Opening The Vault: Part Thirty Four

Like the song says, breaking up is hard to do -- and it’s even harder when you’re still in love with your significant other. My feelings for CA-based beau Mark (a.k.a Sparky) remained as I prepared to tell him it was over between us.

Tired of trying to forge a relationship from 3,000 miles apart -- and of the near-constant arguing precipitated by it -- I knew the time had come to call it quits. I now Open The Vault and take you back to the summer of 1995...

June 8th, 1995
San Diego, CA

Dear Diary,

Thankfully, the growth that was removed from Mark’s stomach turned out to be benign. He was still in discomfort, though, so he nixed the whirlwind excursion we’d planned and suggested we go to San Diego instead.

I was silent for the duration of the approximately 2-hour ride. All I kept thinking was -- how am I going to tell him?

A road trip to San Diego illuminated how far apart Mark and I had grown

Of course, leave it to Mark to get romantic as I’m thinking that our days together were numbered. As Bryan Adams’ "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" came on the radio, Mark turned down the volume and said --

"You know, it seems like every time we get comfortable with each other, you leave. There’s always this void when you go."

"Really?" I snapped. "I find that very hard to believe."

Unfortunately, when I’m mean, I’m the worst.

When we got to our hotel, Mark kept asking me what was wrong. I needed a little more time to figure out what to say, so I laid down next to him and told him as much.

He started to kiss me and eventually, I ended up on top of him. His arms were encircling my waist as he kissed the nape of my neck. Looking up at the ceiling, I fought in vain to hold back tears. I love you so much, Sparky, I thought to myself, but it’s no good anymore.

* * *

Later, Sparky pressed me again to tell him what was on my mind. I knew I couldn’t hold back the truth any longer.

Though I had rehearsed this scene time and time again, I floundered for words. I struggled to explain how I’d arrived at my painful decision.

"So, you’re saying you’re ready to move on," he finally interjected, saying what I couldn’t bring myself to.

"I don’t know," I said, my voice trailing off. But we both knew that yes was what I really meant.

Mark stood up and said he was going for a walk. I was more than a little anxious that he seemed so calm. As it turned out, I had reason to be worried -- a torrent of animosity was about to be unleashed.

* * *

Though I’d found the courage to tell Mark we were through, my timing couldn’t have been worse -- I wasn’t due to leave California for another four days.

Bryan Adams: Acoustically Amazing

Friday night, my good friend Sara and I went to see Bryan Adams in concert at NYC’s legendary Beacon Theater on the Upper West Side.

Sara and I in front of the Beacon Theater right before the concert

We were doubly excited -- to see the Beacon’s newly-renovated interior, and to experience our second Bryan Adams performance together.

That’s The Ticket: A memento from the last time we saw Bryan

Sara and I last saw the Canadian rocker 15 years ago, at Wembley Arena in London during our junior year abroad. This time around, Bryan was accompanied only by a guitar and, on some songs, the talented pianist from his band, Gary Briet.

Though our seats were in the rear balcony section, thanks to the Beacon’s transformative $10 million renovation, we could hear every note of Bryan’s beautifully raw acoustic sounds.

What A Makeover: The Beacon Theater has been majestically restored to its original glory

His energetic two-hour set kicked off with “Run To You” and featured a seamless mix of equally beloved classics with more recent hits. From ballads like “Heaven,” “Let‘s Make A Night To Remember,” and “You’re Still Beautiful To Me,” to rock n roll anthems like “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started” and “This Time,” Bryan’s music filled the theater -- and had the audience singing along.

Guitar Hero: Bryan Adams filled the Beacon with his stirring sounds

Remarkably, Bryan managed to indulge all of us in a big karaoke session without losing control of the stage, especially during heartfelt renditions of “Please Forgive Me” and, of course, the timeless “Summer of ‘69.”

The singer really connected with the crowd, revealing a comedic wit and great gift for storytelling. My favorite tales were two about the beauty and bite of the Big Apple.

Prior to one of his Madison Square Garden gigs, Bryan got stuck in the Village, unable to find a cab. He ended up on the subway, only to find himself alongside a bunch of fans heading to the concert. One noticed him -- then discreetly guided Bryan in the right direction when he wasn’t sure how to get to MSG.

During another underground occasion, the singer asked a fellow straphanger for directions to SoHo.

“What, you can’t read?” was his response.

A six-song encore delivered even more of Bryan’s best -- including “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?” and “Straight From The Heart.” He closed out the show with the “Three Musketeers“ tune “All For Love.”

More than once during the concert, Bryan spoke with great affection for Gotham, saying--

“I love New York.”

The feeling is more than mutual.

Bryan’s US tour continues through mid-May. For more info, visit his official website.

Lunch With A Fellow J-Schooler

Yesterday, I enjoyed a rare lunch out of the office, mixing business with pleasure as I caught up with journalism school classmate Rebecca.

Rebecca and I last saw each other at a five-year reunion happy hour back in ’04. Now a web producer for “The Rachael Ray Show,” she ushered me backstage briefly, where a taping was in progress. A super thin primetime actress was waiting in the wings, raving about a recent meal at Blue Hill and looking impatient for the interview to be over.

Over a delicious lunch at nearby Comfort Diner in Midtown, Rebecca and I talked about how we can work together – and how astonishing it is that we’re coming up on our ten-year reunion in just a few weeks.

Comfort Diner: This Midtown eatery serves up a mean BLT and heavenly fries (of both the regular and sweet potato variety)

Happily married after years of doing the bicoastal thing (she’s from California) with her husband, she acted quickly when I told her I’m still a single gal, calling one of her producer colleagues to pitch me for a dating segment. Turns out they’re only interviewing men. Hopefully, it's not for the upcoming segment mentioned on the show's website about how difficult it is to meet people. Call me crazy but I think the opposite sex has little to complain about, considering they’re outnumbered here by more 100,000 single women.

Rebecca and her hubby met through a blind date, so she promised to keep me in mind should any eligible bachelors cross her path. My friend and Quinn & Co. colleague Carla is also keeping an eagle eye out for me – proof that, when it comes to matchmaking, sometimes the best Cupids are people who’ve already found their happily ever after.

Up next…Bryan Adams rocks the Big Apple and my first visit to Williamsburg in more than a decade.