My weekend in review

A little late, but better then never!

Its already feeling a bit like fall

so we packed our sweatshirts

well EBJ did - he always remembers those things

and off we went - amazing catch up dinner at John Scotts

with lobster rolls, too big steak samiches, mussels and wings

what are we going to do without those mussels all winter!

a few landsharks



then home for a pillow fight (becoming quite the tradition)

i lost.

terribly.

almost lost an eye too, but it was still in when I woke up, EBJ is a lucky guy

Saturday morning - a sad visit

but one I have wanted to do with him.

Took EBJ to see Tommy - hydrangeas and Celtic cross, a swordfish

a great wind came through the trees just as I got really really sad

Another visit from him - usually in the form of sea glass,

most recently an amazing dream, of patagonia and tears.

but I'll take what I can.

Glad EBJ was there - they would have gotten along so well.

Said our goodbyes - hate leaving that place (weird I know)

off to the beach - Tommy's favorite place



a day spent at the annual family races - not too many 20-29 year olds willing to swim

so we did, and I lost my bathing suit bottoms

quite a view for the parents and children - a coppertone bottom

after trophys, should always come margaritas on the beach

then a race to pick up dinner

in the form of littlenecks (or maybe steamers), mussels, shrimp, corn, potatoes, sausages



oh and harvey.



a one-pot clambake

on a perfect evening

sea water

new friends (EBJ makes them everywhere he goes, I get to be along for the ride)

feet in the sand, just cooked mussels - perfectly cooked littlenecks

then Harvey.

the perfect shade of red, fresh local corn from the boy (an architect you know)

long talks, cold landsharks, perfect dinner.

our one pot clambake for two.



Sunday, another amazing night of sleep (no pillow fight, eyes intact)

red with a white dot ocean

EBJ surfed, I took photos, of him.



of me.



of little shell armies.



our surfboards got hammocks

we got landsharks (and mussels, and wings and a kohog- weird name, delcious food)

sunkissed, with just the right amount of margarita, we headed back to the city.

it may feel like fall, but summer is far from over.

The nights don't justify you

I am soon to be turning 25+1.

In lieu of a real live blog post with details, my wish list (big, grand, huge wishes) is below.

I have already received some of the best birthday gifts imaginable, thoughtful, amazingly wonderful presents from Sil and EBJ - but here is some fun fun fun stuff.

Disclaimer...this is just the beginning


Fabulous shoes with bows from JCrew


For Like Ever poster from Village Products


Monogram bracelet from The Palm Gifts


Card from Curly Girl Designs


Dying for these boots - no idea who makes (made) them!


Just so sweet - pancake maker - Cox & Co.

Dreaming of Greece...

I’ve really wanted to write (well, blog) for a while now but the conditions just haven’t been quite right. You know how it is sometimes…too tired from too many runs; too much round the clock Olympics to watch on TV; hands too sore from my newest sporting venture, handball; its too hot; its too cold (okay, that’s just a lame excuse as it’s been really hot this summer), but now I’m feeling juuuusssst right. I spent the day wandering from the east side to the west side – then from maneuvering through the hordes of people at Apple store on Fifth Avenue to a free facial at Columbus Circle’s Aveda and Whole Food Sushi. I checked out the runners around Central Park, the couples picnicking and crews sunbathing in between Frisbee tosses in Sheep’s Meadow, and the breakers competing with the crazy old school disco roller skaters. Then I napped and went to an awesome hour and a half yoga class, ate sushi, veggie dumplings and way too much wasabi, and then I flipped on the TV. It was a pretty lovely Sunday already. And then, what to my wondering eyes did appear on the television… my BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING! On TBS, of course. I forgot how much this movie makes me laugh.

A perfect setting for writing and interlude to my post, the one I promised you a month ago about planning my trip to Greece. I think I also promised to write my review of Mamma Mia! In a word, hilariously brilliant. Okay, two words. Not knowing I was ever a fan of Abba, but loving Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Thomas Crown, I deemed it a hit. Maybe more importantly were the simply breathtaking backdrops of the Greek Isles.(www.mammamiamovie.com)Did you know that on August 29th, there are sing-along versions being released in select theaters?? Awesome. Suze and Sil outing this fall?



Earlier this month, I may have gone to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 – the whole last part of it is set in Santorini! We’ll pretend that’s the only reason why (and as such, it doesn’t need a link to the movie homepage). It was research, of course. So, it’s been a Greek movie-filled summer. What better way to psych myself up for this trip (now just 11 days away)? Not that I need any help getting excited. And then Suze writing about her incredible Athens Olympics experience four years ago just fit in so nicely with the Greek theme of the month.

So the planning has gone something like this:
- Sil purchases Priceline ticket on Delta nonstop from JFK to Athens
- Sil invites good friends E and Nik (he’s the Greek one) over for a Sil-cooked special dinner and lots of wine and treats so that Nik will tell her anything and everything to do in Greece, and most importantly, the best ways to get there
- After the educational tipsy dinner, Sil emails C* to tell him all the wondrous things to come (and I may have even used that slightly nerdy word)

*Is this the first mention of C? I think it just might be. C is the one I’ll (back to the first person here) be taking this adventure with…well to go see. Remember how Suze and I wrote in our “about us” that we started this blog right when our good friend had gone off to see the world and we were looking for adventures we knew were right around us. We’ll that ‘good friend’ is more than just a friend, to me that is. Suze has her EBJ of course. I will be meeting C in Santorini on September 4th (that’s 11 days from now, just in case you’re counting now too).

He also gets special mention here as he’s another reason I finally sat down to blog. I got an email tonight that said, among many other good things, that he had read SandSBlossominNY in its entirety (every post) before he went to bed (in Sorrento, Italy).

So, fast forward ahead to a few days ago (because I am getting tired and do still owe him a before bed email so he’ll get it as a good morning one)…

And we have the following totally in place:
- A stay in Santorini at this classic family-owned villa overlooking the famous Caldera (volcano) where they host you each night for cocktails and mezedes (appetizers) on the terrace each night for a sunset party! (http://www.lithies.com/index.html - House Zephyr
- A stay in Mykonos at a gorgeous, ‘luxury’ apartment. The name is the best The Warm Yellow Apartment on Kounoupas Hill (http://www.xydakis.com/luxury-apartments-mykonos.html)
- And for our last night, this one in, Athens possibly a Nik recommended Fresh Hotel (ttp://freshhotel.gr)*
*I have yet to figure out how to actually make the "insert link" command on Blogger work...



Of course I have become email friends with Anita who manages the villas in Santorini and she’s suggested five days of adventures including a boat trip to the thermal springs, a hike to the volcano, walking in and around the shops of Fira and Oia, snorkeling (to be C’s first time!) and dinners at these locally run tavernas and restaurants where the calamari is fresh and the octopus even fresher. A steak dinner (yes, it’s a special request) may be thrown in there somewhere to celebrate C’s belated birthday, trips to the beaches in both places and a scooter/ATV ride or two, not to mention everything unexpected to come that you simply cannot plan, or plan for. That may even be the best part, aside from the company and sunsets that it. Sounds pretty magical to me, and I’ve had to remind myself more than once that this is actually happening (in 11 days), and it’s not in fact just another Greek movie.

This is happiness.

I got a surprise this weekend - one that I can't post photos of because we forgot to take any without us in them...

but the surprise was amazing, and awesome, and thoughtful and wonderful.

it was an early birthday present from EBJ and it begins with an S and rhymes with Smurf Gourd

3 months ago he decided he wanted a surfboard

and 3 months ago I put him in touch with my buddy who shapes custom boards

all summer he has been planning his board

downloading programs to do renderings and deciding what went where

he chose the NYC subway system, a dive flag, Australia and the Yankees emblem

somehow, because he is EBJ he made it all work together

3 months ago he also decided to take a chance

well technically I would guess he took that chance a few months before that, but still

he took a gamble, one I think we both knew would work out in his favor

that Saturday August 9th would be a good day to give a girl a birthday present (1 month and 1 day early)

so 3 months ago he started planning a surprise to end all surprises

(i dont even think i need a surprise party this was so good)

he thought about my favorite things

and planned and planned and designed

never acting secretive

and never letting on

so on Saturday we woke up

he was giddy with excitement, but I didnt suspect a thing,

partially because I knew he was excited about his own board that was coming

and partially because I was coughing up a lung.

slight detour to the walk in clinic - meds, breakfast and cure-all iced tea

a suburban and 2 kiddos in the backseat

we were off to pick up his board

and it was beautiful - he had designed it perfectly and it was shaped perfectly and oh man thats gorgeous and oh wait where did you go?

and then i followed into the work room, to 'see the shaping' or something like that and then there was the most beautiful surfboard in the whole wide world

and then i didn't get it

and then i didn't get it again

and then i looked at EBJ

and then i looked at him again

and then i knew the most beautiful surfboard in the whole wide world was for me.

and it has the Montauk Lighthouse on it, surrounded by cherry blossoms and its my birthday present.

and then we spent the weekend looking at our beautiful surfboards and talking about adventures to come.

and if the past 9 (yes i know how many) months are any indication - I can't wait.

8.8.08

4 years ago this week I was in Greece.

well technically i had been there for a few weeks already, having arrived at 5am local time, after some ridiculous number of travel hours. I took a cab in the dark to a little apartment on a street I couldn't pronounce to meet my new roommates - E & Z. I asked for pancakes, they laughed. I didn't get it.

We went to the office - taking a cab that first day as I didn't yet have my credentials and the media bus was off limits.

I met new people, saw friends I hadn't seen in 2 years. I caught up.

I explored in a jumpy and learned to say 'My little watermelon' in Greek

I slept on long drives to the rowing venue and ran screaming with joy into the ocean that first day

I was surprised by the history, and in total awe of what was right there around me.

4 years ago I had spent the last 2 months caring for my cousins as their father, my favorite uncle, passed away.

I walked through the stadium empty, after convincing a security guard we were supposed to be there - and got to see practice for the opening ceremonies

I met celebrities - but was far more impressed with the athletes

I watched world records be smashed

saw controversy unfold

ate flaming sausages off a sword at a roof top restaurant

i traded pins, ate popcorn and did cartwheels through the hallway

I drove the length of the marathon, ate octopus off a clothesline

I met a woman named Tula, ate cheese pies and orange juice in her kitchen over looking the sea

i did shots with basketball players, walked home in the late night heat of Athens

i watched fireworks over the city in the middle of the street, unwilling to leave for my plane.

a million other things happened - the Olympics are magic like that

happy 8.8.08