Governor's Island and Statue of Liberty

For Tony's last and final visit, we continued seeing some of the most popular tourist sites. It was an action-packed two weeks despite that fact that I had the flu. We spent one day walking around Governor's Island and visiting a festival there. We went to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We also went to see Redhook via the Ikea ferry.

Teva Turns 40

My college pal, Teva, turned 40 in April. She had a big shindig at her apartment in Brooklyn were there was excellent food. Several people came in from LA to celebrate with her. It was a blast!

Nautical Bling in Greenport, NY

The weekend before Memorial Day, Christine had her "Nautical Bling" birthday party at her beautiful home, Rose Cottage, in Greenport, NY. Dress code was nautical bling, which was interpreted differently be each person.

The weather was warm and sunny for the most part. It clouded up a little, but got sunny again and stayed that way. Rain could have been an issue as nearly 80 people were coming.

Christine, who is an artist an set stylist, has a beautiful home and garden. With the help of her family and friends, it was even more beautiful for her party. There were umbrellas and tables and lamps outside making cozy corners to talk or take photos. The food was under a roofless structure with gauzy curtains around it and a chandelier in the middle.

Jeff set up a photo booth, where everyone posed for the camera and took funny photos near the food table. Nearly 600 photos were taken that night at the photo booth. It was interesting to see the different poses people chose.

The night got a little chilly, so someone lit a little fire. Christine made a fish soup for everyone at around 10 p.m. People put on their sweaters and ate their soup near the fire.

The next day, there was a brunch in the backyard and more fun. I had to get back home, so I hopped onto the jitney while the others left for brunch.

Self Workout in the Park

Every year, Elaine and Gina and I and a group of Elaine's friends go to "Workout in the Park" in Central Park. There are unique classes provided by Crunch all day long on the main stage as well as other areas.

The main stage has the aerobics, including bollywood dancing, 80s hip hop and a Glee inspired class. There is a quiet area under the trees with yoga and Pilates; urban rebounding and other things. In addition, there are vendors with samples of all kinds of healthy foods, make up and skin care stuff. We usually stay there for the entire day doing all the classes on the main stage.

Easter in NJ

We celebrated Easter at my parents' house in New Jersey this year. Pete, Liz, Jill and Paige, Jeff and Lynn, Aunt Kathryn, Neema and Nancy and my sister were all there. We ate the traditional Slovak meal (with an American twist) that we usually have.

It was excellent to see everyone, especially Nancy and Neema, who we don't get to see very often. Little Neema is growing up fast and cuter than ever. It was a food-filled and relaxing day in NJ that I think everyone enjoyed.

Central Park in April

Tony came to visit in April and we spent one of the days while he was here exploring Central Park. It's always nice to have visitors so that you are forced to do all those things in NYC that you never remember to do while you live here. In the photo above, I'm on the long winding benches near the place where people roller skate and not too far from the big fountain.

I don't live too close to Central Park, so I don't usually head there in warmer weather. I love to go to the park along the Hudson River as you can see the sailboats and cruise ships gliding by. I find this so peaceful.

Crystal's Wedding

In April, my parents went to Texas to see Crystal get married. I can't believe she is all grown up. She's a successful young woman working at Fossil. She wore a mermaid style dress that was pretty on her. They had a ball hanging out with Patty, David, Kitch and Allan.

While my parents were there, they saw the spot where JFK was shot. The assassination of JFK is sort of like my generation's 9/11. They, unfortunately, got to experience both events. They looked at the green where it happened and delved into the history.

In addition, they tooled around town and got a sense of Texas as they had never been there before (neither have I). They said the wedding was beautiful and Crystal seemed to think of every detail. They mentioned the beautiful chandeliers around and other interesting touches.

They can't wait to see the family again sometime soon.

Catching Up

So, it has been a while since I've posted here. So much has happened since April! In my next couple of posts, I'll try to update you on what's going on. More old photos will come soon.