No time to write,  none to proofread. Good luck

 

New York First Week:

Got off the plane in New York at  8:00 AM, with eyes cringed by sleep and dry contacts. The cabbie drove like he was trying to be the quintessential NY Cabbie, but lacked the skill and even the common low courtesy of NY Finest, so instead came off like a drunk slow-witted Floridian.  Asshole. It’s hard for me to not give a tip, but I didn’t.

 

Checked in and had lunch at the very southern Kitchenette who served me a comforting bowl of chili and a decent but obviously bulk-prepared sandwich. Both items together comprised the well priced bleu plate special so the uninspiring sandwich was forgivable.

 

That night, for dinner, I had good food and friendly service at Blue Ribbon, which was recommended to me the bartender at Pegu club.   Pegu club had served me a Kill Devil, which I think is made with Rum, Chatruese and demara syrup, though none of those ingredients explain why the drink reminded me  of terra pan atomic fireballs.  Frankly I don't see how that drink doesn't immediately evaporate at room temperature, or explode when agitated. It was too strong for me, and too string to follow with any more alcohol.     Blue ribbon served up some sardines and steak tartar. Neither was exceptional but the bartenders and bar conversation was friendly.  

 

In the morning, after walker across Tribeca I stopped in to Kaffee 1668 for coffee, which was excellent. I go there about twice a day now. They do the cup-o-drip to order, and though a machine helps, they care enough to agitate the grounds once or twice themselves. Or maybe they only did that because I was looking.  Either way, the nice, expensive, and addictive cup of coffee, found on my first try, after a tired slow, and forgettable night, revived me and my sense of epicure destiny.

 

 

The  night I got served a shaken, bitterless Sazerac at Bar Artisinal, which lies beneath my hotel.  Thank got there were no bitters: Their absence allowed me to refuse the frothy abomination.  It was the bartender’s first night so I will withhold judgment on their bar. The food was good: Lamb Neck Bolognese was everything you would think and the Sea Urchin Custard was well done.

 

The next night I took a walk to Sotto that night and tried to cash in my ‘I ate here when here was Atlanta” chips, but the currency has expired.  The Sea Urchin wrapped in Sword Fish was good enough to make me cry.  The Soup was nowhere near as good as I remember it: I think it was slightly burned. Still, that Urchin may have been the best bit of ‘sushi’ I have ever had.

 

I couldn’t afford to eat a full meal there so I walked across town to Lombardi’s and order a small pizza which I ate out of the box on the long walk back to the hotel.   My shirt changed from white to red somewhere along the way and I nearly foundered on the pie, which was very good by not great, and not as good as C&B’s was at its best, but I really can’t complain.

 

The next night I took a nauseous cab back to LGA for an Angry Whopper and flight home.

 

Week Two (till date):

 

 

Had some good empanadas during the lunch hour at a NYC chain. Raul's, I think it was called. If not for the Gluten binge that this trip is turning into I would go back for more.

 

For dinner I stumbled into Ivo & Lulu: Which is well priced French-Caribbean with a neighborhood vibe that feels but looks nothing like Orlando’s Bravisimmo.    Ivo is small, red, and did I say small? It’s BYOB, which explains why the locals love it.

 

Tuesday night I walked tow miles up to Crossfit NYC, where they treated me like an Engine in a motor oil commercial. ( 400 feet of weighted lunges carrying 75 lbs, 80 pull-ups wearing a 30lb vest, and 120 24’’ box jumps).  I slogged back to  TriBeCa, fighting viscosity breakdown and my pouting right leg, stopping into Grey’s Papaya for the recession special.  Those dogs, all the way, and that juice,  papaya, probably saved my life.

 

That night I went to bed early, fearing a midnight raid of calf and foot arch cramps, but Corrie woke me up and afterwards I couldn’t get back to sleep. So I walked back to Pegu, thanked the bartender for the blue ribbon  recommendation, had some excellent Chicken Lolipops (jumped up honey bbq buffalo wings),  downed a well formed Sazerac, and then went back to sleep.

 

Tonight it is Macao Trading Co. It’s close to the hotel and I need to get to sleep early.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fight that I mentioned Between Atlanta's Kevin "The Kingpin" Johnson and Monte "two guns" Barrett has been seriously upgraded.  Barrett has been replaced by Devin Varagas, who like Johnson is undefeated and a legitimate prospect.. Fights like this just don't happen under normal circumstances in boxing, because boxing sucks.  Not  between undefeated prospects, not on regular tv.   This only happened because Barrett pulled out of the fight, and Vargas , who was supposed to fight some tomatocan agreed to fill the void before his manager could intercede.  I assume.

So this is fight , free on espn2 this Friday, between two guys with a combined record of forty-something and zero.  Both with skills. In truth I know little about Vargas, he is white, 17-0 and was the captian of the 04 olympic team.

You're all invited over to watch. Seriously, expect a phone call soon, telling you what to bring.

So Manny Pacqiao really is incredible.    I think Hatton froze up realizing that he had no business trying-out new skills in the ring with Manny, and consequently got beat worse that he would have not preparing at all.    Had he come in as himself he would have got beat badly too, but not that bad.   Manny is really good.    The fight went as I saw it going actually, which is why I was silent on the matter. (Don't believe me if you don't want to).

Kevin the Kingpin Johnson, Atlanta's   best Heavyweight is fighting his first big-name opponent on May 15h, the oft beaten Monte Barret. Still if Kevin wins,  big fights are around the corner.  The hype around Kevin is that he is big, in shape, and in possesion of the pretiest jab in the game. Unfortunately, he only has a handful of knockouts.

David Haye is fighting Klitchko soon too.   The heavyweights are starting to look interesting  for the first time in ages, but the fight everyone is looking forward to is between junior welterweights Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd.   Ricky is the underdog again, but maybe a good bet given his comfort in that weight class.

Speaking of weight,  Fructose sweetening of beverages might be worse than glucose sweetening.    

The Cabin is Built. 

The working title is "A River Repose" , though I know my Dad hates it.    His is "A river retreat" and I think the names work well.  But what do I know.

Corrie will be doing the landscaping whilst going to Georgia Tech in the fall. 

Got shot up something fierce in paintball a few weeks ago. Anyone wants to play, let me know.

Arm Wrestling is on a brief Hiatus due to the eminent crossfit games.  Southern Regionals are this weekend.  Good luck CFATL! I did a workout  with Ken and Mike last week and they looked great.   Beating my new PR in Helen (8:30) by at least a minute each. 
  (3 rounds of 400 meter run, 21 55lb kettlebell swings, 12 pullups)

still, I think I can take them in rope climbing and jump rope, which are the only two true measures of fitness.

This may be the last post ever on the slowdown, cause dumbass let the domain expire.   I repurchased it  (No bar conglomerate picked it up) but will probably have to redo everything.  Oh well, it was past time.

After reading about it here the Last Word became an Instant Favorite.  In fact, it, Charlotte's Negroni, and the trusty Sazerac (No link needed)  have achieved some separation from the field.

Kingsley Amis's "Everyday Drinking" is superb English writing, and on the subject of Drink. Amen.

My Armwrestling forays continue apace.

The Cruise was great.

Brian Regan Saturday!

busy.

Crazy busy.  And amidst this business I am starting an arm wrestling club, building a cabin
(Dad's doing most of that) going on a cruise (all me and corrie), watching unbelievably good boxing matches (Marquez v diaz)

I've got stuff to say about it all, but cant.

I watched Son of Rambow  last night while nursing corrie back to health.  I really liked it and though its not perfect I have trouble following the criticisms of it.  Lots of heart.
I also like the old spice "that's two-thingsism" comercial, so be warned.

Tallest Man on earth and Fleet foxes are all the new music I have listened to lately, though I did listen to the entire Vic Chesnut Catalog the other day while working. That was cool.

Anyhow, work is taking all my time.  

later

I just have to say this. The "politics of fear" line that is always used against Republicans is complete and total rubbish. It's fantasy concocted by liberals who have no attachment to reality and instead base their politics on stereotype older that scotch tape. It's fucking crap.    Bush battled threats real and dangerous, but never traded on fear."Go Shopping", "Call this number if you see something suspicious",  yeah, he was a real monster.   The closest thing he ever came to sounding an alarm was in his last days, confronting this economic crisis.   Obama's Economic Collapse speach  has set new marks on the hysteria meter, well above any Bush notched. Heck, obama has even threatened the record, claimed by Gore and all the Climate change cum Global Warmers Crowd.

Does this mean my Obama credits are being spent?  Not really. Like I said, 'the polics of fear' angle is crap. I  might have disagreed with Bush, and I might disagree with Obama, but I am not going to pretend that strong language is veboten, or a sign of corruption.

My oppinion of Obama remains unchanged: He's a liberal:  Theer is no such thing as a modern liberal who doesn't want so spend whatever they can in a depression. To dock him for that is, once again, double counting.. But just as I haven't been posting lately, nor have I been watching.