Is Gaga Moving To Amish Country?

This story was all over the news while I was in Central Pennsylvania for Christmas: Lady Gaga might be buying a house in Amish Country.

From Curbed:

The pop mega-star, whose primary home is a rental in Bel Air, Calif., has been seen touring a $1.7M manor-style house in Lititz, Pa., of all places—her boyfriend, Taylor Kinney, grew up there and his parents own the place next door. The place, totaling 6,000 square feet, was built in 2006 and has four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a formal dining room, two kitchens, and buttoned-up interior details such as crown moldings, wood banisters, built-ins, and marble floors.

If Gaga bought the place and decided she wanted to have a drink with The Gays, the Tally Ho Tavern (AKA "The Tacky Ho")  is just down the road in Lancaster. Yes Virginia, there IS a Gay Bar in the midst of Amish Country

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Heading To My Homeland

At 7:30 this morning I'll be getting on an Amtrak train bound for Central Pennsylvania - land of SALTY SNACKS, TASTY MEATS, PURPLE EGGS and the place where I was born. I'm all set for a nice long Thanksgiving visit with my friends, family and all the local Arby's employees.

And as long as Papa Bunny's computer cooperates, I should be able to continue posting throughout the week.

Happy Trails!!!!

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Greetings From Central Pennsylvania

Last night's dinner

Having a lovely visit with family here in Pennsyltucky - but there's ALWAYS time for "Good Mood Food".

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Remembering Three Mile Island

NOTE: The nuclear emergency in Japan made me recall the Three Mile Island accident over 30 years ago. As a native of Central Pennsylvania, it was a scary time. Two years ago I blogged about my experience as a 6th-Grader during those tense days:

Yesterday marked the 30-year anniversary of the partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant - the worst nuclear power accident in U.S. history.

30 years ago I was in 6th grade at Stevens Elementary School in Carlisle, PA - 21 miles away from Three Mile Island. I don't remember much about the incident (the adults downplayed the danger), but I do remember that we weren't allowed out for recess, and the teachers kept the classroom windows closed. Because if the reactor melted down we would have been COMPLETELY safe indoors with the windows shut. Or something like that.

Throughout the crisis, officials never ordered an evacuation because they were afraid of causing a panic. My dad worked in Harrisburg (the state capital) which is just 10 miles away from T.M.I. - and I remember him talking about co-workers who left the area immediately (at least one never returned). I also remember my parents talking to my brother and I about the possibility leaving in case things got worse. I guess we would have gone to Texas to live with my grandparents, but ultimately we stayed put. And eventually we were allowed to go outside for recess at school again.

When I go visit my family back in Central Pennsylvania I always take the Amtrak train. And right before the train arrives in Harrisburg (my destination), I always look to my left to see the four cooling towers of Three Mile Island which loom over the Susquehanna River.

In 1985 the undamaged unit went back online - and is still operating today. That is why now you only see steam coming from 2 of the towers - the damaged unit has been decommissioned.

Welcome to White Meat Monday

Today is White Meat Monday - and my last day of work until the New Year. On Wednesday I'll be jumping on an Amtrak train bound for Central PA - and then I'll be returning to NYC a week or so later for some vegging at home.

Is anyone else getting outta Dodge this week for the Holidays??

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Life's A Beach

“You never know how many friends you have until you rent a house on the beach”

The weather prognosticators are predicting freezing rain and sleet tonight and tomorrow here in Central PA - so I'm gonna pretend I'm at the beach with these gentlemen.

On The Road ...

This morning I'll be hopping on an Amtrak train bound for South-Central Pennsylvania - land of tasty meat, purple eggs, abundant snacks, and a funny way of talking.

I'll check in later this afternoon - after I wash all the dirty clothes I packed. Don't judge - I've spent the last 17 years lugging my clothes to the Laundromat - so washing them in my Dad's laundry room is pure heaven for me. It's the little things in life that bring us joy, dontcha know?...

>P,B!

It's White Meat Monday!

I will be returning to NYC early this (Monday) morning and heading straight to work - so posting will remain lighter than usual today.

I had a WONDERFUL weekend with my friends and family - and even got to have cocktails with The Mistress Maddie and The Boy Toy on Saturday night. This weekend was just what the doctor ordered, and I feel relaxed and serene.  For now...

Hope you all had great weekends also.  What did YOU do??

Arby's and Pickled Eggs in PA

Yesterday after arriving at the Harrisburg, PA Amtrak station, I was immediately whisked away by Mama Bunny in the BunnyMobile (above) and taken to my favorite elite, upscale restaurant - Arby's. And since it's a DavidDust tradition for me to take a picture when I dine at my favorite Roast Beefstro ... here is the deliciousness ...

And speaking of deliciousness, later on Mom needed to go to the grocery store - so I took the opportunity to score some Pickled Eggs (a Central PA delicacy) from the Salad Bar...

Yes, they are purple.   And scrumptious.

Havingagoodtimewishyouwerehere.

XOXOXO

Blogging/Recapping Update

I will be spending a nice long weekend with the family in South Central Pennsylvania (around the "A" below), so blogging will be lighter than usual until next week.

On Friday I'm hanging with Mama Bunny, on Saturday there's lunch with my bestest gurlfriend "Vera", Saturday evening/Sunday afternoon will be spent with Papa and Brother Bunny, then it's back to Mama Bunny's on Sunday night.  Monday morning it's "all aboard" an Amtrak Keystone train for the return to NYC and to back to work.

As far as recaps go, there is about a 50% chance of a Top Chef recap this week (have laundry, packing and other things to do tonight), and a 0% chance of a Project Runway recap (my old roommate is visiting from Chicago tomorrow).

I'm hoping to start recapping Project Runway NEXT week, but that's still "iffy".  I'm not crazy about the 1 1/2 hour format and I'm still not convinced there's a sufficient number of DustBunny viewers to justify all the time spent.  We shall see...

A "New Low" For My Brother

I got the following text from my brother (above) yesterday:

New low … we got kicked out of a bar in Perry County for drinking moonshine in the parking lot.

FYI:  Perry County is the extremely rural, very “country” (some might even call it “backwards”) county north of where I grew up.  According to Wikipedia, 98.54% of the 43,602 residents are white, and it is one of the most Republican counties in PA.  When you drive through Perry County (pronounced “Purry” County by the locals) you’ll notice a plethora of two things: bars and churches.  Furthermore, the entire county didn’t have (or need) a traffic light until last year.

So, for Brother Bunny to get kicked out of a bar in Perry County is not a "new low" in my book - that's a WIN.  But to get kicked out for drinking moonshine in the parking lot turns this into an EPIC WIN with a side of AWESOME.

Well played, Brother Bunny … well played.

White Meat Monday Featured Model - Drew Pare

Drew Pare is from Lancaster, PA - not far from where I was born and raised.  The way I can tell he's REALLY from Amish Country is by the way he pronounces the word "Lancaster".  Central Pennsylvanians don't pronounce it "LAN-cas-ter" - like outsiders do.  We pronounce it like we're saying "LANG kissed her" - but you gotta say it really fast.  Check it out...

Dropping Stuff On New Year's Eve

Everyone knows about the big ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve (above).  But you might not know about all the crap they "drop" on New Year's Eve in the land of my birth ... South Central Pennsylvania.

Most of these PA droppings began after I moved to New York City.  In fact, I can only remember the Strawberry Drop in Harrisburg - an event I always missed because I wasn't about to leave the warmth of "Stallions" (the local gay club) and go outside to watch a piece of fruit going down at midnight. I waited until later for that...

Now every local town seems to drop something to ring in the New Year.  What cracks me up is that for the most part whatever is being dropped is simply hoisted up on a crane and lowered at midnight while people watch.  We are all about 'no-frills' in Pennsyltucky!

Some of these drops make sense.  The strawberry in Harrisburg was dropped from "Strawberry Square", a downtown mall.  York, PA drops a White Rose, because it's known as "The White Rose City".  And Heshey drops a big Hershey Kiss, for obvious reasons...

Some of the dropped items are less obvious.  My hometown of Carlisle boasts a "Mini Indy Car Drop".  I'm assuming this is due to the fact that Carlisle hosts huge annual automobile shows, and because you "Can't have Carlisle without the 'Car'".  And, from what I've read, they drop a mini-Indy car because the local YMCA wasn't using it anymore...

The neighboring town of Mechanicsburg drops a wrench...

Shippensburg drops an anchor...

Red Lion drops a cigar (an homage to Red Lion's connection to the Tobacco industry).  And Elizabethtown drops an M&M because of the M&M/Mars plant in town.  Dillsburg drops a big pickle dressed in formalwear ...

But my favorite is the town of Lebanon.  If you grow up in South Central PA, you know Lebanon as the town where "Lebanon Bologna" (pronounced "LEB-nun Ba-LO-nie") comes from.  So Lebanon drops a big, long, edible, delicious bologna on New Year's Eve.

Do they "drop" anything where YOU live?

Havingagoodtimewishyouwerehere

I'm having a wonderful time here in Central Pennsylvania.  Today's agenda:  Mexican food lunch with Mama Bunny, followed by a reunion of my closest friends from high school.  "The Gang" (as we called ourselves) hasn't all been together for 15-20 years - so this should be a blast.

We are going to a local wannabe version of Dave & Busters - those bar/restaurants with games for the kids.  That way us adults can get sloshed while the kids busy themselves with whatever it is kids do these days.

I will be returning to NYC tomorrow - so between being drunk this afternoon and traveling tomorrow, posting will be light.

>P,B!

For Maurene...

 

 

 

Yes, the FIRST thing I did yesterday once I arrived in Pennsyltucky was have lunch at Arby's.  Don't hate...

Thanks Maurene!!! XOXOXOXOXO

My Christmas Holiday Has Begun

This morning I'll be jumping on the Amtrak train for the 3 1/2 hour ride back to Central Pennsylvania for a week's vacation.

UPDATE (11:45 AM):  Thank GOODNESS I decided to take the very first train this morning.  When I arrived in Pennsylvania a few minutes ago I heard the reports of Amtrak service being shut down in and out of Penn Station due to power problems.  Luckily, I missed the drama and made it to Amish Country in one piece.  Next up?... LUNCH AT ARBY'S.

This year should be a relatively uncomplicated Christmas - no one in the family can really afford to go crazy with gifts, so we've decided to exchange stocking-stuffers only.  This is a huge relief to me, since for the first time in years I will not be receiving a Christmas bonus.  Add that to the fact that my commission income is down 80% from 2007, and what you get is me with no money to spend for the Holidays.  But I'm not complaining - I'm happy just to still have a job.

One of the highlights of this mini-vacation will be a get-together with my oldest group of friends from high school.  "The Gang" (as we called ourselves) hasn't seen each other in almost 20 years - so it should be interesting.  Most of them are married (with OLD-ass kids!) - but my main gay (Carl AKA "Vera") will be there to provide girlfriend backup.  Actually, I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone - these people were my entire life in high school - and it will be wonderful catching up with them.

OK - so what are YOUR plans for the holidays?

I'm Heading Out Via Train Tomorrow

 

Victor Camacho

 

 

 

 

Kairon John

 

I'll be jumping on Amtrak early tomorrow morning for a week in Central Pennsylvania.  Expect blogging as usual - I'll be commandeering my Dad's computer while I'm gone.

Pennsylvania Thanksgiving - Feast #1

Since my Mom is doing her big meal on Saturday, I went to my Aunt's (actually, my Stepmom's sister) house for Thanksgiving yesterday. We did it buffet-style (AKA 'grab-and-growl'), and the picture above shows all the goodies: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing/dressing (which many here in Central PA call 'filling'), and Brussels sprouts. I'm not used to having Brussels sprouts at Thanksgiving - but I see that Bob and Carlos made some too (UPDATE: Kailyn also). Afterwards there was pumpkin and apple pies, pumpkin bread, and fruit salad for dessert.

Bob also took pictures of his adorable animals ... so I thought I would plagiarize his idea and do the same. First of all, here are the two newest members of my Dad's household...

These two kittens (a boy and a girl) don't have names because they are up for adoption. Seriously, if anyone wants an adorable cat (or two), and can make it to Carlisle, PA, please send me an email.

They are so friggin cute, but also lucky to be alive. They were found shortly after birth - dirty and hungry and alone. Perhaps the mother was killed, but whatever happened she abandoned 4 baby kittens who needed to be nursed. So my Dad nursed them by hand - and they grew into healthy little Hell-raisers. Two of the four have been adopted, but these two remain at Dad's house, awaiting a good home. Dad can't keep them, because he already has 9 cats of his own!!

Two of Dad's nine cats are Dusty's brothers. Here is one of them...

Much like their sister, I couldn't get both of "The Boys" (that's what they're called) to sit still long enough for a picture. They look exactly like Dusty - except they are bigger and a little more muscular.

Anywhore, how was YOUR Thanksgiving?!?