For Hammer's Bday: A Post About BHL

Although I woke up this morning with eyes as red as my lipstick, I feel good today. I was dreading the "back to work" day all week long, but it's refreshing to have somewhere that I'm required to be. I like it. And I really do appreciate the clean start that each new semester brings. (That is, if I don't think about my incompletes!)

Last night was interesting. (Before I ended up at Cheers, of course. Cheers is rather uninteresting by now, n'est pas?) Hammer is a member of French Tuesdays,* the sponsor of last night's party to be attended by Hammer's mega-crush, pop-philosopher Bernard Henri Levy. (He's in NY doing a book tour for his new book, American Vertigo.) I agreed to meet Hammer at 8:00. The attire? Business-chic, whatever that means!

BHL
Last night it was freezing out. It was the kind of cold that bites at the cheeks until everything is reddened and burned. I took the bus across town to the Bryant Park Hotel. Hammer got us through the proverbial velvet ropes, from where we were ushered into the Cellar Bar-- a room full of suits, skirts, clinking glasses, corsetted waitresses, and a very strange vibe. It's hard for me to describe the crowd. It was a kind of NY Euro-wannabee business-sophisticate set. Totally different from the academics I hang out with by day and the ex-frat boys I hang out with by night.

As we were laying our coats in the corner, someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Lindsay-- a girl that goes to school with us. She was there with a friend of hers. For some reason, I always feel awkward with Lindsay. I can't quite get a read on her. The four of us made some stiff conversation before Hammer and I elbowed our way to the bar. We ordered my old favorite (pre-whiskey Hyde!)-- Kettle One, Chambourd and lime. Then we settled down to people-watch.

Dombasle
Hammer and I agreed-- the crowd enjoyed "being seen" to a greater extent than the party itself. We laughed about an old subject (Email Follies!), while watching the comings and goings of a former acquaintance of Hammer's-- BigEars. Finally, BHL himself appeared. Hammer was fascinated by the somewhat strange look of his wife, Arielle Dombasle. BHL and Dombasle were up in a "special section" of the bar, so it was hard to see what was going on. Everyone was doting on them. He's definitely Hammer's type-- fascinating!

We didn't stick around all that long, instead deciding to look for a pub or a place to get a bite to eat. There's not much in that area though, so we braced ourselves against the wind and marched into Times Square. (Timesy!) For a moment we contemplated going into the ESPN Zone as an ironic counterpoint to our French Tuesday's experience, but then I spotted the Paramount Hotel across the street and suggested that instead. I mentioned to Hammer that I had been at the Paramount bar with Narc, the night of the Wizard's dinner party back in May. She remarked that she used to hang out there and that she and Narc must have the same taste in bars.

But, uh oh! We swung down the wrong side street for the entrance, and it was so cold that we never got there! Instead, we ducked into McDonald's where we gossiped for a while and Hammer taught me how to do sodoku puzzles. There were some strange characters to be found in a Times Square McDonalds, such as a Snoop-Dogg poseur in a long brown fur coat and a fake Louis Vuitton hat. He was spotted checking out another fur-clad McDonald's customer-- an over-tanned girl (to the point of being orange!) in a fluffy white fur.

Finally, we agreed that it was time to head home. I waited in the bitter cold near Port Authority for what seemed like an eternity before I caught sight of the lights of the bus snaking its way across 42nd street.

On foot, heading towards my door, I caught a glimpse of ThursdayGirl through the window of Cheers. She and BarMan have been in the Dominican Republic all week, so I decided to pop in and see how their trip was. Of course, I got sucked into staying longer than I should have. It was strange-- I had about seven drinks, but wasn't really drunk at all. (Maybe because it was vodka and not whiskey... who knows.) Anyway, at around 12:30, I forced myself out of there (partially because I didn't want to deal with making conversation with MarriedGuy and there weren't that many people at the bar) and I got myself to bed. While I was falling asleep, I played my TiVo'd Daily Show, and guess who was the guest? That's right! BHL! And he was wearing the same outfit as I had just seen him in. Funny...

This morning I woke up at 6:00 am and set off for my office where I've been writing syllabi and making photocopies ever since.

All of that said, I have had a lot on my mind to blog about-- first and foremost my Beethoven experience, but all of that seems to have been usurped by the emotional roller coaster posts about what I've been through in my mind in terms of N over the past few days. Perhaps I'll finally get to the Beethoven today.

While Fridays are going to be a killer for me this semester, on the first day of class, I never hold my students for the entire period, so today I have a little extra time on my hands, waiting for the next class to begin.

Anyway, that's it for now...

Hope you're all enjoying the day!

:)

h

*French Tuesdays' stated philosophy:

If you have a particular taste for Champagne, enjoy dancing to eclectic music, being surrounded by an elegant and international crowd, and like French savoir-vivre... You will love our happy and hip gatherings, that take place in the trendiest venues of New York and Miami. Every other Tuesday, from 7pm to 1am, we invite our members for an evening of fun, dance, Champagne and fine food, spiced up with a twist of French flair and heavy accents.