For better or worse, summertime is one of the few times when things slow down just a bit in NYC.

You can get in at some restaurants you might not otherwise.

Lots of fresh fish is in season.

And it’s the perfect season to go in pursuit of the best lobster roll.

Last we discussed lobster rolls, I’d tried a roll out in the Hamptons and enjoyed the ambiance of the place but was looking for more from my crustacean on a bun.

[The word crustacean will always remind me of this fine gentleman.]

And I digress.

The other night, I went on a lovely date to The Mermaid Inn to continue the Great Lobster Roll Hunt of 2K13. This one is on brioche, not a hot dog bun, but other than that, it was damn good. Though I usually love me some French fries–especially ones with Old Bay–the seasoning on these was just a bit too heavy-handed for me.

Mermaid Inn gives you one free side per table with a Foursquare checkin, so we got kale and asparagus on the side.

Cute touches:

You get one of those floppy fish fortune tellers at the end of your meal.

As well as a little chocolate pudding. I honestly think the last time I had chocolate pudding was a Jell-O pudding in high school, and this was just a little bit better than that.

The other great perk to summertime in NYC is that with many people out in the Hamptons, fitness studios are doing some awesome deals.

Revolve is running discounts on their classes through the end of August.

My lovely lady friends at Uplift are also running a great 1/2 price off deal on all off-peak classes until Labor Day! (Let me know if you want to go together! I haven’t been since I started marathon training but really need to get back!) One of their co-founders, the super-sweet and adorable Leanne, has also started a running class on Monday nights in Central Park. She runs a 3:29 marathon, so she kinda knows what she’s talking about.

NYC friends: favorite lobster roll!? Any other fitness deals we should know about?

Everyone else: favorite summer food? How does summer change your fitness routine/any awesome deals in your town?

A little over three years ago, I went to a yoga event in Central Park with a girl named Ashley who I followed on Twitter. We realized we were both training for our first marathons and we both were in Junior League, and we had a lot in common.

I had no idea responding to a tweet would bring me one of my closest friends.

A week or so later, we met up for a mani/pedi and gabbed the entire time.

We became fast friends as we ran together for hours and hours and hours…

We had our worst long run ever together.

We went to Vermont together.

And Vegas.

We spoke on a panel together. (And then again, in 2012.)

We went to St. Croix …

…and then she and a few other friends surprised me with a trip to Puerto Rico for my 30th birthday.

You don’t really take pictures of the bad times, but like any other friendship, ours had ups and downs too, and we also helped each other through tough situations in each other’s lives.

But then, several weeks ago, I helped throw a goodbye party for her, because she moved to Geneva yesterday.

Driving back into the city on Sunday, New York State of Mind came on my iPod just as the skyline came into view, and it hit me: my friend who’d I’d g-chatted and texted with daily and shared my ups and downs with for the past three years was leaving.

She asked me to come over yesterday while the movers were there, and, duh.

I hoped if I pouted enough, she wouldn’t leave, but that didn’t happen.

Laura and I walked them out to this mean car that whisked them away to the airport, and we all shared an incredibly emotional goodbye on the street.

I’ve told her multiple times that I think Geneva is silly (because duh, it’s not here, where I am) but, in reality, I’m really excited for her and Bo and proud of them for taking a huge risk to uproot their lives and start over thousands of miles away in new countries and I know they will be just fine over there! And I’m still only a gchat away.

BRB, going to go cry more into my coffee.