half right

i've been stalling to write since, well, it's kind of tough to compete with S' adventures in mexico. talula and i have mostly just been holding down the fort.

it's been a very nice week at the shop - i guess because of holiday schedules people have had a little more coffee time. there's a group of regulars that come in on saturday mornings, and always show me a good time (i sometimes feel badly for charging them since, beyond making them breakfast, it's kind of just like hanging out with friends). in some combination, they've managed to come in every morning for the last week, so it's been a delight to have so much good company. also, it turns out the cookbook was a hit, and i'm very glad about that.

i've also gotten to spend lots of time with my family, which is always nice, if not a little intense. on the 25th, i scouted out a chinese buffet that would 1) be open, and 2) have our favorites on tap. after an adventurous trip getting there (valiant our co-pilot was; accurate, not so much) we indeed found 4 serving stations of scrumptious options. i can't wait to bring S there. i've also probably viewed more sports than i have in, say, three years combined. we watched a couple christmas basketball games which was fun, even though both of the teams i was pulling for lost. and then of course, yesterday, we watched the dolphins win for the afc championship. now, dolphins fans all over are celebrating in ecstasy since the phins have had a few rough seasons, to put it delicately. but it was pretty priceless to be with julian as his team finally gave him something to cheer about.

today i think lu and i will be working on getting this bachelor pad back into shape and ready for S to come home ... tonight!

Tepozteco

Today we went to Tepoztlan - another mountain town near Cuernavaca that is known for a pyramid at the top of the mountain. It's quite a hike to get to but the views at the top are incredible. Nick, Dan, and I are the only ones that decided to make the climb. At the beginning of the hike I didn't think I was going to make it to the top - but with a few pit stops along the way we hiked the whole 2 km to the top. It was a hard climb - but once you get to the top it is so amazing. I was a sweaty mess. We sat atop the pyramid for a bit and enjoyed the view before heading back down. The walk down is much easier - and it took us less than half the time it took us on the way up. Once we got to the bottom we met up with the rest of the family to have quesadillas in the mercado. We ate quesadillas de tinga (chicken and chipotle), flor de calabaza (zucchini flowers), colorines (an edible red flower), chorizo y papa (mexican sausage and potato), and of course chapulines (crickets). Larissa convinced Dan to try the cricket one even thought he's a vegetarian. After we ate we wandered around a bit and did a little shopping. Finally, we got our Tepoz Nieve (local ice cream - I got rice, corn, and chocolate) and headed home. Now our trip is pretty much over and we are packing and getting ready to catch a 6 am bus back to Mexico City. If I thought I was tired the last few days - then I don't know what this is. Getting back to the Y should be a piece of cake. Less than 24 hours till I see my true love.d

Grutas

I'm glad I have a few days off between this vacation and going back to work because this vacation is kicking my a**. Today we got up early and headed to Cacahuamilpa to see the caves. They are 2k deep (actually they are 10k deep, but tours only go in 2k), so a 4k walk altogether, and they are 70 meters high at some points. They are so impressive. It's very humid but cool inside the caves which is a nice break from the sun.


After the tour of the caves we walked down to the base of the mountain where there is a river carving another set of caves. The walk down was lovely (if steep and rocky) but the walk back up was quite a workout - 500 meters on a very steep incline. At least we'll be ready for tomorrow's hike. At the top of the mountain was a ride where you put on a harness and a helmet and you glide from one mountaintop to the other over the ravine on a wire. Dan and I both did it (so fun! so scary!) but unfortunately there are no pictures. Despite my mother's valiant effort to capture it on film all she got were pictures of the empty wire after we'd landed on the other side.


After that we headed back to Cuernavaca and took a quick spin around Cortes' Palace - the highlight of which was the Diego Rivera mural depicting Mexican history.

We rounded out the day by hitting the Brady House - which is the former home of Robert Brady, a wealthy american who lived in Cuernavaca during the sixties and seventies. He was a painter and a collector of art and was good friends with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Josephine Baker. His house is absolutely gorgeous with an incredible collection of art and mexican antiques.


Finally we had dinner at Los Colorines and I had the tortilla soup (that jb loved when she was here) and chile en nogada - which was great, but not the same since pomegranate isn't in season. Now we're back home and trying to rest up before tomorrow's long day. I'm a little sad that my trip is coming to and end and I'll be leaving the sunshine - but I am dying to see my true love again. Only two more days until we are reunited!

Micheladas

Today was a full day in the sun and I am exhausted - but it was totally worth it. First we went to see the pyramids at Xochicalco. These aren't the largest pyramids in the area - but you can go into the pyramid and there is a sort of chimney that allows a ray of light to come through and this ray of light travels along the floor of the chamber and designates dates as an agricultural calendar (so they knew when to till the soil, plant the seeds, etc). It also acts as an astrological observatory - almost like a telescope - and as the earth turns different stars and planets can be observed through it. It's also said that if you stand in the ray of light and rub your hands together, clap them over your head and lower them people will be able to see your aura. The ruins are on top of a mountain and the views of the surrounding mountains and lake are just breathtaking.

After that we headed to Taxco which is a silver mining town in the state of Guerrero. It's built on a mountain side and all the houses are white with red roofs and the streets are narrow and cobblestone. We visited the church in the town square and then had dinner at a restaurant that had great views of the town and we capped off the day by stopping in a few stores to look at the silver jewelry. I've actually never been to Taxco before and I loved it. It's how I imagine Greece or Italy.We have an early morning, so I'll be turning in soon - and I'm sure I'll fall asleep as my head hits the pillow even though I have a sister and two dogs as bedmates.

Dale, Dale, Dale

I arrived in DF on Tuesday in the afternoon. My cousin Alejandro picked me up from the airport and we had tacos al pastor for dinner - lots of them. Then he took me to my friend Lacho's house (where I was going to stay the night) and we hung out waiting for Dan to arrive. At 10 pm we went to pick Dan up from the airport with Lacho's friends Alejandra y Laura. From there we headed to Alejandro's house for a few drinks. We talked and laughed until about 2 am and then Dan and I went back to Lacho's house for the night - but of course we continued talking until about 4 am.The plan was to head out the next morning at 9 am - but shockingly we overslept. So we hit the road at about 10:30 in the morning. We headed to Coyoacan to meet Lacho's friend Isabella (who has the most amazing apartment!). We had tortas for breakfast in the mercado and got coffee and hot chocolate at El Jarocho. Then we went to Frida Kahlo's house - which is one of my favorite things to do in Mexico - and took a stroll around the main square.

Then we drove to Cuernavaca and Lacho dropped us off at my parent's home. It's great to see my family and be here again. We gave Dan the grand tour of the house and spent the afternoon wrapping gifts. At 10 pm we went to Diana's house for a traditional Christmas Eve dinner complete with bacalao. We sang the posada (which is an enactment of Mary and Joseph searching for lodging) and then we all took turns trying to break the piñata (even Dan and my mom) which was filled with candy, jicama, sugar cane and peanuts.


This morning woke up and exchanged gifts and then we went to Sanborn's for brunch and we all shared with each other - huevos rancheros, molletes, enchiladas suizas, enchiladas en mole, and chilaquiles with juice, hot chocolate and bisquets. We then checked out the Cathedral, el mercado, park in the ravine, and El Salto - a waterfall.

The trip is going well so far and I think Dan is having a good time. I miss jb, but know I'll be home in a few days.


Key:

Dan - a great friend from my DC days. We worked together at HRC and really bonded when we were in TX working on a congressional campaign.

Alejandro - My cousin whom I often stay with when I'm in DF and also came to visit me in DC a couple years ago.

Lacho - A dear friend that I grew up with. Our grandmothers were good friends and lived across the street from one another.

Laura, Alejandra, y Isabella - Friends of Lacho's from his master's program.

Diana - Lacho's mother.

sun, sun, sun

well, as forewarned, S left for mexico this morning. we headed to the airport at 5 am; by this time, dan should also be there and they should be enjoying an evening in df. i'm so glad we were able to make this trip work - last year i felt really badly that S had to be without her family for the holidays. as noble as daniel and my boston-market-cork-filled-wine effort was ... i think this is probably a better arrangement. i'm so excited to get updates about the stay.

yesterday had to have been our most productive day of 2008. we managed to finish christmas shopping, get the last odds and ends that the teleps had requested, put in a few special hours at the shop (and a full day of work for S), get S all packed with clean clothes, prescriptions, etc., and on and on. best of all, S found time to make a batch of macaroni and cheese to leave with me. it's not obvious by the looks of me, but i sometimes forget to eat - especially when i'm unsupervised - so having my favorite ready to heat and eat is such a treat. not to mention that it's really good.

also on the list of yesterday's accomplished items is getting the cookbook done. one of our friends/neighbors/customers had this idea of putting together her mom's recipes to give as a gift to her family. so i took on the task of compiling and formatting the recipes into a (91 page) cookbook. it was a fun project, and i think it's such a sweet idea that i was really glad to be a part of it. i can't wait to hear what her family has to say about it.

Family and Friends

I've been busy preparing for my trip to Mexico to see my family for Christmas. My good friend Dan (from DC days) will be meeting me in Mexico City on Tuesday and hopefully I'll be able to show him a good time over the next five days. I'm excited to see my family and enjoy some sunshine - but will miss jb.

Speaking of missing jb - I am also planning a trip to visit Muffy in South Korea in February! I'm really really really looking forward to it. It was a big chunk of money - but hey, that's what credit cards are for - right? It's once in a lifetime you get to visit your sister in Gangneung.

Speaking of sisters, last night was sibling night and cheese fries were had by all. It's not easy being the only Telep representative at these sibling nights - I'm looking forward to the day we even the playing field a little bit. Even though we might have more girls than the Burgan's - we can put away cheese fries with the best of 'em.

Earlier this evening was our pre-christmas get together with the girls (Rik, Sara, Amber, and Kristy). The night was packed with wine, rock band, and getting puked on (by an infant). Tomorrow jb and I are meeting rik for lunch at our favorite Indian Buffet - which happens to be located in the lobby of a seedy motel. I hate to admit that we refused to go there for some time even thought rik kept reccomending it - when we finally gave in and tried it we realized how foolish we'd been. Ahhh, I can't wait!

I heart Mondays

First of all - jb wrote her debut blogpost below. Too cute.

Well, Mondays have become my new favorite day. To begin with, it's the day Hoi Polloi is closed, which means I get jb all day. Since I work from home and the cafe is right downstairs, jb and I get to see each other more than the average couple, but usually it's still limited to stolen moments. But Mondays...well Mondays are now the day that we get to work side by side all day.


Now, it's a well known fact that jb spoils me - for example, she brings me breakfast in bed each morning (since the cafe opens at 7 and I don't have to wake up for work until 9, jb comes up to wake me and brings me breakfast...some days it's something simple like cereal, but on some days she makes me french toast or her famous oatmeal). Well on Mondays I get extra pampered - maybe a foot rub or picking up extra chores. Hey, I'm not gonna judge what jb chooses to do with her day off.

To top it all off jb and I have begun having a weekly movie date night. The Southside theater has $5 admission and free popcorn on Mondays, so we've been going every week for the last few weeks. Sometimes we'll get coffee afterwards or window shop at the bookstore. It's so nice to have a standing date - especially one that's affordable. So lately, I've been counting down the days until the weekend is over so that I can get to Monday.

a minute to learn ...

... a lifetime to master.

despite othello's long history in the burgan family (as evidenced by "daniel" and "jared" being etched in the box as only a kindergartener can do), the game had never been introduced to S. last night we went at it, although of course for S it was about 15 seconds to learn, 9 minutes to master and kick my butt. i'm glad to now have it in our game-night rotation. it's a perfect 2 player game, is not as time-intensive as scrabble, and thus can hold a certain someone's attention a bit better. i've already got my eye on the next game to rotate in; maybe i'll manage to score it for christmas.

last week, julian hosted a dark knight party at his place. he made us wait two whole days after the film came to dvd. (disappointing, i thought julian was a little more on top of movie/game releases ... ) it was a good time, courtesy of the telep's rather large television and a fair amount of junk food. daniel is in charge of the next sibling night. while full details have yet to be disclosed, rumor has it that an australian theme is planned. i'm psyched. it does seem notable that a sibling night with 5 kids attending is just over half of its potential. now, if only nick, lariss, and steph would hurry back - and jared would modify his home-base - so we could amp up these sibling occasions, we'd be all set.

allegheny west's christmas tour took place this weekend. last year, as you may recall, the tour coincided with hoi polloi's opening. in addition to pretending we knew how to open a cafe, S took on coordinating the musical entertainment for the tour, as well as providing for (ie. baking 2,000 cookies) and overseeing the cider and cookie table. this year we opted to scale it back and put in a more modest shift at the cider table. we even got to take the tour and go to the after-party! it was a nice, albeit chilly, evening.

Milestones

1. Thanksgiving - We had a great Thanksgiving. Really great. Which is especially notable because my Thanksgivings have been cursed in the past few years (left at a rest stop as the greyhound bus drives away with my luggage and wallet or throwing my back out only to hobble to the airport and still not get a seat on a flight and then spend the holiday with a lean cuisine).

Well this year we made it to Cincinnati to my Aunt Karen and Uncle Dave's house. We loaded up the Fit, picked up my Dad, and had great roadtrip weather the whole way there. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and left early on Saturday morning, but that gave us plenty of time to enjoy my Aunt Karen's incredible cooking (and her world famous filling), watch a few movies (remind me to never recommend the movie again), put up the Christmas tree (at 1 am), and generally enjoy each other's company.

2. 10 year high school reunion - The Saturday after Thanksgiving was my 10 year high school reunion. I wasn't too excited about it but convinced myself to go based on the prediction that I'd regret missing it. It wasn't miserable, but I could certainly go another ten years before doing it again. There were a few people it was really nice to see, but most of my time was spent with Erika, Sara, Kristy, and Amber - which we didn't really need a reunion to do. The best part was getting to let jb in on a bit of my pre-jb life.

3. Meet Riley - On Tuesday we went over to Jay and Kendra's house for dinner for the first time since Riley was born. (Muffy and N8 - curiosity satisfied) Riley is positively adorable and Jay and Kendra seem really happy. I'm so freakin glad they live in Pittsburgh.

4. Reunion debrief - On Wednesday Erika, Sara, Kristy and I met for dinner to talk about the reunion. I think we were all basically in the same boat as far as being glad we went, but not itching to do it again. It's so nuts that we've been friends for over a decade. Rik and I met in 5th grade - so that's closer to two decades. Geez oh man.

4. Hoi Polloi turns 1 yr - Yesterday was Hoi Polloi's 1 year anniversary. The milestone makes us somewhate retrospective. In some ways things are going really well - we have great regulars that seem to like us, we were voted best vegetarian cuisine in the PPG, we've gotten some good write ups including the City Paper, and generally we still like doing it. On the other hand, it is a recession and we can't help but think about how different our financial situation would be without the business and how unfair it is that jb works so hard and doesn't have too much to show for it at the end of the month. I wish there was an easy way to tell if we are where we are supposed to be at this point or if we are missing the mark. Either way, 1 year is something to proud of.