August in New York City is never easy, the humidity and heat make it a tough one. But there was so much good that came in August that it was impossible for the heat to take us down. Two birthdays, Abby’s birth, Jenn’s promotion, and a Europe trip. Not bad at all.

RECAP OF THE MONTH

It’s not surprising that my August post will start with both of our birthdays. Unlike last year where we went to Washington DC for the weekend to celebrate, this year we kept it local. One of the highlights of my day was waking up early and going on a long walk with Jenn and Frasier before going to work. It’s usually a weekend activity but doing it on a weekday felt special. That evening Jenn met me at The Bar Room at The Modern, a more casual outing at the 2-Michelin Star restaurant. There we split their incredible fried chicken, had some cocktails, enjoyed lamb, pasta, and a dessert. You couldn’t ask for a more Joel birthday then that.

Throughout my birthday there wasn’t just my birthday to celebrate. Ally’s water had broke and she was in the hospital early on my birthday morning. It seemed like a forgone conclusion that by the time the day ended Abby would join me on my birthday. The entire family was texting Ally and Tim looking for updates but throughout the day there was little to no progress. I’ll never forget being at dinner with Jenn, saying that it was looking less and less likely that Abby would make my birthday. Instead Abby made the wise choice and right as the clock clicked past midnight Ally went into labor and soon enough Abby Rueger graced the world and joined Jenn as an August 3rd baby. Good choice Abby, we can’t wait to meet you!

Waking up to Abby’s arrival on Jenn’s birthday got things off to the right start. That evening we went out to one of Jenn’s favorite casual eats, Pomodoro Rosso. We had gone there a couple months back with my parents and she loved it. It’s a nice easy walk from our apartment and we enjoyed some wine, pasta, fish, and dessert. When we got back we FaceTimed with Ally and Abby and got to see our new niece.

The rest of August began to fly by. We were incredibly busy at work, I got my eyes checked for the first time since LASIK (all checked out), and I even played tennis a few times, a first this year. The moment though that will stand out more then anything was on August 12th. Jenn had been saying recently that we should go out more during the week, and randomly she said I should meet her at the St. Regis bar for a drink. I didn’t think much of it until I showed up and she was in this “STUNNING” red dress with a giant grin on her face. I knew something was up then and a few seconds later she let me know that she had been promoted to Sr. Director only 9-months after joining her company, making her the youngest Sr. Director at her firm. To say this is quite the accomplishment would be doing it such a disservice. Having watched Jenn even from a far over the last nine months I can say I’ve never seen her both work harder and better than she has since taking this role. She earned this and I am so proud of her, she deserves this and so much more. We enjoyed some drinks in the bar, and talked about what a whirlwind journey this job has been so far.

Not everything in August was as exciting as the arrival of Abby or Jenn’s promotion. In the same vein of getting out more we bought tickets to Birdland Jazz Club to see Miss Maybel, a band covering early 1900’s jazz. It was a complete train wreck, between the bad drinks and even worse food, and a rather pedestrian performance it was one event we will not be going to again anytime soon. It was a shame too because going to jazz clubs is usually one of our favorite activities.

Luckily not all was lost, it was only a week later that I was given tickets to go see the Yankees play the Blue Jays in the Legends Seats right behind home plate. Jenn and I arrived about 30-minutes before the first pitch and enjoyed all the free food we could get our hands on. From hamburgers to hot dogs to popcorn and peanuts we went “nuts.” Then we realized there was an entire food area for our tickets where we got sushi, prime rib, pizza, and a bunch of other food. It was a feast and we indulged a bit more than we should have. A few innings later we went back in for dessert where Jenn got a shake and I had ice cream in a helmet. Oh, and there was a baseball game going on as well, but the Yankees were getting destroyed so that was probably the least interesting part of the experience. Really grateful for this opportunity.

And just like that, we reached the end of the month and our trip across the pond. Jenn left for Dublin for a work conference on Sunday, August 21st and that meant it was some father/son bonding time for the next three days. On Wednesday, August 25th I drove Frasier to Far Fetch (about a two-hour drive) and then made my way to join Jenn in Dublin. I’ve already recapped the entire trip, but needless to say boarding a flight to travel again with Jenn was exactly what we both needed.

TV WE WATCHED

The summer is usually a pretty quiet time for TV but we watched quite a few good shows in August. For me, the conclusion of Season 3 of For All Mankind stands out, which continues to be one of my favorite shows. We also wrapped up the latest season of Westworld which was the worst show I’ve watched this year. Jenn continues to love Stranger Things which ended its penultimate season with a few 2-hour episodes.

BOOKS I READ (OR LISTENED TO)

If I was to describe the three books I read in August, I’d call them three solid reads. They all range between 3-4 out of 5 scores, but none of them will be vying for my favorite book at the end of the year. Christodora was a more interesting concept of a bunch of stories told within one building in New York City.

A Dangerous Fortune was probably my favorite book in August, although that’s probably just because I like Ken Follett’s writing style a lot. It has some resemblance to Jeffrey Archer (especially this book) and just makes for a very fun and interesting read.

The most interesting/different book was Behold the Dreamers a book about a couple here in New York City without official documentation and their pursuit to become citizens and make it in the US during the 2008 financial crisis.

MOVIES WE WATCHED

Only two movies this month. I watched Prey while Jenn was working and it was a very good but forgettable action movie. We also watched A League of Their Own after starting the new series on Amazon Prime.

THEATER WE SAW

The summer is usually a quiet time on Broadway and as such, we didn’t see any shows in August. Fret not though we will be back in the theater soon.

GAMES I'VE BEEN PLAYING

The only new game to add to the list this month is the latest release of Madden NFL 23 which I bought for the first time in a long, long time. It’s solid, although I find myself throwing more interceptions then I feel like I ever have in a game of Madden. Maybe I’m just not as good as I used to be.

2022 GOAL TRACKING

Goal #1: Read 35 Books: I've read 24 books and am on track to hit my goal.

Goal #2: Keep Weight Under 140: I've yet to go over 140lbs

Goal #3: 12 Monthly Recaps: 8 for 12.

A Look Back - August 2022