Itchy Feet

Hot guys sometimes finish last

2008-10-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Went to the 3rd round of the US Open with Robyn. Always entertaining, especially the way a hot dog, fries and a couple of beers costs more than the tickets.

The Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park.

Robert Kendrick, after losing Mixed doubles on Court 7. Up close, no zoom.

James Blake, losing to Mardy Fish in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

John McEnroe, knocking balls around with his son (I doubt he was losing. Although he's a great player, I can't call him hot.)

Spotted: Roger Federer playing on the practice courts and James Blake's brother Thomas at a bar in the plaza

Take me out to the ball game

2008-10-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Got tickets to the Mets-Braves game. This is actually the last season for the current Shea Stadium. Like Yankee Stadium, seems a shame to build a new stadium right next to a perfectly fine one. Though unlike the Yankees, I must say the Met game was pretty mellow - not a lot of music, etc. However, I did try Dippin’ Dots, a new phenomenon to me.

Not your college ramen

2008-10-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

Sarah coerced me to dinner at Ippudo, relatively new place near Union Square. We ordered pork fat as an appetizer. And then I got noodles with a spicy broth. Having lived in Asia for several months, Sarah is much more accustomed to the technique of eating ramen. I did OK, but was a little slow and a lot messy. But it was a good experience. Friendly staff and mainly Asian clientele (for now).

Memphis: Elvis Week is an actual event

2008-10-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

“I went there on business…
sequestered in Memphis”
– The Hold Steadys

I had to go to Memphis for work in mid-August. We checked into our hotel downtown & then headed out for dinner. We were actually seeking ribs, but the places on Beale either looked too dodgy for BBQ and/or were blaring music. Wound up having a tasty dinner at Automatic Slims.

It was Elvis Week (anniversary of the week Elvis died). I actually really wanted to visit Graceland, but we had back-to-back client meetings the next day, followed by racing to the airport for the flight back to NY.

Stubby & Lisa.

1st impressions/observations of Memphis:
- Memphis is more “real” than Nashville. Nashville is to country music what Hollywood is to acting, but Memphis is all about singin’ the blues. In more ways than one.
- Beale Street is smaller and louder than I expected.
- The Mississippi River is very wide.

Did someone say football?

2008-08-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

So UGA is ranked #1 in the coach’s pre-season poll. The NYC Dawgs kicked off the season with a happy hour at Firefly in Soho, Georgia’s new game-watching location. Met up with Maria, who had vocal chord surgery can’t talk for 3 months! Crazy, but she is managing to communicate with gestures, a pad & pen.

Walk in the park

2008-08-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, sometimes I take Central Park for granted. If I don't go there for a while, I forget just how beautiful it is. Luckily concerts in Central Park are something I discovered very early on. Went to see The National at SummerStage and snapped these pics on the way there.

The Dakota, the apartment building where John Lennon lived on West 72nd St.

The Mall in Central Park.

Room with a view

2008-08-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

View of the Empire State Building from the Williamsburg Bridge.

Had brunch with Joseph in Williamsburg and made an unsuccessful attempt to go to the Pool Party at McCarren Pool. But all was not lost: we walked back to Manhattan across the bridge and went out in my neighborhood. Saw part of a punk concert commemorating the anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park riot.

Spotted around town:
- Andrew from Top Chef on 2nd Avenue
- Dude from the Mac commercials hailing a cab on Avenue A
- Artist Chuck Close eating dinner outside at Alexandra on Hudson Street

Big time rock 'n’ roll show

2008-08-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Duck & I went to the Counting Crows/Maroon 5 show on August 1 at the Jones Beach Theater. Seeing popular artists in large venues is not my thing, but for a litany of reasons, I wound up at this concert. The venue is an ampitheatre on Long Island that’s adjacent to the beach, which is kinda cool. The musical performances were good. Sara Bareilles opened. Maroon 5 was much more “rock” than I expected. Liked the Counting Crows part the best. Was very nice to hear Adam Duritz reinterpret older songs like “Anna Begins.”

View of the bay from the theatre.

Counting Crows.

Maroon 5.

Birthday, part deux

2008-08-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah utilized Facebook to organize a lovely dinner on my actual birthday. I arrived at Barbone and was quite surprised see several familiar faces waiting for me in the garden. Thank you, Sarah!

2008-08-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind on blogging... but wanted to make time for this.

Rave up

2008-07-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Jonathan & I celebrated our birthdays Saturday at PS1. The guys from LCD Soundsystem were the headlining DJs. Since they’re well-known, the courtyard was more crowded than I’d ever seen it. But that means even more great people-watching.

The PS1 courtyard early on, around 4:30 pm.

Me & J.

After PS1, we walked around Long Island City, Queens. 1st stop was LIC Bar. Really liked this place: cozy joint with places to sit, cool pressed tin ceiling, and a big garden out back. Had dinner nearby at Lounge 47.

Lisa chillin' in LIC Bar's outdoor area.

Signs of a successful Summer Friday

2008-07-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

Went to Long Beach for the day on Friday. Sun, a beach that wasn’t very crowded, and frozen margaritas. Muy excelente!

Sweating hipsters

2008-07-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Went to Coney Island yesterday for the Siren Music Festival. Saw the Dodos and Beach House. Despite blazing sun and temps in the mid-90s, it was actually more crowded than last year. I’m glad I braved the heat, though… it’s not really summer in NY til you’ve ridden the Wonder Wheel & the Cyclone and consumed a corn dog & a beer on the boardwalk.

View of Stillwell Stage around 6pm.

Wall-to-wall umbrellas on the beach, as seen from the Wonder Wheel.

Rollin’ on the river

2008-07-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Went to Hudson RiverFlicks on Pier 54 Wednesday night with Rick. “Almost Famous” was showing. Very nice to watch a movie on the water, with sailboats cruising by.

Spotted: Tim Gunn on West 19th Street and Sebastian Junger eating outside at Half King.

Intense sunset on West 23rd Street.

(Day before) quatorze juillet

2008-07-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

Went to Cobble Hill, Brooklyn last Sunday to check out the Bastille Day festivities. We ate brunch at Trout and then wandered around the street party, getting drinks like sangria from the sidewalk vendors. The celebration wasn’t as “French” as I expected, but who can complain about a fun day outside?

Spotted: Alex from Real Housewives, entering a chain drugstore with her family. Oy.

Largest petanque tournament in the US.

Watch out for the guillotine!

How ads get created

2008-07-18T16:40:00.001-07:00

Got this from my copywriter. It's been a challenging week.

Melancholy, with good reason

2008-07-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

At a rooftop bar last summer, I met a group of Ohio State alums Grace knew. We had some drinks, some laughs and some decent conversation. As I went home that night, I was really happy. I thought, these folks are so nice and so fun. They’re the embodiment of the phrase “good people.” In NYC you meet interesting characters, but you don’t necessarily want to hang out with them again! However whenever Grace would meet up with those guys for a happy hour, she would invite me & I would be very glad to join in the revelry.

Sadly one of those guys, Lee, died of a heart attack Wednesday at the age of 41.

I’m still processing this news. Lee & I were social acquaintances at best, but I can confidently say that he brought great joy to everyone around him (myself included). He will be missed.

A stellar 4th

2008-07-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday with Robyn, Paul & Eastwood (Actually Paul pushed Woody in a stroller, but you get the point). From the bridge you can see The Waterfalls, four man-made waterfalls on the East River. I must say I was really underwhelmed by the falls' daytime appearance; apparently they're prettier at night. This public art installion cost about $15 million - I can think of a few other things the city could use that money for.

Walked around in Dumbo & Brooklyn Heights. Saw Aimee’s new apartment. She & I came back into Manhattan. My upstairs neighbor had a BBQ in the backyard, so we went down there for a bit and then watched the fireworks from the roof of my building.

The Brooklyn Bridge says "Happy Independence Day!"

Me & Robyn take a beverage break by the river.

Brownstones in Brooklyn Heights.

View of Macy's fireworks from my roof.

Get your art on

2008-07-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Went to the Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art last weekend. Very graphic and whimsical, even when the paintings were about serious subject matter. One of my favorite parts was a room whose Japanese name loosely translates into “Cuteness! Summer Fun.” Not really representative of the whole exhibit, but it was really hard to not smile when you went into this area.

Stealth photo I took inside the museum.

Mosaic/sculpture inside the museum subway stop.

Plump & Drunk

2008-06-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

Jose organized Friday night festivities in his neighborhood: Astoria, Queens. I haven’t been there in over 10 years. It seems more developed than the last time I went.
We had dinner outside at a relatively new Thai restaurant, Leng. Then walked over to Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, a huge Czech beer garden that’s close to 100 years old. I’ve wanted to try this place for a while, so this event was the perfect excuse.

Jose downs some Hoegaarden.

Patrons crowded under an umbrella during a summer thunderstorm. Though you can see the large space and all the tables in this shot.

Washington, DC: God bless America

2008-06-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Had work in Maryland early this week… all the hotels around the convention center were sold out, so I stayed in downtown DC (new area for me) and commuted out. I haven’t spent time in the District in a very long while. Walked near the Capitol building one night; it was nice to see the monuments and people hanging out on the Mall after work. Of course, there are many worse places to be on a business trip, but as always, it’s nice to be back in my apartment.

Columns of the National Archives building.

Starbucks sign in Chinatown.

Face on the side of an office building (I think it was the EPA’s building).

Inside the Metro (subway).

A sign I may have lived in NYC too long

2008-06-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Was summoned for jury duty for the 3rd time last Tuesday! Four years ago I was picked to serve on a trial: excruciating. Fortunately this time was fairly painless. I spent a day in the courthouse and took lunch at Odeon in Tribeca. I went back the second day, but was released after about 15 minutes. Now I’m good for 6 more years.

Spotted: designer Isaac Mizrahi in my jury pool. Brian, if you think I’m fibbing, check out the June 12 video blog on his website.

Summer begins in the city

2008-06-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

A new addition to my block: the Children’s Learning Garden funded by Toyota.

Went to Long Beach for the day with Aimee. Ah, the humanity! The beach was a little more crowded than St. Simons…

Discovered a new bar right on the Hudson. Here’s a shot of the fountain on the walkway along the river.

The theme of Rick’s birthday party this year was “Viva Las Vegas.” It wouldn’t have been complete without a Velvis (velvet Elvis).

Chicago: The foggy city

2008-06-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Flew to Chicago from New Orleans Monday night for work. Stayed downtown on Michigan Avenue. Before my meetings started Tuesday, I took a boat tour that highlights the city’s architecture. This was pretty cool. I didn’t realize the river runs through so much of downtown Chicago. (I suppose when I usually go to Chicago, it’s either too cold or I’m too busy to wander around.) My tour companions were a bunch of European tourists and a group of 8th graders who were surprisingly very well-behaved.

The Tribune tower, home of the Chicago Tribune.

Some interesting townhomes on the river.

After 90-degree weather with 90% humidity in New Orleans, Chicago was rainy and in the 60s. And there was this intense fog that lasted for 3 days. Not sure I’ve ever seen anything like that, even in San Francisco.

View of a parking deck from my hotel room. What up, fog?

New Orleans: Really easy

2008-06-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Went to New Orleans again the first weekend in June, my 3rd post-Katrina trip. These trips started as a way for me to support the New Orleans economy as the city rebuilt after the storm, but now they’re a yearly pilgrimage that I’ve come to treasure.

Flew in Saturday morning, had breakfast at Clover Grill, and did a ton of shopping in both the French Quarter and the Garden District. Was really happy to see the streetcars on St Charles Ave. back in operation.

Had dinner Saturday night at the temporary yacht club on Lake Pontchartrain. (The former one was destroyed during Katrina and they're just beginning construction on a replacement.) On the way to dinner we drove through Lakeview, one of the neighborhoods hardest hit during Katrina, and I can see much progress this time compared to 2 years ago. The road to recovery in New Orleans is definitely a marathon, and not a sprint. However on each trip, I can see the differences: more restaurants and shops open for business, more homes rebuilt/repaired.

I stayed in Fabourg Marigny, the neighborhood adjacent to the French Quarter. My hotel was off Esplanade Avenue, a street with some stunning historical homes. I discovered this area on my first trip down after Katrina. It’s only a few blocks from the Bourbon Street scene, but seems a world away. So chilled out and residential. I like it a lot. My hotel room was actually in a Creole cottage behind the main hotel, which made it seem like I was staying in a little house vs. a formal hotel.

One of Eric’s close friends passed away suddenly last fall, and there was a benefit for his family on Sunday afternoon at “Rock-N-Bowl.” This is actually New Orleans’ oldest bowling alley (it’s been around since the 1940s), and it has a band stand. The Chee Wheez played, and some of the lanes were open for bowling. Had a cheeseburger for dinner at Snug Harbor and got a monsoon in a go-cup. Forget about the hurricane – the monsoon is New Orleans’ most dangerous cocktail. I walked around the corner to my cottage, sat in a gliding chair on the porch, and did some writing as the sun set.

Good times on the porch.

Not sure what else to say about New Orleans except that for me, it's an easy place to be. It really is. Who knows, maybe you will find me living down there one day.

Atlanta: Get behind the wheel

2008-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Even though I hadn’t planned to spend 8 days in Atlanta, I certainly could have been in worse places. When I wasn't with my aunt, I did manage to shop & spend time quality time with old friends. Special thanks to Nora for letting me stay in her townhouse on basically no notice. And I am happy to report that I successfully drove (and parked) a rental car all week with no fender benders!!

Food & alcohol-related adventures:
- Happy Hour at Uncle Julio’s, where the signature drink is the “Swirl,” a blend of frozen margarita and frozen sangria. I should have known this was a dangerous way to start an evening…
- Drinks outside at TAP in Midtown
- Dinner at Eclipse di Luna
- Sunday brunch at OK Cafe

Spotted:
- Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkely fame in a parking lot in Buckhead, presumably after getting take-out from a Lebanese restaurant
- CT from the Real World at Front Page News in Midtown one Friday night
- Mario Batali & Michael Stipe having dinner two banquettes over from ours in Elettaria in the West Village back in April. (OK, so I’m obviously behind on blogging, but that sighting was too good to not mention!)

Change of plans

2008-05-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Flew down to Savannah on Saturday for a week of much-needed R&R on the family farm.

Hey! Oops, I meant hay. Bales in front of my mom's house.

However once my flight landed, I learned my aunt had been admitted to the hospital at Emory. So on Sunday I drove 300 miles to Atlanta and have been here all week. This is the most driving I've done since college.

Atlanta traffic: it's whack.

Cuatro de Mayo

2008-05-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ab's visiting NYC for a couple of days, so Rick threw a pre-Cinco de Mayo party yesterday, which featured potent margaritas & righteous nachos. The afternoon was sunny & 70s, so we were also able to hang out on the roof of his apartment building.

Fresh watermelon!

Pitcher of pineapple margaritas with strawberries.

Rooftop view at sunset.

Change is good

2008-05-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

For a variety of reasons, I moved into a different apartment last Tuesday. Apartment hunting in NYC is stressful, so hopefully I'll be able to stay put for a few years. The new apartment is in the same neighborhood as my previous place, only 3 blocks south.

While moving is very disruptive, it does force you to purge unneeded belongings. (I hired 800-GOT-JUNK to take away 11 boxes of stuff, my TV/VCR and some furniture before I moved). I also threw out multiple trash bags full of paper and miscellaneous items.

The apartment is being painted next week. Will try to post pics soon. For now, here are some snaps from my new environment:

Beautiful weeping willow tree in my backyard.

Tattoo shop downstairs. Edgy.

2008-05-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Jesus saves, but not necessarily when it comes to rent.

Tribeca Fim Festival

2008-05-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Tribeca Fim Festival just ended. Joseph and I went to the opening night of the festival to attend the world premiere of Faubourg Tremé, a documentary about the New Orleans neighborhood of the same name. This area is predominantly African-American, and its residents have a rich history of literary and musical accomplishment, as well as activism, dating back to before the Civil War. The film is positioned as "the untold story of Black New Orleans," and it lives up to this billing as I think everyone in the audience left the theatre having learned something new about this neighborhood.

Apparently the filmmakers had finished shooting the film and were editing it when Katrina hit. They returned to New Orleans to continue filming and wound up cutting the final film differently as a result of the storm and its aftermath.

My favorite "character" in the film was Irving Trevigne, a contractor in his 70s who was renovating the director’s house in Tremé. His grandfather edited the 1st black-owned newspaper in the South back in the 1860s. I enjoyed watching this man and hearing him speak, but he also provided the most upsetting moment of the film when we see him returning to his home weeks after Katrina and unsuccessfully trying to find valuables amidst the mold and debris.

The directors actually sat right behind me. After the screening, they did a panel with the line producer and one of the historians who appears in the film. Wynton Marsalis was one of the executive producers, and he was in attendance as well.

Deep-fried Monday

2008-04-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

I was reading a write-up about the National Underground, Gavin DeGraw's new-ish club on the Lower East Side, and I noticed Kevn Kinney was scheduled to play there Monday night. I went to my share of drivin' n' cryin' concerts in high school, so it seemed rude to not stop by and have a listen. The opening band, Madison Square Gardeners, also backed Kevn, so his set had more rock to it than I was expecting. I haven't seen Kevn play live in 17 years (it pains me to type that), but the music seemed really comfortable and familiar. Maybe because I have all of MacDougal Blues on my iPod. Or maybe because it’s just that kind of music. Anyway, it was a fun time. Gail and Leigh joined me. They are not country music fans, but they really enjoyed show. And Gail learned what a pedal steel guitar is.

You know you're in an intimate music venue when... I didn't use the zoom on my camera when taking this picture.

2008-04-24T12:44:00.001-07:00

The set opened with "A Good Country Mile." Not a new song, but was my 1st time hearing it. Gave me chills. Georgia peeps, enjoy.

American-made autos falling from the sky

2008-04-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Went to the Guggenheim last Sunday afternoon with Joseph & Robyn. Current exhibit is called “Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want To Believe”. It took a month to install.

The rotunda display is entitled "Inopportune: Stage one." It features 9 cars, which appear to be tumbling from the ceiling. Here's a shot I took with my camera from the ground floor looking up.

Another arresting piece was called “Head on.” It has 99 wolves, which seem to be flying through the air. The photo above is of the artist, but you can kinda see the wolves in the background.

NYFrog is back. Really.

2008-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

After traipsing about Asia & Europe and having a brief stint in Chicago, Sarah returns to NYC for good.

Sights around town

2008-04-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

After Garet’s birthday dinner in the West Village last Friday night, I couldn’t find a cab. So I walked home & took some snaps:

The Washington Square Park Arch.

Cherry blossom tree & a fence on Stuyvesant Street.

Round ball

2008-04-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Silhouette of a little boy watching the game in front of me in the box. He was a big UMass fan.

Gary & Marina invited me to the NIT finals at Madison Square Garden a couple of weeks ago. Not exactly the NCAA tourney, but we still were in a box … so free beer & hot dogs. Hard to complain about that. My contribution to everyone was explaining what a buckeye was (Ohio State won).

Double dose of Mercury

2008-04-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Bryan shares the wealth.

Bryan was in town last week for a show at Mercury Lounge. While he was playing, I noticed the audience changing... It basically evolved from an early 30's media crowd into 50-something guys wearing leather jackets. Bryan was opening for a band called Back Door Slam. Since I was intrigued by their fan base, I stuck around to see/hear some of their set:

2008-04-01T14:31:00.001-07:00

If you're just listening to the music... It's blues with electric guitar. Think Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Clapton, BB King. Performance was very deep and soulful; I would picture an old African-American man on a
porch in Mississippi singing about his adverse life experiences (backed by a wailing electric guitar).

However, if you're actually looking at the musicians... Back Door Slam is comprised of 3 white British guys who are barely in their 20s. The bassist looked too young to shave.

I was shocked, but in a good way. These guys are talented. Check 'em out.

2008-04-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Picture also played a show at Mercury Lounge last Friday night. The band had a line-up change earlier this year, with Rob's brother Greg coming in from Chicago to contribute to guitar and keyboards. They also have some new songs. I caught a sneak preview of all this in Williamsburg about a month ago. Since then they've obviously been practicing, as they delivered a pretty tight show - one of the better ones I've seen.

A cool sighting

2008-03-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

The guy from "Once" sat next to me at my local sake bar last night. Apparently he is renting a place in my neighborhood for a bit.

More SoCal

2008-03-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

"I'd like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars
I'd like to lay my weary bones to rest tonight
On a bed of California stars"
-Woody Guthrie

After my meetings ended in Long Beach, I drove (took car service, actually) down to San Diego for the weekend to visit Tommy and Kristin. This was my 3rd trip to San Diego in 5 1/2 years. And my reaction when I've arrived each time is "it's just WRONG for people to live here." Breathtaking sea views, abundant sunshine and palm trees galore conspire to create an unbelievable scenario. I'm not planning a move or anything but am admittedly somewhat jealous of people who get to experience this everyday.

Tommy and Kristin just moved into a different beach cottage in the Ocean Beach neighborhood. The house is not yet Architectural Digest-ready, but presumably will be by my next visit (I saw the floorplans).

View from Tommy & Kristin's new house. If you look past the big palm tree, that's the ocean.

Pier in Ocean Beach, the longest pier on the West coast.

Waiting on a wave. These surfers look like seals in the water.

Had massive sushi dinner Friday night at Umi. Saturday we went up to Carlsbad and drove back down the coast on Route 101. Ate lunch by the beach at Las Olas in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Saw cute towns like Del Mar, and the day trip ended in Coronado. Went to the Gaslamp Quarter downtown for dinner Saturday at Neighborhood, a somewhat upscale burger joint. Loved the art (oil paintings of people eating hamburgers and a gigantic greyscale tile mosaic of the San Diego skyline). Saw "The Bank Job," a pretty entertaining action flick. Enjoyed Easter breakfast outside Sunday morning and then was time to fly home.

Strong Beach

2008-03-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

Had client meetings in Long Beach, CA all last week. Long Beach is actually one of the larger cities in CA. During the 2nd half of 1900s, the city fell into disrepair, but now it has a renewed sense of vibrancy. Instead of knocking down all the older buildings, much is being done to redevelop existing properties. Case in point: one of my clients lives in downtown Long Beach in a former Masonic Temple that’s been converted into lofts. We went over there for drinks one night – cool space. When I rode around town, many of the apartment buildings appear to be refurbished (think Miami Beach).

Our hotel was on the water, with a view of the harbor. The original Queen Mary is permanently docked there. Long Beach is a hugely active port, so there were lots of cranes. To that end, the skyline almost looked like Dubai.

Hey, look! It’s the beach!

Crane central at sunset.

Other surprises: you can actually walk to some places downtown! And we had a decent dinner at neighborhood Italian joint Bono’s on 2nd Street. Was a long week, but I can’t really complain when the weather is 30+ degrees warmer than NY.

Cuidad de Mexico

2008-03-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

I had to change planes in Mexico City on the way back to NYC, so I decided to stay for a couple of nights. Why not?

The hotel
I stayed at Condesa DF, a design hotel that's a few years old. It's a 1920s building that was gutted, but its facade was kept intact. It only has 40 rooms, which were pretty nice and comfortable. Constant scene. There was even a breakfast scene!! I've never encountered a morning scene before, though frankly I would have preferred less of a scene and more hot coffee at breakfast.

The hotel plan is somewhat open-air; all the rooms overlook a central area: upstairs is a rooftop bar, and there's a ground floor restaurant dining room. Anyway you look at it, it's loud. I live on 14th Street, so I'm used to noise, but this would probably be a big pain in the ass on weekend nights.

Hotel exterior.

View of hotel's interior courtyard from my patio. The white panels create privacy for guests, but they're also shifted/rotated during the day to block glare from the sun.

2008-03-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

The neighborhood
The Condesa neighborhood was cool. The hotel is adjacent to the lovely little Parc Espana. This neighborhood was very walkable, and was so much prettier than I expected. Kinda reminded me of Palermo Soho in Buenos Aires, which Enda describes as "like the Lower East Side but much cleaner": lots of boutiques, restaurants/cafes and galleries.

Townhouses on Avenida Veracruz.

Residence across the street from the hotel. Not too shabby.

Cultural activity
Went to Museo de Arte Populare, a museum that focuses on Mexican folk art and crafts (clothing, jewelry, pottery, sculptures). Good choice. The exhibits were strong; the work was intricate and beautiful; and I found it all to be very interesting.

Kites in the atrium of the Museum of Popular Art.

The food
Not surprising, but Mexico City meals were more expensive and not nearly as good as at the beach.
Monday dinner - Capicua, a "Spanish-style" bar. Upscale place, but they serve their sangria in big, pint-esque glasses (hola!). Croquettas were pretty tasty, but rest of the tapas didn't change my life.
Tuesday lunch - El Califa, a traditional taqueria. Frankly, am not sure exactly what I ordered/ate but the sauces and condiments were fresh.
Tuesday dinner - La Vinero, a wine bar. Had a mushroom pastry puff to start and a chicken breast smothered in a mustard sauce for main course. This came with Curly-Q french fries on the side (I suspect this was an added extra just for me because I was an English-speaking, white person).

Observations
- I'd heard Mexico City is a city of fairly formal dress. I really underestimated this statement. Men especially were immaculately dressed, usually in insane tailored suits. When dressed casually, they were wearing designer jeans and exquisite loafers. Even people walking around looked like they'd just stepped off a runway or photoshoot set.
- Like LA, Mexico City is quite car-obsessed. There was mad valet action outside the taqueria I went to!
- The metro (subway) was quick, safe, and easy to navigate. A one-way ticket costs about $0.20.

The summary
Was pleasantly surprised with Mexico City. I found none of the stereotypes about the city to be true... The city seemed safe. I walked to dinner by myself at night and actually felt safer in Mexico City than at the beach (probably because it's a city and lots of people were out walking/driving around). I didn't see/experience any air pollution there. Actually my allergies flared up more at the beach. Bottom-line: I was happy to have had the opportunity to see some of the city and was a little bummed I didn't have at least one more day to explore.

Ah, la playa

2008-03-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

"I'm eating right and living good
Doing everything I said I would
I should have left a long time ago
Who needs you, I've got Mexico"
- Country song by Eddy Raven that was a hit in the early 1980s

The background
I had carry-over vacation from last year that had to be used by the end of March. I found myself in desperate need of a beach holiday and wanted one involving as few American tourists as possible. A couple of guys I know had been to Puerto Escondido and liked it, so I booked a trip and went the 1st week of March...

Puerto Escondido ("Hidden Port") is on the Pacific side of Mexico, pretty far south and fairly close to Gautemala. It's a small town that's known as one of the best/most difficult surfing spots in North America.

My travelling companions
Just me. My first solo vacation!

Other travelers

1/2 surfers and backpackers in their early 20s
1/4 Mexican families on vacation and miscellaneous Canadian, Italian, Danish, French and German tourists
1/4 American retirees in their 60s stopping by the beach for a couple of days while touring Oaxaca

2008-03-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

The beaches
Truly beautiful beaches. While some people find it difficult to spend a week at the beach, I do not suffer from this dilemma. In fact I can actually stare at waves for hours at a stretch. No book, no iPod - I'm content to be looking at the water. Not sure why the ocean mesmerizes me so much, but it does.

Lovely Playa Zicaleta, the surfing beach. This is where I spent 99% of my time.

Boats docked in the cove in front of Playa Principal. I didn't really care for this beach at all, but it makes for a nice snap.

Waves were gigantic, and it wasn't even prime "surfing season." The surf was too strong for swimming, unless you're a total expert. Hanging out at the beach was my only activity, aside from the instances I swam in the hotel pool.

2008-03-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

The lodging
I stayed in a bungalow at Hotel Santa Fe, the nicest hotel in town by far. After assessing the scene, I realized I probably would have been OK in a less expensive hotel. Though since I was travelling solo, lodging was not something I wanted to skimp on. Hotel Santa Fe still wasn't that expensive anyway, and I really liked it. The bungalow was a good call - much more spacious and private than the main hotel.

Entrance to the bungalow.

My cute bungalow.

The food
Excellent, super-fresh seafood: grilled camarones and red snapper ceviche. Authentic Mexican food: chile rellenos, huevos oaxaquenos, and huevos mexicanos. Well-prepared beach snacks: Tacos de pollo and jamon y queso sandwiches.

2008-03-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

The nightlife
Sunset drinks on the beach, dinner, then an early bedtime. (Surfers need their rest.) A guy from Toronto runs Cinemar, a shop on the beach with a little movie theatre that holds about 12 people. He shows 2 movies every night. Sometimes it's surf-themed movies like "Point Break" and "Blue Crush". However, I saw the recent release "La Vie en Rose."

The assessment
While other Mexican beaches have been OK I also found them to be pretty developed, almost trying too hard for what the gringos would want. To that point, Puerto Escondido is great - not very developed at all. However, it's simply a matter of time before the masses find out about it... Puerto Escondido is my favorite Mexican beach thus far.

Another gratuitous surfer shot.

Jan got married

2008-03-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Jan & Mike tied the knot on the beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Congrats to the happy couple!

February blah

2008-03-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Haven't been blogging much lately. (And some of you have harassed me about this!) February was cold, I was kinda busy, and frankly I've become obsessed with Facebook. However, some good stuff happened:

1) Another successful installment of Fork Floozies at Accademia di Vino, a wine bar in East Midtown.

2) Me finally trying Bar Carrera. Friendly bartender, tasty tapas plus some of the best red wine I've drank in a while = me having dinner there two nights in a row.

3) An opening at a gallery in Chelsea. There were 2 exhibits, but the most interesting was "Lost Constellations" by Tara McPherson. In addition to the full-blown paintings, the exhibit also included the pencil sketches that informed the paintings. Basically reminded me that I need to surround myself with more art.

I feel vertically challenged

2008-02-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

I went to NJ Saturday for Clancy’s birthday party. She is 4 years old. Note that even without the fairy princess hat, she’s about as tall as my ribs.

Has Bo Duke become a metrosexual?

2008-02-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

Stumbled upon John Schneider signing autographs last night outside the “Chicago” theatre, where he’s currently starring as Billy Flynn. I was actually in the John Schneider fan club as a child, due to the overwhelming popularity of Dukes of Hazzard in rural south Georgia in the early 1980s.

While I am not a fashionista, I did take note of his outfit last night. He was wearing a light blue ensemble (matching sweater, scarf and a beret-like hat). I really wish I’d had my camera.

Excuse me, did someone massage this cow?

2008-02-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Clara was kind enough to invite me to join her table at Megu last Wednesday night. Megu is a trendy Asian place in Tribeca, with the requisite over-the-top design elements: a gigantic 600 lb. prayer bell which serves as the centerpiece of the main dining room, and the buddha ice sculpture (hand-carved daily) that sits beneath the bell.

Last week was Restaurant Week, a perfect time to sample high-end places at a bargain. The 3-course pre fixe menu was $35. I ordered kobe beef as my entree (normally this is $180). Anyway there were no complaints about anything from our table; I should take advantage of Restaurant Week more often.

Other recent good dining excursions:
- shrimp, cheese grits and fried green tomatoes at Clinton Street Baking Company last Tuesday with Charles and Howard
- tapas at Matador with Grace on Thursday
- brioche french toast with a side of live bossa nova at Dos Caminos on Park Avenue Sunday with Joseph

Food-related celebrity sighting:
Chick from Top Chef on the F train a couple of weeks ago, discussing wedding cakes with her girlfriends

One of those things

2008-02-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

My middle school counselor Miss Beaver died two weeks ago from a heart attack. She was an endless source of encouragement and motivation to me during a time when I really needed support from someone other than my parents. After I heard of her passing, I pulled "Oh, the places you'll go!" from the bookcase in my bedroom. Miss Beaver gave it to me when I graduated from high school, and she wrote a beautiful inscription on the inside cover. This book travelled with me to college and onto NYC. On dark days when I wondered what the hell I was doing here, I would read the book (and her note). I haven't looked at his book in a very long time, nor have I seen or spoken to Miss Beaver. But her input definitely helped make me the person I am today. I will miss her, as will the countless others whose lives she touched.

Don we now our big-ass winter hat

2008-01-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

I bought this head gear yesterday. Awww yeah!

Gettin’ medieval

2008-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

For the past few months, Grace has been traveling around the city, documenting different neighborhoods on her blog. Chris & I joined her on Sunday on a trip to Washington Heights. This area offers sweeping views of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge. Our exploring might have been more enjoyable if it wasn’t 20 degrees outside! We specifically went to see The Cloisters, a collection of medieval artwork that’s affiliated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

After grabbing brunch at New Leaf Café in Fort Tryon Park, we returned to Lower Manhattan and spent the rest of the afternoon drinking champagne at festive Felix in Tribeca and watched the Giants game at 12th Street Ale House that night.

Return of the Floozies

2008-01-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

Following a brief hiatus around the holidays, we resumed Fork Floozies Wed. night. It was Robyn’s pick, and she chose Sfoglia. It’s Italian. Really great pappardelle alla bolognese. Also, some tasty bread pudding as a special dessert (more pudding-y than bread-y). The restaurant has a very homey decor, but also seemed to have a somewhat elegant air. Perhaps this was because all of the male diners were either wearing blue blazers or sweaters. Ah, the Upper East Side.

Say hello to my little friend

2008-01-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

I got a new combination phone & Berry.

How's work?

2008-01-22T08:50:00.001-08:00

This clip pretty much sums it up.

View from my chaise

2008-01-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

Of course everyone in New York returned to work with various illnesses, so I promptly came down with a nice case of bronchitis. It's never a good sign when you're calling in sick on the 4th day back in the office. But I did use being laid up as an excuse to take some art-y pictures in my apartment.

Ushering in a new year

2008-01-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

The weather in NYC isn't as nice as, say Buenos Aires, but it's still good to be back. I was away for 3 1/2 weeks, which I think is a new record for me. Used the remaining holiday break to be pretty mellow.

Went to Upper WestSide Sunday to have brunch with Robyn and little Eastwood at Citrus. Saw Persepolis, an animated film about an Iranian girl growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. Entertaining and enlightening.

Spent New Year's Eve at (where else?) Satsko Eldridge. They were packed. It was a fun night - good dinner with a lot of champagne and sake.

Cheers from me & Gail!

Festive decorations at Satsko.

A week of sleeping without earplugs

2008-01-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

Finally made it to GA the Saturday night before Christmas and went straight from the airport to a party at the Lees'. Christmas really snuck up on me this year. My trip home was pretty relaxing. I actually stayed put at my mother's house, with the exception of one day when I went to town to see friends from middle and high school. Slept a lot and slept well - I always forget how absolutely quiet it is on the farm.

Lion statue on Chippewa Square.

Traditional fruit decorations and live greenery on a townhouse door in Savannah's historic district.

Wesley and Brian spar via the Wii.

The recap

2007-12-26T13:25:00.000-08:00

The good
10 days in LA with Dave & JC on an expense account.

The bad
It rained all 3 days of the shoot, so we were working outside in chilly, damp weather.

Forecast is... troubling.

Pam (the producer) huddled by a space heater.

The ugly
The “wrap party” for the shoot was at Bar Marmont in Chateau Marmont. I slept through my 7:25 am flight to Georgia the next morning.

Eating & Drinking
We managed to eat well and drink a fair amount.
Chow: Ketchup, One Sunset, Matsuhisa, Asia de Cuba, Sea Bar, Giorgio’s, Formosa Café
Booze: Sky Bar, Saddle Ranch, Bar Lubitsch

The sushi bar at Sea Bar.

2007-12-26T13:12:00.000-08:00

Dining room of Ketchup.

Yee ha! Mechanical bull at Saddle Ranch.

Celebrity sightings
Jon Voight in LAX, Mekhi Phifer at Ketchup, and Mary Beth Evans from Days of Our Lives in Pasadena.

The guys saw Sylvester Stallone on Rodeo Drive and Dog the Bounty Hunter outside Spanish Kitchen on La Cienga (I was with them for both sightings, but apparently wasn’t paying attention either time).

It’s different out here

2007-12-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

I fly into New York from Buenos Aires Wednesday morning. But instead of going to my apartment, I stay at JFK and board a flight to LAX to join my team to shoot a TV commercial.

Check into the hotel. I’ve always stayed at the beach for shoots, but this time we’re on the Sunset Strip. It’s actually an OK change.

Saying LA is different from NYC is a gross understatement. LA is not for me. However, it’s freezing in New York, and it’s sunny and 60s here. I’ll be the first to admit it’s awesome to be outside in December without a jacket.

Paparazzi outside Kiehl’s on Robertson. Someone famous is buying moisturizer!

Intense valet action outside the hotel. Is this really necessary?

2007-12-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

Step into my office... we've been doing a lot of work pool-side.

Go ahead, make my day

2007-12-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

There’s another Mama Sands in town… Eastwood joined Robyn and Paul's household on November 30.

Dia Siete - Ciao, Argentina

2007-12-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

I give Buenos Aires two thumbs up, way up! Buenos Aires doesn’t have a high dazzle factor; there's no Eiffel Tower or Chrysler Building. It’s the kind of city you need to spend some time with to understand and appreciate.

- Portenos are friendly, sociable people with a welcoming nature
- The city is easy to navigate; cabs are plentiful and cheap
- I got around well with my Sesame Street Spanish, but a lot of people speak English
- The city struck me as very safe overall, and seemed quite safe for women
- Obviously tourists go to Buenos Aires, but the city didn't seem overly touristy

I can't say I was enamored enough with Buenos Aires to want to move there, but it was a great vacation experience overall.

Galerias Pacifico.

Dia Seis - Another day, another country

2007-12-15T22:56:00.000-08:00

Take the high-speed ferry to Uruguay in the morning. We wrongly assume it will be a casual trip, but there's almost as much involved with boat travel as international air travel (passport, buying ticket, boarding pass, security screening). This is a little stressful. Note to self: don't take a cruise because you will be That Girl running to make the ship every night. The boat ride takes about an hour. Once there, we walk around the charming town of Colonia del Sacramento and discover Uruguay is even cheaper than Argentina. Have drinks at a cute little cafe called El Drugstore.

Back in Buenos Aires, we go to dinner at Casa Cruz, a slick restaurant in Palermo that serves modern urban Argentinian cuisine, with a large side of people-watching. The dinner is better than most we’ve had, and the setting is very cool.

The bar in Casa Cruz.

Dia Cinco – I see dead people

2007-12-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

Meet in Recoleta for breakfast at 2 pm. Afterwards we walk through the cemetery. It's immediately obvious this is simply not a functional burial place. The tombs are very elaborate. Many of the tombs have glass doors, and inside you can see altar-like places for living relatives to go and spend time with the coffin(s)... which are very visible. This was a little more than I bargained for.

Intricate angel statue in the cemetery.

Bell tower of Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar in Recoleta.

Lots of people out & about on a beautiful summer Sunday. Go back to Palermo Soho for shopping, and we have drinks at Lele de Troya, a lovely little café/restaurant. Wound up going to a tango/dinner show at Michelangelo in San Telmo. Tango has a lot of big, elaborate movements – the dancers cross the stage quickly, and the guy flings/swings the girl around a lot. Personally I prefer to watch flamenco (and dance salsa), but I’m glad we did this.

The tango show.

Dia Cuatro - Training to be a vampire

2007-12-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

Wake up around 2pm. Have breakfast at 4 pm. Go to Palermo Soho to shop and walk around. Have lunch/dinner at Cabernet around 9 pm. Everyone gathers for drinks in Hotel Faena’s library lounge around 1 am.

Design hotel = weird shit. One of a few bejeweled gazelles at Faena.

We meet Luis, a furry guy from Mexico City. He suggests we accompany him to Jet, a nightclub in Costanera Norte, and we do. Jet is on the water near a small city airport, so the location seems pretty remote. We wind up in the VIP area again, but do a little more dancing this time. Leaving is a little dodgy since there are not many cabs coming by. Also, the sun is coming up. Pour back into the hotel around 5:30 am.

Luis, it's OK to wax.

Yenith & me.

Jet at 4:30 am. Kinda dead.

Dia Tres – Continued sampling of the nightlife

2007-12-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

Wake up around noon, eat breakfast and meet everyone around 3 pm for a tour of the city. Our guide is a starving actor named Adolfo. The tour is actually really informative tour, and we see a lot of good stuff. We go inside a house from 1880 in San Telmo. We drive past the futbol (soccer) stadium; soccer is practically equated to religion in Buenos Aires. We also go to a very touristy bit of La Boca, but it has some cool signage and colored buildings. The tour ends in Recoleta around 7 pm. We nosh on bar food and have some beers outside at Buller Brewing Company.

Melissa & Grace.

Have dinner at Sushi Club at midnight. The fish is fresh, but the 5 rolls we order all basically taste the same. Melissa's work colleague Santiago (who also happens to be a somewhat famous Argentinian rugby player) meets us at the restaurant to take us out for the evening. Hit Asia de Cuba next; it’s not like not like Asia de Cuba in the US. This one has much a darker interior and more like a night club.

We heart Santiago.

Chris sidles up to the bar at Asia de Cuba.

Due to a little miscommunication/language barrier we wind up in a college-y bar in Palermo called Jackie O. Then we head to Crobar, a full-on dance club. Ironically, we actually don't dance here; we sit in a lounge area and drink champagne. When we walk outside, day is not breaking; it's full daylight. Get back to the hotel after 7 am.

Excellent juxtaposition of two American icons.

Dia Dos – It’s all about the cow

2007-12-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

Walk around in the morning & take the subte (subway) to Casa Rosada (Pink House), the presidential palace, where Evita (Eva Peron) gave speeches from the balcony before she died of cancer at age 33.

"Don't cry for me, Argentina..."

Adjacent to Casa Rosada is Plaza de Mayo, which historically has been the city’s site for protests and political demonstrations. I happened to be there on a Thursday, when the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo march to demand justice for their children who went missing during the “Dirty War” in the late 1970s/early 80s.

Banner with photos of young people who "disappeared."

Grace and Melissa arrive. Yenith's friend Chris has also come into town. We all meet for drinks by the pool at Hotel Faena, a luxury hotel designed by Philippe Stark. We head to La Cabana for a proper Argentinian beef dinner. To start, they give us the Argentinian equivalent of an amuse bouche: a spoon of chicken ceviche, a shot of broccoli soup, and a mini-empanada. We ordered more empanadas and some sausage for the table. I got the tenderloin medallion for my entree, expecting it would be small pieces of beef. Instead, I get a massive piece of steak, the largest steak of anyone at the table! I make a valiant attempt to tackle it, but it is way too much food.

Awesome stained glass at La Cabana. It's imperative to be reverent towards the beef.

We sat down for dinner a little after 11 pm and finish around 1:30 am. The neighborhood surrounding the restaurant is very residential (think Madison Avenue @ 72nd Street), but we want to go out a bit more. A guy at the restaurant tells us to walk several blocks to the cemetery (the famous Recoleta cemetery is nearby). Although it sounds creepy, we follow his instructions and do find a couple of blocks lined with bars and clubs across from the cemetery. We have a drink at an open air lounge that’s re-playing the 2005 Live 8 concert, and then we go to Sahara Continent, a bizarre Indiana Jones-themed bar/dance club. Stay out til about 4 am.

Dia Uno - Hablo espanol

2007-12-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

I arrive in Buenos Aires. Grace and Melissa are detained in NYC and Yenith is on a different flight, so I’m on my own for the day.

My cab driver from the airport wants to chat... in Spanish. He asks many questions, some of which I am able to comprehend and respond to. I manage to tell him: I’m from the US; I flew out of NY; my name is Ann; I’m staying in Buenos Aires for a week; my hotel name and address; it's OK if he pays for the tolls and I reimburse him at the end of the ride. He asks me if I'm married, and when I tell him I'm not married, he asks me why. Due to my limited Spanish vocabulary, I'm only able to tell him that it’s because I like to party, which frankly is not that far off the mark. My spouting of Espanol continues as I check into my hotel, buy a pair of sandals, and order lunch.

I only started looking at hotels 48 hours before I flew to Buenos Aires, so there was limited availability. The hotel I ultimately chose got mixed reviews online, but what can you do at the 11th hour during high season? When I check-in, they upgrade me to a suite. Sweet.

Happy Hanukkah from Buenos Aires!

I meet Yenith for dinner at an upscale seafood restaurant in Puerto Madero, a dockside/seaport area that reminds me of London’s Canary Wharf. The restaurants seem to line a canal-like waterway vs. the ocean, and you can see corporate office buildings across the water. The meal is embarrassingly inexpensive: appetizer, entree, dessert and a bottle of wine is less than $60 for both of us. We're a little jet-lagged, so it's not a crazy night.

Christmas decorations on Calle Florida.

The cranes around Puerto Madero are lit at night, almost like art/sculptures.

I'm heading to Buenos Aires Tuesday because...

2007-12-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

I've heard it's a cool city
I need to take some remaining vacation days in 2007
Grace & 2 other girls are going
Temps are in the 80s there, compared to 20s and sleeting here in NYC

Stay tuned!

Day 7 - Denouement

2007-11-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

Had brunch at Eureka, then we went to the de Young art museum. They currently have a good photography exhibit of David Semour’s work, which includes some shots of a young Joan Collins (way before Dynasty!) We also had tea in Golden Gate Park’s Japanese tea garden. Shani & I also went to the Ferry Building on Embarcadero to check out the shops and consume some wine and cheese. And then I packed up and took the red-eye back to NY.

Structures in the Japanese tea garden.

Love amid the bonsai.

Corner of the Golden Gate Park bandshell.

No complaints about my trip. I hadn’t seen Michael since Sri Lanka, so it was nice to hang out with him. However, SF is weird. Parts of the city and surrounding areas are extremely beautiful, with postcard-worthy views everywhere you turn. Yet this was my 4th time in SF, and unfortunately I've never vibed with the city or been able to establish an emotional connection with it. So I predict I'll be back again to visit Shani & Mike, but at this point I don't expect my opinion of the city to change.

Day 6 - Soaking up the scenery

2007-11-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

Shani & I drove around to check out some of the scenic routes. Had lunch in the town of Pacific Grove, and then we went to pick up Mike. He was playing golf at Pebble Beach. The lodge overlooks the 18th hole, so we had a drink on the terrace waiting for him to finish the round.

More beautiful coastline.

Posing with the Lone Cypress on 17-Mile Drive.

Mike tees off. Watch out, Tiger Woods!

The 18th hole at Pebble Beach.

We ate dinner at A.W. Shucks in Carmel. Good seafood without any pretense. Drove back to SF.

Spotted: Carly Fiorina having dinner at the table behind us.

Day 5 - Road trip

2007-11-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

We drove down Highway 1 for about 3 hours. This stretch of road is really stunning. I love looking at the ocean, and the Pacific coast is particularly cool because it's very dramatic: cliffs, trees and a big expanse of sea. Each vista seemed more spectacular than the one before. I recommend this drive if you're in SF and can take a day to do it.

There are some cute roadside stands along the highway. We stopped at Swanton Berry Farm for strawberry cider and blackberry cobbler. The store's cash register drawer is an "honor till" - it's left open for you to pay for what you take. God bless California.

We spent the night at Mission Ranch in Carmel. The property is actually owned by Clint Eastwood. Apparently he ate Thanksgiving dinner there.

Sheep grazing in a pasture on the ranch.

Day 4 - Turkey Day

2007-11-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

Shani cooked a ton of food and ordered a pumpkin pie from Tartine. My mom and aunt came over for dinner. It was a lovely meal, and we had a good time. There is much to be thankful for!

The table setting before we chowed down.

My friend John lives in SF, and I went out with him to Badlands after dinner. Nothing says Thanksgiving quite like drinking margaritas with scores of gay men singing along to Britney Spears videos.

Day 3 - Not quite Sideways

2007-11-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

The Golden Gate Bridge.

Spent a full day in wine country Wednesday. Quality family time takes on a new meaning when you're knocking back wine tastings with your mother at 10 am. Visited Viansa and Cline wineries in Sonoma and had lunch on Sonoma Plaza, and then we went to Domaine Chandon in Napa. Back in the city, I had dinner at a taqueria with Mike and Shani.

Autumn leaves in a Napa Valley vineyard.

Day 2 - Bay watch

2007-11-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

My mom and my aunt flew in to San Francisco Monday, so on Tuesday I met them at their hotel in Fisherman's Wharf. I got there via the F line, which is serviced by restored vintage streetcars from other cities.

Cool streetcar/tram.

My mom had never been to SF so we had to do some touristy things: We went to Ghirardelli Square for chocolate, and then took a cable car down to Union Square. I'd never ridden a cable car before, and I'd forgotten that the cables actually run underground continuously and the cars just "grip" onto them. The cable car ride was fairly perilous. The Powell-Mason line goes up and down some crazy hills, and the car lurches around. Meanwhile all these elderly tourists want to hang off the side of the car, which was super-frightening to witness ... I guess they watched too many Rice-a-Roni commercials back in the day!

The beloved cable car.

We had lunch and did a little shopping in Union Square. Then we headed to Muir Woods to check out the redwood groves. We also went to Sausalito and then had dinner at a Chinese place in North Beach.

Very big redwood trees.

Day 1 - Where the boys are

2007-11-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

Flew to San Francisco Sunday night, November 18. Am spending the week at Shani and Michael's new home in the Castro. The Castro is the heart of San Fran's gay community. It's a very vibrant neighborhood, but it's gay to an extent that makes 8th Avenue in Chelsea or Christopher St. in Greenwich Village seem mixed.

Had breakfast on Monday at the Cove on Castro, walked over to the Mission. Later Shani and I had a drink at Harvey's, a bar named after Harvey Milk (the first openly gay elected official in a major US city who was assassinated by a political opponent).

Nice view of the city from Mission Dolores Park.

Go West

2007-11-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

My new client is based in Irvine, CA, so I’m out here for some meetings and a conference. I flew in a little early to visit Karen. I’ve seen Karen in NY and Atlanta, but I haven’t seen her family in over 2 years. As it turns out, they’re moving to Denver in two weeks, so this trip was well-timed!

Karen and Scott’s “nuggets,” Sebastian and Annabel.

Had dinner Wed. night at Mosun in Laguna Beach. It was actually the best sushi I’ve eaten in a very long time. In my experience, restaurants in Laguna are laid-back and beachy; however, this place was packed & fairly lounge-y/club-y, with low-lighting and a DJ spinning in a corner. Somehow it worked, though.

After client meetings today I checked into my hotel. Then I hit the beach. Did I mention that it’s sunny & in the 80s here? (Compared to 40s in NYC.)

Surf City, USA: the Huntington Beach pier.

Another one bites the dust

2007-11-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Ab is moving back to Holland. So NY is losing a tall Dutchman, but I am gaining a free place to stay in Amsterdam. Ab & I went out Saturday night because I'm going to miss his official leaving party. We had dinner at Matilda, a new restaurant in my 'hood that blends Italian and Mexican cuisines. Good stuff. The house cocktail is a prosejito, a mojito made with prosecco. I actually had the blackberry prosejito - yum.

Ab is sad to be leaving NYC, and I am sad to see him go.

Very cheesy

2007-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to Caselulla, a small cheese & wine café that opened in Hell’s Kitchen about 6 months ago. From the restaurant’s name, I assumed we’d be ordering cheese plates & drinking wine. However, in addition to cheese flights, they also offer a dinner menu with sandwiches and salads, etc. I was dining with four other people, and theoretically we were supposed to be sharing. But I must say, the food really tested my self-control/sharing abilities. Mac & cheese was ridiculous. It contained carmelized onions, which gave it a slightly sweet taste. Bread pudding (served with bacon & maple syrup) was also very ridiculous. I’m Southern; I know bread pudding; this was good bread pudding. We also got the “Pig’s Ass Sandwich.” Not my favorite dish, but it was fun to order. Service was great, and our waiter was extremely knowledgeable. Looking forward to a repeat visit to this cozy place during the winter months...

100% pure marathon

2007-11-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

As I've stated before, the marathon is one of my favorite NYC events. This year I had an epiphany: going to Brooklyn to watch the race is much easier than schlepping to the Upper East Side. So I took the L train one stop to Williamsburg yesterday to watch the runners around Mile 11. Admittedly, First Avenue in Manhattan has crazy energy and crowds 6 people deep. However Bedford Avenue was much more chill: no police barricades; you simply stand on the curb and cheer. Rather refreshing. I was really glad I found this new vantage point.

Paula Radcliffe, the female winner, in her 1st marathon since giving birth in January. Um, yeah.

There's nothing more humbling than having an amputee who's in the middle of a marathon stop to thank you for cheering, while you're sitting on your ass drinking a cup of coffee.

Crazy Swiss fan base in an apt. building near where I was standing. They had cowbells.

Saw some funny costumes. This was one of my faves: German guy running with a "beer."

Unwelcome treat

2007-11-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

I worked late on Halloween, and got home around 11 pm. A few policemen and a handful of residents were standing outside my building. Then I saw my next-door neighbor in the entry hallway talking to more policemen. Apparently a random acquaintance of hers climbed up scaffolding in front of our building and broke into her apt. from the fire escape (while she was inside). FYI, we live on the 5th floor.

After the cops left, I walked upstairs with her, helped her check her place out and locate her cats. Then I went into my apt. and figured out he'd been in there too! I first noticed my window blinds were awry, and upon closer inspection, realized the window screen had been removed. Fortunately nothing in my apt. was missing or even moved, I think he may have just come in because he wasn't sure which apt. was hers. Not that that makes it better...

Is bibimbap a new kid's toy?

2007-11-01T14:33:00.001-07:00

Went to Don’s Bogam in Koreatown for dinner Tuesday with Shani, Rick and Ab. Oddly enough I'd never eaten Korean BBQ before then. Wasn't always sure what I was consuming, but everything was really good.

Unfamiliar territory

2007-11-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked, "Do you cook?" The answer to that question is a resounding "No." Not only do I never cook for myself, but I actually have never turned on the oven or stove in my current apartment, and I don't even own any pots and pans.

However last Friday night I helped Grace prep for Amar's birthday party,and wound up sauteeing frozen pierogis in olive oil all by myself. Photographic evidence below.

Note my inventive utilization of both a fork and a wooden spoon to brown the pierogis.

It was 40 degrees in NYC this morning

2007-10-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

The opening lines of Stevie Nicks' "Nightbird" best capture my current thoughts:
And the summer became the fall
I was not ready for the winter...

Dogs on parade

2007-10-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

On the way to brunch yesterday, I walked past the dog parade in Tompkins Square Park. There were hundreds of costumed dogs. Apparently this is the largest Halloween event for dogs in the US. My favorite was a Boxer dressed as a boxer (red silk fighting jacket and some tape on its face as if covering up cuts).

Pug as a spider.

2007-10-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

Strange hairless dog as a lion.

Dirty 30 Russian-style

2007-10-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

We returned to Paradise Garden in Brooklyn this past Saturday night to celebrate Clara's birthday. Unless you've been to one of these places, it's hard to imagine how over the top it truly is. Lots of food: 7-course meal that spans cold & hot appetizers, caviar, pasta, fish, meat and dessert. Lots to drink: free-flowing vodka shots and wine. And lots of dancing: which begins during appetizers and continues til the club shuts down.

The birthday girl.

Shani's visiting from San Francisco!

I almost wore this outfit.

Clara's cousins in action on the dance floor.

Lost in translation

2007-10-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

I got this via email:

An office supervisor was planning a “going away” party for a colleague who was leaving the company. He called to order a cake for the party, and asked the bakery to write in the icing: "Best Wishes Suzanne," and underneath that write "We will miss you."

The cake he received looked like this:

Normally, I’d think this is some sort of tall tale/internet-based hoax. Except the "town" where this took place is my hometown, and I knew some people on the original email. So unfortunately I'm inclined to believe this is true. Thanks to Stephanie for the forward.

Extreme close-up

2007-10-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

Was working offsite at vendor Thursday night. Their offices are on a highfloor in the Graybar Building, and this is the view from one of the terraces:

I truly believe the world would be a better place if more baby showers offered sangria

2007-10-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Robyn's baby shower was held over brunch last Sunday at Calle Ocho on the Upper West Side. We could choose from 8 different types of sangria, making things more festive than a typical shower.

Mama Sands supervises the opening of the gifts.

Fall centerpiece for the table. Yes, we’re Southern.

After the party, I walked through Central Park and stopped at the Neue Galerie on the Upper East Side. A Gustav Klimt exhibit just opened, actually the first-ever retrospective of this artist in the US. It was pretty disappointing to me because it mainly featured his sketches vs. finished paintings.

77 degrees and sunny at the Great Lawn.

Multiple uses for iridescent cellophane

2007-10-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

Saw Fuerzabruta ("brute force") Friday night with Garet and Ab. It's very entertaining and visually interesting Argentinean dance/performance art. The theatre is a former bank on Union Square that was gutted and turned into a lofty performance space. Basically the audience stands in the middle of the room for the show. Some the action takes place overhead, but the audience also shuffles around to accommodate moving stages. I always felt like I was in the front row. Apparently photography is allowed; but I was too captivated to pull out my camera. Therefore I actually wouldn’t mind going again so I could take pics. PS - can't say I recommend this show for anyone with "spatial issues"; some moments are claustrophobia-inducing.

Ole!

2007-10-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

October installment of Fork Floosies took place Wed. night at Pamplona, a new Spanish place in the Flatiron District. This restaurant was actually my pick. The tapas & drinks were OK, but nothing special. Most exciting part of the dinner was the hostess handing me my cellphone (it had fallen out of my pocket). It was one of those days.

Chicago: the porky city

2007-10-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

I had research in Chicago last Monday & Tuesday, so I traveled early to spend the weekend with Sarah… she is State-side again! I refer to Chicago as “the porky city” because somehow I managed to eat eggs, bacon and sausage each of the 4 days I was there. A terrific accomplishment that left me feeling fairly gross.

Sarah & I had dinner with Ben & Josh Saturday night at the Bluebird in the Bucktown neighborhood. We also had drinks at Chaise Lounge nearby. They had heat lamps, so we were able to sit outside and enjoy some of the last scraps of autumn weather.

Dinner with the guys.

A slab of bacon at Bluebird started the road to dietary trouble.

Before we realized cosmos & martinis as night-caps aren't such a bright idea.

Brunched and shopped on Sunday. Walked around downtown neighborhoods and looked at many beautiful town homes. Went to Museum of Contemporary Art. Main exhibition was Sympathy for the Devil, which examines how rock & roll and visual art have influenced each other since the late 1960s. Most memorable exhibition was a real, live, young couple engaging in some sort of tantric tai chi in a very public place! Bonus. The museum is well-curated, and it has a great gift shop (basically I wanted to buy everything).

We ordered Giordano's stuffed pizza for dinner and watched "Casino Royale" on DVD, which was longer and cheesier than I expected. However, the casino scenes were shot in Montenegro. Perhaps this could be a future vacation destination?

I can't really say anything negative about Chicago, except that it's not NYC. I won an advertising competition during my senior in college, and the prize was a week-long trip to Chicago. In February. It was such a fun time. However, by that point, I'd interned in NYC, so my heart already belonged to NYC. And not much has changed in 12+ years. But Chicago is a nice place to visit, and it was a good weekend.

Ridiculous sunset from Sarah's balcony.