Going Home
A rainy cab ride back and a cocktail later, it was time to gather the troops and make our way back to NYC. This time we’d have the party bus limo, fitting all of us. This ride was an adventure. The rain fell harder as we hit the highway. So hard that it began to leak thru the roof of the bus and on top my leg. No worries. We were all kind of mellow at this point.
The occasional rest-jolting moments of excitement came courtesy of our driver. An apparent NASCAR wannabe whose swerves and jolts were surpassed only by the fact that he seemed to forget he was responsible for over a dozen other lives, and not in a bumper-car ride. Luckily, when the traffic go too dense, he too took to a detour. It didn’t slow him down, mind you, but there was less for him to hit.
We had a brief respite thanks to a stop for food. My choice of a hot chicken melt, dripping with all sorts of goodness from the Wawa soon seemed a bad move. Why? Because when it was time to eat, Mario freakin’ Andretti was off and running–and so was my sandwich. Forget about trying to drink now. More things were being spilled as we all laughed and tried to keep some sense of balance.
Four-plus hours later, as we were careening around the rain-soaked helix into the Lincoln Tunnel, lives flashed and imaginary headlines of overturned vans passed before our eyes. I grabbed my other friend Courtney’s hand (yes, there were two Courtney’s on the trip. Two Stephanie’s too) in a recreation of Thelma and Louise. We both seemed to have a strange fascination with an over-the-cliff ending to life. However, in our fantasy we had eaten a huge steak dinner before our flight to death. So we knew deep inside that our end was not as near as it seemed.
Once securely on solid ground near our point of origin in Union Square, it was time for goodbyes. I said it before, but will always say how I adore this group of friends. And while there were a plethora of shortcomings in the hotel itself, this was a perfect weekend thanks to the company I was keeping. As I tried to put it all into words in my head, an email came from Amanda the birthday girl that summed it all up perfectly with her ‘A.C. Glammy Awards’…
Jen “Staple this itinerary to your ass” Baggett: Planning and executing this whole affair–no detail left unexplored!–and still managing to have a good time.
Holly “Energizer Bunny” Corbett: For busting out the gravity defying b-day dance moves that got the party started.
Meghann Foye: Feeding Holly endless rounds of cocktails over dinner (and keeping her away from the chocolate at 5:00 am).
Sarah & Pete: Bringing the Hamptons-fabulous resort wear look to Dirty Jersey (and sticking it out ’til *last* call).
Beth Frey: Staking her claim to one of the few available spots at the ridiculously small Water Club pool (and talking me through the final days of being 29).
Courtney Thom: Making the effortless transition from cube-mate to party-friend in about 2.4 seconds (and becoming Stephen Bailey’s photographic muse…so glamorous).
Bindu Swamy: Smooching gross sweaty men in order to get the DJ at Mixxx to wish me a Happy Birthday (and betting on Odd/Black/1st 12 to win us loads of drinking money).
Melissa Braverman: Rivaling Holly C with her late entry dance floor moves at Mur Mur! And for ringing in both 29 and 30 with me (your big day is coming, my friend).
Stephanie Davis: Traveling thousands of miles on a gimp leg to come to NYC/AC for the big event (and drinking all night with me on Friday).
Stephanie Sholtis & Courtney Dubin: For bringing Broadway Dance, leotards, and some serious 80s moves back into my life.
Trisha Posen: Showing all of us that Jersey girls can be absolutely fabulous (and supplying me with the VS hookup–a lifesaver).
Stephen Bailey: Yet again sacrificing his free time and energy to hang out with beautiful women in a limo and entertaining them ’til dawn.
Jeff Cravens: Making sure team AC was stocked with alcohol, mixers and chips, and for being the best BF in the world (sorry…I know, but I couldn’t not say it).
Thanks Amanda. I couldn’t have said it better!
And of course a special award:
Amanda “Birthday Girl” Pressner: For being the happy inspiration behind this fabulous celebration!
See Also:
Atlantic City Weekend – Gallery
The Lost Girls
The Water Club
