Harlem 5K

After dozens of New York Road Runner races over the past seven years, I felt excited about making the Harlem 5K my last. I spent most of my time packing boxes and shuffling them around the apartment so we could still live in their midst all summer so running hadn't been my top priority. However, something just felt right about capping off my time in New York with a 5K.

I'd never done the Harlem 5K before mostly because the hills in Central Park were more than enough for me. I wasn't too interested in the challenge of the Harlem hills I had heard about in this race. In the end, I was too worn down for them to be a challenge at all.

I gave it a good faith effort, but I ended up having to walk/jog most of this one. My 13:31 per mile time is proof. At the end of the day, I still enjoyed the experience and the closure it brought as we prepared to move away from the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.

Andrea :)

Photo A Day - August

August was a busy month for us. We packed up and made our big move to Columbus. Then, we bought a new car and drove back to NYC for one last week of fun before returning to Columbus with the last bit of our stuff and beginning our life as Ohioans.

Our friend from church was playing in the orchestra for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so we were able to go on stage and tour the set after the show - such a neat experience! I visited the New York Historical Society and we checked out the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. We spotted Chris Rock walking the streets of Manhattan before I ventured out to Columbus for an interview with OSU.

Upon my return from the interview, we spent some time catching up with my former boss via the Metro North. Between packing up the final bits of the apartment and loading it into the moving truck, we visited with the Denings and their brand new little one, Rebecca. We drove to Columbus and unloaded into our much more spacious townhouse.

We bought our new Toyota Rav4 and started unpacking before we returned to NYC for a week of improv fun, running, and saying our "see you laters".

I had my Magnet Theater Level 3 class show, we ran the Harlem 5k, and then said peace out to Long Island City. I had a networking meeting at The Roosevelt Coffeehouse and we had a fun night at the Columbus Clippers game when we returned to Columbus.

Andrea :)

Date Nights - July

As we prepared for our big move to Columbus, we split our date nights this month between the old and the new. It was nice to build in some fun while we were in Columbus looking for a place to live and doing a little networking. At the same time, it was great to be able to fit in a bucket list style date night in New York City.

In Columbus, we had a blast mini-golfing at Olentangy Mini-Golf. We played two courses and each won a round. Afterward, we had delicious Mexican food at El Acapulco. It was a fun way to spend some free time as we checking out our new city. I can definitely see us revisiting these two spots in the coming months.

In New York, our bucket list style date night included dinner at Sylvia's in Harlem before heading over to the Apollo Theater for Amateur Night. The food was amazing!! I definitely recommend it regardless of how long you have to wait. Fortunately, we were there at a good time and had just a short wait before chowing down on some tasty chicken. Apollo Amateur Night was quite the experience. I can't imagine getting up in front of a crowd of New Yorkers and performing - truly a vulnerable spot! We enjoyed all of the acts, but it is tradition there to boo acts off the stage so that happened a couple times. We actually felt bad for those performers. Honestly, no one really stood out head and shoulders above the rest. There were some pretty talented acts. All in all, I highly recommend this combo to anyone. It was a super fun night!

Do you have any bucket list places or activities you'd like to experience in your city?

Andrea :)

Improv at Magnet Theater - Level Two

After my stellar experience in Level One, I couldn't shake the idea of not continuing to pursue this super fun form of comedy. With our commitments in the spring and really not knowing our plans 100%, I didn't feel like I could take another eight week course. Fortunately, the Magnet offers week long intensives for Level Two.

I jumped on it. I requested it as a birthday gift and took the class at the end of July. I was hesitant about being in class for essentially six hours each day, but it was surprisingly refreshing. There wasn't a ton of additional learning that took place in Level Two so that helped to make it feel less overwhelming.

We did a lot of character building and working on playing in groups, but the basic concepts from Level One were simply continually reiterated. There was one person from my Level One class in Level Two, but otherwise it was a great group of new, fun faces! It was also great because we had lunch together each day and really got to know one another a little better during that time.

I didn't have as much of a crew at the show, but I was happy Chris was able to be there to support me. I really enjoyed playing with so many people in this group. I thought our show was so fun!

Andrea :)

Photo A Day - July

July held some significant milestones and fun times with my favorite birthday buddy back in Kentucky along with a pit stop in Columbus.

I became an official New Yorker just in time to pack up and move. Pretty ironic, but I am glad that I made it to that 10 year mark. It sure was a decade to remember. I am glad that I took the chance and didn't give up on myself or the city that never sleeps too soon!

We spent a few days in Columbus signing our new lease, exploring around town, and visiting with the birthday boy down in Lexington for a couple days. Lots of fun and excitement!

Packing took over my life when I wasn't enjoying my level two intensive improv class with Magnet Theater. Definitely a fun birthday week - complete with a trip to the LIC Flea Market.

Beautiful birthday flowers from Reba really brightened up the apartment. We had a date night at the Apollo for Amateur Night - definitely an interesting experience! In between packing up boxes, we saw Queen in Brooklyn and went to our all-time favorite hibachi spot.

Andrea :)

Date Nights - June

Chris and I found a good mix of new entertainment and old favorite restaurants this month. It was fun to try something new, but also have something reliable to depend on.

Chris found an independent comedy show that was quite a trip. It was a little more exotic than we anticipated, but we definitely had some solid laughs. Not sure if we were laughing with them or at them, but we laughed. We ate dinner at one of our Hell's Kitchen favorites, Bangkok House. I love their pineapple chicken fried rice - so good!

I was super excited for us to go see The End of Longing - written by and starring Matthew Perry. If you haven't read my post about the time I met Chandler (aka Matthew Perry), check it out here. It was certainly a night to remember! I wasn't quite as extreme this time, but I did let him know that I love his work. There was a talk back after the show so we enjoyed hearing more about how and why he wrote this show. Honestly, his answers and demeanor were exactly like what you see from Chandler on Friends reruns. It was awesome. Of course, I waited (in the rain) to meet him and get my playbill signed. He was friendly enough, but kind of just kept it moving. Definitely not Tom Hanks or Bryan Cranston level, but I was happy to meet him in a more traditional manner. Pommes Frites was simply the exclamation point on an already fantastic night. You can't really go wrong with fries by the cone full!

Do you have any go to restaurants for date night?

Andrea :)

Sunscreen - Always Worth It!

"Well, it looks like the report indicated it was malignant melanoma."

I'll never forget the moment Dr. Virgil Hatcher said those words to me. In fact, I don't remember much of anything after he said those words. I immediately began to panic and think the worst even as he assured me that it had been caught at the very earliest stages and there wouldn't be a need for any type of chemo or radiation.

I was completely caught off guard. I mean, yes, I had been the one to notice the mole looked a little different than others and suggested to my primary physician that I have it looked at by a dermatologist, but seriously, I never even fathomed it would be melanoma.

At the initial dermatology appointment, the doctor agreed my mole was a tad odd shaped and the coloring might be off a bit. He definitely wanted to test it, but didn't give me any indication that it might be skin cancer. Besides, it was in such an odd place - my left shoulder blade. While the initial procedure was a tad burdensome in itself, I had no idea I was looking at a second procedure that would involve seven stitches and a permanent label.

When I returned for that follow up visit in late May, I was stunned by the result - malignant melanoma. What?!?!? Totally unprepared to hear that news, I immediately began to tear up even though I knew it was silly to get so worked up when the doctor was so clear about the favorable early diagnosis. The second procedure would simply be to remove more tissue in the margins of the cancerous wound. Granted it would extend deep and wide enough that seven stitches would be involved, but it was mostly precautionary. The main culprit had already been removed.

It was a long week's wait between that fateful appointment and the procedure itself, but on June 6, it was done. Before we left the doctor's office after the out patient procedure, Chris learned all about the care this area would require over the next few weeks. He was a real trooper being the sole person responsible for all the bandaging since I could barely see it in the mirror let alone reach it.

The morale of this story is simply to wear sunscreen and protect your skin. I don't even really like being in the sun and try to avoid it as much as possible, but it still found a way to sink itself into my fair skin. I am certainly more conscious now of the importance of regular skin exams and being as protective as possible. I hope you do the same.

Andrea :)