Back at it

I've just enjoyed a vegetarian chili and rice dish Rachel gave me after my Sunday run (treadmill). So tasty and healthy but really hope I won't be too full to enjoy Memphis Blues ribs in a couple of hours.

Life has been busy since I returned from my New York trip on Wednesday but I finally got some quality hanging out time in with R and H. We made stew (a first for me) had sushi for dinner and I watched the film Angels and Demonds while Henry slept on me. It was an awesome Saturday afternoon/evening and I now feel organised as I head into a busy week with laundry done and food in the freezer.

More (higher quality) pictures from new york on facebook. Not that any of it compares to the amazing stuff Dave has been putting up. Although, it looks like he is resting on his laurels in the blog world.

Day 4 NYC: wrap it up

Day 4 kicked off with brunch. Dominika was running late so I grabbed a latte in the Essex market. See attached photo of coffee beans. One man show coffee bar with old school espresso machine. After a late night with drinks (only 3 but that is a lot for me) I welcomed the caffeine.

Brunch was at Shopsin's in the market. Tiny breakfast and lunch place with great food where the staff are known to be rude. I was hoping we would get yelled at when Dominika asked what 'Hatch" was (hot pepper sauce) but they waited right until we left and yelled at us for trying to take a photo of the place. I had 3 poached eggs on spicy, cheesy garlic bread with peppers and chicken sausage. Yum.

Said goodbye Dominika (who was the best tour guide ever!) and got on the subway to head to Battery Park for Ellis Island ferry.

This experience was by far the most touristy. Full security check to get on airport, long lines and crush of humanity. After security we all piled onto to ferry; first stop Statue of liberty. Very cool seeing it from ferry.

Having purchased a ticket yesterday I actually got to go into the pedestal. Another round of security to get in and no phones allowed (sorry, no camera phone pics). Pedestal was very cool. Neat history on how it was but and restored, along with 156 steps to the lookout on the pedestal. You can visit the crown again (was shut down after 9 11) but tickets are sold out for it until March. Wandered around listening to audio tour and taking photos.

Next event was supposed to be Ellis island but I was exhausted and not in the mood for more tours. Maybe next time.

Ferry back to Battery Park and subway to Rockefeller plaza. And mixed nuts from street vendor. See photo.

Day 2 I had a brief visit NBC store but didn't look around and took no photos as I was running late for Greenwich food tour. Picked up a half dozen famous Magnolia's cupcakes (hope they make it home) and watched the ice skaters. Definite Christmas feel.

Now I am going to look for somewhere to get a pedicure. Tired feet.

Heading to Newark airport hotel in a few hours and then on 7am flight tomorrow. May take my only taxi ride when I bring my luggage to Penn station (to get to Newark) as it is 5 blocks and 2 subway transfers from hotel.

Awesome trip and I am looking forward to coming back soon.

Day 3.5 NYC: hanging with a local

All the photos from this adventure are on my regular camera. That is the downside to the camera phone in the evening.

Met up with my friend Dominika (she and her husband Ray were on my Morroco tour and live in NYC) at Union Square at 330pm. I was in luck; she had no plans for the afternoon and was happy to show me the east village while we caught up.

I think my bus tour had driven through the east village but I hadn't actually seen any of it upclose. Lots of character and brownstones. Tons of restaurants and bars but we started off with coffee due to the time. Cute little shop that reminded me of commercial street. From there we went for a glass of wine at a jazz bistro. Very cute and european looking. Dominika's friend joined us and we discussed travel hazards before her friend departed for a nightclub in chelsea.

From there we went to a hot dog joint. Inside the hot dog joint is a phone booth, you get in call, other side of phone booth opens and your in an old school speakeasy. We sat at the bar and had a cocktail and some fried (the fries are from the hotdog place since they're owned by the same person).

At this point it is 9 or so and we haven't had real food so we walk to Soho and a restaurant called Delicatessen. Apparently celebrities frequently dine there (not last night) and the food is amazing. Had another cocktail, squash and arugula salad, braised beef sliders and we split chocolate cake. At 1130 we called it a night and headed for the subway.

It was an 8 hour tour filled with excellent food, drink and company. Dominika uses her iphone to direct us places and also uses an app that suggests restaurants. Never lost or hungry.

About to meet up with Dominika for brunch and then I am off to the statue of liberty. Last night was for sure the highlight of my trip.

Day 3 NYC: flexibility

I attempted a short run on the treadmill this morning and found out all the walking has left a mark. Took effort to stretch and my knees said no to running. Did some elliptical and then got ready for what was supposed to be a day of seeing the major sites.

Kicked it off with the Empire state building. Had heard horror stories about the lineups but I breezed through to the elevator, no waiting. My plan to avoid tourist stops during the weekend was working.

View was great and reminded me that the city is crowded. Like the view of central park is actually blocked by skyscrapers.

Left with the intention of hitting the statue of liberty next. Arrived at Battery Park via the subway (i love the subway!) and headed with the crowds to the ticket booth. As I was walking there I got a text from my friend Dominika asking if I wanted to meet at 3pm in the east village. I said yes and that meant I needed to bust a move if I was going to make it to Ellis Island and back.

Turns out there was an hour wait for ferry so I bought a ticket for tomorrow which also meant I would get to go into the pedestal (sold out already for tody).

Checked guide book for lunch recommendation and chose a cuban restaurant at south street seaport pier 17. Conveniently this is where the brooklyn hop on hop off tour starts from. Lunch was delicious and exactly what I needed after pizza and baked goods yesterday; lots of vegetables and chicken.

Took the bus tour of Brooklyn and it was boring.

Then met up with Dominika and have seen too much to add into this blog at this hour. More tomorrow but we hung out from 3:30 until midnight and visited four different places including a real speakeasy. It was like insider's tour of the city.

Day 2 NYC: all about food

I started off the morning with another bus tour. Downtown this time. Tour guide was much less annoying. It was chilly out but I stuck with it. Downtown tour included Flatiron building, Empire state building (still need to actually go in and up), Chinatown, Little Italy, World Trade Centre site, a mass exodus from the bus as everyone got off at Battery Park to take the ferry to see the statue of Liberty, United Nations and the Waldorf Astoria. I hopped off the bus at Rockefeller Centre to check out the NBC store. Quick shopping and upon departing the store I realised my tourist mistake; I was no carrying purchases and still had a long day ahead. Dashed back to hotel to drop merch and then sprinted for subway to Greenwhich and food tour.

I was late and slightly panicked but made it.
The food tour was a recommendation from Niina. 3 hours in Greenwhich tasting food and visiting shops. I loved the food and the neighborhood.

Highlights include;
- mini canollis from Rocco's (they fill them when you order so they are fresh and crisp)
- homemade rice ball from Faicco's. Made with three different cheeses. They're deep fried but not greasy.
- a three mushroom rissoto at Centro Vinoteca that I paired with a big glass of red. Yum.
- cheese platter from Murray's cheese shop. There were also mini gerkin (?) pickles that were super tasty...normally I toss the pickles from burgers.
- seeing the apartment on Friends...well external shot of the apartment since Friends was filmed in LA.

I want to go back tomorrow and try a restaurant for lunch. I was fairly full by end of day so rather than sit down for a meal I grabbed a slice of New York's #1 ranked pizza at Bleeker's st pizza. Like being in Italy.

To burn off some of the calories I walked roughly 50 blocks, touring Broadway and looping back up through Times Square.

Sorry I don't have pictures of all the food. Too busy eating. But I attached a couple of pictures of my hotel room. Heard horror stories of the small size of NY hotel rooms. I pricelined this one and it has a king bed, kitchen, two desks and massive bathroom.

Tomorrow: goal is to see Empire state building and possibly get to the Statue of Liberty. Have to see how weather and time go.

Day 1 NYC

Sitting in diner a block from hotel about to enjoy what will probably be very average fare. There was a nice looking italian restaurant close by but I wanted to check off NYC diner from my list.

Today was focused on walking the city since the weather is great and the rain is supposed to start soon. I walked the Brooklyn bridge, strolled Park avenue, wandered with the masses through Time Square and then sat on a bus for an hour and a half for a hop on hop off tour. Those things are the way to go. I was a little annoyed as it was an actual guide versus audio tour but I made it through. The bad jokes always remind you that you're a tourist. In case you've forgotten that you're on a big red double decker bus.

The city is just as great as I thought it would be. Probably even better. While the subway is packed and dirty, it is super fast and people seem nice. I feel like I am walking in a movie set since up until now I've only seen it on the screen.

I've probably walked 15k today so I will be heading to bed early.

Tomorrow; Greenwhich food and walking tour, possibly Empire State building if I can get there early enough. I really want to go for a run in Central Park but have to wait and see how the weather is.

Off to the races

Shotgunning a latte and just finished an English muffin with almond butter. Off to catch the #17 to UBC in about 30 minutes. Weather is horrible; wearing my fleece lined running tights, a couple of layers and then a waterpoof vest to top it off. There is a rainfall warning and it is 6 degrees. Will be a cold 21k.

Last night's post was my Saturday highlights from my camera phone.

A few of my favorite things...

A perfect Saturday.

Hurry up and slow down

' Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. '

The days and weeks are speeding by here in Vancouver. I try and get over to Rachel's once a day to have time slow down for a moment. Even that seemed like an impossible task this week. We've been participating in readiness exercises and they ran from 7:30am to 8pm Monday through Thursday. Luckily I started practicing shift changeovers with my staff so after the first day I had 10 hour days max in the exercise with regular work happening during and outside my shift. I also practiced trying to get to the gym in the middle of all the working and I actually had some success. While I didn't get any long workouts in, I did manage 40-45 minutes each day. It kept me balanced. Still trying to figure out how to make it to 6:30am bootcamp class January through March. It doesn't seem feasible that I can finish a shift after midnight, get home, sleep for 5 hours and get up for bootcamp the next morning. We'll see.

People I work with who have done previous Games tell me you either turn into a 'skinny' or a 'fatty' during Games (their words, not mine). So I am working on a plan to combat this. I have a desk job and apparently the 'skinnies' are usually people that are on large venues and end up walking 20km in a day. Maybe I can get a treadmill put in instead of a desk.

Speaking of health, bummed I missed brother man and the family this weekend. I hope Kohei is on the mend. As I am super busy at work and running a half marathon next weekend, I am kind of paranoid about being near anyone that is sick. I'm also hanging with Henry a lot and don't want to bring any germs over there or get sick and not be able to visit.

Having a debate over trying to get the H1N1 shot. I'm really worried about getting H1N1 as I've had pneumonia three times over the last two winters. Everything I've read says if H1N1 turns into pneumonia you're likely to end up in the hospital and be on a respirator. Am I worrying over nothing/fear mongering? Do I wait it out until December when the rest of us can get the vaccine? One of my colleagues' brother had it. He had no complications but was in the hospital for 24 hours. But with all the press on que jumping I don't know if I really am considered to be more at risk than the average person just because I have asthma.

Hopefully if I wash my hands frequently and stay away from anyone who is sick I will be fine. Or maybe I need to create a bubble to walk around in. How do you think the suit above would look on me?

Third wheel

The picture is from Morocco but I thought it fitting seeing as how the Olympic flame is on Canadian soil and life is about to take a turn.

Why no posting? you ask. Well, I just didn't have much to write about and if I'm being honest, I was kind of tired. But a few weeks ago (or maybe at this point it was months) R reminded me that I will need to blog a lot when I am travelling next year. So when I forced myself awake at 6:30am (big week next week and I don't want to jet lag myself by sleeping in Sunday when I need to be up at 6am tomorrow) I thought about what leisurely activity I could do after breakfast and before my run. Blogging it is.

Working out: going okay but had a bad spell there right before I was supposed to run the half. Got a cold/flu the Wednesday before the Sunday half. It took me down. I cancelled my plans and ran the turkey trot instead. 10k was still probably a mistake but it was fun race and I broke an hour for 10k (a first for me - I have none of Dave man's speed). Took me a while to recover from the cold and am now preparing to run the Fall Classic half on November 15th. Which means today is an 18k day. Or maybe 19k. Will see how I feel. I'm really looking forward to being done with the half marathon running. I enjoy the running but find it stressful on the weekend to get the longer runs in. Especially during flu season when the risk of getting sick is so hight. Will be happy to run 10-14k max on Sundays after November 15th.

Work: busy. What you would expect in the last leg leading to the event. There have been a number of very poignant moments for me in the last few months as I see the last 5 years coming together. They unveiled the medals, our workforce uniforms (yes! I look good in blue) and have now lite the flame. We watched the flame arrive in Victoria and after some excitement in the office (felt like early Christmas!) I know realise we're literally racing the flame back to Vancouver for the Opening Ceremony. The other day I was thanking someone for their help on a project and they reminded me that everything we finish now is bringing us one step closer to the Games time...which leads to unemployment.

Unemployment: yes, I know it is coming. It is amusing to have people ask me if I have thought about it or remind me that I need to start looking. Trust me; I know the end of this job is coming, I will not be caught off-guard on March 26th. And work is really good about reminding you and providing support to get us brushing up our resumes, networking, job searching and creating a plan. My plan so far is travel for 3-5 months and then a job in the fall of 2010. I'm looking at overseas jobs as well as some here. To have anything organised for after Games right now would mean signing on with another organising committee. Other businesses don't want to hire you in November for a position starting next September. So we'll see. Right now I would like to work overseas and travel for 2 years. Seems like the right timing and I definitely still have the urge to see much more of the world than I can living in Vancouver with 3 weeks vacation a year.

Travel: I have a plan. 3 months traveling and then 2 months stationary somewhere. More on that when I start booking flights.

Henry: He is awesome. Trying to get as much time as I can in now since I know I'll be too busy with work soon. I think out of his 11 days so far I've only missed 2. Rachel and Chris have been awesome about letting me hangout with them. I literally went over there Tuesday night for 15 minutes just to get sometime in before going out for dinner with friends (two thumbs up for Chambar! Food was awesome).

The less than 24 hours of time I spent hanging out waiting for him to be born was exciting and stressful. Stressful because he was early and that was unexpected. And you know...my twin sister/best friend is having a baby so I was worried as one worries. People seemed to be expecting the play by play but really, after 9:30pm I was at home so I didn't really have much to tell until I arrived 2-3 minutes after Henry was born. At that point it seemed a little out of place to be breaking out the phone as I'm watching the new nephew's cord being cut and Rachel and Chris are bonding with Henry. As well, the midwives and doula were all 'no phone' and 'guard the front door' to let the family rest. R and C never had a talk with me about who to call and when so I didn't want to steal their thunder telling people.

Rachel was amazing and even though I missed Henry actually being born and Rachel's active labor, I still feel like I got to see some cool stuff. The fact that they had a baby at 6:10am and then by 9am the place was cleared out and it was just the new family taking a nap together was a real highlight. I also got some odd/memorable chores on his birthday like taking out a big garbage bag of stuff from the birth, doing the laundry from the birth and helping the guys from Sears bring in the new kitchen appliances less than 6 hours after Henry was born.

It sounds cheesy but I really feel blessed that I am getting to kind of third wheel on life's miracle.
I should go for my run now before it starts raining. Hopefully this won't be the last post for the next 5 months.