Lately.

Tyrese.

Might as well start this thang off right.  Let's cue the video for the title of this diary entry.  Hit it!

Oh yeah...our mind is at peace listening to Tyrese's "Lately".  My mind begins to reminisce about those days working at the beach up north.  Summer breezes...cool lifeguards...fun times riding through the park...oh man!  Then I began to cue up images of different people...this one beautiful beauty calling me as I was banging...this song I mean...(oops!)...my boy Billy Boy and myself getting our annual Spring Jams list together always considering Tyrese for a track.  We've done our Spring Jams albums going on 12 years now, since we both were in college.  EVERY year we come up with a CD full of tracks that were hot at the time.  Whenever u pull the album out u just start to laugh.  U like, I can't believe we used to listen to that song.  I mean what in the world is a "Splackavellie"?  Or when Sean Paul was getting the groove right with Sasha with "I'm Still In Love With You"...I feel like doing my reggae slap clap dance.  U know when u used to hold ur hands up ur shoulder and clap...bring it back...and then hit it again!  U guys don't no what I'm talking about, hopefully Beenie Man and my guy Jon B. can make u remember!  I'm trying not to go into all the Spring Jam tip,  because we gonna have a special entry, probably dedicated to those classics, but I'm feeling it right now.. big time.

Lately...we've been thinking about how we gonna treat this updated remixed life...lots of talks within ourself...as with the Gizzle above.  We feel like we are at this point where should we be laid back and let things come to us, or should we become more aggressive in our endeavors.  It's just such a fine line in life u know.  People say u should be aggressive , giving all these quotes about "survival of the fittest", and all this stuff.  We can go that route if we want to...self-promote ourself like crazy, and just be in a "hey, look at me" type mindset.  Got tha goods to do it, do be fooled...but after a little talk, we gonna take the 'let it come to us'  mindset.  With someone with a confidence level rivaling Big Money Floyd in Vegas, that can take some restraint...but no need to go begging for attention, or stalking folk like, "can't u see" it...Oklahoma sooner or later, everythings gonna work out.  Sometimes the road to success is filled with so many cars that though they look good but have actually been Jersey chopped shopped.  That perhaps if u take the dirt road on the side, u'll have a better chance of not running into an accident.  U may be alone on the road, and the travelers may be few, but it may be worth tha risk!  Maybe I need to get me a pony...

Lately...I been thinking on how it's easy to take things for granted.  Still reading this Miami Babylon book, and now we're on the infamous 80s of South Beach and Miami.  (Boy, the drug ring down here...)  But just to hear how many of the establishments, condos, business were actually started.  It's like we are walking past history where all these people onced frequented.  Ali, Gleason, Sammy Davis, Jr., ...kings of countries.  I've believed this for some time now, no matter what goes on in this country, 'it all comes back to Miami'.  And it really does.  It's like a centerfold for so much.  It's a jewel, and I need to bling it out a little more.  And we will.  I love experiencing, and making history, and...I still wonder how did I end up down here in Miami.  This lifestyle and all that.  I know, this is getting personal now, we wanted to live in a city that:

-Was Diverse
- Big City
- Had Four Sports Teams (Love sports so...)
-Fashionable

Just some of the things of our prayers...That got us to thinking about 5 states side cities that we could actually see ourselves living in.  New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami.  But a real unique feature that was important to us, is that we wanted to live in a city in which no one else that we knew lived in.  I remember going to Chicago, and just driving on I-94 and just being like u know this is where Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen or Dennis Rodman play hoops.  Even though u knew the odds were low of seeing them, just to know they had such and aura about them around the city u know. (U had to live near Chicago during those Championship eras to understand.)  They were hot boyz u know.  As I look back, we think about that.  Chicago is an interesting city.  So diverse, lots of surburbs, is a cool city.  But us personally, spent so much time there, that we wanted something different.  I could see ourself living on the Gold Coast over there, so cool.  But, life is short so u wanna see different places, at least we did.  Thank God for our parents understanding our life and seemingly destined path.

Lately...New York City...let's talk about Dallas first.  The Big D was seriously in consideration.  I don't know if it was by us watching all those City Confidential episodes on A&E or what.  But they claim everything's bigger in Texas. We like to do things big.   Seems like a modern city, yet has some strong history to it.  I used to like watching the Cowboys (my Uncle Mic's fav team, he even called the stadium to talk to Coach Landry...during a game!!!).  I like Dallas.  But I think one factor played a part in us not going there...the Baywatch factor.  I'm a beach boy, so have to live near either on it or near water.  So...but Dallas is cool.  A girl in a cowboy hat...let me move on!

The NYC.  So many people, since I've moved down here, have told me that 'the city that never sleeps' would be PURR-FECT for us.  We've heard that on several occasions.  The fashion capital of the country, world really (What about the galaxia?).  So much heart in tha city, always something to do, great eats, transit systems, advertising agencies, modeling agencies, arts, sports history, money...whew!...nightlife, u name it the Big Mac has it.  We're sure that we'll run into each other in the very near future.  Lot of people we've known live in tha city, or have lived...also, they claim NYC is a little grey/white/black.  We're colorful as a person and in our style, so perhaps that's why we don't live there.

Then u have...the City of Angels.  Los Angeles.  We've stated this so much, but probably more than likely or next move is out there.  Really believe we are a Euro-Cali boy at heart.  Know we are.  Still think about us being bi-coastal and living out there during Miami's h----- season (u better not mention that word down here) and then live down here the winter/spring months.  Its gonna happen.  But LA has a lot of what we like, on a bigger scale.  I talk about LA so much, but the thing about it is that it's spread out.  So driving...for instance, driving our Vespa is so different out there than here in Miami.  Our their it's more neighborhoody, here in Miami is more accross the city.  U get it.  Nothing bad to say really about our "future home".

But all in all, Miami has been a unique place for us to live.  Sometimes u think about why u're where u are, or work at where u work, or date who u date, just 2 see how it was all put together.  Seemingly Miami has grown so much since I've came down here in '05.  We've seen it become the ultimate party spot.  Oh, u remember MTV hosting them awards down here...twice!  Then we've seen it lose its luster to other cities, namingly Vegas.  Now, it's just becoming the city of the future.  Hope people are opening their eyes to it, because if u don't think it's not an international city, just walk around.  Heck, I'm running into so many people who speak French and German, it's real.  It's a spot, and I just gonna treat her like a girlfriend.  You don't know if it'll end up in marriage or an ugly breakup.  U put up with her moods, her red light special nights (I like those), and u know no one can rock the beach like her.  No One!  Yeah, she might be bratty, over-confident, and a snob...but when u get past all that, and if u've taken a glance at her huge Art Basel, then u find that she's still one of a kind.  Right now u're just dating, and she's changing everyday.  So why not just enjoy it til that moment comes.  Until there, no need for words.  Our actions say it all.  No need to tell ya...cuz  u know that I luv u!!

Austino.