Weekend on Wisteria Lane

"What is this weird gushy feeling I get whenever I see our friends' babies?" I asked Tokii over a Saturday brunch of pecan pancakes, french toast, hash brown souffle and scrambled eggs with cheese at a Cracker Barrel outside of New Haven (brunch location per Tokii's request; you can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl).

"That would be called your biological clock," she replied between bites of sausage.

"I don't know why I start to feel like I want one of these when I see them," I said, nodding toward the miniature human in the highchair at the end of our table. "Can't I hit a snooze button?"

Friday evening, Debasha and I had arrived in Connecticut via the Metro-North to see Tokii perform in "The Bluest Eye", in which she was terrific as Claudia, just as The New York Times had said she was. Cassie and her best friend joined us for brunch, and in between hilariously inappropriate for family-style restaurants conversation, we were all oohing and aahing over her best friend's adorable baby boy.

"Slow your roll, girl!" Cassie's 23-year old best friend laughed.

"Slow my roll?" I shot back. "I'm 28."

She was surprised. I supposed her genuine shock at my age was a good thing. But I found myself wondering if my life choices were leading me down a path to being the unmarried, childless auntie of all of my friends' kids.

Cassie took Debasha and me on a tour of Yale University since Tokii had matinee and evening performances at the Long Wharf Theatre and was preparing for family members to arrive from North Carolina. So we transitioned from Tokii's temporary New Haven apartment on Friday night to a Saturday night in Cassie's third-floor space of the family she works for. She is the nanny of an Icelandic family of three adorable boys. I often joke that I would never hire a hot nanny, but I realized immediately that this wife should have little to worry about since she is a typical Scandinavian beauty.

New Haven is a picturesque town with tree-lined streets, white picket fences, old New England homes and adorable storefronts and cafes. Around every corner, I felt myself admiring the beauty, the space and the family-oriented landscape. And with every manicured yard, baby carriage and camera phone photo op, I felt either the urge to go watch Desperate Housewives or respond to my biological clock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

We had a fun girls' evening on the town, where I learned in New Haven - of all places - that I love Cuban food, and ultimately ended the night only slightly earlier than usual with Cassie's DVD box set of "Sex and the City". The next morning we were awakened before 9 o'clock by the shrieks, bangs and crashes of three giggly little boys.

"Yes, it is this loud every morning," Cassie groaned from under her pillow as somewhere on a floor below us there was a giant thud and a shrill scream followed by laughter.

I rolled over and found the snooze button on my biological clock.

My Main Cast

It took me almost a year to find the close circle of friends that I now have in the city. Last July-September, I began hanging out regularly with a few woman in Manhattan. Because of our diverse ethnic backgrounds, we once jokingly called ourselves "The United Colors of Benetton" and personalized a Disney fairies image that now hangs in some of our offices. The name for our clique never really stuck - not that we've ever tried to label ourselves as if we were some sort of girl band - but the group has gradually updated itself since the initial Cast of Characters post to encompass a beautiful group of women that I am proud to call friends.

Hallmark should make a card that reads, There are 8 million people in New York City, and we found each other. I'd buy one for all of them.

In alphabetical order:
Debasha - the fashion corporate merchandise planner
Iris - the fashion designer / personal shopper extraordinare
Jackie - the cocktail waitress who receives $100 tips from Jay-Z for counting his cash
Mayra, the international manufacturing, research and multimedia supervisor
Natasha M. (Tasha or T) - the film and TV voiceover/actress and the best "Sex and the City" Tour Guide ever
Natasha S. (Natasha) - the finance executive and fabulous roommate dubbed by the Former SNL Actor: "A White Girl Who Swallowed a Black Girl" (check her out from behind and you'll see what he meant)
Ra - the shoe designer and footwear guru

Other main characters (around and about NYC):
Bobbi (Tokii) - the best friend from college, whose acting career takes her in and out of the city
Annisha - the publishing marketer
Candice - the flight attendant
Cassie - the Connecticut-based nanny, soon-to-be-fulltime-New Yorker
Gina - the fashion merchandiser who just moved to LA

A Year Ago Today: September Sunrise
No Title for Last Night
August's Sunset
Two Years Ago Today: VMAs, Mass Celebrity Sighting and Almost TGIF

"Things I Love" Thursdays - Cupid's NYC-Tipped Arrow

Cupid has shot another one with his New York City-tipped arrow. His latest victim is a friend of Tasha's, who is visiting from Idaho. On Tuesday, three women flew across the country to crash at our apartment, see what there is to see, and do what there is to do in the big city. They landed at La Guardia just before midnight and by the time they arrived at our apartment in Midtown, lugged their bags up four flights of stairs and collapsed on our couch, one of them was already gushing about how wonderful and exciting the city was. I looked at her and saw myself two years ago and glimpses of me today when I shift periodically into awed tourist mode or "how cool is it that I live here" mode, which can sometimes be a simultaneous action.

Seated outside last night at Puccini on Ninth Avenue, a few blocks from our apartment, Tasha's New York City-enamored friend leaned back and - motioning to our table adorned with Pinot Grigio, Bruschetta, and assorted pastas - she said out loud what I often think during distinctly New York moments: "Where in Idaho could we do something like this?"

After a quiet pause, one of her friends shrugged, "Olive Garden?!?!?"

A unified "no" and laughter resounded in response. While I have never referenced Idaho specifically, you can insert [anywhere you want] into that phrase and the answer will most often be: "No where."

We talked about all the things we loved about the city. The hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The trendy and outrageous fashion. The embraced individualism. The weirdness. Especially the weirdness. So when we passed the most attractive drag queen we've ever seen in the stairwell of our apartment building on the way back from dinner, I think it sealed the deal. I couldn't help wonder, "Where else could you see a man as pretty as that?"

It's the same for our friend Cassie, who planned to return to North Carolina after her nanny career ends in Connecticut. Cupid took aim at her last spring and she realized that if she want back to Charlotte, she would ultimately be sitting around one night at some bar or club wondering what the hell she was doing there and wishing she were in New York. Soon she'll be joining us as a resident of the city for a few years before returning to the South. But I know that whenever she does leave, she will always miss it.

That's the thing about true love.
"Things I Love" Thursdays are inspired by "I Love New York" (BNY, February 14, 2007).

A Year Ago Today: Phone Photo Ops - Monday with Marilyn
Two Years Ago Today: Converse High Heels, Cocaine, Central Park & Superman Wears Prada

Unforgettable Day Weekend

Terrence left on Saturday morning to spend a few days with his family in Atlanta before joining friends in Ohio to play on Kevin's Gus Macker team in Zanesville. But there was no time for me to be sad following the end of his two-week visit because I had Saturday afternoon coffee and shopping in Soho, Saturday night dinner plans at Wild Ginger in the West Village, Sunday afternoon brunch at Roberto Passon in Hell's Kitchen, and a Memorial Day Weekend harbor cruise Sunday evening with various combinations of my best girlfriends.

Dinner on Saturday with all the usuals was relatively tame, but attributable to all-you-can-drink mimosas, bellinis, bloody marys and screwdrivers at Sunday brunch, there now exists photo documentation of me holding my dress over my head amongst some young Naval sailors in Times Square. I would love to depict myself as truly outrageous and free-spirited, but for the benefit of accurate memorial recordkeeping, I have to add that we began our Sunday morning sunbathing in Central Park and I was wearing a string bikini under my dress. So it wasn't as bold as it may seem, but with or without the panties, either version is a shameless salute to Fleet Week.

To celebrate Iris' birthday, we rounded out Memorial Day Weekend with a harbor cruise around Manhattan, a hook-up courtesy of a good friend who was DJ'ing on a yacht. Later, we were joined by Ra, Debasha and two of Iris' old roommates at a comped table at Club Home with one of our favorite promoters.

On a Hudson River party cruise, featured below from left to right:
Natasha (Natasha S., a newbie to NYC), Jackie (a new friend of Cassie's), Iris, me

United Colors of Benetton

Tonight is Girls' Night.
Meet the cast of characters from my nightlife in New York City.
We're like the United Nations or a gang of Disney Fairies.



Clockwise from top (with fairy correlation):
Natasha M., (Tasha) the film and TV voice over/actress (the adorable blonde)
Ra, the shoe designer (the token Black hottie*)
Iris, the handbag designer (the gorgeous White girl with an ass)
Mayra, the international manufacturing, research and multimedia supervisor (the Equedorian with the entire exotic package, including the sexy accent)
Me, executive assistant, blog author (the half Filipina/half White girl with long hair)

*Featured as the Token Black Fairy in our Disney remake and representing for:
Gina, the fashion merchandiser who just moved to LA
Debasha, the fashion corporate merchandise planner

Other main characters:
Tokii, the best friend, whose acting career takes her away from the city more and more and takes my heart with her wherever she goes (the next Tia & Tamara Mowry by appearance; next Angela Bassett by trade)
Annisha, the publishing marketer (the Caribbean beauty)
Candice, the sexy flight attendant (the Black Southern belle)
Cassie, the Connecticut-based, soon-to-be-fulltime-New Yorker, hot nanny that I would never hire to be eye candy for my husband in my home, and one of the top five prettiest people I've ever seen in real life (Puerto Rican with a Southern accent - does it get any hotter than that?)

The most interesting part of the above list is that all of us, with the exception of Annisha (from Trinidad & Tobago), are from or have lived in North Carolina.

There aren't too many Disney references that can be applied to our unmarried-gals-in-the-city lives, but this blog is full of cliché Sex and the City quotes. Many of my cliché moments are inspired by the most important women in my life within the five boroughs ... although that area is quickly expanding to encompass the world.

Knicks vs 76ers = Bad Team vs Another Bad Team

I've become a Knicks fan by default. At least there is only one New York team to pick from in basketball - unless you want to count the Nets, who will eventually be in Brooklyn. I chose the Yankees because I like their uniforms better, and a Giants fan was born on December 29 because I sat in the stadium and watched the underdog put up a good fight against the undefeated Patriots. All very girly reasons to root for one particular team over another.

So at last night's game with Iris, Cassie and a friend of hers, we were delighted when they beat the 76ers, which isn't a big deal, if you let real sports fans tell it. But hey, our tickets were free (courtesy of one of the team's coaches); thanks to the Giants, I now know that I love drinking beer and actually paying attention at a live sporting event; and I'm a Knicks fan by default!

How many hockey teams does New York have? Do I have to pick between more than one?

Faux Walk of Shame

Why did I wake up this morning in a random hotel room in Midtown to the sound of a secret service agent locking and loading his weapons in preparation to go on security detail?

It would be fun to write about a lurid night of guns and sex, but my lock-and-load awakening was merely the result of a night involving many Manhattan bars, my JFK girl Cassie, a former Real World cast member, his childhood friend (the secret service agent) and me, having had more drinks than was prudent of one who had a 3am, 30-minute, no. 1 train return to Harlem ahead.

It was against my better judgement to crash at the hotel room of a guy I had known for less than eight hours ... and ... it was against my better judgement to ride the train home in the middle of the night while mildly impaired. But since he was a close friend of the Real World celeb, and the Real World celeb was a close friend of my JFK girl, I voted against the latter and was relieved to save the $30 in cabfare. And as my JFK girl pointed out, a young secret service agent doesn't want any federal morning-after scandals, and an upscale Midtown hotel is generally safer than the subway in the wee hours of morning. It wasn't like he was some knuckle-head we had met in a pub; he and I had actually spent sporadic moments of our bar-hopping debating various political issues. And with the dawn of morning light, he proved to be a gracious host, lending a pair of shorts and a T-shirt to sleep in ... and a perfect gentlemen, respecting my personal space and allowing me to sleep in while he went on duty at 8am.

It wasn't until I was leaving the hotel solo later that morning when I began to feel sufficiently awkward. I changed back into my halter top, mini skirt and black, strappy shoes with a zipper up the heel; neatly folded the clothes he had lent me; brushed my teeth with the hotel's complimentary tooth brush, and wrote a quick thank-you note. As the elevator began its descent, it seemed to stop on every other floor, picking up other [legitimate] guests (mostly young families), and I was suddenly acutely aware of how I looked .... in night club attire, day-old makeup and frizzy hair.

And as the doors opened into a packed, Saturday-morning-in-the-city hotel lobby, I knew that I was beginning [what would appear to the rest of the world to be] an early morning walk of shame. The other guests streamed out in front of me, eager to begin a day of sightseeing, but I hesitated briefly in the doorway. I noticed one of the girls behind the front desk give me a second look as I fished in my purse and dreadfully realized what I must look like with so many Congressman staying in the hotel over the weekend. I swallowed the self-conscious lump in my throat, slipped on my sunglasses, tossed my hair over my shoulder, and tried to manage my baddest bitch face while I strolled out of the lobby like I meant to be there. Never mind the short skirt and black high heels before noon on a Saturday morning.

I avoided the gazes of construction workers and cabdrivers, caught a glimpse of myself in a window and was reminded briefly of Pretty Woman minus the amazing red curls and black knee-high boots ... and, oh yea, the $3000. I do have some long legs though, I thought to myself; however, the self-approval didn't last long as I turned a corner onto Seventh Avenue. I was sure I was among thousands of New Yorkers making similar pilgrimages home, but to my dismay, I only passed children, grandmothers and people with huge cameras dangling around their necks.

At a corner, I bought a hotdog and entered the subway to catch an uptown 1 train. Just when I thought I was home free, a man in a "Jesus Saves" T-shirt stood to exit the train at 86th Street. Before he disembarked, he methodically placed a brochure next to me on the seat. As he turned to step off the train, I looked down and saw this:

Phone Photo Op - En Route To Time Out

So I made Friday and Saturday into one long day by pulling an all-nighter before flying to North Carolina for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Tokii and I joined friends for an album-release party at a club in the Lower East Side before returning to my apartment at 4am so I could pack and catch a 8:50am flight out of La Guardia. Surprisingly I was not regretting the up-all-night extravaganza as much as I thought I would as I wheeled my suitcase out of my apartment and hailed a cab to the nearest M-60 bus stop.

Tokii has her own set of keys to my place so she saw me off before crashing on my side of the Hudson River rather than hauling it back to Jersey. We had to admit though that we were both a little shocked at how alert we were at 5:30am - especially as our bodies get farther and farther from those college days. In fact, it was probably easier to get rolling (literally) at that hour without napping.

I don't know what it is about leaving New York for me. Even when I know I'm coming right back. But as the M-60 bus crossed over the East River in the early dawn, I felt a slight twinge of sadness as my journey South began.

Gina B. and I met at the airport and chatted momentarily while waiting for our respective flights to Greensboro and Charlotte (where my parents would be meeting me to drive the final 2 1/2 hours of my journey to their mountain home). Cassie was also flying to North Carolina today, but on a later flight and was still en route via train from Connecticut. As we had all expected, the Thanksgiving travel was already crowding the airport.

I boarded my flight around a quarter to 9 o'clock, took a few photos with my digital camera (digital photos uploaded below) as we cruised over my neighborhood and banked south, then slept through beverage service and the subsequent landing in NC. As the plane taxied to our gate in Charlotte, I happened to notice that the stamp from the nightclub was still on my wrist - the last bit of evidence from my New York night out ... 12-hour-old make-up, sweat suit and frizzy hair notwithstanding ...

Search-Term Saturday: Manhattan Real Estate Depression

Someone in Schenectady, New York, googled "Manhattan Real Estate Depression" yesterday and found my blog. I have a chronic case of it.

Other search results provided:
"The Manhattan Real Estate Slump that Wasn't" - The New York Times
"Will the Real Hangover Please Stand Up?" - Urbandigs.com
"What the Credit Crunch Means for NYC Real Estate" - Curbed.com

Ok ... now I am going back to bed. I have to go play tourist in a few hours with Cassie (Metro-North-ing it up from New Haven) and her brother (arriving on an early flight from North Carolina) and Iris (living five blocks up and five avenues over) and her mother (also visiting from good ol' North Cacalacky).

Phone Photo Ops - From East Rock & Below

Overlooking New Haven from East Rock


A flowering tree outside of Yale's amazing library


Debasha & Cassie stroll along white picket fences


Between gorgeous old New England homes


New Haven storefronts


Tree-lined streets


A bar comparison to mushroom caps and acorns