Come on, dance
Jump on it
If you sexy then flaunt it
Well it’s Saturday night and we in the spot
Don’t believe me just watch come on!

Mark Ronson w Bruno Mars

The Friday late night wedding partying has now turned into Saturday morning. Uncle John and Aunt Tina are hosting a breakfast buffet. After the last couple nights, I need no food but, I did it anyway. After all they had bacon so I had bacon and then I had more bacon. I’m the baconator. Fun time at the buffet, but it wasn’t quite as lively as Friday night. I’m not saying anybody was hungover but many seemed a bit slow. Goodbyes are said and it has been a fantastic couple of days. The opportunity to come to John and Theresa’s wedding has been memorable in all ways. An event that was not to be missed and we will miss them.

Checkout time has arrived and we are headed off to Kevin and Laurayne Croke’s apartment in Jersey City. I am excited. I have seen the views and can’t wait to see the place. As an added bonus, I’m riding with Laurie in her Audi 5 sports car. Zoom and more Zoom (and that is just in the parking lot) as we are leading a caravan to the apartment. Laurayne and I have lost her mother, Emilie and my mother in law, Carol somewhere in the parking lot and our worry meter has skyrocketed. Put those two sisters together and you never know where they might go. So after a tour around the parking lot they are no where to be found but we have Frank, Lorraine, Robert and Janet behind us so off we go. It is a grand drive for me, seeing the sites along the way. I love the drive but thankful I ain’t driving. We make a myriad of turns and somehow we have now lost Frank and Lorraine. As we pull into park, here comes Frank and Lorraine and Aunt Emilie has reappeared right behind Frank and Lorraine. We are totally mystified but glad that everybody has arrived safely. It probably best we don’t know how they ended up at the right place right behind us.

This apartment thing rocks. From the Crokes’s apartment you can see across the Hudson River into NYC and the Freedom Tower looms straight ahead. It is a phenomenal setting. Sort of breathtaking. Standing on the porch, you can even see the Statue of Liberty. It is simply fantastic. Kevin has broke out a Mermaid Pilsner from Coney Island Brewery for me to drink and it is simply the best pilsner I have ever had. It really is light and refreshing. Just my thoughts but it gets a great recommendation from me.We have chips and cheeses just what I needed–more food.

We head off from the Croke’s pad for a walk along the river. It is a cool, sunny, but blustery day. A beautiful walk towards Ellis Island. The whole gang heads out our journey minus Lorraine’s mother who we leave back in the apartment guarding (ok, maybe drinking) the wine. I’m blown away as today really has extra meaning with the Paris attacks from yesterday. Here to one side we view the Freedom Tower and to the other side we see the gift from France–The Statue of Liberty. Liberty State Park in New Jersey is awesome. Bike paths everywhere and folks are running and biking along the Hudson. Frank points out the old railroad station where the immigrants from Europe were dispersed by train. It is part of the park and in disrepair yet historical and meaningful. I’m thinking it needs to be restored as it is very significant in American history.

After a nice hike and boat ride, we head back to the Crokes and time for Bryan, Caitlin, Jordyn, Carolyn and I to pack up all our suitcases and Uber into NYC. This time our Uber XL is a beat up old Chrysler van but we manage to get all of our stuff in and away we go. Kevin Croke has arranged for us to stay at the famous Roosevelt Hotel. He is the Marketing Director for the Roosevelt and has arranged our reservations. Down through the Lincoln Tunnel we go. I am anxious being under a river and not certain I could get used to that. Claustrophobic!  We are out and on our way.

We arrive at the Roosevelt Hotel, and I am pumped up. Caitlin had suggested that Carolyn and I should watch Mad Men on Netflix. The Roosevelt Hotel is featured in Mad Men as part of the Madison Avenue scenes. I’m getting a Mad Men groove. If you haven’t seen it well it’s a gritty business drama that takes place in NYC in the 1960’s. We settle in to our suite and it is sweet. Kevin has delivered the goods and to top it off, up comes a wine, cheese and fruit platter. Wow. I’m living it up in the city. Jordyn has her own room and bathroom. I’m thinking this is grand. We settle in and head off into the night for some sight seeing. Time to change so I’m Stylin’, whilen, livin’ it up in the city Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent Got kiss myself, I’m so pretty

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Uncle Paul’s pizza, Maloney’s Bar or something like that since they all have Irish names, Heartland Brewery, and of course we walk around the city at night–Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It is fantastic. To make it all more meaningful to me, I was notified a week earlier that I had won a signed copy of Nelson DeMille’s rereleased book Cathedral. The book was originally written in 1981 and is one of my favorite DeMille stories. Cathedral is about a hostage situation involving the Irish Republic Army that takes place in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s as relevant of a story today as it was back in 1981. On a side note, DeMille is one of Alison Cerar’s favorite authors and he lives close to her mother. Alison has met him a few times. I’m just a bit jealous.

Law enforcement is out in force with added security everywhere. It is a people watcher’s dream. You just about see everything imaginable. This is my first evening in NYC so I’m playing  tourist.

It is time for a trip back to the hotel and to the famous Roosevelt Hotel Bar. Why? It is a Mad Men thing and I am determined to have a world famous Old Fashioned. That Uptown Funk is rolling through my head. Stop, wait a minute Fill my cup, put some liquor in it Take a sip, sign a check

Bryan and I enjoy the ambiance of the Madison Club Lounge. Our bartender, Tony is right out of the movies. He’s classic and I feel like I’m in a movie scene or at least a Mad Men scene. He makes the very best Old Fashioned I have ever had. He tells us some good stories and is just what we imagined as our NYC bartender. We enjoy our time. We get to talk with Tony, and he is a bartender right out of the movies. Classic place for a libation.

Time to hit the room as tomorrow is bound to be an incredible day with another grand adventure.
Yes indeed I’ve been having an Uptown Funk evening.