Tag: New York City

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personal

Halloween 2009

Location: 21:00 yest, Battery Park City
Mood: groggy
Music: you should be wilder, you’re no fun at all

Logan and Heartgirl in oversized Star Trek uniforms

Her: Pennsylvania’s not that far. It’s only two hours away.
Me: Good grief, woman…
HG: (finishing) …that’s exactly how far we thought it was!

Stopped by PB’s where I had my body weight in pixie sticks and rum after the rain. Heartgirl and I wore Star Trek uniforms that were way too big on us. Either medium in America isn’t what it used to be or I’m shrinking. Just realized right this moment that for the past five Halloweens, wore red.

Him: …so then I was like, “You’re the class of 2013? That’s crazy!”
Me: Tell me about it – that’s 20 years after I graduated.
Him: (surprised) Wait, what? How old’re you?
Me: 36 – it’s the Asian genes. Plus I drink the blood of a white baby every morning.
Him: (nodding) Of course, who doesn’t?
Another Halloween done and gone. Suppose it’ll be just a mattera time fore I’m the old dude that still gets dressed up for Halloween. I’m ok with that.
Me: Goodness, I do love Halloween. And women exercising questionable clothing choices.
72Suburbs: We love it, too. There’re so few chances to exercise questionable taste
Me: God bless you, 72Suburbs. God bless you.

Saw RE Mike last night. He’s been making lotsa deals and picked himself up a nice one-bedroom downtown. We were talking shop over some $6 Halal food and a bottlea red.

Me: …so you walked outta the bank with $40K in cash to put a down payment on this place cause some guy dared you to?
Him: I did get a little carried away.
Me: Y’know if I were there, totally woulda robbed you.
Him: Course. (phone rings) Speaking of which, this dude calling me’s in jail. Been there for two months.
Me: Why do you still talk to him?
Him: No idea (picking up phone) yeah…

Also met up with the lawyers been working with on some things. Went out to this crazy nice Italian joint and met their wives. Super nice, all of them. Says a lot about you when you meet someone’s favourite person and they’re exactly like y’thought they’d be.

November 2009, already. Where does the time go?

YASYCTAI: Buy next year’s costume early. Never hurts to be prepared. (20 mins/0.5 pts)

Categories
personal

Still (sorta) Goal-Oriented

Location: 13:00 yest, Allen and Stanton
Mood: busy
Music: Comment faire verrai-je un jour la fin de ce calvaire

girl in a cat costume hula hooping in Central Park

Back to our regularly scheduled nonsense. Told y’about the pic above, yeah?

Him: Can I tell y’something?
Me: Y’know me, I’m a vault. Nuthin you’ve ever told me in a decade’s ever come out.
Him: (sarcastically) Yeah right, what about that time you got hammered on Scotch and you told everyone about…wait a sec, that was me.
Me: Sheyeah…

Ran around Chinatown today and stopped by Rain’s. He and I’re somewhat unique in that we both got enormous NYC pads despite, or perhaps resulting in, our never having any coin.

Now he’s got dogs now running all over the joint. Not a dog person myself. Not an animal person in general – unless they’re slow roasting with some lemon and salt. Kidding! (sorta)

Y’know, this book Animals Make Us Human says that all animals are wired to feel four emotions – three negative and one positive. They wanna avoid:

  1. pain
  2. fear; and
  3. panic; but they desire
  4. a goal. Any goal.

Cattle, apparently, are pretty happy cause they got all four.

Think we’re the same way. Said it before, the purpose of life is to have purpose. Realized tonight that my best friend was missing having a goal and that was getting to her.

Back to Rain, we (sorta) got a new goal – pitched him another non-income producing art project along the lines of Bachelor Cooking and 72nd to Canal – and he seemed to be pretty positive about it.

Lemme piece something together and we’ll see what happens.

———-

Also in the book is that, apparently, we never know what cats’re thinking cause they don’t have eyebrows.

YASYCTAI: What are your goals for the day? Week? Month? Year? (60 mins/2 pts)

Categories
personal

Lovely Tupperware

Location: 23:00 yest, with a large knife in my small bathroom
Mood: ill
Music: Too late for the young gun This is the year of the knife

(c) bernard chatreau

Old NYC graffti subway car by bernard chatreau

Me: That’s not how it looks.
Her: How does it look?
Me: At dusk, the 7 train would be packed with Asian teenagers. That’s totally fake.

Just saw the remake of Pelham 123 – the last scene shows someone riding the 7 train pretty much by his lonesome. The 7 train, in the early evening, is never that empty. Moreover, even when it is slightly empty, there’s always a dozen or so Asian teenagers on board at any given time.

I should know, I was onea them growing up.

1 hour 14 minutes into the film, there was a single shot of an Asian for a second.

Not onea those Asian activists – in fact this may be my only post in three years that even discusses what I am and not who I am – but it does bug me when we’re completely figuratively whitewashed outta of a movie.

Then again, it doesn’t really matter to me. Cause film’s all fantasy anywho. Reality is, we’re all up in this joint.

Funny thing is, who’s fantasy is it where you see onea us for only a second?

Have you met us? We’re lovely.

And when you order food from us, we give you tupperware.

———-

Me: Got a small abscess in my leg like last time and just spent the last 20 minutes digging it out with a knife and toothpicks. Question, do I have to keep hacking at my leg until I see blood?
Him: You may be the dumbest smart person I know.

Word of advice: If you find yourself low on rum, with a painful wound, a large hunting knife, several toothpicks, some gauze and alcohol, it’s never rarely a good idea to do self-surgery. A conference with the Professor indicates that perhaps the wrong course of action was chosen.

I’m my own worst enemy, a danger to myself. In other news, I’ll be visiting the pharmacy tomorrow. Purpose: Painkillers and antibiotics.

Said we’re lovely, never said we’re particularly bright. I mean, we’ll stomp all over that curve but still…

YASYCTAI: If you had to, would you know how to take care of a wound? If not, pick up a book. (120 mins/1 pt)

Categories
personal

Clear

 

Went for a walk with my girl downtown this past weekend. Maybe that’s what made me sick again. Was worth it though. There’re few things in life as a walk down Central Park and Broadway on a nice day. Saw a girl in a cat costume with a hula hoop.

Been taking all of the junk I found cleaning my cellar and selling it on ebay, craigslist, you name it. Found this one dress with a price tag that said $14,000 in there and more computers than y’can shake a stick at.

Some things I remember, some things I have no idea how they got there. Story of my life, yeah?

In A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes said to Watson that the mind’s like an attic – you can only have so much crap in it before you run outta room.

Einstein echoed this when he said that, Never memorize what you can look up in books.

But I digress, point is that I’m tossing a lotta old stuff to make room for new stuff.

Still sick – my head’s stuffy. But I’m trying to clear things out. Wanna unclutter my mind and suppose that starts with uncluttering everything else.

Location: 16:00 yest, Grand Central
Mood: still @#$@#$ sick
Music: Singing to my pillow, I woke up out of tune.

Categories
personal

Brighten

Location: 15:00 yest, taking these pics
Mood: hella beat
Music: wanna bathe you in the light of day

Seagull standing on Brighton Beach

Started the day talking myself outta one parking ticket but not the other. Stupid parking/driving rules.

Heard that before Brooklyn became parta NYC in 1898, it was like the 11th largest city in the nation or somethin like that.

Gotta believe it cause I got crazy lost out there today. Ended up on Brighton Beach where every street seems to be named Brighton.

This empty parking spot came up on my left so I figured it was a sign and pulled in.

Stepped out and stood on the beach looking at the blue sky. Thought to myself that my city’s really got it all. Snapped a coupla pics and slid back into my car for 90 minutes of traffic to go 19 miles. My day got better brightened after that.

Rushed home to spend my night with my girl for the first time in a while. Not exactly as I hoped.

Check that. NYC’s got it all cept for reasonable driving and parking. Sides that, we got it all.

Seagull swooping down in Brighton Beach

Him: This is different, I really like her.
Me: You always say that, and you always really like them.
Him: Come on, this’s different. Few people ever do what we did. (pause) OK, you did but besides you…
Me: Everybody thinks their thing’s special. Maybe it is, but give it time to find out.

There’re plentya times people think something’s something, but turns out to be a whole lotta nuthin.

Girl sitting by herself on a park bench in Brighton Beach

YASYCTAI: Go to another parta town y’always said you’d go to. (120 mins/1 pt)

Categories
business personal

Affected

My year still begins in September

An alfresco restaurant in downtown NYC.

My phone’s been ringing again. Nuthin steady, nuthin huge, a trickle, really. But it’s something. And after months of nuthin, something’s good.

It’s a bit odd, to be busy again with things for pure monetary exchange. The humdrum of work again.

But it’s a good thing; the cadence of waking up, making coffee – for two oftentimes – PB&J; or oatmeal, Good Morning America, and then…work?

Well, it’s hardly work yet. But it’s something.

Always said that my year begins in September. The rhythm of regularity. Am looking forward to it now more than in years.

It’s weird, to be excited for the coming monotony.

———-

September 11th again. Has it been eight years already?

Someone told me that I dwell too much on it considering I wasn’t “affected.”

Didn’t know what to say, so I changed the subject. How can one explain what it’s like?

Location: same black chair; different room
Mood: busy
Music: Got me affected, spun me 1-80 degrees

Categories
personal

The SOOR

A basketball court on a NYC rooftop

Me: Realized why I don’t wear flip-flops out. Think it’s cause when I was a kid, used to and then when the other kids tried to beat me up, couldn’t run away fast enough.
Her: (immediately) Oh don’t worry, I’ll protect you now.
Went drinking with Nadi and Paul at his pad this past Saturday. Quite something when you start drinking at 5PM and call it a night at 10.

Things have been pretty good these days; clients’re slowly coming out of the woodwork. Been busy lately, not so must busy with coin production so much as busy with preparation for coin production.

Eh, tomayto, tomahto…

———-

Him: Gonna have the talk with her today, wish us luck.

Got no fewer than four friends that’ve had the SOOR (Status Of Our Relationship) talk.

Two got their walking papers, one got conditional employment, one got a permanent position – though, really, all good relationships’re temp-to-perm at some point, yeah?

Think maybe that’s why I was upset with onea my friends. Cause I felt like he already filled the position with some imaginary person and was just stringing the contestant along. But he says he wasn’t and he’s an honest fellow.

Frank Sinatra had this song I heard once where he said something like, doesn’t matter if you’re the dumper or the dumpee, sucks either way. Or not.

———-

Me: Can’t do it, my finger’s broken.
Him: (rolling eyes) Somethings always broken on you…

Lost my health insurance. This means no wrestling for me for now.

Still gonna fence though – grown men stabbing each other with pointy things, what could go wrong there?

Location: apparently Dante’s eighth circle
Mood: goodness, so hot
Music: been looking for something else. Duel it
YASYCTAI: Help me find that Frank Sinatra song! (60 mins/1 pt)

Categories
personal

Broken but un-roasted

A clumsy summer day where I saw the unfunny film, Funny People

A metro station in Washington DC

Her: (looking at tourists) They’re not getting the full New York City experience.
Me: How so?
Her: They’re going to go home and tell everyone, “New York City’s so pleasant in the summertime.”

For years, told people that NY only has three seasons: Fall, Winter and Summer. I’m the kinda guy where it can be 80 degrees and I’m melting. Going down the subway’s like descending into Dante’s Inferno; Seventh Circle at least – Ninth if it’s Times Square.

In short: Summer’s not kind to me. Usually. This summer, though, with most days in July between 70-80 (21-26C) degrees and low humidity, been happy as a clam.

A cool, un-roasted, clam.

———-

Saw the sneak preview of Funny People. Was…funny, but every single joke a was a penis joke. Plus it was 220 minutes cause it was a sneak preview.

220 minutes of penis jokes wears thin. Both my date and I were bored after an hour.

Like I said, crass is only so funny; don’t get me wrong, it was funny. Just could have been tighter, shorter, faster, better.

———-

Evidently, I’ve dislocated my middle finger while wrestling. Popped it back a bit later. It was…unpleasant.

Gotta go to the doc. Again. It’s amazing I’ve lasted as long as I have considering how clumsy I am.

I’d show you it but that’d mean I’d have to give you the middle finger.

Yes, it’s come to this: middle finger jokes.

Location: 19:00 yest., Wild Ginger on Washington
Mood: cool
Music: bruising knees, Hot July ain’t good to me
YASYCTAI: Have you seen a sneak preview before? If you’re in NYC, get tickets in front of the 66th Street Lowes most Wednesdays around 3. (5 mins/0.5 pts)

Categories
personal

My 4th Weekend, 2009

Location: 20:00, Sheep Meadow with a bottle of wine
Mood: thinking
Music: perhaps a bottle of Rose instead

Fireworks on Riverside Park, 4th of July, 2009 with a cell phone mobile in the foreground

Rain popped by to talk some shop. Good catching up with him. Had a cigarette; don’t really know why. Felt sick and regretted it instantly.

Suppose I’ll regret it more when I’m on the mat and someone’s trying to choke me out.

Had a dinner of wine and a sandwich on the grass in Sheep Meadow with my pretty lady, watching two girlies trying to fly a kite.

They never got it up but they kept trying.

More fireworks

Hope you had a nice holiday weekend if y’had a holiday weekend. Me? Worked on the cellar again on the fourth and then popped by the rents to fix their DVR.

Sped home just in time to see the fireworks by my lonely. Got a bit anxious, actually. A sea of people around me in a limited space.

But everyone was super polite and cool. Zero street beef. It was nice; crowd was almost silent, just watching the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air.

More fireworks

Slipped outta there fore the crowd surged home.

Oh, this is before people started pouring in – more than double that amount ended up being there:

The Riverside Park pier before the 2009 fireworks

Yep – Germany‘s pretty and China’s interesting but the US’s still the best country in the world, yeah?

Let’s hope those drums stay silent a little longer.

Fireworks on Riverside Park, 4th of July, 2009

YASYCTAI: Have you seen Band of Brothers? Y’really should. It’s very good. Had drinks years ago with the guy that died in the foxhole in the film. Cool dude. (705 mins/2 pts)

Categories
personal

Fading

Location: my basement for the past six hours
Mood: wet
Music: she caused a scene then every head turned


328 Chauncey Street now – not my pic, not my (c)

328 Chauncey Street, home of Ralph and Alice Kramden and Edward and Trixie Norton - NOT MY COPYRIGHT

If you’ve never clicked on my music link before, y’should do it today for something pretty cool per Caffeineguy.

———-

Still cleaning my cellar. Been weeks now. Feel like Sisyphus, cept I got a broom insteada a rock. Stupid broom…

Went to a wedding this past weekend. Someone spilled wine all over my suit. White wine, but still. Least the food was good.

Speaking of food, while at Columbia U., my fave joints were Ollie’s and The Mill. Right now, Ollie’s is a chaina Chinese restaurants while The Mill’s a Korean restaurant. But fifteen years ago, Ollie’s was an Italian joint with a sprinkling of Chinese food cause they had a Chinese chef. Similarly, the Mill was a Spanish joint with a Korean cook.

A boy could get some spaghetti and some Chinese dumplings at the former and tortillas and kimchi at the latter. Now they’re full-on Chinese and Korean joints. Yeah, there’re places like Marco Polo Cafe, with trendy Italian/Chinese fusion but I don’t want fusion.

I want authentic Italian spaghetti and authentic Chinese dumplings, yeah? Not the same.

Point is, all of the stuff I know, I mean I know, keeps fading on me. Jackie Gleason was the first when I was 14.

Funny story: did y’know the Honeymooner’s wife, Alice, spoke Chinese in real life? She and her sister were raised in China so it was their secret language. One spoke it to the other and the other understood.

In a way, that’s why the fading bothers me. Cause no one remembers Ollie’s when it was knife cool. Or what 328 Chauncy Street means. Or when MJ was still black and did the moonwalk for the first time on Motown 25.

Worry that I’m gonna run outta people to tell something to and have them understand.

Then I remember that I gotta finish sweeping the cellar and then I forget.

YASYCTAI: Alla the shows with the dumb husband and the smart wife started with the Honeymooners. Y’should watch it. (22 mins/0.5 pts)