Rock Climbing & Trapeze Flying!

I'm going to have to wait a bit longer on the trapeze flying as my body was simply too exhausted this weekend.  I was quite disappointed as I have so been looking forward it.


However ...

Last weekend's indoor rock climbing was amazing!  The wall was both inviting and intimidating upon my arrival.  My stomach was in knots and my palms were sweating.  Oddly, once I was harnessed in, a familiar feeling came over me.  There's a certain amount of security that comes with the harness.

Happily, my experience climbing 'rocks' indoors was very different from outdoors.  When climbing outdoors, there's an added fear factor of never knowing what you're reaching your hand into or on.  Indoors, you know it's simply a rubber nob.  No potential lizard, snake, nor other ferociously biting animal.  

I have an entirely new respect for the rock climbers who hang from the underside of cliffs and formations.  Their strength, focus, determination, and lack of fear is impressive.  (Not to mention their incredibly in-shape bodies!)

My favorite part of the climb?  Sneaking in a swat drop on the way back down! 

Bodies, Adventure, Travel, and Topless Bathing Suits

Body Preparations

Laura Termini, a lovely friend of mine, has just the thing to help us get in shape for the summer!  Laura is a highly recognized artist in the Hispanic US, as well as South America.  She's known as a model and actress for TV, movies, radio, music, theatre, and over 20 telenovelas. 

Don't make the mistake of assuming that since Laura is a model she doesn't understand weight management.  Her natural dietary supplement kit, NeoDiet, is highly effective.  After gaining some weight due to a short stint with a prescriptive medicine, I received a gift from Laura of one of her kits.  Quickly and easily I lost half of the weight.  I just ordered another kit and plan to be back in my amazing wardrobe in time for summer.  Try it, it works!!

Springtime Adventures

If you're like me, you get an extra boost to your need for adventure as soon as the spring breeze begins!  This is the time to search your area and find a few things that you have never done before, and, do them.  May will prove to be a wonderful month for me as I'm registered for an Indoor Rock Climbing lesson, as well as an Outdoor Flying Trapeze class.

I must admit, while I've always wanted to do both of these I'm very nervous.  I enjoy rappelling but when I tried outdoor rock climbing, my body froze to the side of the rock.  And I was only 6 feet off of the ground!  Trapeze?  Well, the fliers in the circus I saw as a child made it look so easy and enjoyable.  My palms are beginning to sweat already ... 

Travel Adventures

Ireland.  The origin of the Burke clan.  I have always wanted to visit, and shortly, I will.  Watch for a future posting of my adventures in Dublin, Belfast, Shannon, and the counties in between!  I definitely want to spend time exploring Counties Limerick, Clare, and Galway, as those are the counties from which the Burkes hail.

Beach Preparations

A couple of weeks ago, I received a telephone call from two very dear friends of 32 years, Chris and Tony.  Tony recently moved to Florida and Chris was visiting him from Cincinnati.  The two friends called from a tiki bar on the beach.  They wanted to know what size clothing I wear, and what size Sophia wears.  Such a personal question for a man to ask a woman!  I put our men on hold and dialed Sophia in for a 3-way call.  (Sophia is Chris' niece, and a dear friend of mine here in NYC.)

A few days later a package arrived with strict orders that it had to be opened by Sophia and I together.

So when I joined Sophia and a few friends for champagne the other night, I took the package with me.  Oh the laughter as we pulled gift after gift from the box!!  The first items were adjustable bikini bottoms, one for each of us (by Sunsets).  Next, we received lovely bathing suit cover-up blouses that tie at the waist, by Indian Beach Fashions.  My blouse is a lovely sky blue (the photo below does not do the color justice), and Sophia received a white blouse.  To complete our gift and ready us for summertime fun on the beach, there were two cheesy "I love Florida" beach towels!  They are too funny!  

I love my new beach attire.  And yes, it did arrive sans bikini top! 

La Storia del Pendente di Firenze

(The Story of the Florence Pendant)

While strolling through the crowded, narrow streets of the leather market in Firenze, my travel companions & I were on the lookout for a gift for a new friend, Diana.  Since we had only arrived in Italy the day before, we knew our search may need to continue through Roma and possibly on throughout our journey to Campobasso, as not just any gift would do.

Diana had come up with a wonderful idea.  Since we both travel so much, each time we travel we’ll pick up a little gift for each other.  The parameters were it could be nice or cheesy, but couldn’t cost over $20. 

Exhausted and nearing the end of our street market shopping excursion, Nelson was walking several booth lengths in front of us basking in the joy of his finds….a wonderfully soft leather jacket and a wonderful suede shirt.  Treasures for which he had been searching the US for several years.  Canan and Pietro were glancing at the jewelry booths.  And I was simply walking down the middle of the street, glancing from side to side, looking for something to catch my eye.  And something did.

About six booth lengths ahead was an INCREDIBLY hamina Italian man walking towards me.  We caught each other's eyes at the exact same time and began the “italian check out thing."  He looked at me and smiled (asking if he may approach).  I returned the look and smiled (answering that he may).  Neither of us lost eye contact.  Neither of us blinked.  As he was coming towards me in the crowd, it was taking what seemed like forever for us to get within speaking distance.

Just as my hamina Italiano was a distance of four people from me, out of nowhere someone grabbed my arm and I was whisked off the street!  Canan had found a piece of jewelry which could be the highly sought after Diana-gift.  In the whirl that was my vision whilst being pulled into the booth, I saw my Italiano stop, start, and stop again...caught as off-guard as I was.  As I glanced at the piece of jewelry Canan & Pietro were pointing to, a pendant caught our attention and we all pointed to it saying "now THAT's Diana!"  A beautiful pendant of a brown, tortoise shell-looking stone, a silver band along the edge, and shaped like an upside-down teardrop.  I quickly turned my attention back to my hamina friend and ran into the street.  He was a few booths past, turning around, looking for me.  Our eyes met.  He stopped.  We held each other's gaze.  "Signorina, you like?"  The jewelry man physically turned me around and began haggling over the price of the pendant.  I turned my head, looking over my shoulder and, alas, my hamina Italiano from Firenze was gone from my life forever…

Ahhhh, the things we sacrifice for our girlfriends.  :)

~ May 16, 2002