Last Friday I returned to Travail and enjoyed another ten course tasting menu. It was a friend's birthday, so a group of ladies got together to celebrate the momentous occasion. I've always known that the food and atmosphere play a huge part in how you enjoy your meal, so it was no surprise that the evening was great fun.
The food was, as expected, delightful. But I need to give much praise to their ability to manage to my gluten-free lifestyle. The way the tasting menu works, you split your plate with a dining buddy. My dining buddy is a good friend who said she was willing to enjoy the "gluten-on-the-side" plate. While most courses were practically identical, with an apple chip replacing the bread crouton here and there, the only course that was extremely different was the pasta dish. They provided us a plate of risotto.
I am going to think that they made the risotto special for just us. Even if that's not the truth, I am just going to go on believing it is. So, Travail, take two was marvelous and I think you very much. And I thank KK for having such a brilliant birthday celebration!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Overprotective Parent
We. are. overprotective. parents. We know this, we fully admit it, and we are not ashamed about it. So, how do overprotective parents deal with the dilemma of a summer where there are many potential play dates?
We stress.
Yesterday, when I got home D asked me if he could tell me about a phone call he received and if I would tell him how I would've handled the situation. Apparently one of K's classmates called. As in, the six-year-old classmate - not the parent. They wanted K to come over for a sleepover. D was taken a bit off guard, so he asked the child if he could speak to their parent.
He then proceeded to tell me how the parent was very high energy, and started talking about the kids having a play date and sleepover ... but she did come to and realize that ... well, it might be good if we got to know the parents first. After much finagling on a date, they settled on this Friday. (D admitted that he was initially aiming to schedule the play date on a weekend so that I would have to be the parent to go.)
I told him that all of his red flags were the exact same ones I was going to have, and then I asked him the question he knew was coming, but was deeply dreading ... "So, you're planning on staying there during the play date right?"
Okay, okay, I know ... it's probably a bit much ... but I do expect him to stay for at least the first portion to make sure he feels comfortable. He acknowledged that he felt the same way, but was hoping that I wouldn't have said it. I mean, it's our baby, and I only leave him to those I know and have developed serious trusting relationships. Hell, I'll probably make him take me on any dates he goes on in high school. (Okay, I may be exaggerating ... but then again, maybe not!)
So, I'll be holding my breathe all day on Friday, until I know he is back safe and sound.
We stress.
Yesterday, when I got home D asked me if he could tell me about a phone call he received and if I would tell him how I would've handled the situation. Apparently one of K's classmates called. As in, the six-year-old classmate - not the parent. They wanted K to come over for a sleepover. D was taken a bit off guard, so he asked the child if he could speak to their parent.
He then proceeded to tell me how the parent was very high energy, and started talking about the kids having a play date and sleepover ... but she did come to and realize that ... well, it might be good if we got to know the parents first. After much finagling on a date, they settled on this Friday. (D admitted that he was initially aiming to schedule the play date on a weekend so that I would have to be the parent to go.)
I told him that all of his red flags were the exact same ones I was going to have, and then I asked him the question he knew was coming, but was deeply dreading ... "So, you're planning on staying there during the play date right?"
Okay, okay, I know ... it's probably a bit much ... but I do expect him to stay for at least the first portion to make sure he feels comfortable. He acknowledged that he felt the same way, but was hoping that I wouldn't have said it. I mean, it's our baby, and I only leave him to those I know and have developed serious trusting relationships. Hell, I'll probably make him take me on any dates he goes on in high school. (Okay, I may be exaggerating ... but then again, maybe not!)
So, I'll be holding my breathe all day on Friday, until I know he is back safe and sound.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Sophistificated Foodie
This post is a few days post-due. Wednesday was K's last day of Kindergarten. So, D and I decided that to "officially" kick off summer vacation, he should get a special dinner (or at least get to choose what dinner should be.)
So, we called him into the office where we were talking and shared the news. We then asked him what he wanted for dinner. He responded that he needed a few minutes to think about it, since it was just sprung on him at that moment. After about two minutes, he looked at us both and said ... "sushi, please."
D and I both made a comment that expressed our surprise at the selection. K's response: "What, did you think I was going to say pizza?" To which we both had to confess, that yes, that is exactly what we thought he was going to pick. His answer to that, "We'll have pizza on Friday." (Which yes, Friday is always pizza and movie night.)
Fortunately, a new Japanese restaurant just opened in our hood, so sushi didn't mean a run to get grocery-store sushi from Target (which in all fairness, is perfectly suitable ... but limited, oh so limited, in the options.) So, we pulled up the menu for the new restaurant and placed our orders.
K and I went to go pick it up (and the only 30 minutes it poured all day was during this time frame.) From the order to the pick up to the eating of the sushi, it was great. Oh, D and I were oh so happy about this, we'll just have to watch our sushi habit now that we know this place is good. And more importantly, we need more people to eat there to ensure it stays around. (From photos on their facebook page, it looks like they have a nice steady flow of traffic ... so I am hoping.) Because frankly, there are only so many pubs this suburb can support, and we needed some variety.
And kudos to having such an awesome kid that he would choose sushi over pizza! Yay for me!
So, we called him into the office where we were talking and shared the news. We then asked him what he wanted for dinner. He responded that he needed a few minutes to think about it, since it was just sprung on him at that moment. After about two minutes, he looked at us both and said ... "sushi, please."
D and I both made a comment that expressed our surprise at the selection. K's response: "What, did you think I was going to say pizza?" To which we both had to confess, that yes, that is exactly what we thought he was going to pick. His answer to that, "We'll have pizza on Friday." (Which yes, Friday is always pizza and movie night.)
Fortunately, a new Japanese restaurant just opened in our hood, so sushi didn't mean a run to get grocery-store sushi from Target (which in all fairness, is perfectly suitable ... but limited, oh so limited, in the options.) So, we pulled up the menu for the new restaurant and placed our orders.
K and I went to go pick it up (and the only 30 minutes it poured all day was during this time frame.) From the order to the pick up to the eating of the sushi, it was great. Oh, D and I were oh so happy about this, we'll just have to watch our sushi habit now that we know this place is good. And more importantly, we need more people to eat there to ensure it stays around. (From photos on their facebook page, it looks like they have a nice steady flow of traffic ... so I am hoping.) Because frankly, there are only so many pubs this suburb can support, and we needed some variety.
And kudos to having such an awesome kid that he would choose sushi over pizza! Yay for me!
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
The Age Gap
Yesterday at work, I had the pleasure of viewing a presentation about a specific age demographic. This well-known organization had a name for the group (but I think it's proprietary.) It was those people who bridge the gap between the Gen Xers and the Millennials.
However, that is not what the invite said initial. Instead, it said how it was going to discuss the oldest Millennials, and then it shared the age range 25 - 34. So, at first I was quite confused, because this would include me ... and I've never considered myself a Millennial. So, I was grateful for the clarification at the beginning when they explained it was those at the very end of the Xers and the beginning of the Millennials. For some reason, I could feel more comfortable with that label (if we must be labeled.)
I didn't learn anything new from the presentation, just nodded, was sort of amazed at the questions asked and sometimes started to think about the weekend. There was one part of the presentation that did take me by surprise. They explained that they asked the different generations to pick a movie that they felt like defined their generation. First they showed the boomers, and there were movies like Star Wars, American Graffiti. Then they asked us what we thought the Xers picked. I immediately thought Reality Bites, Singles ... nope, Xers selected The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire. My gut said, man, those are old movies (but after talking to D tonight, who is in the middle of Gen X - he validated that those were the right movies. Then they showed the bridge group ... and I was sadly disappointed. While movies like The Breakfast Club showed up on the word cloud ... the movie most frequently mentioned was The Hangover.
Really? Really? We are saying this movie defined us as a generation ... a situation where you don't remember what happened about the night before. A movie I had to force myself to watch to convince myself that I would at some point find the humor. (Sorry fans of the movie, this one just didn't go over in my house.) They showed us what younger Millennials picked and they had options like Mean Girls. Okay, I get that, it's relevant its about people in that age category ... so again, The Hangover? Right when I was finally feeling somewhat comfortable being categorized ... it all came crashing down.
So, here's to no labels.
However, that is not what the invite said initial. Instead, it said how it was going to discuss the oldest Millennials, and then it shared the age range 25 - 34. So, at first I was quite confused, because this would include me ... and I've never considered myself a Millennial. So, I was grateful for the clarification at the beginning when they explained it was those at the very end of the Xers and the beginning of the Millennials. For some reason, I could feel more comfortable with that label (if we must be labeled.)
I didn't learn anything new from the presentation, just nodded, was sort of amazed at the questions asked and sometimes started to think about the weekend. There was one part of the presentation that did take me by surprise. They explained that they asked the different generations to pick a movie that they felt like defined their generation. First they showed the boomers, and there were movies like Star Wars, American Graffiti. Then they asked us what we thought the Xers picked. I immediately thought Reality Bites, Singles ... nope, Xers selected The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire. My gut said, man, those are old movies (but after talking to D tonight, who is in the middle of Gen X - he validated that those were the right movies. Then they showed the bridge group ... and I was sadly disappointed. While movies like The Breakfast Club showed up on the word cloud ... the movie most frequently mentioned was The Hangover.
Really? Really? We are saying this movie defined us as a generation ... a situation where you don't remember what happened about the night before. A movie I had to force myself to watch to convince myself that I would at some point find the humor. (Sorry fans of the movie, this one just didn't go over in my house.) They showed us what younger Millennials picked and they had options like Mean Girls. Okay, I get that, it's relevant its about people in that age category ... so again, The Hangover? Right when I was finally feeling somewhat comfortable being categorized ... it all came crashing down.
So, here's to no labels.
Friday, June 01, 2012
Only Two Days Left of Kindergarten
It is so hard to believe that my baby only has two days left of Kindergarten. This whole, they grow up so fast is the most painful cliche because it's so damn true. I remember when K was a baby, I blinked, and now he's such a young man that my heart aches when I hear him sound so grown up.
Every day my boys bring me such joy. And they mesmerize me with how their minds work. But seriously, we're already moving past Kindergarten?? On the other end of the spectrum, O is still very much a toddler, so his terrible two tantrums make me even more grateful that K is older and past that stage. And I have really lucked out that even at the old age of six, K is a snuggler.
Now, I'm afraid our summers are going to go speeding past us because we will have the school year to mark passages in time. Part of it might be that I also can't believe I'm in my mid-thirties, as I hear other "young-ins" talk about their ten year college reunions and then do the math and realize, yep, I've been out of college even longer than that ... and maybe it's because I think I found two new grey hairs today. (And I can't remember, did I share about my long grey eye brow hair?? That was frightening.)
Here's to time slowing down just a bit ... please ... just a bit.
Every day my boys bring me such joy. And they mesmerize me with how their minds work. But seriously, we're already moving past Kindergarten?? On the other end of the spectrum, O is still very much a toddler, so his terrible two tantrums make me even more grateful that K is older and past that stage. And I have really lucked out that even at the old age of six, K is a snuggler.
Now, I'm afraid our summers are going to go speeding past us because we will have the school year to mark passages in time. Part of it might be that I also can't believe I'm in my mid-thirties, as I hear other "young-ins" talk about their ten year college reunions and then do the math and realize, yep, I've been out of college even longer than that ... and maybe it's because I think I found two new grey hairs today. (And I can't remember, did I share about my long grey eye brow hair?? That was frightening.)
Here's to time slowing down just a bit ... please ... just a bit.
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