Oh, New York Ciry's Very Pretty In The Nighttime

Last Tuesday, as I was coming out of Curves, Nick called and asked me if I wanted to go to New York this weekend.This was completely out of the blue, and unexpected, I hesitantly said yes, I guessed so, and he said, "Good, I'm buying the tickets then. Robyn Hitchcock is playing Saturday." So, with no planning, no idea where this theatre was, no real knowledge even of Mr. Hitchcock's esteemed musical career, save a couple of songs (My Wife And My Dead Wife being enough to have me sold on him), no idea of cost, directions, staying over or driving back the same night, we were going to New York City on Saturday. Thursday we decided to stay over, and Nick found a hotel nearby the Symphony Space Theatre where the show was going to be on Hotels.com. This was totally his gig, he found the tickets, it was his idea, to begin with, he found the hotel, it was nice, since all of the other trips have been my masterminding. Anyways, Saturday, after many delays, as per usual (although this time, it was separately as opposed to our being together and just getting held up stopping for cigs or atm or gas or whatever before finally getting on the road, since Nick had to go for that thing he is participating in, that study where they put the GPS in his car.), at 12:45 p.m., we finally got on the road, blasting Gogol Bordello ("I am a wanderlust king!!") as we picked up speed on the road to New York. Got up there at 4, checked into the hotel, which was directly across the street from the theatre, and got settled in. I will admit that driving into New York was nerve racking, but I did better than I thought I would, granted, I didn't do too much driving into the thick of things. The Mapquest directions were perfect, and the garage where we left the car was right around the corner from the hotel. The hotel itself was lovely. It was old, which held immediate charm for me. I would say it was built in atleast the forties if not thirties, judging by the radiators in the rooms which were the same kind I have in my house, the small elevator with a window in its door, and the stairwell. We were only on the second floor, so we took the steps mostly, marble that wrapped around in an almost spiral. It would have been even lovlier were it not lit by a horrible flourescent light. The room was adorable. It was small, actually the bathroom was huge, almost the same size as the bedroom, and had no proper tub or shower, just two drains in the floor. There was a window which looked out to another brick building within spitting distance, with barbed wire around the roof. Lovely haha. We weren't there that long before deciding on a place for dinner (had done rather well. I had an iced mocha and bran muffin from Starbucks around 9 am. and Nick had only had a pudding cup before we left.). Grabbed a taxi and went to The Lever House Restaurant. This place was bizarre. It looked exactly like a space ship on the inside. Very modern, Swingin 60's Britain. Like the milkbar in A Clockwork Orange or something. The food itself was alright. We were the only diners for quite some time (it was around 6, early by NY standards.) Started with a butternut squash soup, Nick got sweetbreads, which are disgusting, gizzards or something, then I got cod and he got a steak. Both ended up being raw, although only Nick was pleased. My fish was uncooked the further towards the middle I got. I sent it back and just got some fingerling potatoes instead (hoping I wouldn't get sick from eating raw food.). Got some ice cream for dessert (malted chocolate rum and cinnamon--- needless to say which one I ate.) and Nick got a tawny port. Took the taxi back, after taking pictures of the huge Sanrio sculptures in front of the building where the restaurant was. No idea what that was about, but hey, I got my picture taken with a huge Hello Kitty!! I must say, it was lovely having no idea how to get anyplace, just hailing a taxi and having to give an intersection and away you go. I could get used to that haha. Driving in the back of those things was an adventure, too. It was like a ride, where it was scary and exhilerating. Got back to the theatre at the perfect time. We were rather close, too, and the performance was wonderful. Really enjoyed the songs and the in between banter. He's a very amusing character. Would definately like to hear more of his music. Would have been awesome if he had played My Wife And My Dead Wife, but no. Afterwards, we took a taxi to the financial district, all the way at the other end of Manhattan (we were staying in the upper west side.), but the bar we were trying to go to was closed, and as we wandered back to Broadway, trying to decide what to do, Nick noticed a place down a dimly lit, narrow street, Le Hailles, a French place, which Nick said he was sure was the restaurant where Anthony Bourdain got his start. So we went in and had some drinks. Actually, Nick had some drinks, I just drank an entire pot of French press, and we decided to come back for lunch on Sunday. After this, we took a taxi back to the upper west side to a bar called The Dead Poet. Very much a Fells Point kind of place and crowd, Irish themed, with literary leanings (capitalize on Wilde, Yeats, and Keats for both!!). They had a signature drink, The Dead Poet, which contained seven liquors and was a secret recipe, on the menu, which entitled you to a souvenier mug should you be brave enough to partake. Needless to say, we now have two souvenier mugs. It tasted exactly like grape soda, and we left there in a lovely sort of haze. Back to the hotel to finish the evening in style. Woke up sometime in the wee hours to find the television still on and Nick having dosed off whilst reading at the foot of the bed, which explained why I nearly got kicked in the face at one point. After rousing him enough to lay at the head of the bed, fell back to sleep, till close to eleven, started the day in the best way, got packed up, checked out, and put our bags in the car at the garage. Took a taxi back to Le Hailles where we had a very good lunch (although I did send back my main course. This time it was a macaroni and cheese, which was either made from undrained pasta or simply FLOATING in grease and OIL, and was bland yet. But prior to that I had had a delicious mesculan salad and we got very good pommes frites, so I wasn't too upset.) Nick tried rooster. Definately tastes different from chicken, even dark meat chicken, a much gamier taste, although I did tell him that now he can say he loves cock haha. Anyways, had another pot of French press, and subsequent stomach cramps, as we walked the short distance from the restaurant to Ground Zero. Incredible and horrifying. It was so fucking cold and windy this weekend. rEally, it was no fun being outside even for a minute. Got back to the car, where I was pleasantly shocked that the fee for parking nearly twenty-four hours was a mere $33. Left at exactly 2 and drove straight back, sopping at the end of the New Jersey Turnpike for gas, and got home at exactly 5. That was pretty incredible time we made. Saw the largest, completely silver Blessed Mother Statue on the other side of the Deleware Memorial Bridge. Have to go back and take a picture of that, then veer over to Philly next time. Teh Deleware Memorial Bridge scared the shit out of me, though, moreso coming back than going, for some fucking reason. It was a lot of fun, and I am very glad that even though we missed a really good Ravens game (B-more kicking Philly ass!!), Nick said he thought we had more fun and was glad we did it. Went to sleep around 7 or 8, slept through to this morning. Work was slightly better todya, although I still hate it and plan on looking for something else sooner rather than later. From the fryingpan into the fire was never a more fitting saying. Anyways, went over to The Falcon's Nest for lunch, tomato florentine soup, delicious. Saw that beautiful boy for a minute, will be glad to see him later and have some drinks.