Oof, so much as been happening over the last few months, I more or less forgot all about updating this. But, I'll do a quick recap now, as JV are looking forward to an exciting fall, and I want us all caught up.
In mid-March I made the decision to return to graduate school, for a Masters In Teaching. I applied and was accepted to both Brooklyn College and Fordham University, and decided to return to my alma mater (Fordham.) My initial focus will be Childhood, Grades 1 - 6, a change from my previous early education background and very different from my current occupation (program coordination of health and mental health services for adolescents and young adults.) The full program will take two years to complete, which includes a year of student teaching. My first two courses were in late May and June, each meeting twice a week for 2.5 hours. It was a bit of a whirlwind: getting to work by 7:30 so I could leave at 3:30, praying for no MTA issues from the UES to the UWS, and settling in for 5 hours of learning. I enjoyed the classes a great deal though, and was awarded to As (whoop whoop!) for my efforts. Not Too Old To Teach will (eventually) have a more detailed accounting of going back to school. A final note on this: late night reading and writing sessions are totally different a few months shy of 30 compared to 20! Work at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center is still good, and my boss was very supportive and flexible with my return to school. This is both wonderful and sad, as she is departed at the close of July to relocate to Florida with her husband. She is the best boss I have had and will greatly miss her guidance during my tenure at MSAHC.
JV was also quite busy throughout the spring preparing for the Apple Watch launch. This included a few trips to California for top-secret time in an Apple lab, where he was able to test his company's app. as they worked on them. And then a couple of crazy weeks (with late nights) as they did their final builds and submitted to Apple. He came out the other side though, and has a new Apple watch to run with. Jared went to the annual Behance 99U Conference, and we both went to conference after party at MoMa, where Questlove DJ'ed (?) for a bit. He was also busy helping his Mom and Dad build a website for their new business, The Grey Antler, a unique online interior design store. Mindi has fantastic taste, and a keen eye for interior design, and embarked on this new venture in June.
Looping back to running and the previous blog post, I survived the Brooklyn Marathon! It was a challenge to say the least, and it took a few days before my legs were back to normal, but it felt pretty awesome to complete it. Official time was 2:19, and I ran faster than I expected to, at least at the beginning of the race. It was really hard to maintain my own pace, given the corral I started in, the pace of the runners around me, and the adrenaline of the morning. I definitely want to run another half marathon, and am looking towards the Bay Ridge Half in early October. It is nice to have something to work towards, and getting a few runs in each week (with JV now too) makes me feel so much better (though maybe just a bit achy in the knees.)
Summer has been great so far. Over Memorial Day weekend we did a quick overnight trip to Virginia and visited with Lisa and Chris and Rachel and Nick. We took in a Nationals game with the group, toured Old Town Alexandria with Rachel and Nick and had a casual dinner on Saturday. On Sunday morning JV and I did a quick walk past the White House (we stayed in DC at the Intercontinental - perk of JV's continued travel) before heading out to Lisa and Chris's apartment, and eventually to the Virginia wine country. We all enjoyed the afternoon at Cana Vineyards, before heading back to NY.
June highlights included Mumford and Sons at MCU Park in Coney Island with Katie, Katie and Ally to kick off Mumford's new album, Wilder Mind, portions of which were recorded in Brooklyn. It was an AWESOME show, and more bands should do concerts at that location. We also took in a Yankee game with Tim and Cassie, Bob, Greg, and Little Doutney, and some of Tim's family and friends. It was a great night for a Yankee game, and a few minutes before the game started, we watched American Pharoah win the Triple Crown from Billy's Bar across from Yankee Stadium. If I couldn't be there in person, I at least had to see it happen live, and it was an exciting moment. JV and I enjoyed a Friday night in Prospect Park listening to the New York Philharmonic and taking in a fireworks show, as part of their annual Concerts In The Park summer series. Our late June-early July staycation (when Adobe shuts down and JV is off) highlights include seeing Dope and Inside Out and finally using JV's gift certificate to Bouley - a 30th Birthday gift from Mindi and Rich. We had a wonderful 3-course meal before catching a few glimpses of the 4th of July fireworks. In early June we bought the Empire Passport and have been getting our money's worth ($60) by hitting up Jones Beach and Robert Moses almost every weekend. A few weekends ago we also ventured waaay out east, to Hither Hills in Montauk, and later in the day we hiked to Ditch Plains Beach (also in Montauk) and LOVED it. A beach day in Montauk was totally worth our super early morning wake up and long 3+ hour ride home, and I am already trying to plan a weeks vacation their next summer. It was surprisingly peaceful for the East End of Long Island.
Looking back on the family and friend celebration front we had Easter Brunch in Brooklyn with the Menghini crew, a nice change of pace. We visited Massachusetts for the day in early May for Caden's and Abigail's baptism, and celebrated Mother's Day with dinner at the Gillece's with my parents and Grandma. I also had an opportunity to visit with some of my former HFH colleagues at the 1st Birthday for Diana J.'s little guy Xavi, which was a nice afternoon in Westchester. More recently was Ashlyn's bridal shower, which was a lovely afternoon, and an opportunity to visit with all of the Verdi's - close and extended - that we do not see often enough. I attended Brigid's baby shower, just about 6 weeks out from when her and Jeff's little guy is scheduled to arrive. Entertainment in April included seeing Chicago with Katie W. and Katie D., old school sure, but still a good show, and lunch before at Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen. And saw Trainwreck with Katie W. as July came to a close. (P.S. Trainwreck is laugh-out-loud funny; go see it!)
Photos from the spring, and first half of summer are below! Enjoy!
