wren's rambles.

Cleveland Beer Week

2011-10-21T11:43:00.006-04:00

I didn't know Cleveland had a beer week but I was sure glad to find out. Three Floyds Brewing Company was at The Greenhouse Tavern, which happens to be one of my favorite Cleveland restaurants! I went for the food with the beer just being a bonus.

The scotched quail eggs were delicious, as was the duck and beef shin. The doughnuts were colorful - my favorite was the cocoa puffs one.

And since this was a beer week event, there was a lot of beer. We actually had 3 full pints and then 3 smaller tastings. We left full and dehydrated on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, we were back downtown for more. We went to Noodlecat for another beer week event. Thankfully the beers were all smaller and we left full and still relatively hydrated!

Thank you to Suzi, Jon and Andrew to bringing these events to our attention, buying the tickets, and attending them with us.

Another random update.

2011-10-18T14:52:00.008-04:00

What I've been up to (in terrible iPhone pictures):

I made this out of an old pallet to shelf our DVDs. It works well and looks nice in our basement.

I raked the brush out of our woods. Leaves are covering it again but at least the sticks and weeds have been removed.

I saw woolly bear while doing my raking. That is a sign of winter.

And of course Bailey was there to help.

Well hello there!

2011-10-03T15:24:00.003-04:00

I've been lazy. This happens from time to time. Here are a few things we have been up to:

That's right, we went to a Browns game. Suzi convinced both Joe and I to go and I believe she must have tricked me into holding this flag for the picture.

Picture from: http://www.glsc.org/visit/omnimax.php
We went to the IMAX theater. We were initially drawn in by the Tornado Alley one but ended up enjoying Born to be Wild one better.

Afterward we went to the Market Garden Brewery which capped off an enjoyable evening.

Otherwise, I'm sure we have been like most other Clevelanders... just waiting for the rain to stop so we can enjoy some of the Fall season outdoors.

"Fall-en" into a new season.

2011-09-21T18:06:00.004-04:00

I have bought mums, apple cider and multiple six packs of seasonal beers which indicates Fall is here!

Our goal is to work through every octoberfest, harvest and autumn ale that is available.

P.S. - The witty title is compliments of Joe

Anniversary

2011-09-14T18:42:00.003-04:00

Three years ago yesterday, this guy walked me down the aisle...

...and then this guy walked me back up it.

After that we danced the night away with friends and family.

It was good night and it has been a good three years.

Golf Trip Photos

2011-09-11T20:40:00.007-04:00

We had a great trip and played at three of the five PGA National courses. Some rounds were better than others but overall we loved our golf vacation!

PGA national

2011-09-07T20:42:00.006-04:00

I think Joe is more excited for this than any other vacation we have ever been on.

(Picture from: pgaresort.com)

I am excited too - but Joe is beyond ecstatic! We are headed to PGA National Resort this weekend. Hopefully we'll both play well but either way it will be fun!

Cleveland Air Show

2011-09-06T20:53:00.007-04:00

Joe and I went to the air show on Saturday. It was pretty awesome to watch the planes do tricks and maneuvers. Here are some of the highlights:

Heat wave.

2011-09-05T15:59:00.002-04:00

It was pretty hot over the weekend.

It made it hard to sleep.

It was hard to sit and do nothing.

No matter what, I felt sweaty.

Today's coolness could not be more welcomed in our household!

Hot Home.

2011-09-01T15:43:00.005-04:00

Our AC isn't working... again.

It's the third time this year we will have had someone out to take a look. It's a wee bit frustrating. Especially since our appointment for tomorrow was cancelled. And especially x2 because it's supposed to get up to a hellish and humid 92 degrees tomorrow. Yikes!

I may melt.

If we make it through the weekend, next week looks to be cool. I am sure we will be looking forward to it.

Fantasy Football!

2011-08-31T14:30:00.003-04:00

The NFL lockout had Joe and I worried.

Our Fantasy Football season was in jeopardy until all of those knuckleheads could come to an agreement. Our draft is tonight and I'm hoping to have a talented team this year.

And how couldn't I? My team name is going to be Victorious Secret. Sounds like a winning name to me!

A rafter of turkeys out for a stroll...

2011-08-24T16:57:00.006-04:00

Did you know a group of turkeys is called a rafter? No? I didn't and now you do!

You're welcome for that knowledge.

This rafter passed through our backyard.

Of course, my camera battery was dying at a most inopportune time. I had to trick it by taking the battery out and putting it back in. Works like a charm but I was only able to get these two pictures before it completely died.

I have never been hesitant to share poorly taken photos though. Hope you can see them and enjoy!

Twilight Golf

2011-08-24T16:00:00.002-04:00

Suzi has picked up a new hobby: golf! After taking two lessons she was ready to take on the course. We have gone out and played nine holes quite a few times. Last night we played Twilight golf at Grantwood Golf Course. The deal is that, after 6 o'clock, you can play as many holes as you can before it gets dark. It only costs $10!

I'm glad Suzi has started to golf... it's just too bad her soccer season is going to interfere with her continued improvement this fall.

Happy Dog.

2011-08-22T15:02:00.005-04:00

Joe and I met Suzi, Jon and Andrew at Happy Dog on Friday night. There are only 3 things on the menu; hot dogs, french fires and tater tots. It would make ordering easy if it weren't for the 50 toppings you can choose to put on top of your hot dog. For just $5, you can put as many of their housemade toppings on as you want! Here are three of the hot dogs that I managed to get pictures of before they were devoured...

Joe's (chorizo chili, kansas city bbq sauce, and tillamook cheddar cheese).

Mine (caramelized onions, french brie cheese, bacon-balsamic marmalade, and warm pineapple-ginger-currant chutney).

The bottom one was Andrew's which I'm not sure what he had but looks like bacon spiked southern greens and the fried egg?

It was certainly a unique eating experience. It was also a very unique entertainment experience. It was polka night at Happy Dog and DJ Kishka was at the helm! Even though it was a little too loud (couldn't hear anyone across the table) it was fun to watch people sing along and get up and dance!

Weekend highlights

2011-08-15T15:13:00.004-04:00

It was a beautiful day on Saturday and Joe and I enjoyed much of the day outside. After getting our morning chores out of the way, we headed to the golf range for our lessons. The two of us are enthusiastic about trying to improve our golf game and have been spending quite a bit of time at the practice facilities. It should make it more fun out on the course.

For dinner we headed to 87 West, a wine bar in Chagrin Falls. We each picked a flight of wine to try and we shared an appetizer and pizza. The food was ok, the wine was pretty good, but the environment was great! We were able to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the humidity-free evening.

PCH Road Trip - Post 5

2011-08-10T15:21:00.008-04:00

When we arrived in LA, our schedule slowed down quite a bit. We stayed with Katie's good friend, Jenny, who lives in Santa Monica. On Thursday, we had a delicious late breakfast before taking on an uphill hike to Griffith Observatory. We attempted to continue our hike to the Hollywood sign but couldn't find the right trail.
That evening we went to happy hour at The Edison, a 1920's themed bar. The idea is pretty neat; upon entering you receive a token to turn in for 1 drink for the price it cost back in that era. We got a martini for only $0.35! However, my second drink was $12. The bartenders and waitresses are dressed for the period and the decor matches as well. It was a unique experience!
The following morning we had breakfast and then took route 1 toward San Diego. This was the slowest drive of our trip - there were many small towns to go through and we hit rush hour traffic upon our arrival to San Diego. We quickly changed and had appetizers at the hotel bar...
...before heading to the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park to see Engaging Shaw. It was a romantic comedy and the three of us were amazed that a cast of 4 people could put on such an entertaining show without even a scene change.

Picture from: http://raecosta.smugmug.com/Travel/California/Night-Photography/8926163_Pspuu/1/1184808643_HeK3e#1184808643_HeK3e

The next morning we packed our bags and headed to the airport. It was a great trip and I was glad to be able to spend so much time with Katie since I don't see her often enough.

PCH Road Trip - Post 4

2011-08-09T13:28:00.007-04:00

After our wine tasting on Tuesday, we headed to our hotel in Solvang. Solvang is a small Danish community that appeals to tourists like Katie and me! It was cute to walk around and we got Aebleskiver for breakfast.

We were lucky to have a Bradley Ogden restaurant right next to our hotel. It was probably our best dinner of the trip.

The following morning we headed to Santa Barbara where we were able to park and do some of the Urban Wine Trail.

After a winery or two or five, we walked over to the Marina part of Santa Barbara where we had decent dinner at Brophy Brothers.

Bridgestone Invitational Tournament

2011-08-08T14:10:00.002-04:00

I interrupt my PCH vacation posts to announce that I have returned to Cleveland and to my husband!

After getting home late on Saturday evening, Joe and I went to the Bridgestone PGA event held in Akron. Joe has been getting into golf more recently and was excited to see some of the pros up close. It was a fun day and was amazing to see how far they drive the ball in person. They make it look so effortless!

Anyway, I have a few more pictures to post and the second half of our California trip to report later this week.

PCH Road Trip - Post 3

2011-08-03T01:11:00.006-04:00

After our restful night at the Madonna Inn, we headed toward Los Olivos with one mission: Wine Tasting! We stopped at 3 wineries on Zaca Station Road. We were pulled in by the name of the first winery; Tres Hermanas (3 sisters in Spanish)

Our second stop was Fess Parker winery where we got to enjoy our vino outdoors.

Our last winery stop was Firestone Winery where we asked quite a few questions about the wine making process. Katie and I are now prepared to start our own vineyard.

We got to Los Olivos where we had time to do an olive oil tasting. This was a very unique experience and I was amazed I could taste the nuances in different types of olive oil. I had never put much thought into the type of olive oil I used but this opened up my eyes to a world of flavors!

PCH Road Trip - Post 3

2011-08-03T00:58:00.007-04:00

After a long day cruising along route 1, we stopped at the popular Madonna Inn to rest our weary selves.

Katie had heard a lot about this outrageous hotel and made it a must stop for our journey. Each room is unique with its own name and look. Our room was the Wilhelm Tell...

My favorite part of the room, without a doubt, was the shower....

PCH Road Trip - Post 2

2011-08-02T22:07:00.008-04:00

After breakfast in Carmel-by-the-sea on Monday morning, we headed to Point Lobos State Park. It was a little overcast but a beautiful park.

We continued to head into the Big Sur where there were stunning views around every bend. Our next stop was Pfeiffer Falls. It was a steep climb to see the waterfall but was nice to see. Unfortunately, I didn't get a very good picture to share. However, I do have a nice one to share of our lunch at Nepenthe...

After that we went to McWay Falls. This was actually the second time I've been there but I was excited to see it again.

We happened to stop at a vista point that had the following:

Elephant Seals! These things were massive and I was really excited to see so may of them so close up!

PCH Road Trip - Post 1

2011-07-31T22:47:00.007-04:00

After landing in San Francisco and picking up our Chrysler 200 convertible, Katie and I headed to Fisherman's Wharf to see if we could pick up tickets to tour the Alcatraz. The tour has been sold out for weeks and we were hoping to get lucky. We were not lucky so this is about as close as we got:

We walked around Fisherman's Wharf and grabbed a sourdough bread sandwich. After that we checked in to our hotel which was within walking distant to the very curvy Lombard Street. From there we were able to catch a cable car to Union Square.

To cap off the night we had a delicious dinner at a Tapas restaurant followed by a show of Flamenco. This morning we headed over the Golden Gate Bridge and had breakfast a Fred's Coffee Shop in Sausalito before arriving at Muir Woods. We took the Ocean View trail for a 2.6 mile hike in the redwood forest.

After that we started our trek south on Route 1 aka the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). We arrived in Monterey late this afternoon and took a walk around Cannery Row before heading to Carmel-by-the-sea. Off to dinner we go!

Planning.

2011-07-27T10:58:00.005-04:00

I have been spending all of my internet time travel planning (excuse for lack of blogging) for an upcoming trip. At the beginning of July, Katie said she had vacation days she had to use before they expired. When a opportunity to travel knocks, I answer! We had talked about wanting to drive down the coast of California and thought this would be a good time to follow through.

I will be meeting her in San Francisco on Saturday morning where we will hop in our rental car and head south along the Pacific Coast Highway. Our end of the line is San Diego, which means... Saint Didacus in Spanish. We will stop to see the sights along the way and hopefully I will have time to post pictures and journal our journey.

Picture from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_1

Jeni's Ice Creams

2011-07-19T15:39:00.002-04:00

Sunday, after the US's sad loss in the Women's World Cup, Suzi, Jon, Andrew, Joe and I went to Jeni's Ice Creams to drown our emotions. It worked. Shortly after tasting the salty caramel flavor, my thoughts were on how I didn't ordered a large enough cone. Should have ordered the 3 scoops! Still kicking myself.

Being based out of Columbus, the Chagrin Falls store is new so this was my first taste of Jeni's. It most certainly won't be my last. There are far too many unique flavors I want to try. Next time I think I'll go with Rhubarb & Lime Cardamom frozen yogurt. Yum.

2011 Main Event.

2011-07-15T00:16:00.005-04:00

Can you tell who is sitting to Joe's right?

I know the glasses and hat make it a little difficult but it is...

Picture from: http://seinfeld.wikia.com/wiki/George_Costanza

Jason Alexander! Aka George Costanza from Seinfeld. He is actually a decent poker player and has played in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker quite a few times.

This was about the only exciting thing of the main event since Joe got knocked out today. He made it all the way to Day 3 but the money doesn't start until Day 4. We are going to golf tomorrow to forget about his unsuccessful summer.

Wordless Wednesday: Bright Lights

2011-07-13T19:07:00.002-04:00

Outdoor living.

2011-07-12T11:45:00.005-04:00

We were finally able to spend sometime using our newly stained deck and new outdoor furniture this past Friday. I like eating outdoors and can't wait to use it more frequently.

Our job isn't quite done yet...

We have 4 more stairs left and we will need to do a second coat on the stairs. The deck was in pretty bad shape and drank the stain/sealant like Joe drinks a beer after yard work. That is why we are on our 4th gallon of sealant.

We are going to put in a patio near the basement door. We want to have a fire pit so I can cook s'mores for dessert every night. We marked off the approximate space and can't wait until we can use that outdoor space as well.

Ugly Face.

2011-07-06T13:43:00.004-04:00

Now before you judge the below photo, watch this youtube video.

I hope you understand what we are doing now and don't think we are complete freaks. Tara showed us this video on Saturday and we spent the rest of the evening making faces. I can only imagine what people thought.

Here's a normal looking picture just so you can tell we are a decent looking group of girls...

...ignore the case of Coors Light...

The 4th of July weekend.

2011-07-05T11:43:00.002-04:00

Friday was spent with Suzi as we went wedding dress shopping at Pat Catan's. Mother-of-the-bride, Mother-of-the-groom and bridesmaid Kaitlyn came as well to see Suzi in something other than athletic wear... She looked very pretty in everything she tried on - Jon is a lucky guy!

Saturday brought about the end of my pining for my husband. Joe flew in and we stopped to get a cheesesteak before we got home and I put him to work assembling our outdoor dining table. Pictures of that coming soon!

Sunday we pulled a forest of weeds from one of the beds in our backyard. We had done a good job in the front of our house but kept procrastinating on the back. I mean only our neighbors can see them... We were tired but forced ourselves to play 18 holes of golf in the afternoon. I blame the morning labor for my poor performance on the course.

We kept the momentum going on Monday and finished weeding in the backyard. We even started to mulch. I'm sure our neighbors will be glad to see the unkempt beds gone. To celebrate the holiday, we headed over to Donna's for a cookout. Nicole and I were beaten pretty badly in cornhole by our husbands (they even played left handed against us one game). All in all, weather was good, food was tasty and a fun time was had!

So close!

2011-07-02T12:02:00.005-04:00

Joe was supposed to come back on June 30th but refused to return to me! I suppose he had good reason to stay longer and I am just being salty.

Mr. P was doing well in a tournament. He made Day 2 so they pushed their flights a day back. Then he made Day 3 so again they pushed their flights back another day. Mr. P made a great run in the event, finishing in 26th out of a starting field of 817 players. Picture of Mr. P is below... Joe has, yet again, creepily and partially made it into the background of a photo:

Joe will finally be coming home tonight! Hip Hip Hooray!

Wordless Wednesday: Bailey at the Barkley

2011-06-29T10:55:00.008-04:00

Jersey Shore.

2011-06-27T15:54:00.003-04:00

I had a great weekend in Sea Isle City, NJ. It doesn't matter where my Spain friends and I go, we always have a good time. We all (minus Olivia) got there on Friday afternoon and the earliest arrivers got to spend a little bit of time at the beach. We spent time catching up before going out to a few bars that night.

We spent all day on the beach on Saturday - the weather was perfect; sunny skies and low humidity. SPF 30 worked well enough and I didn't get burned. We had a nice dinner and went out again on Saturday. We were all headed home on Sunday but got to spend a few hours on the beach again. We ocean kayaked which was a lot of fun. Rachel and I successfully did not capsize the first 2 times we went out and back through the waves but capsized on the 3rd and 4th. We regressed I guess. Can't wait until our next reunion, whenever and where ever that may be!

Scrambling

2011-06-24T10:27:00.001-04:00

I played in a golf scramble with Mrs. Patrick yesterday. We have played in this same one 3 years in a row now. Our team, made up of Mrs. P, her mom and her sister, has finished pretty poorly in the past. At the 'awards ceremonies' we would usually get last pick of the prizes - all that would be leftover were socks.

This year our goal was to do better and get something a little more exciting than socks. We finished 11th out of 20 teams and we got...hats! I can't wait to see what next year will bring!

Ohh the distance!

2011-06-21T19:44:00.003-04:00

They say "distance makes the heart grow fonder..." Well that's about the only positive thing about Joe staying in Vegas until the 30th while I am at home. That's ten whole days we will be apart! Yikes!

I am sure the time will go quick with him playing tournaments and me going to the Jersey Shore this weekend to visit my Spain friends. This will be my first trip to the Jersey Shore...

CA$H!

2011-06-20T13:40:00.003-04:00

Mr. Patrick, aka the Metalman, made it to a Day 2 yesterday and successfully had the first Patrick cash of the summer! It was not a huge payout but it was certainly better than nothing at all. He was knocked out in 99th which halted his dreams of a final table. Hopefully this will start the ball rolling for more to come...

Daily Bailey.

2011-06-19T14:29:00.003-04:00

While in Vegas, I always encourage my mom to sent me a "Daily Bailey" photo - we really liked this one:

Also, Happy Father's Day!

Can't catch a break.

2011-06-18T11:51:00.004-04:00

Joe has been terribly unlucky so far in this World Series of Poker. He gets his chips in with hands that are better than his opponents but, the hands haven't been holding up.

For example, last trip he flopped a straight and got his chips all in against a set of jacks. Then on the river, the board paired giving the guy a full house and sending Joe to spend time with Mrs. P and I.

Yesterday he got his pair of aces in against a pair of kings. There were no draws on the board so the guy could only hit one of the two remaining kings in the deck to beat Joe. The king came on the river and Joe went to the bar for a drink.

Hopefully these "bad beats" will stop and Joe will be able to make it deep into a tournament.

Hard Work.

2011-06-15T13:43:00.003-04:00

It has been the perfect deck staining/sealing weather the past few days. 60-70 degrees, no rain and semi-cloudy. So that's exactly what we did. Monday and Tuesday after work, we put on some old clothes and tried to get as much as we could get done before dark.

To whoever built this deck...why so many spindles? They are a huge pain to paint. The deck really needed it and is looking a lot better! We were able to finish it all except for the steps. A huge thanks to my mom for helping out!

Can't wait to put out our new furniture and enjoy the outdoors!

What we've been up to.

2011-06-15T10:51:00.002-04:00

We had a good weekend that went by way too quickly. We played 9 holes of golf on Friday after work. It was the worst I had played this year but I think it was still better than last summer.

Saturday we went to Nicole and Adam's new house before heading downtown for the Burning River Roller Girls semi-finals. We got to see 2 bouts and I am hoping I can make it to the finals on July 16th!

Sunday we celebrated my dad's birthday by going out to Brunch and walking around the Chagrin Falls "Art in the Park." Katie was in town for the weekend so it was nice to spend some time with her.

Third Wheel.

2011-06-09T12:23:00.003-04:00

I had a fun night of being the third wheel to Suzi and Jon. We went to Momocho for dinner and it was as good as I remembered from last time! After a wild boar carnita, we headed to the Nautica Pavilion for the Ray LaMontagne concert. I had seen him play in April of 2009 in a theatre outside of Pittsburgh. I think the indoor venue made for better sound but I still enjoyed the open air, overly hot Nautica venue.

dog days of summer

2011-06-08T13:46:00.003-04:00

To complement Nicole's wordless wednesday post:

Cooling off in front of the fan.

Poker Rest Day.

2011-06-05T23:12:00.004-04:00

The Joes took a day off poker so that we could golf today. It was the hottest day since we've been here but ended up being breezy and cooled things off. I played pretty well for my standards which made it an enjoyable outing!

Rio Wine Cellar

2011-06-04T12:40:00.004-04:00

The Rio doesn't have a whole lot to do which is unfortunate since that is where all of the World Series of Poker events are played. However, Mrs. P and I discovered the Wine Cellar which is the best hidden gem in the Rio and dare I say, the entire Strip!

You head down these stairs and arrive in a wine cellar. You will be the only person there besides the bartender and you can enjoy a flight of wine and cheese. How they have stayed alive all these years is beyond me but I'm glad to have my own personal wine cellar in Vegas.

Poker Press!

2011-06-03T14:41:00.004-04:00

Joe is famous! He was included in a pokernews.com picture in yesterday's tournament - that's right, he was sitting next to the guy who ended the day second in chips! I think his shoulder and ear are looking pretty good!

Joe and his brother Jono have made it to Day 2 of this tournament. Hopefully I'll be reporting about a Day 3 tomorrow!

Bellagio Love.

2011-06-03T11:50:00.008-04:00

I love the Bellagio hotel in Vegas.

Mainly because of this:

I find fountains timed to music beautiful and entertaining.

I also like the botanical gardens.

They are updated seasonally and usually everything is made of flowers or something from mother nature.

Herbs.

2011-06-02T13:10:00.004-04:00

I bought and transplanted some herbs last week - I am pretty proud on how they turned out. I think it's pretty cute and functional with it being conveniently located in the kitchen.

I especially like the copper labels my mom got me.

Memorial Day Weekend.

2011-06-01T18:37:00.005-04:00

Most of our Memorial Day weekend was spent outside. The rain finally stopped and it allowed us to do some much needed yard work. This house has a ton of beds which means a ton of weeding and a ton of mulch. Joe and I hate weeding - in our opinion, it is the worst outdoor chore.

However, once completed, our hard work was gratifying. Fresh mulch looks great!

We also snuck in some time at the driving range on Saturday, played 9 holes on Sunday and went to my mom and dad's for a very tasty rib cookout on Monday. We put in a good day at work on Tuesday and today we are in Vegas. Joe is ready to take the World Series of Poker 2011 by storm! Go Joe!

Birthday Bash.

2011-05-23T10:15:00.005-04:00

On Friday, I was grilling out some food when Bailey and I heard a "meow." I put Bailey back inside and looked under our deck to find this:

This cat was very friendly and was de-clawed so I knew it had to have owners at one point. My neighbor and I gave it some food and water and are trying to find the owners. In the meantime, it is living outdoors - i'm glad it's warm out! Bailey and allergic Joe would not appreciate a new family member.

On Saturday, Joe had bought us tickets to the Indians game for my birthday. They were great seats behind home plate however no foul balls were caught, or even came our way.

The game was low scoring: 2-1 Indians victory! We had hoped for a little more offense.

Afterward, we went to the Tremont Tap House where they have 48 beers on tap! We got to sit outside since it was so nice - it made for a great day!

L.A. Noire

2011-05-20T09:45:00.006-04:00

One of Joe and my hobbies is playing interactive video games together. It started with Assassin's Creed and we've already played and beaten the first and second releases of the game.

We needed a new game and just a few days ago we found one of interest:

In this game, you play a detective in the late 1940's. You solve cases by collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. The facial graphics are eerily realistic and make the game fun when you have to read a person's facial expressions when interrogating them to see if they are lying or telling the truth.

We are closing cases right and left and working our way up the ladder in the LAPD!

Pictures from: www.destructoid.com, www.pcgametrek.com, www.mmomfg.com

Airborne Again.

2011-05-17T07:43:00.001-04:00

I feel as though this is a better representation of the concert:

Airborne Toxic Event concert

2011-05-16T19:49:00.002-04:00

I really must thank Jon for inviting us to this concert. It was a very high energy and awesome performance by Airborne Toxic Event at the House of Blues on Saturday night. I love that in many of their songs they use a viola and/or string bass.

The following video isn't the best representation of the concert we had. This one is not as energetic as it was on Saturday and they only have the woman playing the viola and the man playing string bass (no quartet support). It was the best I could find...

Hello, it's me!

2011-05-14T13:43:00.002-04:00

Oops, it's been awhile since I've posted! Here is a small recap to catch you up on the last week or so:

We went to the Rise Against concert last Saturday night. They sounded good live and it made for an enjoyable evening.

Joe went to the Pittsburgh casino to play poker on Sunday while I spent the day with my mom and dad. We hiked and grilled out for Mother's Day.

On Thursday our HVAC unit was finally fixed and I tried this new recipe which came out well. They were crunchy and had a good flavor to them.

Yesterday Joe went back to Pittsburgh to play some more poker and I went to Kaitlyn's to see her adorable baby, have some pizza and play board games (i won!).

Joe stayed in New Castle last night and played golf this morning. He'll be home shortly. I had a soccer game this morning. Suzi scored 2 goals, I scored none (we won!).

We will be going to eat at Greenhouse Tavern tonight and then to the House of Blues to see Airborne Toxic Event in concert.

That's about it though... you are now up to date!

Cinco de Mayo.

2011-05-06T13:37:00.004-04:00

After boxing class last night, Suzi and I decided rehydrate with some margaritas at El Campesino. This restaurant happens to be in the same plaza as our gym so it made it very convenient to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Joe and Jon's brother met us there and after a short wait, we enjoyed some tasty food. I'm not sure that Suzi will appreciate me sharing the following picture:

Springtime.

2011-05-03T08:30:00.002-04:00

It has been fun for us to have a new house and have no idea what is planted in our yard. We had daffodils pop up out of the ground first and I believe we have crocuses. I like the flowering trees the most though:

Quick Quote

2011-05-02T09:08:00.005-04:00

With my birthday coming up this month, I thought the following quote found on my Honest Tea bottle was relevant enough to share:

"Do not regret growing older. It is a privelege denied to many." -Unknown

Danke Lufthansa!

2011-04-26T14:45:00.002-04:00

I received a check from Lufthansa today! Not just a partial payment for the laptop that was plundered from my suitcase on our trip to Berlin, but a complete - to the penny - reimbursement! This was more than I had expected but exactly what is deserved!

Easter Celebrations!

2011-04-25T11:37:00.007-04:00

I hope everyone had a pleasant Easter Sunday. Katie made the trip from Chicago for a weekend visit - it was great to see her! We had dinner at my parents' house on Sunday. It was a delicious ham dinner and for dessert I brought carrot cupcakes that were topped with candied carrots. I am very proud of my candied curls and I now wish I had taken some pictures on Sunday from a non-phone camera (the quality stinks).

Bailey had an especially good Easter because it was her 2 year birthday! They grow up so fast, don't they? She got some gifts and had a fair share of human food to celebrate.

Berlin Bears.

2011-04-21T13:48:00.003-04:00

The bear is a symbol we saw alot of around Berlin. Not only on their flag, but also on random statues about the city:

Brrr it's cold in here!

2011-04-19T18:59:00.003-04:00

Over the past few days, our house has been getting progressively colder: 67... 63... and now 57! Our HVAC obviously is not working and we have someone coming to look at it tomorrow. However, in the meantime, we've started a fire, had some tea and are cuddling under blankets. At least it isn't the middle of winter...

Weekend update.

2011-04-18T19:59:00.004-04:00

After a long week at work, catching up on things we missed during our Berlin vacation, Joe and I had a very relaxing weekend. It was nice to have a slow weekend without much planned.

On Friday we grabbed some dinner with my little sister and played some competitive ping pong games. Saturday was rainy and a perfect day to stay in. Although we did venture out for a Starbucks coffee when there was a break in the clouds.

On Sunday, Joe would usually play poker. However, the Department of Justice has shutdown most of the online poker sites; leaving Joe without his favorite hobby. Joe's dad also was an avid Sunday poker player and was left twiddling his thumbs. To fill his idle time, he took Mrs. Patrick to see the plant in Wickliffe and then they came over for an early dinner. They are both hoping to get their hobby back soon but it isn't looking very promising...guess Joe will just have to spend more time with me! Now isn't that lucky!

Berlin Photos.

2011-04-12T20:08:00.010-04:00

Our first day in Berlin we saw the Reichstag (Parliament Building) as well as the Brandenburg Gate:

While Joe and his Dad played poker at the Spielbank Casino...

Mrs. Patrick and I toured the Charlottenburg Palace and the beautiful gardens behind it:

Otherwise we strolled the streets of Berlin. We went through the Nikolai Quarter, the reconstructed "Old Berlin."

Museum Isle:

Headed home...

2011-04-08T15:03:00.002-04:00

After a great week in Berlin, we are headed home tomorrow morning. It will be a long day of travel but it will be good to get home and go back to our routine and see our dog! Everytime I saw a dog it made me think of Bailey and how much she would have loved all the walks we went on.

Anyway, see everyone soon!

Dresden Photos

2011-04-07T11:51:00.009-04:00

I had a little bit of time to upload the highlights from our trip to Dresden yesterday:

Dresden.

2011-04-06T15:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Day 1 of the EPT and unfortunately for them, they did not make it through the day. I figure it is a good thing because now they get to spend more of their time experiencing Germany.

For example, today, we took a two hour train ride to Dresden. It is south of Berlin and gave us some nice time to relax and see the country side. Dresden has a lot of history and the architecture was beautiful. We had a nice time strolling around, having lunch and taking in the sights. We were happy for the train ride back to rest.

East Berlin Wall.

2011-04-05T12:46:00.001-04:00

Not Wunderbar.

2011-04-04T10:00:00.002-04:00

We had a safe and relatively hassle-free trip to Berlin after our cancelled flight yesterday morning. We were forced to check our luggage on our flight from Charlotte to Munich and they said they would check it all the way to our final destination of Berlin. However, they did not get our luggage on our connecting flight (there were 3 hours between the flights - plenty of time for transferring luggage in my opinion).

This was disappointing but we went to our hotel to freshen up and then went exploring. We saw the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag as we wandered near our hotel. We had our first beer and german sausage at a cafe by the river. Here comes the not so good part. We got back to our hotel to find our luggage had been delivered but that my MacBook Pro laptop had been stolen. They left the apple charger (not very worthwhile to me without the laptop) and my Canon camera.

Not the best start to the trip but I am trying to not let it get me down. The beer will help!

USeless Airways

2011-04-02T11:35:00.001-04:00

We are leaving for Germany today! Joe and his dad are playing in the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Berlin this week. We're very excited for the trip!

This morning we received a scare when I woke up to an email saying our US Airways flight from Philadelphia to Frankfurt had been cancelled! What? They only give you 12 hours warning before an international flight? Luckily customer service got us on another flight through Charlotte so the trip may go on! Wunderbar!

Preston Prius!

2011-04-01T11:16:00.002-04:00

I went to Preston Toyota in New Castle to pick up my new Prius! I'll be ~~vrooming~~ whirring past gas stations in the hybrid. Thanks to Bobby Preston himself for the great service and making the car buying experience so amazing.

Disclosure: Preston Motors did not compensate me for this review. Seriously, not even a little discount for all this praise!

Is it Spring yet?

2011-03-29T19:42:00.005-04:00

If I hadn't looked at the upcoming weather forecast of snow flurries, I would have thought it was Spring based on our front yard:

Weekend Wedding.

2011-03-28T14:39:00.003-04:00

The highlight of our weekend was Chris and Megan's wedding! Chris grew up across the street from me and was like the brother I never had (he used to hang me upside down by my feet). Chris has finally matured (or I have gotten too heavy) and he married a lovely girl on Saturday night.

The ceremony and reception were at Windows on the River in Cleveland. It was a wonderful view of the river and city. The food and drinks were great and I had a lot of both!

Congratulations to the Chris and Megan!

Vegas Trip.

2011-03-25T10:30:00.002-04:00

This trip to Vegas was more successful than the last few we've been on. Joe and his dad played in two tournaments at the Wynn over the weekend and Joe got 5th in one of them! He played well and was happy to come home with some money!

As for me, in the past I haven't really been much of a gambler (much to Mrs. Patrick's dismay). However, this trip I found that I have a love for video black jack. I can put $20 in and have at least an hour of fun without losing too much.

An aerial view.

2011-03-19T15:36:00.002-04:00

While flying into Vegas yesterday, we had a great view of the Hoover Dam. We have never flown this close to it so I had to take a picture.

It's all coming together!

2011-03-17T18:40:00.003-04:00

Looks better with chairs, doesn't it?

These climbing men were too unique and fun to pass up.

Pillows

2011-03-17T11:12:00.004-04:00

Whilst doing some online perusing for pillows for our couch, I came across the one pictured below which I really liked! However, it was $63.00 for a single pillow and that was the on sale price. Yikes!
I went with my mom to Joann Fabrics and we found the same exact fabric - I was ecstatic! As long as my mom does not charge for labor, we should hopefully get the same quality-made pillow for considerably less.

I'm a brick...house!

2011-03-15T09:35:00.006-04:00

In order to jump start my attempt to begin consistently working out again, I took a kickboxing class last night at BrickHouse Boxing. It was nothing like the cardio kickboxing classes I took for a few months in New Castle. In New Castle, it was pretty much an all women's class with a few men from time to time. This class was all men with just Suzi and I. I'm really glad she came.

The BrickHouse class focused on form and proper technique which I really enjoyed learning about. However, I was used to kicking the heavy bags with my foot which is wrong. You are supposed to hit with your shin since it is one of the hardest bones in the body. My shin did not like that:

Apparently I am not a brick house, I am a peach. I suppose I need to wear some shin guards or build up a tolerance to abusing my shins.

Weekend Update.

2011-03-14T15:36:00.003-04:00

Some of the highlights of the weekend:

We had a game night with Suzi and Jon on Friday. Suzi brought a new game over, You've Been Sentenced, which was ok but not as good as Boxers or Briefs.

Saturday night was Megan N.'s bachelorette party. She has a mere two weeks left before she's to be married so we celebrated downtown on East 4th Street. We had dinner at La Strada followed by a dessert drink at Chocolate Bar and then a cocktail or two at Wonder Bar.

I had my first baby shower to go to on Sunday...gulp! Kaitlyn got a lot of adorable little outfits for her little girl that will be born in April.

Go away snow!

2011-03-11T13:23:00.002-05:00

As beautiful as the snow is, I'm ready for it to be spring.

At least I have a husband willing to get up early and take care of the driveway

Driving Green.

2011-03-09T16:15:00.004-05:00

Since my car lease is up in a few months, I've been starting to think about what new vehicle I would like to zip around town. I love my current car, but having to put in premium gas when gas prices are so high is brutal. So I'm going green. Not only will buying a Toyota Prius cut down on my carbon footprint, it will keep some green dollar bills in my wallet as well.

I'm excited about it!

We are social butterflies

2011-03-07T13:19:00.003-05:00

Joe and I were pretty busy this weekend, and as you can tell from the title, it was mostly with social activities. After work on Friday, we met Suzi and Jon downtown for dinner and a play. We ate a Momocho. They serve modern mexican cuisine and this restuarant has sky rocketed to the top of my favorites list. It wasn't just the fun flavored margaritas that has me professing my love for this eatery, the food is unlike the traditional cheese-laden mexican to which I'm accustomed. In fact, the entire meal was cheese free! I had duck taquitos (fajitas) which were delicious. If you live in Cleveland, visit this Ohio City restaurant.

After Momocho, we saw Shrek the Musical. I thought the production was pretty good. It was entertaining and the acting was well done, but I didn't love the music (with the exception of "I'm a believer"). A musical should have great music.

After a lot of errands on Saturday; Amy, Megan, Nicole and Adam came over for some burgers and hot dogs. Grilling indoors was our way of encouraging Spring to show up soon so we can do some grilling outdoors. We played some very competitve table tennis with Adam showing the most skill. We had a lot of fun and will have to do it again after we've improved our ping pong skills!

Volleyball.

2011-03-04T15:02:00.006-05:00

In response to Holly's comment...

Nicole and her husband, Adam, invited us to play in a co-ed volleyball league which has been going on over the past 2 months. Neither Joe or I have played volleyball outside of our High School gym classes and we were apprehensive on how our performance might be. Although we still have a lot to improve on, neither of us have taken a ball to the face and I believe we are getting better each week (some weeks feel like a regression).

Our team, the Yetis, isn't the best in the league. In truth, I think we are battling for one of lowest ranks. We have been having a good time though and are looking forward to our last 4 games before playoffs.

Go Yetis!

Furniture Pictures!

2011-03-03T15:09:00.005-05:00

I'm very excited to share the pictures of our new furniture. We feel like things are really starting to come together and, as cliche as it sounds, it feels more like our home.

(notice the chalkboard wall in the background!)

Chairs will be a nice addition...

New Furniture.

2011-03-01T11:21:00.004-05:00

After waiting for about 6 weeks, we have finally received our new couches and chairs. We order a sofa, a chair and a half and a regular chair. The chair and a half is huge and I am convinced they accidentally sent us a love seat. Joe has been breaking them in to the best of his ability and has been thoroughly enjoying it.

Oh, and the kitchen table too! We still don't have chairs but we feel like we are most of the way there. I have been meaning to take pictures but have been too lazy. I figured writing about the furniture on the blog would motivate me to take the pictures to post. Hopefully I'll be sharing them soon...

Sunshine State.

2011-02-24T13:16:00.003-05:00

Last Friday morning, Joe and I headed away from cold and dreary Cleveland to sunny and cheery Fort Myers. Joe's friend, Brian, and his girlfriend, Micah, joined us and Mr. and Mrs. Patrick for the long weekend vacation. Joe got to golf everyday and I went on long walks, got a massage, and enjoyed some relaxation.

Now, before you get too jealous, I should tell you that my shoulders did get a little burned on Monday... sigh. I'll stop here for you so you can process your sympathetic thoughts...

Is that you, Spring?

2011-02-16T16:16:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard already, Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow which means there is only two more weeks of winter! That is if you believe that stuff? I don't know how scientific the whole "groundhog see his shadow" approach is, but it has seemed to warm up the past few days! I have really enjoyed seeing the snow start to melt and my teeth not chattering, but Joe and I have found one downside: Bailey wants to go outside every 5 minutes.

Here is how it goes: She presses her "doggy doorbell" and we let her out. She stays outside for a while then must decide she needs to check on us. We let her back in, she looks at us, then within 5 minutes she presses the doorbell to go out again. This happens repeatedly until she takes a nap. Then it starts all over again.

I drew the following to help me cope with this annoyance. Art therapy is supposed to be a good way to deal with emotions...

One Red Door.

2011-02-16T08:57:00.004-05:00

Joe and I celebrated Valentine's Day last night by going out to eat at One Red Door in Hudson. February 14th ... February 15th ... those dates are so close, what does it really matter? Anyway, this was a restaurant we had wanted to try.

It was very tasty! We went the tapas/small plate route so that we could taste a bit of everything. We tried the roasted date, crispy duck confit, warm spinach salad and the applewood smoked pork crust (aka Pizza). Even though it was a little pricey, we loved it and it made for a romantic day after Valentine's Day date.

Blackberry Cobbler.

2011-02-14T15:13:00.005-05:00

This weekend's cooking creation was a blackberry cobbler. It was delicious straight out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My inspiration for this dessert: blackberries were on sale at Giant Eagle!

Also, Happy Valentine's Day!

Chalkboard.

2011-02-14T11:23:00.004-05:00

Joe and I adventurously bought the following this weekend:

We are painting a wall in chalkboard paint. Although you can buy this paint in different colors, we chose to go with the classic black. Bold! Here is just a taste of it...

I'll post the final product after we finish our numerous layers.

Knife Skills

2011-02-10T14:25:00.002-05:00

We are proud to announce that all of our fingers are still intact after we took a knife skills class last night. Joe and I were both signed up for this 3 hour long class hosted by the Western Reserve School of Cooking in Hudson. The course was focused on the different uses for various knives, the proper way to hold the knife, and of course chopping, dicing and julienning.

We also made, and subsequently consumed, 4 meals: Chicken Coq au Vin, Thai Chicken and Vegetable Curry (our favorite one), Penne Pasta Primavera with Roasted Garlic Sauce, and Roasted Vegetable Pizza with Goat Cheese. It was a fun, informative and tasty class!

A good workout song.

2011-02-08T15:08:00.002-05:00

Monday Mourn

2011-02-07T09:00:00.002-05:00

We are all feeling a little down today after the Steeler loss last night. At least they made it that far...

Here we go!

2011-02-06T18:05:00.002-05:00

We are all ready for the game!

So true!

2011-02-04T08:07:00.002-05:00

I was at Pottery Barn the other day when I came across the following book:

I took a look at both my own and Joe's names. Mine wasn't anything exciting but Joe's was one I had to share!

Very apt in my opinion!

Celebration

2011-02-02T18:51:00.002-05:00

My mom and dad brought over a chocolate ganache cake for Joe's birthday. Here is the birthday boy making his birthday wish.

Happy Birthday Joe!

2011-02-01T11:06:00.002-05:00

Today, Joe has joined me at the quarter century mark! Happy Birthday to him!

For the big day, I bought Joe a brand new car!

It just so happened his lease was up and I therefore get to call this a birthday gift from me. Such a generous wife I am!

French Macaroons

2011-01-31T11:58:00.002-05:00

Here is my Saturday creation: a French macaroon. These are raspberry flavor but they can be just about any flavor you can imagine. Mine aren't nearly as pretty as they are supposed to be:

I am still proud of them since they were kind of difficult to make and I think they taste pretty darn good.

Weekend Update.

2011-01-30T15:56:00.003-05:00

A summary of our weekend:

-We saw Black Swan on Friday with Suzi, Jon, Kaitlyn and Rob. I was excited to see it since it has been nominated for so many awards. It's a dark film and had some scenes I had not expected. Natalie Portman does a very good acting job. I would suggest seeing it.

-Joe and I went to the Westside Market to wander about and get some fresh foods. We ended up bringing home some nuremberger bratwurst and pierogies for Saturday's dinner and a whole chicken for Sunday's chicken noodle soup. We had a good time and will be going back soon.

-Today, Sunday, we went to the Wayside Furniture store in attempt to get some more furniture in our still very empty home. We saw a few things we liked but didn't make any purchases. Slowly we will get this home filled.

Wake up!

2011-01-25T13:52:00.003-05:00

This is not the reason we send her to day camp...

Kolaches

2011-01-25T09:48:00.004-05:00

After quite a few weeks of being lazy, I am finally back into a rhythm of cooking on a regular basis. I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes but I just hadn't felt like doing much of it after we moved. I'm sure Joe is thankful that my passion is back!

This weekend I made kolaches. I had one from the Kolache Factory when I was in Houston and thought it would be fun to try. A kolache is a czech creation; it is a filled pastry that can either be sweet or savory. The one I tried was ham, egg and cheese filled. And although mine was a bit different than the one I had in Houston, I think they came out pretty well. We've been enjoying them for breakfast this week.

All Aboard!

2011-01-23T13:24:00.003-05:00

Joe and I had a lovely Saturday afternoon watching the snow covered trees and the ice-laden river go by. We were on "The Grape Escape Wine Train" on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad with my parents. This was a two hour train ride where we got to taste 5 different wines paired with hors d'oeuvres. It was a fun way to warm up on a cold day. Next time we may try "Ales on the Rails."

School Fight.

2011-01-19T13:53:00.004-05:00

We were informed yesterday that Bailey got in a scuffle with another dog at day camp. Bailey is a very vocal dog. Not just with barking, but with whining with excitement, whimpering when she is left out, and some growling when she is feeling protective. When she plays with her best friend, PJ, she frequently does a high pitch bark or a low growl. However, she made this growling noise to a dog just as it entered day camp. This dog did not appreciate the greeting and went after Bails. The end result was no injuries but two dogs put in time out.

Later on they both happily re-joined day camp.