Lifestyles of the . . . . .
Well maybe not rich and famous. How about cheap but connected?
Anyways, I just got back from South Beach and I just can't WAIT for the snow. Really! All of the sun, hot men, heat, hot men, mojitos, hot men, and um . . . hot men was really too much for me. So bring on the cold, the snow, and sexless bundles of humans wrapped in jackets, scarves, ear muffs. Bring it ON!
Hmm where was I? Oh yes, hot men, South Beach. That's right.
So SuperLawyer had to go down to "work" at a convention. And who was I to say no to a free hotel room on the ocean in South Beach. We stayed here and it was very nice. And I say "work" because the convention is from 730AM to 1PM. Because heaven forbid some lawyers miss their T-times. But anyways. We flew down Friday and when we got off the plane it was like heaven. Warm, sunny, a nice breeze. It was just divine. We actually had to run a whole bunch of errands on Friday and set up the booth, but afterwards we got cleaned up and walked down Ocean Drive to find a nice place to have our first mojitos of the evening and some appetizers since we had eaten a late lunch. Mind you it wasn't that late, but we had a hard time finding someplace where the music wasn't so loud that we could hear each other talk. We finally settled on a place, had a couple of mojitos each, a couple of apps, and the bill was over $90. Hello South Beach!!! After that we bailed since someone had to "work" in the AM.
On Saturday, after SuperLawyer went to work. I hit the hotel gym (outside,
but the elliptical was rusting, kind of sad), got cleaned up, and then hit the gay beach. Let me tell you, the weather was just ab-so-lute-ly amazing. I got to the beach late in my time, but early in gay time. I got there around 1045ish, and got a good spot. $9 for a lounge chair on the beach! Nice. Anyways, I proceeded to a lather up and watch the hotties wake up from their hard night of partying and make their way to the beach. And it was a good thing. Unfortunately SL called for me to go hit a reception with him with free booze (again, I think it's a lawyer thing). So I left the hot, sunny, beautiful beach to go have free drinks. It was a mistake, but I'll live. Anyways, we had a couple of bad mojitos, grabbed some lunch, and then hit the pool at the hotel. Now the hotel does this thing where there are these bed you can lounge in by the pool. Nice. But this is South Beach. At our hotel, it was $100 a day. Makes my $9 lounge chair on the beach seem like a steal, doesn't it. That night, we did a running of the receptions. First we went to hear Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden speak. He was good. And warmly recieved. A couple of times he got off tangent and I can see where people say he talks too much and it gets him in trouble. Anyways, good speech, but then it was time for drinks. So we got 4 drinks each at this reception and free food. Which was nice! And then SL knows people, so we wandered over to the Ritz Carlton to crash Joe Biden's $1000 plate fundraiser! Now, the Ritz Carlton is nice, very nice. Okay, it puts our place to shame. And have you heard about the tanning butlers? Yes they have butlers poolside to make sure your back is properly lotioned so you don't get burned. Now that's service. We were at the reception early and I told SL that I would buy the first round of drinks and he looked at me. "Honey, at a $1000 a plate dinner, the drinks are free." I'm such a novice at all of this stuff.
But let me tell you, the Ritz Carlton had the BEST mojitos hands down! So we grabbed a couple and are chatting when all of a sudden someone's come up and put his hand on my shoulder and I turn and it's the man himself! Joe Biden. So this was my first opportunity to meet someone like that up close and personal and it was kind of cool, but also kind of daunting I guess. Anyways, he chatted with us for a few and then I think he got pulled away to talk with someone who had paid for this shin-dig. Unfortunately by this point all of the alcohol is getting to me and we call it a night.
Sunday the weather has started to turn. Just out of sheer stubborness I go to the beach, pay my $9, and sit there almost shivering. It's a overcast, and a bit cool, and definitely breezey. If it hadn't been for the wind, I probably would have stuck it out, but when SL called about more free booze, I was like Sure! Why Not! So it was back for more free drinks. Then we hit Grill Fish (which has a sister restaurant here in DC!) and then a bit of a disco nap. But not a long one as SL was hosting a reception for some folks he works with. So it was off to Lincoln Road where SL's reception was going to happen. Lincoln Road Mall is this huge pedestrian out door mall which is just packed with uber trendy restaurants, hipster bars and lounges, and all sorts of boutiques and clothes stores. So it's like gay heaven. Anyways, I was limiting myself to a glass or two of
white wine when who shows up? Former governor of Iowa, and Democratic presidential candidate: Tom Vilsack! (Quick: Think of the duck in the insurance company commercial and say it with me: "Aflack!!") Apparently some of the big wig lawyers at SL's reception know him and so he stayed for a good hour and then bailed. After the reception (where I kind of had more than just a glass or two of white wine) we wandered down Lincoln Road Mall till I found this gallery I had seen last time: Howard Austin Feld. So 
a little bit tipsy on white wine, I did a little impusle shopping and got a small print of this. So this is officially the first piece of gay art I've bought. Afterwards, we wandered a bit back towards the hotel and then we went to Emerils for some very sinfully delicious desserts.
Unfortunately due to work issues, I had to come home early. And I missed my opportunity for a political triple. As I went to go say good bye to SL at the convention, I saw them posting signs for a reception for John Edwards. Tickets available at the door. For $1000. Hmmm, maybe not.
Anyways, I need to do that much more often. South Beach was fun, even if it wasn't G-A-Y!!! But that's okay. Some quality time on the beach with a book, some nice mojitos overlooking the ocean at sunset, some nice dinners in nice restaurants. It doesn't suck. At All.
Oh well, back to reality and back to the snow. Ugh!
Anyways, I just got back from South Beach and I just can't WAIT for the snow. Really! All of the sun, hot men, heat, hot men, mojitos, hot men, and um . . . hot men was really too much for me. So bring on the cold, the snow, and sexless bundles of humans wrapped in jackets, scarves, ear muffs. Bring it ON!
Hmm where was I? Oh yes, hot men, South Beach. That's right.
So SuperLawyer had to go down to "work" at a convention. And who was I to say no to a free hotel room on the ocean in South Beach. We stayed here and it was very nice. And I say "work" because the convention is from 730AM to 1PM. Because heaven forbid some lawyers miss their T-times. But anyways. We flew down Friday and when we got off the plane it was like heaven. Warm, sunny, a nice breeze. It was just divine. We actually had to run a whole bunch of errands on Friday and set up the booth, but afterwards we got cleaned up and walked down Ocean Drive to find a nice place to have our first mojitos of the evening and some appetizers since we had eaten a late lunch. Mind you it wasn't that late, but we had a hard time finding someplace where the music wasn't so loud that we could hear each other talk. We finally settled on a place, had a couple of mojitos each, a couple of apps, and the bill was over $90. Hello South Beach!!! After that we bailed since someone had to "work" in the AM.On Saturday, after SuperLawyer went to work. I hit the hotel gym (outside,
but the elliptical was rusting, kind of sad), got cleaned up, and then hit the gay beach. Let me tell you, the weather was just ab-so-lute-ly amazing. I got to the beach late in my time, but early in gay time. I got there around 1045ish, and got a good spot. $9 for a lounge chair on the beach! Nice. Anyways, I proceeded to a lather up and watch the hotties wake up from their hard night of partying and make their way to the beach. And it was a good thing. Unfortunately SL called for me to go hit a reception with him with free booze (again, I think it's a lawyer thing). So I left the hot, sunny, beautiful beach to go have free drinks. It was a mistake, but I'll live. Anyways, we had a couple of bad mojitos, grabbed some lunch, and then hit the pool at the hotel. Now the hotel does this thing where there are these bed you can lounge in by the pool. Nice. But this is South Beach. At our hotel, it was $100 a day. Makes my $9 lounge chair on the beach seem like a steal, doesn't it. That night, we did a running of the receptions. First we went to hear Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden speak. He was good. And warmly recieved. A couple of times he got off tangent and I can see where people say he talks too much and it gets him in trouble. Anyways, good speech, but then it was time for drinks. So we got 4 drinks each at this reception and free food. Which was nice! And then SL knows people, so we wandered over to the Ritz Carlton to crash Joe Biden's $1000 plate fundraiser! Now, the Ritz Carlton is nice, very nice. Okay, it puts our place to shame. And have you heard about the tanning butlers? Yes they have butlers poolside to make sure your back is properly lotioned so you don't get burned. Now that's service. We were at the reception early and I told SL that I would buy the first round of drinks and he looked at me. "Honey, at a $1000 a plate dinner, the drinks are free." I'm such a novice at all of this stuff. But let me tell you, the Ritz Carlton had the BEST mojitos hands down! So we grabbed a couple and are chatting when all of a sudden someone's come up and put his hand on my shoulder and I turn and it's the man himself! Joe Biden. So this was my first opportunity to meet someone like that up close and personal and it was kind of cool, but also kind of daunting I guess. Anyways, he chatted with us for a few and then I think he got pulled away to talk with someone who had paid for this shin-dig. Unfortunately by this point all of the alcohol is getting to me and we call it a night.Sunday the weather has started to turn. Just out of sheer stubborness I go to the beach, pay my $9, and sit there almost shivering. It's a overcast, and a bit cool, and definitely breezey. If it hadn't been for the wind, I probably would have stuck it out, but when SL called about more free booze, I was like Sure! Why Not! So it was back for more free drinks. Then we hit Grill Fish (which has a sister restaurant here in DC!) and then a bit of a disco nap. But not a long one as SL was hosting a reception for some folks he works with. So it was off to Lincoln Road where SL's reception was going to happen. Lincoln Road Mall is this huge pedestrian out door mall which is just packed with uber trendy restaurants, hipster bars and lounges, and all sorts of boutiques and clothes stores. So it's like gay heaven. Anyways, I was limiting myself to a glass or two of
white wine when who shows up? Former governor of Iowa, and Democratic presidential candidate: Tom Vilsack! (Quick: Think of the duck in the insurance company commercial and say it with me: "Aflack!!") Apparently some of the big wig lawyers at SL's reception know him and so he stayed for a good hour and then bailed. After the reception (where I kind of had more than just a glass or two of white wine) we wandered down Lincoln Road Mall till I found this gallery I had seen last time: Howard Austin Feld. So a little bit tipsy on white wine, I did a little impusle shopping and got a small print of this. So this is officially the first piece of gay art I've bought. Afterwards, we wandered a bit back towards the hotel and then we went to Emerils for some very sinfully delicious desserts.Unfortunately due to work issues, I had to come home early. And I missed my opportunity for a political triple. As I went to go say good bye to SL at the convention, I saw them posting signs for a reception for John Edwards. Tickets available at the door. For $1000. Hmmm, maybe not.
Anyways, I need to do that much more often. South Beach was fun, even if it wasn't G-A-Y!!! But that's okay. Some quality time on the beach with a book, some nice mojitos overlooking the ocean at sunset, some nice dinners in nice restaurants. It doesn't suck. At All.
Oh well, back to reality and back to the snow. Ugh!