OUT AND ABOUT: LUMINEERS AND TIME WITH CHAZZY
I seem to be working in reverse and am SO BEHIND, soon I will be back to Thailand and all the photos, until then we have NYC and D.C. to get through- at least Boston is finished. But now since I have a two month lag- I will have to add Santiago to the mix.
In NYC, I was able to catch up with some fabulous people- my brother, Audree, Charlie’s former roomie and whom I might even say is a friend and Nina, a former GGSB MBA recruit turned fun-friend.
FRIDAY:
My brother Charlie is way cooler than I am- always has been and imagine he always will be. When I told him the dates of my work-trip to NYC, he said this is great because we could go see the Lumineers. Until that moment I had not heard of this up and coming group- now I see them everywhere including the Grammy’s! It was a great concert even though I was the only one who knew none of the songs.
(Here they are on stage at Terminal 5)
(Charlie looking good in buffalo plaid)
(The fun and lovely Audree- hopefully she won’t be upset!)
SATURDAY:
Brunch at a new restaurant- Mambo with Nina- unfortunately I do not have any photos from our memory-making-cathc-up session. It was great to see Nina- she is a hoot. NYC was super chilly so we passed on our plan for a walk through Central Park- next time Nina, next time! We tried a new restaurant, Hey Mambo, when our original choice Good Enough to Eat had a line out the door! Next time I look forward to the biscuits and strawberry butter.
SUNDAY:
Fancy spin class at Soul Cycles- have you heard of this place? It is all the rage at the moment in NYC and beyond. They have plans to open a gym in London. Charlie had never spun, but now is hooked. We looked like hobo spinners when we arrived- old t-shirts and I was wearing Charlie’s giant Adidas track pants because it was so cold. The other spinners decked out in Lululemon and other highly coordinated outfits. As someone who does spinning regularly, I was sure I could handle it, I did until we grabbed our hand weights and started pulsing while riding- ouch!
Post spin, it was back to Charlie’s for chicken chill- he is quite the whiz in the kitchen. We were joined by Audree who generously brought several bottles of wine- it was perfect for ‘watching’ the SuperBowl- who played again?
MONDAY: Off to Boston.
Thanks Charlie for the fun times. I look forward to frisbee in Central Park and jamba juices!
Amusingly tagged: out and about, brother, brothers, memory making, making memories, nyc, spinning,
RUT BE GONE
I chatted with my brother John today and he said my blog was getting a bit light. He even said we might be getting into a rut- oh no- worst.fear.ever. I had better go out this instant and shave my head, get a piercing, a tattoo or hop on the train and head to Glasgow.
Actually I have been thinking about getting Ben’s initials tattooed on the back of my neck, under my hairline- a good idea?
Well say goodbye to my rut Johnners!
First up- I have registered to participate in Chest Heart Stroke Scotland’s (CHSS) Road Block Run. CHSS is where Ben works. Ben will not be running on September 23, he is going to be a course marshall and be laughing at me as I crawl, jump, slide and embarrass myself over ten kilometres. There are a variety of obstacles which I will need to conquer as I am complete the 10 km run around Arthur’s Seat.
As this is a run for charity, you can sponsor me for the cause- my goal is to raise 40 pounds. You can log onto my JustGiving page and make your contribution. CHSS and I really appreciate it.
REMEMBER… The charity run, I did in June.
Amusingly tagged: running, charity run, stay healthy, brother, exercise,
MINNEAPOLIS WELCOMES IEVA….
On behalf of my former hometown, I would like to send a Minnesota-nice welcome to Ieva, my brother’s lovely, Latvian finance (not mail ordered, people) who arrives tonight at the MSP International Airport. After months of waiting for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to validate and approve their relationship, she will be passing her documents to the (fingers-crossed) welcoming border guards today.
As early witnesses to Will and Ieva’s budding romance, we were called upon to write testimonials documenting our impressions of their courtship and dating days. These were included in the official immigration application.
Ben and I attribute their success to our contribution. Here is what Ben had to say:
To Whom it may concern,
Please accept the below as testimony to the length and veracity of the relationship between William Gorrilla and Ieva Saulite.
Will Gorrilla is my brother in law, one of three, all are good and honest people. Will was recruited by my wife to come and do his MBA at the Grenoble Graduate School of Business, in France starting in September 2009.
Will is a handsome man and attracted much attention from the ladies and some gentlemen at the school. He first mentioned Ieva Saulite to me around mid October 2009, there was some flirting, mixed signals, the usual dance of attraction. They shared an interest in climbing, and met many times at an indoor climbing wall in Fontaine, next to Grenoble.
Will and I saw Ieva out with her friends one night and Will dumped me quicker than a hot potato, so I knew something was up.
My Wife Buffy and I officially met her at a party for Wills birthday in November, and Ieva started talking to me around school. We spent New years eve with them, after Ieva went back to Latvia for Christmas, and missed Wills mom when she visited, she did meet Wills other brother John, and his wife Adele which was good.
We saw less and less of Will, which is apparently typical of Will when he is in a relationship according to Buffy. Later in the year we all took a trip to the five villages region of Italy, which was a great weekend.
We all look forward to Ieva and Will getting married and welcoming her to the family.
Yours Sincerely
Ben Pawson
They have three months to marry and we cannot wait to head back to Minneapolis to celebrate with them.
Enjoy the Twin Cities Ieva!
Lots of love.
Buffy and Ben
Amusingly tagged: brother, ieva arrives, exciting news,
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER… In May we will welcome a new family member! My older brother and his wife are having a baby girl. My two other brothers and I are so excited (we’ve talked about it). A new adventure starting for John and Adele. I am so excited to see my older brother as a dad. It makes me a bit misty thinking about it. Their little lady probably already has a little-pink Surly bicycle in the garage.
I am about 90% certain I will make an excellent aunt, I have loads of excellent Aunt role-models, in addition, I have almost 5 years of practice with Emily and Adam (my niece and nephew through marriage). I did find it a bit strange the first time Emily called me Auntie Buffy, Ben seems to remember, I told her to just call me Buffy, but Auntie Buffy prevails.
More on the picture tomorrow…
Amusingly tagged: exciting news, brother, babies, giant silicon baby,
THEATER ANYONE?
If you are in New York, you must go see my brother Charlie in a new play, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, by Alan Ball of 6 Feet Under fame. Opening tonight and running this weekend and next at WOW Cafe for just ten dollars. Charlie plays Tripp, a real charmer and from what I can detect from my research, the only male in the cast. There is a great picture and profile of Charlie, where he thanks his family and friends for their support.
You are welcome Charlie, long may our support continue and best of luck in your latest production, wish we could be there to see it!
(Charlie can also be seen acting here, here and here).
Amusingly tagged: brother, Charlie acts,
TRAVEL MONDAY… LITE… We had a two day tourist blitz with Will and Ieva during their quick trip to Edinburgh. We spent a day touring the city sites and then on Sunday, headed to the highlands. Ben and I benefitted from Will and Ieva’s willingness to explore some new areas of Scotland. We visited Pitlochry, Fort William and Oban. Amazing scenery, excellent car company, tasty road trip snacks (cheese fondue and pineapples) and a patient driver (thanks Ieva). We left Leith at 8.30 a.m. and were back by 6.00 p.m., a full day, Ben and I are convinced we need to head North again soon.
Will and Ieva left this morning, we were sad to see them go, but fingers crossed the next time will be in Minneapolis for their wedding! Enjoy the rest of your U.K. tour, we had a great visit.
Amusingly tagged: travel mondays, brother, exploring scotland,
Charlie has been cast as the lead in The Liberation of James Joyce, check out the trailer and if you are feeling generous, you can contribute to the financing of the film. When the film gets made, I will circulate a petition to pixelize the love scenes involving my brother.
Amusingly tagged: Charlie acts, independent films, brother,
There are periods when I really miss my mom and brothers. I question my 7+ year decision to live so far away from my fun (immediate) family. I came across this article in The Guardian, and it reinforced how “blessed” I am to have a great relationship with them and how I would feel if something happened to anyone one of them.
“blessed”- my Grandma Dot’s favorite word, appropriate in many cases.
Amusingly tagged: family, brother, my mom is cool,
RATED PG-13
I had a mini-bike accident a few weekends ago and after recounting the story to my caring mother, she started laughing uncontrollably for about 5 minutes (at least she has a great laugh). To reassure her I did not have a very serious accident, I sent her these Tour de France photos.
I forwarded them to my brother to see if had seen them (he bikes A LOT), who came back with…
“Why did you send these to Mom? Figured she could use some male ass even if it was a bit damaged?”
-John
Amusingly tagged: brother, my mom is cool,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE BROWN-HAIRED BROTHER. HAVE A GREAT DAY CHAZZY. LOVE YOU.
Photo taken in Florence, Italy, November 2009
Amusingly tagged: brother, florence, bell hugger,
My brother Charlie is in a short film that will premiere at the New York Film Festival. He is so cool. If you like what you see here, you can see him in other works such as the Producers (he convincingly played clapping audience member 71), he had a continuing stint on the Young and the Restless (industry rumor has it Brad and George get their fork acting from him) and he received raves in God Sees Dog: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead (“Charlie Gorrilla shines as Matt, and the darkness and fear inside of him really pours out onto the stage”), even our Mom said, “Char’s character was just so terrible, you just did not like him”. This says a lot because Charlie is extremely likeable! I had the pleasure seeing him in Happy Hour an off Broadway production. Once I got over the fact he was my brother, I was convinced by his portrayal of a womaniser! Plus I got a shout-out at the end, brought a tear to my eye. He as numerous auditions on the horizon and I am still holding out hope he hires me as his stylist when he hits the big time.
RATION Short Film (2011)
Directed by Michael Robayo
Written by Michael Robayo
Starring Seth Lefberg & Charlie Gorrilla
Find out more info on RATION on its Facebook Page.
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
RATION is a short film that doesn’t feel like one. It’s a fully realized concept that fits nicely into the 20 minute package Michael Robayo maps out about a pair of men trapped in an apartment after what looks to be a nuclear bomb has dropped. The budgets are low here, but not really noticeable mainly due to the strength of the two actors and the skill Robayo has behind the camera. Robayo concentrates on little details, constantly using his camera as a microscope noticing the most subtle movements, nuances, and details of the slowly emaciating actors and their slowly decaying environment around them.
Amusingly tagged: brother, Charlie acts,
CYCLE SPEEDWAY
“This is what you featured in your blog. Thought you might be interested.”
John Gorrilla, Biker Extraordinaire-wait till I write about his feats in the Trans Iowa.
Ben and I came upon this event a few months ago. To ‘cycle’ your memory…
Amusingly tagged: brother, cycling,
Johnners! This is for you.
We stumbled upon this fixie race while out for a walk around our new neighborhood. Such a small track, but the youngsters racing were having such a great time. As they say… “it’s only fun until a pre-teen ends up crying in the gravel”. We headed out after that happened!
Amusingly tagged: brother, cycling,
