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Spring!

At the risk of jinxing everything, I have to say that it truly feels like spring here! Most of the snow is gone and the sun is shining. While I have little doubt that we still have some snow in store for us this season, I feel like we’re going to make it! And Daylight Savings Time has started, which is the best thing in the universe.

Because I’ve felt bottled up and stuffy, I got an early start on spring cleaning this weekend. The windows were open and the vacuum cleaner was purring. Actually, it was more grumbling because it was forced to work triple duty. As most of you know, I’m a fairly clean person (except when it comes to showering, which I won’t go into). I vacuum at least weekly — it’s a must when combining Kate’s pathetic allergies with Gracie’s intense need to leave her fur everywhere — dust every weekend and clean the bathroom multiple times per week. I can get messy, but I try very hard not to be dirty. Well, I got a serious bee in my bonnet over the last week about my bed. I bought it over two years ago when we were going through the pumpkin. I had gotten the mattress; Ben had gotten the box spring and our old bed. I bought it online from some super cheap place. I think that the bed, along with the two end tables and shipping, came to about $500. Needless to say, it’s rather a piece of junk. A billion pieces of uber-heavy particle board. It took me hours to install. Literally. I liked it at first because it was cheap but looked kinda nice — it was a platform bed with clean lines. But as time wore on, I realized I kinda hated it. I hated the way the headboard slanted backward so you could never sit up straight. I hated the way that the veneer on the end tables started to wear away and get bubbly-looking from having too many wine or water glasses on them. And I really started to hate how I felt that it was trapping dust behind and underneath it — spots that were nearly impossible to get to because of how heavy the bed was and because of the design. So, on Saturday I ordered a new bed from CB2, new end tables and new lamps. Holy cow. I know. When I get that bee in that bonnet o’ mine, you’d better not be in my way. The times they are a-changin’. So, even though the bed won’t be here for awhile, on Sunday morning I woke up knowing I couldn’t take it any more. Old craptastic bed had to go. And it had to go that day. I set to work. It took awhile — a screwdriver and tons of brute force — but that crappy bed broke apart, broke down, and went into the recycling bin (thanks to Aaron for that part). A few of the pieces of particle board have been put up on the beams in the garage to create a place for extra storage. See, the bed was worth something after all. Back in the bedroom, though, my worst fears had been confirmed.

And I wonder why my asthma is so bad. That was the little treat waiting for me, and my vacuum, behind the headboard.

An education from An Education

Published March 7, 2010 local , movies 7 Comments
Tags: movies, Orpheum, Oscars

Yesterday was the first day of 2010 that I could really believe spring would come once again. While there was this,

there was also this,

Spring may come afterall! It was just a sunny, beautiful day and we left the windows open to air out the condo while we walked downtown to the Orpheum to finally see An Education. I admit that I was not totally in love with the idea of seeing this movie. I had believed (mistakenly) that it was going to be yet another tale about an older man obsessed with his Lolita and that the movie would feel tired and exploitative. I could not have been more wrong. First, a word on the Orpheum. It is simply the most fun place to see a movie in Madison. It is old, beautiful and you can sit in the balcony. You can have a drink during the movie and get real butter on your popcorn. While it lacks the amenities of Sundance (say, drink holders for one), it makes up for it in charm. Frankly, unless there is something that I really want to see on the Imax at Star Cinemas, I almost never venture out of the Sundance-Orpheum world. The problem with the theater? Well, there are several. First of all, it’s FREEZING in there. I don’t think anyone took off their coats. Second, the film reel started and stopped several times before we finally got a real go with sound and all. Third, it went out of focus a couple of times during the middle of the movie. Despite all that, I still love that theater.

Now, onto the star attraction. An Education is, without a doubt, the best movie I have seen this year. Maybe even the past few years. It is a quietly perfect coming-of-age tale set in 1961 England. Jenny is a 16-year-old girl who wants to lose her virginity on her 17th birthday, loves all things French, plays the cello and has her eyes set on Oxford. She meets David who is much older, worldly and a smooth, smooth talker. He introduces her to his world, which is the world she has studied but never seen. This all may sound trite, but it is so far from it. This is the first movie I can think of that deals honestly with a young girl’s sexuality and hopes and dreams. Jenny thinks she knows more than she does. She thinks she is more clever than her parents, and maybe she is, but they still have a thing or two to teach her. She thinks David is the world, but he’s not. He’s just a man who has more faults than most and who loves to see himself through his ingenue’s eyes. She thinks her teachers are tired and boring and have given up on life, but finds herself wrong again. They teach because of girls like her, who have the whole world in front of them and talents to offer us all.

I think what I found most heartbreaking and lovely about an An Education, if I had to pick one thing, would be Jenny’s relationship with her father. He believes so strongly in Jenny getting an education, even though he himself barely understands what that means. He insists she play the cello, but not that she practice and certainly not that she expose herself to concerts and culture. His character is summed up in his hilarious line to Jenny, when she tells him her friend Graham may become a famous author one day, “Being a famous author is not the same as knowing one.” Jenny’s dad prefers to know what one “should” be but not to actually be that. But he is more than just the comic figure in the story. He is her father and he loves her and delights in her successes and blames himself for her biggest mistake. He believes in her and he forgives her her lies and errors in judgment. The scene in which he brings her tea and biscuits will probably forever be with me.

This story is a memoir, which explains, I suppose, why it feels so very real and true. The ditzy blonde may have been a bit of a stretch (can anyone be that clueless?), but she was a decent foil and quite sweet and funny. Really funny, actually.

I know the movie has no chance of winning tonight, and in a year when there are 10 nominees it’s not really an honor to be nominated, but I am grateful for its existence and already want to see it again. Oh! And Carey Mulligan’s performance? Well, I don’t think it would have been the same film with anyone else. She was simply divine. She was the perfect, perfect embodiment of Jenny. I am eager to see her in future roles, but I suspect I will never love her more than I do as Jenny.

The Coopers Tavern

Published March 3, 2010 local 7 Comments
Tags: restaurants, yumsville

Yesterday, after Aaron’s Wisconsin Supreme Court argument — at which he did a great job fielding difficult, and sometimes aggressive, questions — we went out for lunch. We decided to try the new place on the block (Square), The Coopers Tavern. I’ve been confused about the name, likening it to The Ohio State University. When I asked Aaron for his thoughts on the name, he said he didn’t think it was at all odd and informed me a cooper is a person who makes barrels. Well. I was already learning from this place, and we hadn’t even stepped through the door. I still don’t understand why there is no apostrophe to make it either Cooper’s or Coopers’, but I suspect it’s a choice of aesthetics over grammar. And this place definitely has thought about asthetics.

The place is really nice-looking. It’s got lots of light but warm wood and despite having only a small window area, feels bright and clean. The menu is small and features the ever-popular and trendy, upscale bar food cuisine. There are a few appetizers, including poutine and Belgian frites, pictured below. These frites seem to have taken over Madison in the last few years.

We started with these frites, which were served with a side of malt vinegar aioli, which just looked like mayo to me so I obviously stayed away. I should have asked for another condiment to complement the fries, but they were quite tasty on their own. I prefer Sardine’s version, which are thinner and crispier, but these were really quite flavorful and — probably because they are twice-fried — a very pretty amber brown.

I ordered the Amy’s salad, which is spinach, cranberries, walnuts, pear, apple and “crisped goat cheese.” The salad is also served with what they are calling a “rustic baguette” from Madison Sourdough. I heart Madison Sourdough so I was particularly excited about the baguette, which I know is a tad lame.

The salad arrived and I was confused. What are these two medallion things on either side of the plate? Aaron said, “Croutons?” I furrowed my brow, smiled and said, “I think it’s the goat cheese!” And I was right. This brilliant way of serving goat cheese — simply one of my favorite foods — had me smiling throughout my meal. It was warm inside, crispy outside and great for spreading on the bread. The bread, though, did not taste like the Madison Sourdough baguette I’m used to. It tasted dry and not like sourdough. I wonder if it’s a different type of the baguette than I usually buy or if it was an off day. In any event, the salad was quite good. I wish I had gotten the dressing on the side because, well, I’m me. I don’t know what I was thinking. The dressing is a balsamic vinaigrette but, like the Old Fashioned’s, it is white and creamy. And, as a rule, I don’t do white and creamy. So, I would get the salad again, but with dressing on the side and maybe use lemons as a dressing instead, which I think would go nicely with the spinach and fruit. Aaron got the brisket sandwich, which he seemed to love. Sandwiches come with either a side of greens or hand-made chips. He opted for the greens, because we started with the fries. The bill, with tip (and a diet Coke) was $28, which is a bit steep for lunch for two, but I’m not complaining.

I should also add that service was great and the place started getting packed a little after 1 pm, which was a little surprising. We walked back to work and I said how much I liked the place, but how I suspected that it will ultimately be a little like the Old Fashioned for me — I like the space and the idea of the place better than I like the food itself. But I know that I will return to this nice, welcoming spot.

[Also of note is that this space used to be a McDonald’s that closed several years ago. I am relieved to have a new, sweet, locally-owned restaurant using what was a vacant spot for too long.]

First Furlough Day in 2010

Published February 15, 2010 local 15 Comments
Tags: kitchen remodeling, neighbors, project runway

So much for that New Year’s resolution to blog at least once a week. Oops. Ok, I’m back on the wagon. Not that wagon, but the blogging wagon. At least for now.

I have a lot to report about the kitchen, but am going to wait on pictures until it’s all the way done. For the most part, I’m really happy. There have been a few problems, some of which I’ve already recounted here. A new one, though, is the countertops. We opted for quartz and they’re really beautiful. Apparently, though, they’re also very heavy. This means that they had difficulty getting the largest piece (one side of the kitchen) into place without damaging the walls. So, in an effort to leave our walls intact, Carlos (our countertop man) chipped the countertops. He thought it would be ok because the tile backsplash we were going to install would cover up the problem. But I wasn’t planning on tiling the side walls. During my efforts to get this resolved, I was labeled “demanding” in an email from the Home Depot to Carlos. I don’t think I was supposed to receive that email. In any event, instead of the tile — which we hadn’t decided on and were thinking we might do ourselves — we’re just going to have Carlos come back and install quartz backsplash on the wall. I’m not in love with this idea but I think it makes the most sense. Ok, I’ve already changed my mind. Here’s a picture.

Wall

You can see where the former backsplash was. It was the same as the countertops — white tile framed in a light wood. I really like the look of a smooth countertop with tile being the only backsplash (as opposed to the countertop creeping up the wall). But I started to worry about a couple of things. One, the cost of the tile. It’s not cheap. Two, who would install it? Would we? The web makes it look easy, but I can’t imagine it is. Three, if we did it ourselves I worried about several things — the mess, the outcome, the probability that it wouldn’t get done. If we hired someone to do it I worried about cost. And, again, when were we going to get around to hiring someone? I really started to worry that we would have this amazing new kitchen that would never be quite finished. So, Carlos is coming back and I hope to have a finished product soon.

In the meantime, the old fridge is on the curb waiting patiently for the city to come pick it up. My neighbors, however, have not been so patient. I have gotten a phone call and hostile emails with CAPITAL letters telling me what an eyesore it is and how it needs to be removed. Well, what can I do? We bought the $35 appliance sticker, put it on the fridge, have the fridge on the curb and have contacted the city to tell them they missed picking it up (they assured us last week they’d come and get it). It still sits there. I don’t know what my neighbors expect me to do. If they are so upset about it, I don’t see why they don’t contact the city to complain as well. They continue to complain to me as if I’m deliberately preventing the city from picking it up. I’ve really had it.

On an unrelated note, a friend of mine is attempting to write a novel. More specifically, she is attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in March. She has invited others to join her in this adventure. I admit that I’m considering it. Unfortunately, I don’t really know where to begin.

Maybe it could start off like this, “My friends want to talk about Project Runway but ever since it moved to Lifetime, I don’t watch it. Frankly, I forget what day it’s on. Could I get a reminder?”

Find the car

Published December 20, 2009 bling blog , local 3 Comments
Tags: snow, wisconsin

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