10:00am- Brian and I woke up and took Casey to the park (Prospect Park that is) where we experienced our very first sweat of the year. It was amazing. No coats, no gloves, no grouchiness.
11:30am- I met my ladies (Amy, Erin, & Maggie) for brunch at Joseph Leonard in Greenwich Village where they treated me to a belated 30th bday celebration. My manchego and egg sandwich on a toasted croissant was delicious as was the caramel pudding served in a mason jar and topped with whipped cream and a single candle. I thought they only gave you free birthday desserts at chain restaurants in Texas! The unexpected generosity made Maggie tear up a little.
2pm- Next the lady train headed up to Bloomingdales. This was my first time to visit this shopping Mecca and I was pleasantly surprised: all of the upscale customer service of say, Bergdorf, but none of the snootery. (i.e. A nice man wearing a suit and white gloves was passing a tray of colorful gourmet cupcakes) We headed to the perfume section where Erin gave me a very special birthday present: bespoke perfume created entirely by me. The trained apothecary helped me navigate through the many essential scents: floral, citrus, spicy, earthy until I narrowed it down to the perfect combination for me: two parts lily of the valley, two parts fleur de tropique and one part rose. Once my perfume was finished (aptly named Claire No.30) I was informed that I would receive a complimentary (the word “free” is so tacky) pair of pearl earrings as a birthday gift from Bloomingdales. Why did I wait 30 years to come here?
5pm- After changing into our floppy hats, we made our way to the Upper East Side for my very first Kentucky Derby Party. I’ve heard stories of such affairs but this was my first eyewitness account. In all of 1000 square feet there managed to be two full-service bars, a Derby-themed buffet, an endless supply of Veuve Clicquot, and hands holding mint juleps as far as the eye could see. (Note: often two of those hands were attached to the same person) We finished the party on the rooftop 30 floors above the city with the sun setting and the wind trying desperately to carry our floppy hats into the East river.
8pm- Our final stop was a farewell to the day on the back patio of a great little bar near NYU. Before long, I kissed my wonderful ladies good-bye and headed back to Brooklyn with my birthday spoils tucked under my arm.
11pm- Spent an hour recounting the entire day to Brian
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