pooped

Whoa! I feel like I look in this pic right now -- pretty much zombie level of tiredness. My last two weeks have been hectic, between traveling to North Carolina, going to Philly, racing a triathlon, meeting tons of deadlines, and going into the office. Yesterday I woke up at 4 a.m. to finish a deadline and didn't stop running around until we got home at 1 a.m. So today I granted myself an insanely lazy day and have been napping and watching television like a sloth. It's after dinner, and I'm just started to feel human again!

philly triathlon

We did it—and had so much fun, despite the no-wetsuit swim and blazing-hot run. Full report to come!

love this...

...little face! Erik texted me this picture today, and I nearly keeled over with cuteness. No wonder when Erik laughs that I am going to be an overboard mom, I always respond, "but our baby isn't going to be as cute as Money." Ha.

mom (and dad) time

Howdy from North Carolina! I'm here for a long weekend to spend some time with my mom and visit my dad on Father's Day. In the whirlwind after my dad passed, I have to admit that I wasn't pumped about the burial. I mean, there you are, hours after the biggest shock and sadness of your life, having to make about 50 decisions involving thousands and thousands of dollars. Imagine planning a wedding in one day, but with an extra layer of grief and weirdness on top. Who wants to be the grinch that asks the soothing-voiced funeral director how much extra that bronze-plated headstone or in-memorial slideshow costs? Me, apparently. I definitely inherited my dad's practical, no-frills mindset. (Dude, some of those coffins cost as much as cars!) Although I knew in my heart my dad would've wanted the cheapest option (cremation), I agreed when my mom insisted on a burial. All's well that ends well. It is nice to have a little spot to visit with my dad, to leave flowers, to tell him how much I miss him.

Funny aside: The entrance to my dad's cemetery is located on a fairly busy street in Raleigh, so every time my mom and I drive by, we always yell "hi, babi!" or "hi, dad!" as if we were strolling by him in the kitchen. Kind of silly, but I think he loves it. :)

6 things...

...I did this week. It was all about summer fun—just the way I like it. :)

1. Did a bike-run in Prospect Park with Amanda. My one and only brick before the Philly tri in two weeks. GULP!
2. Rode to Queens to Kenny and Melanie's barbecue extravaganza. It was good to catch up with Glenna and Tony, and there's really nothing like biking on a balmy summer evening. So proud of Erik for getting physical.
3. Surfed the Rockaways with Kim. It was crowded and ridiculously flat, but still fun.
4. Juggled multiple assignments. Back on the busy-busy grind.
5. Took two long and lovely naps this weekend.
6. Refueled from all my activity with about a zillion calories (see: Pies and Thighs bounty).

my favorite 15 minutes

I'm freelancing at a magazine three days a week this summer. I love it because the work is fun and my coworkers are amazing! Plus, it's nice to gussy up and rejoin society for a few months. But the thing I miss the most is my morning break ritual. You see, I usually get up around 7 to answer e-mails, feed the cat, eat breakfast, call my mom and dig into assignments. Meanwhile, my night owl boyfriend sleeps in until around 10 or 11. When I hear Erik stirring and click on the television, I take a little break to crawl back in bed with him and Monkey. It's by far my favorite 15 minutes of the day—a little chunk of time where my only purpose is to curl up with my favorite creatures on Earth. It's nice to know that, no matter what crappy turn might come my way, at least one blissfully happy thing happened that day.

weekend on the run

Now, that was a busy weekend! Saturday morning, I surfed with Kim and Aphrodite; it was so fun. We also grabbed snacks at the Far Rockaway Stop and Shop, a huge suburban-style supermarket that's my version of heaven on earth. After I got home and showered, Erik and I hopped on our bikes and pedaled down to Coney Island. We people-watched, rode the Wonder Wheel, and ate some fried goodness. It was dreamy and romantic. Today, I cleaned up our disaster-zone apartment before heading down to Park Slope with Ben to see our long-lost buddy Dwayne, who is in town from Portland. Phew! No wonder I'm wiped.

obsessed

It's safe to say that my affection is hard-earned. It takes a while to become a very close friend, and even longer for me to fall head-over-heels. Heavens, it was a full year before Erik and I exchanged our first ""I love you"s. But once I commit, I'm loyal to a fault. That's certainly true with my newest obsession: surfing. Even though I'm still very much a beginner, I'm totally smitten. Last week, we surfed the Rockaways, then feasted on fish tacos and beer. Yesterday, Sarah and I did our first dawn patrol (!). We woke up before 5 AM and navigated the lineup on our own with the amazing pros, Sara and Brian, who were so kind to loan us boards and a wetsuit. (Insert: swoon.) And today, I'm off again with Kim and Dite. Kind of ridiculous. But so far, it's a total honeymoon; surfing always makes me happy and shows me a good time. And when else am I going to have the time and opportunity? You only live once!