July 22-24 - Day Heat and Night Heat. Too Hot...

Summertime..., and the living is easy. Well mostly. I have endured another week of 90 degree heat to and from work with the subways and Path station making it seem like 100 degrees. You feel every little movement of air and pray that the train is coming into the station sooner than later. I had a good week at work with the people finally pulling together and keeping our queue within reason and the peoples cries for expedition were quieted ever so slightly. But I digress. Because of the nice ending to the week I was able to leave work a little early. Like 7:30 instead of 8:30 and headed for the Path train with Shamika in tow. We waited for the train and then read the banners on the train protesting the evils of heroin. (Its not chic its deadly). As if I would ever, really. She showed me the proofs of her last photo spread and said she was going to go to her agent to pick up the ones that would be chosen to be added to her portfolio. After riding the long escalator almost up to street level we said our goodbyes and I headed home to the Slope. I rested my eyes on the train and then jumped up when we had arrived in station. I stopped in the cafe on the way up the street said hi to the clerks and then made my way upstairs into the apt. After relieving myself of all baggage and accouterments I said hello to Pais, showed him the stuff I had picked up on sale at JC Penney (no really, brand name stuff) and then laid into my delivery dinner. For some reason the steak tasted kind of off (like it wasn't really steak) so I stopped eating it and made do with the greens and a little of the mashed potatoes. I then read a little internet news (freaky stories that always shock Pais) and then I went and got my hair did. After the haircut was over I showered, outfitted and waited until it was time to step out. Pais was not heading out this eve as he had a softball game the next day but I was ready to got out and at the very least deliver two of my newest CDs as well as a few other gift CDs for some lucky people I didn't know about yet.

At 11:30 I said bye and stepped out and downstairs and headed over the Castle Car. As soon as I was inside I told the dispatcher my destination and a guy walked out from the back volunteering to take me into the city. I said hello to an incoming cab driver who was my usual ride into the city and we shook hands and went our separate ways. My driver for the evening apologized ahead of time for the broken window on the passenger seat (it did not go all the way up) but he blasted the AC to try and make up for the heat pollution. He was not all that familiar with downtown manhattan but I told him I knew where I was going and he proceeded to drive me over to the Bklyn bridge and towards the city. At half span we ran into some unreasonable traffic and by the time we were heading for the exit ramp we realized that the hold up seemed to be coming from Chambers Street (checkpoint maybe?) so I told him to take Park row south and then we would loop around. We avoided the press of cars and made it over to Church street easily. A turn on Chambers and another on Hudson street and we were on our way. The cab driver was impressed with my directions and told me I would pass the yellow cab test any day. I just liked it when the cab driver followed directions and didn't try to get me lost. We got up to 8th Avenue in no time and easily made up for the lost time from the bridge. He dropped me off right at 18th street and I said good night. He knew how to get back to BK as he used to drive a taxi in midtown but he just said he was not as comfortable driving around lower manhattan as the streets were not as easily navigable. I made my way across the street and to the front door of Gym. The doorman recognized me but I told him I should still be ID'd just in case we were being video taped and we needed proof that everyone had to show proof of age. After walking inside I did not see Brett at first and glanced around with a kind of confused look. Then all of a sudden he was right there at his regular spot surrounded by his usual friends and hangers on. I stood there in line of sight and waited to be acknowledged. As I was sighted we said our hellos and he brought over my first drink of the eve, a Stoli Orange and Rockstar energy drink in a glass of ice. He told me he was getting off but had got me my drink before he went downstairs to count out (I had just arrived in time). He told me he would talk some more after he was finished. I agreed and then made my way to the back so I could hang a bit with the DJ. DJ Smoky was keeping the boys grooving with clips from Madonna "Like a Prayer" and Pussycat Dolls "Don't Cha". I told him about a new device I had seen on Gizmodo that was a turntable for two Ipods. One on each side and it let you mix as if they were each a turntable. He scoffed and said that would take no skill at all. I agreed but still thought the idea was interesting. True mixing vinyl was harder than mixing CD (but more cumbersome) and mixing CD may have been harder than mixing digital files but again it takes more space. The true measure of the DJ is not just a smooth transition but its all about reading the crowd and the music selection. I myself do not have enough retro stuff but am sure with the will of iTunes behind me I could build a nice respectable library. For now the life of the DJ is not mine to live but maybe when I settle down and have time between my regular gigs of work and play. But back to the party I got another drink from the bartender and then continued waiting for Brett to come back upstairs. When he finally did come back up I parted from the DJ and struck up a conversation with Brett about our previous week and weekends. I gave him his two CDs and then he told me he did not have a shake to eat and was fiendin for a slice of Pizza. I told him that it wasn't so bad to have something you want every once in a while. He got me a party cup from the bar and we wandered out into the street as I sipped my Smirnoff Ice. He said he was tired too after having been up since 7am and training people at the gym. I told him he deserved his chicken and mushroom slice so we walked up to 23rd street and he picked up a slice. We sat at the table outside and chatted a bit before he was done and then he got us a taxi as I told him my horror story of a few weeks before when I had to get a taxi myself from 28th Street. Of course it was much easier for him to get a taxi and so we rode on over to 17th street and 7th ave as he was on his way further downtown. I strode over to pizza place on 6th ave and picked up a bottle of water and then dodged the construction on the corner as I made my way across the street. I got inside Splash nice and easy and then made my way downstairs and picked up a frozen drink at the bar. Afterwards I walked over to the coatcheck guy who usually took care of my stuff in the winter time. We talked and then I offered to get him a frozen drink at the bar. When he had a slow moment he made his way over to the bar and I ordered his drink. He thanked me and the bartender told me he could have given it to him anyway but I told him it is always more than the thought that counts and then I gave the coatcheck guy a gift CD (Spring Forward) and then moved on the upstairs to see how the dancefloor was doing. DJ Susan Morabito was celebrating her birthday but spinning a nicely energetic set that at times still seemed a bit stiff and out of touch with more modern music of the crowd but she would always come back and give us something different to listen to. I could have had a few more interesting tunes but it was still good enough to dance to. I took to the stage and then the speaker in front of the stage and gave the kids on the floor something to watch for a bit. While I was up there Grace showed up and we said hello and we watched a few other guys flagging before she brought out her own and began to twirl a few. I watched and waited and then danced some more in between retrieving Smirnoff Ice's with a splash of Grenadine from the downstairs bartender George. I gifted George with a CD as well (Fly Spanish) and he thanked me and told me he really liked spanish beats as well. The night progressed well and I stayed on top of my game but decided to head home around 3:30 before the party went on for too long. I stepped out and picked up the next approaching taxi and told him where I was going. The driver was a talkative sort and I had a sort of taxicab interview talking about people and parties and living in New York. It was a nice way to spend the ride home and I guess he enjoyed the conversation too. He dropped me off at home and I waved goodnight after picking up a piece of paper out of the backseat. I ended the night with plenty of time to sleep before the next day and plenty of tired to sleep off.

Saturday I got up around noon. Pais had shopped for juice and soda and I showed him the piece of paper I had picked up from the taxi. Some poor girl named of all things, Abimbola had left her direct deposit paperwork in the back of the cab. Lucky for her it was me who found it and not some identity thief. She will not have to worry about raunchy credit ratings and stolen goods with me. The worst thing I would do with the info is prank call her at her job and at home (Excuse me, is this Abimbola?. Ok, Thank You). After charging up and stocking up the new iPod shuffle I was cleaned up and ready to head out to the gym. Pais had already headed out to the softball game and I shopped for music online. After that was over I put all of my stuff together and headed down to the train. Even though I just missed one another subway came not 8 minutes later and I was heading into the city and the gym. After the ride in and on the street I was assaulted with various smells on the street and from passers by before I made my way up to NYSC. The workout went by without a hitch, having to only wait for one machine (weighted chin-ups). Afterwards I said goodbye to the staff and headed back out into the heat to head over to Wendy's. I chowed down on my chicken sandwich and side salad before making my way over to J&R. After a quick shop for blank CDs and cases I was ready to head back home. The trip back to BK was nice and quick and I enjoyed the last songs on new shuffle before I shut it off and turned on the A/C in the house. I had time to clean the house up a bit before Pais arrived with dinner of Mickey D's (since we were supposed to be going out for the evening early to hang before our Club arrival. Pais arrived and dinner was ordered from the delivery. After dinner was completed we watched some TV but Pais begged off of further watching so that he could take a nap. I watched some Toon Network DVR programming and tried to stay hydrated in preparation for the night. Around 8pm I reminded Pais that we were supposed to go out but he decided he still needed the rest. The two games they had played on Randall's Island in the heat had taken a lot out of the team and Pais in particular. Around 10pm it was time to finally clean up and get ready to head out. I couldn't decide on a particular shirt at first but finally settled decided to leave the initial shirt for another weekend and to wear one of the new shirts, a white And1 shirt. Pais was ready as well so we headed downstairs and into the night heat once again.

We listened to the CD "Skyline Driveby" onto the way into the city and I told him about all of my previous trips in with the various cab and taxi drivers. When we ran into some traffic under the promenade we decided to forgo the trip across the Bklyn Bridge and the traffic that we could already see building, and take a trip across the Manhattan bridge instead. The way onto the bridge was strangely unobstructed and we got across the span pretty quickly. Once on the other side we made the choice to head up Bowery rather than cross at Canal. As the island quickly divulged from the narrow confines of downtown we took the quickest cross street that we knew would go all the way across which was the turn at Houston. After some mixup with the left turn signal and cars blocking the box we finally made the turn onto Houston and dodged taxis and traffic to make our way over to the West side. Once turned on the West Side Highway we were able to make it up 14th Street and turn up 10th ave with relative ease. The inching drivers were not easy to predict but they didn't cause any accidents and we found parking on 20th Street in the usual suspect spaces. We then walked down the street and waited on the line as a lot more than the usual seemed to be coming from all over to await the party. We saw one boy run across the street wearing flip flops and just missing the oncoming traffic in his rush to get over to the block. We waited on the slow moving line as many a girl and guy tried to get in with a bad ID (no B'day on your ID?) but after more than 10 minutes on the line we finally reached front and were waved in by doorman Derek. After we made it upstairs past the wristband crew and the cashier we were in the midst of the crowds inside of Roxy. The major masses were clustered near the front bar and there were some of the intrepid out ahead of the crowd on the dancefloor at 12:20 but there were not that many drinks being bought. Both barman Barker and the mistress stated that the bar just wasn't that busy and was kinda slow so far. I let them both know that the door was moving very slowly outside and a lot of girls were not getting in. Also a lot of the crowd was arriving late and the early start was just not in the schedule for this eve. The reason for all of these things appeared to debut DJ at the Rox of DJ Jonathan Peters. I was very interested to hear his sound as I had never heard him up at Sound Factory and had saw excerpts on MTV and enjoyed the dance mixes over the past few years. The vibe seemed to be starting up slowly and reminded me a bit of some of the nights when I listened to DJ Steve Travolta but with more touches of Tribal rather than classic House. The musical barometer was broad however and I enjoyed the beats sounding out over the floor from the slightly over loud speakers. I guess the twin Powerbooks in the DJ booths where the MP3s were being output over the system was the reason for the volume but I was distracted both by the mood of the crowd and unexpected visit of Kevin. We all hung out for a bit near the front and awaited the arrival of the Jimmy, who had started his night at the Eagle further uptown but was supposed to be headed down to hang with us at Rox. The place filled up pretty well and so many people were up and about enjoying the music and we listened to a few choice songs played such as Class A and "Streetlife" as well as a lot more feel good vibes and moments. I was distracted enough later that I even missed last call but I really was good as I was anyway so I made do with what I had. The Jimmy did arrive finally around 1:45 and we were all one big happy gang far into the eve. The party finally had its fill of us around 4:20 and we headed out into the night and return to the BK. All is well that ends well.

Sunday was spent in mostly just hanging. I awoke in the afternoon and enjoyed the delivery breakfast before relaxing on the coach and enjoying some DVD programming. Shaun of the Dead was very funny. Much less tense than 28 Days (which I ended up watching on SHO HD later in the evening anyway). We hung out for a bit before finally deciding it was time to go out and pick up dinner at Dallas BBQ in downtown Bk. Just as we came downstairs and went to drive out of the driveway we were held up by an arriving taxi dropping off a passenger. Of course this ended up being a good thing because my brother was walking up the street and I would have missed him otherwise. He had called earlier and said he was coming but of course my recovering brain promptly forgot when it was time to go out for dinner. We had him jump into the Murano and we headed over to Livingston Street to pick it up. The place was crowded as usual but our order of chicken -n- Rib specials and a bacon cheeseburger combo arrived without too much fuss. We headed back home and watched some more TV while eating dinner. I picked out a few video games that my brother could borrow and have and then he bid us goodnight and headed back over to SI. We caught up on some episodes of Six Feet Under (intense) before we finally bid the weekend to a close and Pais turned in. I watched some more cartoons and the aforementioned 28 Days Later before finally heading to bed myself.

The summer is starting its inevitable slide into perigee and we still seem to be having fun. I still look forward to vacation on the West coast as well as Labor Day weekend. We will see how it all turns out. For the good or for the worse. I'll see what I can do about it.

July 15-18 - Starting so early, finishing so late, who needs sleep? I do..

I went out after work right downstairs after having enjoyed a great dinner of rice and beans and pernil. Hung out with Vitaly, Brenda, Richard, Tim, Maria, Terry, and Ray people I usually see behind desks and were now throwing down the drinks like professionals. I only had to pay for my first drink after that happy go lucky regular Ray had us all covered. I came to the party late so he mostly had me covered when everyone else begged off from the drinks. We stayed there until 11pm (wow) and then Vitaly drove me into the city. Through the Holland Tunnel and then up to 23rd Street. We said goodnight and I wished him well on his adventures. I then strolled down the street and since I had maintained telephonic contact with Pais, I walked down to 20th Street and bumped into Pais and the Jimmy right after I crossed 20th Street where they had parked the truck. We all walked down to Gym and after getting in the way of some girl taking a picture (rude me sorry) I was inside the bar and walking all the way to the back. Barman Brett was on vacation so I instead wandered to the back to hang with DJ Smoky. He was in a happy mood playing mixes of "Don't Cha" and "Glamorous Life" as well as other classics from Vanessa Williams and Teena Marie. We traded CDs and I picked up a Stoli Orange and cranberry and hung out with David, Pais, the Jimmy and Ty in the back watching kickboxing and other random sports on all the screens. Around 12:50 we finally headed out into the night and went to the car. After a short discussion with Ty we then headed over to Splash where Doorman Ray took care of me by letting me in when I didn't have my entry card with me (straight from work) once inside I headed downstairs to hit the bathroom and get myself a Smirnoff Ice from the bartender downstairs. I headed back upstairs to check out the dancing on the dancefloor and noticed that the DJ was someone new. After dancing on the stage giving him the thumbs up and returning to the dancefloor and hanging with the crowd and keeping the boxes clear for the dancers, I finally went up to the DJ booth waited behind the light guy for a bit and then shook hands with the DJ and introduced. The DJ of the eve was Jamie Sanchez who was doing a great job of keeping the boys interested and watching us dance just a little bit more. I hung out with the Jimmy and Ty until 4:10am when Ty and I finally headed out to the front and said our goodnights. After a few cars just drove by I flagged down a taxi right in front of the place and he obeyed my directions and got me home very easily and safely. Another great night that started too early (straight from work) but when your friends bring your dancing shoes (sneakers) to meet you in the city you are capable of so many things.

Saturday morning I awoke. It was 11:50 and it was time to get up. I went into the dining area and ate my delivery breakfast and took a shower in preparation to get dressed and that in preparation for the arrival of the new window treatments. The vertical blinds were finally coming down and the new regular blinds with the curtain overlay done by the architect Ernesto. I was just the educated observer as Pais and Ernesto did the removal and repair and installation of the new windows. First the wash and restoration then the taking down and then the new holes inside and out. I mixed CDs, did final layouts and burned them while the drama occurred in the living room and master bedroom. A few helpful hints, transportation downstairs of the detritus of the old window stuff and my recovery from the night before was completed. Pais went out and brought back some Quiznos and my bourbon chicken on wheat was a great lunch to enable my afternoon relaxation. After it was all said and done the new windows did look good, took up less real-estate in the room and allow for changing of curtain colors rather than the forever white of the old vertical blinds. Ernesto had to hurry back to assist with housework in Long Island so we bid him goodbye. We were supposed to see him later (maybe) visiting with friends from out of town but we're not banking on it. We spent the evening in the new look and quieter (since last week) living room and as Pais was going to a barbecue later with the Jimmy I dug into the leftover over steak dinner that Pais had ordered the previous night that I never got to enjoy. It was good re-heated and I was happy the dinner was right there and did not have to be ordered on this night. After dinner I said a temporary goodbye to Pais and the Jimmy as they headed out to the barbecue out in Bklyn. I took the time to cut my hair and clean up before suiting up and heading out into the night.

I had spent too long to take public transportation so I walked over to Castle and began my 20 minuted wait for a car to take me into the city. The first bucktooth driver was not a usual and was not ready for the prime time of a drive into the city. The next car right behind however was one of the usual good drivers and he was more than happy to leave BK and take me into the city. The road was crowded but he took my advice and headed crosstown below City Hall Park and then over to the west side. The traffic on the west side was a lot but the driver weaved in and out of the traffic with practiced ease and we made it up to the Roxy in just 20 minutes. I paid the driver, waved goodbye and headed over to the line in front of Roxy. Doorman Derek had it well in hand and I was past the crowd and up the stairs to the wristbands and cashier with no trouble at all. Once inside I could hear the strains of music coming from DJ Tony Moran well in hand. A quick move over to the front bar and I confirmed that Barman Barker had returned from his vacation and was back to help us party at the place we were all at for Saturday Night. The music slowly swelled to encompass us all as the night progressed and despite some text messages back and forth to Pais I was mostly focused on the party and seeing what everyone was up to. When I did not run in to Erica I found that I did in fact have the perfect gift for the security guy I always said hi to at the front bar. The Fly Spanish CD was perfect and he thanked me for the gift and I headed onto more and more fun with the more and more boisterous crowd in attendance I said hello to designer Terrell and J as well as Tom and european boy I usually hung out with on the stage. Pais and the Jimmy showed up around 2am and were fully ready to dive into the party with the rest of us. I hung out with the security guys at the back as well and even compared notes as we talked about the sorry denizens who thought they could get away with general shadiness and starting fights right in front of the security. We continued to have a great time with the night and I continued to drink far more than was necessary but my friends seemed to be able to remember where I was and made sure I didnt stray too far from the party center. I will give hats off to the DJ for keeping the mood hot and the floor crowded as we heard every level of big party favorites and plenty of energy to keep the party going. We left around 4:30 once again but Pais was able to get us a car ride right in front of the place. The trip back to BK was safely done and within the bounds of a normal night out.

I awoke early Sunday afternoon but was able to recover from most of the effects of the previous night due to having gotten rid of most of what I drank in the bathroom when I arrived back home. Nothing like clearing your stomach so you can get a good nights sleep. Anyway it was time for delivery breakfast and then watching DVR programming before we started watching DVDs. Hitch first, which was funny and the story good but no where near as engaging as Hide and Seek which seemed to start slowly but once it jumped off the cliff the trip down the hillside was all the more entertaining. That movie was crazy. But after that was over we enjoyed some lighter fare as we watched a vintage Green Hornet episode I had taped off of the Encore Action channel. The show was kinda cheesy but it renewed my interest in Bruce Lee as well as the main character Van Williams (who knew?). Anyway the night ended with Pais going to bed and I stayed up watching TV while reheating some refrigerated Turkey from last week. It was still good and turkey wing was especially juicy. Gotta do that again. But anyway the weekend finally drew to a close and July is almost over. Hopefully I will remember to keep my prep time and sleep time up and the weekends will naturally form and the music will keep flowing. Just don't break any bones. I still have a lot of partying to do.

July 8-10 - Getting out and about and Hanging with the Peoples...

Went out with Pais to Gym, Hung with Brett and David at the Front and Smoky in the Back. Watched Smoky hang with pals and still have time to throw on some hot beats from Patrice Rushen to Vanessa Williams "Right Stuff". Said goodnight to doorman and got a ride with Pais over to 6th Ave where I walked down to the pizzeria and got 2 bottles of water one to drink and one to carry before heading into Splash, but not before saying hi to a friend I had met at Gym during the spring who had come with Chanel. I promised him a CD the next time we hung out. Went inside and when I took a break from dancing on stage in front of DJ Alex Lauterstein (he smiled at me) I ran into the Steve from the military and we hung out for the rest of the eve, along with Styles, dancing on the floor but the dancers hogged the boxes so I was driven to dance in the middle of the dancefloor but my gifted malibu bay breeze from military Steve was good and we picked up some more drinks downstairs between smoke breaks. I stayed until around 4:15 and picked up a taxi right out front and got home nice and easy.

Woke up in the afternoon and after a delivery breakfast with Pais he went off to play softball and I cleaned up and headed into the city to go workout at the gym. Went to Vitamin shoppe, dodged a rainshower by going into Wendy's and it conveniently stopped raining by the time I headed home. The rest of the eve was spent in preparation for the nighttime and ordering in dinner before throwing in the fresh from the month of June blue shorts and compiling the outfit before the arrival of the Jimmy. We headed out just after 11 and made our way into the city. We were able to get the last good parking space on 20th St and waited a bit before heading for the front door and making our way inside. Doorman Derek welcomed us in and we got through the wristband staff and cashiers fairly easily. Once inside we could hear the party being thrown by DJ Manny Lehman load and clear. Barman Barker still was not back yet but Matt was holding his end of the bar down well and making sure the drinks kept flowing. We were all over the place in the space that was Roxy. Between my first stage appearance for Shape:UK at 1AM as well as plenty of other high points during the eve. I some of the speakers too busy at some parts of the night but there was definitely always somewhere to dance. The mostly vocal party had its splashes of tribal energy and great vibe. I saw DJ Merritt going back into the DJ booth at one point and he made sure to let me know that he would be back on July 30. I very much enjoyed the night and the weekend was not as off the chain as the previous weekend but was still plenty of fun for all involved. We left the party around 4:30 and made it home after catching a car just a block away.

We awoke on Sunday with a plan to get up and go shopping. Not food shopping though we did end up picking up some food but for some household appliances that were just necessary. A new A/C unit for the living room from Sears as well as a new Hoover Vac (picked up more than a Dyson in the study they quoted) and then over to Target for some more housewares. From there on to Bed Bath and Beyond for some sliverware and an impulse buy of a new throw pillow. After that stop it was across the parking lot to head into ShopRite and see that once again I could not find the Oven Stuffer Roaster wingettes (damn) but I was able to pick up a great Butterball Turkey Breast for something to cook for dinner. We had picked up the soda already at Target so we were now ready to head back through the tunnel and back across the city to get back in time for appliance installation. I ended up with more drama than was necessary when after pulling the old A/C unit out of the wallthrough I ended up pulling a back muscle when I was surprised by a back-end of rusty water that began spilling on the floor. Trying to stretch in an awkward position to minimize the water damage I ended with back pain that prevented me from even putting in the new unit. With some help from Pais however I was able to get the new unit in place and then finish up the trim before starting dinner. Dinner of course was much easier but no less complex and installation. The turkey was joined by stuffing, as well as macaroni salad, and sweet corn that would have been ready sooner but the seasoning on the pop up timer threw me off a bit. I finally knew dinner was ready by the smell coming from the oven. Once it was all on the plates and the repast was dug into I knew it to be one of our better most recent meals. I hadn't spent enough time cooking in a while and it was too long a wait and was really glad we were able to dig into a good turkey. The rest of the eve we hung out and watched HD programming before calling it a day.

The weekend was over and we had gotten a lot done. Always more to do but the summer still has plenty of days and nights ahead. Keep hydrated in the hot days and hot nights and make sure your friends stay with you and happy. Always a good plan.

Fun in Four... Days and the Nights were good too

I do so enjoy a long weekend. The July 4th weekend meant that I did not have use any of my own vacation days to do it this time so into the weekend we went. Afterwork and with no time for the gym I headed home and dug into the dinner that awaited. After cleaning up, and changing clothes it was time to head into the city. Pais couldn't hang out because he had a softball game to play early in the morning. I wished him a good rest as I made my way over to Castle Car service and waited for an available Taxi to take me into the city. The driver was not sure of the best way to head over and took me all the way across the city to the west side before heading up the west side until 14th street. After driving up to 18th Street we drove over to 8th ave and got dropped off on the corner far corner. I then crossed the street and headed into Gym after saying hi to the door staff and made my way to the front bar. Barman Brett was holding down the fort at the front and I had my first drink and then headed to the back to say hi to DJ Smoky. A quick walkthrough and I was right back at the front and hanging with Barman Brett. As his shift ended he invited me to hang downstairs as he counted out. After a some conversation and saying hi to Manager Rick I was herded back upstairs and waited for Brett at the back of the Bar. After he came back upstairs we talked some more with his friends upstairs including DeMarko. Shortly after we said our good nights and I headed outside and walked over the two blocks east and 2 blocks down to pizzeria on 6th Ave and then on to Splash. I headed inside and looked over the crowd that had come out to dance this eve. The place was plenty full with heat and dancing bodies as the boys turned out for DJ Eliot DeHoyos and the Tribe Party. I danced on the stage and even on the platform in front of the stage especially when I heard the extended mix for "Lola's Theme". I hung out with Grace for a bit and made sure I finally gave her a copy of my Forward Spring CD. We danced near the speaker in front of the screen and then headed outside for some cooler air outside. After we took a moment outside I decided to head back a little sooner than later and Grace went back to the party. 3am and I was able to walk over to a taxi out front nice and easy. After some directions the taxi driver was able to get me home fairly easy. Friday night over with but the weekend far from done.

Rolled up and out around 11 and made preparations to head into the city. The softball tournament was taking place in Central Park so I had miles to go before I got to hang out some more. I wasn't sure at first where I had to go (the park is a big place) but after a look at the subway map on the F train and I determined my previous trip to Central Park to see the Gates had familiarized me with the layout of the park enough to know that the diamond fields were no where near Columbus circle and so I switched over to the A train and rode all the way up to 96th street before heading into the park. The guys were in between games but they had won one and lost one so they were right in the middle of the pack of teams in attendance. The day was a nice one. Not too much heat and a nice breeze. The previous year it was hot enough to cook beef on the sidewalk. We had an hour to play with so Pais and I headed out of the park with Donnie in tow and walked a block over from the park and up one street to a diner. The booth we chose was a little cramped but we were able to get our order in and talk to a few other team members who had already eaten before they headed back to the fields. After lunch we too headed back over to the fields and hung out with the other teams and teammates. Pretty soon it was game time once again and we returned to the fields and the team played on. I spectated from the fence behind 3rd base and next to the dugout but the team was out of energy and were not able to score enough to beat the other team so we were retired early and headed home. We ordered in a nice dinner from Friends and hung out watching HD programming on the Samsung. Pais had to get up for an 8am game the next day so I was heading out alone.

My new military black zip off shorts on and phone, watch, lip balm, sunglasses, lights, and Visine all in the right pockets, it was time to head down to Castle Car Service and wait for my ride. A short while inside and then the driver pulled up with his girlfriend in the front seat. We headed into the city via Atlantic Avenue to Adams Street to the Brooklyn Bridge. There was a little traffic, to be expected on the holiday weekend but we made it into the city with no problem and the driver got me through the hustle of cars on the west side very smoothly. He dropped me off right at the corner and I walked over to Roxy and headed inside after saying hi to Security and Derek just before midnight. Barman Barker was not here this eve but his bestest friend Matt was in attendance and did his best to keep his end of the bar happy. A few times during the night he even went so far as to have my drink ready before I could finish asking, one time when I didn't even want a drink. Of course, I didn't turn it down but drank my Gatorade first. Steve was visiting us from VA and we took in the sights of the place and had a few drinks before splitting up to see what there was to be seen on the dancefloor. I staked out an area of the dancefloor between the two speakerboxes near the front bar. I was so focused on the music thrown down by DJ Merritt, always excellent, that I stopped looking behind me and the sweat started to pour off my forehead. I was tapped on the shoulder and turned around to see that Duane had come in and was hanging out too. He said he was about to leave and head over to another place but saw he had friends in the place and we went over to the bar to pick up a drink. The music and the mood was very high energy but so very accessible and the crowd just ate it up. I found the asian section speaker too crowded so I took the stage, danced for the crowd a bit and then headed back to the front. I met up with Duane again on the far side in the back after speaking to doorman Derek who was taking a break and watching the dancefloor. We watched the laser light on the discoball in the center before heading back onto the dancefloor to dance some more. The night passed as another great one and I enjoyed my time with my friends and with the music. I even heard the DJ play one of my newest CD songs "Dear Diary" at around 4am and I barely had any voice to sing along I had been dancing so much. I finally decided to head home at around 5am and I caught a taxi nice and easy right out on 10 Ave. The cab driver to me back to Brooklyn with no complaint and with a nice tip besides.

Sunday we spent hanging around the house, watching some DVR programming before getting dressed and heading down the street to the train station and heading for Central Park once again. I spoke to Pais on the Cell while at the aboveground F Train station and told him I was on my way. The train ride, transfer then train ride up to 96th street once again. This time I arrived after all the games were over (6 games in all) and the team ended up in 4th place. I said hello to everyone and then walked with Pais back to the car. We rode downtown until we hit a Baskin Robbins and had picked up some ice cream for the ride back to BK. We stopped off at Dallas BBQ on the way home and discovered calling ahead was not any better than picking up the food at the checkout counter. Despite the wait we got back to the Slope in short order and chilled out for a while. The evening passed watching Fox programming of Family Guy before getting ready for the later parts of the evening. Steve showed up followed quickly by The Jimmy who was finally out of his arm cast for his shoulder dislocation. We headed out at 10:50pm to the CattyShack bar not too far away into the slope and hung out with the girls and guys and enjoyed the rooofdeck , the barbecue and the cool Hip Hop vibes on the second floor dancefloor. The club gradually got more an more crowded and we had more and more drinks before I decided I wanted to go and really hang and dance so Steve and I said goodbye to the rest of the crew and walked across the street to the car service. As soon as I stepped inside I saw a giant bug that was big enough to keep me from going in right away (should get a leash for that thing). After staying on the other side of the room from the giant waterbug I was able to get us a car to ride into the city. We stopped at the ATM and then walked back down the street and into Avalon. I wasn't able to get Steve in at his discounted Roxy rate but it was still not that bad for a latenight party with plenty of people inside for the holiday weekend. We arrived at 3:45 but stayed until 5:30 as DJ Mike Cruz through out some great beats that had the crowd hanging out until the very end. We said hi to a lot of people and danced hard until the end before we stepped out and into the sunlight. We said our goodbye's once outside and I headed down the street for a quick stop at Mickey D's. After picking up breakfast I flagged down a taxi and headed for home. The long weekend was still not over but the hangout part was done. I got home and set myself up for a nice long sleep.

The day arrived and I greeted in in the afternoon. Delivery breakfast and we spent the afternoon hanging out and watching TV. We headed out briefly to pick up some soda and some house stuff before heading back in and making sure everything in the house was in order before guests arrived. Since the Fourth of July fireworks were viewable from the roof the guests started arriving between 8 and 8:30. We had Kevin and Phil, as well as Mina and her friend from NJ, later on we had the arrival of more workmates of Pais who were nice enough to Becks and Brooklyn Ale. After watching some of the HD on the Samsung we headed upstairs at 9pm en masse and waited for the display to occur. After swapping stories and drinking some more the show began at 9:25 and we oohed and aahed through 30 min of fireworks. We liked the new ones that they seem to come out with each year but the 30 min eventually passes and the show was over. We went downstairs and watched some more of the HD before wishing everyone a good night and seeing the guests off and out. Phil and Kevin stayed behind for a bit and then went to get a car ride home but found that the city was suddenly out of available cars, with some car services actually picking up the phone and telling us there was an hour wait. We offered to take them home and so we were out into the night driving into Clinton Hill. The ride was short and we dropped them off and said our goodnights. Then Pais and I headed across BK and searched down an all night Mickey D's so I could get something into my stomach that wasn't just doughnuts and ice cream. We picked up some burgers, fries and headed back home for a little late night snack. After I ate the food and relaxed some It was time for some DVR programming and finally a long weekend drew to a close.

Always something new under the sun. Keep your eyes open so you don't miss it. I don't want to miss anything.