Toronto

Every summer I look forward to my visit to the great white north, Canada. I get to see my Uncle Mike as well as my parents who teach Tennis there in the summer. This year in particular was extra fun as we visited the Toronto Islands.

Not only was it fun because I had never been to the islands but also because my grandparents, (on my fathers side) met there. I don't know very much about either side of my grandparents family history so this was special. I do know they met there and lived in the Bahamas soon after. 

I just happened to find this article about my grandfather recently, he went to the wedding of Prince Charles and Dianna,  http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19810630&id=sWdQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=clkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7092,4693304
and spoke about them with the local paper (in the Bahamas). I also found these Images and article in Town and Country (link: http://windermereislandclub.com/press/TownCountry-March1981.pdf) 

The Cover

The Toronto Islands 

When Strangers Attack

I always knew one day, the day would come and I'd be attacked here in NYC. It came last Friday walking home from work.

I was walking home along Mulberry Street with Cory, the city blocks off the road for tourists in Little Italy so we were walking in the road. I see a crazy looking guy on Rollerblades a street ahead and point it out to Cory.

"isn't that guy acting weird?" I say. There were a lot of people around so it wasn't abnormal to have one crazy around, he was pretty far up ahead but in the direction we were headed to go home.

We continue to walk home and get closer to the crazy man on Rollerblades. We are walking on the far left side of the street, Rollerblade man is coming towards us on the right side of the street, all of a sudden he skates over to us and changes direct to hit me head on. Cory and I literally thought he was gonna dart away at the last second and try to scare me. Nope this crazy mother fucker hits me straight on, hard. Hurting me.

Now, I know the crazy man doesn't know Cory, I know he see's me walking next to a man that's big and strong but.....he just made a huge mistake.

Cory doesn't flinch and says, "stay here" and sprints after him, (I have never seen Cory ever run so fast, like, unbelievably fast). Catches him (this guy is on Rollerblades can can I remind you) and throws him against a store window on Mulberry not too far from where i'm standing. The look on this guys face is priceless. He thought he was home free after hurting me. He puts up his fists like he's going to fight Cory and then looks him up and down and decides not to. He literally backs down.

I must also mention, we are causing a HUGE scene. Like Huge. Everyone has stopped what they are doing and is watching this exchange. Not everyone saw the Rollerblader take me out but they see a 6'4 210 pound man throw a Rollerblader against a store front and a huge cracking sound.

Cory is holding him down and screaming at him about running into me on purpose and hurting me and I run over and grab his arm and pull him away, saying, "he's not worth it, he's garbage, please , please let go" worrying Cory will get arrested. This guy is clearly on something, (even Cory admitted he knew he was on drugs later at home and that's why he stopped and let me pull him away) but I am hurting and embarrassed and just want to leave. Crazy man on Rollerblades looks like he is about to shit his pants he's so scared, I almost take pity.  I beg and pull Cory to leave and finally he lets go and we walk away.

By this time, a few show openers come out that we kind of know from passing all the time and they give us crazy looks. I feel the need to tell them what happened (even though it's non of their damn business), I don't want them to think Cory would hurt anyone and they go from a look of scared to 'are you okay.' At this point my shoulder hurts so bad I'm tearing up and nod and we go home.

Work=Life

Got a promotion at work.

This means my entire life has taken over in sales force training, role playing, training in our system, shadowing people that just started this role (a brand new role as a stepping stone for people on my team to better things) and going home and working on all that I learned.

Cory has also started at Zocdoc as an ISE (inside sales executive) and so at least we have each other to see in the day or at lunch. I hardly sit at my desk anymore since I bounce around in and out of meetings and training's. I don't even know what the pay/commission will be! I just know instead of 830-6pm it will be more like 8:30am to 8pm.

Hoorray.


Can't wait for a break on Labor Day in Toronto!

A Few Snap Shots from Disney

I have soooo many photos from Disney's three parks we took my niece to, so much so i have to sort through all of them before posting. For now here are some of my faves!

          

        

Zocdoc Painting Team Event

Before I add all the photos from Lake George this weekend, tonight, we had a great team event.

Our PSA team did a boozy paint class, essentially what this means, BYOB and painting.
So after cocktail hour and cheese platters in the art class (provided by Zocdoc), we headed over to our canvasses and begin to paint a sailboat. 

I hate painting, HATE it. Almost as much as I hate heights but that didn't stop me from doing trapeze with my team event last month which was jumping into the air with a rope help by hippies;  http://aviesnewyorkadventures.blogspot.com/2013/05/trapeze-class.html

I get that these events are meant to make us grow as a team (and I love my team), I just wish we could play paintball and get some aggression out. 

My Finished Painting

I tried to throw it away, Cory got mad at me.  I don't like it (I'm no artist), but Cory made it a point to hang it up on the wall. 

4th of July

This 4th of July, Cory and I did Discover Outdoors Hike, Swim and BBQ. It's great for us city folk, for a small fee it pays for a guide, lunch/beer, and the van ride out to the mountain and back. 

http://www.discoveroutdoors.com/nyc/index.php/index/filter/

Cory and I wore our matching T-Shirts which were great ice breakers for our group (14 of us total including me and Cory). 

Since it was on Independence Day our guide Simon also had us go around and say what we were thankful for. We all said standard things except one of the older women on the trip, she said she was thankful she was able to marry her partner of some crazy amount of years.

 That really made me think, this older lady must have had people say awful things to her and all she wanted to do was marry someone who she loved. It made me think of a great Louis CK quote about gay marriage:

Anyways, It was very sweet because her partner was there and it made it that much more special. 

BELOW: Cory and I in our matching T-Shirts that everyone liked. 

We hiked Bearfort Mountain to Surprise Lake, (which got it's name because it's ontop of a mountain and that's very rare). It was a 5 mile hike almost straight up, Cory and I were so sweaty it was ridiculous. 

First Jewish Cemetery in United States

While walking home from a concert at Seaport, Cory and I passed an apartment complex that always interested me. Its a normal apartment but instead of a backyard, its a cemetery from the 1600's.  After reading the signs, its the first Jewish Cemetery in the United States. Which, to find next to a busy street, in between Chinatown and Financial District, is pretty crazy. 

Its called the New Bowery Cemetery, on West 11th street.  There's more info here http://www.sephardicstudies.org but its so strange to walk buy and see!