I'm way late in posting this, but as a way of giving K another birthday shout-out, I'm going to go ahead and do it.
So, for K's birthday, we went - believe it or not - to The Sound of Music sing-along at Powell Symphony Hall. Well, first we went to dinner at Schneithorst's, which, while German, was the best themed food we could manage on our tight schedule.
In addition to being a sing-along, which is by its very nature interactive, there were props! We had edelweiss, pictures of Maria and a will-o-the-wisp, and party poppers (like this, but with paper confetti rather than with champagne bottles), among other things. We were instructed to pop the poppers when the Captain and Maria kissed, although some people couldn't wait that long. Oh, and there were hand motions and other sound effects too!
On the whole, since we three were perfectly willing to act like five-year-olds, it was an awesome time!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
NYC!
Gaaaah! I love New York! And not like the t-shirts, but really. I love it. And I went again - hooray!
One of my oldest friends moved there recently from Boston (by way of Italy and India - she probably should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque). I went to visit her and her boyfriend. I arrived fairly early Friday morning, so we had two full days, plus another half day. We would have had more time if we hadn't slept until 11:00 on both of our mornings. Regardless, we managed to pack lots of fun and good food into our waking hours.
Friday started out with a badly needed cup of coffee at their apartment, then L and I headed into Manhattan and made a stop at Eataly, across the street from Madison Square Park, where I had - you guessed it - another cup of coffee. And boy was it delicious. Best latte I've had in a while. We took a few minutes (although we could have spent hours) exploring the place, which is an interesting combination of restaurant, market, coffee shop, and grocery store. And it's HUGE! It just went on and on - must have been at least half a city block, although you'd never know that by looking at it from the outside. Anywho, we took our coffee on the road and headed to Harlem.
Yep, you heard me: Harlem. And the heart of it - 125th Street. We were after Dinosaur Barbeque, which L had been craving for some time. I can't say for sure whether it was worth her wait, but it was totally worth mine (which amounted to something like three days). We split a pulled pork sandwich and a brisket sandwich, and had sides of mac and cheese and the carrot and raisin salad. Everything was delicious, and I'm honestly not sure which of the sandwiches I liked better. Normally, I'll pick pork over beef, but that was some awfully tasty brisket. We stopped to get a soda before we got back on the subway, and at a CVS (of all places!) I found a bottle of sasparilla soda. I wasn't sure if it would be good, but it was! A bit like root beer, but less sugary. A good finish for our tasty lunch.
L has a new job and needed to do some shopping, so we ventured back to the general vicinity of midtown to poke around in some seriously noisy and overcrowded shops. We had success, though - L scored some stylish yet work-appropriate clothes, and I got a couple of staple tanks as well as two fun dresses to add to the list that have yet to be worn. (What happens if I end up with more than 52?)
We were still so full from our late lunch that we didn't really want dinner, so instead we went back to Eataly, this time to sample the gelato. It's an Italian store, so the Italian ice cream has to be good, right? Right. I had a scoop each of chocolate and raspberry, and though I was disappointed with the diminutive size of my scoop of chocolate (how dare they?), I was not at all disappointed with the flavor, nor with the choc-raspberry flavor combo. (See, that's the thing about getting more than one scoop. It compounds the requirements - and the potential, if you succeed - for deliciousness. Not only does each individual scoop have to be good, but they also have to be good together. Sometimes it works, as in the case of my chocolate-raspberry combo, which is a classic to which J can attest. Sometimes it doesn't: lox and banana, anyone? This place in Puerto Rico even serves horseflesh ice cream! No thank you.)
That was really the end of our night - we just caught the PATH back to Jersey City, hung out for a bit, and headed to bed.
As I said, Saturday was a day for sleeping. Other than the hour or so of interruption caused by four stomping feet running back and fourth on the hardwood floors in the apartment above us, I slept for a good 11 hours or so. We were finally able to drag ourselves out of bed because we had designs on the special eight-hour (or 72-hour, accounts differ) Kyoto drip coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee in Williamsburg. Again, it was worth the wait - all eight hours of dripping, plus the waiting in line. You're supposed to drink it black and iced; I drank down about a third of it that way, but then added lots of sugar and cream to finish it off. My first thought, after my first sip, was that the coffee tasted like alcohol. I decided I was crazy until L said something about it too! But we came to the joint conclusion that really strong coffee is delicious, if it's also really good, because it doesn't have that bitter aftertaste that not-so-good coffee has. They also had all sorts of other scrumptious-looking things like homemade granola, s'mores made with Mast Bros. chocolate (see below), snickerdoodles with saffron, etc. But we had other plans.
We had gotten a few Brooklyn recommendations from L's friend - it was my first time there, except one time when I ended up on that side of the Brooklyn Bridge by accident for five minutes or so - so we set off to explore a new area of a new borough. Our first stop was the farmers' market, which was a bustling metropolis unto itself. In addition to the usual vegetable, fruit, jam, and soap vendors, there was a kind of Taste of Williamsburg thing happening, which apparently gets paired up with the farmers' market every weekend! What a wonderful place! We selected pupusas for lunch from the tent of a Salvadoran restaurant, and they were quite tasty and very filling. We were lucky enough to snag a spot on a bench looking out over the East River while we ate, and we relaxed there for a bit letting our food digest.
Once we were ready to hit the streets again, we were off to the City Reliquary, a teeny museum of New York City miscellany, including a collection of Statue of Liberty replica tchotchkes and postcards, bottles of water from famous NYC restaurants (including Katz's Deli), a subway door, a fireman's jacket, and on and on. Oh, and a room-sized ode to the Slice Harvester, who's eating his way around Manhattan's pizza joints.
Our other primary destination for the day was Mast Brothers Chocolate, where I picked up three super dark and super delicious bars: pecan and maple; almond and sea salt; and fleur de sel (why don't they just call it sea salt?). They had lots of bars out to taste in the store, but so far of my own I'm still working on the first one.
We left Mast and met up with L's boyfriend, who had been venturing around on his own all day, going to art galleries and museums. He's a sculptor (and it turns out he's kind of a big deal in the world of contemporary sculpture), which would make him perfect for Brooklyn, except that he looks down on the hipsters who live there. Hm. [I've been corrected. It's not that he looks down on them. He just doesn't want to live in Brooklyn.] Regardless, we hung out at the river a bit more, taking in the view, then headed off to find some eats (yet again).
What we found was Traif, and it was a good one. As a starter, we each got a little cup of watermelon gazpacho, which as best as I could tell consisted of some odd but delicious combination of tomato, watermelon, basil, and white wine vinegar, as well as lots of other subtle stuff, I'm sure. L and I did the sharing thing again: baked muenster with apples and crostini for her (and me), and short rib sliders with sweet potato fries and smoked paprika aioli for me (and L). J did butterfish carpaccio with pickled blackberries, which he was kind enough to let us try, as well as seared scallops with sweet pea risotto. All certifiably wonderful.
We headed back to the big island and - yes - got more gelato. This time I did a scoop of coffee and a scoop of hazelnut, which were another good combo. L and J ventured off to the foreign world of the Upper West Side for the birthday party of a friend, and I walked down to meet my own friend S at Terroir, a teeny little wine bar in the East Village that we've been to before - they have a teeny little menu and an uncharacteristically huge wine list. Also joining us were S's girlfriend and her roommate, though they were a little late arriving because they live, as S says, "on another planet" - by which he means in the Financial District.
I had a loose plan to meet L and J back at the PATH station in Jersey City, and we realized when we got off the train at the station that we had been on the same train - a car apart! (It's hard to coordinate because there are no cell signals down there, so we just said we'd meet when we got there.)
Sunday was another late morning getting started (but mercifully quiet - not sure where the kids were). For breakfast, L and I split (are we noticing a pattern here?) Mexican french toast at the local Taqueria, though I'm still a little mystified about how it's different than regular french toast. We also each had a cactus taco, my first! And the horchata was delightful - very sweet but refreshing.
We did a little more hanging out at the waterfront, this time looking at NYC from the other side.
And then, ...well, if I told you we got gelato, would you be surprised? Because we did. We went to a place called Tommy Two Scoops, and my combo this time was interesting. I got amaretto and Parmesan olive oil. It sounds gross, but we were curious about the latter, so had tasted it - it mostly tasted like really rich creamy vanilla with a little bite, so it fit surprisingly well with the amaretto.
That, folks, was the end of my trip. It was back to the airport and then home. I did meet a nice guy in the airport with whom I chatted for a while - lawyer, former rugger, sponsor of a boat at the Royal St. John's Regatta. Lots to talk about, and it helped the time go by more quickly.
Don't worry, I've already warned L that I'll be back!
One of my oldest friends moved there recently from Boston (by way of Italy and India - she probably should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque). I went to visit her and her boyfriend. I arrived fairly early Friday morning, so we had two full days, plus another half day. We would have had more time if we hadn't slept until 11:00 on both of our mornings. Regardless, we managed to pack lots of fun and good food into our waking hours.
Friday started out with a badly needed cup of coffee at their apartment, then L and I headed into Manhattan and made a stop at Eataly, across the street from Madison Square Park, where I had - you guessed it - another cup of coffee. And boy was it delicious. Best latte I've had in a while. We took a few minutes (although we could have spent hours) exploring the place, which is an interesting combination of restaurant, market, coffee shop, and grocery store. And it's HUGE! It just went on and on - must have been at least half a city block, although you'd never know that by looking at it from the outside. Anywho, we took our coffee on the road and headed to Harlem.
Yep, you heard me: Harlem. And the heart of it - 125th Street. We were after Dinosaur Barbeque, which L had been craving for some time. I can't say for sure whether it was worth her wait, but it was totally worth mine (which amounted to something like three days). We split a pulled pork sandwich and a brisket sandwich, and had sides of mac and cheese and the carrot and raisin salad. Everything was delicious, and I'm honestly not sure which of the sandwiches I liked better. Normally, I'll pick pork over beef, but that was some awfully tasty brisket. We stopped to get a soda before we got back on the subway, and at a CVS (of all places!) I found a bottle of sasparilla soda. I wasn't sure if it would be good, but it was! A bit like root beer, but less sugary. A good finish for our tasty lunch.
L has a new job and needed to do some shopping, so we ventured back to the general vicinity of midtown to poke around in some seriously noisy and overcrowded shops. We had success, though - L scored some stylish yet work-appropriate clothes, and I got a couple of staple tanks as well as two fun dresses to add to the list that have yet to be worn. (What happens if I end up with more than 52?)
We were still so full from our late lunch that we didn't really want dinner, so instead we went back to Eataly, this time to sample the gelato. It's an Italian store, so the Italian ice cream has to be good, right? Right. I had a scoop each of chocolate and raspberry, and though I was disappointed with the diminutive size of my scoop of chocolate (how dare they?), I was not at all disappointed with the flavor, nor with the choc-raspberry flavor combo. (See, that's the thing about getting more than one scoop. It compounds the requirements - and the potential, if you succeed - for deliciousness. Not only does each individual scoop have to be good, but they also have to be good together. Sometimes it works, as in the case of my chocolate-raspberry combo, which is a classic to which J can attest. Sometimes it doesn't: lox and banana, anyone? This place in Puerto Rico even serves horseflesh ice cream! No thank you.)
That was really the end of our night - we just caught the PATH back to Jersey City, hung out for a bit, and headed to bed.
As I said, Saturday was a day for sleeping. Other than the hour or so of interruption caused by four stomping feet running back and fourth on the hardwood floors in the apartment above us, I slept for a good 11 hours or so. We were finally able to drag ourselves out of bed because we had designs on the special eight-hour (or 72-hour, accounts differ) Kyoto drip coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee in Williamsburg. Again, it was worth the wait - all eight hours of dripping, plus the waiting in line. You're supposed to drink it black and iced; I drank down about a third of it that way, but then added lots of sugar and cream to finish it off. My first thought, after my first sip, was that the coffee tasted like alcohol. I decided I was crazy until L said something about it too! But we came to the joint conclusion that really strong coffee is delicious, if it's also really good, because it doesn't have that bitter aftertaste that not-so-good coffee has. They also had all sorts of other scrumptious-looking things like homemade granola, s'mores made with Mast Bros. chocolate (see below), snickerdoodles with saffron, etc. But we had other plans.
The crazy 8-hour drip coffee brewing contraption
(We were in close quarters so I had to do two pictures, and am not going to the effort of combining them into one. Sorry.)
We had gotten a few Brooklyn recommendations from L's friend - it was my first time there, except one time when I ended up on that side of the Brooklyn Bridge by accident for five minutes or so - so we set off to explore a new area of a new borough. Our first stop was the farmers' market, which was a bustling metropolis unto itself. In addition to the usual vegetable, fruit, jam, and soap vendors, there was a kind of Taste of Williamsburg thing happening, which apparently gets paired up with the farmers' market every weekend! What a wonderful place! We selected pupusas for lunch from the tent of a Salvadoran restaurant, and they were quite tasty and very filling. We were lucky enough to snag a spot on a bench looking out over the East River while we ate, and we relaxed there for a bit letting our food digest.
I guess sticking a sharpie in some wet cement counts as art?
It's my place! Who knew I had one?
Once we were ready to hit the streets again, we were off to the City Reliquary, a teeny museum of New York City miscellany, including a collection of Statue of Liberty replica tchotchkes and postcards, bottles of water from famous NYC restaurants (including Katz's Deli), a subway door, a fireman's jacket, and on and on. Oh, and a room-sized ode to the Slice Harvester, who's eating his way around Manhattan's pizza joints.
Our other primary destination for the day was Mast Brothers Chocolate, where I picked up three super dark and super delicious bars: pecan and maple; almond and sea salt; and fleur de sel (why don't they just call it sea salt?). They had lots of bars out to taste in the store, but so far of my own I'm still working on the first one.
Nice pants.
We left Mast and met up with L's boyfriend, who had been venturing around on his own all day, going to art galleries and museums. He's a sculptor (and it turns out he's kind of a big deal in the world of contemporary sculpture), which would make him perfect for Brooklyn, except that he looks down on the hipsters who live there. Hm. [I've been corrected. It's not that he looks down on them. He just doesn't want to live in Brooklyn.] Regardless, we hung out at the river a bit more, taking in the view, then headed off to find some eats (yet again).
What we found was Traif, and it was a good one. As a starter, we each got a little cup of watermelon gazpacho, which as best as I could tell consisted of some odd but delicious combination of tomato, watermelon, basil, and white wine vinegar, as well as lots of other subtle stuff, I'm sure. L and I did the sharing thing again: baked muenster with apples and crostini for her (and me), and short rib sliders with sweet potato fries and smoked paprika aioli for me (and L). J did butterfish carpaccio with pickled blackberries, which he was kind enough to let us try, as well as seared scallops with sweet pea risotto. All certifiably wonderful.
We headed back to the big island and - yes - got more gelato. This time I did a scoop of coffee and a scoop of hazelnut, which were another good combo. L and J ventured off to the foreign world of the Upper West Side for the birthday party of a friend, and I walked down to meet my own friend S at Terroir, a teeny little wine bar in the East Village that we've been to before - they have a teeny little menu and an uncharacteristically huge wine list. Also joining us were S's girlfriend and her roommate, though they were a little late arriving because they live, as S says, "on another planet" - by which he means in the Financial District.
I had a loose plan to meet L and J back at the PATH station in Jersey City, and we realized when we got off the train at the station that we had been on the same train - a car apart! (It's hard to coordinate because there are no cell signals down there, so we just said we'd meet when we got there.)
Sunday was another late morning getting started (but mercifully quiet - not sure where the kids were). For breakfast, L and I split (are we noticing a pattern here?) Mexican french toast at the local Taqueria, though I'm still a little mystified about how it's different than regular french toast. We also each had a cactus taco, my first! And the horchata was delightful - very sweet but refreshing.
We did a little more hanging out at the waterfront, this time looking at NYC from the other side.
Over near the left where you see the building with the cranes on top, that's Ground Zero-ish. They're rebuilding!
And then, ...well, if I told you we got gelato, would you be surprised? Because we did. We went to a place called Tommy Two Scoops, and my combo this time was interesting. I got amaretto and Parmesan olive oil. It sounds gross, but we were curious about the latter, so had tasted it - it mostly tasted like really rich creamy vanilla with a little bite, so it fit surprisingly well with the amaretto.
That, folks, was the end of my trip. It was back to the airport and then home. I did meet a nice guy in the airport with whom I chatted for a while - lawyer, former rugger, sponsor of a boat at the Royal St. John's Regatta. Lots to talk about, and it helped the time go by more quickly.
Don't worry, I've already warned L that I'll be back!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
52 Weeks of Dresses - Week 9
Otherwise titled (somewhat belatedly): Happy Father's (or Fathers') Day!
The day started out with family brunch - grandparents, Uncle P, cousins K, A, and M, and sister K. We chowed down on some serious (although somewhat slow-to-arrive) eats, and generally had
Then just for kicks, T and I went to an open house on Portland Place. Portland Place, and its neighbor, Westmoreland, are two of the loveliest streets in all of St. Louis. In fact, there is even a book about them. (I also found a link to a neat vintage postcard with an image of the old gates to the neighborhood off Kingshighway. These gates are now closed, and you enter a different way.) There were actually quite a few people there - more than I expected. The house had some really great historical touches which were still in place and functional: a huge butler's sink, warming rack, and walk-in safe off the kitchen; an enormous green boiler in the basement with sizable pipes to carry the steam around, and a squeaky old staircase in the back (in contrast to the wide stone stairs in the front). Oh, and lots of little balconies.
So there was that. Then home for some swimming. I don't have nearly enough time to enjoy the pool, so I have to take care to use it when I can, and weekends are the best for that! It was warm and sunny, but not boiling hot. All in all, a perfect day for some fun in the out-of-doors. And I got to do a little magazine reading as well. I am so woefully behind!
The last adventure of the day was another Father's (of Fathers') Day mean. This time T and I went to eat with his family. Dinner was grill fare (which I've been eating a lot of lately), and included some delicious potato salad, with orange (the flavor, not the color) cake for dessert. As a bonus, I managed to avoid embarrassing myself at basketball this time!
The day started out with family brunch - grandparents, Uncle P, cousins K, A, and M, and sister K. We chowed down on some serious (although somewhat slow-to-arrive) eats, and generally had
Then just for kicks, T and I went to an open house on Portland Place. Portland Place, and its neighbor, Westmoreland, are two of the loveliest streets in all of St. Louis. In fact, there is even a book about them. (I also found a link to a neat vintage postcard with an image of the old gates to the neighborhood off Kingshighway. These gates are now closed, and you enter a different way.) There were actually quite a few people there - more than I expected. The house had some really great historical touches which were still in place and functional: a huge butler's sink, warming rack, and walk-in safe off the kitchen; an enormous green boiler in the basement with sizable pipes to carry the steam around, and a squeaky old staircase in the back (in contrast to the wide stone stairs in the front). Oh, and lots of little balconies.
So there was that. Then home for some swimming. I don't have nearly enough time to enjoy the pool, so I have to take care to use it when I can, and weekends are the best for that! It was warm and sunny, but not boiling hot. All in all, a perfect day for some fun in the out-of-doors. And I got to do a little magazine reading as well. I am so woefully behind!
The last adventure of the day was another Father's (of Fathers') Day mean. This time T and I went to eat with his family. Dinner was grill fare (which I've been eating a lot of lately), and included some delicious potato salad, with orange (the flavor, not the color) cake for dessert. As a bonus, I managed to avoid embarrassing myself at basketball this time!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
What I Watched -- Bicycle Dreams
A while back I blogged about a RadioLab episode called "Limits," which discussed the mental and physical limits of the human body and mind. One segment of the show profiled Jure Robic, a former Slovenian soldier and ultra-endurance cyclist. (On a sad note, Jure died last fall in - you guessed it - a car-on-bike collision. The New York Times did a nice piece in remembrance.)
During that RadioLab piece, they interviewed Stephen Auerbach, the maker of the movie Bicycle Dreams (trailer available here), which chronicles the 24th annual Race Across America (RAAM), a 3051.7-mile bike race from San Diego to Atlantic City. It's "the world's longest human-powered race," and unlike Le Tour de France, it is not measured out in stages. The clock begins at the starting gun, and doesn't end until a rider crosses the finish line. The first RAAM event was held in 1982; from then until the movie was filmed, 288 riders attempted the race, and just over half - 52% - finished.
While there are no stages, there are a few check points with the finish line cutoff time set at 12 days, 2 hours; winners usually finish in under nine days, riding an average of something like 375 miles per day.
The lead rider after a couple days on the bike was the esteemed Mr. Robic, who had gone 1071 miles on just 68 minutes of sleep; in six days of riding, he slept for seven hours. He did seem to have a lot of that self-flagellation, Eastern-European-punishment thing in his psyche, but it worked for him. As fellow RAAM racer, cover photo star, and former US national team rower Chris MacDonald said, "The rawest form of desire is just wanting to survive."
In addition to Robic and MacDonald, the filmmakers profile a number of other riders. There's Cat Berge, a vet from Sweden who happened into cycling thanks to a roommate; there's Marko Baloh, who returns to RAAM from Slovenia after an attempt in 2004 that nearly killed him; there's Bob Breedlove, the unassuming and forever optimistic surgeon from Des Moines; there's Patrick Autissier, the Frenchman who lives for riding, his family, and AIDS research; Brit Chris Hopkinson defied the odds when he got back to riding after a fall in 2001 that shattered his hip; and of course there's the Italian, Fabio Biasiolo, who looks like a Fabio and appears to love his wife like an Italian.
So those are the racers. But the race. The race. It's possibly the most punishing athletic endeavor one can attempt. But to call it just an athletic endeavor is to sell it short. In a funny way, the athleticism is the least of it. All of these people are great riders. It's more of an test of how well the rest of their body can stand up to the punishment of nearly-continuous 250 hours on a bike. Most riders get dizzy or hallucinate to the point that they can no longer safely ride; one rider had to duct tape the back of his helmet to his waist so that he could hold his head up, and was so weak he had to be dragged up the stairs of his support RV to take a rest. But it's also a test of emotion. How far can you push yourself past the limit of what your body says is possible? Can you keep going? What inspires you? What causes you to break down? Sometimes the thing that inspires one rider is the undoing of another. Each man or woman is on his or her own quest, and will fail or succeed alone.
Watching them make the attempt is inspiring and fascinating and terrifying.
Something to note about the film is that you really should give it your full attention. There is a fair amount of text that is printed on screen - where someone is, how long they've been riding, how much sleep they've had, what place they're in - which is not also narrated. If you're doing something else while watching the movie, you'll miss a lot of the detail.
Bottom line: totally, totally, totally crazy. (Have I mentioned that yet?) But also totally awesome to see what a person can accomplish. Oh, and the opening/closing number is a Bob Schneider song called "The Other Side," which I totally, totally, totally love (you can listen to it here). Anyway, if you've ever biked or wanted to or actually undertaken any physical endurance challenge at all, watch this. Totally.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Tower Grove Farmer's Market
On Saturday, for the first time this season (woefully overdue, I know), I went to the Tower Grove farmers' market! (For the record, I'd like to point out their appropriate use of the apostrophe on "farmers'," unlike the commonly misspelled - but thought to be correct so you have to use it - "Father's Day.") And T agreed to go with me - a first ever for him!
Anyway, it was a lovely day. It had rained overnight so the grass in the park was wet, but it wasn't too miserably hot. I scored tomatoes, hot dogs, eggs, two kinds of goat cheese, bread, spinach, and a delicious grilled cheese sandwich which became my lunch.
We also made a quick stop at Local Harvest Grocery, where I also succeeded: Reed's Original Ginger Brew and Bell's Oberon Ale. So much good stuff!
Anyway, it was a lovely day. It had rained overnight so the grass in the park was wet, but it wasn't too miserably hot. I scored tomatoes, hot dogs, eggs, two kinds of goat cheese, bread, spinach, and a delicious grilled cheese sandwich which became my lunch.
We also made a quick stop at Local Harvest Grocery, where I also succeeded: Reed's Original Ginger Brew and Bell's Oberon Ale. So much good stuff!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
What I Watched -- The Devil Came on Horseback
The Devil Came on Horseback is the story of one man's exposure to and campaign against the genocide in Darfur."Devil on Horseback" is the English translation of Janjaweed, which is the name given to the government-armed Arab raiders sacking villages (Middle Ages-style) of black Africans in the Darfur region of Sudan. Former U.S. Marine Brian Steidle was sent to the region as an unarmed military observer working for the African Union.
Steidle's only tool is a camera, and the photographs are horrifying.
The film is mostly the story of Steidle's campaign to bring recognition to the genocide; he finally got the attention of the federal government when some of his pictures appeared alongside an op-ed column in the New York Times. The story of how he turned this into his personal campaign does speak to the power of one man on a mission.
I say that it's mostly his story, though, because it could also be an investigation as to what our role as a nation should be in a situation like that, except that it basically starts with the assumption that we need to stop the war, and we've failed. Perhaps that's true. It wouldn't be the first time we intervened, and it won't be the last. But I think it would make a more compelling film if it let us think that through on our own.
Bottom line: a study in motivation; an indictment of our foreign policy vis a vis Sudan; atrocious visuals. But I'm not quite sure it's the call to action that it hopes to be.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Cafe Provencal
This post is sorely overdue, but I've been busy doing lots of fun things lately! My life is awesome!
A couple weeks ago, on a Friday, I didn't have much to do at work. Apparently neither did T, because we took a break for a couple hours and went to lunch at Cafe Provencal in Kirkwood. For many years, I've heard the name of the restaurant, but I had no idea what to expect of it (other than that it was French); I didn't even know where it was! Turns out, it's pretty close to home.
And what's more, it's adorable! It's, well, provincial - very French country, with food to match. I had French onion soup and a Croque Madame. Lots of cheese and grease, for sure (especially the fried egg!), but every bite was scrumptious, and the prices are quite reasonable. Oh, and of course, there was a glass of wine, although I can't remember now what it was exactly. I guess that's what I get for waiting so long to post. Sorry!
A couple weeks ago, on a Friday, I didn't have much to do at work. Apparently neither did T, because we took a break for a couple hours and went to lunch at Cafe Provencal in Kirkwood. For many years, I've heard the name of the restaurant, but I had no idea what to expect of it (other than that it was French); I didn't even know where it was! Turns out, it's pretty close to home.
And what's more, it's adorable! It's, well, provincial - very French country, with food to match. I had French onion soup and a Croque Madame. Lots of cheese and grease, for sure (especially the fried egg!), but every bite was scrumptious, and the prices are quite reasonable. Oh, and of course, there was a glass of wine, although I can't remember now what it was exactly. I guess that's what I get for waiting so long to post. Sorry!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Finally, success!
Oh my god, I can't believe it!
I have finally done it! Years ago, when I first got an iPod, I started, like any good iPodder, downloading podcasts. Over the years I've tried out various ones - some have stuck, some not so much. For the ones I really liked and which did not necessarily have to do with time-sensitive news (This American Life, RadioLab, To The Best of Our Knowledge, Books on the Nightstand), I also downloaded all of the back episodes.
At my peak, I probably had 400 un-listened-to podcasts on my iTunes. Whoa.
But I'm finished! After many years of doing chores and working out with earbuds plugged into my ears, I can happily say that I've listened to them all. And oddly, I feel as though that is an accomplishment. Now only have current episodes to contend with - until I find another podcast I love, that is.
POST SCRIPT: I have found another podcast. Or two. Or four. And - horror of horrors! - I realized that my Splendid Table podcast had somehow disappeared! Now I'm back up to 39 un-listened-to podcasts, including the eight or ten episodes of ST that I missed. But for one brief and shining moment, I did it.
I have finally done it! Years ago, when I first got an iPod, I started, like any good iPodder, downloading podcasts. Over the years I've tried out various ones - some have stuck, some not so much. For the ones I really liked and which did not necessarily have to do with time-sensitive news (This American Life, RadioLab, To The Best of Our Knowledge, Books on the Nightstand), I also downloaded all of the back episodes.At my peak, I probably had 400 un-listened-to podcasts on my iTunes. Whoa.
But I'm finished! After many years of doing chores and working out with earbuds plugged into my ears, I can happily say that I've listened to them all. And oddly, I feel as though that is an accomplishment. Now only have current episodes to contend with - until I find another podcast I love, that is.
POST SCRIPT: I have found another podcast. Or two. Or four. And - horror of horrors! - I realized that my Splendid Table podcast had somehow disappeared! Now I'm back up to 39 un-listened-to podcasts, including the eight or ten episodes of ST that I missed. But for one brief and shining moment, I did it.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
52 Weeks of Dresses -- Week 8
Otherwise titled: Modesto
Last Thursday (Thursday?), T took me out to dinner at Modesto. Can you believe I hadn't been there before? Everybody always raves about it!
It's down on the Hill, which is a little odd for a Spanish restaurant, but who am I to judge? They seem to be working it down there; our food was delightful! We shared lots of stuff, including judias verdes (green beans), ajo frito (fried garlic), churros de tocino (bacon fried things - to call them doughnuts doesn't seem quite right), ensalata mixta (mixed salad), coca cebolla (onion flatbread), pichos de vieiras (scallop skewers), and chorizo (the night's special).
Oh, and of course there were dessert and wine as well: pudin de pan (bread pudding), churros y chocolate (doughnuts with chocolate sauce), and a bottle of the Arbanta Rioja.
As for the restaurant itself, it was much quieter and cozier than BARcelona - where we also were recently; actually these posts are out of order - but not nearly as convenient. They will probably both play a role in my future eating habits, depending on the circumstances of the particular day on which I am craving tapas.
Last Thursday (Thursday?), T took me out to dinner at Modesto. Can you believe I hadn't been there before? Everybody always raves about it!
By the pool before dinner
It's down on the Hill, which is a little odd for a Spanish restaurant, but who am I to judge? They seem to be working it down there; our food was delightful! We shared lots of stuff, including judias verdes (green beans), ajo frito (fried garlic), churros de tocino (bacon fried things - to call them doughnuts doesn't seem quite right), ensalata mixta (mixed salad), coca cebolla (onion flatbread), pichos de vieiras (scallop skewers), and chorizo (the night's special).
Oh, and of course there were dessert and wine as well: pudin de pan (bread pudding), churros y chocolate (doughnuts with chocolate sauce), and a bottle of the Arbanta Rioja.
As for the restaurant itself, it was much quieter and cozier than BARcelona - where we also were recently; actually these posts are out of order - but not nearly as convenient. They will probably both play a role in my future eating habits, depending on the circumstances of the particular day on which I am craving tapas.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A sad day at the Cubby Bear...
Sorry folks, but this post is seriously, wickedly, unfortunately overdue. But, in my defense, I've had a very busy week, and there were lots of pictures from this event. Pictures make a post hard (especially lots of pictures), because I have to sort, choose (and that's hard!), crop, resize, etc. And then I have to actually write the post to put the pictures in!
Anyway, here's how it went down: T and his good friend K took my sister K and me to the baseball game, and was it ever an adventure! We started out early. T's friend K works for the Cardinals (he's actually kind of a big deal), so we got to go hang out down on the field during batting practice! Then we went to check out the press box (never been in there before!), and then to lunch.
So, we're sitting at the table in the Redbird Club, just chowing down, chatting, enjoying the A/C, generally minding our own business (after being accosted by Fredbird, that is), when we notice that K is wearing a World Series Ring! For real! I told you he was kind of a big deal, and I have pictorial evidence:
So now I've gotten to fondle a Super Bowl ring and a World Series ring. Anybody know anyone who plays pro basketball they could put me in touch with?
Then we finally make it to game time! Sister K (that makes you sound like a nun!) was intent on keeping score, so she could send the scorecard to JJP as a "look what fun I'm having!" (and a bit of an "I wish you were here."). We missed the first out, but other than that, I'd say the score keeping was a fairly successful venture. Of course, there were times when K's ADD kicked in, and she needed to do something else while one of her trusty sidekicks - the other three of us - manned the paper and pencil.
Despite the fact that K's seats are on the shady side of the stadium, it was about 10,000 degrees that day. Okay, actually I think it was 98 (ha! 98 Degrees), but it was a record high for that day. I need time for my body to adjust to the suffocating summer humidity; this business of going from 65 to 98 in two days just does not work for me!
So, the unfortunate thing about the game, is that we had a bad sixth inning; at least the top of it was bad. We had been up 2-0, then the Cubs took the lead 4-2. In the bottom of the sixth, we tied it up with two more runs, and we were at an impasse which lasted all the way to extra innings.
I have to preface this by saying that we're in All-Star voting season right now, and I voted for Albert Pujols as our first baseman. I was chided by K (Ty's friend), who informed me that Albert just hasn't been performing up to snuff, etc., etc. And it's true, his average could be (and has been) better. His home run count is low, given how far we are into the season (although it was a Pujols homerun in the fourth that tied the game). Etc., etc.
But there we were, in the bottom of the twelfth, slightly less sweltering but now getting hungry for dinner, and Albert comes to the plate. Two balls. One strike. Then he does it again. I stand by my choice.
While we waited for the crowd to clear out, we headed back to K's office to play table shuffleboard, which it turns out that I'm not very good at. I don't even know all the rules, but it was fun anyway!
Special thanks to K for the tickets and all the superb access, and to T for setting us all up!
Anyway, here's how it went down: T and his good friend K took my sister K and me to the baseball game, and was it ever an adventure! We started out early. T's friend K works for the Cardinals (he's actually kind of a big deal), so we got to go hang out down on the field during batting practice! Then we went to check out the press box (never been in there before!), and then to lunch.
Lots of pictures of Yadi for K!
And a little fraternization with the enemy by two of our best!
(Sorry it's so dark! It was sunny out that day!)
So, we're sitting at the table in the Redbird Club, just chowing down, chatting, enjoying the A/C, generally minding our own business (after being accosted by Fredbird, that is), when we notice that K is wearing a World Series Ring! For real! I told you he was kind of a big deal, and I have pictorial evidence:
So now I've gotten to fondle a Super Bowl ring and a World Series ring. Anybody know anyone who plays pro basketball they could put me in touch with?
Then we finally make it to game time! Sister K (that makes you sound like a nun!) was intent on keeping score, so she could send the scorecard to JJP as a "look what fun I'm having!" (and a bit of an "I wish you were here."). We missed the first out, but other than that, I'd say the score keeping was a fairly successful venture. Of course, there were times when K's ADD kicked in, and she needed to do something else while one of her trusty sidekicks - the other three of us - manned the paper and pencil.
Despite the fact that K's seats are on the shady side of the stadium, it was about 10,000 degrees that day. Okay, actually I think it was 98 (ha! 98 Degrees), but it was a record high for that day. I need time for my body to adjust to the suffocating summer humidity; this business of going from 65 to 98 in two days just does not work for me!
Ryan "The Riot" Theriot, and our cool scoreboard
Fredbird, making more trouble for K
Who's on first? Yadi's on first!
Big Al, about to get hit by a pitch
I have to preface this by saying that we're in All-Star voting season right now, and I voted for Albert Pujols as our first baseman. I was chided by K (Ty's friend), who informed me that Albert just hasn't been performing up to snuff, etc., etc. And it's true, his average could be (and has been) better. His home run count is low, given how far we are into the season (although it was a Pujols homerun in the fourth that tied the game). Etc., etc.
But there we were, in the bottom of the twelfth, slightly less sweltering but now getting hungry for dinner, and Albert comes to the plate. Two balls. One strike. Then he does it again. I stand by my choice.
While we waited for the crowd to clear out, we headed back to K's office to play table shuffleboard, which it turns out that I'm not very good at. I don't even know all the rules, but it was fun anyway!
Special thanks to K for the tickets and all the superb access, and to T for setting us all up!