2010 coming to an end

December 20, 2010
http://www.hulu.com/watch/195537/avec-eric-chefs-table#s-p1-so-i0
Watch it, even if you aren't a foodie, these are just great minds. Ripert's interview with David Chang is chilling and deeply personal. I definitely took something away from that to always hold onto.

December 26, 2010
It's a medium tournament today Magic in Brooklyn. The main prize is $300 and qualifying for a $70,000 payout tournament in Chicago next year. People wanted to do stuff yesterday night and Bolanos asks if I even will do well. There is also a blizzard coming, but I'm a winner and winners play.
I borrow a deck because I just don't have the cards for the specific $500-600 deck I want to play. It's 7 rounds.
I win two. I lose against a good player. I'm then paired against a New York grinder of years, same age as me, and that almost won Rookie of the Year. He is someone that has gotten a decent bit further in what I strive for. It's a bit awkward when I don't play perfectly a certain points and he is aware of it. However, I still win the match and he's a really nice guy and we chat a bit about Paris because we're both qualified to go.
I roll off two more wins against weaker opponents and I'm in the Top 8. I run into what used to be a scrub at the Binghamton Magic club, but now plays a decent amount and got good. I play against my loss in the earlier rounds and win off the bare of my ass from misplaying and losing a game and misplaying and it not mattering because my opponent needed to misplay. He even says, "He can't make a mistake right now, I know he's a good player." He outthinks himself, makes a mistake, and lets me win. Bad Darwin! I played sloppy and it relied on my opponent to make a mistake as well.
At this point, the people that were there with me already left because the blizzard was going crazy and I can't blame them to want to get back safe.
I turn down a 4 way split for the Top 4 prize. I'm no bitch. I'm here to win. I'm the only hold out of the Top 4. After being down a game in the Semis, they offer me the prize split again and I take it. Their loss. I end up losing a really tight one, but at least I got that far.
I go outside and the snow has gotten at lot worse in the 2 hours since my friends left. There are SUVs stuck in the snow trying to drive, so there's no way I'm going anywhere.
I join the other people that were at the tournament and they try to take the subway. It's about 10 of us and we wait on the subway. We stay there from 10PM to 4AM. The subway is not going anywhere because it's an outdoor train and the snow is covering the tracks. They turn off the power and we're bored so we draft in which my team wins, with me having the best deck of the 6 drafters.
The buses are sporadically running, but it's way too cold to wait outside for a bus and the buses are actually getting trapped in the snow so that's probably a no go anyway. We're literally trapped in the middle of Brooklyn with nowhere to go. They turn off the subway and it gets freezing like an ice coffin. We decide to leave and go to a Turkish place where I get a big plate of kebab, which is delicious. By the way, it's like 5AM right now. We then go to another restaurant and sit around. Then to McDonalds and they kick us out for being there to long. Then to Dunkin Donuts. We finally decide at 11AM to go to the 2 train, which is underground. To remind you, I woke up at 8AM on Sunday. I didn't sleep last night when traveling between place to place. It's Monday 11AM.
We take the walk to the station. There's no way we could've done this last night. It's fucking freezing, but at least there's sun and cars have somewhat driven on the roads. It's a freezing walk and it takes a full hour and my shoes are soaked. We finally get onto the train and I get into the city. I can't imagine what I would've done if I wasn't with these people. I would be so bored and lonely. I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't have figured that the trek to the subway was worth it. I would've just been completely lost and fucked. However, I find out that nothing can get me home. The LIRR and 7 train are off so I need to go to Atron's apartment by picking up his keys at his work.
I get some food and chill. I'm lucky that my mom is coming home at this time from Virginia and is able to pass through the city and pick me up. Otherwise, I would be stuck in the city. Jeez, what a fucking journey.


December 31, 2010
It's New Years Eve and this guy from the Stickam site has rented out a huge apartment in Brooklyn and is throwing a bash for everyone. I guess explaining what it involves is really awkward, but in the end, everyone that I've met from there is awesome and nice.
Not like our group isn't awesome, but it seems a bit strange that we mostly still only know the people from high school. Gotta make connections and spread them wings a bit. There's no end game of hitting up bitches or something from this, just meeting new cool people. Then again, if coincidentally girls throw themselves at me, I can't blame them.
At the party, one of the girls mentions that she may be getting too deep and emotional, but she got touched by the gathering of people. It's people that would otherwise have never met, from states and countries all over. People coming together being really good friends and even cooler, a lot of relationships have ignited. The party itself has three couples thanks to the group. There's one story of this new couple in Cali. The guy says he was unemployed and a complete burnout. He got into a relationship and she really inspired him to be productive. So now he's working and they got a new place and moved in with each other. So now he's basically a new guy with a new outlook on life, good for him.
I get to the party in Bushwick and it's twenty or so familiar faces. I immediately take three shots. I can drink well tonight because of the preparations. I slept a lot and took a nap at noon. For dinner, I had a load of greasy Chinese food. Right when I get to Penn, I get a six inch Subway sandwich. For a night of heavy drinking, sleep and eating a shit ton of food is a must.
I chat and mingle with all these people. Theres music, people are drinking punch, Grey Goose, and jello shots. Theres a bit of mess with two people throwing up and passing out before 12. People slowly disappear and drop like flies. One of the guys likes joking around with the fellas and makes overtly gay comments. He's horsing around and grabs me, I turn away and close my eyes trying to get away, and I feel him quickly planting his lips on mine. I'm no bro and don't need to call everything "gay," but that horsing around went too far and that shit's gay. I guess I lose a finger in Never Have I Ever for kissing a dude.
I decide to take the 519 and I have ample time to get home. I walk to the train station and it's an outdoor one. I'm like 7 on drunk scale. This guy's smoking a cig and I think to myself that it's New Years, so why not!?
The train comes and I'm not super sober and looking around for cops like a fiend. Boom, two cops walk over and tell me to put it out. I do. I try my best to be nice. As much as I dislike police and try to protect my rights, always be really kind to them. They're human. Give them respect and they will do the same, otherwise, they will push the law on your ass and fuck you three ways to Sunday. The cop says that I'm lucky and I should catch the next subway and he let's me go. I thank him and wait. The train sits there with the doors closed and i just want to get home, damn. Suddenly, the doors open up as if the conductor wanted me to go on. I was the only person on the platform. I shrug and jump on. The train continues to idle there instead of immediately leaving. As if the subway Gods were out for me, the cops walk over, see me on the subway, and tell me to get off. Fuck my life. He tells me to sit down, tells me that I should've waited for the next train and that now he needs to write me a ticket. $50 down. The worst subway luck ever. It should've just left or closed it's doors when I got on. Instead it had to entice me to get on and screw me. Not bad though, this is still a cheap night compared to people that go to the city for an event. Hell, I didn't even have to pay for liquor other than a bottle of champagne I got for the host.
I barely make the 519 train, so that's good. The worst would be waiting for the next train along with the ticket.
On the walk back from the station, I go to the new bagel place on Northern. It's no 4am bagel, but fresh bagel and lox spread is good.