Today, I spent my hours learning about the city of Toronto and the culture of the Canadian consumer. It was a very enlightening trip, and I think it will really help me understand the things I need to to do my job better. It was a good day, full of lots of education, and I am completely grateful for the opportunity. But because this blog tends to be more focused on my general life experiences and food ... that's what I really want to talk about!
Lunch - it was really divine. We ate at Luma, a sophisticated lunch spot for downtown Toronto folks (or at least that was my new to Toronto impression.) Now, because this was a business trip, I didn't really feel like I could take out my phone and start taking pictures of my food, but I kind of wish I could have ... because it was really, really pretty. I had a seared albacore tuna w/green beans, on bib lettuce and chickpeas ... it was amazingly refreshing and light. I enjoyed every bite and wanted it to play on my tongue forever. There was this lovely citrus layer in each taste that danced on my tongue. The tuna was light and seared perfectly. I knew that if this was any indication of my day ... it was going to be a great day.
Then, after a long day of walking, learning and asking questions, we met up with our colleague who leaves in Toronto. She gave us a tour of our office buildings and advised me to work at the hotel if I can tomorrow (since there isn't really anything spectacular that I will gain from paying $70 for a taxi to bring me to the office space).
She then took us to a great restaurant called Pure Spirits. I appreciated a local taking us to a preferred restaurant. And while it was a seafood restaurant, I know my limits of seafood is one dish a day ... so I decided to try the pistachio-crusted pork tenderloin that came with a lovely port wine and morel mushroom jus and crispy truffled polenta "cakes." The polenta cakes were interesting, but I only ate one of the two (a little two crispy for me) but the pork was cooked perfectly ... and I could have eaten a plate full of the jus. To top off my meal, I enjoyed a Canadian wine - it was the 13th Street Winery Noirs. It was a delicate wine - not a lot of tannins or bit, so very smooth and the perfect accompaniment to my meal.
All in all, a very satisfying day of great company, excellent food and a fabulous experience that will help me better define and shape further decisions on our approach for providing the best service possible to our employees in Canada.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
That Screaming Toddler - Yeah, He's Mine
Raising a spirited child takes a little extra patience. Raising a spirited child who is 22-months-old (because that is really when the terrible-two's occur) takes an act of God.
K is, and has always been, a relatively easy child. He listens, only occasionally has breakdowns, but they usually last two seconds, and he infuses the day with humor and smiles. O is a hilarious child, but he also has the fastest and most brutal temper I've ever seen. And right now he is very much in the "I'll scream until I get my way" phase. I don't know if this has something to do with making sure his voice is heard or what. The kid can turn his scream on and off, and he knows exactly what he's doing.
He knows that if he screams, he'll pretty much get what he wants because we try to stop the screaming terror. Take today's swimming lessons. He gets pretty bored by the fourth repetition of any activity, and so then he starts to scream. The teacher has gotten so accustom to this, that she prepares him by saying, "Just two more times, O." And, because I am pretty firm, and she follows my lead, we make him continue through the screams. Sometimes, I try to distract him, but sometimes it's not worth it, and by letting him know I am not going to let him get out of it, he'll stop on his own.
Swimming is one thing. The shoe store was another. I decided to give D a somewhat quiet house and take O with me to the shoe store (I am the kind of person that wears my shoes until I absolutely need to get a new pair ... and it was definitely that time ...) So, I plopped the stroller in the car, and took O with me. Leaving K to play at home. Now, granted, I realize that taking a toddler to a shoe store may have been asking for trouble (but K would go shopping with me all the time and was absolutely pleasant.)
The trip started out well, he was patient and chatting and just smiling. I was able to try on a few pairs of shoes. But after a bit, the meltdown came. The kid screamed (and I mean screamed at the top of his lungs) for a good five minutes. I just held him and let him get it out, asking him gently to please stop screaming. I took him to the window to distract him. I sang him a short song. Nothing worked ... until I gave up and took my purchase to the register ... then the bugger calmed down.
The cashier looked at me with pity. "Rough day?", I replied that he screams until he gets what he wants. She replied, "I guess he just wants to leave." Touche.
Lesson learned, I won't taking O on another shopping trip with me alone until he's at least three.
K is, and has always been, a relatively easy child. He listens, only occasionally has breakdowns, but they usually last two seconds, and he infuses the day with humor and smiles. O is a hilarious child, but he also has the fastest and most brutal temper I've ever seen. And right now he is very much in the "I'll scream until I get my way" phase. I don't know if this has something to do with making sure his voice is heard or what. The kid can turn his scream on and off, and he knows exactly what he's doing.
He knows that if he screams, he'll pretty much get what he wants because we try to stop the screaming terror. Take today's swimming lessons. He gets pretty bored by the fourth repetition of any activity, and so then he starts to scream. The teacher has gotten so accustom to this, that she prepares him by saying, "Just two more times, O." And, because I am pretty firm, and she follows my lead, we make him continue through the screams. Sometimes, I try to distract him, but sometimes it's not worth it, and by letting him know I am not going to let him get out of it, he'll stop on his own.
Swimming is one thing. The shoe store was another. I decided to give D a somewhat quiet house and take O with me to the shoe store (I am the kind of person that wears my shoes until I absolutely need to get a new pair ... and it was definitely that time ...) So, I plopped the stroller in the car, and took O with me. Leaving K to play at home. Now, granted, I realize that taking a toddler to a shoe store may have been asking for trouble (but K would go shopping with me all the time and was absolutely pleasant.)
The trip started out well, he was patient and chatting and just smiling. I was able to try on a few pairs of shoes. But after a bit, the meltdown came. The kid screamed (and I mean screamed at the top of his lungs) for a good five minutes. I just held him and let him get it out, asking him gently to please stop screaming. I took him to the window to distract him. I sang him a short song. Nothing worked ... until I gave up and took my purchase to the register ... then the bugger calmed down.
The cashier looked at me with pity. "Rough day?", I replied that he screams until he gets what he wants. She replied, "I guess he just wants to leave." Touche.
Lesson learned, I won't taking O on another shopping trip with me alone until he's at least three.
Friday, October 21, 2011
For the Love of Pumpkin
However, I finally have a pumpkin-loving fool soul mate in my house. O. When I answer to my weakness and order the pumpkin loaf at Starbucks ... he devours more than half (and let's be honest, it is probably much better that way, too.) I decided to try the pumpkin milk at the grocery store. Good thing I did not look at the ingredient list for ... hello, sugar! ... and when I poured the last of it today (vowing not to buy anymore even though it was absolutely delicious) the little bugger made sure he was able to enjoy half the glass with me.
Now, he's running around with an orange milk moustache, and all I can do is grin. Thank you for giving me at least one family member who enjoys the delicousness of fall to the same degree I do. Now, where is that pumpkin pie candy corn I just bought ...
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Sushi and Gab
I can't believe I did it again ... I forgot to take pictures of wine club (aka restaurant club) last night. This month, we enjoyed the fine cuisine of Japan at Fuji Ya. It was not my first time dining at Fuji Ya, so I knew what to expect ... but did I know what to order?
Laying a sushi menu in front of me is like laying the Neiman Marcus catalog in front of Warren Buffett when it's time to pick out employee Christmas gifts ... so many choices! I just didn't know what to do. So I decided to leave it up to the chef ... and I ordered the house special bento box.
Thanks to the interweb ... I did find a photo of the bento box:
http://flic.kr/p/4F4bPc
The biggest learning ... panko-crusted anything is AMAZING! I had panko-crusted shrimp and a fish ... and it was perhaps my favorite part of the course. It was so crunchy and yummy. The sashimi was great - refreshing and delicate - as it should be. There was also a nice sauteed salmon that I sprinkled some lemon on. I decided to pair everything with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc (which I have to admit, it was hard to go back to white wine since I have entered red wine season ... but I didn't want their Pinot Noir with my bento box and the other reds looked fair to heavy to have with fish.)
Of course, the conversation was the best part of the meal, because you can never go wrong with great company. Next month, we are will be exploring African fare, so I cannot wait to see where we go. Of course, the holiday season is quickly approaching so the next two months might be harder for us all to get together, and it is already making the think about what do we want to do next year, because it will be our fifth year -- which I think is absolutely amazing -- if we continue it next year, this little club will have gone five years strong!
It's amazing to me what having a nice little social network that has a consistent gathering cadence can do for your mental health -- it's so good for me to know that once a month, I get to just hang with some girlfriends, chat about everything and nothing, laugh and eat good food and drink good wine. It's also why I have been desperately trying to attend a new books and martini club a friend of mine started, but my schedule hasn't meshed well with that schedule (one of the casualties I am learning of having a kid in school ... time is now really flying by.)
Here's to the power of girl groups!
Laying a sushi menu in front of me is like laying the Neiman Marcus catalog in front of Warren Buffett when it's time to pick out employee Christmas gifts ... so many choices! I just didn't know what to do. So I decided to leave it up to the chef ... and I ordered the house special bento box.
Thanks to the interweb ... I did find a photo of the bento box:
http://flic.kr/p/4F4bPc
The biggest learning ... panko-crusted anything is AMAZING! I had panko-crusted shrimp and a fish ... and it was perhaps my favorite part of the course. It was so crunchy and yummy. The sashimi was great - refreshing and delicate - as it should be. There was also a nice sauteed salmon that I sprinkled some lemon on. I decided to pair everything with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc (which I have to admit, it was hard to go back to white wine since I have entered red wine season ... but I didn't want their Pinot Noir with my bento box and the other reds looked fair to heavy to have with fish.)
Of course, the conversation was the best part of the meal, because you can never go wrong with great company. Next month, we are will be exploring African fare, so I cannot wait to see where we go. Of course, the holiday season is quickly approaching so the next two months might be harder for us all to get together, and it is already making the think about what do we want to do next year, because it will be our fifth year -- which I think is absolutely amazing -- if we continue it next year, this little club will have gone five years strong!
It's amazing to me what having a nice little social network that has a consistent gathering cadence can do for your mental health -- it's so good for me to know that once a month, I get to just hang with some girlfriends, chat about everything and nothing, laugh and eat good food and drink good wine. It's also why I have been desperately trying to attend a new books and martini club a friend of mine started, but my schedule hasn't meshed well with that schedule (one of the casualties I am learning of having a kid in school ... time is now really flying by.)
Here's to the power of girl groups!
Penguins and School Kids
Yesterday, we took the boys to the zoo. It was a little too windy (= cold) for us to want to explore most of the outside exhibits, so we wandered the aquarium, tropical and half in/half out Minnesota trail. (Which, D proclaimed are his favorite parts anyway ... K was a little disappointed that we didn't go out to the tiger, but once he got a bag of trio mix popcorn, he focused on that instead.)
This was the first time going to the zoo where O would call out some of the animal names (he clearly knows monkeys, and everything about them) so there was an added element of excitement. The only thing we didn't think to plan ahead for was ... school groups. Typically we go on the weekends, but because I decided to use some vacation this fall to take Fridays off when K doesn't have school ... we are quickly learning that Fridays are not Saturdays when it comes to family adventures. This meant we did have to do some navigating around the kids with their scavenger hunts, but all in all, it was fun. We got to check out the new penguin exhibit. This was definitely the highlight as both boys are major penguin fans. And it was extra special that one penguin wanted to stay near the glass where O was. He was particularly pleased with himself.
The biggest surprise was when we were leaving and D said thank you to me for thinking up the idea of going to the zoo. My husband is always super appreciative ... but I wasn't expecting a thank you. (Especially since we are members ... and we usually are pretty good about going ... but maybe he was thanking me for getting them all out of the house.)
In two weeks, we'll be back at the zoo for their members-only HallZOOween event. This is something we've gone to since K was two, it's a nice way to go trick-or-treating indoors and with a better range of treats than just your standard candy (which is better for mommy, too.) It's also nice, because the goal is to be family-friendly, so masks are not allowed (it does mean K is a little limited when he wants to be certain costumes) but it also means I don't have to worry about teenagers scary my little munchkins. I am curious to see how long this will be an acceptable Halloween venture for K, I think this year I need to take note of how old the oldest kids look ...
This was the first time going to the zoo where O would call out some of the animal names (he clearly knows monkeys, and everything about them) so there was an added element of excitement. The only thing we didn't think to plan ahead for was ... school groups. Typically we go on the weekends, but because I decided to use some vacation this fall to take Fridays off when K doesn't have school ... we are quickly learning that Fridays are not Saturdays when it comes to family adventures. This meant we did have to do some navigating around the kids with their scavenger hunts, but all in all, it was fun. We got to check out the new penguin exhibit. This was definitely the highlight as both boys are major penguin fans. And it was extra special that one penguin wanted to stay near the glass where O was. He was particularly pleased with himself.
The biggest surprise was when we were leaving and D said thank you to me for thinking up the idea of going to the zoo. My husband is always super appreciative ... but I wasn't expecting a thank you. (Especially since we are members ... and we usually are pretty good about going ... but maybe he was thanking me for getting them all out of the house.)
In two weeks, we'll be back at the zoo for their members-only HallZOOween event. This is something we've gone to since K was two, it's a nice way to go trick-or-treating indoors and with a better range of treats than just your standard candy (which is better for mommy, too.) It's also nice, because the goal is to be family-friendly, so masks are not allowed (it does mean K is a little limited when he wants to be certain costumes) but it also means I don't have to worry about teenagers scary my little munchkins. I am curious to see how long this will be an acceptable Halloween venture for K, I think this year I need to take note of how old the oldest kids look ...
Friday, October 07, 2011
When Life Gets in the Way
I cannot believe that the first week of October has come and gone and I haven't posted once. I guess it's a testament to how much I love October and how I try to spend my time sucking all the possible joy I can out of this autumn that I haven't had a chance to write.
This truly has been a fantastic autumn so far ... the weather has been unbelievable. We made our first trip to the apple orchard last week, and I know we'll make at least one more (we went on a Friday ... and we now know that we need to go early Saturday, so we can participate in the fun weekend activities.) We've cheered our little man at many flag football games and we've enjoyed seeing both boys splash and perfect their swimming skills.
We've watched all the premieres of new shows this fall (some winners, some losers) and we've been able to get reacquainted with some of our old favorites. (And I am just personally getting acquainted with Mad Men, and yes, I realized I was a fool not to get on that bandwagon much sooner.)
I've transitioned from white wine to red ... and sipped the luxury of the season with a sweet smile. I've enjoyed coffee and philosophical chats with colleagues and had to suck it up and face my conflict avoidance fears and made terrifying phone calls (that in the end were nothing to be afraid of, really.)
I've also introduced myself to George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones. Not normally a book I would read, but when one of my favorite writers (Jen Lancaster, if you'd like to know) said that she loved the book, I though I should give it a spin. Again, why didn't I get on that bandwagon sooner? It's the kind of book that has me visualizing the whole time. It's the kind of book that makes me say ... okay ... maybe the fantasy section isn't just for D&D players or Magic geeks like my husband. It also makes me cheer for Mr. Martin because if you read his bio in the back of the book ... if you balanced his failures against his successes, it would probably tip to failures (based purely on works being published.) But, oh his successes! He probably laughs when he thinks about any of his rejections now.
Simply put, life has definitely gotten in the way the past few weeks. But I can't complain. A busy life is a full life is a rich life. (If only I could convert it to actually money, then life would be perfect.) I hope that everyone else's October is providing the fulfillment and joy I've had the pleasure of experiencing ... here's to sustaining a great autumn!
This truly has been a fantastic autumn so far ... the weather has been unbelievable. We made our first trip to the apple orchard last week, and I know we'll make at least one more (we went on a Friday ... and we now know that we need to go early Saturday, so we can participate in the fun weekend activities.) We've cheered our little man at many flag football games and we've enjoyed seeing both boys splash and perfect their swimming skills.
We've watched all the premieres of new shows this fall (some winners, some losers) and we've been able to get reacquainted with some of our old favorites. (And I am just personally getting acquainted with Mad Men, and yes, I realized I was a fool not to get on that bandwagon much sooner.)
I've transitioned from white wine to red ... and sipped the luxury of the season with a sweet smile. I've enjoyed coffee and philosophical chats with colleagues and had to suck it up and face my conflict avoidance fears and made terrifying phone calls (that in the end were nothing to be afraid of, really.)
I've also introduced myself to George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones. Not normally a book I would read, but when one of my favorite writers (Jen Lancaster, if you'd like to know) said that she loved the book, I though I should give it a spin. Again, why didn't I get on that bandwagon sooner? It's the kind of book that has me visualizing the whole time. It's the kind of book that makes me say ... okay ... maybe the fantasy section isn't just for D&D players or Magic geeks like my husband. It also makes me cheer for Mr. Martin because if you read his bio in the back of the book ... if you balanced his failures against his successes, it would probably tip to failures (based purely on works being published.) But, oh his successes! He probably laughs when he thinks about any of his rejections now.
Simply put, life has definitely gotten in the way the past few weeks. But I can't complain. A busy life is a full life is a rich life. (If only I could convert it to actually money, then life would be perfect.) I hope that everyone else's October is providing the fulfillment and joy I've had the pleasure of experiencing ... here's to sustaining a great autumn!
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