Carl Ragos laughing knowing I'm gonna get spanked in Poker
Friday, August 05, 2005
Monday, July 18, 2005
Hey, Cameron. You realize if we played by the rules right now we'd be in gym?
Day in, day out. Same routine. The beauty of being at The Golf Channel for five years is an extra week of vacation. Lately, I've been having some pretty awful headaches at work. Sitting in front of that gigantic monitor everyday doesn't help things. Is it stress? High blood pressure? Computer work? In any case, I needed some time off to do absolutely nothing and at the same time anything I wanted. I'm taking some time off.
After a few doctor's visits to get checked out (mostly good news with some repair work needed) earlier I decided earlier last week to have a plan. What's the plan? To not have a plan.
This weekend El and I did some shopping, movies (Wedding Crashers is hilarious - check it out!) and went out for dinner (no cooking!). I met up with a buddy to hit some golf balls and brush up for my game later next week in SC. Hopefully if things go well I can squeeze in 18 holes at the local course - I suck. Alright I'm out.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
After a few doctor's visits to get checked out (mostly good news with some repair work needed) earlier I decided earlier last week to have a plan. What's the plan? To not have a plan.
This weekend El and I did some shopping, movies (Wedding Crashers is hilarious - check it out!) and went out for dinner (no cooking!). I met up with a buddy to hit some golf balls and brush up for my game later next week in SC. Hopefully if things go well I can squeeze in 18 holes at the local course - I suck. Alright I'm out.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Disney is the Man!
El and I both grew up going to Walt Disney World many times with our families. Even though I've been there countless times we ended up buying annual passes to the theme parks - we never seem to grow tired of the park.
Last night on a whim we went to the Magic Kingdom. It's A Small World had been closed for quite some time for "refreshing" and we both hadn't been there in years.
We arrived at the park via monorail/tram around 9pm and had an agenda as to what we wanted to see. With only two hours and most of the crowd enthralled by the Electric Parade we were able to zip in and out of most rides no problem. We managed to hop onto the Small World, Pirates of the Carribbean, and Buzz Lightyear attractions among others.
One of my favorite rides has always been the Haunted Mansion and it never fails to entertain. It's pretty amazing how the Imagineers came up with some of the ride's more interesting features. Even the "ghosts" you would think as holograms or some other hi tech gadgetry is nothing more than basic, old school optical illusions. Uncle Walt is the man. Basic. Simple. Entertaining. A true craftsman's art.
Of course, for every great classic there's one ride that just sucks ass - namely Stitch's Out of Space (or whatever the heck it's called) attraction. Now normally I wouldn't put anything negative on my blogger but for the love of Christ was it bad. What the heck was the movie about anyways? What now unemployed designer/engineer brainstormed this P.O.S.?
Oh it looks great going thru the queue with the nifty animatronics and high falutin' gadgetry. You get into a round room lined with seats with safety bars over them. You think you're going on some crazy looking Gravitron ride and behold! You merely sit in the dark with speakers screaming in your ears and getting sprayed with different smells and water. Wow. Really interactive. And then you leave...
And you wonder why Disney's stock along with their animation/park reputation continually declines. Best to stick with their tried and true formulas.
Last night on a whim we went to the Magic Kingdom. It's A Small World had been closed for quite some time for "refreshing" and we both hadn't been there in years.
We arrived at the park via monorail/tram around 9pm and had an agenda as to what we wanted to see. With only two hours and most of the crowd enthralled by the Electric Parade we were able to zip in and out of most rides no problem. We managed to hop onto the Small World, Pirates of the Carribbean, and Buzz Lightyear attractions among others.
One of my favorite rides has always been the Haunted Mansion and it never fails to entertain. It's pretty amazing how the Imagineers came up with some of the ride's more interesting features. Even the "ghosts" you would think as holograms or some other hi tech gadgetry is nothing more than basic, old school optical illusions. Uncle Walt is the man. Basic. Simple. Entertaining. A true craftsman's art.
Of course, for every great classic there's one ride that just sucks ass - namely Stitch's Out of Space (or whatever the heck it's called) attraction. Now normally I wouldn't put anything negative on my blogger but for the love of Christ was it bad. What the heck was the movie about anyways? What now unemployed designer/engineer brainstormed this P.O.S.?
Oh it looks great going thru the queue with the nifty animatronics and high falutin' gadgetry. You get into a round room lined with seats with safety bars over them. You think you're going on some crazy looking Gravitron ride and behold! You merely sit in the dark with speakers screaming in your ears and getting sprayed with different smells and water. Wow. Really interactive. And then you leave...
And you wonder why Disney's stock along with their animation/park reputation continually declines. Best to stick with their tried and true formulas.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Beach Day
All last week I struggled with a spot to spend the upcoming weekend. All forecasts pointed to a rainy weekend along the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. We've been landlocked for most of the season and I was itching to get out to some water to kick back and soak some rays. Unfortunately, all my attempts to put together a nice spot somewhere along the panhandle failed. No hotels. So I opted for maybe a total change of venue.
New York? Las Vegas? San Fran? Seattle? Raleigh? Either there was no hotels available, no inexpensive airfare or the weather wasn't permitting. Oh well.
In the end we went to Bradenton Beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The day started out clear and sunny. Perfect beach weather. Rachel, El and I packed the truck up for the trip and we were off. It was a little bit of a haul past Clearwater Beach, but my stipulations were simple - white sand; clear, warm water; no traffic; and no tourists. The opposite of Clearwater Beach (which is closer to us).
I tell you what - Bradenton Beach and it's surrounding beaches (Coquina and Anna Maria) may notbe the most well known, but that's a good thing. When we arrived we pulled right into a parking space. I parked right next to a beach walkway which ended right at a perfect spot. Plenty of room on the white, soft sand and it wasnt even remotely crowded.
I spent plenty of time laying out and slipping into the warm water for a swim. Now I remember why we wanted to move to Florida in the first place. Alot of family and friends think that we are a hop, skip and a jump from all the beaches. Not so.
I've always lived no more than 20 minutes away from the beach (yes, even in Savannah) and kinda took it for granted. But in Orlando we are easily an hour and a half away from the nearest beach. The drive is definitely worth it, though, if you go to any along the Gulf of Mexico. There the beaches are the best I've seen along our travels. El and I made a vow to try to make it out further along the Panhandle towards Destin and Seaside this season (I think they filmed Truman Show, with Jim Carrey, out there). And don't let the shark attack stories scare you - they aren't as often as you would think considering all the publicity they've gotten in the past few years.
New York? Las Vegas? San Fran? Seattle? Raleigh? Either there was no hotels available, no inexpensive airfare or the weather wasn't permitting. Oh well.
In the end we went to Bradenton Beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The day started out clear and sunny. Perfect beach weather. Rachel, El and I packed the truck up for the trip and we were off. It was a little bit of a haul past Clearwater Beach, but my stipulations were simple - white sand; clear, warm water; no traffic; and no tourists. The opposite of Clearwater Beach (which is closer to us).
I tell you what - Bradenton Beach and it's surrounding beaches (Coquina and Anna Maria) may notbe the most well known, but that's a good thing. When we arrived we pulled right into a parking space. I parked right next to a beach walkway which ended right at a perfect spot. Plenty of room on the white, soft sand and it wasnt even remotely crowded.
I spent plenty of time laying out and slipping into the warm water for a swim. Now I remember why we wanted to move to Florida in the first place. Alot of family and friends think that we are a hop, skip and a jump from all the beaches. Not so.
I've always lived no more than 20 minutes away from the beach (yes, even in Savannah) and kinda took it for granted. But in Orlando we are easily an hour and a half away from the nearest beach. The drive is definitely worth it, though, if you go to any along the Gulf of Mexico. There the beaches are the best I've seen along our travels. El and I made a vow to try to make it out further along the Panhandle towards Destin and Seaside this season (I think they filmed Truman Show, with Jim Carrey, out there). And don't let the shark attack stories scare you - they aren't as often as you would think considering all the publicity they've gotten in the past few years.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Father's Day Special
Welp it was done. The Ultimate Father's Day Gift. Cher did one none of us have been able to do yet. None of us were able to make it to Charleston for Father's Day, but Len was able to take them out during the weekend to celebrate. During dinner at Carrabba's she gave her his gift which didn't leave a dry eye at the table apparently...she was to have their first grandchild. Whoa. That's pretty heavy stuff. Thinking on it that's quite an accomplishment. Cher has definitely come a long way by leaps and bounds. Me and El are very happy for her! It's funny to think that she's expecting a package from the stork - the same girl in her Holy Spirit Day School t-shirt, white skirt, drooping eyeglasses and black (HARD) patent leather shoes kicking you in the shins (or the next available closed door). Pleng Pleng. February is the due drop date and we'll all be hanging on to the edge of our seats. Congrats - but you're still a little brat!
Saturday, June 18, 2005
No Rest For The Weary
Wow! Back-to-back visitors hit us last month. Right after my family visits for a few days we had more people come out and hang for almost a week. Joe and Lalaine came out East from San Fran and Jen from Virginia. It was cool to see more friends, but damn were we beat up tired!
What did we do all week? Welp the girls made it easy on me and did lots of shopping, spa treatments and chick flicks. Hopefully that'll hold El for awhile and I won't be forced to watch any.
Finally the weekend rolled in with Joe and we took them out downtown and to some of our fave eats and a couple of bars. It as good fun, but I'm looking forward to a weekend of laziness without having to cook for large groups anymore.
What did we do all week? Welp the girls made it easy on me and did lots of shopping, spa treatments and chick flicks. Hopefully that'll hold El for awhile and I won't be forced to watch any.
Finally the weekend rolled in with Joe and we took them out downtown and to some of our fave eats and a couple of bars. It as good fun, but I'm looking forward to a weekend of laziness without having to cook for large groups anymore.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Saturday Memorial Weekend
Rick and Donna decided to sleep in and bypassed our visit to the Winter Park Farmer's Market. Cher, Rachel and dad headed out early to Canaveral to jump on the Casino Cruise. Meanwhile I took madre with El & I to shop for the week's produce and get a jump on the weekend.
This mini reunion meant alot to me. Not because it was my birthday weekend (why else would they call it Memorial Weekend?), but because the past six months had been stressful on everyone. A change of venue to destress was what everyone needed. Although I knew it would be a good bit of work, I was looking forward to seeing everyone.
El and I picked up Ricky and Donna Friday afternoon from the airport. Mom, dad and Len came early(!) at 9pm. Just enough time to do a quick dinner Friday and let everyone relax a bit before we got our weekend underway.
This mini reunion meant alot to me. Not because it was my birthday weekend (why else would they call it Memorial Weekend?), but because the past six months had been stressful on everyone. A change of venue to destress was what everyone needed. Although I knew it would be a good bit of work, I was looking forward to seeing everyone.
El and I picked up Ricky and Donna Friday afternoon from the airport. Mom, dad and Len came early(!) at 9pm. Just enough time to do a quick dinner Friday and let everyone relax a bit before we got our weekend underway.
It was a hot ass day at Epcot. Any shade was welcome. Mom and I catch our breathe at Mexico. Earlier I bought a round of Tangerine Cocktails which no one but me liked. I was pretty hammered by the time we got to Japan. AWESOME.
It was my mom's first time to Epcot so I hope she enjoyed it. Unfortunately we didn't even get to see half of it - so hot and so much to see! We finally left around 6pm. The best ride of the day was the tram taking us back to the truck...
It was my mom's first time to Epcot so I hope she enjoyed it. Unfortunately we didn't even get to see half of it - so hot and so much to see! We finally left around 6pm. The best ride of the day was the tram taking us back to the truck...
Busy day! As soon as we got back from Epcot I got started prepping food for the dinner cookout. Whew! I had a hot date with Sandman as soon as dinner was put away. Ribs, steak, grilled corn, veggie kebobs, asparagus, and fresh fruit was served. Some easy music was played outside as everyone chilled out watching the sun dip down at the end of the day. Leftover day on Monday!
A Rare Shot of The Family
Taken at Celebration right after brunch. I never realized how rare it is to have a family photo where everyone is present.
Sunday
Sunday morning was spent heading out to the Celebration Farmer's Market and having brunch at the diner. The weekend had been extremely hot and I didn't think my pops was up for another cruise out to sea deep sea fishing so I cancelled late Saturday night. Just as well - the captain said the boat was jam packed and the fish weren't as active because of the heat. Oh well - we were able to spend more time together.
It was a great ending to a great weekend I think. We haven't had good laughs like this in a long time. Most of the end of last year and the beginning of this year was very stressful for everyone and I think it helped everyone relieve some stress. I realize it was a lot of work, but it meant a lot to me to have everyone together having a good time. Thanks everyone for making my birthday so memorable!
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Early Birthday SURPRISE!
Welp the cowerks got me this year. I'm usually pretty stealthy about birthdays these past few years. I'd rather just keep it on the "D.L." and not "floss". For lunch the standard Lunch Bunch (Scotty, Tommy and Paulie) went out to Ale House to grab some eats. I axed some of the other officemates if they wanted to go, but they totally "fronted" and were like "naaah". So we went and a few minutes later a few more people showed up - Amy, Ed, Higgins, AGlen and Dan dropped in for lunch as well - the same hooligans that said "naaah". Doh!
Afterwards, they totally made me "trip" by asking me to come to the conference room to go over another concept for an Affiliate Kit and catching me off guard - "SURPRISE!" Cake, birthday card, gift and the entire building were there. They got me some Mango Margarita Mix and the topper, Slang FlashCards. Hilarious! Now I can brush up on my lingo and up my street cred. Thanks guys!
Afterwards, they totally made me "trip" by asking me to come to the conference room to go over another concept for an Affiliate Kit and catching me off guard - "SURPRISE!" Cake, birthday card, gift and the entire building were there. They got me some Mango Margarita Mix and the topper, Slang FlashCards. Hilarious! Now I can brush up on my lingo and up my street cred. Thanks guys!
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
...And In With The New
Welp it was time to retire our old trusty 1995 Ford Explorer Sport. El bought this as her own graduation gift and it's served us well. It's seen us move countless times hauling furniture to different homes and travelled near and far to see friends and family. From DC to Key West this baby kept on truckin'! But alas all good things must come to an end. The A/C died a few months ago, the brakes are shot, the engine cuts out every now and then while you're driving and stayed alive past 200,000 miles. That's a lot of drive time.
El wasn't too sad to see it go. Not after she found out I bought her an Acura MDX Touring Edition. In the color she wanted with ALL the features we both wanted. I got a fantastic deal from CarMatch Auto and Les Segal, a dealer who is in the same type of business as Cherilyn and her husband, Kevin.
Sorry Kevin and Cher! Thanks for trying to locate one for us! This was a deal I couldn't pass up.
I originally was about to buy a charcoal grey one that had almost the same features and luck had it that it was sold the day I went to take a gander. Nevertheless, Les found EXACTLY what I was looking for and $2000 under what I was willing to pay. Who says patience isn't a virtue?
Funny El has been extra nice to me lately. Hmmm...I wonder what that's about? Kidding. She works hard and she deserves it so I wanted to do something really exceptional for her. Wait a minute. Isn't it MY birthday this month???
El wasn't too sad to see it go. Not after she found out I bought her an Acura MDX Touring Edition. In the color she wanted with ALL the features we both wanted. I got a fantastic deal from CarMatch Auto and Les Segal, a dealer who is in the same type of business as Cherilyn and her husband, Kevin.
Sorry Kevin and Cher! Thanks for trying to locate one for us! This was a deal I couldn't pass up.
I originally was about to buy a charcoal grey one that had almost the same features and luck had it that it was sold the day I went to take a gander. Nevertheless, Les found EXACTLY what I was looking for and $2000 under what I was willing to pay. Who says patience isn't a virtue?
Funny El has been extra nice to me lately. Hmmm...I wonder what that's about? Kidding. She works hard and she deserves it so I wanted to do something really exceptional for her. Wait a minute. Isn't it MY birthday this month???
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
The Internet Is An Interesting Animal
I'm still amazed with technology such as instant Messaging and the Web. Just recently I was able to see photos of Clark Air Base and the high school I went to overseas in the Philippines (including my goofy ass sophomore photo); reconnect with my two cousins, Lester and Mark Parulan, in the PI whom I haven't seen since they were 4 and 5 and I was 16; and gems of websites such as this site, Pictures I Like For A Variety of Reasons. Hilarious! Definitely go through the archives of the site to see previous postings...
Ed also sent me this great site, PostSecret. Definitely makes you think twice about the things important to you. Some sad, some funny, some !!!
The weekend in a nutshell...
FRIDAY
Going away Happy Hour for Joel Andres and Nicci Fry at Blue Martini. Amazing. A "high end" bar complete with neons lights, hoochie looking 40+ females and 20+ guys, retro kitsch band in white suits, large breasted wait staff and bartenders at THE MALL. Most Interesting Event at this bar: You actually get to "meet" the hot bartender if you open a tab. Paul paid with cash and barely got a glance. I guess you are allowed an introduction if you hint a dropping more than a round's cash. Service with a smile, even if they don't mean it.
Afterwards. me and El had dinner at Dan Marino's (pleh!) before watching Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (pleh!). It had some funny parts, but I tell ya what - I had to FIGHT to stay awake during parts of it. Great cast, but crammed story even to those who know Douglas Adams' books.
SATURDAY
Went shopping around for plants for our landscaping project. This is actually quite alot of work. I can't wait to finish this damn thing up. I like working outside, but it's hard to finish something when the sun goes down before you make it home in time. I'm trying to discourage El from going all over the board with this as she creates more side projects before she actually finishes them. She's gotta focus more. I decided to start my own small project I felt I could finish in a day (foolish me). I decided to redo my aquarium of Shubunkins, Orandas and Koi by getting rid of all coral with live plants and driftwood. Much more work than I anticipated. Gak!
Later in the early evening we went to Paul's for a small get together cookout that he and Scotty threw together. Good time for sure. Nothing wrong with a little male bonding/networking. El seemed to enjoy herself. Damn Paul's got a nice neighborhood! Everyone has that "hurricane money" so everyone's casa looks sharp. A few drinks here and there, some good company, tasty eats and watching the sun dip down by the pool surely unwound me. Slept pretty soundly.
SUNDAY
Got up fairly early to get a move on our landscaping project again. We actually were able to go to the Farmer's Market, get more plants and finish my aquarium project. Geezus it's hot out today. I've been nonstop sweating today. The humidity has been almost unbearable while we (I) dig out errant Oleander and stick in Japanese Maple and Bamboo. The only saving grace was later in the day it looked like it wanted to rain, but didn't. Stil it was crazy hot and sticky even with the respite of the sun going down. I stink. Just glad I was able to yank out those two eyesores (Oleander) from our fence.
That's it in a nutshell! No pictures, no fluff. Skrate up blog. Peace.
Going away Happy Hour for Joel Andres and Nicci Fry at Blue Martini. Amazing. A "high end" bar complete with neons lights, hoochie looking 40+ females and 20+ guys, retro kitsch band in white suits, large breasted wait staff and bartenders at THE MALL. Most Interesting Event at this bar: You actually get to "meet" the hot bartender if you open a tab. Paul paid with cash and barely got a glance. I guess you are allowed an introduction if you hint a dropping more than a round's cash. Service with a smile, even if they don't mean it.
Afterwards. me and El had dinner at Dan Marino's (pleh!) before watching Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (pleh!). It had some funny parts, but I tell ya what - I had to FIGHT to stay awake during parts of it. Great cast, but crammed story even to those who know Douglas Adams' books.
SATURDAY
Went shopping around for plants for our landscaping project. This is actually quite alot of work. I can't wait to finish this damn thing up. I like working outside, but it's hard to finish something when the sun goes down before you make it home in time. I'm trying to discourage El from going all over the board with this as she creates more side projects before she actually finishes them. She's gotta focus more. I decided to start my own small project I felt I could finish in a day (foolish me). I decided to redo my aquarium of Shubunkins, Orandas and Koi by getting rid of all coral with live plants and driftwood. Much more work than I anticipated. Gak!
Later in the early evening we went to Paul's for a small get together cookout that he and Scotty threw together. Good time for sure. Nothing wrong with a little male bonding/networking. El seemed to enjoy herself. Damn Paul's got a nice neighborhood! Everyone has that "hurricane money" so everyone's casa looks sharp. A few drinks here and there, some good company, tasty eats and watching the sun dip down by the pool surely unwound me. Slept pretty soundly.
SUNDAY
Got up fairly early to get a move on our landscaping project again. We actually were able to go to the Farmer's Market, get more plants and finish my aquarium project. Geezus it's hot out today. I've been nonstop sweating today. The humidity has been almost unbearable while we (I) dig out errant Oleander and stick in Japanese Maple and Bamboo. The only saving grace was later in the day it looked like it wanted to rain, but didn't. Stil it was crazy hot and sticky even with the respite of the sun going down. I stink. Just glad I was able to yank out those two eyesores (Oleander) from our fence.
That's it in a nutshell! No pictures, no fluff. Skrate up blog. Peace.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Double Wedding Anniversaries!
April 23rd was El's parent's wedding anniversary and my parent's wedding aniversary. Shooting from the hip Ricky , Rachel, Cherilyn, Eleanor and I were able to quickly plan out a nice dinner in historic downtown Charleston at Poogan's Porch Saturday evening. Cher and Rick managed to coordinate a special fruit buttercream cake from Kaminsky's and have it brought over to the site beforehand.
It was supposed to be rainy, but weather held up although a little gusty. The sun was out and felt good, though. Poogan's Porch has been around for years (built in the 1800's I believe) and like all good Charleston restaurants has its share of ghosts, dogs and tasty lowcountry cuisine. I chose it for it's range of southern seafood specialties - the wahoo seemed popular thsi night - and its laid back atmosphere. With the exception of Rick's better half, Donna, everyone on our side made it over to celebrate.
The dinner went over well. Lots of talking and laughing and dessert was eventually brought out. I think the celebrants had a good time, not too shabby for a quickly organized dinner.
Afterwards we took a drive out to the Battery and enjoyed the weather and outdoors. Happy Anniversary!
It was supposed to be rainy, but weather held up although a little gusty. The sun was out and felt good, though. Poogan's Porch has been around for years (built in the 1800's I believe) and like all good Charleston restaurants has its share of ghosts, dogs and tasty lowcountry cuisine. I chose it for it's range of southern seafood specialties - the wahoo seemed popular thsi night - and its laid back atmosphere. With the exception of Rick's better half, Donna, everyone on our side made it over to celebrate.
The dinner went over well. Lots of talking and laughing and dessert was eventually brought out. I think the celebrants had a good time, not too shabby for a quickly organized dinner.
Afterwards we took a drive out to the Battery and enjoyed the weather and outdoors. Happy Anniversary!
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Deep Sea Fishing Saturday
Earlier in the week a couple of buddies and I decided on a last minute deep sea fishing. Originally, we were to head out to Clearwater Beach to join the Double Eagle, a huge catamaran, 35 miles out ot the Gulf Of Mexico to get some sun, catch some grouper and some male bonding. By Thrsday we had decided we were a go. By Friday, Paul and Scott had booked a room in Clearwater and then Paul asks me the most important question, "Did you reserve a spot on the boat?" DOH! We call at 5pm only to find out that Double Eagle is booked solid all weekend. Working fast I do some quick research that comes up with a half day trip out of Madeira Beach.
I was really wanting to forego the Grey Snapper in lieu of some hefty grouper further out. Oh well. Better to make the best of it. Reservations booked we headed home to prep for the following morning - we had top be up at 4am to make the 8am departure time. The trip to the coast was pretty uneventful besides Paul getting the late start at 5am and our "drinking buddy" at the local Cracker Barrel. By 8am we had just made it to the boat and were off!
On the way out to the deep blue we met some fellow passengers and talked a bit only to discover that the captain had spent the previous evening getting boozed up til 3am. Nice. Well it showed. He took us to all the best spots where we failed to even get a nibble on our first two stops.
I was really wanting to forego the Grey Snapper in lieu of some hefty grouper further out. Oh well. Better to make the best of it. Reservations booked we headed home to prep for the following morning - we had top be up at 4am to make the 8am departure time. The trip to the coast was pretty uneventful besides Paul getting the late start at 5am and our "drinking buddy" at the local Cracker Barrel. By 8am we had just made it to the boat and were off!
On the way out to the deep blue we met some fellow passengers and talked a bit only to discover that the captain had spent the previous evening getting boozed up til 3am. Nice. Well it showed. He took us to all the best
So although our fishing trip was a wash, it still had its share of laughs. Some other things caught onboard, namely this woman next to us, included a crab trap, a raw chicken breast, a three mile island mutant fish/tadpole thing ("Re-e-elea-a-ase me, huma-a-an") and a huge ass pelican - no shit.
$40 poorer we decided to do some power drinking at some of the local bars. We met some of Paul's friends at Rockaway Grill where we did more drinking and by 6pm I was TOAST. Scott and Paul were to carry on the adventure while I swerved home 110 miles away. I got home at around 9pm, took a shower and was done for the evening.
I think El took pity on me, although I'm sure she was pretty exhausted too after a 14 hour shift at the hospital, since we were supposed to go out that night.. We slept in (9am) and started a new day of goofing off.
$40 poorer we decided to do some power drinking at some of the local bars. We met some of Paul's friends at Rockaway Grill where we did more drinking and by 6pm I was TOAST. Scott and Paul were to carry on the adventure while I swerved home 110 miles away. I got home at around 9pm, took a shower and was done for the evening.
I think El took pity on me, although I'm sure she was pretty exhausted too after a 14 hour shift at the hospital, since we were supposed to go out that night.. We slept in (9am) and started a new day of goofing off.
I was pretty jealous that the guys continued on thru with the Weekend at Bernie's. All I know is that there was the potential of more bars, bikini'd females, wet t-shirt contests, strip clubs, Ybor City and other forms of debauchery and I couldn't wait to hear more from them on Monday. Pictured here is how the the crazy Saturday night ended up - at 9pm.
Friday, April 08, 2005
E-Dud's Outtie
Soul sistah #1 is outta here after a long 6 MONTHS stint here at TGC. First time I met Ericka Dudley was when me and Ed were gettin' down to some old skool hip hop pumping out of our office when the "newbie" rolls in and is like "Yeee-e-a-aah! Those other guys in there are too quiet". No offense Joel, Chris and Shiju. After that it was on.
Welp Ericka I'll surely miss clownin' with you (Why you jockin' me???). Good luck with Atlanta and your new home with the Atlanta Hawks! Here I am saying my goodbyes and bestowing her with a housewarming gift of a shiny new plunger for when the shit gets too thick out in Hotlanta.
Welp Ericka I'll surely miss clownin' with you (Why you jockin' me???). Good luck with Atlanta and your new home with the Atlanta Hawks! Here I am saying my goodbyes and bestowing her with a housewarming gift of a shiny new plunger for when the shit gets too thick out in Hotlanta.
My favorite nickname I use most often, Erykah Badudley.
Other a.k.a.'s: A-Team, E to the Double D, E-Dud.
Favorite foods (sarcastically): Banana, rice, or bread pudding; Key Lime Pie; Reebs (Ribs) eaten in public places; lemon with chicken or fish; flavored ice teas; cheesecake (I guess we missed that one at her going away party), amongst others - I've never seen anyone with so many "that's naa-s-sty!". Good god.
Other a.k.a.'s: A-Team, E to the Double D, E-Dud.
Favorite foods (sarcastically): Banana, rice, or bread pudding; Key Lime Pie; Reebs (Ribs) eaten in public places; lemon with chicken or fish; flavored ice teas; cheesecake (I guess we missed that one at her going away party), amongst others - I've never seen anyone with so many "that's naa-s-sty!". Good god.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Brent and Paula Tie The Knot
Sunday was spent earlier at Celebration where we shopped at the local farmer's market and then checked out the art show that was on exhibit. We decided to take Bailey with us, a rare moment since he's really skiddish around crowds of strangers. We bought lunch at the diner and ate al fresca at one of the parks before we made our way home to get ready for a wedding.
Paula, a cowerk of mine, was tying the knot with her fiancee, Brent, downtown. Great day to do this. Sunny and warm El and I cleaned up and headed to the church. An hour the deed was done and the reception was held at Harvey's Bistro down the street. Nice place for eats and free booze. We spent the afternoon hanging out with other cowerks including Ed and Cindy B and her significant other, Darlene (who we FINALLY got to meet - what a great couple) and headed home to try and catch some sun to work outside.
Didn't quite make it. An hour later we were home and DONE. We had a light dessert, watched some TV and El was toast. She has been fighting an ongoing cold for over a week so she had had enough. I don't blame her. We lose an hour this weekend and it's Monday again so we better sack out...
Congrats to Brent and Paula! Wish you guys success for the future! Your pictures are already burned off to CD so enjoy. Oh and I forgot to add the card to your wedding gift. Hope you guys enjoy the casual dining set!
Paula, a cowerk of mine, was tying the knot with her fiancee, Brent, downtown. Great day to do this. Sunny and warm El and I cleaned up and headed to the church. An hour the deed was done and the reception was held at Harvey's Bistro down the street. Nice place for eats and free booze. We spent the afternoon hanging out with other cowerks including Ed and Cindy B and her significant other, Darlene (who we FINALLY got to meet - what a great couple) and headed home to try and catch some sun to work outside.
Didn't quite make it. An hour later we were home and DONE. We had a light dessert, watched some TV and El was toast. She has been fighting an ongoing cold for over a week so she had had enough. I don't blame her. We lose an hour this weekend and it's Monday again so we better sack out...
Congrats to Brent and Paula! Wish you guys success for the future! Your pictures are already burned off to CD so enjoy. Oh and I forgot to add the card to your wedding gift. Hope you guys enjoy the casual dining set!
Monday, April 04, 2005
Another Chick Concert...
Dan hooked us up with a couple of tickets to Universal Studios Mardi Gras where he works on the weekend. Some of the feature acts each week included Huey Lewis and the News, Macy Gray, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Arrested Development and on the night we went - Jason Mraz.
It was a pretty nice night out - cool outside - and was a nice ending to our day of getting some gardening done. She enjoyed the show and I gotta admit he sounded pretty decent live, but a bunch of slow songs is not my cup of tea. I only recognized a couple of his songs including Remedy and an exceptional cover of Hall & Oates' I Can't Go For That. At one point El bought his CD a few months back, but somehow it disappeared into a box of old CD's under my desk at home. How that happened I don't know.
It was a pretty nice night out - cool outside - and was a nice ending to our day of getting some gardening done. She enjoyed the show and I gotta admit he sounded pretty decent live, but a bunch of slow songs is not my cup of tea. I only recognized a couple of his songs including Remedy and an exceptional cover of Hall & Oates' I Can't Go For That. At one point El bought his CD a few months back, but somehow it disappeared into a box of old CD's under my desk at home. How that happened I don't know.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Happy Easter!
Today is Easter and this time around I conceded to El's request to go to church. We go twice a year it seems - Easter and Christmas Eve. Shame on me.
Near the Premium Outlet Mall (with Banana Republic!) is Mary Queen of the Universe. We used to make fun of it because of how HUGE and extravangant it was. "They must be Baptist" was our standard joke seeing it everytime we drove by enroute to go shopping - until we found out it was Catholic and designed for the benefit of tourists. Well this year, jokes aside, we decided to attend mass there.
The compund itself it beautiful in a kind of touristy, theme park way - complete with a gift shop! Fountains, Rosary Garden, and a huge monument with sponsor's plaques on it adorned the gigantic church. The shrine itself was clean and well maintained. Four services today and the priest was no joke. He got right to the point about the history of the shrine and how sinful it was to miss church, disagree with the church on anything and take communion without confession recently. El and I decided to forego the communion. We're guilty as sin - literally.
We did both agree, though, before mass started that we would make a better attempt at going back to church on Sundays and even going to confession soon. And "tah-dah!" we're blasted by the priest. Not personally, but you get the point. The service was nice and flowers covered the floor of the altar. The congregation is Catholics from all over the world visiting who first pay homage to the modern golden idol of Mickey Mouse (how ironic) with very few locals in attendance.
Afterwards, Rachel, El and I decided to have lunch at Bahama Breeze for a (somewhat) light lunch. The sky got a little grey and we figured it was going to rain, which it didn't.
Near the Premium Outlet Mall (with Banana Republic!) is Mary Queen of the Universe. We used to make fun of it because of how HUGE and extravangant it was. "They must be Baptist" was our standard joke seeing it everytime we drove by enroute to go shopping - until we found out it was Catholic and designed for the benefit of tourists. Well this year, jokes aside, we decided to attend mass there.
The compund itself it beautiful in a kind of touristy, theme park way - complete with a gift shop! Fountains, Rosary Garden, and a huge monument with sponsor's plaques on it adorned the gigantic church. The shrine itself was clean and well maintained. Four services today and the priest was no joke. He got right to the point about the history of the shrine and how sinful it was to miss church, disagree with the church on anything and take communion without confession recently. El and I decided to forego the communion. We're guilty as sin - literally.
We did both agree, though, before mass started that we would make a better attempt at going back to church on Sundays and even going to confession soon. And "tah-dah!" we're blasted by the priest. Not personally, but you get the point. The service was nice and flowers covered the floor of the altar. The congregation is Catholics from all over the world visiting who first pay homage to the modern golden idol of Mickey Mouse (how ironic) with very few locals in attendance.
Afterwards, Rachel, El and I decided to have lunch at Bahama Breeze for a (somewhat) light lunch. The sky got a little grey and we figured it was going to rain, which it didn't.
After lunch I had planned on taking advantage of the clear weather and grill outside. I had bought some food prior and planned on firing up the gas grill and making seafood kebobs and seared ribeyes. El and Rachel prepped the sides and beverages. I cracked open a bottle of Beringer white merlot to polish off the meal.
Valentine's Day Round Two
As part of El's Valentine's gift I bought two tickets to see Maroon5 at the Silver Spurs Arena this past Saturday. The day started out pretty nice. The rain had subsided long enought to make the weather cool and clear.
We got to the arena in Kissimmeee in time to catch the opening act, The Donnas. Eventhough they had gained some popularity in the recent past, I wasn't really into them. Pretty generic rock music. They weren't bad, but they weren't great either. Their stage presence, despite their attempts to get the crowd going, was pretty mediocre.
During intermission Silver Spurs plays music videos of up and coming artists. Two of the videos stood out. The Bees had a hilarious video with their song Chicken Payback, with the game phenom Dance Revolution and the Japanese's infatuation with the game as part of the imagery. Another artist with an interesting sound was Sondre Lerche.
Eventually Maroon5 got onstage much to the joy of the mostly female audience. A nice light show and performance by the group didn't fail to entertain.
We got to the arena in Kissimmeee in time to catch the opening act, The Donnas. Eventhough they had gained some popularity in the recent past, I wasn't really into them. Pretty generic rock music. They weren't bad, but they weren't great either. Their stage presence, despite their attempts to get the crowd going, was pretty mediocre.
During intermission Silver Spurs plays music videos of up and coming artists. Two of the videos stood out. The Bees had a hilarious video with their song Chicken Payback, with the game phenom Dance Revolution and the Japanese's infatuation with the game as part of the imagery. Another artist with an interesting sound was Sondre Lerche.
Eventually Maroon5 got onstage much to the joy of the mostly female audience. A nice light show and performance by the group didn't fail to entertain.
For the guy factor they performed an encore of covering an old rock classic, AC/DC's Highway To Hell. The drummer and lead swapped places and performed a respectable rendition. Afterwards, we caught a late dinner at one of our favorite sushi restaurants, Amura, in the Dr. Phillips area. All in all it was a great night.
Friday, March 18, 2005
You Wanna Be Where Everyone Knows Your Name.
Whenever I go to Charleston, it's always with mixed emotions. When I Ieft years ago it was with the intention of never coming back, but to visit. There's definitely pros and cons with Orlando vs. Charleston.
While my sister, Cher, and I were driving downtown to kill some time I mentioned how it was nice to be anywhere in Charleston and see someone you know. Not even an hour after that we're walking on King Street to get some coffee when honk! honk! "ERICK!". My buddy Carl drives by on his way to class. Even running into Derek and catching up at the hospital was cool. Back in the day it was always nice to see friends along the way and chat for a bit. Hell even Savannah, very similar to Charleston, was that way.
In Orlando, everyone is out for self and for the most part lacks some sense of common courtesy. People drive like asses and are rude. It's definitely made me more of a cynic. The southern mentality is certainly a very real thing. People are just NICER in the south (Florida doesn't count eventhough technically they are further south). There are times when I just want to ram my foot up someone's ass over here.
What keeps me from moving back? Oh just the standard materialistic things - money, lack of jobs in my field, slow pace (although sometimes that can be a good thing), not enough to do or see. The one thing that always stuck in my head was that when I left it was because it felt like Charleston was the Town That Time Forgot. Oof. It was like living there meant just living for the weekends.
The things I certainly loved about Charleston was, of course, old friends and family. They say that the friends you make during your formative years are the ones that you bond closer and later on it becomes harder to find people you click with. I believe it. I also love the wide variety of events that happen each year - Spoleto Festival, Southeastern Wildlife Expo, etc. I REALLY miss being fifteen minutes from the beach. I miss the smell of diesel fuel from the marina and oyster beds as weird as that seems. The city is also well known for their cuisine. Doesn't sound too exciting, right? But as a foodie and aspiring restauranteur I dig it. Now if I managed to get my restaurant going there and move closer to the beaches...
While my sister, Cher, and I were driving downtown to kill some time I mentioned how it was nice to be anywhere in Charleston and see someone you know. Not even an hour after that we're walking on King Street to get some coffee when honk! honk! "ERICK!". My buddy Carl drives by on his way to class. Even running into Derek and catching up at the hospital was cool. Back in the day it was always nice to see friends along the way and chat for a bit. Hell even Savannah, very similar to Charleston, was that way.
In Orlando, everyone is out for self and for the most part lacks some sense of common courtesy. People drive like asses and are rude. It's definitely made me more of a cynic. The southern mentality is certainly a very real thing. People are just NICER in the south (Florida doesn't count eventhough technically they are further south). There are times when I just want to ram my foot up someone's ass over here.
What keeps me from moving back? Oh just the standard materialistic things - money, lack of jobs in my field, slow pace (although sometimes that can be a good thing), not enough to do or see. The one thing that always stuck in my head was that when I left it was because it felt like Charleston was the Town That Time Forgot. Oof. It was like living there meant just living for the weekends.
The things I certainly loved about Charleston was, of course, old friends and family. They say that the friends you make during your formative years are the ones that you bond closer and later on it becomes harder to find people you click with. I believe it. I also love the wide variety of events that happen each year - Spoleto Festival, Southeastern Wildlife Expo, etc. I REALLY miss being fifteen minutes from the beach. I miss the smell of diesel fuel from the marina and oyster beds as weird as that seems. The city is also well known for their cuisine. Doesn't sound too exciting, right? But as a foodie and aspiring restauranteur I dig it. Now if I managed to get my restaurant going there and move closer to the beaches...
Post-Op
Back from my brief stay in Charleston and my father's second, but not last, surgery. The weather started out beautifully, warm and clear, but as soon as surgery day came it became cold and wet (perfect to reflect the mood). With just a couple of "oops" along the way, overall the surgery went well. They were able to repair all three aneurysms and move around his issues with blood flow to his liver, thus avoiding a dialysis machine. He was in a great deal of pain the first night (typical of first day recovery). We did what we could to destress and take our minds off of constantly worrying about him. I feel awful for him. I know he's been going through a tremendous amount, but this time around he's been trying to put on a strong face. We know what he's going through. Thankfully, his recovery (to me at least) is going smoothly. Much faster than I anticipated. He actually moved to PCU the day I was about to leave (it took him almost a week last time vs. 2 days this time) so I knew he was on the right track.
I guess it's just that time in our parent's lives that things start to catch up to them. Great. I've got something to look forward to in my sixties. While in SC a couple of my friend's parents were going through surgeries as well. Carl's mother had some polyps removed and an old friend's (Derek Boyd - whom I haven't seen in years) father was recovering from a bypass, like my pops, just a few rooms down. Wishing them both quick recoveries for their parents.
I guess it's just that time in our parent's lives that things start to catch up to them. Great. I've got something to look forward to in my sixties. While in SC a couple of my friend's parents were going through surgeries as well. Carl's mother had some polyps removed and an old friend's (Derek Boyd - whom I haven't seen in years) father was recovering from a bypass, like my pops, just a few rooms down. Wishing them both quick recoveries for their parents.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Round Two
I got word from Cher a couple of days ago that my father has been having tenderness in his abdomen. We've been worried about his state of health since his quadruple bypass in January. Cher has been taking the brunt of the responsibility because of her proximity. After his angiogram his doctors scheduled him for his next procedure to repair 3 aneurysms in his abdomen and legs. Early Tuesday morning is his scheduled gameday. I plan on driving Monday morning to Charleston to be with him and help out. This still isn't the end of his surgeries. After his six week recovery he is slated to have his ongoing kidney stone issues resolved as well. To thicken the plot, so to speak, my mother is also having her share of medical woes. She has been putting off her surgeries to care for him. Looks like the four of us (Ricky, Rachel, Cherilyn and I) will be back to rotating shifts whenever we can to help care for him and my mother. She's taken a good beating mentally and emotionally these past few months. Hopefully by the end of both of their surgeries and recoveries they'll take a well-deserved vacation. They're certainly welcome to stay with us here in Florida for some R/R.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
