I Really Did Go on a Dig

I just came across this site chronicling my 2003 Viking expedition in Denmark. The one up close of me is absolutely wretched, but it's still a fun little site.

That month in the far reaches of Northern Jutland was one of the most amazing and rewarding times I have ever had. I took long walks through fields of grain in the long daylight hours of the evening, strolled down to the fjord with friend Shahrina in search of amber, wandered through the small town of Hrup buying amber jewelry, Danish beer and pastries and spend endless amounts of time chatting with a group of amazing, strange, yet interesting people.

Some of my favourite people are above, Peggy, Jordan, Kevin and Brendan. Brendan was a teacher in El Paso and would always indulge me in "Mr O'Conner" stories. If only he didn't have a girlfriend, or was so Catholic. Peggy was this amazing, tall, beautiful girl from Brown. She came late to the dig because she was rowing at Henley. If I were only a boy. Jordan was this bratty boy from Long Island, but I loved him. I always love the obnoxious ones. And Kevin was this quiet, yet very funny, enigma. He had a girlfriend back home but if he didn't, him and Peggy would have made the most perfect match. Often times, you could find them out back, rolling cigarettes and laughing. I was so jealous. Then there was Travis (who joined the Peace Corp and was always so confused by my Travis concert t-shirt), Alex (daughter of immigrants whose mother managed a McDonald's and went to Yale on a full scholarship) and Kathy (who went to NYU, introduced me to the term "hotel art" and spent the entire month reading Naked Lunch).

I wanted to move to Denmark when I got back. I still have the urge every once and a while to find a farmhouse near the water, raise fjord horses and make jars of jam. The summers there are absolutely gorgeous. As near perfect as you can get. The temperature is mid 70s and the skies are almost always perfectly blue with big white clouds.

Let Them Eat Cake

Last weekend was a birthday kinda weekend. I ate cake for two days straight, it was great.

Saturday was Dave's 26th. Katie and I had planned to take him out, but after a long day out in the backwoods of Pennsylvania watching World War II reenactments, he was a bit tired. Instead, we all ventured to Jackson Heights to be with him.



I brought him a cake.

Sunday the 28th was Kristin's 24th birthday. She wanted to go to brunch somewhere so we chose the lovely Milleridge Inn in Jericho.

















Kristin is wondering where her horse went.

For dessert, we came home and ate Alice in Wonderland cakes.

Hookah with Mom

Saturday night, the call went out that Brook's mom visiting New York wanted to do some hookah. Like good delinquents friends we are, naturally we obliged.

Erin photoshopped all of the shots her and I took beautifully. She's very talented... in many ways. Katie and Brook
Jill blowing smoke

Brook and Mom
Akshay, Me and Mom
Erin getting a little choked up
Me laughing and trying to keep the coughing under control
Awwww, Mom and Brook. We went to a place called Sahara East on 1st and 11th. The tent behind the main section was too drafty too keep out the cold, but a few bottles of wine later, we were warm. The waiter there was so nice as well. He hardly charged us anything for the wine and gave us a free plate of baklava.Afterward, most of us, minus mom and Erin, ran the three blocks to my car and headed to the West Village to meet up with some people for a birthday party. I was feeling beyond queasy whilst there and had to excuse myself to the bathroom, to be sick. It was not nice. Too much smoke and wine and not enough food I'm afraid.

The New Year's Recap

The New Year's Recap

This New Year's was a blast... I think. Wait, that must mean it was good right?

The evening started off rather calm. I met Happy, Deb, Jason and Matt at a Mexican restaurant over in the East Village. Two pitchers of margaritas and a seafood taco later, I was feeling rather jolly and the four of us, minus Happy, ventured over to the Lower East Side bar Iggy's to meet up with Brook, Akshay and Freyda.

A few rounds of shots and a few pulls from my flask and we were all feeling very jolly indeed.

(haha, I never finished this post and just found it in my drafts. The end of the story was that Matt, Deb, Jason and I went over to Cake Shop and watched O'death ring in the New Year, was insanely fun. We popped my bottle of champagne in the basement down there. Afterward, went over to Jason Mallet's apartment where I puked, we drank some more and then went back to Iggy's. After Iggy's closed at 4am, we went over to a bar on Rivington that was playing 70's porn where Brook and I dirty danced until I couldn't take it anymore and took the F train to Penn where I grabbed a train that brought me home at 7am. Was INSANE and totally fun.)

The Gaskets Number 1 Fan

Friday night was the big free Gaskets show at Club Midway. I despise the club but sucked up my hatred to see Ross and Teddy dance around on stage for about the dozenth time since last April.

Deb and Jason

Before the show, I met up with Deb and Jason in the East Village for food and drinks. It was freezing and snowing so we made a quick decision and headed over to nearby One and One for Mac and cheese. Luckily for us, they also had happy hour on. Nothing says fun like 4 dollar pints...except maybe 3 dollar ones. The service at One and One sucks but the Mac and Cheese is just so damn good.

Ben and I trying to light the picture but Deb's new camera insisted on using the flash

The One and One mac and cheese

Slowly but surely, more friends continued to filter into the bar and a little before midnight, my entourage of 7 (Ben, Brook, Jill, Rachel, David, Jason and Deb) and I rolled up to the club. I gave a quick hi and hug to manager Igor and Ross standing outside, then we made our way into the depths of Midway. Since I am a pimp, I jumped backstage and stashed all our coats before we secured our spot in the front of the stage for maximum Gaskets exposure.

I get sort of nervous and excited when I introduce new people to The Gaskets. I like their type of music so much that I think perhaps I over sell it at times (as I do with many things). I am always a little bit afraid that one day a friend will come with me to a show and be like, "meh" and I will have to kill them. That was the excited/nervous feeling I had when Gaskets newcomers Brook and Jill came along Friday. Fortunately, they liked them a lot and I didn't have to take them out back afterward.

There is Ross crowd surfing after being hoisted up by Igor towards the end of the set. Ross recently wrote a Snakes on a Plane song for a short film parodying the movie. Apparently the powers that be liked the song so much, that they've included it on the DVD extras as the opening to one of the features.

Download 'The Easy Life' and 'Hold Steady Hot Weather' by The Gaskets and get a little happy.

After the show, Brook, Jill, David, Rachel and I (otherwise known as the hardcore ones), headed over to The Library for another pint. After half a drink, The Gaskets high soon wore off and we were slumping in our seats with sleep by 3am.

Why Go Out When You Can Watch TV?

Monday night is currently, hands down, the best night on television. Here's what you watch:

8pm, turn to CBS for How I Met You Mother. Focused on the lives of young 30somethings living in New York City trying to find love and struggling with their first real jobs, this show transcends silly youth comedies by being consistently witty, inventive and downright loveable. Neil Patrick Harris as the male chauvinist friend is genius and new comer Josh Radnor is brilliant as the budding architect and main character. Radnor is good-looking, endearing and really just adorable. And a few months ago, I saw him at a Boy Least Likely To concert. Awesome.

8:30pm turn as quickly away from CBS as you can. What's up next should never have seen the light of day ::shudder:: The Class ::shudder::

During this half hour interval I like to participate in social activities. Such as blogging.

9pm flip to NBC for Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the most satisfying two hours of television all week. If you haven't watched Heroes show from the beginning, you're pretty much out of luck if you want to follow the plot at all. But if you have the opportunity to catch up with this show at all, I would jump at it. The Sci-fi channel plays the show on a regular basis and often in a marathon. Admittedly, Heroes is reminiscent of X-Men but really, whatever dude. It's captivating on a weekly basis and it's hiatus over the holidays nearly had me on methadone.

Studio 60 is the welcome return of Aaron Sorkin's quick fire banter and full heart to primetime. Instead of following members of a senior White House staff, Studio 60 chronicles the trials and tribulations of an SNL type show set in LA. As per usual, Sorkin writes wonderful characters whom through impeccable writing, makes you love each and every one of them. With Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford steering the course of the show, how could you go wrong? Sorkin's sugary sweet yet utterly beautiful holiday episodes are back as well with a “winter finale” this year which included New Orleans musicians playing in front of pictures of the city as snow fell in the background and the two main men proclaiming their love for the two main women.

And that's it. Now it's time for bed.

e-mail subjects u'll never see in our TMS gmail

Matt wrote this and I just thought it so hilarious, I had to share. Even if it doesn't make any sense to you, I am sure a few bloggers out there will get it.

*DAPHNE ZUNIGA-VEGA WILL NO LONGER BE RELEASING ANY
MORE MUSIC AND THEREFORE WE WON'T SEND YOU ANY MORE
SPAM!*
*KIMORA LEE SIMMONS SAYS SHE HAS TOO MANY DIAMONDS!
RUSSELL SIMONS AGREES! THEY BOTH MOVE BACK TO THE
GHETTO!*
*I'VE MOVED MY PARTY FROM KEYBAR, TO THE PLACE NEXT TO
KEYBAR, KAYBAR, KEYBAR IS HISTORY*
*MUSIC SLUT SCISSOR SISTERS INTERVIEW - THE
RESPONSES!*
*MUSIC SLUT GRAHAM COXON INTERVIEW - THE RESPONSES!*
*AOL PRESENTS, THE INTERFACE.... MANDY MOORE!!*
*THE SHONDES REALLY WANT JEN TO WHIP IT, WHIP IT
GOOD!*
*HI! IT'S [name undisclosed] AT [NYC Music Promotion Company], I WILL NO LONGER
USE HAPPY FACES AND EXCLAMATION POINTS, INSTEAD I WILL
write in lowercase and use lots of etc,.....*

The Day the Couch Caught on Fire

Some second degree burns, minor smoke inhalalation and one ruined couch. Otherwise, all is alright. "Don't make Darwin feel guilty." Kristin says as she peels away her bandages. Darwin knocked over a pillow onto a burning candle. It's not the dog's fault it was left unattended.

Skiing a Plus

For MLK weekend, I escaped from New York to the wilds of New Hampshire for a little skiing mini-break with friends. After fishing for an invite a couple of weekends ago, Brook invited a bunch of people up to his parent's cabin in New Hampshire. I leapt at the opportunity to get out of my house and explore a bit of the country I have never seen.

Anonymous male friend in running shorts and wooly socks, taken by Erin

Brook's cabin has neither heat, nor electricity, nor running water. But with plenty of candles, a wood burning stove which heated the upstairs to 120 degrees and a water pump, you hardly missed those everyday luxuries at all. Even the composting toilet was alright.

New friends Dave and Jill rode with me up to New England, I picked them up in Queens on the way. The ride was fine, only mild traffic in the Bronx. There is something about nighttime driving that just makes the time go faster. Jill had never been to Conneticut or Vermont so our pit-stops were appropriately saved for those two locals- food in Conn, gas and welcome center in Vermont. We arrived at the cabin 6 hours and change later, at around 1am, after only the slightest bit of confusion as to where this white trailer with a bunch of trash next to it at which were were meant to take a right should be.

The three of us were welcomed in by Brook and additional new pal Erin to a warm cabin stocked with cold beers. Just this side of heaven for me.

Self portrait in the snow Erin

The next day was skiing. Before the trip, I was all about it. I wanted to go off on my own and conquer this skill. Once arriving though, the doubts started in. Skis, mountain, falling, embarressment- ugh. But what a hypocrite I would be if I didn't just suck it up, so I went for it. I signed up for the hour and a half group lesson, making sure that it wouldn't include 3 year olds (of which I saw plenty and all were much better skier than me).

Me and ski instructor Chuck

Floors You Like Bad Tuna and New Year's Resolutions

I walked into the grocery store today, on a mission to buy tuna for lunch, when the scene that I met at the front door stopped me dead in my tracks. There was not one, not two but 8 HUGE displays of Valentine's Day candy, stuffed bears, hearts and flowers all crowded around the door in a beautiful gathering of reds and pinks all clustered on sumptuous dark wood tables. It made me sick. I have barely gotten over my New Year's hang over when I have to face another holiday that is meant to be full of love and kisses? This is so not right.

I have lots of embarrassing pictures from New Year's to upload and share and humiliate people with but for now, you'll have to make due with a peek at my New Year's resolutions. I am not usually one to make resolutions but having just come out of a year without definition, I feel that I am in the need of a defining agenda for the coming year, something to with which I can look back and say, "ah yes, 2007 was the year I scaled Everest, trained for the NYC marathon, ate my weight in hot dogs, visited all of the ballparks in America, whatever. This year, I am resolved to complete three objectives:

1. Get healthy and a bit trimmer
2. Find love
3. Complete some semblance of a draft for that great American novel I have always wanted to write.

Those shouldn't be too hard? Right?