Nobel, I agree with you. Europe kicks New York's ass in a quick minute in terms of hobbying. As soon as I have a new job and my tax return arrives, I'm off to Amsterdam to celebrate rejoining the workforce. Or at least back to my normal hobbying here.
As for your second question, when I broke up with my girlfriend in January (the former provider that I recently mentioned), the night we finally ended things for good was the culmination of a stretch of unhappiness. As I walked home, drunk and unhappy, from a SoHo bar I stopped at a deli, picked up the Village Voice and hit the ATM. Once I got home, I called a random ad and they offered to send a blonde over for $200. I was fearing the worst, but a very cute, freckled young woman arrived (I think I may have mentioned her in a previous post). She was attractive, friendly, fun, and easygoing, and we had a great time together. It definitely helped me to get over things with my ex.