Overheard on the Lower East Side, Manhattan
Category: Parties and Nightlife

It's strange, sometimes, cause I tend to work long hours. I dive into the zone at work and I don't come out, if we're really busy producers bring us lunch to our computers and sometimes I never see daylight.

Well the animation studio is located in a pretty hip part of town for bars and clubs. So theres time when I've worked 18 hours straight and I am about dying and I step outside and it's a flipping party. My first week here in New York, I opened the front door to go home and someone threw up right in front of me and almost got hit by a taxi..

So I am working midnights this week running a Flame, which means I start work at 7pm and I go home at like 5am or whenever I feel really.

I took a walk around the Lower East Side and of course, I was among the partiers. Everyone just assumes everyone else on the street it out for some fun night, so I don't get grumpy I just smile and laugh at total strangers.

Long ass intro.. anyways... heres the latest thing I heard.. which made me laugh so very hard, perhaps you need a smile today as well.


Guy 1: (Moaning)
Guy 2: What the fuck is up with him?
Guy 3: Hey, Tony, Don't fucking puke there man.
Guy 1: (Moaning)
Guy 2: Yeah, he's right, don't fucking puke, let's take the train to the Chinese restaurant.
Guy 3: Yea man, let's go fucking eat Chinese food and THEN puke.
Guy 1: (stands up like nothing was ever wrong) Yea, I wanna puke Chinese food, let's go!

And they went down to the subway...

6:37 AM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Is It Weird to Pre-Write a Eulogy?

I was thinking of someones Mom today and thought of a funny anecdote. I put it in the back of my mind as "when she dies I would say that as a eulogy"

is that weird?   pre-preparing the death of a loved one?

11:30 PM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Don’t be Chi, now!

I love Chicago. I get to have one extra day here because work let me come in Thursday instead of Wednesday. I am exhausted and the rain storms on the way here delayed my arrival to the City of Broad Shoulders after the festival was done.

I wrote a Day 2 blog in Lansing, MI (Holt, MI actually) but it got lost to the ethos of the internet. Stupid myspace blog crashed while I was writing.

I head home in the morning. It's strange to say that, because Chicago still feels like home.

Today I went Kayaking in the river, which is actually disgusting, so it's good that I didn't capsize, normally I tip over a lot kayaking but these boats were easy to use. There were a few times I came close, I'll admit but I did not get wet until we went into Lake Michigan from Montrose Beach later in the day.

Soon we will go out for Sushi as it is Ollie's birthday and he gets whatever he wants, and this vegan man wants sushi, veggie sushi.

Last night we went to Pizzeria Due (owned by Pizzeria Uno) and had some deep dish and then went to Old Town Ale House to meet up with Second City peeps, but alas it was not to be, because they left before we got there... drinking since 3pm or something and we arrived at 11pm.

I look forward to my journey home, I won't be in a rush, I'll have a whole day to go 14 hours so as long as I don't get stuck in traffic anywhere it will be a soothing, soul invigorating ride.

10:36 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Rothbury Road Trip - Day 1

3pm 7.1.08

I am in Allentown, PA. I had to detour because of an accident. It seems whenever I take a trip and remember I am alive, someone has to die to help remind me this. Last time it was a pile up on I-95 while I was en route to Maine.

I didn't get stuck in traffic, I saw a sign informing me all lanes were closed on I-80 up ahead so I turned South and now I have to head back North.

I have stopped here, in Allentown, at the Pasta Alla Rosa Italian Restaurant. Eggplant Parmesan costs a mere $9.95 here, unlike its $26 Manhattan counterpart.

I am supposed to see my sisters and Katrina tonight, but I will not make it to Detroit until near Midnight. I got a late start as my excitement last night wouldn't let me fall asleep, I was still not finished packing just minutes before leaving today. I planned to leave by 6am, but I woke up at 10am. Knowing it would be impossible to drive through the city before noon I just rested longer. I left shortly before 1p, only hitting traffic on the bridges as I left.

I have to make my way up to I-80 now, the mountains of Pennsylvania await me. Funny, I never thought I would make this trip again, my car is getting too old for this kind of multi-state abuse. After this trip, the farthest I should take it again would be Portland, ME, Burlington, VT or Boston, MA.

7:14 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Feelin’ Groovy (The 59th Street Bridge Blog)

Last night I left the LES on my bicycle bound for a Park Ave bar to meet some friends. One is in town from Chicago, the other is here from London. New York is a whirlwind of folks visiting, it's sort of hard to keep yourself together when the revolving door of out of towners always wants to hit up the town.  

This is why every planned laundry day for the past month has been supersceeded by some sort of cool thing happening, and last night was no exception. 

I didn't really get to see them long, only about 2 hours.  I left work "early" (for me) which was about 8pm and rode uptown. We had a few drinks and went to I think Dos Caminos which is nearby the Blue Smoke bar I met them at in Gramercy.

We had a really good meal, extremely expensive tequilla and amazing conversation. Before long we said our goodbyes and we were on our way.

Instead of riding down the island, I opted to ride another 30 streets north to the Queensboro Bridge, AKA the 59th Street Bridge. Famous for many movies as well as the Simon & Garfunkel song named for the bridge.


I thought that bridge was cake at first but soon realized the land I was seeing coming up under my feet was not Queens but rather Roosevelt Island. So I was only about half way.

It made me feel wonderful to sweat and ride on this bridge. I had to stop a few times, not out of fatigue, but just to take in a new vista I had never seen. I've driving the bridge but I've never riden my bike across. New York takes you away with the lights and its charm, sometimes you just have to stand there and appreciate it. Every moment I am here I know it's where I am supposed to be. I felt incredible on that bridge last night and I know that feeling won't be going away, even though some New Yorkers say "oh you're new" when I talk about things like this. The urge to be pissed off all the time has not taken over, I am still a happy New Yorker, and often times, feeling groovy.

 When I got across the bridge, I think it's Long Island City on the Queens side, I tried to ride down the coast line but they don't have that kind of path built.

I went across the Pulaski Bridge and through shady industrial areas just north of my home in Williamsburg.  I wouldn't mind living there, as odd as it is in the industrial zone, it makes me feel like Detroit/Chicago and that just feels like home to me.  Almost every corner or alleyway inspired me to come back with a camera later, maybe shoot a video or a film noir piece.  The city has been inspiring me a lot lately,  I've started writing regularly again and everything

10:41 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Back in Detroit Techno City

Wow. The energy in Detroit is a deep flowing wave of good vibes and uplifting creative sensory experiences. My first stop from the airport was Works which is unmatched in terms of fun experiences and a mix of fine folks in the midnight hours.

I wish I could spend this summer here in Detroit, but I must return to that crazy busy island.

2:56 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Bikeless again in New York (temporarily)

I bought a new bike and have barely looked back to mass transit since. A few times I was out with friends and ended up riding the subway home

It feels so amazing when you ride around New York City on a bike. Screw the cabs. Screw the traffic. Screw the MTA. I have my wheels, thank you.

Today I went to traffic court to fight a "Driving With No Insurance" ticket. It happened when I was driving to see The Strange as they were visiting Brooklyn. My passenger couldn't navigate us to them (my phone sucks) so I took my phone from her and got a ticket for using a cell while driving. He didn't see my current insurance (I had 2 , a new and outdated one) so he wrote me a ticket for that.

So now New York is not gonna fuck with me... my driving record is CLEAN.

I rode from downtown Brooklyn into Manhattan this afternoon. It's such a beautiful ride... I love the way it makes me feel when I am on 2 wheels. I know I am not active enough, so this is my release... from stress, from whatever...  just me and the road.. and about a million cabbies trying to kill me ,but whatever... 

Now I have to wait until Thursday to get my bike.. It went in for repair.. I had intended to drop it off when I flew out to Las Vegas but I just ran out of time. So now I'm back here in the city and stuck on 2 feet.. I'm glad I can walk acrosss the Williamsburg Bridge to get home, I don't have to ride the subway if I don't want to.

2:56 PM - 0 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

Dan Smiles for Miles Smiles

No matter wrhat happens in a day, a bit of Miles Davis can make the world just go away. 

8:07 PM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Detroit, my love...

Detroit, my love, tonight we shall be together.



Grand River Ave, 2005, en route to the International Detroit Jazz Festival


You will always be the first skyscrapers I ever loved...

My heart will always skip a beat as the horizon nears and I see that skyline get closer.

Here's to Corktown, Cass Corridor, Bricktown, Heidelberg Project, RenCen, Campus Martius, Jefferson Ave, Woodward and all those wacky French names we love to mis-pronouce with nasally midwestern accents...

10:53 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

My Totally Awesome Day Off

Thanksgiving was my first day off from work in 3 weeks. I am with friends in Gorham, Maine, just outside of Portland. Tomorrow I head to Boston. As amazing as it is to love your job so much you don't care how much you work, it is nice to get away and have some real fun and adventure.

My last blog was while heading to Maine just before Halloween those long 3 weeks ago. And here I am back the first chance I get!!  I love to come up here, to get out of the city, to see nature and spend time with my friends. It doesn't hurt that Boston is a quick jump away either.

The fast pace of Manhattan leaves me yearning to get away. For the time, it seems only the night time is the right time to be in Manhattan. I work afternoons so I don't have to deal with the morning crowds, and my work is a short walk from my home in Brooklyn.

On my last trip to New England I spent time in Salem and it draws me back again. Tomorrow I will have an adventure in Bean Town with my girl Natalie and we want to play among the Wiccans.

i want to see Salem graves. I want Clam Chowda in a bread bowl at Quincy Market and I want to see the Autumn colors of Boston Common, I want a beer at Cheers and I want to drive my cah on cobblestone streets made wide enough for 2 horse drawn carriages to pass in the night.

Sometimes you just wanna be a Tourist even if you've been and done that thing before. I have always had a love affair with the city of Boston, it is such a wonderful place to spend time.

5:52 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment