Who knew...?

So I thought this was an interesting testament to the randomness of Facebook and the allure of Six Degrees of Separation...

A friend of mine in college graduated two years ahead of me but had a sister who was in the same graduating class as me. We're Facebook friends. A few years back I saw in the Times Wedding section that the sister had married a Cushman (I think it was a Cushman, and not a Wakefield, but you get the idea). So I'm looking on Facebook and I saw an update from my friend and then clicked on his sister's page.

Randomly enough, she happens to be friends with a former client of mine (who I represented when she was selling her New York apartment before marrying into the Goodyear clan.)

A further random friendship? Joshua Bell. (As in, the violinist).

I'm always amazed when people you know, know other people you know but in a completely unconnected way. And then its always interesting when someone is friends with someone vaguely well known.

Wish List

So, for all I know the movie could be dreadful when it is released, but I already love the soundtrack to "Eat, Pray, Love". Eddie Vedder, Joao Gilberto, Marvin Gaye, et. al. It's perfectly relaxing and hip with a few fun punches. I'll take one, please!

Inception...

So we went to see Inception last night.

Unfortunately, the folks at the United Artists Theater at Market Fair didn't really seem to think that for the $35 I spent on tickets, air conditioning was necessary.

Nothing is worse than stadium seating with zero air circulation and high humidity.

FYI, if the last movie starts at 10:20pm, you should keep the air on until it's over!

Okay, that's enough about the theater... how about the movie?

I have to say, Hot Tub Time Machine was more entertaining.

I love Leonardo DiCaprio, and the other actors did well. The effects were good-- but the movie was overly long. There were no real twists to the plot-- it was basically a straight forward bit of story telling. It was kind of boring, after a while.

But. The previews! I'm very interested now in seeing The Social Network. And, I really like the song they use in the trailer-- it is "Creep" by Radiohead as sung by Scala and Kolacny Brothers a Belgian choir that covers pop music. Pretty cool.

Chris Isaak!

Yes, it's that time of year again-- Chris Isaak is on tour and he's made his way to the Big Apple!

This year, the concert was at the Nokia Theater in Times Square. It's a cool venue-- kind of like a theater with a night club atmosphere.

I had ordered our tickets back in April and really didn't have a good idea of where exactly our seats were... and then we got there and we were smack dab in the middle of the seventh row! I've seen Chris Isaak four times and these were the best seats I've ever had!

Thus, thanks to the Mom for letting me borrow her little camera-- I was able to get some great photos. (Let's not discuss how I also used the "voice recorder" function on my iPod to "pirate" Wicked Game. Who knew an iPod Touch was such a versatile little gizmo?

One of the cool things, too about the Nokia Theater is that in addition to the bar areas, they also have a cafe. I got a great little Red Velvet cupcake-- a nice way to start the show. Also, this year Marc Broussard opened for Chris. While some of Marc Broussard's music sounded familiar, I really have no recollection of having heard of him before-- but it was a pleasant surprise. He had a great voice and some terrific guys in his band. Over all he put on a great opening act.

As for Chris Isaak and Silvertone-- they always do a great job. Just a fun, entertaining show.

If you like his music and want to get a sense of what the live performances are like you can check out his latest cd: Live at the Fillmore. It has mostly the same song set as what we heard at our concert-- and it's all great music!

At the end of the show the guys in the band all toss their guitar picks into the audience. I didn't score one myself, but while we were walking out a man gave me one that he had gotten... so that was pretty cool! On the downside, as we were leaving the theater the escalator we were on broke down. This wouldn't have been a big deal had it only stopped, but instead it actually started going backwards-- which was a little wacky. It seemed to pick up more and more speed as we got closer to the bottom and the Husband and I had to literally jump off of the escalator so that we didn't just hit the bottom. It's things like that which keep life interesting.

Anyhoo. Afterwards we went and had a late dinner at a great place in the Stay Hotel called Aspen Social. The Husband got tuna tartare deviled eggs with wasabi (!) Overall it was really tasty and a nifty atmosphere as well. I highly recommend it!

Random Update

I come from a heritage of people who put things "in a safe place" to make it easier to find later and then promptly forget where said "safe place" is. Case in point-- I have been looking for my "Very Best of Sheryl Crow" cd for four years.

Yes, four years. Now I swear that during this time I have found the empty case in random locations, but never the disc. This would all be fine (thanks to iTunes) but for the fact that I had been wanting to import to my iPod the song "Picture" and since it is a duet with Kid Rock (and he apparently has some issue with Apple) its unavailable. I was determined not to buy another copy of the cd and then the other night I looked through my cd stockpile and there was the case and the disc sitting nice as could be. Like it had just gotten back from some prolonged vacation (possibly with Jimmy Buffet and all of the Songs You Know by Heart).

Finally, the song is imported.

Latest other musical acquisition? A pop-y thing called "This is How it Ends" courtesy of the on-hold muzak at the Saks 800 line.

Hmpf.

I used to love Mel Gibson. Hell, I even convinced the Mom to drive all the way to Maine as part of our "East Coast College Tour" so I could sneak on to the set of one of his movies.

Have you heard those tapes that his latest gal pal recorded?

The poor bugger has really lost his mind.

One just hopes that his ex wife is enjoying her share of that divorce settlement. From the sounds of it, I think she deserves it!

Have You Seen...

New York State's new license plates?

I just have two words for you: "Blind Governor".

Ugh.

(photo courtesy of NY1.com)

Happy Fourth!

This year we hit up the fireworks display in Princeton (hosted by the "Spirit of Princeton" organization) on Thursday, July 1st.

We had a nice Whole Foods picnic and enjoyed a great show.

Then for the actual Fourth of July we went to DC!
We stayed at the Willard Intercontinental on Pennsylvania Ave.

Very close to the White House... and very near the Mall!

We got to visit the Museum of American History, and see Julia Child's kitchen...

And, just as we were about to get in the elevator at our hotel to go downstairs to see the fireworks, we got invited by the concierge into the "VIP Viewing Area" for the fireworks! It turns out that one of the suites wasn't occupied and guests of the hotel were invited to watch the fireworks in air conditioned comfort! (This was a very nice thing, since when we went downstairs after the Fireworks to get some snacks, it was like Fort Apache The Bronx outside-- people were setting off Roman Candles, people were throwing water balloons from 10 stories up, and there were no police to be seen!) ;)

Check This Out!

Tomorrow Miss B. will start ballet classes. So, with that in mind, I had found a neat fat quarter with ballerinas on it... thus, I decided to make her a little bag for her "toe shoes":

I also made this little laptop case...

Why novelist Howard Engel couldn’t read, but could write: newyorker.com

Why novelist Howard Engel couldn’t read, but could write: newyorker.com

40 Unhealthiest Burgers

The Daily Beast rated the top forty unhealthiest cheeseburgers. Interestingly, no McDonald's burger made the cut. Thus reaffirming the fact that McDonald's burgers aren't actually meat.

Harry Potter vs. FIOS

We're watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in HD. Then, all of a sudden the channel freezes. What does our set-top box tell us? That it will check to see whether there may be any sports blackouts in our area which are affecting our viewing.

Really?

And how much do I pay for this per month?

Martha's Vineyard Guide for 2010!

So we just got back from a week in Martha's Vineyard. Below is a list of the places we enjoyed and would recommend for your next visit.


Food:





The Bite in Menemsha is a terrific little fish shack, with amazingly fresh seafood. It has wonderful Quahog chowder, fried shrimp, fish sandwiches and all other great stuff. Blink and you'll miss it on Basin Road, but it's worth the trip out to Menemsha. It's open 11-3pm (or thereabouts) daily (in season). 29 Basin Road, Chilmark, MA 02535

If you're in Katama/South Beach or in Edgartown and looking for great sandwiches and a terrific gourmet deli, look no further than the Katama General Store... (you can follow them here on Twitter). We drove past the General Store every day during our trip and didn't go in until the second to last day and boy we didn't know what we were missing! We stopped in here on the Husband's suggestion to pick up sandwiches to take on the Mad Max sailing adventure (see below) and they were fantastic! They had ham and cheese, Italian subs, chicken salad, roast beef and then great side salads-- dill potato salad, curried chicken salad, olives and all sort of great sides. Let's not even discuss the amazing peanut butter pie. 170 Katama Road, Edgartown, MA 02539-8719

If you're in Edgartown and looking for a terrific brunch? Check out Among the Flowers Cafe. Thisbe recommended it and she was more than right! We went back three times for waffles and omelets. It's a tiny little place right near the harbor area and is well worth the trip! (Let's also note that this was where we had our one "Hollywood of the East" sighting)... 17 Mayhew Lane, Edgartown, Ma 02539



Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Cafe and Bakery (aka Back Door Donuts): Looking for a late night snack? Look no further than Back Door Donuts at the Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Cafe and Bakery in Oak Bluffs. Open nightly from 9pm-1am they serve amazing donuts, apple fritters, filled croissants and other baked loveliness. I must also recommend hitting up the bakery during regular business hours for amazing egg, ham and cheese croissants and mini key lime pies. 5 Post Office Square, Oak Bluffs, MA

Il Tesoro at the Terrace: Il Tesoro at the Terrace (located inside the Charlotte Inn in Edgartown) is amazing. It was a wonderful world class dining experience if you are looking for a more formal dinner atmosphere. The Husband had osso bucco, I had an amazing risotto pescatore. The service was wonderful, the atmosphere terrific. I can't say enough good things-- it was a very European dining experience! (Here's a review). 27 South Summer Street, Edgartown, MA 02539

Murdick's Fudge: What trip to the beach is complete without fudge? Murdick's has fudgemaking daily right in the middle of the store. I scored some chocolate fudge and some butter pecan fudge for the mom. They have locations in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. 21 North Water Street, Edgartown, MA 02539

Beetlebung Coffee House: Beetlebung is a dry goods store (with locations in Edgartown, Menemsha and Vineyard Haven) and it's also a coffee shop (located in Vineyard Haven). They have great sandwiches, coffee, Arnold Palmers and other baked goodies. If you're in Vineyard Haven and looking for a light lunch you should definitely check out the coffee house. I had an amazing Beetlebung-style Cabot Cheddar Egg McMuffin and the Mom and Dad got great sandwiches.

32 Beach St, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

Chilmark General Store: Pizza. One word. It was good. Good cookies, too. 7 State Road, Chilmark, MA 02535


Shopping:

Vintage Jewelry: Vintage Jewelry has a location in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven. They have a wonderful selection of both old and new jewelry including Troll Beads. I picked up a really neat vintage flower brooch from the 1950's and then the Husband got me a lovely Troll Bead bracelet. 53 Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539-8233

Citrine: Citrine has recently moved to Vineyard Haven. Citrine stocks clothing and beads for jewelry making. I found a beautiful dress-- really unique looking (and perfect for dinner at Il Tesoro), a great pair of pants, a scarf and a neat little cape. I really hit the jackpot at Citrine. They have unusual, beautiful pieces. 9 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

Henley's Needlepoint: Henley's is located in Edgartown. This is one of the nicest needlepoint shops that I have ever visited. Ms. Henley has stocked the shop with wonderful hand painted canvases and she has a great selection of Martha's Vineyard specific projects which are perfect mementos to work on once you get home! 44 Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539

Love MV (aka I Heart MV) T-Shirts: Located in the Nashua House Hotel in Oak Bluffs, this tiny shop stocks really cute T-Shirts with a great MV logo. The owner and his sister were manning the store during my visit and they were super friendly. Kid's shirts are American Apparel and they also use Hanes Beefy-Ts. 9 Healey Way, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

Midnight Farm: Midnight Farm is Carly Simon's home and clothing store in Vineyard Haven. It reminded me a lot of an Anthropologie type concept, but with a large selection of higher-end items. It was a great shop to just browse in-- wonderful home decorating ideas and beautiful clothing. 18 Water Cromwell Ln, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

Boys and Girls Club Second Hand Store: At 10 N Summer Street in Edgartown you'll find the Boys and Girls Club of Martha's Vineyard's thrift shop. I love a good thrift shop and this one doesn't disappoint. I scored a few pieces of milk glass for the Mom and a vintage French advertising poster for me (it's from the early 1900's!). The best part? They're willing to bargain! 10 North Summer Street, Edgartown, MA 02539


I also recommend: Portobello Road, in Edgartown (kids stuff, home decor, books-- terrific store), Menemsha Blues (clothing), Island Outfitters and of course, Vineyard Vines and The Black Dog.

One other tip? If you like all of the nifty sea-themed door knockers that adorn the doors of Edgartown? Visit the local hardware store on Main Street in Edgartown-- they've got quite a good selection, reasonably priced!


Adventures:



Mad Max Sailing Adventures: Located near the Seafood Shanty in the Edgartown Harbor the Mad Max is a 60-foot catamaran sail boat which departs twice daily on two hour harbor cruises. We took a 6pm evening sunset cruise and had a wonderful time. It is BYOB/BYOF so you can bring a picnic to enjoy. (I recommend picking up goodies at the Katama General Store!) At $60 pp/$55pp (cash discount) it was reasonable and a really nice way to enjoy an evening sunset. 25 Dock Street, Edgartown, MA 02539




Cutler Bike Rental: Cutler Bikes is located in Edgartown and they deliver! We rented two bikes for the week (together with a little tow-behind rickshaw thingie for Miss B.) and it was $85 per bike for the week. The bikes were well maintained and a great way to get around. It was 3.1 miles from our house to Edgartown and one morning we biked in for breakfast. Biking is a nice way to see the island and there are plenty of bike trails. 1 Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539



Trustees of the Reservation: The Trustees of the Reservation maintain the various wildlife refuges and other state lands throughout MV. During our trip we made arrangements to be taken on a guided kayak trip within the Cape Poge wildlife reserve on Chappaquiddick Island. Mike, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the area and the birds, fish and other wildlife which we got to observe during our trip. The kayak trip was 2 1/2 hours and was a lot of fun.







Randi Baird Photography: Also during our visit we decided to have a family photo session at the Edgartown lighthouse. Randi Baird was recommended and she and her assistant were very personable and we had a really lovely time. We're looking forward to seeing our proofs! If you're in town and want to have some professional portraits, I would recommend contacting Randi.

MV 2010

So we went to Martha's Vineyard for a week. More photos and stories to follow...

Random Thoughts...

We just finished watching "The Road". Okay, totally depressing. But I have to say, much better than 2012. That being said, we are now watching Casino Royale. Obviously, much better than both The Road and 2012, despite the fact that its on USA, with commercials. (Ugh).

Next? Next is an observation: Why is it that in order to purchase all of the various food items I need for the fam for a week I have to visit at least two (but usually three) different grocery stores? I can understand why I might need to go to both Wegmans and Whole Foods (since generally, Whole Foods has fresher meats/produce and they don't carry normal things like soda and oreos.... though they do have "Newman-O's"). But really, should I also have to throw in Shop-Rite or Stop n'Shop (or Target) into the mix? Why is it that Wegman's can't seem to carry Yellow Rice??? Or Newman's Own Lemonade/Iced Tea? Let's not even get started on the Newman's Own frozen pizzas. Those only seem to be at Target and Stop n'Shop. Stop n'Shop and Shop Rite are also home to the Stella D'Oro 100 calorie pack chocolate "S" cookies that are favorites of the Husband and Baby. Then there's Rye Bread by "The Baker". Again-- only Stop n'Shop... oddly, Whole Foods carries other breads by "The Baker", but not Rye bread. Aqua Panna in plastic bottles? Stop n'Shop. Unfortunately, Stop n'Shop (while convienently located near our house) is generally a scary shopping experience with 9 items out of 10 being close to or actually expired. Not to mention that it has weird hours and the people who work there love to close off one of the entrances well before closing time which is annoying since that's the door right next to the "self-check out". One other observation-- when I'm doing self-check out, I'd really appreiciate it if the folks who work at the store would refrain from bagging my groceries. If I'd wanted assistance bagging, I'd have gone through a manned-check out lane. I chose to self-check out because I don't want anyone else touching my stuff!

Otherwise not much else is going on.

I have started reading "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest".... so far so good. Thoughts?

Oh, one last thing. Got to love the local dry cleaner. I brought in a suede Banana Republic Skirt (which I recently got for $5.29.... same place as the vintage Missoni) and asked how much it would be to have it cleaned. (It doesn't actually need a cleaning based on looks, but I always have "vintage" stuff dry cleaned.... yeah. $45.00 (?) $45.00??? That's 9 times what I paid. So needless to say I'll be looking for some other dry cleaning options!

$5.29

is what I paid today for a vintage Missoni top.

Score!

Pictures to follow...

Check out all that extra room!

Yup, I pretty much think I could park that car anywhere...

Samurai!

Here's a picture of the wacky samurai figures I scored at the Rummage Sale!

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest....

is out on May 25th!!!!!

By the way, is it just me or is Mikael Blomkvist TOTALLY Stellan Skarsgaard???

It's that Time Again....

for the twice yearly VNA Rummage Sale! You might recall that we visited the sale in the Fall when the Mom and Dad were in town and we made a delightful score at bag and box day. Well, this year I went on Friday with Miss B. (it was a full price day) and got a bunch of neat fabrics from the Dry Goods tent, a wacky oil painting, a J. McLaughlin silk jersey button down (the style is the same as shown in the link but the pattern is different), a bunch of books including a first edition of Toni Morrison's Beloved, a really cool print of a detail of a Greek Vase from the Met for the Husband and a bunch of other goodies.

Today, for Mother's Day, the Husband and baby took me back to the sale for the infamous "bag and box" extravaganza!

I started off strong by sprinting to the "Bon-Ton" tent where I had spied some really cool Samurai looking porcelain figures on Friday. They were originally $18 each and I wasn't up for paying that kind of cash for them, so I wanted to see if they were still around. Sadly, the small portraits of George and Martha Washington ($28) and the Longhorn Skull ($150) were already taken.... but my samurai were there! Unfortunately, though, there was a limit of 19 shoppers in the Bon-Ton barn at any one time and there was an elderly woman seated at the door acting as a "bouncer" and she was taking her job very seriously. Thus, I had to wait in line. However, it mostly went quick and once inside I not only got my guys but I also got a Westmoreland piece of milk glass for the Mom. I saw the same piece on Ebay for $79.95... I paid $9!

Then it was on to the "Dry Goods" tent. (This is my favorite haunt... for $10 you can pack a grocery bag full of goodies-- whatever you can stuff!) I got tons and tons of wacky fabric remnants, craft projects, hook rug canvases and my favorite find of all-- a partially completed needlepoint of The Blue Boy! (The Blue Boy has sentimental significance from back when the Mom was a decorator...) I am probably one of the few people on the planet who love half-completed needlepoints... but that's part of my charm.

Finally, I also got a nifty hat for Miss B. (she does, after all, love her hats) and three books! (Two John Grisham first editions and a book about some kind of zen meditation for knitters...)

Afterwards, we also hit up the Trenton Kennel Club Dog Show. It was pretty windy out. The Husband was rather disappointed (as was I) that by the time we got there the folks with the Italian Sausage and Pepper concession were packing it in for the day. But we did get to see a good number of dogs and Miss B. petted some very adorable English Springer Spaniel puppies. Very exciting!