easy

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

I'm back! After a brief hiatus from posting I'm ready to get back into the grove. It's been about 2 months since my last post so I'll try to catch everyone up as best as possible. Here's a rundown of what I was up to:

• finding a place to retrieve the data off my external hard drive which decided to die on me. luckily, the guys at preemo were able to do it successfully

• celebrated my 43rd birthday with my sister & nieces

• caught up with some old friends while in O-town

• drove past the houses I grew up while in O-town

• went canoeing on the Wekiva River

• checked out Miami's Gay Pride Parade

• did some more decorating in my apartment

• packed up my office for our big move to Doral (starting Monday)

• saw a taping of American Ninja Warrior at Bayfront Park

• took photos of Flat Stanley around Miami for one of Huegel's boys' class project

I'm sure there were other things as well but the memory isn't what it used to be. :) Just where will I end up next time is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

around dusk

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

"It's so Miami". That was the catch phrase from last weekend when d&j were in town from SF. Of course it was also the weekend that Miami hit record low temperatures. Go figure. However, we didn't let the non-Miami temperatures stop us from having fun. Besides, it's all about the company and it was really good to spend time with good friends. It something that I definitely needed. Here's a rundown of how we spent the weekend:

01. getting soaked walking to Wynwood
02. checking out a new sticker exhibit
03. lunch at Wynwood Kitchen & Bar
04. a drive to the beach at night
05. hanging out at the gay beach & taking a dip in the ocean
06. drinks at Palace & Twist in South Beach
07. Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens
08. a drive through Fort Lauderdale & Miami Beach
09. empanadas
10. photo shoot with the red Mustang
11. panther coffee experience
12. checking out Little Havana

One of the best moments was when d surprised me with a quilt that was made from an old superhero sleeping bag I had. It's one of the best gifts I've ever received. I was amazed at how well it came out especially since the sleepy bag was in bad shape. His friend did an awesome job on it. I love it!

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

lost kitten

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Hello 2013! I hope every out there had a great holiday season. I know I did. Christmas was spent with my sister and for New Year's Eve I hung out with some old friends from high school. It doesn't get much better than that. I started off the new year making posole in the slow cooker and packing up the Christmas decorations.

2012 was a big year for me. I left my job and the city I called home for over 10 years to return to Florida. It took some adjusting but I finally feel like I'm settling into my new home. Next month will mark my one year anniversary in Miami and what a better way to spend it then having friends from SF come visit. I'm definitely excited about that. I looking forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for me.

As for resolutions, I generally don't make them. Although there are plenty of things that I would like to accomplish in 2013. I keep you posted on that as they come up.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

if i didn't know better

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

I've had the last two weeks off. The first being my official vacation and the latter being my furlough. I return to work on Monday ready to start the grind all over again. I didn't get as much done as I thought I would during this time. At first two weeks seems like a long time but the reality is that it all goes by so fast. Here are the highlights of how I spent my time off.

01. Thanksgiving in GA with family & friends
02. Adopting Mr. Bozley Jon Bozley
03. Cleaning my apartment
04. Decorating my tree & apartment for Christmas
05. Exploring South Beach
06. Shopping at Sunset
07. Numerous trips to Midtown
08. Catching up on my shows I missed
09. Spending time with Mr. Bozley Jon Bozley
10. Relaxing

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

black plastic

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Every time I come home from my sister's we pass the infamous Don Bailey image painted on the back of the store off of I-95.  And every time I keep saying I need to take a photo of it but I never do. Well, a few weeks ago my sister called me to tell me that she say a blog entry about said image on dlisted.  There's even a picture of Don today in the same pose celebrating the 38th anniversary of the ad. Check it out here. For some background on the ad campaign check out this article. It features the original Burt Reynolds laying naked on the carpet ad as well as Mario Lopez. Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.

stay gold & be well

victorias y ganancias

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

I'm falling in love with my neighborhood. It's by far one of the more interesting places I've lived and the more I venture out the happier I get. My morning was spent walking around Wynwood shooting pictures for my blog as well as working on my ongoing photo project "Doll Parts"(title subject to change). What I love about early morning outings is the lack of people out and about making me feel like I have the scenery all to myself.

While walking on one of the main streets, I was asked by a woman out photographing graffiti if I would pose for a picture. Not one to turn down a chance to be photographed and discovered, I gladly obliged asking what exactly she wanted me to do. Basically, it was a simple task—all I had to do was walk back and forth in front of the mural on the side of the building.  She had me do it twice.

Once I was finished with my mini-model photo shoot, I continued with my own photo shoot until my camera battery ran out of juice. There is so much art/graffiti to see in this neighborhood that one never gets bored. During my outing I stumbled upon the "fashion district" although I didn't get to check out any of the shops because they were all closed. A lot of places seem to be closed on Sundays. I'm definitely going to have to return during the week just to see what these stores are about.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

run 2

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Hurricane Sandy came and went bringing with it high winds, heavy rains, & much cooler weather to Miami. Unfortunately, Sandy is making her way up the east coast. I hope all my east coast peeps stay safe.

On Friday, the Herald played host to the boys & girls club who came to our office for trick or treating. Our conference room was turned into a haunted dining room where the kids came in to get their treats. A few of us were dressed up so we stood around the table scaring them. They seemed to have a good time. Only one girl busted out in tears.

Another event going on was a pumpkin carving contest. Two girls from our editorial department took on the task in hopes of winning us a pizza party. And they succeeded! Their entry far exceeded my expectations. It was basically one pumpkin pulling out the brain of another pumpkin. It was pretty cool and put any of my previous pumpkins to shame. I didn't take any photos but if I come across one I'll be sure to post it.

Since the weather was so nice, my sister and I decided to do something with the girls outside. We settled on going to the Everglades Holiday Park to check out some gators. The park turned out to be bust. I thought it was going to be like Gatorland in Orlando but it was merely an air boat ride followed by a gator show. One of my nieces didn't want to go on the hour long boat ride so we walked around the gift shop, looked at gators through a fence, saw some peacocks and then left.

This morning on the way back to my apartment my sister and I went to Diner 84 for breakfast. There's nothing like good diner food to start off your day. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

listerine

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Another weekend gone, another weeks begins. I can't believe there are only 10 days left of October. Time really does seem to be moving along quite quickly. I haven't even begun to think about Halloween. Will I dress up? Will I go out? Who knows. I should probably do some investigating to see what my options are. What's everyone else doing for the spooky holiday?

Overall, my weekend was pretty uneventful. Since my cold was still lingering I decided my best option was to lay low and that's what I did. Watched a lot of TV, took a stroll through the neighbor, signed up for Car2Go, made Orange-Glazed Pork Ribs, etc. Next weekend I'll head up to my sister's. I haven't seen them for a month so that will  be nice.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

seville

deery-lou.
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Are the extremely hot days of summer behind us? It definitely felt that way this weekend. Although the sun stilled shined brightly, the temperature in Miami dropped a bit bringing with it a breezy windy weekend. It actually felt good being outside. Unfortunately my time outdoors was mostly spent walking to the grocery store. I spent the rest of it inside fighting off a cold. Poor me!

After work on Friday a co-worker and I headed to South Beach for a much needed happy hour. Three white sangrias & 6 appetizers later we were very happy. Once we were done stuffing ourselves we walked around Lincoln Road, the hot spot of South Beach, window shopping. Along the way we stopped in a few shops that peaked out interest. I wanted to buy a pair of pants at this Japanese boutique but didn't want to spend $400. The weather that evening was amazing. This is the Florida I love, not the "welcome to hell" days of summer.

We also checked at an exhibit, 101 Dresses: Adriana Carvalho, at ArtCenter/South Florida. I'm not an art critic so I'm not about to describe her work except to say that the dresses showcased were made out of various types of material from can tops to brillo pads. It was pretty amazing.

Besides the gallery space at ArtCenter/South Florida it also houses artist studio spaces where you can get a glimpse of the various artists work plus see things that they are working on. If you're lucky, the artist just might be in their studio and you can meet them. It's really great that places like this exist. More people need to exposed to art.

As I mentioned earlier in this post I'm fighting off a cold so my Saturday consisted of a Top Chef Masters marathon and nothing else. Today, I got up and went to the store to get ingredients to make Chicken Taco Soup which I believe is done now so I'm going to end this post. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

round & round

deery-lou
previously on the e-list…

Well, it's a rainy Sunday here in Miami. Before the rain hit, I got a much needed haircut. I was starting to look like a very shaggy dog. Back at home I decided to spend my rainy day decorating for Halloween. This huge apartment of mine made be realize how sparse my decorations are. It always looked like I had a lot in my tiny studio. I just might have to go get more. :)

Yesterday I was completely exhausted after a very long work week. The majority of my day was spent in front of the computer watching TV. I made another crock pot dinner this weekend—hearty beans & beef. It was actually quite good. Tasted like Sloppy Joe's with various beans.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

i've tried to reach you

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Did a bit of exploring around the Design District on my way back from the bank the other day. There's a lot of interesting shops which I can't wait to check out next time. Plus a Jonathan Adler store is opening on Oct 5. It was pretty dead for a Saturday morning which was kind of surprising. It was kind of hard to figure out if some stores were coming or going. I guess I'll find out once I go back.

During my walk from the bank to Target, I noticed a lot of interesting restaurants. I made sure to take pictures of their signs so I wouldn't forget. The one thing I love about Miami is finding all these spots in places one would never think to look. That's one of the main reasons why I like to walk around even though the heat kills me. It finding those obscure places.

This weekend I managed to put together the TV stand I bought last weekend. Yay! Now I just need to get a TV and I'll be all set. I got up early this morning and headed to Publix to get ingredients to make Chicken Adobo in the slow cooker. While I was there I stopped by their bakery and picked up some ham croquettes which were so good. A part of me wished I didn't do that because now I'll be stopping at the bakery every time I'm there.

There's a new addition to my apartment—a new piece of art! I'm sure many of you thought I was going to say I got a cat or fish but you're wrong. Although I am thinking about getting a kitty in November after the holidays. MEOW! Anyway...so I got a new piece of art and it already made its way to my wall.  For those of you who care, I present my new piece of art:

just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

i walk the line

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

I'm so happy! I've found a Korean market where I can now get homemade kimchi and other good stuff. Granted—it's not within walking distant but at least there's one to go to. We stopped there the other day on my way home from my sister's. I walked out with two giant jars of kimchi (one radish & one mixed), cucumber soap, some spicy pre-made chicken, citron tea, & noodles. Little does my sister know but she'll probably have to stop there every time she's taking me home.

It was my sister's anniversary on Friday so being the good brother that I am I watched the little ones on Saturday so that my sis & her hubby could spend the afternoon together and go out to eat. Before the dreaded rain storm hit, I took the little ones to Party City to look for Halloween costumes. Party City was pretty much a bust. We only ended up getting a few things there. We made a few other stops before going home but they were a bust too. One thing I did realize is that shopping with 3 little ones is not so much fun.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

patriarch on a vespa

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Cleaning. Cleaning. Cleaning. That is how I spent my Saturday. I also made ribs in the crock pot which turned out absolutely delicious. Weekend cooking has become my new thing and I like it. :) Today I went to Target to grab a few things and when I returned home I hung up some more artwork. Slowly, my loft is coming together. I spent the later part of my afternoon watching Paradise Lost 3, the final installment to The West Memphis 3 trilogy. If that's what you want to call it. I remember watching the first one but don't think I ever watched the second. I thought the documentary was well done. It definitely makes you think twice about the case. All righty, I think that just about does it. It's going to be a short post this weekend. I hope every one has a fabulous week. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

the blind men and the elephant

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Miami hosted dwntown art days this past weekend. I decided to checked some things out only to realize that when I arrived at Bay Front park at 1 pm, the event wasn't starting until 5 pm. Oops.  I walked to Bay Front park so by the time I got there I was completely drenched. I found a chair that was shaded by a palm and decided to take a seat while I finished drinking a peach smoothie and stared off into the bay. After I had cooled down I walked over to The Historic Alfred | Dupont Building where there were suppose to be two exhibits going on.

The window display exhibit that I eventually found was just that. If you happened to blink as you walked by you would have missed it. It was only one window. What made it harder to view was the partial gate that stood in front of it. I had thought there was a photo exhibit there as well but when I asked the guard inside he told me the only exhibit was the one outside. I later discovered that the photo exhibit I wanted to see was somewhere else (I need to pay better attention to details). Feeling underwhelmed I decided to call it a day. Plus the heat was getting to be a bit much. Dwntwn arts day was a bust!

Overall, I can't really complain because at least I got out and did a bit more exploring of the city. On my way home I discovered a couple of restaurants as well as Discotekka and Will Call, which looked promising for a sports bar. The rest of my day was spent relaxing and trying to cool down. It's seems that one application of sun block in the Miami heat is not enough. In my three hours of walking around with sunblock on I still managed to get burned. :(

For dinner I made a fall harvest chowder in the slow-cooker which turned out amazing. I also watched a very interesting documentary called Cocaine Cowboys about the drug trade in Miami during the late 70s and early 80s.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

ode to la

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

It's hard to believe that I've been in Miami now for 6 months. San Francisco seems like such a distant memory. I truly miss my days in SF hanging with great friends, exploring the city, and drinking at my favorite bar, which I heard is coming back. But with each passing day here in Miami I'm growing to love it a little more.

One things that has significantly changed is my reading habit. I seem to be reading a lot more lately. Perhaps it has something to do with a lack of friends. Whatever the reason my be, I'm actually enjoying it. So far since I've been here I managed to finally finish The Color of Summer by Reinaldo Arenas (which I started in SF) plus I've read The Way of the Shadow by Brent Weeks, Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis, Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx and then over the weekend I started & finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. That's more than I've read in the last two years combined.

I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It's funny because it's one of those books that I remember seeing all the time when it first came out but for some reason never caught my interest. After reading Imperial Bedrooms, the sequel to Less Than Zero, I started thinking about the books that I've read which I liked a lot: Generation X, American Psycho, Bright Lights, Big City, City of Night, The Secret History, etc. That's when my google searching lead me to The Perks of Being a Wallflower an unread book from my past. Seeing that a lot of the themes of these other books dealt with troubled youth I figured I'd give it a try. And I'm so glad I did. It's one of those books that even now I'm still thinking about and a part of me didn't want it to end.

When I wasn't kicking back enjoying my book, I was entertaining my nieces. Here's a rundown of how that went: playing Barbies followed a photo shoot (pictures TK), going to the park (twice), a game of hide and go seek, playing dead, more Barbies, pretending we were at a spa, etc. Who knew kids could be so tiring.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

baby don't go

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

This pretty much sums up my weekend…

I did manage to make it out of the apartment briefly on Saturday in between the patches of rain. This morning, however, I wasn't as lucky. I woke up craving pancakes and after looking outside and seeing bright blue skies, I decided to head to Publix. Halfway there the sky turned black, the wind picked up, and the rain came down in full force. Luckily, I made it under an awning but not before I got completely drenched. I did have an umbrella but due to the winds it wouldn't stay up. Once the rain died down, I decided to skip Publix (sans pancakes) and returned home before the next patch of rain set in.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

darlin

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…


While at my sister's house this past weekend, I discovered a bunch of my matchbox cars in my nephew's closet. Of course I had to get them down. Memories of my childhood flooded through my mind as I pulled each car out of the case. I used to spend hours playing with cars whether it was inside with my Hero City or making roads in the dirt outside. Among the cars were two bat mobiles, a 007 car, a Superman van, & a Charlie's Angels van. I ended up bring all five home with me.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

start

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

It's been a fairly quiet weekend. On my Saturday morning walk, I discovered Morningside Park, which is tucked behind a very quaint neighborhood along the bay. The park itself is pretty big with lots of open spaces, basketball courts, tennis courts, a baseball field, a playground and a pool. At least that's all I've seen so far. I only walked half of it. Will definitely go back and check out the rest.

The rest of my Saturday was spent running some errands and having a Fringe season 4 marathon. That show is so good. I'm sad that I don't have any more episodes to watch until the start of season 5. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll find something to watch.

This morning I took another walk. During my walk, I stopped at the City of Miami Cemetery and took some photos. I didn't walk as long today because it was much hotter than yesterday. On my way home I stopped for an iced coffee. Oh how I love iced coffee. Once home I quickly changed into my bathing suit and headed up to the pool. There's no one at the pool at 10 am which was very nice. I love having a pool. :)

For dinner tonight I'm making a spinach-pesto lasagna in the crock pot. Hopefully it'll turn out. I'll be sure to let you know.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

lacuna

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

I managed to score a pack of Charlie's Angels trading cards for my babysitting duties this weekend. I'm hoping within this little package of treasures will contain some of the cards I need to complete my set. Keep your fingers crossed!

Here are some highlights of my weekend at my sister's:
1. dinner at Mario the Baker
2. playing Life with my niece & nephew
3. a few rounds of backgammon with my sister
4. New York Market, the best Asian supermarket so far in South Florida
5. walking around the antique mall (where we found the CA trading cards)
6. playing canasta with my sister
7. some good old family time

Before the weekend arrived, my sister came into town Thursday night with our friend Tracy. We went to The News Lounge for some cocktails and then headed to Boteco for dinner for some great Brazilian food. What more could one ask for.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

there's a moon in the sky (called the moon)

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

It's another hot weekend here in Miami. I started the weekend off going to The News Lounge with a co-worker for happy hour. After a few drinks and some appetizers we headed over to Andiamo! for some pizza. Andiamo! used to be a car wash that's been converted to a restaurant. It has a great atmosphere with lots of outside seating, plus their pizza is absolutely delicious.

My sister and the twins came down on Saturday. We took a walk around Wynwood looking at the graffiti. It was great introducing the twins to street art. We grabbed some lunch and then took a drive to North Miami Beach. Before returning home we hit up a couple of thrift stores in my hood.

After running some errands this morning, I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. For some reason I have zero energy.

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…