Our exit strategy from NC Beach Week included a return trip bought and paid for to avoid the kind of thunderstorm cancelation bingo that had thwarted our air travel down in the first place. So at least that much was relatively without event. I did get to RDU only to find out that we were delayed, but that didn't seem like the end of the world. We were trying to get out of there in the afternoon to make it home in time for me to join Kristin and the crew to celebrate her 40th birthday at the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria followed by karaoke. After a long week tending to kids on the road, I was more than ready to celebrate and had texted our sitter updates from the taxi. So within minutes of making it home, I was changed and back out the door. WOO HOO! Bring on the fun...and the rain. The following day, I was busy unpacking and digging out when the girls announced they really wanted to roller skate. Since it had been awhile I figured why not see if their shoes still fit, so we headed over to Lou Lodati and tried to skate amongst the soccer games going on. Later I was feeling like I needed a little pampering so we made it over to The Lowery for dinner where a great burger and cocktail perked me right up. Made it to Food Bazaar after that to stock up on groceries for the week ahead and things were starting to balance out. On Sunday I even agreed to venture to Brooklyn to the Lefrak Center's roller rink to see how it compared to the one at Pier 2. The girls were thrilled and I have to say it was a pretty great surface even for this 40+ year old learning to skate again. We were back in our groove. Yes, we'd started the summer off with a mega road trip and beach week, but now we were definitely home and ready to start camp at St. Sebastian's in a few days. And then I'd really have some freedom back.
By middle of the week, we were also looking ahead to Jessie's imminent departure from Sunnyside and had a girls' night out in Brooklyn to celebrate with her. I'd been wanting to try Denizen for a while so I was thrilled to be there amongst friends just enjoying a summer's night. Katie and I had gone ahead early to catch up and that was nice. With school out, I could tell I was missing my down time but also my time to see friends. We had a great menu of little bites and unlimited wine so we just let things flow and I had fun chatting with all the ladies. It doesn't seem real that Jessie will be out of here in a month. She was one of my first friends from the Sunnymoms and at times such a valuable counsel. Jessie isn't one to gossip, but when she does, it's fabulous. So I'll miss her laid back Southern hippie charm as well as her down to earth, cut through the bullshit approach to things. I know we are all facing a change in the next few years with middle school looming. And as much as I felt like Jessie and Luke were on a collision course with him commuting back to NYC, now that he has found a job in VA and they are off to be together as a family in one place with a much bigger house and actual yard, I think they will do fine. It's as much about quality of life as it is the physical space you have. We are always looking to what the future will bring for us too whether here or in a suburb like Montclair. And the truth is we cannot know how we'll feel until we do it. And then what happens if we hate it. Lots to think about but first, some wine...
The Summer Social at SGP finished off a great week and we were ready to party with everyone after a few pretty hot days. Cooling off with some great tiki-inspired cocktails was just what I needed. Dawn and Julie threw a great party and the trophies were amazing. Truly a fun night and the talent show only got better. My two joined forces with Nina Ricciardella to perform as The Girlie Girls to Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You." It was a mostly improvised dance with Elisa making shit up as she went and the other two watching her. I tried in vain to help them work out some steps but apart from the opening sequence, it was useless. And that's as it should be. They seemed panicked about not being able to do the same steps at the same time which was when I explained the concept of choreography. But that wasn't a remedy apparently. So off they went to nervously perform and the truth is they did fine. They were pleased and the crowd loved the song. All in all, a great evening and Ellery finally got her win with some homemade tiki bitters in a Polynesian Painkiller. We joked it was only because Chad and Scott were absent, but truth is, all the drinks were delicious and lord knows she has definitely put in the effort the last few years. Nacho even made it back for a 16 hour layover in the midst of his Brazilian trip so that was fun. Our summer social life is in full swing and I'm ready for a few more weeks like this before we hopefully take off for Spain.
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