Discombobulation Station

Guuuurl

The wee one had legs closed, feet pointed like a tiny ballerina (except, pointed at my cervix, which is so not Baryshnikov-approved), for a good 30 minutes of the ultrasound today. Little A. had declared that morning that the baby in my tummy was "ah bruvver." And the FYD and other family were convinced of Boy. I hedged my bets, having realized my guts, as Rob Gordon so eloquently said, "have crap for brains." Except he didn't say "crap."

I just don't think a cuss is appropriate right now! Not as we discuss the glories of my uterus. Geez.

ANYWAY. All organs, fingers and toes accounted for, the ultrasound tech (who I remembered gave us our first look at Little A's little bits) went after the prize. The wee one wiggled around until I saw...what is that? A BUTT? IT was a butt. The wee one gave us the full moon shot, a moonbutt with no telltale BOY things in sight.

Lo, I shall spawn another girlchild. I am really excited for Little A. to have a sister. My brother and I enjoyed a relatively drama-free, but not particularly close growing-up, and well, perhaps I romanticize, but SISTERS? That seems like a lovely built-in womanhood support system. I am so eager to watch them together.

And so very very NOT eager to wage war with two Tweens getting their periods whilst I endure the throes of menopause. Oh, girls. We will just burn those bridges when we get to them. And terrify the poor even more outnumbered FYD to bits.

C'est la vie du femmes, xoxo - A

E.'s Best of NYC

I have a few friends that are visiting NY this summer and asked me for restuarant picks. I usually repond with a bewildered expression, wondering, do people go to NY to eat foods? I guess they do! And I have a few, and some bars, and some fun things that I need to get down for posterity anyway. So here are my best pics for a NYC visit.

Bryant Park for lunch/coffee

My first destination in the city was Bryant Park, the stuff of Project Runway dreams. What I didn't know is that when its not fashion week its the most charming public park right in the middle of midtown, littered with tiny cafe tables and chairs which are free to use. You can see people playing boccie ball, having work lunches, enjoying their children and the sun (when its out).

NYC Library Visit at 5th & 42nd

I saved this for nearly the last day and I wish I hadn't, because I would have spent more time there. Was suddenly jealous that I was not once a student in New York as I would have loved to study there, taking breaks on the grand steps to get some sun and admire the lion statues. Smells like old books and history and smarts. Also, you can see where Carrie realized Mr. Big was not coming - I didn't think of it until I left, which is a credit to me as a woman, I suppose.

Grand Central Food Court

Midtown lunch options can vary from some newfangled food that made its way from a popular food cart (schnizel sandwiches, anyone?) to $.99 pizza. But for a nice break from the midtown din go downstairs from Grand Central and choose from a variety of great NYC foods - pizza, deli, sandwiches, Chinese. I love the dimmed lighting in Grand Central, as if it were still lit by gas lamps.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

If you really want to splash out a bit in Grand Central try the Oyster Bar. I had wanted to go and got a co-worker to go with me, and upon looking at the newspaper sized menu I realized that absolutely everything on the menu involved fish. And I don't eat fish! However, I do eat fried calamari, and it goes nice with a Sauvignon Blanc. Also, I heard if you sit at the bar you can watch them make the clam chowder, if you're into that kind of thing. Its a beautiful space though, with the curvatures and subdued lighting of the rest of the station.

Zabar's on the UWS

On the way to a rooftop party on the Upper West Side my friend Jen had us stop in Zabar's - which I knew I had heard of but had never been able to place. Its a deli, right? Oh lord. The cheese section was an entire expanded aisle, piled with cheese in refrigerated shelves on one side and a cheese counter staffed by at least three busy people on the other. Meats, fresh bread, jams and delicacies of all sorts. Worth a stop in if you're in the neighborhood. I wanted to live upstairs.

W. 47th Diamond District

Once I realized that walking down W. 47th street before 10am was much easier than navigating multiple lanes of foot traffic on 42nd street I started getting off the F line at '47th-50th Streets Rockefeller Center.' I have no idea why this train stop name is so complicated but emerging from the underground you are immediately in the heart of Jewish jeweler's heaven. You can see Hassids bustling to and from work, regular Jewish dudes, hispanics and arab hawkers trying to get you in off the street and into the shops and malls. I didn't find it but my friend Susie swears there's a diamond mall which, at the very back of it, has a bonafide Jewish deli that serves the most delicious sandwiches. Just don't ask for cheese or milk with your corned beef.

Spuyten Duyvil/Fette Sau

While I've never really been a big fan of Williamsburg, already being a bit too old to enjoy the manic sense of its fashionability (the girls and their slouchy boots all looked the same to me, and the dirty hipster boy thing lost its appeal some time ago), there are a few reasons to go. There are a few good thrift stores, after a tour of which I decided that good old Beacon's Closet Williamsburg was the clear winner, and there is Spuyten Duyvil. My friend Susie's childhood friend owns it with her husband, so we always get a warm welcome and it brings back memories of previous trips with A. They have amazing Belgian beers on tap, lovely meat and cheese trays, and a back yard that has now expanded to two lots so you can actually bring all your friends. Get there in the afternoon to beat the hipster traffic. And if you're really brave you can try waiting in line for some delicious BBQ across the street at their sister location Fette Sau. They are also planning to open yet another restaurant next door (this is why the yard is now so big) - check to see if this place is open and report back svp!

The Redhead

Once my friend Deb mentioned taking me to someplace called the Redhead, the onetime (and some time) redhead in me was intrigued. When I told my roommate Susie that I was headed there she was instantly jealous and excited. "We love the Redhead!" We went for a post thrifting drink and nosh and it was just plain lovely. Sitting at the bar, the owner was showing off his new infant baby, we were served craft cocktails and savory snacks and chatted amiably with the bartender who was originally from WI. Do try the bacon peanut brittles (which look like bar peanuts, but no you may not share with the stranger next to you because they are just too damn good - and you have to order them!) I'd love the chance to go back for dinner sometime.

McSorley's (just the once)

My friend's dad, a long life Manhattanite, made fun of me for going to McSorley's for drinks - its touristy, the beer is terrible (even though you get two for every order, its flat and not really cold), and the other patrons in there are loud and often stupid. But I had to just go the once, because the place is a historical landmark for NY. Nothing has been removed from the walls since 1910, the wickipedia page is a good read in itself. The historian in me could not pass it up.

Ikea Ferry

Headed to NY on the plane from Chicago, I looked up my new neighborhood to be Red Hook on wikipedia, and saved the entry in my phone so I cold read it before the wireless cut off. I was surprised to see that Red Hook was once one of the worst neighborhoods in the country. Filled with violence and poverty and crime. But now it is being gentrified and I really fell in love with the industrial/waterfront nature (being the daughter of a tugboat captain can have that effect). What also piqued my curiosity was this small entry about the new Ikea in Red Hook, and the free ferry offered from Manhattan. Well, as it turned out the ferry didn't start running until 11am on weekdays, and it was only free on the weekend, so that is when I used it. Who needs the Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty tour when you have a free Ikea ferry? It takes you from the Ikea to the 11th street pier which is near Wall Street. A short bus ride will get you to the heart of the Lower East Side. Or similarly you could just take the ferry to Red Hook and back but it did look like they made all passengers disembark and each port and get back in line, so on a busy day you might not get that same ferry back. I heart Ikea ferry!

Tenament Museum

My friend Jen highly recommended this tour of a restored tenement building on the lower east side. Although grandparents, all from Ireland, did not come through Ellis Island or stay in NYC very long (I'm told they had their paperwork done in the old country and probably hopped on trains for the midwest as soon as they arrived in NY), I found this tour really fascinating. Tenement to us is a bit of a dirty word, but back in the late 19th/early 20th century it was where middle class working people lived. You have your choice of tours to take, and the giftshop and small video center are a nice way to kill time before your tour.

Hidden restos around LES

On our way to the museum we needed to stop for a hangover brunch, and once you walk away from Allen Street its starts looking a lot less Chinatown and more hip heaven. We wandered into a random spot called Little Giant, and it was one of those tiny overcrowded bistros but the food and service were both divine (farm fresh, sustainable and delicious). We left feeling refreshed and stimulated. Check out any of the good stuff near Orchard & Broome.

Hotel Metro rooftop bar

One night Susie met me after work and she had a flash of an idea - her and A. used to go to this hidden gem of a rooftop bar at the top of the Hotel Metro on 35th street. Ask the bellboy or front desk to direct you to the express elevator and enjoy the view of the Empire State building. I love hotel bars because locals often overlook them, and the few hotel guests will not overcrowd you.

Frying Pan boat bar at Pier 66

Susie was walking around town and ended up here, texting me a picture of a Corona, on a boat, with a view of the water. I shut down my work computer, got on a train and a crossown bus within 15 minutes. Its one of the few spots in the city where you can sit on the water, facing New Jersey, and watch the sunset. The Frying Pan is an old red working boat that sits on this larger restuarant/bar complex called Pier 66. Get there early to avoid the crowds and then have a leisurely walk down to Soho.

Les Halles

Ok I have a really unhealthy crush on Les Halles former executive chef Anthony Bordain, who I now know only gets better with age. I watch his show, read his books, follow him on twitter. So although this is kindof a typical French bistro with plenty of out of towners, its worth a stop, and you can get steak frites for $20, and half price wines on Monday nights. I had some lovely pork tenderloin and my friend had the cassoulet which was pretty heavy on white beans and made her a bit gassy later. But all in all it was a lovely meal, so really not a bad deal at all.

Minca Ramen Factory for rainy night noodles, LES

Best udon noodles ever. Makes super leftovers too if you can't finish. We all just went for the Minca noodles with pork. Perfection. 

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Social, Smith Street Carroll Gardens

For an excellent craft cocktail nightcap, check out this nice little spot in the north part of Carroll Gardens.

Great Lakes Bar - Park Slope

This is a classic nieghborhood bar, friendly staff, good beers, fantastic jukebox. The kind of place you can wander in at 4pm and then at 2am wonder what happened to the night. Always met interesting people here too, like Eugene Mirman!

Abeline - Carroll Gardens

After trying some of the more trendy restos and bars around Brooklyn, this place was more my speed. Loads of big open windows, formica covered kitchen tables, friendly bartenders (well watch out for the young guys they are a bit snotty when its closing time). Food is standard bar fare, but a satisfying grilled cheese and tator tots is to be had.

Bait & Tackle, Red Hook

I was only in here once, and it was very late at night, but it had really interesting decor. Motoboy and I somehow got served (we shouldn't have been, really) and sat up on a little stage watching all the red hook citizenry finish their Friday nights.

Ice House, Red Hook

This is probably Susie's local if she had to choose one. Very laid back, low key, wood paneled one-bartender run place. You can get a pulled pork sandwich or a corned dog and take it out to the ample back yard, a little smokers haven as well.

Sonny's Red Hook

Ah what can I say about Sonny's? Its a little neighborhood beer joint near the waterfront that will make you fall in love with whoever you are with (thankfully for me it was motoboy, and we just went all goo goo eyed all over again). There was music in the back room, then music in the front bar. An amazing alt country band that would have commanded a crowd of 200-300 people in Chicago, and they played right next to our bar stools. When we went outside for some air the bartender gave us cowboy hats to leave on our stools and kept an eye on our drinks too. It was absolutely dreamy.

What are you favorite spots? A. wrote this up for Eva once too. Leave notes in the comments, and travelers please to report back! I will be back in the NYC maybe soon.

E.

Boredom and the Internets

I was watching another one of those funny videos made on Xtranormal Movie Maker. You might remember the famous Iphone vs Evo video made by some kid at Best Buy, who then lost his job because of it, but no one was worried about that guy's future, he seemed bright and funny.

Not having anything really to plug in, I just wrote down some dialogue that has been going around the house since I got back from NYC. Enjoy!

   

E.

Wilderness

A few bursts of heat followed by a week's worth of rain followed by another burst of heat equals a prodigal summer around here. Over the past couple of weeks it's been wild kingdom in our backyard:  a hawk chases a fox chasing a squirrel into the woods. A woodchuck trundles around the lawn. A deer picked its way across the edge of the woods two nights in a row.

And closest of all, the loudest tiny frog that ever lived is currently in residence in our pool. Our pool that is being cleaned for the summer. It was growing distinctly pond-like, with a pond smell and a pond swarm of bugs on top, but this little frog takes the cake. He sits on the pool steps and hollers for a ladyfrog every five minutes from 8 pm til I fall asleep. 

Given my recent bout of excess empathy for everything in the world, I have been feeling pretty strongly that the frog needs to leave the pool before it becomes toxic with chemicals.  The FYD was scooping leaves and prepping the filter and I ran out at dusk to say STOP BEFORE YOU SHOCK RESCUE THE FROG!!! And we spent a few minutes of comedy trying to chase a frog with a pool scooper thing and then I got too many mosquito bites and went inside, frogless.

An hour later, the FYD came inside and reported that he had indeed finally caught the amphibian and released him at the edge of our woods, not too far from a drainage stream that would make a fine new home. I went to sleep relieved. 

And today went by as usual: Breakfast. Work. Hot. Thunderstorm. Commute. Bath and dinner for Little A. The FYD went out and Little A. went to bed.

I set about frantic nesting-style cleaning and cooking and more cleaning and the sun is going down and suddenly:

RIIIIIBBBIIIIIIITTTTT.

(The frog is not shying away from being a cliche. It really sounds like "ribbit.")

I pause. Listen.

RIIIIIIBBIIIIIITTT.

Close to the house. And again and again. Frog hollers.

The damn frog. Came back to the damn pool. Across a treacherous (I imagine, for a smallish animal) stretch of open lawn, through a wall of tall grass. Back to its home in our pool.

Sigh. One can only hope the bugger has an ounce of self-preservation. 

Rockin the suburban wilderness -

xoxo, A

E.'s Travel TIps (after 7 weeks away from home)

Hay blog! You would think that I would have many multifarious (if not infamous) things to say about NYC, and Key West and my triumphant return to Chicago etc but...I was too busy actually doing things and then falling asleep tiredly to blog. Am a hack, a bad writer, etc. But you will forgive me for these awesome travel tips I picked up. (Photo is from my ride on the BQE to LGA leaving Brooklyn.)

*When I found out I was going to NYC for four weeks or more I needed to go get A Giant Bag. I thought it best if I just threw in all sorts of outfits because apparently I have an identity crisis that cannot survive one major urban oasis to another, let alone bridging two seasons. I did a quick yelp search and found the Luggage Warehouse. Got in there, found the second to largest bag of a color other than black (black rolly bags are impossible to find in a luggage carousel). It was a lovely light blue, and priced at $65. I negotiated him down to $50 because of a very minor scratch and was on my way. Don't spend a lot on big bags, especially if they are going to be oversized (weigh more than 50lbs) because they are going to get wrecked to all high hell by the baggage handlers. I know how they treat things because I dated one for more than a year. Don't put fragile on it either as this is just a challenge to these guys, who are potheads, drunks, and total ne'er-do-wells, but generally good people. If I had to do it again I wouldn't overpack as much, and just buy another bag at the end of the trip after shopping for what I really want to wear. You can actually check two bags (on American Airlines, at the moment) for $60, but one giant bag over 50lbs will set you back over $120. Ouch! Weigh your stuff at home if need be, and carry a nylon duffel bag inside your big bag. The heaviest items are denim and shoes, and if you can have an emergency take-away bag to pull out near the zipper just in case, you can save some money by checking two or carrying one on.

*One time I was trying to fly to from Chicago to NYC to visit Andrea, but it was the last flight of the night, was delayed and then cancelled because it was too late, and I had to go home until the next day. Although these flights come up cheaper, try to take the second to last flight, because if its cancelled or delayed you are f-ed. Apparently you can't fly into Laguardia after midnight or so. I'm not a fan of early morning flights (makes me queasy) but I believe those are usually much cheaper as well, if you're an early bird. You crazy bitch.

*I like to bring an empty water bottle (recycled plastic or even your favorite travel bottle) as paying more than $4 for water in an airport makes me insane. I'll spend over $30 on a bar tab but water? Come on! Just put it in your bin separately with the cap off so they see that you are doing it intentionally. This kind of behavior puts you in the "expert lane" (if it exists, currently only at Midway, or Columbus, Ohio) which is seldom populated with people who even have their IDs out of their wallets when they get to security. Sigh.

*I'm never hungry when I'm getting ready to go the airport, but once I leave the house I am starving. I hate paying big money for a soggy airport sandwich, but if you are lucky enough to find a bagel shop, or a Dunks, you can get a breakfast sandwich (with or without egg) for less than half the price, and get an iced tea if you didn't bring a water bottle and you can refill with water before your flight. Satiated and caffeinated for travel, score!

*Check in online so you get the good boarding group and secure your place, but then print the e-ticket at airport. I was quite proud of the smartphone option until I realized I could get held up at security (their machines go down and you have to stand alongside for a few minutes - *ages* in security time) and also phone service is spotty at airports so I often lose the webpage as I'm waiting to board. When you're confirming online at home check the available seats as you might be able to get something closer to the front or bulkhead, which is handy if you have no bags to wait for. If you don't score, ask at the gate counter if there bulkhead or emergency exit seats available (because in the end, its more legroom). They often hold these seats empty in case of handicapped or family needs, but they are the last to get sold.

*I went through the full body scanner once, and vowed to never do it again. Not only do I think its a violation of my privacy, and I since read that the initial reports of (safe?) radiation levels were underestimated, they also don't really work for security purposes. They don't check the sides of the body at all, so they are a waste of time and money. What I did notice though is that every security area seems to have one line that does not lead to the body scanner - find it and relax. If you do face one, just ask for a pat down. It only takes a few minutes, don't listen to what the drop-out, wanna-be-bouncer at the scanner says. Its your right to ask for an alternative.

*I found that if flying to a popular vacation destination such as Florida or Colorado its cheaper to fly in on a Tuesday. I know not most people can swing this for a long weekend, but I saved about $150 on my last trip, mostly because I wanted to be there early anyway. Who wouldn't want to spend 2 days in Miami before Key West?

Ok next is my NYC highlight post, as some friends are going in July. I'm not sure if I have a lot of restaurants to recommend (although I went to some good ones) but man did I have a good bar tour. I loved pitting my NY friends against each other. "That's not the oldest bar in New York, I'll take you to the oldest bar!" I was out every night. What a blast.

E.