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Travelogue: Asheville, North Carolina Pt 2

Hot as blazes

The next morning, we met up with alla Sara’s relatives for brunch.

And then hung out with them for some swimming, day drinking, and chips.

Nice buncha folks.

Forgot to take pics so here’s what I had for brekkie instead.

That night was the wedding, which was HOT.

Me: Holy cow, it’s 6PM and feels like 2PM.
Her: The sun sets later down south, Logan.
Me: I’m seeing this.

It was on the roof of the brewery from the previous entry.

Gorgeous day and view but hot as blazes.

I stayed indoors for as long as I possibly could.

I had originally brought a vested suit and dress shirt to wear but I heard someone say that shorts were allowed so I quickly pivoted.

Sara, unfortunately, could not as she was one of the bridesmaids.

I thought she looked great, though.
Poor Sara had to be in the 95+ degree sun for over an hour for the ceremony and pics.

The actual ceremony was pretty quick, which is good because everyone – myself included was melting.

I actually bought this tiny little fan that I kept on me the whole time; at least half-a-dozen people commented on that.

Him: That is genius.
Me: Yeah, I got it as soon as I heard it was an outdoor wedding in July.
Him: I should have done that.
Me: I don’t do well in the heat.

I like things that are clever and there were two rather clever ideas that the bride and groom had regarding the table seating.

The first was that the groom is a tenured librarian so there were two Dewey Decimal System drawers with actual cards on them that our assigned dinner tables.

The second had to do with how they met; they’re both avid rock concert goers and met at a concert.

So, the wedding was music themed with every table having an album (I guess they really are making a comeback) name.

Sara and I were assigned the Fleetwood Mac Rumors table.

I couldn’t wait to get in the air-conditioned main hall – and start shoveling some North Carolina BBQ down my piehole – so, as soon as the ceremony was done, off we went.

After a buncha speeches, we got to the eating, which was excellent.

Me: When do you think we can go up for seconds?
Him: I think you gotta wait until all the tables have gone already.
Me: Fiiine. (later) Do you think it’s ok to get thirds?
Someone else: Go for it, people are going for dessert.

On that note, even the cake – cupcakes, really – were music themed.

Obvs, they are Grateful Dead fans…

They seriously felt like they were meant for each other.

Her: I love weddings! I love love!
Me: (laughing) I can tell. (thinking) It’s good. Waiting for the right things in your life.
Her: It took me a really long time to figure out what I did and didn’t like. I mean, half the time I still don’t know what I like.
Me: Well, you know you like old Chinese men.
Her: (laughs) Yes, I do.

Location: back at home, eating dinner number three
Mood: still hungry
Music: I’ll tell you ’bout the time when I first met you, listen to our favorite song (Spotify)
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Rained out

Plus a lotta baking

We had alla these Memorial Day plans that ended up getting washed out with the rain we had all weekend.

Mainly, I we were supposed to head out to see my college friends at their pool, which is what we’ve done for several years now.

But, with the weather unexpectedly cool these past few days, it was a good opportunity to do things that we needed to do around the pad that involved the oven, which we were dreading as it’s been pretty hot around here.

For me, I had to re-season my carbon steel pan because I, stupidly, forgot not to put an acid into it and I was making a quick sauce beurre citron and put in a full lemon, stripping out a lot of my pan’s seasoning.

The above is the post mistake fix.

And Sara used the time to bake a ton of stuff; she had recently started making sourdough breads with hard deli meats braided into it.

Amazeballs with cream cheese if you’ve never had.

It ended up being a fun weekend anywho because we got to have a game night and play Settlers of Catan with the kids and Sara’s sister and family came by for hot pot.

All-in-all, it ended up being a good – albeit wet – weekend.

No pictures from either the game night or the hot pot because I was too busy enjoying the actual event.

Hopefully, your weekend was just as good, if not better, than ours.

Location: my apartment, stuffed from hot pot
Mood: beyond full
Music: sugar don’t taste that bitter (Spotify)
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Staring into the sun

All about the kid

ABFF: Do you still want to keep tradition of dinner on Alison’s birthday? There’s no pressure on that – as [the kid] gets older, I totally get that he may not want to do it, or you may do something else, or…
Me: Yes, please. We’ll be there.

As we’ve been doing for the past several years, we went to ABFF’s place on Alison’s actual birthday.

ABFF asked me if I wanted to do it again this year, which I found surprising because I’m always grateful whenever someone wants to celebrate or remember Alison.

So, Sara, both kids, and I went.

We picked up a bottle of wine and had some pizza and Italian food, because that’s what the kid wanted.

And this day is really all about the kid and Alison.

And finished off the night with a Carvel ice cream cake, which also reminded me of my uncle.

ABFF: Do you remember the whale?
Me: Yeah, what was the name of it?
Her: I don’t remember. (later) Wait, Fudgie!
Me: Yes! Fudgie the Whale!

This time around, we didn’t do anything like the balloons or anything like that, because the kid always takes it so hard.

This time around, Alison was in the background, which I think is good, because thinking too much about her – for the kid and me – is a bit like staring into the sun.

It’s too much to take for too long so we turn away.

I also wanted to say that I think it says volumes about Sara that she always comes to support us and is always just a great presence there.

Can’t tell you how grateful I am that she’s in our lives.

Dunno how I managed to do it, but I’ve really met some amazing and wonderful people in my life.

Heard this quote once that went something like, “There’s no such thing as a long road with good company.

Not sure about that, as I’ve been on some long and awful roads.

But good company makes it more bearable.

Her: Are you OK?
Me: No. But I will be. I just have to make it past this week.
Her: OK.
Me: Thanks for being here.
Her: Where else would I go?

Location: earlier today, a roundtable, being told I’m no Daredevil
Mood: better
Music: And I’m tired of getting used to the day (Spotify)
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Nahh, it’s not funneh!

I’ve got skoool

Saw Steel and the Surgeon twice already since we got back.

The first time was an impromptu trip down to Chinatown to get some Vietnamese with alla our families.

We took over half the restaurant.

Afterwards, we walked over to the local park, where my kid promptly met some kids and engaged in a soccer match with them.

The Surgeon took alla the kids out to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory afterwards where the kids all had the usual flavours while the adults had stuff like ginger green tea and spicy chili.

Him: Wait, they’re outta the spicy chili.
Me: Who on earth is ordering spicy chili ice cream?!
Him: Obviously people are, Logan.
Me: (grumble)

The kid was pleased with his loot.

Later on that week, we met up again at the Surgeon’s pad where I brought some food over but Steel made honest-to-god the best focaccia I’d ever eaten.

Sara: God, I’m so full but I can’t stop eating this.
Me: Me neither.
Steel: I thought you don’t eat carbs.
Me: I don’t.
Steel: Clearly, that’s not true.

I had so many that I went into a carb coma.

The rum probably didn’t help.

They did not let this oppotunity pass.

Surgeon’s daughter: That’s mean!
Steel: Before digital cameras, we woulda painted his face.
Me: This is true. As it goes, this isn’t that bad.

It really isn’t.

Location: back in grade school, evidently
Mood: amused
Music: I got you tattooed on my skin (Spotify)
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Unspoken carbohydrates

Plus, a soccer game

The weather’s always super weird during the shoulder months here in the city.

Last week it was 34 degrees one day and today it was 76 degrees.

Me: Maybe we could meet up in the middle of the day if the weather’s nice? You head west, I head south and we meet somewhere in the middle?
Her: (thinking) I dunno. I’m such a goody-two-shoes…
Me: It’d be like lunch! You’re allowed lunch, right? We could meet up for coffee and unspoken carbohydrates.
Her: Oooooh, I love unspoken carbohydrates.

Speaking of carbohydrates, Sara’s gotten really, really good at making sourdough bread and she’s essentially baking us two loaves every week or so.

We’ve been keeping track and neither of us have gained any weight nor has anyone felt bloated or anything of the sort.

Plus, it’s nice knowing that we’re eating something completely homemade with only four ingredients: Water, flour, salt, and butter.

That’s it. It’s pretty amazeballs.

We made pizza with it the other day per a suggestion by my buddy Mark from Ithaca – it turned out ok but nothing spectacular.

We’ll keep at it until we find something we like.

The kids liked it though.

Speaking of the kids, I think I mentioned to you that my son loves soccer and that Alison was a soccer star in her junior high school and high school.

It must be in his genes because he’s obsessed.

Welp, it turns out that Pac is obsessed as well. He told me that one of the kid’s heroes – Messi – was in town playing against his team so I got the two of them tix to see the game together in Yankee Stadium.

Pac: Are you sure you don’t wanna go? There are three seats available in the section.
Me: Alison loved soccer but it was never really my thing.

Well, that plus I couldn’t imagine sitting on those hard seats all those hours.

But, after they left, Sara told me that I really should do at least one game with the kid, so he had one memory of me at a game with him and I felt so guilty.

I’ll have to do something like that with him one of these days.

Still, they had a blast and came home all smiles.

It probably didn’t hurt that Uncle Pac spoiled the kid rotten with stuff like soda and a bowl of fried carbs bigger than his head.

After they made it back, Pac and I headed to my local bistro to get some coffee and catch up for a bit.

Presently, the kid and Sara came by as well to join us for dinner, and we all chatted for a while until it was time for Pac to leave.

Afterward, I heard all about it from the kid.

Me: Did you have a good time?
Him: It was so fun, papa! Even though my team lost.
Me: (laughing) Well, you can’t win ’em all, kiddo.

Location: the gym, being turned into a pretzel
Mood: pretzel-y
Music: I’ve gone identity mad (Spotify)
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The annual college bday party 2026

It’s worth it, though

Me: I think this is the fourth year you’re coming with me for this dinner?
Her: Yup! The first was just a few weeks after our first date.

It was a pretty full weekend as I had to shoot for Scenic Fights both Saturday and Sunday; we have a new guy we added to roster, along with a special guest.

That’s them above.

I was chosen to work with them because they were both weapons specialists.

Both were very nice and knowledgeable fellas – really looking forward to having you all see the videos.

Now, the second day of shooting, I’d forgotten to bring peanut butter with me to eat so I picked some up across the street.
While I was in the kitchen, the studio manager told me that he liked my machete trainer.

Him: I have a real one, you know?
Me: Oh, that’s a good thing to keep in the house as a self-defense tool.
Him: Home? No, here. Here.

And he pulled out this really snaggle-toothed one.

That’s a tool that’s seen some stories, man.

Right after the Saturday shoot, though, I shoved some fried fowl into my face, rushed home, changed, and grabbed Sara.

We both headed downtown to meet up with my college friends for our annual birthday with Gar and Cappy at a restaurant called Essex.

Sara ate something off the day before and I was pretty beat from the shoot that day, plus it was all the way downtown, but it’s always a good time with them so off we went.

There were so many of us that we were all crammed together, which was annoying.

But it meant that we could all talk.

An old friend, John – whom I’ve not seen since this entry – was there and sat next to me so it was nice to be able to catch up.

Him: (to Sara) You married him?
Me: Best decision of her life!
Her: (shrugging) Eh.

Do you remember how I told you that Ricky always tells waitstaff that it’s Gar’s birthday every single time we’re out?

Well, the waitstaff brought out sparklers out for Cappy and Gar to celebrate earlier in the night…

Me: Well, it’s *actually* his birthday, what are you gonna do now?
Him: I told the waitress to bring another sparkler for him.

And she did.

Me: (to Ricky) You know, one day he’s gonna snap and stab you in the eye.
Him: (shrugging) I know. It’s worth it, though.
Me: Clearly.

Location: Trapped at home by the snow
Mood: cozy
Music: I could change my life to better suit your mood (Spotify)
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A Wedding Cocktail Party

A party in the West Village

Sara and I debated whether or not to do something here in the states to celebrate our marriage.

I felt that heading out to Taiwan and the photographs were enough, but Sara didn’t get to have any of her family around, while I did.

Plus, the ABFF and my friends around the way both felt that we should do something, so we spent a little time looking at places.

But Sara and the Surgeon’s wife got to talking.

Sara: Well, we did Taiwan and really just want to keep things simple.
Her: Let us host it here! We have more than enough space.
Sara: What? We’re talking almost 100 people.
Her: Oh, it’s fine. This place screams “event space.” We’d love to host you.
Sara: Wow! That’s incredibly kind of you to offer! I’d have to talk to Logan…
Her: It’s done! Yay! I love a good party!

Obviously, that was super generous of them and pretty amazing, so we jumped at the offer.

For me, I was happy to let Sara take complete control and just handle everything – her cousin Jen even came a day earlier to help out with everything, which was clutch.

The Surgeon lives in a converted department store in the Village so he’s got like 18-foot ceilings, or something nuts like that, as well as 2,200 SF to work with BUT we still had to be judicious with whom we could invite over.

I ended up not inviting any of my relatives – including my own brother and sister – as (a) I have soooo many of them, (b) I got see some of them in Taiwan.

I figured I would have something separate for them down the road.

Plus, we agreed not to invite anyone that I’d not spoken directly to in over a year as well, with limited exceptions.

This is why Sara and I were out in Queens the other day; we had to buy a ton of liquor for the bartenders that we hired for the party.

On that note, the bartenders were total pros that made three signature cocktails for us to have at the party.

Him: What are you looking for?
Sara: We only have one really hard and fast rule and that’s no tequila or mezcal – long story there.
Him: (laughing) OK, well, what do you want then?
Her: Well, he likes rum and I love prosecco.
Him: Got you. And a colour scheme?
Her: Oh, red would be great! It’s the color of good luck in Chinese culture.

But I was busy too as I also ended up running down to Chinatown that day to grab six pans of delicious dumplings – over 300 of them – while Sara took care of all the other food.

We ordered waaaaaayyy too much food.

The donut tower below was my idea, of course.

No peanut butter or whole wheat, though.

We did have a bit of a scare the week before the party, which was that Sara’s son got the flu, so that meant that my kid and I didn’t see them at all the week before.

She and her son socially distanced for the whole time.

Amazingly, he got better pretty quickly and the rest of us didn’t get sick at all.

Sara: OMG, if I had to miss my own cocktail party, I would cry so hard.
Me: Imagine if we both couldn’t show up!

But we were still stressed out because there was supposed to be a major snowstorm that weekend AND six people cancelled because of the flu, while one couldn’t make it because of a last-minute family emergency.

Still, all-in-all, it went off without a hitch, and everyone seemed to have a grand time.

Really wish I had more time to spend with everyone but, the way these things go, she and I barely had 10 minutes with each guest, but it was nice seeing everyone.

Me: Well, it looks like we’re finally done with wedding stuff.
Her: Yup! Well, ours at least. We still have weddings to go to later on this year.
Me: Is that still happening?
Her: Logan Lo!
Me: Right, right, yay, love…

Location: a locksmith, getting keys for the kids
Mood: potentially sick
Music: I bought a rock, I tied the knot, and I’m making her my wife (Spotify)
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Unkindness, Pt 2

Running into people

Like I said, a buncha people from my past have been making a reappearance in my life, in a manner of speaking – either they actually have or I thought about them, which I’d probably not done in a while.

First is someone I’ll call the Cellini Coach whom I last saw out in California.

I call him Cellini because, like him and Jason Everman, he’s insanely successful in some seriously disparate fields:

  • He sold a buncha companies to Google and Facebook – you’ve absolutely used his stuff if you’ve been on either of them – and might be a billionaire. I’m not sure.
  • He’s also a ridonk fighter – fourth degree black belt in BJJ from Gracie Barra, great boxer, and trained shooter and wrestler – and is kinda my private coach on certain things (see below).
  • He’s also getting his master’s degree in philosophy a Oxford.

Despite alla this, though, he’s a pretty quiet and down-to-earth kinda guy.

Him: Don’t put up a picture of me.
Me: It’s ironic that a fella that helped invent the internet doesn’t wanna be on it.

Plus, even though he’s a super busy and successful guy, he’ll still take the time out to answer questions that I’ve got regarding certain aspects of fighting which I always appreciate.

Like most kindnesses I get, it’s a kindness that is neither expected nor warranted.

Below is him acting as my coach, which he totally doesn’t need to do, and yet he does.

We met up just this past week a mutual friend’s physical therapy joint – Recalibrate PT, which is probably one of the best PT spaces in the city IMHO.

There, Cellini he took two hours outta his super busy schedule to give me a private lesson to help me fix a buncha issues I’ve been having with my game.

I also ran into a whole raft of friends while there that I’d not seen in ages, including my buddy Sawyer – who was training with my friend Cotton (whom I also recommend if you’re looking for a personal trainer).

Me: Dude, we loved Masters of the Air, whatever happened to your character (Lt. Roy Frank Claytor)?
Sawyer: In the show, he just disappeared but in real life, he survived WWII and fought in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, which he also survived.

On a somewhat related note, I recently had a phone call with someone whom I was unkind to ages ago.

He said I never apologized to him for being unkind to him, but he seems to have forgotten that he wouldn’t let me apologize to him.

Still, I suppose that’s really neither here nor there; I could have apologized again but chose not to again.

In any case, I figured that, since I was the one originally in the wrong, I’d just go ahead and apologize again to him, again and did that.

I’m hoping he took it to heart just because I would hate for anyone to suffer because of something I did, but that’s really his decision to make and not mine.

I suppose we all do unkind things as much as we do kind ones and, when we do unkind things, we should try to fix things when given an opportunity to do so.

This actually reminds me of something else entirely, but I’ll tell you about that later.

Location: my freezing pad
Mood: possibly sick with a broken toe
Music: I thought it was just another fight (Spotify)

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36 years of Indian food

My brother’s created (food) monsters

When I first met Sara, she said that she liked most cuisines – except Indian food.

We had this conversation when we first met.

Me: Wait, what? Why?
Her: I dunno. I tried it once and whatever I had was just awful. I couldn’t do it.
Me: You musta had a bad dish at a bad joint. Indian food’s some of the best food on earth.
Her: (shrugging) I’m always open to trying it again – I just wouldn’t know what to order.
Me: Oh, I got you.

I get it.

It’s very foreign a food to most Americans and even for the Chinese, it’s pretty different from what we’re used to.

I had it first with my brother.

He’s always been the most influential person in my life – probably still is to a large extent.

Anywho, I went to visit him while he was still in medical school, sometime in 1990.

I know the year because I was still dating my first girlfriend at the time and crashing at his pad.

He told me I would just love Indian food and I told him, essentially, thanks but no thanks.

But he insisted and off we went; he ordered a ton of food.

Now, if you don’t know already, I tend to eat more than most people.

Always have, I don’t know why.

Well, the thing I remember about that night was that the food was so delicious that I ate so much I got sick.

It wasn’t the food, it was that I literally stuffed myself to the point of massive pain, which – for me – is a rarity. I usually simply can’t get full.

Anywho, my bro ordered:

    • Chicken tikka masala
    • Chicken korma
    • Saag paneer
    • Naan
    • Samosas
Went to visit my bro back on 2015.07.08 and I literally ordered the same thing.

He’s now a vegetarian but, to this day, those are my go-to dishes, even 36 years later (Jesus Christ, I cannot believe that was 36 years ago).

And, now they’re Sara’s go-to dishes and Indian food has become some of her fave cuisine.

Me: (after eating at the joint around her old pad) See, you musta had a bad dish at a bad joint.
Her: Looks that way, god, it’s so good – and look at all these pretty serving dishes.

See, same things…

In fact, she loves Indian food so much now that she’s found a killer chicken tikka masala recipe of her own.

She made it for us a few times now AND we also recently went out to the joint that was across the street from her old pad the other day while the kids were away.

Me: What do you think?
Her: Everything’s really good! But…
Me: What?
Her: I dunno…I kinda like the chicken tikka I made better. Everything else is great, though.
Me: (laughing) I’ve created a monster.

Well, technically, my brother’s created four, since she loves it now, and both of the kids love it now too.

It’s funny how the little things we do in life reverberate way after we do them.

Location: home, having Indian food yet again
Mood: achy
Music: I will follow anywhere in any way (Spotify)
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She’s on to my tricks

A week of guests, food, and shows

Sara and I spent New Year’s Eve at home, watching television.

Actually, let’s back up a bit.

A few days before NYE, the Pittsburg Radiologist stopped by, so we went out for a drink at my usual dive bar…

…but the waitress was overwhelmed and being a pill, so we left to get food and drinks a few doors down at my fave Chinese spot.

Him: Have you ever been to Times Square for New Year’s Eve?
Me: God no, that’s strictly for tourists. I don’t even like being there on regular days.

Then, the day before NYE, our friend Amanda – whose home we stayed at in Vienna – came round.

So, we took her out to eat at an Italian joint near our pad.

The food was great. And, as much as I wanted the pasta, I stuck to my usual burger and swapped the fries for spinach.

Sara: It’s the holidays, have the fries.
Me: With the amount of bread I’ve been eating lately? No way.

Amanda’s the type of friend I like to go out to eat with in that she always tries to pay, which is in contrast to some people we know that simply never even offer.

Her: I wanted to take you two out to celebrate your marriage!
Sara: Too late!

But we went to our local upscale Irish pub for drinks afterward, and she grabbed the check before I could.

Amanda: I’m on to your, “I need to make a phone call,” tricks, Logan!
Me: (laughing) Fair…

The main pic of this entry is the two of them cracking up over Amanda’s dating life – and Sara’s and mine prior to meeting – which is something for another entry.

Because we had gone out so often this week, Sara and I didn’t feel the need to head out again for NYE.

Ergo, we stayed home watching shows, which is also another entry since I so rarely watch television or anything like that.

If you’ve not seen The Terminal List or Slow Horses, both are worth a watch.

After NYE, my son and hers came back home so Sara’s sister and family swung by for hot pot and to drop off gifts.

We were so busy that I forgot to take any pics, but it was fun and looked something like this.

All-in-all, it was a good way to ring out the old year and ring in the new one.

Here’s hoping that 2026 is a good one.

Or, at the very least, not a bad one.

Location: earlier today, a church with a million kids playing soccer
Mood: fatigued
Music: Keep your vodka on ice while I disappear (Spotify)
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