10/18 - 10/20 - All Today's Parties, All of the Friends you can Find.

Friday started earlier than usual. It was Dan's B'day at work so we all decided to go downstairs to the infamous Ole and have a few swigs to celebrate the date. Mon, Dan, Bruce, Candi, Tanya, Vilma, and even Terry made an appearance and we all got a few proper drinks before we had to head home. We chatted and chilled and generally had fun getting our own drinks at the bar (table service only to bring chips but no waiter for us) and talking about all kinds of health issues (staying young), wild mess news (lady in india with eye missiing after ant attack at hospital) and various other sundry issues until it was time to leave around 8pm. I made my way back upstairs for the brief goodnight and to make sure I was all computer shut down and then I hurried down the street to the PATH station and was able to just make the train back to NY. Mon thought that I was going to miss the train and was leaning out of the doors to see if I would make it (I did) and I triumphantly marched through the connecting doors and we rode the rest of the way to home via PATH and MTA trains. We discussed hospitals, books and music and looked forward to hanging again soon (December maybe?). I got upstairs and had my nice steak dinner from Jacks waiting (I have to tell Russ that my standing order should be changed to the pot roast. The steak is always undercooked but the pot roast was so fly the last time, must remember this). Anyway after dinner and making sure that all of CD burning issues (gifts to give) were all done I did my usual Friday ritual of the haircut, shower and wardrobe setup before making my living room entrance. Russ and the Jimmy were already hanging and watching basketball before I made my appearance. We reminisced on the fact that one year ago today we watched the infamous Pacers-Pistons brawl which led to many a suspension. We had seen the whole thing live and in living color and I still remember that final blow to the spectator who thought he could fight with 6+ basketball players on the b-ball court floor. (He got knocked the f*k out). We were leaving early however to make sure we got to the place in time, before senor Brett went off duty.

The ride into the city was very quick as the cold weather (below 40 degrees) seemed to be keeping the faint of heart in their homes. Once in the city however the total lack of wind meant that it actually felt kind of nice. We found a nice convenient parking space right on 18th Street and walked around the corner and right into Gym. Once past the new door security we waited patiently for the throngs to part and we got the Brett's attention. It seemed that all of the boys had turned out to wish him well. I gave him his gift CDs (all three, R&B, Pop and the new dance mix "FallsPeak") and we took pictures to commemorate the occasion and much celebration ensued. We hung out with Scott, DJ DeMarko and plenty more who had all turned out to wish the Brett well on his final night of bartending (best wishes on your new sales adventures). I also headed to the back to chat with DJ Smokey who traded CDs with me (I gave him the Pop CD and he gave me his Chill Out Mix) All was well with everyone and we even met a new buddy "Owen" who after our rocky first meeting (he told me after ordering his drink "But I'm not talking to you" when I gave the beginning of my running commentary after ordering drink. Through sheer persistence I broke through his chilly demeanor and I ended up pulling him into the flow of conversation with all of the entourages of Brett and I. Russ and the Jimmy finally had their fill of the bar at 1am and proceeded to come back and drag me away from the crowd. I said my goodnights and promised to drunk call Brett to give him my email address (I didn't, I just sent him an email) and with my newly retrieved Columbia wrap I headed outside and the three of us made our way to our next party destination. Lady Lisa was nice enough to have given us three passes to Krash so we decided to step the party up and head over to 22nd street. We found parking on 20th Street (across from Avalon) and made our way past the throngs of party girls having drunk people conversation and headed in the general direction we originally intended. The line was mercifully short and we made it inside in time for the search and cashier charged us only $8 each (Thank You Lisa) and we split up briefly (me to coatcheck and Russ and the Jimmy to the bar) and then quickly reunited to take the evening in the place in. The DJ to start our evening was none other than DJ Merritt, one of my favorite Roxy DJs who was keeping the feets moving and making sure we had a good time in the upstairs. Owen and I danced to some spanish music before I decided one merengue was enough and headed back upstairs. We said hello to Joseph and Duane whom we chatted with for a bit before heading back over to the bar. I didn't get hot enough to take off my shirt but I did dance with hands lit between the stage and the giant speaker box for one song and then later just as it was time to go the DJ Glenn Friscia put on Mariah and "We Belong Together" I went up on the tables on the side of the dance floor and found they were not as solid as they appeared. However, due to high alcohol content, ridiculously focused concentration and utter disregard (despite warnings for nearby seated patrons) for my own safety, I danced out the whole song jumping between the two end tables and spinning the lights in my hands in time with the music. It was almost with relief that I stepped down when the song was over and we said our good nights to the Jimmy and headed over to 5th avenue to pick up a taxi. The driver brought us back BK quickly and we were able make the trip back in no time. Friday Night, out like a light.

Saturday I awoke and began watching sports TV but eventually with the arrival of delivery breakfast (they forgot the bacon) I was able to enjoy my eggs and prepare for the rest of the day. Russ had to visit with his family up in Westchester so I decided to ride-along, listening to songs on the CD player and then once arrived I stayed in the car and caught up my reading (finally finished reading "Revelation Space" by Alistair Reynolds and began reading "Pretties" by Scott Westerfield. Very nice to read some readily accessible sci-fi after the first book took so long to get into. At least it ended well but a lot of the beginning of the book was kind of extraneous (sorry to say since it was a good book). After about an hour in the car I was re-joined by Russ and we headed back to BK and a scheduled visit with the gym. The place was a little more crowded than usual but then again I usually try to go to the gym in the slope as early as possible to avoid the crowds. I got through the workout with no issues and only 2 waits for machines. Workout taken care of it was back home to chill out and watch DVR programming. Finally around 8pm it was time to order dinner from Friends Cafe and enjoy a nice chicken caesar salad and prepared myself for the rest of the night. After the shower it was determined that the gift CDs, wallet, lights, and mints could not all fit into the new A/X pants (pockets not big enough, pants not loose enough with me in the pants too) so it was back to the standby black paramedic pants, along with the baby blue Russell Athletic football Jersey and I was all set to head out. Russ felt not fully recovered from the night before and we had no firm commitments from any other friends so it was out into the night by myself.

I walked down the street to the car service and within a few minutes I had my driver taking me into the city. He was a regular that I had ridden with before and he knew his way into the city with no stress, across the Manhat Bridge, across town on canal street and straight up the west side. He let me out on the corner of 18th street and I crossed over and got onto the short line in front of Roxy. A hello to doorman Derek, an ID scan by the security guy and then it was inside for me and onto the cashier and coat check. I walked up to the front bar but immediately noted the absence of Barker and Matt so after saying hi to a few friends I headed to the back bar where my boys were holding court. I handed over the gift CDs (even gave a third gift CD to their fellow bartender when I could not find another to appreciate the "Pop to the Beat" Rock/ Pop compilation I knew my usual bartenders would appreciate. But onto the music I myself was very happy with the mixing by DJ Manny Lehman who appears to have gotten the upbeat and in tune playlist down pat as I was shirtless by 1:05 and had hands lit by 1:15. I started off dancing in the asian section speaker to Rihanna and later on returned to the speaker again for Jamie J Sanchez and the percussion mix of "Stroke". It happens to be one of Manny's favorites from his very own double CD set but it is a not so oldie and a goodie. I said hello to the few of my friends that were in attendance including Stephanie, who was making a visit since she was in town (sans the silver sneakers) and we said our hellos as we hung out near the back bar. I also said hello to Shawn and Rick who were there at the back to get drinks from Barker also. I also said hello to Owen Hawk who was hanging out at the back bar with his friends and waiting for the live show to start in support of his friends. Around 2am I was on a speaker next to the stage awaiting the live show that was supposed to happen moving my shoulders to Mariah Carey as I waited for the lights to shift on to light up the stage. When the lights did come on I found it was bad lighting to take a picture so I ended up taking a pic with the Safefy flash (time lapse) and then just recording as a movie. The show was the usual dancing in as little as possible for blue movie actors Matthew Rush and real life steady Ethan Kage. After that was over I returned to the back bar to get a drink and spent most of the night alternating between Red Bull, bottle waters given to me by Barker and the usual drinks of Red bull and Mandarin. The back bar had run out of soda so my drink was one of the few that could be assembled with no problem with no seltzer or soda from the dispensers (just the bottles of juice, bottled bear, bottled water and red bull). I will mark the night down as a success as I stayed and partied until I ran out of steam around 4:15 and decided to leave before I came to a complete stop. I did get to take a souvenir pic of Barker and Matt before I left (esp. since with vaca ahead I was not going to see them for like 2 weeks). I retrieved my coat and was outside to pick up a taxi before I realized my light on my calf was still turned on so I clicked that off before crossing the street (maybe safer with the light on?) but since Matthew and Ethan were in the middle of the street trying to get a car unsuccessfully I was not even going to attempt a pick up on 10th ave. Of course as soon as I get across the street I stop for a moment and watch the fight on the street that included 1 drunk girl, 2 drunk guys, a sober guy vs. a foreign dark haired drunk guy who at the end of the fight was knocked down in the street and told to keep walking. I like how the police say they have increased police presence on the street around 4am and yet people can fight in the middle of the street and not a cop can be seen for blocks and blocks. Anyway I continued down to 9th Ave and was able to flag down a car for myself and the two boys waiting next to me (we actually got 3 cars but released one of them out the goodness of my heart). My driver happily acquiesced to take me to BK and I was returned to my own familiar environs without too much trouble. One $16.40 dollar cab ride later I was home and happy to be able to turn in one happy party person. Nice.

Sunday I awoke nice and late. Russ had already eaten breakfast so there was no rush but eventually it was time to head out of the house and pick up a meal in downtown BK. We ended up going to the White Castle and I decided to try one of the new Roman burgers (with a tomato, supposed to be nice on a burger but not when the tomato is overripe and nasty) Thank goodness I also got 2 double cheeses and a bacon burger. I did not have to go hungry but I did have to throw out that Roman burger after one bite. We returned to the house to eat but after watching some television it was time to to go grocery shopping. There were no 2 liter coca cola in stock but they did have the orange juice, milk, cereal and dinner fixings. Back in the house shortly after 7, dinner was underway by 7:30 and I was relaxing watching football and then the fox block. Dinner was finished by 8:45 and we dug into the baked chicken breasts, stuffing, garlic rice and niblets corn like it was going out of style. Very good chicken and then it was on to more TV and the decompress that is Sunday night. After watching plenty of TV including "Curbed" and "Boondocks" which left the night on a high note. I indulged myself in a nice treat of Trix and milk before watching some DVR cartoons and turning myself in for bed.

We await the time off for next week and the warmer weather down south. Let's keep it hot (or as hot as we can stand it).