Open Embrace for Autumn

Fall has officially started and I’ve been asked to stop bitching about the season ending. I will and openly embrace the chilly weather and foliage trips. There is fun during these months as the warmth slowly leaves us, clouds and darkness move in and the days get shorter. There is that pleasant smell of wood burning in the air.
The crowds have finally left Commercial Street and the off-season has begun.

We’ve had some miserable weather while The Tennessee Williams Festival was in town. But, I frankly didn’t care and never made it to any of the events. I did have good intentions and was going to attend at least one. I’m just burned out from the summer and need to recharge. The doggie tea dance took place at The Boatlsip and Pia wanted to go, but the cold rainy weather, combined with my desire to stay indoors, kept me away.

Yes, I’ve been a recluse this past week… so sue me. LOL.

I did go to a fundraiser for WildCare at Front Street with Rich. It was a multi course meal. Everything was absolutely delicious. Shrimp tempura, lobster tail, filet mignon, etc…

Saturday, I dined at Victor’s with friends Scott and John who introduced me to two new friends. It was a fun time with great food.

Sunday, Mark, Rich and I ate a simple meal at George’s Pizza. I’m just getting in winter mode and slowing down a bit. 

Rich officially started his company RKM Property Management which brings back memories of me moving here with an ex. He’s going to do very well with the business.

That’s it. Basically, it was just a week to socialize.

Leather Mates weekend is coming up starting Friday. I hear there is a slave auction…hmmmmm. Besides barbeques and other fun, who knows what trouble we can all get into.

A little bit of town gossip: Pat Fecher was promoted to Associate Executive Director of The AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. Good luck to her…she will be amazing in the position. Her former position of Public Affairs Director is open…thinking of making a move here???

Not much else to report this week.

Drop me a line at mike.dubour@verizon.net if you want. Thanks for reading and play it safe.

It's Official, The Secret is Out

As I was driving from the east end to the west end on an appointment last week, it occurred to me… in late September, this trip, down Bradford Street, should only take 5 minutes… not the 15 it would eventually take. September has always been our little gem of a month. Warm weather, warm water and small crowds… It truly still seems like August out here.

Not much happening this week. I went to perhaps my last tea dance two Sunday’s ago. Tea will happen on Friday and Saturday only through early October… which means pretty much… its over.

Now I’m not one to bitch….but….the gossip for this blog is my irritation at what seems to be a huge waste of tax payer money in Provincetown.

For those of you who are familiar with the town, Route Six, at the intersection of Shank Painter Road, will be narrowed to a two lane highway heading west. Why? Who knows, I think someone feels it’s a public safety hazard. The true hazard is using taxpayer money in a recession to fund a silly project. The existing system works. In five + years that I have lived here, there have been no issues that need attention. Maybe some construction group needs a contract and they know the right peeps.

Ok, that’s enough. This will all take place next to the new dog park, which my friend Barbara, or Babs, as we call her, is helping to build. The high fence has been put up and the park is coming together. It will be a great place for our puppies to play. Speaking of that, this coming weekend is dog tea at The Boatslip…. It includes a fashion show for your canine companion…

If you stand at The Boatslip and look directly across the street. The house that used to sit there has been demolished. The entire rear section has been ripped off…. The interior of the remaining structure gutted and the house moved on the sidewalk. Its pretty cool in all honesty.

All this and The Historic Commission actually approved it. Everyone else has a hard time getting dormers and flower boxes…. Wow…. can you say “ole boy?” My prediction is that the house will be demolished due to it being unsafe. As I write this I’ve heard two very large banging noises and vibrations coming from that area.

Other stuff… Connie’s Bakery, located near my house, has reverted to shoulder season hours. This means Thursday through Sunday only for the yummies.

I want to send out a hello this week to two new friends Jose and Jay. They are wonderful guys, and cute, who visited from Boston and we had a lot of fun.

John, mark and I dined at Bistro 404 the other night at the recommendation of friends Jose and Jay. Click here to read John’s write up on this week’s Table for Three.

That’s it for now. Have a great week and play it safe. Email me if you want to provide input, mike.dubour@verizon.net.

Has Summer Really Ended?

Ok. So its after Labor Day and usually Commercial Street empties of the crowds and madness. This year seems different. As I was enjoying a slice of Spiritus pizza with a co-worker, mid week, we watched shirtless boys and throngs of tourists walk up and down the street, in and out of the shops. Could it be that our secret month has been exposed to all? This morning, as I was walking to JOE to get my Americano, I spotted two queens walking to The Boatslip with towels. It was 84 degrees and sunny!

This past weekend felt like mid August, never mind mid September. Friday night, The Porch Bar was packed full of people. Both indoor bars and the deck were absolutely filled.

Saturday night, Rich, John ad I went to see Jimmy James at The Post Office Cabaret. I must say that the show was great. I really wasn’t motivated to see him, but John wanted to. I am grateful because the show was fantastic. He did three encores… a rarity in ptown and something I don’t think I’ve ever seen. His show, btw was sold out.

Two other shows were sold out; At the Vixen, Sextrology was a hit and my fave…Dina Martina, played at the Crown. Our little hamlet by the bay is becoming a fall destination.

Saturday, I worked the ticket gate and volunteered my time at the WOMR Boogie By the Bay Music Fest. Local bands played while peeps danced in Wellfleet at Mayo Beach. It was a lot of fun.

Here’s a lil bit of gossip to chew on. The Art House Theatre which hosted such luminaries as Varla Jean and Miss Richfield, will stay open year round. Frappo, the delicious high-end buffet restaurant, will close for the winter. In its place, Joe Mama Bagels will operate. Joe Mama’s is located at the end of the Aquarium Mall across from the Gelato place. They have awesome breakfast sandwiches and pressed sandwiches. Right now they only serve breakfast and lunch but may possibly expand hours of operation due to the Art House being open at night.

The Art House will host a variety of events this winter. They will mostly show movies. Currently, a play is being rehearsed that will start right after Women’s Week in mid October and run for three weeks. This is great for us townies looking for something to keep us busy.

Well, keep tuned. The shoulder season is upon us. Womens’ Week is coming up. We’ll be seeing Paula Poundstone, Kate Clinton and Jennifer Coolidge in town. Rumors are starting to circulate that K.D. Lang will be here.

Halloween is always a blast. It rivals Salem, MA in fun and crowds. We take the edge when it comes to costume creativity though.

Single men’s weekend is also approaching with speed dating, workshops and a weekend full of activities.

Thanksgiving is always a busy weekend here, then Holly Folly and the last bang of the year, New Years Eve!

Email me if you have any questions… mike.dubour@verizon.net. Thanks for reading and play it safe.

Of Dusk and Summer

A quick blog entry this week. The summer has gone but the streets are still full of shirtless boys and tourists. I guess the secret that September is our best month has leaked out.

How did we do overall in regards to tourism? Retail reported to me that June was a strong month, July soft and August robust. Restaurants and entertainers tell me that the summer was strong. Art sales were weak according to the gallery owners I spoke with.

Well, fall is a couple weeks away. With it comes the cooler weather.

I went to the last Showgirls of the season this past week. It was sad as I was at the very first one just three short months ago. Olive Another (the crazy drag queen who barks for the show and has drinks tossed at her) won showgirl of the year 2008. John, Rich, Bernard, Scott and I dined at The Central House prior to the show. It was actually really good. A far cry from the blundering experience Rich and I had back in May. It was perhaps one of the best meals I had in town. See what John thought and read this week’s "Table for Three."

I spent two days in Boston last week and didn’t really do anything this past weekend.

Pump 2 is in the process of being made. If you don’t know what I mean, click here and watch "Pump 1. This is a short film about a monster drag queen that I wrote and produced two years ago. I’ve been encouraged by many peeps in town to make a sequel. I’ve decided to do it.

Email me any comments at mike.dubour@verizon.net. Play it safe.

Summer Comes to an End

The last week of summer was a mad rush of activity, especially Labor Day Weekend. It was as if everyone, all at once realized, that life was coming to an end and every event had to be attended. This isn’t a bad thing, but listening to tourists, seasonal workers and friends lament their exodus from Provincetown made me once again thankful to be living here (even though at times the sand does close in on ya).

Ironically enough, the streets are still full of boys and tourists. It seems as though no one told them the season has ended. The telltale is at The Art House, Crown and Anchor and Post Office Cabaret where the show advertisements have been removed and nothing but black space remains.

So my week was action packed (get your mind out of the gutter). It was the culmination of an incredibly busy summer.

It started out Monday night with John, Brian and I going to see “Shut Up Sweet Charlotte” at The Art House Theatre. Varla Jean was one of the stars and this was a brilliantly funny remake of the old Betty Davis flick. What a fun way to start the last week of the season.

Tuesday, I was up early and heading to Hyannis to catch the boat to Nantucket for my weekend, Tuesday and Wednesday. Friends Mark and Duncan had rented a house on Starbuck Road (like the café, without the “s” on the end… that’s how its known) and offered me a room for my “Saturday” night. 

The fast ferry ride from Hyannis was quite the experience. I climbed on board expecting something similar to the ride from Boston to Ptown. Instead of squeaky queens excited for a weekend in Ptown, it was filled with white, corporate vacationers. I could feel the stress in the air. Polo shirts tucked into pleated shorts and loafers with no socks. Those “high end” straights sure liked to drink and there was a huge line at the snack bar as I went to get my morning coffee.

I sat next to two guys who I perceived as possible sisters. Those of you that know me probably already guessed. My gaydar is as accurate as John McCain’s pick for a scandal free running mate and the two guys were as straight as they come. One even carried a gun. So I sat silently while little children screeched and lined up to pet the only dog on the boat ... brought on by a soccer mom who insisted on sitting next to me. Are dogs even allowed on the ferry? I read the Boston Globe and blended in as best I could. But I did feel the stares. I’m not sure how a tight pink pull over and daisy dukes were inappropriate wear for the Nantucket ferry ride. I jest. I was dressed a little more conservatively. The uneasiness of the ride was pleasantly interrupted by two text messages from Miss Coco Peru. I sent her an email complimenting her Ptown performance and she actually responded. It was fun.

I landed on the rock (as it is called) and met Mark and Duncan who had come to the pier to greet me. How fun. In my tanned state and pencil thin beard, they mentioned that I looked middle eastern coming off the boat. That could explain the looks and whispers.

We rented bikes, hit the beach and had a blast riding all over the island. What a different world. Everything on Nantucket that we saw was nearly perfect and pristine. Most families had nannies taking care of the kids. At times I felt like it was 1920. The second day we hit another beach, “Surfside.” We found the boys, quite by accident, and it was fun. The six of us, all gathered in one spot. I did get some tips from a Facebook buddy as to where to go for entertainment and gay friendly atmosphere.

Tuesday night, we made dinner at home, all had facials and watched Hillary Clinton speak at the convention. What a truly relaxing time, away from the crazy gayness of Provincetown.

My last day there, I happened to meet a really nice guy named Clay. Apparently, there is a gay Nantucket, its just subdued and not “in your face.” As I was parting Wednesday night, I ran into Bruce, a successful real estate investor who I used to work for in Boston. We discussed how Nantucket is becoming gayer. Hmmm. Lets keep an eye on this. It seems to still be hush, hush.

Anyhow, back to my little island and Labor Day Weekend. It was very busy in the real estate end of things. There were a lot of showings…maybe a sign that things are turning around. Who knows.

Friday night, the entire staff of Atlantic Bay Sotheby’s went to dinner at Frappo and to see Varla Jean. We advertised in her show this year. It was my third time seeing her show for the season, and still fun.

Saturday night was the Art Auction for The AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. A lot of money was raised for the group. Due to town hall being condemned, the location of the auction, was the fish barn at the end of Cabral Pier. Here’s some news…the large barracks barge that has been tied up there for five years will be removed from the pier shortly.

There was a huge white party in the west end of town at Delft Haven this past weekend. My duties kept me at the auction but friends say it was fun.

Mark, Anthony, John, Rich and I dined at Front Street Sunday night. The meal was good. Read this week’s "Table for Three" for more details. Then it was off to see Jackie Beat. It was her last show and the one that I had not seen. She was crass as heck yet lots of fun. Hedda Lettuce meets Varla Jean with a sprinkling of Pearlene.

After the show it was “Vault at Large at The Paramount.” I donned my leather drag once again and went out for fun. The music was good, men were cute and a fun night was had. A few moments at Spiritus afterwards was a nice way to end the night.

Monday night I went to Showgirls with John, Mark and Rich. We got in line too late and had to sit towards the rear which blocked some of our view. But the show was fun nonetheless. Next week is the last Showgirls of the season. It seems as if I just wrote about the first one.

Next week, I’ll talk about some news in town. “Swim for Life” is happening next Saturday. This is yet another great fundraiser for our local help organizations. The events, shows and parties will slowly stop now that summer has gone.

What an amazing summer this has been and there is definitely some sadness at seeing it go.

Thanks for reading and please send me an email if there is anything you’d like me to discuss or if you have feedback on any entry. mike.dubour@verizon.net