I have been in cinematic hibernation for the past month or so... The summer has seen me do some travelling and having some fun, but I haven't been to many films at all. With the fall film festival season about to kick off in Telluride this weekend (sadly, I won't be there), I am gearing up for a long two months of spending my days with my ass in a movie seat. I don't know about you, but the film festival circuit REALLY takes it out of me. My life becomes a singular mission, to see as many movies as I can while simultaneously absorbing as much drunken revelry and as many mind-bending hangovers as my body will allow. Then, I come home from a festival, try to get to the gym and work off the beer gut, lather, rinse, and repeat. It ain't pretty.

So, I have to say, I have enjoyed and NEEDED the break. I know that my blog has suffered as a result, but I promise that I am getting back into the swing of things and I will return to bringing you the same opinionated drivel you've come to expect from The Back Row Manifesto. In the meantime, here are some pictures from some of my recent adventures....

Home To Michigan

This is the view as J and I crossed the mighty Mackinac Bridge, from the Lower Peninsula into the Upper Peninsula (or U.P.) The bridge is 2,625 meters long, making it the 6th largest suspension bridge in the world and largest single suspension bridge in the US (sorry Golden Gate... you and the Oakland Bay bridge are really two bridges). We drove from Mt. Pleasant, MI (where my dad lives and the home of the Soaring Eagle Casino ...fun fun fun... and I won $700 playing Let It Ride..whoo hoo) up to the U.P. to visit the lovely Tahquamenon Falls.

The Lower Falls, Tahquamenon State park

After a 4 mile hike, we found the Upper Falls, the "second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi"...

The Upper Falls, Tahquamenon State Park

Upper Falls with Giant Head and Emerging Bald Spot

The Brooklyn Botantical Gardens

My friend T (who shall remain 'T' on this blog forever as her father likes to Google her name and gets concerned when she shows up in weird places like The Back Row Manifesto) and I spent an afternoon at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens back in late July. Pretty, pretty...

The Babies

Just a chance to show off a couple of recent pictures of my niece Sophia and my nephew Mikey, with whom I got to spend a wonderful weekend in mid-August... (Jack, your photos coming as soon as I get some more...cough sendmesomeasap cough...)

The Gold Cup Final
An hour before kick-off at Giant's Stadium before the US beat Panama on penalties in the Gold Cup Final...

Are we drunk yet?!?! (L to R: me, G, Steele, Lauren, Patrick. Not pictured: J, who took the photo)

Not shown? Trips to Coney Island, The U.S. Open yesterday, a week in Ohio, a jaunt to Florida, rock shows at the South Street Seaport and Irving Plaza, and lots of nights out on the town in Brooklyn. It's been a great summer...