Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Yumminess

Getting Warmer...

2011-08-31T17:59:00.006-06:00

Now that our house has been "warmed" by a smattering of our favorite people in D.C. (during a hurricane no less!) (no offense to those of our favorites who did not brave the elements to join us, by the way), I am pleased to drop in with a couple of before and after shots of what we have accomplished. We are by no means finished with this place, but it feels a lot more like home...

I'll start with our entryway and living room, which seems only natural:

ENTRYWAY BEFORE:

ENTRYWAY AFTER:

FORMAL LIVING ROOM BEFORE:

FORMAL LIVING ROOM AFTER - new (but still light colored) paint, new furniture, new window dressings:

We are pretty happy with the results, if we do say so ourselves! Our big "thing" has been that we don't want to go out and just furnish the whole place just to have it furnished. We want to find things that we like, and that fit into what we want our house to be. There's more we want to do (i.e., rip out the carpet on the stairs, freshen up the fireplace and hearth), but we are in a place where we can sit back and relax for now. Which is good for our bank account, and for our weekends.

Where to Begin...

2011-05-27T16:50:00.006-06:00

Seriously. I don't know where to begin with this post, in which I plan to introduce you to our new home and summarize our first SIX WEEKS of homeownership. And in doing so, I should tell you that the most common thought that we had in our first days and weeks as a homeowner was "Where do we BEGIN??!!" So, only fitting…

I'll start at the beginning and make this story short. We finished with closing by 2:30 p.m. on April 13th and were moved in with all of our belongings by 6:30 p.m. on April 14th. We had an enormous, unexpected, wonderful amount of help from our friends the evening that we closed - we were able to get a jump on the paid movers by getting more boxes than we'd imagined to the new place in exchange for a crock pot meal of French Dip sandwiches (easy and always a crowd pleaser!). After everyone got the tour and left, Bret and I commenced our first DIY project: removing the master bedroom carpet.

Before:

After:

Haha! There is no after picture. Imagine it without carpet - replace the carpet with shiny, nearly perfect hardwood floors that needed no refinishing. We are SO. LUCKY. And you can imagine away the horrid window valances, and imagine a light kit added to the fan. But you can leave the pepto pink walls in place. Because that is still what we see when we awake each day. No “after” picture until I get around to the full transformation. (* Since I started working on this post 3 stinking weeks ago, we HAVE in fact painted. Still no pictures yet thought!)

On our first night in our new house, when the movers had left, we celebrated homeownership with a bottle of champagne that we brought back from France. A vintage bottle. A 1996 bottle. It was full of little fast bubbles and delicious. And we used it to wash down a Tombstone pizza. A touch of the life we could have kept as renters with expendable income, with a pepperoni-speckled glimpse of what we've gotten ourselves into.

The next day, I spent alllll day unpacking the kitchen, most of it with Bret's help. That should clue you in to something - it took two people a full day to unpack our kitchen. Luckily, there are a lot of cupboards.

We've even got built-in shelves for our cookbooks and pretty things! One of my (many) favorite things about our new kitchen...

Sneak Peak, on the Eve of Our Homeownership...

2011-04-12T20:07:00.005-06:00

Welcome, Friends...

At 1:00 tomorrow afternoon, we'll be signing up a storm! Stay tuned for more "before" pictures, after we get the keys!

"Ummmm Babe... We're buying a HOUSE..."

2011-03-05T09:03:00.002-07:00

As I am sure that anyone who has ever bought a house - particularly a not-exactly-new house - already knows, there is a dip in excitement in the homebuyer timeline between having a ratified contract and, well, having a ratified contract that takes into account all of the little things that the home inspector pointed out. Things that make the Perfect House seem a little bit less Perfect.

That's the part of the timeline where we sat for the better part of this week, following our inspection last Saturday.

However, after some compromises on our end with regard to what we could do ourselves (let's be clear that "ourselves" = me and Bret and both sets of parents) and what we should/could ask the sellers to do, and after some waiting to find out what the sellers WOULD do... we now have a ratified contract and a ratified contract addendum.

We are pretty pleased with the results of our negotiations, and we are hopeful that we are in the home stretch towards closing on April 13th!! That leaves six weekends to:
- Pack
- Look for furniture to furnish at least twice our current living space
- Pick out paint
- Pack
- Purchase wallpaper remover
- Buy a lawnmower
- Read up on fence building (so that our new neighbors aren't introduced to Elsa and Otter with us chasing after them frantically)
- Paaaaaack....

And oh so much more. Things that we are excited to do, and things that are tedious, like figuring out who our new utility providers will be and making those calls (this is for Bret.... NOT IT!).

We had been holding back on starting any of this until we got past the inspection stage. Now it feels as though the flood gates have opened. Every so often, we catch ourselves turning to each other, wide-eyed, and saying...

UMMMM... WE'RE BUYING A HOUSE!!!

And Now For Something Completely Different...

2011-02-20T19:03:00.007-07:00

Well, folks, get ready. This is about to be a Cheap Eats blog. A "Best Flavor of Hamburger Helper" blog. Maybe even a Couponing blog if Heather Steele has anything to do with it.

A "Renovation and Redecoration on a Budget" blog.

Because while we've been away from our blog, we've been getting new jobs and moving on up and saving up pennies. And finally, for the past month, HOUSE HUNTING.

And yesterday, some kind people accepted our offer to buy a house. A great big, awesome, beautiful house in the suburbs, with more rooms than we know what to do with, for the time being (and the foreseeable future...don't be getting any ideas, Parents). A house with a great big yard with grass for which we do not yet own a lawnmower. A well-cared for house with pink walls and blue carpet and Oh. So much WALLPAPER.

I outright refuse to post a link or an address or any identifying characteristics, lest I jinx us. After all, there's still an inspection to worry about. And they still will want that check that empties out our savings account.

For now we are excited and anxious and stressed and happy.

So stay tuned. When I started this blog, we were away from friends and family and doing interesting things in our Colorado Life that warranted pictures and stories across the miles. When we moved back to D.C., I fell off of the blogging wagon because life got, well...less interesting. But soon, (pending appraisal and inspection and finance contingencies) we will be Homeowners. God help us...

Summer is Moving Along Like a Freight Train...

2010-07-06T19:46:00.005-06:00

This summer is moving SO fast that I am already dreading the cold of winter, even though it was 100 degrees today (and will be for the next few). Lest you think I am complaining, let me remind you that I, Jaimy, have spent the last two summers studying for bar exams. If I am complaining about this summer, it is because as the weeks tick past, I wish it could last forever. Labor Day will come all too soon - definitely before I am resigned to Fall. As much as we often wish we could click our heels together and be anywhere-but-D.C., I have to admit that summer is the BEST time to live in Northern Virginia, especially since we have a new back patio that is like a little oasis:

Even when we are home, we are "busy," cooking up a storm and/or whiling away the hours outside over brunch just-the-two-of-us or dinner with friends.

Summertime recipes enjoyed by the Lewises:

Seared Mahi with Green Gaspacho

Perfect No Cook Strawberry Ice Cream

Blueberry & Nectarine Cobbler

Grilling whatever we can...

We've tried new restaurants all over the District and Arlington, and I swear I have wanted to tell you all about them... but I was too busy enjoying the sunshine! Hope you are all doing the same!

One Extreme to Another...

2010-06-30T19:46:00.003-06:00

So Good to be Out of the City!

Here's a link to pictures of our visit last weekend to Orange County, VA, with our good friends Meredith and Cord. Another (food-related!) post to come...

Snowed In

2010-02-10T10:21:00.003-07:00

OK, I just wrote a big long post about how we have been snowed in....and then blogger ate it. I think blogger ate it to get back at me for not posting for the past six months, so I have decided to just accept my punishment, instead of tempting further retribution by trying to recreate the clever things I said before.

So without further ado, here are some shots of the members of our family who have been quite pleased to have Mommy and Daddy stuck at home for the past SIX DAYS, and who really do not mind the three feet of snow in their backyard. In fact, they really quite enjoy it...

Otter digging a snow cave on his 1st birthday (Feb. 6th)

Bret tossing snowballs for the pups

Elsa enjoying the cold

Attack stance (This was early on in the snow fall,

when you could still see the bushes over the snow)

Done. (Again.)

2009-07-31T14:00:00.003-06:00

I'm going to act as if the little readership of this blog has been chomping at the bit for an update, as if it is not made up almost entirely of people I talk to on a daily basis. It's OK. Just let me think that. (And if you are evidence that it isn't true, drop me a comment and let me know!)

Anyway, today is Day Two of Post-Bar Exam Bliss, and T-Minus ONE day until I turn 29. After the last few weeks of stressing and cramming and generally exhausting myself, I'm tempted to make a few last minute additions to my birthday list. Namely, a walker, some orthopedic shoes, some Ben Gay, and an industrial sized bottle of ibuprofen. Don't get worked up -- I am not saying I AM old, I am saying that I FEEL old. As in, decrepit. I tried to do two days of coffee detox in an attempt to "reset" my system, but that lasted one day, and that is only if you don't count the fact that I had three cups of Earl Grey tea yesterday. Oh well.

Here is the point where I sing the praises of my amazing husband, who has now seen me through two bar exams. The mere fact that I was able to take the exam instead of being admitted to the hospital for lack of nutrients is a testament to his devotion to keeping me fed and watered and generally moving in the right direction. This time was definitely harder than last. I "quit" at least 3 times a week, only to be encouraged and gently guided back to rational thought. Then, in those last few days, when the going got really tough, I came home to a "care package"- a new Vera Bradley bag filled with chocolate and gummy bears and advil and chamomile tea and a sleepy-time CD. He offered to drive me there ("there" being Roanoke, 4 hours away) and back, only to come pick me up two days later (which I turned down because, while the offer was tempting, it would be a little ridiculous). And PEOPLE, he had our house cleaned while I was gone. I left a certifiable mess behind and came back to sparkly cleanness. The moral of this story is: I am the luckiest girl on the planet.

And now our "summer" begins. Birthday celebrations lead into Anniversary celebrations. We've got tickets to the Legg Mason Tennis Tournament here in D.C. And my little brother is coming on his first solo trip to visit us. These next few weeks were my motivation through the last few... the light at the end of my tunnel, the cherry on top, etc. Bring on the happy stuff!

Happy Place.

2009-06-28T12:27:00.001-06:00

Virtual Graduation.

2009-06-05T14:42:00.003-06:00

If you had asked me months ago, or a year ago, I would have told you that you could hardly pay me to don a cap and gown and go through the graduation hullabaloo one more time for my LL.M.

I have had the "piece of paper" for months -- they handed it over immediately after I completed my very last Final Exam on December 5th. It's been right here, rolled up in a cardboard tube next to my desk ever since. I thought all along that it was just the piece of paper I wanted, and that even if we had stayed in Denver, I would have no urge or intention to endure another graduation ceremony (as if the ceremony was an extension of the pain of earning the degree in the first place).

:Sigh:

I think I was wrong. Right now, with me far away in rainy D.C. and my graduation set to occur in 2 hours and 15 minutes at the University of Denver, I have to admit that I am a little bit sad.

So I am taking a break from the droning of a Criminal Law lecture to throw myself a little blog party -- a virtual graduation, if you will. A little photographic recycling and VOILA:

Me. In a cap and gown, dressed and ready to cross the stage...

Now, lest anyone buy too far into my self-pity, my change in heart could have more to do with wishing I was in Denver (as opposed to D.C.....did I mention it's raining? AGAIN/Still?) than wishing I could cross the stage. But still...

Thanks, Grandma! XOXO, Otter

2009-06-02T10:04:00.002-06:00

Time Waits for No One...

2009-05-27T14:46:00.002-06:00

In retrospect, May was a busy month... I can hardly remember why, but all I know is that I just wrote our June rent check and I don't feel like we got our money's worth for May rent because we just weren't here. Too bad life doesn't work that way.

We've seen a lot of what life has to offer in the past month. Funerals. Weddings. The tendency that each has to pull people together or cause chasms between them. We've experienced in ourselves and in others around us both utter loneliness and complete togetherness. I know this is a little bit more philosophical than the usual fare here on our blog, but May 2009 was a little more... eventful than the usual month of our lives. The month of May has left us drained and looking forward to the opportunity to relax in the sunshine this summer (it has to stop raining eventually right?) and enjoy one another and our pups.

Unfortunately, relaxation isn't on the schedule for June either, and July could be dicey, but I'll pencil it in for August... 2010.

Suffice it to say that I haven't been out on any photographic safaris recently, and in all of the events of the past few weeks, we haven't had a moment or the proper words to express the goings-on here.

A bit of explanation: Around this time last year, I started this blog to give me a healthy dose of distraction from studying for the Bar Exam. Since then we've traveled around Colorado, witnessed history, made life-changing decisions...which resulted in moving cross-country....then Bret took the Bar and passed... And now here I am. Using this blog to procrastinate as I face down another two months of studying FOR THE BAR. Methinks I am a glutton for punishment...

This makes three straight bar exams in which one of the Lewises have made an appearance. Have we been doomed to a lifetime of perpetual stress? I hope this is the last one. And the only way that is going to happen is if I actually start studying...

The Perfect Weekend....

2009-04-27T10:05:00.004-06:00

....Begins with the unexpectedly early news that BRET PASSED THE VIRGINIA BAR EXAM! Woo hoo! Hence our back porch celebration on Friday evening:

There is hardly a better excuse for breaking into our cache of champagne from last year's trip to France!

Look at those well-behaved pups!

After our lovely back porch celebration, we continued on to a lovely dinner with our friend Tamar, one of our all-around favorite people back here in NoVA, who is always willing to pick up and celebrate with us when the occasion strikes.

Saturday, we lazed around the apartment in the morning before heading out for some quick errands to the Apple House Garden Center and the grocery store. You see, a heat wave struck us this weekend. After months of rainy, cold grayness (with not-nearly-enough Spring sprinkled in), we have had sunshine and warmth! For days on end! And so our weekend plan took shape: we will work in the yard and make yummy summer meals, all the while enjoying one another and the pups in the glorious hot sun.

Yummy "welcome sunshine! we've missed you!" meal #1 can be found here-- Italian Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups. I first saw this recipe about four years ago, and have periodically considered making it since. It turns out that I was totally depriving us of deliciousness by putting it off! It was, in the words of Giada herself, "sooo good."

After a nice visit with our friends Liz and Dan, who popped over to visit (and fall in love with) our little Otter, we started in on yummy "welcome sunshine! we've missed you!" meal #2: Baby back ribs with parsley fried onion rings and grilled corn on the cob. Sorry for the lack of pictures. We were apparently too hungry for a photo shoot. But feel free to imagine the deliciousness. It was only our third or fourth foray into ribs, and we have a lot of changes to make in the recipe, but what a meal to enjoy the fortuitous weather!

Sunday after church, we headed straight to Home Depot, along with everyone else in NoVA. Determined to make our little back yard an oasis for the enjoyment of summer evenings, we purchased paving stones, plants, planters, and dirt. Since the projects are as yet unfinished, I won't share the photos, but I will show you what cute, helpful doggies we have:

Mama's pulling weeds and I helped!

I'll just sit here in the shade and look pretty.

And finally, after a scorching hot day of hard work in the hard, we've come to yummy "welcome sunshine! we've missed you!" meal #3: snow crab legs, steamed potatoes, and more corn on the cob, along with some super cool and fresh cucumber salad (sliced and deseeded cucumber, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, couple pinches of sugar), by candlelight (citronella!).

Snow crab tip: When you can catch it on sale, like we did, it is SO EASY, thanks to my dad's super secret (oops! not any more!) cooking method: Rinse off any ice from the clusters, pat dry, and throw into a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with melted butter. This is one of my all-time favorite meals, and on a hot evening on the porch, it reminds me of home.

Meet Otter.

2009-04-16T13:34:00.004-06:00

Hello from Puppydom. Meet the newest member of our family, Otter:

He is a 9 1/2 week old chocolate lab and he is just the sweetest thing, which is lucky for him as we progress through the trials and tribulations of house-training. Elsa is not yet a full-fledged member of his fan club, but she seems to like him more and more everyday, despite the amount of attention he requires.

EatBurger < HellBurger

2009-04-08T11:07:00.005-06:00

Now that my photography class is over, I feel the urge to get back to the reason we started this blog in the first place: FOOD. Food was unsurprisingly close to the top of the list of "pros" when we were considering moving back to D.C. from Denver, and there have been moments where reacquainting ourselves with the food scene here has been one of the few things that has kept us from getting in the car with a "Denver or Bust" mentality.

Let me preface this discussion with the fact that I, Jaimy, am not generally a burger person. It's not that I don't like a good burger, but I rarely CRAVE one. That is, I rarely craved one...until I went to Ray's HellBurger.

HellBurger is associated with Ray's the Steaks, one of Bret's most favorite steakhouses here in Arlington. HellBurger opened up a few doors down in the same plaza and with the same minimalist attitude toward menu and decor. They do a few things, but they do them very, very well. The burgers are made from the same ground up meat they use for the steaks....10 ounces of it per burger, to be exact. It's counter service, a la carte, and sometimes a challenge to find a table before your food comes. But despite all of the hassle, that first bite of burger is worth it. Lightly seasoned and grilled to medium rare (recommended temp) perfection, I have never experienced a juicier piece of meat. While Bret experiments with the extensive list of toppings, I stick to American cheese and pickles, because the burger itself tastes SO good that I don't want to cover it up. Add a mug of their locally brewed root beer, and a side of cheesy tater puffs, and I would choose HellBurger over many steaks I have had in my life (except my dad's steaks, and Bret's, and maybe Ruth's Chris).

So when I returned from a weekend out of town and Bret said a friend liked the EatBurger, which recently won a burger contest in D.C., at Tallulah/Eat Bar more than HellBurger, I was intrigued. We went there last night to conduct a formal investigation.

While you avoid the counter service hassle at Eat Bar, our experience last night was that the service was not much better for it. I ordered the same burger that I get at Ray's, for the sake of accurate comparison. My burger was slightly overcooked, but I was starving and not willing to wait for another one, and it looked surprisingly juicy despite the fact that it was closer to medium well than medium rare. The key to the EatBurger is that it is seasoned with onion and herbs and saturated with butter to produce a burger that is bursting with flavor and uber-juicy. I admit, it was pretty tasty....

But my vote is for HellBurger, all the way. I can see where one could prefer the herb flavor of the EatBurger, especially if you (gasp!) enjoy your burger a little closer to well done than we do, but that is a cop out to me. Ray's burger is all about the quality of the meat, and you can't get around that.

Voila.

2009-04-06T15:33:00.003-06:00

My Two Best Photos of the Past Eight Weeks, Matted & Ready for Framing!

Last Shoot

2009-03-27T10:45:00.009-06:00

This will be brief because, well, I don't have much to say about last week's shoot-- our last official shoot for the class. The assignment was to shoot either (1) "Secrets of the Night", or (2) Energy. Combine shooting at night with my hatred of flash, throw in the fact that I've yet to purchase a tripod and you get a bunch of blurry photos. In some cases, blur can be artistic. I'm not sure I got there. I shot most of these at the Circus last weekend, and a few on a stroll through Old Town. First shot is the class favorite for this batch.

So, that's that. I'm sort of sad to have run out of assignments. I can, of course, take pictures whenever I want to. But you look at things differently when you are looking to meet a goal. This class may not have given me the mastery of our camera that I had hoped for, but it did challenge my creativity, which was on a dusty shelf in my mind for 4 years.

Name that Pup

2009-03-25T13:00:00.004-06:00

As nearly everyone knows, we will be welcoming a new Lewis of the canine variety over Easter weekend-- a male chocolate lab pup. We are picking him up from my grandpa's (Beaver Creek Kennels of Champion, Ohio) during our holiday visit, which is FAST approaching. (This is partly why we've been trying to enjoy our time out on the town as much as possible these days!)

The problem is that we cannot decide on a name for him! We have ideas, but I thought I would put it out there and see if anyone else has a good suggestion. We are thinking Rugby, Finnegan, or Otter. What do you think??

Date Night Under the Big Top & Sunny Brunch at a Bistro

2009-03-24T10:17:00.004-06:00

On Saturday night, Bret and I spent a lovely date night in Chinatown. I had spontaneously picked up tickets for the Circus at Verizon Center while downtown on Friday morning, and we decided to make a night of it. We started at Proof for appetizers and a glass of wine. We had the bresaola, roasted beet salad, veal sweetbreads and mixed olives. It was a perfectly delicious start to the night. Oddly enough, I thought the olives were the best part. We eat a LOT of olives and the citrus twist to the marinade here was refreshing and just a little something different.

After a quick bite at Proof, we waded through the PETA protesters (Note: I have it on good authority from inside the Circus personnel that the elephants are not abused in any way, and in fact are revered as the core of the Circus brand image. See this for more.) and small children to get to the Circus. We actually had a great time! Neither of us had been since we were kids, and it was something different to do. Having just read Water For Elephants, and filed it in my list of FAVORITE books ever, I think I got an extra layer of enjoyment. We also enjoyed trying to capture the movement and sparkle of the performances by experimenting with the camera, but you'll have to wait for more pictures until I put out this week's Photography blog.

After the Circus, we wandered around and followed our grumbling tummies to Matchbox, where we split a buffalo mozza and basil pizza. Nice atmosphere, but definitely not our favorite wood-fired pizza in the area.

Sunday afternoon, we came out of church to an absolutely gorgeous day in the District. I mean PERFECT-- sunny, cloudless skies, and just enough chill in the air to remind you that it's Spring. We headed over to Eastern Market and found ourselves sitting on the patio at Montmartre, watching passers-by, basking in the sunshine, drinking coffee and finding it difficult to decide which of the delicious-looking menu items to order. Since we were in Paris precisely a year before, we lingered a little more than usual, reminiscing and wishing we could teleport back. I had the croque monsieur (which I loved, except for the mustard vinaegrette, which was not my favorite even in Paris) and Bret had the endive and apple salad and pate. I suspect we will return for dinner in the not-so-distant future.

Topping off the general happiness of the weekend, we had the Whitneys in town from Denver. While they were here to visit Mark's dad, we were glad to be able to steal them away a few times and catch up with the goings-on in Denver.

Week 6: A Big Ol' Mess

2009-03-20T10:31:00.007-06:00

I suppose I will begin this week's photography update by saying that I am an idiot. Or, rather, that I felt like one when I realized last Saturday night that I had LEFT our camera at the Arts Center after class on Thursday. And by "I felt like an idiot," I mean I broke out into a cold sweat and started to alternate between praying for our camera's safe return and asking for forgiveness for being SO concerned about a camera (there was quite a bit of melodrama, folks). LUCKILY, I called and someone HAPPENED, by the grace of God, to be in the office to answer the phone at 8:30 pm on a Saturday, assuring me that, Yes, My camera was safely locked in the Director's office and I could come pick it up on Monday morning. My peace of mind was partially restored, but I did suffer from not being able to shoot anything over the weekend. (A small price to pay for my carelessness.)

Monday morning, with our camera safely returned to my possession, and the standard gray gloominess of DC overhead, I set out to work on this week's assignment. We had two options: (1) Emulation of a famous photographer, or (2) a Self-Portrait. I tried a little of both and was not happy with either.

In fact, I would consider my attempts at Emulation a complete failure, in part because I could not decide who to emulate. I appreciate so many photographers, particularly for photographs that I myself cannot take. I certainly do not have a steady supply of celebrities and other important folks to take photos a la Annie Leibovitz or Richard Avedon, nor am I currently surrounded by the striking natural beauty found in Ansel Adams' work (too bad I didn't take this class in Colorado!). I wandered into the National Gallery of Art, since what I do have is unrestricted access to the awesomeness that is the Smithsonian Institute. Their photography galleries are currently taken up by a full exhibition of Robert Frank's work, most notably "The Americans." He is one of those photographers who has the ability to take extraordinary photos of ordinary people and things. Which is something that I have a steady supply of. So I tried a few shots of "ordinary D.C." while strolling the Mall:

For my "selfies," I came upon the perfect tool in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, and this was the result-- and also my "best shot" of the week:

The picture below was MY favorite shot, but is way too soft, focus-wise, due to my hatred of flash and the low lighting in the gallery, and didn't fall into either prong of the assignment. Once I have a tripod (or someone's back to use as one), I plan to reshoot this one.

And so I find myself preparing for the last shoot of the class. I have my assignment, and permission to complete disregard the assignment if necessary to take "great pictures." Next week we bring in the results of our last shoot, plus all of our "best" pictures from the previous weeks, and hope to find among them two pictures to be matted and framed in time for our last class on April 2nd-- an Exhibition and Celebration at our Instructor's residence.

This weekend should provide lots of opportunities to shoot- we have gorgeous (but still chilly) weather in the forecast, our friends the Whitneys in town, and tickets to the Circus tomorrow night!

The Cherry Blossoms Are Coming!

2009-03-16T16:37:00.003-06:00

It's hard to imagine that the cherry blossoms are expected to be in full bloom in 12 days. As of this (chilly) afternoon, there are a precious few trees that hint of the beauty to come:

"Photographers are hunters..."

2009-03-13T12:55:00.011-06:00

This week's photo assignment was even more of a challenge, as it should have been with only a few shoots left. We were told to shoot a person, place or thing in our own way. To pre-visualize what story we want the picture to tell. I went out on Tuesday downright grumpy about my lack of ideas or inspiration, not even sure where I wanted to go to find something...

Side story: In a small but notable advancement, I have started taking the bus to get downtown during the day. This sounds ridiculous, but I've been sort of avoiding it out of a fear that I would get lost and end up having to take a cab home from somewhere in Maryland. I can manage the metro...I looooove the metro. Worst case you miss your stop, get off and go back in the other direction. But who knows where the wrong bus will take you or how long it will take the right bus to come along and save you. Right? OK, well maybe it's just me. At any rate, the 7A and 7F stop is one block from our apartment and goes straight to the Pentagon terminal, where I can get on my beloved metro. Baby steps, folks. So that's what I did to begin my photographic safari on Tuesday. Grumpily. With gloomy grey weather to match. (God, how I want Spring to come!)

Back to photography... When I arrived at the Pentagon, I decided that my first stop on my search for inspiration would be the recently completed Pentagon Memorial. Which is all the things a 9/11 memorial should be....quiet (even with the proximity of 395), eerie, reflective, symbolic... This is where I took the shots I am posting for this week.

However, those are not the shots I submitted as my best for this assignment. From the Pentagon, I meandered (by this I mean that I got on the metro with no idea where I felt like getting off) to Dupont Circle in hopes of finding inspiration in the mix of people who wander through and around one of D.C.'s quirkiest neighborhoods. I sat on a bench by the fountain and started shooting the fountain in the grey depressing gloom of the afternoon, including some high school cool kids who were hanging out smoking and laughing along the dry fountain's edge.

Side story #2: We have an ongoing discussion in our class on how to shoot people as a street photographer. Do you ask permission? Does permission compromise the shots? It just feels a little weird, particularly as an amateur, to be taking pictures of random folks... who wants to be creepy?

So I took a few shots of these kids, thinking I was being sneaky, until a rather creepy homeless person brought attention to my long lens shooting. At this point, I reviewed my initial shots, realized that this might be the gold mine I was looking for, and bravely approached the uber cool 17 year olds to get permission to shoot some more. Permission granted, I took a veritable photo shoot of their seeming after-school ritual of hanging out and socializing with passers-by and the regular homeless crowd that passes their days on the Circle.

So at the end of the day, I was pretty happy with my photos, as well as with the fact that I took shots of people! Who I don't even know! And the pictures were interesting! Unfortunately for you folks, I don't feel comfortable posting the pictures here, particularly because I don't know those kids and didn't get permission to post their faces on my blog... (And being private school kids in D.C., they are no doubt the spawn of attorneys and politicians who might take issue with unauthorized publishing of their children's faces on even such an insignificant blog.)

And in yet a third accomplishment this week, I have started to figure out how to use Photoshop in such a way that it actually has advantages over Picasa.

Without further ado, here are shots from the Pentagon Memorial, in no particular order since my "best" shot of this week is being withheld:

In a completely unrelated note, why won't Blogger keep spaces where I want them and STOP adding them where I don't??? Infuriating.

Happiness, in Pictures

2009-03-05T19:13:00.003-07:00

I am not interested in shooting new things - I am interested to see things new.

- Ernst Haas

This week's assignment was: "shoot what makes you happy." Leaving class last week, I thought this would be the easiest thing ever. After all, we were headed the very next morning to Ohio to see family and puppies! As it turns out, I, along with my peers in class, found it very difficult to shoot pictures of the people/places/things that make me happy, and have the pictures themselves make me happy from a photographic standpoint. After all, it is fairly difficult to tangibly capture "what makes you happy." So I struggled all the way through today to find shots that achieved their stated purpose, and the results are below (as always, with the voted class favorite first). Of course, these photos are by no means inclusive of all the things that make me happy. :)

As you can see, I played with editting colors and dimensions a little more to make the pictures I would submit this week (in Picasa, because Elements and I do not yet see eye-to-eye). Note: I have decided that for all intents and purposes, I hate using flash. I am really struggling with letting go of Auto-Focus, though, and on top of that, verrrrry unsure about how to approach the assignment for next week. But the class is halfway over and I insist on coming out of this class with all of my goals met. So, onward! Let's see where this week takes me...

Pattern & Angle

2009-03-02T09:25:00.005-07:00

Last Week's assignment: Pattern & Angle. Pattern is self-explanatory, but I tend to confuse Angle with "Perspective." At any rate, my five submissions are below, with the class pick for my "portfolio" first. All pictures were taken on a solo expedition around Capitol Hill.

I unfortunately missed part of last Thursday's class, thanks to an hour and a half of my life lost at the Apple Store Genius Bar. I lost allllll of my contacts from my phone in the midst of a software update. Makes me miss my 1st cell phone; with all of its lack of technology, it made phone calls, didn't drop them, and kept my contacts safe until I chose to delete or change them. :Sigh:

And MOST IMPORTANTLY, I have my husband back! Bret survived the Bar Exam! Woo hoo! I am looking forward to having someone to cook with again, and adventure with on weekends. This weekend we ventured to Ohio for a long weekend with family. It's been two years since we were there and it was great to see everyone, including lots of Puppiiiiieeesss! (More on that later....)

Texture

2009-02-20T08:59:00.006-07:00

As promised, here are the photos that I submitted in my "Eye of the Photographer" class last night. Our assignment was texture. In an effort to capture images that highlight texture (essentially pictures that you can look at and intrinsically know what the subject feels like), I shot about 200-250 photos around the house and at the National Zoo, where Jamie, Tracy and I went on a photographic safari on Monday morning.

The first five are those that I submitted for evaluation (the first picture was the class' favorite of my submissions, albeit in need of some photoshop editing), and those after that are bonuses of my trip to the zoo (the pandas were being particularly photogenic).

Photographic Evolution, Part I

2009-02-18T14:05:00.005-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I am taking a photography class. It's at the Arlington Arts Center on Thursday evenings, and I am taking it with two gals from law school, Jamie and Tracy. Last week was my first class, and in the days and hours leading up to it, I found myself feeling an odd mix of excitement and nerves.

After four years of grad school-- of higher learning in law and tax, no less-- it's an ungraded, just-for-kicks "Eye of the Photographer" class that gets me all nervous? Yeah, I don't know. Law school forces you to leave all of your impractical and creative (God forbid!) pursuits at the door. When you finish, you take the Bar, and when you recover from that, you're (hopefully) employed (or in this economy, frantically searching for employment, which is in itself a full-time job). When you adjust to "life after law school," you start to wonder what in the world you used to do with your time. Back before my brain was ransacked by professors the equivalent of medieval torturers, what did I enjoy? I seem to remember that I was creative. That I enjoyed reading, and writing, and crafting things....

So the mix of giddiness and fright before my first photography class was the result of not having purposefully channeled my right brain since before I knew what "judgement notwithstanding verdict" means. The challenge is to dust off the cobwebs and see what's in there.

My first class was awesome. The instructor is a professional photographer, for whom photography was first a hobby and then a third or fourth career. There are 15 people in the class, all for different reasons and yet the same. At the end of eight weeks, the goal is to have two photos that represent our improvement over the course of the class-- "Two Great Pictures" -- matted and put on display for our class to celebrate.

I thought I might share my evolution here. For that first class, we had to bring five of our "best pictures" so far. So I'll first post the ones I submitted last week. Then each week we are given an assignment, expected to take the equivalent of one to two rolls of film, and then submit our five best for class review. Each week, I will post my progress (or at least my efforts to progress). This makes me a little nervous, since I am afraid that I will not progress at all beyond the "Auto" function on the camera-- that my right brain is beyond resuscitation. But then again, I have no evidence that more than five people even read this, so I guess it's not that scary after all.

MY FIVE BEST PHOTOS, WEEK 1 (PRE-CLASS):

These were taken over a one-year period, from our trip to France, through recent experimentation with the new DSLR. Notice all of the nature and things-that-generally-stay-still-while-I-find-the-perfect-shot. I'm hoping to move up to people soon....

Bret Update: A week from RIGHT NOW, he'll be done with the Bar and it can't come soon enough. He's putting in 12 hours a day at the GMU library this week, leaving me home with Elsa to job hunt and generally keep our household and our life in order. I'm looking forward to having my husband back!

Oh Happy Day!

2009-02-10T09:46:00.008-07:00

Looking back, my Sunday was a "Day of Food." And not in a holiday grazing sort of way, where you have to loosen your belt, but in a pure enjoyment sense. It was a gorgeous day outside and I unintentionally spent my entire day eating good food, as well as taking in plenty of food-related sights and smells without the disastrous caloric intake.

On Sunday morning, I dropped Bret off bright and early for his full-day practice multi-state exam (which he then proceeded to ROCK!), and headed to Luna Grill for brunch and good conversation with my friend Heather. I've been to Luna half a dozen times or so, since it is just down the hill from us in Shirlington Village, and so have been aware of what a gem Luna is for quite some time. I'm a huge fan of their Eggs Benedict & Home Fries, topped off with several cups of coffee (something about diners makes me drink a week's worth of coffee in one sitting). Since it was Heather's first visit, I am under the impression that you might find more of a "first impression"-type review over on her blogspot.

After brunch, Heather and I headed over to Penzeys Spices in Falls Church. I have passed the place a million times and had no idea what joys lay inside. All kinds of spices, and spice mixes- for chili, bread dipping, baking, rubbing... Unfortunately, I stocked up on the few spices I knew we needed when I made a recent pilgrimage to Wegman's, but it is comforting to know that the next time I need something for the spice rack, it's just a hop-skip-and-a-route-7-traffic-jam away.

After Penzeys, I headed back into Arlington to pick up Bret and enjoy the last couple of hours of a gorgeous day walking hand-in-hand with my husband through Georgetown. (Apparently I was not the only one to have this idea, as there were about a billion people milling about in the dwindling sunlight.) I also thought I could revive Bret's law-soaked senses with a trip to Dean & Deluca. While we barely escaped without buying any of the fresh fruit, deliciously stinky cheese, gourmet prepared food, and brightly colored candy, we simply enjoyed ducking in from the busy sidewalk to take in the sights and smells.

On Sunday night, Bret took a break from studying for a late dinner at Bastille, a little French bistro near the water in Alexandria. I used the occasion as an excuse for my first contribution to Tasting Serendipity, and you can check it out here.

The funny thing is that I didn't realize how food-centric that entire day was until I sat down to discuss it here. I just knew it was a wonderful day. Just goes to show what makes me happy: good conversation, quality time with my husband, spring weather, and Food.

And in one last food-related note, though not on Sunday, I tried this recipe for the Braised Beef Shortribs that I bought at Wegman's a couple of weeks ago. And IT. WAS. DELICIOUS. Due to the annoyingly sparse availability of both veal stock and demi glace, I substituted beef stock with no apparent sacrifice in the taste of the final product. We whipped up a batch of way-too-rich mashed potatoes to go with it, but I think it may have been better served by a loaf of crusty bread instead (to sop up even more of the tasty sauce). This is one of the rare occasions where I am actually excited about leftovers tonight.

Happy New...errrr....February!

2009-02-06T11:27:00.002-07:00

Hellooooooooooooooo! Is anybody out theeeeeeeeeeere?

If anyone out there is still checking, I apologize for the absence. It's not that I've been too busy to blog, so I won't even attempt that excuse. The truth of the matter is that I haven't felt that I have much to blog ABOUT (and Bret has, legitimately, been too busy to blog, and you probably don't want to hear about the world of corporate tax and bar-studying anyway).

But all of that will change, my friends. Being, as I recently saw it put, "the opposite of employed," I have come to the realization that I should somehow enjoy this time. I mean, sure, I am applying and searching and generally soliciting my legal services for employment, but what I have decided to give up is the time spent fretting about it. Because I will find a job, and we are not starving, and it will do no good to worry. (In the words of a wise sort-of-US-Senator, "I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggoneit, people like me!")

I have finished my college scrapbook that I started in June 2004. I'm slowly making progress in my "Books I've Been Wanting to Read" list, thanks in part to a newly-acquired Arlington Public Library System Card. I'm registered for a photography class that starts next week. And as for culinary pursuits, I've teamed up with my friend Carmen to "guest star" on her blog, Tasting Serendipity. I am hoping that will inspire me to cook more new and interesting things (maybe even actually use the shelf-full of cookbooks we've managed to acquire), and speak up about the restaurants we try (it is almost Restaurant Week, after all!).

As for Bret, pray for his soul. If you remember MY state of mind studying for the Colorado Bar last summer, imagine Bret working full-time at a brand new job and doing the same. Except in Virginia. A Commonwealth, with its silly little Commonwealth idiosyncracies. I wish I could unload part of his burden, but aside from caring for Elsa, keeping the house in order, and keeping him fed and watered, all I can do is reassure him that his suffering is finite.

The point is that we're back, folks. Or I'm back at least, and reporting that Bret is still alive and well. Well, alive, anyway. And I'm going to blog more. And you're going to read it. OK?

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T19:46:00.005-07:00

Merry Christmas to all....

....and to all a good night!

* Boxes in the background were not editted out in order to preserve the memory of moving during the holidays. Recommendation: Don't do it.

More to come on settling in back in the old 'hood, etc. Needless to say, we made it here safely, and we hope that you are safe, happy and healthy, and have a tummy full of holiday goodness as you read this.

It's not Goodbye, It's See You Later

2008-12-07T18:32:00.008-07:00

If you're counting, you know that this weekend was our last in Denver. What you may not know is that it was immediately preceded by Finals Week. Mix in a heavy dose of whatever cold/flu virus that is going around, and the related medication, and the result is that, well, we weren't prepared for this weekend. In any way.

I have been so busy cramming for my last three finals, and adding to our moving to-do list, and generally looking past the leaving part and towards the move itself, that I hadn't yet stopped to think about what we are leaving behind. We are leaving behind our first year and a half as a married couple. Our first house together. Our church, and our amazing church community, in which we found our place together. The only friends that don't know us any other way but together. (Not that I discount in ANY way or love any less all of our other friends, scattered about the country, who have known each of us separately for many years and now know "us".) But we moved to Denver, just the two of us, and took root, intending to stay "indefinitely." And it's just....bittersweet to leave.

And speaking of those friends we've made.... What amazing friends they are.

On Friday night (after I completed my LAST final, and thereafter received my DIPLOMA!), the Fisks hosted a "Farewell Lewises" dinner at their home. There were yummmmmmmy french dip sandiwches (for the record, one of my favorite dishes), handcut french fries, beverages, and Ohhhhhh the Pies. The pies were scrumptious. And so, we spent the evening with the Fisks, Whitneys, Hansons and Leppkes, chowing down, catching up and enjoying good company.

The ladies

The guys, playing Wii

Thank you, friends, for a thoughtful and lovely sending off.

On Saturday morning, after tackling a few items on our to-do list, we headed to our friend Syd's house, where she made us a deeeeelicious brunch, complete with a dutch baby pancake with fresh strawberries, bacon, coffee, and mimosas. We will sorely miss Syd as a friend and as a hostess.

After brunch, the three of us headed to our old 'hood -- Old South Pearl Street -- for the Winter Wonderland. We bid farewell to the ladies at our favorite pet shop (The Whole Cat & Dogs Too!), and to the cupcakes at Mulberries cake shop.

This morning, we attended our last service at Denver Community Church. We can only hope to find a comparable church community back in D.C. It has been amazing to watch our church grow in size and in spirit, gaining a reputation as a church that cares for its community and is proactive in helping those in need. We have been so fortunate to be a part of that community. After church, we had lunch with Jarrod & Amy Hanson and Heidi -- fitting, since they were our very first friends at DCC.

I hate goodbyes (must be hereditary), and because I KNOW that we will be back to visit at every opportunity (and our door will be open to Denver friends who come to our home back east) and I HOPE that our journey someday leads us back here, I refuse to say goodbye to all of the amazing friends we've made. So instead, it's See You Later.

Now, it's back to the actual packing...the movers will be here bright & early.

First Snow

2008-11-29T11:16:00.003-07:00

It's been snowing since late yesterday evening. We're holed up inside, studying for final exams, but the view through the window is quite distracting. So we ventured out with Elsa for a quick and refreshing romp in the up-to-that-point undisturbed blanket of snow.

T-Minus Three Weeks

2008-11-17T18:22:00.002-07:00

It seems the movers will be on our doorstep three weeks from today. LUCKILY, we visited D.C./Northern VA last week and found a place to live! We're headed back to our old neighborhood of Fairlington Villages, with it's lovely brick facades and tree-lined streets. Elsa is quite excited at the prospect of seeing some of her old doggy friends.

In the meantime, we are struggling to finish up this quarter's classes and not be too distracted by the lengthy moving-related to-do list.

"I think you guys are allergic to staying in one place..."

2008-11-03T11:45:00.006-07:00

The title of this post is a direct quote from one of my dearest college friends who is never afraid to tell me exactly what he thinks. This particular quote was in response to our latest news....

We are moving baaaaack to the Washington, D.C. area. IN FIVE WEEKS.

Yes, in the same week, I was sworn in to the Colorado Bar, and we decided to move back to the east coast. And no, we are not gluttons for punishment, despite appearances. (Wait....this will be our third move in two years...well maybe we are gluttons for punishment, but that's not why we're doing this to ourselves...I think...)

Bret has an amazing job opportunity that we just can't pass up, and after many weeks of praying and pros & cons list-making (Pro: all of the friends we've been missing since we left in May 2007; Con: missing all of our new friends in Denver!), we think that this is the right choice. Since making this decision, we have had many bittersweet moments when telling our close friends here and there (and returning our recently purchased skis).

The thing is, Denver never seemed more like home than it has since we decided to leave. It will always be one of our favorite places due to our many unforgettable friends and memories here and I have no doubt that we will make our way back eventually.

For Heather (Steele), before it's no longer our address.

In the meantime, we're preparing to leave our charming little house on the corner, from which we can zip into downtown Denver in 7 minutes or into the foothills of the Rockies in 15 minutes, for the land of politics, delicious food of all kinds, traffic, pricey one bedrooms, glorious fully stocked grocery stores. and the time zone that I never seemed to have stopped living on.

Seems we'll be looking at the peaks of the domes and monuments of Washington instead of the peaks of the Rockies on Christmas morning this year. Funny where life takes you, huh?

They Should Give Us a Food Network Show.

2008-10-29T11:22:00.012-06:00

Amidst hunting for jobs and trying to find our way in the current economic climate (i.e. save money and watch for a sure sign that we should pull our money out of the bank and hide it in Elsa's mattress), we have been trying to do some home cooking. It helps that the weather finally started to turn a little chilly, giving me the inspiration I needed for soups and breads and cookies and comforty-type foods. Warning: The following recipes are not what you would call "health conscious." They are, however, delicious.

And so here are the highlights of two weeks at the Lewis dinner table.

Corn Chowder, served with Beer Bread and Pear & Spiced Pecan Salad:

I got the corn chowder recipe from my friend Kristin, who made it for Bret and I the last time we had dinner at the Whitneys'. She combined a more fattening version with a healthy one for a mixture of yummy taste and waistline savings. It was the first cold weekend of Fall when we made it for ourselves and I admit, we ignored the healthy parts and went straight for the heavy cream.

The beer bread is about the easiest thing ever. Bret got the recipe from his old friend Mark. It is best served fresh from the oven, as it does tend to harden by the time you serve up leftovers.

The salad is one of our favorite combos: Butter lettuce, ripe pears, spiced pecans, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing. (We use one of the "Super" or "Ultimate" blue cheese dressings that you find refrigerated in the produce section.)

Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS

5 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 (11 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook and stir the bacon until crisp. Drain off grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Break the bacon into pieces in the pot.
Place the onion in the pot, and cook until transparent. Mix in the potatoes, and cook until lightly browned on the outside. Stir in the chicken broth, and season with oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Pour in the cream-style corn and whole kernel corn, and cook for 10 more minutes.
Stir in the cream, Monterey Jack cheese, and Cheddar cheese over low heat. Do not boil. Remove from the heat, and serve.

Beer Bread:

3 c. self-rising flour
1/2 c. sugar
1-12 oz. beer of your choosing

Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of the loaf pan. Combine the first three ingredients and stir together until batter forms. Pour into buttered pan and bake in oven for 55 minutes. Melt butter in microwave (enough to pour over top of loaf). Remove bread from oven and pour melted butter all over top. Bake for 5 more minutes.

For dessert, I made Oatmeal Scotchies - recipe on the back of Nestle Tollhouse Butterscotch chips and here.

The Ultimate Crispy Fried Chicken

And speaking of deliciously fattening foods, this was our foray into home-cooked friiiiiiiied chicken. Oh man, was it delicious. A mess in the kitchen, but worth the effort (which was mainly Bret's). Rather than reproduce the recipe here, which we got out of an issue of Cook's Illustrated, I'll just provide this link, and these photos:

Served with Grandma Lewis-style mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, and Grands biscuits.

One more chicken recipe for you, and this one is relatively healthy....

Chicken Breast with Lemon & Capers

This is an old standby for Bret and I. It was the first recipe I cooked single-handedly for my parents, and later, one of the first meals Bret and I ever cooked together. It is surprisingly delicious, especially if you like capers, and very easy.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 c. flour

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved & pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

5 teaspoons corn oil

1/4 c. low sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers, drained

4-6 thin slices of lemon

Combine the flour, pepper & paprika on a plate. Press the chicken breasts into the mixture, coating them evenly and shaking off excess.

In 10-inch skillet, heat the corn oil over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add the breasts and cook about 3 minutes on each side; do not overcook. Transfer breasts to heated and/or covered platter.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Stir in the lemon juice and capers and heat through. Add the thin slices of lemon and heat through. Pour the sauce over the breasts and serve.

We like this with steamed fingerling potatoes with butter and chives, or, of course Grandma's mashed potatoes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no Heather Steele, with her super-human cooking feats, but we have been trying to cook at home more - in part for the cost savings, and in part because, well, it's a distraction from tax and politics and jobs and everything else. It also keeps the house all warm and cozy!

More Fall, Before It's Winter

2008-10-13T19:00:00.010-06:00

At an Overlook off of Trail Ridge Road

Last weekend (the weekend BEFORE bar results came out), we decided we needed some fresh air. The air in our house was starting to feel heavy and stagnant with stress, and Elsa requested, in her own little way, some outdoor time. And so, when we realized that Elk Fest coincided with a weekend when we had no other obligations, we booked a campsite in the Moraine Park area of Rocky Mountain National Park.

It was a beautiful, crisp weekend, and, though we had heard about the Elk from some friends, we were nonetheless amazed. Driving through the park, you see hundreds of them -- sometimes mere feet from the road -- and you can pull off to the side and wander right into the meadows. They bugle loudly to one another all through the day and evening. And if you're lucky, you can see bulls competing for a harem of lady elks (cows? I should have blogged this sooner after our trip, when I had more elk knowledge) off in the distance.

Since our campground was right off of one of the alpine meadows where a couple of dozen elk were grazing, Elsa came frighteningly close to an Elk cow (that's right, by the way...I just googled it). And by that I mean there were about 5 elk cows standing in the middle of the road we were walking on, and one of them looked right at Elsa and started intently walking toward her. While I was intrigued by the prospect of a cute meeting, and Elsa seemed game for it, I opted instead to head back to our campsite (at a jogging pace).

Speaking of our campsite, here's a shot of the view from our site:

Here is our new enormous tent, on top of the hill that allowed for such a gorgeous, almost completely unobstructed view:

The view was almost, but not quite, worth the fact that being on a hill offers little (read: NO) shelter from the wind, and we spent a large part of the night hoping we didn't wake up somewhere in the meadow amidst the elk (read: not sleeping).

Despite a not-so-restful night of sleep in our new ginormous tent, we went for a short hike before heading home on Sunday. And in spite of the hike's relative shortness (we were not climbing a mountain, as Bret had planned/hoped we would), we still put Elsa's brand new pack on her (1) because it was so adorable, and (2) so she could carry our water (and hers, to be fair).

Snapshots from our hike:

The One where Jaimy Passes the Bar

2008-10-09T10:00:00.003-06:00

I awoke at 8 am this morning from a not-so-restful night of sleep (it felt kind of like Christmas Eve when I was little, except not really at all). I brushed my teeth, dropped in some contact solution, grabbed my computer from where I had stored it, battery fully charged, next to the bed, and settled into the Colorado Board of Law Examiners website. And so my morning began this way.....refresh....refresh...refresh....refresh....

Then I started getting e-mails: "Hey, are we supposed to get Bar results today?"

YES. YES WE ARE.

Refresh.....refresh.....refresh.....refresh.....

9:16 am:
"Hello, Board of Law Examiners. Can I help you?"

"Yes. Are July results going to be posted today?"

"Yes, but we aren't sure what time. We're waiting for the Supreme Court."

"OK, thanks. Because I didn't want to waste my day pressing 'refresh' for no reason."

"No problem. Goodbye."

9:17 am:
Bzzzzzz......

When I glanced down at my cell phone, I had received a text from a friend and fellow Colorado Bar taker that read: "Congratulations!" Hmmmmm......

While I took that to mean I had passed, I obviously checked for myself. Celebration is on hold until Bret gets home from some meetings at school. (Elsa is surprisingly unenthused.)

It is an odd feeling after months of studying and weeks of waiting (not so) patiently. Such an immense relief.

Thank you so very much for all of your thoughts and prayers over the past few months! Please keep them coming as we strive to find the path that our lives are meant to follow.

Rocky Mountain Fall (or, Lesson Learned)

2008-09-28T21:03:00.014-06:00

Last year, when we sensed the first hints of Fall in Denver, we made a point of driving up to Kenosha Pass to see the fabled Aspens. Unfortunately, what we learned last year was that by the time you feel Fall in Denver, all the trees are barren in the mountains.

Not to be tricked again, we left the 80 degree late-September Denver heat this afternoon and headed up into the mountains for a short hike up at Kenosha Pass. And yay! for us, we timed it correctly. Behold! Fall in Colorado!

Note: This is why we travel with cold weather gear in the trunk of our car. We may have been sweating down in Denver, but we got caught in a downpour of freezing rain at 10,000 feet, shortly before this shot. Hence, my four layers of clothing and gloves.

Find a Happy Place....

2008-09-10T11:12:00.010-06:00

I am interrupting our scheduled blog programming (I am sure there is some blogosphere word for that...) because, well, I feel like it. If you would like to see the remainder of our DNC experience-in-pictures, check it out here. I don't want to downplay what an awesome experience it was to be a part of the nomination of the first major-party African American nominee for the Presidency, or for me (Jaimy), the culmination of months of hard work and anticipation of the Convention, generally. But to some degree, that experience seems a long way from where we are right now.

Why? For a lot of reasons. Not the least of which being the fact that BECAUSE I became so invested in the Convention, I'm taking a lot of things personally right now...getting too worked up about politics-as-usual...so that my husband has limited my daily political intake to The Onion, 23/6, and selected CNN articles (but never, I repeat NEVER, the comments section of those articles). There were moments during Convention Week where I considered a future in public office, but I have since realized that I don't have the stomach for it.

Although MAYBE part of the problem is the underlying anxiety quotient in our lives.

For those of you who have never taken a Bar Exam, it is a tough call what is more gut-wrenching: those last two weeks leading up to the exam itself, or the 10 weeks of waiting for results. For the first 2 weeks, I was basking in the glow of being done. Of being able to sleep in a little, finish novels, bake cookies, relax on the couch with my husband, spend time outside with Elsa.... Then, for the next 3 weeks, I kept my mind off of the topic with distractions and the occasional reminder that I studied very, very hard and I most definitely did my best -- which is all you can do, really.

And now, here I am. Something about being back in classes (I PLEDGE THAT THIS IS MY LAST SEMESTER OF CLASSES. EVER. YOU ARE ALL CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF NOT LETTING ME GO BACK TO SCHOOL [unless it is to learn a foreign language]) and looking for a job (which is interesting, because no one is all too excited about hiring someone as an attorney with a 20% chance that they failed the Bar hanging out there). Throw in waiting for bar results, and ... ACK! STRESS! And with Bret suffering through work stress and "Tax Research & Writing" (2 credits for 20+ hours of effort per week....always a joy), the stress is household-wide (Elsa being stressed because we don't have enough hours in the day to get her the exercise she needs and deserves).

In times of stress, it helps to find a happy place....take a time out and enjoy a nice evening with family or friends, or remember a recent relaxing vacation....

Our most recent vacation was our First Anniversary trip to Colorado Wine Country. Back in the Spring, we came across an advertisement for a trip package where you take an Amtrak from Denver to Grand Junction, CO, land of vineyards and peach orchards and beautiful scenery. This spawned much excitement and trip planning in the Lewis household. Despite being only a 4-hour drive by car, Amtrak takes eight hours to weave through the mountains to GJ. The opportunity to enjoy the scenery, nap, read, and visit the dining car seemed worth the additional 4 hours of travel time. PLUS it would give us an excuse to rent a car...a convertible to be exact! So we booked the train tickets, the rental car, and accomodations at Two Rivers Winery & Chateau, and I spent many bar-studying breaks envisioning this lovely trip.

Finally, our departure day arrived! Unfortunately, we were welcomed at the train station by this sign:

To explain further, we arrived at the train station at 7:20 am, with our 8-hour journey scheduled to begin at 8:05 am. Being lawyers who went to a law school that focused on economic efficiency, and an LLM program that focuses on accounting, we did the math.... a four hour drive vs. an 8-hour train ride with a nearly 3-hour delay... So we hastily obtained a full refund on our train tickets, cancelled our rental car, and taxied back home, where we promptly threw our suitcases into the car and got on the road.

We arrived in Grand Junction, after a lovely drive, at around lunch time. We were greeted by scenery more beautiful than we expected. We came out of the dry canyons of the Western Slope and into a region with lush vineyards on one side and gorgeous, colorful mesas on the other. It was at this point that we decided to apply our train refund to spending an extra night in Grand Junction.

After checking in at Two Rivers, and grabbing lunch in the quaint Main Street area of Grand Junction, we began our weekend of vineyard-touring. Somewhere along the way, we found out that we serendipidously scheduled our trip to coincide with the Annual Peach Festival. Hallelujah! (Palisade, Grand Junction's neighbor and fellow vineyard hot-spot, has famously juicy and delicious peaches.)

Some shots from various vineyards in Grand Junction & Palisade:

Overall, our expectations for the weekend were blown away. The wines were delicious and affordable. The area has amazing reds (Syrah & Cab Sav), and whites (Chardonnay & Riesling), as well as dessert wines (Ice Wine at Garfield Estates). And, in typical Bret & Jaimy style, we hunted down some of the best eats in the area: most notably, Il Bistro, Bin 707, and Moulin Rouge.

AND what we hadn't realized or anticipated was that the region butts up against the Colorado National Monument. Here are some shots from the roughly 25-mile drive through the Monument:

So really, just sitting here and recounting the tale of that relaxing and wonderful weekend not so long ago has improved my disposition immensely. (By October, at this rate, I will most likely have to share with you our entire 2 week trip to Europe, complete with all 530 pictures, in order to retain my sanity.)

Madame Secretary

2008-09-03T10:26:00.006-06:00

And now, for my most awesome moment of the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

Yes, I ever-so-briefly met Madeline Albright in the hallway of the Pepsi Center. On Day 2 (speeches by Mark Warner & Senator Clinton), as we were wandering the halls, I caught a glimpse of Gov. Bill Richardson. As I was contemplating a handshake and photo-op, I witnessed him embracing the former Secretary. And while I was momentarily paralyzed by the excitement of the possibility that I might meet her (and thereby missing the fact that she was moving to continue her walk down the hall), my fellow Host-Committee-er Mattia yelled, "Madeline!," and we were able to squeeze in this photo. (Luckily, the impropriety of addressing her by her first name while chasing after her was ignored.) One of many unforgettable moments of last week! (Thanks to my travelling photographer/husband for capturing the moment!)

DNC 2008 in Denver: Pre-Convention & Monday Night

2008-08-29T11:04:00.008-06:00

As you all know, the recently (as in 14 hours ago) concluded Democratic National Convention was right here in Denver, CO. And as you may or may not know, I (Jaimy) spent a lot of time this spring interning for the Host Committee for the DNC. The Host Committee is the organization charged, essentially, with making the Convention happen in the host city (= raising the $60 million necessary to pay for it). I left my post there to study for the Bar Exam. About two weeks after the Bar, I started getting (frantic-sounding) e-mails from the folks in the Host Committee Finance Department asking if I could come back and help them with the home stretch and through Convention Week. Needless to say, I was more than happy to pitch in.

I won't get into the work itself, but needless to say, "pitching in" has entailed working no less than 10 hours a day for the past eight days. While you COULD say I worked for free, I would say I was overpaid. The experience was certainly exhausting, but more than that, it was awe-inspiring. Not only did we witness the nomination of the first major party African American candidate for President of the United States, but Bret and I were both able to attend all of the awesome events connected with the Convention. I also experienced personal satisfaction from dealing with all the folks from our local area and from around the country who crossed my path. For every donor who thought they deserved "more for their money," there was one who was just so excited to be a part of the process and a part of Denver's historical week. Several times I was hugged by complete strangers when they received their tickets to Obama's acceptance speech, or to the various events we were fortunate to plan or be a part of this week. Rest assured, it was eight days I will never forget.

I can't fit the whole week in one post, so I'll discuss the Pre-Convention events and Day One of the DNC first, and then blog the rest over the next week or so (including our trip to Colorado Wine Country, and the introduction of a new four-legged member of our family).

Last Saturday, we attended the kick-off event of the Convention at Elitch Gardens (an amusement park) -- the Media Party. About 15,000 members of the media, delegates, and Convention sponsors were in attendance for delicious food, free amusement park games, rides, and concerts. Bret and I were able to attend a show by the Flobots, a hip-hop band with a classical twist that originated in Denver last year and has since become a national act with its socially conscious album. The show was only attended by about 300 people, so we were right up front....Great Show!

Jonny 5 & Brer Rabbit of the Flobots

Sunday, after another long day of preparation for Denver's big week, we headed up to Red Rocks (only the most amazing outdoor concert venue on the planet) for the Green Concert. Fortunately, I was able to get four tickets to the event, which featured Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, and a Dave Matthews acoustic performance with Tim Reynolds (along with various politicos), and we invited our Dave Matthews-loving friends Mark & Kristin Whitney to join us. The entire evening was nothing short of amazing. They called it the Green Concert because of the commitment by all organizations involved in planning this year's convention to make it the greenest convention in history and a footprint for future political conventions. Here are some shots of the night (along with a video clip): (And by the way, we were 5th row center!)

The crowd at Red Rocks.

Mayor Hickenlooper: Laid-off Geologist, turned Barkeep (Wynkoop Brewery here in Denver), turned Mayor of the "Capitol of the Creative West"

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, our neighbor in the 5th row (and my vote for Governor in my days as a VA resident).

Sheryl Crow's dedication to Barack Obama -- "Strong Enough"

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaking on the importance of environmental issues in this election and the experience of being his father's son.

Dave and Tim

Finally, it was Monday. We moved our office and core personnel downtown for the Convention itself. After a long day of trouble-shooting and getting our credentials out to the deserving donors who allowed us to make this Convention happen, I was handed two credentials to the first night of the Convention, where Michelle Obama was slated to speak. Shots from Day One:

The Floor of the Convention, with Michelle Obama at the Podium.

Tyler from our Operations team. This is more or less a picture of how we all felt with the Convention underway....a little giddy, a little exhausted, maybe the slightest bit just-plain-crazy.

So, that was everything up to the end of Day One. As promised, I'll deliver the rest of the week over the next few days. For now, I need to go prepare for Alyssa, my friend and my roommate from my freshman year at Florida State, who is visiting for Labor Day weekend!

Domestic Blissfulness

2008-08-13T12:07:00.008-06:00

Having finished the Bar Exam and not yet (a) started my last semester of classes, or (b) started working, I have been immersing myself in life's simpler pleasures....taking Elsa for walks, sleeping in a little, drinking my coffee more slowly in the morning, keeping the house in order, cooking, watching the Olympics with Bret, and, most deliciously, baking cookies.

Every time I bake, as an adult, I am taken back to the many many days when, as a little girl, I baked with my Gram. Those are some of my earliest and most fond memories. I can't stir cookie dough without thinking of myself and Gram doubled over in laughter in her kitchen over the fact that her old wooden spoon finally broke in half, mid-stir in a batch of toll house chocolate chip cookies. And I never fail to think of the giant yellow tupperware bowl she had, and hearing the story about Gram taking dough in that bowl to my mom, who was pregnant with me at the time, so that they could make cut-out cookies together. She placed the bowl atop her car, got in, and, having left it there, sped off. By the time she realized it, the dough was rolled out across the road.

Gram & Me, circa 1983

Though I may not be very good at it, I've always felt that baking is the one activity (or one of the very few) that calms and grounds me. And so, when my friend Heather clued me in to the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie recipe, I bookmarked it for after the Bar. LUCKILY, I got a KitchenAid 9-speed Handmixer for my Birthday for such occasions! (Thanks, Mom & Dad Lewis!)

The Result: Deliciousness!

The recipe calls for instant espresso powder, so I e-mailed Heather to find out what she used to fulfill that ingredient. She responded that a certain brand of instant espresso powder should be RIGHT IN MY GROCERY AISLE! Yay!

This is the part where I miss the D.C. metro area and its grocery stores containing all of the grocery items one could ever desire.

Two grocery stores and no espresso powder after I set out on my search, I opted to brew espresso and add 2 teaspoons of espresso instead of the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of instant powder. Honestly, as Heather warned me might happen, there was not enough espresso taste (read: none) in the cookies, and when I make these again, I'll step it up. I suggest other coffee lovers do the same.

Next Baking Feat: Janey Lewis' World Famous Cheesecake. I can't promise I'll produce the recipe here (or that it will taste quite as good as it does in Skiatook, OK), but I'm looking forward to trying!

The First of Many, Many, Many, Many, Many (You Get the Idea) to Come...

2008-08-11T14:48:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was our very first wedding Anniversary. One year ago yesterday, we gathered atop a mountain in front of our closest family, and pledged to spend the rest of our days together, in good times and in bad, for richer and for poorer, ...well you know. While we have had a little of every extreme in the past 12 months, it has truly been the best year of my (Jaimy's) life and I can't wait to see what the rest of our life together brings.

Chowing Down: One of our favorite activities.

To celebrate, we went to brunch at one of our favorite restaurants in Denver, Bistro Vendome on Larimer Square, after church. We took our time and thoroughly enjoyed every moment and every bite of the roasted yellow beet salad with Haystack Mountain goat cheese dressing and the Asparagus and Eggs on Brioche with Bernaise Sauce. Literally one of my favorite meals in this world, and certainly my favorite in Denver.

After brunch, we wandered the shops on Larimer and commandeered a bench from which to people watch. Since cooking is one of our favorite activities to enjoy together, we planned our evening meal from our new cookbook, the classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Ms. Julia Child.

Though I forgot to snap the pictures to prove it, we cooked an awesome meal-- Veal in a Brown Mushroom Sauce (Julia's recipe), Potatoes Au Gratin (also from Julia), and Belgian Endive a la Meuniere (from the Professional Chef, 8th Ed. Cookbook). I'd love to tell you that we enjoyed it by candlelight, but the truth of the matter is that we enjoyed our delightful French meal while we watched the U.S. men's relay team pull out their amazing win over the French for the Gold Medal. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to spend our first Anniversary.

This week, after Bret completes his dreaded Tax Accounting final, we will be taking an Amtrak to the Colorado Wine Country in Grand Valley for two days of relaxation and proper celebration of my completion of the Colorado Bar (even though I won't know whether I passed until October), our birthdays, and our Anniversary.

Side Note: Having had my head in the books for the summer, I had missed the city's preparations for the Democratic National Convention that will be held here in August. Not only are there banners on every lightpost downtown and tents covering the majority of the Pepsi Center grounds, but Larimer Square is decked out in flags from every U.S. state and territory and the shops are buzzing with preparations for the crowds. It promises to be an exciting time to be a Denver resident!

Wind + Sand =

2008-07-16T10:42:00.005-06:00

This past weekend we trekked down to Great Sand Dunes National Park with four other couples from church-- Erik & Missy Jo Fisk, Jarrod & Amy Hanson, KC & Meg Leppke, and Mark & Kristin Whitney. Bret & I bolted out of Denver as early as we could on Friday (which is, of course, not that early once we got Elsa dropped off at the vet and got the car packed up with everything but the kitchen sink), and arrived to the campsite in time to enjoy a leisurely lunch before the rest of the crew trickled into the park.

I must say, the word I think best describes the Dunes is "surreal". Pictures do not do justice to the awesomeness of what looks like a chunk of the Sahara, dropped down into southern Colorado, amongst ten 14,000 foot peaks. One of the first orders of business when everyone arrived (and after a delicious spaghetti dinner) was to walk down to the Dunes and stick our toes in the sand. (Luckily, it was late enough in the day that the sand had cooled from its afternoon temperature of 140 degrees!)

Unfortunately, we didn't realize what a hike it was from our campsite down to the foot of the Dunes, so Erik sought the help of some random folks in the parking lot to take him back to our site, where he could grab his car and come back for us. Except that he didn't tell us. So we thought he might be missing. (Could he be hiding in the tourist van full of very old asian men? Did he catch a ride on the back of a deer?) Survivor-style, Mark made use of the tools at our disposal in an effort to find our lost friend.....

Eriiiiiiiiiiiik!

Needless to say, we were "rescued". And for the rest of the weekend, Erik was under strict orders to tell us specifically where he was going to be at all times.

The next morning, after a yummy breakfast of pancakes, sausage and bacon, the crew headed out for a short hike while I stayed behind with my flashcards. While Friday had been hot and sticky, Saturday was the complete opposite...quite chilly for the first part of the day and WINDY. The strong winds came through to remind us how the Dunes were formed in the first place, I suppose. At any rate, it made eating a challenge for those who are not fond of the taste of sand, and left us feeling exfoliated.

In the evening, I joined the crew for a hike up to Zapata Falls, just outside the park. The hike itself was nothing to write home about, but 1/2 a mile in, we hit a very chilly, quickly flowing stream. For those who didn't mind numb toes (all of us), it was a quick hike up stream and into a little cave to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous Falls.

Bret, Jarrod and Amy headed into the cave.

Zapata Falls

Of course, not everyone wanted to take a dip in the freezing cold water. That would just be my adventurous husband.....

After carefully navigating our way back to the trail, we headed back to the campsite to bundle up by the fire, have another delicious meal (followed by the necessary s'mores) and play some games (boys against girls catchphrase and Battle of the Sexes).

Overall it was an awesome trip with some great new friends. We look forward to doing some more camping before the weather chills in the mountains....but I think it will wait until after the Bar.

I'm Going on a Camping Trip and I'm Taking....

2008-07-10T19:03:00.002-06:00

A -- about 200 Flashcards

B -- binder weighing approximately 12 lbs.

C -- Conviser's Mini Review

.....

Yes, in what can only be called a window of temporary insanity, I agreed to go on a weekend camping trip 2 and a half weeks before the Bar Exam. My rationale? Some fresh air will do me good, since I plan to spend every day in between our return and July 29th breathing the air of the law library.

And maybe, just maybe, being surrounded by the gorgeous scenery of Colorado (Great Sand Dunes National Park, in particular) will make me work even harder to impress the Colorado Bar Examiners??

Please pray that Bears do not eat my flashcards.

Celebrating our Rights of Travel & Assembly (or, Happy Birthday, America!)

2008-07-05T12:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday (the 4th of July), I happily took the day off from studying for the Bar to enjoy some fresh air and good company. We woke up bright and early and ventured out to Bailey, CO to hike part of the Lost Creek Wilderness Trail with our friends The Whitneys (Kristen & Mark). It was AWESOME and exactly what I needed after 6 weeks of sitting in class and at the dining room table with my head in books.

For the evening, we were invited to the Leppkes' house to celebrate Independence Day with a BBQ on the lovely deck built by the men-folk of our circle of friends. (Not surprisingly, the deck withstood it's first of many celebrations.) In typical Lewis fashion, we couldn't take a simple store-bought dessert. Oh no, it had to be something straight from our kitchen. After searching for something light and festive, we settled on a Lemon Curd Berry Trifle that, I must say, was easy enough to make between a 6-mile hike and a BBQ AND delicious! Although I don't have to, I'll go ahead and tell you that we skipped the step of making out own lemon curd and bought jars of lemon curd from the store. I fully intend to try this recipe again this summer and make our own lemon curd, but if you're looking for a quick dessert that looks like it could've taken you all day, this is a good one.

The BBQ itself was great fun, but we always have a good time with the Leppkes, Fisks and Whitneys. :)

(Our attempt at Mexican Train Dominoes. Turns out there are too many rules for Bret.)

Bret & Jaimy <3 Food

2008-06-24T15:20:00.000-06:00

If you know us (and chances are you do, if you've come around for the birth of our blog), you know that we love, love, love food. We love to cook it. We love to eat it. We love to talk about it. (It's amazing that we do not together weigh over a ton, really.)

With so many of our friends and family starting blogs (TJ and Holly and Dad Lewis, law school pals, etc.), we started to wonder what we could offer to the series of tubes that we fondly refer to as the internet. What do we have to say, really?

Well, whether or not anyone ever reads this thing, the one thing we have to talk about, aside from the lovely Elsa, is our life in food. And wine. Recipes we find, restaurants we visit (here in Denver and on various travels), and the nifty little shops we frequent. And of course, if and when anything exciting that is non-food-related comes up, we'll certainly toss that in as well.

Currently, this is an attempt at creatively avoiding my bar exam studies, so we'll see. I'm hoping it's a resource for family and friends to keep track of us, and find out what's for dinner.