What A Fun And Sexy Time For Me!

Buellton, CA

2010-07-23T18:03:00.004-04:00

In early February I was supposed to go to California’s Central Coast for work. I was really excited because I was going to drive up and see my parents the following week and work from their house and eat Mexican food. Plus, any time I can return to California makes me very, very happy.

Sadly, weather struck and Snowmageddon hit the East Coast in full force. I was supposed to fly out Sunday, right in the middle of the storm, but all the airports were shut down. I ended up spending most of my weekend on the phone with United (this is not an exaggeration). After all was said and done, I ended up having 7 flights booked and cancelled due to the storm. Since my class was supposed to start on Monday and with the airports shut down indefinitely, I was struggling to figure out a way to get back to the Left Coast. I was able to get on a flight from Dulles on Virgin America for Monday morning into LA (instead of SF as my original plan had been) that looked like it might actually work.

Now that I had a flight, I needed a ride to the airport. No one I knew had the means or the 4x4 to get me there. When I called my usual taxi service, they said that it was too dangerous for their drivers to be out on the road before 10 am and I was looking for a ride at 5:00 am. I ended up calling 6 different taxi and limo services before I found one that was willing to try and take me to the airport. Everything was in place; it all depended on the weather.

I was one lucky gal and caught a break in the storm. It was just long enough for my plane to take off and then, from what I have been told, the weather got much, much worse. I have to admit, I was really nervous about flying that day. I don’t want to end up on one of those planes that take off, get hit by lightning, crash to an icy runway and burst into flames. But that’s just me.

I really like Virgin America. If you pay to upgrade to their “Main Cabin Select” – which is like United’s “Economy Plus” it is a lovely ride. They have touch screens that allow you to watch all the TV and movies you want for free. You can also use the touch screen to order food and drinks anytime you want, for free, and the flight attendants bring it to you. It was awesome.

Now to complain – and those of you with kids are not going to like me. While I was sitting in the waiting area, the gate attendant called my name over the loud speaker. I was hoping that since I paid full price for my ticket, they might be giving me some kind of upgrade. No such luck. Some parents wanted to sit by their kids, and since I was a single traveler they wanted me to trade seats. I really didn’t want to do it, but I am a pushover so I said yes. It was all down hill from there. I ended losing my aisle seat to go to a middle seat for almost 6 hours. And the stupid kids were totally old enough to sit by themselves. So from now on my answer is no! It isn’t my fault you didn’t plan well enough ahead; therefore it is officially not my problem.

One I got to LA is was a lovely 70 degrees. I got into my rental car and drove around town with the windows down. I have to say it was a fantastic change of pace from snowed in Virginia. I think I even sent a loving text to Seabreeze and Shelley telling them how warm it was and how they could suck it. To make my point, a lesson in how to compare and contrast: on the left, a picture of Reston, Virginia and on the right, Marina del Rey, California taken within during the same time frame. Can you tell the difference?

I ended up taking a lovely drive up the PCH to Buellton, CA which is about an hour north of Santa Barbara. It was hard not to stare at the ocean while I was driving, but after having to swerve out of oncoming traffic a few times I learned my lesson.

Buellton is a lovely little community right in the heart of the Central Coast wine country. If you have ever seen the movie Sideways the characters actually stayed at a hotel in Buellton. It is also right next to a town called Solvang, which is done up to look like a quaint Danish village. Solvang and the surrounding vineyards are a big draw for the area. I could absolutely live there – it is just beautiful.

I was by myself for four days and then my mom drove down from Antioch to come and stay with me. It was so fun to have her around, especially because she had never been to this area before either. She was so excited to go to Solvang she could barely contain herself. Unfortunately we were there during Valentine’s Day and the entire area was packed with tourists. Who knew that a tiny re-created Danish town would be such a hot spot for lovers? I personally think it was the surrounding vineyards…but it is just a working theory.

Since I was not able to get out of DC to start my class on Monday, we had to being the following day. My client didn’t want me to cram 5 days of training into 4, so I had to stay the weekend. But wait, the coming Monday was President’s Day, so old Jen Davis got a 3 day, all expense paid weekend on California’s Central Coast. Not too shabby.

Here are some of the highlights of my trip:

Insider Information: My point of contact told me that the “Hitching Post” restaurant makes a great burger. Since they butcher (not slaughter) their own meat on site, there are often tips of great slices of meat that go unused. The Hitching Post takes these tips, grinds them and makes fantastic, savory hamburgers. The caveat is that these burgers are only available Monday through Wednesday. The Hitching Post served as a filming location in the movie Sideways. It was the restaurant where Virginia Madsen’s character worked.

Noah Wyle: I had a big crush on him when I was in high school. He personified my ideal “cute, nerdy guy.” Well, I was sitting in a restaurant in Santa Inez when a family of four sat down at a table next to me. The guy had a really scruffy beard, but in California you don’t take that as a bad sign (right Dad?). It wasn’t until I heard him order that I thought I recognized the voice. Then the creepy staring began (by me) and I kept eavesdropping. Sure enough, it was him. According to IMDB, he owns a ranch in the Santa Inez area.

Neverland Ranch: In elementary school I was a huge Michael Jackson fan. I remember that in first grade my parents got me the Thriller LP for getting good grades (my parents rocked). I found out that Neverland Ranch was only 8 miles from where I was staying in Buellton and I wanted to see it. My mom fought me on this one because she didn’t want to go and worship a pedophile. I don’t know what kind of burnt offerings she thought I was going to make - I just figured that I was close and it would be cool to stop by. There is no sign indicating on the gate or any kind of official tribute to MJ. People have decided to write their feelings on the flagstones surrounding the gate. I can empathize with the sentiment, but they are ruining a lovely walk and stone wall. Now you kids get outta my yard…

Mission Santa Barbara: In the third grade in California you study California history (which is awesome). A large portion of that includes studying the El Camino Real and the California Mission system. There aren’t many close to where I grew up (we only had gang violence and great Chinese food in Antioch). Since I was so close, I decided to visit the “Queen of the Missions.” Naturally I took the tour, asked questions, and tried to put everything into a historical context. It is a beautiful location and a lovely mission. I actually just sat around on the grounds looking at the ocean and being very glad that it wasn’t snowing. I liked it so much I took my mom back when she arrived. For those of you who know how I feel about kids in museums (I am against them!) there were kids on the tour that were very well behaved and I even told their mother how impressed I was with their comportment. See, I reward good behavior.

The Ocean: Mom and I took a lovely drive up the coast from Santa Barbara to Pismo Beach (I would live in Santa Barbara in a heartbeat). It was a lovely trip (aside from the inland portion that took me too close to farms) and we made it to Pismo Beach just in time to watch the sunset on the Pacific. I know that the East Coast is nice and all, but West Coast is the best.

Crab: We went to a seafood place that specialized in crab. My mom had a fear of ordering the crab because she didn’t know how to access the meat. After some cajoling, she ordered crab. Talk about a transformation, she went from nervous to devouring it in a matter of seconds. It was great to watch her have such a great time.

The Landscape: Everyone knows that I love California and I make no apologies for loving something that is so clearly awesome. Almost everywhere I traveled in the area was beautiful. It brought back so many fond memories to see the fog roll in over the hills. The cliffs on the side of the ocean still amaze me. The green hills dotted with old oaks and yellow flowers remind me home. I miss it.

Overall, I had a great time. I even got to go back up to Antioch and work from my parent’s house for a few days despite all the confusion. Snowmageddon totally worked in my favor.

Snowmageddon

2010-07-02T15:42:00.000-04:00

The first weekend in February 2010 turned out to be a brutal one for the DC Metro Area. While it went by many names, Snowmageddon is my favorite. We were just pummeled with snow and it was worse than anything I remember seeing when I lived in the Rocky Mountains. Of course, Virginia isn’t nearly as prepared for huge blizzards like Utah, so there is a steeper learning curve. That being said, I think this storm would have rocked even the most prepared community in the lower 48 (I know we in VA have nothing on Alaska). The snow was not what I have been used to in the past, it was wet and heavy and shoveling it (which I used my recent knee surgery to get out of – well played Jen) was enough to give anyone a heart attack.

The biggest issue with Snowmageddon was staying on top of the shoveling. And that chore fell to Shelley since I had just had surgery and Seabreeze hurt her back (well played Seabreeze). It was her job to venture outside every few hours (even during the night) and shovel the walk and the deck. The accumulation was like nothing I have ever seen and the snow just kept coming – relentlessly so. Shelley gets the roommate of the year award for taking one for the team and keeping our walkways snow free.

It got so terrible outside that snow plows were breaking down. They just couldn’t handle the volume. The snow plows couldn’t even plow our little neighborhood parking lot. It got so bad that the entire neighborhood got together and just started shoveling (minus me of course). Since I was supposed to be leaving on a 2-week business trip that Sunday (more on that in the next post) everyone piled their snow behind my car. I have great neighbors.

We were one of the lucky few that only lost power for a few hours. Some people went for days without any electricity. I just had to spend a few hours not watching TV, which while difficult, I endured. I am a survivor!

While Snowmageddon was a pain in the ***, it was actually kind of fun. I didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything as the Metro Area was completely shutdown. I literally stayed in my pajamas for 3 days, watched movies, took naps and read. If there had only been more chocolate in the house I could have died happy right then.

Overall, it was an interesting weather-related adventure and I just hope that next time snow shoveling is required, I have a cold and just can’t risk being outside.

Knee Surgery and Dad Visits

2010-06-28T17:05:00.002-04:00

I am a clumsy person. I have always wanted to be like Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly, who with every movement exuded grace and dignity. It has only taken me 33 years to figure this out, but I am no Grace Kelly. I am more like a Weeble who wobbles and still falls down. I am a defective Weeble.

In January 2009 I was exercising in a gym. I know that this is hard to believe, but it is true. I was going to do leg curls in one of the leg curling machines when I realized that I didn’t know how to actually get onto the machine. So I decided to improvise – and that proved to be a huge mistake. I whacked my knee pretty hard on the leg curl thing. And being the idiot that I am, I didn’t want people to think I was weak so I kept working out although my knee hurt like crazy.

Now my knee continued to hurt severely for the next week and then the pain went away. I thought all was back to normal. I have prided myself on having good knees and I was glad to be able to gloat again about the awesome bending capabilities of my knees.

Well, during the summer I noticed a bit of knee pain when going up and down stairs. I naturally ignored it. It wasn’t until I couldn’t play tennis because of the pain that I decided the knee pain might be cause for concern. By October I couldn’t take it any more. After 3 doctors appointments, X-rays, and an MRI it was determined that I damaged my cartilage and I needed to get my knee scoped.

My dad decided to take an early retirement package in the fall of 2009. I scheduled my surgery for early January 2010 (which is the slow season at work). Since I was going to be out of it for about a week, my dad offered to come and take care of me since he wasn’t working. Isn’t he the cutest thing? It was especially good, because I had been laying the guilt on pretty thick so he would come visit me. I mean, I had to injure myself and have surgery to have him visit (meaning my plan worked perfectly).

My dad came to stay with me for two weeks and it was a good thing he stayed as long as he did. While the scoping procedure went off without a hitch, I ended up having a severe asthma attack a few days after the surgery. I honestly can’t think of a time when my asthma was that bad (except for when I had pneumonia). I ended up being on steroids and breathing treatments for 5 weeks. The doctor thought the attack was due to knocking me out for the surgery. Sometimes the tubes they stuff down your throat can irritate the lungs.

I was really bummed that I wasn’t feeling well during my dad’s visit. I had all these amazing, if unrealistic, plans to do with my dad. We ended up going for car rides so I could get out of the house (just like we used to do with our dog Chucky), watching Glee, Law and Order, NCIS and Bones, getting my dad a super sweet haircut by Carmen, and eating the best cake in the world from Edibles Incredible. We are people of simple pleasures.

It was great to spend so much time with my “D.” He even used his words and we had long talks about feelings and relationships. I would have to say that my dad is probably the cutest and sweetest dad around. I will fight you if you disagree.

Las Vegas and Phoenix

2010-05-03T18:21:00.003-04:00

In December I took one of the many coveted trips to Las Vegas for a teaching assignment. In many ways Vegas is wasted on me as I don’t like: gambling, drinking, clubbing or pornography. I do love Las Vegas for the food. Vegas has lost the image of the steak and lobster dinner for $5.00 and has become a real foodie town. For that reason alone I was excited to make the trek. Plus my friend Elise was graduating with her doctorate and I wanted to go help with the festivities. To be honest, I really needed the frequent flier miles to make premier status for the coming year – so everyone won!

My company has a contract with the Flamingo hotel so I have to stay there. The Flamingo doesn’t seem so bad initially. It definitely lacks the charm of the Bellagio or one of the newer hotels, but I was hoping it would have some the old Vegas charm. It does not. I have been told, however, not to insult the Flamingo – “That’s Bugsy Siegal’s place.” Here is the deal with the Flamingo, if you don’t wear your glasses or look to closely at anything, than it isn’t awful. The second you start looking at the walls or the carpets or the furnishings you become sadly grossed out and start wearing sandals in the shower.

If you do stay at the Flamingo, ask for a “Go” room. Go rooms have been remodeled and compared to the non-Go rooms, the Go is paradise in comparison. I do like that there is a TV in the bathroom mirror so I could watch the “Today” show while showering. The bed wasn’t bad and I like having a flat screen TV in my room. The hallways do have a tendency to smell like diapers after a few days, so beware.

Whatever you do, do not eat at the Flamingo. Every meal I had made me sick for hours afterwards. I hear that Margaritaville isn’t bad there, but I wasn’t willing to risk it.

I did eat very, very well while in Las Vegas, as long as I didn’t eat at the Flamingo (I keep repeating this so the food must be bad).

My first night I went to Postrio in the Venetian. Postrio is a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. I ate at Postrio in San Francisco (which is now closed – I thought the food was good but according to chowhound.com it is “1980’s”) and I thought I would give it a try. I didn’t find the menu as diverse, but I did enjoy the food. Any place that serves gnocchi is fine by me.

The next night I wanted to try a buffet. I think you are legally obligated to eat at a buffet while in Vegas. I decided to try The Buffet at the Bellagio since I love that place and I figure the food would have to be delicious. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. Everything was okay it just didn’t seem to be better than any other buffet. I guess I had higher expectations from the Bellagio. Word on the street is that the Wynn stole the Bellagio’s chef away and now the Wynn has the best buffet.

Since all the famous chefs have places in Las Vegas, I decided to head over to Caesar’s Palace and eat at Bobby Flay’s, Mesa Grill. My time in Vegas was a parade of famous TV chefs. I spent days deciding if I would eat at Mesa Grill as it is a bit pricy and there were so many items on the menu I wanted to try. I liked the Mesa Gill a lot. The creamy wild mushroom grits are fantastic. I also ordered the cornmeal crusted chile relleno (I love chile rellenos) was very flavorful but a bit too spicy for me. I am such a baby when it comes to picante foods, but I don’t regret anything that I ordered. The hardest part of the Mesa Grill was trying to figure out what to eat, most menu items had some ingredient that interested me.

I ended up eating at the Paris a few times. My students told me that there was a crepe place in the Paris. I love crepes, especially Mathieu’s crepes and the sweet and savory crepes at Crepes-a-Go-Go in the SF Bay Area. Le Creperie was fine, but they didn’t have the selection I was hoping for and it was $10.00 for a sweet or savory crepe. So you order both, but you just can’t eat both. It was a nice change of pace from the heavier food I had been eating all week.

My boss, John, recommended that I try Craftsteak. Craftsteak is owned by Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame and I have been wanting to try his food since I walked passed Craft in Chelsea, NYC. The sweet smell of steak filled the air and I wanted to be a part of it. The food was amazing. The homemade rolls had a sprinkle of sea salt on them – who knew that would make such a big difference in flavor? The warm frisee salad that initially sold me with all the blue cheese was also full of bacon. I had to force myself to stop eating the potato gratin so I could save room for my steak. My NY Strip was perfectly done and didn’t need any steak sauce to make it flavorful. It was one of the best meals I have ever had. It was also one of the most expensive. I made it out of there for just under $100.00. Worth it.

My students recommended Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris for breakfast. They have a very good eggs benedict. It was so nice, even in December, that I was able to eat my breakfast outside. Life is good sometimes.

After I finished work, I headed down to Phoenix to see my friend Elise. Elise is crazy smart and she graduated (the day before I arrived) with her PhD. I was hoping that her brother would also be in town as Elise has already planned our wedding, but no such luck.

It was great to just spend time with Elise and her mom, Julia. We didn’t do anything dramatic like bungee jumping or getting tattoos, but we did something more our style - like eating and watching movies. I am so proud of Elise and how hard she has worked to finish her dissertation and graduate. You make me look like a chump Elise.

I got to drive over the Hoover Dam which rocked. I think the Hoover Dam is just amazing and I love the art deco styling. To drive over it was, strangely enough, a dream come true.

I was one lucky girl on this trip. I missed a huge snow storm that hit DC in December. Thanks to my boss and his extra first class upgrade, I was able to catch my flight and return to DC, in first class with people that had been waiting for days to get a flight to the east coast. I even saw a girl from Gilmore Girls on my plane. Her name is Krysten Ritter. She played one of Rory’s annoying Yale friends in the last season. She seems like a nice person and was very polite and never brought up that she was an actress. I have to admit that I was totally creepy and stared at her quite a bit because I was trying to make certain that it was her. I have become "that" person.

Ottawa, ON

2010-03-23T19:43:00.003-04:00

Last November I headed back up to Ottawa for my company’s Canadian User Group. I love going to Canada because everyone there is so well mannered. It is as if the whole country took classes from Emily Post.

As with most conferences that I attend, I never really get to see much of the town. This trip was no exception. I did get out of the hotel twice, which for me was a record. This year our conference was at the Westin, which is a lovely hotel. I think that they have done an excellent job decorating the rooms and the beds were very comfortable. I also had a killer view of the Parliament building and Rideau Canal.

I did walk up to Parliament to see the sights. I like the Parliament because it is gothic and has gargoyles. I bet a lot of work gets done because the building is slightly intimidating. I walked around the grounds and looked at fountains and took pictures for people. Overall it was a lovely little excursion, although as soon as the sun when down it got bitterly cold.

A large group of my co-workers and I headed over to Giovanni’s. In my last blog on Ottawa I sang the praises of Giovanni’s and it was just as good as I had remembered. My colleagues seemed to enjoy the experience, especially the wine.

That was really all there was. It is unfortunate that I didn’t get to spend more time sightseeing, but I hope to go back again.

Next trip – Las Vegas and Phoenix

New England in the Fall with Mom

2010-03-15T23:23:00.006-04:00

Back in October the guilt that I had been heaping on my mother finally worked. My mom had not been out to visit me since I moved out to Virginia two years earlier. As a mother doesn’t she realize that I still need to be raised up right? My mom caved so she wouldn’t have to face another guilt inducing phone call and finally came out to spend some quality time with me. We decided to take a fall foliage trip of New England since my mom has never been north of Virginia. She said it was one of her lifelong dreams to see New England in the fall.

Because I am an obsessive travel planner, I had our complete itinerary set up before my mom even arrived. If you talk to her today, I get the impression that I kept her on a very tight schedule – constantly informing her of the time to we could keep to our itinerary. While I think I was just keeping us on task so we could see everything, I get feeling that I came off a bit, how to I say this, overly controlling and demanding. If you ever decide to take a trip with me, you have been duly warned.

I need to give a shout out to my friend Ben. He works for Marriott and got me some sweet deals on hotel rooms. I don’t know if this trip would have been possible without Ben’s generosity. Thanks Ben!

The first leg of our trip was to Philadelphia. Unfortunately there was torrential rain that day and there were parts of the ride up 1-95 where we were going maybe 35 mph and could barely see in front of us. I haven’t been in weather like that since Houston. It all worked out well in the end and I was able to take my mom to one of my favorite places in Philly, City Tavern. I thought she would enjoy City Tavern because it is historical and they serve Colonial-style cuisine. I don’t remember what I had, but Mom ordered “Martha Washington’s Turkey Pot Pie” which was just amazing. The puff pastry crust was so good, I don’t know how people get pastry that flaky and buttery.

The next morning, before driving to Connecticut, we headed over to Geno’s Steaks. We ended up arriving at the same time as a police memorial motorcycle ride that was sponsored by Geno’s. It was a blast getting involved in the street party atmosphere and the cheesesteaks were fantastic.

Next we drove up to Connecticut. I think I almost gave my mom a coronary when I was driving over the George Washington Bridge. She kept slamming on the imaginary break pedal in the passenger seat. But hey, when in New York you drive like a New Yorker. I personally think I was aggressive but fair.

The next day we soaked up the beauty of rural Connecticut. I took Mom to a place my friend Becky Derby recommended called Rein’s NY Style Deli. They have amazing cheese blintzes. My mom is a blintz fanatic and I don’t think she was disappointed by Reins. I love their challah French toast.

Mom found a lovely scenic route on the internet and this was one instance where the internet didn’t lie. Next time you are in Connecticut in the fall, take SR-169. If you don’t end up looking to buy real estate in Pomfret you must have no soul. It was absolutely gorgeous.

We spent two days on Cape Cod. Now I have never been to “The Cape” but it was definitely different than what I expected. I figured it would be like the PCH where you drive along the coast with a lovely ocean to gaze at longingly. That was not the case – it actually took us 2 days to find a view of the ocean. Who knew it would be so hard to find the ocean on a peninsula?

Since Halloween was right around the corner, Mom thought it would be a blast to head up to Salem, MA. While the place was crazy busy since Halloween is Salem’s Christmas, we had a great time. The Salem Witch Museum was so full of drama and life-size dioramas. It might have been the best museum experience of my life because it was so over the top. Salem was full of zany characters around Halloween. Case in point, I saw a guy in a cloak riding around town in a motorized coffin. How awesome is that?

Since we were on Cape Cod, we felt a moral obligation to eat clam chowder. The receptionist at the hotel told us about Captain Parkers in West Yarmouth. The chowder was so fantastic that we went back the next night. I don’t know what made the chowder so delicious, but it was, hand’s down, the best I have ever had.

After Cape Cod we headed back to Virginia. I made my mom listen to an audio version of Salem’s Lot. Oh, and we drove through New Jersey. New Jersey.

Thanks for coming to visit Mom. I guess sometimes a daughter needs the comfort and understanding that only a mother can provide. And since I live so far away, I have to rely on your infrequent visits to sustain me during tough times.

Boy am I good.

Colonial Williamsburg, VA

2010-02-14T15:14:00.004-05:00

When I moved out to DC a couple of years ago I promised Shelley that I would accompany her Colonial Williamsburg. I am not quite sure why I made this promise as I HATE Colonial Williamsburg. I loathe Colonial Williamsburg because I can’t stand historical re-enactors. I don’t hate people that dress in period clothing; I just hate people that pretend that they are from that time period, “Pray tell, what is this thing that you call a car fine lady?” I can’t stand that kind of stuff. I think Shelley must have caught me at a weak moment. Of course, who can say no to Shelley with that adorable face and sweet demeanor? It would be like kicking a puppy.

Well, last October Shelley called in the promise. She planned an overnight trip to Colonial Williamsburg and there was no way I could get out of it (not that I tried, face it, any trip to CW requires a cynic). Williamsburg is about 3 hours south of Reston, so we (Shelley, Ben Bennett. and I) drove down on Friday to party colonial style on Saturday. Because Ben works for Marriott, he got us some sweet rooms for a great price – you rock Ben! The Courtyard by Marriott in Newport News, VA has recently been remodeled and it was a very pleasant hotel experience. Two things that I really liked about this Courtyard: the internet was free in the lobby and every table had a TV for those business travelers dining alone.

On Saturday before heading to Colonial Williamsburg we stopped at a Waffle House for breakfast. I have been avoiding Waffle Houses for years for two important reasons. There was a Waffle House in Alexandria, VA whose outside sign was “Wafle House” and I can’t eat at a place that doesn’t spell its own name correctly. The next reason is because Kid Rock got in a fight at a Waffle House. What is it about the Waffle House that could inspire Kid Rock to duke it out and get arrested? I don’t think I want to know. It’s like Tiger Woods picking up that woman at the Pancake House. Can’t we all do better?

Ben is one smooth talker, however, so off we headed to the Waffle House. I have to say that I as long I didn’t look to closely to the dirty surroundings and had low expectations of the food I survived. The hash browns were tasty if that means anything.

It turned out to be a cold and blustery day. We walked all over that blasted town in light rain and wind like the troopers that we are. One cool experience was when Shelley and I served as jury members in the county court and we were, if I dare say, fantastic. Shelley loved all the legal aspects of Colonial law; I liked having places to sit down.

Ben and I also decided that we needed to create a super sweet air fife and drum band. Ben and I are very good, but don’t have a name yet for our band. Any suggestions?

At CW they do a reenactment (I think the British are invading something and taking something but I didn’t care to remember) that is full of drama, romance, and pathos. It was so lame. They had re-enactors wandering amongst the crowd, trying to get us all riled up. “Did you hear what the General said?” “Why would the British do this to its loyal citizens?” I kept moving around the crowd trying to avoid them because they honestly annoy me and give me the creeps.

I would say the highlight of the day for me, naturally, revolved around food. I loved watching the re-enactors prepare food. After looking at how hard it is just to prepare one meal, I kept thinking, “My kingdom for a Kitchen-Aid mixer.” Some of the food looked really delicious, especially the chicken and potato dishes. I even got to talk about Alton Brown with the chef (putting him the “Cool Re-enactor’ category).

Shelley (and me, although I will never admit this in public) loves to eat colonial food. We were able to get a reservation at Shields Tavern right in the heart of bustling Downtown Colonial Williamsburg. I have to say that the food was very, very good. The highlight for me is was the Welsh Rarebit. Welsh Rarebit is a savory sauce, usually made from cheddar cheese, ale, ground mustard, paprika, and Worcestershire Sauce, and is served over toasted bread. It is so tasty, although how can you go wrong with melted cheese and bread? See Alton Brown’s recipe for Welsh Rarebit here.

I think the trip was best summed up in the following conversation between Shelley and me:

Shelley: I could see how you could spend a few days at Colonial
Williamsburg.

Jen: Really?

Yellowstone

2010-02-07T17:44:00.003-05:00

In early October I headed up to my parent’s cabin in Island Park, ID. I was excited to make the yearly trek up to family summer home. I had high hopes of riding ATV’s, sitting in hammocks, and enjoying the fall color. Little did I know that winter was coming early to Island Park.

It was freezing cold the entire time, and I am talking 3 degrees cold. I only rode an ATV for a few minutes because I got so cold that my hands couldn’t take it any longer. And then there was the snow – oh the snow!

When I was there last year it wasn’t that cold. So when I packed for this trip, I packed similarly. That was a big mistake as nothing that I brought was adequate for the weather. It was a great excuse to sit around in front of a roaring fire place while reading books and watching TV.

We did make it into Yellowstone National Park one day. I find Yellowstone so therapeutic. I don't know if I love Yellowstone so much because I have grown up going to Yellowstone or because it is really just that awesome. There weren’t a ton of animals out that day, but we did have some nice encounters with buffalo and elk.

I also got to see my super sweet friend Stephanie Archibald and her son Carter. There were many hugs and Carter was absolutely precious. He is a kid that passes my likability test.

Mom and Dad at Firehole Falls

Dad and I at Old Faithful Inn

Stephanie and Carter

Next Trip: Colonial Williamsburg

Lee's Summit, Missouri

2010-02-07T17:27:00.001-05:00

At the end of September I headed back out to Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Lee’s Summit is a suburb of Kansas City (which I love). There isn’t a lot in Lee’s Summit but I had a nice hotel and a five minute commute so I can’t complain.

As for the food, I had to go into Kansas City to really eat well. Most of the restaurants in Lee’s Summit are chain restaurants and fast food. They even had a Jimmy John’s Sandwiches where I used to eat at while at BYU. It was a nice taste of nostalgia.

I try to eat where my students recommend as they tend to know the best local places. I was told to go to the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. It is a lovely outdoor shopping area that has some great shops and fancy restaurants. There are fountains and the whole plaza is done in Spanish/Mediterranean architecture. I ended up walking around for a while because the weather was so nice and lusting after the entire inventory of Williams-Sonoma. I got very hungry and ended up eating at the Cheesecake Factory. I even ate outside because the weather was lovely. I know that Cheesecake Factory isn’t a local place, but I love eating there when work pays.

After dinner I went to Half Price Books. I have been to that particular store before and it is one of the better Half Price Books. I am like a junkie at those stores; I see so many books that I can’t help myself and I start buying. Of course, I never get to read all the books that I buy because I am slow reader there is always so much good TV to watch.

The next day I headed back to the Savoy Grill at the Hotel Savoy. I ate there the last time I was in Kansas City and it was so good that I went back for more. I ended up getting steak (again!) and it was fantastic. The side salad had so much blue cheese on it I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I also think I spilled on myself with every bite that I took. I have problems.

Another student recommendation turned out to be a great dining experience. I headed to Lidia’s in Kansas City. Lidia’s is located in a former railroad station and it is very cool and well decorated. If you go, make sure that you look at the chandeliers – they are gorgeous. Rumor has it that Lidia hosts a cooking show on PBS.

The food was amazing. The bread that they bring, foccacia and tuscan style, was light, warm and fresh out of the oven. They provide an olive tapenade and a pesto spread that I thought was kind of bland. The Caesar salad I had was the best I have ever had. The dressing was light, tangy and had more vinegar than most. I liked that the dressing wasn’t so heavy and that you could even taste the lemon in the dressing. The salad also had homemade croutons which were fantastic. I had no idea that homemade croutons could make such a difference.

As for dinner, I ended up ordering the Pasta Trio. The Pasta Trio lets you have unlimited samples of three pasta dishes (which change daily). The three pastas I had were: fettuccini with braised beef sauce, ravioli with ricotta and Swiss chard in a sage-infused sauce, and penne with arabitatta sauce and garlic slivers. The ravioli had a fantastic flavor combination and I think all sauces should be sage-infused.

Dessert came with the Pasta Trio and I was not one to turn it away. I am not a fan of most Italian desserts as they never contain enough chocolate. I had the ice cream trio: blueberry, cherry plum sorbet and caramel ice cream. I have never had caramel ice cream before and I devoured it before the others. The flavor was complex. The cherry plum sorbet was more on the tart side, and I couldn’t help but thinking of how much my mom would like it because she loves anything tart. I would highly recommend Lidia’s to anyone visiting Kansas City.

I asked around for a good BBQ place (I loved Arthur Bryant’s but I wanted to try something different). I was told that Oklahoma Joe’s was voted the best of Kansas City. I drove to Olathe, KS and had a pulled pork sandwich which was very, very good. They also had really good fries.

I know this wasn’t the most exciting trip to report on, but I did eat well. And isn’t that what this blog is really all about?

Next Trip: Yellowstone

Ladies, Please Take Note

2010-01-06T00:09:00.001-05:00

Mathieu's Bon Voyage Party

2010-01-04T21:40:00.003-05:00

In June my wonderful, awesome, French friend Mathieu had to leave to go back to France. I don’t know why he felt like he had to go back to Paris; I mean Reston, VA is pretty nice. It isn’t like he has family, friends and a wonderful girlfriend back in France. I guess I just have to respect his decision whether I like it or not.

Before Mat left we had a bon voyage party at The Tombs in Georgetown. The Tombs is a popular hangout for Georgetown students, especially because it is conveniently located across the street from the University. Luckily, school was out for the summer so we were able to get a reservation for a large group. If you do have a large party, the staff at The Tombs was very accommodating. One of the hosts even put more money in my parking meter for me.

The food was very good and I really enjoyed the cream of asparagus soup. The waitress recommended it and I really enjoyed the smooth, creamy flavor. It was a great place because everyone seemed to enjoy what they ordered. Lala, Mat’s girlfriend, had the crab cakes because she wanted something that was representative of the local cuisine. The Tombs even has a trivia night and it was really fun playing along. Sadly, all of the questions that I answered correctly had to do with TV and movies. I have issues.

While the food was good, it was a bittersweet night because it meant that Mathieu was leaving. Come back soon Mathieu and Lala! America has great hamburgers and awesome television.

Eric Visits in June

2009-12-27T00:09:00.003-05:00

I am lucky to live near DC. It is a cool place to live, it is beautiful in the fall, it has a dynamic energy about it, and people often come here for business, conferences and sight-seeing. I have been fortunate to have a lot of friends come out to visit over the last two years. My friend Eric came out for a conference in June and stayed with me. Eric and I were both in the same study abroad program in Madrid, Spain. He was the cool kid and I just tagged a long basking in his awesomeness. It was great to see Eric because we hadn’t seen each other since I left Utah. It was a reunion that was long overdue.

Sadly, Eric wasn’t in town for very long and he had to attend the conference and I had to work (I hate needing a paycheck). So I would drop Eric off at the Metro on my way to work and I would pick him up at a Metro stop or in DC after work and we would eat food. Eric and I love to eat food, I think it is what brought us together initially.

So here is where we ate:
• I took Eric to one of my favorite places, Kabob Palace. I have mentioned it before, but I just love that place and I love to take visitors there. If you come to see me, there is no escaping it – just ask Tiffany.
• We also headed to Ben’s Chili Bowl. Ben’s Chili Bowl is a DC institution and I had never been. Eric swore to me that he liked chili so we made our way up to U Street. The chili was indeed very good and it is different than southwestern style chili as there were no beans anywhere. I would not recommend the slushees that they have, the one I ordered was so sweet I almost went into a diabetic coma. Eric and I both enjoyed the chili dogs. Eric also had potato salad that said was just okay.

Eric also wins the Guest of the Year award. I set Eric up in the basement is which is large and cold (which is great for the summer). Our dog, Lexy, rarely ventures into the basement for reasons that are known only to her. When she does go down there, however, it is to poop. Sometimes when Lexy can’t last the entire night the basement becomes her bathroom. It is a rare occurrence, but Seabreeze does have a seam cleaner on hand just in case.

Poor Eric was sleeping soundly when he heard Lexy come down the stairs. He told us that he got very excited that Lexy was going to hang out with him until she proceeded to poop right in front of him on the carpet. Wonderful Eric took Lexy out for a walk at 3:00 am and then proceeded to clean up her mess. Eric, you went above and beyond and are welcome here anytime – if you dare to return.

I hope that doesn’t scare the rest of you way.

Bella Visits in June and August 2009

2009-11-30T18:15:00.006-05:00

In June my lovely friend Bella Tukuafu came out to DC for her new job. I was so excited that she was in town because it had been about 4 years since we had last seen each other. As usual, Bella was totally awesome. It was great to catch up with her and learn more about her sexy husband (I am just reporting the facts, right Bella?) and her totally adorable kids. Bella never ceases to amaze me; she is so cool and confident.

While in town, Seabreeze, Shelley, Bella and I went to our former mission president’s house for dinner (the mission president supervises all the missionaries). I hadn’t seen the Pratt’s in about 8 years and it was strange to see kids that were in high school when I knew them now married and with kids on the way. It was nice to catch up with them again.

Bella and I went out to dinner several times when she was in town. I took her to Cosi here in Reston and the s'moores were fantastic. Bella's co-worker Cecilia joined us as Cosi and instantly fit right in. Cecilia you are welcome here anytime. On her last night in town I headed to Rosa Mexicano in to join Bella and her co-workers for dinner. Boy did we eat up a lot of food and shared several desserts. I love people that love dessert.

What really made my day was that Bella came back in August and we were able to spend time together once more. I wish she didn’t live so far away – stupid Utah.

Savannah, GA

2009-11-20T15:13:00.004-05:00

Right after I got back from NYC I headed down to Savannah, GA. I was really excited to go, because I was heading to my ancestral homeland. My maternal grandmother grew up outside of Savannah in Jesup. I have never been to this part of Georgia, so it was exciting to get an idea of my Grandma AJ’s background. One of the people I met said that they knew some Odum’s (my grandmother's maiden name) from Jesup and commented that they are some fun-loving drunks. I am glad I come from a line of people that know how to party.

The highlight of the trip was the night I spent in Savannah. There is a new Hampton Inn downtown that is really nice. It is located right in a lovely part of Savannah and is a good deal, although you do have to pay for parking. One benefit of staying a Hampton Inn is that they usually have a decent selection of cable channels. Sadly, I ended up spending way to much time in the hotel room as I felt the beginnings of a cold coming on.

Before I crashed for the night, I headed to Paula Dean’s restaurant, The Lady & Sons. I love to eat at local places and I was especially excited to eat the food of someone that appears on my beloved Food Network. Things actually went my way as I was able to find a free parking spot close to the restaurant and I got in without a reservation (because I was willing to eat at the bar).

There was a lot on the menu that looked very, very good. The only issue is that I have some weird preferences when it comes to food (my dad continuously mocks me, and rightfully so). I don’t like to eat meat on the bone. This means that I don’t really care for roasted chicken served on the bone or ribs. In fact, if it meant eating ribs or not eating at all, I wouldn’t eat. I don’t care to gnaw on bones and when you eat chicken on the bone, you don’t just get the meat, you end up eating gristle, tendons, and other nasty parts of the animal. Yuck. I also don’t care much for fish. I have never really enjoyed fish, aside from the fish stick or Filet-o-Fish variety. I also have issues with shellfish. I oftentimes have strange reactions to crab and lobster, so I just tend to avoid the whole group all together.

Now for the important part – Savannah is a southern coastal city - meaning that they are famous for their seafood and fried chicken (not necessarily together). So when I had to pick a meal, it was pretty much fish or fried chicken. Here is how I played it: The Lady & Sons has a meal called the “Southern Buffet.” It is all you can eat for $17.99 of pork loin, fried chicken, biscuits, corn bread, macaroni and cheese and a lot of other typical southern foods. The bartender recommended the Southern Buffet since I was only in town for the night and it was the best way to sample Paula Dean’s cooking.

The buffet was fantastic, aside from the pork loin which I found to be dry. I also didn’t love the peach cobbler – and I typically love peach cobbler. It just seemed a bit bland, as if there wasn’t enough cinnamon.

I may not eat much fried chicken on a regular basis, but it was the best fried chicken I have ever had. I even went back for seconds. The macaroni and cheese was totally decadent and the homemade corn bread was to die for – I had to force myself not to just eat carbs the entire time. Before you even head to the buffet, you are served garlic and cheddar biscuits – those biscuits prove that this is an inherently good world, as nothing that delicious could ever exist in a world of pure evil. I even tried some black eyed peas that were pretty tasty. But that fried chicken – oh man, that must be what fried chicken in heaven tastes like. Mom – you have to go.

Given the opportunity, I would happily go to Savannah again. Maybe this time I would be able to take a tour of the city, go to the Odum stomping grounds, and see that statue on the cover of the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

New York City, NY

2009-11-01T18:39:00.012-05:00

Well, I did pretty well on my blog in August, yet like most of my efforts in life, the progress was short-lived. I am going to get back up on the blogging horse and try once more. Thanks for sticking with me.

In May I had the awesome assignment of going up to NYC for a three-day training course. It was especially nice because my good friend, Frank, was assigned to teach. Road Trip!

Frank and I decided to take the train up to New York instead of flying. I haven’t been on trains very much, but I like the concept. One argument for the train is that it takes you right from Union Station in DC to Penn Station in NYC, which is really convenient. While it is about a three hour train ride, you don’t have to arrive at the train station 1.5 hours early so you end up saving a fair amount of time. It is a much more laid back affair and it really was nice to not have to deal with taxis to and from LaGuardia or JFK. I would totally take the train again (although it not any cheaper than flying). Frank did not have such a fantastic experience. I came home a few days earlier than Frank as he has friends up on Long Island. On his way back someone jumped in front of his train and died, delaying it for hours. The exact quote from Frank was, “I wasn’t annoyed while I still had 30 Rock to watch, but once I finished with the DVD’s I got mad.”

Now I may come off sounding spoiled, because of where I stayed in New York, but I am not. Frank and I were lucky enough to book rooms at the Waldorf-Astoria. I never in a million years thought I would get to stay there. They were running a huge special and it was cheaper to stay at the Waldorf than it was to stay at a Hilton Garden Inn in Chelsea (I am not lying: $259 at the Waldorf compared to $269 at the Hilton Garden Inn). It was an amazing hotel with an absolutely beautiful lobby and a great location in Midtown. I will say that my room wasn’t remarkable, it was actually quite small. The hallways in the hotel also creeped out Frank, who said they reminded him too much of the “The Shining.” Judge for yourself...

The Waldorf is just a couple of blocks from Rockefeller Center. Naturally, Frank and I headed over there to try and stalk Tina Fey, but she was no where to be found. While there was no Tina, there was a Magnolia Bakery. For those of you that know I love tiny cakes, they don’t get much tinier than cupcakes. Frank and I went back to Magnolia several times and I fell in love with the chocolate on chocolate and the red velvet. Frank is weird and eats his cupcakes without frosting. Who does that?

Frank had never been to the Empire State Building so we totally had to go there. Now they try to upsale you with a special trip to the 102nd floor for an extra $15. It is not worth it. At that high up, the perspective is about the same and the entire floor is enclosed and slightly confining. Otherwise, it was a beautiful day to go and I as usual, the view was spectactular.

I talked Frank into going to Serendipity with me because I love their frozen hot chocolate (as stated in an earlier blog). I totally got us lost going there, but we arrived and I enjoyed my sandwich and my awesome frozen hot chocolate. I don’t know if Frank enjoyed it or not.

The building where we were training was located in Chelsea so I was able to go to the Chelsea Market for lunch. I loved that place, especially Hale and Hearty Soups. They have amazing corn chowder and wild mushroom soup. I also enjoyed their turkey cranberry sandwich. I ate there several times and really enjoyed the food and surly service.

I also had my first authentic New York Style pizza at Gotham Pizza. It was very yummy and not at all greasy. I typically like a thicker crust because I love bread, but I am becoming a thin crust convert. I my have to eat a lot of pizza to fully change my mind but I am up to the challenge.

There are some fantastic restaurants in Chelsea by chefs whose names I actually know. There was Tom Colicchio’s place, Craft, which had some delicious steaks smells coming out of the building and Iron Chef Morimoto’s Morimoto New York. It is at times when I am surrounded by fine dining that I really wish I had a lot of money.

I had my first, “let’s get some drinks at the Waldorf” experience and it was expensive. I paid $20 for two virgin daiquiris. I wonder what in those drinks cost $20 because I know there wasn’t $20 worth of booze in there? It was still a lot of fun and I totally downed a ton of the Chex mix-like food they had on the tables. I hope I ate $20 bucks worth of that mix.

Since I am not very familiar with New York I don’t know of a lot of places to eat that were within our price range. After wandering around and getting hungrier and hungrier Frank and I just gave up and picked a place to eat off Times Square. I had heard of Maxie’s Delicatessen before and for some reason had heard it was delicious. I was very, very mistaken. The food was totally disgusting and flavorless. I think that they take every order and just deep fry it. My southwestern egg rolls tasted just like my Ruben hamburger that tasted nothing like a Ruben. Everything ultimately tasted like old oil. Do not eat there – EVER!

Frank did figure out where the mistake came, there is a 4-star restaurant in New York called Maxie’s Bar and Grill. We were so close to goodness but yet so far…

On the way back from Maxie’s we passed a restaurant called Alfredo’s of Rome. Frank and I stopped to look at the menu and someone that was outside smoking told us the place was really delicious. Since she was dressed all in black, we assumed she was a waitress but she insisted she was not, just a happy customer. We went back the next day and I had the best fettuccini alfredo of my life. It was so creamy and simple. The sauce actually tasted like cheese and not like a cheese sauce derivative that came out of a can – I accuse you Olive Garden. It isn’t cheap, but not overly expensive. I would happily eat there again.

On our last night in New York we went to see The Lion King. I was totally jazzed to see the play as I had heard so many great things about the costumes and set design. I should preface the following by saying that I have never seen the movie The Lion King so I didn’t really know the story. Frank was a really good friend because he wanted to see a different play, but I insisted on The Lion King. The first number with the “Circle of Life” song was breathtaking. I was in shock at that creativity and imagination it took to make the savannah and its wildlife come to life so beautifully on stage. Needless to say, I was impressed.

Then things started going down hill. The jokes were lame and the kid actors had the emotional range of a rice cake. I went to the theater with higher expectations from the whole production. There were some stand out scenes for the costumes and sets, but the overacting and pathetic jokes just really took a great play and made it unfortunate. As Frank later reminded me, “it is a kid’s movie.” I owe you an apology Frank.

The day I was leaving to travel back to DC was my birthday. Frank and I decided to go to the Today show. According to internet sources, you should arrive at the Today show at about 5:30 am if you want to get onto Rockefeller Plaza. 5:30 am is early, but Frank and I were up until almost 1:30 am watching scenes being filmed for the upcoming movie, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice with Nicolas Cage so 5:30 am was really early. It was kind of boring watching them film the movie because took forever for them to do anything. The upside is that my failures to enter the movie business on the production side seem less like failures. We did get to see a garbage truck ram a car at about .5 mph in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. So if you see the movie that is part we saw being filmed.

We got to the Today show at about 5:30 and proceeded to stand in line for an hour until they let us onto the plaza. Frank made a sign for me to hold up (since he is more artistic than I am) wishing my Uncle Roger a happy birthday (we have the same birthday). It was the first installment of the Today summer concert series with Jennifer Hudson. We were able to listen to her warm up which was really fun.

One of the ladies standing next to us was chosen for the Ambush Makeover series. She was just so nice and if you watch during the fourth hour of the show, you can see Frank and me standing behind her and jumping up and down like idiots. I have to say that the guy who does the makeovers is Botoxed beyond belief. Yikes!

By 7:00 am we had seen Al Roker, talked a fellow visitor through a break-up with her boyfriend, heard Jennifer Hudson, and had aching feet. We both went back to the hotel and crashed.

Before I caught my train back to DC we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was amazing. I absolutely adore their collection of Greek and Roman statuary. It was especially wonderful having Frank there because he as a strong background in art and art history. I would highly recommend inviting Frank to any art museum you visit. I just wish we would have had more time to explore. I could spend days there, and I know nothing about art.

Next Trip: Savannah, GA

Opera at the Kennedy Center

2009-08-30T20:17:00.006-04:00

For growing up in a suburb of Paris, my friend Mathieu has had no exposure to the opera. It is shameful. Are you sure you are even French Mat?

Now I can’t really say much because I have only been to 3, maybe 4, operas in my entire life. My wonderful friend Michelle Kirby arranged for us to go see La Traviata in California when I was in high school. I really enjoyed it, especially because they provided supertitles. I don’t understand anything about singing or composition, but I know I liked what Verdi put together.

In Austria, Seabreeze, Shelley, Elise, and I watched about half of an opera (something in Italian) at the Vienna State Opera House (we only watched half because we had to make the three hour drive from Vienna to Maria Alm) and it was a beautiful production. If you are visiting Vienna, go to the opera house about an hour before the performance and you can get standing tickets for 2 Euro. It is a great deal and the Vienna State Opera House is beautiful.

What might count as an opera is a Spanish form of operetta and folk opera called Zarzuela. In Madrid Seabreeze, Shelley, Katie and I saw a Zarzuela performance that was fantastic. It isn’t as heavy as opera and often introduces some comedy. I would say it falls more on the Gilbert and Sullivan side of theater. I was impressed that I understood as much as I did of the performance. Poor Katie had to have one of us translate for her. I bet she missed a lot of plot points because Seabreeze, Shelley and I all speak cheap, gringo Spanish.

And my latest opera was back in May – Siegfried. Mathieu decided that he needed to see an opera and I am always game to participate in something that makes me sound cultured and smart. I don’t actually have to be cultured and smart – I am merely looking to appear cultured and smart. So Mat picked Siegfried. Siegfried is the third of a four part opera series by Wagner called Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). It is essentially part of the plot of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with less fighting and more sword forging. Siefried’s father had a sword that was broken and Siegfried has to reforge it so he can fight the dragon Fafner (best name ever) that has a ring that gives the owner the power to rule the world. Sound familiar?

Overall it was a great night and good performance. Let's fact it, any night at the Kennedy Center is a good night. At four hours, it was definitely on the long side, but I still felt like I learned something - mostly that German isn’t a very pretty language. Also, if I have to listen to a story about “One ring to rule them all…” it is going to be on DVD and have Viggo Mortensen fighting orcs.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our night at the opera.

Mathieu and Andrew

Emily and Me

Andrew, Mathieu and Emily

Tiffany Visits!

2009-08-29T17:08:00.010-04:00

In April one of my oldest friends, Tiffany Cook, came out to visit. It was such a joy to have her come because, as usually happens when my friends have kids, they can never leave home for very long. Luckily Tiffany had an “ace in the hole,” she was pregnant with her third child at the time as was able to garner enough sympathy from her husband, friends, and family earn a brief getaway. Nice job Mike, you earned a lot of husband points!

Tiffany served as a missionary for our church here in the DC area. As a missionary, you rarely get to have any fun, so this was Tiffy’s big chance to do some of the things she couldn’t do before. Of course, at seven months pregnant I don’t know how much fun you can have, but Tiffany was bound and determined to try.

And now, the many adventures of Tiffany in DC:

Tiffany went out to dinner with single people.
I consider this a brave move for someone that has been married for over 8 years. I must say that Tiffany was a total sport as we talked about love, jobs, dating, and places to get good Mexican food. We ended up eating at El Paso Café, which is probably the best Mexican and Salvadoran food I have had on the East Coast. While that isn’t saying much, I would definitely eat there again.

Tiffany let me be a history nerd at Monticello.
Tiffy did not have a long list of places to see, but she did want to go to Monticello and Mt. Vernon. It is about a 2.5 hour drive down to Monticello from Reston, but it is a lovely trip. I had never been to Monticello in the spring and it was, as always, delightful. Sadly, it was the busiest I have ever seen because everyone was in DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival and made daytrips to Monticello. Regardless, it was a lovely day and I totally wish I was a Jefferson descendent so I could have more access to the place and be buried in the family plot.

Tiffany survived a trip to Baltimore.
It wasn’t actually supposed to be a trip to Baltimore, but boy did it end up that way. We attempted to go to Mt. Vernon, but it was so crowded and just sitting in traffic was totally annoying. Being the wild girls that we are, we decided to drive up to Philadelphia. The trip started off so well…we found a Krispy Kreme, traffic was light, and the weather was fantastic. Then we passed through the Harbor Tunnel outside of Baltimore. Just as we excited the tunnel my car just lost acceleration. It was awful.

So what happened was that my timing belt broke and busted up the engine in the process. I ended up calling AAA for a tow and the Highway Patrol set up flares to make sure no one hit my car as I was blocking a merging lane. The Maryland roadside emergency guy actually pushed my car with his truck so we could get to a shoulder. The tow truck guy took us to his shop, as it was a weekend and most shops were closed. Then Tiffany and I walked down the street and hung out at a McDonald’s in Baltimore until Seabreeze kindly came and rescued us. There was so much crying on my part. For those of you that know I have issues with Baltimore, my car dying and getting stranded in a town I don’t know didn’t help Davis-Baltimore relations.

Things did not go well for my poor little Ford. The repair costs were to range between $1,500 to 3,000 at a minimum for a car that would fetch $1,200 if I could get it running again. I ended up selling it to a salvage yard in Baltimore for $100. I have to say, that if you need a mechanic in Baltimore, go to Curtis Auto Shop in Dundalk. The mechanic was fantastic and didn’t try to rip me off in my fragile state. I would gladly have him look at my new car – a Nissan Sentra that I adore. Seabreeze was an absolute treasure when I didn’t have a car. She let me borrow her car every day so I could take Tiffany around and go car shopping. Seabreeze, you went above and beyond. Shelley and my mom and dad deserve Medals of Valor for kindly putting up with about 15 phone calls a day regarding taking out loans, car shopping, insurance, negotiating, etc. I also still owe Jason a dinner for helping me negotiate buying a car. He is very, very good. Below is a picture of my sweet Ford getting towed away. Sniff, Sniff…

Tiffany let me be a history nerd at Mt. Vernon.
Thanks to Seabreeze we did make it to Mt. Vernon. I love to go to Mt. Vernon and Monticello in different seasons because you really get to see different vegetation and animals. Tiffany has been starting to garden, so it was nice for her to buy some seeds from her trip that she could then plant in her garden at home. I like seeing all the baby animals (I also like how I am 5 year old girl when it comes to baby animals). I even got to pet some baby sheep that were so darling. The new museum at Mt. Vernon is great and I would highly recommend a visit.

Tiffany spent 5 days with me.
I love that Tiffany knows me so well. It was fantastic to spend time with someone that knows when I am full of BS. I just love her to death.

Come back any time Tiffany!

SPORTS!

2009-08-16T10:42:00.002-04:00

Since March I have attended more professional sports games than I have in my entire life. I am not quite sure why that is, but I have a couple of ideas. I think one reason is because it is much easier to get to the arenas and ballparks here in DC than in the Bay Area. Also, my parents weren't that interested in sports or attending games. The one team I would LOVE to see play is the San Francisco 49ers. If only I could afford those tickets. Sadly, they totally suck so it would probably just be depressing to attend a game.

Anyway, here are some pictures of us at the games.

In March my friends Seabreeze, Mathieu, Jenny, Shanna, and I saw the Washington Wizards play the Orlando Magic. Naturally, the Wizards lost.

In May Jenny, Shanna, Shelley, Ben and I attended a Washington Nationals game. I don't remember who they played. Naturally, the Nationals lost.

At the end of May a group of us drove up to Baltimore to see a game at Camden Yards. Aside from the Inner Harbor smelling like a combination of raw sewage and rotting fish, it was a wonderful night with AMAZING weather. It was also Mathieu's first baseball game so it was extra exciting. The Baltimore Orioles played the Detroit Tigers. Naturally, the Orioles lost.

In the picture above, from left to right, is: Jen, Ben, Shelley, Mathieu, Seabreeze, Andrew, and Christine.

To top it all off, we went to the batting cages in Herndon, VA to confirm our baseball genius. My friends Frank and Laurie joined Mathieu, Shelley and me.

Who knew I enjoyed going to games? I sure didn't. Although it is one of the few times that I will eat a hot dog - so maybe it isn't an appreciation for athleticism, but rather a desire to eat meat by-products. I am going to have to think about this one.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

2009-08-03T20:49:00.005-04:00

I thought that blogging would be an easy way for me to keep track of the vaguely cool stuff that I do. How wrong I was – blogging is time consuming! That must be the reason why people do this as a full-time deal. I think my real downfall is that I want to do these blogs in chronological order. If I could just blog at the moment I might be better but I am so neurotic that I there is no way I could actually abandon linear time.

That being said, in February I headed up to Calgary, Alberta. I had never been to western Canada before and I couldn’t believe that my first trip was going to be in February. I am not a snow person, and from what I hear about Canada (the Great White North is not a joke after all) I would definitely be out of my element. Luck was in my favor the week I was there, not much snow, just a lot of cold. I don’t think I have been that cold since I lived in Logan, UT. To make matters worse, I don’t even know how cold I was because they use Celsius. As much as I detest the metric system, it was cool to drive 110 kph – I felt drunk with speed and power.

When I arrived in Calgary, I saw a lot of steakhouses. And since I am my father’s daughter, I decided to eat steak. It had been a long day by the time I reached Calgary and I was ready to eat. I ended up going to Cattle Baron, which I guess is pretty well known (at least according to the framed articles in the lobby). I ordered a 6 oz filet and it was adequate. I honestly expected a little bit more from the famous Alberta beef – although I am not sure it is the cows fault. I must admit that the bread they served was amazing. Is it sad that I remember the bread?

I did eat at the hotel (Embassy Suites to be exact) on a couple of evenings because it was cold. I know that is so pathetic but once you get ensconced in the warm hotel, why would you leave? The hotel food was passable although after I ate I wish I had gone out.

One of my students recommended a restaurant called Moxie’s Classic Grill. It was very nicely decorated and trendy but I still felt comfortable eating by myself. I don’t remember the entrée (oops) but I do remember the avocado spring rolls that were super yummy.

Another student recommended a place called Thai Boat. It was nice and they had a pretty good pad thai. I would have liked something a bit more robust, but for the price it was just fine.

My students decided that we all needed to go out to lunch on Thursday. Olive Garden was chosen because it is good for a lot of people. Fortunately for me, one student told the waiter it was my birthday and the wait staff brought out a cake and everyone sang “Happy Birthday.” It was so hard for me to just play it naturally and not crack up. My students were the nicest group of people that I have met in quite some time.

The coolest thing I did was drive up to Banff National Park and see Lake Louise. I have wanted to go to Lake Louise for a while and for a couple of reasons. One, I once saw an episode of the Jeff Corwin Experience (I love Jeff Corwin) at Lake Louise and it looked stunning. Two, I have Webshots on my computer and one of the rotating pictures is of Lake Louise. I guess I just wanted to say when the picture rolled around on Webshots that I had been there.

Banff is about 1.5 hours away from Calgary, so I took off after my class finished around noon on Friday. I drove up to Banff and it was just lovely and even better, it wasn’t snowing. I was a bit hesitant to make the drive up into the Canadian Rockies as I didn’t have any snow gear aside from a glove, scarf, and hat set that my brother got me for Christmas. I definitely didn’t have shoes that would work well. I ended up taking my sneakers and hoping for the best.

Lake Louise is stunning. For overnight guests there is Château Lake Louise which sits right on the lake. I would love to stay there, although I don’t think I make nearly enough money. The alpine beauty of the Château and the lake reminded me so much of Austria.

I walked over to the lake and it was totally frozen. They had ice sculptures, as well as a skating rink, and a hockey rink. I was watching people walk across the lake and I was dead set against setting one foot on that frozen mass of water. I had always thought people hanging out and having funtivities on frozen lakes was an urban legend. It just seems unnatural.

After realizing that this was my one shot to walk on a frozen lake, I decided to take the proverbial plunge. I figured I have had a good life, so if it ended then so be it. I loved walking across the lake. I only made it about ¾ of the way across until the sun dipped behind the mountains and it became very, very cold. Needless to say, I lived to tell the tale. It is, perhaps, one of the most memorable experiences I have had.

On the way back to Calgary, I stopped in the town of Banff, which can only be described as picturesque. I walked around the main streets of Banff with the distinct feeling that someone took Park City, UT and moved it to Canada. I had a hard time finding someplace to eat as everything looked really cheap or really expensive. I finally decided to pick a place and just go – I was on en expense account so what did I care? I would ask forgiveness when I got back to the office.

I ended up eating at the Maple Leaf. It was amazing! They let me sit by the window with a panoramic view of the mountains. What made it even better was that I got to watch the sunset as I ate. The New York strip steak was perfectly cooked and tender. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and the vegetables were just the right and perfectly al dente. I cannot think of one bad thing to say about the place. The wait staff was outstanding and even let me join in their conversation about Lost. For those of you that like wine, they have an extensive selection. If you are ever in Banff, do not skip the Maple Leaf.

And now for two side notes: First, the Canadians are not kidding when it comes to hockey, as every other channel covered some hockey game. And second, I did find a used bookstore called the “Wee Book Inn.” Sadly, it was going out of business because of rising rent prices.

Next Trip – New York City

Language Guide

2009-07-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

I can swear by what this video says. While in Moldova the one phrase I could remember was "Take Cover!" and people always found that endearing. Enjoy!

Gettysburg, PA

2009-06-21T22:03:00.002-04:00

In January some of the 31 and older singles from my church decided to take a ski trip to Gettysburg, PA. Shelley’s boyfriend, the totally awesome Ben, really wanted to go skiing. Shelley thought it would be fun to go as well and somehow managed to talk me into the trip. I don’t know how she does it.

The plan was to avoid skiing. Shelley is a fantastic skier, but didn’t have any of her gear in Virginia. I don’t ski at all, and I really didn’t want to try on the pathetic “mountains” that they have out here. If I am going to go skiing, it will be in Utah or the California Sierra Nevada’s. That is how God intended people to ski. Instead, Shelley and I were going to tour the Gettysburg Civil War site.

Everyone in the group was staying at a Day’s Inn, but I am a hotel snob and refused to stay there. Instead, we stayed down the street at a Hampton Inn where I felt much more comfortable. The Hampton was nice enough, but in our first room (and I do mean first) someone had smeared snot on part of the wall. I cannot stay in a room like that and we had to change rooms. I am still disgusted thinking about it. The hotel was very nice about the whole incident so I don’t fault them.

The next morning we overslept and didn’t make it to the Gettysburg tour. I wasn’t that upset because I was just along for the ride. We decided to drive to Amish country (Lancaster County) as Shelley had never had never been. It was an amazing plan except for the fact that we had no actual idea as where to go to exploit the Amish and gaze at them for our own amusement. Luckily Shell and I live for the road and just headed toward any town or shop with the word Lancaster in it.

Now if you ask us how Amish country was, we really couldn’t tell you. A few weeks before this trip Seabreeze’s mother, Coni, came and helped us to feng shui our bedrooms. Coni did an amazing job and little by little Shelley and I have been attempting to make our rooms infinitely more awesome. To make a short story long, as we were driving to Amish country we saw a billboard advertizing a Pottery Barn outlet store. It was as if the universe was telling us to buy crap for our bedrooms.

The rest of the day became a quest to find the Pottery Barn outlet. Lancaster, PA has an amazing amount of outlet malls. We headed to the Yankee Candle outlet, the Harry and David outlet, the DKNY outlet, and finally, the Pottery Barn outlet. By the time we had finished shopping, we needed to head back to Gettysburg and meet up with Ben. It may seem lame, and it was, but we got some great stuff at even better prices.

We did see one buggy if that redeems us in any way.

Next Trip – Calgary, Alberta

Havelock, NC

2009-05-26T00:11:00.003-04:00

In January I drove down to North Carolina for a class in Havelock, NC. I decided to make the 6-7 hour drive, because by the time you get to the airport an hour and a half early, make the hour flight to Charlotte, NC, have an hour to two hour layover in Charlotte, make the hour flight to Jacksonville, NC and then drive an hour to Havelock it seemed a bit of a wash. Also, last time I flew to the area I had a bad experience on US Airways and I don’t want to give them any more money.

While it may sound exciting to go to the Eastern Carolina Shore, Havelock is not the “Outer Banks.” Also, since I was there during the off season, all the good restaurants that were recommended to me in Morehead City (a twenty minute drive south) were closed. I ended up eating at Wendy’s my first night there and Panera my second night if that tells you anything.

A couple of things were noteworthy on my trip. First, Marines swear more than any other branch of the Armed Forces. You would think that being a “lady” I would have slowed them down, but they were completely undeterred. I am not complaining or being prudish, it was as if they had taken the cursing to a new level. In a way, I almost admire their creativity.

Second, I actually found some amazing sushi down in Morehead City. I didn’t expect to enjoy the food as I had been having pretty low expectations of the area, but it was the best sushi I have had since moving to the East Coast. One of my students recommended a sushi bar and Japanese steak house called Kabuto. I went in because I had no where else to go, and ended up eating at Kabuto's two nights in a row – an unprecedented move for me. I would highly recommend the California Rolls (I know it is “gringo” sushi, but I still love them) and the hibachi filet mingon. I know it is hard to have a bad filet, but was fantastic.

There is a local place called Ham’s, but I found the service to be slow and the food forgettable. The only reason I really ate at Ham’s was because I could walk there from my hotel. On that note, if you are going to Havelock, the Hampton Inn was recently built and is a perfectly fine place to stay.

It may have been a less than exciting trip, but I did miss out on all the storms in the DC area so I still list my Havelock experience as a win.

Next trip: Gettysburg, MD

Sacramento, CA

2009-05-17T00:38:00.002-04:00

It wasn’t too hard to say goodbye to my family at Christmas because I came back after one week. It wasn’t because I was homesick, I had a course to teach in Sacramento, CA. There was nothing much to report about this trip except that it was the last training course my company offered in our now closed Sacramento office. I must admit that I am going to miss the several times a year I was able to go back home on the company dime. I just hope that the State of California can save enough money for me (unbridled optimism, or you could argue misguided optimism is a wonderful thing) to make it back to Nor Cal periodically.

I would just like to give a shout out to all the people that took time out of their busy schedules to eat food with me. You all know how much I love to eat food! Thanks to: Mom, Dad, Jody Moore, Megan Moore Garrison, Sheri Frazier, Sean Gendreau, Katie McCluskey, and several of my students who ventured to In-N-Out Burger with me.

Next Trip – Cherry Point, NC

Home for Christmas - Antioch, CA

2009-05-17T00:08:00.007-04:00

I can’t believe the time delay in my blogs. I find that I want to do all of this in chronological order, but I am not disciplined enough to blog in a timely manner. I wish I could promise “Yes We Can” like change, but I don’t see it happening any time soon.

So my last trip in December was to my hometown, Antioch, CA. I hadn’t anticipated returning home for Christmas, but being in Phoenix and having vacation time that needed to be used, it just seemed foreordained. It turned out to be a nice trip home as my family was together again for the first time in over a year and a half. It also turned out to be a blast from the past trip as I caught up with two of my best friends from high school that I had not seen many years.

My friend Veronica Leong is a professor in the Engineering Department at Arizona State University (this is especially weird because I spent the prior week in Tempe, AZ but I thought Verny was still working on her post doc at UCLA). She actually runs her own lab and teaches classes and is one of the smartest people in the world. I don’t know if she has been officially designated as one of the smartest, but she is an Antioch High School success story. Thanks for making us look good Verny. She is married to Ryan Santos and has an adorable little boy named Bradley who starts off shy, but then makes us all drink imaginary soup.

When I think of Michelle Kirby, I instantly think of the kindest and most genuine people I know. Michelle doesn’t have a mean bone in her body and it isn’t because she is pushover, it is because she is truly and sincerely kind. I haven’t seen Michelle in many years and I am so glad that our time at home coincided. Michelle has accomplished quite a bit since we last communicated: earning her MBA, running all kinds of insane (in my opinion because I hate exercise and physical pain) marathons and trail races, and traveling the world. She lives in the Denver area and I am rooting for a trip to Denver very, very soon.

It was great to catch up and it honestly seemed as if no time had passed since high school or when we all graduated from college. Since I wasn’t home for very long we didn’t get to spend a ton of time together, but the girls came over to my place one night to catch up. I think it freaked my parents out a bit to have us all together again – it was a bit of time warp.

The next morning we all went out to breakfast so we could also spend some time with Ryan and Bradley. Veronica even brought some of her high school year books to peruse, which was a bizarre and sometimes terrifying walk down memory lane. It was just so wonderful to see my two friends all grown up. I know it sounds condescending, although I don’t intend it to be, but I am so very proud of both of them and I am so happy that we are still friends. I need to make sure it doesn’t take to so long for us to get together again.

Next Trip – Sacramento, CA

Phoenix, AZ

2009-04-16T17:50:00.005-04:00

As I said in the last post, December 2008 turned out to be crazy busy. The third trip of the month took me to Phoenix, AZ. I was very excited about this trip because my awesome friend Elise attends Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. I rarely get to see Elise now that I live on the East Coast and as she will testify, I am horrible at keeping in touch with people over the phone (Elise, I promise that this is true for everyone, not just you. I am an equal opportunity ignorer). I have a wonderful friend, Suzette, who lives in Tucson, AZ – or so I thought. I was so pleasantly surprised to learn that she now lives in Phoenix and we were able to get together and catch up. What a great trip.

I booked a reservation at the Hyatt in downtown Phoenix based on the recommendation of my client. Supposedly the Hyatt was only a few blocks from the training location and it would have been an easy walk to and from the hotel. Well, at the last minute they changed locations and I ended up commuting everyday to Tempe. I’ll admit, I was tempted to change hotels, but once I get settled in I am loathe to leave. Also Hyatt Hotels are pretty nice. Plus, it was a reverse commute and I had a nice rental car, so it turned out pretty well in the end. I will say that I am disappointed with the Phoenix downtown area. Unless there is a basketball game going on, the place is practically dead after 5 pm. I didn’t enjoy walking to my hotel from the parking garage at night because the streets were almost as empty as a ghost town. To be honest, it freaked me out a bit.

Elise and I love to go out and eat and this trip was no exception. Elise and I planned on meeting after she was finished with school (she is working on her PhD) and I was finished working. Monday night we went to her favorite Vietnamese restaurant. They had some awesome egg rolls. After that we went to Cold Stone and had the best ice cream combo that was ever created: After Dinner Mint. It is Chocolate Peppermint ice cream with marshmallows, Oreos and chocolate shavings in it. So good, but sadly it is only available during the holidays.

Tuesday night Elise and I headed off to one of our favorite places to eat, California Pizza Kitchen. As some of you may recall (Mom you are probably the only one that remembers this) that I have been boycotting CPK for removing my favorite pizza, the Pear and Gorgonzola, from the menu. I am sure that the loss of my patronage did irreparable damage to CPK’s financials, but that is what they get for crossing me. I am so glad I gave CPK another try because PEAR AND GORGONZOLA IS BACK ON THE MENU! Shout it from the rooftops and everyone order that pizza because I don’t want to have to be without it again. Afterwards we saw a Christmas movie with Freddie Rodriguez in it – which was fine by me because he is super cute.

I also drove by a Costco Home store on Tuesday. Now this is not a Kirkland’s or a regular Costco Warehouse with furniture in it – this is a separate warehouse with just furniture and accessories. Why do we not have this in Virginia? I want one and I want one now here in Virginia and also one for my friends and family in California (my Veruca Salt impression). Costco, don’t hold out on me – share the joy!

I also found a Half Price Books in the Phoenix area – would it be a Jen trip if I didn’t visit Half Price Books? It was a nice shop and I was able to sell some books for a solid price and I loved browsing around the store. I really wish we had a Half Price Books out here in DC, think of all the money I would waste.

Wednesday night we just ordered Pizza Hut (with their yummy breadsticks) so I could do laundry at Elise’s place. I watched my first episode of Private Practice (yummy Taye Diggs) and Elise and I talked about our feelings and relationships. We love to talk about feelings and relationships.

I had demanded Mexican food while I was in Arizona. Elise knew of an excellent place called Ponchos. It was amazing food – their red sauce on the enchiladas had a hint of smokiness that was so delicious (chipotle powder perhaps?). It must be well known in the area because we had to wait 20 minutes to get in on Thursday night. Also, Bill Clinton ate there when he was president, and say what you want about Bill, but he strikes me as the kind of guy that enjoys good food. Elise and I took a picture in front of Ponchos so I wouldn’t forget all the places we ate while in Phoenix. I will say that this picture below is not very flattering of me, but I think it is totally hilarious. I am standing next to Elise and look at how enormous my head is in comparison to hers. What on earth happened to me? Is my parent’s house built over a nuclear waste disposal site? Has the military been conducting experiments on me? What caused me to grow this gigantic head – I know that it isn’t to house my gigantic brain. I think that radiation or nuclear waste is the only answer.

On Friday I met up with my friend Suzette for lunch at a sushi restaurant in Tempe called Ra. It was very good sushi – I especially enjoyed the tuna which didn’t have a fishy taste at all. Suzette and I met doing a study abroad in Madrid, Spain. We ended up assigned to the same house and just hit it off. Before this trip to Phoenix, I hadn’t seen Suzette since June 2001. I had so much fun catching up – it was as if only a few months had passed and not 8 years. Suzette is working on a MA in Accounting. What a savvy girl to get a degree in something practical and useful.

I booked a flight from Phoenix to Oakland so I could go home to Antioch for Christmas. A few hours before my flight left, I met Elise at a very popular restaurant called Oreganos. They have this cookie sundae that is out of this world. Essentially, it is a freshly baked cookie, warm out of the oven and still a little doughy, served with vanilla ice cream on the top. It was heavenly and if I close my eyes I can still taste it. Elise, I hope you will eat another one of those cookie sundaes in my honor. It was so hard to say goodbye to Elise, I wanted to pack her in my suitcase and take her on all my trips. Sadly, Elise has a dissertation to finish and loads of money to earn so she can buy me pretty things.

I have to admit that when I first arrived in Phoenix, I thought it lacked charm. Upon leaving, however, I began to see the beauty in the landscape. I sometimes wonder if I could live there long term, although I think I would complain endlessly about the hot summers.

I would also like to give a shout out to my friend Tina. Tina was in my class in Phoenix and we became instant friends. She is a super cool chic and I hope to see her again in the near future.

Next trip – Antioch, CA

Orlando, FL

2009-04-01T15:32:00.004-04:00

Being a West Coast gal, when it came to visiting a Disney theme park as kids, the Davis clan headed 7 hours south to Disneyland. I had naturally heard of Disney World, but really had no interest in going out of my way to visit. Disneyland is enough for me, it being the original and therefore the best Disney theme park. Skip ahead to my early 30s and the time arrived for me to visit Disney World.

What prompted this visit you may ask? Work. I signed up to take an analytical investigation methods course so I could be a better worker bee. While I may sound flippant, I really appreciate that my company will pay for me to take training courses. The closest course to DC was in Orlando, so that is how I scored a trip to the happiest place in Florida.

December turned out to be a crazy month for me. I started off the month in Ottawa, headed down to Orlando, FL a few days later, then traveled directly to Phoenix, AZ for a week, flew from Phoenix to Antioch for Christmas and made it back to Reston in time for the New Year. I am still tired from those trips. It was quite an environmental shock to go from Ottawa (freezing cold) to DC (pretty cold) to Orlando (do I really need a sweater cold). Being a professional, I only complained about the climate change every 10 minutes or so. What willpower I have!

The course was very helpful for my job, mostly because it reaffirmed that I am on the right track and I have acquired a pretty solid foundation when it comes to link analysis. There were some very, very cool people in the class and I really enjoyed learning from them. You guys know who you are.

I got to spend a lot of time with Sloane, a fellow student, who is just awesome. Since her agency wouldn’t spring for a rental car (Bad Government! You don’t send a lone woman into a sketchy area of town without a rental car – it just isn’t safe) she and I would pal around trying local restaurants. It helped that we stayed at the same hotel, which was the Marriott Courtyard Orlando Downtown. The problem with this place is that the local police warned us not to walk around at night and there was no place to eat within walking distance anyway. Also, the beds were so hard only Seabreeze would have enjoyed them. I didn’t sleep well for 6 nights because of those stupid beds.

The first night we went to Boston Lobster Feast. I am not going to eat at a seafood buffet ever again. I don’t like seafood enough to make it worth the money and any seafood buffet is a total sacrifice for quantity over quality. I think I ate more chocolate soft-serve than I did actual food.

The next night we headed for Downtown Disney. Downtown Disney is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment center located at the Walt Disney World Resort. What I like about Downtown Disney is that it is free. Sloane and I decided to go have Cuban food at Bongo’s Cuban Café. I really enjoyed the food: tostones, flank steak with chimichurri sauce and a virgin strawberry daiquiri. It was also lovely eating outside (in December – Crazy!) and overlooking the lake. After dinner Sloane and I headed to the largest Disney store in the world and were totally overwhelmed.

Sloane and I also ate at a sandwich shop called Firehouse Subs. They serve some nice hot subs there and for those of you that like hot sauce, they have every variety under the sun. Lastly, before I took Sloane to the airport we ended our quest for a good Cuban sandwich at Vega’s. They were great sandwiches and cooked on authentic Cuban style bread. I am not a huge fan of pickles on my sandwiches, but the entire combination of mustard, bread, pickles, and pork all smashed together was absolutely delicious.

While in Orlando I learned a few things about crime. One, never travel on Orange Blossom Trail unless you are looking for transvestite prostitutes. Two, don’t murder your child. I bring this up because they found Kaylee Anthony’s body while I was in Orlando taking a course at the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. When I walked out of the Sherriff’s Office after class, the place was crawling with reporters and there were helicopters flying overhead. I even saw a CourtTV van in front of the county courthouse. It was a total circus. Now I am not qualified to say if she is guilty, but she totally is.

On my last day in Orlando, I decided to go to the Magic Kingdom – by myself. Now I have been to an amusement park by myself once before and I hated it. For some reason I thought that the Magic Kingdom would be different. I was so wrong. I was the only person by themselves that I saw the entire day. It was all adoring families together for the holidays and reveling in each others company. I didn’t want to miss an opportunity which is why I decided to go in the first place, but it was so depressing to be such a loser. It should be called the Suicidal Kingdom for Singles. I did have fun going on the rides and watching all the little kids dressed up as princesses and pirates but I still would have liked to have had someone, anyone with me. Plus I felt compelled to stay the entire day as I paid almost $80.00 to be all depressed. I may have been miserable, but I was bound and determined to get my money’s worth of misery.

On a final note, Disneyland is way better than the Magic Kingdom. Disneyland’s holiday decorations are far better and the Magic Kingdom doesn’t even turn the Haunted Mansion into the Nightmare Before Christmas ride. What’s the deal?

Next Trip: Phoenix, AZ

Ottawa, ON

2009-03-15T17:41:00.005-04:00

Back in December I made my very first trip to the Great White North. My company sponsored our first ever Canadian User Conference and I was one of the lucky trainers selected to go to Ottawa in the middle of winter. Aside from the freezing cold I really liked Ottawa and Canadians in general.

Since I was there for a conference, I only really left the hotel once. Most of what I know about Ottawa I learned from my cab driver. Apparently in winter the river totally freezes over and the city hosts skating races, a winter festival, and all kinds of “funtivities.” I did not get to see any of this. I did catch a glimpse of the Parliament building which was amazingly beautiful.

The night before the conference I did go out to eat at an amazing restaurant in Ottawa called Giovanni’s. It is located in the Little Italy section of the city and was by far the best Italian food I have ever had. I kept trying to find a way to sneak back to Giovanni’s but I was too busy and exhausted to make a break for it. I had the “Pappardelle con Porcini” which I still occasionally reflect on as the ideal pasta dish. The noodles were fresh, and the cream sauce was sparingly added so the dish wasn’t too heavy, and there was just the right amount of mushroom flavor. To be perfectly honest, I am rooting for another trip to Ottawa just to go to Giovanni’s again.

I found out after I ate at Giovanni’s (thanks to some of our conference attendees) that the owner was arrested about a week before I arrived for being involved in a drug-smuggling operation and gangsterism. Yikes, talk about an Italian cliché. Check out the article.

One more noteworthy item – Canadians know how to party. I was really impressed that as a collective they drank all of my colleagues under the table and still held coherent conversations about law enforcement, hockey, universal healthcare, and Canadian politics. If you want to party with the best just visit our neighbors to the north.

Next Trip – Orlando, FL

Thanksgiving in Sacramento

2009-03-04T15:26:00.001-05:00

I hadn’t planned on going home to California for Thanksgiving, but all the stars and planets aligned and the trip came together flawlessly. I love Thanksgiving. I love food. I love watching Food Network obsessively for 2 weeks before the holiday. I love having an eating strategy that I spend hours perfecting. Thanksgiving is awesome.

I also need to talk about how much I love JetBlue. It is a great airline because they have tons of DirectTV channels, give you snacks, and free sodas (unlike some airlines – you know who you are). The only issue that I have with JetBlue is that they don’t fly everywhere I need to go. Now US Airways…

Thanksgiving was relatively uneventful. The trip was so brief that I didn’t get to see a lot of my friends. I did try to prepare a few items for the big feast. My cranberry sauce turned out well, but my green bean casserole (which I made from scratch –thank you Alton Brown) didn’t turn out well. It isn’t Alton’s fault, as I have made the dish successfully before, but I didn’t cook the beans enough and I burned the fried onions. Snafus aside, Thanksgiving dinner rocked my world. Jody, every year you out do yourself. It was also great to see so many of my cousins and their children. Every time I go home it always hits me how much I really miss California.

Next trip – Ottawa, ON

Camp Lejeune, NC

2009-01-31T13:42:00.002-05:00

I was there.

Next Trip - Home for Thanksgiving

Shenandoah National Park and Monticello

2009-01-31T13:36:00.007-05:00

When I first moved out to Virginia, my mom and I took a roadtrip to see Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and then Monticello. We had such a good time that I decided to make it an annual event. Since my mom couldn’t (or wouldn’t – good use of guilt Jen) come this year my friends Shelley, Evan and Justin decided to join me instead.

Skyline Drive is always a gamble because you have to go at just the right time during the Fall. I have yet to find the right time and have decided to make it my mission in life to travel Skyline Drive in all is autumnal glory. When mom and I went in 2007 most of the leaves had not turned, when I went in 2008 they were already falling in vast numbers. 2009 is going to be my year!

We had a great trip! Shelley, Justin and Evan had never been Shenandoah so it was good chance to check it off the list. We made it about halfway through the park when we cut out and headed to Monticello in Charlottesville, VA.

Monticello is one of my happy places. I find the home and the property so tranquil that I would love to just take a book up there and read all day. I love to walk through the gardens and enjoy the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I don’t like gardening or growing things, but if other people are doing to do all the work, I am more than willing to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

After taking a tour of the grounds, house and family graveyard at Monticello, we headed back to Charlottesville for dinner. We had a great meal at a place on Main Street called Bizou. The weather had been so nice all day that we even ate outside, which is impressive for November 1st. I had a chicken pot pie that had cripy leeks on the top instead of crust. It was a nice re-working of a classic dish.

Thanks to Evan, Shelley and Justin for joining me. Any one game for 2009?

Next trip – Camp Lejeune, NC

Dayton, OH

2009-01-03T15:28:00.006-05:00

I went to Dayton, OH in October to teach a class at Wright-Patterson AFB. Dayton was one of those places that I had no regret in leaving. There is nothing wrong with Dayton; but there is nothing remarkable about it either. Of course, most of the people I met there were very nice, so that does increase Dayton’s score a bit.

I did find a Half Price Books in Dayton, so that gave me something to do. I even bought an Alton Brown cookbook, which is very difficult to find used. I had no business buying a cookbook that I would then have to pack back to DC, but I seized the moment.

I did a little research and discovered that Dayton is only about an hour from Cincinnati. I love the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati and really wanted to go see the fountain that is in the opening credits. Mission Accomplished! I picked a day when it wasn’t going to rain and drove the hour to Cincinnati to go to Fountain Square. I really liked Cincinnati and would love to go back. I found the Tyler Davidson Fountain and snapped a ton of pictures that I looked truly terrible in. The fountain itself is stunning and definitely worth a visit.

Some friends from Ohio told me about an ice cream store called Graeter’s. There was a Graeter’s conveniently located in Fountain Square, so off I went. I have to say, their ice cream is fantastic. I got the Apple Cider sorbet and I still dream of how delicious it was. It tasted just like apple cider, with the mulling spices and all. This is high praise because I usually don’t eat ice cream unless there is chocolate involved. Why waste the calories if you don’t get any chocolate?

Across Fountain Square was an Italian place, recommended to me by the manager of Graeter’s, called Via Vite. I had a wonderful meal there, especially after eating at chain restaurants in Dayton all week. I had the special which was potato gnocchi in a butternut squash sauce. I would gladly eat there again.

On my last day in Dayton, I headed to the National Museum of the Air Force. What a great museum. I had a wonderful time and I didn’t even get to see everything. There are literally hundreds of planes on display. The museum teaches you about the early days of aviation, has many cool WWII-era planes and they even have an F-22 Raptor. The highlight for me was seeing the U-2. Now I have seen a U-2 before down at Edwards AFB in California, but I am always happy to get reacquainted with a plane that I have spent years researching (I did my Master’s thesis on the U-2).
Next trip – Shenandoah National Park and Monticello

Simsbury, CT

2008-12-31T13:26:00.009-05:00

In October one of my oldest friends, Tony Costanza, got married in Connecticut. I decided that I had to be there and made Tony’s wedding a road trip weekend.

I was going to drive up to Connecticut by myself, but when Shelley heard that I was going to New England in the fall, she decided to come with me. I couldn’t ask for a better traveling companion to join me in my Gilmore Girls themed, Connecticut weekend. Plus, Shelley likes to listen to Harry Potter audio books as much as I do, so life doesn’t get much better.

The wedding guests and the reception were held at a lovely place called the Simsbury 1820 House. It was a beautiful home with an amazing front porch. According to MapQuest and my GPS it should have taken Shelley and me 6.5 hours to get to Simsbury; instead it took us over 10 hours – thank you very much George Washington Bridge and accident on I-95. We missed the rehearsal, most of the rehearsal dinner and were pretty exhausted by the time we went to bed.

Since the wedding wasn’t until the afternoon, on Saturday Shelley and I met up with a friend from our mission, Becky “Derbita” Ortinez. I have missed Becky like a mad dog and I was wonderful to see her again. It was extra fun because we also spent time with her sweet husband Cesar and her little boy Andrew. Andrew is just about the cutest thing in the whole world and because I only like kids on a case-by-case basis, that is a true compliment. We ate at this great deli, Rein’s Deli, in Vernon, CT. The food was fantastic – especially the French toast on challah bread and the cheese blintz (eat your heart out Mom).

The wedding took place at a Catholic church in West Hartford. The church had lovely stained glass windows. I especially liked how the soloist sang “Morning Has Broken” by Cat Stevens as everyone was being seated. Shaina looked absolutely beautiful and went 1940’s style with her dress and hair. It suited her perfectly. The reception was back in Simsbury at the Simsbury 1820 House. They had great food, a good DJ and plenty of cool people to talk too. It was fun to get to know some of Shaina and Tony’s friends that I have heard so much about but had never met. Good times!

On Sunday, Shelley and I headed back to DC. Before that we wanted to drive Washington Depot, which supposedly served as the inspiration for Stars Hallow from Gilmore Girls. Since it was only an hour away from Simsbury, we decided to take the trip. We made a lot of stops on the way to Washington Depot because Connecticut is so blasted beautiful. Everything we saw from the pumpkin patches to the New England style farm houses were so idyllic. I think Shelley and I used the word idyllic so much it has lost all meaning. Washington Depot is a sleepy little town, I would have to say that Stars Hallow is a much more happening place. It must be a wealthier area, as all the kids we ran into were talking about the prep schools they attend.
Getting us out of Washington Depot proved to be a bit more difficult than expected. My GPS had us going through some lovely farm land (I know I said lovely farm land and I hate farms – what is happening to me?) and woods. But instead of the roads turning into highways, they kept getting smaller. They also turned from asphalt to gravel to dirt roads with no trespassing signs. Needless to say, my TomTom was looking for a road that had not been built yet. Shelley and I were cool with the hour long detour - I can think of worse ways to spend my time then taking a scenic drive.

We eventually found our way to the highway and had a much quicker trip home even with all the stops. We bought apples as a cider mill, made a pit stop at a Costco in Yonkers and avoided getting in fights with toll workers on the New Jersey Turnpike (I am talking about you, Shelley). Thanks to Tony and Shaina for letting me share in such a wonderful wedding.

Next Trip – Dayton, OH

Yellowstone

2008-12-31T00:58:00.006-05:00

In October I took some vacation time and headed to the family cabin in Island Park, ID. I have spent most of my summers up at the cabin and it is as close to camping as I ever want to get. Why sleep on the ground when you can sleep in a bed? Why cook on a camp stove when you can use an oven? Why tell stories and relate to people when you can watch satellite television? Ahh, the sweet cabin life.

When I was at Utah State, I would spend every Thursday to Monday at the cabin with my mom until about mid-October. The weather there is very unpredictable, I have seen it snow like crazy in October and I have also seen great sunny weather. Luckily, the weather was in my favor most of the time. I am not a snow person – as the front left fender of my car will testify.

The vacation got off to a rocky start as I was leaving just two days after returning from Moldova. While I made it back from Moldova in great shape, my luggage decided to stay in Frankfort, Germany. I harassed United Airlines and finally got my luggage a mere 5 hours before I had to leave for the airport to fly to Bozeman, MT. While I generally like flying United, they have lost my luggage a couple of times and when that happens the wrath of Jen is swift and fierce.

While there were many highlights to the trip, chopping wood is not one of them. Did you know that spiders live in wood piles? I threw several panicky fits because the spiders surrounded and even crawled on me. Yuck – I get freaked out just thinking about it. I try not to be a wussy girl, but when it comes to spiders all bets are off.

Roger and Diedra Mahaffey were there for part of the time and it was wonderful to see them. Roger makes awesome waffles and Diedra really likes bacon – so what is not to love about the Mahaffeys? It was good to see my dad go fishing with Roger, and they even caught (and released) a few fish this year – a new record!

I love to ride ATV’s and Island Park is awesome because there are several courses and trials to explore. Sadly, I only got to ride a few times as it hurt the scar on my leg too much. I am hoping that as time passes, I will be able to get back to where I was before and rock the countryside with my awesome moves. (This is pure bravado as I am a mediocre rider, but I think it is an activity that requires super high levels of confidence).

I decided that I needed to visit Yellowstone National Park while I was there. It had been years since I had seen the north loop of the park. Most people want to tour the south loop as there are more geysers, animals and Old Faithful. My parents were helpless against my whining and decided to come with me. We had a great time and the weather, aside from the freezing cold wind, was beautiful. At Mammoth there were about a zillion elk just lying around. Since they were in heat (I don’t know what the technical term is) we kept a good distance. They really are lovely animals. We almost saw a bear; missing him (or her) by just a matter of minutes. Poor Dad, he never gets to see bears.
We always go through West Yellowstone to enter the park. There are a lot of crappy places to eat, but in my vast experience there are two establishments that are definitely worth a visit: Ernie’s and Beartooth BBQ. Ernie’s has great sandwiches and I always stop there before I go into Yellowstone. Their “Fisherman’s Box Lunch” has everything that you need for a picnic and is reasonably priced. Beartooth started out as a summer place operating out of a small kiosk. Due to the popularity of the place, it is now a year-round restaurant. They have amazing pulled pork sandwiches. For sides I would recommend the french fries or the baked beans.

Overall, it was a great vacation. I hope to make it back next year maybe a bit earlier in the season so I can enjoy the outdoors without having to bundle up so much.

Next trip – Simsbury, CT

Chisinau, Moldova

2008-12-22T21:00:00.017-05:00

I know that my announcement of a trip to Chisinau, Moldova has raised some eyebrows. What do I do that requires me to travel to Eastern Europe? Why Moldova? Good questions, but the answers are far more boring than the mystery they inspire. It is like learning the secrets of magic tricks – weren’t you happier not knowing? For those that like truth with a capital “T” here is the answer…I am a spy.

Not really, but I wanted to see if anyone would believe me for even just a second. I work for a software company. That is it. Boring, no spy stuff required. My company makes a suite of software used by law enforcement, intelligence, and military analysts to find patterns and commonalities in data sets. The boredom increases. If you think of an episode of “Law & Order” or “Without a Trace” where they are running suspects phone or financial records to look for anything interesting; that is the kind of stuff I help analysts with. I like it, but I realize that I am getting paid, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Now for the Chisinau, Moldova part of the story. Moldova is located in Eastern Europe between Romania and the Ukraine. If you have never heard of Moldova, no worries, I hadn’t either until I was assigned the trip. According to the CIA World Factbook, Moldova has several issues impeding its progress as a world player:
•It is the poorest country in Europe.
•Moldova is no where near being admitted to the European Union because of corruption and a troublesome break away region known as the “Transnistria Republic." Transnistria has attempted to seperate from Moldova and has its own currency and ruling government. This seperation is helped by the occupying Russian forces, so think of Transnistria as a Basque or Northern Ireland type region that would like to break free from the ruling government due to ethnic ties.
•Moldova is still reeling from the fall of the Soviet Union, as they were a former Eastern Bloc country. Although Moldova is a republic, their leadership is from the new Communist Party.
They have a lot going on there, and while the country may be in hard times, there are some wonderful people in Chisinau trying to make a difference.

My trip to Chisinau was sponsored by the SECI Center (Southeast European Cooperative Initiative), which is a coalition of 13 countries to help fight crime that crosses borders. One of the big issues that SECI is trying to fight is human trafficking. I won’t get into human trafficking much here, but just know that it is a real problem, especially in poorer countries like Moldova. To that end, my co-worker Kevin and I went to Chisinau to conduct a training session for Moldovan and Romanian crime analysts at the Center to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

There are very few travel books about Moldova, making it hard to plan a trip. One reason is that Moldova is not really a country ready for tourism. If you are interested in Moldova, I would recommend reading, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawks. It is a hilarious travel biography and absolutely spot on when it comes to life in Moldova.

When Kevin and I arrived in Moldova it was raining and gray. It stayed gray most of the time I was there. My hope is that Chisinau improves a bit in the sunshine as the city is bleak and overcast. Tony Hawks describes Chisinau best, to paraphrase “You look to the left and there are gray concrete buildings. You look to the right and there are gray concrete buildings. You look in front of you and behind you and there are gray concrete buildings.” That is Chisinau in a nutshell. Kevin and I stayed at a hotel that was not all gray and concrete, the Leogrand Hotel. It was nice and had an excellent restaurant. Kevin and I ate there more than once and the beef was very, very good.

The US Embassy in Chisinau provided our transportation, which consisted of a big van driven by a surly Russian named Sasha. On the first day, Sasha dropped us off at the Center, but didn’t tell us which entrance to use. That was the beginning of our adventure. I don’t think I had ever felt that afraid to be traveling abroad. I was in a country where I didn’t speak the language, no one spoke my language, my cell phone wasn’t working and I had no idea where I was or how to get back to my hotel. I suffered a good 30 minutes of panic – but it all worked out in the end.

Kevin and I entered the building which was sort of creepy with dark, dank halls and florescent lights that flickered on and off. Later in the week I found out that the building was typical of Soviet-style architecture. The woman at the front door kept asking where we were going in Romanian and all I could answer back was “human trafficking” in English (sadly, the phrase “human trafficking” was not covered in my English-Romanian dictionary). The woman called someone and determined that we should go to the 7th floor. Kevin and I eased into an elevator the size of a coffin and made our way to the 7th floor. Turns out our office was not on the 7th floor. I kept wandering around the halls saying “human trafficking” as if I was making offers. Since no one spoke English it was hard to find help. Someone suggested the 5th floor so off Kevin and I went to the 5th floor. No such luck there either. I continued to wander the halls like Lady Macbeth and found an office that had the word Oxford in the title. With the hopes that someone British worked out of the office, I knocked on the door. No Brit worked there, but they were able, through a lot of hand signals, to show us to the right floor.

The Center’s office was so nice. It wasn’t like any of the offices I had seen on the other floors. Once we got to the Center, everything went smoothly. It was interesting to have to work through interpreters as very few of our students spoke English. At the end of the week the interpreters said I was very easy to translate for, which I took as a compliment. I think it goes back to my mission when I had to translate for people and I know how hard it can be. I think the class was very successful and the students were so much more attentive and interested than probably any class I have ever taught here in the US. Kevin and I were very impressed.

The highlights of the trip were:

The Romanians – they all spoke English and stayed in our hotel. Kevin and I loved hanging out with them. The Romanians were excellent students and take their job very seriously. I hope to go to Bucharest and work with them again. I am truly honored to have them as friends.

Wandering through Chisinau – The pollution is tough on the lungs so we didn’t spend too much time outside. Kevin and I went to Central Park and walked up and down the main street, “Stefan cel Mare.” Stefan cel Mare was a very powerful king that won a lot of battles and kept the Ottomans out of the areas that are currently Romania and Moldova. In 1991 when Moldova became its own republic, all the streets that referenced Lenin, Stalin or anything Soviet were changed to something more Moldovan. The street “Stefan cel Mare” is a prime example.

Milestii Mici – This is a very cool winery. There are miles and miles underground tunnels just to house wine. To give you an idea, we drove our minivan round in the tunnels. Milestii Mici has the world’s largest wine collection. My group wonderful dinner and wine tasting in a huge, underground hall that made me feel like royalty. Since I don’t drink, Kevin took one for the team and drank my glasses of wine for me. He is a true friend.

Dinner at Symposium – Danny, our FBI liaison, his wife Jane, Kevin, Dorina, our US Embassy contact, her boyfriend Oleg, and I all had dinner at this fantastic restaurant. I had a traditional Moldovan dinner of chicken and potatoes that I totally enjoyed. Symposium is a great restaurant that wasn’t listed in my guide book. I would highly recommend it to westerners as the food is high quality. At some places in Chisinau you just don’t know what you might get when it comes to ingredients and quality.

Appreciating America, especially our sanitation system – I didn’t realize that toilet paper is not customary in some countries. Thank heavens I brought a travel size package of Cottonelle with me. I just came home realizing how lucky I am, how good I have it and how I really take 2-ply TP for granted.

I have a lot of stories that I won’t share here since this is getting so very long. I am glad to be home and a bit stronger and wiser for the journey.

Next trip - Yellowstone

Lobster Knife Fight and Darth Vader

2008-11-19T15:45:00.003-05:00

Ft. Leavenworth, KS and Kansas City, MO

2008-11-18T20:46:00.005-05:00

I had the assignment of teaching a 10 day class at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. It was really my first visit to the Mid-West, other than driving through on I-80. I didn't see either prison (military or federal) during my time there. But I did spend a lot of time on Post (I learned the hard way not to call an Army installation a "Base") getting my car searched and parking very far away from the training facility.

While I was training in Kansas, I ended up staying in the northern part of Kansas City, MO. It took me about a half an hour to drive to Ft. Leavenworth and it was a great drive. There was no traffic and the drive took me through some lovely farmland. Plus I didn’t have to stay in Leavenworth, where the hotels were a bit sketchier than in Kansas City. Everyday I passed these amazing farm houses. I couldn’t believe how big they were. I also wasn’t freaked out by the farms, which is a sign of real growth. I think I handled the farms with such grace because the land was hilly. Long stretches of flat land freaks me out. I don't know why, but I think it is because I grew up surrounded by hills. I just don't trust those flat horizons.

I don’t think I have ever met so many nice people as I did in Missouri and Kansas. Everywhere I went people were kind, friendly, and helpful. More impressive than the friendliness was the sincerity behind it all. I really felt that everyone wanted me to have a nice day.

Unfortunately, most of my time in Kansas City it rained but I did get a few nice evenings to see the sights. One of the first nights I drove into the city and went to the Savoy Grill. It is a restaurant founded in 1903 and is the oldest restaurant in Kansas City. I love the décor, as it is every early 20th Century. The murals on the walls are original and date back to 1903. While the Savoy Grill specializes in seafood (the lobsters are HUGE) I had a tenderloin steak in mushroom sauce that was fantastic. Although the place is a bit pricy, it was totally worth it for the great food and cool atmosphere.

I used one of the local Kansas City independent newspapers, Pitch, to find good places to eat. Since I love potstickers I decided to try a place called Po’s Dumpling Bar. Po’s is located in the hippie section of Kansas City, right next to the alternative bookstores, incense markets, and vintage clothing shops. I didn’t love Po’s as much as I hoped I would. The pork buns were some of the best I have ever had, but the potstickers and lo mein were not great. The potstickers looked more like Chinese crepes than the more traditional dumpling. The lo mein had way too much garlic. The car smelled for days of garlic from just the ride home. Afterwards I found yet another Half Price Books (I look in every place I visit) and I spent a good amount of time shopping for books I don’t need.

In Kansas City there is an area called the Zona Rosa that has a lot of shopping and restaurants. I decided to go to Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy. While I don’t think the food stood out from any other chain restaurant Mexican food, the guacamole and the service were excellent.

On my last day in Kansas City I took a side trip to Liberty, MO. In Liberty is a historical site for the church where Joseph Smith was illegally incarcerated for about 5 months. I generally avoid studying religious history, but I figured I was in the area. It turned out to be a nice hour long tour that was interactive.

After the tour I headed back into Kansas City to go to Arthur Bryant’s BBQ. According Pitch it is the best BBQ in the area. I love pulled pork and theirs was moist and well smoked. I decided to also try the brisket, but I don’t like brisket as much because it generally is a bit dry. Arthur Byrant’s is visited by a lot of celebrities. There were pictures of Sally Fields, Stephen Spielberg, John Lithgow and I just missed John McCain and Sarah Palin by a week. I will say that I didn’t care for the house barbecue sauce as it had a lot of vinegar. I preferred the Hot and Sweet because I like sweeter barbecue sauce.

While I was glad to get home after 10 days of work, I had a good time in Missouri/Kansas. I would love to go back and eat more food.

Next Trip – Chisinau, Moldova

Wolf Trap

2008-11-02T22:42:00.003-05:00

In September Shelley and I went to Wolf Trap to see Les Miserables. It is my favorite musical and Shelley had never been. I had seen the production once before when I was 14. My parents gave me tickets to see the play at the Curran Theater in San Francisco. It was the first time I had ever seen a Broadway-level production and I had such an amazing night. I dressed up and went into The City, ate at a nice restaurant, and headed off to a night at the theater. I think very fondly of that night because I felt so sophisticated and grown up.

When I found out that Les Miserables was playing at Wolf Trap I decided that I had to go. While I was willing to go by myself, I was able to sweet talk Shelley into not only coming with me but also forking out good money for expensive seats (sadly Seabreeze was out of town). It turned out to be a good investment as it rained most of the night and the poor saps on the lawn seats got totally drenched.

I didn’t really understand the concept that Wolf Trap was an outdoor theater with some covered seating. While it is really cool to have the outdoors and the theater together in one (it reminded me of the times I went to the California Shakespeare Festival in Orinda) I don’t like getting rained on. Also, being open to the outdoors also means no air conditioning (which I have professed my love for on various blogs). The humidity was killer and I could not fan myself enough. The play, however, was outstanding and worth every penny; Les Miserables never disappoints.

Getting my car out of the parking lot proved to be difficult to the torrential rain. Luckily I plan for every contingency so Shelley and I sat in the car and watched episodes of “The Soup,” until the lot cleared out. God bless Joel McHale for being so hilarious.

Please note that I know I look slightly demonic in this picture. I am a bit freaked out - but there is no reason to punish Shelley because I am not photogenic. We tried to capture some more visually interesting pictures but lighting made it really difficult to capture any of the cool architecture of the facility.
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Prepare Thyself for Merriment - the Maryland Renaissance Festival

2008-10-29T14:59:00.004-04:00

My friends Cameron and Lindsay Sanders invited me to attend the “Maryland Renaissance Festival” with them back in September. I had never been to a “RenFest” (as I learned to call it after overhearing some hardcore fans refer to the festival) but I felt it was worth a shot. I also remember a lot of references to renaissance festivals on the show Gilmore Girls. In any event I was not going to miss out on an exciting day of medieval fun.

When Cameron and Lindsay picked me up, there was a guy sitting in the front seat. At first I though they were trying to casually set me up, but no such luck. The guy turned out to be married so I didn’t bother remembering his name. I know that sounds callous, but I have to remember so many names that I am not going to waste my time on some guy that I will never date. No offense dude.

The first thing I remember about the RenFest is the absolute culture shock I experienced. It was surreal and that doesn’t even begin to describe how out of sorts I felt. I cannot believe how much effort people put into getting medieval. They must spend hundreds of dollars on outfits and accessories. Personally I would rather shop at Nordstrom than at a booth at a renaissance festival – but I have my own weird stuff that I do so I am not really in a position to judge. The details that go into the clothing are astounding. The whole festival carries the gravitas of a Goth prom. I left being very impressed by peoples commitment to the Renaissance. One thing I would like eliminate from the RenFest is the bad, fake British accent. It was painful…please just speak in your native accent. A good costume will compensate for the fact that you are not really from 16th Century Britain.

I guess what shocked me most is that I had no idea that this subculture existed. I had heard of renaissance faires but I never knew anyone that attended. I guess this explains all those students that liked to fake swordfight on the lawns at BYU. I also found it kind of refreshing that all these people have found a way to embrace their love of Henry VIII, drinking horns, jousting, and bralessness.

There is also a very predominate “bimbo” subset of the RenFest crowd. So many women saw this as an opportunity to wear little to no clothing. Every culture has their tramp contingent so I shouldn’t have been too surprised. What was strange is that so many people put a lot of effort into wearing so few clothes. I would also venture to say that Renaissance clothing is particularly challenging for the busty gal.

Overall I had a really good time, far better than I expected. Lindsay and I got massages (from local massage therapists so it wasn’t creepy) in this lovely grove of trees. Cameron and the other guy got to see jousting and sword fighting.

I also learned a lot about entertainment and history while I was there. Primarily:
• In olden times, all food was served on sticks. This includes but is not limited to turkey, macaroni and cheese, chicken, fruit, and cheesecake.
• People really like tricks that include swords and whips. I guess that helps to explain some of the appeal to men of the Indiana Jones series. I think for women it is just a young Harrison Ford in a fedora. Yum.
• Medieval humor can actually be funny and quite bawdy. I guess some things that are funny never change.
• Guys find anything made for a woman out of chainmail sexy.
• Drinking horns are far too expensive.

Thanks again to Lindsay and Cameron for the invite. I had a blast. Shelley was so disappointed that she couldn’t go. Maybe next year Cameron and Shelley can go to the RenFest while Lindsay and I go shopping at the Ikea near by. Sound like a good time for everyone.

Jordan

2008-10-14T09:06:00.001-04:00

Portsmouth, VA

2008-10-05T16:40:00.002-04:00

Instead of teaching a course, I had the opportunity to attend a course by the National White Collar Crime Center on investigating financial crimes. While I tried to attend the course in Anchorage, Alaska my boss wouldn’t go for it. Instead I attended the course in Portsmouth, VA. I decided to drive from Reston to my hotel in Norfolk. A road trip that was supposed to last about 3.5 hours took me almost 5.5 hours. Stupid I-95. I chose to stay in Norfolk, which is close to Portsmouth, because the Hilton there was offering double points. I can’t resist.

Driving in Norfolk and Portsmouth is a lot like driving in the Bay Area. You have to take into account bridges and tunnels. According to MapQuest it should have only taken 13 minutes to get from my hotel to the Portsmouth Police Station. That is not the case as it usually took me between 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. I probably should have stayed a bit closer, but there is not a lot in Portsmouth to make it appealing.

The best part of the course was the fellow attendees. I had so much fun learning from all the police officers and prosecutors in the course. We often went out at night and had dinner together. We even went and walked on the Virginia Beach boardwalk, which I must admit looked a lot better than when I was there six years ago. The statue of Neptune is spectaular. I was a bit of a buzz killer as I was recovering from a sinus infection and didn’t have a lot of energy.

Next trip – Ft. Leavenworth, KS

Mt. Vernon, VA

2008-10-04T12:49:00.003-04:00

My friend Evan is awesome. He decided that we (Shelley, Evan, and I) needed to go visit Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington. Luckily, I was in town for the weekend and the weather wasn’t too terrible for August in Northern Virginia.

Evan picked Shelley and me up and here is where Evan’s awesomeness really came into play: his car was pristine and he packed a cooler of snacks. Anyone that packs a cooler of snack (including waters and soda) is perfect in my book because I rarely think that far in advance.

Now I had been to Mt. Vernon about 12 years ago during my high school DC trip. I wasn’t that impressed by the place and had never been eager to return. Shelley, however, was dying to go and who can say no to that face? Also, the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association just renovated the museums and visitor’s center. Perhaps it was time for me to give Mt. Vernon another chance.

When we arrived we first went to the visitor’s center and watched a movie about George and Martha Washington. The movie was pretty good and I swear there were some actors that I had seen on Law & Order episodes. Pat Sajak also introduced Mt. Vernon and the video. It is always good to see Pat.

Evan arranged for us to take a boat ride up the Potomac. I don’t go on boats often, but I am always glad when I do. It was a lovely ride and the breeze off the water kept us very comfortable. I will admit that the girl reading the narration was not very enthusiastic – but it didn’t ruin the experience in any way.

The new visitor’s center had a lot of cool multimedia presentations. There is one theater that accounts Washington’s crossing of the Delaware. It was an interactive presentation that had falling snow. Now because I am nosy, I overheard that the snow was falling only on the right side of the theater. I was Machiavellian in getting us on the snowy side of the theater, and it was so worth the trouble.

The actual home of Washington is quite lovely with an incredible view of the Potomac. I enjoyed my trip much more this time around. I think I could have lived in that home (as long as I could modernize with air conditioning). Overall I really enjoyed the tour, except for the annoying little kids – but that is a long rant that I won’t repeat.

Evan told us that there was a restaurant at Mt. Vernon that serves colonial cuisine, and Shelley loves colonial cuisine. Unfortunately it was closed for a wedding (stupid wedding). It worked out just fine in the end as Shelley and I took Evan to Kabob Palace, which serves the best kabobs in the DC area. So delicious.

I just want to give a shout out to Evan for planning such a great excursion. I had a blast.

Sacramento, CA

2008-09-13T20:49:00.004-04:00

Luckily I get to go to Sacramento, CA for work on occasion. I love it because I get to go home and see the family, friends, and state that I miss so much. While my trips to CA are rarely action-packed, it is wonderful just to be home again.

Dad, Roger, and I went to Tao San Jin, my favorite Chinese food place on my first night back. I am such a Chinese food snob that I refused to eat Chinese food in Utah and I haven’t found a satisfactory place yet in Reston. I had my favorite chow fun with black bean sauce and it was as delicious as ever.

My friend Katie and I had a chance to catch up on the weekend over breakfast at the Sugar Plum Coffee Shop. Katie looks fantastic and every time I see her it just reminds me how much I miss our instant messaging and just general hanging out. She is the best. I also want to give a shout out to Katie for finding the absolute best volunteer work for her ever. Her job is to pet cats in animal shelters for an hour one day a week. For an avid cat lover like Katie (but not a creepy, crazy cat lady kind of way) it is a win for both her and the cats.

I also saw my friends Shariyah and Derrick. They are an adorable couple and they deserve the best of everything. We drove around in my cool Mustang rental car and went to the Riverview Lodge in Antioch. If you like seafood, the Riverview is a great place to eat. It has a nice view of the San Joaquin (if you can call the river nice) and the décor has been the same since the 1940’s, which I love. My mom swears by the crab louie salad. Katie and Shariyah are my friends from Bank of America and we all have lived to tell the horror stories. Next time I go I hope to see my other Bank friends.

In Sacramento I went out to dinner with Larry, Jody, and my dad. I love seeing Larry and Jody as often as possible. I was also totally jazzed to spend so much time with my dad while back home again. We ended up going to Frank Fat’s which has often been highlighted as the best Chinese food in Sacramento. If you ever go, the Honey Walnut Prawns are to die for.

My dad and I also headed to the Rusty Duck. We had an excellent meal. The fish at the Rusty Duck is always fresh. It has a very classic steakhouse look and vibe. I also enjoyed the intimate atmosphere and good service. The chef even came out to introduce himself, which I love (but only if the food is good).

My students and I decided to go to dinner and a movie after class. Near the theater were a variety of chain restaurants, including Hooters. I said I was up for anything except for Hooters because they objectify women. One of the guys in my class turned to me and rightly observed that, “You wouldn’t be the one objectifying them.” He had a point.

Back in Antioch my dad, Roger, Diedra, Mary, and I headed to Bridgehead Café. While Bridgehead is not my favorite place to eat, you cannot beat the welcome you get as a regular. The place has been owned by the same family for forever and you can tell they love the place. If you like chicken fried steak or fried chicken they are both very good.

Dad and I also headed to Prevots in Antioch. They serve continental cuisine that is pretty classy for Antioch. They have a marvelous rack of lamb and their bread is always served fresh from the oven. Unfortunately, is it located in a not-so-great part of town and I don’t think the place gets the recognition it deserves. If you go before 6:00 pm you can get a three course dinner for about $15.00. It is amazing.

I have been worried that all of my blogs revolve restaurants. Aside from enjoying eating far more than I should, I love anything related to restaurant reviews and travel advice. Also, when traveling for work, there isn’t a whole lot of time for sightseeing and wacky adventures. I have to eat and I have a very small window in which to go out and see the world. Enough excuses – I like dining out.

Next trip – Portsmouth, VA.

Akron, OH "Flee to the Cleve"

2008-09-02T15:40:00.004-04:00

I have put off writing about my trip to Akron because I never thought I could adequately represent how much excitement I had in Ohio. I know that sounds strange, but Akron turned out to be one of the coolest trips I have been on so far. I also ate very well because they really like food, especially fried food, in Akron.

First off, my hotel was circular and I mean circular. I stayed at the Quaker Square Inn which used to be a grain silo for Quaker Oats back in the day. Everything there was round and old fashioned. The inn also smelled like a grandma’s house. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it just smelled of old furniture and baking (they made homemade oatmeal cookies daily). They also had an old railroad train car that the Inn converted into a diner. It was fun to sit in the train car and have a side order of nostalgia with my lunch.

I worked with the Akron Police Department and they are a fantastic group of people; very friendly, considerate, and hospitable. They took excellent care of me while in Akron and introduced me to some nice restaurants. I had my very first taste of fried macaroni and cheese at the Lockview. Fried Mac and Cheese highly decadent and surprisingly good. It is very rich, so take it slowly.

At Bricco I had fried dill pickles with garlic aioli and a well-cooked, moist pork loin. I don’t really like dill pickles that much, but it just goes to show that everything taste better when deep fried because I loved those blasted fried pickles. I had great time that night because many of the officers came out to dinner with me and then took me on a tour of Akron. There are some lovely parts of the city, especially the neighborhoods with brick streets and large trees.

On Wednesday I had to “Flee to the Cleve” as they say on 30 Rock and drove up to Cleveland. I decided that it was essential for me to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame juts out onto Lake Erie and the water really made the setting lovely in the sunlight. The building itself is architecturally interesting with a large glass pyramid. I spent quite a bit of time in the museum (what a shock!). I would have to say the highlights were:
• Madonna’s bustiers from the Blonde Ambition tour
• The hand written lyrics of John Lennon’s “In My Life” which is one of my favorite Beatles songs
• The guitar that Paul Simonon smashed on the Clash’s “London Calling” album
• And the red jacket from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” which 8 year old Jen would have died to have seen
I really enjoyed all of the videos and credit given to the roots and founders of rock – especially one of my favorites, Sam Cooke.

The new Iron Chef, Michael Symon, is from Cleveland and has several restaurants in the area. I tried to get into both and could not get a reservation at Lola and I couldn’t find Lolita. It got totally lost in Cleveland trying to get back to Akron because of construction; a 40 minute trip took me over and hour and a half. Good times!

I had the opportunity to go out on a police ride-along with the Akron PD. It turned out to be one of the most exciting and enlightening experiences I have ever had. I got a tour of the police station, attended roll call and went on patrol for 4 hours. I rode with Officer Evans in one of the more sketchy neighborhoods of Akron. We drove around and answered a few minor calls. Then we got to ride lights and sirens across town to a 30 person gang fight. It was so cool to go that fast. When we arrived at the fight, one of the suspects started to flee and Evans followed him down alleys in the car which rocked. Evans jumped out of the car and chased him down. It was straight out of an episode of “Cops.” I sat in the squad car with the suspect for a few minutes (I was in the front seat so no worries) and the suspect kept asking me to roll down the windows. I did not. I got to witness a gun shot residue test and how they process gang members. I got to ride lights and sirens again because a fight broke out again in the same location a little later in the evening. I also got to go to a homicide crime scene and watch them process the scene. I am so grateful to the Akron PD for letting me tag along.

When in Akron you must eat at Luigi’s. It is, hands down, the best pizza I have ever had in my life. It is also a local favorite of the Akron PD. I went out after my ride along (around midnight) with the captain who set up my ride along. If you order a salad you can add mozzarella cheese on the top. When they talk about cheese, Luigi’s isn’t kidding; you can’t even see the salad because of all the wonderful, fresh mozzarella cheese. I cannot emphasize enough how fantastic the pizza is…just know that they don’t take credit cards so go with cash.

Who knew Akron would be so awesome?

Fourth of July - Washington, DC

2008-08-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

The one Fourth of July I spent in DC in 2002, it was so hot I ended up staying home and watching TV. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate heat and humidity. This year I had Shelley to celebrate with me and that meant that I couldn’t sit home all day watching the Law & Order marathon like I usually do on national holidays. I wonder if there will be a marathon on Labor Day – I can only hope!

Members from our tennis group decided to get together for a BBQ at our friend Evan’s home. His roommate Monica is a grill master and I enjoyed my annual grilled hot dog. I made fruit pizza for the first time and it was, if I do say so myself, totally awesome. I also think I won over Tammy as a friend for life – who knew fruit pizza had such diplomatic powers? I had a great time hanging out with my tennis buddies.

Shelley wanted to go to the National Mall to watch the fireworks. While I was not ecstatic about the idea, I didn’t want her to go alone. I also didn’t want to say that I had the opportunity to celebrate the 4th in the Nation’s capital and I chose to sit around and watch TV instead. I did have a couple of conditions on my attendance; first, if it was too hot or humid I could bow out without guilt and second, I wanted a chair so I wouldn’t have to sit on the ground. I am so spoiled.

We almost didn’t go to the Mall because of the severe thunderstorm warnings. However, the rain subsided for a bit and Shelley got the fireworks itch. There were huge bouts of indecisiveness and some good Law & Order episodes coming up, but adventure prevailed. We ended up riding the Metro into DC and arriving about two minutes before the fireworks.

It is always interesting when large, diverse groups of people get together. There was an adorable little boy that just loved the fireworks and made precious comments about each one. Then there were the ladies standing behind Shelley and me – they were either the cheesiest patriots ever or totally drunk; I vote for drunk. They kept shouting, “Happy Birthday America” very, very loudly. I would have to say that my favorite quote from the drunken ladies went like this, “Only in America could you have fireworks like this…except for maybe Communist China.” How true and God Bless America.

Travel tip – when going to see the fireworks in DC go to dinner after the fireworks. Eating out after provides enough time for the streets and the Metro crowds to thin out. This tip came from some locals and Shelley and I were able to have a nice meal and a comfortable ride home.

A Few Reasons Why California Is So Awesome!

2008-08-12T22:13:00.002-04:00

Washington Nationals Game

2008-08-06T16:21:00.002-04:00

Once again Seabreeze’s many connections have paid off. She hooked us up with tickets to a Washington Nationals game. I have not been to a baseball game since I went to an Oakland A’s game when I was 12 or 13. While I am not a huge baseball fan, I am usually up for a new adventure (especially when it is free).

Seabreeze, Shelley, Lindsay Sanders, and I could not have asked for a better night. It was an ideal summer night: not too hot and very little humidity. I think that was the most remarkable event of the night – a pleasant evening in Virginia. Since it is the first year that the Nationals have played in the new ballpark, the whole arena is very clean and nice. I had a great hot dog and some very good fries; although like all stadium food it tends to leave you feeling sick a few hours later. I think I just tend to get caught up in the moment and all of a sudden a hot dog is the only food that can satisfy you.

The Nationals handily lost the game. The Anaheim Angels were ahead by 6 runs after the first inning. I may not know a lot about baseball, but I do know that losing by that much so early on is rarely a good sign. I do think that the t-shirt cannon made up for the lack of excitement on the field. I had no idea a t-shirt could fly that far!

Seabreeze gave us all a great girl’s night out. I would happily go again, assuming I could insure another night of amazing weather.

San Antonio, TX

2008-07-07T20:56:00.009-04:00

Texas – again!!!!

While I couldn’t believe that I was heading off to Texas for the third time in six months, I was nonetheless excited to go to San Antonio. My friend Camy and her husband moved to San Antonio a while ago and I would finally be able to see them again. While San Antonio isn’t my first choice (I am still holding out for a chance to return to Houston after almost nine years) I was more than happy to reconnect with Camy.

United Airlines is not on my good list right now. I arrived at the airport in plenty of time to make my 8:22 am flight to San Antonio only to have them bump me. It was unceremoniously done as they tried to blame me for arriving to late. Seeing as I arrived at the gate at about 7:15 am, I don’t think the blame should reside with me. Additionally, they bumped several members of the military that had orders to report to one of the Air Force bases in San Antonio. According to my fellow bumpees, the airline cannot bump travelers with military orders. The woman at the gate could not have been less helpful. She actually disappeared and someone else had to come help us, although he was fairly useless as well. I had purposefully chosen an early flight, and paid full price for the ticket, because I have to ensure that if I do get bumped, that I can catch another flight. United finally got me on an American Airlines flight to San Antonio with a stop in Dallas. The problem was that I didn’t even arrive in SA until 11:45 pm CDT. By the time I checked into my hotel at about 1 am Monday morning, I was exhausted. But I am pro and tried not to let it show when I arrived at USAA.

San Antonio is the headquarters for USAA, the banking and insurance company dedicated to the military. The USAA complex is absolutely enormous: tennis courts, driving range, two pavilions, Frisbee golf courses, about ten zillion entrances to the complex and enough room for deer to roam freely on the grounds. What really blew my mind was that I rode around on golf carts inside the building in order to get from the visitors building to the training room. It reminded me of that scene in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery when he is on that stupid cart trying to do a thirty point turn. Luckily these halls were wide enough for us to easily make U-turns.

I had a great time with my class because they were super nice people and they were very interested in where I ate dinner every night. I went to places they recommended and every day I had to write the name of the place I ate the night before on the board. I loved that they were interested in my nightly escapades and were very upset when I neglected to update the “Dined At:” list.

Monday night I returned to Pappadeaux for my favorite Citrus Crusted Tilapia because their fish always tastes so fresh. I can only go to Pappadeaux when I am in the south so I always take full advantage of my time in Texas and Georgia (I don’t know what other states have a Pappadeaux). I ordered dessert, which I rarely do as I eat poorly as it is when I travel, but I was wooed by the Praline Cheesecake. It took me 3 days to finish it, but was worth every bite. The caramel that accompanies the cheesecake was perfectly done as it was not burned or too oily – as Goldilocks would say, it was just right.

Tuesday I went to Tomatillos which received the City Search award for best margaritas in San Antonio. I can’t comment on the margaritas, but their Tres Colores Enchiladas were very good and gave a nice variety of Tex-Mex cuisine. They also had very professional waiters and excellent guacamole which is always a plus. Tomatillos is also located across the street from a Half-Priced Books so you can totally make a night of it…if you like cruising bookstores.

Wednesday Camy, her sister Becky, and Camy’s daughter Sierra (2) picked me up for a girls night on the town. I had so much fun catching up with Camy and getting to know Becky better, as the last time I spoke with Becky was at Camy and Jason’s wedding. Sadly Jason had to work as he is completing his medical residency with the Air Force. We missed you Jason. Sierra is a doll. She is crazy smart and definitely has a mind of her own. She spent a portion of the night being a duck. I must say that with a few more months of practice she could go pro.

We first went to the Bass Pro Shop which was ENORMOUS. The place has a multitude of taxidermy animals that Sierra likes to look at and pet. When Camy mentioned looking at the animals I thought it would be some deer, elk and maybe a bear. Boy did I underestimate the Bass Pro Shop. They had lions, wolves, zebra, longhorn cattle…quite the menagerie. They also had a laser tag like shooting range. I have to admit that I am not very good, but after three rounds I increased my score from some type of Very Bad score to “Needs Practice.”

When in Texas you are morally obligated to eat BBQ. Camy suggested a place called Rudy’s (which my students confirmed as wonderful). When you walk up to Rudy’s it smells like a campfire because the food is all smoked and cooked over the flame. We ended up ordering brisket, turkey, chopped meat, and sausage. The potato salad and peach cobbler were also wonderful. Their creamed corn is to unlike anything I have ever had. The recipe is top secret, but I would swear that they put grits in mix. It was classic, no-frills BBQ, complete with the half a loaf of white bread, and I loved it.

On Thursday I knew I needed a steak (again, a moral imperative in Texas) and my class recommended a place called the Little Red Barn. When I pulled up to the restaurant, there were 4 police cruisers in the parking lot. I took that as either a really bad or a really good sign. It turns out to be a good sign as there were probably 8-10 police officers in the cashier’s line. Aside from the fact that they put me behind a wall (“A woman dining alone – UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN”) I still enjoyed the experience. I felt that my steak was too done but at least it was reasonably priced. Also, the cowgirl outfits that the waitresses wear are outrageous.

On Friday I returned to the Tip Top Café. I had tried to dine there earlier in the week, waited in line for 20 minutes only to realize that they don’t take credit cards. This time I came prepared and happily ate lunch at the counter. The Tip Top had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network and the place was packed all the time. The portions were gigantic, I ended up giving my onion rings to 2 women sitting next to me. They have the best apple pie that I have ever tasted. I would highly recommend the restaurant if you are ever in San Antonio.

My last day there I headed to the Alamo and the River Walk. To paraphrase Shelley, “Leave it to the Texans to take a huge failure and play it off as a success.” I decided that as a historian and a mocker of Texas, I should see the Alamo. I found the grounds to be surprisingly lovely. As for the actual Alamo, it was fine and slightly forgettable. The River Walk, however, far exceeded my expectations. The landscaping and architecture are charming. I ended up walking up and down the river and enjoying all the people watching. I also took a dinner cruise so I could see all of the sights. I had a great time even though I was the only single person on the boat. Good times!

Next trip – Akron, OH

Bank of America

2008-07-03T11:15:00.003-04:00

Truer words were never written:

Thanks for sharing Katie M.

West Palm Beach, Florida

2008-06-25T15:24:00.004-04:00

I made my first trip to Florida during the first week of June. Everyone at work voiced their jealousy that I got to go to West Palm Beach. I don’t think I was appropriately excited as I had never been to Florida and had very low expectations. Overall I enjoyed my time in Florida, although I found the humidity to be very oppressive (I am sure this is not big surprise as I hate the heat and humidity).

When I arrived in West Palm Beach I was so excited to see palm trees again. I am always surprised at how much I miss palm trees. Those blasted trees made me miss California even more than I already do. I just found myself staring at the palm trees and hoping to go home and visit sometime soon. The palms are all strategically placed, especially in Palm Beach. Palm Beach differs from West Palm Beach in that Palm Beach is on a slip of sand separated from the Florida mainland by a waterway called the Intercoastal. Palm Beach is also home to huge homes and country clubs (see Mar-a-Lago which is now owned by Donald Trump and cost around $125,000 for the yearly dues). They work very hard to keep people like you and me out of town as it was founded by Old Money. Aristocratic mentality aside, they do know how to create a community that is lovely and meticulously maintained – palm trees and all.

Luckily I was working with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and they told me what parts of town to avoid. Apparently the Crowne Plaza I stayed at was not in a good neighborhood. I think the phrase, “Don’t walk outside at night,” came up several times. I love working with the police I always feel like I have a great insight into the community.

I was very excited to have authentic Cuban food. The way I see it is that the best place to get Cuban food outside of Cuba (which I don’t think I will be visiting anytime soon) is south Florida. I went to a restaurant called Havana that was listed as one of the best Cuban places in West Palm Beach. I had tostones and a skirt steak that had been marinated and seared. I love a tender steak and this one was so flavorful and tender.

I ate at another local restaurant called E.R. Bradley’s. This restaurant/bar has a lovely outdoor and covered eating area. I sat right on the edge of the covered porch and overlooked the Intercostal as I ate blackened Mahi-Mahi. The food was okay, mostly forgettable, but the combination of outdoor dining and a lovely water view made the night worthwhile.

On Thursday nights in downtown West Palm Beach they have a street festival called Clematis by Night. They have bands, food, and vendors that you can enjoy for free. They also have this giant fountain that kids, and only kids, can play in. My students suggested I make a night of it, so I headed downtown.

I really enjoyed the band as they played a lot of Motown hits that I enjoy. It was also a people watching hotspot: watching the public dancing, kids playing in the fountain, etc. I found a French bistro called Pistache. I had a wonderful table that overlooked all the activity at Clematis by Night, it was perfect. I had the best prime rib I have ever had. The steak must have been cooked in some red wine reduction because it was so flavorful. While I was eating my dinner I saw someone walk by my table that looked familiar. I realized that it was Pretentious Stephen from the first season of Top Chef. Remember the jerky sommelier with the double Windsor knots in his ties. I didn’t say anything to him, I just had the sense of satisfaction that he is just as pretentious in real life as he appeared on TV.

I feel like it would have been insulting to my co-workers, Florida and the Atlantic Ocean if I didn’t go to the beach while in Palm Beach. Now I didn’t go swimming in the water for a number of reasons, but I did enjoy walking on the sand and getting my feet wet. I cannot get over how warm the Atlantic is compared to the Pacific. It was like a bathtub…am I used to West Coast beaches where you suck it up because you are at the ocean and the ocean is awesome regardless of how cold it may be. I can also see why there are no great East Coast surf legends. The waves were practically nonexistent. You definitively need to hit the Pacific if you are going to surf like a pro.

Overall I really enjoyed my time in Florida. I spent my last night driving down the island from Palm Beach to Boca Raton. Some of the architecture is so distinctive of south Florida; I think I could live well with a house that had a beautiful terrace overlooking the Atlantic. One interesting aspect of the island is that it is obvious when you cross city lines. The second you drive over the city line the whole dynamic of a town changes. It goes from being ritzy and old money to a much more lower or middle class lifestyle.

Next Trip - San Antonio, TX

Ft. Gratiot, MI or "Care Bears are Yucky"

2008-06-15T16:06:00.008-04:00

I recently returned from Ft. Gratiot, MI to visit my college roommate Kristine and her family. I always love to visit Kristine as she and I are just two peas in a very strange pod. I also adore her children (since I only like kids on a case-by-case basis, it is a real compliment that I like all three of her kids). I see it as my job to spoil them as their Aunt Jendavis. Her children all call me Jendavis. When I have tried to explain to them that my first name is Jen and my last name is Davis the response is generally one of incredulity. I think we are all at the point where Rachel, who is 4, thinks my name is Jendavis Davis. Although it is progress in the arena of name comprehension, it love that they call me Jendavis and wouldn’t change it for the world.

I was only up in Michigan for a few days but I had a blast hanging out with the kids, spoiling them, and chatting with Kristine and Jon late into the night. Ft. Gratiot is located about 60 east of Detroit on Lake Huron. I have to say that Detroit leaves a lot to be desired. I know that Michigan is way ahead of the country when it comes to an economic slump and it shows. Luckily Jon has a great job and that makes Michigan a great value when it comes to housing. I am content to visit at this point.

We mostly hung out and went to some of the kids favorite places like Golden Corral and the Rainforest Café at Great Lakes Crossing. The kids love Rainforest and the mall is pretty cool. They have a very kid friendly Chuck E. Cheese like place that they just adore. I let them go to the Disney Store and pick a gift. It was so awesome to be able to just spoil Rachel, Carter and Katey rotten and be the favorite for a good 10 minutes.

I was also able to go to Rachel’s preschool graduation which was appropriately adorable. They sang songs and fidgeted and ate cookies brought in by the parents. She was so proud of her achievement and is far too smart for her own good.

Carter, 2, is talking so much more than when I last saw him in October. It is great to see his personality come out. He has so much energy and is the quintessential boy. He refuses to watch Care Bear cartoons as they are “yucky.” He sat in the car for 30 minutes with his hands over his eyes rather than watch the Care Bears. I don’t think Jon has ever been more proud.

Katey,1, is so well mannered and easy going. She entertains herself so well and loves to laugh. She is my kind of kid.

I can’t wait to go back.

New York City

2008-05-27T15:35:00.006-04:00

I received the coolest assignment back in April because I got to go to New York. I had only been to NYC once before, for two days, and I definitely wanted to visit again. While the downside to the assignment was that I had to work and couldn’t spend all my time out on the town, the upside was that work allowed me to visit Manhattan in style. Here is a breakdown of the trip:

I stayed at the Millennium Hilton which is located in the Financial District. My room overlooked Ground Zero so I got up close and personal to the construction site. It does not bear any resemblance to the Ground Zero (thank heavens) that I saw in October 2001. It looks just like any other construction site that also serves as a tourist attraction. The restaurant in the Hilton, Church & Dey, is unremarkable. The food was on par with an Olive Garden. What really angered me is that they used Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup on my ice cream. For heaven’s sake, spring for some hot fudge people!

Monday night one of my students recommended a restaurant called Brasserie Les Halles. I have since learned that there is one located in DC (and is owned (?) by Anthony Bourdain). It was wonderful, although too dark to read (I know, I know but what are you supposed to do when eating out by yourself?), and I would highly recommend the steak, the amazing French fries (soooo good), and the chocolate mousse. I am told that the service at the Les Halles on Park Avenue is better than the downtown location (I went to the Park Avenue café).

Monday was also my first solo foray onto the NYC Subway. I have lived to tell that it is a very convenient and accessible mass transit system. That being said, I found it to be dirty, especially in comparison to the DC Metro system. I only took the wrong train one time (to which I received applause from my students). I also saw a small child fall between the platform and a departing train. Luckily his mother was able to pull him onto the platform before he was hurt. The child was totally fine, but I think his mother lost a few years off her life. She was sobbing and hugging the boy like crazy. I was glad to see so many concerned citizens try to help as I expected that New York apathy. I have also decided that the grossest dare in the world would be to lick a step on a NYC subway station stairway. I gag just thinking about that.

Tuesday I got tickets to Young Frankenstein. It was hilarious, smart, goofy, and very well acted. Roger Bart, who you have all seen but don’t know by name, played Frederick Frankenstein and Megan Mullally (of Will & Grace) played Elizabeth. Both are excellent comedians and wonderful singers. I had 3rd row center, orchestra seats that blew my mind. Good times!

I had a pre-theater dinner that night at a place called Barbetta. It was okay, if overpriced, with very good polenta. Apparently it used to be one of Sinatra’s old haunts and the restaurant is housed in home at one time owned by the Astor family.

Wednesday I went to Serendipity (yes the one from the movie) and had a lovely ham and brie sandwich. The highlight was the frozen hot chocolate, which was very refreshing. Be warned that it causes severe brain freeze and the serving is too large for one person. Otherwise I just walked all over Midtown, stopping at Bloomingdales, the Plaza, and Rockefeller Center. I walked down 5th Avenue and looked at all the amazing clothing and jewelry that I cannot afford. I really want to participate in wanton consumerism (at times).

Thursday I saw Mary Poppins. The two leads in the show are so talented. I enjoyed the story and the child actors we much better than I expected. They had some lame back story about Mrs. Banks and her attempts to find herself and reconnect with Mr. Banks. I found it boring and longed for the suffragette Mrs. Bank singing “Votes for Women.” There was one number in Mary Poppins that freaked me out a bit. It was like a combination of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer’s Island of Misfit Toys and Dumbo’s Huffalumps and Woozles. I didn’t like it at all. Although I had front row seats, I had no leg room. I am not tall and I was dying. I don’t know how tall people can sit that long in seats that are worse than economy class.

Before the theater I had pastrami and corned beef rolls at Junior’s off Times Square. I also had some of the best cheesecake ever at Junior’s. I guess they are well known for their cheesecake and it is not without reason. I was going to go to Roxy's but all the online reviews said the staff was rude and the restauarnt was unclean. Junior's was the exact opposite, go if you want good food, although it is very busy.

On Friday I just walked around the Financial District until I had to catch my flight. I went to St. Paul’s and saw George Washington’s pew, Trinity Church (of National Treasure fame), the Stock Exchange, and to the Federal Hall museum which is a national park.

I had a blast and I would love to go there again. I would happily live there, if I had the paycheck to make living in Manhattan fun and exciting. For now I will just let work send me.

Philadelphia

2008-05-21T20:41:00.004-04:00

Back in April our ward planned an activity with the Philadelphia singles ward. I normally don’t participate in ward activities (I am lazy and would rather be home watching a movie) but Shelley and I decided to go. Now the plan was to drive up to Philadelphia and stay with people up in Philly, doing some urban camping. Now I am far too old and far too pampered to sleep on someone else’s floor. So I talked Shelley in splitting a hotel room with me. Now that I am in my 30’s I have gone totally soft and I want a comfortable night’s sleep. I am worried that I am about two years away from having a bed time of 9:30 pm and nodding off while reading Reader’s Digest Condensed Books.

Shelley and I arrived in downtown Philly on a Friday night so we could do a little sightseeing on our own. When we arrived at the hotel, we were informed that the hotel had given my reservation to another Jennifer Davis from West Virginia. To make up for it, they gave Shelley and I a Junior Suite, which was like a regular hotel room except that it had two TVs. It was awesome.

Now I warned Shelley that Philadelphia is kind of gross, but I don’t think she really believed me. Luckily the city hadn’t changed much since I was there seven years ago and I did not come off looking like a liar. That being said, we had a great time wandering around Old City. We ate a place called City Tavern which was very cool. City Tavern offers “authentic colonial-style cuisine that is served in this historically accurate reconstruction of the original 1773 tavern. There are three floors with colonial décor and staff in period costume.” It was surprisingly good and I gladly wasn’t freaked out by the living history performers.

Shelley and I spent Saturday wandering around Philadelphia with our friends Kasey and Justin. We saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Ben Franklin’s grave and ate cheesesteaks at Jim’s. I had a great time and I think Shelley really enjoyed all the historical buildings. I really liked the cheesesteaks.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2008-05-05T20:36:00.004-04:00

Despite having lived in the DC area on two separate occasions before moving out here last November, I have never lived here in the spring. I don’t know how I managed it, but I always seemed to miss the famed cherry blossom season. I was excited to finally be able to go and see what all the hype was about.

Seabreeze thought that we should go to the Cherry Blossom Festival for Shelley’s birthday. It became a bit dicey as it had rained the day before and was supposed to rain the day of her birthday. Miraculously, it stopped raining just in time for us to go to the festival. I stand by my claim that God really likes Shelley, as the day turned out to not only to be rain-free but was also beautiful, warm, and sunny.

Amber, Shelley, Seabreeze and I spent a lovely evening in DC. We headed to the Mall and the Tidal Basin to enjoy the cherry blossoms. I must admit that the cherry blossoms were far more impressive than I imagined. They are so soft, light, wonderfully scented and are the epitome of spring.

Later, we headed for a nice restaurant called Rosa Mexicano. They had great food, including awesome guacamole. Seabreeze sure knows how to pick a restaurant.

I have been enjoying Spring this year for the very first time. It was a long winter, and I love watching the blossoms appear on the trees and then the leaves return. I understand now why people look forward to Spring. Good times!

Good Reads

2008-04-14T17:59:00.001-04:00

Battlestar Galactica is Frakking Awesome

2008-04-14T17:50:00.002-04:00

San Angelo, TX

2008-04-11T13:45:00.000-04:00

Originally posted March 31, 2008

Hello from Virginia!

I recently returned from San Angelo, TX. San Angelo, if you look on a map is located in West Texas. A little known definition of West Texas is "A region of the United States where every town 100 miles from any other town." The reason I was in San Angelo is because it is the home of the 344th Military Intelligence Battalion at Goodfellow Air Force Base. Go Silent Sentinels!

It was a unique experience to be on base everyday. It is a training base, so I was able to hear all the cool cadences sung by the drill sergeants. My favorite was "Before the army I drove a Cadillac. Now I hump it on my back." I also learned that as a civilian I don’t have to follow most military protocol while on base. Now this is not a license to be rude, but I don’t have to "Make Way" when a senior officer comes along (I only found out I was not beholden to these kind of rules because I did not "make way" and then felt really guilty. Luckily my students told me I was off the hook because I am civilian).

Now you might be wondering what there is to do in San Angelo, TX. The answer is a resounding nothing. Yet I was not nearly as bored as I thought I would be. The hotel had excellent cable (best yet) so I had lots of TV at my disposal. There is also some excellent dining in San Angelo…I am just as surprised as all of you are. Below is a breakdown of my dining experiences. Please note that I try to eat local establishments whenever possible. Most of the restaurants I visited were recommended by my students at Goodfellow - thanks guys!

Texas Roadhouse - It is a national chain, I know, but I had just landed and it was right down the street from my hotel. The filet was excellent, rolls were light, and the service was wonderful.
Armenta’s - This was recommended by my waiter at Texas Roadhouse. I really enjoyed some classic Tex-Mex enchiladas. They also have pictures of Chef Bobby Flay up in the restaurant. According to the cashier, Bobby Flay’s wife, Stephanie March, is from San Angelo and they eat at Armenta’s when visiting her family.
Peasant Village - A wonderful restaurant and the most expensive meal (but worth every penny) I had all week. Located in an old home, Peasant Village had a very comfortable atmosphere. The food was excellent, very European in taste and flavor. I would eat there again and again.
Western Skies - Home of the 52 oz steak. Now I did not have the 52 oz steak, but I always like having the option. The steak was very good and I liked the low-key nature of the place. I ate a lot of steak in Texas. They have excellent beef there and you can’t help but trip over steakhouses and BBQ joints. So much red meat...so delicious.
Miss Hattie’s - Miss Hattie’s was once a brothel so I got to have a little scandal with my New York Strip. San Angelo used to be home to Fort Concho during the 19th century. Miss Hattie’s was a place for the local soldiers to get their kicks. The place had a kind of mothball smell to it, which I found distracting, but the overall experience was very cool. I liked the tin ceilings and Miss Hattie’s was decorated pretty much the way I imagined a 19th century brothel to be decorated. I am glad to know that sometimes reality and my imagination are not that inconsistent.
Johnny Carino’s - Now I totally know that this place isn’t local, but I haven’t found a Johnny Carino’s in Virginia and I really like their bread. My eating dinner there was also in honor of my mother, who would be buried in a Johnny Carino’s if it wasn’t a health code violation.

San Angelo did have a Hastings (music, movies, books) which I adore. Logan, UT had a Hastings and I spent far too much time/money there. I loved the Hastings in San Angelo and purchased some movies and a used book for very reasonable prices. They also had comfortable reading chairs, so it was a nice place to hang out.

I almost missed my flight because of the air show. I had no idea that air shows are such a big deal. While I missed a lot of the air show because I was flying out that day, I did watch the Air Force Thunderbirds training the day before. The things those fly boys can do with the jets are amazing (and they look good doing it too... soldiers are so handsome).

That’s all for now, next trip is to New York City!

Alpharetta, GA

2008-04-10T08:08:00.001-04:00

Originally Posted February 18, 2008

Hello All,I just returned from Atlanta, GA last week and I loved it there. The people were friendly, there were plenty of trees and it wasn't freezing cold (like it was in Virginia). I do enjoy traveling for work, I get to go places I wouldn't go ordinarily and, as I have said before, someone else pays. Of course in two weeks I have to go to West Texas, so there are some down sides.

While in Atlanta (Alpharetta to be exact) I tried to make the most of my free time. I am so lazy that I really have to force myself to get out and do things, but I am always glad I got out of the hotel room.

I went on the CNN Center tour, which was fun, short, and to the point and the items in the gift shop were, not surprisingly, overpriced. Apparently the building where CNN is now located used to house an H.R. Pufnstuf theme park. That made the entire trip much more mystical and I enjoyed imagining what would happen if we mixed the worlds of fast-paced news reporting and the H.R. Pufnstuf Living Island. What a long, strange trip it's been.

I also visited the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. As an avowed Coke lover, it was like coming home. While it was a nice tour (and I spent a lot more time there than I expected) it was a lot of marketing for one day. I felt like I had been to Coca-Cola re-education camp; "I will drink and enjoy only refreshing Coca-Cola products." I did enjoy the tasting room, where you could sample 65 different soda flavors from around the world. Having sampled a lot of those flavors, all I have to say is "God Bless America." We have awesome soda.

I know that my favorite food network show, Good Eats, is filmed in the Atlanta area. Having spent hours and hours watching television, I recalled that some scenes were filmed at a Kroger grocery store in Alpharetta. I decided I needed to take a chance and see I could stalk Alton Brown. I walked that grocery store, with a very pure heart mind you, but it was all for naught. Alton was no where to be found (esp. since I have learned that he now films on the opposite side of Atlanta). I am sad, but I can at least know that I gave it the old college try.

Dallas, TX

2008-04-10T08:02:00.000-04:00

Originally Posted January 16, 2008

Right now I am in Dallas, TX for work. I am conducting a week long training course for Dallas' Finest. It is very surreal for me to be back in Texas after nine years. I have not returned since I left my mission in Houston. It isn't out of animosity or anything, it is just that Texas is hot, flat, has giant cockroaches, and lacks a sex appeal that I generally look for in a travel destination. It was weird driving through the freeways and seeing blasts from my Houston past: What A Burger, Taqueria Arandas, Taco Cabana (I am a bit freaked out that all my Texas memories deal with food, but I could never afford to eat out in Houston), and everything being "Texas Sized." What does that even mean, Texas is only the second largest state, so wouldn't it be more accurate to say "Alaska Sized?"

So I am not overwhelmed with love for Dallas. I am just not getting that "I could totally live here" vibe. That being said, I have found myself obsessed with the JFK assassination. I was driving around downtown and I passed Dealey Plaza and I thought to that it could not possibly be the same, grassy knoll having, magic bullet theory inducing Dealey Plaza. It is and it looks exactly like, and at the same time, nothing like it did in the Zapruder film. I guess that is how most things are, they look larger than life when you imagine them, but you get there and the grassy knoll does not look nearly so ominous. Also 40 years of time passing could also play a part it the change. I also saw the Texas School Book Depository building and I like the architecture. I am now thinking of becoming a conspiracy theorist as it will give me something to do in my free time.

Anyway, here is a picture of me eating seafood, yes seafood, at a famous restaurant chain here in the south called Pappadeaux. I had the Citrus Crusted Tilapia and it was amazing and that is saying something as I don't care much for seafood. I would highly recommend the place, and thanks Dad for recommending it to me. It was yet another place in Houston that I always wanted to eat but could never afford.

I love traveling on work: good food, nice hotels, and sweet rentals cars. Ahhhh, I'm living the good life. Rock on!