St. Andre?...we belong in Montreal

Being in Montreal is such a relief. The apartment is amazing, literally in the middle of the city, everything is within walking distance. Our place is roomy, clean, comfortable, and affordable, we are feeling pretty lucky to land it. In fact i am feeling so lucky that i may even take a trip to the Casino in Montreal, i have always wanted to play the slots. Our apartment has a rooftop terrace, the view from above is amazing. I have been really enjoying Montreal, by far one of my favorite cities, i wish i knew french, though i suppose if i wanted to learn it Montreal would be the place to be. The city is trendy and safe, but has so many different options. Any type of restaurant, a subway system, a waterfront, Tons of Shopping, Old European Style, Modern Style, Museums, Diversity, Festivals, Islands, a Casino, Art Spots, Theme Parks, City Parks, etc, etc... Montreal is a fun city. 

I should have brought a Pedometer on this trip, i have walked 50 miles by now. 

The people have been very pleasant, most of them say my name better than i do. I look forward to my week here and plan on making it back sometime. Mom would love this place. 

Plus hanging out with Matt and Genevieve has been a blast. Last Night Matt and i had a late night craving and ate some hot dogs; "Toastie" Michigan style...I would be surprised if anyone knows what that means. I don't even think people from Michigan know about it. 

TA

NYC Best Pizza

I had pizza everyday in NYC and it wasn't easy to find my spots. I was picky, my rule was if they would hire me than i don't want to eat there. I went to a couple small pizzarias and a gourmet place that had won NY best Gourmet Pizza award a few times. So after having a small variety i have picked a winner.

First off none of them were better than PRI. Those granola eaters sure know how to throw a Pie. 

The Winner is...Vinnie's Pizzeria. As they put it, "The Slice is Right." The Pizza was delicious and a huge varity of flavors. Unique toppings, even more than PRI and they had Veggie and Vegan options. The Cheese slice was great and Eggplant Parmesan was even better. Plus the staff had personallity, if your in Brooklyn you gotta hit up Vinnie's. 

By the way, they had the best trash can i have ever seen.

Big City, Big Adventures, Big Laughs

New York is the setting. Finding the best pizza slice is the plot. Bret, Sam and myself are the stars.

My first day in New York was like a movie. We were walking through the city with big eyes and bigger appetites. The three of us felt like Ferris Buehler type characters. It is hard to be in New York City for the first time and not feel like you are in a movie. I was expecting to see actors everywhere, because the NYC i know is the one from TV and Movies. I had a great two days in New York, the apartment we stayed in was the size of a queen bed, and i had no desire to set foot in the shower, even though i was sweaty and sticky from the thick humid 90 degree air. The smells in the city were overwhelming; the subway, the pizza joints, the cigarettes, the exhaust, and don't forget Chinatown. But perhaps the worst smell of the trip so far was the restrooms on the 11 hour train ride from NY to Montreal. 

Imagine the urine of someone whose diet consists entirely of canned Tuna. It was bad. One of the worst of all-time, i put it on my list of top five terrible smells. 

Back to NYC, perhaps the best part was just hanging out with Bret and Sam. The food was good, the people were interesting, the smells were terrible, but the company was hilarious, we had one-another laughing at everything. We would sit on the Corner of N 7th in Brooklyn at the N7 Market and just comment on everything around us. Definitely a; "you had to be there" situation. I will share more pictures later.

TA

Packing--what will make the cut?

I have been packing for the last three days and intend on continuing for the next two. I have never had to pack for a two month trip before, what do i bring: pants, shoes, shirts, shorts, glasses, underwear, toiletries. How much of each do i need? This must be easier for someone who doesn't like there clothes as much as i do...i keep finding myself taking t-shirts because i made them, or because i wear them often or haven't worn them lately. I need to hold try-outs. I am going to have to make a cut take my best stuff, the Varsity Squad of my garments. I will post a final list of the Varsity Squad, hopefully by tonight. I might have to swing a few JV...you never know when something might get damaged.

Current Song- Basementgroves by Arohan
I have been listening to Arohan quite a bit lately, i find his 7+ minute songs become hypnotic. I am able to have them on all the time, sometimes for ambient noise, but mostly for great dance tunes.

TA