I’m a year older now.
My few day birthday celebration went as planned.
Sunday
Went down to the casino with my parents at about 11 and got there at 1pm. Had lunch and hit the machines. Met up with my twin and sister in law. Just went to the tables and Lindsay and I went around playing the machines together. I had a 10 free play from the casino and I got a lot of play on that ten dollars. It took me about 5 hours before I lost that 10 bucks. I was up and down with that 10 but never up enough to cash out a big amount but again, I did get a lot of play out of it.
Before dinner I played a Popeye game where I could do no wrong it seemed. Playing a penny machine I was up to as much as 58 dollars. I cashed out at 45 and I had put in 10 dollars. I got 3 different bonus games and they were fun.
My twin lost 100 at the tables and joined Lindsay and I before dinner. We were waiting for my older brother for dinner. He had to work on Sunday. We sat down about 7;30 for dinner at a Chinese restaurant called the golden dragon. It was very very good.
Justin and I got some of our birthday cards after dinner. My grandparents gave us each 50 dollars. My parents gave us (or is going to pay for) the tennis match the following evening that I got.
I was always cheep about using my points I had accumulated for the casino. (when you go to a casino, you get a players card that you put into a machine or hand to a dealer if at a table game and you earn points) I had over 340 points and I totally shocked my parents when I told them I was going to use my points to pay for the hotel rooms. So I got two rooms. One for my parents my older bro and I and a second one for my twin and his wife.
I told justin I paid for the rooms with my points. That was his b day gift from me.
After dinner we went back to the casino and I could do no right. I had played from about 9pm till 2AM when I got so tired that I went up to the room with my mom. Everyone else had long gone to the bedroom.
It’s my birthday!
I woke up about 6AM. I went for breakfast with my father about 8;30. We had stopped at a kiosk to get my free 10 dollars for the day. Justin and Lindsay was walking by and they were going for breakfast. I went with them as my father was just going for a coffee. Justin and Lindsay were going to the buffet.
The buffet is amazing. They have everything you can imagine. I had bacon, sausage, bagel, fresh fruit, Danish and waffles oh and home fries.
Half way through, my parents and older bro joined us. We had this waitress who was really funny and personable. She was talking to everyone and introduced some of her regulars to others. Someone mentioned it was Justin and Mine b day and she overheard and say “oh why didn’t you tell me earlier” and she got a cheese cake, put a candle in it, lit it and got the other waitresses to come over and sing happy b day. I loved it.
Justin, Lindsay and I had to head out after as we were heading to our second part of our trip.
We said our goodbyes and packed the car up and was on the road.
We got to our NYC hotel about 4 and we were meeting Cousin Hayley (from NJ) and my uncle Joe at 5pm for dinner so we didn’t have much time to spare. So after we each took a turn in the bathroom and finding all the little oddities in this hotel room, (the sink was a huge bowl sitting on a counter the shower was a walk in shower, where the door is pulled inwards and the unajustable showerhead, was pointing straight down. Between the beds below the nightlight was what looked like a shower head but was an LED light) we were on our way to nab a cab.
On the way I told Lindsay that I bet Hayley would be early and Joe would be late. Sure enough, I was right.
The place was empty at 5pm and Hayley was there but was in the bathroom. We said our hi’s and sat down for dinner. Joe got there about 5;10.
This is an elegant French Restaurant. If you are in NYC I would highly recommend this place.
They have a display of little meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables in the middle of the table.
After that, we order our food while chatting, catching up. Telling Hayley why this is Justin’s favorite restaurant in the world and how we came about it 20 years ago.
Two running jokes that Joe has with Amanda (my younger sister) quickly came up and Joe told both to Hayley.
The first time we went to this place with Uncle Joe, Amanda was probably 5 years old. Amanda asked the waiter for catch up for her fries. The waiter told her that they didn’t have any then Joe in mock shock told this 5 year old Amanda that he could not believe she asked for ketchup, This is a French restaurant not a McDonalds, I can’t believe this. I am so embarrassed. I can’t ever show my face here again … So now that comes up every once in a while and Amanda gets mad about it even today when you bring it up.
The other story is of the zamboni. Again, when Amanda was young, every time she went to Rockefeller center to see people skate, the zamboni was out. This wasn’t just one or two times. This was like 8-9 times over years at random times in the year at random times in the day. (of course, during the fall-winter time) So Joe tells her that it is her. Even one year … I think it was for her 21 b day, Joe had bought Amanda a zamboni matchbox car. It wasn’t till Amanda was in HS that she finally got to see people skate and she went skating herself.
I ordered a stake that came out perfect and was huge. I didn’t even finish it. Everyone else ordered Chicken cordon blue and loved it.
They also served French fries family style. My stake came with mashed and something else but I didn’t care for the Mashed and had the fries.
Hayley gave Justin and I a b day gift. I got a Bon Jovi shirt and justin got a bbq set with u-Miami on it but forgot that we were going to the event right after and so Hayley said that she’ll bring it to Boston when she came for Passover.
We ordered desserts. I got the yummy chocolate moose.
However, after we had desserts, they brought out a crate (it’s a French dessert) with candles and everyone sang happy birthday. I had a little piece of the crate.
Joe picked up the tab. Hayley said no let me pay for some of it but Joe insisted and paid.
Hayley offered to drop us off at MSG. So we said our byes to Joe and we headed to the MSG where we said our byes to Hayley.
We were a few minutes late but that was ok. We were there to see the second match between Agassi and Samprez. The first match was between two 50 year olds, John Maconrow and Ivan Lendl. Considering we got the cheapest seats, they were pretty good. We were in one of the corner’s of the court and 4 levels up. It was interesting to be at a tennis event but… don’t tell anyone, shhh, it was beyond boring for me. Sitting there and just hearing people hit a ball? It wasn’t like there was any commentators and Justin said who won each game, but it was boring. Maconrow ended up having the game called at 6-3 because he had sprained an ankle. There was clips during the changeovers, that was showing on the big screen of them playing from yesteryear. Which, I guess was pretty cool.
Pete Samprez and Andre Agassi took the court and Agassi was in no tennis shape. He had a few hard hits but he got crushed by a much more in shape Samprez. Samprez won in straight sets. I think it was 6-4 6-2.
Justin and Lindsay enjoyed it though. We then walked back to the hotel and I fell asleep pretty quickly.
TUESDAY
Justin and I went for breakfast while Lindsay got ready. Justin brought her up a coffee and bagel. When we were all packed, we headed back to Boston.
We were going to meet up with Lindsay’s friend Sandra at the concert but do to all the time we had, we went out for dinner and Sandra met us for dinner including Justin’s friend Jeff. It was nice to have a “normal” meal with people my own age without a baby-young child around. (going out with my parents… older people. Going out with my friends… children-baby)
After our early dinner I went with Lindsay and Sandra in Sandra’s car and justin and Jeff didn’t have to drive all the way to Boston to drop us off. It worked out perfectly.
The Bon Jovi Concert!
The concert was just amazing. Unfortunately, one of the soundboards blew during the 4th song which caused a 20 minute delay but besides that… There was no opening act. They played for about 2.5 hrs. They played 27 songs in all, but I dont remember them all.
Song list
Last man standing (first song)
The place was dark, the band was playing… a spot light came on it was shining on a separate stage, in the middle of the crowd… where john was standing.
Born to be my baby (3rd song played, I was kinda sorta freaking out when it came on. It’s my favorite Bon Jovi song and I only heard it 2 other times live of all the times I’ve seen them)
Bad medicine (usually in the middle of the song he diverges to a dif song and comes back. Dr field good, I love rock and roll were the last two diversions I heard… this time? They did an unbelievable rendition of “pretty woman” I was pleasantly shocked.
Runaway
It’s my life
Have a nice day
Who says you can’t go home
Keep the faith
I’ll sleep when I’m dead
Bed of roses
We got it going on
In and out of love
Lay your hands on me (sung by Richie)
I’ll be there for you
You give love a bad name (with the crowd taking over when John stopped to listen to us)
Raise your hand
Wanted dead or alive (second to last song)
Living on a prayer (last song)
Love’s the only rule
We weren’t born to follow
Just older (this… was the cherry on the top of my birthday…
When I first got the tickets, I emailed Lindsay, saying that I hope he plays “just older” for me since it’s a song about getting older and it was the day after my birthday.
So John goes… “is anyone celebrating a birthday this week?” needless to say I screamed on the top of my lungs from the top of Mount Sinai. “happy birthday to you” (omg omg omg John said happy birthday to me!) “My birthday is later on in the week. I’ll be turning 49 and I can’t believe we’ve been at it for 21 years now.”
There was a word he changed in the song…
Original “if you see coach T tell him I cut my hair”
Word changed? “If you see coach T tell him I got my hair”
Everyone screamed. I laughed because I was not expecting it and thought it was sooo cool.
The curtain closed on the concert and on my birthday celebration
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