Central Park

If you add up all of the times I've raced my bicycle and all of the times I raced or run in Central Park on foot (you know-those parades I'm obsessed with) I can't imagine how many laps I've done.
When I raced my bike they were scary because you know- the 80s and Central Park.  Now Central Park is this beautiful oasis so not scary at all.
When I go to New York I don't like to run because the roads are so crappy.  So I try to go when I can race so I get one strong run in and then I just walk ...lots.
This was the Shape Women's half marathon last April.  I had the absolute best time.  Look at me running and smiling.  That never happens in my pictures.  
Being a Title Nine Mermaid Ambassador I run Lots of women only (men can run too) races.  I like them.  This one was fun.  Here's the thing though.  Central Park is a six mile loop so you do two-is of them.  I am not a fast runner.  I don't move fast.  I just move.  
At one point on the second lap the winner came running by on her way to the finish.  Yes I was lapped.  I'm amazed at the speed that elite runners run.  But me?  I get my money out of these.
In a month or so I'll be racing the NYC Half marathon.  I'm not sure if it goes through Central Park .  We'll see.  And look over there?  That guy in white?  He's cheering for me.  He's like a fan.  Maybe not.  He's probably like what's that girl wearing shorts for no-one else is.

26. plus .2

Since I turned 50 I had this crazy idea.  This crazy idea that this is the decade where I should run 26.2 miles.  So I did it on my 50th birthday.  But then I did it again and again and again and again and again and is that 4?  I'm going on 6.  What for you say?  No idea.  I just do.  Maybe I secretly always wanted to be in a parade and this is the only one I could get into.  Not that its free-it's super expensive.  Probably like 1000 dollars each time.

This time I ran in DC with the Marines.  Look at these Marines!  They stand at the end (actually they stand everywhere and give you water and donuts and stuff and cheer you on). at the end they give you a medal and then they take pictures of you .  Because why not?  They are heroes and it's a parade.

I look pretty good for the end of a parade don't I?  FYI a few months after this I had knee surgery for Meniscus Repair.  And then I ran two more marathons.

Hoo ra. 

Go for the Upgrade

This summer we took a world tour. We went to so many places with so many people it was a miracle and a victory that we had a hotel every night because you know distraction is my middle name.  

This was the second leg of the tour.  This leg involved adding Danny to our car because he was coming with us from Vermont to Brooklyn.  What?  You didn't know a world tour went from San Francisco to Boston to Vermont to Brooklyn to Boston to London to Wales to London to San Francisco?  Call us Beyonce and Jay Z. go ahead.

Anyway originally I had a regular car.  Good luck they upgraded us to this Kia SUV.    We were packed so tight we had luggage between us. Of note?  I really like my hair in this picture.  Remind me to go shorter next time I drive poor Courtney Crazy.

Of note I smile like this EVERY time I'm headed to New York.

A British Wedding

This summer I had a chance to go to a British Wedding.  Maybe it was an Irish wedding.  Nevertheless it took place in Wales.  I did not know much about Wales except for Diana was princess of it.  I didn't know what to make of Wales but I ended up really liking it.
As a rule we don't go to weddings for the Irish because we can't possibly go to all of them so we don't go to any.  But my brother in law is a wise person because he was smart enough to get my husband to go by making him best man

The wedding was nice. (the couple is not in this picture and neither am I).  I don't eat lamb so I skipped the meal and there were no choices but I did appreciate the American buffet afterward with hot dogs and nachos I think.

It was super fun.  I didn't wear a big British hat and good thing because as you see no-one else did either.

Of my whole world tour I really loved Wales.  I intend to go back sometime.  You should go too.

Happy Birthday Phillips Number 2

This is my son Joe.   The human not the dog or the pumpkin.  He lives in New York now which is ironic because he hardly ever visited there.  But.he's adjusted well to returning to his New York roots.  I guess you can't take some things out of your DNA.

Tomorrow is his birthday and this magical model worthy person who teaches us all how to shmooze and rock a bare ankle.

I miss him every day.  He's my shopping buddy.  

Now if he would only propose to his beautiful Kelly. (We have 2 of them and they are both magical)

Until March.  We love you Brooklyn Joe

Magic!!

When I go to New York my cousin Lori always comes to see me.  Well except once but she had an excuse.  We always try to go to a show-you might call it a play.  She has this website she uses which gives out discount tickets to all kinds of plays.

This time we went to see The Illusionist which was technically a Christmas Play.  We were past Christmas but luckily it was a mild case of Christmas sorry Holiday. Just a snow trick at the end for the kids in the audience.

Magic can annoy me tremendously but I have to go in with an idea that I won't know why or how these things work and that's okay.  I suppose its a lot of distraction.

My favorite was the guy who read minds or the mentalist.  That was seriously cool.  I want to be that.

The French guy was really hard to understand.  We all wish Joe had been called up to participate.  He wasn't.

The best part was seeing Aunt Loretta.  

Hello 2020

I've been to New York again.  I went to visit Joe and Kelly and of course Pat and Palma and Lori and hurray Aunt Loretta.  New York is always going home even though before Joe moved there I barely ever went to Brooklyn.  But Oh My Brooklyn is magical.

This trip I wondered around New York and went to the Whitney Museum which I've kind of sometimes heard of but never been to.

It was a weird mix of modern weirdo art and paintings.  But here was this sampler.  Which you couldn't touch or get near-it was behind a case.  My favorite part was the saying that said "I shop therefore I am"

Yep that's pretty much me.  There's a quote about authority too.

No running on this trip.  Winter running clothes take up a lot of real estate in your luggage.
Next up the Mission 10 in San Juan..