Glory Days

I tried. I really did. But I just couldn't capture the glory of this weekend. Here's the outline: a spectacular hike in Cold Spring, NY; a summery dinner on a restaurant patio overlooking the Hudson; a host of phone calls, cards and well-wishes from family and friends for my birthday on Sunday; and LOVE from my NYC family (and the unlimited champagne lunch we enjoyed together). Michael has a beautiful recap of our Cold Spring outing here.

The common thread that made the weekend possible: my husband.

And now the weekend in photos:

















PS Welcome my new reader, Sammy Spinney!

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Tonight I will blog about the most amazing weekend EVER. Today, I recommend this section of WNYC (our NPR station). WNYC is doing a series on the new New York Cityscape, and I've really enjoyed it!

More soon...

But here's a start to show you what an amazing birthday I had!

Wake Up

My aunt posted a couple of photos on her blog recently that I really enjoyed (here and here) because they gave a good sense of her daily routines. So here's my version of "Starting the Day" - the items I have with me most weekday mornings:

The first thing I go for is my tea and water. Then oatmeal with raisins for breakfast and the paper of course. This morning I made it to the gym, so my shuffle is also a part of the mix. (Thrilling, isn't it?!)

And I know I'm putting too many of these pictures up, but here's another one from the West Side Highway yesterday:

Thrill!

Michael and I are sneaking away for a brief getaway this weekend! Hooray!

The Perfect Summer Day - a little early

Yesterday, Michael, Ashesh, Mona and I enjoyed the perfect summer day. In April.

The day began with a quick trip to the farmers market. Two minutes after walking out the door, I realized that my clothes were utterly inappropriate - overnight the seasons changed, and it was time for flip-flops and skirts. The farmers market was packed by 10:30 with people out and about, enjoying the unbelievable weather.

After I got home, Michael and I met Ashesh & Mona for a game at the new Mets stadium! A perk of Michael's firm, he snagged four free tickets, nine rows from the field. The joy of baseball games for me is the food - all of it delicious, all of it generally off limits. Between the four of us, we consumed pizza, french fries, onion rings, cracker jacks, hot dogs, SODA, and ribs. YUM! The park itself was beautiful, and sitting outside in the sunshine, watching baseball and eating was just heavenly.

When we returned to Manhattan, the gorgeous weather demanded we stay outside. So the four of us ended up sitting around a table outside, some of us drinking margaritas and all of us eating guacamole for another 2 hours.

Overall, yesterday was the perfect day! Here are some pictures to demonstrate:

We were SO close to first base!

Mona & Ashesh

Michael & Me

Just Kidding!

Okay, so I know I said I was working on loving winter this year. And I did good! I really did! Generally I tried not to complain about the wind and the cold and instead I savored the ease of cooking.

BUT! Now it's spring, and I give up! Today was utterly amazing --- 70 degrees, sunny, bright blue sky, flowers absolutely everywhere. More pictures of the beauty:

My favorite spot around our office - in this picture, there are four different types of flowers. When you walk by, the smell is just stunning - you can't help but smile!

Yes indeed!

Fun Parts

Two exciting items from the paper this week:

1. Art Project Scatters a Brooklyn Neighborhood with Wildflower Seeds
2. Philippe Petit Plans Wire Walk in Midtown this Fall
   

Scenes from the Stolen Night

Should vs. Will

Right now, I should be changing clothes and gearing up for an intense aerobic activity. I should be preparing for a good sweat, deciding if I am going to workout on the elliptical or the bike, and charging up my shuffle.

Instead, I think I'm going to put my winter coat back on and head out for a long walk along the water. I need the fresh air, and watching the sun set over New Jersey is a sight worth seeing! I feel bad about the calories I won't be burning and the heart rate I won't be getting to, but... sometimes plans change.

Right???

Lent

This year, the first in many, I didn't do anything to mark Lent. I didn't give up; I didn't take on. The season, somehow, just passed me by.

And as Easter arrives, I realize how sad I am that I let this happen. In years passed, I've given up computers after 8 PM, sweets, drinks. I've taken on more regular church attendance and more thoughtful prayer. This year, I let the craziness of life - an expression that I both detest and feel - sweep me up and get me through. Lent is a period of the year that I love, a season I look forward to in the depths of winter. And I'm sorry to have missed out on its thought-provoking, sacrificial experience.

The Times had two very engaging pieces on Lent, one here by Judith Warner and one here by James Carroll. Also, Brian Lehrer had a call-in on NPR asking Jews to answer, "What's the fifth Passover question for 2009?" and Christians, "What did you give up for Lent?" An interesting assortment of answers are listed here.

Peeps

Which is your favorite?

Meet with Me

This is a shot of my office calendar for this week. Each of those blue things represents a meeting. The grand total for my 4 days in the office: 20!

Mornings

Sunshine at 6:25 this morning! SUMMER IS COMING!

Scenes from my Walk Home

Today, after a rough couple of days at work, I took the long way home, walking along the water. It was beautiful, and really encouraged a sigh of relief. Here are some shots:

The NYC Boardwalk

My Mom is Awesome

Friday & Saturday

Here are a couple of pictures from Friday and Saturday.

Melissa's beautiful baby boy, due to join us in late May.

From my walk home on Friday. This couple was older, in their late sixties perhaps. They got out of a car, the driver holding the door open for them as they shimmied out onto the street. I found them captivating. They were both dressed to the nine, she in a flowing navy blue dress, he in a tux. Her hair was perfectly done - a crown of small circles. I loved walking behind these two.

On Friday, on my walk home, I found a little garden full of hyacinths. The fragrance was overpowering and instantly put a smile on my face.

One of the best times of the day - watching the sun rise from our couch while drinking my morning cup of tea.

On my way...

Today I am off to Phily to visit Melissa and attend her baby shower! I am so excited to see her in all her pregnant glory! Although this sick lady behind me on the bus could stop coughing...

Work lately has been both a blessing and a curse. I worked an 11-hour day yesterday and think that could become a common event in the next couple of weeks. Our team has lost one person in February and another will leave in three weeks. We are in the process of rethinking our entire approach to addressing childhood inactivity and obesity. I already know of 2 Saturdays that I will have to work. And major evaluation efforts are underway.

I am really excited about our new strategy, and incredibly sad about losing my colleague. I know the next six months will be rewarding and intense. I just hope I have the energy to do it - and the willpower to keep up at the gym in the meantime!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Hmm...

Here's a shot of the new NYC bike racks, designed to minimize the extra sidewalk space. I'm not sure how good looking they are, but very New York:

Before 9

Woke with the sun, with birds chirping and spring excitement in the air. Walked through a quiet neighborhood to the gym. Lifted heavy weights, picked up the heart rate and made ourselves like jello. Returned home, exhausted and pleased, to enjoy some breakfast, read the paper and hit the road.

I love Thursdays!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Distance

Last weekend, I went to the gym with my brother. We worked out side-by-side, occasionally chatting and encouraging one another to sprint, run and just generally keep up. The whole outing was really fun – a nice way to spend a Saturday morning with my brother.

These are the kinds of daily events that Michael and I would like to share regularly with our siblings. We’d love to be able to invite them over for dinner once a week, go grocery shopping together on occasion, run in some sort of park together or maybe compete in some races. We’d love to be able to enjoy them in our daily lives.

Unfortunately, Kelsey is in South Carolina, Henry is in Arlington, and we are in New York. When I think too long about this – about the distance that separates us from our families – I start to question why we live where we do. Michael and I are city dwellers; we love living in New York. But we are not happy about having our lives so separate from our families.

Hmmm… Food for thought, I suppose.

Lunch

This isn't exactly my motivation for bringing lunch, but it is sometimes how I feel at the office. From my book, "Then We Came to the End":

"Some of us went out for lunch to a new place every day and made lunch an event. Others, like Old Brizz, stayed in and had the same thing, day after day. Sometimes it was to save money. Other times it was to avoid the company of people who, from nine to noon and one to six, we had to give ourselves over to unconditionally. For an hour in between, time reverted back to us, and sometimes we took advantage of that hour by closing our doors and eating alone."

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]