last swim of April

Travel under my belt, then days off with a cold, so then, two weeks since my last time in the water.

So, sure, go ahead and ask me just how good that one was.

Moroccan wine

Sunday night I was cooking us up dinner at home, a simple meal of caramelized cabbage forming the basis for pasta sauce when tossed with the starchy cooking water.  A nice little meal.

But what was kind of cool and interesting was that, while cooking (and a little with dinner), I poured myself a splash or two of a rose that I had had in the fridge.  We'd picked it up in a cool little wine shop in Palm Springs over a year ago, and I was finally getting to it.  Moroccan wine, not something you find a lot on shelves in a state where the domestic wine is both good and abundant.

The verdict?  Pleasant.  Soft, not too much acidity.  Perfectly fine for a Sunday evening in spring.

Saturday night with the LG

Conrad spent a lot of time on Saturday fiddling with the lights in our dining room, installing dimmer switches (which we'll now have to get used to), and so Saturday night was easy for us.  Cocktails while the coals heated for the grill,

and big ass bacon, avocado, and cheese burgers for our dinner. 

Whoa.  Full.  I sent him to bed early after all that - he needed the rest.

Olive, meanwhile, got to have rides in the car back and forth - she loves the car -

and then, when she realized no burger was coming her way, just laid out on the deck at our feet, chilling.

The weekend with the Little Girl is over for this time.  That pretty girl, Olive.  💖🐶

Friday night with the LG

Van is out of town, back in Pasadena late tonight.  And so Conrad and I are taking care of the Little Girl (LG, or Olive, as you probably know her).  And it's not at all a bad task!

Conrad took Olive in to his office on Friday, where she was a big hit, garnering many pettings and much attention.  Who can blame them.  He brought her back to the condo at the end of the afternoon, and we left there for a little while so that he and I could pop over to Maestro for a little dinner and a couple of margaritas. 

Then back to retrieve Olive and take her home.  Conrad and I had a couple of desserts we picked up at Delight,

then wound down the evening easily and casually.

She's happy when she's with Plan C, her favourite when Van is not around.

Chicago round-up

A last post from last weekend in Chicago.  It's time to put those sunny days of meetings and meals behind me.  But let me recognize friends and colleagues as I do.

Like Rachel.  We calculated that we've known each other for approximately 21 years now.  She and I had an early dinner at The Gage last Wednesday, sitting at the bar. 

A nice meal, and very good to catch up.  And then, later that evening, I met up with Peter at the hotel bar to connect before our four days of meetings began.

I confess, a lot of time with friends/colleagues was in the hotel bar, and not always later in the evening, right, Sara?😉🍷 

But she wasn't the only one there.  Ana Elisa, Peter, Christina, Emily, and Lessa one night,

and others were there on other nights, too.  There were also the group meals, this one at Remington's Chicago. 

No, not flattering shots of everyone, but this was the whole gang (I shan't name everyone, sorry - I'm lazy!) of us in the meetings all day.  And the lunches at the meeting place, including Sunday, which was an opportunity for a last shot of Kathy (with Sam)

as well as another Two Peters shot.

And then it was waiting for rides to the airport. 

And then it was time in the lounge with Lessa, Peter, Ray, Sam, and Sara. 

A long time in the lounge, but the smiles and drinks were real.

Next time in Chicago will be a few weeks away and different colleagues, and then back in August and October.  I enjoy the work, but the time with these folks is invaluable.

Thursday night sushi

It was a wonky little dinner seating last night.  Van and I headed to Mama M before Conrad because he had a flight to catch this morning, and he is not an early morning person!  Conrad was enmeshed in a condo association meeting, and it went late.  So Van ate his full dinner, I ate a little, then Conrad came, chatted with Van a few minutes, and ate his own dinner (with me chipping in).

So the timing was off.  But the food was quite fine. I enjoyed my amaebi

before Conrad got there, and then he and I shared the agedashi tofu

and the sashimi. 

We had some wine, we left before it was too late.  And a fine evening was had by all.

desserts at Miru

So, Sara had a great idea. 

She's a fan of a cooking show on Netflix, and the winning chef is in charge of desserts at a hotel in Chicago, so why don't we go and treat ourselves.  Why, Sara, that sounds good to me!

We were staying almost next door to the St Regis Hotel, home to Miru, the restaurant we were hoping to enjoy.  Sara arranged a late (8:45) table for four of us - we gathered together Kathy and Amy, our cohort at the meetings.  Friday night after the official meal, we got changed

and wandered over together.  In short order we were seated, and then the evening really began.  And how!  There were six items on the dessert menu and four of us, so we decided to be ambitious and ordered one of each.  Plus a bottle of sauternes! 

Decadent, I know.

My favourite?  The black sesame mochi dessert. 

I also liked the coconut-mango dessert

and the triple chocolate gateau. 

The calamansi creme brulee was fine, truly.  The chocolate silk tart was also fine,

but it (and the gateau) were the two that we didn't finish completely.  And there was no going wrong with the ginger cookies.

What was really good, though, was the service.  Honestly?  I've had more interesting desserts elsewhere (but the black sesame mochi was quite something), but I've seldom had service that so nicely balanced polish and warmth. 

Kudos to them for that.

Best of all, though?  Hanging out with Sara, Kathy, and Amy and just having a terrific time with them.  Some business talk, mostly not.  May we do something like this again!

morning walks with friends

I'm going to parcel out the weekend that was in a few posts in days ahead, and not in a particular order.  I'm feeling better from the cold - a weird cold this time in that usually with me, a cold builds slowly and lingers long, but this time it's been fast and intense and already settling down - and I'm still a little drained.  Ah well.  Time enough in days to come to post things.

My first morning in Chicago I was up and out on foot alone.  The next three days, though, I was with friends:  Amy and Sam.  They delegated the route details to me, and I led them out.

On the Friday morning it was across the river then over to Navy Pier.  Similar to the day before, a little shorter.

On the Saturday, we headed west along the riverfront then back to the hotel.

On the Sunday, we headed south along the lakefront as far as Buckingham Fountain, then up through the park to the hotel.

On all three days we had great conversation, sunshine, and cool temperatures.

I've missed my walks these past few mornings, and I hope to get out on foot tomorrow before work.  My step count has suffered!  And I do miss the conversations.  With Conrad when I am at home, and with friends on trips like these.  Come on, cold, get thee gone!

Sorry!

Hello!

I've been laid low since coming back from Chicago.  Days of intensive meetings there and conversations over dinner and at the hotel bar occupied my time.  The morning of the last day, I woke up with a sore throat and though, uh oh.  Flight delays that evening, and I was in the door after 11 at night, very ready to go to bed.  Today is a second day in a row of battling a cold and not going in to work.  I feel better, though, and I am tired of being at home all day without feeling well enough to do much of anything.

I'll blog the weekend that was in days to come, but for now, tall buildings!

Chat soon!

morning walk in Chicago

Ah, I love this city.  My favourite USian city of all, and it's not even close.  So you can imagine how much I enjoyed getting out on foot this morning.  I was out the hotel front entrance by around 6:30, soon across the river, then over to the lake and around the end of Navy Pier.

I hope I can get out on foot every morning this week that I'm here.

You know, I kind of miss this place

I'm actually serious.  I like travel.  Oh, there are parts of it I hate, for sure (when it's time to come home, I just want to teleport home instantly and not deal with travel then), but I like a lot about it.

Last year was quite the year for travel for me, as you may know, while this year has been a little more subdued.  Today's trip is Chicago, through until Sunday, and I have to say, it's nice to be back here at the United Club at LAX, awaiting my flight.

More travel ahead this year, I promise!