What a day this has been..

It is one of the greatest feelings in the world to walk into a room and have it explode in laughter, happiness and love just by you being there. It is also one of the greatest feelings in the world to jump up and down while being hugged so tight you can't breathe because you're embracing one of your sassy, gorgeous Italian aunts you haven't seen in forever. Even better than that? Not being able to sit down for 20 minutes because you're spending so much time jumping up and down,hugging and loving each additional family member. Most find this exhausting. I, however, feel energized.



I have only been in New York for 2 days and already I've done things and seen things that I never thought I would. Get your mind out of the gutter, it's not that. Today (well I guess yesterday since it's about 2 am here), within a span of 12 hours I have 1) Seen a rainbow ring around the sun. 2) Shouted my heart out at a roller derby tournament. 3) Had an incredible dinner with an Italian man who doesn't drink (he is, indeed, an enigma) and finally 4) found my new drink of choice at an Irish pub.



1. Rainbow ring around the sun? WHAT?

You heard me. You know how sometimes the moon has a ring around it? It's usually incredibly beautiful but sometimes a little spooky? Well this was just like that but instead of the moon it was the sun and instead of a ring of light it was a rainbow ring. The reason i was able to see this was not because I was stuck inside an air conditioned room in hot AZ. No. I was on a SAIL BOAT on the Hudson river. A SAIL BOAT!!! Thank God! I needed my boat fix like Richard Simmons needs to shake it. And you know what? Being on that boat with the wind blowing through my hair, the smell of salt water in the air and looking at a rainbow ring in the sky was the greatest "sign" I ever could have been given. I'm on the right path, I'm doing the right thing, I know where I'm going.



2. ROLLER DERBY

My cousin ,Annie (aka: R. Sovertits...think about it), is a kick ass roller skater. Not only does she skate but she gets to expel some anger in the process by, ever so gently, beating somebody up. Don't worry, it's all very controlled and regulated but oh so BAMF. While her team unfortunately did not win this evening, we all most assuredly had some fun. I'm looking up the local roller derby team as soon as I get back to T-Town.



3. Italian senza alcohol?

That's right! This Italian man does not drink alcohol but instead has his strawberry juice (virgin daiquiri) and plays DD for everyone else. He's not a random guy, he's my Zio Pino. He, my aunt, her friend and I all had a fantastic dinner tonight which included (but was not limited to) stuffed clams, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed artichokes, marinated clams, shrimp, muscles, little potato bites of heaven etc. Seriously, I think I'm going to move here just for the food.



4. My new drink?
An Amaretto sour. Tastes like a Shirley Temple except with booze. Bellisima!



Peace, Love and Sailboats,



Geni