This past weekend, our good friends Jenn Colella and Jeny Foote were married. Jeny and Beth were best friends growing up in Sacramento and, while their lives have taken them in different directions, some friendships just never quite fade. And so Beth was honored when, along with the other "theatre kids," she got to dust off her pipes and take part in the ceremony.

An intimate gathering that brought together people from all over and all walks of life, it was a beautiful and thoughtful ceremony. And while their union is yet to be recognized by the government, their love is not only recognized but celebrated by their friends and family (awww...). Congratulations, Jenn and Jeny!

Posted by Thom at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After 6+ years of hard work, headaches, self-doubt and sacrifice (mostly on my part) Beth successfully defend her doctoral thesis today.

When Beth had just started to consider going back to school seven years ago, she knew it would take a lot of time and effort. And even with that realistic perspective, she almost ran out of steam before accomplishing her goal. By the time her coarse [sic] work officially ended and she began her internship with the Manhattan VA, Beth was well ahead of the curve but burning herself out in compiling her research and processing the data. Working nights and weekends on her dissertation — all the while working full-time — she managed to get her thesis done and copies of its 100+ pages to her review board this month. That same review board (after a severe paddling) granted her passage into the realm of doctor-hood today. Beth Manning, Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology (that's a PhD, baby). Congratulations, Beth!

Posted by Thom at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ever since we came back from Hawaii, it's been a non-stop barrage of busi-ness. Almost as soon as we landed, it seemed we were hosting the Mannings for the Thanksgiving. Although they were thoughtful enough to give us some time to unpack, a week long visit still took a bit out of us. Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking — the time was fun but it flew by quickly and before we knew it, the holidays were in full swing. End of year gatherings and Christmas gifts occupied our time right up until we flew off to Cincinnati for Christmas.

Christmas itself was a bit of a break. We were looking forward to seeing my mom's new house and visiting with her and the few friends I have left in Cincinnati. It was a fairly laid back holiday and we found ourselves with a little time relax but, we still weren't at home. Just like Thanksgiving, almost as soon as we arrived, we were stowing our loot and heading back to an airport.

So now it's the new year, and... we're completely exhausted. Don't think we didn't enjoy the holidays, but they did leave us a bit worn out. We're both back to work full time and looking for a little mundane routine to reinvigorate us. Either that, or we hibernate.

Posted by Thom at 7:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past Sunday, our good friends Enrique and Jessica kindly invited us along for picnic to celebrate their anniversary. Throw in their adorable daughter Isabel and their puppy Roxy, and it was a guaranteed good time for all. We happily said yes.

We were to meet up with the family de la Huelga in Battery Park City, joined by Jessica's friend Sarah and Sarah's parents. But getting there proved a little problematic for us. Not long before we were to leave, Beth's computer developed a malfunction that rendered it unusable and beyond my capabilities to fix. We decided to take her computer along and run it over to the Apple store after the picnic. What at first appeared to be a great idea proved to be utterly stupid as the computer remained a distraction for Beth and I, and forced us to leave the picnic unnecessarily early. I say unnecessary because, once we fought our way through the Sunday Soho crowds to the Apple store, we were promptly told to come back later. Ouch. Add in the fact that, despite Beth's constant protests, I was convinced that we didn't need to bring any food and I must admit that we really boned our appearance at Jessica and Enrique's anniversary picnic. Despite our social faux pas-ing, we still had a great time and we hope they did too. Happy anniversary, guys.

Posted by Thom at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, with the signing of paperwork, my mother sold the house that she has called home for over 30 years. With this final act in a long process, she is now the proud owner of a new home northeast of Cincinnati in the town of West Chester. The last time I wrote about this subject, the rumor was that mom was looking to move to Indianapolis for a change of scenery and to be closer to her family. But time passes and minds change. She decided to stay close to the town she now knows a little better.

I'm not going to engage the gory details here, but I will say that has been a very stressful and trying few months for my mother. I'm not over exaggerating when I say that her home buying/selling experience has been far from typical (her realtor said as much). Add in the fact that she has undertaken this dramatic change all on her own, and I have to admire her accomplishment. Now looking ahead, I hope her life will settle down a bit and she can enjoy her new house. Can't wait to see the place. Welcome home, mom.

Posted by Thom at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the jumble of out-of-town weekends that has been the past month, a number of notable events have slipped through the cracks without a mention. Most prominent among them, the aborted trip to Austin for Christy and Mark's wedding. I say aborted because we didn't quite make it.

Way back on August 4th (which happened to be the day of the wedding), we stumbled out of bed and headed to Newark Airport to catch our flight. Now we knew traveling on the same day as the ceremony was a risky proposition but, with the reassurances of the Northwest Airline's website, we were confident we’d make it. Pulling into long-term parking, we noticed that some of the streetlights were out — something we should have heeded but ignored — and grabbing our bags headed over to the AirTrain. The platform to the terminals was surprisingly crowded for this time of day and, as we waited there, more and more travelers packed in. And we waited. And we waited some more. But no train came as even more people arrived. When a train did pull in the station an hour later, everyone pushed on in a panic. But it was already too late. By the time we made it to the terminal, Northwest announced that our flight was closed. People started screaming. Beth started crying. Cats and dogs, living together...

It turns out overnight thunderstorms had caused spotted blackouts around Newark and, grounded passengers from the night before were already 10 deep on the standby lists. Despite her best efforts there was nothing the ticket agent could do. We weren't going to see Christy and Mark get married.

It was sad weekend for us. We knew Christy and Mark would be distracted by the wedding events, but we really wanted to see them and our good friend Polly. Christy and Mark live in England and with Polly on the West Coast opportunities to get together are rare. Despite our absence, we hope that Christy and Mark had a special day. We wish them all the luck and happiness they deserve. Congratulations, guys.

Posted by Thom at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past Sunday, Beth and I made a one-day, round-trip visit to Baltimore; and no, the Cubs weren't playing the Orioles. Instead, we made the trip to visit Beth's brother, Matt, before he deploys to Baghdad for the better part of a year. This is an elective deployment for Matt where he has committed to help train the Iraqi military — just one more step in the long-term effort to extricate our own forces from the country. For his own part, he will educate Iraqi pilots in the nuances of flying the versatile, US made C-130. In exchange for this commitment, he will have his choice of any airbase in the world that hosts a C-130 squadron as his next station. Not bad — 1 year in the desert for 3 years in Italy courtesy of the US Air Force (not to say that Matt will pick Italy but, if he did, we would certainly pay him a visit).

Joined by their uncle Jim, who took the train down from Boston, we would have only one afternoon with Matt as he was flaying out the next morning. A quiet lunch in a hotel lobby, a couple of hours driving around Baltimore looking for a parking spot, and coffee in the train station before Jim headed back to Boston seemed to go by all too quickly. But, still, it was time well spent. We'll see you in a year, Matt.

Posted by Thom at 7:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UPDATE: Ok, so I just completely screwed up and erased my original entry for Beth's birthday. So whatever snide or pithy comments I had originally written are now lost to the ages. Whoops. Sorry, babe.

Well, just to recapture the gist of it: we had a small gathering at I quiet little wine bar in Long Island City called Domaine Bar a Vins. Many friends and colleagues stopped by and for that, we are grateful. Goodtime, merriment... yada, yada, yada. Oh, and did I mention that Beth turned 31. Happy birthday, Beth!

Posted by Thom at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On July 4th, my mother accepted a bid to sell her house. It's been over 5 years since dad passed away and 34 years in the same house for her. The old neighborhood is in decline and time has come for a change. Whenever I think about where I grew up, this house will be the only image to come to mind. Although my sister remembers the apartment mom and dad lived in when she was born, it was to this house that I came home from the hospital.

The deal, of course, isn't finalized but if everything moves forward, she will be leaving both the house and Cincinnati by the end of August. Although she hasn't found a new place yet, she has settled her mind on moving to Indianapolis near her family. She has a lot to do over the coming months, but this alone is a huge step toward making a good change in her life. Congratulations, mom.

Posted by Thom at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A week ago today was, of course, Father’s Day. Though not a father myself I know many who are and, that alone is cause to celebrate. Beth and I spent the day with my recently-fathered friend Enrique, and his lovely wife Jessica as they juggled their 3 month old back and forth over brunch at the New Leaf Cafe. We've been meaning to get together with them for quite some time and, as a couple with no children, we wonder what was taking them so long. In truth, we were very flattered that they decided to share their Father’s Day with us. Isabel is an amazingly beautiful child and her parents aren't too shabby people either.

As much fun as we had on Sunday, Father’s Day is always going to be one of those days (more so than an average day) when I miss my dad. Not to close this entry out on a downer, I just wanted to give my dad special mention as I remember him fondly. So, happy Father’s Day to Don, Ryan, Enrique, Steve, Dave, Bob, George, Evan, Andrew, Kirk and, of course, my own father.

Posted by Thom at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Another school night, another birthday event. This time, it was our dear friend Matt Levinson and this time, it was in Jersey. Matt and Dan had invited us to an intimate dinner for four on Monday night (Matt's actual birthday) at Fleming's Steakhouse, complete with views of twilight falling on Manhattan. The food was great, the company was even better. Beth and I were happy and honored to share this evening with the guys. It could have been a quiet evening for just the two of them, but they invited us along. Cool. That's pretty much how we feel about them, too. Happy birthday, Matt.

Posted by Thom at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This weekend, Beth and I decided to kill two Brooklyn birds with one stone. Two months ago, our friends Amanda and Andrew gave birth to their first child, Jacob. Giving them about a month to get over the initial shock and awe, we've been trying to figure out for the last couple of weeks how/when to pay them a visit and to meet Jake. It just so happened that this weekend was Sakura Matsuri, the Japanese cheery blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

Now, I often tease Beth for being Anglophile with her obsession of Shakespeare, English ascents and her Battle of Trafalgar commemorative tea set but in reality, I am very much a Japanophile. I was interested in going to the festival and so, we decided to pay the Glasgows a visit and check out the festival after.

We hadn't spent any time with the Glasgows since their baby shower at Chuck E. Cheese and we were happy to see them again. It was amazing to see them as proud and relaxed parents, excited to show of their new son and let us hold him. Jake is a cute kid and a very well behaved baby (as far as we were witness to). We order in lunch and ended up spending most of the afternoon just hanging out and talking. At the end of the day, we were only able to go to the botanical gardens for a half-an-hour or so before they closed. So, for all intents and purposes, we ended up blowing off the festival, which we really didn’t mind — we were having a better time with the Glasgows anyway.

Posted by Thom at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was Jenny Foote's 30th birthday and despite being a school night (and class night for me), Beth and I joined her fiancée and fellow friends in celebration. It was good to spend some with the Jens, Danny and a specially-visiting Kate Levering. Happy birthday, Jen. Glad you could join the rest of us on this side of the hill (your next, Kate).

Posted by Thom at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week, while on a walk in Fair Oaks Park with Seamus, Beth's father Don noticed a couple of the neighborhood felines tormenting what at first glance appeared to a big bag of fur. After chasing them off, Don and Seamus discovered that the fuzz pile was in fact a pet bunny that had either escaped or someone had let loose open the world's clover crop. With pity filling his heart Don took the bunny home, much to Betty's delight.

Now it was true that years ago, the Manning household was a veritable menagerie of the animal kingdom. There was Desmond the frog. Algernon the snake. And, of course and the ducks, Katie and Jonny. But with the kids out of the house and traveling in their hearts, the Mannings really have room for only one pet. While Seamus will miss his living chase toy, the Mannings had no choice but to hand him over to the SPCA where Rabbit (as he is affectionately know) will either make someone a nice pet or a nice stew.

Posted by Thom at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If you haven't already noticed, there hasn't been anything too interesting about me lately — at least, nothing interesting enough to blog about. But, that doesn't mean things aren't going on near me.

Last week it was Enrique and his new daughter (he's sitting right next to me now, so that's pretty darn near me). This time, its a double whammy from Nat and his posse at the Eclipse Theatre Company. First off, their performance of Pearl Cleage's Blues for an Alabama Sky is getting spectacular reviews from the likes of the Chicago Tribune and comes highly recommended by the we-don't-like-anything Chicago Sun Times. Shows run through April 28th at the The Victory Gardens (that's in Chicago - duh) and it sounds like one of the must-see shows this season. Secondly, Nat has just been named the new Artistic Director of Eclipse. Nat plans to use his new found position to guide the future of Eclipse and maintain its momentum of high acclaim and achievement while smiting his enemies. All hail Nat.

Posted by Thom at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adding to "the everyone else is having a baby category," I am happy to announce the addition of Isabel Marie de la Huelga to the world. And although her name is large, Isabel is not. Coming in at around 6 lbs, 8 oz. the little thing (and her mother) are healthy and doing fine. Congratulations, Jessica and Enrique! Beth and I couldn't be happier for you.

Update: In case you skip out on the comments, Jessica and Enrique are sharing pictures of their new lord and master here.

Posted by Thom at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

In exchange for missing out on Jim's birthday, Beth I and I got to hang out with Kevin Menzie on Sunday night. Kevin was in town for a photo shoot (I'll let him explain that to you) and seeing as I was looking down the barrel of a busy week at the office, it was probably my one chance to see him.

We took Kevin to Mama Mexico for a little mariachi and margaritas (we got plenty of both) and we were lucky enough to expand our little class reunion with the recently wed Adam Kaufman and his wife Paula.

Adam was one of those college friends for whom, every now and then you think, "Gee, Kaufman was a good guy. I wonder what ever happened to him?" Kevin had managed to stay close with Adam while I had unfortunately lost touch. Then one day last year, I bumped in to him (and scared the hell out of him) rushing through a movie theater men's room before seeing Syriana. He had just moved to New York with his girlfriend (guess who that was) and although we talked about hanging out, we never did quite follow through. Flash forward a year later, and it takes a visit from Kevin to finally get us together. I hope we can hang out again with Adam and Paula again before Kevin comes back.

Posted by Thom at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This last weekend was supposed to the big 65th birthday party for Jim Honen (Beth's uncle). Intended as a surprise by his wife Sue, the gathering in Ogunquit, Maine had been planned for months in advance with guests coming from as far away as California. The only thing that wasn't planned for was Winter's one last hurrah in the form of a classic cold-weather Nor'easter. With our clothes laid out on the bed waiting to be packed, we checked and rechecked the weather maps trying to anticipate the drive from New York. After much soul searching (and after Don Manning's flight was cancelled and Betty was rear-ended on the road outside Boston), we decided to cancel the drive. It was a disappointing choice to make, but we feel it was the safer one.

Happy birthday, Jim. Sorry we didn't make it. We'll make it up to you once the snow melts.

Posted by Thom at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Along with our good friends Dan and Matt, Beth and I attended the wedding celebration of Kim (seen singing to your left) and Rich Marin this past Saturday. Both wonderful people and certainly deserving of each other (I'm talking about Kim and Rich here), we were happy to share in their big celebration.

And if that wasn't enough, we had a visit from Johnica Wyrranza (also know as Monica Carranza and John Wyman) from Chicago. In town for a social event of their own, we got them all to ourselves on Sunday night and took them out to Paradou, our favorite French restaurant. We pretty much had the place to ourselves so, after a loud and obnoxious evening, we made certain that Monica and John got thoroughly drunk before they staggered back to their hotel along the cobble-stoned streets of the meat packing district. Good times... good times.

Posted by Thom at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This weekend past, we fled the barren and wintry north to pay my mother a visit in sunny South Florida. Mom's been snowbirding her way down to Naples for three years now and Beth and I are currently following an every-other-year visitation plan. It's a relaxing change of pace for us — chatting with my mom, walking through the mangrove forests and along the beaches of Naples in between sessions of stuffing ourselves with rich food. Granted if mom wasn't there, Naples wouldn't be our scene — it's a little too opulent for our tastes. But then again, we didn't go there for the scene. The important thing is that mom enjoys hereself down there we got to see her enjoyment first hand. It was a good visit.

Posted by Thom at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...or so Andrew and Amanda claimed it was going to be. Instead, they decided to play it safe and disappoint the espionage world by naming their new son Jacob Samuel Glasgow. Born at 9:13AM Eastern Standard Time this morning, little Jake came in at 8lbs, 2.5 oz. Healthy but exhausted, mother and son (oh yeah, and dad too) are doing fine.

Congratulations Andrew and Amanda!

Posted by Thom at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After what seems like an eternity, Beth took a giant leap toward completing her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. With her last year of class work about to wrap up, the only things that stands between her and whatever Dr. Manning jokes I can think of are completing her doctoral thesis and her internship (the equivalent of a residency in medicine). Today, she found out that she will be interning at the Manhattan VA Medical Center, working her way through three rotations in outpatient/ inpatient, health and neuro-psychologies.

She began the process of applying to internships over a year ago and despite all of her hard work, she was never guaranteed a spot. In the final process, both Beth and the institutions she applied to provide a list of their top picks to APPIC and if there's a match, she gets her internship. The whole experience falls somewhere between buying a lottery ticket and rushing a sorority. It's a scarey process but in any case, she's in. Congratulations, Beth!

Posted by Thom at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Before I let too much time slip away (and it may be debatable that I already have), I wanted to mention our little visitor from last week. Beth's mother, Betty, flew in from California to enjoy our couch and a whirlwind of Broadway shows. My own personal tastes and religious practices demand I abstain from musicals so I missed out on all of the festivities, but from what I gather Beth and her mother had fun. Unfortunately we couldn’t always be there to show Betty around but, considering that this was hardly her first visit to New York, I think she fared allright. Good shows, good food, good company — a good time was had by all. Thanks for the visit, Betty.

Posted by Thom at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The answer, of course, is yes.

Today is my Grandma Kennedy's 95 birthday. A feat unto itself, the most amazing thing is that she is as sharp and funny as she ever was — she still does the New York Times crossword puzzle, albeit in big print. Beth and I got the chance to visit with her over the summer and although she is a little shorter and a little more frail than I remember, she is still every bit the Grandma of my childhood. If my fate is generous, I've managed to inherit some of those genes. Happy birthday, Grandma.

Posted by Thom at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

See you next near — that inane phrase that everyone dreads but, someone always utters before you take one last walk out of the office for the holidays. You may have done it yourself — you know who you are!

Well now that they're officially over, I hope everyone had respectively pleasant holidays. Beth and I spent ours out in California as guests of the Mannings. Joined by my mother, we made our way out to Sacramento on Christmas Eve and spent the following week visiting with friends and the immediate Manning family.

Beth's parents are in the middle of remodeling their house and I have to give props to Betty for getting everything together in time for Christmas. It was a monumental undertaking and it did not go unappreciated by Beth, my mother or myself. We had an excellent and loot-filled, if not interesting time. Everyone got to chase Seamus the family dog around while he attempted to make chew toys out a stolen personal items (Christmas gloves for Beth and a cashmere sweater for my mom). We went to a midnight mass where the priest berated the congregation for not responding loud enough. And Beth's father had a blender full of cocktail blow up on him. And now for the interesting moments... Actually, the only real tragedies were the unrelated illnesses suffered by Beth and my mom on the trip home. They're getting better. See you this year.

Posted by Thom at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With Chanukah just behind us and Christmas just ahead, I thought it was about high time that I got of my butt to wish everyone a Happy Holidays and a Fabulous New Year. Many of our dear friends and family have been so generous and thoughtful about sending us cards (many of them containing newly minted pictures of their newly minted children) and we just wanted to say that we're thinking about you too. It's just that we've been much too busy to say it card form. So enjoy the best year-in-review specials that cable TV has to offer and we'll see you next year.

A special shout out to our friends that are overseas, especially John Hotek who is serving in Afghanistan and Mark Maher who is pulling teeth in Iraq — stay safe guys.

Posted by Thom at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now that my excuses have run out, it's time to do a little catching up...

For Thanksgiving, Beth and I meet up with my mother, my sister and her family a-ways down south in Maryland. Anne was gracious enough to host this year's feast and so we packed the Jello molds in the car and headed down the Jersey Turnpike along with half the traveling residents of the Northeastern United States. What can I say about a good Thanksgiving meal that hasn't already been said... mmm, stuffing. A good time was had. I even had time to squeeze in a little rock-scramble of a hike along the cliffs of the Potomac.

Posted by Thom at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Never one's to sit still, Beth and I drove up to Syracuse this weekend to attend the wedding of our friends Liz Pagedas and Greg Schmalbach. We already knew that Liz was Greek (come on, her last name is Pagedas) but we didn't realize just how Greek she was. The ceremony, both beautiful and fascinating from my Catholic point of view, was performed in a Greek Orthodox Church. And the reception... man do Greeks know how to party. Although we bowed out for the traditional Greek dances, we had a fantastic time. Greg and Liz are a great couple and we wish them all the best. Opa!

Posted by Thom at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Roughly six month ago, our good friends Dan and Matt brought a female boxer named Lilly home as a companion for their first dog, a rescued greyhound by the name of Sam. Things went well at first — the dogs played well together and Sam showed signs of greater socialization. But time together in small, New York-style living conditions has taken a toll on the dogs and there simply isn't enough room in Dan and Matt's home for both Lilly and Sam to peacefully coexist. Sadly, one of them must be given up for adoption and, being loyal to their first, that dog is Lilly.

I have had a lifetime of first hand experience with boxers — growing up, one of best friends had one named Hash Brown. Boxers tend to be sweet, affectionate, drolly dogs. Lilly has the first two in spades (and, thank God, none of the last). Very intelligent and quiet, Lilly is a wonderful dog that both Beth and I would vouch for. We want to see her go to a good home and, considering her experiences, it should be a home where she is the only pet. If you or someone you know in the greater New York area would be interested, you can find out more about Lilly on her Pet Finder posting.

Posted by Thom at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Friday, Beth and I spent about 2 hours on the phone with our good friend Tim Shriver. This was the first time we've talked with Tim since our wedding 3 years ago when he fled overseas to avoid buying us a gift. Oh yeah, and he also selfishly joined the Peace Corps. Stationed in the Moroccan mountains about 15 hours from Tangiers, Tim spent his 2-year commitment as an English teacher and coordinator-extraordinaire of various children's community groups. Learning Arabic and immersing himself in the Moroccan culture, he comes away (presumably) a different man.

Tim then spent the next year finding his way home by way of Granada and is currently in Chicago visiting Nat, who was kind enough to loan his cell phone to our marathon conversation (and was summarily ignored). Understandably, Tim is now experiencing a bit of culture shock and, having spent more time abroad than most do in lifetime, having a bit of a conundrum as to what to do next. Do whatever makes you happy Tim, just so long as you do it here.

Welcome back.

Posted by Thom at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Always a glutton for punishment, the day after I drug Kevin all over lower Manhattan, Beth and I planned a hiking trip with our friend Amy. This little adventure had been set into motion weeks before and, no matter how tired I was, I wasn't getting out of it. Besides, I really wanted to get out of the city.

I took them up to one of my favorite hikes in Harriman State Park. I nice little ridge scramble with fantastic views of Bear Mountain to the north and the Hudson River Valley to the east. The payoff is a gentle downhill return along an old fire access road. Years before, I had sent Beth and Amy on an unguided attempt of this trail but, they got lost and ended up riding the carousel at the Bear Mountain Lodge. No detours this time — everything went off without a hitch. Outside of some turkey vultures tearing apart a recently departed ground hog and higher than expected temperatures, a good time was had by all.

Posted by Thom at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past week, my good friend Kevin was in town working on-site for a New York based client and visiting with friends. We both had Friday free from working and that was my turn with him… and I was going to work him good.

I meet up with Kevin at his uncle Joe’s apartment (yes, that’s Joe’s Apartment) in the West Village before heading over to The Magnolia Bakery for some breakfast cupcakes and coffee. We then hopped on the 1 to South Ferry for a round-trip ride on the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty and Governor’s Island. Back on solid ground, we walked around Battery Park, past Castle Clinton and up through Battery Park City to rest our souls at Trinity Church. Sanctified, we headed over to relax for a while and enjoy a burger and beer at the touristy South Street Seaport. Sitting outside, we got to share our afternoon with a mime who fell every time a dish was broken and a table of bums who had scrounged enough change off tourists to enjoy some pints at the Heartland Brewery. After our meal, we visited New York City’s African Burial Ground on our way to wandering around China Town to duck into junk shops and enjoy the smells day old fish. We finally picked up some gelato in Little Italy before heading up to Union Square to shop and join Beth for sushi.

...and to think that we never even made it to Midtown.

Posted by Thom at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

In the past, I have mentioned Nat's theater company, Eclipse, and the acclaimed work that they do. Committing each season to single a playwright, they have received great acclaim for their ability to immerse themselves and their audience into the overarching themes and ideas of these authors

I have also pointed you to Nat's own work on The Sweetest Swing in Baseball and his fantastically documented director notes. With his blog, A Contemplative Tern, Nat shared the artistic process he experienced in bring this play to the stage.

Now, these two great taste come together at long last with the Eclipse Theatre Company blog. This blog will give you insight into their current projects and, they hope, will further involve their audience and continue the discussion beyond their staged performance. I have long been a supporter of the theater and, in particular Eclipse — not only because I have seen their work first hand but, because of Nat and my respect for his own art. Check them out.

Posted by Thom at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like Christy and Mark just days before them, yet another set of good friends leaves New York for good. Maggie and Jeff Hoder had been our downstairs neighbors for nearly five years and in that time, they got married and gave birth to their adorable little girl, Emily. Jeff won a teaching position at Emory University’s prestigious Physical Therapy department and they are now headed to Atlanta to enjoy a life of bigger, better and more Southern things. We may have taken their friendship and proximity for granted but, we wish them nothing but the best.

Posted by Thom at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As if it were the theme this summer, Beth and I took the weekend to attend yet another good friend’s wedding. This time, we were in Chicago to watch Monica Carranza, one of my best friends from high school marry John Wyman, a good friend in his own right.

The wedding was a blast. John has roughly 3251 members in his immediate family and if you shut your eyes, all of the men sound exactly like John. Throw the Carranzas and some of Monica’s nuttier friends from high school in the mix, and you’ve got yourself a party. The ceremony was held out at Promontory Point in a beautifully rustic, lakeside field house that in all my years living in Chicago, I never knew existed. Against that backdrop, the ceremony started. Monica was beautiful as her father gave her away. Vows were exchanged. Tears were shed. John was happy. And a little church-tongue was used. Awwww…

The reception was held at the historic Pump Room where, once I overcame my initial disappointment that there were in fact no pumps, I was greatly impressed with the classiness of da joint. When you’ve come to expect chewy chicken and cold potatoes at weddings, I must say that our meal at the Pump room was amazing. With the booze flowing and the couple schmoozing, Beth and I actually made out to the dance floor, despite our Quaker beliefs (that is, once the DJ found her Alternative 80’s CD). And, the best part was that Beth got to meet — and I got to see — a lot of good people from my high school years that I wasn’t sure I’d ever spend time with again.

We even had time to squeeze in an afternoon Cubs game with Nat. Despite 95º temps and standing room tickets, the Cubs actually managed to win one against the Mets. Cap it all off with a little private bride-and-groom time followed by a drunken-cabie ride back to our hotel, and the weekend was complete.

Mazel tov.

Posted by Thom at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like rats, yet another one of our friends is departing the sinking ship that is New York. This time, Christy Meyer and her boyfriend Mark are packing up and shipping out to London, where Mark will be going to medical school. Christy still needs to figure precisly what she is going to do in London but, she does have a number of possibilties including — but not limited to — the role of a lovable, young chimney sweep named Bert.

Posted by Thom at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On a separate and sadder note, while visiting my mom this weekend I found out that one of dad’s dear friends and life-long sailing buddies, James “Duff” Duffy, had passed away. I spent many Wednesday and Saturday afternoons listening to my dad and Duff BS their way back and forth across Brookville Lake. I learned that every idea has many sides and that you can find humor in anything. Sailing with the two of them are some of my fondest memories.

What made this bit of news personally hard for me was that, among all of my father’s friends, Duff was the only one that I could call me friend as well. Wherever they are, I hope they have a good steady wind.

Posted by Thom at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over the father’s day weekend, Beth’s father decided that a cheap tie and an even cheaper greeting card weren’t going to cut it this year. Instead, he went out on his own initiative and treated himself to a brand new Ford Model A (well, new for him anyway). While the 1927 Model A pictured to the left is not Don’s car itself, it is the exact make, year and color as Don’s right down to the rumble seat and faux-convertible top.

Apparently and unbeknownst to me, owning a Model A has been a life-long dream for Don. Unfortunately, while on the way to getting his new car registered, it died and Don had to have it towed home on a flatbed. I guess they just don’t make them like they used to.

Posted by Thom at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This Wednesday past was the summer equinox and it just so happens that, as the longest day of the year, it was also our wedding anniversary.

To celebrate, Beth and I went to Churrascaria Plataforma for diner. It would seem that the first three years of our marriage flew by in such a blur that Beth somehow forgot that she was a vegetarian. Churrascaria Plataforma is a Brazilian steakhouse where waiters run around with swords run trough every kind of meat imaginable, and it is a competitive sport for them to pile as much of it on your plate as possible.

And if you don’t already believe that Beth has lost her marbles for just setting foot in the place, she actually liked it better than I did. For all it’s impeccable service (and all of it’s meat) Churrascaria Plataforma felt like a glorified (and over priced) cafeteria to me.

Oh, well. At least the company was nice.

Posted by Thom at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

No Kevin has not been re-designed but, his blog has. It has a sharp new look and he has done a great job reorganizing it to showcase his illustration talents. Check it out.

Posted by Thom at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have spent the last two weekends out of town. The most recent of which, Beth and I traveled to Berkley, California for the wedding of our good friends Matt and Rachel. Beth went to high school with Matt (go BV!) and he stood in at our wedding as Beth’s Matron of Honor (to this day, he bemoans that we didn’t let him wear a dress). This time around, Beth had the honor of reading for them.

Despite the threat of rain, the ceremony went off beautifully against the backdrop of the Berkley Botanical Garden’s redwood grove. Although a bit exhausted by a weekend of cross-country travel, we had a great time – Beth’s high school friends along with Matt and Rachel's families are a good group. Mazel tov.

Posted by Thom at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If indeed that is the case, then my friend Enrique's Flickr post is worth about two thousand words. Ok, so it's just a beginning but, Enrique's artistry as photographer is undeniable and certainly worth repeat visits as he posts more pictures. Worthy of professional standing, when I asked him once why he never transitioned from being an amateur, he mumbled something about needing to eat. I guess Annie Leibovitz has cornered all of the good gigs.

Posted by Thom at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Another day, another birthday(s). We went to a 60th birthday party for our friends, Sandy and Evan today. So as not to prematurely age them, that’s a combined birthday party – they’re only thirty each. This year, Beth and I will turn a collective 62 but, we won’t be having a joint gathering. Beth wants her own party for purely selfish reasons

Outside of the creative age-based marketing spin, what really made this party interesting was that Sandy and Evan decided to hire a magician to go around to various congregations and interject a trick or two into the conversation. However, this created an inherent paradox in the event as we were celebrating a 60th birthday and one expects magicians to only perform at children’s events. Needless to say, the universe nearly collapsed

Posted by Thom at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)