New Birth

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."

- 1 Peter 1:3

Happy Easter, friends! He is Risen!

This Easter I have spent some time reflecting on the great sacrifice that we celebrate on this day, and I feel so blessed. I am so grateful for the hope that this season brings. It is a time of rebirth, forgiveness, hope and new life. What a beautiful thing.

I hope that you all are spending the day surrounded by those you love. As always on the holidays, we miss our families very much and our thoughts are in Florida with them. Our day here will include a sunrise church service, followed by a trip into the city for the Eater Bonnet Parade (whether or not that will include the dog like last year remains to be seen), followed by a delicious dinner of lasagna and cupcakes.

Happy Easter to all from the W. family!

Our family photo from the Easter Bonnet Parade last year

Christ is Risen, indeed!

Seize the Mustard

Last night we finally got around to a New York staple: a comedy show. Well, rather, an improv show. We saw Seize the Mustard at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, which was an hour of rather humorous improv put forth by the writers for The Colbert Report.

I saw something posted about this show on Twitter a week or two ago, and with tickets costing only $5 each, how could we not go? That's a downright steal! So, I made reservations for us, as well as Eric's friend/co-worker Dave and Dave's girlfriend Salua.

We all met up around 7:30 last night. The boys picked up some pizza for us to have for dinner, and we ate in Bryant Park. It was a chilly evening, but it was beautiful in Bryant Park. They're still working on the lawn, so there's some messy construction, but I love to see the Empire State Building peering down over the park. Honestly, the ESB and Bryant Park are two of my most favorite sights in this city.

Eating pizza in Bryant Park with Salua and Dave

The beautiful ESB peeking out between the buildings

By the fountain in Bryant Park

After our picnic dinner we walked down to the theater on 26th street, stopping to teach Dave and Salua about "fun with statues" along the way.

They're naturals!

We got to the theater a little early, and there were already lines formed for both people with reservations and people waiting for standby tickets. We picked up our tickets from inside the theater and joined the line. By then it was quite windy and rather chilly, so it wasn't super pleasant, but we were allowed inside before too long. The theater itself was located downstairs, and was pretty small and intimate. It was free-for-all seating, so we found seats along one of the sides, got settled, and grabbed a beer from the bar.

Line outside the theater

Inside, waiting for the show to start

The show lasted about an hour and was quite funny. One of the writers would start things off by telling a funny story from their past, and then everyone else would jump in and work off the story to create characters and an improv scene. I am just in awe of people who can do that. I mean, for one thing, it is so impressive that they are able to be so quick-witted and creative to come up with funny sketches and characters on the fly. And for another, they go out there knowing that this is unpolished comedy. Even as the words come out of their mouths, they don't know if it will turn out to be funny or not. Will the audience laugh? Will they think it's stupid? That's something that I think would be most people's biggest fears in this situation: will I really be funny? The fact that they can just get out there and go for it no matter what is amazing to me. And they were funny, so it all worked out!

After the show we paused for a quick photo, then bid farewell to Dave and Salua and headed off to the nearest PATH station. It was a fun evening out!

Outside the theater after the show

And now, we are gearing up for our Easter weekend. Tonight we will be trying out a new Lutheran church here in Hoboken for the Good Friday Tenebrae service, which is one of my most favorite services of the entire church year. We're still working out our plans for Easter, but I'm looking forward to whatever we decide.

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!

Cupcake Wars

On Friday, Eric and I had our very own cupcake taste test. Dorky? Yes. But also delicious.

It all started on Thursday night, when there actually was no line outside Carlo's Bakery here in Hoboken. Usually, there is a line of people down the street waiting to get in to sample some Carlo's baked goods and hopefully catch sight of Buddy himself. We waited in that line during our first trip to Hoboken, but since moving here, we have discovered that every so often you can catch the timing just right and walk right in the bakery, no waiting required. Thursday was one such night.

When that happens, we splurge. On this particular evening, we walked away with four cupcakes, an eclair and a cannoli in hand. I ate both the cannoli and eclair that evening and nearly died. DELICIOUS.

Yummy baked goods from Carlo's

Three of the cupcakes were for Eric and one was for me. Eric ate two of his that evening, so we were left with two Carlo's cupcakes (one yellow cake with chocolate frosting and one red velvet) the next day.

In case you don't know, cupcakes are big in New York. There are tons of cupcakeries, and there is much dispute over which is the best, including some serious animosity between the bakery proprietors themselves (read some background on the subject here, if you're interested). Even in our own household, Eric and I cannot agree on which cupcake shop is the W. family favorite. Eric has always maintained a preference for Magnolia Bakery (not only known for cupcakes, but also their appearance on an episode of Sex and the City). I, however, am a loyal Crumbs customer. And now that you throw Carlo's into the mix - who can say which bakery really has the best cupcakes?

Well, since we had two cupcakes leftover from Carlo's last Friday, I suggested to Eric that he pick up a couple Magnolia cupcakes after work and we could do a taste test. We also made a stop at Crumbs to throw them into the mix, too. At each place, the order was the same: red velvet for me, yellow cake with chocolate frosting for Eric. Then we went home to officially get to the bottom of this very pressing issue.

The Contenders!

Top row: Magnolia; Middle row: Carlo's; Bottom row: Crumbs

We started with Eric's yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. I set up the blind taste test plate with a small slice of each cupcake, being careful to remove all identifying features (sprinkles, etc.). Then Eric settled in to decide once and for all which cupcake was his favorite.

The Taste Test Plate

Judging by his suit, he means business. Look out, cupcakes. (Also, Achilles wants in.)

He took his task very seriously and gave brutally honest feedback with every bite. The first cupcake he tasted was from Magnolia (unbeknownst to him, of course). He thought that one was "really, really good" and "even the cake had its own flavor." The second one he tried was from Carlo's, and he was not a fan. He said it was "very plain" and he would "never order it again." The third was from Crumbs, and he thought that one was "okay" with "very sweet frosting," but "not as good as the first one." So, his ranking of cupcakes thus far was Magnolia clearly in the top spot, Crumbs in second place and Carlo's in last place.

Really taking the time to evaluate the cupcake at hand

However, he did not feel fully satisfied with this taste test and wanted to be absolutely sure he got it right. So, we set the whole thing up again, and this time I switched #1 and #2. That meant the first one he tried this round was from Carlo's, previously described as "terrible" and "plain." This time around he felt it was "very good" and thought it might have been the same as the previous #1. The second he tried was from Magnolia, his favorite from Round 1. This time he said the "cake in #1 was much better" and the "frosting was very sweet." The third cupcake was once again from Crumbs, and this time he thought it was "terrible." So at the end of Round 2, we have Carlo's in the coveted top spot, followed by Magnolia, with Crumbs bringing up the rear.

Cupcake testing is a very tough job.

Just not enough consistency there, though, don't you agree? So, set up Round 3! This time the first one he tried was from Crumbs, and he was "not impressed with the cake" although the "frosting was good," and overall "this was a good one." The second one he tried was from Magnolia, which he thought had "nice cake" and "good frosting," overall "really good." The third one was Carlo's, which he felt had "bland cake" and "okay, sweet frosting." Final rankings: Magnolia, Crumbs, Carlo's.

We're really getting to the bottom of things now.

Finally we had one bakery that won top spot for Eric in two out of three trials: Magnolia! I guess he really does like that bakery best. Go figure.

And then it was my turn with the red velvet. Each of the cupcakes had their own look that was hard to disguise, so I had to blindfolded for my taste test. The first one I tried was from Magnolia (again, unbeknownst to me), and I really liked the frosting but did not think the cake was as moist as I would like. Overall, it was good. The second one was from Carlo's, and I liked the cake of that one better but the frosting less. The third one I tried was from Crumbs, and I was quoted as saying simply, "mmmmm, hmmmm. I like that one." The Crumbs cupcake was my clear favorite, but I could not rank Magnolia and Carlo's so we set up a second round with just those two.

My turn at last!

In Round 2, the first one I tried was again from Magnolia. I liked the flavor of the frosting - very cream cheesy. The second one was from Carlo's, and this time I was able to clearly say "Number 1 is better." I elaborated by saying the frosting was not as good as Number 1 but still perfectly acceptable, but overall, Number 1 was better. So there we have it, my final rankings: Crumbs, Magnolia, then Carlo's.

I wouldn't be sad if this was my real job.

Although Carlo's got voted last in both categories, I do think it warrants a mention in their defense that by this point, their cupcakes were a day old. Although they didn't taste stale or anything, that is one variable that was not controlled for (please forgive my nerd speak).

I also need to mention the frosting of the red velvet cupcakes and how that may have impacted my evaluation. Both Carlo's and Magnolia had cream cheese frosting, whereas Crumbs had vanilla frosting. Because Crumbs was my clear favorite, it seems possible that maybe I just prefer vanilla to cream cheese frosting, although I do not think that is the case. They just had a better frosting AND a better cake, making it all around a better cupcake experience. I also loved the cream cheese frosting from Magnolia, but apparently, that is not their standard red velvet frosting. When Eric went to buy the cupcakes they said they did not have red velvet because they were waiting for their regular red velvet frosting to be made, but they were able to give Eric a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting instead, at his request. I don't know how their standard frosting would match up.

All in all, if you eat any one of these cupcakes, you will not be sad. They were all VERY good. But at the end of the day, we each discovered that we know what we like. Eric is a true Magnolia fan, and I am definitely a Crumbs fan. There's no doubt about that. Not only did I choose their red velvet over the others, but I also love their large sizes (you can get a small cupcake for about $2.50 at the other places, or a cupcake twice that size for about $3.75 at Crumbs) and their flavor variety. They have so many amazing flavors, and I would take a Baba Booey from Crumbs over any of these red velvet contenders any day. (FYI, a Baba Booey consists of chocolate cake filled with peanut butter frosting, topped with peanut butter and chocolate cream cheese frosting and rimmed with peanut butter chips. Drool.) So, I'm definitely a loyal Crumbs girl.

Of course, there are many, many more cupcake shops throughout the city just begging to be tried. Serious Eats did a rather thorough taste-test (read about it here) and came out with Baked in Brooklyn as the overall best cupcake shop. So, we clearly have more work to do in this department. And the saga continues...

Three Years

Today marks three years since I first hit "Publish Post" here on My Life as a Lawyer's Wife. Three years. Can you believe that? Back then, we were still living in Washington, D.C., but preparing to make the move to the Big Apple in a few months. Eric was studying for the bar, not yet an official lawyer. I had only recently finished grad school and was enjoying my new job. We were true newlyweds, still in our first year of marriage. It's the kind of thing where all that seems so long ago, yet at the same time, I can't believe it was three years ago already. Isn't it funny when that happens?

Thank you all so very much for reading my words and sharing in our lives for the past three years. I started this blog as a way to keep family up-to-date, and it has really become a cherished hobby of mine. It is such a great outlet for my love of writing (and pictures!), and it has been a real pleasure for me to record our experiences here. The fact that you all actually like to read it, well, blows my mind. Thank you!

I hope you will continue to stick with me as My Life as a Lawyer's Wife continues to grow and change. I feel like I am still finding my voice, even with three years of blogging under my belt. As life brings new changes for us, I'm sure this blog will continue to change along with it. I'm excited to see the direction both life and blog take in the coming year, and I hope you will stick around and share it all with me.

Happy blogiversary to me...and hopefully, many more!

Back on the Bike

It is now T-minus 13 days until the Five Boro Bike Tour! Less than two weeks?! Ack!

This Saturday was ruined by some utterly terrible weather - rain, thunder, lightning, and gusts of wind so strong that trying to use an umbrella was simply pointless. Eric and I tried to salvage the day by hitting a museum, but after walking two blocks and nearly getting blown over by wind and pelted by rain we were all, "not worth it." Back home we went.

Thankfully, the rain cleared out on Sunday, so we were able to fit in another training ride. This time we decided to take our bikes into the city via PATH train to Christopher Street (where we quickly learned there is no handicap access - so no large turnstiles to fit your bike through, and no elevator), then we rode north to 90th Street via the bike path along West Side Highway, then over into Central Park to ride the 6.2 mile park loop, then back out to the west and home again along the West Side Highway. Total planned distance: about 18 miles. Quite a leap from our 10 miles last week!

So, we got ourselves ready and off we went. I bought a new handlebar bag for my bike this week, so we were able to take the camera and some snacks along with us, which was very nice. And now you get to see some pictures!

The path along the West Side Highway is just lovely. Eric has run that path many times, but it was my first time seeing much of it. Of course I am familiar with the portion in our old neighborhood, and when we passed the Intrepid, our former local riverside park, and the spot where we watched the Fourth of July fireworks I caught myself still thinking, "ah, home sweet home!" I wonder how long that will take to wear off?

North of our former neighborhood, however, was also very nice. There is really some fabulous park space along the water and it's so scenic. We could see the George Washington Bridge in the distance ahead of us, trees were blooming, there were boats on the water, and it was all just so pretty.

View along the bike path

Yay, bike riders!

We even found a new landmark along the way: the Soldiers' and Sailor's Memorial Monument at 89th Street and Riverside Drive. We spent some time checking that out, and were treated to some live "theater" by an acting group rehearsing at the base of the monument.

Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

Looking up at the monument

Pretty scenic, yes?

Actors at the base of the monument

We then made our way over to Central Park, where we set off on the 6.2 mile loop. Did you know that now Eric has walked, ran, roller-bladed and biked that loop? I'll bet he thinks he's fancy.

He probably thinks he's fancy for all his Central Park experience, but he also thinks he's too cool for school when it comes to wearing a helmet while bike riding.

People, help me peer pressure him! Leave a comment and tell him to WEAR HIS HELMET!

Enjoying my ride in Central Park (WITH helmet, mind you!)

Also, did you know that Central Park is full of stupid hills? Eric knew of a couple big hills from his regular runs along that path, but let me tell you, you notice hills a lot more on a bike. It was a pretty consistent up-and-down ride, and it was brutal. I started off feeling strong, like my daily trips to the gym were really paying off, and I ended the loop cursing at every slight incline. It was rough. Also, I nearly got side-swiped by a horse. So that was fun.

We did make a couple of stops to take pictures of lovely park scenery, mainly along the Lake and the Reservoir. The trees and flowers are really starting to bloom, so it's a wonderful time of year to spend some time in the park.

Scenery along the Lake

There were lots of boats on the Lake! Everyone was enjoying the nice(-ish) weather.

Tulips by the Reservoir

Blossoms along the Reservoir

So pretty! It reminds me of the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin in D.C., which I miss terribly.

Taking a snack/picture break!

Needless to say, by the time we finished the Central Park loop, I was pretty exhausted. No rest for the weary, however, since we still had the last stretch of our trip to go - our return along the West Side Highway. We rode back towards the river along 77th Street, which to our surprise, was also uphill. The street we took over to the park had also been uphill, so we anticipated an easy downhill ride when it was time to leave the park. Not so. It was literally uphill both ways. Did you know that uphill both ways actually does exist? I just thought it was something parents made up to make kids feel guilty and lazy ("When I was your age, I walked 50 miles a day, in a blizzard, uphill both ways!"). But hey, guess what? It does exist. I HAVE LIVED IT.

Things did not get easier when we finally made it to the riverside bike path. Our storms from Saturday had cleared out, yes - but they forgot to take the wind. The wind on the way home was just relentless, ridiculously strong, and right in our faces. It was like the entire ride home was another hill to climb. Thankfully, I got Eric to agree that we should NOT ride the entire way back to Christopher Street to battle with the inaccessible PATH station again, but rather, we should take the ferry from 39th Street. More expensive, sure, but soooo much easier. So, we battled on to the ferry terminal then took our (rough, choppy) ferry ride back to Hoboken.

When we got back to our side of the river we stopped for a few more pictures at the ferry pier. Hey, it was a beautiful, clear day (windiness aside), so we couldn't help ourselves.

My artsy shot!

Midtown

Exhausted, but almost done for the day!

We then knocked out the last mile of our trip along the riverside in Hoboken, back to our part of town. We did it!

Let me tell you, I was SPENT at the end of this ride. Absolutely exhausted. But, there were definitely some positivies! First of all, padded bike shorts ROCK MY SOCKS. Guess who has been able to sit totally normally after this bike ride, something not at all possible last week? That's right, I have virtually no pain! A little soreness, sure, but not like the torture I felt last week. Also, my shoulders are sore and my thighs feel a bit tired today, but all in all, waking up today was significantly less painful than waking up last week, and I nearly doubled the length of my ride. Maybe this training is paying off!

So in some respects, yesterday's ride gave me confidence, but it also made me very nervous. Yes, I'm getting better, but I just don't know if I'll get to where I need to be by race day. By the end of our ride yesterday, I was so exhausted. I could not have powered through another 20 miles on top of what I already did. So how am I going to ride 42 miles on race day in 13 days? To be honest, I'm not really sure I can do it.

But, I'll just keep on training and hopefully I'll keep making good progress. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can get in another good ride next weekend that will really boost my confidence for May 1. I hope, I hope!

Ligyrophobia

Ligyrophobia: a fear of loud sounds, especially sudden unexpected ones.

Today, I have diagnosed my dog with this disorder.

Let's explore ligyrophobia a little more, shall we? According to HealthMad.com (emphasis is mine):

Ligyrophobia is an overwhelming, irrational fear of noise. While all of us are startled and jump, in response to a sharp, sudden noise, the ligyrophobic individual may be intensely fearful...As with all phobias, the person coping with Ligyrophobia has experienced trauma at some point in their life. That traumatic event is then consistently and automatically associated with noise, especially loud and sudden noise. 

Symptoms of Ligyrophobia may include: a dry mouth; heart palpitations; numbness; heightened senses; breathlessness; feeling dizzy; muscle tension; hyperventilation; trembling; rapid heartbeat; feeling out of control; feeling trapped and unable to escape; intense feeling of impending disaster.

And some examples, courtesy of PsychWiki (surely the utmost authority in mental health information):

Ligyrophobics may be fearful of devices that can suddenly emit loud sounds, such as computer speakers or fire alarms.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

Our struggles with smoke detectors have been well documented. During our most recent smoke alarm debacle, Achilles took things rather hard. He trembled, he hid, he refused to come out from under the covers until I dragged him out for fear he would over heat. He clearly experienced trauma. I feared that during that instance, the smoke detector broke our dog. I get no pleasure in saying this, but it appears I was right.

In our new apartment, our smoke detector is right outside the bathroom door. This is a rather poor placement if you are a person who enjoys a nice, long, steamy shower, as my husband often does. We discovered this immediately upon moving in, when we arrived at this apartment at about 11:00 p.m. on moving day, wanting nothing more than a hot shower and to collapse in bed. Eric showered first and immediately set off the smoke detector. Welcome home, indeed!

Usually, it doesn't go all the way off, but it gives little warning beeps. If it gets a bit steamy, it will just let out one little short beep every few minutes until the steam subsides. No big deal...to us. To my poor, traumatized pup, however, morning showers bring fear.

In the past, I would usually be lounging in bed while Eric got ready for work. I'm lazy like that. Achilles was usually right by my side. When that smoke detector would beep, however, he would instantly jump up and make a mad dash for the safety of under the bed, where he would stay for some time until we could convince him the danger had passed. All it took was one beep, and he was off in a flash. Smoke detector beeps are no joke, friends.

Poor puppy under the bed. (No, we still haven't put the bedskirt on the bed since moving in. Don't judge.)

Lately, however, in preparation for the Five Boro Bike Ride, I have been getting up and hitting the gym every morning while Eric gets ready for work. And apparently, under the bed is not so safe if I am not in the bed to offer additional protection. Now, when that smoke detector beeps, the dog runs to hide near Eric - in the bathroom. Behind the toilet.

Oh, boy.

The first time he did this, Eric could not find him anywhere. He looked all over the house for our poor, frightened dog, in all the usual spots - his beds, his crate, under the bed, on the couch, under the covers. And then he found him:

Ligyrophobia rears its ugly head.

Is that not the saddest thing you have ever seen? Without me in the apartment to protect him, the poor dog was forced to seek shelter on a cold tile floor behind a toilet.

And oh, how he shakes. He just trembles like a leaf as soon as that thing beeps. Sometimes I worry he might shake so hard he'll pull a muscle or throw his back out or something.

So, I have diagnosed him. He is ligyrophobic. Extreme trauma? Check. Muscle tension? Check. Trembling? To an astonishing degree. Feeling out of control? Clearly, he ends up behind the toilet! Feeling trapped and unable to escape? Again, clearly. Intense feeling of impending disaster? Well, that's just kind of how he lives his life generally, so CHECK.

Poor, poor little Achilles. Such a rough life he leads.

Random NYC Sights: Through Eric's Eyes

It has been many moons since I posted a hodgepodge collection of random sights we have recently seen around the city (see previous installments here, here and here). But lately, since we now own two cameras (our new DLSR and our always trusty point-and-shoot), Eric has started always carrying the point-and-shoot with him when he goes to work each day. You just never know when you might hear about an unexpected celebrity sighting opportunity (such as Will Smith filming Men In Black III in midtown last week), a fun event, or just pass something random on the street.

Last night I pulled the camera out of Eric's coat pocket and uploaded the pictures he has taken over the past few weeks. They are definitely a hodgepodge of unrelated subjects, and there's some entertaining stuff in there. So, let's take a look at random New York City, through Eric's eyes.

I believe Eric took this photo on St. Patrick's Day. This guy has made a number of appearances on the blog, as we see him all over town (notably Easter 2010, Easter 2009, and Memorial Day 2009). He's always crazily dressed, with dog-with-dyed-fur in tow (and usually, a bird on his head). He's good stuff.

This photo brought me great joy. This is Bryant Park, and if you notice, the ground does not look pretty. But that is wonderful news! That means they have removed the ice skating rink that fills the lawn in the winter and are hard at work to replace the grass. That means that soon I will be able to have lunch with Eric there once again, Broadway in Bryant Park will return, summer movies will return, the works. Warm weather fun is on its way!

Although lovely summer weather is certainly on it's way, this is a better depiction of our current weather. This is the Empire State Building, but you cannot even see the top of it due to fog. Not unusual these days.

This is a statue of Gandhi in Union Square, something I never realized was there until I saw this photo. A quick Google search informed me that just last week, poor Gandhi had his glasses stolen right off his face. They have been replaced by now, so not to worry.

Quick tangent: I suspect Eric took this photo when we went down to 14th Street before coming home one night so he could pick up some Chipotle for us. I know I have mentioned that there is no Chipotle in our immediate New Jersey area and that is a TRAVESTY. We now have to cross state lines to get our Chipotle fix. We have remedied that problem by having Eric go down to 14th Street after work to pick up dinner then bring it home via the 14th Street PATH train station. It's workable, but I have significantly less Chipotle in my life since moving out of the city. I'm sure my health is grateful but my taste buds are sad.

Another celebrity sighting! This was actually taken when I met up with Eric in the city on Monday. We were able to catch Tina Fey leaving Letterman that evening. Of course, we are jaded celebrity stalkers and were bummed that it was Tina Fey taping for The Late Show that night. We see her everywhere, so, you know, no biggie. What has New York turned us in to?

What is a day in New York without giant rats roaming the street? Eric saw these bad boys last night. If you look closely, the one on the left seems to be wearing a collar and Eric said the collar had some sort of identification tag on it. I'm just not sure what to make of that. (Side note: remember when a rat ran into my foot in the subway? I still shudder to think about it.)

This is an enormous Teddy Bear on Park Avenue. He is sitting under an actual functioning "bedside lamp." And if you like this bear, he apparently will be up for auction at Christie's next month. He could be yours!

And now you have a slight idea of the kinds of things Eric encounters on an average work day in the city. It's quite an interesting place to be, don't you think?

A Glimmer of Hope

Yesterday was an utterly fabulous day, weather-wise. It started out dreary (as it always seems to be these days), but by mid-afternoon the sun was shining so I took Achilles out for a quick walk. I stepped outside my apartment and nearly cried. It was warm - about 80 degrees! And sunny. And I was in a t-shirt, with no winter coat. It was glorious. Maybe this Winter That Will Never End will end, after all!

Achilles and I walked through both of our nearby Pier parks, people-watched (there was lots of that to do, as everyone else was out enjoying the warm weather, too), and I sat on a bench along the Riverfront Walkway for a bit and read my Kindle while Achilles ate random things off the ground when I wasn't looking. All in all, a great afternoon in the great outdoors.

People enjoying  the beautiful day along Pier C

Even when we got back home, Achilles couldn't get enough of the sunshine and took advantage of our west-facing apartment to soak up some late afternoon rays.

He is a Florida dog, after all.

Yesterday evening I went into the city to meet up with Eric for a bit, where I was pleased to see things in bloom around town:

Beautiful tulips in a planter on the streets of Midtown

On our way back home, we also stopped to partake in another very positive sign of spring - al fresco dining! It so warms my winter-weary heart to see restaurants start setting up their outdoor seating areas. It's one of my favorite things about warm weather in the city.

Of course, today it is back in the 50s and dreary, with more rain on the way tonight. April Showers and all that, I guess. But, yesterday's temps and those happy little tulips give me hope. We may just get to summer yet!

Reunited With My Bike

We are only 20 days away from the Five Boro Bike Ride that Eric tricked me into signing up for. I'm freaking out a little bit.

As I have mentioned, I am exceptionally unathletic. Simply put, I don't do stuff like this. Ride a bike for 42 miles? Ha! I've never done anything close to that. I know people do that and more all the time, but not me.

So, I've been trying to prepare myself. For the past couple of months I've been trying to eat better, largely by stocking my kitchen with more fruits and veggies and fewer Mint Milanos. I've also been trying to exercise more regularly, which thanks to the WINTER THAT WILL NEVER END, has mostly meant doing Jazzercise DVDs in my living room.

Last week it hit me that I had less than a month till the bike ride, so I started getting up every morning to hit the gym in our building to ride to the stationary bikes for a while. That has been going great, and I'm even able to prop up my beloved Kindle so I can read while I ride. It reminds me of my college days, when I would sporadically get inspired to go to the gym and would study while riding the stationary bikes. Only now, I get to read for fun. Less Freud, more fiction. Good stuff.

On Saturday, the temperature rose to a balmy 60 degrees or so, and the sun actually came out. That meant that Eric and I scrapped our plans to spend the afternoon inside at a museum and instead pulled our bikes out of the bike shed for a little reunion. We bought bikes back when we were living in D.C., when we were just blocks from an amazing bike trail that traveled along the Potomac. We were filled with visions of actually biking from Arlington, Virginia into D.C., and how much fun that would be. Although we did go for a few very nice rides, we never made it across the river. And, we haven't touched our bikes since.

So, we gave our bikes a little TLC - some air in the tires, a decent washing, a quick inspection - then headed out onto the streets of New Jersey. We got off to a rocky start, because within 10 minutes of leaving our building, we saw two bikers crash into each other badly. We're talking flips over handlebars, bleeding faces, the works. Everyone seemed to be mostly okay (primarily just really shaken up), but it definitely spooked me. I was ready to turn around and go right back home and never ride a bike again. I'm a wuss.

Eric promised not to crash into me, so we continued on. We ended up riding for about 10 miles total. We went north of our apartment, and although we had to off-road it and get creative with our route in a couple of places, most of our ride took us along very nice paths along the Hudson River. We rode past beautiful parks and very nice communities, all with a view of my beloved Manhattan skyline across the river. Very nice. On our way home, we also caught sight of some wildlife. Now, I consider myself a city girl, and I have no idea if this is a gopher or a groundhog or what, but it was definitely some sort of burrow-making animal and it spent a good while staring at us before backing itself back into its hole:

Super lousy Blackberry photo, but he's in there in that hole and he sure is cute.

Although the ride was lovely, things did get tough on the way back, as we were riding into the wind. Who knew wind could make life so much more difficult? But, we powered through and felt great when it was all over. As the night wore on, however, soreness set in. My...uh...posterior was not pleased with the day's events, nor were my shoulders, hips or palms. Basically, I'm a big ol' mess. Somehow, Eric felt nothing. It was as if he had been sitting in a recliner all day instead of biking 10 miles. How exactly does that work? Life is unfair.

Despite my lingering soreness, I'm feeling good about my training plan for the next 20 days. I also ordered some biking gear (an actual athletic-type top and some padded bike shorts) and some bike repair must-haves (a small pump to attach to our bike frame, and a small tire repair kit to bring along). And I will continue my morning rides in the gym. Now, I just hope the weather cooperates and gives us more opportunities to get outside and get some long training rides in over the course of the next two weekends!

I think we'll be ready on May 1st, and I am very much looking forward to it! Well, when I'm not too busy freaking out, of course.