Summer Kick Off

Those of us living in New England couldn’t have asked for a better weekend to ring in the official start of summer.   Not only was it the kick off of Marinaville, the Summer Solstice AND the Supermoon, but the temps have remained in the upper 80’s and my newly re-acquainted, longtime friend Christian Kryger, came back into town for a visit from Portland, ME… Again J

By trade Christian is an amazing chef and culinary genius.  He has worked for some of the best restaurants in Portland and has been featured in a variety of gourmet magazines and food blogs.  He has had the opportunity to cook for some of the top dogs in the industry and even got a chance to prepare a meal for our very own President Obama.  So you can imagine my excitement when he mentioned a while back that he would love to cook me dinner sometime.

Well that sometime occurred this past Saturday when Christian decided to whip us up a lil somein’ somein’.  Our 1^st course consisted of Pan Seared Diver Harvested Jumbo Scallops over Citrus Marinated Golden and Chioggia Beets, with Spring Pea Tendrils and Grapefruit Supreme.  Next came our main dish of Oven Roasted Gulf of Maine Haddock over garden Baby Bok Choy, Seared Asparagus, and Wild Maitake Mushrooms dressed in a Citrus Buerre Blanc.

Our meal was enjoyed with a nice bottle of white (Christians second area of expertise), accented with a beautiful bouquet of hand picked flowers (my contribution to the meal), all while watching the rise of Supermoon 2013 … definitely a meal to remember.

Next week I’m headed up to Portland for the 4^th of July festivities and a long overdue visit w/my college roomies and friends.  Christian and I will be spending more time together and maybe, just maybe, if I play my cards right, I can convince him to cook me another wonderful meal.  Thanks CK… it was delish!! 

20 Years Later....

It was more than 20yrs ago that our class prez and dear friend Liz Baker (Meehan) sealed our class presidency by reiterating how she was the candidate that would remember our class for years to come… she promised to organize reunions and help keep classmates in touch.  And true to her words from back in the day, the BUHS graduating class of 1993 gathered together this past weekend to celebrate our 20 years out.

The festivities kicked off on Friday night, where a bunch met at the Marina for a pre-reunion reunion.  This was a chance for those who couldn’t make it to the “official reunion” on Saturday to gather and catch up.  This was also an opportunity for those w/children to bring the kids out for a meet and greet.  Due to a prior commitment I wasn’t able to arrive in time to meet the couples with children, but I did arrive just in time to join the bar-crawl that went well into the night (last call, 2am ouch!).

Out of 250 graduates from our class approx 35 classmates showed up at the Elks on Saturday evening. (Not including spouses, partners and a handful of reunion crashersJ).   I was surprised by the number of no-shows, but it was definitely a treat to catch up w/all who attended.  And remarkably, it wasn’t awkward at all.  Funny how 20yrs can pass and everyone seems to be exactly the same…. just a wee bit older.

Thanks to all who attended and helped make it a memorable evening.  A good time was had by all and I look forward to seeing everyone again in 5 more yrs.  Although I’m pretty sure it’s gonna have to be a potluck in someone’s back yard, cuz as of Saturday the class of 1993 is officially broke!   Maybe that open bar we had at McNeil’s on our 5^th wasn’t such a good idea after all…. oh who are we kidding, it was a great idea. J

**** Picture #1:  Jen Smith, Courtney Christmas, Sharon Brooks = 1993  /  Picture #2:  Jen Smith Ogden, Courtney Christmas Millerick, Sharon Brooks = 2013 /  Picture #3 group photo in 2013 ****

Atlantic City Getaway

I love the beach and I love family get-togethers, so a mini-vaca back to my roots was definitely in order.  Most of my immediate family (including myself) is from the Jersey Shore.  In fact, I used to spend my summers frolicking in the surf, playing ridiculous boardwalk games (wack-a-mole was my fav), and going on those super sketchball rides, operated by those super sketchball carnie types.  Living so far away for so long, it had been a while since I paid a proper visit to our mid-Atlantic coastline.  And what a fun time it was.

The damage and destruction from hurricane Sandy (that devastated much of the East Coast last October) was still very apparent in certain spots.  But the one good thing that came of all that destruction was the opportunity to rebuild… more specifically, build a mega Jimmy Buffet/Margaretville themed resort casino in Atlantic City.  With a Margaretville Restaurant on the boardwalk, a Landshark Bar and Grill right on the beach, and Buffett music blasting everywhere, its only fitting that my time was spent eating, and beaching and sipping away… w/a little gambling and shopping in between.

And boy there have been some major improvements to slots since I last remember.  You can now order drinks via a kiosk on your slot machine (at least in Bally’s you can).  All you do is choose your liquor, choose a mixer and wait.  It will tell you when your order has been processed.  It will then tell you that your drink is ready.  And then it tells you to please stay in your seat, your drink is on its way.  A minute later here comes your cocktail waitress w/your beverage of choice in tow… Genius J

Now its recover and rest up for the next big event; 20yr high school reunion.  As long as I don’t dwell on the twenty-year part, I’m sure it’s gonna be a blast!

Liberdoni Wedding Weekend

Well I have officially survived the wedding extravaganza of the summer… barely.  Although the main event took place 3 days ago, I still feel like the walking dead.  But it was well worth it and an event to remember, from what I remember. 

This past Saturday Eric Liberdoni, who has been like another little brother to me and an extension of the Brooks family for the past 26 yrs, married his longtime girlfriend Stephanie Wright Liberdoni.  Eric’s family owns a boys camp on Lake Bournedale down on the Cape.  We had full run of the camp and an event that most people celebrate in one day, was turned into a 3 day affair.  Most people went down Thursday night or Friday and stayed in the cabins on site.  Since no one had to drive anywhere, and there always seemed to be a tapped keg, you can imagine the shenanigans and lowered inhibitions. 

But all antics aside it was a beautiful ceremony.  Officiated by Frank (Howdy) Crisco, also a longtime family friend, Eric and Steph tied the knot outside on the waterfront.  The weather cooperated for the most part, but the shit bombing seagulls that ambushed us in the back row were not as cooperative.  It was chilly and it was windy (and I was splattered in bird poo), but the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day.  

Soon after the vows were said, the “official celebrations” began and kept going into the wee hours of the night.  There was a late night beachfront bonfire, yet another keg, and at some point a gazillion pizzas were delivered.

I did manage to break away from the beer long enough to go check out the town of Plymouth, Mass… aka Americas hometown.  And what a cool town it is.  The architecture is amazing, w/houses and buildings dating back to the early days of our founding fathers.  I managed to snap a few shots of Plymouth Rock (which is much grander in theory) and go figure, the Mayflower which has been docked in that harbor since 1602, was hauled from the water back in December and hasn’t be back since (dry-rot issues). 

So thank you again Sherryl and Alan for coordinating a lovely weekend event and allowing us to share this special time with you.  Everyone was on their best behavior and other than a few sets of lost keys (not mine), and many a hangover, there were no major incidents to report.  Steph and Eric, my best wishes to you both.  May your love for each other grow stronger and deeper as you continue your journey through life.   Mazel Tov!! 

Spring has Sprung

Well Spring has finally sprung and I couldn’t be happier.  I have literally been cold for seven straight months and today I did the unthinkable; I left the house without a jacket AND I fell asleep with a window opened all night… how liberating! 

I have officially retired my winter boots/hats/mittens/scarves.  (Although, per the late-great Jimmy Brooks, I did keep a spare set in my car for emergency purposes; something that has been instilled in me since the pre AAA days and cell phones).   And even though it’s great to finally be warm, there are a few things I already miss about the colder weather.

1.     Doing my grocery shopping during my lunch break, leaving it in the trunk of my car and having everything stay fresh until I get home for the evening.  Not only does this save me time, but I also avoid those annoying crowded isles and lines at the registrar.

2.     My super comfy micro fleece electric blanket, which is a dream to sleep with (literally).  I’m sad that I have to retire it for the season.  It has kept me snugly-bugly and gotten me through many a cold winter night.    Well that and a lot of red wine, toasty fires and a giant American Bulldog.

3.     And lastly the #1 thing I’m going to miss most about cold weather is the lack of bicyclists on the roads.  Now I enjoy a bike ride just as much as the next person, but you people who ride in the middle of the street need to get in check.  I don’t care who you think you are, or how fast you think you can pedal, you’re on a bike and I’m driving a car, you will never go as fast as me.  Cities and taxpayers pay good money to make roads extra wide and then paint a white stripe on the side… it’s called a bike lane, USE IT!

But other than that, I’m ready for summer… and the hotter the better.  I’m really looking forward to backyard bbq’s, the smell of freshly cut grass, (and the cute little lawn boys who landscape it), and watching my skin transform from a pasty white to a nice golden brown. 

Speaking of which, you’ll have to excuse me as I head out to soak up some sun.  There’s a big event happening this weekend where a gazillion photos will be taken, and I’ll be damned if I show up as a sparkling white blurb in the background.