The weekend of awkward sex and homosexuality
Hope everyone had a relaxing Thanksgiving/4-day weekend!
Wednesday - I was very productive at work in anticipation of getting let out early, and I was not disappointed. Just as Ashley arrived to meet me at work, Kim announced that if we wanted to, we could leave early. I gave Ashley a quick tour and then we headed over to Les Halles (an Anthony Bourdain restaurant by work) for dinner (yum). We stopped by Century 21 and she bought some cute rainboots. Then we rushed up to Times Square (ick) to meet Donna to watch Borat. Hilarious. Could have been funnier and longer, but still hilarious...particularly the wrestling scene. Then we came home, drank and watched Top Chef..ha. I think I organized my CDs while Ashley copied them...fun, I know.
Thursday - Ashley and I decided to skip out on the parade due to the rain and wind. We got up late and eventually dragged ourselves to TriBeCa, but alas dad and Ally's shuttle took the extremely long way in from Newark and we beat them there. We had a very nice snack (New England Clam Chowder...mmm) at a cute restaurant (The Soda Shop) next door to the Cosmopolitan Hotel until they got in. Then we just hung out and caught up with them in the hotel room for awhile. Gave Ally all her birthday presents. They announced that Topaz, one of our favorite cats at home, had been missing for a few days...and it's bear season...not good. Finally it was time for dinner. We had our Thanksgiving dinner in a very non-traditional way at David Bouley's restaurant Bouley. They had a $90 (I know!) prix fixe menu that was amazing! Highlights of my meal included seared foie gras (take that, Chicago), Colorado rack of lamb, pistachio bread, scallops, among many other wonderfully delicious things. I sure do love when dad comes to town :)
Friday - Ashley stayed with them overnight and took them to Fordham and Little Italy in the Bronx in the morning. I was going to go meet them, but I completely overslept. I ended up hanging out in City Hall Park enjoying the gorgeous weather for awhile and eventually meeting them in SoHo. What an idiotic idea that was. Shopping in SoHo no Black Friday???? Well, we battled crowds, sales and bad moods and emerged relatively unscathed, though only one peacoat (for Ashley) the better. We went back to the hotel and met Julia there. Then we headed over to the West Village for dinner at a random Japanese restaurant. Okay...nothing exciting and the quality of meat wasn't great, but hey, because we ate so early, we qualified for some special and I got free sake with my meal. Then we headed up to Times Square for that evening's show - The Little Dog Laughed. Hilarious. It's about a closeted actor, his "lover," the lover's female friend, and the actor's agent who has to cover it all up. Jonnny Galecki (from Rosanne) played the lover, Ari Graynor played the friend, Tom Everett Scott (from That Thing You Do) played the actor and Julie White played the agent. Julie White really made the show...she was amazingly hilarious. Really brought it all together. Oh yeah, and like subUrbia, there was some completely gratuitious male nudity. I'm pretty sure that's the new in thing at the moment. Ally and Ashley spent the night at my place and we just chatted, ate cookies and watched Election.
Saturday - I took them out to brunch at Deacon Blue, though when we got there we decided instead to get lunch food. Still delicious...I like that place a lot. We met up with dad and Julia in Times Square yet again for our second show of the weekend - Spring Awakening. This was so good! It's a rock musical based on an extremely old German play...and Duncan Sheik did the music! The play's about a group of high school kids in 19th Century Germany whose parents are ridiculously overbearing and protective and they, as typical angsty, sexually-curious teens end up falling in love with each other and being geneneraly subversive. There's sex, abortion, suicide, and more. Plus...more awkward scenes such as the extended masturbation scene, the mild S&M scene and the rather graphic sex scene...but at least this time it wasn't senseless (as in, it actually furthered the plot to a certain degree). In any case, the acting was great (these kids are my age or younger...how sad for me), the story was good, but the music was the best! Definitely recommend it...though you've been warned! After the show, we went to Century 21 for some more shopping. It was surprisingly less busy than I expected, though still obnoxious. I did manage to get a pair of pants for work, a shirt and a silk scarf and resisted getting the Kate Spade purse I was eyeing. After the shopping madness, we went to Chinatown for dinner, as dad of course needed his peking duck fill. After gorging ourselves on Chinese food, we went back to the hotel and said our goodbyes. Having Julia on the trip really cramped the dynamic and I can't say I was terribly devastated for the visit to be over, but that's how that goes. I'll definitely miss Ally...I am very sad that I am missing out on her growing up and that she is trapped alone in that house...but more on that another time. Dad managed to say goodbye to us without crying (Ashley hypothesizes that it's because we're together...which is good) and we headed back to my apartment.
Sunday - Dad, Ally and Julia flew out early this morning. I hear that Julia screwed up airport and went to Newark instead of JFK. Typical. But, she made it, so I'm pretty impressed by that. Ashley and I slept in and then I made omelettes for brunch. We schlepped her stuff up to Columbus Circle and tried to catch the movie The History Boys. Alas, the show we wanted to see was sold out, so we camped out at nearby Starbucks and read/did work/eavesdropped on other people's conversations. I finally finished A Clockwork Orange...ended up being very good, but I have to agree with Stanley Kubrick's decision to cut out the last chapter when he made the movie. We saw the later showing of the movie. The movie was great. Stayed very close to the play and somehow made the pacing and dialogue work well in flim form. As with the play I can't say I like the ending very much, but otherwise, this is a very excellent movie. As you can't see the play anymore, I recommend everyone go see the movie! Bid adieu to Ashley, stopped by Whole Foods and am now home...worrying about how much this week at work is going to suck.
Hope everyone had as good or a better holiday weekend as me!!!
P.S. Can I just say that it sucks...both the bulbs in my ceiling light went out...and I'm not tall enough to reach it to change it. Where are Jan, Isaac or Helen when I need them?!?
Wednesday - I was very productive at work in anticipation of getting let out early, and I was not disappointed. Just as Ashley arrived to meet me at work, Kim announced that if we wanted to, we could leave early. I gave Ashley a quick tour and then we headed over to Les Halles (an Anthony Bourdain restaurant by work) for dinner (yum). We stopped by Century 21 and she bought some cute rainboots. Then we rushed up to Times Square (ick) to meet Donna to watch Borat. Hilarious. Could have been funnier and longer, but still hilarious...particularly the wrestling scene. Then we came home, drank and watched Top Chef..ha. I think I organized my CDs while Ashley copied them...fun, I know.
Thursday - Ashley and I decided to skip out on the parade due to the rain and wind. We got up late and eventually dragged ourselves to TriBeCa, but alas dad and Ally's shuttle took the extremely long way in from Newark and we beat them there. We had a very nice snack (New England Clam Chowder...mmm) at a cute restaurant (The Soda Shop) next door to the Cosmopolitan Hotel until they got in. Then we just hung out and caught up with them in the hotel room for awhile. Gave Ally all her birthday presents. They announced that Topaz, one of our favorite cats at home, had been missing for a few days...and it's bear season...not good. Finally it was time for dinner. We had our Thanksgiving dinner in a very non-traditional way at David Bouley's restaurant Bouley. They had a $90 (I know!) prix fixe menu that was amazing! Highlights of my meal included seared foie gras (take that, Chicago), Colorado rack of lamb, pistachio bread, scallops, among many other wonderfully delicious things. I sure do love when dad comes to town :)
Friday - Ashley stayed with them overnight and took them to Fordham and Little Italy in the Bronx in the morning. I was going to go meet them, but I completely overslept. I ended up hanging out in City Hall Park enjoying the gorgeous weather for awhile and eventually meeting them in SoHo. What an idiotic idea that was. Shopping in SoHo no Black Friday???? Well, we battled crowds, sales and bad moods and emerged relatively unscathed, though only one peacoat (for Ashley) the better. We went back to the hotel and met Julia there. Then we headed over to the West Village for dinner at a random Japanese restaurant. Okay...nothing exciting and the quality of meat wasn't great, but hey, because we ate so early, we qualified for some special and I got free sake with my meal. Then we headed up to Times Square for that evening's show - The Little Dog Laughed. Hilarious. It's about a closeted actor, his "lover," the lover's female friend, and the actor's agent who has to cover it all up. Jonnny Galecki (from Rosanne) played the lover, Ari Graynor played the friend, Tom Everett Scott (from That Thing You Do) played the actor and Julie White played the agent. Julie White really made the show...she was amazingly hilarious. Really brought it all together. Oh yeah, and like subUrbia, there was some completely gratuitious male nudity. I'm pretty sure that's the new in thing at the moment. Ally and Ashley spent the night at my place and we just chatted, ate cookies and watched Election.
Saturday - I took them out to brunch at Deacon Blue, though when we got there we decided instead to get lunch food. Still delicious...I like that place a lot. We met up with dad and Julia in Times Square yet again for our second show of the weekend - Spring Awakening. This was so good! It's a rock musical based on an extremely old German play...and Duncan Sheik did the music! The play's about a group of high school kids in 19th Century Germany whose parents are ridiculously overbearing and protective and they, as typical angsty, sexually-curious teens end up falling in love with each other and being geneneraly subversive. There's sex, abortion, suicide, and more. Plus...more awkward scenes such as the extended masturbation scene, the mild S&M scene and the rather graphic sex scene...but at least this time it wasn't senseless (as in, it actually furthered the plot to a certain degree). In any case, the acting was great (these kids are my age or younger...how sad for me), the story was good, but the music was the best! Definitely recommend it...though you've been warned! After the show, we went to Century 21 for some more shopping. It was surprisingly less busy than I expected, though still obnoxious. I did manage to get a pair of pants for work, a shirt and a silk scarf and resisted getting the Kate Spade purse I was eyeing. After the shopping madness, we went to Chinatown for dinner, as dad of course needed his peking duck fill. After gorging ourselves on Chinese food, we went back to the hotel and said our goodbyes. Having Julia on the trip really cramped the dynamic and I can't say I was terribly devastated for the visit to be over, but that's how that goes. I'll definitely miss Ally...I am very sad that I am missing out on her growing up and that she is trapped alone in that house...but more on that another time. Dad managed to say goodbye to us without crying (Ashley hypothesizes that it's because we're together...which is good) and we headed back to my apartment.
Sunday - Dad, Ally and Julia flew out early this morning. I hear that Julia screwed up airport and went to Newark instead of JFK. Typical. But, she made it, so I'm pretty impressed by that. Ashley and I slept in and then I made omelettes for brunch. We schlepped her stuff up to Columbus Circle and tried to catch the movie The History Boys. Alas, the show we wanted to see was sold out, so we camped out at nearby Starbucks and read/did work/eavesdropped on other people's conversations. I finally finished A Clockwork Orange...ended up being very good, but I have to agree with Stanley Kubrick's decision to cut out the last chapter when he made the movie. We saw the later showing of the movie. The movie was great. Stayed very close to the play and somehow made the pacing and dialogue work well in flim form. As with the play I can't say I like the ending very much, but otherwise, this is a very excellent movie. As you can't see the play anymore, I recommend everyone go see the movie! Bid adieu to Ashley, stopped by Whole Foods and am now home...worrying about how much this week at work is going to suck.
Hope everyone had as good or a better holiday weekend as me!!!
P.S. Can I just say that it sucks...both the bulbs in my ceiling light went out...and I'm not tall enough to reach it to change it. Where are Jan, Isaac or Helen when I need them?!?