Month: November 2014

The eating before the eating

Post author By Logan Lo
Post date 2014/11/24
No Comments on The eating before the eating

Scheduling in food

Him: It’s closed! Logan, you didn’t check to make sure it was open?
Me: Dammit, sorry. First round’s on me.

There’s been a lot of people that I’ve not seen because of my work, but I finished up with a set of projects this week and last, so I’ve been catching up with people here and there.

One person I see a lot but don’t actually get to spend enough time with is my wife. She had an early morning one day and came back with some baked goods.

Her: No scones, though.
Me: That’s fine, I’m not really a scone person anyway.

Also got to see another buddy around the way for some steak sandwiches and tater tots at Gin Mill, the local dive bar.

Him: Are you full? Want to order just a basket of tater tots and more drinks?
Me: Yes. And yes.

Finally, just got back now from seeing some other friends of mine. We were supposed to head over to Little Town for oysters and beer but I didn’t realize that they weren’t open for lunch.

So we went over to Pete’s Tavern instead and just got the regular burger.

Me: I’m in the mood for a hard apple cider.
Waitress: We don’t have that.
Buddy: I’ll have the Stella Artois Cidre.
Waitress: OK.
Me: Wait, that’s a cider.
Waitress: Do you want that?

Now I’m back home with just two more projects left for the week. Looking forward to turkey day with the family.

Him: Do you always think about food?
Me: Always.

Location: someplace without oysters
Mood: fatty fat fat
Music: It’s cold outside and she hands me my raincoat
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Tags conversations, dialogue, frends, overheard in ny, photos of food

personal

Pula and Ren: The Motto of Botswana is “Rain”

Post author By Logan Lo
Post date 2014/11/19
3 Comments on Pula and Ren: The Motto of Botswana is “Rain”

And what’s your life’s motto?

In my room hangs a painting of a Chinese character that my father drew.

It’s composed of two smaller characters. The top part is the character for blade. The bottom is heart. There’s no precise English translation but most translate it as perseverance or resilient but that’s not exactly right.

It tells a story, at least to me: Even with a blade in your heart, you must persevere. You must survive.

The flip side of the story says that it will take a bowie knife in the heart to stop you.

In Africa, there’s a country called Botswana where they’ve suffered centuries of drought and desertification. And they have a single word motto, “Pula” – which means, “Rain.”

It sums up what permeates their lives and their thinking. I suppose that’s what mottos are supposed to do.

If that’s the case, then this character from my father is my motto.

It is our fate for Life to beat us one day but I’ll still scuffle and struggle until I’m breathless and weak.

It’ll take a knife in my heart to stop me. Even then, I’ll try to survive the blow.

Location: last night, wide awake in bed
Mood: resilient
Music: I’d be a fool to surrender when I know I can be a contender
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business

Your most valuable asset

Folk you, compound interest

The past few weeks have been a series of 15-hour days. Was supposed to go to see Alton Brown – who was in my neighborhood for a show – some college buddies, and a few other events but ended up working through them all.

No fun.

There’s this story that Einstein was asked what the most powerful force in the universe was and he quipped, Compound interest.

Regardless of whether or not he really said it, I often tell it in tandem with a Brian Tracy quote: Your most valuable asset is your earning ability. It’s your ability to apply your knowledge and skills in a timely fashion in order to get the results for which others will pay.

I’ve reached a point in my life where people randomly call me and say they say they want to hire me for this or that.

Because I have less time left for compound interest, I invariably say yes.

A few days later, a check arrives in the mail from people I’ve never met. And then I get to work. This happens more often as the year comes to a close.

Now, when it comes to feast or famine, I’d much rather have feast. Just wish it was a little more evenly spaced-out.

At least I have a few minutes each day for thoughtful discourse with the wife:

Me: I’m surprised at how much you like country music.
Her: It’s not country music, it’s folk music! There’s a difference.
Me: Folk you!
Her: (laughing) I can’t even be mad at you for that.

Location: my desk
Mood: tired
Music: as long as you are with me, there’s no place I’d rather be
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Tags conversations, dialogue, overheard in ny, quote

personal

Thanks for the quiet weekends

Post author By Logan Lo
Post date 2014/11/10
No Comments on Thanks for the quiet weekends

Veterans Day Weekend 2014

It was a quiet weekend here in the big city; tomorrow is Veteran’s Day in America so a lot of people – myself included – took today off from work.

Didn’t do all that much; went and saw my mom and then took a trip out to my wife’s family as well.

And I baked cookies – a lotta cookies.

A quiet weekend and I’m grateful for the men and women that do what they must so the rest of us can have quiet weekends.

Hope you had the same.

Location: the burbs
Mood: sympathetic
Music: To distant shore with the gifts they were given
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Tags family

personal

Die knowing something

Die knowing something. You are not here long.

There was this photographer named Walker Evans who took some pretty famous pictures – you might recognize some of his work.

All of these pics are his.

He always walked around New York snapping shots but with much worse equipment and much better results.

He once said, Die knowing something. You are not here long.

Always thought that to be sage advice.

I suppose we all wish we had more time. However much we’re given, never feels like much.

There’s so much I realize I don’t know and I would like to.

There just never seems to be enough time.

Location: heading to post office
Mood: worried
Music: i’ll keep waiting and some day, darling you’ll come to me
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Tags opinion, photography, quote, self-improvement

personal

And for dessert

I’m a sucker for unhealthy food

One of the most difficult things about what I do is that I have to give an estimate of how much a project will cost.

The last thing you want to do is say something will cost $1,000 and then have to revise that figure up to, say, $3,000. As a rule of thumb, I almost never revise my estimates.

Having said that, I radically under-bid on some projects and spent far too much time over the last two weeks buried in work. This weekend was two back-to-back 16-hour days.

Before that, though, did manage to sneak out for a haircut and meet up with my buddy Cuba to get some really bad-for-you fast food.

Cuba probably walks around with a single-digit bodyfat index – something I wish I could boast but can’t.

Yet he and a small group of my friends, all of whom I would classify as athletes, have a soft-spot for junk food once in a while.

Now, I try to have fish at least once a week, veggies or fruit with every meal, a copious amount of water and fiber throughout the day, etc.

But every so often, I give in to temptation and order, say, 10 White Castle burgers, 20 Chicken Rings, a sack of fries and two Diet Cokes to split with a buddy.

It’s the Diet Coke makes it all ok.

And for dessert?

Me: What’re your thoughts regarding pizza for dessert?
Him: It’s a good thought. Let’s do it.

Running to the gym right now.

Location: behind tons and tons of paper
Mood: overworked.
Music: We drink away the days with a take-away pizza
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Tags conversations, dialogue, friends, overheard in ny, photos of food