Reeling: The Official Family Holiday Pasttime

If I love movies (read: I really really love movies), I come by it genetically. For as long as I can remember, a trip to the movies is one event my family could always agree on. We would make the journey together and do our best to share the experience. Even if that meant a science fiction gunbuster for my mom. Or a slightly saccharine RomCom for my dad. Compromises thought to be made have almost always turned out to be win/win. No time is this more true than the holidays.

Past Langsen holiday cinema choices? Good Will Hunting, Life is Beautiful, Sideways, Slumdog Millionaire, Casino Royale, The Green Mile, Home Alone...we've got a good track record. And if it were completely up to me, every night would be movie night. Suspension of disbelief, armchair adventuring, popcorn with butter flavoring...all good for the soul.

I leave for Florida tonight and I've decided to leave you with some ideas for your own movie nights...let me know if you've already seen any of these or if I've left something sure-to-be-awesome off my list!

The Young Victoria I like Emily Blunt a lot and I love the range we've seen from her since her turn in The Devil Wears Prada. Not to mention I'm a sucker for period dramas, sweeping real life romance and English accents. Also, she's about to be part John Krasinski and perhaps I'm somehow helping him in the process. I still like him a lot. Recommended follow-up is Christmas feast fit for a royal. A me and Mom flick.



It's Complicated I expect to laugh loudly and love everyone involved in this film to pieces. Yes, including John Krasinski. He's about to be part Emily Blunt, you know.



Avatar Some of you have seen it already. Color me blue with jealousy. Official full Langsen family film selection for 2009.


Up in the Air Clooney/Reitman is an "always" scenario. Also, who doesn't have a slight obsession with mileage collection?




The Fantastic Mr. Fox File under suspension of disbelief also known as compound Hogwarts-Narnia complex. Also, Wes Anderson. Come on. Have a Turkish delight for old times sake



The Lovely Bones It's dark subject matter but it was beautifully written and looks beautifully translated. And I trust no one more for beautiful translations than Peter Jackson.


Nine I'm going to need this to re-start the fitness portion of "The Morning Person Project." Penelope Cruz is wildly inspirational to me in that way.


That should keep me busy for a few days, no?

The Golden (Arches) Rule

Wasn't sure I'd go out tonight (saving my resources for L. Michelle's Bachelorette tomorrow night) but it's tough to say no to The Whigs' Post-Lolla party. At House of Blues no less. So off we went and we party party partied. But I am out of practice with the party party so by 1:30am I was about ready to have my cheeseburger and call it a night.

Que a very patient cab driver. He was taking Chicago Ave. back to my beloved neighborhood and due to a lovely walk with my special friend this week, I knew there was a 24-hour McDonald's at the intersection of Chicago Ave. and Damen in Ukie Village.

Now don't start. Yes, I write a primarily food-focused blog. Yes, I LOVE McDonald's from time to time. I don't see the contradiction. It's delicious. And as I told my cab driver, it's consistent.

You see, while we were in the drive-thru, there was a couple in front of us trying to walk-thru. No go said the buzzy order box. So I yell out "I can take your order, please!" and the guy is so elated that he hands me his business credit card and offer to treat since I've offered to order. Well LOVELY! So I order a #7 for him and a spicy chicken for her and a cheeseburger for me and a Coke for my lovely driver. And everyone is so happy with the symbiotic relationship that's erupted among strangers and I feel very happy in this city-o-mine.

As we're headed up Damen, I'm chattering in the backseat (shocking).

Me: I love McDonalds. It tastes the same everywhere. It' s always good. In Paris, the fries are still fries, etc.
Cab driver: You've been to Paris??
Me: Oh man, I love Paris. Everyone loves Paris. It's France!! Just today, my grandfather sent me stunning new photos of le Pont Neuf!
Cab driver: I was in Cameroon till age 9 then in Paris till age 19 and now Chicago. Paris is home.
Me: Niiiice home! You should see Paris Je T'Aime. I love it. I tend toward St. Germain when I'm there on someone else's tab. What a beautiful place to consider home!! You're very lucky!
Cab driver: You're fun. This was my first trip of the night. It's going to be a good one I think.
Me: Yes, and now your're fully caffeinated by Coke without borders.

I fucking love Chicago.

"We're Winning!"

People rarely say it out loud because it tends to tempt fate but here goes: I'm happy. And it's not one particular thing that's making me this way but rather a comprehensive effort on all fronts.

As you're well aware, Jaimeson has been here since late Thursday. What does that entail might you ask? Well, it entails having the perfect partner in crime for all of the things I've been meaning to do in this city...mostly involving food, obviously.

For instance, I'm an avid fan of Check, Please. A while back I'd seen a Lebanese place reviewed deliciously by all three panelists and had been craving ever since. Friday we took our bottle of wine to the Brown line and for $2 each got all the way to Albany Park to visit Semiramis (visible from the Kedzie station). We split incredible fries covered in olive oil, salt and sumac, some Baba Ganoush and then J had the Beef/Lamb Kofte and I had the Falafel special. A pastry trio and some devout coffee later, I can't find strong enough words to recommend this place so I'm just going to say GO!!!

Afterward, we decided to continue our Northern trek to the land of old friends...Evanston. Jaimeson hadn't met CVDJ or Bobby J and I hadn't met his friend Phil so we all met up at Prarie Moon to get fully aquainted with each other and some Jameson (namesake, much?). Let's just say that I won't be changing my own CB Handle anytime soon and while we had so much fun, it was a slow Saturday morning and I was more than grateful for the other half of my falafel special!!

Let me rephrase, Saturday wasn't all that slow. Once we got moving, the hits just kept on coming. We grabbed coffee at Alliance, took the bus down Division and proceeded to collect bounty at two Farmer's Markets, Sur La Table (TOYS!) and Whole Foods. D$ and Mar met us at the Green City Market and D showed up with tomatoes, jalapenos, etc. from his own garden in O-H-I-O as well as oranges from his grandparent's grove in FL. I am one lucky girl!!!

7 miles walking and one naptime later, we started to make a feast. Flank steak salad with roasted shallots, a thyme vinaigrette and fresh Capriole goat cheese. Honey-roasted tomato bruschetta, sauteed baby courgettes and wine. All eaten outside with total gusto and appreciation.

Not a great shot but VOILA! Dinner!

Bruschetta. OM WOW.

But the hits just kept on coming... after our big night on Friday, we spent Saturday night watching Wall-E in a half-empty theater and proceeded to walk home. I love a nice walk on a good night....all the better with built-in security detail.

Sunday we couldn't figure out how to top ourselves so instead of overthinking it on an empty stomach, we went to Milk&Honey for brunch and then decided to "take a lap" around the neighborhood. Taking a lap then turned into attending the small but fabulous music festival on Damen where we shopped, danced and stopped to pet and identify every single puppy we came across. There were a lot. Dinner was Thai Village take-out in the park, still well within earshot of Bob Schneider's set, and then the return home to finish watching The Philadelphia Story (an all-time favorite). Also saw Film School, Maps & Atlases, Van Ghost, Dub Trio, The Most Serene Republic and listened to the Charlie Hunter Trio. Not bad for $5.

Last night we took the train up to Ravinia to picnic with Mama Jaimeson & Co. and hear Canadian Brass play. More outdoor eating, more wine and of course the requisite 4-6 year old dance company putting on an impromptu conetmporary performance on the blanket next to us. So cute and I wish I could have filmed that. Amazing. We got home, make popcorn and watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix until someone fell asleep.

*TKTC Note: The best part is the devious looks on our faces when we realize we consistently have the exact same best case scenario. Like watching Harry Potter and gorging ourselves on popcorn. Hilarious.

This probably wasn't the best organized post but I needed to say something and he has a profound impact on my ability to organize my thoughts anyway. The proximity is fleeting, but it's been nothing short of stellar/ I'm all glowy. The running joke has been that we keep winning. Only it's not quite a joke, it really feels that way.

Raving

For awhile I had several items in my queue that I was looking forward to so now is as good a time as any to acknowledge that they were worthy of the hype:

Frontera Grill: That mole sauce. That guacamole. Rick Bayless is cool for several reasons, but the fact that this place is STILL awesome is pretty high on that list. Plus CVDJ, Mag and I have been sipping Corona Lights and Margaritas together for the better part of a decade now. Makes it feel like May in earnest to be with old school loves.

The Assassination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford: I fell in love with the soundtrack first. A collaboration between Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, the piano and cello are nothing short of hauntingly beautiful. Rather Lovely Thing in particular gives me the chills.
Just watched the movie tonight and would say the same. Brad Pitt may be "Brad Pitt" but he's a mighty fine actor on top of it and I've had a thing for Casey Affleck since he put his burger on layaway in Good Will Hunting. Such a stunningly shot movie. NETFLIX.

Iron Man: On top of the sheer pleasure of getting to drive 20 minutes to the center of an intricately built town, I got to go to the movies. One of my very favorite things and Shawn doesn't like to miss the previews either which is another reason we're friends. This is not your average superhero blockbuster. It is witty, it is thoughtful, it is well-done. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow were perfectly cast and speaking of RDJ...I have missed him.

Seersucker: I wore wide-leg trousers with a matching vest to work today with a black T-shirt and I enjoyed every minute of it. Come on, Chicago...allllmost there.

Colin Hay: Former front man/ songwriter for Men At Work took on my latest favorite Chicago venue a couple weeks ago and Caro and I took front seats. It was the last night of his tour before joining Ringo Starr for his and Colin was clearly enjoying every minute of his own spotlight time. Funny. And still playing it well after all these years. Openers Kate Lamont & blueprint music are now on my radar as well- think Allison Krauss.

Move to Top of Queue:

CAPE COD: It may not be warm enough to beach but my entire Irish side of the family will be split between two houses and Susie's even coming over to witness the madness!! Two days!

Dori's Benefit: Tomorrow night I'm putting my hair in hot rollers and donning my fancy black taffeta dress (and probably having too many cocktails with Colleague) to fete one of my favorite fashionistas.

Garden Party: Co-hosting a summer soiree in the garden next weekend for TKTC and Caro's 25th birthdays (a week early for me, a week late for her). Lots of wine, food just as adorable as it is delicious, little vases of big blooms, every lantern/candlestick holder in my apartment and fabulous company on a nice afternoon. I'm bringing the kitchen table outside and setting out blankets to sprawl on. Yes.

Boys Night: All girls in the afternoon for the hostessed portion but the guys are meeting us at Pint later in the evening for all sorts of rambunction. All planes running in a timely manner, one boy in particular will be meeting many friends for the first time. Cross your fingers for both of us;)

Orange You Loving This Pan-Seared Tilapia with Citrus Vinaigrette

The Original- Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2008

Crunch time is upon me at work. Beauty show week has arrived and starting Friday, you won't hear a word from me till Tuesday. It's stressful but it'll be over soon and then I'll have a silly amount of new product to sit and play with till it's legitimately warm out.

My saving grace has genuinely been the gym and my STOCKED fridge, freezer and cabinets. And I even organized it all yesterday so I can find stuff (why do I keep buying chopped tomatoes and breadcrumbs?) I've been pulling clips and have a gorgeous stack of recipes to get me through my grocery store booty (and maybe minimize the other one). Seriously kids, it's gonna be good eating in Wicked Park AND it's going to be documented.

Enough kissing (now that I'm all recharged anyway ;) It's time to get cookin'.

Tonight I picked something that I knew would be quick as I had my workout at night tonight. In fact Chester surprised us with a fitness test (did just fine:) so I was happy I'd thought about dinner in advance.

Even tired, sweaty people can cook.

Tonight's choice was a full menu out of Cooking Light. This is something that usually overwhelms me. I will make one or two items and sub in an old standby typically. However. Cooking Light's "Dinner Tonight" segment even tells you what order to do things in and doesn't make more than one item at all tricky (even the tricky is relative. Can you follow directions? Ok , go). Plus this page had a LOT of favorite things so I figured I could get all kinds of exponent on my gym endorphins by coming home to chop fresh Italian parsley and zest a lemon. Plus pan-seared fish, cherries, whole wheat couscous, almonds...it was a shoe-in. I'm cliche CRAZY tonight, apologies.

This may be my new favorite dinner. I'm also really excited because timing everything is still pretty tough for me and this would be great dinner party fare. Fresh, quick, full of flavor and healthy . And DELICIOUS if I didn't make that clear. Everything came out exactly as promised and from the shallot sauce to the couscous with dried Traverse cherries (Cam, they sell them at Jewel!) ...ridiculously good and DONE in 20 minutes. I even zested a little orange on top of my fish for presentation. Sometimes I think you just need to go the extra mile for yourself.

TKTC Note: I know toasting almonds sounds like a pain but they keep for awhile so if you do a batch in advance, just store them right and they will keep on giving. The ones I used tonight came from THIS recipe session.

The only item I think can improve on would be the roasted Brussels sprouts. I'd never so much as eaten one till last year and this was my first time making them. There weren't real directions so I think I'd really coat them with my Olive Oil Pam next time and leave them in about 5 minutes longer (did about 10 min this time, shook the pan once). All I did was cut them in half, throw em in a jelly roll pan and do a quick salt/pepper shakeshakeshake. Pretty easy and they have their own spiciness which I really love.

Ta-DAA!

Goodnightsogood

I was a little out of it/hungover for my Dominick's bender Saturday AM so when Annie Lennox's No More I Love You's came on and I was out by OHare (read: not going to run into anyone I know, save maybe a very amused Jenn), I just sang along. Up and down the aisles...never missing a word and really siiiinging it. Like I do when I'm singing into my rearview mirror and should really be watching for the stupid CLybourn light to change. I love it- have since I was 12 and had it on repeat in my Dad's car (poor guy). I don't care if that makes me mentally 57 years old. And probably divorced.

This started an interesting kick in the kitchen tonight...playlist as follows:

Heart of the Matter by India.Arie (obviously)
China Grove by the Doobie Brothers
Are We Different by Priscilla Ahn
Please Come to Boston by Kenny Chesney
Let the River Run by Carly Simon
Call Me by Blondie
Moonlight Kiss by Bap Kennedy (this is the perfect snowy night song, thank you Serendipity)
I'm Gonna Be by the Proclaimers
Extraordinary by Liz Phair
Free Man in Paris by Joni Mitchell
The Rising by Bruce Springsteen

Now in honor of the Oscars, Netflix delivered Gentleman's Agreement to my door on Friday and I'm going to go sit and pull more clips. And try to stay out of my leftovers.

Oh...just got an interesting Match email:) Not that one (still...ugh) but a newbie. I'm intrigued so maybe I'll just be a computer rat instead...

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Not so sure how it is suddenly Sunday again. Weren't we just here? Potentially discussing my crush on Tom Baker and humming along to early 90's R&B? Ah well. If this is how hanging out in a sub-zero goes, I think I can handle it with the right company- had a great time Saturday night.

Lisa, Danny and I grew up on the same street and I owe both of them high commendation for their excellent taste as Lexi and Dave have been in their respective pictures for the last several years. As I think I've mentioned, my neighbors were/are my extended family in Memphis and I love having big pieces of the block in the one I've chosen as an adult(-ish).

The short version is that from 7pm to 2am, the five of us ate a 3 course dinner, drank no less than 7 bottles of wine and there were some cigars involved as well. Never made it to a bar, never really made an attempt...just sat around laughing until someone accidentally saw a clock. I think we were all sober at that point as well. Most of us anyway:)

They also brought TKTC back to its roots. That's right...I have recipes. Good ones. And I'm not bluffing. Because we made it all on site from sites, I'm just going to link to the recipes themselves with the exception of one. The One, would be a signature little ecstasy know as the Brie Cup. More on that soon, here's the rest of the menu:

Easy Crab Appetizer: lives up to the name, can be made and frozen in advance. And as Dan will tell you...easy come, easy go. The plate empties quickly.

Pork Tenderloin with Shallot-Cider Sauce: Another great, seasonal recipe from Cooking Light. Minimal prep (I highly recommend Dave as a sous chef) and excellent leftovers does a great party dish make.

Roasted Red-Skinned Potatoes with Fresh Rosemary, Fleur de Sel and Olive Oil

Sugar Shack House Salad

Chocolate Baby Cakes

Brie Cups
(Original Recipe courtesy of "Bob" Michaud, circa 2001)

1 package of pre-made filo cups (made by Athens, found in the "Novelties" area of the frozen food section near puff pastry, 12-15 cups per package)
1 round of President Brie (you could spend $12-15 on brie but you're just going to cover it in garlic honey-butter so why?)
1 stick Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup of honey
3 chopped cloves of garlic
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1) Pre-Heat Oven to 375
2) In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, melt the butter with the
honey until totally liquid and combined.
3) Add the garlic and over low heat let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Then add walnuts and parsley for another 4-5 minutes, stirring
regularly.
4) In the meantime take brie out of wrapping and cut the top off.
5) Lay out the cups on a cookie sheet or shallow cake pan.
6) Use a teaspoon to scoop a little chunk of brie into each cup.
7) Spoon a teaspoon full of the saucepan contents into each cup on top
of the Brie
8) Bake for 5-6 minutes or until brie has melted
9) Hope you bought extra ingredients. You're going to be asked sheepishly for round two.

Dave not only chopped all things in need of chopping, he washed every single dish and would NOT hear otherwise. Between him in the sink and Lex with a dish towel, my kitchen was cleaner after guests than it was when they arrived. AND they eat my cooking. Goodnight, I am spoiled.

Danny and Lex

The Cat Whisperer. Around 1:30 am, Dan decided the HC was due for a nail clip and proceeded to give her a full mani while she purred on her back in his lap. My couch though this was the most thoughtful thing it's witnessed to date. My thought was why doesn't she do that for me? Lisa's in the background still defrosting from the quick cigar foray into the garden.

Sunday: After football (and more brie cups) at Dave and Lisa's and dinner with Caro, I'm now set up doing laundry and watching The Big Sleep. Bogart, Bacall and Bounce then bed..I've got an hour in brie purgatory at 6am.

Your Girl Friday

Notes on the Day:

At 6:52 am Friday morning, the end of my workout, DB told me we would end with a martial arts move. "Absolutely!" I say, blotting the sweat, "Wax on?"
"Not quite. "
Now I'm really pumped because clearly I, in all of my incoordinate limby-ness, am about to end my pre-dawn workout with something walking the line between hard core and "the gentle way."
You might be wondering how this panned out. It panned out that I was on my back, arms over my head clinging to a column, tracing the alphabet with my outstretched feet.
"Capital letters, J." says DB.
"Only if J stands for Jackie Chan, poser." says me.
"Of COURSE you can do it twice, Grasshopper. So glad you're enthused."
"(Quietly Grunting from Q onward)" Me

I love these guys. No guff from nobody.
_______________

The rest of the day went fairly smoothly considering the early morning and restless sleep. Whenever I have to get up extraordinarily early, I wake up in 15 min increments for two hours before my alarm goes off.

I had two cups of "rocket shock" when I got into the office (this is what Colleague calls it when I'm in charge of making the coffee) and set off on a typing spree, only looking up to steal a couple bites of Colleague's leftover Murg Tikka Masala. By 3pm I was just plain antsy and by 5 I was on my way downstairs.

Now the fatigue was really starting to hit. I had tickets to a great show at Schuba's but had run amuck of the second ticket and couldn't find a new recipient. Bon Iver and the Redwalls at Schuba's had been sold out for weeks but I was exhausted and it was freezing. No worries- I did end up finding a pretty perfect home in the hands of two friends, recently enamored of Bon Iver via Jonk. Recently enamored of each other as well so I felt good about this night of Skinny Love for my dear Caro:)

What did I do? Well I made grilled chicken salads for Abby and I, looked up some movie times and had date night in Logan Square. There is a movie theater straight up Milwaukee from me that has $3 movie tickets. We split Raisinettes and Junior Mints and watched Amy Adams light up Enchanted for a scant $6 . Came home, got into the jams, read my new Domino and hit that bed hard, ready for a slightly later morning.
_______________

Now I'm home from the Loft again after listening to another great "Sound Opinions" and wondering how I'm going to be able to laugh without hurting tonight. And Danny, Lisa, Lex and Dave make me laugh a LOT. The embarrassing kind of can't-catch-your-breath, forgot what started it kind of laughing. No alphabet today- today our favorite lineman just threw my legs toward the floor and it was my job to keep them from touching. Yow.

I am off to the store to grab a few last minute things for tonight- pork tenderloin, roasted rosemary potatoes, the crab bites Danny loves, brie cups and braised broccoli rabe. Maybe a surprise for dessert.

Also- it's 2 outside, -10 windchill. In case any of you Californians and Floridians were wondering, we Chicagoans secretly relish these temperatures. It makes us feel extra tough and I can guarantee you that more people will be out and about tonight than t'would be at 29. It's a gigantic Polar Bear Club with extra tall buildings.

"Once" More with Feeling

Just came home from the gym and caught a really great piece on NPR about the movie "Once" en route. I don't know anyone who's seen this film and not loved it. I saw it twice in theaters (rare) and then again in Mexico when Brother got it for Christmas. Talk about chemistry and how much power two people can put into a song. They performed live during the interview and you can pick up the podcast here. I think the segment starts about a third of the way in. Also the interview made me want to read "The Swell Season" by Josef Skvorecky- anyone out there read it yet?

After 11 hours of sleep and a sadistic morning at the gym, I am hitting the showers and getting ready for the dance...I may do hot rollers, just for the sake of nostalgia.

Oh Sinnerman

If I could be any character in any movie, I'm gonna go with Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) in the 1999 version of The Thomas Crown Affair. This answer has not wavered since 1999.
What a fantastic movie to turn up on TV the night before I return to training.

Anyone else have a pick?

Juno = Great Excuse to Dig Your Car Out

Juno: I think I'm, like, in love with you.
Bleeker: You mean as friends?
Juno: No, I mean, like, for real. 'Cause you're, like, the coolest person I've ever met, and you don't even have to try, you know...
Bleeker: I try really hard, actually.

It was worth every little bit of the anticipation. And the neck cramp from sitting in the very first row of a sold out show. Apparently this weekend they were ALL sold out shows.

Struck Brightly By the Winter

Saturday , once I rejoined the living, I headed up North for some quality Jones time of the married variety. I've been third wheeling with B&C since we were but wee things in college and before they acknowledged publicly that they'd been madly in love with each other since high school. For me, they are that couple that is just really easy to be around. The strange thing is that the fact that it is so easy to hang out with them as just me, makes me want someone else to come hang with us more. Someone of the "my better half" variety. I digress, we had fun, even in A LOT of snow.Kicked it off at Old Orchard where I poached cologne samples from Sephora and two department stores for my Dad's Christmas gift. So far I've got V&R by Viktor & Rolf, for him by narcisco rodriguez, L'Eau D'Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake, Intense by Issey Miyake, Canali, Light Blue for Men by Dolce & Gabbana, Vera Wang for Men and Vintage by John Varvatos. Below however, I guess I am supposed to be saving.Woman at Sephora would not let me have a sample of this for my Dad because she said it would ruin me. "It is too sexy for Dads, save it till you have a boyfriend you want to smell in that way." Clever girl.
Jacky's Bistro- I have not had a dinner this good in a very long time. I am not even exaggerating when I say it's the bistro next door for B & CVDJ. They started us off with a roasted bulb of garlic in olive oil and fresh bread, although I recommend just skipped the bread and eating the garlic straight. I guess that's the benefit of not having a legalized tendency to make out with someone at the end of the night. 1st Course: Wild Mushroom Soup with Smoked Duck Confit in the middle...they pour it at the table which I for whatever reason get such a kick out of. Main Event: Sautéed Sea Scallops, Soft Polenta, Spinach-Mushroom Ragout, Roasted Corn Sauce. They had brushed the scallops with a very light brown sugar dusting before sauteeing. Wow. Last: Espresso and two bites each of what was best described by C as a Giant Truffle. Thin, crispy chocolate hazelnut crust with a thick layer of rich semi-sweet chocolate mousse on top...all covered in dark chocolate ganache and surrounded by raspberry sauce. Superb.
Not my deal but if you're into zombies and Will Smith talking to himself, go to town. The dog was pretty cute.


How can you not love a place whose website is SuperYummy.com? Mar and I trudged through the snow for awhile this morning and landed at Letizia's Natural Bakery. Quiet other than (bottomless, organic, free trade) coffee going and Armchair Apocrypha playing in the background. Split a cherry tart and a lox bagel. Happy with both.We weren't quite done exploring the hood on a sunny, cold day so we just went for a walk. We first landed at Plein Aire on Division where Mar did quite well. On to Ukranian Village, sloshing all the way. I genuinely lust after everything at Willow. Not just for my house either- that is an EXCELLENT to get gifts. I do admit that the only gift I got today was for me but at least now I can tell my keys apart via glow-in-the-dark skull covers. That's so metal...
We have about 1 ft of snow on the ground. It's gorgeous but not so fun to soak your feet in. I got home by walking on my heels as I could no longer feel my toes. Took about 4o minutes and some hot pink fuzz to properly defrost. I may have also put my colder foot underneath the cat. She even let me. I.Can't.Wait. Leaving for the theater now! (See Above for my "review")

Title taken from "Snow Day" by Matt Pond PA

A Weekend's Weekend

I'm not sure why, but for the first time in awhile, I feel like I had a straight up weekend. The kind of weekend I will be able to look at later on down the road and shake my head at, laughing at the things I was doing when I was in my twenties, living in the man-made mountain range of the Midwest- otherwise known as Chicago. Photo Below by Pop at Thanksgiving last year.
If you've ever been atop the Hancock Building or the Sears Tower, you know what I mean. There's nothing but neighborhoods and then farms and then plains beyond that. If you've ever driven up 55 or 57, your first glimpse of the skyline after what feels like years in a two lane void is reminiscent of catching a lone mountain peak in the distance. The only rock here is the granite in posh Deco lobbies. Stone pillars of people and lights and metal. It's beautiful.

Onward to the weekend. Marianne emailed me last week to say a colleague had extra tickets to the opera playing at the Lyric and would I like to jump into her good fortune. I'd never been to the Opera, so, Yes. They were performing Die Frau Ohne Schatten- 4 hours, 3 acts, 2 intermissions and one girl coming straight from a Christmas Cookie party with a serious Cranberry Bellini buzz.I will admit to doing the nods once or twice in the first act. Not because it wasn't beautiful music. On the contrary, it's eerie to think that some people's bodies are actually capable of making sounds of that magnitude come out. Only I had made some interesting choices in terms of having nothing but Christmas cookies and champagne in my system that day. First intermission: Coffee. Second act: MUCH better!
Second Intermission: Marianne ran out to make a call so I did what I usually do in new places when left to my own devices. Start talking to whoever is sitting next to me. In this case, it was Dr. Helene Quirmbach, formerly of Ukraine, Austria, Brazil and now Chicago. Helene was forced out of Ukraine by the German occupation and then reassigned as a refugee from Austria to Brazil where she and her husband lived through the seventies and early eighties. She's a pianist.

My favorite part: She was working for the US State Dept in Brazil during the US Bicentennial and was given a grant to hire a young, native musician to play at the Becentennial celebration in Rio. So she looked and she came across a pair of brothers who were making a name for themselves- Odair and Sergio Assad. She saw "potential" and liked their parents. Now I had never heard of the Assad brothers until about a year ago when my Greek friend listed them among his influences and had me download it one night. They are now a staple on my "writing" playlist and have also become some of the most internationally successful musicians of all time. With Yo Yo Ma above. Helene lives in Ukranian Village now, we exchanged cards and I think we're gonna grab coffee. Can never know too many interesting people.

By the third act, certain aspects of the performance were really maturing while others left me muttering quietly in my seat, "Get. There. Faster." I was also starting to feel the flats now that the champagne bubbles had been excised. Time for dinner. It was about 10 and sleeting outside with a line 15 deep for cabs outside the Lyric- which is stunning, by the by. Mar and I decide we'll walk to the West Loop and grab a late bite at De Cero. We get to Halstead, having almost face planted around 11 times between us, and decide that we will go to Avec instead. All the better. Avec reminded me of Europe. Particularly of a place KMo and I had dinner at our last night in Barcelona. French/Spanish/ Mediterranean food served in tapas-style portions and I was immediately wondering "How have I not been here before?" Meri, should you ever get here from Londontown, we're going here.

Great crowd, even late, but even better food. We started with the house-marinated olives which came served on a wood board with fresh bread. Moved on to bacon wrapped dates that had been stuffed with chorizo and put in a tangy tomato sauce and then a pizza which neither of us could even look at because we were so stuffed with Mejool dates by then. I had a slice- actually, the description speaks for itself:wood-fired pizza with grapeleaf-zahatar pesto, white anchovies, arugula, red onion and organic honey. Marianne took back the rest (so good but I was too full to think) and I headed home to my jams. That should cover it, No?
Had a few calls come in once I got home, now sober and with a waning headache. Caller accent? Spanish with a Scottish brogue. Mischief abounds on a icy night downtown...
The next morning I was up relatively early and ready to download and brunch. Start calling the usual suspects-lo and behold, people are up. Caro, Abby and I discover that *SHOCK* none of us have any big plans for the day. At the very least this meant brunch cocktails. We headed to Feast and each had a rendition of Eggs Benedict- Abs went classic, I had Eggs Portobello, and Caro had Eggs Royale. Berry Berry Champagne Cocktail, Bloody Mary and Mimosa were also had respectively. This is what Sundays are made for.Next we went shopping...in my basement. My landlord, Ala, is also a jewelry designer who has set up a boutique in my building for the weekend. Not joking- I finished off my Christmas shopping and changed remaining laundry over without so much as climbing a set of stairs. The ring above is hers- she's quite talented!Last but not least, I saw The Golden Compass with Caro. I've read the book and really enjoyed it- given the the premise and my other tastes for books (Rowling, Tolkien, Niffeneggar, Lewis) this really shouldn't come as much of a surprise. What might is that I was really impressed with the way it was adapted. I almost never walk away thinking that about a movie that was originally a book I liked but I was content with how they folded it together.

There some pretty chilling themes for kids but because the main character is a child, it seems to work. Nicole Kidman was subtle, deadly and flawless. All in all, two thumbs up if you're "into that kind of thing." Truthfully, I would not say that atheism is the key item I walked away with. It's about the right and the will to ask questions and find answers. It's just as easy to see reigning group as an overzealous political party as it is the Church and those looking to construe it in one way or the other will find ways to do it. I'm in favor of anything creative that teaches kids to think for themselves. My fingers are on fire, it must be time for bed.

Sex and the City Preview

I do LOVE movie previews and the cult status of this show (ok, I'm drinking the kool-aid, too) gave me a burning need to post this ASAP.

Quick Vote: Movie?

THE WINNER:
Thanks to everybody who helped me out here- Lars was just as good as everyone has said. Quirky, sweet and incredibly well-acted from every angle. There was even some Lutheran love thrown in which my mom noticed right away apparently:)

Runners Up (and potential movie nights in the coming weeks):

Movie Review: Dan in Real Life

Hello Hello!
I am sorry blog community, I have abandoned my post. I did however see a great movie today and just couldn't resist!
Dan in Real Life was a good flick in the classic sense- it was funny, heartfelt and had some very real moments (read: both funny and heartfelt). Steve Carell is not-so-secretly one of my favorite people. I'll pretty much watch anything he's in which also explains why I've been able to watch old episodes of "The Office" non-stop.
Back to the movie- Juliette Binoche is charming (could she really ever be anything else??) and even Dane Cook is significantly less grating than is the norm. All in all- something to see yourselves and recommend to the rents'!

*Of Note, all the music in the movie was composed by Norwegian alternaGod Sondre Lerche.

Movie Review: The Darjeeling Limited

It was a solid Friday in my book. Out of work at a decent hour, home to feed the cat, dinner at Bourgeois Pig (my first Chicago love) and off to see the new Wes Anderson movie with Cam. For those of you who care about such things I had the mushroom barley soup (eh- a little thymey for me), the Walden sandwich-yum, and then a mammouth brownie shared with Cam. And lots lots of fabulous catching up!

On to the movie, things I liked:

• As usual, film was full of quirky characters, played by the same quirky actors we already love.

• I think the Hotel Chevalier as a prequel was perhaps one of the best marketing tools I've seen in use in a looong time.

• Adrien Brody/ Peter Whitman's suits. The green one with the brown belt and flawlessly pressed white shirt with father's stolen sunglasses particularly. Loved it.
  

• Visually stunning, I would love a shot list just in case I ever get to the foothills of the Himalayas. I am also re-enthused by the bright peacock blue and gold combination for my office. Still probably not going to happen.

• Everything about the Pepper Spray scene.

• I still have a big crush on Waris Ahluwalia.

Not so crazy about:

• Character development, emotional integrity was spotty. There was not a moment in DL that I "wanted to laugh and cry at the same time" (first pointed out by my brother), which is really my favorite part of Anderson's movies. Royal Tennenbaums being the best example.
• Jumpy. There's quirky and then there's sloppy when it comes to tying a movie together and I think this one walked the line a little too often.

Bottom Line:

You get the most emotive, characteristic performance out of the 13 minute short you can get for free on iTunes. But if you're a fan and it's raining outside, get into that movie seat.

A Divine Katch-Up

Catching up with old friends always ends up reminding me of some of my favorite things. I got to chit with an old favorite last night- Miss Kelli Kim of San Francisco, formerly of Chicago and more formerly of Kappa Kappa G.

I can't tap the discretion of the call itself but I CAN share with you a few things she reminded me of. Thanks WestCoast!!!
a) How awesome Active Endeavors is:

b) How obsessed I am with the movie "The Lives of Others" and while I'm raving on movies, you should see Broken English and Paris Je T'aime. But prioritize Lives of Others because it's incredible and may/ should win another Oscar (not possible but it did take Best Foreign Language Film this year).You can check out other quality movies of this ilk at your local theater. Living just down the street from mine is on a very short list of things I miss now that I'm a Wicker Witch of the West. Which may or may not be my Halloween costume so don't go near it.