Tag: dialogue

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A bit of taco from TacoBite

Hanging out in the hood

TacoBite food truck in NYC

The thing about returning from a vacation is that, within a few days, the effects of it are pretty much gone. I’m already back in the thick of work.

We’ve since returned to our healthful eating after our cruise. Not that she ever stopped.

Healthful Meal

Me: Do you think you have enough liquids there?

Still, the weather’s been really nice here in NYC, especially the past few days so we took a walk in the neighborhood to pick up a rug, which we lugged home.

Afterward, the lunch truck TacoBite was in the area so I got a burrito and she got two tacos. Pretty amazing stuff. Wish I had some right now.

Everyone thinks of Times Square or some place downtown as quintessentially Manhattan. For me, my little slice of the Big City is about as close to a small town as one can get in the heart of Manhattan.

Her: It’s nice to be on vacation, but it’s also good to be home.
Me: Yes. Although I miss having someone else find us stuff to eat.

Tacos from TacoBite.com

Location: soon to be in Chinatown
Mood: pensive
Music: I was just a skinny lad, never knew no good from bad
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Father’s day 2014

Communication and having to white it up

Boulder against cloudy blue sky

Him: (proudly) That’s my son.
Me: Hey, little fella.

Got a random call this weekend from an old college buddy. He was in town for just a bit and wanted to stop by with his new son.

Because I married so late in life, I’m one of the few people in that group of friends that have no kids.

It’s weird, even now, realizing that so many of my friends are parents and on that next stage of their lives. If I ever do become a father, wonder what type of one I’ll be?

Speaking of fathers, it’s Father’s Day. For a number of reasons, I wasn’t able to see him, as much as I would want to.

Sadly, something else that’s different with my friends is that many of the them don’t have the luxury of simply picking up the phone and calling them any more.

I do, though, and try to whenever I can.

Me: Hey dad, just checking to see how you’re doing.
Him: I’m good. Getting fatter.
Me: That makes two of us.

For many reasons, wish my Chinese were better. One, so I could talk to him more; another so that, if I ever did have a kid, would be able to talk to him or her in it.

Him: I feel bad, sometimes. English isn’t my native language. Chinese isn’t yours. It’s like me and my dad. We couldn’t communicate.
Me: Yes, but communication isn’t what you say, it’s what the other person hears. So, I think it’s fine.

The wife speaks another language fluently, so I don’t expect her to pick up a third. Although I do try to teach her some important phrases.

Me: Can you order me a 榨菜肉絲麵?
Her: I’ll never be able to say that, I’ll have to white it up.

Location: yesterday, 11AM, the West Side Highway
Mood: excited
Music: say honestly you won’t give up on me And I shall believe
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More danger inviting rescue

This weekend had weapons, beer, and an almost dead body

Riverside Park Bike Path…speaking of danger inviting rescue:

Me: I think I just saw a body.
Her: What, where?
Me: Back there? I swear it was a dead body.

It’s been a pretty busy few days. Last week, had a bunch of meetings and a packed weekend so I earmarked Friday afternoon to play hookey and go on a bike ride with the wife.

We went from our pad on the Upper West Side almost up to the George Washington Bridge but decided to turn back early. On the way back down, swore I saw a leg on the rocks by the Hudson River.

And you can’t un-notice something you’ve noticed.

So we turned back and when we got close, it was a leg. It was very bruised and connected to a very bruised old man. Who had his pants pulled down to his ankles.

We suspect he was either mugged or tried to go to the river to relieve himself while drunk and fell onto the rocks.

Neither the wife nor I brought phones so we flagged down another rider and called the police. While we did this, the “dead” guy began to stir and asked for help. We told him it was on the way.

Kinda.

Actually, after about 20 minutes, I went back out into the city to flag down a cop car. One passed me while an ambulance said he was on break. Not wanting to leave the wife alone for so long, I sped back but by then, the police had arrived and said the guy would be ok.

We went down to a local cafe where we got a beer and discussed what happened.

Her: It’s so lucky you saw that. How did you even see that?
Me: I have no idea.
Her: Remind me to never need help in the park.

Drinking at Pier I
The next day, went around Queens with my buddy Paolo and his (now) wife to help negotiate for a car. Which was exhausting. Afterward, we grabbed some Vietnamese food around my sister’s place.

Spent the night at the rents because Sunday morning, woke up early for a fencing seminar in upstate New York where I spent the day getting stabbed and slashed with an array of weapons.

Me: My knee has a cadaver ACL, I’ve got a bum neck, and my elbow was hyper-extended.
Him: Man, you’re all busted up!

Now it’s Monday morning and I’m looking at my schedule. No critically injured people, no used car dealers, and no seminars scheduled.

At least not now. But it’s early yet.

Wouldn’t mind some more beer and Vietnamese food though.

Drinking at Pier I

Location: yesterday, in Bowdoin Park
Mood: tired
Music: body was warm delicious vinyl to your neck of the woods
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Bowe Bergdahl, Tiananmen Square, and exchanges

Danger invites rescue

Chinese lantern
One of the most eloquent judges ever was a New Yorker named Benjamin Cardozo.

He had a case called Wagner v. International Railway where a fella and his cousin are tossed from a train. The first guy goes to look for his cousin and is injured himself. He then sues the train company, which says, “We didn’t ask you to search for your cousin!”

To which Cardozo said, “Danger invites rescue. The cry of distress is the summons to relief […] The emergency begets the man. The wrongdoer may not have foreseen the coming of a deliverer. He is accountable as if he had.”

Essentially, Cardozo said, “You made the situation happen where a normal guy did the normal thing: tried to help. You can’t create a situation that causes danger and then say, Well, we didn’t ask you to help!”

Danger invites rescue. Because, while human beings – by and large – are animals, there are those that aren’t. There are those that point at burning buildings to laugh and those that run in to help. We are in need of all you dormant warriors for justice, the people need you.

That was very first thought three years ago when I first heard about Bowe Bergdahl. It remains my thought now.

While we’re on a rare political bent I note that today is also the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest massacre.

Him: But don’t they have freedom now?
Me: When it happened, the government said, “Holy crap, we’re in trouble – give them everything they ask for, except the one thing we really want.”

Property ownership? Done. Capitalism? Done. Private industry? Done.

Everything but what really mattered to the government, which was power. Political freedom was the one thing that mattered to the government and the one thing that should have mattered to the people.

Whenever you trade X for Y – $499 for a toy called iSomething, freedom for basic rights, one man for five, etc – you’re making a conscious choice of what you really want.

Only afterward do you ever find out if it was really worth it.

It’s the lawyer in me that always wonder what’s really for sale.

Location: in a new laundry room
Mood: injured
Music: you’re taking these pills for to fill up your soul
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Stuff I say during movies and television

More particular with the time I have left

Two beers and my buddy with a wedding ring
After a pretty busy week last week, the weekend was a little quieter.

Met up with my friend Kate at the local bar around the way along with my buddy that got married last week – you can spy his wedding ring in the pic above.

Me: How’s married life?
Him: About the same.

Couldn’t stay long because I was meeting up with my fencing instructor for dinner before we had a class.

The next day, the wife and I took a walk around the hood where we picked up a key holder for the house. Afterward, met up with my friend Jarred for our weekly improv class.

Most of my weekends this month are scheduled with activities, for better or worse.

As I’m getting older, I’m getting more particular with how to spend what days I’ve left from my 26,280 days – which I reckon is about 11,300 days.

My wrassling buddy is my age and we talked about it:

Him: And you’ve gotta figure only 5,000 of them are really good.
Me: If that!

What time I do have to myself, I spend with the wife, which is always time well spent.

Almost always.

Movie: “You have 212 more supplicants to see you.”
Me: (to wife) That’s why we have judges – they act on the king’s behalf because the king couldn’t possib…
Her: I have to write down everything you tell me while watching movies and television and call it, Stuff my husband tells me during movies and television.

Location: Off to meet another friend
Mood: rested
Music: the hell are you waitin for After me, there shall be no more
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A wedding and a ferry

Champagne: Breakfast of Champions

Logan Lo and a buddy on the Staten Island ferry

Him: Hey, could you do me a big favor and order me some sandwiches? Like 10?
Me: Yup.

Woke up the next morning to an email asking if someone could pick up food for the bridesmaids that had been there since 9AM – the fellas didn’t have to be there until noon.

Women get the short end of the stick in weddings.

So I dashed out and ran around to a few different places.

Me: Do you have any sandwiches right now?
Him: Sandwiches? None fresh, we’ll have to make them. How many you need?
Me: A dozen?
Him: A dozen?! Now?! We’re still serving breakfast!

Eventually, ended up finding a place that could do it, grabbed them, and met up with the groom. We had to catch a ferry so we had to run to make it. And with me hauling alla those grinders.

Me: (breathlessly) I didn’t know there would be an athletic component to your wedding.
Him: Me neither.

The reason why we had to get there so early was because there were hours of  pictures that needed to be taken, none of which I have here.

Once we got there, my predecessor served the breakfast of champions: champagne.

Champagne, the breakfast of champions

After that, it was just hours of picture taking. As an odd coincidence, one of the bridesmaids was the daughter of my dentist, whom I’d known since she was a baby.

Her: Let me show you a picture of my baby!
Me: You’re a mom? Get outta here!

The world is so small and I am so old.

Another Bridesmaid: You’re not really 41, are you?
Me: I’m as surprised as you are.

Wrong card for a wedding

We all got around to prepping our gifts for the couple; the best man accidentally bought an anniversary card for them.

Him: (laughing) I’m just going to cross it out and write, Congratulations.

After the ceremony, it was finally time for the wedding. Because of rain, the wedding had to move inside.

A shame but still very nice.

Don't take my bourbon!

My friend Katie was at the table and fixated on one thing: drinks. Unfortunately, her first glass of bourbon was taken away so she resorted to leaving notes for the waitstaff.

My other friends were more fixated on the cake and dessert tray.

Dessert Plate

There was even a candy station where we could get our fill of candy. Too bad there wasn’t a gyro station. That woulda been sweet.

Candy Station

Speaking of sweet, after the cake finally came out, dashed out with my brother and our friend Tina – caught the ferry home with two minutes to spare.

Wedding cake

The next day, woke up bright and early to see the wife in New Jersey. where I wrote this on the train ride over.

That’s a whole different story and one only of interest to me I suppose.

But I’ll tell you all about it someday.

Wife: How was it?
Me: Good. Tiring. Glad it’s done. I’m sure they are too.
Her: Did you get any sleep?
Me: Some. Not enough. What’s new?

Location: The rents. I’m all over the damn place
Mood: awake
Music: Round and around and around and around we go
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A Wedding Rehearsal

Friends and Sri Lanken food

My buddy and me on the Staten Island ferry

The past few days have been a flurry of activity as my buddy Paolo just got hitched and I was a groomsman.

Him: Remember to wear a dark, black, suit.
Me: Light blue suit, got it.

This meant that we had to be in Staten Island for a rehearsal and, early on Friday, we were off.

It was pretty busy so I don’t have many pics of the actual rehearsal, sorry.

Buddha statue at Lakruwana

Now, most of the other groomsmen I’d met before but one I had not.

The groom and I became friends about seven years ago. Prior to that, he was good friends with another Chinese attorney friend that wrassled and had an artistic bent.

Me: Did he ever tell you that he thinks of me as your replacement?
Him (laughing): Yeah, we talked about that before.

After that guy moved to China, Paolo and I started hanging out and that was the running joke. The guy I replaced and I are also both overly fixated on food.

Me: How’s the pizza in Beijing?
Him: Not bad. There’s one place that has pizza as good as NYC’s.
Me: You shut your dirty lying mouth!

Like I said, lots of similarities. Oh, except he’s a professional UFC fighter and runs a successful movie production company.

But beside that…

Mango lassi at Lakruwana
Speaking of food, afterward, we all made our way over to a Sri Lanken restaurant named Lakruwana to get some food.

Interestingly, it looked like a dump on the outside but the inside was amazing as  it was decked out with huge statues and traditional Sri Lanken furnishings.

They also had the biggest (physically) menus I’d ever seen, printed on the back of some wooden statues.
Menu at Lakruwana

Me: Does anyone want to try some of the goat dishes with me?
Bridesmaid: Oh, I do! Is there any one you want?
Me: Is there any one I don’t want?

After having my fill of goat, mutton, and other assorted non-chicken deliciousness, headed home in the pouring rain, only to wake up the next day to get to the wedding venue even earlier.

More on that Tuesday, I suppose.
Sri Lankan Food at Lakruwana

Location: somewhere in New Jersey
Mood: so tired
Music: You want me down on earth, but I am up in space
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What did you order now?

Powering our way through life

Five 5 Napkin Burgers UWS

Wife: What did you order now?
Me: Drill bits.
Wife: What are they for?
Me: What aren’t they for?!

Dropped off the wife at her parents over the weekend so I spent the day out in the burbs. Getting away from the city every once in a while is good.

Didn’t get a chance to see my mom for Mother’s Day because of her schedule and mine but I’m stopping by later on this week.

Meanwhile, got the place to myself for a spell and I’m also armed with a new set of power tools so I’ve got a short list of tasks that I want to work on.

The problem with these short home maintenance lists is that something often happens to make them longer.

But that’s pretty much how my life is in general.

Craftsman tools

Location: a conference room in midtown
Mood: sneezy
Music: Cause if it’s trouble that you’re looking for
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Logan’s Chinese Food, Gyro, and Chili Extravaganza

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Hit and try-to-run-but-cannot-run-driver

Wife: You can’t have 19 Big Macs in a row!
Me: Technically, I could.

They’re having this deal where you get two burgers for one and I look for any excuse to stuff my fat face.

Which reminds me of a discussion I had regarding Jennifer 8. Lee’s book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, where she said that Chinese restaurants in America outnumber McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendy’s combined.

The thing is that there’s no one single large Chinese food chain, like Logan’s Chinese Food, Gyro, and Chili Extravaganza.

The reason why, I think, is because of the sheer number of items that a Chinese restaurant carries. There’re too many dishes, recipes, and ingredients in most restaurants to be consistently good at all of them.

This is versus McDonalds, which only has a few dozen different items – in fact, one guy just wrote about How to Hack a Big Mac from other dishes.

Relate it to my own life because I find so many things intellectually stimulating but I gotta force myself not to concentrate on the things I actually really care about.

Speaking of things I really care about: The wife is heading to her parents for a spell for a little break while I get some work done around the house. So we’re trying to cram in together time while we can.

In our own special fashion.

Her: (hugging me) I’m gonna miss that face…
Me: Aw, thanks…
Wife: …and your giant, giant, head.

Location: back to wrasslin in just a bit
Mood: sore
Music: Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?
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Squinting through life

Excuses build monuments of nothing

Glass of Aged Rum
Gizmodo just wrote an article called, Why Squinting Helps You See Better.

There are a number of reasons why but the most basic is that it lets in less light so that you can focus on those items you are interested in.

Had a busy weekend with people I’ve not seen in years; saw my friend Claire for her birthday downtown, went to an improv class with Skinny, and missed a call from KG Betty.

Skinny and I grabbed a drink around the way after our class. Told him that I didn’t want to be the greatest improv player in the world but I did want to keep my ability to think quickly on my feet. The problem is that there’s always an excuse to everything.

But then you have to squint and refocus on the things you actually want keep to and the things you have to let go of.

Me: This fella once said that Excuses are tools of the incompetent, which create monuments of nothing. I felt like we were good at this, and then things just got in the way.
Him: That’s just what happens.

Location: home, waiting for workmen
Mood: ambitious
Music: it’s just too much – miles apart but close enough
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