Monday, July 24, 2006
Trip Report: NY
To continue where I left off, I spent Fourth of July weekend in New York visiting Kim. I had a great trip and I will try to recapture the details here.
The night before I left for New York, I made sure to go to Tsukasa of Tokyo (favorite restaurant). I knew that the window to go before the summer was over was closing. After I returned from New York I planned to go to U of I and Madison, another chance for Tsukasa might not come. I worked it out so I could get my haircut and then meet Eric, Danny, Rob, Lindsey, Natalie, Mike Lazar, and Zach Pollakof (weird) at Tsukasa.
My haircut was more of an adventure then I had suspected. I asked the lady to take off 2 inches, well, 4 inches later I was a new short haired boy. I have gotten mixed reviews on my haircut, mostly positive (which could be accounted for by generosity). Overall, Kim likes it short (after two years of telling me she likes it long) and that is good enough for me. I will probably keep it this length for a while.
Tsukasa was everything I always expect it to be. A couple of sake bombs, great food, entertaining service, a dining experience delight. After dinner, I reluctantly went with Eric to his gig at Howl at the Moon. Howl at the Moon is a dueling piano bar downtown and Eric was trying to land a steady job there on the weekdays. I told Eric I would go with him before I left for New York so I went despite my early flight the next day. Eric played a good set and we went back to Highland Park. I packed and got to bed at around 3:00AM.
5:00 AM Friday morning, my phone alarm sounds and I roll out of Bed and into the airport. I slept on the plane and after some confusion with the pickup, Kim rolled up with her Forester and I was very happy to see her. We stopped for some bagels, NY style (I still don’t see what makes them any different). I think I have trouble discerning between good and great bagels, I guess that is something I could work on.
After breakfast we quickly stopped by Kim’s dad’s place and then to her mom’s. We laid out by the pool and napped, being together made it pretty special. I remember we went to dinner at this great Italian place, Matteo’s. When you walk in you feel like the head of an organized crime syndicate. When you walk in, everyone working there looks really glad to see you and asks you how you are. The maitre d’ shook my hand and welcomed me. They sat us right away in what looked like a private party section that was completely empty. At this point, I’m thinking that I must look like someone they know or I have a lot to learn about Kim and her family. As the evening went on I realized that business as usual was to treat people that way. The food was also great, a little pricey but I was on vacation.
Saturday involved a trip to Kim’s family’s 4th of July extravaganza. Some schmoozing, swimming, softball, and lack of sobriety Barry style. It all went pretty well but a couple of things that seemed insignificant at the time turned out to have a significant impact later. The first of which was that Kim and I drove separately from her dad. I believe that this sparked a bit of distrust and his sense of me giving him a cold shoulder. A drive with Kim’s dad like the year before would have been a good opportunity to catch up and chat. We failed to find time for such a chat during my trip. He also has some anxiety about losing his daughter and this separation may have seemed more than physical convenience to him. Compounded with their trip through Chicago where Kim and I spent most of the time without him. I think I have patched everything up now, which may prove vital in seeking employment after graduation. I also had a short conversation with two of Kim’s uncles about football. With one I discussed how I coach youth football and with the other I discussed how I wanted to work in the front office of an NFL football team. Somehow this may turn into an opportunity to get a job with the Steelers or Giants.
Sunday, Kim and I took what was supposed to be a three hour drive to Long Beach Island on the Jersey shore. The drive turned out to be six hours but was quite worth it none-the-less. When we arrived we immediately headed for the beach and despite it being windy and cold I jumped into the water (after some convincing) and we had a good time. Sunday night was a blackout on the Island so we were unable to eat at Kim’s favorite restaurant. It all worked out because Kim’s aunt Sheri and Uncle Pat cooked us a fine meal. This may have another opportunity where I scored big points with a man that could get me a job.
Monday was a day at the beach with boogie boarding, laying out, getting sunburn, and swimming with Kim. Obviously it was a great day. That night we went to her favorite restaurant on LBI. It was a seafood place so I tried some seafood and it certainly went better than a trip to Red Lobster, but I have once and for all determined that steak is my thing, not seafood. Kim and I would agree on food more if I liked seafood or if she liked tasty scrumptious treats like bacon lorettas. After dinner we packed back up and headed back to Long Island, this time it only took 3 hours, thankfully. One of the best parts of the trip was the outdoor shower and cleaning the saltwater off. I felt so clean and it felt so good. We stayed in a hotel that night and the next, a solid addition to the trip.
Tuesday was my last day in New York; I left early the next morning. It was also the 4th of July. We woke up and watched some Law ad Order, just hanging out, before going to Kim’s friend Sam’s 4th of July party. It consisted mostly of hanging out by the pool, eating, and watching the World Cup Semi’s. After a few hours Kim and I left to have dinner with Kim’s dad. After Dinner we went to same place as the year before to watch the fireworks with Kim’s friends Sam and Armony. The next day Kim and I had breakfast and she drove me to the airport. I was delayed for like 5 hours but eventually made it home. Overall I would the trip was an overwhelming success.
The night before I left for New York, I made sure to go to Tsukasa of Tokyo (favorite restaurant). I knew that the window to go before the summer was over was closing. After I returned from New York I planned to go to U of I and Madison, another chance for Tsukasa might not come. I worked it out so I could get my haircut and then meet Eric, Danny, Rob, Lindsey, Natalie, Mike Lazar, and Zach Pollakof (weird) at Tsukasa.
My haircut was more of an adventure then I had suspected. I asked the lady to take off 2 inches, well, 4 inches later I was a new short haired boy. I have gotten mixed reviews on my haircut, mostly positive (which could be accounted for by generosity). Overall, Kim likes it short (after two years of telling me she likes it long) and that is good enough for me. I will probably keep it this length for a while.
Tsukasa was everything I always expect it to be. A couple of sake bombs, great food, entertaining service, a dining experience delight. After dinner, I reluctantly went with Eric to his gig at Howl at the Moon. Howl at the Moon is a dueling piano bar downtown and Eric was trying to land a steady job there on the weekdays. I told Eric I would go with him before I left for New York so I went despite my early flight the next day. Eric played a good set and we went back to Highland Park. I packed and got to bed at around 3:00AM.
5:00 AM Friday morning, my phone alarm sounds and I roll out of Bed and into the airport. I slept on the plane and after some confusion with the pickup, Kim rolled up with her Forester and I was very happy to see her. We stopped for some bagels, NY style (I still don’t see what makes them any different). I think I have trouble discerning between good and great bagels, I guess that is something I could work on.
After breakfast we quickly stopped by Kim’s dad’s place and then to her mom’s. We laid out by the pool and napped, being together made it pretty special. I remember we went to dinner at this great Italian place, Matteo’s. When you walk in you feel like the head of an organized crime syndicate. When you walk in, everyone working there looks really glad to see you and asks you how you are. The maitre d’ shook my hand and welcomed me. They sat us right away in what looked like a private party section that was completely empty. At this point, I’m thinking that I must look like someone they know or I have a lot to learn about Kim and her family. As the evening went on I realized that business as usual was to treat people that way. The food was also great, a little pricey but I was on vacation.
Saturday involved a trip to Kim’s family’s 4th of July extravaganza. Some schmoozing, swimming, softball, and lack of sobriety Barry style. It all went pretty well but a couple of things that seemed insignificant at the time turned out to have a significant impact later. The first of which was that Kim and I drove separately from her dad. I believe that this sparked a bit of distrust and his sense of me giving him a cold shoulder. A drive with Kim’s dad like the year before would have been a good opportunity to catch up and chat. We failed to find time for such a chat during my trip. He also has some anxiety about losing his daughter and this separation may have seemed more than physical convenience to him. Compounded with their trip through Chicago where Kim and I spent most of the time without him. I think I have patched everything up now, which may prove vital in seeking employment after graduation. I also had a short conversation with two of Kim’s uncles about football. With one I discussed how I coach youth football and with the other I discussed how I wanted to work in the front office of an NFL football team. Somehow this may turn into an opportunity to get a job with the Steelers or Giants.
Sunday, Kim and I took what was supposed to be a three hour drive to Long Beach Island on the Jersey shore. The drive turned out to be six hours but was quite worth it none-the-less. When we arrived we immediately headed for the beach and despite it being windy and cold I jumped into the water (after some convincing) and we had a good time. Sunday night was a blackout on the Island so we were unable to eat at Kim’s favorite restaurant. It all worked out because Kim’s aunt Sheri and Uncle Pat cooked us a fine meal. This may have another opportunity where I scored big points with a man that could get me a job.
Monday was a day at the beach with boogie boarding, laying out, getting sunburn, and swimming with Kim. Obviously it was a great day. That night we went to her favorite restaurant on LBI. It was a seafood place so I tried some seafood and it certainly went better than a trip to Red Lobster, but I have once and for all determined that steak is my thing, not seafood. Kim and I would agree on food more if I liked seafood or if she liked tasty scrumptious treats like bacon lorettas. After dinner we packed back up and headed back to Long Island, this time it only took 3 hours, thankfully. One of the best parts of the trip was the outdoor shower and cleaning the saltwater off. I felt so clean and it felt so good. We stayed in a hotel that night and the next, a solid addition to the trip.
Tuesday was my last day in New York; I left early the next morning. It was also the 4th of July. We woke up and watched some Law ad Order, just hanging out, before going to Kim’s friend Sam’s 4th of July party. It consisted mostly of hanging out by the pool, eating, and watching the World Cup Semi’s. After a few hours Kim and I left to have dinner with Kim’s dad. After Dinner we went to same place as the year before to watch the fireworks with Kim’s friends Sam and Armony. The next day Kim and I had breakfast and she drove me to the airport. I was delayed for like 5 hours but eventually made it home. Overall I would the trip was an overwhelming success.
