Tavern on the Green

I occasionally cater to make some extra (extra, who are we kidding?) money.  I enjoy it actually, as it means interacting with people and it is easy, well paying work. You just have to smile and be willing to be as helpful as possible. These are traits I am perhaps overburdened with in my everyday life anyway, so it works for me.

Yesterday I worked at the New Year's Eve party at Tavern on the Green. It wasn't the fanciest party I've ever worked, but it was probably the biggest, and it definitely made the most news. Last night was the last night that Tavern on the Green, a NYC staple, will be open.  The city is now going to be renting the land to someone else.

The party itself was crazy, like absolutely packed full of people.  I'm not claustrophobic at all, but I started to feel a bit sick and I'm thinking the absolute lack of breathing room (that and the yummy shrimp) may be to blame.  I wasn't the only one - I heard someone else fainted and I personally witnessed one extremely drunk, unconscious woman end her evening in the back of an ambulance.  Classy.  Classic actually, in a New Year's Eve type of way.  Nevertheless it was a perfectly appropriate sendoff for such a historic building.  Plenty of free booze, great food, and lots (lots!) of people.

My job was seating people and bringing them their vodka and gift baskets, so not exactly rocket science.  We were done by midnight and able to all have a glass of champagne together to ring in the new year. I wish I could have been with my boyfriend, but making history at one of the biggest parties at one of the most legendary locations in one of the best cities in the world wasn't bad either.  I didn't even have to use my pepper spray going home - I've had it for month and haven't needed it yet.  Would that be considered intelligent spending?

So Happy New Year all, and I hope everybody had a happy and healthy one! No ambulances for you. My resolution is simple - more money next year.  I hope the same for all of you.

Drink Gone Wrong

Watermelons are one of my favorite flavors of summer. They are fresh and light and generally the perfect thing to be eating when you're overheated and do not want to waste precious money on air conditioning. Mojitos are also great. So the idea of making a lime watermelon mint sugar (and of course alcohol) drink sounded genius. Don't those flavors sound like they would go great together? This lovely looking recipe from Choosy Beggars just made me more convinced that my own modified version would be great.

However it was not. At all.

Don't get me wrong I still drank it all - waste not want not, right? We are in a recession. And it is a drink. But let this be a lesson to you that the following ingredients do not work together :

Watermelon
Lime juice
Sugar
Crushed mint leaves
Cheap vodka

This is not going to stop me from attempting other watermelon drinks, but let me assure you that this particular one is off the Christmas list. It was definitely bad.