Mother's Day

We counted this as the fifth Mother's Day of our annual brunch celebration here. Our waiter had to earn his keep that day--we were there for over two hours. My mom and I, with my cousin Mary (back), her stepmom, Sharon, and her daughter-in-law, Tricia. After brunch we did some window shopping and antique hunting. I'm still thinking about the circa-1910 mahogany clawfoot dining table that I don't have room for...We plan to expand the group next year, which hopefully includes my sisters!

Rancher town

A recent trip--in the busiest time of the year--was actually quite relaxing. I know my geographical surroundings had a lot to do with my respite. Just a few days prior to my arrival, Missoula (which is the only city by that name in the world) had a snowstorm; by the time I landed it was brown landscape and flowering trees. Climbing to the M, located in the foothills behind the University campus, takes about 1.5 hours, but the view is definitely worth the effort. Despite its small size (I know Tiffany would disagree with that measurement), there were several small, locally-owned restaurants and shops that definitely fit my liking, and kind of reminded me of the hippy/small town/uniqueness of Duluth. Any visitor to this town has to climb to the top of the M--which I did, promptly, without my camera. About an hour to the top.

Some wonderful little ditty shops I stumbled upon: Noteworthy, a beautiful little stationery shop (printing press in the basement) that sells the wittiest little cards that I sent on to a few friends. Their store window was amazing, as it featured four dresses, all completely made out of paper.


Butterfly Herbs was a haven, complete with a coffee shop, and tea/candy/vintage trinkets store. Bestill my heart.

Restaurants--quite a variety of fare for a smaller town (that exceeded eateries with bars). El Cazador (the hunter): very down-home atmosphere; excellent tamales and mole sauce. The Up Town Diner: straight out of 1950; giant breakfasts. Didn't get a chance to try "Missoula's best shake." The Shack Cafe was much more charming than its name describes, with its vintage paneling and wooden booths. Amazing huervos rancheros. Sawaddee Thai Restaurant--delicious green curry. Big Dipper Ice Cream: completely worth the 15-minute walk and 20-minute line. The choices of flavors, cones and dips are enough to make old and young alike dizzy with sugar-infested delight. Lastly, the people here are down to earth, genuine. Minnesota nice, western style.

Ladies, revisited pts. I and II

CR's backyard

Near Carlsbad Public Beach

Cousin Chanel & I

CB's excellent profile

This week, as I slowly recover from my traveling lag and general attentiveness to non-vacation activities, I'm left with an overwhelming sense of love and comfort, reminding me of the immense value of my female friendships. The familiar feeling after being with my ladies--laughter, serious and not-so-serious conversations, fashion consultation, gossipy consultation, life-altering decision consultation--I am renewed and struck by the immense nourishment I get from these relationships. I know I am lucky. Not every woman I know has such an incredible support system. I try not to take that for granted. And although there are curves in our lives and the direction digresses from one another at times, I know who I can count on.

It was hard to say goodbye to the Carries--66% percent of the trifecta--as CR dropped us off at the airport Monday morning. Rarely are all three of us ever in the same location at the same time, but this trip proved we're on to something and I know we won't wait too long before that is replicated. Let's just say that the trip was one of indulgence--lots of eating (thanks to Shandiz for preparing all of those glorious plates and cocktails); shopping (J Crew dress on clearance; golf clothes for this summer); taking in the beach; trying out a few new restaurants; and spending most of our time dissecting the daily goings on of our lives. Their friends, Victor and Janine, whom I've gotten to know from the wedding, hosted a BBQ. My cousin Chanel and her friend came by for dinner(homemade enchiladas per the baby daddy) and us four older adults were transported back to an episode of "I'm a 20-year-old College Student." That makes you feel old. The views surrounding San Diego/Carlsbad really are spectacular, and the rolling (and massive) hills do leave you with a sense that this place is quite grand.

While approaching the officer in the security line, I let an older gentleman in line ahead of me, whom just happened to be one of our former Vice Presidents--what a cool experience. Looks much younger than 82!



The weekend prior to my departure out west, I met with my college friends for Kat's going away party for her deployment. Now you can understand this thread of recent female camaraderie! Beth and I drove down for the day and most of our ladies were there. Amy had a great spread for us, including GF chocolate cake. The silliness was inevitable, and soon I felt like it was all of us again, just with a few more husbands and kiddos. I left with the feeling that I don't see them enough; we need to get moving on our next event. (Cabin? Spa?)

A few good days

I was really excited to try this new restaurant, and strangely enough, since I had been there despite its November opening, I thought my birthday would be a good excuse to make my first visit. I had the spicy roll sampler, which included tuna, salmon and California rolls. The shumai dumplings were yummy, too. It was a really good mix of ladies--which left me thinking there should be more ladies-only events. After dinner we headed here and met up with Corey and some of the other men, and had some very excellent martinis. Saturday night we had dinner and my parents'--steak and twice-baked potatoes--and my mom surprised us by inviting Corey's parents. Sunday I drove to the Metrodome to watch the Saints play St. Thomas. I swear I get so nervous I shouldn't even be allowed to sit in the stands. Monday I spent a few hours shopping, drinking in all of the retail therapy I don't have access to at home. It was an excellent weekend.

Girls (and boys) just wanna have fun

Last weekend I joined in Anne's birthday celebration at a few of the metro area's downtown hotspots. Most of the people in Anne's group had been to Chiang mai Thai on Hennepin Ave, but what a jewel that I got to discover! The green veggie curry was excellent and gluten-free. Plus, I've never met a spring roll I didn't like. There were tables waiting for the guest of honor here, where we watched some dancers in their very bright and revealing costumes, gave some tips (Lady Gaga was amazing), leaving me to wonder where it all goes in those outfits? The Shout House was quite popular, considering basically every song is a crowd favorite. There were some heavy metal covers that even sounded great on the piano.

Vegas vaycay

Outside the water show at Bellagio

Livin' it up at the Ghostbar. Went to bed at 6am MN time. I was quite proud of us. Must have been those $12 cocktails...

Us at Caesar's Palace. The dealers were wearing fake gold chains.

Outside our hotel. Had breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi with Jenna and the mushroom and brie egg white omelet was perfection!

The conservatory in the Bellagio--celebration of the Chinese New Year.



We're already talking about the next trip. I'm thinking white sand...

Ringing in the new year

The past year has definitely been one of change and transition. Between us losing some very close friends and family to Corey's new job, we've had some time to reflect and realize how lucky we are. The multiple holiday gatherings really hit that message home, too. New Year's Eve was spent in good company; during the day we went bowling with the Wallaces and CB; I had my usual performance of several strikes followed by several gutter balls. Maybe I should do some research on double-jointedness and bowling. That night we had dinner a new, very hip restaurant in town that I've been meaning to try since its October opening. The restaurant and adjoining theater is supported by a local foundation that supports and develops arts and culture. Corey had a bison burger and I had the tofu curry rice bowl--so yummy. Later we met up with Justin, Niki, Kenny and Rikki and had drinks at the Blackwater. I had this delicious minty martini that was served with a candy cane. That day was a step up from our recent ritual of a 12:15 am bedtime on New Year's.

Baseball and bento boxes

This year to celebrate our anniversary, we tried to keep it low key. It probably seems like all I ever write about is going out to eat, but honestly, trying a new restaurant is probably one of my favorite things to do. I definitely live on a budget, but I think it would be really hard to cut out this indulgence! So when Corey suggested we combine some retail therapy and baseball (after I nixed his suggestion to go to Valley Fair), I thought his "planning" was perfect. Friday night we went to Midway Stadium to support an alumni and watched a pretty good game. Good memories--we hadn't been there since we were supporting the last alumni who was playing for the Saints. We were seated in the family/friends/wives/trashy girlfriend section and man, that is an entertaining sight to watch--I can only imagine what I would find sitting behind Kate Hudson at a Yankees game. Despite games being family-friendly events, some obnoxious superfan decided it was completely permissible to smoke a cigar at a sold-out game. He was approximately 30 rows in front of me and I was this close to walking down and offering him $20 to put it out. Saturday I introduced Corey to the mecca otherwise known as Ikea. At first I was sort of wandering around aimlessly, commenting on all the items I could use from the staged rooms. We had planned to buy some inexpensive lights, but most of them weren't hard-wired. We ended up with this really great, traditionally-styled wardrobe. Ding, ding! Instant closet. There's even a mirror on the front, which saved us from having to buy one and hang it. We tried this great restaurant for lunch at the MOA called Crave; the food was really good and reasonably priced. Corey had the free-range Chicken Caesar salad (where the lettuce was grilled) and I had a bento box--complete with fruit, sushi, seaweed and tempura--for $10. The Twins had a horrible game--despite a HR in the last inning, but sitting up 4 rows was ample compensation. Lots of bums during warm up...I had my mom's not-so advanced camera, but I managed to nab a few good shots (bad day to not bring the wide-angle lens). We walked back from the lightrail to the hotel in the POURING rain, but it was actually worth a few good laughs.

the Windy City

This trip was even more of a whirlwind than the last, seeing that it was mostly composed of mind-enriching visits and taste experiments with some excellent international fare.

Hotel: Westin Michigan Avenue. Very convenient and centrally-located, lobby decor very cool. (Don't laugh: I went to the American Girl Place across the street to see if I could score another set of the paper dolls. Out of print. Dang it.) Rooms OK. Apparently this MLB team was staying there at the same time; I don't know any of them, but I think I saw their agent (i.e. look for the binder, I was instructed).
Landmark Grill: hotel restaurant--great breakfasts with enormous portions; excellent fruit plate. Nice ambiance with the plethora of framed artwork.

Zapatista: crunchy and spicy corn taquitos. Amazing smoky chipotle salsa (their specialty). I loved the wrought-iron star lights that were sprinkled throughout the restaurant.
Bistrot Zinc: Inviting cafe atmosphere with warm, sunny walls. Front window opens and instantly you are on a small street in Paris. Waiter's knowledge was bar none. Flavorful hanger steak with potato gratin was extremely rich with flavor but not heavy. Split the flourless chocolate cake with 2 other people. Do not attempt this on your own.
1492 Tapas Bar: a cacophony of flavors and choices! An amazing experience in sampling. Several different, really good versions of calamari. The spicy meatballs were tangy and unexpected. The cheese plate was a nice alternative with its parmesan, blue cheese and fig compote.
Cheesecake Factory: with over 300 menu items, I knew I would find something great--the thai lettuce wraps were a nice light fare that saved me some room for the Godiva mousse cheesecake (still one of the lighter sweet items). An intimidatingly large building!

I was quite underwhelmed with the Shedd Aquarium, however, I didn't attend any of the auditorium shows, which I'm sure are one of the top reasons people visit. It's certainly geared towards a younger audience, and for them, it is most likely quite spectacular. Note: do not go to giant attraction on a Saturday. Cocktails may have to immediately follow the excursion. Being kind of an art gallery nerd, I was extremely excited to go to the Art Institute of Chicago, which hadn't been on my last trip to the city. As a self-proclaimed Modernist, several rooms lined with Gauguins, Chagalls and Cezannes quieted my mind. Another place you'll want to hit later on a weekday. Certainly Late Night Catechism was a hilarious, must-see show; beware: you must hold up to the actor's bullying as she will call you out in the audience. The second time around, Jersey Boys was even better! This musical has a lot of appeal, as I know my parents would be singing along even more than I was. Despite all of these amazing events, the crowning jewel of the trip was a behind-the-scenes tour of the Field Museum. Holy crap--I was a kid in a pre-historic candy store. The highlights: holding a 110 million-year-old (no joke) fossil (I wrote down the name somewhere but I think I lost it); seeing the private collections of the jewels that are not on display (there are LOTS); and tons of dinosaur bones--just us, a room in the basement and all of these bones--a great story to tell my kids someday.


Last but not least, on the friend side, I managed to see both Amber and Sarah (plus chubby bunny Ben). I miss you girls! Thank you for the conversation. It is greatly savored.

the Emerald City

I actually didn't know this until I arrived but this is Seattle's moniker. At first, I was thinking, "But Oz is the Emerald City..." OK, so I'm a little overinvested in fairy tales. I had never been to the Pacific Northwest before and despite not being able to hike, mountain climb, or take the ferry (all items for future trip with husband--one of our top 4 future destinations), my bird's eye view of the city was lovely. Our hotel was very centrally located near some important landmarks: Starbucks (duh), J Crew, Nordstrom et al. Work commitments really sucked up my time from 7:00 am until after 8 most nights, so I took an afternoon to play hooky and spent most of it traipsing through Pike Place Market. This is indeed a foodie's paradise: any type of fresh produce (and some I didn't recognize), in addition to a mile of fresh-cut cacophony of sunflowers, lilies, snapdragons, lavender...The honey tasting was one of my favorites, and I'm so glad that many booths started selling 3 oz. containers of their wares. I continued my tradition of collecting a piece of local art from my travels, and I bought a gorgeous painting of a ginko leaf from this artist. I really respected what this marketplace represents and how much the city and its businesses appreciate tourism. Great restaurants I was able to experience: RedFin Sushi--amazing crunchy tofu roll w/ spicy aioli; Anthony's at Pier 66--tender chargrilled halibut with a spectacular view; and a definite cheat-worthy pain du chocolat with almond paste at Le Panier. Next time I'll bring my hiking boots and passport, as I'm sure the views from Rainier and Olympia are well worth the trip, not to mention a night or two at Safeco Field.

CARH's visit

CR was home for a week-long visit and we had a great time. Sadly, there are no pictures to justify that fun was actually had, but indeed, it was. Most of our time together included lounging, referring to house decor magazines and picking out our future designs, drinking pinot grigio and other chilled items, looking at very comical high school pictures (and notes), and talking. We went to this new restaurant and the food was delicious. We had Yellow fin tartare for an appetizer, I had halibut and CR had whitefish. I took her to this new bar and we tried to fight off the 40-something medical device salesman. Note: don't watch sports when you are in a bar (force of habit) because men think that is a telltale sign for conversation. This picture is my absolute favorite--from our Senior Prom. Thanks for spending so much of your time with me, friend!

Day of hearts

Yesterday I spent most of the afternoon with Tiffany and Kade--it was a nice surprise. She called on her way into MN, so I was really glad to hear she'd be in town. Kade let me hold him and I got a few giggles out of him, too. I didn't take any pictures, sadly, but we had a good time and some excellent conversation. Corey & I went out for dinner at one of my favorite local places hoping to convert him. It worked. He had the 3-cheese penne and I had the Thai turkey chili and the salmon with raspberries and peaches. It was delicious.

Little things

I headed to a conference this week (which was a welcome escape from the craziness of work) and the dinner was held at one of my favorite St. Paul restaurants (the grilled salmon and goat cheese risotto was amazing, of course, however, the $12 {gulp} glass of wine was not). Ugh. I miss living in bigger, exciting places sometimes, esp. when someone sitting next to you at dinner talks about living in Garrison Keillor's neighborhood. I stayed at the Wallace house, which was nice, and we even managed to stop at Trader Joe's--$2.99 wine, yummy curry food, & GF granola. I held my composure and didn't buy the chocolate-covered bananas. Today was amazing weather! This was a day that we in the north live for. Everyone is happier when it's February and it's 50 degrees outside. Koufax and I had a long walk, I shoveled off the deck...it was great. I still have some lofty cleaning goals, but those might have to wait.

Hug your mom

Yesterday my mom and my cousin Mary and I went out for brunch to celebrate Mother's Day. We've been going to the same restaurant for MD for 3 years--and every year I get the same thing--an omelette with lobster and asparagus--magnificent. I'll try and remember to post the picture. It's such a fun annual tradition to look forward to.


Gina sent me this picture from our work party last week. I just realized my face looks blurry.

Ladies about town

Kerrie, Carrie, Carrie & Carrie



This weekend a group of six of us gathered to celebrate CR's bachelorette-dom. We stayed just outside of downtown, so everything we ventured out to do was nearby. To summarize the weekend, we basically ate and relaxed in various forms. Keep in mind that 4 of the 6 attendees were named Carrie/Kerrie. This got really confusing. We tried calling each other by our initials or our middle names. However, most of the time someone would call one of us and all 4 would respond. My favorite places we went this weekend (most involve food, of course): the French Meadow Bakery (I had the zone omlet w/ sundried tomatoes and goat cheese), True Thai, Chino Latino (CR and I actually ordered drinks called the Crack Ho Mojito), and the Aveda Institute for a beauty afternoon. Surdyk's had an amazing chocolate and cheese selection (women could live off of these two things alone) and I was introduced to the cheese monger--yes, they are actual people who cut cheese. Saturday night after dinner, we ended up at a highbrow club/bar where apparently Timberwolves, Vikings (CR said they were there; I wouldn't recognize them since I know nothing about football) and various model/plasticy mannequin-types seem to frequent. There was a very funny incident involving a man who said we were invading his "roped off space" and we got a good laugh out of that. The weekend was so much fun and was a great way to kick back and to celebrate CR's upcoming big day. Congrats to the bride-to-be!