.JPG)
And this might just be a little better:
(made them at Picasion)
Showing posts with label jeff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jeff. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Jeff GIF
Just testing out some online GIF animators. Hopefully this works!
And this might just be a little better:
(made them at Picasion)
And this might just be a little better:
(made them at Picasion)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Food Triathlon
A little while back, The Flat Hat ran a Variety section on 'The Best of Williamsburg,' in terms of restaurants. As a Flat Hat photographer, I snatched up this assignment ASAP. I ended up getting 3 restaurants to photograph: Nawab, Tequila Rose, and the Trellis.
Great, I thought, this is perfect! Nawab has good appetizers, Tequila Rose has yummy mains, and the Trellis has mind-blowingly amazing desserts! I can go to each one all in a row and have a long, drawn out, extended meal!
Well, that was the plan anyway. So on a lovely Saturday, Jeff and I hopped in the car and drove the short distance to Nawab, an Indian restaurant. Before getting a seat, I asked the manager if I could take photos, for the newspaper. He was happy for me to, so I snapped some shots of the buffet.
Lunch buffet
We sat down and got waters and an appetizer, the chaat papri, which came with raita, and regular naan.
Chaat papri
Raita
But that wasn't all that was brought to us. The manager himself brought us samples of mango lassi and garlic naan, on the house. It was amazing!
Mango lassi (the remains)
Naan and garlic naan
Now, if you know me, you know that Indian is currently my favourite type of food, having recently surpassed Mexican. So this huge amount of free Indian food was astonishing, and wonderful! I've liked Nawab the 3 or 4 previous times I've been, and this time increased my opinion even more! If you're in Williamsburg, this is the place to go for Indian food, a relatively cheap lunch buffet, or just a delicious meal in general. I had never had mango lassi before - but now I highly recommend it! And that's saying something, since I don't really like mango at all.
Needless to say, the unexpectedly large quantities at Nawab completely filled us up, and we decided to put off Tequila Rose and The Trellis for another day.
Sunday came, and the weather was bad - lots of rain. Luckily, I had decided to take my outdoor photos the day before since it had been so nice. Jeff and I headed to Tequila Rose, for dinner this time.
It wasn't at all crowded; and there was no fanfare this time - no free stuff, I'm afraid, just delicious tacos and enchiladas.
The ubiquitous chips and salsa
Beef enchilada with beans
Beef taco
Tequila Rose is fairly far out of the way - a decent trek down 143/Second St. - and isn't my top choice for Mexican in Williamsburg. However, Flat Hat thinks it has the best margarita in town (I wouldn't really know...). I must admit that its bar certainly has character.
If you're looking for Mexican in Williamsburg, Tequila Rose is not your best option. La Tolteca (which has 2 locations: Richmond Road, near the outlets, and Second Street) and South of the Border (Second Street) are both closer to campus than Tequila Rose and better. La Tolteca is your standard Mexican style restaurant, while South of the Border has a bit of a different fare, and is a pretty new discovery of mine. Some of the dishes are not something I'd encountered in Mexican restaurants before - and that's saying a lot! I'd say South of the Border is definitely the tastiest. A lot of college students favour Casa Maya, for convenience most likely, but personally I don't think it's very good at all. I would rather go to Taco Bell (and yes, I actually like Taco Bell) which is next door, practically.
Back to our story - Tequila Rose filled us up too! So we went to the Trellis after a light lunch on Monday to just get dessert, which was, after all, the original plan for the Trellis.
The Trellis is an upscale restaurant right in Merchant's Square, Duke of Gloucester Street, at the edge of Colonial Williamsburg. Despite its proximity to campus, it's not well frequented by students - it's a tourist place, and for good reason. That reason is that it's quite expensive, which you can guess just by the decor, which mostly consists of horrendously overpriced local art on the walls, all of which is for sale.
There's one thing, though, that keeps me coming back to The Trellis at least once a year - their famous dessert offering, known as Death by Chocolate. It's their signature item. Instead of explaining it, I'm just going to show you a picture, and let you drool.
Do you think you can resist that? I can't. Jeff and I shared it and could barely finish it. It's unbelievably rich and decadent. Not something to be had on a regular basis, or risk packing on a lot a pounds.
All in all, I think our food triathlon was a success. It didn't go as planned, but I think in the end, it was better that way. Delicious!
Great, I thought, this is perfect! Nawab has good appetizers, Tequila Rose has yummy mains, and the Trellis has mind-blowingly amazing desserts! I can go to each one all in a row and have a long, drawn out, extended meal!
Well, that was the plan anyway. So on a lovely Saturday, Jeff and I hopped in the car and drove the short distance to Nawab, an Indian restaurant. Before getting a seat, I asked the manager if I could take photos, for the newspaper. He was happy for me to, so I snapped some shots of the buffet.
Lunch buffet
We sat down and got waters and an appetizer, the chaat papri, which came with raita, and regular naan.
Chaat papri
Raita
But that wasn't all that was brought to us. The manager himself brought us samples of mango lassi and garlic naan, on the house. It was amazing!
Mango lassi (the remains)
Naan and garlic naan
Now, if you know me, you know that Indian is currently my favourite type of food, having recently surpassed Mexican. So this huge amount of free Indian food was astonishing, and wonderful! I've liked Nawab the 3 or 4 previous times I've been, and this time increased my opinion even more! If you're in Williamsburg, this is the place to go for Indian food, a relatively cheap lunch buffet, or just a delicious meal in general. I had never had mango lassi before - but now I highly recommend it! And that's saying something, since I don't really like mango at all.
Needless to say, the unexpectedly large quantities at Nawab completely filled us up, and we decided to put off Tequila Rose and The Trellis for another day.
Sunday came, and the weather was bad - lots of rain. Luckily, I had decided to take my outdoor photos the day before since it had been so nice. Jeff and I headed to Tequila Rose, for dinner this time.
It wasn't at all crowded; and there was no fanfare this time - no free stuff, I'm afraid, just delicious tacos and enchiladas.
The ubiquitous chips and salsa
Beef enchilada with beans
Beef taco
Tequila Rose is fairly far out of the way - a decent trek down 143/Second St. - and isn't my top choice for Mexican in Williamsburg. However, Flat Hat thinks it has the best margarita in town (I wouldn't really know...). I must admit that its bar certainly has character.
If you're looking for Mexican in Williamsburg, Tequila Rose is not your best option. La Tolteca (which has 2 locations: Richmond Road, near the outlets, and Second Street) and South of the Border (Second Street) are both closer to campus than Tequila Rose and better. La Tolteca is your standard Mexican style restaurant, while South of the Border has a bit of a different fare, and is a pretty new discovery of mine. Some of the dishes are not something I'd encountered in Mexican restaurants before - and that's saying a lot! I'd say South of the Border is definitely the tastiest. A lot of college students favour Casa Maya, for convenience most likely, but personally I don't think it's very good at all. I would rather go to Taco Bell (and yes, I actually like Taco Bell) which is next door, practically.
Back to our story - Tequila Rose filled us up too! So we went to the Trellis after a light lunch on Monday to just get dessert, which was, after all, the original plan for the Trellis.
The Trellis is an upscale restaurant right in Merchant's Square, Duke of Gloucester Street, at the edge of Colonial Williamsburg. Despite its proximity to campus, it's not well frequented by students - it's a tourist place, and for good reason. That reason is that it's quite expensive, which you can guess just by the decor, which mostly consists of horrendously overpriced local art on the walls, all of which is for sale.
There's one thing, though, that keeps me coming back to The Trellis at least once a year - their famous dessert offering, known as Death by Chocolate. It's their signature item. Instead of explaining it, I'm just going to show you a picture, and let you drool.
Do you think you can resist that? I can't. Jeff and I shared it and could barely finish it. It's unbelievably rich and decadent. Not something to be had on a regular basis, or risk packing on a lot a pounds.
All in all, I think our food triathlon was a success. It didn't go as planned, but I think in the end, it was better that way. Delicious!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
anticipation
I am waiting with bated breath until we are together again. It is less than two weeks now. The time in between will stretch out and twist and snap up and be gone in an instant. But that's just the way time works. It flows in big, full pools and then speeds through narrow canyons. I navigate it as I can. Images flash across my mind: holding your hand. Holding you in my arms, and pulling your lips to mine, and everything melting into one. I have stored your scent in my brain and I call it to mind when I am thinking of you. It is attached to many emotions.
I see your face in my mind so often, and it gives me butterflies. I watch a romantic movie and I just want to hold you so tight. This waiting, this anticipation... it will make the actual reunion so full of love and emotion and desire. I know, because it happened last time. I will be giddy with the renewed newness of us. I won't be able to believe that I have something so precious, that is already mine, and I will cherish it. I cannot wait to hold you.
I see your face in my mind so often, and it gives me butterflies. I watch a romantic movie and I just want to hold you so tight. This waiting, this anticipation... it will make the actual reunion so full of love and emotion and desire. I know, because it happened last time. I will be giddy with the renewed newness of us. I won't be able to believe that I have something so precious, that is already mine, and I will cherish it. I cannot wait to hold you.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
On the Things I Cannot Say
The weather outside is absolutely beautiful. The sun is shining, it's warm on my face, the birds are singing, the breeze is lovely and fragrant and tickling the trees. But today is the day you left, and though you haven't been gone long your absence is a presence in my life already. I read my book to make the time past, at home and at the dentist's, and it is profound but it is also sad. It has a red handprint on the cover. It's of a left hand, like the one I use to write. I place my hand upon the shadow of a hand, but the red hand is too big. My mind traces the curves and lengths of your hands, and my measurements say this hand on the cover is about the same size as yours. It makes me want to hold your hand again, to trace its soft lines. Last night we were holding each other close and in your arms I almost said the things I cannot say. It's not that I don't want to tell you, in fact I have the feeling you already know, but I have never told you in so many words. I want you to know every part of me, even this part, but for some reason it is very hard for me. Part of me says it's because I don't know how you feel about it, that it might scare you that I feel this way, that maybe it's best if you don't know. But really it's that I am afraid and a bit superstitious. The words are the shape of the ways I've been damaged before. My fears are related to the way you would answer; or worse, the way you might not answer. I know that it is likely you feel the same: maybe you too are scared of this type of thinking. If you didn't answer it might not reflect how you feel, it must just be the way you can't say it either, even after I had, or that you were happy about it and just wanted to savor the moment and not mar it with words. But the problem is I wouldn't know. I'd want you to answer and maybe there is nothing to say. If you don't feel that way, I wouldn't want you to say you did, but it would hurt just the same that you don't. I am hoping you too, and all evidence points to that. But the anxiety to say it, this one little category of things I hide from you, is growing. Every time I think about it, I think, I'm going to say it, something, anything, to let him know, next time we're together. But then when we are together I just want to be in the moment. Should I even be worrying about the future when the present is so wonderful? But I know, too, that we are eventually going to have to talk about it. Is it an unspoken rule that we can't? Or just a boundary in my mind? I mentioned it's where I've been damaged before, and now I'll tell you why. I've said it before, planned for the future in the past, and it has never worked out the way I hoped, the way I longed. I felt like the fact that we'd said it made it all the worse to leave behind. I'm beginning to doubt whether it makes much of a difference in the end if it doesn't happen: I'll still have thought it, and you'll have never known how I felt. So even now I'm convincing myself it will be better to make it clear to you, and that I should just say it. But that doesn't stop the freezing of the words, the times when I push myself to say it and end up going further into myself and holding tighter to the words, and staying silent and you probably are wondering what I am thinking of, but you don't ask so perhaps you are thinking just as feverishly. Or is that it is just not in your nature to ask? Maybe that's okay. Maybe one day I'll be ready to breathe you in while we're embracing, and lift my head and look you in the eye, and draw in a breath and open my mouth and let loose the words: "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Saturday, March 8, 2008
More look-alike nonsense
I did Jeff on that thing. It says he looks most like Adam Sandler.
Jeff
Adam Sandler (via Flickr)
What do you think?
Jeff Adam Sandler (via Flickr)What do you think?
Friday, March 7, 2008
light up the sky with our fire
music videos, movies,
drilling the idea in my head:
I want to draw you into my arms
and kiss you like forever.
I don't need to draw a breath
if I can just breathe you.
In my mind,
let this never stop.
We will spread our love,
a blanket on the ground.
Laying on that blanket under the stars,
we will identify the constellations
and light up the sky with our fire.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
sapling
fourteen months ago today...
an awkward kiss,
establishing contact,
my mind is running a thousand miles an hour -
what do I do now? can I touch him?
is he mine?
click online and ask.
are we? is this?
yes.
we planted a tree that day.
Happy 14 month anniversary!!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
love
Today I would like to share with you about a little thing I call love. I am in love. With Jeff Bergemann. He is a wonderful man. Here's something I told him on the subject:
Hey lovely. The first thing to say to you: Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!! It is a day to celebrate love - and I am in my own way celebrating our love (just by thinking about how wonderful it is). I went on a long walk with Tal (which is why I wasn't on when you were) and we talked a lot about relationships (mostly hers, she is having issues :( ) and the weather was absolutely miserable, the rain became freezing rain on the way back. Anyway, the point I am getting to is that I started saying things about our relationship and how happy it makes me and I thought I would share my thoughts with you. It's just that this relationship has moved at its own pace - and while, at least right before we were going out it was a bit slow, it has worked out excellently well. I feel like things happened as they needed to, as they were meant to if you want to put it that way, that it has felt incredibly natural. No, it's not perfect all the time - I am not always happy and that even means I am not always happy with you, but I have never been dissatisfied with our relationship, and it is almost always simply amazing. Tal mentioned that we just seem right together - and I agree. We are kindred spirits, I think, and the fact that we found each other never ceases to amaze me. I am always certain that your love for me is as strong as my love for you - and I know that sometimes you are not as eloquent about it as I am, but we can't all be poets. Neither of us are perfect - but I truly believe that none of our respective flaws is so great or annoying to the other that it makes our relationship any less strong. I can know this, because of the way we can spend whole days, weeks even, together all the time and not get annoyed with each other. We've been dating for nearly 14 months and we're not sick of each other. Perhaps it is not my place to speak for you in such a way - but I honestly believe I know you well enough to do so. Basically I'm just saying that this relationship is right. It's good, it's excellent, it's the best anyone could ever hope for - just look at the fact that many people do specifically hope for it. I couldn't ask for more than just to be with you - and yes, I am with you right now. Physical togetherness is not the important part at the moment. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading my shouting of your praises and of our praises - I am sure you do, since I know that were I saying this to you in person you would be very quiet but you would have a big smile on your face. And you would exude your happiness and we would kiss and caress and all that beautiful excellence. So that's some Valentine-y stuff for you. I would love to celebrate it with you - but as it is we can be celebrating together in spirit, and celebrate together in not-too-terribly-long.
A poem which accompanied that message:
despite what I said
we are both poets.
but where I use words and fancy phrases,
you simply glance my way,
and your eyes write it out on my heart.
my commas are your kisses,
my periods your touch.
you hold me,
it is equal to a thousand stanzas.
I could write a book of verse
but it would never equal
the poetry in your body.
His response to said message and poem:
Wow, nothing brightens my day like getting an amazing message from an amazing person. I read the poem that goes hand in hand with and I must say, I'm going to have to do some pretty amazing things with my body since I can't express in words how wonderful it feels to have so much love and caring radiating great distances to reach me. Every time I read one of your poems I just block everything else out and it's just this intensely private wonderful moment. I love you, I love you so much if only I didn't need to rely on this inexact tool of words to express myself; oh the things you would feel.
There is much more to say about this subject. However, for now I will leave you with an image.
Hey lovely. The first thing to say to you: Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!! It is a day to celebrate love - and I am in my own way celebrating our love (just by thinking about how wonderful it is). I went on a long walk with Tal (which is why I wasn't on when you were) and we talked a lot about relationships (mostly hers, she is having issues :( ) and the weather was absolutely miserable, the rain became freezing rain on the way back. Anyway, the point I am getting to is that I started saying things about our relationship and how happy it makes me and I thought I would share my thoughts with you. It's just that this relationship has moved at its own pace - and while, at least right before we were going out it was a bit slow, it has worked out excellently well. I feel like things happened as they needed to, as they were meant to if you want to put it that way, that it has felt incredibly natural. No, it's not perfect all the time - I am not always happy and that even means I am not always happy with you, but I have never been dissatisfied with our relationship, and it is almost always simply amazing. Tal mentioned that we just seem right together - and I agree. We are kindred spirits, I think, and the fact that we found each other never ceases to amaze me. I am always certain that your love for me is as strong as my love for you - and I know that sometimes you are not as eloquent about it as I am, but we can't all be poets. Neither of us are perfect - but I truly believe that none of our respective flaws is so great or annoying to the other that it makes our relationship any less strong. I can know this, because of the way we can spend whole days, weeks even, together all the time and not get annoyed with each other. We've been dating for nearly 14 months and we're not sick of each other. Perhaps it is not my place to speak for you in such a way - but I honestly believe I know you well enough to do so. Basically I'm just saying that this relationship is right. It's good, it's excellent, it's the best anyone could ever hope for - just look at the fact that many people do specifically hope for it. I couldn't ask for more than just to be with you - and yes, I am with you right now. Physical togetherness is not the important part at the moment. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading my shouting of your praises and of our praises - I am sure you do, since I know that were I saying this to you in person you would be very quiet but you would have a big smile on your face. And you would exude your happiness and we would kiss and caress and all that beautiful excellence. So that's some Valentine-y stuff for you. I would love to celebrate it with you - but as it is we can be celebrating together in spirit, and celebrate together in not-too-terribly-long.
A poem which accompanied that message:
despite what I said
we are both poets.
but where I use words and fancy phrases,
you simply glance my way,
and your eyes write it out on my heart.
my commas are your kisses,
my periods your touch.
you hold me,
it is equal to a thousand stanzas.
I could write a book of verse
but it would never equal
the poetry in your body.
His response to said message and poem:
Wow, nothing brightens my day like getting an amazing message from an amazing person. I read the poem that goes hand in hand with and I must say, I'm going to have to do some pretty amazing things with my body since I can't express in words how wonderful it feels to have so much love and caring radiating great distances to reach me. Every time I read one of your poems I just block everything else out and it's just this intensely private wonderful moment. I love you, I love you so much if only I didn't need to rely on this inexact tool of words to express myself; oh the things you would feel.
There is much more to say about this subject. However, for now I will leave you with an image.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
honey
you are sweet as the honey
that your home-stay mother loves.
I will bathe in the rich gold viscosity,
and perhaps you will be tempted to lick it off,
inch by inch,
until you have bathed my body fully
and tasted every part.
then maybe you'll hold my body,
soaking wet,
until you're just as moist.
then you will breathe me in
and I will be in your lungs,
like so much of the rest of me is in your heart.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
A Week of Jeff
Oh, and what a good week it was. I of course enjoy Jeff's company immensely, and also that of his friends. Some highlights: we went to the zoo with Tim, Alex, and Stan; went to Tim's New Year's Eve party; watched Juno with Alex and Vogel and Senya; ate delicious food; etc. Good times. I was really glad to see him before he left for Japan for four months. He will be flying out of Dulles in about 30 minutes. I will miss the hell out of him. Yet I'm really happy for him. He's going to have a great time. Yesterday when I got home I cried a lot, but I composed myself later and now I'm okay. Both my brother (who has long-distance relationship experience) and my mom (whose advice is always good) say it will take a couple weeks but once I get used to it, it'll be okay, and he'll be back before I know it. I am confident that our relationship will thrive even in such trying circumstances. Anyway, I'm gonna go be a lead singer for Rock Band. Hehe.
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