Totally Random

  

Monday Night....relaxing and watching The Tube Music Network. I love this channel. 24 hours of music videos, barely any commercials, and 100% rock. Don't get me wrong, I love rap and R&B, but it is nice to get away from it and watch all rock n' roll once in a while.

Wow, I can't believe Thanksgiving is over! I also can't believe it has been a week since I last wrote....I am slacking. Actually I've been busy!

I took off from work last Wednesday to get the house ready for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving turned out to be pretty good. The food was good, the time with the family and friends was great as well.

I had a pretty good weekend. I have been waiting to see that new movie "Bobby" about RFK. It was a really great movie. Being that RFK is one of my "idols" it made the movie that much better. Caren and I saw it on Sunday night after a quick bite to eat.

Saturday Night Caren and I ventured into NYC yet again. It's getting to be a Saturday Night tradition for us. This time we hit Little Italy and had some amazing Italian cuisine at the world famous Vincent's. The food was great. We sipped wine, chatted, and ate our amazing "medium" sauce with the meatballs the size of oranges.

We then got ambitious and walked all the way from Little Italy to Times Square. Quite a walk, but it was a gorgeous night and we enjoyed taking in all the sights and sounds of NYC. I tried a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks because they were out of peppermint for the peppermint hot chocolate that I love. It was quite good! Even though I had to transfer at Jamaica for the connection back home to Long Beach, I am glad Caren and I got 20 minutes on the same train before I had to switch.......the holiday feel is definitely in the air in NYC.

So on to random shit. Is anyone else hooked on this "Deal Or No Deal" TV show? I am not a huge TV watcher....I seriously couldn't name 5 shows on TV, but this Deal or no Deal has me watching all the time. Some dude gambled $219,000 tonight and went home with $10. What an idiot. He was from Arkansas, so that explains a lot.....

So, we are doing this Secret Santa at work. Yet, everyone is telling everyone who they have to buy for. Not so secret I suppose. I actually drew the name of a person I actually like....so buying a gift won't be painful. I was dreading buying for someone I hate. Thoughts of wrapping Bruce's poop crossed my mind several times before I finally pulled the name of someone I liked out of the hat. Think I wouldn't have done it? Well then you don't know some of the assholes I work with.......

So being that my family is off in NC....and I don't quite have a family of my own just yet, I am seriously thinking of heading into NYC on Christmas to volunteer at a soup kitchen or something like that. I think it would be amazing to help others in need, especially on Christmas.

I've been asked to go to two holiday parties with female friends as their "dates" this year. I don't even want to go to my own company holiday party, let alone two other parties....so I have to come up with some excuses.....any ideas? hahaha Come on, be a sport!

Ok, I am tired and need rest. I hope this post finds you all well and that your Thanksgiving/weekend was great!

Thanksgiving Is Approaching....

All the Best 

With all of the Thanksgiving preparation I have to do over the next two days, I thought I would post my Thanksgiving blog today. I want to start by wishing all of you a wonderful holiday. I hope you have an amazing holiday and weekend.

I will be hosting about 8-10 people at my house which include friends and family. It should be a fun day. I love cooking and hosting, so it will be a lot of fun. The wine will help too. :)

Anyway, in the spirit of the holiday, I am going to post my 2006 "Things I am Thankful For" list. No, not 2006 things, for the year 2006 silly. I can't believe it is Thanksgiving already...this is nuts.....

Things I am thankful for in 2006:

My family. Although crazy (what family isn't) they have always been in my corner. I will miss them when they move next week.

My friends, especially Sugar V. He is one of a kind and a genuine guy. I hope our friendship carries on for years. He looooves Thanksgiving sausage.

Meeting Caren. I hope great things come of it. I am looking forward to baseball season with her, among other things. Our NYC visits, pizza nights, impromptu dancing, chats, and laughs have put a smile on my face.

Bruce! The best dog in the world! I am thankful each day for him, even when he is a butthead.

You crazy folks who actually still read this blog! Thanks for sharing your comments with me and taking the time out to visit.

America waking up, finally. Election day gave me hope...that its citizens aren't as stupid as I once thought. Let's get our men and women home...safe.....it is long overdue.

A memorable summer of 2006. Although it had its tough moments, I grew as a person this summer. I will never forget it.

The time I spent with Amester. Thanks for all the kindness and memories. We had a lot of fun and laughs. 2006 would not have been nearly the same without you.

Have an amazing holiday everyone!

Winds of Change

  

As I sit here on this stormy Thursday Night, I reflect. The winds are howling outside my window. The weather report said today could have been the last warm day of the year, and that the winds of change are blowing through tonight.

2006 has been a transitional year for me. The winds of change have blown often throughout this year.

Let's reflect:

In January, right after the new year, I started a new job. I am still there, the job has had its good and bad moments. Mainly stressful moments. I have grown quite a bit there and taken on so much responsibility.

Around the same time I started the new job, I met Tiny A. We had a great 7 months or so together. She was very influential in my life and she is missed daily. Whether or not our split was for the better or not, is still to be determined I suppose.

In May, I moved out of the house I had spent the last two years in. It was a good move for me. In many ways I felt like I got my independence back.

I moved into a new house in a different part of town in May. I made so many new friends and met so many new people in the neighborhood. I have mixed feelings about my future in the house come this May when the lease is up for renewal, what will happen is still to be determined.

In between all this, my family is moving to NC. My brother is already gone and my parents will be leaving in a couple of weeks. It is going to be strange, as I have said before.

I met Caren in September. She is definitely one of a kind. I've been so consumed with life/work the past few weeks, I really haven't been able to spend the time with her that I really would like to. I hope that changes over the next few weeks because I really want to see where it goes.......

My "constants" in 2006 have been my close friends. Sugar V is always there no matter what drama, craziness, or chicanery is going on in life. Christina gets me through the work days with some sanity still left.

Brucey boy brings me happiness every day. He is the greatest dog ever.

I sense even bigger change for 2007 for myself. I want to start taking some chances in life. I feel I have played life safe for too long. I have some dreams I want to follow. I want to be involved with more things that I am passionate about. I have plans and ideas to make that happen.

Although "Bored at the Beach" will be around for the long haul, I have an idea for another blog that I will keep secret, just for me. I need a space to vent without friends, family, and people I know tapping in. I plan on giving that a lot of attention come the new year. I am excited about what the wind will blow my way in the months ahead.....

So...the perfect song for the Friday Video, is "Wind of Change" by the Scorpions. Have a great weekend!

More Than A Feeling

Ok, before I get into the real post, just a few random thoughts.

You know what bothers the shit out of me? When someone leaves you a voicemail or a text saying something like "I have to talk to you about 'something'" or "we need to talk about something." I mean just say what the hell it is and spare the person on the listening end the stress of wondering what the hell you need to "talk" about.

Because you know that when someone "needs to talk" to you, it is never good. Right?

Anyway, I have not been blogging much. Unfortunately, work has consumed my life, for the most part, over the last 4-6 weeks. For those of you I have neglected, nothing personal. Although I have been called out on it by a couple of people. Sometimes life just happens and you get consumed.

So, my brother moved last week, my parents are ready to go shortly after Thanksgiving. I guess that is kind of depressing. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for them and I know life will be easier for them down in NC, but it is just going to be strange.

Anyway, on with the blog. I've been watching a lot of old school MTV videos on YOUTUBE recently. It surely is a trip down memory lane. I was browsing VH1 Classic the other night and they had a show about albums. The question posed to everyone on the show was "What one album should EVERY music fan have in their collection?" This made me think. There have been hundreds of amazing albums over the last 40+ years. So many stand out in my mind. But I was able to pick one. If you DON'T own it, run out this weekend and buy it. I chose Boston's debut album BOSTON. This album came out when albums were really "albums". When the cover art was amazing and every song was mind blowing. I don't think the youngsters of today appreciate what an "album" really is. Now we download individual songs, and don't really appreciate the artists for all of their work rather than for just a hit song.

  

Boston's album came out when I was about six years old and it takes me back to my childhood years when my mom would play this album over and over again. But, I chose it not so much for the nostalgia, but for the lyrical, vocal, and musical quality this albums contains. The album gets better with each song and really stays with you.

I'll leave you with a great track from the album.....have a great day!

Just Like......Starting Over

For a few months, back in late 2005 and early 2006, I featured a "Friday Video" here at the beach. I thought I would "start over" with that today. This time around I will elaborate a bit on each song rather than just post the video.

This week, I chose "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon. Back in 1975 John took a bit of a musical layoff. He spent his time at home baking bread and raising his son Sean. Many said he had a creative block....

Five years later in June of 1980, the songs started to flow when John was on holiday with with Yoko and Sean. He captured his love for Yoko with the writing of "Woman" which I personally think is one of the most amazing love songs ever written. He also wrote a lullaby for Sean called "Beautiful Boy." Its message was that life is what happens while you are making other plans. So true.

John and Yoko started recording these new songs in August of 1980. The "Double Fantasy" album was soon complete. The first single released was "(Just Like) Starting Over" which was a story of a second honeymoon and a start of a new life. The single hit #6 on the U.S. billboard charts and was climbing in December of 1980. On December 8th, John was shot and killed outsid ehis apartment building in NYC.

The title was grimly ironic.....but I suppose that often happens. The song always reminds me of that time period. I can remember this song being played all over the airwaves right after his death. The ringing bell at the beginning of the song, the 1950's style of rock, the amazing vocals, and the song's message make this a true masterpiece.

I'm Not Stupid.......

  

George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Don Rumsfeld think you're stupid. Yes, they do.

They think they can take a mangled joke about President Bush and Iraq by John Kerry....a man who is not even running for office but who, unlike Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, never ran away from combat service....and get you to vote against all Democrats in this election.

Every time you hear Mr. Bush or Mr. Cheney lash out against Mr. Kerry, I hope you will say to yourself, "They must think I'm stupid." Because they surely do.

They think that they can get you to overlook all of the Bush team's real and deadly insults to the U.S. military over the past six years by hyping and exaggerating Mr. Kerry's mangled gibe at the president.

What could possibly be more injurious and insulting to the U.S. military than to send it into combat in Iraq without enough men.....to launch an invasion of a foreign country not by the Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force, but by the Rumsfeld Doctrine of just enough troops to lose? What could be a bigger insult than that?

What could possibly be more injurious and insulting to our men and women in uniform than sending them off to war without the proper equipment, so that some soldiers in the field were left to buy their own body armor and to retrofit their own jeeps with scrap metal so that roadside bombs in Iraq would only maim them for life and not kill them? And what could be more injurious and insulting than Don Rumsfeld's response to criticism that he sent our troops off in haste and unprepared: Hey, you go to war with the army you've got -- get over it.

What could possibly be more injurious and insulting to our men and women in uniform than to send them off to war in Iraq without any coherent postwar plan for political reconstruction there, so that the U.S. military has had to assume not only security responsibilities for all of Iraq but the political rebuilding as well? This administration never had a plan for the morning after, and we've been making it up.....and paying the price....ever since.

And what could possibly be more injurious and insulting to our men and women in Iraq than to send them off to war and then go out and finance the very people they're fighting against with our gluttonous consumption of oil? Sure, George Bush told us we're addicted to oil, but he has not done one single significant thing -- demanded higher mileage standards from Detroit, imposed a gasoline tax or even used the bully pulpit of the White House to drive conservation -- to end that addiction. So we continue to finance the U.S. military with our tax dollars, while we finance Iran, Syria, and the rest of our "enemies" with our energy purchases.

Everyone says that Karl Rove is a genius. Yeah, right. So are cigarette companies. They get you to buy cigarettes even though we know they cause cancer. That is the kind of genius Karl Rove is. He is not a man who has designed a strategy to reunite our country around an agenda of renewal for the 21st century.....to bring out the best in us. His "genius" is taking some irrelevant joke by John Kerry and twisting it to bring out the worst in us, so you will ignore the mess that the Bush team has brought upon this country.

And Karl Rove has succeeded at that in the past because he was sure that he could sell just enough Bush cigarettes, even though people knew they caused cancer. Please, please, for our country's health, prove him wrong this time.

Let Karl know that you're not stupid. Let him know that you know that the most patriotic thing to do in this election is to vote against an administration that has, through sheer incompetence, brought us to a point in Iraq that was not inevitable but is now unwinnable.

Let Karl know that you think this is a critical election, because you know as a citizen that if the Bush team can behave with the level of deadly incompetence it has exhibited in Iraq -- and then get away with it by holding on to the House and the Senate -- it means our country has become a banana republic. It means our democracy is in tatters because it is so gerrymandered, so polluted by money, and so divided by professional political hacks that we can no longer hold the ruling party to account.

It means we're as stupid as Karl thinks we are.

I, for one, don't think we're that stupid. Today, we'll see.

Let's hope this is the Republican theme song today:

Sick Call

"I NO COME WORK TODAY!!!"

Hung Chow calls into work and says, "Hey, I no come work today, I really
sick. Got headache, stomach ache and legs hurt, I no come work."

The boss says, "You know something, Hung Chow, I really need you today.
When I feel like this, I go to my wife and tell her to give me sex. That
makes everything better and I go to work. You try that."

Two hours later Hung Chow calls again. "I do what you say and I feel
great. I be at work soon....... You got nice house."

BOO!

  

When you REALLY think about it, Halloween is child abuse. One day every year we send kids out into the night to talk to strangers. Then when they get to the homes of these strangers, they accept candy from them. Then when they get home with all their treats, we throw away the one healthy snack, the apple, because it may have a razor blade in it and encourage the kids to eat all the sugar......

Candy corn? What is this crap? Why do we call it a "treat" if everyone hates it? We got rid of the Tony Danza show, yet we can't get rid of candy corn. Anyone who hands this shit out to kids today really wants them to die, but they just don't have the guts to stick the razor blade in that healthy apple.

If you forgot to buy Halloween candy, just say so. Don't hand out random crap from your kitchen. Last year, there was a guy on Sugar V's block who was handing out batteries and mini-packets of soy sauce. Sugar V got so pissed, he poked him in the eye with his fairy wand.

Women must admit that Halloween is just an excuse to dress like a whore. Ladies, nurses don't wear fishnet stockings. Kittens don't own pushup bras. Real French maids don't shave their underarms. Now — now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for women getting in touch with their "inner slut," but, 'fess up, Halloween has become less about candy and more about the "Haunted Ho's."

Banks must stop putting up Halloween decorations and open up another teller window. You're a bank, not a college dorm room. Your service charges are scary enough.

Have a great day!!!!!

Monday Mix......

Did this weekend fly by or is it just me? Ok, it did fly by even with the additional hour.

The night we turn our clocks back could be my least favorite day/night of the year. I despise leaving for work in the dark and coming home in darkness.......Where oh where did summer go?

I bought all my Halloween candy today. I packaged it all in cute little treat bags for all the little fuckers that will be trick or treating in my 'hood. When they say "trick or treat" I should just juggle or do a quick trick, eat my own candy as a reward and slam the door on the fuckos.......but seriously, the bags are great and the kids should love them.

Bruce got his Halloween costume today. I bought him a "pimp dog" costume. I have attached some pictures below. More to come on Halloween. He is so pudgy, he can barely fit in the large costume......

I got a "shower radio" a few weeks ago and I am loving it. This morning I busted out the acoustic version of "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi and boy did I sound just like him......I love music in the shower....I got some good moves and vocals in there. I should start the shower singing tour...coming to a tub near you.

This weekend was ok. Friday Night Caren came by. We wound up having many cocktails, listening to music, and ordering some food. I really enjoy her company. Can't wait to see her again soon....

The rest of the weekend was "blah." The weather was horrible on Saturday. Downpours and 50MPH winds made for a shitty day. The wind carried over all day Sunday. I woke up Sunday Morning to Bruce and Sampson eating out of the garbage pail outside which tipped over during the night. Their paws and noses were covered in tomato sauce from the food tins from Friday Night and garbage was all over the yard. I looked hot (sarcasm) in a t-shirt, shorts, black dress socks, and flip flops cleaning it up at 7am. Thank God nobody saw me.

My brother leaves for NC on Wednesday. It is going to be weird having him live down there. My parents leave the week after Turkey Day. I am hoping he comes up for the weekend and we all have one last big holiday here in NY. I am hoping to host Thanksgiving again this year. Christmas will truly be strange without them here. I will do my best to make the Christmas holiday my own this year.......

I often think of leaving NY, but the more I think about it, the more I realize how New York I really am. I don't think I could do it. I have such a pride for this place. In my eyes, it is the greatest city in the world.....

St. Louis Cardinals, World Champions? What next an asteroid wiping out the earth? Talk about a shitty team winning the championship. WTF is going on? All we need is the Minnesota Timberwolves winning the NBA championship, an Atlanta Thrashers Stanley Cup team, and a Phoenix Cardinals Superbowl win.......and this wacky year will be complete......

Ok, here is a sneak peek at Bruce's costume. Have a great start to the week.....

  

  

So Many Drugs, So Few "Conditions"

  

Drug companies have to stop making up diseases! I don't know what "the terrorists" are planning next for America, but if I had every problem they talk about in medicine commercials: breathing, lifting, walking, sitting, sleeping, crapping, not crapping, getting a boner and male menopause, I would welcome death. Bring it on! Deadly nerve gas? Please, I've got seasonal allergies!

I mean, it seems like every time I turn on the TV these days, I see some ad for some drug I never heard of, to treat some disease I've never heard of. That's not a stomach ache you have from eating the seventy-five buffalo wings on 10 cent wing night, it's Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Or I.B.S. Or as I call it, "B.S." Which would also apply to the dreaded "Social Anxiety Disorder." Or as they used to call it, "shyness." We treated it with an old home recipe: a bottle of vodka and a hooker.

Your wife doesn't get turned on? Well, it couldn't be because you're a 350 pound snowman-shaped sausage casing, so full of beer you sweat hops. It's because she has "Female Sexual Dysfunction."

Your husband doesn't get turned on? Well, it couldn't be the 5,000 calorie a day diet you are on and the three chins you have...it is because he has "Erectile Dysfunction."

And before they came up with "Restless Leg Syndrome," did that even exist? Did you ever hear someone say, "Sorry I couldn't make the party, Charlie....the old restless leg was acting up." You know, next time you have an uncontrollable urge to move your feet, maybe you should just...move your feet! Your feet are trying to tell you the same thing your dog is trying to tell you when he's been cooped up in the house all day: "I want to go for a fucking walk!"

But be careful. There's a Tasmanian Devil living under your toenail. He lives way way below the nail's surface.......

I am waiting for the ad that tells me that my morning hard-on is actually "Hard Dick Syndrome." Or H.D.S...and there's a cartoon bunny who says, "Are you bothered by morning stiffness? Try Flaccidix. Flaccidix is specially formulated to make your penis soft and more manageable. Ridiculous......

Drug companies are the dealers, and Congress and the FDA are the cop on the beat who's been paid off to look the other way. New drugs used to have to go through a rigorous process of testing. Now they just give it to Courtney Love or Robert Downey Jr, and if they live....it's approved.

Only In New York

I was born and raised here in New York. So, with that being said, it takes a lot for me to be shocked or surprised by the behavior of someone in public. On Sunday, I sat in Central Park with Caren in "Strawberry Fields" and we people watched and were greatly entertained.

Our day started about noon when we met up in Penn Station. We hopped in a taxi and headed to my favorite part of the city, the west side along Central Park. We had brunch at a really great place named Isabella's on W 77th. We had a few mimosas while we waited for a table and chatted for a bit. After about 20 minutes, we were seated at a great table right by the windows where we chatted, people watched, and enjoyed a great brunch. Sugar V and his wife called us during brunch and said they were on their way to the city....

After we ate, Caren and I strolled a few blocks to W 72nd where the John Lennon memorial "Strawberry Fields" is located. It's a mosaic tile which reads "Imagine" which is down a wooded path about 100 yards from the street. We sat on one of the dozens of park benches around the memorial and just took in the sights and sounds...and boy were there plenty.

Our attention was immediately drawn to Gary (picture below). Gary is quite a colorful character. Gary "works" at the memorial. Each day he does something different to decorate the "Imagine" tiles. Sunday, he had flower petals around the exhibit in the shape of a peace sign, It was nicely done. Gary was very drunk on red wine he was "secretly" drinking out of a clear Sprite bottle. Gary would give the same speech every 5 minutes for the two hours we were there. He would say, "Welcome to New York, welcome to the jungle, welcome to Strawberry Fields, I've been coming here for 13 years, been here everyday for the last four, enjoy folks, peace." Then he'd yeall "Where's everyone from?????!!!!!!!" Some people would answer, some would run.....Gary was a riot. Caren and I couldn't stop watching him and his antics. Gary had a miniature guitar near the exhibit for "donations." I thought perhaps the money people tossed in the guitar was to purchase flower petals and items to decorate the exhibit......we found out quickly it was Gary's booze money, as he paid someone withmoney from that guitar for a bottle of red wine they brought him. He carefully poured the red wine into Sprite bottles for "discreet" consumption.

We kept each other warm on the park bench, it was brisk and somewhat chilly on Sunday. While relaxing we noticed another colorful character. This dude (pictured below) had a bag of "sporting goods" that he was trying to sell some folks, including Gary. He was saying how great the stuff he had was, that is was "vintage." It was then that the ball dude, walks like 10 feet from the people he was trying to sell this vintage "memorabilia" to, and started signing the stuff himself......great vintage stuff indeed. The pic below shows our pal signing the stuff with God knows what star's name on it........

As Gary stumbled and played air guitar to the music blaring out of his 1983 boombox, Sugar V called and said he would be to the park in a few. It was then that Gary yelled. "GO AHEAD, KISS YOUR HUSBAND!!!!!!" So Caren and I look over and he was gesturing to Caren. Apparently Caren and I had been recently married in a drunken stuper last Saturday Night in between the pizza and "club 69." So we amused him with a kiss.....

Moments later we see Sugar V and Nebraska girl heading deep into the park, apparently Sugar V wanted to head into the woods to make a move on wifey, or to expose himself to some boy scouts. We called him and told him he was going the wrong way........he then got on the right path and met us with all of our new colorful friends.....

After 20 minutes or so, we walked out of the park, towards Columbus Circle (pic below). We went to Columbus Mall and browsed the shops. After a while we decided to go have dinner. We headed towards 9th Ave where here are hundreds of great restaurants. Why we chose "Ralph's Italian Restaurant" or whatever the dude's name was is beyond me......

We walk in and get seated, the lighting was so poor, I needed a flashlight to read the menu. They were one Mexican short of a Mariachi Band in that fine Italian establishment. The food was awful. I think Chef Boyardee makes better sauce.....we high tailed it out of there quicly. Sugar V and I were still so hungry, we stopped at "Grey's Papaya" for one of NYC's finest and most famous hot dogs.....as we strolled back to Penn to catch our trains.....

It was a quick "goodnight" as my train was ready to leave....I had wished it was a Saturday Night so I could have lured Caren back to "the beach." Sugar V, Nebraska Girl, and I boarded the Long Beach Train and continued our insanity......

I decided I was going to make loud growling sounds every 3-5 minutes the whole ride home on the train. This annoyed many people, but intrigued quite a few. We called Caren on her train to get her to hear the craziness we were causing. Mrs. Sugar V was laughing so hard, I thought she would pee her pants......

It was another great time with Caren and the Sugars. I've really gotten to know Caren a bit more the last week or so and she is just great. It's nice to be "in like" again. (is that a term???) I like that I can be myself around her and around Sugar V and Nebraska girl. I am very at ease with all of them. The last two weekends have been so much fun........

So, here are three pics from Sunday......

  

Columbus Circle. Sugar V kept having to say "Hey, is that Columbus???" Referring to the large statue of the famous explorer.....

  

Get your Holiday orders in now...sports memorabilia man has all your favorite sports stars' autographs in stock!!!!!

  

And last but not least...our boy Gary........taking care of Strawberry Fields and keeping things in order down on W 72nd.....

Oh What A Night.....

  

Saturday Night was a night I was looking forward to all week. Sugar V, his wife Nebraska Girl, Caren, Christina, and Joe all came over for homemade pizza night.

I prepared all day cleaning and shopping. I was in charge of all the appetizers. I prepared some great stuff like artichoke hearts, prosciutto, grapes, cheeses, olives, bruchetta, and other odds and ends. Sugar V and Nebraska Girl brought the homemade dough to make the pizza.

Sugar V and wifey arrived about 5. We proceeded to start the sauce and get the appetizers ready for the table. Caren arrived a little while later with treats for my pup and Sugar V's favorite...CANNOLIS! We all had wine and waited for Christina and Joe to arrive.

When Christina and Joe arrived, we sat in my favorite room in the house, the front sun room where we ate, laughed, and listened to music..... not to mention drank wine, LOTS of wine. Earlier that day, I bought 7 bottles...and Joe brought 6 with him...so needless to say we were stocked.

Two hours flew by and we were all tipsy from the wine. Caren and I stayed behind and chatted while the other four went into the kitchen to start the pizzas. I had only seen Caren that one time weeks ago in NYC, so I thought it was a good time to get acquainted...and besides...I did not want to see what four semi-drunk friends were going to do to my kitchen.

While they got the pizzas rolling, I turned on some Italian music to set the mood as the wine kept flowing. There was singing, dancing, flour throwing, and a host of things going on. We thought it would be nice to invite my neighbor Mario, the 76 year old guy from Italy who lives across the street. So Caren and I staggered across the street to get him to come over. He walked across and had so much fun with us.

The pizza was absolutely amazing. Sugar V and the crew did a kick ass job. We then got "club 69" going with disco music, disco lights, and lots of dancing. I even busted out my disco outfit I bought for my block party a couple of months ago...it was a crazy night.

In total, we consumed 12.5 bottles of wine, 8 pizzas, a few trays of appetizers....and lots of cannoli and cannoli cake that Christina had custom made with the name "Sugar V" written across it.

It was great having my closest friends over and it was great talking with Caren all night. My kitchen looked like a crime scene the next morning when I woke up to the two dogs barking on 2 hours sleep, a hangover, and a headache. But, it was worth it. Three hours later, I had a spotless house, a shower, and a full day to sleep......

Why can I drink vodka all night and never get drunk, but I get tipsy from wine so quickly? It is a mystery to me......

This weekend the six of us may be doing the pumpkin picking, wine tasting (oh no, not more wine), and the whole Eastern Long Island autumn experience......I can't wait.

For More On This Story.....

  

Log on to our web site at www.____________. What the fuck is that all about? Don't you hate when you sit through an entire show and get really involved in it, then they wrap it up poorly and say "For more on this story, log onto our website." Why fucko? I am here, just fuckin' tell me now!!! Very frustrating.

Anyway today was John Lennon's birthday. He would have been 66. Somehow I can't picture John as a senior citizen. Just like I can't picture JFK, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, or James Dean with grey hair. It's weird how these people stay forever young in our minds. I enjoyed the usual noon "Beatles Block" on Q104.3 Today they played all solo John. I cranked it up on my lunch break. I was pounding the steering wheel singing "Give Peace a Chance."

This past Saturday was "Irish Day" here in Long Beach. Each year on the 1st Saturday of the month, the west end shuts down for a parade and a "festival." Basically it is just thousands of drunken people staggering around the neighborhood. Although hearing bagpipes to start the day never hurt anyone....right?

Saturday was a celebration of my Irish side....today, although I worked, was a celebration of my Italian side. I took a ride to an amazing italian store for lunch. I got the best sandwich. Prosciutto, Salami, Roasted red peppers, and fresh mozzarella on semolina bread. I couldn't help but wash it down with a liter of Pellegrino sparkling water.

It's a great fall evening here in Long Beach. My run was great and the view outside right now is even better..although the dogs rolling around and nipping at each other somehow takes away from the tranquility.

Hope you all had a fun weekend! :)

FOLLOW ME!!!!!!

For the best Corned Beef Sandwich in town.

There is a Kosher Deli in town that has a fleet of vans that read "FOLLOW ME FOR THE BEST CORNED BEEF SANDWICH IN TOWN" on the back door of each vehicle.

Friday Night T-Unit and I went to dinner and had a couple of drinks. On the way back to my house we spotted one of the Kosher Deli vans in front of us. I said to T-Unit. "Let's follow him and see what happens." T-Unit thought I was nuts, but we followed the deli van.

Everytime the van would stop at a home for a delivery we would just pull up behind it and watch. The deli dude started to become paranoid after about 30 minutes and 5 stops. Finally, after 45 minutes, the deli guy jerks the van to the side of the road and gets out. He was a heavyset Jewish guy complete with a "YARMULKE" on his head. (That's actually how it is spelled)

He says to us "Why are you following me????????!!!!!!"
I say "I want the best corned beef sandwich in town"
He storms away, slams his van door and peels out with the van.

We laughed the rest of the night.

That Autumn Feel

  

Sure I am still in denial that summer is over. I still have all the windows open, my bedroom air conditioner runs all night, I still run in shorts, wear polo shirts to work, and refuse to put the beach gear away. But lately, autumn is in the air.

I had my first slice of pumpkin pie last night. That flavor IS autumn. Just the smell of pumpkin pie makes me think of fall. I went out and bought a bunch of pumpkin pie scented candles and lit them all over the house tonight. The crisp breeze is blowing, playoff baseball is on TV, all I need is "Moondance" on the stereo to make this fall night complete.

The leaves don't start turning real color for another week or so here on Long Island. They don't reach their peak color until the last week of the month. I can't wait for the Sunday drives out to the vineyards, the farm stands, the pumpkin patches and the fall foliage.

Anyway, I've been so busy, sorry I haven't checked in. Lots of social activities going on. I need to get back in the blogging swing of things.........

Hope you all have a great weekend. I have some good stuff planned.....should be fun. Go Yankees!

The Time Has Come

  

Well here we are, October. Crisp autumn breezes, 7pm sunsets, falling leaves, air conditioners taken out of the windows, and playoff baseball. The playoffs start today and I am so ready!

The front windows of my home are complete with NY Yankees decor. You can feel the spirit of the playoffs throughout the neighborhood. Although there are quite a few METS fans on the block as well.

Around the corner, there is a deli that I stop by often. The staff in there are obsessed Mets fans who all wear Mets gear, have Mets games 24/7 on the TV's, and pictures of the Mets all over. Needless to say, I get teased a lot when I go in sporting my Yankees cap.

Lately, there has been an old drunk man with his wife and dog that hang out at the front door of the deli each night in their Mets gear. The old dude has been heckling me and crazy for the last week. Tonight was the first night in a while that i was able to go in for my snack without being harrassed, because according to the deli clerk..."You just missed him!!!" Wheeeeeeeew.

April seems like an eternity ago for me. I moved in May, had a long and crazy summer, said goodbye to some, and hello to some new people.....but the constant has been my Yankees. They are always there for me.

Tonight I have early dinner plans, then I am going to run home like a boy to see the first pitch. For those of you who have a passion for our national pastime, you understand what the next few weeks mean when your team is in the playoffs. When you are a Yankee fan, a Yankee player, or the Yankees owner, just making it isn't enough. Anything short of a championship is a failure.

Cahoots?

  

ca·hoots (kə-hūts')
pl.n. Informal.
Questionable collaboration; secret partnership:

I can't help but think the sudden drop in oil/gas prices has something to do with the mid-term elections approaching in 5 weeks. Demand is still high, the pipeline in Alaska is still broken, yet prices "suddenly" drop.

Nobody can convince me that this administration isn't in cahoots with the oil industry. I will bet anyone that as soon as election day passes, prices will rise.

The other day someone said that something was so hot "they could fry an egg on it." Why do people always reference the frying of an egg to express how hot something is???? It does not take much heat to fry ann egg......I think we should start a new phrase.

The regular season in baseball ends on Sunday. My weeknights won't be the same. Sure the playoffs start next week, but those games are intense! There will definitely be sleep deprivation the next few weeks during the playoffs. The games start at 8:20 and usually don't end until midnight. Then you are so fired up, you can't sleep. A very good chance for an all NY World Series this year...should be interesting!

Fillet O'Fish

  

I don't "dine" all too often at fast food restaurants. Once every three months or so, I will get a craving for a Taco Bell taco, McDonald's fries, or a Whopper. Not the healthiest choices in the world, but not too harmful if you don't eat them too often.

While in NYC on Saturday, I saw a poster at a bus stop advertising the "Fillet O'Fish" sandwich at McDonald's. I always knew they sold this particular sandwich but it was on Saturday that it dawned on me..."who is eating these fillet o' fish sandwiches?"

I mean, if I want fish, I'll go to a seafood restaurant or I will cook it myself. But, McDonald's for fish? The poster went on to boast about how fresh this fish is...fresh? Are they sending a couple of employees out each morning before the store opens with rods, reels, and bait? God only knows what is in their tartar sauce......

I also find that these "fast food pizza" places are getting waaaaaay too creative thinking up these new types of pizza. The latest..Lasagna Pizza at Pizza Hut. What fat fuck is thinking up these ideas? Like lasagna or pizza isn't bad enough on their own...let's incorporate the two. Stuffed crust pizza, upside down pizza, you name it.

I'll stick to regular pizza, fish from a fish market, and an occasional McDonald's french fry.....

Monday Exhaustion

Shouldn't you be rested and ready to go on a Monday? I am absolutely exhausted today! But, I had a great weekend.

Friday Night I went for my run after work in the middle of a wind storm. It was one of the toughest runs in a long time, but I got through it. When I got home T-Unit was arriving at my house. I showered up and me and her went for a nice dinner down the street at a "family style" Italian place. It was nice to eat "real" food for the first time in a couple of weeks. After dinner we watched the rest of the Yankee game and just hung out at my house with Brucey Boy.

Saturday I woke up early and ran a couple of errands. Sugar V picked me up around 10:15am and we went to his house to begin our little NYC adventure. When we arrived his wife Nebraska Girl and KW, the very nice young lady Sugar V works with were waiting for us. We walked over to the train station and caught the train to NYC. As usual our conversations were hilarious, complete with tons of insults...all in good fun of course. When we arrived in NYC's Penn Station, we caught a Subway downtown to the South Street Seaport. We had plans to the the "Bodies" Exhibit down there. We stopped off for lunch at a little outdoor restaurant before proceeding to the exhibit.

Sugar V and I were a little leary of this exhibit. We weren't sure how it was going to be. It was actually very fascinating. After the exhibit which took us about 90 minutes, we walked through Chinatown, to Little Italy where the Feast of San Gennaro was being held. It was so crowded and stuffy, so we decided to hop a Subway to Brooklyn, the Sugar V's old lesbian neighborhood for some window shopping/shopping/eating/drinking.

Park Slope was very nice. We had a great dinner and found a little spot for drinks where we sat for a few hours. About 11 Kettle One and orange juices later, I found myself BEHIND the bar with the bartenders serving shots. We had a blast.

The train ride home was humorous as well. We got back to Sugar V's place around 2am where he cooked up some pasta with his world famous sauce. It was a scene straight out of Goodfellas, eating a pasta meal at 3am. Around 3:45 KW left and Sugar V dropped me at home.

I was all set to sleep in, but the dogs woke me up at 8am wanting to go out. I could not fall back to sleep. I got up and showered and got my day started. At noon I picked T-Unit up and we met her brother and his girlfriend for lunch, then we saw Jackass 2. It was pretty humorous. After the movie we headed to my house and crashed watching a movie.

It was great hanging out with Sugar and Nebraska..and of course KW. I hope we have another little adventure soon. How was your weekend?

The Snooze Button

  

I have a very accurate and reliable "internal" clock. Each morning, I wake up 15 minutes before I have to automatically, without an alarm. My body just knows it is time to wake up. Even on weekends, when I can usually sleep a bit later, I will wake up very close to the time I decide the night before. It is pretty strange. It has never failed me, ever...so it is kind of great in a way.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against anyone who relies on an alarm clock each morning, I think that is the norm. What annoys the shit out of me is people who use the snooze button for an hour. I think it is pointless.

It is especially bothersome if you are dating/sleeping with someone who relies on that alarm clock and uses that snooze button. Especially if you don't have to be up first. They just hit that button every five minutes for an hour and you just want to snap.

What I don't get is how someone can fall back to sleep KNOWING that alarm will be buzzing in five minutes. I mean, seriously, if I wake up to pee within a half hour of the time I have to be up...I can't fall back to sleep.

I guess my annoying habit is sleeping with the TV on all night.....with the volume off. The flickering light of the TV soothes and helps me fall asleep. I like waking up and turning up the volume to listen/watch the news. I like to know what's going on in the world/in New York before I leave the house.

What's your take on the snooze button?

Catching Up

  

Hello bloggers. I've been MIA for a few days. Now that cooler weather is approaching, I'll be writing quite a bit more.

So, here's what I've been up to.......since we last "chatted."

RUNNING- I am back to a full running schedule. 16 miles since Saturday. I am sore! It's amazing what a little time off can do in the pain department. I hadn't run regularly since July, so a couple of months off was enough. I am feeling great. That combined with a "diet" is making me feel amazing.

ABOUT THAT DIET- I haven't had sweets in FOUR days. For those of you who know me, you know that sugar is my crack. I seriously have had headaches, the shakes, a dizziness since Friday when I had my last sugary treat. Once I get past this first week I should be fine. All I have eaten since Saturday are veggies, fruits, cereals, nuts, grilled chicken, rice cakes, and a TON of water. It's amazing how fast pounds drop off in just a couple of days!

WRITING- Just not on here. I am working on some stand-up material. Now that Sugar V's busy travel schedule is over, I am going to bring him in on the creativity. I am seriously thinking about going to an amateur night and seeing what I can do!

By the way, the John Lennon movie was amazing and so was the dinner in the city. Although I couldn't eat what I really wanted because of my "diet" I still love that place! The company wasn't so bad either. ;) I can't wait for the Strawberry Fields vigil on 12/8.

This weekend, I am headed back into the city with Sugar V, Nebraska girl, and a "mystery" girl that Sugar V knows from work. It's always fun meeting someone new, hey you never know......

I am still waiting for Joe Torre to stop resting players and for the Yankees to just clinch the division already. Clinch it now so you have TWO weeks to rest your stars and get your rotation in order for the playoffs!!!! I am beyond frustrated. I am pretty sure I can get my hands on playoff tickets, I can't wait!!!!!

Random observation.....I saw a girl on a pay phone this weekend. A fuckin' pay phone! Who uses pay phones? Who carries coin? Strange indeed.

My dog Bruce will eat anything. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, whatever I eat he has to taste. I love that dog so much. He is someone who never lets you down......

What's new with all of you?

Finally! A Good Movie on the Horizon!

  

It's been a while since I was excited about a movie opening up. Lately, I've seen trailer after trailer for movies that haven't really captured my interest. Friday night, a movie about John Lennon (The US vs John Lennon) opens up in NYC and Los Angeles. (It opens for everyone else in a week). For those of you who know me, you know what a huge John Lennon/Beatles fan I am. I love John's solo work as much as his work with the Beatles. What I liked even more about John was his politics, his passion, and the way he made us challenge ourselves by "imagining."

The movie portrays a time in our country's history that is hauntingly familiar to what is going on right now. A country divided by it's leadership, by war, by religion, a struggle for civil rights, and a host of other social and political issues. It focuses on how our government tried to stop him from speaking out. (sounds a lot like our current state of affairs).

We are looking forward to venturing into NYC in the early evening on Saturday, having a fabulous meal in my favorite restaurant (Becco) and then heading to the show. I am sure it will be a perfect late summer/early fall evening. I'll have the review next week. I usually only go to "Strawberry Fields" on the anniversary of John's death, but a cool crisp night might make the walk very tempting on Saturday.

Oh, yeah "Jackass 2" opens up the following weekend, you know I will be there, that stuff cracks me up! That will open on Long Island, I wouldn't venture into NYC for "Jackass!"

What Have We Learned?

The NYC I will always remember... 

Five years has passed. Some say it does not feel like five years, it seems like yesterday. I suppose it depends on your perspective. For me, a lot has happened personally since 9/11/01 and so much has happened in the world. In many ways it seems longer than five years ago.

Today is definitely a day of reflection. Thoughts of those who perished and thoughts of those who sacrificed for others. It also should be a day of reflecting on what we learned and lessons that maybe we did not learn.

No matter what you may believe happened five years ago today, the government's version of events or other versions, we know people lost their lives and our way of life has dramatically changed since that crystal clear day in 2001.

I don't feel we as a nation have really learned all that much. Two months or so after the event, people who were not directly affected by the tragedy went on with life as usual. Our government, little by little, stripped us of our freedoms while we all sat by and watched. The person "responsible" for the attacks is still at large, the Taliban is making a major comeback in Afghanistan, while much of our resources are being spent in Iraq. Our dependency on foreign oil has not diminished, nor have any major steps been taken to lessen that dependency. 87% of the cargo that comes into our ports is not inspected, while only 34 airports in the United States have the proper explosive detection machines. $350 billion has been spent in Iraq, while almost 2700 of our troops have died there. A new breeding ground for terrorists has been created there. Our country still blindly supports Israel no matter what actions they take.

If we want to properly honor those who perished five years ago today, then we need to stop having blind faith in the flag and in our leaders and push for change. Why not start 2 months from now, on election day? The House is up for election and so are many Senate seats. Get out and vote and start the process of change. Stop driving gas guzzling SUV's with "Support our Troops" magnets on them. Want to support the troops? Vote for new leadership and get them home! Want to be patriotic and wave the flag? Great, do it, but do it knowing we are the best country we can be, don't do it because the government or the media jam patriotism down our throats.

For me, five years of the status quo is enough. I want to honor these fallen Americans both here on 9/11 and abroad in battle by making changes in this country. Changes that are in the best interests of we, the people. The people who get up every day and make this country what it is.

Held Captive

  

So, what do you make of this girl held captive for the last 8.5 years? Natascha Kampusch, now 18, had been held captive since she was 10 years old. That has to suck in so many ways. Think of all the things you miss during those years. The thing I don't understand is that the dude who held her captive would bring her out to stores and stuff. Why wouldn't she scream or run like hell? I don't get it.

Age 10-18 would have been a tough age to be held captive, but at my age it would be kind of a vacation. Not having to go to work each day, bonus right there. I suppose it depends on who's holding me hostage. If it was Jessica Alba, I don't need to go back into society, just hold me prisoner until I die. If it was some dude having his way with me.....you know I'd find a way out.

So, here are some things I would NOT miss if I were held captive for 8 years:

Going to work. A niiiiice 8 year vacation is in order!
Paying bills. Let the kidnapper pay them!
No fighting over the remote, the dude with the gun always wins that battle!
Deciding what to wear. I imagine my choices would be limited.
Driving. I'd have a personal chauffer....the kidnapper.
The tough choice of what to make for dinner.
Shaving. I think the ZZ Top look is hot.

Those are just a few of the things I would not miss.....

I'll Have a Screwdriver!

I heard the funniest story this weekend. A friend of mine's father was in Omaha, Nebraska about 30 years ago for a wedding. He and the rest of the wedding party went out the night before the wedding to drink at a bar in Omaha. They go up to the bartender and order their drinks. My friend's father says "I'll have a screwdriver." So the bartender says "You want what...a screwdriver????" My friend's father says "YES! A Screwdriver!" The bartender says, "Are you sure?????" My friend's father says "Of course I am sure!!!" So the bartender leaves the bar area for about 45 seconds and comes back with a phillips head screwdriver and hands it to my friend's father!!!!!!!! My friend's father says, "A screwdriver is Vodka and Orange Juice!!!" The bartender says, "We don't have any Orange Juice, would you like some Ne-Hi Orange Soda???"

Hahahahahahahaha crazy people out there........

E-Mail "Forwards" and Chain Letters

Is anyone sick of those STUPID chain letters or forwarded e-mails that pop up in your inbox from people you know? When I see the subject heading with the letters FW in it, I cringe. Unless you are forwarding me pictures of your girlfriend naked or something really good to look at, leave me off the list!

E-chain letters have been around since e-mail began. You've seen them before: Send this e-mail to 15 people in 5 minutes and you will have good luck for a year, send it to 10 people and you will have good luck for a month, send it to 5 people and have good luck for a week, send it to no one and you die a bloody and painful death with forks jammed in your head. Ugh, I hate them so much. But...maybe my lack of forwarding e-mails along is why I work a job where I am underpaid and the reason I my life is always in chaos. I suppose that explains the 24 piece fork set protruding from my head also.

The current fad is to send that ugly yellow ribbon, the one for "Our Troops", via e-mail and say that if you don't forward it on you are a communist bastard that wants our troops to die in bloody combat in Iraq. Or maybe they are about Iraq itself and give a couple images of soldiers standing next to a child, smiling, or a guy petting an Iraqi dog. These e-mails usually say something about how God is watching over them and that if you send this e-mail to 100 people the war might end and God will come down from the Heavens and turn all Iraqi infidels into kind and caring citizens. I hate these e-mails. I delete them. Every American supports our troops, even if we are against the war. They didn't start it and have nothing to do with the bureaucrats and politicians who play a game of Risk with the world. I don't need to forward a yellow ribbon along electronically or plaster one to my car to prove I care.

As an experiment, I created a chain letter myself. I made it just as annoying full of cliche drivel such as the shit that appears in my inbox everyday. I even put "return this to me to prove that you are a good friend" like A LOT of similar e-mails. I made it so cheery and upbeat that you couldn't tell it was made by a cynical bastard like me. But here's the twist: at the end of the e-mail, in small font but plainly in sight I put the words: If you send this e-mail back to me, I'll fucking hunt you down and kill you, you piece of shit. I hope you learn to either stop forwarding messages through the internet or rot in Hell like a serial killer.

And guess what? I got the e-mail back from almost everyone I sent it to. Sigh. It's probably out infesting the world as we speak.

If you see this e-mail or any other e-mail that requires you to forward it on, do me a favor and NOT send it to me, okay? Because I WILL hunt you down and kick your ass. :)

What chain e-mail do you remember most, that was most absurd?

What the "Summer Wind" Blew My Way

  

It is really hard to believe that there are just two "unofficial" weeks left of Summer 2006. It has really gone by in a flash. It has not been the greatest summer of all time, but it surely has had some memorable moments. I know I haven't been a good blogger since i moved back in May. I went from religiously posting daily to posting just a few days a week, if that. It's not that I've lost my humor, creativity, or desire to write, rather just a lot going on personally that has taken my attention away from this site. Anyway, as summer nears its end, I hope to get back to my writing like back in the day.

Anyway, tonight I am reflecting on the summer of 2006. I know there are still a couple of weeks left and that there will be some more memories to add to my list, but tonight I want to mention some of my favorites days/moments/experiences of summer 2006 and I'd love to hear yours as well. These are in no particular order, just what comes to mind as I write.....

* Hanging out with Tiny A in her yard and bbq'ing. What's great about Tiny A and I is the fact that we are both so passionate about food and that we both put so much effort into the feast. Her company is great, the food is great, our talks are great, she is great.

* The Yankee games I went to. Even though they lost one of the three I went to, of course the night with the kick ass seats they lose, going to the stadium is something I cherish.

* Going to the Brooklyn Cyclones game. Tiny A and I went to Brooklyn early, ate at the original Nathan's, took in the sights and sounds of Coney Island, drank in a dive bar, then went to the game. A great day indeed. Not to mention the great ride there and back complete with great music and laughs.

* The "Thirsty Thursday" party I had here a couple of weeks ago. Some work buddies came over after work and we sat in my yard and drank from 7-11pm, took sheleter from a massive thunderstorm in between, before taking in the nightlife of the bars and clubs here in the city by the sea. It was a great night.

* My walks down to "Uncle Louie's" Italian Ice store. Whether it be alone, or with a friend, the nice walk in town for a cold ice on a hot night was something I enjoyed so much this summer.

* Watching my dog Bruce swim in the bay. I got such a kick out of seeing him float and go crazy with his fellow doggies. The pics were great!

* The block party. It was a nice day and I got to see some friends I had not seen in a while, and my brother made it to Long Beach two weeks in a row!

* The Yankees sweeping 5 games at Fenway Park. Just awesome. Made my summer and hopefully got us on the right track to make it a great October!

* The day on Joe and Christina's boat. I love the ocean and to be cruising at 40MPH miles from shore was breathtaking. A gorgeous day indeed. No cell phone, no contact with anyone, just cruising the Atlantic with no worries.

* Even though it was a short email, hearing from Linda for the 1st time in a year. I miss her and her silliness.

* The Friday bbq's at work. Each Friday, I am the official "griller" at my job as we take time out to grill and enjoy a Friday summer luncheon together.

* CLUB 69! My house# is 69, so my neighbors call my house club 69 because of all the get togethers, loud music, and boozing that takes place here. The summer of '06 should be dubbed the summer of (house #) 69! So many fun moments in that front yard.

I hope the next 2 weeks bring a bunch more to add to the list. Let's hear your top moments of summer 2006!

My "Friday"

Since I am off tomorrow (yippeee) today is my Friday. I can't wait for the nice 3 day weekend.

Saturday is the annual block party on my street. It will be my first at the house. From what I hear, it is quite a bash. Tomorrow I will be at COSTCO buying tons of food and drink and getting the yard in shape.

The theme of the party is "LUAU" and we all thought that was pretty lame. So my house, my guests, the house next door and their guests decided to be renegades and make our own theme which is the 1970's/Disco. We all will be dressing up from that era and I already burned a bunch of great disco cd's. In addition I bought colored light bulbs for the spotlights outside and a light up disco ball, my front yard will be Studio 54 come sunset. It should be a blast, I will be sure to post plenty of pictures of the party and festivities.

Oh, so we officially found out who has been calling the cops on us everytime we have a get together. It's the drunken asshole across the street and his illegal bitch of a tenant. Payback's a bitch because my friends work for City Hall and they checked with the building department about the apartment in his house, ILLEGAL!!!!!! Needless to say, the building department will be paying Scrooge a visit in the near future. Sucks to be them. They better buy earplugs because Saturday's Disco Night will be going into the wee hours of Sunday Morning.

Mixed Emotions

  

Today was a "ground breaking" day here in NY. Ground was broken for the new Yankee Stadium set to open in 2009. I have some very mixed emotions about this.

There is just so much history in the current Yankee Stadium. So many memories, so many historic moments, and so many generations of Yankee fans that have entered that building. It is like tearing down a museum in a way.

The new stadium will stand right next door. Parks and ballfields for little league will stand where the current stadium stands. I have an issue with that. They should enshrine that stadium. I have a hard time dealing with some kids playing t-ball on the same field that Lou Gehrig gave his famous "Luckiest man on the face of the earth" speech, where Don Larsen, David Wells, and David Cone pitched their perfect games, where Reggie hit three homers in one World Series Game, and where Roger broke the Babe's record. It just does not seem right.

Although they are keeping the traditional look, complete with monument park, and the famous outside facade, I still can't help but be sad. Today is the 58th anniversary of Babe Ruth's death, I wonder how he'd feel........

I have so many personal memories in that stadium. So many memorable games I have seen there, so many laughs with my friends and loved ones, and it is where I saw my first baseball game. It is truly a cathedral.

The Runs

Last night we all had a debate as to why "the runs" are called the runs. I say it is because you "run" back and forth to the bathroom to crap. My friends insist it is because the crap "runs" out of you, usually in the form of diarrhea.

Ok, you decide. I say it is the act of running to the toilet.