The North Fork

On the way to Connecticut to see Aunt Kathy and El Jeffe, decided to cross the LI Sound at Orient Pt. Our first visit to/through the North Fork of Long Island amounted to some good eats, good wine and good sites.

North Fork

We highly recommend the Macari vineyards. Their cab franc and rose were delish. The grounds at Bedel were breathtaking and rumor has it their sister vineryard, Corey Creek, is even more reminiscent of Napa. On the way, be sure to stop off at the Cheese Shop in Mattituck for fixins. Nothing makes a picnic like some good cheese, bread, and meat. Oh - and wine.

The Second Honeymoon - Ireland

I've made a promise to myself to refer to every trip that we take since the honeymoon as "our Nth honeymoon" - keeping the dream alive, per se. With that, there are some pictures from our 2nd.

I hope others get to see the green wonders of Ireland that we saw...


We started in Dublin...

Ireland - Dublin

...rented a car and drove South to Kilkenny...

Ireland - Kilkenny

...continued West to Kinsale...

Ireland - Kinsale

...and farther West through Cork to Kenmare...

Ireland - Kenmare

...then North to the home of me ancestors - Country Clare

Ireland - Co. Clare

Victory!!!!

It's been a while...and we're back from St. Thomas!!

Consider this post our:

1) welcome back to the blogging world. Psych.

2) School's Out For Summer! Well....almost....summer class starts June 2nd. It's almost over - I think.

3) Congratulations to Glenn & Ashley on their beautiful wedding!!! Sort of like our pre-honeymoon. LOL. Neil, we missed you and the family way too much. Where were you to pick up the pool bar tab?!? FYI - I learned way too late to charge things to G&A's all-inclusive. P.U.T.Z.

Here's my first set of sort-of-edited pictures. G&A, if you want the proofs just let me know. Better yet - maybe I'll just burn them and fly them down to Winchester.
I hope you enjoy the pix as much as we enjoyed the wedding. Nothing beats spending such a special time with great (and new!) friends.




If you give it some time, I'm sure Coco will detail the highs & lows of our trip. Way. Too. Short.

2008 - A Very Special Year

2008 came with inches of powder - glorious, morning-welcoming, white powder - upon mountaintops in Massachusetts. "The Berkshires", Kathy's (via el Jeffe) country retreat
(aka "994 Hartsville-New Marlborough Road"), provided a wonderful getaway (remember The Getaway People?!?) to the twists and turns that life's ride gives you.

Coco and I want to wish everyone a happy and health new year!!

It's barely over and she's already complaining about:

1) going back to work (tomorrow, Thursday, Friday, next Monday, next Tuesday...sadly, the day does not matter)
2) not seeing Ava enough
3) being hungover (it is January 1st, afterall)
4) not seeing Ava enough
5) being hungry (read: hangover hungry is different than Coco's normal hungry.)
6) believing that the nuances in McNamara-family-communication-world will not exist in our union.
7) being hungry and missing Ava
8) still being hungry (and not wanting to go to work wherein 'attendance' is expected tomorrow.)

ps...pix of Ava's first trip to NYC to follow

Chesapeake Roundup

Well, Coco and I have made it back from Chesapeake in one piece. Surprisingly, the two of us thought we'd arrive back in Brooklyn, much more worn. We thought lil Ava would be up (and us with her) most of the night. If I said I heard her once through the night I'd be lying. I didn't hear a peep. Coco even claims to "not have such good sleep since being in my mother's womb". Fitting if you ask me given the theme of our trip.

I've come away from our trip with a few key points:

1) My niece, Ava, rocks. check out the pix from our trip.

2) Coco will make a great mother some day.

3) I like Jenoa as a sister-in-law more and more.

4) Even though he's a dad, Sean is still a goof. I'm sure Jenoa will agree 100%.

5) The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is l-o-n-g. At first thought, a $12 toll seems out of line but at 20 miles, I'd say it beats the Verranzano-Narrows $9 looting.

6) Jenoa's sister, Laurel, is so jealous that she'll have to wait until February to see her niece. Seeing who can (and will!) spoil her most will obviously be a 'who knows how long this will last' competition between Laurel and Team Brefanie. Bring it on, Laurel! Team Brefanie rules!!

Chesapeake Survival Guide

Step 1) Try not to fall head over heels for a 12 lb, chubby-legged, blue-eyed beauty named Ava - it makes it that much harder to leave the mid-Atlantic region.

Step 2) See Step 1.

Step 3) For proof of Step 1, please see the photo below.














And no, although she may have wanted to, Coco is not eating Ava's toes.

Newsflash!! Chesapeake Warning!!

Rumor has it the lil bugger below doesn't nap!!?!!? Eek! Can something that cute really not want to take a nap??
















Gasp. This could be a tough weekend.

Random Thoughts of Honeymoon

* I wonder if I can pay for the hotel in Rome today to get a better currency rate against the Euro? I can't imagine the rate getting any better than 1 USD = 0.682 EUR. DAMN!! European CD's anyone? A risk free score if things keep going as they are.


* The cruise - our honeymoon - I can't tell you how many times I forget what ship we'll be on; Libery of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, etc... Too many "...of the Seas" if you ask me. Let me check the intinerary to make sure - hold please - alright, it's Legend of the Seas. Note to self: do not forget. Here are some specs.

While I'm a bit disappointed there aren't any of those targeted restaurants like the Chops Grille and Portofino, I suspect it's because the cruise takes place a non-GINORMOUS ship - Just the way I like it. My only concern was a casino, and thankfully, the Legend has one. D'ya think they serve dinner and drinks at the Blackjack table?


* I have not clue what shore excursions will be like much less cost. I don't think their site has them posted yet. Since we're hitting Rome, Naples, Athens, Rhodes, Alexandria, Mykonos, Capri, Cyprus and Ephesus (Turkey), I wonder what we'll actually end up doing. A good deal will be cultural yet some will also include sand and sun. This is what it looks like:

D1: Civitavecchia (Rome): Depart 5:00 pm
D2: Cruising
D3: Mykonos: Arrive @ 1 pm, Depart @ 11 pm
D4: Ephesus (Turkey): Arrive @ 7:00 am, Depart @ 6 pm
D5: Rhodes: Arrive @ 7:00 am, Depart @ 5 pm
D6: Limassol (Cyprus): Arrive @ 9 am, Depart @ 6 pm.
D7: Cruising
D8: Alexandria (Egypt): Arrive @ 7 am, Depart @ 10 pm.
D9: Cruising
D10: Athens: Arrive @ 7 am, Depart @ 5 pm
D11: Cruising
D12: Naples/Capri: Arrive @ 7 am, Depart @ 6 pm
D13: Back in Civitavecchia (Rome): Arrive @ 4:00 AM

Here's a map of the route, too:



Where was I? Oh yeah, shore excursions...can anyone tell me anything about them? Do you think we should use those set up by the cruise operator or venture out on our own?

I'll try to detail some of the goings on in each over the next couple of months so Coco has something to read on the subway. I'll 'visit' Rome last since she's been there already. As opposed to following any order, I'll just select a destination at random and run with it.

What should I cover first?? Any suggestions?

The Honeymoon - An Addendum

As discussed, we decided to front load our honeymoon with 2 nights in Rome. Having never been before, Coco stressed staying near the Trevi fountain (pictured) and the Spanish Steps; "I'd like to be near it all."

I couldn't locate a Comfort Inn on that side of the Atlantic, so after a heated discussion we've opted for the Hotel di Russie. Sweet.

Dude.

Sweet.

Dude.

The Honeymoon

Finally.
At last.
Conclusively.
Its settled.
Irrevocably - well at least until October 1.

The honeymoon is finalized.

I'm not really sure why we didn't explore this option earlier in The Honeymoon Game but I'm elated to know that most of the plan is in place. We're thinking Rome, Naples, Athens, Rhodes, Alexandria, Mykonos, Capri, Cyprus and Ephesus (Turkey). 12 days on the eastern Meditterranean sounds sweet doesn't it?! I've never done the cruise thing before but I've only read great things about the ports of call, the ship, you name it...

Read more about it here!

Random Thoughts of Weddingness

* With almost year to go, Coco and I are finalizing our plans for the Honeymoon. As much as I'm sold on hitting Thailand, I am having a hard time pulling the trigger on flying from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui and finally from Koh Samui back to Bangkok in order to return to NYC. [Here's a map] Seems like a lot of flying, no? I haven't quite worked out the total time commitment needed but think it might eat into time at the actual destination. Perhaps we cut Bangkok short - I've seen plenty of dirty city in NYC.

* We've countdown past the 400 day mark and are QUICKLY (almost too quickly if you ask my man purse.) approaching the 365 day mark. Whoa. It will definitely be here sooner than we think.

* We're going to visit the Carlyle in a few weeks to check out the grounds for photos and lighting. Around the same time we'll partake in our discounted din-din at The Oak Room with Big A and Mrs. Big A. (Mom, have no fear, I want you to see and taste what the Carlyle has to offer the next time you're up in NY!)

* We just got back from a great trip to the Berkshires; we hit John Williams at Tanglewood on Saturday night for his film night tribute to the great British director, David Lean, creator of Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Passage to India, and Doctor Zhivago. Here's the program.

Sunday was all about betting the the ponies at Saratoga. I know it wasn't for the Travers but it still was a great time! What a beautiful race track. (pix to follow shortly!) I'm still trying to figure out why I didn't bet our wedding savings on War Pass in the 3rd?? Big A said "pound it". You think I listened?? It was a losing day for me but here are the results in case you're interested - [here]

* We got a letter from Brad that says he hopes to be done with this war on or around July 4, 2008. Should I count on that given the state of things??

* Wedding Dress decisions are upon us (or Coco for that matter) and I'm sure tensions will rise. Her first venture out is in a week or two I think. My opinions vary and I've had my say, LOL, and think Coco will make the right choice. Big A and I will be passing the time at Shea as Los Mets take on the Phillies. Is it me or has the progress on Citifield exceeded your expectations?! Be sure to check out the time-lapse constructions web-cam on the right of the page.

* Not that I need another distraction but classes start up today for the fall term. Hear me now, but listen to me later, children - if you can afford to do it full-time - do it. 60+ credits across almost 4 years isn't as much fun as it's cracked up to be.

A Request Regarding Brad

At the request of Boogie via Chicago:

For those that may be interested in sending a holiday care package (yes, they are already thinking about Christmas!) to Brad, here's his snail-mail address:


Sgt. Meetze, Brad
A Co. 2-508 PIR
FOB Ghazni
Jalalbad Airfield (JAF)
Bagram
Apo, AE 09354

Be prepared to receive a letter of thanks. I am no doubt sure that it will also include a list of items not to send him next time.

Starting The Week Off Right - Sort Of...

Television
It looks like Coco will be a bit disappointed as one of her favorite shows is bound to have trouble on the set. It seems Chase has backed out of his upcoming nuptials to House kitten Allison Cameron. Booo. What a way to spoil a romantic proposal atop Le Tour Eiffel. Read about the details here. I wonder if it had to do with the lack of success on their movie "Flourish"??


Politics(???)
I haven't figure out yet if this quote is legit or not but it's fitting none-the-less ; rock on Jenna Bush:

"The president's friend and long time adviser Karl Rove has graciously consented to remain on board past his August resignation deadline to serve in the capacity of Chief Wedding Coordinator and strategist as a favor to the president," offered Dana Perino. "Negotiations are underway to have the president's personal pastor, reverend Luis Leon officiate the ceremony but there is a minor sticking point over a mandatory series of prenuptial birth control counseling sessions." - Gotta love Unconfirmed Sources.

Unfortunately for the blue team, popularity ratings for GWB are likely to soar (perhaps out of sight??). Can you say publicity?? I hear the White House wedding of Alice Roosevelt took up the entire front page of The Washington Post — every column — and a song about her was the No. 1 hit in the country, and they named a color (Alice Blue) after her. GASP. I wonder how The Post will counter??


Humor
Jimmy Fallon is officially off the market as he popped the question to long time GF Nancy Juvonen (who??). Ohhh, that's who. Am I the only one annoyed with Metromix's report?? - "It's the first engagement for the former "Saturday Night Live" star and Juvonen..". Presumption of 'multiple engagements' is not only uncalled for but eerily American, n'est pas?

Not So Humor
aka Buzzkill. And people say there's a god. As if.

On The Road Again...

The HerWayOrTheHighway wedding couple is off to the Land of Capone to see 1) another wedding couple and 2) support the Metropolitans as they take on the H-O-T Cubbies.

See you on Tuesday.