Wow, I feel far better today. Yesterday I felt terrible, probably as a result of not enough sleep, no food, residual last night effects and the worries about Clare. Truly refreshed, we rolled out to check out some places, stopping at Broadway Bagel for breakfast. We headed straight to Hotel 17 and the Hotel Chelsea. The latter was full for a few days, but the former had loads of room (and was recommended by Clare through the wonder of asking strangers on Livejournal) so we made a booking for Thursday to Sunday. Joyous that everything was now ostensibly sorted out, Pat and I wandered all the way from 23rd up to the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, along 5th Avenue - this is a distance of some 49 city blocks - 58 if you count the fact that we started off at Union Square. We bought a few bits and pieces (including some ridiculous red Ralph Lauren shorts), had a look at the fancy Apple store and I had a poo in the Empire State Building. In the park we caught some free opera at the amphitheatre, caught some buskers playing oboe and clarinet, and generally had a lovely afternoon. From here we went to meet Devin somewhere around Washington Square Park, in an awesome bar called the Old Rabbit, which was just a bar, some stools, and a fantastic selection of beers. Devin, Pat and I discussed our time at Uni (I had entirely forgotten that Devin had come to stay with us in Camden for a week in the second year) and we met his friend Megan (gorgeous, some kind of editor for Vogue), Angelo (who I had met before in London, and who was Devin's accomplice in the great keg theft of '04) and the incredibly generous Julie (Angelo's wonderful girlfriend). As to why she was so generous - when we told them of our annoying accommodation situation Devin offered to put two of us up in his place, and Julie offered us her whole apartment. Well, it belongs to her company, and she's staying while she's here on business, but as she's off back to California for a night we could have it until she got back, thereby saving us $200 or so. All this having just met us this evening. We adjourned to Famous Ray's Pizza where I had a stromboli (odd yet tasty - regretted it the next day though) before going round the corner to a bar called Max Fish. After a decent amount of time (well, indecent for people who had to go to work in the morning) they all left, leaving Pat and I to our own devices. We stayed for a while, and as I remembered I had to pick Clare up from the airport in the morning we decided to leave. As we were walking out, around half four, two (really gorgeous) girls who we had been, well, looking at and chatting about inside came over to tell us that they thought we were "so adorable". I stopped, thought, made a small noise of anguish, and had to tell them we were leaving as I had to pick up my sister from the airport. I am making no exaggeration when I say that it physically hurt to leave. I hope Clare appreciates the sacrifices I have made to make sure she has a nice time. Bugger.
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