato sauce and baked for one hour. Out of the oven came this gorgeous, lightly browned, fragrant, huge pan of lasagna. Betty and I each enjoyed a square with a nice burgundy, but now what? Our two helpings were a meager subtraction. There was still one heck of a lot of lasagna to dispose of. Well, okay,  I’ll freeze some, I thought gamely.  I cut four more helpings and put them in two freezer bags. Great. Now I only had enough to feed a small bar full of drunks at last call, arguably the hungriest group of people in the world. If I froze all that was left, I’d have an entire freezer full of lasagna. It was good, but really, how much could we eat? While it’s true we were both once hungry drunks at last call, neither of us can eat the way we used to. I left a couple of helpings in the refrigerator, so we could have it one more time this week. That still left a goodly chunk, which Betty suggested we give to our neighbor, who gave us butterfish in return. I’m going to cook the fish tonight, and our neighbor has already eaten and applauded the lasagna. I love this town. 

Looking Back

   My recent retirement from the last of my activities on stage has caused me to look back over a lifetime of performing. It’s certainly been, in the words of the late Mr. Garcia, a long, strange trip. It’s one I always knew would end, and I’m actually surprised to see it lasted as long as it did. I mean, like so many of my generation, I never believed I’d live past thirty, and doing shows at age 68 was ‘way beyond my reckoning, for sure.

   There have been many great times, and many not so great ones, too, like any profession. I never got very famous. I used to wish for that but now I’m glad it didn’t happen. I managed to make a fair living, without the huge sacrifices that come with fame. I had a lot of fun, and got to travel all over the country, which was nice. Remember when it used to be fun to fly? I met some famous people, some nice, some not. The nicest famous person I ever met was Liberace. I won’t name the worst. I got to work with some really fine musicians, some of whom live right here in Provincetown. You know who you are, and you have my everlasting respect and gratitude.

   The whole week before my last show, I wondered what it would be like. Would I cry? Would I laugh? Would my voice be in shape? Would I remember the song lyrics? Would it be too hot? Would it be too cold? Would anybody come to the concert? And on and on. At last, the moment arrived, and I found myself calm, and why not? My musician friends surrounded me, people I have sung with for the last 17 summers, and there were many familiar faces in the audience, as well. It was, quite simply, everything I could have asked for. The song, which I had been working on for a year, flew out of my mouth as though I’d been performing it forever. (I’d never sung it before in public). All of my worries disappeared, and it became one of those moments I cherish on stage, when it’s all just right. Perfect.

   So, this is a thank you note to all of you who helped make Sunday, Sept 13, 2015 a very special day for me. I’m glad you liked my song, that day and all the days you’ve sat and listened. Without you there would be no song, just some screeching in the shower. Of all the places I have performed, Provincetown is my favorite, and I’m glad if I made some of you happy with my music and antics on the stage. It’s been fun for me, too. Thanks.  

PS: Stay tuned for the next act! 

WHO SPITS?

facebook.com/phoebe.otis.1

    So, I’ve been watching a lot of baseball this summer, and I just want to know one thing:

   WHAT’S WITH ALL THE SPITTING???

   I don’t get it. It’s everywhere, in the dugout, in the outfield, behind home plate! They’re all spewing chocolate streams of juice, (I know it’s not really chocolate.) decorating the floor and walls of the dugout or killing off patches of grass in right field. The other night I found myself wishing Fenway Park would bring back spittoons. The health nuts on the team have taken the American Cancer Society’s advice and substituted sunflower seeds. While this is certainly better for their health, it’s no less disgusting to watch, particularly since the seed-eaters don’t actually spit. Instead, they push the seed hulls out of their mouths and let them dribble down the fronts of their uniforms. Pretty. Very pretty. Perhaps if one eats enough sunflower seeds, one reverts back to high-chair manners.

    This odd behavior doesn’t seem to extend to other sports. Tennis players don’t spit. They do occasionally vomit, (Sorry, Pete Sampras), but no spitting that I’ve ever seen. Basketball, soccer and hockey are so fast spitting might go unnoticed, so who knows? Imagine if figure skaters spat. Not only would it make a mess, it might even melt the ice. Equestrians don’t spit, though their horses not only spit, but often drool when the race is over, but that’s the only time I’ve seen it, outside of baseball. I suppose the odd football player spits now and then, but with all that equipment on their heads, well, how….? Ewww!

   Spitting was considered proper male behavior back in the days of spittoons, although I don’t believe they did it in front of “the ladies”, as opposed to today, when they do it on national television. Hurray for progress. Speaking of “the ladies”,  here’s my final observation on this damp subject: I’ve NEVER seen a woman athlete spit, in any sport. Just saying. 

Gayness???

   Someone asked me if I was offended by the article in last week’s Provincetown Banner that asked the question “Is Provincetown Losing It’s Gayness?”  At that point, I hadn’t yet seen said article, and it just seemed silly to me, so I laughed. Later, I wondered what it meant. Losing our gayness? What is gayness? Is it even a word? The article, which I finally read, was worried we are losing the magic that attracts so many tourists every summer, especially to Carnival. How times have changed! I remember BC (Before Carnival), when “gayness” was, shall I say, not celebrated quite the way it is today. Being gay myself, I enjoy the freedom of the day as much as anyone, but somewhere inside a tiny voice is saying, “Be careful! Remember when you could get arrested for walking down Commercial St holding your lover’s hand.” Lovers. That’s what we used to call our mates. There were no “husbands” or “wives”, except in the most sarcastic terms, because we never imagined we’d be able to get legally married. But, I can change with the times. It’s great to be able to refer to Betty as my wife, and really mean it. I love watching the reactions, too. Lots of people take it in stride, but some really don’t know how to deal with two elderly lesbians who refer to each other as “wife.” Forgive me, but I revel in their obvious discomfort. Anyway, back to the point. Are we losing our “gayness”? Maybe. Provincetown is not the gay destination it was because the world is becoming more accepting of gay culture, so many more destinations have made themselves attractive to gay people. Personally, I didn’t notice a decrease in the number of people in town this year, though I admit I have no idea how many were gay. No one really does. We had a good summer. There were a lot of people here, and we managed to keep them entertained, fed and housed without too much drama. Did they come here looking for “gayness”? Who knows, and what difference does it  make? If we can remain an attractive, fun, interesting destination, maybe we don’t need to worry about “gayness.”