Holiday Update

Thanksgiving
Aisha and I spent Thanksgiving in California. We had originally planned a trip to Athens (Greece not Georgia). Given the health of my father, Aisha thought it best if we spent time with my family. She is definitely right.

I spent a week working in my company's San Francisco office. Got a chance to hang out Hugo and Darren in Berkeley. Saw Natalia's band play at nice neighborhood bar called Edinburgh Castle. It's divey enough for me to like it and it's on Geary and Post. NAtalia's crew was good.

I really enjoyed seeing Jodie. She's back at my company and working from home in the Northeast like me. Our trips to HQ coincided. Got a chance to catch up with her. We also had a welcome dinner for her in the Mission at the old Timo's space. RIP Timo's. I had my 22nd birthday there. My entourage of friends got completely wasted towards the end of dinner (we had been drinking since the early afternoon and had to wait until after 10pm to get a table for our size part). Next thing I know me and a few others are picking up chairs and throwing them around while laughing hysterically. We also stiffed them on the tip as there were some dead beats with us (always happens when you have a party that large). I'm still surprised they didn't kick us out.

I was able to take the train over to Berkeley on Sunday morning to have breakfast with Jodie at a Thai temple, see her sister Julie and Rob and see new-born Ben. What a good kid.

Aisha then flew in on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. She met me at the office the next day and of course proceeded to charm and chat it up with all my co-workers. We then walked over to the Ferry building to the bar at Slanted Door. I'd never been to their new location and it is great. Much better space than their old address in the Mission. She organized a dinner for her friends at Iluna Basque in North Beach. GREAT food! Quite possibly the best tapas I've had. Cha Cha Cha's (which I went to on the Friday before with some co-workers/friends) is still my favorite restaurant in SF for it's sheer fun factor, but Iluna Basque's tapas are on another level. I will be going back there for dinner for my trip to SF (again) next week.

We then spent Thanksgiving day with Aisha's family at her Mom's house. Got stuffed. I am salivating right now just remembering the meal. We then flew to LA to have Thanksgiving dinner at my Mom's.

My dad looked a lot better (I need to call home again for another update). My sister cooked EVERYTHING. She's GREAT! It was amazingly good. My mom's parents were there as well as her sister's family (6th aunt) and both their dogs. It was great having so many people and pets around. Charlie, my sister's dog, had a good time with the puppy. Oh yeah, we saw my mom get drunk for the first time (ever?).

Spent the next day walking Charlie with Aisha, my sister and brother at Santa Monica beach. Good times. We met Darren, who was also in town, and Akie for drinks at a bar/club in happening Old Town Alhambra. I was just looking for neighborhood dive, but this was the wrong neighborhood for it. Instead we walked into this place called Azul's (?). At first they weren't going to let me in because I had sneakers on. They're kidding right? Ain't no way in hell I was going to get bounced at a club in suburbia LA. We got in and wound up staying for the club part. It always feels good to dance with Aisha. She's the best.

Flew out on Sunday. I was an ass as I was stressing over the time and the fact that Aisha and I had to take two separate flights from two separate airports. I calmed down an hour later and called her to apologize. The usual story.

Back in NYC
We're starting to get into the swing of things in Manhattan. Met up with Nichols and went to an event at the Guggenheim that featured access to the museum floors and two DJs from somewhere (Europe?). The ironic thing was that I was telling Aisha that we haven't taken enough time to do any cultural things in NYC and here we were at the Guggenheim. The event was OK. I was looking to get crazy and do some serious dancing, but the lighting and ambience was all off. The show on Russian art was magnificent though. Got a chance to see Kadinsky's magnificent Blue Mountain (which I've always thought was called the blaue Reiters as that seemed more appropriate).

Next night went to a birthday party at the 40-40 club. It's owned by Jay-Z. The crowd was relatively mellow and comfortable. What I didn't like about it was that it was too sports-focused and not dance and mac focused. Met Aisha's friend Emily, who is a hoot. We're going to have her and her boyfriend over for dinner this weekend.

Woke up bright and early the next morning. I walked Mochi to Central Park. It was a magical morning. It was the first snow of the season and there was virgin snow everywhere in the City. The scenery was AMAZING. I let him off-leash at the Park. Mochi loved it. He played for almost 2 hours straight and was generally very good at listening to my guidance. He didn't want to leave and his coat was iced over from jumping and rollicking all over the snow. We took a cab home and he slept for the rest of the day.

The Plan
As mentioned, I'm going back to SF next week. Aisha will join me mid-week after her finals are over. We'll be in town for my company's holiday party at City hall. What a great venue. My company definitely knows how to throw a party (it was at MOCA last year). We'll then fly down to LA to spend a few days with my family and return to NYC in time for Christmas. Ebony will be in town to spend New Year's with us. After that, I'll be in Dublin again for two weeks of work.