Thanksgiving and 27 on 27 in NYC

So we left the big house and three small dogs in the care of Mirta, my sister of another mother, and D1, Wifey, and I were off to MIA. We set up shop in the Centurion Lounge, the new place AMEX gives to its customers, and it's really the only way to begin a journey -- open bar with premium drinks, gourmet food, etc... I had my share, and was feeling fine by the time we boarded the 737, although they took D1's bag at the plane entrance, explaining they would return it at the gate in NYC. They later changed their tune, sending us all to baggage retrieval, which was a mistake, as they in fact brought the bag planeside...D2's friend Ben heard our family name on the PA in LGA, some tensosity ensued, and the trip was off to a little mean start, mostly to my being a grouchy old dude. But, seeing D2, hugging her, and feeling the cooler NYC air, set things right. D1 stayed with her sister and D2's boyfriend Jonathan, and Wifey and I walked the few blocks to the Gansevoort Hotel. The name is Dutch for "We do, like all nice NY hotels, charge too much, but it could be worse." Thursday am I learned that coffee was not complementary, but they had an awesome 24 hour grocery called Bread and Butter right across the street, and they had fine java. We met up with Wifey's BFF Edna and her man Marc, in from Atlanta, and then were joined by Edna's girl Lauren, a NYC resident as well. We walked to D2's place, they gave the quick tour of their apartment, and then our group was off to T Day lunch. Wifey picked the Water Club, a big barge on the East River just a short walk from D2, and it reminded us all of the Rusty Pelican in Miami, although not tropical. We ate, drank, and were truly thankful for all our manifold blessings. After lunch we walked around, and waited for the night's festivities. Lauren hooked us up with reservations at the Comedy Cellar, a veritable place in the Village, and after a mix up with the number of us, as well as a glorious slice of NY pizza, we were seated and the show began. The Ds and Lauren and Jonathan were thrilled -- in the audience was an actor who plays McGlovin from "Super Bad," which Jonathan explained was THE movie that represents his generation's high school days. There were 4 comics, 2 very good, one boring, and the female one creepy -- telling strange abortion jokes and tales of losing weight, even though she was scarily skinny... The best of the lot was a black guy. Wifey later looked him up and learned he was raised in the Bronx Jewish, due to his step dad...Typical NY tale... Friday was the 27th, and D1's 27th birthday. We all ubered (in two cars, which I called TWO-ber) to Brooklyn to a restaurant in Brooklyn Heights called Friend of the Farmer. I was skeptical, as the place sounded to healthy and hipster, but in fact the food was amazing -- simple and delicious. I had a corn chowder and a tuna sandwich on some kind of multigrain bread. They brought out an apple pie a la mode with a candle for D1, and we sang and ate the pie -- more toasts to great things. Friday night we met D1's friend Sydney at a mussel place in the West Village, and then the Ds went out with her while Wifey and I headed back to the hotel for some time by the gas fireplace... Saturday was a day walking to Washington Square, and avoiding the drizzle -- we called it an early afternoon, and I watched college ball on TV while Wifey and Edna solved all world problems. Saturday night we went to Sammy's Romanian -- Ashkenazi soul food, and a hilarious DJ who sings and tells off color jokes, -- making fun of all there. Our group of 8 polished off 2 bottles of frozen Stoli. Marc drank the most, but not enough to try the chopped liver, which he claimed looked just like Alpo. It did, but was delicious. The ladies danced, and sang. Sammy's is essentially the best Bar Mitzvah anyone has ever attended -- music by a DJ who gets to tell dirty jokes. He changes the words of the standards ("It had to be Jew"), and everyone has a great time. Sunday the Ds shared smoothies, and Wifey led us to breakfast with Edna and Marc and Lauren. We said our goodbyes, and walked in the crisp, cool air to D2's place. We said goodbye to our temporary New Yorker, and were Ubered to LGA by a charming fellow from West Africa. So it was a fine trip -- the missions of giving Thanks over great food and celebrating D1's 27th were well accomplished. T Day starts off a busy time -- end of the year business stuff for me, Wifey and I headed to the Bay Area for a week with my Cali sister, and then, on the 25th, the day we all celebrate the birth of our savior -- Wifey. D2 is flying back XMAs night -- the best birthday gift Wifey could hope for. The Ds have joint New Year's plans -- Wifey and I have to figure that out -- and then on January 3 we celebrate 29 years of marriage. It's the most wonderful time of the year, as the song says, and we started it off right.