Nice Long Weekend

Man, folks must have been rocking the BBQ's because the men's room at our office has been occupado all day!  The weather is finally turning up here in the tundra and it feels a little bit like summer.  After 35 straight days of rain along w/ hail, tornado winds, and the like we have had a couple nice days of 70s and sun which ain't too bad. 

So I had to work down in NYC at the end of last week and then my special lady and I took a day or so to unwind and enjoy the city.  It is that special weekend just before it becomes unbearably hot and smells like urine.  We were greeted on our trip in from the airport w/ a car engulfed by flame.  A whole f*ing car!  Baghdad style... it was crazy.  Fortunately it did not explode and we were able to make it to our hotel the Tribecca Grand.  We like that hotel but it was plain to see why we got such a solid rate... it is not the hip place to be anymore.  The space is still cool but there were families and lots of dudes w/ polo shirts tucked into jorts.  Still we had a nice stay.  A few of the highlights.

Minetta Tavern, I had heard it was good but it was not overly hyped to me which was good.  After we ate there I heard things such as "the burger is better than sex".  That is not true. It was good.  Very good in fact.  But better than sex?  You need a new partner chief!  It was a cool scene though and the beef was all very solid.  I also ate in 2 funny hotels.  In Stamford we ate at Napa & Co. which is a surprisingly good restaurant in the Marriott of all places?  Of course the Marriott also had a Porsche Cayenne to pick guests up so who knows?!  Try the foie gras meatballs or the sheep's milk gnocchi.  Both were very nice.  I also grabbed a burger w/ my buddy AG (congrats on the new baby buddy!) in the Parker Meridian in Midtown.  That place was crazy.  In the lobby of the hotel you can see a long line at all hours waiting to get back behind a velvet curtain.  All day night club?  Nope.  A dive burger joint.  Seriously, it is a shithole that they seemed to have built the hotel around.  You wait for a long time to go into the place w/ only a neon burger to lead the way.  Once inside you order from a very simple menu and fight for limited seating.  Then you tear into a delicious greasy burger and fries.  It was great.  Still not better than sex.

I would tell you about the Peking Duck House but somethings are better left unsaid.  Plus I don't exactly remember the location or much besides the delicious duck and the saki bombs.  F*ing saki bombs! 

The highlight was our bike rental.  We took out these brand spanking new and super bright orange bikes from the hotel.  Several people informed us that we were the first ever to use them as they had just come in.  Uh oh!  But it was great, we rocked these wacky ten speeds up the bike path along the West Side highway all the way up to 125th st.  It was a beautiful ride, scene, and fun way to spend time w/ the lady.  Plus we really "earned" our post ride cocktail!!!

 So There!

What a weird day

My weekend was nothing of note though it was relaxing.  Unfortunately i made the mistake of taking out food from Chef Leu after a couple beers on the golf course.  Needless to say I was awake in the middle of the night bidding farewell to the Chef!  I woke up this morning tired and a little flustered but got myself out the door ok.  As I pull out of the driveway I notice a woman about 50yrs old in typical frumpy 50 yr old VT attire standing w/ a umbrella in the driveway next door.  It is a long drive and I don't really know the neighbors who live there.  The woman seemed confused then half-heartedly put out her thumb to hitch. I drove by but then felt bad.  She looked less than harmless and the wind was whipping w/ rain threatening.  So I stopped and picked her up.  She was apparently new to the area and walking (5-10 miles) into town.  It was an awkward conversation for the 10 minute drive.  Talking about her bike and kayak, her trying out VT, some other random mumbling.  I dropped her off finally and was on my way.  This was a pretty odd way to start my day. I am not sure how it is in other parts of the country but you never run into a young buxom blond looking for a ride?  It is usually creepy old dudes fresh off their 12th DUI, or in some cases... crazy old women w/ no car walking in the wind?

In other news... R.I.P. to one of my favorite characters, Randy Macho Man Savage who died of a heart attack/ car accident?  Why not.  Just remember... The cream rises to the top-a OOOO YEAHHHH!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr0BljPKksM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIaK3hEJiX0&feature=related

Jay About the Movies...

Ok... couple quick things before we get to the movies.  One there was a rumor that a Libyan missile hit a navy ship.  I happen to have the exclusive footage (hope nobody actually got hurt, seriously). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiORvK-v3ys&feature=player_embedded#at=55

So apparently the cool new thing to do for big timers is to screw random women.  I do not condone this and I am very much against anything remotely close to rape.  That said, for a guy like Tiger or the Terminator, way back in the day Kennedy was was a cheater, Magic was a cheater, Jordan was a cheater, Eisenhower... well, maybe not.  The difference in my mind is that back then there was no internet for one.  Secondly, Kennedy was having sex w/ Marylin Monroe... Tiger got down w/ a waitress at I-Hop.  Nobody can defend that.  Nobody.

On to the movies!  Friday night my special lady and I had a pizza and settled in for Black Swan which I was really looking forward to.  The previews looked good, the reviews were good, there was Portman/Kunis making out to look forward to.  Well, it was not terrible but the movie was really nothing special.  I had to fight to stay awake and it was not nearly as creepy, sexy, awesome as it had been promoted to be.  Go see The Fighter or True Grit and do yourself a solid.

Ok, Sunday it was raining as usual so we hit up the theater. The movie du jour?  Thor!!  I like comic book movies, I just do, sue me.  This one had a big nobody in Chris Helmsworth as Thor, and second helping of Natalie Portman as the stereotypical sexy scientist that does not actually exist, Hannibal Lecter as Odin, and a bunch of other random people including Striker from the The Wire as a weird blind gate keeper?  My lady liked the movie for the action the love story and the shirtless Helmsworth and who am I to disagree?! Just kidding, I am all man!  The action was pretty good and the movie was reasonable length but managed to tell a somewhat sensible story in those 2 hours.  It was a very solid rainy day big screen movie although I am not sure it is winning any Golden Globe awards.  I would say that if you like that genre check it out, you can even take your special someone, unless they are an absolute stick in the mud in which case you probably are not allowed to go to the movies and are probably at Bed Bath and Beyond or a bridal shower on Sundays.  Ha ha !!!

Jay About Hardwick

Yeah, go ahead and look up Hardwick VT on Google.  You may be asking a question such as... "why the f*ck would you go to Hardwick?".  Well, my friend I could not fault you for such a query. As it turned out we were looking at our 3705704705 day of rain this spring and I was getting a little tired of working on my ark so I rooted around for another activity.  Well, up in Greensboro Bend there is a little brewery called Hill Farmstead.  The brewmaster is a young guy who has travelled, learned, and is currently hitting the cover off the beer ball.  I am a huge hops fan and Shaun Hill is a craftsman w/ the hops.  He is also down w/ porters, saisons, and some other variations that are really eye opening.  So my special lady and I hopped in the car and headed north to check out the brewery.  http://hillfarmstead.com/wpblog/

As we headed north we happened to notice a sign for another smaller but semi-famous brewer Rock Art.  You may recall Rock Art as the brewer who was sued by the assholes at Monster beverage for calling a beer Vermonster.  Well, Rock Art won.  Anywho, they make some pretty heady beers and are known for dialing up the alcohol content w/ the Ridge Runner barley wine being a signature and coma inducing number north of 8% booze.  http://www.rockartbrewery.com/home . So we stopped into the small tasting room and got ready for a couple beers. Then we waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And were still waiting when we noticed 4 other patrons also waiting glasses empty.  There was a guy and a girl talking by the door but it was difficult to tell if either actually worked there.  I was just about to pour myself a round when the girl came back to the taps and started actually pouring rather than making small talk w/ some hippy.  She was quite engaged and friendly.  The beers were fine.  I like the Ridge Runner ok and their IPA is decent.  Overall it was fun to check out the brewery which was quite small, one medium size warehouse but nothing earth shattering. 

Next stop the Hill Farmstead.  This one was funny, it is in the middle of nowhere and really looks like somebody's house w/ a barn out back and equipment all over the yard.  We found the door and cruised in to the cement floor no nonsense warehouse w/ a ramshackle bar pouring 6 or so beers.  It was busy for a small space w/ several folks crowded around the bar.  As was anticipated the beer was great.  I am a huge fan of the American Pale Ale Edward.  The James was also very good.  I will not go into the details of the history as their website can explain that.  The guy is committed to his roots though. One special treat was their Limoncello beer which was inspired by the drink bearing its name and conceived in Italy.  Shit was solid.  I would not drink a lot of it but for a sipping beer in small doses it was good.  I had heard Master Hill had a bit of a prickly personality but did not find that to be the case.  He was there pouring beers and talking about them and how they came about.  It was a fun time.  They have a cool vibe and great beer.

Last stop was back in Hardwick for dinner at Claire's.  The space is very nice and relaxing.  They pride themselves on local ingredients.  We started w/ beer battered vegetables which were very good and not too heavy.  The aoli was also solid.  My lady had fettuccine w/ Italian sausage.  It was baked which was a surprise and made it a little heavy.  There was also too much sausage which our server assured us was not the case.  Tasted ok though.  I had a brisket which was quite good.  The warm cabbage slaw and mashed potatoes were nice additions.  Price was reasonable, service was mediocre.  Overall I would give it 1 1/4 thumbs up and give it a try if you are in the area.  I think a burger would be pretty good there, or the trout. 

Anyway, that is enough for now... check back later this week for Jay About the Movies... Whoopie T-Pain looks forward to seeing you there!

TCB

Yeah, that's right... Takin' Care of Business is what I do!!! Well, sometimes anyway.  Hey, know what's fun?  Standing in a pool of piss in front of a bathroom stall.  Seriously, we can send rockets to space and create new faces for people but a large percentage of people cannot get their urine in a 2'x3' container.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0O7_3o3BrI&feature=related

So we watched 2 movies on the cable television the past couple days.  One was ok and almost good... the other one.... not so much.  Let's start w/ the dooker in the pool first, Easy A.  It starred a bunch of people I am only vaguely familiar w/ including the guy from Wings and that wine movie where the other guy hates merlot.  Then there was Lisa Kudrow... you know, the not talented or good looking one from Friends.  The main character was the red headed girl from SuperBad who Jonas Hill accidentally punched in the face.  Quite a Murderer's row.  It started out as a play on The Scarlet Letter and was ok initially but then it got a little played.  The characters were all a little too clever and smug.  In no situation do you find yourself surrounded by an ultra intelligent crowd who all have super witty lines right on hand waiting to turn a phrase or play a catchy double entendre.. unless you are in the Bird household!  It just got a little boring and ridiculous. 1 thumb up my own ass unless this gem is shown on an airplane in which case you might want to get in the mix.

Movie 2 had mucho buzz out of the gate but was a bit of a flop at the old box office Scott Pilgrim Versus the World. This one had Michael Cera doing Michael Cera things.  There were a bunch of other hipster actors as well.  It was certainly bordering on pretentious and filled with what I am sure were inside jokes I did not get... but the acting was pretty solid, the cinematography was visually stunning, and it was just one of those movies that I found entertaining in spite of myself.  I would not pay for it but if it is on HBO or something I would check it out. Kind of like sex! Hahaha.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Why do we celebrate this Mexican holiday?  Is it the Mexican independence day?  Nope!  We are just drunks who like an excuse to eat nachos and drink a Margarita or 12!  May 5th was actually the day that the Mexicans beat back those French punks at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  It was still a pretty good win so cheers big ears!!!  And remember to mark your calendar... on July 17th we will be celebrating the Battle of Bunker Hill.  We can drink Bud Lattes, eat hot dogs, and beat a pinata formed in the shape of bad financial decisions!  O-Lay!!!!

So I was craving some red meat the other day as I have been eating bird food for the past week w/ my special lady.  I had a small window of opportunity and took a run at Archie's Grill on Rt 7 in Shelburne.  It is a clean enough  place and they use local beef from Laplatte Farm in their burgers.  I went w/ the bacon cheese burger w/ fries.  They cook them all medium but the burger was tender and cooked well.  It was good.  I liked the bacon (taste and consistency), the beef, and the buns were great.  The fries were pretty ok too.  It was a little pricey for a hole in the wall burger joint but not outrageous. If you are looking for a burger in the area and want to sit down or take out I'd go to Archie's again. 1 thumb up and willing to try again.

Now, I am off to party... mucho gusto!!!

Yeah F*** you Bin Laden!!!

I did not go out in the street and celebrate the killing of Bin Laden but I am not sorry he is dead. That is it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPin5LRBfZo

So I finally watcher The Fighter the other night and it was great.  Marky Mark was as good as I remember since the days w/ the funky bunch!  He is good when he does not have to talk so much.  Amy Adams was very sexy.  The family was dirty, smarmy, boozy, very old school Southie.  My brother lived down there for awhile, think he started wearing tank tops more often? Just kidding.  And Christian Bale?  Well, he was sensational. This movie was the tits guy and well worth the falking rental, 1 3/4 thumbs gouging you in the eye!

Hit up Sugarbush for one last day Saturday w/ my buddy Pedro.  It was fun, like 50 degrees and sunny.  I was pretty sloppy and took a couple needless face plants.  I'd like to blame it on Pabst but really I am just not a great slush pusher. Still, it was better than raking the rocks out of the lawn which I did Sunday!!

Speaking of Sunday, we were downtown and stopped into the Right Aid to pick up some soap.  That is the nexus of Burlington depression, even worse than the Walmart in Williston.  First, you have to navigate the gauntlet of beggars on the street just to get to the entrance which is surrounded by several rascals, more beggars, and a fat woman w/ a mangy dog and 13 kids.  It is like a scene from Dante's Inferno, I'd say the 3rd ring.  I feel bad saying it and maybe I sound like a jerk but it is sad, depressing, and frustrating.  Inside you are treated to a clientele purchasing candy, prescription meds they probably should not have, tobacco, and the worst was the guy w/ his kid buying 2 cases of soda and some drink mix.  I only partially blame these people themselves and actually have to put this one on the "system".  We need to put more emphasis on preventative health care and by that I mean teaching people how to eat well (healthy) and take care of their bodies at a young age.  Health class should be more than half assed floor hockey and awkward 2 week sex ed sessions.  I am not for taxing sugar or soda or anything like that but I am for weighting certain items you can purchase w/ govt. assistance, and trying to figure out how to avoid the diabetes plague that is attacking us because of negligent dietary behavior promoted throughout this country.  There, I said it.

Poop. Had to lighten the mood there... this is not the evening news or anything.  It is the coolest Blog ever!!!