By Way of Pittsburgh, New York and D.C.
February 17, 2011 Leave a Comment
This year for Valentine’s Day, Charlie made breakfast with a waffle maker we got as an engagement gift from my cousin, Kalorik WM-17885 Heart-Shaped 1000-Watt Nonstick Wafflemaker
Heart Shaped Waffles!
I made dinner with lobster my mom and step-dad brought up from Florida:
Lobster
And Coco got to go to the dog park:
Couldn't be happier
February 16, 2011 1 Comment
Last week, when we were flying out of LAX at 7am, all we wanted was some coffee. Our choices were Starbucks, that had a line 20 people deep, or Burger King, that had 3 people in line. Scoffing, I jumped in the BK line and thought, “oh hell no, Sbux” and also, “bonus crossanwich!” Is Starbucks coffee really worth a 10 or 20 minute line, when your plane is boarding in 25? On Saturday morning (noon) we decided to find out! Were those people standing in line for Starbucks victims of a good marketing department, or just running-through-an-airport-terminally-dedicated to their superior java.
We picked up a cup of coffee from Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts.  And since we were conducting a serious scientific study, we required a control group that we knew we would like: Cuban coffee in the form of Caffe Americano (hot water and espresso).
I know what you’re thinking, “Jennie, it’s 40 degrees outside, how are you going to keep the coffee warm while you drive around from location to location without the coffee getting cold?” Don’t worry, Charlie is a man of many solutions. He decided to boil water in a pressure cooker and then bring the pressure cooker along for the ride to pick up the different coffees.
Pressure Cooker in a Blanket
The pressure cooker would then be wrapped in a blanket and seat belted.
Safety First
Then the plan was to pour the different coffees into plastic water bottles, and place those in the pressure cooker. My only contribution to the conservation of heat effort, with my two graduate degrees, was to crank the seat warmer.
Charlie Carefully Pours
Coco, always the micromanager
You can see how the coffees varied in colors. It seems obvious in hindsight, but it turned out they tasted (and smelled) better the darker they were:
Starbucks, McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts
Before we could taste the street-bought coffees, we had to make our cafe con agua.
Too bad this picture isn't scratch-n-sniff
The only Cuban espresso sold in Virginia grocery stores.
So we poured the coffees into tiny thimbles and proceeded to taste.
Chinese character for "You are going to need a mint for that dragon breath after you drink all of this coffee"
Artsy Fartsy
In the end, the Caffe Americano that we made at home tasted best. Part of me was sincerely hoping that somehow the McDonald’s coffee would stun me by being the best tasting, but Starbucks won out over the other store-made coffees. McDonald’s coffee did taste good in comparison to the cup of Dunkin’ Donuts, which didn’t even smell good.  The best part of the whole exercise was pouring the remaining Caffe Americano into a mug with warm milk, the left over espresso and sugar… then crashing for a nap.
Big bad Starbucks wins.
February 8, 2011 Leave a Comment
This weekend we flew to Los Angeles to visit Charlie’s brother, Chris, and his girlfriend Tanya. Every year Tanya’s family has a huge Superbowl party, so this year we were really excited to go… and defrost. The true winter wonderland is a place that doesn’t involve butt-clenching ice patches and has an extended forecast that looks like this:
True Story
As the trip approached Coco definitely knew something was up. She started to follow us everywhere in the house. And the morning of the trip, she plopped herself down by the front door and pulled out all the stops.
Pre-Trip Depression Obsession
Mascot Melodrama
You would think that we were leaving all weekend to play at the grandest dog park in all the land and swim in pools of milk-bones and chicken stock.
So, we headed off to the airport and left Coco under the watchful eye of my cousin Mary who did great as Coco’s substitute mommy. We flew Virgin America, which felt like more spaceship than airplane with its fancy TVs and European discoteque feel. I was expecting something like the JetBlue experience with the TVs, but it was better. Much better. Virgin is like JetBlue’s hot older brother who is in high school already and tall, and dreamy, but you’re hoping he’ll notice you anyway even though you’re an awkward pubescent 8th grader with braces who uses a Clinique bag to hide your super sized maxi pads because you haven’t discovered tampons yet.
You're welcome, Mr. Branson
Next Stop, Geostationary Orbit
But I digress… we were going to Los Angeles, the land of respectable temperatures and good times. We landed late, but the view from Tanya’s parent’s house, where we were staying, in the morning was phenomenal. As was the view from Chris and Tanya’s apartment. Prepare to relinquish your breath:
Pacifico
Gasp
Charlie, Chris, Pop
Charlie and Chris Kayaking
The refrigerator was ready for some football
It was exactly what we needed after a few weeks of weather-report guided living and shivering our timbers.
Dinner With Our Gracious Hosts
A Dream Within a Dream
At In-N-Out Burger
Blue!
Chris and Tanya
Happy Pale Northerners
Bangs a-la Bieber
February 3, 2011 Leave a Comment
Apparently there is an upside to all of this “holy [expletive deleted] it’s cold outside!” Last weekend we went skiing/snowboarding at Whitetail ski resort, the closest ski-slope to the DC area. Sure half the mountain was taken up with kids, rookies, and people skiing in their jeans, but it was so much fun, and totally worth the drive. Absent was the snobby air present at other ski resorts where the “expert ski people” despise the slow poke pizza-wedging their way down the mountain who was not born with the go-faster-gene, i.e. me.
On the way
Obligatory Goggles-on-the-Forehead Shot
Obligatory Hot Chocolate Break
Happy Charlie
"It's not that cold. It's not that cold. It's not that cold."
The view from the hot chocolate spot
February 1, 2011 2 Comments
Last week DC had a snow storm that was minimal when you compare it to the blizzards we had last year. The fact that this storm came right at rush hour, though, made the DC metro area crumble to its knees with traffic and furious drivers (who failed to top off their gas tanks before the storm hit) ditching their cars on the sides of roads, playing the blame game. Some people sat in traffic for up to 12 hours. Streets were completely gridlocked as the ice fell followed by inches of snow with thunder and lightning all over town. Google maps at 4pm looked like this.
Ay Dios Mio!
Google maps at 11pm looked like this.
Euw.
It was all sorts of no-bueno for many DCists. But, while the city collectively pounded on their steering wheel, Coco and I played “catch the snow ball” because I had worked from home.
I've got this.
And while the city groaned, and Coco loved life, Charlie was stuck at work, because the city was completely gridlocked. He and a coworker (with an AWD Explorer) found ways to keep entertained, though. Consumer Reports may have rated Charlie’s Jeep one of the worst vehicles, but on snow-storm day, it’s Charlie’s time to shine. Notice the traffic not moving an inch in the background:
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