THURS 20th MAY : OUT WITH THE IRISH

With the drought of drinking chums I made the decision to get back in touch with 'the Irish'. It had been a while since I had fallen over with this lot; some had moved away.

It was supposed to be a quick catch up, a little Anglo-Celtic chit chat. I met Adie at the Half King on 26th and 10th. A pub type pub where they still ask you to wait and try to seat you. As I walk in, I see Andy at the back of the bar - gettting a beer in. Good timing. Haven't seen him for a while. Would be good to have a man to man chit chat about nothing in particular.

As I walk down to him and suddenly 4 girls are waving at me. Yes 4. But bloody hell. It's the Lady and her mates! What are they doing here? Eating. What in this place? In all the bars in all of New York and they have to.... I manage to say quick hellos and escape to drink a couple of Stellas with Adie before we are reeled in to the girls' table. Andy doesn't seem to mind as he takes a mild fancy to blondie sat beside the Lady. Chit chat. Chit chat.

Two of the Lady's mates so it's just me, the Lady, blondie and Adie and what should be a quiet night nursing a couple of pints turns into a few more. We should go home but the Irish like to have a last drink. A round of Jamieson's are ordered and slowly downed. Then Andy suggests just one more. Margheritta's! The Lady is getting giggly now. I am feeling queezy.

Somehow we all manage to leave the bar. I think it was closing. Out in the street we hail a cab for blondie. She says her goodbyes and the Lady and I turn to say goodbye to Adie. Where is he? We look around to see that he's snuck himself into the cab with blondie! I wish him the luck of the Irish. The Lady mutters something about, 'your mates...'.