Live and Let Di

Back in Boca

I'm back from my weekend full of fine wine, fine dining and my fine friend. I am mentally preparing my Book Review on The Thirteenth Tale, savoring how I am going to capture the beauty of such an exquisite book. So you could just take my word for it and order it (from the library or book store) today. Boca friends, my apologies but I passed it to Amy in Savannah and she read the whole thing on the plane home, so by today it will start its rounds of New England.

Coming back I am supposed to be rested, relaxed, renewed and rejuvenated, right? But something is missing. It's not the perfectly chilled crisp glass of white wine in our room before leaving for a late dinner. It's not the foie gras on my fork (with HUGE apologies to Shirley and thanks for educating me about the horrors of foie gras production...and by the way since some animal things are NOT self-evident Shirley also pointed out that iguanas are attracted to the color red and she has the now-healing scar on her face to prove it....oh, and I just heard that raisins are poisonous to dogs!...how was that tangent?). It's not the Spanish moss hanging seductively from the trees. It's not the languid Southern drawls.

It's the quiet. Savannah is a quiet city. Our B&B was a quiet place. Amy and I speak softly (when we aren't around our children and yelling is de rigeur). Waiters silently appear and disappear as they ensure that your every culinary need is met. But around here it's noisy, chaotic and clamorous. Rory's voice booms. Toby doesn't even bark, but he slurps noisily and his tags tinkle to let you know when he's on the move. Hurley sits on the couch shouting for everyone because "Sixteen Candles" is on and he thinks it is such a classic that it can't be missed. When one person (OK, me) decides she can miss it, the volume is mysteriously increased so that behind my closed door in my room reading my book, I can hear every word. Phones ring...haven't figured out a vibrate function for our home phone yet. Maybe our next girls' weekend will be a retreat to a convent or wherever it is that monks live and take a vow of silence...as long as they know to keep bringing the wine!

I'm hoping later today to have some moments of quiet when I can cast my memory back to my reading of The Thirteenth Tale and try to entice you to read it, savor it and love it as much as I did. Since Amy has finished it, I've asked her to also do a review so we can post a Siskel & Ebert-esque blog.

Di

Shalom Y'all

Yes, believe it or not there was a festival at Forsythe Park just behind our B&B called Shalom Y'all! So Amy and I walked around and feasted on potato latkes and kugel. The people in Boca will never believe it when I tell them about it!

We rested, napped, read, walked around, Amy ran, just generally had another great day. Amy has all the pictures from last night when we went to the transvestite show including The Lady Chablis...so I will post as soon as Amy figures out how to download photos from her new camera. Amy, in very typical Diane style, picked up two women who were leaving the transvestite show and going to the same restaurant that we were so we hung out and talked with them for hours. We were actually uncertain about how to get to the restaurant, so we walked into the Doubletree, Amy convinced one of the employees that we were guests there and he proceeded to walk us to the restaurant. I dined on foie gras again...before getting Shirley's comment. I really had no idea about the torture of the poor ducks.

Right now we are having cocktail hour and going out for a much earlier dinner as we need to leave here around 5:45 a.m. and return to our suburban housewife lives!

Just to give you a visual, here is Amy at "command central"...complete with wine, water, cheese and crackers, laptops, etc. And here is Diane in the latest outfit from the "Sage & Sky Goes To Savannah" Collection. Without the help of Laura, Stacy, Holly and Claudine, I would be walking around here in my rainbow flip flops, khaki shorts and golf shirts. So it has felt like y'all were here with me!

Off to another fabulous dinner tonight...and back tomorrow.

Di

Hey Y'all from Savannah!

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men? Yeah...well that is how our precision timed travel plans went yesterday. My day was perfect! Got to the Fort Lauderdale airport early AND the airport has FREE wireless internet. What a treat. Met some nice people from Boca and did my requisite pimping for Sage & Sky (Stacy's store...Stacy if you are going to be my NBF, you must provide a digital picture so my blog readers can see your voluptuous red-headedness). The flight was fine except for apparently the guy next to me thought that he deserved one and a half seats and I only required half a seat...and his arm snuggled up next to mine at that. To top it off, he ordered a bourbon and coke (at 9:15 in the morning...not that I've NEVER had an early cocktail) and as he was holding it in his hand, precariously perched on the edge of his tray table (on the side near me, of course) he fell asleep and started snoring! So I panicked visualizing the cascade of coke and bourbon ruining my new fabulous purse. So I picked it up and held it snugly in my lap, as one might nestle an infant during a flight. I know you are all thinking, "WTF with the purse?" Well, now you can see it (from Sage & Sky, natch). Anyway, it is the first time in my life that I have had a purse where if my purse got stolen or ruined, I would be more upset about the purse than its contents.

I landed in Jacksonville on time, got my car and headed for Savannah, yacking all the way with whoever I could catch on my cell phone...mostly Stacy...I actually missed my exit while talking to Stacy. I use a bluetooth, so please no admonishment about talking on the phone and driving. The plan was that Amy's flight would land in Savannah at 1:39 and I was actually driving past the Savannah airport at 1:33...would have been perfect! BUT, Amy's flight out of Boston was "delayed" because of hydraulic problems...and when she saw the firetrucks rush to surround the plane she sensed that this might be a long delay. So she rebooked on a later flight, which would conceivably get her here at 5. Then her flight in Charlotte got cancelled and her arrival time was now looking to be around 8:45. Meanwhile, she was constantly thanking me in her head because she almost didn't bring her laptop and I told her to bring it. So in between reading every People, In Style and Us magazine she had, she could surf the internet and find out about all the restaurants in Savannah, their reviews, their menus, etc. She could probably easily become a food critic here.

I checked into The Catherine Ward House, our lovely B&B. We are actually in a room that is upstairs with its own terrace two views of which you can see here and here. I took a nap, read some, went to the store to get some wine and a little snack so I could wait for Amy and we could have dinner at 10. While waiting for Amy and having a glass of wine, I chatted with Leslie the lovely hostess of the B&B in the beautiful parlor.  Once Amy arrived, we had her clueless cab driver from the airport wait outside while she dumped her bags (by this time it was almost 10 p.m....remember she was supposed to arrive at 1:39?) and take us down the street to 700 Drayton which is a restaurant in a Hotel/B&B called The Mansion. Dinner was wonderful! As we were late diners, we ended up with a room all to ourselves and just talked and ate until midnight. Inspired as I was by Garlic & Sapphires, I had the foie gras and quail appetizer. We had a lovely bottle of wine. I had lobster bisque which was good, but honestly, not better than Carole's Kitchen! The entree was grouper and shrimp fricassee which was delicious. The service was fine...very unobtrusive, but there when we needed them. Of course, if the waiter wasn't there when our wine needed refilled, Amy would just walk over, grab the wine bottle and pour! We are pretty resourceful and self-sufficient!

As will be the case all weekend and has been the case for the last 23 years, we had no lack of things to talk about during dinner. We got home well after midnight and crashed...waking up at the unheard of hour (for us) of 9 a.m. Fabulous breakfast...for anyone who hasn't stayed at a B&B, the second B is usually the best part! I mean, if they only have to do one meal, it's going to be pretty stunning! Amy is running and when she gets back we are off exploring, walking, taking pictures and enjoying.

Di

Georgia on my mind...

Amy and I are at this moment at opposite ends of the country (her in the cold yucky part, me in the tropical paradise part) both doing last minute packing for our assignation just seven hours from now in Savannah. Unfettered by children and husbands but laden down with a plethora of electronics (so yes, I'm sure I'll be blogging), by 3 p.m. we will be sitting in the charming garden of our B&B maybe sipping a glass of wine and chatting or just reading (kind of adult parallel play!)

Stay in touch...I haven't disappeared...just spending the weekend enjoying the best friendship in my life (apologies to all the NBF's-new best friends-and they know who they are....Amy is willing to share!)

Di

Thursday Thirteen (Vol. 1)

I have run across this Thursday Thirteen thing around the blogosphere, so I thought I would try it...although I haven't had time to actually sign up or anything. "I'll think about that tomorrow". I figure it takes the pressure off to post about books or reading at least on Thursday. Let me know what you think...give me ideas for other Thursday Thirteens you would like to see in the future.   

Thirteen Things about Di     13 Things I Love About Boca Raton Since everyone knows I moved to Boca kicking and screaming, pulled from the comfortable arms of my “girls” in Fuquay-Varina, NC (that’s FYOO-KWAY) and yes it’s a real place and yes it really is spelled that way, you know that this is a difficult for me to do. But, being the glass half fully kinda gal I am, after 16 months I have found some things I really do love…in no particular order except the order in which they occur to me. 1.    Starbucks on the corner of Palmetto & Powerline after drop-off at Del Prado. Drop off my son, head to Starbucks, have coffee with Laura and/or any other Del Prado Moms. 2.    Salon Oasis. I love going in there. It makes me feel beautiful and appreciated. The people who work there are funky and nice and have a unique gift for customer service. Julie does my hair, Robert does my highlights and Mindy does my toes. 3.    Carole’s Kitchen. Best Soup Ever! Just remember they only have the Lobster Bisque (my favorite) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. But according to me and anyone with whom I’ve ever eaten at Carole’s, all the soups are great. After lunch I usually get a quart of soup to take home for dinner. Hurley loves the Matzoh Ball soup. 4.    Everything I need within a 5-mile radius. Everything. Since I’m not a big mall person, it’s at least nice that it is so close when I do have to go. In NC, the mall was at least a 20 minute drive. 5.    The Weather. This is the time of year that we love the weather here. Every day is warm but usually with a lovely breeze. You can choose between shorts or jeans, flip flops or clogs a t-shirt or a long-sleeve shirt. 6.    My backyard. Let me preface this by saying that I had nothing to do with my backyard…we bought the house BECAUSE of the backyard...so the backyard kudos go to Gwen who lived here before. I love the waterfall and the soothing sounds it makes. I love this cascade of orchids. I love this single stunning orchid that is so beautiful that it could serve as the cover of a new edition of The Orchid Thief (an excellent book whether you care about Orchids or not...and the movie was quite good too). And this bromeliad in the adorable parrot holder. 7.   Laura. Because it always fun to have a new best friend and because last Thursday night we had way more fun than two married women should have on a Thursday night! And Stacy who is becoming my new NEW best friend. 8.    Cucina Rosano (east side of Jog across from Morikami). Because my old roommate C.J. works at the bar there and always makes me and my friends feel very special...it's always nice to be catered to, appreciated and smiled at by a good-looking man. Also, last Thursday we met the owner who treated us to tiramisu, cappucino and after-dinner liquers. Oh, and the food is great! 9.   Hurley's office is 5 minutes away which means we have lunch together occasionally and he doesn't have to top off his day with a 45 minute commute! 10.    Sage & Sky. Owned by my friend Stacy, this is a store where you walk in and immediately feel at home. No one is looking snidely at you because you are not a size zero. It's low pressure. They help you pick out clothes that are great for YOU, not what everyone else is wearing. For someone who doesn't LOVE to shop, this is a place I really enjoy. 11.   The YMCA. After we got back from NC at the end of the summer it was time to get an exercise program going, so we joined the Y. They just did a huge renovation making it as good as or better than a snooty health club that would cost twice as much! Plus Andrea is a great spin instructor even if she is stealing my best friend away from me! :) 13.    Estancia. On our second try, with the help of my friend Virginia, we found a GREAT neighborhood that was a great fit for our family. The kids ride the bus. There are plenty of kids and friendly neighbors around. It is a very comfortable place to be.     Links to other Thursday Thirteens!     1.   (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) Ali/Cheaper than Therapy; Hello, Self; Dolce Bellezza

    Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

    The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments.  It’s easy, and fun!  Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!  I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
    View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Give me feedback on this Thursday Thirteen thing. Let me know if you think I should keep doing it, if you have ideas for a topic, etc. Please visit some of the other Thursday Thirteen blogs.

Di

Friday Night Lights Out?

There are certain rites of passage that I know I will have to stand by and watch while my children endure them. However, this one seems too cruel and too soon. Rory, Hurley and I have become addicted to Friday Night Lights (which inexplicably airs on Tuesday...well not so inexplicably because theoretically their target audience would be at their high school football game on Friday night and I think actual football airs every other night). From what I have read, Friday Night Lights is having trouble finding an audience. I have no idea why...but then again I love football, love the realism, love the drama, love the high school angst...oh and there's Kyle Chandler who, because he reminds me in a lot of ways of Hurley (and no, Hurley does not read my blog, so I am not sucking up to get a new purse or something), may replace Patrick Dempsey as my "pass guy" (if you don't know what that is, let me know and I'll explain in a future blog...if you do know and also know that it is only recently that I threw over Kevin Costner for Patrick Dempsey, what can I say, I'm fickle).

I told Rory what I had read about the precarious position Friday Night Lights is in and he was outraged! This is a kid who has handled with aplomb the Dolphins deplorable season, the vicissitudes of Daunte Culpepper's performance and the self-inflicted meltdown of Ricky Williams. But the potential cancellation of FNL is really pissing him off. I even went on to explain that NBC's ploy of showing all three episodes in a row on Sunday night was a desperate effort to get someone, anyone, interested in this continuing saga. So last night when the show ended and they said, "Watch Friday Night Lights next week at a new time, Monday at 10 p.m." Rory pounded the bed in fury. "That's it...it's the beginning of the end." He knows they are putting it up against Monday Night Football. Maybe they are hoping by 10 p.m. the game is so boring people will switch, but I think, to their credit, NBC is trying to capitalize on the lead-in of Heroes which has done quite well.

He's too young for this. I remember that Amy and I lamented the loss of Freaks and Geeks and Hurley and I were apoplectic about the cancellation of Sports Night. But we were adults, we could handle it...kind of. When we were kids, they didn't cancel The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family or Mork & Mindy. They let them go on and on until we were ready to let them go. My precious child should not have to go through this at the tender age of 10.

Someone please do something!

Di

A Little Bit of Not Much

I don't really have a major blog theme today, but Amy gets so annoyed when I miss a day. (I love using that picture of Amy when she is being unreasonable.) So I will take a few moments before the kids wake up and start needing me to confess a few things:

1. The "black cloud" that is my depression has been creeping into the scenery. But I've been to the doctor and have a plan, so I'm feeling much better just for that. What a difference a year makes...I have a better support system...especially one named Laura who would (and probably could) just kick that black cloud's ass...all 110 pounds of her. And just for the record...if I weighed 110 I would REALLY want to have a friend who would post that fact in her blog! (Insert Laura whining that she really should weigh 105 here.)

2. My husband has been gone now for 7 days at a conference in San Diego and my children have been remarkably good. He'll be back on Thursday and I leave on Friday. People wonder why we are still married after 15 years...we never see each other! Hurley says he misses us and wants to come home, but of course every time he calls me when he's not in his hotel room I hear the lilt of adult laughter and the tinkle of ice in cocktail glasses and find it hard to sympathize!

3. I do believe that The Thirteenth Tale is going to live up to the buzz. And it may take me several days to blog on it because I think it's one I'm going to savor rather than devour. It feels kind of Gothic and pretty much has you sucked in by the end of the first chapter.

4. Please trust me and read Dooce from October 23 and take just a minute out of your day to watch the video, making sure to stay tuned to the credits. I had my kids watching it and cracking up. Rory's comment was, "Your friend Dooce made that video?" Apparently I talk about the diva of the blogosphere so much that Rory thinks she's one of my Starbucks buddies...I wish she was!

5. My parents are in South Carolina and are on their way here. Can't wait until they are here. The six months they are gone seem a lot longer than the six months they are here. Last year was lost and wasted in so many ways, but some of my best memories are of going to the Broadway Across America shows with my Mom. I am making a vow this year to spend more time with my parents...play golf with my Dad, go to movies with my Mom, etc...even though we all know that my existence now is really all about being the mother of their grandchildren! I can always bribe them to hang out with me by promising grandchild visits! And, note to Mema, we are ALL looking forward to seeing you, especially Toby!

6. Yesterday was very exciting because I got two surprises in the mail. From Booklogged of A Reader's Journal I received The God of Small Things which I won in a contest on her blog during Buy a Friend a Book Week. And I chose that book because so many of you who entered my contest had it in your top three. And I received the coolest blender from my friend Vicky who lives in Boca but we haven't even met yet...just have been having a great e-mail friendship. Our kids are in class together and she got an e-mail from me about the parents' book group we are doing and we've been corresponding ever since. She works for a company that makes kitchen appliances and when I complained about my blender (that we got for a wedding present 15 years ago...you would think these things would last!!!) she sent me an AWESOME new model that isn't even on the market yet and I'm going to be a test blender. So when you come to my house, prepare to be blended and frapped to death...and yes there will be frozen adult drinks involved!

7. Oh...and every blogger's favorite moment...I received my first death threat! Paula said she would kill me if I ever use the picture I used of her in an earlier post again. Please notice Paula that I did not link to a picture here nor did I link to the previous post. And my readers don't have the attention span to go back and find it. But just a reminder, send me a gorgeous picture and I will refer to you and link to it all the time!

8. Speaking of Paula, I don't think they read the blog, but congratulations to Clay and Vail on the marriage. And if I get a picture I will post a link. They had a "wed site", yup "wed site" before the wedding complete with the adorable story of how Clay proposed, but I can't find the link. Also, this is the coolest couple ever...in addition to the requisite household items at Crate & Barrel and the like, they registered for camping stuff at REI!!! Amy and I were talking about this and said if we had it to do over again, we would have registered at Home Depot!

When you comment, could you please put a plea in for Amy to do a guest blog or something to take the pressure off? Please notice that when I want something from Amy I use the "Amy Being Gorgeous" picture.

Maybe I should re-title this "A LOT of Not Much."

Di

I Have Heard You Calling in the Night

I wanted so badly to like this book and have ended up giving it the same dreaded rating which I haven't rewarded since The Stolen Child debacle (Amy, this may be the last time I'll mention this, but probably not.) Althought I personally loved Marley & Me, I had some of the same reservations consistent with what Lesley noted in Lelsey's Book Nook (a new addition to my favorite blogs). Specifically:

It took me a few chapters to get enthusiastic about Marley & Me. Something about the author’s style bothered me, at least initially, and I was afraid I was headed for another disappointing read. However, at some point Grogan stopped trying to sound like Dave Barry ... and I found myself nodding my head and chortling at his recollections of life with “the world’s worst dog.”

What prompted me to read I Have Heard You Calling in the Night? Well, first it was this part of the review in Entertainment Weekly: Calling in the Night is everything Marley & Me is not: smart, acerbic, laconic, with nary an ounce of treacle dripping through Healy's muscular prose. Grade: A

It's not that I thought Marley & Me was treacly (although that is such a great under-used word), but I am a great fan of writing that is smart, acerbic and laconic...kind of like how I like my friends.

And second, I am on my second doberman, Toby, and I love the breed, love the temperament and think dobies get such a bad rap sometimes because of movies protraying them as teeth-baring guard dogs chasing inept thieves up chain link fences.

The best part of Healy's book is that Healy is from Scotland, and having just returned from there, it was easy for me to fall into the cadence of his writing. I found myself reading aloud in my head with the Scottish brogue I found so soothing while in Scotland.

However, I wanted more about the doberman and less about the owner. Healy tells his rather unattractive story of too much drink and too little ambition and how his adoption of the doberman, Martin saved him from himself. But I didn't learn much about Martin (the dobie) or even what exactly it was about Martin that helped Healy's transformation.

So, for this book I'm giving a 2-dobie rating:

 

Di

Book Shelf

Besides the archives of books held in my mile-high book shelves, there is TBR stack on my nighstand that looks like this. I got the idea to take this picture because yesterday my copy of Bookmarks, the cover of which looks like this. Every time I see Bookmarks in the mailbox, I anticipate with glee finding that there is at least ONE title in the picture on the cover which I have already read...and this month it was I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora Ephron.

In case you can't see the details of the books on my bookshelf, I'm going to list them. And maybe you can comment on what you think I should read next, what you would like to see me blog on next, what you think I should immediately put way up high on the mile-high bookshelves and not even bother reading:

Reviving Ophelia (this is in progress, a chapter here and there when I feel like it)
Literary Savannah (will probably read on the plane to Savannah next Friday)
Frommer's Portable Savannah (mostly finished, just referencing occasionally)
I Have Heard You Calling in the Night (currently reading)
Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads (currently reading...no, I'm not crazy...I think it's perfectly normal to have a fiction and a non-fiction book going at the same time)
The Blessing of a Skinned Knee (I'll probably read in early November for a discussion group on November 16)
The Guy Not Taken (loaned to me by Peg who is batting 1000 on book recommendations)
The Thirteenth Tale
Seven Types of Ambiguity (recommended by Amy, please note the no caps in the title)
The Pat Conroy Cookbook (reading now and then)
Reading Lolita in Tehran (mostly there to make me look like a serious reader...I'm kind of scared to read it...that I'll realize I'm not the intellectual I want to be)
Morality for Beautiful Girls (from the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series)
The World is Flat (I've read part of it, liked it, need to get in the mood to get back to it)
The Grapes of Wrath
A Year by the Sea (read some of it, given to me by Ms. Lynn, one of my favorites of Haley's teachers)
The Lone Pilgrim (also from Peg, short stories so I read a story here and there)
One Sister's Song (asked to read by Stacy in PA, but I didn't care for it, but I'm waiting to give it another try...it's written by someone Stacy knows)
The Midwife's Tale (I think my book group in NC read this and I didn't get to it)
The Whistling Season (recommended by Amy during her Block Island Book-a-thon)
Florida (also an old Amy recommendation, I think)
Between, Georgia (recommended by my Mom...not sure why I haven't gotten to it yet)
The Demon Under the Microscope (because I couldn't resist the Entertainment Weekly review)

So hit me with your suggestions, warnings, pleas, etc. I should be blogging on I Have Heard You Calling in the Night tomorrow and ready to read another.

Di

The Joy of Comments

I know that many of you are new to the blogosphere and may feel intimidated by an interface that is unfamiliar. I get that...well, not really because I am actually pretty intrepid when it comes to jumping feet first into new technology. But I feel compelled to elucidate the concept of "Comments." A comment button exists on just about every blog I have ever been on. Speaking for myself as well as other bloggers, the comment is probably the most important way that we know we are being read, being heard, being thought about, etc. Yes, our blog providers provide us with statistics about how many hits we've had but we have no way of knowing how many are real, unique hits and how many are Amy checking compulsively to see if I've posted anything of late.

So, to help you understand where comments fit in, I would like to draw an analogy between blogging and sex. I can't speak for other bloggers, but I find myself thinking about my blog while I'm driving, while I'm waiting at the orthodontist, of course while I'm reading, while I'm shopping and according to my husband, in my sleep since he swears I was talking in my sleep about my blog. So this aspect of blogging is kind of like fantasizing which most will agree is a healthy aspect of one's sexuality. (OMG, my 13 YO daughter Haley is reading this right now and CRINGING!)

Eventually I need to mull over the ideas for the blog deciding what to write about, how to position it and whether I need to censor myself because both my Mom and my daughter read my blog! That's kind of like foreplay...it's fun, it might not go anywhere but you are pretty sure it's leading up to something good.

Then I write. The writing for me ebbs and flows. Sometimes I write the whole post in a quick burst leaving me sort of breathless as I finish it. Sometimes I write slowly, almost languidly, taking the time to carefully select each word, caressing each syllable as it rolls around in my brain. That's the sex, the main attraction.

At some point, you know it's almost done and you wait for just the right moment to click on the "Post" button. This moment of release, of sharing what was once deep within, is the orgasm.

The comments are, depending on your status, your husband hugging you and saying "I love you", your boyfriend telling you how beautiful you look in the candlelight or the guy you just met calling the next day. I think you get the picture. So be that husband, that boyfriend, that guy...leave comments if a blog really grabs you. And moving beyond the sex analogy because this would be a little weird...let your friends know about the blog, send news of it to people far and wide who might share your appreciation of it. Think about this next time you are blog-surfing!

Di