Scrappy Travels

So embarrassing... This is a photo of my current stash of books I've yet to read - all of the books that are horizontal (and some vertical) are all completely unread. The stack has grown increasingly embarrassing over the last few months. Between attending book festivals, used book stores and new book stores, I haven't been able to help myself and have purchased a ridiculous number of books. What is wrong with me? Intellectually I know that the library exists. I also know that if I want to purchase books, many, many used book stores exist. Yet still, I enter knowingly into Barnes and Noble and exit with 3 books in my hand. What's even worse, is that in the midst of mulling over this post yesterday, I walked into a book store and walked out with 3 additional books to add to the list. In my defense that was a local used bookstore so the financial impact wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been for my wallet. But still...That's an additional 3 books added to ...

A few years ago, I fell for a show called Newsroom . It was written by Aaron Sorkin, and it filled the fast-talking, progressive, idealistic hole that West Wing left when it was cancelled. Whereas the West Wing centered around the lovely people that inhabited the lovely Bartlett White House, Newsroom followed the news-makers that inhabited a cable news network all led by the less than likable Will McAvoy. While McAvoy was the Dan Rather of the fictional news world, he wasn't anyone's favorite boss. But of course, once his writers got to know him, they stood behind him fully just like Bartlett's staff had in the West Wing . From the first lines of Will McAvoy's speech in the pilot - where he dispelled the myth that America wasn't the greatest country in the world anymore - I was completely in awe of this character and the amazing actor that was portraying him.  Later in the series, we learned that Will McAvoy played the guitar and sang,  thanks to the sing...

When we were in London last year, we took a Secret Food Tour , that was in fact the best tour I'd ever been on. Between the market vendors, the delicious snacks, the historical fun facts and our awesome guide Mat, I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend a rainy day in London. After that memorable experience, we were adamant about doing another tour with the same company.    Luckily for us, the company operates world wide and they just happen to run a Secret Food Tour in another of my favorite cities - Manhattan. While we could have probably chosen a better day for our tour - 97 degrees and sunny isn't exactly great schlepping around the city weather - Bridgette, our guide this time around was nothing short of fabulous. She made the entire tour fun and full of cool facts about Greenwich Village. In her previous life, she was an elementary school teacher, and I'd bet she was fantastic in front of a classroom based on how excited she was about our tour and...

A few weeks ago, I saw Dave at Arena Stage in Washington, DC. To say that I loved it would be an understatement. I had my doubts going into it that the creatives behind it could do one of my favorite movies justice. But after seeing what Tina Landau did to Spongebob , I had faith that she could turn Dave into something magical. By hiring Drew Gehling to play Dave - the high school history teacher turned Presidential stand-in - they perfectly captured the awkward loveliness Kevin Kline played so well in the original. Gehling not only has a beautiful voice, but he's also a fantastic actor who played every note - whether it was nervousness, or utter confusion perfectly. I had wanted to see the musical before he was cast, but the minute he got the job, I knew he'd be perfect and I knew I'd be in the audience to see him. Added to the perfect leading man, the creative flourishes were mind-boggling. It turns out crafty set design is Tina Landau's specialty. Gone was t...

Making It - NBC Promo Art Unlike most people, I hate the drama of reality shows. I've never seen an episode of Big Brother or The Bachelor . I'd much prefer to watch a scripted show. At least in those instances, if something is ever so over the top, you know it was written that way. I also hate to see people argue and bicker, which is another reason I tend to stay away from reality shows. The constant yelling is too much to handle. Now all of that being said, there are a handful of reality shows I will watch. I can't miss Top Chef and Face Off . I love seeing people using their many skills and actually accomplishing something. What's even better, in the last few years on Top Chef , and always on Face Off , the contestants are nice to each other. They help each other out. And there's very little screaming in people's faces. Because of that love for wholesome, creative and fun reality shows, I was immediately drawn to Making It on NBC, which is my curre...

San Antonio Texas is somewhere I've been for work. It's not a city I'm a fan of. If I'm going to Texas, I'm heading to Austin. While San Antonio has parks, and the River Walk and great places to shop, it's just not my ideal place to travel. However, there is one restaurant in the city, that I'd transport here to Maryland in a heartbeat if I could. There are not many destinations I'd brave a 2 mile walk in 100 degree heat for. It's quite possible that Guenther House is the only one. The Guenther House is an old powder mill on the banks of the San Antonio River. During my last trip to the city - a trip that only lasted 3 days - we enjoyed breakfast there twice. Unfortunately, this trip only included one visit, yet that visit was all together as delicious as I had remembered it. Their menu includes staples such as eggs, bacon and waffles. Though, because they are a powder mill, their waffles, pancakes and homemade biscuits are their specialties...

We REALLY liked the Bubbles! After telling everyone I know how incredibly amazing Spongebob on Broadway is, I feel it’s finally the perfect time to share my feelings with you all.  In short, it is by far the most creative bombshell of a production I've ever seen. I’ve been trying to nail down my feelings on it for a while, and I’m not sure what I can say to make you understand just how much I adored every thing about this piece. I’ve been listening to people say almost the exact thing, for months but thought they were being overly excited. After the first number, I was on the same very happy train with every other reviewer that's seen the show. In the words of Maria, Let’s start at the very beginning… The moment I walked into the Palace theater, I could tell Spongebob would be an entirely different show than I’d ever seen. From the neon-lit flowers hanging from the ceiling, to the netting and other scraps that were covering almost every visible surface, I was plun...