Songs from an Italian restaurant Check in on Four Square, Twitter and Facebook, and Spotify) or how I relearned to use a pen and paper

Paul has checked in with Clarissa at La Luna Italian Restaurant and is now Mayor there and is listening to Billy Joel Playlist on Spotify #ihopethispostislessthan140characterssoicanpostitontwitter.

This morning I was walking to work and listening to music and Billy Joel’s Songs from an Italian restaurant came on. It got me to thinking back to a simpler time in my life… 2009. Or as I like to think of it 2009 BF(before facebook) . Remember when you would be at a store or just walking around and you would run into an old friend on the street. You know, someone you use to talk to be friends or acquaintances with  and as happens in life , you just lost touch along the way. Back then you would make some time on the spot and talk, maybe even carve out some time to grab coffee or even plan a dinner. You’d exchange numbers ( or if the decision has been made that maybe this person is someone you’re not interested in getting reacquainted with you write the number down and lose it) , show each other some pictures you actually had developed (no really people had pictures you could actually touch) , talk about people you both use to know and discuss the last time you had seen them, who got fat, who got skinny.

Fast-forward to today. You run into the same person. You say hi and then go about adding each other on Facebook right there through your mobile phone.( or if you don’t really want to add them you say your phone is messed up and you will add the when you get home.)And then you just go about the rest of your day. When you get home you go and look through their friends and add the ones you knew but didn’t have. And maybe you post a “hey it was nice to see you” on their wall or twitter.

paper and some ink will go a long way.

Every generation goes through this. The supposed loss of that personal touch. The evolution of this is actually pretty ironic. We now post on people’s ” walls” or tweet them or message them, we used to text them, we used to email them, we used to call them on a cell or page them , we used to call their house, we used to write them a letter, we used to go to their house to see if they were there, we used to all gather around the fire in our village and talk , we used to make grunts and tweeting sounds at each other. And we used to write messages on walls… Real walls in caves. So in a way we have kind of come full circle.

some cave drawings seem more modern than you would expect 😉

Have we truly lost the personal touch through technology or have we just made it more valuable. I know for me I have completely enjoyed the ability to reach out to friends and acquaintances through technology and have actually strengthened some acquaintances into some of my stronger friendships.   But try to think back to the last time you received a handwritten letter. How did it make you feel having a friend write to you and take the time to send it to you. When was the last time you sent a letter? How often do we send a text or a message when both people could actually take the time and talk on the phone but just choose to stick to typing? How many times do you read a text and not quite get something because you’re not sure of the tone it was sent with (I personally believe there should be a “sarcastic font” so people know when your being sarcastic… No really I believe that.. See if there was a sarcastic font you would know I was serious!!)

A challenge and an adventure ..With the holidays upon us we all send out holiday cards and sign them,  maybe even put a quick hello in it. It’s so traditional that it almost loses the impact. So here’s my challenge to anyone who reads this. Go to your favorite social media site and look at your contacts list. Write a letter to one of them, maybe the next person that likes your next post or the person you have known the longest or the shortest , call a different person from your contact list and have a nice chat , invite a different person you know out… Maybe to an Italian restaurant ..Happy Holidays to you all and I hope you all have a great time reconnecting with old friends and family in that place the call “the real world” .

texting on rotary phones must have been insane…

Happy NewYorkaversary!!

Two years …give or take  lifetime

As I write this blog on the eve of my two year anniversary as New Yorker I can’t help but feel as if today is also my birthday. In a way that I could never have imagined New York has been a rebirth for me. It’s not that I was really unhappy in Austin and those years were some of the best of my life but especially towards the end I felt that I had lived my life there and that I was done with that world and all it had to offer. Since I was a kid I had wanted to live in Austin. Its amazing music scene and the sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Arc Angels , Ian Moore and so many others made it my dream home. But the story of the boy who got everything he ever wanted just didn’t seem to feel happily ever after.(bonus points if you get the movie reference)  And that is when I discovered that it wasnt about everything I ever wanted it was about everything I never knew I wanted. It was about the magical land called NYC.

We’er off to see the Bloomberg…

And two years later I write this birthday /anniversary blog and I smile at the endless possibilities of things to come in my new home. Where as in Austin I just wanted to be around the music and the amazing writers and comedians. New York allowed me to see amazing artist like the late Les Paul ,and the amazing Sarah Silverman and  has awakened my mind to my passion for writing both music and words. While I will likely never do so on any sort of even semi professional level just the process and the feeling I get from the act of creating music or putting pen to paper ( or keyboard to monitor) is exhiliarting beyond belief and for that I thank you New York.

even the grafitti encourages creativity..

I am a 36 year old man. I have no drivers license. I have never owned a car. I have never driven. I dont care to. (yes I really am from Texas originally)  and in New York I dont need to.  Since coming to NY I have gone to 3 different states just by hopping on a train. I have gone Apple picking in the fall (highly recommend to anyone!!)  , Philidelphia for cheesesteaks (overrated) and the Fourth of July ( the roots preformed with Lauryn Hill –epic!!! )  , New Jersey ( imagine Chernobyl after the meltdown but with a nice sports arena in the middle of it. ) to watch the San Antonio Spurs. I have gone to Boston and eaten in an Irish Pub and had boston creme pie (amazing!!)  and am looking at taking a trip or two to Washington DC and also do some more exploring upstate New York…and for that I thank you MTA , Amtrak , and even you New Jersey Transit ( but i do so begrudgingly ) and most of all I thank you New York.

why would I possibly want to be stuck in the middle of that?!?

I have seen the blazing reds and golden ambers of fall foilage against the deep grey slate that forms the foundation of New York. I have seen the rolling hills and valleys along the Hudson River valley. I have seen the beauty of the first snowfalls of winter covering streets and parks turning grown adults into giddy children as they slide down anything resembling a slope.  I have felt the power of a hurricane throwing the city into a panic and seen the awesome beauty of lightning  against the amazing backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. I have felt the earth tremble with an earthquake that left most New Yorkers wondering when NYC became part of California.  I have discovered that there are actually distinct seasons and that I actually love each one of them but Fall and winter are absolutely magical to me…. and for that I thank you Mother Nature and New York.

I think its pretty rare to find a texan made of snow.

I love fall!!!

In a strange way New York has brought me closer to my family than I had been in years.  I discovered I had a cousin living in upstate New York and not just any cousin. A cousin that I looked up to as a kid and who I wished I could be as smart as. Tragically he passed before we got a chance to get together in my new state but through that tragedy I reconnected with so many of my other cousins and family members through facebook and at his funeral. It was his last lesson to me …that no matter how far away we may be physically  true family is always around you. and for that I thank you my cousin Paul Mendoza and  New York.

🙂

The greatest…And finally New York has given my wife and I a chance to go on wild goose chases around the city, to spend birthdays picking apples and watching amazing broadway shows, to watch the ball drop on New Years , to take a nap on the Great Lawn, to find little pieces of Texas all over Manhattan to remind us of our former home, and the best part of all has been realizing that as great as New York is,  the greatest city in the world is whichever city I am in with her.

our apartment before all our stuff was moved in.

Manhattan Bridge

Post Script- October 20th I participated in an American Association Heart walk in honor of my cousin Paul Mendoza. We raised over $3000 and had an amazing amount of people turn out all wearing shirts and pins in his honor. My wife and I got to spend time with friends and family and his spirit was truly felt.  My cousin was an amazing person that touched many peoples lives and he wife and two girls carry that torch of kindness and faith in a way I could have never imagined . They are truly three of the strongest women I have ever met in my life and I am forever grateful that through my cousin Paul I am getting to know them and for that I thank Paul , Melissa , Gabriela and Sofia.

Group picture before the walk in honor of my cousin Paul

16 Years

16 years ago I went on a date… A first date. She was wearing all green. Not a soft green but a lime green head to toe. I remember not because I liked or didn’t like the outfit but because I knew that this date was the first date of the rest of my life.

We went to a mall. Pretty typical for young people I suppose. Nothing spectacular happened but then isn’t that how most things start. NASA didn’t get created and immediately land on the moon, When man was freezing before there was fire, man didn’t turn to his friend and say “hey can you turn the heater up”, In order to cross the oceans or seas man didnt just part it with his hands or walk on it with his bare feet…( ok the last part of this interlude is up for debate i suppose)

When Sally Pooped on Harry My dating life up to this point was a pretty hilariously bad romantic comedy. To sum up some of my misadventures.. I got together with a girl on christmas eve and was dumped on christmas day ( after the gift exchange by the way..which I totally got screwed on.. and I swear I saw a time travelling George Michael watching the whole thing in order to get inspiration for a Christmas song ) …had numerous we’re just friend conversations , in an attempt to surprise someone on a threeway phone call ( it’s like a conference call or mulit chat for those youngins out there) I found out that the girlfriend I thought I was surprising was just not that into me ( much to her horror I finally chimed in and said “surprise” ) . I had a confused lesbian ask to “try me out ” to see if she really was lesbian ( still not sure how to take that one…insulted or complimented) and the coup de gras… I got pooped on by a girl’s duck as a parting goodbye( who the hell keeps a pet duck?!?! and it wasn’t a small duck I am talking full grown ) .

But this time was different. We went out we laughed . Had the whole butterflys thing. It was typical young love. Except it really felt like more. We spent a lot of time together and I was loving every second of it. Her birthday was a month after that and I cant even remember what I got here but I know I went all out probably more than you should after only dating for a month but I was all in on this one. A month later a friend of ours took us to a different mall and we took pictures . Not like photo booth pictures but like engagement looking pictures which we were going to give out as Christmas cards. We even got matching outfits for the picture ( if you need to excuse yourself to go vomit at the sappiness of it all feel free…….done? … oops you missed a spot when you were cleaning on the left side of your mouth.. ok ..i will continue)

Move in Day December 28– So about 3 months later we moved into together. Did we rush into it…probably. Were we scared…she probably was but I dont think I had a doubt in my body. I was ready to ” Make It So ” as I would later go on to say many times when I knew wanted something that logically made absolutely no sense to anyone but me yet somehow worked out great. This is typically how I make most life changing decisions much to my wife’s chagrin. As we got her stuff from her parent’s house her mom told us that we didn’t know how to take care of ourselves so how were we going to take care of each other. They key in that was that we were going to have each other …..(and that’s a lot for love…let’s give it a shot..whoooa where halfway there whooooaa living on a prayer ..sorry sometimes I blog as if I was trapped in an 80’s hairband musical) and it would be enough over the years to get us through just about anything.

I am pretty sure a majority of our friends and family felt the same way even if they didnt want to say it out loud . A lot of them probably thought that she was pregnant ( which she wasn’t) .Or that I had hypnotized here…(which I hadn’t) we were kids in love and looking back on it if I were my friends I wouldnt have bet on me writing about this 16 years later.

Now its not like we moved into a mansion. We moved into my dad’s which was set up like a connected duplex. It was a little starter apartment for free which was great because neither of us had any money. My dad absolutely loved her and called her ” a keeper ” and ” his girl” . As the years went on I am pretty sure that he ended up loving her more than me. And my wife loved him.

We have had ups and downs as any relationship over a course of 16 years does., We have had a cat for 15 years and a god-daughter for 7 . No kids of our own yet. We have moved from that first house in San Antonio to a high rise in downtown San Antonio..to Austin and a apartment on the hike and bike trail and now to NYC with a building that has the most amazing views of Manhattan. She has gone to SAC , UTSA and UT . I have held one job for 15 of the 16 years mixed with a ton of extra side jobs in between. She has worked as a substitute teacher , an internet reporter, and accountant and finally student services at UT and now Columbia University . We have attended funerals and baptisms we have laughed and cried and through it all she has filled me with love and happiness at times when I thought the light at the end of the tunnel was just a train coming to hit me. In the end she has shown me what we are all here for …The good times 🙂

And now here we are 16 years later in New York City and looking back on it I would say “kids don’t try this at home….but if you do make sure you find ” a keeper” just like I did.

9-11 11 years later

When 1800 miles away feels like its right next door..  It’s was an early morning in Texas. 1800 miles away from New York. I was a Texican in Texas and I didnt have to go to work until the next day. I was scheduled to start my new /old job again. I had been working for the city of San antonio developing some computer literacy centers on the westside which is considered an ” at risk” area but now i was going to go back full time for the audio visual company I had been working for on the side for many years . My wife however was awake and getting ready to go to UTSA for school.

A few minutes after she woke up while i was still partially asleep she ran in and said “wow.. A plane hit the world trade center” I instantly woke up and the first thing that came out of my mouth was ” Was it terrorism ? Was it Al queda? ” My wife looked at me like  I was a crazy person and said it was probably just an accident.  I got up to watch the news and I saw the tower smoke billowing out on a clear blue sky much like todays sky. There is no way any pilot accidentally hits that tower on a clear day like this i though to myself.

The second plane hits… The anchors and pretty much everyone on TV seems in shock and horror. Trying to report the news but realizing that something is horribly wrong . I think about my friend Mona from high school who is now living in Brooklyn.  I think about my father who had passed a few months earlier and I whisper to myself ” this is my generations Pearl Harbor ”  My wife is shaken and unsure as is everyone in the world. Somehow from the moment my wife uttered those words that woke me up I knew the world had changed.

My wife went off to school and I spent the day switching between new channels and watching as all air traffic was halted and reports of more hijacked planes came in. I talked to one of my cousins who said that her military boyfriend said it was Sadam Hussein and Iraq.  I told her I am sure thats what most people would jump to but there was no way he had the ability or would be dumb enough to even try that.   I told her it was a terrorist group called Al Queda. She said her boyfriend was almost sure it was Iraq.

I went online on a yahoo chat room ( with no facebook or twitter this was as close to realtime info and  and everyone was saying Iraq or Iran some even said Russia.  Not one person mentioned Al Queda. It was a word that was not in anyones vocabulary but it soon would be.  I saw the towers come down.  I will say that I was extremely lucky to not know anyone who was injured or killed in the  attacks. I was mearly a spectator watching history unfold in front of me. It was a horrible tragedy that had the entire country and the world unsure of what the next hours and days would bring much less the next decade

As some of you may know I have always hated math. It was that damn 2nd grade!! But what you may not know is that I have always loved history. Not the part about remembering the dates of battles or who commanded this or that but the decisions and the actions and the psychology of history and how it happens. The roadmap that leads us to certain events. I remember as a kid in the 4th and 5th grade faking that I was sick so I could watch the Iran -Contra trials. I remember watching the Russian tanks pull out of Afghanistan as the great red army had been defeated in a war of attrition by a guerilla army partially trained by the US CIA.  In 6th grade I remember studying world history and being fascinated by the middle east. It was the center of civilization. The bible the history books they all led to this place which now was not much more than old relics and oil as far as everyday americans knew.
During Clintons presidency as we all basked in the glow of a good economy even if there was just as much political division as there is today America was hit with a terrorist attack at the World trade Center. It was a van filled with explosives. It was Al queda. I still remember news footage of people coming out from the smoke.  On most peoples radars it was a clumsy attack and just some crazy people. I always felt it was the beginning of something more.

Today…. 9-11 in New York is filled with moments of silence. Buses stop at the moments of the attacks. Flags are flown at half mast. People share their stories of where they were of friends and family lost. Lines for security checks are longer and more intense. It is in everyone’s thoughts.  11 years ago I had never visited New York at that point. I had never been on a plane.  To think that I would be living in NYC on the 10th and 11th anniversaries of that horrible day or to have  been at the World Trade the day Bin Laden was killed was something I never would have thought. To think that I have spent some evenings in the shadow of new Freedom Tower listening to the Blues of Buddy Guy , watching the Muppetts take Manhattan with children running all around and racing by it on a bike with 32000 of my closest friends and the fact that I cant imagine a world were I am not living in this city is my way of shooting the finger at the terrorist and saying god bless the familys of those injured, killed and those suffering with illness from the debris of that days attacks. And in the words of Hacksaw Jim Duggan … USA USA USA.

Confessions of a Non-Alcoholic

“I don’t drink…”  “Do you have to go to work tomorrow?”   “No”  “But you’re not driving…” “Nope…”  “you just don’t drink?”  “Yup…”  “Never?” “Never…”

…And that is the beginning of a typical night out with new friends and even old ones.It always either ends in an awkward silence as their minds wander thinking thoughts like, “I bet he used to be a raging alcoholic,” or maybe “he killed a man drinking and driving and now alcohol brings up bad memories,” or “I wonder if he has some deadly affliction to alcohol” …Or sometimes they ask why and I give them one of the stories from above because really it’s what they want to hear and in their minds it’s the only possible explanation of why a 36 year old man doesn’t drink. To be perfectly honest I actually love the looks of shock on everyone’s face because I do know its pretty rare in this day and age.

I have family and friends that love to go out for drinks and drink responsibly and good for them. I also have family and friends that don’t drink responsibly and unfortunately that choice can have deadly and horrible effects on other people’s lives. I have friends and family that are recovering alcoholics and for them I know the struggle to not drink is an everyday battle and I am proud of them for forging ahead.Now I am not some holy rolling guy who thinks people are going to hell if they drink, or some health nut that refuses to put “poison” in my body… Keep in mind a large portion of my diet consist of Big Red with a side of BBQ or something fried. My reasoning has less to do with some traumatic event and more to do with a logical thought process.

Taste: To me it smells horrible and the fact that people make faces and shake their heads vigorously after they take a shot of just about anything doesn’t exactly sound like a good review of the taste. Think about the last time you ate some really good food… Did you just drop it down your throat swallow it… Shake your head… and make a face as if your face and throat were burning and then say man that was good. I don’t even like food that is cooked with alcohol. My wife makes roast and as most people do she will occasionally use a wine reduction. And she will usually kick me out of the kitchen since I complain about her putting too much or questioning if it really needs it in there.

Financial: How much money does the average person spend on alcohol?  It seems that it is typically averaged to about 1% of a person’s household income just for beer. When you include drinks at dinner or a club or bar I am sure it goes higher.It seems my single and younger friends seem to spend even more than that. I always giggle a little when we go out to eat and my wife’s glass of wine cost almost as much as my meal. In a funny piece of irony , my wife won a $25,000 scholarship when she was going to college that was funded by a Beer Festival in San Antonio.

Mind control: no not like telekinesis… although if drinking alcohol gave you superpowers beyond the ability to tell the same story every time you drink I might consider it… Just over all having your wits about you. The amount of times I have heard people say they can’t remember much about last night as almost a badge of honor is amazing. Yet they almost always claim they had a great time. I tend to like to remember the good times. Now I know, some people drink to forget or lift their spirits but really are you going to actually forget what is bringing you down or really feel good about things because of a drink? If you think about it it’s more likely the fact that you are with friends venting… Couldn’t you do the same thing without a drink? I do.

Health: When you have the flu your head is pounding, you’re throwing up, the room is spinning you feel horrible… this also describes the morning after a night of heavy drinking and “fun” that as I discussed earlier the person with their head in the toilet may or may not remember.  Just as I would never purposely give myself the flu I don’t see the logic in drinking to that point. I really try to keep my head out of the toilet as much as possible because drunk or not I think we all know the type of activities the toilet usually takes part in.Also think about how people talk about losing weight and then go and give themselves a beer gut… really just not attractive. Now BBQ gut… That’s sexy.. 😉

Time: Anyone ever gone to a festival to listen to a great band or hang out and then say this would be great with a beer. Only to find you have missed half the show standing in an insane line for an overpriced beer. Add up all that time and was it really worth it. You can take my money.. I can always make more, but dont mess with my time.. That’s one thing there are no refunds or exchanges on. My time is worth more to me than money or beer.

 Can Men and Women Be friends… With people that don’t drink? I think yes. The ones that can’t handle that honestly really aren’t people I want to associate with. It’s not about the drinking it’s about the friendships and hanging out.  While I would much rather go out to a restaurant or bar that serves great food along with drinks, I have gone to some dive bars with friends just to hangout. And as long as me drinking doesn’t bother them it doesn’t bother me of they drink.

Now in no way am I judging those that drink. My wife drinks and there is almost always a bottle of wine in the house. At the moment we also have a bottle of Tequila and champagne. My New Year’s toast is always made with sprite or ginger ale. And I always like to buy a round of drinks for friends because it’s a nice thing to do and they enjoy it. I am just saying that drinking alcohol isn’t for me and will never be a part of my life. So next time you see me in a bar, instead of buying me a drink feel free to either give me a Big Red or by me an appetizer (something in the fried food group is always good).

I Love (insert city here) !!!

We all should take a second to really think about this.

New Yorkers are in a hurry… For what who knows. Maybe a train to nowhere because all I ever see are New Yorkers running to their next destination, but when you talk to them they don’t go anywhere other than work. They hate they city. They hate tourist. They love to have the best worst story about how tough their life as a New Yorker is. It’s just plain masochistic. The looks l get from co-workers and friends when I talk about how I just stumbled onto a great place to eat or an amazing concert or how I completely missed getting rained on because my trains came timed perfectly are downright ugly. They are mix of surprise, disdain and overall “I wanna shank this guy for being so happy”. Every time I answer my phone at work and its someone from another property they ask the typical “How are you doing?” and I always give the same response. ” It’s a beautiful day in New York City”. At this point I am pretty sure they are just praying I have a bad day so they don’t have to hear me say it one more time.

Times Square for New Years…been there …done that

Visit the sites? Fuhgedabout it!!  Mention Times Square to a New Yorker and you will hear a rant about tourists and what a mess it is or about how they remember when you could get a 10 dollar hooker in Times Square and they say this as if it were the good old days… For those wondering I am not sure what that rate is in today’s market with inflation and the economy and all…They don’t mention the amazing cross section of people from all over the world, the amazing shows just a block away on Broadway. Very rarely do they discuss the marvels that this city offers. They seem to have a been there done that attitude,except when you ask them about places, they have neither been there nor done that. Now maybe this is because as I am sure most of you know New York is not the cheapest place to live. Broadway tickets can be insanely expensive. But there are so many free things to explore. There is Summerstage a free summer concert and entertainment series that happens in all 5 boroughs with amazing talent. There is SummerStreets where they close down streets from the Brooklyn Bridge all the way up to Central Park so only walkers and cyclist can roam the streets. I regularly go on “walkabouts” or “goosechases” as my wife likes to call them where I basically grab a backpack my phone, a camera, my ipad and go walking in search of the beauty of everything and nothing. I have run into celebrities (quite literally..sorry Bieber..the elbow just happened to extend), stumbled into parades, found places I always wanted to go but didn’t even know i was walking to, found the most amazing street art and messages on sidewalks that seemed to be put there just for me. I may not have been everywhere or done everything yet but it sure isn’t for lack of trying.

The Belly of the Beast ..I will admit that New York can be a physically and mentally taxing beast ready to devour you like you were a breakfast taco on a sunday morning. Everyone has those rough weeks but in New York you can have a rough week in the span of an hour and what seems like a rough year in the span of a day. It challenges, it pushes, it sometimes breaks people. The city can be intense. If you don’t watch out you can find yourself getting caught up in it and fighting your way to get into a completely full train instead of waiting 4 minutes for the next one. People fight for cabs, for a way to get out of the city on a long weekend. The rush is on to get everywhere and nowhere. This is,i think part of that whole saying ” if you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere.”

The thing is that I am not sure how many of the New Yorkers could make it anywhere. If you can’t wait 5 minutes for a train without thinking its the end of the world how could you possibly survive waiting 30 minutes for a bus in the Texas heat. If you can’t deal with an afternoon thunderstorm without thinking that Noah will be on his way in a few minutes to pick up some animals then how are you going to deal with a Florida hurricane. If you can’t handle an earthquake that was actually in DC how are you going to handle when you’re in California and suddenly you discover your now an island and Nevada has some great ocean front property.

How can you not want to explore a city that has scenes like this.

Now I do know some amazing New Yorkers who drink every drop of life the city has to offer. Karen Seiger whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in my adventures writes a blog about the amazing Markets of New York and unknowingly plots out my next adventures most weekends. I highly recommend her book and blog to anyone in the city and tourists looking for a more “local” experience. I have another friend Bobbie originally from San Antonio Texas ,who takes strolls through the park and  goes to Broadway shows and tries to catch any celebrity she can and she usually ends up with a picture or two of her and the celebrity hamming it up together.( As i was putting this blog together she posted a picture of her with her favorite Olympian that she took on the streets of Manhattan!! ) And there is Noellia who is always going all over town seeing shows and performing in them as an amazing actress with an amazing voice. She came to make her dreams come true and is making it happen. To me they are all role models for my New York life. Karen for always exploring and promoting new experiences and local goods and farm fresh products, Bobbie for her sheer enthusiasm of all the city has to offer but still clinging to her Texas roots and Noellia for showing that with determination and talent you can make your dreams reality in this city.

This is what New York is all about…

If your reading this and you’re not living in New York ( sorry for that..really just move here already it’s amazing) don’t think “those silly New Yorkers not exploring that amazing city.” Start looking at where you live and ask yourself if you are taking in all the beauty and amazing things in your hometown. When I lived in San Antonio I made sure I hit every single great spot for food and fun I could. In Austin I can’t think of a festival that I ever missed while I was there. Take life in. Breathe it in deep and enjoy every second of it. I love New York and I challenge you to love where ever it is that you’re at. And if you can’t think of something to love about where you live then let me know and I am pretty sure I can find something for you…unless you live in Arkansas or Oklahoma.

2nd grade- The worst grade of all

I hate 2nd grade…No really I hate it. For me 2nd grade was the end of the childhood innocence of loving school and the beginning of battling horrible enemies  like fractions and other mathematical villains. Kinder you have nap time and coloring, 1st grade you get some of the fun kinder stuff and get to go over some fun reading and writing stuff but 2nd grade they crush you with math and test and pressure. 2nd grade is pretty much when your whole future ..college , trade school, fast food drive thru worker , homeless guy on the train gets decided I believe.

I spent my 2nd grade living in Houston ,Texas. Which I like to not so lovingly call the armpit of Texas. The place seriously is in need of deodorant or a dome covering it with air conditioning because the place is where I believe humidity was first created or at least perfected. Little known fact about Houston… If you’ve seen Robocop which I believe is part of the criteria to be called an American then you recall how horrible Detroit looked in that movie. Well Detroit was apparently not ugly enough for the film makers so they shot the Detroit city scenes in Houston. The school I went to was pink. Yes I said pink like the same color as that pink sludge that they feed kids at schools these days . In addition to that the school had a fence topped with barbed wire. How’s that for a great school environment.

Atari’s, Computers and Ram Oh My… One thing I did discover during 2nd grade was the wonder of computers.  My cousin Paul (great name right!! ) who was 6 years older than me had a Commodore 64 . It actually ran on floppy disk that were floppy, and a tape deck that had data on the tape and you pressed play and it would run the program. The wonders of technology and 64k of ram!! Paul also had an Atari and was the smartest person in the world to this 2nd grader. I would sit there and watch him play games and type stuff on his computer and print it out on his dot matrix printer. It was the craziest thing ever to me. I had no idea how any of it worked but I wanted it all and  I wanted to be that smart and have all that cool technology stuff. Looking around my apartment I  have the cool stuff but the smarts seem to have escaped me.

A 2nd chance ..My goddaughter starts 2nd grade in a few weeks and unlike me I think she is going to love it. If for no other reason than the fact that there is a good chance that her kinder teacher ( who my wife and I are good friends with) will also be her 2nd grade teacher.  When my goddaughter hears or sees her kinder teacher she gets absolutely giddy and I know she is going to once again be the teachers pet. There is something comforting about knowing the person who is helping to mold our goddaughter at school while we are up here in New York. Everyone has those stories about not liking your kids teachers or thinking they aren’t invested the kids but we don’t have that concern.  So dear friend if you are reading this….let’s just make sure my goddaughter doesn’t hate 2nd grade. 🙂

PostScript.

My cousin Paul mentioned in this post passed away of a heart attack at the young age of 42 just over a month ago. He was in great shape and had two amazing daughters and an amazing wife. My wife and I will be walking with them in a walk in memory of him. If you can please donate. If you cant at least please educate yourself on heart disease so that you can possibly help save a loved ones life

http://heartwalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1002891&lis=1&kntae1002891=48DF5C92FDF444678FD0B1E2D7842478&supId=364466108

Melting Pot or Chunky Soup

With the Olympics getting into full gear I was reminded of one of the first questions I get when I tell New Yorkers I just moved here. “Where are you from?” My answer is usually “Austin “, or “Texas” or “Originally from San Antonio”. This is usually followed by a strange look and a repeating of the question. Then i respond with ” Queens , Astoria” This is again followed by another look and a further more vigorous repeating of the question with the addition of ” What country? ” .Now for those of you from Texas reading this …the rest of the world refuses to acknowledge that we are a country.
Neither my mom or dad are originally from Mexico and I have never even set foot in the country so I would never have thought to identify myself as being from Mexico. As a result this question continues to baffle me and I continue to say Texas. I may begin to say Texican though. My wife and I have been asked if we were Philipino , Mexican , Asian , Puerto Rican and Dominican amongst other things. If the people asking think you are one of them you get a bit better service , a bit bigger serving of food , and an overall friendlier atmosphere at that moment. So it goes without saying that in the past year and a half I have been Philipino, Mexican , Asian, Puerto Rican, and Dominican.

New York is often called the Big Melting Pot but I have discovered it’s more like the Big Bowl of Chunky Soup. People from all over the world live here but they don’t really make huge efforts to “melt” into anything. If anything they tend to look for others from their homelands and settle into those areas, thus creating Little China , Little Italy , Little Russia , Little Egypt , Little Greece , Little India , Little England and so many others . Maybe its the familiarity of someone speaking the language they grew up with and being with others of similar paths but it seems instead of really embracing a melting pot they are taking the chunky soup approach to america. Just like a nice Caldo ( pretty much chunky soup to you non-Texicans) with its multiple types of vegetables and meat the New New York is multiple nationalities not melted together but all separate and adding their own flavor to the bowl creating something wonderful. But to truly appreciate it you have to try to get a spoon full of all the ingredients to truly get the greatness of it all. There is still mistrust and an “us versus them ” mentality that’s out there and as a result people tend to just stay in their neighborhoods and never really experience any “melting”

New Yorkers even originally from New York tend to just stay in their neighborhood and miss out on the greatness that they have at their fingertips. I had a co-worker that lives in Long Island but works with me in Manhattan and a few months ago he decided to walk from work to Penn Station to catch a train home. Now that walk takes you down 5th Avenue and passed Times Square so it’s a walk I love to do. Well the next day he comes in and tells me that he hadn’t walked down those streets in about 15 years and that there was this one area that had all these crazy huge LED displays with video and lights. He was talking about Times Square. A born and bred New Yorker did not recognize Times Square.

Unfortunately I have a lot of other stories like this from co-workers and friends who stare at me in awe when I tell them about their own city and all the things it has to offer. So just remember It’s great to root for your home country during the Olympics and but don’t forget afterwards to get a taste of it all the ingredients next time you have some soup… And if your like me wash it down with a can or two of Big Red.. Mmmm Big Red

Central Park – One park to rule them all

When I told my friends I was moving to New York I heard everything from ” You know that’s where the aliens are going to go and blow us up first at right?” (well at least I won’t have to deal with all the politics of an invasion).” You will get mugged within a month” (which didn’t happen, knock on wood), and” It’s just buildings, you’re going to miss all the trees and nature of Texas.” This is a common misconception about New York and about Texas. Yes, Texas has trees but a lot of it is just undeveloped land that really isn’t a fun place to play in.New York is actually much more rural once you get out of New York City into the rest of the state..but I digress.

Yes Central Park really does have everything …even Unicorns.

There is truly something magical about Central Park. And I am not just referring to the fact that apparently unicorns live there. My first day in New York was all about the awe of the amazing lights and sounds of New York City, the man-made wonder that is Manhattan. My second day however was all about the peace and beauty of what nature had already placed in my new wonderland. A place called Central Park.

I haven’t gone into it too much yet but New York can be a tough town if you’re not quite ready for it. It can make you question your sanity at times but at the heart of the city when nothing seems to be going your way there is Central Park. It’s a calming touchstone that reminds us of the city’s amazing ability to inspire in the midst of chaos. It is a respite from the madness of New York City.

Central Park is a part of all of our collective unconscious. It is both familiar and mysterious. It makes you question how a place so perfect in appearance can even exist in nature much less in the middle of this urban jungle and why more cities don’t create parks like this. It made me redefine what I felt a park should be.

There are some jaded New Yorkers who don’t like Central Park just because they feel it is a tourist spot, but a closer look lets you peek into the perfect blend of all the types of New Yorkers and yes even tourist. You see people like me in suits on the weekdays walking through the park going home or a Tango dance class happening or Big Bird collecting money from tourist for a picture with the large feathered friend and you see people relaxing and taking naps in the park. I have to say taking a nap in the park is one of the best naps ever!! These is something about the soft lush grass in the park that is like a soft perfectly cushy bed.

A marathon is a daunting task and what better place to finish one than in Central Park

In addition to the great napping possibilites , There are people running and biking on the trails at all hours of the day and while I don’t know that I will experience it first hand I can only imagine the feeling of crossing the finish line of the New York City Marathon. I do however know the feeling of riding my bike with about 30,000 of my closest friends through Central Park ( we will save that story for another blog)

It truly is a wonderland

One of the other amazing things about the park is the amount of art dispersed around the park. A favorite is an Alice In Wonderland sculpture that seems perfectly fitted for a place so magical. It brings out the kid in everyone who see’s it as young and old climb it and take a picture of it. There is the beautiful yet tragic Imagine mosaic at Strawberry Fields in honor of the late great John Lennon. The Mosiac seems to have new flowers placed on it everyday by people who want to honor is legacy just a block from where he was sadly killed .

Strawberry Fields is real 🙂

While not what you would normally consider a piece of art the Bow Bridge has always held a very romantic spot in my heart. The first time I saw it in person was on a cold rainy day which somehow seemed to add to the beauty and romance of it.

Bow Bridge- Always pictureque

Then there is Poet’s Walk with it’s statues of poets and authors such as William Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott mixed in with the most amazing trees that serve to create a cathedral like pathway to my favorite area Bethesda Terrace with the Angel of the Waters fountain.

Poets Walk in the fall

Poets Walk in the Winter

Poet’s Walk in the Spring-Summer

Bethesda Terrace

The staircase down to the fountain leads you to an gorgeous open room with beautiful ceiling art work that helps create an amazing acoustics . Next you pass through some columns that frame the fountain and the water. Their is something about the first time you walk down there and see the Angel with with her arms stretched out that just seems to welcome and cleanse. In the summer and spring the water flows gracefully out giving off a cool breeze to refresh on the hottest of New York days. In the fall they fill the fountain with pumpkins for the best pumpkin patch you can imagine. In the winter the fountain is becomes filled with snow and serves as a make shift arena for epic snowfights ( more about that in my upcoming winter blog ).

This is my view every morning when I get off the train to work.

One of the best things about the park for me is that I get to see the park everyday when I go to work since it is where I get off to go to work and catch the train back home. On those rough work days I always know that at the end of the day the park will be there for me to remind me of the beauty of NYC and that a bad day in New York is still a day in New York and for me that always makes it a great day.

What is your Central Park? Is it the park that was near your home growing up ? Or a place you went on vacation?

8 million and 1

They say New York is a city filled with 8 million stories. Here is mine.

My first day in NYC is in April 2009. It’s a cold (by Texas standards) and rainy day in New York City. By any normal standard not a recipe for a great first impression of a city. But this is not any other city. This is New York City . There is something about the way water and rain actually make the city glisten like moonlight on a river.  It’s amazing. It mesmerizes and captivates. It dares you to not fall in love.

The Iridium Jazz Club

As a kid somehow the cars my mom and dad had always seemed to only have an AM radio. As a result ,  I listened to a lot of Les Paul  in the car with my Dad (who passed in 2001) when I was younger. Les Paul invented the solid body electric guitar that helped bring about the rock and roll sound we all know and love. He was an amazing guitar player as well. So when we decided that I would (still reluctantly) be going to New York with my wife for her work trip one of the conditions was that we would get tickets to go see Les Paul who at the time was  94 years old. The second condition was that we would see a Broadway show of my choice. We arrived at the Iridium a famous jazz club that Les Paul had been playing at every monday with his trio for years. He had just gotten out of the hospital and we were watching his first show back. The club only holds maybe 75 people and we were insanely close to the stage. Given that he was just ill and was 94 I wasn’t expecting much but I thought it would be nice to be able to do something I knew my Dad would have loved to have done. I will say that Les Paul put on the most amazing performance I have ever seen by a guitarist and was an amazing storyteller. His storytelling and humor reminded me of my Dad and I was in awe. After the show I got to get his autograph and spend time talking to him and telling him about how my dad and I would drive in the car and listen to him on the AM radio. All those years I hated having to listen to AM but now i was able to share that memory with man who changed music forever.  It was like I was able to bring a piece of my Dad . It was one of his last shows. 4 months later the world lost Les Paul at the age of 94.

This was my first New York moment. I wanted to move.. I wanted to have these moments again and again. It was special.. it was unique. It was something I never knew I wanted until it happened. I wanted…I needed to move to New York.

The Power of Positive Thinking

By the time my wife and I were back in Austin we made up our minds to try to move. We told everyone we were moving. Well, I told everyone we were moving . My wife thought I was crazy. Strangely enough I found a MTA Metro Card ( New York’s Transportation system for trains and buses ) while walking across the Congress Street Bridge shortly after we got back. The expiration date on it was October 31st 2010. I showed it to her and told her that I guaranteed we would be living in New York before that card expired. Again she thought I was crazy.   She wanted to go, but at the moment there was nothing in the sights. That changed October 21st 2009. I saw a posting for an opening for my company in NYC. I called my HR department and told them I would be open for the right opportunity. They said they would be in contact. An hour later they called to set up a phone interview. It went well enough that on November 18th 2009 I was flown to Philly to meet and interview for the job. Two minutes in I was told the job was mine but that he wanted to meet me first. The position wouldn’t start until Jan 2011. I negotiated to arrive October 26th 2010 , 5 days before my self imposed deadline of October 31st.

Oh and as for the second condition, the Broadway play we saw that first trip to NYC was Rock Of Ages which uses nothing but old hairband music( a much better muscial than the film) It’s about two people moving to the big city to find their dreams only to realize that sometimes dreams find you.  I cried at the end and have cried at subsequent viewings of it, not because it was sad but because in that first viewing in 2009 I knew that my dream had found me and one of the last lines captured it all…

” Sometimes the dreams you come in with may not be the dreams you leave with …but hey they still rock “