theLaconic

I need a break

And luckily I have just booked one. My Christmas break.

I'm off to see my friend Nigel in San Francisco for two whole weeks. Oh yes I can't wait. Some drinking, relaxing, eating and snowboarding in Lake Tahoe.

I get the feeling that I am going to be working right up until the day I leave, which is a bit of a bummer. And if today is going to be any measure of the days to come, I'm not really looking forward to these three to four weeks but if I look on the bright side (which you must) the days will just shoot by.

On a side note, who is reading this blog? I get on average 20 visitors per day which surprises me but then again I am surprised I am still writing it.

Can I get a role call of all the people who have visited here in the comments section of this post. Just leave your name, cryptic or otherwise. Think of it as market research.

Mexican fusion

The worst restaurant I ever been to, was a little restaurant of Sheperds Market in London.

We had been in Hyde Park on a warm summers day and had retired to the pub for some light heavy refreshment, after a few jars it became apparent that we needed nurishment. So we looked around the locale and found, what looked like a nice little restaurant.

Oh, was I wrong. Polish food was never meant to be merged with Mexican cuisine. In the end it turned out to be quite fun because it was so bizarre and disturbing but probably because we were quite drunk.

So, I never eat in fusion restaurants, especially when it's Polish Mexican fusion.

That was until now.

On Friday night I found a local French Mexican fusion restaurant via the internets. And it was really good. For some reason, (mainly the chef's I imagine) the food was excellent.

It was perhaps the smallest restaurant I have ever eaten in, being smaller than my apartment but that added to the experience. Needless to say, I will be returning probably sooner than later.

So never say never, especially when it comes to Mexican fusion cuisine. Although I'm still to be convinced about the Polish side of things.

Another parade

I didn't actually go to The Macy's Thanksgiving day parade because it started at 9am. But I did watch a little bit of on TV, does that count?

From the look of the photos it was a bit busy, oh well I will have to stay around for another year.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

So therefore I'm not at work. I get a few days off.

For that, I give thanks.

All quiet on the western front

So the last of my guests for this year (or does someone plan to surprise me?) have departed. And I have the apartment back to myself, ok Neil does come around now and again on the weekend (especially since I have got Halo2 on the xbox).

Work has picked up the pace again, I have only 3 weeks to design and deploy a microsite and banner campaign for one of our major clients. If I stopped to think about it I think I would panic but years of experience have taught me to ignore it and get on with the job in hand.

Apart from work I am looking forward to a quiet week of doing very little and eating the chocolate that Hannah bought me. Oh I forgot to say its Thanksgiving this week - work finishes at lunchtime on Wednesday, \o/ yippee.

Rock and rolling

This weekend Hannah is in town, well to be precise she arrived on Thursday evening ladened with green and black chocolate and vodka (by my request). The vodka is for drinking and the chocolate is for girl bait - English chocolate is far better than the US stuff and has so far proved to be a good addition to my striking good looks and English charm and grace - back in the real world- just eating, I've changed my mind I'm not sharing it.

Hannah is currently seeing a nice scottish fella called Marc who plays in a band called Adem who are currently supporting Badly Drawn Boy on their US tour. Cutting this short story long we got back stage passes to the gig on Saturday night.

Th gig was excellent, in fact one of the best concerts I have have ever been to, Damon (Badly Drawn Boy) was on top form playing two sets, his latest album as per track listing with rambling introductions. Followed by a audience requests of his most popular songs including a couple of covers: Madonna's 'Like a virgin' and Bruce Springstin's Thunder road.

With our back stage passes we made our way backstage and hung out with the bands. I even got a chance a being a roadie by helping Adem carry his guitars to the tour bus (/crosses 'being a roadie' of list of to dos). Damon's family were in New York for the first time watching their son so I ended up talking to them for a bit. I never knew Rock and Roll was so calm and civilised.

We were supposed to go to the after show party in a bar downtown (near me) but when we arrived it turned out to be a fairly nasty chav like US bar so we(Hannah, Marc, Neil, moi and an english woman that Hannah befriended) skipped it and headed to my local, The Scratcher where we stayed until approximately 3am.

It wasn't a bad day I had my first pint at 3pm and my last around 2.30 am, don't worry, I was taking it easy unlike Marc and Hannah who lead by example. Needless to say there are a few hangovers around today and somehow I am not one of them.

Marc and Hannah have gone off to central park while I'm here lazing around the apartment. All in all a good weekend so far.

Thanks mum

I would just like to point out that I have mastered time travel. I know this is a wild claim to make but if you have been reading or trying to read this blog over the past few days you will have not seen this post here, on this publish date but here it is.

Or it could be that I know how to change the publish time.

Anyway I digress as per usual.

Last weekend my Mother (above picture - on the left hanging on for dear life!) and here sister (thats mum and auntie Viv to me) came over to see me, or is that to see New York. eerrrrrr, well that doesn't matter because they managed to do both at the same time.

Hang on, I have to apologise. I'm sorry mum and auntie viv I think we did too much walking. But I still believe it's the best way to see experience New York. Here are the digital photos from my auntie's camera.

The only real tourist attraction that we went in to, was the Empire State Building, and it was the first time I have been up it too. I could describe what we did but I think the photos above explain it better than any prose that I could muster up. I am an art director after all.

Loving craigslist

I had to post this email from Nigel:

You gotta love craigslist:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/nyc/47785163.html

Subject: Straight male seeks Bush supporter for fair, physical fight - m4m

"I would like to fight a Bush supporter to vent my anger. If you are one, have a fiery streek, please contact me so we can meet and physically fight. I would like to beat the shit out of you."

Two more out the door

Only kidding. This month is quite mad visitor wise, we have had Jill (Jill stayed at Neil's) over for 8 days at the start of the month followed by Jon and Lena who arrived on Friday and left on the red eye on Sunday night. I then have my mother and Auntie arriving on Thursday evening who leave on the following Tuesday, which gives me two days until my friend Hannah arrives on Thursday for a long weekend.

I would just like to point out that this is defiantly not a complaint because I really enjoy having people over to stay. I am pretty sure I now have my tourist guide patter down to a fine art but I am looking forward to seeing Nigel in San Francisco over Christmas which will be my next real holiday, even though we get Thanksgiving off in two weeks.

Here are some photos from the weekend.

And this is shocking:

Starbucks have changed to their Christmas sorry holiday cups. Just another sign that this year is shooting past at break neck speed.

Got an email from

Got an email from Nigel yesterday:

lets get excited.

i'm getting my stick waxed today.

the mountains are opening already.

GET EXCITED !!!

I am planning on getting over to San Fransisco for xmas for a couple of weeks and this trip will obviously include plenty of snowboarding, well it better.

And some more

Now I don't want this website to turn into a political mouthpiece but this map has done the rounds at work and has amused everyone:

I also read this on www.boingboing.net: A simple proposal:

Can I come back?

After today's election result I think I want to come home.

My copywriter Simon suggested we draw a map of the States and overlay the average IQ and voting pattern of each state and see if the center of this country really are the retards they appear to be.

The other suggestion is that New England and the West Coast unite and take on the rest of the country. They could even sign treaties with Mexico and Canada and surround the dumb f*cks.

Oh my god

So it's finally here, my 30th birthday.

Do I feel any older?
Do my joints ache in the cold fall morning?
Have I found any grey hairs?
Have I suddenly lost the will to live?
Will I be selling off my snowboard gear on eBay?

Of course the answer is no to all of the above.

I've been acting 30 for so long now it doesn't really matter. And if I take all of my 'older' friends and family into the equation (Les & Emma, Nick, Chris and even my parents), I have more fun the with each passing year. Roll on 40 :)

Do I have to be at work at 8am this morning? Yes. bummer.

ps. thanks to Jon and the London gang for their video messages, makes me wish I could be in London tonight.

Halloween

I have to admit I have been quite looking forward to Halloween, and I wasn't disappointed. After cooking dinner for Neil and Jill (who is visiting from London) we headed over to 6th Avenue to watch the Halloween parade.

I have to get to work so I'll let the photos talk for themselves.