November came and went.
November weekends were filled with football, the NFL kind and the Antonio kind. Another season of Flag football has come and gone and Antonio officially got the bug. He relished every game he played and he watches every Jets game on TV. But he doesn’t stop there. He spends his free time on NFL.com, watching the week’s highlights, looking at player statistics, and soaking it all in like a 9-year old sponge is apt to do. I waited a while for one of my sons to sit down and watch an entire game with me. Giovanni really wanted nothing to do with it, but Antonio, yes. So now, I have a partner in crime and I can sit and watch football and spend time with my son with no guilt.
I did a lot of traveling and an UNBELIEVABLE amount of partying. It was awesome!
The week of the 11/12/13, my company had it’s first annual Tech Con, which is a technology convention for the people and by the people. We did it ourselves and cross-trained the heck out of each other. It was awesome and a reason to celebrate. Then, on Friday the 13th, I went to Brighton Beach Brooklyn and spent the night at a Russian Night Club. The food was incredible and far beyond anything I’ve ever seen, short of a Greek Night Club which is easily as insane. Hats off to the folks from Russia at my job who set that up. Oh, but that same weekend was not over, no. I attended the Long Island Beer Festival with four buddies. I’ve gone to this before. It’s beer. It’s 50 vendors of beer. Each vendor serves 2-4 fresh brews. You approach this 2-3 ounces at a time with a mini beer glass. I didn’t know my name by the end of it.
Oh, but November didn’t stop there. The very next week saw me on a place to San Francisco where I attended QCon. Had some good times there with Brett, Koson, Gursel, Matt, and Gregory. Saw a lot of talented speakers sing. Drank some good beer. Ate some great Thai food. Enjoyed the San Francisco suburbs. QCon inspired a new sense of excitement in me with respect to improving my craft. Lots more on this in future posts.
Oh, but November didn’t stop there. Marco started wrestling! Wrestling in my hometown is big. My father was a Long Island Champ, this was before there were state championships. His name is on the high school mat. My brother Tom was a Nassau County champion. My cousin Joey a national champ. Then there is Marco. Some of you know my little Marco and know he’s full of spunk. He can literally overpower his brot her Antonio. Giovanni has too much size, but Marco often puts him down because Giovanni is too busy laughing as Marco thrashes him around. Marco loves wrestling so far and I hear our coach is the best on Long Island. I have high hopes Marco will do well. Bu what really matters is that he enjoys what he does. I hope to teach him humility for the inevitable match when he’l get his ass kicked, so that he’ll keep on going…
The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.
– R. G. Ingersoll
Thanksgiving week saw me spend time with my cousins at Thanksgiving. That was a fantastic time. The kids had a great day. We played football and tag in the backward and it was lots of fun.
In the evening, I went to a local bar with my high school friend Francis and his brother Dennis. We watched the Giants eviscerate themselves on the field. I was hoping they would win, but have no real love for them. Friday I went out with my brothers and my cousin to Huntington, where we bar-hopped and had a great time. Saturday and Sunday were spent at home. My Christmas tree is up. Lights are up on the house. Kids are excited, as am I.
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season to come!