Checking it Twice
So it’s officially Christmas time and I’m a bit of a Scrooge this year. I usually can’t wait to put together my holiday music mix, but I’m cringing everytime the music is piped into stores as I run inside. (Thankfully, the N*Sync song will still get me excited.)
I wanted to cancel gift giving, but my mom accused me of being an east coast liberal who’s trying to cancel Christmas.
As for the cards, I picked up my boxes today, checked my list twice, and the only thing getting me through the evenings of writing ahead of me are the thoughts of my favorite friends finding glitter and cardfetti throughout their homes in the months to come.
As for the girl in the photo, isn’t she adorable? AND don’t you wish you could wear your awesome red sweatsuit to Christmas this year?
We have a friend who’s a biter. We immediately thought of him while reading the first sentence. Not so much during the second sentence.
(Thanks Slate for another laugh during my work day.)
Field Trip: History Edition
After driving past Grant’s Tomb too many times and saying, “I need to stop next time;” I actually visited the memorial on Sunday when I had some time to spare. Absolutely beautiful, particularly as the sun was falling in the sky.
And Jeff was ready with some history lessons of his own. Grant is the reason that U.S Presidents receive a salary for life. He had made some bad investments after leaving office and died a pauper, unable to afford his own burial. His hometown raised the money for the land and the mausoleum eventually came to be. And now each president receives $250,000 each year until their own burial.
O-H! Oh, no.
Troubles from the heartland at a Palin signing.
David Sedaris’s latest audiobook to be released on vinyl.
Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young covers the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
From a chili cookoff to a farm-fresh Diner in Brooklyn
Jeff and I were supposed to make it to the Chili Takedown at The Bell House on Sunday, but traffic wasn’t in our favor and we made it there once all the tickets were gone. It smelled delicious as we came inside, I’d been craving chili for days, and had hardly eaten that day in anticipation.
At that point, all we wanted was some good, filling food and headed to Diner in Williamsburg. The place was great, with just the perfect amount of lighting on the walls, combined with the candles on the tables and countertop. We arrived just before they started serving dinner, claimed the table by the door and settled in for some good people-watching.
The only consistent items on the menu are the burger, fries and alcohol; while each night offers a special menu designed around seasonal, locally farmed (or so Jeff tells me) ingredients. We decided to share everything, ordering the ham & egg salad, mussels, and the pound and a half rib-eye. The salad was great, with a poached egg on top, a bit of horseradish in the dressing and delicious ham mixed with the greens. The mussels were soaking in a well-flavored tomato sauce with sausage and were the plumpest mussels I’ve seen in a while.* We were waiting a while for our rib-eye and kept joking as to just how fresh their meat is. Unfortunately, they ran out of rib-eye and brought us a complimentary bistro steak with fries and a salad dressed in a light blue cheese. Jeff decided to go with the rabbit over grits to finish the meail. Dessert was a pecan pie with extra whipped cream that Jeff devoured and from which I snuck two bites. I also loved the Pinot Noir that I was drinking and wish that I knew which bottle it had been.
Great evening, delicious food, and fantastic atmosphere, highlighted by people watching. Now to just have someone cure my chili craving.
*I should know, I tend to eat mussels on a weekly basis.
One thing that college football fans never realize is that the players never get to fully enjoy what it’s like to tailgate for the big games. Poor Bobby Brown. (Not to be confused with the star of that awesome train wreck of a reality show, Being Bobby Brown.) Four years at ND, some time in the NFL, and only at Yale Harvard does he get to experience the joy of keg tossing.
Stipple portrait of fake tanning Tom DeLay
I’ve always enjoyed the Journal’s dot-drawings, but throw a fake tan on a former (disgraced) Congressman and it gives me the giggles. There’s nothing that man won’t do for DANCE! (Until he injures both feet.)
Surprisingly Good Evening
Just came back from a 5 hour dinner-it’s been a year and a half since I’ve had one of those and didn’t realize how much I missed them.
