Arkansas/NYC Triathlon

 It has been two months and 20 days since Bitsy and I begun our adventure in one of the largest cement jungles in the world, and we have yet to have a late night/early morning NYC extravaganza….until now.

  

One of Bitsy’s oldest friends was visiting for the weekend, and in hopes of showing him an exceptionally good time, we decided to go all out.  Instead of writing a very long and detailed account of a 24 hour period, we’ve decided to document this extravaganza/debauchery hour by hour with pictures and comments.

 

 

March 26, 2011

 

3AM-  Bitsy and I are still preparing our humble 400 Sq/Ft abode for the impending, early morning arrival of Mr.     Brett Buresh.

 

4AM- Sleep……

 

7:30AM- Bitsy awakes for bodily preparations

 

8:30AM- Informed of Mr. Buresh’s arrival at Penn Station, Zeke awakes for bodily preparations.

 

 

9:30AM- Brett and Zeke take a stroll on the Upper East Side in search of Breakfast Bagel’s and coffee.

 

10:30AM- Decisions are made, and the Dynamic Trifecta head out for their first party in a triathlon of events.

  

12:00PM-

  

 

   Brooklyn Brewery—-LET THE DRINKING BEGIN

  

1PM- Zeke sends below text message to Padre:

 

Our NYC Saturday afternoon. Don't you love Searcy?

 

2PM-

 

Father’s response not appropriate for wide dissemination

  

2:30PM-

 LET THE CARD GAMES BEGIN!!!

 

  3:30PM-

Mildly Inebriated

4:30PM-

 

 Out of tokens—TIME TO GO

 

 5PM-  On our way back to the city we stop at a local Brooklyn bodega for a quick Reuben. 

  

 

bodega definition n. a corner store; a local shop. (From a Spanish term for a wineshop, or simply borrowed from Hispanic speakers in the U.S.) : I picked this little thing up at my local bodega.

  

7PM- 

 

While Bitsy and Nevada caught some much needed ZZZ’s, Brett and Zeke continued the binge at Lolita

9PM-

Japanese beer and Saki with the rest of the group at Lantern Thai in Gramercy

 11PM-

Exclusive admittance into the UBER-SELECTIVE, late-night, downtown hot spot, THE JANE.

Bitsy ran into Adriane Brody here only weeks before, and Lindsay (the girl in the scarf) ran into The Olsen Sister about a month ago.  Just for informational purposes, The Jane is one of the coolest places in the West Village.  One of the first boutique hotels in NYC, The Jane is reminiscent of an 18th centure Mob run, speakeasy complete with a mounted goat over the fireplace.  Though our pictures don’t show it, because of the darknes, the entire bar looks as if it is straight out of The Great Gatsby, yet on weekend late nights, this elitist gentleman’s club turns into one of the coolest dance spots in the city.

12:30AM

 Ben advises group of the genius of talking with a moustache all night

 

1:30AM-

2AM-

 

 2:15AM-

 

2:30AM-

 

 

  

3AM- The group decides Karaoke should finalize our triathlon of events, and we move on to Sing Sing in Tribeca…..we think.  Though we promised ourselves that we would document every moment of our experience, we, unfortunately forgot to take more pictures.  So, this is where our photography ceases.  Sorry.

 4AM-  Lack of sleep is now causing delirium, so on our way home Bitsy decides it smart to call her entire family until she receives an answer.  Needless to say, they were not amused.

 

4:30AM- Sleep….

 

11AM- We decide brunch is the requirement for the morning.  So we go meet Brett, as he awoke much earlier to explore the city, at Isabella’s on the Upper West Side.  We were then joined by Ben.  We have decided to dedicate an entire post on our favorite places to eat in the city, but for now we will say that Isabella’s is just what the doctor ordered; Screwdrivers and all.

 

1PM to 5PM- We spent the rest of the day at the Museum of Natural History.

 

All in all we had an extremely fun, friendly visit.  Brett’s trip was so successful that every weekend on our social calendar is booked until May.  Now we just have to figure out how to top the Arkansas/NYC Triathlon.

 

 

 

 

 

PICABOU…we’ve got an EXTRA

It’s been a while since we last posted, and a lot has happened.  So, forgive me if this starts to get long—luckily we’ve got quite a few pictures to break up the monotonous grey space.

There have been many New York firsts experienced over the past couple of weeks, and if you stick with this post you might be able to decipher my unique Title.

1)  As I mentioned in an earlier post, iconic New York landmarks have not been high on my priority list.  However, after seeing one of these most immortalized symbols every morning since I’ve been here—-I decided it was time to go inside and partake of the hype. 

Two weeks ago Bitsy mentioned that the NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY had a very interesting exhibit on the big three religions of the world.  Growing up in a very conservative, Southern small town, the concepts of being able to learn and compare three of the most influential and argued about religions in the world SIDE BY SIDE intrigued me.  So… I was obligated to dedicate an entire day to such an exhibit.  In true New York fashion though, our plans got a little off track.

Once we arrived at the library—THEY WERE FILMING A MOVIE——–AND WE ARE EXTRAS IN IT!!!!!

Question:

Have you ever seen the Bat Mobile? 

How about Doc’s Delorian? 

Have you seen Scooby’s van? 

How about the infamous General Lee?

WELL WE HAVE!!! 

AND HERE’S OUR PROOF:

BAT GIRL

I SAW THE FLUX CAPACITOR

IF ONLY BITSY HAD HER DAISY DUKES

WE HAD A SCOOBY SNACK

THE REST OF THE LINE UP THAT WE SAW RACE DOWN 5TH AVENUE

Apparently, the upcoming movie ARTHUR starring Helen Miran, Jennifer Garner and Russel Brand is based in New York, and for some reason all of these extreme movie cars are in it, AND SO ARE WE.  When we arrived at the library we noticed they were filming for a movie.  Naturally we stuck around to get a peek at the cars, and somehow we ended becoming extras in a scene on 5th Avenue.  This was definitely a landmark New York first.

Then…when we thought our day was over, we went to Grand Central to take the Subway home and…

WE GOT IN THE MOVIE AGAIN!!!

THEY WERE SHOOTING AT GRAND CENTRAL

GREEN SCREEN

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Finally, to celebrate we finished our day with some iconic Magnolia’s Bakery…

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM

WHAT? DO I HAVE SOMETHING ON MY FACE?

2)  Our second New York first was heavily influenced by Olympic Gold Medalist, Picabou Street.  I don’t know why, but for some reason I never thought skiing in the NE was an option.  I was wrong though, no surprise there, right?

There’s not a lot to share on our experience skiing.  We had a blast.  The slopes were not comparable to Colorado’s slopes, but there was a foot of fresh powder and plenty of room to practice my circles.  We did learn that it can rain in 20 degree weather though…that was weird. 

You’re probably curious how we got to the slopes without a car though, right?  Basically, Bitsy and I hooked up with a sports club (Zog Sports) that offers intramural teams and sports trips throughout the year.  Bitsy and I paid, what we thought was a very low rate, for an all-inclusive ticket to Windham Mountain, New York. 

After staying up way too late the night before, we awoke at the butt-crack of dawn to go ride on a bus with 30+ other young adults all searching for one commonality— a physically motivated adventure outside of the big city.  And this is what we got:

THE CREW

FIRST TIME ON THE SLOPES TOGETHER

1 WRONG TURN AND SKIING BECOMES HIKING

JUST A PROUD MOMENT

NOTICE MY WET HAIR

Honestly we didn’t think our day could end better……..and then we discovered we were on a PARTY BUS back to the city.  To say the least, there was some consumption occuring:

JUST A SHOT OF ALL OF THE SOCIALIZATION

 

2/3 OF THE CREW

THERE'S THE OTHER 1/3

We made a lot of friends and had a great time on the bunny hills.  Life couldn’t be more interesting.

16 INCHES

40.64 centimeters, 1 1/2 feet, and 1/2 a meter; all of these are equivalent measurements of the amount of snow we received in a five hour period this past week.

If you’re at all curious what 16 inches of snow looks like, here you go:

Our block

Our street

 

 

A Toyota Prius

16 actual inches

 

NY Public Library (on my way to work)

 Here’s a couple of things I noticed that I’m sure many southerners have rarely thought of:

1)  To further your understanding of the amount of snow 16 actual accumulated inches is—after hours of plowing the roads and salting the sidewalks— New Yorkers were still walking and driving on a 2 inch compacted and elevated foundation of snow.

2) As much as Southerners talk of how surprising it is that the slightest bit of winter precipitation shuts down the entire world of that latitudinal sector of the country—much is the same here.  I WAS 1 OF 5 THAT MADE IT TO WORK.  I don’t know about you, but that surprised me.  I expected this kind of weather here.  So, I guess I assumed that New Yorkers would have adapted to winter weather better. 

3)  When New Yorkers get a “snow day” they PARTY

Outside our apartment

According to historical records this is the snowiest month in the history of New York. Apparently New York averages 24 inches of snow in a YEAR. We got over half of that in five hours! This January, alone, we’ve received 56 inches of beautiful, flaky, SNOW!

Shame

(Public Apology)

Good morning,

I’d like to begin by acknowledging the actions I took on Wednesday January 20, 2011, and say—I’m sorry.  Although I was aware of my physical state and I did have apprehension, still, I exposed hundreds if not thousands of people on public transportation to…….PINK EYE!!!

No, seriously though,  if any of my friends or family do hear of an epidemic of Pink Eye breaking out through CNN, Fox News or Bravo—IT WAS ME!!!

It would be my luck to wake up on the first day of a new job and have Pink Eye.  I know I should have stayed home— BUT COME ON….I felt fine.  I couldn’t make a bad impression on my first week. Could I?

So, yes, I am ashamed.  I’m ashamed that a possible epidemic of one of the most contagious ailments around can be traced back to me.

Also, whoever far*ed on the subway this morning should be very ASHAMED.  People are literally trapped and forced to inhale the noxious gas you so inconsiderately could not hold in—NOT COOL.

New Place, New Job, New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It seems the entire world is fascinated with the idea of experiencing a New York New Years.  I heard that over a million people, 1 M-I-L-L-I-O-N, showed up in Times Square this year to watch a stupid ball of lights fall for 1 minute.  Barely 1 million people showed up to tear down the Berlin wall.  I don’t know about you, but that just seems like a terrorists wet dream to me.  Therefore, I am obligated to do a New Years post. 

I’ll be honest, New Years is New Years no matter where you are.  I know that my parents and brothers had just as much fun at a local house party as I had, here, in New York.  However, things here do seem to be on a bit grander scale.

So, I will start from the beginning.  Going into December 31, I already had a very busy day.  Bitsy was due to arrive at LaGuardia around 1pm with two very large bags of clothes for both us.  So, I had to ensure that I was back to our apartment so I could carry them up our six flights of stairs, and I already had a full day of errands.

Since the tiny island of Manhattan has to accommodate some 500,000+ people who decide to VISIT for New Years, most bars, night clubs, restaurants, etc. sell entrance tickets online in preparation of the crowded festivities (I’m sure they get added advertising income with the higher web traffic due to ticket sales as well).   Since I am such a street smart kind of guy, I purchased such tickets for Bitsy and I, and I was determined to pick them up the moment the ticket office opened so I could beat the crowd.  That means that I had to be up at 8:30 am so I could take a train all the way downtown by 9:30. 

Then, because Bitsy and I have more clothes than anyone, I had to run to the container store to acquire some urgently needed storage.  Other than the 3 block + 3 avenue walk (I think that’s equivalent to about 15 total blocks)and train ride carrying 90 lbs. worth of storage, my day went without a hitch.  Bitsy’s plane was delayed but she made it in time to take a nap and get ready for the festivities we had lying ahead.

Now on to the TRUE EXPERIENCE.

Bitsy and I were meeting a fraternity brother of mine and his girlfriend at The Collective restaurant and bar. 

The Collective in Meat Packing

We purchased, what we thought, expensive entrance tickets (around $80 a piece).  However, because I’m full of street smarts, we got there early so we could get a seat, and to our surprise, the tickets were ALL INCLUSIVE, and they weren’t servin no Heaven Hill or Southern Comfort—It was all top shelf.  Bitsy and I hit the mother load, and we were proud. 

Side note—Because it was our first New Years in NYC I made sure that we had appropriate New Years paraphernalia including: flashing 2011 glasses, flashing hats, and flashing noise makers—

Bitsy and Erin

Despite our early arrival, I was under the assumption that the bar would pack as many people into the space as possible.  That’s logical right?  They are a business…. and surely they would want to maximize profits, right?  With that in mind, and presuming that it would be difficult to get Bitsy and I drinks all night, I decided to strike up a deal with the female bartender.  So, I put on my flashing glasses, I slipped her $20, and I told her every time she saw the flashing glasses to deliver two beverages.

How do you think that went?

A) Like any typical New Yorker, she rolled her eyes and ignored me.

B) She took my $20, but she never gave me any service.

C) Everything went swimmingly, and Bitsy and I had an ecstatic New Years.

D) It worked up until the bar ridiculously busy.

Answer: if you guessed C, then you are right.

Bitsy and my night went swimmingly.  Not only did the girl deliver our beverages every time she saw my glasses, but sometimes she walked out from behind the bar to ensure we received the drinks.  HOW’S THAT FOR STREET SMARTS?!  BOOM!

Very proud

All in all, Bitsy and I had a really fun time at a really fun venue.  We didn’t make it home until around 5am.  Don’t ask me how, it just happened.  Our New York New Years was a success.  Although we did not have Egg Nog or a warm cozy fire, we had a Prescription Bottle Chandelier, some bumpin tunes, Destiny (a random skank who decided to latch on to our group) and each other.  It was indeed a Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! CHEERS

True New Years Swagger

The Crew

On a side, side note—I GOT A NEW JOB, and I start on Tuesday.  I am officially a permanent employee of PRL.

Adaptability

Only 7 inches

Yeah, yeah.  I know;  another picture of taxis on a bustling New York street.  I couldn’t get my phone out quick enough to take a picture of the three-legged Pomeranian trudging through the slush, wearing his tiny, hunter-orange socks though (seriously…how could I make that up).

It is essential for a person living in New York to have a lot of compromise and a go with the flow attitude.  So, like the fashionable Pomeranian,  I have had to adapt to life in the city.  Just look at everything I learned this morning in numerical/chronological order.

Today is all about adaptability.

1) In order to maintain some quality time with Bibby and fit in some productive activities I deem necessary, I have had to alter my sleeping habits just a bit.  Accounting for the time it takes me to commute to work, I have been waking up at 5AM  just to fit in an hour’s worth of bodily improvement—see that, even my vocabulary is adapting.  Yes Arkansans, I am officially waking up at hours I previously shunned.  Hunting hours no longer affect me!

2) Because one is forgetful when they wake up before the rooster crows, one might forget essential items they cannot arrive to work without—like say— my flippin belt.  So, how might I have adapted to handle this situation you ask?  No, I did not trade my pants with a hobo, nor did I buy rope or Duct Tape.  No, I called my wonderful girl friend, because I didn’t want to walk back up 6 flights of stairs to our apartment, and I had her toss my belt into an alley from our bedroom window.  Yes, not only is it snowing in New York, but it be rainin J Crew up here.

3)  When your hair freezes walking to the subway, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it—just be glad you got your belt.

4)  Always carry a newspaper as back-up entertainment for your commute, because ipods, apparently, need more bundling than you do.  Every time I go outside in the morning with my ipod it acts as if it’s never seen the cold and dies—despite the fact that it has just come off the charger.

On a side note, the following is just a piece of advice on how I believe we can all be better New Yorkers.

1)  It would behoove any and all who live, visit and work in New York city to have the courtesy to move out of the door-way of the subway to allow other entering passengers a place to stand.  I really don’t get it.  Even people who have multiple stops before their destination insist on standing right in the door-way so exiting passengers have to shove them to get off—and then they get an attitude about being inconvenienced!  This skanky Jersey woman and I almost had words this morning…but, luckily, I have adapted.  I kept my mouth shut, and I just enjoyed my ride, without my ipod, reading my paper.  There was a really stupid article on why walmart is bad for New York, but I digress.

My morning commute story moral…You’ve got to just go with the flow sometimes, and adaptability will take you far here.

A Different Kind of Park

My Park (Ave)

My Path

At 7:30 every morning a procession of trenched New Yorkers gripping their morning coffees, aggrivated by their most recent cattle-car experience  on the subway, pass through a park of towering structures inhabited by the always non-elusive and fearless Cabbie.

It’s hard to believe that this is now my life. 

Two months ago Bits and I were in Arkansas peddling lumber, tossing textiles, and enjoying the quaint downtown Fayetteville.  Now our life is consumed with dodging taxis, braving the northern winds, exploring the city, adapting to new careers, and, really, just learning how to survive.

We’re loving it! and we’re finally starting to feel settled.  As long as we can avoid being flattened by a crazy Cabbie this adventure will become a life.

-Zeke