Big Dogs

Big dogs are better than little dogs. I know that's like saying big people are better than little people, but it's kind of true. Big dogs are way more fun to pick up. And put down. And run with. And wrestle with. And the list goes on. If these guys were holding chihuahua's you'd be laughing your ass off right now. You would. Big thanks to my dogs from left to right - Cash, Ben, Fogey, Tucker & Mossy.

This is Ortolan

I met Bethany at a BBQ on the East River on April 18th, 2009. She gave me her card. It said Ortolan. We talked and munched on grape tarragon pineapple salad that she prepared and I learned that Ortolan is a bird, a French delicacy fit for the most sinful of God's creatures, and Bethany's line of luxury organic home goods. By focusing on environmentally sound alternatives to modern textiles, materials and manufacturing, she created Ortolan to answer that need in luxury home and lifestyle products. Understanding that not only is there a better way, but it is our responsibility to look for and pursue that achievement is the founding ideal behind Ortolan. Bethany is currently working on her second collection. She has never tried eating Ortolan, but it's on her list of things to do.

www.ortolanorganic.com

Little Buddha

Kids think like dogs. They see something they want and they go after it whole hog until they get it. This little man walked right up and grabbed Cash's leash out of my hand. I had to hand Cash over. He walked Cash half way down Orchard Street in the Lower East Side before I stopped him and his mom to take this picture. I didn't catch his name but I'll never forget his message- When you really want something in life go after it and don't stop until you get it.

Almost July 4th

Where do I begin? What in the world goes through a dogs head when we do shit like this to them? Only a dog will take shit like this and keep coming back for more. Good friends are like that. They listen to all your shit and stand by your side no matter what. Beardsley (far left) and Cash have become good friends. So have Jamie and I. We just moved into a loft under the Williamsburg Bridge and these pictures were taken on our roof. Beardsley is staying the weekend. Remember how awesome it was when your folks went out of town and you got to stay the weekend at your best friend's house and make forts and eat whatever you wanted because his pantry was so much unhealthier than your's? I bet Cash is thinking - Yes!!!

Guns Meat Roses

This is Sivan and Mindy. I've known Sivan for 21 years. We met on a soccer field in South Florida. Sivan comes from Israel. When we met I immediately liked him because he was wearing an Appetite for Destruction t-shirt. I loved Guns N' Roses. I even named my hamster Axl Rose. One week after getting Axl I dropped him in the bathroom and returned him to the pet store because he wasn't perfect anymore. That's what I was like as a child. A neurotic perfection plagued me. It still does but now I focus it on food and my dog. Sivan and Mindy came to visit us in Brooklyn this past weekend and it was close to perfect. This picture was taken moments before we devoured The Goddamn Best Egg Sandwich in the world at The Diner. Chew on this little list of ingredients:

eggs (over easy)
thick brown toast
butter
organic leafy greens
sliced sour pickles
bacon
aged gouda
fontina
raw purple onions sliced razor thin

hell, yes.

The Allegheny Mountains

Photo by Shaena Mallett.
www.shaenamallett.blogspot.com

Alanna & Arlo

Years ago I booked a trip to Napa Valley to visit a friend. I got a puppy sitter for Cash and listed my tiny Soho apartment on Craigslist because that's what you do when rent costs as much as a body part. Alanna & Arlo subleased my place. They were strangers. I landed in San Francisco and got a frantic call from Cash's puppy sitter saying she could not look after Cash. All of a sudden her place was too small, there were too many people living with her and there was no room for Cash. Cash was four moths at the time. Lame. But that's another story. I called absolutely everyone I knew in New York asking them to look after him but no one could on such short notice. I had never boarded him so that wasn't an option. I was out of options. I called Alanna & Arlo, who again, were strangers, and offered them a full refund if they would so kindly look after the meatball for a week. They agreed whole heartedly. That was two years ago. This picture was taken at Marlo & Sons in South Williamsburg on Alanna & Arlo's last day visiting New York. We crushed soft-shell crab sandwiches and drank bloody mary's and coffee. Thank God for good friends.

Matisyahu

Say hello to Matthew Paul Miller. Better known as Matisyahu. He sings reggae and if you've listened to his tunes you know he's the shit. We met Matt on Kent and Grand in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He was with his family in a little park on the water. Cash and I were there with my friend Christian discussing the physics of love and life. It's really quite simple. The more love you push, the more love gets pulled away. It's kind of a bastard but when you understand it and can practice it well you're in damn good shape. Matt pushes a lot of love so be sure to blast his new album when it drops this summer. Peace.