Franklin

I'm sure most of you are on Facebook...actually...probably all of you...but I have a new puppy!  I got him about 3 weeks ago.

His name is Franklin and he was born on July 13th.  So, that makes him 17 weeks on Wednesday.  :)  He's grown up SO much in the past three weeks, I can't believe it!  1.5 pounds!!!

Anyways, he LOVES squeeky toys, Flossies, chew toys, and still has time to sleep on Mama's lap. :)

Here are a few pictures.

13 weeks

13 weeks

14 weeks

16 weeks

16 weeks

Chaz on the Plaza

MIGHT be my favorite restaurant in Kansas City.  There are SO many amazing restaurants, so it would be hard to decide, but I REALLY love scallops, and am quite particular about how they are prepared.  This restaurant has the former chef from the Webster House, and since they were the only ones who prepared scallops properly, I tried them at Chaz.  True to form, AMAZING.  The rest of their dishes are incredible as well!

Let's see if I can remember what were in the meals!

Here are some pictures:

Fried Green Tomatoes with a creme basil base- appetizer

Entree- Filet Migon accompanied by Veal Cheek, Asparagus and roasted mashed potatoes with a demi glaze

Entree- Bamboo rice, cherries, pine nuts, terra chips and roasted duck

Appetizer- Grits with seared spinach and tomatoes

Appetizer- Arugula salad with asparagus and truffled eggs (and some sort of amazing mushroom)

Entree- Scallops with a fall succotash

Abilene

One of the days off when my parents were here, we went to Abilene, KS to see the Presidential Library, Museum, and childhood home of Dwight Eisenhower.  It was a great museum...a definite must see when visiting Kansas City.  Only about 2 hrs east.  Plus, if you have extra time that day, you can visit Ft. Riley and Kansas State University!

Abilene also has the Greyhound Racing Hall of Fame and Museum.  It was across the street from the Presidential Library, and I insisted we go when I saw it!  It makes me so sad that the beautiful dogs are ever mistreated, but it seems as though they are trying to do something about it, and the museum SERIOUSLY promotes adoption of former racing dogs.  They even had two dogs there!  Gary and Jade.  They were HYSTERICAL.  :)

Dad with Gary (ironically, his brother's name)

Gary was a lover!

"Jade doesn't give kisses, don't worry" the lady says.  :)

Opening Weekend

The opening weekend for the new Kaufmann Center for the Performing Arts was simply stunning.  There was no attention to detail spared.  I was so excited to be a part of the whole production, I didn't even care we were there ALL day and practically ALL night.  My parents came in on Friday afternoon, because they had bought tickets for Saturday's concert. 

There were two nights of this spectacular.  Friday night was filled with Patti LuPone, Tommy Tune, Canadian Brass and Placido Domingo.  Saturday night was the Bobby Watson jazz band, Diana Krall and Itzhak Perlman.  Amazing.  Both nights.

Friday night was the opening of the Muriel Kaufmann theater, primarily used for opera...1800 seats.  Saturday was the opening of Helzberg hall, primarily used for orchestral performances...1600 seats.  Both share the same complex.  It's a spectacular building, the whole complex is about 3 blocks long, and 2 blocks wide.  Simply stunning.

Here are a few pictures:

The tickets were delivered to my parents via this box!  It was like a fairy tale!

Although sideways, there were three separate envelopes in the box, Tickets, Parking and Details!!

Friday night- backstage looking at where we were sitting.

Friday- from the side of the stage.  Those panels are HUGE LED screens that displayed different things during the show.

SOMEHOW they installed fountains in our stage.  For the Canadian Brass.  :)

David and Sarah's Wedding Extravaganza

Date: June 24th-June 26th

I get to the airport at about 4am...and see THIS. 


Line at airport

 Are you KIDDING ME?  I do NOT have patience for this type of crap, but fortunately I had coffee before I left and was mildly sedated on caffeine and 2 hrs of sleep.  (I should also mention at this point, I have two checked bags and a huge carryon with me.  Excessive yes, but a girls' gotta have clothes!)

I fly into Fort Lauderdale at 1:15pm and by the time I pick up the rental car (A REALLY NICE ALTIMA!!) it's about 2:15.  Emily, a friend of the bride's, (and someone whom I've never met) is flying in at 3:30pm and we're driving up to Stuart, FL.  We'll check into this awesome hotel, shower and get ready for the rehearsal dinner.  Perfect, right? 

Not if you're in south Florida during the summertime!

Emily's plane circled Ft. Lauderdale, but couldn't land because of the thunderstorm.  So they diverted to W. Palm Beach, but couldn't land and had to circle some more.  I found this out by CALLING the airlines because no one at the terminal knew jack.  So, poor Emily, stuck on the plane, is about to hurl, and I don't know anything.

She finally calls me about 5pm, because her flight had to land to refuel.  We decide that she can get off the plane, borrow some of my clothes and makeup, so that we can make the rehearsal dinner.  We'll get her bag in Ft. Lauderdale the next day.  I start driving up to W. Palm and finally get her about 6:45pm. 

The rehearsal dinner is lovely, and there is tons to eat and tons to drink.  Clearly, the makings of an amazing night.  What more can you want, right?  I also met the third hotel roommate, David, a groomsman, and he was super nice.

Emily and me at the rehearsal dinner

 We get back around 10pm from the rehearsal dinner, and throw on some pajamas.  We aren't super tired and get this wild hair to drive to Ft. Lauderdale to get the suitcase THEN, so that we'll be able to sleep in and go to the beach all day on Saturday.  Well, we hit ANOTHER storm, but still made it back in great time. 

On Saturday, we sleep in, and make our way down to the beach.  Let me mention again that we're on a private island.  Kind of awesome.

We come back to the hotel about 3, order some room service, and start getting ready for the wedding.  A little mouse told us that there would be an open bar starting at 6pm, and since we're ladies, we didn't want to be intoxicated before the wedding started!  Just cause we're ladies.  Ha.

Em and me in the bathroom before the wedding

There indeed was an open bar before the wedding, along with waiters with appetizers.  The wedding was gorgeous, and the perfect length.  Afterwards, we were ushered out to an air conditioned tent to have more appetizers, including a sushi bar, and a mashed potato bar (!!!).  About 8pm we went in to the main hall (all at the temple) to have the salad, and dance before they introduced the bride and groom.  10pm was the main course (filet mignon over a portabello mushroom and sea bass with veggies), and more dancing.  11pm the toasts were made, the cake was cut, and we were sent back out to the tent for the desserts (about 7 different kinds/stations).  12am ish was OUR turn to eat the wedding cake and by 1:45 am, we were done for the night.  Over the whole course of the evening, there was a 15ish piece band, with four singers, and we danced and danced.  There was never a shortage of food, drink, or fun.

The next morning, we crawled out of bed, and made our way to the brunch.  All you can eat/drink again!  Mingled a bit with everyone, said our goodbyes, and went to check out of the hotel.   I was going up to Daytona to hang out with Kristina for the week, and Emily was leaving for Michigan.  We drove up together to Daytona, and then Em drove the car back to Ft. Lauderdale for her flight the next morning.

View from our hotel room

First half of Summer '11

Howdy Ho!  So, apparently, it has been really hot in Kansas City since I've left.  I'm so glad I missed it, because we all know how cranky I get when I get hot... :)

Hmmm, let's see where to begin!

June 24th: I fly into Ft. Lauderdale, pick up our rental car, drive to W. Palm Beach to get Emily, and drive up to Stuart (Florida) and check in at our hotel.  Sounds simple, right?  Well, after hours of delays, I finally get Emily in W. Palm Beach.  She was supposed to meet me in Ft. Lauderdale.  Have I mentioned that I've never met her?  She, and another guy, David, and I are all rooming together for our mutual friend's wedding in Stuart.  Hey- it's cheaper, and we're only REALLY gonna be in the room to sleep.  We all became instant, inseparable friends.  It was a three day EXTRAVAGANZA with dinners, crazy, amazing, incredible wedding festivities, and brunches galore!  Oh, and did I mention, our hotel was on a PRIVATE ISLAND???

A few days later, I drive up to Daytona to spend five days with Kristina (our new principal oboist) and her boyfriend, Phil.  We go to Disney World, on a crazy kayak trip (that almost got us killed, not exaggerating at all), shopping trips, movies, and many arcade adventures.

The next weekend, July 1st, I fly from Orlando to Rhode Island to see my friend Lauren (and her lovely husband Joe) get married in Providence on the 2nd!  I also got to see a few friends from college, and a former professor...along with meeting more of her friends and family.  It was a beautiful wedding and a super fun brunch. 

Then my mama meets me in Providence on the 3rd, and we set out on an eleven day CRAZY trip into Canada.

July 3-5th: Providence and surrounding area

Drive to Montreal on the 5th, through Mass., New Hampshire and Vermont.

Stay in Montreal the 6th and 7th.

On July 8th, we drive to Toronto, and stay the 9th and 10th.

July 11th, we drive to Niagara Falls, and also see Hamilton and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We drive BACK to Providence on the 12th, through New York State, stopping in towns along the way, and going to Howe's Caverns outside of Albany.

The 13th (today) we both fly home, completely exhausted but having had fun.

I'll go into more depth about the events tomorrow, in their separate posts with pictures.

XOXO

Clothes

I need to create three piles of clothes:

1. Fits

2. Might fit if I weren't so lazy about the gym.

3. HAHAHAHAHA.  (Oh, I'm sorry...you're delusional if you think that's ever gonna fit again.)

Rainy, Lazy Day

These past few months have been a blur...I guess I haven't blogged since Thanksgiving, but so much has happened, I'm just going to pick up from here, and leave the past in the past.

Today is the "day after a party" kind-of-day.  I'm sure we all remember those, but as we get older, they become few and far between.  I remember, about 10 years ago, when I could stay out all night, scrape myself out of bed and have a non-i-don't-want-to-kill-everyone mood.  Now, not so much.  Last night, wasn't even all that late...although we started everything about 6pm.

The day began, officially, about noon, with dim-sum...as every wonderful Saturday morning should.  Then we swung by Sally Beauty supply for some eyelashes, and hair spray (pictures to follow), and went back home.  Rested for a few hours and started to get ready for the night.

The concert this weekend was a collaboration with Quixotic Fusion.  They are a dance/music/multimedia performance group, similar (but totally different) to Cirque du Soleil.  Mostly modern dance/acrobatic/aerial movement done to new and redesigned classical music.  I definitely felt like I was a part of the backup band for a rock concert.  Thus...the hair and makeup.  Even though this technically was a symphony concert, we were given liberties and allowed to punk out our look.

There was an after-party at a local art gallery directly following the concert, with 100 or so people in attendance.  They had a band, similar to the music that was played at the show, and some of the musicians improved with them.  Super fun, super loud, open bar. :)

Afterward, we went to Town Topic (the 24 hr burger joint) and finally made our way back home.

Not a crazy night, by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm definitely not itching to do anything today that doesn't involve some laundry and couch time.