Update - our first clue...

Finally - someone who knows something! 

My friendly coffee server person is also a graphic designer and printer and happened to overhear me talking on my cell about the party. He explained that his shop had done the printing and the person who paid for it was from some sort of swimsuit company. He didn't know which one, he said it was some name he didn't recognize. But the person looked rich, and so they were probably successful. Don't ask me why someone rich would use my coffee-server person as a printer - maybe going underground is part of the game? Lucky me for talking loudly on my phone. BTW - still no clue re: the Mercer Pool.  So does this mean I should bring swimsuit to the party? Or will there be a free on in the gift bag.

Attention all my friends in advertising and fashion - how come the coffee server person knew something and you didn't? 

hugs! JV

Atlantis can't be found

I called everyone I knew who knows anything about the Mercer hotel and asked if they had a pool. Most people just laughed but a few said that there might be. New York is full of small surprises like that. We tend to think everyone lives in the same city, but there are some worlds that are invitation only.  Well, this time I had an invitation, so why not see what's on the other side? 

My Fictional Absentee Boyfriend

I've been at this apartment for about eight months. It is the first time I've lived alone, but to be honest, I don't really miss having roommates. Even the best roommate is sometimes one roommate too many. I thought I would be lonely, or frightened when there was a weird noise at night, or whatever, but so far so good. Plus, I have a phantom boyfriend - not really an imaginary boyfriend - just a ghost. I occasionally get mail for the guy who used to live here. It happens often enough that I sometimes pretend he still does live here, and he's my boyfriend, it's just that he's so busy or travels so often that I never see him. So not really a ghost - I mean that I have a fictional absentee boyfriend, who is partially my fantasy and partially based on whatever information I can learn about him from the occasional clues that drop in my lap. Here's what I know from his mail: he's got a great name - Jackson Black. He went to Harvard (I got three requests for donations or annual funds or alumni giving in december alone). 

Note to Harvard Alumni Giving Relations Board - sex it up a little. These calls to action are a little thin and little pale, and little boring. A crimson envelop only goes so far. 

I don't know how long past are his college days. Is he 23 or 85? Hard to tell. I like to think he's about 32. He has expensive tastes. This is confirmed by the very few, very expensive, catalogs I get for him in the mail. For instance, instead of Victoria's Secret, he gets a concise catalog from La Perla that only contains items from their Black Label line. It is printed on thick paper with a black embossed cover in a protective black silk wrap and comes in a box. Yes - I opened it. It was sealed.  

Today he got an invitation to some sort of "pool party" at the Mercer Hotel. Which of course makes no sense, as the Mercer doesn't have a pool - unless they have one hidden somewhere that the general public never sees. Where would they put it? Underground? The pool party came with two gold "tickets" to the Atlantis Masquerade. I'm tempted to go. Now, if only I had a real boyfriend to take with me. 

My Name

My name really is Jane Varsity. There is no good story behind my last name. My parents claim it's English, but really, who knows? I'm certainly not an expert in the history of names, although I've been asked about it enough times to qualify for an honorary degree in patience and temperance. So just to get this out of the way -  my name isn't some sort of bad joke about sports or anything else. I don't have a little brother who goes by the name "Junior." I don't even really like sports - although when I do - it has nothing to do with my name. It's just my name. I'm sure some of you have names like this too - no? 

Welcome

Well, here we are...