• by Kelly Samardak , September 20, 2010

Strap on your beer helmets and start snorting that milk thistle, because these next two weeks are going to be one sleepless late night after another, broken up by an all-day music festival and wrapping up with the week-long event that brings out all the Mad Men wannabes, gonnabes, and alreadybeentheres: Advertising Week.  If you haven't started planning, you're in serious trouble -- but if you're lucky, I'll share my Red Bull. 

But first! You may have noticed a very short radio silence from this column.  I was in Buffalo.  Well first, I was on the road to Buffalo in my lovely rental for 7 hours.  Then I was in Buffalo for a wedding.  I'm not joking when I say it was amazing.  My rental was a Ford Focus, and it was awesome.  Smooth ride, Sirius satellite radio, inputs for your other stuff (like my phone, which also doubled as our GPS), and the best-sounding turn signal ever.  We detoured through Ithaca, starting at Whitney Point, which is where we found the Whitney Point Country Kitchen, a wonderful place that feels like mom's kitchen and serves a hot roast beef sandwich doused with country gravy WITH a side of fries for $5.95.  Don't even get me started on the corn nuggets, ohmahlawd.

If you've never driven through Whitney Point and along the roads through Ithaca, you're missing out. It was gorgeous: farm country as expansive as the open fields of Ireland.  Ancient tractors sat in fields, cows dotted the hills, hay bales lounged near the roadside, and the fragrance of dead summer skunk perfumed the day.   When we finally reached Buffalo, the first order of business was wings and beer.  Did we go to Anchor Bar? Hell no! Any Buffalo-ian will tell you the place to get the really good stuff is Mammoser's Tavern, and that's just what we did.

With the memories of wings, beer, and a wonderful small-town wedding, I'm approaching this week with a happy heart and a positive outlook, because really, why are we so mean to Monday?  Let's get crackin':

Tonight is a mystery.  I have something on my calendar and in my ultimate wisdom I didn't include details, etc etc.  You'll find out tomorrow what I dig up.

Tuesday, Sept. 21: If you like little white balls flying all over the place, Tuesday is not your night.  Thought Equity Motion is hosting a "Ping Pong Showdown/Agency Night" at Spin New York and if I recall correctly, the balls there are day-glo orange.  So if you're into THAT, you'll... be into that.  They sent paddles as invitations, but since I suck at ping-pong, I'll be using mine as a fly swatter. 

StockTwits is also having a party on Tuesday night with CNNMoney called "Wall Street 2 Party," which I read as text speak "Wall Street to Party" and thought I was missing something.  You get it, though. Insiders say "the who's who of NYC emerging media, Wall Street, and everything in between" will be there, which sounds like everyone in the city.  If I don't get beaned by a ping pong ball, I'll be covering that shindig and will let you know if bribes are thrown down, insider trading whispers about, and/or hits are taken out anyone.

Wednesday Sept. 22: The Greatest Day To Be Alive.  Why? Because it's the day brgr (because really, who has time for vowels?!) is throwing an opening party and while yes, it's a bit off the beaten beat for this column, I think you know that the day I turn down a juicy burger and a beer is the day you can coax me into the woods and put a quarter inch of lead in my head. [Dear lawyers, this was not an invitation for someone to kill me.]

Thursday Sept. 23:  IFC is throwing a premiere event for "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret." IFC parties never fail, so I will definitely be making this one AND the afterparty.

ReadyMade is also partying down Thursday night with their  "Celebrate Design" event.  Alongside Hyundai they'll be swilling cocktails and hosting a silent auction to benefit Americans for the Arts Action Fund.  There will also be a chocolate-tasting station, which means the entire place will smell like bellybutton.

Friday, Sept. 24 I depart for beautiful Baltimore Maryland for crabs and Virgin Mobile Free Fest.  Free Fest is a free full day of music, crab cakes, fried things, expensive beers, and did I mention music?  It's going to be fantastic.  If you're not leaving town, Friday will play host to plenty of activities around NYC, including the My Damn Channel Three Year Anniversary Party -- AND Digital DUMBO will be kicking off the 1^st ever Digital Summit at the DUMBO Arts Festival, which is spread out over three days.

Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com

Larger photos are up on Flickr!