A very New York night

Friday night I spent the evening with two girlfriends and had a night you could only experience in New York. We hopped in a cab and headed to the Ukranian Institute after work where we went to watch the St. John fashion show.

We ended up sitting front row and I was 3 people away from Gloria Estefan, who was incredibly nice, incredibly gracious and incredibly tiny.

The show was fantastic. There were these amazing red pants that I wanted, along with a brown sequined pencil skirt. I would wear them every day…or every other day.

On the way out we caught sight of Kate Winslet who is apparently the face of their line. She was wearing red tights – my favorite.

After the show, we headed over to the Carlyle where we grabbed a table at the bar, got a round of drinks and caught up over the jazz of the bar piano player. The woman sitting at the table next to us happened to be an opera singer. She joined in to sing a few of the songs. So amazing.

Seriously, where else can someone have a night like this. So iconic!

Oh, and yesterday at brunch with my girlfriends, I was checking out this girl’s amazing pants. She turned around and it was Eva Pickford. Only during fashion week.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Last night I went to the Radio City Music Hall and saw the Christmas Spectacular! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the Rockettes. It was definitely very kid friendly, but it was cute. I enjoyed myself and can now say I’ve both been to Radio City Music Hall and seen the Rockettes.

They did all kinds of dancing from ballet to tap. I was really surprised that the girls actually sang while dancing and they sounded so good. I was very impressed. Not with the child 3 rosw in front of us who threw a tantrum for 45 minutes, but with the show for sure.

Also, some of the schwag they had was crazy. Martini glasses with kicking legs, fans with skirts that spin parallel to the floor as if dancing – all kinds of kooky things.

During the show, I had kind of an idiot moment. There’s a scene where some kids are reading the Christmas story from the Bible. I was like…this is really weird that they have this in there. Why would they include this? That is how much NYC has worn on me. Helloooooo?!? Christmas is one of the major pillars of the Christian religion. Why would that NOT be included?! In my New York mind people would be upset or angry that that was included because they may not be Christian and so many people here are so touchy. But how do you have a Christmas spectacular without including that?! I felt a little ashamed that I actually had that thought.

I’m on a Boat!

Please forgive the quality of this picture, I was on a moving boat and couldn’t hold still. Last Thursday night we went to a booze cruise (kind of). It was on a barge that is anchored between Jersey City, the financial district and Ellis Island. There was a big speed boat that functioned as a taxi out there. Very, very cool.

Yankees v Red Socks

Last Thursday I went to the Yankee’s v Red Socks game in the new Yankee’s Stadium. It’s the second time I’ve been there and that place is pretty great. This time we sat in the Audi Club. It’s definitely not the same experience as sitting in a regular seat, but it was very conducive to the social aspects of a baseball game. It was great to be there for the Yankee’s to be the Red Socks for the first time in 8 games.

The food there was definitely amazing. My only complaint about the night is that you didn’t get the roudy atmosphere of the game because we were behind a wall of glass. On the flip side, it was pretty quiet which, depending on who you are, could be really nice. Like watching the game at home, but cooler.

Dutch Kills

Friday night we walked to a new bar in Long Island City, Dutch Kills. It was probably about a mile from our apt and a bit of a walk, but it was definitely nice out and I was in flat sandals. It was a bar my roommate had heard about and wanted to go to. I was a little apprehensive and from the name of it I was imagining black, skulls and tattoo style roses.

As we were walking up, my other roommate’s sister, who is in town visiting, said, “Are we going to that place with the sign flashing ‘BAR’ outside?” We could only really say, I think so..

I was very pleasantly surprised when we walked in. The door was just a solid, dark metal door and seemed a bit sketchy. Inside, however, it is a long, narrow place with dark wood on the walls and ceiling. The first half of the establishment is table that fit 4-6 and 2. Past that is the area where the bar is located and beyond that is a small area with a couch or 2 and a piano. The floor in this area was painted dark and sprinkled with saw dust. This is where the live jazz band hung out. On the bar was a ton of fresh fruit stacked in bowls. Behind the bar was a huge block of ice that it looks like they cut from to put in drinks, high end liquors, chalk boards listing the drinks of the season (they change as the fruits that are in season do). Guiseppe Gonzalez took our order, diligently made our drinks, paying attention to every detail, lined them on the bar, and explained each, complete with the story of their origins before doling them out. The whole place had a very 1920s feel to me. I would definitely go back.

My week

I’m pretty busy this week!

Monday: Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and get Grimaldi’s with Jill

Tuesday: Sit n Knit Meetup. I am making this:

Wednesday: 3 different Happy Hours/Parties for work
Thursday: Going away party for one of my colleagues who is moving to Chicago.
Friday: Kings of Leon concert at the Today Show

Saturday: 2 birthday parties and a wedding that I’m not going to be able to make it to (I’m really sad about that).

Busy, busy, busy

Overheard in New York – at dinner

Last week tbf and I went out to dinner and as we were getting our drinks and getting situated, two girls who were leaving walked by our table. They were talking about a friend of theirs who is very cheap. One of the girls was telling the other one that he is dating a girl who is bulimic. Apparently when this guy found out about his gf’s said condition he got really upset and wanted to stop taking her out to dinner from then on. The reason he wanted to stop taking her out wasn’t because she had an eating disorder, it was because he felt that taking her out to eat was a waste of his money.

Birthday week

Last week I entered a new demographic.  I am no longer an 18-24, I am now a 25-34.  Scary.  On Wednesday night I went to mass for Ash Wed and then went to dinner with bf.  It was so cold on the walk from dinner to the subway, the wind just cut through everything.  I asked when New York became Chicago and found a button I didn’t know existed in him.  He swears Chicago is the windy city because of a presidential debate back in the day.  That might be so, but it’s still on Lake Michigan and any city on a lake is windy.  Then we went to his place and watched Project Runway.  I’ve successfully gotten him addicted.  Nice, right?  He gave me his present…a dress from J.Crew…very thoughtful.  It’s a bit too big, so I’ll have to exchange it, and I feel bad because I know it was expensive…that’s why I don’t shop there, but it’s cute and it was such a nice gift.

Thursday night I met up with some friends at a bar in the East Village and hung out during a Texas Exes happy hour.  A few friends I haven’t seen in a long time came out and it was pretty fun.  Then I came back to work to finish up some things before I left for Vegas for the weekend!  I stayed at work late and then went home, watched some tv, packed, showered and headed to the airport.  Kenny was arriving from San Fran as I was heading through security, so we met up for a minute, said hello, hugged and he went into the city as I went through security.  My flight was bording as I got to my gate…always good timing.  I made sure when I booked my flight to get a window seat so I could lean on the window, sleep, and not have to worry about letting people out who have small bladders. 

Once we were up in the air I put down my tray table, layed on it and passed out.  I woke up as we were starting our decent into Vegas.  The woman next to me and I started talking and she was saying Mel B. was in the airport checking in while she was there.  I had to have been there about the same time.  Where you check in is where I stood to meet Kenny.  I don’t stay on the lookout for celebs though, and now that I’m living in New York, I don’t really look at people…I guess it’s a New York thing.  I’m in my own little world.  Anyway, apparently Mel B. was there with her bubby and all made up and ready to go.  Too bad I missed it.

When I landed I met Tash, Aarti and Juli at a restaurant for breakfast and then we went to THE hotel at Mandalay Bay to check in.  I thought the hotel was really nice, other than when we got to our room there was something cheese wiz looking on the couch.  We called 4 times through the day to have it cleaned off.  Finally they came the 3rd time, made the beds and didn’t clean the couch off.  That ROYALLY pissed Aarti off.  We ended up getting a $50 credit for food or whatever and then $150 back off our room.  I also found cigarettes under our bed.  Wouldn’t have had I not seen them in the mirror.

We didn’t do much Friday, we just hung in the hotel…gambled a bit, explored and sat by the pool, ate…then we got ready for our show Friday night.  Tash and I went to see Love at the Mirage.  It was really an awesome show.  There was a lot of dancing and there were lots of really cool props.  It was a great show and the more I think about it the more I like it.  At first I was quite undecided because I expected a lot of acrobatics, but I think I really liked it.

 After dinner we had California Pizza Kitchen.  Then we went back to the hotel, changed, and headed to Tryst.  It’s supposed to be one of the hottest clubs in Vegas.  We walked right past the line…it’s a really nice feeling to have 100 yds of people looking at you wondering who you are.  We also didn’t pay cover.  The crowd really sucked though, the people were pretty terrible.  Even the girls who were hired to dance on platforms and wear Uggs couldn’t dance.  We were utterly disappointed.  I ended up getting a pretty terrible stomach ache and the girls wanted to go, so I went back to the hotel and they went on to Rum Jungle, which I later heard was even worse than Tryst.

Saturday we slept in, lounged, had breakfast, lounged some more, then set out to walk the strip.  I think this was my favorite part of the trip.  It was so nice getting to be outside in the warm sun and explore all the there is to look at.  We stopped along the way to watch the Bellagio fountain.  Very cool.  Again though, when we got to the shops, I got a terrible stomach ache, so I parted with the girls and went back to the hotel to sleep it off.  I woke up when they came back home and for the most part felt better. 

That evening we just hung out and relaxed until dinner.  Tash and I did a little gambling and made dinner reservations for 6 at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant.  After showers and the arrival of Juli’s sister and her bf, we headed down to eat.  I was afrait to eat because I wanted to be able to go out without a stomach ache, so I sat and talked.  The overall consensus was that they’ve all had better.  It was just alright.  So from dinner the 6 of us made our way to JET where, again we skipped the line and didn’t pay cover.  The crowd was much cooler than Tryst had been and we all genuinely like the club.  I had a much better time.  The guys were ridiculous.  It’s so funny how guys think they’re being sneaky and that girls don’t see them following us around and checking us out…they remind me very much of my mom’s cats when they stalk your foot or whatever.

So from JET we got to skip the line and not pay cover to go to Moon and the Playboy club at the Palms.  Again, I started not feeling well, but this time it was a migraine.  Seriously, it’s Vegas…wtf?!  So, again, I left the girls and went home.  I got home about 2 and the girls came in about 4.  They said it was amazing.  So, I think the overall consensus is Tryst – boo! Everything else – yay!

Sunday I woke up and was ready to go.  I was the first one awake, so I went into our livingroom (no kidding – our hotel room was bigger than my Manhattan apt – maybe the same size – maybe) and got on the phone with JetBlue.  I changed my flight from the 9:20 flight to the 3:30 flight which got me in to NY Sunday night as opposed to early Monday morning.  We checked out, had brunch and that was all the time I had.  Off to the airport I went.  My first cab driver hit the curb pulling out of the parking lot…wtf – you get paid to drive?!…and popped his tire.  He then made me PAY him for the 50 feet he’d driven me.  I was so angry. 

On the plane ride home I had an aisle seat and sat next to a couple.  The guy seemed like one of those jerks who seems to believe everyone should bow to him because he is a late-middle-aged-white-man.  That urks me!  At one point I laid down my tray table and layed down to try and nap…I was so uncomfortable.  He knocked on the tray table to wake me up.  Then when he got up and came back, he didn’t say thank you.  A second time later in the flight I was watching the Grammy’s and he just sort of – I really don’t even know what it was – snapped at me and said he needed to go to the bathroom.  Well, maybe if you hadn’t just sucked down 3 beers you wouldn’t have to get up so often!  Again, he did not say thank you.  Then, when we landed and I stood up to get my duffle from the overhead he kept moving toward me, so I backed up.  He got out of the row, stood directly in front of me, also blocked the girl who’d been sitting across from me…and waited.  His wife, like any normal human being, waited her turn to get out of the row and exit the plane.  Ugh, he made me so angry.

So I came home, didn’t unpack and passed out.  Monday I got out of bed about 3 to go to the post office.  I needed the rest.

Tuesday when I got to work I had cupcakes sitting on my desk…I’m all about celebrating my birthday still.

 Wednesday night we had our joint February baby bday party.  There was a pretty big group of us.  Good times, lots of fun and drinks were had by all.  All in all, it was a good birthday…and my stomach has finally quit bothering me.

Halloween

I’m sure there are things I am forgetting about Halloween, but it was Sooooooo fun!  I went as a man eater in red patent heels, black fish nets, a short black pleated skirt, a black tank top, red bra, fake blood dripping down my chin from one side of my mouth, and a bowl full of little green army men with a wooden spoon in it.  It was a hit…and I’m sure people are still finding army men in their pockets!

I met a boy who was at this advertising party, but was only there because his roommate works in media.  He, however, is in finance (this is when I judged him).  We talked throughout the night.  He was sweet.  We danced and talked and flirted and I judged.  He has my ex in his phone.  Weird.  I don’t do finance.  Then we started talking about cooking.  I told him I’ll make a better pot pie than he ever could.  He said he was a soux chef for 8 years.  I told him I’d still make a better pot pie than him…chili too.  He’s Italian and I told him I’d never make lasagna for him.  I don’t even use ricotta in my lasagna.  Hah.

 Before this boy showed up I was hanging with people from work and friends from other agencies just drinking and being ridiculous.  It was so fun!  At one point this guy from the company who was throwing the party stopped me to talk.  He, like everyone else, started the conversation by asking what I was, then when I said it he, like everyone else, went…oooohhhhh…  We talked akwardly for a minute until he finally was like, “I’m hitting on you right now.” I was pretty shocked and I’m sure I made a face.  At that exact, perfect moment some girl walking by tripped over herself and spilled her drink all over my new shoes.  I was a little angry that my feet were all wet, but I was more happy to have an out.  I said, excuse me, I have to go get a napkin and did…but then I just didn’t go back. 

By the end of the night there were little army men everywhere…we were throwing them at each other and chewing on them.  The only complaint I have about the night was the “art” in the bar.  It’s called Gallery Bar and every month they apparently change this art.  This particular night it was of soldiers in Iraq this photographer had apparently gone to live with.  There were captions under all the pictures he had written.  First, let me just say…attack our administration all you want, but leave our soldiers alone!  They’re brave enough to go do something you and I are obviously not and if you had a 12 year old willing to kill you on sight, you probably wouldn’t be the nicest person to everyone either.  These pictures and captions did their best to make the soldiers look mean and evil and terrible.  They live in a highly stressful, dangerous environment.  Screw that guy and his camera.  How are you really going to take pictures in that environment and then try to get all humanitarian?  I can gaurantee you that the terrorists don’t have a humanitarian department telling them to think twice before they go blow up that car with the children in it.  Ugh…the “art” made me angry…and it seemed like a lot of people at the party didn’t appreciate it.

Anyway, off politics, back to Halloween…about 1 I saw all the people I was there with walk outside to leave.  I told the boy I was talking to that they’d all just walked out and I was going to go too.  He said, yeah, lets go.  Lets?  Hmm…I said I was going to go.  Anyway, I turned toward the door and he put his hand on the small of my back and followed me out.  He’d mentioned a driver before, but it didn’t really register.  I went to go left where everyone else had gone…but his driver jumped up and opened the door of an escalade sitting just to the right.  He put his hand on my back and guided me.  I could have disappeared that night and no one would have known.  Instead he took me home, kissed me on the cheek and offered to walk me from the corner to my place.

 It was a great night.

Mixing work with “pleasure”

So last night we went out after work with one of the vendors we work with.  We went to this really good family style, set menu place and had some good wine with dinner.  After we went to the bar across the street.  I sat down, drinkless, and was planning just to hang out.  Well, apparently that wasn’t ok.  The wouldn’t let me not drink…my boss actually went and got me a drink.  Then the shots started.  The first round I tried to get out of by using the “well, there’s pineapple in it and I’m allergic to pineapple” thing.  That didn’t work…they went and got me my own pineappleless shot.  Then we got tequila, then soco and lime, then more tequila…shot after shot after shot.  The drink my boss got me sat unconsumed all night.  I did not want to drink…sometimes I just don’t and I wish that was ok with people!!

We left about 10:30 and headed up to a bar very close to my place.  They had Woodchuck Cider…no one in this city ever has Woodchuck and it’s my fav…so I actually did want to drink that.  Then the shots came again.  Shot after shot.  Ugh, again, they wouldn’t let me not take them.  My boss always lays a guilt trip on my…he actually mentioned my review when I tried to refuse a drink…and I know that it was a joke, but it still bothered me.

So later in the night when we were all standing around watching a few of the group play pool my boss looked at me and said, stop messing around with my friends.  At first I thought he was talking about the friend I was talking to at that moment because I was giving her a hard time.  Then I backtalked and was like, what?  He made a more serious face and again said, stop messing around with my friends.  I said, what are you talking about?  He told me I knew what he was talking about and to stop messing around with his friends.  That’s when the wires connected…he was talking about his cute, fun friend I went out with a few times.  Little does he seem to know, we haven’t spoken in almost 2 weeks, haven’t been out in longer than that and his friend doesn’t like me.  I don’t know why…I like him, but he quit wanting to hang out and started making excuses to get out of hanging out.  So, we don’t hang out.  Anyway, I guess he thinks I’m messing with his head?  Or he doesn’t like that I was hanging out with him?  I don’t know.  He’s the one who told his friend he should meet me.  Anyway, after a second when he saw that I conncected the dots, he said, “You just need to have sex with [friend] and get it over with.”  Excuse me?!  I was so insulted.  Wtf?!  I ligitimately liked his friend, he’s the one who doesn’t like me, but either way, I’m not like that!

So, to wrap this all up…just let me not drink sometimes…and I’m not that kind of girl!