Lifetime Athletics

This weekend we joined Lifetime Fitness, an absolutely amazing health club that just opened in Berkeley Heights. The club has both indoor and outdoor aquatics centers, complete with a two-story water slide, zero-depth recreation pools, lap pools and children's interactive play areas, all incredibly clean, and best of all heated in the winter. The workout center features row after row of every kind of machine you can think of and countess activities from dance classes to racquetball. Best of all, the locker rooms are pure luxury, with marble counters and sinks, heated towels and an assortment of complimentary lotions and conditioners ! And for Jack, the club has a fantastic children's center with a kids only gym and a computer center.

While Con worked out, Jack and I went swimming and later on I relaxed in the whirlpool and sauna while Jack made new friends at the child center. Afterwards, we all met up at the Lifecafe, a full service restaurant where we shared a healthy snack or organic fruit, nuts and juices. Next visit - a trip to the Lifespa for a massage and a pedicure. I'm afraid this is the end of the line for the Westfield Y.

Happy 18th Birthday Chrissy

My baby turned 18 today.

We celebrated with a hibachi dinner at Arirang followed by a cake. For her gift, she opted for a summer trip to Europe, which we are buisily planning.

Weekend In Phoenix

This weekend I headed out to Phoenix to join Con at his company's national sales meeting at the beautiful Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort set high in the Phoenix North Mountains. The spouses and s.o.'s arrived on on Friday for cocktails and dinner at their signature restaurant, Different Pointe of View. Perched high on the mountaintop 1,800 feet above the city, we enjoyed a spectacular dinner and an outstanding selection of wines, complemented by breathtaking views of the city.

Con and I spent Saturday morning lounging at our private pool before joining the group for18 holes at the Lookout Mountain golf club. The par 72 course is aptly named, with a 100-foot drop at the 10th hole and cart paths resembling a rollercoaster ride. Twice we came eye to eye with coyotes, who turned out to be more tame that wild. That evening, we returned to the Point of View for cocktails at sunset followed by Japanese hibachi with the group.

On Sunday we had relaxing hot stone massages before settling in to watch the NFC playoff game at the Pointe In Tyme Tavern. The place was on fire with the Cardinals' first division championship in the team's history. We headed for the airport after the game for a smooth flight home to snowy New Jersey.

Cakebread Cellars

I have to mention the amazing wine Con's managing director introduced us to this weekend - Cakebread Cellars 2004 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley.

Cakebread Cellars was founded 30 years ago by Jack Cakebread, a photographer who came to the Napa Valley to shoot a book. While there, he casually mentioned his interest in one day owning a vineyard to some family friends who had a ranch in Rutherford. When he returned home that afternoon, the phone rang and it was the family friends offering to sell their property. He headed back up to the valley that same afternoon to make his best offer, and Cakebread Cellars was born.

This particular vintage is the result of an unusually warm late winter, consistently mild spring and summer weather, and several late-summer heat spells resulted in one of the earliest Napa Valley harvests on record. Although fast and furious, the early start to the season and lower-than-normal crop loads produced grape clusters with small berries and ripe flavors, yielding wines with impressive concentration, depth and structure.