St Patrick’s Day in New York City. Been here many times in many conditions. Presently sober, but Bill wants to have a pint after work so we’ll try to figure out where to go regarding that. Right across the street from work is Smith and Wollensky, a steak house where I know they have Guinness. So that seems to be the place to go. Or maybe somewhere else if Bill can think of it. My niece, Corinne texted me earlier (12:20AM) about wanting to have a St. Patrick’s Day drink with me so I’m meeting her at McSwells around 8:00.

I sort of fortified myself with McDonalds just to have something in my stomach. Not the best thing, but it was close, cheap and convenient. And it hit the spot, filling the post lunch salad void. And I only eat McD’s a few times a year. Not as exotic to me as it was in my childhood years, when going to McDonalds was a big deal. I chatted with both of my brothers today, Brian and I texting and eventually talking about our St. Patrick’s Day exploits 30 or so years ago, as well as what is going on in Hillsdale. With my brother Frank it was a talk about TV and movies and an invite to go out to Garfield on Sunday for dinner.

It’s Easter and it’s also my niece Meghan’s birthday. I accepted on my behalf, while Bill got an invite from his cousin Elsie for the same day. I am not sure if I was also invited, but Bill mentioned it so perhaps I was or perhaps Bill was overstepping on his invite. In any event, I’ll be Garfield bound and Bill will be in Stuyvesant Town. Just as well. Spoke to Bill and hour ago, he said he was leaving and would meet me here at the office in a few minutes. Now it’s been an hour. Perhaps he was held up walking across town, pushing past parade partiers.

Well we met up outside my building. Bill decked out in his Kelly green beret and Ireland scarf, looking dapper and happy. So many people on the streets I couldn’t think of a spot to go to, then I looked across the street at Smith and Wollensky. It used to be my cousin Jackie’s favorite spot for a steak. I didn’t think it would be too crowded and as we walked through it wasn’t. We walked up to the bar where the barman asked what we were having. I asked for two pints of Guinness and the barman said in a lilting Irish brogue that they don’t have Guinness. We thanked him and we were on our way.

All the pubs were filled to capacity and others were charging a cover just to get in and spend money. Bill mentioned that tomorrow there would be no charge and he was right about that. So we smoked cigars and walked across town, talking. That was nicer than any pub, just strolling and chatting and smoking. He walked me back to the bus terminal and we chatted some more before parting ways, me headed to Hoboken, Bill to Stuyvesant Town. I texted Corinne asking to move our arrangement up an hour. It was no problem for her and I sat on the bus and finished last week’s New Yorker.

Got to McSwells in no time, sat at the bar, ordered a pint when Corinne and her boyfriend Jonathan came in. Hadn’t seen him since the wedding in June and he looked good, soft spoken, well behaved, after all I am the uncle. The bar was getting crowded so I suggested moving to an off the bar area where we sat and I regaled them with tales of my errant youth. Corinne asked about her father’s past and illicit substances and I played dumb. I had three pints of Guinness, Jonathan had two Corona, and Corinne had most of one pint, then switched over to a Blue Moon which I had never heard of before alcohol wise. We parted ways, Corinne and Jonathan off to Clifton for more merriment and me at home to write this. And that’s where we are right now. Where are you?

Here’s some pictures from the parade and thereabouts this St. Patrick’s Day 2008
Everyone had some green on.

Me!

Party Lasses

A gaggle of cuties

a sea of green ♫

randy gams

Iraq vets

Bill McVila

photo by Lisa Rigoux Hoppe from Hoboken St Pat’s 3.1.08

and for making it this far, a video sent to me from Rand Hoppe