I was never the girl who started planning her wedding at a pre mature age. The popular US-style colonial house with its symbolic middle class white picket fence in “anywhere” suburbia didn’t cross my mind. My live-in boyfriend and I (because I didn’t need to be married to fulfill my womanhood) extending our family to include 2.5 children who we’d escort to soccer games in a window smudged, crayon and sticker decorated mini van was just too typical and average for me. This ideal and predictable future did not mesh with my young, ambitious, and independent attitude that I protruded and acted out whole heartedly and well.
Rather, I envisioned myself strutting the busy, city streets in pumps and donning a crisp business suit with a fancy attaché case swinging at my side. I’d make my way toward the upper floors of a tall building where a plaque would hang on the door of a corner office flaunting my surname in gold letters. Inside, a leather rocking chair sat behind the solid oak desk waiting for my arrival. Finally, the first sip of the no longer scorching hot Starbucks latte reached my lips. A slight, satisfied exhale and I’d call my assistant in to dictate a letter.
This isn’t necessarily my view now, at least not to that extent. I’ve softened my mindset on both scenarios.
Flash forward to last year when something changed and a realization sank in.
Adam and I were approaching our 10-year anniversary, and I was finally, and suddenly, struck with the desire to have a baby. In my younger days I would have been fine with having a baby out of wed lock especially while in a stable, lengthy and committed relationship. Today, I feel the opposite, and strongly. Even when friends joked by saying that we could start baby making weeks before I’d walk down the aisle because I wouldn’t show yet, I’d sternly respond with, “I refuse to be a pregnant bride.”
Age was another factor. It’s always played a bigger than necessary role in my life rearing its ugly head whenever I’d decide to be hard on myself for one thing or another.
So, with 10 solid years under our belt, the beginnings of baby mode, and the fact that I wasn’t getting any younger, it was time to plan a wedding.
AND PLAN A WEDDING WE DID!
(This is the first installment of many wedding posts to come addressing planning, politics and the process in general. Some will be informative and others emotional).
Date night has recently taken a turn for the more fancy as opposed to a balance between a night of dressing up and dining out or bowling a couple of games while munching on a greasy burger with fries from the alley’s lounge.
So last week I suggested Two George’s, a casual, family friendly, waterfront sports bars and restaurant at 728 Casa Loma Boulevard in Boynton Beach, FL.
Adam and I ate there last summer with friends of his from New York and I remember it being a summery and suitably relaxed environment.
It’s valet parking only, but no reservations were needed for this Thursday evening and I’d be surprised if it’s necessary at any time since there’s ample seating both indoor and outdoor.
Two George’s sits on the Intracoastal Waterway. Although an attractive spot it doesn’t offer the view many associate with large, tropical homes or tall city buildings across the way with water lovers windsurfing and jet skiing in between sailboats and yachts. Instead, the scenery from dock seating was a slim body of water with plain greenery to the east and the Ocean Avenue Bridge directly south.
I can’t knock the location entirely because one pretty cool feature does exist. Boaters can drive up to the restaurant, dock, and then step directly inside.
In order to create a warm mood Adam and I opted to sit outside. But later this mood proved to be less than pleasant.
Our waiter, Mathis, was nice, professional and attentive. He handed us the menu which was fun and creative. It reminded me of a menu one would expect at a local Key West or tropical island establishment.
We ordered the Two George’s Margarita to start. Now, it was top shelf tequila, but I was a little annoyed that I payed $10 for a drink that was served in a medium-sized plastic cup with enough ice to build an igloo. My suggestion to regulars and new comers alike is to order the margarita straight up with ice on the side.
Also, there were no prices listed with the specialty drinks so I was in for a surprise when the bill arrived.
I ordered Seafood Pasta ala Vodka for my entree. The pasta wasn’t bad, but inconsistent the sauce didn’t taste like ala Vodka and my shrimp (which were tiny) and scallops tasted bland and seemed slightly under cooked.
And then it started. Flies. Flies. And more flies. Swarming around and landing not only on me but my food as well. This was quite irritating to say the least. To be fair, I don’t think that this is always the case. It might have something to do with the time of day. I discussed this with a friend of mine at work and he said that he went during the afternoon and met with no flies.
While the menu was plentiful there were only three desserts to choose from. I took a raincheck since I didn’t fancy my options. Adam on the other hand ordered Key Lime pie. Being a lover of Key Lime pie and having tried many, Adam said he really enjoyed it.
Besides the specialty drinks that hit my bill pretty hard, the prices aren’t bad. It’s safe to say that they match the food.
All in all, I wasn’t impressed and I doubt that I would return for other casual date nights. It wasn’t the happy ending I’d expected.
For more information please visit their website at http://www.twogeorgesrestaurant.com/
Adam and I have dined at the City Fish Market a few times now and we’ve always enjoyed ourselves.
There’s complimentary valet at the entrance of the restaurant, but I think you can park across the way in the Hilton parking lot if you’d. It’s very close.
Reservations are definitely recommended. I called on a Friday afternoon asking for a table for two at 7:30 and it wasn’t available. The times left were 6:45 and 8:00. FYI: you can use opentable, a “real-time online reservation network,” when booking a reservation for City Fish Market. If you want to sit on the outdoor waterfront patio you should mention it while booking your reservation. This restaurant also offers rooms for private events.
Iced showcases of the many fish they have to offer that evening line the main hallway. You’ll see a grand bar on the left, and the dining area ahead has both tables and booths. Adam always prefers a booth. They are black with dark, wood trim. White walls, ceilings and tableware. And “slippery,” hardwood floors. Ladies, be careful in your heels!
It’s definitely dressy attire. I wore a dress and Adam looked dapper in slacks, a button down shirt and newly polished shoes.
The menu reads fresh seafood cuisine to the maximum and it’s on the pricey side.
The mussels in a white wine sauce was a great appetizer. It didn’t have as much garlic as I like, but the sauce had a creamy texture which is different and very good. Another delicious appetizer is the raw clams which were perfectly shucked. And not only did it come with your normal horseradish and lemon, but also a vinaigrette for cleaning the clams.
Adam had the Alaskan King Crab for the main course. The accompanying melted butter had a lit candle beneath it to keep it consistent.
We shared a very nice bottle of organic Pinot Gris from King Estates called Acrobat. It was bubblier than most with a citrus flavor and wasn’t too sweet. I did like the ice bucket that the wine chilled in. The ice cubes were kept separate so there was little condensation on the bottle. For more information of King Estates wine collection: http://www.kingestate.com/
The bread pudding was to die for. I wasn’t able to finish it that Friday night, but when I woke up Saturday morning, my craving got the best of me and Adam found me, night-shirt and bed head, hovering over the kitchen counter wolfing down the remainder of this tasty dessert.
I’m ending this review with a poll. I noticed the guests at the table beside me let their young boy who was no more than 5 years old to watch cartoons using headphones on a portable device. This allowed mom and dad to finish their meals and sip their wine in peace. But at what cost? For dining neighbors like me to ponder:
For more information about City Fish Market: http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/city-fish-market/
Mon, May 18, 2011 (Delray Beach, FL) – The Lupus Foundation of America’s Southeast Florida Chapter hopes to see you, your family and your friends at WALK FOR LUPUS NOW. The first annual walk will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2011, in Topeekeegee Yugnee (TY) Park in Broward County, 3300 North Park Road, Hollywood, FL 33021. Check in begins at 8:00 am and the walk begins at 9:00 am, rain or shine!
Please join in the fight to bring awareness to, raise funds and find a cure for Lupus. It’s because of events like this that miracles happen. An example of such occurred on March 10th of this year in the form of BENLYSTA, the first FDA approved drug in 52 years specifically designed to treat Lupus.
LFA SE is proud to acknowledge the 634 people who participated in last year’s Broward County walk raising over $20,000. A great way to celebrate the Lupus Awareness month of May is to double those numbers for the more than 1.5 million Americans living with lupus. Of those people, 100,000 are Floridians.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease often misdiagnosed as Rheumatoid Arthritis. Its cause is still unknown although some evidence shows that genetic factors play a role. Some symptoms are a characteristic butterfly skin rash, arthritis, hair loss, fatigue, nephritis (kidney disease), swollen glands, joint stiffness, mouth ulcers, blood abnormalities, sensitivity to sunlight etc. In short, your body’s immune system is attacking its own cells and tissues.
For more information or to register please contact the office at 75 NE 6th Ave., Suite 110, Delray Beach, FL 33483, (561) 279-8606 or visit the website at www.lupusfl.org.
When I first started my pet sitting business five years ago, Brian and MaryAnn McGunigle were one of my first clients. At the time, two of their Portuguese Water dogs, Noah and Edna, were the front runners while their third competitor, Webster, was retired.
During the beginning years pet sitting in their beautiful Lloyd Harbor home consisted of watching only Webster, while the McGunigles traveled with Noah and Gracie. MaryAnn would teach other PWD owners how to train their pups in agility and obedience, and prepare them for water trials. And during competitions, Brian would often sit as a judge on panels. Both are members of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, formed in 1972.
Noah
Since I spent most of my time with Webster, he quickly became my favorite of the three dogs. He was about 15 years old at the time and caring for him meant meeting similar needs as that of an elderly person. A list of his mealtime medications included Soloxine for his thyroid, Rimadyl for pain, Glucosamine and Cosequin for his joints, and Pepto-Bismol. In addition, he wasn’t always aware of when he needed to relieve himself, so there were many diaper changes throughout the day. Unfortunately, Webster was euthanized two years ago.
At approximately the same time as the McGunigles lost Webby, Edna became affected by the contaminated pet food which was being recalled and pulled from pet store shelves. She practically lost her eye sight over night. I remember watching her run acre after acre one month, only to return a few months later and having to guide her from room to room after she’d walk into the walls of the house she had lived in all of her 13 years. Needless to say, Edna was retired from the life of a show dog.
Gracie and Noah
Enter Miss Gracie. She was diagnosed with a medical condition shortly after the McGunigles brought her home and was placed on a steroid, Prednisone. She has since made a full recovery and has already made a name for herself in New York area competitions.
The breed is a medium-sized, but muscular dog. They are equipped with webbed toes for swimming and are highly intelligent. PWDs have a single-layered coat that does not shed and therefore their presence is tolerated extremely well among many people who suffer from dog allergies.
The McGunigles have a grooming room in their home complete with a bath tub, a grooming table with a stand-up blow dryer beside it, clippers for hair and nails, and patching kits for any wounds endured during hard training.
Mainly, the private doggie salon helps the McGunigles get the pups properly styled for shows. There are two different coat types and cuts that are considered standard in the PWD Club rulebook.
Noah
One is called the retriever cut which is how Noah is styled. The cut is a more recent style and originated because breeders wanted to make the breed more appealing and less unusual looking for buyers. Gracie has a traditional lion cut which the Portuguese fishermen thought would protect their lungs and heart in the cold waters they worked while the lower back and rear is shaved down in order to help the dog maneuver quickly and easily while herding fish.
Another added feature to the family’s home is a full blown agility course with equipment such as hurdles, tire jumps, tunnels and stakes, chutes and weave poles. The house is waterfront which is convenient for water training in the summertime.
For Brian and MaryAnn, an attorney and an architect, their involvement with Portuguese Water dogs is more than a hobby, it’s a passion. For me, I’ve since moved from Long Island and miss all of my pet sitting clients and their furry kids, my furry friends.
The sounds of slot machines ring through-out the corridors of McCarran International Airport. Every inch of the walls in baggage claim is covered in show posters with entertainers like comedian Carrot Top, singer Barry Manilow and magician Chriss Angel. Big screen TV’s are playing clips of Cher’s headlining show at Caesar’s Palace and the latest edition of famed Cirque de Soleil’s like Zumanity at New York, New York Hotel and Casino and Beatles LOVE at the Mirage.
Adam and I have arrived at our vacation destination, Las Vegas!
We anxiously checked in at the Las Vegas Hilton (which we chose because we are members of the hotel chain) on Paradise Road and immediatlely started exploring the city.
OUR ADVENTURE (in no specific order):
LESSON: First challenge we faced was learning the popular means of transportation, the Monorail. It’s simple, but slightly annoying. It’s unlike the average train ride where you get off at your stop then walk up or down a staircase or two, and hit pavement. Each stop that the monorail makes includes 6-7 hotels and casinos. So even though it’s stopping at your destination, doesn’t mean that once the doors open, you’re there. Chances are you have to walk what seems to be a mile before reaching where it is you’d like to be. You end up entering one of the hotels and casinos included on that stop, walking through these grand establishments, exiting, then possibly crossing over a bridge to another hotel and casino, only to do the same routine yet again. Now, if you ask me, this was probably set up this way to entice tourists to gamble at more casinos and shop at some of the many glamorous hotel stores that you pass. Once you’ve traveled the monorail for a few days, you’ll get the hang of it and won’t get lost at every corner.
WARNING: When you finally do find the sidewalk and start your exciting stroll on the Strip; beware, this is when you start to notice that “Sin City” is not for the foundationally weak couple. Every intersection, every corner, every store entrance is loitered by men and women selling sexual services of call girls and prostitutes. Business cards and brochures are shoved in your face, or behind your back into the hands of the man you’re walking with by employees wearing bright-colored orange shirts that read, “Will be at your room within 20 minutes.” This can be a little uncomfortable during the first couple of days, but you become acclimated to it and learn to walk on and ignore it. The funny thing is, they’ll even hand out the cards to women passing by.
Once we started our adventure on the 4.2-mile Strip we began learning about all of the different hotels and casinos, their themes, attractions, shows etc.
A FEW OF THE HOTELS AND CASINOS:
(Nineteen of the world’s 25 largest hotels by room count are on the Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms, as per Wikipedia, so you can understand why I’m only naming a few)!
The Luxor Las Vegas is named after a city in Egypt and is the second largest hotel in Las Vegas (the largest being the MGM Grand). It’s known for its re-creation of the Great Sphinx of Giza. Behind it is the Luxor pyramid with a spotlight that shines from its top directly upward claiming to be the brightest beam in the world. Some permanent shows are Menopause: the Musical, Carrot Top and Criss Angel: Believe. Among many of the signature attractions are Bodies: the Exhibition and Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition.
Paris Las Vegas is best known for its half scale, 541-foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower. You can take an elevator to the top for a fantastic view of the Bellagio Water Show.
Bellagio, built on the site of the demolished Dunes Hotel and Casino, is most notable for the Fountains of Bellagio, an 8-acre lake between the building and the Strip. It is a dancing water fountain show with synchronized music. A permanent show is Cirque du Soleil’s “O,” which is water themed.
New York New York Hotel and Casino’s architecture replicate the city’s skyline with a signature attraction, a roller coaster that travels the property’s interior and exterior. In front of this property you’ll find the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Grand Central Terminal. The main casino is named after Central Park and the shoppes are modeled after Greenwich Village. Permanent show is Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity.”
IDEA: If you are a Titanic enthusiast as I am, you will definitely want to visit the exhibition I mentioned earlier located inside the Luxor Las Vegas. Be prepared for an emotional interaction with the exhibition. Before entering, you receive a White Star Line boarding pass of one of the ship’s passengers dated April 10, 1912 and it includes name, age, where they’re from, who they were accompanied by, whether they belonged to the 1st, 2nd or 3rd class, a fact about this person and their reason for traveling. At the end of the exhibition, you find out whether “you” survived or not. It really makes you a part of experience. Here is the website: http://www.luxor.com/entertainment/titanic.aspx
IDEA: Since this trip was about celebrating our 9-year anniversary there were a few shows that we thought fit the bill: Holly Madison’s “Peepshow” and Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity.”
PEEPSHOW: Admittedly, I watch reality TV (sshh) and I used to watch Holly Madison when she was Hugh Hefner’s main squeeze on “Girls Next Door.” Now I follow the spin-off, ”Holly’s World,” on E! The show centers on her life after Hef. Leaving Los Angeles for Las Vegas to become a showgirl and starring in the “Peepshow” alongside her best friend/assistant, Angel Porrino. Unfortunately, and of course, Holly was on vacation the week we were in town, but Angel filled in for her and she was great! It was a funny, light-hearted, and occasionally topless show. And when it was finished, there was a “meet and greet” in the lobby where Adam and I had our picture taken with Angel. I RECOMMEND THIS SHOW!
ZUMANITY: It is a cabaret-style show and the first adult-themed Cirque de Soleil exploring sensuality, sexuality and eroticism through costume, dance, music, acrobatics, contortion, water…you name it. This performance was “deeper” than “Peepshow,” but it was by no means less funny. The narrator was a riot and interacted with the audience. This was my first Cirque du Soleil and I definitely plan to see others. I RECOMMEND THIS SHOW!
TIP: You do not have to pay full price for most shows. The trick is to not buy the tickets anywhere else but at the 1/2 off booths which you will find scattered on the Strip and inside some of the hotels. Here is a list of the “Tix4Tonight” locations: http://www.tix4tonight.com/locations.html There is a little bit of luck involved though, because you can only purchase the tickets for the show you are interested in seeing on that day/night.
TIP: Keep a sharp look-out for combination deals. We were offered a great package for a dinner at a restaurant in the Tropicana Hotel and Casino with one pair of our tickets! They also make the reservation for you at the booth.
WARNING: If you are planning dinner and a show one evening, do it in that exact order. Adam and I planned on having dinner at what looked like a great restaurant next door to the ”Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, but to our surprise, along with many other hungry audience members who apparently had the same idea as us, the restaurant was closing. This made no sense to us. A restaurant next door to a packed show closing its doors as the show lets out? A lot of business lost if you ask me. Anyway, this changed our plans and we found ourselves walking the Strip enroute to another fine restaurant, which one would think wouldn’t be difficult in such a happening city. Well, it was. We weren’t in the mood for pub food or eating appetizers at a bar. We wanted a nice, sit-down dinner. Kitchens were closed. The only thing we found was a Chinese restaurant in one of the casinos and they said that the only reason they were even still open for business was because they were in the midst of celebrating the Chinese New Year.
LESSON: Have dinner before any evening show you go to. You can always find a place for drinks after the show.
And I must say, I was quite surprised to learn that you can truly bring your drink anywhere in Sin City. If you’re at a show and purchased a cocktail at the bar lobby of the show but you haven’t finished it by the time the lights start blinking that the curtains are going up in a few mintues, no problem. Bring the drink into the theatre with you and place it in your chair’s cup holder. If you’re at a hotel restaurant and you’ve finished dinner but still have a glass of wine left, no problem. You can leave the restaurant, wine in glass, and head for the hotel and casino. If you’ve purchased one of those huge, alcoholic concoctions of lord knows what at one of those fun-looking kiosk bars and all of a sudden have an itch to go shopping on the Strip, no problem. Bring your weird looking beverage with you into the stores. In fact, when I went to the ladies room at one of the hotels, they actually had a place to set your drink within the stall as if you were riding in a car and had a cup of coffee in the cup holder (and the bathrooms are insanely clean at these 5-star places).
After several days, cold days too I might add, Adam and I got a little tired of the hotels and casinos, souvenier shoppes and walking the Strip that we thought it would be nice to get out of town for the day. What better way to spend the day than visiting a National Historic Landmark!
IDEA: We purchased tickets for the Hoover Dam tour for $60 each. The bus ride took about an hour and once we arrived at our destination we had two hours to take the Hoover Dam Power Plant tour then explore at our own leisure with plenty of time to snap some breathtaking pictures. Even more exciting, the new Hoover Dam bypass bridge had just opened a few weeks earlier making traveling between Phoenix and Las Vegas quicker and safer. USA Today said it is, “the second-highest bridge of any kind in the United States and 14th in the world.” http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-18-hooverbypass18_ST_N.htm
The tour was both educational and beautiful. But it didn’t end there. On the way back to town, the tour bus made a stop at the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory where we were offered some delicious samples. Of course I walked out carrying a bag filled with goodies in one hand and a hot chocolate with whipped cream in the other. I think Adam treated himself to some of their homemade ice cream. The whole experience was probably 6 hours total and well worth it! http://hooverdamtourcompany.com/express.html
After all of the tiresome running around trying to squeeze in as much as possible there was still something left to do…people to see! Adam’s Uncle Lloyd lives in Las Vegas about 30 minutes on the outskirts and I have a very dear friend, or shall I say little “sister,” who lived about 10 minutes from town.
You can imagine that our last day was emotional for me. I hadn’t seen Daniella in over a decade. I used to babysit her when I was in my early 20s and living on Long Island. I still keep in touch with her mother, Denise, who lives in Miami, only an hour away from me in Delray Beach. It’s strange how time changes things, people, locations etc… Here she was now a woman, and a beautiful one at that, living with her boyfriend in their LV home with their baby boy, Prodigio. Oh, what a handsome little man too! So you can imagine we had a lot of catching up to do. Adam bonded with her boyfriend while Dani and I played with Prodigio and talked and talked. We sat down for a nice home-made dinner and shared a bottle of Pinot Noir. She has turned in to such a classy, smart lady. I’m a proud “big sister.” When it came time for Dani to drop us off at the Hilton, we shared an equal amount of tears like we did when she picked us up!
As soon as we parted ways with Daniella, Lloyd picked us up and off we went again. He drove us to his home where his wife waited with wine, cheese and fruit. It was very nice since neither of us had visited their home before and we hadn’t seen them in a couple of years. It was a chance for Adam to spend time with his relatives and for me to get to know them better. It was a lovely experience.
After all is said and done , Adam and I had a wonderful, fun-filled, exciting vacation. The only downer about the trip was the fact that we couldn’t go to the Carroll Shelby museum which was closed for renovation that weekend.
Adam and I were ready to head home come Sunday. The plan was to land, grab some take-out and snuggle on the living room couches and watch the Superbowl. THE PLAN WAS NOT FOR THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS TO LOSE! Once our heads stopped spinning from the thrill of exporing Sin City, we decided that as much as we loved it and want to visit again some time…It would be later than sooner. There is only so much Las Vegas one can take. A break is very much needed! Until next time…
I volunteer for the Lupus Foundation of America – Southeast Fla Chapter. This is the video I made for the Walk for Lupus Now in Miami, Oct 2010. This was the first video I put together on my Toshiba laptop AND using Windows Movie Maker. I’m used to the big MAC’s in the newsroom and Final Cut Pro. Well, I did my best with what I had. Enjoy. Mich
While classmates were breaking out terribly during our high school years, my skin was as flawless as the face of a porcelain doll. That was then. Adult acne is now. I’ve been to several dermatologists, used different internal and external medications, tried the televised ProActiv Solutions, etc.
I will admit that there were self-inflicting factors weighing in. Factors that could have been helped with a little discipline on my behalf. After returning to college in January 2007 to finish my bachelor’s degree, my diet went down the toilet, exercise was placed on the back burner, drinking water was replaced by coffee, and lots of it to pull all-nighters finishing homework. And along with these dark sky study sessions came 24-hours of wearing the same makeup (and sometimes reapplying a new layer on top of the old in the library bathroom). It’s not always easy to squeeze in a PM face cleanse.
Since moving to Florida last year I have been hyper-aware of my skin because it’s too hot to wear makeup and the constant sweating doesn’t help either.
So I have been keeping regular appointments with a wonderful esthetician named Khami at her massage and skincare spa, Beauty & Bliss, in Boca Raton. Facials, microdermabrasion treatments (which feels like your face is being rototilled by a sharp pen that shoots out crystal bullets) and glycolic peels have become monthly items on my beauty-to-do list. I also use Khami’s skincare products daily…er hmm…twice daily.
I would like to share a beauty tip she taught me during my last session. I followed her guidelines on how to wash makeup brushes. This is something I’ve always wondered about but admittedly never did. Boy, oh boy, I was astonished at how dirty they were. Khami’s advise was great and is as follows:
Wash your brushes every two months with liquid anti-bacterial hand – or dishwasher soap. I found that pretending I was using them to paint my hand in a swirling motion really loosened up the dirt and old makeup, and before you know it…you are standing mouth wide opened thinking how the hell all of that just came from this brush! When you are done let them air dry. In the morning you can poof them full again with the blow dryer.
