NYE in NYC

Obviously New Year’s Eve has come and gone, and once again I find myself recapping, but we all know me well enough to know this isn’t unusual.

CC made it here in one piece, as did AV’s friend LO for the holiday weekend. Since CC got in so late, we went to sleep and did not wake up for a few days. Okay maybe not, but we got close. Sunday CC and I got up and went to brunch at Penelope in Murray Hill, which proved to be delicious as always. I made her walk a lot, and we browsed through Bryant Park on our way to pick up our show tickets.

The one thing CC had insisted on wanting to do was to go see a show, and she chose Jersey Boys. We had Sunday matinee tickets, and though I’d heard how great it was, I had not taken the time to learn what it was actually about. C somehow already had the soundtrack, and so I got to hear all about the music before it even started.

For those less fortunate as not to have Broadway only a subway ride away, Jersey Boys is the story of Franky Valli and the Four Seasons. The music was amazing- especially the guy that played Franky Valli. He hit high notes better than most girls I know. I do know some really bad singers though, myself not excluded.

AV had made the four of us reservations at a fun little dive-looking restaurant later on Sunday night. It was typical New York-chic: completely unassuming from outside, unmarked and underground. We walked down a narrow staircase, through the kitchen and into the lounge and bar area where we waited for our table to be ready.

It was smaller than I imagined, very intimate and dimly lit, which obviously makes it the perfect celeb hang-out. No sooner had we discussed this when we sat down, than one of the girls at the table next to us asked if we had spotted anyone. We had not, and neither had they, but they said the last time one of them was there George Clooney was sitting at the table right behind him. GEORGE CLOONEY- a.k.a. male perfection. I would not have even known what to do with myself.

Good thing he wasn’t there.
Monday CC and I went to the Met, and roamed through the Age of Rembrandt exhibit, as well as the European paintings and a fashion exhibit. We met up with our friends W&MD at Bloomingdale’s for hot chocolate and to catch up after the holidays. We roamed around a few stores when we left- all completely ransacked in post-Christmas turmoil.

We cooked dinner at home with AV and LO, and found a good alternative to the Times Square crazies by going downtown to the Brooklyn Bridge to see fireworks. We ran out to the perfect place on the bridge, took pictures and admired the skyline as we waited for midnight to roll around. It came and went, thousands of others with us waiting for show. People finally began to file off the bridge- we waited and watched several forms of NYPD appear on the scene for some unknown reason.

Defeated, and reminded that New Year’s is continually overrated, we went home. A cute older woman in a floor-length black fur coat, matching black leather gloves and red lipstick was standing dumbfounded with her husband and an open bottle of Veuve Cliqueot, and said in her perfect Yankee accent as we were leaving: “I’m embarrassed as a New Yorker! They always have fireworks here!”

The one year I’m in New York for New Year’s it turns out lame. Hopefully it’s not an indication of how the rest of 2008 will turn out. Before I sound even more like Debbie Downer- I’ll go ahead and wrap this up.

KR sent me a funny e-card website yesterday, and my favorite one was for a graduate, and read: “congratulations on getting through the easiest part of life”, with a kid in a cap and gown, waving his diploma.

Welcome to 2008.

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach our eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt