And the Countdown Begins

I've managed to let Thanksgiving slip by without even a blip. It was certainly great to see my family. Saw my niece and nephew -- that was truly the highlight of my holiday. What a softie am I?

But now the post-turkey-gotta-get-everything-done-before-12/31 rush is on. Not just the shopping, the cards, the party planning. I mean the rush to wrap up all the things I swore I'd get done in 2007 but never even looked at twice.

As I stare down the barrel of the final days of 2007, I panic whenever I look at my list:

1. Live greener/lessen my negative impact on the environment - I hope I can integrate more of this into my daily life in '08, but thanks to my roommie, I've begun to take care of things like composting"

2. Get back in touch with friends I've managed to let slip in the past few years - You know, the old roommate who now lives in the suburbs, former co-worker who was your twin while you were working together, etc.

3. Purge any unusuable clothing, books, tchochkes. - No comment here.

4. Find a new sport to keep me interested - Yay! This, I got covered with hiking.

5. Re-discover old sports I've always loved but haven't pursued in NYC - I love swimming. Couldn't get me out of the water when I was a teenager. Anyone know a decent pool in NYC that won't cost an arm an a leg?

6. Eat healthier - This I've managed to improve somewhat. Reading books like Omnivore's Dilemma and Fast Food Nation helps a lot!

7. Watch TV less - Does it count if I watch less junk? No, REALLY!

8. Finish the damn book I've been working on for the last several years - No comment.

9. Be a better friend - Well, if I haven't managed to do this in the past 11 months, no hope left for this year.

10. Be more productive so I can have more downtime - Is this one even humanly possible these days without having a personal assistant????

What's your list look like?

Another year...

I can't believe 2007 is almost over. And with the end of each year, I meet another birthday.

I guess I still have the little girl alive and well in me. Even though I didn't want to make a big deal out of my birthday this year, I ended up having a very festive week. For the past few years, I've said no need for a party. And every year the same thing: what starts out as a small get together for my closest family and friends turns into a bash.

This year, due to various scheduling conflicts and those dears who got felled by illness, I ended up with a nice initmate dinner at my place, with big heaping spoonfuls of help from my roommate and family. Thank you, guys!

Also, I was supposed to only make a few lite bites to take the edge off while enjoying wine and sake. Ended up making a huge feast:

o 2 types of homemade dumplings (pork and tofu with veggies)
o Korean-style tempura of green squash, yellow sweet potatoes
o Scallion pancakes with fresh green peppers and dried red peppers
o Stewed daikon radish
o Pan-BBQ'ed beef short ribs

Dinner knocked some folks out early -- lots of food + lots of wine = lots of sleepy guests. Isn't that a good thing?

So after dinner, aftering seeing some folks off, those who were stil standing hung out at J27, where some more friends joined us. But we didn't last too much longer, or so I thought. After just one pitcher among five of us, a few songs sung, and a surprise serenade of "happy birthday" by the bartenders, we decided to call it a night. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was 3 a.m. when I walked into my apartment! I was enjoying the company of my family and friends so much that I didn't want the night to end.

Oh well, there's always the big 4-0 next year.

I'm Baaaaaack!

Got back yesterday from Boulder at the ridiculously early hour of 6:00 am. But it was worth flying on the red eye to make the most of my time in Boulder. What a trip!

I landed on Thursday night at Denver International Airport an hour later than scheduled so Friday morning, I was completely exhausted. Didn't even get to Renee's house in Bouder until almost 2 a.m MST., 4 a.m. EST.

Friday, 11/9/07: Mount Sanitas

When I finally dragged my butt out of bed around 9, Renee and I decided to go hit the trails near her house. The trailhead was literally just 4 blocks away from her house. Crazy, ain't it?

I knew this was going to be a tougher hike than Wilkinson/Sugarbush in the Hudson Valley. This trail was a steep uphil climb from the getgo. My confidence was dampend within minutes. Renee had said this was a relatively easy hike since we only had 1.5 hours. So I guess I had gotten a bit cocky. Based on my NY hike, I figured it couldn't get too difficult since we only had about 45 minutes to ascend. What I didn't realize was that (1) Mt. Sanitas was not just a hill, and (2) since Boulder is at 5,430 ft above sea level, my decreased oxygen intake was making the hike tougher (yeah, that means I was sucking wind), and (3) these mountains were steeper than the East Coast mountains since they were "younger". Don't ask how the geological details -- I only know what my geologist friend told me.

So after what felt like an eternity of climbing up up up, having to use my hands to hoist myself up some big steps in the ground as well as some boulders, I asked Renee how long we'd been climbing for. In fact, it had been not much more than an hour. We had stopped a handful of times so that Renee could point out the vista of Boulder below, and each time we looked down, I realized our ascent was significant. Mount Sanitas can allow an elevation gain of up to 1,255 ft. So further we went up, the harder it got to breathe. I think we only got up about two-thirds up toward the summit. I was disappointed, but I also didn't want to overdo it on my first day out.

Crazy thing is that during our ascent, we saw kids hanging out on stone nedges. I don't mean teenagers. They were kids, no more than 10 or 11 years old. I assumed that everyone in Boulder took advantage of the amazing mountains in their backyard, but weren't they a bit too young? Renee said that in fact, that was quite common.

We turned off onto a dowhill path, and ate our sandwiches on our way down the mountain. The hike down was a lot easier -- after the initial steeper climbs down, it was basically a downhill walk, rathan than scrambling. Whew! It took about half the time to reach the bottom. I'm sure my friend disappointed that she didn't get a bigger workout in. As for me, I felt completely whipped. Barely dragged myself to dinner with Renee's in-laws. I was afraid I'd fall asleep in my food!

Saturday, 11/10/07: Chautauqua Park/Royal Arch/Flatirons

Saturday morning, we drove to Chautauqua Park, which is at the base of the Flatirons as well as Flagstaff Mountain, both at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Again, the trailhead in the park started out at a steep incline, but that was just the beginning.

First, we climbed the Ryal Arch trail, with a total altitude gain of 1,240 ft. if we were to reach the summit. As at Mt. Sanitas, the ascent was fast, and I was tiring fast. After about 50 minutes of consistent ascent, just as I was about to ask Renee if we could take a longer break than the 30 second breathers we had been taking, she asked if I wanted to take a different trail to head up into the Flatirons.

I didn't realize that this would be the steepest hike to date. There were crazy rock steps, and at some points, I had to basically grab the larger boulders for balance and hoist myself up. Renee was nearly jogging her way up with ease. Sigh. Boy, what a long way I have to go to get back in shape. And the altitude didn't help -- my lungs were on fire. And no wonder -- the possible altitude gain on this trail was over 1,500 ft. After another 30 minutes or so of attempting to keep pace with Renne, I was almost ready to call it quits. Even though I saw people odf all ages and physical shape pass me by. There was even one elderly man using walking poles. He zoomed past me, too. How depressing is that?

But as we continued to climb, the scenery just got more and more breathtaking. We were probably about another 30-45 minutes away from the summit, but my lungs were screaming at this point. I gotta start running again. Ugh. So I had to be a wuss and ask Renee to turn back. But I didn't feel too beat. Renee was great about keeping my spirits up, saying I was doing a good job of keeping up with her. I know she was lying, but it helped to have support. Even those whizzing by me were saying "you're doing great." Wait. That could be considered condescending, no?

Then, just as a bit of hubris was beginning to settle in once we touched down on flat land, I twisted my ankle. That's right. On...flat...ground. Can you say "humiliation"?

Boy, was I glad we were going to be sitting for a few hours at a dance performance that evening.

Sunday, 11/11/07: Eldorado Canyon State Park/Nederland

Renee knew I wanted to see the canyons and the Boulder Falls, so she and her husband backed up their baby's things and we drove north. The canyons were impressive, but the waterfall was dry. Completely dry. Boulder Middle Creek, which the waterfall is supposed to flow into, was flowing quietly on the other side of the road. I was so tempted to say let's go for a quick hike up the trail next to the waterfall, but I wasn't sure about my ankle. I have to say, now when I see anything hikable, I wanna go up.

Not long after we passed through the canyons, we reached Nederland, which is a quiet, old mining town. Very sweet looking, but looked nearly deserted. My friends took me to a small Tibetan place, Kathmandu. Delish.

But what stood out in my mind the most from the weekend are my hikes with Renee -- some long-overdue quality time with a dear friend, but also, I had pushed myself harder than I had in a long time. Later that night, on the red eye back to NYC, I was still on a high from the hike up to the Flatirons. And I can't wait to find more exciting trails to hike and climb near NYC.

On The Road Again...

Okay, okay, so it's been a while since I've taken any real time off from work. Well, finally taking what Bridget Jones called a "mini break." Yippee!!

Thanks to a friend with a huge heart who's treating me to her miles, I am flying Thursday night to Boulder for a long weekend. Well, flying into Denver, then driving the hour or so to Boulder.

Can't believe I've never been to Colorado. Flown through before a few times, but never set foot outside the Denver Airport. Did you know that Boulder boasts more than 300 sunny days each year according to a Wikipedia entry? Apparently, nearby mountains shield Boulder from the worst storms.

Hoping we can hit the trails at Eldorado Canyon State Park. Supposed to have amazing views of canyons right off the trail. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't have another wardrobe malfunction. Also, Boulder Falls is another must-see.

So excited I can't seem to focus on writing something of substance other than to say: I'M GOING ON VACATION!!!

Hiking it

I think I've fallen in love again...with the great outdoors.

This weekend, my friend, Ryan and I went hiking just north of Cold Spring, New York. Wendy, my roommate, who's been on countless hiking and clmbing trips all over New York state, suggested a trail called Sugarloaf in the Hudson River Valley. Since I haven't hiked in years (alright, alright, almost 17 years), I wanted a trail that was manageable in a few hours. She's hiked it in about 2 hours so I figured I could handle it.

At 10:15 am on Saturday, Ryan and I hopped off the Metro North at the Breakneck Ridge stop. Literally "hopped off". Turns out there is no station at Breakneck Ridge -- just a set of wooden steps that the conductor called "vestibule" when he warned the passengers not to dawdle so we don't get hit by the next train. There were no signs to indicate where the trails might be. Luckily, there were other hikers who got off with us. We began to walk north along Route 9D once we made our way across the tracks and out onto the highway. After about 1/4 mile, we saw a small trail veer up east into the mountain, and we assumed this was the Sugarloaf Mountain trail.

Throughout the hike, we discussed how the trail didn't seem as easy as Wendy had promised. She'd said that Sugarloaf was flatter than Breakneck. Yet we found ourselves having to really hoist ourselves up rocks and ridges. After about 30 minutes of some off and on hiking and "scrambling", we ran into two women who were hiking with their dogs. They told us that in fact, we were on the Wilkinson Trail. We found out later that the Wilkinson Trail is on the Beacon Mountain Range, and was more challenging than Sugarloaf but merged with it at the summit.

We decided to push forward anyway because it would take too long to loop back. So after about a solid hour of hiking-scrambling-climbing, following trail markers, we reached the summit. What a breathtaking view! We could see the whole valley, Bear Mountain, and even some of the smaller towns on the western bank. We even spotted a few hawks circling overhead. Of course, Ryan and I joked that they'd spotted the amateur hikers and were waiting for us to get lost. Very Blair Witch...

As we were eating lunch, I noticed that the slab of rock I was on had grown colder. Suddently, I realized that the back seam on my jeans had caught a small edge on the rock and had begun to rip. Yikes! I began to laugh and Ryan asked me what was so funny. When I told him, Ryan couldn't stop laughing. Not just a "ha ha", but the kind of guffawing that made me realized he was truly laughing AT me. Great. Glad he got his chuckle in for the day. Sigh. As we stood up to start our descent, RRRRIIIPPP!!!, down to the back of my right knee. Double yikes!

After tying a long sleeved shirt around my waist, and giving Ryan explicit instructions to walk AHEAD of me, we began the walk down. Instead of heading back down the same trail, we decided to go down the other side so we could see more of the mountain. After about a half hour, however, we realized that we were that we had somehow begun to climb uphill again. After much discussion and nervous laughter (yelling "Blair Witch Project!" in between each forced giggle), we decided to trudge on as Ryan pointed out that we had been following the trail markers and we were bound to come to the end of the trail at some point soon. Good point.

More ups and downs (no, really), and in another hour or so, we realized that we were climbing toward yet another summit, but on the eastern side of the mountain. Double yikes. Both exhausted, we had little chit chat. Just the occasional "are we climbing again?" and "was that the actual summit?". We did reach our second summit of the day. Ladeedah. Needless to say, we didn't dawdle too long there.

So we took our second descent. After 1.5 hours of "do you see the next trail marker?" and "I wish I'd brought more water!" and "I could really go for some Korean BBQ and an ice cold beer", we finally made our way down to the highway. Except that we were over a full mile north of the train stop. Of course, there are no sidewalks on a highway. Silly me! There was no shoulder to speak of on this stretch, which befuddled us, since this was such a popular destination for hikers. Greeeat.

When we saw the train tracks through the trees, I think I actually applauded. Ryan managed a giggle. He'd been uncharacteristically quiet most of the walk along the highway. I will say, thanks to his eagle eye and ability to see the trail path better than yours truly, we made our way back with 20 minutes to spare before the train.

Within minutes after pulling away from Breakneck, the rolling of the train put me to sleep. And the next thing I knew, we were pulling into Grand Central. And in my sleepy fog, I mustered to Ryan that I was in too much pain to grab Korean BBQ as we'd planned. I think I was still asleep when we said our respective "have a nice evening."

One thing was clear, even as I was taking my second hot bath within 10 hours on Sunday morning. I had blisters all over my feet, I had done something wacky to my knee and it was swollen. My lower back was throbbing because I think I overreached when I was scrambling. And my quads were like jelly to the point where I could barely walk. Despite all this pain, I realized that I'd fallen head over heels in love with climbing a mountain. It wasn't just the reward of the gorgeous view. It wasn't just the work I had to do to get to the top. It's beyond words. All I know is that I can't wait until I can be out there, scrambling my way to another summit.

What is it about L & O Anyway?

No matter what day of the week, or what time of day, there seems to be a Law & Order on TV. Besides the new season currently on NBC of the original and SVU, reruns of the original run on TNT, SVU and Criminal Intent on USA. And now, My9's been airing Criminal Intent. So is this why I find myself addicted to all 3 series? Or is it on all the time because people are addicted to these shows?

All I have to say is that I'm so relieved that the other offshoot, Conviction, never stuck. Even that's on reruns now, but thankfully, it's on HD. Whew. Don't get HD.

But why are these shows so addictive? Is it the self-contained nature of each hour? Is it the completely unrealistic concept of tying up everything into a nice, neatly packaged box in one episode? Or is it the way in which these shows unfold -- you know, you can pretty much guess what the big "surprise" twist is, and yet when you see it, you still feel impressed with your ability to figure it out early on?

Another interesting thing about all 3 series - there's a handful off actors that are repeat customers in various parts. Some even return as a villain after having played the "good guy" on previous episodes. This can become a game, as in "which season did I see that actor in before?"

Last but not least, the mere sliver of personal lives they flash of the main characters keeps you watching as well. For example, will Olivia and Elliott ever resolve their push-pull love-anger codepency? Even the allusions to former lead characters is magnetic - I await any mention of Lenny Brisco in any episode.

Is this an insidious strategy of the producers of the 3 series to keep viewers hooked, or my own pathological need to have a quick fix of easy answers in a life filled with unanswerable questions?

Is it just me...

1. ...or is there a push by the mainstream media to proclaim Hillary Clinton as the unofficial Democratic Party nominnee?

2. ...or does it feel like we've been in full throttle of Global Warming in recent years? (modified per comments)

3. ...or with hundreds of new shows on TV this fall, there's nothing worth watching?

4. ...or should I be scared that the #1 movie in the US this past weekend was The Game Plan?

5. ...or has CNN become a Fox News clone?

Just sayin'.