Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving marks the anniversary of my blog. 4 years. It's hard to believe that 4 years I started blogging. It's also interesting to see what has transpired the last 4 years. I moved states, jobs, lost a dog, gained a baby....and those are just the biggies. Thanksgiving also marks the family holiday that CityCrab and I host. Between us we've got a sizeable family. Now, I know you're thinking dining room table with the card table annex at the end. No, I am talking multiple tables in multiple rooms. Usually we host about 30. This year, however, we hosted a measly 18 people. That's nothing for us. It was amazingly stress-free. Of course, we have amazing help (domestic and otherwise) who we could not do it without and it all came together quite nicely. CityCrab's turkey was outstanding. Moist, flavorful - it did not disappoint. And, best of all we got the chance to spend it with friends and family.

Pop-Up Book Club

So, this title is probably a little misleading now that I look at it. It makes it seem as though I am in a bookclub that reads pop-up books. Now, wouldn't that be fun....for my toddler and all his friends. But I am actually not in a book club at all. The Pop-up is a recent phenomenon that has hit the retail scene. Stores open up small outlets of their larger stores for limited times. It is mostly happening in larger cities. I believe Target may have started this...does anyone remember the Target boat in the Hudson River in early 2000? I believe this concept could catch on with book clubs. This occurred to me last night. We met 3 other couples for dinner. These are some of our oldest & dearest friends. CityCrab has known the husbands practically since he was born. And the significant others all get along. We all lead very busy lives and we don't get a chance to see each other often and catch up. Well, for whatever reason we all started talking about what we're reading. And, voila, the pop-club book club was born. We all read the same books and we started to discuss them. Then the talk wandered to The Kindle and whether to Kindle or not. Then we started sharing titles of great reads. It's the perfect kind of book club. No pressure to finish a book you don't like, no pressure to host people in your houme or arrange daycare to attend. You just pop-up your title, throw it out there and discuss.

Flair

Tonight CityCrab and I attended the opening night of the season at Charleston Stage. CityCrab is on the board and as such we were invited to the opening night cocktail reception. The attendant at Will Call handed me 2 tickets and 2 names tags. I passed everything over to CityCrab (I was bagless tonight - it's one the lesser known benefits of marriage). CityCrab promptly handed my name tag back to me. I waved my hand and answered "I don't wear flair." Of course, he gave me a hard time about this. So, against my will I pinned that name tag to my blouse. We drank, we schmoozed, they dimmed the lights and we made our way to the theater. As I was standing at the top of the stairs waiting for CityCrab, a woman approached me, handed me 2 tickets and asked me where she was sitting. I looked at her and said, "I don't work here." And that, my friends, is why I don't wear flair.

The Tale of the Craigslist Nanny

I only have myself to blame. I see the number come across caller ID and I pick it up. I'm not even sure I heard the second half of the first ring and what I hear emanating from Mama Ruth's mouth is: "Nancy says you have an ad for a nanny on Craigslist. Don't you know people die on Craigslist?" I am speechless. "What?", which is an attempt to buy time. "Craigslist? Do you mean Facebook?"

Backstory: Nancy* is my aunt. A few weeks ago, in an attempt to find a new nanny I decided to let social media do a little work for me. So, I posted a status that read "...is seeking a nanny. Any referrals?" We all know the best way to secure good services is through referrals.

Back to the rest of the conversation:

Mama Ruth: What is this Facebook?
Me: (a lot of mumbling as I attempt to explain social media and the information superhighway to a woman who still wears gloves and a hat when she travels by train)...uh, it's a website where you are friends with people."
MR: "People die there."
Me: In my head I say, "Well, if you post an ad for a tranny hooker, then, yes, people might die there." But what I really say is, "Not anyone we know." This is usually totally acceptable reasoning with her.
MR: "Well, I don't like it."
Me: "Well, I need someone to watch CityBaby."
MR: "If you need me to, I can watch him Wednesday afternoons."
Me: In my head again, "How gracious of you to give up a few hours of your week in between hair appointments, 2 games of bridge and the rabbi's class and how bold of you to assume that I would want my 14 month old son hanging with someone who deems it completely acceptable for him to suck on sterling silver candlesticks. She does, ya know. But what I really say is, "That's OK. I'm sure I'll find someone."
MR: "Well, you better put a big red ribbon on him." Here we go with the Kabbalah crap again. I've learned my lesson here.
Me: "Um, OK."

Then she declares that she has to go. Ah, all is right in the world again.


*All names have been changed to protect the innocent, except for Mama Ruth, that is her name and she is not innocent.

Over and Dunne

Today came very sad news. One of my all time favorite authors and personalities passed away. Dominick Dunne was an old Hollywood legend. I first became acquainted with him in my high school years through Vanity Fair. After reading everything he wrote for the mag, I went back and read everyone of his books. I followed him as he followed OJ; the first, second and third time, and the Menendez brothers and Lily Safra and on and on and on. One day I had the opportunity to meet him on the Metro North train from New Haven back to the city. I spent the entire trip sitting across from him trying to contain my excitement at being in his impeecably dressed presence. At 125th St., I finally leaned over and told him I was a fan. I remember how grateful he was and how he promptly went back to his paper. I mean, it's not like he was going to invite me to Swifty's for a drink. In any event, I'll miss his monthly VF article, his presence at the big courtroom dramas and all his untold stories.

Culinary Tour Stop #1

Last week, we hit our first stop on the Sullivans Island Culinary Tour 2009. HomeTeam BBQ. Here's the rundown:

1. Food was pretty good. Their lunch menu is pretty straight forward: sandwiches with 1 side, chicken (1/4 or 1/2) with a choice of sides, a whole host of salads.

2. Mam Ruth was horrified....let me say that again HORRIFIED, that CityBbay had food all over his face and the table. I had to turn to her, lean in and in a controlled voice tell her, that he's a baby and we're eating in place that is basically a beach bar. This is what it's like when you have a baby.

3. Just so she wouldn't be outdone, she had to dispense a bit of her own wisdom. She proceeded tot ell me that when you have a baby you have put locks on all your doors and cabinets (Really?) and that with medicine? "You have to buy a house 4 blocks away and lock all your medicine in a cabinet in the 3rd floor." OK, thanks for the real world advice.

All in all, everyone enjoyed themselves. Here are some pics to document the revelry. My personal favorite is the one where Mama Ruth tried to get CityBaby to tango.



Next stop.....Thyme.

Goods Reads, Good Bye!

At the urging of a friend, I joined goodreads.com. It's a site that allows you to post your past, current & future reads, recommend and rate books and link to your friends (and their friends) to see what everyone is reading. Quite frankly, it makes me feel deficient. I love to read, however, lately I've been having trouble finding time & patience. So, how do you think I feel when I am still on the book I bought for last year's vacation and I get weekly updates from people who have read 2 books? So, I have decided to ditch goodreads and introduce to a far more antiquated system. Every time I see a book I think I might like to read, I go to amazon.com, look it up and add it to my wishlist. I am loathe to admit that my amazon wishlist looks like the middle well of my car and the top drawer of my nightstand: a dumping station for crap. But I find it an effective way to remind myself of books that appeared interesting. So, I am revealing my wishlist. Enjoy browsing my list and start your own and share it.

Like Riding a Bike

I want this. I saw it today online and decided I want it. Can't you just see it? I am trekking to the beach with CityBaby and beach gear in tow. I am jetting off to the grocery store with my recyclable bags hanging out the back. I am maneuvering the cobblestone streets of downtown Charleston with fresh flowers and a baguette riding alongside Reuben. You can't see it? Oh, shoot. I can't either but I still want it anyway.

Dissed

Today CityBaby and I were dissed. Hard. By Mama Ruth. See Culinary Tour for background but today we were scheduled to have lunch. Last night at 8:30, we spoke and firmed it up. Pick you up at 12:15. Perfect. Then this morning I called Mama Ruth to re-confirm, I figure you need to do this with a 91 year old woman. And, she coldly asked me if I got her message. Uh, no. In fact, I didn;\'t even hear the phone ring. Well, she tells me that last night she got a call and "her girls" need her for a fourth to play cards. Gee, I guess you can't let Frances, Muriel and Phyllis down. They're your girls. They need you. Your blood relations including your great-grandson, who you usually dote on, will fend for ourselves. Seriously, we'll be fine. Really.

Culinary Tour

Even though we are in the worst economic time since the Depression, there seems to be a plethora of new restaurants opening up in my area. Of course, I don't really know about them because I don't pay attention to such things. But, thankfully, I have Mama Ruth. No one makes a move without her knowing. You can't open a restaurant, change the display in the window of your store or forget to pick up your mail without her knowing. So, in light of the new openings, she has planned a Culinary Tour of Sullivan's Island. This will be helpful for anyone traveling to Charleston anytime soon. So, here's our itinerary:

Thyme - Apparently, this place has been around for awhile but I never noticed it. They have sandwiches, salads and such. Mama Ruth claims it's very good. I imagine this to be the kind of place you pick up sandwiches on your way to the beach.

Hometeam BBQ - The genesis for this stop was created when my brother was in town visiting. She was looking for somewhere casual to take everyone. She has a tablecloth/no child rule so this fit the bill. I have eaten their food at events but am eager to try it in-house.

Seel's Fish Camp - This recently opened. Mama Ruth loves her some fried food. And, I say, she deserves it. If you get to 91 without anything but elective surgery (cough, cough - plastic surgery - cough, cough) then eat all the fried stuff you want and take up smoking while you're at it!

Place with no name - This is a restaurant that apparently is located between what was previously known as Bert's Bar and another building. She claims it is there even though I have never seen it. They only serve lunch Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I'm pretty skeptical that this place even exists but I'll be sure to share a review.

Sullivan's - an oldie but goodie. This place has been around probably close to 20 years. I can remember eating here when I was younger. It's a neighborhood kind of place. The big draw for my grandparents was the 2 for Tuesday. Get 2 meals for the price of 1. As products of the depression they loved it. Not sure it's still the same case.

So, that's our plan. Since Mama Ruth has quite the social schedule, this tour will take some time since it can only occur on Fridays and the occasional Wednesday. She's busy every other day. Bon Appetit!

The Vortex

I recently read Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. An amazing book in so many respects. In it she refers to something she calls "The Vortex". This is a name, a place or an object that recalls something else and your mind begins to take a journey that recalls many things all at once. It's almost as if time stops. I found this especially interesting since I experience something similar online. My version is called the black hole and it goes something like this: I sign in to Facebook. I check my friends updates. Then I see a long forgotten acquaintance from high school commented on a friend's picture. I click to see the picture. Then I see someone else I recognize. Then I land on their page (don't they know they can restrict it? fortunately for me, no). Then I see they own a company that makes baby clothes. And they have a blog on their site. So, I start reading that. Then hours later, I am looking at some girl I don't even know's pictures from her family vacation to dig potatoes in Idaho. Sound familiar? This is also usually the point when I realize either my phone is ringing, my baby is crying, the water on the stove is overflowing or my husband is standing over me asking what I am looking at. And I have to sheepishly answer, some girl I don't even know's pictures from her family vacation to dig potatoes in Idaho. Black Hole? The Vortex? Whatever you call it, it sure beats answering the phone, soothing the baby, turning down the water and humiliating myself to my husband.

Bravo, Bravo!

This post is way overdue. Those of you who know me know I am a bit of a reality TV whore. And, Bravo has my number. Ironically, I never watched the Real Housewives of the OC but caught New York and have never looked back. I have pretty much watched every show, recap show and endless re-runs. Now with the addition of NYC Prep and Miami Social....as my grandmother used to say, "what a way to go!" Bravo, Bravo. Bravo!

A Heavy Heart

So, as you can see I haven't blogged in almost 2 months. Why? Well, my last post talked about Lulu, our miracle dog. And, sadly, about 3 weeks ago, we had to put her down. I knew it was coming and in the end, she made the decision easy for us. Her condition has declined rapidly and she looked up at us and said it. "i'm ready." So, alas we did the right thing. It was incredibly sad and heart breaking. And, every day I see her sitting on the top of the stairs, sitting on CityBaby's ottoman, chewing her favorite green bone or chasing that stupid tennis ball. She would do anything for a tennis ball. And I have avoided blogging thus avodiing confronting the emotions I am feeling. But for some reason today, I am inspired. I have so many things I want to write about. There's so muych to say. And, while I miss that cute little doggie, I need to move on. So, today I say goodbye to Lulu again and move on. And, the best part is that even though she is not here in body, she is here in spirit and I can feel it everywhere. And that makes me feel whole again.

Miracle

Anyone who reads this blog or knows me, knows about Lulu. She is our 3 1/2 year old English Bulldog. And she is a terror. We adopted her when CityCrab was insistent that Reuben needed a friend. I was against it and yet from the moment this little terror showed up at our door I have grown to love her. She is our Marley. On more than one occasion, CityCrab has suggested getting rid of her. Explaining that we will find her a good home, and a family who loves her, blah, blah, blah. Through crocodile tears, I madly pleaded to keep her and retorted that everyone in her life has dumped her on the side of the road, do you want to be the same???? She is extremely sweet and lovable and is it easy to tell she has suffered some kind of abuse in her life because she yearns for attention & love. She is a horrible snorer and has some bathroom confusion (is hardwood grass? this always confuses me.....) Well, a few weeks ago we returned from a weekend away to a vomit fest. She pretty much threw up for 3 days straight. On the third day, I called CityCrab at work and told him he had to come home, get her and bring her to the vet. I felt so badly. She ended up spending 3 days in the hospital (cha-ching, cha-ching). We received a call from our vet on the last day of her visit with a list of medications and instructions. We reconciled that the end was near and that we would take her home for 1 night, be together then make the decision the next day. We prepared our friends and family, we took tons of pictures & video. We tried to explain the whole thing to our 9 month old CityBaby We were gripped with fear & sadness. We diligently administered fluids & various medications and promised that we would do everything we could to save her. The first few days, she was tired and lazy. Then she slowly rebounded. I received a call yesterday from the vet after some bloodwork earlier this week. Her numbers are no worse than before and in some cases have improved. She has survived a collapsed lung and worms (both of which she had the day we adopted her), a bout with pneumonia and, even though she has kidney disease, she seems to have avoided it, for now. We know that this disease will eventually kill her. We also know that the time she has spent with us has been the best in her life. We have given her love, comfort, and most importantly, unlimited tennis balls. So, this is a living tribute to her. I'm sure one day I will be writing the other kind but for now it's a celebration.

Busted!

I got busted. Well, I did have an accomplice but I was the ringleader. About 2 weeks ago, I sent CityCrab off with CityBaby to get him some shoes. For a 9 month old, he's got some big old feet. The challenge we have is that we have a hard time getting the shoes on his feet. So, CityCrab comes back with size 6 navy blue Converse Chucks. Super cute. But size 6? CityCrab swears he tried them on in the store with a sock. These things were boats. In fact, as soon as I put him on the ground, CityBaby walked right out of them. We participate in collaborative parenting in our house, which consists of me, CityCrab & our nanny. She is our go to source for opinions and advice. So, one morning in the nursery we engaged in a conversation about the shoes. I was pointing the obvious (to me) that the shoes were huge. The nanny, riding the neutral line, kind of agreed with me. CityCrab stood firm. CityCrab then went downstairs on his way out the door while we continued to discuss the shoes. I can't remember verbatim but I might have said something like, "These are ridiculous, right? And now I have to go back to the store and return them. Ugh." But I can't be sure. Just as I was finishing up my rant, from downstairs came a resounding, "I can hear you..." Damn baby monitor! Ooops. The nanny and I collapsed into laughter. Note to self: turn off baby monitor before engaging in defamatory conversation. Much easier than having to abstain from defamatory conversation at all.

Oh The Guilt

I am plagued with guilt. What else is new? Today, a friend of mine and fellow blogger, mentioned that she had not seen any new posts lately. And the guilt hit me. Like a ton of bricks. I haven't written in over a month. But let me tell ya, there has been lots going on. Sometimes I'll make a note to myself to or start a post in my drafts just so I can keep up. So, look for more posts very soon.

Aloft

Last week, while traveling, I had the opportunity to stay at Starwood's new brand hotel, Aloft. I have 2 disclosures to make: I am an ex-employee of Starwood and I am a hotel snob (as a result of having been an employee at Starwood.) Being a hotel snob is easy when you work for a hotel company. You are staying at the best hotels for very little money. Being a hotel snob when you are not an employee of a hotel company is miserable. But it's not so bad in an economy like this. So, I found myself at Aloft, a vision of W hotels (as the tagline goes.) The hotel is brand new so you can't go wrong there. The decor is Ikea-esque. The bed is on a platform (no box spring) which I thought would be a problem but proved to be quite comfortable. There was no closet and everything was stored in cubbies - coffee machine, magazines, fancy teas, etc. The bathroom consisted of a large glass shower and toilet with a pocket door covered in mirror on one side. There was a flatscreen in the bedroom area and long bench to throw all your stuff (I actually liked this since I tend to have a lot of stuff.) The icing on the cake? Bliss products . The cherry on top? Dispensers in the shower carrying both shampoo/conditioner (which I can't use due to the snarl of hair I have but I appreciated the effort) and body wash. Next time I stay there, which will be again, I am absolutely bringing empty containers to load up on body wash. I'm a hotel snob with a weakness for free product.

Sign of the Times

I know we're in the worst housing crisis in history, a recession and our economy sucks. I work in finance, I get it. I can see it everywhere. Stores are less busy at peak times, foreclosure signs are popping up (even on beach front property) and everyone is offering "buy one, get one free." But it was never more apparent to me when I started leafing through the magazines that arrive at my door everyday and noticed the change in paper stock. I do have a bit of a magazine problem and as such, have become a bit of an aficionado. So, of course, the dullness of the paper shocked me right away. I felt betrayed, as though I had been handed a second-hand newspaper. (This is another issue I have. I don't like anyone to read the Sunday Times before me. It is worth every penny for me to have mine own brand new copy. A used copy makes me feel dirty.) The colors didn't pop, the words looked blurry and made me want to give up magazine reading altogether. Is this what we've been driven been to? In addition to all the money we've been swindled out of, we've also been robbed of the ability to picture ourselves in this season's fashions or to actually feel as though I am seated at the table between Diane & Barry? It was enough to make me take to my bed. But then, Vanity Fair showed up. I knew Graydon and team wouldn't let me down. And, sure enough, they didn't. I've recovered. I'm back. The economy, however, is not.

Hit and Run

I am starting out this post with the words my family members always say when they call very early in the morning: No one died. (That's the kind of family I have - ever optimistic.) This morning we had a hit and run. Not me, not the baby. Lulu. Yep, the birthday girl. Usually, when I let the dogs out in the morning they run across the street and go to the bathroom. This morning a car came by. Usually, I can distract them with a cookie and they run right to me. Well, this morning Lulu saw the car and decided to go after it. Now, let me explain something about her. She is not afraid of anything and laughs in the face of danger. I signal the car to slow down, it does and Lulu decides to pick up the pace and runs towards the front tire. The car is going about 7 MPH when she hits and gets repelled back. The car picks up and keeps going and Lulu rebounds herself and gallops back across the street to get her cookie. Reuben is staring at her with his "what is wrong with you? Seriously?" face. And I can't help but laugh. She is totally fine and the event was so unbelievable that I was laughing when I told CityCrab about it. Of course, his face went white when I started the story which just proves that I know he loves her despite their contentious relationship. And did she learn her lesson? Of course not. This afternoon when I let her out she went right over to the car and sniffed the tailpipe. I'm thinking about getting her on Fear Factor - the canine version.

Happy Birthday, Lulu

Today is Lulu's 3rd birthday. It's amazing that we've had her a little over 2 years. Even more amazing is that we still have her. Lulu is our Marley and we've vocalized getting rid of her several times. We adopted her and slowly found out why the family was so willing to give her away. But all the things that enraged us quickly became all the things we love about her. She's quirky, she snores and she coughs like she's had one too many Marlboros. She loves the ball and will do anything you want at the promise of getting one. She drives Reuben crazy but deep down inside he loves her. She's a great watch dog and her bark is way bigger than her bite. She gives good kisses and is an expert cuddler. Plus, she's sweet and gentle especially with CityBaby. So, in celebration of you, Lulu, let's put a candle in a frosty paw, sing happy birthday and party.

Award Show Fever

I have the fever. I get it every year. From the very first celebrity who hits the carpet for the Golden Globes, all the way to the credit roll for the Oscars. This week they announced the nominations and I realized I hadn't seen one movie. So, I decided I either a) need to make friends with a member of the Academy, real quick or b)get a job at Blockbuster, where I can get paid to watch movies all day. Since neither are realistic, I guess instead of the movies, I'll be forced to dish about what people are wearing. Shocking.

The Human Stain

Before I had a baby, I was clean. My house was clean. My car was clean. Even my dogs were clean. Now that I have a baby, a "spitter" no less, my life is stained.
The other day before I ran out of the house, I did a quick buzz by the mirror then did a double take when I saw a huge Galapagos Island stain down the front of my shirt. So, I smelled the shirt to make it was clean. Sure enough it was. I was tagged. As I walk through my house, I have constant reminders of the little person living in my 3rd bedroom. There's a splotch of peas on the rug in the hallway. And over there by the laundry room is where the chicken and squash dinner made its home. The guest room comforter was the scene of the formula hit & run. I thought at the time it would be safe to hang out in there since it had been almost 3 hours since eating. I heard it only gets worse once they start to potty train. The only one this is good news for is Lulu, since she has occasionally been known to leave her mark on the rug. Now, we'll have to stand over the stain, CSI-like, trying to determine its composition to decide whether we should reprimand Lulu or call it cute because it came from our first-born. But the fact of the matter is I wouldn't change my stained life for anything.