Summer Solstice

Summer solstice is a good excuse to head outdoors. We spent most of the day outside, fixing up our front and back gardens. They look slightly better, but they're still in need of lots of work!

Up here in Seattle, the sun doesn't set until close to 10pm so after we cleaned up, we decided to find a place outside to have a glass of wine. We cruised over to Ray's Boathouse and was able to grab a seat out on their patio upstairs. I've heard people talk about the restaurant having nice views, and boy, they weren't kidding! We felt like we were on sitting right on top of the water! It's too bad that they have these awful steel bars running across the glass so it interrupts your view (well... if you're short like me!). The food was pleasantly good (and not outrageously expensive!) and the service friendly. It would have been perfect if the darn sun peeked out of the clouds! I guess I should be happy that at least it wasn't raining! :P

My Grad, May

After 3 grueling years May finally graduated from UCLA Anderson with her MBA. I'm very proud of her, who knew a former literature major could be such a natural in business? It just shows that reading always pays off.

That was the longest graduation ceremony of my life. Every award winner was subjected to a 15 minute intro from the dean, who was very long-winded. Overall it was good, but 2 1/2 hours for a graduation is just too much. One speech should cover it. After all, isn't the purpose to teach time management? These kids should be out looking for a new job

After that we headed to Lawry's for a celebratory dinner. It's a little hokey, but you can't help but love the spinning salad, the waitress uniforms and the tender flavorful prime rib. The creamed spinach is pretty awful, but the creamed corn is terrific.

What's next? Move May to Seattle on July 4th weekend.

Chicago sun

I spent a few days this week in Chicago, and surprisingly, it was quite a treat of nice weather. I've only been to Chicago in the winter, so my perception has been quite low, but with a little sun everything is better. It's a very walk-able town, flat and compact. Most of the major ad agencies and sights are within 2 square miles.

Carnivale
In a series of unforeseen circumstances, we had the pleasure of eating at Carnivale twice within 24 hours. Although a bit out of the way, the food and ambiance certainly makes up for it. The decor is a mix of colors and textures and the service (both times) was impeccable. They serve a non-traditional Caribbean/Cuban inspired cuisine. Lots of lime and plantains in each dish, which is always a hit. Although not the normal preparation, I loved the ceviche. Highly recommend it.

Smith & Wollensky
Another must-try landmark steakhouse in Chicago is Smith & Wollensky. As you can imagine most of the menu featured steak... big steaks! Nothing noteworthy, but still quite tasty, especially when paired withe a Santa Ynez Beckman Syrah. It's beautifully located on the river too with all sorts of fancy boats stopping by for a bite.

Langer's Trip

My new boss is in LA for 3 months to meet everyone, learn the business, etc, before she heads back to her New York. So of course, we felt it was our duty to introduce her to Langers, home of the best pastrami sandwich in the world. Yes, New York included!

I always get the #44: Pastrami, saurekraut and nippy cheese. Nippy cheese is the famous word for american/velvetta. You can't go wrong with this combo - they toast the already fabulous rye bread so it's even better becuase it's slightly crunchy but still good and chewy. The tenderness of the Pastrami is offset by the crunchy saurekraut. And, I generally hate cheese on sandwiches, but they toast it all just right so the cheese is slightly melted. It's like a grown-ups grilled cheese sandwich! Heaven I tell you!

Battle of the karts

In an all out grudge match, brother-in-law #1 (Kevin) was a formidable opponent. Truth be told I let him win a few times, but he put up a good fight. Brother-in-law #2 (Kin) slaughtered me, but only out of sheer luck. I swear, the makers of the game like Luigi better than Mario.

Brings back lots of late night memories in college.

Move Those Hips!

We bought my brother Wii Fit for his birthday and it finally arrived! Scott and I tested it out this weekend and are sad to report our depressing Wii Fit age: 44 and 35 respectively. I set up my profile and hopefully, I will be motivated to do a few Wii Fit games every day. So far, Scott kicks butt in hula-hoops and downhill skiing, while I'm good at yoga and balancing!