DC, LIC, and Croxley

Well, back to it. It's been a while since my last post- although that picture still retains its hilarious effects. Things have been busy at work (as usual), and I've basically been living at the Westin in DC. Well, technically the client is in McClean, VA which has all the downside of DC (i.e. the traffic) but none of the benefits.

The good news is I'm platinum at Starwood Hotels three times over and I've got Gold status with Delta. At this point my job essentially consists of flying around and racking up points. Actually, 2 weeks from now will mark my 8 month anniversary of spending every week at this client. Needless to say I'm really looking forward to something new- and maybe a month or 2 in NY.

One of the main sources of my desire for some downtime in the city is that I have finally moved out of my tiny apartment in Chinatown and into a brand new building in Long Island City. At my age I have already risen to the lofty status enjoyed by George and Weezy with that deluxe apartment in the sky... and unfortunately I now have the irritating song in my head to accompany it. But, the living space is more generous, amenities are much nicer, and it's tricked out with all of the modern conveniences of the 20th century- ice maker, disposal, dishwasher, washing machine, a dryer, and dare I say, Venetian blinds.

However, my two favorite parts of the apartment are the gym and the balcony off the bedroom that faces a glorious view of midtown Manhattan with the Empire State Building as the centerpiece. On warm summer afternoons you'll find me there with drink in hand or lounging by the rooftop pool. Yes, there's a pool.

Last weekend (the second weekend I've spent in the apartment), a colleague and friend from the DC project came up to visit and we ventured out to Ave B and 3rd Street to dine at a phenomenal establishment called Croxley Ales. The standard night to go is Wednesdays when they have 10 cent wings- which for Manhattan is truly absurd. In addition to delicious (and cheap) wings and Irish dishes, Croxly has a substantial assortment of foreign beers as well as some intriguing (and delicious) beer cocktails, i.e. the Black Velvet (champagne & Guinness).

My compatriot, who is a wing aficionado in his own right, was quite pleased with the selection and we thoroughly enjoyed polishing off our 1 liter mugs of Oktoberfest beer. Other than buying a new couch and dominating bowling on my newly acquired Wii (heh) the weekend was relaxing and largely uneventful. In any event, in the coming weeks I will try and do a better job of "blogging" than I did of avoiding a hangover on Sunday.