Foot with Feet

This is my favorite sign in Los Angeles. It rotates. It's on Sunset in Echo Park. It makes me happy every time I drive past. Enjoy the foot of many faces...

Beirut

This past weekend the birthday festivities continued on the Right Coast. Jim Malerba, my college roommate, celebrated his 30th just four days after mine. When we were younger Jim always used to forget my birthday. Then, four days later, I'd call and wish him a happy birthday and he'd wish me the same. I really enjoyed this. Now he's all growns up and he actually remembers mine. Sucks.

Jim's ladyfriend, The Lobster, was kind enough to have all his friends over to her family's house in Cape Cod. For me, this required a redeye to Boston, followed by the world's tiniest connecting flight to Hyannis. Cape Air is awesome. There were ten people on my flight, including the pilot, and we were seated by weight. I felt bad when several larger women were placed in front of my badass 130 pounds of muscle. Oh, and this man was behind the ticketing counter...



I'm pretty sure I saw Crystal Bernard working the snack bar.

A great time was had in the little seaside town of West Dennis, MA. We all did our best to out-preppy one another. Despite our best efforts, Jim, Reader and I could not out-pastel the sunset...



For Jim's birthday I secretly ordered him an extra pound of lobster and had the waitress stick a candle in it. We also enjoyed the musical comedy stylings of local legend Rockwell King...



This being his 48th season in residence, he has better memory nights than others, but he's a must see. Imagine if a Catskills guy had gone to a New England prep school. Now pour yourself some Jack Daniels and eat the saltiest popcorn you've ever tasted. Exactly.

There was sun, beach, kayaking, wiffleball, football, and seafood. But the best part was basically identical to college. Sitting in a basement, fighting over whose iPod went into the stereo, quoting movies (for some reason there was an obsession with the guy who pulls out the heart in 'Temple of Doom' and says "Kalima!") and playing Beirut...



Malerba considers it an insult to call the game Beer Pong. In this vehemently paddle-less version, one throws ping pong balls across a table, trying to sink them in a pyramid of plastic cups, like little white bombs smashing beer-filled Lebanese apartment buildings. When a ball lands in your cup, you must drink it. A cup of water is used for rinsing purposes. Do not, I repeat, do not look at the water cup or you will remind yourself of how uncleanly the entire affair is. The late nights were great. I'd say it made me miss the old days, but, in fact, I actually missed doing this in college due to a condition I had... a girlfriend.

Speaking of girlfriends, much thanks to La Langosta for planning and hosting. That's her and Jimmy...



My stepdad, Gary, has gone away for a vacation with his college friends every summer since they graduated. This might not be a bad idea. I'm considering beginning an annual summer one week getaway for team Stern (not just college but everybody). New location every year, but hopefully a similar group. Details to follow, input welcome.

Malkovich?

For my thirtieth birthday party, I invited all my Angeleno friends and family down to my favorite local bar. The drinks were on the birthday boy, provided the guests arrived dressed as the host. This was easier for some than others...


That's mister Mark Rizzo, perhaps the night's most accurate Stern impersonator.

Paul Briggs, the talented story artist responsible for the awesome bechesthaired caricature on my myspace page, busted out some impressive nosewear.


Extra props to the Texan for drinking the Colt 45. Needless to say, it works every time...

The ladies were not spared. Jessica kicked it new-skool JPS while Robyn Reiter busted out a high school jersey to remind the doubters that I was, in fact, once Best Speaker in the Ways & Means Committee at New Rochelle Model Congress...


Some chose to highlight my more recent extra-curricular activities. Like roller derby (Chris supports the Fight Crew, while I am a known Tough Cookies fan)...


And Muay Thai...


That's Seth 'Hoff Man, Hoff Amazing' Hoffman in the MMA gloves.

The Humpty Dance was played, the TVs displayed my favorite tape from the 107 VHS collection (it involves a little bald man in kung fu pants teaching sexual techniques in a workout video format), someone urinated in the photo booth, the Derby Dolls inexplicably arrived in sailor suits, and people were kind enough to donate a bunch of calling cards to the local Union Rescue Mission. Go here if you'd like to join them.

Thanks to all. And if you got busy that night because you looked like me? Well, now you know what I'm dealing with all the time.

I have a blog...

Hi, people who know me!

For my thirtieth birthday, my family-types were kind enough to buy me a new digital camera which shoots stills as well as video. Did you know I also received a video camera for my thirteenth birthday? Ah, how I've grown.



Now that I'm technologically gifted, I've decided to start this weblog in order to share my photos, videos, adventures & stories -- to generally update all my peoples about this life of mine.

My friend Nina (aka Shappy Doo) has one of these so-called 'blogs' and I find it really helps me keep track of what's going on in her life without the bother of actually talking to her.

So please stop calling me and enjoy...