Looking back on May is like looking back on a dream. Along with Jenn starting her new promotion, it was the first month where things got back to normal. Along with a beautiful trip to the Hamptons, Jenn hosting Ally’s wedding shower, and us having our first Michelin meal in a year. It was a great month.

RECAP OF THE MONTH

By the time April became May it started to feel like we had never left New York. Things began to re-open in the city and we had fully unpacked and began to get into a new/old routine. We took Frasier for his first trip back to Central Park, took long walks on Riverside Park, and enjoyed one of the best months in the city with spring in full bloom.

Jenn and I received our second Pfizer COVID vaccine which was a monumental experience. We felt so lucky and fortunate to get our first dose on the day we arrived in New York that we had made it to our second dose felt amazing. Jenn had a much worse reaction to the second dose than I did but both of us felt fine after 24hrs. I’m obviously writing this post in June but the feeling of getting the second dose and not constantly stressing about COVID has been monumental.

One of my favorite memories of May was when Jenn and I went out to eat at Jacob’s Pickles for lunch. Most workdays we are lucky if we spend 20 minutes eating lunch together (which is still better than pre-COVID) but we both decided to take advantage of a beautiful Friday and enjoy lunch outdoors at one of our favorites. It was the perfect day for outdoor dining and a great meal. We walked back and got to check out the green space that was built in Lincoln Center for the summer which was absolutely stunning.

The next day (Saturday the 15th) we packed a day bag, grabbed our car and drove out of the city early in the morning, and made our way to East Hamptons. We did this a little over. a year ago right at the height of the first pandemic wave and it was such a rejuvenating and beautiful moment that going back now with our vaccines felt right. This time though we didn’t have to rent a car so we grabbed Starbucks and were off. We arrived a little after 10 AM and Frasier went flying. He loves the beach and the water so the minute we unhooked him from his leash he was off. Frasier is funny that he will dart away and then randomly realize that he’s far from us and will search us out and rush right back. We walked up and down the beautiful coastline with Frasier bopping in and out of the water. We laid down some towels, listened to music, and enjoyed the beautiful day. We left the beach after almost two hours there and went to a nearby winery called Duck Walk. We were able to snag a small corner table where Frasier was able to sprawl out and we were able to enjoy a few rounds of wine tastings. The wine wasn’t great but the live music, perfect weather, and crackers more than made up for it. It was a perfect day.

The next week we got back into the workflow before Jenn flew off to California to host Ally’s wedding shower. It was the first time either of us had been in a plane since traveling back to California in June of 2020, probably the longest gap for either of us in a long time. I dropped Jenn off at JFK and she flew to San Diego where she hosted Ally’s bridal shower at the Rancho Bernardo Inn and got to spend a few days visiting with her Dad. The event went without a hitch and it appears to have been quite the event. Jenn spent so much time planning every last detail of the day that seeing the pictures made me so happy. Meanwhile back in Manhattan, Frasier and I enjoyed a weekend of bonding, walks, video games, and lots of delivery food.

I picked Jenn up at Newark Airport on Sunday and we spent the next week working and getting ready for a long and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend. We kicked off the long weekend with our first Michelin restaurant since the pandemic hit to celebrate Jenn’s recent promotion to Senior Director. One of our most desired restaurants still on our list to eat at was Daniel an esteemed French restaurant (2 Michelin Star) on the UES. We dropped Frasier off at NY Tails for the night and took a taxi on a very rainy Friday evening to the restaurant. Even in the rain, Jenn was stunning in a designer dress that looked like it was made for her. We arrived a little after 6 PM and enjoyed a 7-course meal with cocktails and wine. Besides a few hints of barriers and the waiters wearing masks, we spent the next 3-hours not really even being cognizant that a year ago this weekend we were packing to temporarily move to California to ride out the pandemic. Instead, we fully embraced the moment, the celebration, and an exquisite meal. Speaking of the meal the seven courses consisted of:

Michoacan Avocado
Midland Texas Beef
Gulf Coast Blue Shrimp
Cape Cod Scallop
Alaskan King Salmon
Milk Fed Limousin Veal
Washington State Rhubarb or Rio Grande Do Norte Cashew (We got one of each)

It was an extraordinary meal but we weren’t done for the evening just yet even if I was tired. Jenn has gotten on a kick to start going to speak easy’s throughout the city and one that’s been on her radar for a long time is UES a small ice cream shop in you guessed it, located in the UES. You show up and have to find the lever and password and are let downstairs into a small, dark, well-appointed little bar. We both got cocktails and ice cream and enjoyed the incredible playlist while we let the night soak over us. We left a little after 11 and called it an evening. It was one of those days that we dreamed about all last year and was even better than we could have imagined.

The weekend and the month ended with us staying home for most of the long weekend. Unfortunately, the weather did not play nice with the first long weekend post-COVID but we still enjoyed staying in, eating takeout, watching the French Open, playing board games, and watching TV. It was the first month in a long time that started to feel normal and for that, I am very grateful.

TV WE WATCHED

I don’t remember the last time we watched this much TV and when it was as good as this month’s viewing has been. We caught up on the 4th season of Search Party which continued its path of being equal parts crazy and enjoyable. We picked back up with the 4th season of The Handmaid’s Tale which continues to be one of the best shows on TV.

But the real standout this month and will probably be either my #1 or #2 show of the year is Master of None Season 3 which is called Moments in Love. I wish more TV was made like this. It lingers on shots, it’s not afraid to let conversations pause, and its beautiful simplistic art direction is something you almost never see on TV. It’s brilliant, I loved it so much.

BOOKS I READ (OR LISTENED TO)

Another great month of reading, with five books in the long month of May all of which were quite good. There were three though (the non-Gamersread books) that I enjoyed more than the others. My favorite book of the month was Me by Elton John a fascinating autobiography that for someone that grew up after a lot of his biggest hits was incredibly engaging. I always find it inspiring to read about those who were able to be the top of their craft even if they made stumbles along the way.

I also really enjoyed Homo Deus the third book by Yuval Noah Harari that goes into what he expects the next 100 years or so to look like. It’s not really a prediction book more than it is a book about how history and current events can help shape what we expect to see in the future. And finally, The Underground Railroad by Colston Whitehead was a brilliant book and I can’t wait to watch the show on Amazon Prime.

MOVIES WE WATCHED

With all of the TV we watched this month we didn’t have nearly as much time to watch any movies. The only movie we did watch was the very entertaining The Mitchels vs The Machines a Netflix animated movie made by the people who did The Lego Movies. It had a very similar vibe and pacing and was just as enjoyable as those movies. It was a great Sunday watch.

THEATER WE SAW

We didn't see anything this month, but we did purchase a season pass of tickets for when Broadway reopens this fall!

GAMES I'VE BEEN PLAYING

Really the big game for May was MLB The Show 21 which came as part of Xbox Game Pass. Although not a huge upgrade I still really enjoy playing the March to October an accelerated season mode that I find incredibly addicting. At this point, I’ve played a couple of seasons and unfortunately haven’t been able to win the world series or really make a dent in the playoffs.

2021 GOAL TRACKING

Goal #1: Read 45 Books: I've read 21 books and on track to hit my goal.

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

Goal #3: 12 Monthly Recaps: 5 for 5.

Goal #4: Create 6 travel books: China Trip complete, 1 down 5 to go.

A Look Back - May 2021