"Sunday walk and Kaydara" written by Joe on estrip.org

04/14/14 12:47 - ID#58906

Sunday walk and Kaydara

On Sunday, (e:mike) came over, and led us on a tour of his usual walks downtown. We got a tour of the most deserted places.

It made me think that as much as I love Buffalo, if you were someone from out of town and had to stay downtown, it's really freaking depressing, especially before the summer. It'd be just as easy to think that's all there is to Buffalo as if you stayed out on Transit Road.

Historic Tim Horton's cups in a building on Franklin

This, along with the 99 Bills tickets billboard makes Buffalo look like a ghost town. He played for us in the mid 90's. Does that make this sign historic now?

Afterwards we went to Kaydara for lunch. (e:paul) got the shrimp bowl, while (e:terry) and I split a bunch of veggie tofu options. They were really tasty, especially the creme brulee dessert. The waiter was actually a kid who grew up on my street. The manager was super nice but a bit crazy. She made Terry a really good coffee and even gave us extra to split.

Then we finished up dumpstering at home. We got the disgusting green room rug out the window and a bunch of rotten logs from the yard. Here's Paul with his conquest.

Permalink: Sunday_walk_and_Kaydara.html
Words: 261
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/17/14 12:49

Category: dancing

04/14/14 12:42 - ID#58905

Terry and TK bring it back

I don't have many pictures of the night, but after dinner, (e:terry), (e:mike) and (e:flacidness) all met up with us to go to Marcella's (it was Keke's birthday). No fingernails were broken. We danced until about 3:30 since the music was better than usual.

We got home where (e:paul) eventually passed out. Terry TK and I stayed up playing music videos, and before we knew it the sun was up and it was 7am.

For a little while the living room turned into a late 90's prom.

Yeah I know, vertical video. Terry didn't want me recording. He's so good though, I love when he sings.

Permalink: Terry_and_TK_bring_it_back.html
Words: 119
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/14/14 01:27

Category: food

04/14/14 12:39 - ID#58904

Winos at Kuni's

After the breadhive launch (e:joe,58903), (e:terry) left for the St. Vincent concert for (e:xandra)'s birthday. (e:paul) and I went crazy at the liquor store. If you buy at least 12 bottles of wine, you get a 1510% discount, so we stocked up for a few months in addition to the 6 we bought the day before. We looked ridiculous balacing boxes of wine bottles on the bike ride back. Now the side parlor looks like a wino slept on the pew.

Paul and I then went to Kuni's for dinner. It was so freaking good, and everything about the place is so nice. The waitresses were so friendly, the food was fresh and amazing, and all the food was so good. The tamago even had little designs darkened on it. I got the vegetarian combo while Paul got the sashimi I think. We split the seaweed salad and slaw. I felt super boug for eating there but the prices weren't as bad as I was expecting ($10 for my combo I think).

Permalink: Winos_at_Kuni_s.html
Words: 184
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/17/14 12:40

Category: food

04/14/14 12:38 - ID#58903

Breadhive launch

After the unhoardathon (e:paul,58896), we rode our bikes over to Baynes for the Breadhive launch. The bakery space was a cool little store front in the middle of a bunch of houses. Maybe it was the weather but between the crowd and the fact that pricey real estate is two blocks away it seems like the street about to get real gentrified.

We met up with (e:heidi) and (e:dianne). Some Buffalo Rising writer asked us for a quote but we didn't have anything to say. I said he could use my name if he could come up with something good, though.

They had a bunch of different breads, granolas and spreads. My favorite was definitely the rug bread - it had all these different types of seeds in it, apparently a lot of rye.

Permalink: Breadhive_launch.html
Words: 166
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/17/14 12:40

Category: house

04/14/14 12:37 - ID#58902

Spring clean up

It was so nice out Saturday, (e:Paul) (e:Terry) and I were finally able to get something done outside. The garage apparently has been a hoarding place for the past 7 years and even before that from the church (still not the worst I've seen). It was so damp and moldy - you can see from (e:paul,58896)'s post the extent of the decay. I hope our lungs survive.

We filled a 15-foot dumpster with all the moldy rotting wood no problem. The garage is much cleaner and less moldy, although the roof still leaks. Terry nd I think we can build a new green roof or even a greenhouse for the garage - the flat roof set up is pretty easy to redo.

We didn't even touch much of the basement or attic, but that's for another day. I still felt so satisfied with getting stuff done outside on such an amazing day.

Men at work

Before

After

Terry got the front garden and bunch of the back ready for spring planting. I hope the cold doesn't kill everything already.

Permalink: Spring_clean_up.html
Words: 203
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/14/14 02:13

Category: art

04/13/14 04:48 - ID#58898

Nightmare at Dreamland

This post is #7cfc00 like the jacket Paul got for me.

Friday night, (e:paul) and I went to the Melting point with Emily, Carrie and (e:czarkasm).

Afterwords, we met up with (e:terry), (e:heidi) and (e:flacidness) to go to the Nightmare show at Dreamland. The party was pretty fun - all the art was all animal bone themed and they had a whole wall of skeletons. There even was some skull tacked onto a virgin Mary statue.

Paul ended up being super allergic to the house since there were now dogs and rabbits living there. So we headed out up to Allen before he died, and had not one, but two rounds of Lloyd's (three if you're Paul). Then we finished up the night at Funky Monkey which was dead. The people there were boring and creepy.

Basra is now an official artist. We'll have to see whether he gets any offers for his work

Saw Lindsay at Madonna's

Lloyd's time

Permalink: Nightmare_at_Dreamland.html
Words: 196
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/14/14 01:23

Category: deutsch

04/11/14 12:21 - ID#58890

Duolingo complete

I finally finished the Duolingo German tree yesterday. I really started working on it in the beginning of the year, so the majority took about 3 and a half months.

I think Duolingo was really useful, and sort of frustrating, to get basic grammar and vocabulary down for reading and writing. But in terms of listening and speaking, I got almost nothing - I'm still pretty terrible but getting better.

I am going to keep using the review part to practice, but I think the only way I can pick up more is immersion with news/shows/music in German and trying to speak it when I can. It's hard for me to start speaking it, even to (e:paul) and (e:terry), because I mess up a lot and it gets frustrating. Back to chatroulette, or chat-de?

It's picking up fast and I really love learning it - I can't believe how much I know already when before this weekend ((e:joe,58063)) the only German phrase I knew was "Der Hund schwimmt!"

Permalink: Duolingo_complete.html
Words: 176
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/11/14 12:39

Category: weather

04/11/14 02:05 - ID#58889

Sun's out, guns out

Well it wasn't sunny, but it was so warm today. And there were no guns outside, but my legs and a tortoise. I wore shorts, and Basra was free for an hour. I've never seen him run as fast as when I put him down in the yard. I felt guilty taking him back to be cooped up in the brown room. He's so heavy - it was a fight carrying him up and down the stairs.

It's supposed to be nice all weekend. Maybe time for the second hike of the season?

Permalink: Sun_s_out_guns_out.html
Words: 100
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/11/14 11:53

Category: beer

04/10/14 12:39 - ID#58885

Bierklub - IPA version

This months beer club was a complete 180 from the disgusting stout one last month. Most of the beers were IPA's so it was a good night for (e:heidi), (e:terry) and I. (e:flacidness) came to his first beer club and both he and Terry won in the raffle.

Plus, there wasn't even any gaming when we got back. Just a bean dip/dance/Smash Brothers party. For some reason I didn't want Terry to make the bean dip so I started it and subcontracted the rest out to (e:heidi).

Erryone

Forcing Terry to take a picture I could send to my friend Karnick

Big winners

Permalink: Bierklub_IPA_version.html
Words: 119
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/11/14 12:38

Category: buffalo

04/09/14 01:04 - ID#58881

Buffalo's comeback?

Apparently the population decline in Buffalo has stopped, and the city is getting younger. The number of 20-34 years olds has gone up 10.6% since 2006, and the region gained 324 people since last year with 2,499 immigrants.

Could we finally be changing? I hope it's the start of an actual comeback. Sometime Buffalo feels stuck in the 70's with the crazy amount of segregation, how slow things get going, and the amount of nostalgia people have for stuff that wasn't even good - like when your old relatives talk about AM&A's and Your Host and everything else that's long gone. Maybe that'll actually change now that we have more jugenden.

Although there were false starts before. This 1979 report at my work predicted Buffalo would be back 400,000 people in 2000 (actual - 292,648, 259,000 today)

tinypliny writes at 07:55:50 04/16/14 - Comment #71664: ExBuffalonian, I think you nailed it when you said:

I still love Buffalo, which is why I check this site often. It reminds me of the tons of good memories I have there, but I don't think I will ever live there again.

For me, personally, even though I found absolutely awesome friends, there was nothing else worth staying for.

metalpeter writes at 06:37:05 04/10/14 - Comment #71639: Sorry I didn't follow the Links .... One of Buffalo's and not only its problems is Jobs moved away like Trico .... And Sprawl that is why AM&A's and places left downtown they moved out to The Galleria Mall.... Then you put the train in and that made the downtown area a hang out for black teenagers you know school kids... People down town the last thing they want after work all day is a loud mall full of kids being nosey and rowdy ... Not to mention them hanging out at McDonalds Not the old guys just buying coffee and the movie theatre then would put in movies for them and you don't want to go to movies with them there..... Not to mention the Metro bus (Not know till many years later) wanted to go to the Galleria Mall... They where told no we don't want that kind here (now maybe they just meant poor people and wanted to be upscale) ... but can you think of how Down Town would have been if The Galleria Mall was down there or all the stores and the track :) One of the problems that hurts Buffalo is people don't do the right thing... Everything has to be Political.... Currently over on The East side there is this really cool old House.... They want a market but they claim it is cost prohibitive AKA they don't want to spend the money they would rather knock it down... Damit You ass Hole just explain it is costly and apply for help and have a market in a cool old building ARGH! That is how everything in the city seems to be don't get me started on Pano and how let that gorgeous house rot and then knocked it down...... Don't get me wrong that place looks great... But you know how much cooler it would be if the Patio was a Porch and you where in a victorian House eating :) ARGH..... But the fact that the waterfront is going good is great.... I just wonder how they can make it great for both summer and winter ......

ExBuffalonian writes at 10:23:33 04/10/14 - Comment #71636: It's really hard to say if Buffalo is coming back, and how quickly it will happen. I moved to Buffalo from NYC in 2001, because I thought it was exciting to see all the development in and around Buffalo. Everyone back then was talking about Buffalo's great comeback. Then almost 10 years later, the population had actually declined and it seemed like for every step forward (and there were many) there was another step back somewhere else. You know, one new building would go up, another torn down. One great new restaurant would open, another would close. It still felt like Buffalo was standing still, and I was standing still with it, waiting to finally be living in this thriving reemerging city. But I eventually realized that these things take a long time. Buffalo didn't shrink to its current size overnight, and its growth won't be so noticeable overnight either. I was just getting older, waiting for something to happen, and by the time all this change was noticeable in any real tangible way, I was going to be not so young. So I moved. I just didn't have 20 or 30 more years to wait for the city to catch up to where it was 20 or 30 years ago, into the type and size of city I wanted to spend my life in. I still love Buffalo, which is why I check this site often. It reminds me of the tons of good memories I have there, but I don't think I will ever live there again. That being said, I can understand why someone else would want to make a life in Buffalo. That's just my take on it.