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.

Oct 22-24 - A weekend in October, Books, Boys and Pornstars too

The end of the week can never come fast enough it seems. There are plenty of places where there is fun to be had in the city so after some cleanup, a wardrobe change and a quick run out to where the ride was waiting, the night is begun. Not too much traffic and the lights were not against the drive so then we arrived at 12:10 at Splash. After a quick trip downstairs where bartender Brett was presiding we had our first imbibement of the evening under wraps and the night was moving nicely. DJ Frankie Knuckles was throwing out a nice vibelicious groove and the guys and boys and girls were feeling it. I went upstairs to hear "How Would You Feel" and danced on the stage while the packed dancefloor cheered him on and the lights were dancing along with the crowd. I noticed the motion of the lights several times while I was dancing so finally I went up and introduced myself to Mistress of the lights. She introduced herself as Liz Ligouri and I imparted to her that I had never seen some of lighting effects she was so effortlessly displaying. The speed and ease at which she morphed one new effect to another, without any awkward pauses, really drew me in and I told her so. She thanked me wished me well and I told her I looked forward to seeing her at another event soon. The party kept moving and the lights kept changin but the boys stayed packed into the place well into the night. Well after 3am the dancefloor was still packed and the lounge downstairs was packed as well, the weight of the crowd more reminiscent of a holiday weekend than a mid october 2 day weekend. We finally decided to take our leave of the place around 3:45 having thoroughly enjoyed the music, the mood, the lights, and even the new glass partitions in the bathrooms (very interesting). The ride home was thankfully uneventful and after a quick strip I hit the bed and fell all the way to sleep.

Saturday was spent hanging out in BK. Our friend Phil had a book signing at our local Barnes and Noble and we journeyed over to 7th Ave and caught the tail end of the crowd that had been there for the book reading. We also hung out with our friends Ernesto, Kevin and met new friends Ian and Marc as well and we all went to brunch. At Sotto Voce we enjoyed eggs, bacon, and Unlimited Mimosas (now you're talking). The meal was good, the friends were better and afterwards we said our goodbyes and headed back home to chill out the rest of the afternoon into the evening. I phoned my friend TT who was supposed to be meeting us later and got her call back on my cell phone (even though I did not recognize the ring tone, silly me). We finalized time and place and I went back to watching TV and DVR before trying out my new Remington Hair Trimmer, which is supposed to never need oiling (we'll see). The haircut was a little close but neat and it was going to be not about the hair-do later on in the eve anyway. We got ourselves and the house neatened up and The Jimmy arrived at 10:30 as we watched the days sports highlights. A while later we stepped out into the night and felt the chill. The ride into the city was uneventful as we drove over to 14th St and 7th Ave and I went to the ATM while I waited for TT to show up. She arrived on time at midnight and after playing musical corners we piled into the car, said our introductions and we were off down the street heading for 10th ave. The meatpacking district was once again busy with revelers as we passed through on our way to a parking space. On the ave we found a good spot and after checking the time that parking rules came back into effect we made our way inside. Even though we were broken up by the VIP entries, doorman Derek made sure to treat us nice anyway and we made our way inside and up to the window fairly easily. The coatcheck was once again in business as the boys dressed to protect with the winter chill setting in. Even as we walked in DJ Chad Jack had the boys in the Roxy ready to dance and see what all of talk was about. The upstairs crystal room was full but a quick trip upstairs revealed a spinning of Madonna and "Borderline". We determined that while the song was good it was not up to our usual Saturday night standard and we spent the rest of our night on the ground floor. After discovering that my own bartender was away for the eve I visited the other staff waiting to assist and serve my drink of the choice when at the Rox, a nice Stoli Orange and Red Bull. I gave TT the grand tour showing off the stage, the DJ Booth, the lounge, the chill out room, The back balcony (all lit up and seat free), the towering bass speakers, the asian section and even a trip to the smoking section outside with the boys and their cigarettes. The night progressed well and we made the circuit of the place a few times as the drinks kept coming and the boys kept dancing. The later it became the more boys packed onto the floor and kept on dancing. Sometime after 3am I made my appearance on the speaker in the asian section and enjoyed a nice dance for the crowd before heading back to the front bar. We finally wound things up around 5am and made our way outside to catch a cab for TT and then catch another for us to head back to BK. Another hot night in the cold night. All good and then some.

Sunday we breakfasted and then headed into the city to pick up some clothes Pais had left in the office. After that we headed into Soho and visited the Apple Store. The layout was cool, the glass stairs interesting and the selection pretty cool and the visuals great. Of course after the walkthrough and making our way back to the car we find our Escape from NY far harder than it looked with the traffic conspiring against us to keep us trapped before Broadway for quite a while before we were able to make it back to the Manhattan Bridge. We stopped off at Pathmark to buy our weekly supplies of milk and juice and then arrived at home to spend the eve watching sports and cooking dinner. The meatloaf, macaroni and cheese and niblets corn came out well and I lounged around a while before striking out into the city once again. Pais dropped me off at Splash where I hung out with the boys waiting for whatever was going to happen at another installment of Never the same thing Sundays. DJ Keana kept the boys interested even though the lightshow by some guest light guy was kinda laid back with some of the visuals going on for several minutes before changing to something else, very haphazard with far too much lasers. Finally at midnight the show and the performers came on and we saw Owen Hart and Dean Phoenix dance for the boys. The crowd just ate it up and after some tips, phone pics and some scene changes (from stage to box) the show wound down around 12:30. Afterwards I made my way downstairs and after waiting behind dumb and dumber who made sure to get all of the giveways given to themselves, I was able to meet Zak Spears, shake his hand twice and get his autographed picture. After that I picked up my coat and made my way back home. I watched some more cartoons and finally was tired enough to end my weekend and go to sleep. Ahh, sleep.

10/15 -10/17 - Back in The City, Staying Hot in the Cold

A nice short workweek (Thank You Vacation Days) and we have once again arrived at the weekend. Got back in the house, finished off my dinner and found myself something to wear for my Friday Night out. The Jimmy showed up at 10:30 and the boys hung out and then we piled into the new Murano and drove into the city. Got into Manhattan rather quickly and made our way up Lafayette and over to 17th Street. Found a nice parking spot right on the block and headed into the club. Said a hello to Doorman Ray in his new coat and made our way inside. The DJ on the decks at Splash this evening was Carlos Pedraza. He stayed with a pretty nice mix of tribal, hard spanish tasting mixes and a few Diva tunes. Of course my first priority was to get inside, take a quick once-over of the bartenders and then see if the new bar/lounge downstairs housed what I was looking for. And what a new look it was. Great all around lighting and so many places to lounge and talk to your friends it was like a whole other place. Plus the bathroom can now be entered from both sides of the back and there is now only one coatcheck (the one in the back). Of course the reason why I settled downstairs was my best Barman Brett. We said our long overdue hellos and I immediately ordered my signature Splashbar drink ( a Surfer on Acid). I then brought Pais and The Jimmy downstairs to see the new look of the new downstairs. We all liked the bar (except it seemed too wide at the top/back but the lighting and the materials were great looking and showed a lot of thought and planning. Without people smoking cigarettes the seats should stay looking good for a while. I headed back upstairs to dance a few times and even made my special appearance on the stage while hearing some of the high energy tunes at 2am. Our one downstairs complaint seemed to be that the music was kinda muffled with the midrange taken out for the listeners downstairs. Brett told me how he had lost the last Peak Hour Mix I had made him (stolen at the Gym) so I told him I would have a new copy for him the next time I saw him. I danced some more and eventually decided to leave at around 3:30am and make our way back into BK after grabbing the mags at the door and headed back home.'

I woke up and found Pais had picked up some breakfast so we dined in and hung out the afternoon chilling out and watching a DVR recording of "Friday After Next". After getting a Pizza lunch at Lenny's we hung out some more and rested up for our Saturday night. My friend from work was too sick to come out but since I have a pretty full sched of having fun I am sure we will find time to hang again real soon. For dinner we eventually ordered in Chicken Parmesan. All set after a quick haircut earlier and shower I was ready to head out into the night once again. The night was definitely cooler and I was glad I settled on wearing my Columbia coat with the lining in. The line in front of the place wait was not too long but I still would not have wanted to come back out into the night air with just a thin jacket or like some of the more despeerate seeming people come in with just a sweater or long sleeve shirt or the crackhead look of just a shortsleeve shirt. It was in the 40s at night so I was not the one to be cold for no good reason. We said hi to the guy with the drinking bracelets. Made our way to the coat check, said hi to the girls and then on into the club. Our DJ for the eve at Roxy was Peter Rauhofer who of course was not yet in the booth when we arrived at 12:30am. The music was still good as he seems to give us a nice playlist even before he arrives. I was able to tell however with the depth of the bass and the complexity of the mixes when he finally showed however and the party of course went to that next level where the party can only get better. Except for the pockets of party girls who felt they could smoke indoors (you can't in NY) and the fact it got almost too crowded to move at one point with the crowd evenly spaced through almost the entire club. The crowd was into the music and the DJ did not disappoint while my drinks kept flowing from Barman Barker. I even saw my other Barman Brett from across the bar. I of course had his gift CD to give him because I am one who parties with cargo pants just so I can walk with a CD and he was so happy he just up and disappeared. I never did hear the almost famous 4am play of "Lola's Theme" but the rest of the music, including the wild extended teaser buildup and then final playing of "Lose My Breath" by Destiny's Child was nicely done and even though I am sure I have heard it before the music sounded most excellent. In fact it stayed so good I stayed on at the party until 5am. We walked out happy and content, picked up the missing HX magazine and headed home.

Woke up Sunday and once again had a delivered breakfast to nosh on and plenty of football on TV to watch. The afternoon was spent decompressing and looking up esoteric wild mess on the internet. We were supposed to go out and shopping something for dinner but we ended up phoning the order in and picking it up. I enjoyed a nice lasagna dinner and readied myself to watch some TV. Of course with the baseball games on there was no other TV to watch besides football but at least we were able to catch up on last weeks episode and the new episode of The Wire on HBO. (DVR is a great thing). Anyway, another Sunday drew to a close and another weekend finished and under wraps. Until the next one anyway. Hope the night is not as cold or at least stays as fun. Of course it will. I like them like that.