Pain in the Neck

I've been struggling with this stubborn herniated disc in my neck for about 14 months now.

I have tried almost everything to fix it -- including, but not limited to:

-non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds
-multiple Medrol dose packs
-muscle relaxants
-wearing a soft cervical collar
-various types of massage
-two epidural steroid injections
-three different physical therapists
-two acupuncturists
-a Chinese medicine/herb doctor
-a Chiropractor
-two Orthopedists
-two Physiatrists

Unfortunately, none of that worked.

So yesterday I bit the bullet and had surgery.

I found a terrific neurosurgeon, Dr. Robert Snow at Cornell, and he preformed a posterior microdiscectomy. (Here's a non-graphic, animated youtube illustration/video of the procedure if you're interested.)

I'm feeling OK today. I have a lot of pain from the surgery, but am optimistic that this operation will fix all of my neck-related issues.

A thumbs up in the hospital yesterday after surgery:I'll be taking a little time off from the blog to rest and recover, but will be back as soon as I don't look/feel like Frankenstein.

À bientôt...

Monty Monday - Bandana Styles

We're just back from a few glorious days on Nantucket.

Monty couldn't come with, but Chappy's family gave us a little gift to bring back home -- a custom embroidered bandana for dogs with cheery summertime design:Last night I decided Monty should try it on.

He looked mighty handsome with the bandana tied traditionally:But what fun is that? I experimented with some alternative bandana tying methods...

Like a 'do-rag':Or a Babushka-style headscarf:I tried to make the bandana into a headband, but it ended up looking more like Monty had a toothache:But this one is my personal favorite -- the bank robber style bandana:Somehow I don't think it would be a successful disguise if Monty ever decided to become a stick up man.

After testing half a dozen tying techniques, I took the bandana off. Monty promptly came up with his own new use for the accessory -- a blanket!:

Post-Game Party Report

Last weekend I headed out to Yankee Stadium to see Paul McCartney in concert. I'm not the biggest Beatles fan, but Paul won me over during this concert - he was energetic, enthusiastic, and totally rocked!:Yankee Stadium was filled with 40,000 screaming fans who sang along to hits like 'Maybe I'm Amazed; 'Let It Be', 'Blackbird', and 'Hey Jude':Paul was chatty with the crowd and cracked a few jokes like, 'Who is this Derek Jeter guy? I heard he has more hits than me!"

We had a lot of fun that night, and Chappy ended up in Cindy Adams for his concert appearance.

I saw the Mariinsky Ballet, visiting from St. Petersburg, perform Anna Karenina. The Mariinsky's shows were held in the Metropolitan Opera House, and I got a sweet side box seat:The story was tragic and intense, but the dancing was exquisite. I'm not a ballet connoisseur, but the Mariinsky's dancers looked flawless to me. Their orchestra and ballet come to NYC about once a year -- if you haven't seen them before, please go (...you know I'll be there every single night when Gergiev and the orchestra come to Carnegie Hall in the fall).

Out on Lincoln Center's newly revamped plaza, they were showing a giant video art reel that night:I was happy to get a little art movie fix and a little dancing fountain show during the ballet's interval.

Caramoor, a preforming arts venue in Northern Westchester, held an afternoon recital called 'Mahler's Vienna'. Here's mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and baritone Kelly Markgraf singing 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn':I love Caramoor's Venetian Theater - apart from the pretty Italianate architecture, it's also an outdoor venue. It doesn't get much better for me than listening to Mahler al fresco.

I took a stroll around Caramoor's property and thought their sunken garden was especially lovely: I hope to go back later in the season for some picnicking and an evening show.

Mel's Spicy Cucumber Salad

Last week I got pounds and pounds of cucumbers in my farm share -- there were some regular green slicing cucumbers and some fancy heirloom Boothby Blonde cucumbers. I decided to combine them to make a refreshing, cold salad with an added crunch of nuts.

I love spicy food, and the jalapeno and red pepper give this recipe quite a kick. If you're not into the heat, just tone down those two ingredients. The Boothby cucs were a little firmer than the standard slicing ones, and the difference in texture gave this salad a nice, added contrast. I've adapted the recipe from Cooking Light to make it my own. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
* 4 cups of peeled, thinly sliced cucumbers, halved lengthwise.
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 cup rice vinegar
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper - seeds/ribs removed
* 3 tablespoons minced red onion
* 3 tablespoon chopped dry-roasted peanuts


* Place the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle them with salt. Mix well and let drain for 30 minutes.


* Rinse cucumber slices well. Drain and then place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.

The slices should look like this after being salted, rinsed, and patted dry:* Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until the mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 12-15 minutes). Remove mixture from heat and allow it to cool. Stir in jalapeno and red onion.

* Combine cucumbers and vinegar reduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts. Voila!:

Iceland - Part II

We set out from Reykjavik with no real plans other than a desire to drive around Iceland's entire ring road on an ambitious 832 mile road trip. We had a map, some snacks, and a radio and figured the rest of the details would fall into place...

We drove southeast and quickly came across Eyjafjallajokull, the active and stubborn volcano that disrupted air traffic in Europe for weeks last year. It looked pretty innocuous here:But check out the exact same vista a year ago - note the same farm buildings in the foreground: There didn't seem to be any obvious lasting effects from the volcano's past eruption; the land surrounding it looked healthy and fertile.

Miles and miles of fields were covered in Arctic Lupine, a beautiful purple flower that shimmered when the breeze blew:
And there was a whole lot of bright green in this part of the country - in the grassy fields and half-way up the mini mountains:The ring road is the main artery throughout Iceland, but occasionally there are small, unpaved roads that branched off of the ring road. We decided to follow a few to see what we'd find. Sometimes we found a gas station (helpful!), sometimes a little village with shopping (fun!), and sometimes we'd accidentally end up in someone's front yard, complete with their very own waterfall:I'm all for peace, quiet, and country living, but that little house on the far left is a bit too remote even for me.

Back on the ring road we'd heard Vatnajökull glacier in the east was the biggest and best in the country, so we chugged along until we found this enormous mass of ice that covers 8% of Iceland - it was HUGE and kind of hard to miss.

We were there in June so some of the glacier's ice was melted, but it was still one spectacular sight:The sun was low and the light was absolutely perfect for watching the giant chunks of ice slowly float by that night. It was so serene and beautiful - one of my favorite moments of the trip:
We drove onward and upward, heading north until we spotted this impressive looking volcanic beach:We hiked (or more accurately I scrambled/slipped) down to explore the hard black rocks and fine black sand that made up the beach's surface.

It reminded me a bit of the black sand beaches in Maui, but these felt much more prehistoric and wild:After skipping stones into the freezing Atlantic we drove to Höfn for the night. We recharged our batteries and then went off to explore the north and west...

Monty Monday - Wallpaper

I recently snapped this adorable pic of Monty with my iPhone:
It's so cute and sweet that I've made it my wallpaper:That's my little guy's favorite spot in the apartment - right in front of a sunny window with a plush toy. And this wallpaper is the perfect reminder of my pup when I'm on the go throughout the day.

I'm betting I'm not the only one out there who has a cute doggie pic as their mobile phone wallpaper...

Iceland - Part I

I had no idea what to expect when I went to Iceland earlier this month -- I knew about their volcano disrupting a lot of flights to/from Europe last year, but that was about it. My friend and I decided it'd be fun to drive around the entire country (circling their ring road) to really explore this land of volcanoes, glaciers, hot springs, and rocky shorelines. We had a blast doing it.

We started in Reykjavik, the country's capital. It's a small, manageable city that feels more like a town. There's one main shopping street called Laugavegur with quirky boutiques, avant-garde art galleries, and restaurants that serve a lot - and i mean A LOT - of smoked fish:In one of the clothing/accessories boutiques I found this hat. It made me look like a poodle:
The Blue Lagoon is about 45 mins drive from Reykjavik. This geothermal spa is one of the country's most popular attractions, and after bobbing around in its silky, soft waters for a few hours I can see why - it's awesome!:The 'lake' is out in the middle of a lava field and the water was about 100 degrees - very comfortable, like a giant jacuzzi:Because of Iceland's natural resources, the blue lagoon's water has lots of silica and sulfur in it naturally. They had buckets of silica mud that you could slather all over yourself to exfoliate. I covered myself in the white goo and my skin felt terrific afterward.

There's an 'Exclusive Lounge' at the lagoon's spa. For a few extra euros you get your own luxe-y changing room and private shower, refreshments like fresh fruit, chocolate, and espresso, and access to this cozy fireside sitting area:We spent 3+ hours at the lagoon and thought the Exclusive Lounge was well worth the splurge. If your budget allows it, I'd highly recommend going for it.

If the Blue Lagoon is 'touristy must-see #1' in Iceland, then the Golden Circle is 'touristy must-see #2'. This ring of natural attractions is worth braving the tour bus crowds to experience. All the Golden Circle stops are very, very beautiful.

First up in the Golden Circle was Strokkur, a geyser that erupts about every 10 mins and shoots about 80 feet in the air.

Pow!:
Next was Pingvellir National Park, a gorgeous space that's great for hiking and camping - or great for just getting your photo taken in front of it if you're not so into camping:A shot of the scenic valley and river in Pingvellir:
Gullfoss, a wide, massive, powerful waterfall, was my favorite of the Golden Circle attractions. It's so spectacular it left me speechless. Click to enlarge:
We climbed down, up, and around the rocks until we were right next to the edge of the falls. Here I am enjoying the rushing water's sound (soooo loud!) and a little bit of waterfall spray:If you only have time to see one thing on the Golden Circle tour, make it Gullfoss.

After two fun days and nights in and around Reykjavik, we picked up our rental car, the white marshmallow:I used Hertz to book the car, and they were so helpful - they told us not to get a teeny tiny car because of the high winds and torrential rains that often occur in Iceland. I trusted their recommendation and am glad I did. We encountered some serious blustery winds and crazy intense rainstorms, but the marshmallow kept us safe and trucking along - even on the edges of cliffs or on gravel roads.

So with no hotel reservations and no plans at all, we hopped in the white marshmallow car, got on the ring road, and headed southeast...

Mel's Cauliflower Purée

I recently made this simple but delicious cauliflower purée to serve with turkey burgers. Plain cauliflower can be bland, so I wanted to make it flavorful and a little creamy (but not too rich). This recipe did the trick and I'll definitely be adding it to my side dish repertoire.

Ingredients:
* 1 lb cauliflower florets, coarsely chopped (about 5 cups)
* 5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
* 3/4 cup chicken stock
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 4 tablespoons heavy cream
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation:

Chop cauliflower and garlic cloves coarsely.

Combine the cauliflower, garlic, chicken stock, and salt. Bring stock just to a boil uncovered. Cover, then simmer until cauliflower is soft/tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Transfer ingredients to food processor. Add butter and cream and then purée the mixture until it's smooth.

Season with salt and pepper and enjoy this delicious side dish!

Paris Recap

I've been fortunate enough to travel to Paris frequently these past few years. Having done all the requisite tourist stuff - like seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa - I now get to explore beyond the standard guidebook attractions when I visit. Here's a recap of what went on last week...

Museums -

I saw the Zaha Hadid exhibit at l'Institut du Monde Arabe:Zaha Hadid is a modern Iraqi architect. Her designs are cutting edge, and this exhibition was filled with lots of twisted skins and curvy shapes.

The Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion, a futuristic white pod, houses the show in the courtyard in front of Institut du Monde Arabe:
I went to Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, aka The Hunting Museum. Here's a snap of the crowded trophy room:The museum's collection of taxidermy, antique rifles, and sporting paintings is housed in an old mansion in the Marais. If you're into antlers, this is the place for you.

I saw 'L'Art de L'Automobile' - Ralph Lauren's car collection at Les Arts Décoratifs:All I can say about these cars is WOW! Pictured above are two of RL's Alfa Romeos - a 1931 8C 2300 Monza and a 1938 8C 2900 Mille Miglia. The exhibit runs through 28 August; if you're in Paris this summer, go see it.

Shopping -

July is 'SOLDES' season, so we took advantage of the summer sales and went shopping...

I stayed in the Marais this trip and had fun exploring all the little boutiques and side streets in this busy neighborhood. Here are a few of my favorite Marais shops.

l'Eclaireur is a concept store with a well-curated selection of high end labels and hip design. Their interior currently features an installation by artist Arne Quinze:A few others --

For jewelry I especially liked the boutiques Milogis and Laurent Guillot. Their stuff is creative, different, and fun to browse.

Discount shop La Piscine is the Parisian version of Century 21. It requires a lot of patience to comb through their stock, but there are great designer deals to be found there.

For home/interior design, Collection (The) offers hand-painted wallpaper, funky light fixtures, and cool toys. The clean lines of their custom shelving were a particular favorite of mine.

Dining -

I ate very, very well on this trip.

I had some sinfully good cheese at Au Sauvignon, a tiny, lively bistro in the 7ème. Here's our plate of Saint Marcellin 'Barthelemy', a runny soft cheese made from raw cow's milk, and Camembert au Calvados:We had a long, lazy lunch one afternoon at Le Café Marly:The arcaded terrace has a million dollar view out over the glass pyramid of the Louvre, and the traditional French fare, like frisee aux lardons et oeuf poche, is first-rate.

A few other restaurants that I'd recommend --

I love Lebanese food and have always had great luck with the Lebanese restaurants in Paris. One night I ate at Al Dar on rue Frédéric Sauton and would definitely go back. Their grilled halloumi cheese was salty and spectacular.

Noura, a long-time favorite of mine, has recently taken over the restaurant space on the roof of Institut du Monde Arabe. It's a perfect spot to stop in the afternoon for a bite of hoummos and moutabbel with some mint tea. And this is the jaw-droppingly pretty view from their outdoor cafe:We also checked out the scene at L'Avenue and Hôtel Costes -- both venues still pack in a good looking, hard partying, late night loving crowd.

Galleries -

I love the cheeky tile designs of street artist Invader, so his "1000" exhibit at Galerie Le Feuvre was a highlight of the trip for me. I bought this map which details every single one of Invader's pieces in Paris:Next time I'm in town I'll go Invader hunting, but I stumbled on this cute one near to our hotel:Back in the Marais I enjoyed Galerie Martine et Thibault de la Chatre exhibiting 'Chun Clear' by Catherine Bret-Brownstone and Galerie Dominique Fiat's Babel : New Works by Anita Dube.

Paris was great fun this go round -- Je compte les jours till my next my next visit!