Bring on the Summer Whites

I'll get back to you Tuesday after I recover from my first Memorial Day weekend but it's shaping up to be a real trip.

I'm working tonight then three doubles in row; Saturday, Sunday and Monday and the Baby Dykes have already descended on Ptown. It's girls weekend here in the Cape and young college-aged lesbians are here to drink, drink, drink--among other things I'm sure.

The weather looks like it'll be warm and sunny for the duration which means we'll be running our butts off at Patio, going through cases of Bud Light and truck loads of veggie burgers.

Earlier in the week I drove an hour down the Cape to Hyannis (Kennedy's anyone?) to stock up on uniform supplies. I left with bags full of white polo shirts, khaki shorts and a blindingly white pair of Converse. I took this picture of them before I wore them to document their condition. I'll take another shot at the end of the summer so you can see just how hard I kicked it here this summer.

Before I left Toronto I took this shot of my Chuck Taylors--the shoes I wore through at Joe Jack's in just three months. And some people think I live a life of leisure. I just choose to live in leisure towns and while most of the time it feels like vacation the reality is these little legs of mine are constantly on the move.

Like now.


I'm off to work but before I sign off here's a few pics of my cottage life this summer. And yes, you should be jealous.

Until Tuesday. . .

Housing: check!

Just back from the beach with a bit of a buzz. The Eastland boys made a picnic with corn on the cob, steamed shrimp and a selection of local beers and we made the two minute trek across the street to the sand then sat ourselves down.

If there's a better way to spend an afternoon I don't know what it is.

I also found a place to live so that's peeking my mood on this pristine Cape day. (The sun is intense, the tide's receding and the air around here smells like a mixture of briny ocean and lilac. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It's nature porn everywhere.)

Okay now back to business.

Yesterday, Eastland's Realtor Joe Somethingorother dropped by the house to move some things into storage for the boys. We started talking and he mentioned he still had a one bedroom unit available for rent. I met him at his office on Commercial St. just after lunch and walked a few blocks so I could check out the space. The place would run me $5200 and take me to mid-September. Not cheap. But that's Ptown and finding housing here's a bigger bitch than the local drag queens.

The location was pretty good; a couple blocks from the beach and a few blocks from Eastland. The apartment was simple, in a cheap motel room kinda way, but my options were that or sleep in my car. Besides it's only for a few months, so what the hell.

Joe was going to draw up the contract and I had to go get a cheque so I jumped on my bike and road back to Eastland. Upon my arrival I met Peter, my new room mate.

Him and his friend John were walking past Eastland and got to talking with Kevin in the front yard. Peter is renting a two bedroom cottage about a 3 minute bike ride from Eastland. I keep bringing up Eastland because I really don't want to leave. I mean I sleep in what's called the Princess room--a floral and lace pantry off the dining room, with little space and even less privacy--but this house and it's contents couldn't be better.

Oh, and the woman who used to own this place died in that room.

But it is a big frat house with a constant rotation of guests, visitors, tricks, maids, lawn guys, friends and foe. I need my own thing and so it's time to go. And my new place is fantastic.

Before I could get back to Joe Realtor and pay for the shack he was hawking I thought I would check out what Peter's place was all about. I walked in and changed my mind immediately.

A gorgeous cottage, not fancy but spacious and adorable and filled with original art. And while the other place came complete with nothing but a dingy bathroom and two single beds my new place has it all: washer/dryer, dishwasher, cable, internet, BBQ, a large deck, parking. And the best part? A queen size bed free of lace and frills.

I'm home.

Today, Tomorrow and the Next

The Patio's opening party last night was a whopping success and a lot of fun. They through me on the satellite bar mostly pouring wine and beer and mixing simple cocktails. I sold $1200 in less than three hours and pretty much solidified my spot there this summer. I churned out more drinks than the main bar and outsold them too. And so far, it seems, The Patio's opening party was one of the best this season.

We made sure people got fed. At a lot of the other parties I attended this week the food played second fiddle to the cash bar. Some cheese trays at one. A few cupcakes at another. The Patio on the other hand shucked 500 oysters, served lobster roll crostinis, tuna tartar and a bunch of other hors d'oeuvres I didn't get to try. I did wolf down half a dozen mounds of lobster salad from the crostinis and a few fresh oysters. Then washed it all down with a giant caipirinha (Brazilian booze, lime and shuga). All in all a good night.

Then, I hit the ground running this morning and started training at 10am. My shift ended at 9pm. A bit of a wild day learning the computer system, the food menu, cocktails, how the kitchen works, where everything is stored, how to set up the place and tear it down, what coworkers to avoid and those I should make friends with.

Exhausting really. But energizing too.

The Patio is definitely going to be busy this summer and I'm going to be working a l0t.

Perfect. It'll keep me out of trouble. Mostly.

I'd like to elaborate but another episode of The Golden Girls is on and it's like religion around Eastland, so I've gotta go.

Oh, and I think we're getting up at 6:45am for high tide to put Ursula (Eastland-boy Kevin's new ski/fishing/leisure/party boat) into the water. Or at least someone's getting up that early.

If I know what's good for me I'll be up to.

Job: check!

Snapped this pic on my way to Cafe Heaven this morning where myself and a couple of the Eastland boys went for breakfast. I couldn't resist.

Okay, this is going to be short and sweet. I'm officially employed. Woohoo!! Much thanks to Will who put in a great word for me at one of the spots he's working this summer.

Yesterday I met with the manager as well as the owner of The Patio (www.ptownpatio.com), a busy, casual spot right smack-dab in the middle of town on Commercial Street. As you can probably guess it's got a large, street-front patio, decked out with stainless steel tables and white chairs, accented with bright orange and navy umbrellas. It has a modern Cape Cod feel with white-washed walls and floors with soft blue mosaic tiles above the bar.

Roxanna, the manager, called just after 1pm today to offer me a job. Three days in and my list of things to do has one check mark on it. I'm feeling pretty good. That, combine with the gorgeous weather today (sunny and warm) is making for a damn good Thursday.

I'll fill you in on the food once I've had a chance to taste some of it, but of course it's big on seafood. I should know more if just over an hour, when I go in for my first shift. I'll be splitting my time there between tending bar and serving. Tonight is the opening party and I'll be working a satellite bar, serving mostly wine, beer and easy cocktails like Cape Cods (vodka, cran) and Cuba Libras (rum, coke).

Okay, gotta run and get ready for my first shift but before I sign off, acai berry (Absolut Acai) may or may not be an excellent antioxidant. Scientists are still figuring that out but it is a small, black berry produced from the acai palm tree. It's also supposed to help you lose weight (there's the Oprah connection) but the verdict is still out that too. Consuming it in the form of vodka had gotta be good for you. It just has to.

Day 2 Ptown

Here I am freezing. It's 9:41am. I'm drinking coffee and watching Regis and Kelly with my roomies. Well, my short term roomies anyway. The coffee's strong and the company moving a bit slow. Myself included.

Freezing because in Fahrenheit it's 54 degrees outside. Raining and windy. That's about 12 Celcius or just plain damn cold. The weather combined with the events of last night are making for a quiet morning. Though the second pot of coffee is definitely helping.

But let me back things up a little and show you some pics from the last few days. I arrived in Provincetown on Monday at about 5pm after a beautiful drive through Vermont and New Hampshire. The sun was shining and the music loud; perfect driving.

As soon as I rolled into town I made it to the beach and snapped this shot. Today doesn't look like this outside. Doesn't matter, that ocean and all its bounty are still there.


Next move was to grab a beer of course so I found the closest bar, The Crown and Anchor where I cozied up and ordered a Stella. My friend Will arrived not long after, shaking his head.

"Why y'all sittin' in here paying for drinks when they're serving free food and cocktails next door?" he asked in his North Carolina accent.

What could I say to that? We headed across the bar into another room where Absolut was holding a tasting for industry folk. I'm not industry yet, but I'm working on it. The vodka girls were mixing up cosmos and muddling cocktails using Absolut Citron, madarin and the new acai berry flavour. (I'll find out what acai berries are and tell you tomorrow. I think Oprah has something to do with its sudden popularity.)

At the muddling bar you got to choose ingredients from a long lineup of fresh berries, mint and limes, mush it up yourself then hand it to the bartender who would add the Absolut Acai then finish it with whatever mix you fancied.

I liked the combo of mint, lime and blueberries topped with lemonade and soda and a healthy shot of Absolut.

If the weather clears at all today I'm going to get some resumes printed and hit the streets. I've got a few leads on jobs and need to follow up on them. But I'm quickly learning how this town works. You need to meet people and talk to people and I've definitely been doing that. Three parties in two days and another one lined up for tonight.

The lead up to Memorial Day weekend is when all the local bars, restaurants and guest houses throw their opening parties, serving up free food and free drinks. Or at least cheap drinks. And because things like jobs and housing happen by word of mouth and recommendation in this town, I've got to be at these parties. The hardest work, I tell ya.

Okay, I gotta go. It's now 12:35pm and I've been writing this post for the last three hours but the cobwebs are clearing and so is the weather. It's time to get things done but I want to share a few more photos before I sign off today.

This is Eastland (The Facts of Life anyone?) where six of my newest friends are living for the summer and where I'm staying until I find a roof of my own. Eastland is across the street from the beach and possibly my new favourite place in town.

Below is my giant plate of fried oysters that I enjoyed yesterday for lunch. We drove out to Wellfleet, about 20 minutes down the Cape to a roadside resto called JP's. Or PJ's. One of those. The plate must have had more than a pound of deep fried oysters, chip wagon style fries, creamy slaw and a crispy dinner roll. A great way to start my food journey this summer.

And below is Kelly, one of Will's housemates slurping down a 1 1/4 pound lobster and getting the deal of the day, paying less than $20. He ate everything. Even the shell.

I would have too.

Brace yourself Ptown: Here I Come

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein

I came across this gem of wisdom last night while reading my weekly horoscope. I consider Georgia Nicols (www.georgianicols.com) my personal astrologist and look to her Sunday email blast as the barometer for my week, month and year ahead.

The Einstein quote rings true. How do you imagine yourself and what do you see in your future? (Sorry if this is sounding a little like The Secret.)

A little back story to get you up to speed. While working and playing in Mexico this past winter I got the idea that a purely hedonistic lifestyle is not just a helluva good time but also entirely achievable. You don't get any closer to hedonism than living in a vacation town, where everyone is relaxed and happy and in search of the "best night ever!". So, in four days time I'm setting off for Provincetown, Massachusetts and another season by the sea. And all I really have is my imagination.

No job and no bed. Yet. Nothing for sure except the great unknown. And how much fun is that? It's the greatest stew of feelings: fear, excitement and anticipation all bundled up in a few suitcases and my Mazda 3. But to tell the truth I'm not going into this without a couple pages of crib notes in my pocket. I'm staying with a friend until I find a roof of my own and I have at least some lukewarm leads on jobs. I'm not worried.

People often ask how I was able to spend four months in Vallarta. My answer, "If you want something bad enough you make it happen." Sounds simple and it is. Or can be. It was in Mexico and I'm hopeful my lucky streak will continue.

At least that's my tone now. We'll all know soon enough how simple it is for me to land a job in a restaurant or bar. A winery maybe? Hell, hauling lobster traps even. Who knows? At this point I've only imagined myself dancing around a beach fire, roasting corn, slurping back fresh oysters and downing a few micro brews. That's not a bad start.