**** Coretta Scott King's Death

Word of the day:  druthers\DRUH-therz ("th" as in "then")\ noun, dialect: free choice: preference.

Roche Bobois - WISH LIST

Word of the day:  obliterate\uh-BLIT-uh-rayt\ verb:  1 a : to remove utterly from recognition or memory *b : to remove from existence : destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of c : to cause to disappear (as a bodily part or a scar) or collapse (as a duct conveying body fluid).  2 : to make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or wearing away.  3 : to deface (a postage or revenue stamp) especially with a set of ink lines so as to invalidate for reuse : cancel.

**** The Year of the "Dog"! -- Rhabi "Robby" Punjavi!

Word of the day:  persiflage\PER-suh-flahzh\  noun: frivolous bantering talk : light raillery.

Challenger Disaster Anniversary - Where Where You When It Happened?

Today, marks the 20th Anniversary of the Challenger disaster.  Where were you when it happened?  As for me, I was in Bristol, VA. Specifically at The Bristol Mall in Sears watching in awe of how such a modern feat was being accomplished......only to within seconds watch the Space Shuttle explode in mid-air.  Everyone gasped!  The mood within a mili-second, when from amazement to grief and disbelief.

Oprah, James Frey, & Pathological Liars!

Word of the day:  controvertible\KAHN-truh-ver-tuh-bul\ adjective: capable of being disputed or opposed by reason.

There is truly every reason in the world for James Frey's book content to be controvertible.  To  me, he has demonstrated the unquestionable character of a pathological liar.  A sad, miserable, and demonized person.  One bankrupt of personal values, morees, and beliefs.  SAD SAD SAD.  Just like Snowpea.

Oprah, I can appreciate your being upset.  You have every right to be that way and its not wrong to feel what you feel.  You have been conned by a grifter just like I was. 

Robbie! Or, Should It Be Spelled - Rhabi!

Word of the day:  homage\AH-mij\ noun:  1 a : a feudal ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord b : the relationship between a feudal lord and his vassal c : an act done or payment made in meeting the obligations of vassalage.  2 a : expression of high regard : respect.  *b : something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another : tribute.

This evening I will be driving to Bristol. Tomorrow, Robbie comes over with Gail to visit. This should be so exciting. I think Jeff will have a huge surprise with Robbie's similarity to Toonie.

UPDATE:  I'm 100% convinced Toonie has returned to me through Robby.  When I first met Robby, I noticed the resemblence of Toonie. That was my first attraction.  I had even told Jeff about Robby's resemblence of Toonie, but he'd never met him.  Until Today.  Jeff's statment was "Martin, he looks like, has the personality of, and behaves exactly like, Toonie.  The more I observe Robby, and get to know him, EVERYTHING he does is just identically LIKE Toonie.

 

Awaiting Bush's Spin On Democracy And Democratic Elections.

Word of the day:  ossify\AH-suh-fye\ verb:  1 : to become or change into bone or bony tissue.  *2 : to become or make hardened or set in one's ways.

In yesterday's Palestinian elections, Hammas won a majority. I anxiously await the the actions from the Bush administration and their spin on "democracy".

**** Running My Fingers Through A Lion's Mane

Word of the day:  deuteragonist\doo-tuh-RAG-uh-nist\ noun :  1 : the actor taking the part of second importance in a classical Greek drama.  *2 : a person who serves as a foil to another.

****

Word of the day:  vaunted\VAWN-tud\ adjective: highly or widely praised or boasted about.

Was I That Homeless Man's Angel Or Him, Mine?

Word of the day:  inimical\in-NIM-ih-kul\ adjective: 1 being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence.  2 a : having the disposition of an enemy : hostile *b : reflecting or indicating hostility : unfriendly.

There are angels among us. They wear so many faces and show up in the strangest places. They are here to show us how to live, teach us how to give, and guide us by the light of love.

I believe while some may have religious form, I believe most are from spirit and our ability to seperate our values compiled since the tabula rasa of our birth from the innocent.

Tonight, while I was having dinner at Boston Market at Courthouse I found what might/mgiht not be an angel.  I knew that the angel was either him or me.  He was a homeless man who I ignored as I walked in the door as he begged me for money.  I don't have a lot of money, but it don't take a lot to make a big difference.  When I was eating my dinner, I couldnt stop thinking about this man not having at least what I had.  A local building engineer came in and he was going to buy the guy dinner.  I overheard him and contributed 1/2 of what he spent for the guy.  I hope the homeless man enjoyed his dinner.  I hope it made him happy.  I believe he didn't know that I contributed to his dinner.  He don't need to know that.  He just needs to know that for that moment in time, I was his angel.  Maybe he was mine.  Time will tell.

****

Word of the day:  consummate\KAHN-suh-mut\ adjective: 1 : complete in every detail : perfect.  2 : extremely skilled and accomplished.  *3 : of the highest degree.

**** I Was Moved By Dr. Kirby's Sympathy Card.

Word of the day:  pugnacious\ pug-NAY-shus\ adjective: having a quarrelsome or combative nature. : truculent.

 
"The Rainbow Bridge", inspired by a Norske legend.

The card on the back read:

By the edge of a wood.  At the foot of a hill.
is a lush green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run.
when their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer in pain, or in sadness,
for here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
their bodies have healed, with strength inbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met,
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, those friends from long past,
the time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
and then, side-by-side, they cross-over.....
together.

Day 1 Without A Queen

Word of the day:  stymie\ STYE-mee\  • verb: to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of.

Its around 8:30pm and this house is getting bigger and bigger, and emptier and emptier as time passes without H.R.M. Queen Halena Slopoflopolopolous.  When I went out earlier, I was backing down the driveway and the vision of her weekend before last standing in my bedroom window barking for me to return is so vivid, its like its embedded in my mind.  I lay across my bed and I find myself looking over at the door where she'd love to lay on the cool stone entry.  I walk into my living room/dining room/kitchen and I look for her dishes.  I walk down the hall and look for her either following me or making a circle inside and out of every room looking for me.

I'm really sad and lonesome with her gone  She was a love of my life and I'm in great pain from her absence.  I know that it'll just be a matter of time until her spirit will fill my heart and soul with happiness.

She's with her granny (my mother) and Toonie, and I know she couldn't be happier.  She and Toonie are right there running alongside mother as she walks those golden fields I've come to know so well even without ever being there.  But mother tells me all about it.  Mother is so beautiful with her smile and the way she holds Toonie and loves him.  I'm sure she came running with open arms and grabbed Holly up in her arms and loved her like she's never been loved before.

 

In Loving Memory. April 29, 1990 - January 19, 2006

Word of the day:  evitable\EV-uh-tuh-bul\ adjective: capable of being avoided.

Thank you:

Dr. Glover:  For being so helpful, kind, and compassionate.  Thank you for doing all you could possibly do for my baby girl.

Dr. Kirby:  For being so kind, thoughtful, and compassionate.  So understanding and guiding.  For advising honestly.  For helping Jeff and I make a difficult decison, but a right one.  One of love and compassion.  You did such a beautiful job of helping me to put her away in dignity, respect, love and honor.  I shed tears when I think of what a beautiful job you did for the love of my life.

Risa Guber:  For being the angel sent to me that has helped to make this whole ordeal so much easier than it was with Toonie.  You are truly my angel.  I'm gifted, I'm honored, I'm grateful, and my words cannot describe my appreciation.  It is deeper than my soul.

Jeff Dixon:  For being a strong and loving brother.  For being a man beyond all means.  For all you have done in sharing your life with Holly and me.  For making our lives better.

Denise Sadler:  For giving Jeff and me strenght and understanding to support each other through this heartbreaking event.

Stephen Santo:  For being a new friend and sensitive and understanding. For calling and caring for me and offering his loving support. 

Sandy Smith:  For the unwaivering strenght I get from just your voice alone.  Our friendship is something that has unmatched qualities and the power of your freindship is immense.

Dexter Thomas:  For being my friend and "Sordid Lives" sister, LaTrelle.  It eases me to know you understand what I'm faced with in all of this.

GOD BLESS each and every one of you.  You are friends I'm proud to have.  I'm proud to be your friend.  You are simply the best. 

Visit With Holly and Dr. Kirby

Word of the day:  splenetic\splih-NET-ik\ adjective: marked by bad temper, malevolence, or spite.

10:00AM - Jeff and I just returned from a visit with Holly.  While still yet very very sick, she appears to be a bit more lively than was the situation last night.  I was able to meet with Dr. Kirby, her regular vet and she clearly made the options to consider.

3:45PM - Jeff and I stopped by to visit with Holly for a little bit.  Dr. Kirby informs us that she is not producing urine, something that is indicative of kidney failure.  I've asked Dr. Kirby to give us until morning to see how Holly responds before I make any decisions as to euthanasia.

Later this afternoon, I'm going to purchase some things to put her away respectably with.  I want to get some flowers for her, something special to wrap her in.  Things fit for the burial of a queen.

7:00PM - Jeff and I went and purchased some flowers and cloths to wrap Holly in the event of the inevitable.  I was somewhat proud of myself.  I did the best I can do to hold in my emotions and not show them to Jeff.  I have to be very strong for him, but inside I'm in great pain.  He chose some really pretty flowers for Holly.   We later went to Red Lobster to have some dinner.  We had the best waitress I've had in many many months.  She was top notch.  All during my dinner all I could think of was my hopes that mother would answer my hue and cry tonight and help me to resolve this painful issue with Holly.  She helped me so much with Toonie.

I Received The Dreaded Call

Word of the day:  arbiter\AHR-buh-ter\ noun:1 : a person with power to decide a dispute : judge.  *2 : a person or agency whose judgment or opinion is considered authoritative.

This morning around 7:00am, I received a phone call from Jeff apprising me that Holly was sick.  He said she had been vomiting during the night.  I asked him to go to the store and get some crackers for her to try to soothe her stomach.  He called back in about 15 minutes and I then told him to take her to the vet.  He did.

The vet, Dr. Glover at Jones Animal Hospital in Bristol gave me the haunting news.  The news I knew was coming and for as much as I had prepared myself for it, I wasn't ready to hear it.  Holly is terminally ill.  This is such a surprise.  She was so spry just a few days ago.  Just a few days ago she was having HonoHoochiePoochie pancakes for breakfast with me, having Chritmas dinner with Jeff and I, and ordering me around.  How quick things can turn. 

My new boss, Risa -- I'm so grateful for that woman.  I just know she has to be an Angel sent to me.  She is so kind to me.  I told her the news I received from the vet, she told me to get in my car and go take care of it.  She offered me one of her dogs along with a year's worth of medical care; just in case it were to need it.  This touched me deeply.  I was profoundly moved by her understanding, kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity.

I left my office at Noon and I arrived at the vet in Bristol at about 5:30pm.  I visited with Holly for about 1 hour.  The vet was so kind as to remain there after closing to allow me to visit with my best friend, my love, my life.  She told me the same words that Dr. Kirby had about 14 months previously regarding Toonie; "you have to think about putting her down".  Those are painful words to me.  Painful as I had to do this for my mom (remove her life support at her request).  My mom was my mom, sure; but first and foremost, she was my best friend.

This is painful.  I'm in great emotional pain.  I love my Holly, but I know its wrong to think of me and act based on selfishness.  That is simply wrong.  So hopefully tonight I will be able to talk with my mom and learn what to do.

Riding Drops of Rain

Word of the day:  officinal\uh-FISS-uh-nul\ adjective: tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain : medicinal .

Annie's Paramount Steakhouse

Word of the day:  sartorial\sar-TOR-ee-ul\ adjective: of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes; broadly : of or relating to clothes

Annie's Paramount Steakhouse on 17th Street.  This is one of the best steakhouses I know

 

 

Forever Annie's The steakhouse that transformed 17th Street

by Will O'Bryan <!-- email_coder('wobryan','metroweekly.com','Will O'Bryan'); //-->
Photography by Todd Franson <!-- email_coder('tfranson','metroweekly.com','Todd Franson'); //-->
Published on 03/02/2006

Some say it's a landmark. Some say it's an institution. Some call it a part of Washington's gay identity. Whatever Annie's Paramount Steakhouse is, there's one thing it ain't -- pretentious. Between the menu and the staff, this anchor on 17th Street exudes comfort. And it's been doing it for more than 50 years.

Annie Kaylor, 78, personifies the attitude of her namesake restaurant. Sitting in a booth by the bar, she's brought some prepared notes to help her find the words to describe Annie's -- handwritten on her personalized Ziggy stationery from home. It makes you want to hug her or call her ''Momma.'' Plenty do.

''Dining out at Annie's is definitely a homey atmosphere,'' she reads. Sidney, her husband of 40 years sits across the aisle at the bar. Her sister, Sophie, is there, too. They've all worked at Annie's at one time or another.

''No one is treated better than anyone else. We are all accepted. It's a fun environment. To say the least, the food is great and basic. It's a fun experience in that there are no strangers where you go to Annie's," she says. "Our customers know we care about them. This means the world to us. The love is there. The love comes from the man who built this restaurant, by the name of George Katinas.''

Post-War Restaurant

George is Annie's older brother. At 84, he still lives in the area, but he's excused himself from the business. It's a well-earned break since opening the original Paramount Steakhouse -- minus the ''Annie's'' moniker -- a block down the street in 1948, in the building that now houses JR.'s Bar & Grill.

Although born in New York, George Katinas, like Annie, grew up in Northwest D.C. Their father, a Greek immigrant, was a fruit vendor in the neighborhood, working in the shadow of the Tivoli Theatre on 14th Street NW. World War II took George Katinas away from Washington, landing him on the battlefields of Europe. During the war, he served in the Army Signal Corps.

Serving in Europe afforded George the opportunity to make his way back to the Katinas family's Greek roots on the island of Naxos. Katinas family lore includes the sad story of how he arrived too late to meet his grandmother, who had died a week earlier.

Thankfully, the Katinas story is otherwise short on tragedy. George made it home safe and sound, ready to join the rest of America in putting the war behind him and getting on with his dreams. With a little help from his parents, he realized his dream of starting a restaurant.

''The old place was actually more a beer type place,'' says Annie of the original Paramount Steakhouse at 1519 17th Street NW. ''They called it a beer joint, though he didn't like people calling it that. He wanted to make it something that was food and a bar.

''My brother wanted everybody to come,'' she continues. ''He didn't want a set thing. He wanted everyone to be treated equally. Today, we have people that come in who are straight and just love it here. When you come in here, you don't feel like you're in a restaurant. You're just comfortable. It's a friendly, nice place, and it's got good food.''

Indeed, people did come. The steakhouse was a success, and even spawned two other restaurants for a time -- one downtown, the other in Georgetown. As those restaurants came to an end, so did George Katinas's time in the kitchen. From a self-taught butcher who prepared his own meat and began a successful restaurant, to an at-home retiree, Annie says her brother had to step aside as the restaurant evolved with the times.

''He won't come back here,'' she says. ''He was a really dedicated man. He's a very precise person, and he just couldn't deal with the changes. They just weren't him. So he turned the restaurant over to his sons. He loves for me to tell his sons what to do.''

Annie Onboard

George's precise nature was something he shared with their sister, Sue Stouts. The similarity was evident behind thebar, Annie on one end, Sue on the other.

''I started working here in 1952. [Sue] started in '53. We ran the night shift,'' Annie explains. ''My sister had a big, big role here. We both worked together. Her and I would work the bar at night. Customers who came in for her, they were very dignified and nice. They were gay. But the ones who came in for me were all crazy. My brother would say, 'You can tell when Annie's working -- look at this place!'

''Sue's side was very dignified. Everything had to be a certain way. I wasn't allowed to pass the line. She's been gone about eight years now. People loved her.''

As for gay people who started frequenting the Paramount Steakhouse shortly after it opened, Annie says she was unaware.

''When the gays would come in, we wouldn't know they were gay,'' she says. ''We just noticed that every time you turned around, we'd be filling up with guys and filling up with guys. It was a gradual thing without us even being aware of it....

''One of the things that I want to get across is that we're called a landmark for the gay community. Back in the '50s, the gays started coming in. I had these waitresses that were all mothers, and they used to treat them very nice. We didn't even know they were gay. They would just pass the word around how nice we were, and how you got a good steak.''

At the time, says Annie, the neighborhood was even more residential than it is today. Local boarding houses, along with the welcoming attitude, may have contributed to the gay mix. ''There was a hotel, like a rooming house,'' she explains, remembering the neighborhood. ''Most of those people would come into the restaurant at night to eat and have a beer. You had the Irishmen, the Greeks, Italians -- all different types of nationalities around the neighborhood. And you had a lot of construction workers in the rooming houses.''

As gay Washingtonians and others continued to make their way to the steakhouse, George Katinas opened the Georgetown and downtown branches. The manager of one of these new restaurants wanted to personalize his restaurant by adding his own name to his Paramount outlet. George allowed it, says Annie, but only after drafting her to be the face of the original Paramount on 17th Street.

''He said, well, if you're going to have your name on that, I'm going to have my sister's name on this one,'' she says, with some apparent embarrassment. '''Why are you doing that?' I said.' And it was called Annie's Paramount Steakhouse. The change was in the '60s -- 1962? Somewhere around there.''

Shakespeare might argue that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. In this case, however, the name change might have given the restaurant a little something extra in terms of branding. Business kept moving along nicely, with the kitchen humming and Annie whipping up her signature Manhattans. George maintained a lease on the 1519 17th Street location, and butchered at an adjacent building that would one day make up part of the current venue.

City in Flames, Community in Peril

Troubled times were waiting around the corner. On April 4, 1968, civil-rights pioneer Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The initial shock and grief sparked by King's death soon transformed into violent riots in cities across the country. Washington, D.C. saw some of the most violent of those riots, leaving city residents transformed, shaken and afraid.

''We were one of the only ones left down here, other than Trio's,'' Annie remembers. ''People wouldn't cross Q Street at that period.... When the riots started, they stormed 17th Street.''

Though Leigh Ann Hendricks has been working at Annie's just a bit more than a decade, she's been part of the Annie's community longer than that. And as manager, she recounts the history as well as the old-timers.

''That's when the gay community made this area gay,'' says Hendricks.

Annie is quick to jump in: ''That's when they claimed it.''

Continues Hendricks: ''No one else would come over here. This was bad. Along the [17th Street] strip, businesses had their windows broken out.... The gay community, they still came here. They continued to come here because this is where they felt comfortable. This is where they could be themselves. They said, 'Riots aren't going to keep us out. This is our place. This is where we like to go.'''

While the gay community kept Annie's alive during the economic downturn that followed the riots, it was at this time that George Katinas bought the building that he would eventually combine with his butchering site to become today's Annie's Paramount Steakhouse.

Adding to the positive changes, depending on one's perspective, Annie hired her first male waiters in this period. Mano, who goes by the single name alone, was the first in 1974.

''We put him on the front patio," says Annie. "At the beginning, the gays didn't like gay waiters. It was very scary to them for some reason. They liked the mother image, I guess. Gradually, it changed.''

Mano doesn't remember it quite the same way. As far as he's concerned, at 26, he was the star of the patio. ''The customers loved it,'' he says with pride. ''I was young and pretty. Now I'm old and handsome.''

The local gay community, no doubt invigorated by the June 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, continued to evolve through the '70s with newfound pride. Annie's evolved along with them, moving into the current location in 1985 with no interruption in service. They closed Saturday night at 1519 17th Street NW, and opened the next morning a block north. As the restaurant experienced healthy growth, however, its clients were facing a deadly epidemic.

''We lost a lot of customers,'' says Annie. ''It got kind of jittery. People got scared. We did lose a lot of waiters, a lot of friends. HIV became very obvious, but people kept it quiet if they had it. Then some night they'd have a few drinks at the bar and start crying, and they'd tell us. We lost a lot of nice boys. It was very difficult.''

Through the years, HIV/AIDS has continued to leave its menacing mark on the city's gay community. Still, the lowest single point at Annie's was yet to come. Early Monday morning, Aug. 23, 2004, Adrien Alstad, a waiter at the restaurant for more than 15 years, was walking home after closing the Sunday night shift. He said goodnight to co-worker J.J. Engbert after walking her to her truck at 18th and R streets. Refusing her offer of a ride, he continued the few blocks to his own home. But he didn't make it. He was shot and killed just steps from where he said goodnight to Engbert.

''We're still not recovered,'' says Hendricks, pointing to the framed photo of Alstad that resides above the bar. ''Anytime 'Dancing Queen' came on, he would stop what he was doing, come out to the dining room, and start singing and clapping his hands. He would get everyone in the dining room to start singing."

''Everyone remembers him," adds Annie. "Adrien was a wonderful person, very intelligent. He could've had any job he wanted, but he chose to be a waiter because he wanted to be free to be who he really was. He enjoyed his work.''

Happy Days, 2006

Outside, it's sunny and chilly. Inside, the front door alcove is packed with people waiting for tables. Some women in the corner are having a raucous time, and getting their photo taken. A table of fantastically well-dressed, older black gentlemen is making everyone else look just a little bit shabbier -- though the effect is surely not intentional. Some fixate on newspapers, some concentrate on their plates, while the Bloody Marys are flowing. It's difficult to find an entire minute that doesn't include the sound of at least one person laughing. Brunch is a busy time at Annie's. And the demographics are impossible to pin down. Hendricks estimates that up to 70 percent of Annie's clientele are customers who eat at the restaurant weekly. Those regulars include every letter in the GLBTQI rainbow -- and straight people to boot.

''A lot of our regulars -- our older ones -- grew up with Annie,'' says Hendricks of the strong bonds built at the restaurant. ''They were young when she was young. They all became friends.''

Adds Annie, ''A lot of our regulars moved to Florida, but they visit. We're developing new faces. That's what we want. The new faces, they learn to appreciate the place.... We've got young people who go the bar, who are maybe not gay, and they love it here because it's so friendly. A lot of places you can go into and no one talks to you. I think that has a lot to do with it. If you come in here, you're not going to feel unwanted.''

TakeBob, for example. The 81-year-old retiree may be uncomfortable using his last name -- an impulse that comes from decades of secretive government work that required he keep the closet door shut -- but he seems awfully comfortable sliding into his regular table at Annie's once or twice a week. He says he's been an Annie's patron for 15 years, ever since he bought his condo in the neighborhood. Staff call him by name, and his Manhattan arrives before he asks for it.

Non-smoking Bob has chosen his booth in the smoking section by the front door. He usually gets it. ''It's away from the smoke, and not near the back,'' he says, looking at the passing parade on the sidewalk. ''And I like the view. I don't come here because I'm gay, but because of the great food. That's what's so good.'' Bob adds that he's fond of the $4.50 Manhattan as well, chiding other bars for charging $8 or more.

His attitude is also right at home. ''I just don't think people should take themselves too seriously. We have a good time here. It's fun here.''

While Annie's is a retirement treat for Bob, Jeff Coles, 34, started visiting Annie's before his career began. He's been coming to Annie's for 10 years, he reckons. His first visits were when he'd come up from Roanoke to visit friends. Now, he and his partner, Phil Tavolacci, 33, are regular patrons. They visit Annie's, says Tavolacci, ''too much. Way too much. It's how we got fat. We come once or twice a week.''

In reality the two are about as fat as Annie is stuffy. Still, Coles claims a weakness for the restaurant's fried shrimp. Tavolacci is partial to the Crab Imperial and Athenian Chicken.

Enjoying Sunday brunch, Coles says they're pretty familiar with the staff, but they haven't quite crossed into first-name basis. ''They don't know our names, but they know our faces.''

The staff know Larry King's name, but they choose not to use it. Instead, he's ''La King,'' a play on the way his name appears on his credit card receipts. King says he's been coming to Annie's since the 1970s.

''They were on 17th Street when it wasn't a very nice place. It was scary to walk down the street,'' he says, also remembering the time when Annie manned one side of the bar and Sue, the other, each creating her own ambience. ''Annie's side was always a mess!'' he laughs, admitting that he always sat on Annie's side.

About a year ago, King's sister, Kay, finally insisted that she wanted in on the fun.

''Larry talked about Annie's like it was so much fun,'' Kay says. ''About 52 visits later, I'm hooked. It's just a good time, like a social group. We come here right after church. If we miss church, we'll have the service here.''

That's the sort of religious devotion Annie herself maintains, still coming to the restaurant about twice a week. Mostly, she says, she just sort of holds court. On occasion, she'll whip up some Manhattans. For those who haven't seen her in action, bartender Marco Mollay has immortalized her pouring out her signature batch. The portrait hangs in the stairwell at the back of the restaurant. It also graces the cover of the menu.

But just as Annie behind the bar becomes an infrequent scene at the steakhouse, other changes may be afoot.

''Tastes are getting healthier. Some people are asking for more salads,'' says Hendricks, who points to an already decent selection. Annie adds they've even got hot dogs to accommodate an increasing number of kids in the restaurant. But with a formula that obviously works, with more than half a century in business as evidence, there's not much point in tinkering with success. Even if the vast menu -- from ''Annie's Homemade Crab Cakes'' to the ''zucchini stix'' -- faces some changes, the attitude is not about to budge.

As Mano puts it, ''I've never had an unhappy moment at this place. Not one. That's the beauty of this place.'' He also offers that no matter who comes through the door, Annie's will always be gay. '''Gay' means happy. 'Gay' means family. That's 'gay.'''

And that's Annie's Paramount Steakhouse.

Word of the day:  polymath \PAH-lee-math\ noun: a person of encyclopedic learning

Word of the day:  bombinate \ BAHM-buh-nayt\ verb: buzz, drone

Word of the day:  bye \ Pronunciation: 'bi"  Function: noun
Etymology: alteration of 2by  : the position of a participant in a tournament who advances to the next round without playing.

My New Job: IS GREAT!

Word of the day:  ebulliant \ ih-BULL-yunt \ adjective: 1 : boiling, agitated.  *2 : having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm : exuberant

Polly Holliday, Flo, Florence Jean Castleberry.

Word of the day:  redownd \ri-downd (OW as in down)\ verb:  1 : to have an effect.  2.  to become transferred or added.  accrue.

Word of the day:  umbrage \UM-brij\ noun:  1 : shade, shadow.  2 : shady branches : foliage.  3 a : an indistinct indication : vague suggestion : hint b : a reason for doubt : suspicion.  *4 : a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult.

HonoHoochiePoochie Pancakes

Word of the day:  contretemps \KAHN-truh-tahng (the "ng" is not actually pronounced, but the preceding vowel is pronounced nasally)\ noun:  *1 : an inopportune or embarrassing occurrence or situation.  2 : dispute, argument.

Yes, Hono-hoochie-poochie Pancakes.  I make waffles this morning with fresh pineapple, banana, and cocounut.  I shared them with H.R.M. Queen Halena Slopoflopolopolous and therefore become known as Honohoochiepoochie pancakes.

King Steve

Ok,  I've looked and looked for ages for an electronic picture of Morocco's King Muhammed VI.  All over Morocco, everywhere you go there seems to be a different picture of him.  Never the same picture twice.  In all the pics he looks like he's trying to be a model.  Therefore a friend and I have dubbed him "King Steve" the gay king.

Abramoff, Mobster Attire and Mobster Wheels

Word of the day:  Behemoth\bih-HEE-muth\ noun: 1 often capitalized : a mighty animal described in Job 40:15-24 as an example of the power of God.  *2 : something of monstrous size, power, or appearance.

On Thursday, when I seen the above photo of Abramoff on www.washingtonpost.com, my first thought was damn, he looks like a Chicago mobster from the 20s.  Low and behold, an article in the following day's post addresses his look and how he used to like to quote movie mobsters.  I wonder if the drives a Mercedes G-Class?

The Other Side

By his note, it's clear to me, Martin Toler had a higher sense of existence and life, the everafter, welkinology, and self-awareness.  Perhaps never spoken until this note.  I hope he shared it with the others before they crossed over.  So they'd not have fear.  There is  NOTHING TO FEAR!  Once you get there, FEAR doesn't exist.  Our fear is based on 'our" unknown and how the unknown will cause us to react or effect us.

What does Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton's new song about the other side mean to you? 

The other side is paradise.  Not as we know it through religion.  Religion helps us to have hope and faith.  On the other side, hope, faith, religion, and all the things we live by here in this dimension arn not required or needed in that welkin.

 
This letter written by Martin Toler Jr. reads: "Tell all I see them on the other side JR I love you It wasn't bad just went to sleep

The Demise of Fly-I

Word of the day:  tin-pot\TIN-POT\ adjective: two-bit, small-time.

It really touched me to see the photos in today's Washington Post of the Dulles-based Fly-I's employees tearfully pushing the last flight from the gate.  Photographically, it seemed to be a sending off of a best friend you'll never see again.

Turquoise Bay by SWATCH!

I recall how this particular SWATCH watch was my first Swatch ever.  I bought it at Parks-Belk in Bristol, VA.  I truly fell in love with this watch.  At the time they cost only $25 or $35.  I don't recall which. 

For years, I'd been wanting to find another one.  I looked , looked, and looked only finding 4.  They were so expensive now that style is a "collector's item" and sells for around $1,500.00 in a new/never worn/unopened package condition.  I was fortunate enough in 2002 for my birthday to win one new, never used, unopened and in its original case on eBay.  I got it for $125.00.  To this day, I take pride and joy in owning it.  I've never worn it.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Chartreuse and Purple

Lion of God

Word of the day:  emeritus\ih-MEH-ruh-tus\ adjective:  retired with an honorary title from an office or position.

Today, I learned something very very cool at my work.  My grandfather's name was Arie.  I've never met anyone else with that name until I went to work at my new job.  I never had the chance to know my paternal grandfather since he died before I was born.  So today, for the first time, I met Ariel (Ari) who has been on holiday and returned to work in my work group today.  I was telling him my grandfather's name was Arie and he inquired was it short for Ariel?  I don't think it was but, it is possible.   I told him about him being the first man I've ever met with that name.   He went on to tell me the Hebrew meaning behind that name.  Arie in Hebrew means "Lion".  Ariel, in Hebrew means "Lion of God".   This is a remarkable and has a strong metaphysical meaning in my life.  I don't know all of what that might mean right now as I write, but I will explore it and write of it as I learn more.  I'm quite excited about learning this today.

The Coffee Cup Cafe (a.k.a. Local Beer Joint)

The Horse At The Exxon!

These photos I just posted of the 1962 Ford Falcon jogs my memory to my mother telling me that when I was a little boy, my father had insisted that we go the local Livestock Auction on one particular day.  Naturally, as my father's habits would go, he got plastered on booze and ended up buying a pony for me at the Livestock Auction.  Well  he didn't have a truck. There was no one there to deliver it to the farm for him.  So what did he do?  Yes, being a drunk genious as he typically was after a trip to the "Coffee Cup Cafe" and the Livestock Market, he removes the rear seat of our $10 Ford Falcon Futura, ties it down in the trunk, and loads the pony in the area where the rear seat was removed.  He rolls down the window so that the pony can stick its head out the window to fit in the car.  Off to Mendota we go, a beautiful woman, a $10 car, and a pony with its head out the window.  (I'M ROLLING WITH LAUGHTER AND TEARS AS I WRITE THIS ENTRY).

Naturally as well, Bristol being 20-30 miles from this Livestock Auction, mother being the "designated driver" (an uncoined term at the time) had to stop in at the gas station and get fuel.  This was in the days of complimentary full-service.  The station attendant comes out and replies to mother when she says "fill it up", with "which end should I fill up, the car or the horse?"   (MOTHER QUIT THAT CACKLING RIGHT NOW.  I know you're here with me.  I love it when you cackle.  That look on your face is priceless. --- mother just arrived here to enjoy this entry with me as I write it.)

I recall how silly my mother would get when she would reflect back on that story.  I can see my drunken father now, sitting there on the passenger side of the car wtih his elbow out the window and his hat falling over his eyes and talking all his drunken shit with a jealous accusatory slur. 

Two More Famous People I'm Connected To Through That Six Degrees Of Seperation

My new colleague Gwen MacDonald is from Big Stone Gap, VA and she is such a cool woman.  I'm very happy to make her acquaintence and getting to know her more will be very nice.  Her brothers Julius and Thomas Jones play professional football.  Julius Jones is with the Dallas Cowboys.  Thomas Jones is with the Chicago Bears.  Big Stone Gap, VA is just about 20 minutes from Bristol.

 
Gwen's brother, Julius Jones, RB - Dallas Cowboys.

PERSONAL: Jones attended Powell Valley High School in Big Stone Gap, Va., where he was an honorable mention USA Today All-America. While earning four letters in football, he captained his team as a senior and rushed for 2,564 yards and 36 touchdowns in his final prep campaign. He was named the Virginia Group A Offensive Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998 by the Associated Press and Virginia High School Coaches Association. He was also the Virginia Region D and Lonesome Pine District Player of the Year as a junior and senior. Jones's career totals include 614 carries for 5,803 yards and 86 touchdowns. As a safety on defense, he also intercepted 10 career passes. He helped Powell Valley to 28 straight victories and the Virginia Group A-Division 2 state title in 1997 and 1998. Along the way, he set a Virginia high school record with 321 rushing yards in one state playoff game (on 19 carries) while also scoring five touchdowns. Jones won four letters in basketball, serving as a senior captain and leading the team to league titles as a sophomore and junior. He also added four letters in track, captaining the team as a senior and earning all-state honors his last three seasons while competing in hurdle and jumping events. He set a state record with a time of 38.7 in the 300 intermediate hurdles in 1998 and also turned in a 14.2 in the 110 high hurdles. His older brother, Thomas, was the sixth pick in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, played for Tampa Bay in 2003 and Chicago in 2004. As a rookie last fall, he was part of the Cowboys 2004 Rookie Club - a program designed to introduce rookie team members to community service in the Dallas area. He and his fellow rookie teammates participated in visits to various non-profit organizations serving children and adults, including the NFL Play It Smart program at Dallas's Lincoln High School, ChildCareGroup, NFL United Way Hometown Huddle and The Salvation Army. Julius Andre Maurice Jones majored in sociology at Notre Dame in the College of Arts and Letters.

Gwen's brother, Thomas Jones, RB- Chicago Bears

PERSONAL: Finished prep career at Powell Valley H.S. in Big Stone Gap, Va. with single-season state rushing records for yardage (3,319 in 1994), TDs (49 in 1995) and career TDs (104 from 1992- 95)... Featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" in January 1996... Also lettered 4 years in basketball and track... Rushed for 462 yards in a single game as a junior& Son of Thomas and Betty Jones is 1-of-7 children... Younger brother Julius is a second-year RB with the Dallas Cowboys& Uncle Ed Clark played football at Purdue and with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL.

Two Headed Snake at Auction on eBay

1963 Chevrolet Impala Belair/Biscayne Wagon

1962 Ford Falcon, Our $10 Car.

Learning About Yourself

Word of the day:  orthography\or-THAH-gruh-fee\ noun:  1 *a : the art of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage b : the representation of the sounds of a language by written or printed symbols.  2 : a part of language study that deals with letters and spelling.

Last night, I had a wonderful conversation with Sandy.  I learned more about her than before.  This is one of the many beautiful aspects of our friendship.  She also was telling me about a method used to learn more about yourself and helps in being able to love yourself.  Most importantly, it helps you to understand yourself by identifying on opposite sides of a piece of paper the things you like about yourself and the ones you don't.  Also do that for both your parents.

I'm going to do this exercise over the next few days when I get a chance and see if it might help me to make a few steps closer to my goal of forgiveness of my father.  I look forward to the exercise. 

Word of the day:  wheedle\WEE-dul\  • verb:  *1 : to influence or entice by soft words or flattery.  2 : to gain or get by coaxing or flattering.  3 : to use soft words or flattery.

I recall as I was growing up, my mother would use this word when my brother and I were sweet talking her to get something we wanted, such as a toy.   

The Original "Starbucks" of Bristol. SHHHHH Don't Let Starbucks Hear This!

Don't EVEN think of letting Starbucks think there's a market in Bristol.  If they find out they'll be in there like a hen on a junebug.  First off setting up on every corner and then filing suit on this "little guy" operator.  I don't necessarily like Java J's coffee, or the line of products they offer.  However, the people are nice.  They have a nice place for people to congregate, and enjoy their food, computer, etc.  I'm very very happy to have them here.

Their website is:  www.javajs.net

A little history on the coffee house:
The Name:  Java - Its for the coffee.  The Js - Originally its for Julie, John, Jordana, Jaclyn, and Jill Marion.  It now includes Jordana's family; Matthew, Tobin, & Josiah Chambers.
The History:  Envisioned in 1997, and born in December 2000 in Bristol, VA.
The Mission:  To provide excellent food and drinks in a comfortable place in an environment that helps you to connect wiht those around you, to relax, to enjoy, or to be "just by yourself".    To support the community by integrating ideas and enthusiasm. 

I believe they should make that last statement to include "bringing the community together". 

A Beautiful 2nd Day of 2006

Word of the day:  seneschal  \SEN-uh-shul\ noun: an agent or steward in charge of a lord's estate in feudal times.

How To Figure Out Your Porn Star Name!

Well, my porn star name is "Grover Dart".  The way you figure it out is by making your first name the same as your first pet.  The surname, or last name is the model (NOT MAKE) of your first car.

For example:
First Pet:  Anne
First Car:  Plymouth Breeze
Your Porn Star Name:  Anne Breeze

Perhaps, I should have introduced Grover Dart to Eric at Walmart.

I Watched "Sordid Lives" Today, WHAT A HOOT!

I definately agree with Dexter, its a film about our lives.  The only part is, we're NOT drag queens.  I've only done drag once in my life.  It was Halloween 1981.  Everyone said I was a beautiful drag queen and looked surprisingly like a real woman.  Using their words, " a high society woman"!  LOL.  I recall my father found my drag outfit in my car trunk a few days later before I had a chance to get all the garb back to Theatre Bristol where I had borrowed. 

Its Here- 2006. I'm So Happy! I'm So Excited! I Even Fell In Love At Walmart!

Word of the day:  epicure  \EP-ih-kyur\ noun: one with sensitive and discriminating tastes especially in food or wine.

Yes, I'm elated that its 2006 and that 2005 went out like I'd won the lottery of a happy life and that 2006 is certainly to continue this thinking.

Also, I fell in love at the Bristol, TN Walmart on the Volunteer Parkway with the guy (Eric), working in the tire department.  I went there with Jeff's car to have the tires balanced and rotated.  Eric waited on me.  He was so beautiful - smile, face, eyes, and OH MY GOD, those muscular arms and his "country boy" image and innocence.  He seemed mesmerized by me and he's always look me square in the eye when speaking to me.  He was sent on an errand to the Walmart at Exit 7 of I-81 to pick up tires for a customer.  Needlesstosay, his "girlfriend" come by to drive him there.  I'd consider being his "girlfriend".   I know I could answer some of his questions and I think he knew that. 

Here it is a BRAND NEW YEAR!  And I'm so happy.  Oh how nice it is to fantasize about that HOTTIE, ERIC!