Open Road

It was the first time I was able to keep a secret long enough to surprise someone with the information I kept secret. Generally, I am very bad at keeping things to myself. I tend to blab everything. It's a weakness of mine. This is why I am very proud of myself for surprising Doug with tickets to Paul Simon last Friday for his birthday. To be fair, it wasn't a complete surprise. I broke during our dinner before the show, but it was still quite a feat for me to keep quiet for as long as I did.

Paul Simon is one of Doug's favorites; one of mine as well. He played in NYC at the Beacon Theater on the Upper West Side. The Beacon is a classic NYC venue that has been showcasing performers since 1928. It recently underwent a grand renovation and re-opened last Friday night with Paul. It's a small, rather ornate venue catering to an older, more highbrow (and I hate to say it, but downright boring) crowd.

The concert was incredible. The crowd, less so. We were the youngest people there. Almost everyone sat down during the show. Doug and I were actually shushed twice during the evening (once for talking too loudly during a song and once - get this - for screaming too loudly during the applause). The woman to my right had never even heard of Paul Simon. Her date attempted to sing "Mrs. Robinson" to her before the show to see if she recognized the song. And the man to Doug's left slept through probably 80% of the night.

But don't get me wrong, Doug and I had a blast. We stood. We danced. We screamed. We were obnoxious. We elicited stares. But we didn't care. We were at a rock concert. And, of course, it wouldn't have been a true rock concert exprience without Doug's renowned "whale call," which he unleashed at certain points throughout the night. He also developed a new yelp - he calls it the "porpoise call." For all those familiar with the whale call, the porpoise call is even better, trust me.

Paul Simon, himself, was amazing. He's getting up there in years, but the man still sounds exactly the same. He performed with a very large, very talented band - around 10 people playing a range of instruments. And Paul Simon's dance moves, though kinda odd at times, were quite entertaining.

He played all of our favorites, with the exception of Obvious Child (despite my repeated attempts to influence the set list with my loud, screetching "Obvious Child" screams). And, to top off an already incredible show, Garfunkel joined Simon for the encore! And yes, the woman to my right had no idea who Garfunkel was either.

Today is my husband's birthday. I don't know if this holds true for everyone with respect to their spouses, but being married to this guy has made me want to do everything in my power to make this day extra special for him. He's had a birthday bonanza. This morning he got a special birthday breakfast - blueberry pancakes. Today at work, he received a special delivery - balloons, a stuffed animal and a card.

Let me pause right here for a moment. Lest anyone be confused, this man is turning 29, though this post thus far makes him sound like he's turning 10.

Okay, how about this - tonight we're meeting up with a critical mass of Doug's friends at bar called Elsa in the East Village for drinks (alchoholic drinks, at that) and perhaps even some birthday shots.

A few words about the bar. Elsa was originally an East Village dive bar (formerly named the Hanger) that recently underwent a facelift to become a chic, shopisticated cocktail lounge named after fashion world figure Elsa Schiaperalli. The entrance to the bar looks more like a storefront, with men's suits displayed in the windows, and the bar boasts an antique sewing machine tap which pours draught beers. The tailor shop/ bar combo sounded incongruous and odd to me at first. But last week, I popped in to check it out and I couldn't help but be won over by the minimalist decor, the charm of the open and clean, yet small and candle-lit space and the almost anitiquey feel of the place. My only concern was that it was practically empty at the time. I guess we'll just have to bring the party tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy Birthday Dougie Fresh!!!