A True Georgia Peach (by Pia, the Italian Greyhound)

My Daddy had a Friend Visit…A True Georgia Peach

Over The Martin Luther King Jr. weekend my daddy had a friend visit from Atlanta, Georgia. It was a lot of fun having someone in the house to play with while daddy was at work. We became friends instantly and I had tremendous fun running around the house with him and keeping warm on his lap. His name is Troy and I decided to ask him some questions for my blog. He had never been to Provincetown before.

I figured I’d take some time and find out how a true southerner felt about visiting this gay get away during the winter.

Pia: How did you find out about Provincetown?

Troy: Provincetown is a well known gay destination in Atlanta. My friends and I have never been here but talk about it a lot. I figured the three day weekend was a perfect time to do some reconnaissance.

Pia: Let me start by asking you how the weather is in Provincetown compared to Atlanta.

Troy: Well, the Friday I arrived the weather was quite warm. Mike said it was unseasonably warm. We didn’t have to wear jackets and it was sunny. This was similar to our weather, however, lately it has been cold in Atlanta. The rest of the weekend was freezing. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to see any snow.

Pia: What did you think of the scenery?

Troy: Provincetown seems to me like an island. It is very quaint with the one main street and little ma and pa shops. It struck me as odd that some folks leave their doors unlocked and cars running while they went shopping. Its like a different world out in Provincetown. It reminds me of where I grew up in Tennessee.

Mike took me to see the beaches, dunes and pier. What a truly remarkable place. Being from the south, I had never been to a seaside town that was cold. The visitor Center was a nice place to get a panoramic view of the ocean, bay, dunes and town. But again, it was freezing!
Pia: What did you do while in Provincetown?

Troy: Mike and I went to a social outing Friday night and then stopped by The Porch Bar with a few of his friends. We sat by the fireplace on the couch and enjoyed conversation and drinks.
Saturday, Mike took me to a great waterfront restaurant called Fanizzi’s for lunch. The views of the bay were incredible. We tried to buy tickets to a play for that evening. It was called “Doubt” but was sold out by 1pm. Mike ended up cooking me dinner. Afterwards, we enjoyed a sinful desert while watching a movie and sitting by a roaring fire. It was a low key evening. Truly enjoyable.

Sunday we slept in and eased into the day. It was very nice. I explored Commercial Street and did a little shopping for family at some of the shops that were open. Mike took me to Herring Cove Beach to catch a sunset over the water. It was truly amazing and beautiful. Mike and I had a nice dinner at home again and we sat by the fire.

Monday, we visited the Province Lands Visitor Center and Beech Forest. We had one last lunch at Fanizzi’s before I caught my flight home.

Pia: Did you want to leave?

Troy: Not really. Although it was freezing the town has a magic about it. I can’t wait to tell my friends.

Pia: Were there a lot of people in town?

Troy: I was surprised at how many people were in town. Due to the holiday weekend the streets, shops and bars were busy. I was truly shocked as Mike had told me it was sleepy coastal seasonal town off season. The video store was the meeting place for everyone.

Pia: What were your favorite parts of the trip?

Troy: How friendly everyone in Provincetown is. There was one guy at the Grand Union who made me blush while checking out. Everyone Mike introduced me to, from his co-workers, friends and clients, were all friendly as can be.

Pia: Will you come back?

Troy: Most definitely. I can’t wait to see how the town fills up in the summer. I hear the hustle and bustle is quite exciting.

Pia: Will you throw my toy for me now?

Troy: I guess.

One Man's Survival Guide for Winter in Provincetown

This week, a quick blog entry to address the question… “What the heck do you do here in the winter?” I had the shallow experience in August of speaking to a gym boy who asked me if anyone really lives in Provincetown off season. Then he popped his gum.

We townies get creative and take advantage of the lull. We “get the town back” so to say. It’s a time to set in motion the plans for the new year. It is also a time to catch up on socializing. Many of us work full time and living here is like living anywhere else. We work, go to the gym and hang out with friends and have a regular routine. There is never shortage of things to do; take in the natural beauty, movie nights at friends’ homes, dinners, gatherings at one of the local bars that stay open, plays at the Provincetown Theatre and vacations.

Vacations? Yes. The key to happiness here is to go away once per month, budget wisely and act. Whether it’s a quick trip to Boston or New York, or a fabulous sun filled time Fort Lauderdale, absence makes the heart grow fonder for Provincetown.

The funny thing about living here is that once you go away, after a vacation, you want to come home. While your travel companions are lamenting a return to their lives and jobs, you’ll be thinking of driving over that last hill in North Truro, seeing the Pilgrim Monument and letting out a sigh of relief that you are home.

I decided to put together the typical winter schedule if you are contemplating a move to Provincetown and are wondering, “What the heck am I going to do off season?” I’ll address January and February this week and March and April in two weeks.

January- The holidays are now a distant memory and in order to get over the shock of a “dead’ town, book a trip, one or two weeks long, to somewhere sunny for mid February. Check for cheap airline ticket websites and just do it. This will give you something to look forward to and will make the cold, dark January weeks go by quicker.

Don’t wait to leave “the island” until February though, go away for a quick weekend. Boston is a short drive away and offers museums, theatre and friends. This is a time when the folks that stay with you over the summer, need to return the favor. Alternatives to Beantown include New York City, Providence, and Portland, Maine.

Invite a friend to visit for a long weekend. This past weekend was perfect considering the MLK holiday on Monday.

Before you know it, January will be over. But you need to take the initiative.

February- Put on the tanning lotion, a ridiculously loud shirt and hop the next flight to Fort Lauderdale. That vacation you planned in January is here! This south Florida fun town is our sister community and you will find that many of our Ptown brethren head here for the winter. Whether they are vacationing or working at restaurants, cafes or retail shops, you’ll see a townie on your trip. Also, you’ll find many men from around the country sunning themselves on the gay beach or by the pool at one of many gay guesthouses. You’ll find that it is nice to be a tourist and let loose, meet new friends and be bad.

All kidding aside, Fort Lauderdale is a cost effective option for a one to two week vacation, especially if rooming with friends.

Next week, Pia steals the blog again. I’ll cover March and April in two weeks and offer some ideas as to how you can make those dreary months fly by while living here in Provincetown off season.

Pia's-town in winter (by Pia, the Italian Greyhound)

My name is Pia and I am two and half years old. My person, who I call daddy says that I am an Italian Greyhound. During the summer folks on Commercial Street stop and call me an IG or Iggy. They call me pretty and talk like a baby to me while putting their faces really close to my nose. I like to give the icky licky’s when they do this.

I have a house in Provincetown where I live with my daddy. I think I have finally finished training him. He now is on command to take me outside, feed me, play fetch and go to bed. However, I would like to play fetch a little more. Can you tell him? I’m not sure he understands me. Maybe he needs more training. My daddy is a big queen and a real estate agent, at least that’s what everyone says when he is not in the room.

Winter here in Provincetown is really fun for me. Daddy is around the house more to give me lots of hugs and kisses. Daddy has friends visit pretty much every weekend for dinner parties and they always throw food on the floor for me to eat! Don’t tell my dad though because he hasn’t been trained to do this. When he catches me doing it he puts me in the crate. It’s terribly unfair.

After dinner everyone gathers around the fireplace and talks about what to do during the winter in Provincetown. I always find a warm lap to curl up on, near the fire of course, and listen in.
It seems that Friday starts the weekend activity here. Three local restaurants, Michael Shays, Fanizzis and Bayside Betsy’s offer a fish fry. Apparently, this is the thing to do Friday night. After which, they head to The Porch Bar for conversation, meeting boys and shooting pool. I’m not sure how to shoot a pool but I hope it's not painful.

Saturday is usually reserved for dinner parties or reservations. A number of fine restaurants are still open this time of year and fun can still be had. Afterwards, a show at The Provincetown Theatre can be fun. It is open all year…real stage performances, not the cinema.

On Sunday its brunch time at Fanizzi’s. Wow…forget the new year resolution to eat healthy.
Sunday night my daddy goes to Bayside Betsy’s and gets the Sunday comfort food, mmmmm. I love this because he always brings some home and occasionally drops a piece and I snap it up without him knowing.

Monday is a hot night off season here. Its off to The Mews for Open Mic night…featured performers have been Zoe Lewis, Peter Donnelly and local celebrated poets and authors….lots of fun on a local level.

Oh and during the day on weekends, some shops are still open offering great deals. Both gyms are packed full of townies this time of year. It’s a social hangout according to daddy. Another place to hang out is one of the cafes…Joe in the west end is the most popular, but the east end has the Wired Puppy.

I usually drift off to sleep while they are talking and daddy wakes me up to take me outside to go pee. This is rewarding for me as I have trained him to give me snack once I’m done doing my business.

Then my daddy goes out with his friend to either the A-House or the Wave bar….I’m not sure what they do, but he always comes home to sleep with me and keep me warm.

I like the weekday and nights the best. My daddy stays home most nights after going to the gym. He watches TV while I get to stay curled up on his lap. I love it. Sometimes a friend will come over and play with me as they watch a movie.

During the day daddy leaves me alone because he has to work. I’m sad and really lonely during the day. Sometimes I get to go into the office with him. I like saying hello to everyone. Once I even pooped right on the rug as a gift. Daddy was not happy with me. I don’t know why as I was trying to be nice.

Oh well, that’s it from me, Pia the IG. I’ll write again in a couple weeks. Stay warm and obey your pets.

Living out of the Norm, a New Year

Living in Provincetown year round is anything but normal. Of course, that all depends on your definition of the word. As I was flying into Provincetown, after spending New Years in Atlanta, the thoughts of 2008 and renewed promise in this magical town came to mind.

My evening flight on Cape Air was bumpy, a definite nail biter. Have you ever landed in a plane sideways? Upon final approach I realized that I was staring at the runway out of my back window. It was getting closer and closer. Then at the last minute, the pilot turned the plane and landed safely.

I bring this up because life here can easily be metaphoric to this landing. Just as you experience heartache and setback, a bumpy ride if you will, things turn around. I’ve had my share of ups and downs over the past two years due to my decision to live here. I am not alone. It seems that once you dedicate yourself to Provincetown, if you have the courage to do so and take the risk, life really happens for you.

After mimicking JPII and kissing the runway, I drove from the airport with memories of my time in Atlanta and new friends. My first stop was to be at a post new year party at The Brass Key guesthouse hosted by its wonderful owner Michael. What a great way to come home, seeing local friends and business associates, wishing them well. It was also a time to get caught up on the local gossip which fuels this town.

The room tax revenues were up for the spring and summer, the fall did pretty well, up 8.8% from last year. This is great news for our local economy. Let’s toast that next year will be the same or better.

We thought the arsonist had left our little hamlet by the bay, however, a suspicious dumpster fire was eerily similar to the ones set in November.

2008 could see the merger of the Provincetown High School with Nauset Regional High. This of course is due to declining student enrollment. How will the public react?

Then of course the real gossip: The Brass Key is not only for sale, but under agreement to the owners of The Crowne Point...hmmmm- The new bar in town had its license suspended due to fire code violations… uh oh,- Two new restaurants are going to open in time for next season…get the panelists out because everyone is a critic. And finally, that guy over there, with the scarf around his neck…he is the drummer for Scissor Sister. Indeed it was Patrick from the band, what a delightfully creative guy and fun to talk to.

Well, I’m home and off to a clean start. Happy New Year and I hope 2008 is filled with everything you desire.