Downtown Restaurant Week 2009

Just because we are not moving to the city, doesn't mean we won't visit frequently. In fact, we'll be making multiple jaunts for the upcoming Downtown Restaurant Week on August 3rd-9th. Check out their site for a list of participating restaurants and menus.

Feeling philanthropic? Add an "extra helping" for $5 per person to benefit Operation Food Search.

Move Over Pandora

Do you remember when I declared my undying love for Pandora? Turns out her feelings don't run quite as deep. Yesterday, I received an email from the founder stating "heavy users" like myself were going to be charged a fee. All in all, it's not terribly unfair. The fee only kicks in after 40 hours of usage and it restarts each and every month. The fee is actually quite reasonable and I would consider it, were there not other (free!) options available.

Meet my two new loves LastFM and jango. Both combine the best elements of Pandora, such as a prescient ability to guess just what I'd like to hear next, with increased interactivity including (depending on the station) links to the band's videos on YouTube, concert dates, and greater social networking options. If you're ever dying to know what your nearest and dearest marked "love" in their playlists, these are the sites for you.

I'm still keeping my Pandora account active, hopping between my first love and the new stations. Some "heavy usage" habits, as it turns out, are hard to break.

My Dog is Braveheart

Photo Courtesy of Claire

Isn't this a cute picture of Charlotte? Doesn't she look like such a lady? Do not be deceived. Beneath that sweet exterior beats the heart of a cold blooded killer.

This weekend she and Annabelle spent more time than usual outside. I was delighted. We have been painting and had discovered that whippet tails and paint do not mesh. Finally Annabelle asked in, but Charlotte continued her little gambol in the yard. And that is when I became suspicious. You see the lives of many, many woodland creatures have been lost in our yard this summer. And their little bodies are starting to give me nightmares. When I called and insisted she come, I realized she was covered in blood. I panic. I scream. I call for Mr. Luce who cannot hear me as he is happily painting our bathroom. And then it hits me, she's smiling. She not injured. She is proud. And she has just rolled in the blood of her kill. It seems we've crossed the line from hunting to sending a message.

In honor of her little extravaganza, a friend suggested that "bloody whippet" sounds like a fantastic drink name. I couldn't agree more. Tell me, if you were to make a drink called a "bloody whippet" what would you put in it?

Barbeque Wine

How is it already the 4th of July? I swear it was just Memorial Day and now summer is half over. In honor of the mid-summer extravaganza, we plan to cheer ourselves with a little wine. Should you prefer beer, I certainly wouldn't judge on this most American of holidays; but for those like us, here are the best of the best to pair with whatever comes off your grill this weekend.

1. Zinfandel (it goes without saying, but it must be red). Zin is the only all American grape and tastes great with all things Americana. Pair it with burgers, friend chicken, and steak.

2. Rose. It goes with all things pink. Serve quite chilled with hot dogs, salmon, shrimp, lobster, and even tofu burgers. I promise you will not be sorry.

3. Argentine Malbec. Their culture is about as grill-centric as ours so it almost goes without saying that their reds would be fantastic with anything charred and meaty. As a bonus, it's usually a great deal.

4. Shiraz. It is fair to say that I am often not a fan of Australian wine. It's not that I'm a snob. I can taste blind and immediately know something is from Australia. It's a shame, really, because I know they make great wine and I know it's often a good value. Shiraz is big and full of flavor and can stand up to most anything you pull off the grill. Two Hands is my favorite producer from Australia and make the few Shirazes that I really enjoy.

5. Sherry. Last summer I declared that Sauternes was the perfect summer dessert wine. I was wrong. I recently learned that Gerald and Sara Murphy, the expat Americans who invented the idea of sunbathing, drank sherry all summer long. Clearly, they would be the authorities. Try grilling some peaches or bananas with brown sugar and serve with this.

The Sedentary Move

As it turns out, the news of our city relocation has been greatly exaggerated. I will spare you the endless spreadsheets, decision matrices, cost comparisons, and miles and miles of pavement. It, in the end, came down to two houses. One was in the perfect neighborhood next to the Botanical Garden, from the perfect time period, and on a quiet street. It would also have cost around 100k to rehab and we were going to have to engage in a bidding war to get it. The other was in an okay location, already rehabbed, and from a less desirable (to us anyway) time period. It lacked, however, a garage, and, as our wonderful and hard working real estate agent pointed out, putting one in would make our house far and away the most expensive in the neighborhood. This is never a good thing. While all of this was happening Mr. Luce got a call from our insurance agent who said our car insurance would increase at least 50% for a city move and house insurance would likely experience a similar uptick. That, as it happens, was that. The ever practical Mr. Luce pointed out that for all of that extra money, we can take a very lovely vacation each and every year. After all, we're in the city constantly anyway. It's not like it'll greatly change our life to stay where we are.

We are now recommitted to suburbia. Sensing my heartbreak, Mr. Luce has allotted all of the money we would have spent on movers and the like for a bit of a redecorating spree. We'll be putting in hardwood floors, painting, and, best of all, restocking our wine cellar. We'd been on a bit of a buying embargo since we knew we'd have to pay someone to move each and every bottle when the time came.

As some of you may recall, I tend to experience a sort of decorator's block. Since we're sticking with our suburban home, it only makes sense to go with the sort modernish, dwell inspired look that works in our type of house. (Can't you almost hear Mr. Luce sigh with relief as he no longer has to make me a truck load of mission/arts & crafts inspired furniture and cabinets?) We do, however, need to repaint some rooms and purchase some new curtains/bedding/art which feels me with nothing but dread. Contrary to HGTV's best efforts to convince me otherwise, I am more of a less is more girl when it comes to color in the house. During our recent house hunt I entered many a fuchsia/orange/mauve/purple room and found myself feeling vaguely claustrophobic, as though I might be kidnapped, stuffed in a clown car, and taken to circuses unknown. It was just too much.

These days, instead of pouring over classic designs and reviewing classic bungalow colors, I am focused on the Zen/Modern Suburban look. This could take a while. A looong while.

STL is a Beer Mecca

Finally, I am caught up with all my neglected blog reading! Sheesh. Everyone writes such fun, informative, cute posts that I feel like I can only read them when I'm at my best. I want to be sharp and ready to catch all the bon mots, great suggestions, a good pictures. So I wait. And I wait. And I wait until I can fully appreciate all the fabulousness.

I also simply must share that St. Louis is a destination for beer enthausiasts. Really. The LA Times Travel Section says so. Check out this article and bask in the local pride.

Where's Lucy?

I admit it. I've been a terrible blogger as of late. In fact, I've become a terrible commenter as of late. It's become embarrassing. Friends who read my little blog have pulled me aside and asked "so are you still blogging". And the answer is yes, well, maybe no, er, I think so. (Please remember these conversation always occur after at least one glass of wine so my lack of eloquence is completely excusable.)

Since sloth is my new middle name, my brilliant friend Becky generously offered me the best gig ever. She's letting me chime in with wine pairing suggestions for her insanely fabulous blog. For those of you who have not yet visited Becky and the Beanstock, I cannot recommend it enough. I have gotten some of the best recipes from her. If you are looking for ideas for your summer produce, Becky will not disappoint.

In the meantime, here's what sloth Lucy has been

Drinking

Ah, summer. My before 5 p.m. drink of choice is iced coffee. My favorite is at Provisions in Creve Coeur, but Starbucks is acceptable in a pinch. For those of you who are a bit more alert than I in the morning, the best recipe is found here.

After 5 p.m., our new favorite summer white is Marqués de Cáceres White Rioja. Crisp with some acidity this is amazing with pork, fish, and chicken. It also has a screw cap which means it is picnic friendly. Just don't leave the cap somewhere in the grass and step on it later. This is most difficult to explain to the kind hearted person stitching you up.

Reading

In preparation for our trip to Ireland this fall, I've made it my business to reread all of Joyce starting with the book I never got to, Ulysses.

Surfing

No one is more surprised than me by how much I have come to love Facebook. I envisioned stilted conversations with friends from eons past. Instead, it's an almost zero effort way to keep up with new and old friends. I can stalk their pictures, learn the dirt on their nearest and dearest, and chat. Let's face it, this is what I'm doing when I should be blogging.

Watching

Sure to offend many, but absolutely hilarious. The video was a gift from my uncle who felt that I really must experience the fabulousness a movie about high school students launching a production which asks the age old question "what if Hamlet had a sequel". And, since I know you're thinking it, why, yes, Lucy does have an unusual family.

Coveting

Ulysses is challenging. I have been forced to constantly reference for Wikipedia for the stray Latin/French/Gallic phrase that's completely inscrutable. (Shameful for a former English major.) When a friend mentioned that Kindles have built in wireless in addition to holding 1500 books. I was sold. Mr. Luce? Not so much. And I quote my beloved husband, "there will always be a better Kindle. Why not wait and see what happens next year?" Rationality is such a downer.