Broke up with Corrie, and spent the last 6 weeks or so in Austin.  I probably will be back in  Atlanta in 6 weeks, working local company for 6 months, maybe with a new-hire in tow.   There are some other, terrorizing possibilities out there. Things have calmed down, but I put in ~80 a week for 4 weeks.

I ended up getting a half-caf cappuccino shorty after posting yesterday and my headache went away in 3o minutes.

I know I have always been caffeine sensitive, but only in that it would push my usual sleep time back an hour if I drank it in the afternoon.  However,  these withdrawal headaches probably came to be because not only had I been drinking two strong cups every day for the last couple of weeks, but also there were a couple of days where I had three. On those days I knew I had drank too much.   I think I'll probably revert back to 'only on the weekends' for a while, and then gently up the dose to a 8 ounces a day once I hit Austin. I ought to find a good decaf, since most of the time its the delicious bitterness I want, not the pep.But i have been chasing drip perfection for so long, I can't stand compromise.  Then again, I am half set on using Austin to get into the mythical BSOML (Best Shape of oh nevermind), so maybe I will ditch the caffeine and go full-on zone.  Who knows.


Congratulations are in order to Trent and Patsy, for having a beautiful baby Girl. I need to  heed my own admonishments, and spend more time with friends like these.
Speaking of Trent and Being busy:   Work has me teaching a Bookcamp, and as I was preparing I got to thinking about great consultants. And though I suspect he has weaknesses, I have never found Trent's.

Also, congratulations to Mike G for qualifying for the crossfit games after all (insert Backdoor joke here, or the  go-to "sliding into cougar's spot" quote).
The combination of events looked particularly grueling.

My own training is dogedly surviving new york: Last week I Pulled 475lbs 5 times and could have done more, except I was playing around with this new concept called responsibility. Today I pulled 450 once, quite easily, and 475 once uglywise, because I responsibility is for grumps (If you can't lift the horsepower of your muscle-car, you have too much car, trent).   The Cabin has a Medicine ball, jump rope and Olympic rings, so last weekend I did 5 rounds of 20 doublunders, wallballs, ring-pullups, and pushups (19:55).

Of course, after deadlifts I can never fall asleep, so I  am dog food today (That's right, I blamed the Deadlifts, not the Sazerac (did I mention that) or the Cappuchino. Internal consistancy is for poofs)



 

New York Part two:

At the Macao Trading Company, after having just sat down and ordered a drink I checked the bartender as he turned to make my negroni, and began explaining the modifications needed to make a “Charlotte’s Negroni”. Mid instruction he started to get distracted by happenings to my right.  I turned to see what could be so important, and saw that the woman next to me was oscillating between speechless and  gesticulation.  Though improbable, I quickly guessed that she must be Charlotte (or at least a close friend).   Eventually she overcame her fear of sounding pompous and confirmed that she was the inventor of the drink I had just ordered.

That’s a fairly remarkable coincidence.

Shortly after this, another Brand Ambassador, this one from the competing Pernod and Rickard line, sent over a Plymouth and Tonic.  
 Apparently there were many Cocktail related events in town that week and the party was moving on to Milk and Honey.  But before they left we spoke briefly about some of my favorite barmen: Rob, Borys, Big Bearded Dude at Berretta, Greg and Nick in Atlanta.

The Food at Macao is Adventurous and tasty. The Bartenders are very friendly. Definitely my go-to bar this trip.

That was the end of that week.  The next week began with a ran up the west side of the island, a long walk back, which included some street basketball (spectator) and more Grey’s papaya.  I had a late sandwich one night , and Bar Artisinal at the hotel another, and Macao Trading on the last.

This week I have eaten at Les Halles, which is fine I guess, and probably more than that for locals.   Not what I was in the mood for, but I didn’t know what else I would find in the area, and wasn’t in to mood to roam on a long Monday.

My hotel is on Wall Street, which (I think) is going to make exploring harder. I doubt I have the will for it.   I have had a very minor headache since Sunday.

All weekend Corrie and I were up at the cabin gardening or otherwise outfitting the place. Somehow along the way we went through a fifth of Bonded Rittenhouse.   Her’s with Ginger ale, mine with Cinzano Sweet Vermouth and Angostura orange bitters(Also there were 3 60minute Ales, and a glass of muscadine wine).    Of course, I am both fortunate enough to never get hangovers (and stupid enough to brag about it), but I have had a headache since Sunday.   I also had the slight bit of a chill that evening, so this could be some sort of virus, but I suspect it is Caffeine Withdrawals. Cool.

I have been drinking more coffee more consistently since I got to New York, and Sunday was my first day without it.  I  am currently deliberating between having a cup now just to see if the headache goes away (and if so getting a workout in) or riding it out the rest of the way (which may result it aggravating it further this evening if  I try to train).

I do feel that this, my first case of withdrawal, makes me more legit (keeping it real yo), but having finished season two of Breaking bad, I shouldn’t make light of stuff like that.

Breaking Bad, Season 2 was harsh and excellent.  Corrie and I also watched Doubt and Seven Pounds. Both movies were better than the swill we normally watch.  Doubt was near perfect, but I have such a short fuse when it comes to Catholicism as it is portrayed in movies that I could hardly relax. Seven Pounds was thinky, and antiusual. Will Smith was perfect in it, but I think he was a miscast none the less: It was way too distracting watching him play that character. I felt that the musical score was heavy handed too. I actually have a lot of quibbles with the artsy-fartsy direction but ultimately the story, as it was written, was always going to be difficult to make a movie out of.   I did enjoy it and I enjoy it more the more I think about it.






 

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 Pacqi really is incredibly.    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.