A fabulous vacation...

We just got back from a fabulous vacation week! We called it our "smorgasboard vacation", because it had a little of everything!

We spent the first 2 days at a beach in northern NJ (Asbury Park, right next to Ocean Grove). It was a great time of relaxing, reading, napping, watching Olympics, and catching up with each other. Asbury Park is in the midst of a massive redevelopment project, which includes the Berkeley Hotel that we stayed at. As you walk around, you can see whispers everywhere of the grandeur of yesteryear. We've talked about trying to go back regularly to witness the progress of what looks like an amazing transformation!

Because there are not very many entry points to the beach, we hopped through the fence a couple of times. Chad had more difficulty than I did... :)

After the beach, it was off to NYC! We were able to park for free in Brooklyn (the most amazing find EVER!), and we had a relaxing afternoon people-watching in Manhattan. We found our favorite restaurant again, Tad's Steaks, and ended up eating there two days in a row!

We caught up with my A.D. Players friend, Andy, and had a great evening of visiting and going to a tea room in Brooklyn with he and his girlfriend, Carrie. Even though she had just gone through her last day of a 6-week chemo/radiation treatment, she was gracious enough to let us crash on the floor of her apartment for the night! Andy and I talked about resurrecting our 2-actor version of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" this coming year...I am so looking forward to it!

The next day, we headed into the city for a fabulous show (Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps") and a leisurely afternoon reading in Central Park.

Having reconnected at a 10-year high school reunion this past fall, we met up with my wonderful friend Erika, who also lives in the city. She treated us to a great dinner at a tucked-away little restaurant, and we had a fantastic time catching up with her. We're talking through a time she can come our way and experience Happy Valley!

From NYC, we headed back to northern NJ, this time for the wedding of Chad's college roommate, Andy. He and Priya got married at a 3-hour Hindu wedding ceremony that started at 9am! We were very grateful to be able to be a part of their day, and Chad had some great moments of reconnecting with his good friend.

We got home at 3am after staying for a Friday night reception, but were so grateful for such a fabulous week. It is good to unplug every once in a while!