The temperature is starting to break the 60 degree mark. You can see the sun staying out longer, there are finally buds on the trees, and so with that I knew it was time to start breaking some of my friends out of their winter hibernations.
I invited a few friends to come join me for a drink this past Friday night. I wanted to avoid any pretention, so we decided to go a welcoming spot by the name of- ‘Fat Annie’s Truck Stop’ on 33rd street near 7th Ave.
I picked ‘Fat Annie’s’ because the Irish man known as Fergal and I had been drinking at one of his favorite Irish Pub’s ‘Puck Fair’ on Lafayette near Houston Street. As we sat at the bar taking a quiz on “How Irish Are You?” (Apparently from our score- not really. While Fergal was born and raised in Armagh, Ireland neither of us quite had all the answers. I mean who knows Bono’s really name anyway?). Just beside us sat another Irish named Roy.
Roy was pretty sauced but entertaining, friendly, and passionately promoting his bar ‘Fat Annie’s’. “Come in next week and I look after ya.” He said to Fergal. “Aye, good stuff.” Fergal said back, taking a sip of his Guinness.
That next Friday I took my friends into the Fifties themed restaurant/bar. Roy made my girls and I Patron Raspberry Margaritas (d-freckin-licious!). The friends that joined me there ranged from Carrie (fashion marketer, she has known me since high school in Albuquerque), Bobby (theatre producer, we have known each other since college in Tallahassee) to my friends Lindsay, Lauren, and Nolan (artist managers, and associates from here in New York) along with all of their significant others. We really only had two missions that night- to get sauced and to tell stories, and that we did.
The next morning, slightly hung over, dehydrated ,and a little grouchy, I was invited to play softball with Fergal and his team from work.
This was a crazy idea for several reasons and they are as follows: 1. Despite the fact that my father played professional basketball and my brother played college football, and despite the fact that I go to the gym several times a week DOES NOT make me athletic nor coordinated. 2. I won ‘Most Improved Player’ in high school for basketball which means you sucked really bad at the beginning of the season, and sucked a little less at the end of the season and finally 3. When Fergal asked me if I catch with my left hand or my right hand I had know f*cking idea, ‘This isn’t going to be pretty.’ I thought to myself putting on my sneakers.
In spite of my fears, I had fun. I found instant comradery with the other girls on the team. They were just as girly as I and yes, we did have a conversation about lip-gloss, weddings (one of them was engaged), and our fear of getting hit in the head with a bat.
Fergal hit a few home runs (and managed to almost pulverize the guy at home plate). I manage to hit the ball, while simultaneously almost pulverizing the guy at home plate with the bat.
Later that night we all headed out to “Professor Thomas’” on 12th Street by 3rd Ave. Virginie and I meet up first and were cornered by a half dozen men from Westchester. One of them put Virginie in what I like to call ‘the abusive boyfriend grip’. That’s when a guy puts his arm around the girls’ neck and pulls her in. It creeps me out every time. As I pulled Virginie away -the boys offered us shots of patron to celebrate a birthday being held- Virgine and I agreed (and watched to make sure they were roofie proof). We joined up with our friends-
and as I switched from gin & tonic, to tequila, to then whiskey- things begin to get a little scand-o-lust (exhibit A and B below).
The night was capped off with a game of 3am darts with Fergal at one of his other favorite Irish pubs ‘Fitzgerald’s’. We played against a couple that had a Bonnie & Clyde quality about them (that is if Bonnie had fake tits and wore slutty come f**k me pumps and Clyde was slightly balding with a paunch).
They beat us twice (it was close people! It was close!) and so we called it a night.
I do love Springtime, it brings with it old friends, new friends and experiences, and true…well, we shall see.
