Brooklyn, delays & LDN

Just a quick one, no photos today.

Went to the party in Brooklyn. I decided I WASN'T going to go, then was sitting reading my Time Out NY at eating pot noodles at about 8pm, and thought - y'know what? It's New York, for God's sake. So I took the subway out to Brooklyn at about 9.30 and met Krista at her place. Brooklyn seemed a lot 'cooler', even just from the geezers getting on the train. Like a less gentrified Soho/Village/Chelsea. Very Melbourne. But in a good way. So I met up with Krista and her cat - so much fur, wow - and we had a wine and chatted about life and plays and New York and Interplay. Then we got a car service to the party. The driver had no idea where he was going, and kept demanding that Krista look at her iPhone to get directions - "Look at your GPS, look at your GPS!" - and charged us like $8 more than he was meant to. Whatever. We were glad to get there alive after all his shenanigans.

Party was in an apartment, not sure whose, but it was busy and sweaty and cool. We had some champagne and chatted, talked to some people. One girl got all up in my face about being Australian, questioning my accent, saying I didn't 'look' Australian - bitch, you didn't look stupid, but shit. Stayed there til the wee hours, then jumped back in a car and back to the hostel. Wasn't brave enough to tackle the Subway in the early hours, even though Krista assured me it would be safe. I had no credit, and no-one could understand my accent, so even if I did cry for help, no-one would get it.

Friday I did a MASSIVE walk down 5th Ave, checked out the toy stores and the Apple store and a whole bunch of other stuff I can't remember. Feet very sore. It was stupidly hot again, but then there was a thunderstorm - stuck in the middle of Central Park, no trees, drenched - but then the sun came out again and it was 40 degrees. Nice.

London: flight delayed 2.5 hours. Hardly slept at all. Off the flight, grabbed my bags, jumped on the Tube - still 10 quid left on my Oyster card!! Hilarious! Had arranged to meet Beth at Earl's Court, and while I waited, I went and bought a SIM card for my phone - new number is 0750 401 7037 - and set that up. So good to see Beth's stupid head running across the road to greet me. We went for a few wines and met up with Georgia, her housemate and Aussiemate and one of mum's old students (she taught them both English). George went to work and Beth and I went home to eat spag bol and watch DVDs. I was heaps tired from the flight still, and was pretty much dead by 11. It doesn't get dark til crazy late here, like 10pm and there's still light. But it feels so comfortable and home-like. I'm so glad to be here! Everything's familiar and lovely.

Yesterday I caught up with Inga for lunch - Inga worked on Reception with me at the hotel in Gloucester Rd. Again, lovely. Her friend Nancy came, and she works at the hotel now, as a Concierge. We got nachos and steak - real food is real different to 2 minute noodles! - and cider and just chatted for ages, and then took a walk to the Hyde Park and sat in the sun. So lovely. Stopped by the hotel and saw Pat and Susana, which was lovely too. Pat came out after work and we all went for a drink. It all just clicked back in place, there was only a few minutes of the awkward I-haven't-seen-you-for-two-years shit, and then BAM! Back into it. Good times.

After all that, met George and Beth again at the Troubadour (which is fast becoming a habit - twice in two days. And twice in two days there have been crazies wandering around out the front, the first one thinking Beth had "nice legs, nice long legs, real nice legs yeah"). We got talking to this guy whose band was playing there and he tried to convince us to go down and watch, and we just... didn't. We had dip and chips instead. He was nice enough, though.

Feeling very weird at the moment. Mitch, my Labrador, is a bit sick at home, and he's going to the doctors tomorrow morning to work out if they're going to do a very expensive operation on him. I'm scared he's going to die and I'm not going to be there. I don't even think I can comprehend what I would do if that happened. He is my best friend, y'know? I'm sure I treat him like shit a whole lot and he resents me for it, but he's been in our family since I was little. He walked me and my cousins to primary school every day, he's gone on holidays with us, he's run away and come back again, he's never growled in his life, EVER, he's just slept and played and sometimes pooed on the carpet. We still have an extension cable that's kinda stained from a runny poo he did on it one night when he had an upset tummy and we were all sleeping. Crazy puppy. I don't even want to think about it because I'm already a bit teary just writing this. Idiot. I kept laughing, saying, Oh haha, Mitch better not die while I'm away! I even TOLD him, I said, DON'T. But he's a bit deaf, I don't think I said it loud enough. Maybe I'll Facebook him.

Tomorrow's Jes. She must've left already, or be getting ready too. I'm collecting her from the airport circa 2.30pm. We're in Reading on Friday, seeing Simon Amstell's stand-up show, and then hopefully the markets this weekend, and Beth and Georgia are having a partay this Saturday night, which'll be funtimes!

That's about it. Georgia just came back with groceries. I'm off, then!

Love to all.
Text me!!!!

xd