Todd’s New Years Eve Party


Vanessa, Chelsea, Kelly, Todd


Dallas & Marty


Damian & Rachelle


Kelly’s concoctions


We played a lot of Pictionary.


The girls won!


Big man, little dog.


Poor Bella


Larry & Adam


Getting ready to ring in the new year.


Noisy Kelly


One champagne, one sparkling wine.


Lilia & Larry just after midnight


Kelly & Todd


Rachelle & Dallas


Chelsea & Kelly


Marty, Josh & Lynda


Kelly, Brett, Lynda, Rachelle (& Todd)


I don’t know what happened to Steve here.


Adam & Katjie


Adam & Dallas

Around 9:30 we left Jen and Chad’s party and headed down to Wicker Park where Todd was hosting a party. We did this same thing two years ago when Todd hosted a party, and sort of did last year, except the party was at Frasca, not Todd’s house. Dallas brought our Wii over the night before and we all played that. We also played some good, old-fashioned Pictionary. We each put in $10 and the girls won all the money! Kelly made some delicious jello shots with real cherries in them and some fantastic mystery punch.

At midnight we toasted with Dom Perignon and some Sofia by Francis Ford Coppola Winery. A few people have asked me how the Dom was, since it’s known to be expensive and one of the best champagnes. To be honest, it tasted like champagne. Good champagne, but it was the only one at the party so I couldn’t compare and I’m not a huge connoisseur of champagne. Katjie, on the other hand, said she loves champagne and that it was great, so I’ll take her word for it. I also really liked the Sophia sparkling white.

I don’t know what happened after midnight. It’s a bit of a blur. Haha. Someone (ADAM!?) had my camera and took about a thousand photos. Dallas said I took them, but I’m in a lot of the photos, so that can’t be. Anyway, fun party. Great New Years Eve overall.

Holiday Weekend in New Hampshire

Dallas and I were out on the East Coast for the long holiday weekend. We planned to catch a flight to Boston after work on Thursday, meet up with Matt, Molly and Lucy, and drive up to Ross’s lake house in New Hampshire that night. Sure, it would be late, but it would be worth it to get there around midnight and be there, rather than waste time on Friday driving. Of course, since we had this timeline in place, that means that our flight had to be delayed. We sat on the runway for hours wondering how this was throwing all of our plans off. Still, in the end, we drove up to New Hampshire that night, not arriving until almost 2:30 a.m.! Luckily Lucy just slept the whole time and made the ride easy.

Ross rents in Boston, but bought a house on Lake Wentworth, near Wolfeboro, New Hampshire last year. I’d never been to New Hampshire and wasn’t sure what to expect. When we woke up in the morning, the views were so gorgeous. And it smelled great. I couldn’t get over it. The water, and woods, and evergreens, and grass. YUM.

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Also, we couldn’t see it at night, but when the sun came up? Ross’s house is beautiful. I’m used to people’s lake houses being cottages or older second homes, but this being Ross’s only house… and this being Ross…. the place was gorgeous. The four bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 pullouts, lake, laundry, sun room, yard, hot tub.. perfect for hosting a bunch of friends. Over the course of the weekend, Ross comfortably hosted Chelsea, Matt, Molly, Lucy, George, Tommy, Marinella, Colleen, John, Adam, Sarah, Dallas and I. So, 14 people! Plus 3 dogs: Koukla, Nookie and Buddy.

Ross’s new toy this year was a water trampoline. On Friday morning, after Matt made us a big breakfast, we all helped assemble the water trampoline.

Ross and Dallas carried it over to the lake, being careful not to drag it on anything.

Then a bunch of the guys helped get it onto the dock and into the water and secured with a rope to the dock and a rope to a weight. Chelsea and I supervised.

Ross had the first go on it.

And then Dallas had a turn. I think it was not as bouncy as people expected, but we still had fun on it over the course of the weekend. I liked swimming out to it and just laying on it like it was a raft.

One day we decided to go for a hike on Mount Major, a short drive away.

I’m not sure if this is a very strenuous hike or whether it was just because I wasn’t feeling well that day and also drink 5 beers right before going on the hike, but I took a rest just below the summit and did not motivate to make it to the top.


Lucy, Molly, Adam, Dallas, Ross, Chelsea, Tommy, Marinella, Matt

Still, the views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the surrounding areas were pretty great.


Koukla, Lucy, Molly, Adam, Dallas, Ross, Chelsea, Tommy, Marinella, Matt, Rachelle, Buddy

I set the timer to get in a group photo and even the dogs made it into that photo!


Matt, Chelsea, John

Over the course of the weekend we spent a lot of time in the lake, playing games in the yard, relaxing, sitting in the hot tub, canoeing, kayaking and even had one crazy night of charades that got pretty intense.


Matt, Colleen, Ross, Chelsea

We, of course, spent a lot of time playing the frisbee, cup, pole game. Ross also got us into a lively game of beer die. I only watched, but Ross and Chelsea won 4 games in a row against Matt and Dallas and Tommy and George. The thing is, winning means you keep playing, and spending all day winning may not always be a good thing. Let me just say that the 5th game was not finished and that some people disappeared until the next morning!

While all the beer die craziness was going on, I was hanging out on the sidelines with Lucy, 10 months, and Koukla, Tommy and Marinella’s dog.

Lucy has grown so much from the last time I saw her. She is such a great baby. Matt and Molly keep her on a pretty strict schedule and it works. She hardly cries and is always so happy. Her thing now is to do a twisty wrist wave at everyone. She loves it!

I also formed a soft spot in my heart for Koukla, who always listens and is such a sweetheart dog. So cute, too!

During the beer die game, this unnamed Adonis did a straight-armed beer chug. Said person may have then disappeared for half the night. Such things cannot be confirmed or denied and should not be discussed in the public forum.


Koukla, George, Matt, Sarah, Marinella, Tommy

The sunsets on Lake Wentworth were breathtaking. One night we all just gathered on the two docks to take it in.


Matt & Adam


Koukla & Adam

Koukla spent the weekend walking down the rocks or the dock steps til she was ankle-deep and then drinking the water. She loved it. And the water was so clean and clear. Not muddy or gross at all, like some lakes can be.

Dallas trying his hand at fishing. All he did was lose lures. The next morning, though, Adam and Sarah took the canoe out and caught some fish.


Koukla, Nookie, Marinella, Matt, Molly, Adam, Tommy, George, Ross


Sarah & Dallas Fishing

What a fun and relaxing extended weekend we had at Lake Wentworth! Big, huge thanks to Ross for being such a gracious host! Can’t wait to come back for another visit!

Green Mill

Ross and his girlfriend Chelsea were in town this weekend. We met up with them at Ribfest, where it was rainy and only about 50 degrees outside. When Ross flew in on Wednesday for work it was 97 degrees. He didn’t even pack a coat. Little did he know how fickle Chicago weather is!

We wandered around Ribfest for a while, drank some beer. Dallas and I stopped to talk to Josh at the Smoke Daddy booth. We also shared some kalbi ribs (and both agreed that when we make them they are better!). To use up some tickets and get out of the rain we had some corndogs and onion rings.

We then met up with some other friends – Todd, Brian, Sara, Brett – at Corner 41, which was kind of a mistake. It was nice to get out of the rain, but the bar had pretty much run out of beer. We bought their last 5 Coors Lights and they were all warm. I hate Coors Light, but I put it on ice and it actually was not that bad. Honestly, it tasted like water.

Chelsea used to live in Chicago and wanted to take Ross to the Green Mill, Chicago’s historic jazz club. I’d never been there and also wanted to go, so I tagged along. It was pretty cool, even if you’re not that into jazz, you should go once. That night’s jazz quartet consisted of drums, bass, and two saxophone’s. The band was called Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things.

We only stayed for a drink and one set, but it was enough to get a feel for the place. Ross and Chelsea went back to their downtown hotel and I went back to Logan Square where I met up with Dallas for a late night beer and slice of pizza at Boiler Room.

New Years Eve at Frasca


Rachelle & Cousin


Kelly, Chelsea, Lauren


Scott, Kris, Matt


JP & Larry (with a Todd photobomb)


The Most Interesting Man in the World


Rita, JP, Todd, Dallas (Note 2:03 countdown to midnight on the TV behind)


Midnight Toast. I don’t know how I got the crappy glass and everyone else got a fancy glass. Oh well, tastes the same!


Keirstyn


Kyle & Josh


Kelly & Marty


Soap, Kristi, Marty


Josh, Trevor, Kate


The best photo of the whole night. Don’t ask me what’s going on!

Dallas’s friend Josh is one of the owners of Frasca, just down Roscoe from Jen and Chad’s. For New Years Eve they closed at 10 p.m. and Josh hosted a private party, so we left Jen & Chad’s party and headed over to Frasca. The party was $60 for all you could drink and eat from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. Not too bad of a deal. We had a fun time ringing in the new year!

Brunch at Cookshop

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Cookshop, Chelsea, Manhattan

On Sunday Jess and I met up with Jeannette at Cookshop in Chelsea for brunch. We’d read on line that it was good and wanted to try it out. We had to wait 30-45 minutes to get in, which was ok because Jess and I were a little late anyway. Jeannette put our names on the list.

All three of us shared three brunch entrees plus the beignets for an appetizer.

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Fresh ricotta beignets with apricot compote

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Buttermilk Fried Baby Chicken with baby lettuce, shaved radish, ranch dressing & honey

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Semolina-Raisin French Toast with vanilla-mascarpone cream, toasted almonds & dried apricots

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Cookshop Scramble with 3 eggs, carmelized onions, creme fraiche, chives, buttermilk biscuit, & applewood smoked bacon

water_street_waterAfter brunch we went up to the AMC in Lincoln Square and saw the move Precious. Really brutal. Rough topics. But there is dark humor mixed in to break it up a bit. The movie is definitely draining though. You might experience an irrational need to cry when talking about something completely unrelated hours later. Or maybe that just happened to me. ha

Jeannette and I were at the Food Emporium before the movie I bought this water. We got snacks for the movie, but then no one ate them. Not that kind of movie.

The High Line

Saturday morning we met up with Tien, Shannan, and Jeannette for dim sum at our favorite dim sum restaurant, Jing Fong. Someone is going to get mad at me for saying this, but Dallas and I have not liked any of the dim sum spots we’ve been to in Chicago’s Chinatown. Dallas used to go for dim sum in Boston’s Chinatown and I used to go in New York’s and it’s been years since either of us have had good dim sum, so this was a good meal. YUM. Char siu bao and char siu pastry craving fix.

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The High Line

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Dallas on The High Line. I was trying to position him to make a kissy face, but he didnt cooperate.

After dim sum we decided to check out The High Line. This is the abandoned elevated rail in New York that they just recently turned into a park. Not all of it is done, but what I saw is really impressive. Much changed since Tien and I stealthily broke into the abandoned rail and walked it several years ago. I loved the combination of nature, with modern architectural elements, with preserved old rail lines.

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Jeannette, Shannan, Tien on The High Line

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Frank Gehry’s new building as seen from The High Line

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The High Line

I can’t wait to see how the abandoned Bloomingdale Trail in Chicago turns out. They’re supposed to be doing kind of the same thing.

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The High Line

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The High Line

It was a beautiful day outside and we all just walked and walked and talked and talked and sat and talked and walked some more. Perfect.

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Little West 12th Street as seen from The High Line. We were going down there next!