08/28/15 03:22 - 73.ºF - ID#60188

Happy birthday Terry!

I love you and your otTerry ways.

The past two years with you have been amazing and I can't wait to see what's in store for all of us!

A few pictures of the pre-birthday brownies. We really need to get some real candles.

Permalink: Happy_birthday_Terry_.html
Words: 47
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/29/15 02:38

Category: estrip

08/27/15 11:43 - 61.ºF - ID#60187

e:strip anniversary

I've now been on (e:strip) for two years! It's really crazy how time flies. I've now published over 700 journals, 3274 images, received 287 comments. Not long ago I was just a young (e:stalker) in college, procrasturbating at 4 am and reading the journals of (e:strip)pers I never met.

I know I've been neglecting (e:strip) posts lately but I really would like to write more, similar to (e:mike,60184). Writing about topics other than programming at work is good for me on multiple levels. How often do I write about something non-technical? And even if I do write about programming, it could be a new topic to reinforce or learn more about.

Most of my journals are catalogs/photo dumps of my life and pretty uninteresting. One one hand I like having that virtual record. I do a lot of self-censorship - either by delaying, rethinking and rewriting what I want to write about until it's boiled to a sanitized blurb, or not published at all. I feel that unlike the heady heyday of (e:strip), what you write is more attached to you than before. But honestly, who really cares? This isn't facebook or google who's tracking every word you say to sell your soul to some marketer later. The old posts of (e:strip) were much more interesting - sometimes, I click on the random article link just to read them

From now on, I would like to write at least one post a day. Even if I have nothing interesting to write about than some youtube video I saw, or some programming concept that just clicked.

I'd also like to work on updating and developing the site a little - (e:paul,60191) just added poop emojis, and there's a lot more that could be modernized (even if it's just on the back end). I'll save that for winter though ;)

Permalink: e_strip_anniversary.html
Words: 317
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/29/15 04:12

Category: mobl

08/27/15 11:43 - 61.ºF - ID#60186

Note 4 and the end of phones

I finally caught up with (e:paul) and (e:terry) and now own a Note 4.

I've had an upgrade to use since March, and I know AT&T was profiting off it - but I couldn't justify paying money for a Note 4, especially while I had a Note 3 that still worked (minus (e:paul)'s crack and the lack of charging from when I took a drunk bath with the phone). It seemed wasteful.

Well I wanted to have a working and long lasting phone for Jabe Pond this week - so I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to the Note 4, for $0 upfront!
The Note 5 is out, but it sucks - who wants a sealed up phone you can't root, take the battery out of, add an SD card into, and adds a glass back? For $300!

The new phone is nicer, especially the camera and battery life - but it's not as life changing as when I went from a flip phone to a HTC Titan, or a Windows Phone to the Galaxy S3.

I really feel that we're reaching the end of the treadmill of consumer electronics capitalism... I'd like to write about (e:paul)'s breakdown at the AT&T store when he realized there's nothing new he wanted to buy.

The best feature of the phone is if you press the power button three times, the emergency mode is activated and it sends an SOS text with a picture from both cameras, a sound clip, and your location to your emergency contact.

Permalink: Note_4_and_the_end_of_phones.html
Words: 259
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/29/15 03:28

Category: food

08/27/15 11:42 - 61.ºF - ID#60185

Sato

Paul and I went on Wednesday to Sato. Between the soupy food, and cold weather it felt like fall. Not ready for that yet.

Paul managed to order a large ramen with extra noodles, I think it topped out at a volume of three liters.

Permalink: Sato.html
Words: 47
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/29/15 03:29

Category: random

08/23/15 10:30 - 77.ºF - ID#60178

Memorial mystery

(e:paul), (e:terry) and I took a cheesy trip to the quarry. Cheese sticks and poutine galore (gravy on the side).

On the way back to the US we stopped at the Mather Friendship memorial. Some shit went down because there was an abandoned purse, a Bob Marley t-shirt, and an god-scribbled envelope full of disability applications. Alien abduction? Robbery? Second coming?

Alex Susman
2261 Adirondack Trail
Oakville, ON L6M 4W4

what is up? Bitte melde dich!

When we got home (e:terry) went into nonna mode and churned out a delicious risotto.

Permalink: Memorial_mystery.html
Words: 104
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/29/15 04:05

Category: going out

08/23/15 10:29 - 77.ºF - ID#60177

Underground buffet

I think Underground would be the last place I would eat food from. I headed there last night with (e:terry) and Patrick.

Surprisingly the place was packed and there was a drag show going on.

After Underground we went to Fugazi, where (e:robert) and company were hanging. The gay party ended up at our house after. I got way too turnt to take any pictures but (e:paul,60181) has a picture of the spankings.

Permalink: Underground_buffet.html
Words: 79
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/24/15 12:24

Category: bikes

08/23/15 10:28 - 77.ºF - ID#60176

Industrial bike ride - Buffalo Color Cor

It seems all I do is post about bike rides. I've been packing them in before the summer ends.

While (e:paul) napped on Saturday, (e:terry) and I took a trip around South Buffalo. This time we took a different route involving Elk Street and a lot of the old industrial areas.

We took a peak at this abandoned factory that I've never seen before, by the rail tracks between Elk and South Park. It turns out it belonged to the Buffalo Color Corporation -

. You can view pictures of the factory before it was completely gutted. The site was a superfund site since producing indigo dye is highly toxic.

The windows are all gone and the building is ripe for exploring. it looks like it might be demolished soon

While in South Buffalo we saw this church with actual bells ringing. I thought they were all speakers now but apparently not.

Speaking of churches, we rode through Caz Park and heard these religious nutjobs ranting about abortion. Why are they allowed to use a public resource to scream their brand of crazy?

The creek

Before we got home, we stopped for an iced coffee at Grindhaus Cafe on Allen. The menu is limited to a few sandwiches (almost all vegan) and pour over coffee, but they have an amazing chia pudding. We brought home one for (e:paul). My cup tells me I'm str8t now.

Permalink: Industrial_bike_ride_Buffalo_Color_Cor.html
Words: 263
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/24/15 12:45

Category: food

08/23/15 10:26 - 77.ºF - ID#60174

Bubblegum plums

(e:paul) and I found these at the Clinton-Bailey farmers market. I've never heard of these before. They aren't ripe yet but they emit a fruity, bubblegum smell.

I'm sure (e:paul) will post more about it so here's just a few pictures.

Permalink: Bubblegum_plums.html
Words: 46
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/24/15 12:21

Category: family

08/23/15 10:26 - 77.ºF - ID#60173

Family trip to Letchworth

Friday night, we met up with my family at Letchworth for a cookout. Emily and Daniel are back at school already, so it was a last ditch effort for the summer. Midnight was chased and bocce was played.

Mary made me an amazing veggie burger, which was perfect with my mom's taboleh. At the end of the night, we cooked smores.

Daniel's instagram glasses

Permalink: Family_trip_to_Letchworth.html
Words: 78
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/24/15 12:28

Category: bikes

08/23/15 10:24 - 77.ºF - ID#60172

Valle de Mexico

The Black Rock Rollers ride went down this week to Valle de Mexico on South Park. I didn't like it before but this time was amazing. (e:joe,59217)

There were 10 of us on the ride. The owner was so excited to have a bike group there - he kept taking pictures of us for the restaurant Instagram.

He even gave us all shots of his homemade mescale

- an agave liquor. I don't really do shots but it was interesting.

After we ate, he moved the tables, cranked the music and asked us to all dance with him and his wife. It was crazy fun getting down to all this 80's Spanish music. The weirdest part was that Claudia told us most of the songs were about cheating and affairs. One of them had a chorus that went something like