~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From last night's How I Met Your Mother (5/11/09)
[In Stella's car]
Ted: OK, but just tell me this. Why Tony? I mean, is it the money? The kung fu pajamas? Like, wha- what is it?
Stella: He's the one.
T: The one.
S: Yeah, I know it's kinda sappy but... yeah.
T: *sigh* OK, I'm going to say something out loud that I've been doing a pretty good job of not saying out loud lately. What you and Tony have, what I thought for a second you and I had, what I know that Marshall and Lily have. I want that. I do. I keep waiting for it to happen and I'm waiting for it to happen and... I guess I'm just... *sigh* I'm tired of waiting. And that is all I'm going to say on that subject.
S: You know I once talked my way out of a speeding ticket.
T: Really?
S: *nods* I was heading upstate to my parents' house doing, like, 90 on this country road and I got pulled over. So this cop gets out of his car, he kinda swaggers on over and he's like "Young lady, I've been waiting for you all day." So I looked up at him and I said "I'm so sorry, officer. I got here as fast as I could."
T: *chuckle* For real?
S: *chuckle* No. Small joke. I know that you're tired of waiting and you may have to wait a little while more but, she's on her way Ted. And she's getting here as fast as she can.
T: Bye, Stella
S: Goodbye, Ted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now I'm not planning to get all melancholy and depressing proclaiming "FML", and whining about how I'm not where I wanted to be at this stage of my life. But I must admit watching that scene last night really tugged at the ol' heart strings.
I see several of my friends in happy and fulfilling relationships, starting families and I want that. When I thought I had it in the past, things were good and now that I don't, well... I feel like I'm adrift at sea. I may just be a hopeless (and maybe a little helpless?) romantic but I don't really enjoy being single.
Don't get me wrong... I'm not looking to dive right in to another relationship but I feel like a social retard when thinking about hooking up with someone. I may just be taking myself too seriously or simply over-thinking things but I haven't gotten very comfortable being single. So my primary focus has been on "doing my thing". Learning to do fun things that I normally didn't (and wouldn't) do in the past.
Nevertheless, I just can't shake the feeling that "time is running out". I'm a big believer in age being a state of mind and that you can be as young as you feel (within reasonable limits, of course). I also am always flattered when people think I'm younger than my actual age. But there are times when I'm left alone with my thoughts and I consider the "what if"s more than the "what now"s. In those moments, I can't stop the little voice in my head, the sappy romantic in me, who reminds me that we are simply waiting for the moment where I find "the one" instead of just going out there and sticking my neck out. I can't accept that things work that way... not any more.
But I'll keep waiting. I know that for as many friends of mine who are "happy", there are many others in the same boat as me. They're out there looking, waiting, or seeking their "one". And with that thought, I sit back and simply take a deep breath. My time - our time - will come. Whether I've met "the one" already or if she's coming into my life in the future, now is not the time to worry about it. I just need to live my life. And she - whoever it is - will get here when she gets here.
And that's all I feel like saying now on that subject.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Birthday Precursor (or B-day Hijinks - Part 1)
I've managed to finally recover from what had to have been the drunkest I've ever been (yes, my HS peeps, even more than that day on Harris Field) from one of the funnest and carefree birthday celebrations I've had.
The way early hours of my birthday went, I was seriously hoping that it would not be a foreshadowing of how the rest of the day would go.
A few days prior to my birthday, I had the bright idea to ring in the big day with a toast at midnight with several friends. Since it was all very last minute and people had to work the next morning (damn you, responsible folks! Killing my buzz before it even starts!), I ended up taking a ride to Brooklyn to enjoy a drink with my best bud, Jorge. It was likely that he wouldn't make my weekend festivities so I figured I'd bring the celebration to him. We've known each other for so long (damn, dude has it really been 20-plus years?!?!) and celebrating a b-day without him is still a foreign idea to me.
I made the drive down the BQE after teaching my night class (no, I did NOT let them out early, though I was tempted). My travel was somewhat delayed due to construction by the northern end of the Gowanus Expressway. Fortunately, I made it to Jorge's place around the time I had initially anticipated (close to 11PM).
Rather than hitting up one of the dive bars in Bay Ridge/Bensonhurst, I suggested we drive up to Park Slope for a place with a bit of ambiance. What I didn't consider was that there ARE NO actual BARS/PUBS in Park Slope. Almost all of the establishments in that area are restaurants/bars and when the kitchen closes, the place closes. I became increasingly frustrated as we drove up and down 5th and 7th Avenues seeing only closed storefronts. I found out later that just about every place closes at 11PM midweek in Park Slope. How annoying. I'm beginning to HATE Brooklyn.
Jorge then offered an excellent idea. Why not swing by downtown Brooklyn? We reasoned that there should be an open bar somewhere on Flatbush Avenue. After driving a few blocks on Flatbush, we began to question the logic behind this decision. That was, until we saw an Applebee's. Resigned to the fact that we may not find anything better, we pulled up and parked. When we tried to open the door we were surprised to find it locked. You see, all this driving around killed about an hour and it was now 5 minutes after midnight. On this particular night, Applebee's closed their doors at midnight.
All I wanted was a freaking drink at midnight. A midnight toast to ring in the ol' b-day. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! (Yes, just like Charlie Brown... lol)
We decided the dive bars around his way were the last places we would visit but going to a diner may be the next best available option. On our first attempt, we found a diner where we could have a small meal and, thankfully, a drink or two from the bar. I ordered myself a Tequila Sunrise and J had a Whiskey Sour.
Shortly after ordering my drink, I proclaimed: "I have experienced so much disappointment after disappointment tonight, I'm just happy this drink will have some alcohol in it. But I still expect it to taste like ass."
Thankfully, the drink was wonderful. Good enough to order a second one, which I drank while eating my spinach/cheese omelette. I know that may not sound very appetizing to some of you but, trust me, it went surprisingly well.
My sister called me while we were eating and I got to speak to her for a little while which was nice. Don't get to speak to her as often as I would like. I'm just not a phone person. What can I say...
Reflecting back on the last night start to my birthday, although it didn't turn out the way I had originally planned, I had a great time with those close to me (even if one was via phone). I didn't know how the rest of the day would turn out, but I knew that if this was a foreshadowing, I was in for a fun-filled birthday.
But, I had to survive another work day first. Keep in mind, it was around 3AM when we left the diner (and close to 4 when I finally got home), I didn't expect to be productive at work the next day AT ALL.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other memorable quotes from the late night "pre b-day" outing:
(1) "That looks more less gay."
(2) "I don't think "Argh, fuck you motherfucker" is pirate speak."
(3) "Brooklyn is f'n whack!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhh... good times, good times. HAHAHA... I guess you had to have been there.
Until next time, faithful reader......
The way early hours of my birthday went, I was seriously hoping that it would not be a foreshadowing of how the rest of the day would go.
A few days prior to my birthday, I had the bright idea to ring in the big day with a toast at midnight with several friends. Since it was all very last minute and people had to work the next morning (damn you, responsible folks! Killing my buzz before it even starts!), I ended up taking a ride to Brooklyn to enjoy a drink with my best bud, Jorge. It was likely that he wouldn't make my weekend festivities so I figured I'd bring the celebration to him. We've known each other for so long (damn, dude has it really been 20-plus years?!?!) and celebrating a b-day without him is still a foreign idea to me.
I made the drive down the BQE after teaching my night class (no, I did NOT let them out early, though I was tempted). My travel was somewhat delayed due to construction by the northern end of the Gowanus Expressway. Fortunately, I made it to Jorge's place around the time I had initially anticipated (close to 11PM).
Rather than hitting up one of the dive bars in Bay Ridge/Bensonhurst, I suggested we drive up to Park Slope for a place with a bit of ambiance. What I didn't consider was that there ARE NO actual BARS/PUBS in Park Slope. Almost all of the establishments in that area are restaurants/bars and when the kitchen closes, the place closes. I became increasingly frustrated as we drove up and down 5th and 7th Avenues seeing only closed storefronts. I found out later that just about every place closes at 11PM midweek in Park Slope. How annoying. I'm beginning to HATE Brooklyn.
Jorge then offered an excellent idea. Why not swing by downtown Brooklyn? We reasoned that there should be an open bar somewhere on Flatbush Avenue. After driving a few blocks on Flatbush, we began to question the logic behind this decision. That was, until we saw an Applebee's. Resigned to the fact that we may not find anything better, we pulled up and parked. When we tried to open the door we were surprised to find it locked. You see, all this driving around killed about an hour and it was now 5 minutes after midnight. On this particular night, Applebee's closed their doors at midnight.
All I wanted was a freaking drink at midnight. A midnight toast to ring in the ol' b-day. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! (Yes, just like Charlie Brown... lol)
We decided the dive bars around his way were the last places we would visit but going to a diner may be the next best available option. On our first attempt, we found a diner where we could have a small meal and, thankfully, a drink or two from the bar. I ordered myself a Tequila Sunrise and J had a Whiskey Sour.
Shortly after ordering my drink, I proclaimed: "I have experienced so much disappointment after disappointment tonight, I'm just happy this drink will have some alcohol in it. But I still expect it to taste like ass."
Thankfully, the drink was wonderful. Good enough to order a second one, which I drank while eating my spinach/cheese omelette. I know that may not sound very appetizing to some of you but, trust me, it went surprisingly well.
My sister called me while we were eating and I got to speak to her for a little while which was nice. Don't get to speak to her as often as I would like. I'm just not a phone person. What can I say...
Reflecting back on the last night start to my birthday, although it didn't turn out the way I had originally planned, I had a great time with those close to me (even if one was via phone). I didn't know how the rest of the day would turn out, but I knew that if this was a foreshadowing, I was in for a fun-filled birthday.
But, I had to survive another work day first. Keep in mind, it was around 3AM when we left the diner (and close to 4 when I finally got home), I didn't expect to be productive at work the next day AT ALL.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other memorable quotes from the late night "pre b-day" outing:
(1) "That looks more less gay."
(2) "I don't think "Argh, fuck you motherfucker" is pirate speak."
(3) "Brooklyn is f'n whack!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhh... good times, good times. HAHAHA... I guess you had to have been there.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Fonseca's NYC performance
It's been nearly a month since my last full post. I hope you've all been able to survive without me and my writing.
Without any further ado, on with the show!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night, I bought a ticket for Fonseca's concert in the city tonight as an early birthday present to myself. I was on the fence for over a week as to whether I really wanted to go or not. Would I want to actually go alone if no one else was interested in coming along? I decided at the last minute (last night) to buy my ticket to the show. Admittedly, I would have loved to have had some company – especially someone who is more genuinely Colombian than I am so that they could help me navigate any issues that might come up. Either way, I went to the show with fairly high expectations based on reviews of the opening show in Miami last week of his Gratitour (a pun of the title of his current album, Gratitud) and a show he did in Charlotte, NC a few days ago (enough Colombians/Latinos in NC to have a show there?? Who knew!?)
There was a ridiculous line outside the venue (the Fillmore at
One of the downsides was my inability to take better pictures since DSLRs were not allowed thus forcing me to revert back to my ol’ standby, my point-and-shoot camera. In the end, that worked out well since I have video capability on that camera (even if the video is grainy and low quality). Another sour moment of the night came when one of the railbirds, understandably, was getting annoyed by my consistent picture taking over his girlfriend’s head. He finally got fed up and turned around basically asking me WTF. We later joked about what happened to my camera since he hadn't seen a flash overhead in over a half hour. I thought to myself, “Haha, a-hole. F**k you.” But we had a good laugh about it anyway because he actually did me a favor. I was now less concerned about taking pictures and was totally dedicated to taking in the performance. It allowed me to enjoy the show THAT much more.
Even if you didn't understand Spanish, the music was so infectious and the set so well organized that ANYONE could get into it and enjoy the show regardless of cultural background. Sure, it helps if you're Colombian, but it's not mandatory to have a good time with Fonseca.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMPLETE SONG SET OF NEW YORK PERFORMANCE::
Concert began at 9:40.
1 - Enredame
2 - Como Me Mira
3 - San Jose
4 - Alma de Hierro
5 - Idilio (slowed r&b-ish version)
6 - Catalina
7 - Paraiso
8 - Sigo Aqui Cantando
....Fonseca talks to the crowd. Shout-out to sponsors, etc....
9 - Perdon
10- Gratitud
11- El Cantor de Fonseca (sick accordion solo for 2-3 min...naaaaasty!!)
12- not sure of the name and didn't quite catch the lyrics.. Slow, mellow, rock-ish jam....
13- Confiesame
14- Viene Subiendo
15- Lagartija Azul
....band member intros - shout outs for engineers/behind the scenes employees and various cities of Colombia....
16- Hace Tiempo (started slow for first verses and the chorus while Fonseca sang and played guitar unaccompanied)
[Time check - 10:56]
17- Te Mando Flores (2nd video below)
[Time - 11:05... when will he do Arroyito already? The audience has been chanting "Arroyito! Arroyito!" on and off between the last several songs]
18- El Rey (Slowed down version, check the video below)
19- Arroyito (uninterrupted lead-in from El Rey before singing the song at "normal" tempo)
....requests from the audience....
20- Simulacion (cover of Diomedes Diaz track)
21- Bonita (cover of Diomedes Diaz track - 3rd video below).
Fonseca indicated that 'Bonita' was a song they didn't normally play but he had to just be teasing us all because they f**king rocked the house down as they ended the night with this song.
Concert ended at 11:25PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video 1 - Pre-concert: crowd singing Carlos Vives
Video 2 - Te Mando Flores (live)
Video 3 - Bonita (live)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time, faithful reader....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BONUS VID!! (Added 3/28)
"El Rey" into "Arroyito"
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Quickie
Hello again,
For those of you who have visited the last week or so expecting a new post, accept my apology. I am away from NYC 'decompressing' at the moment.
I plan to post once I get back to the big city. I can't guarantee a quick post the day of my return but should have one up within a few days. However, some of my pics are up on Facebook already and I will post a link to my flickr account so those of you who are NOT on Facebook (or friends with me there) can see the pics as well.
I hope you have had, or will have, an enjoyable holiday.
Until next time, FR.........
For those of you who have visited the last week or so expecting a new post, accept my apology. I am away from NYC 'decompressing' at the moment.
I plan to post once I get back to the big city. I can't guarantee a quick post the day of my return but should have one up within a few days. However, some of my pics are up on Facebook already and I will post a link to my flickr account so those of you who are NOT on Facebook (or friends with me there) can see the pics as well.
I hope you have had, or will have, an enjoyable holiday.
Until next time, FR.........
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Legacy
I'd like to welcome to my new readers and welcome back my loyal followers,
A good friend started working with Jose Cuervo recently. Yes, the tequila company and not some individual with the same name. Earlier today, he commented (via his Facebook status) about how he tasted one of their brands of tequila and it made me think about my grandparents.
My maternal grandfather owned a plenty of land in Portugal when my mother was young. Included in his list of properties was a vineyard where he grew his own grapes and made his own wine. He had a large staff that would perform most of the manual labor in the vineyards - cultivating the grapes, picking them, and processing them. The wines were bottled and sold regionally. The family has since sold the vineyard and it's part of some large conglomerate in Portugal.
My paternal grandfather worked at the Bavaria brewery in Colombia. [If you're curious about the brewery's timeline in Colombia, click here] His position with the brewery is the equivalent of what would now be considered the Quality Control specialist. Essentially, he spent his days drinking different batches of beer and putting his stamp of approval on beer before it was bottled. The brewery is still there but I don't think any of my relatives are employed with them any more.
You'd figure with this legacy of wine and beer in my family's history I would be a connoisseur of either wine or beer, if not both. Sadly, I'm not. This is not to say I don't appreciate a good beer or wine but I know very little about the different varieties, types, styles, tastes, etc. of wine and/or beer.
Growing up, my parents didn't really have much of an influence on my ability to discern good wine/beer from bad ones. My parents had simple tastes and a limited budget. They drank what they liked and what they were familiar with. My father may have drank different types of alcohol but he drank the same brands. Also, his taste buds were shot from decades of smoking. If tabasco sauce barely registers on your tongue and you can eat jalapeño peppers (seeds, pith, and all) in a few bites, it's not merely being accustomed to the taste and 'heat'. He barely sensed it at all! My mother also had a select few brands of wines that she would drink and wasn't much of a beer/liquor drinker. She'd have the occasional cocktail at a party but wasn't adventurous at all.
When I first started going out, I also stuck with what I knew.
--Beers: Coronas. Coors Light. Sagres (if I was at a function with my mom's family). Budweiser (if nothing else was around - just to have a beer in hand).
--Wines: To me, all reds were the same and whites were kinda sissy even though they went decently with seafood dishes.
--Liquors: Long Island Iced Teas to get you f'd up quicker (an easy way to get the 'poor man's buzz'). Rum and Coke (because a friend once told me they're really easy to make and hard to mess up).
After a few years, I explored other alcoholic beverages... more on the liquor end of the alcoholic spectrum: Red Devils (an suitable, if somewhat girly, alternative to the LI Iced Teas); White Russians; Anything with Kahlua!; Mojitos (mint in a drink? I was perplexed at first since I couldn't imagine how it could possibly work); I discovered the wonders and horrors of tequila - I understood why so many people avoided it (taste and the 'next day' effects) and why so few liked it; also, Aguardiente (as an expression of my Colombian-ness!).
However, without a 'guide', I was a blind man being led by other blind folks. My friends knew what they liked and also didn't seem to explore beyond those boundaries. I did what I could to try new drinks: incorporating them into Jello was my initial fascination but learning how to make 'party' drinks was also fun (punch, margaritas, etc.)
In recent years, I've decided to take some initiative and try buying different types of red wines. I did this to explore the differences between each type of wine and also to see if there really IS a difference between 'cheap' and 'expensive' wines. I don't feel I'm ready for a wine tasting session yet but definitely have that in my sights for the near future.
Though I may be viniculturally challenged, it was my personal exploration into reds that led me to discover my sangria recipe. The BFS actually ("Best Fn Sangria"). It's a labor of love but everyone that has tried it has given me very positive feedback thus far. I'm constantly looking to improve upon the original recipe and some tweaks have worked while other haven't. Though I have friends who can whip up a quick sangria (and delicious) at the bar, I'm a big believer that a better sangria can be made if the ingredients are given the chance to sit and "get to know each other a little" - preferably overnight but it can be for as few as 4 hours or so.
I was also introduced to Belgian beers by a friend earlier this year (didn't 2009 just start?!?!?), . I realized I have a lot to learn about beer and may have to include a beer tasting in my future as well. Maybe a few beerfests are what I need this summer/fall. Not just to get sloshed but to enjoy the different tastes and qualities of each type of beer.
Maybe the ghosts of my grandfathers can stop by once in a while and provide me with some guidance as well. Or maybe that would be insanely creepy and would scare the bejeezus outta me!! (Hmmm... be careful what you wish for, Alan...) I'll be sure to let you all know if I get any 'late night visitors'.
Until next time, faithful reader.......
A good friend started working with Jose Cuervo recently. Yes, the tequila company and not some individual with the same name. Earlier today, he commented (via his Facebook status) about how he tasted one of their brands of tequila and it made me think about my grandparents.
My maternal grandfather owned a plenty of land in Portugal when my mother was young. Included in his list of properties was a vineyard where he grew his own grapes and made his own wine. He had a large staff that would perform most of the manual labor in the vineyards - cultivating the grapes, picking them, and processing them. The wines were bottled and sold regionally. The family has since sold the vineyard and it's part of some large conglomerate in Portugal.
My paternal grandfather worked at the Bavaria brewery in Colombia. [If you're curious about the brewery's timeline in Colombia, click here] His position with the brewery is the equivalent of what would now be considered the Quality Control specialist. Essentially, he spent his days drinking different batches of beer and putting his stamp of approval on beer before it was bottled. The brewery is still there but I don't think any of my relatives are employed with them any more.
You'd figure with this legacy of wine and beer in my family's history I would be a connoisseur of either wine or beer, if not both. Sadly, I'm not. This is not to say I don't appreciate a good beer or wine but I know very little about the different varieties, types, styles, tastes, etc. of wine and/or beer.
Growing up, my parents didn't really have much of an influence on my ability to discern good wine/beer from bad ones. My parents had simple tastes and a limited budget. They drank what they liked and what they were familiar with. My father may have drank different types of alcohol but he drank the same brands. Also, his taste buds were shot from decades of smoking. If tabasco sauce barely registers on your tongue and you can eat jalapeño peppers (seeds, pith, and all) in a few bites, it's not merely being accustomed to the taste and 'heat'. He barely sensed it at all! My mother also had a select few brands of wines that she would drink and wasn't much of a beer/liquor drinker. She'd have the occasional cocktail at a party but wasn't adventurous at all.
When I first started going out, I also stuck with what I knew.
--Beers: Coronas. Coors Light. Sagres (if I was at a function with my mom's family). Budweiser (if nothing else was around - just to have a beer in hand).
--Wines: To me, all reds were the same and whites were kinda sissy even though they went decently with seafood dishes.
--Liquors: Long Island Iced Teas to get you f'd up quicker (an easy way to get the 'poor man's buzz'). Rum and Coke (because a friend once told me they're really easy to make and hard to mess up).
After a few years, I explored other alcoholic beverages... more on the liquor end of the alcoholic spectrum: Red Devils (an suitable, if somewhat girly, alternative to the LI Iced Teas); White Russians; Anything with Kahlua!; Mojitos (mint in a drink? I was perplexed at first since I couldn't imagine how it could possibly work); I discovered the wonders and horrors of tequila - I understood why so many people avoided it (taste and the 'next day' effects) and why so few liked it; also, Aguardiente (as an expression of my Colombian-ness!).
However, without a 'guide', I was a blind man being led by other blind folks. My friends knew what they liked and also didn't seem to explore beyond those boundaries. I did what I could to try new drinks: incorporating them into Jello was my initial fascination but learning how to make 'party' drinks was also fun (punch, margaritas, etc.)
In recent years, I've decided to take some initiative and try buying different types of red wines. I did this to explore the differences between each type of wine and also to see if there really IS a difference between 'cheap' and 'expensive' wines. I don't feel I'm ready for a wine tasting session yet but definitely have that in my sights for the near future.
Though I may be viniculturally challenged, it was my personal exploration into reds that led me to discover my sangria recipe. The BFS actually ("Best Fn Sangria"). It's a labor of love but everyone that has tried it has given me very positive feedback thus far. I'm constantly looking to improve upon the original recipe and some tweaks have worked while other haven't. Though I have friends who can whip up a quick sangria (and delicious) at the bar, I'm a big believer that a better sangria can be made if the ingredients are given the chance to sit and "get to know each other a little" - preferably overnight but it can be for as few as 4 hours or so.
I was also introduced to Belgian beers by a friend earlier this year (didn't 2009 just start?!?!?), . I realized I have a lot to learn about beer and may have to include a beer tasting in my future as well. Maybe a few beerfests are what I need this summer/fall. Not just to get sloshed but to enjoy the different tastes and qualities of each type of beer.
Maybe the ghosts of my grandfathers can stop by once in a while and provide me with some guidance as well. Or maybe that would be insanely creepy and would scare the bejeezus outta me!! (Hmmm... be careful what you wish for, Alan...) I'll be sure to let you all know if I get any 'late night visitors'.
Until next time, faithful reader.......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)