So for my job, I HAD to go to Miami. Even I hate me because that’s so effin’ awesome.
Okay, how cool is that? Another place that I’ve always wanted to go: Miami. And now I’ve gone. I even had the chance to go to South Beach, although admittedly it was with my coworkers, so it wasn’t exactly the ideal situation. But it was still incredible to go down there and partake in the fun. I flew there from LaGuardia (which I have an entirely BETTER impression of now that I’ve flown out of there from a different terminal, this one the AWESOME Delta terminal) on Monday afternoon, with my boss picking me up from Midtown in his car. We then got down there around dinner time, so we first stopped at our hotel, the Conrad Hotel. OMG. In-fucking-credible. First, the hotel’s lobby is on the 25th floor. And when you’re checking in, behind the desk folk is a stunning view of the Miami bay. Then I found out I had been upgraded to a suite. Which was hella sweet. Pictures below. But we only paused to drop stuff off (and I did a quick shirt change) and then it was off to meet up with others in the group for dinner. They had stayed much closer to South Beach, and I may have to do that as well next time (which I found out that there probably will be a few more Miami business trips!). Anyways, we met up with them and South Beach is pretty damn awesome. We ate at a place called Mojitos and then hit the main strip, Ocean Drive, and hung out in a club called Mango’s. You can imagine what that name implies. Well, it’s not really that suggestive I guess – it wasn’t a strip joint. But the club does have girls in very small bathing suits dancing on a bar…as well as guys too. Nice. ANYWAYS, I definitely think a non-business trip down there will be in order!
That was probably the highlight of this week so far – if I have a better highlight, you know I’ll be updating asap! But other fun was had since I’ve last updated.
First, I finally got my first true taste of NYC nightlife. Went with Shelly, my roommate, out to a concert this past Saturday night. It was ‘supposed’ to start at 8pm, but of course it didn’t start till 10pm (thems the rules in NYC). But it was a great chance to drink a lot, and by the time the concert started (the artist was Me’Shell Ndegocello, for those that are interested), I really was so buzzed it didn’t matter if it was Yoko Ono screaching her little Asian heart out. But it was a blast, I ended up making friends with a couple who had been hanging out at the bar too (they were about as trashed as me too and were also like, who the fuck cares who’s singing?). The guy gave me his business card and I may have to contact him to hang out with him and his wife again. They were cool. After the concert ended around 11:30, Shelly and I headed a few streets up. The concert was held in the Maritime Hotel’s ballroom (called the Hiro Ballroom) which was Asian themed, and was located close to Downtown on 16th Street. A few blocks up at 22nd street is where you then find some of NYC’s really fun (and expensive) night clubs, so we strolled up 8th Avenue from 16th to 22nd, passing by all sorts of people out and about on a Saturday night. There was an ‘alternative’ club that I’ll definitely have to go back to one day, but tonight we were headed to one of the Ultra Lounge / Dance clubs on 22nd. So basically, between like 8th and 7th avenues, there’s a section of street that is purely nightclubs. It almost actually reminded me of the downtown Colorado Springs area where the clubs are…but just a LOT more expensive. We had a number of clubs to choose from, but we ended up choosing one called Duvet. It was awesome. Very upbeat and danceable music and the crowd was all having a blast. White walls and giant beds were the theme of the club, but barely anyone was chilling on the beds – literally everybody was shaking their ass on the floor. It was quite an awesome place to start my NYC clubbing days. That night was mostly hip-hop, but as the night went on, it definitely started progressing towards mixes of recognizable tunes – but these mixes were so crazy good it was awesome. I heard Wanna Be Startin’ Something mixed with Don’t Cha and just had to dance harder. I totally wished Susan would have been there at that point, as she was definitely my CS dance buddy. When she gets out here to visit, she better be ready for a workout!!!!
Anyways, we danced for a few hours there (with a $30 cover for me, you better believe I was going to stick around for a bit, even if I am making 6 figures) and then we met up with someone Shelly is dating a ways away on 3rd avenue. I was EXHAUSTED by this point so I decided to head home – and what a journey that turned out to be. First, I admit I was drunk. So with that said, my initial goal was just to get to the New Jersey PATH train station, which takes you from Manhattan to Hoboken, NJ. The PATH station is on 6th Avenue and 23rd, which is FARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR from where we were. And in my new shoes (story below) which weren’t still quite broken in, my feet paid the price. And for some reason, I felt reluctant to take a taxi to the station. Never again will that reluctance be encountered. So I walked my drunk ass to the PATH station and discovered why I am going to continue taking the ferry to work. The PATH stinks. Literally. It’s fucking gross. So while it may be cheaper overall to go to work via PATH and the Subway, the ease of hopping on the ferry and the lack of the B.O. smell is WORTH IT. But the ferries stop running long before 3 in the morning (which let me tell you, while late for me, is pretty much the midpoint of the evening for a true Manhattanite) so I had no other option except maybe a ridiculously expensive cab ride all the way home. So I took the PATH to Hoboken along with many other drunk partyers returning to New Jersey. Once in Hoboken, the plan was then to hop in a cab the rest of the way home, which I was glad to do. Of course, many others have this same plan, so there’s a taxi line, and to top it off, the taxi cabs like to fill the car up as much as possible, so with it being just me, my cab driver also took others. In my case, it turned out to be 2 drunk guys and a girl. The drunk guys decided to sing Bruce Springsteen… a lot. Now, I know, me and Bruce are tight, but I barely know the words to anything of his besides Dancing in the Dark and the chorus of Born in the U.S.A. So in other words, not much at all. So when the two guys ask, first if I like ‘The Boss’ and second what song would I like them to sing, I just had to laugh and respond that they could the song of their choice as it really didn’t matter to me. And it didn’t. I just wanted to go home. They continued singing, and the girl was frantically trying to get me to not request or encourage them any more… all in all, an interesting time. OH! I forgot while on the PATH train to Hoboken, I ended up sitting next to some girl who had partied just a tad too much. She sat directly next to me with her friend and had her head in one of those small clear-plastic purses and vomited the ENTIRE train ride there. Yes, I will not be taking the PATH more than absolutely necessary.
So how’s THAT for a first NYC party experience? But you know what? I’m so going to do it again!
Alright, what else is there? I’ve been really enjoying getting to know the job more and more. I actually am starting to feel knowledgeable. Oh yeah, I was in Miami because we were there to help transition Telemundo (which NBC Universal owns) to one of our library management systems and train them on the new process. Sounds glamorous, yes? Of course it’s not, but it was a necessary step to get them inline with some new technology and to begin the transition to a electronic media library that will encompass All of NBC’s networks so that we can know where every commercial, promo, or program is physically located. A lot of work, but it’ll be awesome when done.
I promised you another story though, didn’t I? Well, I promised it to you if you managed to get through my NYC party story. Basically, I went shopping at one of the more trendy stores the other day during lunch: Kenneth Cole at Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue. His stuff for guys is very much my style, and he has stuff from shoes to jackets to clothes to belts to well, basically, most everything. And I’ve been in the market for a new rainjacket and some nice brown shoes. And THEN I found out that since I work at Rockefeller Center, I get a 10% discount there as well. Can you say, FUCK YEAH!? I know that you can. So I went in there, not really expecting much in terms of customer service because my previous experience at H&M left a bad taste in my mouth. Basically at H&M, even with me being my most polite and charming, I got basically blank stares and near-sneers in response from the ‘help’. What a bunch of jerks. But surprise, surprise, the guy I went to who was near the jackets turned out to be awesome and nice (nice-looking too, but I digress). I picked out a sweet jacket, new brown shoes that I freakin’ love, and a cool new reversible brown/black belt. I think I helped his commission enough that I got to become part of his ‘Client Book’. Yay me. I ended up missing a 20% off invite-only night at Kenneth Cole on Tuesday because I was in Miami (you know, writing that last sentence is hilarious – who knew that I would EVER write something like that?) though, and it sucks because there was going to be free Champagne!!!!!
Alright, let’s see, I think that IS all the stories now. But while walking home tonight from the ferry, I realized I feel the need to divest myself of all my insecure and internal thoughts that go through my head. Now if you could give a rats ass about this all, then feel free to stop reading. No one’s forcing you to and you’re certainly not paying for the ‘privilege’ of Hobie’s thoughts, but I was thinking about all the things that go through my head at certain times and I realized there’s just things I would rather not be hesitant to admit anymore. And maybe it’s not even hesitation in saying them – it’s just been I thought no one cared. And no one really does, but it’s my website, and I care, so I can do whatever the hell I want. Life’s too short to repress yourself. So if you’d like to skip down to the pictures, please do so at this point. And if anything I write makes you think less of me, well, sorry – I made no guarantees!
Some Things I Think: (this will probably be a re-occurring feature, so please skip as necessary in the future)
– I often walk into a room of people and immediately try to see who the most attractive guy is and then compare myself to that person. Then I’ll usually do a rank-order of where I probably fit in, comparatively. At this point in my life, I think I’m pretty fair and objective in my rankings. Like today and yesterday, I was in a Project Management course. There were two incredibly good-looking guys (at least in my opinion) that I think definitely were better-looking than me, so I probably came up as #3 in the rankings today. But you see, this shows how arrogant I truly am in my own head. I’m not Exceedingly arrogant, but still pretty arrogant, and definitely vain. I mean, hello, I make a ranking list. Yet what I hate is when my own self-image gets destroyed by a bad reflection or bad picture of me (or is it a TRUE picture?). Because you see, in my own mind, I think I’m fairly good-looking!
– I hate talking on the phone, especially when trying to do the ‘catch up with others’ thing. I’m horrible at it. Why? Because almost everything that I think would keep people interested on the phone ISN’T interesting. And then i’m like, what the hell do I have to talk about or tell people? My life, although new and exciting now, is still pretty damn solitary, so there’s not much to ‘report’ on. “Yep, I went to work again”. This week was quite a change from the norm, and who knows, my phone calls may be a lot more interesting from here on out. So this isn’t a slam against anyone who calls me, because honestly, I love to hear how you all are doing, but I have nothing usually. And then I feel bad. I don’t want to bore people. God knows I do it enough on this website.
– I’ve realized that my natural and relaxed face is a very pissed-off face. At least that is what it looks and seems like. So I consciously try to relax my face yet also have a smirk or slight smile so I don’t look like a damn psycho. But when i do that, then I realize instead of an angry psycho, I must look like a smirking psycho. So honestly, what the hell am I supposed to do? I don’t want to become another walled-off New Yorker who absolutely looks miserable while going to work. You should see some of these people. They look completely and utterly defeated. They barely look at others and while I know it’s a defense mechanism of some sort, seriously, it’s not that bad! Look Up! Look at the City! It’s a great life. You’ve got one shot – enjoy it! But in the meantime, even though I don’t feel that way, I don’t want to look life a fucking idiot savant smiling away to himself (I’m Rain Man!) or some serial killer. What to do…..
Okay, I guess that’s enough for now. The first bullet point was what really got me wanting to ‘divest’ (I love that word today) myself of these mainly self-centered and arrogant thoughts. It’s not as if I don’t think them anymore, but it’s kind of nice to just say em out loud and let people know that I’m a selfish bastard. And if you can deal with that, then rock on with yo’ bad self.
And here are some pictures for persevering through this long long long-winded entry. I’ve finally taken some pictures of my room and dancehall bathroom too. Enjoy! And as an added bonus, I just recorded a mini-video of my room so you can truly see for yourself, with a guided tour no less, my living space. I may have to take advantage of this camera’s video features, as it would be kind of cool to make mini-videos throughout my stay here.
Oct 13, 2007 – Out with Shelly
That's my roommate Shelly - a few hours before we went out on 13 Oct (Sat)
13-Oct-2007 16:45, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
At the Hiro Ballroom
13-Oct-2007 18:48, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.6 sec, ISO 800
Shelley and me, kinda shiny
13-Oct-2007 19:44, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 200
13-Oct-2007 21:15, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 1 sec, ISO 200
Oct 15, 2007 – In Miami for WORK
Me in Miami at Mojitos, holding a Mojito, strangely enough
15-Oct-2007 18:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.125 sec
15-Oct-2007 19:50, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.125 sec
This was my suite in the Conrad Hotel in Miami.
15-Oct-2007 22:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.2 sec
Amazing
15-Oct-2007 22:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.04 sec
Didn't want to leave
15-Oct-2007 22:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.077 sec
15-Oct-2007 22:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.04 sec
15-Oct-2007 22:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.025 sec
Oct 17, 2007 – Rockefeller Rink in Pink
17-Oct-2007 16:49, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 400
17-Oct-2007 16:49, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 400
Oct 18, 2007 – My Room, Lived in and Furnished
18-Oct-2007 20:32, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
18-Oct-2007 20:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 141
And now here's my apartment as of 18 Oct - this is looking from my bed to the bathroom
18-Oct-2007 20:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
Looking from the mirror to my window
18-Oct-2007 20:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
My desk and bureau from the room entrance
18-Oct-2007 20:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 800
How I hid my bookcase
18-Oct-2007 20:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
18-Oct-2007 20:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.25 sec, ISO 141
The needlessly spacious bathroom
18-Oct-2007 20:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 141
18-Oct-2007 20:35, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 141
Cluttered sink, but what can you do? (I know, put the shit away!)
18-Oct-2007 20:35, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 141
18-Oct-2007 20:35, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 141
18-Oct-2007 20:35, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 141
was still intercut with Bruce Springsteen and when I saw it on the jumbotron screen at Rockefeller Center (NOT Times Square though…bummer), it was lifesize! Also, here are some stills that Robie thoughtfully sent as well (thanks Robbie!).
