Erik in Action

Our activity for the evening was to head into Hanford, the nearby town, where Erik would be participating in a flyover for their monthly street fair (very small town America, but cute!). The sweltering heat of the afternoon made way for some ominous thunderclouds, and it even rained for a bit (a rarity here, I'm told). We pressed on and hoped for the best, even after the cautious Skipper (that's the squandron's bigwig), in his gleaming dress whites, told us he was going to "put the kibosh" on the flyover due to the lightning (there were two bolts in all. I'm telling you, they're simply not used to anything but sun around here). Apparently, he decided otherwise and at 7:00 sharp, Erik and another officer zipped above the town square to a roaring applause. It was pretty exciting, especially because it was the first time Elfie (Erik's mom) saw him fly. Afterwards, the three of us whetted our whistles with a pitcher of Blue Moon (5 dollahs!) from Fattie Alberts pizza shop and took home a big pie for dinner...my last one in Lemoore :-( Tomorrow, it's chez Quantus Airlines!

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

There's no doubt we're in the desert here in Lemoore! It's hot with a capital H--the heat is unrelenting and reaches sweltering temps (High 105! Low 75!). To catch a breather from the weather, Sissy set up the girls' new inflatable pool set, given to them for their b-day by their "Opa" Jim. It is quite the fancy-schmancy toy, complete with lots of shooting streams of water, a slide, and a whale to climb on. I ran downstairs from my temporary office upstairs just as they got in and snapped some adorable shots. I'm really going to miss these ladies! (And their parents, too!)

We're with the band...

A while back, Sissy and Erik made plans to head out to the Tabletop Casino, on an Indian reservation near Clovis, CA, to check out the Gipsy Kings. (Yup, even international superstars have to play in a casino every once in a while--Tony Bennett's made a stop there, and they're expecting the Village People and BB King soon, too). The only problem? The show was completely sold out. Undeterred, they decided to go anyway in the hopes someone would be scalping out front. I tagged along, eager to check out a casino (my first!) and the reservation, if nothing else.

When we got there, we found a long line of people waiting to get in the theatre, but no scalpers. Sissy and I quickly befriended a fellow non-ticket-holder, and the three of us held up little "Need Tickets" signs. At the same time, Erik hit the BlackJack table (where he won $100), and Sissy and I distanced ourselves a bit from the other lady. Smart move, because next thing you know, the ENTIRE band walked out of the theatre, parading right past us. At first, we thought they were just VIPs who got to meet the band. But then Sissy said, "hey, that's the lead singer!" so we perked up. We put on our biggest smiles and managed to catch the eye of one of the singers (Patchai Reyes), who gave us a big, friendly wink. Whoo hoo!

About two minutes later, another guy (with the band) walked up to us and told us he'd give us tickets. He asked us to write our names on a piece of paper--quickly--and then disappeared. Another five minutes passed, and he reemerged, telling us that there would be two tickets for us at the desk. The woman we had befriended then asked if she could get one, too, but the guy just said "This was an order from my boss. He saw then when he walked by and said get them tickets!"

Needless to say, we were BEYOND excited...not only about the tickets but that we totally scored with the band! Hah. We then had to report this all to Erik, who was still ticketless. Good thing they opened up sales again ten minutes before the show, and he was able to buy one after all. So we all went in and had the BEST Time at the show--dancing to their hits like Volare, and Djobi Djoba and closed out with Bamboleo. Then WE closed out the night with a little slot machine action. I bet all of $2 and lost it all. Oh well. My big win was with the free tix!

I should mention that while I'm having a great time out here in Cali, I do miss my lovely hubby very much. Though he's not quite all alone by the telly-phone (15-hour-plus days at work are keeping him quite occupied), he does have the most unpleasant task of coming home to an empty apartment each night. I know that's no fun, especially when he's usually welcomed by
homecooked meal made tirelessly by his loving wife! Or, realistically, a choice of takeout menus and maybe some cheese and crackers. Hey, it's something--right?

Absence is certainly making the heart grow fonder, and though I'm very happy to be here and to be heading Down Under, I'm looking forward to seeing Mark, my sisters, and NYC next week!

Party Pics!

here are some pics of Sophie and Lucy at their first birthday party on Friday night. My camera conveniently ran out of batteries mid-way through the cake eating, but I managed to snag a few shots beforehand.

It's hard to tell from these angles, but I believe Lucia is on the left and Sophia's on the right with the tiara on. Too cute!

Here's a bit more insight into the movie I'll be covering in Australia (it's actually the plot summary for the book). I'm very excited to check out how, exactly, they'll set the scene for the "most beautiful island in the world!" (FYI: Nim will be played by Abigail Breslin, and I believe Alex is Jodie Foster).

I leave Friday and get back to the city on Wednesday, the 5th. I'm bummed to be missing Labor Day at the farm--no fried chicken and tomato slices for me! :-(

Nim lives on the most beautiful island in the world (its location is a closely guarded secret) with a marine iguana, a sea lion, and her scientist dad, Jack. When he goes off to explore the world of plankton, the child occupies herself with typical Swiss Family Robinson-like chores and keeping her dad's batteries charged so she can check his e-mail on the laptop computer. When his boat becomes disabled, Nim's link to humanity becomes Alex Rover, the author of the novel she's reading, who has e-mailed Jack with some scientific questions. They correspond frequently, Nim giving Alex advice on building a raft out of coconuts, and Alex uncannily picturing spots on the island in her current book. A violent storm and volcanic eruption toward the end result in Nim saving the day, and the three characters set up life together on their paradise. And all of this occurs amid a clever plan to divert evil tourists from ever finding the island. If readers can suspend belief long enough to accept this plot, they will have a great time with this modern survival/adventure story. Children will love this unshakable, strong female character and the zany things that happen to her. They'll also enjoy the way adults seem to bungle everything. There are plenty of sketches to add visuals to this wild tale, which never loses its momentum. Teachers can springboard many geographic or scientific studies off this novel as they read it aloud, but kids can just enjoy the fun.

Update from Lemoore

The twins' birthday party was a hit, with the babies playing like big girls out on the little playset in the back yard. When it came time to sing Happy Birthday, they were perfect angels in their chairs and dug into their mini cakes just like pros. They each ended up with chocolate beards (in fact, chocolate was EVERYWHERE) and you could tell they had a great time! And yes, pictures are coming. Promise!

It's nice and quiet here in Cali, so I'm managing to get some work done, squeezing in some relaxation, two movies (SuperBad and Nanny Diaries) and doing a lot of playing! I'll be here until Friday until I take off for the next leg of my journey....Australia!

That's right, I'll be flying out to Brisbane on Friday to cover a movie set on the Gold Coast. I still can't believe that I'm getting such an awesome opportunity to go down under--even if it is just for a few days!

Will check in with pics soon.

Happy Birthday Happy Birthday!

Hello from San Francisco! I'm sitting at a lovely-appointed Starbucks on Union Street and Laguna, not far from Lonnie's adorable apartment on Franklin. It's been an awesome trip so far, with a great run around the city yesterday and then a trip to Alcatraz where I learned all about Al Capone and the Birdman! A bit spooky of a place, but among thousands of touristas, I couldn't really feel scared. More about that later when I post my pics.

Today I'm meeting up with Joe and we're heading up to Lemoore for the twin's birthday party! That's right, Sophie and Lucy are ONE year old today! Sissy and Erik are throwing quite the rager, with over 30 people expected to come, and a pinata for the kids! (OK, maybe I'll take a few swipes at it , too). I can't believe a year has passed since I got that voicemail from Erik while eating at a Union Square diner with Nandita and Keren: "Sophia Marie and Lucia Noelle were born about two hours ago...". I think I still have the piece of paper where I wrote down their length and weight! Though it's so hard to read because my hand was shaking so much!

I'll be sure to take lots of pics of the party and post them ASAP.

Another win for Bec!

Congrats to Bec, who took home her third win of the season with a runaway victory at the Iron Girl sprint triathlon in Columbia! We got up bright and early to watch her trounce the competition--in a course-record-setting time, no less! Also in the race: former Whetstone Whale and UMCY Stingray Megan Nechanicky, who is a great triathlete herself (she finished 5th in the amateur division) and my Mount roomie and teammate, Michelle Higginbottom Morales! I was so excited to see Michelle out there--especially when she used her amazing speed to sprint by a ton of competitors in the home stretch. Too bad the 100m dash isn't part of the triathlon--Michelle would totally kick butt if so!

Here's a pic of Bec and Megan, doing MV proud! :-)

Back from the Beach!

Please excuse my lack of blogging as of late--for the past week, I've been in total vacay mode. We had a great time at the OBX with the Flynns, who once again rented the ultimate beach house in Corolla. I say ultimate because this place has everything you could ever want to ulitize on a vacay: A pool, a hot tub, a hammock, multiple decks, Adirondack chairs, flat-screen TVs, comfy couches, and of course, excellent company! After a couple days of scrambling to meet a few deadlines, I let myself completely relax and enjoy this sacred time away from it all. Mark and I got in some great bike rides, runs, and an open-water swim that left me a little sea sick, but nothing that a long snooze in the sand couldn't cure!

Now, it's back to reality for at least a couple of days before I head out to Cali to visit Lonnie in San Fran and Sissy in Lemoore.

Check out the slideshow to see all of my pics!

While we were sleeping...

...the city was having an absolute meltdown! A early-morning, violent storm (which Mark and I completely slept through) downed trees, struck powerlines, and flooded streets from Queens to Long Island. Mark and I went about our business--he quickly getting dressed and dashing out the door and me going to my "office" in my pajamas--totally ignorant of the chaos that was enveloping the mass transit system. Minutes after Mark left, I turned on NBC and heard the traffic woman rattle off all of the lines that were delayed or just plain not running at all. People were walking from Brooklyn. Subway cars, lacking AC, packed like sardines. Traffic was snarled throughout the city.

An utter mess.

Everyone I know made it to work OK, just barely. Some arrived at 11:30 after leaving their apartments at 9. Hopefully their bosses understand (they were probably just as bad off).

Feeling empathy, I decided to do my own brutal commute: a 30-minute run along the West Side Highway. 15 minutes into it, I was pouring sweat and panting. By the time I reached my apartment, I was seeing stars.

This heat has got to go!

Spaaaaaaah Day

Leezie and I had a much-anticipated spa/gym day on Sunday afternoon. It was just one of those relaxing, perfect afternoons that you wish never to end. First, we partook in a 1.5 hour "theraupeutic" yoga class, which is safe for moms-to-be. The instructor was very attentive to Leezie, even wrapping her up in a special cocoon of 7 (yep, 7!) blankets for the relaxation part. Afterwards, Leezie had a pedicure appointment in the spa, courtesy of Karl (a Christmas prezzie, I think). While she got her tootsies done, I ran and lifted, then changed into my bikini for a little sun deck action. Leezie later joined me, and we had the most lovely time. The sun was setting, the breeze was gentle, and it was as though we were on the deck of a huge yacht sailing the hudson. An ideal way to end the weekend.

Mark and I rose early on Sunday morning and mozied down the street to the West Side Highway to watch the NYC Half-Marathon. I finally got a taste of what it's like to "roll out of bed and watch the runners go by" (a phrase I've used many-a-time in various marathon spectating stories!). The south-bound lands of the highway were closed to traffic, prompting many passerby to ask us if there was "a parade coming through". Silly question--a) it was 7:30 a.m.! and b) when is there ever a parade anywhere but 5th and 7th avenues?

With my video camera in hand, I excitedly cheered for the runners. Haile Gebersailasee--one of the all-time distance running greats--ran by first: He was leading by over two minutes! He was trailed by Abdi, then a string of Ethiopians and Kenyans, then Alan Culpepper, who wound up finishing in 8th place. The women streamed by about 15 minutes later, followed by the masses (over 10,000 people ran!). Mark was impressed that I knew the names of all of the top runners. I only later pointed out that their race bibs had their names printed on them! (But I kind of knew who they were, anyway!).

Afterwards, we went on a nice bike ride up the WSH (two hours later, runners/walkers were still streaming past) and into Central Park. By now, we know that it's a terrible idea to bike after 9 a.m. on Sundays, but it was a beautiful morning and we just couldn't resist. We made it without any major hiccups, but I realized that I have a nasty case of road rage when it comes to clueless bikers and pedestrians!

And the eating continues...Ladies Who Lunch!

I was all set to have a PB&J for lunch today when Bec invited me to lunch. Sure, why not? I thought, thinking we'd hit up a quick eat place in the 'hood. But then, she suggested Perry Street, and the tone of my day completely shifted from just so-so to SO fantastic!

We put on our glad rags (silver halter and grey skinny jeans for Bec; a long brown sun dress for and my new silver gladiator sandles for me) and walked down to the restaurant, which is situated on the ground level of one of the all-glass Richard Meier apartments. Since it's the brainchild of famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten--who also runs other tres magnifique joints like Spice Market, 66, and V Steakhouse--I knew we were in for a tremendous treat.

And a treat it was indeed: We first munched on fresh rolls and sipped homemade sodas: Lemon-Thyme for me and Passionfruit for Bec. The first course was a nice lump of steak tartare (which, despite our picky tastes, we both devoured) served with Gruyere toast, and an heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad. A nice lingering break let us recharge for the second course: A bluefin tuna burger on a most delicious brioche, served with homemade potato chips, plus a lovely grilled salmon on top of a black sesame mustard sauce and grilled pequillo pepito peppers on the side.

Dessert was included, so we sampled a bowl of chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream and Crystallized Lavender (kind of like super fancy Fruity Pebbles) on top of a bed of Devil's Food cake, and Peach Melba, which (and this I had to look up) involved peaches covered with a noraspberry puree and a milky granita.

Due to an oversight, we were denyed the amuse-bouche (I now know what that means thanks to Top Chef!), which was a version of gazpacho made with raspberry, cucumber, red and orange bell pepper, ginger, red wine vinegar and olive oil, served in a tiny cup. I'm sure we would have enjoyed that, but after the meal we had, we left totally satisfied nonetheless.

I must say, Bec treated me to the best meal I've had in NYC (outside of Speed's kitchen, of course!) yet! She is the best Ladies Who Lunch partner ever!

Yum, dessert!

Last night, Nandita and I made a little stop at Max Brenner's (AKA George Glass because of last year's unfortunate glass-in-salad incident). We intended to go to Chickalicious for their supposedly scrumptious desserts, but due to a broken AC, they shuttered the doors. Conveniently, there's an East Village MB location not too far away. So we grabbed a spot outside and enjoyed the late-night summertime breeze while munching on Banana Split Waffles. Neither of us wanted anything too chocolately, so the waffles-- complete with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, vanilla ice cream, and a little hot fudge--totally hit the spot. Afterwards, though, I my stomach started growling on the walk home, so I popped into the pizza shop on our corner and satiated my hunger with a slice of mozzarella and spinach. (Yes, I am a piggie. But let the record show I did run 5 miles earlier in the evening!)

The more time I spend at my coffee shop, the more I realize that it has quite the cast of characters! First off, there are the owners--two 30-something West Villagers, both men, and--shocker!--both straight. One seems to be the brain behind the business, the other, the brawn (he's usually found outside sanding or sawing wood that will later be used as a table or a bench). Each is a family man: Brains is married with a two-year-old, Brawn's girlfriend is pregnant with a baby to be named Campbell (yeah, I'm doing a lot of eavesdropping!).

Then there are the regulars: One, a West Village mommy with the most adorable four-year-old, Jasper. She's in that Michelle Tanner from Full House cute phase, just saying the most random things that makes her mom (and whomever's listening, i.e., me) laugh constantly. With a headful of cornsilk curls and big, blue eyes, Jasper's just waiting to be scooped up by a modeling agency. She also has a crush on Brawn, constantly drawing pictures for him and asking her mom if he can babysit for her, even though he is about 35 and a soon-to-be dad. Too cute.

Yeah, all of this goes on within the confines of a room no bigger than most people's kitchen. So there's a lot of activity to entertain me while i should be working!

More characters to come...