Sunday, January 20, 2008

"Rich's Place"

Last weekend was my getaway to St. Petersburg, FL to visit my buddy Rich of A Work In Progress. It's a weird contradiction...it seems like I've know him forever but can't believe it's been three years already.

The visit started off with a bit of excitement. After 15 minutes into my flight, I fainted in my plane seat. I had already fallen asleep then awoke with a start thinking I was going to vomit. I fiddled with the air sick back in the seat pocket in front of me, but that queasy feeling quickly segued into a sense of passing out. By the time I made my plan to get up out of my middle seat and climb over the rather large elderly man on the aisle to get to the rest room, I was out like a light. I was in a full flop sweat when I came out of it. I got my bearings, then went back to sleep and was out the remainder of the way down. No one even noticed. I'm suspecting a drug reaction between meds after I took a Tylenol Sinus capsule shortly before heading to the airport to clear up my headache and congestion.

I arrived in Tampa and Rich, along with his handsome and sweet new bf Wayne, picked me up curbside in his new VW Rabbit and we whisked down the peninsula to St. Pete. Rich has an apartment in a pink 1920's style Spanish Revival building in the historic Northeast section of the city...not far from the Coffee Pot Bayou inlet off of the bay. The architecture was just like the Spanish Revival house where I lived in Santa Ana, CA with the same windows, wide moldings, and built-in cabinets painted white.

The neighborhood has classic charm and lots of remodeling activity. The plantings are mature, with huge 100' trees that give shade in the smoldering summers, and tall palm trees that signal you're in a tropical locale. The NE section covers a huge area — over 250 blocks? — and all the houses are different, making it a unique mishmash of architecture that somehow works wonderfully together.

Stepping inside his building, it was clear he's been putting some serious eyeball mileage on his Will & Grace DVD collection. Rich decided to open his own "Rich's Place" hallway bistro (a la Jack McFarland) to entertain guests for happy hour. (One neighbor confided to me that Rich is a superb host and has been known to occasionally serve his signature Appletinis in a halter top, revealing Daisy Dukes, and calf-accentuating come-eff-me pumps.) He liquors 'em up and sends 'em on their way. Unfortunately, his liquor license was under review during my visit so we had to partake of lively spirits behind closed doors and out at local watering holes.

The boys invited me to attend a party with them that first night but I was still recovering from my little fainting spell and cold so I decided to stay home and rest while they met up with their friends.

Sunday was a late breakfast at The Frog Pond where we watched the fog quickly appear and roll in across Gulf Drive. Then it was a leisurely stroll on Madeira Beach and then to John's Pass for some shopping, ice cream, and watching the pelicans preening atop posts.

That night, Rich and I spent the evening at Georgie's Alibi with his friend Otto. I watched the two characters conjure up some trouble. First it was stalking a patron with fluorescent orange crocs, who got a shocking camera flash in the face when Otto unsurreptitiously snapped a photo of the ugly things. Next, continuing with the foot fetish theme, was a sneak attack on "Jesus" who was wearing sandals befitting of Christ with toe nails screaming for a pedi. (More pics on Rich's site.)

Rich worked Monday and Tuesday, so I took a couple of long walks along the bay and through the neighborhood to check things out. It was surprisingly chilly and the wind whipping off of the water made it downright cold so I ended up wearing my winter coat. There was no tanning time so I'm still white as a sheet.

Rich is doing great and I'm really happy for him!
*

7 comments:

Gavin said...

NOTE TO READERS: The whole paragraph about "Rich's Place" is fiction. The management did place the little sitting group out in the hall. I just found it so amusing I had to make up something funny about it. Besides, Rich doesn't own a halter top.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad you took a break, and had some fun Gavin. Sorry you weren't able to lay out and work on your tan. Was it an anxiety attack, or a drug thing? That's how I feel during a panic attack, and Xanax does wonders for me when it comes to flying.

evilganome said...

Does he have Daisy Duke's? I hope the entire trip wasn't a bust.

Those crocs though. What was he thinking? Don't even get me started about the toenails. They look like you'd need a bolt cutter to give him a pedicure.

Doralong said...

Glad you had a pleasant holiday, but sorry it turned chilly. But on the plus side it was a hell of a lot warmer that NY, yes?

Crocs, eww.. they just make me shudder and get mildly nauseous. Abomination indeed.

ArichNY said...

You are toooooo funny! The authorities did close down my "bistro" for good. Threatened to run me out of town. I just set it up on the second floor. All is good! It was so nice to see you, and yes, hard to believe we've known each other only 3 years!

cb said...

If only ALL croc wearers would get pulled into escalators...

more cowbell said...

I never have understood the whole Crocs phenomenon.