Monday, April 27, 2009

THE HEAT IS ON...FINALLY! (long post)

After what seemed to be an eternity of less than stellar spring weather, we finally got a dose of some warmth this past weekend, with the temps soaring well into the 80's. And with the hot temperatures everyone finally got the chance to shed their winter skin once and for all, choosing to don the shorts and tee shirts and trading in the shoes for flip-flops. The weather forecasts calls for a few more days of beautiful weather in the 80's and believe me, I'll take it any day of the week.

WEEKEND RECAP

The weekend overall was pretty good, thanks in part to the great weather we had. On FRIDAY, the thing we noticed the most was the unusually large number of drunk folks that came to our place. My guess is that the bulk of them probably came from the bars that had outdoor decks or rooftops because many of them looked drunk and tanned. And in some cases, sunburned!

We also had a large crowd in place for what was supposed to be the clinching game for the NY Rangers, who were on the verge of ousting the Washington Capitals. Going into the game, the Blueshirts held a 3 games to 1 lead over the Capitals and only needed one more win to move on to the next round.

Unfortunately, the Blueshirts forgot to read that memo as they were blanked 4-0 by the Capitals on home ice, disappointing the capacity crowd that caught the game at the bar. Do we smell a choke coming on? Stay tuned. And to make matters worse, the NY Yankees continued their losing ways, blowing a lead and losing to their dreaded rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in humiliating manner no less. Maybe that explains the drunken folks staggering about. Probably crying in their beers after the humiliating losses by the locals.


SATURDAY was an interesting day. The sunny weather brought out the neighborhood folks in droves, looking to enjoy the balmy day. The bar hosted an NFL Draft party for the Miami Dolphins Fan Club of NYC. Between the Dolphins supporters there for the draft, Yankee/Red Sox fans checking out the game and Flyers/Pens fans watching their playoff game, it made for a pretty busy afternoon. It never ceases to amaze me how caught up folks get when it comes to the NFL Draft. NY Jets fans were especially happy at the results of the draft, getting their prized possession, USC QB Mark Sanchez. As you can expect, there was a lot of celebrating going on at the bar. A long day for me, but a fun day overall.

SUNDAY brought us yet another spectacular day in which the weather was the highlight. Another sign of spring took place with the Street Fair on 3rd Ave. Another rite of passage for living in the Big Apple, the Street Fair is where one can go for bric-a-brac, irregular socks and underwear, candles, household items, grilled foods that are no good for you. It's also great for people watching. It gets old after awhile, seeing the same old stands at every street fair, but it wouldn't be New York without it.

The NY Rangers faced off against Washington again with the hopes of putting their rivals away once and for all; this time, their lead cut to 3-2. Lots of speculation about the Blueshirts possibly blowing this series, especially after the brutal loss they suffered on Friday. This was simply a must win for them or else they would have to go back to Washington D.C. for a Game 7. Not a good scenario for the locals.

With everything on the line, what happens? Of course the Blueshirts fail to live up to expectations, getting blown out 5-3 on home ice. Now they find themselves with their backs against the wall and facing a hostile crowd in D.C. on Tuesday for a Game 7. Good luck with that.

However, they aren't the only ones with their backs against the wall. The NJ Devils also find themselves with their backs against the walls, losing 4-0 to Carolina to tie their series at 3 games a piece. As a result, this Tuesday will be dubbed DOOMSDAY TUESDAY. Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose. Will it be the end of the road for the local teams? Again, stay tuned...

So, after all of that, I found myself settling in for a chilled out Sunday evening. The Yankees were again losing to the Red Sox, the Devils were losing against Carolina, yet the windows were open, a nice breeze blowing into the bar, happy people walking by; you'd expect me to be enjoying the moment. Of course, all it takes is one patron to muck things up and put me in a foul mood.

The lucky person in this instance was this redhead who came in with her boyfriend. They had just had a big meal next door at Jackson Hole. They sat at the bar, he orders an Absolut Citron Screwdriver, while she inquires about the wine. After sampling the Pinot Grigio and the Chardonnay, she makes a face on each one before finally deciding on the Chardonnay. So I open a bottle of the Chardonnay and pour a glass for her. She takes a sip and decides that she doesn't want wine after all. I look at her and she looks back at me and orders a Ketel One/Soda instead. Now I'm afraid to pour it in case she decides to change her mind again. I finally give her what she wanted and she takes the drink, mumbling the whole time. Her boyfriend apologizes for her indecisiveness and she looks at him and gives him the look of death. What a snot. It amazes me sometimes how one person could mar someone's day. WTF?

It's going to be a busy week. Aside from DOOMSDAY TUESDAY in the NHL, we also have WEDNESDAY PUB TRIVIA back this week, the KENTUCKY DERBY on Saturday, always fun to watch. We also have the big boxing match that night, featuring crowd favorite RICKY HATTON vs the reigning champion and current best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, MANNY PACQUIAO. It should be a very entertaining fight. From there, we roll into CINCO DE MAYO, always a great time.

Spring is kicking into high gear and quite frankly, I can't wait!


Nuff Said