Another Piece of the Puzzle

So, I said I had two new years resolutions. But I actually have three. Time to add the third one to the blogging.

My very good friend, Jill, has been in my life for about 15 years. We both share a passion for good food, so we decided that we'd have dinner once a month, somewhere that at least one of us has never been. That made it a great way to check out restaurants new on the Phoenix scene. We committed to it being just the two of us, which hasn't happened often as our lives got busier over the years.

Since I am behind on posting, I do not remember the dishes that I had at all of these places. But I will share a high level overview.

January / Noca
Noca is a small quaint restaurant near the Biltmore in Phoenix. NoCA stands for "North of Camelback". I had been to the restaurant before, but Jill had not, so I thought it was a perfect way to start out the year. As always, the dinner was spectacular. If you've never been, you should make a point of checking it out!

February / Robbie Fox's Public House
A new Irish pub in downtown Tempe, Robbie Fox's was an exciting choice. We had been to Ireland together just a few years ago, where we had some of the best food we'd ever had. Since this restaurant promised to be the true essence of Irish food, off we went. But it was horribly disappointing. Service, bad. Food, worse. Nothing at all redeeming about Robbie Fox's.

March / LaStalla
March was supposed to be in north central Phoenix. I was in the middle of a new office build-out in the southeast valley, and due to some technical difficulties I didn't escape from the madness until later in the evening. Jill was nice enough to come to me, so we went to La Stalla in downtown Chandler. This quaint little Italian eatery was good, but not great. Very crusty bread. I'd go back but I won't be craving it.

April / ZinBurger
For Jill's April pick, she chooses ZinBurger Wine & Burger Bar. There is currently a location in Tucson that I'd been to, but she had never been. And, they had just opened one up in the Biltmore area. I must say, the Tucson location is much better. The Phoenix location is very loud, cafeteria-feeling.....kind of cold. Food was good, they have fantastic burgers and truffle fries. Can't go wrong with that! But I'm not sure I'd go back.

May / The Parlor Pizzeria
The Parlor was my pick in March, but we never made it. So it got bumped to the top of the list in May. The Parlor is a cute little pizzaria in central Phoenix, near the Biltmore area. I'm not sure what this building used to be, but I'm guessing an office building of some sort. It's very unassuming and hard to find, but they did a fantastic job with the ambiance. As you walk up from the parking lot, there are huge windows sweeping out onto the patio, which has colorful flowers and plants lining the walkway. There is a great bar area, and fantastic patio with a fireplace (which I will try later in the year!). We were both really excited about the menu, particularly the appetizer menu. But, it was disappointing. We simply ordered a cheese and meat tray, but there was nothing unique or remotely exciting about any item on the plate. Simply put, we could have bought all of this in the grocery store and made something better. We opted out for pizza for our main course, because most of it had the same ingredients that had just disappointed us. But, our meal was fabulous. We shared a crisp spinach salad with aged cheddar and bacon (you can never go wrong with bacon!!), and the sweet pea risotto. Both were yummy. I have been back several times since, and everything else I have had was wonderful. Just stay away from the Meat & Cheese selection!

June / Pasta Bar
We all have our "foodie-mentor", that person who you trust explicitly with restaurant recommendations. That person who has impecable taste. The person who never lets you down. Or, shall I say rarely. I had seen Pasta Bar on many occasions. It is connected to another new restaurant that I had recently been to, Sens Asian Tapas (which, for the record, is fantastic!). And, my foodie-mentor had told me how delish Pasta Bar was. So I was excited when Jill recommended it. My excitement ended there. First, their website menu was out of date. Which, I kind of get, but not in today's world of easy websites. Update the menu, because we get excited about items we read about. Second, our poor little waitress was a mess. She was clearly new, but she didn't know what she was talking about. Which makes it hard when you have a lot of questions about the menu. The drinks were lacking. The service was lacking. And, when we finally got our meal ordered, the food was lacking. I felt I could have done better with a Pasta-roni packaged dinner. So, cross this one off the list!

It's amazing how many fabulous restaurants there are here in Phoenix, that I have tried recently, but so far Jill and I weren't doing as well as I'd like. Let's hope July brings something better!

New York, New York

Anyone who knows me knows that New York is my favorite city. I just love everything about it. My first trip to New York was a mere 12 years ago. And I've been going ever since.

One of my very dear friends was about to get married. He's a great friend, like a brother. There was no way I was going to miss this. The wedding was in Piermont, on the bank of the Hudson River, and about 25 miles north of the city. Also, very conveniently, not too far from Pleasantville in Westchester County, where my good friend Tricia lives.

Despite the quick trip, I would be able to do it all. See the city, visit Tricia and her family, and attend the wedding. I head to the city on a Thursday night, with plans to spend Friday figuring out a great adventure to fulfill my May experience quota. But first things first. I had to make a visit to my favorite sandwich shop, in Soho near Sullivan & Spring. And it's a great day for a walk. I arrive at Mellampo, now actually Alidoro, and take my place in the line.

I pull out my phone and see that my sister had called. And then my heart stops. I see an email from her, with two simple but frightening words: "It's Cancer". I immediately dial her number but she doesn't answer. Everything is silent around me. I knew she had just had a biopsy on a lump they found in one of her breasts. But you just never think anything will come from it. As I stand there, I can feel the tears rushing down my cheek. I get a return call, and she gives me the bit of good news nestled amongst this horrible event. It's in the early stages, she will ultimately be okay. But still, she's about to embark on a very unwelcome journey.

I spend the next couple of hours walking around the city. Nothing else seemed quite as important. I found it strangely comforting to be amidst this massive city during a time like this.

The next morning, I pack my things and head for the train station. I'll head to Pleasantville, where my friend Tricia will pick me up. I love the train ride.....ipod on, gazing out the window, pondering the meaning of life. After just under an hour, I get off the train with my two-ton suitcase. I make my way off the platform and notice the huge stairwell ahead of me. This is the moment that I wish I had re-thought the packing. HOW on earth am I going to make it up those three flights of stairs with this thing? I make it up about 4 steps and I suddenly feel my load lighten. Some extremely nice gentleman grabbed the bottom of my suitcase and helped me to the top. But somehow I am still out of breath. I cried. Emotions. Bleh.

The rest of the trip was as good as it could be, sister on the back of my mind. But I managed to enjoy the beautiful wedding, spend a wonderful day in several other small towns around Pleasantville, and simply enjoy time with my friend and her family.

And to Joey and Patty, I wish you both a wonderful life filled with joy and happiness! I am glad I could be part of your day!

At the end of the month, I was also lucky enough to take a quick trip to Sacramento, to watch the new Sex and the City movie with my old college roommate. So, I guess I have two trips in May. That kind of makes up for my lame trip in March. :)

I'm getting caught up......May is here!

One month to go.......I'm excited to finally be catching up!

Let's start with my May experience, something I've never done before. It's slightly lame, so I will make it quick and painless. Zumba. If you aren't familiar, it's a latin rhythm fitness program. I decided to do this in the comfort of my own home as to not embarrass myself as I did with belly dancing. My intent, of course, is to eventually join a real class. But let's see how this goes first.

Despite the fact that I have lost my rhythm as I've gotten older, and I'm still very out of shape, it was a lot of fun. I love latin music, it's very inspiring to me, so that worked perfectly. I didn't keep up with the whole class, but I have managed to do Zumba a few more times since the first. I think it's here to stay.

March & April trips

I guess I should back track to share my trips for March and April. Neither of them are overly exciting so one post is certinaly sufficient.

March was one of just a couple of months that I didn't have a full-on trip planned. So, I decided to take a short day trip somewhere close to home, somewhere I've never seen before. Sadly, I'm an Arizona native and there's a lot of Arizona that I've never seen. I decided to venture to the White Tank Mountains for a little picnic and a nice hike. My golden retriever, Tessa, is always up for a ride in the car. Duke, a little less adventurous, had to stay behind. The White Tanks are only about 30 miles west of Phoenix. After about a 45 minute drive, we drove the circle within the park to check out all different areas. We finally settled on the Waterfall Trail, a short 2 mile hike. It was crowded with a lot of very unfriendly people, clearly mostly tourists. But Tessa got a lot of attention which of course she was thrilled with. We got back to the dried up waterfall, with some stale ponds of leftover rain water. Ah, the excitement of a dry climate. That's about it for March.

April was our annual trip to Rocky Point. For those of you unfamiliar, Rocky Point, also known as Puerto Penasco, is a small fishing village about 60 miles south of the Mexican Border. The closet beach to Phoenix, it's only about a 3 1/2 hour drive from our city. I have been going to Rocky Point for many years.....this was my 16th year in a row. Our group of eight rents a beautiful house on the beach in Las Conchas, for four nights of fun and sun. I won't elaborate on the "fun", as that's way too much to share. Let's just say there are a few games of poker and asshole, a lot of beer, and some pretty late mornings. Why on earth do we only go once a year???

Thar She Blows!

Glass blowing, that is. And it's now April. Or was April. I'm still behind.

I've always been fascinated with glass blowing. Not sure why. I found myself a nice little studio in central Phoenix. They generally teach classes one night a week for 6 or 8 weeks. But, that's hard for me to commit to. So after some coaxing, I talk them into doing two full days, a Saturday and Sunday. Um, dumb move. Little did I know.

There's not a whole lot to say about this experience, except it was hot, and tiring, and wonderful. My instructor was a work horse. After starting at 9am and working until 1pm, I finally had to ask if I could break for lunch. And ten minutes in, he was in the corner tapping his foot with impatience. It was time to start again.

I hit a wall around 3pm on the first day. I was hot, tired, my back hurt. But he kept pushing. And I actually came back the next day. I was lucky enough to have a very flirty and attentive worker there at the shop, who helped me get through my tired and cranky phases. And who has turned into a great friend.

Two full days was probably a bit much, but all in all, I think I did great. I made a couple of vases, a bowl or two, a couple of paper weights and many flowers, some of which is showcased in the photo below. It's hard work and frustrating, but I think I'll try it again in the near future!

And They're Off!

I am not a race fan. I've never watched, nor been to, a NASCAR event. But for some reason, driving a race car seemed like a fun thing to do. After all, I am a bit of a speed demon. I've never met a speed limit that I liked. This should be fun!

There are two locations here in Phoenix.....Bondurant and Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). PIR seemed a little more "official", and as an added benefit, the charity that I support happened to have a racing day available for purchase at a silent auction. I was good to go!

I decided to schedule this in March before they break for the summer. I attempted to get a few friends to join me, but that never came to fruition. I've never been afraid of doing things by myself, so I didn't even think twice.

After making my way to the track and getting lost finding the office, I finally walked into a room filled with families, groups of men, husbands and wives, children......no crazy fool there by themselves. As I waited to sign in, I seemed to continuously get overlooked by the staff. When I finally caught their attention, I got the, "you are here to race???" As if I was the only woman to ever do this. "Er, yes, I certainly am." After which I got the, "and you are here alone?" WTH?? Why would this all be so strange? Why can't I be here alone? Who would want to come to just sit around for three hours while I learned how to drive the car? Well, turns out, a lot of people.

The staff finally got past these seemingly strange factors, and we got me into my suit. Then, we waited for our class to start. My class was very small in comparison to most. There were a total of 7 of us, when usually there are up to 20 or 30. All men. All older. It's at this time I realize that I'm actually quite nervous. I hadn't thought through any of this. I have never even watched NASCAR, what was I getting myself into? I put my mind at ease - it's just a car. A fast car. What could be hard about this??

As we watched the series of videos, I was less and less nervous. A very nice older couple "adopted" me and told me stories of their previous experience. The videos show us the different components of the car, what to expect when we get out on the track, etc. It also described the lead car that we will follow, with the red and green flashing lights to indicate we are either following too closely or we need to catch up. In my cocky state of mind, I am certain they will never have to turn on the green light to get me to catch up. I'm going to rock this! After the videos, they walk us through different stations where we can get a feel for the gear shift and the steering wheel. And the final stop before heading out to the track is our helmet fitting.

Once at the track, the instructor asks if anyone wants to go on a ride-along. Of course it's extra money, but it will "...really help you get a feel for the car and how fast you can go." Of course I opt out, I certainly don't need that!

I am last in line to get into a car. That's a sign that I'm the weakest link. I try not to take it personally. My turn rapidly approaches since our class is small, and I shimmy out to the track to hop into my car. I lift one leg into the window (yes, I had to help it up a bit) and sit on the edge of the door as I swing the rest of my body into the car. Holy s@%$. I'm in a racecar! It's a very tight and uncomfortable fit. And there is a lot to look at!



They strap you in, click the steering wheel into place, put some weird board behind your neck, and start rattling off all of the things we learned in the videos, only at warp speed. I'm getting confused. Red flashing light means something is wrong with the engine. Stay left of the cones but stay inside the white lines. Deccelerate at the first cone and accelerate at the second. Follow the lead car and watch for his signals. Looks for the guy with the flag. Don't shift once you are out on the track. Talk to the video camera. Bleh. Now I'm all in my head.

We finally take off and I struggle a bit out of the gate, but I quickly catch up to the lead car. That doesn't last long. I'm all in my head, looking for different signals. I try to get my speed up but it's a short track, and as soon as I hit the corners I let off the gas and drift slowly into the corner. And I don't pick it up quickly enough. My lead car is flashing his green light non-stop. The first lap is already over. I'm talking to myself for the video, trying to convince myself that this should be easier. I speed on the freeway all the time, what is WRONG with me? YES, I know, stop flashing that green light!!! Lap three is already over. Or was that four? I don't know. I finally start to get my speed up, I'm feeling good. I'm trying to convince myself that turning the corners a little faster will not flip me over, or slide me off the track. Geezuz, these race car drivers do this all the time at 5 times my speed. Get a grip Lisa! I start relaxing, I pick up my speed, and all of the sudden my lead car starts flashing his red light. You mean I'm too close?? How can that be? I'm so excited, I'm finally starting to get the swing of this. His red light continues to flash, and our speed continues to decrease. What is going on?? As we coast into the pit I realize it's over. I had missed the guy with the flag telling me it was the last lap. I was so caught up in going faster I lost track. And it was over. That was pathetic.


Pathetic as it was, I had a total adrenaline rush. I had just driven a race car! And I would have pictures to prove it.

Turns out, my high speed was 88. I have gone back and forth with whether or not I would publish that. Heck, I get faster than that on my way to work each morning. But, it is what it is. My inner chicken shit was there on the track with me the whole time. If only I had a few more laps. Shoulda coulda woulda. At any rate, it was a fantastic experience. And I may go back again this fall just to prove I can go faster. Dammit.

On the road in February

For the past five years, my parents have lived in the rolling-hills community of Sonoita, Arizona, about 60 miles from, and 2000 feet above, Tucson, Arizona. Who would have guessed that there's such a place as "Sonoita Wine Country"?? Well, not me and my wine drinking friends. So we decided to venture down that way and check it out.

My mom was kind enough to take on the task of designated driver. These wineries are not close together, I'd say on average 2 to 3 miles separate them. There are eight wineries in total in the Sonoita area, more than enough for five thirsty Phoenicians to tackle in one day. And we managed to tackle five......Sonoita Vineyards, Callaghan, Kief Joshua (my personal fav!), Village of Elgin Winery, and Wilhelm Family Winery.

Most of the wines were quite good......that coming from a bunch of semi-snobby wine drinkers. And although we were fore-warned, we were still unimpressed with the prices of the wine and the tastings, for it being Southern Arizona. But all in all, good wine and worth a day of tasting!

The rest of the trip involved a great dinner at the Steak-Out steakhouse in Sonoita, a few after-dinner cocktails at mom & dad's, and a very late night at the Sonoita Inn with more wine. You get no more details than that. ;)

If you haven't experienced Southern Arizona's wineries, you should check it out. It's worth a trip down south for a day. You can learn more on www.SonoitaWineries.com.

Okay, Okay, so I'm behind......(February, here I come!)

I realize that I am very behind in my posts. But I promise you, as my friends can attest, that it's only my posts that I'm late with. I have been very diligent in my monthly trips and adventures and I have a lot to share!

My first order of business is my adventure. The beauty of this resolution, as I began to discover, was that there is a lot that I have done in my life. I started collecting ideas from magazines, friends', Facebook, even my nephew! I found that I had done a lot of things. I also discovered there were those handful of things that I'd never do (reference "chicken shit"). But, I still had a pretty solid list of things to get started with.

Enter February.

Somewhere amongst learning to kayak, crushing grapes, and dune buggying, I landed with belly dancing. I figured I better keep my feet on the ground after the January debacle, so I coersed a friend to shimmy our way to a small dance studio not far from her house.

There's just really not a lot to say. We belly danced. We embarrassed ourselves. We kind of kept tempo. We were sore in places we hadn't known sore before.

But we did it. And I might just do it again.

January's Adventure

My first adventure to kick off my New Years' resolution had to be good. It should be big. Something no one else would think of. Something that would set the bar high! Afterall, I have been collecting ideas for awhile now, ideas I'd gotten from friends' suggestions, some Internet research, and of course the back of my brain. I had a great list.

.......oh yes, but I also had a non-adventurous disposition. Ugh.

Okay, let's start small.

It turns out, my parents happened to be in town one weekend as I was perusing my list of ideas. As soon as I said it, their eyes lit up. I mean, it's not everyday that you get your 70-year-old parents to take a little segway ride. Yep. Segways. There are many options in Phoenix, but we opted for the Arizona Biltmore Resort for our 2 hour tour. The Arizona Biltmore is a very pretigous resort area, dating back to 1929, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. In addition to the beautiful resort, many famous folks like Muhammed Ali and Glen Campbell have donned the luxurious homes surrounding the resort. I couldn't think of a better tour to take with the parents.

We are the first ones there so we got some immediate one-on-one attention. I am pretty quick to pick it up, it's easy once you get the hang of leaning the direction you want to move in, instead of turning it like a bicycle. I'm toodling up and back, around planters, down the driveways, having a grand old time, as others get acclimated. And at this point, I'm most definitely the youngest one on the tour. Heck, my parents may have been the next youngest! I opt out of the helmet, afterall, what would I possibly need the helmet for?

We head out on our tour, around the Wrigley Mansion, through amazing neighborhoods of elaborate estates owned by many famous people. I venture ahead for a bit, then turn around and catch back up with the group. I own this thing. I am the master Segway rider.

As we approach a tunnel, our tour guide stops to give instructions on maneuvering down the small hill into the tunnel. I'm only halfway paying attention because I need no instruction. I have it covered. Um, yeah. It never pays to get cocky. I lead the group into the tunnel, and as I descend down the hill I immediately head for the wall. Bicycle instinct kicks in, and the Segway does nothing but continue forward. Wall, here I come. Me and the Segway hit the wall, we both went flying, and all I could see is the faces of all these 70+ people cruising by me on their little Segways with ease. I had bit the dust.

After swallowing my pride, I was able to get up and get back on that darn thing. I was a little more tentative than I had been, as you can imagine. I had been humbled.

Next.......