angel Archives

Another year with my cute family

Another year with my cute family.

2025 wasn’t a great year for many people. For us, I’d call it an “okay” year—and honestly, okay still carried plenty of warmth. When I look back, what stands out most are the wholesome, silly moments: hosting our first friends’ dinner, and Joy and Dyson splashing around in a tiny kiddie pool like it was the best day on earth.

As the years pass, remembering a specific point in time gets harder. That’s why I’ve learned to **keep a few key moments—little anchors—**that can bring you back instantly. Photos help. Objects help. And for me, art helps most.

A Visual Time Capsule: Our Growing A to Z Art Collection

I’m a visual person, so this growing collection of A to Z illustrations has become my way of holding onto the moments that matter. It’s also a gift I love giving Angel—something meaningful, personal, and tied to the life we’re building together.

This year’s piece symbolizes:

The hope I have for our growth in Montour Falls
The love of our puppy babies (Joy and Dyson)
Building our next chapter with the Goldenrod Inn

And yes—there’s an Easter egg in the illustration: can you spot the goldenrod in the artwork?

Why This Matters to Me

It’s easy to let time blur. But I don’t want these years to disappear into a vague “back then.” I want to remember the tiny, ridiculous details—the laughter, the chaos, the small wins, the ordinary days that turn out to be the important ones.

This artwork is one of the ways I’m choosing to remember.

What I’m Looking Forward To

Montour Falls continues to feel like possibility. The Goldenrod Inn feels like a dream that’s turning into something real—step by step. If 2025 was “okay,” my hope is that the next chapter is steadier, brighter, and built with intention.

If you’re building something too—whether it’s a home, a family, a business, or just a better year—I’m rooting for you. 👨🏻‍❤️‍👨🏽🏳️‍🌈🐶

Bastianilkk Sabastian Delgado Illustration - Original

Bastianilkk Sabastian Delgado Illustration - framed

Illustration by Sebastián Delgado

Finally posting our first illustrated family portrait

We’ve been sitting on this longer than we meant to. Today, in the quiet just after lunch, we finally pressed publish. Our first illustrated family portrait.

It’s tender in a way photographs sometimes miss—lines that feel like a steady hand, colors that hold warmth without shouting. Two of us, close the way we are in real life, and a certain dog who insists on being part of every frame. There’s a playful wink tucked inside, a nod to the worlds we grew up loving, the kind that still make us light up.

Our favorite Pokémon of Glaceon, Snorlax, Mewtwo, Chandelure, Galarian Articuno and of course Bulbasaur. We always thought Dyson had the energy of a Bulbasaur so he looks right at home.

Finally posting our first illustrated family portrait: all the best Zach & Angel

— #pokemon #gayswhogallery #loveislove — ‍❤️‍ ️‍A to Z illustrations

Illustration by RICARDO LIRA

Happy 6th Wedding Anniversary

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Happy 6th wedding anniversary.

Six years is a long walk that somehow still feels like the first turn out of the door. Thought we have moved as many years as we’ve been married, the one thing that hasn’t changed is waking up to my best friend every day. My adventures keep becoming more exciting, detailed and creative and sharing them with Angel and our fur-babies is a blast! Here’s to another adventure right around the corner!

From A to Z, it’s the whole alphabet of a life: arrivals, allergies, afternoons; zeal, zero days, and the zinnias planted this spring! A to Z illustrations

Illustration from Prince & Ben

An Extraordinary Birthday Dinner and Date Night at Masa

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Join us on a culinary journey that perfectly combines elegance, artistry, and exceptional flavors. Zachary’s recent birthday celebration at Masa was truly an unforgettable experience. As we stepped into the warm ambiance of the restaurant, the allure of freshly-prepared sushi peaked our appetite and memories of our trip to Japan.

With each bite, we could taste the meticulous craftsmanship and passion that goes into every dish. The exquisite presentation of the sushi, delicately placing pieces on a beautiful hinoki wood counter, showcased the chef’s dedication to perfection. Each morsel was a harmonious blend of flavors and textures, leaving us craving more.

It was not only the food that made the evening memorable. The intimate setting and impeccable service created an atmosphere of tranquility and romance. Surrounded by the soft glow of dimmed lights and the gentle murmur of conversation, we felt transported to a world where time stood still. Angel selected a great Sake to cap the experience.

As we enjoyed our meal together, the love and connection between us seemed to grow, deepening the meaning of this special occasion. The company of my partner, their hand in mine, made the evening even more extraordinary – a date night like no other.

In this delightful gastronomic adventure, Masa has undoubtedly earned its place in the prestigious Michelin Guide. Combining traditional techniques with innovative twists, their culinary creations are a testament to the artistry and skill of their talented team.

If you’re seeking a memorable dining experience that transcends the ordinary, look no further than Masa. Whether it’s a celebration or a romantic night out, Masa will leave you with cherished memories and a profound appreciation for the art of sushi.

Some facts we learned while dining at Masa:

The hinoki Counter has a top layer sanded down between every seating
Chef Masa arranged all of the floral accents locally in NY state (several people have fallen into the pond around it LOL)
Both Masa and Per Se opened the same year as some of the first restaurants in Columbus Circle mall in 2004.
All of the dinging-ware at Masa is designed by Chef Masa and Masa Design
Chef Masa also owns his own fishing company in Japan to import/export fresh fish worldwide

Masa Menu for 11/29/2023

Appetizers

Stone Crab with Uni Aioli
Toro Tartare with Osetra Caviar
Buri Sashimi, Wild Caught Yellowtail with Ponzu
Roasted Uni Half Shell – Sea Urchin, White Miso Custard, Truffle Grilled Akamutsu, Sea Perch
Ohmi Beef Tataki with White Truffle
Tai Soup

Sushi Courses

Toro – fatty tuna belly
Hirame – fluke
Tai – sea bream
Kinmedal – golden eye snapper
Ika – squid
Amaebi – sweet shrimp
Hotate- Scallop
Awabi – abalone
Suji – grilled toro sinew & scallion
Foie Gras
Saba- Japanese Mackerel
Sayori – needle fish
Shiitake mushroom
Anago – sea water eel
Kuruma Ebi – tiger prawn
Hokkaido Uni – sea urchin
White Truffle (this is the only sour note – this should have been excluded)
Negi Toro – fatty tuna, scallion, nori
Ume Shiso – pickled lotus root, shiso, sour plum

Dessert

Seasonal Fruit with Soba-cha tea
We actually were served a Matcha Crepe Cake from Lady M

In Austin, Texan Stars & Lips Abound

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When Angel and I flew to Austin, Texas for Ken and Joey’s wedding, we also took the opportunity to take a short vacation of sorts. We flew to Austin a day before the wedding festivities and celebrations commenced. While in Austin, we took the time to explore, peruse the city, and as self-professed “foodies” are wont to do—try restaurants and Texan delicacies.

(As a disclaimer: while on the trip, we didn’t live recklessly. Necessary precautions were taken and mask mandates were followed. We conscientiously adhered to any and all rules regulated by the CDC in restaurants, public places, and of course at the wedding. Upon arrival, we took a rapid COVID-19 test and continued to receive negative results throughout the entire week.)

After checking in, Angel and I explored the Austin Motel. A gay-friendly hotel, its signage took the shape of a penis set in bright neon lights. (I can’t say that we didn’t immediately buy a matching magnet of its likeness to put on our refrigerator.) The Austin Motel had an old-school motel feeling—a throwback modernized for its 21st-century guests. Full of novel architectural details, it followed the practice of pairing old historical bones with new modern minutiae. To speak to this, I slept in a room replete with lip print-patterned wallpaper, a big leather-bound bed, and a rotary phone.

Now, for food. While in Texas, it was almost an obligation to eat breakfast tacos at least once! Not too far from our hotel was a little roadside taco stand, where we bought and consumed our breakfast tacos on a couple of mornings. And when not eating tacos, we also went to a few restaurants with James Beard award-winning chefs. The first, called the Odd Duck, served several cocktails that were distilled in barrels on tap. With our drinks, we enjoyed a plate of seared scallops and a Wagyu beef burger in addition to some vegetarian turkey bacon. A couple of restaurants were also recommended to us—one being La Condesa Austin, which served huitlacoche quesadillas from fermented corn. A delicacy I couldn’t pass up!

While perusing the town, being New Yorkers, Angel and I wanted to walk everywhere. Turns out, Austin isn’t a “walking” city. There were periods where we walked amongst other pedestrians and other times when we felt like the last two people on earth. While walking around, we visited the state capitol, an interesting yet imposing building in and of itself. We noticed then, as we had been noticing for days—the Texas star is never far from sight. On our way to and from the Capitol, I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of the various stars around town.

All in all, it was a great trip—a chance to celebrate close friends and travel!

Ken & Joey, Welcome to Married Life

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My good friends Joey and Ken got married this year around the same time vaccinations rolled out. It was a scary time to be flying, but after doing our part to stay safe, Angel and I flew to Austin, Texas to celebrate our friends’ union.

We had planned out the trip months ago, and while traveling, we made sure to exercise caution and be fastidious with our hand sanitizer. At the airport and on the plane, we wore our face shields, masks, and gloves. In Texas, we rented our own car to keep and maintain that all-important six feet of social distancing.

Though wary, I ended up really liking Austin. During our stay, the weather was perfect each day. We spent a lot of our time dining outside or choosing restaurants still in accordance with mass mandates and six-foot-apart safety measures, though at that time Texas had dropped their restrictions. We still felt pretty safe.

Joey and Ken’s wedding was held at the Austin Motel, a gay-friendly hotel decked out in neon lights. Each room was themed; ours was decorated with lip-print motifs and a bright red leather headboard on the bed. We had rented a red Mustang for the trip, so we definitely fit in at the hotel!

There was a courtyard next to the main building. On our first day, we gathered there for a meet-and-greet cocktail hour. That’s also where the on-site clinic was, where all wedding guests were required to receive a COVID-19 test. The entire wedding party was vaccinated, but since the vaccines had just been rolled out, not everyone in attendance had been able to receive their second or even first dose. Everyone was then required to participate in an on-site test. Without the test results, you weren’t allowed to remove your mask.

Everything was very well thought-out. No surprise for Ken and Joey! The courtyard during that first happy hour was beautiful; cocktails and finger foods were served

The next day, a brunch was held for all wedding guests. Later that afternoon was the wedding. The event was entirely outdoors, at The Contemporary Austin. The ceremony took place under a tree-covered amphitheater overlooking a lake. At the end of the wedding, Ken and Joey ran through a sparkler runway to where a pickup truck driven by a drag queen was waiting. As they stood on the bed of the truck, giant fireworks shot up into the air while monster trucks drove by in a cloud of billowing red smoke.

At the after-party, the Austin Motel lit up their swimming pool with neon lights for a late dip. There was fast food to eat, and time for Ken and Joey’s close family and friends to wind down after the excitement of the day.

It was a great wedding, full of great people. I’m so happy for Ken and Joey and wish them lots of luck and love. Welcome to married life!

Learning to Draw on iPad

Learning to draw on iPad feels like borrowing a little quiet from the day. The tools are digital, but the habit is old: sit down, look closely, try a line, try again.

The image shows a person curled into a couch with an iPad, focused on an open canvas—small, intent, private. It has that soft, end-of-afternoon mood where nothing needs to happen except the next stroke. You can almost hear the room settling.

With the iPad, practice becomes gentler. Mistakes don’t leave a smudge on the page; they disappear with a tap. That can make you brave. You test shapes, adjust the brush, nudge the line until it begins to match what you meant. And slowly, the screen stops feeling like a device and starts feeling like a sketchbook you can carry anywhere.

If you’re learning, keep the sessions short and honest. Draw what’s near you. Repeat the same subject on different days. Notice how your hand changes when you’re tired, or when you’re calm. The point isn’t to make a perfect drawing—it’s to return, and let your eyes get better at seeing.

Over time, the iPad doesn’t replace the feeling of drawing. It simply gives you another doorway into it.

ZAMartz Best of 2019

| #top9of2019 #marriage #japan #boyfriendswhobestof

| Wow, What a GREAT year. This has been a year of mainly high points; ZAMartz best of 2019, information to recap.

I will be covering some of the best content and page views on the ZAMartz website as well as the best social media post of 2019 on instagram.

The most important events of this year boil down to 3 items.

Angel and I are Married now and Dyson kicked off the ceremony
We had an amazing month in Japan
My parents finally sold their house and are down-sizing

Top 10 ZAMartz Pageviews of 2019

WordPress Extension Details

6190 Total downloads of two extensions (solid increase from last year)
Overall Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars (launching some new updates in 2020)

The Goodest Doggo

Dyson has turned 2 this year and has his own Top9of2019 take a look @dysoncyclone we love him to bits!!

Compare to 2018

Pleas follow this link to compare to the 2018 review
https://zamartz.com/2018/12/31/zamartz-best-2018/

Wedding Date is Set for Zachary and Angel

Wedding Date is Set, September 7th 2019

So its official Angel and I are engaged and have set our wedding date in September. We are so excited to celebrate with our friends and family and our beloved puppy Dyson.

Find us on instagram:

If you want to send us some best wish see our instagram accounts @takenbyanangel @zamartz and @dysoncyclone

We don’t have a registry because apartment space is limited and admittedly I (Zach) am a “particular person”… or so I’m told… lol

so you can Donate to the wedding with paypal:

send us a donation here : paypal.me/zamartz

Or Donate here on the website

[products columns=”2″ orderby=”title” order=”ASC” ids=”16701, 16737″]

| #azwedding #wedding #loveislove

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| Read Insta-comments -> https://bt.zamartz.com/2XAeo7U

Cooking with Koji

The first thing I notice is the quiet order of the room: pans hanging in place, utensils lined up, the kind of kitchen that feels lived-in without being loud about it. Three people stand around portable burners, aprons tied on, heads bent toward the small, careful work that turns ingredients into something warmer than the sum of its parts.

Cooking with Koji sounds like a lesson in a single ingredient, but it’s really an introduction to time. Koji asks for patience the way an old house asks you to listen—subtle changes, small aromas, a shift in texture that’s easy to miss if you rush.

In the photo, there’s a calm focus as someone offers a small dish across the counter, as if passing along a secret. A pot waits, a bottle stands by, and a tray sits ready for what comes next. Nothing looks dramatic, and that’s the point. The most memorable kitchens aren’t always the ones that perform; they’re the ones that hum.

Koji sits at the center of so much Japanese cooking—miso, soy sauce, sake—quiet foundations that make everyday food taste deeper, rounder, more complete. Watching it up close reminds me that tradition isn’t a museum thing. It’s a practiced thing, repeated until it becomes natural, like reaching for the same coat in winter without thinking.

If you’ve been curious about fermenting, start here: with a simple workspace, shared attention, and the willingness to let flavor grow.

Golden Ice Cream

Two cones, two hands, and a little shimmer that feels almost out of place in the plain daylight.

We tried Golden Ice Cream—soft serve crowned with delicate flakes of edible gold. It’s the kind of treat that looks like a dare: too pretty to bite, too bright to be real. But the first taste is familiar and simple, the way good soft serve always is. The gold doesn’t change the flavor so much as it changes the moment.

Standing outside with the street behind us, it felt like one of those small travel scenes you keep longer than you expect. A regular afternoon made slightly stranger, slightly more memorable. The cones catch the light; the gold clings to the ridges and settles into the swirl. For a minute you pay attention—really pay attention—to texture, to warmth, to how quickly something ornate becomes ordinary once you start eating it.

If you’re in Japan and you spot a shop offering gold leaf on ice cream, it’s worth stopping. Not because it tastes like luxury, but because it turns a quick snack into a quiet story: something fleeting, sweet, and bright enough to notice before it disappears.

Breakfast for 2

There are mornings that feel like they’re in a hurry, and then there are mornings that settle in—quietly, deliberately—like a house holding heat in its stones.

Breakfast for 2 was the second kind. A low table, two places set, and a spread of small dishes that made the moment feel larger than it was: bowls of rice, small plates of fruit and pickles, and warm soup—everything arriving in modest portions that add up to something generous.

Across the table, two people framed by a backdrop of pale, tangled lines, like winter branches caught mid-sway. The room feels hushed, and the food does what good breakfast does: it slows you down without insisting.

I keep thinking about how meals like this make time behave differently. The clink of ceramics, the pause between bites, the small decisions—what to try next, what to save for last—turn into their own kind of conversation. Not every morning needs a speech. Some just need a table and enough care to make staying still feel natural.

And then, eventually, the day starts moving again. But for a while, it was simply breakfast, for two—quiet, warm, and complete.

angel