Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I can’t believe August is halfway over. I felt like it wasn’t that long ago that my summer was starting with my annual OBX trip. I already had a rough idea what I wanted to do this summer but life got in the way and changed my plans. Now I’m already stage managing Rocky Horror Show over at KAT which will kick off a three show run of shows til February. Football is around the corner as my hopes for the Sox goes down the drain.

There’s still some summer left but Fall is already on the horizon.

I have to say I had quite the adventurous summer and I had lots of fun, however I’m really struggling to keep up with everything I need to do. The balance between work and my personal life is testing my abilities to be successful and productive.

My to-do list is growing and I feel like I need a stay-cation (uh oh looks like a pattern) just to get it all done:

• Clean the house and find a new roommate (Sarah is moving out in September, very sad)
• Finish prep work for Rocky Horror: I got scripts to analyze and contact sheets to create…
• Google Reader? 759 items. iTunes? 6 new podcasts. Men’s Health? I got 4-5 issues gathering dust.
• I enjoy watching The Unit, but I think I give up on trying to catch up.
• Prepare for my two fantasy football drafts.
• I have 3-4 post ideas for New Persuasion and 2 post ideas for 4 Sport Boston.
• Edit OBX Season 3 (maybe I can get it done before the Christmas… maybe…
• I haven’t been to the gym regularly and I’m already feeling it.

So August is pretty much done in terms of me having a life however September is shaping up well with that trip to Pittsburgh in the works and a DMB concert in Scranton.

Til then I hope to get my life back in shape, and my body too while I’m at it.

Tags: blog, rocky horror show, stress, theatre, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

One of the big reasons I’m behind on life is because I flew back home last week to attend my sister’s engagement ceremony. For those non-Vietnamese out there it’s a tradition that involves lots of praying, food, and bowing. Check out Wikipedia and this very informative article explaining some of the customs.

So I flew back home and spent the weekend with my family. It’s as stressful as it seems. I did have a chance to catch up with a few of my favorites back home- but it was all family last weekend.

My lil' bro started sporting some pretty hipster glasses. At least he's looking less emo than usual

My sister Diana

Mike and the procession

Nobody knew when to start, chaos ensues

The march into the house

Like I said, lots of bowing

The reception at Jin in Saugus, MA

The Family

Perfect way to end the night- there was a male strip show happening in the other hall

I’ve been to a few ceremonies so I knew what was going down, however I was surprised how crazy the preparations were leading up to it- I guess it is bigger than the wedding sometimes. The guest list was also very interesting, my mom even invited the family dentist to come and watch. Again it must of been a big deal.

It was also so weird to hear my Dad, who never speaks ever, address an entire crowd of people in a language he barely knows.

All in all it was a great weekend with family, and while I thought I was off the hook- I was told I might have to do the same thing when I get married.

Maybe it’s a good thing I’m single and lonely after all.

Tags: asians, blog, family, massachusetts, travel, weddings

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Thanks to all the travel I did last year, I earned a free weekend car rental with National. I redeemed it earlier this month and Wendi and I went on a road trip to see The Hangover in Fredericksburg. Why Fredericksburg? It was where the closest Sonic was!

Plenty of fuel take to us from DC to the country and back!

On the way to Wendi's I saw the new Z-Burger, which I later checked out.

This place always smell like high school teenage awkwardness.

Traffic on I-95 never a good time

However hooking up Pandora to your car's stereo is!

Have you seen this many stores in a mall? That's Fredericksburg for you- the oasis in the middle of nowhere!

If I wasn't already going to Sonic for dinner, this would of been a great runner-up.

Sonic is amazing.

So many choices...

The onion rings taste like french toast I swear!

I was starving after the movie...

A great road trip!

Tags: blog, fredericksburg, fun times with friends, sonic, the hangover, travel, wawa

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

It’s summer time already and I already welcomed the season with my annual beach trip, and now I’m taking a big picture view of what I got coming up this summer:

June

• Joyride: I have a couple of free days worth of car rentals with National and I want go on a day trip somewhere. Sonic? Skyline Drive? Charlestown? White Castle? Hardee’s? (if you don’t know, I’ve always wanted to attempt to eat a Monster Thickburger.)
• Red Sox vs. Nats: The Red Sox are coming into town and I’m going to catch a couple of games in the series with some friends, maybe I’ll even take the day off and make it a Sox holiday.

July

• 4th of July: This year it’s on a Saturday, which only means one thing. Meyhem. Bar crawl? BBQ at my place? Not sure what I’m going to do but it’s probably going to be an epic weekend.
• 14 Dates in 14 Days: I’m beginning to doubt if I have the skills to line up enough dates for a Mass Dating Experiment but I will try.

August

• Red Sox vs. Orioles: A lot of my hometown friends are going coming down that week to catch the Sox in B’more so I’m keeping those days free on my calendar
• Diana’s Engagement Party: My sister is having her engagement party that month so I’ll also be home for a weekend.
• Pittsburgh Trip: I enjoyed visiting Melanie and Jim last summer that I think I’m going to do it again! There’ll be some Pirates games late into the month that I may want to check out.

September

• North Carolina Trip: After Nicole’s visit to DC I owe her a return visit in North Carolina, maybe I’ll slot this one for Labor Day.
• DMB Road Trip: I won’t be able to see DMB in Bristow this summer, right now the front runner show to replace that stop is the Scranton, PA show on September 23rd. It just sounds cool to visit the town that The Office takes place in.

Sounds like a fun summer to me, not to mention the Nats games, pool days, happy hours, and other events I’ll get caught up in between trips.

Tags: blog, nationals, orioles, red sox, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Well another beach trip has come and gone. I already miss the beach and can’t wait for next year’s trip.

I didn’t accomplish any of the things I wanted to do while on the beach but I don’t care. What has now become my annual welcome into summer is more about relaxing and spending time with great friends. We had a really great group this year and I can’t tell anyone enough how much I enjoy this trip.

Now this won’t be the last you’ll hear me talk about The OBX, sometime this summer I’ll swim through 8 hours of tape and create some fun home videos!

Now it’s time to get awesome.

Tags: blog, debauchery, feelings/reflections, fun times with friends, obx, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

It was 11 AM Saturday morning but I wanted to stay in bed.

Friday night was an intense progression with Nicole from U-Street to Adams Morgan:

• Started at Local 16, encountered a line of douchebags waiting for the roof bar, stay downstairs and people watched
• Moved on to Dan’s Cafe where I introduced Nicole to the shadiest yet best deal in town
• Went next door to Town Tavern, a new bar on 18th street. It wasn’t too bad: not too full, plenty of seating, and dancers on the 2nd floor- what more could you ask for?
• You know it’s a wild night if we end up at Grand Central to do more dancing than drinking.

Didn’t make it to the other end of the street; missed the 3 AM fight that broke out; and didn’t even get a Jumbo Slice; but we had a great night all around. However a good night doesn’t always translate into a good morning, I needed a couple more hours of sleep than usual. After a late start to the day Nicole and I packed our things and made our way out to Charlottesville to see Dave Matthews Band!

The drive wasn’t too bad. I was a bit nervous however when the GPS told me to drive down Lee Highway for 80+ miles. At least it kept me awake and we got to see rural Virginia at it’s best.

After checking in at what was apparently the party motel for the concert, we hopped back in my car so I could take Nicole out to her favorite place: Sonic! It was my first time at a Sonic so I was really excited to have food delivered to my car and us eating it inside the Corolla. I’ll have to stop by the one in Fredericksburg on my way down to the OBX next month.

On the way back from Sonic I decided to stop at some, “Scenic Viewpoints.” It looked scenic enough.

Since I’ve been to John Paul Jones Arena before, I knew the perfect place to chill before the show. We drove to the top of the garage next to campus and we watched the sunset before walking in.

For more on the show here’s my review which I compiled thanks to the Tweets I left during the show:

You know what I hate? A concert that is dominated with new material. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy listening to new stuff but when the show precedes a new album release, I don’t have the chance to get familiar with new songs that might be played on tour. What I was really happy with was the album balance as DMB finishes a two night stand in their hometown of Charlottesville.

From the first notes of Bartender I knew I was going to be in for a full bodied Dave Matthews Band experience. The first show I’ve attended since the late death of LeRoi Moore, I was curious to see how Bela Fleck & The Flecktones saxophonist Jeff Coffin would perform. I was glad to see that Coffin was able to honor LeRoi with a talented performance that included performances on the flute and even pulled off jam solo that included LeRoi’s trademark “If I Only Had a Brain” interpolation.

It wasn’t until a few seconds into Granny that the matrix of video screens came alive providing some camera angles but mostly stock footage and music video clips. It was at a close-up of Stefan that I noticed that he was wearing glasses- I didn’t know he needed them.

After teasing Old Dirt Hill the band went into their first Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King song, Why I Am. I particularly liked how the Old Dirt Hill tease meshed well with Why I Am, a rockabilly song with a strong beat. Following a Dave Matthews scat, Dancing Nancies gave violinist Boyd Tinsley to show off his skills with a series of crisp and vibrant solos. A performance of Don’t Drink the Water gave TR3 front man Tim Reynolds a chance to provide the supporting guitar riffs that brought the song back to its album recorded glory.

After a plug for his new album, Dave then goes into Funny The Way It Is, the first single of the new album. Dave and Co. then introduced John D’Earth and followed with Recently which gave Coffin and Matthews a chance take the song back with a Pretty Pretty Girl jam solo.

The crowd goes wild with Crush and the band then introduces Danny Barnes who contributed on the banjo for a performance of Spaceman. The band then finished off with tour debuts of Jimi Thing, So Much To Say, Anyone Seen The Bridge, and Too Much. A 16 minute Two Step finishes the set.

The band kicked off the encore to chants calling for Last Stop, after a tease of the song Dave acts confused, “Fast Job? Ass Pop?” He then finishes the night with #27 and Stay (Wasting Time.)

For what could have been a night dominated with unfamiliar material turned out to be a 2 and a half hour cavalcade of classic DMB. The crowd was left satisfied as the band ended their stint at the John Paul Jones Arena.

After the show I met up with Raylene, a fellow davehead from the good ol’ days when I worked over at Am I Dreaming.

The show was pretty good but it was the whole weekend experience that really made my 33rd show.

Tags: adams morgan, am i dreaming, blog, charlottesville, debauchery, dmb, girls, obx, travel, u-street

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

It’s a routine that I’ve become more than accustomed to. Reconnecting with friends.

Thanks to an unusually high number of trips back home this year (mostly due to business) I have realized two things:

1. When I come home I intend on seeing all my friends back home
2. I never have time to see all of my friends back home

As much as I try and plan ahead of time, there’s just not enough time in the world for me to see everyone I’d like to see. There are a few friends that I’m extremely close to that I will prioritize but sometimes I’m not even able to see them if the schedules don’t match up. So it goes without saying there will be some friends that will think I’m a deadbeat but the truth of the matter is I try to see as many people as I can. For instance I realized while scheduling time for friends over Christmas that friends I saw over Thanksgiving were not going to make my calendar.

Am I too popular or am I too ambitious with my time home? I’m too much of a geek to be popular so I’ll say I’m over ambitious.

I had lunch last Monday with Patrick at Fishbones, a local seafood place I’ve been tying to try. The broiled selections were pretty good- I have to go back and get the fried platter. Of course at the time I was trying to eat somewhat well- the holidays are bound to kill me with all the terrible eating I’ve been up to. It was great to catch up with Patrick- every time I see him I hear about the latest chapter of his life journey.

Tuesday I shared another meal with an old high school friend, this time it was breakfast with Jimmy. I haven’t really seen him probably since our high school reunion last year. It was good to hear that he was finishing up Paramedic classes and preparing for his next step. Later that night I had the annual dinner with Tessa, Phil, and Jen. We went out to Not Your Average Joes where we all ordered burgers- however mine was extra messy. I also have to say the bread there was really good. After our usual catch up on various issues from dating to jobs we somehow ended up watching Tessa’s birthday video, a DVD that we somehow watch every time we get together.

It appears that I’ve decided to center all my encounters with friends through food. On Christmas Eve I had lunch with OC and we had our regular gossip session and catch-up. Colleen is one of the few friends I never see very often but always enjoy hearing from when I do- we always have stories to exchange and people to talk about. I spent the rest of my Christmas Eve putting up the tree with my siblings.

Christmas itself came and went rather uneventfully. I slept in, took family photos, and opened gifts. For some reason I felt like I had a really bland gift list this year. A lot of the things I wanted were appliances for my new home and replacements for items I’ve lost in the past year. While I got a lot of the things I asked for- not all the items were exactly what I wanted so I still have a lot of exchanging to do. After a family dinner at Life Care Center (where my grandmother is living) the siblings and I went out to see a movie. We settled on Valkyrie- an interesting film to watch on the day Christ was born.

The day after Christmas I had a big night out with Nicole- we met up with some of her friends over at Hennessy’s where we enjoyed a happy hour with Jeff Fraser’s cover duo- Me and Julio. Apparently Nicole and her friends are regulars and got tables right in the front, and received lots of love from the entertainment. I even somehow got pulled in as well and Jeff called me a “ladies man” for being surrounded by so many girls. Of course my new title for the night become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I received a tap on my shoulder and I was confronted with a very good looking teacher who insisted I had to dance with her. Well I couldn’t of said no.

After the happy hour we followed Jeff to his next gig- with a band called Spike The Punch over at the Green Dragon Tavern. What was weird was that a lot of the people I saw at the happy hour also followed… along with the teachers from Walpole.

A long night out and I found myself once again sleep deprived enough for the ride back to DC; however this time I had a buddy. On my way back I stopped in Worcester to pick up Corey who is spending the week sightseeing in DC. Ten hours later we arrived back home but we weren’t resting anytime soon. It was Saturday night and I wanted to show Corey what DC was all about- so I took her to Adams Morgan.

Now I hoped to show her the typical Adams Morgan chaos but I was surprised to see that the neighborhood was amazingly empty. I took her to The Reef which was almost dead compared to the lines that usually build up on a Saturday night. I ran into Texas Pete and he told me he just came from Chinatown where the scene was similar. It looks like all of DC was gone for the holidays. Well with the traffic quieter than usual I took advantage and breezed in and out several places in DC including Ventnor’s and the ever shady Dan’s Cafe. It’s weird that even though I only visit Ventnor’s once every few months- they always know who I am- the guy with the awesome last name. The Vietnamese bartender I knew is gone now but I guess my legacy continues.

Sunday Corey and I went to the Maple Leafs/Capitals game and today we did visited Zoo Lights with Carrie.

Now that we are all caught up I’m going to hit the bed- lots to do before New Years, stay tuned for the Year In Review!

Tags: adams morgan, blog, capitals, chelmsford, favorites, friends, fun times with friends, girls, maple leafs, massachusetts, travel, valkyrie, washington dc, woburn

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

452 miles.

That’s how far I live from the family home back in Massachusetts

According to Google Maps it’s about 8 hours.

However in yesterday I spent almost 10 hours on the road. I used to be able to bang out these road trips home like it was the Bull Run (when I visited the site to insert that link I discovered that the footage I shot while doing Bull Run back in 2007 was used in the official videos of the event) but the week leading up to the trip back home was a blur. And as always, I never get enough sleep the night before- I was too busy trying to clean my room while doing laundry and finishing videos.

As always I’m trying to edit some videos before Christmas. I didn’t get it totally finished with my latest project but I hope to wrap it up after the holidays.

Tuesday was my birthday and I didn’t do a whole lot. I did go to a holiday party thrown by Strauss Radio over at Hudson. As always, they know how to throw a lavish affair. I had a nightcap over at Science Club with Clarence from work.

Thursday I hung out with Carrie and she helped me with an annual holiday tradition- getting my gifts wrapped by women who know how to do it. I’m not really good at wrapping gifts. I mean I know how to do it I am just not as good in tying those loose ends and making them look neat. Sounds like a possible analogy for my life. Looking back, a lot of my gifts were actually able to fit an envelope- so I didn’t have to wrap a lot of gifts.

I am really proud of these gifts I made for my co-workers: I filled little gift boxes full of miniature bottles of alcohol and liquor-filled chocolates. I may not be able to bake like my friend Mallory but I do enjoy showing my appreciation for fellow friends and co-workers.
So now I am back in town. The reason I rushed back on Saturday was to catch Emily’s birthday bash over at The Harp. It was funny that I ran into Jeff Frost- of future OBX Season 2 fame. The cover band there was really good and everyone got nice and drunk. I didn’t however, I was the driver. So after a day of driving- I drive some more into Boston and then at 3 AM I am driving some more- except this time I got to drive in the blizzard that has snowbound everyone this weekend. I am not looking forward to digging myself out but it’s experiences like these that remind me of where I came from. Down in DC it never snows.

Since there was a couple of feet of snow on the ground I kept it chill Sunday and watched the Patriots game at home with Dave. It was so satisfying to see us take care of the Cardinals in the snow.

I’m not planning a whole lot for this week- I want to focus on relaxing and seeing old friends since I’m only here for a week, then it’s back to DC for a week of entertaining then New Years.

Tags: birthday, blog, boston, bullrun, fun times with friends, girls, holidays, massachusetts, patriots, travel, washington dc, weather

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

“This defense should stop them for sure!”

What is normally said by Madden while I’m playing on the computer was tossed around as we all joked on the real life football field.

This Thanksgiving I got up early and drove down to Cranston, RI to participate in an annual tradition that Falkor puts on- the Turkey Bowl. It’s a 11 on 11 full tackle game- it’s the real deal. For a bunch of average joes it’s our chance to pretend we are the players we watch on TV and play in video games.

The game was definitely hard-hitting, first play I got on the field I squared up for a tackle and got stiffed armed in the face. It’s been a couple of days and I’m finally able to move all my body parts.

It was a real blast to play some real football on a real football field. We even enjoyed a “half-time” show when the Cranston West Cheerleaders and Color Guard showed up to practice.

Home for Thanksgiving always means seeing lots of friends and I was able to catch up with a few this week.

Tuesday I picked up Diana and Mike in New York in a late night run back home. It was a definite challenge but as always I was able to tough it out and make it back home in one piece. I decided to drive back home this year since the price of gas was dropping like a Braylon Edwards pass. Driving up the coast prices were just dropping and dropping- always a great thing to see.

Friday I did a little bit of shopping and that night I met up with Dave, Jimmy, and others to go out in Kendall Square. We then went back to Jimmy’s and watched Grandma’s Boy- a very enjoyable movie. Also clearly not a flick for the chicks. Every other minute the guys would crack up and the girls would stare and shake their heads.

Saturday I had the family dinner over at Longhorn’s then I went out with the TH404 boys in Allston. We reminisced and caught up over several towers of PBR- oh the college days.

Yesterday I checked out Mike’s new place in Groton while enjoying the Steelers/Patriots game. Always happy to see a Pats game back home- ironically it’s also the flagship game for CBS, and was probably able to be seen at my house in DC.

Ok well I gotta pack things up here in Massachusetts and get back to DC.

Tags: blog, boston, braylon edwards, football, holidays, kendall square, madden, patriots, rhode island, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

“See a presidential candidate’s stump speech in late October…you may be listening to the next President of the United States”

Those were the words i read in a recent issue of Men’s Health. I don’t know why but for some reason those words struck a chord (or maybe an arpeggio.) Maybe living close to DC has turned me into a political junkie; maybe living close to DC allowed me to catch the political bug that is present with almost everyone I meet down here; maybe it just seemed like a cool idea.

Living in the battleground state of Virginia meant that this idea was also rather possible to do- it was only a matter of time before he’d come back into the area to garner up some support.

And that moment came sooner than I thought.

After watching the Presidential Debates last Tuesday the “best political team in town” mentioned that Barack Obama would be in Roanoke that upcoming Friday. The gears slowly started to turn as I got up the next day.

I spent that day at work thinking, planning, plotting: Roanoke is 4 hours away. I have plenty of time-off built up to easily take Friday off. However I need to fly out for work on Saturday…

On Thursday I had it all planned out and I was ready to make one of the most random trips of my life.

I was going to go see Barack Obama.

The plan was to get out of work on Thursday and quickly pack some things and drive to Roanoke that night. I’d find a motel to crash in and get up early the next day to wait in line and ensure a good spot to see Barack. After the rally I would jump back into my car and hightail it back to DC where I would make an evening flight out to Boston for work that weekend.

It was going to be a tight schedule but I was already committed to doing it.

After work on Thursday I packed for my weekend and I made sure I included a couple of Obama oriented items.

The latest issue of Men’s Health features Obama on the cover. I also brought a sign I got while working for the campaign in Philadelphia. I knew that the chances of actually shaking the man’s hand was slim- getting him to sign a couple of items was even slimmer, but you never know.

Driving non-stop to Roanoke that night wasn’t much of a problem. I popped a couple of pills and I was already flying down the roads both figuratively and literally. For a guy that will drive eight hours to the beach or eight hours to Massachusetts, a four hour trek at night to Roanoke is nothing.

The roads were pretty much deserted, except for the occasional tractor-trailer. The landscape got less city and more Boonie. I drove by JMU and Virginia Tech and realized how isolated both schools are from the world. Driving down those empty roads made me realize how isolated I was from the world.

Making the drive down meant that I wasn’t able to see how the Red Sox were doing in Game 5 of the ALCS. I pulled out my phone for a score update and saw that the Rays were up 7-0 in the late innings. With a 3-1 lead it looks like the Red Sox were done for the season. I put my phone away in disgust and continued to drive.

As I approached the city I encountered a lot of police cruisers on patrol, pulling over drivers, and parked alongside roads. I wonder if it was a sign of increased security or that time to meet your monthly quota. I drove by the Civic Center where the event was going to take place and the entire place was already fenced off from anyone that wanted to park or camp. That meant I’d have a good head start if I got up early tomorrow.

I decided to spend the night at the Days Inn across the street from the Civic Center. The motel was pretty much what I paid for. Too bad I didn’t pay the extra bucks or probably could of landed the Jimmy Carter Suite.

I hope he knows that in the middle of Roanoke is a dingy motel that was a craptastic room named after him.

After getting settled into my room (next to the Jimmy Carter Suite) I turned on ESPN to see how bad the Sox lost. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Sox pulled an amazing comeback and won the game! I’ll live to watch them for another day!

As I walked outside my room the next morning I was met with a wall of rain. The forecast called for a 50% chance of some precipitation and it looks like the coin didn’t land in my favor. While checking out at the front desk the manager on duty had this to say:

Manager: “You know Barack Obama is speaking right across the street this morning…”

Me: “Oh really…”

Manager: “Ya- you gotta be crazy though to want to see him in this weather…”

Me: “Oh ya, you have to be insane… well thanks!”

I am that insane person.

The Civic Center opened their parking lots and since I was a good 2.5 hours ahead of doors opening I easily snagged a spot. As I walked up there was already a line forming, I got in probably amongst the first 100 people. I was excited.

I was also wet and cold.

The rain made quick work of my jacket and jeans- but my spirits were still strong. Others in the line decided that the weather wasn’t worth it but for me it wasn’t a decision to make. I already drove four hours and I wasn’t going to miss this chance to see the candidate I am supporting.

The people in line were really friendly a couple of them let me duck under their umbrellas and we made small talk. Vendors quickly setup in the lots to sell everything from knock-off Obama shirts, buttons, and even underwear. There was a woman who walked up and down the line yelling “Bargains & Badges!” I have no idea what it meant but everyone found it hilarious to listen to.

At 10 AM the doors flew open and we proceeded inside. After going through security I was funneled into the a section of seats. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to the floor and after I found out that I could move down, I decided against it. I wanted a seat after all that standing and the floor was already full of volunteers that were able to get in early.

As I walked around the venue I noticed that the men in suits were already roaming about. It was exciting to see real secret service agents and actually got to talk to a couple of them.

The rally itself was your typical political event. Local officials said a few words before Senator Jim Webb came up and blasted McCain and Palin. I didn’t know he was going to be at the event so he was a pleasant surprise. Towards the end of Webb’s speech he just quickly introduced him and before I knew it Obama was walking through the tunnel into the arena.

The speech was full of message points and lines that I’ve heard in debates and MSNBC- but it was just great to see them delivered live. Obama presented himself as a leader but also as a “local Joe” while he maybe a politician, he does a great job in relating with the middle class audience of Roanoke. A memorable moment for me was when he put his speech aside to call out a girl that got on the shoulders of a friend to get Obama’s attention. While he doesn’t come out to pyrotechnics, Obama rallies really do have a certain rock star quality to it; during the rally the entire arena was doing the wave.

As his speech came to an end and he walked off the stage to shake hands, I just tried to take in the moment. In only a few short days this man might become the next President of the United States and I can say I was there at the beginning. Sure lots of people in Arlington will try and see him on January 20th but that show will almost impossible to see. I was wet, tired, and hungry on the trip back to DC however never once did I stop and think that I wasted anytime on a trip that encompassed many miles.

Sometimes you need to got the extra mile if you really want something, even if that extra ends up being a few hundred.

The local CBS affiliate has the entire Obama Roanoke speech on their website. Barack’s Blog Community has the full transcript of his remarks. Below are some highlights from YouTube:

The Obama campaign also produced a clip, this one features Barack on health care:

Tags: barack obama, blog, boston, devil rays, election 2008, favorites, jmu, john mccain, men's health, philadelphia, red sox, roanoke, sarah palin, travel, virginia, virginia tech

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve written before about how I wanted to travel more often so when I ran across this idea I seriously gave it some thought.

As I become a bigger and bigger fan of baseball- two things came to mind:

1. I need to start seeing more games at Fenway Park.
2. How cool would it be to try and see a game at every Major League Baseball stadium?

It’s a goal many people embark on and I like it because it’s an on going journey that will require me to travel to different parts of the country- and watch baseball!

I think it’s going to be a goal I’m going to work on as I make annual travel plans. In thinking about the topic I found two sites I thought were nice resources for the future:

1. ESPN’s Page 2 did a similar trip where they visited all the major league ballparks and gave them reviews.
2. Baseballparks.com contains photos and reviews of all 30 MLB ballparks.

Tags: baseball, blog, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

After the DMB show at SPAC, we were all rather hungry so we stopped by the local McDonald’s for a late night snack. I was hungry so I got the Double Quater Pounder. Normally that would of been ok except I forgot to mention I stopped by Roy Rogers (again) for brunch after leaving NYC. My meals on this trip area already looking terrible.

So after a night of DMB in Saratoga I gather my things and make a return trip back to NYC. I drove straight to Coney Island to meet my sister and her boyfriend Mike. The area was holding its annual Mermaid Parade. I spent most of the time trying to find a place to park- one of the most frusterating things about New York. After finally finding a space I got to walk along the boardwalk and see the amusment parks and stands. There was even an empty alleyway that was home to “Shoot The Feak.”

I also had a chance to walk down Brighton Beach, a primarily European/Russian community. Diana must love that place. We walked into a Russian liquor store and got cheap bottles of what was supposedly the best Vodka in Russia. I loved how it was on sale- in Soviet Russia you don’t drink the Vodka, the Vodka drinks you! After buying our bottles we all walked out and saw that the streets have erupted in some sort of chaos. Cars were honking for no apparent reason and people were walking around waiving Russian flags. I later found out that Russia beat the Netherlands in the Euro Cup Semi-Finals. Man the Russians must love their Futbol.

That night we went out to 42nd Street to see The Happening. I have already felt that M. Night Shyamalan hasn’t been living up to the hype and after watching the film I walked out wishing for more. On the way back to Harlem I saw the Scientology center right off of Times Square and I laughed.

Ok I’ll post the last part soon.

Tags: blog, coney island, dmb, fun times with friends, mermaid festival, new york, russia, scientology, the happening, times square, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I don’t take a lot of long vacations. Call it workaholicism, call it laziness to leave home, I just don’t take entire weeks off. However there is one trip I will take every year, and that is my annual trip to the Outer Banks. Every year a whole group of friends and I rent a house on Hatteras Island and spend a week on the beach, by the pool, in the hot tub, and basically just causing trouble.

Rather than fill up the page with paragraphs of memories, I decided to take a few photos from the trip and use them to explain some of the highlights.

This year we spent the week at Queen Anne’s Revenge. It’s has all the typical beach house luxuries: three floors, seven bedrooms, pool, hot tub, everything you need to party. However this house also came with an elevator, tiki bar, and a deck “bow” where you can have your own “I’m King of The World!” moment.

The house had a real pirate ship theme going on and it was epitomized with the captains wheel at the bar. We had people steering the ship all week long.

The house also had a Tiki bar poolside where we could grill it up and enjoy some drinks.

At the beach we got elaborate with our sandcastle building- I don’t think I’ve made anything this cool before but I have to hand it to Emily and Sarah for designing the construction of this fortress.

Ocean Kayaking. You better know what you are doing or else you are getting swept out to sea. I didn’t partake in any this year but our friends from Canada certainly enjoyed experiencing the ocean.

I think I’ve had more family dinners with my friends at the beach than with my actual family back at home.

For those that read my New Persuasion post on Ocracoke Island know that the neighboring island is  accessible only by ferry. Every year we pick a night to visit the island and enjoy fare at Howard’s Pub.

The game of choice this year was Drunken Jenga- played like the original version but each tile has instructions for the unlucky sap.

The rule of choice when playing drinking games often resulted in putting your head on the table. Emily put her head on the table a lot.

With two houses between all of us, a competitive game of capture the flag soon erupted. This led to many late night covert operations.

If I had to summarize the entire week I could do it in two words: “Get Awesome!”

Don’t know what I’m talknig about? The teaser I just edited offers an explanation- check it out.

Tags: beach, blog, debauchery, druken jenga, fun times with friends, new persausion, new persuasion, obx, ocean kayak, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I woke up on Sunday thinking that I need to travel more. So I quickly thought of some travel goals I want to do this year:

• In April I want to try and visit Melanie and Jim in Pittsburgh (update- I think I’m going to coincide this trip with some campaigning for Obama)
• In May I have my annual OBX trip
• In July I want to have a North American blowout- celebrating Canada Day in Canada and 4th of July back here.
• Also in the summer I think I’ll go to 1-2 DMB shows, one in Bristow, and one in NY so I can visit Diana (update I think I might put in for Nissan and SPAC this year, Virginia Beach might fit in there too maybe)
• In August I think I’ll visit home

Tags: blog, canada, dmb, obx, pittsburgh, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

As the fogginess clears from New Years and we all take an extra nap for that headache we all woke up with (not me of course- I don’t get those) I’d like to once again take a minute to reflect on what the hell just happened this past year.

School

My college days are moving further and further into distant memory. Last year I spoke about Grad School and 2008 will be my exploratory year into serious thought about the subject. I’m really interested in going back and this year I’m going to sit down and work it all out. I don’t know where and I don’t know for what but I know that I’m ready to figure it out.

Work

I had a great year at work. I was exposed to a lot of travel and new experiences- everything from following racers in the Bull Run Rally, to pushing GM’s newest electric vehicle. My travels took me from ghetto fabulous Detroit to ghetto fabulous Miami. New co-workers has led to new friendships and even better lunches in the edit suite. I hope 2008 will not only has great- but better than 2007. I am energized to step up and make an impact in 2008.

Friends

Like I wrote above, my friends at work continue to be a good time. From the moments with Chanelle to schemes with Krissy and Ryan to baked goods from Mallory and let’s not forget the sports commentary from Neal. Birthday office pranks have shown that with enough newspaper and awesome interns, work can be very enjoyable. Thanks to Rachel and Jessica for keeping the workplace entertaining in as little as 20 hours a week (maybe 5 hours a week when talking about Jess.)

In 2007 friends like Falkor and Wendi have moved into the area and has led to many great times. Other friends have moved away like Diana, Ben, and Lindsay and that has made me sad. Some friends spent a short time here, like Patrice and Colleen and made things interesting. As always Sarah, Doug, Laura and Emily have made trips to Renaissance Festivals and Hershey Park fun. CJ and Eliza throw awesome Maryland tailgate parties and know how to have a good time in B’more. Jessie has taught me that half Asians are just as good as the 100% variety.

I really enjoyed the conversations I’ve shared with Rebecca in 2007; anything from my stupid love life to other details- she’s been a great friend to have down here in DC. I’m excited that Adam, Camille, Sara, and Charlotte have made me appreciate the nights out on U-Street, the new neighborhood I discovered in 2007. Watch out Adams Morgan!

Something I’ve come to appreciate in 2007 is as life goes on you’ll always have friends no matter where you move off to. My visits back home made me realize who my lifelong friends were going to be. I can’t go back home without giving Bill or Dave a call. Patrick and I continue to keep in touch and I think that in 2007 our friendship has become even stronger post high school. Catching up with Mike and Joe feels like it was only yesterday that we were all roommates in TH404.

Life with my five crazy roommates has been better than ever in 2007. Adam has introduced me to some awesome new friends in LJ. Burak always makes living in this house unpredictable. Laura has become the first ever female resident to Cleveland Street- and in 2008 we will see the female population double in the house. She’s also got Burak and I into a Kickball league which has led to many more new friends and experiences.

This past week has made me realize that sometimes life changes, sometimes people change. I’m thankful to know that I have such a great group of friends and I know that all my friends will continue to make every year a great one.

Family

It’s exciting to see Diana starting her career in publishing in NYC. The lovely gifts she gave at Xmas shows that she’s going to do a great job. Kim is quickly making her mark at my old alma mater- I’m proud of all the accomplishments she’s doing there. Danny? Well he’s having fun at CHS and I guess that’s all we can hope for.

Love

Two words to describe the women of 2007. Crazy Bitches.

Besides the fact I need to meet normal people- I’m starting to realize that there have been some vestiges of the past that I should really stop even trying with. As Bill just told me, “fuck FSC bitches.” That I will- well not to that extent.

The dating scene in 07 included stupid drama with girls hundreds of miles away, one or two scientists (you wouldn’t believe how many of them there are in this town,) and chasing girls that are just teases or crazy- maybe both. Let’s also mix in a couple first dates for good measure.

Over the summer I dated Marjorie and reminded me why I like girls from the South… and also why I shouldn’t date girls from the south. She fit Rebecca’s sterotype of women I date. I think I need to fix that, maybe date girls who are a bit taller. Marjorie was good while it lasted and she taught me a lot about dealing with women.

Goals for 2008? Avoid crazy girls. That’s about it.

Travel and Special Events

Besides work I did a little bit of traveling during the year. The OBX was a blast and the videos that spawn off from my second annual trip excites me for the fun times we’ll have in 2008- double the houses means double the fun!

The Three-way birthday party was by far one of the best ideas Krissy, Ryan, and I have come up with. I think it needs to make a return in 2008. I should also note that Krissy has awesome friends that I’ve gotten to know in 2007 and I’m looking forward to awesome theme parties in 2008.
People got married in 2007. My cousin Mai, Krissy, Christina, and Mallory. These Weddings proved that I have no skills in dancing- even after a few drinks. People also got engaged in 2007: Melanie, Rebecca, and Dave (the first wedding where I’m in the party.) This means that 2008 will have a couple more nuptials I’ll get to see. Did people have babies in 2007? Prolly but I’m too young to think about babies.

I celebrated my 30th DMB show in Bristow with front row tickets, made a return trip to North Carolina to see the Tarheels play, and attended my high school five-year reunion.

I still haven’t taken that cruise but I think it’ll be a good vacation to take before I start Grad School- that prolly means 2009.

In Conclusion

Made some headway with my videos- I hope slowing down on these Wedding projects will give me time to tackle some side projects I really hope to do. I have some new ideas for my blog that I hope to implement in 2008 and I still need to find that hobby. I know that Fantasy Baseball and Football has become a year round hobby- but maybe something with more people. 2007 has given flavor to a new life that start back in 2006. I hope 2008 will continue to bring good times while also firming up the direction of where I want to go in the future.

Tags: adams morgan, blog, fantasy sports, favorites, feelings/reflections, friends, girls, grad school, travel, u-street, year in review

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

So after months of planning and talking- the lovely Kimberly Conner and I are embarking in a Year End extravaganza.

Friday I drove back to DC with Kim, the first part of our ultimate destination. Another well long drive ended with a rainy celebration at P.F. Chang’s- it’s definitely as good as Krissy says.

Yesterday we did some sightseeing- walked around the Tidal Basin and checked out the FDR Memorial- off the beaten path but something I’d definitely check out again.

After dinner at CPK, we watched the Patriots go 16-0 at The Front Page.

Now time for the second part- a drive down to Chapel Hill to see the UNC/Valparaiso game.

Next post: 2007 review.

Tags: ballston, blog, dupont circle, food, fun times with friends, holidays, patriots, travel, unc, washington dc

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

The world’s asleep and I am… numb.

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything- that’s how busy I’ve been!

Post Birthday: Work week was full of traveling, house cleaning, and festivus.

Kisco Village, NY- you are not like your more popular brother, your stores close at 8 PM and little is over two stories, but you have really nice fine dining and you still know how to stay classy.

Talking about classy I think the whole crew thought festivus this year thought our pot luck dinner is getting better and better. It was great to see Ben and Lindsay as well as the rest of my favorites down here. Secret Santa went well- I got a the Tourgasm DVD from Laura. She wasn’t very secretive with who she got for Secret Santa.

The drive home for the holidays? As always made great time and I got to play with the new toys I got on Black Friday. I was only back home for a handful of days so I had to make the most of the time I had. Hours after I arrived in Chelmsford, I got into the car again to drive to Fitchburg to see Mike and Becky. We watched some football and caught up on the times.

Christmas included some last minute gift shopping, tree trimming, and overall family quality time. I got my Dad an HDTV and that became a project to hook up.

I got a Laurence Maroney jersey, a Wii Zapper and Ghost Squad, and a signed copy of I Am America (And So Can You!)
Days after Christmas became more packed than a political campaign. Wednesday during the day I went shopping and had dinner with Bill- and after that I watched The Bourne Ultimatum with Dave and his family.

Thursday included lunch with Patrick and this really nice Japanese/Chinese place called Karma in Westford. It’s always an interesting conversation when I get to hang out with Patrick.

After that meal was- another meal. Had a little FSC reunion with Phil, Tessa, and Jen. We went to their favorite restaurant- Chilli’s. Apparently they go there all the time. After that the night resembled the many nights we shared in Russell Towers- just chatting about ridiculous topics and just being amazingly open about life.

Ok this post should be enough to catch up the three people that read my blog.

Next up: My North Carolina Adventure.

Tags: blog, bourne ultimatum, family, fitchburg, food, fun times with friends, montgomery county, stress, travel, westford

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I am a 24 year old mess.

But it’s cool that facebook just wished me a happy birthday.

Who else is cool? All my friends that wished me a happy birthday. I love y’all.

Capping off my birthday, I just got back from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert. It was a three hour spectacle of rock, spoken word, and lots of pyrotechnics. The show reminded me of a KISS concert- rockers with big hair, lots of flames and sparks, and loud music.

Time to catch up on my week. Besides celebrating my birthday I was out this week on business in Detroit. I got to stay at the Renaissance Center- my first time in the building. It’s big, housing five towers and lots of shops, restaurants, and offices. However the layout of the complex is pretty complicated I found it difficult getting to where I needed to go efficiently.

Got to hang out with Rebecca, Sara, and Camille this week as I fixed up Reb’s laptop in time for Adam’s welcome into the US. I have to hang out with those people soon sometime- they are always a fun time.

Tags: birthday, blog, detroit, fun times with friends, trans-siberian orchestra, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I hope everyone had a great Turkey day! I’m relaxing here in Massachusetts, recapping some events before I pass out.

In usual fashion I pull an all nighter before I drive my tired butt to BWI for my flight back to Boston. I thought my drive to the airport was bad- I don’t know how much I’ll hate my drive back home from the airport when I fly back in at 11:30 PM.

After a much needed nap I got a call from Patrick- he finished some work on a film project I helped him with and I got to hang out with him a bit as we watched his first cut. It’s been a long time since I’ve really spent some time with some high school friends, something that would dictate the rest of the break.

Thanksgiving was an interesting one. A lot of the Pho extended family was away on vacation this year- so we spent our Thursday night dinner together with Steaks and Potatoes. As always my mom cooked way too many baked potatoes- how many baked potatoes are we going to eat in one night? Something I really have to give my mom kudos for is her ability to shop. My dad found a big cardboard box full of bags of candy- my mom managed to find a sale where she not only got all of it for free, but she actually got money back through the magic of coupons. It’s something straight out of a Dat Phan joke.
This year a lot of stores had Black Friday sale items online the night before- allowing me to get some good deals before I went to bed that night. Good thing I was able to sleep in- my 5 year high school reunion was later that night.

I met up with Jimmy and we headed over. It was a weird thing driving up to the hotel, I really haven’t kept up with a whole lot of people in high school throughout the years. I really didn’t know what to expect. I geeked out a little right before walking into the ballroom. It turned out to be a really enjoyable night. I walk in and I see Rebecca and Rob Russo at the table. Of course Rebecca was awesome enough to proclaim how cool I was in DC. Rebecca’s the best.

Jimmy and I made the conclusion that as soon as you walk in that room we pretty much reverted back to high school social circles. This was affirmed when we both saw that sketch guy that nobody talked to and we both went, “ya we’re still not talking to that weirdo.” It was great to see everyone from back in the day. Patrick Mongeau summed it up nice-none of us has really changed.

Saturday I went out with two people I missed at the reunion- Jimmy Clancy and Dave Fretwell. We all met up in Kendall Square and enjoyed some drinks and a little pool. Jimmy and Dave are now both engaged and it’s getting kinda weird that all my friends in high school and college are getting hitched. Now I know how Chanelle feels.

After a late night which included watching Transformers with the family, I got up to enjoy some breakfast with Miss Kim Conner. I usually find myself trying to see a lot of college friends and this week was dominated by mostly high school friends. Later that night I went over to Bill’s place to watch the Patriots/Eagles game. It was a close game but at least the Pats came out on top again.

Well it’s almost time to return back to normal life.

Tags: blog, chelmsford, family, fun times with friends, high school, holidays, massachusetts, transformers, travel

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Now that I’m back home, I gotta get my routine in order, especially after this weekend.

Yesterday was Cleveland House’s annual Halloween bash, and I have to say that it was better than ever. We had it going on in the basement: two kegs, jungle juice (made by Laura, Adam, and I), Beirut, flip cup, darts, and the World Series on a LCD projector. That along with music upstairs and all of our friends in costumes = total chaos. I have to say a good time was had by all. If there were any highlights I can’t really remember them.

I know Rebecca and Camille rocked the pong table, Laura rocked the punch, and LJ rocked the congressional entourage.

Tonight I just got back from watching the Red Sox win the World Series for the second time in four years. It’s beginning to look like Boston’s becoming another city of champions. With positive outlooks for The Patriots, The Celtics, and the BC Eagles; we’re just full of winners. Hell maybe even the Bruins will win some games.

LJ and I went to watch the game at Rhino Bar, a Georgetown hangout where Red Sox Nation congregates. It was my first time at the place and I was impressed with the turnout of the Boston faithful. We were cheering for every hit, every out. My voice hurts from all the screaming that went on tonight.

Well I gotta love that dirty water, it’s late and I should go to bed- I have work tomorrow after all.

Tags: blog, boston college, bruins, celtics, debauchery, georgetown, holidays, patriots, red sox, roommates, travel, world series