Feeling French.

The fella and I had a very European evening last night.
We got a nice, fresh loaf of French bread, a chilled bottle of lovely, locally made white wine, a bowl of black olives, a tasty brick of pungent, Parmesan-like cheese, some soppressata and a little cheese tortellini with meat sauce.

It was a truly lovely meal, and another great date night.
Even though I wish we were both wearing berets.
{Though that didn't stop me from saying repeatedly my few known phrases from French 101 ... }

Phlog from Pittsburgh trip, and other news.

It's been ages since I last blogged, and for that I'm sorry.

Since I last wrote, I:
- have lost - and kept off - a total of 10 lbs. since the beginning of January
- received a dozen red roses for Valentine's Day (for the very first time in my 32.5 years!)
- took a weekend jaunt to visit friends in Pittsburgh
- was declared a girlfriend. :)

My trip to the 'burgh was my first full weekend off since Halloween, and I so desperately needed it. I'm happy to report that there was a ton of booze, food and friendship from the whirlwind Friday-night-to-Sunday-morning trip - and I maintained my weight! In fact, I ate whatever the hell I wanted, but knew when to call it quits.
{Naturally, I am quite proud of myself!}

Following are some photos from the trip. It's been a while since I've done a phlog!


Self portrait en route.


Pretty Pennsylvania landscape whizzing by.


Blue skies all the way across the Keystone State!


I was fascinated by this teeny, tiny toilet in the handicapped stall at the Altoona Sheetz!
{By "fascinated," I totally mean I wanted to use it!}


More Pa. landscape, but there's a train track up on that there mountain!


Told you!


A dilapidated Hungarian restaurant just inside city limits.


"Because you deserved better than hotel soap."


Now that's what I call a welcome basket!


First highballs of the weekend!


... and in plastic cups!


Our first brews at the amazing Church Brew Works (read all about it here:)


The absolutely fabulous ones.


Me and Tiff - who I hadn't seen since her Oct. 17 wedding!!


The most amazing fish sandwich ever! I talked about it all damn weekend!


In front of the tanks at Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh - they did not let us put straws in, though we did try, Lord, we tried!


Taaa daaa!


Like booze, documentation is a form of preservation!


This is where the team that won SIX Super Bowl rings plays!!


Even closer to the Steelers' field!


Frolicking among Andy Warhol's "Silver Clouds." (Learn about his museum here)


Tiff in the clouds.


Johnny in the clouds, or my "avant-garde photo."


Andy!


We're always up to no good!


On the bridge outside the Grand Concourse.


Snowy tracks.


Goth of the North, Nanook's long-lost sister.


In trying to hide the fact I was eating ice cream before a photo, I tried to hide the cup inside my coat, which caused ice cream to get all over my coat and sweater.
{In case you're wondering, it was Hershey's cake batter ice cream.}


See, you can't even tell I housed ice cream directly prior to this photo!!


The PGH skyline at sunset.


Ceiling inside the Grand Concourse.


Our wares from the Warhol: Johnny's are the soup cans; I have Jackie and the Andy quote: "I wonder if it's possible to have a love affair that lasts forever."

Fin.

Just dance.

"I can't dance, I can't talk.
Only thing about me is the way I walk.
I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling everything."
~~ Genesis, "I Can't Dance"

Today was the longest day ever.
My best friend Johnny gave word that two of his friends were coming over for drinks, so as soon as I was finished at work, I sent the smoke signal to have a glass at the ready for me as I hightailed it to his fabulous haus.

Johnny is pretty much the most fabulous person I know.
Not only is he my BFF, he's a kindred spirit - one that I can discuss books and a million other things with and share my love of good libations.
He's also my fantastic date to many a thing since I'm always the one going stag, but more than that, he's just great to be around. Aside from my family, he's the only person who ever really helps me feel good about myself, and plus, he keeps a fabulously pristine haus that makes me regret my own somewhat uncleanliness.

By the time I got there, two bottles of wine had magically disappeared, and upon my arrival, three more - including a tasty homemade vino that was to die for - somehow found their way into the same black hole.

Instead of cracking open another bottle, we turned to our old standby, Stegmaier.

What followed next was inevitable.

A dance party.
Which is pretty miraculous considering I'm the worst dancer ever, something Johnny can attest, considering he's tried to teach me about a million times, including a two-step across his dining room tonight.

But enough about my shortcmings on the rug cutting.
Back to the dance party.
It included Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok" and Cindy Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
It included more than a few show tunes before morphing into Madonna - during which Johnny and I made up a routine to "Like a Virgin," "Like a Prayer" and an off-the-charts (if I do say so myself) "Vogue" - before ending with the ever-queenly Cher.

It was totally what this Tuesday ordered.

And I totally envisioned myself dancing amid "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,"

but it just might have been the booze talking ... never mind the routine we did during "Half Breed" and "Like a Virgin."

Some things are sacred, you know.

My fabulous Mommalah.

"All that I am,
or hope to be,
I owe to my angel mother."
~~ Abraham Lincoln

Mommalah.
She is the most loving, kind and just downright incredible person I know, or probably will ever know.
It's a great feeling to know that you are loved so completely and so unconditionally.

Yesterday was her birthday, so we went to the fabulous Tunkhannock Rotary Harvest & Wine Festival.
We got our commemorative glasses and hit the grapes, falling in love with a few wineries, and the exact opposite with a few wineries - though you'd never know the latter from our always-empty glasses!

We got ourselves a nice little sunny fall day buzz before heading to the fabulously quaint Twigs for dinner. If you ever find yourself in Tunkhannock, you simply must eat there! Athenian chicken is to die!

I wanted so desperately for her to have a wonderful birthday, a day she's never really been too crazy about.
{Clearly my obsessive compulsive zest and excitement for my own birthday comes from the mailman.}

And she totally did.
And so did I.
I hope and pray everyone has as amazing a woman for their mother as I do.

"God could not be everywhere,
and therefore he made mothers."
~~ Jewish proverb

Free to be me.

It was the kind of weekend you wish you could have every weekend.

There was a lot of great conversation, a lot of drinks and food, a friendship that picked up like it never left off and the meeting of some really great, fun people.

It started with an Irish car bomb at the Banshee in Scranton after a work-free Friday and ended today with four glasses of champers at my BFF Tiffany's wedding shower - where I am proud to say I won a crimson pashmina during one of the shower games! - followed by a great Sunday dinner at Mommalah's.

It was so what my soul needed.
No thoughts. Not arguments. No going-on-the-defensive.
Just me being me, with someone I can totally be me with - who thinks that me is "absolutely fabulous," as it were.

I've been feeling a little ... not myself the last week or two, just making sense of some internal demons, if you will, of what I want in a few areas of my life.

Some of those decisions are harder than others, and some, once the writing was so blatantly on the wall that even my sometimes rose-colored glasses couldn't hide them anymore, were easy as pie.

Or as easy as eating all that kielbasa this weekend and washing it down with ice cold brews.

A good weekend indeed.

Entertaining ... fabulously.

I'm not much of a goddess in the kitchen.
I do, however, make a killer bourbon chocolate pecan pie for Thanksgiving and the super-secret Mascali Family cookie cake for Christmas. I've dabbled with chicken a few times, can make a mean tofu stir fry and can microwave a Lean Cuisine pepperoni pizza like it's nobody's business ... but that's pretty much where it ends.

Pretty ironic for someone who is as obsessed with food as I am, non?

I do, however, throw good party, though I have been known to offer onion dip and a fabulously fatty rippled chip at times.
When I do break out the '50s housewife for the few people who appreciate her, pearls are optional, as is the matching apron.

Last Thursday, I entertained my fabulous dear friend Johnny, or as we like to call it, the Patsy to my Edy, an homage to the lovely lush ladies of "Absolutely Fabulous."

We've recently gotten back in touch, and he came bearing oodles of vodka and limes to make his signature Phoebe Snow cocktail - named after the fabulous and fictional Lackawanna Railroad ad goddess of the early 1900s.

{Above is from a little plaque he gave moi.}

The fabulous martinis went into glasses I chilled all day long in the freezer ...

... and included Grey Goose La Poire, Svedka, Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice and a slice of pear floating ever so gracefully amid the booze.


My menu:

- a tasty little concoction I "invented" for my last drinks-n-things soiree I threw: toasted pumpernickel points and gorgonzola ...

- pretzels, green olives, black olive tapenade, wheat crackers ...

- cheddar cheese and Genoa salami ...

- and a lovely little black-&-white cookie for a sweet treat.
{Kindly notice the fabulous plate! Vintage circa 1950s!}

- Here is the table set up. I learned the importance of setting good table from Mommalah- and Johnny, neither of whom would dream of entertaining with gherkins on a stick, heaven forbid!

{Note: The blogger is aware that she used the term "fabulous" seven times. Well, eight counting that last one. Sometimes no other word'll do and those times are just, well, fabulous. (Make that nine)}

Taking a bite out of Charlotte, or Oink Oink Part Deux.

Sorry I've been so MIA - I went on a long overdue and much-needed vacation.
Ahh.
Went back to work today and it was like the vacation didn't happen.
OK ... maybe I am slightly dramatic.

What better way to recapture my wonderful vacation to visit my brother in North Carolina than to list all the wonderfully fatty and non-diet friendly food I ate.
Unfortunately, there are no pics to accompany, but I'm sure we can all envision how great they all were.

- Wednesday, Aug. 5
LUNCH: Frankie's Italian Grille. Charlotte.
Had the Mona Lisa salad which comes with amazing dressing and fresh goat cheese that is to die for (my brother says they sometimes deep fry it - oh, the deliciousness that must be!). I also wailed on every slice of bread that was served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Plus, I ordered the orgasmic Nutella bread pudding. Yes, it was as sinfully exquisite as it sounds.

DINNER: Azteca. Charlotte.
Had chips and salsa at this delightful Mexican joint and fresh, table made guacamole that was served in a real stone bowl. I could barely even lift it, which made it that much easier for me to wail on it. Fresh jalapenos gave it a fiery kick. I realized that I absolutely adore tamales. And burritos smothered in cheese. Think maybe I knew that but forgot. (As if!) Since I ate so well-behaved (wink, wink), I treated myself to a lime margarita on the rocks.

In the interim between lunch and dinner, I was introduced to Sweet Tea vodka. I don't know where it's been all my life, but it is certainly here to stay now.

- Thursday, Aug. 6
BRUNCH: Ate my leftover Mexican.

DINNER: Hawthorne's New York Pizza & Bar. Mint Hill.
We all shared the chili cheese dip and I ate two exquisite slices of round with hot peppers and one slice Sicilian with mushrooms and black olives. Finished the Nutella bread pudding after brother and "sister" went to bed. Not because I was eating in hiding, but because I honestly forgot. This may have been the night I watched "The Nanny Diaries."

- Friday, Aug. 7
BRUNCH: I think I ate leftover pizza. Cold, naturally.

DINNER: Cosmos Cafe. Uptown Charlotte.
After meeting friends at their house for drinks and things, we all headed out for tapas and a continuation of drinking as I was already about four deep into a Sweet Tea vodka binge. We split an array of sushi, Lucky 7 spring rolls and many other things. I heard Jamie Foxx's "Blame It," which caused me to burst into it many times over the rest of my vacation, much to my brother's anger.

{The night then included a flirtini at Blue, mad fun dancing and Sweet Tea vodka and lemonades at The Breakfast Club, an '80s-themed heaven, if you ask me, and a very, very funny cab ride with a Liberian driver who had "Scarface" on the DVD player. The ride included tales of sheep and me repeating the only line from "Scarface" that I know: "Meet my lil' friend!" Ahh. Good times.}

- Saturday, Aug. 8
DINNER: Shrimp, filet and lobster tail on the grill.
We skipped breakfast and lunch because we all felt the effects from the night before all day. Brother grilled the above and it was phenomenal. I relieved his refrigerator of two framboise Lambics.

- Sunday, Aug. 9
BRUNCH: Upstream. Charlotte.
Where where where to even begin. This was the most exquisite brunch I've ever had, and believe me, I've had a lot! Cheese. Capers. Smoked salmon. Mac n cheese. Hummus. Even raw oysters and sushi for those that could eat that at 11:30 a.m., which I could not. The best part? The tapas, which is included in the brunch buffet. Eggs Benedict over a crab cake. Yes, you heard me: Eggs Benedict over a crab cake. Belgium waffle with bourbon bananas. The most ridiculously good French toast. Shrimp with grits which was actually really good (not normally a fan of grits). Despite all that sugary sustenance - especially with double servings of the Belgium waffle, I had to have the pecan pie and chocolate peanut butter dessert thing. I felt like I ate my weight.

DINNER: Mac's Speed Shop. Charlotte.
This biker bar/barbecue had amazing hush puppies and the brisket was off the hook, as the hipsters say. So tender! And the onion rings were super peppery and tasty. Add two cans o' Guinness to wash it down and I was one very happy piggy!

- Monday, Aug. 10
BREAKFAST: Cracker Barrel. Matthews.
You simply cannot go wrong with Cracker Barrel. Two eggs over easy. Hash brown casserole. Biscuits and gravy. Coffee. Grapefruit juice. Manna from the sky.

DINNER: Turkey, ham and provolone hoagie and fries from a place whose name escapes me.
Very tasty, especially since it capped off a day of non-stop drinking. Sweet Tea martinis. Most of the framboise.

- Tuesday, Aug. 11
BREAKFAST: Brother made pancakes and scrambled eggs with crab and toast.
Green Mountain Island Coconut coffee. Mmm mmm good!

LUNCH: Just a quick sandwich before we left for the airport.

{Note: Despite a previous declaration, I did not actually take any outfits that resembled workout clothes. The only shoes I had were two pairs of flip-flops and two pairs of stilettos. I basically did nothing more than stuff my face every chance I got and stayed as sedentary as I possibly could - it was everything I knew it could be.}

{Note II: And I actually came home one pound lighter!}

Fin.

The Fourth of July.

Ahh, summer's halfway point.
For the first time in seemingly forever, it hasn't rained yet today here in Northeastern Pa - knock wood!

It's cool and breezy, I'm wearing my hair curly today and one of my landlord's kids is frolicking happily in their pool, making me remember when I was that carefree kid who used to swim all summer long many moons ago.

Soon I'll be heading out to a friend's annual backyard BBQ, where there is a perfect view of the fireworks at Kirby Park. There will be booze, beer, good food and a festive spirit.

If a Rocket Pop found itself somehow involved, I would be super-stoked, or, oh my golly, if I could melt one into vodka!


Hope you and yours has a safe and happy Fourth!
Let's enjoy the rest of the summer, shall we?

I say "hoagie," you say "hero" - let's just say you're wrong!

I am appalled that the word "hoagie" in my previous post came up as an misspelled word when I spell checked.

It got me to thinking about when I worked in telecommunications and dealt with a lot of different internal-company people from across the country: New York, Boston, San Fran, L.A. and D.C. and how differently we called things.

For instance:
- Some of those people call my "hoagie" a "hero." Or a "grinder." Or a "sub."
(Other names across the country: Poor or Po' boy. Wedge. Zeppelin - the latter IS pretty awesome, actually.)

- Some call my "wimpies" "Sloppy Joes." Or "Manwich" - even if it didn't come out of a can!
(Other names across the country: Yip Yips. Slushburgers.)


- In my lovely state of Pennsylvania, we call them "liquor stores" or, if you're prim and proper as I sometimes pretend to be, "state stores." Massachusetts people call them "package stores."
(While in Springfield, Mass., on business, I actually saw for myself the sign that said "Package Store" above the door. Insanity!)
(Other names across the country: ABC Store.)


What do you call these things, wherever you are?