Friday, October 31, 2008
halloweening it.
Haunt the park.
Purchase me some bread bowls from Flour Girls & Dough Boys.
Cook up some soup a la squash.
Enforce naps.
Magically transform Millie into Belle and Ellis into a cat.
Hand out some candy. Eat some candy.
Watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown as we count candy.
Sleep off the sugar.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
sick of long posts.
Our last morning in New York, Sunday, was a blur.
Breakfast, we headed to Le Pain Quotidien. (Which is very crowded on Sunday morns.) But we ate my ideal breakfast.
Me: Clin. Don't be obnoxious. Let her have her privacy. I'm sure she doesn't want everyone paying attention to her. Especially in such a crowded place.Clin: Just a picture. No one will notice.
Clin: Are you on The Office?Mindy: Yes.Clin: We love the show. Can I get a picture of you?(This is my cue to stop and turn. Maybe someday I'll keep walking. What would happen then?)Mindy: Sure.I turn, snap the photo. She was very kind and smiley. So I say (just so she knows that we are big fans, not just your average run of the mill channel changer): And aren't you one of the writers as well?Mindy: Yes.Me: Thank you for making us laugh.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
a saturday in NYC.
I ordered the Parisienne - Creamy Brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary. Beautiful. Sweet. Divine. Mmmmm.
Clin ordered exactly as he ordered in June. (Which baffels me. Why wouldn't you want to order until you have tasted everything from the menu?) Masala Mac - North American comfort food blended with Indian spices. Clin's was nice as well. Not AS nice. But nice.
Next time I go? The S'Mac Sampler - 8 different macs to taste. And I do not plan on sharing.
Next Destination? The matinee of A Tale of Two Cities: the musical.
The best part? James Barbour and the set. But the entire time I was trying to figure out what seemed off. Something. And talking to Clin - I figured it out.
This musical is for those who love Scarlet Pimpernel. Those who love Phantom of the Opera (except the story of this is much, much better.) It feels old fashioned. It is definitely in a certain vein of musical theatre. And the Utah audiences will looooove this.
Me? Ehhh. I enjoyed it. But I didn't looooooove it. I wasn't moved. I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary.
So we headed back to the subway and made our way down to the Lower East Side. I have always wanted to go to Katz's Delicatessen. You know, it's the eatery where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in When Harry Met Sally.
We walked in, each handed a ticket, and sent to a long counter that was already surrounded by many, many people. Was there a line? I still don't know. There were many signs telling us what to do - but they were everywhere and didn't quite make sense.
I ordered this:
Reuben Sandwich - corned beef, swiss cheese, russian, and sauerkraut.
The musical version of the movie about a boy in England who ends up taking the local ballet class rather than the boxing class his father sends him to.
They have three boys cast as Billy Elliot. We saw David Alvarez. The entire musical depends upon a 14 year old boy. A 14 year old boy who can dance! Imagine that.
I liked this better than the movie. The first half was stronger than the second. Imagine a set that looks like a mining town in 1980s England. The set is used as strike headquarters, Billy's house, bedroom, kitchen, ballet class, boxing class, etc. It works. Classroom full of dancing girls (one as young as 6 or 7) who were strong dancers - doing this 8 times a week!! Ballet dancers running around dancing, striking miners striking - all singing...together.
Enjoyable. And I was highly amused at the older women in front of us who kept turning around, glaring, and talking about how appalled they are at the dress of theatre audiences these days. (That was ME they were talking about!) Remember? 1 dress plus no heels equaled jeans the entire trip.
We were tired, so returned to our hotel room and fell asleep...while eating cheesecake.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
friday snacking. part 2.
This is where I will admit that our snacking went a bit too far. Vosges sales chocolate. Thinking that we could get through the show without dinner, we grabbed a drink.
I went in thinking that my mind would wander. I left knowing that this would be my favorite performance of the trip. It was amazing. The acting was exceptional. There is a scene at the dining room table, with the sisters and their mother, toward the end of the play. I loved it. My favorite. Throwing dishes, yelling, swearing, awesome.
And Estelle Parsons, the actress who played the mother, blew me away. And she is 81 years old. And she performs 8 times a week. And she is in the play a lot. I'm in awe.
3.5 hours felt like 1.5. And it made me feel something. It made me think. It put me in a state of thought. Wonder. Enlightenment, maybe. A place that I used to find a lot. When I was in high school. But a place that isn't found so easy now. And it was nice to visit.
Monday, October 27, 2008
a friday in New York or snack like you mean it! part 1.
Friday's first stop? The Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. It's an upscale version of a Utah mall. The picture above is the view from each floor - looking out on Central Park. Nice.
Normally, I would have no desire to visit a mall on a vacation. I'm not much for shopping. But it houses food from Thomas Keller. I need to give you a bit of a background to help you understand just what this means.
Clin and I enjoy reading books about food, chefs, food critics, and food. The first time I heard about Thomas Keller was when I read Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl. Good book. A bunch of food writers mention Thomas Keller in the same sentence as four star, best food, amazing, gastronomical feat, and every other positive adjective you can imagine. They often talk about his restaurant, The French Laundry which is in California.
Then I read Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter, the true story of a waitress working at Per Se, Thomas Keller's restaurant in New York City. Fascinating book. Read it and you will begin to understand our interest.
Next stop, The Pickle Guys. See this picture? It's barrels and barrels of pickled goods. Olives, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, celery, carrots, kraut, horseradish, herring, lox, EVERYTHING PICKLED.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
a thursday in new york. part 2.
- The base player was crazy. But very entertaining.
- They actually allowed for the commercial breaks.
- Letterman took off his suit coat every time they went to break.
- His mug was refilled half way though the taping, McCain's was not.
- Letterman did not talk with McCain during the commercial breaks; instead he was surrounded by the same 3 people (I assumed they were writers).
- And I could tell that Dave was saving the Gordon Liddy line until right before the commercial break. I liked that part.
- I'm glad that Letterman was tough on McCain. It made the show interesting.
After supping on the delightful combination of entertainment and politics, we headed south to our Broadway show - 13. I love the composer/lyricist, Jason Robert Brown. Haven't heard of him? You need to fix that. Like now.
Celebrity Sighting #1 - Jason Robert Brown and His Wife and Daughter were in the audience that night. They walked right by us. The second Clin realized who we were sharing the room with, he perked up like a pigeon. (Do pigeons perk? If not, please replace with the perking animal of your choice.) And while I tried to explain that he already had his signature and a picture with him (Mr. Brown came to the Utah Theatre Association Conference a couple of years ago and we stalked him then.), Clin heard not a word. He was out of his seat and getting the signature for the program which he can now frame and hang on the drama room wall. Mr Brown you are very gracious. Thank you.
SideNote - I keep thinking, many families had brought their own children to see the show. But like I said, it is very thirteen. In. Every. Way. Would I bring even my thirteen year old? Clin - would you?
We were out of there by 8:30. That's right. No intermission and 7:00 PM start equals early out. So we did what anyone would do. Eat!
Clin had a hankering for Mexican. We tried Rosa Mexicano. $14 guacamole. What? But they make it at your table. You get to see what is in front of you. And it was a lot. A. Lot. Here's our demonstration.
We shared an entree of mole that was pretty good. The waiter, again, seemed disappointed because we didn't order drinks or two entrees. But we ordered an appetizer the size of an entree. What do you expect? I didn't get a picture of our meal, but I would say it's no better than what we can find in Utah. Nothing out of the ordinary or special. It did taste good.
And the day ended. Happy. Excited. Crashing to the sounds of Letterman on the TV.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
a thursday in new york. part 1.
Our first stop? Food! Clin's made a list of places recommended, and we set out to start checking them off of our list. Just south of Central Park was our breakfast destination. Sarabeth's.
This is what I ate. Lemony goodness, and the richness of the ricotta almost made them smooth and creamy. I think that Clin had an omelet. But I was so wrapped up with my food that I completely forgot to take a picture of his.
Bellies full, we headed up the east side of central park. The leaves were just starting to fall. The weather felt like a nice spring day. No. Warmer than spring. At 11:00 we took a break on a bench to call Mr. Letterman. Both of us spent 5 minutes or so trying to get through and Clin actually made it. The smaller the standby number, the better chances of getting in. I assumed we had no chance, because that's the realist that I am.
Mr. Letterman asked Clin if he knew the color of the announcer's hair. RED! Of course. And that useless bit of info, just sitting in Clin's brain, became useful as we got standby tickets #7 and #8. Still no chance - but we would see...
On to more intellectual pursuits. The Frick Museum. A beautiful mansion, full of artwork. I LOVED IT. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE. The price of admission includes a headset. As you see a piece of artwork you can enter the number and the headset tells you everything you need to know. AND it tells you the history of each room. I actually liked it more than the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Crazy interesting and not overwhelming.
My only disappointment? The upstairs was roped off. I wanted to see the entire building.
Oh wait. My only other disappointment? Clin tried to get an educator's discount. This is how it played out:
Girl behind the desk: No, we only give discounts to students.
Clin: I have my student i.d.
Girl: Oh, are you a student?
Clin: I have my student i.d.
Girl: are you a student?
Clin: I have my i.d.
Girl: Are you a student?
Clin: I have my i.d.
This seemed to go on for.ev.er. I focused on the floor, willing myself to disappear, and finally nudging Clin to move beyond the skip in his brain.
After nourishing our eyes, it was time to move on to our next meal. Lunch. Jean George - Nougatine. Let me set the scene.
Jean George is a restaurant with multi-course meals for $150.00. Beyond my price range. But not beyond my dreams. Nougatine is connected to Jean George, kind of like eating in the kitchen. Similar food, from the same chef, but lower prices. They have a 3 course prix fixe lunch for $24.00. This is splurgable. But we had no reservations. We showed up and they sat us at the bar!!! We got in. They only had 2 seats...just for us. The following is a photo essay of our amazing meal.
We both got the soup. I should have ordered the salad just to taste everything, but this was gooood.
A word about sitting at the bar. We don't drink. Every one around us is drinking, and we are feeling a bit guilty. A bit out of our element. I quietly ordered tap water. I hate giving in to the guilt. I need to enjoy the crazy looks from the waiters. Clin ordered a homemade soda. $6.00. And it stunk! P.S. The glass that I'm holding was the best glass I have ever drank out of. The rim was so thin, delecate. I'm serious. We both noticed that it made our drinking experience different. So much so that I took a picture.
Clin ordered this. It doesn't look so great in this photo. The strange shape in the front is some type of mushroom. But I will tell you, the carrot puree? The best thing in both of our entrees. I would bathe in it. Lick the plate good. Honest.
Oh, and a side note? Clin was obsessed with looking for famous people. The entire trip. And he thought for sure we would find some at this restaurant. So he spent the meal looking behind him. And every time the wait staff came behind us carrying trays overflowing with beautiful food (meant for those at Jean George), he would practically scream for me to turn around and feast. I would have taken a picture but I really was trying not to be obnoxious.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
recapping my surprise.
I don't think that I like surprises anymore. I need a little time to prepare my brain for things. For visitors, for outings, for change in general. Everything goes much more smoothly if I have a heads up. That is what I have learned from Clin's most recent surprise.
I know how to pack for NYC. I've been there. I didn't pack anything that I would have packed had I known where we were going. I refuse to wear heels in NY. I only have one dress. NY means multiple evenings of theatre. I don't have multiple evenings of dress and I REFUSE to wear heels in NY.
Okay - so this sounds really petty. And I sound like the worst, most ungrateful wife that ever existed. And I probably am. But I wasn't mad at Clin. I was really excited - just angry in general. On the surface. And I don't handle fatigue well. Can you tell?
Go here for Clin's take on day one of our grand adventure.
Monday, October 20, 2008
home.
Oh. Wait. Someone forgot to tell me as well. I'm reminded, again, that Clin is really good at keeping secrets from me and is awesome at sharing them with everyone else.
I have not had a minute to put anything together about the trip. But be aware. Soon, so soon, you will see many, many pictures of food. And more food.
Friday, October 17, 2008
November 28, 1992.
11/28/92 (15 years old)
Dad took our whole family to see the new Disney Movie - "Aladdin." I don't know how to spell it. It was great! I loved seeing it with the family, cause we never do stuff like that, but I wish I could have gone on a date to see it. But I'm not old enough.
Only 59 more days till I am. Some reason I'm not looking forward to it. I don't really even have any guy friends who will ask me on a date. The guys who I know will - I don't want them to. (People like Brent and Chris. But, maybe they won't cause I've been really rude to them - haven't even talked to them lately. I should be nicer - but I can't handle either of them.) Tim is the only guy that I know would ask me and I would want to say yes. He and I are on great friendly terms. That is all I want to be on with any guy. (Friendly terms, that is.)
Thursday, October 16, 2008
threading my machine.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
making my final guess.
Though we will have transportation, bring comfy shoes for Friday. We will also be sampling the following: souffles, fresh seafood, a french patissere, hot chocolate, and other good restaurants. Dress in layers (fall weather) and bring a jacket and an umbrella. Where we are going has the tendancy to be a rainy city. Charge the camera for fun shots!
By the time you read this, I should know where we will be. I think. And that will be Seattle.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
bonding with my two moms...and a sis.
See, my sisters have two moms....and in some ways, so do I. Karen, my dad's ex-wife, has always been known to me as Mommy K. And her two daughters grew up with me and my Mom. And I wanted to be just like them. And Mommy K would visit and I didn't know anything because I was young and just thought she was amazing and had awesome red hair. (which she is. and she does.)
And then I moved to Utah and Mommy K gave me my first washer/dryer, and my first dining room table, and took me in at Thanksgiving, and invited me over when my sisters were in town, and treated me like family.
So once a year we all get together and hang. And have fun. And eat. And they talk me into shopping. And then we eat some more. Last year - Snowbird. This year, Chez Mommy K.
This is my older sister Kirstin. Notice her beauty. Notice her nails. Notice her makeup. Notice her matching clothes. Yep - she's awesome. Brightens a room, makes things better, makes things happy. That's how it always was when growing up. And I always wanted to be just like her.
She didn't get to come this year. But in honor of her - I want everyone to know that we did not play Trivial Pursuit. We did not play one game. She is still the champ and will not - no - can not be defeated until we are all together.
Kirst - you rock! 2009 or bust.
This is me with mommy k. See what I mean about the hair? Red rocks. She was an amazing hostess. Her house had been Marthafied.
She also had a pile 'o' mags on the coffee table. People, O, In-Style, you name it.
And I thought that perhaps this was special. You know, just for the weekend? But she is always this organized. Here is her craft room. And this wall is her ribbon wall. Yes! I know what you are thinking...only in magazines. And that was my thought exactly. Until I saw this room. And I just wanted to sit on the floor and breath it in. It was beautiful.
Here is mom at breakfast. And notice - every morning we had half a grapefruit. and toast. Who knew I liked grapefruit. and toast.
- home show - with Kelsey Nixon. That's right. from season 4 of the Next Food Network Star. and i forgot my camera in the car. but i saw her make bread pudding. and i asked her two questions. and she came off as real. and genuine. and awesome. for example: she was the assistant to Martha Stewart's assistant, and said that martha is beautiful on the outside and sort of beautiful on the inside. (I know!) And Rachel Ray was the least friendly and most disappointing of all the people they worked with. and if Sandra Lee had her heart set on something they could not talk her out of it - like opened pine car fresheners as napkin rings. ( I know!!)
- cheesecake factory - minus the cheesecake.
- greg kinnear - in Ghost Town and Flash of Genius
- chocolate
- talk
- Karen's awesome potato salad
- hour massage for all
- anthropology
- old navy - where everyone talked me into purchasing $4 and $5 shirts
- target
- smith's marketplace - where everyone talked me into purchasing $55 shoes for $15. And then mom paid. moms rock!
- Pei Wei
- diet coke
- Ikea - and putting together a chair.
- BYU Bookstore
- Zupas
- Karen's awesome beef over rice.
- chocolate
- more talk
Here is my sister Judy. Notice the nails match the sweater. AND the makeup. Yeah. Beautiful. She kept us laughing all weekend. and said she liked my hair. swweeeet! and i always wanted to be just like her - so compliments from Judy can make your world. Honest. give her a call. get a compliment? Your life will change.
Friday, October 10, 2008
January 11, 1991.
This is for entertainment purposes only. If you're not entertained, don't read.
1/11/91 (13 years old)
This is going to be short! Today I was proud that I tried to get along people, and make them happy, when it would have ended up in a fight. I didn't do as well today! As for Jeremy I think he likes someone else! He keeps telling people he likes me as a friend. He wishes people would quit asking if he likes me! I like him. I've thought hard about it. If we will just end up friends I'll try hard to not be shy, and talk to him like a friend! If a friend is as far as he wants to go, that's fine with me.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
listening to NPR.
Has it come to this? Have the purse strings tightened to the point that NPR has resorted to pressure? Celebrity pressure to keep the contributions coming in?
Today, while I finished the dishes, I could have sworn that I heard you threaten to call people who are NPR listeners but who have never donated money. McCarthyism at its finest. You requested that listeners turn in their friends. Send their contact info and you will call and ask them why they don't donate. All in an effort to get friends and family to rat out those they love.
In return? Those who do not donate will get a call from you, while on the air, and have to answer your questions as to why they do not donate - all in the effort to get them to relent to the pressure. The celebrity pressure and the public humiliation simultaneously thrown at us.
Some may see this as a creative form of finding new donors. I see it as threatening and manipulative. In many ways I would rather not donate in a stand of defiance against such tactics. Similar to the feeling in high school of not voting for a prom king and queen - just because everyone else was. (And I'm totally against naming royalty in honor of their popularity. Actually I'm just against royalty in general.)
I feel for the few I heard stuttering in embarrassment as you pelleted them with questions. And my personal guilt for not donating vanished.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
making guess #5.
We are going somewhere by the coast. You probably won't need your bathing
suit though because I doubt we'll swim (unless you want to skinny dip...)
Okay. Let's deconstruct.
New detail = coast. But he says somewhere by the coast. Knowing Clin, this could now include Vegas.
No swimming = cold water.
Skinny dip = Clin's idea of funny, embarrassing, silly.
So I have now narrowed this down to three places.
- Seattle
- San Diego
- New York
My bet - Seattle. Good eating and we have never been there together.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
chaperoning my past and seeing my future.
As one of the official chaperones for my husband's drama program - I get the luxury of going to the Shakespeare festival each fall. This year was the first in 4 that I have not been pregnant or breast feeding. And the normalized hormones were a welcome addition to the festivities.
My highlights:
- No kids. Or, at least, none of my own. I thought of them often but did not have to wrangle them.
- Teenagers dressed in black. Laughing, dancing in parking lots, yelling, hyper. And the one walking in circles around a tree, yelling angrily, didn't even phase me. Except to marvel at the fact that I used to hang out with other brooding teens dressed in black and yelling.
- A student lost his shoes. Seriously. And attempted to walk around campus barefoot and in the rain. After purchasing flip flops he received a call learning that another school found his shoes on their bus. How does this happen????
- We ate fast and fried for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And then I had some more for snack.
- Clin directed the final scene from Taming of the Shrew. As a western. Who doubted it would work? Me. And it totally worked. 2nd place -and performed for everyone. Shazam Clin.
- I am still invisible to teenagers. I think. But a couple proved me wrong by putting my suitcase on the bus, and offering me an animal cracker.
- Dancing performances to inspire. And someone needs to put them on YouTube so that I can link them here and share them with you all.
And that is it. My life as a chaperone.