Getting By, Dreaming Big

This is a blog for me to share my thoughts on my favorite things: books, traveling, food and entertainment!

House of Mirth, Edith Wharton July 30, 2007

Filed under: Book Reviews — readerbean @ 3:35 pm

One thing I have not blogged much about since I began my little blogging journey is a leisurely activity that I really enjoy – reading! So here is my first book review. Fellow book group member, Emily, picked the House of Mirth as our August book group book. I was excited because I generally enjoy classics and I had never read Edith Wharton. I love it when book group pushes you past your normal reading habits and has you pick up something not on your radar.

House of Mirth, Edith Wharton (****)

House of Mirth, introduces the reader to Lily Bart, a fiercely independent spirited young woman, living in New York City in the late 1800′s. Both her parents have passed away leaving her with little income. She resides with her Aunt and lives way beyond her means. As a child she was part of high society and even though truthfully she cannot afford this life anymore she is opposed to dinginess and cannot think of living any other way. Thus she faces the task of marrying one of the non-desirable eligible bachelors in her social circle or not marrying, not being able to keep up her lifestyle and having to join a lower social circle. Wharton takes the reader on a ride that follows all of Lily’s ups and mostly downs.

This book was truly refreshing. This was my first time reading Wharton and I loved her writing style and her character/place description. If you love classics I would recommend the House of Mirth as one not to miss!

Two fun facts about Edith Wharton that I learned:

- Edith Wharton was the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Age of Innocence.

- The phrase “keeping up with the Jones’” was coined about Edith Wharton’s family. Her maiden name is Edith Jones and it was her family that originally prompted the saying.

 

Sugarland!!!! July 27, 2007

Filed under: NYC Experiences — readerbean @ 10:19 am

I LOVE Country music! Now it’s out there for you all to know. How living in Boston did I get into country music you might ask? One day about 2-3 years ago I heard this song, Baby Girl, on the radio and I loved it. The only station I could find it on was the Country Music Radio Station (102.5 in Boston!) As I started listening to the station in order to hear this one particular song I realized that I actually liked most of the stuff I was listening to. I started paying attention, learning the names of the big acts, etc and before I knew it I was hooked. Then when I went out to Oklahoma City to visit my buddy Amy we went to a Rascal Flatts concert and from that point on there was no turning back.

Who was that song Baby Girl by – Sugarland! There CD Twice the Speed of Life was the first Country CD that I ever purchased (but certainly not the last). Just recently they released their sophomore album, Enjoy the Ride, and I have to say I think it’s better than their first album.

How excited was I, when at the beginning of the summer, my sister emailed me and said that Sugarland was playing on Good Morning America (GMA), Friday, July 27th! Very excited!!! I asked my sister if she would go with me since I don’t know anyone in the NYC area who likes country music and she said she would. So last night she crashed at our place. We got up at 6AM this morning because on the GMA website it says to be there by 6AM to get a good spot in line. My sister assured me this wasn’t necessary so we aimed to get there by 7AM knowing that they perform between 8-9.

We got there at 7:15AM and got a place pretty close to the stage. My sister was laughing that I thought we were going to be all the way at the back of the park. Hey, I’ve never been to one of these morning concerts how was I supposed to know! And then you wait…and wait some more…and really you wait until 8:40-8:45AM before they play. You watch the sound check, you cheer for a couple of live audience shots of the park (which after the 2nd time and the novelty wearing off feels like work – didn’t we come here to see a concert?) and you are entertained by a warm up comedian, who was actually pretty funny. Then at 8:45 Sugarland came on and…

It was AWESOME! Well worth the wait! They performed 3 songs: Something More from their debut album, and Settlin’ and Everyday America from their sophomore album. Everyday America is my favorite Sugarland song and possibly one of my overall favorite songs right now. The lyrics from Everyday America provided the title for this blog:

Oooh, whoa, everybody’s dreaming big
Oooh, whoa, but everybody’s just getting by
That’s how it goes in everyday America
A little town and a great big light

Jennifer Nettles voice is unreal, and live is no exception. As a duo they have great chemistry together and you can tell that they must be good friends. I can’t wait to see them in concert where they perform all their songs!

So now I can check seeing a free concert in NYC off my list of things to do and see while we’re in NYC. (*That list will be posted soon!) What an fun & energizing way to start your day!

 

Catch and Release (4 Stars) July 26, 2007

Filed under: Movie Reviews — readerbean @ 2:42 pm

Sunday evening my sister and I had one of our sister-sleepovers! We’ve been doing this a lot lately. Up until recently Kate wasn’t sure where she was going to be for law school – NYC or Chicago. So we decided that if she was not going to be in NYC come August we wanted to make sure that we made the most of our 6 months living in the same city (and really Kate just likes having a short commute to her summer job one morning a week!) We usually get together and cook up some dinner, treat ourselves to Tasti D-light (yum!) and watch a movie together. Our nights also included a run, until I found out I had a stress fracture in my right leg and was sidelined for 6 weeks.

This past Sunday we watched Catch & Release, which I had been waiting to watch specifically with my sister because we are both HUGE Jennifer Garner fans!!!! Having watched all 5 seasons of Alias – how could you not be a Jennifer Garner fan? I’m getting off topic…Catch & Release begins with the death of Gray’s (Jennifer Garner) fiance. As Gray is struggling to get over his sudden death and rebuilding her life, secrets emerge about him that tarnish his perfect image. Gray finds comfort in her fiance’s 3 close friends and finds herself falling in love at a time she never expected she could.

My sister and I really enjoyed this movie. It is definitely a chick flick. However, it’s not one of those movies I would run out and tell people they should see (unless you’re a big Jennifer Garner fan).

As for where Kate is going to law school??? She’ll be in NYC!!!! Woot!

 

New York List July 25, 2007

Filed under: NYC Experiences — readerbean @ 11:59 am

My friend, Michelle, recently moved to San Diego from Boston and started a blog to keep in touch with friends and keep everyone abreast of her SD adventures. In her first post she listed all the things she wanted to do and see while she was in San Diego. I really liked this idea (and have already informed her that I am going to steal it for my own blog!) I think it helps you live like a tourist in your home and encourages you to get out there and explore your city! I mean imagine my surprise when I found out that my DH, after 28 years living in MA, had never done a Freedom Trail tour! Well, we’re going to make sure that we have NYC Experiences and continue to explore our city regardless of how long we live here. And most likely on one of our trips up to Beantown we’re going to do a Freedome Trail tour.

So here is my list of things I/we want to do and see in NYC. Please feel free in the comments to suggest ideas! I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list as time goes on.

1) Go to the top of the Empire State Building
2) Visit Museums (Guggenheim, Moma, Tenement Museum, Skyscraper Museum, etc) We’ve already gone to the MET and the Museum of Natural History so that’s a start!
3) See Broadway Shows (Again we’ve already started working on this having seen Avenue Q and The Drowsy Chaperone).
4) Explore Central Park (run in CP, rent a row boat in CP, take a walking tour of CP, go ice skating in CP, etc)
5) Visit the Botanical Gardens
6) See the Radio City Music Christmas Show!
7) Watch the balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade get blown up!
8) Hike in the Adirondacks
9) Give my DH the true Jersey Shore experience
10) Take the Circle Line tour
11) Bike around the Island of Manhattan
12) Try to see the David Letterman Show
13) Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
14) Take the Staten Island Ferry
15) Explore all the different neighborhoods of NYC (Brooklyn, Battery Park, UWS, UES, LES, Little Italy, Soho, the Village, Midtown, Hell’s Kitchen, etc)
16) Become more involved in Red Sox nation in NYC
17) Take one of those Red Bus Tours through NYC
18) Go to Medieval Times
19) Go to the Bronx Zoo
20) Visit the Cloisters (that’s for you Mom!)
21) Go to a Little Italy festival
22) Spend some time exploring and appreciating Grand Central Station
23) Visit the Intrepid
24) Carnegie Hall & Deli
25) Top of the Rock Observation Deck
26) Dare I say, New York City for New Year’s Eve….we’ll see!
27) Eat at Peter Luger’s

Feel free to make any suggestions in the comments on things that are a must see or do that we’re missing!

 

A Day in the Country July 24, 2007

Filed under: NYC Experiences — readerbean @ 10:40 pm
Sunday I had the day to myself so I decided to head up to Tarrytown for the afternoon. My friend Emily had been wanting to tour the Rockefeller residence, Kykuit, so I decided to join her. On Friday, we had signed ourselves up for the 1:00 PM tour so we arrived at the visitor’s center to get our tour stickers and board the bus for the 8 minute drive to Kykuit. The reason you have to visit Kykuit by bus as opposed to driving up to the residence yourself is because many of the Rockefeller’s still reside on the property. Kykuit is a historic site of the National Trust but there are other properties on the 300+ acres that are still in use.

The property is absolutely stunning. On the tour you start at the outside of the house where you learn a little about the 4 generations that lived there. John D. Rockefeller, Senior was the one who built the property after returning from Ohio where he had founded the Standard Oil Company. Next was John D. Rockefeller Junior and then his son Nelson lived there with his family. They were the last family to reside in the house before it was turned over to the National Trust. You also learn about the original building of the house in 1909 and then the rebuilding of the house in 1913.

Inside the house you see the men and women’s parlors, the formal dining room, the music room, the china room, the kitchen, the formal living room, and the basement where Nelson Rockefeller’s personal art collection (including Picassos) is housed! Outside you visit the gardens and the veranda, which has the most stunning view of the Hudson River. When you’re on the back veranda you can understand where the house gets it’s name from. Kykuit means “lookout” in Dutch.

Then after you finish touring the house they bring you down to the Coach Barn where you can see all the different horse-drawn carriages the family owned, where their stables were, as well as the old automobiles that the family owned. The Coach Barn is impressive in it’s own right!

It’s funny because when you read books that take place in New York City at the turn of the century you read about wealthy people having “country houses” in nearby towns such as Tarrytown, NY (a mere 35 minutes away by train – granted it probably took them longer back then!) When I was living in NJ growing up I used to think it was hysterical that people had “country houses” so close to where they actually resided permanently. However, now with the perspective of someone who lives in Manhattan, I can completely understand. I kept turning to Emily during our tour, especially when we were wandering in the gardens and out on the veranda, saying how refreshing it was to be out in Tarrytown for a day and that I felt as if I was spending the day in the country! It’s amazing how your perspective on things can change once you actually experience living in Manhattan.

It was an incredibly peaceful day “out in the country” for me! I would definitely recommend this tour for people who are visiting NYC and have the time. Tarrytown in its own right is an absolutely adorable little town, with cute shops and restaurants. With Kykuit being only one of the many houses & properties worth touring in the area. Click here to learn more about the Hudson Valley region. I know that I plan on spending a couple of more days exploring the “country” during my time in NYC.

 

BROADWAY! July 23, 2007

Filed under: NYC Experiences — readerbean @ 12:37 pm

So as I said my MIL was visiting this weekend from Boston. So my DH and I had planned a very fun NYC day on Saturday. We re-visited the Farmer’s Market at Union Square, which may become a weekly ritual, it’s just so peaceful and fun to walk around all the stands and support local farmers, vineyards, artists, etc.

Then in the afternoon we went to the John Golden Theatre to see the Matinee performance of Avenue Q. I had purchased discounted tickets at the TKTS booth down by South Street Seaport on Friday afternoon. We had great seats, row K in the Orchestra – I couldn’t believe it!

As for the show, it was awesome! We all loved it. The puppets were great (especially the Bad Idea Bears!), the songs were hilarious and original, and the performers were fantastic. It was hard to believe that for many of them Avenue Q was their Broadway debut because they really all were phenomenal. For those of you who don’t know, Avenue Q, is the story of Princeton, a recent college grad who has moved to New York and the only place he can afford to live is on Avenue Q. There he meets his friends: Brian, Christmas Eve, Trekkie Monster, Rod, Nicky, and Kate. Throughout the play they struggle with finding jobs, dates, and their “purpose” in life.

I think it’s safe to say we all would highly recommend this play to those who haven’t seen it! (*This play is not appropriate for children.)

After relaxing back at home for a little bit we headed out to try a new restaurant in our neighborhood, Dos Caminos. I was pretty excited about trying this restaurant because we had heard so much about it from people. I tried the blueberry pomegranate frozen margarita, which was delish. While my MIL had a traditional margarita on the rocks and my DH had a Mexican beer. We quickly ordered chips with guacamole (which they make at your table – a very NYC thing to do!) as an appetizer. The guacamole was incredibly fresh and yummy! Then for dinner my MIL had the enchiladas, my DH had the Pork special, and I had the Shrimp quesadillas which were so good! Overall everyone enjoyed their meal!

On a side note, I thought the best part about our meal experience was the service. From start to finish the service was impeccable. As the customers at restaurants become more and more casual I feel that a lot of restaurants are becoming more and more casual in their service and that was not the case at Dos Caminos. And to top it off the decor and atmosphere were pretty cool. This is a restaurant my DH and I agreed we would go back to.

All in all – a fun day in NYC!

 

Dreamgirls (5 Stars) July 23, 2007

Filed under: Movie Reviews — readerbean @ 12:29 pm

OK I know, I know – Dreamgirls, how is it that I made it this long without seeing this movie! Friday night my MIL was in town and I decided that this would be the perfect movie for us to watch. She had just arrived that evening and my DH and I were planning a chill evening of a home cooked meal (I know shocking in NYC!), some wine and a good movie. To my pleasure none of us had seen this movie so it was a first for everyone.

Can I just say – WOW! I need to own this movie! Jennifer Hudson was phenomenal as Effie – now I finally see what all the hype was about. I thought the cast was stellar, the story was great, and the songs – ah, the songs – they were amazing! I was clapping to the beat in my chair, and singing the soundtrack all weekend. I almost didn’t want to mail it back to Netflix because I just wanted to watch it again and again. If you like musicals then you’ll love this movie (chances are you already love this movie since I’m a little behind in my review!)

Overall: Two Thumbs Up! Rent it if you haven’t seen it yet!

 

The Presidents July 18, 2007

Filed under: Life Goals — readerbean @ 12:20 pm

I’m someone who likes to set a lot of Life Goals. Maybe I have too many and they’ll never all be accomplished, but I like the feeling of reaching to accomplish something, or working towards something, and really of just checking it off my list!

One of my Life Goals is to read a book about each President. I first got this idea about 3 years ago. I had just finished reading Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History by Kati Marton (which was a great book) and I was in Washington, DC on a ladies weekend touring Woodrow Wilson’s house where he lived after he was President. All of a sudden I realized there were a lot of President’s whose lives I didn’t know a lot or really anything about. I turned to my mom and said “I think I’m going to read a book about every President.” Since then I have stuck to my goal and try to read 2 book a year. I have 36 Presidents to go. At this rate I’ll finish in about 20 years!

I’ve read about the first 7 Presidents to date and I must say that it’s been a very rewarding experience. Granted the first 7 Presidents are pretty famous Presidents that everyone learns about in school, but with each one I’ve learned something new – a little tidbit to keep tucked in the back of my head. Here are a list of the books that I choose for each President:

George Washington: A Life, by Willard Sterne Randall
John Adams, by David McCullough
Thomas Jefferson: A Life, by Willard Sterne Randall
James Madison: The American Presidents Series, by Gary Willis
James Monroe: The American Presidents Series, by Gary Hart
John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life, by Paul C. Nagel
Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times, by H.W. Brands

Next up is Martin Van Buren. I’ll keep you posted on my quest to read a book about each President. Together we’ll see if I accomplish this goal and if I finish it in the 20 year time line.

On this blog I’ll write about other Life Goals I have but I’d also love to hear from you. In the comment section feel free to share some of your Life Goals. Maybe your goals will inspire new goals for me or others who are reading this blog.

 

Sweet Home Alabama (4 Stars) July 18, 2007

Filed under: Movie Reviews — readerbean @ 12:14 pm

In this sweet romantic comedy, Melanie Carmichael (Reece Witherspoon) is making a name for herself in the fashion world of New York City. When her handsome politician boyfriend (Patrick Dempsey) proposes she heads home to Alabama to finalize her divorce from her first husband, her high school sweetheart (Josh Lucas). But is anything ever that easy….

If you are in the right mood for a sweet romantic comedy then you’ll enjoy this movie! It was cute. One of those feel good chick flicks perfect for a rainy dreary day.

 

two types of food in NYC! July 16, 2007

Filed under: NYC Experiences — readerbean @ 2:29 pm

Saturday morning my DH and I decided to get up early and head down to the Farmer’s Market at Union Square. It would provide for a nice walk and a good morning activity to get the day started early.

I have to say that the Farmer’s Market at Union Square is the only place you will find a large group of New Yorkers out and about before noon on the weekends! Most streets are absolutely desolate at the hour of 8AM. We got down there around 8:30 after the market was all set up and decided to walk the length of the market before we made any decisions about purchases since it was our first time wandering through the market.

After a lap around we decided on fresh scallops for dinner (which we seared and were out of this world!) We also bought some salad and a yellow and green zucchini to go with our delicious fish. Then we made our way over to the Pretzel Stand that sells Martins Handmade Pretzels (they’re pennsylvania dutch). For anyone that decides to explore the Union Square Farmer’s Market these pretzels are a must – they are sooo delicious! We also picked up a bottle of wine to go with our dinner from a relatively local vendor – Anthony Road. We asked the man running the stand which of his wines would go best with scallops and he recommended the 2006 Chardonnay with no oak. After polishing of the bottle of wine with dinner I must say that we definitely agreed. It was delicious – very light and perfect for a fish meal. We’re looking forward to going back and purchasing more wine from him.

The Farmer’s Market was our first NYC type of food (organic, fresh and healthy). For our second type of food in NYC, we met up with a friend for lunch at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. This is anything but organic, fresh and healthy! But it sure is delicious and a NYC summer tradition. No matter what time of day you get there you wait on a line that is at least 30 minutes. Then you put your order in snag a table and wait about another 10 minutes for your order to be ready. But let me tell you it is all worth it when you bite into that Shake Shack Burger with it’s “special” sauce! Mmmmm…good! I’ve gone twice this summer so far and the first time I had their rich delicious chocolate shake with my meal and let me tell you that’s what will put you over the edge. This time we shared a lemonade and fries so we could enjoy our burger and not feel disgusting afterwards (although for first timers the shake is part of the experience!) The Shake Shack as I said is a NYC summer tradition so if you’re ever exploring NYC in the summer set aside some time for a burger in the park.