New York state of mind.

I was in New York this week on a business trip and I found myself doing a little bit of reflecting on the New York lifestyle. The glitz, the glam, the over-priced, too-small apartments, the walkability and free to come and go as you please state of mind. I always dreamed of living in a big city, but I just don’t think I’ll ever be cut out to be a New Yorker. I enjoy my space, not only in my housing choices, but also when I’m driving. Try getting more than 2 feet away from any car on the highway.. I dare you. Just when you think you’ve secured a little breathing room, some jerk in a suburban has snatched it up and squeezed his way in. I even witnessed some good old fashion coffee throwing on the highway. Some guy was so pissed that he got cut off, he laid on his horn non-stop for a good minute and then rolled down his window and tossing his cup of hot Dunkin Donuts java and the rear fender. Why waste the coffee you rightfully paid for and obviously need if you’re that testy in the morning?

I also noticed how different being on Long Island is from Manhattan. The big apple is full of busy people everywhere rushing to get someplace and Long Island seems to be on a bit of a slower pace. It smaller towns and quant little houses are quite a switch from the packed in apartments of downtown. Because of the sought after suburban feel to the towns, I definitely see the attractiveness. You can work in the city at some all-important job in your fancy suit and then come home and feel like a normal family living in a small town. It’s the best of both worlds—as long as you don’t mind spending an extra hour or two in traffic to and from work each day.

Overall, the trip was a success and although it was long hours, it was nice to get away for a while and experience a new city. I may never be a New Yorker, but that won’t keep me from loving New York.

The Race

So, this past weekend was the big race. I’m disappointed to report that I wasn’t able to participate in the ½ marathon, but opted to do the 10K instead. My knee is still giving me problems and I didn’t want to injure it more or slow my running partner down. I’m sure it was for the best, but that doesn’t really make me feel much better. All my hard work and training and I couldn’t go the distance. It also makes me wonder about my ability to finish a full marathon—something I’ve dreamed about doing for a couple years now. The full was suppose to be the next step after this (my 2nd) half, but maybe I’ll have to try another ½ later this year or next year before diving into the full.

For now, I’m going to start doing more cycling and maybe start swimming to help reduce the amount of pounding on my knees. Hopefully in a few months, it’ll be like new again.

Where's my Big Bubble?

This past weekend, D.J. and I went to the Sugarland Concert and it was amazing. I’m a big county music fan and I’ve finally converted D.J. He’s totally hooked and I think he has more country stations programmed in his car than I do… So, as part of our anniversary gift to each other, we went to the concert at the Sprint Center. Billy Currington opened for the duo and who knew he was such a hottie. I tell you what, that curly hair and tight t-shirt left me wanting more.

One of my favorite parts of the concert was during the encore, when they blew up these huge bubbles and then went crowd surfing in them. It was pretty spectacular. I really wish I had a bubble I could just wander around in whenever I wanted so I could escape the chaotic world and get all kinds of work done. Just me and my laptop; rolling through the work day without a care in the world. My bubble would spare me from the knee pain that keeps creeping back up on me; preventing me from running in my race. My bubble would shield me from the dirty ice machine at work. My bubble would allow me to have selective hearing so that I can pretend I don’t hear certain people when they try to talk to me, “What? What’s that you say? I can’t hear you, since I’m in a bubble. Don’t mind the fact that you can hear me… I still can’t hear you.” My bubble would be my sanctuary for just a few hours of the day. Because let’s face it, life’s no fun if you’re always in a bubble. Unable to go through doors, smell the freshly cut grass or touch the cutest puppy in the world. So, I’ll take the bubble every now and then so I can surf through a hard day, but I don’t want to abuse the bubble privileges.