Best This Was Halloween: the Parade

So, yes. Last Friday it was Halloween again and something that I've learned as a New Yorker is that we have the best Halloweens there are. I don't know why our Thanksgiving Parade or New Years Eve get all the attention...Oct 31st is where it's definitely at. As Halloween was on a Friday there was a little problem, the annual big Mormon Halloween party (which can be counted on as being the best Mormon event of the year every year, with the exception of the occasional Roosevelt Island party) was scheduled for the same night of the parade. That meant that in order to get all the juice out of this pumpkin, my comrades and I had to make an early appearance at the parade and then dash uptown for the party. LOTS of pictures were taken, here's the parade portion of the night.

Jared wore my alligator costume from last year, Jeff was a penguin, Collin wore his creep mask from Peru, and I was Coach Eric Taylor (every few years I like to dress up as a tv character that just about noone recognizes).


Downtown we met up with Kristin, Rustin (surely you know who he's being here, right?), and Lindsay.



You know what? Not going to caption these pictures. You know as well as I do what's happening in all of them. But keep an eye peeled for the one where I look really good, like a real super-serious Texas high school football coach.
















































The Verdict on the 2008 Parade: Quite good and I really liked the Ferris float, but definitely the weakest year for costumes. Sorry, that's just how it was.

Addendum:
Halloween Parade 2007: Part the First, Part the Second
Halloween Parade 2006: Part the Only

Best the Subprime Mortgage Crisis Comes to Dillon

"It's when all the scared rats are running away from the sinking market that the real entrepreneurs come in...the true visionaries."

Here's a tip: Don't go for business plans suggested by Tim Riggins.

3.05 was full of situations of pure comedy, our Top Three other crack-ups of the episode were:

1) Grandma Saracen explaining where to put the food she likes.
2) Buddy Garity imagining the football game in his office with Jason Street.
3) Coach Taylor trying to figure out where he fit in in the conversation in Julie's room.

How's that for keeping it nearly spoiler-free around here?

Best Halloween Wrap-Up is Coming

Too much awesome.

Best I Got to Do Something Totally Awesome

[Looking over this post, something I've noticed is that it's long, and I think that one major reason for that is I've got this new computer and I'm really enjoying getting to know the feel of its keyboard. Also, I'm using blocks of text to hide the fact that I've only got three photos to share from an evening that demanded many more.]

Here's the story: This summer, when Brittany was a New Yorker and interning at as many places as possible, one of the people she interned for was an interior designer named Celery. Celery had a project and the project was to design a plate for Tiffany's inspired by a classic Tiffany's pattern in honor of a New York celebrity. Celery had Brittany design the plate, which was based on the "Chinese Circus" pattern (that's what I remember it being called...quite possibly wrong) and their celebrity was Law & Order's Mariska Hargitay (not sure of the connection between the celeb and the pattern...an inside source has hinted that first the plate was designed and then the celebrity muse was selected.)

Anyway, two and a half weeks ago the plate, which it turns out is a part of a series of plates that are going to be auctioned off to benefit something called the Alpha Workshops (the proper title of this series being "Dining in Style: Table Settings by Acclaimed Designers inspired by Stylish New Yorkers and Hand Painted by Tiffany's Le Tallec Studio in Paris to Support the Alpha Workshops"), had its premiere at a big party at Tiffany's and I had the magnificent fortune of being invited to attend. It was the classiest New York thing I've ever done and I was surrounded by more socialites, artists, rich old ladies, rich old men, jet setters, politicians, design celebrities, and people who must have been somebody important than I ever have been before and let me tell you, they all had very good manners. It was almost a little overwhelming, considering I had never even been in the Tiffany's on Fifth Avenue before, let alone gone up to the 4th Floor after passing through the main floor, lit by dozens of little candles with after-hours sales people at the ready behind the counters just in case any partier suddenly found themselves in the mood to buy a ring or necklace.

So, yes, here's Brittany and I in front of her place setting (I had such a hard time remembering where the shrimp fork went!*).


A Portrait of the Artist as an Emerging Celebrity--even though the sign on the table said the plate was by Celery, plenty of people at the party (including Celery) knew Brittany had designed the plate and praised her with great effusiveness and cheek-kisses (that night I learned so much about the etiquette of being gushy without being gauche and the art of graciously accepting nonstop compliments**)...caught in the crossfire, I found myself invited on more Hamptons getaways than ever before in my life***.


And here's the plate itself. See? Chinese Circus with a little gold tossed in for good measure.


It was an evening of almost more high society than I could take...there I was, thinking that I had always wanted to be a billionaire and sort of finding myself longing for a simple Ward potluck...kind of like how after that time when I flew to Tokyo in first class I found myself so content and comfortable and feeling at home in coach on the way back. But still, also very fun to be there and take in all the rich eccentrics, of which there were more than plenty. Also, at the party there were lots of people living the lifestyle that fills the space between Gossip Girl and Sex and the City--a place where the girls come from nice Park Avenue families and work in design or fashion and their boyfriends are all junior aristocrats raised on Fifth Avenue who work (or perhaps "worked") in finance. Usually these girls are brought to dinners or events by their banker boyfriends and wind up bored out of their minds, but on nights like this one the girls are in their element and the fellows bored and headed back to the open bar. What a life!

*Not true. I knew exactly where to put it. But also, I didn't set table.
**People liked my tie so much!****
***Not true either.
****No, no. Of course plate-based compliments are what I'm talking about.

Best Happy Halloween To You

Happy Halloween! Pretty excited for it this year, I'm finally catching on that new York always does it good.

A few weeks ago my mom sent me a package. It was haunted.


Oh, just this guy.


That's pretty cool and clever, if you think about it, your mom sending you an unexpected holiday package containing your favorite stuffed animal from your younger years dressed up as a ghost.

Best Darryl Does Standup

Craig Robinson performing a surprisingly absurd (especially for Def Comedy Jam--you can tell the crowd doesn't know what to think of him at first) set back in the 90's.

Best Business Plan

Well, for one, I know that my taqueria would be called "El Taco Sonriente."

Best Dance Party Worthy of Mordor...(the Heralding)

This Saturday, Nov. Uno, Emily is hosting a Day of the Dead/All Saint's Day Dance Party at her apartment (the way I see it, this is her annual big Summer party, she was just away every single weekend until now).

I've been given the honor of being asked to "DJ" (put songs in order on my laptop) the party. I am taking this task seriously and all I want is to give you a good time...I can't promise I'll always be playing your favorite song, but I can promise to play danceable songs handpicked for their party-moving potential...whether or not the party moves, that's up to you.

So far we're looking at a playlist full of hip hop, britpop, doo whop, garage rock, disco, electro, house, funk, r&b, soul, ska, calypso, cumbia, baile funk, classic rave, new rave, new wave, no wave, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, top 40, stuff you've never heard, stuff you know all the words to, monster ballads, slow jams, buttrock, boy bands, girl groups, hipster stuff, stake dance favorites, and reggaeton.

And if the moment is ever right, Raining Blood.

So come out to Emily's on Saturday night at 9...it's the night the clocks change, so there's no reason to be staying home. And if you don't know where Emily lives, contact me and I'll tell you...I can't just be putting addresses on the internet, right?

Oh, and Emily says wear black. Or black and white.

Oh, and also, song suggestions and requests are welcome and encouraged. I just want everyone to be happy.

Best Saturday Evening Supper/Keeping the Laws of the Internet

The situation: a rainy, windy Saturday, 5:45 pm. Sit down to dinner with Scott & Erin at the Momofuku Ssam Bar. We get caught up on the last few months, discuss the future, eat like champions, and not a picture is taken. Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

But what we ate was epic! Links lead to excellent photos on Flickr, clearly labeled "do not post on your blog" by their owner--a request I shall honor.

Starters:
Pork Buns (of course)

Meacham's County Ham (tasty as ever, but sort of wish we tried the veal brain special that the waiter described to us...trust me, if you had heard the description, you'd have considered it too)

Fried Brussels Sprouts (just like Jeff and I made back in February, it was fun to try to deep-fried original...Erin paid the ridiculous compliment of saying she liked our roasted ones better but don't take that as Erin saying these weren't good because they were great)

Entrees:
Hamachi collar with yuzu ponzu, daikon, salted plum (Hamachi collar is the rather large, meaty collar bone of the fish [you really ought to click this one to see something almost too unusual looking]...credit goes to Scott for wanting to try this one out, it was tasty, and dipped in the ponzu it was magical.)

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes with Chinese Broccoli, Crispy Shallots (Erin ordered this Momofuku signature dish, I had never had it before. Wonderfully spicy and satisfying, would be an absolutely perfect dish to eat during a late night snow storm. And the rice cakes spoken of here are actually little mochis.)

Pork shoulder steak with zucchini, buttermilk dressing (I've been curious about this one for a while, my curiosity turned out to be an express-train to a flavor-filled wonderland. After my first bite I had to restrain myself from punching right through the window next to me. Grilled pork shoulder with a magnificent char on it sitting on a bed of creamy vegetable goodness, this is what I'll be craving for days (with the occasional spicy rice cakes pang.)

Dessert:
"PB&J" featuring Heritage Station concord grapes, saltine panna cotta (the table's consensus: essentially we applaud the idea of this dessert. I miss the shortcakes!)

Also, while we were eating two groups came in for a Bo Ssam. Now that I've seen that ten pound pork butt roast for myself I'm more curious than ever...ok, my new New Year's Resolution for 2008: find some friends and eat one of those!

Best Listen to Me Closer Than You've Ever Listened to Me Before

"Right now, right here, God has placed you to do what you do best...Go all the way."

In 3.04 we are reminded just how best the Taylors are.

The Dillon Top Three for the week:

1) Coach Taylor
2) Tami Taylor
3) There is no #3. The Taylors are so awesome that there's no room for anyone else, not even Smash.

Best Finally.

This means I got a package today.


And that means I'm not going to be complaining (about not having a computer) anymore.

Best This May Be the Last Thing I Ever Tell You to Do So You Better Do It

Well, Collin has realized that I still have his computer and he's standing here, tapping his foot, waiting to unplug it and take it home so I've got to get this vital post to you while I still can.

I have seen the best youtube clip there is, and it is not the one where the kids are reunited with their lion, it is one where a Japanese girl tries sharing her apartment with two red pandas for a night.

The owner disabled embedding for the video, so you have to click this link to go see it, but I've posted this picture to capture your attention a little.


The video is about 8 minutes long, so gather the whole family and sit down together for a wonderful tale of cute little jerks. (and if you've been around for a little while it might remind you of this picture of my cat and Greg).

PS Remember how I saw a red panda in Japan and thought he was great?
And saw some again in Sydney?
PPS So, if Collin is taking his computer back, that means I don't have a computer anymore, so I won't be posting anymore, until I get my own computer. Let's just get that straight.