Chasing Orchid: Moving Madness

Okay so I told our readers I would continue my moving saga this week. It’s been a trip. My room literally looks like a tornado hit it! I have boxes all over the place, I can’t open my drawers and if I step on one more piece of packing tape I think I’m going to scream. I’m actually debating getting in one of those boxes and just mailing myself to Maui, it’d probably be easier.

I keep telling myself to just breathe….in a couple weeks I’ll be in paradise (I hope). One never knows what to expect when moving. Always be prepared, that’s all one can do. Perfect example, here I was with an armful of clothes, praying they wouldn’t fall over before I reached the box. But, of course they did, but not in a way I could have predicted. I took my toe, flipped open the flaps of the box and lo and behold got the scare of my life when my Maine coon cat leapt out. Needless to say, the clothes…on the floor in a scattered pile.

So while I was refolding them, sitting cross-legged on the floor, my mind wandered to what lay ahead for me in this new stage in my life. Everything will be new; new faces, new job, new places. Sure I’ve been to Maui a couple times but visiting is always different than living there.

One of my biggest adjustments though, will be getting used to new living quarters. You know after you’ve lived in one place for so long, you don’t even think about where to find things. Everyone has their own system, even if it’s one no one else can figure out. You still know exactly where everything is.

I’ve lived in my current house for about five years. Damnit I know where to find that one piece of paper, laying on the table, underneath a stack of papers from when I first moved in five years ago! It will definitely be a challenge to have to reorganize myself in a new place. But, it will be well worth it.

Another huge change will be living by myself…sure my daughter will be with me but there won’t be another adult around. It will be the first time in about twelve or thirteen years. Honestly…I can’t wait! I love the idea of not having to answer to someone else or worry about another person’s schedule. There is a certain sense of freedom to be had in that situation.

Speaking of freedom the first few weeks in Maui will be exactly that. I’m arriving first to settle into a place and my daughter will be following about a month later. So I’ll be on my own for the first few weeks. I have no idea what I’m going to do aside from settle in.

For the first time since my daughter was born 8 and a half years ago, I will be away from her for more then a few days. It will be decidedly weird to not have that responsibility. I’ll be able to come and go whenever I want without worrying about who is going to take care of her. Granted I’ll still fret over her, miss her and call her every day, but it won’t be the same.
I imagine that I won’t really have too much time to ponder my freedom though. I’ll have to find an apartment, a car, unpack, figure out where all the local stores are and meet with the administration in my place of employment. I’m sure there are probably a bunch of things I’m forgetting too.

So a couple weeks from now I’ll be doing pretty much the same thing, sitting there trying to figure out where everything will go and my mind will wander. I’ll start thinking of all the things I need to do and get before I start my new job. I’m sure as I’m running through the list I’ll inevitably smack myself in the forehead and go “shit…I knew there was something I was forgetting!”

I’m fully prepared for that though. It’s one of the adventures of moving. I’m looking forward to that and all the other twists and turns life is going to throw my way. After all, that is part of really living.

*flips open another box*…back to it.

On Lily's iPod: "The Mating Game" by Bitter:Sweet

It never fails. While I love clothing and shoes, I can control myself to the point where I can be in and out of my favorite shops in less than 30-minutes. It could be Christmas and I have to come up with 30 gift baskets for the office, not have the slightest clue where to begin, but make it out of the IKEA in less than an hour. Last minute gift for a forgotten party? Give me 20-minutes and the nearest Target.

However, you get me in a music store and it’s like Lex Luthor chaining a block of kryptonite to Superman’s chest. THANK GOODNESS! My latest trip to Virgin Records yielded what might be my best music purchase all year! After spending about a 2-hours walking up and down the aisles and actually picking up and setting down THREE different CDs, I fell in love with the band Bitter:Sweet.

I’ll start off by saying that Bitter:Sweet’s “The Mating Game,” released in March 2006, is the album I would record if I were that musically talented. Founding and former member of electronica wunderkinds, The Supreme Beings of Leisure, Kiran Shahani pulls together musical arrangements to create a very seductive and hip sound. When you listen to the opening strains of the first track, “Don’t Forget to Breathe,” you feel like you’re listening to an updated spy movie soundtrack (If anyone from the James Bond franchise is reading – please consider this a BIG hint for the next movie).

In fact, the whole album carries the weight of familiarity. The music is just that cool! Shahani fuses retro symphonic beats (think the 70’s Burt Bacharach or Tom Jones kind of dramatic overtures) with a definite synthesized background (think the buzzing sounds of Moby or Paul Oakenfeld on their “quieter” works). Each song is finely crafted and has a cinematic aesthetic. It’s almost like each track is a one-sided conversation, rather than a song.

And the driving force of that conversation is the siren-like, jazzy vocal of Shana Halligan. Her voice is the cornerstone to Shahani’s musical house. While each song on the album has a different musical vibe, it’s Halligan who brings it to life. In the funky, laid back “Overdue,” she taunts by singing, “I’m sorry baby, but you just drive me crazy.” The way she sings it is the equivalent of a sassy middle finger as a scorned woman walks out of her lover’s life.

The Latin fueled title track as well as “Heaven” shows Halligan’s delicate delivery. She milks every lyric for whatever mood she can pick up. By far, my favorite song that combines both Shahani’s sense for mixing good music and Halligan’s talent is “Dirty Laundry.” It’s an absolutely cheeky song that will bring out the vixen in any woman with lyrics like:

“…what’s the fun in playing safe?
Wouldn’t you rather misbehave?
I’m just a bad girl,
That’s why we get along.
Won’t make excuses for
Anything I’m doing wrong…”

Overall, “The Mating Game” is a new, flirty soundtrack that puts a smile on your face and a sultry bounce to your step. If you listen to this CD and you don’t feel like you should be slinking around a club with a martini in your hand, you need to get out more. With Shahani’s musical ear and Halligan’s sexy voice, Bitter:Sweet will be thrilling listeners for as long as they want to.

BrownSuga's Sweet Spot: Those Hazy Lazy Crazy Days of Summer

The Memorial Day week has, for as long as I can remember, been an unofficial sign of the start of summer, especially in the south. Not only because schools let out at least a week before Memorial Day, but the heat shows up in April (it's 95° today with the heat index pushing it up to 100°).

Memorial Day has also become a great weekend to hold festivals. There are numerous ones throughout the United States. This year I got the chance to attend the 21^st annual Gullah Festival in Beaufort, South Carolina. The purpose of this festival and most around the country is to teach. Those promoting and setting up the festival hope that we, the consumers, will learn a bit about another culture, food, event or location.

Gullah, or Geechee for those on the Georgia coast, is all of the above. This festival is in celebration of a group of people, who though brought to the Americas under horrible circumstances still held on to their traditions and way of life. The Gullah people are descendents of slaves brought from the Winward Coast of West Africa and sold to plantation owners along the Sea Islands of South Carolina, Georgia and Northern Florida. Plantation owners lived on the mainland.

There, slaves cooked, cleaned and harvested their crop. To keep slaves out of the way, plantation owners allowed slaves full run of the Sea Islands thus allowing them to live the way they were raised. On the islands they could speak their own language, cook traditional foods in traditional ways, and pass down history through song and story. Their culture survived and today we, as Americans, have a chance to learn and appreciate a history. In the midst of oppression, hatred and neglect this group of people kept what was important. For those of you who have been to the south its probably a safe bet to say you’ve come across something related to the Gullah/Geechee people and more than likely its the food. They have unique ways of cooking vegetables and meats in a variety of spices that have evolved to be known as southern cooking.

Now I ask you faithful MGF readers, what can you learn this summer? Where can you go? What can you see? It may surprise you at the vast number of festivals that go on each year throughout the United States. You can learn about the history of garlic in Gilroy, California or attend the world’s largest Blue Crab Festival in Crisfield, Maryland or maybe you have an interest in art and would like to attend the Pageant of the Masters, where actors, props and lovers of art become famous paintings in Laguna Beach, California. Chicago, Illinois hosts numerous festivals including but certainly not limited to Taste of Chicago where patrons enjoy food, entertainment and fireworks. Portland, Oregon takes time to celebrate the rose with the annual Portland Rose Festival.

There is so much to do. If you find the time to spend a day outside enjoying life, check out areas closest to you. Take a Saturday or Sunday and drive a few hours to your neighboring city or state and attend one of the many festivals or events going on this summer.

One day when I get a chance, I’m going to travel all over the country attending all the festivals that interest me Georgia Onions, Maine Lobsters, Kentucky Chicken, Alabama Shrimp, Potato Days , Tribeca Film Festival and of course all the ones I mentioned above. A few minutes on the internet can connect you to any and all the events happening right outside your door. Will you go see?

Links:

Gullah History

MSN's Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events by city

***Last Week's Answers***

1.Z- zone I- improvement P – plan

2. 635 times

3. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

4. 10 he won 7

5. 25 years old

6. Arkansas

7. Marilyn Monroe

8. a gigantic statue of Buddah

9. a black eye

10. Ethel Merman

11. Madagascar

12. Cross Country run, swimming, pistol shooting, horseback riding, foil fencing

13. 42 days

14. at the daisy hill puppy farm

15. the monkey wrench

16. India

Final: Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield and Benjamin Harrison

How did you do????

If They Told Us to Jump Off a Bridge...

I snorted and laughed as Lenny read from the article. Somehow he had stumbled upon a Netscape article entitled “Her Top Apres-Sex Requests” (A fancy way of saying: What She Wants to Do After Sex). Now, when he first clicked the article, about four guesses came to mind. I figured that those were “gimmes” so, being a girl who was brought up on Cosmo and Glamour’s love/sex advice, I wondered what new and exciting things the article would say.

What Lily Guessed: Cuddling, a nap, to talk, and/or take another “spin around the block.”

What the Article Was About: (directly quoted) She Wants to Cuddle; She Wants to Chat; She Wants to Do It Again; and She Wants a Nap.

I kid you not! Except for the order, I called exactly what the article was about. I sat there flabbergasted and frustrated. I wanted to stand up and scream “No shit, Sherlock!”

With the speed of light, my mind started working. Lenny took one look at me and said, “You’re going to write about this aren’t you?” My answer? Please refer to the previous paragraph.

My frustration comes to this: When did we stop listening to the point where we had to be told simple things? The Netscape article is really a great simple example. How far did they have to dig for those answers? If you are even halfway awake, its common sense to know that your chances of landing her in bed again are GREATLY diminished when you simply roll over and go to sleep. And come on guys…since when has a woman NOT told you what they want in some way, shape, or form about what they’re looking for after hitting the sheets? We are a bit more vocal these days.

We’ve stopped thinking and listening for ourselves and depend way too much on what other people tell us. The loss of independent thinking is greatly disturbing to me. Humans are willing to be led around by media or groups of people we have placed blind faith in. Think about the last time you went to a doctor. How much of that information did you really digest on your own? Probably not a lot of it. Because there was a degree on the wall of the office, you probably figured the doctor knew what they were talking about. They spent 8 years going to medical school – they should know best about your body, right?

But, taking second and third hand information and accepting it as fact is just not a gamble I’m willing to take. Doctors are human. They have been known to make mistakes (like the emergency doctor who sent me home with gall stones).

Parents – you wouldn’t even think of sending your child to a school nowadays without doing some research on it, right? I know parents who visit the potential high schools or colleges with their kids. Their decisions are not based on what their next door neighbor said. Most of time, it’s a combination of many resources and bases of research. In some cases, I’ve seen parents comb the internet for message boards, interview teachers, and even had their kids shadow students for a day.

But these are the same parents, who after all that research, time, and effort – don’t bother to see why their children are failing in school. Oh no, the kids tell them it’s because the teacher sucks. And we all know that kids wouldn’t stoop to tell a lie to get out of trouble, right? Unfortunately, some parents fall for it every single time instead of talking to – oh, I don’t know – the ADULT in the classroom?

Take control of your knowledge, people. Research more than one source. Listen and go with your gut feeling. That more than anything will help you come to a reasonable conclusion. And we need more reasonable conclusion in this world! Far too often, we just sit back and take what’s given to us…and it’s usually news we could have found on our own.

Want to lose weight? Eat less junk food. Want to have a happy marriage? Be honest with each other. Bored with your job? Find a new one that excites you. Want to get good grades? Study more. Want to get a second date? Don’t be a dickhead on the first one.

These aren’t great discoveries. They’re actual things we’ve been doing our entire lives. But because it’s in a glossy magazine or slick website, we think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.

We have all the answers. We just have to believe we’re smart enough to use them.

Happy Anniversary! from Elusive Orchid

If our readers didn’t already know, today is Lils and Lenny’s anniversary, their 5th anniversary to be exact. In honor of this, Lils has taken the day off from the blog but I thought I’d surprise her by writing a Happy Anniversary tribute today.

I know, I know, a bit ironic coming from a girl who is recently divorced. Just bear with me, though my marriage didn’t survive, I still believe that marriage is and should always be a sacred institution. I just don’t think that people understand all the work that is involved with being a married couple.

Lils and Lenny are an exception from what I’ve seen and heard. These two realize some important truths about marriage as evidenced in yesterday’s blog. I know yesterday’s blog came from Lils’ perspective. But let me tell you what I know from my perspective of these two.

1. They laugh together. What I have observed in both meeting and talking to them is this; they know how to laugh. Laughter is so important in any relationship. They know how to have fun and they are unusual in the fact that they can both give and take the shit the other one dishes out, typically with good humor.

2. They know marriage isn’t all roses. One thing Lils tells me is that all their friends think the two of them have this “perfect” marriage. She’s quick to point out that no marriage is perfect and hers is no exception. The difference is this, both she and Lenny know they have to work at it and they’ve made a life-long commitment to do just that.

3. They know when to give each other space. Despite the myths, marriage is not two people becoming one. It’s two people making a conscious decision to share their lives together. This means they can have different interests and friends. I know…what a shocker. But in all reality, who wants someone around 24/7? That can be really frustrating and make a person feel smothered and claustrophobic. Everyone needs their space, even married people. It just makes for a healthier relationship in the long run.

4. They know that outside forces can really influence their interactions with each other. They both try extremely hard to keep work and other people’s problems outside of their home. Though it doesn’t always work (hey, no one is perfect after all), they’re pretty good at drawing that line.

5. They know that though they really love each other, love is not the end all and be all of a successful relationship. There are many ex-couples out there who loved each other and yet are no longer together. Lils and Lenny have beaten these odds in an age when the average marriage lasts two to three years. I for one, believe it is because they realize the myths of marriage and have jointly decided to nurture their marriage their way, not society’s way.

*raises glass* Cheers to Lils and Lenny, and may the coming years bring every happiness the two of you could ever want.

Five Years, Several Myths Later...

Well, tomorrow is my fifth anniversary of marriage with Lenny. You think that’s amazing? Shoot, we’ve actually been together for 11 years. To me, it’s more impressive that we haven’t killed each other the way we shoot off our mouths. As combative and hard headed as we can be together, there is no doubt…we work hard for what we have and we love what we have with each other.

In this day and age, though, a marriage that lasts more than two years is an anomaly. Heck, in the time we’ve been married, there have been hundreds of failed celebrity marriages on the pages of People and US Weekly. But to what do we owe the success of our marriage? Is it good communication? Sheer force of will? Or are we really the perfect couple?

Personally – Lenny and I believe it’s because we took all the B.S. about what a marriage “should be” and decided what OUR marriage should be like. Being who we are, we just never wanted to be like the other married couples. It just wouldn’t be that fun. It’s more fun making fun of the other couples trying to live up to the hype.

So, in honor of our anniversary…here’s a little bit of what we’ve learned in the last five years of marriage:

1. Never go to bed mad – Right. Sorry folks, sometimes an argument is just too big for one night. You really need time to sleep on it. There isn’t ANYTHING in your marriage that can’t wait until the next day when clearer heads (might) prevail. Lenny and I are good debaters, but we suck at communicating while we’re pissed off. So, every once in awhile, we don’t resolve it right away. And that’s just fine with us.

2. Share everything…and we mean EVERYTHING – Who said marriage had to hijack your individuality? This is probably one of the best things about our marriage. Lenny gets to be his Star Trek, gadget loving self and I get to be the sarcastic smart ass that married him. Sure it causes some conflicts, but hey – we care enough to nurture our natural personalities. Lenny’s never asked me to change and I would never dream of changing him (except for that whole shaving thing…PLEASE LENNY I HATE FACIAL HAIR!).

3. The thrill is gone after you get married – That’s a bald faced lie! And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

4. The husband should always give the wife what she wants – I don’t want a pusswad for a husband. In fact, Lenny will tell you that I absolutely HATE it when he just gives in. Letting me have my way is no way to grow as a couple. I didn’t get into marriage for a doormat. If we have a problem, I want to fix it…and I want him to be a part of the solution.

5. The wife should always give in – ROFLMAO…*wiping tears from my eyes* Yeah, right…whatever.

6. Being married means you have to hang out with married people – To be perfectly honest, our other married friends drive us nuts. If we had to limit ourselves to married couples, we’d probably not have many friends left. Besides, this point brings in another marriage oriented cliché, “Variety is the spice of life.” Such it is for your intimate life, so it must be for public life. Surround yourself with interesting people and you will get to talk about interesting things. It’s better than staring at each other over your dry chicken dinner.

7. Love means never having to say you’re sorry – Thanks a lot “Love Story.” That line has done more damage to more marriages than any affair ever could. No love is THAT perfect. In fact, if you never say sorry, you’re dealing with some serious denial. Love means being able to say you’re sorry, mean it, and be able to move on like adults.

Chasing Orchid: The Countdown

So I’m packing…does anyone have any idea how much shit one can accumulate in 32 years. Wow, I actually ended up shredding papers from the year 1995 on up. It would be one thing if I was just moving across town but I’m moving across the country. I can’t take a whole lot with me.

It’s interesting to go through the years of my life and watch it get sliced into thin little strips of packing material. But hey, at least I’m recycling…right? I find myself looking at pictures, old pictures. It’s a bit of a trip down memory lane actually.

When I first thought about moving across the country I dismissed it as a flight of fancy actually. I never really thought about permanently moving out of my hometown. It’s a big urban center that has so many things to offer. Great food, hopping nightlife, wonderful arts etc. But the more I pondered the idea the more I realized I’d had enough of the big city life.

I want to be somewhere warm, relaxed, simply put, I want a more laid back lifestyle. I’m tired of always being on the go, and the city just seems to do that. Don’t get me wrong, I love being active, but I want a place where I can be that way doing what I love, hiking, swimming and exploring. The big city just doesn’t lend itself to that kind of thing.

Luckily, being in the teaching field has opened up a wide world of opportunities for me. And I do mean a world. I can teach practically anywhere in the country and there are also programs that allow me to teach overseas. Traveling around the world has always been a dream of mine, and now, the opportunity is there, staring me in the face. I would be a fool not to take it.

The journey I’m about to embark on started over a year ago when I attended an educational conference in Baltimore. I found that my specialty happens to be in an in demand field. As I wandered the conference, I was accosted (I kid you not) by districts wanting me to teach for them. Everywhere from Seattle to North Carolina and even the Virgin Islands tried to recruit me. It was then that I realized not only was I in a field I loved, but also one that could take me literally around the world. How lucky am I?

With this in mind, I visited a few places I thought I might like to teach, fell in love with one of them…completely head over heels in love. Have you ever walked off a plane and sighed contentedly, feeling like you’d finally found “home?” That was how I felt when I deplaned in Maui’s airport.

Kismet was with me and has been since I decided this was where I wanted to live. I called the recruiter, inquired about the job availability and was pleasantly surprised to find they were coming to my city to interview in a few days. Even better, she had an opening in a perfect time slot for me to go and see her. I was offered the job after a 45 minute interview. I couldn’t have asked for happier news.

Now granted, it hasn’t been all roses, the stress of moving is definitely upon me (more on that next week). I have to figure out how to contain 32 years of my life in these boxes in a little under a month. Licensing is a bit of a muddle also, the information in the packet reads a bit like VCR instructions. However, as a modern day MGF, I’m sure I’ll figure it out sooner than later.

Meanwhile….back to packing. *happily tosses more of my past into the wastebasket*

Happily Oblivious

All I know about horse racing is that if you cross the finish line, you win. I watch the Triple Crown mainly because of the spectacle, but I can appreciate the performance of these horses under the jockey’s who ride them. To have to keep a wild beast three or four times your size in line takes some kind of skill. From the day they are born, racehorses are trained, primed, and conditioned to run.

Knowing that, it was quite upsetting to see what happened to Kentucky Derby champ, Barbaro, last weekend at the second leg of the Triple Crown. Charging towards his bid for sports immortality, the two-year old colt was pulled up lame by his jockey, Edgar Prado somewhere around 100 yards into the Preakness Stakes. The injury was later determined to be a fracture above and below the ankle.

Being a sports fan, it was a disappointment to see a goal disappear into thin air. It sure opened up the questions of what could have been. However, since Barbaro’s injury, I can’t help but frown. Browsing the last few day’s headlines on MSN about the incident makes me wrinkle my brow even more:

“Barbaro’s hospital known as on of best.”
“A disturbing reality of racing.”
“Prado goes on with life with heavy heart.”
“Are thoroughbreds weaker than ever?”
“Fans support Barbaro with flowers, apples.”

An outpouring of support has been shown for Barbaro in recent days. Signs asking the public to “Pray for Barbaro,” apples and other treats being left at the New Bolton Center where the horse is being cared for. Well wishers express that owners, trainer, and jockey have been brave in light of this life endangering injury.

And while I am an animal lover and don’t believe that racing is cruel, I can’t help but think we’re missing something here. We’re praising the humans involved and we’re hoping the best for Barbaro like he was a cancer patient. Here we are caring the world for this horse, but no one is asking the question on our minds:

Does Barbaro even know?

Last time I checked, horses don’t talk. And unless Dr. Doolittle is in the house, we’ll never really know what his thoughts are. But here we are carrying on about an animal and I’m pretty darn sure he wasn’t aware of the fact that he’s now a part of racing lore. When he was in the starting gate at Churchill Downs, he wasn’t thinking about being a racing legend. He was probably wondering if he was going to get an apple after they were done.

Barbaro probably wanted to eat that wreath of roses rather than wear them.

The horse is the one who has to live with what looks like seven pins, a metal rod, bubble gum, and dental floss in his hind leg. But you know what? He has no concept of the drama that we humans are creating about his injury! Barbaro’s life would be the same whether he continued racing or if he were a regular horse out in the field working. For all we know, he is happily oblivious to anything outside of recovery.

All of this public outpouring of care is nice. And to a certain extent, Barbaro might be a rallying point for someone in their life. Who knows who he’s inspired with his story. I just find it hard to justify praying for a horse when 1) He doesn’t realize it and 2) We got other things to think about. Imagine if we took this much time and effort when dealing with the price of gas or the homeless or education.

It’s almost like we’re wasting our efforts on the horse, because he’ll be happy regardless if we write him a get well poster or not.

Maybe I’m just jealous of the horse. No, not because it’s getting attention, but because he is happily oblivious to the fuss. I know my life would be easier if I didn’t have to worry about the next tank of gas, whether or not public education can withstand standardized testing, or even if the kids Lenny teaches now will run the country into the ground. Who doesn’t long for a carefree existence? But alas, humanity was not meant to be that way. We like drama too much.

Look at Barbaro’s stories and tell me I’m lying.

BrownSuga's Sweet Spot: Is that your final answer?

In the movie Duets, Gwyneth Paltrow and five other characters dream of winning it big with…..KARAOKE. They travel around the United States competing in local karaoke bars with their final stop in Omaha, Nebraska home of the National Karaoke Competition. Now, I’m not really a fan of the movie, in fact I’ve never watched the whole thing. However, the idea of traveling around the country doing something you enjoy with the hopes of winning a huge monetary prize did catch my eye. So yours truly, figuring no one in their right mind would ever pay me to sing, has decided to take another secret love of mine and hope I can follow it to the national championship…TRIVIA.

Here in our little ole’ town of Boringville, every Monday night my siblings and I meet up at the local bowling alley to compete against the city’s elite (ok so that’s a stretch; in all honesty trivia is free and something to do on a Monday night so the elite equates to bored and cheap). When we’re feeling all big and bad we sometimes head to other spots throughout the city to play trivia on different nights. But our favorite will always be our original place; Brunswick Bowling Alley.

For us this is a great way to spend some much needed quality time together and learn a thing or two about random facts. This is how the game is played: there are 16 regular questions, the first 8 of those are worth 10 points, and the second 8 are worth 20 points, one half time question and one final question.

The half time question is always: name as many movies starring ____________ (and he names some actor or actress, you get 2 points per movie unless they feel it’s difficult then it increases to 5 points per movie). The final question (you must wager before hearing the question; think Final Jeopardy) always has multiple parts and you must get all parts right in order to get the points.

So MGF readers put on your thinking caps and see how well you fair to an average set of questions. But remember for each question we get approximately the length of a song to turn in our answer. So time yourselves lets agree for each question you have 3.5 minutes….GOOD LUCK!

1. (10 points Language) What do the letters ‘Z’, ‘I’ and ‘P’ stand for in zip code?

2. (10 points Presidential History) How many times during his 12 years as President did FDR use his veto power?

3. (10 points Arts & Literature) What is the first American novel to sell over a million copies?

4. (10 points Sports) How many World Series did Babe Ruth play during his 22 year baseball career?

5. (10 points T.V./Radio) How old was Clark Kent when he landed his job at the Daily Planet on the Superman TV series starring George Reeves?

6. (10 points American History) In what state can you find the towns of Romance, Sweet Home and Success?

7. (10 points Random Trivia) Who was featured in the Playboy centerfold when the magazine made its debut in 1953?

8. (10 points World Trivia) If you saw a daibutsu in Japan, what would you be looking at?

***Half time***

Name as many movies starring Johnny Depp in 5 minutes
Hint: there are 33 since 1984

9. (20 points Language) What ails you if you have a bilateral perorbital hematoma?

10. (20 points Movies) Who made a cameo appearance as a man who thinks he’s singer Ethel Merman in the 1980 film Airplane?

11. (20 points Science & Nature) Where in the world are you most likely to find lemurs in the wild?

12. (20 points Sports) Name the five events in the Modern Olympics.

13. (20 points War & Military) How long in days did the 1991 Persian Gulf War last?

14. (20 points Comics) Where was Snoopy born in Charles Schulz’ comic Peanuts?

15. (20 points Inventions) What did London blacksmith Charles Moncke invent?

16. (20 points Food) In what country did the beverage we know as ‘punch’ originate?

***FINAL QUESTION***

Presidential History

Name 4 out of the 5 US Presidents to have a full beard.

If you absolutely can't wait till next week to see how well you did you can e-mail me at BrownSuga to get the answers.

You Never Hear the Bullet That Kills You

Yesterday afternoon, I saw the last of what I call the four “New Broadway Classics” on my list. It took me a decade or so, but I finally saw a live performance of "The Phantom of the Opera," "Miss Saigon," and "Rent." After seeing Phantom in London, I only had one more to go! Lenny and I are not sure how it’s eluded us all these years, but I kept missing the touring editions of "Les Miserables." When his cousin told us that this year’s tour would be the last one (until they decide to revive it in 5-10 years), we jumped on the opportunity to watch. So, I got all dressed up to go to the matinee performance at Gammage Theatre.

I have to say, it’s one of my favorite productions out of the four. The sets, the stories, and the characters really come alive. The audience feels very connected to the show. You feel for each of the characters. You cheer on Valjean. You want to boo Javert. You pray that Cosette and Marius don’t get separated. And then there’s Eponine.

Ahh…poor Eponine. The show’s favorite street urchin who was doomed to fall in love with someone in a different strata of society. And she knew it. Even if you didn’t know the story, the moment Marius and Eponine spoke, you knew she was doomed. (SPOILER ALERT: SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS!) She gave and gave to an oblivious Marius. How much in love was she? Eponine not only helped Marius FIND where Cosette lives, she also delivered a love letter he wrote for Cosette! Talk about taking it in the head for a guy. This ironically is pretty close to how she gets killed. Clipped by a bullet she didn’t feel until she fell into Marius’ arms. Only in near death does she finally get what she wants. “I’ll sleep in your embrace at last,” she sings right before passing into the light.

While I can’t really blame Eponine for falling in love with Marius, or blame Marius for not knowing (love has a way of blinding people to the obvious), I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should have stood up and said, “Eponine…let him go! It’s not going to work! Go for the guy getting drunk on the wine!” She should have seen it coming!

Which brings me to the point of our blog this evening: Why do ignore toxic or dangerous relationships even though our better thoughts tell us to do otherwise?

I’m talking about people and all relationships. Not just romance based relationships, we’re even talking friendships and family. In our lives, we’ve all had someone who has just sucked the life out of us. The kicker is, we knew it, we recognized it, and we did nothing about it until it was too late.

Humans are funny that way, aren’t we? Out of all the animals in this world, we ignore our instincts the most. You don’t see a deer pausing to think about the ramifications of running away. Once they get spooked…they jet. But humans? We tend to hem and haw until the bullet is right about to strike us. Why are we so stupid that way?

Let me take a work relationship for example. I started in my new department last October-November. When I joined my new team, I made friends with someone who was a little like me. We were talkers, weren’t scared of being out in front, and we were very focused on accomplishing our team objectives. I thought he was a cool guy and we even socialized outside of work with our spouses a few times. During that time period, my work started getting noticed. After years of being ignored, it felt really good to be recognized for hard work.

And then one day, my boss (who is a great mentor and has given me great advice about my career at our company) pulled me aside. She asked me how much trust had I placed in this person. Realizing the tone of her voice, I knew she was about to deliver bad news. I asked her why she was asking. She simply looked at me and said, “Just watch out. You’re sticking out and it’s not sitting well with your new friend.”

I sat on it for a few days. I really didn’t want to believe that there was ill intent lurking in the cubicle across from me. On the other hand, my boss had never led me wrong. And then again, I was beginning to notice little things here and there that just didn’t sit well with me. But being as good natured as I am, I chose to believe the best in that person.

And then…I found out people were under the impression that my co-worker was responsible for the success of our team during our busiest time of year. I heard that it was because of HIM that we succeeded. Now, I’m not a huge attention whore, but I do believe there were THREE people on the team handling all of the work. I was the new guy, but I knew that each one of us had contributed.

Despite all the warning signs of a toxic relationship, I let this one take over. The result? I had to rebuild my reputation a bit and fight for the recognition of my other teammates as well. Luckily, some important people knew the actual situation, and no one was permanently damaged.

But why didn’t I just follow my gut? This could have potentially been so much worse! Especially since my last job resulted in a lay off because I trusted too much in people who I thought would take care of me! You’d think I would have learned…but I guess it’s a lesson that I have to pay more attention to. Like Eponine, I needed to quit it while the quitting was good. I shouldn’t have delivered the love letter.

I hope I’m learning. I hope that when the next opportunity arises, I can see all the signs of a toxic relationship. Because who knows? The next time might be the bullet that brings me down.

We're Not Going There...Really

I’m a talker when I’m around people I know and am comfortable with. I could go on for HOURS with my friends. As Lenny will attest, I can fill up a silence like no one he’s ever met (sometimes to the point of annoyance). And when I do get talking, it can be quite entertaining as just about anything will fly out of my mouth. And maybe, I enjoy the spotlight a tad bit.

But even a talker like me hates discussing the forbidden two topics: Religion and Politics.

Generally, I just tend to stay out of such subjects unless I’m debating – at which point I’m forced to take either side – or if I have a death wish. My typical modus operandi is to simply turn and talk to someone else if others in the group are discussing it, or just excuse myself politely. But more and more each day, this is becoming quite the challenge. As the boundaries between Church, state, and political affiliation dissipate, so do the tactful ways I can extricate myself from it.

Before I go on, let me just say that I am a Roman Catholic and have registered as an Independent to vote. However, don’t let these two labels fool you. While I celebrate the Catholic mass, I still reserve the right to disagree with certain edicts and views that are stereotypical of my religion. While I have a left-leaning tendency, I occasionally find myself simply frustrated with all politicians and often have to vote for the lesser of two evils. But, as an American citizen, I view the office of the Presidency with respect by keeping quiet publicly about my opinions. Another election will come soon enough and I will be able to cast my opinion then (As naïve as that sounds, I still believe it).

Let’s hope that’s the last time I ever have to explain that on here.

Back to the point at hand – it is disturbing to me that humans (and more specifically Americans) have divided themselves up into these little groups. The mentality is “You’re either FOR US or AGAINST US.” My question is who is this “us” and why are they whipping up mob mentality? Furthermore, there are divisions within the divisions. For example, it’s not enough to classify themselves as Red State Republicans, but you have your sub-categories as well: Right Wing, Black, Female, Male, Glasses Wearing, Gun Toting, Vegan…the list could probably go on. Each with a different agenda, but all claiming to be with one “party.”

I understand the human need to organize ourselves into groups. Isn’t that what our ancestral tribes were? They were groups of people who shared common beliefs, lifestyles, traditions, etc. They had regional differences, perhaps, but as a whole they were one unit. When a tribe went to war, the WHOLE tribe went. My favorite way of explaining this to people is by using my blue little friends, the Smurfs (stick with me here folks).

Okay – so we had this village of blue people who were three apples high (I think the scale is off, because have you ever stacked three apples on each other? That’s a pretty big ass Smurf). They all had different jobs and characteristics – Papa Smurf was the leader, Brainy was the smart one, Nosey was the town gossip, Fisher was the fisherman, and Smurfette was arm candy (I could make a worse joke, but this is a PG-13 blog). Different Smurfs, different agendas. But when it came down to it, Gargamel the Sorcerer and his cat Azrael wanted to destroy ALL Smurfs by eating them or turning them into gold. Not a single Smurf in the village gets immunity.

Fundamentalists don’t want to destroy just part of American society, everyone living in this country has a target over them. The Papacy doesn’t excommunicate only some of the homosexuals, they issue the statement to all of them. The bird flu isn’t something that picks us by hair color, it’s indiscriminant. But we waste our time telling each other that we don’t like specific groups, when we’re all getting whacked over the head with the same set of bats!

When it comes down to it, we are all in the same sinking boat. So, why not help bail the water out? Instead of deciding “who” you’re supposed to be with, try figuring “how” to fix the problem. It’s okay to mingle, trust me – I’ve done it. I didn’t get cooties from people who have opinions that differ from mine. I have lots of friends who have contrary points of view to my own. Does that make them right? Does it make them wrong? No…it makes them human! If we weren’t suppose to have free will, then whatever higher being/evolutionary ooze/space aliens that set us on this Earth wouldn’t have let us live. If they were aiming for a subservient culture – they failed by a long shot.

In the end, we are who we are. You can’t change anybody – only yourself. As for me, I think I’ve finally come up with a new way to address the question “What are you?” The answer is simple and has been there all along: I am human.

That’s the best group of all!

Letting the Monster Out of the Box

It has not been a good week. No worry, folks, nothing catastrophic has happened. It’s just been one of those weeks. The kind of week where even the most chipper of souls can feel a bit run down. A kind of week where your Microsoft Outlook Calendar looks like a bracket from the NCAA basketball tournament. It’s the week where your infinite patience with people who annoy you starts to show signs of wearing out. This is the week were every minor misstep gets magnified in a really bad way. This week, you take off the halo and show your horns.

This is the week your evil twin shows up.

Now when I say evil, I don’t mean the kind that is out to destroy New York with some gigantic robot and is hell bent on world domination. This evil twin is simply the other half of you that you don’t let out of the box because societal propriety says you shouldn’t. My theory is that everyone has an evil twin…and that twin has every right in the world to come out from their cell to stretch their legs for a little bit, societal propriety be damned.

I’m not ashamed to say that I let mine out of the box this week. I call her Lillian (“Bizarro Lily” just seemed a bit cliché – and let’s face it – Lillian is a snob). I don’t hate her. In fact, I think she’s a necessary part of my life. You see, I’m what some people call a “Perpetual Caretaker.” It’s a trait shared by many people (mostly first born or people who had to grow up really fast). We feel the need to make sure everyone is okay. We’re the ones everyone comes to talk to when they have problems. We’re the family peacemaker. In general, perpetual caretakers have the most sense in a group of friends. You can always depend on a PC to be there when you need them.

The only problem is…who takes care of the caretakers? Well, unless there’s a caretaker’s support group out there that I don’t know about – I handle it by letting Lillian loose every once in awhile. And can I tell you? It’s freeing. No one can be perky and positive ALL the time. On the same token, I don’t want to burn EVERY bridge I have. I just don’t want all the responsibility for awhile.

It seems so self-centered and selfish of me to say that. And I do feel a tinge of guilt when Lillian comes to party. But in my experience, sometimes you just have to let go. There’s a little thrill in stepping outside of you. In a week where I felt like everything was just a little too overbearing, it was really great to be a little bit of a bitch on wheels.

Where Lily can be funny and sarcastic when called for, Lillian’s sense of humor has the intent to cut and cut deeply. Lily is kind, giving, and compassionate. Lillian will handle favors, but with a chip on her shoulder. Lily would die if she ever unintentionally offended someone. Lillian just doesn’t give a rat’s ass about it.

Lillian is one bad ass chick. And I, for one, am glad she’s around.

And it’s not just the fact that having Lillian around allows me to vent; she makes Lily a bit braver too. I have to admit that in times of stress, I tend to back down from my usual gusto when going after something. I just don’t feel like fighting sometimes, even if it means that I become somewhat of a temporary doormat (Hey...MGFs have their vulnerable moments, okay?). Thanks to a little visit from a feisty Lillian keeps Lily looking on top of her game in a good fight.

As the week comes to the end, I’m so glad that’s its over! Thinking back over the week – it probably wasn’t as bad as my mind made it out to be. Oh, but how boring and mundane it would have been? I’m counting the hours until Friday ends and I can launch headlong into a carefree weekend where I can relax and forget my worries. I’ll let go of Lillian for a little bit and call on her when I need to. The only problem is…I don’t want to let go of her quite yet. Maybe Lillian would like a little exercise next week too? For a little bit?

It’s more fun to be the evil twin, isn’t it?

Chasing Orchid: These Gray Hairs Aren't From Age...

So, a not so funny thing happened to me today. I got home at about 2:15 from teaching my students and waited for my daughter to be dropped off by her ride. Lo and behold, she never showed up!

Now before anyone panics (just like I did) let me tell you she’s safe and sound and tucked into bed.

The story goes like this. Her father, my ex, normally drops her off and picks her up from school because he works in the evenings. However for the last two weeks he’s had to go to his place of employment early. We arranged for our neighbor to pick our daughter up from school and drop her off at the house as I would have gotten home by that time.

Now I normally get home about 2:15, as I did this day, and my daughter typically shows up at the door around 2:30, give or take a few minutes. So at 2:29pm the familiar knock resounded on my door, however it was my neighbor all by her lonesome. The first question out of both of our mouths was. “Where’s A….?”

My stomach dropped, not that euphoric roller coaster drop…that gut wrenching “Oh Shit!” drop. About a dozen scenarios were floating through my head as I ran upstairs to grab my cell. The scariest vision my mind came up with was every parent’s worst nightmare, “stranger danger.” My hands were shaking as I called her school.

Thankfully she was staying after for a music enrichment rehearsal for her class play.

Heart slowing down, I ended the call to the school and promptly called the ex and asked him what the hell was going on. He told me that our daughter had informed him that morning about the after school nonsense. He also proceeded to tell me that he had explicitly told our daughter she needed to tell her teacher she could not (note the not) attend this afternoon.

My darling, headstrong, stubborn, goober of a daughter decided she wanted to go and screw what dad had told her. Hence, the chaos that ensued at dismissal time was a result of this. Realizing that my daughter was safe suddenly freed up my emotions, turning them from “Oh god I hope my baby’s all right,” to “She is in sooooooooo much trouble when I pick her up!”

After I heard what she had done, I smacked my own head wondering where in the hell she came up with that idea. Did she not have any clue that she was going to get caught and get in a load of trouble?

Then it dawned on me as memories came back of similar incidents that had happened before….except the culprit was not my daughter this time…it was myself. Visions flashed through my mind of the days when I used to sled off my garage roof, jump from tree houses, hang upside down from the branches of the tallest trees and sneak to the corner store for a treat, to name a few. I just rolled my eyes and silently cursed at my parents. Their words coming back to haunt me “One day I hope you have a kid that’s just like you.”

Damn, why do we do such stupid shit when we’re young? And why the hell don’t we remember the stupid shit we did before we have kids of our own?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad my daughter is independent enough to take the initiative, that’s not the problem. The problem is when it comes to common sense and consequences her maturity is not quite up to par with her independent streak.

Needless to say, this causes me a lot of stress and excess worry. No one ever told me parenthood would be like this. Everyone talks about the “warm, fuzzy” feelings, the bonds that come with parenthood. While the above is definitely true, the thing with bonds is this; with those bonds there also comes the sense of responsibility, concerns about safety and health and a myriad of other issues that cause anxiety.

As a parent, I will never completely lay this anxiety to rest. Like I always tell my daughter when she whines at me for calling her baby. “You’ll always be my baby no matter how old you are.”

The next time one of your friends or family members has a baby, take a picture of the “before” and a year later take a picture of the “after.” Compare those photos side by side. I bet there’s a big difference! Raising kids is a challenge and don’t ever let anyone delude you into thinking differently.

Trust me *pulls out a gray hair* these aren’t because of age.

On Lily's iPod: "Death by Sexy" by The Eagles of Death Metal

It started simple enough. I was writing up the blog post one night and carrying on a conversation via messenger with fellow blogger, Chris Sims (ISB in da HOUSE!). Knowing I am a big music fan, he asked if I’d ever heard of a band called The Eagles of Death Metal. I chuckled and answered no (If I had heard of them, I would have remembered a name like that!). So, he sent me a link to watch the video of their release, “I Want You So Hard (The Boy’s Bad News).”

After simultaneously cracking up and rocking out that night to the cameo-ridden vid and then passing the link to Orchid, I went out and bought EoDM’s latest release, “Death by Sexy.”

“Death by Sexy” is the band’s follow up to their 2004 debut, “Peace, Love, and Death Metal” (which I will be picking up shortly). High school buddies, Jesse Hughes and Joshua Homme team up to revisit 70’s rock with lyrics that would have created the soundtrack to the R-rated teen movies that pre-date “American Pie.” It’s that grungy. It’s that sleazy. It’s that good.

The lyrics are definitely an eye catcher. In the track “Don’t Speak (I Came to Bang!),” Jesse Hughes’ slinky vocal seduces you with the following words:

“…Hold me; I’m your fabulous weapon,
I’ll hit your target girl, so use me well.
I’m in too tight, gonna feel it tonight...
Yeah baby, here I stand, I’m your impossible man.”

If you close your eyes, you can visualize a 70’s garage rock kind of band. The kind that sing about seducing barely legal girls and living the fast life. EoDM easily fits into the genre where bands such as Jet forced themselves into the mold. It does help the image that lead singer Hughes, who, according to Heather Phares from the All Music Guide, “sports a mustache not seen outside of '70s porn.”

The boys even take a quirky turn with “The Ballad of Queen Bee and Baby Duck,” which is a short rock n’ roll ode to the relationship of Joshua Homme (Baby Duck) and The Distiller’s lead singer/guitarist Brody Dalle (Queen Bee). I have to say that that particular song is the one I sing to the most. It’s catchy, but edgy at the same time.

Every song on the CD makes you say “I think I’ve heard that before.” But you never really quite put your finger on it. That’s because EoDM put their own spin on these tunes. The fifth track, “Solid Gold” reminded me of the Rolling Stones early work. In fact, Lenny pointed out in the car one day that it was very similar to “Sympathy for the Devil.” But don’t let that stop you from listening to this album.

The tone is frenzied and hot. The driving guitar, beats, and vocal make you want to get up and dance. This is definitely the kind of music you’d expect to hear off of a jukebox in a dark bar. But above all, “Death by Sexy” is a fun time. This is one of the very few albums where I don’t hit the forward button on my iPod mini. There is not a filler song in the bunch.

Go ahead, pick up the album and rock out. As EoDM proudly proclaims in their liner notes, I’ve been “sentenced to death by sexy.” And frankly…what a way to go!

BrownSuga's Sweet Spot: Who's your McDreamy?

As most of you know, I am a diehard fan of Grey’s Anatomy. I lose myself every Sunday night for an hour inside the hallowed halls of Seattle Grace Hospital. I laugh, I cry, I waited in bated breath to see if Denny Duket would survive the heart surgery. If you haven’t caught an episode then you are truly missing out on a future classic, but it’s ok. This piece is not about the joys of Grey’s Anatomy (I’ve already sung their praises).

Grey’s Anatomy did however, inspire this. Patrick Dempsey’s character, Derrick Shepherd, is referred to by the female characters as “Dr. McDreamy”. And I must agree this man has grown up BEAUTIFULLY! Yes this is the same actor, who professed his love on a lawn mower for the popular girl in Can’t Buy Me Love, the same guy who started out as a pizza delivery boy but soon became a “companion” in Lover Boy.

But the ladies at Seattle Grace Hospital see what I see, a boyishly cute yet sexy mature man with melt my chocolate eyes. One lady in particular, Meredith Grey, can’t let go (even though he is married and chose to work things out with his wife).

And this is how the question evolved. Who is your McDreamy? Who is the guy or girl who you can’t stop thinking of no matter what? Who is the person who can pop back in your life tomorrow or in a decade and you still think twice about shedding everything to try and make it work for the 1000^th time? As a friend said, who is your ‘ohhhh weeeee’ person? When you think about them you automatically think, ‘ohhhh weeeee’.

This person is not always your soul mate. If they happen to be and you’re with them then great, lucky you! But for some it’s not even someone you should be with. Sometimes your McDreamy is supposed to stay in your dreams because no matter how much your breath stops when they walk into a room, no matter how AMAZING the sex is, no matter how many times they say “it will work this time” the two of you together will never work out.

I’ve talked to a few close friends about this subject. Some understand and agree, others say they’ve never felt like that for someone. If you’ve never felt an unexplainable pull to someone, just wait. For one woman I know she said in all honesty that if her McDreamy knocked on her door the night before she got married and asked her to call off the wedding she would have. Although in her heart she knew it would never work. That says nothing about her marriage now. She is happy with her husband and would never leave him for ANYONE. But it illustrates the kind of pull our McDreamies can have.

To have one does not make you weak or psychotic; I think it makes you human. Out of every past relationship I’ve had no regrets. I enjoyed my time with the guys, learned things and we parted when out time was up. Any one of them could ask me to recommend them to another girl and not only would I be happy to do it, I wouldn’t have a negative thing to say about any of them. Because of my “good luck” with the opposite sex it’s easy for me to think back and want to say “ohhhh weeeee” about any of the guys. But only one can make me wonder about what would happen if he knocked on my door right now.

Everyone is someone’s McDreamy. Take a close look around you; at past relationships and friends, you are someone’s “McDreamy”. I hope that when you think about yours you smile as genuinely as I do when I think about mine. Who is your McDreamy?

*sighs as I think of my McDreamy*. Tell me about yours at mgf_brownsuga@yahoo.com

How to Spend $200 in Vegas Without Feeling Guilty

In recent years, Las Vegas has become the restaurant capital of the world. All star chefs from all over the world have set stakes down in Sin City and created dining experiences that are second to none. While the $1.99 steak and egg breakfast exists, the palate of Vegas visitors has matured and ventured into international gourmet cuisine. Not to be left out, Orchid and I chose two restaurants for our visit to Las Vegas. Both are anchored by solid executive chefs and worth the money we dropped on them.

Lunch: Delmonico Steakhouse (The Venetian) by Elusive Orchid

Lils and I decided our first meal in Vegas was going to be had at Delmonico Steakhouse located in the Venetian Hotel. I’ve never had the pleasure of dining at one of Emeril Lagasse’s restaurants so I was pretty psyched to go and find out for myself if his restaurants are as wonderful as the all the reviewers claim.

The first thing I noticed when we entered was the ambiance. The décor is masculine yet warm. It was reminiscent of an oak paneled library, well lit but not harsh, exuding a comfortable yet elegant feeling, a place where one can relax with an after dinner cordial.

Lils and I were one of the first patrons to arrive, as we had an early reservation. The staff was extremely attentive and more then willing to help. The extensive wine list was on display in floor to ceiling, custom made, wooden wine racks. Though tempting, we opted for cocktails, we were in Vegas after all.

We started our lunch with a special appetizer of spiced shrimp on a bed of risotto. It was slightly spicy and the risotto was al dente, creamy, with the perfect texture. It happens to be the only place where Lils will actually eat risotto.

The actual lunch was a bit of a debate. Everything on the menu was tempting. It ranged from seafood, to chicken and steak. Being a steakhouse, Lils and I decided it would be sacrilege to eat anything other then beef. In the end we both chose sirloin medallions on a heavenly concoction of mashed potatoes.

We of course had to save room for dessert. The special of the day was tiramisu. For those of you who have never tried it, you’re missing out. It’s a light, layered confection consisting of ladyfingers, Kahlua or another coffee flavored liquor, mascarpone cheese and whipped cream, with a dusting of cocoa powder.

Needless to say the meal was wonderful. But what I really enjoyed was the atmosphere. Though it does have the feel of a “Men’s Club,” Lils and I found that we were perfectly at ease even though we were the only unaccompanied women there. We didn’t feel out of place at all and the wait staff did everything they could to make sure we were happy with our experience.

I definitely recommend Delmonico Steakhouse for those of you looking for a fine dining experience in Vegas. However….a word of warning, vegetarians are not likely to find much on the menu to their liking. Though as accommodating as the employees are, I imagine they would be more then happy to whip up something for your enjoyment.

Dinner: Michael Mina (The Bellagio) by Lily White

The Bellagio is one of my favorite places to be in when I go to Las Vegas. Now, I neither shop nor gamble there, as it is a little too rich for my blood. I really can’t justify buying anything at the shopping venue and anything after a $10 minimum bet makes me sweat. However, the one thing I am very willing to pay good money for is good food. And the fine dining at Michael Mina at the Bellagio qualifies as good food to me.

I first went to Michael Mina last year on a trip with my in-laws. It was such a great culinary experience that when Elusive Orchid said, “I want to eat good food” as part of the itinerary edict, I offered up a trip to the Bellagio.

The restaurant sits at the back of the amazing garden that is filled with flowers and topiary delights. Keep in mind that in order to get there, you also have to walk through the enormous lobby with that fabulous Chiluly hand crafted ceiling of glass flowers. But the positioning of the restaurant is perfect. To me, it sits at the end of one very whimsical road.

The restaurant is decorated in a very warm and modern setting. Large French glass doors look out into the lake that fronts the resort casino. The clean, pale wood furniture and weave patter ceiling make you feel like you’re in a classy Northern California home. A little masculine, but not too much that two women were comfortable dining there. The amber lighting and open kitchen layout make dining very cozy.

The menu is a diverse selection of good eats. It was difficult to decide whether or not to pass it up, but we decided that we wouldn’t make it to dessert! However, the appetizers include selections such as Thai-Style Kobe Beef carpaccio with glass noodles and roasted peanuts; as well as a Hamachi (yellow tail) parfait with wasabi tobiko and shiitake mushroom vinaigrette.

But the big sell here are the entrees. On our big night, Orchid went with the Miso glazed Chilean sea bass that was served on a shrimp and lobster ravioli and drizzled with a mushroom consommé. One bite and she was hooked on the fusion of Asian, Italian, and French flavors. Meanwhile, I went with the same dish I had on my first visit to the restaurant: Rare medallions of ahi tuna topped with Hudson Valley fois gras and accompanied with a pinoir sauce and a crispy potato cake. Until dining here, I’d never tasted fois gras. I knew what it was, and I knew it was expensive. But the flavors of the fatty fois gras made the rare ahi actually taste like beef. And it all just melted in my mouth.

For dessert, we went for a simple tasting of sorbets (Orchid) and ice cream (me). I wondered if the desserts would stand up to the $9 price. But as I made my way through the Rocky Road, chocolate, and mint chocolate chip…I kept saying to myself that I’d pay $20 for this. The Rocky Road and chocolate were the most flavorful that I’d ever tasted and the mint chocolate chip had just the right amount of kick of mint in the after taste. Orchid oh’d and ah’d over a trio of sorbet that included raspberry, coconut, and pineapple. Along with a cup of coffee, it was the perfect end to the perfect meal.

Michael Mina at the Bellagio is definitely not cheap. Look to spend somewhere in the vicinity of $50-$70 per person if you’re ordering off the regular menu. If you are adventurous, go ahead and try their seasonal tasting menu (three courses, prepared for the table) at $105 per person. I’m working my way up to this one.

In hindsight, Orchid and I spent a large part of our budget on lunch and dinner. But considering the fabulous results, we don’t feel one ounce of regret. Besides…you’re in Vegas, if you can’t splurge here, where else are you going to splurge?

Next time you’re in Las Vegas, check out these two restaurants. You will definitely not be disappointed!

For more information on Delmonico Steakhouse and Michael Mina:
http://www.venetian.com/dining/delmonico.cfm
http://www.michaelmina.net/michaelmina_bellagio/