The Oscars is on this Sunday. More than who will take home the gold statuette, I’m looking for the best and worst dressed. If I see Diane Keaton in her vintage Annie Hall outfit, I will just throw up. Ten more days and Martha Stewart is a free woman. Hallelujah! Michael Jackson may end up in jail. Hallelujah! If this rain keeps coming, we might have to rebuild the Ark. A gay son is born in “Desperate Housewives”. I’m moving to Wisteria Lane and going into horticulture. But did Bush inhale?

Two weekends ago, I JetBlued my way to New York for a quickie. If you haven’t experienced Jet Blue’s direct flight to New York, you have got to do so. Not only is it the best deal, it is also a great airline. It was quite cold and rainy, so I stayed in most of the weekend. But I did make it to Central Park and witnessed the changing of colors. If you just woke up from a deep winter sleep, you may have heard that avant-garde artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude unveiled their monumental installation in Central Park called “The Gates”. According to the husband and wife team, this project was 25 years in the making and cost $22 million. I was quite impressed with the sheer magnitude of the project, but I was not blown away artistically. The Gates was made up of 7,500 gates installed all over the park with saffron-colored banners. The color reminded me of the robes worn by the Hare Krishna sect. I am impressed with the logistics of the project, considering the landscape where the gates stand is not level and each winding pathway in the park has varying widths. The gates are strategically placed so as not to be overpowering, and having it during the winter months when the foliage is bare makes the installation quite dramatic, especially when the wind gently blows the banners. The installation comes down after this weekend, and will probably be sold on eBay.

I did catch an evening to visit old friends at my home bar in New York, called The Web, located on East 58th Street, next to the very trendy Tao Bar. The Web is the oldest and only Asian dance bar in the Big Apple. They’ve been around for 12 years and always have a stable of cute go-go boys, some of them Asians. And since it was Chinese New Year, it was especially festive, so we ventured to the “other” Chinatown in New York. This one is in Flushing, Queens, which you may remember is where Fran Dresher’s “Nanny” is from. Flushing has become the new nerve center of the Asian community, with many restaurants, business and homes. The food in Flushing tends to be more regional, with home-style cooking. You can even take a $10 bus rides to Atlantic City and Boston from there. Next time you visit N.Y.C. and are adventurous enough, take the #7 subway train all the way to the last stop on Main Street and discover the new Chinatown of New York.

From Christopher Street in New York, I also took a trip to San Francisco this past weekend. I was in town to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the International Court System in San Francisco by Jose Sarria, the first openly gay candidate for public office. The historic celebration is a kickoff event, which will culminate with the 40th anniversary International Gala and Convention to be held in Palms Springs in December. While traveling in San Francisco with Nicole and Rick Ford, we also experienced some of the best restaurants in San Francisco. We had a great prime rib dinner at the House of Prime Rib, but don’t let this simple name fool you. The dinner was served tableside and it rivals any steak restaurant in the country, with a twist – all they serve is prime rib. We also enjoyed a lavish brunch at the historic Palace Hotel on Market and Montgomery streets. Everything you could possibly think off, they serve, from an omelet station to a prime rib carver, and Asian dim sum to an assortment of smoked fish and large prawns – all this under a stained-glass dome ceiling, and more. The Garden Court also serves a very classy high tea – a San Francisco tradition. Finally, on our last evening we dined with City Supervisor Bevan Dufty at the very trendy LIME Restaurant Lounge in the Castro area. Our lovely server, Helen, was such a delight and made us feel very welcome, especially since Nicole and I were both in our formal gowns and substantial crowns. The house signature drinks include various flavored mojitos, a white cosmo and a peach Bellini. They serve tasty small fare – meant to be shared – such as Mini Burgers, Fish Tacos, Miso-Glazed Sea Bass in lettuce cups, grilled Prawns with Spicy Green Papaya Salad, Moroccan Lamb Chops and Tandoori Chicken Skewers. Greg, the owner, is the man responsible for other San Francisco favorite hangouts such as The Bar on Castro, Blue and Red Grill. Go say hello next time you visit the City by the Bay.

Some of you might think that we have too many of these pageants and titles in San Diego. And maybe we do, but these contests are an important and integral part of our community. It is not only a glorified title – I have seen these winners work really hard to raise money, awareness and educate our community on various issues. It also affords the younger members of our community a chance to develop their skills and learn the importance of community service.

It is in this spirit that the annual Mr., Ms. and Miss Gay Latino California pageant will be held on Friday, Feb. 25, at The Center at 8:00 p.m. sharp. Mr. Robert Rodriguez, Ms. Leanettte and Miss Jackie Oh! will be giving up their titles, so interested contestants should call Franceska at (619) 294-8430. Be prepared to show off your Latino attire and an evening formal outfit. Portions of the proceeds will benefit The Center’s Latino programs and services.

If you are an insomniac, you may have come across “The Suzie Orman Show” on cable. You probably found it even harder to go to sleep knowing that if something awful happens to you today, you may not be prepared for it. Do you have a will, a living trust, a healthcare proxy? Have you planned your estate, if you happen to have one, and how can you make sure that your loved ones receive what you will them, and not have it get tied up in litigation and taxes? Well, mama has found a local expert to help you sort out all this legal mumbo jumbo. Call Friestad Law Firm, APC at (619) 232-4433. They can help you draft a will and trust, and among other things, offer assistance with probate administration, probate litigation and trust administration. And as Suzie would chastise us, what are you waiting for?

Some people are born with vivaciousness, wit and a bubbly personality. Without the makeup and false eyelashes, some of us are mere wallflowers and not socially equipped. There is help on the way, and I’m not talking about a dating service. Dynamism is offering a workshop on breaking down the barriers that stunt our interpersonal relationships. Are you frightened to get close to someone? Do you feel that people misunderstand you? Do you get easily distracted? (No, I am not talking about checking out the boys on a Saturday night!) If you can answer yes to these questions, then perhaps you should get yourself down to the Dynamism Institute at 8667 Hayes St. in La Mesa, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. sharp. They have the tools – I promise you they won’t hurt – to help you experience a true connection with others, allowing them to see who you really are. Be the peacock you truly are.

Email me with your thoughts at coco@cocolachine.com.