Leaving (for) Las Vegas!!

Yep, folks, I'm leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow morning. It's so strange - I really never had any desire to go, but, here we are!

My youngest brother, Ricky, turned 21 this year (hooray!), and my other brother, Adam, wanted to take him on a trip to celebrate. After doing some research, they chose Las Vegas.

A few weeks ago, Adam was telling me about their plans to go. All of the sudden, he stops himself and says, "Wait - why aren't you and Lindsay joining us?!?!"

Lindsay and I checked our calendars and we realized that we could totally go - we could plan the first sibling vacation!!

So, now, all four of us are going to Las Vegas, and we are absolutely thrilled. We got tickets to see Penn & Teller (YAY!!!). We've gotten lots of good suggestions of places to go, things to see, and buffets to patronize.

Do you have any suggestions? Any memories of a trip to Vegas that stand out?

Wish us luck - we'll be back $1,000,000 richer!! :)

Funny thing happened on the way to dinner....

Just had a share a really funny thing that happened while in Toronto:

Lindsay had some free time, finally, on Saturday night of the convention. She hadn't been outside of the hotel for DAYS, so we decided to take a walk and find a nice sushi restaurant. The concierge had recommended a place called "Ki," and it would take about ten minutes to walk there.

So, we head off, using one of those helpful "Tourist Map" things that they hand out at the front desk. We got our bearings, walked for a few blocks, and began to feel more and more confident that we were heading in the right direction.

Finally, we got to a street that seemed like the next street we were supposed to turn onto: We were looking for "Bay Street."

However, the street sign read: "Locust Street."

Hmmm.....

Luckily, there was a policeman right there, so we asked him where Bay Street was.

"Right here," he said.

"What??? But this says, 'Locust Street.'"

He smiled and replied, "Actually, it is Bay Street, but they are filming a movie here, so the crew changed the street signs."

At which point, Lindsay exclaimed, "Wait a minute - how do we know you're a real police officer?!?!"

Laughing, he answered, "I am a real cop, don't worry."

Passers-by were so interested in our conversation, that we had an audience for this whole exchange. With much gratitude to the (real???) cop, we went off on our way and found our restaurant shortly thereafter.

(it's funny that, with all the movie sets in and around NYC all the time, we've never had anything like this happen before!!)

Lindsay is Graduating!

Hello, all! I hope you are having a great weekend, and that you are feeling refreshed and renewed before the new week begins tomorrow.

Please join me in wishing a big CONGRATULATIONS to my sister, Lindsay! She is graduating tomorrow night from her Massage Therapy Program at Swedish Institute in New York City.

For the past two and a half years, Lindsay has been attending school part-time, while still working full time. She seems to have a true gift for the healing professions, and I am so proud of her for pursuing something that she felt so drawn to. She has a real sense of the body, and inherently understands both western and eastern approaches to health. Lindsay is very intuitive about where you might be hurting, and how to best help you. If it hadn't been for her and her wisdom, I don't know how I would have made it through my years of pain.

She took her licensing exam last Thursday, and now we are waiting the 6-8 weeks until she receives her score. Then she will figure out what is next for her massage career.

Our parents are arriving in town tonight, and one of my brothers is flying in tomorrow morning. It's gonna be a great time, celebrating Lindsay and her amazing accomplishment.

Mazel tov, Lindsay!!!!

Mayan Adventure Waterpark - Fun with My Brothers!

As I mentioned in my last post, I had such a good time visiting the Mayan Adventure Indoor Waterpark in Elmhurst, Illinois. I had been to plenty of outdoor waterparks, but never an indoor one. My brothers and I decided to go and spend the day, and we took plenty of pictures along the way!! (God knows why I am posting pictures of myself in a bathing suit on the interwebs, but... why not???)

Apparently, I was sharing a story about how the waterslide was "THIS BIG!"

My brother, Adam, and me - I didn't know that we were supposed to make political statements, unless I am supporting the "blue and white flower" party...

My brother, Ricky, and me. Adam says that Ricky looks like my bodyguard in this pic - no problem with that, here! Both my brothers are younger than I am, yet they both tower over me. I really should call them my "big" brothers!

Good time was had by all! I highly recommend a day at the waterpark to all of you, especially when it is so cold and snowy outside - go find some sunshine inside!!

Remember your sources.... :)

Just had to share -

my sister and I were at the "Family Guy Sings!" event a few nights ago. It was taking place at Carnegie Hall, as I mentioned a few posts ago. We were so excited to be there, and, before the show started, we were discussing the irony of such a silly, obscene show holding an event as such a revered concert hall.

My sister then said, "Well, I read an article about the show online, and they said, 'How does one get to Carnegie Hall? Apparently, by creating a hit adult cartoon and staging a live reading of the cartoon.'"

I stopped her.

"I WROTE THAT!" I said. She was quoting me.... to ME! I love it. We got a good laugh about it.

Happy Almost Thanksgiving!!

The Gays of our Lives

(Lindsay, Justin, Michael, Me)

"Like sands through the hourglass...."

Two of my dearest friends, Justin and Michael, came to town to visit last weekend. Michael is a friend from college - we did tons of theatre together over the years at Brandeis. During my senior year, he met Justin, and the two have been a couple ever since. They celebrated nine years together recently, and they are getting married in two weeks!! Though neither of them are Jewish, they have asked me to bless them during the wedding (though I am not officiating at the actual ceremony). I am so honored, and I am still working on what I am going to say. I just hope that I can get through it without crying!! No matter what, I will be sure to report on the wedding shortly thereafter.

In this picture, one of their friends, Luciano, joins Justin in making art. We call this one, "How do I love thee? Let me count the gays...."

In this shot, I was getting ready to complete my grandest aria yet! They inspire me, I tell you.

Hope all is well with you guys!!

Seeing the Rachael Ray Show - Live!!

Lindsay and I had a chance to see a live taping of the Rachael Ray show last week. I must have submitted the ticket request about six months ago, and then totally forgot about it. All of the sudden, I got an email saying that I had been selected to receive tickets, and the show was coming up! So, we took the morning off of work and went down to the studio (in Midtown Manhattan). The picture above is us waiting for over an hour in line....

The very bright, very inviting awning that signals the studio's entrance.

After waiting for over an hour, we were finally told that we were, in fact, going to be able to get in (nothing is ever confirmed until you are actually sitting in your seat in the studio audience). Here, Lindsay holds our tickets!!

After the taping (which was pretty mediocre, by the way - Valerie Bertinelli was the guest and all she did was talk about how unhappy women are with their weight. Bleh), we went out for a delicious, fancy-shmancy lunch at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant. Can't you tell how happy we are?

All in all, a very fun time. We got to see behind-the-scenes at a morning talkshow, meet some other nice people in line, and get some yummy snacks along the way. Watch out for our episode over the next few weeks - I wonder if we'll be on camera!!!

Man plans, God laughs...

Well, my friends, so much for planning ahead - we never made it to the Mermaid Parade. Actually, to be more precise, we made it to where the parade was being held, but never found parking. After about 45 minutes of circling throughout the joy that is Coney Island, NY, we gave up.

During the drive, and the circling, we laughed SO HARD! We were all in "good form," coming up with hilarious comments, movie quotes, funny voices, and perfectly timed reactions. I had a good mix on my iPod, so the music was just right. Despite our disappointment at not making it to the parade, we were still having a great time.

SOOOOOOOOO, Lindsay (my sister), her boyfriend (Dan) my friend (Brooke) and I decided to drive to Williamsburg (also in Brooklyn), and go to a great seafood restaurant that Dan recommended.

Okay, right? That sounds like a good "Plan B." Let's go to some hip restaurant in some hip neighborhood and feel as if the day is still going well.

So, we find our way there, by car, using a subway map. This was definitely a demonstration of our fine skill at navigating (I can't believe it actually worked) - we made it there within a half hour.

Only to find? It was closed until dinner time.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

So, at this point, I hadn't eaten since 9am, and it was after 4pm. We found a little cafe right where we had parked, figured out that they were still serving food until 4:30 pm, so we ran to our table, sat down, picked out food, and took a NICE, DEEP BREATH! Phew!!!

What an adventure!!!!!!

I promise to post some picks from the day in my next post :)

Good Old 80's Fun

I have got to tell you, I found the perfect distraction for today - one of my favorite movies: Earth Girls are Easy. Have you ever seen this one? It is a cult-classic, cheesy musical, starring Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, Julie Brown (of "Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" fame), Jim Carrey, and Damon Wayans. Of course, when it came out, the latter two were "unknowns," and Jim Carrey was listed as "James."

When the movie first came out in 1988, I was ten and my sister was 8. We were just starting to venture out into our neighborhood on our own. So, on one of our weekend jaunts, we got a little bit of money from our parents, and walked to the local mall/movie theater. We thought we were such big girls!

We decided to have lunch at a little lunch place in Marshall Fields, and then took a chance by seeing this movie. Well, we FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. So much so, we had to go back the following weekend and see it again. We even got a movie poster as soon as we could, and it hung on our bedroom wall until we moved out of that house 7 years later.

So, if you haven't seen it before, give it a chance - you'll giggle, you'll groan, and you'll love it.

New Roommate Has Arrived!!

(Adam, Me, Lindsay)

Hi, everybody! I am very excited to announce that my brother, Adam, has arrived safe and sound. We are now officially beginning a new chapter in our family's life. Three of the four kids in my family now live on the east coast - can you feel the electricity? We had a fun day exploring our neighborhood and having such a yummy dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant.

We are all a little in shock about all the changes, and there will, naturally, be plenty of adjustments. My brother is six years younger than I am, and this is his first real adventure in the real world. It will be so fun to introduce him to what it's like being an adult, the joys and pains of independence, and the excitement of city life (as well as all the fun karaoke bars!!!).

Hope you all had a good day, and I look forward to telling you more about the first few days of being his roommate. Take care!!

One Week Countdown to a New Roommate!

Hello, dear friends - I hope you are all doing well. I am excited to write that we are at a "One Week Countdown" to when my brother, Adam, will be moving in with me. Hooray for having a new roommate!

He is six years younger than me, majored in music at Illinois State University, and is an overall awesome guy. He has a "pied piper" kind of quality; people are enamored of him and want to follow him wherever he goes. He seems to be burnt out from school, just ended a long-term relationship, and he is ready to start a new chapter in his life.

So, what did he do? - he called his sisters in NY - "Can I move in with you guys??"

How could I say no? My apartment is larger than my sister's, so he is moving in with me. Luckily, Lindsay is right across the street, so we will all be able to hang out whenever we want.

It seems to be a rite of passage in my family - each sibling needs to live with big sister, Marci, for some amount of time. Lindsay did it, too! Maybe my youngest brother will need to do so when he is done with college :)

I will, of course, keep you all up to date on how the move-in goes, and what it is like to live with my brother. What a fun new adventure!!

Giving Nature a Hand

Felt like sharing with you all a photo that I took of my sister's hand while we were at the beach. I haven't been able to adequately articulate why I find this picture so fascinating. Hope you all had a great day :)

Thanks for the good wishes!

I really appreciate everyone's wishes for my recovery - it was so nice of you to send your blessings. I am feeling much better - I got around slowly without the crutches today! Because I was able to put pressure on my foot today, I figured that the crutches were more trouble than they were worth. My biceps are already SO sore :( Of course, now that it is nighttime, it hurts and is ready for some ice....


In other news, my youngest brother (I am the oldest of four) just moved into college today. He is now a "fighting illni," and I can't believe that he is old enough to be in college!! It is just crazy to see how much time has passed, and that all four of us kids are no longer kids - we are now adults! We all get along really well, and I am amazed to see the ways that they are growing up. They are all brilliant, kind, compassionate, and hilarious people. Maybe we will all start a business together one day?!

So, this got me wondering:
For those of you who have siblings, what is something that they do to make you proud?