DC2NY

FACT: people riding scooters and motorbikes in DC don't have to wear a helmet and many don't. They is crazy.

Every morning I struggle to ignore the fact that it's sunny outside and buckle down to the little work I have to do, but today I didn't even struggle. I walked Maxy to work, then just found myself pottering around not working all day. It was nice.

I met Brad, the ex-Peace Corps account manager at Bank of America who is from Michigan but used to live in Bulgaria and rural Japan. He helped us open a US account, which officially means that we're not just here for a few weeks' holiday. I might have to start using words like 'candy' and 'elevator' now.

After Max's work, we boarded the DC2NY coach which promised to whisk us from just down the road from our apartment to the centre of New York, where we were going to visit Max's four college friends who live there, as it was Jo's 30th while we were in Pennsylvania and also Sarah and Geoff (deputy Bureau chief Sarah who we had fun with at the cool bar we went to shortly after getting here) were getting married on Friday and having a celebratory meal on Saturday in NYC.

We had planned to take the train, but it turned out to cost $400 return for both of us, and as the coach costs $80 return for both of us and only takes 30-60 mins longer, we figured it was worth the saving to brave the bus...

I had read that it's much colder in New York than DC, so found myself casting aside my sandals and donning socks and shoes for the first time in ages. I even took a coat! As a result, I was a sweaty mess by the time I reached the coach (the temperature was in the 80s), while keeping my fingers crossed that the forecast had been accurate and that I'd reap the rewards of my forethought when we got to NYC.

We found ourselves cursing democracy, as a vote was taken as to whether to play a movie into the coach and the majority voted for yes. We were very happy with the DVDs of 'Ball of Fire' and season 1 of 'The West Wing' that we'd bought to watch on our laptop so, although the electorate mercifully spared us from 'Daddy Day Care', it was still annoying to have noises from 'The Inside Man' interfering with our screwball comedy ('Ball of Fire' is WONDERFUL!).

Our battery died just as we started watching 'The West Wing', but I can already tell that we're going to get hooked, albeit 9 years late. We eventually arrived in New York at gone 11pm and met up with Maxy's friends in a bar in the village.

It was just brilliant to see Mat, Jo and Mark (Grace was elsewhere, celebrating finishing law school. This included doing a power hour). It was the first time since we got to the States that I've been able to hang out with friends and, although they're officially Max's friends and don't know me super-well, we get on really well and it was like sinking into a lovely warm bath to be surrounded by familiar faces and fun banter and chat. It was just what I needed after a somewhat lonely week and, despite feeling knackered and grotty after the long bus ride, Max and I both got a second wind and were really really happy. My coat even came in handy as it was way colder in New York. The sweat had been worth it...

After some drinks on the NYU Economics Faculty tab (I'm not quite sure how that worked), we headed to another bar to catch up with Grace who was in amazing shape, having lasted a mighty 54 minutes of her hour o' power. The bar was very dark, very busy and very cool and we danced and drank shots and I indulged in some regrettably aggressive matchmaking between Jo and one of Mark's friends. It was such a fun night and in the cab on the way back to Mark and Grace's apartment, we nearly got a century - going 100 blocks without meeting a red light. We got to about 94 before the driver had to dive left into the park.

It wasn't until we got to Grace and Mark's apartment that I realised it was 4.30am! Those time-flies-when-your-having-fun mongers weren't wrong.