la vaca gorda!
Tuesday night we decided to do drinks w the girls here & respective boyf/husbands at montys! Except... a serious rainstorm started right before we were supposed to meet up, so while ben & i were there on time (naturally), everyone else showed up about an hour later. Enough time has passed that im not longer cranky about this, but i still found it annoying– everyone here is always on miami time, which means they say they’ll be somewhere at 7, and you know they wont show until 7.45. I would have been fine with it under other circumstances, but the whole point of the happy hour (which none of them could actually partake in by the time they showed up) was for them to meet ben– and we didnt want to stay out that late, so it kind of left a sour taste (that– and they showed up with more random friends, who i didnt even know). Anyway, over it. It just made me thankful for other similar insane upper-east-coast friends who would get similarly antsy and/or pissed in such situations. Is it really that hard to text youre going to be late? Or ask if its ok to bring random friends to a small gathering? Or that post-work drinks mean exactly that – post work – and not three hours after?
Anyway, after that mingling episode, we grabbed takeout sush and laid low. Wednesday was another night of socializing– we had tickets to see ‘the hangover’ at a screening hosted by gen art (they do movie screenings, fashion stuff, shopping, art, etc). So we thought oh ok, lets grab dinner beforehand. We show up at 8oz, the burger place on south beach, at about 6.30. Everyone else runs late– which was actually fine, bc we ordered for them at about 6.45... except the food doesnt come out until about 7.35. And its overcooked; and the sides are all missing; and the waiter is oblivious; and we have to be at the movie at 8. Anyway we stuff our faces in a resentful manner and head to the theatre; buy popcorn; get twizzlers; and thats when ben realizes he lost his glasses. Sadness! After doing a preliminary sweep of the movie theater, we bust out; do the recreation-footsteps through the parking garage, back to 8oz; then back to the movie theater; then back to 8 oz. All the while i am taking little snacks from the popcorn though, so the entire hour wasnt wasted. After a fruitless search, we headed home where i convinced bg that a swim on the roof would make him feel better, so we went up for a night swim. Beautiful! Best idea ever. Then we rounded out the feel-goodness with a trip to the local latin american cafe/cafeteria, where we ordered and inhaled a ton of delicious cookies.
Thursday was a night of cookery– lamb chops – and afterwards we went out to the fountainebleu for some post-drinks. It was still relatively early so the bar area in the lobby was pretty empty, and we got to cattily look at all the random, overly processed ladies who were waiting for men to buy them drinks (sure enough, one finally came over and supplied the four cake-makeup’ed, faux boobies, bleach-blondes with mojitos). After a drink & some champers, we headed poolside so that bg could check it out– and happened upon some new friends at the bar: one was a stylist, the other who knows; both were around 40, with kids; and somehow they kept telling me to try jay-z’s alcoholic beverage. Its pink for the ladies, blue for the gents. At some point, they learned of and became shocked by the fact that i live on the beach, and then of course conversation turned to fake boobs, and suddenly the stylist was reaching her hand under my left breast (braless, btw), and stuffing my dress with cocktail napkins to show me what a boob job could do for me. Total strangers, but totally miami. Then, either before or after that?, i was told to put on her shoes (huge 4 inch lucite) and strut. We somehow managed to get away from them (of course after they asked to be facebook friends) and laughed about it while laying on one of the beds by the pool. I dont know if its something about people being on vacation here, that makes them more apt to engage in random convos or actions like that, or if its just that its unique to miami itself– but i have had so many experiences like that one here. Its classic.
Friday! So get this. Its a gorgeous day, up until about 3pm when the skies literally open up: torrential, monsoon, makes me think "oh, so this is a hurricane." you cant see the two blocks to the ocean; you can’t see the causeway in the distance; you can barely see across the street; and the entire wide open sky is shocked with lightening every few seconds or so– i have never seen such a thing. We sit it out in nicole’s office eating twizzlers and marveling at it all. Finally, at about 6 (after hearing reports about flooding in south beach and hail), the rain lets up and we decide to flee. I was going to give rachel a ride home, so we head to biscayne blvd– only to be stuck in serious, unmovable traffic. Justin calls me & tells me, guess what, both causeways to south beach are closed. This causes rachel to evacuate the car and go to the gym instead of dealing, and i drive up to 79th street to get over. At this point, theres really no way of knowing how bad it is... but apparently the streets were so flooded in parts of sobe that people could not drive onto them, lest their cars float away. In fact, nicole’s car was parked in sobe (where her husband works), in 3 ft of water... basically killing the engine. Rachel’s apt building was totally kicked– the entire garage was flooded, with cars floating in it; and they had no power or water all weekend. Thankfully, i managed to escape the multiple lakes that developed on the way up to 79th street, and once i got over to my neighb, the waters had receeded– although benjamin took pictures of water gushing down the street, people walking knee deep in the thick of it. How utterly insane. Of course, of course, then the sun came out, so i went for a run on the beach, avoiding the larger puddles.
To close the randomness of the day, we went to ‘la vaca gorda’ for our huge argentinian steak, blood sausage, & a delicious bottle of malbec (see me very excited, above). After that, over to a friend of ben’s from college– who lived not that far. We drove over to savannah’s house, where she had a couple of other friends over, and drank cocktails she engineered for us (or rather, I drank one– cucumber, watermelon, mint and vodka, pulverized– and ben kept up with his weeklong obsession with rum on the rocks with lime). After playing the adult version of hackeysack (um, kicking a tennis ball around), checking out her gorgeous river-side water access, and listening to an impromtu jam session (can you tell they were all of the hippie nature?) we finally decided to call it a night.
Anyway, after that mingling episode, we grabbed takeout sush and laid low. Wednesday was another night of socializing– we had tickets to see ‘the hangover’ at a screening hosted by gen art (they do movie screenings, fashion stuff, shopping, art, etc). So we thought oh ok, lets grab dinner beforehand. We show up at 8oz, the burger place on south beach, at about 6.30. Everyone else runs late– which was actually fine, bc we ordered for them at about 6.45... except the food doesnt come out until about 7.35. And its overcooked; and the sides are all missing; and the waiter is oblivious; and we have to be at the movie at 8. Anyway we stuff our faces in a resentful manner and head to the theatre; buy popcorn; get twizzlers; and thats when ben realizes he lost his glasses. Sadness! After doing a preliminary sweep of the movie theater, we bust out; do the recreation-footsteps through the parking garage, back to 8oz; then back to the movie theater; then back to 8 oz. All the while i am taking little snacks from the popcorn though, so the entire hour wasnt wasted. After a fruitless search, we headed home where i convinced bg that a swim on the roof would make him feel better, so we went up for a night swim. Beautiful! Best idea ever. Then we rounded out the feel-goodness with a trip to the local latin american cafe/cafeteria, where we ordered and inhaled a ton of delicious cookies.
Thursday was a night of cookery– lamb chops – and afterwards we went out to the fountainebleu for some post-drinks. It was still relatively early so the bar area in the lobby was pretty empty, and we got to cattily look at all the random, overly processed ladies who were waiting for men to buy them drinks (sure enough, one finally came over and supplied the four cake-makeup’ed, faux boobies, bleach-blondes with mojitos). After a drink & some champers, we headed poolside so that bg could check it out– and happened upon some new friends at the bar: one was a stylist, the other who knows; both were around 40, with kids; and somehow they kept telling me to try jay-z’s alcoholic beverage. Its pink for the ladies, blue for the gents. At some point, they learned of and became shocked by the fact that i live on the beach, and then of course conversation turned to fake boobs, and suddenly the stylist was reaching her hand under my left breast (braless, btw), and stuffing my dress with cocktail napkins to show me what a boob job could do for me. Total strangers, but totally miami. Then, either before or after that?, i was told to put on her shoes (huge 4 inch lucite) and strut. We somehow managed to get away from them (of course after they asked to be facebook friends) and laughed about it while laying on one of the beds by the pool. I dont know if its something about people being on vacation here, that makes them more apt to engage in random convos or actions like that, or if its just that its unique to miami itself– but i have had so many experiences like that one here. Its classic.
Friday! So get this. Its a gorgeous day, up until about 3pm when the skies literally open up: torrential, monsoon, makes me think "oh, so this is a hurricane." you cant see the two blocks to the ocean; you can’t see the causeway in the distance; you can barely see across the street; and the entire wide open sky is shocked with lightening every few seconds or so– i have never seen such a thing. We sit it out in nicole’s office eating twizzlers and marveling at it all. Finally, at about 6 (after hearing reports about flooding in south beach and hail), the rain lets up and we decide to flee. I was going to give rachel a ride home, so we head to biscayne blvd– only to be stuck in serious, unmovable traffic. Justin calls me & tells me, guess what, both causeways to south beach are closed. This causes rachel to evacuate the car and go to the gym instead of dealing, and i drive up to 79th street to get over. At this point, theres really no way of knowing how bad it is... but apparently the streets were so flooded in parts of sobe that people could not drive onto them, lest their cars float away. In fact, nicole’s car was parked in sobe (where her husband works), in 3 ft of water... basically killing the engine. Rachel’s apt building was totally kicked– the entire garage was flooded, with cars floating in it; and they had no power or water all weekend. Thankfully, i managed to escape the multiple lakes that developed on the way up to 79th street, and once i got over to my neighb, the waters had receeded– although benjamin took pictures of water gushing down the street, people walking knee deep in the thick of it. How utterly insane. Of course, of course, then the sun came out, so i went for a run on the beach, avoiding the larger puddles.
view of the streets from the entrance of my building
To close the randomness of the day, we went to ‘la vaca gorda’ for our huge argentinian steak, blood sausage, & a delicious bottle of malbec (see me very excited, above). After that, over to a friend of ben’s from college– who lived not that far. We drove over to savannah’s house, where she had a couple of other friends over, and drank cocktails she engineered for us (or rather, I drank one– cucumber, watermelon, mint and vodka, pulverized– and ben kept up with his weeklong obsession with rum on the rocks with lime). After playing the adult version of hackeysack (um, kicking a tennis ball around), checking out her gorgeous river-side water access, and listening to an impromtu jam session (can you tell they were all of the hippie nature?) we finally decided to call it a night.
Longest post ever, huh? Saturday we sucked up the sun while we could; got ben new glasses; saw the hangover (pretty funny, although not living up to my expectations after everyone’s rave review from Wednesday); and then out to really bad mexican food on south beach & a little bit of dancing at buck 15 before we were overcome with exhaustion. Sunday was pretty similar – sun while we could, a trip to sobe for travel books for the fall; reading of the paper; and, of course, a few drinks at sandbar while it poured. Once the rain stopped, we exchanged our empty glasses for to-go-cups, walked down along the beach while the sun set, and then had dinner at fifi’s- freshly local snapper, florida lobster, and ceviche- , along with more wine....
actual rooftop view!
actual rooftop view of bay, downtown miami... all courtesy benjamin's iphone
The only downside? Getting up this morning at 5 to take ben to the airport, at the conclusion of his vacay here. Booface. I thought i actually might die of nausea, but it has subsided; now im just exhausted but compelled to go to the gym (got a week pass for the uber fancy david barton) and repent my red meat sins. A wonderful, long, packed, delicious week...
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