My Amazing Weekend Part 3

I know you're all DYING to hear the details of the rest of this amazing weekend. Well, let me tell you, its not all that gratifying---for you anyway. But I had a blast!! After a nice Shabbat spent resting and relaxing (AND eating, I had some amazing meals this weekend!) Riva, Lauren, Neshama, and I hit up NYC for Lauren's 22nd b-day festivities.
We ate at Dip, a fondue hotspot on the East Side. It was dark and edgy, and very, very chic. I felt like Carrie Bradshaw all over again, very Sex and the City!! We each toasted to Lauren with a bottle of Spanish white wine (very classy, though i regret that I can't remember the name) and shared the Dip sampler (humus, quesadillas, vegetable skewers, and spinach and artichoke dip), feasted on portobello mushrooms, and bit into the Thai spring rolls which came with a tasty peanut sauce. Dinner was followed by a delicious dessert---chocolate chip cookie dough fondue which came with pineapples, strawberries, Rice Krispies treats, brownie fudge, and marshmellows. We all eagerly dipped our sides into this delightful treat. It was great!!

The night wasn't over yet. We headed over to Chelsea, right by Level V, Hotel Gansevoort, and PM. Every place was especially hard to get into, mostly because we weren't willing to spend $100 on bottle service. Luckily, we hit up the Japanese-themed Hiro Lounge at the Maritime Hotel with its cute jungle/safari vibe and art deco lanterns and downed vodka sours, cranberry vodkas, and rum and cokes. Neshama had to leave, but that didn't stop our night. We decided to head back to the East Side and hit up Murray Hill including bars Joshua Tree and 515 on 33rd, all packed. It reminded me of the bars in New Brunswick, much more frat type bars like The Scarlet Pub and Old Queens. Lauren talked up a cute boy of course.

It was a great night and more then anything I was glad that Lauren enjoyed her birthday. And I myself love being in the city with all its urban sophistication. New Yorkers have such joie de vie, they are so fun and have such a love of life!! I just can't wait until I live there among it all.

The night wasn't complete. We came home at a reasonable hour (3am!!) and I was able to get a ride back to New Brunswick to be with Eugene right around the same time Vanessa was showing up at the apartments. The next day, six of us, Vlad and Teddy (in all their hungover glory), Vanessa, me, Eugene, and Gordie enjoyed a delicious IHop breakfast at 11am. Eugene and I stopped at my house for a while and Gordie and Marc headed over to the mall, where Eugene received his b-day present from his roommates and Hali--a customized white polo shirt with the words Russian Bear on it. The four of us dined at U-Yee Sushi/Hibachi for half-price sushi. That place is quickly becoming a Simona/Eugene favorite, we literally go there at least once a week for a whopping $60 worth of sushi for a measly $30.

Eugene and I went to see that hilarious comedy The 40-Year Old Virgin. Eugene headed home and in Metuchen, I received a call from Chaim who I haven't heard from in a long time. I know its wonderful people like Chaim that I will keep in touch with for a long long time. And even if we don't talk everyday or even every week, those people will always be a part of my life--enhancing it, enriching it, making it better. After all, its all about quality, not quantity in friendships and the friends I still do have are definitely the best ever!!!