I couldn't help myself.
Pre-Irene shopping list/prep includes: C batteries for flashlight/radio, bottle of rosé, new rainboots, carrots/onion/celery for making lobster & chicken stock, milk for coffee, bottled water, battery-powered cell charger, & cash (learned my lesson during the blackout). Am I forgetting anything? I've got a well-stocked pantry and bar, and as long as I can light my stove w/a match I should be ok if the power goes out . . .
Actions always speak louder than words.
How is it possible that I am still tired after sleeping for 8 hours?
It’s amazing how much I love a good glass of rosé in the summertime (latest taste: Gotham Project’s rosé on tap).
It’s always enjoyable and interesting to get to know someone a little bit better who was previously more of an acquaintance.
I may be old-fashioned, but I prefer talking on my land line when I hunker down for a solid phone call.
I can be quite the tech nerd; waiting impatiently for the new Verizon 4G dual-core Android phones to drop.
Looks like I have a jackass in the running this year, but thankfully only one. So far.
I had a great weekend, although slightly over-caloric, with no triathlon training to undo the damage. Oops. Basically, I spent the weekend with friends and family having great conversation, wandering, grazing, tasting, exploring, and sampling food and drink. Not too shabby, and pretty much an ideal weekend, in my book. Friday night I hosted a small rum tasting and dinner at my house, followed by a quick visit to the Rhum Rhum Room where I had a few sips of the lovely drink pictured above.
Saturday I slept until noon, which I haven't done in ages — I guess I needed it — and started my day with a fundraiser at Terroir Tribeca with @daisy17, tasting some incredible Spanish wines and raising money for Lydia Tillman, a former Casa Mono employee who was the victim of a horrible attack earlier this summer (you can learn more and donate here). We walked back up to the West Village where we met @jordanarothman for some tasty, light French fare at Buvette, and after lingering there for a bit, we headed to Employees Only for cocktail hour. Part two of my evening shifted to Brooklyn and consisted of cocktail bar exploration with Kim (with some food for stamina) in Prospect Heights and Park Slope. Over the course of the evening, we visited Bearded Lady, Cornelius, Woodwork and Blueprint, sipping and nibbling along the way.
Sunday, I continued the lazy grazing theme with my brother. We started at New Amsterdam Market, where we took advantage of many free samples, then (passing the majestic Brooklyn Bridge, pictured above) headed up to Chinatown with a pit stop for Liang Pi noodles at Xi'an Famous Foods. Afterwards we crossed the bridge into Brooklyn and into the gorgeous backyard of Maison Premiere, where we sipped rosé before the massive thunderstorm. After moving inside for protection, we decided oysters (and another glass of rosé) were in order. Sunday evening I spent at home, watching garbage movies on TV and doing laundry, gearing up for the week ahead.
Julia Child's birthday was August 15th, and as I was walking home last night I passed a window display at Broadway Panhandler filled with pictures of her. As you know, I adore her; she's one of my heroes. I admire the way she lived her live to the fullest, without being overindulgent, it seems like she had a wonderful marriage, which is a challenging feat, and she inspired others through her actions. What's not to love? As of this moment, I have no plans on Saturday night. Maybe I'll channel Julia, open up my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Back from a week at the beach and I think half my brain is still out there. Managed to dip in the ocean, cook up a storm, ride a beat up bike around the island, get a massage, catch up on my New Yorkers, and doze off on the beach, listening to the sound of the ocean. I'm thinking I somehow need to get out there again before Fall sets in for good. Pictures from the week are here.
My 4th NYC Triathlon is now in the books. I'm fairly consistent, and with each year comes a tad more slowness, but that's to be expected, I suppose. Given the rain, I was extremely cautious on the bike this year, and could have pushed harder, and I'm sure my first transition might have been a bit smoother had I not wiped out on the "watch out, it's slippery" mat at the end of swim exit (apparently, I was far from the only one). Many thanks to all I saw along the way — Mom & Stephen, Mike, Hannah, and especially Russ, who biked with me for a good chunk of the run, listening to my bitching and moaning, especially after mile 4.
After a fantastic shower and a solid nap, I met friends and family for a celebration at the 8th Street Wine Cellar — thanks to those who made it for helping me celebrate! I slept for 10 hours last night, and am now about to head out to Kismet for the remainder of the week for some major rest and recovery.
An extra special thanks to all who donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on my behalf, and congrats to Team D&P!
2011: Swim 22:19 T1 12:27 Bike 1:51:54 T2 4:58 Run 1:11:40
2010: Swim 20:54 T1 11:39 Bike 1:42:43 T2 6:26 Run 1:08:01
2009: Swim 24:30 T1 10:17 Bike 1:40:57 T2 4:01 Run 1:07:22
2008: Swim 24:30 T1 10:55 Bike 1:36:47 T2 4:00 Run 1:08:40
It takes a whole bunch of stuff to get through a triathlon. Not pictured: bike, helmet, bike gloves, 2 additional water bottles, flat tire gear, sunglasses, wetsuit, swim cap, flip flops.
The triathlon's on Sunday, and I'm winding down my training (one more swim today, and that's about it), and getting my gear ready (I patched up holes in my wetsuit last night!), and I've even got my number by email: 2288. I'm feeling somewhat less prepared this year than in past years, but there's not much I can do about it now other than get plenty of rest, hydrate, and mentally visualize the race.
If you're an early riser, and want to watch the race, you can find detailed info on that here (I'll be starting at about 6:30; will hit the run around 9 and finish around 10ish), and you can find me at the Team in Training tent near the bandshell at the end of the race. I'll be wearing a purple Team in Training tank, Team in Training black and purple tri shorts, a yellow number 2288 and a NYC Triathlon white visor. Good places to watch are along 72nd Street from Henry Hudson Parkway to Central Park West, Cherry Hill before we head to the finish on Dead Road in Central Park, and Dead Road in Central Park near the bandshell off the 72nd Street Transverse.
If you're not an early riser, come celebrate anytime after 6 pm at the 8th St. Winecellar.
Regardless, please support my efforts by making a donation to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society — it'll make you feel good! And finally, I want to wish all of my fellow triathletes the best of luck, in particular the members of the newly minted Debevoise triathlon team — kick some ass, gang!
So I wrote this post for Tasting Table and somehow missed it when it got sent out on June 10th! The bottom line is that your bar can be your classroom. Go forth and learn.
Pretty damn good weekend, if I don't say so myself. Friday night was a long-overdue catch up dinner w/Lauren, Caroline & Tara at Porsena (which, by the way is delicious. Go.) Got up Saturday for my last long training run in Central Park — the triathlon is less than a week away so I'm in taper mode now. Scary. That said, I plan on doing a mile swim Tuesday or Wednesday this week, just because I haven't yet. After some lounging about I met up with Karen for an impromptu lunch at Momofuku Ssam Bar, followed by some quality A/C time, then met up w/Jordana, Jay & his wife for dinner at Zabb Elee. I was supposed to go out after that but my run in the late morning head had completely zapped my energy so I opted to head back home.
Glad I did because Sunday was my second visit to the Liquid Lab (here's a bit more about my first visit). I'll be writing more about that elsewhere, but 11 hours on my feet tasting over 60 spirits and over 60 cocktails (including 8 of my own original creations) makes for a very long, albeit fun and educational, day!
Amazing to think that this time next week I'll be done with the triathlon and on my way to Fire Island for a much needed vacation on the beach. Can't wait. And by the way, donate!!!
