Best Birthday Tradition

Wednesday it was Collin's birthday, again...and we celebrated it just like we did last year (and just like we will next year): Dinner at La Casa de Los Tacos, Party at Emily's house.

Collin, Anna, Anna's ice cream cone, and I met up at 116th and Lex and headed on over to La Casa

Various well-wishers were already there, such as Jared, Janelle, Karlos...

...Brenda, and Ashley.

And Kim, who made Collin an Wicket card.

We had called La Casa and told them to prepare for a mighty army and when we got there the tables were arranged in a large horseshoe for us and chips and guacamole were on the table...totally out of the ordinary for this establishment.
Partiers quickly arrived and assembled and we filled that restaurant up.


A few days before the party Collin emailed me a guest list for his party (prior to his posting of the revised list on his blog). I felt inspired to make sure all the guests made it.

Can you locate (this isn't exactly Where's Waldo, more of a "this is who I meant to draw"): the Mouth of Sauron, Tom Cruise, Salad Fingers, George W. Bush, Odin, Sister Bolster, a Somali Pirate, the Witch King of Angmar, Jules Vern, and a Kitty?

More of us, including Peter and myself.

Let me point out here the Hadleys, Gabe, and Rebecca.

Back in the kitchen I noticed all the tortas lined up in a row, each cuter than the last. It was like a visit to Babyland General Hospital.

Last to order, first to be served. Everyone getting their dinner was absolute chaos, La Casa (bless their hearts) can barely get an order straight for a party of four, let alone 35ish...it doesn't get any easier when no one remembers what they ordered, either. A lot of plates were swapped in midmeal to straighten everything out.

Jared prevented such problems by ordering unique items, like a taco de lengua of this beautiful torta cubana featuring egg, cheese, ham, milanesa, steak, pork, and possibly a few other meats.

Anna was our Rookie of the Night, diving into sopes with abandon and enthusiasm.

Collin and I, in addition to our tacos or tortas, split some taquitos.

This is during the singing, pretty much.

This is when I told everyone: put your hands up and cheer!

You over there, cheer too!

As the meal wound up I found myself in possession of a thick stack of cash. Later I realized this money was meant to pay for the meal.

After dinner the challenge was getting down to Emily's...it was about 10, the Emily events were to commence between 9:30 and 10:00, many had already departed for her place, but still many of us remained and we got to the subway just as the 6 train was shutting its doors. Some of us made it on, some of us didn't...in light of accusations that sufficient effort was not made to help the people who's metrocards weren't even out when we entered the station, I submit this evidence of Jared's door-holding wounds (when the conductor wants to go, the conductor wants to go):

Down at Emily's there was a whole new batch of well-wishers, like Kimmy and Lexia:

Several cakes, songs, ice cream, etc etc. Party stuff, you know.




Backrubs.

New shirts.

Man hugs.

Duane.

UWS Superstars.

I told everyone to be natural in this picture. This is what Jacinta naturally looks like.

Laughs over the guest wish photo with Collin's old pal Paul.

Who is also pals with Rebecca.

And that's the Collin party post.

Best Third Season Development

"I always got one more."

Matt Saracen is a warrior, but as of 3.03, the best in Dillon are:

1) Smash's Mom
2) Matt
3) Julie

Don't worry, the picture isn't a spoiler.

Best Well That's Just Awesomer

Check it, the Double Bacon Fatty Melt:


(this would be to bacon cheeseburgers sandwiched between three bacon stuffed grilled cheese sandwiches.)

Fattymelt technology is advancing at an alarming rate.

Best What I've Waited for for Months

In 12 hrs or so Apple will be announcing the newest MacBooks and I can stop telling everyone that I don't have a computer because I'm waiting for Apple to update their laptops and now tell people that I don't have a computer because I'm trying to get one of those new Apple laptops.


Sudden rumor on the internet is they aren't updating the MacBooks, just the MacBook Pros...sort of hard to believe, but at least now I don't have to wonder to myself which model I'm going to go for.

Best Excellence in her Field

The other weekend Karen "brownmousephoto.com" Rusten was in town and we had a little lunch in Brooklyn at the Roebling Tea Room. Karen took some pictures of me and one of them has so far been quite well-received on Facebook (did I just write something nerdy?) so I thought I'd post them all here.

These two are the "Spanning Time" series:



This is the "Servant of Mammon" photo.


And this is the "Hey, you got me right after I checked the photo I took of you" picture.


And, for the record, here's the picture I took of the artist just before the capturing of the candid moment above.


Karen now eschews digital in favor of the elegance of film. Don't you want to too? Remember to contact Karen for all your portrait and wedding-photo needs. Or Jared for all your masterfully-crafted furniture needs.

Karen's Website
Jared Website

Best Hey, why don't I post something?

I started working again, I blame that for no posts. Also, I blame not feeling like posting. Let me talk about the sorts of things I talk about...

Food

I got Thursday off and I decided to fill it with learning. I heard about a taco spot in Astoria that was supposed to make the absolute best tacos al pastor so I headed out there. I got to the taco shop, "Los Portales", at 1:40...it was closed! Sign said it was open every day from 2pm to 2am. ? What in the world kind of taco shop is open from 2pm to 2am? Is there some religion that doesn't allow working before 2pm? I decided to kill the time by, uhm, getting a snack at another little Mexican place I had passed on my way to Los Portales. Err, my snack wound up being surprisingly filling...I walked back to Los Portales a bit past 2, things were a little slow around there, they were serving people, but the pastor spit wasn't going, they were just pulling meat out of containers. I decided to hold off and return some night when hopefully it would be bustling and I could get a proper proper taco al pastor, you know, give Los Portales a chance to show me their best rather than try their back up plan first.

(and for the record, Thursday night I had 96th street taco truck. Because that's how life is to be lived: as much Mexican as possible. I had a huevo and chorizo torta, I should eat a lot more of those. Doesn't count as breakfast for dinner, ok?)

TV

First, I'm glad Kenley did well on PR this week. I didn't want it to be a fluke that she got this far. I like that the judges liked what she did so much.

I saw that first episode of Kath & Kim. I've been told it got terrible reviews, but I liked it. I liked that all the men worked in the mall. I liked that the ladies were never too mad at each other to not stop dead in their argument to get excited about an article of clothing. I wonder where they are supposed to live. Riverside? I think this will be like the My Name is Earl that I like.

This week's Office was definitely better than the last one. And funny how there was no Pam in it, huh? (except for her voice)

Thanks to me digging and the internet, I've seen the first two episodes of the new season of Friday Night Lights. Of course it's good. The first episode was better than this week's. They're certainly trying to fit as much as possible into each episode as this time they know they have to get a whole football season in in just 12 or 13 episodes. So the episodes feel a lot like the second half of the third season of Arrested Development. So it suffers a bit for that. But I couldn't possibly get mad at it. Also, this Jumbotron plot totally reminds me of the only episode of Family Ties that I ever watched--the daughter was taking on her college for spending all the money on a big new scoreboard instead of books, or something...way to copy the Keaton's, Peter Berg.

Movies

Nick and Norah's was nice, but no big deal. "Cute", I think that's the proper word. I successfully didn't let it bother me that they were always driving between points that were only a few blocks apart. Or that the recording studio (in real life) is across the street from the Grey's Papaya they were at earlier in the movie or that they probably could have gotten a closer parking spot than they did.

I saw a midnight screening of the Dark Crystal last night, really, that one deserves its own big post.

Best Don't Worry, I Still Eat

I know, it seems I just read books now. Don't be fooled, I still eat food and take pictures of it. Here's some stuff I've had this last week.

Last week I went to this new place in the East Village called Porchetta where their specialty is porchetta, an Italian roasted pork dish of sorts. I had Porchetta's porchetta sandwich which was just the pork on delicious, buttered bread with a side of bitter but tasty greens. You know I like pig so believe me, I liked this meal.



Serious Eats had an informative write-up on the restaurant worth taking a look at if you want to learn more. Click.

This weekend I ate at Mr. Skewer's Brazilian Grill for the first time. Mr. Skewer's Brazilian Grill is this fast-foodish place that opened a few blocks away from my house on very unlovely 14th street between 6th and 5th. It's been there a while and I've just wondered what it was all about...Saturday I found out. It's about gigantic sandwiches and totally messing up Jeff's order, that's what it's about. Still, my sandwich was fine and the menu left plenty to explore should I ever go back. Might happen.


Today. Today was my last "day off" before my next temp assignment, so I had to celebrate the occasion of having work to go to AND bemoan the dying of my freedom all in one meal. How is this best done? With some Momofuku, of course!

Recently the Ssam Bar changed their lunch menu and got rid of the lunch box options that I was such a big fan of, I'm not ready to go back there during daylight hours. So it was the Noodle Bar that I visited today with Kristin and this was a very genius thing to have done. There were lots of things on the menu that were either new or hadn't been on it for a while, so delicious discoveries were made.

First, we had a couple of pork buns, because that's necessary. No picture, I trust you remember the pure look of deliciousness from other postings.

Next, I tried their "Soy Sauce Egg", a medium-boiled egg (that means hardboiled but the yolks still runny [awesome]) that had been marinated in soy sauce (not sure if that was before or after boiling, I think it was before.) Salty and savory and excellent, it got gobbled up before it could get remembered, but here's some of the garnish...


Next, those magnificent Momofuku chicken wings.


Helpless against finger-licking.


Finally (yes, lost control and went all out) finished off with their Niman Ranch Tri-tip steak with kimchi butter and crisp potatoes. Holy moley! It was spicy, it was salty, it was magnificently medium-rare. It was like the brick of happiness that broke the good day camel's back and I just couldn't help but be extremely cheerful for the rest of the day thanks to how Excellent this steak was AND because of what a great job all that other food had done in leading up to this course. I can't really explain it and this is only going to sound wrong and bad, but imagine the most delicious thing they could possibly cook at Chili's and that's what this steak was like. Again, I think salty, spicy, and meaty is my favorite flavor combination.


With so much goodness happening we couldn't resist ordering some soft serve at the end of the meal. Currently the flavors are oatmeal and grape...they top that off with some granola and basically you're eating breakfast ice cream which is such a good idea!


Kristin shooting to be the Gyro Girl of the exotic soft serve world.


Walking back through the village ran into this cheery band of paparazzi staking out the Felt Building on 13th street...apparently that's where Tom, Katie, and Suri live when they're in the city? Saw no celebrities ourselves, no biggie, had the most delicious lunch possible in the world today, I'm not going to complain about anything.

Best Dark & Mysterious Secrets of the Millenia Revealed!

Sunday morning I took a tour of the Grand Masonic Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of New York. It was not as interesting or dripping with secretivity as I had hoped and the whole place could have used a good vacuuming. (didn't they realize guests were coming?)

Also, this isn't a secret spy-photo. We were welcome to take pictures of anything we wanted.

Also, we were there as part of Open House New York, thinking it was a total score...turns out it's open to the public year round. And apparently there's a virtual tour online, too.

Website del Grand Masonic Lodge

Best Terrible Oversight

When I made my post about Latin Literature Month I left out something BIG, I guess I was too caught up in giving Mexican High what it deserved to remember everything I read.


The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Junot Diaz is a Dominican author that I actually studied in one of my last classes at BYU and his first novel, (this one), won the 2007 Pulitzer. It's a pretty fun (and I live in a world where just because I call a book "fun" doesn't mean that it can't be serious, deep, or terrifying, too) book, the tale of an overweight Dominican nerd growing up in Jersey dealing with dealing with the curse that his family brought with them when they left the DR for the US.

That's a very simplified plot-synopsis.

If you're going to read this book it would be helpful to 1) know a good deal of Spanish, because plenty is included without translation [ANOTHER problem with Mexican High--just about none of the Spanish is left untranslated, it pretty much is not a joke if I say much of the dialog of the book read like this, ""Gracias, mi amor"'Thank you, my love' He said] and 2) know a whole lot of nerd language, because this book is jam-packed. There's probably one Lord of the Rings reference per paragraph and an obscure 70's Marvel hero reference per page. But something you do not need to know before reading this book is the history of the Dominican Republic, particularly in regards to their dictator Trujillo because he or his very-present absent presence are practically the main character of the book and ample footnotes catch you up and fill you in on all you could need to know about him.

In all, I felt this book was a three-and-a-half star book, not a full glorious four stars...don't know exactly why, while I enjoyed a lot of it, and it seems nearly ridiculous to suggest this, but it just didn't crackle with as much life as I had expected...it was good, but not was engrossing as I had hoped. Maybe I liked Diaz's short story collection, Drown, more? Can't remember, it's been so long...but that might be the case. Still, and I know I'm giving you the wrong idea, but this book was good and it was one of the highlights of Latin Literature Month (and my need to read it was a major factor in my mind's birthing of the notion of a need for a personal Latin Literature Month).

ALSO

1) A few people thought I told them I was reading the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wilde, and it wasn't until I was a few hundred pages into the book that it clicked for me that Oscar's apellido was not Wao...in fact, turns out (and I'm not giving anything away here) that "Oscar Wao" is a reference to Oscar Wilde.

2) All Dominican literature talks about Trujillo a lot. This is something I definitely remember from that BYU class where I read Diaz and others (Trent Hickmans "New Latino Literature" seminar)

Best Recommended Reading VIII

I WILL FOREVER REMAIN FAITHFUL by David Ramsey

Sasha Frere-Jones of the New Yorker called this a "a stunning piece about Lil Wayne, teaching and life after Katrina. a MUST read."

I call it a recommended read and an especially good one at that. Wish it was a lot longer, and wish the last paragraph wasn't so wrap-it-up lame--but it's the perfect length to read while eating a sandwich on your lunch break today. Considering how much I love Lil Wayne, and I'm nearly the opposite of who he should be impressing, it was about time for me to consider what it's like at ground zero of the Weezy Baby fanbase.

Thanks to Sariah for linking this article on her Facebook.

Best Well That's Just Awesome

The Fattymelt.


A hamburger with two grilled cheese sandwiches for a bun. Wow. For now, it's just a recipe at A Hamburger Today, but I can't imagine it'll be too long before they're available around the world.

I don't think they even make DirecTV in New York.