this is going to sound crazy but I just signed up for a triathlon. No, I didn't come up with this one on my own. Kate and Megan decided a few months ago to do this and encouraged me to get my own team together. Yes, team, it's a relay triathlon so I only have to do one part. It's also whats called a sprint triathlon so my portion the running is only a 5K. I'm pretty sure I can handle that. Although let's be honest I'm probably in the worst shape of my life. The last 4 year I've watched my metabolism start it's slow grind to a more a mature halt. The 9 to 12 hours a day i spend behind a computer hasn't slowed this process. Neither has my long time love affair with burritos. The real stinger in this story is the fact the the other two guys in the relay are effing pro's. The bike portion is being completed by my coworker Graham who commonly goes on a nightly ride of 30m miles around central park. The swimmer on the team is a friend of Megan's that swims 2 miles a day. My only credentials are hacking dell netbooks and having the 3D modeling know how to build a Fiat 500. Not helping.
What's our team name you ask? We will be called The Japanese Danger Duo.... (Duo stands for danger). Yes I understand that there are three of us. No, none of the members on the team are japanese. hence the humor.... trust me on this one. I've been asking Kate what their team name is so far no official name has been chosen. What's their line up? Well Megan will take the first (and what I think may be the most difficult leg) the swim. Kate will be doing the bike portion, and Sarah will most likely lap me on the run.
This weekend the real training begins if it's not raining, and maybe even if it is. I will test myself on a 5K lap around prospect park. I figure if I use this as my bench mark training ground even and outwardly skinny yet increasingly flabby guy like myself can at least have a good showing at this my first triathlon. I've posted a picture of roughly what I may look like on the big day.

Labels: travel

omg ROMA let's be honest Kate and I were tired going into Rome. This has been a non stop trip. I dare say we've walked over 100 miles before Rome and then we walked 100 more.
Rome was just what we needed after being disappointed by Florence. 
We checked into the hotel around 1 the first day. We decided after all the walking and traveling it would probably be best to take it easy for the rest of the day.……… we didn't do that. We got out on the street and started walking. Got some lunch and headed for the Treve Fountain. You know the Treve Fountain it's in every movie that's ever been shot anywhere near Rome. Then as if with out trying at all we stumbled on the Colosseum. We all know that one as well and yes it is cool and almost surreal to be stand next to. Being that it was the end of the day we saw only the out side and walled around the outside of the Roman Forum as well. Then it was off to dinner at Pizza Ricci which in my humble opinion was the best meal of the trip. It was a real pizzaria with amazing personal size pizzas. It was just what we had been looking for. The resturaunt it's self was amazing inside. 
The next day was the full indepth tour of the Colosseum and the Forum. The hotel had free wifi (the only one on the entire trip (savages) ). So we were able to download to our phones free Rick Steves audio tours of each. Kate and I have a love hate relationship with Mr. Rick that continued on with these audio tours. They were very informative and difficult to follow. Rick's voice rings of an annoying highschool math teacher that thinks he's funny but just makes humor want to kill it's self. Mr. Babula I'm looking at you on this one.  Those two sights took the entire day. On our way to dinner we stopped at an Irish Bar (seemingly the only real bars Italy can figure out how to construct) to relax. Then off to dinner in the square near out hotel for more meat cheese and pasta. Ahhhhhhhhhh. 
The next day as if by requirment after reciveing that papal blessing we went to the Vatican. I know this is going to sound crazy but I thought the colonade that reaches out around the Vatican square was going to be larger but I had built it up in my mind. It was still amazingly large though.  After having lunch with the Pope where he bored us with stores of saints and sinners and heaven and hell, we moved on to St. Peter's basillica which is out of control. There's a reason it's the flagship church for the entire faith. I can't describe it so I won't try but if you can I'd try to make it over here to see it. It's the only over done church that's not gaudy. The sheer size of it is mind crushing.  Little note from our friend Rick. The Catholics stripped marble off the Colosseum to help construct St. Peter's. Not Cool!
After that as if again by requirment we went to see the Sistine Chapel. Too many people! This was in October so I can't imagine the amount of people in the summer. I wouldn't be able to handle it. The Rick Steves audio tour this time was really quite good. 
After a quick lunch it was off to the Spanish Steps. By this time we had walked so much the bottom of our shoes had started to melt but it was our last day and the Spanish Steps was still on the list. After a bit of struggle we made it and sat for at least two hours. We were entertained the entire time by a group of teenaged kids on a school trip drinking like it was the end of days. Kate and I feeling old and uncool went to buy a bottle of wine to try and join in on the debauchery and succeded in our own controled way. Then some shopping and finally found a great Rick recomdation for dinner.  Then one more stop at the Treve Fountain and back to the hotel to sleep and sleep and sleep. 

I'm tapping this out from the airport in Rome ready to see the US again. We had an amazing time but we both miss buttFUZZ and burritos.  In my estimation we've taken over 1500 pictures which I'll post on flickr. The best I'll put here on dport7 along with the much anticipated wedding photos. 
See you all soon!!!!!!! 

Labels: buttFUZZ, honeymoon, travel, vacation

Florence…… italy you can keep it. Not that it's an awful place it just  lacks any kind of charator. It's just a big city with a white and green marble chruch, Mike's David and a ton of 13 and 14 century art (which btw is all religious and the same). We went to the two major art museums the Uffizi and the Accademia. Saw the big ones like the Birth if Venus and some Caravagio's but the majority is JC and Maddona and Child. The main attraction in Florence is The David. We were impressed. It is massive. I think that's what really makes it special. The entire country is packed with sculpture but it's all very similar. David is a triumph.
That white and green marble church I mentioned is the Duomo. no pictures to show you right now but if you went to art school you would recgonize the big red tile dome. What you didn't know is that it was designed by the hambergler. The green and white marble has turned black and grey over time to now resemble prison stripes. The amount of decoration on this place would make the ladies from Long Island cringe.

Sienna…… I barely new her. Being that after one day in Florence we had conquored the toursty shit we decided to take our underwhelmed selves to Sienna. Sienna is in the Tuscany region of the country and is said by many to he the most beautiful. So we jumped on a train and headed that way. Sadly we arrived in a thunderstorm. So we ducked into a fake irsh bar (note: one thing we can not stand is the lack of real bars in this country. No! I don't want to have a drink at the corner store. I want to sit in a dark loud bar!) till it blew over and to get some much needed food. While inside we met this guy from Texas named Brandon and he offered to show us around when the
rain stopped. After a bit the rain quit and Brandon walked us down to Il Campo the main square. On our way we asked what he was doing in Sienna. Oh man!!! Long story short he said his baby mama, a rich girl from Texas had been preggers with his kid unbenounced to her parents.  One day right before the child was born her parents said "hey, let's take a family trip to Florence Italy" so they all jumped on a plane ( she's 27 and lives at home btw so family trips can happen like that.) While in Florence she has the child. Her parents both being doctors force her to have the baby in the hotel room so no one would know of it's existance. If you haven't guessed the parents hate our new friend Brandon because he is "black and a DJ". So with a baby birthed in secret the Parents tell the baby mama that she has to abandon the baby or they will take her passport and leave her in Italy pennyless and rich girl stupid. Being stupid she agrees to abandon the baby and goes to leave it at a near by church then flees back to Texes with mom and dad. Once she's back in the US Brandon starts asking questions. Sooner or later he finds out what happened after much struggle. Now he's on Sienna staying with family friends getting a DNA test trying to prove the baby is his. He claims after the media found out about the story 20/20 offered to help him out with everything in exchange for the story. Kate and I don't believe any of this but it did make for a good story. 
The rest of Sienna was nice. I got a new wallet from my favorite Euro store Manderina Duck. Then we hoped back on the train back to Florence. 
On the way to Rome now. Kinda exhausted. See you there!  Sorry for the crap pics. One is a David copy in the square the other well who knows.

Labels: honeymoon, travel, vacation

Cinque Terre like every thing else was beautiful. It's an area in the Italian Riviaria made up of 5 little villages. We stayed at the one named Montorosso. Our B&B was amazing. Brand new and full of modern everything. We had our own terrace (seen below all the way to the left) perfect for an afternoon rest with a bottle of prosecco. 
According to Rick Steves (that know it all travel book bastard) Montorosso was the younger more nightlife rich of all the villages. Well, Rick lies!  Not that it's a problem we hadn't planed on an all night rager but we had hopped for a crowed under 65. We of course rolled with it and got up the next day ready to take what Rick called a sea side strole to the next town over Vernazza. Again Rick pulled a fast one on us. This stroll turned into a 2 and a half mile hike through the mountains on a trail that at some points was no more than a foot and a half wide which we only had flip flops on to travers. Kate and I are starting to expect this Rick Steves bastard is trying to kill us. Eff you Mr. Rick!!!
That aside the hike was beautiful. It was sunny and the veiw of both towns from the top of the mountain was glorious.  The hike really took it out of us. Especally me, my usual work out routine involves a mouse, a monitor and a pint of warnish tea.
With all that hikeing under our belts we enjoyed a dinner at Miky's (a famouse local restuaunt) . This morning we boarded another train and are quickly making our way to Florence. I'm tapping this post out as we zip through little towns just a few minutes from stop 3 on our tour. Chech back in a day or two.... Rome is next!!!!!

Labels: honeymoon, travel

Venice!! I can't even describe it. All the streets are like alley ways so it's one big maze. You can litterally take a picture of everything. It's rustic on top of old on top of rustic. Any where else run down building are off putting. Not here, in-fact the entire city looks as if it's tetering on colapse and it's a gloriouse sight. Kate and I explored the city to the fullest extent in the time we had. Seeing museums churches and resturaunts all one after another. Now listen, I'm not a museum kinda guy but the Peggy Guggenheim museum was a winner. If you like modern art like we do give this one a try while your here.  San Marco is of cousre a force in it's own right. Massive amounts of space surrounded by the Doges Palace. At night the lights in every window and the haze of the city makes for a movie type setting. That and so much more has been our Venice trip.
Right now we are on a train to Monterosso for some sun and relaxation. I've got blisters from all the walking in Venice and I'm looking forward to this part of the trip.
Posted from the train!!! More in a few days!!!

Labels: honeymoon, travel

so just to keep the posting on a roll. I was is sayville long island this weekend. our friend megan had an old style high school type kegger and it was great. things were a bit rainy but that keg got done.... today was to the beach and then home.. big huge thanks to megan it was a great time!!!!! pictures below are one a lawn wood bear i liked. the other is how i remember things being.

Labels: travel

This weekend was kate's bridal shower in defiance ohio. tha't's right my home town.. how did it feel to go back? well to be honest the house i grew up in looks great. i would love to have a few days there just to sleep and relax. defiance it's self has seen better days. I think like a lot of small towns, this latest economic down trun has hit pretty hard. Either way it was a nice time my parents put together quite a good shower weekend. I've included a few pics from the weekend, the first is most of the family minus my dad. second is mad cat. mad cat hangs around my house and terrorizes all the other cats, and is generally kinda a bastard. the last shot is my grandfather's dog buddy, or as he's known around those parts cat killing dog.. don't let him fool you every time he wanders over to my parents house he kills as many kittens as he can find.... although with a face like that he makes me sound like a lier.. that all said, kate and i had a great time and send out a big thanks to everyone involved... although many of those people don't read this blog.. feel the karma .

Labels: travel, wedding

so happy memorial day everyone? do you wish people happy memorial day? I mean it's a holiday everyone looks forward to but it's not necessarily happy. well i mean i'm happy i don't have to be at work so i'm having a happy memorial day but the day it's self if kinda sad. with all the war and dying for ones country and all......... yeah,
Anyway last week big john diehl (johns flickr) was in town for a visit and we indeed made the best of it.... on friday we went to Atlantic City "where hope goes to die" i guess you could say everything you've head about Atlantic city is true... It's dirty slimy and a bit scary. i don't really like to gamble but john is like a young Kenny Rogers who can't sing.... He tried to explain Craps to me but some reason my tiny paul brain just could handle it. long story short we both came out ahead by the time we boarded the bus full of toothless rubes back to nyc. i was up $50 (black jack) and john was up $250 (which he won just moments before we got on the buss)...
Saturday was the Yankee's game I posted some pics in frames. the new stadium is ridiculous. i know the pictures don't do it justice but the new jumbotron is like a city block in size. It was a good game. it went to extra innings with toolrod I mean Arod hitting a homerun to win the game....
Lastly and most exciting NEW DPORT7 Tshirts and bags!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Inspired by our iphone icon the shirts and bags are hot off the press and ready for you to love them.... PAUL!!!!! How do I get one?? Well maybe if i see you i'll have one for you.... other than that send an email i guess. Can't make any promises supplys are low....... I'm excited

Labels: general, travel

faithful believe it or not i went on a mini VACATION last weekend!!!!! kate and i joined our friends BVA, DVA, and our new friend Nicki at a beach house on TYBEE island for a fun filled weekend of old college friends, karaoke, beer, beef, pinkie masters, bingo and all other types on tomfoolery. I've posted a bunch of pictures in FRAMES that i hope you'll enjoy!! It was so great to get a chance to see my old college pals Joel and Jenn!! Being back in Savannah and seeing the students made me long for the "studio fridays" warm days and lost hours at pinkie masters. Well you can't go back as they say and i won't waste my time trying, although it does make me feel good/sad to remember how much fun i used to be. The pictures below are the entire team at different stages of the trip. enjoy.... love the kate dance pic. Oh the pic of DVA and nicki show their bingo winnings!!!! BVA also at bingo just hours before big 30. yeah that's me singing brandy. hooray!

Labels: friends, travel, vacation

so did you see this? just when you thought you knew the biggest bastard in town good old Billy Bob Thornton comes out of nowhere and takes the taco. I posted this interview Billy Bob did on a Canadian radio station. He just gets mad and refuses to answer questions. To really get into it fast forward to the 6 and a half minute mark. It's so akward and revolting it's hard not to watch. If for some reason you were or are a Billy Bob fan, well I hope this changes your mind.







In other news aaron and alison came to visit last weekend and we all had a great time. One great thing about living in New York for 5 years is that after the second year most of the people that are going visit have. So by year 3 it's gravy. when people come to visit there isn't any lets go to the top of the rock or visit the moma. It's just purely hang out time. this i like. I'll try and post a few pictuers this weekend. I know alison posted some pics on the facebooks but being that i continue to boycott i haven't been able to see said pictures....
In just a week kate and i head to Savannah and we could not be more excited. I can't tell you how bad i need to get out of the city. seeing the old savannah sights is really going to lift the old spirits.

Labels: general, travel, vacation

vacation day 2
day two of the the martha's vineyard vaca brought some moped fun. that's right kate faced her fears and hopped on the back for a moped driven by yours truly. we rode all over the island seeing the sights and having a good time. the first stop was the beach. it was really pretty hot and I'm so totally scared of getting burned we only stayed like 3 hours, most of which i slept. Then it was back on the scooter and a quick (as possible the little thing tops out a like 32 mph) tour around the island. On the tour we went through Edgertown which kate has grown quite a liking to. So we took the bus back there after turning in the moped at the end of the day. We thought it might be a good place for dinner and we ended up at "the seafood shanty". How was it? well lets say we got taken. it was kinda like a red lobster type place and not so good. we are planing to make up for that fauxpeau on the last night on the island with a better meal. stay tuned for more to come!!!
notice Kate's steven colbert bad, the obama fans out here love it!!

Labels: travel, vacation

vacation day 1
On our way to vacation!!!! Hooray
So let me fill you in. kate and i took off from the port authority at 7:30 this morning and got on the peter pan bus. after about 4 hours we ended up at woods whole where we picked up the ferry and headed off to martha's vineyard. We are staying in oak's bluff the more diverse part of the island. it's less the uppitty part of the island and it feels much more comfortable. we walked around town this after noon then stopped for a drink. Dinner was at the Look Out, lobster was on our minds and we let one have it. look for more tomorrow. I'm so happy to be on vacation i could cry.

Labels: travel, vacation

What a weekend folks. I don't want to say it was the best weekend of the summer but i cant help it, it was the best weekend of the summer. Miss Erin Hanley needs a shout out for setting up the best tubing trip, maybe ever. But first we need to talk about friday night, the night O Neil. Thats right we went to see America's greatest song writer and our hero Neil Diamond at the garden. I don't really know how to explain it, Neil is a force of nature. he played a lot of his hits and generally made me laugh the entire show. Kate loved it and I think if the chance arose again we'd go. check out the clip below i feel as if it was a bit like our experience. Michele, Erin, and Allie joined us for the concert and well lets just say michele is a uber fan. 

Labels: shows, travel

so it's been so busy lately. first off where is the summer going? the good news is that last monday i (by the grace of god) got to go to a Yankee's game with my super good friend Jenn. The game was sooo much fun, only because Jenn is the best. We just sat there laughing the entire game drink'n beer and having an all around great time. Jenn for real send in those pictures there are more than a few worth posting.

Secondly Happy Forth of July everyone! I for one have completely enjoyed the holiday weekend. Kate in another great move planed a little day trip to
Sandy Hook NJ. Kate I Michele and Shay got on a ferry at 10am Friday morning for a short 30min ride out to what looks to be an old military base. Sandy Hook had been used to test weapons and what looks to be a training barracks of some kind. Either way it's a scenic and lovely place. Once you get off the ferry there are two school buses waiting to take you to 1 of 3 beaches on the island. And yes, for you freedom fighters out there, a nude beach is available for your sunning pleasure. We didn't visit that beach we were at North beach. It was over cast most of the day but i still managed to get very badly burned...... and yes i was the only one of the group to do so.

Lastly the dport7 SSP08 is in it to win it this year with the invite sent out a week ago. As of course if you didn't receive your just click here. I have to be honest with you, this is the first year i've been a bit embarrassed to send out the invite. in a way i guess it's a good thing, it means it's cutting edge. This years going to be huge. many surprises still to come so stay tuned.

lastly sad news tonight my kickball team lost it's last game. we are out of the playoffs and not chance for the Vegas tournament. i felt sad at the time but I think on the train ride home I got over it.

Labels: party, travel

So I'm sitting here on the runway in Dayton waiting for 45min. on the plane to take off back to LGA. A perfect time to tap out some closeing thoughts on my little summer vacation to Ohio. Yesterday was the fun day. John and I went to see the Reds take on the RedSox. It was a really great game filled with homeruns and extra innings. Although the Reds put forth a worthy effort they just couldn't get past the Sox. The final score ended up being a 6 to 4 loss for the home team.

After the game we headed across the river to join in on the Itailan fest going on. Sadly the Cincinnati's version of an Italian fest consisit of a few Papa John's pizza stands and some carnival games. Have no fear because I love ethnic fairs of all kinds I took a ride on the typhoon (pictured below). I didn't yack but I should have I'd probably feel better now. After that we met back up with a bit more extended family then called it a day.
Lastly the entire trip was plagued a certain bug native to Cincinnati called the cicada. It kinda looks like a horse fly and screams like a locust. They are everywhere and tend to just land anywhere on your body. The legend goes the these bugs from hell only appear every 17 years. Because of global warming they got confused and hatched early. The last infestation was 2004. Either way it is sooooo loud and creepy. Its so loud infact that you can hear their screaming driving down the expressway with that radio on. Why does this happpen in Cincinnati you ask? Well I really don't know. Although it does give credance to my theory that it is one of the seven gate ways to hell.

Labels: travel

i got here yesterday got picked up and tried to make the documentary. sadly every time i turn the camera off funny stuff gets said. anyway the graduation was last night and i have to say it was pretty dry. the open bar shut down right before dinner and after an hour or so the awards presentation started. Turns out that doctors are award crazy... i think just about everyone got one ,but with that said they all work extremely hard helping people. i started thinking about how the rest of us work hard and don't get awards dinners. then though i thought about how it is nice to be recognized but dinners take time and really aren't that much fun. I ended up think" you know maybe not being recognized is less commitment and probably more fun in the long run". There's something about being out of my normal life that makes me want to blog. stay tuned maybe I'll sneak another one out tomorrow.

Labels: travel

Here I am at LGA the dirtiest airport in the nation waiting to take off to Dayton Ohio then to Cincinnati to see big john diehl graduate for what looks to be the last time from med school. Over the last 8 or so years john has graduated like 24 times. First from UC med school then residency then from god knows what and so on. I don't think I've been present for more then one of these occasions. For this the very last one I'm taking this friday off and getting on a USair flight to my home state and most hated city Cincinnati. Oh looks like they've started the preboarding I guess I better wrap this up. I brought my video camera and feel determined to make a doc. not only for john but for you the now generally board dport7 reader. Don't give up.
(posted from iPhone)

Labels: general, travel

So if you haven't heard dport7 has lost one of it's most prestigious staff members. Ian Swanson shipped off this morning for singapore. Where the hell is that? you ask. Well it's on the other side of the damn world pal. A 22 hour plane ride from JFK to Hong Kong then 4 short hours to everyones favorite spot on the Malay Peninsula. Ian pretty much sold, gave, and threw way everything he owned to move for a year to southeast asia. Why did he go? Well the Company we work for is opening an office there and ian was chosen to go over there and help build that arm of the business. i know what you asking. Paul what does this mean for my bottom line? Well, I'm losing my best friend here in NYC and with that goes my most reliable drinking buddy this means i'll be reaching out to more of you in dport7 land to fill the gap. Maybe instead kate and i will build that life size paper mashay dinosaur we've been talking about. maybe I'll start reading books, or finally finish my master degree, or re-stain the deck, or learn to sing dance and play a instrument all at the same time. no matter what i do kate and i are ganna miss that guy.
Anyway to send ian off right we had a going away party for him at Kettle of Fish down in the west village. I have been stricken with a cold so i couldn't go full out party (which was heart breaking). A lot of people showed up (some pictures in frames) so it was a nice send off. Prof and alison came in from NC which was lovely. I took the opportunity to bust out the camera to make a well wishes video. If you were there and I didn't get you on the video I'm really sorry. sometimes i get shy about putting people on the spot..... at least for the sake of video............. Oh speaking of video, with ian leaving the final nail in the coffin has been thrust into dport7 flicks. Unless anyone else want to sacrifice a Saturday to shoot, this is the official end. kinda sad really.

(double click to play)

Labels: friends, travel

So I know I said I would do some blogging this week and I let you down. Here's the thing, I got to Denver on Wednesday with a bit of a cold and then come Thursday morning a blizzard blew into town. So Kate and I made a trip to the mall but with all that snow we couldn't go far. Friday we went to see Charlie Wilson's War at the movies. It was really pretty good, phillip seymour hoffman was as always the best character on the film I think we all can agree he's the best. Saturday kate and I headed up to Keystone to do some big time skiing. Kate is a true talent out there on the slopes. On the first run down some snowboarding tool sacked kate out of no where. Leaving her shaken and bruised pretty bad. Like a champ kate shook it off and we went on to ski blues the rest of the day. Out of shape Paul is so sore today its laughable.
Kate's parents have been wonderful hosts and the entire dport7 staff can't thank them enough for everything. So thank you! Oh and thanks to rocket (the cat) I promise I didn't steal anything.

Labels: holidays, movies, travel

ok no picture today. I'll fill you in anyway. Last night ian Joel and I hit the town just like the old days. After starting at Pinkie Masters (which has not changed in the least, even some of the old regulars are still there). Then moved on to Vinnies and on to the rail pub. This was kinda hard for me because when I was here at school the rail pub was kind of the place to go. Now its just full of a bunch of lame kids sings really lame 90's shit rock karaoke. I sang peaches by the presidents of the united states of america and no one cared. Then we closed the bars down at some Scottish place on congress. You know they say you can never go back, and for as lame as that saying is its sooo true. You had your time and weather it was cool or not it seemed cool, and its impossible to remember it as any less then the best.

today was golf. Yes that's right I went golfing. I'm really horrible, although I had two good shots to at least save face alittle. We were playing a scramble (look it up) and I was on a team with bill (the groom) and the bride's father and brother. For not getting to bed till 4 the night before and getting up a 7 for the tee time i handeled myself pretty well. Had a pretty good time and didnt really hit the wall so to speak untill lunch time. Bill really carried our team. Of course we did our best to destroy the golf carts. But they always cap the speed on those things so you can't get them airborne.

Right now I'm waiting for Jenn Norwood to come pick me up so we can go to the kings inn to do some real karaoke. Jenn is a pro and I have a few killer songs in mind. I'm doing a neil diamond song in honor of both kate and brian. Also I'm going to see if jen wants to do the clash's train in vein with me. (if you dont know this song, go buy it. One of the best)

Labels: friends, travel, vacation, wedding