Going to place the posts from FB here so I can remember what happened years from now:
The Beginning
A story always has a beginning, and my story begins in Williamsburg, Brooklyn during the Blackout of 2003. Yes, I am the answer to the question: who moves during a blackout? I moved to NYC during the blackout figuring that no one would be on the roads or going to the City while the lights were out (plus maybe I'd pick up a free tv if things devolved into massive looting).
Williamsburg was my destination because of a small group of East Lyme High School ex-pats, who had settled in this happening section of Brooklyn a few years before plus I had an apartment that I got without any type of search offered to me by phone, sight unseen, while I was in Vegas at a bachelor party.
But I digress, so I loaded up the Mazda Protege, drove down to a place I barely knew, slept on a floor for a day or so (with my stuff down the road in the car) and eventually moved into 398 Graham...
More stories about that place but that's how we begin...
398 Graham
Apartment 1 at 398 Graham- a place where the bathroom blocks your way to the shower and smells from the landlord's room adjacent to the kitchen range from wet dog to cigarettes to the great smelling but never sampled Italian food. Yes, the place was not ideal with its 8 foot ceilings, linoleum tiled walls (yes walls) and lack of light, circulation, etc., but it gave me a place to crash for the first seven years of my time in Brooklyn. (there was also a moth problem for awhile but that went away)
Those hallowed walls saw many roommates with Shawn Fagan (being the first to tolerate me) to the Keshner boys ( Andy and Zachary) to Dan Ambrico (still not on Facebook). There were also temporary roommates, Zachery Salwasser and of course, my sister, Pamela Prior. At this moment, I really wish I had kept a guestbook for those that found shelter from the mean streets of Brooklyn at 398 because it would be filled with lawyers, doctors, actors along with fathers, mothers and truly decent people who would ask me to delete their names from the book. (Comment below if you stayed there with a memory)
It also became the center of annual celebrations such as the pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving where I learned to brine, the Brooklyn Half Marathon (pre and post crashpad), Valentine's Day Massacre Pub Crawl Headquarters, the World Cup (when Italy won and we drank champagne on the streets) and of course, the annual Super Bowl Party...
But if I had one memory to summarize my entire stay, it would right at the beginning when within a few months time of moving in.. a good buddy came down to visit and decided that since she/he was locked out that a good door kicking in was required to gain entry. When my landlords forgave me (thanks to the help of a friend who spoke a very specific dialect of Italian), I realized I could live there for as long as I needed.... (And did... without a lease... for years)
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Running again
Back training for the Chicago Marathon. The plan this year is a combination of 4-5 runs a week with a couple nights at the gym mixed in. In addition, I am throwing out the drinking and the meat during the week to put a healthier diet in place.
Tonight I ran a nice 15 mile run. Sure i ran down the west side highway which is basically a two lane bike path that allows walkers, drunkards, bicyclists runners and roller bladers to all mash together and try not to kill each other... As an aside, roller bladers give it the fuck up especially the men and women who go out there all geared up like they are pros... Here's my thing, unless I see you in one of special vignettes they show during the Winter Olympics on NBC about how you trained in NYC in the off season in order to make it to the Olympics in speed skating, I don't want to see you out there and I especially don't want to see you wearing a shit ton of gear like someone actually gave enough of a shit to sponsor your ass...
But I digress.... all and all it was a pretty neat night to run with lightening all the way down the west side and when we went over the Brooklyn Bridge. So far all is on the up and up... more runs this weekend...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tis the Season
To post really disturbing shiz on facebook, today's prime is example comes from somewhere out west, as Mommy X writes:
"Got some fireworks to put in the boys' stockings--they are going to LOVE Santa (and my parenting skills get better with each passing year:))
Now, admittedly, I am not a parent and probably in some states it is illegal for me to be within 100 feet of a child, but I am pretty confident that providing your children, who appear to be no older than five years old, with low level explosives is a horrible idea.
Further, when Tiny Tim's hand gets blown the fuck off as the result of your "decision" to arm him like Al Quaeda, I do not think that this whole Santa defense that you have conveniently worked into your Facebook status is going to hold up in a court of law. I mean yes the kids are going to LOVE Santa but I guarantee the ladies at the State Penn are going to LOVE your sweet ass so much more...
And finally, I love how you openly mock yourself-- assuming that last part about your parenting skills is sarcasm--and your decision to give them fireworks. At least when it's all over and Six Finger Samuel is out of the hospital, we can have a good laugh about it...I mean what is life without humor?
Merry Christmas indeed.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
NYC Marathon Tips
As a runner of the NYC marathon last year, I have decided this qualifies me to start providing advice to other runners about this year's race. As a result, I am tweeting, facebook statusing, and gchat statusing my tips to the masses... but might as well add them here as well... so without further ado and in no real order... my tips for the marathon:
1. Don't drink the water or eat the hand sanitizer in the porta potties.
2. It is advisable to bring a blanket to the start of the NYC Marathon in order to keep yourself warm. It is not, however, advisable to name your kid, Blanket (See: Michael Jackson).
3. Pee in the streets... everyone else does anyway
4. It’s probably a 70-30 split on people who are actually screaming and cheering you on versus people who are actually just screaming cause they are crazy…
5. Lube...you figure it out.
6. During your taper a carton of Kools is a bad idea... Otherwise, game on.
7. when using a porta potty at the start do not bother to paper the seat... News flash you already decided to put your ass through a marathon.. Urine is not the deal breaker.
8. Go out with the kenyans... Seriously try to date one.. They win all the time and are probably loaded.
9. Things to drink during a marathon- water, gatorade, etc.... Things not to drink-piss.
10. Unicorns... Leprechauns... Big Foot... Things you will see while running a marathon or while on good acid.
11. The first beer you have after a marathon is like that the first beer you had when you were twelve i.e. delicious.
12. In the words of Ron Burgundy: " I believe it's jogging or yogging. it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild."
13. There are many other activities that you can do that induce bowel failure.
14. Enjoy rediscovering stairs..
15. SHUT UP AND RUN- this is for your friends and family who are tired of hearing you talk and obsess
about the marathon... We get it ..just run the damn thing...
16. Phidippides died after the running the 26 miles to Athens... just sayin'...
17. Smelling like ass... So here is the deal... People decide to run but do not bathe and smell like ass.. How does one commit to train for a marathon but not to bathe?
18. The expression "Hitting the Wall"" should be replaced with "THE TAKING OF YOUR SOUL..."
19. I once felt really proud about the fact that I run marathons.. then I realized that Oprah ran one... (okay that's not a tip... I just hate Oprah)...
20. Think of the people with no legs... Okay, I am not sure what this means exactly or how it applies.. But my mother always said it to me when I felt sorry for myself.
21. A marathon that describes its course as scenic just means they are providing you with the opportunity to learn to hate mother nature over the course of 26.2 miles.
22. Carbo loading does not mean eating enough pasta to feed the entire country of Italy.. Just like hydrating does not mean drinking so much water you develop gills...
23. WINE! i am drinking it but those marathoners running tomorrow cannot.. Suckers..
24. Atleast your nipples won't bleed... Oh wait...
25. WTF 300 POUND MAN- I agree with you on this one and have no explanation as to how exactly he runs marathons without dying..
26. It's always the .2 that gets you...
26.2. To all the runners running the NYC marathon today... RUN LIKE HELL CAUSE I AM CHASING YOU.. BEST OF LUCK!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
From Today's Great Headlines
Here is one from the New London Day:
Montville In Search Of The Happy Ending
This headline proves once again that I am still thirteen years as I chuckle everytime that I read it. Hey Montville, I know a place down here in the Big Apple where we can make sure you find what you are looking for.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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