Travels with Sil

Here I am in another airport, which, if I calculate it correctly, by the end of this trip on Wednesday, will make nineteen airport visits in one month (and two days).

NY LGA
Denver
Aspen

Aspen
Denver
NY LGA

NY LGA
Miami
Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman
Charlotte
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.
NY LGA

NY LGA
Denver
Hayden – Steamboat Springs
Denver
NY LGA

Good thing the Denver airport has free Wi-Fi, that is if you can find a place to sit quietly and use it among the throngs of travelers lost in the massive, circus tent-like structure with the trams that transport you from terminal to terminal packed as tight as the New York City downtown 6 train during the morning rush hour.

I know I’ve been slacking on the blogging (slacking = nonexistent for about one month and six days or so, and I’ve apologized profusely to Suze. (**Here’s an editor’s note for you – this blog post began on Sunday, July 13th and will now finish, not quite as done as it could be, tonight on Sunday, July 20th.) Think the editor’s note is quite an adept illustration of my life in current days…

The blogging slowdown was mostly affected by my travel-for-work escapades, capped off by a fabulously relaxing, no technology allowed beach weekend with Suze, but then, almost as soon as I was back in the big city, I was gone again, off to Colorado for a week of exasperatingly hard meetings. I have a very cool job. Very cool. We work a lot but we play, too, and most excitingly, we travel to incredible places. Whether it’s a five-star hotel or a ski resort from the Caribbean to the mountains, I’ll almost always come back from a work trip having a funny story or a bruise from snowboarding or lungs full of fresh air or a tan, and for all the hours put in being “on-call” in a crisis situation or crafting an incredible media event or magazine placement, it is worth it. This week, for example, consisted of visiting three resorts in Colorado for our familiarization trips there to meet the new clients and learn what makes them all unique, and no, familiarization is not in quotes. It really is integral in our business, which usually does make for fun.

But sometimes, like this week, it is just plain hard with non-stop meetings from 8am-midnight, with zero BlackBerry breaks. I kid you not. The horror. Not to mention having to prove to new clients at each place following long drives between resorts and why you 1. really are great, 2. really do do kick ass work, and 3. really are not all that young. Well, yes, in years you may be especially since, at 24, you’re the youngest of the bunch by far and you do exude a healthy youthful glow, but hell, you give a damn good “this is why we rock” presentation. (Editor’s note #2 – this part was clearly written this evening following the week o’meetings and making “good use of time” – the new client’s catch phrase, and kissing the ground when I arrived back at LaGuardia.)

So, that’s why they call it “work.”

Following this week I definitely needed a real weekend and a slight break from the laptop, and jeez, a stiff shot of gin or something. As Suze knows, I typically stay far from the drink that tastes like Christmas trees. I’ll take my tree decorated with twinkle lights and sparkly balls (the ornament kind) not in my libations to shake off a tough week, thank you.

So, in the interim, and because I don’t have any gin in the apartment, I needed to provide myself a slight reprieve and at least offer up a good excuse for my falling off. I know we have one faithful reader (she knows who she is and makes a mean glass of sangria of which I am feeling the effects tonight as I finish this up). And so this post was born, if for no one else, but me, her, and my adventurous, blogging partner in crime.

Here’s the other reason for the blogging slowdown…and I’ve been struggling with whether or not I was ready to open up to the blog – or to all of its three readers. Often times the best writing comes when you’re sad or mad or overly introspective and pensive – and I must say some of my best blogging here on Traipsing Through Cherry Blossoms came just then – during the month I had all of these crazy, strange unfamiliar feelings welled up inside of me and the way I choose to deal with it – having as many exciting NYC adventures as possible, with Suze, and when not with her, living vicariously through her (even the paintballing!) When we weren’t shaking the cherry blossoms off the trees or ferrying it up to Staten Island Yankees games or biking through traffic or turning coffee, day-old cookies and an upper east side discovery walk into a highlighted weekend event, May was a month for me and my laptop. And my laptop and this blog took the sadness I was feeling, especially at bedtime, and turned it into something (somewhat) soothing and occasionally, just a bit humorous.

The sadness started to drift away in June and now in July, things are as anti-sad as they could be in that realm…however, that does not give me an excuse for not writing as we move into the dog days of summer. There are a few adventures upcoming, and only one work trip on the docket for August, which as luck would have it takes me to the homeland - Boston!

I even have the next blog all set and crafting in the mind has begun: A bit about Mamma Mia! Also known as Dancing Queen or Gimme, Gimme, Gimme a Man After Midnight. OR Sil plans a (non-work) trip to Greece…

It's still rock and roll to me

Gorgeous night. Billy Joel. Shea Stadium. Best. Concert. Ever.

Her light explodes in the air..pieces go everywhere

Woke up early Thursday - too much excitement for a long weekend at the beach

took an entirely too crowded train - full of complaints, but we had seats - no complaints from us

straight to the deli - snackerdoos of potato salad and mac and cheese

then to the beach - a walk to the jetty, a decision that seersucker was needed

1 jacket left - perfect fit

off to the big house - chicken, and rice, a salad with new dressing - but change isn't bad

delicious in fact




long talk, with cold beer on the porch with fairy lights

quiet sleep.

too early wake up - promises to a kid who thinks breakfast is at 8am

but worth it to be up

bacon and eggs, sausage and cheese and a big daddy breakfast with lettuce and tomato too

gave me all the extra black pepper

trip to the surf shop

wet suits and camo flip flops

coolest wet suits ever. coolest camo flip flops ever too

new pink polo, ice cream, camo pj pants - no those are leggings!

coolest looking 10 year old at camp soon.



to the beach. football in the ocean

elbows first!

keep away and so many giggles

shandys (an oceanside tradition now)

off to another BBQ

ham this time - really changing it up

Red, white and blue (or pink, white and blue)

seersucker suit - handsome as always

To the bar for a landshark and a water view


She's got fireworks in her eyes.

another early night - but worth it for the rest

Saturday sleep in - no one is allowed to wake us up

off to the beach for breakfast

i got the extra black pepper again

then a drive to the inlet

watched the boats - wondered if the fish were worth the cost of gas

does that mean we are adults?

i feel like that is an adult thought to have



then off to another waterfront bar - drinking at 1 is not a very adult activity

mojitos and oysters and laughing at drunk boys unable to keep their eyes open across from us

off to look at fishing boats - so many questions about what everything is

one called Mary Elizabeth - made me think of my Mary - she would have loved those boats

barnacles and buoys - lots of photos





back to the beach for lunch in the gazebo - shandys and light rainstorm

home to change

Lilly & Seersucker - good looking pair

to the real BBQ - hot dogs and hamburgers for appetizers

too much wine, too much beer

a family first - aunts & fuzzins vs. aunts & cousins beirut

a conga line

to-go cups of wine

tipsy, perfect evening

Early wake up - the hangover must wait as it is finally time to use the wetsuits

bikinis and swim trunks

coffee to go

to the beach



sex wax, long boards, solid surf

2 hours in the water, no interest in coming out

riding in on my knees, EBJ on his feet

coming back to him slowly, i learned to get off the board before i hit the sand

amazing morning - could have sat on the board forever

sandwich time, best shower of my life, more football

lobster roll, landsharks, steamers and corn



live music - lots of john mayer

back to the beach - just too nice a day to leave

another landshark - standing on a turtle

3 simple words.

perfect end to a perfect weekend.

"i've walked these streets, since I was ten - tonight they're new again and I'm so glad to be walking around in the city"

The title today comes from a song by a band called 'Milton' you should check them out!

I was just reading another blog – about a weekend trip to the NYC

They were ladies who lunched, and ladies who had too many glasses of wine and strolled through the city. all bits of adventure on a vacation weekend to the best city in the world...

I’ve been to other cities – strolled through the streets of Athens, lunched outside and ate octopus just plucked out of the ocean.

I’ve seen Pippi Longstockings ‘house’ and the parking lot of an Ikea in Sweden.

Been to an outdoor mall in Salt Lake City, Quincy Market in Boston and an amazing sandwich shop in Burlington.

Lived in DC for a while – know the best place for late night burgers (lindys) and that a strong G&T can keep you warm on the walk from the Metro to the bars in Adams Morgan.

I know where to order fried mac and cheese in LA and have had an In n Out burger ‘animal style’ for brunch, lunch and dinner one day.

Want to go to a kids only playground in London, I can tell you where to go.

The best place to see a Bon Jovi cover band while sitting in a bar made out of an old boat in Vero Beach? I got it.

A blowhole in Hawaii? Target headquarters in Minneapolis? A Pot Belly sandwich in Michigan – no problem.

All of those adventures were exciting and new – I visited and walked around wide eyed and grinning. But this city is my home, so while I continually get excited to find a new brunch spot, or see my favorite streets lit up just before dusk, its funny to think that I will never visit the Big Apple, will never wander around Times Square while trying to find the naked cowboy, while I will visit the World Trade Center site, I will not include ‘ground zero’ on my list of ‘Must Do’s while in the city!’ Canal street scares me, but taking the subway at all hours of the night does not. I know I am lucky to live here – but sometimes I wonder what it must be like to see this place for the first time.

But then again, I'll find a street, a neighborhood, a restaurant I’ve never been too –Spring Street in the fall, Park Avenue lined with hibiscus in the spring, air conditioners whirring along 78th street in the summer and a snow storm on Rivington 2 winters ago and once again I am wide eyed and grinning exploring a new bit of city I had yet to encounter before.