A couple of weeks ago Salina and her friend Brant were visiting New York so we just had to catch up!
Sal and I grew up across the road from each other and it was her sister Fiona who I traveled with, lived with and worked with in London in 1999. We’ve known each other since 1986! WHOA!
So when we were in Melbourne in April we arranged to meet up for dinner. Original plan was to go to the Trailer Park but it was really full that night and we were all starving so we decided on Dallas BBQ. Bill and I would always normally go to Rub BBQ but we thought we’d give Dallas a try as they also serve ‘American style’ servings!
While we were waiting for Sal and Brant an old hobo was outside Ricky’s on 23rd. He was so drunk he actually could not stand up. He was laying in the middle of the pavement just having a sleep. Then a thunderstorm started and the big, heavy raindrops woke him up. He got up on his knees and then stood and took two steps and fell – collecting another man with him! The guy shrugged him off and kept walking but the drunkard fell, hitting his head. When we saw this Bill got out his phone to call 911 – an elderly lady came along and we were trying to explain that he was so drunk and to keep clear while we rang – yet she was insisting he had just ‘fallen’. Also, we also found out he had been sleeping in front of Ricky’s all day. Hmmm.
It was at that time that Sal and Brant got out of their cab – they had just got in from Vegas so it was one big “Welcome to New York!” There was thunder, fork lightning, humid air and huge raindrops – and we were waiting for the police and paramedics to arrive to treat the man. We quickly decided that Bill would stay there and I huddled Sal and Brant across 23rd to Dallas. We were all reunited soon enough and luckily Sal took some photos!
Here we are – all frazzled from the storm.
Sal and Brant with their mega Pina Coladas. That test tube in the drink was also filled with vodka!
We ordered big and we made such a mess of the table with BBQ wings, ribs, onion ring loaf, rotisserie chicken, rice, fries and more BBQ sauce. It was a great chance to catch up and was SO SO SO NICE to see someone from home in the city – and very strange as well. Normally I’d be seeing Sal while I was in my jammies out in the front yard – this time it was on 23rd.