Month of Fun 2013 Wrap Up

The Month of Fun for 2013 is now over, but as last weekend illustrated quite graphically, there is always spill over into June an beyond. That is a teas and a half, but I'll go into more detail about the weekend's shenanigans later. Let's get to the recap of last month's big fun!

A quick note from last week's blog: Whitey Bulger, it turns out, was hiding in plain site at the Borders Books and Music that I worked at along with Craig, Marie and Phil. I always thought so. It just stood to reason given the general insanity of that store.

For more photos from the MoF 2013, go here: http://dlwarner.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_8369.html

Rock Star

There was nothing crazy like zip lines or hang gliding going on in my life. However, I was able to do a lot of things that I haven't been able to do at all in years. The biggest feat for me was to be useful on a full production set for a whole shift and it didn't put me in bed for a week. Now, I couldn't run around all over the place like a hummingbird the way I could ten years ago. Let's be clear about that. I had to keep my gear in my little rolling cart most of the time. I needed to have a home base where I sat a lot of the time though I was within easy reach of the main action and everything else. There was a great deal of stress from moment to moment along with the crazy surprises that can happen during a shoot. I even managed to find a nice set of crayons for some children who were with visitors to the set and found a nearby restaurant that delivered in that neighborhood for a crew member that only ate salmon (I will never mock the need for a smart phone again). You have to be a rock star every moment on a set, because the only thing anyone remembers is the one time you fail. It was a really fun day. I just wish I could share what I was working on. Alas, that is still top secret.

On a side note about smart phones and filmmaking, they are a miracle. There is so much available from my laptop (they are so in sync that it is scary), I can be on the road and access answers to a problem almost like I was home. I am in easy reach in the laundry room or at the courtyard garden. My paranoia about missing an important call has diminished all the way down to just the bathroom. I am not taking a phone in there!

Food Round Up

I did get to the number one restaurant that I really wanted to try during the Month of Fun, but I'll get to that in a moment. I also did a lot of run cooking and there were many small treats as well. Somehow, I wasn't nearly as decadent as I would have liked. I've become a responsible snacker, I suppose. For instance, I made an effort during the MoF to get up early enough to enjoy a half dozen doughnut holes from my favorite doughnut shot. This man is an absolute genius with sweet dough. Toward the end of the day you can see racks of croissants and other treats proofing for the next day. The down side of his genius is that he is typically out of everything by 10am. To snag something from this heavenly shop, I have to get up and out of the house in time to dash into the doughnut shop and get on the road to wherever I'm going. This MoF, I managed to get there three times! Joy! No, I haven't mentioned the name of the joint, nor will I. There are too many hipsters trolling the neighborhood. They've already found my favorite market and buy up my soup stock fixings. I must draw a line! The other early morning snack I adore is the Sausage Biscuit with Egg breakfast at McDonald's. I don't usually get to have that very naughty meal because it's hard for me to get through my appointments before the end of breakfast at McDonald's. There is nothing worse than taste buds

set for breakfast when the restaurant is set for lunch. Even though they are rare treats, I still make sure I pay for them. I walk two miles for each order of doughnut holes. The breakfast sandwich costs four miles. I never have them on the same day. It's not that I'm no longer a Sybarite. I'm just one that likes to stay healthy.

There were many tasty beverages that I managed to have during the MoF along with the nearly weekly martinis at the Culver Hotel. There were the margaritas for Cinco de Mayo and the Mint Julep and Sweet Iced Tea for the Kentucky Derby. I also got to partake of some lovely Vampire Merlot. And of course, there was a lot of champagne. I am so lucky to be born during the same month as Mother's Day. Champagne is on sale for the entire month!

And then there were the restaurants! The big one that I've wanted to visit for some time was Waterloo and City. It is on the same block as super star chef Roy Choi's A-Frame. The theme is British pub grub. The atmosphere is casually elegant. We went on a Monday, because it's the night of a special menu that includes one of Jon's favorite items, Fish and Chips. My party was convinced that I'd go for the Beef Wellington. I was convinced that I'd order it as well. It was the dish most often mentioned on the cooking/travel shows that included restaurants. However, it had been very warm that day. Somehow. Meat covered in puff pastry wasn't that appealing on a hot day. Instead, I went for a delightful squid ink pasta with shrimp and lobster. It may sound strange, but it was amazing. We all had the sticky toffee pudding. That was really good, but Jon and I liked the same dish at the Culver Hotel Better. Overwall, the restaurant was good, but the company made the evening great.

Cooking during the MoF was all about the tagine. I'm glad that I became a more experienced cook before getting one of these. I would have only used it for Moroccan dishes. That means, it would have had a lot of dust on it between uses. Now, that I know it to be a cooking vessel for tough cuts of meat and a low temperature, I've used it for all sorts of things. Most notably, I roasted baby back ribs in that puppy. They were so good that they needed no sauce. I've used them for chicken parts for the slow cook in a relatively quick time. The possibilities are mind boggling and I haven't really cracked open the cookbook that came with the thing! That was a very good gift for the MoF. But then, all of the lovely, thoughtful gifts this year made me so very happy. They mostly showed that my family and friends really know me well. That's always a fun thing.

For more photos from the MoF 2013, go here: http://dlwarner.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_8369.html

Wrap-up

All in all, it's been an excellent Month of Fun personally, professionally and emotionally. And this was very fortunate as I now have an inbox so scary that it should have me cowering in a fetal position in the nearest closet. How will I work my way out of this?

Stay tuned!

But wait, I haven't explained what Jon and I were doing sketching nekkid people last weekend. I don't want to short change the event, so explanations will have to wait for the next blog. Believe me, it's worth it.