i keep a diary

December, 2013

The December Roundup

Here are all the photos I took in December 2013 that didn't end up in their own entry.

Sunday, December 1st

Crazy, cool clouds...
clouds
...over the East River when I took Maddy...
clouds
...for her afternoon walk on Sunday.
clouds
padmasambhava
Did a bunch of reading. The Lotus-Born is the story of Padmasambhava. When I find a topic I'm interested in...
book ˆ padmasambhava
...I tend to read as many well-reviewed books on the subject as I can. Chakra Healing and Karmic Awareness
book
Choa Kok Sui has written a bunch of really interesting books on subtle energy. He ties together a lot of disparate mystical traditions into concise, readable books. Very cool! The Spiritual Essence of Man, The Chakras and the Inverted Tree of Life
book
me
Is it weird to spend your evenings sitting & singing alone?
me

Tuesday, December 3rd

matt lesser, me
On Tuesday afternoon, former karaoke super-host, Matt came over for what turned into a four-hour reiki session. Matt's since gone on to become a reiki practitioner!
reiki ˆ matt lesser ˆ me
meredith
Later that evening, Meredith came over for a Gruppo pizza night. Jalapeno & pineapple! Mmmmmm.
living room ˆ pizza ˆ meredith

Wednesday, December 4th

Had a late afternoon falafel & hummus lunch...
falafel ˆ food
maddy, me
...then spent the afternoon reading on the couch with my buddy.
couch ˆ maddy ˆ me
Walked over to 2nd Avenue to see James Gandolfini and Julie Louis Dreyfus in Enough Said
movie ˆ tickets

Friday, December 6th

me, miye
Hung out with Miye on Friday evening. LIFE STUFF!
me ˆ miye

Saturday, December 7th

theresa
On Saturday afternoon I went over to Theresa's art studio for her baby shower to welcome her new son, Sparrow!
baby ˆ sparrow ˆ theresa
jeet, matt, meredith, peter g
Later that evening, I walked over to Hans & Ellen's in the East Village for a big holiday feast! Check out the table spread!
best ˆ food ˆ jeet ˆ matt ˆ meredith ˆ peter g
amanda, ellen
Amanda & Ellen!
amanda ˆ ellen
ellen, hans
The Hosts with the most....dogs!
dogs ˆ ellen ˆ hans
biggy, hans, maddy, meredith, piper
Smash them all together! Dog pile!
dogs ˆ smoosh ˆ biggy ˆ hans ˆ maddy ˆ meredith ˆ piper
hans, me
Tiny dog with a top hat!
dogs in outfits ˆ hat ˆ hans ˆ me
After we'd finished gorging ourselves on twenty different dishes...
food ˆ house party
hans, jared
...then the desserts came out! Pie strategizing!
dessert ˆ pie ˆ xmas lights ˆ hans ˆ jared
jared, matt
Matt helped put together a to-go goody basket for...
dessert ˆ treats ˆ jared ˆ matt
jeet
...these two. We send you on your way with grapes...
grapes ˆ lifted ˆ jeet
jared, jeet
...and a box of GOODIES!
best ˆ lifted ˆ treats ˆ jared ˆ jeet
ellen, matt, quinn
Insert your own "box of goodies" joke here!
boobs ˆ get a load of this guy ˆ tit squeeze ˆ ellen ˆ matt ˆ quinn
Kitchen party aftermath! Thanks for always being such SUPER HOSTS, Ellen & Hans! We appreciate you guys being the party pad all the time!
kitchen ˆ mess
maddy
Ya know what, dad? Parties really wear me out.
sleepy ˆ maddy

Sunday, December 8th

Cut through the park walking over to the Sunshine Theater to see a movie and noticed they lit the tree!
tompkins ˆ tree ˆ xmas lights ˆ xmas tree
Decent snowman considering the limited coverage.
snowman ˆ tompkins
Saw the kind of movie you usually see alone. Haha.
movie

Friday, December 13th

Ugh. A SantaCon participant was INSIDE my building. I feel so violated!
hat ˆ santa ˆ stairs

Sunday, December 15th

me, priya
On Sunday I finished evening I graduated from a two-day Reiki Two class. Here's me with my classmates Priya, Stella & Galina.
reiki ˆ me ˆ priya
karen, matt, quinn, the ktb
After I got home, I grabbed the dog and walked over to Matt's for a hang.
karen ˆ matt ˆ quinn ˆ the ktb
matt, the ktb
Here's fitness coach Matt helping Kim max-out on chin-ups.
gun show ˆ laugh ˆ matt ˆ the ktb
matt, the ktb
Feel the laugh!
laugh ˆ matt ˆ the ktb
biggy, maddy
Biggy and Maddy also got to spend some quality time together.
dogs ˆ hump ˆ biggy ˆ maddy

Tuesday, December 17th

maddy
The next morning:
blanket ˆ maddy
maddy
So....do you think Biggy is going to call me?
blanket ˆ maddy
Newly painted living room is still a nice surprise in the morning!
e9th apt ˆ living room
matt
Late Wednesday night I walked just a few blocks down Ave C to Nu Blu cafe to see Matt play in bass in an awesomely wild jazz-oddesy sickness of a band.
band ˆ matt

Wednesday, December 18th

maddy
On Wednesday afternoon I went over to Leigh's house. I don't have any pictures of Leigh...
dogs in outfits ˆ santa ˆ xmas ˆ maddy
leigh, maddy
...just pictures of Maddy sliding into the room in dog socks witha a concerned look. Hahah. Saddest holiday dog ever! She hate her holiday socks so hard!
dogs in outfits ˆ santa ˆ xmas ˆ xmas tree ˆ leigh ˆ maddy
maddy, meredith
Later that night Mer came over to hang and snuggle Maddy sans socks.
maddy ˆ meredith

Thursday, December 19th

maddy, penelope
Penelope came over for reiki on Thursday. Maddy likes to be lifted up onto the table so she can tucker down in Leg Alley.
reiki ˆ maddy ˆ penelope

Friday, December 20th

Made myself this deluxe bachelor lunch...
grilled cheese ˆ sandwich
...and read my friend Vivian's book, The Warrior and the Queen.
book

Saturday, December 21st

maddy
Happy 4th birthday to this excellent hound (seen here using a lavender-filled eye-pillow as a dog-pillow).
birthday ˆ maddy
me
I couldn't sleep and was up late feeling and looking like this.
tired ˆ me

Sunday, December 22nd

Before heading down to DC for the holidays, I stopped off at Leigh and Randy's for an Xmas drink and was gifted DACHSHUNDOPOLY!
gift
maddy
With a wrinkly puppy Maddy doppleganger on the box!
doppleganger ˆ gift ˆ maddy

Monday, December 23rd

On Monday evening I took to bus, in 60-degree weather, down to DC to spend the holidays with my parents at Brett & Amy's. I started reading the excellent and fantastic The Holographic Universe on the trip.
best ˆ book
amy b, max
When I arrived, I got to meet my three-week old nephew Max for the first time in person!
baby ˆ first time i met ˆ amy b ˆ max
max, me
Welcome to the world, bud!
baby ˆ best ˆ first time i met ˆ max ˆ me
max, me
I immediately was struck with the intense feeling that I knew him already somehow. And also with the feeling that he felt the same way!
baby ˆ best ˆ first time i met ˆ washington dc ˆ max ˆ me

Tuesday, December 24th

Awesome breakfast casserole ever!
breakfast ˆ food ˆ treats
dad, max, mom
It was fun getting to see my parents be grandparents for the first time.
family ˆ dad ˆ max ˆ mom
max, mom
Mom & Max.
max ˆ mom
max
Booties on point.
baby ˆ max
dad, max
Max smiling at my dad!
laugh ˆ dad ˆ max
Stayed up thinking about my friends and making entries for this website.
ikad ˆ laptop ˆ meta

Wednesday, December 25th

I walked over to Brett & Amy's on Christmas Morning and arrived just in time for...
xmas
...Monkey Bread! Which is, hands down, my most favorite breakfast treat ever!
monkeybread ˆ treats ˆ xmas
Max wasn't the only one...
xmas
dad, me
...who needed a post-breakfast nap!
asleep ˆ xmas ˆ dad ˆ me
amy b, brett, max, mom
Brett and Amy's apartment was full with all sorts of new baby gear, so they'd asked for no presents, but my mom still insisted on getting Brett "a little something"...
best ˆ gift ˆ laugh ˆ xmas ˆ amy b ˆ brett ˆ max ˆ mom
amy b, brett, max, mom
...like this excellent three-piece deluxe set of screen-cleaners! SCORE!
best ˆ excited ˆ gift ˆ xmas ˆ amy b ˆ brett ˆ max ˆ mom
dad
Hoping it's chocolate...hoping it's chocolate!
gift ˆ xmas ˆ dad
amy b, brett, max
Total naturals!
baby ˆ xmas ˆ amy b ˆ brett ˆ max
max
Adorable, twenty-six day-old, slumberer.
baby ˆ xmas ˆ max
brett, max
Proud papa!
baby ˆ xmas ˆ brett ˆ max
brett, dad, max, mom
Your kid has a kid!
baby ˆ family ˆ xmas ˆ brett ˆ dad ˆ max ˆ mom
Amy made an awesomely healthy dinner to help offset the morning's MONKEYBREAD feast!

Thursday, December 26th

brett, max
The look of fatherhood in the morning!
baby ˆ sleepy ˆ tired ˆ brett ˆ max
In the afternoon we walked over to a museum and got our art on.
art ˆ museum ˆ washington dc
amy b, max
Evening bath time with an adorable little walrus.
baby ˆ walrus ˆ amy b ˆ max
My brother's bookshelf is as awesomely weird as mine. I'm in constant need of NEW BOOKS TO READ and a visit to his place never fails to turn up an interesting new read. Really dug this (depressing as fuck) book. Definitely worth a read if you're into this kind of thing. Gangster Capitalism: The United States and the Globalization of Organized Crime
book

Friday, December 27th

dad, max, mom
On Friday morning I packed my bags and said farewell to the exuberant grandparents.
baby ˆ best ˆ excited ˆ family ˆ dad ˆ max ˆ mom
max
Amy & Brett got Max all bundled up...
asleep ˆ baby ˆ max
amy b, brett, max
...and walked me to Dupont Circle to catch my bus back to NYC.
stroller ˆ walking ˆ washington dc ˆ amy b ˆ brett ˆ max

Saturday, December 28th

padmasambhava
While I was away, the thanka of Padmasambhava that I'd ordered had been delivered.
padmasambhava
padmasambhava
If you're going to give yourself a Christmas present make it a weird one!
padmasambhava
padmasambhava
Padmasambhava lived in the 8th century. He is probably best known in the west (indirectly) for authoring Bardo Thodol, known in the West as the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
padmasambhava
This is a book about Padmasambhava main lady-friend and female Buddha, Yeshe Tsogyel.

Sky Dancer: The Secret Life And Songs Of Lady Yeshe Tsogyel
book

Sunday, December 29th

On Sunday afternoon I set up my reiki table...
e9th apt ˆ living room ˆ reiki
...and had back to back reiki sessions for two of Matt Lesser's friends! First Mandi...
reiki
...and then Debbie.
reiki

Monday, December 30th

Nutrients. I has them.
food ˆ salad
me
Happy December 2013, from your favorite weirdo!
mask ˆ me