magicbeans. nothing if not awkward.

During work today I got to make a trip up the the Evil Empire Building. And it really does live up to its name. The Time Warner lobby is all black granite, cavernous and imposing. The elevator bank could be on the Deathstar, and the elevators themselves are black marble and glowing, but low-light, frosted plexi.

The CNN sets themselves are not as ominous. Although the nearly completed newsroom is just a sea of cookie-cutter blob-shaped desks. Cogs in the corporate newsmaking machine.

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After work, I once again proved the adage that you can't go out for 'just one drink'. We went to the Wakamba, which if I haven't mentioned is a seedy bar on 8th, but one of our regular after work spots. A round of beers. We had left work at 5.30, and sushi doesn't officially start until 8. Plus, I thought it might do the kids some good to start the preparations on their own.

But then there was a second round. And then Chloe came, and there was a third round with her. At this point people started making motions towards leaving, and I received the first call from the kids wondering where I was. I still had half a drink though, and Chloe asked, 'You are going to stick around and finish your drink with me, aren't you?'

'Of course.' Plus, John.S had just gotten out of work, and was headed over, and it wouldn't be terribly nice if we all had ditched by the time he got there. He and Christopher showed up and another round was purchased. Christopher did leave after just one drink, but he was already over an hour late in meeting a friend for dinner. I got another call from the kids. It was probably close to 8 by this point. 'I'll be home as soon as possible,' I told them.

John ordered a second beer, but tried to switch brands, and accidentally got one of each. When I finished the one I was working on he handed me his backup. He pointed to Chloe's and then my bottles. 'It was a race. This one's yours now.' And after that one, five, unless I lost track somewhere along the way, they were ordering at least one more, but I really needed to be on my way.

Off the subway, there was a message on my phone from Chris. 'I am coming, but I'll be late.' He had arrived by the time I got home though, close to 9.

'I'm here,' I said. 'And I'm drunk.' The first thing I did, after darting into the bathroom, was head for another bottle. Our place was teaming with people I didn't recognize. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing that I had a few beers in me. I wasn't as drunk as one would expect from five drinks on a relatively empty stomach, but certainly enough so that the edge of interacting with a roomful of strangers was softened. And the kids had done okay without my guidance. They had just served the first few plates of sushi, and I took over rolling.

It all went relatively well. Maybe a tad much bike geekery. And the constant threat of a looming headache. But on the whole, a good time.