My shenanigans this weekend, including a (slightly) new look

This is about as good as my hair
will ever look!

I had a busy weekend, and that doesn't even factor in Yankees-Red Sox! On Friday, I finally got a haircut (I was waiting until after the Grateful Dead farewell concert to do so!) It is a slightly different look for me, with fuller bangs, and actually seems to go well with my glasses!


Then I got home and watched the Yankees-Red Sox win, although I missed seeing A-Rod's first-inning homer live.  I also found out some shocking news from a friend (it involves a Ramones concert we attended in college) which will make it into a future Squawk.

Saturday morning, I had to get up early for the Staten Island Pride run in Snug Harbor. It was a fun race, and the only one at that location. I am getting better as a runner, with increased strength and stamina, but I will never be a great runner. No matter. I still enjoy being out there doing it -- something I never could have guessed that I would!

After the race, I checked out the Pride festival, with attendance and sponsors and vendors that would have been unthinkable on Staten Island just a few years ago. The country has evolved rapidly on LGBT issues, and that's a good thing! Then I watched Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox game, although I also missed seeing A-Rod's first-inning homer that night!

Sunday morning, I got up early again -- this time to do a five-mile run with my running club. Then I went to Manhattan to the Bastille Day Festival at Le District in Battery Park City. I am a francophile who hopes to get to France one day. I also studied French in college. So every year, I go to a Bastille Day festival -- usually the 60th Street one. But this year, Le District, which is basically the French Eataly, but less claustrophobic, and with better prices, had their own Bastille Day festival. Since they are much closer to where I live, and since the 60th Street festival has gotten more pricey and crowded in recent years, I thought I would give it a try. Good decision!

The health club Equinox had a 45-minute outdoor spinning session as part of the event. I ended up getting the chance to do the class, which was a lot of fun. (I also have the feeling I might have my picture in the paper today, as some professional photographers were snapping away at us!) The club gave us water and towels, including wet eucalyptus-scented towels. I have been trying to do a spin class each week, so I can get better at it. And I actually am getting better, although I am still pretty weak compared to others. The hardest part of this class was the heat. About a half hour in, I was ready to give up, because it was so hot. But I didn't for two reasons -- I didn't want to look like I couldn't hack it, and a cool breeze came in to make the heat a little more bearable!

Afterwards, Equinox let us shower in their facilities. My current gym, the New York Health and Racquet Club, is pretty nice -- it is like a Holiday Inn, compared to the Y, my old gym, which was like a Days Inn. But the Equinox is like the Ritz-Carlton. The showers alone were phenomenal, with built-in changing rooms for each one and Kiehl's products. The towels were huge and soft. The whole place was like being in a spa.

After showering, I checked out the rest of the festival. A number of stores in Brookfield Place had free champagne and wine tastings. One even had truffle-flavored Umani Burger sliders, which were fantastic! I also checked out Le District. It is very cool -- separate stands for cheese, sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, pastries, meats, and fish. Extremely friendly staffers, too. There are also bars and restaurants. Brought home some delicious rotisserie chicken for dinner last night.

Anyhow, this concludes my self-indulgent post for the weekend. We now return you to your regularly scheduled Squawking!