Life In Da Burbs

This could be the funniest SNL skit this year. http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=zLElfJ9YCh0 Check it out.

My friend Naoki and his wife Makiko came to visit from San Diego this past weekend. We had a great meal at Aquavit in midtown friday night. We all chose the Chef's Tasting Menu that night. Chef Niels took great care of us with a bunch of complimentary dishes and desserts along with the basic meal. Not only was the food excellent, we sat next to the mayor of New York City, Mayor Bloomberg. He just happened to be there that night sitting the table next to us with his family. Pretty cool. Dish after dish, the food came and by the time dessert arrived, everyone was grinning in food euphoria. It's important to treat yourself to great food once in a while. It makes your daily struggles in life worth the pain and aggrevation. 2 1/2 hours after our first bite, we were ready to go home. We called it a night out in the city and drove back to my place. What a day.

nothing much to report today. wanted to pick up chandelier cleaners after work today but it started to rain then slush formed. this gave me two options, go home and take the suv out to the supermarket, or just turn the traction control off and learn how to power slide on empty roads. i chose the latter. i turned the e-shift mode on and had a little fun going home. the last stretch to my house, through the residential neighborhoods was the highlight of my power slide and drifting experience. although not very good at it, i could feel the wheels spin under me as the back end of the car slides sideways and around the anticipated turn. i felt like i was in Initial D (japanese car manga). i may need to read up on techniques to perfect my drifting. but perhaps i will wait until i can afford a new set of tires for every 30 minutes worth of drifting. those rubber babies burn up fast.

I drove home in my new (well, pre-owned) Lexus IS 300 today. (pictures will follow in the days to come) I have never had so much fun driving. This machine hugs the road very well, and the driver's seat consoles make you feel like you are piloting an alien warship. Alright, I may be exagerating a bit, but it's very hard to keep calm when you drive something so fun to drive. More to come tomorrow...

Looking for the right venue for a wedding is tough business. Last night, J and I met up with some friends and had a great meal at Mr. K's (Lexington & 51st). Scroll down for the list of dishes. It was a great meal and we were quite content with the quality of the food. But the way the restuarant was set up wasn't to our needs and that unfortunately ruled out our plans for a reception there. Later that evening, we went for drinks at the Four Seasons Hotel. The bar/lounge is a swank, high ceiling joint where the bon vie vant sit and chat with others of their kind. Nice decor for sure, but not the type of establishment for you or I. Definately snooty, pretentious and ugly. Plus, did you know at around midnight, you can find women of the night working their sales pitch on wealthy lonely men there? Who would have thunk the Four Seasons would be that kind of stomping ground. So saturday was kind of a bust in terms of finding our spot. Well, we woke up this morning and were energi...

Mr. K's - 570 Lexington Ave New York, NY Cocktail - Gin & Tonic (excellent) Peanuts (excellent, the best bar peanuts i've ever had) Appetizers - Dumplings (excellent), Crispy Beef (good) Soup - Crab, Lobster and Asparagus (excellent) Peking Duck (good) Baked Cod (excellent) Firecracked Prawns (excellent) Shrimp Lomein (good) Chocolate Heaven - Hazelnut, Vanilla, Chocolate mousse layers (excellent) Four Seasons Hotel - 57 East 57th Street New York, NY Diet Coke (was driving home) people watching (excellent) Bouley - 120 W Broadway New York, NY Cocktail - Gin & Tonic (excellent) Amuse Bouche - Raspberry gelee with mascapone and almond foam (good) Appetizer - Phyllo crusted shrimp, baby Squid, Scallop in Ocean Herbal Broth (excellent) - Tuna Tartar with Shaved Fennel (excellent) Fish - Seared Black Bass in Lemon Clam Broth(excellent) - Lobster and Mango in Coconut & Tamarind Dressing (excell...

Turbo Kits : Not that I am looking to do this. But the option is there if I do change my mind. Adding this turbo kit will increase my already 215hp another 120+hp. Is this really what I want to do and will it be too much car for me to handle? I thought I just wanted a car to commute back and forth to work. Apparently Dr. Jekyll has found Mr. Hyde. Peddle to the metal!

I have been thinking of replacing my '94 Honda Accord Coupe with a 2001 Lexus IS 300 (Altezza - in japan). I do not want to purchase a brand new car yet and for the time being, the Lexus seems like a whole bunch of fun to drive. It's got the Lexus badge (giving me sense of reliability), an inline 6 (cast-iron block) giving me 215hp... more than enough for me, and front & side airbags in a pretty sturdy body for safety. It's a nice midsized compact sedan that should live up to it's write ups.

This is the driver's seat view of the steering and panel. I sat in it yesterday on a test drive and it was just a little snug when compared to my Accord but this should be perfect for J. It accelerates very well and handling was very responsive. Lot's of cool extras like the E-Shift system built into the steering wheel, ventilated front disk brakes, on/off traction control, 50/50 weight distribution, and Electronic Braking Distribution. I will make my choice by early next week. I am also flirting around the idea of an 2001 Acura TL. These are the top two contenders at the moment.

Disturbing as it may... I took the OK Cupid Politics Test. My friends at HowBourgois had posted their scores and so here are mine.... I don't really know how to take it.... Try it yourself.

Disturbing as it may... I took the OK Cupid Politics Test. My friends at HowBourgois had posted their scores and so here are mine.... I don't really know how to take it.... Try it yourself.

You are a Social Moderate (43% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (33% permissive) You are best described as a: Centrist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test