New York
Saturday late-afternoon, ThumbSucker and I arrived at JFK, collected our luggage, took a car service and arrived at Grand Central Station in 50 minutes! 50 minutes! Heck, it usually takes at least 50 minutes to just retrieve my luggage from the carousel.
After freshening-up, we took the Subway to the East Village, and walked to Chelsea to meet Joey and Joseph for dinner at Viceroy. Good lord the walk was cold! What was I thinking by not wearing a beanie or some sort of head protector/warmer? We stopped at a shop, and I purchased a $5 fleece beanie. It saved my noggin from the freeze.
Dinner was splendid! Again, great call Joey. I was excited to finally Joseph, advertising professional, doggy couture, trend setter, fashionista, and the fabulous better-half of Joey. Both Joey and Joseph have some great stories. And Joey does an incredible impersonation of JBurt. I encourage you to ask him to perform this.
Back to dinner... Joseph had the salmon, Joey had Viceroy's onion soup, ThumbSucker had the sheppard’s pie, and I had the fillet mignon. All was tasty!
After dinner we went to the XL Lounge. This place is sweet. The men's restroom has an aquarium in front of a trough. It's a calming experience when you need to pee. Also, apparently XL Lounge was featured in an episode of Sex in the City. Drinks were tasty, the music on, and the guys snooty. Two out of three is not bad. However, the deal breaker for XL Lounge is you can not dance. WTF? Yes, per a "Guliani law," you can not dance at New York City bars or lounges. That is what dance clubs are for. Such a shame as you are tempted to dance with inspiring music. "Get your groove off, get your groove off... Sit down! Show 'em how you cross your leg!"
At just past midnight, we called it a night. ThumbSucker and I high-tailed it in the subway back to Grand Central Station.
Sunday morning, we got ready, checked-in our luggage with the bell guy, and headed for a day of adventure. Originally we planned to go to the Bronx Zoo, but it is only open from April to October. Such a shame as I am looking for any reason to go to the Bronx.
We took the 5 subway to Bowling Green station, walked to Battery Park City, and boarded a ferry boat to Liberty Island then Ellis Island. So that's what the Statue of Liberty looks like up close... But it was painfully cold! Brr!
The museum of the former immigration office is humbling. After reading and watching videos of what immigrants coming to the U.S. experienced, I became a tad misty-eyed. After returning from Ellis Island, we took the 4 subway uptown to 33rd Street and walked to the Empire State Building. Oh my goodness... The view from the 86th floor is absofin'glutely incredible. If it was not shagging freezing, we would have stayed outside longer. But you can see everything - New Jersey, Central Park, Greenwich Village, Upper East Side, The Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens... Everything! Then we went to the 102nd floor. It was more enjoyable because we were indoors, and you could see even farther.
After the ESB, we rushed to get back to the hotel in Grand Central Station to reclaim our luggage, freshen-up, and catch the subway for Penn Station. But before we departed GCS, I went to Hot and Crusty for a chocolate mousse cake for dinner tonight at AMarc's place. I decided that the chocolate cake will be tradition whenever I visit as I brought one to brunch in January. It's quite tasty.
We arrived at Penn Station, specifically track number 18 just four minutes before the train departed for a final destination of Port Washington. By the way, just my advice - do not try bringing big luggage on the subway because it's difficult to pass through the turnstiles. Goodness, ThumbSucker and I looked like a comedy act. So 40 minutes later we were in Plandome with AMarc waiting at the LIRR station. A couple minutes later we were in a warm house. Toasty.
ThumbSucker and EKil chatted about all things Ireland - Limerick University, Trinity University, nuns, marriages, having babies, Catholics, drinking, shops, as well as San Francisco among other things. Goodness - Senan, AMarc/EKil's son, has grown since I last saw him in January. He is the biggest three-month-old baby I've seen. So dinner was pasta with a bolognese sauce (ThumbSucker's favorite any night dinner), followed with the chocolate cake for dessert. Tasty! Then 8:30 p.m. rolled around, and it was time to hit the road.
By 9:30 p.m., we arrived in Hauppauge, and checked into the hotel. I caught up on email, and we watched the Oscars. With so many good movies that screened at the end of 2005, this was the best and most emotional Oscar awards ceremonies I can think of.
It's 12:30 a.m. and I need to wake up in less than six hours. But I'm excited for this week. I like coming to the mothership. And I plan to have chow with some work buds and their better-halves.
Till tomorrow, g'night.
After freshening-up, we took the Subway to the East Village, and walked to Chelsea to meet Joey and Joseph for dinner at Viceroy. Good lord the walk was cold! What was I thinking by not wearing a beanie or some sort of head protector/warmer? We stopped at a shop, and I purchased a $5 fleece beanie. It saved my noggin from the freeze.
Dinner was splendid! Again, great call Joey. I was excited to finally Joseph, advertising professional, doggy couture, trend setter, fashionista, and the fabulous better-half of Joey. Both Joey and Joseph have some great stories. And Joey does an incredible impersonation of JBurt. I encourage you to ask him to perform this.
Back to dinner... Joseph had the salmon, Joey had Viceroy's onion soup, ThumbSucker had the sheppard’s pie, and I had the fillet mignon. All was tasty!
After dinner we went to the XL Lounge. This place is sweet. The men's restroom has an aquarium in front of a trough. It's a calming experience when you need to pee. Also, apparently XL Lounge was featured in an episode of Sex in the City. Drinks were tasty, the music on, and the guys snooty. Two out of three is not bad. However, the deal breaker for XL Lounge is you can not dance. WTF? Yes, per a "Guliani law," you can not dance at New York City bars or lounges. That is what dance clubs are for. Such a shame as you are tempted to dance with inspiring music. "Get your groove off, get your groove off... Sit down! Show 'em how you cross your leg!"
At just past midnight, we called it a night. ThumbSucker and I high-tailed it in the subway back to Grand Central Station.
Sunday morning, we got ready, checked-in our luggage with the bell guy, and headed for a day of adventure. Originally we planned to go to the Bronx Zoo, but it is only open from April to October. Such a shame as I am looking for any reason to go to the Bronx.
We took the 5 subway to Bowling Green station, walked to Battery Park City, and boarded a ferry boat to Liberty Island then Ellis Island. So that's what the Statue of Liberty looks like up close... But it was painfully cold! Brr!
The museum of the former immigration office is humbling. After reading and watching videos of what immigrants coming to the U.S. experienced, I became a tad misty-eyed. After returning from Ellis Island, we took the 4 subway uptown to 33rd Street and walked to the Empire State Building. Oh my goodness... The view from the 86th floor is absofin'glutely incredible. If it was not shagging freezing, we would have stayed outside longer. But you can see everything - New Jersey, Central Park, Greenwich Village, Upper East Side, The Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens... Everything! Then we went to the 102nd floor. It was more enjoyable because we were indoors, and you could see even farther.
After the ESB, we rushed to get back to the hotel in Grand Central Station to reclaim our luggage, freshen-up, and catch the subway for Penn Station. But before we departed GCS, I went to Hot and Crusty for a chocolate mousse cake for dinner tonight at AMarc's place. I decided that the chocolate cake will be tradition whenever I visit as I brought one to brunch in January. It's quite tasty.
We arrived at Penn Station, specifically track number 18 just four minutes before the train departed for a final destination of Port Washington. By the way, just my advice - do not try bringing big luggage on the subway because it's difficult to pass through the turnstiles. Goodness, ThumbSucker and I looked like a comedy act. So 40 minutes later we were in Plandome with AMarc waiting at the LIRR station. A couple minutes later we were in a warm house. Toasty.
ThumbSucker and EKil chatted about all things Ireland - Limerick University, Trinity University, nuns, marriages, having babies, Catholics, drinking, shops, as well as San Francisco among other things. Goodness - Senan, AMarc/EKil's son, has grown since I last saw him in January. He is the biggest three-month-old baby I've seen. So dinner was pasta with a bolognese sauce (ThumbSucker's favorite any night dinner), followed with the chocolate cake for dessert. Tasty! Then 8:30 p.m. rolled around, and it was time to hit the road.
By 9:30 p.m., we arrived in Hauppauge, and checked into the hotel. I caught up on email, and we watched the Oscars. With so many good movies that screened at the end of 2005, this was the best and most emotional Oscar awards ceremonies I can think of.
It's 12:30 a.m. and I need to wake up in less than six hours. But I'm excited for this week. I like coming to the mothership. And I plan to have chow with some work buds and their better-halves.
Till tomorrow, g'night.
posted by E-Double at 8:04 PM
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