Sincerest apologies, but Thursday links are going to be Friday morning links this week. That means two-post Friday, however, so its like a special bonus to make up for it.

Today was a long day - great seminar and chance to network with a ton of the people at my level in the NY office. 95% of us never have a chance to connect with each other because we're all working all over the world, but this was a great way to make a lot of good contacts locally. After the seminar we took one of those big red double-decker tourist buses from the hotel (on the East side) to our little dinner party deal at the Hudson Hotel (West side). I'm pretty sure its one of the most expensive, if not *the* most expensive hotel I've ever been in. Modern and extravagant would be drastic understatements. Anyway, I'd be surprised if the Plaza was even anywhere close to it, price wise. There's really no way to describe it beyond that.

Dinner was incredible and drinks were...flowing. We were on the tented roof-top floor and had a view of pretty much the complete West side of Manhattan from the south of the park on down. More networking, then the few and the strong headed down to the club/bar they have in the same building.

Total Paris Hilton scene - Chanel, Prada, bling and the whole bit - we had big brass plastic buying us drinks so it was a big party for us, but this is the kind of place that you'd never find a suit like me dead in, at least on my own. There were a couple other groups of stiffs there, most older than us (we consulting folk are a younger crowd), and beyond that it was the normal super-upscale NY club scene. The stuff movies are made of, I kid you not.

I felt about as out-of-place as a chess champion at biker bar. I'm a successful, good-looking, single NY guy, but...dang. I am just not about any of the reasons anyone else seemed to be there for. I'm not better than anyone there, or looking down in any sense...I just hate the awkwardness of being in that scene, its like being on the moon with no space suit or something.

But still...there's just something about walking out of a place and seeing the line of beautiful people standing in the cold, hoping to make it in...