ramble through the bronx

Sunday, February 06, 2005

This is, of course, assuming that y'all want to hear about my love life

I picked up an extra shift at the reference desk of the library, so here I am, having left my friends' Super Bowl party early (but still having downed 4 glasses of wine), working at the library, getting paid for hanging around, surfing the Internet, and writing this nonsense. (did I mention the four glasses of wine?)

I should be putting together my lesson plan for Tuesday, since tomorrow I'm hanging out with Kathleen, but it can wait awhile.... I'm talking about Aristotle and pleasure, for gods' sakes {yes, a deliberate plural}, so, well, whatever. I'm completely irresponsible. And loving it.

So, yes, my date, who sent me a return email this afternoon saying that he also had a nice time, and is inviting me out next weekend to bowl with his friends... he must have had a nice time, to already be willing to risk the friends-bowling-date. Right?

H'm. OK... hang on. This is my date, as he appears on google. (the last link has a picture). That string of links was probably completely, completely, completely unethical, but hey, google is what google does. Oh, the trouble you can get into with Google.

Oh, and googling is great.

The date went well. We went to Basso Est, an Italian restaurant on the Lower East Side. I was a little hesistant to go for the Italian, since of course I'm surrounded by Italian food, but hey, whatever... So I got to the restaurant, and wasn't sure whether James would be inside or outside, but he saw me ("Jane, I presume?") and we went inside. Cute! We chatted; it was hard to eat the bread and suchlike that the waiter brought, as we were chatting too much. We got glasses of wine. After the waiter listed off the specials & wandered away, I said that he'd sold me on the ravioli special (roast pepper ravioli); James said he'd been thinking of the same thing, and would I share some of mine with him? Of course.

So yes, during our meal, he ate some off my plate & I ate some of his penne off his plate. I think that's pretty cozy. Good times.

We then went on to Sala, a tapas place on the Bowery. (check it out!). Here we ran into a slight glitch.... we found a cozy corner to sit in, and were looking at the wine list. "Mmm," said James, looking at one wine, " 'dark and spicy'... sounds good!" So of course, when the waiter came by, I ordered a bottle. Right? That's clearly what's called for?

"Aaah -- a whole bottle? Oh dear..."

Clearly, I'm used to the big ol' alcoholics and lushes in my program, and back in Canada. A bottle? Between two people? Is this a lot?

Anyway, we drank the bottle (the waiter, actually, since I'd ordered the bottle, first gave me the little bit to taste... I swirled it around, sniffed, sipped, and pronounced it satisfactory. I felt like a real grown up!). James didn't seem to mind. Especially when we were two-thirds done the bottle and smooched!

Yay!

We went on from there to another bar, whose name I forget, but was kinda done up like a submarine inside. We had a beer each. By this time I was getting a little sleepy (it was 1.30 am or so, and I'd been up since 6am, remember, since I teach on Friday mornings), so we then headed off to our respective subway stations. We kissed goodbye, and I said, "Well, you have my email..." but no specific plans were made.

I emailed today (yes, the respectable 2 days later), saying I had a lovely time, & giving him my phone number. He emailed back (!!!!!) and invited me out bowling next weekend with some friends, saying "Then we could do something afterwards, like see
what other full bottles of wine will intimidate me."

So, we'll see. I'm excited.

His best friend is also originally from Ottawa (No Ottawa vs. Nepean comments, please, really, the two cities have amalgamated, so whatever), and so he's been there, and also to Toronto (he's been to TO a couple times to the film festival). (did i mention he's a film person? like professionally?). He's pro-Canadian. He's also pro-Jesuit, having gone to a Jesuit high school and his sister being involved with some Jezzies in Mobile, Alabama. So all good.

Wish me luck!

jane 8:32 PM [+]