Three Sixty Five And Counting…

After three weeks of non stop Meth Doc editing, the week slowed down a bit. Monday I went out to get some burgers with John Annie and Nick at the classic Upper East eater the Barking Dog.

Then we just chilled it at John’s place for a bit.

Tuesday, we had an incredible visitor at the office, Rob’s dog, Sadie.

Isn’t she the cutest?

Oh yes she is. Oh yes she is (obviously entoned in a goofy baby cooing voice).

We interrupt this blog for a word from devo monster.

And we’re back. Maury, seeing Sadie, was not to be outdone, and brought in his one year old daughter, Hannah.

Now isn’t SHE the cutest?

Thursday was 4.20, so what better way to celebrate than with some tossing of cards.

Bomba wanted revenge after reading the last blog, but the cards didn’t roll out that way. I busted him out again, only this time it did me little good, as I lost 28 american.

I got fucked by luck right off the bat against john, who was way behind on a lower kicker when we both had aces, and spiked his four. Then I lost another twenty against upstair’s jim when I had trips and he flopped the full house. With my third buy in, I managed to work up to about fifty with some good bluffing against Josh and some good cards.

But then I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar twice, and couldn’t let go of pocket tens when downstairs jim obviously had the king, and left down. But I did make this, so that counts for something right?

Friday I got some tulips delivered for Jenna at the office, tulips, her favorite.

Because its our anniversary on Saturday.

But lets not skip ahead, Friday night I saw Brick, which was excellent. Very finely crafted script, beautifully shot, and well acted, an all around pleaser. Then I had about an hour to kill before a concert, so I called nick who lives near by. He said he had just left his home, and sorry, but he was on prince street, when Bam! He’s literally right there on the street. Awesome New York moment.

So we went up to Faisal’s place, where I met his roommates Katia and Corina. Their place is pretty dope.

Nick had a moment with the cool cat George.

Faisal gave me the old photoflirt.

While Corina showed off George’s jumpin’ skillz.

I then corralled them into being in the Design Trip video, which if you haven’t seen in a bit is got a bunch of new vignettes. Check it. Their part is a bit short because the guy on the left didn't seem to want to do it too much when he asked, how many times do we have to do this, and i felt bad and only made them go around twice instead of four times. ho well.

So then i was off, to the Knitting Factory for some Green Apple Music Festival.

I met up with Harris for a late show of The Southland.

It’s Zack Whedon’s brother’s band. Some of their songs are only okay.

But they have a few that just fucking rock. Don’t believe me, listen for yourself, here or here.

It was a great show.

Which brings us, finally, to the One Year Anniversary. Jenna gave me my present first thing in the morning.

A fucking awesome collage painting of all our many photographed moments.

I gave her something a bit similar, a video montage of all our pictures together, which I regrettably cannot post for some of those pictures are for our eyes only.

Then we went to our old brunch standard, the Metro Diner (we hadn’t been there in three weeks because I had been working on the meth doc so much).

And basically had a lazy Saturday afternoon doing nothing… watching a bit of Top Chef, doing the crossword…

But we got dolled up at night, cause we had a very speacial date.

At Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, which neither of us had been to.

The grilled chicken tacos ap tickled the taste buds wonderfully with that kick of mint.

And my tuna with rice was cooked to a Tee, while Jenna loved her salmon, and not just sniffing it.

Look at my beautiful girl in her beautiful dress. Am I lucky or what?

Happy Anniversary, babe!

Why Is This Weekend Unlike Any Other Weekend…

Well, for one, because my younger brother Tom came down to visit with some friends.

Why does he have this look?

And where are we going?

And why does his other friend have that paper and his shoelace? It’s a fucking story, I’ll tell you that, but I must explain next time.

Because it’s SEDER TIME! Oh yeah, if you missed last year’s, then check it out. Jenna and I were a bit underdressed, but whatever.

Look at that wonderful spread.

The wonderful people.

The aur devoirs I brought, some good ass cheese, salsa, and guac, with matzoh no less.

The hostess sports the classy apron.

Olivia Chris and I reminisced about the ‘yard.

And mirth ensued.

But let us begin, with the Seder Plate.

And all of us sat to start the show.

Aaaaah, so cute.

Howards thinks so.

Claire breaks it all open with the lighting of the candle.

And Aaron leads us with the help of the Maxwell House Haggadah.

Harris is so Jewishly strong.

We passed the matzoh to represent moses going down the nile.

Then the plagues hit.

Olivia brought plague accessories, like wild beasts.

Darkness.

And hail, which I put to better use.

And as we discussed the veracity of ol’ Yaweh actually conspiring to do these things, he spoke up and the window crashed down.

Then jenna made her first Hillel sandwich.

And loved every bite of that Hiroset and horseradish lovin.

What the fuck are you pointing at?

Oh, its fabulous feast time! Everyone cooked such wonderful delicacies.

Yes, eat up one and all.

Jenna thinks it’s delicious, and it was.

Afterward, Carolina found the aficonen (sp?)

And won a prize.

Which meant time for snogging.

And to end the festivities right, that weird goat and two zuzim song.

Host with the most shows off his olden tiedye looks.

Then dessert came out. Oh glorious cheesecake.

But not the chocolate Seder plate cause it melted.

Carolina took up DJ duties.

While harris and I drunkenly sang with the Yeahx3s.

And we ended the night with a juggling demonstration thanks to BVH and mattsam.

Thanks hosts (only half pictured for some  reason).

The next day, amidst working all weekend for the Meth project (it was my third weekend in a row with no day off) I said good bye to my bro.

Monday, Jenna and I slept in by mistake (in a tired stupor, I set my alarm for 8:45 at night) and rushed in to make it bed to door in 28 minutes.

Happy Pesach people.

And The Music Played On…

What a weird fucking week. I dove right back into the documentary world of methamphetamine in Montana, actually cutting some stuff, which is cool, but it did keep me at work almost all day and all weekend. This is your brain. This is dustin’s brain on meth documentary.

But on to the recap. It snowed. In fucking april. It snowed in FUCKING APRIL. At least it was pretty.

Wednesday, escaping work by the skin of my teeth, I made it to preparty on time at nick’s place.

For we had a concert to go to. ART BRUT Bitches.

It started out with these Cowboy looking dudes.

Well, not all cowboy looking.

Because they went all rave on us. And their equipment failed, but Gil saved the day, monologuing us through it twice with wonderful aplomb and hilarity.

The acme of the show came during the double underpant dance.

They sure sucker punched us with an amazing fucking show, that crazy duo, Gil Mantera’s Party Dream.

During the intermission, we chilled with these kids.

And I saw Andy, my sister’s friend randomly.

Of course I took a (ronan p nagle invented) floor pic to commemorate.

Then the headliners.

Art Brut.

We thought they could not outdo Gil, but they were just so spot on, tight, confident and charismatic, the whole crowd at their feet, on their feet, however many more feet like euphemism for totally rocked exist.

After party at nicks, ben the rose and I went crazy making stop motion vids. You can’t seem them because they are on his camera, but it es fun.

Thursday, one more concert at Bowery Ballroom, Sondra Lerche and the Faces Down. Yes, double header baby. I left work at 9:30p. and Jenna had tickets as well, but she was too stubborn to ask to leave so she stayed and worked.

While Jennifer and I checked out the show.

Sondra came out alone at first, rocking some awesome vocals.

And then with faces down. Such a superb performance. A little lighter than the ‘Brut, but melodic and quite singular. And they just didn’t want to stop. They played a few songs, then the entire new album they were about to record, and then a five song encore.

So fucking awesome. Jenna sorry you missed it.

Saturday I worked all day. But it didn’t stop me from making it back to Nick’s for his little soiree,

What a crazy host.

John and jeff made it in.

Ex soccer teammates Lago Eljen and Matt chilled it in the corner.

And I finally met the Katzenbach sibling, Justine.

Oh, too be young and have fun in New York City.

I also used the party as a way to get more people into my design video, and it was great fun, and almost a three for three success. I couldn’t really pull off the full party line up, everybody drunk and what not, but it was fun just the same. Here it is, for all of you who do not have QT 7, The Design Trip QT 6.

Sunday I worked again, but jenna went to the opening of Coney Island, rode the cyclone, saw the Hungry Marching Band, and yes, became a Polar Bear.

Crazy. Oh i almost forgot, if you want to see the performance you missed, well, here's Mick Katz' take on it. And if you like it, check out his other shit.

Poke Random Rutkoff Bash…

Okay, ever since I had an incredible epiphany about my future, I have been lacking on this side of the blog. Don’t know what im on about, well check the other type of blogging. Anyhoo, on with the recap.

Wednesday we hit the first outdoor poker of spring brought to you in moody one light setting.

I was feeling good and playing good. Then I had john by the nuts until we split because the board straighted. Then I dave by the nuts, totally dominated with trips over his pocket pair, when he went runner runner for the straight, god damn straight!

This lead to my only mistake of the game, going all in in the very next hand against cassens, losing to his jacks with my fives. This total reversal would have finished me before, but I was feeling so positive, that I slowly worked my way back up to reasonable. Earlier, I had suckered in Bomba with a flush. He then missed out on making more money off me when he had a straight and I had two pairs because he feared the flush. So towards the end, when he called my three dollar preflop raise, I had a feeling he was playing to beat me, not a good strategy. I had king six, and the board gave me nothing, but I bet two when everyone checked, bomba then goes all in. I had nothing, king high, but something told me bomba was just trying to get some revenge, so I called, and sure enough, I took him out with his trashy jack high. From down 60, I left the cash game down ten, and made twenty on a tourney with sean and wayne where I just dominated the whole time. Way to reverse it D.

Thursday I caught Joel “The Shooter” Sanders (of scrabble fame on the other blog) in the subway. What pimp juice.

Friday, I was about to go to bed, when I checked my email and found that I had forgotten about Aaron’s party. So left jenna sleeping and went to some mediocre bar on 14th. Happy Birthday Rutkoff.

All of us in a booth.

The infamous Rabinowitz flirt.

I was out of place with out a blazer.

Or maybe not.

I think the alcohol is starting to work its magic.

Candid special!

And this was the moment that finally, someone didn’t laugh at me (jenna doesn’t count) when I told them what I wanted to be when I grow up. Thanks al.

We end, like all post should end, with an evil angry papaya monster.

Oh, and just so you know, i have been busy, check out the stop motion madness is... this thing, and this other thing.