Day 235: The Driving Process

Can't believe I made appointments today for teenagers Harrison & Spencer to take their written driver's license exam for next month! Yikes, it has just crept up on me that on January 21st they will be 15 and a half (the age you apply for your learner's permit).

I remember when Brandon was approaching this age and thinking, how can I have a son old enough to be driving? And now he's a sophomore in college and will turn 20 in two months! He'll be leaving the teenage years... oh my gosh.

I've written it so many times before in my Blog posts, time is precious, the years do fly by ... and certain milestones cast the light even brighter... such as the right of passage of turning 16 in California and getting your driver's license.

At least with Brandon I only had one driver to worry about at a time.... can't imagine how this is going to work with two at the same time! The other night I had Harrison drive with me and Spencer drove with Brian, I guess we will truly have to tag team on this adventure!

Day 234: A Gracious Mother & Leader

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. There are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful & precious. And for that I am grateful." -Elizabeth Edwards

I share with the rest of the Nation the great sadness that we have lost Elizabeth Edwards today.

Maybe I was so fond of her because she was a dedicated mother and married to her law school sweetheart. Maybe I had a soft spot for her courageous behavior because she lived with breast cancer. Maybe I just was drawn to her commitment to her family because she buried her 16 year old son when he was killed in an auto accident. Maybe I loved her strength and dignity when confronted with so much adversity.

I have been married a long time. I know people make mistakes and have flaws. I recognize none of us are perfect. I will never forget Ms. Edwards saying, "John is a very good man, who did a very bad thing." She was raw, honest and the truth is John loved her in a way many of us will never experience.

My heart aches for her three beautiful children today. Losing your mother when you are young is criminal. And Elizabeth having lost her son, was just an awful punishment that none of us should ever have to endure.

I loved Elizabeth's resilience, and her lovely grace. I also loved her compassion as a political booster. Her brains, her wit, and courage will always be traits I admire. I feel like I lost a friend today, and I have never met Elizabeth.

May she find solace in reconnecting with her son Wade in heaven, and peace that her body does not have to fight anymore.

Thank you Elizabeth for showing women how to be a beautiful leader, mother, sister, friend and champion.

Day 233: Ah, The Holidays

The hustle & bustle, running & wrapping, schlepping & cooking, planning & coordinating.... it's all wonderful and it's all too much! As I have written many times before on my Blog, I love this time of the year, starting with Thanksgiving, but it is a lot of work when you are a bit of a perfectionist.

I do care that I get my decorations up on time. I do care that special family meals are prepared to honor the Holiday spirit. I do want to give the "right" gifts to people I care about. I do want to make plans with friends & family to celebrate. If all of these things didn't matter to me, the holidays sure would be easier, but then I wouldn't be me. I like that I care about making sure everything is perfect. It does matter to me. I just wish I had more hours in a day!

Happy Holidays!

Day 232: Happy Hanukkah

Tonight we celebrated the 5th night of Hanukkah at Cheri & Marty's house. It was a beautiful evening spent with dear family & terrific friends. Very warm & cozy. The food was delicious with brisket & latka's, and the kids all enjoyed their Hanukkah treats.

Here's our beautiful niece Gabriella Figueroa lighting the Hanukkah candles on the menorah with Cheri, our gracious host, watching!

I love the holidays mostly because it is a chance for family to connect and spend some festive time together. It's amazing to watch the children grow from year to year... all a little taller, smarter, and engaging.

Pictured here are sons Spencer, Harrison, Me and my niece Olivia.

There never seems to be enough time to visit with everyone... that's why we have to make a point to spend time with those we love and care about throughout the year, not just during the Holidays.

Pictured here is Papa Joe leading the Hanukkah prayers with the kids.

I missed college boy Brandon who doesn't return from school for winter break until next week, and niece Zoe who is also away at college. But we will celebrate with them when they get home.

We should feel blessed that we have family to share our holidays with, and have a plentiful table filled with good cheer. Hope you are having a festive and meaningful Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, or whatever faith & traditions you observe!

Day 231: A Long Day

Wow, today was a long day. Hubby Brian and teenager Spencer headed out at around 7:30 a.m. this morning to drive to Malibu High School. Spencer had a game at 10:00, had to be there by 8:30 a.m.

I stayed back with Harrison and pal Justin Ruder. All three boys had to be at the park by 4:30 for a 6 p.m. game. In between Brian spent the day in Palmdale doing an ACN presentation and met me at Clover Park in Santa Monica for the 6 p.m. game. (ACN is Brian's second business, launched just about one year ago).

In between I of course was at the market doing a large grocery run (I feel like that's what I do a lot to keep this house stocked!)

We did not leave the park tonight until 10:00 p.m.! I mean the park lights went out. It was ridiculous. Overkill at its best. Boys played 9 innings instead of the usual 7 innings and then I guess coach was so pissed at how they performed he made these kids at night, in the cold, run so many sprints, it was making my eyes spin.

And as if that wasn't enough he decided to punish the Team Captains for not acting more "like leaders" and made them run MORE sprints. One of the Team Captain's is my son Spencer. By 10 p.m. he had clocked 10 hours of baseball. I mean really, that's just over the top even for a die hard baseball Mom like me. I mean I wasn't sure if the Coaches were trying to punish the parents as well!

So here it is 10 p.m. on Saturday night and of course it's Los Angeles so every restaurant suitable to take 5 teenage boys, in dirty uniforms, to eat at was closed. And of course they were starving ... having been at the park since 4:30.

Well, guess what, we ended up at Carrows on Ocean Park Avenue (it's opened until midnight in case you ever need a joint to eat at opened late). It's a coffee shop like Norm's or Coco's.

Can I tell you it was the best way to end a very long day of craziness watching these teenagers mow on steak and chocolate crepes for dinner at 10:30 at night. I was just grateful they served wine and happily had a glass!

Life is never boring with teenagers or baseball that's for sure!

Day 230: Updates on Tidbits

Several of you have asked me to follow up on some pending items that I have posted about on the Birthday Blog or to give more scoop about a particular topic.... so here we go ...

Yes, I am now talking to hubby Brian even though I wasn't post the scare of my life the other night .... (Read Blog Post Day 228)

The replaced Simon mattress is fabulous! So much better then the slab of cement we originally purchased. Brian and I are very grateful for our comfy snooze! (Read Blog Post Day 205)

The entire lower part of my body is in very bad pain from my fall the other day. I had a tough workout this morning, running suicides (sprints) and tonight I'm just damn sore all over. (Read Blog Post Day 229)

Kid sister Jennifer and beau Kevin sent us fresh farm cheese FedEx today from the countryside in New York! You may have read about it in my Blog .... We visited the farm on our trip to New York over Thanksgiving, Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, in Hudson, New York.

They sent us Hudson Valley Camembert Soft Ripened Cheese, made with fresh sheep and cow's milk! Can you imagine we received a box of fresh cheese all bundled and packed on ice packs! Delicious. (Read Blog Post Day 223)

And updates on painful matters going on in friends' lives. Since I wrote about some challenges friends were facing (Read Blog Post Day 207) unfortunately other very sad things have crept into the lives of people I love.

My dear friend & NWPC sister Terry Gibson buried her 18 year old grandson this week. He was a recipient of a heart transplant and didn't make it ... Just a young boy.... there's nothing you can say to a parent who buries a child or to their grandma... My prayers go out to Terry and her family.

Another family is faced with their daughter having major surgery next week to remove a tumor which has not been determined as malignant or benign. The waiting is a life sentence. Painful. Our prayers go out to this family as well.

And there are other very dear friends who are experiencing issues with their children that are very painful. All we can do is be there to listen, support and love. I send you all my love ...

Day 229: Holiday Shopping Accident

So I had a great, productive day shopping for the Holidays today. It wasn't all Holiday purchases, I also had to run several errands to pick up goodies for me and the boys.

I was on a roll and feeling very good about what I was accomplishing. Somehow this time of the year usually makes me feel behind! Behind in getting my decorations up in the house, getting the right attire to wear to Holiday parties, questioning whether I send a Holiday card this year, and on and on.

My arms were loaded up with packages from Sephora, See's Candy (my favorite, in case you ever wanted to know, especially the molasses chips!) Justice Clothing for Girls, and Game Stop (electronic games store), and more. I needed to grab one more gift and while I was waiting to pay I had to put all my packages down in order to grab my wallet. I also needed to sit myself down to just take a breather... well I mistook the location of the bench in the boutique store and fell flat on my ass on the floor. OUCH!!!!!!

My entire right side is so sore. What a klutz. Have you ever sat down to find that the chair you thought was there had been moved? Well, that's what I did and I'm paying for it tonight. In my haste I was not paying attention and have now really screwed up my lower back and tush. Very painful!


Who ever knew Holiday shopping could actually be dangerous for your body!

Day 228: Scared to Death

Oh my gosh, not really sure how to write this post so that my followers can totally appreciate the story .... if you need clarification, call me.

Last night Brian attended a concert with a friend. It was a business schmooze-thing in a suite at Staples Center. I knew he'd be home late. I crashed early, still so tired from New York and then the whirlwind of catching up upon our return.

At 11:30 p.m. I was frantically woken up by my teenage sons, Harrison & Spencer standing over my bed, holding a golf club and saying someone had broken into the house and was downstairs.

Well if you know me, this is one of my biggest fears in life. Probably should wean myself from CSI TV shows because I went into complete panic and fear. I told them to get into my bathroom while I grabbed the phone next to the bed and dialed 911. All three of us went into the private toilet stall of the bathroom, shut the door, and waited with fear as I reported the alleged crime to a 911 dispatcher. The dispatcher was terrific who stayed on the line with me the entire time we were hiding.

As the three of us were huddled in this tiny space breathing heavy, my heart was pounding and I thought oh my God please don't let anything happen to us. I was scared out of my mind.

All of sudden I heard a helicopter over our house and sirens blaring. The dispatcher said police are rolling up momentarily and asked if I heard the helicopter? Oh my gosh they had sent in the National Guard, I mean a helicopter. I never felt so grateful.

As I continued talking to the dispatcher I told her my husband was out and she says, "could it be him downstairs".... I panicked more and said "please tell the police not to shoot if it's Brian" (can you believe this damn story) ....

She said give me his cell number, then she gets back on the line with me to tell me that yes it was my husband breaking into my house!

I go running downstairs to police swarming my house, a helicopter hovering above with strobe lights and Brian being questioned by the police. "What the hell are you doing? I say to him ....

I had his house key, because our house sitter (from when we were out of town last week) forgot to leave me my key .... he said he didn't want to wake us so he decided to jump the side fence and crawl through the doggie-door. So many things are wrong with this story. Why the hell didn't he just call us ... says he didn't want to wake us up. Well he certainly woke us up and the entire neighborhood!

Lesson for you all, don't try to be courteous and not wake your family if you don't have a key, call them, don't attempt to break in and scare the family out of their minds! I could never get settled all night or really fall asleep, I mean just moments before I feared for my life with my sons...

Harrison had brought the golf club with him which I still can't believe.... he said he was going to use it on the burglar .... When we were in the bathroom stall, while I was on the phone with the dispatcher, one of of my favorite lines was when the boys said "call John Bell, he'll come over and save us!" Gotta love my neighbor big John Bell who the boys obviously believe is invincible.

Damn, what a night!

Day 227: We Have A Winner!

Congratulations Ms. Harris!

Whew, wow... finally we have a declared winner! Can you believe California had an election on November 2 and only today the winner of the Attorney Generals race made her acceptance speech. Crazy!

I supported Kamala Harris in her run for California's top Law Enforcement position and I'm thrilled she has won. Not just because she is the first woman and first minority to hold the office, but because she stands for making change to our very screwed up criminal justice system.

Did you know that California has the HIGHEST recidivism rate in the entire Country? That's not a statistic any of us should be proud of. We should be embarrassed about it. And embarrassed that we build more prisons than schools.

I don't know if Kamala Harris is able to fix all our state's criminal woes, but if she can implement policy to move this state forward on crime prevention then I'm all about her. I can't stand that we have so many inmates and so many prisons. I can't stand that my tax dollars fund the construction of prisons over new schools. I also can't stand that babies, children grow up in gang invested communities and have no shot at a decent life and then end up in the criminal justice system. So if we can get a hold of kids when they are young -- and cutting school and doing drugs -- and have an impact on their lives, then I will happily support those programs.

Prevention is key. Parenting is key. Community is key. And having an Attorney General who will implement progressive, alternative and radical change to these issues is key.

Congratulations again Ms. Harris. Make us proud please!

Day 226: My Aching Feet

You know you've reached a certain age when you have to start seeing a podiatrist. I mean really now. With all the increased miles I've been logging, I have been experiencing EXTREME foot pain. Debilitating pain. No other way to describe it.

When I hit about 6 miles the burning sensation on the bottom of my feet is so bad that I literally need to stop, sit down, and rub my feet before I can resume running. When I hit the 6 mile mark during the Disneyland half marathon that I ran back in September I had to sit down on the ground and remove my running shoe insoles. I ran the remaining distance with no support or insoles in my shoes just to relieve and or change the dynamics of the pressure on my feet.

On Wednesday when I run my long distance run it's been unbearable. And it's now hurting even when I'm walking, whether I have shoes on or are barefoot. So finally I surrendered to the fact that I need to address this pain if I am going to continue running.

Today I saw Dr. Noreen Oswell who runs The Foot Center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. She's FABULOUS! I left her office with a pain remedy plan and finally felt like I was going to see some relief in my future. After a thorough exam which included xrays she recommended a host of remedies including orthotics (very typical for runners) as well as patches to wear on my feet.

Turns out that the sexy arched feet I have, which are great for high heels, are not so great for walking & running long distances. The very high arch places undue pressure on the front of my foot and then with the bunion squeezing my foot inward the two are colliding and creating way too much pressure on the nerves. Who knew?

What I want to know is what kind of person chooses podiatry for a medical field? Who would want to touch feet all day? Don't know what prompted Dr. Oswell, but I'm sure glad she did!

Day 225: Happy Anniversay

Well we made it home safe and sound from our whirlwind New York trip. The four of us - Brian, Harrison, Spencer and me are back safe to Los Angeles and college boy Brandon made it safely back to his dorm room at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Whew!

I was very surprised this morning when hubby of 23 years woke me with a brewing cup of my favorite coffee - an Americana, a cinnamon roll and a beautiful cut rose from our rose garden on the side of the house. What a beautiful way to wake up on your Anniversary, especially after a very long day of travel.

Today has been spent regrouping ... unpacking, going through piles of mail, doing loads of laundry, marketing, filling the car with gas, refilling prescriptions, and updating my Blog! Whew...

Hubby went to the market so I could record our trip via blog entries ... when he returned we popped a bottle of champagne to congratulate one another on still being married after all these years. We didn't need a fancy dinner (had too many of those in New York), or a night out on the town (also had too many of those in NY), or a big to do celebration... sometimes it's just the small things like the coffee and rose in bed, or the yummy champagne which we drank out of the two remaining champagne flutes from our wedding gifts, to make it a special memory.

We have much to be thankful for and mostly it's for each other...

Happy Anniversary Mr. Simon from your Bride ...

Day 224: SEVENTH DAY: Time To Go Home

Today was a long day of good-byes and travel. But wouldn't you know it, the morning we are leaving it begins to snow! Real beautiful snowflakes... I thought can this trip get any better! It was a real treat to see beautiful white snow fall before we headed home.

We packed up and hit the road for about a 3 hour drive from Austerlitz to JFK Airport to head back home to Los Angeles. One of the small towns (tiny, tiny town!) in the countryside was named none other then ... SPENCERTOWN! Can you believe it ... so of course we had to stop and have our Spencer pose for a photo!

The ride to the airport was gorgeous. Beautiful open country to marvel out. It's always sad to end a great time and to leave the people you love, but we will cherish the memories created this past week for a lifetime.

It was also a good-bye for me to the college boy Brandon who boarded a plane back to Oregon while us four Simon's headed back home to Los Angeles.

As I watched my handsome son's face turn to walk down the airport corridor, I had a very teary-eyed moment ... not out of sadness, but out of pure happiness. Happiness that hubby Brian and I had made this trip happen, that we were welcomed so graciously by family on the East Coast, that the earth didn't cave in because we didn't stick to tradition and host Thanksgiving Dinner, happiness for my family's health, laughter, and love... a very blessed Thanksgiving it was!

So from the Ritter Simon family ....

to the Yousem Wolf Family, we say thank you for a beautiful Holiday week ... the boys loved New York so much, who knows we might all be back next year!

DAY 223: SIXTH DAY: The Day After

I think we were all a little hung over this morning and not just from the wine, but the food too! We had a delicious feast, but Thanksgiving is a long day and the affects are felt the day after.

We had a leisurely morning and then rallied later in the day to go on an adventure to see some of the country. We loaded up the two cars and made the beautiful drive back to Great Barrington, Massachusetts to walk the quaint town and hit some of the gourmet food stores. Always an adventure with this crew.

Pictured here is the gang (minus hubby Brian who was always taking the photos!) on the charming streets in Great Barrington.

Earlier in the day Kevin, Zachary, Harrison and Brian had visited a local working farm that produces fresh cheeses .... you open a refrigerator and select your item and leave payment on the honor system! Can you imagine that in Los Angeles! Nothing like delicious, fresh and all natural yummy cheese!

Pictured here is chef Harrison examining his cheese selection.

It was a cold, cold day as we walked the streets of this beautiful city. But that didn't stop the tourists and locals from being out and about. The streets had a Holiday buzz about them as folks wandered into the gourmet cheese stores, the fabulous candy store (called ROBIN'S), the coffeehouses and all the hip restaurants. It was a great way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.... walking off some of our turkey.

Today is our last full day on the East Coast. Always sad to have a fabulous trip come to an end, but you know you had a wonderful time when you leave still wanting more!

We celebrated our last night once again with an amazing meal. We made the ride over to Hudson, another small pocket town in this beautiful countryside for a fresh-from-the-farm-to-table-meal. Local 111 is a charming little restaurant where the young woman chef has created quite a name for herself in the region. I ate one of the best beet salads I've ever had... everything fresh & yummy. We dined and laughed some more ... this our last meal together of the trip.

Once again I want to say how thankful the Simon's are for kid sis Jennifer & beau Kevin's hospitality. We are a lot with 5 of us and three large teenage sons... but they were gracious and inviting and really showered us with love & fun.

It was a wonderful day to end our week long vacation.

Day 222: FIFTH DAY: I Am Grateful

Happy Thanksgiving to my gracious Blog followers. May your day be filled with abundance and may you be surrounded by the people you love and cherish. While many of us will celebrate this day with way too much food & cheers, millions go hungry today. What a shame in this country, isn't it?

Pictured here is our beautiful Thanksgiving table decorated by Aunt Jennifer! It was gorgeous!

We have spent many of Thanksgiving donating time and food to shelters and to those less fortunate. And I'm happy we have created these experiences for our boys. We've been blessed to host a long standing tradition of sharing this holiday with family and friends. Over the years the group has grown and has topped out at some 40 guests for our feast. Always beautiful, warm and wonderful. But this year I wanted and needed to change it up.

I wrote about the many reasons that this was the year to make the change. From the boys school schedule changing to the boys getting older, to family on the East Coast that wanted to host a holiday.... this was the year and I'm so grateful that we could make it happen. Not an easy task, change is a challenge, but here we are in Austerlitz, New York and I couldn't be happier.

It's another crisp, cool and glorious day in the country and the house was full of energy all day as we cooked and prepared for our feast. One of the most magical moments for me was watching our boys play football... it was a real East Coast day, you really felt you were in New England with it blistery cold outside and the boys running around with a football.

Jennifer was really an amazing host and chef. She prepared most of the dinner as I served as sous chef and on KP. Hubby Brian had made a wine store run back in Manhattan and so we had delicious wine to share with our yummy food.

Pictured here is Jen on a step stool to be able to mix those potatoes... check out Kevin's eyes as he walks by ... hmm he's saying ... can't wait to eat those spuds!

Watching Jennifer make our Mom's yummy mashed potatoes with pounds of butter and whipped cream was a real treat.

And watching Harrison and Brian prepare our turkey for the feast just warmed my heart. And isn't that what the day is about. Being wrapped in memories and by the people you share your life with... creating new memories and traditions, keeping some old ones, and being grateful that you even have a place at a table to share the holiday.

Pictured below is the family feasting at our beautifully decorated table!

One of the funniest and most memorable images I will take away from tonight's feast is what happened to the Simon boys after dinner... they all passed out on the couch from eating so much food... check these brothers out on the couch! Hysterical!

Brian and I congratulated one another for making today's Holiday happen... we broke from tradition, but created a new one with Jen's family and in New York. The boys LOVED being in the country, playing football with Zachary, eating yummy food and being together. What more could you ask for?

We were all very grateful tonight!

Day 221: FOURTH DAY: Turkey Shopping

Ahh, waking up in the country in upstate New York ...we are in a small (tiny!) country area called Austerlitz. Kid sister Jennifer and beau Kevin have a house up here and this is where we are spending our Thanksgiving Holiday.

Pictured here are Jennifer and I taking a walk on a blistery cold day in the country on the road outside her house. Isn't it gorgeous!?

So today Jennifer and I headed out to shop for the fixings for our special holiday meal. Brian stayed in Manhattan to greet the college boy Brandon who arrived early this morning from Oregon. Brandon took a red eye flight from Portland and arrived in New York at 6 a.m. this morning. I was of course worried all night while he was flying since a snow storm hit Portland the day he was leaving. Can you believe Oregon received snow before New York? Crazy.

There were a lot of logistics that went into making this trip happen... and getting Brandon here was one of them. I'm grateful he arrived safely. Brian and he headed to Carneige's for a real New York Deli experience first thing when he arrived. Then off they went to do some sightseeing before heading up to meet us at the house.

Pictured here is Brandon in Times Square the morning he arrived in the City.

Jennifer and I headed to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, just about 25 minutes from her home. What a beautiful quaint town! I loved it! We did a major grocery shop getting all the ingredients for our feast. Then off to Guido's market - picture Bristol Farms and Whole Foods combined, a beautiful specialty food market where Jen had ordered the turkey for us to pick up.

After all our shopping we stopped at a charming French bistro in Great Barrington for a delicious little nosh before heading back to prepare. Why is everyone so friendly when you are out of Los Angeles?

While we got things in order for Thanksgiving dinner, Kevin and his adorable 6 year old son Zachary and Brian and Brandon made their way up to meet us. What a joyous love fest it was when we all finally were together on the eve of Thanksgiving.

Are these the most gorgeous men or what? Pictured here are Harrison, Brian, Kevin and Spencer. Love these boys!!

After another yummy meal in a neighboring town called Chatham, we headed back to the house to chill. I breathed a sigh of relief that we had all made it. As I said above there were a lot of logistics... everyone with a different schedule, 8 bodies to move, two cars to load, lots of meals to prepare and flights to schedule so when we were finally all together on the eve of Thanksgiving in this beautiful, cozy and warm home it just all felt right. I knew we had made the best and right decision to change it up for our family this year.

Off to bed now to be fresh for the big feast tomorrow.

Day 220: THIRD DAY: Central Park and the Country

Another glorious day in the city! Brian and I explored the neighborhood while the teenagers snoozed .... our days have been full and our evenings very late.

We walked to the East River just blocks from Kevin and Jennifer's new apartment. Magnificent is all I can say. Beautiful parks where children were playing and folks were walking their dogs on a cool crisp morning. I mean breathtakingly beautiful.

We took a brisk walk and soaked in the way of life for New Yorkers. Very different then our Southern California lifestyle, but equally as magical. The city is intoxicating and invigorating, that is for sure. But you gotta have a lot of strength, chutzpa and dough to play and live in this town.

After our wonderful morning we headed back to the apartment to get ready for once again another yummy meal. We headed over to Seriphina, another spot I wanted the boys to eat at. Truffle pizza again with delicious pasta. What could be better? It was a late lunch but the place was packed and the people just kept comin' in. Talk about a lunch crowd ... any of our joints in LA would die for the action this Italian place was getting. Great food & great energy.

From there we walked to Central Park. I could spend hours in this park. It is beautiful and full of life. Babies in strollers, joggers, walkers, Zoo visitors, lovers, old, young, it's all happening at this jewel smack in the middle of an island separating the Eastside from the Westside in Manhattan. Just amazing!

Then the boys and I hooked up with Aunt Jennifer to head up to the Country to prepare for Thanksgiving. Kevin and Jen have a home in a small country town called Austerlitz, about two hours out of the city.

The afternoon was all about logistics!
The four of us -- Jen, Harrison, Spencer and I - headed out of town while Brian stayed back to have a "boy's night dinner" in the city with Kevin and also to greet college boy Brandon who was flying in from Portland on a red eye flight. He wasn't able to join us the entire week because he had school so he arrives at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning and will hook up with Brian then.

Jennifer is quite the New York driver ... she maneuvered the insane traffic getting us out of the City up through the Bronx and Harlem to the highway. Whew, you know me I was a wreck with how those New Yorkers drive ... but there was Jennifer, cursing and nudging her way into the lane she needed. Thank goodness it was her driving and not me.

She was so sweet to offer to take the boys to Mo'Griters... one of the eateries profiled on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives located in the Bronx in a car repair shop. Well, oh my gosh is all I can say about this little adventure.

Here we were in her shiny new Lexus driving in an area we ought not to be to find this dive. Harrison spotted the sign and we made our way in only to learn that City officials had shut down the joint a few months before. What a disappointment. The boys were really looking forward to grubbing on good BBQ, but heck we gave it a try and it was a fun excursion.

We made it to the house in Austerlitz, New York and just melted at how beautiful it is. Nestled on 3 acres of land with endless trees and no neighbors on top of you. What us Angeleno's wouldn't give for a little land like this!

Pictured here is the house and their very own backyard pond!

It has been a long day and so tonight we just snuggled in front of a fire and chilled. Tomorrow it's off to prepare for Turkey Day!

Day 219: SECOND DAY: Lady Liberty in New York City

Oh my gosh another fabulous day here in Manhattan. Gorgeous weather for walking and exploring and that's exactly what we did all day! After sleeping in to recover from Sunday's whirlwind we made our way to one of my favorite little restaurants that Jen had turned me on to when I visited her back in April. I knew I wanted to take hubby Brian and the boys there when we returned in November.

Pictured here are kid sis Jen and I looking stuffed from a scrumptious lunch. I look a little sleepy from the delicious glasses of wine I drank at lunch ! That's what I love about a vacation ... you get to drink wine at lunch!

LUPA, is one of the original Mario Battali establishments. It's a small Italian restaurant in SOHO and it is worth the headache of trying to score a reservation to get into. It's that good. I mean let's face it, us Simon's are extreme foodies. The best quote of the day was coined by Spencer who turned to us and said after eating tongue and brain cheese (I'm not kidding ... he really did eat these items and I had to look away every time he took a bite) ...

"This is the best day time meal I've ever had."

Brian and I thought we'd die from laughter. Gotta love a 15 year old kid who will be that adventuresome with his food and say something like that!

From there we hit the city for sightseeing. We walked to Washington Park where New York University is located and all around the cool neighborhoods and shops in this pocket of the city.

Pictured here in Washington Park are Harrison, Dani Grossman, and Spencer. The sophisticated teenage travellers!

Then we headed to Battery Park on the Hudson River where the magnificent Statue of Liberty is viewed brilliantly. What a sight ... it always gives me goose bumps to see our lady Liberty in her greatness and know that every one's ancestry's at one time travelled these waters to enter our great country. An added treat is that our dear friends Howard Grossman and his daughter Dani were in town too and we hooked up with them for our afternoon sightseeing.



Pictured to the left are the Simon boys with good friend Dani Grossman and Aunt Jennifer and me.

Then it was off to see Ground Zero. A somber but significant visit for all Americans. The boys asked a million questions about that harrowing day in 2001 and how it changed us for ever. A very poignant visit to make if you ever get to New York with your children.

Pictured here are Harrison & Spencer viewing the devastation and now construction taking place at Ground Zero in Manhattan.

And what would a night in the city be without another fabulous dinner! When I was in New York visiting Jen in April another favorite restaurant of mine was The Harrison, in the Tribeca neighborhood.

Given its name and its delicious menu, I knew I wanted to go back with the family. So off we went for another meal.

We had a beautiful round table and Kevin, Jen, Brian and I and the boys devoured another tasty meal. Laughing, talking and just enjoying each other's company.

Jennifer and Kevin have been such gracious hosts, putting us up in their apartment, making reservations at all my favorite places, and making so many logistical maneuvers to shepard this group through the city. We could not be more appreciative of their welcoming arms and hospitality. It's been amazing to be in the city with them at this very beautiful time of the year and my favorite time of the year.

Pictured here is the restaurants' namesake, my Happy Harrison and his proud mama.

I am deeply grateful that my wonderful husband agreed with me to take this adventure and break from our tradition of hosting Thanksgiving. While I am sad to not share the holiday with all my family, I am grateful to be with Jennifer and her family and to be with my boys. To just enjoy them away from our home and all the craziness that life offers. We were able to spend hours talking, enjoying, and laughing and that is a gift I will always treasure.

You can not go back in time. You have to make the memories now, capture what you can especially when you are raising teenagers. Time is so very precious and I feel as if the time we had today and the past few days here in New York with my family has warmed my heart and soul.