Our ball dropped too, but not in Times Square

Some days, I don't know what to write about. Some days, I don't know what to write about first.
So many interesting events occurred in the last several days.
There's so many pictures I would like to share with you.
Chronologically, M. and I discovered a great brunch place, close to the Union Square--Barbounia.
Fashionable settings, not packed on Sunday, tasty poached eggs with feta somethings and unlimited, yes, unlimited Bellinis or Mimosas for a fixed price! My kind of place. Also, reasonably priced. What else could you ask for, in New York?! Brunches are very important to New Yorkers, I understand, So is reading the Times.
The other amazing place is this Asian bistro called Tao, where my high school friends brought M. and I to, today.
There's a huge Budah statue in the middle of a huge dimmed-light dinning room. The lounge, where we were sitting, chatting and having great deserts and cocktails, had that typical loungy-cluby-fancy New York atmosphere. We were sitting on some kind of two-person love chairs, without the back.
The tables I've passed had creative-looking dishes, which I can't wait to try. It's on 58Th and Madison. It was packed soon after we arrives, with a group of loud Italians behind us. Obviously, an internationally appealing place.
As far as the New Year's Eve, we spent it with our good friends from California, in an apartment in Queens, while the whole New York craziness was just 10 blocks away from our place. I have to admit, part of me was tempted to try out the whole Times Square--ball-dropping New Years Eve. More for other people that myself. I mean, everyone is going to say:"you live in Manhattan and you haven's been to the Times Square for the New Year's Eve?!" Despite, we decided against it. Honestly, I hate the Times Square. I'm also not a big fan of standing on my feet forever. The idea of being crunched up between millions of people from every side, made me feel claustrophobic. So we opted for a low-key version. After all, since all four of us friends left Belgrade in 2004, how many times do we get a chance to await for a New Year together? So, with Egyptian seafood and blueberry martinis, four of us, old friends, and their daughter, listened to Bregovic and CNN, until that ball dropped. It was great!
On the same day, I had my even older high school friend, I., over for some bagels and coffee. We laughed at my door. This life is so funny. One never knows where it will lead.
As I've written before, he has a great job in Pennsylvania, and he came to N.Y.C. for New Year's Eve.
I felt strange, but in a good way to be here, in New York, Midtown, in my own apartment with M. and I. I mean, they are from different worlds. And yet, here we all are. We caught up in Serblish, laughed, and went down the memory lane a bit. It's interesting that when we were kids, we weren't part of the same high school crowd really. But yet, here we are now. Living just couple of hours apart, thousands of miles away from our high school and homes, all grown up. And with a lot to talk about.
Another high school mate came briefly to visit- V. M. and I actually got a chance to get to know him better today too, at Tao. Again, this life is so, so funny...And fun!