Amber & Something's Fishy

This time of year, I start to crave Fish House Punch.

We were friends for many years, FHP and I, and many holiday parties were well and festively spent together.  (Although there are stories out there about people who had too much of a good thing and then woke up with the Abominable Snowman stomping around their heads.)

Wikipedia tells us the root story of my favorite winter punch might just commemorate ladies being allowed into the Schuykill Fishing Club for the first time and that it was concocted to "please the ladies' palate but get them livelier than is their usual wont."  Exactly: being a lady I can say that it is indeed both palate-pleasing and lively-making.

Plus, every cocktail should have its own song.

There's a little place just out of town,
Where, if you go to lunch,
They'll make you forget your mother-in-law
With a drink called Fish-House Punch.

Amber & Is It Wrong?

Is it wrong that when I discover a new Castle on Hulu, I clear my schedule for the evening (even if the things on my schedule were unloading the dishwasher and sewing an obi belt), pour myself a tall glass of Chardonnay, put on some lip gloss and snuggle in on the couch?



And, even if he is sort of developing a strange width to him, Nathan Fillion, you really are ruggedly handsome.  There is more of you to love.

See you tomorrow, world.

Or, really, in 43 minutes.

Amber & Cider

Mulling and ready to be toddied.

Aren't we all?

Amber & Math

Listening to this song...



...plus Fellowship in the afternoon leads to...

How could it not?  Laws of mathematics.

Amber & Hello, My Name is Bloody Mary

With a Wisconsin-style beer chaser.

Amber & The Art of Tray

River House is a long-standing tradition, spanning multiple actual houses, guests, hosts and kitty companions.  But one thing has remained constant: the necessity of Making a Tray.  A Tray can be featured for lunch, a light dinner, or for an appetizer course served while grilling dinner.  Beth, our first 2010 River Guest and an excellent start to the season, is seen here with a lunch tray, featuring garlic- and prosciutto-stuffed olives, cracked green olives, roasted red peppers, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, a baguette, multi-grain chips, genoa salami, marinated mozzarella, sliced pickle, sauteed zucchini slices, and prosciutto bread.

What all Trays do have in common are: a variety of tasty items for picking at, olives or other Italian specialities, some kind of bread or crackers, leftovers from the prior night's dinner which can be eaten on aforementioned bread or crackers, some kind of cheese, and accompanying cocktails.  The quintessence of Tray is really variety, tastiness, and savoriness.  And, ease.  Tray is all about easy deliciousness.  And fellowship.

Diana has raised the Tray game and made it more about antipasto.  And that is fine because it is still about variety, tastiness and savoriness.  And fellowship.

Also, it is about River.

Sorry, Ginger.  Tray is for people only.

Amber & Fred Flinstoning It

Remember how the pterodactyl would squawk (because the boss pulled its tail) and the Fred Flinstone would Yabba Dabba Do It home from work?



Working from the River may not have clear cut spacial distinctions (the table where I am working is also where I will eating my dinner) or pterodactyls, but there are clear social signifiers of the end of the work day.

Yabba Dabba Yuengling!

Amber & What I Did On My Summer Vacation

I took a vacation from blogging this weekend to rest my creative word energies for all of the exciting posts to come when we arrive at the River next weekend.  (Cats!  Cocktails!  Friends!  Happy times in lawn furniture!)  Instead, I used my creative hands energies to sew a bunch of stuff.

First, I made this swell dress/top modeled on Le Sac, which you may remember if you visited me on bed rest.

A few notes about this photo.  First, notice how I match the small decorator pillows on the couch?  Next, have you any idea how hard it is to auto-time a photo of your whole body from your laptop?  A little behind the blog secret?  Sometimes, it doesn't work quite right and quite a few photos are left on the cutting room floor.

(Do you feel closer to me now that I have shared the secrets behind my art?)

And, I made this bolster pillow out of the leg of a pajama that spit at the seams.

I am demonstrating one possible usage to Nick.  Mostly, though, I intend to use it behind my knees.  But, that would have required an even more complicated photography session.  But, you get the general idea.

I also made a bunch of little sacks of cat nip.  But those had to be hidden away as soon as they were made lest they be eaten.

Sew much sewing!  (Get it?  Sew!  Homonyms!)

Amber & Things I Meant to Blog

About a week ago, Diana and I went to my favorite Restorative Yoga followed by beverages and thrice-fried french fries at the Restorative Breslin.  Proper Diet is one of the five central points of the yogi lifestyle.  And, french fries served with cumin mayo are certainly about the most proper potatoes you could ever meet.

While we were there, Diana became inspired by the beautifully renovated space and its animal-theme.  She created art of her own.

I had her take photos of her art just for the very purpose of blogging them.  But then, I don't know what happened but certainly something did.  And I didn't blog.  I am doing it now, but I can't quite recapture the original spirit.  But maybe there is a new spirit?  Like, a backward-looking nostalgic spirit for the days before Diana went to the River House?

My original post concept had me somehow tying in this song.



I don't remember how I was going to do it.  I'm sure it was smoother than this.  But maybe that's how looking back is?  Bumpy?

Amber & The American Passtime

Baseball, rain delays, beer in plastic cups and friends. So fun.
Although could have done without the downpour and resultant wetness.

Amber & Friday Fun Club

Last night, CRD and I enjoyed Friday Fun Club, which has nothing whatsoever to do with Awesome Club.  I don't know why you'd ever confuse them.  They are completely different things.   They have, for example, totally different names.

So many fun things happened during Friday Fun Club, including, but certainly not limited to:

1.  Le Disko

Thank you disco, for becoming what you are today by fusing with glam rock and electronica.  And thank you Kylie Minogue-listeners (you know who you are) for making it happen.  Take that, Bee Gees.

2.  Thai food.

3.  A really nice savignon blanc, full of notes of stuff and a finish with flavors and stuff.  (We have to take that wine class, CRD.)

4.  This.

Overheard regarding an Olympic ice dancing pair, and quickly added to the list of items to remember.  Right next to this whole scene from Awesome Club earlier in the week.



Good times.

Amber & Patty & Bun

You know I love ramen.  After acupuncture, I can't think of anything better to eat on a cold winter's night.

(Photos of ramen and Kirk by James)

Except maybe soba noodles.

But an hour and a half to two hours wait?  You've got to be absolutely insane to even suggest it.

Instead, I tried Patty & Bun which is conveniently located to the A train.  It gets mixed reviews at various foodie sites, but I thought it was a solid burger on a really interesting bun.  And, even though the waitress had never heard of a whiskey toddy, she did her best and it came out pretty well.  Of course, there weren't many other diners which made me concerned for the welfare of the establishment.

So maybe do me, my empty stomach on the commute home from downtown, and yourself a favor and try it out?  You know you LOVE burgers.  (Well, not you, Alison, but they did have a veggie burger which looked pretty good too.)

Of course, I am going to try to go for ramen next week.  Just before the tour bus unloads.

Amber & Second Course

Wine, in the red style.

Amber & You Don't See That Often

This grainy image is of a priest eating BBQ with a non-clerical friend.  Well, there you go.

Spotted at Bone Lick Park.  The country meatloaf was particularly yummy, by the way.  And the mint julep was pretty boozy.  Boozy enough for me to take this photo in the restaurant of my fellow patron, only to discover that my work phone has a flash.  Again: well, there you go.

Amber & Schedule

Where I will be this weekend. Note 5:30's activity.

Amber & Birthday Memories

Thanks to CRD (pictured here with sidecar) for a super duper birthday, complete with periodic well-wishes during the day, "Le Grande Mac & Cheese," and laughter. Once again, CRD to the rescue-- this time sans cheerleader movie.

Amber & Suppenkuche

Bring it on, Bratwurst with sauerkraut and spaetzle. And Congratulations to Marnie and Brian.

Amber & Brunch

Cafe Andre! Bloody good times!

Amber & Pre-Dinner G&T

Never trust a gin drinker.

Amber & Cocktail Hou[r]

C'est arrive!