HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.
I am blessed with an immeasurable amount of love in my life...friends I couldn't have dreamed I would one day have and family I couldn't have picked better myself (most of them!)! So far, my 31st birthday is turning out to be the best one yet. In the last two days I have laughed so hard, smiled so wide, hugged and been hugged so tightly - I have felt loved every way I turned...
I am blessed.
Saturday, August 09, 2003
Thursday, August 07, 2003
I just unpacked from my trip. It took me less than half an hour! I don't know why I always have such a hard time unpacking...when I finally put my mind to doing it, I learn the same thing every time - it's just not that hard and doesn't actually take that much effort or that much time.
It's my birthday on Saturday! I cannot believe I am going to be 31 years old! I don't know what it means, really...not sure why it seems odd to me. I think I just never really pictured life beyond a certain age...maybe beyond 26 or so. I don't know why. I think it's because I could never really visualize "adult" things for myself. I didn't exactly grow up with great marriage role models...and so that "dream" that little girls have of growing up and getting married, well...I didn't really experience that. Not that I didn't - or don't - want to get married. It just wasn't really something I paid too much attention to doing...I don't know what I paid attention to doing! I don't know what I thought 31 would be like. But this is for sure not what I envisioned...
I live alone. I have a great career. I am surrounded by so many loving friends and fun people to spend my time with. I do triathlons and marathons (for fun!). I live across the country from my mother, hundreds of miles from my sister and three thousand miles from two of my best friends. This is my 31. It's pretty good as far as lives go. But 31...it feels maybe a bit old...Like for being 31, I should have more to show for it. A kid maybe? A husband? A book published? An advanced degree? Maybe when I am 41 I will have all that?
It's my birthday on Saturday! I cannot believe I am going to be 31 years old! I don't know what it means, really...not sure why it seems odd to me. I think I just never really pictured life beyond a certain age...maybe beyond 26 or so. I don't know why. I think it's because I could never really visualize "adult" things for myself. I didn't exactly grow up with great marriage role models...and so that "dream" that little girls have of growing up and getting married, well...I didn't really experience that. Not that I didn't - or don't - want to get married. It just wasn't really something I paid too much attention to doing...I don't know what I paid attention to doing! I don't know what I thought 31 would be like. But this is for sure not what I envisioned...
I live alone. I have a great career. I am surrounded by so many loving friends and fun people to spend my time with. I do triathlons and marathons (for fun!). I live across the country from my mother, hundreds of miles from my sister and three thousand miles from two of my best friends. This is my 31. It's pretty good as far as lives go. But 31...it feels maybe a bit old...Like for being 31, I should have more to show for it. A kid maybe? A husband? A book published? An advanced degree? Maybe when I am 41 I will have all that?
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Hmmm. They changed this whole blogging thing. As if it wasn't difficult enough for me to use it...now they have to go change it? Well, I think it's time I buy the Blogging for Dummies book! Too bad I don't have someone from the Dean campaign doing my blog!
New York was awesome. Ironman was so fun...It was so weird driving into town...as if I was just there; as if one year hadn't passed since I crossed that finish line. I got really excited to watch the race...and even more excited to watch Buzzie and Ern and the rest of the kids do it! Buzzie cut it up out there! She had a great day...in spite of nonstop rain on the bike! Her marathon was 4:58! And that included walking! She kicked butt and I was so psyched for her to finish and finish strong. Her smile down the finish chute was unbelievable! I tried to get a picture but I may have been jumping up and down too much!
Unfortunately, the weather wreaked a bit of havoc with Ern's day and she missed the second bike cutoff by a mere nine minutes!!!! ARGH! So frustrating for her, I am sure. That is an ass-kicker of a ride - even one of the pros said he was going downhill at 9mph at one point because of the wind! So, she didn't get to cross the finish line! I was so bummed for her because I know she wanted to have that finish line feeling. Having crossed the finish line myself, I can assure anyone that the real work is getting to the start line, which she did. But sometimes it takes crossing the finish line, as it did for me, to realize that. So, Ern signed up for next year! She is going to do it again! YAHOO for her! I am so excited for us to be there together and be out on the course together and hopefully do some training together!
I have been totally out of the political loop since I have been away. It has been nice in a lot of ways, but I also felt a little cut off from the rest of the world...read the New York Times today for the first time in two weeks and realized just how much I love it.
And of course being in New York made me realize just how much I love it there. Not just the city, for sure I love that city. But I love being there. I love the friends I have there. I love that home feeling I just don't get anywhere else (except when hugging my mom). I hate the humidity. Really, it was brutal. And I wonder if I could live there again...it's so crowded and noisy and dirty. But it's home. I think. Or is this home? I don't know. But let me tell you, if Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes Governor of California, I will be packing my bags sooner rather than later.
Some study came out that said that people were leaving California to go to other states...as opposed to in the past when California was the promised land. I guess I find it hard to believe that people will be beating a path to our doorway with the Terminator as our Governor.
I just cannot get over how much fun I had in NYC and how great it was to hang out with old friends...I cannot believe I re-connected with kids from Howard Beach! It was so great to see them all...everyone looks exactly the same and everyone is doing so well! Is it weird to feel proud of people I have not been in touch with for 17 years? Maybe a little, but I am!
Joe and his restaurant! Candela on 16th between Park and Irving! It was so delicious! And he is the Executive Chef there! The food was awesome, the desserts were out of this world (especially that chocolate one) and the group was a blast!
Juliane, the successful corporate lawyer, happily married for eight years! Stephen, the successful solo practitioner lawyer, living with Joe in Battery Park City! I am telling you, that guy will be Mayor of NYC one day! Rob, in advertising and living on the Upper East Side with his beautiful new wife (who, incidentally, went to Dalton with Le'D)! Karyn, newly engaged and so happy about it! Stacey, happily married and a teacher for 11 years (she wasn't there but we chatted the next day by phone)!! Simon, living in LA and working as a lawyer (he called during dinner). Ian, living in San Diego, a licensed therapist (he wasn't there, but they told me). UNBELIEVABLE!
Anyway, it was so great to see them all and I really do hope we all keep in touch, even if it's just an email now and then to say hi and update each other on the paths our lives are taking!
I also thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Vaness. We had such a great time. So much quality time together talking and just deepening our already phenomenal friendship! I love that girl and I hope she gets every single thing she ever could hope for in her life!
PJ was also great to see. I love how our friendship has developed more since he moved than when he was living here.
It was, as it alwalys is, so great to see P____ L____. I love that guy! He is such a good friend and I so value our friendship. I hate that we live so far from each other. And I hope that things workout for him and R____. She is sweet and clearly in love with him and it would be nice for him to be with a woman whose first order of business is not relationship drama.
All in all, an amazing trip "home." And now that I am back in SF, I remember what I love about it here...the weather, the view, my friends here. I have to remember that I cannot expect to have as many friends here like the ones I have in NY. I don't know people in SF as long as I have known people in NY. So certainly I cannot expect to have the number of deep, close friendships with people I have known for a relatively short time that I have with my old NY posse.
Hm.
New York was awesome. Ironman was so fun...It was so weird driving into town...as if I was just there; as if one year hadn't passed since I crossed that finish line. I got really excited to watch the race...and even more excited to watch Buzzie and Ern and the rest of the kids do it! Buzzie cut it up out there! She had a great day...in spite of nonstop rain on the bike! Her marathon was 4:58! And that included walking! She kicked butt and I was so psyched for her to finish and finish strong. Her smile down the finish chute was unbelievable! I tried to get a picture but I may have been jumping up and down too much!
Unfortunately, the weather wreaked a bit of havoc with Ern's day and she missed the second bike cutoff by a mere nine minutes!!!! ARGH! So frustrating for her, I am sure. That is an ass-kicker of a ride - even one of the pros said he was going downhill at 9mph at one point because of the wind! So, she didn't get to cross the finish line! I was so bummed for her because I know she wanted to have that finish line feeling. Having crossed the finish line myself, I can assure anyone that the real work is getting to the start line, which she did. But sometimes it takes crossing the finish line, as it did for me, to realize that. So, Ern signed up for next year! She is going to do it again! YAHOO for her! I am so excited for us to be there together and be out on the course together and hopefully do some training together!
I have been totally out of the political loop since I have been away. It has been nice in a lot of ways, but I also felt a little cut off from the rest of the world...read the New York Times today for the first time in two weeks and realized just how much I love it.
And of course being in New York made me realize just how much I love it there. Not just the city, for sure I love that city. But I love being there. I love the friends I have there. I love that home feeling I just don't get anywhere else (except when hugging my mom). I hate the humidity. Really, it was brutal. And I wonder if I could live there again...it's so crowded and noisy and dirty. But it's home. I think. Or is this home? I don't know. But let me tell you, if Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes Governor of California, I will be packing my bags sooner rather than later.
Some study came out that said that people were leaving California to go to other states...as opposed to in the past when California was the promised land. I guess I find it hard to believe that people will be beating a path to our doorway with the Terminator as our Governor.
I just cannot get over how much fun I had in NYC and how great it was to hang out with old friends...I cannot believe I re-connected with kids from Howard Beach! It was so great to see them all...everyone looks exactly the same and everyone is doing so well! Is it weird to feel proud of people I have not been in touch with for 17 years? Maybe a little, but I am!
Joe and his restaurant! Candela on 16th between Park and Irving! It was so delicious! And he is the Executive Chef there! The food was awesome, the desserts were out of this world (especially that chocolate one) and the group was a blast!
Juliane, the successful corporate lawyer, happily married for eight years! Stephen, the successful solo practitioner lawyer, living with Joe in Battery Park City! I am telling you, that guy will be Mayor of NYC one day! Rob, in advertising and living on the Upper East Side with his beautiful new wife (who, incidentally, went to Dalton with Le'D)! Karyn, newly engaged and so happy about it! Stacey, happily married and a teacher for 11 years (she wasn't there but we chatted the next day by phone)!! Simon, living in LA and working as a lawyer (he called during dinner). Ian, living in San Diego, a licensed therapist (he wasn't there, but they told me). UNBELIEVABLE!
Anyway, it was so great to see them all and I really do hope we all keep in touch, even if it's just an email now and then to say hi and update each other on the paths our lives are taking!
I also thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Vaness. We had such a great time. So much quality time together talking and just deepening our already phenomenal friendship! I love that girl and I hope she gets every single thing she ever could hope for in her life!
PJ was also great to see. I love how our friendship has developed more since he moved than when he was living here.
It was, as it alwalys is, so great to see P____ L____. I love that guy! He is such a good friend and I so value our friendship. I hate that we live so far from each other. And I hope that things workout for him and R____. She is sweet and clearly in love with him and it would be nice for him to be with a woman whose first order of business is not relationship drama.
All in all, an amazing trip "home." And now that I am back in SF, I remember what I love about it here...the weather, the view, my friends here. I have to remember that I cannot expect to have as many friends here like the ones I have in NY. I don't know people in SF as long as I have known people in NY. So certainly I cannot expect to have the number of deep, close friendships with people I have known for a relatively short time that I have with my old NY posse.
Hm.