today is friday.

it's officially the middle of summer. maybe not officially, but i have deemed it as such because it is the middle of july.

to note: it's japan day in our cafeteria. but we won't eat there today. we being the minions of my company. no no, we will be heading to goodburger for a joyous friday meal. my goal is to eat a huge cow and have it soak up any lingering toxins from the debauchery of last night. which would be thursday night. for those who need help keeping up with dates and such (read: me).

i had a friend from home (the great state of texas) come in for a visit. but not to visit me personally, for an NYU immersion thing. so, we went to a gallery opening in chelsea. not so much an opening, but the premiere of the new collection. it was interesting, and there were a few pieces i enjoyed but not sure if i would purchase them. plus, they were photographs. and as a former photographer, i am intrigued by the ability for people to charge upwards of 15,000 bucks for a photograph. photography just interests me in the whole process.

for instance, it is such a manipulative artform. you are able to edit things by cropping and what not. i need to form my thought more clearly, but i hope you are able to see where i am going. and some things are just happy accidents. i don't know. i love some photographs and they really speak to me, but it's one of those things that i am wary of because it can be so molded. but i guess the other argument is all art can be manipulated as such. i should read more about this. and then present my findings in a better form.

and how interesting to have a huge series of pictures and then you just pick one. i want to know why they picked that particular one. the context. the reason. but you don't get that sometimes. i like to be informed. that's why i like smart people who are smart in an area (sean for tech, mary and co. for art, val for food) because they can inform me with these things.

we also went to nobu, an asian restaurant that is celeb worthy most of the time. i will say i didn't care for it. so when the mighty chef himself freaks out, i will say i have had better sushi at whole foods. there. i said it. block me.

my stomach is growling. must. eat.

no title. sorry.

the weather lately in nyc has been putting me in a sour mood. while i love rain, and highly enjoy splashing in puddles with rain boots on my little (metaphorically speaking) feet, i can only handle so much rain for so long. what can i say, i love the sun.

anyway, this past weekend was wonderful. it was relaxing to just hang out. you know what i mean? we had no set agenda except to eat BBQ. which brings me to the main part of this whole post! the big apple BBQ. i'm from texas. i love meat. and BBQ. and i love it in large quantities. so when i smell charcoal and mesquite wood burning, my heart speeds up to the speed of light in this huge excitement explosion.

so we went and ate. and decided to go eat some froyo (frozen yogurt) and walked around SOHO.

i felt like a real new yorker this past weekend.

oh, and i inexplicably woke up before 8 AM on sunday, so i was able to accomplish many things - running around the park,buying milk, and even hitting up st. patty's for mass. the things that happen in the early morning.

commercial for you.

i freaking love this commercial



this ad from Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, New York is for Wendy's, and it's just so much fun. I remember when Wendy's was going through their huge agency overhall and I was unsure of the direction. I haven't really noticed Wendy's advertising until now though.

something more.

last night, i was able to see "33 variations", a play starring jane fonda. it closes today, thursday, so i was pretty lucky to see it. plus she was nominated for a tony for best actress, and COME ON! it's jane freakin' fonda.

the show itself was wonderful. not exactly what i was expecting, which isn't a bad thing. most of the actors were excellent - colin hanks is also in it, and i really like him. there are some parts where he sounds just like his dad. i mean, i was wondering if it was indeed mr. tom hanks himself.

today, i received my business cards! which means, i am a real adult. well, not really. but i have cards to hand out to anyone and everyone. i am quite excited.

i have also started a new diet. which isn't like, "new" according to some magazine or televisions how. but it's new to my and my stomach. i have started shopping at whole foods a lot more, and started eating in. while most will say "whole foods is so expensive! how can you afford that?!" i will say:
"well, living in new york, everything is expensive. so for me, there really isn't a price difference on it compared to shopping at the same ole grocery store"

i have been eating tons of fruits (pineapple is my favorite so far. but i love strawberries, and always will), and have switched to organic milk, which doesn't make my stomach make these weird digestive sounds.

i can tell my skin is a little better, and i haven't really gained weight, nor lost it. but i feel much better and brighter, which i feel is a major plus.

the only thing i need to work on is my ability to get up in the morning and run.

life, updated.

my life has been all sorts of chaotic lately, but in an awesome, bitchin sort of way.

my job is still fantastic. third week in, and it only seems like the first week. that, my friend, is an excellent sign.

and the most exciting part right now is this beautiful weather NYC has thrown at me. and the city too, i suppose. i am so excited to free my feet of pesky shoes, and let them roam free with some flip flops. i even got a pedicure so i could show them off without feeling slightly insecure. and yes, pedi's are totally manly.

emily, AKA my future roommate, celebrated her birthday week (yes...week. i want a birthday week, so remember that please) and we made it to blockheads, this mexican restaurant with excellent drinks and cheap food by new york standards.

OH! and speaking of food, brother jimmy's BBQ, on the UES, was having this all you can eat ribs and beer night yesterday for 22 bucks. coming from texas, and being male, i descended upon the joint with an open stomach ready to be filled. and it was delicious. heavenly. new york knows something about bbq, so i highly recommend it. plus it is making me very excited for the BBQ festival coming up in june.

you know you love me. xoxo.

chocolate shakes and burgers! yes please.

i just realized that once the weather settles into something wonderful, i will be going to 'shake shack' in madison square park. just thinking about that place made me giddy with excitement, like some girl who just saw the jo bros for the first time. yes, that type of excitement.

the weather in nyc brings out the best i think in everyone. i don't know why i keep talking about the weather in all of my posts, so i apologize. but that is all for now.

i also talk about food i think too. not a glutton.

brian: 1. new york: 0

the first thing i was excited about when i moved to nyc was the excuse of never having to drive anywhere. i was in loooooooooooove with public transportation for so many reasons, but the two most important was i could leave the hard work to someone else, and i didn't have to worry about trains. above ground i mean.

so my internship sinfully entrusted me with an automobile. a volvo to be more specific, which was probably for the best since i have a track record worse than most normal human beings. that being said, i was told to drive around in the nation's largest city like it ain't no thang. also, this was the first time i have really driven in a long time, and the first time i have driven in nyc.

the biggest city i have ever driven through has been dallas. but i mean, i used to live there and it was seriously nothing. coming to nyc and driving, man. what a way to release some pent up frustration. i could honk my horn at anyone and anything, i could speed around the city (for the brief 2 seconds i was allowed to before i would hit a car or a pedestrian, or a red light) and i could pull over anywhere and not get in trouble. seriously, try that in dallas and see how many cops surround you in less than 5 minutes.

BUT THE MOST EXCITING PART OF MY DAY!!!!!!!! i found the only drive-thru McDonald's in the city. and i used my driving privledges to take erin, ja and myself into a little place i call heaven and experience some good old fashion food.

i don't plan on driving around the city for some time. i mean, it was probably a fluke i didn't kill anyone. i feel i am pretty indestructible individually considering what i have been through so i am not too worried about dying ... yet.

but i think i will leave the driving to someone else for a while. trust me.

if you know me, you know i love affair with McDonalds. it's borderline unhealthy to be honest. so it makes me sad when i see this commercial, created by Arnold Worldwide, because the love i have for McDonalds and their number one, or two, or three, or if i am really hungry, a number four, seems to dwindle every time i see this commercial. and it doesn't help the situation that it seems to run all the freaking time. 

now that i have settled into my new job, relocated to a big city away from my family - more importantly my mother who was able to provide fresh, delicious tasting meals in minutes - and have become an "adult" as some might say, i have come to a few conclusions regarding life after college. i will only post one of them here.

i consume food in the way most pediatricians tell you not to consume. today, i have eaten: a muffin, toast, and coffee (but the coffee in a can, pretending to be good for you but is really packed with a few hundred calories and and is actually pretty terrible for you). so far, my breakfast is sorta healthy. sorta. moving on, for lunch i have eaten oreo cookies. and washed it down with a dr pepper - which will be referred to from here on out as DP).

and don't get me started on the past few days. entire cartons of mac and cheese. chocolate. donuts. mcdonalds. fritos, sans bean dip.

i think my diet is far worse than that of a 1st grader who has a nickname of chubs and wears shirts a few sizes too small. i don't know if this is to be blamed on my new occupation of being a 9-5er, but i do have issues with what i am ingesting into my body - but i clearly am doing nothing to combat this issue. only time will tell if i start breaking out in zits like a high schooler, or if i really will become your friend chubs. but i don't think i can take the latter because i already have a double chin thing, thanks to the lack of definition in my jaw line, and i don't want to add to it.