Bad

I have found that going to New York, coming back again, going to Amsterdam, coming back again, dating someone, moving house, etc, is not conducive to good blogging.

I have had more great stories to tell in the past few weeks than I have had in a long while, but conversely no time to think about writing about them.

Anyway, this is cheating, kind of, I guess, but I need to post something, so here's a meme sent to me by my lovely friend Helen (who will be 32 on Friday):

1. What time did you get up this morning?
8.00am

2. Diamonds or Pearls?
Diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Inside Man

4. What is your favorite TV show?
The OC, although season 3 has sucked slightly

5. What did you have for breakfast?
A chai latte and a low-carb doughnut

6. What is your middle name?
Jonathan

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Fish and chips with curry sauce from the Ancient Mariner in Trowbridge (Tim: I'm expecting a comment on this one alone!)

8. What foods do you dislike?
I'm struggling with this one. Oh! Whole fish. I'm scared of unprocessed fish the same way some people are about snakes. They FREAK ME OUT!!!

9. Your favorite Potato chip?
Sea salt and black pepper kettle chips

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
"Logic Will Break Your Heart" by The Stills

11. What kind of car do you drive?
An SUV

12. Favorite sandwich?
Breakfast sandwich

13. What characteristics do you despise?
My characteristics, but only in other people

14. What are your favorite clothes?
Jeans and a white T-shirt

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Vietnam or Cambodia

16. Where WOULDN'T you go?
Blackpool

17. Favorite brand of clothing? Alexander McQueen (expensive)
American Apparel (inexpensive)

18. Where would you want to retire to?
A town house on the outskirts of Bath

19. Favorite time of day?
8am on a Saturday

20.Where were you born? Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire

21. What is your favorite sport to watch? Tennis

22. Who do you think will not link to this meme?
Helen, because she's already done it

23. Person you expect to send it back first?
Um. I know, but I'm not telling!

24. Pepsi or Coke?
Pepsi

25. Beavers or Ducks? Ducks

26. Are you a morning person or night owl?
Like Helen said, I'm flexible as it depends on what is going on

27. Pedicure or Manicure?
Manicure

28. Favorite food to order out at a restaurant?
Lemon chicken and special fried rice from Deliverence

29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? I just moved to Shoreditch!!!

30. How many times have you really been in love?
Twice

31. Did you marry one of #30?
No

32. What is your best childhood memory?
Being taken to The Tropicana water park in Weston Super Mare by my Grandma and Auntie Viv

33. Favorite movie?
That's a tricky one. Three Colours Blue or When Harry Met Sally

34. Do you have a Will?
Yes. It's very, very strong!

35. Piercings?
Yes, in my ear and it's never ever closed over even though I haven't properly worn a piercing for years

36. Ever been to Africa?
No, but that will change in December

37. Ever been toilet papering?
No. I think that's an American thing

38. Been in a car accident?
No, thank God!

39. Favorite day of the week?
I want to say Friday, because of the anticipation, but anyone who knows me will know that I would rather it was Christmas Day than Christmas Eve, because it's closer to unwrapping my presents. So Saturday

40. Favorite restaurant?
Criterion in Piccadilly Circus

41. Favorite flower?
Camelia

42. Favorite ice cream?
Haagen Daz [sic] Strawberry

43. Favorite fast food restaurant?
McD

44. What is your dream job?
(Unrealistic and unatainable) internationally famous film star, but not a sell out. A male version of Gwyneth Paltrow
(Realistic, but still unatainable) or an accident and emergency physician

45. From whom did you get your last e-mail?
Katie. She sent me this:

















46. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Brown's Focus

47. Bedtime?
11pm

48. Last person you went to dinner with?
Andy

49. What are you listening to right now?
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

50. What is your favorite color?
Purple

51. How many tattoos do you have?
1

52. What time did you finish this?
10.15am

53. Favorite magazine?
Vanity Fair, especially when it features anything written by Maureen Orth

Reasons to be sad to leave NYC

Well, one actually. Our dedicated waiter last Sunday night at Hiro:


Seriously though, I was a good boy. For once, I'm taken.

Coming home

The underwear I stole:

Two words come to mind ...

Wonder. Woman.

Back

I'm mortally hungover. I have vague recollections of putting $5 in a go-go dancers thong, stealing underwear from a party in a store and talking to actor Luke Wilson in the elevator on my way back to my room.

It would seem that I am back in NYC.

Madonna rip-off shocker

One of the great things about working for the particular company I work for is that I get really, really good perks.

Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to purchase tickets to see Madonna, after they had all sold out in eight minutes. The tickets, however, with absolutely no mark-up added, were one hundred and twenty pounds! These were for pretty basic seats in the arena and were certainly not going to be so close to the stage that you were going to be sprayed with sweat everytime she "expressed herself".

I think I truly am a lapsed Madonna fan now, because I categorically object to having to pay fucking one hundred and twenty pounds for a fucking ticket to see some almost over-the-hill pop star probably get another hernia attempting dance moves that her backing dancers can clearly do better than her!!!

As I told my work colleague, I would rather spend the money on a flight to see old friends in Italy than line the pockets of a multi-millionaire octogenarian songstress.

Hmm. Perhaps I'm getting old, too?

I think that's the longest I've gone without posting for quite some time.

I've been incredibly busy at work organising this New York press trip. Tickets for flights needed to be booked by the close of play on Thursday and by close of play on Wednesday I had only one person confirmed. Which made my own position on the trip that much less tenable. But as is always the way the other two confirmed at the last minute. Now all is good.

So I leave on Tuesday morning and I arrive back in London the following Tuesday. Strangely I'm not particularly nervous about it. Thankfully I have a lot to when I am there and strangely I will also have enough English people there, while I am there to help cushion the emotional impact. My old flatmate, Lynda, and her boyfriend Gary will be there at the same time, as will by board director who I have known for ten years and my managing director who, sycophancy aside, is one of my favourite people at work.

On Tuesday night I am going to a party for a top tennis star, followed by a party David LaChapelle is throwing for Amanda Lepore and her new blow-up sex doll. That should be a hoot, natch. Then on Wednesday I am at the NYC International Auto Show all day, which is AWESOME! In the evening I have a dinner at the Mercer Kitchen. On Sunday I am having Easter lunch at my friend Lincoln's mom's place on the Upper East Side.

And at some point I am also going to see Will, my ex-boyfriend, for coffee. I realised yesterday that when I see him it will have been almost exactly two years since we split up.

It's all a bit surreal. I probably sound like a total drama-queen.

Anyway, I will take lots of photos and will try to post where I can.