Scrappy Travels

Recently, I've found myself craving Ramen pretty much all the time. Not the stuff that comes in a styrofoam cup and is full of all sorts of preservatives that assures it'll still be good in the year 2172. Nope, I've actually never even tasted that stuff. I want the good stuff. The soup that chefs perfect over many, many years of practice and recipe-tweaking. A really good bowl of Ramen is deceptively difficult to make. It looks fairly simple - noodles, broth, protein and some veggies. However, the broth - like most broths - is most important. If you don't have good broth, then the Ramen will be just as bad. And a good broth can have dozens of ingredients simmered and boiled to perfection. It's no wonder that few chefs go into the Ramen shop business. However, a few cooks out there have perfected the technique and choose to serve this unbelievably delicious food to the masses. One such shop is Ivan Ramen in the East Village of Manhattan. I first had this pa...

The Tony-winning and hilarious Christian Borle is making his debut, directing the madcap action/adventure/love/comedic story  Popcorn Falls . In the play, 2 men inhabit 20 different roles while telling the story of the struggling town of Popcorn Falls, where the famous waterfall has all dried up. Knowing Borle's humor, the piece sounds tailor made for him, and if he weren't directing it, I'm sure he'd be in it. Popcorn Falls opened its first preview last evening, at the Davenport Theatre; a tiny off-Broadway theatre holding about 120 seats. Unfortunately, most of those seats were empty today. But I'm assuming they will soon be full because judging what I saw the show is practically perfect. I'm owning up the empty seats to the fact the show isn't out of previews yet. We only saw it so early in its run because we were hoping to see Christian in the audience prepping last minute notes. Alas, he was not to be seen sadly. The show however, was wonderful...

Big Cork Vineyards Summer Bash Reading: I just finished "Towers Falling" which, while not perfect is a great way to open a dialogue with kids about September 11. I'm about to start "Less" which is supposed to be hilarious. I definitely need the humor after reading such a serious book. Judging: My Ravens who beat the Bills 41 - 3 last weekend, pretty much flopped in primetime last night. What the heck? They usually don't look that tired until well past the second game of the season. Planning: There are so many BIG plans in the works, that my little brain is working in overdrive. I'm excited to see where they go! Getting Over: I suppose you can say that I'm pretty much OVER today. Work was not my favorite. So many things blew up that it felt like I worked in bomb disposal instead of instructional design. Can I just hit the lottery already and travel the world for a living? Listening to: I'm currently still living my best life as a S...

On September 11, 2001, in Gander New Foundland, it was a day like any other. That is until US airspace closed because of the terror attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC. When that happened, 38 planes diverted to the largest airport in Canada. Thousands of people from all over the world, made Gander Newfoundland - a town of about 7000 - home for almost a week until the airspace reopened. During that time, the people of Gander and the surrounding counties opened their hearts and their doors to those that were stranded. Ganderites provided a safe haven by feeding the passengers, and allowing the strangers to sleep and wash in their homes. In a remarkable outpouring of kindness, those in Gander shared comfort, love and hope to many who just wanted to be home with their own families.  The story of September 12 and beyond in Gander is portrayed in the blockbuster musical Come From Away , which just so happens to be one of my most favorite shows ever. The fact that ...

One of my very favorite things to do in New York City, is to wander. According to many of my friends I don't often choose to do this wandering at the correct time. It turns out they don't prefer walking miles and miles in 900 degree weather. It's just not their thing.    I, on the other hand, can walk for hours in whatever weather. You see, the best parts of the city aren't the tourist traps. It's the little details around each and every corner. Buildings are more intricate. The street art is more vibrant. And I'm always able to find something new.    Every once in a while, the friends that hate this weather, do indulge me and that's often when we find the coolest things. That was the case last month. Even though August is the hottest month ever. Even though the sun was blazing. Even though the bestie had a bum toe. We still managed to see all sorts of new and wonderful sites in the Lower East Side.    If you're headed to New Yor...

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...

August Reads Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani: I've sort of become obsessed with graphic novels, especially when they're as creative as "Pashmina". This is a beautiful example of an important story creatively told. The Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford: I'm just so in love with this series. The story is a perfect mixture of mystery and fantasy. Can't wait to read the next! Nice Work if you can Get It by Celia Imrie: I'm a big fan of British books and travel books. This is a mixture of both. A British book based in Nice France, while also including a bit of a mystery. It's super cute and the perfect beachy read! Flora and Ulysses - The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo: This story of a girl and her superhero squirrel is just the cutest. If catchphrases are a sign of how much someone enjoys a book, my incessant use of the phrase "Holy Bagumba" should tell you just how much I loved it. The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane ...

June Reads As is most of the summer, June was a very good month for books! All by Myself, Alone by Mary Higgins Clark: I'm a year behind on her books because I refuse to buy them in hardback anymore, yet I still get sucked into each and every one. They're all pretty much the same, but they're the perfect summer fare. The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro: This is the second in a series of Young Adult - focused Sherlock Holmes stories. Each book is sort of like the original but with a modern twist. The series is fantastic! Winterhouse by Ben Guterson: I wanted it to be as good as "Greenglass House", but it just wasn't. It was however, pretty entertaining. The Summer Seaside Kitchen by Jenny Colgan: Colgan is my very favorite British author and I hope she continues to write for years and years to come. I get so engrossed in her stories of England, that my heart starts to yearn for Great Britain. This book was no different. I'm now secret...

May Reads The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle: I'm not a huge fan of his "Better Nate than Ever" series, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one. But I loved it!  I raced my way through it and was super sad when it was over. I believe it's meant for young adults too so that's my young adult pick for the month of May. Hello NY by Julia Rothman: This book is a New York City lover's dream. It's an illustrated guide to the best parts of the city - according to the author. I finished it in about an hour, but I just loved it. And that right there is all I read in the month of May - super sad!  Though if we're counting, I bought the equivalent of a metric ton in books to read this summer. Does that count? May Travels May was spent mostly in Maryland with two side trips to New York City. The plan was to only take one overnight side trip, but when you manage to get tickets to The Boys in the Band AND Me and My Girl , you ...