Switch-Hitting

I went to Vermont this weekend on a last-minute getaway with a girlfriend of mine. I went mountain biking for the first time (I didn't even wipe out -- not once!), drank a lot of local beer, and became one with various types of cheese. We drove through back through the hills of Vermont, mountain wind blowing our hair in all directions, good indie music on the stereo, and the city still far, far away.

The blessing of the weekend was not being anywhere near my cell phone or my computer, so I couldn't obsessively check my voice mail, my text messages, my e-mail, my online dating profile, or CNN.com. Of course, as soon as I returned home (relaxed, refreshed, and feeling generally great), I turned my computer on.

Now, I know I'm not supposed to stalk people via MySpace, but morons who don't set their profiles to "private" make it so easy. I decided to take a spin over to the Brazilian bartender's profile just to see what was up -- what inane comments his theater buddies have made on his page or whether he's back with his tiny actress girlfriend. Maybe some hot goss about the Bar that Shall Not Be Named. I was expecting any of that.

But I was not expecting to see that he changed his sexual orientation from "straight" to "no answer."

The Brazilian bartender is gay.

The last time Dr. Blogstein and I were out boozing it up (as we're known to do), I was whining about my love life, and he said, "You show me the guy who doesn't like you, and I will show you his boyfriend."

As much as I hate to admit it, Blogstein was right.

Jane, welcome back to New York: a city where the cutest boys are gay and Blogstein is all-knowing. Maybe I should see about moving to Vermont....

Sarasongs

I saw a great musician tonight: Sara Bareilles. She's a singer/songwriter/pianist, and I was hooked from the first note. It's hard to describe how she sounds. As I was standing at Hiro Ballroom, watching her, I came up with "a cross between Fiona Apple and Billie Holiday." That's moderately accurate. You can hear her songs at her MySpace page, but her official website is here. But trust me: The recordings don't do her voice justice.

I'm a sucker for female singer/songwriters anyway, so it's no surprise that I like her. Strangely enough, a man -- the Boyf -- introduced me to her.

The thing about hearing an artist perform or reading something meaningful is that it takes me aback a little. As adults, we're so good at pushing away our feelings in favor of stoicism, keeping the peace, or simply surviving. When I heard Sara's voice tonight and listened to her lyrics, something was peeled back -- one of those New York onion layers that I've wrapped myself up in. Sometimes we need a nudge in order to cry.

(Also, please tune in tonight at 9 p.m. EST to hear Dr. Blogstein and me spout off our opinions on such things as March Madness and the Barbie Bandits on Dr. Blogstein's Radio Happy Hour. Just click here to listen.)