Starbucks Taste Test (& Al Di Meola)

So, Starbucks is preparing to kick off their holiday campaign with events thought-out the tri-state area and they need to train their field teams. As a great partner of Parks, Starbucks invited Arsenal employees to be one of the first to try their new holiday drinks on November 8, 2006.

At 8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm Starbucks gave us free samples of their Gingerbread Latte, Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Christmas Blend Coffee. The set up their van and tent on the East Drive just outside the Central Park Zoo Garage driveway.

The day was rainy and nasty but the Starbucks people were out there all day handing out free small samples of coffee. I went out at 3pm and tried both the Gingerbread Latte and Peppermint Hot Chocolate. I do not like Chocolate OR Coffee OR latte but I had to try it since it was free and new. Why not right?

I first tried the Gingerbread which was really good but not something I could have handled an entire glass full. I tried the Peppermint Hot Chocolate next and that was AWESOME! I dot NOT like hot chocolate but this was flavorful and just wonderful. I would recommend this drink for Christmas most definitely. However, this was also a drink I couldn’t have handled an entire mug full.

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Al Di Meola holds the most prestigious guitar awards (of any guitarist in the world) from the highest rated guitar poll in the world, Guitar Player Magazine. He has been known throughout the world for the past two and a half decades as one of the most prominent virtuosos in the contemporary instrumental jazz field.

I am currently listening to “Super Guitar Trio and Friends.” The music I listen to is hard to explain in words because I am one of those people who just loose themselves in great instrumentals. There are no lyrics. Instrumental music gives you the ability to create your own feelings and your own stories. Sure, every song has an initial tone that dictates weather it’s a sad or funny or fast or slow song. However, with instrumentals it is your imagination and mind that creates that “tangible” emotion connected to the music or a particular song.

Al Di Meola formed a new trio with the likes of jean Luc Ponty (Violion), and Stanley Clarke (The Rite of Strings). Check that out as well. I will probably profile Jean Luc Ponty next as he is just a fabulous violinist. For those of you who listen to String Cheese Incident, you might recognize their version of Ponty’s song “Mauna Bowa.”

cont.....My first Gallery Opening: Andrei Molodkin (& Elfi Snow and the Tasty Morsels)

Ok this is the 4^th and last gallery we went to on the 5^th floor of whatever building. It was called the Daneyal Mahmood Gallery.

DANEYAL MAHMOOD GALLERY

511 West 25^th Street 3^rd Floor

New York, New York 10001

www.Daneyalmahmood.com

(212) 675-2966

All these galleries were in old warehouses across the street from each other so we only went like to three buildings all right next to each other. A little note for my memory: artists and gallery owners just rent out random floors on these old warehouses and change them into galleries. There are old cats that live there and rats and all kinds of crazy things. You ride up these old big elevators up to the 6 or 8^th floor in some case sand get off. Every time that door opened it was a totally different architecture on the floors – one floor was strange, one was a bunch of galleries, one was an old dark space, one was hallways but looked so old and then you come to another floor with nice white halls and it would be a gallery. Oh, and the halls were tall, skinny and just as white as you can get it. Like right into a hospital. No art work on the walls. Nasty track lighting in the ceilings.

I totally felt that the white walls were “cleansing my pallet” if you will. Because then you would enter one of the little rooms which was “The gallery” and it would burst with whatever color was on the walls. It was very interesting and I loved the playful feelings I got. And I loved the white walls. It made the entrance into the galleries t hat much better.

(Empire At War, 2006 - 2974 Ball point pens on canvas - 106" x 149")

Every room was its own gallery but not all of them were open of having opening nights.

So, I REALLY LIKED THIS ONE!!! I mean, it immediately hit me when I walked in that is was a political statement and a humorous one at that. And the fact that his medium is an ink pen and that the instrument factors into his art just as importantly as his statement, that was interesting as well.

(This was the statement about the pen's on the wall - no title)

The russian artist’s name is Andrei Molodkin and his show was titled “Empire At War.” I mean, look at the pictures for yourself. I mean this is not one that is hard to define right? You kind of know where the artist is coming from and feeling from this compared to the other artists I saw that night.

The central piece that you saw above, George Bush reading from the bible in front of a crucifix (118x157") is drawn from 2,764 ballpoint pens. The number of pens used represents the total number of soldiers killed in Iraq by September 21st, 2006. The project serves as an allegory for death by process - as each pen is used until spent and then replaced with another until the project is completed.

So, I am guessing the above artwork is called "Support Our Troops" since I can't find it anywhere on the internet and I didn't write down the name of the art while I was looking at it. As you can see, I didn't even take the pictures. My co-worker Jason snapped a picture of me signing whatever it was I was signing.

(And again....)

This was the artist's statment on the handout we received when we entered: The hypocrisy of the slogan “Support Our Troops” yields a comparison with ballpoint pens “issued” to a former soldier Andrei Molodkin to produce his drawings and paintings. On the one hand, the repeatedly renewed process of using these dispensable tools linked to the iconography of death. The other idea is about the continuation of the line of the ballpoint pens, in the sense that the used-up set (the dead) is immediately replaced with a new generation. Each of them is destined to fight and work obsessively at any price, until the last drop of ink-blood. The end of this process is “the end of civilization,” or (as they say nowadays) “the end of history.” Therefore, the images of “Sweet crude leaders” (sweet crude commander-in-chief, etc.), responsible for turning ballpoint pens allegory into reality, serve as a symbol of that finale.

This picture was the first thing I saw when I walked into this gallery. I was immdiately aware of his point of view and was floored. I

just looked around at others reactions because I was like "HOLY SHIT." If i wasn't a mature grown-up, HAHAHA, this is something I would totally buy and put next to the dinging room table and have my parents over for dinner just to see thier reactions hahaha. Great dinner topic, don't you think?

It was genius and made me laugh outloud in an understanding way. The work is called Embrace, 2006 - ball point pen on linen. Dude had a thing to say and its said haha. The guys around me started debating on which one started it and which one would finish it...meaning the kiss of course. This was the best show in terms of food too - they had wraps and noone else had food - but thier beer was gross.

The gallery also had this little room in the back that almost looked like where they were storing an old show, and only by researching this artist did I learn it was part of the show but from a past opening or something like that. "His most recent projects have included a series of "liquid" sculptures created by Iraqi crude oil and acrylic. " Hello opinion?? Speak up - I can't hear you!!!

These are three of the peices. Crude Oil in the Form of Jesus, 2006, Crude Oil in the Form of Mohommad and Crude Oil in the Form of 911. This is what I found about his series:

"Andrei Molodkin conceptualizes the ideas of our present day culture in an ongoing series of crude oil sculptures. The artist collects residue oil from the pipelines of national corporations to create his art. In a labor-intensive process, wax sculptures are casts into acrylic blocks. Through means of heat and pressure the wax sculpture melts away - leaving a negative space. The hollow imprint of the mold is then filled with crude oil creating liquid sculptures.

By transforming oil from an organic resource into an aesthetic form, the artist raises important questions regarding the role of oil within our contemporary Western culture. Mr. Molodkin initiates a political and cultural discourse in which he asserts that oil as a necessary commodity substitutes our cultural heritage: “Our Heritage is a process of casting monuments. The memory of Earth fills up forms of cultural memory as oil displaces classical sculpture taking the place of o

ur heritage - our heritage is measured in barrels.” The clash between culture and economy is seen where the artist uses recognizable religious images or cultural iconography as his subject matter. These images are substituted and exchanged into oil icons. For Andrei Molodkin, juxtaposing classical representations with oil suggests a substitution of economy with culture.

In the human body parts series, oil flows within organs, reflecting the depth of our oil dependent society; oil becomes our cultural blood. The artist states that culture is an emptiness we have to fill and affirm with economics – “vacant forms are easily filled with equally vacant content, including any ideology and any discourse.” In the era of globalization, oil becomes a homogenous socio-cultural reference used by Mr. Molodkin as raw material for art."

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Then we have the music that I shall speak about - ELFI SNOW AND THE TASTY MORSELS. OK, so no matter what kind of music it is, when I go somewhere and they have any kind of music to purchase, I buy it – for so many reasons I won’t go into. This was a CD sitting on the counter and I forever knew I would remember this art opening if I listened to the CD. Of course, the music playing in the ceiling was much better but it was just someone’s IPOD and that would have taken much to long haha. So, I buy it. I take it home, and I give it a good hearty chance. This shit is strange.

First of all, the cover has a naked painted chick laying on her side but boobs out in your face. That is it – and it son a puke yellow background. The title of the CD is called Somebody Else. After researching this group, it’s apparently their second CD. The first cover has a naked painted chick as well. GO Them!!!

Seriosuly, I’ll be honest – it’s not my favortie but everything grows on me eventually and that is the best part about music. I'll fuckin' adapt tp it haha. And I am not one to ever say something is bad. If anyone is reading this – you might like them so give ‘em a chance. Her website says she is “influenced by Joni Mitchell, Aimee Mann, The Pretenders and Big Star” – so right there shows she is a friend of mine HA. Take a peek….

http://www.elfisnow.com/.

Wildfires and Americans Lecture by Roger G. Kennedy (And Charlie Hunter Trio)

Now, this shit was cool. By invitation only thorugh the “Uncommon Ground” series, people were invited to a lecture and book signing by Roger. G. Kennedy about his new book Wildfires and Americans: How to Save Lives, Property and Your Tax Dollars. If I had known that I would have been half as interested in what he said as I was, I would have brought my checkbook for the book. Now I have to buy it and not get a fucking signature. I’m a moron UGH – anyway…

“Uncommon Grounds” is a series of events presenting the ideas of thoughtful and visionary planners and practitioners on how the park system of the future can grow and flourish, even against the backdrop of economic uncertainty. The series explores concepts in park and design, recreation and sports, historic and environmental preservation, and public education.

(Oh by the way – I am listenting to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8akmP6Sjv2o .It is yummy and sexy and fucking hot stringy love! Just had to mention the goodness as I was feeling it, as it always goes…)

Ok. Before I talk about Robert Kennedy’s numerous accomplishments, let me first describe him. This wonderful looking man in his 60’s or 70’s comes out from behind the curtain/stiff wall like screen hiding him from the audience of maybe 15-20 people. This was not a big event but by god tomorrow I will be tracking down whatever or whoever made the guacamole. I hope it was a store bought cause I'm going to track it down – that shit was AWESOME!!

Anyway, he was an aged man with a face full of knowledge and wrinkles. He immediately brought a smile to my face and I wanted to hear him speak almost immediately. He had a wonderful BIG bowtie, larger then any I had ever seen. And of course, the spectacles. He reminded me of the old professor with the curly mustache and arms waving in the air because his passion had no where else to go but out his fingertips haha. He was a brilliant mind who was speaking about something I was interested in and I had a smile on my face the entire time. I thought was he said was insightful and it is a large idea to get heard but an excellent topic with well made points.

The man has enjoyed multiple careers in public service, non-profit organiations, and the news media. Most recently he served as director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, financial vice president of the Ford Foundation; the host of his own series on he Discovery Channel; an assistant to three Cabinet officers; and White House reporter for NBC News.

Kennedy’s most recent of ten books, Wildlife and Americans: How to Save Lives, Property and Your Tax Dollars (Will and Wang, 2006), is a deeply informed appeal that we acknowledge that wildfire is not a fire problem, but a people problem. Americans are in the wrong places, channeled there by wrong policies. There are no natural disasters, only people in disastrous circumstances. Mr. Kennedy also asserts that Cold-War era policies deliberately emptied America cities and subsidized suburban and exurban encroachment into an increasingly dangerous landscape. And now with potential impact of global warming, the landscape could become even more dangerous.

Kennedy’s understanding of our history of transgressing nature’s limits, his grasp of how politicians and industries stand to gain by leaving the problem unsolved, his familiarity with the science of fire bring illumination and passion to this vital issue. Along with an examination of recent wildfire impacts, Wildfire and Americans presents a sweeping overview of American’s relationship with nature, especially as revealed through the policies and practices of federal agencies such as that Interior Department and the US Forest Service in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. His book is also a poetic reference to the wisdom of naturalists and leaders – men as diverse as Albert Gallatin, Henry David Thoreau, George Perkins Marsh, Ignatius Donnelly, Carl Schurz, Frederick Law Olmstead and John Wesley Powell – about the lessons of fire, and the danger of overstepping natural limits. Indeed, Kennedy argues persuasively that there is a direct line of intellectual descent “from Gallatin, soldier in the American Revolution, through Marsh, Schurz, La Follette, and Ickes to Russell Train, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under presidents Nixon and Ford” in the 1960’s and 1970s. An amazing intellectual lineage, and one in which Roger G. Kennedy is also firmly embedded.

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Charlie Hunter Trio, up until recently, consisted of Derrek Phillips, Charlie Hunter and John Ellis. Unfortunately, John and Derrek have recently left the Trio to pursue their musical ventures solo, thus, my choosing them to be the band that I very poorly profile for my own sake.

With 13 discs, you can’t be all that bad right? They are a jazzy, fun, earthy, musical goodness who a lot of lay people do not give credit to. These guys are full of talent and I suggest trying to listen to their Bing, Bling, Bling album. They cover Nirvana’s Come As You Are. Good stuff. They are a sound that reminds me of good times and the horns are the best part. It brings me back to 20’s reminiscent era, even the cover. If you care for lyrics, you won’t find them here – but can create your own in your head after giving this a chance a few times over.

Told you it would be a poor profile. The only way I can describe music is by feeling it…and I can’t describe feelings.

drunk 17 years old bring back memories!!!

it is 11:50pm on Thurdsay night, November 9, 2006. I am a whole bottle of wine into being drunnk and alone haha....so sad yes but oh well haha. I hear al lthis COMOTION...out side. I go outside like im smoking a cig and find 10-12 young girls being drunk as SHIT trying to take drunk pictures. its gets fun and they take pictures of me and all try getting up on the barrier between me and the garbage hahaha. Then i tell them i will take a picture of all of them from my view and they say i will steal thier cameras so i leave them alone. Then they ask to take my picture again and i say come on up mother fuckers. i have tons of beer and im alone drinking it. Half of them rush my door and the other half asks like a mother and says OH GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOO. I mean, I am so glad I was never one of thoes mother types. I am a fun person and im drunk right now but hot damn I would let those 17 year olds leave with some fond memories of drunken freedom.....no parents....no rules...tons of beer....good times hahahaha. Yeah, they left an im alone writing about this gay shit in my blog. Oh well, a few eeks from now this will amuse me!!! They asked if I went to college and of course i was like JMU BABY!!!!! They asked if i knew some soccer player named christine? Does that ring a bell to anyone? Christine might not have even been her name hahahha....I am in these bitches pictures hahahahahaha

cont.....My first Gallery Opening: Kuno Gonschior and some other artist I can't name

Still at the Stux Galery.

There was a second artist in the back room. This was not half as interesting to me but still interesting to shift from such dramatic pieces of artwork so simple yet, difficult in its own right.

This was Kuno Gonschior’s exhibit titled “10 Landscapes: For Ulrike”. This gentleman is not Asian, as you would immediately think, or at least I did. He is German and this is his vision of modern art. After researching him on the internet, I have found out that he works and lives in German, Berlin to be exact. I also found it awesome that this gallery that I was in was the only one in the nation, for the entire year, for where his work would be exhibited. This was also the first US exhibit the artist had ever had Made it seem like it was a bigger deal then it might seem to some but it is kind of awesome.

cont.....My first Gallery Opening: Nicola Verlato (& Great Big Sea)

A midsummer night's dream - featuring Julie Atlas Muz, Freewheelin Franklin and Davy Crockett, 2006, oil on canvas, 78x54 inches

And then we head to another gallery across the street. OH YEAH. Now, this is weird and much more my style. We were walking past the window and there it was. The most outrageous thing I had seen in forever haha. We of course had to go in.

Mothers II, 2005, Oil on Canvas, 80 x 80 inches

The gallery was named Stux Gallery and it was located at 530 West 25^th Street in Manhattan. http://www.stuxgallery.com/

The artists name is Nicola Verlato. (*****Read further). The title of the show is called O.Z. Paintings. Her opening had been on October 19, 2006 so there was no wine or anything but it was probably my favorite exhibit out of the four I saw that night.

There's no place like home!, 2006, oil on canvas, 78x96 inches

I mean, how would you interpret this? I was immediately uplifted with a smile on my face. Giggling inside the entire time and then finding that I couldn’t take my eyes away from picking out all the weird little things going on in the picture. Pokemon characters, Drain plugs, whips, naked people doing crazy stuff haha, and then the landscape actually being believable below the background of the picture.

Black Hole Sun Wants To Come, 2006, Oil on Canvas, 48 x 60 inches

(I immidiately thought of Soundgarden when I saw the title of this piece.)

What the shit am I supposed to say to artwork like this. I loved and hated it and loved it again? It is insane and I love it hahah. What a weird, destructive, vision. I even felt like I was looking at an artist rendition of a weird view toward fairytales or children’s stories. I found it to draw very childlike memories from me. The masks reminded me of Phantom of the Opera, the toys, the youth of the naked people. But then you had destruction of a tornado and nakedness being a loss of self concealment. I mean it just blew my mind up. As opposed to landscapes haha.

(****AND HOLY SHIT – basically I typed up the above two paragrpahs BEFORE typing up the artist name and information in one of the first pargraphs . I went BACK to do that part. I’m freaking.. haha. I didn't even read about her until after I wrote this freaking blog. How cool is that? I "GOT" her artwork before even knowing what she was intending to protray haha.)

How Does It Feel, 2006, Oil on canvas, 96 x 64 inches

If you are interested in the artist: http://www.nicolaverlato.com/

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So, this artist clearly had the lovin’ for a young fun time. There is something about the band that I am about to name that just gets me bubbly. The songs put smiles on my face the send I hear the first note. The band is called Great Big Sea.

Great Big Sea originated in Canada, specifically Newfoundland and Ladrador. The year a folk-rock band. They are best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island’s 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage. The band also performs original material.

Great Big Sea has been more successful than any other contemporary North American band in bringing Anglo-Celtic folk sounds into rock clubs!!!!!

Some great songs to download are:

“Scolding Wife” - Sea of No Cares Album
“Stumbling In” - Sea of No Cares Album
“Turn” – Turn Album
“The Night Pat Murphy Died” – Play Album

These songs are playful and bright and airy and you can’t help but feel the Irish under tones and want to bust into some kind of jug!

My first Gallery Opening: Keith Jacobshagen (& Al Hudson and the Soul Partners)

On Thursday, November 2, 2006, I attending some Gallery openings and viewings with a co-worker.

The galleries were down in the village and we walked through the Southern tip of Central Park from the Arsenal. We needed to get to the West side to catch the C train to Chelsea (at 23rd Street Station).

It was night and my camera battery was dying so I didn't think to start taking pictures till after we entered the first building. It was an old warehouse and the floor we went to, I think it was 5th, but it was the only floor that had been bought by this "gallery" and converted to show work. There were tons of doors down long white hallways. They reminded me of a scary sterile hospital. NO windows looking out and long bright florescent lighting tracked the ceiling.

My very first CHELSEA (run-down warehouse) art gallery opening. I was soooooooooo excited. I was not expecting anything so I can’t explain my reaction. I was just excited, pumped, freaking out with joy haha. The room was small. There were only about 25 paintings on the walls. Wine table to the left. Info table directly 10 feet in front of us. Small. We immediately made a beeline for the wine. Them the cutest thing happened. The picture to the right if from the gallery's website. This is what the room looked like!

A little paw shot out from under the wine table and started playing with our feet. That was when I was introduced to the warehouse cat. I unfortunately forgot its name but it was so awesome. I was immediately transported back to Chris’s parent’s home and thinking of the cats in the barn. Below, Quonset (Jan., Platte Valley), oil on canvas, 20x42.

I was told that this cat was a stray and became the warehouse cat. While I was being told about the cat, the beautiful baby walked out from under the table with the tablecloth slowly exiting off his back like he was the king of the jungle discarding his robe. He walked halfway into the gallery and plopped down right on to the floor. People were walking everywhere and it was so comfortable. I just loved the feeling I got of how homey the cat made this outrageous converted warehouse in the middle of NYC feel. I was at ease immediately.

The artist was Keith Jacobshagen. The art work was nice. I was shocked to see Midwestern landscape I have to say. I was expecting some outrageous artwork I think. But then again, it reminded me of home a tiny bit, without the rolling mountains. The artist was present and very nice. His name was Keith Jacobshagen. To the right, Cut Brush Fires, Sakt Vakkey, oil on board, 8x9 (one of my favs)

http://www.jcacciolagallery.com/cgi-bin/artistDisplay.cgi?artistName=current&index=00&showBio=no

I was really interested and I wanted to know if the order of his display (the pictures were numbered 1-whatever number). I asked if maybe if I was following some path of a trip he had once taken. He smiled and said that it was on a road from one location to another but not intentionally playing a role in the display. I got an autograph and a .......

The prices ranged from $2,000 - $10,000. Most were no bigger then a 15” monitor. This would not have been something I ever bought for my home but it still provoked feelings and emotions from me and that was great.

(I will write more in the following blogs because i feel like these are to big and long haha.)

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DISCO BABY!!!! DISCO!!!! So, I know my father used to disco dance in the 70s and that just blew my mind. If you knew my father, you would understand that. So, I was thinking about disco music and my father today and thought I would write about that style of music, and who better to showcase then Al Hudson and the Soul Partners.

Al Hudson was a soulful talent who stood his own in the late 70s, forging an up-tempo funk sound that lived long past disco, and which was sort of a platform for groups of the 80s to build a new dancefloor sound. He has led various soul and funk groups since the 1970’s.

Al, who had been playing the local Detroit club scene with a group of fellow musicians and friends, brought Kevin McCord (lead vocals & bass guitar), Cortez Harris (vocals & guitar), Jack Hall (piano), and Theodore Dudley, Jr. (drums) together as his Soul Partners.

The group began life as AI Hudson & The Soul Partners, scoring popularity with songs including 'Spread

Love', prior to becoming One Way Featuring Al Hudson in 1979.

Although he never landed anything remotely close to a big hit, the group consistently recorded through the '70s and into the early '80s. Hudson and the Soul Partners signed with ABC in the mid-'70s and made their debut with the LP ‘Especially for You’.

One Way consisted of Al Hudson (vocals / percussion), Kevin McCord (bass / keyboards) and Dave Roberson (lead guitar). A famous song by the group, and a song that has been sampled by many, is “You Can Do It.” Another title that might sound familiar is “Let’s Talk About Love”

CHRISTMAS IS ON! (SAM COOKE)

It is 11:54pm on Monday night, November 6 ,2006. Two things happened tonight that might have seemed much cooler in my altered state, if you please hahaha. (I don't have to work tomorrow so I can play...anyway....getting' ADHD......as usual........!!)

About and hour ago, I was walking down the street with Ned and pointed out the Christmas lights that had already been placed on some trees. This man from across the way screams out with fist in the air "CHRISTMAS IS OOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNN" - that was a magically delicious hysterical moment - ONLY IN NY!!!!

Who was that guy you say? I will never know and I will never forget hahaha!

Secondly, this was the first night in my life I saw a full moon without ever seeing stars in the sky. I guess the moon is the only thing that can get through the tough coating over NYC. It was and in a way but the Xmas guy brought my spirits WAY BACK up - it made my almost pee myself.....

and who ever is reading this - don’t act like you have never laughed that hard.....LOL.


Ahhh this is going to be a good read in a few months.....and while I am at it I can always mention some good ass music!

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This is an oldie but a goodie. And as I am going through a huge 50's phase from Jerry Lewis movies to Ella Fitzgerald, I don't mind pointing out the obvious again. The obvious being greatness in music history..........


Anyway, his music is just as spicy as his life was, before dying so young.


SAM COOKE. SAM COOKE. SAM COOKE


He needs no introduction................


(He has an exciting back story too...for example, he brought a couple back to his hotel room from a party they were all at together, and when the guy passed out on the bed he took the wife and banged her in the bathroom while he lay on the couch ----OHHHHHHHH DAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMNNNN.)

Well, once you listen to his music you'll understand what it can do to a man OR a woman. Gentleman, throw one of these on and your ladies won't be able to help but get in the mood.....(insert another OHH DAAAMMNN here as well.)

Juicy tid bit - The song Chris and I dance to at our wedding will be coming from his collection.

October 18, 2006: Erin's Visit, Osso Buco and Tasti D'Lite (& Angie Stone)

On October 18, 2006, My good friend from college, Erin Conelly, visited me in the city for dinner. She happeend to be about 40 minutes away from me in Jersey hyping up JMU and all its glory to highschooler's looking for a potentinal school. And may I ask, what is better then JMU? I mean seriously....so, of course Erin is perfect for the job since she really DOES bleed purple....trust me...I have slit her open and seen it run purple hahaha.


Anyway, she arrived shortly after 6pm. We had a few beres, sat on the balcony and reveled in the new apartment's fun times. It was great having her up here because she made me fall in love with NYC again. That actually happens on a daily basis but I can never point it out enough and remember enough to never take anything for granted while I am here, and that means something as simple as sitting on the coolest balcony that I will ever pay rent for or own.

After sitting and just "experiencing" for a while we decided food was in order and went on a mission in no particular direction to find food. Another great part about the city haha - just walk and find treasures everywhere! We ended up walking all the way into Harlem on Lexington and after a bit I think Erin got a tad nervous as did I. It was dark and we were walking away from the safety of my streets at this point hahaha. I don't know if I will ever verbalize the reasons why I feel unsafe at points because they are stupid mind games going on in my head and I know I am totally safe but then again YOU NEVER KNOW. I am ashamed of some of the reasons I feel unsafe sometimes and will never verbalize them. Nothing bad, just society's ideas flowing through my mind that shouldn't be because our perceptions of things are almost always 95% wrong.


Aside for reminding me of my first dinner date!!!, I am writing to talk about the place we had dinner and to remind myself of eveything we ate because I have have have to take more people to this place. We based our search on what Erin felt comfortable eating hahahaha. She was a little nervous about places we walked by and the menu's that had things she couldn't pronouce but I will break her..... I WILL GET YOU TO EAT INDIAN FOOD ERIN!!!!!!!! Anyway, if she hadnt veto-ed a few of the options we ran across then we never would have eaten at the place I am about to mention and never had those AWESOME dishes.


The resturant was called OSSO BUCO! It is located at 1662 3rd Avenue and 93rd Street.

www.ossobuco2go.com

Osso Buco is actually a Italian Dish but the recipie is too long for this blong.

It was very inviting and we were seated in the outside dinning area in the front of the resturant. The wait staff was nice, pleasent and on point. Our water was always filled, our food came out in a timely manner and we even ate by candle light and it was just cuteness all around.

I wanted to order a wierd appetizer since that is just something I do. I ended up ordering "Spiedini alla Romana" ($6.50) for the both of us. And now we come to the reason I am writing about this place: I FUCKING LOVE Spiedini alla Romana!!

I looked up the recipie for this appetizer on the Internet. It is apparently a very old traditional Italian recipie made with Italain Brad and anchovy sauce, among other ingredients. Osso Buco made the recipie thier own by changing up thier recipie with thier own touches and I thought it was divine.

The Spiedini alla Romana came out as this tall slice of Italian bread, standing tall and cut into four slices, but not cut completely through. In between the sections of bread they placed proscuitto, one of my fav meats. Then it was drizzeled with capers, white wine and lemon sauce.

I mean, I can't even discribe this dish to you. The flavors were powerful and the smell was intense. The dish itself was small but being that it was bread, it was filling. I was addicted in a second.

As for the main course, Erin had Penne alla Caprese ($10.50) which was Penne Pasta made with homade Mozzarella and fresh tomoato sauce. A safe, but excellent choice. Ok - Side story to remind me later in life - when we were deciding what to order the table next to us received thier food and damn did it look awesome. She saw a dish that she thought she wanted to order and we debated over what it was and what it was made of - of course, the food whore right here was right when the waiter finally came around to let us know what it was. It ended up being the meal Erin ordered in the end. And damn was it a good choice. For such a simple, safe choice, it was well worth it and I got to eat the leftovers the next day and they were even better!!!!!

I ended up ordering something that I didn't even think I like because I don't like hot vegetables but I had to just suck it up and try it cause i love sausage!! I hoped for the best. I ordered Chicken Paesana ($11.95). It was a breast of chicken with sweet Italian sausage and seasonal vegatables, in this case being steamed green beans. On the side, I got mashed potatoes and GOD IT WAS SO GOOD. IT was just GOOD!!!!



And then of course we had to have dessert. We walked back toward my place keeping our eyes out for icecream. We went to the Tasti D'lite. It was good. It was ice-cream. I have no intrests in desserts or sweets or pastries so you'll be getting no comments on stuff like that unless something knocks me on my ass. When they day comes, you better taste whatever it was I tasted haha.

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Angie Stone. I mean, how can I discribe this vision of pure soul. I just think you need to experience her for yourself. She samples music from oldschool players like Galdys Knight and the Pips (1972) and the O'Jays (1972).

Some fun tips though that might actually get you off your ass to listen to her, if not for her just being AWESOME------

She currently appears on the fourth season of the VH1 reality show Celbrity Fit Club which began on August 6, 2006. She also sings the theme song for the CW Sitcom Girlfriends.

November 1, 2006 - Walk to Work (And John Scofield)

(This is a blog in progress as something is not allowing me to upload the pictures! and i have no time to write anymore.)

So, there was traffic this morning and I decided to walk the 5 blocks it would take me to get from my location on the bus line at 69th street and walk to 64th street. I was watching people walk by me while I was on the bus and figured, go get the exercise. I hate exercising but I’m also a big supporter hahaha. It a hard internal struggle, let me tell you.

Any way, I decided to take the walk and experience one of the last beautiful days left in the year before hell strikes down with is swift cold fucking hand. SO COLD!. AS an intern, I was absolutely retarded in the amount of clothes that I were and then stripped off once I got to work. It was the most miserable experience haha. But, by no means was I unhappy. The winter is one of the most gorgeous times in the entire year as far as cheer and decoration and insane experiences. But this blog will have nothing to do with all of that. I’ll bust those memories out for myself when it actually snows haha. To the right is the 7th Regiment Monument located at 66th Street and 5th Avenue.

I just took a few pictures of some of the things that caught my eye on the 5 blocks I walked. Also, understand that to the right of my walk is Central Park and to the left of me is 5th Avenue and a bunch of kewl buildings.

First of all it was beautiful scene to see the leaves changing. Granted, it is NOTHING compared to the changing of the seasons down in Virginia. I mean, NOTHING compares. Almost like color died in NYC as far as the trees go. But also, as I have learned in my job, the types of trees that can survive in the city are not ones that change. So, I rarely see the variety of color that we had for during Homecoming weekend this year, but there are stated yellows and golds.

(Need to enter info in about eating lunch around the pond, this pictures & halloween in the city & John Scofield)