everything a boy could hope for...

Yes in deed, Costco is officially open in Manhattan and I partook of the beauty!

As you can see above the line was long for new memberships, Linder got to the new store early in the morning and I couldn't make it until 8pm, but the lines were still bustling at 8pm.  The location is a little out there (very far east on 116th) and the parking structure is crazy.  You can't even see the front door from the street as the parking structure is in front!  My favorite part of the store itself is the HUGE sign by the door- see below

The ceilings are low, so the signs are much closer to the ground and seem that much bigger.  You can see my excitment to enjoy the new store which happens to be half the size of a normal Costco, but is planned to be the top grossing store within the next 3 years!  All I can say is things are gonna be busy.  I did notice a lot of changes to the way things are laid out in order for the store to be more easily shopped, which I will discuss below.

Some of the fresh cakes all lined up and happy.

Scary life-sized (kind of) monsters just like at FAO.

There are a number of products that Costco will be exclusively selling at this location due to the higher income customer base in Manhattan, including Rolex watches, more expensive gifts, bigger diamonds, and other richie rich type stuff.  More than the products, I noticed the change of merchandising the most.

New grab and go refrigerated and freezer areas, instead of the aisles of freezer doors.

Dairy refrigerated room, best for keeping the flow going.

My favorite story/experience from the trip was when I went searching for the BEST TORTILLAS EVER (only at certain Costco locations out West) and I asked an associate for help.  Here's how the conversation went down-

Me- Hello kind Sir.

Mr. Costco- Hi.

Me- Do you sell uncooked tortillas?

Mr. Costco- (totally serious) Uncooked Turkey Ears?!?

Me- (smile) No, uncooked tort-tee-yaahs

Mr. Costco- I haven't ever heard of Turkey ears...

Me- (trying to not die laughing) Not turkey ears. Tortillas...like for burritos and stuff

Mr. Costco- OH, Tortillas, for tacos!  No, we don't sell those, sorry.

Big main aisle.  

Not photographed is the VERY open front end with plenty of room for a sea of carts.  Also unpictured is the dual sided checkout stands, customers now walk on THE SAME side as their carts, it is  a nice change that packed more registers in, but we already experienced a register bottle neck.

Must be some of the new pricy products...first time I have seen Lancome, there was also a bunch of designer fragrances from L'Oreal (Ralph Lauren, Armani, etc)

My opening day Polish Sausage...still not on the menu :)

Big signs down low.

Another example that I married the best woman ever!  

My love was reaffirmed when Linder was SO excited to join me for the grand opening even after she partook of the goodness in the morning.  All in all, this was a killer day and I am so excited to participate and purchase at another Costco opening!  The only let down is that there was a serious lack of programs and promotions around the event.  I still remember my first Price Club opening in Littleton back in 1992 when they gave out free VHS copies of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Secret of the Ooze. Nevertheless, this opening was one that I will talk about for a long time.

i'd like to thank the academy, and my mother...

My deal made the front page of Slick Deals!!! Take that off my bucket list.

LINK to 40% Discount off 7 Jeans

november 12, 2009 - a day that will live in infamy...

Today ladies and gentlemen is a magical day.  More thank just being Kiehl's Day, today Costco opens in Manhattan!!! I plan to join in on the festivities after work and soak up the moment for all it is worth.

For all you penny counters out there, make your way to 116th Street on the East side for a good time.

Read about the opening HERE or HERE.

My favorite part is that Costco paid to double-pane windows and provide air conditioners to residents in the path of their nighttime delivery trucks!  Yeah, Costco is the best.

results are revolting...

Ladies and gentlemen, the results are in and the last post official has more comments than any post ever before!  Thank you all for your help and opinions (both nice and mean). I like how the first comment was from my mom and she made fun of me. :) Well, I am doing my best to please everyone and today went 90's style. Tomorrow I am going to branch out and go sporty. 


Best part of today was when I was buying an ice cream cake today for my boss and out of the blue the ice cream man asked me if I was buying this cake for a doctor. No joke, these glasses give an air of sophistication and experience, similar to that of a doctor.  


Oh the fun times.

happy election day...

So the real election day was last Tuesday, but today is a special election day.  You get to vote for change!

Soon I will be getting my eyes cut and will need to see the doctor to get my pupils sized.  I am just tired of waking up to a blur, and tired of being called a doctor.  Turns out for the procedure I will have to be contact free for a whole week.  That is a long time.  Well, I put together two options of spectacles to wear and thought I would have the world vote for the preferred style.  Option 1 (on the left) are the glasses I have worn since my Sophomore year of high school back in the nineties.  Option 2 are my Oakley sunglasses that I rigged with prescription lenses.

Please make your vote.  Which makes me look less ugly/stupid/funny/doctorish.

ouch, i just got kicked in...

Hehe. When driving to the airport I saw this store and really wanted to take a picture, but I was late and had to keep going. Then to my surprise there was another store a couple miles away. Hot dog! I whipped out the camera and got a nice shot. Now I look at it and giggle.

a very special day for all of us...

Yes ladies and gentlemen, today The Shield: Complete Series was released on DVD.  I just may have to buy it.  On a side note, the image above is a screen shot from when I would watch the show last year.  It made me laugh because of the new show they were promoting, testees.  Those from the RAD house days know why.  Moral of the story, The Shield is the best show in the world and Vic is my TV cop hero.

just a little constipated...

....blog constipated that is.

So you may have realized that I am not the best of Bloggers. Sometimes I am consistent and post a lot, but a lot of times I don't.  Really it is sad.  This blog is what I use to remember the happenings of my life.  I like to write and add photos to remember the good and bad times.  Well, lets just say I am a bit behind.  While looking through my "to blog" folder of pictures, I came across the above photo.  That is a picture of the date that Linder and I took to Washington D.C.....more than a year and a half ago!  Needless to say, we have had a lot happen since then, some of it has been documented and a lot of it not.  I hope to catch up at least on the big things, but it is rough.  I have been working 13ish hour days and don't really want to sit and look at the computer when I get home.

I am going to try to post a little something something ever so often though and get my thoughts on paper so to speak.  So please, say a little prayer for every rapper that fell...and for me to post some more fun stuff.

The end.

i just couldn't resist...

After months of watching the rumor sites, it was finally announced and I pounced.  So far I am in love.  The only changes I would make would be to lessen the MP and make it a FF.  Oh yeah, and I would make it so Lightroom would read my RAWs, so until that happens you won't be seeing too many photos.  Moral of the story, I am VERY pleased with my purchase, more so than expected.  Hooray for stopping time so I can freeze some memories!

i feel loved...

I am the luckiest man in the world. I am loved by the one I love. How do I know I am loved? Well, here are two examples.

This is what I found when I came home to a dark house one night.

This was what I found on the mirror after a series of days of Linder leaving the apartment before me.

Yeah, so those are only two examples, but really she gives me way more love than I deserve. OK, so this was more of a sappy post, sorry.

my newest title...

I just love to have fun when I fill out my personal information for trade shows and such

i love the internet...

There are a lot of things I love about the internet, but one of the things I love most are when I find funny little surprises.  Yesterday I came across two that made me laugh.  First, while looking into Manowar's next world tour I saw the above post in a forum.  There are two funny things, Spock is one, the other is the photo of Manowar with the L'Oreal tag.  Ha!  That one really got me laughing.  

The second internet surprise was while looking for a humidifier I found the below Honeywell model.  Hot dog!  That must be a great humidifier.  I was so impressed with the price I bought one!  Just from another site for only $29.99 :)  All in all, the internet just makes me smile.

if you can find the space...

Not usually one to post a deal, but I really liked this one. 

You know how much I love Costco, well, turns out they love back.  Check out the year supply of food for 1 for only $800 (regular $1,000) with free shipping! I would do it if we had the space.

Hurry, the offer is only good until the 18th...

i love hammocks...

Does anyone else find the name of this company humorous? Ironic maybe?

you won't believe who I saw...

The only shot I could get, I wasn't expecting anything...

So I walked out of work yesterday at around 2pm to get some air. When I turned to my right I saw barricades and cops EVERYWHERE. So what am I to do? Walk towards the hubbub of course! Well, after about three steps one cop car after another fly by on the street one block away, the hordes of people watching them fly past. There were cop cars, bikes, black cars, unmarked cars, and then everybody starts clapping and screaming, next thing I see is the President's Car and then another right behind it. They looked like presidential hearses, but still cool. Yeah, I saw the President of the United States of America from lest than 50 feet away! Even cooler than that, the three or four cars behind his were suburbans FULL of the meanest looking armed guys you have ever seen. With guns out every window it was like a death box, any terrorist would be shivering in his boots at the sight of that. I guess it was the Secret Service, but the first thing I thought of was The Unit.

9 down only 3 more to go in your lifetime...

Ladies and gentlemen please take note, today is 9-9-9, yeah that is cool. Well, what were you doing at 09:09:09 pm? Don't remember? Too bad. I was at a Mets game with Linder and took the above photo at that exact time! Yippee. More on the game later. But note that the only remaining cool dates like this in our lifetime will be 10-10-10, 11-11-11, and 12-12-12. Just so happens that 9 is the best.

That is all.

this will be a good one...

There will be a ton of free food, fun, celebrities, drawings every hour for killer prizes- including a $1,000 shopping spree. Yeah, and Linder and I will be there. Come and join us-it is open to the public.

P.S. If you don't go to Kiehl's, you should definitely go somewhere to shop and have fun, Fashion's Night Out is going to be a blast. There is a TON of stuff happening. It is tomorrow.

The end.

welcome to the lost empire of atlantis...

Have you ever seen that Disney movie about the wonderful underwater empire of Atlantis? We have. When we decided to go to Atlantic City on a whim for Labor Day, we were expecting to see a wonderful underwater city. We were wrong.

All Smiles

Don't get me wrong, we loved our day, but it wasn't full of underwater enjoyment. It all started on Sunday night when we discussed our Labor Day plans and realized that we didn't have anything to do. I threw out the idear to go to Atlantic City because the bus trip is cheap and they give you casino bonuses once you get there so your trip is basically free. True, we don't gamble, but I thought we could sell our vouchers and get free dinner...didn't turn out that way.

The Pier during the day

We rolled in to the outskirts of the city and were pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness of the joint. We were so happy to see outlet stores all around us (our weak spot is the outlet stores) so the second the bus stopped at the bus depot we jumped out and hit the stores. We did this with the assumption (made one of you and me) that our BONUS VOUCHER could be redeemed when we walked to the casino....wrong. Unknowing of our mistake, we shopped to our little hearts content, found one great deal on a sweater for Linder, waited in the 15min line to not be greeted by our rude cashier who then informed us that the 50% of sweater sale was for all sweaters except Linder's. Nice, we walked.

All the glamour and glitz

Next we were lured into Van Heusen where I got a work shirt and again mourned the closing of Geoffrey Beene. We were then off to the boardwalk. Again, we were super surprised with how clean the city was, it is NOT like the Vegas strip at all, and there is little to no sex shops/strip joints/nasty spots. We enjoyed our stroll to the B-Walk and found a nice little beach on the other side of the dirt hill. The casinos butt right up to the beach and make for a nice little walk. The Board Walk is nice and wide and wasn't overcrowded. It was an interesting walk with the usual funnel cakes and drinks and popcorn and hot dogs. A couple big hotels, funny little guys pushing oversized adult strollers (taxis), and happy people were enjoying the day.

Someone told the gulls of her beauty and they all came a flocking

We made our way to Bally's and went in to redeem our Bonus Voucher. After a 5 min walk through the hotel, we finally made it to the Bus Center where they broke the news that we would not get our bonus because we got off the bus too early (yeah, 3 blocks too early after a 2 hour ride). Note to readers, if you want the bonus you HAVE to get out of the bus AT the casino and immediately redeem your money. Luckily, they gave us a "next visit bonus" for the next time we come, so we can get double! Hooray, for us....(if anyone is planning on going to AC, let me know).

Old school steez

After the bad news we went and walked some more, this time to get to the Taj Mahal to get a killer buffet dinner. Everyone always talks about killer buffet dinners at casinos, but they are still expensive ($20) and not as amazing as you would hope. I did eat all the crab legs from 3 crabs and a steak and a big dessert and shimps and some other tasty stuff, but I guess I'm just cheap. The Taj was a pretty cool hotel, but the nicest was the Showboat.

This is my favorite. We had a mask on hand from our emergency/swine flu kit so we performed a social experiment. And laughed at all of the crazy reactions to her contagiousness... :)

After dinner we watched a show on the boardwalk, took some photos, and ran to our bus. That is where Linder and I continued our amazing 3 game Phase 10 marathon. We played under the light of a girls Nintendo DS and timed things just right. After being behind 4 rounds and a lot of points, I made an amazing rally back in it and ended up winning 91-95 as we drove through the strobe lights of the Lincoln Tunnel. It was amazing. After playing a continuous 30 phases, it came down to the VERY last phase, 2 minutes before we finished the trip. I loved it. (Note- Linder is still the Phase 10 champion and always beats me.)

OK, so all of that writing has just been a trip recap, but really all I want to say is that Linder and I had an amazing holiday date. After a lazy morning and finally leaving at 1pm, our quick AC trip and leisurely dinner was just what we needed to cap our long weekend. Linder is the best and I love her so, we have a ton of fun doing random and spontaneous things. There is nothing better than living life on the edge with no plans to hold you down. :) Thanks Linder for a Labor Day full of fun, and thanks Atlantic City for not being as nasty as you could have been.

I love her.

More photos of the fun!

The Pier at night.

We were SO happy to be in the cool ocean breeze.

Oh yeah, looking good.

My princess and my bride.

Taken.

The Boardwalk.

What a beach!

See that spider!!!! We didn't until right until I posted this.

Happy as a crab...just not that crab.

Dessert for two? Nope.

The adult strollers...I mean taxis.

Until next time, when we will get double the bonus.

my dream come true...

i normally don't do this...

I hate to forward chain e-mails or assist in the world of spam, so I usually just laugh at things and leave them in my inbox. Well, the following are a few things that made me laugh too hard that I couldn't hold it. A warning to those sensitive of 'diverse language', you and your children should just move on.

Enjoi!

Yep, this one is good. I too am now without a bike and it is not cool.

Ha! Doesn't get better, or worse, than that!

This has been my favorite movie for a while now. You may take note of my "... is fo suckas" quotes spread throughout the site. :)

our hawaiian slideshow 2009...

So people have been asking for the recap of the Hawaiian vacation, so here she is in less than 100 pictures. Yep that is a lot, but I don't like slideshows, so you will just have to live with this. To preface, I didn't take or get as many photos as I wanted, but there is one or two that turned out well. Enjoi!

HIP HIP HOORAY FOR OUR 1ST ANNIVERSARY!

PREPPING FOR THE BIG TRIP

GUESS WHERE WE'RE GOING

HAPPY TO BE FLYING

HANAUMA BAY

SICK HILLS

OUR FIRST CAR WAS A CONVERTIBLE MUSTANG, THIS WAS MUCH BETTER

SLUGGY AT THE BONZAI JOINT

MR. BONZAI HIMSELF

WORKING ON THE ANGRY EYE

SHES MY LITTLE ANGEL

HAPPY LOCAL POSING FOR A PIC

NOW SHES MY MERMAID

DIAMOND HEAD

THE INFAMOUS "WALL" AT WAIKIKI

DOESN'T GET ANY PRETTIER

OUR LUAU BOYS

OUR LUAU GIRLS

OUR ROOM

SILLY BOY

PRETTY GIRL

OUR HOTEL

HER DREAM COME TRUE...ON ITS ANNIVERSARY

STRAIGHT FROM THE DOLE WHIP

NOT TOO FAR FROM HOME

WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK IT? THIS IS HOW THEY GROW.

SHES A LITTLE TEA CUP

THE MUSIC MAN

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?

NOT ONE, BUT TWO MUNK SEALS AND A SEA TURTLE!

GOOD OL' VACATION

PRETTY TOES

THE LONG AWAITED SHAVED ICE FROM MATSUMOTO

NO ONE WAS EVER HAPPIER

JUMPING OF "THE ROCK" AT WAIMEA

SECOND TIME WAS A CHARM

BEAUTIFUL

YEAH, THAT IS A GRAPEFUIT!

BIG, BUT NOT TOO TASTY

I HAD SOME EYE PROBLEMS...THEY MADE ME ANGRY

THE SWAP MEET...LOTS OF THE SAME STUFF OVER AND OVER

ONE OF OUR KEY STOPS

MY PRETTY GIRL, NEW HAT, AND THE ALL IMPORTANT SATCHEL

ME AND THE MEMORIAL

SHES SO PRETTY

THE ARIZONA MEMORIAL

HALL OF HEROS

ON THE MEMORIAL

LOOKING UP

THAT IS THE ACTUAL ARIZONA STILL UNDERWATER

SUPPORT YOUR TROOPS

LEAVING THE MEMORIAL

OUR TRAVEL TREATS :)

SHAVED ICE AT THE ICE GARDENS, I LOVE MOCHI BALLS

LINDA KEEPING HER EYES ON THE LITTLE HUNCHED WORKER LADY (SO NICE)

HAPPY AS CAN BE WITH HER 2ND SHAVED ICE FROM THE GARDEN (SHE LOVES SHAVED ICE)

A REAL PERISCOPE

LINDA MAY DAY

YEAH, THESE TREES ARE EVERYWHERE

SHE DIDN'T WANT TO, BUT I MADE HER.

THE HOLLYWOOD POSE

HEADS UP, INCOMING

SHE LIKES BIG MACHINES

THE HUKILAU HULA

HAPPIEST CONSTRUCTION STOP EVER

I DIDN'T WIN ANY OF OUR GAMES :(

HUKILAU CAFE, THE BEST

THE HUKILAU BURGER

YIPEE! I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN 50 FIRST DATES...

AT THE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER, IT RAINED DURING OUR CANOE TRIP

PRETTY RAIN FLOWER

I GOT TWO BULLSEYEZ!

OUR FAVORITE GAME. TONGA ROCKED. WE PLAYED FOR 1+ HOUR

LONG HAIR SIGNIFIES STRENGTH AND POWER. HORAY FOR ME!

SHE IS A TRUE FIRE BREATHER SOMETIMES...

OUR PCC POSES

LOOK, E.T. CAME TO THE PCC NIGHT SHOW, CAN YOU FIND HIM?

THE FIRST WEEK OF THE NEW SHOW- HA BREATH OF LIFE

THE BEST PART OF THE SHOW...FIRE!

PCC WAS A TON OF FUN, LOTS TO KEEP YOU HAPPY.

THE CLIMAX

HIKING UP TO DIAMOND HEAD

THAT IS ONE BIG FLIGHT OF STAIRS, CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT THINGS WOULD BE LIKE DURING WAR.

VIEW FROM THE TOP OF DIAMOND HEAD

OVERLOOKING WAIKIKI

YOU COULD DIE IN THERE...THE TOILET BOWL

RACING HOME FOR HER NEW BIKE

FAREWELL HAWAII, AND FAREWELL DUKE!

All in all, it was a killer trip. Yeah, that was a lot of pictures, but just wait until you see the videos and pictures from the smaller camera!

creepy crawlers and flying things...

Due to the bug situation, we did some swapping in our room and switched sides.  Now I sleep on the buggy window side...yippee!  Actually, it made our room feel so much bigger and nice.  Sometimes change is the key to progression.  Think about it.

As for the dragon above...that is a killer that we say on the step at the Subway station.  Yeah, it was big enough for me to stop and take a picture. The end.

old school beauty...

While I was looking through some some old photos in the beginnings of my digital photography days, I stumbled across the photos above and below. I was truly impressed as they are right out of the camera without touch ups, photoshopping, or saturation. Those first digital cameras were much better than I remember.

a diehard fan of bulk proportions...

Enjoying the Costco in the UK

Anyone who really knows me, is well aware that my favorite store in the entire world is Costco Wholesale, AKA Price Costco, AKA Price Club.  Costco has been in my life since August 3, 1991.  It was on that day that Price Club opened in my home town and the whole family made a trip for the festivities.

I was happy to find that each purchase came with a complimentary VHS tape of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze!  That is significant because we still have three copies of the VHS and I was the biggest fan of the TMNT (probably why we originally went to the Price Club opening).  I would join my parents for a trip to Price Club every couple of weeks, and following our stop we would drive to the Sam's Club conveniently blocks away.  FYI- Sam's is OK when you are in a pinch, but Costco is the best.

A Prize from Costco, New Brunswick.  Note the building in the back.

One of my best childhood memories is when I found a shortcut road between Costco and Sam's that saved the family a couple of minutes in traffic, my dad subsequently named that road "Zazz Boulevard."  Another great memories was when I would scan the shopping carts as we drove through the parking lot, and on multiple occasions find cases of soda or boxes of cereal left on the bottom rack of the carts that people left behind.  That too made my dad proud.

Since my childhood, Costco was always a place of happiness (free food, great deals, and plenty of room to run around) so when I was old enough I got a job there.  I was only there for one summer (the best of my life- all work - Arrowhead to nap to Costco to Sleep to Arrowhead, repeated daily), and had many an experience with many new friends made on the side.  From assisting the cashiers and boxing orders, to collecting boxes, distributing go-backs, sweeping, and spinning on the flatbeds, the work was fun and rewarding.  After that summer, I transfered to Costco in Orem where things changed.  Management was different, duties were different, customers were less pleasant, and the job as a whole wasn't fun.  After a couple weeks, I made the Orem Costco just a place to shop.

A Rainbow Opposite the Orem Costco

One of the best things about Costco which has driven me to shop there is the return policy.  As long as YOU live, the items you buy at Costco are guaranteed and can be returned (except some technology, TVs, Cameras, Computers, which is no 90 days, still three times as long as those other suckas!) In training they told us about a guy who brought in his mattress 11 YEARS after he bought it, asking for his money back because it was no longer comfortable.  Sure enough, they gave him cash back and he went to the floor and bought another. Needlesstosay, this policy is the best in the business and has saved my rear on a number of occasions. For example, when my camera fell of the roof, they said at least you told the truth and gave me cash.  When the engagment ring wasn't everthing hoped for, they said "good luck on the next ring...your bride has some high hopes!"  When the middle of our bed turned to a deep pit of death, they sent a messenger to pick it up and gave us cash back without any additional charges.  Costco is the best.

Since the days of my childhood I have kept my love affair with Costco alive.  Look throughout our house and you will find TONS of items from Costco.  Our wedding announcements were printed there, the bed we sleep on purchased there, food, entertainment, bikes, furniture, clothes, electronics, engagement rings, medicine, you name it I've bought it (and may have returned it) there.  Costco is the best.

A California Costco Drive By

In fact I am on a mission to visit a Costco everywhere I go, so far I have been to Costcos in 4 Countries (USA, Mexico, Canada, UK), and 15 States (Alaska, Hawaii, California, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and maybe more).  Within those states or countries I may have been to a number of locations as well...just goes to show how much I love Costco.  If that isn't enough, here in NYC I travel by subway 2 hours R/T just to go to Costco.  Yeah, imagine carrying home all of the bulk goodness in the Subway- so much fun.

So, what has caused me to write about my time with Costco?  While there last week I purchased a Polish Sausage from the food court.  The Polish dog is not on the menu so I had forgotten about it, but sure enough, I was floored when I got it.  So thick and juicy, full of tastiness.  They had topped it with some peppers, of which I am not too much of a fan.  So, yesterday I stopped by the food court again for a treat and got the Polish without the peppers.  I was in complete bliss!  For $3 you too can get the biggest, best Polish Sausage with a endless beverage at Costco.  Its not on the menu, but ask and you shall be given. Might as well get an ice cream bar with it as well, those can't be beat!

The Best of The Best

There you have it folks, I have let you in on my love affair and it has all come about because of a Polish Sausage that absolutely made my day and has driven me to tell the tale.

my day from 9 to 9...

tasty treats...

One thing I love, and appreciate, about my Linder is that she makes such nice treats all the time. Just the other night I came home to the above tasty meal. If that wasn't beautiful enough for you, we had the dessert pictured below after. Yep, I am the luckiest guy alive!

catching up...

Every so often I get behind in blogging, so now I will take the time to catch up on some old stuff with a one line description, enjoi!

Wow, paying for the service charge is so much better now.

That was the best book ever, I even bough a stuffed caterpillar (they still sell it!) to put on my shoulder while I read, I love the Scholastic Book Club. Remember those order forms you had to bring back to your teacher?

Can you find Waldo? Carmen San Diego? How about Xaque?

Who would have thunk they get paid so much...or so little, only $12MM for Tony?

Yeah, I helped with this launch. But now it is old news. Still cool though.

birthday parties are fun...

Yeah, it has been a while, but this picture still makes me laugh.

add one tally to the list...

Only One Way Home

I must confess, most days before I go home from work I take a look at Craigslist to see if there is anything on the free page that might be worth my while. Well, last week there was!

Someone had posted that he had a bunch of stuff including "Photography Cloth." Well, that caught my fancy and I made my way down to SoHo. When I got to his studio, I walked past a lady that was taking EVERYTHING from the free guy. When I reached his floor he had a bunch of miscellaneous stuff laying around and two huge rolls of photography background. I asked him about them but he said the other lady already claimed them...

Just One Transfer, thank goodness

When the lady came back up for more of her loot, the free guy was nice enough to ask her to sacrifice the rolls for me, and she obliged! Yippeee! I then looked around and got a couple of things for Linder and a Silver Plated mouse for the computer (yeah, thats gonna get its own post). Just before I left we were talking and heard a big CLUNK! Turns out, the lady got stuck in the elevator and the doors wouldn't open, yep, trapped! Talk about bad luck...for her. While she was crying and begging to get out, free guy called the elevator peeps and we just waited in awe of the situation. Free guy told me just to take the stairs and I was off. As I awkwardly made myself down the stairwell with my 9.5 foot long rolls I smiled as I though about the rest of my journey. Yep the only way for me to get home was via the NYC subway!

Train Number Two and all is still tight and well.

Ever since the time Connor and I rode the subway home with our new mattresses in 2007, I have always enjoyed bringing all my odds and ends home on the subway. This time was a bit different though. I had a hard time even getting TO the train while swing 9 footers behind me knocking into people and what not. Lets just say that these rolls were not so easy to manuver. I got some crazy looks on the streets, and people's faces went even more crooked when I went down the stairs to the train. I strolled past the booth agent without a word muttered. Then I wedged myself in the first train with only a few strange looks. I tried to pin myself as far in the corner as possible, but there was only so much I could do.

After a nice long ride I exited the train and waited for the next, a transfer to the A. This was my real concern because I would have to get into an already pretty full train. Luckily, a bum fell asleap and dropped his beer in the train at my door and it was all over the ground, so I had a little bit of room to wiggle. Things got a little rough and some people got angry. I made it out alive and hurried home. Once home all was smiles and now it is time for some shooting!

Yep, nice and tall

left alone with a big, cold bed...

This week I was sad.  My sweet little Linder left me to go camping with the girls from church at Girl's Camp.  She is a leader and did a great job, the only problem was that I was left home alone to cry myself to sleep every night.  Really, it didn't take long for me to figure out that life just sucks without her.  I tried to be home as little as possible by staying at work late and running errands.  It was a productive week, as I did a lot of things that have been on my "to-do when I have time" list, but it still sucked.

Everything finally made sense to me though.  Whenever I leave on a business trip, she gets angry and sad that I am going, when I am gone I miss her, but it isn't unbearable because I am always swamped with work, things to do, and exiting new places that I've never seen.  All the while she was at home alone.  That sucks.

At home alone there is nothing new or cool, just a quiet, dark house.  On top of that our house this week was blazing hot and humid (which made the big, cold bed not too bad), so I didn't even want to come home.  OK, enough rambling.  Moral of the story is that I love my precious little Linder and will never let her leave my side again...until the next time we get separated that is. :(