things on tuesday :: dutch chocolate
Yeah ... so what is it about dutch process cocoa that makes every recipe need more wet ingredients? Can anyone tell me??
loves
- Fall is on it's way
- finding a few good Fall wardrobe staples
- dark chocolate peppermint bark gelato from Linz & Vail
- 46 days to Ohau!
- awesome musicians at Evanston Space
loathes
- that my 1password isn't working correctly
- that I don't have a single friend in Chicago that will just go anywhere and do anything ..
- making a new cookie recipe and it's only so so
- workplace crap
- that I'm not excited to get netflix anymore ... hard to get new releases and movies are just not that great these days
things on tuesday :: pilates
Yes, Pilates is my newest passion! I am alternating Pilates with cardio at the gym and feelin' so much better!
loves
- that the Pilates DVD I bought is amazing!
- finding these amazing little Moravian Cookies at the Fresh Market
- fun new adventures in the city - dîner en blanc
- catching up
- my hair after a day at the salon - it always looks and feels so great
- that raising my monitor at work seems to have helped some of my neck/shoulder pain - it's the little things I tell you.
loathes
- finding the perfect bag... that's not so perfect
- when people don't listen to what I have to say
- Lucy's hairballs - damn long hair cats!
- that the new gym locker room is as messy as my high school gym locker room - people are pigs!
- that I never seem to get enough sleep
- my new glasses are not super cute ... but they do work!
- that summer is almost over
chicago air & water show
I don't frequent the Air & Water show - the crowds are massive and it's usually hot as balls out... but when Selika suggested we go and the forecast was to be sunny and 80, I thought let's do it! This is the first year I watched from Oak Street Beach - the center point is a tiny bit further north at North Avenue Beach. It was actually quite nice, lots of spots and the aircraft all flew right in front of us. Even crazier was when they flew into the city from over the lake - seriously freaks me out (post 9/11). They get wicked close to the buildings, or at least it seems that way.
The skill these guys have is amazing! I can't decide if my favorite is the guys who skywrite or the fighter jets that go super fast and bob and weave in and out of one another. Even though we got there late, we made it for the good stuff. The lake was lined with boats watching too. Maybe one day I will know someone with a boat so I can watch from there... ha!
As always, we had a great time. I took photos for Selika's fashion blog - she's always super stylish. She's "Posh Spice" to my "Sporty Spice." Ha Ha!
We ended the day with a little treat at a cafe in the bottom of the John Hancock building. Sometimes I take for granted the beauty of the concrete jungle that surrounds me. I need to remind myself to look up more - you just never know when you will see something spectacular!
anticipation
In anticipation of my return trip to Hawaii, I have changed my desktop to one of my favorite photos from Hawaii back in February. Waimea Bay Beach and the jumping rock. This was my first trip shooting with a BW Polarizer and the blue of the sky is so amped up, I just love it! Aloha!
can a picky eater be a food snob ?!?
I had the funniest dining experience yesterday. I was at this new kind of gourmet food court and decided on a crepe. The girl behind the counter couldn't have been older than 20 and clearly had no idea how to really make a french crepe. This despite the fact that she had all of the right instruments at her disposal. The awesome cooking surface, long spatula and etc. Watching her make a crepe was painful. She didn't know how to do the swirl of the batter with the little wooden blade and when she went to take the crepe off of the cook surface she took it off whole and draped it over a plate that was smaller than the crepe itself. She then proceeded to fill it to the brim with berries and then folded it with her hand. P A I N F U L if you have ever seen a real French crepe made. The restaurant is new. She's young. But I found myself thinking about having crepes made on the street in Paris ... and thought, sheesh what a mess.
My travels have really made me a bit of a food snob. And that's quite funny, considering I am such a picky eater. Seriously ... the pickiest eater you might ever meet. That said, of the things I do eat ... the must be the best. No Hershey chocolate for me - it's got to be dark and rich and, in many cases, from some foreign land to be good. I am obsessed with French butter, there is simply nothing like it. Gelato is not the same anywhere outside of Italy. And there is certainly American fare that cannot be duplicated abroad...
It's funny where life takes us and how that journey transforms us. Food for thought. * wink *
10 on 10 :: August 2011
Hooray it's the 10th and that means it's time for the 10 on 10 Challenge! I almost forgot, but saw Yepallmine's post on Twitter this morning just as I was checking all of my social media and having breakfast! Wheew! Would have been totally bummed if I had missed it. Even though it was "just another day at the office."
8 AM : started the day on Google+ even thought the only active participants seem to be photographers ... not sure why that is the case. I still find myself mostly on Facebook and Twitter these days... Are you on Google+? Do you use it? If so, add me !!
9 AM : I rode my bike to work for the first time EVER and seriously about killed myself. I will admit I am much more of a "cruiser" when it comes to biking. You know, a stroll along the lake to enjoy the weather and the sights. I am not a "biker" and with all of my health problems, I am horribly out of shape. By the time I got to the office, I felt like I was going to pass out ... lots of water and slowly walking around the office to catch my breath again. Ridiculously sad shape, I tell you!!!
10 AM : That's my Townie among the other bikes in the office - for some strange cosmic reason, everyone decided to ride their bike today. And as funny as that was - my boss forgot about a meeting he had mid day and had to ride his bike there. Good thing his is the carbon fiber job in the foreground and he is the next Lance Armstrong. If that had been me, I would have called a cab!!!
11 AM : Picking colors for a new project that I am working on. Something only a designer can appreciate. : )
12 : It was simply the perfect day outside today - mid 70's, no humidity, a few puffy clouds. I attempted to have lunch on the deck, but was attacked by all sorts of bug life - first a wasp then some horse fly the size of Texas and the final straw, a cicada!! Back inside...
1 PM : CPK leftovers for lunch ... not great, but it was something.
2 PM : Loving my new Puma's I picked up while in San Francisco. These are seriously the most comfortable fashion sneaker I've ever had. They are light as a feather, but actually have some padding on the bottom. Oh and super breathable too! { love }
3 PM : Got a sample vinyl message that will be put on a mirror at a client office - they have some sloppy people ... apparently we do to! drip. drip.
4 PM : This fraction to decimal chart is my lifesaver! I've had it for 16 years and use it almost daily. You'd think I would have committed this to memory by now ... but sadly no.
5 PM : (well more like 5:45ish) I hit the road home and took the long route via the lake. Terrible view huh? That's the city of Chicago there in the distance. The winds were from the east over the lake so we were getting lots of splashes along the rocks. Pretty to look at and listen to.
6 PM : Lingered long enough to creep into the next hour so thought I'd take a selfie to say hello! I shot all square format with my new Leica D-Lux 5 - it's a dream of a little camera! Hope you had a super day! I'm now off to see all of your 10 on 10 sets!!
things on tuesday :: san francisco
OK, so I know it's Wednesday, but.... I got home late last night and had no time to type up my "things."
loves
- rolling thunder in the distance
- photographing a new city
- this cupcake from Cako bakery in San Francisco
- fun new frames app for iphone
- Starbucks black iced tea
- Southwest airlines - on a 4 hr flight they came thru three times for drinks and twice with snacks at NO EXTRA CHARGE!!
- that I have my own car back!!
loathes
- that Phoebe attacks Lucy for no good reason
- sketchy rental car places
- that the zipcar didn't work out in SF
- power outages - three storms, three outages
- that I am at the office till 8 PM and still have to work once I get home
- curve balls on a project
- that cannot seem to get exercise into my daily routine
Another big storm is on it's way in - can hear the thunder in the distance and starting to see the lightening, so it's time to close up shop for the night. Pray that I will not have yet another power outage!! Night all!
things on tuesday :: money!
hemorrhaging money and not happy about it... let's start with the bad stuff, the list is going to be long ...
loathes
- that fixing one thing always leads to fixing something else
- my AC blowing out when it's HOT outside
- that I have no way to find out if the AC unit the sales guy is selling me is good
- loosing power - again
- getting in a fender bender in the Target parking lot (that was not my fault) and having over $3K worth of damage to my car
- the shop where I am supposed to have my car fixed still has no power
- considering returning the camera I just got
- opportunities not taken
- that I can be quite judgmental
- upcoming work travel
- being known as a little bit bitchy
- all of the above causing more neck/shoulder tension
- that I haven't ridden my bike in two weeks
- that I didn't get to see all the bands I wanted to see at the dmb caravan
- netflix is raising their fees and now I have to consider dropping them
- that phoebe just sits and meows at the front door - why? why?
loves
- booked my fall vacation - back to Hawaii - who can resist a free trip?
- Dave Matthews Band
- that I have actually been spending some of my summer outside !!
- a wonderful love story of a photographer/blogger I've followed for some time
- that it's cooled off just a bit tonight
OK... negative nelly is in full force this week. Hopefully next week will bring the love!
crap day
What a super crap day!
Work was meh.
Tried to (re) join the gym where up until October 2010 I had been a member for 15 years and they were not willing to reinstate my previous rate and wanted me to pay full price as a new member. So much for loyalty - guess I will have to go to the other gym.
Then decided to make a quick trip to Target, where upon pulling out of my parking space got nailed by some idiot in a YELLOW SUV!! I was clearly out of my parking space when she pulled out of hers and she nailed me. Sadly major damage to my car and nothing but a scratch to hers... go figure! And since it happened on private property and we were both 'moving' the officer rules it no fault so I will be out a cool five hundred bones. Joy!
On the up side... the DMB Caravan line up was announced and I FINALLY got into Google+