Weekend in Ohio

A few weekends ago I was in Columbus, Ohio. Mark had a work meeting there for Friday. And I tagged along. I took off from work on Friday and we left on Thursday day evening. We took a flight from Newark airport. And lander in Columbus, Ohio.
We got there pretty late due to the plane traffic. Got there and had to drive an hour from the airport. Was tired hen we got there. After a little meal went to bed. It was 2:30am. Mark had to get up early 6:00am to attend his breakfast meeting. I slept on till 8:30am and got up got ready and went to have some breakfast at the hotel restaurant downstairs. When Mark got back he had to take a nap. when he got up it was 1pm. and we got our self together and head toward Kevin & Greg's place. Kevin was Marks college buddy. When we got to Kevin's place he was there and his dog Ari. Greg was at work. Kevin took the day off for us. It was Friday. Kevin takes us to Chipolte for lunch and then to some thrifts stores and we shopped for some vintage clothes for very good price. I got a cargo shorts for $5 and a gym shorts for a dollar. Best is that i am making good use of the items. We went to some other vintage items stores and i got a vintage spiderman and a 7up bottle. I have the 7up bottle in my work place at the moment with a Chinese bamboo plant on it. It looks nice next to my work desk. When Greg came back we ware hanging out a little and he cooked us a nice meal. We ate at the backyard. It was lovely to eat outside at night.
The next morning after a nice breakfast Mark & I head out to Kings Island an amusement park nearby. We rode many roller coasters and was tired of riding them after a while because it was a very hot day. And the lines ware huge. They did not have any flash card. Oh well. It was fun none the less. By the time we ware done and rode back to Kevin's it was 10pm and we went out to get some food at a Mexican place near by. We ware super exhausted and went to bed. Sunday we had to get up early and after a quick breakfast we took off to the airport and flew back home. It was a smooth ride back compare to getting there. We got back by 12pm and later that evening we went to 718 Sessions at webster hall where we met up with Ramona & John. It was a fun weekend!

hot pink petunias

Saturday Mark & I planted some new flowers in the front little garden area. We went to to the farmers market in Union Square and bougth some hot pink Petunias & Orange Meregolds, from a sweet little old lady. She gave us good deal on the price. They were les expansive then what we bought before. The little garden is smiling in the sun.

My first SLR Camera

Couple of days ago I bought a new camera. My first digital single lens reflective aka "DSLR" Camera made by Cannon. It's a D40. I also purchase a "85mm f/1.8 telephoto" lens referred by my coworker Nate. Although, the lens is good for photographing people and it gives a nice blur effect in the background of the subject it does not have any wide angle. So, Saturday comes and I go back to J&R and exchange that lens with a EF 28-105mm f/ 3.5-4.5 USM lens. This lens is good for a wide range or photography from profile of people, flowers or buildings and nature and it has some zoom as well so this will cover a lot of ground while i get to know my camera more take photos with it and get a feel for what i can do with it. When I went back to J&R I brought a list with me with different lens to figure out which one i like the most. I fell in love with the 70-200 mm Zoom lens and wanted to purchase that one as well but i decided to back away from getting that at the moment. I decided to play with the current lens and get use to the camera first before i should purchase something else. I have not gone out with it as of yet to take photos around the city but i have been shooting a bit with it. I can't wait to get the zoom lens.

El Dia

At work! It's busy. Not my favorite day but oh well... That's Life. Best part of the work day... Met up with Mark for lunch. Went to Pret. Had a chicken cob salad and lobster bisk soup. The soup was so so.. I like their chicken cob Salad. It has blue cheese, dried cherry, sliced pears and thinly sliced grilled chicken. You can pick whatever dressing you choose. I usually pick the Toasted Sesame dressing. But today I forget to grab it. At lunch time pret usually too busy and they rearly have space to sit down. We head to our usual spot for lunch. By the church cemetery at the center under the saints and Jesus sculpture where there is a seating spot. Have our lunch in peace, and then back to work.

4th July Weekend in Chicago

Last weekend I was in Chicago once again. It was the weekend of 4th July. Mark & I went to visit his family. It was his family reunion and I got to meet the rest of the charming group. I met his brother E & C. E's wife, and their two daughters two or three times before. And I met Mark's sister K & K's husband Chuck plus their two son's K & D. Their daughter "A" I have not met until now. They all are a very nice.
I met up with rest of Mark's family. Mark's two other sisters Gale & Sue and their husbands and their kids. Mark's dad's sister and her husband. and Mark's Cousins Anne and Carl and their husband and wife and children's. There was a lot of family members and they all are very sweet. We had a two day family Olympic and we come up with two teams and played some summer games. It was lot's of fun. It was the evening of July 4th. After the games and a delicious meal there was fireworks on the backyard. It was quite fun to watch the fireworks, sitting down in the back porch. The next day, July 5th in the morning Mark & I planed to go to Six Flags Great America with Mark's sister Gale her son Tim, Mark's nephew David & niece Amy. We had a fun time riding roller coasters and got to know David, Tim, Gale & Amy better. Although, Gale was not a big fan of roller coasters and she did not ride any, but Tim, Gales son on the other hand was a big fan of roller coasters. He rode all the rides with much enthusiasm. David and Amy was all up for riding the roller coasters as well. They were both into riding them as much as we were. "Raging Bull" was the best ride and we rode that when we first got to the park and at the end before we left.Anyway, afterward we had to go home and change and get to E & C's place for the rest of the family Olympic and get together. After the games we had a little meal and went to the comfortable basement for a slide show of Mark and his brother's and sisters photos from back in the days. There was some great photos of Mark and his family growing up. From the photos it looks like they all had a nice time growing up. The next day we got ready and Mark dropped me at the Airport. He had to stay one more day to attend a funeral service of a client of his and work in the morning in the Chicago office. I had to get back on time since i had work the next day. Back in New York ad back to reality. It's slow at work at the moment, i guess the economy is slow and that makes the workload slow or maybe cause it's summer time. Not sure whatever the case, it's all good at the moment and I hope things will pick up soon.

718 Sessions Boat Party

On the weekend of NYC gay pride 718 Sessions had an awesome house dance party on a boat. The 718 Sessions parties consists of a very mix crowd. The other alternative for a gay pride dance was on the Pier dance. I went to one of them years ago (luckily i did not had to pay that year) and had a fun time but i would not go back to those party any more due to enormous numbers of muscle heads with their shirts off jumping up and down the crowd.

The 718 Sessions house party on the other hand is what our crew lives for. Mark S. was visiting from the R.O.C. (Rochester) and Our friends Michelle & her GF Emily from San Francisco. It was me, Mark L., Mona, John S., Jamel, Frank and Mark S, Michelle & Emily. At the boat we ran into Imara, Leslie & Daniel (Odvar's friend) at the boat. It was a happy crowd. People were dancing to house and there were performers dressed up in costumes. Danny Krivit was spinning really great tracks and kept the crowd jumping from the get go. There was a DJ booth set up next to the dance floor and we were all dancing just next to Danny Krivit. We can see him right in front of us. His girl friend was next to him, she looked cute. It could not be more live then this. While on the boat we were dancing on the top part of the boat (the roof) and taking a break sometimes at the back of the boat and also dancing on the middle part of the boat to avoid the big crowd. The boat party starts (leaves the dock) at 8pm and returned at 11pm. When we got back on land some split up. But Mark S, Me, Ramona, Jamel & Mark L made our usual trip to a dinner to make a proper end to the evening the burger and the french fries tested specially good after a night of dancing fiercely.

Did you just walk out with my iPod?

Thursday after work Bill & I meet up at the Crunch gym so we can work out together. Bill wanted to meet up at 7pm. I get there at 6:30pm and start my stretching exercise and run on the treadmill. By the time i got on the treadmill Bill shows up. We chit-chat about this and that. And we go downstairs and work on our bicep and deltoids muscle. We run into one of Bill's ex, his name is Oats. It turns out one of Oats good friend Yoshi knows Odvar. It's a small gay world after all. Anyway, after some conversation Bill & I work on our hamstrings for a little and decide it's time to call it quits. We go upstairs to change. While i am changing I notice. A big mussel dude changing in front of me. Bill stops by saying he is not changing he is going like this on his gym shorts and t-shirt. I was on back on my work clothes and hot. So i decide to change back to my gym shorts and sleeve less semi t-shirt. And meet Bill up stairs before heading down the stairs and out the door to get a bite to eat at Paquito's (a Mexican restaurant at the east village with outdoor seating space) We are on the stairs and I notice the big mussel guys comes up the stairs from downstairs and says "Did you just walk out with my ipod?" I'm like what nerve this guy have accusing me like that. And he has the nerve to ask me to open my bag and show him my ipod to make sure i am not lying. I was shocked at the situation and to avoid more drama I open my bag pocket and show him that it's my iPod nano not his. He even had the nerve to make it turn around to see if his name was etched on it. He tells me he is not accusing me. I tell him "You are accusing me" but whatever. Funny thing is, a couple of months ago I found an ipod on the locker room while i was working out with Mark S. and we both decide that it would be good karma to give it to the lost and found. I felt violated from this guys reaction toward me. Just because he lost his iPod does not mean he has the right to accuse just anyone he thinks looks suspicious. This guy needs to get a life. If this is the attitude he has toward his fellow human beings he won't go far in life. After the little incident Bill & I have a nice meal at Paquitos at their outdoor eating space and by the end of our meal this incident becomes history just as the meal.

Rooftop shindig

Saturday was Gay Pride in NYC. I am tired of going to the lgbt parade after being there years after year. This year I decided not to attend and i think i picked the right year because it rained in the afternoon while the parade was in motion. I needed my sleep from staying up very late on Friday night. When I got up, i ordered some breakfast from Barking Dog. An Egg white with cheese & tomato on a toasted whole wheat bread. A small coffee and I was craving home fries but they forgot to include them when my order came. Oh well... Mark went to had brunch with his friend Mark Solan. Mark Solan came back to the apartment after and said hello which was very nice of him. He says we should plan a trip to the Coney Island next week after work sometimes to ride the Cyclone and have beers at the boardwalk. Later when Mark got back we both cleaned up our place and got ready for the rooftop party. We threw a rooftop house party in the evening, for Our friends who were visiting from Rochester, NY & San Francisco, CA. Later in the evening everyone came. Our friend JH & FS where the first to show up and helped us set up. Next came MS and we were ready to put up the lights on the roof top. We hooked up the speakers next and brought the beers up stair. The place was set for a party. Rest of the guests came little by little. It was fun to see all my good friends at one place. And catch up with them chatting and dancing. I realized you can never have a large amount of time with one person in a party like this. But i love when all of us there and getting along with everyone. The evening ends around 1:30 or 2 am and we were preety satisfied with the turn out. I love summer in NYC.

Dawn Till Dusk

The day starts as any other. Woke up. Went to work. After work, gym. Then met up with M.S. in Union Square. He was visiting New York from Rochester. He wanted to check out the pier. So we take the M14 bus and get off at 9th Ave. I was a little hungry so we go for a quick bite and pint a the Automatic Slims restaurant in the meat packing district. It's a cute bar restaurant with a small menu and good sandwiches. The fries were not bad either. After a little chat and catching up we head out to the pier. It was a nice evening. We make a quick round around the board walk, watch some pier kids kiki... pass by the dug out bar and get a glimpse of the bears (big belly GM) having their beers. We walk down Christopher street and walk to 8th Ave & 14th Street to catch the L train to Brooklyn. On the walk to the train we run into O's friend Carlos and Tawfiq & Richard Austin a blast frm the past. We to head to J.C. & RMC's place. We meet up with T.N., O.L., Ariel & the rest of the crew. After a fun hang out. M.S, RMC, O.L. & me head to Sugerland in williamsburg. After some dancing and chilling M.S. gets a call from his friend Dan W. he invites us to a house party in Bushwick where we spend the rest of the night till the next morning. I could not leave due to these wild girls and boys staying up and partying all night long. Also I was not sure where i was and there was no cab around. So I had to stay out with these party hungry gurrls. LOL. Afterward, we crash at R.M.C's place and woke up around 11:30 am and I take the train back to Manhattan and they head to Reese beach in Brooklyn with Dan W. It was a wild evening filled with entertainment and good way to catch with M.S. & RMC.