Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Geeen Light! Ahhh!

My cousin Andrew is destined to be a photographer. Flashback early '90s.



So cute! Damn, I feel old...

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Escape from the Internet

Here's our latest Casual Friday on Rocketboom! Did you catch all the memes?

Monday, September 21, 2009

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Handouts Caption Contest

Another photo from "Mack the Knife". Caption Contest - entertain me!

Going here again...sorry!

So a few of you were inspired by the unleash your child post and have been keeping your eyes open for leashed children in your area. I'm sharing a few pics here.



Someone sent me the link to this picture after reading my post. Thank you. You should browse the site for more inspirational photos like this one. There are some real classics.

"Mack the Knife" on Facebook


While out and about in Ohio, this friend saw the monkey backpacks and quickly pulled out his camera to document the incident. Isn't the girl in the pink sweatshirt a little too old for one of these?


I don't think this child is in any real threat or of any threat to this environment.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

NYC Restaurant Recommendations

Here are some pics and links to a few of the restaurants I've been to over the last couple months in the NYC area. Enjoy!



Ok, we're going to start with desserts. I forget the name of this little gem, but it was delicious. Apparently they haven't updated the menu on their website recently cause nothing of what we ordered is on there currently. Regardless, you need to go here at least once, but you'll probably go twice or more. Decent prices, good food and excellent desserts.


Oh, hello again you pretty little flourless chocolate cake! This thing is like eating a 2 inch thick chunk of the best frosting you could imagine. Don't be deceived by its small size. I had to share the rest with the table cause two bites and I was done - and I love chocolate.

Risotto with parmigiano, prosciutto and something that made it green. Damn it I thought the info would be on their website. It was delish.

Melone e prosciutto as an appetizer. I didn't try this, but heard it was nice. We all shared a bottle of prosecco, as well, which is a dry Italian sparkling white wine. Try it sometime if you haven't yet. It was a class favorite when I lived in Italy and traveled in Germany. P-R-O!


Again, we'll start with dessert. This is profiterol, which are dark chocolate pastries stuffed with cream. So, so, so good. This picture doesn't do it justice. I'm still working on my food photography skills here. Seriously, I'd go back just to have these.

A delightful new friend of mine, writer/producer Diane Uniman, and I shared this mixed meze platter to start, which was a sampling of humus, tzatziki, eggplant salad, circassian chicken (amazing), borek & sheperd salad. FANTASTICO. A must order. Paired with a Turkish white wine Emire de Nevsehir - Kavaklidere "Cankaya" 2006 from Anatolia. We then shared the Manti, which I forgot to take a picture of, but are "traditional minced beef dumplings in a yogurt & tomato sauce, seasoned with fresh mint". This place is so charming. They had live jazz the night we were there and the food is just outstanding. Go!


Homemade ravioli stuffed with Shiitake mushrooms in a pesto sauce. A bit heavy with the oil, but nevertheless very good.



This is a special Reuben sandwich they had on their menu that day. Lucky for Dan Delany from Vendr.tv who invited me to brunch at this lovely little place just outside Dumbo (area in Brooklyn for those outside of NYC). And it just so happened that Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon were two tables over from us, who were later joined by Maggie, her hubby and the kids.


I decided to go with the banana pancake, which I believe was an excellent choice. Honestly, I think I can say this is the best pancake I've ever had. It wasn't overly sweet and sugary like most breakfast places. Perfect blend of flavors and consistency of the pancake was solid. Two thumbs up!

I've been to a lot more places than just these listed above, but only recently started making a conscious effort to take pics and mental notes. Do you have some recommendations for great restaurants in NYC? Share them here on the dealio!

Love Letter to the Bartender

During my time out in LA, I bar-tended for a short while to help make ends meet. It was a very interesting experience to say the least. I met some very cool people--like Sonny and Cher's former manager, Joe de Carlo and Moke, the former drummer of Puddle of Mud. The bar attracted a strange crowd--it didn't really have a big party scene, mostly older folks with the occasional group of yuppies.


There was one young man in particular who came in maybe 3 times before he handed this note off to me. And for whatever reason I remembered this letter today. I've had it in the purse I used while bartending for nearly 2 years and feel like its better shared here than buried away. I'm transcribing it as written, so bear with some of the grammar/spelling errors. Mind you, we spoke for maybe a total of 10 minutes over the course of his 3 visits to the bar.

Lea,

Forgive me if this is awkward, but I wanted to evade what becomes routine, and for whatever reasons I think your the kind of woman that could find appreciation for a hand written letter. Maybe it's the respectable way you carry yourself, the perfect posture or possibly your engaging eyes...either way, beautiful. To simply state a reason for writting to you might be a little selfish, but I have to submit to the allure that you radiate so naturally, besides...your hot as hell, haha. So much for sublety right!

Aside from having an amazing figure and a face I could never try to forget the on thing I feel the most, is a desire to know more. Everytime we speak I find our convo tries to run, I don't want it to stop, and it leaves me feeling a void from words that beg to be spoken to a woman hard at work. I'd rather not think of you as just another moment that past, a treasure that just got away. It's obvious that I've found myself smilling when I wonder what it could be like to be lost in your innocense, but tell me love...how does this man who feels miles from your mind bridge the gap and even make most of a minute, a moment just a shapshot in your lifetime? If only for a cameo, give me a chance to audition for a part in your lifes stage...or at least let me take you out for a motorcycle ride or for dinner...whatever we feel is right!

If in your mind, your hearing a desire to say yes...don't give into habit, to many say no. A moment past is never savored, and nothing haunts like "to late". So I'm asking you - will you go out with me and remind this man of lifes favorite blessings, bringing a smile to the beautiful face of a woman like you??


He came into the restaurant one more time after he gave me that letter and I politely declined his offer. Is anyone else as entertained by this note as I am? I mean that took some guts to write. Again, in his three visits before giving me the invitation to go out with him, we spoke for maybe a total of 10 minutes--mainly about acting, writing, and living in LA. Really nothing too special. My favorite line is how he asks for an audition to have a part in my life's stage--"if only for a cameo." Gotta give him points for creativity. If I were his editor, I would've suggested that he leave out the line "To many say no". Not really a good point to include in this scenario.

What's the strangest/best/most unique/weird love letter/date invitation you've ever gotten? Share it here on the dealio!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Waterpod Project

@ellamorton takes us on a tour through the Waterpod

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

You Can('t) Go Home Again?

Thomas Wolfe wrote, "You can't go home again." The longer I'm away, the truer this becomes.


Why can't you go "home" again? Because you're a different person when you go back. Because the place you're from doesn't change the way you do. Because the people you know change in different ways. Because "home" isn't what you thought it was supposed to be. Because outside your hometown life holds up a mirror and forces you to take a good hard look at who you are, what you want, and how you operate. And when you figure that out, your hometown doesn't seem to fit anymore--if it even ever did.

In other words, "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm?"



Agree or disagree? Why? Share your thoughts here on the dealio!