Posts filed under
it's your life too, I'm just taking credit for it.
posting is a frame of mind.
it comes in fits and spurts for me.
right now I'm in an expressive frame of mind waiting for reality to smack me in the face.
mail: gio at agnoli.com
January 04, 2009
bright lights
Last night in the big city, went to Mogador with kitty's friends from holland. Adrian brought his nunchucks for effect.
Had a good bottle of wine, dinner was nice but a little fast. Adrian passed out in my lap half way through.
Went by George and Elka's to see George off on his arduous Caribbean adventure. He's part of an archeological dig in of all places, lovely Barbuda. I happen to have been there before, with Marcus and Katie, when Enzo was still in Utero. Definitely the most beautiful pink fluffy sand beach I've ever been to. And totally abandoned too. A must see if you are on a sailboat in the vicinity (I found the attached picture on the web, trust me its more beautiful).
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January 04, 2009
lady liberty upskirt action
Adrian traded in his ninja hood for a terrorist cap and we headed to the lady for some serious anti-american activities.
But first we had to get past ferry security. Ferry security is worse than airport security because they are protecting us from you, or something like that. The whole things is a farce, but give an idiot a badge... you know the rest.
After disembarking from our vessel Adrian cased the outer wall, we couldn't scale the embattlements, so we went in the old fashioned way, through the front door.
Monument security was even tighter, with the full puffer/sniffer booth and even the threat of a strip search....
someone is making a lot of money on this whole charade....
Once inside Adrian picked the statue's nose and we shot a little upskirt action of lady liberty.
In celebration of our strategic victory we watched xmen, the final scene in the statue of liberty is riveting.
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January 03, 2009
kung fu fighting
Adrian just had that new york aha moment where the whole trip suddenly came together and made sense to his 7 year old sensibilities. We walked China town to do a little shopping and grab a bite to eat. Rich took us by his favorite martial arts store to buy a wooden sword so he could practice his tai chi sword forms on his trip to New Mexico.
Adrian found a pair of nunchucks for seven bucks. Vasco and I refused to buy him a weapon, so he pulled out his wallet and purchased it with his own money. Add party snaps and a ninja hood and you have a complete package.
Kind of like finding the perfect pair of shoes to complete your outfit, or that retro neon trackpad for your surfboard.
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January 01, 2009
a trip to mecca and the top of the rock
I've been to NY a bunch of times, but I never took the opportunity to visit B and H. Their new superstore is amazing. The whole thing is automated with a complex overhead trolley system that delivers the product to the sales person for inspection, and then to the front desk for checkout. Quite amazing really, definitely worth the price of admission.
No recession here, the store was full of foreign and domestic travelers spending cash.
Spent some time salivating over the new 5d mark II.
Walked from 34th and 9th to lunch and then to meet kitty at rockefeller center to check out the top of the rock. Its really cold in New York, even colder than yesterday, even colder on the 69th floor observation deck of rockefeller center.
Watched the sun set and then waited for the city lights to shine. The temperature was 27 degrees and falling.
Cool art installation at the top of the rock. A room that senses the occupants and follows their movements. Adrian jumped around the room for a full 10 minutes with a blue aura tracking him.
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January 01, 2009
shabu-shabu with rich
Went to shabu-shabu with rich, reminisced about old times.
It's really really cold here.
Retired to Vasco's apartment and celebrated new years with champagne and cherries.
Adrian woke up long enough to down two bottles of apple juice, usher in the new year, and then promptly passed out. Classic new york new years.
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December 31, 2008
snow in manhattan
slept in, vasco cooked breakfast,
walked to the f to the c to the natural history museum.
it was cold and white out.
cabbed it back. apparently there are a million people in times square. no thanks.
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December 31, 2008
happy dutch new year!
just experienced a dutch new years via skype.
Kitty's relatives in Nijmegen rang in the new year to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, followed by lots of kissing, new years donuts, and then big boxes of fireworks.
my kind of party!
nothing sexier than a pyromaniac woman with a big box of fireworks.
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December 30, 2008
the only living boy in new york
Adrian and I have made the pilgrimage to NYC for New Years. We are staying with Vasco and Kitty in their spacious thompkins square apartment.
Went out to sushi with the hipsters, Adrian was the only child we saw all evening. I don't know what got more stares, Kitty's belly or Adrian's smart-ass comments. Apparently everyone flees to the burbs before their children learn to speak.
Adrian says, "I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight because of all the crazy people in the park." I'm giving him another 15 minutes before he's fast asleep.
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December 21, 2008
Limantour is cold and beautiful
The kids and I ventured up to Limantour to watch Boewen and Thorsen kite.
Walked the beach to drakes, distances can be so deceiving, our leisurely walk turned into a full 5 mile expedition with biting cold winds out of the north creating exceptionally clear and crisp conditions.
It was nice to get some exercise.
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November 30, 2008
post turkey day surf
Woke up early, rested and relaxed. Asked Adrian if he wants to go surfing, he says only if there will be a fire, I can't guarantee one, so he decides on the living room fireplace instead. Drive over to Linda's, walk into her house taking photos as usual.
At this point Michael starts commenting to Dani (in a combination of french and english) that I act very much like her 13 year old nephew, always taking pictures of everything. He notes the only real difference is that her nephew requires ugly and/or scary faces, while I am less demanding of my my subjects.
Lewis and I make the standard, "we are about to go surfing" movements/body language, and shuffle towards the door. Lewis has been exhibiting this pattern for the last 25 years (it changed slightly about 18 years ago when he got his drivers license). His family is totally unfazed, its as if your dog needs to go out, or something equally routine and expected.
We drive out and surf that warbly left around the corner. The tide is high, but not too high, and we surf for an hour or two. The water has a distinctive taste and smell from the silt, reminds me of home. Towards the end of the session the waves get better, and Lewis get's shacked. I'm sitting on the beach watching the action, and as he pulls up into the high line the water is so silty that the inside of the tube goes dark. There's lots of wood on the beach to burn. I should have brought adrian out, he would have had a good time. As we walk away the swell is building and there are head high waves breaking off the point. The only guy out is Shred Ed. Raibo is on the cliff changing, we all have to go back and attend to our families. A final look back only confirms our content.
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