What did I do this weekend? Well, I whipped it out of course... my iaito that is. Why what did you think I was talkin' about? Perv.

New York Budokai, my iaido dojo, was invited to perform a demonstration at the Asian American Heritage Festival out in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. It had been a while since our group had even participated in a demo and as an intermediate member, this one would be my first. I have never been a performer and I could say I was a little nervous, but when I got out there I felt relatively calm (of course, it probably helped that I wasn't wearing my glasses and couldn't see a damn thing). That's not to say I didn't screw up a little bit. I took a wrong step in one of my forms and I missed a block doing irohauchi.

"Really? Irohauchi? You don't say..." Irohauchi is a partner form where you basically beat on each other with a pair of sticks called bokken. The form is choreographed and ideally, you and your partner are so syncopated that you don't lay a finger on each other. I lost my rhythm, as ADD people often do, and Deborah Sensei caught me on the arm. Thankfully, she was holding back.

Outside of that I did pretty well and, hey... I had fun.

UPDATE: Beth did such a wonderful job taking pictures and videos from the demonstration that decided to post them on their own site. Check them out here.

Posted by Thom at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So Beth was out of town this weekend and, finding myself a swinging bachelor, I decided to celebrate in the only way I know how... with meat!

Before I explain, let me begin with a diatribe against the state of bar-b-que in New York. As much as the locals feel they understand bar-b-que, most of the establishments they hold in such high esteem couldn't hold a burnt-end against even the most humble of roadside pits in the likes of Tennessee, Kansas, or Texas. Virgil's makes a great pulled pork but, their ribs remain tasteless. Daisy May's has chili, and that's about it. Rub BBQ has some of the fattiest meat I have ever let pass my lips and the desiccated slabs they pass off as ribs at Blue Smoke are a sin. Year's ago, Pearson's was the only respectable game in town but, they have long since closed.

But fortunately, some new pits have opened up and stepped forward to fill that bar-b-que void.

Not necessarily new but certainly noteworthy, Dinosaur Bar-b-que on the upper west side offers up a smoky and succulent rib for the discerning connoisseur. It was about a year and a half ago that Beth treated me to a birthday dinner at Dinosaur and I must say, it did satisfy. And for the vegetarians in the audience, Beth recommends the smoked Portobello if you can just get past the pervasive stench of seared flesh. My only regret is that I didn't sufficiently starve myself beforehand — I had to leave a few ribs behind.

But this weekend, I discovered Rack and Soul. Okay, that's not entirely true — I actually discovered Rack and Soul back in June at the annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party. But for me, the only true test of pit is to visit the source. At first glance the generic NY dinner setting might keep you walking, but the sweat, woody smell will certainly stop you in your tracks. I took a booth by myself and ordered up a 1/2 rack and beer. Let me just say, not since the close of Pearson's have I tasted such a flavorful, juicy, tender rib in New York City. Period. The torch has been passed. Enjoy.

Posted by Thom at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...actually, no I didn't. But, I watched about 40,000 other people do it. In case you didn't know, this weekend was the annual New York City Marathon. With the course running through all five boroughs, the city pretty much shuts down to accommodate the runners with many of the locals heading out-of-doors to root the athletes on. This year, I headed out to my usual spot on 106th Street and 5th Avenue, hoping to catch my friends John, Rick and Pete accomplish something that I have neither the inclination nor the willpower to do — run 26.2 miles. If you've ever tried to pick 3 people out of a large crowd, you know it can be difficult. Now imagine finding 3 people out 40,000 as they steadily and quickly stream past you down a 3 lane road. Rick managed to get past me but, I did find John and Pete. Yes, my life is hard. Congratulations to you guys, and to everyone who ran this weekend.

Posted by Thom at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of Beth's best friends is Amy Lebowitz and Amy's mother is a breast cancer survivor. In light of her success and in celebration of research that made it possible, Amy decided to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this year in New York, and she invited her sister and Beth to walk with her. Beth agreed.

This may not be news to many of you as Beth has been hitting up asking us to donate in support of her fund raising for several months now. These fiduciary efforts along with a rather involved training schedule final culminated with the actually walk this weekend. At 5AM on Saturday morning, Beth went into the city to kick off the first day of her 40-mile walk. Unfortunately, in the end, she would be doing it by herself. Amy has been dealing with her own health issues lately and her sister, Abbie, came down with walking pneumonia during the week. And, despite the word "walking" being right there in the diagnosis, the doctor insisted that she skip this weekend's activities. To her credit, Beth completed the 2-day walk almost completely by herself (Amy and Abbie walked what the physically could) and she has 4 large trophy blisters to prove it. Thanks to everyone who supported her in whatever way you could. Congratulations, Beth.

Posted by Thom at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Another year, another Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. Every year, pit masters from around the country (and a few from the city) gather for a weekend of meat-smoking and finger-licking in Madison Square Park. Ever since I discovered this annual event it has become a must-go pilgrimage for me and (by proxy) Beth.

Growing up in the Midwest I have a great and opinionated fondness for good barbeque, with my mother's recipe as the benchmark for good baby back ribs. Living in Chicago I was always able to find a satisfactory establishment to feed my meaty need but, New York has been a very different story. Manhattan has very strict laws concerning grills and smokers and, in my general opinion, most New Yorkers really wouldn't know good 'que if it came up and slathered their faces in sauce. Over the past 7 years, I have been to almost every rib restaurant in the New York area and, of the two that my taste buds deemed worth — Pearson's and Rack & Soul — only Rack and Soul remains.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find myself a moist towelette.

Posted by Thom at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tucked away in the basment of a luxury high-rise, there is a great theater just blocks away from our apartment that hosts first run movies for the now unheard of price of $5 a ticket. And to top it off, they have a lovingly restored pipe organ played before weekend shows and their annual silent movie festival. Over the years we have lived in New York, Beth and I have seen dozens of movies at the Galaxy Triplex and tonight, we wanted to do it again.

One problem though — for some reason, we couldn't find show time information in the usual online places. After a short Goggle search, we found out why — on January 11, 2007 the Galaxy ran it's last movie. Soaring rents and shrinking attendance brought on by nearby multiplexes had forced the Galaxy out of business. This was a blow to us. We have a lot of fun memories from that theater and it was one of things that brought our neighborhood personality and charm. We'll miss the place.

Posted by Thom at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

When living in Chicago, it was not an uncommon weekend occurrence to go out and catch a jazz set at the Bulls, the Gold Star Sardine Bar, Buddy Guy's or the Jazz Showcase. True, with covers and bar minimums they could be expensive evenings for the poor and recently-graduated. But, when you caught an amazing set of improvisational music, it was always worth it.

A lot of our favorite Chicago jazz clubs are now closed and since moving, Beth and I haven't really made the effort to explore the remaining clubs in New York City. We finally decided to jump back into the scene on Saturday night after a six year absence as we headed up to Smoke on the Upper West Side. Crowded yet intimate and elegant, we were lucky to get in without a reservation.

There is just something amazing about live music that's experienced up close and personal and, with Vincent Herring and the Earth Jazz Agents playing we weren't disappointed. A talented quartet with Vincent playing sax and one of the most energetic jazz drummers I’ve seen since Buddy Rich, they put on an excellent show. Cool.

Posted by Thom at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let me start by saying that I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. For the most part we took a relaxed approach to our own weekend. Today, however, Beth and I decided to celebrate the holiday in style as we joined tens of thousands of our fellow New Yorkers and bought a new toilet seat. Then we went to the Bronx Zoo.

Having grown up a complete and utter zoo-snob, it is no small feat for me to say that the Bronx Zoo is actually a pretty nice zoo. Operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the zoo has taken great steps in recent years to update their habitats to more natural settings, taking better care of the animals and offering guests a more rewarding experience. That’s not to say the Bronx Zoo can’t go further but, I think they’re moving in the right direction. And being one of the few couples in the zoo today that weren’t charged with herding around a group of screaming children, I’d say we enjoyed ourselves.

Posted by Thom at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In celebration of the ever-continuing theme of being tourists in our own town, Beth and I took the Battery Park ferry for an afternoon on Governors Island. For nearly two hundred years, Governors Island had been a military installation just off the tip of Manhattan charged with defending the harbor from unwanted visitors. First operated by the US Army and then the US Coast Guard the base outlived its usefulness...let's say...after the War of 1812.

Three years ago, the island's ownership was transferred to both New York City and State and, while they figure out what to do with it, has been allowed to rot ever since. In the meantime, the oldest portion of the island has been designated the Governors Island National Monument and the National Parks Service has graciously opened the monument on a free but limited basis to the public. So, we thought it best to visit the island before closing for the season and, knowing Congress' past financial support of the National Parks Service, possibly for good. While we were disappointed by how little of the island we where actually allowed to explore due to safety concerns, we still found it fascinating that such a quaint and historic plot of land can exist in Manhattan's shadow.

Posted by Thom at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every other Friday between the July 4th and Labor Day holidays, I get to enjoy a day off from work. Not to waste a precious moment, I have used these days to run errands, re-decorated the apartment and take trips out of town with Beth. This past 'summer Friday' I decided to go to the Bodies exhibition currently running at New York’s South Street Seaport. This was a controversial move in our household as every time I bring it up, Beth declares her disgust and quotes some mysterious source as to the uncertain origins of many of exhibit's cadavers. So, I would go without her…

My initial reaction was to be under-whelmed. The introduction to the exhibit displays skinned bodies in various cheesy poses that crossed my mind as being disrespectful if not outright hokey. But, as you explore the exhibit’s following rooms, you are taken into detailed displays that independently explore each bodily system in ways that are both accessible and very detailed. Examples of diseased as well as healthy tissue were on display and, judging by the reaction of my fellow guests, this had a powerful impact. From the pulmonary to the reproductive, this is a very informative and dramatic anatomy lesson that, while it’s not suitable for small children, can be a strong educational tool.

Posted by Thom at 7:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Friday, Beth and I went to see Faith Healer on Broadway. Although billed as a play, Faith Healer is really a series of four monologues told from three distinct points of view and details the life and ultimate conclusion of an Irish faith healer named Frank Hardy. In a remarkable, physical performance, Ray Fiennes' faith healer is a man who is plagued by a genuine gift that manifests itself only on occasion. The impotency of his powers and his personal vanity collide in rages that can only be subdued with whiskey and the verbal abuse that he heaps upon his wife, Grace Hardy. Cherry Jones, who blew us away with her Tony winning performance in Doubt, is unfortunately miscast in this role as any hint of an Irish lilt is crushed by her Southern American accent and her strong-willed performance, though powerful, is completely contradictory to a character who could remain devoted for years to such an abusive and demoralizing relationship.

The highlight of play, however, was Ian McDiarmid's performance as Frank's manager, Teddy. Unfortunately famous for his role as Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars, Ian McDiarmid's Teddy is at once comically blithe and tender. His is the most honest interpretation of the play's events and his performance is heart breaking and the most gripping.

Although overall enjoyable, seeing this play demands a high level of concentration from the audience as it unfolds in a non-linear fashion and the three unique perspectives in turn warp the portrayed events on a multitude of levels. We found it is an inspiring feat for these actors to hold an audience's attention through each of the 30-minute monologues. Yet, even though it goes against the play’s structure, I felt somehow cheated that these phenomenally talents never once have the opportunity to interact.

If you're up for an beautiful yet challenging piece of theater, go see Faith Healer.

Posted by Thom at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

. . . at least that's what young David Sedaris's mother told him once when he shoved a coin purse sized piece of meat in his mouth at a family barbeque.

On Friday, Beth and went to see David Sedaris give a reading of new essays at Town Hall in New York. For those you unfamiliar with David (Dave for those of us who are) he is best known as a writer of wry autobiographical essays, a commentator for NPR and former elf. His stories and articles often poke fun of himself and his eccentric family but, beneath the surface he manages examine serious life issues with his unique perspective. Among his body of work, my personal favorite is Me Talk Pretty One Day. If you’re interested in reading any of his work, this collection of stories is a good place to start.

Posted by Thom at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The husband of a friend and office cohort of mine is a wine wholesaler. As if he doesn't work enough, he has now decided to share his knowledge of vintage and grape with the public. He and a partner have opened a wine bar down in the Bowery called Jadis.

I had a chance to check the place out over the week and I have to say, I'm very impressed. They have really nailed down the atmosphere of the bar. At first glance, you immediately think 'wine cellar.' But, I don't want to mislead – the place is warm and cozy with tables and couches and, the music is quiet enough to have an intimate conversation. Definitely the type of place that friends can call their 'meeting place.' But, the real reason you go to wine bar is, of course, the wine. They have impressive selection (including a sampling of my favorite wine, Riesling (yes it’s fruity, I know)) and they can make great recommendations.

In short, if you find yourself in the New York Bowery, I strongly recommend checking Jadis.

Posted by Thom at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Traveler: Oh, it is so good to hear English again.
Customs officer: Actually, I speak Brooklyn.

-Overheard at JFK customs

Living in New York means that you live in constant and extreme proximity to other people at all times. Any hang-ups you may have about your personal space being violated by absolute strangers have to go out the window. Unfortunately, many New Yorkers create such a high comfort level of expressing themselves in public places, that it is not uncommon to learn about someone’s killer Star Trek tattoo or gynecological issues on the subway. (Those two gems are from my own personal experience).

Thankfully, someone has gotten around to documenting this little social quirk of ours on website called Overheard in New York. I thought would be nice to share some of those little golden New York moments with you. So enjoy — I know I do.

Posted by Thom at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a record setting snowfall just 7 days ago, almost all of the 27 inches of snow that blanketed the New York area has melted. It won’t be missed.

What will be missed were the 60 ºF highs that took away the snow in the first place. They have been supplanted by a balmy high of 20 ºF. Now, I realize that my Midwestern friends are playing finger-sized violins at this remark but, after a January of 50 ºF weather, this is the deep freeze. Have you seen The Day After Tomorrow? If you come looking for me, I’ll be in the library.

Ah, global warming. Thank god we have the government to deny it’s existence or else we’d really be in trouble. But, enough about the weather.

Posted by Thom at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And so it was that the killer snowstorm came bearing down on us like a shotgun full of snow...

Unless you've been under a self-imposed media lock down for the past 24 hours, you already now that the north- and mid-Atlantic states got hit with what the weathermen affectionately term a "nor'easter" — so called because someone selfishly decided that this type of storm should only happen in this region of the country. More fun for us.

The final snow total in our little hamlet of New York came in at around 26.9 inches. And while that number alone seems daunting enough, there are another 2 dimensions to consider when it comes to digging out your car. Factor in density, shovel friction, how old you feel on any given day... well you get the idea. Beth and I spent about an hour cleaning off the car for no good reason (see time lapse photos, fig.1) while some of the local kids went sledding down the street and looked at us like we were daft. I guess we could have enjoyed ourselves a little more but, I think that at this point in our lives we're more interested in minimizing our expoxure. We quickly retreated to the warmth of our cave.

I've posted some more pictures of our wintery romp here. Or, if you're interested in seeing how other New Yorkers fared with the Blizzard Aught-six, there's a nice flicker stream worth checking out.

Needless to say, we're not going to get the snow day we had hoped for. Both Beth and I have to go into the city to attend to our respective chores. All this because I shaved off my beard.

Posted by Thom at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)