February was a crazy busy month that feels like it’s just starting to open the floodgates to what’s going to be a busy year with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

RECAP OF THE MONTH

Another month goes by, and all I can do is be grateful for my life. January was a great month, but February gave it a run for its money. With COVID starting to wind down the world began (not for long) to start to feel “normal” again. One thing that has been on Jenn and my notes of things to do were going to the Dior exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. We visited the museum in 2019 and loved it but it’s quite the hike to get to so it took a Dior exhibit to get us back. We arrived for our 5 PM slot to a packed house, and rightfully so. They didn’t spare any expense to put together a truly magnificent experience. Getting to see the beauty of the design over the years was spectacular. We made our way from the exhibit to dinner at ABC Cocina a really good and fully booked up Spanish restaurant. We enjoyed some great chips and guacamole, empanadas, quesadillas, and tacos. It was a great night although it reminded us how much work it is to get into Brooklyn from the Upper West Side, so we will probably be staying in Manhattan when we can.

The next week or two was when I would say “work arrived.” Both Jenn and I started our new roles right before the holidays so the ramp-up to get going in our new jobs took a bit longer than it might have otherwise, but I can say when the calendar turned to February we were in full swing. I did make a day trip to our Greenwich offices and purchased an iPad Pro to help with maintaining some of my work and notes in one spot which has been a godsend.

A few days before Valentine’s Day we made our way to the 3 Michelin Star, #36 in the world, and New York staple, Le Bernardin. It’s been a long time coming, it’s been on our list since we moved to New York but one of those places that we just never got around to, mostly because its main focus is seafood and that’s not usually our go-to. However, we met after work on Friday the 11th and for the next two hours got to experience their 8-course tasting menu. I’ll never forget Jenn arriving in an Uber with this stunning white dress from Cinq a Sept and turning all the heads in the restaurant. We got a private table towards the back and after some cocktails (Manhattan & French 75) we embarked on their incredible tasting menu. I will say it wasn’t our favorite dining experience, the restaurant was a bit too stuffy even for us, and the fish although better than almost any fish we’ve ever had just didn’t impress us as much as we had hoped. We could have overhyped it and got our expectations too high. Regardless it was still worth every penny and it’s an evening that when I think about 2022 I’ll remember very fondly, but it won’t be a restaurant we rush back to either.

It’s funny but one of the things that I’ve been trying to convince Jenn of is to go to the ballet more often. Like the Opera, for me, ballet is one of those transcendent experiences that I just love. Well, good news everyone, I think I finally took Jenn to a ballet that flipped her attitude towards them. We went to go see Swan Lake the day after going to Le Bernardin at Lincoln Center and it was spectacular. Jenn probably enjoyed it more than I did and I have a feeling this won’t be the last ballet we see this year.

The weekend ended with another snowstorm and Super Bowl Sunday. We didn’t do anything special this year, we both had work to get done, and Jenn spent most of the game (outside of the last few minutes) finishing up a big presentation. The next day was Valentine’s Day and Jenn went out of her way to make it special getting me incredible chocolates from La Maison Du Chocolat that was out of this world and a beautiful note on our door of the apartment. The rest of the week we had to deal with the resurfacing of the indoor dog run in our apartment so got to brave the harsh winter mornings and evenings with Frasier making us even more grateful for having the dog run.

Jake and Kayla flew in from California at the end of the week while Frasier went to camp for the long President Day weekend. They arrived on Friday morning and went out to enjoy the city while we worked at home that day but for the rest of the weekend, we all made our way around Manhattan to enjoy the relatively mild winter weekend. The first night we went to dinner at Eatlay, where took an elevator up to Serra by Birreria a beautiful Italian restaurant. From there we capped off the night at Dear Irving on Hudson with beautiful views of midtown.

Saturday was a full day of activity for the four of us. We took an Uber to brunch at Jenn and my favorite, The Penrose. We’ve been there so many times and it never ceases to be incredible. We snagged spots at the bar (to avoid an hour wait) and enjoyed some breakfast cocktails and a great breakfast. I have to say the fried chicken and biscuits were out of this world. From there we walked and grabbed coffee and made our way to the Met. When I think about my favorite places in the city The Met ranks up there in my top-5, I only wish we lived closer to it and I’d be there even more often. After standing in line for ten minutes in a light flurry we got our tickets and were off. We thought about visiting the Disney exhibit but it was a 90-minute wait so we instead spent most of our time in a new fashion exhibit and the American and Asia wings. At some point, while we were there Jenn and I realized that buying tickets each time we visited was becoming out of hand so we finally did what we talked about doing since we moved here and are now members at The Met. It was a very gratifying moment to finally get those passes.

When we were about to leave the Met to head for home everyone’s phones got an emergency alert for a snow squall so we ran out the doors and towards Central Park and enjoyed a nice dusting of snow as we made our way from the east to the west side. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I think the weather warning had predicted but it was a fun moment in the winter snow regardless.

That evening we made our way back to Flatiron to go for some Korean BBQ at the one-Michelin star Cote. We arrived a little before our reservation and had drinks at the bar before getting our table and enjoying the butcher’s feast for the table an array of different beef that got better with each course. The entire meal from the first appetizer to the final soft serve ice cream was out of this world. It was far better than both Jenn and I remembered and will absolutely be a place we head back to again and again. From there we made our way downtown and went to Over Story a new bar on the 64th floor of 70 Pine where. we all had a nightcap and finished the evening taking in the stunning views of Manhattan and Brooklyn from the balcony.

As if we hadn’t eaten enough food yet we were back at brunch the next morning at Bluebird London at Columbus Circle where we had a great brunch overlooking Central Park before going to the Morgan Library & Museum a first for all of us. It was a beautiful library and museum that was absolutely packed but rightfully so. The amount of original text in the building was astounding, you could really get lost there.

That evening we finished our food tour of NYC with one of our favorite restaurants of all-time Rezdora. We all went with the pasta tasting menu which continues the best way to enjoy the tremendous culinary wizardry that is this restaurant. You look at some of the dishes and think this is just pasta and then you taste it and realize it is so much more than that. Each dish is so expertly crafted that there was a couple of times that I just sat back in amazement, either that or the wine pairings that both Jake and I partook in were having their desired effect.

On Jake and Kayla’s last day in New York, I was set to depart that evening to London for work so we made an early start to the day and made our way to Columbia University to walk the campus with some coffee in hand. It was a stunning morning and there’s something about being on a college campus that gets those dreams flowing again. The endless possibilities, the feeling like the world is just at your fingertips and all you need to do is to go out and grab it. We took that inspiration to another NYC classic, Abaita on the east side. We split some pizzas and Crudo and enjoyed the perfect Jewish pizza. Jenn and I walked back home from there while Jake and Kayla went down to Greenwich Village.

A few hours later I was picked up to go to JFK where I waited for my British Airways flight to London. I had a good two hours in the lounge before boarding my business class seat to London. After wolfing down a small burger and Champagne in the lounge I got a quick dinner and cocktail on the plane before turning out the lights and getting a few hours of sleep. Because the wind was pushing us faster the flight to London was only a little over 5-hours and I touched down in London a little after 6 AM and arrived at my hotel, South Place Hotel right before 8 AM. I grabbed a couple of hours of sleep before taking a shower and walking to the office.

The next four days went by like a flash and after a dozen meetings a day and some team dinners I was back on my home. I took a later flight on Friday, February 25th, and woke up early and did a beautiful 7-mile walk around London making stops at The London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and most importantly St. James Park where I think I found the bench I proposed to Jenn on in 2008. I made my way back home on British Airways and had a perfect flight back where I ran back home to Jenn and Frasier before Jenn headed out to Nashville a few days later.

It was quite the month and there’s no doubt that it’s starting to feel like a “new normal” has begun even if COVID will linger with us for a long time to come.

TV WE WATCHED

If you asked Jenn the highlight of February TV would be The Gilded Age the new show from the makers of Downton Abbey. It’s not quite as good but it’s still insanely entertaining. The other big show we watched this month was the first half of the final season of Ozark which continues to be a fun show. The finale of After Life finished off a show that is absolutely beautiful albeit outside of a tremendous last episode the final season was not nearly as strong as the prior two.

BOOKS I READ (OR LISTENED TO)

I do not like how much less I am reading this year but my new job and commute just don’t offer the same reading opportunities I had before. I’ll figure it out. But I did get to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn a beautiful novel that holds up really well. It’s one that has been on my “to-read” pile for a long time and I am so glad I sat down and read it.

MOVIES WE WATCHED

For some reason, I had the hankering to re-watch Lincoln and although I still think it’s a bit long, it’s a tremendous movie that has some incredible performances. The other movie I watched was Kimi on my flight home from London and it really didn’t do a lot for me.

THEATER WE SAW

The only show we saw in February was Intimate Apparel a new opera that was showcased at Lincoln Center. It wasn’t bad but the story was a bit slow and the opera although beautiful performed didn’t have the same feel as the classics. I am glad we saw it but it isn’t one we were raving about days after the show

GAMES I'VE BEEN PLAYING

I played very little this month, only putting in 15-20 minutes when I had a chance. I did re-finish Spider-Man which I enjoyed quite a bit and am even more excited to see what they do with a second one.

2022 GOAL TRACKING

Goal #1: Read 35 Books: I've read 6 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: 2 for 12.

A Look Back - February 2022