One of my good friends, Karim, just moved to Philadelphia a few days ago so I jumped in the Jeep and drove to the city of brotherly love.The drive took about 1 hour & 30 minutes, but when you factor in the holland tunnel traffic & the whole" getting lost thing" that I have mastered, it took a total of 3 hours.

 

I met up with Karim on South Street, which is one of the main drags in the city. Roughly 2 years ago, strangely enough, was the last time I saw him and it was in this same city. We are two of the founding members of a company formed in 2001 called Pinnacle Production Group, that put together one of the best touring Emcee Battles ever! I'm a humble guy, but it's true, the shows were amazing. One of the last battles we held was in Philly, which saw a local talent Reef take home the crown. In many ways, we are both looking for that feeling of accomplishment, as we regroup in our new places of residence.

 

Karim's current situation began to unfold as we had a snack at Cosi's. I ordered one of my top ten meals of all time, a grilled cheese sandwich. I got a taste of some of the bad luck he's been having after he ordered 2 different items on the menu, only to have the waitress come back minutes later to say "I'm sorry we're all out". After settling for some sort of tea instead, he filled me in on the latest happenings with his new roommate. Or shall I say roommates?

 

There's a website called roommates.com, which as the title suggests, allows you to find a roommate in whatever city you live in. His current roomate advertised that he would have his own "private bedroom" in his apartment. He failed to mention that its only a one bedroom apartment which means that, lets call him Roommate X, is giving up the bedroom to Karim and moving to the living room space. Did I fail to mention that Roommate X's girlfriend practically lives there also? So for Karim to get to his room, he has to pass through a "love nest" just to get in and out of the crib! I had to laugh at his story about the guy leaving a note on the front door tonight saying "Karim Please Knock Before You Enter". Is that crazy or what? This guy is like 50 years old and it sounds like something an 18-year-old college student might do! Hearing all of this makes me even more thankful for my current living arrangement.

 

Well, needless to say, Karim is scrambling to look for a new place & a job at the same time. I have full faith and confidence that everything will work out for him. He's one of the most driven and talented people that I know. If you haven't already checked out some of his woodcarvings and sculpture's you can do so at siriusartist.com. Periodically we'll check back with him to see his progress and I'll let you know when his blog is up.

 

Back to the BK!

 

 

On my block, you can't park there on Wendesday or Thursday mornings(depending on what side of the street you're on) because of street cleaning. When I got back from Philly, there were no spots on the block, so I had to park around the corner. The sign read "No Parking Thursday's 830-11am." I was fooling myself to think that I could get up, but hey it was worth a shot. I jump out of bed at 900am thinking I lucked out, but it was too late. Damn coppers...

 

Later in the day, Shelly introduced me to Joe's Pizza. In case I failed to mention, she happens to be an excellant chef! Her field of expertise is more on the pastry side, but from what I can tell, she very knowledgable in many different cuisines. Ok, so by most accounts, Joe's is the best pizza joint in New York. So far it's the best that I've had since being here,but my personal favorite pizza is more Chicago style. Lots of cheese and deep dish pan slices. I was shown the art of holding, folding & eating the "slice of pie". Sound's like some kind of Shaolin techinique huh?

 

A couple of our neighbors,Danny & Jason, were hanging outside when we got back, and somehow we all agreed to a group outing to one of New York's biggest clubs, Webster Hall. I haven't been there, but from hearing the description I know two things. First I have to go shopping and second it's going to be a scene. I'm told there are 7 rooms! This will probably be my one and only appreance there(with the exception of when out of town visitors want to go) because I like intimate spots. But hey, when in Rome do as the Romans do.   

 

 

 

Today I returned to Jersey Gardens, to add to my collection of clothing & shoes. It is a very small collection indeed, but I don't really care about having clothing for every occasion. Or do I?

 

I've noticed that I'm becoming more self-conscious about how I look when I leave the house. Its hard not to be when there is a constant fashion show happening all around me. Don't get me wrong, I like nice things just like everyone, but material goods are lower on my list of needs. So I'm at a cross roads; either I'll jump right in with the masses joining the race to out shine the next guy with my expensive gear or I'll stick to what is comfortable and affordable to my tastes. Is there a middle ground? It's hard to say because middle ground is generally not an option here. You are the best or the worst, period. Don't believe me? Just ask Derek Jeter who recently was booed after going 0-32. Here is a guy who in his first 5 seasons with the Yankees won 4 World Series titles and he still gets booed. Unreal!

 

Well, I don't have Derek Jeter money or clot, but I'll focus on what makes me have peace within and also embrace a portion of the "do your best" mentality.

 

I checked out my first Broadway Show today! The show is called Aida and it stars Deborah Cox & another guy(sorry). A wonderful performance by the entire cast. The sets were outstanding also.

 

So the story is about a romance between a Nubian princess and an Egyptian captain that shouldn't have been. Being a romantic at heart, I really enjoyed it. There's something about the love will conquer all theme that I never get tired of. It was well worth the $53 I spent on admission & the $29 I spent on parking. That's way out of my price range & I know I shouldn't have driven, but trust me it was worth it. Ok, maybe not the extra $29 but for sure the price of admission.

 

In other news, I think I might have found my new "Milk" of Park Slope. Our(Shelly, Danny & Jason) original plan was to go to Webster Hall(that 7 room club). When Shelly got off work, Danny was nowhere to be found and Jason was doing homework. So in the mist of looking for a bite to eat, we came across this joint called Southpaw. After going inside and I knew instantly that I was going to love it! No dress code and dope music. The DJ's were spinning all 45's! It's been a month since I went dancing and it felt wonderful to "bust a move" once again. And yes they did play that song. Something tells me you'll hear more about this spot in the near future. 

 

According to the latest poll, my best option for generating income is prostitution Well, that there is mighty interesting. Okay ladies, I'm all yours! You've got the dime; I've got the time. But, just in case this doesn't work out, I still got that job interview on Friday.

 

On Thursday morning, I will tag along with Lauren as she interviews DJ Spooky! That's gonna be dope! Also later in the day, I'm going to meet up with Jerry, my soon to be photography mentor( I hope). Full reports coming later in the week.

 

Speaking of reports, I spoke with Karim tonight and he has found another place to live. The living situation is legit & I understand that this guy has lots of connections in the art dealer arena. Sounds good right?

 

Well, I suspect this week will have more exciting twists and turns hopefully some of them will lead to a financial forecast, but if not my faith and patience is strong.  

 

Every change to the website that people want to see happen (more photos, sound bytes & faster updates) is in the works. Again thank you for taking time to vote & for keeping me on my toes. These toes ventured into Manhattan tonight on one of many photographic missions.

 

It's May 3rd and in the 40's out here! I was just laughing earlier today about a pair of gloves my mom made me take with me, because I thought it wasn't necessary for this time of year. Well, I wasn't laughing when I left the house! These conditions were perfect for shooting a virtually empty Times Square.

 

It's weird to be standing in the most famous intersection in the world! I felt like I was on television just because of how bright it is. I took a couple of typical time square shots and dipped back into the subway confines.

 

I understand that this website is based on my geographical relocation from Cali to NY, but the subtext is about me moving closer to the person I want to be. At this point in the marathon called life, I'm satisfied that I've discovered the essence of who I am. Now, I want to fill in the rest of the details.

 

Many times, I have been vague or elusive when expressing myself in relationships. I rarely fully express what I want in a relationship for fear of hurting someone or getting hurt. It's hard to explain how deeply I can empathize with others, but its like I can feel the pain of anyone within arms length of me. This has been a huge gift and curse at the same time, but I'm determined to not let this make me seem like a flaky person. I picked the right place in terms of learning to express oneself with the honesty of a 5 year old. No offense to any New Yorkers, but I admire that and I'm learning to apply these principles to my life.

 

I'm a work in progress & hopefully I'll continue to be until I journey to the next planet or universe or heaven or wherever. As long as it has cereal there, I'm good.