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.

A few to-do items

After the incident on the freeway with my increasingly debilitated car, Ruby, it was pretty clear that the need for a new car was immediate. I was quite mad that day, seeing that the incident prevented me from going to the girl's getaway. I've been agonizing over selecting a car for the past few months--AWD, 4WD... That's just me: I chew, chew, chew on an idea, researching it online, asking for referrals, and then finally I make a decision. So I test drove one car and decided it was what I wanted. Plus, salespeople are dying for business right now, and the prices are amazing. Thursday I drove to Liz's and spent Friday with her and Owen, who, I've decided as with all other little ones I know--is not allowed to get any bigger. I don't have any pictures to share because of course I forgot my camera (much like Hansel & Gretel, I always leave something behind for people to remember me, I suppose...)Friday night and Saturday I spent at the Despins', reading books, watching kid's movies, playing outside, and, as usual when I come to visit, I helped my sister with one project: this one was hanging photos on the first floor. Yay for projects! A few to come: painting and rummage sale prep (I know, I may regret that one).

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!

Weekends

Last Friday my mom and I went to the Quilting Expo. Besides the fact that I was probably the youngest person there, it was completely amazing. The walls of the arena were covered with larger-than-life plethoras of patchwork, intricate traditional patterns and shapes, and even some avant garde clothing and other strange wall-art items. Kat reminded me a few months ago that very few people in our generation can do things like sew, knit, even bake, and I was surrounded by these unbelievable pieces of art. Maybe I'll leave the sewing to my mom, but will really go after knitting and that pottery class I've been eyeing for the fall...The Despins were up and Nathan really wanted to ride the very large Italian bikes with the surrys on the Lakewalk. Man, it was way harder than it looks! We also went on the Vista, which he said "wasn't that exciting." The other picture is Ashley and her friend, who were at our house a few weeks prior (staying warm); she and my sister Karla & my mom came over for brunch.

New garden

The pictures don't do it justice and cannot broadcast the pomp and circumstance that I was humming when it was completed, but this garden was a huge endeavor! I originally wanted to plant vegetables, but quickly realized that this section doesn't get enough direct sunlight (and the neighbor clued me in that the former owner had tried unsuccessfully) . The garden was already sectioned off, so I wanted to plant perennials. Hopefully they'll make it through the rough winters and be back next year. With a lot of referrals & advice from more experienced gardeners (thanks, Pam!), I've got: lavender, chives, parsley, Artemisia, 3 different kinds of Seedum, Russian sage, Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm. My mom, Krista & Nathan really helped me bring it home by laying the compost & mulch. It's looking rather sparse now; I think I need some more decorative items against the house.

Celebrating a legacy

Last weekend was the inaugural golf outing for Coach's scholarship fund. Despite the cooler temps (and some people--who shall remain nameless--in shorts) the tournament and dinner to follow was an extreme success. It's really comforting to know that every year, we will all be able to celebrate Coach with this event.