Landscaping Supervisor

Those of you familiar with my backyard may notice something absent from this photo. Yes, the privet is gone!!! Craig finally got tired of the nasty invasive and cut it down and turned it into mulch.

While I worried that Holden would miss his shade, he's rather enjoyed all the changes in his backyard and is happy to serve as landscaping supervisor. So far, in addition to the privet removal, he has managed Craig weeding, tilling, incorporating soil conditioner, and prepping beds for new planting. This is is his standard "I mean business" face...

New York, New York

I'm not sure which made the weekend so crazy - the city, the party, or my family. It was probably a combination of the three. Craig and his mom fared better than me; I'm exhausted. The weekend was a blur... landing at La Guardia, heading to dinner on City Island with my parents, crashing at my childhood home, heading off to our post-wedding luncheon on Saturday, visiting with relatives and family friends that I haven't seen in years, traveling to Little Italy for the Feast of San Gennaro with Howard, Maya, and my cousins that night, getting back to the Bronx way past my bedtime, and having Sunday brunch with my Uncle Bill and Aunt Floraine before catching our flight back to RDU. Whew! Here are some shots from the party...


Howard and me with our cousins Steve and Alana (top) and Beth (bottom)

My dad (center) with (left to right) Mel, Marty, and Norm - his friends since childhood - and Neil, his latest partner in crime (I'm not entirely kidding)

Aunt Floraine, Uncle Bill, and Great Uncle Marty

Howard and me with my mom's side of the family

I've known Stephanie since I was five years old

What a Difference Three Years Can Make

I signed up for this year’s Duke Half-Ironman triathlon because of how much I’d enjoyed it back in 2003, when I was in top shape and contemplating an Ironman. Plus, I figured it would be a good way to keep me motivated to stay in shape this summer, given all the distractions. Ah, what a difference three years can make...

My race yesterday was a result of the following mix:

(1) Spotty training thanks to wedding and party preparations and events, our honeymoon, craziness at work, and general lack of motivation
(2) Recent fatigue, which started immediately after donating blood and strangely lasted for over two weeks (still trying to figure this one out)
(3) Gaining about 5-10 pounds and losing muscle
(4) A warm, sunny day (high of 87F) – how I hate the heat!

In the end, I spent a long day (just over 7 hours) on the course. My swim and bike were at about the same pace as three years ago (although this year the bike course was actually 56 miles, while three years ago it was short by 3 miles). What got me was the run, or more accurately, the slow jog/hike. It was painful, as you can see from this finish line photo.

I’m impressed I managed to pull off a finish at all (although I’m worried I’ll use that fact to keep feeding my bizarre triathlon addiction). Perhaps I need to learn to set more realistic goals given real-life practicalities. Am I too old to change my ways?

Will Power

I came home yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find a birthday gift on my front porch from Sara and the Weinberg Boys. It was a box of exotic truffles from Vosges Haut-Chocolate. Never have I received such a decadent gift, or one that more tests my will power. These tiny truffles blend exotic spices like curry, paprika, wasabi, and anise with rich chocolates to create an over-the-top experience. The package came with directions on how to store and eat the truffles. It's recommended to consume them within 2 weeks. I'm having trouble lasting 2 days - in a little more than 12 hours, I've eaten a quarter of them! Craig is down at Topsail Beach this weekend fixing up his Mom's place and I'm worried there won't be any left when he gets home. I don't usually do free advertising, but if you've got a chocoholic in your life, you'll score a winner with these truffles!

Thirty-Four

Yesterday I entered my mid-thirties. It was much less painful than I expected. Typically, birthdays have been disappointments for me, starting at around age 6 when I was blown off by the cute boy I'd invited to my party. (There is a humiliating photo my mother took of me attempting to hug him - he looks pained.) My distaste had grown by age 16, when awkwardness, acne, and general hatred of the world resulted in my shunning a 16th birthday party. It peaked at age 24, when I spent my birthday without power or cake due to Hurricane Fran. At 30, I threw myself a fundraiser party to raise funds for a charity race I was doing and wound up spending more on the party than I received in donations.

In comparison to years past, yesterday made me question my hatred of birthdays. I came into the office to find a bunch of e-greetings, including one from my Prius car salesperson. How's that for service?! In the afternoon, some co-workers took me out to lunch. Then, Craig had a flower cake delivered (since he was in the field all day). I must confess, I thought it might be edible and dug my finger right in, hoping for frosting. :) Thankfully it wasn't, with all the food I ate. Later, Craig and I went to dinner at Starlu, one of my favorite Durham restaurants. And I got phone calls from my Mom and best friend. All in all, a very nice day. Who knew?