MEANDERINGS – by
Peter Rocchio
Well my friends, when I set out to recount my ‘meanderings’ in a bi-monthly column for GayOrlando.com I’m not sure I had in mind the unexpected dark turn of an otherwise delightful motor holiday to the North country.
Our first stop was to visit with friends in Philadelphia – not just greater Philly mind you but right in the heart of the city – Rittenhouse Square. A gorgeous park, chic condos, great restaurants and bars and tres gay. Our friends (straight) and their friends (gay) made for a first rate and all too short visit. We connected with other friends for lunch at the campus of the University of Pennsylvania at a charming local institution called The White Dog Café. During dinner, the evening before our scheduled departure to our next stop (Long Island) the conversation turned to what else, Broadway,, etc. The straight lady and one half of the gay couple were heading into NYC the next afternoon to attend the Carole King concert at Radio City. Bill and I were asked if we had seen the 2004 Tony award winning musical ‘Avenue Q’. We said that we hadn’t. Well, that’s all that it took for Kaye to leave the room for five minutes and gleefully announce that she had just purchased four tickets for the next day matinee. I then got on the phone and made reservations for lunch at Joe Allen’s. We saw ‘Avenue Q’ and proceeded out to the Island as they headed to meet others for cocktails, dinner and Carole King. As for ‘Avenue Q’ – do not be put off by believing it to be for children or that it is performing puppets. It won the Tony for a reason – a sensational evening of creativity and performances of witty, sophisticated humor with an infectious score. I understand that some venue in Las Vegas is constructing a facility for a permanent home for ‘Avenue Q’.
That should tell you something.
After a few days with my cousin in Farmingdale and the annual family reunion party at another cousin’s in Huntington we headed out to East Hampton to spend a few days with ‘the Bobs’ –friends of more than forty years. I hope all of you reading this have maintained contact with friends over the years and stay close with family – regardless of how far removed they may live. For Bill and myself, as a couple, we are sustained by our family and loving friends.
We left ‘the Bobs’ and headed to Rhode Island. From East Hampton you drive to Sag Harbor and ferry to Shelter Island- cross Shelter Island and ferry across the bay to Greenport (that’s on the North Fork of Long Island) then drive east another twenty minutes or so to the tip of the Island (Orient Point) where we boarded the ferry to cross the sound to New London, Connecticut then a short drive to our destination, Westerly, Rhode Island. Our hosts Penny and David have a wonderful home in the beach community of Weekapaug and they are master entertainers. Penny is a superb cook and hostess and arranged a cocktail party for some thirty guests and then on to the country club for dinner. Except that bad things were beginning to happen to Peter. Bill and I had gone off to the ‘Y’ that morning to work out and I said that I wasn’t feeling very well; that I had some pain in my tummy. When we returned to the house, Penny had lunch ready which included more of the awesome Truffle oil potato salad she had made for the dinner the night before - I passed. I also didn’t partake of any of the figs wrapped in proscuito and other goodies at the cocktail party. We made our way to the country club and I opted not to order dinner. That night proved to be one from hell and as the daylight broke I made one of the more incredible statements of my life – between spasms of vomiting I said, “Bill, let’s pack up and head home”. Did I really think I could make it from Rhode Island to Winter Park? Well, we did head out with no ‘goodbyes’ to our hosts and headed to I-95 South. It was a nightmare and when Bill say the blue ’Hospital’ sign he said,” this is it, I’m turning in here”. We were in Greenwich, Connecticut. Four days later they decided that only surgery would relieve my strangled intestines (severe adhesions after more than six abdominal surgeries over the years). And again family enters the picture. I have a cousin and her husband who live twelve miles up the road in Norwalk, Conn. Bill called and said that I was in the hospital and he needed a place to stay - they of course lovingly took him in and fed him for two weeks. Sixteen days later I was released and we headed to Lorton, Virginia for the Amtrak Auto Train and home. My only task now is to remain patient for the next four weeks or so to regain my strength and energy.
I am grateful to so many who have inquired as to my well-being, sent cards, etc. As I said earlier about family and friends – they sustain us.
A BOOK OF NOTE: My dear friend Loraine recently sent me a book entitled WHEN I KNEW. Every gay man and gay woman must own this book - it is funny and touching and a joy to own and read and give. It is a compilation of one hundred eighteen short coming out stories.
GAY FILM FESTIVAL: The efforts of Tommy Manley and Chris Alexander-Manley on behalf of the gay community of Orlando continues. This past weekend was the fourth annual Gay Film Festival and although I could only attend the opening film, Adam & Steve, it was clear that the attendance for the festival was going to be impressive. As for the film, it was pretty good - a very honest and touching love story with much humor. The film, for me however, was marred by too many lapses of bad taste. Scat is never funny.
I’ll be out and about with increasing frequency over the coming weeks and will have more ‘meanderings’ to share. Stay well, take care of yourselves and each other and love your family and friends.
Ciao for now.
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