Vespa Ride, Nighttime NYC

Weekend

Summertime, and the living is easy.

I'm not sure if it's because of the season.  Or because things at work are at a slower pace.   Or because even though my new boss is super-charging our workload and raising the bar big-time, I feel motivated at work and able to define my life and my schedule (which in June meant, I took every Friday off, and today meant that I worked from home in the morning, ducked out for G's performance, and then headed to the office at 1:30, but proceed to work 'til 7pm...on a Friday,...in the summer).  But at any rate, I'm feeling pretty chillax.  And I'm looking forward to a weekend that is mixed with lazing about, doing chores, and being lightly social - or "social-lite."

Tonight was "Book" Club - hardly about books, and hardly a club - but a bunch of irreverent urban moms who like to host good friends, cook great food, eat it well, accompanied by choice beer and wine, and proceed to talk and laugh until midnight or so.  Our bike commutes converge as the blocks get closer in, so one biker, turned to two at my place, where we caught up with two others a few blocks away, and half a block from our host's house found the other three biker contingent coming from the north end of our neighborhood.  I'll spare you the (delicious) menu (there are so many damn food blogs out there these days) and the topics of conversation (to protect the innocent, and because you had to be there), and skip to the end, when my ride home with two others took us the long way to better revel in the cool (in  DC July!) air, the clear black sky, the round bright silver moon,  and the car-free city streets.

Tomorrow's chores include a grocery shop, picking up my computer back-up drive, a trip to the library for returns and pick-up of the books I've reserved online.  It also involves some cooking - a Mexican bean salad and some homemade ice cream (can't decide how I'll top last week's ginger peach, but I'm leaning toward strawberry almond or cinnamon blueberry).  I'll swim in the newly-discovered 50m (Olympic-sized) DC pool that feels simply tremendous in the glorious sun and blue sky and experienced by my working, churning body.  There's a plan with G - perhaps some recreational swimming, and a night in with gameboards (she's learned Sorry!) or cards (Skip-bo, by the makers of Uno).

Sunday will find us at church, followed by brunch with friends...and then we must encamp somewhere for the Women's World Cup (USA!), before heading home at the very last minute for visiting with G's godmoms and kids.

It may very well turn into the Perfect Weekend.

The Red and the Black (The blog post in which La Nouvelle Observatrice lets on to the whole wide world just how soccer-ignorant she is)

Ok, maybe soccer-ignorant isn't the word, but soccer-shallow (sadly) for sure. Tonight I went with M to the DC United vs LA Galaxy match over at RFK Stadium. The stadium is just a few minutes walk from my house, about 5 blocks, and yet in my eight years living here, I've never, ever been to a game. Tonight, I finally made it, and I'm sure it will not be another 8 before the next time. We had a blast. Still, my commentary is limited. Here are some of my observations:

RFK is a dump. Seriously, it is a shabby, dilapidated building, with weird stains and strange molds hanging from the structure. There is broken concrete and open, messy wiring. Seats are not well-marked. No one gives a damn. Maybe one day, they'll get a dedicated soccer stadium - too bad the whole country is broke.

The vending in our section sucked. No real fridges, just coolers full of ice and blue Gatorade with the labels slipping off.  It was cash-only, which always pisses me off. M and I got beer - lukewarm and pissy.

The hooligans...er...supporters' clubs... are pretty cool.  Barra Brava is hardcore. Their huge red and black flags, chants and drums are larger than life, and thumpin'. That, my dears, is fandom. They roar and jump and their whole section bounces. The whole stadium vibrates, in fact. A little scary. Is this place structurally sound? Anyway, they're fun to watch, but I'm too old for that.

The regular old fans are an interesting mix. The suburban families, the college (once-college) players, the Euro-urban sports fan elite, the entire Central American population of the greater DC Metro area. The guys in our section were pretty much from the latter group. If I heard "mierda...puta" one more time...

David Beckham (LA Galaxy), like me, is also getting old, but he was there and he played well. At one point there was a big smash-up where two players seemed to smack right into each others' faces. I remember thinking 'Ouch!'.... That, and that would never happen to Beckham. He's a good, hard player and all, but can't really afford to mess up his handsome, chiseled face. Landon Donavan (also LA Galaxy) didn't play. Apparently, he's busy, tired and his knee hurts, and he didn't travel out with the team. I don't recall the name of a single DCUnited player.

Oh yes, I do...Charlie Davies, who scored DCUnited's only goal with a penalty kick which tied the game's final score  of 1-1. That was good. M told me he was in some horrific car accident sometime last year, and is just playing again now.

I bought a DC United fan scarf. It's red and black with DC United and  Addidas logos knitted in.  It's reversible - black side with red or red side with black. I've always wanted one of those scarves.

Really, I should do this sports reporting more often...

Still kickin'

Oui, oui..I'm still here, and all is well.  Life is good, in fact...very good.

1.  In the most significant change, I have a new boss.  She is phenomenal - so good, and so different from my last years of difficult boss relations, it's like having a new job.  My daily stress and tension are gone.  People say my face is more relaxed.  When I took my swim the other day, I had nothing - that's right nothing to work through.  I've learned so much from her in just over a month, and I'm glad I stuck it out, just to have the chance to have a new model, a new mentor - way more akin to my natural style.  We travelled together in Guatemala for 5 days - that's a lot of travel time - and still I have nothing but respect.  I think she's so cool, in fact, I'm a little afraid that I will consciously or sub-consciously go out and buy her same watch, her same shoes, her same notebook...and that might be a little creepy.  We actually are eerily similar already in terms of taste and mannerisms.

The rest is not change, as much as a nice lot of good stuff.

2.  I'm swimming regularly again, after along stretch of sick and tired...or busy...or traveling.  My swims are wonderful.

3.  I have great friends, and lately, I've gotten to see them more regularly.  We go out for drinks, for dinner, for walks...and each time, I leave with a sense of contentment.  On a not-so-content note, two of these friends will soon no longer be part of my DC fabric.  Dear Friend A accepted a government contract, and will soon ship overseas.  Dear Friend M is preparing to move to Bangkok.  Over the last few years, I've lost quite a few good friends from my daily local life.  First, C and family moved to Tanzania, where they have rooted - even had their third child - over the last two years.  And of course, great friend L moved first to Beijing, then to Paris.  Oh, how I miss their presence in my life.  I have, however, met my first new, real friend in years.  This friend M and I hang out, and chit-chat for hours.  And while we're both busy as professional, working, and more-or-less single moms - it almost makes  pursuing a friendship in hectic times easier, or at least more forgiving.

4.  My daughter is healthy, thriving, growing and so cool.  Not only is she great...but there is no new school for several years on the horizon, no new childcare plans, and we are not moving houses anytime soon.

5.  It's spring, and I love, love, love cherry blossoms.  I'm so not immune to their potion-spinning gorgeousness.

And so it goes...I'm lucky, and happy, and at peace....and I appreciate even this patch of smooth air.

Friends, family, love, hugs

This weekend, I've been blessed with wonderful friends and family surrounded by love.  It's felt so marvelous.  No special occasion, no special efforts just beautifulness.  Some highlights...

• A long, lazy Saturday morning with Dear Daughter.  We are reveling in each other lately.
• Saturday evening with my sister and family - hanging out with nachos and talking about nothing in particular.  The kids, her husband, sis, and me - floating in and out seamlessly - just family ease and love.
• Sunday morning at All Souls Church - a big (first) hug from Rev. Rob Hardies, with a nice 'mwah' to accompany it.  A beautiful soprano voice fills the silence of the sanctuary with "We Shall Overcome."  
• Sunday brunch with my first new, real friend in years.  M is also a single mom, doing 90% of the parenting.  She's also urban, professional, accomplished and stylish.  It's nice to have a new friend with so much in common.
• Sunday "quiet time" with a book and a computer.
• Giving flowers to our au pair to celebrate her 1-year anniversary in our home and family. It feels good to give and to make others feel good. 
• An evening with K&J - dear longtime friends who excude warmth, welcome and goodness.  A delicious dinner.

Today is reserved for nothing in particular - some cooking, some relaxing, reading, and perhaps some games.  I could not be more content.

New Year's Eve Dinner

Carrot Soup

with sherry & orange

Baby Romaine Green Salad 

with walnuts, cranberries
& tarragon vinaigrette

Paella

Filet with Bernaise Sauce

Potato and Fennel Gratin

Roasted Root Vegetables

Molten Chocolate Cake 

with vanilla ice cream & fresh raspberries

Perrier Jouet

A wonderful last-minute,  foodie "potluck" New Year's Eve dinner party for 6, including dear friends Nancy, John, Megan and Tony.  A perfect start to the year.

2010: Year in Review, Part 3 Dear Daughter and other Loved Ones

Dear Daughter Seriously, I sometimes think I think my wonderful, thoughtful, giving, deeply insightful, kind, innocent six year-old daughter doesn't deserves a mother as flawed as I am.  I am in awe of her miraculousness.  I'm not the most maternal of women.  I would not be mistaken for a martyr.  I do not have infinite patience, endless capacity (or even desire), to nurture, boundless energy, and constant cheer.  I savor and pursue my adult life, sometimes at her expense.  I'm far from a helicopter mom or even a doting one.  My fuse can be short; my attention divided.  I sometimes half-jokingly refer to my mothering as "benevolent neglect" - that I hope will foster independence, scrappiness, and a provide a good adult women role model.  Despite my "bad mom" persona, I do make sure she always knows she is loved, safe, and secure. So far, so good...knock wood.

Quite honestly - between you and me -

Menu: Anyway, inspired by Nigella

Shrimp with Maryam Zaira sauce

Cocktail nuts

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Scallops and Chorizo

Flatiron Steak

Spinach with Chickpeas and Sherry

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Pots de Chocolate with fresh whipped cream

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Red and white wines and beer

Coffee

Carrot Soup

This weekend, I made a lovely, warming carrot soup, flavored with orange, sherry, and tarragon.  This soup was absolutely scrumptuous.  The carrots gave it earthy base, coupled with the richness of sweet cream butter.  The orange added  a fresh and sweet tang.  The sherry provided a distilled, slightly sharp taste.  And tarragon had a lingering, gorgeous, delicate, aromatic effect.  

A wonderful beginning to the French country menu for Saturday's dinner at the beach.

Sunday Summer Lunch

Today, my Francophone friends came over for a lovely Sunday afternoon visit during their Stateside vacation.  They moved back abroad from DC two years ago, and I miss them dearly.  But we picked up immediately with good food and conversation, and the three girls played wonderfully together, so the adults could have our talks and laughs.

The composed Salade Nicoise was both delicious and beautiful - with it's summertime tomatoes and green beans from the Farmer's Market; new potatoes with a snappy dijon vinaigrette and chives from my herb garden, tuna mixed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and parsley - also from the garden- and briny black and green olives.  I had picked up a good multigrain bread at the bakery - seeds and raisins - spread with sweet cream butter.  Wonderful.

Blogging while intoxicated

The clucks have all left.  Dinner was delish.  I enjoyed cooking and hosting it, a moment when I'm happiest.   The carrot soup with orange essence and tarragon was quite scrumptious; the rest I would happily twiddle with.

Someone said I set the bar high when I brought out the Veuve Cliquot at dessert.  Not really, it felt good...and this bottle brought to me by Nan and Megan on my 39th b-day was especially good.  "I'll drink this, " I said, "for something to celebrate  in the next year."  [If you remember, dear reader (see year in review 2009), I was still crying a river of tears at that time, including at my b-day party surrounded by good friends, good people, good things, good food, when I briefly broke down for all that I faced and lived on that day.]  And while I have celebrated several good times and events since then, I chose to open the VC now, to celebrate with my good and lasting 12 cluck friends, for no and every reason, in particular:

- To good friends, laughter, cooking,
- To dedicating time to happiness,
- To the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 - where I wonder and marvel at what awaits, at what I do not yet know
-To finding a spiritual home, I didn't even know I was lacking,  at All Souls Church
- To the benefits and after effects of swimming - its peace, sanity and health
- To embracing my lusciousness, at long wonderful last
- To turning 40 in 2010, and while my life is not as glossy as at 30, it has, right now, a remarkable embrace that comes from being happy here and now, and to realizing that even my bittersweet happiness is somehow more fulfilling and meaningful having overcome so many trials, as when it was wide open and limitless
-To sex in all its marvelousness
- To having,  holding, giving, and getting love for however long it lasts

Menu: January Book Club chez moi

Clucks - a book group of wonderful and irreverent moms where more than half the people read more than half the book more than half the time

Carrot soup

- with sherry and orange essence

Spinach quiche

Lentil Salad

- Lentilles de Puy with citrus vinaigrette

Baby greens with walnuts and chevre

Cheese plate

- with fig preserves

Baguette

- with sweet farm-fresh butter

Apple tarte

- with homemade ginger ice cream

Red wine and assorted microbrews
Celebratory champagne