My Park Place Life.

I'm just recovering from being a little out of myself.  Things can happen, briefly that can change your demeanor, and it can happen ever so quickly.  One moment, your chillin' laughing and joking about things, the next minute, you can feel like your about to grap a pillow and scream!  This is my diary, so might as well keep it real.  And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.  My turn of emotions, had to do with money being extracted...ok, maybe that's too harsh a word, money leaving my account, unknowingly, for something I didn't want it to leave.  Whatever, might as well keep it real in our thang, Sun Pass (those of you who live in Florida know the deal) taking bon bons from my account when I didn't want them too.  Now I know I'll never get an endorsement deal for them when I become famous but I want the whole austinogalaxia experience to show.  Anyhow, it was $25 taken from my thingy, but still...I'm kinda...next paragraph.

Am I cheap?  Or fugal?  I remember back in the day going shopping with my dudes and we'll have a Lucy Ball just going out and to malls to get our spend on.  Was blessed to have several bengie's in our pocket and the only, and I mean ONLY thing I was concerned with was have $1.40 to get through the tolls to get back to the spot!  No lie, it was serious.  Don't know why I'm writing this, maybe someone can relate, for a while there I could've been and should've been on MTV's True Life "I'm a Shopaholic" episode.  It got to a point that when I was in college, I used to not only colorize but also alphabetize my clothes.  And I'm not talking about just Banana Republic then Gap then Nike, it was really out of control, it was more like Armani Exchange to Armani Jeans to Diesel to D&G to Prada...list goes on.  But I found out, its amazing how a name brand or a few dollars in your pocket can really change your life.  Sometimes it's not even just you, but how people look at you.  Like...I'm going to write on this if its my last diary entry ever.  I feel it...

"Swag".  That word's been in society's vocab for the last few years.  So what defines swag.  Is showing up at the club rocking Versace Jeans Couture swag?  What about buying the most expensive wine at a restaurant on a date, just because you can give u swagger?  I've done some wild stuff with a few bucks in our pocket, so I can look back and even cringe when I think about it.  I'm not a heavy drinker, but I have partake a few in the day.  (youngsters u might as well read about this, cuz one day, u'll say u were warned..)...anyhow, but have sipped on something here and there, and probably will again under the right celebratory conditions. Heck, if anyone's read these diary entries, they should be suprise if I haven't grabbed a bottle of some Old Grandad!    But what I cringe at is how money can be spulrged on for certain things like SUPER EXPENSIVE bottles of champagne, knowing u're going to leak it out in a few minutes.  What I'm discussing isn't alcohol drinking, it's the price of it and how we (yes, we!) don't really value a dollar in that we will spend the dollar for the moment.  South Beach is such a mad cool neighborhood, but the price of the activities of enjoyment can be outrageous.  Paying almost $20 a shot for something over here at Sobe, when u can go to Coconut Grove or even you local store that sells "spirits" and get a whole bottle for $20!  Once again, this ain't about whether u should drink or not, heck the Bible even says a little wine is good for you.  (1st Tim. 5:23)  If Jesus can drink wine at the Last Supper...let me stop.  But I'm talking about how we throw money around and how it sometimes changes our attitude.

How many times do us guys try to impress a girl using language that shows that we may have some "cha-ching"?  Fudge, I did it today!!  Oh, man...I did though.  Us guys try to tell girls what we think they "want" to hear, and we've been taught that money is a serious aphrodisiac (kids look that word up with a parent around).  The more money you make, the more women you have.  Am I lying fellas?  Or even the more money you make, the more beautiful the girl you gonna get.  Is getting deep tonight, ain't it?!!  Been brainwashed into this thinking when I learned/ing that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.  And even though you can "rent" love for a while with the ducketts, a true woman would want you for you.  I'll never forget this convo years ago about is it OK to take a girl out to McDonald's on a first date?  I asked a plethora of females, and the answers were interesting.  From it doesn't matter to it's a first date and you want it to be memorable...my opinion at the time was (let it be known I'm debating on this tactic...oops wrong word use!),but my asking was based on a few things:  1.  Does a guy really want to put his paycheck on the table when the relationship may not go anywhere.  2.  Isn't it about the one on one convo anyway on 1st or any dates?  3. If a guy has money, wouldn't it be cool to be low key about it, to see if the girl digs him for him?  Boy the secrets are coming out tonight!  But that's true.  So what's my take on it now, with the economy and our experiences...I'm some of all three opinions, but I'm so spontaneous that who knows, but it's better to be cool and not count you chickens before they hatch.  You don't wanna be like that old Biggie Smalls song, "You must be used to me spending...on all this sweet wining and dining...I'm..."  This is going to get me in big trouble, but I'm Real!  And this is helping somebody...as I write it's helping me.

So as I was in a mini-tirade, I thought boy money can change us so easy.  Its always good to spend cash, especially when you work so hard for it!  The stories I hear of people working countless hours in a week, u betta do something to make it worth it.  Buy a purse, IPad, McRib something...u deserve it.  But, I'm talking to myself, I shouldn't let a few extra dollars go to my head or think I'm better than someone because I can gas up with $30.00 while somebody else is only putting $10 in their tank.  Or think because you have a membership at this or that place and think that because of this perceived status I should look down on someone who's taking his gal to Subway on a Friday night.  There ain't NOTHING wrong with that, nuthing....life's just about having fun.  Just watch how spend it, cuz if u do it right  your fun can last a long time!  And I want to live like Rich "Uncle" Pennybags!!  And if you don't know who he is, then shame on all of us...The most wealthiest man in the LA galaxy, yet no one knows his name.  I love it!!

Austino.
(Mr. Pennybags is pictured above! Mr. Monopoly himself.)

Soul Food.

Miss Vanessa Williams...What Up!

Boy, am I ready to go to sleep, not now...but RIGHT now!!!  But at the moment have the water boiling to cook my dinner for tonight.  Just been a wild few hours as usual right.  Last night, my building had no electricity in certain spots.  You would think that...whatever.  So, I didn't get any sleep really, like 2-3 hours, couldn't go to sleep.  Enough about that catastrophe, the CNN Bottom Line is we made it through, and now am anticipating some fun.  Still waiting for my bathroom to get fix, so when this whole ordeal is over with I'll be happier than Santa @ Christmas.

You know what I'm realizing...the more you kick it up a notch, the more you have to put up with.  It's like as soon as you turn from being the huntee into the hunter, you should know that the game has changed.  So when things go "hey, hey, hey" wire, maybe it's because you're doing something RIGHT!  "No pain, no gain" right?!!  That just don't work for "The Biggest Loser" show u know...I guess you can revel in the fact...I love to workout and get my grind on.  It clears your mind in so many ways.  Am I vain?  "Bleep" naw, but as I always believe, I want to be able to play 48 mins of NBA basketball without getting tired.  That's the goal.  Right now on this David Beckham abs-Pacquiao cardio type workout along with some of our favorite athletes tossed in:  Kobe, D Wade, LeBron.  Stealing some of their stuff so to speak.  Why do I say this?  When u working out with weights or even running for fun and you start to hit that moment when you have to dig down deep, u gotta push through it.  You may not feel like it...it may even be early in the morning, but u gotta keep going, right when it hurts the most, that's when afterwards u're the most satisfied.  Oh shoot, just said something there!  As in life, things go crazy on the gig, dude or gal u're dating or have in interest in starts tripping out of Left Field, just get through it.  Its tough, trust me, I can write it all day, but when life gives u lemons, squash them with ur foot!! Wow, there gotta be a Farmer's Market joke in there somewhere!!

Been up in Broward County as of late.  The Fort Laudy area (Amy thanks for the nickname, I haven't forgotten!) as well as Hollywood, Dania Beach, Hallendale Beach, don't ask no questions, just know I've enjoyed myself.  Starting to enjoy South Florida.  Been down here for 6 years or so, and it's just so much to see and do.  I still have a special place in my heart for Los Angeles, but for the first time, suprisingly, I felt like I could make this area my home.  Everyone talks about my hood South Beach, but there's SOOOO much more, not just in the MIA , but in the entire region of South Florida.  I love finding new hidden spots, from goofy spots to eat, hang out, whatever.  There's a lot.  I'm gonna let u in on a secret.  In my whisper voice....Miami is becoming the place to be, especially this Fall and Winter.  I already see it.  Visitors from Europe, Asia, Canada and Latin and South America are hitting up the area as I speak.  It's getting packed down here, now the Winter Birds are coming too.  Plus, all these events that are happening, it's going to be fun for the next few months, real fun!  Come down, if u haven't been, I hope u're ready!!


Small tidbits...PSU, don't let Joe go out like this, pleeze...Kayne/Jay-Z or Black Eyed Peas, which concert would you go to in the next few weeks...Always love peps selling Giant Pixy Sticks at stoplights (brotha off of Flagler today)...Prince's Rainbow Children Album is a masterpiece...things aren't always what they seem....things are sometimes what they seem....when is this blog gonna blow up?...Libraries Rock!....Everybody who enters our lives is their for a reason.  To help u, or even propel you....Negative energy can get you there...Positive energy is what keeps you there.

Some Soul Food for the night!
Austino.

Season 2 Video Blog

Season 2

Click here:  Season 2 Teaser .

Austino

Love Triangle!

Oh Anna, Seth and Summer! I really miss The O.C..

Today as I was reading this great tell-all book on life, Dish and Tell:  The Miami Bombshells, a episode from our lure just stuck out.  Literally from out of nowhere.  And all I could do was just laugh...there are so many stories, and I'm not a person who isn't one to be trust and tell everything about everybody or our life.  There are so many crazy episodes that I've experienced from so many sectors that I feel I have a RIGHT to share them because I've learned so much and others have influenced my being in ways I cannot describe.  We used to have Austino's Excerpts as a segment relating to our love life.  That's no longer, but today's a diary entry as usual and at the moment this is what's saturating our mind.  One day these stories will become legendary of sort.  Today's a treat...three for 1.  Let's explain....oh boy, here we go again.

When I first came to this melting pot of a city of Miami, I knew absolutely no one.  Heck, the only things I really knew about the city came from sports and TV shows.  Not just Miami Vice, but classic episodes of Eve, Cops when they were down here tackling folks in Florida.  And how can I forget those memorable episodes of Animal Police Miami...those were some wild stuff, alligators in people's backyards, wild stuff as I was witnessing as I sat at the crib in Indiana.  Did I really want to go down here?  But, one reason that led me down here was to go back to school and get another degree.  That led us to Miami International Univ. of Art and Design.   A very artsy type of school with students from all over the world.  Ok, ok, enough with the admissions plug, get to the good stuff.  Alright, here we go...

My major was Fashion Merchandising, and as you could imagine, it was an eclectic mix of boys (few) and girls (mostly) in my classes.  So the first day of classes, I noticed this one young lady who in a way, I was like "huh"...Now let's be honest old and young, everybody knows that the first weeks of school, yeah, you're trying to get ur education on (boy, Dave Koz is playing some great music as I write this.  Love his show!!), but in reality you're trying to check out who's in your class.  Call it what u may, girls are doing their possible "hubby" watch, while dudes are "checking out the talent" as if they're an agent of sorts.  Everybody does it, especially down in the M.I.A.  So anyhow's, the talent pool was Ford Agency worthy (Can I tell the story like I wanna?!), but there was this one girl who kind of stuck out.  So as the class was introducing themselves, you know I kind of Hulk Hogan'd my ear as she told her name and story.  For the sake of this, I'll call her Sheila.  She said that she was Venezuela, fashion...yada, yada, yada.  Mental note, move on.  Now time passed and I kept hearing the answers she gave in class, very intellectual.  And how she dressed.  I like a gal who can dress well, and she represented herself well whether she was in an Abercrombie polo or in something more luxurious to go with her Louis V bag.  (It seems every gal at MIU has one.)  The combination of South American swag with a California beach gal look, said she's someone to know.  No Doubt.  So I'm thinking what to do to get this gal's a-tent-shon-on-kneey.  Hit us to get her a goofy gift of sorts, but one that looks just like her.  Literally, so after thoughts and prayers, went on a voyage ALL over town looking for this "it" item.  I like to have fun, and I literally went to toy stores everywhere from Toys 'R' Us to the  A to Z store in Miami Beach to find "it".  If I remember correctly talked with the owner there, he was cool, but...nothing.  So I chalked it up to not being meant to be.  I would see Shelia around a lot, have her in some more of my classes.  Even in one memorable class where I was literally 1 of only 2 guys in the class filled with girls from Nuestra Belleza Latina .  In that class during a speech in front of the class, we called her out by saying a "beautiful" innuendo at her.  (We don't care!)  Think that got some cool points with her, but still nothing on the horizon.

Months past, and I noticed this other girl was like in every one of our classes.  Like a lot of them.  And from talking with her consistently me and her had a lot in common.  Both striving to get another degree, liked the city...she talked of Coral Gables, for I think she lived over there.  I described our "beach" life.  But it was wild.  She was short in stature, black hair, but very stylish and had some Cuban spunk that every once in while showed that she don't play.  I'm like, girl I like it when you get mad. (Ne-Yo sing my song boy!)  So there was a "break" in the action so to speak and I'll always say, if things are meant to be, there will come a moment where you are one-on-one with that person to "interact"...just you two.  Always remember that...the time occurred and I wrote her a little note bout "what's up...you....we talk...what u doing..." all in a Sly Stallone type voice, just on paper! Lol!  But, what made it different was that it was written backwards.  Like Nas' "Rewind" song.  I do stuff differently, that's who we are.  She sat right next to us on our left, so I slid it over to her like R.Kelly did in Jay-Z's "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" video, and just chilled.  I could tell she was initially trying 2 figure out what the hecky-poo was it all about.  Then I saw that light come upon her face, like, "ok...ok".  Then after reading our crazy note, she stated that she was just too "busy" and has no time for relationship or anything really.  Interesting.  So we both sat through the second half of class, I was good really, I don't lust over it ya dig...so home dude (the teacher) dismissed class.  And she Flo Jo'd out...and as I got my stuff together and a thought hit us as I saw her walking.  The girl still has my letter...which led me to believe that it did touch her and she wasn't lying.  Sometimes actions do speak louder than words.  We love to touch hearts...u never know how things work.

So one of my final quarters at MIU occurred.  I forgot what it was.  Anyhow, if my memory stands correct, I walked into class and was chilling.  I looked around and low and behold to an astonishment in the back corner of class is sitting Sheila and homegirl sitting down.  And...they're sitting right next to each other!!  Evidently, they are friends.  So how do we handle this one with both of them being in our class, sitting next to each other, and being seemingly friends of sorts.  Whatever. The teacher then goes on to discuss the class and how the class is going to be broken down in groups of 4 in each group.  I knew a lot of people in the class.  My homegirl, Zoila, was in there and we were sexy cool with each other. On top of that, the teacher said we could pick our groups, by listing names on a piece of paper, like 4 names, and he'll do his best to hook us up. So me and Zoila, Miss Thug Beauty herself, were like we HAVE to be in a group together.  We both listed each other #1, so it wouldn't be any doubt to this cat that he should put us in a group together.  So my guy gets the papers from all the students.  Think we took a break as he broke the groups down.  We come back and he was like here are the groups.  He read off the 1st group, and Zoila was in it, but not us.  Both of us like "What tha ..." for real. I was kinda hot.   Then he goes on to like the next group and he's like, "Sheila, this other guy, the homegirl I slid the letter too, and Austin."  All I could do is be like, "this cannot be happening can it?" What?  So the teach says get into ur groups, so I get my stuff, look at Zoila, then walk the craziest steps in a classroom ever to my new group.  I sit down and at the table and am like what's up!  I'm feeling like A-Rod first comin' to the Yankees, like this is awkward.  But then Sheila tells us, that her and the homegirl "HAD" to have me in their group.  Wow....so we talk all four of us.  Exchanged numbers to stay in contact.  Ain't it something how a person can work to make things work, when if you're patient, things can fall into your hands...unexpectantly at that!

So after the class was over, I was basically just giggling to ourself, like God, Dude u're a trip.  I gotta work with 2 girls who I had a serious interest in, which BOTH are friends and BOTH wanted us to be with them in their group.  Wonder what happened next...let's just say things work itself out and I had a lot of fun.  That's when I really knew that our life was unique and life was playing a joke on us! A Love Triangle indeed...what is a man to do?!  God winks too.  Still brings a smile to our face when I think about it.  You just never know. Never!

Austino.

Storms...then Roses.

We are back!  "Did u miss me?!" is what comes to mind.  I used to work with this cool woman who ALWAYS used to say, "Did u miss me?" whenever I talked to her in person or via telephone.  Hope she's doing alright.  Been awhile since I wrote in our diary but so much has transpired, so much.  A part of me doesn't even want to hash brown up what has happened cuz...well, let's just tell tha story.

Been on vacation (and still am...dedicating myself to a lifelong vacation really).  Had a chance to see family, which is always awesome.  Get some real cooking and love u know.  Also, to interact with friends (what up C Hagg!) and folks we haven't heard from in a while is truly good stuff.  Blessed to celebrate a birthday on the 30th, thanks to so many for their birthday wishes and greetings.  Feel good....and feel different at the same time.   Just do.  I can write about so much but gonna make this as short as possible.

The other day, I took a flight and what would ensue I'll never forget. First off, my flight times got twisted so I ended up being at the airport longer than I would have liked.  No problem, I'll just relax and put on some music through my phone and check out CNN on the flat screen.  I get on the plane, which was packed like a box of Cuban cigars.  I mean, jokes aside, I thought I was going to be by myself and able to lay down in the seats like a scene from "Weekend at Bernie's"...but instead it turned into packed overheads and really felt like I was an extra on some kind of Amazonian voyage.  3rd World feel in the air, or...it just felt weird.  So then the plane had a delay on the runway and we're driving around the joint waiting to take off.  The guy next to me (one day I'll tell the story of this time I flew to Miami next to this local tv starlet...can u say "Golddiggerish", and that's how SHE described herself, or at least kept on singing!)...the guy next to me kept telling me all these Mile High tips on flying which was cool.  But I was cool then all of a sudden this dude in front of me dropped his seat back to the Fat Joe "lean back" position.  And I'm like dude c'mon, he dropped it all the way back too.  I had this idea, I'm gonna eat my Mickey D snack wraps (grilled, with NO sauce, and added pickles) pop in a dvd and be chill.  "First the Fat Boys break up and now this!!"  So later I get my dvd out and put in my movie of choice, Alfie.  I've been dying to see this movie because I know I can relate.  Dude having interesting interactions with the opposite sex all while driving on a Vespa...story of my life.  So fighting the urge to do this, and I'm cool buy I really wanted to pull out some Old Coloniel white gloves and slap this guy as I'm watching his head right in my lap.  I held back. Popped in Alfie and...and...it didn't work.  Dag, this trip is getting wild.  So I pop in a dvd of the singer Joe who was flowing especially when he sung this.  That helped and I thought I was on my way to get some late night rest.

On my way home I was plotting in the air what the most inexpensive way to get home would be.  I can take a taxi from the airport with the flat rate to South Beach being $32 or I can take a bus.  The flight was late so I couldn't take the airport flyer bus for $2.35.  So a brother had to improvise.  Let's take the J bus to Indian Creek on the beach and then the S beach south to Alton Road.  I suggest if u want to see the "real" Miami, take the J bus late at night.  Its a trip.  As I got on the S bus, this chick was standing talking to the bus driver, me and her spoke, her asking where I was coming from this and that.  So throughout the trip she was turning around looking at us.  I'm like its like 1am in the morning, I don't feel like interacting right now on that level.  So before she gets off on Lincoln Road she turns to us and begins to stick her tongue out at us.  Now we've had that happen before on several occasions, matter of fact this one blond/pepper haired beauty used to do it to us all the time, Kat if you reading holla at me at 786.263.38...let me stop.  Any way, this girl was dropping that KISS Gene Simmons action on us!  Lots of folks on the bus late night, definitely a lot of girls riding solo.  Interesting from a safety standpoint....

Get off on Alton Road and drag my bag down 8th street to my spot.  Smelling the Miami Beach scent in the air.  All the while hoping that no one did anything to my car while I was away.  As I turned the corner, in a "Nah-Jee Ram-bah" state of mind preparing for if our car was damaged or stolen.  Whew!!!  The car was still there, Praise the Lord!  But, what is that on our ride?...Looks like a postcard advertising for a party at a club.  But as I walk closer, it's a parking ticket.  What?  I got my neighborhood prking pass...oh c'mon dude gave me a ticket for an expired parking tag.  Wow, so now I'm parking dirty?  Crazy!...

My World Is Crashing...Literally.

To be honest, I'm cool cuz, the Lord's gonna work it out, so I get inside the apt. building and get to our door. Open it up and I'm like "it smells like rain" in here.  I walk further and look into my bathroom and my whole ceiling is basically collapsed on the ground.  My jaw dropped like...this cannot be happening to me can it?  I just wanna go to sleep.  But after having a staring contest with the walls I call the crib and tell my Pops about my crazy situation.  I decide that I'm gonna R. Kelly-ing this thing tonight. And furiously look at places to move to and it was just crazy til about 3 a.m. in the morning.  As I slept with my contacts in, which is a rarity, that night.

So I get up the next day, check my bank statements and find out the State Farm jacked up my car insurance to $132, which is exceeding my budget.  What is going on dude?   Already trying to support my illicit habits and now everything is falling hey wire. Some folks came to check out the bathroom thang, and my guy just basically debo'd the ceiling into the bathroom tile.  And I'm like this is turning into a Nelly loooong night (mare).  So as I look back things get blurry.  I just know that it just kept getting wilder.  I checked my mailbox and found a toll booth violation bill from months ago.  I still haven't gotten paid for one of my gigs.  And on top of all that, I find a summons for me to serve Jury Duty later this month in November.  Talking about getting slammed.  It's like the world's spotlight has hit 734 Jefferson and it's getting too hot.  I didn't eat basically cuz my fridge been empty due to my vacation and with all this drama, I haven't even been to the store.  While talking to the fam late one night, I basically was breaking down as I holding the phone.  When I hung up, it was 'cry me a river' just due to all "this".  So basically , I'm literally praying to God for a miracle.  I know all this is happening for a reason.  Its tough beyond any comprehension but that may mean that a "breakthrough" is on the horizon.  And all this is a test.  A big one.  So I go to sleep and it was like the good Lord was saying it was going to be alright and EVERYTHING that happened HAD to happen.  A day u must go through, just stay calm.

The next day comes, and I'm in a daze like never before.  I planned on working out, only ate some almonds which is unusual before a workout of our nature.  I'm walking through the beach area with like a gazillion questions.  Thinking about the workout cuz its our first in awhile.  I literally took like 1.5/2 weeks off, eating differently just relaxing.  The only time this year we've done that.  Heck, I had some spaghetti with beef from Publix which is the first time I ate that kind of meat in forever.  Just our lifestyle.  So we hoping tha workout would be ok (It was).  Got a big time financial blessing which I won't get into, just that it was on time and allowed us to take care of some things.  God answers!  Finding out that our ceiling is going to get fixed in the next few days, and I feel stronger and better than ever.

This is our diary so it's personal, can be long whatever, just write to capture our thoughts of the moment.  But when things happen in such a weird way, we all must maintain poise and believe that everything is gonna work itself out.  I'm gonna add this too.  When things are at its darkest point and u're crying (guys do cry, heck!) and no one is around who can help u and u think u're by urself, just realize that all hope is not gone.  I was at my lowest point on the real, thought about just getting plastered, to make up for that which was missing on my bathroom roof!  Or let me smoke me something, I'm dead serious, this is Miami and it ain't too hard to get ur hands on some "ew wee".  But if we all just hang in there for just a little bit, the tides will turn if u believe in urself and the good Lord above.  Just telling it like it is, cuz things can get beyond wild.  The storms do rise but after they pass look out.  Roses baby! Roses!

Austino.