Nov 24-Nov 30 - The Longest Weekend and Warm, Sunny Days in November

The short work week is a good thing. I don't usually take the day after Thanksgiving off of work but going away on vacation is a very necessary distraction to the day to day grind and the need for a change in scenery. With plenty of work during Wednesday to handle the group was not able to take off from work too early but once we brought the level of problem tickets and expedite requests down to a reasonable level we were able to finally take a break and go downstairs to have a drink with the coworkers down at bar in the building. With some that had already been in attendance for a few hours I arrived late to the drinking but quickly downed two drinks to try and catch up to the early starters. Since I still had to go and have dinner I knew I couldn't have too much before eating a full meal but had plenty of fun eating fried calamari and having all kinds of conversations with my quick drinking coworkers. I finally left around 8:30 and was able to get the PATH train pretty quickly but ended up waiting an inordinate time for R Train. I retrieved a voicemail from my friend Denise and endeavored to call back but was foiled by the station interference and the oncoming train. I eventually got home and had a nice dinner for party fuel in preparation to go and be out and about once again. We got underway late but found plenty of others had the same idea and were heading into the city. Pais and I arrived just after midnight surprising Brett with our appearance on a Wednesday night. As Pais' cousin stated however the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest party nights of the year especially because so many people are going to get up late and eat one meal on Thanksgiving day. Might as well get the sure fun of the hangout done before the fun with the family begins. Splash was hosting another Tribe party with DJ Eliot Dehoyos and the crowd definitely packed into the place to dance and drink and be merry.
The place was packed both upstairs and down and the mood of the music while tribal was more upbeat than the darker sound at the previous Tribe party of a few Fridays ago. The weather was warm enough however that I was able to go outside for a bottle of water in between dancing on the stage and even lighting up my hands once while on stage. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, enjoying the warm weather and the happy crowd before we picked up our coats at coat check and left the party at 3:45. We rode back into BK tired but happy with the night and awaiting the promise of much food the next day.

We woke up around 11 cleaned up and after deciding to pick something up on the way we stepped out into the daylight. Having already seen the weather forecast of rain but currently seeing the sun and noting the current temperature we decided to bring the leather jackets with but not wear them. Yet. We picked up a breakfast at the gas station during a fill-up and decided on a bagel and coffee for Pais and an Arizona 100% coffee and milk for myself. The drive up the BQE was uneventful, discussing prank phone call names and the only real traffic was at the Koskiusko bridge. The finished road work closer to the turn-off for the Triboro bridge looked nice as it had seemed like an endless round of construction but now the final stage appears to be taking shape, with noise barriers for the roadside and nice brickwork and astroturf at the different overpasses. An ezpass toll and a hopscotch of Bronx highways later we were able drive up to pick up Amy. We spoke with a friend they grew up with, something about phones and old ones vs new but in the end we said we would think about it (not) and be on our way. We had some traffic on the Cross Bronx before heading for the GWB and the holiday drivers along the way. We made the turn off to head towards Giants stadium and Rutherford NJ but as we followed the turn a little too closely we ended up turned all the way around and heading for the Lincoln Tunnel and NYC. Thankfully a well placed turn off and we were once again headed in the right direction. Just as the fam started to wonder as to our current location we made the final exit and drove up to the site of family dinner. This year the family next door was also hosting so we arrived simultaneously with another car but went to different houses. We left the umbrella outside in the light mist and went inside to say hi to the fam. Pais' family had us over for Thanksgiving dinner and we enjoyed a fabulous repast. A well cooked turkey, homemade mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all of the rest of the fixings and 3 separate family tables and a short time later the dinner had elapsed and we awaited dessert. Several conversations and some coffee later we were ready to enjoy pumpkin pie, cheesecake (chocolate and a strawberry) and brownies. A few more conversations later we were ready to return home and digest. We said our goodnights put on our coats and stepped out into the much cooler night. The ride home was uneventful, dropping off Amy and heading back home to chillax. We rested at home for a while and made sure we were all packed for our trip the next day. A nice list makes it all easier as we made sure we were not leaving anything behind that would be necessary back in the warm. After I packed I found that the dinnertime lethargy had worn off and I was ready to stay up rather than catch a 5 hour sleep before leaving for the airport. Pais stayed in to nap while I was going out to hang and dance once again. The car company did not answer the phone so I walked down the street and picked up a car at the dispatch. The ride started ok but construction traffic on the highway drove us onto side streets and then across Brooklyn Heights and eventually across the Brooklyn Bridge. The driver got me there pretty fast despite the mishaps and I got in to hang with DJ Billy Carroll and the boys on a Thursday night for the college party. While the place was not as full as the previous night when more people had off for the next day it was still had plenty of guys out to have a good time and dance some more. I stayed downstairs with Brett as various party goers found different ways to amuse themselves and enjoy the party beats. I promised Brett a new mix CD before Christmas to pressure myself to complete it before taking too long. I danced on the stage and even spoke to the DJ to pick his brain on the play list "Tribal Madness" and "Get You High" were some of the tunes I found out about that night. I stayed until 4 which happened to be closing time when the crowd dipped below a certain density. I said goodnight to Brett and put on my coat and walked out to an empty street. With no cabs in sight I walked down to the train station and made my way home on the train. That was when the night took a turn for the worse and I discovered after falling asleep on the train, waking up in the middle of Brooklyn, and starting to walk home that my sense of direction was shot. I walked in the wrong direction twice and finally called Pais to let him know my predicament of being stranded mid- Brooklyn. After making sure I would stay in one place, Pais drove up in the Murano and brought me back to Park Slope. We then got the bags together and ran out to the car service car and made our way to the airport. After check in, security check and getting on the plane I seemed to have picked up some sort of allergy, either to impending Florida or something someone was wearing but I sneezed like 12 times before finally blowing my nose and then falling asleep. My long night finally caught up with me and I slept like I was in a sleeping contest. Thankfully I awoke when we landed and we headed down to baggage claim to get our stuff and check in with Enterprise rent-a-car. We picked up the Toyota Camry and rode up to the hotel which was like right up the street from the rental place. The shuttle from the airport had taken us halfway to our destination. The check in was quick but then we did not read the directions on the keys and could not get into the room (wrong end). The room was the same as always with the difference that it housed a rolling shower which meant there was no sides of the tub to walk in. You just pulled aside the curtain and stepped in. I liked it and I'm sure its much easier to clean than the tracks of a shower stall. We rested after the trip and then dressed to go out to the softball fields. We were finally going to hang in the Florida sun. We met the team in the lobby and after gathering all the troops we headed out to the fields in three cars. We were only 20 min from the fields and after driving through city hall area of Ft Lauderdale (scene of the election protests of the year 2000) we drove up to the fields, paid our 6 dollar entry fee and parked. The team got together, found out where they were playing and did some warm up throws in the outfield. I even put on a glove myself and warmed up pitching, catching with pitcher Ken. The first round-robin game was close but ended finally in a tie. Nobody won but nobody lost either but then we waited for another hour and played the second game. This one the team won, not easily but nicely and with a good record the team awaited the games the next day. At the fields we ate hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hotdogs and did our best to not get any sunburn. After the games they even had a stand with mixed drinks and between those and the beers we went back to the hotel nice and toasty. Chris met a friend from back in NY, Bob F. and back at the hotel the Woof party was meeting so there were plenty of big guys to see back at the Hotel. For dinner we decided to get together and go to Wendy's, something fast but good. Afterwards, with a brief rest, we piled into two cars and drove down to South Beach to spend our Friday night at club Twist. Since the teams next games of the tournament were not supposed to be until after 1pm, there appeared to be enough time to hang out, get back and get some rest in. There was a nice size crowd in town and every club on the strip on Washington Avenue seemed to be hosting a party. We ended up parking in a parking garage a few blocks down and walking past all the clubs on the main drag. There seemed to be another party every few feet with security guards out front and people handing out flyers and invites. We finally walked up front of the club and headed in. We circulated to a nice mix of songs from the hip-hop room, to the Deep House in the main room and the packed dance floor. The dance room is small but they pile in and dance to the hard beats no matter what. We went to the back bar to pick up our drinks and wander through the 2 level-2 side club. I ended the night dancing in the Dance music room near the wall with hand and leg aglow. We headed out of the club around 4am and made our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. The drive back was uneventful, despite the Florida driver penchant for changing lanes without signaling, driving at high uneven speeds in all lanes and coming so close to neighboring vehicles they can change the color of the car paint.

We woke up at 11am and found that the team had already left for the field so after a quick shower in the walk-in we ran down to the car and headed out to the fields. Myself , Pais, Chris and the Jimmy stopped to get some breakfast at a gas station on the way to the fields to grab something to eat. While they didn't have Arizona coffee in a bottle, I did get a Starbucks Frappucino and Pais found the last bagel in the place. Outside Chris was confronted with the aimless homeless but I avoided the trap myself while going back to the car with the all purpose headphones on head (my own personal force field). This way I can ignore people professionally. The asker did try to get my attention once in the car but he gave up when everyone else came back and we headed off towards the field. We passed the place the first time but after a quick turnaround we found the entrance and paid another six dollars and parked. We located the rest of team and settled in for some real games after the round-robin completed. The team played well but the other team had gotten too far ahead and even with a 9 run inning at the end the game ended 15 to 16 (loss). The team then had to spend the rest of the afternoon chilling out and waiting for the next game at 5:30. We relaxed in the grass, ate a lunch of burgers and hotdogs (since I am always suspicious of non-restaurant sausage) and sodas, water and gaterade. The next game started badly, with the team not making some plays in the outfield, or the infield and the other team getting a nice jump. Of course that could not continue. The beginning of the game had no cohesion and I lost interest. I continued reading my new copy of Magical Thinking, a perfect read with a collection of true short stories that are totally funny and put me in a good mood. I was glad I decided to not just bring my normal selection of fantasy and science fiction novels and had something different while I was on vacation. When I looked up from my book the team was in the midst of rallying back from behind and making several shocking hits, doubles and triples and home runs to bring the team back in and then win. That excitement was carried over into the next game and I was especially interested after Bob F. returned to the fields before his trip back to NY and hung out and he helped me spectate while the team played their game. Nothing like a few well timed beers for the spectators to make them loud and very interested. Unfortunately the other team did not go along with the cheers and the team was unable to maintain the momentum and eventually succumbed to a one point loss. Of course then it was time to clear off the playing field grab a few beers and decide on the rest of the evening. No games the next day meant we would definitely have a group wanting to go and hang out. After watching some more of the other teams we headed out to the car and made our way back to the hotel. After some cleaning up, a short nap break, and a Papa Johns pizza dinner it was time to head out and re-group. That is form up two different groups to go to two different parties. Pais, the Jimmy, Jeff, Jo and Stephen were going to north miami and visiting Club Boi. Chris, Mike F. , myself and Ed, Kevin, and Vinny heading nearby to The Coliseum. The Coliseum was hosting the South Florida version of a big party Saturday Night and as we drove up to the place in the light rain and Mike valet parked the car before we walked in, paid our 15 dollars and were hustled into a little waiting area. After walking around the crowded little space and I was asked what was going on a few times (I knew the last time I was there it was kinda big) we had a fountain of information (and stray saliva) turn to us and tell us what was going on. The party usually took time to fill up a big room so they would normally fill up the pre-space before allowing us into the main room. Because of so many out of towners and parties (the Woof party was going on right next door), they opened the big party room at 11:35 instead of 12 midnight. The room was overcold when we first walked in and I endeavored to warm up by having a few drinks to get the blood flowing. The DJ for the eve was NY import Chad Jack and he warmed the crowd up with some rather hard beats but then came back to get the crowd with some old favorites. The place gradually got full with only the dancing-old-man in yellow short shorts on the floor at first and then a nice size crowd. When it was time for the live show around 1am the performer did a whole dance routine to "Took My Life" and had four back up dancers. Nice choreography (of course I was on a bench with a superior view of the act) and it ended with a confetti blast and a light blast from the ceiling CO2 machines. Despite a break refilling my wallet at the $4.99 ATM machine we still had fun. We segued into more house music with some remixes of "Free" and "Glamorous Life" along with "DirtyFilthy" which kept the party pumping well into the night. At one point they sprayed so much smoke onto the floor that while cooling the place down we could not see anything in front of your face and were afraid to move less you trip and fall. The music stayed upbeat and the party went on until well into the night. The amount of drinks I had, while not as strong as the NY drinks made up for it in the volume of the glasses and happy bartenders. We stayed until after 5 and made our way home with the psychic cabby (nobody remembers telling him where we were going). And then after making sure my cohorts made it back to their room I headed up to floor 11 where I was staying and promptly crashed. I remember making sure Pais was ok too and going right back to bed.

Sunday morning took some time to recover by waking up, drinking some water and then heading back to bed to finish the recovery. By 1:30 in the afternoon we all got up, took a trip over to Radio Shack to buy a new phone charger (expensive), and then walk over to Miami Subs and get a cheesesteak. The sandwich was good enough and afterwards I headed down to the pool to hang with the members of the team who were getting some sun. We all reminisced, told stories and fought with the ants. I relaxed, read an issue of Details magazine and laughed as we had a cool time under the shade and out of the sun (no tan for me). Pais and Jimmy came down and we went back up and rested some more. Eventually it was time for dinner and while we discussed all sorts of options eventually me and Pais went across the street and checked out the Irish Pub. It did not seem like the sort of place I would care to eat and no one else was eating so we headed back out and down the block and across the street to Denny's. There the service was friendly and the food was good though a little too fried tasting but the music was highly distracting. One song made me bust out laughing it sounded so bad (something about hands across the water, hands across the sea). We finished our food and headed back to the hotel. We picked up the rest of our evenings entourage and piled into two cars to head down to South Beach. Jo and Stephen in the car with me and Pais in the Camry and in the other car Jeff, Marq and the Jimmy in the Grand Am. During much discussion we headed down to South Beach and club Twist once again. Despite the two groups we had going down we were all looking forward to a great time once again. On this night we arrived around midnight and enjoyed a nice crowd out back starting at the dancer's house and while outside we met a great bartender at the outside bar. We kept on coming back throughout the night in between trips to the dance floor upstairs. We played pool downstairs, enjoyed a drink promotion (Alize Blue) and danced. The boys were fun, we met a few new friends and we drank like fish. Eventually the end of the night rolled up and we all had to decide how we were going to return to the hotel. Jo ended up coming back with Pais and myself while Jeff and Marq waited for Jimmy to get ready to go and they would make sure him and his got back Ok. The night was good but the boys were sleepy. There went Monday and one more day of vacation.

We woke up on Monday and decided that we wanted to eat a more hearty breakfast. After the group got together we headed over to Denny's for a meal with Marq, Jeff, Pais and the Jimmy. On this day the Denny's had a much brighter atmosphere and much better music. Our waitress for today started bringing us drinks even before we could completely imbibe the ones we already had. Our table ended up like a glass player demonstration, with all the different heights of drinks ready for the person to play. When our food finally arrived we ended up having to squeeze all of the plates onto the oddly shaped table and rearrange the contents until we had a table covered on every surface with a bowl, condiment, plate or napkin. The food was good however and we all were able to enjoy a great meal (except one who thought it was overcooked) and go back to the hotel happy. We then started playing cards, various teams organized to see who could play a game of spades. 3 games later we took a break to go to the gym. The gym, come to found out, was right over our hotel room and while it did not have any free weights it did have two rooms of machines and we did get in a good work out. We did stop for a bit while the softball team was discussed with Chris and Jeff. It seems that the team is breaking up. Not that the changes were unexpected, especially after the play and team feelings after the World Series. No surprises, not really, but it is sad to see another era over with. Hopefully everyone will go on to bigger and better things. We shall see. I continued with my workout while the discussions were going on and finished up the parts I wanted to do. However the sudden change from still to all pumped up left me a little light headed and I went back down to the room to sit still. After a short rest I changed clothes and got prepared for our evening. After we all convened on the Jimmys room we prepared to go out and have dinner. Stephen said goodbye to his friends and four of us had a dinner at Outback Steakhouse. We had a good dinner (steaks, chicken, ribs) then made our way back to the room. All of us played 2 more games of spades and then we decided to journey down to South Beach for our final night in FL. We knew we could not stay out too late but at the same time we wanted to make sure that we enjoyed our final day. We found parking just 2 blocks up and over and made our way down and walked in. The crowd was the lightest it had been in our circuit of days but they still seemed happy and ready to party. In between trips over to our bartender over in the hip-hop room and trips back the dance room where we listened to "How Would You Feel" and "Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous. We danced, watched snatches of "Mean Girls" on the video monitor and then were treated to a live performance by "J" and his two backup dancers. His height definitely helped him to be able to perform so athletically in such a tight space as the Twist Dance floor and the red light that lit the floor. After the performance I even got handed one of his mix CDs and was able to take it with. After a little more dancing it was time to leave and get some rest before our flight the next day. After some mix ups with finding everyone and even some "raised voices" by myself to make sure some knew I was serious we left South Beach behind and made our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. We discussed different parts of our weekend and then said our good nights and goodbyes and we went to sleep.

Tuesday morning we awoke with an out of control alarm clock, quickly silenced. Then we hurriedly cleaned up, picked up and made our way down to the car rental center and returned the vehicle. The Jetblue flight was on time and we really had no time to eat anything sizable but were surprised that so many flights were making it into the terminal that in order to stay on time they were boarding everyone from both ends of the plane and while some were going through the tubeway others were walking outside and walking up the stairs like the reverse of the government flights with the guy waving from the steps as they come down. Oh well it was an interesting visual but we piled into our seats and the guy next to us boarded late (dead last) causing the flight crew to become slightly agitated as they mentally prepared themselves for having to match all of the bags with passengers. Thankfully we were able to finally get it together and take off. I ended up not watching the tv, just the ads as we rested, ate snacks and listened to the ipod. Except for the one big bump as we stopped flying over water and entered Long Island airspace, the flight was smooth. I knew it was because of the temperature change and thankfully nothing else happened before we landed. We called for a car and then prepared to pick up our bags at the baggage check. After we got there the crowd showed their impatience by some complaining about things they could do nothing about and whining about nothing. Finally our bags arrived and we made our way out of the terminal. We waited a very short time and then our nice grey grand marquis pulled up and we made our way home. We discussed some more points of our trip and made it home rather quickly. We thanked the driver, opened the door and ended the longest weekend ever. A nice chinese dinner to end the night and then we slowed down to a close. Until next time babes. Keep up the fun and hope you keep having fun too. I wouldn't change a thing.

Nov 19-21 - Gaming Nights and Latenight Beef

Too much week and never enough weekend. But such is life. I arrived home at 10pm with a chicken parmesan dinner and Pais and the Jimmy watching basketball. I consumed the dinner, went on to the back bathroom to cut my hair and cleaned up before selecting an outfit and readying for the trip out into the night. We left just after 11pm after watching live and highlight of the basketbrawl that happened between the Pacers and Pistons on the Detroit home court. I especially liked the last televised punch thrown on the court itself. It happened as Artest walked away and the guy who attacked him on the floor got his comeuppance as a fist came fast and furious from the side and took him out of the fight. Thank goodness such acts of violence don't happen when I go out (not usually). I wouldn't want to see people get suspended from the clubs, or even the bars when they just came there to dance. I know emotions run high and all but its all about the fun. After those sights we left the house and journeyed into the city only to be held up by an accident underneath the promenade, construction on Broadway and runaway garbage trucks blocking traffic on side streets. After we finally found parking and made our way to the club it seemed friendly enough when we arrived but then found the doorman was holding us up for some reason. In his slightly fuzzy state he kept us standing at the door until a check on his phone for the time and conferring with the cashier he determined he would let us in after midnight. We saw through his ploy however and made a note to cut him out of the will. But other than that there was no other drama upon arrival and the coatcheck and then finding our bartender at the downstairs bar went over rather easily. Brett stated that he enjoyed the new mix CD and had already loaned it out to a friend/fan of the tunes and mix. I gave Jimmy the dime rate tour of the downstairs as this was his first trip to Splash since before they had completed renovations to the new decor. I hung out downstairs for a while and then journeyed upstairs to dance. I was on the floor for the my dance and worked my way out to the middle of the crowd. However when Ofra Haza and "Love Song" came on I knew I had to make my way up to the stage and dance in front of the big mirror. I even ignited my hands and flashed the lights to the crowd. I waited until after the song concluded (to make sure the mix of songs was not in the same order as my own), before heading back downstairs to get another drink. While I was waiting to order another who should appear behind me (to a huge hug in response) but our dear friend Ricky. After having talked on the phone earlier in the week he surprised me by coming out and looking for me at the bar. We headed upstairs and talked and wandered around and then came back ordered some drinks and I gave another tour of the amenities downstairs (dancer showers, DJ booth, new lounges and redesigned bathroom). We then headed back upstairs and danced some more. The evening passed quickly and we hung out with the boys and enjoyed the sounds of DJ Billy Carroll well into the night. We left the party around 3:45am and caught a taxi back towards Brooklyn. The ride was quick and smooth and the time to go to sleep was upon us. I remembered to take my vitamins and take out my contacts before I went to sleep then and woke up the same day.

I got up around 11pm and watched TV, ate breakfast, and moved stuff around the house until I got a call from my brother who was headed off of SI and into BK to hang out. Later on when I called him back he was in transit and almost to the last stop so we headed out to pick him up on 86th street and then pick up lunch on the way back. We ended up getting the late lunch at KFC and having a bucket, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese to stuff with before watching movies on the DVR. With some of the oldest movies finally watched and then erased the DVR should act better for once. (For some reason if it does not have plenty of empty space it starts getting cranky). Finally after some disco napping and a quick shower I was ready to head out into the city once again. Pais drove and the music was popping for another trip into the city. Thankfully the various dramas of the previous day were not in evidence as we made good time and parked in the lot before heading over to the line at the front door. Rumours from the previous night and posters on the walls seemed to indicate that Destiny's Child was supposed to be visiting the Roxy. However once inside we noted that the stage configuration, the fact that the space in front of the booth was open to dance on, and that Peter was not yet manning the turntables at our arrival showed that rumors were just that and no special guests were going to be attending on this night (maybe next week since Peter was DJing the following weekend as well I figured it could still happen soon). The music started out as buildup candy that I'm used to hearing on these nights and as the classic "Turn me Over" played on the speakers Peter himself took the party reigns mid-song and the night truly got underway. The mood turned tribal and then segued into the full club night story as the levels of complexity built with visits from Duane and Jeff to hang with us on the dancefloor. Then a stop over in the asian section as the at first standoffish denizens of the speaker became congenial and smiling after I lasered the discoball during one of the dark moments while the song of the moment was building. Our barman Barker kept the drinks up to par and after I turned down an offer to drink and then decided better of it he then gave me a drink so strong I could wave it at my friends for them to get a contact drink on. However in the zone as I was I enjoyed it fully and with a trip outside to cool off and then some more dancing (and even lip synching while hanging with Pais) I had a very good time and even the line at the bathroom couldn't slow me down. Before I left for the evening I climbed up onto the speaker near the door, lit up both my hands and did one final dance for the crowd before stepping down and heading out and onto the street. I told Pais I was in the mood for something to eat since we had eaten our late lunch/early dinner so long before. We headed right across the street to the diner (trap) that was close but crowded and got a seat. After waiting for a bit I looked at the oncoming waitress expectantly but was ignored as she muttered something about 4 others waiting for her attention. At 4:30 in the morning I was not in the mood to wait so we quickly left and ignored the protesting staff as we walked out and got into the car and drove up the street to the diner with the bright lights at about 22nd street. Instead of the service we had received just a few minutes before the staff at the new place rushed over to place water on our table and ask us for our order. Several minutes after that when I was eating my potato chip french fries and my juicy bacon cheeseburger I knew I had made the right choice and bit into the afterhours meal with gusto. Once that meal was over and feeling much better we headed for home and made it look easy. Echoes of the songs of the eve were playing in our heads and the mix CD was playing in the car. We arrived in BK with no stress and with a quick check to make sure all was in order it was off to sleep.

The Sunday rolled in nicely with a great breakfast and then time to watch some more TV, play some video games with Ian through the afternoon and then decide where to go for dinner. The new Dallas BBQ in Bklyn was not phone listed but I knew the location so around 6:30 we headed out and over to Schemerhorn behind the Fulton St Macy's. Of course with all of the church traffic and BK proximity the place was packed and very loud and I could not see myself waiting with the crowd so we piled back into the car and headed over the Bklyn Bridge once again. We ended up going to the always ready 23rd St BBQ and enjoying quick service, good food and a very enjoyable tangerine colada. Ian had a Blue Hawaii and we all enjoyed a great dinner as the food was just as good as we expected. Afterwards we headed back towards home while enjoying the nice toastiness of a good drink on a Sunday night. We stopped at Pathmark for some soda, juice and milk and then made our way back home to enjoy some mint girl scout cookies and milk. Pais went to bed as Ian and myself played XMen legends on the Gamecube until late in the night. We finally had to stop playing when I could not keep my eyes from burning any longer and said our goodnights.

Another weekend under wraps. Plenty of talking, eating and dancing and video games too. Too bad the weekend isn't longer. But that's what vacation is for. See you next week.

Nov 12-14 - Two Fridays and the Two New Girls in NY

Veteran's Day this year on a Thursday means that with no work the next day I actually endeavoured and succeded in having a midweek Friday on Wednesday Night. Worked the queue at work to a manageable level and left work to get home to have my dinner. Delivery of chinese food and an outfit change and we were ready to step out right after 11pm and travel into the city to hang. Despite the fact that it was a day off on Thursday for most it was not a legal holiday so with the courts still open the next day and all traffic signs still in effect I was surprised at how light the crowd was. I went downstairs first and after coat check I said hi to barman Brett. He was surprised to see us midweek but then he always works the same days anyway and did not realize holiday hours were in effect. I went upstairs to see how the crowd was doing on the dancefloor and noticed that the floor was not too full and the drunk girl vibe was in full effect. I was approached by two aggressively dancing skinny girls in less than 5 minutes and after being rescued from their attentions by the male friends they came with, I stayed out on the floor as DJ Mike Rizzo played what seemed to be a peak our mix of tunes that kept the energy going at an unsustainable pitch and even when the song changed to a remix of Destiny's Child and "Lose my Breath" I left before the song was over to get another drink and check on Pais. Dowstairs we watched music videos mixed by VJ Max Rodriguez and even caught a rare mixthru of ONJ and "Xanadu". Also while I was downstairs I talked to and was introduced to one of the club managers that I had already met at a distance but now met in person. Manager Ron and I exchanged cards and I got a few more drinks and danced some more but for a little while was just going through the motions. Then the Superchumbo tune of "DirtyFilthy" came on and I got to dance some more near the front bar. After finishing off our last drinks we left the space at 1:55am and made it back to BK to rest up the following day. Thursday was spent just relaxing and catching up on some missed programming. Pais had to go to handle court but made it back before too late in the evening. Thursday night was a pizza night and the shows were taped so we could watch at leisure. One more workday ahead so it was not too late a night before bed.

Friday was another day of work but not too bad as most people had either taken the day off or knew somebody that did. I made the debut of my Super Mario mushroom hoody at work and put in another long day on a rainy Friday. A brief sojourn for lunch with a trip to the bank (make that two) and then a trip to Journeys for a new pair of kicks and some more shopping at Bath and Body Works. Finished out the work day by 9pm and even caught a ride home with Monica who had driven in to work that day. Arrived at home by 9:40 and finished off dinner from Jack's Fifth Ave while watching 20/20. Once the local news came on I had already changed and cleaned up and was ready to head out for another Friday out and headed into the city once again to see what was up. This night Splash was hosting their monthly party Tribalism and DJ Elliot DeHoyos was doing his best to make sure we knew the theme from the moment we stepped in. Downstairs was much more busy than 2 days earlier as the regular Friday night crowd made an appearance and watched the distract on the screens over the bar as a better sounding mix of the music upstairs came in from above. The midrange was tweaked a little better than before so the music did not sound so muffled as usual as we hung out in the lounge. Brett signaled that he heard the change of the music right before I did and I made a trip upstairs to dance on the stage to a customized version of "Lola's Theme" that removed most of the vocals but left all of the parts that had the chorus and replayed the whole until it seemed like a full length song. After that and some more high energy beats I went back downstairs to get another drink and found Pais sitting one seat over from "friar Tuck". The strange bowl cut hair do on the otherwise normally dressed man was continously distracting and Pais stated that even Brett had noticed and wrote him a note on a napkin. I can't understand what some people come out for if they just sit and nurse drinks except that its more fun to drink around other people than to drink alone, something I can totally understand myself. After making sure I gave Brett a copy of my newest mix CD (workout music) I went back upstairs to dance some more and noticed two girls in front of the stage while I was dancing. They were on the dancefloor having fun and I could see it even from the stage and I could see their smiles from where I was. When I saw them getting their coats and readying to leave I came down and said hi and wished them a good time. They introduced themselves as Lillian and Rocio. They said they were having a very good time and they were visiting from Mexico. I walked them over to the front door and gave them each a set of the magazines that were in the front. I showed them where the Roxy ad was so they would be able to find it and then we said our goodbyes and see you tomorrows. After walking back over to Pais I found out that the Jimmy and two more were coming into the city and were looking to go clubbing as well. I made my way down to the coatcheck and after waiting on a very slow coatcheck line I was able to pick up my coat and head outside to meet our crew at 2am.

Jimmy, Steve and Jeff were waiting in the car outside and we drove around the corner and up the block and found a parking space pretty easily. We walked up the street and made our way to club Deep which was hosting the Krash party. The rain and the hour meant there was no line at all outside and we walked in and waited to have the full body pat down by security before making it over to the cashier line and paying our $15 to get in. The cashier complimented me (agewise) after Pais drew her attention to myself and we made it in to go downstairs to the $3 coat check. The crowd was in effect downstairs and the partyers were enjoying the tunes from Missy, Jay-Z, Usher and more as we grooved to the R&B booming in the narrow padded room. The crowd was showing its raggedness due to the hour as they spilled drinks, bumped each other and generally carried on in the confined space of the downstairs dancefloor. Then we found out that the drinks were $10 each. I was not amused and not impressed by the cheap plastic cups of drinks that were in no way worth the price. Despite all that on our trip upstairs on our way to the bathrooms we took in the high ceiling, the third level lounge and the boy and girl dancers on the platforms near the DJ Booth. The music upstairs was generic late hour music that was about 2 years out of date with anything out now. The MC with the mike upstairs was distracted by any drunk person who got his attention and was distracting as the impromptu speeches did not seem to have much to do with what was going on. I made it to the front dancefloor but was put off by the small dance space and the random cigarette smokers one of which burned my knuckes before I was able to move away and off the floor. Even after one more drink which surprised everyone at its price and size (same little plastic backyard bbq cup) we wandered through the space and checked out the third floor lounge before heading back downstairs. After a quick pass through to check how everyone was doing and then decide the night was old enough and we went for the coat check. We said goodnight to the boys and headed outside. We walked back down the street to our car and then made our way back home to BK. Another Friday Night over and Saturday morning begun.

Saturday started nice and slow with even breakfast being delivered and dealt with while hanging indoors watching the news and seeing what was going on with the world. Once sufficient recovery time had passed we rode out to downtown Bklyn and made a few stops. After a lunch at Wendy's we headed over to Lowes to pick up some housewares. We ended up buying a new grill (bigger and two-level) and a table to use for when no convenient flat surface is available. We picked up some more small items and made our way back outside into the chill and packed all of the stuff into the car. After the short ride home we chilled out and took a nice disco nap to rest up for later. Out of the bed by 9 so I could get a nice italian dinner in and then it was time to clean up before our trip out. The Jimmy originally was not intending to head out for a second day in a row and Pais had a football game to attend the next day in NJ but the whole crew was together and ready to head out at 11:10 and it was into the city once more. The city was hosting a multitude of parties this eve as all of the parking appeared to be spoken for and multiple lines outside of venues were in evidence all through the neighborhood. After finally going for a spot in the lot we headed in and waited on the line out in front of the Roxy. A brief wait and then we were inside past the armband persons at the front door, the cashiers and the coat check and we were into the party. The crowd seemed a little aimless at first but being a veteran of the last time we had DJ Steve Travolta in attendance I knew to expect a slow build through classic feel house and then a trip into harder house beats as the night progressed. I caught up to barman Barker at the back bar as he was talking to his co-workers but he was stationed up in the front tonight so we quickly headed back to the front and to his regular place at the front bar. I picked up a drink for me and mine and then left them at the bar to retrieve the boys who had set up a chat session near the front bathroom. After pulling them over to their drinks we hung out at the front bar and I said hello to Tom who showed me movies on his phone of his trip out to Krash and a previous weekend at Roxy. We talked about the crowd and the music and then I went back to my boys and got another drink. I circulated the bar looking for Lil and Rocio from Mexico I had spoken to the night before but after not finding them I hung out at the front eating strawberries and talking to friends at the front bar. Several inebriated and body nazi (totally ab-conscious) sightings later I went back over to Pais and Jimmy who had their sweaters tucked into their back pockets and were talking to some friends at the front stairs near the stairs to the upstairs lounge. At just that point the music changed and I headed for the first speaker over in Asian section that I had already scoped out and knew it to be empty. As soon as I stepped onto the speaker, with the band on my leg already lit, I saw the two girls from the night before right there looking up and smiling as I started to dance. I finished out the song and then came down off the speaker to say hi. They laughed and said they had been there for a bit hanging out in the lounge as they had been through a long day walking around the city and seeing the sights. I handed them a drink ticket and told them to pick themselves up something to drink while I checked on my boys wandering the place. After picking up something more to drink myself I headed back over to the front speaker to check on the girls. After making sure they were OK I then headed back up for another speaker appearance. When I went back over to the girls I discovered they had been corralled in to watch some seemingly overcome person whose friend had went up to the front to get a drink. I told her she did not have to watch him but she waited and as we ate Altoids and danced near the seats eventually he became lucid enough to offer a mint and as he finally started to wake up his friend returned and took over the babysitter duties. As payment the girls handed over both of their cameras and I took both of their pictures alone and then joined them for another picture taken by the returned friend. After that the girls bid a good night and a thanks for hanging with them and I saw them one last time at the front as the stepped out into the night. Me and the boys however stayed on and danced until 4am at which time Pais and myself stepped out into the night and made our way back in to BK so he could rest up for his game Sunday Afternoon.

Of course when the alarm went off he had forgotten why and it wasnt until he received a phone call asking what was his location did he get everything in order and rush out to pick up his posse in the city before heading over to the Jets at stadium in NJ. I stayed in got up around midday and watched cartoons and and picked up some chicken and rice and watched movies (Phone Booth) before watching the regular programming of The Simpsons, Arrested Development on Fox and then Day of Destruction on CBS. At first just viewing it as the popcorn TV it really was it turned into upsetting TV as I realized too late that it was part of a two-part movie that would end on Wednesday night. I really did not want to wait that long to see part two but of course have no choice. Maybe I'll just let the DVR watch and do something else. That way I don't have to suffer through the commercials all over again. Sounds like a plan. Got through the rest of the night watching the last of news and highlights until it was time to turn in.

Another weekend over and filed under good fun. One more NY weekend ahead and then its on the road to head down to FL and the people who party in the sun. Keep it burning up dudes (and ladies). We'll see you soon.

Nov 5-7 - Moves in the night and some time At The Movies

Left work a little earlier this Friday than I have been, Thank goodness for small favors. I hate getting home at 10pm all those nights. Thankfully even though I don't have time to call for takeout I had some nice leftovers in the fridge and was able to chomp down on some real home cooked goodness, twice warmed over. I dealt with the malfunctioning dishwasher flooding my kitchen floor and mopping with my "now thrown away" over the hill mop. I then took the time to cut my hair with the new clippers once again. This time I expected the short look and finished in plenty of time to be dressed and ready to go out. Pais attended a birthday dinner and could not stay out for two parties in one eve but it was all good as he readied to turn in and I called up the car service and took off into the night. I arrived just before midnight at our club for the evening, Splash and made it down to the coatcheck to check my wrap. The tunes playing over the speakers were good and the crowd was all around Brett's side of the bar with the boys enjoying the decor and just chilling out. I walked around to the back of the bar and waited on the raised platform which was the only free space to stand and get the bartender attention. After I was recognized, we said our hello's, requested my drink and then headed upstairs. I did not recognize the DJ even though the mix was very fun and danceable while keeping the tribal vibe going. Brett finally informed me that the DJ for the eve was Eddie Elias. The musical choices reminded me of early evening Manny and then some circuit music, and then back to pure Tribal with some cool beats mixed in. I danced on the stage, the middle of the dancefloor and downstairs in the lounge while in between drinks. I said hi to our bar friend Sean who I sighted several times over the course of the night and also hung out with the usual bunch hanging around with barman Brett. The downstairs seemed to empty out early but even though the dancefloor was not as packed over the holiday weekends past the boys who were in attendance definitely seemed as if they enjoyed.

At 3:50 I made my way down to my coatcheck and then headed out into the night. I caught a car right in front and got home pretty quickly. Unlike my cabdriver on the way in, my ride home did not have a cold and I was not as germphobe as the previous ride. Got home, cleaned up went to bed. Night completed.

Morning was soon after though with a trip to make over to NJ to pick up the Amazon delivery I had received at work. The box was too big to bring on public trans so I decided to wait until we could drive in and pick it up and transport in the car. We listened to Chris Rock on the CD (Bigger and Blacker) that I had just bought on ITunes for $11.99. (I had also bought Eddie Murphy but was saving that CD for next trip). After picking up the box we made our way over to Target and did some house shopping and picked up some gifts as well. (Since you can't find Hello Kitty stuff just anyplace). After we picked up plenty of bags to take with we stopped at the Starbucks on the way out and I picked up a seasonal drink, a Hot Apple Cider w/ caramel, that was actually quite good. Since we were already in Jersey we decided to continue on the circuit and we drove over to our bud Larry's New Balance store off of route 17. While Pais bought multiple sneaks and shoes I settled on one nice pair in Black and Yellow which were light and had a stability cage to support me in my various scenes of crosstraining. Satisfied with our purchases and after waving bye to Larry and Glenn we packed even more bags into the car. Of course one of the store staff had to run out and give Pais his leather jacket he had left inside but after that little bit of drama we headed out. On the way back to the lincoln tunnel we stopped at Wendys for a late lunch and then made our way back into NYC and over to BK pretty easily. Of course all those bags meant we had to unload the car with two trips. But it was done quickly and all upstairs before too long. I was able to chill out for the early evening and watched some TV. Pretty soon dinner time rolled around and we ordered in italian. After finishing that up it was time to shower up and throw on our traveling clothes. We watched more tv while awaiting the Jimmy's arrival and continued watched some more tv until it was time to step out.

The weather was cool but not uncomfortable as we drove into the city and made pretty good time up the west side. Leaving somewhat early meant we found good parking and after parking near the corner of 15th Street we walked up the street and waited on the short line to get inside. Doorman Derek waved us in and we collected our drinks-allowed armbands soon after. After cashier, ticket and the coatcheck we were inside and ready to begin our night at the Roxy. Our DJ for the evening was Manny Lehman who almost always makes sure the party has a little something for everyone. We enjoyed the first tunes going out over the crowd as the place slowly began to fill. Around 12:45 in the evening I heard the familiar music strains coalesce and I lit the first light of the three to wear and made my way through the lounge to the dance floor. With "Lola's Theme" on the speakers and two happy asian girl girls in boots performing backup dancer duty, I put in my first full burn dance of the evening right in front of the stage. The lights, the sounds and the happy crowd made a cool moment and afterwards with that first dance under my belt I decided to move on to bigger and more interesting things. Despite our plans at drinking slowly and lasting the whole night through without going under we ended up having plenty of imbibements under our belt before too much time had passed. I decided to go with the feeling and used my previous weeks of practice to reach a nice zone where I made an appearance in the asian section, left to retrieve the boys from their trip outside, rescued J from the clutches of a desperate crackwife (not a wife but definitely crack-ish) and maintained a cool buzz and a nice vibe for the whole evening. The music never really took it to the next level but it was still a good time and at one point, when egged on to get up on to a box empty with my name on it near muscle beach, I danced for a bit and realized the moment was losing cohesion and the crowd was looking disinterested. After a nice laser intro I then lit both hands to complete the three lights and proceeded to do my part to get the crowd excited again. Thanks to the music and the lights I got off the speaker feeling the crowd jumping with energy again and the boys ready to keep on partying. We finally left the party well after 5am and after catching a car out front we rode into BK safe and happy.

Sunday we had breakfast delivered instead of walking out for it like the day before. I spent the afternoon watching football, internet browsing and taking lessons with Garageband training series. The afternoon went by decent enough and we chilled until around 4:30 when we made ready to go out and head back into the city to go to the movies. The Incredibles was playing and even though I anticipated some kids I knew that the scheduling also worked for myself so I bought the popcorn and soda and settled in for a movie. After some confusing and nonsense previews for some drivel named "Biggs Adventure" and the usual crop of christmas movies, the Pixar pre-movie started. It was cute if a little obtuse with a little short about a sheep and a jackaroo and keeping bounding along when stuff happens to you that you can't control. After that we were into the main film and despite some bad kids (especially the little hell child behind me) I was able to enjoy the movie and liked the comedy as well as the story. The effects were done very well with some great advances in water physics, solid objects and hair animation that were very well done in the cartoon. I thought the story was well done for both adults and kids with very few slow moments. I recommend highly. The buttered popcorn however did not go over well and with the late hour there was no time to shop, cook and eat so we just decided to cut out the middle, just shop (order in) and then eat. The chinese delivery was just average but we were hungry and we made it home to catch the very trippy Simpsons season premiere which while cute seemed to try too hard to be funny and was a little forced sometimes. But afterwards we caught The Wire on HBO followed by another episode of Family Bonds. Even though we had seen most of them, we ended up watching an episode of Entourage as well that even Pais seemed to enjoy. After that we watched the news and ESPN highlights. Pais turned in soon after but I ended up catching some strange Cartoon Network programming before finally deciding to turn in myself.

Another weekend stored away safe with plenty of sights and experiences had and plenty of fun times shared with my friends. Looking forward to the end of the year rushing up soon and plenty more where the good times flow from. Until next time. Keep it moving.

Oct 29-31 - "Holla" Weekend and All the Scary people you can drink with

A great finish to a busy week. Much work and now much play. I arrived home to a delivery of a nice steak dinner from Jack's Fifth Avenue, with sides of mashed potatoes and spinach. Cleared off the steak, and the spinach, a few mouthfuls of the cheese covered mash and then it was time to change into our traveling clothes and prepare to step out. The weather was clear and the night was nice as we drove into town in the Murano and found a parking space one block over on 18th street. Because the time was before 12 mid we were able to cut through the parking lot and then cross the street to front of the line. Said hi to Ray at the head of the line and pick up an apple licorice string from Lisa to clear the palate before we stepped inside. Said hi the cashier and then headed down to coatcheck as I put away the coats while Pais picked up the first drinks. The crowd at Splash was not as big as the Frankie party from the week before but the boys kept streaming in for DJ Alex Lauterstein as his trademark hard party style kept the room moving. I ignored the siren song of the music for a while and then finally left Pais and Brett in the lounge to take a trip upstairs to dance on the stage. After the stage I went down to the dance floor and became one with the boys dancing to the beat of bass and the sound of the drums. On the dance floor I met one of my recurring party friends who was entertaining a friend from England. Our new friend Peter was over here in the US doing press for an english castle/hotel called Lumley Castle. The website was pretty cool, someday when I finally hit that island overseas I'll stop in and see the place. We traded numbers and websites and continued on imbibing Vodka redbulls and plenty of water. The boys stayed on well into the evening dancing to infectious sounds thrown out by the DJ and before I left I stopped by the booth to say thanks for the great time and even threw out a last request (suggestion?) for Cinderella's "Where's my Shoe?", of course the DJ was already searching through his box for that very song and even as I had prepared to step out the door in my leather jacket I handed it back over to Pais so I could have my last dance before leaving. Afterwards we picked up the mags at the door and stepped out into the night. The ride home was uneventful and the first night of the weekend was under wraps.

Saturday we awoke to a fresh new day and a trip into downtown Brooklyn to visit the newest neighborhood location for the Vitamin Shoppe. The Flatbush/Atlantic Ave location was big, the staff was friendly, and the selection well done as I picked up my latest vitamins and the supplements I was almost out of. We then trekked over to Wendy's and had that Biggie size lunch to make sure we had the energy to get through the rest of the afternoon. A quick stop at the best 99cent store I know (on Willoughby St) and a slight detour for a pair of scissors and we were headed back home to chill out and finally watch the second half of the movie "Underwold". Nothing like dark scenes, violence and mayhem and plenty of moody monsters to get a person in the mood for a night of Halloween weekend. Some working out, and some cartoons and then an italian dinner delivered and we were ready to clean up and prepare to pick out our wares for the eve to hang with the boys in the city. Paramedic pants, coaches shirt and wifebeater underneath topped off by an NYPD cap and my all blue outfit was completed. Pais went for an all camo-green look and army cap to complete his ensemble. Poor Jimmy was relegated to putting together a look at the last minute as laundry day had snuck up and denied one of all options. After some impromptu S&M (stand and model) an undercover cop look was picked out and we were ready to venture out into the night and drive up the West side as we headed up to 18th Street and the Sat Night Party they all go to. The place filled up early and the Roxy party goers were in full regalia as the costumed and the gawkers all filed in continuously for quite a lot of bodies in a hot space. The music was great as DJ Peter Rauhofer treated the boys to his trademark tribal beats and some new mashups as we watched the catman and the policeman dance on the speaker in the asian section. The hot lights (webs and skull projections) and the number of revelers combined to keep it heated inside. The smoking section outside reached capacity quite often and I found myself using my police gear to great effect as I played crossing guard, police captain and crowd control officer at three separate times during the night. (Respect my authoritah!) Besides all that leadership fun we enjoyed all the costumes, the great Barker drinks (thanks man) and the staff of the whole place making sure that despite all of the drama the vast majority of boys had a great time. We left the place at 5am (6am really) and had a great early morning breakfast at the diner up the street near 23rd street. Afterwards we flagged down a car and made our way back to BK for a well deserved rest.

Sunday blew in with a blast of warm air signaling the return of our Indian Summer and a great day to go out and see the town. The trick or treaters started early as we travelled up to 7th ave to pick up our lunch at the Italian Deli (and some strange coffee flavored soda from the makers of San Pellegrino). It was a good hearty lunch (dry bread but great smoked turkey) and we spent the afternoon relaxing. We finally got up and went out to go shopping for dinner fixings and more soda and ended up picking up a nice spread. I ended up making italian sausage and using it to add meat to my spaghetti sauce. The sausage was a hit and the dinner, while very filling, was very very good. After that I just lazed around watched The Wire and Family Bonds on HBO and looked up interesting blogs on the internet. The Halloween weekend was over and while the day was filled with 3 foot crazed killers with axes I found that these are the kind of things that make you laugh and know that you no longer have to be afraid of some of visuals that scared us in the past few years at the movies. If the kids don't have to be afraid and own that fear by wearing it down the street to get candy from strangers then us adults have nothing else to fear come nightfall if we just prepare for the worst and hope for the best. When you got it, you keep it and make it work for you.

Until next time.
Keep it scary.