Cirque du Soleil Delights and Decadence

Part 1

Yesterday, Don, Cindy (a dear friend of ours), and I went to see Quidam, the show currently being performed by the fabulous artists which comprise Cirque du Soleil. We had front row seats and, needless to say, were put in total awe by the entire show. The level of work, pride, and commitment these people have for their artform is amazing. In addition to the dreamlike quality of the show, we were treated to acrobatics which elicited steady streams of "ooooooooohhhhhhhhs and ahhhhhhhhhhs" from the audience. But the best thing yet happened which none of us expected. On a couple of occassions, one of the performers winked and/or waved at Don as she went dancing by, smiling mischievously. Shortly thereafter, one of the clowns came over to where we were seated and bopped Don over the head a couple of times with a huge balloon while saying, "So sorry m'sieu, so sorry." We all took it in with much delight with no clue as to what lay ahead. Minutes later, the same clown came over and grabbed Don's hand and hauled him onto the stage to participate! Wow! It was soooooooooooo cool! This clown was trying to get Don to hand a violin to the other clown when suddenly the "violin" broke apart and fell to the floor. Both of the clowns stared in seeming disbelief at the shattered remains of the violin lying on the stage. The other clown glared at Don accusingly to which Don responded with an emphatic shaking of the head. He played along with the clowns so well that he looked like he was a planned part of the show. The first clown then buffed Don's head, unbuttoned his shirt and proceeded to "pluck" hairs off Don's chest and "plaster" them to his head! Cindy and I were in stitches along with the rest of the audience! After squirting him down with water from his "hair" the other clown and the first allowed Don to return to his seat with thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd. It was hysterical! We never dreamed any of us would be a part of this terrific show. And of course, we just HAD to get the cd before we left.

Part 2

After leaving the show, we schlepped back into Boston in the blistering heat (100 degrees+) for cocktails and then took a cab to Davide, one of the many Italian restaurants in the North End. Our dining experience there was one of elegance and decadence like hand-in-glove. Everything we had, from the appetizers, to the wine, to entrees and dessert with port wine was simply exquisite. We parted ways with Cindy there and headed home with full hearts and stomachs after a day full of wonder and delights, :-).

Note: all of this was in celebration of Don's continued vocational and academic successes of late. There are other things to tell, but that is saved for the next entry, :-).

Stay tuned,

David

A Tale of Two Hearts

On this day, two years ago, Don and I met in Harvard Square in Cambridge for the very first time. I had responded to an ad he had placed during a time when I frankly wasn't really interested in a relationship. I was looking through the ads for sheer entertainment ("Looking for total hunk for hot times," "Are you my other half?" "Searching for the right man to complete me"). I was enjoying all the ridiculous issues-filled entries when I came across one titled "Seeing With The Eye of The Heart." Since it appeared to be quite different from the others, I took a closer look. In essence, the ad started as follows: "How is your day going? I just got back from a beautiful walk along the river with gentle breezes, people walking, children laughing, and dappled sunlight on the leaves." The ad then went on to offer Don's description of his physical and spiritual attributes. Note: at this point, the ad only described his height as "very tall." What got my attention was when he admitted to being vulnerable in addition to being romantic and sexy. Vulnerable? He's willing to admit that? So I read on: "I'm looking for men with hearts the size of God, who aren't afraid to admit that they will never have it all figured out." THAT DID IT! I HAD to contact this guy. Even if we were to end up as just friends, I simply had to meet him. After a brief flurry of emails over a couple of days, we talked on the phone and agreed to meet. I'll never forget what he said when I asked him what he'd be wearing so I'd be able to recognize him in the crowd. He responded,"It doesn't matter...I'll be the tallest person there." For those of you who don't know, this wonderful man who holds my heart is 7'2". That's right...7 feet, 2 inches tall. He had also told me that he looked like Anthony Edwards (thereby making me gasp as Anthony Edwards is soooooooo sexy)! Upon locating him at Harvard Square, I walked up to him and asked, "Dr. Green I presume?" He smiled. I smiled. And the rest, as they say, is history.

So here we are, two years later, celebrating life together with all its twists and turns. Sometimes it feels like more time has elapsed, other times, less. One of the best things about our relationship is that we treat each other as equals. The most notable thing is that we talk about everything...even if it's unpleasant or uncomfortable. The road has not always been smooth or clear, but we are happy sharing this journey together. And we look forward to the road ahead.

Blissfully Alive and Ever Grateful,

David