Tag Archives: family

Another Birthday Celebration

Heading out to NJ last night was part to celebrate my parents’ anniversary and part to celebrate my birthday just one more time. (Their insistence, not mine. I didn’t mind, however.)

We usually go to a few tried and true restaurants, but last night we tried a new place a few towns over, in Wayne, called Aldo’s.

My dad and I, per usual, started with the mozzarella carrozza. It’s kind of our benchmark of a good Italian restaurant. If they’re good at this, then they’re probably good at everything else.

Well, the mozzarella carrozza wasn’t so good. My mom’s stuffed artichoke was okay, if you’re into that kind of thing.

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Knowing I had a big day of eating coming up today, I decided to go for as light an entree as possible. I got the orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage. Everything else was fairly traditional Italian–heavy on the sauce, breading and cheese.

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This photo doesn’t really show scale, but they brought out a really tiny fork. I was confused.

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Usually when I’m home, my mom will make my breakfast, but we were busy cleaning the house for company today, so I made my own breakfast.

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Yeah, I don’t get too creative before coffee. And this is a white English muffin. Boooo white bread.

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Bailey and I split some turkey bacon. This wasn’t supposed to be an action shot, but I forgot to tell him that.

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Roast chicken and sausage and peppers.

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A sandwich platter.

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Baked ziti.

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My plate–a little of everything.

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Bailey’s cousin Teddy (named after me!) and my cousin Eddie.

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Olive!

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The fam.

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The cake, which kind of turned into ice cream soup. Those flowers are supposed to be much higher.

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It may have been a bit of a cakewreck, but it was still yummy.

And after a bunch of heavy food, it’s most definitely time for sleep.

They Can’t All Be Good…

This morning, I had 10 miles on my schedule for my upcoming half-marathons. I was planning on running it with Ashley, Melissa and Ali, but it ended up just being me and Ashley–which felt a lot like marathon training.

I went out for sushi last night with Eileen and then stayed up late hanging out with Michelle and friends in my building. I climbed into bed at 2am, and set my alarm for 7–earlier than I wake up for work some days.

I woke up at 7 fairly sure I was certifiably crazy. Five hours sleep to run 10 miles? Probably not my smartest move ever. I ran the 1.5 miles to meet Ashley at her apartment and then we set out for what was supposed to be another 8.5 miles but ended up being another 9 miles. (If you plan a route at 2am, you will miscalculate. That is a scientific fact.)

(photo from a much warmer day in front of her apartment)

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I absolutely made every rookie mistake in this run.

  • I didn’t sleep enough.
  • I didn’t fuel enough. I had a random oats ‘n’ honey bar that I found in my medicine cabinet this morning and then only half a Gu, because my stomach was a little unsettled.
  • I probably didn’t drink enough water.

The company, of course, was great, but the run just sucked. About two miles after leaving Ashley’s, I found the only patch of ice left in Manhattan, and I bit it–HARD. Not only did I fall, but I somehow took Ashley down with me, too. My right knee hit the pavement, and I had visions of never running again. Somehow I kicked over a trash can, too. I stood up, AND A MAN WAS LAUGHING AT ME. LAUGHING. As I gingerly stood up and clearly was trying to see if I was hurt or not. Ashley and I were fuming and starting walking again. I have a bruise on my knee, but otherwise am fine. The rest of the run just felt like it took forever and my legs were lead.

We ran down to the tip (just the tip), passed my old apartment and ran back up the west side back to my current apartment, where THE RUN FINALLY ENDED. (It didn’t feel like it ever would.) We ended up running a total of 10.5 miles.

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Ash came in to use the bathroom and snuggle with Bailey a little bit, and take this super-cute pic of Bailey “helping” me stretch before she left to finish her own run.

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I had my usual bagel (no photo today, sorry), did a little shopping with Jen, and now I’m out in NJ to celebrate my parents’ 33rd anniversary.

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Doesn’t my dad look a little Ron Burgundy here???