"Moore" Sightings

Seems like everyone I know who lives in the West Village (well, my sisters at least) have seen Julianne Moore at least once. I've always lamtented that I never had the honor--until yesterday, that is. As I walked down West 11th, I noticed a blonde, smiling woman leaving her beautiful brownstone with a bright red door. I did a double-take a saw that it was JM, somewhat disguised because of her lighter locks (for a movie, I think). As she walked out, she yelled across the street to a man at a garage (whom she presumably was friendly with) about the heat and how she had to go run some errands. I wanted to say, "yeah it is hot and guess what...I'm running errands, too!" But I kept my mouth shut--and kept walking.

A little later on, as Leezie and I popped into a Four-Bucks after Sam's checkup (he's healthy as a horse and growing by the minute!), we spotted Oksana Baul! Again, we were tempted to chat her up (I mean, how many fans does she really have anymore! She probably would be flattered!). But alas, the she was immersed in a conversation with two other women and looked a little ragged in a faux Juicy track suit and cheap-o Chinatown slippers. We noted she had an Ace bandage on one ankle--nursing a skating injury, perhaps?

I really love this picture of Jeanie, Ella, and Philip, taken yesterday at the farm by Aleta. The lighting is just perfect, everyone look so happy, and it puts you right there at the Farm. And I love Ella's side pony!

Looks like they all had a great day yesterday!

Shout Outs...

OK, haven't said "shout outs" in about three years, but the phrase just popped into my head as I wanted to say congrats to bec, for her big win in the Westchester Tri this morning, and happy birthday to Brittany, who celebrated a very big birthday in Vegas this weekend! I'm sorry I wasn't there to either root Bec on or celebrate with Brittany, but my thoughts were definitely with you!

Mini Speed!

Just couldn't resist pulling this shot of a sleeping Sam (aka Mini Speed) from Leezie & Speed's new photo blog. Keep checking back for many more pics of adorable 9-day-old Sam! They'll be posting new pics often.

I've now seen him every day since he was born, and I can't get enough! Today, we went on a lovely walk down Bleecker Street with visitors Felice, Elana, and Jared (up from Montgomery Village for the day), with Sam sleeping away, tucked into the Bob Stroller. We hit some shops and enjoyed the perfect weather--this is seriously the best time in NYC. It was so great to spend time with Felice on her home turf! As she had to remind a sales guy in the Juicy Store who mistook her for a suburbanite, she did live here for the "first 36 years of her life!" Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker, right?! Elana and Jared are doing great...I hope they all come back to visit often (and bring Dana and Jeff next time!)

Outside the world of Baby Land, things are busy around here. After going out for drinks with former NYRR co-workers and then meeting Nandita up for dinner at the Inn LW12 (very good, btw!) and drinks after in the Village, we had a nice relaxing weekend. Much needed since I'm up against a bunch of deadlines for stories that have me writing and researching anything from sea lions to the dating habits of teen girls. Plus my variety of "odd jobs" keep me running (literally, sometimes!) allover the lower part of Manhattan.

Sightings

Amidst all of the Sam excitement, I haven't really mentioned some of the good celeb sightings I've had lately...today alone, I saw Tony Bennett (and his much younger wife) leaving a building in midtown. Tony was wearing what I guess were his "workout" (or maybe just his every day) clothes, a Cuban shirt and track pants. He looked good and totally unassuming--I kind of wanted to say I loved seeing him on the Emmy's, but us New Yorkers always pretend not to notice celebs, anyway...even when it is Tony Bennett!

A few minutes later, I spotted my favorite ER doc/NERD, Anthony Edwards, on Madison Avenue when I went to meet Mark for lunch. Again, another unassuming guy--no glasses, entourage, bags, nothing. He even gave me a smile! Sweet!

Then last week, as I was crossing over Hudson on Christopher, I saw Life on the D-List (and Real World) alum, Trash-elle, hailing a cab (remember her?). She actually looked pretty, although I have to question the chartreuse cami/red bra/red shoes combo she was sporting...

And this is kind of borrowing from Bec (although I did see the back of her head!): Natalie Portman walking down 12th Street with her British beau.

Odd Jobs

Over the past couple of months, I've realized that the best part about being a freelancer is all of the random stuff you get to do--and among that is picking up part-time gigs. Luckily for me, I've figured out a way to get paid for what I love to do, e.g., run! My latest "assignment" is a leader for the adidas Urban Run, which is a twice-weekly distance run leaving conveniently from Chelsea Piers. We take anyone who wants to join us out on a free 6-8 mile run and offer them a place to hang out and refreshments. I started last week and have already been"promoted" to a leader at another run for adidas, geared toward marathon runners and leaving from Central Park. So I'm now committed to running on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays--maybe I should start training for a marathon myself?

On top of that, I'm writing a bunch of stories, including one about training for triathlons during the off-season and the various ways to keep the motivational fires lit over the winter. So I'm testing out a bunch of places around the city that offer out-of-the-box workouts (anything you won't find in a typical gym, really), and today I hit Velocity, a training center in midtown. There, I was told that my mechanics weren't ideal (stride's too long and inefficient), and I went through an hour-long training session trying to right all of my wrongs (funny, I always thought my long stride was a good thing!). Hopefully, the inevitable soreness will be gone before I try out a yamuna body rolling session, a strength session, and an agilty session at other gyms/studios within the next week!

Like I said, lots of random stuff going on these days. Never a dull moment!

By popular demand, here is another video of Sam. Actually, this is more of Leezie and Speed, but I figure the parents need a little love, too. Doesn't Leezie look great for having a baby just THREE days prior? Anyway, you can see what a homecoming's like for the West Village baby.

I'll have to edit everything down one of these days to make one continuous clip (sans my annoying voice, too!), but for now, enjoy the snippets!

Sleeper's Awake

I promise I'll write about more than just Sam one of these days, but right now, he certainly seems to be occupying most of my thoughts! I visited Leezie this afternoon, where I was treated to a bit of an awake Sam! I pulled out the video camera and filmed away, catching big moments like a sneeze, a yawn, hiccups, and lots of looking around! Here's just a little glimpse--we were trying to figure out who he looks like, but now it's still just a big ol' mystery!

You may notice that Sam's sporting a onesie straight out of Lemoore's Naval Air Station! This, we believe, was courtesy of his first cousin once removed, Sissy, who gave it to Sam's second cousin, Philip III, who eventually grew out of it. Then Sam's other first cousin once removed (by marriage), Aleta, passed it on to him. Got that? (And please, correct me if I'm wrong, I had to look at some geneology chart to figure that out!)

Well, no matter who it came from, one thing's for sure, he's definitely the only baby in New York City to rock anything from Lemoore!

Aunt Sarah's Pancake House

Sam I Am

More pics of Sam! Here he is with "Grand Liz", in the arms of Great Aunt Jean, and Uncle Mark! Is he cute or what? (The baby, that is. Though Mark ain't so bad himself! Hah!)

Samuel O'Connell Smith!

Introducing Samuel O'Connell Smith! Weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long, our new NEPHEW was born at 8:43 this morning. As you can see from these pictures, he is as healthy and perfect as can be, and currently bears a strong resemblance to his daddy (check out the mouth). We shall see if he bears mum's dimples or the Wassner/O'Connell huge feet and hands as the days continue! Leezie is doing great and is resting well in her private room at Beth Israel Hospital.

Needless to say, we are all elated about adorable little Sam, and are so grateful for this amazing gift. I can't wait to take him running in the BOB stroller!

Coverline!

A story I wrote for the October issue of Girls' Life magazine is mentioned on the cover! Officially, this is my first "coverlined" feature story (it's the next best thing to an actual cover story!). Here's the cover...can you guess which story I wrote?

Martha recap

Well, if anyone tuned in to the Martha Show yesterday, you probably saw the crazy bird guy, the scrapbooking girl, and a segment on plum desserts. What you didn't see? Keren and I in the front row! I don't think they showed any audience shots, but we were there, front and center, directly in front of Martha. So I got a great chance to take it all in: The set is fantastic--bright, bold, fabulously-appointed with all of Martha Stewart's many product lines and every kitchen accessory you'd ever dream of. Martha herself is, of course, perfect, with flawless hair and just a lovely on- and off-air presence (Keren may beg to differ on that point, however!).

I didn't get to meet her (she had to run off to another gig), but it was still a fun little morning adventure--even though the show itself was a bit of a snoozer!

Martha 'n me

Tune in! Keren and I will be part of the Martha Stewart Show's studio audience this morning! K, who works for Ms. MS herself, scored us some seats for the taping--and she anticipates that we'll be visible on camera! Eeks! We're told to "dress to impress"--and I hope I can possibly look perfect enough for Maaartha! (I fear her tsk-tsking my outfit choice or my non-manicured nails if she happens to set her steely gaze on me...).

No celeb guests (I was hoping for Jennifer Garner...), but the lineup seems interesting none the less. But I'll admit that I'm more into hearing from the animal expert than about the "sitting pretty" figures! Here's the scoop:

Are you looking for a new way to display your photographs? Collage artist Claudine Hellmuth shows you one when she makes her playful “sitting pretty” figures. Next, Martha is in the kitchen to make one of her favorite summer desserts using plums -- it's a recipe your whole family will love. And, animal expert Mark Morrone returns to the show with his menagerie, and he’s giving Martha an update on the recent break in at his store.

Oh yeah, the show is on LIVE TODAY in the DC area at 10:00 a.m. on WJLA (Channel 27 or 7), and on tape delay in NYC at 1:00 p.m. on NBC (Channel 4).

Grandparents.com

A site I've been contributing to, Grandparents.com, just launched. And, in an effort to drive traffic, I'm encouraging everyone (not just grandparents!) to check it out! Here are links to a few of my stories--you can read all about being "Emo", cooking with kids (you may see a familiar couple of names in there!) and grandparent/grandchild legacies. And if you're so inclined, leave comments!

Emo Who?

One Grandfather's Ivy Legacy

Get Cookin' With Your Grandkids

Leezie's Pre-Baby Party

It was a pre-baby bonanza on the rooftop deck of 366 10th Street! A while back, we decided to throw Leezie a little surprise party to celebrate the impending arrival of little he-who-shall-remain-nameless/Otto with all of her NYC friends. But once my mom and aunts caught wind of it, they wanted to come, too, making it quite the party! In total, we had 16 people: Leezie’s BFF’s (Tracy, Jackie, Joanne & Chris, and Jessica), plus Jess (Karl’s roomie), Speed, and of course the aunties (me, Bec, Karl), great aunties (Bubba and Jeanie), uncles (Mark and John), and grandmommy-to-be (Liz)! Just a tiny selection of all of the people who are going to be gushing over the little guy once he makes his grand entrance next week. (Can’t WAIT to meet him!)

Borrowing an idea from a recent issue of Blueprint, we went with an Asian theme (dumplings, sushi, edamame, etc.) and created a simple little event set against a stunning view of the West Side. People partied ‘til 10 (when it was so dark, we couldn’t see each other’s faces any more!)—and we split quickly so that Bec and John could get some rest before their 6 a.m. flight to LA this morning. Good luck to them both, by the way, at the LA Triathlon this weekend!

More photos from OZ

A few more photos from the Gold Coast--you can see the stunning setting and ammenities of my hotel (the Sheraton Mirage), as well as the seemingly endless stretch of beach I ran along every morning I was there. The white bridge was the link from the Sheraton to the Marina Mirage, an indoor/outdoor mall housing lux stories, like Hermes, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton, plus a few bars and restaurants. That aspect especially reminded me of Honolulu/Waikiki, in that it's definitely catering to a well-off touristy, (and mostly Asian) crowd. Not quite my style—but fun to browse!

As you can imagine, Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin’s death is still looming large over the country. So I found it a little creepy to see a sign warning against the danger of “Marine stingers”—a year to the day of his fatal run-in with a stingray. Good thing I stayed out of the ocean! (It was a bit too cold for me, anyway).

There were also some funny little sightings along the beach—interesting looking beach birds (which I’m sure are as common as seagulls here!) and the variety of surf lifesaver clubs. Bec will have to correct me if I’m wrong here, but I believe that there a bunch of clubs that the lifesavers belong to, and each one has a little hut—or, in some cases, a beach-side café—for their home base. The pic here shows one of these clubs, complete with outdoor seating and flat-screen TVs! Pretty swank!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My final days in Lemoore...love the pic of the twins both looking in the same direction, with the same expression on their face. Hard to tell who's who in that one! And then there was our attempt at a photo shoot, not always easy with two rowdy one-year-olds!

 

 

 

 

San Fran Snaps

 
 
 
 

I’m back and dreading all of the work I have to do this weekend, so instead, I thought I’d post some pictures from my trip—those that didn’t make it on this blog while I was traveling, that is. So let me take you back to Cali first, with some shots of San Fran and Lemoore…

Here are some shots of Alcatraz--interior (the cell) and exterior. My favorites are the fog-shrouded view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sunny San Francisco cityscape. The pictures were taken about 30 minutes apart, so you can tell how disparate the weather is in the Bay Area. The wind was whipping up the water, causing it to be very choppy. Guess it’s like that there all the time, which made it an ideal setting for a prison, as anyone who tried to escape would likely drown. (There are, however, five prisoners still missing and presumed dead…though you never know!)

Day 3: Rain and 'roos

It was a gloomy day here in paradise, with temps dipping down to the 50’s, and the gray skies opening up around 5 pm, releasing a cold, torrential downpour. After deciding to make a quick trip to a mall nearby, I got stuck in said storm coming off the bus and am now completely soaked. There’s no heat in these rooms (doubt they really need it), so I’m wrapped in a blanket with a hairdryer in hand, warming myself up as much as I can!

My time at the set was limited today, as I only had a couple more interviews to do and there wasn’t much filming going on. The highlight of the day was definitely sighting a family of kangaroos (a dad, mom, and joey!) on a small swath of land next to an office park (my host, Fiona, took me there in the hopes we’d see some). Even though I’m not going to see much of the country, I feel somewhat satiated now that I’ve seen some ‘roos! (If only there were a koala or two hanging out in the trees…). I snagged a video of the trio; here it is.

I’m winding down my three weeks of somewhat impromptu travel (North Carolina, California, Australia) with a dinner out at the fancy Plaza Versace across the way with Fiona. (See pic; Not sure what I’ll wear, as all of my warm clothes are now soggy…hmmm.)

Then, it’s time to load up the suitcase one last time and hit the hay for an early morning tomorrow—followed by 20-plus hours of travel. Oy. I'll be happy to be home.

Hard Rockin' in the Gold Coast

Hit the Hard Rock Cafe in Surfer's Paradise last night with the Breslin "entourage"--mom, agent, manager, actor. Little AB was hankering for an American hot dog (they've been here for about three months), hence the reason behind the touristy choice of restaurants. I was curious to see if anyone recognized little AB, but no one did--at least outright--although our waitress was enamoured by her "cute little accent." Though if you as me, she doesn't have a trace of one! Funny how they consider the regular ol' American dialect an "accent."

It was nice to have dinner with such a down-to-earth crew: I had a feeling they'd be normal since they're New Yorkers, but she is a huge kid star so you never know. But she's such a breath of fresh air in terms of her innocence and little-girl curiousity that it's easy to forget that she's an Oscar-nominated actor. (When her mom casually mentioned that her first big movie was Signs with Mel Gibson, I quickly remembered what a starlet she really is!)

Back to the set today for some interviews with the animal trainers--and hopefully some kangaroo sightings (there's a park around here that supposedly is teeming with them).

Day 2

It’s been quite an eventful day here for me, starting at the bright and early hour of 5 a.m., at which point I sprung from bed as though it was noon. (I actually initially woke up at 3, but forced myself back to sleep for a couple more hours…argh—Jet lag!). After struggling to stay awake until 9 p.m. last night (I dragged myself across the street to a outdoor bar called Fisherman’s Wharf—a local hotspot—where there was a live band playing none other than Pearl Jam covers!), I got a whopping 8 hours of sleep, so I felt great. Now—not so much, but I’m pressing on for at least 3 more hours, as I have a date with Abby Breslin tonight at Hard Rock Café (with her mom, an East Villager, and her agent).

But back to this morning—I had about 4 hours to kill before meeting the movie’s publicist, so I called Mark and talked to him as he lounged by the lake. Didn’t catch my ‘rents, but figured they were having a great time at the farm (it was about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday there, after all).

After that, I went on a run in the opposite direction from yesterday’s, and landed at Surfer’s Paradise, which indeed is an ideal spot. When I got back to the hotel, I had a nice little breakfast of kiwi and coffee on the little patio adjacent to my room, then got dressed and ready to go to the set.

The film is not being shot on location yet (that comes next week at Hichinbrook Island), but at a Warner Brothers lot about 10 minutes away. (They’re also filming an Ethan Hawke movie there as well). They’ve constructed an elaborate tree-house like set with actual vegetation, dirt floor, etc. It’s amazingly real. They were doing a lot of scenes with just AB (and, at times, a sea lion named Friday and a bearded dragon named Fred), so I got to watch that, then I had interviews with the stunt coordinator, producer, costume designer, and lunch with the directors. Very cool people.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, I’m begrudging the fact that there is no free wireless to be found ANYwhere. However, I’m loving that Fox Sports here has the World Track Champs on heavy rotation—right now, the women’s high jump is on and it’s seriously like a runway show: All of those girls are tall, toned, and absolutely gorgeous! I watched the men’s 5000m last night, and was so happy to see Bernard Lagat win his second gold. The Aussie’s on the other hand, were distraught that their own Craig Mottram finished a very disappointing 14^th.

Oh, and it’s HUGE news that Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams split. Although I could have told you that a while back—did she ever look happy?

More tomorrow!