Singing and sinning

So on my last day we checked out the New York City Gay Men's Chorus as they sang in a little garden in the West Village. It was a lovely afternoon, and they guys sang some super songs. My favourite was the Sound of Music medley - mainly because I got to sing along. 

They were very good, and it was clear  that a number of the men had been in musical theatre...So far so  good....

But after a bite to eat, we decided to go to Monster. A piano bar where the chorus would be hanging out and singing. 

OMG!!! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The pianist knew everything we threw at him (also a member of the chorus) and if he didn't know it, he would look it up on the iPad. He was amazing, as was the whole experience. 

Of course in true 'me' style after a relatively sober week, I decided to drink my bodyweight in gin on the night before I was flying 6 hours to LA. As me getting up for a 7am shuttle bus became a distant memory I sang along with every show tune and pop song I possibly could - Rent and some Sondheim were the only things I really didn't know at all. 

It was marvellous. I got to sing a few solos as well, which was lots of fun. And to hear so many fab voices harmonising to some of my favourite show tunes (can you tell I had a good time?!) I was in the toilet when 'Last Night of the World' from Miss Saigon came on...I have never got out of a toilet so fast in my life!!! Definitely one of my best nights out ever - I felt I had come home!

So some other bars were touted after Monster (we had been here a good few hours by now) and I would like to tell you I did the sensible thing and went home, or at least stopped drinking...But what would be the fun in that?! We went on to another piano bar and I vaguely remember being a bit upset that he didn't know any Barry Manilow but then it all went a bit hazy...

I woke up face down fully clothed on my bed at 7.10am with a start. I had not set my alarm on my phone correctly so it hadn't gone off and I had missed my shuttle bus. I bumbled about, threw the rest of my stuff into a bag, got into a taxi and made it to my flight.

I won't dwell on what happened on the flight, but let's just say I wasted money on my seat, as I spent most of my 6 hour flight in the bathroom...URGH!!! 

Got to LA still feeling ropey and had to cancel my trip to the Hollywood Bowl as I was just too poorly.

So thanks NY! As well as one of the best nights of my life, I also had one of my top ten hangovers. It was an amazing 5 days, with an amazing host and friends and I only wish I had booked longer there as there is still so much to see and do. An excuse for a return journey methinks...

And for now I am feeling more human, so think I will make this my first official day in California...bring it on...