If This Were a 'Far Side'

And Sally could not understand how Billy did not notice her new shutters.

Reruns.... REALLY??!!!

OK, so Saturday Night Live has been a rerun for the past 2 weeks! #1- I thought the writer's strike was over, #2- I thought Christopher Walkin was supossed to host last week. Strange things are afoot at Rockefeller Tower.

So, I have decided to do 2 SKETCHES OF THE WEEK from recent SNL's. If they can do reruns, so can I by-golly!

So please enjoy this "SKETCH OF THE WEEK" in honor of my obsession with Project Runway. Amy Poehler's impression of Christian Siriano (the most recent winner) is pretty much dead-on. Amy Adams was the host for the show.


As New Yorkers, I feel it is important to address the most recent NY scandal... Governer Spitzer's graceful fallout. It is best said in the following "SNL SKETCH OF THE WEEK."

Empty Water Glasses and Too Many Pillows

And I'm back. Who's back? Bryant's back! Sarah's been posting here as if she was getting paid by the letter (unfortunately, she's not), but you haven't heard from me since way back on January 1. I've been laying low. Maybe I have been a little scared. Everyone fears the sophomore slump, and my first two posts were - let's be honest - special; but both of our regular readers (hello to Amy and Stephan) have been clamoring for my return. Well, perhaps they haven't been clamoring, but they've at least been curious. So, here I am minus the pictures. Sarah is the half of us with the spiritual gift of photography. I am a mere wordsmith. Call me Ishmael.

At any rate, it occurred to me that both of our regular readers (hello again to Amy and Stephan) might want to know how life in the Big Apple has been proceeding since Sarah left town early last Monday. In short life has been black and white (a little boring but not creepy in that Pleasantville kind of way).

Anyone that knows the Lees should have no trouble mentally casting the roles of play-by-play man and color commentator on our fictional - but wildly popular - broadcast team. Ida would of course fill the role of odd third wheel in the vein of Dennis Miller or Tony Kornheiser (Stephan, you what I'm talking about). I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Just the facts, ma'am. We have to keep the trains running on time. Sarah wants to have fun along the way, and she generally ensures that we do. I have the pictures - literally thousands of them - to prove it. We're pretty much the perfect pair. Jealous? Tear.

Don't feel too sorry for me, though. I've been law schooling, and that takes up a good deal of my time. There have been some notable changes in my life, however. For example, there is no longer a standing collection of assorted women's clothing in a pile by the sink in our bathroom. Gone is the possibility of Del Frisco's table scraps for dinner. That only happened once, but the steaks were so good that the mere possibility alone got me out of bed in the morning for two weeks. Also, I have absolutely no idea who was voted off American Idol this past week. Is the dreadlocked Aggie still in play? Inquiring minds want to know!

More importantly are the ways in which my life has gotten easier. I no longer have to wonder if Sarah is going to steal a pillow from my side of the bed if she makes it there before me. With the roughly two dozen pillows that currently are in residence on our bed, you wouldn't think that this would be an issue. However, Sarah has been known to abscond with my favorite fluffy pillow and feign sleep as I try to blindly (post contact removal) find a replacement (she's so cute that I can't bear to "wake" her up). Not a problem now. I also only have to fill one glass of water before turning in for the night. There is an empty glass on Sarah's bedside table that hasn't been used in a week. Hey, that's one less glass to wash.

The thing is that I miss washing that glass, and I miss getting Sarah water before we go to bed. I miss watching her pretend to sleep, and I miss hearing her promise that she is going to pick up her pile of clothes tomorrow. But I better not move it because she knows exactly where everything is right now. I can identify with that, I think.

I miss you, Sarah. I am proud beyond words of your work in (Holy) Toledo, but life in the city is more colorful with you as a part of it. I am off to get you a glass of water. Goodnight.

It's my blog, I can write about me if I wanna

Please read the following in the traditional "Spartan Spirit" cheer beat.

Who's that opera singer on the web?
It's me! It's me!
Who's that mezzo with Toledo Opera?
It's me! It's me!
Who doesn't look like her headshot?
It's me! It's me!

Check me out! http://www.toledoopera.org/education/residentartists.html

I made it to Toledo, Rest Assured

I have made it to Toledo, Ohio. I arrived on Monday and have been in daily rehearsals for 'Alice in Operaland' (the kids show we are performing throughout the greater Toledo area).

Upon arrival at the Toledo Airport on Monday, I made my usual 'after flight pit stop' to the ladies room. There I found something a little disturbing:

"Rest Assured"--- what does that mean when it is posted to the side of toilet seat covers???
-Rest Assured that you are now sitting on the toilet?
-Rest Assured that you probably got more germs trying to remove one of these than you would if you just did not use one?
-Rest Assured that you can actually relax and smile as you are sitting in a public airport bathroom?
-Rest Assured, you can now sit and get comfortable as our guest in the stall?

Rest Assured, you made it to Toledo!

My Happy Coat

I have a wonderful red coat that I refer to in two different ways: may happy coat or my paddington bear coat. It has a wonderful story that goes along with it... so get a hot chocolate and cozy up...

It was the winter of 2002/2003 and i was home from NYC for Christmas break. During the break, my sister, Amy, and I went down to Hillsboro to get our "outlet shopping" on. I found this wonderful bright red coat with toggles (great word)--- yet talked myself out of it because I was still on a "student salary."

A few weeks after I arrived back in NYC for school, I was having one of those mega-stinky days... the details of which I cannot remember. I just know that it had been a bad day at school and I was very homesick for my family and my future-husband-long-distance-boyfriend. When I arrived back at my apartment that evening, a package was waiting for me. I bet you can guess what was in it... my happy coat! After I left Dallas, Amy had driven back to Hillsboro to get me the coat. I still wear it all the time--- especially on a day when I am not feeling as perky as one should! Ames, you are the best!

Bryant and I were recently in FAO Schwartz and I could not resist a picture with my very own coat cousin Paddington.

Mojokemo

Bryant and I spent his spring break days (yes, we have missed spring break) in Okemo, Vermont, skiing. It was our very first Northeast ski trip, so we were a little hesitant. It turned out to be quite the pleasant surprise. We found a pretty amazing ski/stay deal and drove from NYC--- about 4 to 5 hours. The town where we stayed was so great... if we passed one snow covered field with a perfectly placed white house or barn, we passed 5. A few times I found myself thinking I was in the movie "Baby Boom"!

In honor of Bryant, I will give you snow reports and trail details. Day one, we had great weather and good snow. The sun was shining! We made it town the mountain pretty early, but not before the lifts opened--- I wonder who's fault that was! Since we both went into this trip with a snobby attitude towards NE skiing, we were both shocked at how much we enjoyed the skiing.
Day two had the best snow of the trip--- although the weather conditions were not as good. The visibility was stinky at the top of the mountain, but again, the snow was well worth it.

Bryant gave midday updates from the mountain, so lets review the differenct weather conditions a little closer, shall we:

Day One:

Day Two:

Day three was a whole other story... we had the stereotypical NE ski day. It rained on the mountain the night before, and so the snow froze--- and I mean one big block of ice--- not a little icy here and there. That made the skiing very hard, so Sarah lasted until 2--- Bryant, being the ski warrior he is, stayed it out.
I also must mention the coolness of what happens to the trees with all of the rain, freezing, and wind conditions up on the mountain--- it is hard to describe other than it looks like where the Abominable Snowman lives. The icicles freeze sideways because of the wind and turn the trees into huge ice sculptures. Some of the ice pulls the trees down so that they look like they are bowing at you. We had a great dinner at "Sam's Steakhouse" in Ludlow, VT which was pretty darn good--- we love those open salad bars at country steakhouses--- and we love anyplace that has a "bread bar"!!! On the way home we stopped off at "The Vermont Country Store." There we got some maple syrup, maple candy, maple cookies, apple cider etc. etc. It was a wonderful getaway from the city and we love knowing how easy it is to get a couple of ski days in every now and then. And it is always fun to say "We are skiing in Vermont" in a snooty voice!

sketch of the week!

I have decided to give a weekly Saturday Night Live "sketch of the week" award--- dedicated to all of you who still cannot believe that I stuck with SNL through all of it's rough patches.

Host: Jonah Hill Music: Mariah Carey

So, without further adieu... this week's sketch of the week award goes to:

Mojokemo

If you need us, we will be here...

Papa Steve Rocks NYC: Day 4 (and last)

All good things must come to an end. We marked dad's final day in town with a little bit of nothing...

We went to church this morning--- the early service. And for our Upper West Side brunch, we chose one of our favorite spots, Fred's. Fred's is a wonderful restaurant that is named after the owner's black lab. The restaurant began with a few large pictures of Fred but, over time, Fred's regulars began bringing in pictures of their own dogs. Now the walls are covered, and I mean covered, with pictures of dogs--- most bearing notes to "fred." Today marked a very special day for us as we finally submitted Ida's picture to be posted. We took a great picture of her last spring--- we were actually eating at Fred's- on the patio- and Ida was under the table waiting for any food to come her way. (They are an uber-dog-friendly restaurant and often have dog bowls if your dog is your lunch date for the day). So, next time you make your way to Fred's, look for Ida!

I got my nails done--- OPI's Russian Navy is my new obsession---- and the guys headed home. We then spent the afternoon channel surfing, packing, cleaning, etc. One of the hi-lights of the day was watching our netflixed movie, Hot Rod with Andy Samberg. Oh my gosh--- stupid? yes. so funny? yes. will sarah be quoting it to an annoying point over the next week? definitely.

I cooked a great dinner from Genesis' "Creating Comfort" cookbook. Our evening outing was to Tom's Diner where we all shared a killer banana split and apple pie. ICE CREAM!

Dad is taking Miss Ida with him tomorrow and we are a little sad about it. I have a mini-Ida so that I can continue to live in denial (mama-jan style). Ida was not to excited about her replacement...

We are mostly ready for tomorrow--- we are dropping Ida and Dad off at the airport and then continuing on to our skiing destination, Okemo. Bryant and I are a little apprehensive about New England skiing, but at least we will be skiing. Updates to come...

Thank you Dad for everything this weekend. It has been such a great four days. You are the NYC travelling master! Love you!

Papa Steve Rocks NYC: Day 3

Today was pretty chill compared to our previous 2. We again started off late--- thanks to Sarrie! The first half of our day was focused on Ida... she is making quite the journey on Monday. After picking up her health certificates from the vet, we went to her brutey parlor, Snowballs, for a pedi/mani. It was a very popular dog destination today!

After Ida had been brutified, we headed back to the p-a-r-k. We saw some major turtles but had to end things early when Ida wallowed in some duck-poo. She smelled lovely!

Then came another nap...

Bryant, Dad, and I finally ventured out and made our way to the Museum of the City of New York. This is a pretty cool spot that Bryant and I have had our eyes on for a while. It had some amazing photography of the city, and we also enjoyed this great movie on the complete history of Manhattan and the other 4 boroughs.

A few of my friends from Del Frisco's were performing a cabaret in one of midtown's great piano bars, Don't Tell Mama. The show started at 6 and we sat among fellow DF workers to cheer on our friends. What a great NY adventure... a true cabaret in an underground piano bar. We are such New Yorkers.

Dinner was at one of my favorites, Becco. It is on 46th st in between 8th and 9th avenue (apparently this street is famously known as 'restaurant row'... I missed the memo on that one as a tourist). Becco has amazing Italian food and an extensive $25 a bottle wine list. Their most popular entree is their daily pastas--- for $22 you get a cesar salad and all-you-can-eat pasta. Their 3 fresh pastas tonight were spaghetti with tomato sauce, mushroom ravioli, and farfalle pasta with shrimp and arugula. The waiters walk around the restaurant with fresh pots of the pasta and scamper over when they see any "white" on your plate. Yummers!

Another great day in New York City! In conclusion, I leave you with these wise words:

Papa Steve Rocks NYC: Day 2

We must begin today by revealing my new found gift. Apparently I have the all-seeing eye. I am the next Oda Mae Brown (yes, I am referencing the movie "Ghost")

We started off slowly this morning and made our way to Brooklyn. First stop, Grimaldi's Pizza --- under the Brooklyn Bridge. While usually there is a line down the block, the weekday lunch crowd was a little less intense.

We split an amazing pepperoni and sausage pizza!

And then... ICE CREAM! The Brooklyn Ice Cream Company is just a few blocks away, on the pier.

We also spent time taking some seriously "fierce" pictures of the Bridge and Manhattan Skyline! Thank you to the anonymous photographer who did not speak very much English!

Dad and I made our way back to Manhattan's East Side... to the Roosevelt Island Tram. This is the tram featured in Spiderman and King Kong. A new fun adventure.

We spent the evening resting, and Dad guided Bryant and me through the pictures of his and Amy's recent trip to Africa! It was pretty sweet!
We all went for a killer dinner at Ollie's and we are now closing the day with the movie Ratatouille.

PS: does anything on this Ollie's menu look suspect?

Correct response to N2/: "That's what she said."

Papa Steve Rocks NYC: Day 1

While we are all excited that Papa Steve is in town, nobody is as thrilled as Ida. I don't think she has gotten more pats, belly rubs, play time, and attention in the last month as she has since noon today when Dad rolled in.

First off, we quickly made our way to the Kitchenette for "brunch-ish". We walked home the long way through the beautiful campus of Columbia as Bryant headed for the library.

Then we were off to the dog park! At first we were the only ones there ---- but Ida signalled her buddies and a few came to join her soon after!

Then we headed home for Dad to "rest his eyes a little". Man they missed each other!

Next up, "we gotta get some vegetables, darlin'" --- so we made our way Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too for some fried catfish, fried chicken, mac'n cheese, spinach, mashed tators, and string beans. Seriously good Harlem-Style-Soul-Food!

We again ditched Bryant and headed downtown for the biggest coup-de-grass of the trip! 8th row, center section seats to see Jersey Boys ---- yet again! I went this week to the box office to get some last minute partial view tickets and the guy working gave me an inside scoop: come back Tuesday because they release the tickets that the cast members are not using 2 days before the show. So, Tuesday after lunch I headed back to the box office and according to the new guy behind the window, "I could not have come at a better time!" So, 2 amazing seats for Sarah and Steve!

Redeemer

Bryant and I joined our first church together this morning. We have been attending Redeemer Presbyterian Church since we moved here a year and a half ago. We attended the membership class last spring and have been "members" for a while, but this morning we made our public dedication to the church--- supported by our friends, Sarah and David Hawkins, cheering us on from the congregation. To describe the foundations of the church, I will use the words of Tim Keller, the head pastor, "Redeemer's basic doctrines --- the deity of Christ, the infallibility of the Bible, the necessity of spiritual rebirth through faith in Christ's atoning death..." The church embraces the culture and diversity of New York City. One of my favorite things about Redeemer is how they take advantage of the city's artistic talent. The singers and musicians they use for services are always exceptional. Tim Keller is one of the most amazing speakers and leaders I have ever come into contact with. He preaches the Bible in a straight-forward, no excuses way.

Tim Keller recently published an amazing book, The Reason for God, Belief in an Age of Skepticism. Our fellowship group is currently reading it for our study and discussion. "Writing for atheists, agnostics, and skeptics, Keller also provides and intelligent platform on which true believers can stand their ground when bombarded by the backlash to religion created by the Age of Skepticism." In his book, he wrestles with the major doubts and questions of Christianity. I really recommend this book to any and all who wish to learn more about the concerns surrounding Christianity today. Please check out this website to see what Dr. Keller has to say about it himself... http://thereasonforgod.com/

PB!

One of my favorite little "fun things" in NYC is a small sandwich shop near Union Square called "Peanut Butter & Co." Mama Jan and I originally visited in 1999 and it is still going strong. They serve anything and everything having to do with peanut butter: PB sandwiches of all kinds (banana, jelly, grilled, honey etc.), peanut butter cups, pretzels with PB inside (yummers!), and jars of marshmallow fluff! And that does not even include their fabulous line of peanut butter. They have the traditionals: creamy or chunky, but they also carry a line of "infused" PB's that will knock your socks off. The sandwich that I am eating while writing this entry is a white chocolate peanut butter and honey sandwich. It is one of the best lunch sandwiches in the world. We also have a dark chocolate peanut butter in the cabinet which is amazing as well. These PB's have recently made their way to the shelves of many NYC supermarkets--- sparing me the trip downtown. If you are ever in town, PB & Co. is definitely worth the trip. http://www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/

Holy Toledo! Back to long distance!

Bryant and I have got some serious plans coming up in the next few months and wanted everyone be in the loop. Here are our dates of upcoming travel:

March 17- June 1: Ida in Dallas, TX
March 24-May 26: Sarah in Toledo, Ohio
May 24-August 10ish: Bryant in Houston, TX
June 1-August 10ish: Sarah and Ida in Houston, TX

OK, Toledo first. I will be singing with Toledo Opera in their young artist program. Our main job is to travel around and perform a children's show to area schools---- teaching them about music and opera. I leave in a couple of weeks and Bryant and I will be trying out the long distance thing again! While we believe ourselves to be pros after 31/2 years of long-distance dating, this should be in interesting trial. I am excited to be singing full-time with a respected company--- and actually getting paid for it, major GIG! http://www.toledoopera.org/

Now for Bryant's big upcoming adventures...
After a pretty hectic interview season in Dallas and Houston, Bryant will be spending 11 weeks of his summer working for 2 different Houston law firms (as a summer associate). The first 6 weeks he will be with Vinson & Elkins, and the last 5 he will be with Bracewell & Giuliani. We will be crashing the Lee's house while we are there--- can they handle us?

Ida is going to live with Grumps for a couple of months and I am not sure which one is more excited. I have already been coaching Ida on how to resist cheetos, but have not been too successful. I might need to do a survey as to how much weight we all think Ida will gain after 8 weeks with Steve Langbein!

So that is the Lee Family's upcoming adventures. We are very blessed by all of these opportunities.

The Lee's New Pose

Bryant and I have recently discovered that we share something else in common... "our best side." Yes, we both think that we look better if we are standing on the right when taking a picture. After coming to this realization, we spent a few minutes trying to come up with a solution. Options: 1. always take two pictures and switch sides for each one, 2. one of us always looks bad in every picture (we know who would win that one), 3. we permanently adopt the senior prom "hug from the back" pose. And the winner... #3!!! Here is a sample of our new Lee family picture pose!

Job Opportunity

My eyes have been opened to a new job opportunity. Here are the requirements:

1. get an Elmo costume


2. get a christmas stocking


3. stand around on Sixth Avenue

Apparently if you can do this, total strangers will put money in your stocking. Who knew???