Queen Bee

For Halloween this year, I really wanted to be a bee.  A Queen Bee.  And so I found a cheapie costume on-line, complete with an antenna crown.  Not bad.  David is going to be a Sexy Drone Bee.  Not too shabby.  I can get used to wearing a tiara...  more photos after the costumed festivities!

Invisalign Tray #17, bottom only

On Tuesday I began Invisalign tray #17, but only for the bottom teeth.  I finished my trays for the top teeth, but will need adjustment trays, since the alignment is still not perfect.  The dentist took impressions of my top teeth (always a disgusting, gag-inducing process), and I shall receive more trays in about 6 weeks.  Until then, I need to continue wearing tray #16 on top, while I carry on with the bottom trays.  I have 24 trays for the bottom, which is quite intriguing since my bottom teeth don't look so bad, especially compared to my top teeth.  But alas, there's something amiss about my bottom teeth alignment, since I've got 7 more trays (14 weeks) and this new one definitely hurts to wear, particularly left-back teeth area.  And so we carry on.

Staub Happiness

For a long, long time, I have wanted to buy a dutch oven.  And for that long, long time, while I agonized over details such as color of pot and size of pot, I always thought that we would get one from Le Creuset.  In the end, however, after a trip to Williams & Sonoma, we decided that what we really wanted was a Staub dutch oven.  It just felt better in our hands; I like the black interior, and the lid is fabulous, seemed better than Le Creuset.  And so we got one in royal blue, and we couldn't be happier.   I have so far made turkey chili in the dutch oven, followed by braised chili-rubbed short ribs.  It works a treat, easy to clean, and looks so handsome on our stove!  I am looking forward to a winter full of meals cooked in the dutch oven.

(Chili-rubbed braised short ribs with maple syrup glazed carrots and truffled mushroom polenta.)

Sunset Today

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Branzini for Dinner

Roasting whole branzini for dinner tonight! And I am now able to blog from my phone, which should make little snippets easier to post...

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Invisalign, 8 Months Later

Here is a side by side comparison - before on left, after 8 months of braces on the right!

Invisalign Tray #15 & #16

My Invisalign tray #15 went in a few days after my arrival in Stockholm.  Here are the photos.

And then a week ago, I went to the dentist for my Invisalign tray #16 - photos below.  Technically, I should have finished the original trays for my upper teeth.  But the recessed tooth is still not quite aligned with the rest of my upper teeth, so it looks like I will have to get adjustment aligners -- which I have read is common.  Tray #16 feels really weird on the top and hurts a lot around the tooth in question... so I hope it gets sorted out soon.  I have 8 more trays for the bottom teeth, so my life with braces shall continue.

Snapshots of Stockholm

(The day I arrived - my "rest" day before work - I went to NK, a fancy department store down the street from my hotel.  There I discovered a fancy fishmonger selling fresh fish in the central atrium, by the designer handbags and cosmetics.  Strange, but no one seemed to mind.)

As I wrote before, I ended up going to Stockholm 5 days before David.  It took me a couple of days to get used to the city.  First time in Scandinavia!  Much of my crude impressions of Sweden came from the Stieg Larsson books and IKEA, which is to explain my complete lack of Swedish knowledge.  Truthfully, my first steps in Stockholm were not pleasant: I had a terrible flight, an impolite taxi driver who picked me up at the airport and, upon arriving at the hotel, the receptionist could not find my booking (which was apparently under David's name, not mine).  That night I had dinner solo at the hotel restaurant, which turned out to be quite the Swedish drunken socialite scene on Saturday.  And although I was kindly given a table with no reservation, I was completely underdressed for the scene (jeans, sweatshirt, hair messily tied into a ponytail), which was not conducive to dining solo.  It was an exhausting experience, to say the least.  I felt homesick.

My time in Stockholm picked up the next day, however, with start of work and meeting my Stockholm colleagues.  Everyone was very friendly and helpful.  With new colleagues and new friends, my social prospects picked up, and from Sunday onwards I had a great time.  I even had a chance to catch up with Tarlan's step-brother Jamie, who now lives in Stockholm with his Swedish girlfriend.  Casting hard by day, dining out and drinking by night (in nicer outfits), I felt myself again.

Here are a few snapshots from Stockholm....

Visiting a market in a new city always makes me feel better.  Here, I found gorgeous mushrooms and berries being sold.  If only my hotel room came with a kitchen!... I did bring some raspberries to work, which was much appreciated by my colleagues.

David and I toasted our 5th anniversary via Skype.  In a way, I suppose it's fitting that we mark our major anniversary as we embark on another DD adventure, albeit over the internet.  It sucks being apart, of course, but at least the temporary distance is due to our increased responsibilities with the show.

I had a morning off one day, so I went to Östermalms Saluhall, which is a famous foodhall.  It is gorgeous, and there are wonderful selections of prepared foods, produce, fresh meats and fish.

 I joined the Stockholmer lunch crowd and had smoked salmon and a cheeky Pilsner for lunch.

 Beautiful crayfish.

And then David arrived!!!

David was a star and agreed to work on the day he arrived (at my scheduling request).  He arrived in the morning, had breakfast, had a nap, and then worked with non-dancing actresses and a contemporary dancer on some of the show choreography.  A champion, indeed!  (He of course called me a slave-driver.)

That same evening, we celebrated our 5th anniversary at F12, a very highly regarded restaurant in Stockholm.  Everything from the room, the service to the food was magnificent.  We definitely want to go back.

Some pre-requisite silliness on the Stockholm streets after dinner...

Once David arrived, followed by Eleanor, the days seem to speed by.  We had a very productive time, and we had a great time with our Swedish colleagues.  Although my experience began a bit bumpy, by the end of my 8 days I was a little sorry to be leaving.  Stockholm is a beautiful city, and I look forward to seeing more of it.

(View from our hotel room at dawn.)

October already?!

And it's already more than half way through October!

A bit of catching up to do here... and photos to load...

David and I returned from Stockholm safe and sound.  We had a wonderful time there, ate very well, drank a-plenty and work proved productive, too!  We celebrated our 5th anniversary at a beautiful restaurant in Stockholm.  All good good times!

Internet is super slow tonight so I shall post pics of the last weeks tomorrow.

Happy Autumn!

To Stockholm!!!

A Swedish production of DD is planned for 2012... and to begin the process, casting of Johnny/Penny/Baby will begin at the end of this month.  David had planned to go for the 3-day "Finals," but I had no plans to go.  It seemed that casting -- or at least casting the 3 leads -- would be taken care of internally, as it would be a cost to fly me out and house me, etc.   I was okay with this, since it's just for 3 days and I appreciate the cost-saving needs.  As the preliminary audition days drew near, however, the local people realized what a difficult and particular task casting DD presents.  They have now asked me to come for the preliminary round of auditions.

So I fly out to Stockholm a week from today (24th)!  And David will arrive on the 29th.

This will be my first trip to Sweden, or anywhere in Scandinavia for that matter.  All I know about Stockholm and Sweden comes from the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" books.

Invisalign Tray #14 & Other Bits and Bobs

I hadn't posted my Invisalign #14 yet -- here they are, about a week in.  One more week before tray #15.  I also went in for a cleaning today, so these photos are without the Invisalign trays...

Life in Park Slope continues apace.  We continue to organize and try to get through our punch-list items, which we know is a long process that will test our patience; we still have no real place to sit, since our couch arrive late October/early November and we've sold all our old dining chairs.  Everything kind of appears in the "midst" of getting there..... and while I confess to sometimes wondering if we're doing this all wrong, if other "grown-ups" are able to move-in much more readily than us, in the end I am comforted by knowing we're happy in the apartment, in our own way.  It's a new experience, owning a place we will live in for the foreseeable future.  There are no 12-month leases.  This long-term commitment aspect of actually owning our own place prompts me to consider each aspect slowly, steadily and carefully.  Not being fully settled-in with all basic furniture sometimes gives me the sense that the place feels very cluttered, or feeling disorganized, as if I could easily miss something because my systems aren't in place.  But these feelings are off-set by the new-ness and choice in everything.  For instance, I love when we find that perfect little basic, functional item in a form that still seems to capture our spirit and approach to home decor.  Little by little, detail by detail, we hope to put together new home, in our own way.

This is our recent purchase -- James the Door-stopper.  He goes very nicely with our Moby the Whale floor cushion.

The sunsets we see from our balcony are terrifically stunning, and it has become one of our favorite pastimes -- watching the sun go down together.

2-weeks in Park Slope

Silliness is key to persevering through some new condo headaches...

Tomorrow is the 2-week mark of our new Park Slope living.  We love our neighborhood, and we truly feel this move has been a good, timely transition for us.

There are the headaches of property ownership, of course -- construction of a new condo building like ours is often rushed to the finish line, which leaves the new owners to deal with the chips here, scuffs here, missing handles, etc.  It's a test in perseverance, follow-ups, and patience.  The management company has been pretty responsive, although according to the new tenants' discussion board on-line (very useful), different people seem to have different experiences.  We're learning to take the long-view on things.  Not all the units are finished in the building, so at least it's easy to get a hold of someone in the construction team, who all seem quite nice.  David has been a meticulous recorder of all details-to-be-fixed, and I have taken on the job of emailing the management company in the most clear, firm yet polite and diplomatic manner possible.  It's team work.

One of the biggest problems we faced was a leak in the apartment.  Apparently there was a design flaw in the roof, which meant the penthouse units suffered some unforeseen leaks.  We got some water in the living room around the window, and then a large puddle appeared in the master bedroom.  We appealed to the sponsor/management and will get our floors replaced, and they have agreed to do so... which in the end is a nuisance, of course, but far better than worrying about possible mold down the line.

So it's one thing at a time.  But hey, we plan to be here a while.

We're still not very organized -- in part because we need to purchase a few items, and in part, we've opted to just "live in the space" before going crazy buying things or trying to force-find a place for every little thing.  I think this is a good approach for us.  It's funny -- when we live in a different country for work, I MUST unpack completely and set myself up before we start work.  I guess I need to make a (temporary) "nest" immediately to get going in a new/foreign place.  But here... well, it's ours, and if we're going to spend money on something, I really want it to count.  And I need to get used to the space before I figure out how I want to live in it.  I've re-arranged the kitchen numerous times already.  Still figuring it out!

And because the kitchen is not quite fully set up, I haven't done much cooking.  I finally made a lamb roast last night, which was delicious, and I plan to make a roast chicken tomorrow (sticking with roasts for now, still getting used to the massive marble counter top and not being afraid to use it).  In the mean time, we have eaten at various local restaurants, and we can't believe how lucky we are -- there is a wide array of restaurants we'd always wished were near our home: i.e.  casual, authentic Italian, good French brasserie, locavore New American, modern Korean, cheap, delicious Thai, etc. etc.   We're loving dining out in Park Slope.  And we can walk everywhere!  It is a welcome change to dining out.

Here are some of the restaurants we love in Park Slope so far....

- Al Di La -- Possibly one of the best Italian restaurants we've been to in NYC.  Lovely wine bar in the back, which serves spicy fried chick peas as a bar snack.  I dream about these chick peas, they are incredible.

- Bar Tano -- Our favorite very casual, very low-key Italian.  Great small plates as well as entrees, great pizza, great atmosphere.  Open all day and late night, which we love.

Eggplant Involtini at Bar Tano... it's a starter dish, it's fantastic, and David and I each need to order our own because it's too good to share.

- Applewood -- Always changing, always delicious, always inventive.  Good brunch, too, but dinner is where the magic happens.

- Stone Park Cafe -- Very chill, nice outdoor seating area.  Solid New American cuisine, very local and seasonal produce.  David loves the margaritas here.

- Moim -- Great modern Korean food.

- Kappa Sake House -- More a sake bar than a full-fledged restaurant... but we love it for the sake, of course!  And very authentic Japanese home-cooked dishes.  Excellent gyoza and grilled fish dishes.  We've already befriended the owner, and we shall be there quite regularly.

- Belleville Bistro -- Good, solid, hearty French brasserie.  Excellent French Onion Soup, which is one of those standards I crave sometimes.  Also excellent duck confit.

Adventures of Closing & Moving, Fueled with Plenty of Wine

David and I closed on our condo August 13, and moved a week later on August 20.

Closing day -- after the whole business with various lawyers and signing piles and piles of papers and handing over a big chunk of money we never knew we had -- was an euphoric experience for us.  After we closed, we made our way to Park Slope and set foot in our condo as official OWNERS for the first time.  We took with us a bottle of champagne and fancy glasses, and had a blast frolicking about.

Perrier Jouet on our very own balcony terrace!  It was a hot sunny day, perfect for celebrating in the bright apartment.

It's a good idea to stretch before frolicking...

... and turning around along the long living room....

... Oh, look!   There's a Vegemite by our Viking range!  

... And TimTam's in our brand new fridge!

(We thought it would be funny to take some Aussie specialties as first items in our new apartment.  Items courtesy of Craig and Maria Wood.)

Following the closing and the celebrating, we had to buckle down to reality and finish packing up our Manhattan apartment.  The week leading up to the move was quite exhausting.  Packing, packing, packing, all day and night, followed by wine, repeat.  Who knew we had so many dishes and glasses?  And so much STUFF in general?!  Where did they all come from?!

David became an expert bubble-wrapper of fragile breakables.  These are snapshots of our final packing efforts in our now old apartment in Hell's Kitchen...

And then we were off to Brooklyn!

Goodbye Manhattan, hello Brooklyn!  (View onto Manhattan -- with downtown Brooklyn on the right and Jersey City on the left -- from our Park Slope balcony.)

The movers were fantastic, and the move itself went very smoothly.  We arrived in Park Slope with all of our belongings (as far as we know, anyway) -- except for our plant, which somehow never made it across the borough.  I don't know if it died in transit (the movers warned us that they don't usually take plants because they could die in the truck due to the heat), or it jumped off the truck because it was so deeply a Manhattanite plant and did not want to come to Brooklyn.  Anyway, although we mourn its disappearance, David and I have concluded that it did not want to move to Park Slope with us.

Here are the boxes neatly moved into our new condo (not all belongings shown).

A big thanks to Robin, who helped us on the moving day and has been a stellar friend in this process -- because of David's knee situation, it would've been very difficult without his help.

These boxes are ALL kitchen-related items.  And not even pots and pans, which are in bigger boxes and not shown here.  We have a lot of kitchen stuff.  (Moby our whale is very happy with the bigger floor space.)

Sunset multi-city view... we can see the subways going by... all very beautiful.  We love the kinetic, full-of-motion view.

Sunset over the harbor, the other view from our balcony.  Just stunning.

We have a lot of unpacking to do, along with organizing, sorting, and making sure items on our punch-list are taken care of and fixed by the construction crew.  Everyone has been very nice so far.  Although there are bound to be teething problems in a new condo like ours, we are so grateful for the space and the VIEW.  We step out onto the balcony as often as possible.  It's our very own sanctuary.

And even though I worry that I will forever live amongst boxes and bubble wrap, these moments of fear are fleeting and manageable, given some good cheer, a GREAT partner, and a lot of wine.

It got chilly the last couple of days, but that hasn't stopped us from bundling up and sitting outside to eat our take-away dinner looking at the city.

Here we are, Brooklyn-style!

Photo tour of the whole place, soon!!! xoxo

Invisalign Tray #13 & Moving

Last night I put in Invisalign Tray #13.  They are tight around the recessed tooth, as expected.  It's oh-so-close before that recessed tooth fits over the bottom row of teeth!

In other news, we have moved into our new condo.  This Invisalign update is from Brooklyn!  AMAZING!  So much to do, of course, but stayed tuned... will post photos very very soon.

Condo Owners!

View from our balcony -- an amazing view of Manhattan, New Jersey, Staten Island, and Brooklyn... and yes, that is Lady Liberty right in the middle.  Gorgeous.

David and I closed on our Park Slope condo on Friday.  We are officially condo owners!  We hadn't written a peep about it here, for fear of jinxing some kind of property-purchase fortune.

We are so so happy with our new apartment.  We move next Friday, and we can't wait!

More details soon...!

A Hair Cut & Fried Chicken

Today, David got his hair cut.  It does not sound like news, but it is for us, since it has been about 5 months since he last got it cut.  Because of his knee brace/crutches situation, we hadn't been able to muster the energy and need to get his hair cut until today.  And the hair cut today was inspired by the fact that he needs to process his US passport and he did not want to take a passport photo without a hair cut.

I must say I really liked David's shaggy hair look, as did our friends.  Our doorman even said that he was sporting a "rock star" look.  David would not normally follow my opinion of his look/do/fashion purely on its own (ever suspect that my perception has been dulled/blinded by love), but the overwhelming public consensus for his look hair has been very positive.  And so, when he finally went for a hair cut today, he asked his hair dresser to keep it on the long side.  Here are some BEFORE and AFTER photos:

Long curly-ish locks, side-view

Long locks, front-view.  The topless-ness is due to the heat-wave in New York.

Brand new hair cut.  He looks 10 years younger!  Still adorable.

I think he looks great!

In other news, I made buttermilk oven-fried chicken again -- this time with stronger spicing, and the chickens came out DELICIOUS.  We love this recipe!  Who needs KFC when you have this at home?!