So i got back from the trip. Over a week ago now, but the time has flown. New york was an absolute blast. 7 and half hours to get there, not too shabby. We stayed in a relatively nice hotel in manhattan. As we showed up, parked our car next door, and started walking to the door there was an apparently miscellanous new yorker outside who asked "You have reservations?" and we said ya and told her the name - she's like "nobody here by that name"... but of course, there was, just minor confusion. That was the rudest anyone was to us for the entire time we were in the city. Everyone there was super cool.
The first night we spent wandering around manhattan. Went through union square. Its this super cool hangout spot filled with young folk and all folks alike, folks playing drums and some kickass skaters. That was cool. We wandered a whole whack loads and eventually found our way into the Bleeker Street Bar (or something). It was fun, pints were had, good times. Then went off to the Peculiar Pub, it was a university crowd (apparently) but also quite cool. Not too drunk, we went back to the hotel, but not before i ate some street meat, some wikid beancurd rice things from this korean take out, and then finally a scicilian slice. Holy crap, awesome stuff.
The next day was straight up wandering. From our hotel (i think it was at 33nd and 2nd) southwest a bit to broadway, all the way up through times square to central park where we took a load off, and then trained down to the pierish area, checked the statue, saw wall street, and wandered back shopping, touring, seeing, and finally a quick snooze back at the pad. After which we went to meet some fellow canadians at a bar to watch game 6 of the oilers game (they won). They then took us to mcsorleys. Very cool spot. Apparently the longest continually running bar in ny, since 1854 or something (not sure about prohibition, but o well). They only serve 2 kinds of drinks. Light beer, and dark beer, a buck a piece (actually a little more, i think 24 beers was 28 bux or something). The place was dripping with charm.
Phew. The next day, hungover, we drove into brooklyn and checked diner quickly for some greesy spoonage. Not bad. Then through hasidic jew town all the way to coney island. "She's my coney island baby..." ya i kept hearing that but it wasn't playing. But the hot dogs were. And some of the ugliest people on the planet - very few attractive folks out of the 50 or so thousand people that were out on the beach, but i wasn't complaining (much). Once full and hot and flustered, off to AC!
And in AC, well, I gambled and drank free but slow to be delivered beer. Mostly we only played 2/4 limit holdem, but i tried my hand at a tourny (only 22 folks) and some 1/2 NL. All was wicked fun although i lost a bunch of money - i was within budget, but still annoyed i lost. Thats me i guess. I didn't know what to do when i was raised the rest of my stack (about a hundred bux) when i had top 2 pair!!! Damn mofo coulda had pocket tens too and still destroyed me, but no, he had to have QJ!!! Damn 25 dollar preflop raise didn't help. I'll learn for next time, and will probably call all over again. O well, it was a massive blast.
AC is basically a shit hole, i'll probalby never go back unless i'm in the area. The gambling is relatively small scale, and thats about all thats there. The city is "scary", and the only place that is safe is the boardwalk, which is actually kinda nice except for the occasional really scary crack-whorish looking people walking by. I hate to generalize, but damn, some nasty nasty faces were seen. And then there was the off key singer who would tap her foot and belt out american anthem style songs only to pause every song or so to spit a massive wad of phlegm over the side of the walkway. You bet i gave her 2 bits!!
On the way home we hit up some philly, got a cheese steak sandwhich, and toured the streets a bit. Very cool town. All low rise, lots of charm n class n love, very cool. And then we roared home slightly poorer but much richer for the cause. Good times had by all. All pics are viewable
here.
There is more to tell - like that korean place in ny. The 2nd night my meal was this 5$ squid n cuke dish, so frickin spicy *I* couldn't finish it!!! I can finish anything, especially whilst intoxicated!!! I ate it at a little corner near the hotel, like 3am or something. Good times. Ahh, so many good times.
The AC deally left my wanting more... more gambling, more degeneration, more lucridiviness. I'm going to vegas, sooner than later. There's just no excuses anymore.
So i worked from home today. Lobsters were made last sunday, and the carcases have been sitting in a pot on the stove since then. I was home today, so i boiled the shit out of them, adding some other brothy items (onion, celery, carrot, salt). Eventually strained, and i had this kickass fishy broth... then i roasted a tomato, some garlic, and an onion, pureedished them, then added, and there you go. Some lobsteresque whatever soup. It's pretty damn tasty. I had that round 4.
This here is what i had for dinner. Of course i was hungry by 5 (little meat == little stay fulledness) so i went to that groc store on somerset near... shit i can't remember, its the massive one whose name is a number i think? Its west of preston, just west of that city center bridge. Anyways, i got some tofu balls and veggies and stuff. And some vermicelli, the straight kind, its much better for saladish dishes. So i made that cut up some cuke, carrot, tomato, bok choyish, and got some sprouts. For the dressing i went vietai, into a little over 1/2 cup hot/warm watter dissolve 1 tbsp. sugar, add 1 tbsp. fish sauce, juice of about half a lime, and this up coming thai mixture - 4 chillis, 2 cloves garlic, a good tbsp of ginger, 2 inches of lemongrass, salt, all minced and mortle and pestles till you're bored (which isn't long enough, but who wants to work!!!). Mix it all together, and add a few tbsp. to the tofu balls, refrig the rest. Then fire up the q, and blacken the tofu balls for kicks. Once done, add vermicelli to a bowl, the tofu balls, then veggies of your choice, then drizzle with sauce. I like it, its got bite, and is very lite!!!!!
I had nothing planned for dinner and 2 mangos in the fridge. So i used one of em to make this refreshing pasta salad: