The Holiday Spiritus

Being a Christmas Eve baby makes holiday spirit almost like a genetic trait for me. I am usually the person making holiday cards in October, and gathering cookie recipes and listening to Christmas carols by mid-November. This year has, sadly, been a bit different. Thanks in part to Eric's hectic business travels and my crazy school life, the holiday spirits have been running a bit, well, low. I didn't pull out my "Christmas with the Rat Pack" CD until a week ago! For shame! We did however, get in a bit of fun, including an Ugly Christmas Sweater party that helped us practice for our annual rowdy game of Catch Phrase at Jessica's. Watch out guys, because Eric is comin' for ya.

I have also found time to make a few batches of cards and some sweets, even if I am not eating any of them myself until Christmas. They are both very easy and quick projects that anyone can do, including kidlets. I also went through a bunch of my cookbooks hunting for new cookie recipes. My aunt basically told me that I have to make the Mascarpone cookies I made last year, but man were they a pain in the ass! Gorgeous and delicious, yes, but soo time consuming! I may have to do them again anyway, but I'm thinking these recipes look very promising:
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies, reminiscent of the ones Lyndsay makes. She still won't give me her recipe, so this new one will have to do! Cold Tea Gingerbread with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting which basically sounds like heaven to me, and Holey Moley Dark Mexican Chocolate Dulce de Leche Brownies. In the words of the ridiculous and infamous Zoe, "I die."

Crafty and not so crafty giveaways!

I love giveaways, because free is for me. I enter contests constantly, and never win anything. Well, that is not entirely true, because I accidentally entered and won a book contest a few months ago. I got a copy of a Christian book called Daily Worships in the Name of Christ Our Lord and Savior To Keep You From Burning in Hell. If you know me, you can probably figure out what I did with it. Some of the best giveaways are on crafty blogs and mommy blogs, because I guess, mom's and crafty people like and need free things. I've heard that babies are expensive with all of those diapers and rash creams and such.

Here are some fun ones for you to waste a day off work entering:
Tropical Tree Frog Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!
Free books!
Visit Mommy Bits for free baby stuff and Christmas gifts perhaps?
Free boots at An Island Life
And you can get the same ones here!

After you have filled out all of these entries, get off your lazy behind and GO VOTE!

Hangin' mit zee Germans

So fine, I am a crappy blogger... It's just that occasionally, this thing that I have called a life actually gets hectic and requires my full attention. It's the new job really, which is thrilling since I was so terribly afraid I'd have to return to the old one in September! Honestly, almost any job would have been an improvement over Nameless Academy of Insanity, but the new one is even better than that! No more unprofessional staff, fraudulent business people, or bus drivers who sit you down in meetings to demand that silent reading be stricken from their children's language arts class. I love my new job!

That said, I am incredibly busy with it, but there has still been a wee bit of time for fun times. Eric and I hosted our first tailgate a few weeks ago, when U of M took on Michigan State. We did it right. Eric was up at the golf course setting up at 9 AM, with our backyard grill, an immense pot of chili, and a stuffed car. There was so much food it was a little ridiculous. At least 30 people showed up, and we still had leftovers. The chili was a bit hit by the way, so you should check out the recipe for your next football party! And p.s., that game we simply call "bean bags" back home? Yeah well, they call it "cornhole" in Michigan. Cornhole. For real. Didn't anyone out here watch Beavis and Butthead?

And of course, since I am crazy about dressing up for Halloween, here is another gratuitous costume shot. Eric's lederhosen were actually our wedding gift from his friend Gunther. They arrived months ago, after a lot of emailing, hinting, and confusion. We thought we were getting a case of wine, then the pants showed up on our doorstep. Somehow, they fit Eric like a glove. I suspect late night drinking and secret measuring may have occurred. I knew right away they'd have to make a public appearance, and our Halloween costumes were born: Dieter und Katja Julia Stefi von Dukenstein. His name was chosen because he bought me a stein with "Dieter" painted on it as a joke one year, and he could use it to accessorize. My name comes from the fact that 90% of the German girls we know are named Katja, Julia, or Stefi. Eric bought me the dyrndl when he was on a business trip last month, so we were 100& authentic. This is the first costume I have ever worn that didn't require any crafting at all, but I'm ok with it since it was not pre-fab and in a plastic sleeve! Eric's hat came from Target and his scarf is mine, but the rest is all bought in Germany, even the mini stein he has on his belt. We planned on using them for shots of Jager, but then we remembered I don't do shots of Jager. We still partied hard enough to make our namesakes proud, arriving home at 3 AM with Eric's favorite thing besides bacon, free Taco Bell. Mmm...

Finally!

Just a quickie update to note that our photos from the professional photographer are finally here! I was praying they'd come in so that I could have our album finished before the new school year began, but alas. You can check my favorites out here if you are so inclined. I'm very happy with them, but wondering what happened to some of the photos I know were taken. What about the shots on my Grandmother's steps and pinning on her corsage? And all of the photos of our friends on the balcony lighting sparklers? Hmm... I may have to make a phone call. In the meantime I will just laugh at these:

Meet the Mrs.

Yep. It's official. I am now a Mrs. Of course that had noting to do with the ring exchange, vow renewal, or the big party, but the fact that my dear friend Jessica (far right) was finally there to witness it. You see, she swore my marriage was a fraud until she could see it with her own eyes. Happy now, Jess?

All jokes aside, I can't actually believe it! All of the work and planning that went into the party was so worth it! Everyone had a fantastic time, and we got so many compliments on the little things. Of course, those are the things I worked hardest on, so I was thrilled that they were actually appreciated by our guests. Here are some of our favorite things that made the evening really special for everyone:

Frozen Del's Lemonade. We served virgin and alcoholic versions as our signature drinks with a little slice of lemon. They were a huge hit! Of course these are a R.I. tradition, but no one serves it at a wedding because we drink it all of the time at home. Being far away made me crave it, though! Plus they fit the color scheme, and matched the cake flavor, 'cause we're good like that.

Mini African Violets. The favors were another favorite! Did you know violets are Rhode Island's state flower? I had actually forgotten that trivia bit until I was hunting unsuccessfully for a supplier online. It made them even more fitting for our party, and they played double duty as centerpieces. I just hope some of them survived!

The Sweets. Monica at Ferns and Flowers is the best. I handed her a photo of a monstrosity of a cake from a magazine, and she made me a smaller, more homemade version for a fantastic price. It was beautiful and everyone devoured it. So often wedding cake looks lovely, but is dry and tasteless, but not hers! It was amazing, and I recommend F&F highly! The cookies my mother and I made were also worth all of the extra time. They pretty much disappeared!

The music. I sent emails to most of the people on our guest list asking for their Top 5 Must Have Wedding Songs. As was to be expected, I got tons of responses asking for every lame line dance known to man. Those were rapidly deleted. Sorry people! What we did get was a great mix of some fun ideas, and we sent them all on to my friend Peter, who offered to be our DJ for a steal. We also chose a huge mix of songs for the cocktail/dinner hour that reflected a summery feel, everything from Jack Johnson to Seals and Croft to Stevie Wonder. We were announced to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" which seemed apropos considering we've been married a year and a half. For anyone looking for wedding songs that are not disgustingly cliche, feel free to borrow ours:

Matron of Honor Processional : "Here Comes the Sun" Instrumental by Fred Benedetti and Peter Pupping
Bride's Processional: "And I Love Her" The Beatles
Recessional: "You're My Best Friend" Queen
First Dance: "The Way I Am" Ingrid Michaelson
Cake Cutting: "Icecream" Sarah McLachlan

Let it be known that I did cave after several drinks and allow the Cha Cha Slide to be stricken from the No Play List. However, it was a tremendous disaster, as only three or four people knew it. The rest of us staggered around the dance floor like idiots while complaining loudly that the dance was moronic and too confusing. Actually, that may have just been me.

All in all, I'm sad it's over! I can't wait to get the photos back, all of which I will be linking here. Right now there are only a few teaser photos, stolen mostly from Jessica and Libby! Afterwards, E and I spent an amazing week at a little beach house at Sand Hill Cove, complete with visits from friends and family and perfect beach weather, got to Fenway to watch the Sox kick some butt, and basically relaxed. It was the best vacation ever. I just don't know what I'll do with all of my free time now! Anyone want help planning a wedding?

It's Crunch Time!

Or How to Not Have a Breakdown When Your Wedding Day is Rapidly Approaching

Wow, I can't even believe that we have almost two weeks left until the big day! Luckily for me, yesterday was the last day of school, so I have lots of free time on my hands. It's a good thing, too, since I still have quite a few things to get done! Most of it will need to wait until the week before when I arrive in RI (can't wait!) since I can't exactly ship ten handmade cupcake stands. Being busy should keep me from getting too stressed out. Plus, we're already married, so it's not like we can get cold feet!

Instead of worrying about the people who have yet to RSVP, the random family dramas, or the possibility of thunderstorms, I've been:

Whipping up test cookies. My mother and I are making four kinds of cookies to serve as dessert along with the cake, so I've been trying out new recipes. In addition to a family favorite, we'll be making:
White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread



Outrageous Chocolate Cookies



Coconut Macaroons


Making the boutonnières. Actually, these were very simple, and didn't take me longer than an hour once I settled on a design. I've posted a tutorial here if you want to try your own! Plus, most of the materials were in my stash. The only new things I had to buy were the florals, and they only cost me a few dollars. I love cute and cheap!

Finishing the dress! Actually the first dress has been finished for a while now. And no, I'm not going to show it to you. I did however have to wait for the second dress to come in, which finally happened this past week. Second dress, you say? Since my gown is long and doesn't bustle, I'm terrified that someone is going to step on my train and tear it off. The dress means a little too much to me for me to allow its destruction! This is where the second dress, or the "dancing all night/going away" dress comes in. I bought something short, but equally amazing (yes Ralphy, it's amazing!) for the evening. And no I'm not going to show it to you.

Making playlists, photo lists, lists of lists. I'm a list maker. Lists make me happy. You won't be surprised to know that I have sent a list of songs to the DJ, a list of must have photos to the photographer, made my cookie shopping list, crafts-still-to-do list, stuff-still-to-buy list, stuff-to-pack list, and so on. I don't want to forget anything!

I think the best thing to do to avoid pre-wedding breakdowns is to be organized and to be ready for curveballs. Considering our luck, I wouldn't be at all surprised if a drunk cousin falls into the cake, or if the gazebo gets hit by lightening. I'll just have to breathe and tell myself it will make for some awesome photos. And breathe some more. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

Random Photo Fun

As I'm a tad hungover and Eric is still sleeping, I need to pass my time this early AM with mindless flickr fun. I found this on Girl Land's blog and thought it would be fun to try out, so here we go!

The Questions

1. What is your first name? Joanna
2. What is your favorite food? Mom's spaghetti and meatballs
3. What high school did you go to? Pilgrim
4. What is your favorite color? Turquoise
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Jude Law
6. Favorite drink? Frozen lemonade
7. Dream vacation? Fiji
8. Favorite dessert? Chocolate Cake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut
10. What do you love most in life? Family
11. One word to describe you. Excited!
12. Your flickr name. jmgallo

The Concept

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

Here's what I ended up with:


This is interesting because the top left photo (my only result from the "jmgallo" search) is a photo of my friend Sarah in a dress she made which I now own and adore. My search for "turquoise" turned up a photo by Judy Scott, an artist whom I quietly worship, and the "chocolate cake" search found a photo from Christine who is in the same recipe share group as moi. Hmm. So try it, it's kind of fun.

The Windy City

Shop (and walk) 'til you drop or What to do in Chicago in the summer

Ok, ok, so I've been laaaazy lately! Somehow in the craziness of spring, I've neglected to post for two entire months! It's been so busy here with traveling home for my best friend's wedding, working on wedding planning, and finishing up the school year that I've been completely distracted. Jenny's wedding was gorgeous (how could it not be when you are on the beach in Newport?), and the most fun I've had in a long time! It was so fantastic to be home spending time with my friends! Just one more wedding to go... Luckily, things are really coming together in that department and I only have one more week of school!


In the meantime, I'll post some photos of our long weekend in the Chicago area, visiting my parents. Chicago is just about my favorite place to visit in the United States, so here are some of my highlights for Chi-town in the summer:

- Visit all of the usual Chicago landmarks: The Bean, the Botanical Gardens, Millennium Park(especially the amphitheater and the Crown Fountain), the John Hancock, and the Skydeck. Oh, and the Magnificant Mile (or anywhere really!) for some shopping. You can't visit this city without doing at least a little shopping, even if the sun is shining down on you. Take a break from your walking tour and retire to the AC at Nordstrom, you'll feel recharged :)

- Check out the Navy Pier. Just don't plan on spending lots of time there. It's very commercial and plastered with corporate logos, but it's classic. Spend the six bucks to ride the ferris wheel because the view is beautiful, grab a beer, walk the length of the boardwalk for people watching, and you'll be done with it. Or at least we were!

- Food. Period. Every time we visit Chicago we eat like kings. This time we went for lunch at my parents' favorite pizza place Pizano's and later went for French at Brasserie JO. I recommend both highly! If you want dessert after dinner, just skip the Godiva next store. Although the ice cream is delicious, it is not worth the 45 minute wait (yes, 45 minutes for a cone!) and the service is embarrassingly bad. I think they hand out free chocolate at the door so your mouth is too full to complain. Have pastries at the restaurant instead!

- Festivities Galore! If you plan accordingly, you can hit any of the huge summer events. We happened upon symphony practice for the Memorial Day concert at the ampitheater, but had to catch a train before the real event! I'm also bummed that we won't be able to get out there for the Taste of Chicago, which is supposed to be fab, but you know, I'm getting married that weekend.

What's this all aboot?

Let's go curling!
or What to do in Windsor, Ontario year round

This week Eric got a phone call one of the few people we actually know out here in snowy-even-in-springtime Michigan, inviting us out for the weekend. Ana is one of Eric's friends from college who just happens to be living out here, about an hour away. Usually when we get together, it is your standard dinner and drinks fare, but she had something else in mind. Curling. Yeah, I said curling.

It turns out that there is some radical underground curling movement going on that I have been sadly left out of. Ana's company sponsors a group of young professionals and they host little outings; this week's outing was to Roseland Golf and Curling Club, for a rousing bout of bocci on ice. Well, not quite bocci, but that's the best comparison I can come up with. You know by now that I am not exactly an athlete, nor is my darling husband, but the beer was free so we were all about it. We got a quick lesson from the most limber kid I've ever seen, and then we curled for almost two hours. Here are a few things I learned, for those of you who want to try:

- Curling isn't only for retired people. While the elders were there in force, there was also a big group of young people hanging out and getting hammered, which I'm not sure is a great idea when you are sliding around on ice.

- You must wear good shoes. Since I'm not about to spring for a pair of professional curling shoes, and neither are you, you need to wear a pair of shoes with super sticky rubber soles. You need one foot to grip the ice, the other gets wrapped in packing tape to create a glider. If you can't grip, you're going to fall on your face.

- You are going to fall on your face. Unless you have perfect balance or luck, which I apparently have, since I miraculously didn't fall once. So proud! I saw many people fall, however, including Eric at least 3 times. The winner of the evening was this poor kid Tim, who literally scissor kicked both legs up into the air before landing sprawled out his belly. I'm sure it left a mark.

- You are going to suck. For at least a while anyway. You'd think a sport that is played by old folks would be easy, but it is way harder than it looks. We sucked something awful for at least an hour. Then we started to get the hang of it. Don't get me wrong, we still sucked, but at least we were getting it.

In the end our team won by a slim margin, and I only bruised my right knee a little. It was a pretty good thigh workout, and lo-and-behold, it was pretty damn fun. We're thinking of getting some other friends together to go again, and maybe we'll improve our skills a bit. At least it's an alternative to bowling!

Loco for Gocco!

I'm officially an addict. I ordered my PG-5 months ago, with plans to print our wedding invitations, but got sidetracked by work, moving, and life in general. This past week I had February break, and of course Eric had to be in the Fatherland the whole time on a business trip! It was his birthday Tuesday, too, so he had to celebrate it alone. Actually he was stuck with a few colleagues, so he may as well have been alone. Pobrecito! Since I was also to be alone for the week, I took off for my mom's house with my gocco in tow, and within two days, we were running like a well-oiled machine. All of the invites and one side of the RSVP cards are finished, and we had too much fun printing them!

It was so easy, my nephews could have done it. It took a bit of playing around with pressure and inking to get the effect I wanted, but once we had the hang of it we flew through it. For anyone interested in the process, there is a simple tutorial here with step by step photos to help you out! The lovely Bonnie did the graphic design work for me, don't you just love it? All of the paper was ordered from Paper Source in butter, because their selection and pricing rocks. The Riso inks are Japanese purple and pastel pearl purple, in case anyone is dorky enough to care.

Not only did we work on invites, but we bought the fabric for my gown and put together the mock-up pattern. Well, my mom did that part! I just had to stand there like a dummy while she draped muslin over me. Now I know how those models on Project Runway feel! I'm in love with the pattern and fabric we are using, and the modifications will make it even better. I'm was nervous at first about the whole gown thing, but now I am so thrilled that I'll have something so personal. Nothing like a little mother-daughter bonding over stick pins and tape measures. (I won't even get into the horror of being measured everywhere! I'm not 20 anymore!) Two major things ticked off the to-do list, sweet! Next thing to do, find musicians for our mini-ceremony. I'm thinking two or three people, maybe guitarists. Or someone who plays jazz flute?

I got a job!

Hoo-frickin-yay! I must tell you, I hate not working. That is not a lie. Don't get me wrong, I do love time for myself, time to cook and craft and hang out, I do! But when that is all there is, and all that time spent in school is wasted and your brain is rotting, you get a bit pathetic. I've been living in the land of pathetic for a while now.

Thank God for Monday! I went in for an interview at 11:00 and was working by 2. I started teaching another class the next day and had a full schedule the next with no rosters, no curriculum, nothing. A bit off, yes, but all good! It's a tiny multicultural charter school, so basically it is as far from Scituate as you can be! These kids have been without a full time English teacher for months, so they have basically wasted a whole school year so far. We have lots of catching up to do. It's wild and unstructured and nothing like I'm used to, but I'm digging it so far. And the kids are so cool. They all have these beautiful names that I struggle to pronounce, like Nadjeama and Ahma'a. Plus I get to work with little ones for the first time! I have one-on-one reading with first graders a few hours a day, and they are so cute I just want to take them home with me. Don't worry though, I won't! A few at once is great, but a whole room of them I couldn't handle.

Now I'm full speed ahead creating my own curriculum with very few materials, trying to figure out new state standards and get these kids ready for state testing in a few weeks, learning how to pronounce African and Arabic names, sorting out a whole bunch of new personalities, figuring out who can't read at grade level or speak fluent English yet, and still get home to cook dinner. Phew. Should be an adventure.

Bring on the weekend!

Oh, how I love accomplishing things! This week, we are ticking things off our big to-do list of life with a vengeance. Sunday we registered for wedding gifts, and in way under three hours, hooray! Not to rub it in to Jenny and Tim, who spent five, count 'em five! hours in Bed Bath and Beyond doing their registry. I still don't know how exactly that happened. Eric should be proud of me, because I'm so ridiculously organized that I had most things picked out before we entered the store, and we wasted no time shooing the bridal consultant out of our way. Eric was ready to go in an hour, and holding the little scanner did nothing to excite him, despite the consultant's assurance that it would be thrilling. The girl even wrapped me in a bath sheet at one point, swearing that EVERYONE just HAD to experience the plush, cuddly joy of an insanely over sized blanket after a shower. We didn't register for those.

Monday we picked up our new car. Our first new car, actually. It is Eric's car of course, since he didn't have one at all, and I actually like my RAV4, even though he calls it a lawnmower. He got a Mazda 3, the same car my brother in law and his best friend both have, and in the same color, too. If you ask him, he will tell you that it is not the same car at all, because it has four doors and theirs have five. True, yes, but still. I actually love it, and the color. It's a really cute car, but don't tell him that.

I also applied for several new jobs and scored an interview on Friday. Sadly, a massive snowstorm is scheduled to hit us late tonight, with snow continuing into Friday evening. Great. Instead of cute interview outfit and heels, I'll be donning layers, a snotty nose, and snow boots. I'm sure to get the job.

Eric leaves for a five day business trip to Germany on Saturday, which means he misses the Superbowl festivities yet again. Luckily our informants told us that for the first time ever, the game will be broadcast on German TV for free! The hotel is setting up a projector and screen for their group to watch the game together. It will be around 3 in the morning there, and I'm sure they will all be hammered. I'm going to amuse myself by imagining Eric trying to teach a bunch of drunk Germans all about American football: the fouls, the plays, the padding. It's really funny if you know my husband and his utter lack of sports knowledge. Think of Mr. Rogers doing the commentary for a WWF wrestling match and you get the idea.

As for me, I'll be hanging out with my few MI friends and trying to convert them all into Patriots fandom, since their Lions suck. I'll also be feeding them healthy food, without them knowing it, to cancel out all of the crap beer they drink. I hate that Superbowl falls a month after the holidays, when lots of people have lost some of that holiday weight, only to dive right back into those five pounds thanks to a platter of pigs in a blanket and the big sandwich. So I leave you with a few of my football party favorites, lightened up. Trust me, no one will know, but your belt will thank me.


Reduced Fat Spinach Dip
Easy Guacamole
Cha-Ching Chili

And no I will not apologize for the gratuitious Brady shot. Go Pats!

All I need is food and creative love...

I realized that I haven't posted anything craft related in a while, so it's about time to share what I have been making lately. Especially since I was really excited to learn that a scrapbook I made as a gift for my mother was chosen as one of the Craftster Best of 2007! There are literally thousands of projects posted there over the course of a year, so it was really nice. Anywho, being temporarily unemployed and in a new town has given me lots of free time! Of course, I should be working earnestly on the wedding to do list, but more on that later. In the meantime I have had Valentine's Day on the brain. I know it is a bit early for some of you, but go look in the stores and you will see I am not the only one!

The Little Chapel of Love you see above was inspired by a tiny bronze bird and the Paper Crafts Sheet Music Challenge over at Craftster. I made this up as a Valentine for Eric, but not to worry, he never reads my blog, so I am fairly certain it is safe to post it! It is constructed of corrugated cardboard and lots of embellishing, with a removable roof. Through the window you can see a photo of us, with lots of little romantic notes inside (for reading in the future when we get all cranky with each other :P). I've entered it in the challenge and voting opened today, so make sure you pop on over and vote for me!

I also made a ton of Happy Hearts, inspired by the lovely Sarah. We'll be swapping a bunch and making pretty little garlands to display them. You can download her template and make some of your own. I used mostly vintage ephemera and ribbon for mine, but you can do anything. It makes a great project for kiddies, too!

I've also designed a bunch of new valentines which you can check out on my flickr account, but they will have to sit in a box until next year. Why? Because my invite design is finished, and I have got to start printing! The amazing Bonnie helped me by doing all of the Illustrator work, so I have my own custom made designs for my invites now. I've ordered my ink and paper, so hopefully I can get gocco-ing in the next week or so. My little print press has been waiting patiently in the box for months, because I didn't want to waste any screens until my designs were ready. Yeah, I'm a cheapskate! I can't wait to break it out, and I'll certainly be posting my results asap!

On the Road Again...

...for what I dearly hope is the last time for a long time! This weekend Eric and I made the long trek back out to Michigan from Rhode Island with a 17 foot Uhaul, towing my car on a trailer. He did all of the driving, while I tried desperately to find anything other than country music and Christian ranting on the radio. We made excellent time, found 32 of 50 state license plates, and arrived at the condo before noon on Friday. I was really excited, as we have been gypsies for over about a year and a half now. Finally, our own furniture, our own bed, and my whole wardrobe back at my disposal! Sadly, the buzzkill was pretty immediate. The condo was filthy. The previous tenants hadn't even cleaned the bathrooms when they moved out, so you can imagine my distaste. Two of the three bathroom sinks were rusted, and there were other minor damages. The real estate agent brushed the whole thing off, as is her job, I'd guess! After the movers left, I spent 6 hours scrubbing the place down before we started unpacking. Then my parents arrived Saturday afternoon and we did a massive overhaul. We did some bargain hunting (4 lamps for 13 bucks!) and worked a little decorating magic. By the time they left on Sunday afternoon, the place was clean and livable, cozy even. I spoke with the owners (who live overseas) and they were really apologetic. They gave us a credit on the rent for the mess, and are sending a plumber over tomorrow to replace the sinks and fix the rest of the issues. I love cooperative people! Plus we are in a great location, a very short distance from downtown and the football stadium. It took a few days, but the place has grown on us already, and should feel like home pretty soon. Eric started work today, so now my job hunt is on and we'll soon be off to explore Ann Arbor. That and to learn about Big Ten football, spread the Patriots love, and make our friends eat hot wieners.

Bowlerama

Darling D turns twelve this week, and as I am home for her birthday this year, that means party planning was all me. I love party planning, so I usually get really excited about this. Until D informed me that this year, she wanted to have a bowling party. Now if you know me, you know that there are two pastimes that I just can't handle. Two things that I hate, and sometimes make me want to hurl. Rollerskating is one, but luckily I haven't been forced to do that since the junior high nights at Shole's. Bowling is the other. Something about the combined odors of Lysol disinfectant, old smoke, and week old hotdogs just doesn't do it for me. In fact, it brings on the same subtle rage that develops when I hear anything by Nickleback. So you can imagine how I felt upon hearing D's birthday wish. But of course, this isn't about me, so I moved on to planning mode and grabbed the phonebook.

Sunday morning all was well. Party Favors? Check. Balloons? Check. Bowling Ball Birthday cake? Check. Then we pulled into the parking lot of the bowling alley and my stomach dropped. I mumbled, "What a fucking dump!" Luckily D was in another car with her dad, so she didn't get to hear that one. Crumbling pavement? Check. Tall weeds? Check. Peeling paint? Check. A certifiable shit hole. Inside was no better. It reeked of stale smoke from the days before I was born, the carpet was filthy, and the patron was a grumpy, middle aged social retard. I was not going to let that ruin anything though, so we set up shop and once the kids arrived, everything was great. They had a blast, even if they were all terrible bowlers, and we were lucky no one was injured. They ate cake and crappy bowling alley pizza, gossiped and shrieked for two hours, and went home exhausted. I didn't have to entertain, clean, or worry, and on the way home, D said it was an awesome party. I could say I've learned my lesson. Fun can be had anywhere no matter what, but I would still rather have it somewhere that doesn't make me crave a shower.

Another International Thanksgiving...

After our long week in Cagliari, I was actually glad to get back to Friedrichshafen! Yes, I have now committed that blasphemous statement to print. Now let's move on. I spent the early week reading, knitting, and eating while watching two seasons worth of Family Guy, as Eric had to work, but Thursday was a full on Thanksgiving explosion. We invited four of Eric's colleagues for dinner, three Germans and a Brazilian this time, so I spent the day making the infamous party potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin soup, and a turkey. This year we actually found a whole one! It was the first time I have ever cooked a whole turkey, and the first time Eric had to carve one, so it was a learnin' experience. I felt a bit lame about not baking, but with limited cookware, I had no choice but to buy dessert. The boys brought a case of wiessbier, and 7 bottles of wine. It was fun, and I like making Germans eat American food, especially if it's even vaguely healthy, since our friends think we eat only McDonald's. They also think we are all fat heiffers, so I wore my skinniest jeans.

The rest of the week was spent hanging out, shopping, having dinner with friends, and other banalities that allowed finally for some relaxation. Then I had to head out on Sunday. I have since vented enough about the hell I experienced traveling home that weekend, so I will not recount the tale in its entirety here, so as to prevent myself reliving it. Suffice to say I got stranded overnight in Frankfurt, arrived home a full 24 hours later than I should have, and have been given 300 dollars back for my troubles.

Oh and p.s. Next time you travel, check to contents of your hand lotion. Glycerin sets of bomb sensors. :)

Gracie!

Eric and I were soo excited when we landed in Cagliari, Sardegna for our week long vacation. I had read several articles online, and in the newspaper about how beautiful and interesting this city is in the off season. "Skip the maddening crowd of summer tourists, the waiting in long lines, the trumped up hotel prices, and enjoy historic Cagliari at your leisure in November!" Sounds like heaven, right? Hmm, not quite. It appears we were misinformed.

We arrived at our hotel and were excited to find that it was beautiful, very modern and stylish, with a lovely bar, and personable staff. Our room was nice as well, although the view left a bit to be desired. We were of course, a bit outside of the city center, so we expected that. We had dinner in the four star restaurant and welcomed our first disappointment. Good wine, boring food. I thought this was Italy? Oh well.

Next day, we headed out to the downtown area for sightseeing. Cagliari is full of small cobbled streets, shops, churches, and cafes to see, as well as a bunch of cool historic landmarks. Saldy, most of it was under construction. Pitfall of visiting in the offseason. It's cool though, because the people watching is great. Everyone was gorgeous, and bundled up like it's the Arctic although it was 60 degrees. After walking through half of the city in an hour, we realized that this whole sightseeing thing could be completed in about a day, and we had six to fill. Then we got hungry. Little did we know, the entire city closes down from 1 in the afternoon, until 8 at night. You can't eat, drink, or shop much. Back to the hotel.

We spent our next few days trying desperately to find things to do, but it wasn't easy. Despite the promises of our in-room brochure, the staff actually had no information at all about goings on in the city. Not even restaurant suggestions. Luckily we are resourceful. If you get stuck in this predicament you should:

- Visit Iglesias, a nearby town with the most amazing cemetary I have ever seen. Sounds macabre, but it was awesome and I'll share photos as soon as I get them back from Eric! Just make sure you go early because they close the cemetary gates from noon until 3, and the walls are topped with shards of broken glass to deter burglars or overzealous tourists.

- Try to go the week of the European Jazz Expo. It's a huge event, but make sure you plan your transportation thoroughly. The bus stations don't post schedules, so you need to take your chances or talk to the drivers, and they don't speak English. Taxis are expensive, and if you don't speak Italian you'll get ripped off, so watch it! We saw a bunch of cool performances, even if we aren't huge jazz fans, and it was probably the most fun night we had.

- Visit the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari. We did a night at the symphony which was beautiful, and you can get cheap tickets.

- Eat dinner at the restaurant at the base of the Bation San Remy. I've forgotten the name, but you will walk past it at least ten times as you tour the city, and you can't miss the green awnings. Amazing food, by far the best meal we had, and the servers were very accomodating. Lots of sign language since our Italian is nonexistant, and they made great recommendations.

All in all, we did have a good trip, but mainly just because we were together and we can amuse ourselves wih very little (Italian talk shows and a bunch of beer! Yay!). This city requires better weather, a short stay, or some really thorough planning, for it to be a relaxing, romantic get away. I think we'll take a second honeymoon.

Holiday Mayhem

The past few weeks have been full of madness due to several holidays, and I'm in the midst of prepping for another big one, so I'm ready for a break. There was of course the Red Sox winning the World Series, which amounted to one big holiday of beer, cooking bar food, and staying up too late. Yes, I was thrilled, but I admit I wish it had been more if a challenge (feel free to boo and hiss). Then came Halloween, with it's usual hustle and bustle of getting costumes together for at least five people, all of whom tend to ask for my help at the last minute, thinking I am Martha Stewart. Sadly, I do not have her staff, so I had to work from scratch to transform a toddler into a parrot, a boy into a pirate, a girl into a birthday present, and myself into Miss Rhode Island 1985. Luckily I had Vanna White's dress to work with. Several parties and a night of trick or treating later, I had eaten enough chocolate to choke a horse.

Now I am headed off to Germany for two weeks, with a stop in Cagliari for the honeymoon. Honeymoon, you say? I know it is out of order, but Eric has to use up his vacation time before the end of the year, so we are taking full advantage now! This holiday will be a bit of a challenge, since I can only pack one bag for 16 days and nights in two very different climates. It will be a busy vacation including not 2, but 10 flight changes, so I'm making sure to be extra prepared (ie. I've stocked up on Tylenol PM). I also have to do another German Thanksgiving dinner with what I am sure will be limited supplies, but I'm hopeful for a repeat of last year's success. The goal is to get some serious sight seeing and holiday shopping done, with a good mix of relaxation tossed in. Oh, and I haven't seen my husband since September, so there ya go.

Progress not Perfection

I think that will be my new mantra. It's an AA saying actually. Not that I need AA or anything, although I think that being pretty much unemployed, having a wedding to plan, a husband across the ocean, and a shop to get off the ground would drive any girl to drink. Luckily I'm saved from my own potential alcoholism by living in the home of someone who has been successfully in recovery for 22 years. Just don't tell him about the case of Sam Adams in my bedroom.

I've been repeating this phrase to myself all day, because I didn't get called to sub, and I am trying to be productive. My day so far has broken down into hours of sitting on the computer trying to accomplish the following:

Find a wedding photographer - I sent out at least 10 more emails, and got 1 back. The guy looks very promising, and is within the budget, so this goal may very well be achieved within the week.

Get working on invites - I've decided that I am definitely printing them myself, via Gocco. I've become obsessed with owning this little gadget and convinced Eric that it should be part of the wedding budget. Not only will it still be cheaper than ordering custom invites from someone else, but it is an investment towards the future home of my handmade goods (More on that at a later date!). So today I got lucky and found one for an amazing price from feltcafe, an etsy seller. That makes my day times three, because I love supporting etsy sellers, I will finally have my machine, and it should be here in a week! Woo!

Find our wedding rings - Yeah, that's just not going to happen today. Although pictures are sure pretty, we need to go try some on. This goal will just have to wait until after Christmas!

Other than that I've been up to the usual craftiness with the kids, Halloween style. If you have some free time and children (if not borrow someone else's like I do) these are fun projects for cheap (if not free) and they totally got me into the Halloween mood. D and I made a cheesecloth ghost, Nic and I made a wreath out of garbage bags, and we made candied apples last night with Lea. D had to slice hers and eat it with a fork because of her braces. I got my back molars stuck together. It was awesome.

Let's Go Apple Picking

or Things to do in Rhode Island in the fall, Part 2

Last weekend I was appalled to find out that in her eleven years on this planet, D had never once been apple picking. For someone who lives in an area full of farms and orchards, I found that unforgiveable! So we packed up and headed out to Narrow Lane Farm for the afternoon. A few hours later we had walked up and down almost every row of trees, sampled each of the 10 varieties, picked four pecks of apples, and learned to juggle (courtesy of her dad). I learned that, just like me, D has a fondness for tiny things, so we gathered a bunch of the cutest apples, even if they will be a bitch to peel and slice later! We grabbed some pumpkins on our way home, too, so some carving is in store for next weekend.

I spent most of today peeling, cooking, baking, and canning the apples we brought home. I made apple pie filling (just pour into the crust and bake!), apple butter, and some baked apple tarts. Now I just need to find someone to give all of these jars too, before fall is over and the cute wrappings are out of season. Any takers? Send me an email and I'll drop some off for you!

As today was such a beautiful fall day (finally!) D and a friend decided to host a bake sale and take advantage of all of the Yard Sale traffic in the neighborhood. Being the crafty control freak that I am, I decorated their table for them. Mini Halloween pennants in potted mums, brownies packaged in brown paper bags with ribbon and creepy labels, and jars of apples. They made four dollars in four hours, but they had a blast running around all day and made a new friend. A new girl moved in across the street this spring, and today we got to meet her. She's adorable, and just D's age, so I hope they'll become friends! Once Eric and I are back in Michigan, things will get very quiet around here :(

RISD Student/Alumni Art Sal

Things to do in Rhode Island in the fall, Part 1

Yesterday was the first of this year's student/alumni art sales at RISD, one of my favorite places to go spend lots of money for no apparent reason in the fall. I love that everything at this art sale is created either by current students, or by alumni who travel from all over to come back to RI. They sell everything from clothing, accessories, and bags, to fine art, sculpture, and pottery. For a relatively small art fair, the variety and range of styles and prices certainly accomodate everyone's tastes and budget. As usual, I found myself coveting lots of things, trying on things I can't afford, and then feeling sullen because I'm not Richie Rich. I also met some very cool people, discovered a bunch of great new artists, and made one very selective purchase. I chatted with Chika Eustace, the girl behind Chikabird, while poring over her stuff for a very long time. I finally chose a clutch like the one here, but with blue and green leaves. She was really sweet, considering I kept touching everything, and she has an etsy, yay! I also met Teresa Levy of Sewing Stars, whose blog I have been reading for a while now. Her apple head dolls are even cuter in person, which I hardly thought was possible. Keep an eye on her shop for new arrivals, including kits to make your own stuffies, which I am ordering ASAP.

Since I could go on and on about the other artists I loved, I will instead give you a quickie list if links so you can check them out yourself...
- John Hung Ha Multimedia decoupage paintings of Koi and elephants, so vibrant and textured that they look alive. Plus, I love artists that are cool and down to earth, and he was definitely that. Even if Swizz Beatz digs his work.
- Jenine Bressner Fireworks - amazing glass beads and pendants, handmade by this kickass chick who my mother would call "a hot ticket"
- Milisa M. Galazzi - books, watercolor, and assemblage with adorable sewing motifs
- Amie Louise Plante - gorgeous fine art jewelry that looks like it was made by nature
- Nam Kim - very cool bags in great fabrics and unusual shapes made by Chika's friend

Red Sox Clinch!

Last night was insane. Winning the Division for the first time since 1995 was worth staying up way too late to watch the Orioles creep up behind the Yankees! I just wish I had been in Boston! Sorry Ralph, Stephen, Aimee, and Chris for your loss. Wah.

Wedding Planning Procrastination...

So, I'm supposed to be planning a wedding reception. Those of you who have done this before know how much time and effort can be involved. Take one look at a bridal magazine and you'll get so overwhelmed you'll be ready to book the next flight to Vegas. I mean really, look at the hair on that girl, even if she is wearing a sweet dress! Add to this the fact that Eric and I are attempting to do our reception in the least expensive, most DIY manner possible, and you have a to-do list a mile long. Therefore, you can't blame me for letting things slip a tiny bit. I'm justifying my lax approach to wedding planning this month because:

- I have a giant, color coded binder full of ideas for everything from cake to invites. Thank you OCD.
- The reception location is booked.
- The DJ is booked.
- Makeup girl is booked. Thank you Lynds!
- UPDATE 11/3: Photographer is booked!
- UPDATE 11/4: My gocco press arrived, so invites are coming soon!
- I don't have a final dress design yet.

The last thing on this list holds up everything else I need to do, because I can't pick colors until I have a dress design. And I can't do anything until I have colors. Since my mother and I are designing the dress and she will be making it from scratch, we really need to get on this. Suzy says that as long as she can start cutting in January, we're all good. So she's enabling my procrastination at this point, but don't tell her that!

Now, I am a list maker, so here's what is left to do as of now (I'm sure this list will change often!):

- Dress
- Decide on ceremony details
- Decide on ceremony music
- Finalize the menu
- Finalize the guest list
- Decide about a videographer
- Make Invitations, Place cards and Thank You cards
- Flowers for me, my matron of honor, mother, and grandmother
- Boutonnieres for Eric, best man, and the three dads
- Gifts for parents, matron of honor, and best man
- Favors
- Centerpieces
- Cake

Holy crap. That's a long list. Especially when you add in the fact that I am considering felting all of the flowers myself, making the cake with my mom, handmaking gifts, centerpieces, and favors, and designing and creating invites from scratch. Anyone who wants to offer advice or assistance, feel free! Any tips from experienced wedding planners is very welcome!

Road Tripping!

Thelma and Louise (actually, Suzanne and Joanna) hit the road...

After 738 miles and over twelve hours of driving, I have finally made it home! My mom was sweet enough to fly out to Detroit from Chicago so that she could make the trip with me. All in all, it was pretty uneventful, although it started out as a real pain in the ass. My mother ordered our TripTix through AAA, but when I started flipping through the book on Thursday night, I realized we had a problem.

Me: "Um, Mom, where are the directions?"

Mom: "What?"

The woman at AAA printed out our book without the turn by turn directions, which is the only thing we wanted in the first place. Normally this is no big deal, as you can print them yourself at home using the AAA website. Only my Comcast guy had just left the house 15 minutes earlier, after disconnecting my internet and cable. Sweet. So we hopped in the car and drove to the library, where the internet was down. Actually the whole network was down, so none of the other ibraries had internet access either. Luckily, a nice old woman sent us to West Bloomfield, where they had access, so we got our directions without further issues, even if it took us over an hour. Back at home, I checked our maps, and noticed how close we would be going by Niagra Falls.

Me: "Too bad we won't have time to stop at Niagra Falls. We're going right
through there."

Mom: "Niagra Falls? Are we going that far north? Are we going into Canada?
Because I don't have my passport."

Me: "Shit."

Now, you can get into Canada without a passport, but you can't get back into the USA without it, or at least a birth certificate and driver's license. This fact made our directions useless, cause there was no way I was leaving my mother stranded north of the border. So we packed the car, I sent my mom to bed, and I went out drinking.
Sidenote: Thanks to those of you who came out to 5th Avenue for my Bon Voyage Party. I'll miss you guys! And the Killer Flamingos ROCK!

In the morning, after 5 hours of sleep, we had to go to another AAA for new TripTix. The lovely woman behind the desk rerouted us, so we got on the road by 10, and had arrived at the hotel in Syracuse by 7. Up at 8 and back in Connecticut by 2:30. Not much excitement there! We sang along with Stevie Nicks, ate cheeseburgers, and that was about it. No shooting dirtbags, no picking up cowboys, no driving off of cliffs. Pretty pathetic by Hollywood standards, but this is my mom we're talkng about.

Pantry Raid!

<--"Say No to Cracks!"

Why is it that every time I plan on going to the pool, it starts raining? I have the whole day off, and it has been gray and wet since I woke up this morning. I decided to try and be really productive, unlike my last day off.

First goal: Cook everything in the pantry and fridge before I move out in two weeks, without buying more stuff. Not as easy as it sounds. But I'm getting there! First I made a huge frittata, taking a chunk out of the produce in my fridge. Then I baked a batch of Big Bear Brownies. Usually, I bake everything from scratch, but never brownies. They never come out as gooey as the boxed kind for some reason! My mom got me hooked on Kodiak mixes back in March, when she bought a case of it and handed it out at her birthday party. The pancake mix is killer, and the brownie mix is so good you would never know it's whole wheat. Finally I emptied a whole shelf of the freezer and made Shrimp and Green Pea "Risotto". It was delicious, and I love not feeling guilty about eating carbs! Carbs are yummy, and I love them. Now I'm stuffed.

Second goal: Start packing. This one is definitely hard. Which is a bit nuts, since all I really brought out here is clothing and craft stuff. However, to pack it all now means I need to plan out my outfits for the next two weeks and not make anything at all until I get back to Rhode Island. I decided neither thing is possible. So I spent my packing time organizing. I sorted through all of my supplies, set aside anything I think I may not use soon, and made special folders and labels for the rest. If you know what a pack rat I am, you know how hard it is for me to acknowledge that I may not need that stack of old take out menus, the bottle caps from Germany, or a bunch of Chinese fortunes. But I am letting them go. Deep breath. If the garbage man could see inside my trash, he'd think I am nuts.

Starting tomorrow I am working three double shifts in a row, so everything else is just going to have to wait...

Craftsters Rock the DUCF

or What to do in Detroit, Part 3

All the craftster buzz had me psyched to check out the Detroit Urban Craft Fair today, and see in person the work of two of my favorite Michigan craftsters. After much ado, I ventured out, cash and camera in hand, to the Majestic Theater for an afternoon of oohing and aahing over all kinds of goodies. As expected, I wanted to buy tons of stuff, but luckily I had a sidekick, who helped me keep my budget in mind and my spending in check. There was a lot I craved but couldn't justify buying, like a $135 dollar diaper bag, cause you know, I don't have a baby. Or a clear vinyl Patti Smyth skirt, which rocks, but just won't go with the rest of my closet. I left without going broke, but with some fun treats and lots of business cards for shopping later!

First thing on the agenda was a brief visit with Miranda who makes such lovely crocheted hats, that I want to cast aside my "Just Say No to Hats" rule. If only I had normal person hair, I'd buy one of her little brim caps in every color! They are so cute, as is she, as you can tell from the photo!

I also love everything Miss Amie Miller makes for her shop enamor. Her booth was so well done, everything looked beautiful. The hostess aprons and totes are awesome! Alas, someone beat me to the punch and bought the whale tote I was after! It's my own fault for being late, but I'm still going to grumble.

Anyway, here is what I actually did buy. These kick ass postcards from Rar Rar Press make me laugh out loud. You know some of you can expect to see them in packages on your doorstep soon, the rest will go to Eric in Germany! I also bought a pair of amazing bark earrings by Heather Fagan of BirdsGather. My friend bought one of her cuffs and earring sets, too. They are so unique, and light as a feather. As for the laters, I will definitely be hitting up Lollibomb Beauty, formerly Lushbox, for some of her Sugar Plum Body Frosting as soon as her holiday line is released. I got a taste today, and I had to force myself not to eat it. Oh, and by the way, all of her products are vegan. For when that baby finally does come, I will be all over Rebecca Yaker's bags over at Hazel and Melvin's Room. The fabric and quality is fantastic, and worth every penny. Now I just need to have a husband who stays put long enough to knock me up. :P

Lonely Wifey's Day Off

Yum.

Yesterday was my day off. Usually, I love days off, but with a hubby across the ocean and all 3 of my MI friends at work, it makes for a lonely JoJo. I decided I would be productive, so as not to be sad. I worked out, I did laundry and cleaned the condo, I cooked a pound of bacon. I ate three quarters of the pound of bacon. To make myself feel not so gross about that, I then made the World's Best B.L.T., hoping that the lettuce and tomato would cancel out the fatty fat bacon rumbling around in my tummy. Next I made a batch of my favorite muffins and gave them there own little photo shoot. Mmmm... Then I took a nap. Luckily Kay called around 4:30 to prevent me from sleeping the rest of the day away. We went out to see her new boy's softball team play their last game at Liberty Park. Definitely the coolest park I've ever seen. You Beer League boys back home would be so jealous! However, while walking through the diamonds, Kay got hit in the leg with a flying baseball bat and ended up with a lovely welt. It could have equaled a good souvenir, had the guys won the game. Sadly the rest of the team didn't show up, so they didn't get to play at all. We just ended up having many beers and quesadillas, so all was well in my book. I have Sunday off too, so I need to make sure I have plans, and rid the house of all pork products in advance.

Now I'm rounding up the troops and getting excited for Saturday's Detroit Urban Craft Fair. Two of the craftster ladies will have booths there, so I can't wait to spend some money on them! They also have a few "Make and Take" workshops planned, so you can sit down and do a little project in the midst of your shopping. If you haven't got plans, come on down and hang out with us, bring the kids, have a few drinks, and support local indie artists! Yay!

If I had a million dollars...

I would have spent it all at the Ann Arbor Art Fairs last weekend!

The 'rents came out from Chicago, and we spent all day Sunday cruising through three of the four fairs in downtown Ann Arbor. With over 1,200 artists from almost all 50 states, this is no Gaspee Days, kiddos! No water balloon yoyos, no face painting, and no glittery fairy wands; this is a real, hard core art fair. We spent five hours, and still didn't see everything. There were so many amazing artists, that even though I didn't find a single piece I could afford, I have inspiration for months. Not to mention the awesome people watching, great food, and sales at all of the area shops. Well worth the tired feet! Next summer Eric and I will most likely be living in Ann Arbor, so you should all come visit. Bring comfy shoes! And your kids' college fund.

On to the fun part... while I did see at least 25 artists who I loved, there were a few real standouts. Bryan Cunnigham makes mixed media art inspired by tattoo art, pinup girls, old school comics and carnival freaks. And he wears gold Elvis sunglasses. Hello? He should be my boyfriend. All of his work is dark and funny and bold, and would look perfect in my house. If I had to pick favorites, they would be the huge Anatomy skeleton and the raven, which you can find on his site in the gallery. (p.s. he's also on myspace!)

I also loved everything made by Darrell Ezekiel, an artist from Alabama who does both painting and funky assemblage. All of his paintings were quirky and ironic, especially my favorite huge Mouseketeer. Too bad it was way over my budget, and too large to realistically fit anywhere but my imagination.

L. Lee Junge had one of the most interesting booths, not only for the art, but also the presentation. It was like traveling through a labyrinth full of color. Not all of this stuff is my style; my favorite piece was a mixed media 3D work (left), and it was the only thing like it. But the depth and color in these paintings is just magnificent. I wouldn't hang them in my house, but I could look at them for hours!

Sadly my most favorite person of all, Miriam Carter, does not have a website. She's a fourth generation felter who has been at it for 18 years. I wanted to cry when I tried on a 400 hundred dollar jacket that fit me perfectly. It was my favorite color, and honestly looked like it was custom made for me. Alas, I have a bullshit job and a wedding to throw, so no splurge shopping for me. However, I'm going to online stalk this woman until I can afford one of her pieces, even if it takes me 10 years.

More Tigers

or What to do in Detroit Part 2

Go see a Red Sox game! That is, if they are playing the Tigers at Comerica Park. It was girls day out with Kay, Aimee, and Sky and we scorched. While this series was one of the most embarrassing I have seen in a long time (one that led a coworker to follow me at work with a broom today), the game was still worth every minute. If we have to get swept by any team, it had better be the Tigers!

Comerica Park is ginormous, and if you are like me and used to Fenway, it's even a bit overwhelming. They have a carousel and ferris wheel inside the park. And you can actually get tickets for ten bucks. Try that in Boston! While the hotdogs are not our my favorite Fenway Franks, they are pretty darn good anyway, especially with a yard-long daiquiri. Mix your flavors, and you get a psychedelic cocktail with a straw so long you don't even need to pick your drink up off the ground. Hells yeah.

On your way to the game, stop at Cheli's for a beer. Cheli's Chili Bar, owned by Red Wings player Chris Chelios, has three floors including a rooftop bar, and a killer view of the stadium. Fun stuff, cheap Long Islands, and nice people, even if you wear your Sox gear. Which you had better do! Red Sox nation was out in force yesterday. I sported my jersey even in 99 degree heat, just to show the love. And I only had to give a hard time to one guy, who was probably trying to flirt more than heckle, since he was young and a bit drunk. I just told him, "Usually, I'd tell you to kiss my ass, but I don't bend over for Tigers fans." Pbbblllt! The ladies found that pretty funny, even if they themselves are Tigers people. Actually, Aimee is really a Yankees fan, but I like her anyhow. At the end of the day, we posed for photos with giant stone tigers, ate takeout in Aimee's backyard, and I was passed out by 8:30. You know that means it was a good day.