Tidbits

Since I married Jeannie, I have not removed my wedding ring from my finger, other than rarely fiddling around with it during a meeting or while watching tv.

Seva laughed for the first time tonight.  It was a beautiful and amazing thing to see.  While Jeannie was cooking mac'n'cheese (with tuna & peas) for dinner, I was playing around with Seva.  While standing near the stove, I was holding Seva facing me, with her pelvis held against my mid-torso and her upper body angled away from my body, so she could look up at me.  I periodically dipped down, while smiling at her and encouraging her.  She responded positively and seemed to be having a good time.  And then, she started giggling.  She did it for just a couple of seconds after about a handful of the dips, then she didn't do it again.  When I looked at Jeannie, she had tears of joy in her eyes.  Like I said, it was a beautiful and amazing thing to see.

I also found out online today that there is a Seva Café right outside of Washington, D.C., in Alexandria, Virginia.  We'll have to go there some day, maybe soon.

Jeannie and I went a couple nights ago (on Saturday, July 19th) to visit my friend Javi and his girlfriend Gina.  We enjoyed a really nice evening of salad (made of kale, scallops, cashews), dessert (dates, figs, and sunflower seeds), moscato rosé wine, and coffee.  Javi also played some music for us, first on his various flutes, then on his guitar.  Jeannie had brought her guitar, so she played the only song she knows how to play, Blackbird (Beatles song), while Javi played one of his flutes.  At one point, while Jeannie went into the bedroom to feed Seva, I was able to speak en español to Javi and Gina; we discussed politics in Latin America.  All in all, we had a really great time.  I hope to spend time with them again.

I've noticed that Seva now weighs more than the Baby.  Speaking of the Baby, her right ear has been very dirty the last few days.  I clean it out with cotton swabs, but it seems to get dirty again.  And since I bring up the Baby, I should say that Rocky is doing well as always.  This evening he rediscovered the toy mouse that he goes stretches forgetting about; he kicked it around for a while and really had a lot of fun.

Tonight at the Y, I did a chest/arms work-out.  In my final set of bench press, I put up 195 pounds twice.  In my final set of dumbbell curls, I lifted 35 pound dumbbells 8 times each arm.  In my final set of incline bench press, I put up 135 pounds 4 times; that was at the very end of my work-out.  Overall it was a very good work-out.

Oh, a couple days ago, on Saturday, I helped Jeannie's dad move into his new apartment here in Philadelphia.  He's living just a few blocks away from Rittenhouse Square and he's no more than a short 8-minute walk from our place, so he'll be able to see Seva much more often.  This is great not just for him, but for me too in the short-term as he'll be available to watch Seva for short periods of time when I need to run an errand or take care of something and also for Jeannie and me in the medium-term as he'll be available for babysitting services.  I like my father-in-law a lot, so I'm happy to have him close by now.

Well, it's time to take out the trash and I should be winding down since I know Jeannie wants to go to start going to bed a bit earlier at night.  I thank God for all blessings and ask for God's blessing, protection, and guidance every day always, but especially in these next handful of months, when there will be so much change.

Seva's Progress

Seva is almost 14 weeks old.  And she continues to make progress, seemingly every day.  Jeannie just mentioned to me that, earlier this evening (while I was at the gym), Seva did not cry at all during her bath, not at any point from beginning to end.  This was a first.  Apparently she is getting used to getting bathed.  I think she even likes it now.

With that being said, though, there has not been one day in her short life so far in which she has not cried.  She cries every day: out of hunger; because she has a dirty diaper; because she doesn't want to be laid down, but instead continued to be held; because she wakes up alone and wants attention; or sometimes simply because she is getting sleepy.  A day will come when she will not cry at any point from when she wakes to when she goes to sleep for the night.  I'm looking forward to that day.

Jeannie also wanted me to write here that Seva discovered our DirecTv remote control on Tuesday of this week, and she's been mesmerized by it ever since.  The reason she likes it so much is that there is a part of it, near the middle, where there are buttons of several different colors (red, green, yellow, blue, orange, gray, and black) near each other.  The colors obviously draw her attention.  I witnessed it tonight for the first time.  It was very cute and funny; she would just stare at the remote control and follow it with her eyes no matter where I held it.

Finally, as I wrote in a text message to my mom earlier tonight, Seva seems to be more vocal and more emotive these days, especially at times when both Jeannie and I are around and talking with each other.  It's like Seva wants to join the conversation.  It's funny and also amazing to see her continue to develop, albeit in small incremental steps, but on a daily basis.  We've really been blessed.  As I write this now, she's sleeping in her crib upstairs, our beautiful baby girl.

Lightning and Progress

Today was Jeannie's first day back to work after three months of maternity leave, thus her first day at the office since early April.  That meant that today was my first day as stay-at-home dad with Seva.  I've had three preparatory experiences, though: once when Jeannie was feeling very overwhelmed and she went to stay at a hotel in Center City, another time when Jeannie stayed at a hotel overnight with her friend Marcella who was visiting us from out-of-town, and a third time when Jeannie went down to Washington, D.C. to spend the night with her birth mother who was in D.C. for a work-related conference.  So, today wasn't something totally difficult or new or overwhelming for me.  In fact, I enjoyed a pretty good day with Seva.

We danced while listening to music a couple times.  And as I've stated before, when Seva isn't sleeping, it's very often that she likes to be held, so I held her a lot today, often with her head either on my shoulder or, when she falls asleep, her face sort of planted into my neck between my shoulder and cheek/chin.  Seva definitely seems to like dancing; I'm not sure yet if it's the sound of the music or the motion that comes with dancing or a combination of both, but if she's not getting too sleepy she often lights up when we're dancing.

I tell ya, when Seva is awake and alert, without any pressing needs like food or a diaper change, she's a beautiful little girl.  There are moments when she just seems happy to receive attention and those moments are great.  I'm really happy to be a father.

Anyway, the other part of my title above is a reference to the pretty nasty lightning storm that we had tonight.  I was at the YMCA, doing some lifting when the storm began.  I had to run home in the rain.  As I got home, the storm seemed to intensify, with more and more lightning in the sky.  Our DirecTv signal was totally out, until it came on for about 20 minutes, just in time for 6abc to interrupt regular programming (The Bachelorette) with updates on the progress of the storm and warnings for what to do in the event of a tornado.  In the meantime, I cooked pork chops (seasoned with sea salt and Cajun seasoning), while Jeannie made rice (with light coconut milk and water).  Finally, the storm abated and we were able to watch the Bachelorette while eating dinner and while Seva sleep for a bit in her bouncy chair.  Overall, I'd say it was a good day and good night.

Work and gym today, Florida in late October?

Jeannie and I worked out together at the gym at the YMCA tonight.  We did the following exercises: dumbbell squats; lat pull-downs; leg extensions; seated cable rows; and a quick set of lunges.  I haven't worked out legs in over a month, so I won't be surprised if I'm feeling it tomorrow.

We're hoping to plan a trip to visit my dad in Naples, Florida some time within the next couple months.  I sent an email to my dad just the other day asking if he's free for the first two weeks of October.  He replied to say that his sister (my aunt Judith) will be there from October 1st to the 12th.  So that blows that idea.  Then, my friend Corey is getting married on Saturday the 19th and Jeannie's family friend Cindy is getting married on Saturday the 26th.  I just wrote an email to my dad a few minutes ago to say that I guess we'll have to look at going to visit him at the very end of October into the beginning of November.  I'll look for his reply tomorrow.  If that's when we decide to go, I hope that the water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico isn't too cool yet.

Work wasn't so bad today.  I caught up with all my review of the law students' legal writing and case notes.  I caught up with most, though certainly not all, of my list of phone calls.  And, as the highlights of my day, Deeya came to ask me for case strategy this morning, Jesse came in the late afternoon to ask me for a critique of how she handled a case and also to ask for case strategy, and Lizzy, one of the paralegals, thanked me very kindly for sending a template of a motion to vacate an acknowledgment of paternity.  As I wrote just yesterday, I'm happiest when I feel like I can truly help others.  So in that context today was a pretty good day.  And for that I am thankful.

Journey begins now

Work sucks.  I need to find a new job.  My happiest moments at work are when I feel like I've actually helped someone and/or when I've genuinely connected with a client.  I can't look for a job on the basis of the second source of happiness, so I must look for a job on the basis of the first source: how, where, and in what way can I actually help people?  That will then lead me, naturally, to genuine connections with clients.  My legal experience and work history suggests that I stay in the field of family law, although I've always been interested in getting into immigration law.  Earlier tonight, Jeannie helped to install Microsoft Office on to my new computer (which I'm using to write this).  So, I will very soon start to develop a written plan for what I need to do to find my way to my next job.

Unlike what Anita said to a candidate at an interview today, I don't feel like I work in a collaborative environment.  As I've written about before, I don't feel comfortable at work.  To put it bluntly, I'm a minority: I'm a man in a woman's office.  My first legal job after law school was a contract position for a corporate firm defending a large pharmaceutical corporation in a class action civil suit.  I worked with about 100 other attorneys.  The team I worked on was about 12-15 of us.  Most of us were around the same age, we were mostly fresh or shortly out of law school, most of us had a really good sense of humor, and we were a mixed group (male/female and different skin colors).  Looking back, it was a great work environment.  I didn't like the work itself, but my co-workers really made work enjoyable.  If I could combine that collegiality and camaraderie with the substance of the work I do now, I think I'd be a happy worker.  I'd be motivated to go to work.  I'd feel the good spirit and support of those around me.  I'd feel like I was working with others with whom I share things in common.  I'd feel like I was working with equals.  That's what's missing at PLA, so that's what I want to find elsewhere.

Unlike what Jesse said to a candidate at an interview today, I do not feel energized at work.  The closer I get to the office, the more closed-off I feel, the more repressed I feel.  I don't feel comfortable walking around the hallways at work, because I don't feel supported, I feel that others get more credit than they deserve, I feel that some don't pull their weight, and as a man I feel totally left out.  So, in sum, work doesn't energize me; on the contrary, it drains me of any happiness I have when I get there.

I realize that I'm complaining a lot.  I try to keep these negative thoughts to myself, other than when I share them with Jeannie, or occasionally to my mom, dad, or sister.  I dump all these negative feelings here, because I need to get them off my chest.  I also go to the gym, because I have to release the negative energy through a physical outlet.  I hope to find a job from which I don't absorb negativity which I must later release through complaining, writing, and weight-lifting.  I hope to find a job which fulfills me, energizes me, and brings out the best in me.  May God help me.

Weekend round-up

I had a great weekend.  On Friday, I worked until 6:40pm, then walked home to get changed and go to the gym for about 45 minutes.  I did the following exercises: barbell bench press; dumbbell curl and press; dumbbell lateral raises; and tricep cable press-downs.  It was a good work-out.  I'll note that, for my final set of bench press, I put up 225 pounds for two (2) repetitions, with no spot.  Jeannie and I came back from the gym, and she took a quick shower, after which we made a dinner of salad and mac-n-cheese.  Then I took a shower and we headed out to meet Jeannie's friends, Katy, Deb, and Antoine at Morgan's Pier.  The breeze coming off the Delaware River was really pleasant and the views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge were spectacular.  We got to Morgan's Pier just in time to see the fireworks at the end of the Camden Riversharks game.  The main downside to Morgan's Pier, however, was the loud volume of the techno music they were playing; it made it kinda hard to talk.  Overall, it was a good night though.

On Saturday, Jeannie and I met up with Corey and Laura for brunch at SoWe.  Jeannie had the crab cakes benedict and I had French toast.  We had a nice time catching up with Corey and Laura, who are getting married in a little more than two (2) months from now.  I feel like Corey and I have grown apart a bit since the suicide of Wagner.  It could be due to the busyness of our respective schedules or our preference to spend our free time with our respective partner, but I also wonder if one or both of us might be backing away out of a reaction to the death of Wagner, as a form of psychological self-preservation or just distancing ourselves from a terrible episode in our recent past.  Anyway, bringing it back to the present, it was great to see Corey and Laura.  After brunch, I dropped-off my brown dress shoes to be re-soled at Paul and Paula's shoe repair shop on South Street near 20th Street.  Then, we stopped in to Neighborhood Books on South Street near 19th, where I bought The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State by Friedrich Engels and The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene (which I'll read in that order).  After that, we came home and rested for a while until Jeannie's friend, Katy, came over for a visit and helped Jeannie to make what turned out to be a delicious chicken pot pie.  Later, around 9pm, my friend Ben and his boyfriend, Kyle, came over to join us.  And later, closer to midnight, Katy's husband, Andrew, stopped by for a few minutes after flying in to PHL.  We all just hung out and watched Spider-Man 3 on television.

Today was a good day.  We started the day as usual by going to mass at St. Charles Borromeo.  After getting home and having some cereal for breakfast, Jeannie went out for a walk, while I stayed home to water the plants and do some reading out on the back patio.  The sun felt good and warm.  I drank a couple cups of coffee and really just enjoyed my time outside.  Later, after I gave myself a haircut and Jeannie came home, I ate lunch (left-over chicken pot pie; French vanilla yogurt; and an apple) and took a shower.  Then, we walked the couple blocks over to the Marian Anderson Recreation Center pool, which was such a good idea, because it was so relaxing.  There weren't too many people there, the water was cool and relaxing, and the sun still felt great.  Afterward, we came home and shortly after my friend Rodwin (an old friend from Gettysburg) came by for a visit.  He just spent the last few months in basic training and he leaves tomorrow morning on a cross-country drive to his assignment in Fort Lewis, Washington.  It was very good to see Rod and I felt honored that he would take time from his very tight schedule to come all the way into Philadelphia to see Jeannie and me.  It meant a whole lot and I was happy to see him.  After he left, Jeannie and I spent some quality time together before taking advantage of the beautiful evening to make some burgers on the grill, with a salad and French fries on the side.  Now, Jeannie's waiting for me at the couch so we can enjoy some relaxation as we wind down the weekend.  All in all, it was a very good one.  And for that, I'm very thankful to God.

Good day today

I'll keep this short, since it's getting late.  Highlights of the day:

1) Helping a humble man, client M.D., by going with him to personally file a motion for special relief at the clerk of family court this afternoon.  We had a nice conversation about God, church, and his relationship with his son, whose mother had denied him access for the past two weeks.  Mr. D. needed our help now, since the name on the caption was his Muslim name, while he now uses his birth name again.  Taking a nice, easy stroll on such a beautiful day, and for such a good cause for a good man, was a great feeling.

2) Having a good, long conversation just now with Mita.  We talked about my relationship with Jeannie and I also told her a lot about my conversation with Father Ed.  I don't often get to talk with Mita like that, but I'm very happy when I do.

3) Oh, and I had a pretty good work-out at the gym earlier this evening: dumbbell incline bench press; dumbbell triceps kick-backs; dumbbell bicep curl and press; and barbell bench press.  As you can see, it was very focused on chest, bi's, and tri's.  Good stuff.  When I got home, I even did a final set of push-ups.

Now, hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep tonight...

Autumn: coffee, football, and work/out

Today was a pretty good day. I met Michael for lunch today at Coventry Deli (at 20th & Market). Actually, he had lunch while I drank a coffee I had picked-up along the way at La Colombe. We were able to catch-up on some gossip, which is always a lot of fun. Afterwards, I walked across the street to the courtyard at Commerce Square, where Jeanette came down to say hi. It was nice to see her; she looked good. The three of us talked for about 15 minutes before they had to get back to work.

After getting back home, I took care of some phone calls (one to a potential client, the other to a current opposing party) -- as you can see, I'm trying to keep busy while I'm in between projects. And then I ran out to mail a bill and deposit my last paycheck at the bank (may it last for long time!). Anyway, I feel like this is turning into a play-by-play of my day, so let's move on to other topics.

The Philadelphia Eagles. Along with so many other people, I'm not expecting much from Kevin Kolb this Sunday against the Saints. I'm predicting that McNabb won't even suit up, now that they have Garcia. I think Garcia will be in by midway through the 2nd quarter. And I actually think that the Eagles will come out with a win, after the offense rallies around Garcia and the defense generally stifles the Saints' offense.

The weather. I love autumn; it's my favorite season. I wore a short-sleeve t-shirt to meet Michael and Jeanette, and I was fine. Tonight the windows are open at the double-deuce & Spruce, and there is a nice chill in the air. The weather reminds me of football. And it reminds me of long walks in the leaf-covered trails of state parks when I was a young boy. Autumn reminds me of growing up, since it reminds me of the excitement of returning to Gettysburg for four consecutive years as an undergraduate. I really love this time of the year.

Now, to return to my daily recap, I finally made it to the gym this evening, my first time there in about a week and a half. The work-out was good; I felt strong. Bench press was solid, dumbell bicep curls, lateral raises, cable tricep push-down, front raises, crunches on the Swiss ball, and an extra set of dips and push-ups at the end for good measure. I saw my recent gym buddy Brian there and talked to him for just a minute, told him that I felt good and wanna do better to make it in there more often. With the way I felt during and after the work-out, I most certainly will.

Good night folks!

End of an era . . .

. . . or at least another project. My time at Pepper Hamilton is over, at least for the time being. There was talk that we may be called back in two or three weeks to begin another phase of the case we were working on, or else for a new case. I don't necessarily mind the break, as long as it's only two or three weeks. I have to complete a case for one of my friends. And I've got a couple side projects, personal and professional, that should occupy my time for a couple weeks. I sure hope, though, that by the beginning of October, I've landed another gig. Of course I'll also take this opportunity to scope out the scene for permanent jobs, although I don't hold too much hope on that front, what with the economy and all. But who knows, it's worth a lookie-lookie.

I don't think I fully realize how excited I'm going to be by the end of tomorrow. I'm taking the R7 up to my dad's place in Levittown to have lunch and then head out to the Walmart near him to pick-up a television antenna and digital converter box. Then we'll drive down I-95 south to the Illadelph, and more specifically to the Ikea down on Del Ave so I can hook myself up with a nice television stand. After that, the project will be to put it all together. And hopefully, voila, by the end of the afternoon, I'll be able to kick back and watch some college football. And that's when it'll hit me how excited I'll be. Right now it's just a vague premonition of excitement.

Finally, I'm resolving myself to hitting the gym consistently now that I'll have no excuse. I've been too lax for too long now, and I really gotta get in there. Last time I was there, about a week ago, this guy Brian told me that he would push me back into the gym if he saw me walking around the street. I haven't seen him yet. But I'm not gonna wait to find out if he was serious; I'll get back to the gym on my own. I'm pretty sure that watching football on tv will motivate me to work-out; football fires up the athletic competitiveness within me.

Injuries -- new and old

I hurt my back playing tennis with Priscilla about a month ago. It still hasn't healed completely. When I went in for my yearly physical exam with the doctor a couple weeks ago, I mentioned it to the doctor. He told me it was probably a pulled ligament or muscle in my lower back. He gave me a worksheet with some lumbar stretching exercises, which I have still yet to do. A side effect of the back injury is that I haven't gone to the gym more than a couple times in the past month. So I've lost a few pounds of muscle that I would normally have maintained. I've resolved to start going to the gym on a regular basis again, in spite of the back. If I have to do a lighter work-out, it's still better than nothing.

Another side effect of the back injury is that I haven't played tennis since the evening that I hurt it. I had started getting pretty good, finally learning how to serve and developing a pretty good back-hand stroke with a little bit of back-spin on it. Not playing has also, I believe, affected the dynamic of spending time with Priscilla; before hurting my back, we were playing about once a week. It was a nice way to spend time together and have fun, especially doing something that's an important part of her life. There are deeper issues affecting our dynamic, but I'm aware of the fact that not playing tennis has been a loss. Oh well, I do believe that things happen for a reason. In the end I just pray to God that my back eventually heals completely, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Finally, since I've now resurrected this blog, I've felt a strange compulsion to express this final thought -- apparently picking-up where I had left off several months ago -- I'm really pleased that my short relationship with Diana came to an end. The reaction of her friend, Yadira, even more than Diana's own reaction, exposed to me the truth that I would not want to be part of that circle. It simply wasn't meant to be, and I accept that unequivocally. I expect that they would say the same thing about me, and that's just fine with me. I wish Diana the best, but I'm content to leave that experience behind as a lesson learned: be slow, cautious, and methodical when starting a relationship with a girl, even if it means being conservative about expressing my feelings, until time passes and the relationship solidifies over the course of shared experiences.

Enough said for today . . . I hope you enjoy the video below for "Panic Switch." I heard the song on Radio 104.5 not too long ago, and I pumped up the volume and bass to enjoy it.

A lil lighter

The last two posts have been on the heavy side. New Year's Eve was as terrible as I thought it would be, despite going out with a friend of mine to a local watering hole. But hey, that was '08; that's old news.

It's a new year, and that means turning over a new leaf, at least in terms of outlook and attitude. I've resolved to be a better communicator, keeping in more frequent contact with my family and friends. The one positive that I can take from all the negative of the past week or so is the realization that when times get rough, I will oftentimes retreat within myself. And that a lot of what happened recently is a direct result of failing to communicate my feelings during a time of separation. Cherise lost a lot of faith in me because, as far as she could see through her eyes, I basically abandoned her; all she could naturally assume was that I didn't really care about her too much. And believe me, this exact same paradigm has definitely affected my relationships with my family and friends. I want to change this, and I hope to God that this is the year that I can make that change. I want to foster better relationships with my family and close friends, and as far as Cherise, I will make sure to keep in touch, and take comfort in the fact that whatever will happen, will indeed happen.

I went to the gym earlier today. This was my third visit in four days, but before that I hadn't gone since October 31st. The gym is a good way to blow off steam and I know that it makes me feel good when I'm in good shape. I'm gonna keep that up consistently, as I always did before my trip to southeast Asia. Knowing myself as I do, I should be close to good form in about two weeks. By the end of the month, I should be lifting close to my max weight.

A funny thing, though, from the gym earlier today. The radio was broken, so there was complete silence. Well, at least until a tough guy came down to use the squat rack, and began screaming at himself at the end of every set. This kind of thing reminded me of my college weight room. For those that don't know, I played football in high school and college. So being around my teammates, I was exposed to the archetypal meathead, and it always made me laugh when they screamed in the weight room. And for some reason, it's almost always during squats. Great stuff.

Well, that's all I feel like posting today. Speaking of football, I wanna get home soon to watch the NFL wild-card playoff games.

Here's to a healthy and happy '09. Cheers!

saSQUATch

That's a pretty stupid title, I know, but I couldn't think of anything more clever to incorporate the word "squat." Earlier tonight I went to the gym for a leg work-out. I did squats and lunges; here's how I did:

Squats:
1) 135 pounds, 12 repetitions
2) 185 pounds, 10 repetitions
3) 225 pounds, 8 repetitions
4) 245 pounds, 5 repetitions

Lunges:
1) 20 pound dumbbell each hand, 24 total repetitions (12 each leg)
2) 30 pound dumbbell each hand, 20 total repetitions (10 each leg)
3) 40 pound dumbbell each hand, 16 total repetitions (8 each leg)

My final set of squats today was the most repetitions I've done at that weight since I was in college. My personal best, set back then, was 315 pounds at 2 repetitions. I don't look to repeat that level of performance, but if I continue to get stronger, I'd like to reach 275 pounds for at least a couple repetitions. But even if I only maintain my current level of performance, I'll be content; that's not too bad.

Regreso a la vida cotidiana

"From the latest hiatus, the greatest is back to grace this faceless case." -- me (referring to my return back to the job)

I went to the gym tonight for just the second time since I got back from my Egypt/Europe trip. Although I'm sure I lost a couple pounds during the trip -- due to not working out at all for two weeks and an inconsistent eating schedule on the road -- I felt surprisingly strong tonight. For my bench press (barbell, free weight), I was able to put up 185 pounds (about my own body weight) for 6 repetitions, 205 lbs. for 4 reps, 225 twice, and in my final set, I benched 245 pounds just short of 2 times (the guy spotting me had to give me just a little bit of help on the left-hand side of the bar). For the rest of my exercises, I was able to do my normal weight progression with little difficulty at all. It felt really good.

Earlier tonight, while lounging on my couch and watching the Louisville-Tennessee men's basketball game on television, the Baby fell asleep on my stomach. I kept rubbing her tummy while she alternately stretched then retracted her claws. She kept purring the whole time; it was really nice.

Bueno, manana es viernes, y por eso como siempre me hace sentir muy feliz. En este momento no tengo grandes planes para el fin de semana, pero tengo ganas de salir o por lo menos hacer algo fuera de mi apartamento. Estoy pensando de jugar basketball el sabado en la tarde. Es posible que voy a trabajar unas horas extras tambien. Y en la noche unos traguitos no me matarian tampoco.

Espero que todos tengan un buen fin de semana. Desde la ciudad de amor fraternal: Philadelphia!

RE: sup [email to Pito]

The weekend was fine, but busy.  Somehow I've gotten into the habit of getting up every day by around 8am, and then getting things started right away.  So I worked out both Saturday and Sunday, mopped up the floors of the whole apartment on Saturday, went to church on Sunday, etc.  Saturday night was the dinner at Bill and Nancy's.  Only Paul showed up out of the rest of the guys.  We just ate pizza, played some Nintendo Wii (the new gaming console where you actually get up and move around), and then watched the Phillies game.  I was tired, though, so I was back home by midnight and in bed shortly afterward.  Then Sunday, after all my stuff in the morning, my friend Patricia (la cubana) picked me up here in Philly and we went out to Wayne, where she lives.  We spent the day drinking a whole bottle of wine and walking.  Later her mom cooked us "ropa vieja," a traditional Cuban dish, to celebrate me passing the bar, and she talked with us about Cuba and her friend's contact with Che.  So the food was delicious and the conversation was very interesting.  I dead-headed back into Philly around 11pm, so I made a full day out of it.  Yesterday was disappointing with literally only 1 job listing; maybe b/c of the holiday.  Today I'm looking again, but also disappointed b/c I think my cell phone has been cut-off.  So I emailed Mike and Richard to see if anyone has any yard work or house work for a few bucks.  I will be so grateful once I have a job and my money situation is not so wretched.

sum nu rimes frum slick [email to Paul]

new bboys album comes out tomorrow. gonna pick it up of course, will burn it for you if i can.  by the way, you put your copy of hybrid theory in the linkin park case, so we can swap next time i see you.  good job w/ 225 6x; keep up the good work; i'll be breathing down your neck really soon though, so that'll be extra motivation for you.  good wkend; thanks for coming down.  from "soup to nuts", always good to hang out w/ you.  don't think i can say that about anyone else.  be good in CA and keep in touch, aight.

cuz i was shittin a house in rittenhouse
but now the time has come to be gittin out
so we go ta old city where we get kinda shitty
and that's when all the girls start lookin real pretty

RE: Weekend [email to Pito]

yeah, from grad thru this wkend, i had a great time.  thanks for hanging out for a while after grad; that was a big part of what made me happy.  let's talk this wkend so i can tell you some stories from the wkend.  i'm about to get into bed here, since i'm still trying to recover from the non-stop of the wkend.  so i'll email you the dimensions tomorrow.  but i did in fact join the gym today and get in my first workout.  although i was tired, it felt really good to get back into the mix.  and cherise called me around 2am on thu night, when i was totally drunk in a cab, to congrat me on the grad.  we talked again on sat afternoon for about half an hour and it was a good convo.  alright have a good day tomorrow.  i'll email again.  peace.