Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Let the Wild Rumpus begin!
One of Finn & Will's favorite bedtime stories is Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963). I have known of this book since I was a kid, and I knew, even then, that it was highly regarded because of the embossed silver medal decal on the cover, but as a little girl I never understood why. After all, it's only 10 sentences long. And it's pretty scary! But after hearing Will read this book to Finn, and after having read it to Finn myself a couple of times, I have come to really, really like it a lot.
This afternoon I caught the tail end of the Ellen Show, which ended with a movie trailer of a new film coming out this Fall. The movie? Of course, Where The Wild Things Are. Directed by Spike Jonze, watching the trailer filled my eyes with tears! I guess the little boy in the film, although much older than Finn and looking nothing like him, but wearing the very distinctive wolf costume from the illustrations in the book just made me think of Finn. It hit me how wonderful it has been this week to be here in Raleigh to take care of him while my sister was on a business trip. Watch the Trailer from the movie here.
It has been exhausting, especially to someone who has never been much of a "kid person" - but this week with Will and Finn has opened my eyes to a world that I am entirely unfamiliar with, and that is - the never ending care of a toddler!
Finn with his beloved KittyMy hat is totally off to my sister and her husband. And to my Mom. And my Dad. And all the Moms and Dads and other caretakers of all the little kids there are. Holy Cow! What a huge job and responsibility. I have never understood what people meant when they talked about how much *joy* a child brings to the world. But this week I have finally learned first hand what they mean, thanks to happy, precious, smiling, laughing, curious, smart, chatty, sociable, joyful and wonderful Finn.
I have found myself this week not wanting him to go to daycare or Mom's Morning Out just so we could hang out together. I have found myself happily maneuvering around his nap schedule, his meals and his bedtime, and enjoying every second of it.
A little chicken, peas and cheese dish I whipped up for the little monkey tonightI feel so lucky to have been able to spend so much quality time with him. And every night when Will put him in his cute little pajamas and read a bedtime story I was sad to see him go to bed. Sad, but admittedly relieved, to be able to just *sit* and relax without having to keep an eye on the little tyke every waking second.
Spaghetti dinner Tuesday night
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Engaged!
It's official! Gary and I are engaged! And Hell didn't even freeze over! Ha-ha! I am going to marry my best friend and the love of my life, protector and provider of all things wonderful and beautiful. Not to mention the smartest guy in the world.
We haven't set a date yet, but hope to in the next few weeks. We're thinking August, which would be perfect because that's also our *dating anniversary* - which I realize is sorta corny, but this year will be 5 years in August - it just works.
So to all my friends and family who may still be scratching their heads - just trust me when I say we have done LOTS of talking and figuring and negotiating over the past month and this was not just a spur of the moment decision. OK?! I am absolutely THRILLED beyond recognition! And I FINALLY get to go shopping for a certain fluffy white dress!
...and it wouldn't be right if I didn't give a HUGE shout out to my boog for picking out such a GORGEOUS ring! I love it almost as much as I love you! xoxo
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Touring Washington DC
I must say that without a GPS, Washington DC is one of, if not the most difficult cities get around in by car. I've heard people say this about Charlotte, but Charlotte's got nothing on DC as far as crazy intersections, busy round-abouts and road blocks due to motorcades or security measures. During prior visits I have either had a local friend to drive, taken cabs or the metro, or simply hoofed it from point A to point B. But with unlimited in-and-out parking at the hotel and a GPS - and of course with my fearless Gary to do the driving - we did pretty darn well.
Only being in D.C. for 24 hours led to another *postcard vacation* - this is what I like to call our trips that only last a weekend or less, but where we still manage to see and do quite a lot in a very short time. I must say that the main reason for this trip was not recreational - it was definitely for business, but lucky for me (I guess) the "business" portion of the trip lasted exactly one hour and 10 minutes, but they put me (us) up in a very nice Jr. Suite (rack rate $720.00 per night baby! Woot!) in the newly renovated executive wing at the Wash Big M Hotel.
We maximized our time by arriving early enough on Sunday for a brief 1.5 mile hike through the lovely (but cold and very damp) West End and DuPont Circle neighborhoods, had brunch at a swanky French bistro (more on that in another post), a hike back to the hotel via a different route past numerous embassies and other beautiful old buildings - this one possibly longer than 1.5 miles earlier - or at least it felt like it to my aching feet. I was definitely not wearing my smart-girl shoes!
We took a nice late afternoon disco nap, then found a perfect little Korean restaurant for a late (9:30pm on a Sunday) dinner, followed by night-time sight seeing of the White House and the Monuments.
Monday morning my meeting took place in the restaurant of the hotel where we stayed - at 8am - and was done by 9:10. Back in the room, I puttered around nervously trying to decompress from the good but stressful meeting - and finally changed out of my now famous $500 suit (it looked gorgeous by the way) and walked a block for some good coffee and a too-long-in-the-hot-box sausage biscuit. At that point we decided to pack up and leave the hotel, but still wanted to get a bit more sight-seeing in.
Despite not wanting to look like a tourist at all costs, I have no problem taking a city tour on a bus/trolley/duck/carriage, etc. - as long as there's NO CHANCE I will run into someone I know. (Kidding. Sort of.) It's the best way to get an overview of a city - in my opinion. Usually best to take a city tour at the beginning of a trip, somehow I seem to take them towards the end of a trip. This time was no different, and the city tour by topless double-decker was the last thing we did before heading out of town.
I needed a pair of walking shoes, since I unintentionally left my tennis shoes at home. I got a pair of kicky little patent-leather loafers from a shop in Union Station - where we disembarked for our 2 1/2 hour tour.
Here are some of the highlights, or some of the better shots I got with my little camera...
The Washington Monument
Lincoln Memorial
The National Cathedral
The Obama's House
Nancy's old stomping grounds
Ford's Theater (not actually pictured here, this is just a massive sign on the side of a building across the street from the theater)
Road block - there were at least 4 ambulances and several fire trucks that blocked the road for a couple minutes... another typical DC sight.
Only being in D.C. for 24 hours led to another *postcard vacation* - this is what I like to call our trips that only last a weekend or less, but where we still manage to see and do quite a lot in a very short time. I must say that the main reason for this trip was not recreational - it was definitely for business, but lucky for me (I guess) the "business" portion of the trip lasted exactly one hour and 10 minutes, but they put me (us) up in a very nice Jr. Suite (rack rate $720.00 per night baby! Woot!) in the newly renovated executive wing at the Wash Big M Hotel.
We maximized our time by arriving early enough on Sunday for a brief 1.5 mile hike through the lovely (but cold and very damp) West End and DuPont Circle neighborhoods, had brunch at a swanky French bistro (more on that in another post), a hike back to the hotel via a different route past numerous embassies and other beautiful old buildings - this one possibly longer than 1.5 miles earlier - or at least it felt like it to my aching feet. I was definitely not wearing my smart-girl shoes!
We took a nice late afternoon disco nap, then found a perfect little Korean restaurant for a late (9:30pm on a Sunday) dinner, followed by night-time sight seeing of the White House and the Monuments.
Monday morning my meeting took place in the restaurant of the hotel where we stayed - at 8am - and was done by 9:10. Back in the room, I puttered around nervously trying to decompress from the good but stressful meeting - and finally changed out of my now famous $500 suit (it looked gorgeous by the way) and walked a block for some good coffee and a too-long-in-the-hot-box sausage biscuit. At that point we decided to pack up and leave the hotel, but still wanted to get a bit more sight-seeing in.
Despite not wanting to look like a tourist at all costs, I have no problem taking a city tour on a bus/trolley/duck/carriage, etc. - as long as there's NO CHANCE I will run into someone I know. (Kidding. Sort of.) It's the best way to get an overview of a city - in my opinion. Usually best to take a city tour at the beginning of a trip, somehow I seem to take them towards the end of a trip. This time was no different, and the city tour by topless double-decker was the last thing we did before heading out of town.
I needed a pair of walking shoes, since I unintentionally left my tennis shoes at home. I got a pair of kicky little patent-leather loafers from a shop in Union Station - where we disembarked for our 2 1/2 hour tour.
Here are some of the highlights, or some of the better shots I got with my little camera...
Capitol Hill
The Washington Monument
Lincoln Memorial
The National Cathedral
The Obama's House
Nancy's old stomping grounds
Ford's Theater (not actually pictured here, this is just a massive sign on the side of a building across the street from the theater)
Road block - there were at least 4 ambulances and several fire trucks that blocked the road for a couple minutes... another typical DC sight.
Eating Washington DC - French Brunch
Most of my travel adventures center around gastronomical tourism. Sight-seeing definitely takes a back seat to eating in most cases. While Washington DC has hundreds and hundreds of great things to see and do from an historic and cultural standpoint, they have equally as many phenomenal restaurants, the likes of which can not be found elsewhere in points south until you get to Charleston, SC. Therefore, it was necessary to be extremely selective with the restaurants we chose because of having only 2 major meal slots during the 24 hour trip.
The first place we ate was Bistro du Coin on Connecticut Ave in DuPont Circle. This place is as close to Paris you can get without crossing the Atlantic. In all respects from the perfectly prepared food selections, the glorious flavors and textures, the appropriate portion sizes, the waitresses who may not be french but nail the french attitude, Bistro du Coin has that certain je ne sais quoi that's indescribable.
It's not pretentious, but it is, its own special way, and that's why I love it. The shabby chic interior. The cafeteria style cutlery. The paper napkins in blue and red. There's even a foose-ball table upstairs next to the restrooms. Even the unwashed water bottles they place on the tables adds to the ambiance. But I have dreamed about sipping champagne, sampling the pate du maison, and dunking bites of perfectly cooked fillet and steak frites into the best Bearnaise there is - on any given Sunday - at this special spot for I don't know how long.
We started with a glass of champagne and the house pate. It was served with grilled bread, cornichons, a tomato slice and a small salad of tender greens with the most delicious, authentic vinaigrette.
For his entree, Gary had the mini lobster ravioli that was baked in the most divine cream sauce ever. We practically licked the bowl clean. Correction, we did, in fact, lick the bowl clean with the aid of chunks of baguette. I mean, this is a civilized place after all.
I had a flat iron steak aux fines herbs, with golden steak frites (like American french fries but more *done* and crunchy) served with a gravy boat of sauce Bearnaise. And another glass of champagne.
Any self-respecting foodie could not leave this shangri-la without dessert, so we ordered the creme brulee. And the clafoutie aux poires - a baked custard and pear tart served piping hot from the oven which we devoured in seconds flat. And of course one more glass of champagne.
Creme brulee, under normal circumstances, is our go-to dessert after a fine meal. But on this day, after this fine meal, it seemed slightly sad and inferior to the stunning Clafoutie, but it was still delicious with its tiny specs of vanilla bean and extra crunchy top and perfect room temperature.
This was by far the most expensive lunch we've had in a long, long time - if ever - but it was so worth it. Clearly we were so enthralled by the decadent food and drinks we failed to take more than the one photo. Suffice to say, we were more than a little pre-occupied.
The first place we ate was Bistro du Coin on Connecticut Ave in DuPont Circle. This place is as close to Paris you can get without crossing the Atlantic. In all respects from the perfectly prepared food selections, the glorious flavors and textures, the appropriate portion sizes, the waitresses who may not be french but nail the french attitude, Bistro du Coin has that certain je ne sais quoi that's indescribable.
It's not pretentious, but it is, its own special way, and that's why I love it. The shabby chic interior. The cafeteria style cutlery. The paper napkins in blue and red. There's even a foose-ball table upstairs next to the restrooms. Even the unwashed water bottles they place on the tables adds to the ambiance. But I have dreamed about sipping champagne, sampling the pate du maison, and dunking bites of perfectly cooked fillet and steak frites into the best Bearnaise there is - on any given Sunday - at this special spot for I don't know how long.
We started with a glass of champagne and the house pate. It was served with grilled bread, cornichons, a tomato slice and a small salad of tender greens with the most delicious, authentic vinaigrette.
For his entree, Gary had the mini lobster ravioli that was baked in the most divine cream sauce ever. We practically licked the bowl clean. Correction, we did, in fact, lick the bowl clean with the aid of chunks of baguette. I mean, this is a civilized place after all.
I had a flat iron steak aux fines herbs, with golden steak frites (like American french fries but more *done* and crunchy) served with a gravy boat of sauce Bearnaise. And another glass of champagne.
Any self-respecting foodie could not leave this shangri-la without dessert, so we ordered the creme brulee. And the clafoutie aux poires - a baked custard and pear tart served piping hot from the oven which we devoured in seconds flat. And of course one more glass of champagne.
Creme brulee, under normal circumstances, is our go-to dessert after a fine meal. But on this day, after this fine meal, it seemed slightly sad and inferior to the stunning Clafoutie, but it was still delicious with its tiny specs of vanilla bean and extra crunchy top and perfect room temperature.
This was by far the most expensive lunch we've had in a long, long time - if ever - but it was so worth it. Clearly we were so enthralled by the decadent food and drinks we failed to take more than the one photo. Suffice to say, we were more than a little pre-occupied.
Eating Washington DC - Korean Dinner
After a long nap, we headed back out in the car this time - with the assistance of Jill - Gary's GPS - and made our way to Mandu, a delightfully intimate Korean restaurant located at S & 18.
I had mentioned wanting to find a Korean restaurant while still at the hotel, and with the assistance of Gary's GPS on his phone we identified this place, sight unseen and without recommendation. What a find it was!
We found a parking spot right out front which was very fortunate. My Baltimore friends may remember my neurotic, almost OCD need to know about parking before going anywhere in the city. Having to find street parking freaks me out entirely, especially when I'm alone.
But back to Mandu - which is the Korean word for 'dumpling'. I have four Korean favorites - Bipim Bap (mixed rice bowl with all sorts of goodness), Bulgoki ("barbequed" beef), Bean Sprout pancakes (more like "patties" than "pancakes") and the ubiquitous condiment, Kim Chee, made from fermented (rotten) cabbage.
We sat down in this adorable little spot which was a converted row house and although it was 9:30 p.m. on a Sunday night, having been greeted at the door by a friendly host/server. There were a handful of people at the bar, pretty much all the bar could accommodate, and three other tables surrounding us with people eating dinner. There was a couple to the right, speaking English but clearly they both had accents from different places. He was speaking much louder than she, maybe it was the acoustics of the window niche he was wedged into. To the left there was a group of three - two girls and a guy - who were young, maybe grad students, but obviously very cosmopolitan. Behind us was a group of 4-5 Gen X politicos discussing all manner of important issues while plying themselves with wine.
We took a look at the menu and I was slightly nervous Gary wouldn't be too keen on any of the food - but to my surprise he very quickly identified several things he'd like to try. Like we do in a lot of places, we ordered a small "buffet" of appetizers and one entree to share.
First we were presented with several small bowls of, um, either snacks or condiments, neither of us was really sure, but we picked up our chopsticks and tasted away.
There was a bit of marinated tofu, some sweet-marinated-woody-chewy root-like things, some marinated soy beans and bean sprouts, some marinated tangy cucumber chunks and the kim chee - all very tasty.
Next we were presented with a succession of appetizers - steamed pork dumplings (mandu) with a nice soy/sesame sauce... skewers of very tender beef, peppers and scallions beautifully skewered horizontally, not vertically like you'd think of a "skewer", with their own special blend of dipping sauce. Next was the mixed seafood and scallion Pa Jun (pancakes) - which were yummy with their own special sauce.
Then came the Bipimbap, which is served with its own set of "condiments" you add to your large bowl of steamed white rice, brown ground beef and a sunny side up fried egg. The condiments served to add to the bowl were: shredded, blanched carrots, sliced shiitake mushrooms, marinated cucumber, bean sprouts, very delicious and non-fishy tasting seaweed, kim chee and the spicy bean paste that pulls the whole bowl together. You mix this all up in the bowl, and it becomes a big mass of delicious, fresh, wholesome comfort food, Korean style. So frigging good.
We had water only this meal, and no dessert - they only had ice cream anyway. Incredibly the bill for all this food was only $36. Such an excellent experience!!!
I had mentioned wanting to find a Korean restaurant while still at the hotel, and with the assistance of Gary's GPS on his phone we identified this place, sight unseen and without recommendation. What a find it was!
We found a parking spot right out front which was very fortunate. My Baltimore friends may remember my neurotic, almost OCD need to know about parking before going anywhere in the city. Having to find street parking freaks me out entirely, especially when I'm alone.
But back to Mandu - which is the Korean word for 'dumpling'. I have four Korean favorites - Bipim Bap (mixed rice bowl with all sorts of goodness), Bulgoki ("barbequed" beef), Bean Sprout pancakes (more like "patties" than "pancakes") and the ubiquitous condiment, Kim Chee, made from fermented (rotten) cabbage.
We sat down in this adorable little spot which was a converted row house and although it was 9:30 p.m. on a Sunday night, having been greeted at the door by a friendly host/server. There were a handful of people at the bar, pretty much all the bar could accommodate, and three other tables surrounding us with people eating dinner. There was a couple to the right, speaking English but clearly they both had accents from different places. He was speaking much louder than she, maybe it was the acoustics of the window niche he was wedged into. To the left there was a group of three - two girls and a guy - who were young, maybe grad students, but obviously very cosmopolitan. Behind us was a group of 4-5 Gen X politicos discussing all manner of important issues while plying themselves with wine.
We took a look at the menu and I was slightly nervous Gary wouldn't be too keen on any of the food - but to my surprise he very quickly identified several things he'd like to try. Like we do in a lot of places, we ordered a small "buffet" of appetizers and one entree to share.
First we were presented with several small bowls of, um, either snacks or condiments, neither of us was really sure, but we picked up our chopsticks and tasted away.
There was a bit of marinated tofu, some sweet-marinated-woody-chewy root-like things, some marinated soy beans and bean sprouts, some marinated tangy cucumber chunks and the kim chee - all very tasty.
Next we were presented with a succession of appetizers - steamed pork dumplings (mandu) with a nice soy/sesame sauce... skewers of very tender beef, peppers and scallions beautifully skewered horizontally, not vertically like you'd think of a "skewer", with their own special blend of dipping sauce. Next was the mixed seafood and scallion Pa Jun (pancakes) - which were yummy with their own special sauce.
Then came the Bipimbap, which is served with its own set of "condiments" you add to your large bowl of steamed white rice, brown ground beef and a sunny side up fried egg. The condiments served to add to the bowl were: shredded, blanched carrots, sliced shiitake mushrooms, marinated cucumber, bean sprouts, very delicious and non-fishy tasting seaweed, kim chee and the spicy bean paste that pulls the whole bowl together. You mix this all up in the bowl, and it becomes a big mass of delicious, fresh, wholesome comfort food, Korean style. So frigging good.
We had water only this meal, and no dessert - they only had ice cream anyway. Incredibly the bill for all this food was only $36. Such an excellent experience!!!
Monday, March 9, 2009
U2
I've seen and heard a lot of U2 lately, from campaign season to the historic inaugural, to a week's worth of performances on Dave Letterman last week with songs from their latest album. The music of U2 makes up one of the most revered of my life's treasured anthems. I have always connected with the signature sound of U2 with the heavily processed, echoed guitars, combined with the post-punk rhythm section and Bono's iconic voice.
On my way to Raleigh last week I was tuned in to a radio station out of Greensboro that was playing two U2 songs per hour - one old and one new - so I got to hear several since I had the radio station for much of the drive. It occurred to me that U2 was/is probably my generation's *Beatles*. The songs I heard took me back to being 15 years old in 9th-10th grade with Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day although that's from the albums War(1983) and October (1981)which only goes to show how timeless the music is, and Unforgettable Fire and Pride [in the name of love] (1984), on up through high school and college with Where The Streets Have No Name and other Joshua Tree (1987)and Rattle and Hum (1988)classics.
Recently when I was cleaning out a bookcase filled with books and CDs and old cassettes, I came across an old U2 recording that my old friend Mark Haas made for me - circa 1987 - by recording War and Unforgettable Fire from albums onto a cassette. I know the recording is full of pops and crackles - which only makes it better. I popped it into a box, rather than tossing it out with a bunch of other old stuff I'd accumulated. To throw away a U2 cassette, I thought, is practically blasphemy - no matter what the quality.
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