An Epic Farewell

 Twas the Night Before my Last Day and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a Pretzel ... huh?!  And so it began, one of the most memorable nights out in my post-Covid era.  So much so that I had to dust off this old blog so that I could properly memorialize this story so that I will never forget it.

December 12, 2024 - Even before the news of my impending departure we had planned a holiday outing with the team.  Not some corny corporate shindig with cheese cubes and cheap swag but a proper night out with lots of booze, greasy bar food, good friends, and endless possibilities.

The date was set and the battle plan laid out like Kevin McCallister in Home Alone we were on a mission to get drunk and have fun. 

Our first stop: Parlour Room.  A reunion of the original 5 team members for some quick bites to line our stomachs for the oncoming tsunami of alcohol that was about to be unleashed.  We missed our dear friend Anu but she was close to our hearts and always in our thoughts.  If NSYNC ever got back together again, I think they would be jealous of the five of us. 

With Zayan's little one sick back home, she bid us adieu as we embarked to rendezvous with the rest of the clan.

Our Pub Crawl began at Gibney's and I guess the rest of the city had the same idea since it was packed inside.  This would not stop us and the holiday decorations, Stella, Guinness, and Tito's helped.  Once Christina arrived with the Polaroid camera we knew it was going to be an unforgettable night.  As luck would have it, 4 bar stools cleared up and soon, we were camped out in a perfect area for the 9 of us. 

After 2 rounds, we decided it wouldn't be much of a pub crawl if we stayed at one place so we headed to the Pig & Whistle to fight more crowds and drink more beer.  

My memory gets a little fuzzy after the 4th round of drinks but I vaguely remember sneaking cigarettes like we were in high school, jokes about poor vegetarian pub fare options, and stories of $1400 magnum bottles of wine.  

The 3rd stop on the tour was Reichenbach Hall and by this time, some of our members began calling it a night with children waiting at home and long commutes beckoning.  We ordered every type of bratwurst possible including a vegetarian sausage which was quite tasty and the largest pretzel I have ever seen.

A toast to our friend Sam who could not make it out as he was attending a funeral for his grandfather in Columbus.  

Our condolences to you and your family (sorry we were all pretty inebriated for this picture) 

At the German Beer Hall, after we had stuffed our faces with sausage, cabbage, and potato salad, we packed up the jumbo pretzel and called an audible on the pub crawl itinerary.  Between bowling and karaoke, one of these things would bring out 'Wild Brady' so we decided to head to K-Town to live out our American Idol dreams.  

It was jam-packed but we luckily were able to secure a private room for the price of a $300 bottle of Tito's.  Amar's first time karaoking did not disappoint as Brady channeled his inner Britney, Tay-Tay, and Bon Jovi and we belted out tunes.  Gary and Henry "Want it that Way" for the Backstreet Boys and Amar, Lance, and Vafa were just "Perfect" as they serenaded Amar's wife with Ed Sheeran in a video.  I saw on the news at the doctor's office (Peter got walking pneumonia) that Mariah Carey had to cancel her Newark concert tonight due to illness but I think Christina could easily sub in.  There are too many pictures and videos to share so maybe that will have to be uploaded to our YouTube channel at a later point.

Our last bar was called American Whiskey (I think) where we polished off the rest of that pretzel and another 3 ended their night.  Brady had an exotic dental massage scheduled in the morning, Lance realized the Lyft Guaranteed Home code wouldn't work past midnight and Christina had a pup at home sleeping in her spot.

And then there were 4 gentlemen left - just like the wolfpack in the Hangover movie.  At about 3 AM, I vaguely recall stumbling into JFK27 one last time to retrieve Amar's laptop while the security personnel eyed Gary suspiciously and Vafa stood guard outside.  Gary made the bold decision to skip his AirBnB to wait for the next train home at 5 AM while the 3 of us took an Uber back to Jersey City.  From Vafa's apartment lobby, we all went our separate ways.  I got home at about 4 AM, noticed the Elf on the Shelfs were up to no good and collapsed on the couch after swallowing 3 Advil.  Sadly, I don't think I would have made it up the stairs.  In the morning, the twins said I was snoring so loud they thought a mystery UFO drone had come down the chimney into our living room.

A big thank you to everyone who came out and the incredibly thoughtful gifts and messages.  You all made me feel so popu-ler...lar and I will miss the team.  I hope that it will not take another farewell party to bring this group together again.  Happy Holidays and hope to see you all in 2025!