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.

Exploring NYC - Day 1

I cannot say I got up early on Sunday morning. Nope, I was on vacation! I slept in and finally decided it was time to get up around 9:30 AM. Big stretch, shower, dress, and off I went towards Starbucks. Have I mentioned yet that is was hot outside? No? It was hot! At least 90 degrees and humid. Whew... I was not used to that kind of weather. Threats of rain and thunderstorms were ongoing throughout the entire time I was back East. Later you will learn it did have a big impact on my return home. Anyway, I ordered an iced Caramel Macchiato, which I favored from Starbucks in that kind of weather, and walked towards 5th Avenue. So you know, I've been to NYC before. I've done a lot of the typical touristy stuff so for this trip my plans where to just experience life in the city. What would it be like to live there? I wondered. I was intent on going to areas of NY I had not seen, but also stop by a few places I enjoyed the last time I was there. 5th Avenue was surprisingly not crowded at all. Later, I learned locals were probably still in the Hamptons for the weekend. That is what New Yorkers do over the Summer. I wandered around checking out the shops, but some where not open yet. I decided to hop on the subway and head down towards Herald Square to get something I needed at Macy's and, hey, why not stop by the Old Navy flagship store?

As you can see, I guess I didn't quite have my mind off of work... yet. I walked slowly through the store looking at the signage and took the elevator up to the top floor to look for something specific in the kids section. Yes, there it was! The locker I produced for the School Uniform Destination. It did seem that kids had pulled of the cute little combination locks made out of e-flute board, but it was still standing and looked cute! All the way in New York, I found something I had a part in making. So fun! I didn't stay in the store long, ran my errand at Macy's then looked for a bite to eat. I was starving! I would have preferred to go to a classic New York location, but I was so hungry that when I saw a Chipotle in the Empire State Building I headed in for some food and a bottle of water. Ah, so much better. Next, I decided to head back Uptown to see if more of the stores around 5th Avenue were open. It was Sunday, but I figured most of the stores there would not close on a Sunday. I strolled around Rockefeller Center and then made my way into Tiffany and Company.

Doesn't everyone have a "bucket list?" You now, things you want to do before you die? One of the things on my list is to buy something at Tiffany and Company in NYC. I know, I know, I'm sure it's a common one for women out there, but it was on my list. I walked in (grateful for the air conditioning too) and perused the first floor. This was a floor with beautiful bracelets and necklaces adorned with diamonds and other pretty stones. Although they were gorgeous, they were not in my price range. I made my way up to the second floor and found what I was looking for, the sterling silver jewelry. I didn't know exactly what I wanted. A ring I had considered a few years back? No, I didn't like it as much anymore. A pair of earrings? Eek, what if I lost one? I walked by a case of necklaces with pretty silver script initials. I knew right away, that was it! So simple, yet so "me." Love, love, love it. I noticed there was a pretty view of Central Park from that floor too so I snapped this shot.


Maybe you are wondering at this point, how the heck is Ali's knee doing? I admit, it wasn't great. As much as I told myself I wasn't going to over do it, it was hard not to. I was in NYC! There were so many things to see and do and nothing I wanted to see was close to each other. As I mentioned, I tried my best to take the subway, but I refused to take taxis, they are so expensive. My knee was a little achy by mid afternoon, but I kept on going. I made my way up to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Upper East Side. I didn't have much time before it closed and my knee was achy, so I headed straight to some areas of interest. I was incredibly excited to see this Monet painting. BTW, I took the photos inside The Met with my iPhone as no camera flashes are allowed. It seemed like the easiest thing to do. My freshman year in college I was assigned a typography project where I chose to use a print of this Monet painting, Bridge over a Pool of Water Lillies. I'm sure if anyone saw the look on my face when I saw the painting, they would have realized it was exciting for me to see the real thing. I sat on a bench and took it in. You see, my Mom and I traveled to London back in 2003 and they were supposed to have the painting in the National Gallery. I don't know if has been in the Met this long, but I was disappointed to learn it was out on loan and not in London. At The Met it was like I was seeing an old friend. : ) I got a good grade on that project, by the way.

Before the museum closed, I rushed around trying to find a certain statue. You how museums sometimes feel like mazes with hidden rooms? It was a little frustrating as they were starting to usher people out. I was so happy to finally find this Degas statue, Little Dancer. My Mom has a miniature replica in her living room. I didn't realize it would be so big! I wished I had so much more time at The Met. If I arrived early, I'm pretty sure I could have spent all day there. Next visit, for sure.

By this time, it was about 5:30 PM. I had decided I was going to attend an evening service at The Redeemer Presbyterian Church. A few of the pastors at my church, City Church of San Francisco, were formerly part of Redeemer. I heard the churches have a lot in common. Rev. Tim Keller, their celebrated Senior Pastor, was on vacation, but I went anyway. I made it into the auditorium of Hunter College, where the service was held, just as it began to rain! The congregants seemed similar to City Church, mostly ages 20 to mid 40's, some older. A few guys even walked in in their workout clothes still moist with sweat. No dress code there! The service was nice and I'm sure a woman who sang must have a regular job on Broadway. She had such a beautiful voice! It had stopped raining by the time the service was over. I made my way back to the W and went to sleep soon after I arrived. I was exhausted.

Hello Big Apple!

Wow, the last month has flown by and I've been terrible about keeping up with my blog. It's actually August 5, 2009 as I write this, but I've chosen to back-date my blogs to keep the timeline correct. I'm doing to try my best to get caught up and have pretty much been writing half the day. One good thing about it is that I get to experience my whole vacation again by writing and posting photos. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

I'll start with my trip to NYC. It was a welcome break from the monotony of work and patience with my knee. I had a feeling I would end up walking too much around New York, but I was intent on using the subway, buses, and trains. Whatever I could to keep from over doing it. I flew out early on Saturday morning, July 25 (this blog date). I had decided red eye flights aren't for me, but the 4:15 AM pick-up from Super Shuttle wasn't great either. I was excited to be off for my city vacation so it was good to get on the plane and be on my way. I changed planes in Salt Lake City and arrived in Newark, NJ around 4:30 PM East Coast time. I had been told there is now a train from the EWR airport direct to Penn Station in NYC. I wandered around, pretending to know where I was going, and eventually (after a ridiculously long wait for my bag) found the entrance to the NJ Transit train. Cool, it was only $15.00! I arrived at Penn Station and this was my first sight of the city.

How could I have had a better first view of Summer in NYC?

I made my way on the subway over to the W New York, my home away from home, for the next 3 days. This W is in the midtown area, towards the East side of New York. My sister and brother-in-law stayed there several years ago and recommended it to me as a good location. I've always liked the style and atmosphere of W Hotels and was happy to find a good deal on this one.


I booked a "cozy" room so I knew it was going to be a small, but I thought in reality, I don't take up a whole lot of space! My room was on the 5th floor and I ended up loving it! Even though it was tiny, it was like my little cocoon. The bed was so comfy and I had a big flat-screen TV. It really was a nice place to curl up in in the evening hours to watch a little TV or read before I fell fast asleep.

Not much of a view behind the building, but it wasn't over a busy street. So quiet for NY!

Little desk and entryway

That first night I arrived, I went for a short walk around the neighborhood, got a bite to eat in the Living Room, (photo in an upcoming post) and went to bed with ideas of many places to visit the next day.

The Week Before Vacation

I'm way, way behind on blog posts! It's going to take a while for me to catch up, but I'll try to do my best. I'll start with the week before my vacation to NYC. My car broke down, ugh. I tell you, I don't know what I would do without AAA road service! They showed up fairly quickly, assessed the situation, then towed my car to their service station on Sunday afternoon, July 19. Monday morning they gave me a call and said my alternator was the culprit and I needed a new one. I didn't need that expense before my trip, but car problems never happen at a "good" time, right? Here a few photos I shot before and after the AAA tow truck showed up.

People kept driving up and honking at me until I put this reflective triangle behind my car. My hazard lights wouldn't even work!

Poor baby!

Le Tour 2009

As usual, I'm loving Le Tour de France this time of year. This Tour is especially exciting due to Lance Armstrong returning to professional cycling. I caught on to "Le Tour" for the first time in 2005, the last year Lance won. I never thought I would see him out there competing again. He's no spring chicken, but is still rather "inhuman" if I may say.

I had taken up cycling and triathlons in 2005 so I had only started building my understanding of what professional cycling was all about. I knew Lance was regarded as a legend of sorts, but didn't fully understand what it took to win the Tour. After watching it regularly over the last 5 years, I get it. The Tour is a phenomenon. These men race an average of over 100 miles per day, for 3 weeks! It's just incredible. I once rode in a MS fundraiser called Waves to Wine, a two-day event. The first day we rode 75 miles along side the ocean through Bodega Bay. The second day was 57 miles of cycling through the wine country. By the end, I was beat! Everything was sore and achy and I was exhausted. And, no, we weren't even racing! There were also many rest stops along the way. I cannot begin to imagine racing every single day at high speed, in a peloton of around 100 cyclists, and trying to out-race everyone. Wow.

By the way, George Hincape rocked today! I wish he was in the yellow jersey. He deserved it!

Happy 4th of July 2009!

This is a photo of me during a 4th of July BBQ this year. Can't get much better than this, right? Not me... of course, the view was the star today! I find the Golden Gate Bridge amazing and rather surreal. Every time I am near it I am reminded how grand it really is, especially on such a nice day. The fog burned away and from Crissy field near the Warming Hut we had a lovely view of the bridge and downtown SF. Happy Birthday America!

The Big Apple

My last several blogs haven't been entirely uplifting, have they? No, not so much. Well, I'm happy to say that I'm looking forward to a little vacation! I just booked a trip to New York. Yippee! I've been wanting to visit my friend Sarah ever since she and her husband Peter welcomed their little boy Adam Henry into the world in March, 2008. I needed to take a week vacation this Summer before work gets really crazy in preparation for the 2009 holiday season. Yes, it's already that time again folks! I decided now is the time to jump on a plane and wing my way to the East Coast.

I'm going to New York for almost a week at the end of the month. Sarah let me know life with a toddler is pretty boring (I'm not so sure about that), so she suggested I spend a few days in Manhattan before I head up to Central Valley to see their growing family. I decided I would spend 3 nights in NYC, then take a train or bus (whatever Sarah tells me to do) approximately an hour Northwest (I think) of Manhattan to their home. I will spend a few days with them then make my way back to Manhattan for a night before I fly on home to San Francisco at the end of the week. That will give me a couple of days to settle back into San Francisco before it's time to be back to my regular schedule.

This is not going to be a walking trip around the Big Apple. I've done that before, most recently in 2004 with my Mom. We walked the streets and rode the subway to see many of the popular sites of NYC. I had recently finished a marathon, so I was still hobbling a bit, but we saw the Statue of Liberty, toured Ellis Island, spent time in the newly re-opened Museum of Modern Art and wandered around a few other neighborhoods. That trip was during December so it was somewhat cold and rainy, but wonderful to see the festive holiday lights. My Mom still teases me that before we went I touted, "I want to go to Rockefeller Center and be on the Today Show!" Once I learned we would need to be in the area outside the studio around 4:00 or 5:00 AM to get a good spot, I did a complete 180. Ugh, I am not much of a vacation early bird. We did see Katie Couric through the window when we walked by one day late morning though. We also caught a Broadway show and did lots of shopping. All in all, I thought it was a classic trip to NYC and, even though I wasn't the best travel buddy that whole visit (that is another story I'll keep to myself), it was one I am glad I did with my Mom.

This time around, mostly due to my bum knee, the tons of walking is not going to happen. The way my work life these days is always on the go, I'm quite happy for my time off to be restful. Sure, there are many places in NYC I haven't seen (recommendations welcome) that I may try to get to, but for now all I am picturing is laying out a blanket in Central Park and reading a book. Maybe grabbing lunch at an authentic East Coast deli and eating while watching the boaters on one of the lakes or reservoirs. Maybe I'll find a quaint coffee shop in Greenwich Village to blog about my trip? Shopping will definitely happen, so I'll do my best to save up some knee strength for as much shopping as I can afford. I wonder if my niece Morgan would like an American Girl doll? Hmm... something to consider. I'm just not keen on being anywhere at any specific time, except making sure I catch on the train or bus in time to visit Sarah, Peter and Adam. I'm really looking forward to seeing them and it's nice to have something to look forward to. It's only 3 weeks away! Again, yippee!