Favorite NYC spots

Bergdorf's for an escape.

Balthazar for chocolate croissants.

The Half King for beers and turkey burgers.

Bumble and bumble. for feeling good.

Cafe Gitane at the Jane Hotel for Moroccan couscous.

Tia Pol for fried chickpeas, blistered peppers, potatas bravas, surprise desserts and sweet bartenders!

Cafe Cluny for beet salad and fancy BLTs.

Oli's Favorites

YUM!

Canis Major

George loves going to the vet. Between normal yearly visits, cancer, rehab, specialists, and moves, he been to his fair share. And, they ALWAYS adore him. At 5th Avenue Vet where he sees his oncologist, he is treated like a celebrity. He walks in with his little 'cinnamon bun' tail wiggling away eager for the vet experience. He kisses all the technicians and doctors when they handle him, often taking them by surprise (which is hilarious). He smiles.
I think it says a lot for someone who went through some really rough times with vets and doctors. He still has this incredibly positive attitude and happy disposition.
It's a great lesson in many ways... having a healthy attitude in life, embracing each day fully (even if you have to the doctors office), expecting good things from people, not living in the past and that a little ignorance can be bliss (he IS a dog after all)!

Here he waits patiently for the doctor to arrive.

And, the girl who stole my heart

This is also Eleanor - George's sister and a member of the 'zoo'.
Looking so innocent and sweet, but boy can she be a bossy boots! And she is a real quirky little rascal.
Every night at 7:30, like clockwork, she begins to grumble. She grumbles at me, at Oliver, at the counter-tops, at anything.... all the while her tail is wagging like crazy! She's a nut.
After about an hour of this ritual, she flops down on her back and totally gives in. Tonight was no exception....
A real nut.

A girl after my own heart!

Boots, baby. Love those boots. This is Eleanor and she is a perfect peach - the nicest person on the planet without question. It's true.

Happy Maker

This is George and he is VERY talented at a variety of things - not the least of which is posing for a photo with an eel on his head. I love this image because it captures his lovable, goofy, sweet disposition perfectly. He is a happy maker on every level. He adores a snuggle and lives for a good romp.
Poor guys always has something going on though. Lately it is these inter-digital cysts. OUCH.
I wish I could fix it for him but there doesn't seem to be any sort of cure or even good treatment for these buggers. I've tried everything from steroids (which worked while he as on them, but are not a long-term solution) to anti-biotic spray and epsom salts.
Amazingly, the little trooper doesn't let it get him down though - he keeps on smiling.

ILOVERMONT

It's official, I am a bona fide, certified Vermont resident!
It is actually a little scary to think of my car, which has ALWAYS had NY plates to now sport these happy green ones...
Why is that? Maybe because my car is my freedom to go anywhere and do anything I choose and those out-of-stater plates meant I was exploring and on the move... not settled in for the long haul. Hmmm.
But really, they are just plates on a car and do not define me, my future, my state of mind or my driving skills!
One bonus, however, is that I will no longer be perceived as the 'New Yorker' (read: rude and pushy) on the road - but instead a peaceful, loving, tree-huggin', ben and jerry's eating VERMONTER. That works for me!

a-MAZE-ingly exhausting

Today I went skate skiing at the Trapp Family Lodge. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done... the BEST workout you can give yourself! I actually got lost on a trail they call 'the race maze' (go figure) and then slogged my way uphill for about 45 minutes. I am officially pooped. But the fancy skis I got for Christmas last year really make it easy to keep getting out there!

Back to work

Today marked the first real work day of 2010. We started with a BANG by creating our operating plan, a gantt chart for all our deliverables and a high level financial plan - and it all feels GREAT (and more importantly, doable)!
I also cooked tofu for the first time in my life... part of my new year's resolution to go 'vegetarian' (and part of the inspiration for the name of this blog). It was damn tasty. It helped that we ate it with Lotus Foods black rice and Maya Kaimal's delicious simmer sauce (coconut curry) which is the best thing going. Try it!

Moon Boots

I love my moon boots and highly recommend them to anyone living in cold, snowy climates.
Here's why:
They are the warmest things going, seriously.
They slip on and off with ease.
They have good traction in the snow (but not so much on ice).
AND, because they are so big and beefy, I am convinced they make your thighs look smaller!! A nice perk when you're feeling like the Michelin man, all bundled up to beat the cold!

Where's the beef (farmed)?

One of my new year resolutions is to give up factory farmed meat. It shouldn't be TOO hard because I don't actually eat that much meat to begin with... but I am making the choice because it is in line with my morals (or is it ethics?). Anyway, I have read more and more about the unethical and unsanitary way that meat is produced in this country, and I do NOT want to support that industry. So, that means I will only eat meat when I know exactly where it comes from (preferably local) and that it was treated ethically before it was slaughtered. I will probably talk a bit more about this subject when I finish Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer....