The Black and White Cookie

For years I have wanted to try the black and white cookie featured on Seinfeld (and less famously on Sex and the City). I have seen "The Dinner Party" episode of Seinfeld more times than I care to admit and each time I get such a hankering to try it.

Today was my lucky day! We are in Florida visiting Paul's family and met up with Paul's brother, Tom, and cousin, Didi, who took us to a great hole in the wall Mexican restaurant called El Toro Bravo. Awesome food! They put cilantro on the chimichanga and all I can say is that food can get in my belly any time.

Afterwards as we were walking to our car the smell fresh baked bread and cookies wafted up to my nose like a tsunami of gourmet goodness. Didi said it was the best Italian bakery in town and being that I'd never been in any real Italian bakery, I stopped dead in my tracks. Inside Paisano's there were dozens of cookies and breads and if I weren't so full, I would have tried several. Instead I "looked to the cookie", as Jerry would say.

Let me start by saying the presentation alone is quite appealing. The contrast of the dark brown and white frosting was an instead taste bud teaser. However, I am sad to report that while it was good, it was not the best cookie I've ever had. In fact it fell quite short of the expectations I had built up in my head. But it was still very good. The inside is like a cookie equivalent to yellow cake. The frosting was sweet but not too rich, just like I like it.

So will I look to the cookie again? Probably not, but I'm sure I'll get crave it each time I see that famous episode of Seinfeld.

Picture coming soon...

Five Years

Five years ago today Paul and I got married. I could gush and gush about how I have the best husband ever, but I'll leave that between just us.

So I'll keep this one short.

He is the best. I was fortunate enough to marry my best friend. Not only is he an amazing husband, but a wonderful father. I am one lucky girl.

I'm Going To Say It: Grey's Anatomy

I could throw up on the producers of Grey's. There, I said it.

Just when you think Izzie couldn't get any more annoying, they find a way. I found myself so irritated I actually started fast forwarding through her scenes. Supposedly hot ghost sex is not cool. Enough said.

I love British things as much as the next guy (just check out my DVD collection of The Vicar of Dibley, Chef! and Mr. Bean), but just because it has a British accent, doesn't make it good. Sadie, who I seriously hope is not going to be a regular, is possibly even more annoying than Izzie. Where do I begin? First, going around calling Meredith "Death" because it's her super cool secret nickname is lame. Second, no one who is smart enough to get through medical school would also be stupid enough to let a bunch of interns perform unnecessary surgery on them. I know, I know, it's a TV show and not real life, but keep in mind this show used to be awesome and SORT of believable at the same time.

Enter ghosts and Sadie, and it's all gone down hill. Bring back Addison, cut Sadie and enough with Denny.

Walking Through the Park and Reminiscing

As I walked to my car after work, the cold wind catching the gap between my scarf and my coat, I couldn't help but reminisce about this past summer.

Let me back up for a second. In the spring, when people would ask me when I was due, I'd say early summer. I'd usually add that it was going to be one of the most exciting summers of my life. A part of me reveled in the idea of having 3 months off again with no work, no school, no real schedule. The other 80% of me was scared shitless about having a baby.

The first several weeks felt impossible. I never slept more than 2 and half hours at a time and just as I did fall asleep, I'd wake up from a nightmare. I'd dream Maxine was falling off the counter or playing with a rattle snake. My mom and dad constantly offered to take Maxine so that I could have a nap while Paul was at work, but a big part of me felt that if we couldn't do it all on our own, that we'd somehow failed her, failed as parents. I'd begrudgingly get into bed for a nap, but instead of sleeping, I'd lay on my side, eyes wide open. My mind raced with "what if"s. What if something happened to Paul and I was a single parent? What if something happened to Maxine? What if something happened to both of them? Within minutes I was sobbing instead of sleeping.

Then one day, as if magic or miracle, Maxine slept for 6 hours strait. I woke up, not to the sound of a crying baby, but the light coming in through the curtains. I put my face close to hers. She was fine, breathing in and out, in and out. Paul and I briefly, and I mean briefly, discussed waking her for a feeding, but decided against it. I fell back asleep in seconds.

The rest of the summer was more about trips to the State Fair, walks through the park, eating ice cream to stay cool, and any other activity my little family could find to relish those hot, warm wind days. Strange, how much more fun you can have when you're not worried about the the worst happening to the best people in your life. I also learned to readily, and happily, accept the help I could get.

So was it the most exciting summer of my life? Sure. But in addition to exciting I would add: crazy, scary, sleepless, amazing, life changing, life affirming and beautiful.

Next summer we may walk through the same park and reminisce about last summer. Then again, I hope we don't. I hope we just enjoy the walk for what it is right then and save the reminiscing for another time. Which reminds me -- I have to get off the computer and go kiss my husband and kid good night.

The Big 41

Yesterday my baby turned the big 41 -- .41 of a year that is. Maxine's 5 months already. I remember holding her in the hospital when she was under 6 pounds; I didn't even know how to move with her in my arms. Now I just toss her around like a football...which perhaps paints an ugly picture given my total lack of athletic ability. I should say I carry her around like the free tote bag I got after spending over $32.50 at the Clinique counter, which I no longer do by the way. I’m strictly MAC and Aveda now.

In any case, Maxine is growing into her own personality and it’s a laugh to watch. I can tell from her cry if she’s hungry or wants to be held or is bored and wants more attention. She shrieks angrily when I can’t tell.

She has more smiles than I have Chipotle charges on my Discover card. That's a lot of smiles -- trust me. This is her pre-giggle smile. Her pre-laugh smile is even better. I've tried to catch them all on film, but after a while realized that it's better to be a part of it, rather than to always be trying to capture it. Not that that will stop me from trying.

I'm Going To Say It: The Hills

The Hills has been sucking lately! There, I said it.

I have a theory as to the why. Where's Lauren? Lately her part has been diminishing and she's become a side kick to all the story lines. I know that in "real" life sometimes you're the one with all the drama and sometimes your friends are the ones losing their jobs, having boy trouble, etc., but as a Hills fan, I have to say the show sucks when Lauren is on the back burner.

I'll keep watching, but I'm not happy about it. I fear my reason for not hating Mondays may be no more... :-(

The People's President?

I can't help but wonder if Obama will be the People's President the way Princess Diana was the People's Princess. When you hear and watch him speak, he somehow seems reachable. Like, if he wasn't running the country, I might just run into him at CostCo.

Well, maybe not, but if I did, I'd look at his cart for sure. I bet you can tell a lot about a person by looking at their CostCo cart. Our's always has spinach and some kind of dessert.

Our New President

Obama is president-elect and gas is under $2.00 a gallon for the first time in a few years. Maybe things aren't as bad as we worried they were.

Okay...there still bad, but it does feel like they could change.

They're saying you'll never forget where you were when you found out Obama won the election. I was in bed trying to get Maxine to fall asleep. Paul was brushing his teeth. "He won! He won!" Paul ran over with toothpaste still in his mouth. Maxine didn't seem to be swayed by the news, but then again she was busy blowing spit bubbles only moments earlier.

I hate to admit it, but I fell asleep during Obama's speech (I've got a newborn, so you can't really blame me) but I did see all of McCain's concession. He was sincere and thoughtful, making it easy to see why so many like him. You can't blame his supporters for booing when McCain said he'd called Obama to conceed, but it was great to hear them cheer at what Obama's win means for the progress we've made in terms of racial equality.

Although I'm thrilled about the Obama win, I'm really disappointed about Prop 8 in California, which will ban same sex marriage. And even worse than that was the ban on unmarried couples being able to foster and/or adopt children in Arkansas. The supporters are mincing no words about the target of this ban being gay and lesbian couples. Right - because God forbid a kid finds a nice, safe, loving home with a gay couple. The fact that so many people believe a child is better off in the system, rather than in a stable family environment with parents who happen to be gay, boggles my mind.

As corny and cliched as it sounds, I really do believe change is coming and I'm excited. I'm thrilled I got to vote for it and I can't wait to watch it unfold over the coming years.