I've always wanted to do this.

Findings of a NYC Aimless Wanderer

I felt like such a hipster today. I know it's against my grain to be one. As much as I'd love it, I'm just not that kind of guy. I'm not one of those strategically artsy NYU kids you see with the funky clothes and strangely designed facial hair... It'd take too much of a commitment and it's not in my nature, and to somehow force that look/lifestyle as so many do, would be as pathetic as a strained comb-over. So, it's quite alright. I like myself as I am. BUT! Alas, I decided to spend my day off alone, and finally took the advice of a newly acquainted friend of mine, Travis - a former high school classmate of mine that I never really got to know until that beautiful invention the kids like to call "facebook" came to be years after we graduated. Now, Travis is a total hipster through and through. And a natural. Tragically smart and witty, good looking and a globe-trotting student of Yale, he's got an admirable sense of taste. Months ago he told me that I had to pay a visit to this brunch place off the JMZ line called Moto. 

A review by: Me, someone who knows not what he's talking about...

I too, highly recommend it. Never have I had a cappuccino or espresso in America taste so close to the ones I love so much in Italy. The food was incredible and the atmosphere was comfortably eccentric. It had an authentic, turn of the century style that was not just interesting to look at, but relaxing as well. 

I was reading Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s Breakfast of Champions at my table while wearing one of the cast members' aviator sunglasses and a jaw line of facial hair stubble as I sipped my espresso. The waiter, a huge Vonnegut fan, strikes up a conversation with me about the book and his other works. For a fleeting moment, I felt so hip. It cracks me up now. I mean, I love being the average "jeans and tee-shirt" wearing, vinyl record collecting theatre dork that I am, but I do adore those that pull off that style so well. It was fun while it lasted...

I walked around Williamsburg, Brooklyn for the first time and fell in love with it. I could live there. I'd like to live there. I'm going to live there. It was a community of homes with your typical bodegas and delis with a scattering of coffee shops, cafes and unique restaurants/bars. Close to trains that take you pretty much anywhere in the city you'd like, it seemed like a nice place to live without all of stress and outrageous rental prices. 

It was a great way to spend my day; aimlessly wandering the streets of New York discovering areas I've never been before. That's one of the big reasons I love living in large cities. There's so much to explore and do. There's so much individual character in all of the areas of the city, and it's ever changing; making the discovery endless. I'm beginning to really fall in love with this city. I'm glad I'm staying. It's been treating me nice so far.

Today in "H"-bomb news

The Hillary camp can't seem to pay the bills. Not only is this a slap in the face to those who've supported her - tirelessly working to make her look good, but what does this say about how she'll handle our economy? It's not just rude, it's scary.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9259.html

Hillary's claim that she was under sniper fire in Bosnia: When it's scripted, prepared remarks, it's not "misspeaking", Hillary. It's called lying. We're not stupid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/opinion/30rich.html?ref=opinion

Good to know...

22

Well, I hope she washed her hands..

Am I who I want to be?

This is something I ask myself just about everyday. Generally, it hits me in the morning shower. It's a good place to be introspective. I mean, not only are you naked, but you're practically feeling every imperfection of your body as you scrub away the grime. You start thinking "Damn, I need to do more sit-ups." as you scrub your belly or "Why don't I ever think before I eat?" and you start to observe yourself a bit more below the surface. This cleansing nakedness is a bit poetic, don't you think? You're starting a new day; a fresh new beginning. As you wash away the funk, the smell, the dirt of yesterday, you are starting anew to face the world. 

Let me just branch out on a tangent for a spell.

Lately, I've become a grooming product whore. I've begun to appreciate the effects that total cleanliness has on my day. It surely affects my confidence, energy and motivation. I'm more likely to have a productive day if I started it fresh and clean. I like to take my time too - I don't care how early I have to wake up. This may make me a girl, but I frankly don't care. Maybe it's genetic. My mother used to always wake up hours before she had to go to work because she considered it "her time". I find it therapeudic to the soul. A cleansing ritual. I love it. So I am a sad, weakling when it comes to the personal grooming aisles at Walgreens. Seriously, I could spend hours in one aisle debating over which lotion ingredient has the best effect on my skin or what kind of mouthwash will fight plaque and whiten my teeth... I don't find it to be narcissistic by any means - just simply indecisive.

Now I'll take it back to my point.

It is at this point of the day (the morning shower) that I ask myself "Am I who I want to be?" I try to be honest with myself and determine if I'm truly happy or not - or at least content. Am I progressing? How fast? Has it changed since the day before? By how much? Where was I this time last year? Am I a better man than I was then? What have I learned since then? How did I handle my problems then compared to now? How did I treat others then compared to now? Was I surrounded by those I loved? Am I still surrounded by them? If not, why? Who've I had to say goodbye to and to whom have I said hello? Am I a good friend? Am I a good person? Would I want to hang around myself if I were someone else?

I examine my past actions, current state and future goals. I wrestle with how to correct the problems of the past (or at least learn from them), be content with what I have in the present, and how to reach those goals of the future. I believe the most important of these is the present - particularly when it comes to work since I'm following the profession of what makes me the happiest. I find that whatever I am doing, I need to find a way to love, with all of my heart, whatever it is. It could be crap. I could be doing Joseph and the... Dreamcoat again as devastating as that may be, but for the sake of my sanity and the quality of my work, I need to find the parts that make me happy and focus on them. 

I also examine my environment. Is it where I want to be? Am I surrounded by people who care about me? It all has a daily effect on who a person is and who they are becoming. I find it important to live in a healthy environment with healthy people involved, because I know who I am and how I work. I'm a total Pisces. 

These are what go through my head as I shower. Now you know what's in my head when I'm naked... But then I step out, dress myself (if I remember) and face the world the best way I know how with a clean, fresh start - knowing full well I'm bound to pick up something I'll want to wash off the next morning, but at least I'm hitting it fresh and new.