Home 2.0

As we pulled into Indianapolis on July Fourth, the unspoken question was lingering in our minds:  could we push on all the way back to Chicago tonight?  Well we did, and so commenced the building of what I’ll call “Home 2.0”. 

People who know us will know this starts with re-arranging the furniture.  However it’s more than just moving the TV, installing a door, and putting up some fresh paint; it’s a chance to move home, to return to a familiar place; armed with the experience of year away. 

The first thing we did was move the furniture.  Then a trip to Home Depot.  We spent an evening in Munster catching up with Aimee’s family and then the next day my parents joined us in Chicago for a few days of housework, eating, and visiting. Pictures will come later as we are not quite done with a few “enhancements”. 

On Thursday, the four of us went to Franco’s near “Sox Park”.  I’m continually impressed by their great food and ambience where the warm hospitality is second only to the hot, fresh bread!  My dad and I went to watch the White Sox get pummeled by the Twins but it was fun to have some time to hang out together!  We even ran into Aimee’s brother, the groom-to-be (keep reading).

On Friday we took my parents to Chinatown (to our favorite place there Moon Palace), followed by another trip to Home Depot, and finally dessert at Caffe Gelato in Wicker Park.

Saturday brought more unpacking following a chance to catch up Kristin and Michael from Boston (as well as Sara/Adam, and Kristen).  It was really great to see them, plus Crowley had the happiest day of her young life when she was reunited with Beamer.  That night we met up with Meg, Wes, Michael, Joanna at the Ravinia Festival for some sushi from Sushi Pink, doughnuts from the Doughnut Vault, wine from all over, lots of music from Germany, and a singer from Wheeling (Debra Voigt!). 

Sure as moving furniture, Sunday brought brunch.  Same crew, this time at Orange on Milwaukee.  As always, a very good food experience.  This particular day, the service was just not very good unfortunately.  No matter.  I’m just happy to be with our great friends – and this weather isn’t bad either.

Next week Aimee and I are going to Jamaica to be with her brother Rick and his fiancee Alex for their wedding.  It will be a beautiful experience I’m sure and a great vacation for Aimee and me.  Till then, we’ll be spending the weekend in Chicago for the Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party and more work on Home 2.0 (brought to you by the Home Depot).

Farewell Atlanta. Farewell Atlantans.

It’s not really a synonym for “goodbye”, not even a high brow version of “peace out”.  And it doesn’t connote the ominous, fate-filled element of parting ways that it is often observed.  To us, farewell is a more affectionate term associated with one’s leave taking; an exhortation to simply “be well”.  So over the fourth of July weekend this year, we wished the many people and places of Atlanta a fond farewell.

True to form, the weekend was very busy.  We have a year end picnic with Drs. Newman and Biousse with the current and future fellows.  Aimee is pictured below with Daniela (and Noah) and their new Emory apparel. 

We had brunch at Murphy’s one last time with Daniela, Matt, and Noah.  The crab cake benedict was a great way to go out.

 
Dinner with Jordan and Skyler at Iberian Pig.  You can’t beat a place with the best old fashioned I’ve ever had, amazing pork cheek tacos, and a waiter like Mason who challenges us to ask the questions, “is there such a thing as too big a red [wine]?” and “seriously, how do you feel about pork belly?”

A farewell lunch at D.B.A BBQ with Aimee, Jeff, and the new “SoCal” Patrick.  We couldn’t pass up one last time to have the sweet potato tots, creamed corn, boiled peanuts (first and last in this case), and their “decent” BBQ.  Quoting Aimee, “It’s all about the sides”.

On Sunday, we celebrated Mass with the IHM community for a final time (at least this time around).  Aimee and I provided a post-Communion solo of Lori True’s Magnificat and had the opportunity to speak with several gracious parishioners after mass.  And after that came Felini’s with the choir.  Thanks to all for helping fill a potential void in our lives by being so hospitable at IHM!  We later enjoyed a nice evening with Michael and Jeff, the dogs, and a bottle of Pinot Noir.

  

Packing up… a nearly empty apartment (wasn’t exactly a comforting thing for Crowley):
Below is Aimee in front of the Emory Eye Clinic holding her certificate for completing and excelling through her neuro-ophthalmology fellowship.

And finally one last picture in front of our apartment building before we hit the road for Chicago.

The drive north was relaxing, pensive, a little sad, and hopeful.  We stopped in Broad Ripple in Indy for a lovely chance to dine al fresca with Crowley in tow before finishing the last leg of the journey home.  So farewell Atlanta, and farewell Atlantans. 

To the friends who have made Atlanta a true home for us this past year, be well.

It’s Been A While

And it’s been busy. But things are coming together as we plan for our move back home and for our move away from what has become a great home of its own.  Departing like this is never easy, but I know we have a great many friends and family to return to!  The route is planned and will be taking us through Indianapolis for a stopover downtown.   Crowley received her summer haircut this past week and we definitely got our money’s worth.  That’s actually not true --  we took her to a new place and the cost was ridiculous but the idiom still holds:  much hair was removed.  Just gotta trim that tail.  And maybe the ears.

On Saturday I spent a few hours with local Atlanta musician Paul Tate at his home for a session on composition and publication, followed by lunch.  It was a great opportunity to step through some of my work and get real-time feedback from someone with his background.  Looking forward to dinner with him next weekend!

We attended the Georgia Shakespeare Festival at Oglethorpe University with Jordan and Skyler.  Antony and Cleopatra was playing and it appeared to be fairly well done.  I’m afraid this particular work just didn’t click with me.  It came across as too historical, yet not historical enough; too much pathos and not enough time for the plot to breathe.  Anyway, the play was preceded by a picnic dinner (with a Southern flair) on the Oglethorpe campus (with a slightly mismatched neo-Gothic flair).

Sunday we spent a leisurely morning working around the apartment, handling some “administrative tasks”, and spending time by the pool.  Aimee and I led the choir at mass that evening and, “when the cat’s away”,  Aimee sings solos.  So after a well delivered Panis Angelicus, we made the quick trip out to Bob and Louanne’s for a dinner.  Their hospitality at IHM, over Easter, and this past weekend is just remarkable.  I knew we’d be in for a good meal but, just in case, we took note of this establishment on the way out to Stone Mountain:It’s a little tough to read (but it’s good for a heavily cropped iPhone photo), but this little food emporium features “a taste of Midwest” cuisine.  I really cringe to think of what they came up with.  It’s probably not unlike some northern restaurants that feature “Southern homestyle cooking” that is really just tasteless, fried bits of various vegetables and meats.

Check! Last Sunday, we went to Richard Blais’ Flip Burger with some friends after mass.  This was another restaurant on our list about which I was warned by Aimee that she “would be very sad” to not visit.  Loved the concept but needed to be scaled back and lessen the mass-market direction is seemed to be heading.

This coming weekend marks the final one in Atlanta.  True to form, we’ll ensure it’s a well packed weekend.  Once the movers come on Thursday to take away our personal belongings and once the furniture company comes on Friday to take away our rented belongings, I know we’ll be ready to occupy our minds with something other than moving and packing.  Iberian Pig with Jordan and Skyler on Friday night?  A great start.

Three More Sundays

Weekends seem to come and go quickly these days, especially Sundays.  Between packing and trying to make the most of our weekends, it’s been busy to say the least.   This was no exception and as it’s late on a Sunday and I still need to pack for Austin, I’ll provide some quick highlights:

We finally got to Sotto Sotto for dinner.  I’ve been “under under” the impression that this is one of the best Italian restaurants in Atlanta.  We’ve been to a few and this was just great.  We had fresh pappardelle with braised duck ragu, spinach and ricotta gnocchi, and split a whole roasted fish (orata was the special). 

Brunch brought us back to Rosebud, home of the Nasty Royale, Gordo’s Breakfast, and the Ultimate Stuffed Pancake.  We went with some of Aimee’s colleagues and showed them a good Southern breakfast.

Last food note:  Aimee made Italian sausage and peppers on Saturday night and she did an amazing job.  One of our better meals of late in fact.  We enjoyed a bottle of moscato to go along with it. 

But before the sausage and peppers came a red letter event in Crowley’s life:  swimming.  We took her to the banks of the Chattahoochee just outside Atlanta and slowly introduced her to the concept of swimming.  Most hilarious to me was her pre-paddling wherein she was already making her swimming stroke while still being held in the air.  Have a look:

Crowley Goes Swimming

And finally, Jamaica is officially happening!  We bought tickets tonight and have secured our reservation and our first “all-inclusive”, the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites in Montego Bay.

And with that, good night!

Congratulations Aimee!

It seems like just yesterday that Aimee and I were sitting at a bittersweet graduation dinner at the Chicago Yacht Club for the outgoing Rush neurology residents.  Surrounded by trusted colleagues, all products of a world-class program, Aimee was soon leaving them (and it) to train with the very best in neuro-ophthalmology.  This past weekend, we had another such bittersweet evening.  We celebrated the accomplishments and honors of this year’s fellows and residents of the Emory Department of Ophthalmology.  The year is not quite over, but as Aimee prepares to leave an excellent program, armed with a wealth of clinical experience and new relationships (both professional and personal), there’s no doubt we will both miss many elements of our life here.  It is with gratitude and anticipation, however, that she begins anew with the world-class program back at Rush.  And it is with pure admiration, respect, and awe, that I say “Congratulations” to Aimee for her dedication, work, and tremendous growth this past year.

The program from the evening is listed above.  When Dr. Newman got up to say a few words about Aimee and Daniela, I didn’t expect to be included.  However, when jointly addressing the “strengths” that Daniela and Aimee shared, one strength was their respective spouses.  I think it came naturally for Matt and me, but the support we gave evidently did not go unnoticed.  Below is a picture of Aimee and Daniela from that night as well as a shot of their foursome from the annual golf outing.  Aimee even came home with the “Closest to the pin” prize!

Lastly, we crossed off another restaurant from our list:  4th and Swift.  We actually went for brunch with Jordan and his wife Skylar and it was fantastic.  Aimee had “Briôche Egg Toast, Red Wine-Poached Pears, Mascarpone, Hobb’s Bacon, and Mint” and I went pretty basic for once, with “2 Eggs, Heirloom White Corn Grits, Thick Toast, and House Sausage”.  It was good stuff though!  We closed the weekend with mass, and then dinner and “spirits” with Michael, Jeff, and Patrick.  It was the last time we’ll ever “eat sushi followed by oddly strong liqueur, and auditioning recordings of revised mass settings” with them!

Well that’s it for now.  Work continues to be a challenge for us both, especially as we sort out logistics of getting ourselves back to Chicago.  Till then, dinners and brunches with friends continue to be a fun diversion.

Memorial Day Locked Up

After a long week (and weekend) of work, Aimee and I hosted our final batch of Atlanta visitors for the Memorial Day Weekend.  Sara and Adam generously planned their holiday weekend to be with us in Atlanta and we loved it.

We started out with a quick trip to Kilwin’s Ice Cream and Fudge in Atlantic Station.  Usually I’m pretty impressed there but one thing in particular was most disconcerting:  I asked if they could make chocolate ice cream soda and was told that they don’t use club soda, but rather Sprite.  This is just not okay but the Mackinac Island Fudge made up for it.

On Saturday we checked another item off of our bucket list.  The Chattahoochee river is well-suited for various type of tubing and rafting excursions, affectionately know as “shooting the hooch”.   With our various beverage literally in tow, we partook.  It was a most relaxing way to spend a few hours in the sun.

We arrived home in just enough to change and head out to the Braves game.  We enjoyed this one just as much as the last one, though it was a bit longer as it took 12 innings to put the game away.  At least the Braves came out on top this time.  Below are a few pictures from that afternoon.

Sara had few requirements for their trip. One was a Braves game; the other was Southern Fried Chicken.  I’m most confident when I say that the Colonnade restaurant on Cheshire Bridge did not disappoint.  It is the quintessential, part-diner, part-fine dining establishment that has existed for years in the hearts and somewhat feeble minds of its most frequent patrons.  The dated décor and chain-smoking wait staff aside, I’ve never had better chicken.

The Emory University campus is simply beautiful in the spring, benefiting from the staggered waves of flowering trees and other blossoms that mark a typical Atlanta spring time.  While Aimee and I rehearsed for mass on Sunday afternoon, Sara and Adam took the car for a self-guided tour of campus and the area near the eye clinic. 

We closed out the weekend on a high note at Murphy’s in Virginia Highlands for brunch.  We are most appreciative for Sara and Adam making the journey down to be with us and share in the warmth – as we are with all of the visitors we’ve had here in Atlanta.  As our time here dwindles, the work situation for me has accelerated fairly dramatically.  Before the big conversion weekend however, I was able to participate in a salon-style piano recital at my teacher’s home.  I played Chopin’s Etude in A-flat, Op. 25, No. 1; followed by Excursions I by Samuel Barber – both memorized, which is a good feat for me!

April Showers Bring May Visitors

Crowley had one of the best weekends she’s had in a long time.  Ours wasn’t too bad either.  Kristen came down from Chicago to spend the weekend with us.  We had a really nice time with her and Crowley especially did (after all, she knew Kristen even before Aimee!).  It was busy though:  We had some delicious southern food, took in a little evening fun, visited with friends, and made another video of Crowley.

We started off right by going straight from ATL to CFA (Chik-fil-a) for some chicken nuggets.  That night we crossed another item off the list and went to watch the Braves attempt to compete with the Phillies.  We were all really impressed with Turner Field:  clean, fun, nice people, and great food -- Kristen managed to tell of her Savannah Shrimp Po’ Boy to her entire family, several friends, and a few strangers.  The picture below is from our seats.

Also, I learned that the proper lyrics of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” do not pluralize “Cracker Jack”.  Anyway, despite our cheering, the home team didn’t win, and while you might call it a comedy of errors, we saw a true comedy the next night at the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern.  I had to see it to believe it:  the audience sits at tables and there is a cafeteria in the back of the theatre where you get dinner before / while watching the show.  We saw Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.  To be honest, they aren’t Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, but where else can you have a pasty and a beer while taking in some local culture?

Crowley also got groomed this weekend. See her below with her bows (“please take these out now”) and with Aunt Kristen.

  

On Sunday, we took Kristen to IHM mass in the morning and then crossed another restaurant off our list by finally getting to Ria’s Bluebird down in Grant Park.  I was very impressed.  “World’s Best Pancakes” (according to the N.Y. Times) is a tough claim to support but they sure were delicious.  After Kristen left, we double dipped on mass and then had dinner with some friends and had an opportunity to talk music with Paul Tate.

Last and simply not least:  we recorded another video of Crowley in an attempt to catalogue her tricks.  She’s been practicing a lot lately so a little You Tube-ing was well deserved:

Crowley Tricks

We have a red pin

In the leasing office here at Gables Midtown, there’s a poster board map of the property with yellow pins in the occupied units and red pins in the apartments that are vacant or pending vacancy.  We have a red pin.  It’s just one of the realizations of our impending move back to Chicago.  But before that, we’ve had some visitors.  Last weekend Mark and Scott joined us for a couple days.

We started with a trip to Murphy’s for dinner to offer a traditional dinner with some southern flair.  As usual, it did not disappoint.  OpenTable.com says it well:  “Tom Murphy’s acclaimed restaurant brings in the crowds with the perfect combination of upscale comfort food, unpretentious service, a cozy, high-energy setting and excellent value.”

What followed was a frustratingly abbreviated journey to the Piedmont Park Dog Park, so described because my first and only heave of Crowley’s ball went across the park and, with one hop, went over the fence and was never to be recovered.  Crowley was not pleased.

Summon the bucket list!  We set off to tick the box on another item: the Georgia Aquarium.  A nicely designed space with really well done exhibits – I’m told it’s heads above Shedd.  The dolphin show was spectacularly executed.  As you might expect, I’ve started training Crowley to let me “air ski” on her back.  There are some pictures below.  For more, including an albino alligator, visit our Picasa Album!

Another ill-timed event:  Aimee was paged just as our visit finished but Mark and Scott pressed on to the World of Coke and we picked them up in time to wait for a table at Fox Brothers BBQ, by several accounts, both anecdotal and official, the best BBQ in Atlanta.  I concur.

Evening came and morning mass at IHM followed.  Thanks to Mark and Scott for taking time out of their schedules to be with us down south.  Lots still to come!  We have Kristen coming next weekend and Sara and Adam for Memorial Day.   We have, as my mom would call it, a “live go” date now of May 23rd which means my work life is about to get a lot busier.

Austin for Work, Birthday, and Wedding

Aimee and I traveled to Austin for most of last week and the weekend for a fortuitously planned wedding, with proximity to my birthday (not planned) and my client location (sort of planned).  Our picasa album for Rich and Alex’s wedding has the complete set of photos.  All in all it was a great trip!

Our trip began as all extended travel does these days:  with baggage fees.  After making her contribution to Delta, Aimee joined me in Austin for a couple days.  We visited some of my favorite food spots downtown including 219 West, Walton’s, and How Do You Roll; as well as the Lakefront trail and Capitol building.  Aimee is pictured below after our make-your-own-sushi experience:
 

Birthday
Wednesday the 27th was the birth day.  Thirty years old.  It’s hard to believe (though really I’m just trying to keep up with all my close friends).  I was immensely fortunate to have my parents, aunt and uncle, and cousins join us downtown for dinner at La Traviata. 

Wedding

Rich and Alex celebrated the commencement of their marriage to each other on April 30th at Villa Antonia, a Tuscan-style home in the Texas hill country.  We were well-rehearsed thanks to the run through and dinner near Lake Travis at the Paterson home.  Aimee did a little rehearsing of her own as she was asked to sing Con Te Partiro a cappella during the ceremony – which was outside.  A photo of this appearance has not surfaced yet but I will post when it does.

Below are a few pictures from that day:  my niece and nephew Megan and Justin, Aimee and me, and my parents with Jami.

 

Lastly (there’s always a ‘lastly’), new iMacs were introduced on Tuesday!  Might one, shiny 27” Sandy Bridge i7 be in our future?  Probably not soon.