#4 & #5 Mirbeau and Mud

Today my friend Jen and I headed off to Spa Mirbeau in Skaneateles, New York for a day of relaxation. We started out a little later than we anticipated and then met up with some traffic on the thruway, but "Jill" (the voice of Garmin) gladly re-routed us on a beautiful country road. It was a sun filled autumn day and we got to admire the trees changing colors, what a great way to start a day of "doing nothing!".

We got there in time to walk around and investigate the property a bit. I expected that there would be a little path where we could take a walk (since they have a "Walk" that you could have taken at 9am --that we were not going to awaken at 7am to try to make it to....) but there wasn't so we looked at the gardens a bit before lunch.

We could have taken lunch in our bathrobes, but since the dining room was formal in its appearance we both felt funny about that and I'm glad we stayed in our street clothing for lunch. The waitress was sweet and heard that someone "me" was celebrating turing "25"--yeah again (ha ha!).

We had purchased a package for the day which gave us our lunch, the use of the facilities and then our treatment. Lunch was three courses: We started with a very lovely arugula salad that had whole roasted cloves of garlic and chunks of Parmesan---it was really excellent; then for our entree we chose chicken Pho (chicken in a pastry, served over cabbage with a broth poured on top), there was some jalapenos in it and it was good, but it had a kick to it!; My dessert was a goat cheese cheesecake that was lightly breaded and fried (so warm) served over raspberries. It was interesting--very rich, not my favorite thing ever but always worth taking a bite and trying new things! Jen had a chocolate mousse with some type of almost fermented cherries.

With our bellies full we went down to the spa and put on our suits and bathrobes and went into the relaxation room where they had soft music, warm air, foot massage pool, fireplaces, dimmer lighting, and lounge chairs............I read my book (or I tried but kept falling asleep). We went outside and I swam in the hot tub and there was a fireplace out there as well with a smoothie bar (she was closing up the smoothie bar and we got free blueberry smoothies late in the afternoon--how awesome is that!).

Our spa appointments were at 4. Mine was with Lisa and I was scheduled to have a "Bit of the Bubbly" They describe it : "First, we prepare your skin with an invigorating exfoliation. Next, you will be enveloped in a warm, effervescent seaweed mud that provides detoxification and instant relaxation. The final step in this indulgent treatment is a full body massage using a refreshing, cooling gel".

So, I have had massages before but the rest of this experience was ALL new......the process took place on a massage table. They have you lie on one of those silver blankets (and yes you are naked with a towel covering certain spots). The exfoliant was made from crushed seashells---I was worried it might hurt, but it was not bad. To do my back, she had me sit up--I especially like that part. There is something about having someone scrub your back that just feels really nice!.....then she wiped it all the grit off with a warm towel before the next step.........MUD.

The mud was a seaweed mud and PPEEEEUUUUUWWW it is stinky and Green. She essentially paints/pours it all over before wrapping you up in the silver foil blanket (minus your towel of course).....and this is where the bubbly comes in. This particular mud is supposed to have a chemical reaction with the stuff from the exfoliant to be "effervescent". She says to me, I have had this treatment before, but I like to ask people what does it feel like to them? So let me tell you what it REALLY felt like. It felt like someone was in there "farting" in the mud all over me "blurp, blurp, blurp"........I was laughing so hard telling her this that I had tears running down my face.....so much for being quiet and tranquil.

Once the "farting" stopped, then I had to un-peel my self from my silver burrito wrapper and shower the green goop down the drain. They give you a loofah to help get it off and thankfully some nice smelling exfoliant soap, so you dont smell like seaweed mud. Then I was back on to a clean massage table for a nice relaxing massage.

The whole day was so relaxing it was almost hard to come home I was so tired!

I hear Jen's treatment was a new experience as well. She had a scrub and she said that she was on a table where the water ran on her almost the entire time, but the one thing about the table..........it kinda felt like...........welll............a mortuary table.......again I laughed...........Ok, so maybe Im not cut out for total relaxation! They say laughing is good for the soul

Check this out..........I saw this manifesto on a T-shirt while I was at Mirbeau.....I just might have to get one of the shirts for myself this year as I think it summarizes what Im celebrating http://www.lovethislife.net/

#3 -- Two Broadway Shows in 1 day

I have been to NY and seen Broadway shows before, so I originally did not intend to put "Broadway" on the list.......but sometime spontaneity is the best thing!

I was in NYC and planned to go to a matinee after my meeting. I was in the TKTS line in Times Square and was debating as to what to see. I was really impressed that they had people there assisting and guiding people in the decision making process. Since there are so many great shows I asked for their opinion and they suggested Memphis http://www.memphisthemusical.com/. They said it was a new show and that there was some buzz that it was so terrific that it might win a Tony this year and that soon it would be hard to get tickets to see it........so right then and there, I was SOLD. I made my way to the theater and as I was going to the theater I see that my ex-fiancee (who happened to be at the same meeting as me--I had not seen him in 5 years--and I'm not friendly with him at all) was going to see the same show. I'm thinking, out of all NY, why does it have to be the same show! I was so worried that this would ruin the show for me, that I would be distracted.........but you know what? The lights went down, the music started........the show was so incredible that it just transported me away to another place and let me tell you......I was NOT disappointed! It was "fantastical"! (you have to see the play to get that joke). That is the beauty of theater, it takes you places....

I was so energized after seeing it that I JUST HAD to see something else that night! So I got right back into the TKTS line (they are the ones that sell the same day tickets at a discount) and got tickets to see In the Heights http://www.intheheightsthemusical.com/. I had been wanting to see it since before it won the Tony last year and it was absolutely wonderful!

So.........I had never seen two Broadway shows in one day before.......so I added it to my list! It was a GREAT way to spend a New York Day!

#2- Tribute World Trade Center Visitor Center and Tour

So I was my way into NYC for my meeting and I had some time to do something on my own, so I decided that I was going to plan on doing something for "my list". I wanted to go to ground zero. I tried to go last year when I was in NY, but since I had just had hip surgery it was tough to get around and since it essentially is one big construction site, I could see nothing. This year I came with a plan.

There is a small temporary tribute center/museum at the site http://www.tributewtc.org/ and I planned on going to that and wanted to catch a tour as well. So I raced into the city, dropped my stuff at the hotel and hopped on the subway.....which then got stuck. We stopped and then stopped again, and then we were one stop away from where I needed to be and they said we were going to be stuck for awhile. The website suggested that you be there 1 hour early for the tour and I was cutting it really close, so I grabbed my map and ran up the stairs and found my way on the streets down to the site............made it to the center 10 minutes before the tour was about to start and Praise God, there was room on the tour for me!

I would HIGHLY recommend the tour, which is led by volunteers who survived 9/11 or its aftermath. My guides for the afternoon were Kevin, a fireman who worked the days and 9 months following 9/11 (until his retirement) and lost something like 50 friends in 9/11, and Maria, a News reporter who was in the building across the street from the towers reporting when the second plane hit. They led us around the 16 or 18 (I cant remember which) acre area of the World Trade Center area telling us about the events that happened on 9/11, the days that followed and showing us the different memorials that have been created.

The first stop: The Fireman's Memorial which lists all the Firemen whose lives were lost. It is alongside the wall of the Firehouse which serves the TWC.

We walked along the perimeter of the site. You can't see much anymore due to the construction. I remember last year you could still see the big pit in the ground, it has been built up quite a bit more this year. The only clear view you really can get is from the Financial center bridge. While in the Financial Center, Maria shared her story and how the events of 9/11 played out for her and the days that followed . It was hard to listen to her and not feel your eyes begin to well up with tears.

We went to the World Financial Center's Winter Garden and saw where the old bridge once was and photos of how the Winter Garden had been destroyed during the attack, but it has since been repaired to what it is today with the palm trees all re-planted.

The final stop: The American Express memorial Entitled 11 Tears. At its center is a large tear-shaped piece of Brazilian quartz, which was carved to have 11 sides, one for each victim. Beneath the point of the upside-down tear is an 11 sided black granite pool; each side is inscribed with the name of an employee and a few words, selected by those who knew them best, to summarize the people they were. At random intervals, 11 drops of water fall from the ceiling into the pool, creating intersecting ripples, "symbolizing the connections among the close-knit group of colleagues and friends." The memorial is elegant and simple and so touching and personal.

I met a young couple from the Mid-west who I meandered back to the Visitor center with. We went through the center together. Talking about where we were that day when we heard the news......what we felt.....the panic I felt thinking and worrying about my friend Sheryl and her husband and not being able to reach them on the phone that morning, knowing that they worked in the city.....we looking at the photos together..... and the items that survived the event.......

After I finished with the center I was heading back to the hotel and I was walking past a church that borders the area of the WTC, St. Paul's Chapel http://www.saintpaulschapel.org/. This little church survived the attack and became a place of refuge for rescue workers for the 9month recovery process. They served the people of the area physically and spiritually at this neighborhood's darkest hour. They have a wonderful display filling their chapel reviewing the timeline of all that occurred during the 9 months after 9/11 and it was very inspiring!

The afternoon was emotional but not all sad. September 11th was a horrible and tragic day that has forever changed our history and has touched the lives of those of us who were alive on that day. However, if an ounce of good can come out of all that evil, it is that there are people who sacrificed their lives to try to save others, there are people who gave up there time to serve others, and at America's darkest hour we saw that there is goodness and love in the world. AND THAT IS STRONGER THAN EVIL......thus EVIL will NEVER win!!

I started my list #1 -- Fondue Dinner

I was visiting my friend Shawn in Long Island and she suggested that we go to "The Melting Pot" to Celebrate my birthday. Since I have never been to a Fondue restaurant, I added it to the list and it kick started the activities 40 things that I will do this year in order to celebrate the year of living my life abundantly before I turn 40.......It was a new experience for the two of us.

We decided to start our dinner with Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue, which came with bread and veggies for dipping......mmmmmmmm. But really, come on.....anything with melted cheese is YUMMY!!! And filling too. The second course of Fondue was , The Vegetarian, which was vegetables and tofu that you cook in Fondue Court Bouillon. This was interesting but it was kinda like boiling vegetables and we were so full from the cheese (and the salad that came in between) that we could have done without it. But, it was an interesting experience none the less.

To complete the meal...........dark chocolate fondue! For dipping it came with pound cake, brownies, marshmallows, cheese cake, and rice krispie treats--oh my!

The restaurant gave me a card for my birthday celebration and at the end of the night a $10 for my next visit......that's some smart marketing......I passed that along to Shawn's babysitter as she wants to try the place some time and its worth a try, just skip the middle course and jump from cheese to chocolate.... OK maybe put a little salad in the middle :)