One Man, One Night, Five Parties

About Town went to five holiday parties on Thursday night, one in honor of every Cosby kid.

To prepare we chugged coffee and exercised, then donned our finest and only suit and dress shoes, and splashed some Old Spice from daddy's old bottle. Then we pre-gamed at the Village Pourhouse.

Our first stop at 6:30 was the Atlantic Environmental company party at the Chandelier Room. Host and Hoboken Chamber of Commerce president Michael Novak was there of course, and About Town also saw hMAG publisher Joe Mindak, Cultural Affairs director Geri Fallo, supermoms Peta Moran and Zabrina Stoffel, and Councilman Tim Occhipinti.

We chatted with Assemblyman Ruben Ramos. Ramos likes the football Steelers, who this weekend play About Town's beloved 49ers. It will be a tough game. Both About Town and the Assemblyman are sure oft-injured Steelers quarterback Ben Longnameberger will play despite recently getting his leg snapped like a wet breadstick.

Running theme: the party was open bar and About Town drank multiple beers.

We left the Chandelier Room after an hour for the next party, a fundraiser at Trinity for the Hoboken Relay For Life. One of About Town's new roommates, Tiffany Watson, just joined their committee (hi roomie!).

You might ask, About Town has female roommates? Yes. Our longtime guy friends all moved out, and so since we had to find strangers we thought we'd do better with women. They're usually cleaner, quieter and less likely to fist pump.

When we first met Tiffany we told her our job, and said, “I'm not famous, but I'm not anonymous. Everyone in Hoboken knows me, and you could also Google me. This is my way of proving I'm not an ax murderer.” That goes for all of you too: know that About Town would never use an ax to kill someone.

Anyway, About Town chatted with Relay committee members Kate Dangremond and Erica Manen. Manen said the Relay is hoping to raise over $200,000 this year, and by the look of the fundraiser party they're off to a great start.

We had a beer and then left for the next party. We were behind schedule, but About Town is a fast walker. We juked around lollygagging pedestrians like a running back slicing through the center and guard and speeding into the gap.

Hoboken Rotary member James Sanford threw a casual party for close friends at Northern Soul. About Town talked to Sanford, plus Scott Siegel and new Friends of the Hoboken Public Library president Forde Prigot. We had another beer and almost bumped into some girls playing darts.

At 8:40pm we left Northern Soul for the fourth party. By this time we were tired, but we were so inspired to persevere that we stopped traffic on Madison Street to Tebow in the intersection.

The fourth party was thrown by the Hoboken Happy Hour Group and the website Barzz at the West Five Supper Club. There we chatted with founder Tiffany Shenman and her co-organizer Krysten Mack. Like About Town Mack is a Mets fan, and we lamented together over their pathetic state.

The HHHG and Barzz raffled a trip for two to Jamaica, but we don't know who won because we had to leave for Rory Chadwick's party at Room 84.

We saw owner Joe Branco there, plus Rotarians Laura Brayton, Andrew Brown, Christopher Mackin and Ryan Mitchell. Famed DJ Scott Richmond spun tunes. We hoped to catch the eye of an attractive blonde woman but failed.

Chadwick paid the tab until 11:30 (thanks!) and About Town left soon after. We conducted post-game analysis at the Pourhouse till 2am.

That's that, a whirlwind night. About Town told a lot of people about our five party plan, and they all responded with some form of, “wow, with all these parties, your job must be so tough.”

It's a well-meant joke. About Town knows writing this column ain't working construction.

But it does actually take a toll. It's an erratic schedule and unhealthy lifestyle. About Town doesn't get regular nighttime eight hour sleep. We eat crap on the go.

Then there's the drinking and hangovers. True, we don't have to drink at parties, but that's like owning a piano you never play.

About Town is turning 32 soon. We can't do this forever. This night the parties just kept coming. We wanted to go to all that we were invited to. We thought, we can have one more hard night like this, as if it's the last.

It's always corny to compare things to sports, but the whole night we thought about Brett Favre's next to last season. The one after a few crapper years, when the old man put together one last vintage season before everything fell apart. That's the night we wanted to have: vigorous conversation with old and new friends; gallant, witty, exuberant, alive.

Because like Brett Favre, About Town just can't seem to quit. We love our parties. And now New Year's Eve is right around the corner.

Alan Skontra was a big dork who never went anywhere. Then he started writing the About Town column for Patch, and now he's everywhere. Have a hot tip on an event in Hoboken? Send an invitation, questions and comments too, to alanskontra@hotmail.com, and peep his tweets @alanskontra.