My trip up to NYC turned out to be full of more fun than I could have ever imagined. Except, perhaps, for the drive there & back. I wouldn't have driven except for a diversion I had to make in the DC area on this past Thursday so I didn't have time drive back down and then fly back up.
I stayed at a hotel just thru the Lincoln Tunnel in NJ Thursday night and then took a shuttle over to Manhattan where I met up with a couple of friends at the Port Authority. From there I basically walked around the city all day. Met up with some other folks and then went to a big party that night. Very fun.
I did some other things Saturday including lunch, going over to Queens, etc. I decided to call Matt up Saturday night just to see if, by chance, he wanted to get together before I left the city early Monday. I didn't have Matt's number so I did a search here on the boards and found a number. The answering machine for some guy in Seattle picked up. Did another search and found a post where Mc had put up his new cell. Gave it a call. Found a very busy man at work who was a bit startled to hear my twang. Mc works most weekends and I had to leave early so we agreed to meet up for dinner and drinks Sunday evening at this little German bar & grill in the east village. Good plan, right?
So I grab a taxi down there and timing couldn't have been better. We were walking around different corners at the same time talking to one another on cells. The place was kinda crowded so we grabbed a spot at the bar and Matt ordered us both round 1 ....
Very large beers. Very good conversation. And very good company ensued. Until ... Mc. got interrupted by work. I assumed the good times were about to end but Mc actually cleared up some things and didn't have to go back to work that night as previously expected. Our 2 hour drinks & grub started to more into many hours, 3 bars, much liquor, and good company all around. Funny thing is ... we didn't have the slightest bit of rancor. None. Nada. Here we were ... never having really met in the typical sense and what we did know was that we were diametrically oppossite ideologically in many ways. However ... this proves that even people who aren't that much alike in many ways can be friends based on alot more ... and I don't just mean beer!
We met some frauleins along the way who are working for their German company for a few months in the US ...
Mc can put on quite the charm. Alas ... we had to leave the German pub and move on down the road. I thought the night had to be nearing an end as if I didn't get back to the port authority by a certain time, I'd miss my shuttle back to the hotel in NJ (which I hadn't been staying at but needed to the night before I left). The frauleins had to catch the subway as well. Matt's enthusiasm to keep on going was persuasive ... but we didn't need much persuading. By me ... I mean myself and the frauleins. We ended up at an outdoor cafe' where 4 more frauleins happened to be. Drank more beer ...
Met more fun people ...
McCutcheon kissed more people ...
I think I have a new friend regardless ...
After we left the third bar, we headed back to house of Pape to crash. Mc kindly agreed to let me sleep over rather than having to crash on a bench in the Port Authority. Gotta say ... something Maverick said a while back to me proved to be true. I truly believe he is the kind of guy that truly cares for his friends. After all, after having only intially known McCutcheon thru his and Sloth's message board, he took care of me without a second thought. He didn't have to. He coulda easily parted ways and got me into a taxi. Instead, he made sure I got safely back to his place even though I was walking wobbly, complaining I had to pee like a Russian racehorse, and wasn't initially prepared for a guest.
In short ... new friends but friends none the less. Even though we may disagree from time to time ... I'd put him up any day, any time.
myke
PS -- Maverick, so sorry for the drunken phone call. It was kinda funny at the time. Well ... it's still funny to me now!
PS2 -- Sloth ... so sorry for the drunken voice mails. Let me know your email as Mc has requested I send you all of the picture taken Sunday night, most of which he took.
