My husband just told me…

Aug 12, 2015

“When you walk into a room, it’s electrifying!”

“…And that’s not just when you’re mad at me.”

Weekend Snapshots 29

Aug 10, 2015

Friday

Packing…

Saturday

More packing…

We took a break from packing to go to my friend’s annual hops harvest party. Every year she grows a crop of hops for a local microbrewery. With a little help from her friends, this year she harvested 150 lbs.

The cut vines were laid out on long tables and we got to work like a bunch of Pick-a-Little-Ladies from the Music Man: “Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep, cheep, cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more!”

Sunday

Still packing…

In the afternoon we took another break to celebrate (belatedly) our daughter’s 10th birthday with a trip to Mint Springs Lake and Chiles Peach Orchard…

Now back to…packing, of course.

Weekend Snapshots 28

Aug 3, 2015

Friday

My colleague has been on leave for a couple months. We decorated his office in preparation for his return…

Saturday

That moment when you discover that your brother has posted this super flattering picture of you on Instagram:

We signed a contract on a new, (actually very old) house. We’ll be moving in early September, which is why I probably won’t be around very much for the next month or so. It’s going to be crazy busy around here!

My best friend came for a visit. No pictures, because we spent the whole time drinking tea and catching up.

I did manage to dig up this photo though – this is us in the beautiful, enchanted Riverside Drive apartment we lived in when we first became roommates in graduate school. It’s where we first began our late-into-the-wee-hours-chats-over-tea:

So many good things began there!

Sunday

We went to MarieBette for lunch, and had to try the new and improved brioche feuilletée (“bronut”), now available with a delicious crème diplomate filling…

Checked out the ever-changing IX Art Park…

Strange things afoot in this artists’ studio:

Hmmm…

???

Met up for dinner to celebrate this baby’s:

…10th Birthday!

Quiz Time! The Restaurant Etiquette Version

Jul 29, 2015

My sister and I decided to do a Restaurant Etiquette Edition of Quiz Time, a game we like to play with the kids from time to time…

Round 1: We presented the kids with an assortment of cutlery and asked them to set the table for a meal that would include soup, salad, steak, and dessert.

Almost!

Round 2: Where should one tuck one’s napkin?

A) Here?

B) On one’s lap?

Round 3: Bread and butter arrives at the table. Should one

A) Spread the whole piece of bread before eating?

B) Break off a piece, butter, eat, repeat?

Round 4: The soup course. When finishing up a bowl of soup, should one tilt the bowl

A) Away from oneself?

B) Towards oneself?

Round 5: When leaving the table to go to the bathroom during the meal, should the napkin be left

A) On the chair

B) On the table?

Round 6: The salad course. Should one

A) Cut up the entire salad before eating

B) Eat one piece at a time?

Round 7: The meat course. Should one

A) Cut a piece of meat with the fork and knife and bring the fork straight to the mouth?

B) Cut a piece of meat with the fork, switch hands, turning fork tines up to eat?

Round 8: The cell phone rings. Should one

A) Ignore the call

B) Pick up and politely say, “I’m having dinner right now, I’ll call you back later!”

Round 9: The bill arrives. We presented each contestant with a restaurant bill of $100 and had them calculate a tip for good service.

Round 10: What should be done with silverware when done with dinner?

A) Put side by side at an angle at the top of the plate?

B) Cross over the plate.

Round 11: Where should one leave the napkin at the end of the meal?

A) On the seat

B) On the table

ANSWERS

Round 1: After a demonstration

…the kids were able to do it properly:

Round 2: B

Round 3: B

Round 4: A, but perhaps not with this unpleasant expression on one’s face:

Round 5: A

Round 6: B

Round 7: A trick question if ever there was one. The kids have seen their English father do A, and their mother and every other American do B. A & B for the win!

Round 8: A, for heaven’s sake. A! Better still, silence the ringer before sitting down for dinner.

Round 9: We’d prefer to go out to dinner with the 20% tipper.

Round 10: A

Round 11: B this time!

Tomorrow – the Quiz Time the kids made up for US.

Love and Noogies

Jul 27, 2015

My siblings and I surprised my dad for his 80th birthday this weekend by showing up en masse.

Fifteen people, three generations, one very crowded living room:

This is what happens when Korean people gather:

We had dinner at Peking Gourmet, where we’ve celebrated so many happy events over the years. These cherished traditions connect our present to our past, and cement our family bonds:

The avuncular Noogie is one of the age-old rituals which must be observed without fail.

Of course, one mustn’t slavishly follow tradition. After all, every tradition has to begin somewhere…

Noogie photos courtesy of my brother, the Noogie King.

It’s Called Love

Christmas in July

Way back when…

Jul 23, 2015

Jul 16, 2015

London 2009

Hyde Park

Weekend Snapshots 26

Jul 6, 2015

Friday

After a difficult week at work, I was giddy with relief when Friday arrived. The office was closed for the 4th of July holiday and I got to play all day!

I took the kids to MarieBette Bakery and Café for breakfast:

We spent a leisurely hour at the bookstore:

I handed the kids off to their dad and met up with my friend for lunch and a trip to the nursery like we used to do all the time before life got too busy. It was just like old times…

When I got home that afternoon, I found my son delirious with joy. The last parts he needed for the computer he was building had arrived:

The moment of truth…

It’s working!!!

It’s nice to have your own personal cheerleader…

We took the kids to see Inside Out. My husband and I were fully expecting to fall asleep half way through, like we usually do whenever we watch the formulaic entertainment churned out for kids these days.

“Nudge us if we start snoring too loudly during the movie,” my husband instructed the kids.

There was no need to wake us up – Inside Out was great. Every single one of us, from the oldest to youngest loved this smart, moving, and entertaining movie.

Saturday

After a little internet research, my husband came upon a cure for the relentless itch of poison ivy.