Stoned Crow

After an afternoon spent looking at the evolution of American fashion at the Museum at FIT and trolling for vintage at an antique sale that happens every weekend a stone's throw from my test prep world. Stella, Lauren, Jo, and I ambled whilst commenting--a veritable platter of views on everything from corsets to communism.

After Jo skipped away to meet a former lover for coffee; Lauren, Stella, and I encountered a jewelry designer who was seeking out inspiration with his adorable 11-month old French Bulldog, Kyle. We stopped. We petted. We talked. He was torn between the striking, 1940s style Ella and blinded by Lauren's bling ring--I wasn't sure he was single but for a man with a woman of his own, it was one pregnant pause amidst our trio. I guess he can always blame Kyle.

Lauren and I can only handle so much window shopping before we go a bit stir-crazy, so we air-kissed Stella and headed uptown to watch a free screening of My Father's Will. It was a relatively empty theater considering it was a free movie at 6pm on a Saturday but the frequent announcements of the lack of air circulation brought attention to the reality that most of our fellow movie-goers were over the age of 60. Yes, we were in senior territory.

The movie was bad. Not good bad. Just bad. Neither the acting nor the writing lent itself to posit that success would be achieved at the box office.

Lauren and I had the chance to catch up, which was terrific. It's marvelous to know someone long enough to see them figure themselves out. To see their style change from flannel to formal, watch their hair lengthen and then shorten, witness their departure from first puberty and now from singlehood. For someone who has always been a year my junior, Lauren has always been my senior in knowing that she wanted to follow a set path in life. Be it market research or marriage or a mortgage, she wanted it and she did everything she needed to get it. I respect that intensely and it's been a pleasure to be a part of it all, albeit peripherally.

After I sent Lauren home with half a HUGE popcorn for the hubby-to-be, I skipped down Bleecker St. to meet Jo. We sat for hours at Faye's on the Square chatting and chiding. No coffee was purchased. She suggested we head to the Stoned Crow when the barista called last call. On the walk there we ran into a friend of hers from college on the street--such a small city in so many ways.

At first the bar was a regular dive but as the first wave waned and the second wind blew in, we were bolstered by our buzz and the M&A guy from Memphis that bumped me ended up getting his friend's mother to take pictures of the three of us. His friend's dad insisted Jo do a shot of SoCo and lime which she graciously gave to me. The Clark Kent look-a-like seemed less unattainable despite the Lois Lane wannabe's best efforts to keep us at bay.

One thing led to another and we were suddenly enveloped by a bachelor party of Yalies visiting NYC. Most of the crowd dissipated and at last call it was two Yalies named Jesse and two Johnny Hop girls sipping Bud at the Stoned Crow.

We walked the Jesses to Bleecker St. Pizza because they believed it to be the best in NYC. Everyone has their faves. Lack of direction led to stoop sitting and pizza eating by the Jesses. We decided to get one last drink and headed up Barrow.

More beer and revealing conversation led us to learn that Jesse I is a middle school English teacher in CT while Jesse II is a 3L at Harvard. One final last call made us feel like we were shutting the city down.

Jesse I asked for and attained Jo's number and Jesse II not caring or daring to do the same. This led me to ponder if perhaps I was, for once, the lucky recipient or fatefully flawed female in a wingman situation. Other than the absence of game on their part and the frequent digs Jesse II took at my saucy disposition I had nothing to gauge interest upon.

The highlights of the night were Jesse II repeating a few times, "You're accusatory!" (a finger pointed directly at me) followed by, "I can't believe we haven't bored you girls into leaving, yet." Interesting since they seemed to have ditched their friends to hang out with us...