Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Best Here's Some November and December Stuff

Hey, why don't we catch up on some stuff from November and December? Just some this and that stuff, that's all.

I'm still borrowing people's glasses.


And still wearing my new jeans.


I changed apartments but stayed in my same building, here's my new kitchen being moved into


Here's my old kitchen just about moved all out of.


I've got a new tie with pigeons on it.


I look at the super-tall new apartment building a lot while I'm at work.


Speaking of work, we had a really exciting day there a few weeks ago.


And speaking of "a few weeks ago", a few weeks ago I went over to Williamsburg with Allison


To eat at Fette Sau


Because Leslie was in town!



And while Leslie, Renee, Angelica and I were walking around we ran into Alex just out on the street on her phone.


And speaking of crazy, a few days later Kellyn and Chip were in town! We went to Mission Cantina and ate ice cream.


And speaking of eating, a few weeks ago I went to the Ssam Bar with some friends and had my first Bo Ssam in about a year...or two? No, no. A year. It's only been a year since I last had the Bo Ssam.


Other eating I've done, just the other day I was walking through the East Village and felt like getting a taco from Taqueria Diana.


Which made me feel like grabbing a taco from Otto's Tacos, since it's just a block away.


And this made me feel like trying the new Al Pastor Buns at the Noodle Bar.


I have a question for artists: Is the likeness of a lion notoriously difficult to capture?


I'm just including this hubcap picture because I think it turned out pretty well.


One very cold Saturday I went on a Church History walking tour of Lower Manhattan and at the very end learned that the whole tour is available online. For when you don't feel like freezing.


But that's ok because after the tour we all went and ate donuts at Trevor's apartment and he's got good views of other cool apartments. On the left you might see a little house on a roof? That house had chickens.


And speaking of views, one rainy night I was out with friends looking at Christmas windows.












Have a Holly Jolly Emergency.


And speaking of Christmas, I went out to the Loew's Jersey Theatre to see It's a Wonderful Life.


I was there with all sorts of good people, want me to name two? Okay, easy. Ellen and Patricia. See? Wasn't hard to do.


Another Christmas celebration: Victoria's Birthday Christmas Cookie Party.


My Mickey Mouse cookie wound up a koala.


Here's a picture of all the partiers, even me. And even my roommate, too.


Oh! One other Christmas thing: Helped organize, set up and clean up a great big Christmas party at the Lincoln Square building. Here's my only photo. It's from when we were cleaning up.


One day I went and had the new Vietnamese breakfast at Mission Cantina. More Mexican restaurants should serve Vietnamese food. 


Broken rice with lemongrass sausage. It's an interesting scene inside Mission Cantina at breakfast time. Everyone looks like they might be either a famous chef or food writer. 


Even when I was all done my plate was still real pretty.


Also, big news, I've taken ownership of three Venus Flytraps. More on them much later in the year.


Ok, everybody. Don't forget to have a Merry Christmas (this is the tree in front of Andy's building. We had a Christmas party where we watched Despicable Me 2. Most people don't realize it's a Christmas movie.)



Sunday, December 14, 2014

Best Thanksgiving of 2014

Time goes by so fast these days, let's turn back the clock and revisit Thanksgiving 2014! For the holiday I flew out west to celebrate in Utah and Idaho. First Celebration: Del Taco with my brothers late Monday night.


Not just brothers, also Becky.


I hit the Del Taco menu hard, sampling new treats like carnitas fries.


And ordering off menu to get a Bun Taco.


Wreckage.


Then, chance internettings early Tuesday lead to lunch at 5 Star Barbecue in Orem with famed former-New Yorker Madi.


After that lunch I had two more lunches, first I tried out Taco Paraiso in Provo because LOOK AT THAT SIGN


For a few quarters more they'll handmake you hot and fresh tortillas for your tacos there. 


And then I scurried down to Springville for Don Joaquin because I had to.


Just when I thought I couldn't love Don Joaquin more, I discover they're having a Black Friday Taco Sale.



Then I sampled the donuts next door to Don Joaquin's because isn't it important to know if the donuts next door to the best tacos are any good? (they are).


My drive back to Highland was interrupted by a visit to a graveyard of giant styrofoam blocks.


And DI


I could have got a change machine!


For dinner Tuesday night I met up with the Beans and the Clarks at El Morelense and met baby Echo.


Cheese-covered Al Pastor platter.


Al Pastor tacos.


One half of my first Cubana since July.


Then I went over to the Clark home,


And was gifted a Man of Action's Sport Cap.


Wednesday things really got going when all us Brim descendants loaded up and headed for Downey, Idaho.


Along the way we stopped for dinner at world-famous Maddox Restaurant.


I had steak,


Becky had vegetables and macaroni and cheese.


And the Edwards family shared a salad.


Brigham City Temple.


Visited with Aunt Linda when we got to Downey.



See that semi-feral stray cat?


I caught it!


Thanksgiving morning in Downey Idaho!







City folk go for a ride in the back of the pick up out to the farm.


It was windy, I'm not crying.



Farm time!


Family ran around on top of the hay bales because that's lots of fun to do.



Just before Cory stomped on Mom's head






Then we visited the Cambridge Cemetery (Cambridge is a suburb of Downey)


And got chased by this dog.


Sorry, Walker. You're riding in back this time!


Back to the farm house.



Thanksgiving Dinner is served.


Odd. I didn't get any pictures of the whole family at the table Norman Rockwell style. But I did get Ellie stomping on her dad's back, Norman Rockwell style.


And there's this picture from dinner. Walker chose to sit by me, but then let me know "Sometimes I like to sit by you and sometimes I don't."


Beautiful Downey. Time for a family photo and a post-dinner walk.








Pie time.


That night we played a bunch of games, including Dungeons and Dragons. Crazy to think we've been playing together for a year and a half and no one has died. Maybe next time. But also crazy to think we've been playing together for a year.

One more Downey morning.




Right by the house there's this tree that grew up with a tractor part around it. There's a lot to see in this small town if you just look. Whoah. Is that a life lesson?


Lots of relatives and friends on the Downey War Memorial.



Spoils of the Black Friday Sale at the Downey Store.  Walker wanted Air Heads, Walker got Air Heads.


Gun time at last.


And at the end of our drive home: In n Out in Draper. I did not eat all of this. My eyes were bigger than my stomach.


Aaaaand for an additional dinner that night: I got family to come with me down to the Provo Don Joaquin's which, guess what, is STILL home to the best tacos I've ever had in the United States.


This time I also tried their quesadilla,

 

The amount of melty cheese inside this thing is unreal. Best college student food in the world!


Champion meal demands a champion beverage.


As usual, Don Joaquin puts me through a range of emotions, ending in anger over how delicious it is.




Mom:


Owen:


Saturday I had lunch at El Cabrito and went to the Aquarium with Marla and didn't take any picture of any of that. Sorry.

But that night I saw the lights at Temple Square with my family and did take pictures of that.











And then we had a great dinner at Just Thai where my fingers got too sticky to take pictures of all the food and also there was so much food and I just wanted to eat it




Becky, Greg, Rachel and Me.


I had the honor of driving Grandma home. We had her out past curfew! Yeah!


Sunday was my last day, full of around the house Sunday stuff. Blake lent me his room while I was there, there was this animal in there and I liked it.


A white board-honoring by Ellie.


And I did some drawing with Walker


That night Cory drove me to the airport. And I ran into six people that I knew there. And that was Thanksgiving!