The Holidays in Lafayette

The holidays were mellow in Lafayette this year. It was just me and my Mom and Dad. We would have loved to spend Christmas with Morgan and Piper (oh, Meg and David too), but the Allendorfs weren't able to travel South from Spokane this year. We understood, Piper is only 4 months old and it's an ordeal to get a family of 4 packed up and able to travel during the holidays. We sent them lots of goodies and gifts and the photos on Meg's blog have been fun to see.

I had a much-needed "staycation" between Christmas and New Year's. My work closed the corporate office during this week and although we had to use 4 days of PTO, I was more than willing to comply. For me, it was all about sleeping in, taking it easy, and not having much on my schedule. I was able to spend time with a couple of friends that are hard to get together with since they have moved along the road of life of marriage and having kids. All that goes along with it is very time consuming! It was really good to see them since my schedule was much more flexible than usual. : )

My parents, as usual, cooked up some wonderful food (our traditional crab bisque on Christmas Eve) and there were lots of treats to go around. While present opening is not near the event it was when Meg and I were kids, it was still fun. My favorite gift was my Burberry Rain Boots from my Mom and sister. Of course, it hasn't rained since I got them. Ha! Overall, it was nice to have the downtime after months of crazy work schedules and travel.

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

My Knee and the Latest Follow-Up Appt.

I wish I had good news to report on my knee, but I don't. Unfortunately, the cycling didn't go very well. I got to 15 minutes, then in mid-November, after cycling on a bike in a hotel gym, my knee flared up again. It wasn't a terribly flare-up, but it felt uncomfortable enough to lay of the cycling for a bit. I didn't realize until it was too late that the bike at the hotel gym had a little resistance on it and I'm sure that was not ideal for my knee. Obviously, the bike was very different than cycling on my bike on the trainer at home. Oh well.

I explained this all to Dr. Dye at my appointment with him on December 14. He seemed a little disappointed too, but urged me to keep doing what does not irritate my knee. He made the comment that many people are like me and after the surgery, the healing is very slow. As usual, I've come to terms with that as long as eventually I can get back to normal exercise.

One change Dr. Dye did make was to switch up my anti-inflammatory medication. I've been taking one Piroxicam pill each day since last May, maybe late April. He switched me to a different medication (I cannot remember the name at this moment and am not near my prescription bottle) that I need to take one pill before breakfast and second pill before dinner. When I picked up the prescription, the pharmacist told me to make sure to drink one full glass of water before I take each pill and do not lie down for at least a half an hour afterwards. Hmm... my only thought was wondering if I lie on the couch right after I take this medication that this would allow the medication to settle in a certain spot in my stomach and cause an ulcer. Scary thought. Needless to say, I'm following their instructions carefully.

More Travels

In late November/early December, I was out of town for almost 2 weeks and away from the office for 3 weeks! As I previously posted, I was in Los Angeles the two days before Thanksgiving, I headed back to L.A. the first week of December and spent my birthday there.

It took me a while to decide what to pack for the trip. The plan was to spend Mon, Nov 31 - Fri, Dec 4 in L.A, then fly up to Spokane for my niece Morgan's 2nd birthday. Last, I went from Spokane to Minneapolis, MN on Dec 8 for more press checks. The weather in Los Angeles was to be much different than Spokane or Minneapolis, but I tried not to worry about bringing a heavy coat because my suitcase was heavy as it was! Well, it turned out I really needed that heavy coat. This was the weather when I flew into Minneapolis.


Yikes... I had planned to stay downtown, but the reps at the printing company I work with recommended I change my reservations to a hotel closer to their plant. Good call. I was in Minneapolis for 3 nights and each night I returned to my hotel room and cranked up the heat! This was the view from my hotel window:


Burr... you should have seen me the first morning I was there, trudging across the parking lot to my beloved Caribou Coffee in a winter jacket appropriate for San Francisco in the Fall. The guys from the printer called it a "windbreaker." Thank goodness one of their wives offered one of her winter coats for me to borrow. I figure the next trip I should take one of my winter coats with me from the time I lived in Salt Lake City and leave it there.

My next trip? Atlanta, GA in January.

Nap Time for Morgan

Morgan is not ready for her nap... silly girl. : )

On My Mind

Has anyone else started to think of their life in terms of "status" posts? Ever since I joined Facebook a year and a half ago, I find myself often considering what I could post about my life at any given time of the day. Such as, "Eating the best frozen yogurt ever!" Or, if something interesting happens, I wonder, should I enlighten my "friends" with the details via a new status post? For example, on Saturday I went to see a movie. As the lights dimmed for the previews, I was surprised to notice the couple sitting next to me had pulled their tiny dog out of somewhere (from where I do not know) to enjoy the view as well. Really?! I kind of expect babies in theaters from time to time, but having a dog sit right next to me was a first. If the light from the screen on my iPhone wasn't so bright, I so would have posted something! BTW, the dog didn't make a peep during the whole movie. I can't say as much for babies. ; )

I feel that I have a pretty good filter in terms of what information is OK to post online and what is not appropriate. I admit, sometimes my posts are really *blah.* I think this may be better than the people who offer way too much information (you know, I really don't care what you ate for breakfast this morning). I'm not the kind of Facebooker that updates her "status," now called "What's on your mind?," constantly. My postings tend to go in waves, sometimes I'm into it, sometimes I'm not. I find myself sharing information during vacation since it's fun to be a little obnoxious that everyone else is working and I am not!

The thing I enjoy most about social networking is being able to see new photos that people upload from someones trip overseas, a big event, or even a horrible photo from back in 7th grade (thanks Heather, I made sure I "un-tagged" myself from that over-permed hair, skinny-legs image). Social networking is also a nice way to stay in touch with friends and even reconnect with people I haven't heard from in years.

So right now, boring or not, I would post "I'm sitting in my hotel room in SoCal trying to decide whether I should walk down the long hallway to get ice for my knee." Am I lazy or what? It's been a long day.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yep, December 1 is my birthday. Don't ask me how old I am, I'm not discussing that information anymore. ; ) Still, it's always nice to acknowledge the event that comes around each year. I'm in Los Angeles for work and was taken out for a fabulous dinner at Asia de Cuba in the Mondrian Hotel in Hollywood last night.


The candle on top of the slice of chocolate cake was the type with the "sparkler" effect. I made my wish, blew out the candle... and it lit up again! Who knew such a nice restaurant would use trick candles? Ha!

A Passing Trend, No Way!

I love my Ugg boots. I actually joined the Ugg boot bandwagon late in the game. These boots have been around for 30 years. My first memory of them was the boot-wearing surfers in Los Angeles. The boots were perfect for warming up feet chilled by the cold ocean. By the time I got a pair, Kate Hudson had worn them while in her underwear in the 2004 movie "Raising Helen." Shortly thereafter the boots were deemed as fashionably "out." I don't think this was because of the movie, I think people were simply tired of looking at them. None of this mattered to me. When I decided I wanted a pair, I just wanted soft, fluffiness for my feet. I was thrilled when I received a pair of short boots as a Christmas gift two years ago.

Earlier this week, as I was making my way through SFO and LAX, I observed many college students traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. If Ugg boots aren't "in" anymore, why was almost every young adult in the airport wearing the cushy numbers (or the many available knock-offs) on their feet over their skinny-jeans? Maybe the boots are back "in" or maybe they were never really "out" at all?! The majority of the teens/twenty-somethings were wearing sheepskin or knit style boots in Black so I figure that must be the color of choice these days. That said, I still saw plenty of Chestnut and Sand (this photo is of the style and color I own) versions as well.

Ahh... when it is a cold and windy day in the city or suburbs, Ugg Boots are just right. Long live Ugg boots!

A Quick Trip to L.A.

This week spent two days in L.A. for work. I flew down Sunday night in order to be at the printing plant for press checks early on Monday morning. When I booked my flight and hotel last week I figured I would stay at one of the 2 or 3 hotels I tend to frequent in the L.A. area. My company doesn't limit our lodging to particular hotels, but there are company "preferred" hotels that offer a special rate. I've also learned if we want to stay somewhere that is not a "preferred" hotel, as long as we keep within a reasonable rate (which varies depending on the city) we can stay wherever we please. Usually my business trips involve staying at hotels within the Starwood chain. I must earn my Starwood points! I have gotten myself to their "Gold" level status and am working towards "Platinum." My plan is to be able to use the points I'm earning towards a personal trip in the near future.

To get back to this trip, last week I was playing around with my SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) application on my iPhone and realized the W Los Angeles was offering a really good rate for the two days I needed to stay in LA. Yipee!! I love W hotels. Usually this particular W charges more than what I am comfortable paying for a work trip so I've stuck to the Sheraton or Westin hotels in the Starwood group which are nice, but do not generate excitement o my part. So, I was more than a little excited to be staying at the W Los Angeles. If you haven't been to or stayed at a W hotel, they are pretty swanky. Not "swanky" in the way that they are outrageously pretentious. They are modern contemporary, hip, and even a little eccentric. The music in the lobbies, bars, and elevators play an electronic edgy beat which I enjoy in the moment, but I'm never quite sure I'm cool enough to listen to regularly. Anyway, I rented my car and drove to Westwood on Sunday night (I skipped the W valet parking... ahem... $32 per night(!), and parked on the street in the UCLA neighborhood), walked into the hotel and up to the brushed stainless steel and glass reservations desk to check in. The nice gentleman at the desk gave me a free upgrade (Yay gold level!) to a Spectacular Suite. I was appreciative of the upgrade, but only half listened to the fact he called it a "suite." I rolled my bag to the elevator which, annoyingly, had a camera focused on me riding the elevator and a screen showing the images it was taking. Does my hair really look that bad? Hmm... when is the elevator going to get to the 10th floor?

I opened my door and walked into the coolest room! I wanted to live there, it was so great. Of course it wasn't as if they upgraded me to the best room in the hotel, but you see, I live in a studio apartment in San Francisco. When I travel for work I stay in hotels that are one room 99% of the time. This suite had a separate bedroom... with a door I could close! Hey, this is exciting for a small studio apartment dweller. Here are some photos from my trip. Oh, and the work part went well too. : )

The Living Room #1

The Living Room #2

Bedroom through the left door, bathroom to the right

The office and munchie bar to the right of the Living Room

The comfy bedroom

Another TV in the bedroom!

"The Backyard" as they called it.

The pool transformed into a skating rink for the Winter.

Frozen Yogurt Love

One of my favorite treats is frozen yogurt. My first memory of eating frozen yogurt was at Yogurt Park in Walnut Creek, CA which used to be across from a downtown WC movie theater, Festival Cinemas. There also used to be a small fro-yo shop in Lafayette, my hometown, but I don't remember the name. This is where I recall ordering two of my favorite things at the time, vanilla frozen yogurt and gummy bears. It took me ordering it a couple of times to realize those two things are good by themselves, but are not a good combo. Cold gummy bears are really hard to chew. While I was in college in San Luis Obispo, CA, I have fond memories of Froggie's Yogurt. It was really good, perfect on a Saturday afternoon or a break from studying.

For some reason, the business of frozen yogurt diminished for many years and it was hard to find other than a few options at the grocery store. When I first moved to San Francisco in 2003, only a market on the corner of Union and Fillmore Streets had frozen yogurt to offer. I'm happy to say Yogurt Park has hung on though and is still in Walnut Creek. They moved the title Yogurt "Park" to a second shop in Broadway Plaza shopping center and the original shop is now called Yogurt Castle.

In recent years Pinkberry, out of Los Angeles, has started the frozen yogurt craze all over again. We don't have a Pinkberry in SF, but there are a few knock offs called Tuttimelon and Red Mango popping up in the neighborhoods. In my heart of hearts, I still love Yogurt Park style fro-yo much more than the Pinkberry style, "tart" or "green tea" flavors you can add fruit or candy toppings to if you please. The real soft ice cream taste of a vanilla frozen yogurt at Yogurt Park with chocolate sprinkles is my favorite, with crushed Butterfingers running a close second. Sometimes I choose a fruit flavored yogurt like Peach or Raspberry with no toppings. So fresh and delicious.

Long story short, there is a new frozen yogurt place my friend Sarah suggested we try a week or two ago. It's called Fraiche and it's on Fillmore Street in SF, cross street California Street, I think. Fraiche touts themselves as serving "all-natural" frozen yogurt and when I walked in the door, I figured it would be another knock-off of Pinkberry, maybe with healthy toppings. As I was looking at the array of toppings available to us, my eyes landed on "Ollalieberry Puree" and my heart skipped a beat. Ollalieberries! Yay! Growing up, my parents had Ollalieberry bushes in our yard and annually made jam and wonderful pies. To this day, I believe there is no better jam than Ollalieberry. While my parents don't have the bushes in their yard anymore, my Dad makes an annual trip to Brentwood to pick Ollalieberries for jam and pies. The jars are like liquid gold. A few years ago my Dad brought me a jar at Thanksgiving and it accidentally slipped from his fingers when he was pulling to out of the car. I think we both almost cried when the jar crashed to the sidewalk and smashed open. Ohhh nooo! Good thing, there is always a new crop each year to be able to make some more. : ) My Dad even made mini jars of Ollalieberry jam as favors at my sister's wedding. So cute.

So, now you know how very excited I was to see Ollalieberry puree as an option for my beloved frozen yogurt. It was sooo good! Here's a photo I snapped on my iPhone. The photo doesn't look as good as it tasted though. It's the little things in life that brighten our days, right?

And Now... A Word from Dr. Dye

I am incredibly behind on blogging. I heard an interesting statistic the other day that 95% of web blogs have been abandoned! Can you believe that? I have a hard time believing it is true since so many people I know keep blogs, whether they are family or business related. I do understand that sometimes life gets in the way and it's hard to post something new very often. I'm in that place right now.

I thought I would write a quick update on my last appointment with Dr. Dye, about 3 weeks ago. He told me he would like me to get on my bike. No, not outside, just some easy spinning on my trainer indoors. He said I should begin with cycling 10 minutes every other day, then building up by 5 minutes per week. Of course, this is if my knee can handle it. Dr. Dye told me he would like me to be up to 30 minutes every other day by the time I have my next follow-up with him in early December. My immediate reaction was that it seems like a dream. I could possibly get that much exercise? No way! Hard to fathom at this point in my saga.

So I began 3 weeks ago... how did it go? Okay, sort of. The truth is I'm still at 10 minutes. Not because my knee seems to be reacting to the cycling, I've just been noticing another phenomenon lately. I may have mentioned this in the past, but my knee seems to be really sensitive to stress. The last month, maybe more, at work has been non-stop. I've been traveling, staying at the office late, and even bringing work home with me. Some days my knee starts to ache and the feeling doesn't seem to tie in with the days I cycle. Plus, when I travel for work it's usually for press checks where I have to get on a plane (the cabin pressurization doesn't help inflammation) to travel out-of-town. During the time on press I spend too much time standing on a concrete floor inside a printing plant. That floor is not forgiving at all. So with all of that, I've been afraid to increase the duration of my cycling.

Still, I hope to be to be at least halfway to the 30 mintes before I see Dr. Dye again, maybe even 20...

It Was All About Piper (and Morgan Too)

I spent the weekend of October 3rd up in Spokane, WA visiting my sister Meg, her husband David, my 22 month old niece Morgan, and her new baby sister Piper. Unfortunately, Meg and David are (again) dealing with a colicky baby. : ( Piper is so cute, but can be SO loud! Here's a photo I had to take. Can't you almost see that sound coming out of her little mouth?


It's hard to tell in this photo, but Piper's whole body, head to toe, turns bright red when she cries. Aww... Of course, it's easy for me to write about it and think it's kind of cute. I'm not her parents though and I got to leave after four days and get to some peace and quiet! It was actually not always loud at the Allendorf abode and my visit was good. Albeit, there was some baby stress and much sleep deprivation going on. Here are some more photos from my visit.

Aren't I cute in ponytails? These Cheerios are good too.

Piper is so sweet in her sleeper. Don't miss the teddy's on her feet!

Morgan shopping with Aunt Ali at Old Navy! We bought her Halloween costume, but I'm not going to spoil the Halloween photos. I'll give you a hint though... it's pink!

Piper's bright baby blue eyes. They don't look like they are going to change. : )

Dreams of Running

I've mentioned in the past that sometimes I dream about running. Before my second knee surgery, the amount of running I did in my dreams built slowly. Once, I dreamt I was starting a race down on Crissy Field, not far from the Golden Gate Bridge, but only jogged a short distance before I woke up. Then, there was a 10K dream and few even longer races. I didn't always cross the finish line before I woke up, but sometimes I did and I remember that sense of accomplishment. In some of the dreams I worried that I shouldn't be running and in others, it just felt good to run. I always seemed to be running with minimal impact to my knee or other joints in my body. After my surgery in February the dreams stopped... until last week.

Last week I dreamt I was running down on the Marina Green. It's an area between Crissy Field and Fort Mason in the Marina neighborhood. Each year, the transition area for the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon is located on the Marina Green. Many people run along the paved path next to the street, Marina Boulevard. As I recall the dream, I was running the distance from Crissy Field to where the monkey bars sit just at the edge of the boat marina next to Fort Mason. The short run felt good, although there was that nagging voice in the back of my head saying, "You shouldn't be running yet." Of course, in real life, I am listening to that voice and do not plan to try running until at least the year anniversary from my knee scope. In the meantime, it will be interesting to observe my dreams as my knee gets better. Maybe I'll be running those races or familiar paths in my sleep in no time! I wonder if we burn more calories when we run in dreams, compared to more sedentary dreams? I hope so!

A Couple of Trips to La La Land

I'm back into the routine of traveling for work. To be honest, I like it. I missed my travels when I was not able to fly after my knee surgery. It's so nice now to not have anything holding me back from doing my job.

Work travel goes like this for me: When I'm in the office, I look forward to getting on a plane and heading to another city to print a project. When I'm out of the office on press for a few days, I can't wait to get back to the office and be back into the loop with everyone! Yeah, it's a never ending cycle.

My last two trips where back-to-back weeks in the middle of September, 2-3 days in So Cal each week. During the first trip I stayed in Santa Monica, the second visit I decided to try a hotel in downtown L.A. When I was a kid, my Dad used to go to Los Angeles on business trips. I don't remember how often he went, but I do remember when he stayed at the Bonaventure Hotel downtown. I had seen photos of the hotel and thought the elevators that ran up the outside of the four towers were really "neat." My Dad would bring back the cute shampoo bottles as little souvenirs for my sister and me. I don't remember what we did with them, but I know we thought they were really cool! These days, the hotel is the Westin Bonaventure and I decided to give it a try to see what it is like just a *few* years later. ; ) The downtown location of the hotel ended up being quite convenient for me to drive to the places I needed to be each day. I would say the interior design of the hotel is a little old and tired, but they are doing some renovation. I was impressed at how nice and genuine the people were who checked me in, brought my oatmeal in the morning, or simply passed me in the hallway with a smile. Of course, most people in the service industry are cordial, but I think it's pretty hard to fake being genuine. The people who work at the Westin Bonaventure seem to like what they were doing! I think that's great.

The view from my room over downtown L.A.

My next trip? I'm off to Minneapolis next week, straight from a visit to Spokane to meet my niece Piper and spend some time with Morgan Boo. I'm hoping I can teach her to say "Auntie."

Pop!

I'm guessing you may be curious about what's going on with my bum knee lately? Well here's the deal. After I returned from my trip to New York, I limped around for a few days. It wasn't a bad limp, but it was there. I noticed it and my coworkers noticed it too. To be honest, I wasn't really worried. I knew I walked around way too much in Manhattan, but I actually felt as if my knee bounced back pretty well each day. Although after multiple days of wandering around, it had it's toll on my knee. I took it extra easy (if that is even possible) the week after I returned and my knee seemed to get back to normal. The current norm for me anyway.

I cannot deny that it's been a tough Summer. This second knee surgery really took it's toll on me, mentally and physically. The recovery period during the first 3-4 months was much worse than I imagined it would be. I have not been on the "sunny" side of life over the last 6 months or so. It's more like "clouds with a chance of rain." Not good. Back around May I got to the point that I wondered if I would ever be able to return to an active lifestyle again. It was sad for me. I didn't realize it at the time, but around July, shortly before I went to New York, it dawned on me that my worry was getting me nowhere. I can't say I entirely stopped worrying, but I drastically reduced the amount of it. I figured the surgery was behind me and there was nothing I could do to change it. I better just settle in and be patient. Dr. Dye said my knee would heal and I figured it may be good to start believing him.

During my trip, I did worry a little. I really had not walked that much in a long, long time. I thought to myself, "Should I be taking this trip? Maybe a stay-cation would be better for me right now." The need to get-out-of-town took over and I was pleasantly surprised how my knee handled the trip. That the achy feeling in my knee did not escalate to full pain and throbbing as it had when I did too much a few months earlier. In the mornings I would wake up and, while my knee didn't feel great, it wasn't holding me back. That was good to learn. I thought, maybe, just maybe my knee is on the road to be able to withstand some activity again.

A week and a half after I got home, I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Dye. I hadn't seen him for about 6 weeks. He looked at my knee and said, "It looks better than the last time I saw you!" I laughed. What? How many knees a day does he see? 12... 20? Could he actually remember what my knee looked like 6 weeks ago? Dr. Dye does not take photos, but hey, maybe he has one of those photographic memories. Hmm. I thought it was interesting that during those 6 weeks since my last follow-up I had hoofed it around NY and he still thought my knee looked better! Dr. Dye told me to keep doing whatever I was doing and come back in 4 weeks. I've had to move that appointment out a few weeks due to some work trips, so we'll see what he has to say in mid-September.

There is one especially interesting thing to note. A few weeks ago, I was lounging on my couch (as I do more than I would like to admit) and had my leg propped up on a pillow. I do this often, especially when icing my knee. I had an urge to stretch and bend my legs, so I did. I heard a "pop!" in my left knee, honestly the loudest pop I have ever heard come from that knee, before or after surgery. The pop wasn't painful, it was just a noise. Well, something must have come "unstuck" because suddenly my knee didn't feel as tight. I swear, for the last few weeks it has felt significantly better and I can lift my leg straight with minimal pain in my knee. I would say that's progress! My guess is that one of those synovial "fronds," as Dr. Dye called them, stopped catching. All a part of the healing process, I guess.

I realized it's been a long time since I've taken or posted a range of motion photo. As you can see, my ROM is not back to normal, but has improved. It's all I can ask for as the Summer comes to a close. Hopefully Fall in San Francisco will be a little more "sunny" for me.

Welcome to the World Piper Rylee!

I have a new niece! Morgan is now big sister to baby Piper Rylee. Meg is doing well and Grandpa and Grandpa B are up in Spokane, Washington helping with all that second-time parents Meg and David need in these early days.



Piper arrived around 4:00 PM on Thursday, August 27, just one day shy of Meg's due date. She was 8 lbs. 5 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Apparently, Morgan caught onto the name Piper right away and is saying it quite a bit. I'm planning to visit in early October.

My High School 20-Year Reunion

Montclair Cultural Arts Center

I can't believe I just attended my 20-year high school reunion. Has it really been that long? No way. I learned about the date that was set for this Summer way back in February, shortly before my knee surgery. I had little doubt at the time that I would attend, although I did reconsider a few times before the actual event.

You see, I didn't have much fun at my 10-year reunion. I'm not sure why, but I really didn't take it that seriously. Once I got there, I didn't feel dressed up enough and got really tired of people saying, "Why would you do that?" when they learned I was moving to Salt Lake City, Utah for a new job. Yes, I knew it was not the most common place to relocate, but I was tired of the So Cal life I was living and was looking forward to my new adventure. Also, people were still just too clique-y at the reunion for me. Not a lot had changed since high school. You see, I always considered myself somewhere in-between the "popular" kids in school and the "not-so-popular" kids. In hindsight, I was definitely one of those girls that worried about whether I was wearing the right clothes and was taking part in the right activities so people accepted me. I did do things I wanted to do, but I was more of a goody-two-shoes than a someone who wanted to be "different." 20 years later? I'm pretty sure that hasn't changed! Anyway, one thing I was a little concerned about was the fact that I'm still *single.* Thing is, what can I do? Was I going to let it keep me from seeing old friends and familiar faces? No, it wasn't.

So I got my plans together. I was meeting my friend Melissa and her husband Matthew at their home in Oakland. Another friend from high school, Chris, was traveling all the way from his home in Singapore to attend the reunion. He was staying with Melissa and Matthew, so we would all go together. Great! I had decided a while back that I thought it would be fun to get my hair and make-up done for the event. Why not? I never had my hair done for anything other than when I was a bridesmaid and I always to the same old boring routine with my make-up. I thought it would be a little treat to myself. Well, the day of the reunion arrived. I was rushing around some errands and finally sat down for my pampering around 2:00 PM.

An hour and a half later, I was on my way home to change and get to Oakland. To be blunt, I was now in a completely different mind set. Rather than feeling pretty, I felt like I was trying too hard. I had never worn so much make-up in my whole life! I don't think I even wore that much make-up while performing in the school musical. Uh oh, this is not how I wanted to feel before seeing my old classmates. When I was finally on my way to Melissa's, I called her and voiced my concern. I asked her to promise to tell me if I had too much make-up on. I arrived at her house, and she said I looked fine, but I was still a little worried. That's just what I do. We looked through some old photo albums and toasted each other with the champagne I brought along. Then, we called a cab and off we headed to the reunion.

Chris waiting for the cab on the front porch

I was nervous heading into the event, but relaxed after a short time of chatting with people I hadn't seen in a really long time. I noted that pretty much all of my classmates who attended looked great! Some people were dressed up a lot more than others, but in the end, it didn't really matter. I had a much better time than at my 10-year reunion. People were kind and laid back. They just seemed genuinely happy to see each other whether they hung out in high school or not! The evening just flew by and suddenly we were off to an after-party at Crogan's in Montclair. I'll spare you the details, but during the evening, there were great stories told, a whole lot of reminiscing, and even a little drama at the end. No, the drama didn't involve me, but it was sure fun to watch! I never thought I would be one of the last people to leave my reunion, but I was. The evening went by so fast and, unfortunately, I hardly took any photos. Here are the few I managed to take:

Melissa, me, Jennifer, Liz and Kathy

Matthew and Melissa

Ryann, me, and Rene at Crogan's

Will I go to my 30-year reunion? I can't answer that right now, but based on the nice evening I had this time around, I don't see why not. : )

My New Couch

I finally bought a new couch. I had been thinking about it for over a year, maybe more. I had loved the couch that I bought over a decade ago when I lived in Virginia. It was so well made and so comfortable. I got it at a place called Greenfront Furniture in Farmville, Virginia. I learned it was much lest expensive to buy furniture on the East Coast. Half the cost we pay on the West Coast is for shipping the furniture across the country.

Unfortunately, my old couch had it's day. It was a plaid pattern that was quite outdated and just worn out. I had it cleaned once, but now it just looked dingy. I considered having it re-upholstered, but found out that would cost even more than buying a new one. It was too bad, since it's hard to find a couch with soft, down pillows and such a sturdy construction today without spending an arm and a leg. After looking around Macy's and a few other stores earlier this year, I decided it was time to finally bite the bullet. Obviously, you can tell I was concerned about how much money I spent. After my knee surgery and planned vacation, I didn't want to buy something in a high price range, although hoped I would find something to stand the test of time. I decided on a fairly standard couch from Macy's, but chose a specific neutral fabric, a more casual option than the velvet in-stock version offered. That cost me a little more, but I figured it was worth it if I am going to have this couch for years to come.

Just before I left for New York, I received a call that my couch was ready for delivery. I was surprised! Macy's said it would take 6-8 weeks, and it had only been 3 weeks since I placed the order. When I was on my trip, I called and scheduled the delivery for the Sunday after I returned from New York.


Isn't it nice? I am liking it so far. The guys who delivered it were very professional. I asked if they could take my old couch out to the front of the building when they left. I had scheduled a Salvation Army pick-up for the next day. Luckily, I don't live on a high floor in my apartment building, so they were nice about doing this for me. I gave them a big tip and they were on their way to their next stop. To be honest, I still miss my old couch a little. It was a great one through the years. I couldn't even look at it out in front of my building when I left for work the next morning. Listen to me, I sound like I've given away a puppy! I guess you never really know what you've gotten attached to in life until you have to let it go. That couch was my cushion for many an iced knee over the last several years. I hope it has found a good home.

The Long Way Home

It was a rough trip home. Friday was hot and muggy morning which turned into a stormy afternoon. While making the plans for my trip, I didn't want to want to book a super early flight, but I also didn't want to have to check out of my hotel and deal with my bags around the city before heading to the airport. I ended up with something in between. The W Tuscany was nice enough to hold my bags for a few hours once I checked out. I was a little sad to leave and hope to stay at another W in New York again soon. I just love that chain of hotels. I bought a New York bagel with cream cheese for breakfast and settled in to read a good book at a Starbucks nearby. I decided I was done seeing the sights and didn't want to stress before my train to Newark airport. I reclaimed by bags around 1:00 PM and walked three blocks to Grand Central to connect to Penn Station. The rain was so threatening, I actually considered taking a cab those short blocks since I knew I wouldn't be able to manage my bags and an umbrella!

Luckily, I made it to Grand Central before it started to rain. Unexpectedly, it was a day where I got a lot of help from New Yorkers. Maybe it was the big bag I seemed to be struggling with or people where just in a helpful mood that day? First, a 30-ish aged man carried my bag down a steep flight of stairs to the S (shuttle) train to the 42nd Street Station. Then, another man (seemingly older and somewhat smaller than me!) from the S train, picked up my bag and carried it for me all the way to the A train I needed to take to Penn Station. Wow. I said "thank you" and he disappeared into the crowd of commuters. The week had worn me out and I was grateful for the help with my things. Although I was a little wary... what if one of these people took off with my bag? No, they just ended up being nice.

I got on the NJ Transit train and made my way back to the airport. The line at Delta to check bags was ridiculously long and and barely got it checked before the cut-off time. My flight was planned to take off at 5:00 PM and I was to change planes again in Salt Lake City before arriving in SFO around 10:30 PM PST. It was not to be. The rain storm was bad and the plane we were to be on to head West was diverted to Albany, NY before finally getting to Newark around 8:30 PM. Yes, it was very late! Before the plane finally arrived, we knew we would miss our connecting flight to SFO. The choice was to go back to NYC and stay another night, or fly to Salt Lake and stay there. I decided Salt Lake was the best option for me since I was ready to head West. We finally made it to SLC around 12:30 AM. So sleepy... the airline offered a discount at a nearby hotel (No, it wasn't free. Delta claimed to not be responsible for the cost due to bad weather. It was not a mechanical or airline-caused delay). I had called ahead and reserved a hotel in SLC before we took off from Newark, since they had not given us any options at that time. since I lived in Salt Lake years ago, so I was familiar with a few of the hotels downtown. By the time I got my bag and took a cab to the Sheraton, it was 1:30 AM.

I slept for maybe 4 hours and had to get up to catch the first flight to SF. I couldn't wait to get home. The 8:30 AM flight was uneventful. I gathered my belongings from baggage claim in SFO and called my parents to tell them I was back in the Bay Area. I jumped in a cab and was on my way to my apartment. When I got there, I immediately crashed and took a looong nap. It was good to be home.

Back in Manhattan

On Thursday, it was back to NYC, my last full day in New York. The week had gone by so fast, I barely wanted to think about going home. Since I couldn't check into my new hotel in the city until the afternoon, I spent some time in the morning shopping at Woodbury Commons. I stopped at Starbucks for another iced latte and people-watched for a bit. I had noticed a Stride Rite store the day before when I was with Sarah and Adam. I called my sister to find out Morgan's shoe size and bought my little niece Morgan some cute pink sneakers. Every toddler girl should have cute sneakers!

It was around 12:30 PM when I got on the bus for the short ride back to NYC. I was looking forward to seeing the hotel I chose for my last night in New York. I happened to find a "spectacular" room, as they called it, at the W Tuscany in the Murray Hill neighborhood. This was supposed to be a much bigger room than the "cozy" one I already stayed in, in midtown Manhattan. As much as the W New York was hip and modern, the W Tuscany was completely different. The neighborhood consisted of brownstones and few skyscrapers. The W Tuscany itself is an old brownstone. The lobby and cafe, The Audrey Lounge, had some of the modern vibe, but the rooms were quite contemporary with wooden blinds on the windows. At first, I was given a room on the 4th floor. It was big and spacious, but I soon realized how close it was to the elevator. Sometimes soundproofing in hotels is very good for rooms close to elevators, but this was not. It was a handsome, old building, but have you heard that "rocking" noise an old elevator makes in building such as this? It's a classic old sound that throws you back to old times, but it's a little noisy. I knew I would not be able to block out the sound. I went down to the lobby and was incredibly grateful when I was told I could move to another room. I transferred my bags to a room on the 7th floor and was very relieved when it was quiet. Here are some photos of my lovely room.

So spacious, my room was almost too big!

Pretty French door to the entryway

Now, what to do next? It was around 2:30 PM and I didn't have much time left of my vacation. I felt there were a few more things I wanted to check off my NYC list so off I went, pounding the pavement again. After a quick bite at a deli near Grand Central I headed back up to midtown. My destination was Serendipity. Yes, the same place that inspired the name of the movie with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. Kate and Molly Shannon (her character's best friend) chat there over a shared dessert in the movie. When I arrived, there was a long line almost out the door. Hmm, OK, maybe it was a super-touristy place. No matter. I worked my way through the crowd to the host and asked him how long I would need to wait to get a table. There is one good reason for being a "party of one," I got seated right away! I ordered the Frozen Hot Chocolate (a contradiction of words, in my opinion) that Serendipity is famous for creating. It was so good! It tastes similar to a Wendy's Frosty with whipped cream and shaved chocolate on top. Yum! The treat came with multiple straws, but I only needed one, and a spoon.

After my sweet tooth was satisfied I thought it would be nice to peek in on Central Park. My initial intention when planning my trip was to spend quite a bit of time there. Unfortunately, the threat of pending thunderstorms during that week, didn't allow that plan to come to fruition. Besides, to really see Central Park, I would need my knee to be in better shape. Another thing to do during my next visit. Still, I thought I would wander into the park a little way, before heading back to my hotel. It is such a pretty place!

I spent a little more time on 5th Avenue before I sadly bid it adieu. Back at the W Tuscany, I thought I would walk a block down to it's sister hotel the W Court. I had a glass of wine in it's, what I considered, trying-too-hard-to-be-an-"it"-location bar and noted an Italian restaurant across the street called Fagiolini. I jotted it's name into my handy Yelp application on my iPhone and it had some great reviews as a local restaurant. I walked over and after I ordered some food, snapped this somewhat blurry photo on my iPhone. Lights always "glow" in photos taken on my iPhone camera. Still, what a cool view of the Chrysler building at night. Fagiolini's in on the lower left. I ordered their house special, a chicken penne pasta with vodka sauce dish and asked if they would add some mushrooms. It was wonderful, one of those meals that was just right. Perfect for my last night in NYC.

Meeting Adam Henry

The main reason I decided to spend a vacation in New York was to visit my friends Sarah and Peter. They live in a town about an hour north of NYC called Central Valley. I've known Sarah since I was one year old, she is the daughter of my Mom's best friend from college. Sarah and her husband Peter have a little boy named Adam Henry. After many years of struggling to get pregnant, Adam arrived in March, 2008. I was really looking forward to meeting him.

The weekend I arrived in New York, I spoke to Sarah and learned two things, one good and one bad. The good news was that Sarah is pregnant with their second child (yay!), but the bad news was that Adam was sick with the flu (boo). I remembered my niece Morgan went through a particularly bad case of the flu in the past, but felt much better after a few days. We hoped all would be well by the time I got there. On Tuesday morning I of course slept late, then leisurely ate some oatmeal and read the paper in the hotel restaurant Heartbeat. I took my time packing up before checking out and took this photo. I love Tiffany blue. : )

Around Noon, I made my way to the Port Authority bus terminal. It took a little while to figure out where to find the correct bus line, but I got there early so I wasn't worried. I bought a ticket on the Shortline to the Woodbury Commons Outlets and hopped on the bus around 1:00 PM. 45 minutes later, I was in Central Valley. Sarah and Peter had taken Adam to the doctor and picked me up soon after I arrived. Sarah walked towards me from the car and before she got to me said, "Adam has the Swine Flu, you may not want to stay." Oh no! I wanted to give Sarah a small hug so I did, but didn't know what to do next. I couldn't imagine not spending time with them so we went to their house and I thought about what I wanted to do. Sarah explained what the doctor told them once she tested and determined Adam had the Swine Flu, caused by the the H1N1 virus. It has been blown out of proportion. The Swine Flu is actually a milder form of the flu, but can last longer than other common flu bugs. Of course, it is contagious and most people who die from this flu have other illnesses as well or have little access to health care. Sarah mentioned she had a guest coming to stay and the doctor said it would be best for me to not hug or kiss Adam (boo again). The reality was that he was probably not contagious anymore, but Sarah and Peter could be. They didn't have any symptoms yet, but it was a waiting game.

Sarah, Peter and Adam live in a beautiful house over 100 years old, with a wonderful front porch. Poor little Adam was past the worst of the flu, but was still not feeling himself. He sweetly sat with his head on Sarah's chest much of the time I was there. They told me if he was not sick, he would have grabbed my hand and gave me a tour of the house. So cute! After some time discussing the situation, I decided I wanted to stay the day and a half I planned to visit them, but it would be best if I booked the two nights at a hotel nearby. I didn't want them worrying about a guest when they had Adam to care for all night. Sarah said he wasn't sleeping much. I happen to be a light sleeper so it was best for all of us if I stayed at the Hampton Inn. I figured the less time I spent in the house, the less chance I would have to catch the flu and take it home with me.

Basically, we all just hung out for the next day or so. Fine with me! We ordered pizza, watched the Wiggles (even though Adam doesn't watch much TV, they are his favorite) and caught up. Sarah drove me by West Point Military Academy, a short drive away. She said sometimes they hear military practice maneuvers from their backyard! Central Valley really is a pretty town with beautiful old buildings. So much more history than the West Coast! We picked up food from a local deli and Sarah, Adam and I wandered around the outlet mall. Sarah let me buy Adam a dinosaur shirt from the Gap Outlet. : ) Peter watched Adam the second night so Sarah and I were able to have dinner out together. It was so nice to see them and I really hope I can go back soon under better circumstances. The best laid plans... you know how it goes. Baby #2 is due next March so there are more than enough reasons to plan another trip next year!

PS - Once I got home, I didn't come down with a flu of any kind. : )

Exploring NYC - Day 2

Ahh, another night in my comfy bed at the W Hotel. I awoke at the crack of dawn. Hee, just kidding! Still enjoying my vacation of doing whatever-I-wanted-to-do, I pulled myself out of bed around the same time as the day before. Anticipating the hot weather, I put on a light dress, comfortable shoes and off I went to Starbucks. Cool iced latte in hand, I chose my destination as Lower Manhattan. I had debated going to Ground Zero, but was not sure if that was high on my list of things to do. That morning, I thought, why not head all the way down to Battery Park and make my way back up from there? First stop, Grand Central. I've been there before, but each time I am just in awe. It's such a beautiful place! I can imagine decades ago, people bustling around in their classic hats, suits, and dresses. It simply hasn't seemed to have changed much since then. The people just look different. I made my way to the subway train in the direction of downtown. I have to mention by this point in my trip I had learned that the subway was a little difficult for me. No, not that I couldn't figure out where to go, but the fact there are very few stations with elevators or escalators. Even if there is an escalator, it is often not working. I came across signs like this more than I would like to say. You see, with my knee still healing, I ascend and descend stairs using my good leg only. That means one at a time and very slow. By my second day in NY, my right leg was getting a workout!

I got off the subway at Wall Street and walked a few blocks. I realizes there was a long, long line to get to the platform overlooking the World Trade Center site. I decided that was not important for me to see the construction. I had been to Ground Zero on a visit with my Mom in 2004 and waiting in a crowded line in 90 degree heat did not sound fun. There were many tall cranes and lots of work going on so, clearly, the new plan for the site is underway.

I thought I would make a stop into Century 21, a huge department store nearby. My 20th high school reunion was coming up and I needed some shoes. The place was a mad house! Some people love that kind of shopping. Digging through racks finding designer treasures. Me, not really. I searched for shoes with no luck, then thought maybe I could find a cute, but not cheesy, I "heart" NY tee or tank. Nope, they only had coffee mugs. I don't need another coffee mug. I did spy some umbrellas and considered buying one. $25 for an umbrella? Not exactly the "deal" I was looking for that morning. I moved on.

Next, it was off to SOHO. My plan was to try a pizza place then wander around the boutiques, both cute and trendy, and also the high end shops. Lombardi's was the pizza place of choice. My New York travel book mentioned it is a good place to eat, but I wondered if it would be crowded and touristy. No, it actually turned out to be quite comfortable, catering to what seemed to be a mix of tourists and locals. Lombardi's claims to be the first pizza place in America! The menu was simple and authentic. I ordered a small pizza with mushrooms and a glass of Chianti. Why not? I was on vacation! The pizza and the wine were delicious, completely worth seeking out. I think I ate 4 of the 6 slices it was so good. With my tummy full and my head a little dreamy, I headed out to do some shopping.

I didn't end up spending a whole lot of time in SOHO. I looked around a few boutiques and vintage stores and thought about the diversity of the neighborhoods in Manhattan. So fascinating! It was then and there I decided that someday (maybe when I win the lottery), I would like to lead a bi coastal lifestyle. Next, I made my way to the more upscale, but still urban-chic, area of SOHO boasting Channel and Prada. Soon after I got there, I realized the weather was growing gray and ominous. Why didn't I buy that umbrella earlier? Uh oh.

In a short period of time, I found myself caught in my first thunderstorm in years. I waited under a Jamba Juice awning across the street from some NYU buildings and figured it would last only 10-15 minutes. That time went by and it was still pouring rain. Ugh. I decided to make a "run" for the subway a few blocks away. As you may have guessed, I can't run yet. I did my best to make it a fast walk, but by the time I got down into the subway, I was soaked. Nice. Curly bangs and all. I had intended my next stop to be the Chelsea area so off I went on another train. The rain had stopped by the time I was above ground again and I happened by a Loehman's department store. There, I found an umbrella more in my price range, around $10. No, I'm not cheap, just practical. Although... that $25 umbrella would have done me some good! Oh well. What I really wanted to see in Chelsea was the Chelsea Piers Sports Complex. It has been featured in several movies and seems like a great place. Have you ever seen the movie Serendipity? Yes, it's a chick flick. There are scenes at the driving range which is basically a netted pier overlooking the Hudson River. What a great place to hit golf balls! It was several l-o-n-g blocks to walk to the piers from Loehman's and by the time I got there, my knee was not feeling so good. I heard there was a Chelsea Piers spa and hoped I could relax and get a nice pedicure. Unfortunately the spa closed at 5:00 PM (what?) so I was out of luck. By this time it had started pouring rain again so I found a little cafe and took a break. Here is a photo of the deluge of rain coming from the sky. I'm sure you can imagine what it was like. Hot, muggy, windy, and wet. Still, I was enjoying my trip and was not thinking about work anymore. I was in a different world from home.

Oh, by the way, I have to mention how "in love" I was by that time with my Apple iPhone GPS maps. It was fabulous, telling me how to get just about anywhere. What subway line, what bus, or simply the streets to walk to find my destination. I couldn't get enough if it and was lucky if my phone battery didn't die by the end of each day. Once I left Chelsea Piers, I knew I shouldn't walk anymore, my knee had had enough for the day. Per my GPS, it turned out that a city bus picked up right there and took me very close to a subway line to get me back to my hotel. I was very grateful to figure this out. I picked up a salad on the way back to my hotel, then decided to relax with a glass of wine in the W Living Room before turning in (Two glasses of wine in one day? That was just unheard of for me). As I mentioned, it was vacation!

The only annoying thing I experienced at the W New York was regarding ice. Each night I returned from a long day of exploring, I needed to ice my knee. The ice machine on my floor was not working, or empty, so I called using the Whatever Whenever button on the phone. They sent me to room service whom, the first few nights, apologetically brought me a bucket of ice right away. The last night I called and it took a little longer than usual. A guy finally showed up and said, "You know, there is an ice machine on this floor." Really? Did he think I didn't know that? "I know," I said to him. "It's not working, that's why I called for ice." The look on his face told me he realized he made a mistake, but was still rather haughty. How rude. I closed the door and did not forget to make mention of the incident on the customer survey wrapped around my final bill. They should have fixed the machine after my first call anyway.

Overall, it was another good day in NYC and I was about ready to change scenery and visit my friends up in Central Valley.