Andersen Silva

Viva Musica!

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:59:32 GMT

I went out tonight and saw two gigs down the Lower East Side way, despite being tired and having work to do. Yep, I've still got it... want it? I'll let ya have it cheap.

I'd only been to Fat Baby once before, for a Dayglow show, and while it's a comfy space, it was a little sad to be reminded that the rockin' female foursome are no more. I arrived a few minutes before Sydney Price's set was supposed to begin at 8 PM, and I got carded at the bar, even with the goatee! Turns out I'd arrived before all Sydney's friends, and pretty much anyone else, too, so I introduced myself (it's not creepy to say "Hi, I'm one of your MySpace friends," is it? Well, she remembered that we'd seen each other at Banjo Jim's) and so she and I sat and chatted for a while. Eventually, her roommate and her other friends did show, and we all enjoyed her wonderful songs and amazing voice.

There was a band on after Sydney, but I figured I should mosey on over to the 169 Bar to see Ashley Mounts again, since it was such a short distance. She was already on when I got there, but I don't think I missed too much. Ashley's such a powerful singer! I got to say hi after her set, but I didn't stick around. I need some sleep... Pics of both lovely ladies in the Gallery...!

Not the end, not the end...

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:37:08 GMT

Sleep? What's sleep? Well, I slept well last Friday night, deliberately; it was first time in a while that I'd gotten eight hours. The fact that I wasn't allowing myself to use any computers the following day (Shutdown Day!) probably helped convince my mind that there was no urgent need to awaken early... I did end up making Belgian waffles on Saturday morning, but that was late Saturday morning.

I didn't do anything too interesting during the day, mostly played guitar and got through some paperwork and housecleaning I'd been neglecting. That night, Yesika and I went out for our Tercero de Mayo celebration. Instead of the Greek restaurant we'd discussed, however, or even a Mexican joint, we ended up at... Friday's. This Friday's, on Route 3, turned out to have a nicer vibe than the one on 17 we'd frequented in the past, and we had a good meal and good conversation, staying out almost 'til midnight.

On Sunday, I took the train to Hoboken to pick up "Malik," the Zipcar (my second time with this particular Matrix), so I could drive out to Budd Lake for Dillon's christening. I hadn't counted on Hoboken's Spring Arts & Music Festival being scheduled on the same day, however (doesn't anyone coordinate?), and my usual route out of town wasn't available. I wended my way around and eventually made it back to Route 3, but the damage was done and I arrived at the church about ten minutes late, rather than the ten minutes early I'd expected. I was able to slip quietly inside, at least, and was quickly spotted and greeted (silently) by Joanne, who was there with her husband Mike and their son. After the christening was over, I bumped into Cyndi as well, and of course saw Dave and Dawn, before we all headed to the Knights of Columbus hall for a 'luncheon.' It was good to see some people I hadn't seen in a goodly long time, including Dawn's dad.

From there, I raced back home to freshen up a bit before returning the car and taking the PATH to New York. Hoboken was still a mess by the time I got there, and I got Malik back in the deck with about ten minutes to spare. The trip into lower Manhattan went much more smoothly and quickly, at least. Arriving at the Knitting Factory, I was happy to find that Lena had in fact put my name on 'the list," and I ordered a Killian's Red from the bar downstairs. Eventually, I got to say hello to the woman herself, and we chatted for five minutes. Hopefully, I convinced her to take her iPhone back to Apple to check out, as she told me the battery was not lasting more than a few hours on a full charge, which is not normal.

As odd as I felt in a bar full of Russians, I found myself at ease when the soundman's choice in music turned to... Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "Murder Ballads." I love this album, but it's not the sort of thing you expect to hear at a bar, especially not the track "O'Malley's Bar." Heh-heh... The barkeep and I had a little discussion about Cave, and he advised me to pick up the new album, so I think I will.

Lena and her band took the stage and gave a powerful and interesting performance. It had slipped my mind, but they had with them as a special guest Ian McDonald, a founding member of both King Crimson and Foreigner. He added flute and guitar to the mix, not that the band was lacking. The original tunes were great, as were the covers of "Whiskey Bar" and "China Girl." You wouldn't think this girl could sing so deep... If I hadn't had not only work the next morning but work to do that night, I would've loved to have stayed later, but... I'm glad I saw the show and met Lena.

Yesterday morning, while most of you people were still sleeping, I downloaded my copy of Nine Inch Nail's "The Slip" (legally - thanks, Trent!). I'd already lost control over "Discipline," the first single, but I have to say that I enjoy the rest of the album, too. It's in heavy rotation on both the iPhone and the iPod right now...

Andy Silva, live in Central Park, 6-21-08!

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:42:09 GMT

:::gulp::: The people behind Make Music New York decided, in their infinite wisdom, to increase the 15-minute time slot I'd requested to... one hour. Maybe I should tell 'em I don't want to do a whole hour, but dammit, I'm gonna go for it. So, yes, my first live gig in front of Joe Q. Public is going to be at the Wollman Rink Terrace at Central Park from 3:30 to 4:30 PM on Saturday, June 21st! I'm going to try to finish working out "Loster" so I can debut a new song at the park, in addition to my older stuff, and some covers. I plan to test my nerves at the open mic at Banjo Jim's at least once or twice before then, but I know it won't be the same. And yes, technically I've 'played live' (though that might not be the best phrase to describe it) as a member of the Hellevators, twice, back in '87, but again, not the same as being in the park in front of strangers.

Yes, if you're in the immediate vicinity of New York City, I do expect you to go. It is free... The best way to get to the rink is to enter the park at Sixth Avenue at Central Park South (W. 59th Street), it's a very short walk. Hey, even if you're not in the immediate vicinity of New York, it's worth a trip! ;)

Anyone interested in being a roadie for a day? I haven't figured out exactly what I'm bringing and exactly what my setup is going to be (I'm still adjusting to the idea of playing four times longer than I'd intended!), but most likely it'll be a little too much for me to carry in and out by myself; an extra pair of hands would be great. You'd have to be available from, say, 1 PM 'til 6:30 PM or so. Let me know...!

Just a little more shameless self-promotion before I let you go...
my MySpace music page
my iLike artist page
my SellaBand artist page (buy, buy!)
and, of course, my own Web site

I'll rest when I'm dead. I guess.

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:30:03 GMT

Damn you, Black Squirrel! He's tormenting me by making all these appearances now, and taking off as I'm getting the camera ready. I caught him terrorizing a poor grey squirrel the other morning, too, angrily running him off. Who knew there could be so much drama in the squirrel world?

I've been dealing with extra doses of work drama. I think I have to pull an all-nighter tonight, if I want to get two or three major issues behind me and start breathing again. It becomes exceedingly difficult to tackle complex problems while at the office, because they just won't LEAVE ME ALONE. Then I find myself saddled with the remnants of three or four issues from colleagues in addition to the several I'd already had. Grrr. If I'm going to get caught up, I'm going to have to do it on my own time. I don't sleep much normally, but I like to get a little sleep. :::sigh:::

That's not going to stop me from having a little bit of fun. Tomorrow night, I'm heading back to the 169 Bar to see Ashley Mounts again (and on her birthday, no less!), as well as Jennifer Logue, another MySpace singer/songwriter. Saturday is Shutdown Day, and in lieu of spending a few hours on the computer, I plan to spend a few hours on the guitar. If the weather's nice, I'll get outdoors, too. Yesika and I are probably going to do some kind of early Cinco de Mayo celebration on Saturday night, though I don't think it'll be Mexican. I've got a managers' meeting the evening of the actual Cinco, so partying that night is pretty much out...

On Sunday afternoon, I'm attending Dillon's christening, so I'll get to see Dawn and Dave again. And my name is on the list (woo-hoo!) for a free entrance (WOO-HOO!) to Lena's "music release & clothing line launch party" at the Knitting Factory on Sunday night. Lena's yet another MySpace musician friend; she lives in Chicago, and since this thing is happening in New York and she needed someone local to help her promote on Facebook and elsewhere, I volunteered, and was rewarded with the $20 savings. Conveniently enough, Margarita is going to perform as well! The music will be cool, but I've never been to a clothing line launch party before...

See Caucus

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:24:58 GMT

I rented "Mcmonigle," another Mazda 3, from Zipcar on Friday, and headed to Hoboken bright and early to pick it up. Whoever had rented it last hadn't refilled it a quarter of a tank, as suggested, so I had to deal with that, as well as the cigarette smoke smell, on my way to work.

After work, I swung home to change and to grab the two six-packs from my refrigerator, then I drove out to Landing to meet Adrian and Julio at the latter's house. Adrian was there already; Julio was not. Heh... When he did show up, fifteen minutes later, with his wife and daughter, he gave us the tour of the house, then the three of us settled down to burgers, dogs, and beers. And catching up with each other's lives. It was good to see the other two Amigos again, even if we didn't get around to playing a round of Monopoly Friday night. Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon...

I'd planned on seeing elizabeth! Saturday night, but I think the lack of sleep lately played fast and loose with my systems, as I woke up feeling poorly early Saturday morning. After dropping the Zipcar off in Hoboken, I returned home and napped for a few hours, but awoke still feeling out of sorts. I wasn't nearly as productive as I'd intended to be, and I opted to stay home last night and rest. Gave me a chance to catch up on my TiVoed "Doctor Who" and "Battlestar Galactica" episodes from the night before, at least.

This morning, however, I was feeling better (and hungry!), so I took the train to Princeton Junction, where Barbara picked me up, and we headed to Lambertville and had big breakfasts at Sneddon's with Roger and Porter. And then on to the Shad Fest! I hadn't been to one in a few years, so it was good to be back. I bought a stainless-steel tankard from Wild Bill's and sampled some of their olde fashion soda pop in it; mmm, sarsaparilla... The steak sandwich (and a half) I consumed for lunch was good, too. And you can't go wrong with River Horse beer.

Unfortunately, the train schedules for my trip home didn't work out so well, and I've been killin' time on a bench at Secaucus Junction for well over an hour now. Fortunately, a cute blonde's been sharing the bench with me for the past fifteen minutes or so. ;-)

Discipline? Hmmm.

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:30:13 GMT

I downloaded "Discipline," the new Nine Inch Nails single, yesterday morning, and I'm already hooked. It's quite good; I think I've played it six or seven times already. :) "Once I start, I cannot stop myself..."

On Earth Day, this past Tuesday, I got together with Sally for drinks and appetizers. We went to the City Lounge, which, despite living half a block away from it, I'd never visited before. The sun hadn't finished setting yet, so we sat outside, where a chivalrous Andy let the young woman wear his jacket when it started cooling off. They had Newcastle on tap, which was a plus for me, and the menu was rather more extensive than either of us had expected. The waitress was cute, too! It was good to catch up with Sally.

I'm going to be doing a lot of catching up tomorrow night, as I'm going to see my old friends Adrian and Julio! The three of us used to call ourselves 'the Three Amigos' back in high school. We haven't all gotten together in about eleven years, so I'm looking forward to hangin' wit' my crew again. Going to be another busy weekend, since I plan to see elizabeth! Saturday night, and I think I'm meeting Barbara at the Shad Fest in Lambertville on Sunday. Probably not going to make the Campfire at the Red Lion Sunday evening, then, but perhaps I'll visit Slane on Tuesday...

Yesterday was 'Administrative Professionals Day' (who comes up with this stuff?), and we have two people who pretty much fall into this category, Jennifer and Jessica (also known as Jessifer and Jennica). Even though neither reports directly to me, they're both incredibly helpful to me, and it's safe to say that my job would be even harder and more stressful without their assistance, so I figured I'd show my appreciation with a pair of Edible Arrangements. Which were totally unexpected and greatly appreciated. So that was cool.

I helped a pretty young woman in designer jeans locate the Ticket Vending Machine code for New York's Penn Station (it's 000, if you're interested) this morning while she was frantically trying purchase a ticket at the Ridgewood train station, so that's my good deed for the day.

Even with everything else going on, I'm finding the time (forcing the time?) to play a little guitar every night again. It occurred to me last night to play some of my recorded songs and then play guitar along with them, so I sat in the living room, fired up the Apple TV, and ran through a few tunes. Updated system software in the Apple TV and the PlayStation 3 as well... Man, I haven't played any games on that thing in a while.

Pretty girls, ugly shades...

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:39:15 GMT

Seriously, what is up with the big-ass sunglasses? Yesterday in New York, I think I saw two good-looking women wearing good-looking shades. The rest reminded me of Jackie Onassis with big, '70s-era sunglasses, or fat Elvis with aviators. I just don't understand wearing shades that cover half your face; maybe the point is to avoid having to put on sunscreen.

As the weather was so gorgeous, at least for the first half of the day, I went into the City early yesterday and wended my way to Astor Place for my traditional short 'n spiky haircut. Satisfied with the Cuban's job, I then shuffled around the Village a bit, eventually making my way eastward down St. Mark's Place, leaving a few stickers around to show I'd been there.

Banjo Jim's was pretty deserted when I arrived, even though the open mic was scheduled to begin in twenty minutes. There were a lot of names on the list already, however, and so I added Margarita's. The bar had been restocked with my Original Sin cider, so I ordered one and chatted with Wayne, the bartender and official host of the open mic. Soon thereafter, Rick, the unofficial host, showed up, and enough people came in for the whole shebang to start.

Had a nice time there again, and Susan Hwang, another piano-playing singer/songwriter who'd played last week, returned and performed two different songs. I liked her quirky sense of humor and so I'd added her as a friend on MySpace. And of course I enjoyed Margarita's performance very much, too. I took a few pictures of the both of them before leaving early (though not as early as I'd planned) to have some appetizers with Yesika at Baumgart's Cafe and then catch "Prom Night" with some discount coupons she'd scored. The movie wasn't bad at all, though the idiot teenagers in the theater were. Ah, well...

I'm planning on seeing elizabeth! late Saturday night at Dizzy's in Columbus Circle. Haven't seen the lovely jazz singer in a while... anyone want to join me? I think I'm finally going to unwind at a Sunday night campfire with Martin Rivas and his compatriot Craig Meyer on Sunday evening at the Red Lion in the Village. Man, I sure have been seeing a lot of live music. Now, as far as making live music...

Margarita chided me again on Saturday for not bringing my own guitar and taking a turn at the open mic. Well, I think I've found a way to force myself to do it at least once or twice between now and Saturday, June 21st. That's the date of Make Music New York, a city-wide event during which New York's sidewalks and park spaces are going to be opened up for musicians to perform for the public, free to both. I heard about it this weekend, and checked out the Web site, and before I could dither too much about whether or not I really wanted to play for New York City on the first day of summer, I signed myself up for a fifteen-minute slot, from 3:30 to 3:45 PM, at Wollman Rink in Central Park. Yes, seriously. So obviously I'm going to need to start practicing again, and hard, but I'd also really like to play at Banjo Jim's once or twice before then, because playing in the safety and solitude of my 'studio' is rather different from playing in front of live people. Fifteen minutes is long enough for me to say that I've played Central Park and mean it, but short enough that I can't make a complete fool of myself. I think.

Another fun day is coming up, too: Shutdown Day, which is on Saturday, May 3. Last year, I managed to keep all my computers off for the whole 24 hours (as did my friend awakenewsleep), and while I did carry my Treo on my journey to New York, I used it only in its telephony capacity. It'll be harder to avoid using the iPhone's computing power, but I am determined to partake in Shutdown Day again, and I urge everyone who can to join as well. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the day yet, but I won't be indoors (unless the weather's that bad) and I won't be touching any keyboards!

Busy, busy, busy...

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:47:15 GMT

I think perhaps I'm being stalked by the Black Squirrel again... Yes, he made two appearances (visitations?) last week, the second time seeming to taunt me, as if he knew I couldn't stop to take a picture because I was rushing to make a bus.

I took three trips to New York on three consecutive days, which I'm pretty sure is a first for me. I've been needing a live music fix, and getting it from three pretty young women (all MySpace friends of mine) definitely hit the spot.

I saw Ashley Mounts at the 169 Bar Thursday night, despite being drained and exhausted from some crazy days at work. I think the Yuengling helped my mood a bit. Recognizing me from the icon, Ashley came over to where I was standing after her wonderful set to shake hands and say hello, and we chatted for a bit before she started mingling. I'd have liked to have stayed longer, but I don't think I would've stayed awake for more than another hour or two, so I split.

As it turns out, I overslept on Friday morning anyway. :-O I was still pretty tired that night (Friday proved to be another hellacious day at work), but I hopped on the train and headed back into Manhattan and saw Laura Cheadle at the Baggot Inn Friday night, and got a chance to say hi before her set, and had her shimmy against me briefly. Hey, it was packed tight in there! This time, I had a Magners, and contemplated a second one, but once again I couldn't stay too late, as I was taking the train to New Brunswick to catsit for the weekend for my friend Barbara. Dozed off on the train a few times, but I didn't miss my stop...

The fact that I was in New Brunswick and not Lyndhurst didn't stop me from heading back to the City on Saturday afternoon to catch the open mic at Banjo Jim's again and see the lovely and talented Margarita Shamrakov again. She had another friend, Debbie, there with her this time, and the three of us sat together checking out musicians until Margarita's turn came 'round. There were more pianists this time around than usual, which made it interesting; Margarita insists she wasn't jealous... ;) The three of us (and some of the other musicians) were drawn by Isaac Paris, who performed two songs himself; I'll have to scan mine and put it up when I get home. I'd wanted an Original Sin, the cider I usually get at Jim's, but they were out (I'm probably the only person who drinks 'em anyway), so I downed a Guinness instead. Margarita and I split before the open mic was over, though Debbie opted to stay; we walked to Sixth, chatting the whole time, before parting company with a hug. As lovely as the weather was (I'd opted to leave my jacket at Barbara's, which was a good decision), I figured I should head back, and it turns out that I had some work to tend to once I got back to New Brunswick, so it was well that I did. Nothin' like phone calls from the boss on Saturday night...

And that's my last three nights. More work to take care of tonight, once I get back home; probably going to leave here in an hour or so. Yes, the cats did get fed, and they did get some attention, so my work here is done. Heh... I have new pics of Ashley, Laura, and Margarita, and the Black Squirrel, up in the good ol' Gallery... of Death!

Yes, I'm falling behind with posts...

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:30:07 GMT

I got to see Dawn and Dave, and their bouncing baby boy Dillon, on Sunday the 30th! The four of us had a nice time hanging out at the house and dining at Chili's. Well, OK, Dillon didn't actually partake of the menu there...

I rented another Zipcar, "Renee" the Volkswagen Rabbit, for the trip; the car handled well, but I had to figure out where the lights were, and a few other controls were a bit different than I've gotten used to. While I was driving the car home from Hoboken on Saturday night, one of my all-time favorite driving songs, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Runnin' Down A Dream," came on the radio, and I had to turn that mother up. On the way up on Sunday, I heard the new Death Cab for Cutie song, "I Will Possess Your Heart," and though it had a slightly different sound (to my ears, anyway), I recognized it as the band immediately. Made me think of my friend awakenewsleep, who got me into DCFC. :) The new rock station in town, WRXP, is pretty frakkin' good! Nice mix of classic rock, modern rock, and 'alternative.' I hope they stick with the format.

Speaking of frakkin', I went over Mark's condo last Friday night to watch the "Battlestar Galactica" season premiere with him and one of his buddies. Damn, but that was intense. I'm sure some fans will not be satisfied by the way this season, and the series, concludes later this year (it's the beginning of the end), but I have a feeling that the show is back on track. It was a little surreal to see Baltar taking advantage of a supplicant in front of an altar to himself, however. After the show, and some alcohol, the three of us partook of some "Rock Band," which turned out to be a much more fun game than I'd expected. The guitar controller is a little odd for someone who plays an actual guitar (I remember having to restrain myself while playing the riffs to Black Sabbath's "Paranoid," 'cos I know how to really play them), but the whole experience pulls you in. I don't claim to be an exceptional singer, but I still threw my vocal cords at:

"Suffragette City"
"Enter Sandman"
"The Collector"
"The Hand That Feeds"
"The Perfect Drug"
"Roxanne"
"Next To You"
"Cherub Rock"
"Foreplay/Long Time"
"Train Kept A-Rollin'"
"I Fought the Law"
"Blitzkrieg Bop"
"Orange Crush"
"Wanted Dead or Alive" and
"War Pigs"

Mmm, two Police songs and three from Nine Inch Nails... My throat wasn't too ravaged, even if "Roxanne" was a stretch (I hope I didn't sound like Eddie Murphy!), but by the end of the night, I'd developed a sizable blood blister on my left thumb, from 'strumming.' Who knew pretending to be in a rock band could be so intense?

To satisfy my science fiction cravings during the dry patch without "Terminator," "Galactica," "Doctor Who," or "Stargate Atlantis," I've been watching the occasional "Firefly" episode from my DVDs, and I saw another two over the past ten days or so. Down to the last disc now, so I've got to savor them... Honestly, I can't understand how this show didn't do better. Oh, that's right, Americans have no taste. ;) Well, you can keep your reality TV and "Desperate Housewives" and "Prison Break." Thanks, but no thanks!

I finally tested out the rental feature on my Apple TV recently, too, opting to watch the HD version of "Kingdom of Heaven." I'd caught a little of the movie a few months back but hadn't watched the whole thing, so a few minutes after the download had begun, I sat down to a crystal-clear viewing, with no glitches or pauses or other issues. The movie itself was very good, too, though as usual with this sort of film, there were some liberties taken with the historical facts. It still made for a very entertaining two hours, and for only $3.99. Good deal.

Well, I've been way overworked again lately, and I missed out on Mart Rivas' set at the Bitter End last Monday thanks to a managers' meeting that ran later than expected. I did see Margarita last Wednesday evening at Gizzi's, which turned out to be quite a small venue; she and Michael and Nathaniel and I hung out for a bit before and after the show, but I had to head back early to do more work. Hopefully, I will be able to catch Ashley Mounts tonight, and Laura Cheadle tomorrow night. Having live music withdrawals... I'm catsitting down at Barbara's house this weekend, which makes things hectic again, but with any luck I can get back to Banjo Jim's on Saturday afternoon and see Margarita there again. Of course, that would make three trips to New York on three consecutive days to see three different singer/songwriter babes...

A hui hou kakou, Hawai'i!

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:00:19 GMT

Ah, I do miss Hawaii, even if my 'liberation' of a small piece of lava rock seems to have angered its mother, Pele, the Fire Goddess. Kilauea's Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, which has been belching a lot of gas lately but nothing else, spit out some rocks the day after we departed for New Jersey last week, and Sunday night/Monday morning lava erupted from the crater for the first time in over fifteen years (though the volcano itself has been erupting since then, in a different location). Sorry, Pele, but you're not getting the lava back...!

Bright and early on Thursday the 13th, Rhonda and I departed for the airport. (Fred, Rosmary, and Sonia were traveling together on a different flight; Robert, who was supposed to fly with us, had to cancel last-minute due to a sudden death in the family.) We had almost a four-hour stop in San Francisco, and though we were advised against going into town by the guys at the information desk, we decided to take a BART train in anyway. We had just enough time to get to the Civic Center stop, walk around a little bit, grab lunch at an Asian seafood/BBQ buffet (we were almost exclusively surrounded by Asians there, a good sign), and hop on the train back to the airport; we got through security and had less than half an hour 'til boarding. Whew! At least Rhonda and I can say we've set foot in San Fran...

Even better, of course, was setting foot in Kona, Hawaii. It was drizzling and cloudy, on and off, when we arrived, and our luggages took an eternity to come down the carousel, but we were given leis by the people McKesson had hired to meet and greet us and bring us back to the hotel, and the airport itself is outdoors, and hey, we were in Hawaii! We rode to the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort with Lynette and Jim, and our driver gave us some history and insight along the way, pointing out the "Hawaiian graffiti" visible along Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway (Highway 19).

The hotel was gorgeous. After we'd checked into (and checked out) our rooms, we got together with Fred and the girls, who'd arrived ahead of us, and eventually headed to the King's Shops, a small outdoor mall across the road from the Marriott, where we had dinner at the Big Island Steak House and checked out some of the shops. We were all pretty exhausted from the long hours of travel and the six-hour time difference from home, so we eased ourselves into a hot tub back at the hotel and relaxed for a bit, then turned in.

On Friday morning, Rhonda and I walked the beach after a delicious and leisurely breakfast, then took a shuttle van to the Hilton not so far away. It was even more lovely than the Marriott, and we said hello to Butterscotch, an avian jewelry thief who loved attention, then walked the hotel grounds for a bit. We rode the monorail (yes, the Hilton has its own monorail), which afforded some spectacular views, and stopped for drinks (Lavaman Red Ale is some good stuff), then got on a boat for some more touring of the hotel. Yep, they've got their own little river... Heh.

We walked back, as Hilton and Marriott weren't all that far apart, but we'd spent enough time in the sun already to both get a little burned. We joined our companions on the beach, and went in the water for a bit. I managed to get in the pool and go down the waterslide at some point, too. The five of us had an early and extravagant sushi dinner at Sansei in the Queen's Shops, ordering almost too much food (though not quite!). I had an amazing 'Purple Haze' sake flavored with Chambord raspberry liqueur... yum. We'd planned to head back to Sansei for karaoke later that night, but everyone but me seemed unable to stay up late enough, so after they'd all retired, I took a little stroll along the beach. It was gorgeous, because there were no lights on the beach itself, but it was illuminated by moonlight, and the sky is so clear there that there are so many more stars visible. After twenty minutes or so of gazing, I decided to head back myself.

Breakfast was provided by McKesson for the next four days, and we partook of it heartily. I always love being able to have pineapple, melons, and other fruit along with breakfast. After eating on Saturday morning, we had a little bit of break time, then we and the other VARs and McKesson staff were ferried out to a catamaran for some whale watching and snorkeling. I did see some whales, but passed on the snorkeling for the moment. It was a nice time, as was the 'Aloha Dinner' luau they'd prepared for us that night, featuring a gorgeous sunset, hula and fire dancing, and some gusty winds. I got to meet Jim, an Advisory Board member with whom I've corresponded a lot over the past two years or so, and his wife Sharon, as well as several other VARs... We did finally make our way back to Sansei for some karaoke, but before I sang David Bowie's "Suffragette City" there (the first time that karaoke DJ had ever had anyone do Bowie at Sansei), I attempted a verse or two of "Folsom Prison Blues" to the accompaniment of Bob (a McKesson vice-president) and Todd (another VAR) on acoustic guitars.  lol  They were just jamming in the hospitality suite, and they invited me to join in but I had to decline the offer of Bob's guitar, as it was strung right-handed and I'm not, so then Bob asked if I could sing Johnny Cash. My voice just isn't that deep, but I gave it a shot.

Sunday saw us trundled onto a bus and out to Volcanoes National Park, with stops along the way at Rainbow Falls, Thurston Lava Tube, and Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park. Saw a lot of vog, too... It was pouring when we stopped for lunch, but the rain had subsided by the time we continued to the Jaggar Museum and Halemaʻumaʻu. Kilauea was letting off a lot of smoke, and the sodium dioxide could easily be smelled in the air. Just before we got into the lave tube, we heard and saw Lynette's camera fall from the bridge and hit the rocks below! One of the other VARs was using it to take a shot, and, well... oops.  =-O  The rest of the excursion was mostly uneventful, though Sal, our driver, did tend to talk and snicker a lot. Oh, and Rhonda managed to delete all the pictures from her digital camera. D'oh!!! We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, and got to see another terrific sunset. Bob, Todd, and I joked about me looking for a left-handed guitar on the Hard Rock walls and borrowing it for the night; although I didn't do it, Rhonda and I did stop in at the hospitality suite again after we'd been taken back to the Marriott and we, along with Bob's wife Joni and Todd's wife Heather and a few others, listened to the guys playing and singing again 'til it was time for bed.

On Monday, I broke away from the rest of my gang. While they went for an ATV excursion along the cliffs, I opted for high-speed rafting out to Kealakekua Bay and Captain Cook's Monument, where I went snorkeling with Bob, Joni, David (another McKesson vice-president), and his wife Rhonda, and several other enterprising souls not from our McKesson Achievement Club group. We had a blast! David took off like a madman, first into the water, once we were at the bay, but Rhonda and I were a little less certain of ourselves and sat on the edge of the boat before jumping in together. I was the only one of the five of us with a disposable underwater camera, so I snapped all the pics and promised to get them copies.

On the way back, we got to see some spinner dolphins, at first from a distance, then alongside and in the wake of the boat. The water was so clear, I got a decent picture of a dolphin in the water next to us. Back at the Captain Zodiac office, I was glad to see that my accidentally discarded sunglasses had been saved at the desk by the cute Asian woman.  ;)

I met Rhonda, Rosmary, and Sonia at the pool, and Fred joined us for lunch. Dinner that night was at the Parker House, a bit of Hawaiian history as it belonged to the family that started the Parker cattle ranch there, currently the fifth largest in the nation. The meal was incredible, as was the house and its gardens.

Rhonda and I had time for breakfast, a last walk on the beach and visit to the King's Shops, and lunch with our gang before getting shuttled back to the airport for our flight to Chicago, and then on to Newark. It was sad to leave, but I had a wonderful time and am definitely glad to have been invited along... Pictures, of course, are up in my Gallery... of Death!

When the volcano blows

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:00:19 GMT

The volcano being my mind, of course... What with losing (and replacing) the iPhone, coming down with the flu (no, not quite over it yet), and dealing with the usual uncontrolled chaos at work, I'm feeling especially run down. The good news is that I get a vacation of sorts: tomorrow morning, a few of my colleagues and I are flying out to Kona, Hawaii, as part of an awards program Microwize Technology wins regularly. L.C. has already been relocated to my friend Barbara's house, where he's in an uneasy, fragile truce with the other three cats cohabiting there at the moment. Considering that he normally lives with one of them, it's actually kinda funny.

I'm leaving the laptop behind. Sure, it might come in handy, but I'll do just fine without it, and the iPhone is perfectly fine for jotting down notes and reminders. I may find myself forced to do some work while I'm out there, but if so, I'm going to inconvenience someone else to do it; I'm not bringing my own computer just so that I can be taken away from my vacation. So, anyway, updates and pics will mostly have to wait 'til I return late next week.

Yes, I am looking forward to this. Frankly, at this point a few days in Hoboken, away from the office, would be nice, but Hawaii is lovely, and so are its hula girls. Bring on the healin'...

Lost the iPhone...

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:00:28 GMT

It's been a long weekend. Friday night, I got picked up by Sally (no, not like that) and we headed down to the Jersey shore. Paige and I watched a bit of the original "Amityville Horror" (and chuckled over how cheesy some of it was now, while reminiscing about how frightening it was when we first saw it as children) while waiting for Sally and Matt to get ready, then the four of us saw Brian Kirk and the Jerks play some fun covers at the Mad Hatter in Sea Bright. We had a great time, but I probably had a few more Boston Lagers than I should have, and after crashing on Sally's couch sometime after 1 AM, I awoke on Saturday morning with a slight hangover.

Sally and Matt got me to the Long Branch station in time to make the 10:09 AM train northward, and by the time I got home, I was feeling a bit better. I had enough time to grab a coffee and a muffin at Dunkin' Donuts and hit the shower, then I headed to New York to see Margarita play at Banjo Jim's again. And that's when it happened.

My twenty-two hours or so without an iPhone began when I was sprinting down to the platform to catch an L to First Avenue, since I was cutting the time closer than I'd wanted. As I approached the bottom of the stairs, I realized that the train was sitting there, doors open, and I heard the announcement that meant it was getting ready to depart. So, naturally, I jumped the last four stairs and bolted for the doors. The problem is, the shock from hitting the platform knocked the iPhone from its holster on my belt (much like the shock of smacking my head against concrete had done less than two weeks ago). The other problem is, it didn't hit me until I was on the train, and the doors were closing, that the device had ripped away from the earbuds (I'd been listening to Nitzer Ebb at the time) and skittered across the platform, and under the train. By the time the realization had set in, the train was moving, and all I could do was get off at the first stop and head back. When I arrived back at the Sixth Avenue station, all I could see down by the tracks was half of the protective case; the iPhone had either slipped under the tracks or into the murky water or else been snagged by someone who saw what had happened.

Nothing makes you recover from a hangover more quickly and suddenly than watching several hundred dollars' worth of technology disappear. I was angry with myself. I was concerned about possibly losing data (though the more I thought about that, the less likely it seemed I would), and about being incommunicado for at least the rest of the day. I was devastated, because while I occasionally suffer head wounds and psycho ex-girlfriends and buses that just don't show up, this kind of thing never happens to me. But then I guess almost everyone it happens to says that. I made my way to Alphabet City and saw Margarita when I walked into Banjo Jim's, so I headed over and sat down with her. The open mic had already started, so we tried to keep our conversation to the interims between musicians so as not to be rude. I explained what had happened, and she was sympathetic; telling me that she would make me feel better, she scribbled a note to tell me that one of her friends lost a thousand dollars last week. Ouch. That is worse...

Margarita bought me a drink this time, and I told her about how I'd injured my head at the train station. Good times... She went on kinda late again, not having been signed in early, but I stuck around and heard her play "Kill Yourself," and then "Tragedy," which she dedicated to me. I'd never had a live performance dedicated to me before; it was very sweet.

We both had to split after the show, so we headed back to the L together, hugging before she got off at Sixth. I was meeting Barbara for dinner on the Upper West Side at 6 PM, and I would've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for the meddling MTA. I didn't realize the C wasn't running until after two As had gone by, and then the next train was an E, so I took that to Seventh Avenue, where the B would supposedly take me to W. 72nd. Only it never showed up, after 40 minutes or so, and I suspect that perhaps that line doesn't run on the weekends. I knew I was late at this point, but unfortunately I couldn't call Barbara to let her know what was going on; I didn't even know her cel number to call from a payphone. I decided to just walk the 20+ blocks instead, so I did, and I found Barbara at a pizzeria a block from where we'd planned to meet.

All in all, I got to tell the iPhone story several times on Saturday. Heh... Barbara and I saw her friend Stephanie perform with the Dessoff Choirs, and enjoyed it thoroughly, but I decided against joining Barbara and Stephanie and her family for coffee and dessert afterwards, opting instead to go to the Apple Store for a replacement phone. A few minutes with the crowds there, though, and I figured I could wait. It'd been an exhausting day already, good friends and music notwithstanding, and I didn't feel like taking an extra-late train home, so I left it for today.

While waiting at Penn Station for the train, I decided to get something to read. I hadn't brought a book or anything along, because I'd figured on listening to music on the iPh... anyway, I was looking around, trying to find an interesting book, when I was inspired by a discussion Margarita and I had had two weeks earlier while walking to the subway. So I picked up "The Alchemist" by Brazilian Paulo Coelho, and got hooked on it. It's quite a book...

So that's how I ended up iPhone-less for almost a full day. I did head to the Apple Store late this morning, picked up a new phone and headed back home to activate it and restore it. That went very smoothly, at least. I wanted to make sure I had a phone for today, because I had to pick up Linda, our new Arizona employee, at the airport this afternoon; she's going to be here in New Jersey for the week to meet us and get some training. Things went smoothly at the airport, too, fortunately, and after we grabbed some dinner, I got her back to her hotel.

I saw Margarita performing live via Webcast tonight, which was cool. She did "Mama," my favorite of her songs, and dedicated that performance to me, too. :-D I'm about ready for bed now, though. Let's hope this week isn't too bad...

Happy Leap Day!

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:00:31 GMT

Like you need a reason to celebrate... go have some fun, it's Leap Day!

andersensilva.com

Where it's sore

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:00:02 GMT

Well, I survived smashing my head against concrete, petit jury selection, a rabid raccoon in Lyndhurst, and four to six inches of snow last week. Who says life isn't fun?

I responded to the summons for jury duty on Wednesday, hoping that the wound on my scalp wasn't too visible through my short hair. I can imagine other potential jurors thinking I was a defendant in the wrong room... It's somewhat disappointing that so many people react to the idea of jury duty with thoughts of how to get out of it. I sat in one courtroom behind two yentas who kept whining about what they could say to be excused. Citizens of a democracy should be as willing to perform their civic duties as they are to accept their rights under that form of government.

I was really hoping that one of the two morons whose phones rang in the courtroom would get charged with contempt of court, but the officer was nicer than I am, I guess. OK, I can almost excuse the first person for maybe forgetting or overlooking it, but after the first one was reprimanded and the officer verbally reminded everyone that phones should be off, the second idiot should have checked. Grrr. Anyway, after I was released, not having been selected to serve, I came home to find a message from the township about a rabid raccoon having been captured in my area. Guess I missed out on some of the fun...

I'd borrowed the company van Thursday evening, figuring I could get home earlier than usual, and then drive in on Friday morning before the weather made the roads too treacherous. I misjudged. When I awoke at 4:15, there was already nearly two inches of snow on the ground, and even though I left home at 5:45, it still took me almost twice as long to get to work (45 minutes) as it would have normally. Route 17 was a mess, and almost no one was driving above 30 MPH. No one could. I did make it to work safely if slowly, and getting there early gave me the opportunity to catch up on some stuff.

Having watched the first four episodes of "Firefly" previously (if you count parts one and two of the pilot as separate episodes), I decided to watch the next four this weekend, two on Friday night and two on Saturday. What an enjoyable show. Kaylee is so cute, and Jayne is hilariously obtuse. Not that I'd say that to his face... I can see why a cult has built up around "Firefly."

L.C. was happy to see me return from my parents' this evening, until I plugged in the guitar and cranked it. I guess he's not used to loud music... Heh. Still, I haven't been playing very much lately, and I need to. My new friend Margarita (who I didn't go see yesterday, too much to do) is pushing me to perform at Banjo Jim's open mic myself, and it would probably be a good way to ease myself into playing for others. I really need to rehearse again, though. Even if the cat doesn't like it...

Ow.

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:10:45 GMT

I went back to Banjo Jim's on Saturday, and got to see Margarita perform again. She and I sat near the corner checking out some of the other singer/songwriters before and after her turn, and heard some good stuff. She had a dinner date and had to leave early, and since I didn't want to get home too late myself (especially as it was cooling off rapidly), I departed with her, and we headed to the subway station together. We decided to just walk crosstown instead, though, and chatted about this and that before I went down to the PATH at Sixth. Margarita's very talented, and very interesting and fun; it's been nice spending time with her, and getting to mingle a little bit with other musicians as a result.

As to the 'ow...' I'd forgotten this morning that it was a holiday (to some people, anyway), and headed for the train at my regular time. When it became clear that the train wasn't coming, I checked the schedule and realized that I had more than half an hour to wait; as it was warm and the rain had seemingly stopped, I didn't mind too much, and began pacing leisurely alongside the tracks. As I was reaching the furthest point from shelter (a space beneath the stairs leading to street level), it began to drizzle, and then to sprinkle, and then to rain. D'oh! I sprinted for the dry space, and made a last leap for shelter... and promptly smacked the top of my skull into some ill-placed concrete.

My iPhone fell from its holster on my belt, and of course picking it up was my first priority. lol Once it was safely off the ground and in my hand, though, I checked my head, and found it bloodied. "Dammit..." While I didn't feel dazed or dizzy or terribly concussed, I realized that getting on the train with blood dripping down from my forehead would probably not be a great idea, so I pulled the umbrella from my backpack (yes, I had one with me, I just hadn't wanted to get it out to use it for thirty seconds) and walked back home, grateful that it was still dark enough out that no one driving or walking by seemed to notice.

Back at home, I washed my hair again and called Jenn, one of my colleagues, and asked her for a ride. She agreed to pick me up and didn't ask why I needed one, and I was in her car for a few seconds before she noticed the bleeding (which had started up again). Heh... I made it through the rest of the day without any additional mishaps. It hurts, but not terribly much, unless I touch it, of course. I'm ready for bed, though, and I'm not looking forward to washing my hair tomorrow...

"Can I buy you a drink?"

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 04:59:14 GMT

This evening, somehow, I ended up sitting at the bar with the prettiest girl there.

Granted, there weren't very many women in the bar by that point... Heh-heh. The statement stands, though, and even when there had been more women earlier in the afternoon, she still stood out. After making myself a huge bacon, hash browns, and egg breakfast, I'd gone back to Banjo Jim's this afternoon (twice in one week!), specifically to see Margarita perform. What I hadn't realized was that it was an open-mic session and there were many singer/songwriter types there, each with the opportunity to perform two songs, and since Margarita didn't get there in time for her 3:00 slot, she wasn't able to go on 'til three hours later. Luckily, I decided to stick around.

I thought I recognized her when she walked in, but I wasn't sure, and having only seen an animated rendition of me, she didn't recognize me, either. She actually stood beside me at the bar while the guy before her was on, and I was tempted to say hi but would've felt dumb if it hadn't been Margarita. Then she went on and introduced herself before playing "Magic City" and "Higher Ground."

After her set was done and Margarita left the... well, it's not really a stage- left the performing area, I guess, I caught her attention and introduced myself, and she was happy to see me. She wanted to know why my icon's hair looks brown, when my real hair was obviously blond.  lol  She took issue with the icon's depiction of me. She sat down on the barstool next to mine and we caught the rest of the acts before open-mic was over, including a "singalong" version of the Band's "The Weight," which she'd never heard.

Funnily enough, I'd watched "Stargate Atlantis" last night, and as it ended with Dr. Rodney McKay, the pessimistic geek, struggling to comprehend Dr. Jennifer Keller trying to get him to go to the bar with her and buy her a drink, I thought to myself that she wouldn't have to ask me twice.  ;)  And tonight, I got the chance to buy Margarita one. We chatted, and exchanged gifts (she gave me a second copy of her CD, to give to a friend, and I gave her one of my buttons, which she promptly put on her jacket), and then she asked if we could have someone take our picture with my iPhone. Since I had my digital camera with me, too, I handed that over to one of the afternoon's other performers instead, and he gladly snapped two shots of us.

Margarita offered to show me the studio where she'd recorded her album, "Tragedy," and I gamely took her up on it, so we left Banjo Jim's and walked a few blocks. A few blocks more than we needed to, actually, since we were talking about our jobs and our music and the music industry in general, and not paying so much attention to where we were. We made it there eventually, and I met her producer, Mike, and stepped into the vocal booth and saw the Macs and recording gear there. Very cool... The three of us hopped on a crosstown bus and did some more talking about music recording and promoting before I hopped off to head for the PATH train to Hoboken. (I realize that the reason there's no 8:33 PM westbound train is probably because few people are riding during the dinner hour, but I always seem to need a train at that time...) I had a very nice time checking out all the music at Banjo Jim's, especially Margarita's, and it was great to meet her and enjoy her company for a while.  :-D

Soup... or Tuesday?

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:45:33 GMT

I liked Monday night better, when I saw elizabeth! rock out the jazz with her band at Banjo Jim's. I'd never walked through Tompkins Square Park before, certainly not in the dark, but there was no riot goin' on as I headed to Avenue C. The small joint was mostly empty as I walked in and ordered an Original Sin hard cider, but the band was there, setting up. Turned out that there was some technical difficulty and the chanteuse's microphone wasn't microphoning; after ten or fifteen minutes of fiddling with the cabling and the settings, it was decided to proceed without it.

By this time, a few more people had come in, and we could all hear elizabeth! and the rest of the band just fine. They played a fine set! I took a few pictures, but the lighting was subdued (a little too much so at first) and I felt that using flash would've been thoughtless, so I took 'em dark. I think the two I've posted turned out OK... Fresh from the rebuke from Tatiana for not having said hello to her at her show two weeks back, I made a point of introducing myself to elizabeth! after the set was over. :) I'd have liked to have stayed for the next group, but of course I had work to do back at home...

Yesterday morning, the long-lost black squirrel put in an appearance. Yesterday afternoon, I learned that my friend Dawn gave birth to a baby boy, Dylan, Monday night! And last night, while walking back from giving Mike Gravel a nominating vote, I realized for the first time that Valentine's Day lights are now a disturbing trend. What, we're going to be decorating the houses and putting up lights for every holiday now? "Flag Day's coming up, honey, what do you want to do this year?" Sheesh.

Music is what feelings sound like

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:35:17 GMT

I saw Lenny Kravitz Friday night, and Martin Rivas and Craig Meyer Saturday night, and I'm going to see elizabeth! tonight. I think I'm turning into a live music junkie. Or maybe I'm trying to take in as much as I can before I leave this rich musical scene...

After grabbing a quick bite at Sultan Gyro in Lyndhurst after work and just making the train by the skins of our teeth, Rhonda and I stood in the rain for about 45 minutes outside the Hammerstein Ballroom. It was worth it, though, as we snagged a good pair of seats in the front row of the second mezzanine. The guy to my right saw us with our sneakers off (to let our socks dry a bit) and followed suit. Heh... The opening act, Lissie ("Like Lassie but with an 'i'"), a singer/songwriter who went onstage alone with her acoustic guitar, was fine, but her songs and performace were more mellow than I'd have expected considering the explosive set that followed. Lenny rocked the house, even though he claimed he had a 102-degree fever; he did say he'd be there 'til he dropped! The man can play a mean guitar, and his lead guitarist was incredible, too. Kravitz came out into audience at one point, and definitely engaged everyone when "Let Love Rule" became a singalong. At about twenty minutes to 11 PM, the show ostensibly ended, and Rhonda thought it was over. I smirked and said, "He'll be back; he hasn't even done 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' yet!" Sure enough, that was the encore. I was surprised he didn't play right up until 11, but maybe he really wasn't feeling up to it; in any case, that allowed us enough time to get back to Penn Station and make the 11:09 train back to Secaucus, where we caught the midnight train to Geor- er, Lyndhurst.

I'd felt tired but otherwise fine on Friday night; when I woke up Saturday morning after an unusually lengthy eight-hour sleep, I was feeling nauseous, with a throbbing headache. I think it was a combination of standing in the rain with wet feet and just running myself ragged at work and not getting enough sleep lately. I skipped breakfast and lay down on the couch with L.C. and watched "Flash Gordon" and "Stargate Atlantis," which I'd TiVoed the night before. Still feeling unwell, I went back to bed and napped for over three hours. When I awoke again, I had some soup, showered, and felt better, though the headache was still with me. I took the train to Long Branch, where Matt, Sally, and Paige picked me up at the station as planned.

We headed to Sawa, a Japanese place with a good but pricey menu, and decided to sit at the bar by the front door, where the guys were supposed to play, even though Paige and I kept getting shivers from the cold air every time someone entered or exited. We got a few drinks (mmm, Sapporo...) and some edamame and sushi rolls and other stuff and dug in while waiting. Craig and Mart arrived and started setting up, and I said hello to the latter before they started their first set. I'd forgotten that they were going to be doing the "Saturday Night Campfire" thing instead of Mart's original music, but the covers definitely got the crowd going, including my little gang. They did "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," and we (and others) joined in on the "Ee-ohs," enjoying them so much that we started adding them to many other songs, too. lol Elvis and Ray Charles tunes were covered as well, and plenty of other classic and not-so-classic material. Mart came over and chatted after the set, and I mentioned to him how I'd just told Paige about seeing Serious Pilgrim at CBGB way back to which he exclaimed, "Way, waaaay back!" We reminisced a bit and lamented CBGB's passing, and talked about how it lives on in the music, then Mart paused and said, "The place was a shithole, though," to which I chuckled and agreed, "Well, yeah..." before we both said, almost simultaneously, "But it was our shithole!" and laughed.

During the next two sets, Sally and Paige danced a lot, and put in requests for "Mustang Sally," "Pink Houses" (the guys did "Jack and Diane" instead), "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and others. Paige and I contemplated requesting "Turning Japanese" but decided against it. ;) We had a great time, though the bills were a little surprising. Matt drove us back to Sally's apartment, where Paige got in her car and headed for home, and I stayed overnight on the couch.

Sunday morning, I felt much better, even after consuming an English muffin with vegetarian 'sausage' and 'bacon' (and lowfat cheese!) as prepared by Sally. Heh-heh... No, it was actually not bad at all; not quite the real thing, but acceptable. Matt went out and grabbed Dunkin' Donuts coffee for the three of us, and then I showered and got dropped off at the train station by Sally. Back at home, Yesika picked me up and we headed over to Food Basics for a few things, then to the Portuguese Tavern in Clifton for some short ribs. We brought the food back to my apartment and had our own little "anti-Super Bowl" party, watching "Spider-Man 3" after eating. I was kinda curious about Tom Petty's halftime show, but having seen him live two years ago, I figured I'd pass. If he was going to have a wardrobe malfunction, I could live without seeing it.

I'm feeling a little off again this morning, but at least the headache isn't back. Yet. I'll probably be too busy in an hour or two to notice, anyway... Hmmm, it was just barely flurrying on my way in to work. Anyway, there are a few pics from the Kravitz and Rivas shows here...

There's nothing left, so leave me alone!

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:22:08 GMT

"But every single second of every single minute of every single hour, someone somewhere's expecting something of me..." The more I listen to the Juliet Dagger's "Leave Me Alone," the more I'm convinced that it was written for me.

My Saturday had a whirlwind quality about it. I picked up a Zipcar, another Toyota Matrix called "Mr. Ed," at 8 AM. Unfortunately, due to some confusion and an assumption on my part, I'd canceled the original reservation for a car in Hoboken and had to make a last-minute reservation for this one in lower Manhattan instead. Getting in and out in the morning was quick and smooth, though, and I proceeded to Target and Shop-Rite to pick up some much-needed stuff (like a new 'lectric shaver) and groceries. I came back home long enough to bundle up a bunch of gifts, then departed for my sister's home in Montville, where I had lunch with her and John and the kids. Shawn really seemed to like his new Fisher Price train, though smacking his cheek hard on the edge of the play table threw him for a loop and left an angry bruise. He recovered pretty quickly, though. Cayden seemed less excited about his penguin bowling set, but he probably just needs time to really discover it.

From there, I went to visit Dawn and Dave, and traded Christmas gifts with them, too. Turns out that not only did Dawn and I buy each other the same exact book ("Blaze" by Richard Bachman, aka Stephen King), we unwrapped them at the same time. Definitely going to be friends for life... lol After catching up and trading stories, the three of us met Jon and Karin at their house; Dawn rode with me, the first time I'd driven her (or a pregnant woman) in a good ten years or so. Dawn and Dave got the tour, and the five of us went to Applebee's for dinner.

Or not. There was too long a wait there, actually, so we got back into the cars and went to a Ruby Tuesday instead. Where we ended up waiting almost as long as we would have at Applebee's, though we'd been told the wait would have been shorter. Eventually, an apologetic host asked if we'd be OK with sitting at a regular booth (instead of the larger one they were having trouble clearing for us), with one of us sitting in a chair at the end. Of course, that turned out to be the fifth wheel, me. It wasn't so bad, really, except for being kneed in the shins (and the knees!) by Karin a few times. Though Dawn and Jon, like me, are lefties, both couples sat with the righties on the left and the lefties on the right, so there were all kinds of joints and limbs connecting while we dove into various kinds of burgers and things.

Jon and Karin brought me back to their house, where I'd left Mr. Ed, and after a quick farewell, and an attempt on Karin's part to give me a quicker route back to 80, I took off east again, stopping at the apartment to change into a warmer coat. It took me about fifteen minutes to get from Lyndhurst through the Lincoln Tunnel into Manhattan, which shocked me, and only another fifteen or so to get back to the garage. I was less pleased when I arrived at Penn Station five minutes after the train departed, but it was only 35 minutes or so 'til the next one, so I didn't get home too late.

I got up early on Sunday and psyched myself up for laundry. After I'd returned from that dreaded chore, however, I was feeling out of sorts, and I eventually gave in and napped for a few hours. Not sure it really helped... There were some work issues I needed to tackle, which I did, and then of course came "The Simpsons." Who knew that Homer invented grunge? Or that perjury was the worst thing a U.S. President could do?

Yesterday, I took the company van to Red Bank to repair some data and assess a practice's network and hardware. It was nice to get out of the office for a few hours, and I only got one call for assistance from my colleagues while I was away. An after-hours meeting that ran past 7:30 PM ended with Robert, Fred, Mark D., and me dining at El Cid, another welcome change of pace. Mmm, tilapia franchese...

And now I'm getting ready to look at more data, instead of having time to myself. I need to put "Leave Me Alone" on repeat. At least I'm being kept company by a Guinness or two.

Y'know, I'd give you everything I've got for a little piece of mind.

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:42:23 GMT

Yep, still tired. Last night found me in lower Manhattan once again for a haircut at Astor Place. I generally let my hair grow a bit during the winter, to protect my already dangerously unbalanced brain, but it's been getting a little unruly, so off it went.

I walked around downtown for a little while, past the old Tower Records, then over to the west side and down Bleecker a ways, but it was too cold for true wandering (and I wasn't bundled up as well as I should have been), so I headed to Cafe Vivaldi, a comfortable little piano bar on Jones Street. I sat at the bar and ordered a Corsendonk while Tatiana Moroz, the singer/songwriter I'd gone to see, flitted back and forth preparing for her set, and I finished it and another as she poured forth her song. Tatiana's got a powerful voice, and a lyrical style that elicited a few grins from me ("warm your biscuits in my oven," indeed!). Um, yes, she's blonde, too. I felt like an outsider there, where it seemed that just about everyone knew everyone else, or at least Tatiana (except for Darya, the new bartender), but that didn't stop me from enjoying the music.

Still being incredibly exhausted, though, I took my leave about halfway through the set and made my way back to the 9th Street PATH station, where a guy with an extreme case of Tourette's was apparently deep in conversation with himself. On the Hoboken train, I stood holding on to a pole flanked by two Jewish girls chatting about breast lifts and settling down by the time they reach 30. Hard not to crack a grin or make a remark under such circumstances, but I managed.

OK, I need to get some rest. Started getting a cough this afternoon, and the last thing I need is for that to turn into a cold...

I haven't slept a wink...

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:00:05 GMT

I'm tired again. I don't need much sleep to be functional, but I don't think I'm getting enough rest lately. The cold weather and the reduced sunlight hours probably aren't helping, either...

Friday after work, Barbara picked me up at the office, and as we were both hungry, we grabbed 'dinner' at McDonald's, rather than waiting 'til we got back to my apartment as had been the original plan. After eating, we tried valiantly to get to a PetSmart so I could get some litter and treats for L.C., and she could get a better litterbox for Pagan and Alex, but there was just no easy way for us to get to one, and we ended up at the Petco in Clifton instead, which was really a pretty lame store. Not Petco itself, mind you, just this particular store. Well, at least I got the litter.

Back in Lyndhurst we watched "A Wish For Wings That Work," a Christmas DVD I gave Barbara featuring Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat (among others) from "Bloom County" and "Outland" (among others). It was a little bizarre, not that that was totally unexpected considering the characters, but it was still great fun, and I found out later that Robin Williams voiced the wingspan-envy-ridden kiwi and Dustin Hoffman was the voice of Milquetoast the Cockroach, both uncredited.

On Saturday, after taking a walk in colder weather than I'd expected, and getting some much-needed grocery shopping done, I watched the "Painkiller Jane" movie, predating the short-lived TV show, on Sci Fi. The back story was completely different than the show's (or the comic's), but it was still an entertaining flick. The actress playing Jane was also completely different, and frankly I thought Emmanuelle Vaugier was better-looking. Not that Kristanna Loken is unattractive...

I watched the first two "Resident Evil" movies back-to-back on Sci Fi, too. I'd seen the first before, but never the second; they're both surprisingly good movies as long as you keep in mind that they're not intended to be high drama. Alice is of course the star, but Jill Valentine was quite the fighter (and looker) in "Apocalypse." Shame they didn't put her in the third movie... I struggled for a moment to understand why L.J. kept using the term "motivator," and then I realized that a stronger four-syllable word was being covered up. Heh.

Sunday was my mom's birthday, and since Barbara hadn't seen my parents in a while, I took the train down by her and we headed to my parents' place together, where we had a delicious dinner (as usual). We then went back to New Brunswick and took the train to New York, meeting Stephanie and Nicol at Stout for a few drinks (they all had something to eat, too, but I was still stuffed). Some kind of football game was on, I don't know... ;)

Amongst all this fun and television, I had work to do. D'oh. I'd brought home a few clients' datasets on Friday that needed to be looked over, and the work just keeps piling up. I should have done some data repair last night after "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," too, but I was just too exhausted... so I got up early this morning to do it instead.

Having more work to do tonight didn't stop me from going to see "Cloverfield" (and the "Star Trek" trailer!) with Yesika, however, after a light meal at Sultan Gyro. She didn't enjoy it as much as I did (she did jump a few times, and shriek a bit once), but neither of us disliked it. I was getting a bit tired of hearing Hud's ridiculous questions and inane chatter, but the monster was suitably freaky without being a throwback to Godzilla or any of the other '60s mega-monsters, and the damage done to Manhattan was quite convincing. I even ended up feeling sympathetic for twentysomething Rob and his friends. And the Statue of Liberty. That's gotta hurt. Overall, I did like the movie, though I joked that they should have ended it shortly after Hud told the camera, "If this is the last thing you see, that means I died." I'd have laughed, but sooo many people would've been outraged and pissed. Kinda like L.C. was when I got in at 9 PM. Sorry, cat.

I'd forgotten what great danceable music Nitzer Ebb made. See, if you want to get me to dance (not that most people want to get me to dance, but...), this is the stuff I'll dance to. Industrial, new wave, darkwave, some punk... that'll work.

Speaking of work... :::sigh:::

No black squirrel lately, thanks for asking

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:47:11 GMT

Summer Glau, who played the semi-psychotic youth River Tam in the growing-on-me "Firefly" (yes, I got my DVDs back), is back as Cameron the Terminator in "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," and my, how she's grown up. She still looks young (well, she still is young), but she doesn't look as fragile as she did in those first few "Firefly" episodes, and she's quite an attractive woman now. Personally, if I were John Connor, I'd spend less time running and more time trying to determine whether all Cameron's I/O ports are plug-and-play. So to speak. Ahem. I think this series holds some promise. We'll see how it goes...

L.C. was definitely happy that I sat on the couch to watch the show last night and tonight. Even when I am home for more than a few hours these days, it seems I've got work issues to deal with, or my own things to do on the computer(s), so it was nice to relax a bit and keep the cat company. He's still adjusting to the idea that his word (well, plaintive mew) isn't law around here, merely a strong suggestion.

Just an hour or so after sending elizabeth! my regrets about not being able to go see her in a spur-of-the-moment set at Rockwood this evening, I got home to find that my autographed copy of her CD had arrived in the mail. Good stuff...! I don't listen to enough jazz, really, though I did just buy some Allan Holdsworth on the iTunes Music Store. Man, that guy can play guitar... elizabeth! is very talented herself, and I definitely do want to take in another show.

Mmm, caipirinha...

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 04:28:06 GMT

After a (-nother) draining week at work, I went to New York last night to see Laura Cheadle at the Baggot Inn. Her set didn't start 'til around 10 PM, though, so first I met Sally for some food and drink. She went to Ayza, a cafe and wine bar, and text-messaged me as I was exiting Penn Station, asking, "Red or white?" She soon messaged me again, however, that the place was too expensive; while we started walking towards each other, she passed O'Reilly's Pub but quickly determined that that place was too crowded, so once we bumped into each other on W. 31st, we headed to Mustang Harry's instead, where I enjoyed two Sam Adamses and a chicken cordon bleu.

After walking Sally back to Penn Station after we'd stuffed ourselves, I took an F train down to W. 4th, but it was still too early to get to the Baggot, so I opted to walk around a bit. Even after two beers, I knew the signpost marking the corner of Waverly Place and Waverly Place was real and not a figment of my imagination. I wandered through Washington Square Park, and pondered over how much St. Mark's Place has changed. Passing through the Lower East Side, I lamented the loss of the Pioneer Bar & Restaurant, though the R Bar that's taken its place sounds intriguing. Have to try it out before I leave Jersey... I saw two enormous but well-disciplined Great Danes exiting a bank ATM with (presumably) their owner. And then I turned around and started for the packed Baggot Inn, where I downed a Magners cider and enjoyed Laura's opener "Lay Me Down," which was followed by the debut of a new song, and then covers of "Chain of Fools" and "Come Together." The woman is full of energy! More than me, actually, so another three songs later I split, but I enjoyed the show very much and have to try to see her again. Two pics, the second taken with the iPhone, are up here.

This evening, Rhonda, Yesika, and I had dinner at Sabor Latin Bistro in North Bergen. The hostess was an attractive blonde. Our waitress was an attractive blonde. As a matter of fact, the place was full of attractive blondes, among the staff and the clientele, but that's not even the main reason I loved the place. The food rocked. It was really, really good. Expensive as hell, but good. My caipirinhas were excellent, and so was the anticucho (and the guacamole). The interior was beautiful, too. And did I mention there were blondes everywhere (oh, the humanity...)? But really, it was a wonderful experience, and we had a great time. We stopped at FYE afterwards, and since it was on sale, I picked up "Firefly" on DVD, along with a used copy of "Serenity." Of course, I then forgot them in Yesika's car after she dropped me off at home. D'oh! Oh, well, it's not like I don't have other stuff to watch for now... Rhonda, Yesika, and I got a few pics with each other, and with the blonde waitress, here. ;-D

So, when's the next holiday?

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:08:08 GMT

I spent more of my New Year's Eve and Day working on a data issue than I'd have liked, especially since I technically had both days off. Well, at least I did resolve the issue, and managed to get out for a few hours to watch the new "National Treasure" movie with Yesika. It was quite entertaining, and we (and the rest of the theater, by the sound of it) enjoyed it thoroughly. Unsurprisingly, they seem to have left the door open for number three...

The Pilgrim himself, Martin Rivas, played a show at the Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side last night, and as it's been a few months since I've seen him do his musical thang, I made a point of going. I got there early enough to catch the last two songs by elizabeth!, an incredible jazz singer and trombone player who gave up her last name for that shiny exclamation point. The pianist, bass player, and sax man were very much talented, too, and elizabeth! was quite nice on the eyes. :-D The room with the stage is rather tiny, and of course there were no unoccupied seats when I arrived, so I found myself having to squeeze around people and have people squeeze around me several times. I did get close enough to the bar to order a delicious Brooklyn Chocolate Stout from a delicious bartender... Mart, Craig, and Eric took the stage after some minimal setup and put on a great set, with Marty alone throwing in the Serious Pilgrim nugget "Hand Grenade." I considered staying to see the next act or two as well, but it was cold last night, and I figured that getting home was a better idea. Turns out that there was another issue with the trains last night, so the train I managed to catch was running about 25 minutes late, so I guess it was good that I left when I did. I definitely want to see Mart again before Arizona...

The Year of Dangering Livously

webmaster@andersensilva.com — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:19 GMT

I've had a few consecutive days of relaxation, something I hadn't experienced in a while! I needed it, needed to catch up on sleep, too. Of course, I did end up getting involved in a work issue Monday evening...

I've been playing "Assassin's Creed" on my PS3 the last couple of nights, and it's quite an incredible experience. The console's HD output is breathtaking to begin with, and the gameplay and storyline set the game apart from other action titles. Sure, there's killing (duh), but it's not random or frequent or performed brazenly with the biggest, baddest weapons available. Stealth and logic are at least as important as the ability to fight and kill, and that makes for a more interesting game, in my opinion.

I finally tested the PS3's Blu-ray capabilities last night, too; the unit I was given by Microwize came with a copy of "Spider-Man 3," which I'd planned on watching in the theater but never got around to. The image from the Blu-ray Disc was incredibly sharp, and when I paused the movie or put it into slow motion, there was none of the blur associated with older video formats. One can clearly read the credits in slow motion! Of course, older films probably won't benefit too much from a Blu-ray (or HD-DVD, presumably) treatment, but new releases, especially action/science fiction/fantasy movies, are probably going to be stunning in HD.

I've put the Apple TV through its paces, too, and I'm quite impressed with the little box. All the music and video in my iTunes library has been synced over, as well as some photos just so I could test it. With this setup, I can almost get rid of my old stereo system; there's no need to play CDs anymore when I can rip them and store them on the Apple TV, and it's only my huge LP collection and the occasional cassette that would need to be played the "old-fashioned" way, at least until I finally rip what I want from those. I added a lot of music over the weekend as it is, from CDs.

I'd never gotten into the science fiction show "Firefly" when it was on the air. I did watch a few minutes of it once, but while it looked interesting, I wasn't intrigued enough to stick with it. I know the show and the subsequent movie have attracted a cult following, though, and I recently discovered that Jewel Staite, the very pretty young woman playing Dr. Jennifer Keller on "Stargate Atlantis," portrayed Kaylee Frye in the earlier show, so when Sci Fi aired the first four episodes back to back (to back to back) a few weeks ago, I decided I'd TiVo them and check 'em out, which I did over the past few nights. Turns out it's an excellent show, different from the bulk of science fiction out there, and what an amazing crew Serenity had. I think I'm going to have to get my hands on the DVD boxed set. And not just because shiny Kaylee's got the most amazing smile. And eyes.

Turns out I can watch movie trailers on the Apple TV, too. :-D I checked out the one for the much-hyped "Cloverfield" Saturday night, and it looks to be quite a monster movie. Guess I'll have to see it when it comes out...

So, yes, I'm declaring 2008 the Year of Dangering Livously. No, I don't know what it means, either. Heh. Well, 2008 should prove to be an interesting year for me. As I was telling someone in my dreams last night (I remember some of the conversation, but not who the other party was), I need to be shaken up, and 2000 miles is very far through the snow. I need to start my life up again, such as it is, and get back to writing (music and otherwise) and recording and being. I believe Arizona will be a good place for all of that. I'm making some New Year's resolutions, but what it boils down to is that I need to be disciplined again. I've gotten lazy, and I don't want to be lazy anymore.

Now, the procrastination... that's another story. I'll start on that tomorrow.