Happy Birthday Me

37th Edition

Sunday Brunch/ Birthday Fête at Maracas
Attended by: Me, BF, RoboCub and RoboPapi, J, B, F, T and S. Yes, lots of consonants. No vowels.



evilbuddha with birthday sombrero and tequila shot by Robocub

Birthday Swag:



ROCKET COCK ROBOT!


So Crazy Japanese Toys

T-Shirt!

The Gift of Music :)

"Happy Birthday" Serenades:
2 (on voicemail)
1 (on phone)

Birthday Cards Received: 3

Electronic Birthday Cards Received: 4

MySpace birthday Comments: 1

Happy Birthday Emails: 6

Happy Birthday Texts: 2

Booty Shaking: To come

Feeling: Loved :)

"Take me to the river"

Memorial Day Weekend 2007
Gratuitous Shirtless Shot somewhere along the Delaware



Alive and kicking.
Sorry for the dearth of posts.

I'll post regularly.


Soon.

All grown up.

Flashback
College Years '89-'94
Any given night after Mu Upsilon, the Brooklyn College Chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu, have thrown one of our famous, well-attended club parties at Club Quick, Mars, Danceteria or the like, the brotherhood, having had our fill of beer and shots, reconvenes back in our home borough for late night/early morning munchies.

The Floridian is the popular spot.

A motley caravan, a la Cannonball Run, wends its way through streets and highways. Somehow, we all arrive at the same time.

The owner seats us with a scowl, a warning. Behave. The furious scratching of pen on paper is all you can hear from the wait staff as cheeseburger deluxes and multiple servings of french fries, smothered in mozzarella cheese with a sides of gravy are ordered.

Waiting, the conversation is spirited. Everyone's playfully jabbing at one another, good-natured ribbing. Other patrons frown as laughing perturbs the previously tranquil environment.

Food comes. The tables quiet some, but not much. Everything is consumed voraciously and with abandon, youth and metabolism on our side. With deep sated sighs and the clanking of utensils, well, if anyone was civilized enough to use them, it signifies the end of eating. Thoughts turn to impending and inescapable sleep.

Hands motion and wiggle in the air calling for the check.

There's always some disagreement over the gratuity and how much each should contribute. Someone cries poverty while having eaten the most. One tries to skip out and is inexorably brought to task on the spot. And still, the bill is short. Eventually the check is settled.

We bid goodnight to one another and scatter to our respective rides, certain to repeat the night's events soon if not tomorrow.

Fast Forward
Last Wednesday. A week long series of emails brings the alumni brothers of Mu Upsilon, Brooklyn College Chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu together for a drink and catch-up at Merchant's on the upper east side. They file in slowly and separately, coming from different areas of the city.

Each new arrival elicits exclamations of surprise, shouts of greeting and a renewed round of hearty handshakes and hugs.

The room fills yet feels empty. So many brothers I'd would've like to see, aren't here. Then again, the room is really full. Metabolism has slowed for everyone, and most have capitulated in the battle of the bulge. Also notice a great deal of thinness in the upper hair region for most people. These two points, however, don't apply to me.

Most remarked to me, "You haven't changed."

After a few hours and many rounds of drinks, we move the gathering over to Brasserie, where one of the brothers (the chapter's founding father, as a matter of fact) is executive chef.

Quietly, we settle up our tabs with little to no problems, beside the occasional, "how'd that get on my bill?"

The restaurant is gorgeous. I feel like a bull in a china shop. But we're expected and welcomed immediately.

As soon as we're seated, trays of appetizers start to roll out of the kitchen. We have some deliciously prepared mini-burgers and fries, not unlike so long ago, accompanied with shrimp tempura, tuna tartar, oysters, clams, ceviche and steak tartar. Goodness.

Everyone digs in. Some more than others. It's late, I have a bite or two. I know better. Some refrain, cautiously. Food allergies.

More drinks.

It's getting close to midnight, the night winds down. Jersey folks first. I'm the second wave out.

More hugs. Good-byes are said, as are promises and hopes of "doing this again real soon." I hope so, but realistically, who knows?

How'd I get here?

I'm in France. Don't know what makes me believe I'm in France, I just know.

But how? It isn't possible. I haven't got a passport.

It'd expired three years ago. However last week, getting some new photographs done, I dropped them, an application, a check and my old passport into the mail. So definitely no passport currently in my possession.

No way I could've gotten out of the country and into another country, legitimately.

Must've snuck in, a la Sydney Bristow. Cue Alias music.

Suddenly, the tightening of anxiety strikes me. How will I get out of this?

I go seeking a friend. All I remember is he's hot but I'm not looking for him in that way. He can help me.

I find his office, don't know how, but I do. It's empty. I wait inside.

Upon entering, someone speaks to me in muttered tones from behind.
I acknowledge and respond, telling them to turn on the lights. The lights don't work.
They only wash the room in black light. Useless.

Whoever it is, they're ushering me out. Off the desk, I grab a piece of paper to leave a note upon. I start checking off boxes. Before long, I realize I'm defacing a ticket for a dance party. Doing my best to replace it, so as it looks undisturbed, I smooth it out, comically.

As I'm departing, a sudden wave of relief washes over me.

I may not know how I got here, but rest assured, I'll figure a way out.
Spinning on my foot, I turn for the door…

…and I wake up, relieved.

Double Negatives

Say It Right - Nelly Furtado



Clever girl.

Covered

I'm simply awash in wireless signal right now.

Figured I've got 'em, might as well use 'em.

It's geeky enough that I've got three variations of Airports running together in a wireless distribution system.

Although you might be wondering why I've got them named as the three magi.

Well, I didn't know who the magi were when I first learned their names.
Of course, they're based on the three wise men of biblical reference, but they'll always be the triumvirate of super computers in the über bible-referencing anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Crobar No More.

Say hello to Studio Mezmor.
Hey, I rhymed.

Saturday night was opening night. With DJ Vibe (10PM-6AM) and Evolve with Victor Calderone (6AM-?) inaugurating the event, I couldn't resist.

Unfortunately, my ticket was only valid after 4:00AM. I misunderstood that technically DJ Vibe was hosting his own evening and NOT opening for Victor. So if I wanted to hear DJ Vibe, I'd have to buy the ticket for DJ Vibe and I could stay for Victor. However If I wanted to hear Victor but decided that I'd show up early for Vibe, that wasn't possible. Oh and the tickets are the same price. WTF!?!?

The best I could hope for, was to catch a portion of The Magician's set.

At past 4:15AM, I walked up and took my place in the queue.

The marquee emblazoned with a bright red neon sign was the only noticeable exterior change. The usual cast of characters worked the waiting crowd. The NYPD, with their visible presence and gagillion watt spotlights, kept a vigilant watch up and down West 28th Street

The line was long. While the night was not nearly as cold as it had been, it was cold enough. Some people waited momentarily only to walk off the line. Other's stood, moving to and fro, keeping warm, rubbing their exposed, bright red ears. I smiled inwardly. I'd brought my 180 ear warmers and gloves. I've done this long enough to be prepared.

The wait felt longer as the knucklehead behind me, incessantly complained about how long the line was and "it was never like this before." He droned in "duh" voice tone. He'd mix it up and then complain about how cold it was and his feet felt like rocks. Stop. Reset. Repeat. Repetitive and unnecessary conversation is anathema to me. Might as well take a ball-peen hammer to the side of my head.

Regrettably, after the entrance line and the coat check debacle, I missed DJ Vibe.
Undeterred, determined not to let things get to me, I moved down to the main level and looked forward to dancing.

The crowd was in great spirits, having been properly whipped into a frenzy by DJ Vibe I imagine, moving and grooving to the music. Victor was on the decks, playing his usual mélange of tribal, progressive, tech house. The music was much harder and aggressive than his NYE performance.

I recognized a few tracks. They're in rotation with the New York DJs.

This could've been one of the tracks, certainly fits the tone.

Control (Armand Peña Mix) - Ralph Falcon and Charlie Solana

Can't trainspot any of the tracks, since I didn't really focus or stay in one place for very long. "Flying" without a wingman, I was fairly flighty the whole night, wandering from one part of the club to another. The excessive crowding also made it hard.

Walking around, I saw most of the renovations done for Studio Mezmor All the VIP booths on the second level have been redone with new decor and high back seating. The Bamboo room no longer has bamboo, making it more spacious and new seats. Thankfully, they've opened a new path next to the downstair's men's room to the main floor, eliminating the need to go through the curved tunnel passage.

Plenty of eye candy, whatever your predilection. The "boys" weren't out en masse (yet) at 6AM. The regular club crowd was still largely in attendance the entire night. I didn't see a large turnover to a gay crowd this time around.

In the late morning, I found some friends and danced with them on the dance floor. But as it happens, I'm minding my own business, dancing about and someone has to dance up all in my grill. I wasn't in the mood at the time and danced off to the side.

Friend Frank was SUPPOSED to meet up with me there. He did. Eventually I caught up with him around 11:15AM. He and our friend, G had arrived at 10:30AM. They were nearly refused admission but they talked their way in, informed that the club/party would be shutting down at 12.

I left at 11:30 and broke for home.

Epilogue:
The party DID shut down at noon. Frank and friend spent the next hour or so retrieving their coats from coat check.

Upgrades

Two posts in one day?!? Say it ain't so Pa! Say it ain't so.

I've been feverishly upgrading home entertainment components. The credit card ain't swiping itself you know. Heh. It's certainly something one doesn't go into lightly. It's a huge investment of, obviously, money and lots of time in research, if you're going to do it right. Nobody wants to buy a piece of equipment, only to find it doesn't work the way you want it, if at all.

The centerpiece of the upgrade was the flat panel TV. We had a 32" Sony WEGA for the longest time. Reliable but a fracking huge television, it's a monster tube. I'd grown tired of hearing the wall unit, groan and creak as it bore it's weight.

Long story short, two Sundays ago, after visiting two Best Buys, in Brooklyn and then Staten Island, spending a total of three hours in store, an hour of which was probably spent flagging down a salesperson, vying for their attention amongst a group of huffing and puffing women trying to keep up with the Joneses and "No that bitch Colleen, ain't gonna watch Desperate Housewives" on a TV bigger than mine!"

I lucked out, catching a salesperson who just reported to work.

After much wrangling with whatever was in stock, which turned out not to be but then was (What age are we living? Hello, automatic inventory updates! Get with the program.), we snagged a very sharp (heh) Sharp Aquos 42" Flat Panel TV. Yippee.

Of course, once I'm in a good mood, I can be talked into anything.

My arm was twisted into upgrading to a Sony Blu-Ray DVD player.

Yes, twisted would be an overstatement.

Best Buy had a special with the player, two free Blu-Ray DVDs, X-Men 3 - Last Stand and Swordfish if you must know. Mmmmm, Hugh Jackman. There was also a buy one and get one free (equal or lesser value). Again, if you must know, Kung Fu Hustle and House of Flying Daggers.

As a bonus, I discovered while unpacking, the player came with The Fifth Element. Yippee. “Leeloo Dallas Multi-pass.”

Yeah, the selection isn't great for Blu-Ray but that'll get better.

Hopefully.

At $24.99-$30 a pop, it has to be worthwhile. Although how worthwhile is it to see every craggy, wrinkly skin surface of your favorite actors? I don't know.

At checkout, I cashed in no less than 10 giftcards from my birthday and the holidays, some RewardZone coupons (12% off and double points baby!!!). Let's say, I did very well and my salesperson was über-impressed.

I was a miffed to find that my receiver could not handle 6.1 channels being pushed by the blu-ray player. X-Men 3 was switching over to two channels, but in French or Spanish it would play in 5.1 channel DTS.

An additional upgrade for the receiver was handled later however after noodling around the options in the player, after the fact, I may not have needed the receiver upgrade after all. Oh well, upgrades are upgrades, you're going to need them sometime.

I do find it vastly unfair that this whole new setup sits in the living room, prime viewing space, primarily occupied by the BF. I did watch BSG on the big screen. Looked like crap. We haven't gotten a new HD Cable. Garbage in, Garbage out as they say.

But it was upgrades for everyone.

The Sony 32" WEGA Flat Screen is a step up, for my XBox 360º gaming, from a 27". :)

Old tech doesn't go away, it gets re-purposed.

derailed.

I hadn't resolved anything as most people do in the new year. But I'd decided that I'd pursue some fitness goals with greater verve than I'd been at the end of 2006.

22 days into 2007, I've fallen off track.

My weak-minded self has allowed me to trip up on some typical pitfalls.

I look okay.
I think.
That's the root cause of my unplanned deviation.
I've allowed myself to justify bad habits and slacking, like…
Have another cookie/donut/piece of chocolate/helping of rice/pasta, you'll work it off at the gym.

Further compounded by,
You can skip the cardio, you've danced a lot this past weekend.
This has been a major stumbling block.

2007, well more like the last month has been fun thus far.
Let's do a quick rundown since I've been neglectful (as well) with this here blog.

Dec. 22nd - Pacha with Tedd Patterson
Dec. 28th - Cielo with Tom Stephan (SuperChumbo), opening by Honey Dijon
NYE- Eve Dancing with the Robos at Roxy with Peter Rauhofer
NYE- Chus and Ceballos w/ Victor Calderone @ Crobar with Friend Frank, J, H and N
Week after NYE - I think I actually took a break *shocked*
Jan. 11th - Frankie Knuckles’ BIrthday at Cielo with Shapeshifters
Jan. 12th - Bar Traipse to Secret and then mr. Black First Year Anniversary with O.
Jan. 14th - Alegria Tribal at Crobar with the Robos.
Jan. 20th - D’s Birthday party with O, followed by Peter Rauhofer @ Roxy

Hmmm, looking over that list, it’s a lot.

I know, I’d been going to the gym, but I can’t remember doing a cardio workout in that entire time.

I’d think, with that amount of dancing, I’d be in excellent cardiovascular shape. But it doesn’t seem to be so.

Last two events, I hit a wall. I was fine, but my body just suddenly wanted to stop. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was in both cases, but after today, I think I have.

Attempting to get myself back on track, I did a full cardio workout. Nothing big. 30 minutes on the elliptical crosstrainer with a decent amount of resistance.

It was hard. I got a familiar, long forgotten pain in my side, I used to run hard and beyond exertion, it felt like gourd was forming on the left side below my ribcage.

I was struggling. I felt like I wanted to hurl. It was unpleasant. My body was reaching the point of exertion, far sooner than I’m used to.

I’m displeased and upset with myself.
I’d lulled myself into thinking I was healthy and fit, but my laziness was catching up to me.

So until I feel righted, the dance machine will take a hiatus. 2-3 weeks of hard work at the gym will get me going in the right direction. Focus on the core of my health with little distraction.

It’ll be good and when I re-emerge, it’ll be all the better.

In the meanwhile, I’ve got plenty things off the dance floor, keeping me busy.

UPDATE:
Apparently, I'm suffering from Blue Monday.
Hat Tip: Aaron via Joe.