Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Adventure, American Thanksgiving, Family, Friends, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Thanksgiving, What I am thankful for on November 23, 2011| 2 Comments »
My Amazing Family xox
Dogs To Warm My Feet
Old Friends
And New Friends
Exciting New Adventures
The Freedom to Explore
Being Able To Dream Big
A Quiet Moment With A Cup Of Tea And A Good Book
To Love and Be Loved.
Happy Thanksgiving and much love to you and yours.
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged 5K Run with Obstacles, Achieving personal fitness goals, Crazy adventures with girlfriends, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Mid life crisis, Rugged Maniac, Rugged Maniac Brooklyn 2011 on November 22, 2011| 1 Comment »
This past weekend myself and three of my close girlfriends completed the Rugged Maniac 5K Run in Brooklyn. We were incredibly strong and amazing. We had tons of fun and we each surprised ourselves by finishing obstacles I am sure we didn’t even know we could do. It was so much fun. Beyond fun- thrilling, exhilarating and adrenaline pumping. I would definitely do it all over again, I just need to let all of my bruises and aching muscles heal 😉
Finish Line Victory!!! (Me, Meilan, Cass & Rachel) It is hard to tell but we are all completely soaked from head to toe in this pic.
Now, when Meilan first suggested that a few months back that we all sign-up for this mud adventure race that includes 14 different army boot camp style obstacles we were more than just a wee bit hesitant. But Meilan can be pretty unrelenting, stubborn, determined, convincing and soon we were all signed up. It was easy to forget that we had actually committed to this race and we all went about our daily lives. As the race date approached and we started receiving emails describing the course and the obstacles which included words like water, mud, barbed wire, torture, fire, climbing, crawling and not for the faint of heart I started to become a little bit worried. When the email arrived with the waiver that I signed releasing the company from all responsibility of my impending injury or death I really started to freak out. I seriously started to question my own sanity and realized that perhaps this is what a mid-life crisis felt like. None the less, we made our fierce looking Maniac Milf t-shirts (try explaining the meaning of that to your 9 year old!!) and prepared for the race, meaning we all lost sleep and sort of half hoped we would injure ourselves before race day 😉
Maniac Milfs
We all made it to race day, met bright and early at my apartment and made our way to the Aviation Sports Complex in Brooklyn. The two hour subway/shuttle ride there seemed like it was part of the race. It IS always an adventure after all 😉
Sitting at the back of the bus like the cool kids
The ambulance seemed to be following us, we really hoped it was not a sign!
We arrived at the race site and in typical crazy New York insanity there was already exciting action going on in the parking lot as we watched the FDNY douse a car on fire. Let the fun begin!! We shuffled of the bus with our fellow nervous racers and looked around for clues for exactly how intense this race was going to be. We were not disappointed. Earlier start times were finishing up and they were soaked and shivering but they were also laughing and still walking- both good signs!! We used our time to have a few pre-race nervous pees, check our bags and convince ourselves that we could do this! In reality we just wanted to be finished so that we could enjoy a beer =)
There is always a line for the port-a-potty
Ready to kick some Rugged Maniac Ass!! (Notice my hat- everyone was very concerned for the hair/barbed wire issue)
Pretty soon we were at the start line getting pumped up by the energy of the music and people around us. Boom, at noon we were off! And we were doing it- up and down the ravine, over the “Police Line, Do Not Cross” hurdles, up and down the wall climbs, rope climbing, tire running, through the woods, crawling, climbing, dashing, and the most fun of all- jumping into dumpsters (lined) filled with freezing cold water and then using planks to manoeuvre to the next one to do it all over again. It was amazing!! No really, it was. Because we did it. We motivated each other, pushed each other, cheered each other on and finished strong together. What a rush! Best of all, we did it together and we also pushed ourselves past a few limits and challenged our bodies/minds to do some things we didn’t even know we could do. Who knew that I could find a great rhythm to hurdling over police barricades, twenty at a time? This actually may come in handy one day 😉 So, even though we may have thrown out a few curses here and there and at times it would have been easier to give up, we didn’t and I am proud of us!! We kicked some Rugged Maniac Ass, oh yes we did!! So, who’s coming with us next time????
Tired and Wet Feet
Donating our shoes to a good cause
Our sweet, sweet reward 😉
Practicing my new found skill!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Pics of rainy NYC, School pick up in the rain in Manhattan, Wordless Wednesday on November 16, 2011| 1 Comment »
It is a cold, rainy November day here in Manhattan. Hey, isn’t there a song about that??!! And when the rain comes down in NYC out come the umbrellas. Here are some pics from school pick up which seems more like a battle ground for umbrella posturing and herding of children rather than a civilized endeavour. Hope your day treats you well, stay dry!
Umbrellas as far as the eye can see!
Jostling for position out of the gate
The girls walking home 😉
Not a good day for the park
Checking out the sewer flow
Reflective puddle
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Central Park, Enjoying the beautiful fall colours in Central Park, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Pics of Central Park, Sunday afternoon hanging out with the family, Walking through Central Park on November 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »
This past weekend was pretty relaxed. We have been doing a lot of activities lately and I think we all needed a bit of time to chill out and take it easy. I for one, needed some quality couch time. Pretty soon the crazy season of the holidays will be upon us and it was nice to just have a weekend with very little planned. On Sunday we took advantage of some balmy fall weather and went for a stroll through Central Park. So far November has been a fabulous month for weather and there has been very little to complain about, even if the days are short they are filled with sunshine and warm temperatures. It seemed as if the whole city was out enjoying the day. In the back of everyone’s mind we know that the gorgeous weather won’t last and pretty soon we will be forced indoors by blustery winds, snow and cold. But for now we are taking advantage of it and getting out and about. I am amazed at how colorful the trees are in the park for this time of year. Here are some pics, hope you enjoy. Have a fabulous week.
Buildings peeking through
Variety of colours
On Alert! (Squirrel!!)
Scooter ride through the park
The road less traveled 😉
View across the Great Lawn
Enjoying the stunning view
Gorgeous
Pretty in Pink
Can't get enough of this fall beauty!
Drooping elegance
Music in the park
Pause for reflection
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Burger Joint, Jay Z, Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Madison Square Garden, Parker Meridien Hotel, pics of Watch the Throne Concert in NYC, Watch the Throne Concert at MSG on November 12, 2011| 1 Comment »
Every once in awhile you have a perfect NYC night where you fully experience the magical moments of living in Manhattan. This past Monday night was definitely a NYC evening to remember. One of my former students, now a very dear friend, Matti, was in town and Ron and I used his youthful energy as a perfect reason to buy tickets to the “Watch the Throne Concert” at Madison Square Garden. What better way to recapture a bit of our swag, groove on, beat– uh just trying not to look old- than trying desperately to find some rhythm while listening to the genius of Kanye and JayZ??!! So off to MSG, we went!
But first we needed some sustenance. Matti had heard on a podcast that the best place for burgers in NYC was a small hard to find spot called The Burger Joint in the lobby of the Parker Meridien Hotel. I was definitely willing to track it down and try it out! The Burger Joint is tucked into the corner of the lobby and if you miss this small neon sign, you will miss out on one of the most incredible burgers I have ever tried. I am still salivating just thinking about it! The Burger Joint isn’t a fancy place, the atmosphere is awesome- decorated with movie posters and graffiti from past visitors. The menu is short and to the point- burgers, fries, sodas and beer. It was amazing. A gem NOT to be missed.
Follow the neon glow...
OMG!!! Soooooo good!
Feel free to leave your mark 😉
We headed out of the Parker Meridien and made our way to the subway but not before catching a sighting of Jennifer Lopez as she exited her SUV and headed into Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards. Crazy. Only in NYC 😉 Matti was definitely having some pretty awesome NYC moments, as was I =)
We made our way into MSG and found our seats. Except our seats turned out to have a wee bit of a sight obstruction. They are doing reno’s at MSG and apparently the seats shown on the seating chart have changed a bit and now include an overhang. Fine if you are at a hockey game but not so great at a concert where as soon as everyone stands up you won’t be able to see the stage areas.
Matti and I waiting for the concert to start.
The women behind us were really unhappy and well, so were we, we just weren’t quite as vocal as they were. Soon the ladies behind us were given new seats. So Ron, being the amazingly diplomatic, kind and incredibly awesome husband he is went out and talked to management on behalf of our entire row of seats. Did I mention how incredible he is because one song into the concert we all received new seats.
Here is the view from our original seats:
We are standing in aisles to see past over hang.
And here are some pics from our new seats thanks to my incredible husband Ron (did I mention that already!) and of course, the awesome management team at MSG-thank you!!
No zoom!
The screen behind the stage.
Love this shot!
Such an incredible show!
Kanye!
An Empire State of Mind
It was a memorable show. There really is nothing like seeing a concert in Madison Square Garden, you really get the sense that the artists are playing full out because they are in such a legendary venue. I can honestly say no one seemed to mind how badly we were rapping or bopping 😉 I truly loved the energy and the vibe in the crowd. As we packed into the subway on the way home, partially deaf and a bit ahem, chilled out on second hand smoke we all felt like we had taken part in a true NYC night to cherish. I quickly remembered my age the next morning when I had to get up with the kids 😉 Ah well… so worth it!!!!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Birthday Slumber Parties, Dash to the Finish 5K, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, NYC Marathon, Pics NYC Marathon, Weekends in NYC on November 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »
For the past two years the ING New York City Marathon and my oldest daughter’s birthday party have shared the same weekend. So, just as the excitement and energy in the city builds for one of New York’s biggest sporting events, the excitement and energy in our apartment builds as one of A’s biggest yearly events- the slumber party- draws closer.
Getting Ready!
Getting Ready =)
My oldest is a bit of a drama queen and loves to get ready for her party weeks in advance. Much like marathon runners, it is almost like she trains herself to get ready for the “big event”. She is almost unbearable in the days leading up to it, barely able to contain her excitement. So, I had a brilliant idea this year. In light of the fact that my good friend Matti was visiting from out of town and as a bit of an excuse to leave the house for a couple of hours on Saturday morning, Ron, Matti, some friends and I signed up for the pre- marathon 5K, Dash to the Finish Line race. It is a very scenic 5k race. It starts at the UN, goes across 42nd Street, up Sixth Avenue and you enter Central Park at the corner of 59th and 5th. The best part about the race is that you get to cross the Marathon finish line without actually doing the 26.2 miles. My kind of race 😉 We left the girls in the very capable hands of Uncle Dano and headed out into the cold, beautiful fall morning. It was tons of fun and the perfect way to wake up and start the weekend.
Uncle Dano's Saturday morning babysitting technique 🙂
Da Girls- post race- Oh ya!!!
The rest of Saturday was spent getting ready for the party and conserving as much energy as possible before the onslaught of giggling girls arrived. At four the fun began as we headed out to see “Puss In Boots” (very cute), back to the apartment for pizza and the huge cupcake and then games and giggling and more giggling… I have to admit the girls were awesome. My only complaint was the lack of sleep and daylight savings didn’t help. Every year I tell myself that is the last sleepover and then I say yes again, must be our job as parents- to torture ourselves!!
Now, wasn't that a party...
On Sunday Matti and I headed out to watch some of the Marathon. I went last year and was truly inspired by each and every runner I saw. It really is an incredible day- over 47,000 runners and 2, 000 000 spectators. The whole city seems to catch Marathon fever. We went early and staked out a spot just after mile 26 so we could cheer the runners on as they made their way up the final climb to the finish. The elite runners were incredible to watch, their pace, strength and athleticism beyond amazing. Although, I have to admit, it is more inspirational to me to see the average joe determined to achieve the Marathon dream.
1st Place Women's: Firihewot Dado (Ethiopia) 2:23:15
1st Place Men's: Geoffrey Mutai (Kenya) 2:05:05
We toughed it out for about three hours and then we decided to head back to the apartment. Marathon watching is hard work! The rest of the day was a pretty lazy one. There was lots of lounging, movie watching, a bit of homework but we were all feeling a bit worn out from lots of running, partying and watching the running 😉 Hope you had a great weekend, if you will excuse me, I am going to go and try and find a place to nap…
Apparently R thinks Matti makes a pretty comfy couch 😉
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged La Posada de Santa Fe, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Pics of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Staab House, Weekend Away, Wordless Wednesday on November 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I am still on a bit of a high from my trip to beautiful Santa Fe. Of course I couldn’t fit all of my pics in my previous post so I thought I would share a few more of my favorites today! Hope your day is fabulous 😉
Art in the Albuquerque Airport
Sun peeking through the trees in Hyde Park
Fallen Leaves
Bar at the Staab House
General Trading Post
Billy The Kid
Movie Theatre
Music in the park
Street View
Blue sky as far as the eye can see!!
Beautiful Cathedral
Santa Fe Railyard
Tattoo Parlour
Chilies!!
Carol lounging at the beautiful grounds of La Posada de Santa Fe
We will return...
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Bell Tower Bar, Farmer's Market Santa Fe, Fuego, Getting away for the weekend, Hyde Park Santa Fe, Kirby Kendrick, La Boca, La Posada de Santa Fe, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, NYCityMama, Railyard Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Sara Eyestone, Staab House, Tia Sophia's, Weekend escapes from NYC on November 1, 2011| 2 Comments »
I am often talking about how important it is to find some down time while living in the chaos and fast paced city of Manhattan. So, when my good friend Carol of the NYCityMama blog invited me to join her on a trip to Santa Fe, I jumped at the chance. Not only would I be able to explore a new part of the country, hang out and catch up with Carol, I would also get a much needed escape from the fantastic craziness of my life 😉
After a few delays caused by weather and the usual insanity of air travel we finally arrived in Albuquerque late Thursday night/early Friday morning. The first thing I noticed once we ventured out into the night was how incredibly cool and crisp the fall air was. It felt like when you took a deep breath you could almost taste the fresh air. I am sure my lungs were thanking me. On our one hour drive to Santa Fe I couldn’t stop looking at the bright stars overhead. The long stretch of highway was pitch dark and virtually empty. We definitely were not in NYC! We arrived at our lovely resort La Posada de Santa Fe, New Mexico- A Rock Resort in the wee hours of the morning very grateful for the amazing staff that quickly showed us to our room and made sure that all was well. We were equally grateful for the gas fireplace warming our bodies as we crashed into our luxuriously soft beds.
The next morning we awoke bright and early eager to check out the resort as well as the beauty of Santa Fe. We were greeted with a spectacularly sunny and crisp day. The first thing I noticed when we left our casita was how incredibly bright blue the sky was. I don’t think I have ever seen such a gorgeous colour of blue. As Carol commented many times throughout the trip, it is impossible to take a bad picture in the outdoors of Santa Fe! It is no wonder that so many artists have made Santa Fe and New Mexico their home.
The beautiful view from our room at La Posada de Santa Fe
Our Casita at La Posada de Santa Fe- very private and cosy
On the Friday morning we met with Steve Lewis from the Santa Fe Tourism Board. He was a knowledgable, relaxed and gracious host. After a hearty breakfast (we soon realized all meals in Santa Fe are hearty!!) Steve took us on a tour of the city pointing out many of the historical sites as well as the newest additions. We decided that we would definitely have to explore the Plaza shops and Art Galleries, wander through the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and of course stroll through town looking at the classic Adobe/Pueblo architecture and Native American influences.
Carol and I in Hyde Park- thanks for the great pic Steve!
After a fabulous morning with Steve we met with Kristin Lepisto (Director of Sales & Marketing for Rock Resorts) and had an absolutely delicious lunch at the historic Staab House at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort. Kristin told us the fascinating history of the Staab House- a Victorian Mansion built for his wife by Abraham Staab, a successful Army merchant in 1882 as well as the rest of the story and construction of La Posada. La Posada de Santa Fe is built on six acres of land and includes 157 Guestrooms and Suites, the award winning Feugo Restaurant, a conference centre, the world-class Rock Resorts Spa and most memorable to me, a multi-million dollar art and sculpture display with an on-site curator. It is truly a gorgeous resort with friendly, hospitable staff and an unbelievable collection of art. I loved the pieces by Kirby Kendrick.
Kirby Kendrick talking about her artwork on display at La Posada
The Library in the Staab House (La Posada)
For the rest of Friday afternoon Carol and I ventured into the Plaza area of Santa Fe where we explored the sites, perused a few shops, took many, many pictures and of course found time to stop for a margarita =)
Cheers from the Bell Tower Bar at the La Fonda Hotel
A view from the La Fonda Bell Tower Bar- look at how blue the sky is!!!
That evening we went back to La Posada where we were invited to a chef’s reception at 4 pm. Guests and locals alike gathered in the spotless kitchen to meet the sous chef and munch on delectable delights and sip delicious wines. After the reception we were led through the Staab House and beyond by curator Sara Eyestone who talked about the numerous pieces of artwork and artists on display. The variety of contemporary and traditional artwork in the resort is visually stunning. Every time I walked into a room, I found my eye drawn to the walls. It was almost like staying in a museum- a very relaxed, friendly and chilled out museum!
Tasty delights at the chef's reception
That night we had dinner at the acclaimed Fuego restaurant at the resort. I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful my meal was. I started off with the corn/goat cheese soup and had the Cavatelli pasta as an entree. I would have loved to sample the desserts but at that point Carol and I were practically in a food coma =) We meandered back to our casita and enjoyed the warmth of the fire as we lounged in our room.
The sun setting on the beautiful grounds of La Posada
The next day I was up bright and early waiting for the sun to rise so that I could go for a run. I fully blame the time change and not any new found excitement for exercise for this anomaly =) Needless to say, I pulled on the sneakers and made my way to the Farmer’s Market at the Railyard as the sun began to rise over Santa Fe. I didn’t see another person the entire way, the New Yorker in me found this both disturbing and exhilarating. I met Carol at the market and we checked out the many vendors selling produce, bread, sweets, jam, chilies, clothing, plants etc.
Sunrise
Celery!!
Mmmmm.....
After the Farmer’s Market we walked back to the Plaza area and had a great breakfast at a local spot Tia Sophia’s. We needed sustenance for our upcoming art class and afternoon at the spa 😉
I have to admit when part of our itinerary included taking an art class I was a bit nervous. For those of you that know me, you know that my creative abilities do not extend to the visual art side. I am lucky if I can make stick people recognizable. So, when I arrived at Sara Eyestone’s Oil Painting Workshop I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I am happy to report that I survived, more than survived. She is an absolutely amazing teacher and I can’t even begin to explain how much I learned in the two hour period. Please visit her site to check out what an incredible teacher and artist she is: Sara Eyestone. This workshop was a highlight of the trip. And I think that my apple is very recognizable as an apple, even if it is a bit more on the abstract side 😉
A Sandra Guirguis original =)
Well, painting class can be hard work so Carol and I made our way over to the Spa at La Posada and spent the afternoon being pampered. It was a tough job but someone had to do it! The Spa at La Posada is lovely. The woman and men working there are extremely professional and friendly. We both enjoyed attentive service and the massage I received was both relaxing and rejuvenating- thank you Nathan. The Margarita pedicure was heavenly. My New York feet have never been treated so nicely! I just hope they don’t get too used to it 😉
On our last night in Santa Fe we wandered through the city admiring the views at night, inhaling the intoxicating smell of the wood burning fireplaces and of course had another great meal at a tapas and wine bar- La Boca.
It was an action packed weekend. My only regret is that we didn’t really have time to see the Galleries. I would have loved one more day to really head out and explore all of the amazing Art. As a destination from NYC, I highly recommend at least a 4 or 5 day stay. The travel time is a bit long even for an extended weekend. It was wonderful to be able to explore the Southwest, a beautiful area of the U.S. Most of all I had an amazing time exploring, laughing and sharing with my good friend Carol. Thanks for inviting me along on this much needed and appreciated adventure. Love ya babe!!!
And now, back to reality… although, I know that every once in awhile I will be daydreaming about Route 66!
I love that my mom reminded me that the last time I traveled on Route 66, I was 4!
Disclosure: Lodging at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort, lunch at Staab House, dinner at Fuego, the Margarita Pedicure at The Spa at La Posada and the Oil Painting Workshop were complimentary. No request that I express a particular point of view was required. All opinions are strictly my own.
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Christmas Lights being put up in midtown, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, NYPD Mounted Police, Pics in Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Thank You Movement, Times Square, Wordless Wednesd on October 26, 2011| 4 Comments »
Yesterday I ventured into Midtown Manhattan to go to a fantastic blogging presentation “Activision’s Games For Girls Event” and of course, being an early on time person I had plenty of time to spare. I decided to walk around the Times Square area and check out what was going on, on a Tuesday morning. And of course, the city that never sleeps, never disappoints either 😉 Here are some pics. Have a fabulous day!!
My view for my morning coffee and people watching (Out front of 30 Rock)
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... They are putting up the lights in the trees already! Two months to go- YIKES!!
Stumbled up the "Thank You Movement" concert in Times Square to thank our Armed Forces, so I...
Stopped to thank a couple of men in uniform 😉
Always look up!
On my way to the event I stopped and said good morning to this handsome dude and the police officer 🙂
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged A little bit of Canada, A little smile, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Missing good friends, Rainy days on October 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Standing in the empty big yard this morning as the rain gently fell all around, I found myself missing some of my Ottawa friends and had to admit I was feeling a wee bit sad. Then I looked down and saw this and couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes the universe just has impeccable timing. Have a great day as you dodge the gigantic puddles 😉
The Mighty Maple Leaf
It's Always An Adventure 