6th Floor Anniversary

Welcome to the 6^th floor.

Today's contributors are: Ann, Sara, Tabitha, Frank, Billy and Scott.

Subject: 6^th Floor Anniversary

Our second anniversary party went off much better than the first. We came up with a couple of exciting drink recipes that were better than a Desert Island, Sara make a chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, banana cake that was delicious. I forgot to take a picture of it, but we got the recipe from the cupcakeblog, which has pictures. There were residual effects of the party that lasted into Sunday, but that's a separate post. Oddly enough, Frank's brother John made his second visit this weekend, again being able to catch our party. My boyfriend Mark was here ,as was Billy's girlfriend Janine. Amy and Sue attended, our former neighbors who have moved out, as did other building tenants Henry, Mike, and Brett. There were a couple of other people, and friends of friends, all in all making our apartment pretty packed.

Mike: “Hey guys! I brought some Coronas, I remember you had a beer shortage last year.”

“Thanks Mike, this year should be better. Scott, put this by the rest of the drinks.”

Scott puts the case of beer under the small table we have pushed into the corner with drinks and mixers and an ice bucket, grabs a beer, and retreats to the corner where Brett, John and Frank were standing, drinks in hand. “What are you guys talking about?”

“The new Grand Theft Auto game.”

Brett: “It's going to be awesome, I've been looking at all of the screen shots and videos online.”

John: “They have a shot of the rundown world's fair. I know they have a sports team called the swingers, and I think the stadium must be located at Shea.”

“The logo is a clear parody of the Yankees logo though.”

“Having some of the south Bronx in the game seems right on GTA's style.”

Brett: “That's true. Only about a month or so to go and we'll find out for sure. I can't wait.”

“You got an HDTV? That game will look awesome on my screen.” Frank gestures to the LCD tv on the wall.”

Brett: “Very nice. No, I'm looking to get one for the release of the game though.”

“Doesn't hurt for sports either.”

Across the room...

“So it looks like Janine and Mark are getting along. What are they talking about anyway?”

“Economic theory or something. I hope Mark's more interesting otherwise, but that conversation was boring me to death. Janine started in on supply and demand and I just immediately zoned out.”

“Economics was not my strong class in college. Should we go interrupt?”

“Yes, but let's bring them something to drink. Most people don't discuss complex formulae or have intricate discussions when they're drunk.”

Meanwhile, Sara is having a conversation with a woman named Jessie, and Tabitha, who looks bored.

“I always walk down Broadway if I have the opportunity. Since it's slanted it actually makes the trip a little shorter than walking down a different avenue. Of course, this only works if you're going downtown and east or uptown and west.”

Jessie: “That's very intriguing Sara, but don't you get bored of always walking down the same street? I like the excitement of seeing different storefronts and restaurants.”

“Well that's true. There is some merit to that train of thought, but it depends where I'm headed and if I'm in a hurry. Especially around here where I've pretty much walked down the avenues as much as Broadway, so that excitement isn't quite there.”

“Need another beer Sara?”

Sara peers into her beer bottle. “Yeah, just about.”

“I got it. I'm out anyway.”

Tabitha walks over to the beer table, and runs into Frank getting a refill.

“Sara's on one of her drunken rants. It was all I could do not to eat my beer bottle to distract myself. Please bring her this beer?”

“And get sucked in myself? No thanks. Mike!”

Mike walks over. Mike: “What's up?”

“Could you bring this beer over to Sara?”

Mike: “Umm..sure. I guess that's not too taxing.”

“Crisis averted. Thanks Frank.”

“You are welcome. It comes at a cost though. I can't recall how many beers I was getting.”

“It's beer, I'm sure if you get too many someone will drink it.”

“Orr...I could abandon them completely and let them fend for themselves. I think I'll go tell Janine scary Billy stories.”

“Desert Island anyone?” Ann asks, carrying around a plate.

“Are those jello shots?”

“Yup! They're good, I've already tried them.”

Ann circles the room, handing out jello shots.

“Yum! These are much better than the drinks you made us last year! Good job.”

“This is definitely the best jello shot I've tasted in my entire life.”

Janine: “Definitely. These are excellent!”

“Mark? Could you get the other tray of jello shots out of the fridge?”

Ann turns around to see Mark already eating jello shots off the tray in the fridge.

“Couldn't wait huh?”

Mark: “What can I say? You make terrific jello shots, brings me back to my college days.”

“You graduated last year.”

Mark: “I know. That's still back isn't it?”

“I'll tell you what's back! Hamburger buns!” Scott slurs, as he jumps over the back of the couch to the kitchen.

Mark: “What?”

“I was just thinking about how nice it would be to have a hamburger right about now. Harkens back to the good 'ole days of last summer when we used to barbecue.”

Mark: “Are you mocking me?”

“He's not mocking you, he's just Scott. You're lucky Billy's distracted or he'd be making comments too. They feed off each other.” Ann says, gesturing to Billy who's kissing Janine in the corner.

“Let's see, do you think I should go to bed now? I figure that leaves me with five hours of sleep, and 90 minutes to fight the hangover and get out of the apartment to go get Super Smash Brothers.”

“Or you could simply enjoy yourself, and get up when you get up.”

“No, I have to get the game.”

“Suit yourself. But I'm going to laugh at you when you're miserable tomorrow.”

“May she who is sober cast the first stone.”

“She's right Tab, you're horrible with hangovers.”

However, Sara was right. It was getting late and people had started to leave. Mark had to work on Sunday and was returning home, Billy and Janine had retired for the night. As people started to leave Sara turned in early and Frank fell asleep on the couch. Scott was pacing around so me and Tabitha convinced him to pick up empty bottles and cups while he was walking around. We did a preliminary clean up of the area, looking for things that might stain or should be returned to the fridge. By the time we finished, (and finished another beer), the last stragglers had left and we headed for the sheets ourselves, confident that this party was a hell of a lot better than last year's.

5..4..3...2....1.....Happy New Year!!

Welcome to the 6^th floor.

Today's contributors are: Sara, Tabitha, Frank, and Scott.

Subject: 5..4...3...2...1....Happy New Year!!!

“Happy New Year!” Frank shouts, blowing on a noise maker as he enters the 6^th Floor wearing giant 2008 flashing light-up glasses with the 0’s as eyeholes.

“12 hours Frank. The new year starts at midnight, not noon.”

“I can’t believe you bought those glasses.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t buy a pair for Tabitha!”

“Oh! But I did!” Frank says, pulling out five more pairs of glasses. “And for you too!”

“Shit.”

“I wonder what they're going to do in 2010. No more double zeros for eyeholes.”

“They could make the 1 a little higher up on the nose, and use both zeros still.”

“Maybe, but once they get to 2011 it's definitely over.”

“That's kind of sad. I've grown accustomed to seeing those silly glasses around.”

“I thought you hated wearing those silly glasses.” Scott says, entering the room.

“I do! I still like seeing everyone else wearing those silly glasses though!”

Scott takes a pair and puts them on. “I have to go to work for a couple of hours. I'm going to wear these silly glasses the whole time!”

“Oh, and don't start rocking in the New Year until I get back!” Scott waves, and exits.

“Well then. I know Ann invited Amy and Sue, but do you know who else she invited?”

“A bunch of people. Most of them aren't showing up though, so no worries. I think maybe Mike from downstairs, and that might be it.”

“You mean Mike from upstairs right? I don't think we know any Mikes downstairs.”

“Sure, maybe. I don't know where he lives. I only ever see him downstairs, and I don't often take that sketchy elevator up so I don't see where he gets off.”

“I probably should take the stairs more often, it's good exercise. I don't see what you have against the elevator though.”

“I think it might be the feeling that I'm in a coffin that does it. And it certainly has a distinct odor.”

“I know they clean it, I've seen them cleaning it. I don't know why it still smells like that.”

“The stairs are safer..although I should be careful tonight and tomorrow. It always seems like stairwells are where drunk people go to puke.”

“I've noticed that too!”

“So..Anyone want to see if Scott is really wearing those glasses at work?”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

The three of them rise, grab their jackets and head out to see Scott at work.

Before you ask, he did have them on when we arrived. When we arrived, an old lady was praising him for being in the spirit of the holiday while she ordered her frappachino.

Are You One?! Are You Two?! Are You Twenty-Six?!

Welcome to the 6^th floor.

Today's contributors are: Ann, Sara, Tabitha, Frank, Billy and Scott.

Subject: Are You One?! Are You Two?! Are You Twenty-Six?!

(Events of last weekend. I know our posts are lagging.)

Rosemarie: “..dear Billy! Happy Birthday to you! Now make a wish.”

Billy grins a very evil grin and blows out his candles.

“Well what did you wish for?”

“There's always someone that has to ask that. You can't tell or it won't come true!” Sara frowns at Tabitha.

“Would you believe me if I said cake?”

“Probably.”

John(7^th Floor): “What kind of cake is that? It looks good.”

“It's a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake.”

John: “Awesome, lets get eating!”

“Will you do the honors and cut the cake Frank?”

“Sure. If you get me another beer.” Frank takes the last swig out of his beer bottle, holds it up and wiggles it at Tabitha, and then tosses it towards the bin of empties near the kitchen. His coordination not what it was earlier in the evening, it misses, bounces off the edge of the counter and shatters on the floor in front of the fridge.

“Nice shot Shaq.”

“And that's why we don't throw glass bottles in the apartment. You'll have to wait for your beer until I clean this up now.”

“Fine, but then I'm not cutting the cake.”

“Just going to let it melt into a mess?”

“And what If I am?”

Rosemarie: “I'll cut it.”

“You don't have to.”

Rosemarie: “I don't mind. Scott's salivating is disturbing anyway.”

Scott snaps his jaw shut. “It's such a good cake.” He whines.

John: “Nothing wrong with a little drool. Happy Birthday Billy!”

“Drool. Just what I always wanted!”

Sara is helping Rosemarie, taking the candles off the cake. “Who's idea was it to put fire on an ice cream cake? It's just going to melt faster.”

“What if Billy wished for his ice cream to never melt?”

“Then I imagine he'd be pretty disappointed.”

Rosemarie: “Okay sugar, here's the first piece.”

“Oooh, me next!” Scott says, taking the next piece of cake when Rosemarie puts it on a plate.

Frank runs by and snatches it out of his hands. “Nah nah na nah nah!”

“Thief! Felon! Rogue!”

“Oooh, nice synonyms there. Did Starbucks print a dictionary on the back of the cups this month?”

“No. The Akeela and the Bee cups are long gone.” Scott says, sticking out his tongue at Sara.

“Hey Frank! I've got your beer here! Beer! Ice Cold Beer!” Ann shouts across the room, holding the beer by the stem and waving it at Frank.

Frank turns to look, and as he does, Mike accidentally bumps into Ann and she drops the bottle. It cracks as it hits the hard floor, and the beer spills out into a puddle.

Frank grins. “Ha! At least mine was empty. Alcohol abuse!” As Frank is distracted by the mess, Scott steals his piece of cake back.

Mike: “Sorry Ann, but boy, you guys really are a bit clumsy aren't you?”

Ann glares at Mike and he gets the hint and walks away to mingle with someone else.

Ann cleans up the mess, and the night winds on. The cake is served and eaten, and Billy opens his presents happily, enjoying the surprises. Lots of booze gets consumed, and before long people are slurring “Goo-Night, Haapy Birthday Bill!” and stumbling back to their own floors and apartments. Billy and Rosemarie are cuddled on the coach, just zoning out. Frank and Scott have a different sports highlight show on each tv, and Tabitha has fallen asleep at the table amidst the empty beer bottles that didn't make it into the bin. Ann and Sara are cleaning up the kitchen, except they both are having trouble standing.

“Great party tonight. We should do this again don't you think?”

“Well, You and Frank both having birthdays next month right? I guess we could do this again.”

“Yeah lets. I bet nothing goes well with turning 24 like an Abita Purple Haze.”

“Purple beer? That'd be pretty nasty if you drank too much.”

“Ugh! Why is your first thought after beer, vomit?”

“Could be because I feel like I had too many beers. Or just that purple beer sounds nauseating.”

“Maybe we should stop sponging.”

“Sponging? That sounds naughty.”

“Lucky Scott wasn't paying attention then. I meant we should stop this..cleaning. No more sponge. Just bed.”

“Bed sounds mighty awesome. Did you know a sponge supposedly isn't three dimensional? It's only like 2.83 dimensions or something.”

“Huh? What the hell are you talking about?”

“No! Really! I went to this lecture about dimensions once. There are supposed to be 11 I think, but most of them are on the microscopic level.”

Ann groans and grabs onto the counter. “I think the rum in my tummy isn't agreeing with your physics talk. Too complicated for such a smooth and simple beverage.”

“Okay okay. Chemistry then?”

“No! All I know about chemistry is that the chemistry of my blood contains lots of booze and I need to lay down. Goodnight everyone!” Ann shouts, startling Billy and Rosemarie. They follow Ann's lead and slowly rise and head to bed. Sara walks over to Frank and Scott and sits down.

“So how did the Braves and Phils do tonight?”

(Is the occasional mention of random bit people confusing? I've mentioned Mike and John before, but should I put in more information about them when I post, at least to remind everyone who they are? Feel free to comment or email us if anything is confusing or you have an idea about how to make anything more clear)

Nothing Loosens Lips Like Alcohol

Welcome to the 6^th floor.

Today's contributors are: Ann, Sara, Tabitha, Frank, Billy and Scott.

Subject: Nothing loosens the lips like alcohol

After the game Friday night me and Frank headed over to Union Square to meet the rest of the gang. As we get off the train I call them and it turns out they've also just arrived, so we all go to Max Brenner together. We're about to head in when we're stopped by someone calling most of our names. It's Amy and Sue, two girls who used to live on our floor before moving in with their respective boyfriends. Sue is actually getting married in a couple of months.

Sue: “Hey guys! It's funny running into you, especially today! Me and Amy just decided to meet up and go out and have some drinks tonight. You should come with us, it'll be just like old times!”

“I'm in, are you guys okay with skipping chocolate tonight?”

“It's a tough choice, but I guess I can skip chocolate for these two...as long as one of them buys me a chocolate Martini where ever we're going.”

Amy: “Certainly! I'll do it, Sue should be saving for her wedding!”

“Did you pick a date yet?”

Sue: “Not quite yet, we're decided between two dates in the spring of '08. So what are guys doing out besides getting chocolate?”

“We were grabbing dinner at the Corner Bistro, and we just met up with Sara and Frank returning from the game.”

Amy: “The Met game? How'd they do?”

“Mets won 3-2, Pettite thought Endy was bunting, instead he swung and hit a two run home run. One more win and Frank loses our bet.”

Amy: “Oooh, a bet. That sounds like fun. You guys going to any more of the games?”

“Nope, I'll have to wait until they come to Yankee Stadium to see them beat the Mets I guess.”

We arrived at the bar Amy and Sue were headed to, and found ourselves a semi-empty corner to hang out in. As is typical when we go out to bars, we ended up forming a circle so that we could all talk to each other.

Sue: “You guys look like you're already a little tipsy, a bit too many beers with dinner?”

“You know we can never pass up those McSorley's. It's just a shame that the real bar is always so jam packed.”

“We had a couple of beers ourself at Shea. It's such a rip off but I can't help myself.”

“Just trying to drown your sorrows huh Frank?”

“Absolutely.”

Sue: “So what's new with everyone? What have you guys been up to? Any dates recently?”

“I was on a date just last night actually. It was kind of a bore.”

“You never did mention how that went. I noticed you didn't come back with him and you certainly weren't home very late.”

“Well you know he was a guy from work. He really seemed to not want to talk about anything except work. We talked office politics, coding solutions...it was just like lunch in the cafeteria.”

“What a snooze.”

“Exactly, I didn't even have to make up an excuse to part ways after dinner, he wanted to go home because we had work the next morning.”

“As I recall, you're asleep early most nights too.”

“Yeah yeah, we don't all have the luxury of your schedule.”

Amy: “Still doing well with the Poker I take it?”

“It pays the bills, and it certainly beats rising with the sun and trudging off to work.”

Sue “I imagine it would. So Tabitha, you think you did well on your finals?”

“I think so yeah, I wish I didn't have to wait so long to find out my grades.”

“Tab, are you chewing on the appetizers menu?”

Tabitha pulls the wad of paper out of her mouth and opens it up. “Looks like it, you want more food?”

“I'm not into paper as a snack actually, I'll pass.”

Sue “So how about the rest of you? Anything to write home about?”

“I drove the M train this week!”

“Yes, that's all very exciting. You still travel a lot for work Amy?”

Amy: “Not quite as much, but still some. I have more seniority now that one of the older guys quit. Means I get to pick and choose more about which trips to take. Last week I was actually in Vegas; best trip for work ever.”

“I bet. You should have told me, I would've flown with you. I rarely pass up an excuse to go to Vegas, it's like my Mecca.”

“Yeah, he actually makes sure every time he plays poker on-line he faces towards Las Vegas.”

Amy: “Ha! Well maybe next time I go out there I'll give you a call. I assume you feel much the same about other gambling places? Atlantic City? Reno?”

“Yup, although AC is close enough that I really don't need an excuse to go there.”

We continued chatting and drinking and having a grand time late into the night, but none of us really remember much after that. Tabitha did develop a small cut on her lip, and Frank's arm felt sore the next day, and it certainly wasn't from cheering for the Yankees.

The Mets slaughtered the Yankees on Saturday, having starting pitcher Darrel Rasner leave with a broken finger in the first inning killed them. The Yankees managed to eke out the third game so Frank will not be my slave, but he does owe me a couple of drinks. I'm thinking of ordering every drink with top shelf liquor.

Celebrating One Year Together

Welcome to the 6^th floor. Today's contributors are: Ann, Sara, Tabitha, Frank, Billy and Scott.

Subject: 1 year Anniversary

We had a semi-impromptu celebration of our one year anniversary of moving in here on Saturday. The anniversary was actually earlier last week, but Frank's brother John being in town gave us a good excuse to celebrate. Everyone invited a bunch of people over, including our neighbors within the building. It was actually getting rather cramped in the apartment. We haven't thrown many house parties before, so we were vastly unprepared for this one. Coupled with it being mostly spontaneous, it was borderline disastrous. We ran out of diet soda, then regular soda, and then everything but tap water, beer and a bottle of pineapple rum.

Soon after that, the beer dried up. Before long, it was just the six of us and John. We had some generic horror movie on television that no one was really watching, and I was trying to find something to mix with the pineapple rum . By this point, John had actually passed out on the couch.

“Okay everyone, here's my new concoction. I call it Desert Island”

“Desert Island? What's in it? Did you find something other than pineapple rum?”

“Just try it; I'll tell you after.”

“That's never good to hear.”

“That's disgusting! Is that Hershey's syrup?”

“Eww. Yeah, definitely disgusting.”

“Vile Filth!”

“I don't know; I kind of like it.”

“And what do you think, Billy?”

“This may be the crappiest cocktail I've had since that bartender made me that watermelon vodka mixed with Kahlua.”

Billy rarely gets very emotional or has any exaggerated reactions. In fact, he stated the above like he was saying “It rained today”. Many people mistake it for sarcasm, but it's just the way he is.

“Shouldn't you have tried it too Ann? What did you think of it?”

“Yeah, Ann! You've got to taste it, too. Here, try mine!”

Ann chokes down a sip, “Yikes! I'm sorry guys. That's positively nasty!”

“Well that leaves only one option!” Frank slurred, “Shots!”

“Here! Here!”

Expectedly, the night degenerated pretty fast from there. It's always interesting to see the different ways people act when they are drunk, and we were all pretty wasted that night.

Scott's a caffeine-overdose hyper drunk.

“Over/Under time! How long for me to get to 42^nd street and back? Anyone?”

“20 minutes!”

“You're on! Someone time me.”

Scott makes for the door, trips over the corner of the couch and sprawls face down into a pile of empty beer cans. Then he leaps up, raises his hands in the air and takes a bow, receiving applause from the rest of us. Peeling off a can tab that stuck to his forehead, he says,

“Did I make it?”

Frank gets forgetful and incoherent. This could be partly because he has to get up to use the bathroom nearly every five minutes.

“Make what? What were you doing..? Mine!!”

Frank leaps from his spot on the couch and crawls into the bathroom ahead of Scott, who was headed there after his Olympic caliber dive.

Tabitha gets a bit of an oral fixation when she's been drinking. She's always either chewing on or playing with something.

“Time for another shot for me!” Tabitha says, as she gets up to pour herself another shot.

“Hold up! You know you're not allowed to pour yourself drinks anymore,” says Scott, who's standing in the kitchen waiting for the bathroom.

“Why not? I'll be good. I won't hurt myself really!”

“That's what you said last time, and then you somehow managed to cut your left shoulder with the corkscrew. While pouring a beer!”

“Plus, right at this moment, you are chewing on a broken shard of glass from the pint glass I broke.”

Tabitha blushes and puts down the shard. “You're such a klutz. Maybe you shouldn't be allowed to make drinks either, Ann.”

“I am not! I'll make another drink right now and show you!” I start towards the kitchen and see Scott hopping around staring at the bathroom.

“Scott why don't you just use our bathroom?”

“No, I can wait. Your bathroom has cooties.”

“Cooties? It does not! What do you mean?” Asks Sara, but Frank comes out of the bathroom, and Scott bolts for it.

Sara may be the weirdest when she's drunk. She suddenly wants to get into intellectual debates. Depending on the day and the subject, we will engage her, but sometimes it's some obscure computer stuff that none of us understand. The lack of a debating partner rarely stops her tirade though.

“Did you guys hear about all the space junk that’s orbiting the earth? It's like a junkyard up there! We really need to do something about it. It reminds me of that Futurama episode where they encounter the giant ball of garbage from the 20^th century, and Fry has to teach them all how to litter.”

“I saw that episode! It was the one with the dog, right?”

“No Frank. I wonder what the solution is. Maybe we can knock it into the atmosphere and burn most of it up?”

“Billy can get very emotional when he's been drinking. It's funny because it's so out of character for him.”

“That's so sad; we even litter in space. Today I was so angry at these two twerps on the 6, leaving Starburst wrappers everywhere!”

“And then, there is me. I go into heavy-duty writing mode when I'm drunk. I start seeing stories in everything. I often wonder if I should attempt all the writing projects I have with a pitcher of beer. I'd be so worried about spilling stout on my laptop, though.”

“You don't drink stout. Stout is yummy, I love stout, I'd marry it if I could!”

“You're narrating all your thoughts again Ann.”

“Oops! At least I didn't insult Billy this time, right?”

“Nope, not yet. We're still good.”

Billy flashes me a huge smile, obviously happy I haven't insulted him yet.

I don't remember much after that. I must've attempted to write because I woke up at my desk, with 40 pages of the letter 'a' in Microsoft Word, where I'd fallen asleep on my laptop. John helped us clean up, and then Frank drove him to the airport so he could catch his flight.