Go Ahead, Make My Day

Road-trip Day 2:  Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon! 

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{We learned the best time to hit up an amusement park is when it’s 68 degrees, cloudy, and threatening rain. All fun, no lines!}

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{This wooden coaster – “Shivering Timbers” – the longest and fastest wooden coaster in Michigan – was my favorite! We rode it at least three times. Lots of climbs, lots of drops, lots of speed, and over a mile in length. It’s a crappy picture but the coaster snakes all the way to the very end of the shot, and then back again. So fun!}

Days 2 & 3: Lansing!

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{What’s left of the Boarshead Theatre, where I got my professional start in theatre and where Ted and I met. Stupid city. Stupid parking lot. We had lots of happy memories in that old building.}

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{Clara’s Lansing Station – a lovely old train station turned restaurant we used to frequent and where we celebrated the night we got engaged.}

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{Oh, how I missed salads from Clara’s!}

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{Return to Golden Harvest – our most favorite tiny, snarky breakfast joint in the history of ever!}

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(Enlarge this picture and read all the signs. Seriously, they’re the best, right? The sign at the bottom of the door is amazing. They tell it like it is. I like that.}

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{They’ve only got about 10 small tables plus the bar, and the line is always a mile long, out the door. Absolutely worth it! So, you see why the sign is necessary, no?}

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{Their eclectic decor is pretty snazzy too.}

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{They’re totally not mean at all, just honest and full of snark. In fact this place is run by some of the nicest people and best breakfast cooks with a sense of humor there are!}

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{More awesome decor. Every square inch is covered in eye-catching greatness. A feast for your eyes, your belly, and your soul.}

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{Now here’s a man who’s happy…}

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{…to be reunited with the epic blueberry pancakes he loved so well! Day = made.}

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{Omeletes, toast and home fries from Heaven – featuring veggies fresh from the garden out back.}

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{Ah yes, the intersection of Grand River and Grand River, followed by a few more Grand Rivers in various other parts of the city. Maddening when you’re first trying to learn your way around…funny now that we know our way around.}

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{Capitol building in downtown Lansing. She’s a beaut!}

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{The MSU dairy store – all made on campus with MSU moo cows. Rumor has it that their ice cream is so fattening – read: so fantastically tasty – that it’s not allowed to be packaged and sold in stores. So, naturally, we had to get fresh grilled cheese sandwiches and a double scoop of the Frozen Four Slap Shot – creme de menthe and andes mints – and the Maize-N-Berry – blueberry pie – flavors in a homemade waffle cone. Incredible!}

So, you can see how this trip was basically all about just whizzing around on roller coasters, hanging out with great people, and eating our way thru our favorite places, right?

More to come next week! Stay tuned and happy weekend! :)

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Back at Blue Lake

…& return to the Old Channel Inn Beach!

Last week we took a not-overplanned and on-the-cheap 5-day road-trip vacay to Michigan and Ohio to revisit old friends and favorite haunts from our past. We drove from Rochester, New York thru Ontario, Canada to Montague/Whitehall, Michigan (right on the shores of Lake Michigan) to visit Blue Lake (where I taught acting and dance for musical theatre for six weeks last summer), Lansing (where Ted and I met), Sandusky, Ohio (Cedar Point!), and Mentor, Ohio (family reunion). It was lovely – a perfect quick and dirty summer getaway!

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{Canada has the best roads and wineries every 3 miles. The U.S. should follow suit}

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{Summertime in northern Michigan}

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{Monumental because our closest Sonic in NY is about 150 miles away}

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{And what’s a road-trip without your favorite junk food? Stocking up while I can}

Our first stop was for a beaching and bonfiring night in Montague/Whitehall, Michigan to hang out with one of my very best friends Rachel (who I met in college and roomed with when we studied Shakespeare abroad in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK) and the rest of the wonderful faculty I worked with last summer. Rachel and I shared the acting/dance position at BLFAC last summer and she was able to teach there again this summer too – so, clearly, this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up!

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{This girl = the best}

We met at the Old Channel Inn Beach (where I spent a good majority of my non-theatre making time last summer) for some catching up, sand, waves, gourmet sandwiches, beer and wine, and a gorgeous sunset. Ah, I missed these fine people!

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{Feelin’ right at home on these soft sands}

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{Pastrami with havarti dill, lettuce, tomato, onion, red pepper hummus, and a spicy veggie spread paired with strawberries, cherries, watermelon, rotisserie chicken, chips, and some Leinie’s and pinot grigio}

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{Unwinding – you’re doing it right, Ted}

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{This place has the most glorious sunsets! The light reflected off the surf and sand? Nailed it.}

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{We’ve gotten good at meeting in places anywhere other than where we actually live}

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{Yup, he’s a keeper}

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{Clearly, we are a stunning example for young theatre artists}

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{Really!}

After the sun set, we took the party back to the cabins for a campfire and some s’mores in the woods, just like old times.

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I am so lucky to have such amazing people to call my friends!

‘Til next time, BL!

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For That Fresh Picked Taste…

…go right to the source and pick it yourself!

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And from that fresh-picked goodness comes…

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…summer strawberry-limeade!

With an enormous amount of land out in the country, a family of incredibly friendly folks who own the farm, and a massive array of pick-your-own fruits, veggies, and herbs all spring, summer, and fall long, I can already see this is going to become a problem…

…a tasty, enjoyable problem.

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A Little Good Luck

…to celebrate Meg’s birthday! If you’re ever in the Rochester region, I’d highly recommend a visit to Good Luck in the Village Gate area. The atmosphere is wonderful, the decor visually stunning, and the food selections can be quite eclectic, but always incredibly flavorful and tasty! An evening here is a true dining experience. So, grab a group and go!

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A celebration well deserved! Much love, apprecation, kodus, and joy to the birthday girl. Thanks for a wonderful night out!

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Market Days

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Our public market is definitely the best thing going. Every city should be so lucky!

And the grub that comes out of the goods acquired there ain’t bad either :)

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Good Thoughts for my Baby Love

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This dude is the BEST.

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My Sancho was diagnosed with diabetes this week. With changes to diet and daily insulin injections he should be just fine, but we’d really appreciate some good thoughts all the same.

I sure do wish he could live in New York with me.

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The Season of Fests and Rodeos

Tuesday night we hung out on the streets of Rochester’s big annual international Jazz Festival eating cart food (artichokes french for me and Louisiana cookin’ for Ted) and finding some cool shade to sit beneath and listen to great jazz tunes from wonderful bands – everything from big band to smooth jazz and in between. It was totally lovely. Good jazz music is just so great.

Wednesday after work we booked it over to the food truck rodeo at the public market for some grub, sunshine, and more live music.

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This time we decided to try out The Daily Refresher’s truck since many of the other trucks were parked at Jazz fest instead.

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Meanwhile, Ted found gizzards – a happy throwback to the gizzardfest he and his sister attending in Michigan a few years back.

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We passed on the gizzards and stuck with more gourmet comfort food fare – and it was fantastic! Although next time I’m trying the carrot dog that has intrigued me so the past two rodeos!

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Cheeseburger with cheddar, bacon, arugula, caramelized onions, tomato, and egg on a toasted bun…so good.

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Crispy fries with fresh parsley, fresh garlic, and parmesan…they were outstanding and packed with flavor!

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Watermelon and green apple Italian ice!

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So glad he’s here for good :)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Summer rules!

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Opposition

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The two kinds of things that scream “summer!” to me couldn’t be any further from each other on the spectrum.

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Hot fudge sundae – the quintessential summer treat.

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Rainbow chard, asparagus, and mint from our farm fresh CSA share. Loads and loads of any and all vividly colored, ripe, and juicy fruits and veggies. Yum!

Kind of funny how different they are, yet they indicate the same thing.

Food for thought.

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Also…(and totally unrelated to above)

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Cray…just hanging around. Like you do.

Hope you’re having a great week!

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Stranded at the Drive-In

…out in the boonies for a night of mini-golf, a Monsters University and Iron Man 3 double feature, and tons of junk food.

Summer, thou art the BEST.

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IMG_4864I am so glad that drive-ins still exist in some parts of the country, and that we are lucky enough to have lived within 30 minutes of one both in Cincinnati and in Rochester.

Life is grand!

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The First Day of Summer

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A celebration in honor of Friday, June 21 – the first day of summer!

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We arrived home at 2 a.m. smelling of smokey campfire with bellies full of blueberry beer, pesto pasta, hot dogs roasted over an open fire, and s’mores. We spent the night in excellent company, with plenty of laughter, and we saw our first fireflies of the season!

First day of summer = blazing success.

Summer, I welcome you with open arms!

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