I research stuff. It is what I do. So, when I found out I was pregnant, I started the quest for the best. I know that no one is the perfect parent, but I wanted to be prepared. My friend is due in June and I promised I would write down all of the stuff we got and tell her what we bought and registered for and why.
You get all sorts of advice about what will be "lifesavers," but really, each little baby and the set of parents that go with him or her are very different. Here is what worked and didn't for us.
KEEPING TRACK: Let me just say that you are very tired and overwhelmed that you went into the hospital with two people and came out as three. It is a crazy idea, really. You are used to your routines and how you do things and all of this has been turned upside down. Our number one "lifesaver" was the Baby Connect App where you can keep track of feedings, sleep and diapers. This app even lets you log what color the poop was, though Jamie and I tired very quickly of this feature because we could never agree on what color was in the little darling's diaper. Bailey had to eat every hour and we had to be careful to make sure we were getting enough in her. It has a graphing feature that tells you how many diapers you went through in a day and how many ounces your baby ate that day. We took it to the doctor and she asked us how much Bailey was eating and Jamie pulled out the ipad and told her the exact amount. As he was graphing, she looked at him and said, "why don't you just give me a ballpark." I don't think she was quite as impressed. We took a break from writing everything down, but now that we are trying to get her into a sleep schedule we have gone back to writing down eating and sleeping. I will say it again...LIFESAVER!
BABY PRODUCT ADVICE: I signed up for the Baby Consumer Reports and that was the only really useful information I found there and felt like that was a waste of money.
SWADDLING: I got the Miracle Blanket (actually two of them) and took one to the hospital. The nurses sort of laugh at those things and this was especially true because Miss B was so small. This thing was so big that it was hard to get it tight enough. The nurses laugh at these because they can swaddle like no body's business and could probably do it with a cocktail napkin. WATCH THEM CLOSELY! You are very sleepy and overwhelmed, but this is a lesson to learn before you get home. If your baby is a normal size you can cheat and use the Miracle Blanket and it makes it much more idiot-proof.
MONITOR: We got the Sony Baby Call and we HATED it. We got it because our friends had one, but they live in Jersey with lots of space and in small apartments we found that the feedback is horrible and every time we would walk by there was a loud screaming noise that (not to mention the static) would send the dogs into a barking fit. We now have the Philips AVENT Basic Baby Monitor with DECT Technology and we love it. It is quite until she cries and it has these great blue lights that show when she is fussing. It also has a feature where you can talk to the baby from the monitor station, which will be nice when she is older.
SWING: Every parent I know told me that we would need a swing and they were right. A swing was my first nursery registry, even though it was a pricey item. I heard about the million dollars that people spent on batteries (that eventually end up in a landfill), so my first requirement was that it plugged in. We registered for the Fisher Price Rainforest Open-Top Cradle Swing because the reviews were decent and I liked how it looked. We got and put it together and practiced with our dog Copper. He was not thrilled, so we borrowed a friend's 6 month old. Two days later, it stopped working. We turned it on and NOTHING. We of course didn't have the box any longer, so I creatively packaged it up and sent it back to Amazon for a full refund. Bailey was to come in two weeks and we just decided we would wait and see if we needed one. Well, we needed one. Hesitant to go back to Fisher Price, but again, this had the best reviews, we went with the Fisher Price Luv U Zoo Swing (http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Luv-Zoo-Cradle-Swing/dp/B0042D69WO/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1331264221&sr=1-1) with AC adapter and it has worked like a charm for five months. I mean, we have really used this thing. Bailey has slept five hours at a time in this sucker.
BOPPY: This was great for parking her when she was small and terrific for breastfeeding to prop her up so my arm didn't fall off while feeding. I recommend getting an additional cover.
BATHING:I was big on space saving and I had looked on some Urban Moms websites and they said not to buy one of those big plastic bathtubs. I am glad I listened. I registered for one of those sponges that you put in the tub or sink and lay the baby on it but once it got here, I got freaked out that the little baby would poop on it and how could we ever use it again after that? So, back to the drawing board I went and I got this great little seat that reclines them back and looked safe and sturdy and like it wouldn't take up much room. This thing was terrific because I was terrified of bathing this little 4 and a half pound baby, so we did it in the sink at first. This allows you to do the bath too. The only thing I didn't like is that two of the little stopper feet came off and we could never get them back in, but the baby's weight keeps it from slipping.
BOUNCY CHAIR: This essential item is where Miss B spent a good bit of time these first few months. Someone gave us one as a hand-me-down and it was great at first (Fisher Price Ocean Womders), but the vibrator part stopped working and as she got more interested in stuff, there was not much to entertain her...My parents insisted that she have a new one, so we got the Tiny Love Gymini Bouncer. The thing I love about this most is that instead of an archway over the seat (which you have to slid the baby underneath to get them out or remove it) it has these two side arms that have hanging down animals for her to play with. It also has a crab with lights and music that Bailey loves. We are very tired of the song it plays, but there is a setting that makes it so she has to actually pull on the star to make the music play and she can do that now.
FORMULA: I didn't think that we would need formula since I am breast feeding, but this kid is an eater and we are having to supplement. After hours upon hours of reading, I decided on Vermont Organics because I was worried about antibiotics and growth hormones and organic seemed the way to go. I was surprised to find that Similac has an organic formula, but it is the only organic formula that is sweetened with cane sugar. There was an article in the Times that says that once they get used to that sweetness it is hard to get them to take anything else. I compared all of the organics side by side and I just felt best about this one. I think this little Munchkin Formula Dispenser is one of the best $3 purchases I have ever made.
BOTTLES: I had read that the Tommee Tippee Bottles were the best because they were closest to the nipple shape, so I invested in them. They were hard for Bailey to use because her mouth was so small. We ended up using these great glass bottles that my SIL gave us, but Bailey started have major hiccups and I switched to the MAM Anti-colic bottles. They really helped and they are really easy to clean because they come apart.
HIGH CHAIR: I also read when dealing with a small space, not to get a high-chair. Bailey is just sitting up now and eating food, so we got a chair that you can strap to a chair and feed her that way and I think we will be able to use it for a long time. This one is a five-stager and has a tray that you can remove one-handed, which is good when you and the baby are covered in sweet potatoes and bananas...Right now, since she is not much of a wiggler, we set her on the coffee table and feed her there.
I am also making my own baby food and got these ice trays from One Step Ahead that has a top, so you can just load the puree into them and then put them in Freezer bags and pull them out as you need them. We started with bananas, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, avocado pears and peas...she does not like the peas.
CLOTHES: Do not buy clothes until after your shower. People love to buy baby clothes. I had to use serious restraint not to shop, but I am glad I did. We ended up with tons of 3-6 month stuff and only a couple of new born things. Bailey needed preemie stuff at first, so I had to buy her a few things, but we have three drawers of 3-6 month stuff. Just wait to see what you need. Gowns...many people love them and we were a fan when she was tiny but once she did more than just lay there, I found them to ride up quite a bit and they seemed uncomfortable. Gowns are great until their umbilical cord falls off, though. Make sure you have some nice soft hats, they keep the little babe all snug.
Also, I was really intimidated by pulling things over her head at first, so things that snap were great because we could just lay her on them and snap her in. Jamie swears that she should only be in footie PJs because they are the easiest, but now that it is getting warmer, we are all over the onsies.
DIAPERS: We were going to do cloth and loved the idea in theory, but without a washer/dryer in the apartment, it seemed unrealistic. I checked into diaper services and they were inconvenient and expensive. For disposables, I found diapers.com to be the cheapest and I like Huggies Little Snugglers the best. Don't mix this up with Huggies Snug n' Dry. They are not as soft and do not have the wetness indicator on them. Why, when some genius invented a stripe that tells you when your baby is wet, would they ever make another diaper without it? I just wish they had a poop indicator, but we have noses for that. I am not a fan of Pampers and the reviewers agreed with me; there is some weird kind of netting in there that didn't feel so soft.
The nurses swear by the use of vaseline every time you do a diaper change, and we have followed that principle and it has kept her rather rash free. If she does get rashy, we use Sudocrem and it seems to be the best thing for clearing that up but we have Boudreaux's Buttpaste as a back up and that works great too. A cousin of my Dad's created Dr. Foster's Diaper Ointment and I have read that this is the best ointment out there, but since it is a bit pricey, we haven't tried it.
For diaper storage, I got the Dex Baby Toiletries Organizer and it was one of the only things I bought that had lukewarm results. I really like it and it has held up well so far.
We also buy disposable pads that we change her on (again, no washer and dryer) and this has saved a lot of wet changer covers, as she likes to "go" the minute we open her diaper.
SNOT SUCKING: We had a bulb sucker and this works well, but can be scary at first. We also got a Nose Frieda and it was a little harder to negotiate. Babies hate snot suckin and it was hard to keep her hands out of the way whilst sticking the hose up her nose, so the bulb was a little easier. The kind of saline solution that is a mist instead of a squeeze bottle is a must-have too - we use Little Noses...I use Q-tips for booger retrieval and that seems to work well.
CARRYING ALL OF THE STUFF: We were given a Skip Hop Diaper bag as a hand-me-down and we found the magnetic closure at the top difficult and it didn't have the room we needed. We opted for the Diaper Dude and we love it. We found that it has all the room that we need and the zippers are really sturdy. It has a cell phone pocket and a hook for your keys, which is also handy. I really like the way it drapes across your body instead of trying to carry it on one shoulder, which can be difficult to do when you are out and about. We got the one with the dragon on it.
THE PLAN: I waited until both of my showers were over and then I decided what I really thought we would need. I wanted her room decorated and finished, so I bought a hamper, registered for sheets and did the curtains and changing table myself. I also bought things like nail trimmers and baby Tylenol so we would be prepared.
OTHER THINGS NOT TO BUY UNTIL AFTER YOUR SHOWER:
Blankets - we got a million and they are all unique and beautiful, but she will never be cold.
Teddy bears - people also like to buy bears.
Hooded towels - these are great, but you will probably get some of these too.
Books - wait to buy your favorite books because you might get them as gifts.
More later, I need to try to sleep before that little baby wakes up.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Happy Cheesiversary!
Jamie and just celebrated our fourth anniversary and the traditional gift for this year is supposed to be flowers. Apparently, the order of gifts is supposed to reflect the investment that the couple gives of themselves to each other. We decided early on that we would make an investment in making memories because the last thing we need is more stuff.
Instead of a dozen roses, we had a very cheesy anniversary. I am not sure what that says about us. For the most part, we were eating expensive cave-aged cheese so maybe that means we will have many years together in the dark. I digress, though, I was going to tell you what we smelled, tasted and saw during our few days of celebrating our anniversary.
We got married four days after our friends Margot and Paul, so on Thursday, we decided to do a Beer and Cheese tasting at Artisanal Cheese. We all trekked waaay over to 10th Avenue and the evening started off with a champagne reception with some of the best fondue I have ever tasted. At seven, we went into the tasting room and met the cheese guru from Artisanal Cheese and the gal from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales to begin the tasting.
There were six different cheeses set up in a clock formation and five different ales in wine glasses in front of us. We were given instructions on how to score each pairing, but it all seemed rather subjective to me. I went in with some preconceptions about pairings – the biggest being if you don't like the cheese or don't like the beer, then you just don't like it, but I wanted really open-minded about it. For instance, I don't like blue cheese - I mean, when I eat blue cheese, I make a rather nasty face, but since we were paying $75 a person, I figured I better at least try it. There was actually one beer that took off some of the “stinky feetness” of the cheese, but I still didn't love it. The rest of the cheeses were pretty impressive, and I appreciated the care that went into it all. The cheese guru made it seem as if there was a cave full of incubators downstairs - he even said they sing to their cheese.
The cheese guru did tell us about all of the benefits of cheese. Although it is high in the calorie department, eating cheese helps in weight reduction as they burn abdominal fat. WHAT? They also help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart diseases. 1. Cheese is a good source of calcium. This is especially true for adults, who tend to have a diet that is low on calcium, leading to a higher chance of osteoporosis. 2. Cheese is also a good source of proteins, which contain amino acids that help with repair of body tissues. 3. Certain cheese like Swiss, Gouda, or aged Cheddar is believed to prevent tooth decay and help against cavities. So, there you go.
About the Cheese (I stole some of the descriptions from the Artisanal Website):
Cantalet is related to the British Farmhouse Cheddars, is a cow's milk cheese from the Auvergne in south-central France. It is weighty, moist, creamy, with a lovely sweet and milky quality. This went extremely well with practically all of the beers. This was pretty close to heaven on a plate and I think I could have eaten an entire pound of it.
Beaufort Chalet D'Alpage is a raw cow's milk cheese made in the Haute Savoie region of France, and its wheels are among the largest wheels of cheese produced artisanally. Beaufort has a natural smear rind and is immediately recognizable by its inwardly-curving sides. While a young Beaufort has a mild, fruity, sweet flavor, the Chalet d'Alpage farmer's variety that we have selected is aged longer and develops a lovely, rounded, more savory note. The breed of cow used to make Beaufort is traditionally the Tarantaise - a muscled beauty that does well in the barn during the winter and under the stars in the high summer pastures. The Chalet d'Alpage version is always rich and flavorful because the pasturing is done high up in the mountains. This was pretty darn tasty too, but was completely horrid with the Punkin Ale and the Bitches Brew.
Goat Gouda makes for a light, creamy version of Gouda. This cheese has a smooth firm texture that practically melts in the mouth leaving a sweet mild aftertaste, compared to the far more familiar and stronger-flavored cow versions. I enjoyed this, but I didn't LOVE it.
Beermat a.k.a. Aarauer Bierdeckel, is a washed-rind artisanal cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. Beermat is bathed in wheat beer, giving it a slightly toasty yet pungent aroma. This $46.00 lb cheese was the most expensive we tasted and it was my least favorite, except for the blue. I was fair to it, though, and even though it got 0 and -1's with most beers, it's taste was much improved by the 90 Minute IPA. And yes, it was pungent, but not in a way that agreed with me.
Tarentaise has been made by John Putnam from organic cow's milk at Thistle Hill Farm in Vermont since July 2002. Based on the Alpage-style cheese Abondance, Tarentaise is fairly firm and aged for at least six months. The flavor is grassy, nutty and buttery; as the wheels age in our caves, the flavor becomes more assertive. Tarentaise was awarded the prestigious honor of "Best Farmstead Cow's Milk Cheese" at the 25th American Cheese Society Conference. This was my second favorite cheese and got the best scores from me across the board - but again, I am leery of this process because it is all based on opinion. The color of this one beautiful - I want to paint a wall that color someday! Do you think if I took a piece of cheese to the paintstore I could have them colormatch?
Quicke's Cheddar is crafted by Mrs. Mary Quicke from the milk of 340 head of cattle on her farm in Devon, England. Her cows produce milk year-round and are grazed on grass for as many as 10 months each year, yielding a more flavorful end product. Quicke's Cheddar is made in the traditional style of English farmhouse cheddars - that is, it is bound in cloth, larded, and left to age for 18 months or more. The result is a spicy, caramely cheese with a hugely complex flavor profile and tight, crystalline texture. This one was pretty delicious too, Jamie's response? Yeah, but is just cheddar. Yes, he was right, but this is not your mother's cheddar and is $17lb.
Valdeón is a rich and creamy, full-flavored cow and goat's milk blue cheese, stronger than Stilton but less intense than Cabrales. The Valdeón wheels are wrapped in Sycamore leaves which contribute to their distinctive appearance and complex flavor. Valdeón was named best blue cheese in a 2003 national competition in Spain. Okay, this is a terrific cheese if you like blue, but I don't. My open mind said that it went extremely well with the Bitches Brew and actually made both of them much more enjoyable - especially since I didn't really care for either.
About the beer (all from Dogfish Head and from what I understand $14 a four-pack):
Let me say first that after hearing this woman speak, I am imagining a group of hippies in Delaware dancing naked around stills. She said that their first beer was made in the back of a UPS truck...hmmm...
Punkin Ale: This was made from roasted pumpkins and brown sugar and I love that they call it "punkin." I thought it was delicious, but Jamie thought it was a little sweet. What I liked was that it wasn't soooo sweet - there was just a hint of pumpkin in there without making it too sweet. It would probably fantastic to cook with, although at that price it would be much more tempting to drink.
Midas Touch: Apparently this is an Ancient Turkish Recipe from the 2700 year old drinking vessels found in the tomb of King Midas himself. She called it the holy grail, but I thought it was a little perfumey. It is almost like wine or mead and they recommend you drink it in a white wine glass.
Saison du Buff: This was my favorite and was a collaboration between Dogfish and two other breweries. I have really tasted nothing like it - it was very herby and is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. No, really, it is...
90 Minute IPA: This has been voted the best IPA in America by Esquire Magazine and I believe it. This is a rather high-maintenance process since they hop it for 90 minutes. It has a hint of citrus and raisin and was truly tasty.
Bitches Brew: This was my least favorite, but I am not really a dark beer kind of gal, but I love the backstory...this beer was created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis' album, Bitches Brew and they highly recommend pouring a glass of cool (not cold) in a snifter and listen to the album while drinking. Great artwork on the bottle, btw.
My evaluation of the class is this: At $150 a couple, it was pretty darn expensive for what you got – the four of us went to Carmines afterward for a porterhouse because we were still hungry, but we had a great time.
On Sunday, our anniversary, we did the Foods of New York Tour of Greenwich Village. I cannot say enough about this company…this is the third one: Sushi, which was a sit down dinner and the Chelsea Market/Meat Packing District are the others. My brother and his wife did the China Town Tour, which is only given on Mondays during the day and they raved about it. The tours are very informative and the tour guides know their stuff. Even though we are locals, we always learn something and the food is grand. These well-designed tours take you to places off the beaten path and never take you to a chain. WARNING: Do not eat before you go on any of these tours…in fact – act like you are having surgery and don’t eat 12 hours before!
Our tour-guide Marie, who ended up knowing a girl Jamie dated years ago, was easy going, helpful, exceptionally knowledgeable and very concerned about the traffic. She always put her body between the traffic and the tourists and was ready to dive at anyone who put their foot in the street while she was talking. This is a good thing, I think. I used to work in the area and these quiet little street looks like you will see a horse-drawn carriage any second, but people careen down these streets like they are in the Indy 500 – Safety First! This tour provided history and food which are my two favorite subjects!
We started off with a slice of cheese pizza from the famous Joe’s Pizza on Carmine Street where they use imported Italian tomatoes and Grana Padano instead of Mozzarella. I thought it was a terrific slice – Jamie thought it was meh…I did some research and apparently this is the location that was used for Spider Man 2 for the scene where Peter Parker was fired from his pizza delivery job.
Next we scooted back around the corner to Bleeker Street’s Faicco’s Italian Market where Marie brought us a nice fat Arancini, which is a deep fried ball of cheesy risotto and all I can say is YUM. They only thing is that it was so rich that I could barely finish and I can’t imagine eating more than one. Faicco’s sells these cook to order or you can buy a tray of them and take them home. The reviews of this place say that it is certainly worth planning a day around, unfortunately, it was Sunday and it was closed by the time we were finished with the tour (they close at 2pm on Sundays – probably off having a huge Italian dinner, sure wish that was on the tour). This is multi generation family-owned business and started as a Pork Store and has been deemed the best butcher in the Northeast. Pork you say? We will be back another day!
Off to Oliver’s &Co. This is a French-owned company which is a purveyor of olive oils and condiments. Ooh la la...we said to the first tasting, which was basil-infused olive oil with their fish spice mix on a delicious little piece of Amy’s Bread. They don’t “hurt” the trees when they pick the olives and they press the basil at the same time they are pressing the olives and you could tell. The next yummy bit was like a party in your mouth – it was spread with their Honey Harvest and was sprinkled with their White Truffle Salt. Oh, the salty and the sweet – writing this now makes my mouth water. They suggested that one of the best applications is to sprinkle this salt on popcorn…I can’t wait! Their olive oil is not inexpensive by any means, and we would have to sell our dogs to use theirs for everyday, but when you are using this as a dipper or in a dressing I think it can’t be beat. They also have vinegars, sauces and spice mixes and they also have a website, so you can order from anywhere.
Palma’s Restaurant on Cornelia is high on my list for Italian & Mediterranean and is quaint with a garden area behind. Our tasting was in the little yellow carriage house behind. I had no idea that quite a few historical gems are hidden behind tenement buildings. We went into the house, which can be rented for private dinners where they will cook a meal for you. Marie presented us with ramekins of cauliflower florets which were broken into tiny pieces with currants and pine nuts. This sampling made me really want to go back to experience a menu that changes every day. We will be back!
The next stop was at a restaurant provided a sit-down tasting and a potty break at the upscale trattoria, Centro Vinoteca on Seventh Avenue. This menu was created by Anne Burrell and we were served the roasted corn risotto. We had a glass of decently-priced sparkling rosé and finished our decent sized portion in about 5 seconds. Around us we saw happy people eating huge brunch plates of omelets and hefty French toast sitting under $10,000 chandeliers. We were tantalized by the menu on the chalkboard and wanted more, but the tour must go on, right?
Milk and Cookies was next, and David Schwimmer had his birthday there, but not on the day we were there. The smells alone wafting from inside could put anyone in a diabetic coma – and I mean this as a compliment. We were served an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that melted in your mouth and I think they must put crack in them because I became instantly addicted, not to mention the sugar high. The only con here was that we didn’t have milk to wash it down…sad panda.
We continued our trek down Commerce to the Cherry Lane Theatre and learned some historical tidbits along the way. For instance, even though I had designed at that theatre, I never noticed that there were cherry trees on the streets It made me realize how little I notice when walking around this city. For instance, I had walked by these twin houses that a sea captain had built for his feuding daughters and never realized that they were the same. There are very few windows on the side of the houses that face the garden, so the women would not have to be reminded of one another.
We circled around and ended up at Murray’s cheese, I mean, Cheese Heaven! We tasted four different cheeses, but my favorite was the Ewephoria Sheepmilk Gouda. Oh lordy, this was sooo good! This place definitely takes some time to go through and has fresh pasta and ravioli for those who want a jump-start on meals at home. Murray’s also has cave tours, courses, pairing events and boot camp for those who just can’t get enough of their cheese. They also have a plethora of dried sausages and meats and the sopressata was very nice. Marie packaged up the leftovers from the tasting and sent them home with us because we were locals.
Last but not least, we had cannoli from Rocco’s pastry. These are filled to order so the pastry shell was crispy and the filling has a hint of cinnamon – if that was not enough, it was then topped with mini chocolate chips.
So, there you go, folks. Two cheesy tours, two cheesy reviews…now, go eat some cheese.
Instead of a dozen roses, we had a very cheesy anniversary. I am not sure what that says about us. For the most part, we were eating expensive cave-aged cheese so maybe that means we will have many years together in the dark. I digress, though, I was going to tell you what we smelled, tasted and saw during our few days of celebrating our anniversary.
We got married four days after our friends Margot and Paul, so on Thursday, we decided to do a Beer and Cheese tasting at Artisanal Cheese. We all trekked waaay over to 10th Avenue and the evening started off with a champagne reception with some of the best fondue I have ever tasted. At seven, we went into the tasting room and met the cheese guru from Artisanal Cheese and the gal from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales to begin the tasting.
There were six different cheeses set up in a clock formation and five different ales in wine glasses in front of us. We were given instructions on how to score each pairing, but it all seemed rather subjective to me. I went in with some preconceptions about pairings – the biggest being if you don't like the cheese or don't like the beer, then you just don't like it, but I wanted really open-minded about it. For instance, I don't like blue cheese - I mean, when I eat blue cheese, I make a rather nasty face, but since we were paying $75 a person, I figured I better at least try it. There was actually one beer that took off some of the “stinky feetness” of the cheese, but I still didn't love it. The rest of the cheeses were pretty impressive, and I appreciated the care that went into it all. The cheese guru made it seem as if there was a cave full of incubators downstairs - he even said they sing to their cheese.
The cheese guru did tell us about all of the benefits of cheese. Although it is high in the calorie department, eating cheese helps in weight reduction as they burn abdominal fat. WHAT? They also help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart diseases. 1. Cheese is a good source of calcium. This is especially true for adults, who tend to have a diet that is low on calcium, leading to a higher chance of osteoporosis. 2. Cheese is also a good source of proteins, which contain amino acids that help with repair of body tissues. 3. Certain cheese like Swiss, Gouda, or aged Cheddar is believed to prevent tooth decay and help against cavities. So, there you go.
About the Cheese (I stole some of the descriptions from the Artisanal Website):
Cantalet is related to the British Farmhouse Cheddars, is a cow's milk cheese from the Auvergne in south-central France. It is weighty, moist, creamy, with a lovely sweet and milky quality. This went extremely well with practically all of the beers. This was pretty close to heaven on a plate and I think I could have eaten an entire pound of it.
Beaufort Chalet D'Alpage is a raw cow's milk cheese made in the Haute Savoie region of France, and its wheels are among the largest wheels of cheese produced artisanally. Beaufort has a natural smear rind and is immediately recognizable by its inwardly-curving sides. While a young Beaufort has a mild, fruity, sweet flavor, the Chalet d'Alpage farmer's variety that we have selected is aged longer and develops a lovely, rounded, more savory note. The breed of cow used to make Beaufort is traditionally the Tarantaise - a muscled beauty that does well in the barn during the winter and under the stars in the high summer pastures. The Chalet d'Alpage version is always rich and flavorful because the pasturing is done high up in the mountains. This was pretty darn tasty too, but was completely horrid with the Punkin Ale and the Bitches Brew.
Goat Gouda makes for a light, creamy version of Gouda. This cheese has a smooth firm texture that practically melts in the mouth leaving a sweet mild aftertaste, compared to the far more familiar and stronger-flavored cow versions. I enjoyed this, but I didn't LOVE it.
Beermat a.k.a. Aarauer Bierdeckel, is a washed-rind artisanal cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. Beermat is bathed in wheat beer, giving it a slightly toasty yet pungent aroma. This $46.00 lb cheese was the most expensive we tasted and it was my least favorite, except for the blue. I was fair to it, though, and even though it got 0 and -1's with most beers, it's taste was much improved by the 90 Minute IPA. And yes, it was pungent, but not in a way that agreed with me.
Tarentaise has been made by John Putnam from organic cow's milk at Thistle Hill Farm in Vermont since July 2002. Based on the Alpage-style cheese Abondance, Tarentaise is fairly firm and aged for at least six months. The flavor is grassy, nutty and buttery; as the wheels age in our caves, the flavor becomes more assertive. Tarentaise was awarded the prestigious honor of "Best Farmstead Cow's Milk Cheese" at the 25th American Cheese Society Conference. This was my second favorite cheese and got the best scores from me across the board - but again, I am leery of this process because it is all based on opinion. The color of this one beautiful - I want to paint a wall that color someday! Do you think if I took a piece of cheese to the paintstore I could have them colormatch?
Quicke's Cheddar is crafted by Mrs. Mary Quicke from the milk of 340 head of cattle on her farm in Devon, England. Her cows produce milk year-round and are grazed on grass for as many as 10 months each year, yielding a more flavorful end product. Quicke's Cheddar is made in the traditional style of English farmhouse cheddars - that is, it is bound in cloth, larded, and left to age for 18 months or more. The result is a spicy, caramely cheese with a hugely complex flavor profile and tight, crystalline texture. This one was pretty delicious too, Jamie's response? Yeah, but is just cheddar. Yes, he was right, but this is not your mother's cheddar and is $17lb.
Valdeón is a rich and creamy, full-flavored cow and goat's milk blue cheese, stronger than Stilton but less intense than Cabrales. The Valdeón wheels are wrapped in Sycamore leaves which contribute to their distinctive appearance and complex flavor. Valdeón was named best blue cheese in a 2003 national competition in Spain. Okay, this is a terrific cheese if you like blue, but I don't. My open mind said that it went extremely well with the Bitches Brew and actually made both of them much more enjoyable - especially since I didn't really care for either.
About the beer (all from Dogfish Head and from what I understand $14 a four-pack):
Let me say first that after hearing this woman speak, I am imagining a group of hippies in Delaware dancing naked around stills. She said that their first beer was made in the back of a UPS truck...hmmm...
Punkin Ale: This was made from roasted pumpkins and brown sugar and I love that they call it "punkin." I thought it was delicious, but Jamie thought it was a little sweet. What I liked was that it wasn't soooo sweet - there was just a hint of pumpkin in there without making it too sweet. It would probably fantastic to cook with, although at that price it would be much more tempting to drink.
Midas Touch: Apparently this is an Ancient Turkish Recipe from the 2700 year old drinking vessels found in the tomb of King Midas himself. She called it the holy grail, but I thought it was a little perfumey. It is almost like wine or mead and they recommend you drink it in a white wine glass.
Saison du Buff: This was my favorite and was a collaboration between Dogfish and two other breweries. I have really tasted nothing like it - it was very herby and is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. No, really, it is...
90 Minute IPA: This has been voted the best IPA in America by Esquire Magazine and I believe it. This is a rather high-maintenance process since they hop it for 90 minutes. It has a hint of citrus and raisin and was truly tasty.
Bitches Brew: This was my least favorite, but I am not really a dark beer kind of gal, but I love the backstory...this beer was created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis' album, Bitches Brew and they highly recommend pouring a glass of cool (not cold) in a snifter and listen to the album while drinking. Great artwork on the bottle, btw.
My evaluation of the class is this: At $150 a couple, it was pretty darn expensive for what you got – the four of us went to Carmines afterward for a porterhouse because we were still hungry, but we had a great time.
On Sunday, our anniversary, we did the Foods of New York Tour of Greenwich Village. I cannot say enough about this company…this is the third one: Sushi, which was a sit down dinner and the Chelsea Market/Meat Packing District are the others. My brother and his wife did the China Town Tour, which is only given on Mondays during the day and they raved about it. The tours are very informative and the tour guides know their stuff. Even though we are locals, we always learn something and the food is grand. These well-designed tours take you to places off the beaten path and never take you to a chain. WARNING: Do not eat before you go on any of these tours…in fact – act like you are having surgery and don’t eat 12 hours before!
Our tour-guide Marie, who ended up knowing a girl Jamie dated years ago, was easy going, helpful, exceptionally knowledgeable and very concerned about the traffic. She always put her body between the traffic and the tourists and was ready to dive at anyone who put their foot in the street while she was talking. This is a good thing, I think. I used to work in the area and these quiet little street looks like you will see a horse-drawn carriage any second, but people careen down these streets like they are in the Indy 500 – Safety First! This tour provided history and food which are my two favorite subjects!
We started off with a slice of cheese pizza from the famous Joe’s Pizza on Carmine Street where they use imported Italian tomatoes and Grana Padano instead of Mozzarella. I thought it was a terrific slice – Jamie thought it was meh…I did some research and apparently this is the location that was used for Spider Man 2 for the scene where Peter Parker was fired from his pizza delivery job.
Next we scooted back around the corner to Bleeker Street’s Faicco’s Italian Market where Marie brought us a nice fat Arancini, which is a deep fried ball of cheesy risotto and all I can say is YUM. They only thing is that it was so rich that I could barely finish and I can’t imagine eating more than one. Faicco’s sells these cook to order or you can buy a tray of them and take them home. The reviews of this place say that it is certainly worth planning a day around, unfortunately, it was Sunday and it was closed by the time we were finished with the tour (they close at 2pm on Sundays – probably off having a huge Italian dinner, sure wish that was on the tour). This is multi generation family-owned business and started as a Pork Store and has been deemed the best butcher in the Northeast. Pork you say? We will be back another day!
Off to Oliver’s &Co. This is a French-owned company which is a purveyor of olive oils and condiments. Ooh la la...we said to the first tasting, which was basil-infused olive oil with their fish spice mix on a delicious little piece of Amy’s Bread. They don’t “hurt” the trees when they pick the olives and they press the basil at the same time they are pressing the olives and you could tell. The next yummy bit was like a party in your mouth – it was spread with their Honey Harvest and was sprinkled with their White Truffle Salt. Oh, the salty and the sweet – writing this now makes my mouth water. They suggested that one of the best applications is to sprinkle this salt on popcorn…I can’t wait! Their olive oil is not inexpensive by any means, and we would have to sell our dogs to use theirs for everyday, but when you are using this as a dipper or in a dressing I think it can’t be beat. They also have vinegars, sauces and spice mixes and they also have a website, so you can order from anywhere.
Palma’s Restaurant on Cornelia is high on my list for Italian & Mediterranean and is quaint with a garden area behind. Our tasting was in the little yellow carriage house behind. I had no idea that quite a few historical gems are hidden behind tenement buildings. We went into the house, which can be rented for private dinners where they will cook a meal for you. Marie presented us with ramekins of cauliflower florets which were broken into tiny pieces with currants and pine nuts. This sampling made me really want to go back to experience a menu that changes every day. We will be back!
The next stop was at a restaurant provided a sit-down tasting and a potty break at the upscale trattoria, Centro Vinoteca on Seventh Avenue. This menu was created by Anne Burrell and we were served the roasted corn risotto. We had a glass of decently-priced sparkling rosé and finished our decent sized portion in about 5 seconds. Around us we saw happy people eating huge brunch plates of omelets and hefty French toast sitting under $10,000 chandeliers. We were tantalized by the menu on the chalkboard and wanted more, but the tour must go on, right?
Milk and Cookies was next, and David Schwimmer had his birthday there, but not on the day we were there. The smells alone wafting from inside could put anyone in a diabetic coma – and I mean this as a compliment. We were served an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that melted in your mouth and I think they must put crack in them because I became instantly addicted, not to mention the sugar high. The only con here was that we didn’t have milk to wash it down…sad panda.
We continued our trek down Commerce to the Cherry Lane Theatre and learned some historical tidbits along the way. For instance, even though I had designed at that theatre, I never noticed that there were cherry trees on the streets It made me realize how little I notice when walking around this city. For instance, I had walked by these twin houses that a sea captain had built for his feuding daughters and never realized that they were the same. There are very few windows on the side of the houses that face the garden, so the women would not have to be reminded of one another.
We circled around and ended up at Murray’s cheese, I mean, Cheese Heaven! We tasted four different cheeses, but my favorite was the Ewephoria Sheepmilk Gouda. Oh lordy, this was sooo good! This place definitely takes some time to go through and has fresh pasta and ravioli for those who want a jump-start on meals at home. Murray’s also has cave tours, courses, pairing events and boot camp for those who just can’t get enough of their cheese. They also have a plethora of dried sausages and meats and the sopressata was very nice. Marie packaged up the leftovers from the tasting and sent them home with us because we were locals.
Last but not least, we had cannoli from Rocco’s pastry. These are filled to order so the pastry shell was crispy and the filling has a hint of cinnamon – if that was not enough, it was then topped with mini chocolate chips.
So, there you go, folks. Two cheesy tours, two cheesy reviews…now, go eat some cheese.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Trials and Tribulations of letting go of Texas...
So, it is with frustration that I write this Friday the 13th…
Lately, I have been trying to tackle those things that have been hanging over my head. I have finally made a list and am knocking them off one-by-one. Most of those things involve tedious paper work, phone calls or long lines; some of these aggravating tasks involve a combination of all three.
One that has been at the top of this list for some time involves changing my driver’s license over to New York State. I have been here for six years this month, and my Texas License still reflects that I live with my parents on Harper Drive in Marshall, TX. For about five years, my hesitancy to make the change had to do with nostalgia – every time I pulled the license out of my wallet, I was filled with that inexplicable Texan pride, and it made me think of home. Changing over to New York would feel as if some sort of transmutation had taken place and that I have lost a little bit of me somewhere. Jamie says that I am a New Yorker now, and family members say that I “talk like a Yankee,” so maybe that is true. I know, though, I will always be a Texan at heart.
Getting a driver’s license in a small town like Marshall is a relatively painless errand. Shortly after moving to NYC, I lost my Texas license. To get one in New York State without my Texas one to trade in, I would have to apply for a license, give them an organ or two, and possibly take the written test plus the driving test. Driving in NYC can be difficult and scary to say the least, but the thought of doing it while a stranger is watching made my stomach do flip-flops. In fact, my husband still has his learner’s permit and can only drive with another adult sitting in the passenger seat because we just haven’t been up to going through the rigamaroo and hoop-jumping it would take to do the road test.
So, I decided to just get a new one on my upcoming trip to Texas. Traveling to Texas was a bit of a problem, but after presenting my expired passport and an extremely personal pat-down of body and belongings, I made it. When I went to the DMV in Marshall, I did not have the proper documents, but it just so happens that a girl I went to high school with was sitting behind the counter. She hugged me, said “hello,” took my picture and I was out in ten minutes – actually, I lie, make that 20 minutes – I spent 10 minutes catching up with Sherry, who sat behind the counter. She even let me mail the new license to my New York address, so my parents would not have to send it to me since I don’t really live at their house…I just pretend to.
Anything that involves a government office is not so easy in the Big Apple. I will say that there is a DMV two blocks from my office, which is terribly convenient, but that is where it stops being handy. About a year ago, I tried to go in to make the change because a New Jersey cop (this is a whole other story) told me that I was breaking the law; I knew that already, but decided to try to comply. I went to the website to see what I would need.
The out-of-state license must show “the date that the license was issued,” and as luck would have it, Texas is one of the only states that does not provide that information. If date of issue is not provided you must contact your state’s DMV and request a “Driver’s License Record Letter.” Okay, so I went to the Texas DMV site and you can order online – for the mere cost of $24.95. You can opt to have express delivery, but that is another $27.95. A month later, I had that very expensive piece of paper in my hand, I set off for the NYDMV. After waiting in line for an hour-and-a-half, I proudly stepped up to the window to present my documents. Well, apparently, there is a new rule that states that you must present a social security card when applying to change your out-of-state license. Uh-oh…I haven’t seen that thing since around 1991.
That Monday, I said I would be late to work. Forgetting that it was the first of the month at the social security office in Harlem, I waited for two hours in line. I got to the window, and a snotty woman told me that a scanned copy of my marriage license would not do, that I had to have the original. She told me I was welcome to go home and get it and come back and wait in line. Rather than punch her in the nose, I just decided that I would get the card with “Moseley,” instead of “Moseley-Bennett.” I had really been aching to have all of my identification reflect that I have a wonderful husband, but so be it. Three weeks later I received my social security card.
So, yesterday, after nine months, I decided to brave it again. The DMV opens at 8:30 and I got there at 8:15 only to find that the line stretched around the corner of sixth avenue well into the middle of 33rd Street. I sighed, and went to the end of the line. I counted as far as I could see and there were 99 people ahead of me, not counting the people around the folks around the corner, so I stepped out of line…
Today, I went back with a better attitude and I got there at 7:45, armed with ipod and an iced coffee. This time, there were only 25 people ahead of me and at 8:30, the line started moving. Once upstairs, I felt triumphant that any second my goal would be reached, and was fourth in the out-of-state line. I stepped up and the woman looked at all of my docs, only to ask me where my “proof of birth was…” "Well," I said, “I have my social security card, my Texas Driver’s License, my marriage certificate, and all of those prove that I was born. And by the way, are you kidding me?” She replied with a “nope,” and then called me “ma’am.” I have to have either my birth certificate or my passport, both of which are at home. Shit…
Considering that my Texas License does not expire until my birthday of 2012, who knows when I will go back. Maybe Texas just isn’t ready to let me go yet…
Lately, I have been trying to tackle those things that have been hanging over my head. I have finally made a list and am knocking them off one-by-one. Most of those things involve tedious paper work, phone calls or long lines; some of these aggravating tasks involve a combination of all three.
One that has been at the top of this list for some time involves changing my driver’s license over to New York State. I have been here for six years this month, and my Texas License still reflects that I live with my parents on Harper Drive in Marshall, TX. For about five years, my hesitancy to make the change had to do with nostalgia – every time I pulled the license out of my wallet, I was filled with that inexplicable Texan pride, and it made me think of home. Changing over to New York would feel as if some sort of transmutation had taken place and that I have lost a little bit of me somewhere. Jamie says that I am a New Yorker now, and family members say that I “talk like a Yankee,” so maybe that is true. I know, though, I will always be a Texan at heart.
Getting a driver’s license in a small town like Marshall is a relatively painless errand. Shortly after moving to NYC, I lost my Texas license. To get one in New York State without my Texas one to trade in, I would have to apply for a license, give them an organ or two, and possibly take the written test plus the driving test. Driving in NYC can be difficult and scary to say the least, but the thought of doing it while a stranger is watching made my stomach do flip-flops. In fact, my husband still has his learner’s permit and can only drive with another adult sitting in the passenger seat because we just haven’t been up to going through the rigamaroo and hoop-jumping it would take to do the road test.
So, I decided to just get a new one on my upcoming trip to Texas. Traveling to Texas was a bit of a problem, but after presenting my expired passport and an extremely personal pat-down of body and belongings, I made it. When I went to the DMV in Marshall, I did not have the proper documents, but it just so happens that a girl I went to high school with was sitting behind the counter. She hugged me, said “hello,” took my picture and I was out in ten minutes – actually, I lie, make that 20 minutes – I spent 10 minutes catching up with Sherry, who sat behind the counter. She even let me mail the new license to my New York address, so my parents would not have to send it to me since I don’t really live at their house…I just pretend to.
Anything that involves a government office is not so easy in the Big Apple. I will say that there is a DMV two blocks from my office, which is terribly convenient, but that is where it stops being handy. About a year ago, I tried to go in to make the change because a New Jersey cop (this is a whole other story) told me that I was breaking the law; I knew that already, but decided to try to comply. I went to the website to see what I would need.
The out-of-state license must show “the date that the license was issued,” and as luck would have it, Texas is one of the only states that does not provide that information. If date of issue is not provided you must contact your state’s DMV and request a “Driver’s License Record Letter.” Okay, so I went to the Texas DMV site and you can order online – for the mere cost of $24.95. You can opt to have express delivery, but that is another $27.95. A month later, I had that very expensive piece of paper in my hand, I set off for the NYDMV. After waiting in line for an hour-and-a-half, I proudly stepped up to the window to present my documents. Well, apparently, there is a new rule that states that you must present a social security card when applying to change your out-of-state license. Uh-oh…I haven’t seen that thing since around 1991.
That Monday, I said I would be late to work. Forgetting that it was the first of the month at the social security office in Harlem, I waited for two hours in line. I got to the window, and a snotty woman told me that a scanned copy of my marriage license would not do, that I had to have the original. She told me I was welcome to go home and get it and come back and wait in line. Rather than punch her in the nose, I just decided that I would get the card with “Moseley,” instead of “Moseley-Bennett.” I had really been aching to have all of my identification reflect that I have a wonderful husband, but so be it. Three weeks later I received my social security card.
So, yesterday, after nine months, I decided to brave it again. The DMV opens at 8:30 and I got there at 8:15 only to find that the line stretched around the corner of sixth avenue well into the middle of 33rd Street. I sighed, and went to the end of the line. I counted as far as I could see and there were 99 people ahead of me, not counting the people around the folks around the corner, so I stepped out of line…
Today, I went back with a better attitude and I got there at 7:45, armed with ipod and an iced coffee. This time, there were only 25 people ahead of me and at 8:30, the line started moving. Once upstairs, I felt triumphant that any second my goal would be reached, and was fourth in the out-of-state line. I stepped up and the woman looked at all of my docs, only to ask me where my “proof of birth was…” "Well," I said, “I have my social security card, my Texas Driver’s License, my marriage certificate, and all of those prove that I was born. And by the way, are you kidding me?” She replied with a “nope,” and then called me “ma’am.” I have to have either my birth certificate or my passport, both of which are at home. Shit…
Considering that my Texas License does not expire until my birthday of 2012, who knows when I will go back. Maybe Texas just isn’t ready to let me go yet…
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Volunteering in NYC
So, my husband plays D&D on a few Saturdays a year and he is gone from around 11am to 11pm. Since I have a considerable lack of female friends here, or the ones that I do have are busy or are spending time with their significant others, I find that I must create something fun or useful to do with myself. Otherwise, I sit home a little pouty and that is certainly not a good thing for either of us.
My previous activities have included going to Chinatown to get my hairs did (they are done and don't want to do anything different at this time), taking a tour (still a possibility, though sometimes this is not so fun on your own), or completing a project in the apartment (see above about the potential of a pouty attitude). I am looking to do a cooking class, but that is not until evening, so my day is free.
Volunteer, I said to myself, do some good in the community. I began the search only to be frustrated and amazed by the abundance of hoops one must jump through in order to help another human, community or animal out in this city.
I began with the New York Cares website and found a couple of things that would be right up my alley. I could pull some weeds in a park in Harlem or go to Astoria and teach some folks how to use the computer. I am all set to "register" only to find out that you must first attend an "orientation" seminar, none of which are available until August 26th. That sort of misses the mark of volunteering this weekend which is the 14th. Okay, I thought, I will register and go to that orientation seminar so I don't get stuck wanting to help animal or vegetable in the future. Good and done, now onward.
A friend saw my status on FB and suggested that I go to Craig's List because they sometimes have opportunities that might not require a background check, and might provide some "on-the-fly" opportunities. Off to the site I go. Opportunities did abound, but they were not exactly what I had in mind.
1. I could help some 23 year old kid from Westchester find a girlfriend. He is very nice and well educated. So my question is why in the hell is he hoping that someone reading this will automatically see his post and think...oh, I should fix him up with that cute girl down the hall from me...they would make a very cute couple and I know so much about him! Didn't he ever hear of the Craigslist killer?
2. There are plenty of surveys I could fill out - that would be helpful and sitting at my computer answering questions with "sometimes" and "almost never" would really make me feel like I am touching someone's life and building ties with my community. In this category are also testing opportunities at Columbia, but only if you are an active heterosexual who has multiple partners or a black one with fibroids. Since I am neither, that is out too.
3. "Looking for more good people" brings you to a singles website. Ah, well, I don't think that would be very good for my healthy marriage, so I crossed that one off.
4. There was one very sweet post where some guy wants to learn how to ask his deaf girlfriend's hand in marriage in sign language, but I can't help there. If you know sign language, hook this dude up!
5. I could also volunteer for a hair transplant - by that I mean I could get one, not give one...also out or I really would need to head to Chinatown for that haircut.
Okay, so none of these seem like potential opportunities, so I looked at the ASPCA, even though I have sworn to myself, my husband and my family that I would never go in this direction again. We have three rescues - two dogs (one of whom is currently in my lap) and a cat, and it is impossible for me to see animals who don't have a home and not want to do something to remedy that. Most often, that means taking them in. Assuring myself that I could remain steadfast and help without bringing home a litter of malnourished puppies, I went to their website. Well, they too have an orientation, all of which are full until the middle of September with no new dates listed. There is also a $25 processing fee for the application. Okay, it does include a t-shirt, required classes, and after six months of volunteering the required 8 hours a month for six months, you get 20% off at the animal hospital. That might be worth it considering that is where we take our pets and just last week we spent $500 on Mabel's intestinal issues after she ate a disagreeable bone. Really though, all I want to do is pick up some poop, give some animals a little TLC and fill their water bowls. I mean I volunteered in Texas at the ASPCA and did not have to go through all of that, but I did come home with a 99 pound chow-retriever mix name Leo who was headed for the injection room the last day I was there. He eventually went to live with a family on a farm.
On to the NYC Foodback. Good idea, I thought - I would get to touch some lives of real human beings, maybe help peeps with hunger issues. You can only volunteer on Monday through Friday 9:30 to 3:30...well, are most people at work then? The application process there involves giving them your SSN, DL number, your addresses for the last 7 years and previous experience. Wait, they want your previous experience? Does that mean that you should have worked as a grocery stocker? I did wait tables and they do serve food as well, but since this is a weekday only volunteer job, that is out too.
Well, I understand people want background checks if you are working with children, the elderly, or animals. That makes sense, and I see the justification in that. To me, though, pulling weeds in the garden of a city-sponsored old folks home in Harlem, wouldn't warrant a serious look at anyone's past unless, they are worried that you might assault one of the other volunteers. Since they give the address and time, maybe I will just show up on Saturday. If they want to send me home they can...I'll just go get a pedicure and offer to volunteer for the Meredith Moseley-Bennett Foundation.
Jeez!
My previous activities have included going to Chinatown to get my hairs did (they are done and don't want to do anything different at this time), taking a tour (still a possibility, though sometimes this is not so fun on your own), or completing a project in the apartment (see above about the potential of a pouty attitude). I am looking to do a cooking class, but that is not until evening, so my day is free.
Volunteer, I said to myself, do some good in the community. I began the search only to be frustrated and amazed by the abundance of hoops one must jump through in order to help another human, community or animal out in this city.
I began with the New York Cares website and found a couple of things that would be right up my alley. I could pull some weeds in a park in Harlem or go to Astoria and teach some folks how to use the computer. I am all set to "register" only to find out that you must first attend an "orientation" seminar, none of which are available until August 26th. That sort of misses the mark of volunteering this weekend which is the 14th. Okay, I thought, I will register and go to that orientation seminar so I don't get stuck wanting to help animal or vegetable in the future. Good and done, now onward.
A friend saw my status on FB and suggested that I go to Craig's List because they sometimes have opportunities that might not require a background check, and might provide some "on-the-fly" opportunities. Off to the site I go. Opportunities did abound, but they were not exactly what I had in mind.
1. I could help some 23 year old kid from Westchester find a girlfriend. He is very nice and well educated. So my question is why in the hell is he hoping that someone reading this will automatically see his post and think...oh, I should fix him up with that cute girl down the hall from me...they would make a very cute couple and I know so much about him! Didn't he ever hear of the Craigslist killer?
2. There are plenty of surveys I could fill out - that would be helpful and sitting at my computer answering questions with "sometimes" and "almost never" would really make me feel like I am touching someone's life and building ties with my community. In this category are also testing opportunities at Columbia, but only if you are an active heterosexual who has multiple partners or a black one with fibroids. Since I am neither, that is out too.
3. "Looking for more good people" brings you to a singles website. Ah, well, I don't think that would be very good for my healthy marriage, so I crossed that one off.
4. There was one very sweet post where some guy wants to learn how to ask his deaf girlfriend's hand in marriage in sign language, but I can't help there. If you know sign language, hook this dude up!
5. I could also volunteer for a hair transplant - by that I mean I could get one, not give one...also out or I really would need to head to Chinatown for that haircut.
Okay, so none of these seem like potential opportunities, so I looked at the ASPCA, even though I have sworn to myself, my husband and my family that I would never go in this direction again. We have three rescues - two dogs (one of whom is currently in my lap) and a cat, and it is impossible for me to see animals who don't have a home and not want to do something to remedy that. Most often, that means taking them in. Assuring myself that I could remain steadfast and help without bringing home a litter of malnourished puppies, I went to their website. Well, they too have an orientation, all of which are full until the middle of September with no new dates listed. There is also a $25 processing fee for the application. Okay, it does include a t-shirt, required classes, and after six months of volunteering the required 8 hours a month for six months, you get 20% off at the animal hospital. That might be worth it considering that is where we take our pets and just last week we spent $500 on Mabel's intestinal issues after she ate a disagreeable bone. Really though, all I want to do is pick up some poop, give some animals a little TLC and fill their water bowls. I mean I volunteered in Texas at the ASPCA and did not have to go through all of that, but I did come home with a 99 pound chow-retriever mix name Leo who was headed for the injection room the last day I was there. He eventually went to live with a family on a farm.
On to the NYC Foodback. Good idea, I thought - I would get to touch some lives of real human beings, maybe help peeps with hunger issues. You can only volunteer on Monday through Friday 9:30 to 3:30...well, are most people at work then? The application process there involves giving them your SSN, DL number, your addresses for the last 7 years and previous experience. Wait, they want your previous experience? Does that mean that you should have worked as a grocery stocker? I did wait tables and they do serve food as well, but since this is a weekday only volunteer job, that is out too.
Well, I understand people want background checks if you are working with children, the elderly, or animals. That makes sense, and I see the justification in that. To me, though, pulling weeds in the garden of a city-sponsored old folks home in Harlem, wouldn't warrant a serious look at anyone's past unless, they are worried that you might assault one of the other volunteers. Since they give the address and time, maybe I will just show up on Saturday. If they want to send me home they can...I'll just go get a pedicure and offer to volunteer for the Meredith Moseley-Bennett Foundation.
Jeez!
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