Pardon my absence, I was recovering from a nasty stomach bug that hit me Tuesday morning. Last weekend was fun spending time with my parents, friends, and J. The Navy Game was a fun tailgate, but the game was super-rainy. The Brahms Concert went ok...at least the audience seemed to enjoy it! Our Brahms after-party was a success. My Sunday 16 mile run was fun as well. I started to get a little sniffly during the run, which I attribute to allergies.
After being a bit stuffy on Monday, I woke up Tuesday feeling a bit feverish. My first thought- I have the flu! So I panicked. Once I calmed down, I decided to not go into the office and go to the doctor. Not the flu, but the fever was going up and I was feeling much worse. When I got home from the Dr.'s office, I realized it was a stomach virus. Yuck!
I slept most of Tuesday and on into Tuesday night. Yesterday, I felt better, but still couldn't be far from a convenient bathroom. So, I watched tv, movies, my iPod, read magazines...and tried to do a little bit around the house. But I was BORED!
So, I'm happy to be back in the office working today, for once. This weekend I have a "stay-in" date with J on Friday, a run Saturday morning, Navy tailgate and game in the afternoon (with rain predicted AGAIN!), and then a 17 mile run scheduled for Sunday. If the rain goes away, we'll be doing a "scenic monument run" in DC. I'm looking forward to that...I've always wanted to do a long run in DC since I live so close, but have never had the chance. Logistically it might be tough to get water/gatorade, but we're hoping there will be enough street vendors and convenience stores to replenish our handheld water bottles.
Hope everyone out there stays away from the stomach virus I had this week!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Here and There
Oh goodness, I have another busy weekend coming up! Should I be surprised, though? It's just been one after another around here lately. This weekend I have parents visiting (and meeting the kitty cat for the first time), Navy tailgating (which appears as if it will be in the rain), Navy Homecoming game, a Brahms Requiem concert, a concert after-party at our house, and a 5K followed by a 13 mile training run for a total of 16 miles. How do I manage to string so much together in a 2 day time frame? I need to work on my scheduling skills...
Seriously though, it should be a fun weekend. I have no plans for tonight, so hopefully it will be a nice night in. Part of me is thinking I might forgo the Navy game to spend extra time with my parents. Especially since it is supposed to rain all day and I will be leaving the game early to arrive at the concert on time. Hmm, that may be what football teams call a "game-time decision". :)
One annoying thing that I've managed to do is strain the lower vertebrae of my neck. Again. I seem to do this every few months or so just turning my head funny or whatever. I probably need to get it checked out by a doctor or something. The pain typically lasts for a couple of days, and then goes away. It does affect my singing though, since I can't hold my head up properly. Not a good sign for tomorrow night's concert, but what can you do. That's life!
Seriously though, it should be a fun weekend. I have no plans for tonight, so hopefully it will be a nice night in. Part of me is thinking I might forgo the Navy game to spend extra time with my parents. Especially since it is supposed to rain all day and I will be leaving the game early to arrive at the concert on time. Hmm, that may be what football teams call a "game-time decision". :)
One annoying thing that I've managed to do is strain the lower vertebrae of my neck. Again. I seem to do this every few months or so just turning my head funny or whatever. I probably need to get it checked out by a doctor or something. The pain typically lasts for a couple of days, and then goes away. It does affect my singing though, since I can't hold my head up properly. Not a good sign for tomorrow night's concert, but what can you do. That's life!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Restaurant Review...Quite Possibly the Best Meal I've Ever Eaten!
On Saturday evening, J took me to Charleston (the restaurant, not the city) for dinner. For those not in the Baltimore area, Charleston is considered by most to be one of, if not THE, best restaurant in Baltimore. As the name suggests, it's lowcountry/French style cuisine...very high end cuisine! It wasn't a special occasion of any sort; he has wanted to go for a long time, and I am always up for a fancy meal. The one caveat was that I had to be able to eat all of my meal. While I eat a lot of food during the day, I typically don't eat a whole lot in one sitting. I'm notorious for "hitting the wall" food-wise and announcing that I'm not eating anymore. So, J made me promise that I would "practice" eating a lot and be ready for the 6 course meal plus wine pairings. His thought was that we need to "do it up right" and go for the 6 course meal to get the whole experience. I also figured the 7 mile run I completed earlier in the day would help with the hunger factor.
The food was exquisite. At least, compared to anything I've had before. The closest thing I've experienced to this meal in the past is my family's Christmas dinners at Woodlands Resort (the only 5 star restaurant in SC). I started with a butternut squash soup paired with a Chardonnay. Second was cornmeal fried oysters with a French champagne (tasty!). Third I went "light" with a goat cheese salad paired with a Pouilly fume. Fourth, a southern crab cake with black bean salsa (divine!) paired with Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Fifth (at this point I was getting a little full...the portions are larger than tasting portions but about half the size of a regular entree), Pan-roasted salmon with sorrel sauce piared with Anjou, Domaine Jo Pithon “Les Pèpinières”. The last "real" course was Grilled Beef Tenderloin paired with a Malbec. Thankfully, the wine pairings were 1/3 glass portions or I would have been sleeping under the table! By the time we finished the 6th course...I was literally stuffed. The cheese cart came by though, so we had a slice of a soft cheese from the Italian Piedmont. I can't even remember what I had for dessert...I could only eat one bite! I think it was something chocolate with sesame ice cream? J had the creme brulee trio...maple, cappucino, and calvados. On the whole, J had the more adventurous courses...I can't remember everything he had...but snails, sweetbreads, and venison made appearances. He finished off the meal with a armagnac (like cognac). I had a sip. I feel full again just thinking about that meal!
Our friends were celebrating their 1st anniversary at Charleston that night, too. I read on her blog that they would be there, so we brought along a bottle of wine to "send to their table". They in turn sent over a bottle of champagne. We started with the champagne, and finished our cheese course and dessert with the champagne.
Wow. All in all, it was an incredibly special meal...and one I likely will not be able to top anytime soon! J promised me that if we go back, I can get the 4 or the 5 course meal, which will hopefully leave me comfortably full and able to finish dessert!
So, for those of you in the Baltimore area who haven't been to Charleston, I highly recommend that you go. It's a great special occasion type of restaurant, or like us, if you just want to have a special meal!
The food was exquisite. At least, compared to anything I've had before. The closest thing I've experienced to this meal in the past is my family's Christmas dinners at Woodlands Resort (the only 5 star restaurant in SC). I started with a butternut squash soup paired with a Chardonnay. Second was cornmeal fried oysters with a French champagne (tasty!). Third I went "light" with a goat cheese salad paired with a Pouilly fume. Fourth, a southern crab cake with black bean salsa (divine!) paired with Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Fifth (at this point I was getting a little full...the portions are larger than tasting portions but about half the size of a regular entree), Pan-roasted salmon with sorrel sauce piared with Anjou, Domaine Jo Pithon “Les Pèpinières”. The last "real" course was Grilled Beef Tenderloin paired with a Malbec. Thankfully, the wine pairings were 1/3 glass portions or I would have been sleeping under the table! By the time we finished the 6th course...I was literally stuffed. The cheese cart came by though, so we had a slice of a soft cheese from the Italian Piedmont. I can't even remember what I had for dessert...I could only eat one bite! I think it was something chocolate with sesame ice cream? J had the creme brulee trio...maple, cappucino, and calvados. On the whole, J had the more adventurous courses...I can't remember everything he had...but snails, sweetbreads, and venison made appearances. He finished off the meal with a armagnac (like cognac). I had a sip. I feel full again just thinking about that meal!
Our friends were celebrating their 1st anniversary at Charleston that night, too. I read on her blog that they would be there, so we brought along a bottle of wine to "send to their table". They in turn sent over a bottle of champagne. We started with the champagne, and finished our cheese course and dessert with the champagne.
Wow. All in all, it was an incredibly special meal...and one I likely will not be able to top anytime soon! J promised me that if we go back, I can get the 4 or the 5 course meal, which will hopefully leave me comfortably full and able to finish dessert!
So, for those of you in the Baltimore area who haven't been to Charleston, I highly recommend that you go. It's a great special occasion type of restaurant, or like us, if you just want to have a special meal!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Fall Nesting and Perspectives on Life
Something about cool Fall weather brings out my nesting instinct full force. Perhaps it is knowing that I will soon be hunkering down to survive the cold winter (relatively cold...at least for my thin SC blood!). In any case, I have this strong desire to clean, to organize my closet and drawers, to cook comfort food, to drink apple cider, and to snuggle with the kitty cat on the couch with a blanket and football. Sounds idyllic, huh? October is my favorite month, but this year I have not had time to indulge my nesting instinct. I did manage to get my fall/winter bedding on the bed, but that is about it. In the past I have had a few completely free October weekends to get my space/life "winter ready", but I have missed that this year. Between football, singing, and spending time with my boyfriend, I haven't had a chance to bring order to that area of my world. But for once, that's ok. I've been breaking my tasks up into little chunks I can complete each night that I'm home, and I think I'm making progress!
This Saturday could have been a perfect nesting day, but instead I declared a "do nothing" day for J and I. He was staying with us for the weekend since he performed in one of the Chorale's performances on Friday and Saturday night. We watched football, went to a wine tasting, began the process of making "lime-on-cello", and hung out. It was really relaxing. Saturday night, I went to his performance.
**I don't talk about my relationship with J on here very much...mostly because I think it's the type of thing best discussed in person. But, I'm going to break my rule here just a bit...**
It's so interesting for me to go to J's performances and hear people talk about how great he sounds, his lovely singing, etc. To be honest, sometimes I forget he is really a singer. We don't talk about it all that often (though it is part of his profession). I mean, we talk about music, but not in terms of his career in music. I don't get to go to his performances as often as I would like, so it is a treat for me. To be completely honest, the fact that he sings well was one of the first things that attracted me (I mean come one...anyone who knows me should not be surprised by that!). But it was more of a novel thing like, "Hey, I've gone on a couple of dates with an opera singer!". Or, "Hey, see that guy up there singing on the Jumbotron at Nationals Park? I was on a date with him last night". I must admit, that was pretty fun. :)
But now? Now he is not an opera singer to me...he's just J. A generous and compassionate man who for some reason decided to fight hard for me and not let me run away like I tried to do after our first couple of dates. A man who has seen so many of my insecurities and hasn't run away yet. Someone who, without trying, points me back to where I need to be spiritually on a regular basis. Having someone like him in my life is so much more valuable than the novelty of dating an opera singer. When we do talk about his singing, etc, I have a phrase I use in a bit of a sarcastic manner. "Poor, untalented J." I think I coined the phrase when we were organizing his opera scores and I ran across a few inscribed by Placido Domingo when J sang some solo roles in Washington. Sometimes I think he thinks I am being a little catty, but I really am in awe of his talent and the hard work he has put in to sing well.
Anyway, pardon my mushiness, but I've just been thinking about the interesting nature of that recently. I won't get to do any fall nesting activities this weekend, but I will get to spend time with J. And that is certainly more valuable than having a "winter ready" house!
This Saturday could have been a perfect nesting day, but instead I declared a "do nothing" day for J and I. He was staying with us for the weekend since he performed in one of the Chorale's performances on Friday and Saturday night. We watched football, went to a wine tasting, began the process of making "lime-on-cello", and hung out. It was really relaxing. Saturday night, I went to his performance.
**I don't talk about my relationship with J on here very much...mostly because I think it's the type of thing best discussed in person. But, I'm going to break my rule here just a bit...**
It's so interesting for me to go to J's performances and hear people talk about how great he sounds, his lovely singing, etc. To be honest, sometimes I forget he is really a singer. We don't talk about it all that often (though it is part of his profession). I mean, we talk about music, but not in terms of his career in music. I don't get to go to his performances as often as I would like, so it is a treat for me. To be completely honest, the fact that he sings well was one of the first things that attracted me (I mean come one...anyone who knows me should not be surprised by that!). But it was more of a novel thing like, "Hey, I've gone on a couple of dates with an opera singer!". Or, "Hey, see that guy up there singing on the Jumbotron at Nationals Park? I was on a date with him last night". I must admit, that was pretty fun. :)
But now? Now he is not an opera singer to me...he's just J. A generous and compassionate man who for some reason decided to fight hard for me and not let me run away like I tried to do after our first couple of dates. A man who has seen so many of my insecurities and hasn't run away yet. Someone who, without trying, points me back to where I need to be spiritually on a regular basis. Having someone like him in my life is so much more valuable than the novelty of dating an opera singer. When we do talk about his singing, etc, I have a phrase I use in a bit of a sarcastic manner. "Poor, untalented J." I think I coined the phrase when we were organizing his opera scores and I ran across a few inscribed by Placido Domingo when J sang some solo roles in Washington. Sometimes I think he thinks I am being a little catty, but I really am in awe of his talent and the hard work he has put in to sing well.
Anyway, pardon my mushiness, but I've just been thinking about the interesting nature of that recently. I won't get to do any fall nesting activities this weekend, but I will get to spend time with J. And that is certainly more valuable than having a "winter ready" house!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Back to Monday
The weekend was great...Navy beat Airforce, the tailgate was fun, I managed to finish the Metric Marathon (full race report here) and had a lot of chill hang-out time with football friends, running friends, and my roommate's family.
This week is a pretty normal one for me...nothing too exciting. I'm looking forward to some more downtime on Saturday!
This week is a pretty normal one for me...nothing too exciting. I'm looking forward to some more downtime on Saturday!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October Makes Me Happy!
There is just something about the changing of the seasons that is quite appealing to me. I think it must be the fact that I love change. Even so, Fall has always been my favorite season. Perhaps because summer temps are always so hot...and it is lovely to look forward to cooler days and cold nights in the sweltering days of August! I have waxed eloquent on my love of fall in at least one blog post each year... see here, here, and here.
I was thinking the other day that I used to have so many free weekends in the fall when I could just relax, throw open the windows, clean the house (there is just something about a clean house and pretty fall weather) and enjoy the season. Now, my weekends of late have been chock full of things to do. I really need to slow down a bit. The problem is that I love to be busy and tend to overbook myself. Now that we are done singing for the Jewish High Holy Days, I hope things will slow down a bit. While I am still running crazy mileage numbers, the only other "regular" weekend activity will be Navy Football games. While those require some prep-work...once we are there it is usually a fun and relaxing time.
This weekend is the Navy vs. Airforce game. My roommate Maureen's sister went to the Air Force Academy, and her brother went to the Naval Academy, so everyone meets up for the game every year. Her Mom and Sister arrive in town tonight, and we are planning a tailgate extravaganza for Saturday. It should be a fun time with yummy food...shrimp salad canapes, crab dip, beef, chicken, and veggie kabobs, homemade brownies, snackie snacks, and much more. Oh, and champagne of course! Since we now have Navy season tickets, Maureen and I have gone all out and acquired a 10x10 gazebo tent, more folding chairs, and some Navy gear. I've always wanted to be an avid football fan and tailgater...but never really had the opportunity. So, I think it's going to be a fun season!
On Sunday I've been roped into running the Metric Marathon as part of our Goofy Challenge Training. My running partner Lauren runs this race every year, and wants to do it again this year. It's 16.3 miles (26K). We are supposed to be running 13 miles that day. So, my options are run 13 miles by myself, or run 16.3 in a race with about 150 people who will likely all beat me. Hmmm. I'll take the race, thank you! The last time I ran 11 miles by myself I thought I was going to gouge my eyes out from boredom. And I was listening to an audiobook...
I've carved out some "Page" time Sunday afternoon post-race and post-race party. Hopefully I'll be able to do things like catch up on laundry, read my ever-growing stack of magazines, and rest. I definitely need that to recharge...
I was thinking the other day that I used to have so many free weekends in the fall when I could just relax, throw open the windows, clean the house (there is just something about a clean house and pretty fall weather) and enjoy the season. Now, my weekends of late have been chock full of things to do. I really need to slow down a bit. The problem is that I love to be busy and tend to overbook myself. Now that we are done singing for the Jewish High Holy Days, I hope things will slow down a bit. While I am still running crazy mileage numbers, the only other "regular" weekend activity will be Navy Football games. While those require some prep-work...once we are there it is usually a fun and relaxing time.
This weekend is the Navy vs. Airforce game. My roommate Maureen's sister went to the Air Force Academy, and her brother went to the Naval Academy, so everyone meets up for the game every year. Her Mom and Sister arrive in town tonight, and we are planning a tailgate extravaganza for Saturday. It should be a fun time with yummy food...shrimp salad canapes, crab dip, beef, chicken, and veggie kabobs, homemade brownies, snackie snacks, and much more. Oh, and champagne of course! Since we now have Navy season tickets, Maureen and I have gone all out and acquired a 10x10 gazebo tent, more folding chairs, and some Navy gear. I've always wanted to be an avid football fan and tailgater...but never really had the opportunity. So, I think it's going to be a fun season!
On Sunday I've been roped into running the Metric Marathon as part of our Goofy Challenge Training. My running partner Lauren runs this race every year, and wants to do it again this year. It's 16.3 miles (26K). We are supposed to be running 13 miles that day. So, my options are run 13 miles by myself, or run 16.3 in a race with about 150 people who will likely all beat me. Hmmm. I'll take the race, thank you! The last time I ran 11 miles by myself I thought I was going to gouge my eyes out from boredom. And I was listening to an audiobook...
I've carved out some "Page" time Sunday afternoon post-race and post-race party. Hopefully I'll be able to do things like catch up on laundry, read my ever-growing stack of magazines, and rest. I definitely need that to recharge...
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