My Little City Blog

Nights and days pass in Gotham. Each area is distinct and posing its own reality…coffee shop, pizza parlor, and dry cleaners…all the same but different…in that they create many different realities. This blog is my reality.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

RIP Compadre

As a kid I remember driving to Selma to visit my grandparents and cousins for the weekend. Often times we would start to sing along the way...it was often oldies, but I could vividly remember Freddy Fender playing on our radio. Not sure if my folks had the tape or it was what the radio was playing. Yet, what I do remember is that Freddy would have the whole car singing his songs especially, Wasted Days and Wasted Nights at the drop of a dime and we would sing it at the top of our lungs. Thus, I was sad to hear of Freddy's departure from mother earth.

Sitting here I can even remember my Mom singing this song while cooking and taking a second to grab me and spin me around the kitchen. Those things are what are gold and real and I'm so happy to have those memories. I'm currently listening to Freddy as my background music as I write this and I can picture myself in our small kitchen on Clifford Ave. I wish I had the chance to tell Freddy of these memories, I'm sure he would laugh and also be touched.

I'm sitting here laughing at the times my family had while driving to Selma. We didn't have much money, but as a family we were RICH. I remember there were those times when my folks were scraping by and at a drop of a dime my Dad and Mom would decide to make the three hour journey to visit family. I think those trips were for me and my sister to get out and see something different, not so much for themselves. Along the way on those trips my father would point out various points where he worked in the fields as a kid or a barn he painted with his uncle and brothers...I long for those days in many ways. We use to pull along the side of the road for fresh watermelon and grapes. Things back then were so grand for me and even here in an apartment five thousand miles away I can smell that Valley air.

In any case, I wanted to thank you Freddy for the good times you brought me and my family on those car rides and in the kitchen. Cuidate, Freddy...y viya con Dios, Compadre.

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Sunday, October 01, 2006

Random Photos Around The City

The following pictures are of my adventure to the Brooklyn Country Music Festival. I hope you enjoy...Rey and I made the long trek from Manhattan to Brooklyn for this event and it was well worth the trip. We not only met good people but we also had a few drinks and heard some alright country music.

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These were the pre-drinks before the concert...PALMAS (tequila and squirt)

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Rey and Myself taking a picture in front of the band.

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Yes, an all girl country band...they had some good music to boot.

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Two cool kids we met: Amy and Justin

The following pictures are from another crazy night at Barcelona Bar on the Upper West Side here in NYC. I can't go into too many stories because there are so many from one night at this place...but I figured that I would let you make the story up in your mind.

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She was taking the Monica Lewinski shot...notice no hands can be used.

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She decides he should try on the wig...and take a ML shot?

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The Asian Top Gun...nuff said.

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These shots are on fire, you just can't see it.

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Lindsey always willing to help.

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We laughed about the prom pose.

The following pictures are from our night of boxing on the 16th of September. We had boxing, food and some good tequila....you couple that with good people and it makes for a good night.

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The Mexican Crew

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Rey trying a side pose.

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Some of the drinks out for the night.

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Leah and Lauren are best friends and have to be two of the nicest ladies I have met in some time in NYC.

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Leah and Beto taking a quick picture.

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Yes, the crew stays out until the sun comes up...nuff said.

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The rice that Roy made.

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The beans that Beto made.

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The extras for the Guacamole.

Here is a night when John "The General" Lee invited me out with some of his friends out on the town and we hit Lolipop for the night. It was good times had by all.

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Ivory and friends.

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Ivory getting sweet nothing whispered to her.

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Some of the other individuals that were in attendance.