Day One of Merry Times in Maryland

It's been too long since I had to take my shoes off, put my liquids in a ziploc, and pound the water in my reusable water at O'hare. I boarded a plane a few days before my birthday to see some of my favorite people in the world. It had been nearly half a year since I've seen the Richards', but with friends like them, it was as though no time passed at all.

I'll be sure to give you all the details of our Eastern Shore adventures, but first a story of what being in close quarters on a puddle jumper can do to two grown women. Readers with two-year olds, there is no need to finish this paragraph. The women in this story merely recreated the referring I only imagine you have to do when your kids are fighting in the back seat. The flight attendant had to be called when two women couldn't seem to figure out how to resolve their space issues. Woman A put her seat back causing woman B to get in a tizzy because she was in the last row and couldn't move her seat any further back. "Just because you can't move your seat doesn't mean I can't," I heard one of the women snarl. And then Woman B began kneeing the reclined seat causing Woman A to turn around and scream for Woman B to "stop kicking her chair." Yes, Woman A could have easily put her seat back to neutral, but no, a hissy fit was what she chose that morning. Great entertainment, though I fell asleep as the flight attendant was calming them down so I'm a little fuzzy on the resolution. Lucky for everyone, it was only an hour and a half flight.

Driving from the airport it was as though I never left the Midwest. The drive from Baltimore to Easton, Maryland mimicked the drive from Milwaukee to Madison. Rolling hills and green fields. It was small town Wisconsin, less than two hours from the ocean. We passed an adorable instrument shop clearly run by an old hippy and crossed the bay. The bridge wasn't as scary as Mackinac, but I'm sure I would have had white knuckles if I were the driver.

We had lunch in downtown Easton, a Gilmore Girls-esque square with a cute main street of restaurants and pubs. The Washington Street Pub is where we bellied up for lunch. Nick ordered oysters, only half a dozen since we thought he'd be the only one partaking. We were mistaken. Nick convinced me that I had to try the oysters.

(Side Note: Yes, I know, I'm a vegetarian. But oysters have no central nervous system. They don't feel pain. Farming them isn't a detriment to the environment. And, I eat cheese. So, as I've said before, I draw these lines for myself that might not always make the most sense to other vegetarians/vegans. But, that is why I am not an evangelical vegetarian. I eat what I eat and you can eat what you eat. And we can still be friends.)

The oysters didn't taste like much. The texture was what I imagine uncooked chicken to feel like, which is to say weird a little too chewy. I don't know that I would order them again. I'm glad to be able to say I tried it, but I think I would rather use my calories on the amazing pub chips, veggie sandwich,. and extra pickle I ordered.

After lunch it was going to be park time, but Corrine called and we made a detour to visit her office. It was so cute to hear Elaina (their two-year-old) switch from saying "Go Park" to "Go Mom" I almost couldn't stand it.

After errands, and picking up food stuffs for the evenings festivities we made it back to their place and Nick prepped "our" contribution for the pot-luck block party -- guacamole. If the main street/square wasn't Stars Hallow enough for us, their neighborhood gets together once a month for a block party and tonight was the night. And outsiders like me were welcomed with open arms. I keep waiting for the Stepford moment, but it never came. Everyone was genuinely nice, welcoming, interesting, and they all were great conversationalists.

The back yard of the host was so familiar. It had a little wooded area behind the grassy yard. It was getting dark though, so we spent most of the night inside, but the next day I would get my share of sun at Elaina's birthday party. More on that in the next post.

A visitor here myself

For the last two weekends I have had the chance to see Chicago differently, as a visitor vicariously through friends who I showed around the city I now call home. A couple weeks ago was a friend's bachelorette party. Before the evening's shenanigans, we went took the Chicago Chocolate Tour on the Magnificent Mile. Each of the spots on the tour was new to me, and each was fabulous in its own way.

First on the tour was Teuscher Chocolates in the Bloomingdale Building on Michigan Avenue. This small Swiss company imports its chocolates from Switzerland weekly, and the quaint country decor mimics the headquarters in Zurich. There we had our first sample, their famous champagne truffle. It was everything you hope to have when someone tells you your two favorite things have combined into the perfect bite.

From there we took a quick stroll to More Cupcakes. It's a small boutique cupcake shop, with an artistic edible display nearly worthy of a spot at the Museum of Contemporary Art. We had mini versions of their famous chocolate chocolate chocolate cupcake. More is known for a Hostess-esque chocolate cupcake with a cream filling. They also have alcohol inspired flavors on special during Friday night happy hour. Anyone looking for a sugar high after work should give me a call and we can go check it out. Or, heck, anytime. They have a ton of flavors, and I'd be up for the challenge of trying them all.

Then we went to a tiny Belgian Bakery called Hendrickx on Walton street. It was so small I would have walked right past it if it wasn't for the tour. It had a bright orange door with a knob in the center. In the kitchen we tried some of their signature breads. The croissant was unbelievably fluffy, as it should be considering the 17 hours it takes to create. There was also chocolate bread, and an almond/white chocolate bread. They have "real" Beligan waffles, which is another reason for me to return. I love the small, homemade feel of this shop. Their "regular" bread is made with only four ingredients by hand. I can only imagine how tasty that will be when I pick up a loaf for grilled cheese or french toast.

Just down the way is Sarah's Pastries and Candies. For braving the cold, the owner of the tour company who met us there, sprung for hot chocolates to go along with the haystack-like tasty treat we got to sample. Everyone who makes haystacks should include pistachios. This small shop, in addition to having fabulous hot cocoa, also has the talent it takes to win Extreme Challenge on the Food Network. They won the dinosaur challenge that I was lucky enough to catch on repeat just the other day. The head and tail on this realistic dinosaur were motorized creating an awesome extreme element. You can check out a clip on their website, or if your lucky, Food Network will replay it again.

Last on the list was Argo Tea. I didn't realize that this tea shop started in Chicago. After working at a different tea shop, I knew how awesome chocolate could work with tea. Argo has a bunch of options for chocolate lovers on a diet, because the teas are usually low fat or fat free. Lucky for me, there is an Argo down the block from my house and I can start trying more of their teas. It's too bad that their chai, my favorite type of tea, is caffeine free. Maybe I can find something just as good with the same boost I get from my chai.

After this tour, the next weekend, I would be able to become tour guide for some of my favorite people who came to visit. That weekend I had five people sleeping in my studio apartment like a good ole' fashion sleep over. Only one of them got in town early enough Friday to see anything, and since the sleet was still in full force, we didn't get to "see" much. We went to check out the mini model of the city at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Tiffany at the Chicago Cultural Center and had cappuccinos at Chicago's best coffee place - Intellegentsia - before making our way back up to my neighborhood for Cesar's Mexican cuisine. After dinner, where I had my first raspberry margarita made with real berries, we stopped at Friar Tucks - a bar I have been meaning to check out since I moved to the neighborhood. It's a decent bar, especially if you're looking for a neighborhood place with fun themes like crazy hat night.

Saturday was more Chicago "must-sees." We had lunch at the Signature Room and the fog cleared just enough for Andrew to give the visitors a walking tour from 95 stories above the city. I love the Signature Room because for about the cost of the observation deck you can get the view and lunch, with a touch of class. Then we became art critics at the Art Institute's newly reopened modern wing. Of course there was more to it than the modern wing, including the Ferris Bueller moment at the Seurat and American Gothic. I bailed to go take care of pips during the gratuitous bean picture taking, but made it in time for the Tiffany ceiling in Marshall Fields and a drink just before last call at the Walnut Room. I am always amazed at how early places close downtown. It was last call at like 6:45. But we did get to pretend to be fancy with our wine and cheese course before moving on to dinner. Classic deep dish pizza at Lou Malnatti's. They were able to accommodate both the gluten free visitor and my vegetarianism. I think the awesomeness of deep dish was a little sullied by the kitchen mix up, but hopefully they got the feel for why Chicago pizza is the best. My favorite is still Giordano's, but they don't offer the gluten free crust, which is essentially a meat patty.

There ended the "real" Chicago tour, the rest of the night was spent with college-style games and blow up mattresses taking over my studio apartment. I can't wait for more people to visit. Consider this an open invitation!

The Midwest tour continues: Ohio

What do you think of when you hear Indiana? That is the question my friend Jake and I tried to answer during the long drive through the flat, open state on our way to Ohio two weeks ago. I was making the trek to visit my friends Jon and Marisa who moved to Columbus nearly a year ago, and Jake was visiting his sister. I'm glad to have had a driving partner this time. I've made this drive solo once before, and it is longer than long. When I think of Indiana I really just think of farms. Farms and wind turbines. Jake thought of rest stops. I'm sure there is more to it and I'm just not privy to the details. If you are, please share. After about 8 hours of driving, we made it to Columbus where Jake and I parted ways for the weekend.

The first order of business was Pipsy proofing so the three of us could go grab some food. Pipsy did surprisingly well confined to their kitchen area with gate. She only pushed through once, and didn't do any damage.

Marisa found a great restaurant that had awesome veggie options. Though I can usually find something on most menus, I love being able to choose from more than three entrees. Betty's is in downtown Columbus, which as a city really reminds me of a city that combines both Milwaukee and Madison. That is to say I feel really comfortable there. Betty's is pin up themed neighborhood bar/restaurant that has an awesome collection of vintage "risque" photos posted on its walls. The drink menu was packed with specialty drinks as well as wine and local brews. After perusing the menu, I was reminded that I like White Russians (a drink I never think of ordering unless I see it on a menu. Here it was dubbed the Betty White Russian, and it was a tall.). For dinner I had the pumpkin chili that was just spicy enough and a warm mushroom salad. There were three types of mushrooms sauteed and served atop romaine lettuce topped with goat cheese. Pumpkin chili should really be on more menus, as should goat cheese items. Then, it was dessert time at Jeni's ice cream across the way. I was actually too stuffed to even take more than one bite of my scoops and saved them til the next day. Jeni's has adult ice cream flavors, some infused with booze, some with the bite of spicy curry and others with goat cheese (see, they took my more goat cheese idea before I even had it). I chose the Bangkok Peanut and Whiskey & Pecans. The Bangkok Peanut had a nice kick to it and the Whiskey & Pecans tasted just enough like whiskey for me to really enjoy it without making that face I do when liquor burns as I sip. You can get Jeni's online. If I wasn't such a procrastinator, I probably would have ordered some for Christmas, maybe I'll bring some to New Years.

Saturday I had the crazy idea of working out so Marisa and I went to their complex's gym. I miss having a workout facility in my building, and still need to get to Bally's to combat the winter weight that is sure to creep up on me. After the elliptical and treadmill it was time for brunch. I'm spacing on the name of the place now. I want to say Skillet, or something like that. The food was good, but we had to wait a while which is neither Marisa nor my strong suit when we're hungry. But, when the food came we ate, drank (OJ and coffee) and were merry. Brunch fueled us for a visit out to their new house. Well, really a pile of dirt next to a hole right now, but by spring it will be a house. I can't wait for the housewarming party! Jon and Marisa always make me feel at home. Their guest bedroom is nicer than most hotels, the bed is super comfy and their place has a playmate for Pipsy, their Westie named Tucker.

Saturday night we went to a brew and view type place for dinner, drinks, and a movie. We saw New Year's Eve. I have a weakness for chick flicks, and this was just what I needed to get my fix for a few months. If you've seen Love Actually or Valentine's Day, you've probably got the idea of this movie. But, it's sweet, fun and lighthearted. I always say that if I want to see something scary or dangerous or action-y, I'll turn on the news. Reality is scary enough, I like to escape with stories of friendship, love and happiness. Also, the idea of a brew and view is genius. We went from drinks and movies to drinks and arcade games at Dave and Busters. We played Skee Ball and tried to beat each other at basketball. Skee ball is still my favorite, even after Marisa and I tried Dance, Dance Revolution. Dance, Dance is a great way to make yourself feel uncoordinated and out of shape. Maybe I just need more practice, or to play before cocktails.

Sunday, my last day in town, we indulged our terrible television addiction by watching awful shows like Teen Mom and Scouted before going to brunch. I don't mind not having cable at home, but it really is fun to be able to watch ridiculous shows that come on when flipping through channels on a lazy Sunday. This Sunday brunch was at a bar with an awesome buffet. They had a Bloody Mary bar too, which I always want to enjoy, but I just can't get into Bloody Marys. Tomato juice is just not my thing. So, after eating delicious food yet again, it was time for me and Pips to say goodbye and make our way through good ol' Indiana.

Thanksgiving travels

Up until this year, my holiday travels were limited to Midwestern drives. But this Thanksgiving, I was invited to spend the weekend with Andrew and his family in Seattle (the city his brother and sister-in-law are lucky to call home). Though I was a little sad to miss the twins first Thanksgiving, and time with my family, I couldn't say no to the offer. Our flight left the evening before Turkey Day, and I was pleasantly surprised at the less-than-chaotic lines at O'hare. I got through security in less than a half hour, and managed to escape any grumpiness. I more than love to travel, but flying and me usually have our issues. But, no matter how awful the flight made me feel, I was happy to be able to share Thanksgiving with such a great family in one of my favorite cities.

Thanksgiving Day couldn't have been more ideal. I was able to go for a nice jog around Seattle University before dinner. The hills can be deceiving, and the rain a little chilling, but it was a good workout that helped me feel less guilty about the excessive amount of calories I was about to eat. The meal was delicious, and I was excited to have contributed Green Bean Casserole (a dish I really should incorporate into my weekly rotation, rather than a dish just for holiday buffets). There was no need for Tofurkey, the non-meat side dishes and pumpkin pie were more than enough, and the traditional flavors made me feel right at home. Our hosts did a fabulous job! We ended the night with Hot Toddies and a game with a forgettable name that incorporates charades, acting and clues.

There was no camping outside for black Friday deals, or early morning line standing. I've only been involved with the craziness of Black Friday once, years ago for a Nintendo Wii. I almost lost all hope in humanity. Never again. Black Friday for us involved a brewery tour, winery trip, a chocolate shop, and dinner at a dog-friendly pub. Red Hook Brewery was more like a funny lecture interspersed with tastings, and that was okay with me. I kind of wished I could have tasted the original Red Hook of the 80s that supposedly had a slight banana flavor, but all the samples were pretty tasty. If I remember correctly, my favorite was the Copper Hook, and the Pilsner wasn't that bad either. At one point our tour guide said one of the brews was like "a fairy-tale in your mouth," which I thought was worth repeating. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I liked hearing it. Though we didn't tour Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery nor Theo's chocolate shop, we did get to meander around their gift shops. Both worth the trip, I'm regretting not buying any Theo chocolates so much that I'll be checking online when I finish this post to see if they ship nationwide. At Theo they had a drinking chocolate that reminded me of this amazing chocolate shop that lasted for just a few months in Wauwatosa. It was creamy and rich and everything hot chocolate should be. Down the street from the chocolate shop is this adorable dog-friendly pub. Emmet, our hosts' adorable mini-pincher/chihuahua, was able to sit with for dinner. I wish more places were dog friendly, I would love to be able to go out to dinner with Pips.

The next day was skiing. Real mountain skiing. We drove the winding roads to Crystal Mountain. It had been 10 years since I'd skied, and that was on Wilmot "Mountain" in southern Wisconsin. The bunny hill at Crystal Mountain seemed larger than the entire run at Wilmot. After a few passes on the bunny hill we decided to take on the next run. The trail was called Tinkerbell, but it was scarier than the name implied. On the lift, my stomach began to churn and curdle half way up. It was a green run, the easiest after the bunny hill. But, to get there we had to go down a slightly blue section. That was my downfall. I had a little mishap off a few feet from the lift, but that was nothing compared to what happened on this blue-ish slope. I had the most epic fall. I was going too fast, couldn't make myself turn to slow down and ended up face down. When I lifted my head, through the cracks in my snow covered glasses, the tree stump was too close for comfort. One of my skis was buried deep in the snow and the guys had to dig to help me find it. I got up slowly, my quad burning, and got my boots back in the skis. I was extremely nervous to go down again, but made it the rest of the way with only one more (far less epic) tumble. The guys were ready to go again, but I opted for practice on the bunny hill. And after the bunny hill we took the gondola to the top of the mountain, about 2,500 vertical feet from the base. Some crazy people, Andrew and his brother, skied down, while others, like me, had their hot chocolate at the summit restaurant and took the gondola back down. At the top of the gondola, there is an unbelievable view of Mt. Rainier and the range. Being among this amazing natural landscape makes me realize how incredibly small we all are, and how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to be a part of the life of this mountain that has been accumulating stories for hundreds of thousands of years. My bruises and sore muscles were worth every moment.

Thanks to my hosts and Andrew's family for making this a fabulous trip. Until next time, Emerald City...

Oh the places you'll go

During the month of October I challenged myself to go to a new place every day. It forced me to take a different path, to open my eyes to different sights and take in more of the world around me. Below is the list of places I visited for the first time during the month. To be honest, there were a couple days that I missed (8 days in total), but I did make it to 30 new places in 30 days by doubling up a few days. My top 10 are bold.

Evanston Public Library
Twosided Gift Shop
Threadless on Broadway
Akira
Bobtail Icecream Shoppe
Aaron's
Hamburger Heaven
Dekalb Oasis
Clinton Hy-vee
Jake & Cyndi's
The Breakfast House
The Brucemore
Night Out Shuttle Bus Bars
Columbia
Forever Yogurt
MCA Lecture Hall
University of Chicago
Andersonville Galleria
Swedish History Museum
Andersonville Antique shop
Chicago Costume Store
Garfield Conservatory
Resurection Catholic Church
Jorie & Juleen's
Manhattan/Monee gas station
Gates Dress Shop
Illusions Dress Shop
Lanterman Park
Grissom's Apple Orchard
The Brew and Grow Shop

A long trip home

The flight to from Shanghai to Chicago should take about 11 hours. If you get to go non-stop. If you take the route less traveled, like I did, it takes about 72 hours. I was lucky enough to fly use a friend's buddy pass (a highly discounted ticket from a friend that worked at the airline that basically means you're flying standby) to get to Shanghai, it was no problem. I even got a seat with no one next to me, free wine and tv shows to take my mind off the time. The way home wasn't as easy. I got to the airport early Saturday morning. But, even if I got there at 2 in the morning I wouldn't have made it on the plane. You see, there was a typhon headed towards Shanghai. And, the airport preemptively canceled all of Sunday's flights. This meant that customers who paid full price were on the same list, way ahead of me. It was chaos at the counter, and when I finally talked to someone they suggested I would be stranded in Shanghai for a week if I didn't get out that day. There was no way I could be in China for another week.

I ran around the airport, trying and trying to find an open seat to Narita, Japan. If I could get there, the chances for getting to the US on a buddy pass were much greater. This airline only flies once a day from Shanghai to the US mainland, but from Narita they have a handful of flights. I bought a ticket to Narita (let's just say buying same-day tickets aren't cheap). I get in after dark, and decided to spend the night in the airport. I'd never done that before. I was herded with other travelers to a part of the airport they designated for overnighters. It was nothing like sleepover camp. They took my passport info and left me to stretch out across a couple seats cuddling my luggage. Morning took forever, it was as if the sun was hoping for a lazy Sunday. I started talking with reservations bright and early (and they were shockingly nice to me). I tried three flights that went back to the US, but others were ahead of me and I didn't make it on a flight until 8 p.m. And that was to Hawaii. I wish I had a photo of how relieved my face looked when I made it to my seat and they offered me champagne. Business class is awesome! Here is where you say, "Oh, poor thing. You had to go to Hawaii. And had to fly business class" But, the bad part of getting to Hawaii is that no one ever gets out of Hawaii on a buddy pass considering how many people are going there in the summer. So, when we landed I booked a flight to Seattle, took my swimsuit from my luggage, checked my bag and took the bus to the beach.

From the Honolulu airport you can take the city bus (unless you have luggage) to Waikiki beach for $2.50. I had the entire day on the beach. It was my saving grace. For two days I had been confined in airports or airplanes breathing stale recycled air. I have no idea how anyone leaves this island. The air and water are intoxicating.

I saw myself having a life there, it looked a lot like like Mila Kunis' life in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." I stumbled upon a hula dance recital, had a Hawaiian shaved ice, napped in the sun and swam in the clear blue water.

I didn't want to leave, but about two hours before my flight left, I packed up, dried off with my souvenir towel and caught the bus back to the airport. I got on the plane longing to return to the beach.

Seattle welcomed me with the Pacific Northwest charm that is forever calling me. But, I didn't have time to leave the airport. I tried and tried for a buddy pass seat, but failed and failed. And after a near melt down I bought a ticket for later that afternoon to Chicago. I got home at about 8 p.m. (which would have been Tuesday morning in China). I'm not sure I've ever been happier to land in ORD.

China - the last few days

China was one of the most tiring "vacations" I've ever taken, and so after 10 days I couldn't keep my eyes open long enough at night to write about the days happenings. So now, almost two months later I am going to try to recount the last few days we spent on the other side of the world. The day after the Great Wall adventure we went to an art museum and then to the art district. The main exhibit was technology as art, and had some pretty fun interactive pieces. An image searching program that brought up faces similar to yours (or just random images from the looks of it) after taking a scan was in the first gallery. Anna had a couple matches, but no matter how hard I tried I always got the "no match found" message. I gave up, and let the kids have a turn.

We moved on to my favorite exhibit: Nemo Observatorium. The plaque did a good job explaining the purpose of this transparent space with flying Styrofoam balls whirling about an armchair in the center.

"White particles are blown around in a big transparent cylinder. Visitors can take a seat on the armchair in the middle of the whirlpool or observe from the outside. In the eye of the storm, it is calm and safe. In this spectacular meditation machine one can follow the patterns, focus on the layers of 3D pixels or listen to its waterfall sound. One could call it a training device, challenging the visitor to find peace in a fast changing environment."

Relaxing in the "eye of the storm"

It was good, nerdy fun. As was the greenhouse exhibit upstairs next to a piece that created a windmill of sorts out of water bottles and LED lights. The sculptor used bottles filled with sand to focus attention on the fading availability of clean water. On the other side of the gallery was a quirky tent filled with growing garden vegetables (tomatoes mostly if I'm remembering correctly) that invited guests to dance inside with the plants. So, we did. Briefly.

We had Pizza Hut for lunch, which I should have known was a bad idea since even in the states I usually get sick from eating there. But, just like it didn't stop me from going to the buffet on weekends (especially for the dessert pizza) in college, it didn't stop us in Beijing. After our stomachs were sufficiently coated in grease, we made our way to the art district. I didn't get to go with Anna and Lei Ti to the art district in Shanghai, so I was excited about this trip. It actually reminded me of the third ward in Milwaukee, an industrial area taken over and reinvented by artists and gallery owners. The taxi ride there got me a little car sick, and combined with the Pizza Hut, my stomach never really recovered. But, other than my stomach hating me for the evening, it was a good time. It was refreshingly less crowded than we were getting used to, and there was a ton to see.

"Floating" Bikes

Love is a work of art. Aren't they cute?

"Wall art"

That night I went to sleep hoping my stomach would stop loathing me, and luckily when I woke up the next day I felt nearly 100 percent better. It was time to go back to Shanghai, High Speed Rail style. We made it back that evening to the same hotel we left a few days prior to go to Beijing, but Lei Ti wasn't feeling too well. Anna and I left him to his Chinese peaches and bed and we went to the French Concession where we had had the amazing fried bananas. This time we stumbled upon a Mexican place, after buying fabulously large, colorful lens-free glasses. It's amazing how walking away can get a vendor to really bring down his prices. For Mexican in China, it was a really great place, and the margaritas were 2 for 1 (something we didn't know until we got the bill, which was probably for the best). This was the most expensive meal we had eaten in China, and with a margarita my total couldn't have been more than $13 USD. I really could get used tot he restaurant pricing here.

Our last day in Shanghai was low key. We slept late, went souvenir shopping and watched our last night of Chinese dating shows. We were getting excited for our return trips home, though it was a bit bittersweet considering I wouldn't get to see Anna again for months.

We woke up packed and ready to go, but the weather would have something else in store for me. It would be another 72 hours before I made it home, after rerouting and airport overnights. More on that crazy weekend soon.