The Sleepy Domain

So, I really like spicy foods. Me and my father are always looking for the tastiest, hottest product out there. Spicy mustard is especially our favorite - we once had some insanely delicious and hot mustard in a restaurant in new york, but never managed to find it in stores. We always find mustards that appear to be good, and they are indeed tasty, but they just aren't perfect.

Well... Lately I have been in the market for a tasty hot sauce with maximum hotness. I tried many different brands, but nothing was quite hitting it. A few days ago I was at the 3rd ave garden getting some dinner, and I stumbled upon a bottle that looked promising...

( read on, for the exciting end )

Dell Support rocks my socks.

One of the top reasons I got my dell was because of the customer service. They do their job very well, and every single time that I need to use it, it seems they get better. Since they got their chat service, I never call them anymore. When I need something bad enough that I have to call dell about it, it means that I know EXACTLY what is wrong and what I want.

So, my fan and heatsink were underperforming, causing my computer to heat up. I chatted online with dell, and within 10 minutes the guy on the other end had arranged for a package to be sent to me with the replacement parts. (I did not want to send my computer in for repairs, since that would have cost me about a week without my computer.)

I did all the work myself. It was scary, it was long, but it was super exciting. I had never seen a laptop computer completely dismantled before.

( Click for cool/nerdy pictures )

So... I played poker last night in east harlem at george's house, but I just couldn't get a big stack going. I won a few nice pots, but at the same time I lost the same amount... I played with a few new people and its always hard to judge them. I usually have an instinct for what people have but its hard when you've never seen them play.

stay tuned for more poker happenings.

Oh farts and butts...

Not even 6 months after I got it, I completely scratch up my ipod. I am so pissed off. I was on my way to Alice and Monica's house for a game of poker. I had a show that night, so I left the theater as soon as my piece was over so I could make it to poker in time. Well, the trip took more than an hour, most especially because of the stupid trains not running and buses being full and a bunch of other crap. I was really pissed off when I got off the A train (which stopped at 145th St, I needed to go to 175th) to transfer to the C. I was running up the stairs, and the cord of my headset caught something, pulled the ipod out of my pocket. It fell on the concrete stairs JUST as my foot landed on top of it AS I was running up the stairs. This made a ugly sounding crunch sound, and when I picked up my ipod I wanted to cry. I love my electronics and I hate seeing them get hurt. This pains me.

( click for the sad pictures )

On the plus side, I made $90 at poker. I played fairly solidly, and, as always, got really lucky. Two huge hands got me most of my cash... Including three people going all in with mostly crap and some draws, while I had a pair of Kings. My kings held up through the turn and the river to win a pot about of about $60. Later on in the game, I had pocket Aces, which I played somewhat slow (bet $1 before flop.) The flop came out A, K, blank. Turn came K, River came blank. I had a house, Aces full of Kings. The best full house possible. The only way anyone could beat me was if they had pocket Kings, but I slow played my Aces after the flop and no one pushed with the kings until the turn, so I figured pocket kings were highly improbably. Tamir went all in with a set of kings... he had no idea I had aces, since I was slow playing them. I won it all.

At our most recent game of poker, Jim looks like a tard by wearing his helmet for most of the game... Dont ask, just look:

Heh, here's a sign that the wine shop right next to my apartment has up recently: I got a kick out of it.

Ugg... I got hit with one of the oldest tricks in the book. My roommate put a rubber band around the spray nozzle in the kitchen sink, and aimed it forward.

It was 8am when, still completely trashed from my Saturday night of drunken debaucheries, I stumble into the kitchen to begin my hangover avoidance technique of a glass of water every few hours. All I wanted was some hydration and a safe return to my warm bed. Instead I was introduced to a pressurized jet of cold-ass water, joined by complete confusion. It certainly did not help that I was indeed still wasted, for I fell to the floor and started an uncontrollable laughter instead of turning off the water. I had myself a royal giggle fest on the kitchen floor, accompanied by an impromptu shower.

Props to my roommate. She managed in pulling off a simple, yet highly effective April fool's day prank.

Its a pretty cold day today, but walking outside made me incredibly happy. It's saint patrick's day, everyone is wearing green, people are drunk already, and there is newfallen snow on the ground.



This is Rupert Park, which is right next to my apartment




This is 91st street, one block north of my street. All the kids were out, sledding down the closed street.

Its a very joyful day today.

But here's yet another tiny step you can do that may help in the end.

Go to this site,
http://www.algore.com/cards.html

Fill in your name, email, zip, and write a small note that is in your own voice: it increases the impact of the postcard. Something like "I do my part in the fight against global warming, but there is only so much I can do." (and, if your representative is already pushing for bills against global warming, write something like) "I know you do a lot already, but I please try your hardest to persuade all the other skeptical members of congress." (Or if your rep is some southern republican white dude elected mostly through big corporations who would hate to see legislature pass earth-and-life-saving bills, try) "Mister, you have GOT to start seeing the fact that this problem is no longer avoidable. Please stop hurting America, and make the fight against global warming one of your TOP priorities. I and MANY of your constituents will praise and respect you for it. Because honestly, I don't have much respect for you right now."

Or something similar. BUT DO IT DO IT DO IT! every little thing helps! This will take 45 seconds of your time!

Al Gore will deliver these postcards to congress on March 21st. You have 3 days.

So, about three months ago I left my sports/suit jacket at the John Ryan theater in brooklyn. It's quite a long ways away, and by the time I realized that's where I had left it, it was a week later. I was sure that it was gone by then. I was kinda sad, but thats life. I mostly forgot about it, and went on with my life.

In December, I went back home to Portland. I needed to look spiffy and posh one night, so I look in my closet, and lo-and behold, my jacket is in there. Now, I am completely baffled at this point, and check the jacket a dozen times, but in the end convinced that it was mine. It was my GAP blazer, the one that my grandpa bought me a year ago, the one I thought I had with my in New York. (let me point out that I ever only had TWO such suit jackets. One that I bought at a goodwill some years ago but really quickly lost, and this one that my grandpa bought) I thought nothing more of it, and happily wore that jacket around town. At the end of my vacation, I realized I needed a blazer in new york, so I brought it back with me.

Just a couple days ago, I go to the john jay theater in Brooklyn to help a friend and be in her show, and what in the world do I find in the lost and found bin? My fucking blazer. Now my mind just does a couple back flips, because my blazer is in my bag which I brought with me, but it is ALSO in the lost and found. I know they are both mine because they are both my size, and I still had that nagging feeling that indeed I did forget my jacket at the theater all those months ago. I look at them closely, they are both GAP. They are both mine, both the same color, and pretty much identical in material.

Which brings me to my question: If I only ever received ONE gap jacket, how come there are TWO in my possession? I am truly baffled, because for once in my life I cannot explain what is going on.

(x-posted to myspace)

Wednesday such as it was planned was a clear day for me. A quick trip to the airport, a painless 6 hour flight, followed by my imminent return to my apartment. I was looking forward to my home sweet home. This homebound excitement, however, soon turned horribly south as a lurid fog descended upon me, and my plans turned ill. Please, dear reader, I invite you into my lovely Wednesday.

At the crack of dawn, (more like the 'lower back' of dawn- the cockcrow was still hours away,) I rouse from my slumber, with an instinctive flair for what was lying ahead: New York City. My sleepy self hit the snooze a maximum two times, as opposed to the standard five or six. My mother, being the responsible and caring mother that she is, had gracefully offered to drive me to the airport. We set off 45 minutes earlier than planned, for the snowy roads and icy temperatures have us full of anxiety about the condition of the drive. An uneventful hour later, which included a stop at my place of business to retrieve my jacket which I had carelessly left there the previous day, we arrive at Portland airport. I am 30 seconds from leaving the car when I feel my pocket vibrate. At 5:30 am, I knew that this couldn't be good. The fog had arrived.

( Continue reading )

Well we get to Amy's apartment and call her again to confirm where the bar is. She tells becca (the one taking directions on the phone) where it is, and becca relays the directions to me: "EAST of amy's apartment, on christopher street between bleecker and west 3rd." I'm like "oh, i know where christopher street is... its west of here!" but becca insisted that amy said east, and im starting to doubt my geography... I dont come down in this neighborhood often so I could have my landmarks completely off. We start heading east, passing macdougal, sullivan, thompson, wooster, greene, mercer... We finally hit broadway, and at that point I think (outloud:) "um, after broadway it goes lafayette, 4th ave, bowery, 2nd ave, 1st ave, then A ave, B ave, C ave, D ave, and then its the river. Christopher is DEFINATELY not this way." We ask people walking along, and it turns out no one knows exactly where christopher is... they all mention "I think" and "maybe." So we start heading back west, and after asking many people, and 20-30 minutes of walking we finally make it to christopher street. Although it does intersect with bleecker, there is no sight of west 3rd, and more importantly, no sight of the bar. I tell becca to call amy AGAIN to confirm where this damn place is, and nonchalently amy informs us that its on THOMPSON ST!!! WHICH IS EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE!!

Remember that at this time both me and becca are carrying arround our HUGE dance bags cuz we had performed that night. But I disgress...

After another 30 minutes of walking, we finally get to this bar, which turns out is completely packed full, the waiters are yelling at me because I can't put my bag anywhere, the music is so loud we can't hear anyone... After 15 minutes I decide I can't take it so I duck out. Thank god a few others joined me, and eventually everyone who was in there exited. We decided to go to another bar, called 1849, which is just arround the block. We get there, and this place is much less full. However, when I try to get in, the bouncer doesn't allow me BECAUSE I CANT BRING A BAG! AGGG! Fortunately amy lived just arround the corner, so I dropped off my bags. We get back to the bar/club and its me, amy, and everett. everett and amy go in, but I'm not allowed in cuz "i don't have a date with me." wtf!? I finally convince him that the birthday that is being celebrated includes about 3 girls for every guy, so he lets me in.

At least inside was nice, I stayed until past 2am, we got the dance party going, it was GOOD. so all is well that ends well...

now I can't decide if its
a) amy who cant GIVE directions, or
b) becca who cant TAKE directions.

I think its the latter...

crazy saturday, yo... actually, crazy week in general... here's what happened: I got into a dance company, I met a really cute girl, I danced in 3 shows, and I saw many people that I hadn't seen in about a year.

Yesterday looked like it was gonna be a fairly relaxing saturday. Woke up at 1, had a shower, and then ran to rehearsal at Sal Anthony's. From there me and Kaoru went to go get lunch, then we hopped on the subway to go to dumbo. There we spaced the piece, warmed up, and ultimately performed it. After my show, I stayed and watched the next show after mine, because people I knew were dancing in it. From there, a group of us walked to this really swanky restoraunt, but it was way over budget for me an a few others, so we went to Grimaldi's pizza. The line to get into this pizzeria was about 100 people long, so we went to pete's tavern. plates were again in the $20 range, so we walked another 20 minutes to another pizzeria which was less crowded. Then we went to the blue pig, a homemade ice cream store where they had pumpkin icecream.

I don't know whos bright idea that was, but then we walked all the way from DUMBO, accross the brooklyn bridge, and all the way over to the AC subway stop. I was walking back with becca, who was in the show as well, and we both had our HUGE dance bags. We were going to a bar to celebrate our friend Amy's 21st b-day, and becca talked to amy on the phone and got directions that the bar was on christopher street between bleecker and west 3rd. Well we get to Amy's apartment and call her again to confirm

fuck... i just realized im really late, i was supposed to meet someone at 4:00 and its 4:17 allready.

ill finish the story later.

I cleaned my room today. It looks so awesome, and very different from what it used to look like. I also did my laundry, which hasn't been done since August 25th. It was in desperate need to be done. It got done by the fact that I got up at 7:30 this morning to take the bus back to the city. (I took a little weekend trip to new jersey, which was very much needed- I havn't had quiet and suburbs in a really long time.)

So my room is clean, the floor isn't dusty, and it smells like "blossoms and breeze" now. Its actually kind of weird to be able to locate my keys, wallet, cell phone, money, etc. without having to spend 5 minutes rumaging through the mounds of crap on my desk. Well done, Eric! Well done.

In other news, I'm broke. But thats not really news, since it's pretty much constant.

So... I though this was funny. get this...

There are a grand total of 12 people in my near blood family ('near' includes cousins and great-aunts.) As of now, half of them are in switzerland. This is where the other half is:
I am in NYC,
My sister in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
My dad is in Prague, Czech republic
My mom is in Namibia, Africa
My grand-pa is in Ontario, Canada
My aunt is in Canbera, Australia.

What a nutso family I have. I didn't even know my dad was in europe until today.

In the CITY, muthafuckas!

I forgot my cell phone in the super shuttle, but managed to find someone with a cell phone on the street (who was willing to stop and let me use it) and fortunately there was this dude who was getting dropped off at one of the NYU dorms still on the van, and he grabbed it for me.

It could have been REALLY bad... my computer, phone, and camera are my 3 most treasured posessions and I would be most sad to loose any of those.

Lets see... friday night was an insanely amazing party, I slept about 2 hours... then on saturday I think i took a 1 hour nap, and left at midnight- on the plane i slept maybe 4 hours. So in the past 2+ days, I've had ... not a lot of sleep. I'm a zombie.

Tonight I'm gonna go watch 'the descent' with kaitlin, its real good to see her again-- its been 4 friggin months!

heh... driving to the east side last night, got pulled over. didn't get a ticket. this pushes my record of being pulled over to getting a ticket 7 to 1. a pretty good deal if you ask me! but i did get slightly paranoid that my luck was gonna run out. hasn't yet! yesssssss.

this is posted on my myspace page as well.... but, you should take this quiz about me... See how much you know. I feel like only my sister will get the full 100%, but try it out anyway.

clickey clickey!

HOLY SHIT! IM GONNA MELT!

So at about this time last year, I was looking for my wallet. My Crocodile skin wallet that I keep not my bank cards and driver's license in, but my airline milage cards, all the buisness cards of people and dance companies, ID cards to places, my hollywood video and tower records membership cards, a phone card, my swiss bank account debit card, grocery store membership cards.. a SHIT load of things.

I kept looking for this damn wallet every single time I was in Portland- I even called my parents when I was in NY to have them look for it. Christmas break i looked for it all the time, couldn't find it anywhere... When I came back a month ago, again I searched my entire room, top to bottom (at my dad's house.) I didn't find it, so I gave up on it. I thought it was lost for good.

Today, I was looking for a tape in my moms room, and i pull up a CD to look for the tape, and LO and BEHOLD, MY WALLET IS UNDERNEATH. I screamd and jumped and laughed and was amazingly happy.

ahh... thas all