Dinner With A Dear Friend

Last week, I caught up with my dear friend Marilyn, in town from Ohio, and her lovely daughter Karen.

The three of us met for dinner at Basso 56, a delightful downstairs bistro in NYC’s Theater District with staffers who have mastered the art of swift service that doesn’t feel rushed.

Basso 56: I couldn’t have been happier to stumble upon this slice of Italian charm in NYC’s Theater District

Marilyn and I hadn’t seen each other since our glorious brunch last summer with mutual friend, actor A Martinez. Over a delicious dinner (grilled salmon with roasted pepper puree sauce for me), we talked about A’s recent exit from “One Life To Live,” the five-star entertainment of this year’s Tony Awards and the budding writing talents of Marilyn’s teenage grandson.

Marilyn is an amazing woman. In addition to being a wonderful friend, she’s a devoted mother and grandmother with a great sense of fun and a true appreciation of life’s pleasures, big and small.

I’ve lost count of how many times, over the years, we’ve curled up on her couch and shared hours of effortless conversation over a cup of tea. The pleasure of her company has comforted me through many a trial -- from the deaths of my beloved parents to multiple breakups -- and remains one of life’s sweetest joys.

She and Karen were off to see “Jersey Boys” so our time together was far too brief. Still, I know whenever we see each other again, we’ll pick up right where we left off.

We always do.

Celebrating The Season With My Colleagues

Thursday night, I attended Quinn & Company’s delightful holiday party, held upstairs at Angus McIndoe’s, a cozy restaurant in the heart of NYC’s Theater District and just a few blocks up from our office.

As always, it was a treat to kick back after hours with my colleagues, a truly fun and spirited group of people. An added bonus was getting to see my good friend Morty, who left Q&C a few weeks ago to pursue his phD in psychology.

Pick Me Up: Morty’s arrival at Quinn & Co’s holiday soiree elicited big cheers and hugs all around

One of my favorite things about Quinn & Co’s holiday soiree is getting to know a little more about the people I share my work week with. I learned that real estate PR whiz Steve has an Aussie boyfriend and that fellow travel publicist Ashley is a master at crocheting.

The award for best anecdote of the night goes to the always affable Li, when he was reflecting on the consequences of working in an estrogen-heavy environment (35 of Quinn & Co’s 40 employees are female). He recently found himself spending time with Steve and real estate VP Greg -- at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Once we settled in our seats for a delicious three-course dinner (I chose the Caesar salad, lasagna and chocolate cream pie), our fabulous president Florence gave an inspiring speech about the challenges of this year and her confidence in the talent and creativity of everyone who works at Q&C.

Group Shot: Me and my travel colleagues. That's our president Florence (in purple) on the right, and behind me (in red) is Q&C partner Carla, the person responsible for me entering the blogosphere!

Following a few more speeches from the higher-ups, it was time for the annual tradition of Secret Santa. My boss John surprised me with London in a Bag building blocks and a greeting card cutout of the London skyline.

As John spoke about my passion for travel and for a handful of cities in particular (Sydney, Rome and Paris round out my top 5), I felt a surge of delight. Not only do I work for someone who knows me very well, I get to do my job in a place that allows me to follow my bliss every day. What a perfect gift to be reminded of at a company holiday party.