Category: Travel

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Austin Vegas’s Day Off

Last weekend we hit a trip into the city of Chicago. I woke up this Friday morning and really just didn’t want to go into work today *cough, Cough*. My woman just happend to be out to Chi-town for work and I hop the first flight out so to get a chance to cruse this new-to-me city for two days.

Unfortunately for us, there are plenty of conventions in town the weekend of the 19th so we’re forced to have a room with the Christian Womens Movement at the Hyatt Regency O’hare. The rate wasn’t bad, the room was big with full office capabilities but it was 45 minutes by the blue line to the city and if we had to take the red line, it was even longer with the back track. Although I didn’t get to recite “Danke Schoen” on a float there were plenty of highlights of my weekend.

Friday was opening night for the MBL Hometown series as the Chicago White Sox were hosting the Cubs. Tickets for the game were sold out months before I even knew of the trip but StubHub had a few options not too far off face value. We missed a little tailgating and because we had to pick up the tickets off the parking lot, we didn’t get to our 300 level seats till the bottom of the 2nd. Still hovering over home plate, the view was great even if we missed some fireworks and spinning wheels (home run celebration at US Cellular field).

Being at the home town field, we were out for the former Series Champs and they didn’t disappoint. Maddux was flustered all day and the Sox came out on top with a 6 – 1 win over the cubs. I guess the tension was eminent as the follow up game at Wrigley field was a dog fight literally and an altercation at the plate caused the benches to clear. We were at a bar when this incident happened and Chicago lit up with fire, one way or the other…

After the game there wasn’t much planned so we too to the trains get out downtown and see what happens. We pop out of the Red line at the Chicago to the appearance of a huge tent and blue music filling the streets… A parade? No, but it was the Weber Grill Restaurant – BBQ Block Party. A yearly celebration and firefighter grill cook off, with beers, wine, BBQ and blues for 8 hours. Koko (of “Wang Dang Doodle” fame), Lonnie Brooks and Dave Specter and the Bluebirds featuring Tad Robinson performed. Lonnie Brooks (pictured) was off the hook rocking back n forth on the stick and getting the mildly liquored crowed going. Not bad on the BBQ but the kicker was the great weather and a few local brews for $3 ea.

Playin tourist on Saturday we walked downtown, Millennium Park, and Millennium Mile, took a bike tour of the lake and surrounding museums including the Married w/ Children intro fountain: Buckingham Fountain, and experienced a great tourist tour by taking the architecture cruise of the Chicago river ways. I snapped some shots around the river. Rather than wait in lines all day for the Sear’s Tower view, or paying the 10 clams for the Handcock center, we took the elevator shot up to The Signature Room, for a few NY priced Martinis…

Check out some photos and I could update this, sometime later:




















The full gallery of Chicago architecture and other photos

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TNT straight from the Bay in NYC

As prefaced in the last post. I had a few friends from the bay come through ny. This week was quite the eclectic mix bag of drinkin and unique NY flair. The pics below and in the gallery are of the NY Yankee’s game with the Oakland A’s visiting (unfortunately the A’s lost this round but they made up for it in the series) and the club BED in the meat packin area. BED was by far a spot I’d frequent primarily because the music/dj sucked top forty balls – which probably contributed to our group getting completely tossed on the vodka sodas…

Also this week I visited a piano bar in the west village where the locals sing show tunes, Bobs and a few other spots in the lower east side and Ninja restaurant.

Ninja New York is a theme restaurant based off the original Japanese version where the interior is a maze of decor designed to depict a Ninja castle or cave with staff dressed the part of Ninjas but hardly took the act any farther with their lack in enthusiasm for the theme. The food was excellent and presented uniquely, however, over priced and light on the portions. The added bonus is a table magicial which we had to ask for to be included in our “show” and dispite the parlor tricks added a little entertainment to the meal. I wouldn’t venture back but the location seemed wrong in Tribeca, maybe would do better near Times Square.

With the visit I was introduced to a few new friends out here, Magri, Marco, Julie, Khun, and Romy. And a few not friendly cats – after the gallery we picked up a few new peeps and one of which turned out to be a shady Swiss lass with her skippin out on paying the ninja bill and purse stealing at the end of the night. I had hoped for the best with adub but little more was discussed of this mistress after that drunken night…

Theosky and Tsientong invade New York Gallery

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NuNu’s! The High or Low???

The follow up trip in my “Cali” (as my gf says now that we’re in NY) tour, I flew down to SD to start training for a new job. An excellent position at start up, that allows me to work at home and has the flexibility and control of the true field position. It’s exactly what I wanted both in responsibility and getting away from the huge corporate red-tape laden enterprise business.

I checked into an extended stay Marriott north of town in Hotel Circle, where the only nightlife is a liquor store and a few hotel bars that close at 12 or so… oh and a few spots up highway 8 at the mall – Yeah! strip mall bars! Lucky for me I had choice of top or bottom… and as Tom Hanks is well quoted “I get to be on top!”

Had a nice view from the corporate office windows which begged me to get to the beach rather than go to work. The training was standard: here’s a desk, a phone, some computer programs and literature… a schedule for some meetings and good selling! I picked it up quickly and was very pleased with the up-beat work environment (people actually smiled and talked to each other… amazing!), they provided some amenities (snacks, drinks, tea and coffee – maybe they do want people to work here!), and even some downtime activities (Friday an impromptu ping pong match sprang up, I declinded a last place seeding).

Also this week was the NCAA finals. Straight after work I headed to the mall… and Seau’s

The next weekend rolls around for ol BP’s birthday celebration. Started off at the Marriott, this time downtown Gaslamp where we watched the opening day Padres vs. Giants from the hotel room:

The evenings were spent a re-newed club called Belo (formerly E Street) where a friend of ours takes care of the VIPs

Bumped in to an old friend from the dorm dayz at poly… ol Brooksie G! Still regulatin. Good to see him around and I was thinking I had seen him the wed before at lunch … and I had.

I’m not going to go into much detail of the weekend except that Saturday morning still drinking at ol Nunu’s was going crazy strong for the CA party. Here’s a few key shots and the link for the rest at the bottom. Enjoy!

Diego Gallery