No, you cannot plan a wedding in 60 days

Weddings are the ultimate event.  The amount of planning, people and politics that go into one is something that cannot be rushed.  Today Gilt City, the site which brings your city to your doorstep for half the price, offered quite the deal.  Picture it- 100 of your closest family and friends participating in the after party of your nuptials in the infamous Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel, equipped with cocktails, dancing, flowers and more- all for the low price of 55 grand.  Reading through the list of included swag, this is essentially a great deal for such a renowned New York location.  But then there's always the fine print:

• You must redeem the coupon by April 30, 2012
• March 2nd, March 31st, and April 20th are already taken
• The voucher does not include tax which will be charged separately by the vendor

These three limitations translate into the following:

• You better already be engaged because you only have 60 days to plan a wedding- good luck.
• You actually only have 8 dates, including this weekend, to choose from.  If you don't have a fiance just go find some guy at a bar because this is guaranteed to be the best party evvveeerrr.
• Your honeymoon will consist of a carriage ride around Central Park and a quick trip to Nathan's because NYC sales tax will cost you another $8,000.

Having a wedding at The Plaza would be many a girls dream, though somehow doing it through an online coupon takes away the sparkle just a tad. Seems more like they had a few open weekends to get rid of rather than truly wanting to host your special day.  I mean, how enthusiastic do you think that included wedding planner will be on no commission?

No, you cannot solicit something as free that is already free

Sunday was a gorgeous day in New York, all the better to partake in outdoor activities.  My roommate and I decided to take a leisurely bike ride in Central Park (which is actually not so leisurely towards the hills around 106th street.)  About half way through our 2nd lap we decided it was time for a mandatory margarita break.  We sat on a terrace in the park, listening to some random man play a piano covered in aluminum foil while sipping on our overpriced limey libations when we noticed a woman with a sign that read 'Free Hugs'.  Although her poster offered a complimentary cuddle it seemed no one was taking her up on the proposition.  Even her friend/manager sat down in defeat as the scheming to get innocent park-goers to hug a jovial, sweaty woman only proved to be done in vain.  You have to give her kudos for being such a good samaritan, though I don't think any sane person is going to give or receive hugs from strangers in this city when it will more than likely lead to a mean case of bed bugs.  No time for hugging lady, my 2-hour bike rental is up and the awkwardness of this situation is far too inevitable.