WELL IT'S TIME TO TELL YOU THAT MY BIRTHDAY DID ROCK

I want to thank you for all the nice birthday wishes. I had a really great day. Thanks to having slowed my roll to a near-standstill, I managed to have a lovely dinner on Friday with some of my closest and coolest friends from work and woke up the next morning hangover-free, so I’d have to say that I’d really recommend 27 so far.

Runa decorated me up and I had my favorite dinner (smoked pork at the Naga Kitchen, in case you're curious).

It rained! It has rained on two out of my last two birthdays. I'm originally from the south and the rain hasn't lost its novelty. Although it took us awhile to get to the restaurant and back but because it rained, I got to have more cups of that enjoyable hot black tea.

Behold the new Oxelo Scooter. Thanks to this guy.

Saturday. My best friend came down to our fair city. It’s been three long years since I last saw him. It was hilarious and moderately frustrating to smile at the fun we were having together and the fact that we had missed so much of each other’s lives which erased said smile. Fun was had by all, especially by me who got to terrorize everyone without having to worry about the consequences.

Sunday. Throngs of people dressed in beach wear populated Palace Grounds. Yeah. We went to the Flea Market called ‘The Sunday Soul Sante Bazaar’. It was a perfect day for it - sunny, warm, slight drizzle and insanely gorgeous. Pity a lot of B’lore decided to visit the Bazaar at the same time. I mean, seriously people, there are other places to see bazaars, like your television. Aside from the invasion of an asshat who felt the models at the fashion show rehearsal were strutting all wrong, the market was fun. After that we went to Ice & Spice and had these –

Then we went home. And I collapsed.

I know lots of people who have a tradition on their birthdays. You know - people who take the day off, people who go clubbing, people who go out for a fancy dinner. I don't really have a tradition. Do you?

On this Tuesday evening I bring to you the AWESOME Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, a trombone and trumpet player from New Orleans, with ‘Hurricane Season’.

I love this track as it just never seems to quit. The music is spit fire and it drives along in a jangly bouncy mess of fun from start to finish. I seem to gravitate towards music that sounds as if they’re having a ton of fun making it, and this is just such a track.
It serves as a great kickoff to the winter. This is what Jazz-Funk has always been for me, and in this track you’ll find more of the same. The bottom line is that it’s a great tune from this musical kid genius.

Those of you who’ve been following along here on the blog, have possibly noticed that I love LOVE love M.E.A.T. There I said it. I’ve tried being vegan and vegetarian, and while they were appropriate ways for me to eat at certain points in my life, I just love meat and so does my body (yeah yeah, I know, you’ve got proof I’m wrong, buzzkill!). So, when I come across a fantastic place for a meat dish, I’m in.
My friends, Mai, Kanch and I headed out to Ice & Spice on Saturday. A fairly popular joint but a place I had never eaten at. It was bustling on the weekend, even when there wasn’t anything special being hosted. I like how the mood was warm, against the cold weather. One could sit here at any time of year and soak up the flurry of activity, where a song by Sting (at night, when it’s contentedly crowded) is as appropriate as a song by Nina Simone (particularly at a time like this, when the skies were almost grey) is as appropriate as a song by Iron And Wine (during the early days of summer, when it’s still cool in the evening).

Mai had fish and chips, Kanch had the chicken steak burger and I had the lamb. My dish was incredibly juicy, tender, and came with fresh salad in a light dressing, along with mashed potatoes, garlic bread and chips (All for 200 bucks). I got mine with barbecue sauce, which is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted; the meat was tender enough to stick through with a fork, but hard enough not to fall off. It was so good, that I may surrender the pleasure of trying something new the next time I go for the flavorful taste of their best cut lamb.

Blogger and colleague - Pete, my ex colleague - Sai and I happened to be free on Sunday, so we went for lunch at a restaurant close to where we live. It was this place called ‘French Quarter’.

Outside it’s slightly noisy, but inside it’s calm. The chicken liver starters are delightfully smooth and thin, a demonstration of the chef’s skill. The meat pie topped with cheese and the meat-veggie dish tasted especially flavorful.

I have the ability to find fault with almost anything, but on Sunday, the food was nearly impeccable. It’s all enough to make one smile at any time of day.

After a bunch of petty thoughts — about the new guy— I try to convince myself that everything will be ancient history much more quickly than it took for me to write this. Nothing works, when I try so hard for it. So I just say, ‘eff it and write it anyway, even if you’re terrified and you can’t breathe, and put it out of your head even if that leaves you exposed, that anyone could read it, that people know something that you probably shouldn’t disclose, that you’re still thinking about him when every person is telling you not to, because none of it matters when it’s what you feel, and what you feel makes you you'.

I was introduced to this little gem by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. If you haven’t heard of them already, they are musicians of the singer songwriter sort and this piano song felt perfect when matched up with cold weather and the early night so common during this season. To get this week started I’ve decided to upload the track ‘Winter Song’. I hope you enjoy the music, there’s plenty more to come.