Monday, November 30th -
Emerald Inn - Chicken Pot Pie
Regis Sighting!
ISAW Photos in Central Park
Time Warner Center
Touristy-Shopping & Tasti-D-Lite
Much Needed Reflexology Session
Picking up the Laundry
Winter's Eve Festival!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
New York New York Day 7
Sunday November 29th -
Leftovers
Home Brewed Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee in the Krups!
Battery Park
Hot Dogs from a Vendor
Site of the World Trade Center Towers
Century 21 Shopping Wonderland - Matt's coat, my new purse
Santa Fe - Rosangel
67 Wine - Santa Julia Malbec, Mollydooker Two Left Feet
Leftovers
Home Brewed Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee in the Krups!
Battery Park
Hot Dogs from a Vendor
Site of the World Trade Center Towers
Century 21 Shopping Wonderland - Matt's coat, my new purse
Santa Fe - Rosangel
67 Wine - Santa Julia Malbec, Mollydooker Two Left Feet
Saturday, November 28, 2009
New York New York Day 6
Saturday, November 28th -
Starbucks Christmas Blend
Brunch with Gulru & Turkish Delight at the Central Park Boathouse
5th Avenue stroll to Tiffany's
EAST VILLAGE
Prune - Bone Marrow, Apple Pie A La Mode,
Cellar 58 - Bulgarian Wine?
The Continental - 5 shots of anything for $10. yeah, CRAZY!
Learning my ABC's-
Blue and Gold Bar
Porch
Duke's
Sunflower Deli with Kymry
Blessed Sleep and WHAT no Hangover? AWESOME!
Starbucks Christmas Blend
Brunch with Gulru & Turkish Delight at the Central Park Boathouse
5th Avenue stroll to Tiffany's
EAST VILLAGE
Prune - Bone Marrow, Apple Pie A La Mode,
Cellar 58 - Bulgarian Wine?
The Continental - 5 shots of anything for $10. yeah, CRAZY!
Learning my ABC's-
Blue and Gold Bar
Porch
Duke's
Sunflower Deli with Kymry
Blessed Sleep and WHAT no Hangover? AWESOME!
Friday, November 27, 2009
New York New York Day 5
Friday, November 27th -
Levain Bakery - a 6 ounce dark chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips, and amazing Coffee!
National History Musuem - apparently where all the Black Friday KIDS go. It was MAYHEM!
Gray's Papaya
Shop a Little
La Traviata Pizza
Morrell Wine Bar - Mollydooker The Boxer
Levain Bakery - a 6 ounce dark chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips, and amazing Coffee!
National History Musuem - apparently where all the Black Friday KIDS go. It was MAYHEM!
Gray's Papaya
Shop a Little
La Traviata Pizza
Morrell Wine Bar - Mollydooker The Boxer
Thursday, November 26, 2009
New York New York Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 26th - Thanksgiving Day!
Lauren & Torrey left at the crack of dawn to catch an early flight.
We slept in some, but I dragged myself out of bed at 7am. Frank was trying to wake me up, I could tell. And I wanted to get him a walk before they put up the barricades for the Macy's Parade. I threw on some clothes, and my puffer vest, and off we went. Thankfully, even though Central Park West was barricaded, the crosswalk was still open. So we passed several families (setting up their spot on the corners), and ran over to Central Park. Frank did his business, and it was quick. He seemed to know something big was about to happen. He was also on his best behavior. He stayed with me, and weaved in and out of crowds of people, as we made our way back to the crosswalk. OH CRAP, now the crosswalks were barricaded! How would we get back to the apartment? I wasn't about to walk miles north to W 79th street to get around the parade. Heck no! Frank and I stood helplessly at the crosswalk, wondering what to do. Suddenly, I noticed a family ducking under the barricades and crossing the street to my side. OOH it WAS possible? I squeezed myself through a barricade, but then had to worry about Frank and his leash. I let him walk under one, but then I had to get his leash untangled. Bless his heart. He just put his paws on top the barricade and waited for me to get the leash figured out. Meanwhile, the crowd just LOVED him. Everyone was petting him, and oohing and saying "what a good dog!" and "my he is SOFT", and Frank was just eating up the attention. We crossed the street, and thankfully, the policeman was there, and I politely explained that we had to get through to our apartment. He was very kind, and physically moved one of the barricades to let us into our sidewalk. I thanked him. Another family we passed on the curb, had a little toddler. The cherub couldn't have been more than 1 yr old, just barely walking. The father asked if he could pet Frank. Of course I said. I also let them know that I was just dogsitting, so I kept a firm grip on Frank's collar while the toddler pet him. It was just the perfect moment. They thanked me, and then Frank and I weaved past the other clumps of people squatting along the street, and back to the apartment. Matt was still asleep. :-D
-
We opted to run out to Breadsoul Cafe again for a quick breakfast, and then back to view the parade. By the time we finished eating it was 8am. People were passing us with portable chairs, ladders, blankets, kids in tow, strollers, and all heading towards Central Park. Unbelievably, everyone was in high spirits, and very friendly. Matt and I decided the crowd at the end of our street was too packed for us, so we split up (he with his camera) and I with mine. Matt would take a few shots, and then go back to the apartment to watch the parade on TV and football. I was determined to watch the ENTIRE parade. Gradually I inched my way through the throng of people up towards the front corner of the street and Central Park West. When the first Balloon came into sight, I actually had tears in my eyes. There is NOTHING like watching the Macy's Parade LIVE and in person. The TV just can't convey the electric enthusiasm of the crowd and performers. It was exhilirating!
It was hard to believe I stood there, snapping away photos, waving back at the parade float celebrities, and singing along with the marching bands, for TWO hours in the cold. But it was so worth it!
-
Afterwards, I went back to the apartment and had Matt rewind the DVR so I could watch the parade again. Then it was time to shower and get ready for lunch.
-
We had 1:30pm Reservations at Bar Boulud for Thanksgiving Lunch. They had a Prix-Fixe Menu, and it was DIVINE!
I love how close everything is in NYC. We almost literally crossed the street and rounded the corner and BOOM we were there.
We splurged on 2 glasses each of one of the best wines I've ever had! It was a 2005 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel Magnum.
My menu choices were:
Soupe De Potiron - roasted butternut squash soup, candied pumpkin seeds, pomegranate molassas
Roasted Heritage Turkey - Corn Bread Stuffing (with giblets),haricorts verts, classic cranberry sauce, turkey gravy
Gratin De Pommes - Local granny smith apple butter, rouign amann cake, apple cider sorbet
Matthew had:
Coquilles Saint-Jacques - seared Maine diver sea scallops, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, almonds
Roasted Heritage Turkey - Corn Bread Stuffing (with giblets),haricorts verts, classic cranberry sauce, turkey gravy
Tarte Au Chocolat - bittersweet chocolate tart
and
Although we ordered only 2, we ended up tasting all 3 desserts (they gave us a free one)
Coupe De Potiron Confit - Pumpkin and Cranberry confit, toffee pudding cake, orange-caramel ice cream
It was just delicious!!!
-
Then we "waddled" back home, to watch football and relax. After all, the Cowboys were playing, that's Matt's Team!
In our new tradition (since I learned about it from Wine Club), we had some Beaujolais Nouveau to celebrate Thanksgiving.
-
Took Frank on his nightly walk, and fed him. We played fetch with his ball some too. He really loves to play!
-
We planned to go to Sushi at Haru or Amber, but Amber was closed, as we walked up the street, and we ran into a place called Sushi Gari, quite by accident. It was delicious, but the night was cold, everything was closed, and NYC felt empty for once.
We went home to enjoy some more wine and watch TV before bedtime.
Lauren & Torrey left at the crack of dawn to catch an early flight.
We slept in some, but I dragged myself out of bed at 7am. Frank was trying to wake me up, I could tell. And I wanted to get him a walk before they put up the barricades for the Macy's Parade. I threw on some clothes, and my puffer vest, and off we went. Thankfully, even though Central Park West was barricaded, the crosswalk was still open. So we passed several families (setting up their spot on the corners), and ran over to Central Park. Frank did his business, and it was quick. He seemed to know something big was about to happen. He was also on his best behavior. He stayed with me, and weaved in and out of crowds of people, as we made our way back to the crosswalk. OH CRAP, now the crosswalks were barricaded! How would we get back to the apartment? I wasn't about to walk miles north to W 79th street to get around the parade. Heck no! Frank and I stood helplessly at the crosswalk, wondering what to do. Suddenly, I noticed a family ducking under the barricades and crossing the street to my side. OOH it WAS possible? I squeezed myself through a barricade, but then had to worry about Frank and his leash. I let him walk under one, but then I had to get his leash untangled. Bless his heart. He just put his paws on top the barricade and waited for me to get the leash figured out. Meanwhile, the crowd just LOVED him. Everyone was petting him, and oohing and saying "what a good dog!" and "my he is SOFT", and Frank was just eating up the attention. We crossed the street, and thankfully, the policeman was there, and I politely explained that we had to get through to our apartment. He was very kind, and physically moved one of the barricades to let us into our sidewalk. I thanked him. Another family we passed on the curb, had a little toddler. The cherub couldn't have been more than 1 yr old, just barely walking. The father asked if he could pet Frank. Of course I said. I also let them know that I was just dogsitting, so I kept a firm grip on Frank's collar while the toddler pet him. It was just the perfect moment. They thanked me, and then Frank and I weaved past the other clumps of people squatting along the street, and back to the apartment. Matt was still asleep. :-D
-
We opted to run out to Breadsoul Cafe again for a quick breakfast, and then back to view the parade. By the time we finished eating it was 8am. People were passing us with portable chairs, ladders, blankets, kids in tow, strollers, and all heading towards Central Park. Unbelievably, everyone was in high spirits, and very friendly. Matt and I decided the crowd at the end of our street was too packed for us, so we split up (he with his camera) and I with mine. Matt would take a few shots, and then go back to the apartment to watch the parade on TV and football. I was determined to watch the ENTIRE parade. Gradually I inched my way through the throng of people up towards the front corner of the street and Central Park West. When the first Balloon came into sight, I actually had tears in my eyes. There is NOTHING like watching the Macy's Parade LIVE and in person. The TV just can't convey the electric enthusiasm of the crowd and performers. It was exhilirating!
It was hard to believe I stood there, snapping away photos, waving back at the parade float celebrities, and singing along with the marching bands, for TWO hours in the cold. But it was so worth it!
-
Afterwards, I went back to the apartment and had Matt rewind the DVR so I could watch the parade again. Then it was time to shower and get ready for lunch.
-
We had 1:30pm Reservations at Bar Boulud for Thanksgiving Lunch. They had a Prix-Fixe Menu, and it was DIVINE!
I love how close everything is in NYC. We almost literally crossed the street and rounded the corner and BOOM we were there.
We splurged on 2 glasses each of one of the best wines I've ever had! It was a 2005 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel Magnum.
My menu choices were:
Soupe De Potiron - roasted butternut squash soup, candied pumpkin seeds, pomegranate molassas
Roasted Heritage Turkey - Corn Bread Stuffing (with giblets),haricorts verts, classic cranberry sauce, turkey gravy
Gratin De Pommes - Local granny smith apple butter, rouign amann cake, apple cider sorbet
Matthew had:
Coquilles Saint-Jacques - seared Maine diver sea scallops, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, almonds
Roasted Heritage Turkey - Corn Bread Stuffing (with giblets),haricorts verts, classic cranberry sauce, turkey gravy
Tarte Au Chocolat - bittersweet chocolate tart
and
Although we ordered only 2, we ended up tasting all 3 desserts (they gave us a free one)
Coupe De Potiron Confit - Pumpkin and Cranberry confit, toffee pudding cake, orange-caramel ice cream
It was just delicious!!!
-
Then we "waddled" back home, to watch football and relax. After all, the Cowboys were playing, that's Matt's Team!
In our new tradition (since I learned about it from Wine Club), we had some Beaujolais Nouveau to celebrate Thanksgiving.
-
Took Frank on his nightly walk, and fed him. We played fetch with his ball some too. He really loves to play!
-
We planned to go to Sushi at Haru or Amber, but Amber was closed, as we walked up the street, and we ran into a place called Sushi Gari, quite by accident. It was delicious, but the night was cold, everything was closed, and NYC felt empty for once.
We went home to enjoy some more wine and watch TV before bedtime.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
New York, New York Day 3
Wednesday, November 25th
BreadSoul Cafe - where we dined for breafast (delicious and inexpensive)!
MoMA - had to do the Art thing. We saw Van Gogh's Starry Night, and the Claude Monet exhibit as the highlights of the day.
Rosie O'Grady's - where we went to lunch. We shared the Maryland Crabcakes, fries, and I had wine while Matt had Stella. Gorgeous Irish Pub!
67 Wine - where we bought wine for Thanksgiving Day. YES they had the Beaujolais Noveau Georges Duboeuf.
Dinner @ Alachi Masala with Kymry. After Lauren came home, we hitched a cab over to an Indian restaurant, where we met Kymry. We hadn't seen our dear friend in almost a year, so it was nice to get to visit with her again. This restaurant doesn't serve alcohol, but they will let you bring your own. So I brought some with us.
Macys Balloon Inflation Ceremony - Lauren took us to this event.
Then we walked back towards the apartment, stopping at a deli for desserts & a quick stop at the wine store. Back to the apartment (hiked up the 5 flights of stairs), and then much drinking and visiting with our pals.
BreadSoul Cafe - where we dined for breafast (delicious and inexpensive)!
MoMA - had to do the Art thing. We saw Van Gogh's Starry Night, and the Claude Monet exhibit as the highlights of the day.
Rosie O'Grady's - where we went to lunch. We shared the Maryland Crabcakes, fries, and I had wine while Matt had Stella. Gorgeous Irish Pub!
67 Wine - where we bought wine for Thanksgiving Day. YES they had the Beaujolais Noveau Georges Duboeuf.
Dinner @ Alachi Masala with Kymry. After Lauren came home, we hitched a cab over to an Indian restaurant, where we met Kymry. We hadn't seen our dear friend in almost a year, so it was nice to get to visit with her again. This restaurant doesn't serve alcohol, but they will let you bring your own. So I brought some with us.
Macys Balloon Inflation Ceremony - Lauren took us to this event.
Then we walked back towards the apartment, stopping at a deli for desserts & a quick stop at the wine store. Back to the apartment (hiked up the 5 flights of stairs), and then much drinking and visiting with our pals.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
New York, New York Day 2
Tuesday, November 24th - Lauren and Torrey had to work. We slept in late, then walked up the street to Lansky's Deli. Torrey recommended we try it. Matt had the PLT (aka Pastrami, Lettuce, Tomato) sandwich with fries. I had a burger with cheese. I was so hungry! Everything came with coleslaw and pickles. Matt was in heaven over the pickles. I was in heaven over my Burger and Fries. Everything was delicious! Hit the spot! Of course we could only eat 1/2 of our food, so we packed it up to take back with us.
We made a mental note that Lansky's will make you a Central Park Lunch Basket for 2, and I thought perhaps we'd do that later on during our stay.
-
We stopped at a wine store along the way. I wanted something for dinner that night. Lauren had offered to cook up some cucumber/Thai dish, so we picked some wine to go with that. We grabbed a Sauvignon Blanc and a Malbec (I think? it has been a while so I forget). Lauren also had a bigger bottle that they hadn't finished yet. Matt insisted on a nap that afternoon (and since it was just Tuesday, I said OK).
Torrey was in and out most of the day, and we also learned Frank's routine so we'd be able to care for him while they were on vacation.
-
We had a glass of vino ready for Lauren when she got home. Then we all ended up hanging out, talking and listening to music, while she made dinner. Since the kitchen was right next to the living room, Lauren could hang with us while she was chopping up the food. We had a lovely time chatting over the wine, and into the wee hours of the evening, and finally we had to get to sleep around midnight.
Whew!
We made a mental note that Lansky's will make you a Central Park Lunch Basket for 2, and I thought perhaps we'd do that later on during our stay.
-
We stopped at a wine store along the way. I wanted something for dinner that night. Lauren had offered to cook up some cucumber/Thai dish, so we picked some wine to go with that. We grabbed a Sauvignon Blanc and a Malbec (I think? it has been a while so I forget). Lauren also had a bigger bottle that they hadn't finished yet. Matt insisted on a nap that afternoon (and since it was just Tuesday, I said OK).
Torrey was in and out most of the day, and we also learned Frank's routine so we'd be able to care for him while they were on vacation.
-
We had a glass of vino ready for Lauren when she got home. Then we all ended up hanging out, talking and listening to music, while she made dinner. Since the kitchen was right next to the living room, Lauren could hang with us while she was chopping up the food. We had a lovely time chatting over the wine, and into the wee hours of the evening, and finally we had to get to sleep around midnight.
Whew!
Monday, November 23, 2009
New York, New York Day 1
This year, we had the wonderful opportunity to help out a friend AND have a fabulous vacation in the Big Apple. Our dear friend's Lauren & Torrey wanted to spend Thanksgiving with their family in Colorado, but they needed a sitter for their beloved dog Frank. Besides the obvious perk of caring for a smart, polite, and very well-trained dog - we had free lodging in Manhattan for 8 days. Their lovely apartment is situated 1/2 block from Central Park West (for walking Frank every morning), and very close to Lincoln Square. OF COURSE we offered to dog-sit. Why NOT?
-
My dear friend Marybeth, sent me "Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC" about 2 weeks before the trip. I've almost read it cover-to-cover, bookmarked it, dog-eared the pages, carted it all over Manhattan, and it has been the BEST gift EVER. We couldn't have had the culinary ecstasy of a vacation without this book. THANK YOU MARYBETH!!!
-
Monday Nov 23rd, we flew in. I was just starting to come down with a cold, but was lucky to only have Monday feeling ill, but recovering nicely on Tuesday. We arrived late that night, and Frank was super excited to see us. Lauren & Torrey were glad also, but it was super late (delays with the trains/subways and our Manhattan navigation abilities). Matt has decided that he does not CARE anymore if it's a $90 cab ride, he's paying for us to ride stress-lessly in one vehicle to our destination from the airport. No more hopping onto NJ Transit, then Subway, then Walking, then up 5-flights of stairs - all the while carting around each of our 40pound suitcases. We got a WORK OUT! Anyway, I enjoy the bustle, it's totally my thing.
-
My dear friend Marybeth, sent me "Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC" about 2 weeks before the trip. I've almost read it cover-to-cover, bookmarked it, dog-eared the pages, carted it all over Manhattan, and it has been the BEST gift EVER. We couldn't have had the culinary ecstasy of a vacation without this book. THANK YOU MARYBETH!!!
-
Monday Nov 23rd, we flew in. I was just starting to come down with a cold, but was lucky to only have Monday feeling ill, but recovering nicely on Tuesday. We arrived late that night, and Frank was super excited to see us. Lauren & Torrey were glad also, but it was super late (delays with the trains/subways and our Manhattan navigation abilities). Matt has decided that he does not CARE anymore if it's a $90 cab ride, he's paying for us to ride stress-lessly in one vehicle to our destination from the airport. No more hopping onto NJ Transit, then Subway, then Walking, then up 5-flights of stairs - all the while carting around each of our 40pound suitcases. We got a WORK OUT! Anyway, I enjoy the bustle, it's totally my thing.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Varasano's, Vino, and Va-Nuptials?
Didn't realize how long it has been since I've updated this blog. Whew!
Saturday the 7th
Whilst the men enjoyed a bachelor party, I went on to my dear friend Mina's birthday bash at Varasano's. I thought I'd had everything, but you seriously have GOT to try Varasano's Pizza. It is truly amazing! Very delicious! Great Wine options, and My favorite pizza so far is the Nucci pizza on their menu. They also have a clam pizza among other daring adventures, but the Nucci was spectacular!
The owner is a math-fun guy, so the V in his logo is a square root. Also he's a Rubik's cube champ, so the dessert comes out with a raspberry coulis written cube-root around the chocolate demise pie. Yes that was a pun in baking.
As if the pizza weren't tasty enough, the desserts are just, well, I found myself smudged in chocolate demise. mmm!
-
Tuesday was Wine Club, we tasted Gamay (the varietal) also called Beaujolais. You can read more about that in the Wine Club Blog. I hosted and it was amazingly delicious! Love it!
-
Saturday the 14th
Our dear friends Minsoo & Sarah, tied the knot! There was a ton of Korean food options, and at the end of the buffet line was the Americanized food. I had already piled up on the Korean stuff, so I barely had room for the beef tenderloin. However, it was super yummy! They had some spicy kimchee, wowza!
The bride's dress was just gorgeous. The music was fun, and we pretty much danced the night away.
At the end of the reception, they were giving away the alcohol, so we took a box home. Thanks Minsoo & Sarah! Great wedding all around!
-
Sunday we did a photo shoot for the upcoming Voyeur Magazine issue (tentatively scheduled for release at the end of December). I'm not giving away any hints. It's faboo!
-
Today is National Baklava Day, although for once in my life, I was too tired to make it this year. I've just been SO busy with work, and prepping for the trip, it would be too much. However, when I go visit Grandpa in a few weeks, I'll be making some at his house. Never fear. The Baklava will reappear! at some point.
-
Saturday night we are looking forward to the Dixie Pin-up Party to celebrate their calendar release. And then Monday it's off to the BIG APPLE! woo hoo!
Saturday the 7th
Whilst the men enjoyed a bachelor party, I went on to my dear friend Mina's birthday bash at Varasano's. I thought I'd had everything, but you seriously have GOT to try Varasano's Pizza. It is truly amazing! Very delicious! Great Wine options, and My favorite pizza so far is the Nucci pizza on their menu. They also have a clam pizza among other daring adventures, but the Nucci was spectacular!
The owner is a math-fun guy, so the V in his logo is a square root. Also he's a Rubik's cube champ, so the dessert comes out with a raspberry coulis written cube-root around the chocolate demise pie. Yes that was a pun in baking.
As if the pizza weren't tasty enough, the desserts are just, well, I found myself smudged in chocolate demise. mmm!
-
Tuesday was Wine Club, we tasted Gamay (the varietal) also called Beaujolais. You can read more about that in the Wine Club Blog. I hosted and it was amazingly delicious! Love it!
-
Saturday the 14th
Our dear friends Minsoo & Sarah, tied the knot! There was a ton of Korean food options, and at the end of the buffet line was the Americanized food. I had already piled up on the Korean stuff, so I barely had room for the beef tenderloin. However, it was super yummy! They had some spicy kimchee, wowza!
The bride's dress was just gorgeous. The music was fun, and we pretty much danced the night away.
At the end of the reception, they were giving away the alcohol, so we took a box home. Thanks Minsoo & Sarah! Great wedding all around!
-
Sunday we did a photo shoot for the upcoming Voyeur Magazine issue (tentatively scheduled for release at the end of December). I'm not giving away any hints. It's faboo!
-
Today is National Baklava Day, although for once in my life, I was too tired to make it this year. I've just been SO busy with work, and prepping for the trip, it would be too much. However, when I go visit Grandpa in a few weeks, I'll be making some at his house. Never fear. The Baklava will reappear! at some point.
-
Saturday night we are looking forward to the Dixie Pin-up Party to celebrate their calendar release. And then Monday it's off to the BIG APPLE! woo hoo!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Sniffling through the Season
Well it's been a bizarre week post-party-month.
My Auntie Julie told me about how she went Low-Carb and took Wheat Gluten out of her diet, and promptly lost 50 pounds (over the course of a year). She looks fabulous btw.
Not long after that, my parents did a detox and started slowly introducing foods back into their diet, and they discovered that they both had issues with Wheat Gluten and Dairy. My dad especially (Auntie Julie is his sister), has had terrible allergies and asthma his whole life. He would take his inhaler DAILY. Now he has figured out that he only needs his inhaler when he eats gluten or dairy or refined sugar. Go figure. It took the family a good 31 yrs of my life to figure this out. Anyway, good to know.
I was sorely ticked off at first, because I'd actually PAID a damn allergist to test me for issues with Wheat Gluten, Dairy, etc. And nothing showed up except Bananas and Shellfish. 1) I don't eat bananas anyway, I don't like them. 2) I rarely eat shellfish, and when I do, I have not had any issues. and 3) If my weight issues ARE gluten/dairy related, then why the hell didn't THAT show up on my test? My OB/GYN tells me that the allergy tests can only show true allergies, not "food sensitivities" blah blah blah.
Well well.
I guess once that inordinately large Birthday Cake, and gallon of Birthday Ice Cream is gone, then I can start doing the dairy/gluten free thing.
Oh that will suck, I LOVE, love, love cheese, and eggs (do eggs count?).
At least Wine is gluten and dairy free, right?
--
To add insult to injury, I started having sniffles almost daily now, in the mornings. At first I thought I was getting sick, and thus I have been working at home this week, but now, I'm rather inclined to think it's allergies. I DO have half-n-half in my coffee every morning. And we've been slowly eating away at that cake. Hmmm...
--
In other news, we are knee-deep in planning our Thanksgiving vacation. This year, we are going to The Big Apple to dog-sit. Yeah that sounds weird, but think about it. The most well-behaved dog (next to mine of course) in history ... Free room and board in an apartment 1/2 block from Central Park... RIGHT on the Macy's Parade route...romantic time alone with the hubby...7 gorgeous days to explore the city and wine and dine ourselves...ooh I cannot wait!
Not that we are avoiding family, but all our trips this year have been family or work related, and it is nice to finally be ALONE and get to do OUR thing.
Love to the fam, but we are "do-not-disturb" for Thanksgiving this year.
My Auntie Julie told me about how she went Low-Carb and took Wheat Gluten out of her diet, and promptly lost 50 pounds (over the course of a year). She looks fabulous btw.
Not long after that, my parents did a detox and started slowly introducing foods back into their diet, and they discovered that they both had issues with Wheat Gluten and Dairy. My dad especially (Auntie Julie is his sister), has had terrible allergies and asthma his whole life. He would take his inhaler DAILY. Now he has figured out that he only needs his inhaler when he eats gluten or dairy or refined sugar. Go figure. It took the family a good 31 yrs of my life to figure this out. Anyway, good to know.
I was sorely ticked off at first, because I'd actually PAID a damn allergist to test me for issues with Wheat Gluten, Dairy, etc. And nothing showed up except Bananas and Shellfish. 1) I don't eat bananas anyway, I don't like them. 2) I rarely eat shellfish, and when I do, I have not had any issues. and 3) If my weight issues ARE gluten/dairy related, then why the hell didn't THAT show up on my test? My OB/GYN tells me that the allergy tests can only show true allergies, not "food sensitivities" blah blah blah.
Well well.
I guess once that inordinately large Birthday Cake, and gallon of Birthday Ice Cream is gone, then I can start doing the dairy/gluten free thing.
Oh that will suck, I LOVE, love, love cheese, and eggs (do eggs count?).
At least Wine is gluten and dairy free, right?
--
To add insult to injury, I started having sniffles almost daily now, in the mornings. At first I thought I was getting sick, and thus I have been working at home this week, but now, I'm rather inclined to think it's allergies. I DO have half-n-half in my coffee every morning. And we've been slowly eating away at that cake. Hmmm...
--
In other news, we are knee-deep in planning our Thanksgiving vacation. This year, we are going to The Big Apple to dog-sit. Yeah that sounds weird, but think about it. The most well-behaved dog (next to mine of course) in history ... Free room and board in an apartment 1/2 block from Central Park... RIGHT on the Macy's Parade route...romantic time alone with the hubby...7 gorgeous days to explore the city and wine and dine ourselves...ooh I cannot wait!
Not that we are avoiding family, but all our trips this year have been family or work related, and it is nice to finally be ALONE and get to do OUR thing.
Love to the fam, but we are "do-not-disturb" for Thanksgiving this year.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Party, Party, Party, and Party some more...
I'm very relieved to discover I'm NOT too old for this. We have been partying our little tooshies off! Let me try to recap...
Saturday the 17th -
West Grant Park Neighborhood Block Party - this was a nice tame party with kids, parents, a bonfire, and live music. It was also the first FREEZING cold night of the year here, so everybody was bundled up to the gills. I made Fajita Chili, with green chile peppers in it. very good hit, but hard to keep warm, even in the crock pot, as everything was outdoors for this party. Thankfully, someone got me a power cable to run to my crockpot plug, but it took so long to warm up, it wasn't devoured before we had to leave. We did have some fun though. Chris and Mina and little Ian were there, it was fun. Then we skeddaddled on over to Alex's party that evening.
Alex's Divorce Party - the man is finally free, and we celebrated as he requested. With a night at his favorite debaucherized establishment. I wore my pole party shirt in honor of the event. (no pics allowed, we were at the PP, hee hee hee!).
-
Friday the 23rd
Dinner at Serpas - We tried a new restaurant called Serpas. It's located in Studioplex lofts on Auburn. The moment we walked in the door, one of our songs started up - Lover's Lane Island Paradise. Oh yeah. Groovy music as they walk you to your table. The food was to DIE for (so good), and the wine was amazing also. Delicious! Then we walked down 2 doors to Matt Odom's Photography Show at Art Department - I bought one of his pieces called "Dirty Hands". We originally met Matt in Castleberry Hill at the Atlanta Photographer's Guild meet up at Elliott Street Pub. He and his girlfriend Ashley are just awesome/adorable/fun/creative people. We love hanging out with them.
Then we skipped on over to The Porter (a pub in Little 5 Points) with some friends, and finally back home.
-
Saturday the 24th
The Double-A Birthday Basher Matt's Photos. As is the case every year, I have to compete with Halloween for my birthday. This year Alex and I did a joint party the weekend between our birthdays, and it ended up being a total blast! Much better turn out, since folks weren't having Halloween conflicts. Such an awesome party, even the neighbors drove by asking for our play-list. We didn't shut it down until 3:30am that night. There was dancing, shots, birthday cake, ice cream, bubblegum vodka, and someone DID stick it in the mashed potatoes. just kidding.
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Tuesday the 27th
Got my hair touched up by Ms. Debi, and as I was leaving, my GPS notified me that all roads north (aka back home) were RED. It was raining, it was getting dark, traffic was a mess. I had a No Mas coupon in my purse. So I went to No Mas. Called a few friends, and Holly, Ben, and later Erika met me there. Woo hoo! more early birthday fun. Drove home much later, after traffic died down.
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Thursday the 29th
Matt took me out for dinner at Season's 52. Later Erika came by with some Bitch Bubbly (that I didn't know existed, but I was pleased to discover), and we had some cocktails before bedtime.
-
Friday we missed our friend Walter's party, but we were "plum-tuckered-out!"
-
Saturday the 31st
Erika's 80s Themed Halloween Party: Ben's Photos Tom's Photos Matt's Photos
Saturday the 17th -
West Grant Park Neighborhood Block Party - this was a nice tame party with kids, parents, a bonfire, and live music. It was also the first FREEZING cold night of the year here, so everybody was bundled up to the gills. I made Fajita Chili, with green chile peppers in it. very good hit, but hard to keep warm, even in the crock pot, as everything was outdoors for this party. Thankfully, someone got me a power cable to run to my crockpot plug, but it took so long to warm up, it wasn't devoured before we had to leave. We did have some fun though. Chris and Mina and little Ian were there, it was fun. Then we skeddaddled on over to Alex's party that evening.
Alex's Divorce Party - the man is finally free, and we celebrated as he requested. With a night at his favorite debaucherized establishment. I wore my pole party shirt in honor of the event. (no pics allowed, we were at the PP, hee hee hee!).
-
Friday the 23rd
Dinner at Serpas - We tried a new restaurant called Serpas. It's located in Studioplex lofts on Auburn. The moment we walked in the door, one of our songs started up - Lover's Lane Island Paradise. Oh yeah. Groovy music as they walk you to your table. The food was to DIE for (so good), and the wine was amazing also. Delicious! Then we walked down 2 doors to Matt Odom's Photography Show at Art Department - I bought one of his pieces called "Dirty Hands". We originally met Matt in Castleberry Hill at the Atlanta Photographer's Guild meet up at Elliott Street Pub. He and his girlfriend Ashley are just awesome/adorable/fun/creative people. We love hanging out with them.
Then we skipped on over to The Porter (a pub in Little 5 Points) with some friends, and finally back home.
-
Saturday the 24th
The Double-A Birthday Basher Matt's Photos. As is the case every year, I have to compete with Halloween for my birthday. This year Alex and I did a joint party the weekend between our birthdays, and it ended up being a total blast! Much better turn out, since folks weren't having Halloween conflicts. Such an awesome party, even the neighbors drove by asking for our play-list. We didn't shut it down until 3:30am that night. There was dancing, shots, birthday cake, ice cream, bubblegum vodka, and someone DID stick it in the mashed potatoes. just kidding.
-
Tuesday the 27th
Got my hair touched up by Ms. Debi, and as I was leaving, my GPS notified me that all roads north (aka back home) were RED. It was raining, it was getting dark, traffic was a mess. I had a No Mas coupon in my purse. So I went to No Mas. Called a few friends, and Holly, Ben, and later Erika met me there. Woo hoo! more early birthday fun. Drove home much later, after traffic died down.
-
Thursday the 29th
Matt took me out for dinner at Season's 52. Later Erika came by with some Bitch Bubbly (that I didn't know existed, but I was pleased to discover), and we had some cocktails before bedtime.
-
Friday we missed our friend Walter's party, but we were "plum-tuckered-out!"
-
Saturday the 31st
Erika's 80s Themed Halloween Party: Ben's Photos Tom's Photos Matt's Photos
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Californication-ary measures
Ok please please don't tell my wine club I did this. It's truly a sacrilege.
The "oh-crap-we-are-out-of-vinegar" dressing
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
handful of pitted/cured black olives
dash of soy sauce to taste
dash of lemon juice to taste
1 empty glass container with lid (or plastic equivalent with lid)
Directions: Using a coffee mug, heat the red wine in the microwave for 30 seconds. Immediately add 3-4 cubes of ice, stir until ice melts. Pour wine mixture into empty container. Add Olive Oil. add olives. muddle the olives. Add soy sauce and lemon juice. Put lid on container and close tightly. Shake mixture vigorously. Pour some of it over salad, toss salad. enjoy! Save the rest of the dressing for future emergencies? Also gives the wine time to ferment some more. ha!
---------------------
How did this emergency recipe come about?
We were getting ready for a nice dinner. The spaghetti squash "noodles" were hot, the chicken/spaghetti sauce simmering, and the fresh spinach leaf, red onion, cucumber, feta cheese salad was ready to be dressed. Then it hit me, CRAP I'm out of vinegar dressing!!!
So, I experimented and lucked out. The hubby says he likes my "new" dressing better than balsalmic vinegar or red wine vinegar from the store. well okay then!
-
In other news, we've recently become addicted to the show "Californication" and are knee-deep in Season 2. At this rate, we'll have finished more TV episodes than bottles of wine so far this year. Dare I say that aloud? LOL.
The "oh-crap-we-are-out-of-vinegar" dressing
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
handful of pitted/cured black olives
dash of soy sauce to taste
dash of lemon juice to taste
1 empty glass container with lid (or plastic equivalent with lid)
Directions: Using a coffee mug, heat the red wine in the microwave for 30 seconds. Immediately add 3-4 cubes of ice, stir until ice melts. Pour wine mixture into empty container. Add Olive Oil. add olives. muddle the olives. Add soy sauce and lemon juice. Put lid on container and close tightly. Shake mixture vigorously. Pour some of it over salad, toss salad. enjoy! Save the rest of the dressing for future emergencies? Also gives the wine time to ferment some more. ha!
---------------------
How did this emergency recipe come about?
We were getting ready for a nice dinner. The spaghetti squash "noodles" were hot, the chicken/spaghetti sauce simmering, and the fresh spinach leaf, red onion, cucumber, feta cheese salad was ready to be dressed. Then it hit me, CRAP I'm out of vinegar dressing!!!
So, I experimented and lucked out. The hubby says he likes my "new" dressing better than balsalmic vinegar or red wine vinegar from the store. well okay then!
-
In other news, we've recently become addicted to the show "Californication" and are knee-deep in Season 2. At this rate, we'll have finished more TV episodes than bottles of wine so far this year. Dare I say that aloud? LOL.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
The Mad Month of October
As Autumn rushes in and takes us all by surprise (well it surprised me anyway), so enters in a mad rush of social activities, chaotic rescheduling, and the continual need to grab the white-out to fill in my calendar. Yes I have an online one, but figuratively speaking, it's still a PITA (pain in the *ss) when stuff gets moved the last minute. and literally I mean the last minute.
-
The Midtown Fall Crawl was just wonderful. We tried food at many different restaurants, and discovered new places with great views. Among our favorite views: The Peachtree Club and Pacci's roof top deck. They actually have a screen porch around the bar. wow! We also had some amazing sushi at Silk and Steel respectively. Will have to return at a later date when we can fully indulge in their various glories!
-
Le Flash was fun also. My favorite part was "pour" at the end. In the adjoining lot near Elliot Street Pub, they did an Iron Pour. Yes, several (appropriately clad) folks, melted down iron into a liquid hot magma, and very carefully poured it onto metalwork/molds/etc. in the name of Art! At the very end of the night, they poured the liquid fire onto an ice sculpture. It promptly exploded in a beautiful arc of fire and ice over our heads. Like the iron-pour-virgin I was, we were standing only 2nd row away from this wonderful madness, and the entire crowd started moving slowly backwards to get away from the hailing fire. Matt has a small burn on his shoulder (yes it burned a hole in his nice shirt), and he even fell backwards over another person (who crouched down from the flames, but accidentally tripped him). Bruised tailbone, slightly scraped elbow. Small prices to pay for experience, right? LOL. However, I was unharmed. It was an awe-inspiring event. I haven't been so exhilarated since going to the Cedar Point amusement park and riding the roller coasters. Matt was totally hyped also. We had a blast!
-
In other news, Pardon me, but I really had a moment of p*ssed-off-ness and here goes:
Rant 1: October is an extremely busy month for me, let alone the rest of the world. The last 30 years have taught me that my Birthday Party will forever be competing with Halloween (damn it all to hell), and the last 4 years taught me that 4 Bulgarian friends have birthdays before and after mine, which causes even more scheduling pressure. There are several festivals and in-town events this month, and October is also one of the busiest wedding months of the year. Add all of that pot-of-trouble together, and you start learning ways to cope. With deference to my friends, I suggested to their matriach, that we perhaps host one huge birthday bash for all the birthday people. However, I did not hear back from her, and the time pressure was cooking. So, my roommate (being one of the birthday peeps) and I decided we wanted to party our way, and over 1 month in advance, we sent out our Evite. Not only would this give us dibs (I hope) on the schedules of our nearest and dearest, but also give them enough time to plan accordingly (aka: arrange for a sitter, or other conflict mitigation, as needed). Well, well, well, 2 people beeotched at me about it. Yes they are still coming to the party (good), but they had to beeotch at me (not good). One even gave me heck for being "too early" with my planning. *** Silly rabbit, there is no such thing as planning ahead too early. *** Haven't you heard? The early bird gets the worm. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. And other such quotes. I know not everybody in my life plans ahead as well as I do. However, that doesn't mean you should rain on my parade. At the very least, give me credit for thinking ahead, and not doing the mad desperate scramble of schedule balancing at the very last minute. I want to actually relax on my birthday this year. Thank-you-very-much!
Sheesh, what is the point of having a calendar if you aren't going to use it?
Rant 2: I was all geared up for an event tomorrow night, and suddenly it's been rescheduled to next week. Well unfortunately, my Small Biz group meets next week, and I'd already committed to that one. and Small Biz gives you 1 months' notice. So crap, I can sort of do both, but I will be super late to said-event next week.
Let me just say: It's not such a bad thing if something gets rescheduled once in a blue moon. But it's damned annoying when things are rescheduled or cancelled about 3 times in the last 3 months, and it almost seems as if this monthly event will never get back on track. We meet monthly for heaven's sake. how hard is it to be free 1 day a month for the sake of FUN not even for Duty, for fun? ok rant off.
-
The Midtown Fall Crawl was just wonderful. We tried food at many different restaurants, and discovered new places with great views. Among our favorite views: The Peachtree Club and Pacci's roof top deck. They actually have a screen porch around the bar. wow! We also had some amazing sushi at Silk and Steel respectively. Will have to return at a later date when we can fully indulge in their various glories!
-
Le Flash was fun also. My favorite part was "pour" at the end. In the adjoining lot near Elliot Street Pub, they did an Iron Pour. Yes, several (appropriately clad) folks, melted down iron into a liquid hot magma, and very carefully poured it onto metalwork/molds/etc. in the name of Art! At the very end of the night, they poured the liquid fire onto an ice sculpture. It promptly exploded in a beautiful arc of fire and ice over our heads. Like the iron-pour-virgin I was, we were standing only 2nd row away from this wonderful madness, and the entire crowd started moving slowly backwards to get away from the hailing fire. Matt has a small burn on his shoulder (yes it burned a hole in his nice shirt), and he even fell backwards over another person (who crouched down from the flames, but accidentally tripped him). Bruised tailbone, slightly scraped elbow. Small prices to pay for experience, right? LOL. However, I was unharmed. It was an awe-inspiring event. I haven't been so exhilarated since going to the Cedar Point amusement park and riding the roller coasters. Matt was totally hyped also. We had a blast!
-
In other news, Pardon me, but I really had a moment of p*ssed-off-ness and here goes:
Rant 1: October is an extremely busy month for me, let alone the rest of the world. The last 30 years have taught me that my Birthday Party will forever be competing with Halloween (damn it all to hell), and the last 4 years taught me that 4 Bulgarian friends have birthdays before and after mine, which causes even more scheduling pressure. There are several festivals and in-town events this month, and October is also one of the busiest wedding months of the year. Add all of that pot-of-trouble together, and you start learning ways to cope. With deference to my friends, I suggested to their matriach, that we perhaps host one huge birthday bash for all the birthday people. However, I did not hear back from her, and the time pressure was cooking. So, my roommate (being one of the birthday peeps) and I decided we wanted to party our way, and over 1 month in advance, we sent out our Evite. Not only would this give us dibs (I hope) on the schedules of our nearest and dearest, but also give them enough time to plan accordingly (aka: arrange for a sitter, or other conflict mitigation, as needed). Well, well, well, 2 people beeotched at me about it. Yes they are still coming to the party (good), but they had to beeotch at me (not good). One even gave me heck for being "too early" with my planning. *** Silly rabbit, there is no such thing as planning ahead too early. *** Haven't you heard? The early bird gets the worm. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. And other such quotes. I know not everybody in my life plans ahead as well as I do. However, that doesn't mean you should rain on my parade. At the very least, give me credit for thinking ahead, and not doing the mad desperate scramble of schedule balancing at the very last minute. I want to actually relax on my birthday this year. Thank-you-very-much!
Sheesh, what is the point of having a calendar if you aren't going to use it?
Rant 2: I was all geared up for an event tomorrow night, and suddenly it's been rescheduled to next week. Well unfortunately, my Small Biz group meets next week, and I'd already committed to that one. and Small Biz gives you 1 months' notice. So crap, I can sort of do both, but I will be super late to said-event next week.
Let me just say: It's not such a bad thing if something gets rescheduled once in a blue moon. But it's damned annoying when things are rescheduled or cancelled about 3 times in the last 3 months, and it almost seems as if this monthly event will never get back on track. We meet monthly for heaven's sake. how hard is it to be free 1 day a month for the sake of FUN not even for Duty, for fun? ok rant off.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Vampires, Vino, and Vivaciousness
Go figure, we traded our Weeds "addiction" for True Blood. We borrowed season 1 from a friend, and now we are knee deep in season 2.
-
Also, we spent most of the weekend on the Castleberry Hill Loft Tour. Matt went to Petite Le Mans for Saturday, but then Sunday he came with me on the tour. There were some AMAZING lofts this time, as usual. I had a total inspirational blast!
At No Mas (for lunch both days) I tried the Cielo Blanco tequila, and also decided the best flavor I was in the mood for was cheese enchiladas smothered in Mole sauce. mmm!
-
Tonight we're off to the Midtown Fall Crawl. Mmmm!
-
Friday it's time for Le Flash! The kick off for Atlanta Celebrates Photography - ACP 11. There will be live dancers, performance art, light shows, etc. Pretty big deal. From what I was reading, "Le Flash" is one of the first events of this nature for the USA. Overseas similar shows are called "Nuit Blanche" and it's held in Paris, Toronto, Tokyo, and Berlin, etc. I'm super excited that not only is such an event here in our country, but also in our beloved Castleberry Hill neighborhood.
-
Over the weekend we are possibly stopping by the Norcross Arts Fest and getting a temporary new leather couch! I say temporary, because we will sort of be house-sitting it for a while, it's not ours to keep, but it will probably be around for a year. Friend of ours currently has no room in her home for it, but won't have space for 1 yr or so, so we offered to borrow it. This is perfect timing as I have been wanting a new couch for some time now, and this is a way to try out a leather couch without the committment. Woo hoo!
-
Next week is Wine Club for Barbera. Mmm! That's a new varietal for me! I can't wait to try it!
-
October is just HAPPENIN'! TTYL!
-
Also, we spent most of the weekend on the Castleberry Hill Loft Tour. Matt went to Petite Le Mans for Saturday, but then Sunday he came with me on the tour. There were some AMAZING lofts this time, as usual. I had a total inspirational blast!
At No Mas (for lunch both days) I tried the Cielo Blanco tequila, and also decided the best flavor I was in the mood for was cheese enchiladas smothered in Mole sauce. mmm!
-
Tonight we're off to the Midtown Fall Crawl. Mmmm!
-
Friday it's time for Le Flash! The kick off for Atlanta Celebrates Photography - ACP 11. There will be live dancers, performance art, light shows, etc. Pretty big deal. From what I was reading, "Le Flash" is one of the first events of this nature for the USA. Overseas similar shows are called "Nuit Blanche" and it's held in Paris, Toronto, Tokyo, and Berlin, etc. I'm super excited that not only is such an event here in our country, but also in our beloved Castleberry Hill neighborhood.
-
Over the weekend we are possibly stopping by the Norcross Arts Fest and getting a temporary new leather couch! I say temporary, because we will sort of be house-sitting it for a while, it's not ours to keep, but it will probably be around for a year. Friend of ours currently has no room in her home for it, but won't have space for 1 yr or so, so we offered to borrow it. This is perfect timing as I have been wanting a new couch for some time now, and this is a way to try out a leather couch without the committment. Woo hoo!
-
Next week is Wine Club for Barbera. Mmm! That's a new varietal for me! I can't wait to try it!
-
October is just HAPPENIN'! TTYL!
Friday, September 25, 2009
In Limbo
Well, we finished watching Weeds. BTW don't read the entire Wiki entry it HAS SPOILERS! but we watched it, ALL of it! Season 3 disks one and 2 came in the Netflix mail, so we plowed through that in 2 evenings. Then, yes, sadly, I ran to Blockbuster and got the rest of Season 3 and all of season 4 on Saturday afternoon. And by Tuesday (impatient me) we even finagled (?) the cable company to give us Showtime for free for 6 months so we could watch Season 5, which we tore through by Wednesday night. All I can say is "Croquet Mallet? SWEET!" Now, how will I wait until 2010 to see Season 6? it's pure torture!
-
Shock of the day - Jenji Kohan is a woman. WOW, for some weird reason I assumed the show was written by an Asian dude. Whoops! We figured this out after watching the special features on one of the Weeds DVDs.
-
So why do I love the show so much? WITTY DIALOGUE, FABULOUS acting, HILARIOUSness, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Watch some (if you have Netflix, you can watch Season 1 and 2 entirely on the instant play online). Not to mention all the little nuances and innuendos and double meanings. The town they lived in was called Agrestic. If you look it up, that word means "uncouth" - HA!
-
The weekend was mostly indoors watching Weeds (due to the crappy weather we had been having), but on Saturday I managed to escape up to Bahama Breeze for lunch with my mother-and-sister-in-law. Fish Tacos - yum!
Found some cheeeeapy sunglasses to replace my stolen/missing/walked-off-on-their-own pairs from previous blog post. Charlotte Russe has them 2 for $10. You can't beat that! I got a plastic black pair, and a plastic Mauvey/Yellow pair. So far so good! They also have some awesome funky rings 2 for $8. I got some nice flowery ones. Spiffy!
-
We ran out of Centenario Rosangel Tequila yesterday. I tried to find another bottle, but even the best package store in town didn't have it. DARN! I will have to keep looking. If you see one, buy it for me? I will gladly reimburse you!
-
We signed up for a YMCA membership (well I renewed mine, but added Matt on there). We've gone about 5 times in 2 weeks, which is pretty darn good. I'd like to get to the point where I go EVERY morning (except not weekends assuming I'm doing something else active on weekends). My right leg was super sore last night though, so I took it easy today.
-
New obsession (other than working out in the mornings) is True Blood. Matt is just totally in love with the oboe music that comes on anytime there's a scene with Bill the vampire. I just like the storyline, the lighting, etc. Very interesting! Perfect timing before Halloween too!
-
In Limbo: waiting for Weeds Season 6, waiting for more Rosangel, waiting, waiting, waiting. I hate waiting. :-D
-
-
Shock of the day - Jenji Kohan is a woman. WOW, for some weird reason I assumed the show was written by an Asian dude. Whoops! We figured this out after watching the special features on one of the Weeds DVDs.
-
So why do I love the show so much? WITTY DIALOGUE, FABULOUS acting, HILARIOUSness, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Watch some (if you have Netflix, you can watch Season 1 and 2 entirely on the instant play online). Not to mention all the little nuances and innuendos and double meanings. The town they lived in was called Agrestic. If you look it up, that word means "uncouth" - HA!
-
The weekend was mostly indoors watching Weeds (due to the crappy weather we had been having), but on Saturday I managed to escape up to Bahama Breeze for lunch with my mother-and-sister-in-law. Fish Tacos - yum!
Found some cheeeeapy sunglasses to replace my stolen/missing/walked-off-on-their-own pairs from previous blog post. Charlotte Russe has them 2 for $10. You can't beat that! I got a plastic black pair, and a plastic Mauvey/Yellow pair. So far so good! They also have some awesome funky rings 2 for $8. I got some nice flowery ones. Spiffy!
-
We ran out of Centenario Rosangel Tequila yesterday. I tried to find another bottle, but even the best package store in town didn't have it. DARN! I will have to keep looking. If you see one, buy it for me? I will gladly reimburse you!
-
We signed up for a YMCA membership (well I renewed mine, but added Matt on there). We've gone about 5 times in 2 weeks, which is pretty darn good. I'd like to get to the point where I go EVERY morning (except not weekends assuming I'm doing something else active on weekends). My right leg was super sore last night though, so I took it easy today.
-
New obsession (other than working out in the mornings) is True Blood. Matt is just totally in love with the oboe music that comes on anytime there's a scene with Bill the vampire. I just like the storyline, the lighting, etc. Very interesting! Perfect timing before Halloween too!
-
In Limbo: waiting for Weeds Season 6, waiting for more Rosangel, waiting, waiting, waiting. I hate waiting. :-D
-
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Office - Premiere's TONITE!
Friday night, happy hour at Tijuana Joe's to celebrate Jeff's new job! Jeff's one of Matt's co-workers. They decided to do shots named after girls, so we did the "Dirty Girl Scout" and "Red-Headed Slut" shots. This while I'm trying to sip a cultured and fancy bit of tequila. Thank goodness we went home right afterwards!
-
Saturday I took Sport to the Red Bandanna for a "Dog Wash for Charity" event. He basically "took one for the team" and had a bath there. He hates baths. And then the money we paid for the bath went towards the AHIMSA House charity. YAY Sport! you did a good deed today!
-
Saturday night was girls' night out at TAP. Yummy! We were hanging out with Ruth's sister who just returned from Swaziland and the Peace Corps. She mentioned another Peace Corps buddy was coming, and guess what? It was a girl I hadn't seen in years! Maggie! So we all caught up and had a nice bite to eat. What a small world. I had no idea these girls all knew one another.
-
Sunday we went to a friend's house to watch Formula 1 Monza (Italy), and dine on Italian food. Delish!
Sunday afternoon-evening, (after we got Alex hooked on it too), we continued watching Weeds. We got all the way through the last episode of Season 2, and then AHHH! IT was a CLIFFHANGER! We all voted to watch just the first episode of Season 3, so we could actually sleep (even though it was LATE for a Sunday night). But lo and behold, Netflix doesn't have Season 3 on instant play. ARG! So we had to put it at the top of our queue and wait a few days to get it in the mail. NOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
-
Tuesday we had a surprise/impromptu dinner with an old friend (our dear Kymry) who is finally back from Boreway (aka Norway). We dined on scallops in basil pesto sauce and beef marinara sauce for the carnivores in the house, spinach salad, and lots of vino (of course).
-
Wednesday, we had another impromptu opportunity to see her again before she left town, so I went over and we did girl's night at her friend's house. YAY for KY! I do hope she settles down into her new job soon, so we can plan visits and all that jazz.
-
The OFFICE Premiere's tonight! I'm super excited about this.
AND
Weeds Season 3 has arrived, so it's ON like Donkey-Kong!
-
Saturday I took Sport to the Red Bandanna for a "Dog Wash for Charity" event. He basically "took one for the team" and had a bath there. He hates baths. And then the money we paid for the bath went towards the AHIMSA House charity. YAY Sport! you did a good deed today!
-
Saturday night was girls' night out at TAP. Yummy! We were hanging out with Ruth's sister who just returned from Swaziland and the Peace Corps. She mentioned another Peace Corps buddy was coming, and guess what? It was a girl I hadn't seen in years! Maggie! So we all caught up and had a nice bite to eat. What a small world. I had no idea these girls all knew one another.
-
Sunday we went to a friend's house to watch Formula 1 Monza (Italy), and dine on Italian food. Delish!
Sunday afternoon-evening, (after we got Alex hooked on it too), we continued watching Weeds. We got all the way through the last episode of Season 2, and then AHHH! IT was a CLIFFHANGER! We all voted to watch just the first episode of Season 3, so we could actually sleep (even though it was LATE for a Sunday night). But lo and behold, Netflix doesn't have Season 3 on instant play. ARG! So we had to put it at the top of our queue and wait a few days to get it in the mail. NOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
-
Tuesday we had a surprise/impromptu dinner with an old friend (our dear Kymry) who is finally back from Boreway (aka Norway). We dined on scallops in basil pesto sauce and beef marinara sauce for the carnivores in the house, spinach salad, and lots of vino (of course).
-
Wednesday, we had another impromptu opportunity to see her again before she left town, so I went over and we did girl's night at her friend's house. YAY for KY! I do hope she settles down into her new job soon, so we can plan visits and all that jazz.
-
The OFFICE Premiere's tonight! I'm super excited about this.
AND
Weeds Season 3 has arrived, so it's ON like Donkey-Kong!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Flavio "Piquet" a tattletale driver?
HOT DAMN!
Nelson Piquet's Statement.
BUT WAIT:
"It's believed that Symonds and Briatore aren't disputing the fact that they had a discussion about a deliberate accident to assist Alonso, but are adamant that it was Piquet Junior's own idea and they didn't ask him to do it.
Piquet's claim is understood to be that Symonds and Briatore asked him to crash to bring out the Safety Car. So there seems to be little dispute at all that it was a pre-arranged accident, the only area of contention is - did he jump or was he pushed"
EVASIVE?
Pat Symonds (Renault technical director) looks like he doesn't want to answer specific questions. Not looking good.....
Nelson Piquet's Statement.
BUT WAIT:
"It's believed that Symonds and Briatore aren't disputing the fact that they had a discussion about a deliberate accident to assist Alonso, but are adamant that it was Piquet Junior's own idea and they didn't ask him to do it.
Piquet's claim is understood to be that Symonds and Briatore asked him to crash to bring out the Safety Car. So there seems to be little dispute at all that it was a pre-arranged accident, the only area of contention is - did he jump or was he pushed"
EVASIVE?
Pat Symonds (Renault technical director) looks like he doesn't want to answer specific questions. Not looking good.....
The Case of the Missing Sunglasses
Ok Nancy Drewz and Hardy Boyz - if you see my sunglasses, gimma a hollah! More on that later.
-
WEEKEND UPDATES:
Thursday - we were invited to go see Inglourious Basterds with some friends. I'm a huge Quentin fan, and I enjoyed the movie, although I was confused about the ending. Up until then, I had no idea this was an "alternate history" and not "based on a true story" - hmmmm. If that had been real history, WOW! Matt said he was bored with it. I guess everyone had a different take on it. Oh well.
-
Friday afternoon - Impromptu happy hour with coworkers at Con Sal. The bartender there was out of my dear Rosangel, but he is designing a new "Tequila Flights" menu for tastings, and he gave me small samples of Corazon Anejo, Chinaco Blanco, and then of course I had some Asombroso. The Chinaco Blanco was very unique. He described it (and I agreed) as having essence of Sandalwood, and then afterwards your tongue tingles. Sort of like a minty freshness but not a minty flavor. Love it!
-
Friday night, we had the lovely pleasure of dining at Mina & Chris's house. We dined on shrimp cocktail, salad, butternut squash, marinated spicy beef yakitori, grilled asparagus, grilled peppers, and later tiramisu. Then of course we paired each part of dinner with different imbiberies, such as Sauvignon Blanc from Marlbourough, Red Wine, Rakia, and a small tasting of Centenario Rosangel. Pure Delishioushness!! There goes my diet again. darn it. but I'm not "really" complaining. ;-D
-
Saturday, I slept in (sore back), while Matt biked on his new bicycle for 13 miles. Boy did I feel lazy, but it was worth it to get that rest. Then, Matt & I headed to Get Coffee for some light breakfast, then met up with our dear friends The Blairs and another friend Jeff for some Bone Garden fare. What-do-you-know? Bone Garden had Chinaco Blanco, so I introduced Matt to the minty freshness. Bone Garden is known for it's EXCELLENT and REAL Mexican food (corn masa, tamales, etc). Thankfully, the menu is mostly tapas style, so you can order little bits of everything and share. Very educational! The Blairs' daughter Ella was there (she's 10-12 months old (something like that)) and just CHERUBIC! We had a blast hanging out with her. She's such a good-natured, all-around pleasant baby! Then we hit Sam Flax (Matt has taken up sketching and needed supplies), and then we had a lovely nap at home.
Saturday evening, we took a bouquet of roses over to Baba Stefka's birthday party. Baba Stefka is our dear friend Stefka's grandmother, who lives with Stefka's parents here, and she turned 88. Wow! Much Bulgarian feasting and fun was had by all.
-
Sunday, Matt was trying some new lighting techniques, and so I dressed up for a short photo shoot. He's going for cinamatic-style photos now. Photos that sort of tell a story or hint that more is going on outside the frame. He was inspired by a scene in Inglourious Basterds when Shosanna is in a red dress, looking out of the cinema and down onto the Nazi's below with a myriad of emotions in her expression. I did the shoot but channelling more of a "Ashley Judd in DeLovely" sort of mood.
-
Sunday afternoon, we had an online meeting for the Staff of The Voyeur Magazine to discuss upcoming issues, articles, ideas, etc. Very fun!
-
Sunday evening
We went to McPherson Beach for some End of Summer Party. Mina & Chris & baby were there, and Erika & Ben came along also. I got to play with the baby quite a bit to give the parents a break. :-D. If you have never heard of "MacBeach" as it is called, you have to see it. A wonderful, and quite eligible bachelor friend of ours has made a beach PARADISE in his back yard. Click on the link to see photos and the documented history of his imaginative and creative Oasis.
-
Monday, Erika and Ben had slept over with Radley (Sport's girlfriend), and I made green chile breakfast burritos smothered in ranchero sauce and sour cream. New Mexico Pinon Coffee was the order of the morning also. Yum! Later, our friend/model Ruth and her sister stopped by for a visit. Ruth's sister is fresh out of the Peace Corps from Swaziland. Interesting to pick her brain about Swaziland and all of the drama over there.
Erika came back for a brief visit, and then we were off to Cafe Intermezzo to close out the evening.
-
THE CASE OF THE MISSING SUNGLASSES:
I must be losing my mind, but I had 2 pairs of sunglasses in the glove box of my car. Both were in individual black drawstring bags. One pair of sunglasses was black/grey animal print style, and the other pair was a maroon/blush color. I know I wore the maroon pair on Saturday when I had lunch at Bone Garden, and I remember putting the sunglasses back into the glove box and into it's special bag - that evening on the way to Baba Stefka's party. Both pairs were in the glove box at that time. However, Tuesday morning, when I looked into the glove box, both pairs of sunglasses and black bags are missing. I totally do not remember bringing them into the house, or taking them to Dave's. I wore a different pair to Dave's. SO WEIRD that they are just GONE. Matt says perhaps I forgot to lock my car when we went to Cafe Intermezzo, and perhaps someone got into the car but just took the sunglasses. It's true that nothing else valuable was in my vehicle. I travel light I guess. C'est la vie. At least they were only 2 pairs of $10 glasses each, so I'm only down $20 I suppose. Darn it. I really really liked the maroon ones. Damn!
-
WEEKEND UPDATES:
Thursday - we were invited to go see Inglourious Basterds with some friends. I'm a huge Quentin fan, and I enjoyed the movie, although I was confused about the ending. Up until then, I had no idea this was an "alternate history" and not "based on a true story" - hmmmm. If that had been real history, WOW! Matt said he was bored with it. I guess everyone had a different take on it. Oh well.
-
Friday afternoon - Impromptu happy hour with coworkers at Con Sal. The bartender there was out of my dear Rosangel, but he is designing a new "Tequila Flights" menu for tastings, and he gave me small samples of Corazon Anejo, Chinaco Blanco, and then of course I had some Asombroso. The Chinaco Blanco was very unique. He described it (and I agreed) as having essence of Sandalwood, and then afterwards your tongue tingles. Sort of like a minty freshness but not a minty flavor. Love it!
-
Friday night, we had the lovely pleasure of dining at Mina & Chris's house. We dined on shrimp cocktail, salad, butternut squash, marinated spicy beef yakitori, grilled asparagus, grilled peppers, and later tiramisu. Then of course we paired each part of dinner with different imbiberies, such as Sauvignon Blanc from Marlbourough, Red Wine, Rakia, and a small tasting of Centenario Rosangel. Pure Delishioushness!! There goes my diet again. darn it. but I'm not "really" complaining. ;-D
-
Saturday, I slept in (sore back), while Matt biked on his new bicycle for 13 miles. Boy did I feel lazy, but it was worth it to get that rest. Then, Matt & I headed to Get Coffee for some light breakfast, then met up with our dear friends The Blairs and another friend Jeff for some Bone Garden fare. What-do-you-know? Bone Garden had Chinaco Blanco, so I introduced Matt to the minty freshness. Bone Garden is known for it's EXCELLENT and REAL Mexican food (corn masa, tamales, etc). Thankfully, the menu is mostly tapas style, so you can order little bits of everything and share. Very educational! The Blairs' daughter Ella was there (she's 10-12 months old (something like that)) and just CHERUBIC! We had a blast hanging out with her. She's such a good-natured, all-around pleasant baby! Then we hit Sam Flax (Matt has taken up sketching and needed supplies), and then we had a lovely nap at home.
Saturday evening, we took a bouquet of roses over to Baba Stefka's birthday party. Baba Stefka is our dear friend Stefka's grandmother, who lives with Stefka's parents here, and she turned 88. Wow! Much Bulgarian feasting and fun was had by all.
-
Sunday, Matt was trying some new lighting techniques, and so I dressed up for a short photo shoot. He's going for cinamatic-style photos now. Photos that sort of tell a story or hint that more is going on outside the frame. He was inspired by a scene in Inglourious Basterds when Shosanna is in a red dress, looking out of the cinema and down onto the Nazi's below with a myriad of emotions in her expression. I did the shoot but channelling more of a "Ashley Judd in DeLovely" sort of mood.
-
Sunday afternoon, we had an online meeting for the Staff of The Voyeur Magazine to discuss upcoming issues, articles, ideas, etc. Very fun!
-
Sunday evening
We went to McPherson Beach for some End of Summer Party. Mina & Chris & baby were there, and Erika & Ben came along also. I got to play with the baby quite a bit to give the parents a break. :-D. If you have never heard of "MacBeach" as it is called, you have to see it. A wonderful, and quite eligible bachelor friend of ours has made a beach PARADISE in his back yard. Click on the link to see photos and the documented history of his imaginative and creative Oasis.
-
Monday, Erika and Ben had slept over with Radley (Sport's girlfriend), and I made green chile breakfast burritos smothered in ranchero sauce and sour cream. New Mexico Pinon Coffee was the order of the morning also. Yum! Later, our friend/model Ruth and her sister stopped by for a visit. Ruth's sister is fresh out of the Peace Corps from Swaziland. Interesting to pick her brain about Swaziland and all of the drama over there.
Erika came back for a brief visit, and then we were off to Cafe Intermezzo to close out the evening.
-
THE CASE OF THE MISSING SUNGLASSES:
I must be losing my mind, but I had 2 pairs of sunglasses in the glove box of my car. Both were in individual black drawstring bags. One pair of sunglasses was black/grey animal print style, and the other pair was a maroon/blush color. I know I wore the maroon pair on Saturday when I had lunch at Bone Garden, and I remember putting the sunglasses back into the glove box and into it's special bag - that evening on the way to Baba Stefka's party. Both pairs were in the glove box at that time. However, Tuesday morning, when I looked into the glove box, both pairs of sunglasses and black bags are missing. I totally do not remember bringing them into the house, or taking them to Dave's. I wore a different pair to Dave's. SO WEIRD that they are just GONE. Matt says perhaps I forgot to lock my car when we went to Cafe Intermezzo, and perhaps someone got into the car but just took the sunglasses. It's true that nothing else valuable was in my vehicle. I travel light I guess. C'est la vie. At least they were only 2 pairs of $10 glasses each, so I'm only down $20 I suppose. Darn it. I really really liked the maroon ones. Damn!
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