Author Archives: Alan Ilagan

Far more than other years, I really don’t want August to end. That goes for the summer as a whole, and this is the first year in some time that I’ve felt so strongly about it. This one has just gone by too quickly. So let’s draw it out a bit, and look back over a trio of Augusts that came before.

First up is August 2010 – for which there were only two saved entries. But I’m quite fond of them both.

August 2011 found a few entries exploring the city of Boston. Much summer magic takes place in that miraculous city.

On the very edge of Massachusetts is where we spent a few days in August 2012 – when a birthday was spent in Provincetown.

Since there was more than the anniversary of my birth going on in the last week, or so I’ve been told, here’s a quick encapsulation of other supposedly-notable posts that shared the birthday limelight.

It was the wee in which I was finally tagged on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Having previously avoided the shenanigans, it was Skip Montross who finally named me, and I accepted – well, I sort of accepted. Let’s just say they got the money, and a bucket was involved.

One thing that was not quite ready to kick the bucket was summer, as seen in some hosta shots and stargazing images.

Summer is also a time to get beet up.

My bush brings all the butterflies to the yard.

Off to Market.

Hunks on Parade marched their shirtless wares through the wind-down weeks of summer. Idris Elba proved what the bulge was all about, Matthew Paetz proved that Lea Michele has amazing taste, Noam Ash proved that adorable and sexy are not exclusive of each of each other, Duncan Mais proved that sometimes mere mortals are Superheroes, and Damien Rodgers continued his quest for the Mr. Gay World title.

This was a toilet in Edith Wharton’s summer home. Talk about a big pipe…

Today I turn 39 years old. One more to 40. That’s less frightening than I thought it would be, but we’ll revisit the scene next year and see if I still feel the same way. (I reserve the right to have a nervous breakdown at a moment’s notice.) As already mentioned, I will be spending the weekend in New York, taking in the last performance of ‘Bullets Over Broadway’, brunching at Tavern on the Green, and having a fancy birthday dinner at The NoMad. Just me and my husband.

That stays true to my traditional route of keeping birthdays relatively small. I was never one for big parties to commemorate the day, preferring smaller gatherings and destinations off the beaten path (hello Beaversprite). Some years it was only me and Suzie and my family. To this day, I tend to keep to the same format, quietly going about the day as if nothing much was different. (Some years I may have kept things too quiet; the few times I worked on my birthday I found myself rather depressed as I walked downtown Albany alone on my lunch hour. After that I would take the day off, even if I kept it simple.)

This year is an out-of-town year, like when we went to Provincetown in 2012. And while I’ve never been the biggest fan of New York, I’m sure there are ways they can show the birthday boy a good time. Tom Ford’s flagship store on Madison Avenue for example…

The Trojan Renaissance is in full effect every Saturday morning, when the Troy Farmer’s Market spills into the street with a colorful collection of fruits and vegetables and all sorts of other goodies. Andy and I made our first trip to this place a couple of weeks ago, and it’s almost time to revisit it. The fall should be especially lovely with bushels of squash and winter vegetables coming up to ease the trek into cooler weather. For now, the sun is still shining brightly, the heat can still be intense, and the sunflowers are coming into their August own. I’ll let these photographs do the rest of the talking.

For weeks I’d been keeping a relatively low-profile, careful not to like any posts mentioning it, vigilant not to reference or comment on it, and I was just starting to feel a bit of relief that no one had tagged me to partake in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Then Skip Montross called me out. I was hoping it would be someone I could dismiss or ignore, but when a friend you genuinely admire does it, you answer the call in one way or another. The cause was good too – donations for The ALS Association, which works to fight Lou Gehrig’s disease – so even if you want nothing to do with this silliness, you should check out the ALS Donation page and see what you can muster. As for my take on the challenge, watch the video below.

Everyone knows I have no problem getting wet (see pool pics here, here, here, here… well, you get the idea) so the idea of pouring a bucket of ice water over my head was not really a big deal. Besides, Tom Ford (!), Adam Lambert, Henry Cavill, Neil Patrick Harris, David Beckham, Adam Levine, Dan Osborne, Joe Manganiello, Oprah Winfrey, Andy Cohen, Cristiano Ronaldo, Martha Stewart, Ashton Kutcher, Donatella Versace, Justin Timberlake, Chris Pratt, James Franco, Hudson Taylor, Jesse Metcalfe, Novak Djokovic, Ryan Seacrest, Lance Bass, Chord Overstreet, Jamie Dornan, Josh Groban, John Barrowman, Eddie Redmayne, Chris Hemsworth, Keith Urban, Nick Bateman, Zac Efron, Matt Damon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Bomer, Josh Hutcherson, Ben Foden, Nick Jonas, Chris Evans and countless actual friends of mine had already done it. I would be in good company. Yet doing what everyone else is doing has never been my thing. It may have cost me a hundred bucks, but it was worth every penny. And since I didn’t actually do it, I didn’t have to challenge anyone else. (At least, that’s my interpretation, and I don’t intend to change it. I doubt Madonna would deign to get doused anyway.)

Yes, I know, my birthday is technically only supposed to last one day (August 24 for those out-of-the-loop) but since when have I hesitated to make the most of an occasion? By this time next week it will be over and done, so let’s make the most of the anticipation. I prefer to celebrate the future rather than the past. That said, I’ll be a good sport and indulge in this look-back over the past few days on this blog.

Let’s begin with the boys – the shirtless boys – who kept things smoking in spite of the rather cool-spell we’ve had of late. Say hello to Charles Dera, Parker Gregory, Willie Gomez, Kerry Degman, Damien Rodgers, and Ezra Miller.

Gay serial killers aren’t always fun, but they’re always remembered.

A scrumptious summer recipe utilizing crab, lemon, and capers.

A sneak-preview of school memories, which may just spark a new series.

And speaking of a series, one of the more prolific and popular on this blog – the Madonna Timeline – came roaring back to life in honor of the lady’s birthday. It was time for ‘Like A Virgin‘ wherein I recalled what it was like to be touched for the very first time.

I picked a major bone with this self-professed lost soul, who wrote a ridiculous post on the gay man as Peter Pan. Just call me Captain Hook.