A Birthday Cab Back In Time

Judging by the fact that it's been a few days since I last made my way 'round these parts, I opined it was time to return to the HoB and check back in with the masses. I first must admit I never expected the reaction I received to my last post. A lot of friends privately touched base with me to let me know they'd read about Josh's passing and were sorry for my loss, and I was amazed, touched, impressed and thankful for the friends who indicated they were thinking of me, whether by comment, phone, e-mail or e-card. So first and foremost, thanks to everyone who checked in, no matter the medium. It was very much appreciated.

As for the last several days, I didn't have much planned as I half-expected I'd be going to Jersey to pay a shiva call or just to check in with Josh's immediate and extended family. That actually didn't happen; it will likely this upcoming weekend, however, so until I actually visit with his family and pay my respects, it will kind of hang over my head a bit. I'm not sure if it's guilt over not being at the funeral or stopping in to see his family this past weekend, but either way I won't really feel like I did the right thing until I actually do.

In the meantime, a friend of mine celebrated a birthday this past weekend in a bar in the Village. The 203 Lounge, located at 203 Spring Street (at Sullivan), provided a perfect backdrop for the smattering of partygoers. Some of the people at the soiree were friends she had made while on a cruise last year (let me know if I'm wrong on the timing, anyone). Between the people I knew and the people I met that night, it was a group of about 15-20 and was a lot of fun. The party was originally called for 9 but I made it downtown and through the front door around 10-ish (fashionably late a la NYC). I spotted some friends in the back and pretty soon I saw the birthday girl, so I got the mandatory introductions and met most (if not all) of the attendees. It was a bit difficult to make out everyone's names due to the loudness so I hope to get some sort of recap later, but the bottom line was it was a fun get-together and the people were great. I took a shitload of pictures and posted them at The House of Boogie photo site, a sister site to this one, so if you're so inclined go take a peek. I didn't bother captioning any of the photos but I was pleased with how they came out; the room itself was nearly pitch black, aside from the random light or votive candle, so the fact I managed to get anyone in focus and in frame shocked me a bit (thank you Nikon). I had a great time.

Around midnight or 12:30 a good friend of mine at the party asked me if I was ready to leave, and since I'd been running around the City the night prior and up early that morning to hit the gym, I agreed to head out with him. Since he lives in Brooklyn, we did a bit of walking to find the F train he needed to get home, and it turns out the nearest F was at 6th Avenue at West 4th. Being that it was so late and I was a bit hazy from two Grey Goose-tonics and a Corona (and a Diet Coke chaser), I sorta forgot where I was until I realized -- slowly, much to my friend's amusement -- that this was near my old stomping grounds. I'd spent many nights (and early, Visine-soaked mornings) down around this neighborhood. Only four blocks up Sixth Avenue, at West 8th, once stood Electric Lady, my band's studio of choice; It's Only Rock and Roll, a store that sold bootleg LP's (and, later, CD's) and memorabilia of rock and roll in general (and where one night, after a concert, Robert Plant walked in at ten to midnight in search of photos of himself with his band onstage); Revolver Records, the off-shoot of It's Only Rock and Roll, featuring mostly CD's and very few LP's, where Chris Rock used to go to find Prince bootlegs; and a variety of restaurants, bars and late-night shenanigans about which I can only bemusedly, and silently, smile through my recollection.

So, back to reality, after my friend descended into the subway, I continued on for a bit in search of my past and a cab, and not in that order.

I made it to 7th and found a soon-to-be vacated cab; I looked the part, sporting a white-check shirt and jeans and a pair of low motorcycle boots, so I didn't feel that out of place. However, as I later recounted to Kaia, there were a lot of women floating around that night wearing little or nothing. I didn't particularly mind, except it made me miss her as I briefly explored the Village. More importantly, it reminded me that soon, in the not-so-distant future, she'd be accompanying me on these late-night explorations, and that gave me some solace as I climbed into the back of the cab and headed back uptown.

Overall, the night was a lot of fun, and I'm glad I made it to the party. I think everyone had fun, and it was a good appetizer to next month, when another friend and I are hosting an after-sin party in mid-October (I'll expound on this later). In either case, it's a good thing to be able to celebrate good things with good people, and this was no exception. Especially given the context of Josh's passing, I was thankful to be able to have fun with fun people, and it definitely woke me up and got me smiling. And my trip down memory lane -- a/k/a 6th Avenue -- was also a nice, brief visit into a past that I don't shun as much as I eschew in favor of the present and the future.