5 out of 5 Olives
Ok ladies and gents, its time for one of my favorite dishes known to date. Upon starting on our New Jersey burger tour, Gabriella and myself decided to start with Christopher’s ½ lb. brioche short rib burger. Before we move on, I would like to hand you a napkin to wipe off…
Back with another concert update for all you, this one came as a birthday gift way back in the month of May. A close friend had the most brilliant idea of purchasing me a Jack Johnson ticket. It came just at the right time - just when I needed a night to sit down, relax with some of the oldest couple of friends I’ve had and listen to the sweet sounds of a Hawaiian guitar.
There are very few out there that can reciprocate the sounds that Jack Johnson can provide on a summer night and just make you smile simply because it sounds, well, just fucking great. I’ve never seen the PNC Arts Center packed to the brim like it was that night, from toddlers, to lax bros, to moms and dads enjoying the music as well. Not since the closing of Giants Stadium for Bruce had I been surrounded with such a diverse crowd. Whatever age, it made no difference as everyone just listened and watched as his background would actually make us feel as if though we were on Honolulu Beach.
I’ve been on and off lately with the communication towards everyone out there: tumblr and twitter mainly but I can assure it has been for good reasons. The only not good reason I can think of is the amount of school work I have to get done before winter break.
Just as I left off on my last post, I kept my word and hopped on the train to venture off towards Rockefeller Center to see some lights. But before getting there, a traditional dinner was a prerequisite for such a luminescent day. I escorted the girlfriend through my old stomping grounds and even showed her where the Fabio she never knew once lived. So I did what every other Portuguese American would do in such an environment, I took her to Coimbra Restaurant and ate with surroundings that made me want to jump on a plane and visit the motherland. As we ate until we could no longer breathe, I talked up a storm about the restaurant history, meaning and culture. And the sangria kept flowing.
Through NJTransit, we went from one diverse city in the Garden State, to the most diverse city in the Empire State. Not too cold, just brisk enough where you felt each cross wind between the skyscrapers, it was great weather to be walking around the holiday ready city. But even before the tree came an encounter with several friends at another great restaurant.
As we sat down and enjoyed every bit of the cool looking basement of this establishment, some of us were finding that life glue, others were playing with the best toy on earth , a camera, and others were just enjoying life with the assistance of a bottle of Heineken. Seeing this all unfold before me did nothing but put a smile on face and realize that we have nothing to complain about. Putting other worlds in perspective, we should be enjoying each and every day to the fullest extent because only then then, if you don’t, will your life seem to be in shambles.
Finally off to the tree then and another comfy cab ride to gaze at the unmatched combinations of buildings and lights that is New York City. When arriving at the center, the excitement you can see all around the city is just amazing. Anyone and everyone who is there can just look anywhere and find something that can make them smile, take a picture of and bring them inspiration. After a crowded sidewalk the tree was finally standing before us. All 5 miles of lights wrapped the enormous tree like a christmas present in itself and seemed to be brighter then any other light in the tri-state area.
It was only right that I repay someone for giving me some life glue herself these past 4 months or so by reminding her how special she is. What better way then to present her with her own turtle dove. Just as Kevin was given his own to give by Mr. Duncan, I knew where mine was going. Let’s just put it this way, that decision was easier than driving around Manhattan.
The perfect ending to the night. Enough rambling, I hope i have entertained you through these unique and crazy times in my life. Stay tuned for me adventures.
Not all the time, but sometimes, you can find a lot on a rainy day. As the rain hit Jersey and ruined the plans of many for the weekend, I decided not to be subjected to my living room couch this particular saturday. Instead, I took a stroll (umbrella-less) through a small park with the lovely girlfriend, my cannon and some Canadian geese.
It was hard not to play with the camera as the water dripped from leafless autumn trees and left constant imprints on the once peaceful creek. Although we had some trouble keeping the lens dry, we still managed some decent shots to capture the excitement we found during this dull weather.
As we concluded the day atop a reservation looking through thick clouds over the city skyline, I remembered how fortunate I should feel to live in Jersey; to have NY that close and be able to experience it, is awesome. But the best part is being able to cross the river back to the Jersey side and enjoy the view. And if I’ve learned anything this month is to never take anything for granted, even if you think you’ll be fine, remember how important each aspect of your life is and appreciate the smaller things that help them be the bigger ones down the long haul.
Other than that, we were also reminded how shitty the Garden State Parkway can be when the weather does not cooperate. Gotta love those Jersey drivers…Until then, don’t be afraid to make something out of nothing, even it means getting a little wet.
