Kudos and Boos - December Update

Hellooooo out there!

Rather than say sorry about not blogging, let's go straight into Kudos and Boos. It's Sunday after all. So without further ado...

Kudos to Disneyland in November. After Thanksgiving, most of the fam took the Monday after Christmas off and we all headed to Anaheim. Yes I am talking about all something from wayyyyy back in November, but moving on...we went there to celebrate Nonni's birthday which was two weeks before. And just to add a little extra kick, it was an awesome day to go since we practically walked onto almost everything. Actually, most of the people were all setting up shop in the brand spankin' new Cars Land at California Adventure. Nonni desperately wanted to go see it, so her granddaughters took her over there (we're so good to her) and took her on the ride then hopped back across the way to Disneyland to meet up with the rest of the fam. It was a great way to spend a Monday and Nonni LOVED the whole day.
Boos to all of the recent tragedies. All I am going to say is that I'm keeping all the victims, their families and communities affected in my thoughts and prayers. There's not a whole lot more to say than that.

Kudos to Claire for getting into Fordham! As she's in the middle of her senior year, she got pretty awesome news a couple of weeks ago. It was her first college acceptance and I am sure she'll hear from many more, but I totally remember my first college acceptance - what a relief. So proud of her!!
Boos to end of Gossip Girl. An end of an era if you will. Tomorrow we'll find out who Gossip Girl really is, if Dan and Serena will make up, and if Chuck and Blair will finally be together. Ahhhhh so many questions will need to be answered in the two hour finale. And I am sure most of you are on the edge of your seats because I know I am. Kate and I are preparing for the end today and watching Season One on Netflix. It's only the nice thing to do.

Kudos to Silver Linings Playbook. Kate and I saw this yesterday morning (special shout-out to the first movie matinee pricing!) and we both walked out of the theatre thoroughly entertained and without one bad thing to say about the movie. It's kind of flown under the radar, but getting a lot of press since it's up for some SAG awards and Golden Globes. But the story line was enjoyable and the acting was phenom. And I have to say, yes Bradley Cooper and Robert DiNero were great, but Jennifer Lawrence was fantastic. I cannot recommend this movie enough. Go see it!
Boos to the Bev Hills Housewives bombshell. So many questions are unanswered but thats what happens when legal matters take over a reality show. For those of you who don't watch the show, Monday night a bomb was dropped but Bravo eliminated the entire thing so we only know that something terrible was said, but not what it is. We may never know, well until the case is closed, but goodness we need some answers before the end of the season. You better believe we've got a list of questions going.

Ok, I'm going to try to blog this week. I'm hoping to at least. But maybe I'll be inspired since I've got 5 days of work until Christmas break. That's some exciting news right there.

#IGotToFinishXmasShoppingASAP

And Now the Conclusion...

And on to Phase Three...

 

Hallejulia! We woke up to no emails from VIrgin America on Wednesday, but rather a determined "we must make up for lost time" mentality. But what day would be complete without a call to Virgin to see if Carly and I could change our flights to Thursday night and send out some work emails? Eventually, we were headed towards the Newseum since our tickets were still good. We picked up right where we left off and spent a few hours in there. Towards the end we were going a little crazy, not only because we were hungry but also because there was so much information it was overwhelming. But still a must-see if you can get it.

 

We then went across the street and went to the National Gallery. Something that was at the top of both Sarah and Carly's lists. So we went to the East Wing and saw the Lictenstein exhibit and the Modern Art exhibits, bought some posters, and then before we knew it, the museum closed. So we headed back to our hotel.

 

The next day it was finally Thursday. The day we were headed home. So after we packed our bags, we dropped them in the lobby so we could galavant all day. We started off with renting bikes again and rode to the National Gallery. But before we got our art on, we made a pitstop at the White House. We had a very special message to deliver to President Obama from my dad.

We then spent a majority of the day in the West Wing (actually most of the day) and before we knew it, it was time to FINALLY head back to Dulles Airport. We weren't convinced we were heading home until we cleared DC airspace.

All in all, it was a great trip (focusing on Phase 1 & 3, of course), and it makes for a great story. Who would have thought that three California kids (four including Tom over in New York) would be stuck in the middle of a Hurricane? Maybe I'll think twice the next time I decide to go visit Michael. Just kidding, Michael. Just kidding!

The Birth of Pain and Panic

And now onto Phase 2. A very delayed Phase 2...

It really started with Carly’s email first thing Sunday morning from our dear friends at Virgin America telling her that her flight Monday night was cancelled. Let’s get a tally going, this is flight numero uno. So staying calm, cool, and collected, Carly spent the next three hours on hold with Virgin where she jumped on a flight with Sarah and me scheduled to leave on Tuesday afternoon. Well, Carly snagged an extra day! And at this point, we thought they're just being extra cautious. But when Sarah and I went to the local supermarket/7-11 to stock up on waters and snacks, the patron told us we should get out ASAP. We both looked at him, said thanks for nothing, sir, and went back to our home away from home.   

 

So, with that in the back of our minds, we then moseyed back to the Eastern Market where we stocked up on all of the cool treasures we passed on the day before. I picked up some art, Carly and Sarah got some jewlery, and we snacked on apple slices. We were pretty much the last people there, since people were starting to retreat for the storm, but this didn't phase us. We stopped at a french restaurant for lunch and when we saw that they were still advertising that they were open on Thanksgiving - we joked that we would have some place to go if we were still stuck. Hahaha, we were so funny. So we then walked over to the Newseum where we were instantly overwhelmed and out of the seven stories (no pun intended) we only got to half of the first before it closed. But no worries, our tickets were good both that day and the next. When I asked the lady at the desk if they were going to be opened the next day (the supposed "worst day" of the storm), she told me, "Unless the government is shut down, we're open" Hahahahahaha I thought, these people have senses of humor.

 

Seeing as it was past 5:00, we looked for a historic bar where we could get a drink and found the Intercontinental Hotel. Well, this had history wrapped all up in it. This bar, the Round Robin, was in the hotel where Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, "I have a Dream" where President Taft would sit in the lobby and politicians would come up to him, trying to get him to support their bills, and as a result, the term lobbying came into existance. Michael met up with us at this point and was able to soak up all the history. 

We then went to dinner at the Old Ebitts Grille where we feasted on porkchops, lobster and jumalaya. As we were laughing and pouring glass number two or three, almost as if we were in a movie, our waiter told us that they were closing the metro tomorrow, and then we were slapped back to reality. Not too long after we heard that the government was shut down for the next day. That meant all the museums were closed. Michael was jumping around like a little kid cause his classes were cancelled. We on the other hand were not as gleeful.

 

Thus began the longest day...

 

When we woke up that morning, all three of us received an email saying that our flight was cancelled. So we called our friends over at Virgin and got on a flight for later Tuesday night that would take us to SFO, and Sarah would get on a flight Wednesday morning to LA. Ok fine, we can live with that. That took up most of our morning so we hopped on over next door to FoBoGro and picked up more supplies (Champagne, wine, and sandwiches) and then played cards, watched West Wing, found we had a cancelled flight (again), and stared at each other. This was around the time when Carly nicknamed Sarah and I, Pain and Panic and herself Hades. We had two meals down at the hotel restaurant but at least we got a change of scene. When we were downstairs talking to the hotel to extend our stay, we asked them striaght out - is everyone just overreacting? The bell hop (knowing we were suckers) said, "Oh no. This is for real. I mean look outside, the wind is literally pushing the car backwards up the street!" Carly and I whipped around, shrieked in horror and thought ok, maybe the Mayans were right. Turns out that the car was just reversing. Did i mention it was a very long day?

 

We spent the entire day waiting in anticipation for the "worst" of the storm to hit. But they pushed it back to Monday night. Apparently all three of us slept throught it. So in true us fashion, we called our "friends" over at Virgin and got on flights Thursday night (for Sarah) and Friday morning (for me and Carly). Desperate for fresh air, we tracked down the only open movie theater in town (over in China Town) and called Michael so we could meet up. We went to lunch around the corner, and the temp had officially dropped 30 degrees and our little California bodies couldn't handle it. So, on the way we stopped at Macy's (for warmth as well as shopping) and then met up with Michael and his friend for Argo.

 

Quick side note on this movie - AWESOME. Even though I had read an article about it in Entertainment Weekly, I was completely enthralled and didn't look at my watch at all for the entire two hours (a total victory in my book). And i was on the edge of my seat the entire time. HIghly recommend it.

 

Ok back to DC...we then went to dinner and had some delicious pizza and were happy to be amongst the living. Michael thought it was so funny that we now would be in DC the same time as his mother (set to arrive Thursday night). We didn't find it funny at all.

DC - Phase One - All Sunshine and Rose Petals

On Thursday afternoon, Carly and I boarded the Virgin America flight bound for Dulles. This was game 2 of the World Series and luckily the plane was satellite TV enabled so we were able to watch. This was awesome because most of the plane was also watching it and cheered - have i mentioned I'm a sucker for comradery? And not to mention the flight itself was super smooth so it made it go by extremely fast (and in 4 hours and 40 minutes). So when we landed, let's just say we were all about Virgin America.

The next day we decided to walk to the Capitol since we were having lunch with Michael on his break. We were staying in Foggy Bottom, and if you've ever been to DC, or looked at a map, Foggy Bottom is on the west side of the city and the Capitol is way over on the east side. Our hotel was only a few blocks from the Mall so we started walking East. Michael kept asking where we were and I kept telling him, Michael, we're close, we see the Washington Monument, and the Capitol is right after it. we'll see you soon. He kept telling me no, we still had a ways to go, and i thought, my goodness Michael, don't you live here? Well, an hour and a half later, we made it. And as it turned out, he did know what he was talking about. and we were wrong. Side note, when looking at a map, also take a peak at the distance key on the map. Apparently we accidently walked five miles. Whoops. And believe me - our dogs were barking.

Once we finally caught up to Michael, he took us on the super secret Senator subway that goes to the Capitol from all the congressional buildings (we took the one from the Russell Building since that's where he works) and on a tour of the Capitol. But since we were a little late, it was a super fast tour and then we bid adieu until later. Carly and I then walked over to the Supreme Court building, learned a little and stopped to watch a movie on the history, which almost put us to sleep so we decided to call Uncle and go back to the Foggy Bottom (via Metro) nap before Sarah got there. It was then that we first heard about a storm that was brewing.

Michael had told us about this flea market that is over by the Capitol so on Saturday morning, we went to the Eastern Market where we did our duty to go shopping, buy some cool prints, and saw a lot of cute crafts. We stopped in to this restaurant next door with $5 Mimosas where we had some brunch (best chocolate chip pancakes, ever), later we went to the Library of Congress where we saw Thomas Jeffereson's personal library, and eventually made our way to the Smithsonian American History Museum (the Star Spangled Banner - well worth it). 

All day we had seen people riding bikes from "Capitol Bikeshare" and we kept saying, oh that would be cool. And low and behold we actually went through with it. This service let you pick up a bike from a kiosk and then return it to any kiosk in the city (and they were all over the place!). We  made our way though the National Mall and then through the Tidal Basin over to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was the perfect timing too since it was evening time and people were fleeing the city due to the storm so we didn't need to dodge people. I highly recommend doing this, it's the best way to see the monuments. 

And to round out the night we expanded our horizons and went to U Street and stuffed our faces with Ethiopian food. This was delicious. I have no idea what we ordered but holy toledo, it was good. 

So we got our fill of sights and filled our tummies...a perfect way to end Phase One.

My October Post

Hello out there. Hello to the few people who still have faith in my blogging abilities. It’s been quite a whirlwind the past few weeks, so here’s a quick recap in a top 5 form (cause who doesn’t love top 5s) in no particular order:

1.       I’m a quarter of a centry. That’s right, baby Julie hit the big 25 on Oct 6. I’m usually a big promoter of birthdays and as my family and friends will tell you, I’ll remind them till I am blue in the face. But with this one, I was a little more reserved (about as excited as normal people get for their birthdays which was completely foreign to me). But it all goes back to hitting a milestone. I would have days when I was completely ok with it. Thinking positively about where I am in life. Then the next I would be freaking out, throwing my hands up in angst wondering what to do next. This, thanks to my rollercoaster of emotions, caused the day snuck up on me. I didn’t have a birthday list, I didn’t have a plan for a celebration, NOTHING. Who was i? But the day arrived and the sky didn't fall and it still hasn't. But the day was solid - see #2, and Lisa decided to come up for the weekend to help "celebrate" but it was the first time that she's been home since she left in June! We kept the celebration a-flowing till monday when she came by my office to meet me for lunch. What a good sister :o)

2.       I’m living on my own. This was another good distraction from my milestone. I spent the day moving! The time has finally come for me to move out of Debbie court and start living like a 25 year old. Unfortunately, move in day was on my actual birthday so I was alive, awake, alert and "enthusiastic" at 6 am when my alarm went off. But it was the best of all worlds. I got to tell people what to do and they had to listen to me since it was my birthday AND since i was up so early, I really got the most out of the day.

3.       Throw in a quick trip to LA. What month would be complete without a trip south? We went this month for our family friend Flora's birthday which was celebrated on Lady Di's birthday. So typical turnaround - down on Thursday night, fly back Sunday afternoon - and lots of random adventures smacked in. No celebrity sightings though. Dammit.

4.       I’m becoming a “chef” and I am using this in the loosest sense of the word. Last week I made some Chicken Shawrma which consists of marinated chicken and then a yogurty sauce on a pita. All made from scratch and damn it was tasty. Then  really just and then this week I roasted some veggies. I don't want you to think that I was Top Cheffing it up - more like tackling some basics. One meal at a time. 

5.    Thursday, I'm headed to Washington D.C. to visit Michael Bonino-Britsch with Sarah and Carly. He's doing his semester "abroad" there and we decided to swoop and use it as an excuse to plan a trip. This trip also snuck up on me since I keep thinking it's a couple of weeks away, but thank goodness it's this week. I'm ready for a vacation! And with a couple of travel books on hand and a simply patriotic "local" we're ready to go. Sarah and i want to do a video blog but i highly doubt that will happen. I think we're really looking for some nice photo for the blogs. That's really all i can "promise" but i'll aim for it!

OK,Washington DC...here...we...come!

#novemberbloggingwillbemybitch

Kudos and Boos

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Here we go for Kudos and Boos...

Kudos to the German Tourist Club. On Saturday, Kate and I journeyed up PAST the Golden Gate Bridge and ventured into Mill Valley, a place I have only passed on 101 on our way north! Who knew a place like that existed? After driving a few miles up and then down one windy ass road, we got to the bottom of Mt. Tam and parked with the rest of the Bay Area about a mile away. So we ventured up the trail (see Boos right below) and we managed to eventually find our way to the German Tourist Club where we were able to quench our thirst (and man it was a thirst) with a beer and replenish ourselves with some Kettle Chips (sinfully delicious). This place is so well thought out - beer on tap, beautiful views, and even board games if you're interested! And in typical Kate and Julie fashion, we're already planning the next time to go.
Boos to the hike to get there. Not the whole hike, just the first part. Holy hell, this gives your glutes a serious workout. You're essentially on a stair master for 25 minutes. Both of us were completely winded but maybe that was the heat and it had nothing to do with us being in shape ;-)

Kudos to Jimmy Fallon at the Emmys. His interview on the red carpet was pretty hilarious. He told Lara Spencer (at least I think that's who it was): "I am so happy to be alive. Amanda Bynes drove me here and that girl just breaks the rules." That's right, I laughed out loud. Then he talked about a Honey Boo Boo afterparty. If you can I highly suggest YouTubing it. Then he had a cute stint in the actual show when John Stewart won for the best Variety Show. I should really start watching his show. He did after all come up with the "History of Rap" with JT and that was pretty phenom.
Boos to Amanda Bynes falling off the wagon. Who knows what's going on with her, but she just cannot catch a break. But maybe she should start looking into catching a cab for a while. But who knew the girl from classics like She's the Man, the Amanda Show, What a Girl Wants (that's right, all classics) would do a stint with c-ra-zy!

Kudos to Modern Fam dominating the Emmy's tonight! As they should. Cameron and Claire brought home their own awards and I think they got one for writing and then the major one for Comedy Show. And their bit with the little girl who plays Lily being a crazy fame-crazed star was also solid! And it's coming back this week - yeah ya!!
Boos to Parks and Rec losing! They are phenom and deserve an award, I mean did you see the season premier this week? Maybe next year, maybe next year.

And a slow clap shout out all the shows coming back for fall! And no, I cannot wait to watch How I Met Your Mother tomorrow night :-)

#lookatmebloggingontime#winning
#that'srightihashtaggedahashtag

The Eating Tour of Laurel Street Continues...

Well it's been a while, but Lady Di and I were able to get back to our Friday lunch dates this week. So we hit up the new trendy place on Laurel - one of the many - Limone. This is owned by the same owners as Positano (literally right next door) so there's the same modern aura bleeding from this place. The menu is a focused more on lunch and breakfast and I imagine that they really shine on the weekend brunches for one reason only...bottomless mimosas. They offer bottomless mimosas every day as as much as I would have loved to try it out on Friday, I still had to work, so that will be another adventure for another day.

So back to the lunch menu. I had a chicken spinach salad with raspberry vinagrette. Pretty tasty, not a whole lot to it though. And really how can you screw up a spinach salad?! But I was definitely full when i left. When you compare it to the gorgonzola salad I had next door though - this was lame sauce. Lady Di really did pick the winner though. She had a Kobe (is it Kobe as in Bryant or Ko-bay? This is a question that has plagued me for years) burger and no she did not share (well besides one bite and I did steal a couple of fries when she was looking away).

The atmosphere in this place was pretty awesome. It's long and narrow, but ULTRA trendy. There's an enclosed "patio" that might be used only for a waiting space, but i could imagine a group sitting out there drinking their champ! Its very cute though and i can see this place catching up in good time and be the place to be soon enough. AND there are champagne bottles everywhere in decoration, where can you go wrong in that?

All in all, tasty with a lot of potential!

The important things I learned from this lunch date:
1. Bottomless mimosas will make a regular patron out of me
2. Kobe (bryant or ko-bay) burgers are always the right choice
3. Parking on Laurel Street on Friday at lunch time is downright awful. San Carlos is officially too trendy.

#iheartchampagne