From Georgia With Love

We've talked about it for a few months now and I've been putting it off since I lost Shadow back in October of 2010, so it was hard for me to get a new dog - or even look for one.

It seems as though when the time is right, the time is right.  This past October we entertained adopting a dog and looked around at various places, we even applied when we saw a few dogs that we liked.  But there was no response and we ended up at a local shelter here in NY.

We weren't sure if it was better to adopt from a kill shelter or a no-kill shelter.  The debate was if we adopted from a kill shelter, we'd be saving a life, but if we adopted from a no-kill shelter we'd be making room for another animal to be saved, at the same time supporting the no-kill philosophy.  

Another application submitted and we decided that if we didn't hear back in a weeks time, we'd go to the local shelter.  A few nights before we looked through the website for dogs that we thought we'd like, we saw a few and emailed the shelter if they were still available.  Some were and some weren't.

On the morning of the 29th, we checked one more time and saw a new face - her name was Kora.  She was described as a young female collie mix.  We called the shelter and they said she was still available for adoption, so we sprung out of bed and quickly got ready to make a mad dash to meet Kora.  

Filled with anticipation we made out way through the shelter and saw her lying down on the ground.  Extremely shy and very scared - but who wouldn't be after all that's gone on in the past month or two of her life and the revolving door of other dogs and people day in and day out.  On her card it says that she arrived just a few days earlier, not even a week at this shelter.  

There was something special about her, and we went to the meeting room to see if we'd all get along.  At first she jumped on the bench and was curious to see what was going on.  Not making any eye contact with us or acknowledging that we were even there.  She explored and jumped on whatever she could to the highest point - I'm assuming to get a birds eye view of where she was, what was going on and to see this shelter life that she'd been a part of for only a few days.

A few hours went by, we sat there wondering if there was a connection, if she liked us and if we liked her.  Little did we know that that connection had already started when we saw her picture earlier that morning.  I remember Yas saying that we weren't leaving this place without taking Kora with us.  We fell in love, even though she didn't give us that attention that puppies give, even though she didn't lick our faces, jump on our laps, or even look at us for more than a second ... we were drawn to her and wanted to take her home.  We felt that removing her from this kind of environment might make her open up to us more, that all that was going on around her was distracting her from being a sweet dog that she is.

Reluctant to give her back to the trainers as they processed our application, we waited and hoped that we'd get approved.  After all we weren't sure how this process worked.  After about an hour of waiting we were approved and we could take her home!  We were happy, excited and just wanted to get her home.  We ended up naming her Yuki (means snow in Japanese) on the ride home, for the first snow that day we adopted her.

There was little information on her background, the only thing we knew about her was that she was rescued from Georgia.  

We wanted to know more about her, know where she came from, what she'd been through and why anyone would let her go.  After a recheck I saw on her medical folder the words "Saving Georgia" and this is where my search started.

After a quick search I found that Saving Georgia had a site, and a forum.  I scoured that forum through all the posts for 2 or 3 pages looking to see if I could see a picture of her or even a description of her.  It took a while but she was found.  There she was before she made it up here to NY, shy, timid and scared.  We found out that she was a picked up as a stray and they didn't have anymore information on her.  She did come into the shelter in Georgia with another dog who was a golden retriever, but it wasn't clear if they were together or if they were just picked up around the same time.  

I had a chance to speak with the person who rescued her in Georgia and was ever so thankful for saving her.  I remember her telling me that when she saw her in the shelter, she just had to save her.  

So that's how we met Yuki (formerly Kora), from being saved in Georgia and being sent to NY to come find us.  We aren't sure what she went through before September 15th, but we hope that she's happy with us now.  She's slowly opened up more and more, but is still a bit scared and shy ... we'll continue to give her all the love and affection that she needs and deserves.

Yuki on the car ride home

Tired from all that she's been through

1 week after adoption in the park

Anatomy of a Scam

This is something that I'm not proud of, nor do I like talking about it.  I guess one of the only reasons I'll post this is so that people know what's going on and they can guard themselves from being a victim like me.

I'll admit that I do get scammed sometimes but it's very seldom that I do.  I'm usually very cautious and like to research everything and anything that comes my way so that I can know more about the situation and/or the person(s) that I'm dealing with ... but that doesn't happen all the time and sometimes I do get scammed big time.  There have only been a few instances that I remember being scammed, more specifically 2.  I'll go into detail about the most recent scam that I fell into ... it happened only a few weeks ago.

This is something that dawned on me after the fact, but when someone approaches you without you soliciting their services, then there is a good chance that it's a scam.  It's similar to when someone calls you saying that you won a prize but you've never entered anything.  

THE SETUP
As I'm driving into a local store parking lot a man in a car notices a dent that I have on my front fender from a tree falling on my car last year.  He promptly gets my attention and waves me down, telling me that he can fix it.  

This gets my attention as it's been somthing that I wanted to get fixed, but I know it'll cost a good amount of money to do so.  

He follows me into the parking lot and tells me that he can get that dent out in 15 minutes and it'll cost $150.  I ask him for a card because red flags started going up already since this is not the first time that I've been approached with this.  He says that he doesn't have a card and he's just free lancing that day and he usually works for a body shop during his regular work hours.  Again I ask for him number or a way I can reach him so that I can call him later when I have the cash ... but he was very insistent that we do it right then and there.  I refused a few more times and he pulls me in with "let me show you a sample."

Dropping all logic I follow him to the empty spot of the Home Depot parking lot.  Multiple flags are going off and I even joke about it in the car with Yas.  We talked about his Mercedes being a bit dented up and why hasn't he fixed it ... I even though about taking a picture of his license plate "just in case."  But I didn't take the picture and all comon sense for me went out the window.

BUILDING TRUST
As quickly as I park next to him, he comes out with his "equipment" that he had from the shop only for that day.  Standing by the dent he quickly talks about how he does this only as a side thing for his family ... a family of a few kids and a wife in his car waiting.  Some more chit chat about how the dent happened and how it would cost a few hundred to get it fixed in a body shop ... and I took the bait.  

I was coaxed in by him telling me things that I already knew, that it would cost me more money to get it done at a shop, that it would be more than a day or two to get it fixed, that there were more small dings, dents and scratches on my car.  

He was able to make me keep saying "yes" over and over again by stating the very obvious.  From that point on ... I was already deep into the scam.

THE JOB
He takes a crow bar and a rubber mallet, starts to try to push out the dent, while telling me to turn the wheel of the car slowly so that it would push on the crow bar to push the dents out.  He uses the suction cup dent remval contraption and tries to pull out the dents while making statements like he's the best in town and no one else can pull out dents like him.  

We watched ... flags are up everywhere that this is a scam, but I did nothing to stop it.  For some reason I was frozen, like a deer in head lights.  Why?  I'm not really sure ... maybe it was because I was hoping that it wasn't a scam.  That I would prove myself wrong and that it was legit and he would really fix the dent.  Maybe it was because I was already so deep in it that I didn't know how to get out ... that I couldn't just tell him "no."  

It might have been a combination of things, but the end result was I let this stranger who approaches me in the parking lot do work on my car with a crow bar ... a rubber mallet ... a screw driver ... and a few suction cups on a handle.

THE SELL
He continues on popping out the dent.  I see that he's actually gotten some of the dent out but it would be impossible to get everything out perfectly and for some reason I was alright with that for a price of $150.  More reassurance that he's doing a great job ... he tells me that he's trying to follow the contour of my car, making sure the lines match up.  A few grunts and groans of him trying to pop out the dents made him seem like he was actually working hard to get them out.  

The dent is popped out, but not as I envisioned it to be.  There was dimpling from the crow bar pushing up on the metal fender.  But he wasn't done yet.

Keep in mind that my red flags about this situation just keeps growing and growing, but at the same time they are pacified because I'm seeing some results and he's a very fast talker.  

I'm even given advice since I'm driving a black car.  He tells me that since I have a black car to take my car in for a "hot wax" twice a month and make sure I see them actually applying the hot wax on because some companies try to scam you.  They try to tell you they do something but they don't actually do it, how ironic.

THE COVER
He comes back from the trunk of his car with something that looks like wax or a rubbing compound.  It's explained that this is to seal in the job and to finish it.  He puts it all over the area that he just tried to pop out.  Now I have a white area on my front fender that makes it extremely difficult to tell what work was done.  

As I continued to be in the deer in the headlights, I said nothing when he put this compound on my car.  This is a car that I know how to take care of and that I wash by hand vigilantly.  Analysing all this I still can't believe I let a complete stranger even put his hands on my car, let alone put some white compound on my car.

He walks around my car, putting the compound on any scratch or small dent he sees.  Swirling it in with his dirty microfiber towel.  So many red flags, using a dirty microfiber towel to put compound on a dirty car is not a good thing, it'll just scratch things up.

Then he sells me on the compound!  Puts some on the hood and tells me that it'll get rid of the water spots and other dirt.  Uses the towel to wipe it off, tells me to feel how smooth it is ... as a sucker, I agreed that it was smoother than the other parts of the car that were still dirty.  

Still I knew better, but said absolutely nothing.

I asked him to fix a small dent in my door on the other side, he comes back and tells me to go in the car to press on the brake so that it creates pressure and it's easier to pull out - as I walk away to the driver side ... I can't help but wonder "what pressure!?" but I did it anyway!  A few seconds later he's done and shows me that he's put compound all over my car saying that he's done my entire car for me.  

THE GETAWAY AND PAYOUT
He now asks for the $150 since he did the entire car, and also asks for a tip since he did such a great job.  I tell him that I told him I had no money and he asks how much I do have.  $40 wasn't enough for him and he wanted the $150 + tip ... he gave me that sad look and said he was just doing it for his family and kids.

Like a sucker, I fell for it.  Psychologically I already fell neck deep in his bs ... even though there were so many flags raised and I questioned things every step of the way (in my head) I was telling myself that it's only right to pay this guy since he did do work on my car.  

Stupidly we drove to an ATM ... still in shock and still caught in the headlights.  There was even a time on the way to the ATM that I wanted to let him get caught at a stop light and speed off without paying a cent but I ended up handing over about $130.

That look on his face of disappointment when I handed him only $130 should have been enough for me to take the money back ... but I didn't and I still can't tell you why.  

He reassured me with closing words of getting a hot wax and letting the compound sit for about 24 hours before getting it done.  

If you read this closely then you'll remember that the reason I followed him and parked was because he was going to show me a demo.  But the demo was in fact the actual job and I didn't even realize that this was a service that I didn't ask for, and that it was a demo he was going to show me and if I liked it he was going to pop out the dents for me ... 

This whole ordeal made me wonder and analyze everything, wondering what made me do nothing and listen to him word for word and trust him 100%.  I've figured out parts of why certain things happened but I still can't figure out why as a whole I fell for this.

It was the quick talking, it was the quick fix, the cheaper price than getting it professionally done, it was being caught off guard, it was being stupid.  The quick sell of having the dents fixed for a lower price and the pressure he put on me to get it done now now now got me thrown off balance from my usual overly cautious ways.  

Everything that happened during and after just supported me falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole and not being able to get out.  It was a mind f*ck and it really got me good.  It was a scam that wasn't well played by him, but rather just me being so receptive to his offer.  There were so many holes in his scam that I picked up on ... but yet I never called him out on it!  Perhaps it was the "wait and see" attitude that he might actually be legit and did fix the dent.

THE AFTERMATH
With any scam it's not only skin deep, but it goes beyond.  The scammer might think that the only damage is the exchange fo a few dollars, but it's so much more than that.  

For me it was my damaged ego, me feeling like I was just taken advantage of and to be extreme it felt like I had just been rapped.  I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to talk about it, I had no answers for why I let that happen and I didn't want to tell anyone.  I just wanted it to go away, I just didn't want to deal with it or anything.

The damage of being scammed is that you feel like a fool, and it's a chain reaction after that.  You feel that you can't do x y and z, you're self confidence takes a nose dive and it's quite hard to get back.  When someone takes advantage of you it just breaks you down mentally and emotionally.  

Often times you find yourself sitting there wondering how you can be so stupid to fall for something like that.  You ask yourself time and time again why you didn't speak up, and it effects those around you and those close to you.  

Nevermind the small dent in the bank account, but it's the larger dent on the individual that's long lasting.  Not having any medical background or anything, but I would compare it to having post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  

I was extremely bummed after wards and just wanted to go home and sleep.  I didn't even want to do anything.  I just wanted it all to be behind me and I never wanted to talk about it again.  This served as a good thing for me because instead of waiting the next day to get the compound off, I just wanted this story to end so I took it to the car wash to get it all off. 

After gathering myself a few days later I found out that this is a very common scam, they are called gypsies and it's been happening for years and years.  There are so many more horror stories where people listened and left the compound on for the 24 hours ... and washed it off the following day to find that the paint under the compound had been stripped to the metal.  Now what was a $150 mistake cost them a few thousand dollars to repaint the entire car.  

This is just an example of a scam that happened to me and the steps that I now see build it's way up from start to finish.  So it's a lesson learned and the only good thing to come out of this is that I've become more aware and hopefully have learned how to say no or to just look away when I'm solicited for services that I didn't even ask for.  

These are the key things that I've learned and hopefully it'll help someone reading this from getting scammed:

• If a service or product is being pushed to you without your direct want of it, then it's most likely a scam
• If someone points out that you need help with [fill in the blank] and they offer to help you for cheap, then it's most likely a scam
• If someone tells you that they have to do whatever service right here and right now, then it's most likely a scam
• If they don't offer you a business card, a working contact number and someone that can vouch for them then it's most likely a scam
• If you're propositioned in a parking lot, it's most likely a scam
• If there's not agreement or anything in writing is refused, then it's most likely a scam
• If the service is rushed and they throw on some crap to cover up the job without you having adequate time to inspect it, then it's most likely a scam
• If you have red flags going up everywhere and you choose to ignore them, then it's most likely a scam

I hope this serves as some help and people learn how to avoid falling into the deer in headlights mode.

+mon

Employees Must Wash Hands

This is something that I've experienced a few years ago, I don't think I wrote about this so I'm writing about it now.

It was a weekend where my sister was in town, she needed something from Walgreens so we drove over to the Elmhurst location.  This is the newer Walgreens along Broadway and not the older one that's closer to Broadway park. 

Just the typical trip to Walgreens, or so we thought.  As I pulled into the parking lot in the back of the building we were just chatting about a random subject.  From out of the corner of my eye I see something on the passenger side window.  There was a man there by in between the dumpsters, it didn't look like he was trying to hide, but he was just there ... squatting.  His pants were down and there was a small pile of ... well let's just say it looked like a chocolate soft server ice cream that you get from those Chinese buffet places. 

We made eye contact, I was shocked, he looked like he was in a rush but kept dispensing that chocolate soft serve. 

My sister and I were shocked but we went on our way and found a spot and went into the Walgreens.  Things were back to normal and this sight that we had just seen started to disappear from our brains.  I walk down one of the aisle, it was most likely the aisle with the potato chips, and I see this man standing at the very end.  Our eyes connected and it was the same man that I saw outside.  Both of us had that deer in headlights moment and we stood there for a few seconds before quickly turning around and running out of our respective ends of that aisle. 

I swiftly walked over to my sister to tell her that the "homeless man" that was outside pooping was now inside Walgreens!  We thought he was looking for us, for some strange reason.  We couldn't figure it out ... until we ran into him again in another aisle. 

There he was, and there we were standing as if we were about to duel off like the old westerns.  Shocked, confused, not sure what to do ... all three of us standing there waiting for the next move to be made.

Then I saw something ... no it wasn't another chocolate soft serve - that would just be disgusting!  I saw a nametag.  That nametag was attached to a Walgreens apron. 

This man wasn't homeless, infact he worked there at Walgreens. 

We fled to another aisle to gather our thoughts.  We asked why this man was in the back of Walgreens making a deposit!?  Was he outside smoking and he just really had to go!?  Was the bathroom broken!?  We couldn't figure it out ... and years later just thinking about it, it still doesn't make sense to me. 

This is something that will be engrained into our brains for the rest of our lives, I believe.  I can't describe his face to you though, the only description that I do remember was his eyes.  He had eyes that were sort of popping out of his head, or maybe it was just because of the way we were looking at each other in shock and embarassment??!

Perhaps I'll make a return trip to this Walgreens to see if this guy is around and if he is ... I'll take a picture of him, preferably with his apron on and stocking the shelves.

If you've got theories as to why as person would be doing this ... please do share because I'm still stumped and have not had chocolate soft serve since then.

+ mon

As Seen on TV

I usually do laundry with my dad and Dudoy, but since everyone is in PI I'm left to do it all by my lonesome.  The usual routine would be me driving to the laundromat and just throwing my clothing into the machine.  I would sometimes have to put the Tide directly onto my white shirts to get rid of the ring around the collar or ring around the cuff ... with little to no success.  

Sunday came around and it was about time that I did some sort of cleaning.  After moping the floor and doing an amazing job on it ... I decided to go and wash my clothes.  A few weeks earlier my dad had washed my white button down shirts with the colors leaving my whites a grayish color.  First thought was to bleach the shirts or just wear them as gray shirts, but I didn't have anymore white shirts.  It was actually all of my white shirts that turned gray ... about six or seven of them.  

First thing is first, I needed to get the soap and items related.  It's not as easy as going into the trunk of your car and pulling out the bottle of soap that's usually available, this time I had to filter through the ninety different kinds of Tide soaps that was in front of me.  I also wanted to get my shirts back to the white they once so proudly displayed, Clorox was my choice of getting that job done.  I called my sister to help me out and she advised me not to use Clorox because it's damaging to the clothes.  Oxiclean was the suggested way to go ... after reading the instructions it didn't make sense on what I had to do.  There were instructions for the "high efficiency" machines which I assumed were the ones at the laundromat and it was said to put the Oxiclean into the "tub" prior to adding the detergent.  I wasn't sure where this "tub" was but figured that I'm supposed to add it to were the clothes actually were.  This is what I considered the "tub."  

Time and time again I would take the Tide and rub it into the collar and cuffs to get our the dirt ... it would work but never make it perfectly clean.  Sometimes it would even leave the blue color of the soap in the white which was not good at all.  

We've all seen this on TV where the guy yells at you and tells you how amazing the product is, heck he'll even go to great lengths to prove it!  He'll stain that carpet with iodine, red wine, grape juice, and it all comes out with some Oxiclean and water, simple right?  

At first I thought it was going to act like a bleach and just take all the color out of my clothes, see instead of just putting it on the whites, I had decided to put it on everything now, colors included.  I watched as the machines went round and round, not sure of what the outcome was going to be, but checking the water color inside to see if it was stripping the color out.  So far so good, water is clear with bubbles from the soap, but not color washing out.

Once the cycle was done and I pulled out the whites, I was pleasantly surprised!  I couldn't believe that it actually took out the ring around the collar and cuff, completely!  It turned my whites white again too, the gray was all gone!  It seemed to turn my colors brighter too!  

Oxiclean definitely did the trick, so if you're looking to get the crap out of your clothes and haven't been able to, Oxiclean is a great additive!  

After researching Oxiclean today and how it actually cleans, the Oxiclean is a chemical that reacts with water where it will attack the stain by changing it's chemical makeup and removing the color out of the stain.  So it's not actually removing the stain but removing the color of the stain to bring back the original color of the clothing.

So that's my review of Oxiclean, use it, it's good stuff and makes your clothes look clean!

+ mon

Old School

In recent weeks I've gotten in touch with some old junior high school friends, and even some elementary school friends.  it always amazes me to think about this and actually remember things that went on back then.

Finding and chatting with some elementary school friends a rush of memories came back, from the time I pushed someone into the closet during a firedrill, to the time I got in trouble for kicking a tree on the sidwalk.  Memories like that and especially remembering friends and even grade school crushes are always fun.  

Aside from those "good" memories, we also have those other times in our school lives that we wish to forget but somehow can't!  Who knows, maybe they traumatize us too much?  

Being that junior high school isn't as far back as elementary school, it's easier to remember details.  A few days ago I reconnected with a friend from junior high and we talked about things that had happened back then, I guess me having the memory that I have, I remember things to great detail and keep them in my head for just such an occasion.  

I can go on and on about all these wonderful memories and also about the not so wonderful times too, but what this is going to be about those "crushes" that we have as kids, and yes we were kids at that age even though at the time we didn't see that.  

Having a crush at that age is awesome, but at the same time it's so scary!  You're at that age in junior high school, well at least I was, where you haven't "dated" or had a girlfriend/boyfriend yet, and if you did, it was something that didn't have much substance.  

So onto one of my junior high crushes ... there was a Filipina girl that I thought was pretty, but I don't think I told anyone since I didn't trust that it would stay secret.  This was a friend of my cousin that I had a crush on.  At this age, being the guy who I was, I didn't try to talk to her or anything, I was shyer than I am now!  You gotta give some credit to my cousin who did try to play cupid and tried to "hook us up."  

I remember the lunch room being segregated with the boys and girls not being able to sit together.  There I was with all my friends, trying to be "cool" and my cousin comes over and calls me over to their table.  This was definitely uncharted waters for me, talking a walk to the girls side of the lunch room and being out in the open like this without any of your friends around.  It's still plain as day for me where I stood there at the end of the lunch table as my cousin takes a seat leaving me standing all by myself.  It felt as if all eyes were on me and I knew that all the girls at her table were looking at me.  There would have been a difference if these girls at her table weren't in all of my classes and were just girls that I pass in the hall from time to time, but these were the girls that I had class with, so I see them for those seven to eight hours a day!  

This felt and seems like a Wonder Year episode as I'm typing this.  

My cousin introduced me to her friend, it was the girl who I had a crush on and apparently she had a crush on me too.  Yeah I was quite the hot stud back then in my prime, but that time has since passed.  As we were introduced, a sudden feeling of deer syndrome came over me.  I stood there, no words were said, I just remember her face as she looked at me and smiled as we were being introduced.  Unfamiliar territory with no protection ... I did the only reasonable thing when you're introduced to someone who likes you in the middle of the female section of the lunch room.  

I walked back to my table where my friends were.  

There I was seeking comfort in the "guy bonding" but apparently everyone was watching and knew what happened, or at least saw me walking away.  So that was the topic of discussion for the next thirty minutes.  I can't remember what I was saying, but I can only imagine me talking to my friends and painting a picture of me not being interested in the girl, instead of me acting like a deer in headlights.  

Ahhh the wonderful memories of grade school.  There are many more to come as with these chats about the old school brings a flood of things remembered back into my brain.  From the time I bit a girls arm for touching my pencil, to the poop in my pants, the list goes on and on and might be listed here for your enjoyment.

If anyone out there is reading this and is in grad school, do yourself a favor and learn from my mistakes.  Should something like this happen to you, don't just walk away and don't stand there as if the headlights of a car were coming right at you ... but maybe you can try and muster up the courage to say a simple "hi."

+ mon

Dance Flick

It's not uncommon to see strange things in the city and sometimes the imagination can't think of what the street performers can, so when we see then doing what it is they do, we are in amazement. 

Being a New Yawker I've seen a lot of different things happening and now things really don't shock me if I see something "new" and "strange" on the streets.  But this one caught my eye ... I haven't seen someone dancing in the middle of the street with a traffic officer right on the corner watching.  All the while filpping and throwing a big piece of cardboard around with such precision and energy.

Apparently he's promoting the film Dance Flick as you can see with the sign and the name of the movie all over his clothing.  Here he was on Canal street ... but he wasn't the only one.  The reason I filmed him and not the others is because the others stood on the street corner bobbing the head to their headphones.  They didn't have the talent this guy had.  I hope he wasn't flirting with me since he saw me taping him ...

I'm surprised not one person was hit by his sign spinning around in the air.  This is something I will have to try at home ... I just need to find a piece of cardboard to try it with (I can't use the balikbayan box ... my dad wouldn't like that much).

+ mon

I've Got the Power!

Ever been in a situation where you just needed to be in control?  Be it in the bar, the laundry, the restaurant?  Sitting there and having that TV on some channel that you don't want to see, or just wanting to watch something else on TV whle you're doing your thing, and you want to be in control!?

Well I have and yesterday I finally decided to do something about it!  There have been way too many times for me to count where I've been in that situation where I want the channel to be changed, I ask to have the channel changed but they refuse.  Doing the laundry is the worst, when you're there for hours and the TV is stuck on the worst UPN 9 show, or some spanish soap opera.  

Yesterday while having a late lunch at Nusara for Mothers day that situation came up again.  We left the house watching the Rockets vs the Lakers and didn't get to finish the game.  While at the restaurant we noticed that there was a TV while we waited to order.  The channel was stuck on a golf match and we wanted to watch the NBA playoffs.  My brother asked if they could change the channel but our waiter said that someone was watching golf.  As we looked around there was not one person watching the TV at all ...

So we decided to take matters into our own hands!  After downloading and installing a program into my phone called Psiloc irRemote I was in control.  After a short setup I was able to control that TV as if it were my own.  With the excitement of this new power my brother and dad were telling me to change the channel in their "regular" voices ... well talking in our regular voices about changing the channels isn't exactly spy stuff.  We had to keep this low key and keep it under wraps so we wouldn't get kicked out ... or worse ... me thrown in jail for FCC violations (maybe)!

At first I was nervous, but as I was able to control the environment I was able to grow comfortable in my role and finally got it to the playoff game we wanted.  

Well that golf match wasn't much of a head turner, but when I changed it to the playoffs, there were a lot more people watching the game, tsk tsk waiter for being so greedy with the TV for your own viewing pleasure and not the customers!

When you hold the remote control ... you have the power, unlimited power!

+ mon

The Big 3-0!

My birthday was last Wednesday and it was the 30th ... damn just typing that out makes me feel old!  Some people were telling me that I should make it a big party or celebration since it's a big milestone, another word that makes me feel old ... "milestone."

I was going to try to plan a party in this place I found in the city but that didn't end up happening since the place never called me back and it would have been a good amount of money to put down anyways.  There was really no plans for that night, the only thing I knew was that my dad was cutting up the stuff for the lumpia that he was going to cook for me that night.

It just so happened that Wednesday was also my volleyball game night that I could not miss since we were already short a few people.  Here at work, I tried to keep it under wraps as much as I could because I didn't want them throwing me a surprise party at work, that's what we usually do when it's someone's birthday.  The plan was for me to go straight home after volleyball to have dinner with the fam, well we can plan as much as we want but that doesn't mean it's always going to go as planned.  Right after the game the team decided to go to a local bar and get me some shots for my birthday, and that they did.  After four shots, I had to call it quits and head on home, but I couldn't take the subway in my state so I decided to call for a car.  Arvin was with me and for some reason I had a weird feeling that something was up and planned.  When we were in the bar Arvin came from outside saying that we had to go because my dad just called him looking for me.  That was strange to me since I had signal but no phone calls ... but the liquor was working it's magic so I quickly forgot.

On the ride home I was joking with Arvin that I hope there isn't a surprise birthday party for me ... and he didn't respond.  I said it again and he ignored me ... my spidey senses were going off again.  Finally got to the house after traffic and as I was walking down the stairs to the front door, I saw people peeking in the window and thought that was strange but didn't really think much of it.  Diday has to open the door since I had my keys in my jacket and my jacket was all the way in my bag.  

In the traditional Simon routine I would start taking my shirt off right before I came through the door because it was hot, good thing this wasn't one of those times that I did that!  As I walk in through the door I saw a whole bunch of family and friends in my house, I don't even remember heading "surprise!" because I was in shock from everyone there.  

I think this was actually the first surprise party that I've had thrown for me!  I joked with Arvin in the car ride that I hope there isn't a surprise party because with my luck I'll have a heart attack from all the excitement!  There everyone was eating and drinking ... some of the food was already gone because I had gotten there two hours late!!!

Here I was in my volleyball clothes, smelling of sweat and liquor with everyone around me.  As I got my gifts, I started to wonder something ... why were all of my gifts food!?  I'm not complaining by any means, but is that what I'm known for, food? lol

The first gift was the "monwich!" which was insane!  To this day I'm still not even sure what was in it, but this is what I think was inside that monster of a sandwich.  There was McDonalds hamburger patties, clam strips and chicken rings from White Castle, Spam, cheese and I garlic mayo!  It was heavy when I held the entire sandwich in my hand, but oh so good when I got a bite of it!  The combination of foods doesn't sound appetizing to some, but it's good stuff.  Ody then handed me his gift ... the beast!  Damn people are trying to make me have a heart attack, but I'm not complaining!  I couldn't touch the beast that night, I had to wait until Thursday night to eat some of that beast.  There is still some of the monwich left, but that will be gone pretty soon.  Loan got me an M&M cake that I wasn't able to eat, but I did get a taste of that famous dip that she made!  Just a taste!  Apparently in my two hour tardiness, the surprisers consumed most if not all of the dip and also the chips!  I used the monwich to clean up the bowl with the remaining dip ... that was a good combination too!

Part of the family culture that we have liquor.  I've always tried to stay away from it and well when I do have some, you know that I don't drink much!  Here we were blowing out the candles and I was given a shot of some Southern Comfort.  Then another ... then another.  good thing there wasn't that much left or else I'm afraid the shots would have just kept on coming!  After a few minutes needless to say I was using the walls and other people for support.  There were instances of yacking but luckily I was able to keep everything down, it would have been a waste of all the wonderfull food I just ate!  

I'm not sure what I started saying but I hope it wasn't too revealing and it seems that when I drink and it starts to take it's effect, I end up on the floor for one reason or another.  Wednesday night was no exception.  

It was an awesome brithday party and thank you to all the people who came and put it together!!!  

I remember finding a nice spot on the carpet where I just stayed for a little bit until everyone ended up going home for the night.  But I still had people coming over!  G and his cousin were still on the way and we ended up going to Hooters for a little bit.  Chicken wings and sangria ... the combination of champions!

So here I am, the dirty thirty.  Just that word really makes me feel older ... I prefer this to be my one year anniversary of being 29.  

The next day was work and I still have no idea how I made it into work ... with the famous words of many individuals who have ended up on the bad side of a drunken night ... I'm never drinking again.  

+ mon

It's Been a While

About eight days since my last entry and it's because there has been a lot going on so here I am now ... posting about the happenings.

Over a week since my last entry and it's mostly because I've been trying to help one of my best friends go through something that I went through more than two years ago.  

As I was home I got a call from G asking if I could make my way over to NJ to help them out a bit.  Just some history, his father had undergone a triple bypass and was in rehab for almost two weeks.  There in rehab he was doing fine, we even went there to visit him and my dad and his dad were comparing scars from their bypass.  I felt left out when they were doing this, so naturally I walked to the foot of the bed and lifted my shirt up as well just to join in the comparison.  

It was extremely sudden when we heard the news that his dad had gone into a coma and there was no explanation as to the real reason why, I still don't think that there is one.  

When G called me Tuesday of last week, he told me that the doctors are only giving his dad about one or two days left.  Thinking back to my mom, the doctors had told us that she had about three to six months left and I think they always over estimate for the best case scenario.  When we got to the hospital in Jersey, I ended up taking Diday with me, just so I didn't go solo, we saw the family and everyone was understandably shaken up.  They were just going to spend time with him by his bedside until that time came.  

Visiting Tito Louie there and seeing him in the bed, it gave me flashbacks of my mom and I just tried to be "strong" for G and his family.  It's different for me now, I have a different view of death ever since my mom's passing, but regardless of my views, losing a loved one hurts tremendously.  

Seeing the family going through the various emotions that come with it, and trying your best to comfort them is always difficult, there are never words that are enough to help.  Tito Louie passed away later that night at around 12:25am.  The typical words of "condolence" or "I'm sorry" filled my head and that's what I wanted to say, but if I did it would just be because it was the normal thing to do.  I can never find the words when it comes to a friend of mine losing someone ... even that phrase "losing someone" speaks volumes of how we as a society view death.  It's not really losing a person when they die, it's a long vacation until everyone is reunited again ... yes I do believe that there is a heaven and hopefully we can all get there.  

There was nothing I could say, and all I could do was be there for them.  

When the wake came around, I went to give my respect and support, and remembered that the priest told us that the funeral and everything else is for the family and friends and not really for the one who passed away.  It was a time where everyone should be there and pray for the family now.  

One thing about wakes and funerals that I've noticed is that it's a big reunion, that always seems to be the case.  People who you haven't seen for years will show up and it will be like old times, even for those few moments.  

The sadness of having someone pass away is definitely there, but when I pass I think I want things to be different.  Instead of all the sadness, I want there to be laughing and smiling all around.  This is where my view of death is now, it used to be something that just sucked.  Where it's going to happen and we have to deal with it and also deal with "losing" someone.  But now I see it as a blessing, it happens when it happens and there isn't a way to stop it.  When it's your time, it's your time.  

I see it as a transition now, from this life we have here on earth to whatever it is that comes after.  Be it heaven with the white clouds and the golden gates, or something different.  I do believe there's something after and that all the loved ones are reunited during that time.  Although we will miss those that pass before us, there's going to be a time when we see them again and it's just a temporary thing.

When I was a kid I remember Tito Louie because I used to go to G's house a lot.  There were times when I would sleep over and the morning would be great with his breakfast cooked and ready to go as soon as we woke up.  There was also that basketball hoop that he made for G in the backyard, that was something that I also loved because I would dunk on it since it was our height.  So many different memories and one memory that sticks out is when I was at G's house and we were having a practice session for DJing.  He came into the room at around 1am and asked us what we were doing and took an interest in it ... his one remark that will play in my head forever is "where's your um-flee?" meaning to ask us where our amplifier was.  There he stood in the doorway in nothing more than his briefs.  The reason this is one of the moments that I won't forget is because this is how my dad is with me, very comfortable.  

With the passing of my mom, it opened my eyes to the importance of my parents more.  I guess that's one of the reasons why I push my friends and the youth I work with to be with their parents more because they don't know when the time is going to be up.  Ever since my mom, I've taken as much time possible to spend with my dad.  Just being at home and us watching the dumbest of movies, or watching a basketball game together means the world to me.  The first night after the wake we went home and it was just him and I again.  That night was the boxing match and there were a few places closeby to watch it, but he was tired and didn't want to go.  So we ended up ordering the fight to watch, just the two of us and it was nice to bond in that way.  My dad and I with my sister on the phone, screaming our heads off and enjoying the fight and moreso each other's company.  For me it's time well spent, instead of me going out and hanging out, I know that my time with my dad is limited especially since he goes back to Philippines often, so whatever time I do get with him is important to me.  

I know G had a lot of great memories with Tito Louie, and I do hope that I can continue to create more with my dad.  Tito Louie treated me like a son everytime I was around, and I will miss him dearly, from his cooking, to his carpentry, to his hats, and Christmas creations the list of the things missed will go on.  May he rest in peace and may his family find comfort as well.

+ mon

Rocket Cars!

So who knows how a car works?  The real way a car works with the pistons, and the tiny explosions causing the pistons to move up and down and whatever else needs to happen to make that car move.  

I don't know how a car works, all I know is that you stick the key in, make sure you have gas and fluirs are good, then you're good to go.

As a kid my knowledge was limited to so much less, but the imagination had no limits whatsoever.

There were so many times when I would sit in the passenger seat and see the cars in front of us, then I would wonder how the cars work.  The solution was simple and easy ... the way cars would work was because of the "rockets" at the back of them.  You know the rockets I'm talking about right?  The exhaust where all the crap comes out of.  

For me these were the rocket blasters that would spit out all the push the car needed to make it go.  I pictured it like a rocket ship but without the fire and smoke (well some cars had smoke coming out of them so that was different), the cars would be propelled by the rocket blast.  

Some cars had two of them, so that would make them go faster!  The trucks had them on the top and the holes were bigger, so I figured that it was needed to push them since they were bigger.  Planes had the giant ones and well I actually had that part right about the planes since they are sort of rockets strapped to the wings!

My whole world came crashing down once I was taught that the rocket blaster holes were actually where all the garbage would come out from.

+ mon

Halitosis?

It usually happens when the weather starts to change from fall to winter and the temperature drops.  We go outside and are a little bundled up but not as though we're expecting an impending blizzard.  It's just that frostiness that is felt in the air around October here ... there's this change that I didn't notice when I was little but it's obvious when you start to grow up and learn more.  

Around this time is when we start to see our breath in front of our face everytime we breath out or talk to someone outside.  I used to see this all the time, especially when waiting for the bus at the bus stop.  All the kids and their parents would be there and you see that white fog coming from their mouths and noses.  Some kids, when it was really cold outside, would have that white fog coming off of their bodies.

Me not knowing the scientific part of it and how it all works thought it was something more simple than the hot air hitting the cold outside air.  I always thought people had the white fog coming from their face because they had bad breath.  I really believed it and whenever I would see myself with this white fog, I would try to find gum, candy or whatever it was to just help my bad breath go away.  There was always something magical about getting inside of the school because the white fog would disappear and my breath would be "fresh" again.  I would check multiple times cupping my hands in front of my mouth and nose to see if my breath infact did stink.  

+ mon

Bizarre Foods With Sandra

Andrew Zimmern better watch out because my sister is coming after his show.  On his show he eats the weirdest and sometimes the nastiest things ... I won't get into detail about what he does eat but you can watch it on the Travel Channel - and soon you should be seeing my sister on that network too going head to head with Andrew.

Her experience goes way back when she used to live with us.  The first story she told me wasn't really about "eating" but it was closely related.  Here she was washing up before going to sleep and about to brush her teeth.  This has happened to everyone out there where they are brushing their teeth and the toothpaste will fall off the brush or the tube and end up in the sink.  Sometimes we forget (or are just to lazy) to wash it down and sometimes we do wash it down.  Being a frugal person that she is, she sees this glob on the sink and sees that it's clean and all around the sink is clean.  So it must have been a clean drop from the tube and the sink wasn't dirty at all.  

With her bravery and courage guiding her she scoops it up with her toothbrush, making sure that there was enough glob to brush her teeth with.  As she starts to brush her teeth she realizes something ... it wasn't toothpaste, but in the same cleaning family.  It was acutally the liquid soap that had made it's way to the sink which somehow hardened a little to look like toothpaste!  

Andrew wouldn't even attempt to do that! +1 for my sister

This morning was another step closer to her having her own show.  I get a text at about 11am this morning telling me how she just cleaned out her freezer.  In doing so she finds something in the back and burried under all the other food that's been frozen.  

Just a little back story, when I used to go to San Diego a lot, I would always bring home something and that was always bibinka.  It's a filipino pastry dessert type of cake.  I would bring them back twenty at a time since my parents liked it so much and my sister too.  

Well you can guess what she found in her freezer!  She found a single bibinka still wrapped in the foil that I had brought back from San Diego about six years ago ... yes six years ago.  You guessed it, my sister tried to heat it up as she normally would since it was still wrapped in the banana leaf.  

She ate it!

A six year old bibinka ... she ate it!  Not the whole thing but she tried it and said there were parts that were still good and that was what she ate.  The other parts were hard and had freezer burn, the rest was mushy.  

Some people made fun of me for eating year old sourdough Jack sandwiches!  Well we have a new winner with my sister eating at least a six year old bibinka.  My sister wins and we'll wait for what comes next ... whatever the next challenge is I'm sure she won't back down.  Another +1 for my sister.

+ mon

You Can Never be Overdressed

Today I leave for Cali for Holy Week and I left the house this morning wearing a suit.  My dad saw me and asked me why I was wearing a suit and if I was going to change before the flight.  If you have traveled with me, you know that I like to go on flights as dressy as possible, suit and tie are the max - I'm not wearing a tux.  

It all started when I used to fly standby (buddy passes) and the rules were that we had to wear slacks and a collared shirt.  This was something I had to do when flying Continental and there were times when I ended up wearing a suit and I noticed a difference.  The difference was in service and also the treatment and respect people were giving me.  It was strange but definitely something that I noticed.

It's not a guarantee but I think that being "dressed up" makes it seem that you're more professional and at the same time somewhat "important."  There have been a few times already where my suit has gotten me out of situations or helped me in certain situations when traveling.

One of the rules with traveling standby on a buddy pass that you are not allowed to be upgraded to first class, even though there was the occassional rule bender that would let you.  There was one trip, actually there were three trips where I was wearing the suit and was checking in.  I made it common practice to ask "how's the flight looking" whenever I checked in and would then ask if there was any room in first class.  I would normally get agent who would tell me the rules regarding first class and a buddy pass, but on these occassions the agent looked at me after telling me the rules and made the comment "well you are dressed for first class" and when they handed me the ticket, the seats were in first class.  

Another time I had four friends with me and we were running late to the airport because someone wanted to stop by Goldilocks.  We got to the airport with about 35 minutes before the flight and I dropped them off, then returned the car.  It was alright if they made it on the flight and I got stuck, but when I got back to the airport, there they were sittingo n the sidewalk.  They wouldn't let them check into the flight because there was no checked luggage going into the place within 30 minutes of the flight (this is one reason why I don't check bags in).  The ticket agent had told them that they would have get on the next flight and pay the difference in the price plus a fee.  The total came out to about $400 - $500 for each person.  Here comes Suitman to the rescue!  I went in and talked to the same agent and told them the situation.  He recognized my friends that were outside ... and I waited for him to tell him that there was the $400 per person.  After a few minutes he said that we were all set and I even asked him if there was a fee for the flight differential.  His response to me was "don't worry about it sir, we'll take care of it for you."  

Rushing for a flight, it was only ten minutes before my flight left.  I ran to the terminal and of course there was a long line for the tickets (this was the time where etickets counters didn't exist yet).  I was about to give up and walked off the line to check the next departing flight when a ticket agent came over to me and asked me if I was flying in first class.  I told her that I was not, but she said that she'd help me since it seemed that I was flying first class anyway ... she realized my flight was in ten minutes and escorted me past security all the way to the gate to make sure that I made it in.

So here I am dressed as Suitman again.  Going to the airport and hoping that I will be able to use my powers for good and help those in need.  I don't mind the suit and tie all throughout the flight if it will help in someway or could help if a problem were to come up.  This also works for car rental companies ... as I've gotten many free upgrades and "bonuses" because it was Suitman at the counter.  

We can all be Suitman!  He's inside of us just waiting to come out and use our powers to help us through situations which seem hopeless.  So overdress as you must, and tie that tie, then work your way to first class and past security onto the gate to just make your flight.  

+ mon

She's Back!

She finally responded!  Here she is ...

Hello Dear,

Thank's for your response and how are you today? I hope you are allright by the special
grace of God.


It's not tha i don't want to respond to your email,i am not ok, if my inhertance money which my late father keept for me in the bank,my life and my bright future are not secured.

I contacted you in a way after the money has been transfer to your account, i shall come over to your country to be with you,continue my education and have a new life with you as well if you wish to marry me,but you have not even contacted the bank i don't know why you refuse to contact the bank where my late father deposited my inhertance money while i have told the bank mananer about you and he has been waiting to hear from you since.I thought by now i should be in your country with you to continue my education and have a life with you while you go on investinig on my behalf.
I requested your information, your cell phone number for easy communication ,you have not send it to me ,why?


Please all i need you to do is to get this money out from the bank as that is the only way i will be liberated from my situation that i'm facing now.As i am right now i am fiding it very difficult to eat as i spent all the little cash with me and you know that i'm not doing anything neither do i move freely so please help me out and fast.I hope to hear from you soonest.

Thanks and God bless you as you proceed the transfer with the bank.

Yours Sincerely,

Miss.Monica Sankara.

And another response, two in one day!?  Oh joy!

My Dear.


You can contact the bank with this email adress,paulduncan_boaci@yahoo.fr.

This is my response to her ... I hope she doesn't drop me like a ton of bricks!

Monica!

There you are! I've been looking for you and worrying day and night, my goodness gracious, I have been worried sick and now I can finally breathe - whew!

I don't think you read my email when I did try to contact the bank. I called the number you gave me but unfortunately there was a lady who answered the phone and well if you hadn't read my email I'll put it frankly that we got very intimate on the phone. She had a very sexy voice and a man of my age gets lonely so it's easy for me to fall into things like that - will that be alright with you? To know that I might cheat on you when we are together and married?

I don't have a cell phone, I had to barrow the phone of my nurse here for me to call the bank at the number you gave me.

My dear I don't think you're reading my emails fully. I asked you if the bank manager had an email address that is directly affiliated with the bank? You never responded.

I need to ask you something Monica ... this is a really serious question. Why is it that when I want to talk about LOVE, you just want to talk about MONEY? I'm not sure you understand who I am Monica. The $7.5 million that you have inherited is a small portion of what I have collected here in the United States. If you pick up a newspaper, I am sure you will see my picture there because I do have a lot of money here kept away. But, I do want to help you with your inheritance and invest it properly, do not worry my dear, I know exactly where to put it - have you ever heard of a company called Bunghole? The bunghole is exactly where we will put it, all of it, we will put everything in the Bunghole, how does that sound to you?

Monica, can we trust the bank manager???

Do you love me Monica? I really need to know if you do ... please let me know. Do you have any more pictures of yourself with less clothing? I would absolutely love to see you in some more pictures but with not so much clothing on.

Email me back my dear, and let's talk about love, love, love.
Mr. S.

We'll see if she sends me those pictures and if she's persistant on the cell number, then I'll give her my Skype number so I can record what she says!  I will keep you posted on this love affair!

+ mon

Show me a Sign

I haven't heard from her in forever, so I've been emailing her trying to get in touch.  I'll let you know as soon as she replies, if ever ... damn I'm heart broken.

Monica!? 

It's been 8 days since I have last heard from you ... and frankly I am a bit concerned.  I'm worried about you as I know there are people out there who are trying to end your life, I'm hoping that nothing bad has happened to you.  Please I am begging you to respond to my email and let me know that everything is alright!?

If you haven't emailed me back because you can't forgive me for what I had done on the phone when I tried to call Mr. Duncan and ended up with talking to a lady instead, then that's alright, I understand, but please at least just respond to me and let me know that you are not hurt and you are keeping safe.

I desperately wait for your reply ... please.

Mr. S

Below is my email to her today ... I hope I'm not getting stalkerish?

MONICA! 

Comeon, just email me back and let me know if you're doing alright!??!?!  I'm really worried, and I haven't been eating properly since I'm so worried about you!  Please Monica, email me back just to let me know that you are alright and the thugs didn't get to you.  It's ok if you're mad at me, and don't even want to talk to me again because I had some raunchy affair with that lady on the phone, but please just do me the favor of letting me know how your'e doing.

We've been through so much together Mon Baby!  Please let me know that you still are out there and safe, please let me know that you're missing me and thinking about me.  Here I am typing this email to you as my tears wet the keyboard, with each key I strike, more tears fall.  All these minutes and seconds that run by without hearing your words is causing my heart to shrivel up into a little tiny ball which will fit in the tube of a BIC pen soon ... please don't let that happen and give me a sign.  Any sign my Mon dear. 

Email me back, even just one word, just one single word from those fingertips ... just one.

Mr. S

I guess all I can do is wait ... I'll wait another day for her to respond or not, then I'm going to just let it all out!

+ mon

Knowing is Half the Battle

Living in NYC we become accustomed to seeing these "DVD" stores that used to be peepshows and other adult related materials are sold there.  But since the "cleanup" I think a lof of these places cleaned up their act and actually sold real movies ... or so I thought!

Being a big movie buff I wanted to buy a new Blu-Ray movie and was just walking to the subway.  There wasn't any Best Buy's around for me to get anything, so I saw one of those "DVD" stores and took a walk to the front door.  All the stickers on the window was saying they sell all movies and then I saw one that said "Blu-Ray" and so I decided to pay a visit.  

This is very important to know ... the stores in New York City that have neon flashing lights and stickers on their windows advertising how they sell all types and all movies, while having no view into the store from the street, DO NOT SELL REGULAR MOVIES!!!!  

I found out the hard way last night.  As I opened the front door I was greeted to a huge picture of a person that was in an uncomfortable looking position from a not so flaterring angle.  Quickly I went to the counter and asked for their Blu-Ray section ... they pointed it out to me and I was still hopefully of finding "Slumdog Millionaire" since it was just released.  As I went one by one through the 30 or so Blu-Ray titles they had, all of them seemed to be pr0n!  Then I come across a movie that looked to be the "Slumdog Millionaire" ... but sadly it was not.  I'm not sure to the exact title but it was somewhere along the lines of "Doggystyle Millionaire" ... 

So if you're looking for a movie that's real and something that's in the movie theaters, or on DVD from Blockbuster, then don't go into these stores!  

I still feel dirty from being in there and seeing some of the things I have seen.  I guess yesterday was a day where I started with a locker room full of wangs, to being in a video store that had nothing but horrible images, then to having an embossed wang from the painted jeans.  

A shower is desperately needed!

+ mon

Don't Force the Square Piece into the Circle

One of my pet peeves on the subway is when there is room for just one more person in the seat, and a person who knows they take up more than one spot on the train tries to get in!  I'm not making fun of people who are large or overweight, heck I'm overweight and large myself!  All I'm saying is that people need to have some common courtesy where they don't try to squeeze into a space they can't, it's the same with a parking spot!

Boarding the L train at the last stop, I get a seat right away and there's still a lot of room on the train.  As we pck up more people on the trip, the train fills up and this cute little italian lady ends up sitting next to me, she was pretty nice too as she chit chatted with me for a little while until we both ended up falling asleep.  Nice way to end the day and just waited to get home to chillax.

As italian lady and I slept on the subway side by side, but not too close, out of nowhere we were both awakened as I was crushed on the bars and italian lady (let's call her Bella) started to forge into my right side.  I barely had enough room to turn my head to see what was going on, at first it was the feeling of when the train suddenly moves from a dead stop and everyone moves towards the back of the train from the momentum shift ... but then I was able to peak over Bella's head and see this huge mass of a man that had somehow calculated himself to be smaller than reality and pushed that square piece into the hole of a circle!

He was massive, I should have asked for Bella's real name because being that close to someone, it's only right that you know their name, and even moreso take her out to dinner first!  She smelled like dove shampoo btw, for those of you who were wondering.  With each breathe massive man took, it's as if there was less room for Bella and I, there wasn't even any room for me to get up out of my seat to offer whatever room I was taking up to her. 

Bella was in a better position and she popped herself up and got out of the seat.  With that there was the deep breathes we took as we separated our bodies, only a few more minutes of that and we wouldn't have been able to leave each others side for the rest of our lives - I wasn't goign to complain!

No goodbyes from Bella or myself, as I'm sure we were both just glad to be able to breathe.  But massive man was just chillin' as if there was no issue whatsoever.  He even fell asleep on the train ... and well this following picture is his picture.  There are no camera tricks, he was actually that large and took up that much space!

After the train cleared out and Bella left.  I saw that there was bout a foot and a half of space that was available.  So I just really don't know how this guy miscalculated his own mass.  Anyhow, this ordeal left me scared ... I have bar marks on the left side of my body and missing Bella!

+ mon

Wrong Place and Wrong Time

You know me ... I'm an eater, a big eater and I really don't have any "rules" about eating, but I do have one.  Subways are off limits with me eating, there's just something about the place of the subway that's dirty and sometimes the people that are in the train with you.

As I sit there minding my own business (after taking the picture of the guys crotch), I look across from me and see this lady just sitting there.  The train was a little crowded and people were around her, but she decides to whip out a sandwich!

Comeon now!  That sandwich is sacred and should be treated as such, but I guess when you're hungry, you're hungry and who am I to argue with that? 

She ends up eating the whole sandwich ... well most of the sandwich in "stealth" mode.  Taking little bites as if she's really not and trying to hide the fact that there's a sandwich in her hand.  All the dirty particles from the subway and the people who are in it, and have been there, are now sticking to that sandwich. 

The sandwich is consumes almost fully before I get off my stop, lucky for me since I get to take another picture of her making "baon" (doggy bag) with some of the sandwich.  I guess she was saving it for a late snack, but she kept some of the turkey on her jacket.

See I'm not that mean where I'll take pictures of you eating on the subway, complain and blog about it, without telling you that there's some meat on your jacket!  Comeon now people, I had to tell her!  If I didn't, she would have gotten up, that piece of meat would have fallen on the floor and it would have just gone to waste!

Here I am, trying to make eye contact with her to let her know that there's something on her jacket.  She is refusing to make eye contact with me, so I wave my hand towards her and point to her jacket and then do a gesture of me brushing it off the jacket (using my own jacket as an example).  Miscommunication is one of the things that cause a lot of conflicts and there was a big miscommunication with her last night.  Apparently she thought I was asking for some food!  But to her credit, she was nice enough to just offer some even though she didn't know me.  There was some left in her plastic wrap and she reached out to give me the rest ... but I said no.  Everyone on the train was now looking at us having this pantomime conversation only using our hands and gestures. 

After a few back and forths, I again signal to her jacket where she finally sees the meat.  With some embarassment (but not that much embarassment) she picked it up and ate whatever was left on her jacket.  For the next 2 minutes of my train ride, she refused to make eye contact or even say thank you as she was probably embarassed from the whole ordeal.

Geeze, I can only imagine what kind of dirtiness she ate with that sandwich!  And she had the nerve to offer me some ... trying to make me break my one and only rule about food!  For shame sandwich eaten on the subway lady!  For shame!

+ mon

Painted on Jeans

There was a time in High School when we would see these girls that had the tightest of jeans we've ever seen, I'm not saying this in a good way, it wasn't as if it was sexy as they were wearing tights.  Instead it was a bit disturbing and I always wondered how they got into and out of those jeans, all I knew was that the seams on those jeans must have been sewn together with fishing wire and there must have been some crazy stress tests going before selling them. 

When I saw Dudoy start to rock the tight jeans, I was a bit worried ... my nephew wearing jeans that were so tight that his boys were embossed for the world to see.  Well luckily he's changed his ways, somewhat and gotten jeans that are a little roomier in the crotchal region.

It always amazes me what I see on the train that I have to be ready at all times for possible picture opportunities ... and last night was a good night.  I know that the following picture is probably grounds for comments regarding me taking pictures of other guys' "areas" but I felt the need to have to share this with all of you ... and provide you with a visual aid since the entry wouldn't be the same without them.

This isn't exactly painted on, but for a guy, this is as close as it gets.  I think you can see it in the picture, but there's some good embossing on there.  I guess it goes with the locker room, some people have no shame, or maybe that's exactly what this guy wants!?

In any case, if you do have tight pants and rock them ... just becareful of the outlines that it shows, and becareful of people like me who like to talk about anything that's on their mind.  Beware the painted on jeans, and if Dudoy is reading this ... watch out man!  This is what people could be seeing when you're standing in front of them, let alone when you sit down and then the pants get tighter around that area!

+ mon

Curse Peripheral Vision and being too Observant

I've been looking for an indoor basketball court for the longest time that is close by so I can go there and shoot around or play some ball during the work day.  After YEARS of searching, I finally found one at the West 56th street Health and Racquet Club, it's only a half court (actually it's the size of a racquet ball court with the rim mounted on the side, so more of a 1/3 court).  

To add to that, I found out that my firm has a corporate membership so it's cheaper and we also get the week free pass.  

It's been a week of me trying to get over there, but things have been a little crazy here at work (hence the less entries this week), so a coworker of mine and I decided to meet there at 8am this morning.  Alright, if anyone knows me, 8am during the work week is the time when I'm pressing snooze waiting for the 8:30am alarm to go off.  We made a deal that if I wasn't there on time I owe him $20, and he gave me a grace period of ten minutes.  

I guess the me of old came shining through as I was excited to play basketball before.  In my "prime" (damn you know you're old when you say that) I used to wake up 7am during summer vacation and bike 30-45 minutes to play basketball the whole day with my friends.  I wasn't even confident that I was going to make it this morning either, I got home at 11:30pm from the volleyball game last night.  One two different occasions, 5am and 6am I woke up because I was excited to play bball, even if it's just to shoot around.  

Turns out that I made it there at 8:09am!  

Alright, so I haven't been to a gym in over 4 years, meaning the gym with locker rooms and people changing, etc.  So here I was sitting in the locker room putting my things in the locker, I'm not used to having naked people around me ... and when it's men, it's just that much more uncomfortable.  I'm minding my own business and I used to love my peripheral vision and the fact that I observe things that other people don't pick up on, but not today.  I was surrounded by wangs!  As I sat there putting on my sneakers, an older man behind me (who was dressed when I first got there) was but naked!  It was about 5 inches between me and the ridiculously hairy (_|_) and I quickly jumped up when I noticed.  

It was like a bad dream for me (well not really because I never have had any dreams like that)!  Ever try to shut off a sense that you have, but it doesn't work ... that was me today.  All these images are burned into my brain right now, and I'm waiting for them to just go away, so I felt the need to share it with all of you!  There were all sorts of guys there ... an assortment if you will.  From the fit, to the not so fit, from the buff beef cakes, to the whoa what happened!?  There were also a lot of variations from the clean cut, to those who needed a body trimmer and some even lawn mowers.   It was pretty bad.

I tried my best to walk with my face looking up at the ceiling, but again the peripherals were a curse today.  Maybe this is why I never joined a gym?  Because I can't be around naked men!  Geeze, I feel like I have to apologize to my eyes for putting them into that kind of situation ... I'm sorry!

Will I go back?  I think I will ... maybe I'll just try to void the locker room altogether, but I still have to find a way to take a shower.  Some people have no shame!

+ mon

Update on Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 10:54AM by MONStar

I'm sure you guys are glad that I don't have any pictures associated with this post!

+ mon