I am overjoyed to have just gotten a new camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC- GH1. It is amazing!
I took it out for a little walk and here are a few stills I took in Morningside Park, uptown NY. Being a filmmaker, I also can’t wait to take some great video of the city… Emi
Seasoned Vegan est. in Harlem, not just for vegans
I’m not a practicing vegan (I try to eat well though!), but yesterday when I walked in with my vegetarian friend, and Brenda gave me a taste of her “chicken” corn bread, and macaroni and cheese I was sold. Not only does Brenda radiate with a loving energetic persona towards her customers, but her food is delicious; it’s well thought out, and I’m so glad. This area really, really needed something like this. There is also frozen food to last you the days in between Saturday and Wednesday. Welcome to the neighborhood Seasoned Vegan, please don’t leave!
Seasoned Vegan is located inside Lee Lee’s Bakery, Wed.-Sat. for lunch and dinner only. (frozen dinners are available too.)
283 W 118th St
(between St Nicholas Ave & 8th Ave)
Manhattan, NY 10026
(917) 232-3446
www.seasonedvegan.com
Dear Mom
You are a warrior… Stay strong, rest up and we love you…
Michael
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
We can’t wait to see you on your special day Mom! Happy birthday to a beautiful woman! You touch the people around you in more ways than you will ever know.
Love,
Michael
peace and love in 2008
I hope anyone reading this was able to welcome in the New Year around family, friends and loved ones.
Mom, thanks for making the trip. It was wonderful as always having you with us. I’m thinking that Taverna Agora may become a family spot…
Good things coming for all of us in 2008!
Fun & Sun In Aruba
Yes, after a year of planning we are finally here. Partly for vacation (well mostly) and partly for our friends’ wedding.
It has been an absolute blast and just a wonderful island to visit. After getting hustled out of an extra 3 bucks by the cabbie from the airport to the hotel it has been all uphill!
Alicia, Sebastian and I have enjoyed our time at the Aruba Marriott Surf Club. The suite is spacious and having the extra room and kitchen facilities has made the trip (with our 11 month old) a bit more relaxing and enjoyable. The staff here has been top notch. I can’t think of anything bad to report at this hotel/resort.
During the day we have been alternating between the moving river pool within the resort and going to the beach which is right behind us. I must say, there is really nothing that beats a bar planted right in the middle of a pool. For me it adds new meaning to the term ‘wet bar’… I could become very lazy and chubby living here.
Well, tonight is Brian & Claire’s wedding. It should be a treat for all of us as it will be right on the beach. Friends and family have come in from all over including the UK, Raleigh North Carolina, Pittsburg Pennsylvania and possibly other areas which I am not aware of. We are really looking forward to seeing these two take their vows in what looks to be a paradise dream setting…
I must just write about an amazing experience I had last night at the reception. It was at the Tierra Del Sol Country Club on the northern tip of Aruba. This picturesue rolling greens compound was just gorgeous. Even with the villa construction going on it was something out of a movie. The cacti were incredibly developed and almost looked fake. Well, as the evening wore on so did Sebastian. He did his best to hang but at last after a fun day/week in the sun and water we were pushing his boundries as dusk approached. Alicia and I did our best to entertain him but when we got the ‘yaaaawn’ it was time for plan ‘z’… I took a stroll with him down a path behind the main country club building and we sat down to just take in the perfect cool breeze and starry skies. Well, I would like to believe he felt the same way! Anyways, after about 20 minutes Sebastian had finally given in to the sleep fairy. The lids closed and he laid limp in my lap and arms only holding on to my thumb with his left hand. As I looked around and could hear the laughter and chatter down the path I knew my fellow party goers were having a great time. Then I looked at my son, then at the clear star sprinkled sky and then back at my son and thought wow what a perfect perfect night. As I smiled and lightly chuckled to myself I got a quick flutter of chills up my back and thought ‘I’m the luckiest Dad on this island right now’….
Did you call your Mother Today?
This week I got to do one of my favorite things. Spend time with my Mom.
There is something amazing about a Mother Son relationship and I see time and time again, fools taking this gift for granted.
We didn’t get to do all the things we planned. Scrabble will have to be saved for the next visit…But the conversation was amazing as always and we ate some delicious healthy home made food. Oh, all right there was a piece of Linda’s Chocolate Fudge Cake that found its way to the table, but come on, you need balance in life! There may have been one other food indiscretion but I’m not 100% sure!
The most exciting thing for me on this visit from Mom was the time that she spent with Sebastian, my 8 month old son. It fills me up inside seeing Sebastian and his ‘Grand Ma’ together. I am so glad that he will know this wonderful woman and grow to see why she is so loved by those around her. I am especially glad that he will know where the compassion, kindness and zest for life inside of him comes from….. his grandma.
The Day After
Congratulations to the Carolina Hurricanes who defeated the Edmonton Oilers last night to win the Stanley Cup in game 7. We are thrilled to have the NHL’s most coveted prize, Lord Stanley’s Cup in our great state. Hockey in North Carolina?! Who’s laughing now… hehehe
-Michael
The Little Prince
It has been a while since I checked in but I can hold back no longer! On May 25, 2006 at 12:56 a.m. a beautiful baby boy named Sebastian joined our family. The best way to describe the birth of your child is that it takes your breath away. There is something so sacred and innocent about the joy and energy which a newborn child brings to a family.
Thank you to the wonderful folks at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC who made Sebastian’s birth such an awesome experience. I feel special gratitude to Dr. Segal & Tammy who gave overwhelming comfort and security to my wife and me during the birthing process.
Finally, a special ‘thanks’ to the Grandmothers who have provided that extra special motherly love and of course delicious food over the last few days!
Until next time…
-Michael
Oh, Katrina!
So I am sitting here surrounded by the quiet late night tranquility and comforts of my home and I just wanted to post and send out my thoughts and prayers to the people down in Florida who are currently experiencing what is turning out to be a brutal hurricane. Stay inside and hunker down till the sunlight hits again! Hopefully the overall effects of Katrina won’t be as bad as it seems at the moment…
This all reminds me of the greeting I receive during my first full month in North Carolina almost ten years ago. It was the year that Hurricane Frances hit… Yes, Mom we named it after you! (Just kidding…). Growing up in New York City I had never experienced a true hurricane. Hurricane Gloria which we had prepped for turned out to be a dud (as far as the city was concerned). It was quite a site to see apartment windows taped up with “X’s’ all throughout New York City. But in the end it was just that, an interesting site… Getting back to Hurricane Frances, that is something I will never forget. Waiting in line for ice. Trees and waist high waters blocking roads and thousands of people with cabin fever and no way to express their frustration and energy for two weeks straight. One of my humorous memories from that experience was seeing people jet skiing in the waters which had amassed in front of Crabtree Mall, “thee” mall in Raleigh, NC at the time.
Anyways, stay strong Floridians!
-Michael