View from the 44th Floor

At about 6:30 pm Nick IM'd me from his desk and said "Esquire is having an event and we just got invited -- it's starting in 2 minutes!" One sidelong glance at my computer, a couple of quick emails, a brief IM back "I'll meet you in the lobby", and we were off!

In spite of the long list of to do's, unanswered emails and stacks of files on my desk, I have decided it's time to reclaim some work/life balance. And what better way to kick off that initiative than with a swanky cocktail party on the 44th floor of the tower? And to top it all off, it was for an excellent cause -- this party was to celebrate the Tap Project, a clean water initiative of UNICEF. Tomorrow, March 22, is World Water Day and through the Tap Project, participating restaurants in New York City will invite patrons to donate just $1.00 for the glass of tap water they usually enjoy for free. All money raised through the Tap Project will help UNICEF provide safe drinking water to children all around the world.

A proclamation from the office of Mayor Bloomberg was read and UNICEF spokeswoman Sarah Jessica Parker was in attendance to deliver her message that we could all indeed make a difference. (Ladies, Ms. Parker is tiny, beautiful and in absolutely fabulous shape!)

A number of premier NY restaurants contributed a range of delicious amuse-bouche types of appetizers... the mini espresso cups of lobster bisque were to DIE for. (And the cups were cleverly designed with tiny little handles, so I could easily sip my bisque from one hand and my vodka/cranberry from the other -- genius! I had to pass on other fabulous-looking items due to the typical cocktail party dilemma of simply not having enough hands to hold a drink, balance a plate AND actually EAT what is on said plate.)

As the evening began to wind down, Nick, Jessica, Scott and I found ourselves in the southeast corner of the room (picture three sides of this room on our executive floor having floor to ceiling windows) and with it being a clear night, we marveled at the incredible view of the city lights twinkling in all directions around us. It's moments like those that make you smile, take a sip of your drink and think "maybe I do heart New York after all".