Monthly Archives: March 2011

Did you hear about the Egyptian cobra missing from the Bronx zoo? Missing. This is definitely my favorite news story of the year, possibly ever. Two days now she’s been MIA. She’s only a few months old and 20″ long, so when curled up she’d be about the size of a small fist. Presumably the little dude is frightened and has taken a liking to hiding among all the wires, pipes and cables of the inner-rooms of the reptile house. It could take quite a while to find her, zookeepers say. Did I mention that she is extremely venomous? Excellent. Surprisingly, with all the pansies out there, zoo attendance has not been affected. There is a sign on an 8.5″x11″ piece of paper that reads, simply, “The reptile house is closed today.” No shit.

That’s not even the best part though! Some complete genius of an individual has adopted the character of the cobra and the moniker “BronxZoosCobra” on Twitter (find her twitter feed here) and has been tweeting these amazing little snippets about her grand New York tour as if he/she were the missing cobra out for a week on the town! Did I mention this individual is a complete and utter genius and I’m beyond jealous I didn’t think of it first? BronxZoosCobra twitter account has nearly 153,000 followers already. Including TheBronxZoo, appropriately enough. The zoo has said, again, appropriately enough, “Right now, it’s the snake’s game.” Oh, the beautiful and hilarious irony of it all! And boy, does this tongue-in-cheek cobra have a great sense of humor (and, um, excellent marketing skills)! Because I nearly peed my pants laughing hissterically at work today, I have to share some of my favorite tweets from this infamous little slitherer.

First, her name reads “Bronx Zoo’s Cobra” and her location reads “I’m not at the Bronx zoo!” In an email to the Associated Press, the cobra said, “The iPhone touch screen works just as well with a tail. Thankssss.” Onto the tweets!

Anyone know if Rebecca Black [a popstar] lives in NYC? No reason.

Want to clear up a misconception. I’m not poisonous as has been reported. I’m venomous. Super venomous, but not poisonous so don’t worry.

What does it take to get a cab in this city?! It’s cause I’m not white, isn’t it?

Holding very still in the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is gonna be hilarious!

Gonna take a ViPR class at Equinox Greenwich Ave. From the sound of this, it should be cake.

Rockefeller Plaza is amaz….wait…OMG! Tina Fey totally just walked by me! HUUUUGE FAN!

Gonna listen to some Jazz tonight. You know I love some great flute work. Do they provide it or is it bring your own basket?

It’s getting pretty cold out. I think it’s probably time to crash. Oh look, an apartment window someone left open just a crack. Perfect!

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Temple of Dendur really kicks some asp!

Enjoying a cupcake at Magnolia Bakery. This is going straight to my hips. Oh, wait. I don’t have hips. Yesss!

Don’t turn around. I’m right behind you. Just kidding! lol!

On top of the Empire State Building! All the people look like little mice down there. Delicious little mice.

City may not sleep, but I’m ready to. Ooh a chimney! I bet you bragged to your friends about having a working fireplace in NYC. Hi roomie.

Getting on the ferry to Ellis Island. Let’s hope this goes better than that time on the plane.

Love the Snakes on a Plane movie reference! Seriously, this made my day. I was having such a crappy, lousy, no good, very bad day at work and this just brightened my life. I was instantly laughing. I love the humor and irony of it all. Again, why was I not the genius to think of this first? Instant career jumpstart. One day I’ll bank on a fabulous idea – just you wait.

In non-snake related news, we registered for a 5k run/walk right by our home through Mt. Washington and Mt. Lookout, sponsored by Guardian Angels, that is to take place this coming Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Temperatures are slated to be in the low 40s with light rain, and I’m not even sure I own exercise clothes other than my stylin’ jazz pants and ballet leotards from 2003. I know. Lest you were mistaken and actually thought I would be running, let me clarify that we registered for the 5k walk, not the run. Whew! That must have been mind-boggling for you there for a second! Ted is, after all, only a month out of knee surgery, and I, well, my running is almost always preceded by something traumatic – for example the sighting of a coyote in my backyard (that would be the last time I ran, in fact), a scorpion, spider, bee, or perhaps, a loose Egyptian cobra. We will be walking, maybe speed walking if we’re feeling feisty, the 5k. I’ll let you know how that goes, but we’re looking forward to it and the Cincinnati Reds v. Milwaukee Brewers MLB game we’re going to that night!

Back on the subject of critters, a couple of days ago on our way to work, the image of the Clyde & Seamore show at Seaworld in San Antonio randomly popped into my head and bombarded my thoughts for the rest of the commute. I have the best memories of watching that show as a child whenever we went to Seaworld and more recently as an adult, the day after my college graduation, with my family. It’s a show devoted to an otter, sea lion and walrus solving mysteries, wreaking havok, screwing with the evidence, doing animal tricks, and pulling pranks alongside Seaworld actors to the tune of kitschy mystery music, and a larger-than-life set and props. It’s funny stuff. I’ve loved this show ever since I was a little kid, and though the basic premise has been the same all these years, the plot and setting change often. This is like my dream job, people! Professional acting and sea mammals all rolled into one fun, comedic ball of greatness? Yes, please!

Source

Source

Anyhow, I have decided that Ted must know of this amazing show from first-hand experience and that he will come with me to Seaworld when we visit San Antonio and we’ll probably have to go with my friend Katie because I cannot deny Katie the opportunity to see me face-plant it into another shark tank. They’ll both thank me later. I’m ridiculously excited for this eventual excursion.

And finally, one of Ted’s students at CCM who lives in Jersey and went home for spring break brought Ted back a package of Tasty Cakes from Philadelphia. Ted raved about the deliciousness of Tasty Cakes, a Philly treat, but since I haven’t been to Philly (yet), I hadn’t tried them….yet. He brought home the box tonight and we dug into a pack after dinner and they are, indeed, yummy. They’re exactly like the chocolate peanut butter Girl Scout cookie Tagalongs, except with cake in the middle! Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm!

On that happy thought, good night and sweet dreams. Ssssssleep well, friends.

• Savory and refreshing Japanese food! Edamame, miso soup, seaweed salad, ginger dressing, gyoza, sushi, terayaki salmon, hot tea, green tea mochi ice cream….Mmmmmm – this is the stuff dreams are made of!!! Our dinner was awesome. I may have more or less bullied Ted into taking me to Hibachi Master, but even Mr. Meat & Potatoes Wisconsin Cheese Man loved the food!

• Watching classic Disney movies on…(gasp!) VHS! I know. VCR, VHS – what on Earth is that antiquated mumbo jumbo!? Sheer awesomeness, that’s what. You may have to look it up in the (gasp!) dictionary…that is if anyone still owns one.

• The search for the new Aflac duck! I’m unshakably and positively convinced Ted would be perfect for it. He’s quite the impressive, and hilarious, voice artist. I’m trying my darnedest to get him to go here and submit a vocal audition. His angry “Aflac!” is amazing! He’d absolutely banish the competition!

• Our findings at Jungle Jim’s. It’s less of a fabulous international market and more of an amusement park with grocery shopping. Their olive, cheese, beer & wine, candy, and bakery sections are mind blowing!

• Browsing through travel magazines at Borders with Ted and making a list of all the great U.S. cities, attractions, activities, and landmarks we’d like to visit on our eventual (it’s in the 5-year plan) U.S. road trip!

• Seeing filmmaker and storm chaser Sean Casey (star of Discovery Channel’s Storm Chaser and the new OmniMax film Tornado Alley) and visiting the co-starring TIV II (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) at the Cincinnati Museum Center!

• Making this pizza from scratch for dinner!

• Pestering Ted until he finally agrees to be a guest blogger on our blog! :-)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdylQeg5B9I&feature=player_embedded#at=19]

This is exactly how I feel about geometry, music theory, and high school theatre camp contact improvisation. She is to ballet as I am to any sport that requires depth perception. Her first position is to my changement – the only ballet move I not only couldn’t do, but also closely resembled a flailing octopus on speed (to be generous).

This video is hilarious! It’s so funny because I identify with her so much, contorting into completely awkward and terribly amusing positions, just trying so darn hard with every ounce of comprehension and practice one can muster and still failing so fantastically – yup, exactly like geometry and music theory.

Go on, watch it again. You know you want to. It’s good for your heart.

On our way to Hyde Park Pizzeria, where Erie Avenue meets Tarpis, we spotted (um, how could you miss it!?) this beast of a house and did a major double take. Wouldn’t you? Crazy house, ritzy neighborhood, pure eclectic awesomeness? Yes, please!

First thought that crossed my mind: OMG I WANT IT!!! For real. What sheer genius and architectural excellence! The shapes, colors, textures, stain glass windows, bizarre add on’s and the swirly orange staircase….totally amazing! Of course I had to go home and research it. Hyde Park locals have nicknamed it the “mushroom house.” It was designed by an organic architecture professor at the University of Cincinnati and apparently part of his students’ grade for many years was to design some element of the house. Can I just say again…how cool is that!? Flicker has a bunch of really stellar shots of the house. Please go here to view them (to the right of the main picture on the webpage you can see click to see 3 more photos of the house) and read the comments below for some insightful information about the ownership, design and sale of the house. You’ll be sorry you missed it if you don’t click that link, I’m warning you!

I LOVE discovering new, cool things like this in Cincinnati! Every day I like this city more and more….

Weekends are my addiction. They are my temptation, indulgence, salvation and joy. I cherish them while they last, longingly await their imminent arrival throughout the week, and relish them fiercely when they sneak up on us again five days later. They’re the spring break I don’t have. They bring so many simple, easy pleasures like yummy weather, sleeping in, playtime, and the invitation to do nothing at all together if we so choose. They are freeing and demand nothing of you except pure relaxation, fun, and a chance to catch up on the art of appreciating life (or, you know, taxes). They’d make the killing if they could bottle this euphoria. Here are the highlights of our weekend:

Friday

• We scored big at the UC Blockbuster’s going out of business sale! Ted pocketed Leatherheads, The Invention of Lying, and The Interpreter and I snapped up An Education, Away We Go, Once, and 500 Days of Summer at very budget-friendly prices. Cheap cinematic excellence? Yes, please.
• We caught a free opening day showing of Tornado Alley Friday night at the Omnimax. My job has some perks. Ted’s been anxious to see it since he heard about it. I’m a pansy and predicted I’d be scared out of my skull. The movie was really cool, actually. In larger-than-life size and with a 3D feel it took the viewer inside the life of storm chasers, showed off their vehicular tornado tracking beast tanks, and then stationed cameras right inside the center of a fierce tornado. Ironically, the weather outside was nasty that evening – thunder, lightening, driving rain. How appropriate.
• I made crazy-spicy jambalaya for dinner (uh, oops) and we popped in the movie Wall-E. Then we sleepily shuffled off to bed like old people.

Saturday

• I slept in (oh, sweet rapture!) and awoke to a brilliant day outside!
• We headed over to Montgomery Cyclery and Oakley Cycles to inspect their inventory of bicycles, looking for a perfect selection for me when the time is right. Ted examined and explained the technical specs of each bike, advised, and occasionally coached my biking skills while I test rode a few models before honing in on a sweet retro-esque hybrid path bike with mountain tires. It was stylish, comfortable and smooth riding, functional with 21 speeds, shocks and built to ride in nearly all terrains, a great reputable brand, and on sale. I was instantly smitten with this contender. But like good non-impulse buyers, we left the bike with the intention to “think about it” and drive over to Kenwood to snatch up the goodies we actually planned to get that day.
• Ted picked up an awesome new Apple wireless mouse for his laptop and iPad that we immediately noticed saved him a ton of time and greatly increased his working productivity while at home on the computer. Using a 30% off coupon, I finally picked up a new and desperately needed pair of lounge pants to replace the worn-to-death pair with at least eight major holes in them. I considered posting a picture of the old pair on here for you because they really are that ridiculous, but decided it was too humiliating. They were ratty, folks. I’m very appreciative of this new, warm pair of lounge pants.
• We enjoyed a lovely evening at home eating Mac n’ Cheese for dinner and watching a movie while we finished a game of Scrabble.

Sunday

• We went to mass, did the grocery shopping, and dropped off the recycle.
• We took my wedding jewelry, engagement ring, and wedding bands in to get inspected, buffed and polished. They sparkle again and look absolutely gorgeous!! I LOVE having them cleaned! I also got a free 2011-2012 planner using Ted’s ink cartridge recycle rewards money at Staples. Ted deemed this day “Lara Day.” But it’s okay because when the iPad 2 was released last Friday it was “Ted Day.” Sometimes you just gotta treat yourself and each other to an Us Appreciation Day.
• While at Eastgate we decided that the sale on the bike was too good of a deal to pass up after calling the store and learning that the sale would end at 5 pm that day and that it is the annual sale – the only time this year the bike will be so steeply discounted. We raced to the store and bought the bike. Sometimes an offer for something you’ve been longing for and planning to eventually purchase comes along sooner than expected, but it’s so good that it would be financially foolish to refuse!
• At home Ted built a fire in their fire pit and readied the Christmas tree and wreath for burning. I threw together a dinner of rotisserie chicken and Caesar salad for us to eat fireside while we burned the last of the Christmas pine as the sky turned to dusk and the sun set. A perfect day!

P.S. More on the bike and pictures to come later!

Green eggs & ham and beer batter pancakes. Yes, I sure did get up at 5:45 a.m. to start off our St. Patrick’s Day with a touch of greatness! I was a little skeptical about using a cup of beer in the batter instead of a cup of milk (all the time wondering who was the first person to think “Damn, I’m out of milk! Oh well, I’ll just use beer – it’ll be just as good!”) but what the hell. Why not, right? Surprisingly, the beer – we used Leinenkugel’s berryweiss – added a really nice dimension to the pancakes. It made them sweet, light and a little bubbly. Totally worth a try if you’re feeling adventurous! Check out this easy-to-make recipe here! And of course the green eggs and ham were festive and delicious!

Since I’ve never officially celebrated a proper St. Patrick’s Day, I was bound and determined to get myself to a respectable Irish pub and down a glass of green beer this year, darn it! We really like the atmosphere and the food at The Pub in Norwood, but so does everyone else – rightfully so, it is a popular place. We were both warned not to go to The Pub on St. Patrick’s Day. We were warned that if we did foolishly go, not to expect a seat, food, or anything even remotely close to room to breathe, much less move. We were warned it would be mobbed, with minimal standing room only – if the luck of the Irish was indeed with us that day. But we went anyway. And you know what? It was loud, it was crowded with green balloons and tons of weirdly dressed green people who smelled like Guinness, and there was a live band with music that blasted throughout the pub and you had to shout just to be heard. But we did luck out and we found a seat – at our table, nonetheless – within five minutes of our arrival!

We ordered our beer from the Leprechaun waitress – a Strongbow for Ted and I finally got my famed lowest-quality possible green beer, which certainly wasn’t as tasty as Strongbow, but it was green, which is obviously the most exciting and important thing here! Green beer! We placed our orders for awesome Irish grub and it arrived hot, fresh and delicious within 10 minutes. So far I’m thinking everyone who warned us not to even think about going to this place for St. Patrick’s Day is full of crap. Sure we had to shout over the music and cheering people – but it wasn’t impossible or unacceptably obnoxious. Having been branded as party animals with the obligatory “over 21” florescent orange wristband at the door, had our celebratory beers and eats, watched some March Madness basketball finals on TV, and grooved to the music from the band, we were in and out in about an hour and home before the sun set. It was great fun and I’m so glad we went out!

“As the notion of an exposition gained shape, however, other cities began to see it as a prize to be coveted, mainly for the stature it would confer, stature being a powerful lure in this age when pride of place ranked second only to pride of blood. Suddenly New York and St. Louis wanted the fair. Washington laid claim to the honor on the grounds it was the center of government, New York because it was the center of everything. No one cared what St. Louis thought, although the city got a wink for pluck.”

– The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Bwahahahaha! What an excellent passage. I most appreciate the literature of  “tell it like it is” writers with a sense of honesty and flair. I’m only 19 pages into this 390 page non-fiction work, but I was immediately attracted to Larson’s style and can already tell I’m really going to enjoy reading this true account of “murder, magic and madness” at the World’s Fair in the bustling and rapidly changing city of Chicago circa 1893. The Chicago Sun Times claims Larson is a “historian with a novelist’s soul,” and the San Fransisco Chronicle boasts that this book reads like a “fictional page turner.” Agreed. A truthfully historical account to the tune of a captivating novel with a buffet of compelling characters, mischief, global glory and a little bit of fear to spice it up? Right up my alley!

Reminds me of some research I did last year on the World’s Fair of 1968 in San Antonio, TX for which HemisFair Park, the Tower of the Americas, and a now non-existent monorail system that snaked through downtown were constructed. The legendary and beautiful Riverwalk (which the city dyes green annually in honor of St. Patrick’s day!) was also expanded. As with any World’s Fair, this was a big deal for the city of San Antonio – proving our worthy place among other top cities as a cultural, architectural and artistic mecca, as more than just a squat town of cowboys, horses, dirt roads and ranches. It’s a neat thing to look up sometime if you’ve got the time and a notion to check out some cool, not-so-ancient history. I worked a mere few steps away (literally, out the door. About seven feet to the right was the HemisFair Park gate pictured below) from all these great attractions when I lived and worked in San Antonio – and I miss it every day.

Much to the certain dismay of anyone who is either a blithering drunk, a die-hard party hound, or just chock full of beaming Irish pride, I’ve managed to hide comfortably under a prude, party-free rock for the past three years of St. Patrick’s days of which I’ve been of legal drinking age. I do, however, indulge in the opportunity to deck myself out in green and I appreciate a good shamrock – so I’m not a complete dullard. Maybe I was just lackluster about the idea of joining 700 rowdy, beer-soaked drunks in a crowded bar that only seats 250 for a greasy platter of badly-impersonated fish n’ chips (I’ve had the real deal and, frankly, the fakes they dish up here in the states are highly disappointing.) I might have been working or in class, or had theatre productions to attend to, or was otherwise committed. Anyhow, for the past three years my St. Patrick’s day festivities have consisted of calm and peaceful quiet at home or backstage at a theatre, non-Irish grub, and the company of whoever I happened to be with that evening.

But this year I’m thinking of spicing it up a little. We now live in a lively and bustling city, with plenty of good Irish eats, that appreciates a good celebration. After all who, by the age of 25, hasn’t properly celebrated a St. Patrick’s day? Ted and I both work all day on Thursday and we don’t have (or necessarily want) the option of skipping a full day’s worth of work or paycheck to drink from 6 a.m.-1 a.m. like the other loons out there. Apparently though, we don’t have to! The parties and drinking at many pubs start as early as 6 a.m. (that’s pre-work partying folks!) and continue long past 5 p.m. Here’s just a few of the potential options we have available to us this Thursday:

• The first 500 customers into The Pub (the great Irish restaurant we tried and loved last week!) at 6 a.m. receive a free breakfast!
• “Kegs & Eggs” breakfast and a free t-shirt to the first 400 people who arrive at the Cock & Bull English pub in Covington, KY at 7 a.m.
• O’Bryons Irish breakfast special includes two drinks with breakfast. Nothing like starting early! How does one cultivate a taste for alcohol before noon?
• A menu of Guinness pancakes, green eggs & ham, corned beef, cabbage, and green beer at other area pubs. Delish!

While I’m all up for rising at 5 a.m. if it gets me a free t-shirt and breakfast, Ted has a physical therapy appointment at 7 that morning, so unfortunately we’ll have to skip out on the freebies. I’m toying with the idea of finding recipes to make my own Guinness pancakes and green eggs & ham before we head off to work. After work we’d like to enjoy some green beer and Irish dishes at The Pub, though I’ve heard that place is mobbed on St. Patrick’s day, and I’m sure it is a miserable nightmare to get a seat. But you gotta try everything once and soak up the experience, right? What are your plans?

Day 3 – A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Though I’ve had many favorite shows over the years, Gilmore Girls and Modern Family are two of my absolute favorites! I’ve loved Gilmore Girls since it first aired in the year 2000 and I’m a proud owner of all seven seasons in the series. Modern Family is a fairly new show and a very recent, as in two-weeks ago recent, addiction. They’re both fast-moving, intelligent, and full of excellent, quick-witted humor and modern references. The variety of characters are a hoot! They’re relaxing to watch, but they keep your brain working and your laughter coming. The casts are excellent and both shows feature truly talented, quirky actors and actresses.

Though I’m sure this prompt is supposed to refer specifically to the cast of your favorite television show, I’m a theatre kid and I also interpret this to mean the cast of my favorite live show. I have all kinds of favorite shows content and plot wise, favorite casts, favorite shows I’ve acted in, favorite shows I’ve worked crew on, and favorite shows I’ve directed. So picking just one favorite is unrealistic. I’d love to be able to include a picture of one of my shows for you, but I just can’t. I’d end up spending an extra 45 minutes uploading pictures of six shows and describing them all to you. I never claimed to be decisive. You’re welcome.