Ice Age III

I am a proud citizen of an Alpine nation, but this past weekend, I have had to discover that it gets much, much colder in other parts of the world.

Plans for a Friday night tour of the East Village literally froze mid-planning, so Geoff, Jeff, Mark, Pia and I spent the entire evening at Rue B instead, guzzling down several glasses of wine and being slightly surprised by the stiff bill that ensued. Nevertheless, a little jazz band that played on an impressive 3-by-3-ft. "stage" and good conversation about hidden New York gems, bird-shaped cities, and marriage made it worth while.

Saturday was kicked off with scrambled eggs and much-needed advice at Cafe Sabarsky with Colin, followed by an oh-so-freezing Staten Island Ferry ride with Pia. After nearly being blown off the boat, we braved icy winds and made our way up to Bleecker Street via Ground Zero and Wall Street. With no feeling left in our hands, toes and faces, we stumbled into Caffe Vivaldi for a hot chocolate, delicious carrot cake and a roaring fire. The day ended with coq au vin and apple pie (courtesy of Scott and Morag) at the Skypad. Due to bachelor-pad-induced lack of furniture, I sat on an upside down laundry hamper.

On Sunday we had brunch at Le Pain Quotidien, went to Mass and after being treated to delicious West Side sushi by my new landlady Alexandra, I spent the rest of the afternoon writing letters and hanging out in front of the fireplace at the Skypad with Bill, Colin and Pia. The boys didn't seem to mind the interruption of their habitual weekend silence, and we wrapped up the weekend with a good movie and snippets of the Super Bowl, accompanied by chips and salsa, and the expert commentary of Bill.

A runny nose, sore throat and perpetually cold feet remain as reminders of Saturday's arctic expedition, but I already have new things to look forward to, like Standing Room tickets to Bellini's I Puritani at the Met tonight, with Anna Netrebko. Pia, the culture vulture, got us tickets, and one of the many benefits of her presence in New York is that she is forcing me to expand my cultural horizons beyond movie theaters, restaurants and jazz bars.