This guy says it all:

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time for me to hit the grading that has patiently waited for me on my desk for the last few days.

I am delighted to have found Tiki Bar TV, and will probably spend time watching past episodes instead of grading.

I have made a breakthrough on one of my scripts, and on my TV pilot. Ooooo I'm psyched.

A sad ending to an era that some would call even sadder.

Muzak files for bankruptcy.

I found this like at Weirdomusic.com. Check it out and get your space age bachelor pad groove on.

Life after...

Today was the care planning meeting for Mom. Things aren't as bad as I'd feared. It would appear her pain might be sciatica, which she used to have years ago. Probably sitting on her ass for days provoked it. Anyway, she is responding to massage therapy and they've got a new pain med regimen for her. They expect her to stay there another week, with continuing massage therapy while the dietician works with the dialysis unit to take care of her anemia and get the low albumin levels up.

I went grocery shopping tonight. Funny how something so common can be so relaxing when the entirety of one's life is a maelstrom.

Only two more weeks of class left. Two weeks of the chorch job. Then... grading. Then it'll be time to rest.

My car's not fixed yet. Another day with the rented car, whose plate number starts with "EFL" by the way. Thought that was pretty cool.

I've decided I need to spend some time in San Diego. There's surf, and there are tikis.

Drinking an Odwalla Blueberry B smoothie, and will pop in a Kashi Mediterranean pizza when the oven's hot. Will do some Yoga tonight. I know I need to take better care of myself.

I've decided that for my 41st birthday next year, I am having a Luau. Full on.

Barrel Man

Recently I wrote a note on Annietown about how I love Tiki (as my few but faithful readers know), even though I realize that Tiki mugs are white people's bastardization of an ancient culture.

So without further ado, and to even the score, I present you with the Barrel Man. This fine example of Filipino culture is kitch and hilarious, but at the same time embarrassing for the 2nd generation Filipino who has to explain its presence to his white friends. And as Bizarro will tell ye, only the "bakya crowd" (Filipino hill billies) pander in the Barrel Man. This, according to Mrs. Mom Bizarro.





Images from Wikipedia

Surf's Up!

My obsession with surfing and windsurfing continues. Got myself on the listserv for the local windsurfing club, and have been reading voraciously. Went to the Ginormous Liberry Sale and picked up a couple used books on surfing, one on windsurfing, and one on Yoga. (I loves me the Ginormous Liberry Sale).

So yesterday I did the deed, finally. I spoke with my supervisor about my unhappiness with the full-time position and she was very gracious and understanding, and said she wasn't totally surprised. She knew when I went full-time that I may not like it, but figured she'd keep me for as long as possible. She indicated there may be a possibility to cut me back to 2 days a week like I was before, if they can hire a good person for the other 3. That would be ideal, since I have two sections to teach next semester, but we shall see. In any event, things feel much lighter for me now.

Unfortunately, this week was made more stressful by the fact that Mom went into the hospital on Monday, but she's coming home tomorrow. First she was to go home yesterday, then they pushed it to "the weekend" and finally we found out this morning that they're springing her tomorrow. I will spend tomorrow and overnight in Elmira and get her to dialysis on Monday morning before heading back to the City on the Edge of Forever. Thankfully, Monday is a holiday so I don't have to work and I can be there for Mom in the pinch.

And THEN on Thursday I'm off to Mass! Found another Tiki-themed restuarant to hit while I'm out there. I'll be sure to file a report when I get back.

Today is GLORIOUS and we spent a lovely morning at the farmers' market before hitting the book sale. I'm getting to all the things that have lain moldy all week - laundry, haus kleening, shopping, etc. today. Will chill out this evening with my man (Bizarro, that is) and my surfing books.

A few things to look forward to in the coming months:

Massachusetts: Family, beach, Tiki, Place Where I Was Birthed.

Halloween - we're going on a "haunted tour" of our fair city and will be doing so in costume. I'm pretty sure I'll be the Queen of Hearts (I've always wanted to do that) and Bizarro nabbed himself a Burger King mask (creepy).

Mom's Move - it won't be fun, but the work is worth the enjoyment we'll receive afterwards.

Thanksgiving - to Cleveland! Filipino food and all our favorite Cleveland places: Caribou Coffee, Chipotle, and the frozen Erie shore.

New Year's - to Cleveland again! And on the way we are stopping at the Splash Lagoon overnight for a faux-tropical paradise with many Tiki elements to soak up.

For the moment, I feel like I can breathe again, and there's a great wave coming in for me to ride!

Mai Tai Madness

Bizarro and I went to our friendly neighborhood pub for sum grub tonight. I'd ordered a Mai Tai there about a month ago, and the bartender had to look it up but was able to do one up (albeit not a very authentic one and there wasn't even an umbrella). Tonight I ordered one and this time the waitress came back and said the bartender had no idea (and apparently they were too busy for him to have time to look it up - it WAS hoppin' tonight).

I decided I need to start making them at home. I already have the little umbrellas ($1.50 at Big Lots), so I went online to find a recipe, and instead found a little war over what constitutes a "real" Mai Tai. See for yourself: Mai Tai Madness. And here's the whole scoop all about theMai Tai.

I'm sure this crowd has heard of the Mai Tai, but the average hick bar in Ogreville has no freaking idea and looks at me like I have three heads when I order one. What I will do is find a good (and relatively simple) recipe, have it laminated, and on a slow night, go to our pub and offer it up to the bartender, along with a box of little umbrellas.

Swank Blather

I've been going to this site for awhile but felt it needed its own post.

Swank Pad Blog

Doesn't look like I'll make it to Kowloon, but Rache and I will be hitting Tiki Port in Hyannis when I'm on the Cape visiting her. We are going to make a little mini-doco about our tiki misadventure. Oh yes oh yes oh yes.

For your listening pleasure, go to iTunes, get yourself into the Eclectic group and tap into "Illinois Street Street Lounge on Soma FM" for all of your bachelor pad & lounge eat treats.

Yum!

(and if you're wondering what to get me for Christmas this year: Swank Shopping)

EDIT: hyperlink for Tiki Port

Tiki Heaven on the South Shore

At the end of next month, I am taking a vaca out to the Boston area to see friends and family. I will also be going to Kowloon. Oh, but I am, and I will not be driving, either, because I am going to get silly on Mai Tais.

WANT

from Make:

Birthday Photos

...this drink is the "Tiki Bowl" -- notice the plastic cup and utter lack of anything tiki, but also notice the tiara, provided by PMP, of course!

...and finally...the Stigmata Hula Girl:



Dinner with Mamazoo:

Pu Pu Platter and Tiki Temple (my version of a Shirley Temple):


I couldn't get a decent photo of Bizarro all night, so that's why there aren't any here.

Despite the lame-o "tiki bar," it was a great night. It didn't matter that there were no real tikis - we brought the tiki in our hearts! Thanks for helping me celebrate, Bizarro, SMJ, PMP, Echo & Phyl! And thanks to Mamazoo for taking me to dinner where I could finally get my tiki on.

My 40th birthday is winding down; only an hour to go of March 3. I'm not sad though, because next week is part III of the celebration in Cleveland with the Bizarro clan.

I'm ready for bed. G'nite.

40th Birthday Bash Part I

Yesterday I began what is to be a multi-event celebration of my fourth decade on the planet. PMP and I went shopping in the afternoon, which was a little more chaotic than either of us would have liked. Apparently everyone decided it was a good day to go to the mall since the temps were finally above freezing. I bought myself a pair of abalone earrings, and a couple things for mom and Bizarro. From there we picked up the things for dinner, including 2 bottles of chianti.

Dinner went off without a hitch, although there were 6 of us crammed around the table. Salty Miss Jill baked a delovely chocolate cake, which finished off a spaghetti dinner that I thought was quite passable, although certainly not my best work.

After cleaning up we headed out to Todd's Beach House. Now, understand that we live in Upstate New York. Cow country. Well, wine country, to be precise, but you get the idea. It was dark, it was snowing, and SMJ sorta kinda forgot to tell us about a crucial left turn that would have brought us to the bar within about 15 minutes. We were in two cars - Bizarro the designated driver in our car, PMP in hers. We realized when we crossed the county line that we'd gone too far in the wrong direction, so we backtracked and managed to find our way there.

Recall that this was supposed to be a tiki-themed bar, and bear in mind that I was trying really hard not to have any expectations. I couldn't help having a few expectations, but even those were thwarted. The place is essentially a towny bar with some crap from Florida hung on the walls and ceiling. There is a sign that declares it to be a tiki bar, but other than that, there was a cardboard hula girl, a card board tiki mask and maybe some vaguely looking Polynesian-esque strings of lights hanging over the bar. Most of the stuff was surf-related, which is okay, but not what I was hoping for, really.

Having been let down on the appearance angle, I thought, well, let's order a Mai Tai and see what they've got to show for themselves. I had a birthday drink on the house (they were expecting us after my conversation with the owner earlier in the week), but when I asked for a Mai Tai, the bartender had not a freaking clue. She was very nice but really didn't even know what a Mai Tai was. She went for the drink recipe book, and I just said never mind. Instead, she offered me the specialty drink of the place, called a "Tiki Bowl." (Keep in mind that they only had enough ingredients for four of these - I ordered two and my friends Echo and Phyl each ordered one, and then they ran out of pineapple juice.) The drink had Malibu, Admiral and juices. I'm not a big Malibu fan, myself, but I figured "What the hell." I was hoping hoping hoping it to come in something of a fu manchu mug, or at least an actual glass. It was served to me in a plastic cup. With an orange straw. That's it. No umbrella, no sword-with-a-pineapple-and-cherry garnish. But it was strong, and it took only 2 of those suckers to do the job (well, on top of all the wine I'd had before, during and after dinner).

We made the best of the evening, though, and played some pool, thew a couple decent tunes on the jukebox computer, and generally had fun. The people were very kind and the locals were generous and friendly, although I had to stop one guy from playing Jimmy Buffet on the juke box because that would have set me over the edge, on top off the lack of true tiki atmosphere.

Most importantly, I had the good company and love of friends and Bizarro to help me celebrate. Yes, it would have been nicer to be at a cooler bar, but even so, I am grateful to everyone for being there. Thanks especially to Bizarro, who detests townie bars more than I do, and who was trying really hard not to get into any altercations with the three stoner frat-boys sitting near our table. He's a trooper!

I do have photos, which I will post later, along with more commentary. Right now I have to get myself pulled together for 40th Birthday Bash Part II with mom. We're going to our favorite Chinese restaurant, and you know I'm gettin' the Pu Pu Platter.

Tiki in a snow storm!

This weekend, my crew and I will embark on a search for a local bar, "Todd's Beach House," that purports to be a tiki bar. It really looks like a local dive from the outside, as the slow-as-molasses-loading pictures on his site will attest to. I spoke with the owner, Todd, on the phone and he assured me that his place is a "Tropical Paradise." He's a surfer and the bartender. I mentioned that our night out is in service of my 40th birthday (which is next Monday, folks), and he also assured me that I'd get a drink on the house. I'm imagining a killer Mai Tai festooned with umbrellas in an appropriate vintage tiki glass. We shall see... I am dubious, I admit, but I am hopeful at the same time. I will post pictures here next week of the evening's debauchery.

Yesterday after my normal errands I stopped at Big Lots to see what they've got on hand for spring and summer. I am already planning our patio. What else is there to do in the midst of another frakking snowstorm?? Anyway, as usual, they have shelve-fuls of tiki paraphrenalia. In years past I've ogled these items but never got around to picking anything up until they were all sold out, which doesn't take long. This year I decided to take a stand. In the midst of the blowing snow, I came home with a "Tiki Bar" sign and a lovely tiki-head planter which will both go on the patio this spring. I will also get a couple strings of appropriately themed patio lights, and Bizarro and I have already agreed that we'll buy an actual patio table and chair set this year.

Right now, with gawd knows how many inches of snow on the ground, I am dreaming of me on my patio ca. June, 2008, with an umbrella drink in one hand and my finished screenplay in the other.

Hukilau!

Hukilau 2008 -- where I'd love to spend my vaca this year.

I am planning a trip to Atlanta in late May to visit my good friend from film school, Rrrrrrache. Maybe I'll schedule things so I can pop over to Ft. Lauderdale and hit the Hukilau.