Shall we try this again?

No excuses, especially since I'm a confirmed insomniac, that I can't find time to type a few lines in my blog. So I'll be doing my best to post regularly yet again.

Got to spend some QT with my new nephew, Brennan Mobius Lee. I can't stand how adorable he is. Was great to see my parents and spend some time with Ken and Sue, but boy, what I wouldn't have given to spend all day Saturday with my little wee nephew.

Woke up Sunday morning with the worst sore throat...and my right ear was completely blocked up. Was supposed to go out to Hamptons to spend some time with Renee and her family, but with a temperature, that was not a good idea.

So ended up spending the day sleeping on and off, trying to care for my sore throat, and ended up finishing my 3rd book in 5 days. Been on a real book bender lately.

Looking at a very crazy week yet again -- work will be nuts after having been away for a week, gotta catch up on yoga, and Ed & Deb's 3rd will be arriving on Saturday. I'm sure I'll be swinging by Ken & Sue's place a few times this week also. At least I hope so. Mom and Dad will be here through the week. Must try to go out east to see Renee and family. Oh, and a high school friend will be visiting on Sunday.

It's going to be a mad mad mad week.

So is 40 truly the new 30?

I spent the whole weekend celebrating my 40th year on this earth, with toasts with family and friends. I went shopping with gift cards I received. I worked out, threw out old clothes, gave away old books. All things so that I could feel that I passed through my own rite of passage. I felt I had marked the day sufficiently, and felt okay with turning 40. I was thankful for everyone I have in my life, and that they all wanted to help me ring in my 40th.

I feel at peace, shockingly, with all things in my life. Yet, somehow, I feel like nothing major is really different. i didn't expect to feel like a different person overnight, certainly. I also didn't expect it to be just another day. Somehow, I thought to myself, things will feel different.

The only thing that's really different is that I can't say I'm in my 30s anymore.

So how do I handle being the same, yet different?

And A New Day Begins...

This historic day compels me to start blogging again. What a night. Until tonight, I had never truly felt the full impact of what my parents did for us when they moved us here in the fall of 1981. And as I watch President-Elect Barack Obama's acceptance speech, I've never before been more grateful to anyone as I feel toward my parents right now. It's all sinking in, and it's more overwhelming than I would have imagined.

My parents gave up everything they had to give my brothers and me a chance to have big dreams and be given an opportunity to have them come true. As a teenager, I carried too much resentment because I thought they would only be happy if we fulfilled their dreams for us of becoming doctors and lawyers. But tonight, I realize what they really dreamed about was to have their children grow up in a country where anything is truly possible.

As I listen to President-Elect Obama repeat "Yes, We Can", I felt the full weight of our parents wishes for us. They wanted nothing more than for us to feel that we are a part of a country that is truly extraordinary for what we achieved tonight.

It is truly the dawn of a new day, not just for this country, but for all children of immigrants whose parents and other ancestors sacrificed so much to ensure that their children become citizens of the greatest country in the world.

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!!!