just a bunch of water loving pyros...

greetings from the best western parking lot in penn yan, ny, where i currently sit stealing wireless. it is virtually impossible to get any sort of wirelss connection at my grandmother's (no cell phones, no blackberries, no internet) so my communicative cousins have scoped out all of the possible wireless hot spots within a thirty mile radius of the house and this seems to have been the winner.

since i forgot to take care of a couple of things at work, i am taking advantage of their research and dropping a quick blog hello while here.

we arrived saturday evening and enjoyed time with larry and the girls who have been out from utah for the last week, and with scott and judy and fam, who came down from rochester.

after scott and judy took off on saturday (they will be back on wednesday to play with us), mom, dad, larry, angie, christy, sam, and i headed to geneva to check out 'lady in the water.' i've heard varying reports but for the first time since '6th sense', i loved a shyamalan film. and unlike many, i was totally okay with him featuring himself. if you haven't seen it yet, check it out.

sunday morning brought the first of many annual traditions--breakfast at the b&b. my grandmother is the owner/operator of a pretty sweet b&b and usually when we come we will be invited to go up the hill to have a gourmet breakfast with the guests. usually it happens on the tail end of the trip, but since larry and the girls were here, we did it yesterday morning. it's how breakfast should be done. main course (this time a ham and cheese concoction in a pastry shell, tomatoes and mozzarella, and spiced hash browns) followed by dessert (a brownie sundae). mmmmm.

of special note, i learned that my cousin is getting married on 7-7-07, and if it's a saturday, i'm stealing that as my new wedding date. afterall, she is out west, so the liklihood of the same family members wanting to attend is unlikely.

the rest of the day yesterday was spent in complete and total relaxation. with the entire 2nd season of 'entourage' in hand, i took my dvd player and my towel and camped out on the dock for a large part of the day. also got some reading done, and some napping. hard work this vacation thing.

last night, it was time again for another long honored and well-loved family tradition. larry had picked up fireworks in wyoming on the journey out, and we spent the evening ooohing and aahing. as it turned out, we weren't the only ones as neighbors and night boaters came out and paused to watch. one boat in particular enjoyed the festivities and we found ourselves giving them a play by play of the upcoming festivities. 'okay, now we are going to do a few small ones.' 'we don't want small ones!' came from across the dark lake. this group of onlookers also developed a rating system of sorts--1 honk=acceptable but not exciting, 2 honks=mildly entertaining, etc. the most we heard was 8 or 9 honks, and the fireworks that elicited them were well worth the 'applause'.

needless to say, a good time was had by all. we do love our fireworks. there were only two minor injuries, and no hair was set on fire, as in previous years.

today is hot. really really hot. it is supposed to be cooler up here, and maybe it is, but it's still hot and humid. i spent some time reading down by the water, and hanging out with the girls before they headed off to start their return drive to utah.

mom and dad are off to pick up dylan and kelly, and after a nap i headed into penn yan, where i now sit. perhaps a stop at the grocery store before i am back to the house, and the water, as i hate being away to long. this may well be my last update this week, since dylan and kelly's arrival will likely bring lots of boating and lots of waterskiing.

kelly is determined to teach me to slalom. in all my years of skiing i've never been able to pull off one ski. apparently she learned on one, and i can't help but wonder if our parents did us a disservice starting us with two, in our formative years. at any rate, since the wakeboard didn't not make the journey from portland, it would seem that if i'm looking for a challenge, this is the logical next step. wish me luck!

MY gift to you

i have updated the playlist a little earlier than usual, since i will be taking off tomorrow and will have very limited access to the outside world.

and this week's playlist is a little different than previous ones.

as far back as i can remember, there has been a tape in my family called the 'child's play' tape. it was a mix tape that my dad made during his music piracy years. he had a friend with a state of the art sound system, so they would buy records record two copies and take them back (i think i've got that story straight). as a result, there was always a lot of music in my house, and i grew up on an extremely eclectic group of artists and bands. his taste crosssed decades and genres, and one could never be sure what would be blasting through those headphones of his.

so it's no wonder that when he created this mix tape, it reflected that same diversity. as far as i know, there isn't a lot of rhyme or reason as to why these songs were selected, but it has always been fairly irrelevant. this was the road trip tape. whenever we would make the seven hour drive to grandma's, this was the music of choice. we came to know the songs backwards and forewards. we learned the harmonies and the melodies and picked our 'parts.' and then we would wait for the high note or for our turn in the round and sing with glee.

truth is, not much has changed. and since i am off tomorrow to make that same seven hour trek we've made every year since i could breathe (barring my unmentionable utah years), i thought it fitting to share the experience with you. i can't share waterskiing, but this i can share.

love it or hate it, i recognize the strangeness of it, but to me it somehow all makes sense.

p.s. i need to also mention that there is some contention in my family about whether 'happiness runs' should be included, since it was a late addition and not on the original tape (which was played so much it warped and had to be remade). but i like it, so include it.

true happiness this way lies

i've told the story before about the ladybugs..the story that was in one of my all time favorite movies; 'under the tuscan sun'.

the story is about a little girl who would spend hours searching for ladybugs only to inevitably fall asleep from her 'hard work', and wake up to find herself covered with ladybugs. moral of the story being, of course, that the quickest way to find what we are looking for is to stop looking for it.

you may or may not agree, i don't really care, but i find that it has been extremely true in my life. it probably has to do a lot with expectations. i have never been very good at handling expectations not met. for that reason, i try to manage those expectations, and as much as possible i try not to expect anything. sometimes i succeed, more often i fail miserably. but i try.

at any rate, not too long ago, i lost a big piece of tara. i don't really know what happened, whether it was just the winter blues on crack, or if i had taken stock of my life and found it to be wanting. that period is sort of a blur. but ever since then i have been trying to 'get back to me.' trying to get back to the good-time-happy-go-lucky-truly-in-love-with-life girl.

i've been trying really hard. i set a lot of goals, and i even made progress on some of them. i pushed myself and stretched myself. i tried and tried, but still found very little resemblance to the girl i once was. so i stopped trying.

and guess what happened? after more honest self-evaluation i realized, i am really happy. i started considering all of the things i was grateful for and all of the blessings in my life. i have come to a deep sense of peace about where i fit in the lord's plan, and a true understanding and belief that he would not have us suffer for one minute more than was necessary in order to fulfill his plan for us--a plan that i feel certain has an ending beyond my wildest dreams.

these are things i have been taught about my whole life, but at some point, when i wasn't looking, i began to not just to agree with them logically, but rather to completely internalize them. they have become such an important part of me that though i still feel hurt and disappointment about things that have transpired--expectations not met. i have full faith and confidence that i will one day understand. and until then, i find that acknowledging and appreciating the beautiful life i do have, has made me truly happy.

i've inadvertently (and rather healthily) dropped over ten pounds. i've redeveloped consistent scripture study (and frankly, church attendance) habits. i have found a renewed desire to interact with people instead of hibernating. i've been responsible. i have explored the country. i've read a lot of good books. i've kicked my diet coke addiction. i've listened to a lot of good music. i have had lots of laughs. i've made other people laugh. i've made plans. i have felt like a child again. i have found joy in the joy of others without envy.

and every one of these things happened when i stopped trying so hard to make them happen. ladybugs my friends, ladybugs.

p.s. my horoscope for today reads: after the emotional havoc you went through over the last few weeks, the period beginning today will be quite soothing. you can take advantage of these smoother, calmer waters to rediscover inner emotional harmony and improve the balance of your energy flows.

it must be illegal to have this much fun

with tubing looming on the horizon and the great camera dilemma staring me in the face, i just couldn't bear the idea of purchasing a waterproof disposable camera to take down the river. the quality is always barely passable and i have a great camera. so with corey's help, research was conducted and it seemed that a safe way to take my camera with me had been identified. but had i waited too long? the aquapac was easily orderable, but since we would be off early in the morning, that wasn't an option. after several phone calls, i finally located an aquapac at the ll bean in tyson's, which was even more perfect than hoped for, since i would be in the mall for another errand anyway. i was absolutely giddy!

after work, i headed to the store, picked up what i needed, and was off to anne's to meet up with she and corey for the nationals game.

the three of us metrod in, and were met by dan, who was coming directly for work. as a part of their 'paint the town red' promotion, we were all given nationals hats--which was only the first piece in what turned out to be an awesome night.

the temperature wasn't stifling, and thanks to anne's co-workers, the seats were excellent.


we enjoyed the company and the atmosphere. we sang along to 'sweet caroline' and take me out to the ballgame'.



we (well, everyone but me) enjoyed ballpark hot dogs.

and we (of course) took pictures.

the game had started slowly, but turned into a fabulously entertaining one as the innings wore on. we had originally intended to leave early, but were enjoying ourselves so much that we stuck it out to watch the nationals beat the cubs by one run.

after the game, we hopped in dan's car and headed to silver diner for a late night snack.

after playing with quarters, waiting for our song to come up (which it never did), and chowin' down, it was time to call it a night.

which was fine because saturday was tubing!!

tubing is a favorite annual tradition, so i put a group together, and then learned the shenandoah ward was doing an activity at the same place. so we pushed our time back to coincide with theirs, 'cause the bigger the group, the better!

we got signed in and paid up and went to wait with the others.

eventually, it was time to grab our jackets and tubes. i was slightly nervous about the waterproof camera bag. if it didn't work, i was going to be out one heck of a nice camera. but my concerns were unnecessary, and i was able to snap some pics of all the great action.

it was a beatuiful day and a great group.

things got a little crazy as we neared the get out point. apparently a girl (not with our group) had jumped off some rocks, and was not able to feel her legs. so we watched, up close and personal, as a helicopter rescue was implemented.


after they cleared out, we finished our little journey down the river, and met up back at butts tubes to enjoy some grub.

sunned and with battle scars, it was time to say farewell to tubing, and then it was nap time.

saturday evening was spent enjoying chipotle (thanks to jill and corey), and watching movies. fyi, we never even made it through 'the new world' but found that we all still love 'sneakers'!

for the rest of the pics from the nats game and from tubing, click here.

do you know what today is?

it's one day until tubing (yay!)
it's five days until i finally get my haircut by the stylist it took me a year to track down (yay!)
it's eight days until the lake (yay!)
it's one month and six days until i can no longer call myself a twenty-something (boo!)

but most importantly, today marks three months until the wedding date. regrettably, mr. right is stuck in traffic, and it does not look like he will make it for the october date. have no fear however, new date selection is currently under way--afterall, relationships are based on compromise. when a new date has been finalized, the appropriate parties will be notified.

and just for fun, some pics from dinner last night...


good times. good times. the rest of the pics are here.

and now...my current pet peeve

why, when it is 100 degrees outside, does my building feel the need to leave the ac at 24 degrees? i am actually sitting in my office with my heater on, and there is something that is just not right about that.

good girls like me?

this is my friend nick. nick is from minnesota. nick and i met on lds linkup a couple of years ago. then we met in person in salt lake when we were both visiting, and have remained buddies. we have often talked about trying to meet up again, but it seems that our travels never have us in the same place at the same time, and i simply cannot be persuaded to make a trip to minnesota, unless i am flying through it (sorry nick!).

so today nick and i were chatting, and though i will spare you the bulk of the conversation, he made the following comment: "good girls like you don't mix with boys like me."

my immediate reaction was, good girl? good girl? who does he think he's talking about. and then i realized. it was me. and i am. and when did that happen??

i've always had a bit of a rebellious nature. i was a good mormon girl growing up, but there weren't that many of us, so being mormon was it's own rebelliousness. then i spent a lot of time around mormons while living in utah, i went completely inactive. did i still believe in the teachings of the church? yes. but i was rebellious.

i think rebelliousness was in me from the start. there is a favorite story in my family of a time when i must have been about 4 years old. dylan (just over a year younger) and i had been instructed not to do something (i can't remember what), and when i thought it was safe, i apparently looked at dylan and said 'let's disobey.'

or there was the time when my roughneck grandfather, who, even when being affectionate used an insane number of expletives and a volume above that of normal conversation, was reprimanding dylan for something (putting his muddy boots on the seat of the truck-i think), and i planted my own booted feet on the ground with my hands on my hips, stared up at this imposing 6'3" figure whom i didn't know all that well, and told him simply that he could not speak to my brother like that.

then there was the 'christmas story.' in my house the christmas story goes like this: once upon a time, there was a young girl, and she was rebellious. christmas time was nearing, and she was too smart to believe in that santa craap anymore. she logically deduced that if there was no santa, presents must come from parents, and if presents come from parents then they were probably findable.

and a great search was undertaken. with her little brother sidekick in tow, days were spent looking high and low. well, mostly low, because she wasn't that tall. and on one fateful day, as she crawled into the refrigerator sized box in the garage, her search was finally at an end. she was delighted to see that everything she had asked for was about to be hers.

however, as it turned out, her sidekick was a mole. he immediately ran to the parents and told them of what rebellious girl had done. needless to say, all presents were returned, and it was a sad sad christmas in the house of rebellious girl.

as you can see, i was simply born with this gene. so imagine my surprise at finding after conducting an honest self-evaluation, that my rebellious nature is perhaps a bit tamer then it once was. i still have my weaknesses. i'm still a bit mischievous. and i still dislike it when people tell me what to do. but i have less of a need to rebel for rebellions sake, and i actually strive to do the right thing in any given situation. so i guess, when i wasn't looking, i somehow turned into a good girl.

is this what they call 'progress'?

post secret

i've mentioned post secret before. it's this site i like to visit where people send in postcards with their 'secrets' on them, and the site publishes them. i am often amused, and can sometimes relate. as i was checking it out today, i saw this one, and thought i would share.

kendyl's birthday boots

getting my money's worth

this is the first year that i have bought a season pass to king's dominion. while that came in extremely handy when trying to board a plane with no license, i have still made it a goal to actually get my money's worth out of this thing.

my attempts at putting a small group together to go to the park failed miserably, as everyone seemed to have prior commitments or out of town business, so when justin called asking if there was any chance i'd be up for kd today, i took him up on it.

the morning at the park was near perfect. it was overcast and relatively cool. and we had some serious coaster karma going on. aside from the fact that the new 'italian job' ride was completely lame, we managed to hit the good rides at exactly the right time--meaning very short wait times. in some cases we even jumped ahead because we were a group of 'two' and everyone else was in a larger one. so we took care of the big stuff right off the bat. and by the way, the volcano is amay-zing in the front seat.

in addition, my new favorite shirt seemed to be a hit among the ladies in the park. poor justin had to explain that we weren't dating to those who commented, so they would know i wasn't subtly trying to insult him. but i had to laugh when he said to one lady "'we're trying to get the perfect photo so i can add a caption saying 'this is why i don't like women.'" i had to point out the fact that he had just painted himself as my gay boyfriend, a fact which he was highly amused by.

as the morning turned to afternoon, the temperature rose, and frequent announcements were made relating to the fact that the national weather service had issued a heat advisory for the area. thank heavens they were there to tell us it was hot, because the sweat, nausea, and near passing out was not enough of an indication.

the sun and humidity were draining, so we took the afternoon a bit more slowly, enjoying anything that didn't have a long wait. standing in line in the sun for hours on end was not going to happen. we made the best of it and had a great time, but eventually it was time to call it a day.

for the rest of the pics, click here.

the next big thing

i am one of those people who always has to have something to look forward to. so if 'it' doesn't present itself on a silver platter, then i become a creator of opportunities. the next couple of months holds some fun activities that i am really looking forward to, starting tomorrow with a king's dominion trip with justin, tubing next weekend, then a week at grandma's lakehouse spent lounging, reading, and waterskiing, then a 30th birthday trip to montreal.

the only problem with this of course, is fitting real life (i.e. work) in with all my play time. in addition to all of these scheduled activities, i also have four events in the next three months, which given their size and scope, is not insignificant.

now is about the time i wish i was independently wealthy and could ditch the work part..at least for a while.

god bless the armed forces

yesterday passed rather uneventfully, although i made a stop at stonebriar mall up in frisco. i have loved having a car here, as it has allowed me to easily escape from my hotel when needed (sometimes for practical purposes, sometimes for my sanity).

so after some pool time, i headed out in search of a rolling duffel bag. i knew, in all likelihood, that the one i came out here with, i would probably not be going home with, and it has officially been laid to rest. rip. i intended to find/stop at wal-mart, but the one i had gotten directions to was actually a grocery store…not a duffel bag or any other useful item in sight. so i made my way to stonebriar, hoping i might pass a wal-mart on the side of the freeway.

when i got to frisco i was overwhelmed at the cornucopia of shopping venues, and spotted a super-target, where i was able to successfully complete my mission. i grabbed some lunch and made my way into the mall, wandering around for hours.

it was near the conclusion of my excursion that i stopped at the sonic and developed my newest addiction—a chocolate cream pie shake (complete with whip cream and pie crumbs). and as tried to suck the thick goopy wonder through the straw, i happened upon the indoor ice rink.

unlike all of the ice rinks i have ever been to, this one consisted of skaters in training. i was absolutely hypnotized by the little asian girl who spun and sal-chowed with amazing grace. i was also entranced by the harness like structure attached to one of the other skaters in an attempt to give her spin more bounce.

i watched these young skaters for probably an hour (which is how long it took me to finish that shake) before deciding to head back to dallas.

the evening consisted primarily of packing and of another sonic run. look, i’m taking advantage while i can!

this morning i finished my packing and headed to the airport. the rental car was returned with no problems, and when i arrived at the airport, i had a vision. busloads upon busloads of army guys (and one or two girls). dreams really do come true. during my lunch at friday’s, a group of four tried to buy me a drink. i respectfully declined but we chatted for a few minutes before i made my way to the gate.

that was a nice finale to the dallas trip, but i don’t wanna go home. then again, i guess i have to go home so i can leave again for the lakehouse, and for the 30^th birthday trip to montreal that is being planned. okay, i guess i'll go home.

nostalgia sets in

6:30am and the dog starts barking. i'm confused because the dog only barks when there is something different, but nothing seems different, except that i am now awake at 6:30am and can't fall back to sleep.

time to start the day, i guess. i head into the guest bedroom to finish my packing, (nearly naked) and discover a person (fully clothed) in the bed, who seems as confused by my presence as i am by hers. apparently, my sister has decided that my house is now a hang out for all her friends..which at least explains the beer bongs in the garage.

in and out of the shower by 7:00 and i head to target for a couple of last minute items. on the way i realize that i don't have a drivers license, and i am going to be renting a car today. i call the car rental company, and after being put through the eternal voice mail loop, someone is finally able to tell me that yes, i really do have to have a drivers license, they cannot check with dmv.

it's 7:30am, and the target is across the street from the dmv. do i take the risk? why not..i'm feeling lucky. dmv opens at 8 and i am the 20th person in line..outside. eventually the doors are opened and i am moved through with smooth efficiency, which is actually very consistent with my experience at the leesburg dmv. then of course there is that pesky photo to deal with. i didn't get ready for a photo that would haunt me forever, i got ready for a day of travel, and let me assure you, they look very different.

the agent hands me my license. whats this?! the best drivers license photo i have ever had! feelin lucky indeed.

i head to target to complete my tasks. anne arrives on time to chauffeur me to the airport, and i have no problems at check-in, security, or with my flight, which, given the fact that i am flying the same airline that made my wednesday fall into the black abyss, is sort of a miracle.

the instant i step off the plane in dallas, i am overcome with nostalgia. there are a few cities i have considered living in over the years, because of the comfortable feeling of familiarity they seem to give me. chicago, san diego, and dallas. it feels a little like coming home.

i can't help but remember that the last time i was here it was for a conference i was planning. and as it turned out, that business trip spawned a brief but memorable relationship with a co-worker. when i pull up to my hotel i realize that i am even staying in the same hotel (how could i have forgotten?!) and as i enter my room the memories come back even stronger. i kissed someone in this very room. how's that for odds?

so did i say i was feelin lucky?

'cuz i am.

i really love this place. there are several 'conference hotels' i could choose from when making my travel arrangements, and i chose the one that is furthest away from the convention center in the west end district. the west end is the 'historic' district full of lots of eateries and quaint shops. i like this part of town, and today i liked it even more.

as it turned out, the 'taste of dallas' festival being held in, where else, the west end. so after getting settled in the hotel, i walked the two blocks to see what i could see.

i enjoyed a steak kabob while people watching, and took in the heat and the live music. i took photos and perused the stalls where one of my primary personal goals was met. because when in dallas...buy a cowboy hat. it was the first of the trip, but probably not the last. i mean let's face it, i look really good in a cowboy hat.

after taking care of some business, i decided to head out in search of a best buy, and perhaps swing by the church building to make sure that i did not get lost tomorrow.

i was successful on both counts, however, there are a few things i forgot about driving in dallas:

1. the drivers are fast and furious (oh how i wish i had rented a manual car!)
2. merge lanes are virtually non-existent (yet it doesn't seem to create any problems--see number 1)
3. at any given moment, you could go from exit 8b to exit 20a in the course of a 1/2 mile

man i love this town! i guess the most surprising thing about all of this is that i was dreading this trip a little bit. traveling alone has never been my idea of a great time, but i am rediscovering how much fun i have with myself! isn't it strange that it took a trip to texas to bring about a little self-awareness and a lot of gratitude.

and speaking of gratitude, i got a call from home tonight. apparently a letter arrived for me from queens, ny. no return address, no note, just a lost driver's license someone took the time and consideration to return to it's owner.

one day to dallas

in my former life, i was a meeting planner who got to travel for work. in fact, nothing i planned was local, so i got to spend some time in some great cities on the company's dime. i frequently visited cities like san diego, chicago, and dallas. but since coming back to the east coast, that has become a rare phenomena. now, it happens once or twice a year at the max, and i look forward to it with great anticipation--particularly when it is in a city i really enjoy. in this case, i get to go back to dallas.

i don't know what it is about dallas..the southern drawl, men who behave like gentlemen, big cowboy hats and bigger belt buckles? probably all of the above. so even though it's july and it will be hotter than hades, i am still excited.

even more exciting is that while there, my niece kendyl will turn 2. i think it fitting and appropriate that my birthday gift to her should be her first pair of cowboy boots. i can already envision her wearing them and me chasing her down with a camera to get the shot. good times.

the one drawback of traveling for work is that you don't know anyone, so you end up hanging out in your hotel room for far longer than is healthy. this time i've decided to take some inititive and use the resources available to me to hook me into a nice new social scene for a couple of days...here's hoping that pans out!

in addition, one of the other awesome things about this trip is that i don't really have to pack. i haven't unpacked from new york yet, so i've just got to take a few things out, launder them, and stick them right back in. i hate packing, and suddenly the idea of 'living out of a suitcase' sounds pretty appealing!

by all appearances this trip will be a nice change of pace. it's the only event i get to attend that i didn't plan, and there is something rejuvenating about being surrounded by thousands of other type a conference and event planners. i don't really know why, but it is invigorating!

coming back is always rough

wednesday morning i woke up and was just a little bit 'off'. you know how it is, you just don't feel quite like yourself. it was probably due to two things; 1. the fact that i realized the night before that i had lost my license and 2. knowing that i would be going home. assuming of course, they would let me on a plane with no real id.

i got up and packed, hoping that i would find my license in the process. after all, i had my credit cards, money, everything else. i was sure that it had to have slipped out in my bag. but as i finished packing, it was still nowhere to be found, and there was nothing i could do.

so deb and i headed towards the church where we were meeting mihaela at a bakery across the street. deb and mihaela have been friends for nearly the entire time deb has been living there. she and i met shortly after deb had moved. she knew the sister of my boyfriend at the time, so there was an instant connection. of course, the fact that she is an amazing woman who i am always happy to be with, didn't hurt. so every time i go to new york, we always get together with mihaela. it is a strange friendship in that we don't email or call..at all actually. but when we spend time together it instantly picks up where it left off, which is always laughing and sharing stories.


this time was no exception, and it was fabulous to see her again.

after lunch, it was finally time for deb and i to get our nails done. i love getting my nails done in new york. manicures are my most consistent personal grooming splurge, and the ail place across from deb's apartment does the best manicures i've ever had. by far. so nails are always on the agenda when i visit.

and again, i was not disappointed.

we headed back to deb's and chilled out, and finally it was time for me to head to the airport. i admit it. i was nervous. i didn't really know what would happen. i was using my king's dominion season pass with my picture and no name, and my voter's registration card with my name but no picture. and basically, i just got lucky. i was more concerned about the tsa agents than the airlines, and that is where i got the most resistance.

they looked me over a few times and sent me through a special line where they bomb sniffed everything, pulled everything out, patted me down--you know, the works. but they let me through, and i was relieved.

about 45 minutes before my flight i decided i wanted to change my seat, so i went to the desk, where i was told my gate had been changed. no announcements had been made, and had i not wanted a seat change, i would not have had a clue. and that was just the beginning of my problems.

at la guardia each terminal has separate security, so when my flight gate changed from c to d, i had to go through security a second time, with not much time to spare. fortunately, i passed the bomb sniffer again, and made it to my gate just in time. except that when i got there, they were changing the departure time from 6:45pm to 8:15 pm. since i had been there early to make sure i wouldn't have problems, this was not making me happy. what made me even less happy is the flight didn't actually leave until about 9:30pm. by the time we left i had been in the airport for nearly five hours all to take a one hour flight.

oh but the comedy of errors was not yet concluded. when we arrived at national, we were told that our bags would be on carousel x. after waiting for about 10 minutes, the natives got restless. our flight had not been posted yet, so i wandered down to all of the other carousels. it wasn't posted anywhere, so i headed back. after thirty minutes with corey circling outside the entire time, i finally approached an agent who said 'they haven't come out yet. wait, let me check.' as it turned out, they had come out, about 25 minutes earlier, but it had never been posted. i was the first from my flight to figure this out, so i shared the wealth and was finally on my way.

all told, i spent 8 hours in transit. i got home to wet kisses from the puppy and then realized she was virtually covered with ticks. so i spent a good amount of time removing them and panicking over the 'bullseye' she has on her belly. now i've got to get her to the vet asap to see if i can stop lyme disease.

needless to say, i'm ready for another vacation, and fortunately i will be leaving town again soon. this time for work, but it will be low stress. anyone got friends in dallas? i will need to be entertained!

celebrating an anniversary

when: july 4, 2002
where: ida lee park, leesburg, va
who: tara and deb

deb had just gotten a new camera, and we were preparing to watch fireworks celebrating the nation's independence, when our lament began. we realized that the unfortunate result of two people spending time together was the lack of a third to take photos. so we improvised. her camera had a 'self-portrait' mode afterall, so we put it to the test. hence the birth of the self-portrait taking which has become synonomous with my attendance at any social gathering.


so as we now celebrate the 4th of july holiday, deb and i are also celebrating an anniversary of sorts. and we did it in style.

having never been to coney island before, i admit, i was curious. i've seen it in movies, and when my uncle suggested it might be 'interesting', that was all i needed.

so we slept in today. magnificently late. we started our day with lunch at a hole in the wall burger joint called 'the burger joint', where the only things on the menu are burgers, fries, and milkshakes..and we enjoyed two out of three before hopping on the subway to make the hour long journey to carnival land.

i was absolutely delighted at what i found. it was filthy and disgusting and crowded, and absolutely glorious. it was everything i had expected.

we had funnel cake and italian ice. we rode the ferris wheel, which, thanks to a swinging car, was a bit more of a 'thrill ride' then we expected. we watched the throngs of people, and felt as though we were visiting another country. it was perfect.

after a couple of hours, we had 'done' coney island, and came back to the city, where we chilled out for a bit before heading off to the evening's activities, which consisted of a rooftop fireworks party downtown.

we arrived just shortly after the fireworks had started and made our way to the roof, where deb ran into a few people she knew, and where i saw a few familiar faces. i was also introduced to some new ones, including tyler, a graphic designer and would be photographer, and rick, a lurking blog reader.

it was a beautiful evening, and after pondering independence days past, spent sweating in the heat, i was grateful for the cool breeze and comfortable surroundings. nothing can compare to the 4th of july in dc, but there is something poignant about watching fireworks explode over the statue of liberty. a fitting tribute i'd say.

it was truly an enjoyable evening, which as it turned out, wasn't quite over.

deb and i went for a walk in battery park, and before leaving the downtown area, stumbled upon the irish hunger memorial--a very interesting structure that combined the stone remains of what appeared to be a house, and an extremely modern 'attachment' with quotes related to the famine.

after spending some time reading quotes and appreciating the strangeness of the memorial, we walked past ground zero to catch the subway home.

new york truly is an amazing place, and each time i visit, the experience is completely different from the last.

for all the pics, click here.

back to the beach

what is there not to love? the sun, the water, the people watching? as far as I am concerned, pretty much everything about the beach is right up my alley, and today was another perfect day for celebrating the sunshine.

we stopped to grab some snacks on the way, then headed for the train out to long beach. we amused ourselves by taking a series of self-portraits, all intended to diversify the repertoire.






















when we arrived we were happy to find the beach much quieter than on saturday and set up camp in a nice little spot down the boardwalk. we passed the morning with some reading and some sunning. unfortunately the ocean was out to get us, so we were forced to move back several times after having our feet and towels soaked.

the afternoon passed much the same way as the morning. i couldn't help but be reminded how wonderful it is to have friends with whom you can communicate wordlessly--with a nod or a gesture, or a raised eyebrow, or a smile. i had forgotten how comforting and reassuring that is. there isn't much better than being able to look at a very close friend and know how her sentence is going to end. and she knows you know it, and knows she doesn't have to finish her sentence, so she doesn't.

it has been very interesting to note consciously how, while you can be so different from someone, you can be so similar. there are not many blessings more wonderful than the blessing of understanding and being understood.

eventually i decided it was time for a cold drink, so i headed back to the boardwalk. on the way, i saw the two most entertaining things of the day. the first was margaritaville, as i lovingly refer to it. there near the boardwalk entrance, a group had decided to really make a party out of their beach day. they brought palm trees, low lying shrubs, astro turf..the works, and they were set to party.

the other entertaining oddity was the giant bicycles that passed me on the boardwalk. i just love the scenery the beach has to offer.

eventually, it was time to call it a day. we rinsed off and hung out on the boardwalk for a bit while we dried off. the dead time yielded additional self-portraits.











after we returned to the city, we got cleaned up and headed to a great little mexican place for dinner. jen joined us and we stuffed ourselves silly.

then we decided to walk off some of our dinner, but not before we made a stop at tasti d-lite.

then it was off to central park. i love central park, and it seemed to be a perfect evening for a stroll. the temperature was wonderful and there were fireflies in abundance, and tavern on the green looked absolutely stunning in the twilight with all it's lanterns hanging from the trees.

it was about that time however, that the park decided it was going to get us. never before have i experienced what was about to take place. it seemed that no matter where we went, there were swarms of gnats so thick that you couldn't help but eat some of them. the swarms had us running through the park trying to find the quickest exit, and there were times it felt as though we were trapped in a nightmare.

eventually though, we made our way out, and headed up to the lincoln square theater, where we settled on a showing of the lake house. we had some time to kill, so we stopped in duane reade and barnes & noble before heading back for the movie.

i have to say, i enjoyed it. i am no keanu reeves lover, but i thought he did a good job. and it wasn't overly cheesy for my taste. i was hoping i would like it, but i afraid i wouldn't. i did and i was glad.

after the movie, we parted ways with jennifer and deb and i headed back. we were up until the wee hours of the morning just talking about life and love, and all of the things that girlfriends talk about. and we eventually called it a night.

for all the pics, click here.

the surreal life

during the cab ride from the airport yesterday, i thought to myself, 'it's finally happened. i have now spent enough time in new york, that the mystique is gone. it's just another city i am coming to yet again.'

but church today changed my mind.

was it realizing that 'adam' was in the bishopric?

or was it larry king sitting in front of me with his wife, kids, and nanny?

either way, i was reminded that new york will never be 'just another city.'

after getting up and ready, deb and i headed straight over to the church building, hoping to catch an earlier sacrament meeting than hers. and as luck would have it, we arrived just in time for the morningside heights meeting. it was lucky indeed, because as it turned out, it was an excellent one.

today was fast and testimony meeting, and the members who took the opportunity to share their testimonies, brought with them a special spirit. many of the members were visitors, one from finland, another from arizona, one from mexico, several from utah...most of whom shared the same message, that of hope, faith, and a deep knowledge and understanding of god's love for us. deb and i both felt blessed to have had the opportunity to be there.

after church we stopped for lunch at a fabulous french cafe in the time warner building, then headed back to her apartment where we changed into swimsuits and made a visit to her rooftop pool. we did a little reading, a little swimming, and a little hot tubbing. there is something about being able to see the empire stte building from the hot tub that is truly unique.

after more showering to cleanse the chlorine, we decided to take a walk. we headed to central park, but made a stop in columbus circle where we sat and enjoyed the artistry of the fountains, and self-portrait taking. deb and i are attempting to add the 'serious' look to our repertoire, but it needs some work. stay tuned for further details on our progress.

when it started to rain, we walked back to deb's via tasti d-lite, and spent the rest of the evening enjoying some down time in front of the tube.

tomorrow, we are headed back to the beach, and i cannot wait!

for all the pics, click here.

takin' a bite out of the big apple

the morning came too quickly, yet it meant that i would finally be off on vacation for a few days.

after the quick shuttle flight, i landed at la guardia, hopped in a cab, and was off to deb's. the weather was absolutely amazing, which played right into our plan to spend the day at the beach.

when i got to her place, we both changed into our suits and headed to penn station where we boarded the train to long beach. upon arriving, we found our way to a little spot, where we quickly realized we were overdressed. so we decided that when in rome we should do as the romans do, and we discarded our tops (see pic at left).

clearly, i jest.

in any case, we spent a marvelous afternoon doing a whole lot of nothing. in my mind new york has never been synonymous with 'the beach', so i wasn't sure quite what to expect. but i most certainly did not expect it to be so nice. perhaps i was biased by the sheer perfection of the day..temperature, sunshine, cool breeze, but regardless, i was pleasantly surprised.

the people watching was in full effect, and we were especially entertained by the little family behind us which consisted of mom, dad, and boy. after covering himself with sand, dad took a nap, while mom dozed in her lounge chair, leaving boy to his own devices. for the most part, boy occupied himself quietly, but every once in awhile, his need for attention would override his respect for his parents rest, and he would innocently spray dad in the face with a water bottle, or sprinkle sand on his face. eventually, his objective was achieved and mom and dad were wakened to take their rightful places as boy's playmate.

after a few hours of fun in the sun, we decided to call it a day, and headed back to the train. we got back to the city hopped in the showers, and were off to a fabulous creperie in chelsea, where we met deb's friend jennifer.

i instantly took a liking to jennifer, and the three of us started our leisurely meal with some dinner crepes. after letting our meal settle, we capped it off with dessert crepes. both of which were amazing.

we said our farewells to jennifer, and deb and i made stops at the drugstore and grocery store before packing it in for the night. camped out in front of the tv with haagen daz in hand, the evening could not have ended more perfectly.

for all the pics, click here.