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.