Sunday, April 29, 2007

Cake Shop + Jameson = Bad News

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Last night I got the drunkest I've ever got my entire life. And you know what? I woke up with absolutely no hangover this morning. I was wise to drink a lot of water last night between the 4 jack and cokes, 1 shot of tequila and 3 or 4 shots of Jameson.

We started at Congee Village for dinner. Liz, Justine, Ashley, Paul and his girlfriend Vivian, Yudah and Ming came. Yeah, it was a small mash up all my New York friends with my Alfred friends. Yudah thought it was real funny we ate at Congee Village and accused Paul of choosing it, "You picked this place didn't you Paul? I kno Adam didn't. He ain't Chinese!"

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Yudah and Ming


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Vivian and Paul


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Liz and AshWii (I wish I could rhyme my name with Wii)

Justine went up to Purchase to visit Grace after dinner so she didn't go out with us. Ming had to get back to work and Paul and Viv had a birthday thing of Viv's friend to go to. So Yudah, Ash, Liz and I went to Max Fish. Jackie came to meet up with us there.


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Ash and I at Max Fish

Then we went to the Cakeshop (see a few post down for my last drunken foray there). Tim's *other* band was playing a show there. Peter came to meet up with us at Cake Shop. Yudah did a shot of tequila with me. Then Jackie's friend Kitty came and I did like 3 or 4 shots of JAMESON with her.


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Jackie and Kitty


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This was the point of no return, at the Cake Shop

After that I was totally GONE. I was drinking a lot of water after my third Jack and between shots. But yeah there was no way I was getting home by myself. Liz called Paul and he came out to drive me home.

I said some things I really shouldn't have, and it's going to eventually come back to haunt me...

What I learned last night is that no mater how drunk I get, I don't black out. I still remember everything. I don't really throw up either. But I'm guessing the water helped a lot. And I didn't intake a lot of liquid. Just a lot of shots, so maybe there wasn't anything to throw up. At one point during the ride home, Paul pulled over on the side of the BQE and I got out and kinda caught like once but nothing came out. And I woke up with no hangover. I though it was gonna suck this morning but I'm fine.

The Royal Oak Hates Me

On Friday night I went out to Williamsburg with Liz, Heather, Caitlin, Susannah and Mikey (another guy that lives in the Isles house). We started at Turkey's Nest and then went to the Royal Oak. I thought about playing pool at Turkey's Nest but the people playing took forever to finish a game.

Liz and Mikey started playing hockey with a piece of candle. I was sitting with Heather and we were facing them. Mikey hit the candle to Liz and Liz knocked over Heather's beer and spilled it all over my UNIQLO jeans that I was never going to wash. The glass broke on the floor too. Heather told the bartender that there was broken glass and they gave her a hand towel. wtf.

We (yes me too) danced a bit at the Royal Oak. I wasn't even drunk. I was totally sober because I drove to Williamsburg. But you know what, you don't want to be an AFC on the sidelines forever.

Susannah asked me to drive her home because it's on the way off the BQE. She lives in Carroll Gardens (debatable?). I dunno about her. She's way too hipster for me. I know that sounds strange, but I'm not going to go into it here. Paul said "why did you drive her home?" when I told him I did. The thing with the BQE is that there's no fucking on ramp on the the side I needed to get to from like DUMBO to Bay Ridge. It's insane. I had to go local the entire way until the Belt Parkway under Third Avenue in Brooklyn under the BQE. And there ain't nothing but shady places and porn shops on that strip. The lights there are fucking annoying as hell too. They don't all turn green at the right times like in Manhattan. It's red at every light. It would have been faster for me to backtrack one exit from Sus' place and get back on the highway.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Senior Show Cards

Got some senior show cards over the past week!


First row- Sandy Yuen, Jessica Kernan, Mercedes Albrecht
Second row- Danielle Young,
Lauren Morris, Gabriel Blain



Damn Sans, your card is so, so awesome.

I noticed everyone put-
"Bachelor of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition
School of Art and Design
Address of School" ....

Maybe it's in my head, but I could have sworn I started that naming convention from my card...didn't see any on the cards of the year before me! And the back of card art. I love a good back design more than the front. It interest me greatly.

Can't wait to see everyone's work next week!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Salads

Wasabi Crusted Salmon
Wasabi Crusted Salmon

Took some new photos of prepackaged salads for Cafe Metro today. We moved the lights back to my office so now I have my little set up again!

Time to play around with the lights. I'm really excited.

On another note- The Wasabi Crusted Salmon Salad (above) exploded in number of views on my Flickr stream to position 4, beating out the Metro Marche's Lobster Cobb Salad. Only time will tell if it has the pull to beat out one of the Ninas in the top 3. I'll keep ya'll updated!

Mediterranean Grill
Mediterranean Grill

Monday, April 23, 2007

ROFLMAO!



Genius. It's a spoof of this Muppet clip, which was a spoof of a 60s novelty song by Piero Umilani. Yeah, wasn't alive then, don't know the reference. But it's so funny I'm ROFLMAO!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Attack of the ZLIKS


PM reppin'

Phallic Mamary [PM aka Jen] had a piece in an opening at MY PLASTIC HEART in the Lower East Side last night. I haven't seen her since forever (high school I think). A bunch of other LaG heads showed up too. It was a mini reunion. Good to see people I haven't seen in so long (some).

I got there when Jen got there and Li Haun and Sophia was there. They pretty much said "hi", gave me a hug and bounced. Strange girls. Then I saw NICOLE WOO standing next to the door! I had a mini fallout with her like right before I graduated high school and we stopped speaking to each other. But it's all in the past now. We had a slightly awkward conversation about what we were both up to.



PM's piece, it's made out of wood. Get it?



Some other pieces in the show.

James Chang and Steven came to the show too. I totally forgot about Steven. But he remembered who I was instantly. Didn't even hesitate, "Yo Adam, wassup?".



Me, Jill, David. Photo courtesy of Jill.



Jill and PM. Photo courtesy of Jill.


Jill Rittymanee (I went to prom with her) also came with a kid named Frank, who I vaguely remember. He was AFC in high school and seems to still be so...



Me with people other than white people(!) Me, Bijou, Kevon and Jesse. Photo courtesy of Jill.

Kevon came with Santi. They biked from Kevon's dorm thats like at 140th street all the way down to the LES, all stoned and shit cuz it was 4-20.

Jen's sister goes to LaG now and she came with some of her friends. These kids are maaaad trendy! It's weird. Eh. Good times.

Discovered Something Today

People Boating

Went back to Central Park today with Ashley. We both discovered we are uninterested in taking nature photos. It's boring to me. Don't know why so many hobbyist and amateur photogs dig it so much. There were A LOT of people in Central Park because of the nice weather too, so it didn't make it easier to take photos.

Srubs
Wanted to test the bokeh on my Nikkor 45mm F/2.8P. It's kinda "meh"

I took like 15 shots and i was done. We walked around the park near the fountain they shot Home Alone 2 at and that entire area around the 70s. I know the name of the fountain I just don't know how to spell it's name out.

Boy at Play
This is so badly composed

Skyline

Then we went to Art Gotham to pick up our piece from the show but they were closed. Sat around Union Square for a bit. Talked about the numbers on the wall of the Virgin Megastore building and wondering what they mean. A girl next to us overheard us talking about it and got really excited and asked "you guys know what those numbers mean??" I told her we didn't and were wondering the same thing. The first four numbers tell military time, but the rest...who knows.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

CAke shop. stuff

kevon. cakeshop. the onion av club meeting thing. free shots of jameson. dunk. hipsters. asian and white lesbians making out. 3 jameson on the rcoks. drunk dialing people. katz 10 dollar philly cheese. chocolate and peanut butter. cute boyish looking girl.

Nintendo Wii Still Sold Out

Over Easter my cousins came over to my house for dinner and stuff. What else to do but turn on a videogame right? They played my Wii for a while and then all the parents got in on the action too. Can't believe. Now my uncle is buying one.

Nintendo really is onto something with this. It's still sold out everywhere. Best Buy and Circuit City is giving out tickets an hour before they open like once a month on Sundays to sell them. Nintendo World at Rockerfeller Center gets new units EVERYDAY and my cousin just told me they told him people are lining up at 5AM and they only have enough for people who line by by 7AM.

This is 6 months after launch now. Ridiculous.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Graffiti Artist at Marche

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Erni Vales, graffiti artist, was commissioned(?) to create a piece for Metro Marche yesterday. He painted in front of the restaurant from 11AM-2PM. He has his work on display in the restaurant until May 18.

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I was there to take some photos of the event. The Daily News (NY daily) also had a photographer there to take some photos. She was shooting with a Nikon D2Xs, which I found surprising. That means that the Daily News photogs shoot Nikon as opposed to Canon. Maybe they were too invested in lenses at one point and didn't want to switch. This is only notable because Canon has better low noise performance and most professionals shoot Canon because of it.

My company's Canon 20D blows my Nikon D80 out of the water in terms of noise reduction, and the 20D is like 3 years older now! Anyway, not here to complain about cameras.

Go to Flickr for the rest of the set.

Flickr Stats

My most viewed photos (4/18/07)

1. Nina, 151 views
Nina

2. Nina, 94 views
A Seductive Pose

3. Nina, 76 views
Being Playful

4. Lobster Cobb Salad, 29 views
Lobster Cobb Salad

Monday, April 16, 2007

Untitled

My friend Jon Rugh goes to Virgina Tech. He is okay. I'm glad.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

My Favourite Photos Vol 3

Roger and a Cuban

This photo is of Roger Freeman (my photography professor in college) smoking a Cuban in front of the Pantheon. The coolness factor of this photo is self explanatory. It was originally taken for the intent to send to Kevin Wixted, a good friend of Roger and painting professor at Alfred University.

Taken Feb 25, 2005 in Rome, Italy.

Joe, Central Park, a Lazy Saturday

I was in Central Park going to meet with Liz, Justine and Susannah and had my FM2 (camera) taking photos along the way. I was by the lake (~72nd street where they filmed part of Home Alone 2) where people could rent boats and paddle around taking some photos. This guy came up to me and said "excuse me, can you take a photo for me? You look very professional". Sure am!

Then I met up with the girls. We sat on a rock for a while. Then we went to play eat at a Venezuelan place in the East Village. It was pretty good. Liz and Sus went to met up with some others to see Zodiac (Blades of Glory was sold out). The next movie that I would actually pay to see is Spider-Man 3, so Justine and I went to a bar and played pool for a bit.

On Friday, I went to Joe for a mid-afternoon iced mocha and the owner said to me, "that is a very cool jacket". I was wearing the Jacket from Prohibit my moms got me for free. $440 retail. I guess it made my day.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Help Yourself Help Yourself

This is just something I need to get off my chest.

Its coming up to be 1 year soon of being out of school for me and directly or indirectly, it seems to me that pretty much no one in my graduating class has been doing anything art related deemed "worthy" to talk about.

What I mean is that it seems no one has really continued to do art in the sense that we did while at Alfred. And for some reason, there is a stigma attached to this that it's a BAD THING. While I'm all about continuing to make art, I don't see why a lot of people are "embarrassed" about what they are or are not doing right now to get by (except Nadine, she keeps it reals. Respect).

This is what I gathered from making that list of what all the '06 BFAs are doing anyway. I know more than a few people who purposely did not respond to that list because they didn't want people knowing they weren't doing anything/not doing anything art related/doing something "lame". Why? Do you honestly believe we (the average person) can be "art stars" less than ONE YEAR out of school? Do you know how long it takes to get ANYWHERE you want to be? More than a year. Look at all the people who are "successful", in any capacity, with few exceptions, it takes a lot of hard work, perseverance, and dedication to be "successful". Basically, YOU HAVE TO PUT IN A LOT OF WORK to be where you want to be- if you even know where you want to be. I don't think any of us have that figured out either (which is OK).

Even people who seem to be successful in a small amount of time, like the 2 guys who created Youtube, put in their dues at Google and shit. Everything leads to something, if you are dedicated.

Alfred has romanticized our perception of what an "artist" is and what "success" in being an artist is and I think that is part of the problem, more so than any other art school because Alfred was so fucking isolated. There was nothing to do there but work on art. You know what I mean when I say you felt "bad" or something was "off" if you weren't in studio at every possible moment. It doesn't even matter if you had anything to do really, Alfred ingrained in our minds that we HAD to be working in the studio.

So now that we are out, "uh oh! We're all poor and have no easy access to a studio!" and we feel bad/ashamed/whatever about not producing work. I'm hearing a lot of complaining about this fact, yet no one seems to be doing anything about it.

If you really wanted to be producing work, you should stop complaining or making excuses on why you aren't and PRODUCE WORK. No, it's not easy, but "if there's a will, there's a way".

Jackie Rines is a good example of this. She knows its going to take more than a year to be off her feet, and has just now started to become comfortable with what she is doing. She's working a retail job to make money and rented a studio space in Greenpoint to make work. She has told me all of the work she has made up to this point has been "garbage" but she's still making stuff because she has the drive and just to be making things. Now she's got a better gig at Greenwich House (Pottery) and is more happy about that situation. She has been here for almost a year now and is just now starting to get where she wants to go.

For the better part from last May till now, I didn't take 1 photo. Not one for at least 6 months straight. I lost the inspiration and drive to produce work. Why? Because I wasn't in school and I didn't have "deadlines" and "grades" to worry about. There were no repercussions if I didn't produce work. And I think this is a huge part in why a lot of people aren't making anything right now. I am not saying its right or wrong, that doesn't matter. People go to college for different reasons, some go because it's the next thing society tells you to do in order to be able to do something else.

Not making art bothered me, but it was always something that was in the back of my mind. I wanted to print but it was "too difficult". In reality I WAS LAZY and didn't get myself to a darkroom, and I still haven't. But in the past 3 months, my interest and love for photography came back to me, and it is stronger than ever. I started to take some food photography for my company, and realized how much I missed taking pictures.

I bought myself a D-SLR and 2 film SLRs and I have the drive and motivation to take pictures again. Now I sort of have an idea of what I want to do and what direction I want my career to go. It has taken me a year to figure out what I want to possibly do, and I consider this to be quick.

Now photography consumes me. It is on my mind constantly. I get my ass to Barnes and Noble at least 3 times a week and just read everything and anything about photography and I try to go shoot at least once a week.

There have been some negative energies around me lately with regard to this (people being LAZY) and it urks me. It's fine if you don't know what you want , it's fine if you're content with what you are or aren't doing, but its not ok if you say "I want to be doing X" or saying you know you should be doing something and then not do it.

Blaming people/things/your environment on why you aren't doing something should not cut it. We are all responsible for all of our actions and inactions. I would love to say, "I'm not taking photos because it's hard getting access to a darkroom". It's not because it's hard to get to a darkroom (it really isn't for me), it's just that I'm lazy and unmotivated to get to a darkroom.

Other people cannot help you fix this problem, this is something we all have to ask ourselves and fix for ourselves. I've come to realize that you can't help someone unless they want to help themselves. My friend Paul realized this 5 years ago. I realized this last year, and stupidly still try to "help" people. Of course it doesn't work- they don't want to be helped. People don't change. You are who you are. It takes a life changing experience (I'm talking some near fatal shit) that people REALLY evaluate their lives and question what they are doing with it.

I'm also sensing some jealously bullshit towards me too, because I'm actually trying to make work now. I dunno what that's about. The School of Art and Design list and the FLICKR group Jenny and I created aren't about showing off what I'm doing right now, it's about trying to reconnect, seeing what others are doing, and having a platform for feedback, inspiration and motivation. There are only4 others on that FLICKR group right now not including me. I bet if we were all still at Alfred and was producing work, a lot of people would join it.

Does it matter if you aren't really producing anything right now? No. But being able to see what others are doing might just give you that spark you need to be doing something. Idol hands stay idol. Exercise your mind, feed it and the ideas will eventually come.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Liz's Birthday Bash



Yesterday was Liz's birthday. We went out to eat at SEA in Williamsburg. It's owned by the same people who own SPICE. Sea is basically SPICE to the EXTREME!! What I mean by that is that the place is overly elaborate and freaken huge, kind of like a cafeteria. There are swings in the waiting area, the entire center of the restaurant has like a mini water pond. Very strange.

We had a party of ten, which was easily seatable, but it was a rectangular table, so it was odd sitting 5 and 5. Our party consist of the birthday girl, Liz, Tina, Ashley, Noah, Caitlin, Susannah, Heather, Mia, NADINE and myself. "Once again, we have a good ratio of girls to guys", Noah said to me. Not even going to comment on that.

The food was standard Sea, Spice fare and most of you have experienced Spice, so I won't go into it.

After that we went out for drinks at Capone's. As it just so happens to be, Monday nights at Capone's is KARAOKE NIGHT. AWW SHIIIEET. Going out not on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is where it's at these days. Locals go out drinking on Tuesdays to avoid the increasingly disturbing amount of bandwagon hoppers and fratboys who come into Brooklyn for a night out.

No BS at Capone's tonight, just straight up locals and people who want to have fun. It was the most relaxed and fun time I've had at a bar in New York in a long time. I played Justine, Heather and Susannah at pool. That table is so dirty, the felt is smooth. Think about that for a bit.

Then the karaoke started and it was all over-



Ashley and Nadine performing Promiscuous



What would karaoke be without a performance of Journey by Caitlin, Tina, Ash, and Liz?







I have no clue what the girls are singing, but look at Nadine's grill!

All the girls tried to circle around me and dance again, and I gave in. Started dancing, and I wasn't even drunk. They tried to do it at Union Hall over the weekend, but I didn't let that happe. No way, not in Park Slop. This "dance around Adam" thing needs to have a name.

Oh yeah, some guy was taping for his show on Brooklyn Public Access, so we're going to be on TV at some random hour...

We stayed till like 12AM, on a Monday night. It was a lot of fun though.

Edit: Wow, I totally spelled Caitlin's name wrong. Sorry!

Monday, April 9, 2007

Sara Weekend Update 4/7

On Saturday night, the Isles played at the bookstore (i.e. Union Hall) in Park Slope so we(Liz, Tina, Sara, Ashley) all went to see them play. I call it a bookstore because they entire front side of the bar is set up to look like some rich person's library and the first time I went I mistaken it for a bookstore. They have 2 bocce ball courts in the bar. I'm not even going to start on that.

I drove there and drove through Carroll Gardens to get to Park Slope. If I were to move out and stay in Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens would be my number one followed closely by Park Slope. But alas, the median rent in these 2 neighborhoods are higher than the Lower East Side. WTF. GG non native hipsters and yuppies.

I'm walking to the bar and a few people come out and one of them says "there's like 4 tables in the entire place" obviously annoyed at the bookstore set up. I laughed to myself.

I was the first one there. I shouldn't have went so early. I went in and couldn't find anyone from the Isles either so I went up to the bar. All of a sudden Andrew (Tina boyfriend) comes up behind me. So I got a Stella and sat with him and 2 other guys that lived in their house (but not in the band). FYI the Isles is the band [Tina boyfriend Andrew] is in.

Talk about AWKWARD. After the initial "how are you" and crap like that, dead silence. We were all kinda sitting in a row so it was hard for 4 people to talk, but anyway [pre-judgment or dudes aren't interested in talking to other dudes]. Good thing Liz and Tina came not too long later. Park Slope girls are were it's at, son!

The other parts of the weekend was pleasant. We sat at Joe for a while. Then Sara never gave me back my perk card and now it's in Potsdam. Dammit, we logged like 6 drinks onto that card too.

Sara, Ash, Liz and I also chipped in for a canvas for the Art Gotham show and created the piece during lunch eating Japanese and finished it at Joe.

Sadly, we never made it to the dessert bar. Instead, we ate at a vegetarian place called Kate's Joint in Alphabet city (Friday night). It was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in recent memory. Not because it was vegetarian and I like my meat, but because the "20 minute" wait was more or less 1.5 hours. And the food wasn't that great. It's not a place I'd go back to.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Hipsters Claiming to Live in "Edgier" Neighborhoods

Saying you live in Williamsburg or Park Slope doesn't mean you're "cool" anymore, but instead attaches a lot of stigma and stereotyping to who you are now.

Williamsburg = trust fund babies wearing a lot of Brooklyn Industries

Park Slope - young married yuppies with babies in strollers

So what is a poor hipster to do to gain edge these days? Why, say you live in the edgier neighborhoods like Bushwick and Red Hook!
"In 2005, the median monthly rent in Williamsburg was $900, according to a New York University report, and $1,090 in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens; in the Lower East Side, it was $1,056.
If those rents sound reasonable, they’re still not cool. Thus the Great Neighborhood Downshift: Where, once upon a time, New Yorkers living just south of Atlantic Avenue might claim to live in Brooklyn Heights, now it goes the other way around. The aspirational neighborhoods are no longer the ones you can’t afford; they’re the ones you’re afraid to actually live in."
Click here to read the rest of the story. Courtesy of the NY Observer. If only I could afford to live in Carroll Gardens...


Friday, April 6, 2007

Lights = Bleed Money

Ugg, I really don't want to buy lights to make a studio setup.

1. I don't want to spend the ~$800 I'm going to need to to have a 2 light set up and
2. I really don't want to spend the money.

But I could make that all up if this thing goes well, and it can lead to future opportunities...This wouldn't be such a huge dilemma if I didn't buy the pancake lens. Or two film bodies.

Investing in this might mean staying in New York. Too early to tell. I'm very confused on what to do.

I shouldn't have stayed here as long as I did.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Buy This



Since I've moved over to the Nikon camp (which I might regret down the line, but what the hey) and bought myself two Nikon film bodies, I have no need for my Canon Rebel 2000 anymore. So I'm selling it.



What is included:
Canon Rebel 2000 SLR camera body
EF 28-80mm 3.5-5.6 II lens
Hoya UV filter
Canon Semi-soft leather case
Original Canon camera strap
Original packaging materials and instruction manual

All for $100.

Camera and lens is in great condition. No smudges or scratches on either. Lens is clear with no fungus or mold. Contacts clean.

There is a roll of Tri-X or T-Max 400 film in there (36 exp) that is newly loaded and unused. The first 5 frames are exposed though. I forgot I had film in there and accidentally opened it once.

All interested parties should respond to this post or e-mail me.
(I don't even know why I'm posting this HERE of all places since like 3 people read this blog)

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Elf in the City

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Visiting New York this weekend is the one, Sara Lynch, continuing the trend set two weeks ago by Leenie, Nina, and Modge followed last week by Trommler and Rosemary.

Photos and words to follow, along with more ChikaLicious.

You know it.

The Pancake



Gotta stop with the lenses. Nikkor 45mm F/2.8P on my FM2n.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Billiards Challanger

A girl came up to Paul and I tonight while we were shooting pool and wanted to play me. She saw Paul teaching me and wanted to test her skillz against me. She's been playing longer than I have, I can tell by the way she shoots.

She beat me the first game and I beat her the second time, so I dunno how good she actually is. But it doesn't take much to be "better" than me at the moment...

Heck, Justine beat me like twice at the shitty table at Capone's. I'm not even going to go into that one (dirty table, no chalk, BAD cues).

The Greatest Game EVER



The cover art of the Japanese version PSP remake of FINAL FANTASY TACTICS, my favorite game of all time. I hope they don't use a boring white background with the logo for the U.S. release.

[Sorry, had to geek out]

Wii Sports Workout = Sore Arms

I played WiiSports by myself tonight for the first time since I've gotten the Wii. Odd. I never felt compelled to play it without another person. It's good for exercise- if you exaggerate your movements. Make full swings when hitting that tennis ball! Follow through when you throw that baseball.

Now my left arm hurts. I should start alternating with my right arm. Alex and I played it for a bit when he was here and he "threw out" his arm throwing pitches in baseball because he didn't warm up his arm, haha.

They actually have a exercise program in the game you can do once a day (returning tennis balls, hitting home runs, etc) and at the end it calculates your "WiiSports Age". Play everyday to lower your age.

My first WiiSports age is "44". I don't know if that's good or bad (probably on the bad side), but I was using my right arm the entire time to give it a workout.

I'm gonna play half and hour of WiiSports everyday now for exercise. It's great for warming up my arm right being hitting up the pool hall!

Monday, April 2, 2007

Alex, Hipster Gawking, and ChikaLicious


Broadway Lafayette (represent!)

Alex came to New York for a day or two this past weekend. We had dinner at Marche on Thursday night with Peter. That place is getting mad strange with my discount. The same manager started giving me 20% and this time I got 15%. I have postcards I designed for them that gives more percentage away. I'm seriously going to bring one next time and use it. I don't think I'll be eating there for a while if I can help it, besides me almost getting to the point where I don't want to eat any of the food anymore, it's just not worth the full price (15% isn't even enough for tips!).

Alex caught a bug or something off the bus, and I still had a cold so we took it easy on Friday. Pretty much sat at Union Sq for a while people watching. Even Alex has noticed the explosion in skinny jeans and crap. He said he noticed it last time he was here, but not in the sheer over-whelming numbers as this time.

We also went to Urban Glass (in Brooklyn) to check out Jason's (?) grad show piece. Their gallery was HURT. Alex had nothing but hate for Urban Glass. The facilities looked pretty good to me. He just associates the place with some guy who's a douche, so mad hate for the place by association.

Then we went to the Lower East Side and sat at outdoors and ate sandwiches right smack in the middle of Ludlow and Stanton (or something) across the street from Arlene's Grocery (eww). Prime hipster viewing location. Alex said some of "those girls look straight out of the American Apparel ads". True. Then we actually walked by the AA in the LES and saw a SMOKIN' hipster in purple stockings and a (very) short skirt with big-ass sunglasses sitting on the bench smoking a cigarette. Another really hot hipster was browsing inside the store also.

Alex said none of these girls even look at you. I said, "they really don't need to". If you have the balls to approach one of them, you're already on another level, or is a hipster yourself.

We went to ChikaLicious after that. I can't stop raving about this place!



The appetizer of the evening was marzcapone with espresso shavings. The CHEESE felt and tasted more like butter, melting in your mouth with a slight hint of espresso. Oh my...how can cheese taste this good?


Alex had white chocolate mousse on a bed of pineapple (I think).



I had banana sorbet on banana cake on something else.




That woman is Chika, the owner and head chef. I was shocked to find out that this place has been around for 4 years! Alex asked them. They also pretty much know me by now because I've been their for like 3 weekends in a row. The host at one point came out of nowhere and started up a conversation with Alex and I. I told him I was bringing everyone I know from out of town to this place.

That place is heaven (or an orgasm) in my mouth every time.