No Suri Cruise-style waiting game for these babies...here is the first picture of Sophia (Sophie) and Lucia (Lucy) Kenny. Granted, this picture is now about five days old, so I'm sure they already look different. However, I think my money's on them looking like O'Connells. Grandpop would be thrilled!

Switzerland Just Snuck Up On Me!

With everything else going on (babies! visitors! deadlines!), I've completely let our trip to Switzerland sneak up on me! But, as Martha Stewart would say, "that's a very good thing." Now, I just need to tie up a few (okay, many) loose ends here at work and then I can focus on this fabulous destination before me. Mothe and I meet up tomorrow at Newark and take a 6:40 plane to London Gatwick before hopping on another flight to Geneva. From there, we'll either rent a car or take a train into Bussigny, the home of the only vacant hotel within a 50-mile radius of Lausanne. (After a long and exhaustive search, I finally found a novotel with room; the reviews make me think it's on par with the Super 8 in Thurmont...not quite in the heart of the action, but cleaner sheets than, say, the Rambler...). At that point, we'll settle in and check out all that Bussigny, Lausanne, and the neighboring towns have to offer. From what I can gather, there's certainly a lot of beautiful scenery to take in, what with Lake Geneva and the Alps in plain view of our hotel! I've never seen the Alps before, so this'll be a huge treat for me!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me reiterate the reason we're going in the first place: To root Bec on as she competes in the World Triathlon Championships on Sunday, September 3 at 10:45 a.m. I think I'll have to station myself on top of one of the 14 hills on the bike course! But then again, I'll have to hide my bias a bit, because I'll also be covering both the elite and age group races for Triathlete Magazine (under the byline of Sarah Flynn for obvious reasons!).

Please do your part to support Bec in this awesome endeavor by e-mailing her, posting on her blog, or just tuning in to the online coverage of the event (visit triathlon.org to do that). I'll post results as soon as I can, but you can check them out online, too.

Visitors!

This weekend, we were lucky to have Chris and Michelle (Higginbottom) Morales visit us on their way up to Canada! To those of you who don't know, Chris and Michelle were both track stars at the Mount who graduated with me. They were married in October '04 and now live and work in Frederick. It worked out that they could stay with us for a couple of nights before their week-long vacation to Niagara Falls and the Fingerlakes. We spent the day yesterday at Chelsea Piers and then walking through various street fairs on the way to SoHo. Later on, we met up with Shannon & Jeff (the newlyweds!) at Carl's BBQ in Cobble Hill. He has a great courtyard where we stayed until close to 1:30 a.m. before heading out to a bar until 3!

As a bonus treat, this morning we had a delicious brunch with Shannon and Jeff at their adorable basement apartment in Park Slope. Hopefully, we'll all get together again before Shannon & Jeff take off for Argentina, where they'll be living for six months starting in January. More pictures below!

Shanon, Michelle, and I at the BBQ

Jeff, Michelle, and Chris relaxing on Carl's futon.

On top of the world! (Or at least on top of a 6-story building in Cobble Hill! That's the city twinkling behind us)

Shannon, Michelle & I hanging out in the Gazebo at the BBQ

Chris & Michelle at the BBQ

Shannon & Michelle check out the turnstables as Karl and friend look on

Hanging out after brunch--Brooklyn, 8/27

I'm a...first cousin once removed!

CONGRATS to Sissy and Erik on the arrival of their IDENTICAL twin daughters, Lucia Noelle and Sophia Marie! They were born around 1:30 (and 1:47) PST today in Lemoore, California! All is well, mother and babies are happy and healthy. (I Can't believe I am writing this about Sissy...it'll definitely take me a while to get used to her as a mama!)

I'll meet the twinnies for the first time on September 22--they'll be a ripe ol' month old at that point! I can't wait.

I've begged Sissy and Erik for pictures---hopefully, we'll get them soon.

Overheard at the Gym

Overheard in the locker room, one gray-haired lady to another:

"It's all about the cardiac. Gotta get that cardiac in."

(Errr, something tells me that's not quite what she meant...)

Happy Birthday, Speed

From the Big Apple to the Windy City, wishing you a wonderful day!

Sisters' Summit

Bec's leaving for Germany tomorrow, so it was an ideal opportunity to have a sisters' summit! This time, Mark and Craig joined in. We watched a little Miss Teen U.S.A. so I could see my editor, Susan, as a celebrity judge, and then we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner (another delicious Men's Health recipe--Stir Fry--prepared by Mark) and cupcakes from Magnolia.

A lovely night! We'll miss you, Bec! See you in Lausanne on August 31!

Bec and Leezie

Karl digs in

Best. Weekend. Ever.

Okay, okay, the title of this blog may be a hyperbole. Maybe there've been other weekends that rank as high as this one (ahem, our wedding, various holidays, etc.). But not many! I mean, how can you top a weekend that involves views like this? Thanks to Keren and her employer, I spent Friday evening on a river boat, wining and dining along the circumference of Manhattan. The vantage point from the water displayed an amazing view--the deep auburn hue of a sunset over Hoboken can turn even the grittiest city into a sparkling, golden Mecca. After the sun slipped behind the Jersey City skyscrapers, the boat's D.J. pumped up the jams and had us rocking and rolling until 10 p.m. when we pulled back into Pier 40 in Chelsea. Later on, Keren and I stopped by a West Village pub to toast her friend celebrating her 27th birthday. With all of the boating, partying, and the big spa day planned for Saturday, I was beginning to feel a bit like a socialite! Now, if only I could afford to shop like one...

Pictures of the party and recaps of the rest of this glorious weekend are below!

Sailboats in the wa-doo.

The party was pirate-themed...little did those planners know that the skulls are very of the moment! (hello, Alexander McQueen!)

I can't get over how pretty this city is sometimes...

Keren and I with the cityscape behind us

Keren checks out the view

Oh to have a sailboat in the city...

Lady Liberty shadowed in the sunset.

Keren and I---that's the Watchtower sign (in Brooklyn Heights) glowing red behind us.

Keren and co-worker getting their groove on.

Saturday: SPA DAY!

Back in September ('05), Leezie gave me a gift certificate for a day of pampering at Finesse Day Spa in Chelsea as a wedding shower present. Speed had actually gifted her with the present for their first anniversary, but invited her with a friend so she wouldn't have to go on her own (is that a nice husband, or WHAT?). In true procrastinators' style, we waited until the certificate nearly expired before setting up our day, which included a 60-minute massage, a stress-reducing facial, and a mani/pedi. So at 9:00 a.m. on a brilliantly clear Saturday morning, we met and made our way to the spa. Nearly four hours later, we emerged, scrubbed, refreshed, sparkling, and renewed. Our pampering and purifying didn't stop there, however. After a "ladies who lunch" meal at oh-so-trendy Cafeteria, we hit C.P. for a 1.5 hour Yoga class, followed by a swim in the pool, then a dip in the hot tub. Not finished yet, we then relaxed in the steam room before showering and heading back home for takeout Thai, courtesy of Mark who had just arrived from his week-long vacation, tanned and almost as mellow as we were! This day will go down in infamy as the most indulgent, refreshing ever!

Sunday Night: Dinner!

A delicious dinner, courtesy of Mark. His inspiration was a recipe in Men's Health (photo, bottom left). Their description is "sweet chunks of mango and avacado temper the heat of the blackened fillets." And temper the heat, they did---that fish was SPICY! But delicious!

Sunday afternoon: Da Beach!

After THE most relaxing day EVER, I awoke to another beautiful morning, and an absolutely perfect beach day. Good thing I had plans to meet Patty in Manasquan, a tidy little beach town on the Jersey Shore. After leaving the city at 10:00 or so, I pulled up to the Manasquan train station by 11:30--just in time for a yummy lunch at a good ol' Jersey bagel shop. I opted for the tuna as opposed to the pork roll, egg, and cheese on a hard roll (a specialty introduced to me by Shannon my sophomore year in college) and we sat outside in the bright (but not blazingly hot) sunshine.

A little later, we made our way to the shore. After a battle for parking, we settled on a stretch of beach just outside Manasquan, technically Sea Girt. The beach was pristine, the ocean a deep topaz blue, and the breeze a lovely little tickle in our ears. Patty, a girl after my own heart, brought along her mom's Scrabble set, and we played 3/4 of a game before pooping out underneath her umbrella.

A little later on, I took off for my long journey to Ramsey. After rewarding myself with a Wendy's frostee (hey, it had been a loooong time!), I boarded the NJ Transit, then PATH trains before finally getting home around 9 to Mark, who was awaiting with dinner...

Patty gets ready to lay down a word

Possibly a combination even better than Peanut Butter and Jelly: Scrabble and the beach!

Self-portrait with Patty on the beach.Check out our abnormally large foreheads (it was the angle...I swear!)

Let's Hear it For the Toilet Paper!

If you know where that line is from, you, like me, belong on this! I know all the songs--and lines! (You're a fake and a phony and I wish I never laid eyes on you!)

Down the (You)Tube

A few months ago, I vowed never to visit YouTube unless absolutely necessary, because I knew the bottomless cache of pointless videos on any subject imaginable would inevitably suck me in and zap all motivation to be productive. Well, as usual, my will to avoid midless distractions eventually dissolved like sugar in coffee. Vows, schmows. They got me.

I think it was the video of Elisabeth Hasselbeck's freakout on the View last week, posted on gawker, that was my breaking point. I watched that reel, then I watched Tom Cruise on Oprah. Then I watched a parody of Tom Cruise on Oprah. And on Saturday night (hey, its better than online Scrabble on a weekend night, right?), I discovered the copious amounts of MUSIC on the site. I was in the mood to hear my new fave song, SexyBack by Justin Timberlake (yea, I'm 27 and still like J.T. But remember where I work!). I plug in "SexyBack" and voila--there's the video! With excellent sound quality to boot. Next up, Jessica Simpson's "Public Affair" (again, blame CosmoGIRL!). Then I stumble upon clips of Damien Rice performing at Jones Beach--the same concert Mark and I hit up a few weeks back. Being a huge of (recorded)live tunes, I felt as though I struck gold.

Today at work, I popped on my headphones and lined up a bunch of Ani DeFranco and Dar Williams videos to "listen to" (I don't really watch the videos, because I'm working, remember?). Tomorrow I'm going to see if there's any Willie or Johnny Cash.

Life just got a bit more entertaining. Try it yourself: youtube.com.

Only in New York!

Overheard on the A train this evening, one of those "Only in New York" moments.

Man next to me (let's call him "Blay") to woman on other side of me (let's call her "Baby Mama") with pretty baby in tow: "Your baby is be-u-tee-ful."

Baby Mama: "Huh?"

Blay: "Your baby. She's beautiful.

Baby Mama: "Uh, thanks."

Blay: "You breast feedin'?"

Baby Mama: "What? Nah."

Blay: "Oh, cuz my sistah, yeah, she's got like three kids...and she breast feeds. And they got that allovah glow like your baby. That's cuz she breastfeeds."

Can we say TMI? Only in New York, kids...

Sunday: Shannon's Wedding

First Dance

Shannon & Jeff

Cutting the cake

Roomies plus Kevin

Roommate reunion

Mount grads!

Shannon dancing

Ashley, Erica, and I

Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Gangemi

Bridesmaid and groomsman make their entrance

Mr. and Mrs. Quags

Man and wife!

Shannon and Jeff exchange vows

Saturday Night: All dressed up...

On Saturday night, Mark and I got spiffed up to head out to Hotel Gansevoort to meet his cousin, Anthony, in from Atlanta. Unfortunately, it wound up getting way too late for us (we had to get up very early for Shannon's wedding), so we stayed in, all dressed up with no place to go! Still, I made us take a picture, which I just had to post, because really, can we be any cheesier?

Saturday Morning; Bridgeport or Bust!

On Saturday morning, Karl, Leezie, and I sprung out of bed at 5:15 a.m. to make our way to Bridgeport, CT, where Bec was competing in an ITU race (for you tri novices, ITU=Internationl Triathlon Union=big deal). Getting up there was a breeze--absolutely no traffic and we didn't get lost! I'd say that Bridgeport itself is one of the least desireable destinations in Connecticut (or up and down the Eastern Seaboard, for that matter), but the park where the race was held was clean and scenic (much unlike the decrepit surrounding town). The morning was spent cheering Bec along her way to a fifth-place finish, catching up with Bubba, and trying to avoid the blazing sun. Speaking of blazing sun, here's a pic of Bec running beneath it--I was feeling for her! More pictures below.

Relaxing after the race

Bec takes her place on the awards "stand"

The seaside awards ceremony

Bubba made a guest appearance from Ridgefield for the race

While the athletes made their rounds on the bike, we took a breather from cheering for a few pics.

Bec focuses before the swim