Slowing Down

If you’re going to go in the water in the Hamptons, best wear a full wet suit – LuAnn and Bethenny had the right idea! A bit later, we see Jill, Ramona and LuAnn talking about boarding school. I agree that the choice to send a child to boarding school is a deeply personal one. Simon attended a wonderful boarding school in Australia, and his family was near enough to the campus that he was able to live at home – he had the best of both worlds. As is custom in Australia, parents reserve places at their alma mater for their children shortly after birth, and for that reason our boys are both enrolled already. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind that the boys would have the option to attend should we be living in Australia by then, or if we were both to die and the boys adopted by family, etc. It’s uncomfortable to dwell on such plans, but they are necessary contingencies once you become a parent.

I have no idea what it is about me that Ramona feels isn’t real. I don’t seek her out at parties but often feel, when I do talk to her, that her brain isn’t really connected to what is coming out of her mouth. Ramona may well be one of those people who enjoys the sound of her own voice, and to that end comes up with all sorts of non sequiturs. So, I’m not sure what Ramona has against me, but really don’t care. There are more important things to think about.

This episode shows us leaving the Hamptons, for purposes of the show at least, and heading back to New York. Over the summer we spent 4 weekends out east, which is a bit more than we normally do. Two weekends has been our habit for years, but in 2008 we were invited out for various reasons nearly every weekend – that would have been a little much. Rollicking weekends are different than a vacation – you go out a lot and don’t sleep much. Some great weekend trips I’ve taken have been Hong Kong (when I was in China – you can’t do a weekend there from NYC,) Las Vegas and of course, the Hamptons. A weekend does not a vacation make. For a vacation, Simon and I prefer to go somewhere quiet-ish where you don’t need to plan meals in advance, the roads and shops are not crowded and the water is warm and calm. We go for at least two weeks, preferably more, and slow down to enjoy life.

What else happened this week? Jill asked for opinions on lip enhancement, and the tennis re-match surfaced as a possibility. As someone who has never had any sort of cosmetic procedure, my gut reaction is that what nature gave you is best. I can’t speak for everyone, and who knows, maybe I’ll feel differently about myself in 10 years. Only time will tell, but I think Jill’s lips look fine the way they are. You knew the tennis match was bound to happen, and it’s hard to be objective about the clip you saw this week when I know what happens later. I’ll leave you with this… it’s going to be juicy!

Thanks for reading, and check out Simon’s take at www.mccordvankempen.com.