Beijing 2008

It's been two weeks of nonstop Olympics viewing in my house.
And it was an exhilirating two weeks to be sure.
Now I have to go back to my normal life which seems diminished in comparison to the drama and the spectacle of the Olympics.
Everything seems a little less.
And it is.

Hosting Fatigue

I'm hosting potluck #50 later tonight. It might actually be #75 or #100. I've lost track over the past five years or so. We also hosted a ton of poker games before and during this recent string of dinner parties. I'd estimate that at least 200 different people have been over for our hospitality since I moved back to Sunnyside. And now I wish someone else (besides Audrey) would host a regular party already!!!

Best Tennis Match Ever

If you watched the Wimbledon Men's championship match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal earlier today, you know what I'm talking about.

It's even better than the 1980 Borg / McEnroe final which I remember seeing as a kid (the one with the 18-16 tiebreak).

But don't just take my word for it, Caroline Cheese (the MBM commentator for the BBC said the following at the end of the match,

2128: As the darkness fast encloses Centre Court, I can just see two figures dressed in white, carrying vastly different silverware. Rafael Nadal has just ended Roger Federer's Wimbledon reign, and has he also replaced the Swiss master as the world's best player? A question for another day when we've all had a lie-down. If you missed this final, watch it on iPlayer, get the DVD, whatever. You must see it. It was possibly the best match we will see in our lifetimes. I feel like crying, so I'll stop twittering on and say bye bye from Wimbledon 2008.

ESPN Classic will be airing the entire epic match on Monday, 7pm, so go see it!!!

More Ketchup Please

Sorry about the lack.
Lessee, in the past 40 days and 40 nights...
Bought 2 new pairs of running shoes for my marathon training with TNT.
Went to my last opera of the 2007-8 season (was the libretto really that terrible, yes).
Spent a parade-y afternoon with the Norwegians.
Saw Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, & Ed Norton on the big screen.
Tasted Times Square.
Saw the Yanks beat the Blue Jays.
Won some money playing poker.
Hosted two potluck dinners (C-food & soccer themes).
Went to eight (nine?) other parties celebrating beginnings, anniversaries, and unhappy endings.
Continued my fourteen (14!!!) year streak of attending every Shakespeare in the Park performance (Hamlet, not everybody loved it).
And for the past two weeks I've been reveling in the soccer awesomeness that is Euro2008.
Hup Holland!

12 Days of Ickness

I've been sick ever since the night of Die Walküre at the Met. The weather isn't helping any, but I'm determined to get some sleep and get better. This is the first time in years that I've actually gone to bed before midnight, more than two days in a row. I have a full week ahead of me, I hope it doesn't kill me.

New Year's Momentum

It's been a busy first two weeks of the year. I made a couple of resolutions or maybe 2.5. The standard one (I will lose some weight) and a more fun resolution (I will dance more). So far there's been some opera, bhangra, wii, a Feuerzangenbowle, dance, and a bon voyage. And that doesn't include the 6 parties (birthdays or just because we like to party) or 5, new to me, restaurants (Light Horse Tavern, Gradisca, Stand, LITM, & Native). It's only gonna get better.

Sunnyside über alles

I'm not sure how I ended up in the East Village on Labor Day, but I had lunch at Rai Rai Ken before meeting EH's journalism school classmate for a tour of Sunnyside. Walked around for a bit and we stopped in to a Sunnyside dinner party (not hosted by me). I might have been the only non-writer/journalist there.

Mets at the Movies

My bro and I had tickets to watch the Mets play the Phillies on the big screen inside the Ziegfield.

Was this the beginning of the end?

Check Out

I had fun at this, my first singles event ever. I actually ran into a couple of people I knew and made a new friend at the fair trade table.

Some others didn't seem to have such a good time.

MJ @ Mina's

Same MJ, new venue.
I really need to get these girls on the gambling tip.
It's just no fun otherwise.

I did see this bit o' fun downtown earlier in the day.

Guac-Off

DB & JS hosted their 2nd? annual Guac-Off. It was very fun and tasty.
I need to realize that no one ever expects you to show up on time.

(Halfie) Potluck

A most fun summary of the night.

I love black & white cookies.

Some photos from Bryant Park.

Birthday Dinner

With Dad.
We ate an insane amount of food.

Trance Trance

I've been listening to trance music all night...specifically remixes of Gouryella...

(lyrics to Ligaya)
This is the first day of my life
For once I'm sure
That this is where I long to be
No need to know
If there is something more than this
No need to go
Cause there is nothing more than this
My future is so clear
Cause everything's right here
Inside of me
Inside of me

Marco & Wine

Another visit to my favorite place in Chinatown, Marco Polo.

Post work visit to Vintage NY Wine Bar.

MJ @ Cara's

Unfortunately, we did not actually play for money.

Harry Potter Finale (recap)

It was a completely crazy, exhausting day and I loved almost every minute of it. Here are some more flickr sets of the event. (I show up in both of them!)

I'll admit I wasn't always an HP fan. I didn't even know about the series until the 4th book (Goblet of Fire) came out in 2000. One of my co-workers at the time told me that I would love the books whenever I got around to reading them. I've actually only read the first four books so far, having seen the movies before reading each of the books (which might be a 1st in the history of something or other). I'm not sure if I can hold out, now that Deathly Hallows is out and the series is over. My brother started reading it as soon as I brought it home. He'd already read 500 pages by morning and would finish the book by nightfall. I'm going to start reading Order of the Phoenix right now.

Harry Potter Finale (part 3)

...on into the night.

Harry Potter Finale (part 2)

...and continues...

Harry Potter Finale (part 1)

And it begins...