Billg's House

So I'm driving from Seattle to the Eastside on the 520 bridge tonight and from the edge of the Arboretum I can see some houses lit in Christmas lights across Lake Washington. I love me some Christmas lights!

As I get closer I recognize, realize and remember that it's not a few houses that are lit, but many and all of Bill Gates' homes and additional structures.

I'm sure Bill was out, stringing lights on his roof last weekend. He probably has a clause in his life insurance policy that excludes daily household chores (hazardous fumes and all), backyard maintenance (power tools) and of course mounting large structures to apply festive decorations.

The reflection of Bill's Bellevue Villa reflects beautifully off the lake and gives the aliens on Mars an ideal bulls-eye.

The Flu

Apparently all that running around in NY compromised my immunity.

I now have a stomach flu.

Mister Yuck

Back at Home

We're back from NY.

Since I didn't write about Friday, I'm going to try to recall what we did.

Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, we slept in until noon. We met Brody at the NY public Library with the lions out front (photo op). We didn't go inside.

Meow

NY Public Library (brrr!)

B, Brody and I walked to 5th Avenue to see the flagship stores of every store you see in every mall in America. The stores were big. There were a lot of people everywhere and we were cold. I was bundled like an Eskimo, but still, I froze.

We went into H&M and Zara which were my favorite stores in France. Because there were SO MANY people and I'm having a "Sallie Mae Christmas," (Sallie Mae is the name of the college loan I'm currently paying off), I didn't feel like spending money.

ROCKefeller Ice Rink

It was cool to go into the stores and check things out. It was very, um, educational when we walked into the really, truly expensive jewelry stores and interesting to gauge people's reactions of us. Apparently, we don't stink of wealth. I didn't go near the Harry Winston.

We made our way down 5th Ave. to Central Park. We immediately recognized a very large rock that looked like the one in the movie Big Daddy with Adam Sandler. However, it may have been a rock masquerading as the movie rock. Yet another example of my knowlege of NY through the media.

We walked to a little bridge, took advantage of some photo ops and spied the ice skating rink. While my original plan involved ice skating, the thought of removing my shoes from my already frozen feet, to wear cold ice skates to stand on ice, lacked any appeal whatsoever.

We didn't skate.

It was afternoon and we had to eat. My pleas to try a hot dog from a street vendor fell on my brother's deaf ears. He has had 1 (one) hot dog from a cart his entire time in NY. My uncle dragged Brody down to the street to try one. We found a burger joint that was "one step down from a cafeteria" according to the Brodster. I had a burger with Wisconsin Cheddar and it was good, because I heart cheese.

I think I had 3 cups of hot chocolate that day.

After lunch, we took the subway to SoHo so B could get some snowboarding gear at Burton. Brody left us so he could go home to ready himself for the Broadway play that night.

B and I were out at dusk trying to stop a cab and so was the rest of the city. As the sun set, life became very cold. We gave up searching for a cab and entered the subway. This was our first encounter with the subway, without my brother or Lauren.

We were successful in figuring out where we were and where we needed to go, but then realized that it would take multiple transfers to get to from point A, to point B.

Up we went, out of the subway with four dollars wasted! But then, the NY god of tourism smiled down upon us, because when we reached street level, we were standing in front of a gas station packed with Taxis! We climbed in and made it back to our hotel.

Please see post "Back at Home Cont- Broadway Show" for the rest of the story.

Thanksgiving Day

I'd write more, but it's almost 2 am.

Today is Thanksgiving. We just returned to our hotel room. I took long, steamy shower to wash the city from my pores. My nose keeps bleeding.

Here goes:

This morning we walked about 5 blocks to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We were 2 blocks from Times Square from Scooby Doo...

Petit Poulet

Fish

until Spongebob Squarepants...

and then we (B, Brody, Lauren and I) made our way to what we called "the Google building"

where we were invited by Lauren's friend to watch the parade. Security checked us out and we elevated 19 blocks up to look down on the marching bands, parade floats, dancing (freezing) cheer-leaders etc.

Lauren's friend was a great host and made us cappucinos in the Google kitchen. The Google offices in NYC replaced Bad Boy Entertainment (P. Diddy used to chill out there.) I ate a banana.

Dora the Explorers Backside

We were out on a balcony and we leaned over the edge of the railing to see below. It was cool. I took about a million pictures. I called my mom and she could hear the bands echoing off the buildings in the background.

Once Santa Clause wrapped up the parade, we met up with my aunt Marilyn and the 5 of us packed into a car and drove to Weston, Connecticut. We had Thanksgiving dinner with Lauren's extended family at her uncle's house. Lauren's uncle has extensive art, book, seashell, old toy, squash court collections. Lauren's dad is an architect and designed the house.

The eclectic uncle has a knack for meeting people and apparently invited the ping-pong world champion of 1987 to Turkey Day with the family last year. Today he had invited the most award-winning swing dancer...

Back to the extensive art collection. Brody and I noticed and subsequently freaked out upon realizing that we had come across the original, hand-written lyrics of "Hey Jude." There were also original, hand-written letters from Presidents of the united States and various inventors- Thomas Edison...

After dinner the family literally sat around a grand piano and sang songs. One of Lauren's uncles played the piano and her aunt sang show tunes, like a vocally trained show-stopper. Then their kids played piano, played the violin, sang, their little girl danced and it was almost surreal... but very real.

THEN we were ushered into a room where the swing dancer lined us up and taught us how to swing (dance). As B and I took swing lessons once last summer, we were prepared. We learned the 3 basic steps and it was awesome, crazy, unexpected and fun! What a Thanksgiving- with a different family, on a different coast!

We left Connecticut and drove to SoHo to drop my aunt off, but she was game to let us tour her place first. She owns one level of a 4 or 5 level residential building and has since the 1970's or 80's when SoHo was frightening and dangerous. The place was enormous and artsy and she invited us to stay whenever we wanted. Marilyn also showed us her latest pottery creations. In her living space, she has one of three pottery kilns in Manhattan (Brody/Lauren, please correct the details.)

B, Brody, Lauren and I then drove to where they live in Brooklyn. Lauren made us hot chocolate and we made a real fire in a fireplace!

Then Brody drove B and I back to our hotel and now I'm so tried I'm hungry and it's time to stop writing.

Kisses to everyone.

The Arrival and Day 2

This morning we arrived in New York.

My brother, Brody and his girlfriend Lauren picked us up from the airport and we went to Columbia University, where he is earning his Bachelor’s degree in computer science.

On the way we stopped in a Hungarian café for some pastries and coffee. I had a hot chocolate. Apparently, it’s quite the hang out and there is a list of books that have been written by people while in the coffee shop; which makes it more of what B’s uncle Philo would call “an institution.”

Near Columbia University we happened to walk right by the “Restaurant” sign that they show on Seinfeld! B is a huge Seinfeld fan, so that was really cool.

Brody showed us around the Columbia University campus.

Brody had to head off to class, so B and I took a cab to our hotel with the intention of resting up a bit and meeting Brody and Lauren later. The cabbie drove by Radio City Music Hall and through Times Square. We could see the MTV windows. Times Square was exactly like it is on TV, but I expected it to be bigger.

There were a LOT of people out. In Times Square, people were standing in the street taking pictures and let me tell you; the taxi’s DON’T STOP for pedestrians and if they KILL YOU, there is no penalty whatsoever. So, while I make a sport of J-walking in Seattle, I only cross streets here when the locals do.

So, we arrived at our hotel dropped our luggage, changed into clean clothing and immediately zonked out. Several hours later I called Brody as planned and we decided to call it a night. B and I spent a not-so-small fortune on room service and went back to sleep.

Our hotel is tiny and gorgeous. We are quite comfortable.

This concludes Day 1 in New York… and did I mention that there are a LOT of people here?

Day Two
My feet are tired and here's some of the stuff we've already seen/ done:

We enjoyed NY bagels
Tour of Columbia University

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, Brrr! (Thus the Shroud)

Walked through Little Italy/ Chinatown

Thanksgiving Pies in Little Italy

Grafitti in Chinatown

Brody bought a funny, furry hat & Magnolia Bakery (mmm cupcakes)

"Per Se" French Restaurant (we met the chef and toured the kitchen!)

With thousands of other people, we watched the Thanksgiving Day balloons ready.

We went up in the Empire State Building!

and we've only been here 24 hours!

Off to the Big Apple

We're ready to rock on out of Seattle.

I've got the digital camera and all the cords packed so I can write and post photos on my blog. I didn't want to be a slave to the blog in Hawaii, but I don't mind in NY. Writing stuff down helps me remember what I did.

I've go my snuggliest clothing on and plan to conk out on the red eye flight.

Gobble Gobble

I hope all you turkeys have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Word to the Wise

If ever you wish to snaz up a blasé dish, throw some cheese on it.

Cheese!

Cast Iron Pans

A normal person wouldn’t write about the pans in their kitchen, but I feel compelled to since I have reached a stepping stone in my culinary personal-life.

It starts and ends with a cast iron pan.

For years my mom made grilled-cheese sandwiches and pancakes and bacon and other important foods with her cast iron. When I was in college I thought I was ready from my own cast iron pan and what a fool I was!

I found one for sale in West Seattle. It was new and heavy. I fell in love too hard and too fast to realize the commitment I was making to love and cherish such a gift.

I took that pan home and burnt the shit out of it. I killed every food that ever came across it. I put it in the sink and let it sit for days. I scraped it with steel wool and then… I put it in the dishwasher…

And then I put it in the garbage.

I swore off cast iron and gave thanks for Teflon.

That was years ago and recently I’ve been longing for “the pan that got away.” I needed one that would crisp my bacon and let me throw it into the oven… of love.

I shared my new feelings about cast iron with my dad and his wife. They were very supportive and let me know that when the time came, I would be ready.

The time came.

Jeff and Elaine happened across three, rusty, dusty cast iron pans while they were cleaning out an old house belonging to an old woman who probably couldn’t even lift the pans. They were destined to be mine!

With these pans I was given an opportunity with a fail clause. “If you can’t handle these pans, we’ll take them.” My pride was at stake. I knew I couldn’t back down from the challenge because failing this time could lead to a lifetime without cast iron in my kitchen.

First, I (lovingly) scrubbed the rust off the pans. Then I washed them with soap and attempted to get every last bit of grime out. Since the pans had been used, some of the sediment held fast and I gave in. It stayed, and I respected its tenacity.

Then, (and this is where it gets good) I seasoned the CRAP out of those pans. I rubbed them and I cooked them and I oiled them again. It’s been several weeks and the pans are seasoned before and after each use. I do NOT use soap to clean them, but rinse them with water and season them again.

I feel that I have a responsibility to keep these pans in good working condition and treat them as I do my Le Creuset pans, which are beautiful inside and out.

Le Creuset

There is no question that my cast irons and I are meant to be together. I was given a second chance and I am taking this opportunity to make the best damn dutch babies (and other stuff) EVER!

Thanksgiving in New York

We're going to NY for Turkey Day.

Old Skool Parade Float

I'm excited to see the city and my brother. B and I have talked about this trip for years and now that Brody lives there, there's no better time to go.

We're going to see the Thanksgiving Day Parade, we're staying in a fancy shmancy hotel and then we're having Thanksgiving dinner with Brody's girlfriend's family in Connecticut.

I thought I wanted to go to a chic NY Spa, but these days I tend to become bored quickly while "relaxing." Maybe the ice rinks will be up. Maybe we can scream at MTV on TRL. Just kidding... unless of course the Backstreet Boys or Ashleee Simpson are there... kidding again. Maybe we can see some Ghost Busters icons.

Last summer when Brody and his GF were here they both mentioned that people here in Seattle/ on the West Coast don't wear black. People in NY wear black. Given my comparatively expressive wardrobe, I'm somewhat concerned about my clothing options while visiting NYC.

We'll be going out to a fancy (shmancy) restaurant or two. Do I wear some black? All black? And how couture? Boots? Will we be walking far? I have no idea! Am I allowed to wear tennis shoes in Central Park?

And then on Turkey day, we dress for the parade- jeans for sure (even though I was advised that jeans are slobby.) I can get away with "I'm from the West Coast" a little.

But what do I wear to dinner at my future sister-in-laws house? Everyone has a Ph.D. Do smart people dress better? I may just max out the Banana Republic card and buy a cape Darth would be proud of.

Black and White NY

My aunt has liven in NY since she escaped from her family back when my dad was little (1960's?) . She lives in SoHo (I think) and back then it used to be a dump (I think), but now SoHo is all the rage. It grew up around my aunt, but she's still doing her thing. She retired this year from heading the NY Children's Library. She was featured in Time Magazine (I think it was Time) in the 80's (or was it the 90's?) Anyway, she was photographed sitting on the steps of the (main?) NY Public Library, reading to some kids. It's a great photo and really shows how into the story kids, and anyone, can get. (Case in point: I haven't seen B since he started reading Harry Potter. He's not reading them in order, which is driving me nuts, but he's reading, so that's cool.)

Other NY mentionables; I don't have HBO and I DON'T CARE about Sex & the City. I will always hold a special place in my heart for Sarah Jessica Parker, but that's because she starred in my favorite movie when I was a kid, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

We are seeing The Producers with Matthew Broderick (whose name I can't spell, I think) which leads me of course to Ferris Buehler's Day off, a classic NY movie. God bless Ferris and Cameron.

Maybe I'll run into Paris Hilton or The Donald or P. Diddy or Biggie... never mind.