Playlist #4 + A Week in My "New" Life

Hi again and welcome back,

This will most likely be my last entry before Xmas so milk it for all it's worth. =)

This week's playlist includes songs I'd LOVE to karaoke to but don't have the vocal range to do them justice (there are also a few that I can sing but would probably chicken out on... can you find them?). hehehe:

Hotel California - Eagles
Smooth - Santana (feat. Rob Thomas)
Hello - Lionel Richie
Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Sueños - Juanes
Little Sister - Queens of the Stone Age
Home - Daughtry
You Sang To Me - Marc Anthony
Anytime - Brian McKnight
Save Room - John Legend
Open Arms - Journey
A Song For You - Donny Hathaway
Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
I Believe - Blessid Union of Souls
Praying for Time - George Michael

There are plenty of others but these are the ones that come to mind now.

"Quick" recap of the week
I had a blast this week between seeing old friends, seeing old old friends, and making new friends. I'm sure all the drinking I did helped cloud my judgment but I certainly have fond memories of this week.

Tuesday - I had drinks with Alexis (I've known this man since the 2nd grade!!) who I had to bring up to speed regarding the recent changes in my life.

Now, we always had this tradition (between him, myself, and our ragtag childhood crew) to meet at the same Dunkin Donuts and just talk and talk and talk for hours about anything and everything. It was part therapy session, part catch-up, and always fun for us all. The location of this Dunkin Donuts will not be disclosed for the sake of our privacy (and also b/c it's not the same since they've redecorated it a few years back). But since many of us have moved on, the only ones left in NYC from the old crew are me, 'Lex, and Matt.

As we were waiting on line to get coffee and snacks, we looked at each other and realized we didn't really want anything off of the menu. Rather than sit there empty-handed, and technically trespassing, we decided to hit up a bar instead. This was the first time we have EVER drank together. After nearly 25 years of friendship, and countless memories (I perhaps have forgotten more memories than I can actually remember), it took us this moment, this place, this time, to find ourselves driving to a bar. It was great. To just kick back and relax. Explain how things went down with my ex. Talk about what the future holds for me (and him).

On a side note... I hadn't drank in so long (beers, liquor, or wine) that I got really really "nice" off of 3 gin and tonics. Looking back on how I used to drink, if the old me were there he'd call me a "lightweight" and a "pussy" (not necessarily in that order... lol)

Wednesday - Went out to Brazil Brazil. I kept teasing that I had a horrible time that night but it was only because my friend Noe (who was hosting) made it seem like it would be this big party. In the end, it was basically a handful of his co-workers and two outsiders (myself and another mutual friend). If I knew it would turn out to be more like Noe's office party, I would've declined from the get-go.

The caipirinhas were pretty good. Def not the best I've had but by far not the worst. For anyone that goes there, a word of advice, don't drink the flavored caipirinhas. It's more of a gimmick to get people to drink the traditional Brazilian beverage. Though I am very much a purist with drinks (and food), the flavored drinks were over-powered with the addition of the fruit juice (which seemed to be from concentrate). If you go there and order a caipirinha, stick to the basics.

Friday - Plans to meet an old friend fizzled as the bad weather rolled into town. By the end of the night, when the weather seemed to let up a little, I tried recruiting some people to head out but to no avail. In the end, decided it was better to stay home and give my liver a break.

Saturday - Sofia has completed her first year of life today! And I was there for the festivities hosted by the Amaya family. If you've befriended me on facebook, check out the album. Had a great time with my fave lil lady!!

Then it was a rush to my house (after dropping two people off) to make my "infamous" sangria: what I like to call my BFS (Best F'n Sangria). Then, left to pick up two more people before heading in to God's Armpit (a.k.a. Staten Island).

Now, now... To be fair... I think I'm going to refrain from disparaging the borough further until I give it a fair chance. So, if any of you can give me good reason to go to SI (other than to visit friends on their b-day or to go to the Botanical Gardens), forward them my way.

Had an awesome time at Mari's house. Got to see some people for the first time in years and saw others for the second time in the day. lol. Good times, good times. I had planned to stay until maybe 11-ish so I could get home before the next bit of snowfall. I ended up leaving at almost 4:30 in the morning. Everyone liked the sangria. And I got home safe and sound despite the icy roadways. I also found a parking spot pretty quickly so I was very happy about that as well. =)

Sunday - Slept off the night before and watch the Jets lay an egg and the Giants win a big game.

Which reminds me... I have no major allegiance to either NY football team. But at the start of the season, I decided to place a bet on who I thought would win the Super Bowl this season. Last year I won a decent amount with the Giants (who weren't given much a chance in the preseason, which made it worth putting a little $$ on them).

This year, the Cowboys and Patriots were the odds on favorites to make it all the way. The Giants were listed as 25-1 to win it all. And, for as much experts argue that it is impossible to repeat as champs in this day and age, I felt the Giants were a better team this year. So I put $20 on them to win it all this year (and to give me a payout of $500 for my efforts). I also noticed that the Jets were listed at 30-1 so I put down $10 on them. A bit of a long shot I know... but it didn't seem unreasonable that Brett Favre would give the Jets a lift and who knows what can happen in the playoffs.

A few weeks ago, I looked like a freaking genius as it seemed like both NY teams would lock down their division titles. Today, I shake my head as the Jets let some games get away from them. I now have my hopes (and potential gambling earnings) in the Giants basket as they clinch home field throughout the postseason. It will be interesting to see if they can make it to the Super Bowl under completely opposite circumstances to last season (where they had to win all their playoff games on the road).

We'll what comes of this. It would be nice to have a NY v NY Super Bowl though it seems more and more unlikely by the week.

Anyway... I'm off to take care of last minute Christmas shopping, planning the next "week in the life of", and enjoying the waning days of my vacay.

Until next time faithful reader, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!...

Playlist #1 + Ikea is evil (or I'm in love with Ikea)

Hello again,

I'm going to use a tactic to trick myself into posting at least once a week by introducing [insert drumroll here] a weekly music playlist. Essentially, it'll be a look inside my iPod, in a manner of speaking. It'll be music that'll fit my mood for the week, or just random songs that I'm in the mood to hear. It will be updated weekly and, on a personal note, will be interesting to revisit in the future to see where my head was at a week ago, a month ago, or maybe even a year ago.

With that said, here is this week's playlist featuring two songs for every artist that appears (always played in shuffle mode to surprise myself):

John Legend - Green Light (w/Andre 3000)
John Legend - Save Room
Jason Mraz - Geek in the Pink
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Rihanna - Rehab
Rihanna - Disturbia
Reik - Inolvidable
Reik - Vivo en Sueños
Pink - So What
Pink - Sober

If you are not familiar with any of these songs, I strongly encourage you to download them (as I shake my head and stare at you indignantly). Then again... it may not be your cup of tea so do what you will with the list.

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My new-found love affair with Ikea:
I had lunch at a quaint Vietnamese restaurant with my favorite little lady on Sunday - Sofia - and her parents. Jorge and Dana were telling me about their visit to Ikea this past weekend and commenting about the cute things they found for Sofia. Jorge, in his very Jorge-like way, raved about the food court there. Needless to say, I was compelled to visit Ikea myself. (For those who are wondering... NO... it wasn't the food court that sold me... lol)

Quite impulsively, I decided today was a good day to go. I drove down to Red Hook, Brooklyn to finally check out the furniture emporium. With Google Maps in hand (via my awesome Centro!), I made it to Ikea. Though even if I had basic directions, I would have made it. Every 200 feet there is a small green traffic sign leading you to "Ikea Plaza".

DUUUUUUDE!!! I do not believe this place. It is amazing! I now see what all the fuss is about. I was hardcore against the idea of Ikea back when they first invaded the U.S. But daaaaamn they know what they're doing. The layout is perfect for those who want to wander through. I went with the thought of making this a personal recon mission for my apartment. Instead, I came back with a catalog and thoughts of buying something every two weeks when my paycheck clears. LOL!

The place is evil! Evil I tell you.... and I LOVE it!! I can see myself becoming an Ikea-holic! If any of you know any Ikea Anonymous groups (or an equivalent Ikea-addiction recovery program), please let me know now so I know where to turn to when things start getting out of hand.

As Swedish names swimmed in my consciousness, I decided to follow the hunter instincts ingrained in my DNA to get me back to the Belt Parkway. Surprisingly, I inadvertently ended up on the left lane of a 3-lane road that led me directly to the Verrazano Bridge. I hadn't realize that this roadway was neither the Belt nor the BQE until I saw a sign indicating that the exit that    I    JUST    frea-king    passed (aaarrrggghhh) was the last one before the tolls. Ikea is EVIL!!! Plenty of signs leading you there and none leading you back to major roadways! *sigh*

And so, I ended up in Staten Island. Not for long, though, as I didn't want to get caught up in afternoon rush hour traffic. But damn it I paid to get into the forgotten borough, I could at least sight-see from the comfort of my car (and accompanied by a certain playlist that may have been mentioned above... ahem). There really is nothing special IMO but I might go back with my camera in hand to take pictures along the waterfront (which I didn't get to actually see... but I suspect I would be able to get some nice shots from that side of the city). Not wanting to be stuck in that part of the city for longer than necessary, I used Google Maps to get back to the Verrazano and I was back to home base in no time.

Anywho... these are my misadventures for today. Hopefully there'll be more as my wanderlust has not been satiated... I may need a trip before the new year... how many vacation days do I have left at work?? hmmm...

Until next time, faithful reader. . . . .