Are You In?

It is now May 21, 2009.

About four and a half months since my last post and I've had several of my close friends request that I pick this back up again. I never intended to stop, I just found myself in a constant flow of events and writing about them on this forum never came to fruitition. I have resolved to change that however... so here goes nothing.

Much has happened in the past four months. Let's see if I can catch you up without taking up too much of your time.

I still work @ 5th Avenue and am making strides towards becoming a Genius. For those of you who don't know, as pretentious as this position sounds, a Genius is a member of Mac technical support, responsible not only for handling hardware but also for repairing relationships between user and machine. So I have that going for me... which is pretty nice. I'll keep you posted.

Beyond work, other opportunities have come and gone with little to show for it. But what is interesting about that is I'm not feeling rushed into anything. While I came to this city for a reason, I have come to the understanding that I have time and other priorities I need to satisfy before I can dive headlong into my dreams. 

On top of that, I have tapped my passion for music and am seriously pursuing guitar. I had an interest in the instrument before this (please see my college days wasted on Rock Band and/or Guitar Hero) but never TRIED. And I must say that after a few months, I think I'm making progress... I only say that because just this past weekend I was able to do something I had never done before: play in front of an audience and sing.

Last month, I noticed a posting at work that mentioned a talent show that was to be held at Apple SoHo and thought nothing of it, certain that anything I did couldn't possibly compare with the extreme talent that surrounded me. (Seriously, in case you haven't noticed, most of my coworkers are really f-ing talented) Fate had other plans. Into my circumstance came a friend of mine from Florida who (without even realizing it) encouraged me to pick up my instrument and to just PLAY. Play for the purpose of creativity, for self-preservation, for the hell of it, but simply to play and love it. So I did. 

One day, while sitting in my room, I was listening to Coldplay's "Parachutes" and it hit me... one of my favorite songs of all time, "Sparks," would be the perfect song to learn. In a creative tantrum, I scoured the interwebs for chords progressions/ tabs/ sheet music and struck gold. The following weeks consisted of the guitar becoming a new appendage. I brought it with me everywhere I could, playing whenever I had the opportunity, and even made some money without intending to while playing in Central Park and in the plaza of Apple Fifth Ave. All this building up to becoming the closing act at the talent show this past Sunday. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I did, mostly because I was enjoying myself so much. Many thanks to those who made the trip out to SoHo to see it and to those who performed as well. All in all, it was a great success and really look forward to trying my hand at public performances again soon.

Well, I'm sure you're tired of reading (at least momentarily). Would you like some photos?

Central Park and its surrounding area

From my fire escape

As you may notice, I am still trying my hand at photography. Hope you like what you see.

Yankee Stadium 5/2/09 Yankees v. Angels

Elverson, PA (an abandoned rail bed)

Looking to the coming weeks, I turn 23 and following that comes a summer of weddings starting with a trip to Baltimore for my good friend Desi's ceremony. Then at the end of June (as most of you might be aware), I am taking a trip down to Florida for what will become a statewide tour. Starting in Miami, I will travel to Orlando, then to Sarasota for Kristina's wedding on the Fourth, then to Gainesville for a few days and then flying home from Orlando. If you find yourself around these cities and have some spare time, I'd love to see you. Let me know what you're up to.

For now, that's all I've got. Thanks for taking the time to check in. Hope you've been well these past few months and look forward to seeing many of you soon. I miss you.

Such A Rush...

Happy New Year to everyone!

If you're still out there...

If you are, welcome back. It's been a while, hasn't it? 

But since you're here, pull up a chair. Have I got some stories for you.

So last we spoke, I had been to my sister's for Thanksgiving. Good times were had and memories made. Always good to see family you haven't seen in a while. :) The following weeks were more or less what my daily routine has become; waking, showering, dressing, and working. As mundane as that may sound, the days off are totally worth it (just as each shift is equally freeing. I have many friends at work that make each day enjoyable).

I ended up working until a few days before Christmas when I made a trip out to Stephanie and Ron's place in Elverson, hoping to finally catch the holiday spirit. For you must understand that up to this point I had seen wreaths, Christmas trees, carolers, SANTA even, yet I could not muster one drop of Christmas cheer.

Going to Stephanie's house has become my escape. I go there and clear my mind... I do think I'd go daft without it. The sight of her Christmas tree and the decorations lit a spark in me and with the care of good company and my family's amazing bond, I settled into Christmas. I apologize now for the lack of photographs from this trip. I'll have to get those from you, Ron.

Highlight of the trip: I have a real bed now.

I know. Amazing. I'm practically an adult now.

After having "Christmas" with family, I returned to New York to a visit from a good friend, Jerome. He had arrived a day earlier than me and Brittany had given him the key to get in. Certainly this holiday would be far from ordinary... 

And I was right.

On Christmas Eve evening, we departed into Manhattan in hopes of seeing some holiday cheer in the final hours of the night. We strolled about and soaked it in. 

Bergdorf Goodman had amazing window displays on Fifth Avenue

Then to Rockefeller Plaza for the tree and the skating rink...

And after our adventures, we needed to refuel. 

And thank God Mike's Diner is open 24 hours.

Christmas Day was very laid back for me. I rose late from bed, called family, and went to work just like any other day of the year... except it was Christmas.

Work was uneventful overall, but fun with some of my friends working alongside me. The real fun lie at the end of my shift. Ryan was coming up to visit for a week or so. I was really looking forward to seeing him. It's hard moving away from a place you called home for four years and leaving someone who was such a large part of that behind. I missed him, so I was pretty pumped to catch up and make some new stories.

Along with Ryan and Jerome, Josephine came up as well. Three Gainesvillians staking claim in New York for a week... you knew that had to be trouble. Needless to say, we have tons of laughs, one-liners, and memories to share. It was so great to see all of you. Take care and I hope to see you again soon.

New Year's Eve was the same situation. We had all decided to intoxicate ourselves in celebration of a New Year. Mission accomplished. Please observe the facebook albums if you need proof.

On January 5th, everything returned to normal around our place. All our visitors had returned home and we were recovering from a week-long party (or so it felt).

Today, January 9th, 2009, is a glorious day. The University of Florida won the National Championship last night over Oklahoma. Congrats to them and all of us who are part of the Gator Nation. I am very proud to say I attended UF even more today than usual.

These days, I'm at work and still chugging along. 

It's not always easy living here but I'm trying. Gomez moves up here in a couple of weeks and starts his journey...

Which makes me think, what have I done in 5 months? 

You know what? That's a whole other post.

Details In The Fabric

Calm down
Deep breaths
And get yourself dressed instead
Of running around
And pulling all your threads saying
Breaking yourself up

If it's a broken part, replace it
If it's a broken arm then brace it
If it's a broken heart then face it

And hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your own name
And go your own way

And everything will be fine
Everything will be fine
Mmmhmm

Hang on
Help is on the way
Stay strong
I'm doing everything

Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way

And everything, everything will be fine
Everything

Are the details in the fabric
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling? 

Are the things that make you blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault
Of faulty manufacturing.

Yeah everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Everything

It's December now.

Here comes the cold. 

Hope your Thanksgiving was as rewarding as mine. Seeing Stephanie, Ron, Sissy, Nick, Rob, Lee, Nataleigh, Norma, and Marty made for a great escape from the busy environment of the city.

Black Friday was exactly what I expected at work. Madness. Other than that, work has been going well. Making friends and having fun... you can't hate a job that keeps you busy with people whose company you enjoy. A public shout-out to my TWi-LiGHT crew.

A more thorough entry is long overdue, methinks. Perhaps this weekend when the Gators battle 'Bama for the SEC Championship.

Go Gators.

Talk to you all soon. Thanks for checking in.

Lon Gisland

It's been nearly a month since my last post.

Many things have changed. 

Just to give you highlights:

- November 4th Election Day

I cast my vote for the first time as a New York resident for President Elect Obama at about 11:15 in the morning at PS 85 on 31st St. Of course, my vote could have gone to my home state of Florida to help swing the state blue...

But Florida didn't need my help. And I was proud to be counted among the sea of blue that showed up on the electoral map on CNN. 

Yes We Did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside of that, I have been working full-time, usually going to work around 4 pm and leaving around 1 am. I return from work and often go right to bed. I sleep in until about 12 noon or whenever my eyes open and then lounge about playing guitar or just soaking in some good tunes until I have to go back to the store.

It may seem like a pretty bland existence, but it's worth the two days off every week, I will say that. 

For the past few days, (meaning this weekend) I have been quite sick. I had one hell of a chest cough and a raging headache with chills. It kept me home on Saturday and Sunday from work (which was something I DIDN'T want to do) but the days of rest I have taken advantage of have paid off. Today I feel well and hope that returning to work today will also cause these strange feelings that I have to subside.

Lately, I have been having dreams that cause me to feel quite "off" (for the lack of a better term) when I wake up. Hard to explain and terribly vague, I apologize, but I haven't figured out how to shake some of the feelings. Hmmmm, maybe I need to spend some more time pondering on that...

And I'm sorry for not being more consistent these past few weeks. Like I mentioned, I've kind of been on a one-track living cycle and never settled into writing about it. Returning to it today, I realize just how much I miss it.

And just how much I miss all of you. :)

I hope you are all well. As the seasons change and the temperature drops, know that I am thinking of you all and sending you my best. I love you.

More to come later, when I get some new batteries for my camera and a few more spare moments.

P.S. Some suggestions of good music to listen to:

- Beirut: "The Flying Club Cup," "Lon Gisland EP," "Gulag Orkestar"

- Massive Attack: "Mezzanine"

- Metallica: "Death Magnetic"

Float On

Good Sunday morning, loyal readers and first-timers.

It has been a busy week, what with starting at Apple on Wednesday afternoon, working my first full three days in the madness of the new MacBook release, surviving the week and having one of the greatest Saturdays ever.

I haven't taken my camera with me to work yet. The operative word there is "yet" because sooner or later, I'm going to be taking pictures with my awesome friends at work. And to put it to you simply, this is one of the best jobs I've ever had. Once you conquer any fear or concern over the number of people that are in the store at one time, you can do anything. 

And the best part? Actually HELPING people and making them happy. (I know that sounds so SIMPLE, but you'd be surprised how much strangers appreciate your attention to their needs) And the last I'll say on this: I love my job at Apple.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

UF CRUSHES LSU Saturday evening. Gators 51 - Tigers 21

LSWho? Yeah, about that... 

Great way for Saturday to end with a devastating defeat of LSU. Congrats, Gators!

The next morning, I recieve a text message from Joe, asking if anyone wanted to join him for a day-trip to Central Park. I decide to jump on the chance; I hadn't spent alot of time in the Park since I moved and wanted a chance to soak up the gorgeous weather. I grabbed my camera and got to the train. I arrived in Central Park...

The ice rink.

Sheep's Meadow

While meandering through the Park, we found a group of musicians playing some fantastic jazz. We had stumbled upon musical gold. They are called "The Jazz Collective" and have been coming to the same spot from spring to early fall for the past 15 years. Only one member of the original group remains. His name is Rasheed and he plays the trumpet (or trumpet[s] because he can play two at once.) Joe and I took seats along the wooden beam that passed in front of the group and soaked it in.

After listening for a bit, we walked the lake. Joe proposed fetching a boat and rowing around the lake for a little while. (Long story short, we thought we were walking in the right direction and weren't. Completely missed the boathouse). However, we stumbled upon a much more enjoyable proposition... The Jazz Collective in full swing.

Here are some photos of these entertaining artists:

And they jammed out and kept playing...

We sat there for nearly two hours, just grooving with these talented musicians. What a way to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

So strolled back towards the train station. En route we heard the call of "FREE BEER!" Realizing this was a ploy outright, we decided to attract attention to ourselves:

"Did somebody say FREE BEER?!?!"

We were answered: 

"That's right, white boys. Come on down."

And we joined an already forming circle around a dance troupe called The Breeze Team. Hailing from Brooklyn, they had a  full team of about six adults and three kids. They were really busting some impressive moves, even the kids.

After a bit of showmanship, they announce the "Leap of Death," which lines some members of the team ("and a white kid!") up for their jumpman to leap over.

After faking the first attempt, they pull Joe into the line... this ought to be good.

And the guy does it. Impressive.

An appropriate end to Man Day (as we have come to call that day) came at my house with some South Park and delicious ice cream. Good way to end the weekend before my first workweek.

I returned to training on Monday and finished on Tuesday with incredibly high-hopes for Wednesday. :) Really all I can do when I think about work is smile. The details of the job are what make it so enjoyable. Going into them here would be terribly time-consuming. They are innumerable. Just remember what I said earlier: I love my job.

The week FLEW past. Time seems to have no bearing while I am underground. Next thing I knew, it was Saturday.

All week, Joe and I had been planning on returning to Central Park to listen to the Jazz Collective and hopefully get a boat at the lake. We roped in The Steinway Ladies and set the date for Saturday.

And what a day it was. We went by the Jazz Collective only to see the semblance of the group of last week. Still good, but not complete. 

To Bethesda Fountain we went, as per Brittany's request. What a fantastic decision...

There, we saw the boathouse. Would we finally be able to purchase a boat and row the lake?

No, of course not. Cash only. And we all had cards. Oh well... at least we found the boats.

Now what to do? Amy mentions a dive burger joint in the Parker Meridian hotel and we decide our stomachs are craving just that.

And we arrived at the Parker Meridian and turned into a small hallway near the front desk.

And you want to talk about a hole-in-the-wall? This place was perfect. The aroma of grilled burgers was wafting out the door.

We enjoyed the delicious burgers and even ended up getting some free brownies out of the deal. So we headed back towards the train station to get into Queens.

When we arrived back in Queens, I decided to part with the group to fetch a coat since the chill had settled on the city. My night took a different turn at this point. Justin had also just arrived back home with a new computer chair. I offered to help and then we set to work.

After that, I started feeling a little feverish and awfully cold. I decided to spend the evening indoors with my roomie and our good friend, Albert. Justin introduced me to Cosmic Wimpout, a dice game of epic proportions. If you want to play sometime, just swing by. 

For now, I'm heading off to work. 

It's a beautiful day, so if you're in New York, go outside for a little while. 

I miss you all and I love you immensely.

Talk to you soon.