Flavors 518

I was going to write a whole post about all the stuff I bought at the flea market at the Washington County fairgrounds last weekend, but taking the advice of the above sign I bought at Francesca's in Crossgates (ironic I know), maybe I'll tell you what I've been up to this summer instead (by the way, I love that store and I want to cover my body and walls with everything in it - but why so talkative, staff members? I'll tell you what I want in a clothing store - everything costs $20, no one talks to me, and Rihanna is playing in the background. That's it, when you try to be my best friend or make me into your career counselor for your Arts Administration degree I'm doing that instead of deciding on necklaces). This summer I: Went swimming . We did all kinds of wine tasting in the Finger Lakes. I wanted to go swimming at the Seneca Lake State Park and the lifeguard never showed up. We went all over, including antiquing in Hammondsport ( America's Cooles...

I was in Michigan last week on my way to a work errand in Chicago, and my grandfather said to me at his 90th birthday party "How can you stand to live in a place you aren't from?" It was an interesting question. He was asking me about my new-ish job and Saratoga, and I said to him "I think you can like many places".  I've taken to this new theory nowadays that there can be several happy endings to everyone's stories, instead of only one. Perhaps life is less fated, and more "Choose Your Own Adventure".  I went to Chicago where I met up with some friends of ours who are originally from the San Francisco area and moved to Albany around the same time we did. We went to a Starbucks that serves wine (what? what? see for yourself below! It was great fun actually!) They talked about the difficulty of moving to a new area, the difficulty of making friends, finding work, and fostering a sense of community. They didn't seem to like Chicago...

It is that time of year where it gets dark outside much earlier than one would hope, one dreary day can sort of meld into another, and sometimes I can go the entire work day without ever feeling warmed up no matter how many layers of clothing I'm wearing. It is the time of year when I randomly will type in "hot, dry desert" into Google images to make myself feel better.  So let's talk about something fun - good ideas for vacations! Pretend it is no longer winter- instead, it is a perfectly mild day, and I am wearing something like this: And off we go! I loved this story on NPR about the father and daughter who went on a BBQ journey. Here is their blog . Ever since watching Friday Night Lights and going to Capital Q , I have just thought a BBQ Tour would be so much fun. Although possibly my above wardrobe choice could get messed up with some sauce. I read in Wine Enthusiast magazine about Blantyre in Lenox, MA. Go check out these ridiculous wine tastings t...

One good thing about living in Albany is the proximity to so many other great places to visit like NYC, the Berkshires, Cooperstown, Montreal, and Boston. About a year and a half ago some of my Study Abroad companions and I reunited for a weekend filled with cultural activities. I brought British themed snacks. We had a Mad Men inspired fashion show. We visited the Boston Public Library and a great vintage travel poster show. We went to a great Italian restaurant in the North End. And we visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Café . Unfortunately, it looks like the café is closed right at this moment for renovations, but when we were there it was open. I love that museum. It is so eclectic, so intimate, so personal. It is not formal or stuffy. Also there is the mystery of the stolen paintings , that I (as a person who works in museums) find completely fascinating. I find the subject so fascinating that I read books meant for teenagers about the su...

This week my husband is going to Ireland for work, and I am going to pick him up from the Boston's Logan airport on Sunday. Last time he did this we stopped in Great Barrington for dinner on the way back. We found Baba Louie's Wood Fired Organic Sourdough Pizza in our guidebook and thought it sounded tasty. Scott  wanted soup, and I wanted to split a salad, and we agreed to split a salad. Scott: "Does that salad have nuts in it?" Waitress: "No, just greens, balsamic dressing, red onions." Scott: "Ok, we'll have that." Then we each ordered a pizza, and he ordered a beer. Then, the salad came and he had a few bites and all of a sudden his mouth became as big as a football and as red as fire engine. "I think there may have been a nut in there", he said, running to the bathroom. He was in the bathroom throwing up for about half an hour. The waitress asked what was wrong and said "He did not say he was allergic to nuts". ...

Two years ago this week I was getting ready to go on a study abroad program in London. It simultaneously feels like a lifetime ago and like it was just yesterday. That summer, I knew if I didn't go abroad that I would never have a chance like that again. I thought (rightly so, it turns out) that upon finishing graduate school I would get a job and a car payment and all of a sudden become a lot more tied down. It was exhilarating. It was the trip of a lifetime, and it certainly was an adventure (for better or worse). The problem was I hated the food. I will say that I have read defenses of English food online, and most of these have the qualification that if you spend a lot of money there is good food in London. Well, I will counter that with saying in NYC some of the best food is inexpensive, and that definitely a person who is not wealthy can acquire tasty food there. Here were some causes of my misery: mushy peas, lack of seasoning (even salt and pepper), limp bacon, soft fish a...