Weekend Highlights

Mother's Day weekend in NYC proved to be beautiful. Aside from a brief rain on Saturday night, it was perfect, sunny, breezy weather. Couldn't beat it.

I bought new running shoes on Friday night. I actually ordered new running shoes last week, but despite the claim that the Nike Veroma's were perfect for those with narrow feet and high arches (and with great cushioning), but feet were swimming around in them. They had a very wide toe-box, and my arches felt very turned in since my toes weren't secured in place. So I returned them to the NikeTown store. Much to my delight, they gave me a 20% discount when I returned them to use in store, so long as purchased something within the next 2 hours. So I bought the Nike Shox - the updated version of my current shoe. Perfect. The shoes also have the place for the Nike iPod chip, which tracks your running. I've had the chip since we got the computer, but not the right shoes. So I used it for the first time this weekend. It is AWESOME. Kind of like your own personal trainer/coach. It tracks everything --pace per mile each run, distance, total distance from all workouts combined, fastest mile from any workout you have run. I love it. It is a good motivator to push yourself out of your comfort zone and keep you dedicated.

Had dinner with Mike and Lauren on Friday night at Dublin's in the West Village. Lots of fun. We had a great time. Came home and Jimmy Kimmel concert series was on, featuring Kelly Clarkson and her new single, Never Again. Call me a dork, but I am a Kelly Clarkson fan and a proud one. I love her. The new single is great -- remnant of Alannis Morrisette "You Oughtta Know." It has been added to my iPod and it was money well spent.

Ate out last night again, too. At Amorina Pizzeria. Excellent Italian food and pizza (I had one with green olives, mushrooms, sausage, and goat cheese). Great wine. Very shiek and hip and charming. Then walked around and laughed, bar hopping without drinking, and enjoying the light rain.

We saw "Away From Her" on Saturday - a new movie about a woman who is diagnosed, and then suffers through, Alzheimers. It was a touching story, and the conflict of the characters and their history and their pain was well played. Julie Christy (leading actress) is absolutely beautiful and I can only dream of aging so gracefully. The man who played her husband - I forget his name now - was incredible as well. If you are looking for action - don't see it. If you are looking for depth and conflict, it is a great movie. The insight into life long relationships was stunning - and I would say accurate if I had any first hand knowledge of what a life-long relationship feels like at the age of 33. But it felt accurate and relate-able and real. It was also heartbreaking.

I checked out some renovated condos on our block today. They've been working on them for a while, and today was the first open house. They exceeded my expectations! Which is great. We have a beautiful block and these renovation projects just make it better. I thought the developers, the same ones that built our condo (The Developers Group), did a great job with the space. Unlike ours, which was a new building on an undeveloped lot, this was a gut-renovation of a brownstone. I think they paid closer attention to detail with this project (ie, the bathrooms) and paid the spaces out nicely. I wasn't expecting much, and I was impressed. Two of my favorite neighbors, James and AnnMarie, checked them out, too, and then we hung outside talking for the next hour or so. James and AnnMarie both work crazy hours and James travels a ton, so we rarely get to see them b/t their schedule and ours. But whenever we do, I am happy. They are good, quality people and share a lot in common with both Derek and me (including that we graduated undergrad in the same year and have been together since exactly when Derek and I have, and James and I work in the same industry, although in different capacities).

I'm reading a great book right now -- The Known World -- a story about a black man whose father paid his way out of slavery (after first paying his own way and his wife's) who later owns slaves himself, much to his father's disappointment. It is really interesting and well written. I'll have to write another post about it, because it merits a lot of praise. Both in the substance of the novel and the way the story is constructed and told.

A friend of mine from high school was in town, and will be in town again next week, too. He went to college not too far from me (Naval Academy) and now works for a consulting firm out of their Boston office. But he does a lot of projects in NY, so it brings him to NYC often. We were able to get coffee Friday before he headed back, and we'll have dinner this Wednesday (hopefully) after work. It was great to see him and catch up and laugh. I need to plan a trip up to Boston to see him and his wife and their two kids (he has two great, cute kids). I've been sayinig that since last summer when they made their way to Boston, but it is a must for this summer. Hopefully, I will be writing a blog about our trip to Boston before the end of summer. I am looking forward to dinner with him on Wednesday, and then next weekend my friend Brad (former colleague at my old law firm) and his wife are having a rooftop party, which will be fun! So I am looking forward to a good week, in and out of work.