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Mike, Amber, hostess Erica, Kells, Jon (and gravy love).

Me, host David, Tyler, and Jiscilla

Yesterday began a new tradition among my best friends: Friendsgiving. Erica and David invited us to their Clinton Hill apartment where they provided the feast, and the rest of us the peripheral accoutrements like appetizers and drinks (I'm not even sure if that is the right word). I decided to make Jesse's famous deviled eggs as an appetizer, as we were meeting at noon so it would be a little breakfast before the large lunch. (I would post a photo, but I avoid unprofessional photos of food.) The eggs were proven a hit once again, as we gathered around the living room sipping on hot cider and catching up. Even the vegan among us ate a couple!

 

Erica carved her first turkey with aplomb and we settled at the table. There were many jokes, praise of the food and hosts, and ghost discussions. I'm not sure why most Curbside gatherings devolve into conversations about ghosts, but I'm not mad at it. Mike's old band apparently used to play a song about sexytimes with a ghost, and he also believes his apartment with Amber might be haunted. He insisted that one time when he was changing, a ghost de-pantsed him. This led our host David to tell one of his legendary 'dad jokes,' something along the lines of "Was it the Ghost of Christmas Pants?" I photographed this exchange:

David standing up, setting up, and delivering his joke. (Tyler reaching for food)

David and Tyler quite satisfied with the dad joke.

David watching NFL Red Zone alone post-joke.

The meal was truly fabulous, and we were all murmuring about being stuffed and the effects of tryptophan. Jon even tried to make a joke, but it lacked David's dad joke presentation skills. He's working on it, though, and one day he threatens to create a joke blog. He's like the Jack Handey of our friends, and we love his jokes. Some more photos 'round the table:

Tyler and Jiscilla, telling it like it is.

Mike and Amber, always looking like they freshly murdered someone.

Kelly, Jon, and my semi-permanent third wheel self.

After the meal we played our long-standing tradition of Celebrities, or Notables. This was the first time, however, we were playing Women vs Men, which we gave them an out, but they took the challenge. We knew we would beat them, so we gave them a handicap of longer time by double. We still beat them.

 

Tyler didn't even know many celebrities and just put in the members of Black Eyed Peas over and over and over again. I now know all the members of Black Eyed Peas and I feel cursed.

 

One strategy to get points when you might not know who is written on the paper is to rhyme. The boys were given Zac Efron and the best rhyme was played: Snack Jeffroni. Another rhyming clue for Tiffany Amber Theissen began with Timberly. You can see why they lost, right?

 

The last slip of paper left in the bowl was a name I put in: Idris Elba. And nobody could guess it! How do people still not know who Idris Elba is? You might be reading this and not know. But he's a great actor, and I even discussed his good-lookingness with Amber a few weeks ago. She relies less on names than on images, I guess. He'd be my vote for the next Bond post-Daniel Craig.

Kelly's delicious cake, Amber's cookies, cider, Celebrities playing, and the scoreboard.

This is what happens when you ask the men to take a picture of the women.

The only non-blurry photo from the thirty they took.

 

My friends are the best! I'm always amazed and grateful to have these wonderful women in my life! They are as close to sisters as I've ever had, considering I don't have a biological one. My love for them is endless.

 

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After a hearty goodbye and thanks, we parted ways and I headed home to hang with Pee Wee, Frito, and the end of Greenberg with my friend Adam. By the way, I really didn't like it.

 

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Next up was the Patriots versus Broncos game, Brady versus Manning(face), and by the looks of the first quarter I started interchanging that disaster with another one depicted, Apollo 13. The Patriots managed to turn it around and then the game had my rapt attention. I scared Pee Wee a few times with my yelling, as he was curled up in my lap. I had a stress headache by the end of the game, and erupted with glee when the Patriots clinched the win. PHEW!

 

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Tonight?!?! TONIGHT?!!? WHAT AM I DOING TONIGHT?!?! I SHALL RETURN HOME TO JESSE BACK FROM TOUR!!!! He's been gone a full three and a half weeks, which is one of the longest times we've gone without seeing each other. It's exhausting. But I will see him SO SOON!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Fridays are usually my days of rest. I rarely go to one bar, let alone two on a Friday. After a week of work and whatever activities after-work, I love coming home and getting on the couch or going to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner or even just stopping by a nearby bar for a chill evening. However, there were a couple of shows going on, so I prepared for an evening out.

Jesse and I stopped by a bodega on the way to Fette Sau in Williamsburg--I needed a Five Hour Energy to make this work. We met up with Tyler, Diaz, and Meghan at the BBQ joint and waited in line. I was a bit out of my element, as I'm not a big fan of the set-up in the restaurant which is cafeteria style and on a busy Friday night includes waiting around with a tray of meat trying to find a place to sit. Also, they charged me for someone else's side and I didn't realize until I found the receipt later when I was complaining about how expensive my meal was. The pulled pork was good, but I was uncomfortable the entire time eating with a drunk and I think probably drugged young guy next to me. Had to watch my elbows, couldn't hear Jesse across the table, and generally did not like the atmosphere. Most people love that place, so I may just be crotchety. Or just like places that are comfortable to eat.

After dinner we went to the Knitting Factory which is probably my favorite venue because it has a bar that is separated and soundproofed from the stage. You can still see the stage from the bar, but you don't have to hear it. A marvelous concept. They also have a SuperNintendo and N64 hook-up to play in the bar. That night I gave up my plus-one that Jesse had for me to a friend since my heart wasn't into the bands, and I could sit in the bar area with friends. Jiscilla met up at one point and when the Smoking Popes' "Need You Around" started playing in the bar we both sang along in our best bass-y voice and then we discussed how formative the Clueless soundtrack was for each of us.

Diaz & Jesse playing a Street Fighter

Jiscilla

Jesse, Tyler, Lisa and I jumped in a cab and headed up to Greenpoint to check out our friend's band United Nations at the metal bar Saint Vitus. The show was great, but by 1am I was fading fast. I had a very important 10am brunch in the morning as a maid of honor in a wedding, so I needed to sleep.

Tyler & Jesse at Saint Vitus, camera focus not working

Tyler couldn't get it to work for me & Lisa, either

On Saturday, after a delicious "working" brunch with the bride and the other maid of honor, Jesse and I linked up with my friend Jess. We headed to Chelsea to finally see the Haroshi exhibit, which was small but the few pieces were interesting (first picture and below). It was a beautiful day and Jesse and I proceeded to walk around Manhattan running errands and enjoying the weather.

Unfortunately by the evening a terrible headache (and fatigue) took over so I got in bed with Pee Wee and we finished reading Gillian Flynn's Dark Places (review here) and watched Haywire. It was a pretty mediocre story, but I always enjoy Soderbergh's directing.

I woke up on Sunday feeling much better. Jaime called me and we deliberated over where to brunch for five after noon on a Sunday in Brooklyn. It's quite an art to get this right, but we chose correctly for us, Cara, Lisa, and little Lowe. Good food, no wait. We didn't kidnap the kid, though it was fun to have a coloring-on-the-table type brunch.

Cara & Lowe

Lowe is a true artiste

Cara & Lisa

Jaime, Lowe, me (you can see my grays! Eek!)

I arrived home to start getting ready for the football games and the people coming over. I'll just stop talking about my Sunday there, I can't go on about the Patriots right now!