Paris, London, Liverpool

I recently travelled to Europe and it was a big deal for several reasons.  The first big deal was flying.  I am such a control freak I’ve become scared to fly.  I don’t avoid seeing places, but I’m not happy about the process.  I went on a Mediterranean cruise in 2009 and it helped me think “I can do this.”

Dame Mirren

Duh

At the same time I was obsessing over my new English friends (and they become friends when you 
spend every night with them), Will and Kate got engaged.  Done and done.  When I discussed the plans with my significant, it was brought up 
that we should take my mother.  I forgot to mention that my mom and dad (my dad died in 1998) are from Liverpool, England.  So, the result of my obsessive whim was planning a trip to England with my mother.

When you don’t travel much and are planning on a trip to such a magnificent place, you want to accomplish a lot.  We started thinking of all of the places we wanted to see, but also visit the town my mom is from.  At the same time, we had no plans to rent a car, so public transport was essential.  After several weeks/months of planning, we came up with a plan.  On another whim, I thought going to Paris sounding like a good idea.  My mother had never been, and while she was probably nervous, was in it to win it.

Our plans were as follows:  Fly to Paris, then to London, then to Bath, then to Shrewsbury, then to Liverpool and fly out of Manchester…all during the week of  and before the Royal wedding.

So the plans were set and I was only worried about two things:  flying and spending two weeks with my mother.  My mother is lovely, but I’m not a middle-aged woman and rarely spend more than 5 hours with my mom in any given situation.  Anybody would be a little worried.

Aside from missing our direct flight to Paris, being redirected to Germany and arriving without our luggage, the trip was perfect.  None of us had been to Paris and we all fell in love.  I get it now.  Paris is an amazing place with beautiful architecture, history and people.  We barely speak French and it’s fine.  We were there for a day and a half and saw some of the major sites.  When I asked my mom what she would give Paris on a scale of 1-10, she said a 12.

Behind Notre Dame

From Paris, we flew to London.  We stayed in Shephard’s Bush in a boutique hotel called K West.  The building used to house BBC offices.  In London we saw a play, The Children’s Hour.  We spent a day in Windsor and another sightseeing around London.  We got some great snaps of Westminster Abbey a week before Will and Kate took their vows.

Bath Abbey with crowds

From London, we used the National Rail to go to Bath.  What a lovely and historic place.  We were able to attend church in the Bath Abbey on Easter Sunday.  After we’d done what we needed to do, we tool the rail to Shrewsbury.  Now, you can look it up on your own for the historic significance, but for us, it was in the middle of Bath and Liverpool.  We stayed in a B&B and felt like we were a part of a modern English family.  It’s wasn’t what you would expect…a frumpy English mum type making sausages in the am.  We stayed in a family home where we heard the youngest boy playing and then later crying.We met up with some friends of the family in Shrewsbury, so there was a family significance to the days there.

Me, my mom and the boys

From Shrewsbury we headed to Liverpool.  Most folks don’t consider Liverpool when they are planning a trip to England and I have news for you, it’s great.  It feels like Chicago as it’s on water and it’s going through a revitalization.  Did I mention it’s the home of The Beatles? 

The Midden in Anfield

Liverpool turned out to be such a pleasant surprise.  We stayed in a new, hip hotel and were within walking distance of shops and the city center (Base 2 Stay).   But aside from the great city, there were two highlights.  The first was lunch with my Aunt (my dad’s sister) and her daughter (my cousin).  I’d met them TWICE in my life and at lunch, it was as though I’ve always known them.  The other highlight was seeing my mom’s childhood home and my grandfather’s pub.

The very end was a taxi ride to Manchester to sleep in an airport hotel and fly out early to the US.  Since the wedding had just finished, we didn’t think flying out of London would be wise.  A quick layover in New Jersey and we were home. 

A couple of months have now passed and I still think of the trip almost daily.  I wish all of the people I know the same adventure and joy.  When you get back from something like this, you really know your true friends…those who will look at your dorky photo album of nearly 400 snaps.  For the most part, people care to hear, but not too much.  I like to hear about people’s trips…and their lives in general.

Since returning, I’ve been to Chicago a couple of times, New Orleans and a cabin in southern Indiana.  Perhaps I’ll something interesting to recap soon!

Lit Fest In Chicago

For the past several years, I’ve attended the “Printer's Row Book Fair” or Lit fest as it’s known now.  I am not a reader.  So, I go with someone who does like to read and I’m along for the ride.  To protect the identity of other’s, I’ll call the interested party Tina.  Tina is a librarian and has a blog “Reader for Life,” so this is right up her alley.  We have some friends in Chicago and we typically stay with one in particular…we’ll call him Brian.

Responsible insert – if you like reading, collecting books and being in the literary know…you should go to this event.

So, each year in the spring, we look at our calendars and mark the LitFest.  Then there is correspondence with Brian to see if he will be in town to join us.  There are year’s he’s not available, yet we still stay at his place.  There is another friend, let’s call her Nori, who we also check to see if she can join.

Lit Fest is like any other festival, but it’s all about books.  There’s a look of the people who attend this event…lots of glasses.  There are tents with book vendors and then there are special sessions/rooms with actual authors.  Over the years, it’s clear Brian and I are not interested in the authors, but Tina has an agenda and we follow along.

The day typically goes as follows:  We drive to an area and find a lot to park.  Brian and/or I don’t read signs or understand how to pay and Tina figures it out.  It’s either too hot or raining, so Tina has to endure our complaining.  The first stop is typically for water/a snack/cash/food.  Once we find some sort of comfort, we walk around until the first author talk/reading.  From there, Brian and I nestle into our chairs and hope we won’t be bored.  My job is to take photos for Tina’s blog, so I at least feel like there is a task or objective.

Once we have seen all of the authors on Tina’s list, we are done.  Sadly, the highlight for me is the lunch break at a Mexican restaurant called Flaco’s Tacos.  It’s situated right on Printer’s Row and it’s always busy during the event.  They have fish tacos and tamales and I dream about them.

Over the years I’ve seen some notable personalities including Charlie Pierce, Amy Dickinson, Chuck Barris, Bill Geist, Erik Larson……  But this is one gentleman I see almost every year…and this is a little weird and cosmic…his name is Reid Duffy and used to do restaurant reviews on a local television station in Indianapolis. Anyway, I see Reid EVERY year in the crowds.  This year I was even more obsessed and took lots of snaps.  The photos forced me to Google him and I think he’s still doing some writing and food related stuff in Indy, but he’s originally from Chicago.

I don’t know who is going to be at next year’s Lit Fest and I don’t care.  I will put it on my calendar in the spring and start thinking about those tacos and seeing Reid Duffy around May.  June will come soon enough and it’s then when I know summer is starting.

Look at Oprah

“Bein’ all Oprah.”  This is a second hand quote from Tracy Morgan to Kathy Griffin at an awards show.  Kathy was doing standup and set the stage to talk about presenters.  She was sitting next to comedian Tracy Morgan and when Ms. Winfrey took the stage, he said to Kathy, “look at Oprah, bein’ all Oprah.”  The joke was funny and the statement was rather profound…

Pop culture forces you to be in the here and now.  Today, we see Oprah as a billionaire media mogul who seems to have cast a spell on her audience.  The shows are often mocked, but at the same time, a fearful reverence is in tact.  In other words, you can joke, but don’t mess with Oprah.

Delicious Summer Brew

The other week I watched the last show of her 25-year long program, the Oprah Winfrey Show.  Full disclosure, I did have some beer before pressing play on my TiVo, but I can honestly say I didn’t expect to cry throughout most of the hour. 

Ms. Winfrey took to her studio stage by herself with a chair…she never sat.  She did most of the show like a preacher or motivational speaker and she had me with hello.  From her recollections of her professional beginnings to mention of shows and topics that had an impact, she drew me in with constant reminders of how her connection with the TV audience is what kept her going.  If you break this down, it’s amazing…what she says about this connection is so true…how else do you last for 25 years and become one of the most wealthy entertainers/women in the world?  Say what you want, the core motives must have been real.

I was reminded why this woman became so powerful.  She made a talk show bigger by discussing difficult topics and empowering viewers to think about more than their own day-to-day lives.  There are folks who have had little parental guidance who learned from her shows and became better people.  There are men who graduated from college only from her generosity.  There are people who had terrible workdays, marriage struggles and family illnesses and attribute sole joy to the one hour each day delivered by this woman and her team.

Say what you will, but Ms. Winfrey is an important pop icon and she will have a place in 20^th/21^st Century history, as she should.

Mature Entertainment

The Manhattan Transfer and Jennifer Coolidge

Sometimes I like to pick a saucy title to get your attention.  This entry is not about the adult entertainment industry…well, it is, but not what you’re thinking.  I recently had the pleasure of attending two shows and while the performers are no spring chickens, their performances rival those of any teen sensations.

I first heard The Manhattan Transfer when I was about 5 years old.  That would be 1975.  I grew up in a modest and quiet home and our “stereo” had a radio and 8-track player.  My mom and dad would purchase the occasional 8-track tape to enjoy and they were intermingled with my brother’s comedy tapes.  I was informed I wasn’t supposed to listen to George Carlin, the Blue’s Brothers or the Saturday Night Live recordings…so I listened to the music of my parents.  To be honest, I think they only had two – The Manhattan Transfer and Phoebe Snow.  Both of those tapes quickly became my inner soundtrack and helped form the music taste I still hold today.  When I was 14 or 15, my first concert was with my parents and we went to see The Manhattan Transfer at Starlight Musicals – an open-air amphitheater on the campus of Butler University.  The amphitheater is gone, but the Transfer is still going strong.

 My most recent encounter with the Transfer was this past February at Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University (thank God for Butler).  I’d had a couple of beers before the concert started, so I was ready to go.  The first sign it would be a tough night was when the woman in front of my shot a DIRTY look because I was talking…did I mention the concert had not even started?  So, I knew I had to monitor my enthusiasm.  Once the Transfer took the stage, my heart sank as I looked around me and saw barely any movement and excitement from the audience.  I was under the impression that if you were older, maybe in your 50’s, 60’s or 70’s, you could still have fun.  Not these folks…they give AARP a bad name.  The Transfer was amazing and I got out a few hoots, but I watched myself as I didn’t want too many evil eyes.

The concert featured some of my favorites, including Birdland and Route 66.  The quad allowed a solo performance from each which enabled the crowd to witness their individual talents.  Janis Siegal is my favorite, so I tended to watch her singing and facial expressions most of the time.  These performers have been singing together for four decades and they still appear to like each other…their bond must be like a family at this point.

I have seen the Transfer numerous times.  As I age, each performance becomes more special to me.  I am filled with emotions as I relate their music and performance style to my childhood and family.  When I perform, I just know these four vocalists have been my coaches and I display some of the same mannerisms (please note, I’m not nearly talented enough to be in their league). 

I didn’t like their crowd.  When leaving, I had a fantasy of them appearing on Glee, so that millions of teens who like show choir would see the originals.  In other words, there would not be a Glee without them.

Fast forward a week and I had the unique pleasure of seeing Jennifer Coolidge perform at a local comedy club.  Let me repeat, Jennifer Coolidge at a comedy club.  When I told folks I had tickets, they either knew her or didn’t.  If they didn’t, I would say “Stifler’s mom from American Pie.”  That generated some acknowledgement.  I know Ms. Coolidge from Best in Show, a Christopher Guest film and one of my all-time favorites.  After folks recognized whom I was talking about, they would say “Crackers?  Really?”  Cracker’s is the local club in Indianapolis.

So, we went to the show and happened to be seated right at the stage at this little bar – it separates the performers from the audience.  It almost felt like a striper bar (if you’ve ever been to one).  There was an emcee comic who had a flop sweat that rivaled Albert Brooks’ in Broadcast News.  He was actually pretty funny, but he did use the cocktail napkin I offered him.  The second comic (sorry, can’t remember his name) was also very good.  I was shocked that both of these comics referenced “midgets” – not the most politically correct term.

After the openers, Ms. Coolidge took to the stage.  I actually thought she looked fabulous, in a drag-queen sort of way.  Her hair is long and blond (extensions) and she had very intense shoes with killer heals.  Her dress was short and black.  She’s not a petit flower, but her presence was notable.  The context of her act was that she needed to get out of LA since it’s so warped when the Kardashians and Paris Hilton get all of the attention.  She opened with “I don’t know why I picked Indianapolis as a place to perform…I didn’t know what I expected….I thought I might see a couple of horses in the audience.”  She went on to acknowledge that the crowd was so young…and they were.  Where were these folks when I needed them at the Transfer?

Coolidge was extremely funny.  She based most of the performance around her career and the parts she didn’t get.  At the end of the day, she delivered a commentary about aging as a female actress and the difficulty of securing parts when newcomers are around.  If she weren’t so funny while being jaded, I may have cried.

Don’t get me wrong, I do try hard to recognize new talent, but I have a soft spot in my heart for those with true talent, they may just not be so young.  The word “classic” is around for some reason, so I encourage folks to have diverse tastes.  Researching the past is something we call can do when moving forward.  There’s really nothing truly new, just the interpretation (except for Facebook, that’s original for the most part).  If you can’t think of a new idea, look to the past and see what worked, then put your spin on it.

The Mighty Queens of Freeville – Book Review

The Mighty Queens of Freeville – A Story of Surprising Second Chances

By Amy Dickinson

Copyright 2009

Okay, for some reason, all roads point to Chicago in this indirect route to me reading Amy Dickinson’s memoir of divorce, motherhood and career.   I don’t read Chicago newspapers, where Amy currently works and writes “Ask Amy,” but I do listen to NPR, especially on the weekends when the Indianapolis affiliate, WFYI, airs Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me on Saturday and then AGAIN on Sunday.  This show is recorded in Chicago and Amy is a frequent panelist.  But, I didn’t want to buy or read her book because I hear her pleasant voice a couple of times each month or because she’s a popular advice columnist, but because I saw her speak in Chicago at the Printer’s Row Lit Fest…again with Chicago.

Charlie Pierce and Amy Dickinson

So, for those of you who have never been to the well-known book fair, try to make it some year.  The only risk is the weather.  Back to Amy…I went to a “talk/reading” with Amy and Charlie Pierce in 2010 and thought I should buy at least one of their books, so I bought hers.  I am drawn to memoirs since most folks reserve their best stories for readers in neat chapters.  Amy’s work follows this format with the flow of her life starting at the time of her divorce through today.  Within this framework, she reflects on her childhood, which paves the road to explain her duel residency she is able to maintain, even when her career and finances didn’t appear to be so robust.  Simply stated, over the years, Amy and her daughter had two homes – one in Freeville, NY where Amy grew up and then in cities where Amy had writing work, namely Washington DC and Chicago. 

To be honest, I was worried this was like a northeast Steel Magnolia’s from the title…like a bunch of hen pecking stories from her youth….thank goodness, Mighty Queens is not.  I think Amy wants you to know she’s the person she is today because of her humble upbringing, but she also can’t hide the fact that she’s a talented journalist.  Her tales of motherhood, some dating and reflection on her mom and dad’s divorce certainly have prepped her for her advice giving, but the fact she seems relentlessly grounded and funny are her best qualifications.

The book begins with a description of her divorce and the fact they had a small daughter at the time.  From there, Amy describes her journey of moving back to the states, reestablishing herself in her hometown where she is then able to sprinkle in a little backstory of her childhood.  At this point the pursuit of career is described, but none of the chapters go into too much detail.  Perhaps this is where I find fault with the book.  I know Amy is funny and has had a very interesting past personal and professional life, but she is really good at downplaying all of it.  The best story was when she visited her estranged father and they go on a trip to tow a tractor.  The book’s cutest moment is the primitive drawing Amy gives us to describe their options for getting the tractor out of the mud.

Even if you don’t read Amy’s column or listen to her on Wait Wait, I think this book makes a pleasant read for those on holiday or for women seeking a little inspiration when raising a child on their own.  Frankly, Amy seems rather lucky professionally, so I drew inspiration to keep on….you know, push through, make it happen, sort it out…keep on.

Internet Find – Musician Molly Lewis

Do you all know about You Tube?

So for the past 10ish years, I’ve not used a computer for personal purposes.  I would tell folks that I don’t use a computer at home as I sit in front of one all day at work.  When folks would talk about upgrading their laptops, or their new iphones, I would almost judge thinking there’s more to life than electronics and the Internet.  Boy did I change my story when I purchased my MacBook Pro.  I would be lying if I didn’t say there’s been a learning curve.  For example, the other day, I tried to get on itunes (or You Tunes as I was calling it) and I couldn’t figure out how to get to the page where you buy the music.

So, after spending long hours with family and friends this winter season, I’ve been watching videos on You Tube.  I even used an ipad.  I like the song Toxic by Britney Spears, so I searched for it on the You Tube.  What I found has changed my life (at least my computer life).  There’s a video of a girl (and you can’t see her face) playing the ukulele and singing Toxic.  It’s amazing – here’s the link (I don’t know how to embed the video yet) -- my first Molly video.

I watched this several times and wanted more.  From there, I learned this faceless youth has a name….Molly Lewis.  So, I found this page - http://www.youtube.com/user/sweetafton23 with links to several of her You Tube videos.  She does covers and writes her own songs.  She mainly plays the uke, but it’s clear she’s a bit of a musical prodigy.  Since I’d rather watch her enjoyable videos, I’ve not really researched her too much.  I think she’s around 20 and lives on the west coast.  She has public gigs and I’m probably late in even finding her.

My recommendations are Poker Face and California Gurls (pop covers) and her original song called Road Trip, a song about the astronaut love triangle from a couple of years ago.  Two Girls and a Uke is amazing.  She partners with another musician and they perform We Can Work It Out  -- two ladies playing one uke at the same time.

Why do I like her?  I think she’s talented, clever and irreverent.  She’s the type of performer I would follow around town from gig to gig just to hear her perspective and marvel at the simplicity of her show.  She makes me think there’s hope in the world and reminds me how talented people really are.  No, she’s not playing classical music like the kids on From the Top (NPR), but I think she’s just as special.  There’s something organic about her skills and I’m impressed someone so young is so observant and insightful about popular culture.

As I mentioned earlier, perhaps you already know Molly Lewis.  If not, and if you have some time to spend on the Internet, watch her videos and pretend you have the rest of your life in front of you….like she does.

Book Review -- Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential

Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Anthony Bourdain

Copyright 2000

Bourdain and Ripert

After seeing Anthony Bourdain on television’s Top Chef as a guest judge and his own series No Reservations, I found his persona charming and fascinating and every time I heard about his acclaimed memoir Kitchen Confidential, I thought “I need to read that book.”  I was prodded by a public event with Bourdain and master chef Eric Ripert in Indianapolis.  I wanted to see them and knew a book signing would ensue.  

Ripert Signing

Kitchen Confidential is mainly a memoir, revolving around Anthony Bourdain’s culinary career before television.  One of the reasons the book was so attractive to me was what I’d already heard about it…how Bourdain “exposes” secrets of the restaurant world.  When I read it, I was less shocked by some of the food handling and procuring methods, but just realizing how difficult, if not grueling, food preparation really is for cooks.  So this book explains Bourdain’s journey from his youth and newfound love of food, to culinary school and finally to the world of restaurant cooking in New York City. 

While his writing is infused with humor and self-deprecation, I was drawn to the serious side of his career path, his addictions and his very deep passion and respect for the food.  I enjoyed the toggling between descriptions of sociopathic kitchen antics, to restaurant planning 101 to his delight of new places or admiration for other chefs and/or restaurateurs.   I am mainly amazed that this man who seemed to have lived such a full and often wreck less life wrote this book before his illustrious television career even started.  In other words, this book describes a pretty full career and yet he was just getting started.  Wow. 

Bourdain

The walk away from this book speaks to so many folks.  It’s like an anthropological look into the restaurant world as well as a beginners guide for foodies who want to learn some key terms.  It also gives you insight to a man who we really enjoy watching and listening to.  His chapter about his trip to Tokyo is foreshadowing of his television series.  I have his most recent book to read next  -- Medium Raw – and I’m looking forward to it.