The Day of Blowouts, Wonder Woman, and Rollerskates

So the day started out with a bang…or more accurately, with a blowout. We’ve been hearing about the NYC bathrooms since we got here, but they’ve been pretty acceptable, so I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about – I understand now. We went back to the local Chelsea coffee shop this morning (the one with the Put Something Hot In You t-shirts). They have free wireless, so we worked and enjoyed our boy band coffees until I had to pee. I went in one bathroom, and in disgust, quickly backed out to try the other. Words really can’t describe the scene in both, but I’ll do my best. In addition to both toilets overflowing with muck, and on top of a solid layer of scum covering the walls and floor, it honestly looked like someone had gone in both rooms and done a disco spin while going number two. I can’t really understand how someone managed to reach such heights, but I will be scarred for a long time at the thought of those bathrooms.

We decided to leave when I returned back to where we were sitting and noticed J squirming in his chair. As we left, he mentioned that a young guy at the door had been giving him the eye since we arrived. I thought it was a good sign that he was starting to look more urban and hip, but he didn’t see it that way. The day got even better as we wandered home and encountered a young gay couple holding hands – one of the guys was wearing a boy scout uniform shirt, which made us chuckle.

We debated going to Staten Island, but as it was almost two and we hadn’t yet eaten anything, we decided to decide over lunch. The burgers at the pub on the corner near us are incredible and were served with a side of fries and a couple of McSorleys darks. The best was that we were entertained through lunch by four single business guys at the next table. They were drinking and enjoying burgers before heading back to the office – drinks that included more than three rounds of Jamesons served minus the rocks. It must be fun to work in their office!

I have failed to mention that a heat wave has enveloped this city, and we are literally melting every time we walk outside. It’s so hot and muggy today that we’re contemplating finding a beach, hence the Staten Island idea. It’s too late to head over there, so we decide to search out air conditioning in a museum, and head up to the Tim Hawkinson exhibit at the Whitney. The art is absolutely amazing – the artist is a combination mechanic/engineer/sculptor and he makes these incredible pieces out of regular stuff. There is a collection of working clocks made out of everything from a hairbrush to a light bulb filament -- there is even a sculpture of a bird made out of finger nail clippings and a machine that is built out of an old school desk that automatically signs his name over and over again. It was really a fantastic exhibit.

We stopped to enjoy a Snapple before wandering back through the park to catch the subway, and while sitting and people watching we decide that we like the Upper East Side. I thought it would be stuffy and conservative, but it wasn’t. There were lots of nannies and rich ladies and all, but there were people out and about doing stuff – it felt like a real neighborhood.

The park is gorgeous right now, with the blossoms covering the newly green ground, and although we were sweltering, it was a nice walk. We had to rush once we reached home, as we had plans to go to a local cabaret show starting at 7pm. The one-woman show was called “Wonder Woman the Musical” and turned out to be hilarious. J seemed a little apprehensive until she broke into a version of Britney Spears’ “Not Yet a Woman,” but with the words “Not Wonder Girl, Not Wonder Woman.” After that, he was a huge fan and will probably want to catch the show again next week.

Still singing “I Did It My Way,” we were fairly hungry again after the show, so we headed south in the village in search of something that didn’t require reservations. As we wandered, we started to recognize a street we had been down lots of times since we’ve been here as the street we visited on our last trip (in 2001). It was on this street that we had had a serious talk about staying together and then given up on talking and enjoyed a pizza. Since we’ve been back in the city, we’ve been trying to figure out which street and pizza joint we had gone to 4 years before, and were really happily surprised to rediscover it and enjoy a pizza here.

The night just continued to get better, after we stopped at home for a quick drink, then headed west to the Meatpacking District for…rollerskating Wednesday night at Roxy!!! Yes, a place where you can drink and rollerskate while dancing (as much as you can on skates) to such favorites as Madonna and 50 Cent. Only in NYC! We had a fantastic time and J found his true calling – he was meant for this gig. After three hours of skate dancing, he was pulling all kinds of crazy moves and I was proud to watch him skate by in a blur of sweaty stripes. Back at our boiling apartment with aching legs and sore ankles, it’s time to drift off to sweet dreams of “Come on let’s vogue…”