tjlane's blog

A month ago, my friend Mairim asked me to go to a wedding with her on Saturday night, 7/21. I'm so glad I went. It was a blast. I had a ball. The only person I knew there was Mairim. She picked me up with a couple that I didn't know but we became fast friends. It turns out that he does lighting for a lot of television shows in Hollywood. His wife works in costume/make up. Two very nice people.

The wedding was held in a Jewish Synagogue in Great Neck, Long Island. This was the second Jewish wedding I've ever attended. The other one was about 20 years ago. I had a blast at that one, too, when my friends, Stacy and Perry got married. That wedding was very similar.

At 7:30pm was the cocktail hour. At 8:30 was the wedding ceremony which was very nice. The rabbi who performed the wedding knew both the groom and bride since they were children so he was very comfortable with them which made it possible for him to relate stories of their growing up. The rabbi could be a showman. His dialogue was laced with humor in the vein of a standup comic but at the same time was reverent and respectful which of course is what you'd expect.

After the ceremony, there was a buffet and hor d'erves were served. Drinks, of course, were flowing abundantly. I don't drink alcohol but I had plenty of seltzer w/orange slices. My drinking days are long over.

With all the food being served throughout the night, it's hard to believe that people are still hungry enough to eat the main course which was served at midnight. Mairim is a vegan and since she  is a good friend of the bride and is also her boss at work, there was food without dairy products that were available for her and me. I had something they called Rollatini and it was delicious. They brought out some nice desserts that I ate too. Those were also dairy free which was great since I'm allergic to diary products.

The music was provided by a band that was probably the best wedding band I've ever seen or heard; really tight and talented. Each band member could stand on his/her own. They played non stop from the time the Main Reception Room opened until the affair was over at 2am. I talked to the singer whose name is Scout and he told me that they are part of a music company called Hank Lane Music that has  been in business for over 30 years providing entertainment for all kinds of events. They were top notch. Check out their website if you feel so inclined.

At my designated table, I was sitting next to a woman named Lisa who had a Nikon D200 camera with her. She wasn't the official photographer, but she does weddings on the side like I sometimes do. We had great conversation about the business and equipment. She was very nice. I knew she was serious about photography when I saw the light diffuser on her flash.

I went to the wedding knowing only one person but by the time I left I had made about 20 new friends. You know, I was almost going to say no because Saturday nights I usually just like to relax because I have busy Saturday mornings/afternoons. I'm so glad I went. I got home around 2:45am.

I brought my Canon G3 instead of the DSLR. I should have brought a flash to put in the hot shoe but I didn't feel like carrying it so some pics are a little darker than they should be, but here are a few photos from that night:

Zumi, Lisa, Mairim:

Eric and Stephanie:
This is the couple that I rode with to the wedding. Actually, Mairim didn't want to drive, so Eric was driving when they picked me up. I drove on the way back, well, at least to my place which was on the way back to the city where they were going. They live in Hollywood; she's originally from NYC and he's from Boston. They met while they were working on a movie, I think. They're really nice people.

Mairim:

The Bride and Groom:

The Band:

Each band member was very talented. The black guy was the main singer. His name is Scout. He could sing anything. The girl had a great, soulful voice, too, and the harmonies from all of them were tight.

I edited more blue in by changing the color temperature to try and give an idea of how cold it was in this train station yesterday.

There are some really good food bars coming out these days. I bought a Chocolate and Cashew Organic Live Food Bar made by a company called Raw Indulgence yesterday and it's delicious. I am going to Whole Foods today and pick up a box of them. I'll probably pick up a couple of different flavors too.

Last night I went down to the Apple Store in Soho to look at laptop bags that are good for using on a bicycle in any kind of weather. There are two that are sold there that almost fit the bill. One is a BBP Hybrid messenger bag that you can be worn as a messenger bag over the shoulder or it hangs low on the "bum". BBP stands for bumbakpak. It has a weatherproof zipper which is something you don't see on many bags. That  feature is very important for me, especially where the computer compartment is.

The other one is a backpack made by a company called STM Bags. The model is called a Medium Evolution and it also has a weatherproof zipper and a rain cover which helps to keep things dry in a torrential downpour. It also has lots of pockets and a very safe, hidden compartment for the laptop.

I like them both but there is no such thing as a perfect bag. That concept seems to elude bag makers for some reason. I think the messenger bag is more comfortable to use on a bike but it's not perfect. It's not as big as I would like and the pockets on the front of the Hampton bag, which is the one that Apple carries are not weatherproof, so anything in them could get soaked. A backpack is more confining and when you need something out of the bag, you have to stop, dismount, take it off, and open it up in order to get it. With a messenger bag all you have to do is swing it around. The STM Medium Evolution backpack will hold more then the Hybrid BBP messenger bag but it is not as practical as far as commuting on a bike is concerned for me. Which one do you like?

The Probar is simply the best nutritional bar I've ever tasted.

Probaroriginal

I've decided to use vox more often. It's too feature rich to ignore any longer.

It's snowing in New York City and the temperature is now 14 Degrees F. It's probably going to be a sloppy mess before long. The snow doesn't look pretty for too long in this metropolis. It turns black and yellow in some spots, if you know what I mean.

I heard this author, Jay Heinrichs, talking on the radio this morning. The name of his book is Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion (Paperback). It's a topic that interests me because it's good to know how to deal with people diplomatically. I think I'll buy a copy today.

Thankyouforarguing

I opened my newspaper this morning and the first page it fell on was the music page. I saw that Joseph Arthur who I have been really wanting to see for quite some time is performing at the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, September 27th. I was surprised to find out that there were still tickets available so I bought one.

He'll be playing with a band this time. I have read that he usually performs by himself using a sampling box where he records his voice, a few beats or a guitar riff, then loops them in rich layers as he sings. Sometimes he'll add a visual element - - creating a painting between notes or while singing.

The show is after a long day of work but I'm looking forward to it. This guy is a musical genius.

Joseph Arthur's Website
Bowery Ballroom

I'm almost finished watching the 4th season of Monk. I really like this show. I'm downloading the 8 episodes of the 5th season so I can go right into it as soon as I'm done with season 4.

I bought a ticket to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters, David Wilcox. He is playing at Makor this Sunday. He comes around once every year or two so I go. I used to catch him regularly at the Bottom Line but that place closed because NYU, owner of the property, wanted to build a hall or dormitory there. It was an institution in the Village. I miss that place. David Wilcox is amazing to watch. I went to see him at Satalla on March 6, 2005. It was an excellent show. If you ever get a chance to see him, I don’t think you would regret it.

Often compared to James Taylor and John Martyn, singer/songwriter David Wilcox blends a warm baritone with poetic lyricism and a guitar style that combines soft jazz and folk sensibilities. Described by The New York Times as “a superb guitarist whose sparkling accompaniments are anchored in a deep ringing vibrancy,” Wilcox has built a solid fan-base for his well-crafted folk-pop tunes.

I’m looking forward to it.

David Wilcox
Makor
David Wilcox at Satalla 03/06/2005