Interlude

credit: Demetri Martin

While I'm finishing up my second post on our New York weekend, I thought I'd post a brief interlude on my thoughts lately. Demetri Martin's "success chart" at right sums it up; Joanna from A Cup of Jo wrote such a well-timed post about the many paths to success. Truthfully, though, it wasn't the post that brought a sense of relief- it was the comments! So many different readers contributed with their own stories of jumbled beginnings, years spent doing other things because they were afraid to really go for it (love, turning their passion into a career, etc), and an eventual "Aha!" moment. I felt such a metaphorical cloud lift when I read all these journeys! In a world of people looking to stand out from the crowd, sometimes the biggest relief is to know you're not exempt from a human condition- of not being able to see the road ahead with sparkling clarity. Because while there are people who've got it all figured out, there are just as many people who haven't. Thank goodness.

I hope you're all having a great weekend.

Biting the Big Apple, Part I

Whew. I'm finally getting a chance to really sit down and write about our long weekend in NYC. Miles and I have been pretty inseparable since I got home (I not-so-secretly love it), and I have just been wanting to soak up time with him since we got back. But, just like I kept thinking about Miles while we were away, I now keep thinking about New York.

Let's start at the beginning. Parker had been in San Diego for a conference, so we met in the middle and stayed at the Custom Hotel near LAX on Thursday night. I had booked the Park and Fly package so we could leave our car, but somehow the reservation got mixed up and there was an issue with parking- the main reason we booked the room there! Everything worked out fine, though, because the customer service team there was super helpful in making sure that we not only got a spot for our car but also were upgraded to a huge suite. Parker arrived at the hotel first and called to let me know just how great our room was (actually, it was more like, "What did you say to make them upgrade us to a room like this?" and I can tell you that honestly they were just great about making sure we were happy after the mix-up. I used to be on the receiving end of customer service phone calls so I always try to keep that in mind when things don't go according to plan). Anyway, the room was wonderful and was the size of a small apartment- two full bathrooms, a bedroom, and a living room! At night we could see the airplanes making their returns to LAX and enjoyed watching the line of other planes in the sky waiting for their turn to land.

We woke up Friday ready to go. We didn't really have anything else to do but just head to the airport and wait for our flight, so we hopped on the hotel shuttle and arrived at LAX with hours to spare. Our flight was actually delayed, so we decided to buy day passes to the Virgin America lounge. I am so glad we did that! WiFi, comfortable chairs, TV, air conditioning, snacks, and an open bar were all included in the price of the pass. (Side note: I highly recommend the Virgintini if you want to try a drink before you fly!)

Fast forward a few hours and we were finally on the plane. Parker isn't a fan of flying (I don't mind it at all), but thankfully Virgin America has live TV available to watch and WiFi (for a high price). I was pleasantly occupied by reading a new issue of The New Yorker and keeping my TV on Bravo.

 Fast forward another few hours and we had arrived safe and sound at JFK. We grabbed our luggage from baggage claim and met our driver, who no doubt was up past his bedtime (our flight didn't get in until a little before 2 a.m.!). We started driving into the city and as the buildings got closer and closer I felt the excitement building in my chest and creeping up to my throat- I could not stop smiling. I was finally here, in this city I've wanted to see all my life!

The driver pulled up to Morgans Hotel New York, where we were going to be staying for the next four nights. The staff was so courteous and welcoming- even at two in the morning- and gave us our keys. We took the elevator up to the ninth floor and walked into our suite. It was love at first sight! I have to tell you, I had high expectations for this hotel and Morgans exceeded every one. We had a huge window that looked down onto Madison Avenue and looked up to the Empire State building. As I looked out the window, it really hit me that I was in New York! Both Parker and I slept so well (you never know what to expect with hotel beds) and in the morning it was nice to sit at the window and plan what we were going to do that day. I never went up to the Penthouse for breakfast until the morning we were leaving, and I regret that because it was delicious! My only criticism (and it's really more of a suggestion than a criticism), is that the mirrors in the bathroom are really high! I had to stand in front of the full-length mirror in the closet to do my makeup and the lighting wasn't as good. All vanity aside, it was one of my favorite places we've ever stayed and I would definitely stay at another Morgans hotel.

Stay tuned for part two!

We're Here!

Actually, we've been here since the wee hours of Friday morning and we're leaving today! I'm going to write a post of our trip as soon as I can. It's been amazing!

Yikes (A PSA to the Blogosphere)

Every once in a while I "clean house" in the comments section of my Blogger account to get rid of spam that sometimes wiggles its way into being published here on the blog. Today, I was surprised to see that mixed in with the spam were two surprises: one delightful... and one nasty. I'm not used to even seeing comments like that on my blog; this one came totally out of left field and made me wonder, "Now, what exactly did I do to this person?" (Answer: nothing.) That got me thinking about times I've seen other bloggers get harassed in the comments of their posts- sometimes it's because they asked for it (there's only so much whining a reader can take...speaking of which, I'm wrapping this post up in a second- promise), and other times it's completely unwarranted. I just want to give a little reminder to all the bloggers and readers out there that even though we're communicating through the Internet, we're all human. If you have a sincere concern, feel free to send me an email. There's no need to get testy- and if you really feel the need to lash out at someone, at least have some cojones and don't hide behind the name Anonymous. It's not a good look.

Our Week (In a Nutshell)

Our Week (In a Nutshell) is back! It takes a surprising amount of effort to remember to chronicle our weekly happenings, so I'm making it a priority because Miles is growing and changing so much each day. I don't want to forget anything! He is such a little character lately- constantly making new faces and saying new words. Right now his favorites are "stuck", "yuck", and "truck". (Here's to hoping he doesn't get wind of a certain other word that ends with "uck"!) His favorite thing in the whole wide world is seeing the garbarge truck on Tuesdays- his face lights up and he is mesmerized. It's also maybe my favorite thing in the whole world right now...his joy is infectious.

Pure joy!

Miles's thoughts on the new Bravo show "Married to Medicine"

"Miles, crayons aren't for eating" = The Lip

We took our pups, Gus and Roscoe, to the vet for their yearly checkup and they did great! They are such sweet, goofy dogs and it's so fun to see how much they love walking around with Miles in our yard. Sometimes I feel like Gus and Roscoe are like my first two "fur babies", as I've heard some people call their pets. They have been with Parker and I since we were married and I'm glad Miles will get to grow up with them.

I've been so busy lately! Next Thursday, we're flying to New York City for our long weekend. I can't believe how quickly it's creeping up on us but I'm excited and ready to experience everything NYC has to offer. I've got what I'm calling my "New York best" outfits ready and I have tons of lists (yes, I'm a list maker) of what to pack, our restaurant reservations, what to get ready for Miles, etc. I don't feel like I can sleep well without my lists!

School is going well- I'm in the final seven weeks of the semester and my nose is most definitely to the grindstone. It's nonstop but I really do like being busy. I still have my normal time with Miles, get my homework done whenever he's asleep, and still sneak in my workouts! I thrive on this type of schedule, but I did enjoy the spring break last week.

I hope you all are having a great week!