Daniel's Birthday

Took long enough, I know... but, almost a month later, I have time to load up pictures of Daniel's birthday... (the ones from our trip will be up by Christmas, I assure you... hehehe

We had the BEST dinner out with all our friends for Daniel's birthday... at the resteraunt of Daniel's choice - Brother Jimmy's BBQ (formerly Shady Jake's BBQ and Booze - the name under which it became Daniel's favorite resteraunt). So, the night started with Daniel and one of his best mates, Ben, playing his favorite game (which is for some reason in a lot of bars in New York) - Buck Hunter.

Of course, Daniel won... and was strangely proud (I now start worrying about taking him down South.

I then gave Daniel his present... Now he had no idea what it was, just that he needed to take a week off work for it - he discovered that it would be a holiday of some description... and BOY, did we both need a holiday... So, I gave it to him and this is him opening it....

Daniel started getting excited the minute I handed it over because he'd been waiting for months to see what it was going to be...

This is him reading the front page - "We're hiring a car and driving down the East Coast of the US for a WEEK???? Oh my god, that's awesome!!!!", to which I answered, "well, not entirely driving for a whole week. Turn the page."

"A cruise. We're going on a CRUISE!!!! Are you serious???". Yes, I replied and then told him how excited I was because the cruise would be taking us to MEXICO where we can see Mayan ruins... which was on Daniel's list of things to do in his life.

So, I'd given him his present, we were all very excited and then we started eating, drinking, and being Merry with ALL of Daniel's friends who all showed up and we had the best time.
There was the most charming waitress who put up with us all night, who Daniel thought was so cool... but by this point he had much Tequila running through his system.

She really was a darling to put up with the 20 of us drinking, eating, running up a huge bill and staying until they kicked us out... but it was the BEST time!!!
Me with out good ol' friends, Ben and Iris, who came to Daniel's birthday last year but we honored members of a much smaller group.
Our Australian friend, Catherine... you'll recognize her from New Years pics, I believe!!!
Do you Australians SEE the size of tequila shots in this country??? And these are the SMALL ones!!!! This was near the beginning... when the waitress was still joining us!!!

Daniel with Catherine... Ahh... my two little Aussies far from home!!!

Catherine and Luke (who you'll also recognize from new Years photos).
I love this shot of Daniel, next to him is Ed, who he knows through a TV show that Ed used to work on that Daniel works with at his job, What Not To Wear!!! And between them and me, our good friend Chris, whom I know from my old job. We hang out with him in New Jersey a lot because he lives near our favorite mall!!!!Daniel with Carissa... those two have really bonded over a love of Shakespeare... and she really wants to be in his Midsommers... she's awesome, too!!!!
I think this is the most fun and carefree I've ever seen Victor!!!!! LOVE IT!!!! He's sitting with two of my actress friends (Carissa, the redhead, was in Patriot Actors with me and Cathy, the brunette, works at PostWorks and is interested in Daniel's Midsommers... actually, they both are... what can I say... Daniel's brilliant).
Me and my beautiful friend, Jorge, who is in my Grad Acting program with me. He's from Puerto Rico and does Shakespeare amazingly... he's also teaching me Spanish... and is one of my best friends here, right now.
This is me and Sri... I am totally in love with her... she's such a honey!!! Another actress friend of ours... God, we know too many actors...
And, me with Cathy... it's ATTACK OF THE SMILES!!!!!! Also, both of us looking surprisingly sober for the total LUSHES that we are!!!
This is me and Daniel with Steve, and old friend of mine from High School in Alabama (another actor... hehehe) and his boyfriend, Dean - who is LOVELY!!!
Us, just sitting around lughing and drinking... This seriously was Daniel's idea of the PERFECT birthday!!!!!!
See???
Daniel and his good mate, Ed... with my back in the background!!! We took up half of the upstairs resteraunt area... it was awesome!!!
This is such a PERFECT picture of our friends, Brad and Victor... this picture PERFECTLY encapsulates EXACTLY how these two are at the core of their beings!!! The really are the perfect "opposites attract and equal eachother out" couple!!!

I think maybe they both got VERY drunk... this photo is kind of them reversing roles almost... I LOVE IT!!!!
I love these two so much!!!
Us, finally winding down at Brother Jimmy's... I wish you all could have been there!!!

Two of our newest, Darling friends, Marcia and Hixan... they are soooo cool. Marcia is also teaching me Spanish... She's actually Jorge's best friend and we love them!!!
Daniel with Marcia and Hixan... They actually came over to our place for HER birthday a couple of weeks ago, which was LOVELY!!!

And then we (being Me, Daniel, Jorge, Marcia and Hixan) moved onto the P & G ( a famous pub on the Upper West Side) to meet up with our friend Fel, from Oz, who happened to be in town... YAY!!!! And she gave Daniel the most beautiful H.R. Giger book, which he adores!!! By this time I think it was about 2am...Yes, by this time of the night... I was TOASTED!!!! Completely. We all were... but OH so happy!!!!!We really were... it was so awesome... I could not have planned a better birthday for Daniel.

Daniel even made friends with the Locals at the P & G... I don't know who this guy was but he and Daniel were talking from, like, 2-4. But, he was cool!!!Our Fel... in her native environment!!! She was the perfect end to a perfect night!!!!!
We were this close to leaving by now... it was about 4 am... considering the time, Marcia and Hixan look pretty darn good, huh???
So as to not leave you on drunken, tired and ridiculous photos... here are two of the best... Daniel and I looking excited, happy and awake, alive and HAPPY!!!

And, finally, the whole group that came out to wish Daniel a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! With the two big pitchers of booze the waitress bought us as a birthday gift.

From right to left... Daniel - Mr BIRTHDAY BOY, Ed, Chris, Me, Sri, Catherine, Luke, Brad, Victor, and Carissa.

This picture was taken after Ben and Iris had already had to leave, as well as Tony and his delightful girlfriend, and Cathy. It was also taken BEFORE Jorge, Marcia and Hixan arrived and before we left to meet up with Fel. All in all, Daniel was surrounded by friends all night and had an awesome time!!! As they'd say in Costa Rica... The night was PURA VIDA!!!!! Pure life.

We wish tremendously that you all were there. We miss you, all... especially at this time of year!!! We send all our love.

Taliesen and Daniel.

Contact

Just to add to my last entry, if you want to get in contact with me easily you can e-mail me at

danielknehans@tmo.blackberry.net


You can send pics, video or just a plain old e-mail and I'll have it in my hand within minutes, wherever I am.

Another Sign of being a New Yorker

Daniel here,

Yes that's right, this is for all those nay-sayers. I promised to write more so here I am. This morning I had another one of the moments that make you feel that you have truly assimilated and become a New Yorker.

Now the NY city subway system is driven by either an ex-drunk with dementia who can't find it in his heart to go over 20 Mph or an ex-race car driver hell bent on delivering us all from our sorry lives. Today I had the latter.

What made me feel like a true New Yorker in this situation was that as the train violently swung from side to side in a desperate attempt to de-rail itself and as most other sensible passengers clung on for dear life, I merely lent against the door and failed entirely to look up from my blackberry.

The blackberry for the uninitiated is a small hand held device that serves as phone, e-mail, internet navigator, music/movie player, digital camera and GPS device and is no bigger than my old mobile phone.

I hear what you are saying, 'do you really NEED all of that'? to which I simply answer...

'Of course, I'm a New Yorker'!!!!