Her: One day, someone’s gonna look at the two of us and think, “What is that young-looking person doing with that old-looking person.” Me: I’ll still think you’re beautiful, even when you’re old-looking. Her: I was talking about you! You’re the old one in that scenario. Me: (laughing) Let’s not be ridiculous here. I don’t age.
It was the Firecracker’s birthday the other day.
Since both kids were around, I just got some ramen for everyone.
She wanted a cake but I’m trying to avoid carbs – yes, I had some ramen, just go with it – so we compromised with a huge cupcake for her and a slice of cake for the boys.
But we were thwarted in our attempts to go low(er)-carb for her birthday when her office gave her a dozen donuts.
I mighta eaten a few before I took the pic below.
It’s gonna be my own birthday soon.
51. What a kick in the head.
Then again, it’s better than the alternative.
Her: Look, when you’re old and crotchy, and complaining about something you read in the papers, the gubernatorial race, or obnoxious kids, I’m still going to be young and vibrant. Me: I’ll most likely be reading reddit, but otherwise: Accurate.
We woke up on Easter and promptly went to a Starbucks to caffeine up.
The big reason why we went down to North Carolina was that a relative of the Firecracker’s had passed and the extended family was there to mourn and spread that relative’s ashes.
So, we did that on the last day.
I stayed in the car because I figured this was a private family event and this wasn’t really the time nor place to make formal introductions.
Afterward, we went to her aunt’s house where everyone celebrated the relative’s life as well as had Easter dinner.
Her extended family were also quite nice and I ate myself silly, taking a nap in her aunt’s sunny backyard.
Now, I’d been speaking to Rain this whole trip because he moved to a neighboring state down south.
Rain’s taken a huge 180 in his life and essentially changed from being the ultimate city boy to a farmer.
Legit, he’s a farmer now.
To wit, he wanted to give me some grass-fed beef from a cow he had slaughtered.
Him: This will be the freshest best beef you had in your life. Me: Well, you already had me at free.
So, the Firecracker and I headed back to Walmart to get a cooler.
Gotta say that being in Walmart is a trip for a city boy like myself, who has yet to transition to becoming a farmer.
Literally, they had everything including guns and shotguns on display and various projectiles scattered about.
Me: I could live here. They have everything! Her: Welcome to the south, babe.
We then went back and crashed, only to wake up a few hours later at the crack of ass to make the 12 hour trip back.
But we stopped off first at the parking lot of a Chick-fil-A where I met up with Rain, who arrived in this HUGE red pickup truck.
Me: You’re legit a farmer now. Him: (taking sawdust outta his pockets) Yup.
He filled up the cooler with meat while the Firecracker and her kid went in to get some food. Presently, he and I went in as well and we shot this impromptu video below.
We chatted for just a few minutes before he had to get back on the road – I had to pick up my kid and we were still hours from where we needed to be.
After what seemed like forever, I got the kid…
Me: There you are! I missed you so much! Him: Me too, papa! How was North Carolina? Me: Good – but it woulda been better if you were there.
…and then made it home after being stuck in NYC traffic for a while.
She wants to do this trip every year and I’m not sure I can do that. But I see the appeal for her.
We woke up relatively late to meet the Firecracker’s BIL and sister at a North Carolina BBQ joint called Lexington Barbecue.
Her: You’ll like it if you prefer dry rub to sauces. Me: I like all types of BBQ. Her: This is authentic southern BBQ!
I actually ended getting the fish.
BIL: Lemme get this straight, you come to a Carolina BBQ place and you get…fish?! Me: I’m just gonna eat some of [the Firecracker’s] food – she never finishes.
Turns out she did.
BUT her niece didn’t want any of her food, so I ate that.
After we left, I took some pics outside when I heard a fella called out to me…
Him: Hey! Hey, man! You want some real pictures, come on into the smoker. Me: Hot damn, yeah!
He was the pitmaster and also just a prince of a fella.
So were the two gents working back there as well.
The pitmaster pulled a piece of pork right outta the smoker and handed it to me.
The next day, we got up bright and early to meet the Firecracker’s mom at a joint on the same block as our hotel called Heff’s Burger Club.
Me: They have diet Mountain Dew! Her: It’s the south; we have diet Mountain Dew.
The Firecracker’s sister and BIL were both there and they’re both foodies so they suggested the joint.
Firecracker’s mom: I’ll sit next to Logan. Me: Good life choice there, lady.
She was very nice, but didn’t like to take pictures so I wasn’t able to really capture much.
I ordered a full burger but I was still pretty hungry.
From my window in my hotel room, I’d noticed a hot chicken place across from my hotel.
Her: You want more food? Firecracker: He’s always hungry, mom.
So, while they all enjoyed the gorgeous weather – it was close to the 80s – I had myself a medium-spice level chicken.
BIL: How is it? Me: I shoulda ordered the mild; the first one was fine but the heat builds up and now I’m sweating.
Sweating, but enjoying my hot chix.
I woulda had more though…
…but we had other places to be.
Firecracker: We have to get some Krispy Kreme. Me: Why? Her: This is where they were created – Winston-Salem. Me: Sold!
So, off we went.
The sign that indicated that the donuts were hot was turned off…
…but it turned out that they had just finished making a batch, so we ordered some hot ones.
I brought the peanut butter, knowing there would be a ton of sweets down south.
To say that it was good would be a massive understatement.
But I limited myself to “just” two.
Her: You’re on vacation. Me: This is you being an enabler.
The Firecracker snapped a pic of me wearing one the paper hats.
I wanted to get her mom some flowers for the next day, so we stopped by a Walmart.
Her: What are you doing? Me: $5 for two cubic feet of dirt? That’s a bargain. Her: You’re buying dirt?! To bring home to NYC? From Winston-Salem North Carolina?! Me: Evidently.
And I did.
We then drove by her old home…
Her: It’s been like 20 years since I’ve come here. Me: How are you doing? Her: I’m feeling some kinda way.
There’s more to that, but that’s her story to tell, so I’ll end that part here.
Afterward, we went to her high school, where she snapped the below picture.
Me: Imagine if I went here! Her: You were already outta law school when this place was built. Me: That wasn’t really necessary to point out.
Afterward, we met up with her BIL and sister again for drinks at the West Salem Public House, where I tried – and failed – to climb a tree.
See the pic on the bottom.
So, we just drank instead.
Of course, I got hungry so I dashed off to get some soul food but they closed as soon as I got there.
Me: Shoot – is there any place you can recommend? Her: East of Texas across the lot is pretty popular. Me: OK, but I just want you to know that I wanted you guys first. Her: (laughs) Ah, thanks, sugar!
That’s where we closed out the night, with me stuffing myself silly.
All-in-all, it was a good second day there.
I’ll probably wrap this whole thing up in another entry or two, so I’ll see you in the next one.
Probably two more.
I eat a lot.
Location: Warby Parker in the UWS and Columbus, picking up two eclipse glasses for the eclipse this coming Monday
Mood: injured
Music: Something bout you really feels like home (Spotify) Subscribe! Like this post? Tell someone about it by clicking a button below.
Getting outta the city’s always a bear but the visiting presidents and alla the rain made everything worse.
My son didn’t come with us down south as he wanted to stay at his grandparents, so we drove him out to NJ first to drop him off.
MIL: You want some coffee before you go? Firecracker: Oh, I already have some in the car, thank you. Me: I’d love some, but I go to the bathroom enough when I travel.
This turned out to be pretty true when I asked her a few hours later if she wanted to pull over to get a quick break.
Her: Nope – I’m gonna be a taskmaster here. Me: Can I at least borrow your sunglasses to try and sleep a bit? Her: (laughing) You’re gonna look great in my sunglasses.
She was wrong.
Tried to get some sleep in the car but that was pretty much impossible.
Somewhere in West Viginia, her kid got hungry so she finally pulled over and we searched around for a place to eat.
Her: I love seeing the country. Isn’t it beautiful and peaceful? Me: It’s like when I went to college [in Cornell]. I gotta, say, though, this place is less bucolic and more like the land of strip malls.
I had a chicken sammie animal style at Chick-fil-A.
The next four hours or so were just like this.
We were making good time so for dinner, we ended up stopping by a joint called Holly Jo’s Creekside Grill.
The food was only ok but everyone was super nice and I can’t remember the last time I ate with Darth Vader.
The problem was probably that I ordered a salad. It was not a good salad.
Everything else was good, though.
It was pretty late when we pulled into our hotel in Winston-Salem – some 12 hours after we left that morning.
The hotel itself was pretty nice.
Me: Man, look at the size of this place! Real estate’s gotta be lot cheaper out here if this is just the lobby. Her: Yup, Winston-Salem only has about 250,000 people. Me: That’s not even as big as my family’s neighborhood in Queens.
The hotel room was pretty nice too.
When we got up the next morning, we were pretty amused to find that there were two conventions happening in the convention hall just a block from our hotel room:
Shall we say that the attendees of the respective events wore radically different outfits?
Firecracker: (talking about the Youth Convention ladies) Do you notice that they’re all wearing skirts down to their ankles? Me: I do now. (pointing over at an anime convention girl in hot pants) They’re dressed pretty differently. Her: Very. (shaking head) They should probably wear a little more. Me: Nah, it’s America. People should dress how they want. Her: It’s cold! Me: This is true.
I didn’t take any pics of the latter but did of the former.
Years ago, he wrote me something while I was struggling. Dunno if I ever shared it with you.
I’d forgotten all about it because he sent it to me when I was still pretty muddle-headed but it came up between us, recently and I wanted to share.
He took words from my blog and put them to some electronica music he composed and called it: Logan’s Stressful Day.
In any case, here is below.
I definitely don’t have much musical talent – certainly nuthin like my mom and brother.
But it’s nice that my kid has it as well.
He’s actually going to be in the school talent show and he just started playing Hotel California recently – here’s his audition for it.
Just keep in mind that’s he’s only eight…
I joke with friends that I’m still hoping that he’ll be a surgeon or doctor versus a performer.
But in the end, I suppose I just want him happy and productive.
Although I do have some personal preferences.
Teacher: Your son (programmed) a game that my other students want to play. He has talent there. Me: Great! I’ll take programmer, surgeon, or lawyer. Her: (laughing) I’m sure one of those will happen. Me: That’s the hope!
Her: What about that truck? Me: (squinting) It looks like they have “respect, compassion, caring, and kindness,” but no burgers.
It was raining cats and dogs for part of the weekend and the other part was cold, so we met up with the Surgeon and Steele to head over to the Ferox Ninja Park in Brooklyn so the kid could get some exercise.
The Firecracker had to level up with some coffee first, though.
As soon as we arrived, I was hungry and started my quest for food.
We thought there was a food truck across from the park but it ended up being a volunteer group’s truck instead.
So, despite my wanting a burger for brekkie, we ended up heading to Compton’s Sandwich Shop instead and ordering a buncha breakfast wraps.
Me: Can you put bacon in them? Him: Which one? Me: All of them?
They ended up not doing that so I went back to say something. The manager apologized profusely and comped up like four kombucha drinks, which was nice.
Afterward, the kids spent the next three hours playing like crazy.
I, of course, got hungry again.
Him: Burgers? Me: I’ve been wanting a burger all day – heck yeah!
Pez has been busy with life so I’d not seen her in a while; of course, that’s her story to tell so I’ll end here on that point.
But I convinced her to swing by the gym the other day so we could catch up.
There, Chad – who’d not seen her in a while as well – gave her her blue belt, finally.
This was something he wanted to do last December but Pez has just been busy, like I said.
We got lunch after rolling.
Me: I’ve been in the mood for a gyro lately. Mediterrian work for you? Her: Sure! (watching me order a salad) Wait, I thought you wanted a gyro. Me: This is essentially a gyro but without the bread – you gotta make concessions at 50.
Later on that night, I met up Chad again, the Firecracker, the NFL Player and his wife, and some others for dinner and drinks around the way.
They were going to catch the second installment of Dune but the Firecracker and I couldn’t make it.
NFL Player: The kids’ll be fine. They won’t even know you’re missing. Me: Let’s not be ridiculous; I’m his favourite person in the world. Him: (later) Last chance to change your mind. Me: This is how Child Services gets involved.
They all left but the Firecracker and I still had a solid half-an-hour before we had to head back so we grabbed a drink at my old haunt Malachy’s, which just went through a large renovation.
Me: I feel like a fatty. Her: It’s 100 calories! Me: Yeah, but it’s a 100 calories I don’t need to have. Her: Do you want me to order the hard seltzer for you? Me: Nah, I’m pretty secure in my manhood. Hopefully, she won’t grab a pink can for me, though.
It was red.
Like I said, I daydream a lot about living somewhere else alla time.
Her: You know you’re high when you’re googling “How to plant a paw paw tree in front of your apartment building in NYC.” Me: This has to go on the blog. Her: Put in a disclaimer that it’s legal to be high in NYC. Me: What? Her: I’m not no law breaker, Lo. (later) This is only funny to us now. We’ll think we’re so lame when we’re sober.
She wasn’t wrong.
The friend that let us stay at her Vienna pad came to the city for a visit so we met up with her at Sarabeth’s for a quick brunch.
I’d had a pretty rough night of sleep the night because we were out drinking and doing all types of (legal) pharmaceuticals, but I rallied as best I could.
Waiter: Can I get you all something to dri.. Me: (interrupting) Coffee. Firecracker: Lots of coffee. Me: Lots of coffee.
The kids came with, so it was a treat for them as well.
Him: Do they have burgers? Me: They have sliders. Him: What’s a slider? Me: Like a small burger. Him: That’s what I want! Slider, slider, slider…
I def needed the coffee.
The Firecracker could see that I was struggling so she offered to take the kids to the playground so I could nap.
Man, did I crash hard.
These are the kinda weekends that count as winners for me these days: Good food, fun conversation, childcare, and a solid nap.
The kids went upstairs to the animal/game room; I think I had seen it briefly once ages ago.
As for me, I was mainly interested in shoveling as much food as I humanly could into my piehole.
But as soon as I finished one thing, other things came out, so I probably definitely overindulged.
The Surgeon’s mom gave a really nice speech towards the end.
The Firecracker and I chatted about it in between my aforementioned stuffing of le face.
Firecracker: Can you imagine your baby boy turning 50? Me: Not at all. Her: You probably won’t even be alive then – although I probably will be. Me: I’ll be a spry 92! Her: (rolls eyes)
We woulda stayed longer but the rain was really coming down and I had an all-day shoot with the Scenic fights guys the very next day so we left before a lotta the other people.
The kid: Do we have to go? Me: It’s late AND it’s gonna be daylight savings so you’re gonna go to bed like at midnight tonight as it is. Him: (eyes open in wonderment) Really?! Wow, that’s so late. Me: (nodding) Yup, and that’s why we gotta leave.
The very next day – with less than four hours sleep – I had an all-day Scenic Fights shoot.
Things didn’t go exactly as planned and I’m now running from the law.
