I had recalled the time of the first concert of the day incorrectly. I awoke with oodles of time. After a shower and getting dressed, I made a cup of tea. I made an attempt to plan my week on the balcony of my room. Once finished, I took a quick trip downtown to check my email.

I'm glad I happened to notice in the festival program that a new commissioned piece was being presented at GALA festival by "The Roberts". I knew that Joe (Philly's artistic director) would really want to have us perform this in the future. It really pays to go over the festival program early on to highlight your priorities. I missed some events that I would have loved to experience had I just read it more thoroughly. The entire week I felt like I had no time to even take a deep breath, much less go through that program at a leisurely pace. Having made a mental note I decided I would go see the Portland Gay Men's Chorus perform the full production of Robert Seeley and Robert Espindola's BraveSouls & Dreamers in the Hilton Symphony Ballroom.

It was a treat to hear the Portland Gay Men's Chorus perform BraveSouls and Dreamers. Their musicianship was to be commended. As I was listening to the piece of music I was so happy I made the time. It is "a dramatic cantata that reflects upon the human and spiritual consequences of war. Inspired by the words of Gandhi, Jesus, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Isaiah, Jimmy Carter, Confusius, Buddha, and the Qur'an - the text boldly contrasts a prevailing hope for peace with the stark reality of war." In the climate in which we are living I thought it was important to hear a piece of music that discusses the impact war and conflict has on our society. The music was as powerful as the subject matter and text. A quarter of the way through I knew this was another piece of music that I would want to push our chorus to do. The piece features soloists Soldier One & Two, The Sage, and Mother. I, however, suggest that the solos need not be limited to four individuals. Throughout the production each soloist performed a number of solos. Instead, I will suggest to my own chorus that we provide more solo opportunities for the wonderful voices we have in our chorus. There is no reason we could not have several soldiers. There were three wise men in the bible, why not have more than one sage?

Following the Portland Gay Men's Chorus it was time to enjoy the youth chorus block. I forgot to wear my prescription glasses. I ran quickly back to my room to retrieve my glasses. While leaving my room I ran into Chris K. We headed over to see the youth choruses together at the Ziff. This year GALA decided to highlight the youth choruses by providing them with their own concert block. Once they were done performing in one hall they crossed the street and performed a second performance at the second concert hall. Performing in this block was Mosaic Youth Chorus, Dreams of Hope, Youth Pride Chorus, Diverse Harmony, and GLASS Youth Chorus.

I am truly amazed by the fact that young people feel comfortable enough to be this "out" in their lives. It takes a lot of courage and chutzpah to participate in a glbtq organization in your teens and as you emerge into adulthood. I wasn't ready at that age. But each of us deals with that transition in their own way.

I loved hearing each chorus. I wanted to hear the youth sing. The first chorus, Mosaic Youth Chorus, performed the same piece we did at GALA, "Bridge Over Troubled Water". For their soloist, they used an adult. I thought this was a big mistake. I don't care how awkward the soloist might have been; I wanted one of the young people to get their chance to shine in the spotlight. It just didn't seem appropriate featuring an adult in a youth chorus. Dreams of Hope was a troupe that provides sensitivity workshops about the unique needs of glbtq youth. Interspersed with the music were various scenes that illustrate various issues. They did a wonderful job injecting humor into their program. I especially enjoyed Homo High. Youth Pride Chorus had the incredible energy that you would expect from the youth of New York City. In addition to some great voices there were a number who really knew how to move. GLASS Youth Chorus from British Columbia was the most polished of the concert block. Their blend and balance was the best. Also, on appearance they seemed to have the most amount of young adults in their chorus with a number of members in their early twenties. That amount of experience may have been what made the difference. Also, their director, Carol Sirianni has a passion for the youth chorus movement.

It is getting late in the week and I have seen a number of choruses. I definitely wanted to see Lavender Light Gospel Choir in the evening. I didn't want to experience chorus burn-out so I took a break. Since most of the chorus blocks I plan on attending were in the beginning of the week, I was planning on sight seeing in Miami in the later part of the week. However, I just did not anticipate everything costing as much as it did. I was quickly running out of money. Additionally, it is an incredibly gorgeous sun shiny day. While I would have loved to have seen the Wolfsonian museum or the Lowe Art Museum, I just could not bring myself to spend the entire day indoors. Going to the beach allowed me to enjoy the sunshine and it is free. Joining me on my trek to SoBe are my friends Paul T. and Terry. On our way to the beach I discover the one camera battery I had on my person had run out of power. No pictures today from Douglas.

We run into a bunch of other PGMC guys heading to the beach at the bus. On the way to the beach, M&M's were doing a promotion giving away free ice cream bars (their version of a dove bar). It was just what the doctor ordered and I could have had a couple more while I was at it. I have a huge sweet tooth. We all were gobbling them down quickly because they were melting in the sun. We wanted to eat them, not wear them.

As we arrived at the beach Joe, Glenn, Mike, Paul G. and others left. The sun was very strong. Out in the water I found the light blinding. It drove me crazy, but I was not about to loose a good pair of sunwear in the ocean. Even though there are no waves, I just didn't want to risk it. Once again the clear blue ocean was very warm. A whole group of us went further out to feel cooler waters. While out in the ocean we discussed what music we've seen that we wanted to sing. I felt like I was having a Music Programming Committee meeting. Whether I was out in the ocean or lying on the sand there was always someone to talk to. At the 12th Street Beach were Chris K., Albert, Paul D., Jim, Giang and Sean, John B., Paul T. and Terry.

Later in the afternoon members of Youth Pride Chorus plunked themselves down near us on the beach. They seemed to be having as much fun as we all were despite the presence of chaperones. They seemed like good kids but very typical for their age. I found their behavior amusing because it reminded me of me at that age to a certain extent.

The combination of not wanting to overdo our sun exposure and our stomachs growling, Terry, Paul and I decide we would enjoy a leisurely dinner on Ocean Drive. A little voice in my brain remembered a recommendation for The News Cafe. That's where we headed.

The News Cafe's main attraction was its location. We had a never ending parade of people passing our sidewalk-side table. I love to people watch. Ocean Drive provided a potpourri of voyeuristic opportunities from bizarre characters to families to slurp-worthy men. Our server, Chad, was excellent. He was super friendly and down to earth. It was like he had been our friend for several years. He did a great job at finding that fine line of being available yet not becoming overly solicitous. Even when he was doing his job of "selling" alcohol he did it in such a friendly, natural way I didn't mind. So much so I added an extra shot to my cocktail! All three of us decided we wanted to have a frozen tropical tipple. They were heavily liquored up and each had its share of fruit. While it would have been nice to get one with a souvenir glass, lord knows where I would have put the thing! My luggage was going to be tight. I had an order of pasta with grilled chicken, fresh tomato, basil, and garlic. Terry had a fettuccini alfredo. Paul had a stir fry dish with white rice. The portions were healthy. I recall being very satisfied. We each tried each others meals. I had to have dessert. We also tried each others desserts. Paul had creme brullee. He had never had one before. I've been spoiled having creme brullee in France. This was so-so. Terry had some concoction that included ice cream. I had the chocolate mousse cake which was especially delicious when I added Terry's ice cream to my cake. Oh my God!!!! I distinctly remember our server saying that I had made a good choice for dessert. He had said that several times when we had ordered. I didn't quite know if he was trying to make us feel good about our choices or whether he genuinely thought we had picked some of his favorite dishes. Frankly, I didn't care. I was out to enjoy myself. The three of us had a great time at dinner. Alcohol and chocolate? How could I have gone wrong?

It sounds like things are going wonderfully, doesn't it? Well, they are with one small exception. I believe that my body was having a difficult time with the bacteria found in the tap water of Miami. My gastro-intestinal system was having a wacky time. For several days I was needing to make sure I was never far away from a rest room. At dinner it all came to a peak. It was a bit painful and disturbing. I noticed that once I ceased consuming tap water and any ice (I was concerned that ice was made from tap water) that my symptoms eased up and eventually disappeared. During my dinner at the News Cafe I had to get up from the table no less than three times. Ugh! I was just grateful that I didn't have any embarrassing incidents on a Miami bus. You all know the meaning of the word bloated. Does it have an antonym? That's what I was going through on this holiday. I lost several pounds. Earlier in the week my friend Greg had noticed and commented on it. I thought he was crazy. But over the course of the week I definitely noticed I must have lost at least two inches in my waist. If you want an easy crash diet, just pick up some nasty bacteria. It'll do wonders!

I make it back to watch Triad Pride Men's Chorus, Harmony: A Colorado Chorale, and Lavender Light Gospel Choir. Most years I go up to New York City for Pride. Lavender Light is always rocking on their float. Literally - that float is rockin' and jumpin' with the movement of the singers. It is always a highlight for me in the march. You've heard of appointment tv, this was appointment concert watching. Lavender Light did not disappoint. If you love gospel music then this was the group to see. Once again, it was one of those choruses I wanted to be a part of. That for me was the mark of a great chorus. Would I want to be a member, be a part of that experience? I may be a middle aged white man, but gospel does something for my soul. Once Lavender finishes it is time once again for the mad dash. I ran like crazy over to Knight Concert Hall.

Schola Cantorosa - Schwuler Mannerchor Hamburg was in the middle of their set when I entered the auditorium. They definitely know about showmanship. I'm glad I got to catch them. Expect the unexpected from these guys from Germany. Gay Men's Chorus of San Diego finished my night of music. What I remember is their version of Last Letter Home, a very timely piece considering the war in Iraq. I also have a thing for Adam Guettel. They did a piece from his musical, Floyd Collins.

I have done enough evening cab rides to SoBe this week. I started out my evening by hanging out at the Hilton hotel pool. This is the site of Bear Soup. I had no idea. I just knew some friends would be there. I stowed my gear in what hopefully was a safe spot. Quickly I got into the water. I chatted with friends who were either in the pool or poolside. After a while, there was a whole swirling vortex thing going on in the pool. It was as if they were trying to do a rugby maneuver in the pool. I kept on getting jabbed, knocked on the head, and other minor slights. I decided it was time to get out. I am not a bear's wet dream. No one was going to be interested in me here. Plus, most of my friends were highly intoxicated and couldn't remember anything that I was saying. I pack things up and go back to my hotel. After changing, I headed down to the hotel bar.

Earlier in the week and earlier this evening it seemed to me I noticed a particular man checking me out. The surprising thing was that he was not an octogenarian. That is my typical fan base. Men over 80 seem to appreciate me, while those who haven't garnered their social security or AARP memberships don't seem to notice. I was hoping I would see the attractive man with the roving eye in the bar.

At the bar I meet Les from TCGMC. We chat while we both wait for a bartender to take our orders. We chat for a long time because the bartender is taking forever. I understand that the bar is crowded with thirsty gays, but it was really ridiculous. I also had a chance to have long talk with Timmy from TCGMC .  While waiting I did the unusual and introduced myself to a complete stranger. Jay was a friend of Les. We had oodles of time to chat. The bartender was not going anywhere near the line I was in. Jay was easy to talk to and thankfully didn't seem to mind my yapping. After waiting for 45 minutes to place my drink order I noticed people at other parts of the bar were just walking right up and placing an order! AAAAaaagh! I move to another part of the bar and in another 15 minutes got to place my order. I'm sorry but that was just ridiculous to wait a whole hour before getting to place your order, never mind about actually receiving your beverage.

The eyes tell the whole story, don't they?

I had ordered some food. It was serviceable. I ate it. I went around and chatted with various guys. Soon the lights go on and we are asked to leave. I head back to my room to call it a night. You tell me to go - I go.

I wander around and meet fellow PGMC people. I wander more and get to meet new people. I seem to hit it off with Michael from Los Angeles. Shua had been talking about leaving the hotel bar and heading over to the condominium next door and using their bar, Mike's. Michael had been there before so we decide we would lead a group over there and if others wanted to join us then great. A mix of LA, Twin Cities, and Philly guys takes over Mike's. I was having an especially good time.

Michael and I were enjoying each others company and sharing a seat together. Some playful body language ensued. This is when I have my ultra-gay moment. I am a self confessed show tune queen. What is my reaction as we are enjoying each others' company? I hear in my wee-itty-bitty brain, "She Touched Me" from Drat! The Cat! Ok, it was the Streisand gender bent version, He Touched Me that ran through my head, but you get the picture. That's right; I'm hearing show tune lyrics in my head. I'm warped. "I felt a sudden tingle when he touched me..."

It is getting late and Michael said he was calling it a night. Thankfully, it all wasn't in my mind because my friend Peter noticed the two of us together and made a comment along the lines that he thought we were getting chummy. I was so appreciative of Peter's comment. Often I don't know if guys are being just polite and friendly or if they are interested. I can not read men to save my life. I'm fine once I'm in a relationship. However, I am awful at that whole beginning stage stuff. Note to men who are interested in Douglas - subtlety is wasted on him. Hit him over the head with a sledge hammer then he will get the message. By the way, at the Marriott bar I did meet the guy with the roving eye that I mentioned earlier. We talked but I have no idea what he thinks of me, see what I mean?

I had ordered some food. It was serviceable. I ate it. I went around and chatted with various guys. Soon the lights go on and we are asked to leave. I head back to my room to call it a night. You tell me to go - I go.