A picture can tell a thousand words

I love the pictures I took over my first full weekend in the city and what a great weekend to call my first…the 4^th of July weekend!

I started my Friday (the 4^th) with a much-needed pedicure and manicure at a local spa…I still wonder if I should call it a “Spa”--that sounds so prestigious. We all know I went to the cheep Chinese ladies who talk shit about you in some odd noise they call a language…and I am sorry if that sounds rude, but the Chinese language might be the most unpleasant sounding language.  It almost burns the ears.

After my primping, I went for a run in central park. This lead to be a most difficult run for me…I have been running for over a year now so a forty-five minute run isn’t too difficult. However, I am not sure if the air is thicker, if it was the small inclines, or the smell of horse poop from the horse-n-buggies, but this run was quite challenging for me.

Following my half-ass run, I grabbed a train back to my place to get ready for the night’s festivities. Dressed to “T” as I always aspire to do, I met up with Eva and her co-workers from Tavern on the Green for a tasty Bar-B-Q. Equipped with girl-talk galore, I found myself feeling a bit different from these girls…or better yet women…excluding Eva, of course!

Maybe it is just my young age that has kept me from being indigent and bitter or maybe I haven’t lived in the “NYC dating scene” long enough. However, the tableside girl talk started off innocent, but ended in an attack on all mankind! I am not supporting men here, but I feel if something goes wrong in a relationship the blame is on both parties…it takes two to tango, right? Even if someone cheats (not that it’s right), there must be an underlining reason for them doing so.

Anyways, after the Bar-B-Q I took a train downtown to Brooklyn, for Macy’s firework show with Roy, a fellow Fry Hammond Barr ex-intern. Roy works and Y & R Advertising. I met all his friends and partied hard the rest of the night! Happy Independence Day, for sure.

The next day, Roy took me to a few cool spots. “Hey, anything to help out a fellow Orlandoian”, he said. We went to a really cool brunch place in Brooklyn with killer Bloody Mary’s and then the MOMA- Museum of Modern Art.

At the MOMA, I saw some really great art that I had studied in school. It was amazing to see Pollock, Picasso, Matisse, Andy Warhol, and Van Gogh’s art up close.  The pictures are below…

After the MOMA, Roy and I traveled to New York City’s oldest bar! Picture this…mid-Saturday afternoon when only alcoholics, bums, and Floridians are heavily drinking…down 7^th avenue… I can hear the beer mugs clinking and smell stale beer one block away. We arrived at McSorley’s Old Ale House. It was packed full of people. Roy and I managed to squeeze a spot at the bar, due solely to the fact that we are both quite quaint in size! The Irish bar tender yells our way “dark or light”? Those are the only choices…no vodka & cranberry, or champagne just dark or light…beer! We voice our preference and he slides four mugs our way and yells 9 bucks! That might have been the best deal in NYC…double fisting for only $4.50 a person!

At McSorley’s Roy and I met a couple from Orlando and a group of rowdy guys with English accents! One English man in particular Chris Carrason, kinda stuck with me. We all ended up going bar hoping later that evening. Needless to say, it was great!

Chris is from England, but now lives in LA. He has proven to be a good friend to have because he lived in the city one road up from me just a few years ago. Chris and I hung out all day Sunday. We went to a cool brunch place, a little wine spot, a movie and then dinner in little Italy.

Overall, my first weekend was everything I expected from New York City! Cheers…as they say in England!

4th of July weekend

4th of July weekend

4th of July weekend

4th of July weekend

I am a New Yorker!

Though that statement is quite false in reference to me. It seems that everyone in this city is desperately striving to be considered a true New Yorker and believe me there are certain ways you can tell if someone has… and especially hasn’t been in the city very long…

Here are a few ways you can tell someone is not a New Yorker-

1.) Either they cross the street too early and get beeped at (which is like being “called out”) by oncoming traffic or they cross the street too late. Hesitating will result in an unpleasant trampling by hurried pedestrians.

2.) They say sorry when they bump into you. Real New Yorkers throw nasty elbows and plant violent hockey-like shoves without regard and certainly without an apology.  

3.) Women who are new to the city walk to and from work in their 3-inch heels. Real NY woman throw on a pair of old sneakers with their finest work attire and smugly blow past the bluster stricken heel-wearing women.

4.) They are happy. There are only a few acceptable expressions a true New Yorker wears when walking down the street and happy certainly isn’t one of them.

5.) They walk slow-no explanation needed there, but if you aren’t in a mid-sprint you best believe you are about to hear some ungodly cussing directed your way.

6.) They are entertained by subway performers. Real New Yorkers have been there and seen that! Therefore, an old homeless man signing about 16-year old girls or two struggling transvestites doing the disco in the middle of a train doesn’t even register as something they should acknowledge.

That’s all for now-as I get more NYC sophisticated  I will finish this list…and if you think you know anymore post a comment!

Tranquil Thursday

After a long sleep I awoke feeling much better and although my eye was still blood-shot red hurting like a biotch I managed to make it through the day.

The day started off relatively slow. I ran some errands, all of which were near by so I didn’t have to ride the subway. I have to wonder if Katie is ever going to want me to take the train after my first misfortune? Hm only time will tell…

Anyway my Thursday was very peaceful. I got out of work early due to the holiday weekend and I rested the entire evening. Planning ahead I knew that tomorrow was the July the 4^th and if I didn’t want to look like a scary one-eyed monster then I needed some good R & R!