Miss Rachel

I’ve been holding off from posting because I don’t know how to combine my usual food and fitness-focused subject matter with the sad news of Sweetie’s uncle’s death which occurred a little over a week ago. So I’m just doing a post about that, and we’ll get back to “regularly scheduled programming” next time.

This death was very sudden and unexpected so it was especially hard for everyone.  He had a great family: a wife, six children and seventeen grandchildren.  He was also very well known and respected in the community- a former judge who belonged to a number of clubs and served on a bunch of committees.  Hundreds of people came to the wake and the funeral.  Sweetie was a pallbearer.

One good thing about events like this is that they put things in perspective and remind us of what’s really important in this life: our families and other loved ones.

Last Sunday was the O’Hartford Race.  I did not run it, but I did go to support Sweetie (who finished in under 30 minutes – w00t!).  I usually think St. Patrick’s Day is kind of silly, but I have to admit that despite the chilly, gray weather, the atmosphere was fun and the good time was contagious. Lots of funny costumes and a mini race featuring people running with glasses of beer on trays, trying not to spill. I decided that I want run this race next year (the 5K part, not beer on trays part).

I sent Sweetie off to the start and then I watched an Irish string trio and got a Hooker Ale before heading off to the arch to cheer people on. I managed to see Sweetie and get his attention too.  Then I walked to the finish line to meet him and passed by this cool sign with arrows pointing to various attractions in Hartford.

We saw people heading to an Irish pub, but we headed home after the race and I made up some yummy guacamole which we enjoyed while watching a Dr. Katz Professional Therapist video.

After the guacamole and video, we took a nap together.  It was a good day.

On Thursday Sweetie and I went to New York with a friend of ours to go to the opera among other things.  Sweetie and she planned this trip months ago so all I had to do was arrange for pet care (my mom did the honors) and pack a bag.  Our friend wanted to drive – !  Driving in New York sounds scary to me, but we said OK, if that’s what you want to do and she did a great job of it.  We even found a parking space not far from where we were staying.

Our friend goes to New York frequently, and we stayed (in adjoining rooms) in the hotel she always stays at (the people there knew her on sight) on the Upper West Side.  It’s a no frills kind of place with bumpy paint on the walls and somewhat cramped rooms, but the people who worked there were friendly, and it was clean and it was cheap by New York standards.  We also had a great view.

How you'd like to have this for a patio?

New York roof tops from our hotel room.

Once in the city, we walked everywhere.  That afternoon we went to Zabar’s – so fun, so New York!  Not a lot of vegan stuff there, but Sweetie and I did get some rye bread (it’s delicious) and dark chocolate.  For dinner we walked to Lincoln Center and had dinner at Rosa Mexicano.   We had guacamole (which they make right at your table), frozen pomegranate margaritas and vegetable enchiladas.  Loved this restaurant – delicious food, good, fast service and clean bathrooms.

After dinner it was on to the opera at the Met. This was only my second time to the opera. The first time was in high school and our seats were miles away.  This time we were on the balcony, but closer to the front, and our friend had opera glasses that she shared with us. We saw The Barber of Seville, a light, comedic opera.

Here’s a not very clear photo of me inside the Met.

Afterward we had long, cold walk back to our hotel. It was only about a mile and a half, but it seemed long because my ears were freezing.  I would have been OK if I had a hat or scarf, but silly me, I didn’t bring either.

The next morning our friend made coffee on a coffee maker she brought herself (remember the hotel was no frills).  She was so well prepared.  We has stopped at a 24-hour grocery store on the way back from the Met so I could get some vegan creamer.  Then we met her cousin for breakfast at a diner where the only vegan thing I could have was a bagel or toast with jelly or French fries so I had the fries.

Then it was back home to Connecticut.  We were gone all of about 24 hours, but what a 24 hours they were.  We definitely want to do this again some time.