Click on the comic strip to enlarge
ADAM & ANDY is set in the fictional New England town of Woodfield, CT. You can learn more about this strip by visiting, adamandandy.com. To see previous Adam and Andy cartoons link here.
Thank you for stopping by to check out my blog. Have a great weekend.
Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women January 19 – February 5, 2017
Trans Scripts Part I: The Women opens Thursday, January 19th for a two and a half week run at the A.R.T. in Cambridge.
Drawn from dozens of interviews conducted around the world, Trans Scripts, U.S. premiere uses the real words of women to shed light on the rich and diverse experiences within the transgender community. This show received a Fringe First Award for new writing at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The reviews are in for The SpeakEasy Stage production of the Tony nominated play Hand To God, and everyone (including me) loves it, but don’t take my word for it, The Boston Globe describes the show as “Good Nasty Fun!” and WBUR says it is “Flat-out hilarious”.
Described as “Sesame Street meets The Exorcist” by the New Yorker, the play tells the story of an awkward Texas teen named Jason, who spends afternoons practicing for the Christian Puppet Ministry run by his widowed mother. When Jason’s puppet, Tyrone, takes on a shocking and dangerously irreverent personality things take a much darker turn. This is unlike any play I can recall seeing with shocking scenes that will leave you laughing out loud one minute and the next recoiling. Hand puppets have never been so devilishly entertaining.
Get tickets to see Hand To God while they last. The two hour show with one intermission opened earlier this month and runs through Saturday, Febraury 4th at the Calderwood Pavilion in the South End.
Dario Ladani Sanchez and Eliott Purcell in SpeakEasy Stage’s production of HAND TO GOD. Photo by Glenn Perry Photography
In years past I’ve written posts for newcomers to Boston who may not be familiar with New England winters. One of my suggestions is to try and learn to embrace what winter offers. Never has that been more fun with gay ski weekends and weeks here locally and out West to tempt you.
Below are a few such events you may want to consider. The price of tickets out West varies widely by destination and carrier but you can use a locally developed app called Hopper to alert you to last minute airfares and price reductions.
Gay Aspen Ski Week (January 15 – 22, 2017) is the longest running and perhaps largest event of the season. It kicks off this Sunday but most of the fun is reserved for the second half of the week. Shown above is last year’s Ultimate Après Ski Party sponsored by Logo. For more information gayskiweek.com.
Winter Rendezvous (January 18 – 22, 2017) is one of the largest gay ski events happening in New England. The party at Stowe Mountain in Vermont is also only a 3 hour drive making it logistically a lot easier and more affordable option. For more information winterrendezvous.com.
Whistler Pride Ski Festival (January 22 – 29, 2017) turns 25 this year and the winter pride festival is filled with fun events including a visit from one of my favorite drag queens, Pam Ann. For more information gaywhistler.com.
White Out Weekend – WOW (February 3 – 5, 2017) is an annual event hosted by The Welcoming Committee (TWC) and is the perfect opportunity for those who do not want include the hassle or expense of airfare or take off time from work. TWC will even take care of transportation for you up to Sunday River in Maine. For more information thewelcomingcommittee.com.
Elevation Utah 2017 (February 23 – 26, 2017) is celebrating its seventh annual party at Park City, Utah. For more information utahgayskiweek.com.
Telluride Gay Ski Week (February 25 – March 4, 2017) is the last big gay ski week of the 2017 winter season in North America, bringing the gay ski season full circle back to beautiful Colorado. For more information telluridegayski.com.
Boston’s OutRyders Gay Ski Club
If getting away for one of these trips is not going to work, but you’d like to ski, consider joining Boston’s Gay ski / snowboarding club, OutRyders. The group has monthly socials and plans numerous day trips and overnights to mountains here in New England and out west. For more information outryders.org.
I dedicate this weekly post, featuring vintage gay photographs, to the men and women who lived in a more critical time where being true to yourself and loving who you want wasn’t always an option and came at a great price. Do you have a photo you would like to share? Email me at bosguymail@gmail.com.
The JetBlue big winter sale is back and it’s time for you to plan your much-deserved vacation but here is the catch – the deal ends tonight.
For as low as $34, JetBlue will fly you from Boston to several destinations. Travel must occur between January 18 – March 8, 2017 with black out dates from 2/17 – 26/17 and traveling Monday – Thursday & Saturday. Published airfare rates from Boston include $39 to DC, $49 to NYC, $69 to Chicago, $89 to Puerto Rico and $99 to The Bahamas; 30+ destinations are listed as part of the sale.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI5UKxDDY1s/?taken-by=destinyboston
Destiny Boston is one of those people who nearly everyone in the LGBTQ community recognizes. She is uniquely her own person and adds a lot (IMHO) to Boston’s gay scene. Check out and follow her Instagram account. Be sure to leave a comment or two on some of your favorites photos.
Do you like this weekly post? Check out previously featured IG accounts here.
Each Wednesday morning I post a photograph and ask readers to offer a funny caption. Hopefully the caption below inspires you to share a few of your own.
Sports are sooo gay
Photo courtesy of Weiner Ventures
Did you hear? A developer has asked the city to review a proposal to build two residential towers over the Massachusetts Turnpike where Mass Ave and Boylston Street meet. According to the article on Curbed Boston, one building would be 39 stories and the second would be 24 floors; combined they would include as many as 330+ condominiums / apartments.
Boston has a checkered past approving developments that span air rights because the cost often requires developers to build towers taller than neighborhood groups like. I’m curious to see how this proposal is received because I would LOVE to see the pike covered all the way down to Fenway.
NOTE: The shorter S-shaped image next to the proposed 1000 Boylston is not part of the developer’s proposal. That is a separate development called The Viola that is expected to start construction in 2019 and will include a 156-room hotel, 88 condos, 138 parking spaces, community areas and 26,000 square feet of retail space. The building’s footprint will stretch from Mass. Ave to Dillon’s Restaurant & Bar on Boylston Street and would feature a distinctive s-shape.
The winter months in Boston can be tough – even for natives like me. In years past I’ve posted tips on How to survive a Boston winter, but this year I thought I’d suggest some ways you can pamper yourself. To that end I’m going to review different spas in Boston to try and identify my favorite.
I started my ‘research’ at the full service spa, bliss Spa Boston on the second floor of the W Hotel Boston. The spa is clean, spacious and very welcoming. Whimsical stenciling throughout the second floor greet you as you walk into the spa. My only knock against bliss Spa Boston is how tiny the men’s facilities are and the fact they only have one male masseur (his name is Vincent BTW).
Vincent gave me what bliss calls a 75-minute “blissage” their version of a Swedish massage. When I met Vincent I asked if he would also incorporate some deep-tissue techniques in particular on my legs and back, which he obliged. The massage also included a paraffin wax treatment on my feet that left them feeling warm and softer than most of my pedicures.
The knocks against the bliss Spa Boston is a lack of male masseurs and the tiny men’s lounge, which felt cramped. Having only one shower (that was being used) meant I was unable to wash off after my massage and changing back into my clothes proved a bit tight with others also using the lockers at the same time. However, the facilities in general are very nice, the masseur gave an excellent massage that had me sleeping like a baby later that night.
Rates
Blissage 75 minute / 100 minute cost $160 / $225
Extreme Sports 60 minute / 85 minute cost $155 / $220
BosGuy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars, Awesome.
While the bliss spa rates may seem high, they are in line with most hotel spas and other full service spas in the city. To help defray the cost, look for coupons on sites like Groupon. At the time I booked my massage the bliss website offered $25 coupon for any treatment more than $150.
Other Spa Reviews
Miniluxe 60-minute pedicure a.k.a. “foot facial”
Cabral Wellness Institute massage
It has been a while since I’ve included a restaurant review and I wanted to start this year by giving some love to those places that I most enjoy. I thought I’d start with The Elephant Walk. It is easily one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants and a place I consistently recommend and bring friends who visit.
Nataing is a delicious appetizer made with ground pork simmered in coconut milk with garlic, peanuts and served with crispy rice cakes that add a lot of crunch to each bite.
The Elephant Walk is a neighborhood gem for several reasons. First, the food is consistently good and the menu is always changing. The staff know most people have no idea what Cambodian cuisine is, and they do an excellent job explaining the menu. While I have successfully convinced even the least adventurous eaters I know to try Cambodian cuisine, nearly one third of the menu is also French so you can always order the steak frites if you can’t bring yourself to try Cambodian.
Khar Saiko is boneless beef short ribs braised in herbs that are so tender you can cut them with your fork; served w/ Shanghai noodles (which taste like a garlicky linguine).
Another reason I love this place is that the staff is quirky and friendly. They take their job seriously answering endless questions about the menu, ingredients and how everything is cooked so don’t be shy – ask away. I can guarantee you won’t be the first or the last person that day to ask whatever your question is about the food, its prep or what it tastes like.
Shown above is a half portion of the Loc Lac Salad: beef tenderloin caramelized in black pepper, garlic and mushroom soy, fresh lettuce, lime garlic dipping sauce.
A third reason for the praise is the price is right. Few items on the menu are more than $25, making it one of the most affordable options in the neighborhood. Many dishes are even more affordable if you order their half portions (like the Loc Lac shown above) and their menu has more gluten free options than most restaurants in town, likely due in part to the Cambodian diet.
The Elephant Walk is a restaurant to put on your list to try or to return to if you’ve not visited them recently. The food is great but you don’t have to take my word – read the consistently excellent reviews they get on sites like Open Table and Yelp. If you’ve not ventured to The Elephant Walk in the South End recently, add them to your list and make a reservation. You’ll have a great time and you’ll thank me for the suggestion.
Elephant Walk South End
1415 Washington Street
(617) 247-1500
Note: Photos were not my own and were taken from the Elephant Walk Facebook page.
BosGuy 