I have a reputation of swanning about with the bon ton all the time, dashing from the Colony Bar to the Stork Club to El Morocco to drink, dish, and "Dahling!" with other elegantes in flawless evening clothes. Um . . . no. But my candle flame is flaring one last time before it's extinguished by preparations for Reunions. This is what the last few days have been like after work:
- Wednesday: Professional networking night. As said before, encounters with old friends and new, a chance to do some business with a vendor, and then dinner afterward with one of my best friends at ye Ynchovies.
- Thursday: Brokelahomo at the Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts. One can just hear the late Bill Sampson saying "The the-ah-tuh! The the-ah-tuh!"
- Friday: Drinks at the home of my French Food-Loving Friend, followed by dinner at ye Yquitayne on Trimount Street. FFLF introduced me to the martinez cocktail (gin, red vermouth, and marschino), rather elegant and packs a punch. And may I say, the salmon rillette . . . fascinatingly savory! If I couldn't live the rest of my life eating only ham biscuits with grainy mustard and tobacco honey from Back Bay Beats, I'd spend it eating only salmon rillette with French bread. Ye Yquitayne was hoppin' and the tables were narrow, so at least THAT part of my social life is quite New York.
- Today, I was horrified to have double-booked myself for luncheon, and ended up having two:
- Luncheon One: You don't hear me use the phrase "old college friends" very much because I really didn't make many friends when I was in college. Some I keep in touch with tenuously on ye Fycebykke, but Paul and Christine and I exchange Christmas cards, and maybe an email a year. Today they happened to be in town, and we rendezvoused at Carrye Nytion for an earlier-than-planned luncheon; I chose the location partially because that site used to be Goodspeed's rare bookstore - and I first met Paul when he was clerking at ye Bystyn Bykke Annexe on Beacon Street near the St. Mary's T stop. I was an usher in their wedding way back in 1987! We sat at a spacious table for three with large leather wing chairs, and Chris played chairwoman of the board. It was fantastic to catch up in person after so long. Oddly enough, we all ended up getting the special burger. And, as it happened, their next appointment was in Cambridge so they drove me to . . .
- Luncheon Two: a pre-birthday luncheon for my best friend with another of our circle at Henrietta's Table. I was only five minutes late (thank goodness!), and besides the conversation enjoyed an aperol spritz with scallops and asparagus. We all ordered the strawberry shortcake, and Mademoiselle kindly arranged for a candle for the birthday boy. Among other things we discussed the upcoming royal wedding, Windsor-Mountbatten scandal old and new, the film roles of Scarlett Johannson, and Running with Scissors.
Next Tuesday is the Birthday Boy's birthday dinner, but after that, I'm going to have to fold my social tent until mid-June.