December 31, 2003

WEDNESDAY 31st DECEMBER 2003

MIAMI ROAD TRIP PART 5: NYE IN SOUTH BEACH

(ROAD TRIP STORY TO BE COMPLETED SOON - COME BACK....)

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December 30, 2003

TUESDAY 30th DECEMBER 2003

I got up and enjoyed the free coffee and bagels at the Greenview then ‘gently’ pushed the Lady off the bed. We spent the rest of the morning enjoying the glorious sun by the pool in the sister hotel, The Albion then went for wonder. We walked along the the South Beach beach then back inshore.

We walked up the marvellous Meridian Street from 5th Avenue up to Lincoln. A little off the beaten track but it’s full of Art Deco places people live in. Worth a venture!

We had dinner in the glorious Tap Tap restaurant on 5th Street. Haitian food in the most pretty restaurant I can remember. Resident Haitian artists have decorated this place with a celebration of their homelads cultural images. The fish dishes were amazing, the atmosphere simple but relaxed. I’d go every day if I lived there.

The Lady knew a couple of girls who lived in Miami proper and they drove into town to take us to some bars – we were dying to find something away from Ocean Drive. We basically went to New York – they took us the The Room – sister bar to the small comfy chain in New York. It was chilled, relaxed, played good music and was fun.

From there we moved onto Lounge 16 which holds an indie night on Tuesdays. It seemed that the few and all of Miami’s art students and indie kids were hanging out here. First time I felt old in ages though – but I got carded at the bar and with my rum and coke I soon forgot.

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December 29, 2003

MONDAY 29th DECEMBER : MIAMI ROAD TRIP PART 3: THROUGH ST. AUGUSTINE TO SOUTH BEACH MIAMI

I looked out of the window from the Charleston hotel room – it was overcast – perfect for driving the length of Florida. It was also perfect to match The Lady’s health. She’d been throwing up all night and we suspected the tuna before she sent it back for some more cooking.

After squeezing a bit of coffee and water into the Lady, we left a little later than expected just before 11am and took the I17 down to get back onto the I95. As we headed towards the south, we passed dense woodland that would suddenly open up to vast brown swampy ‘fields’ with coal black rivers running through them. The scenery stayed much the same for the rest of South Carolina and Georgia. I loved it, the Lady felt a little queasy....

The drive through Florida lasted an ion. Somehow, you fool yourself that Miami is closer than it actually is. In fact, it is actually at the other end of the state!!

We stopped off at the old town of St Augustine. The highway took us into the heart of the Spanish colonial town and we parked just on the river by the Oldest House (in where?). After a potter around the Lady asked the tourist office where the locals ate. The Tourist Informant was dumbstruck – he didn’t know – certainly not in the centre.

We managed to find a seafood shack the other side of the bridge and ordered a Blue Plate dish (a scheme to encourage old people to eat out between 4 and 6: half the food, half the price – and in this case, half the quality).

Feeling a little queasy myself after the fried shrimp, we got back onto the I95 - We made South Beach by 11pm and found the small, smart art-deco hotel, the Greenview, easily enough. Somehow I mucked up the reservation – they thought I had only booked it for one night and I thought two – but my email reservation slip said one too… damn! They’ll know if there’s a room in the morning.

The next conundrum: do I tell The Lady or do I just hope they tell me we had a room in the morning. All things considered, I chose the lesser pain: I told her. I think she was too tired to react. Thank you, God.

We took a stroll along the busy pedestrians stretch of restaurants on Lincoln Road (very continental) then wandered over to Ocean Drive.

On the way there I couldn’t believe how many art deco buildings there were. And they were beautiful in their bright neon lights. Somehow it worked in Miami.
The hotels on Ocean Drive looked even more spectacular....
but I can’t say much that for the quality of bars – we were transported straight to Cancun or Lanzerote – drunk people going from techno bar to techno bar avoiding sad guitar playing bands and PR girls touting their bars.

The Lady looked at me disappointed and I told her that we’d find some decent bars tomorrow night. We slept well.

PART 2 : PART 4

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December 28, 2003

SUNDAY 28th DECEMBER 2003

MIAMI ROADTRIP PART 2: CHARLESTON

We woke up in South Carolina in a highway motel at 10am. I went to get coffees from the Swap Fox shack – you could tell you were in the south now. It was only 49° but you could feel the sun licking your skin.

The journey along the I95 took us past swamp, some cotton fields and dense woodland. Here and there religious signs reminded you of Christmas – some were more in-your-face. My favourite was: “Wise Men Seek Him - The Offer Stands”.
Many important battles and events during the Civil War happened here in these states and (after a little revision) I would love to return to look out across fields and imagine what happened.

We took the I26 off the highway to the charming and antique town of Charleston. I was amazed to find a town with so many old houses unspoilt ‘by progress’.

The Lady and I checked in at The King Charles Best Western and we hired bikes from a store just north of the hotel on Meeting Street.

I can only describe our cycle as ‘a gay time’. We meandered along the streets looking with delight at all the houses, learning the history from the signs, looking out at Fort Sumter.

That evening we stopped off at a microbrewery bar on East Bay Street then had a fantastic meal at Slightly North of Broad Street. We sat at the chef’s table overlooking the kitchen – I had great steak and The Lady had Tuna that made me cry it was so good (when it came back the second time, when she asked if they could cook it a bit).

The waiter pointed us out to a British bar called ‘The Griffin’ around the corner – good Guinness but empty (he said it would fill up around 1am). We strolled home happy and merry.

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December 27, 2003

SATURDAY 27th DECEMBER 2003

MIAMI ROADTRIP PART 1: PENN TO SC

We left rather late. Later than the 7am we had planned a few days earlier. The Lady wanted to hang with her father – so we agreed to leave at 1pm.

We left just before 2pm and rushed towards Chesapeake Bridge and Tunnel along Interstate 13. Along the road we found rolling irrigation devices 100ft wide towering above mile wide farm fields. Silos formed mountain ranges in the distance.

We travelled from Pennsylvania through Delaware and Maryland. I felt quite at home as I passed Kent, Sussex, Somerset counties but got confused when I noticed signs for Glasgow & Dover.

The sun came down and shone through the woods beside the road. We weren't going to make the bridge in time for sunset. Mile long flotillas of black birds flew across our path as the sky changed to orange. High above passenger jets scratched the sky.

We made the bridge close to 6pm: 19 miles of bridge and tunnel. We looked out at the horizon as we drove alone on the bridge. It was beautiful: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain - a narrow band of all the colours of the rainbow stretched up into the sky above the far away land.

The rest stop on the Bridge closed at 6pm - we pulled into a BP gas station on the other side in Virginia Beach and were recommended by a local to try out Chicks Oyster Shack - great seafood, local style - she-crab stew a speciality. We drank a beer at the bar and had a sneaky fag (as we legally could) and immediately felt sleepy.

No matter, from Virginia Beach we took the I58 to the I95 junction at Emporia. We drove on through the dark night -“ keeping up with the 80mph traffic. When we hit North Carolina we took a judgement call - we weren't going to reach Charleston until 3am so we decided to stop the other side of the South Carolina border.

At the border we hit South of the Border. A large trashy service stop / shopping mall / fairground / neon monster. You get signs of South of the Border about 160 miles either side of the stop and Americans told me that you see so many signs that you expect an amazing place - but find it's a shit hole. Well, they never saw it when it was closed - with all the bright lights, it looked fantastic!

PART 2

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December 26, 2003

FRIDAY 26th DECEMBER

BAM!

I woke up to the Lady crying. Her father's home city had been reduced to rubble and smoke. Bam in Iran had been hit by a an earhtquake. Her father left came home from work when he found the news and we searched in vain for news on the TV. CNN and the other US news channels were just pathetic with picking the story up. I had to lool at BBC's website to get up to day news. How many were dead? 10,000? 50,000?

Later The Lady's uncle came in whaling - they had lost an uncle, an aunt and a cousin - luckily his brother and nephew were found alive - having been in a brick constructed house.

People came to pay their respects, then more people. The Lady's father didn't know what to say or how to react. CNN were as useless as ever and Iran TV just played sad music to video tape of the new reality of Bam.

SEE MY POST ABOUT DONATING TO THE RELIEF FUND HERE

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December 25, 2003

THURSDAY 25th DECEMBER

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, MERRY CHRISTMAS AMERICA, MISS YOU UK

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December 24, 2003

WEDNESDAY 24th DECEMBER

XMAS PLANS

Well - here's to all you lot!

Celebrating xmas tonight with the Lady's uncle and his family and her family. The last time I saw them was around here (in PhillY) and the Lady's cousin's boyfriend got through 18 bottles of beer. The Lady's dad today keeps patting me on the shoulder and saying 'it's time for revenge'... drinking a pint of milk to prepare.

Xmas tomorrow will be somewhere. Somehow I have started chaos at the Lady's family home when I said maybe I'll pop out and go to Mass int he morning. Now all the (Zoroaustrian) family want to go.....

Saturday we start our road trip for Miami. First night we're going to an old city called Charleston - I think the civil war kicked off there - after 8 hours of the Lady complaining about my driving it's likely it could start again. Then maybe some place in Georgia called Savannah then down to South Beach - staying in an art-deco hotel or two. May even drive down the keys or wrestle some aligators!

Posted by Guy Brighton at 4:07 PM | Comments (0)

WEDNESDAY 24th DECEMBER

GET AWAY FROM NYC

Made it to good old Philly for a few days with the Lady's folks. After a year like this - what's better this xmas than to have a Middle Eastern meal to celbrate. We will only squabble over who's invited, where we will be sitting and who's allowed to drink the wine (based on who helped go buy it).

Am quite glad we got way from NYC with all this High Alert panic. But as my neurotic New Yorker friend just emailed me:
"This is fantastic [news]-
I am completely in favor of this.
As far as i'm concerned, they should
unleash the precogs in this mthfkr
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/12/23/threat.level/index.html"

Hmmm....

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December 23, 2003

MONDAY 23rd DECEMBER

Today was beautiful.

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December 22, 2003

2003 IN REVIEW: 6 MONTHS OF DAYLIGHT ADVENTURES

Half a Year In New York City

Hey! I thought I’d write and post some pictures about the last 6 months here. It certainly has been an adventure full of surprises, some challenges and plenty of laughs.

When I first stepped off the (first) plane in July the weather was just beginning to change. It had been the wettest Spring in 100 years and all the New Yorkers looked miserable. But the cool switched to humid instantly. I’d read emails about how London was sunny and beautiful whilst I looked up at the overcast sky and wiped the sweat from my brow.

New York filled me with new energy that had seemed to escape me after almost a year and a half of trying to set up2 businesses. In fact, every time I come back to New York the frenetic pace of the city jolts you into activity. You can’t laze about in Gotham City!

My initial efforts at hunting for a job seemed very successful. People answered my phone calls and emails and within a couple of weeks I had meetings nearly everyday – some were interviews, some were networking meetings, some were for a nice cold glass of Stella Artois.

Within a few days I started to believe that I was about to land a job – so I ignored one contact’s warning that ‘you could die of enthusiasm in New York’. Within three days, a lady at one of the largest marketing agencies in the world (Mindshare) offered me a job! Maybe I should have however recognized that the rain was a warning – it took her new boss three months to finally decide they weren’t recruiting.

After a quick trip to London for a stag weekend at the beginning of August, I returned to Manhattan and persevered. It was now ‘vacation-time’ though and I tended to have ‘informational’ interviews rather than any serious job prospect meetings. It was warm, sunny and the time allowed me to explore more and more of Manhattan.

I was (and am) staying with The Lady in West Village. Much of West Village is a quiet, low rise area with ‘brownstone’ houses built around 1850. It has been gently gentrified to become one of the most popular areas to live in New York (although they say it was a different story even ten years ago).

To the north is the tiny Meat Packing district and further north is Chelsea. To the east is Greenwich Village and to the south is TriBeCa. SoHo, East Village, NoLIta, Union Square and even Lower Manhattan (Wall Street) were within walking distance – and then I realized The Lady had a bike: I could reach Central Park and even further!

With a digital camera I traveled to each and took pictures...

Meatpacking is very different to the other districts close by. It is still a very commercial area where butchers ship in carcasses and chop them up to package meat for the shops and restaurants. Side by side are designer stores (Brits like Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney have shops there), trendy bars, classy restaurants and even London’s Soho House opened a branch of its private members club and included a swimming pool on it’s 6th floor terrace. The area really is buzzing– until it gets too hot – and then the only tings that buzz are the flies around the smelly pavements and gutters near where the meat trucks park. With the long distance drivers there also appears old age professions at any time of the day: the police seem to turn a blind eye.

Greenwich and West Village is full of leafy streets divided by wide commercial avenues. Bars, theatres, cinemas and bistro cafes hide in nooks and corners. There is also a British Fish& Chips shop (A Salt & Battery) and a British Tea Room (Tea & Sympathy) and a British shop (Myers of Keswick) – if you ever feel homesick/fancy a pack of Walkers crisps. You soon find that even though everything is parallel you walk certain streets because of their ambience and the styles of the 18th and 19th century buildings.

In one part of Greenwich Village is Washington Park Square. Despite the historic buildings that surround it, the square is probably my least favorite open space that I have come across (I often avoid it deliberately when walking home from SoHo). A ‘Marble Arch’ style monument overlooks an area full of dodgy peddlers who whisper at you as you walk past them. Near the center is a small dog-area – one of the few places where dogs can run free in this dog-crazy city. The dog-area used to be in a triangular space on the northwestern part of the square but they had to move it a few years ago when the dog started digging up the ground. Much longer ago this part of the park was where the city’s hanging tree used to stand. People would crowd every week to watch the latest criminals be hung. The bodies were buried by the gallows (probably the only buried in the city after they banned cemeteries in Manhattan in the 19th century). So the dogs at the park a few years ago started coming back to their owners not with a retrieved ball but a human bone or two!!

To the south of Greenwich Village is SoHo. Originally built in the 19th century it became a light industrial area for many years featuring my favorite buildings: the ‘American Industrial’ style of pre-fabricated cast-iron buildings. The buildings are amazing particularly on Greene Street. The buildings in the 60s became artist studios then later became the fashion stores, high-priced restaurants and hotels there are today. There are still shops to discover, cafes to sit in, buildings to admire. I found myself late one night in the second oldest pub in the city, Fanelli’s, or so they say on the wall (I think).

Further east is Nolita: an area that is North of Little Italy. This is a more relaxed area, streets full of boutiques, chilled bars and restaurants. The more you move towards Lower East Side through this area, the more ‘hip’ it becomes /the more beards you see.

Further South and East you come across the areas that people like Martin Scorsece made films about. The ‘Lower East Side’ streets contain narrow lanes like Orchard Street that still have the tenement buildings where they crammed the people in. It’s the land of ‘Gangs of New York’ – the Irish came, then the Germans, then the Jews and now the Latinos.

Streets like Stanton Street boast the trendiest boutiques and urban lifestyle stores. More beards, more hats, more attitude – but it’s off the beaten track, so more of an adventure!

To give you an idea of how crammed the city was you just have to go to Chinatown a little south across Canal Street. It is a completely different world: Chinatown remains the one area that seems to be to be a city within a city – filled with sweatshops in basements and up on the top floors, gambling dens. I think that many of the Chinese here were probably born here but don’t speak English – they just don’t need to if they never leave the 40 blocks they inhabit.

Chinatown has over spilled into many of the other areas including ‘Little Italy’ however the Italians may be finally fighting back (or the city tourist board): I recently noticed that there have been more and more Italian delicatessens and restaurants. Maybe they are offering tax grants to keep the area’s flavor.

In September, the hunt for work went dead. Despite the fact that I expected that everyone would be back from vacation I didn’t get one interview or networking meeting that month. The sun was still shining and I had, by now, developed a network of fellow Brits. Quite coincidentally, everyone lost their job in September (which didn’t help my morale) and we spent days doing ‘job club’ in the beautiful late summer sunshine at Central Park or on the piers by the river.

I had more time on my hands so I decided to explore further. From The Lady’s apartment in West Village I could cycle along the river where they had built a fabulous promenade and the aforementioned piers that had been landscaped into gardens. Along the river you can see the old piles of the piers that used to take all the cargo and people into the city. They point out at the old industrial areas of Hoboken and the post 9/11 revitalized skyscraper-ville of Jersey City.

To the south is an area called TriBeCa which has the semi-industrial character of SoHo but not the tourists, stores or mayhem. You can venture through the streets and imagine the old factories and warehouses stocking goods just off the ships off the docks and piers. Some of the streets are still cobbled and bridges can be seen running across streets between buildings and you come across very old houses and workshops. Now stylish restaurants such as De Niro’s ‘Tribeca Grill’ and Nobu can be found on the street corners.

Further along the river is Lower Manhattan. The cycle path rides past Ground Zero. The first visit is very eerie and you are aware of an uncommon silence. It fills you with sadness. The next time you pass, you notice something different. New York is a city of progress – nothing stops in its way – despite the calmness, the area is rebuilding, revitalizing, recreating.

Lower Manhattan also contains Wall Street. Oddly enough, I find this area the most interesting parts of Manhattan. Like the City of London, many of the streets are based on the old network of lanes of the original port. Skyscrapers stand either side of these lanes now but you still can envision what takes place as you look down to the ‘slips’ to the river or down the alleyways – although, you have to remember that much of the area by the river has been created by landfill. There are some much older buildings (Schermerhorn Row built in 1812) nestled in the middle of the area that really gives you an idea of the change the area has gone through – at least in height!

West of here is Battery Park that looks out on the Statue of Liberty and on Ellis Island – both closed for security for now). I wave at the Lady every time I jog down there hoping she’ll bring me some good luck!

I always feel that Brooklyn Bridge is at the very south of the island but it is in fact west - at the same level as the World Trade Center area – close to the imposing City Hall. .

It’s a steep ride up the marvelous bridge but you finally get to reach quite a height and you first look over the financial district, then up the river and finally over to Brooklyn as you descend the other side.

On the Brooklyn side between Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge you find the district of Dumbo (you may remember a small park that you see in many films that looks up at the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan). This area is another industrial area that is gradually being taken over (supposedly) by artists and hipsters. Only gradually, I think – there’s not that much to do.

Just a little further north past Manhattan Bridge, you reach an area much like an old town called Vinegar Hill. It’s off the tourist trail and full of slim brownstone houses. Although people live here, it feels a little bit like a ghost town – or at least a ghost from the past. You look up a street with old store fronts – now converted to home’s front windows – and you can imagine the old horses and carts that must have traveled along a once busier street.

After I went to Vinegar Hill I cycled east from here and found myself in the Projects: lots of ‘homies’ turned to see who I was. I was glad I was on a bike! I hurried south and up into Brooklyn Heights. The Heights have grand mansion blocks and a raised promenade that overlooks Lower Manhattan and the old Brooklyn docks. Times are changing and these are too.

Further south you can climb Smith Street in Cobble Hill. This area is changing – once an area of thugs and hoodlums, again hipsters now hang in the café and their design stores. It’s fun and bizarre. One coffee shop called Halcyon is also a late night bar, a retro-furniture store (the stuff you sit on with your beer), a vinyl record store and an art gallery. Bar Tabac has also been a fine place for an out of town dinner on the odd night.

East of here you find Boerum Hill, you ride along tree lined streets (London Plain Trees) with progressive names as Pacific or Atlantic Avenue. They are full of smart brownstone houses – some split into 1 bedroom flats all selling for half a million pounds each.

South of Park Slope, is the grand Prospect Park. Designed by the same chaps that created Central Park this is one of the most striking urban parks I have ever seen. The cycle path orbits the park through dense wood, then open meadow-like fields, past families relaxing in BBQ areas, around a huge boating lake and then up a steep hill where a famous civil war battle was fought. Unlike Central Park, you shouldn’t enter after dark… people still get murdered there.

From the front of the park you pass the War Monument on Grand Army Plaza (roundabout) and the Brooklyn Library with gilt doors.

You can roll down hill and fight with the traffic all the way to Manhattan Bridge. If you find the cyclist/pedestrian entrance, you can cross the East River and see fantastic views of both boroughs as steel subway cars roll past. The exit takes you out into through an archway – that must have once looked triumphant but now is far too small for the volume of traffic. You turn around and find you’re back in the chaos of Chinatown.

Williamsburg is another great place to visit. Best journeyed using the subway’s L Train, it’s just one stop over the river. Amongst the low rise, once-cheap housing are art studios, galleries, Thai restaurants, dive bars, gig-venues, restaurants and other ‘hipster’ hangouts. Some say that this area has had its day but it really seems to be at the forefront of urban inspired art, fashion, music and lifestyle.

October got a little busier in terms of meeting people. I had five interviews with one company and they offered to fly me to San Francisco for my final interview (however, when they realised I was an alien they reconsidered!)

Naturally, the city had grown a little bit cooler but on the sunnier days I’d take the bike out. Along the Hudson they have built the river park – it stretches from Battery Park in the south to the top of the island. Some of it is re-developed and some of it is dated. Along it you get to see a variety of features: Old piers are left to crumble into the river whilst new piers are developed for leisure (and a spot of fishing), you pass the pier where the Titanic would have landed, the famous Circle Line boat boarding station, a Warship, a forgotten 19th century chariots (?), soccer pitches and golf ranges.

I also took a trip to the Rockaways on the subway’s A Train. This beach resort was empty at this time of year. I enjoyed walking for miles along empty beaches feeling the sun (and the wind!). You stumble upon buildings and parks that must have been swarming with people only one month earlier but now look boarded up as if for ever.

In November I started to talk to a guy called Adam about a new business he’s planning on setting up. I did manage to continue my bike rides: one day I rode up Broadway to Central Park and then turned east. I cycled up to the Queensboro Bridge hoping that it would take me to the small isle of Roosevelt Island that sits in the East River. The bridge however took me about 300 feet over it and into Queens! I cycled through industrial streets of the borough and found another bridge to the island. The island used to be where all the long term ‘hospitals’ were: i.e. where the loony bins were/where they locked you up if you weren’t quite ‘right’. About 25 years ago they built new accommodation blocks but some (modern) hospitals remain. On the southern most tip remains the remnants of the Victorian style buildings staring across at Manhattan. It sits alone in chilly silence facing the bedlam of Manhattan.

December became busier. I started to have job interviews, I got a cash in hand job helping a ‘dotcom’, I got offered a dog walking job, Adam asked me to help him pitch for an advertising/web piece of business with the promise of giving me a job if successful and a British agency asked me to help pitch for the advertising of the launch of a new men’s magazine!! It holds good news for the next year and fills me with enthusiasm again so that I’ll endure the snow and the chilly winter months! But I must watch what the weather tells me: last week it snowed more on a specific day than it had in 149 years!

So, anyway, that’s some news – hopefully next year I’ll get to write about other places I have seen: Upper West Side, Midtown or Chelsea. And then again, I could always go explore Harlem and the Bronx!

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December 21, 2003

SATURDAY 20th DECEMBER : FESTIVAS FESTIVE FUSS

Saturday starts off OK because we get invited out to this couple's place for 'Fetivas' - (Dan & Juls) This is more like it: Some of the regular crowd (including Stace and Amelia) talkingloudlyswingingbottles. Amelia turns up and I accidentally point out that we had to go for a few more drinks after her dinner last night and she can't work out why we would want to... then Amelia gives Juls a 'Happy' Holidays' present from a smart design shop. It's a coffee cup. Amelia says, 'turn it round, it says something on it'. I say, 'yeah, Starbucks!' Deadly glare from Amelia .... (it said 'Coffee' in very fine print, by the way - which I imagine to America is exactly the same as my answer).

So stagger out of the afternoon party after the beer somehow runs out around 7pm - Dan, the host, seems to be avoiding my questions about where it all went. We go and see the Lady's pal Lucy for a drink in Soho. Was very pleasant until Lucy's trying to invite herself to our Miami roadtrip but wants to keep the costs down. She suggests we all share a room together: the Lady gets nervous and changes conversation.

We join Stace for late dinner at Mekong in Soho and this Stace spends the whole night talking about shagging Lucy's plutonic friend Sean to get him interested in Lucy. Lucy agrees. The Lady eyes my reaction. I try to avoid discussing Stace's logic and instead get more curry down me then the rest of them put together.

Then Stace starts joking about shagging me. I'm not too sure how that's going to positively change the Lady's opinion about me. The Lady looks nervous and asks Stace about the new guy she's started seeing.

Stace announces that she's going out with a Rocket Scientist. Lots of mirth there: I drop into the conversation: 'does he light your fuse?', 'I can see the sparkle in your eye', 'hope the relationship takes off', 'bet you haven't come down since you met him', 'best guy you met in light-years', before they realise what I'm doing - or maybe it's the 'does he fly you to the moon?' remark.... (please note, I might be seeing Stace in the next couple of days so if you have any other suggestions - please add to the comments box below)

We finally get home the Lady actually flies off the handle. I get grief about me wanting to sleep with her mates. I'm like - but they said it. Ladies' logic. I promised her that I won't even think about it....

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December 19, 2003

FRIDAY 19th DECEMBER : FUMING

The Lady and I went round to her friend Amelia's for dinner. She cooked for 8 of us and the grub was pretty good (do the Americans pronounce Payeya or Paella?? - everyone did the latter but that doesn't say much). After three bottles of wine she didn't bring out anymore of the bottles (we had brought!) By desert/10pm she's got our coats on.

The Lady, her friend Stace and I decide to have a quick drink and an after dinner fag at our old fave Bar & Books on Hudson. I meet one of the guys I'm doing a pitch for and he thanks me for the work and says he's paid for our drinks! Pleased! I asked (around) for the check to pretend to the Lady that I was paying. But, I was presented a bill - not for any drinks but for 25 dollars tobacco charge! For four drinks! I start a coughing fit...

Posted by Guy Brighton at 9:39 PM | Comments (0)

THURSDAY 18th DECEMBER

SMOKIN

With the Lady away in business in reggae capital Washington DC, I finally got out with some of the British lads to have a few cheeky beers and celebrate Xmas. It's been very strange to read emails from the UK about all the Xmas parties and find yourself siting in watching The Office again.

Started, of course, in Von and then went to Angel in Lower East Side via Katz the deli - where Harry Met Sally and Sally made some song and dance about something or another. Maybe it was the price of the sandwiches!!!

At Angel we hang with a good crowd of graffiti artists and other posers. Unfortunately for me and the others Angel was selling free beer (honest) and let me smoke. That must have been what teleported me to some horrible disco / night club called Nocturne near DeGuardia and Bleeker and made dance 'til 4am. Oh dear.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 3:35 PM | Comments (0)

FRIDAY 19th DECEMBER

DOG DAY AFTERNOON

Onlt two more days of dog walking next week, then I'm rid of them for a week. I've got muck all over my sneakers, my jeans, my jacket, my hands, an earlobe....

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:52 PM | Comments (0)

December 18, 2003

WEDNESDAY 17th DECEMBER

TOUCH OF GLASS

Went to a large house on Upper West Side last night owned by the owner of the record company where the Lady works. Some skinny looking chap who supports arsenal but has avery mixed up transatlantic accent. He doesn't know any of his staff
naturally and spends a couple of hours behind his Mac choosing the itunes
for the party.

I make a point of walking up to him several times in the night, shake his hand, say what a great party it is, look at a signed photo of Tony Adams and say 'you're not going to beat the Russians this year, are you'. After the fourth time I did this, it took me forever to find where they had hidden the wine. Luckily his children didn't even wake up when I found a case in their room. After I noticed the maid following me and watching where I was leaving my glass, I told the Lady that we should go. I mean there must have only been 8 people left (from the 120 who were there 2 hours before).... maybe they were all hunting the wine too?

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:13 PM | Comments (0)

December 17, 2003

DRINKING RESPONSIBLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

DRINKING RESPONSIBLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

The Onion has published its top tips:

"
The holiday season is a time to enjoy family dinners, office parties, and get-togethers with friends. Festive drinks and tasty punches often contribute to the holiday revelry, so here are some tips to help you celebrate sensibly:

If you are a woman, remember: Women are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. If you are a man, remember: Women are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol.
Always drink from the bottle labeled "XXX." The bottle with the skull-and-crossbones on the front is poison.
Drinking alone is a telltale sign that you know better than to put up with anybody's bullshit.
Drinking more than seven nights a week is not just irresponsible, it's impossible.
If someone you know is too drunk to drive, demand that he let you have his car keys. If he refuses, pull out a gun and demand the car keys again. This also works with people who are not drunk, and whom you do not know.
Never drink with Tyler Schneeklov.
While standing in the middle of the road at 3 a.m. yelling expletives at your ex-girlfriend, wear light-colored clothing so motorists can see you.
Once you get married and have kids, stop drinking tons of whiskey and switch to drinking tons of wine.
Always re-cap your flask between swigs. This lengthens the amount of time between drinks.
Don't mix alcohol with stereotypes. If you are Irish, drink rum. If you are a pirate, drink whiskey.
Don't drink and drive. Disregard this if you happen to be one of those people who drive better drunk.
If you suddenly find yourself impaired by alcohol, prevent any social awkwardness by informing all those present that you profoundly love them, and that you never get this drunk.
Never use alcohol to escape feelings of failure and loneliness. Use Vicodin.
Before heading out to the office holiday party, tape a handcuff key to the inside of your watchband. Just trust us on this one.
"

Posted by Guy Brighton at 4:01 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2003

TUESDAY 16th DECEMBER

OSCAR

He's acting up. Maybe I'm not a dog person.....

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:50 PM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2003

MONDAY 15th DECEMBER

CLARENCE

Not a good day with the English Bulldog. That's all I can say...

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:49 PM | Comments (0)

MONDAY 15th DECEMBER

MISHAP AT LUNCHTIME
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To: Guy
From: Prunella (www.catsanddogslunchboxes.com)
Date: 121403 23:02

Dear Guy,

Thanks for all your help over the last few weeks. With the high demand of all these people wanting pictures of their cute kids and/or pets stuck on the side of lunchboxes we certainly have been busy and your job of printing out the photos onto sticky paper was apparently invaluable.

I must admit i am a little disappointed though with your recent work. It's not the printing that you are still doing well - it's the comments you've been adding in the form on the screen. Yes, i know you think that comment box is for messages between all of us - and so did I. I mean, how was I to know that the comments made in the box was printed out on the remittance notes....

Hence, I have had a few complaints about the following messages being received by customers when they got their lunchbox:

* Pru! Guy here - the kid who gets this box with a cute picture of their mum is going to get beaten up at school.
* Do people really have these as pets?
* That cat is evil
* Question for Prunella: So the kids are all ginger/red-head but the parents are brunettes - huh?
* Spare the child's eternal embarrassment - don't let this kid take this box with pictures of his best mate to school.
* Prun: Which one is the pet? Which one the owner?
* How FAT???!!!! And the Guinea Pig too.

As you can see, I'm going to have to let you go. And Guy....remember: Happy Holidays!

All the best,

Prunella

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:13 PM | Comments (0)

SUNDAY 14th DECEMBER L PAIN, SNOW, RAIN, SALT

Sunday started having brunch with the Lady and friends (Jason & Celeste) at the cafe at the West Village end of Bleeker Street. Aptly named, the place was crammed, attitude stank and the food (eggs) was dull, plain and poor - when I told the manager chap at the end he implied that it must be something to do with my taste buds because 'just look at the line' - the food must be good (I didn't tell him that the poached eggs looked scrambled, the spinach uncooked and the muffins untoasted). When we left, the Lady refused to let me discuss the matter with Jase and Celeste in case I looked like a whingeing Brit.

Worked off the anger by taking a lone stroll along the river. I hope I never tire of New York in snow.

Ended the day by meeting up with Jase and Celeste and the Lady at a great little bar in Lower East Side called Salt (I must add it to my bar review). Warm, dark, cozy: it was a great relief to be inside drinking Hoegarden from the rain outside washing away the snow. Actually, it's always a great relief to drink Hoegarden anywhere. After three pints I slipped in my thoughts about the brunch before the lady could stop me... and the response, "thank goodness you said that, we thought the food [at Paris Commune] this morning was crap too."

See, I don't whinge that much and only on special search-engine-spidered occasions. Oh, and here: http://travel.roughguides.com/ or here: http://www.epinions.com

Posted by Guy Brighton at 8:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 13, 2003

SATURDAY 13th DECEMBER : XMAS LITE

Went and saw some of the lights on 5th etc. Nice, but you can't really expect the Yorkers to beat Regent Street can you?

Asprey

Barneys

Barneys

Barneys

Empire State

SAKS

SAKS Inside

Trump Tower

Posted by Guy Brighton at 9:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 12, 2003

FRIDAY 12th DECEMBER

A DOG'S LIFE

Clarence was fun for the first couple of days. No do-do so simple, easy walks. All the girls stopped me around Soho and patted him. Even a security guy at the Song airline shop took him into the store and showed him to Santa and his tipsy elf. "My name is Bulldog," he said. "let me show the girls." How could I refuse.

Today however, Clarence decided to release several days worth of excrement in liquid form on Spring Strret, Thompson Street, you name it street. All I got from the girls today is 'urrrgghhh' and 'Bulldog' had apparently forgotten us as he chased me away with Clarence behind issuing a dayglo line of crap from his butt.

Must remember the plastic bags tomorrow to pick it all up.

I think Oscar is my favourite now. Small dogs, little crap.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:40 PM | Comments (0)

December 11, 2003

THURSDAY 11th DECEMBER

RAIN BRAIN

Today it rains. Which of the Lady's umbrellas do I take: pink, pink or pink! Arggh.

Have a second project for another ad agency to help pitch for a men's magazine launch. Anyone understand the US male psyche? Arggh.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:59 PM | Comments (0)

December 10, 2003

WEDNESDAY 10th DECEMBER

LUNA LADY & THE HIDDEN GRAVEYARD

Wednesday night the Lady and I met Luna. Luna is beautiful.

Luna and John took us to a photographic show for Jeanette Beckmann* at 216 Lafayette. We entered and sound no-one there: John got the date wrong!! It's tomorrow. John was a little disappointed as he wanted to show off Luna and maybe find her a new home.

She was found on the streets and John (and his girlfiend) Alison have decided to give her shelter. She even had a chip in her neck and they found her previous address but the guy there didn;t want to know about her.

It makes you feel sad that people just abandon dogs when they feel like it. Luna is a wonderful pale husky who, as we walked her, showed she is now timid of people. Why, I dread to think.

John has started to take Luna up to the dog-park in Washington Square Park. The Lady and I didn't mind coming on the wrong night after meeting Luna. We walked with them to the park. Now, I don't know if I have said this before but Washington Park is the worst piece of open space I have come across so far in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It's OK to look at but there's always a dozen or so drug pushers and peddlers who on were hanging round the dog park. I wouldn't have walked through the place without Luna.

As John let Luna run around with a Great Dane he pointed to a triangle of field on the North West side of the park. He told me that he planned to come back later (to show off Luna again) because there was a sort-of secret dog walker society that came up arouund midnight to let their dogs have a run around the triangle area (where they're not supposed to). He said that the triangle used to be the dog-park but no more. In fact, in the North West point of the field used to be a tree from where they held public hangings in the past (I suppose like Tyburn Place by Marble Arch) and the triangle was where they buried the bodies. Times changed etc, and Washington Park became the designed park it is now (i'd guess) with it's dog park. But recently they had to move the dog-park from that triangle. Not because of the mess - but because the dogs had started to dig up the bones of New York's past underworld! Running around with an arm in their mouthes! (Makes you think: Maybe they can stick some of the drug peddlers in the ground there too?)

* If there's a pic that stands out for me it's Janette's show it's this: Paul Weller with Pete Townsend. Mod Generations.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:49 PM | Comments (0)

TUESDAY 10th DECEMBER

NEW JOB

Hey! Got myself a new job walking dogs. One called Clarence - an English Bull Dog and one called Oscar - a Pug!!

Met Clarence today - he's only 5 months old and beautiful. I want one!!

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:37 PM | Comments (0)

December 9, 2003

MONDAY 9th DECEMBER: STILL IN BUSINESS

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Still enjoying my work at Cats and Dogs Lunchboxes. You should see the pictures people send in...www.catsanddogslunchboxes.com

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:09 PM | Comments (0)

December 8, 2003

FRIDAY 6th DECEMBER : NOW IT'S SNOWING

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 5, 2003

WEDNESDAY 4th DECEMBER

CAFE DOMA - BRAIN HUB

I wonder how many personal stories will recount Cafe Doma on Perry Street in years to come. The French cafe is a chilled hang out where people seem to sit for hours over their books, their lap-tops, their business plans. The place is a buzz with people interviewing and being interviewed. This is a rare place where people come and talk about their future 'new wave' dotcom plans without embarrassment and who knows - with all the positivity flowing around, the ideas may just work this time!

7th Ave & Perry

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:16 PM | Comments (0)

GUY BRIGHTON WINS LOTTO MILLIONS!

SPAM SCAM:

Look what I received in the mail today!!!

ATTN-SIR,

SUNSWEETWIN PROMO LOTTERY,THE NETHERLANDS. ALFONSTRAAT B56, 1002 BS
AMSTERDAM, THE
NETHERLANDS.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: OYL /26510460037/02
BATCH: 24/00319/IPD
ATTENTION: RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION; FINAL NOTICE
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement of winners of the
SUNSWEETWIN PROMO LOTTERY,THE NETHERLANDS/
INTERNATIONAL, PROGRAMS held on 1st february 2003.
You are attached to ticket number 023-0148-790-459, with serial
number 5073-11 drew the lucky numbers 43-11-44- 37-10-43,
and consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
US$5,500.000.00 in cash credited to file REF NO.
OYL/25041238013/02. This is from total prize money of
US$80,400,000.00 shared among the seventeen international winners
in this category. All participants were selected through a computer
ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from Australia, New
Zealand, America, Europe, North America and Asia as part of
International Promotions Program, which is conducted
annually.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your fund is now deposited with a Bank in Europe insured in your
name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names,
we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until
your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your
account.
This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or
unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We hope with
a part of you prize, you will participate in our end of year high
stakes US$1.3 billion International Lottery.
To begin your claim, please contact your claim
agent; MR REINHARD WOOD
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
RAYMOND CROSSROAD, AMSTERDAM,
Email: reinhardwood69@yahoo.co.uk.com
For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated
account of your choice. Remember, all prize money
must be claimed not later than 25th JANUARY2004. After this
date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers
in every one of your orrespondences with your agent. Furthermore,
should there be any change of your address, do inform your
claims agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part
of our promotions program.

Sincerely,
GERARD HANN
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER, SUNSWEETWIN PROMO LOTTERY,THE NETHERLANDS.
N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will
result to
disqualification.
SORRY FOR THE LATE INFORMATION THANKS.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)

December 4, 2003

WEDS 3rd DEC : A JOB

After 5 months searching for work I have secured a 'job' at a start up ad agency. It's not really a job actually - it's a come and work free and help us win some business then we'll see.

Better than nothing I suppose. And it's helping them pitch for those Wrestling chaps: see me in the ring with Hulk Hogan soon. Will keep you updated.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 1:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

TUESDAY 2nd DECEMBER

IT'S SNOWING!

... for 5 mins.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 1:11 PM | Comments (0)

December 2, 2003

SATURDAY 29th NOVEMBER : PHILADELPHIA to ATLANTIC CITY

The Lady's father and mother drove us past the gentle skyline of Philadelphia to the red and white glow of Atlantic City on Saturday afternoon. It wasn't quite the triumph of Vegas but I'm sure in the summer it would be quite a good looking place.

We checked out Trump's Taj Mahal and the new Bogarta. At both places the Lady and I argued about whether there was a hiring bias towards Indians and South Eastern Asians respectively. No matter: both races seemed just as adept at taking my cash from me.

As the Lady's father scouted around the poker hall I noticed no-one was smoking. Guys in cowboy hats chewed tobacco, young Harvard types rolled unlit cigars side to side and nervous regular Joes took smoking brakes upstairs near the Slot Machines. It's amazing to think that the effect of the smoking ban in New York and how it's slowly being introduced elsewhere. No smoking when playing cards?? I suppose they used to say 'No smoking when having a drink??'

Posted by Guy Brighton at 4:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

FRIDAY 28th NOVEMBER

LANGUAGE BARRIER

Ahhh, staying at the in-laws. Chilling out, watching the home entertainment theater. The conversation often goes as follows.

The Lady's mom: "You know, you guys. I don't know why you live come and live in Philadelphia. It's so dark in your New York apartment."
The Lady: "Mo-om!"
The Lady's dad: "What You Shouting About? I Say You Buy A Place In Brooklyn And What You Do? My Friends Think You're Crazy Living In Such A Small Little Shoebox"
Guy: "It wouldn't be so small if she didn't buy so many shoes"
The Lady laughs.
The Lady's mom: "What did he say?"
The Lady's dad: "Guy! You Know What You Have To Do? I Don't Understand You And Your British Accent. You Have To Learn To Speak American"

Posted by Guy Brighton at 3:44 PM | Comments (0)

December 1, 2003

MONDAY 1st DECEMBER

A BIT OF LUNCH MONEY

I have managed to get job at www.catsanddogslunchboxes.com for a couple of hours each day. The company puts people's pics of their animals on the side of lunchboxes. Simple concept = shipping tons.

I've been given a very important job in the production process: "Guy, will you load the picture and press the print button. Thanks."

Sorted.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:10 PM | Comments (0)