Tre Miller Rodriguez's Blog, page 51

Found the rave-y corner of the Mermaid Parade. (Coney Island,...

Found the rave-y corner of the Mermaid Parade. (Coney Island, NYC)

The rave-y corner of the Mermaid Parade. (at Coney Island)

The rave-y corner of the Mermaid Parade. (at Coney Island)

Sending rainbow-shaped hearts and prayers to the Orlando and...

Sending rainbow-shaped hearts and prayers to the Orlando and LBGT communities. We grieve with you, stand with you and, in the absence of responsible legislation on assault weapons, are outraged with you.

I imagine that my brother would’ve appreciated his 40th birthday...

I imagine that my brother would’ve appreciated his 40th birthday falling on a Saturday. I can envision the keg, pool table and wake-the-neighbors music that would’ve accompanied tonight’s celebration. The faces I picture in attendance belong to the many who attended his funeral in 1994…and who still give Phil shout-outs on social media. He may not be alive for his 40th, but I honored him by calling our parents, drinking a Miller Lite in a billiards bar and going to a theatre screening of the ultimate brother-sister-rivalry-and-reconciliation movie: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

The funny scenes were still beer-out-the-nose funny. And incredibly, I could hear Phil’s silly, high-pitched laugh in my head tonight…the laughter of a younger brother who was already taller than me, and as I’d realize only later, a lot wiser too. I’m ending the night by playing his music at a volume he’d approve of (even if my neighbors don’t).

Here’s to you, Phil.

2 days of partying with Mr. Present, 1 storm-cancelled day…and 4...

2 days of partying with Mr. Present, 1 storm-cancelled day…and 4 days to recover. That’s some Gov Ball Maths for you.

2 days of partying with Mr. Present, 1 storm-cancelled...

2 days of partying with Mr. Present, 1 storm-cancelled day…and 4 days to recover. That’s some Gov Ball Maths for you.

6 Grief Books that Don’t Suck

After I lost Alberto, I received a shit-ton of grief books from friends and family. It was months before I could read anything longer than a tweet, but when I began these books, I was disappointed. I couldn’t relate to the much older authors or to their writing (too sterile or schlocky). 

In the years since writing the book I couldn’t find anywhere, I’ve found a handful of impactful loss memoirs and guides (for widows, for suicide or cancer survivors, for men, for young bereaved mothers). These books earned spots on my “Grief Books That Don’t Suck” List, which has become my latest column for Modern Loss (and quite possibly, the cheeriest “2016 Beach Reads” list ever).
Read More → 

Some New Yorkers do the 5-Borough Bike Ride. We did the...

Some New Yorkers do the 5-Borough Bike Ride. We did the 5-Borough Beer Crawl. #WinnerWinnerLiquidDinner (Vega Alta, Bronx)

Watching a longstanding talent event at a legendary NYC venue:...

Watching a longstanding talent event at a legendary NYC venue: just another Wednesday night when you’re dating a man with a Bucket List of his own. (Harlem, New York)

Two Lips are Definitely Better than One. (Central Park)

Two Lips are Definitely Better than One. (Central Park)