Monday, March 23, 2009

Friday Fun On The LES: Part Two

Friday night, the celebration of work galpal Katie’s move to the burbs continued at Boss Tweed’s Saloon on the Lower East Side.

Katie and me enjoying cocktails at Boss Tweed’s on the LES

We opted to skip the beer pong and concentrate on enjoying the action-packed crowd, which included about a dozen of us.

Conversation quickly turned to the evening’s main attraction -- the mechanical bull at another LES nightspot, Mason Dixon’s. By the time we got there, I was more than a little anxious about climbing aboard. Especially when I had to sign a waiver and present my ID to the very menacing bull operator.

Yikes: Getting ready to ride at Mason Dixon’s

Katie, a mechanical bull veteran, advised me that the best way to avoid injury is to just go with the inevitable fall when it starts. I kept her wise words in mind as I entered the bullpen.

With the supportive cheers and applause of friends and strangers alike, I straddled the mechanical bull and hoped for the best.

$5 well spent: Riding the bull. Yee hah!

Though I didn’t feel unleashed like Miranda on “Sex And The City” (nor did I feel inclined to rip open my top), I enjoyed my 20 seconds or so of writhing around. And the fall on my rear end was only marginally terrifying. The ride was also a great mini workout, as I discovered from the burning sensation in my thighs afterward.

Katie, roommates Beth and Jon, and former Quinn & Co. staffer Juliann all took turns riding the bull before we decided to move onto the next destination, Piano's.

It turned out the bar had reached capacity and was only admitting women. Contemplating the favorable guy-girl ratio inside, I was thisclose to parting company from Katie & Co. I chose instead to head back with everyone to Katie’s abode, where she filled me in about her long history with boyfriend Connor, who she’ll soon be residing with in Connecticut.

Their parents are good friends and it was love at first sight for Katie when she met Connor at the age of 15. A few years later, when she finally professed her feelings, he responded with a kiss. And, a long distance scenario notwithstanding (Katie lived in Florida for awhile), that was that.

As Katie gushed about her beloved beau, I couldn’t help thinking about the fickle finger of fate -- how some people find happily ever after straight out of the gate, while the rest of us end up taking more than a few detours to get there.

Despite the seeming randomness of it all, I took great comfort in Katie’s tale. It reminded me of the times that I've felt head over heels -- and how much I’m looking forward to the day when I feel that way again.

1 comment:

SteamyKitchen said...

WOOOHOO!!! you need a cowboy hat!