birthday
The cradle rocks just a little slower this year as Diana turns the big 25! Go say Happy Birthday to her on her blog and then stop making fun of me for "robbing the cradle"..
Three years folks, that's nothing!
Vickie turned the big 3-OH today. She, Andrew, Diana, myself and several of Vickie's friends went out for a nice dinner at a Brazilian restaurant. Her operatic friend can sing! Powerful singer!
Happy Birthday Vickie!
It is currently midnight in California and 9am in Sweden (my current location) which makes me offficially 28 years old right now! Wow... 28.
I'm getting old.
Diana is hitting the big quarter of a century this year. 25 years. She is going to celebrate like she does every year; with fireworks.
Except a week long celebration.
The big 28! I turn 28 this year. wow..
I really don't need much in the form of gifts. Visit, call, write. Say Hi. I'm cool with that. Oh and cake.. I like cake. I mean I really like cake. I reeealllly like cake. (Devil's Food with fresh strawberries.. if you're wondering. oh and homemade whipped cream mmm.. devil's food)
It was a perfect day for a ride. The sun was showing but not high enough in the sky to be bothersome and the temperature was perfectly settled in the low 60s, which was perfect for the light jacket I had on. The roads were clear of the morning commuters and, best of all, neither Brooklyn nor Manhattan had been inundated with tourists yet.
This was my day and it was perfect.
I decided that instead of taking the short and fast 5 1/2 mile route to work I would take the longer, slower but more scenic 8-mile route to work. Miss Liberty, on my left, was apparently smiling upon on me as I slowly crossed the Brooklyn Bridge because I did not have to ask a single walker, jogger or tourist to move out of the bike lane. The lane was clear for the entire length of the bridge. A first.
On the other side of the bridge I started up Broadway passing City hall and Canal Street before I finally made a left near Astor place. I slowly made my way past Washington Square Park and continued up town on the Avenue of Americas (6th ave). That far south it is usually a horrible mess of taxis, camera crews, tourist buses and potholes almost big enough to hold the egos of those that live nearby. But today the cars cleared out of my way, didn’t honk at me and never once did I have to slam on my brakes or stand up and pedal fast to get out of a potential dangerous situation.
I continued up 6th to Bryant park (42nd) taking a left to skirt along the south edge of Times Square, just close enough to see the madness but right on the edge to avoid it. Normally this would lead to an incredibly hectic and maddening area around the Port Authority at 8th and 42nd but, like earlier in Brooklyn, traffic was light and the tourist buses weren’t out in force.
The rest of the ride up 8th avenue was smooth, the bike lane worked (as it should) and I hit a perfect mixture of green and red lights. I stopped to pickup a good cup of hot chocolate and a croissant two blocks from work at Café’ Simpatico (57th and 10th) and walked my bike the remaining two blocks to work.
I turned a typical 30-minute ride to work into a 1 hour and 15 minute blissful journey from downtown Brooklyn to midtown Manhattan.
I was a perfect way to start my 27th year.
Now…
Where are my presents?
Again it has been quite some time since I last posted anything to this blog, so here come the updates (in Order, oldest to newest).
A while back chris graduated from his training at the State prison, he is now an official Prison Guard and can officially kick your butt. Although he may look tough in his uniform he ain't that tough later that day I pinned him with one armed tied behind my back. He's such a wuss.
Honest I had a birthday and Tina threw me a surprise birthday party. Heck up until all these people starting pouring into the house i didn't even know I had a birthday coming. Well OK, I did. Tina got me tickets to see Primus, my sister bought me travel gear and a new backpack and my parents hooked me up with a REI gift certificate which I have already used! ;)
Yet another trip with the Outdoor program at Portland State University. This time I went on a whitewater rafting trip. It was a half day trip down the Clackamas river in Oregon, which is a mild timid river. The trip was so-so, not because of the trip leader but rather because of the tameness of the river. I've seen bigger rapids in my bathtub, ok not really but still. OH and just to freak my mom out, when we hit one of the rapids myself and another guy fell out of the boat. Him and I had to float through the rapids with just our lifejackets and a helmet to protect us. I'm pretty sure the other guy didn't enjoy that part but except for hitting my booty on a rock, I Loved IT!!! Next time I'm forgetting the boat and just using my life jacket to hit the rapids, so much fun!
My cousin has met the man of her dreams and she married him. The ceremony was held this last friday and it was rather nice. Her new husband seems like a great guy and I am sure that they will lead a long and happy life together.
