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.

This Joyful Eastertide

Though we debated trying to be back in Chicago for the Triduum, we’re very happy to have been able to participate so fully in the Easter season here, from start to finish.  A Chicago trip would have broken up the experience and this way we’ll be able to fully partake next year.  As always, our friends in the music ministry were more than willing to let us be involved and it was incredible fulfilling. A brief summary:

• Holy Thursday – “Mandatum novum do vobis”.  We commemorated the Last Supper and the washing of feet.  In addition to my piano duties, I also was in the hand bell choir.  This was a first.  And likely a last, but I enjoyed the new experience.
• Good Friday – Aimee sang (as she has the two previous years) “Zerfließe mein Herze”, an aria from Bach’s St. John Passion.  We had a flute and oboe join us from Emory and it was beautiful.  The poignant text lends itself perfectly to the Good Friday service:
  
  

  Zerfließe, mein Herze, in Fluten der Zähren dem Höchsten zu Ehren! Erzähle der Welt und dem Himmel die Not: Dein Jesus ist tot.

  Dissolve, my heart, in floods of tears, In honor of the Lord Most High! Tell the news to the earth and heavens: Your Jesus is dead.

• Easter Vigil – this was our first Vigil that really stepped through the liturgy as prescribed by the Church.  It was longer than I’m used to but very well done. 
• Easter Sunday – we did both the 9am and 11:30am masses Easter morning.  It’s always interesting to see the change in “prayer dynamic” from the people that attend the Thursday-Friday-Saturday services to the people that attend the Sunday mass.  Often one of the few masses many people attend all year, it’s always important to put your best foot forward.  Our collective feet were forward as I accompanied Aimee singing “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” from Handel’s Messiah.

In all, I would describe the Triduum at IHM as “very ritualistic”.  Speaking of ritual, did we dye eggs?  You bet.  Except I decided to forego the Paas go a bit more natural. In honor of Angry Birds (not the ones currently swooping around outside our apartment, but the iPhone game), I made several Golden Eggs.  Turns out turmeric, lemon peel, and vinegar all boiled together with eggs makes a fantastical dye.  They are well hidden too, just look in the fridge.

This week, Aimee and I are in Austin together.  I’m here for work and she’s here for vacation.  My family is coming to town on Wednesday for a family wedding but also to help celebrate my 30th birthday.  We will be dining at La Traviata in downtown Austin.  Aimee had some more days off to take before the end of her year so we decided to spent the time together in Austin.

With Lent behind us, thought I would share a picture of one of the meatless entrees I created:  green peppers stuffed with quinoa and roasted vegetables, topped with feta cheese.  They tasted better than they look below:

And last but not least (well kind of least): Some pictures of Crowley after her Easter grooming:

Special thanks to Michael and Jeff for their willingness to help us take care of Crowley when we’re out of town and for those times in life when you just feel like a deflated, punctured tire.

Though I Cannot See The End For Me

It’s been a little strange thinking ahead to this summer.  For all the dragging of feet to get down here last June, the fact remains that a) moving is never fun, and b) we really quite like it here.  At the very least, there are plenty of pluses and minuses.  Today, as many of you know, is Palm Sunday.  We celebrated at IHM tonight and, though the liturgy did not include a rousing rendition of “Jerusalem, My Destiny”, it was still much of what I expect on Palm Sunday:   jarring pronunciations of Biblical names, short obligatory homilies, a fainting during the extended Gospel (thank you Matthew), and a nice meal with friends afterwards. 

Here’s one thing to “fix our eyes on” for the summer and life in Chicago:  Lyric Opera Season tickets!  This is something Aimee (especially) and I have wanted to do and it seemed like a great time and a great season planned.  So starting late this summer, we’ll have the honor of seeing, under the creative direction of Renee Fleming, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Magic Flute, Aida, Show Boat, and Rinaldo. 

Here’s another end for me that I can see:  caffeine.  It’s been a multi-year struggle but I am currently operating in a caffeine-free state.  I am no longer dependent on coffee or tea in the morning to feel like it might prevent an impending migraine.  To be sure however, I have noticed a positive change in headache incidence.  And herbal tea isn’t so bad after all.

A Brief Weekend Update

On Thursday we went to Little Bangkok for Thai food, arguably some of the best in Atlanta.  I was very impressed and let’s just say that Cheshire Bridge never ceases to surprise me these days. 

On Saturday we went to see our friend Patrick in Rumors by Neil Simon.  Rumors is a “farcical” play that features an ensemble cast of upper class members of society that engage in various comical cover ups to mask the truth of an evening’s events at a dinner party.  It was put on by the Georgia State theatre program in downtown Atlanta:  “Come Play With Us”, they ask.

Speaking of downtown Atlanta, we ran across a little farce of our own (see image).  There are a lot of places in Atlanta I would describe as vibrant, safe, and smart.  Downtown, however, is not among them. 

Tonight of course was Palm Sunday but here’s something that wasn’t part of my PSP (Palm Sunday Preconceptions):  I played the organ.  In fact it wasn’t part of my plan at all under after communion when it was suggested that I play a line on one of the manuals along with Jeff.  It was fun!

Upcoming Travel

1. Aimee has some more days of vacation for the year and, since my work schedule has not been conducive to making personal plans much in advance, we’re going to spend a week in Austin.  Turns out we could line it up with my cousin’s wedding too we we’ll be spending 6 days in Austin starting next Tuesday. 
   
2. We finally booked our trip to Jamaica at the Iberostar Rose Hall Resort.  Well not the flights yet but we got the all-inclusive resort reserved.  This is more or less a first for us and we’re looking forward to it.  This trip is also wedding-centric -- for Aimee’s brother’s wedding to Lex.  Should be a beautiful celebration!

Lastly, I finally got around to sending in several compositions to some national publishers.  I don’t exactly have a noteworthy track record with this stuff but I keep trying.  I wrote cover letters and submitted copies of “A Wondrous Love” for piano, 3 psalm settings, and my “Mass of St. Edward” based on the new edition of the Roman Missal.

Off to sleep for what I can only hope is a fire alarm-free night which would make it heads and tails better than Saturday night.  Gotta love community living!

You Can’t Get There From Here

Couple quick things to report.  First, I’m sure this isn’t unique to Atlanta, but I’ve heard it two or three times now and get a kick out of it every time. Asking a random person how to get somewhere and I hear:  “naww, see you you can’t get there from here”.  Makes no sense right?  But the person is completely serious and continues: “go on down this street here until you go under the highway, turn right at the big light, pull over, and ask someone there at the corner”.  It’s an accurate commentary on the roads here though:  unpredictable intersections, undulations, and curves make it difficult for many to get between various pockets of town.

On Saturday we had dinner with Michael and Jeff as a gratitude for all the nights they’ve spent watching Crowley.  Dinner Saturday night was at Violette and the first French food we’ve had here.  It was delicious!

After mass tonight, we enjoyed some pizza at Fellini’s with Jeff and our Pastor, Fr. Schillinger.  It was a beautiful day, nearly reaching 90 this afternoon, and a beautiful weekend all around.  I finished up the score for my piano piece that I wrote (“A Wondrous Love”) for our Lenten concert.  Below is a rough recording from Garage Band on the iPad.  Please enjoy:

 

A Wondrous Love

In closing, here are two recent shots of Crowley (f/1.8) – the one on the left a clear indication of impending grooming as there’s a whisker growing down from her chin.

 

Savannah In Five Words

Charm. Culture. History. Arts. Food.

As Aimee and I sit here finishing “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, and thinking about our amazing weekend getaway, those are the first five that come to mind.  Though I’m sure there are many more.  Savannah was very lovely at this time of year – All those Azaleas!  They were everywhere and they were absolutely beautiful!  Between the blooms, the mysterious Spanish moss and the many squares throughout the Historic District, we were hooked!  As always, check out our Picasa Album for the full complement of photos.

Our trip started out by going straight to Tybee Island to have brunch at The Breakfast Club.  We asked to meet the owner of this small-family operated spot because the restaurant was full of Chicago references and memorabilia.  Turns out she was born and raised in Chicago so we got to have a quick chat about our city.

After a walk through the numerous squares and along the river front, we were already comfortable with the with the lay of the land.  It’s a very walkable city – just don’t walk too fast!

   

We participated in liturgy for the 4th Sunday of Lent at the Cathedral of John the Baptist whose interior was eerily reminiscent of the Basilica on Notre Dame’s campus. 

We got a coveted reservation at the Olde Pink House for dinner on Saturday… at 9:30pm!  We spent some time in the basement bar where we enjoyed a mint julep (with Woodford Reserve of course) and champagne while we listened to the stylings of the bar’s “piano-man”.  We were seated at 10:10pm, and dinner was well worth the wait, we had a delicious dinner consisting of she crab soup, fried green tomatoes, flounder and soft shell crab.  It was a delicious and very satisfying Southern meal – unfortunately, we were barely awake by the time dinner came!

On Sunday we took breakfast at the Hamilton-Turner Inn, our Bed and Breakfast for the weekend.  I was very impressed with the historic inn, their property and of course the breakfast, which was much grander than I’ve experienced in other B&Bs. 

After breakfast and a quick jog through Forsyth Park, we hopped on the Old Savannah Tour bus for a guided tour of the Historic and Victorian Districts of Savannah.

This is Lady and Sons, Paula Deen’s restaurant, where we originally intended to dine on Saturday but after more careful research decided that Olde Pink House would be both less commercialized and likely better.  I can’t imagine we were wrong but this was neat to see nonetheless.

The famous Savannah Candy Kitchen, located in the City Market area (also, turns out, Terminal B of the Atlanta airport), is a staple of any Savannah visit.  We bought a few treats for us and friends.  Most notably some “thank you” victuals for Atlanta Megan who, last minute, offered to watch Crowley while we were away.

 

 

Life returns today to its slightly faster pace, measurably healthier eating, and just a touch less Southern. We’ll be back to Savannah but in the meantime, we’ll remember the wise words of Joe Odom in “Midnight”:

“If you leave a party early, you got to take a traveler” i.e. a drink to go, a legal and and oft-utilized custom in Savannah.