End of the Innocence

Etan Patz would have been 39 years old if he was still alive.  Just a few years younger than me. 

Growing up in NYC there were real moments that were forever changing.  The Son of Sam, where I used to look behind my shower curtain every time I entered my bathroom, The 1977 Yankees, My favorite team of all time.  John Lennon being shot, my favorite of The Beatles.  Black out happening right in the middle of watching Baretta (i think),  having to walk up and down 23 flights of stairs and the disappearance of Etan Patz.

The flier of this little boy and the photos that were taken of him, looking like a model for a Sears or JC Penny catalogue plastered all around the city and on every newspaper was the end of early innocence and trust in NYC.

I look back and question the parents allowing him to walk to the bus stop by himself, but that neighborhood back then was different.  It was an art community.  No Apple Store, no trendy bars or restaurants.  It was a New York neighborhood.  Does that make it safe?  Well, maybe not, but you didn't think that way in New York until Etan Patz disappeared.

Reading the news of his killer finally being found was a sad moment.  I remember some years ago, they were doing computer renditions of what he would look like now and keeping hopes he was kidnapped and still alive.  We all knew he wasn't, but there was still that glimmer of hope.

The fact that his parents never moved or changed their phone number is a true sign and example of the commitment a parent makes to their child.  As a Father today, the thought of losing my kid in a flash of a moment is terrifying.  The poor Patz family must think about, how it would have been different today if... what if.  Two words that must haunt those poor parents.

I hope that this sad discovery and unexplained reasoning for killing a young innocent boy brings some sort of peace to Mr and Mrs Patz.  My heart breaks for Etan and what that poor little boy felt that horrible morning.


Time to hug my kids and really consider investing in that pocketfinder.

The Kids are saying "Spank"

One of my favorite shows of the last 10 years was a show called Grounded For Life.

It's a show about A Thirty-something couple from Staten Island.  After having their 1st daughter out of high school,  the two young parents deal with their three children as well as a judgmental father and his laid back brother.

The character of the brother, Eddie, was played by indie film star Kevin Corrigan.  This character is hilarious.  He's everything you wish you could be.  Irresponsible, womanizing, shady and just carefree.

This is an example of Eddie.  I think they still air the show on ABC Family.  Which amazes me based on the content and theme of this show with ABC Family being a Disney channel.  I'll assume nobody ever watched it over there and needed to fill in space on the schedule.
 

His Style is the Dirty Style...His Style is Just Dirty

I first heard of David Choe in this documentary i bought called Dithers.  He was in a small segment where I watched footage of him spray painting a Whale on the side of a wall on the 101.  It was beyond gonzo style graffiti.

Earlier this year I heard him on Howard Stern.  He was on because he was the guy who got hired to paint a mural on the walls of Facebook and rather than get paid, he took stock options.  Pretty genius, but the guy himself, is a creative genius artistically, but kind of insane in general.

His cousin made a documentary about him and his life up til now.  It's captivating.

Watching a guy like David Choe, makes me realize how puny my creative brain is in the world of artists.  I'm totally drawn to people like this.  The arts fascinate me.  I think that's why I've always been such a music fan.  Not only how the songs connect, the the awe of a great artists mind and creativity.

I highly recommend renting or buying  Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe and Dithers. 

Drips and Rolls

Age is a hell of a thing.

I'll never forget 5-6 years ago, I was talking to my friend Bob.  Bob is older than me and when I turned 38 or so, we were talking about getting older.  He told me this thing that stuck with me.

He said "Man, you have no idea what's coming.  When you are in your 40's, you are going to go to the bathroom and when you think you are done and pull your pants up, you'll realize you weren't really done."

It really stuck with me, because I thought:

A. It was hilarious
B. He's just sloppy.

When I turned 40, it was like a switch was tuned on and all of the sudden I was Bob.  I called him immediately and cursed him out.  He laughed at me.

The other thing after 40 is the slowing of ones metabolism.  It ain't easy (or possible) to get rid of that little roll in your middle...

Now, you can either go one way or the other.  The beauty of being an adult is you can make that choice and be happy either way. 

I love food.  But I also like feeling healthy all the time.  Chasing 2 kids around can wear you down, so I have to keep myself in good enough shape so I don't pass out.  Also, with family issues that are hereditary, I figure it's up to me to do what I can to prevent anything or at least delay it.

It's a struggle, but I found a few things that help.

1. My Green Juice in the am
2. Exercise.  I run every weekday, surf every weekend
3. The App on the iPhone called Lose It
4. Brush my teeth and floss every night at 9pm to prevent from eating (you gotta try something!)

This Lose It app is great.  It can either help you lose weight of just maintain a daily count of intake so you are aware of what you are actually eating.  Also, if you keep an eye on what you are taking in and exercising, you can work it to eat whatever you want! 

Truth is, weight is on you and you alone.  You aren't forced to eat, you chose to eat what you eat and how much.  So this app keeps me alert to what's going in and how it's going to effect me.

Age is a motherfucker.

I'm Married, We Don't Make Out

My friend Will sent me  text this morning and said, "We need a diner to hang out at".  It was such a random text, but he was right and it made me think of one of my favorite films of the 80's.

Barry Levinson's Diner was such a perfect film for me to see when I was 16.  It was this example of growing up, friendship and life and how important your friends are.

I actually model my life around this.  Nobody is perfect, everyone has problems, some people grow up, some don't.  That's all OK.

You really need a core group of friends to help get through life.  They don't all have to know each other or hang out together, but the sentiment of someone having your back is what makes everything tolerable.

Being able to have a deep conversation or just talk about the "ooohhh's" in The Sopranos or even "Who's better to make out to, Mathis or Sinatra?", these are all examples of having fun in life.  I love my friends.  

If you haven't seen Diner.  It's one of those that you will want to watch when you have nothing else to do on a rainy day, your kids are out or you just want to laugh.

Grilled Chicken and Rice with Peas - Easy Dinner!

Here's a real easy and healthy meal that I could eat every night.  It's real simple and takes 20 minutes to cook and maybe 5 minutes prep time.

Grilling chicken is the healthiest way to eat it, the rice is not so healthy, but fuck it.  The kids love this.

Ingredients


For Rice:
1 cup of white rice
2 cups of water
approx 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
pinch of salt


Peas:
Frozen peas
Water


For Chicken:
2 Chicken breasts (or more depending on how many are eating)
salt
pepper




Step 1 - Put one cup of rice in a pot.  Cover with 2 cups of water.  Add the oil and salt.
Bring to a boil and cover.  Let this cook for 20 minutes.  While the rice is cooking, get the chicken and peas going.

 Step 2 - Pound the chicken to thin it out (makes it easier to cook through), trim the fat and gross bits.  Salt and pepper as desired.

Step 3 - Use Olive Oil to coat your grill pan.  Have heat on high and place salt and peppered sides down first.  Salt and pepper the rest of the chicken.   At the same time, set the peas on the stove and bring to a boil. 

Step 4 - Everything is cooking at the same time.  Peas are boiling (take them off after 5 minutes of boiling and strain), Rice is cooking and the chicken is cooking.  Flip the chicken after around 6 minutes to cook both sides.

Step 5 - After 20 minutes are up, turn off the chicken, uncover the rice and pour the peas into the rice pot and mix.  I add a little butter (I use Earth Balance, butter substitute) to flavor it all a little more.  Mix them up and let it sit for a minute.

Step 6 - Serve the rice on a plate and place the chicken for a nice presentation (to yourself).  For the kids, I cut it up and mix it in.

Kids Plate

Adult Plate

I love this dish and it couldn't be easier.  Any leftover rice, just put away and reheat at a later time.  You can do it all over again, this time just cooking a chicken breast.

Ohhhh!

I loved The Sopranos.  What a great show.  But, there are moments that you will always remember and other things that become daily things.

This is something me and my buddy Johnny say to each other as salutations daily...