Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy

By the by, I read all 3 of the Stieg Larsson books (known as the Millennium Trilogy) in less than a week.  Entirely addictive.  Now I don't know how to fill the book void... reading-life is strangely not the same... luckily there seems to be quite a few readers out there experiencing the same post-read void, and they are sharing books of interest, etc. on various sites and discussion boards.  I will have a look through tomorrow...

Invisalign Difference, Side by Side

I began my first set of Invisalign on February 9.  I am currently on my 11th tray, and have 5 more trays for my upper teeth before the scheduled "completion" -- although according to various blogs by people who have undergone the Invisalign process, adjustment trays are very common and the alignment continues beyond the given number of trays.

I have kept all of my trays, and tonight decided to see just how much adjustment has been made on my upper teeth... putting Upper Tray #1 next to Upper Tray #11, the difference is quite impressive:

On the left is my first tray -- basically, where my teeth began.  On the right is my current tray, where my teeth are at this moment.  Notice that the recessed tooth part of the tray is much more evident in the first tray, while it is less apparent in the current one.

Pretty cool!  Come on, teeth!

Oven-Fried Buttermilk Chicken

Yesterday I took "cooking what I crave" to a whole new level and made buttermilk fried chicken.  That's right, fried chicken.  Actually, I think at this point I am "cooking to indulge my vices."

I was inspired by a Food Network show called "Good Eats," which recently ran an episode on making buttermilk pan fried chicken -- as opposed to deep fried -- in an iron skillet.  It looked super easy, and I own a skillet!  I purchased my first quart of buttermilk and soaked the chicken over night.

It so happened that I'd recently come across a Ina Garten recipe for Oven-Fried Buttermilk Chicken, which looked good.  Basically, she fries each side of the chicken crisp, then finishes the cooking in the oven.  This method seemed better for my purposes, since I don't own a thermometer and baking would make sure the chicken cooked through.  Also, it's (if only a little bit) healthier than fully fried chicken.

The result last night was a complete success.  David already thinks we shall have oven-fried chicken every other day.  That would indeed be cooking to indulge, but I do think we shall have this oven-fried chicken again very soon.

Invisalign Tray #11

Today I went to the dentist and had 3 more "bumps" put onto my upper teeth.  These are the final "bumps" to be added to my Invisalign process.  The dentist also "calibrated" my teeth -- since they have moved quite a bit, my bite has to be adjusted so that my teeth fit over each other comfortably.  This calibration process involves slight teeth shaving, which is not the most pleasant experience.  My teeth will have to be calibrated once more at the end of the procedure.

I was also given 3 more trays, or 6 weeks worth of Invisalign.  Looking at these future trays, it seems my upper teeth will look virtually finished... which is hard to believe, because the recessed tooth is still visibly recessed... but here's to hoping for a big leap!

How We Survive the Heat-wave in NYC

David studies Japanese intently as he ices his knee.

David has steadily progressed on his at-home Japanese studies, and has learned hiragana and katakana -- the basic Japanese alphabets.  He found two other programs to use at home (one inexpensive program found on iTunes, the other free on the internet), and along with the Pimsleur lessons he has been using, made a big, big leap.  I am very impressed!  He is working on his reading and writing along side his listening and speaking, and having the building blocks seem to really help him.  Japanese clicks for David, and I am amazed by how he takes to the language so swiftly.

David wrote out "Tomoko" in Japanese.  Very sweet.

It's mighty hot and humid here in New York.  Really the hottest summer I can recall -- over 90 degrees, more or less, for the past week, and for the next week.  Yuck, yuck.  Staying indoors seems the best option.  For my free time, I finally picked up the Stieg Larsson books to read -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and the newest and the final book of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  Several people have told me that they were good and that I should read them.  I finished the first book in about a day and a half -- an absorbing read, sort of like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but Swedish in nature, and with a Bourne Identity-esque spy/conspiracy quality thrown in.  I found it difficult to put down at night, in part because I'd scared myself senseless from reading it -- which is what happens when I watch Law & Order: SVU marathon late into the night when I am home alone and David is working out of town.  Even though David is home with me, he was already asleep by the time I'd gotten absorbed with the especially gritty part in the novel.  I finally put it down around 3am, and was certain I would have nightmares from the "unresolved" aspect of my unfinished reading.  Luckily I slept okay.  I'm now onto the second book.  I'm glad I have the entire trilogy already on hand, because it's one of those series that I prefer to get through all at once, so I don't have to wait for the next installment.

The funny thing about the Larsson books are the names and the food described.  The names are IKEA furniture names, and the food so very Scandinavian -- which makes sense, of course, since the story takes place in Stockholm and other parts of Sweden.  IKEA furniture, being Swedish, would obviously have Swedish names.  But it all just seems funny to me, since I've never been to Sweden and all I know of it, really, is IKEA.  For instance, there is a peripheral character in the book named "Malm."  Every time he appears, I can't help but think about how I used to own a chest of drawers named the Malm from IKEA.  When one of the characters went shopping in IKEA, I just had to laugh (and it's not a laughing kind of novel).  If I were of a more suspicious nature, I might even suspect an IKEA conspiracy here... product placement, perhaps?

We may be working in Sweden next year with DD, so I'd like to think that it might be culturally useful for me to read these books... although I suppose it is not the happiest and jolliest of impressions one might receive on the country and its people.

Random obsessions of the week: Steaz Sparkling Green Tea and Pinkberry.  I discovered these sparkling tea sodas, and I am hooked.  They are basically organic green tea, made sparkling, with a hint of natural fruit flavor (my favorites are orange and blueberry-pomegranate), and naturally sweetened.  I can't stop drinking them!  (Apparently these sodas are "zero calorie" - suspicious, yes, but I'll take it to excuse my drinking entirely too many of them every day.)  And they have cute, positive, empowering little phrases under the cap.

And Pinkberry... oh, Pinkberry.  We've known about its proliferation around New York for a while, but we'd never tried it.  Now David and I are both quite hooked.  It's a frozen yogurt chain popularized in LA, which made it out to New York about a year or so ago.  There's one 2 avenue blocks away from us.  I picked up medium sized bowls of the original flavor yesterday afternoon -- David with various chocolate toppings, me with fruit -- and this afternoon, we craved another go.  I can see a habit forming... and Pinkberry delivers!!!  But I on principle do not want to get involved with getting frozen yogurt delivered to our home -- it just seems excessive.  And even though in this heat wave delivery seems like a good idea,  I stuck to this principle and walked the 2 avenue blocks for Pinkberry again today.  David has requested that next time, I get him the large size.

Invisalign Tray #10

Tonight I begin my Invisalign tray #10.  I had a lot of trouble putting on the upper-tray -- the angle seems drastically different, so it took me a while to figure out how to align the tray with my teeth.  They're in now, and will probably be difficult to take off..... hopefully my teeth will adjust a bit overnight, so that I can take them out without too much hassle.  My dentist gave me a special dental tool to ply off the trays if necessary, but obviously I'd prefer not to have to carry such an instrument around and use it every time I eat.

When I go back to the dentist in two weeks, I will get more "bumps" put on, to continue to move my teeth around ("bumps" are fake nodule-type things the dentist puts onto a tooth to help apply pressure in a specific direction/angle to move individual teeth).  It seems that the 11th trays are more tricky and are in two parts... not sure how this works, but more on that in two week's time!

Best Thoughtful Present EVER

Ever since we've had a very domestic period due to David's injury/recovery, I have been amazed at just how much vacuuming I must do on a regular basis.  Our apartment seems to get dusty and full of random crumbs at rapid pace.  I feel as though I am always vacuuming -- to the point that David must convince me that I could wait until tomorrow to do so, I've just cleaned yesterday.   I blame this vacuuming-compulsion in part to the construction happening nearby -- there is a high-rise apartment building going up a block away, and this can't help the air-quality and floor-cleanliness.  In another part, I know that the shock of the vacuum-needy-state of our apartment is heavy on the fact that we are, simply, not used to being home so much, ALL THE TIME (and we eat in front on the TV, on our couch).  Today, I was received the most considerate birthday present, given our domestic-state/requirement of things: an iRobot Roomba.  It is a robotic vacuum.  It cleans, and it is very clever.  I can't believe I didn't think to own one before.  It is AMAZING.  I am charging it now.  I can't wait to unleash it onto our apartment tomorrow.  Hooray!!!  No more defeated pulling out of the vacuum cleaner for I-think-I-better-vacuum-yet-again moments!  I shall now unleash a robot onto my floor to do the job.  MOST AWESOME DOMESTIC MACHINE EVER.  Thank you, Robin!

Pool Rehab

Today we went to our apartment building's brand new indoor pool for some rehabilitative swimming time for David.  Although not a fan of chlorination, David had a nice time beginning to "walk" underwater and doing some exercises -- his orthopedic surgeon and his physio thought it would be good to include some underwater, less weight-bearing exercises.  Luckily for us, our apartment building very recently unveiled an indoor pool.  Today was the first time we'd been to it -- fortunately, we picked a great time and it was completely empty.  While David splashed around doing leg exercises and swimming a bit, I read a book poolside.  It was very relaxed and lovely.

A Newly Minted American Citizen

This morning, David received his US citizenship!  He now has dual Australian-American citizenships.  The ceremony took place in a new courtroom downtown, and it was a lovely affair -- an incredibly diverse group of people, supported by family and friends, celebrating a momentous event in their lives together.  The judge who officiated the ceremony was warm and wonderful.  She teared up throughout her welcome speech to the group, and explained that the event always made her emotional.  It was a special event indeed.

After the event and just outside the court room, volunteers were on hand to help the newly minted US citizens to register to vote -- so David did just that and is ready to vote!  Next up, getting his US passport processed!

We are now citizens of the SAME country.  We started off with no country in common... this immigration process has been a long journey, and we are so happy to celebrate David's additional citizenship.

Happy Fourth of July!

The big Fourth of July fireworks were again on the Hudson River this year -- which meant that we could actually see it from our very own bedroom!  No need to brave the crowds to see the fireworks.  Last year, we went up to the roof deck of our building -- but this year, since David is on crutches, we decided to stay in our apartment.  The view was perfect.  In fact, we preferred it to the roof deck, since we could hear the crowds downstairs -- viewing from the street -- and we felt very close to the action.

We were impressed how many people gathered around the streets near the river to see the fireworks.  Here's a snapshot of the crowds below our bedroom window.

To embrace the Fourth of July BBQ-ish spirit, I made us hamburgers -- build-your-own style.  On hand for toppings were caramelized onions with thyme, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, and tomato.  Potato hamburger buns.  David was very happy.

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Why Jamie Oliver is a Genius

David gives dinner the thumb-up-okay signal.  Jamie Oliver's recipe is no-fail-no-fuss-delicious-amazingness

Today I cooked a slow-roasted lamb shoulder, following a recipe from Jamie Oliver's "Jamie at Home" cookbook.  Despite the long roasting time (4 hours), it is an incredibly simple dish (i.e. put-in-the-oven-and-forget-it) and the result was DELICIOUS.  After a few bites, David said, "Babe, this is amazing, I think we need to induct this dish into our regular line-up."  And I agree.  Easy, delicious, and plenty of left-overs for a home-made "shawarma"-ish experience tomorrow (I'm going to make yogurt garlic sauce and hummus, then wrap it all up in an organic spelt flour tortilla).  I think the cookbook is fantastic, but if you don't want to get a whole book or have it on hand, the recipe is found at this LINK.

To accompany the lamb, I roasted some golden beets (tossed in olive oil and mint) and quinoa with jalapeno and garlic.  Everything went together very well and we are both happy full people tonight.  It was the first time I cooked quinoa -- I cooked it in chicken stock, along with minced jalapeno and garlic.  Very easy, and the result was a sort of light and fluffy pilaf-like side-dish, which accompanied the lamb like cous cous, but in an airier manner.  I highly recommend it!

New Title

Today I received a draft copy of the new West End Dirty Dancing brochure.  In this new cycle of Dirty Dancing, I've been given a new title -- International Associate Producer.  Same photo, same biog, different title.  It's very nice to be acknowledged in this way, although it sometimes feels like "playing house."  One day one role, another day, a different role.  Not much has changed in real life (so far), but it looks cool on paper in any case.

The Recovery Process

It has been 6 weeks since David's operation.  Throughout this time, David has kept off his feet as advised, minimizing extraneous activities and focusing on his rehabilitative process.  We go to the physio once a week and the doctor every 2 weeks -- although each venture out of the apartment still feels like a big production, we've now mastered the art of carefully getting David into the taxi, arranging his leg over my knee so it's stabilized, both buckling in, and then getting out of the taxi.  Yesterday, the doctor gave David the OK to put his right foot down, little by little, to begin re-strengthening it into walking shape -- after 6 weeks of non-use, it's very weak.  He still has to use the brace and crutches, and it's still a gentle process (no bending, no incline, just some weight, a little bit at a time), but he's on a steady track and, as the doctor keeps reminding us, patience is required.


There have been a few upsides to being at home all time time.  The upside: David is improving his Japanese language skills.  Having time on his hands, he studies some Japanese every day, and also has taken to watching some Japanese cartoons in Japanese, with English subtitles.  He has suddenly expanded his vocabulary and will launch into a word or phrase in everyday context, at once surprising and humoring me.  I think he's a natural -- excellent pronunciation, and an instinctive grasp of the language.  He also uses it in his own way, so his Japanese has a very distinct and charming personality.  It's nice to be able to communicate, if only bit by bit, in another language.

Another plus is that I have learned to do the laundry.  I know this seems like a stupid achievement -- but since meeting David, I have not done the laundry, as he is very particular about how clothes are laundered.  I had, in fact, never even seen the laundry room in our building until David's surgery required that I take up the household chore.  Although David had to write down the instructions for me initially, I am now an expert launderer (or so I feel), and am quite proud and liberated by my laundering evolution.

And an upside that also could also be a downside is that I cook everyday.  Since going out isn't an option and delivery meals never seem the healthiest option, I have cooked dinner every single day for the last 6 weeks, with an exception of a work dinner I had to attend (sans David).  Although we had a lunch of delivery pizza twice, otherwise we've existed on home-cooked meals only.  This is my personal cooking-streak record.  To keep this streak going and interesting, I've depended heavily on my cookbook collection (a chance to try out recipes I'd always wanted to try) as well as food blogs.  I think I have expanded my repertoire quite a bit.  The downside to my home-cooking expansion is that I have taken up making some comfort foods that I wouldn't normally eat, unless on an indulgent occasion at a restaurant -- cakes, other types of dessert, pasta, even fried rice.  Although these food items seem innocent enough, we're not used to eating too much of them frequently, so I need to make sure I don't get too carried away cranking out dishes just because we crave them and can't eat out.  (It'd be a shame to come out of this home-bound period chubbier.)

And so it goes.  6 weeks done, more to come, but we're getting through it with our wits and waist-lines still in tact, at least so far!

Invisalign Tray #9

Today I put in my Invisalign Tray #9.  I do feel the difference now -- my bite has changed a lot, since the upper tooth has moved.  Of course, I can't wait to be further along in the process so that the recessed tooth is hardly recessed any longer... ho hum, patience.

Stupid Delcious Chocolate Chocolate Chip Marble Cake

Today I baked a chocolate-chocolate chip marble cake -- I found a great baking blog called "Piece of Cake," and the recipe titled "Stupid Delicious Cake" intrigued me.  I don't have a bundt cake pan, so I baked it in a regular spring-form cake pan -- the result is... stupid delicious!  Super moist, super delicious.  David feels it needs an icing, and I agree... and perhaps some almond extract would give the cake a more exciting kick.  We're taking notes while we enjoy a new addition to our at-home cakes.

The recipe is HERE.

Invisalign Tray #8

Tonight I begin my Tray #8.  This tray will mark my half-way point for my upper sets of trays (8 down, 8 to go).  I've read various Invisalign-users' blogs and know that additional adjuster trays are not unusual AFTER one finishes the originally designated sets of trays... but this is progress for now!  I still can't see a drastic difference, really, although I suppose my recessed tooth is now more visible.  I am also using special mouth-rinse to keep my teeth and gum in tip-top-shape -- which is great but slightly discolors my teeth.  My dentist tells me I will need to get my teeth whitened after this 1 year+ experience.  Having committed to this process, I can't wait for my teeth to look incredibly and visibly different.

David says that when I first had my stuck baby tooth pulled out, the gap was very visible (although charming, of course).  Now, he says the gap is really not noticeable.

Here's a comparison from Tray #1... where my recessed tooth is INvisible...

...to Tray #8, where you begin to see that sneaky tooth....

Rhubarb Discovery

After what seemed like a long, exhausting week, I spent the Friday early evening making Rhubarb with Earl Grey tea, cardamom, and orange zest.  Rhubarb is in season right now -- it's also a produce that has appealed to me forever, but with which I have never experimented... or even attempted to cook.  While we were in London, our favorite haunt, Great Queen Street, had as its seasonal drink a rhubarb prosecco -- a wonderful aperitif.  I have wanted to take on rhubarb for a while, and recently decided that, this rhubarb season, when I find myself cooking at home every night, would be the occasion.

This is a recipe I found on Food52.  The original recipe calls for apples alongside rhubarb -- I used an interesting South American pear I found at Whole Foods instead, which worked very well.  I also didn't have Meyer lemon, so instead, I used the juice of half an orange and the juice of half a lemon (almost-kind-of-sort-of-ish Meyer lemon-like).  All in all, this recipe is super super easy.  The key is to find excellent vanilla ice cream to pair it with, and don't forget the orange zest -- it does make a world of difference!


RECIPE: Rhubarb with Earl Grey Tea, Cardamom, and Orange Zest

Time for Healing

One of our recent life-events about which I've yet to blog is David's knee surgery.

Almost 3 weeks ago, David underwent an arthroscope.  Last January, David twinged his knee while dusting.  Yes, dusting -- not dancing or mountain biking on a wild terrain -- dusting.  David is a committed and vigorous duster, an expert.  We'd had a particularly intensive workout at the gym that Saturday morning, and, as is our weekend domestic habit, we set out to tidy up the apartment afterward.  But this time, he bent his knee in an awkward way and felt a pop.  We now think that because his knee was exhausted from the workout and so weaker than normal, it couldn't sustain the movement.  Since then, his right knee hasn't felt right.  After a series of physiotherapy sessions, x-ray, frustrating dealings with his insurance and an MRI, we searched for an orthopedic surgeon who is sympathetic to dancers.  Fortunately, we found Dr. Bauman, who is the orthopedic surgeon for the New York City Ballet.

The surgery went smoothly.  Dr. Bauman discovered that a piece of cartilage the size of a dime had broken off under the knee.  There was also a slight tear in the lateral meniscus, which he corrected.  He performed chondroplasty (a process in which the damaged surface is burred away in the hope that the healthy joint surface will heal over the defect).  It was good for David to have undergone the surgery, and in good hands.  Unfortunately, the recovery period is longer than we expected -- David will be in a brace and on crutches for 6-8 weeks, and it will take several months more before he's back to dancing form.  While he's on crutches, it is crucial that he not put any weight on his right knee and let it heal completely.

And so for the last couple of weeks, we have been home-bound, and I have worked from home so that I could look after David.  It's amazing what one takes for granted.  Being on crutches, it's difficult to get anything without a helping hand.  Sure, you can crutch over to the kitchen and go to the fridge for food... but then how will you bring it back safely to the couch, where you can put your bad foot up and eat something?  Everything is a hassle.  It's much easier when you have a partner who could help you.  Good thing David and I are pretty experienced at doing everything together and being attached at the hip, practically.  We're getting through, and staying positive, even though seemingly simple tasks become bigger events.  Also, having lost my expert duster and house-helper, I realize just how much David does around the house when he's not on crutches.  The process has made me appreciate the share of housework David readily does.

Not being able to leave home, aside from doctor's visits and physio sessions, cooking at home has become very much a daily occasion.  (Take-outs aren't desirable options, since they're bound to be less healthy/tasty than what might be made at home -- and because David is not moving around and exercising, it's important that he eat well so he won't get chubby.)  It's a big shift in New York, to commit to cooking all meals at home.  I need to be smarter about grocery shopping, for instance, since I can only carry home so much on my own.  Thank goodness for Fresh Direct delivery service!  And the frequent cooking definitely demands that I expand my repertoire, if only for my own sake, since I don't want to keep eating the same dishes I'm comfortable making. 

(Our fridge at one point last week.  Clearly, we need a bigger fridge.  And a better organization inside the fridge.  But I am proud to say that I haven't let anything go bad yet!  I'd like to think this is what happens to a NYC fridge when you know you will cook everyday, all week, and there is some serious planning about what to eat, even if the fridge itself looks like a mess.)

To be honest, it took a little getting used to, energy-wise, for me.   House-work takes much longer when it's just you to do it; and when you're in the house all the time there always seems to be something to clean or make.  But I think I'm getting the hang of it, finding a good balance.  Last week I wrapped up the casting for London (hooray!), which will take the pressure off from me waking up early to liaise with people in London during their working hours.  I've kept up the gym routine on my own, with David instructing me what I should do for each session -- I write down the daily program on a post-it note and bring it with me.  Since we have a gym in our building now, I can go downstairs for an hour, have my mobile with me and be reachable.  Although I worried that my gym-going will wane without David to motivate and take me, I've managed to get myself there on my own, about which I am very proud.  The days somehow seem to speed by faster than I've known them, in our current state of me being the only fully mobile one in the couple.  While I felt exhausted by the end of the day for the first couple of weeks, I'm starting to feel good and confident about getting everything done.

And, most importantly, it feels great to be able to help the person you love, to be useful.  When David tells me about his last post-surgery experience -- he lived alone and didn't have a girlfriend, so he had a cooler with ice and hummus and protein bars set up for himself, and wheeled around his apartment on a desk chair -- I wish I could cook him something, back then.  It's not easy being on crutches, having to stay put for 8 weeks.  It's frustrating, boring, and dulling to the body -- especially for someone like David, who is so active.  But at least we can do this together, and, luckily, I'm not casting any shows for a while and so I don't have to go away. 

Since I will be cooking all the time, I hope that this period will inspire me to greatly expand my culinary parameter. 

And in this spirit, here are a few recipes and dishes I've tried recently, which are easy and delicious:

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
These were amazing, and so easy.  The recipe calls for potatos -- I didn't have any, and used butternut squash instead, which worked wonderfully (and looks great).  I didn't have parsley either, and used mint -- also a great substitute.  This recipe has many possible alteration and adjustments.  So easy, so delicious, and a great way to eat vegetables!


BOURBON CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
Great for dessert or as a brunch item.  David loves it with some maple syrup.  I used rum instead of bourbon, and grated some orange zest for aroma.  Easy, tasty, and decadent.

BOILED ARTICHOKES (no website)
Artichokes are in season, and boiling them is an easy and tasty way to eat them.  Fill a pot with water, add whole pepper corns, a lemon (cut in half), and a drizzle of olive oil (about a table spoon); bring the water to a boil.  Artichokes should be cleaned as follows: cut the excess stem off; take kitchen shears and clip off the top parts of each leaf; cut about 1.5 - 2 inches off the top of the artichokes.  When the water comes to a boil, submerge the artichokes in the pot.  A good way to do this and make sure the whole artichoke remains under water is to put plate(s) on top of them.  At a medium-high heat, boil for about 30 minutes, or until a fork goes easy through.  We dip the leaves in a garlic aioli (mayo, minced garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, to taste).

Invisalign Tray #6

On Tuesday, I began my Invisalign Tray #6.  I had to keep the last 2 trays for 3 weeks each, instead of the usual 2 -- after already having had to go back to Tray #2, because my dentist wasn't happy about how my teeth had moved... which meant quite a set back in my moving-through-the-trays process.  But I seem to be back on track, and my dentist was happy to note that my problem tooth on the top -- the one recessed -- has moved significantly.  It's hard to tell for me... but looking at the previous photos, I suppose now the recessed tooth is more visible.  (NOTE: If you click on the "Invisalign" tag at the bottom of this entry, you can view ONLY my Invisalign blog entries... and so can compare photo progression.)  I can't wait for it to be more prominently visible, and thereby, entirely different from my previous teeth alignment.

All in all, I have gotten used to wearing Invisalign.  The hardest part is when I am cooking -- it's annoying to have to take them out when I need to taste how the seasoning is, how it's all cooking, etc.  It's a delicate balance, because I don't want to keep the Invisalign out for too long, but it's very difficult to cook without tasting as I go.

Anyway, I don't have to see the dentist for another 6 weeks... in the mean time I have in my possession Tray #7 and Tray #8 to put in myself!  Hoping it all goes smoothly...

Snapshots from London 2010

 Fish and Chips at the North Sea Fish Restaurant... top-rated for the classic dish in London.   It was enormous!!!  And sinfully delicious

David and I returned from London Monday late afternoon.  Our office had made a mistake on our reservation, which meant we had an extra day in London -- which was in fact fine by us, since we could spend a leisurely day packing and hanging out.

Casting went well -- crossing fingers now as all the offers have gone out and it's all about getting the contracts signed.  Our last couple of weeks in London seemed to fly by... although plenty of good eating and fun was had in between the busy busy casting days.  One of our activity highlights was going clay-pigeon shooting.  Our friend John is an avid clay-pigeon shooter, and had invited us to go along with him one weekend when we are in London.  On this trip, he and his wife Laurie kindly organized for us to go clay-pigeon shooting the Saturday after auditions were over.  What a treat for finishing the casting process!!!  We had such a great time.

LEFT: Super excited to learn to shoot.  RIGHT: Our guide teaches us how to use a shotgun.

Kitted out with shotguns, ready to shoot!

The guide said that he liked my "style."  I think he was impressed with my fearless firing skills, even if I missed a lot.

David is a much calmer shooter.  He looked very handsome shooting those clays.

Perhaps it was the surprisingly cold weather in May, but we ate a lot of British comfort food done right -- gastro-pubs were preferred, and so we found our way to our favorite, Great Queen Street, numerous times.  We even indulged in fish and chips twice, which is not a norm for us.  On our last trip to Great Queen Street before we left, we share the most enormous chicken pot pie we've ever seen.

It's safe to say that, while we were good about going to the gym in London, we have returned to New York a little chubbier and must now stay off British cuisine.

Because of the ash clouds, our flight home was delayed quite a bit and, when it finally took off, rerouted over Greenland.  We saw the most spectacular sight of Greenland, which felt incredibly close.

Stunning.  Although the flight was much longer than usual, it felt worth it to be able to see Greenland from the sky.

Now we're happily back home, settling back into the New York swing of things.  David came home to his US Citizenship test yesterday, which went well, we think.  He answered all his questions correctly! We await to hear further about the process.  It will be wonderful when all the immigration process is complete.

Next up... getting organized at home!