Oh My Gac

For those of you who care (and those of you who don’t), last night we celebrated yet another dear friend’s birthday at Empellon Taqueria in the West Village (formerly Chow Bar).  Since they discourage cell phone use, I didn’t really get any good pics of the food, especially because it was constantly flowing and insanely delicious and unique.  

We started with guac, which was accompanied by warm chips and two very different salsas - cashew and chile de arbol.  Then an octopus ceviche, three different queso fundidos - shishito pepper, black trumpet mushroom and green chorizo, which I didn’t expect to like, but I did!  Pictured here, the amazing poached quail egg sopes with refried beans.  But oof I’m tired… we basically ordered everything on this menu except for the sweetbreads and pork tongue tacos, which was slightly disappointing to me, but I know I tend to be a much more adventurous eater, and it wasn’t my birthday anyway ;)

All in all good times and great! great! great! food.  I always love a perfectly composed taco, but dear God my diet’s pretty much gone to sh!t.  *sigh

Summer, here we come.

I got 8 hugs today, guys. And that’s pretty good for a regular Tuesday.

If you can’t tell already I’m a very affectionate and emotional person, so hugs are indeed my favorite. Like I’m the friend that insists on them even though it’s not reasonable in the subway car because everyone is rushing to a LIRR train or the homeless woman with the cart is in your way and it would require a few hurdles over strollers just to get a swift air kiss cheek to cheek. I persist and insist.

Anyway, today at lunchtime I saw one of my oldest friends from middle school. A sweet guy I was always close with and whom I remember has a very lovely baritone singing voice. He came for an interview where I work and we shared a gooey brownie at the corner deli while I rambled about my job and my life and New York City at which point he interrupted me saying, “This is so you, Gacs.” It was so affectionate and nostalgic of him to call me that, and I was reminded again how lucky I was to live in such a diverse and wholesome community growing up. Then he said, “I think us as a generation seek a lot of affection and validation, and that’s something I definitely am working on, to learn how to excel independently.” Whoa dude. How did you just describe me and everything I am after not seeing me for almost 5 years? Alas, I had to get back to work, so he came and went with two long, full arm-wrapping squeezes that took me happily through my afternoon.

Then taco night at my place for three girlfriends I needed to do some major catching up with. And even though my 4th floor walk up isn’t conducive to immediate embracing post the schlep, we still got our hugs on once all was settled and done. All in all, I apologize if this makes for a creepy post, but today was a good day, I’d say. Goodnight!

Getting some perspective today. This reminds me that some of my nearest and dearest friends showed up to watch my little glee club/choir perform (twice!) last year.  It meant, and still means, the world to me that they came to cheer me on. Especially because, well to be honest, we weren’t very good :)

xo
Gac~

(via todayastudentsaid)