the best party game ever

Dan had the idea of building a photobooth for his grand party, so Friday night, after a trip to the Whitney, Brett and I headed back to his house to assist in the construction. Or rather, and despite our museum fatigue, Brett hit the ground running, being incredibly helpful and creative, while I kind of hung around, taking photos, generally getting in the way, running to the drugstore for push pins (to hang the drapery) then agreeing wholeheartedly with the plan to head to Black Mountain for dinner and drinks at 11pm.

The party itself went with a bang - lots of drink and good friends and dancing and squabbles over playlists (Christy Claire was rather put out that hers got turned off when Outkast came on), but you know there is the smallest chance I might have been getting my drunk on at the party - there was rather more of the booze and rather less of the food for me that day - so my memory gets a little hazy some time around midnight...

Luckily the photobooth, apart from being a great party game, is also a fabulous aide-memoire for those drunken occasions, so it was with amusement and trepidation we looked through the photos this (very hungover) evening...

http://danestabrook.com/photobooth

Dan, me & Cece

I'd like to plead the triple-vodka-and-cranberry defence to (hopefully) explain why half the shots I'm in I seem to be either trying to bite someone, or licking their neck.

Ahh parties. Open bars without having eaten anything. New York. <3

brooklyn social

Yesterday was an almost springlike 17 degrees C - one of those days you can't help but be in love with the city, and smile at everyone. Lunch with CC at the Moma, wandering through Central Park, down to Soho to meet Lauren at work, walking across and through the Lower East Side with obligatory coffee break at Sugar Sweet Sunshine... I considered walking across the Williamsburg Bridge but decided to head home to get to Rocketship before closing time (where they have original Scott Pilgrim artwork for sale, that I had to force myself to walk away from), prior to an evening with take-out watching Lost (which I was, having only ever seen the first three episodes of series 1).

Today the Wicked Witch of the East blew in and brought with her gale-force, knock-you-down-and-blow-you-to-Oz strength winds, which I braved nonetheless to hang out with Faran for a quick lunch (being Fashion Week she's run off her feet), then meet Dan at the Angelika for Let The Right One In, which we both love (somehow the subways rumbling loudly underneath us mostly add to the atmosphere of the movie). Afterwards we find Cat and head for tea at Cafe Gitane, then cab it over to Hudson for Melissa Auf Der Mar's screening of a short that Dan and Brett (who's arrived in town today from Providence) worked on last year.

Home again home again jiggity jig... somehow we convince the Greenpoint residents to come down to Carroll Gardens for a wee drinkie or two, so we head to Brooklyn Social for some (strong as hell) Old Fashioneds.

Dan, Ryland and Brett

Then it's back to Dan's where I remember I have a bag of funsize Crunchies in my suitcase for Christy Claire - it's quickly opened and everyone sugars up before CC and I grab a car service with all my crap back to her place in Greenpoint and it's time to acquaint myself with a new part of Brooklyn...

An Open Letter To New York City

Dear New York

Long time no see. What's it been, six months? Good to see you again. Looking good. Just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks.

Thanks for feeling like home as we came in to land. Thanks for the bassist from Snow Patrol asking me for a light at JFK and being surprisingly cute. Thank you for the fact that I had no idea that's who he was until Dan pointed it out. On that note, thank you for Dan and CC coming all the way out to deepest darkest Queens to pick me up at the airport and smother me in an extended group hug. Thanks for the crazy cab driver we had back from JFK who told us he'd written to the Queen of England and she'd invited him to meet her this summer.

Thank you to Fall Out Boy for postponing the Honda Civic Tour so Alex and Ryland were still in NY the whole time I was there. Thanks to Red Hook for being a weird neighbourhood but having a great little coffee joint in Baked and the most wonderful boutique, Erie Basin that I could have spent fortunes in. Not much thanks to the rain and shrill wind coming off the water that froze me to death while waiting for a car in the parking lot of Fairway, nor thanks to the car service that never turned up. Thank you to Alex for cooking dinner and Lauren for making cookies and to Brett for lending us her copy of The Departed so we could chill out on Thursday night. Thank you to the G subway line for being as unreliable as ever.

Thanks Dan for letting me co-opt his place and throwing a great party (that would have been a great bbq if it had been warm enough). Thanks Alex for cooking - again - and for taking at least 60 seconds to recognise one of his own band's songs when it came on itunes shuffle ("Hey, I know this, what is it?........ Ohhh shit it's Cobra Starship."). Thanks Lauren for the punching nun move. To everyone I asked to the party coming out to Carroll Gardens, I was so stoked to see you all and it made me very happy. To Christy Claire and Lauren for being true Gs.

Thanks to Ivy League for playing in the living room and it being a very funny show. For CC deciding to paper her roommate Jacques. For the Absinthe that was brought out at about 2am, just to make the party go with more of a bang. For the frog mask Dan has decorating his place.

I didn't really appreciate the hangover the next morning, although some might say that was self-induced. Thanks though to whoever brought Oreos to the party that I snacked on all morning until we were feeling human enough to stagger to Smith Street and get some brunch. Thanks to the laaaaaame magazine party in Williamsburg on Saturday night that we stayed at not more than five minutes that provided some laughs at its expense. Thanks to Jacques for telling the BEST jokes that cannot be repeated on here on the walk down to Metropolitan. For CC's lovely new apartment on Bleecker Street and Pepe the crazy cat who I haven't seen in a year. Not much thanks to the Bridge & Tunnel jerks who were yelling and shouting and being drunk and loud on Bleecker until at least 4:30am.

Thanks for Sunday being the wettest day since 1977 and for my not taking an umbrella out with me. A BIG thanks for my finding that wallet on the sidewalk outside our place in Carroll Gdns with $490 in it, and for the owner giving me $90 "for my troubles" when I gave it back to him. And for the CG American Apparel kids who I frequently wasted time with and distracted from their jobs (like that store is ever that busy...) and who all debated whether they'd've called the owner of the wallet or not. And for selling me a new hoodie because it was that cold in NY and having left warm temperatures in London I hadn't thought to pack for low temps.

Thanks to Au Revoir Simone for just being the cutest ever and being a lot of fun to hang with and interview. Thanks Dan for finally taking me to Trash & Vaudeville and to St Marks Comics (where I spent a small fortune). Thanks to CC for the champagne on Tuesday evening and for advising us to hit up Joe's Pizza round the corner from her place - although not thanks to the pizza crust that cut the top of my mouth. Big kudos to those Private Men for a great evening at Black & White (and for Rob Hitt for saying I could DJ it, even though I chickened out in the end). Thanks to The Academy Is for being there even though I had no idea that's who they were until CC, the consummate Chicago snob who was talking to William introduced him to me as "William, he's in some band called The Academy or something" and totally snubbing him for being "from the richest suburb in Chicago, man!" To Alex Sarti and Rob Hitt both independently telling me my hair looked great. To Shallon, for a big hug and seeing her again.

I appreciated sleeping most of Wednesday and then heading to an old favourite, the Sushi Lounge on St Marks and Ave. A, with Lauren and Michelle - and then Lauren suggesting dessert at Max Brenner where I had ohmigod Chocolate Pizza. And felt quite sick after. Thanks so much for the weather finally improving on Thursday and a wonderful walk around Williamsburg with Dan the man, taking photos, buying coffee, losing scarves, eavesdropping on hipsters and finding the most amazing little hoodie for my godson that I will take photos of and upload and soon as I've given him it.

Thank you to Diner for a lovely dinner - and amazing vodka gimlet that went down a treat after all that walking. Thanks to Union Pool for not changing much (it was good to go back there) and for the fact that its photobooth was actually working. And for Lauren, Alex and Ryland hauling ass to it to hang out. Friday I appreciated the continued good weather and stroll around Soho, Tribeca (quick visit to the Thurston Moore exhib - nothing amazing) and Lower East Side - with obligatory pitstop at Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Thanks for power naps. For the F being totally fucked up and either deciding to run on the G line, or just terminating at Bergen because of technical issues. Thanks to Sarah and Halina for Fajita Friday in Bushwick, and for the raucous round of applause CC and I received as we finally walked through the door.

Thank you so much for Saturday being beautifully warm and for CC's marvellous idea of a brunch picnic in Central Park on the rowboats. Thanks to Ryland for doing all the rowing while CC and I poured drinks and ate grapes, and Dan handed out french pastries.

Thanks to the sun and my stupidly fair skin combining to result in an interesting sunburn. To Sarah and Halina for meeting us at the pond. To Faran for visiting her friend at Columbus Circle when we were there too so I got a chance to say goodbye. To Lauren for taking a break and coming to the house to hang out while I rushed around doing last minute packing, then collapsing into the rocking chair. To Dan and CC for just hanging on the stoop, appreciating the afternoon sunshine, waiting with me till the car service turned up to take me back to the airport.

Thanks New York. It's been too long, and the visit was too short, and I miss you and everyone and everything I love in and about you already, but it was a pleasure.

See you soon. Send some of your peoples across the pond this year.

Love always,

Hxo

band practice and Private Men...

Lunch with D & CC in the city, and a quick chat with Ryland - who quotes my own voice on Rob Hitt's voicemail back at me - then over to rehearsal space on West 30th, as I have the leads and pedals that the band need. I run into Ryan in the elevator, we head up and pick up the guitars then go to their rehearsal room where we find Rachel, and soon Andrew joins us. Ben comes, complete with Garth Brooks-esque hat, and they start on a song while waiting for Alex. They sound good. I can't stay too long, although I want to see Alex, but I have to leave in the end before he's arrived, so I take off, am briefly distracted by H&M, then it's back to Brooklyn, and another quick visit to the Carroll Gdns AA. I hang out there for a while, talking Halloween with the girlies - who are going as the Golden Girls and have two hilarious wigs with them, bought that morning at Ricky's.

I meet them later at 8, after the store has closed and we head back to the Burg, where Lauren and Sarah change, I down a cup of tea, then we head into the city. Walking down Third I see Ronnie and friend limping into some restaurant so I follow them in to say hello, then we carry on down to our pre-game rendezvous at Cooper 35. They have a four dollar drinks menu, various cocktails etc. I get a mojito and when it turns up, it's pretty much just rum and a bit of sugar. Incredibly strong. A few sips in the IS calls me and we chat, making plans to hang on Saturday at the big party.

We walk up to PMC at Black & White. Jonny's back for a week from touring with... Motley Crue? Shit, now I can't remember. It's so good to see everyone. Rob walks in with a big "Welcome home!" and there's Omri, and as I'm in the middle of getting my phone's predictive text messaging to recognise 'MCR' [MAP? MAR? NAP? OAR?], I'm tapped on the shoulder and turn to see Sarah, brandishing a bag with a Union Jack print on side "in your honour!" [lol] and Gurj, fresh from the MCR concert a block away. Big hugs and happiness. Around midnight I suddenly start flagging - still a wee bit jetlagged - so me, D and Brett take off, walk down 3rd a few blocks until we cave and grab a cab back, and I'm tired and tipsy but happy that today I've managed to see or speak to almost everyone I wanted to in NY and there's only a special few left to see and I can't wait.

Yeah! New York

An uneventful flight, quick passage through immigration and customs, and a cab ride down to Carroll Gardens, where even the shitty BQE made me smile and feel almost nostalgic. After shedding baggage, we walk around, to the bank and to the downtown Target for supplies [of which candycorn and Spiderman gloves are an important part] and fresh air and a stretching of the legs.

We come back and I sit down and check some emails while D. gives me a fashion parade - he's off to a fancy gala at the Whitney that evening, dontcha know [and let's not forget the pre-drinks at the Carlyle...] - then I feel like I could easily fall asleep so wander up to Smith St and down to the American Apparel where Lauren and Sarah H work. I LOVE living so close to where they work. When I go in they're both downstairs so someone goes to get them while I stare spacily out the window until I'm grabbed in a hug by Lauren... and suddenly it's like I only saw them both yesterday, not six months ago. We chatter until they have to get back to work, then I head back to get chinese takeout and half watch The Avengers on BBC America. I try to nap on the sofa as I'm meant to be heading to the Litt'lans/Kooks party at Double Happiness that night, but I can't quite doze off. Mr Fancy Pants leaves for his partay, and I turn the tv on, feeling crappy - overtired and headcoldy - and eventually come the decision that I can't quite face going out that night, so bail on and suddenly feel happier. The air mattress is inflated, there's candycorn to nibble at and Disney movies on tv. I do some work and go to bed at 10, an inauspicious first day back...