Long Overdue

I just realized that I never posted about my incredible spring break. Probably due to the quick turn around between St. Barth's and interviews in New York, I somehow forgot. Anyway, now's a better time than ever, especially since this will be my last post for PR 352!! Finally!

We started the week in Puerto Rico (which I thought was a very odd destination, as I've never met anyone who had been there before) at the Ritz Carlton. The view walking in was incredible. The lobby was spacious and full of windows and overlooking the pool and the beach. Our room was also unbelieveable - we had a one bedroom suite with a living room, dining room and kitchen with a walk out balcony on the ground level over looking the pool and beach with two connecting one bedroom suites. The beach wasn't exactly "bahamian" water, it kind of resembled more of a Port Aransas ocean, but it didn't matter because we stayed near the pool the whole trip anyways.

On the first day (a Sunday), we ventured to a little town where we were told they held pig roasting festivals each Sunday. After 45 minutes of driving through the mountains, we finally reached Wyaccan. It was very interesting and reminded me a lot of Mexican markets that I've seen before, but all the same was entertaining.

That night we ate at the hotel at a New York based restaurant called Il Mulino which was fabulous. The next day, we relaxed at the pool all day long, ate room service and went to bed early because the boys had a big fishing trip planned the next morning. The boys woke up at 6 and went to meet the fishing guide, Armando, at the dock. Around 6:30 we received a phone call that a sting ray had jumped over the boat and struck my brother's friend in the leg -- they were headed to the hospital...After 3 hours and some illegitimate doctoring, we left the hospital with a stingray barb and an injured leg.

After a week touring and relaxing in San Juan, we left Puerto Rico and flew to St. Barth's to meet some family friends on their new sailboat, the Christopher. I think the photos speak for themselves.

Needless to say, my spring break was a blast...can't wait to take a spin on the Christopher when it comes to visit NYC this summer!

FAST FIVE

Although Fast and the Furious and movies of that genre are not typically up my alley, I agreed in my lazy Sunday mindset to join my boyfriend for a viewing of the fifth Fast and the Furious - Fast Five. Let me just say, I was pleasantly surprised.

It was very similar to an Oceans' Eleven type movie, but with a hilarious cast and a "so stupid its funny" plot. Not to mention Paul Walker. The movie was action packed, drama filled, and surprisingly, not very centered around cars or racing which I enjoyed. Although usually I'm more of a Tangled or Something Borrowed kind of girl, I highly suggest going to see this thriller while its still in theaters.

Dreaming about NYC...

After I got my internship in New York, I immediately started researching places I want to eat at while I'm there for the summer. Here are a few I've come up with...

La Esquina - a small little taco "shack" with a little known underground restaurant where the likes of Mick Jagger and Bono hang out at regularly. My parents went here for a friend's birthday party and said it was incredible.

Torrisi Italian Specialties - a small hole in the wall italian sandwich shop by day, a 20 seated italian restaurant by night with a wait list of over a month

The Shake Shack - I saw a picture of their burgers on Eater and immediately started salivating. If there's one thing I love its a cheeseburger and a milkshake and it looks like this is going to be my new hang out.

STK - this place was recommended to my by a friend and the atmosphere looks so NYC chic - the menu also doesn't look too bad ;)

Don't worry...I'll keep you updated as I try them!

The Royal Wedding

I, along with every other girl and woman in the world, wish very badly that I had been born Kate Middleton (or Pippa). They were married in the wee hours of the morning American time last Friday and as I watched it on DVR the next morning, I was much more emotional than I thought I would be.

Kate's dress was stunning, as was Pippa's. The whole ensemble was just fabulous. One intriguing fact was that the tiara that Kate wore as her "something borrowed" was a 1936 Cartier tiara owned by the Queen. I think the best part of the whole day was Kate; she is pure class. Although I've never met her, I feel as if I know her and she is just a regular young woman, marrying the love of her life. What a joyous occasion for the world!

Buried at Sea

Last night, Osama Bin Laden was announced dead. After 10 years of hunting him down, the U.S. Military finally found him, hiding in a mansion in the heart of Pakistan. While this is such an incredible victory for America and provides some sort of closure to families of those who were harmed in the tragedy of 9/11, I do think it is a little odd that his body was given a "proper burial out at sea."

America is going through a celebratory time after this completed mission, yet I do think that I will need to see some sort of evidence to fully believe that the body was actually his, and that this was not a ploy by the government or Osama, and instead of bringing his body back to the U.S., they threw it in the ocean. Not only does he not deserve any kind of "proper" burial, but Americans deserve more details on what actually happened.

Obama is apparently taking all of the credit for this mission, which while he is acting President I guess makes sense, but I do feel George W. deserves to be thanked. I am so happy for everyone who was affected by 9/11 and their families that this ultimate criminal was finally brought to ultimate justice, but I also think that we as Americans deserve a little more detail.

ARW

This past week and this week were the two famous Austin Restaurant Weeks here in town. ARW goes on from Sunday-Wednesday of two weeks during the year in which notable restaurants throughout Austin present sampler three-course menus for either $15, $25 or $35. Its an amazing deal and allows residents around Austin to try restaurants they may not otherwise be able to.

Although it proves pretty difficult to find a week night to go out to dinner for students, we were able to make time last night to venture over to Ruth Chris. Although I've been here a million times with my parents, I rarely the the chance to go to a nice meal without them, especially since my boyfriend lives in a different city. Ruth Chris was a nice change, and although the portions on the restaurant week menu are much smaller, and my mashed potatoes were literally swimming in butter, the steak was incredible.

Last week, we went to a restaurant none of us had ever been to - NoRTH in the domain. It was absolutely incredible...we all got different appetizers to share, all different entrees and all different desserts. I highly recommend it. Some other restaurants I would recommend giving a try during ARW are Uchi, Uchiko, Cippolina, III Forks, Sullivan's and Ranch 616. I also really wish that Eddie V's would join in on the fun, as well as Perla's.

If you haven't visited the website and checked out the menus, I highly suggest you do just that.

J Public Relations

On Monday I received the wonderful news that I got a job this summer with J Public Relations - a San Diego based boutique PR firm with an office in New York (where I will be working starting on May 18).

I'm so excited not only to be moving to the big city this summer, but also to be working for such a wonderful company. JPR specializes in travel and hospitality public relations with clients such as the Fairmont Hotel in Whistler, Canada, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Nobu. With excellent media relations and savvy social media, JPR is really on top of the innovation game in the world of boutique public relations.

I've been to New York plenty of times over the years, but I've never experienced it the way that I will this summer and I'm thrilled to find out what it's going to be like taking the subway to work every day, living in a studio apartment and going out on the down.

Fiesta continued

Another photo of one of the Duchess' dresses from the week...

On Thursday, the San Antonio German club throws a party for all of the Duchesses, their friends and their families. The German is a festive party that used to be held at the San Jose Mission in San Antonio, but now has been moved to the San Antonio Museum of Art on the San Antonio River Walk.

Friday brings the most fun of all of the days. Local schools have a holiday for the Battle of Flowers Day Parade down the main streets of downtown San Antonio. Not only to all of the local schools participate in the parade, but so do all of the Texas Cavaliers, the Duchesses, the Queen and Princess and other local organizations. The whole city comes together for this festive event.

As all of the duchesses pass by, the crowd yells "Show us your shoes" and the girls raise their long dresses to show the original shoes that they have chosen to wear for the parade. Most wear cowboy boots or some other shoes that have some meaning to them.

Friday night after everyone leaves the parade parties and gets freshened up, the Princess and Queen host a party known as the Garden Party. This year the Garden Party was hosted at Red Berry Mansion, an old estate near down town San Antonio.

Saturday night is the last night of Fiesta and its ends with another parade and the Queen's Ball - a black tie event that lasts from 7:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. at the Menger Hotel, a local San Antonio legend. During the Queens Ball, each duchess reserves a hotel room and decorates the balcony with their name and the inside however they please. They then invite all of their friends and family up to the rooms to watch from the balcony as they have a "mini coronation" - their dad walks them around the pool in their train and dress so that everyone can see from the hotel rooms. Its a really special event for both the attendees and the duchesses. Afterwards, the party lasts until the wee hours of the morning and at dawn everyone walks over to the Alamo which is across the street for photos.

The next day is Fiesta Ultimo, one last party that ends the week with a bang.

Fiesta is truly one of the most exciting times of the year for San Antonio, and I can't wait to be a part of it next year.

Viva Fiesta

This past week was an extremely fun and exciting time for my hometown of San Antonio. During the month of April, San Antonio holds a week-long party called Fiesta. Although its proves very hard to explain every time someone asks me about it, I'll give it a try. And although everyone's Fiesta experience is likely very different, I will describe what my family and I participate in throughout the week.

The official beginning of Fiesta this year was on Saturday, April 9 with the King's Ball. Fiesta began much earlier than usual this year due to the fact that Easter was so late. The King's Ball is a black tie event, hosted by the King of the Texas Cavaliers - a group of San Antonio men who have joined together in order to give back to the city. Each year, a new King is selected (King Antonio) and the King, along with the rest of the cavaliers, not only host parties and parades, but visit local elementary schools to talk to the children about the tradition of Fiesta.

On Sunday night, the Fiesta Fireworks take place. All of our friends and their families gather at San Antonio Country Club or another venue to watch the fireworks and participate in fun Fiesta activities.

Monday night begins the real fun with the Texas Cavaliers River Parade on the San Antonio River Walk. Each river barge is decorated with a different theme, honoring different groups and organizations and beads and medals are thrown to the excited crowds. Each year, we sit at the La Villita Arneson River Theater to have cocktails and watch all of the unique floats pass by.

Tuesday is the Town Club Party - an event that I have never been to, but is sure to promise a good time.

Wednesday is the most spectacular event of the week - the Coronation. During this event, all of the new duchesses of the Order of the Alamo are presented and the new Queen and Princess are crowned.

Each girl's dress weighs over 50 lbs. and is decorated to fit a certain theme such as the Ottoman Empire. This years entire court theme was the Court of Timeless Treasures.

more to come later....

LAVO

This past weekend, I made a quick little trip up to NYC for less than 48 hours for a few job interviews. Although it was a pretty hectic trip, my mom and I made time to try one of the newest (and best) restaurants in New York.

Only six months old, we had to make our reservations at LAVO at 6 o'clock (senior special ha!) to get into New Yorks new hot spot (Paris Hilton and one of the Kardashians recently had their birthday parties here). I've never seen so many people eating dinner at 6 p.m. in my life. The awesomely hip restaurant was already packed.

With it's sister restaurant Tao right across the street, this new Italian version has much the same atmosphere and turns into an all out nightclub after 11. Tao and Lavo both originated in Vegas, but have moved to NYC and LA.

We started out with a glass of champagne each and a bottle of red wine - we were determined to stay late enough to not look like the losers who got there at 6 p.m. After an hour of garlic bread and wine, we decided to start out with one of their famous 18" pizzas - it was not round, however, but oval - 18" long. It was delicious - not too crispy but not soft.

For our meal, I had the most delicious, light Dover Sole with a side of broccoli that I think I've ever had, and my mom had a bone in serloin - rare - with truffle fries. Everything was amazing.

We ended our meal with their specialty - fried oreos with a side milkshake. I was in heaven. If you ever venture to New York or Vegas - I highly suggest you make Lavo one of your stops. But make reservations early so you don't have to eat with the old folks!

Travel Wishes and Jet Setter

If I had the means to do whatever I wanted at all times, I would make Jetsetter.com my homepage and choose a new adventure each week. Invented early last year as a spin off of its sister site, Gilt Groupe, Jetsetter offers luxurious hotels for a short period of time at an unbelievably discounted price. While you must become a member to join and see the special offers, all that a membership entails is your e-mail address and a few junk e-mails every day - a small price to pay for the wonderful opportunities you get. A few of my favorites right now...

The Petra Hotel in Greece...

The Gotham Hotel, New York - a new little boutique hotel for an amazing price...

and an event experience...Lollapalooza in Chile, complete with VIP tickets and a hotel

And for a less realistic wish that doesn't appear to be on Jet Setter - - The Vik Retreats in Uruguay...

Estancia Vik

and

Playa Vik

a girl can dream...

Charlie Sheen

While many people may find the new and "improved" Charlie Sheen to be hilarious, I see it as a bad publicity stunt that will have detrimental effects on his family and children for years to come. I personally think Sheen is a selfish prick who lost his job so now has to make an idiot out of himself in order to make a buck.

We all know who he is...the long time star of Two and a Half Men who was famously married to Denise Richards and since has had what seems to be multiple mid-life crises. We heard about his little mis-hap at The Plaza in NYC late last year, yet I don't know if it was just me, but I had no idea how insane this guy is. Even if he is faking it to get some more money, its giving him a really bad name.

From quotes like "my daughters will realize how bitchin' I am and that I sign the front of checks, not the back," to smoking and drinking throughout the entire interview on 20/20 to having two "goddesses" live with him and his children, I personally think Charlie Sheen is an over all scumbag.

http://www.popeater.com/2011/03/01/charlie-sheen-drugs-goddesses-20-20/

Perla's

With its charming blue and white striped outdoor seating, I've been wanting to try Perla's for some time now. I had the pleasure of finally eating there for a late lunch on a beautiful Friday last week and I was not disappointed.

Deep in the heart of South Congress, this little gem is the sister restaurant to one of my old favorites, Lambert's, and also owned by Tommy Moorman, a fellow Alamo Heights-er and the brother of one of my close friends. Moorman opened Lamberts, a gourmet BB-Q restaurant on 2nd Street, in 2006 which turned out to be a huge success. They opened Perla's, which is mainly seafood, three years later in 2009.

While I probably wouldn't recommend Perla's to one who dislikes seafood, there are a few other options, but their main focus is around seafood and oysters. We sat outside on the wooden patio over looking the bustling SoCo and had mimosas and bloody marys while we had an appetizer of calamari with marinara sauce which was incredible. For my entreé, I ordered the Crispy Gulf Snapper a la Plancha which might have been the most delectable fish I've ever had. It was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of sauce and juices.

After an amazing lunch, we walked around SoCo to stores that you need to make sure to stop by: Kendra Scott and By George on Congress - they're both so cute!

UCHIKO

A few weeks ago, a few friends and I decided to try out the new Uchiko - the new sister restaurant to the famous Uchi. Let me say this first, we went on a Tuesday night, and there were only two empty tables in the whole restaurant...that should attest to how totally delicious this place really is.

We started with some tempura nasu - japanese eggplant crisps with some sweet chili sauce - Uchi's own version of chips and dip. Needless to say they were addicting and incredibly tasty. We also ordered the hot rock - wagyu beef served raw with an extremely hot Japanese river rock on which you cook the beef strips. We also got some grilled edamame which had so much flavor you didn't even need soy sauce.

Next we were served a little tasting from the chef - a slice of strawberry paired with a slice of yellow beet. I'm not a huge fan of beets, but because everything else had been so, so tasty, I decided to give it a try and I was not disappointed. The complimentary tastes exploded in your mouth for a special little treat.

After all of our various appetizers, we ordered our sushi rolls - the infamous Shag roll with tempura fried salmon, sun dried tomato and spicy sauce - simple yet amazing; the crunchy tuna roll with bigeye tuna, jalapeño, cucumber, aioli and tempura flakes; and the tiger cry with grilled wagyu steak, toasted rice and cilantro. I cannot tell you which was best because they were all so delicious. I could have eaten 4 more of each.

To finish our incredible meal, we ended with the fried milk. While it sounds a bit strange, it just might be one of my favorite desserts of all time after eating it. It comes with two tiny little donut hole looking things (the fried milk), a chocolate torte, some chocolate cocoa powder and some plain milk chocolate.

After my first time at Uchi, I want to go back until I can try every single thing on the menu, as I'm sure they are all equally as unbelievable as what I had on my first visit.

Funding for Texas Heritage Cut

In light of our new client, the Heritage Society of Austin, I decided a little coverage of the new budget cuts wouldn't hurt.

On February 7, Gov. Rick Perry eliminated all funding in the Texas budget for the Texas Historical Commission. In doing so, this new budget cut will eliminate up to 80% of funding that backs historical sites making it extremely difficult to keep up with preservation strategies.

While its true that the government is facing tough budgeting decisions, it would be a mistake to cut the budgeting backing the historical commission.

The mission of the Heritage Society of Austin is to preserve historical sites and keep Austin from turning into a city full of skyscrapers and high rises. If there was no one working to preserve all of these sites, where would we be today? We would be living in a city with many fewer signs of what Austin used to be and to many people still is - a city rich with history.

Have you ever heard of the Driskill Hotel?? I bet you didn't know that the Heritage Society of Austin raised money to save the Driskill way back when they were trying to tear it down....pretty cool, huh?

The history of our city really is an exciting thing if you take the time to appreciate it.

For more information on the Heritage Society, please visit http://www.heritagesocietyaustin.org/.

Let's Rodeo San Antonio

Tonight after my exciting 3 hour lecture, I plan to drive home to San Antonio for the weekend to enjoy one of my favorite Texas traditions - the stock show and rodeo.

While this may seem totally Texan - cliché, it really is one of the most fun things about San Antonio. People do wear cowboy boots and there are some real hardcore cowboys there, but there are also people like me just there for the fun experience and to drink a few beers and eat some junk food.

Tomorrow night we are going to go see the stock show (which starts at 8 p.m.) and then stay afterwards for the Train concert. Then on Saturday we plan to go to Clay Walker. Not only do I love seeing the shows, there is also the fair ground...

With rides and roasted corn and gorditas and funnel cakes and beer, its like paradise.

The Hunger Games

Since the weather has been soooooo chilly the past few days, its given me a chance to catch up on one of my favorite activities...reading (non-school related books that is).

Over the break I finished The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett which was incredible. This historical fiction is about 1,500 pages long, but took me only two weeks to finish. With the intertwining stories of a multitude of characters, by the second half of the book, its hard to put down. Although gory and sexual, Pillars is ultimately about a monk, Phillip, whose ultimate goal in life is to build the most beautiful cathedral in the world. If you're a historical fiction buff, this is definitely a must read.

Although I'm not big on sci-fi, one of my friends suggested I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins last week and I am already two books deep and 20% into the third - notice I refer to it in percentages (yaa Kindle). I really cannot put these books down. Basically, they take place in a country called Panem which was built on top of the ruins of America after the country was eliminated. From the 12 districts of Panem, two children are chosen from each annually to be placed in an arena to fight to the death leaving one remaining victor. I know, sounds extremely barbaric and weird, and it is, but it is also one of the most captivating books I've read in a long time. Right now I'm on the final book - Mockingjay. I'm entirely obsessed and highly recommend reading them all.

Next on my list...Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo

Hop-duddy??

This past weekend was our mom's weekend and on Saturday after a night on the town, both my mom and I wanted a greasy burger for lunch. Instead of sticking to my all-time favorite, Counter Cafe, we decided to branch out and try Hopdoddy, a new burger bar on South Congress.

Congress is always a beehive on the weekends, but I was blown away by the enormity of the crowd this past Saturday. It took us around 25 minutes to find a place to park, but we finally found one a ways town the street for 5 bucks and a long walk. When we finally got up there (its next to Guerro's and the new Kendra Scott store), the line to order was about 15 people long but we figured it couldn't take too long - its just a burger place. We were wrong.

The atmosphere is very hip - typical of any new restaurant on South Congress. They even have a new method of ordering and sitting down...when you walk in and get in line, a cocktail waitress will serve you drinks while you wait and then another waiter finds you a table, gives you a number and places the number on the table that is ready for you after you're done ordering. Its a nice process in that no one has to stand around waiting for other customers to be done, hovering over their table. The drinks were pretty good too, we had a bloody mary but with their twist; it was a fuschia color with black salt and tasting a little more fruity than usual but with a kick.

After we waited around 25 minutes to order, our stomachs already growling, we sat down. The first to arrive at our table was the Mexican Vanilla milkshake that I ordered. Served with a little whipped cream and cinnamon on the top, it had the perfect thickness and flavor.

..then, about 35 minutes later, our food arrived. They have a nice presentation, each burger comes on a metal platter, the fries wrapped and a paper cone, but after an hour and 15 minute wait, everything could have been better. I had ordered a classic cheese burger, cooked medium rare, plain and dry with chili cheese fries. The fries were the best part. Although the burger was cooked perfectly and the bun was great, the meat had a funky taste that could only have come from their "in-house grinding." It wasn't a rotten or rancid flavor, jut something distinctly different that didn't quite suit me. The fries were not what you would expect when you order chili cheese fries, instead they were plain salted french fries with a bowl of "chili-cheese" that narrowly resembled and tasted like queso to me...good, but strange. My mom ordered the Terlingua - their version of a chili burger with fritos and cheese. While much, much better than mine, it still wasn't phenomenal.

The entire experience wasn't horrible, the atmosphere was fun and the drinks were good, but overall, definitely not worth $40 and an hour and 45 minutes.

Telluride

From Chicago, I flew to Lubbock, TX (big upgrade, ha) where I spent the night before heading to Telluride, CO with my boyfriend and his friends. Growing up I went to Deer Valley, UT each spring break to ski, but I hadn't been in a few years and had never been to Telluride so had no idea what to expect. Although, like most college ski trips, our accommodations were sub-par, the town of Telluride and its over-the-mountain sister-city of Mountain Village really blew me away.

Telluride itself is a quaint, historical little town with a population of 2,500. The main street is lined with restaurants, ski stores, small hotels and lots of small bars. While the town has remained rather small through the years, there have been many restaurant additions over the years and most of the food we ate while there was incredible. The first night we went to Rustico Ristorante where we had some delicious bruschetta, pizza and some great Italian wine. After a long day of traveling and skiing, we were exhausted and went back to the condo afterwards.

The next day, we woke up bright and early and skied all day with a short break for lunch on the mountain at Gorrono Ranch which had a live band and outside fire pit daily. The runs that we did were limited to mostly blues and double blues and at around 3 we were exhausted.

On the gondola ride back to the other side, we stopped at the peak of the mountain at Allred's for aprés ski consisting of a gourmet grilled cheese (brie, pesto, marinated tomatoes) and some truffle fries and a couple of white russians. Oh, and, the highlight of my trip, two Bernese Mountain Dogs...a mom and an 8-week-old puppy. I almost started crying they were so cute.

After a 20 minute bonding session with the pups, we headed back down the mountain to shower and get ready for what was our favorite dinner at Cosmopolitan. While it was a little expensive, it was definitely worth it. The duck confit was amazing.

Our last night was definitely our biggest let down. We tried out the Chop House at the New Sheridan Hotel; it was over-priced, under-cooked and generally just bad.

While Telluride was extremely charming, if I ever go back I think I would definitely stay in Mountain Village. Mountain Village is much more convenient for skiing and has many more hotel options and activities - there was an ice sculpture contest in the middle of the village when we were there!

Thankfully, unlike the rest of the group, we flew home. If we had been on the bus with all of the others, I wouldn't have been a very happy camper....

Chi-town

After ringing in the new year at Lake McQueeney, I ventured to Chicago with my mom and dad for my dad's second knee replacement. He had his first one up there in September and it was such a success that he went back for his second. He goes to Dr. Richard Berger - nicknamed in n' out Berger - who does it non-invasively allowing his patients to literally walk out of the hospital 4 hours after their scheduled surgery time

Although the surgery day wasn't too much fun, I fell in love with the city of Chicago. We stayed at the Four Seasons hotel (which has fabulous room service we found out the day of surgery) and ate at some great steak houses including the classic Gibson's and newer, more modern Chicago Cut...which I might add uses 30 iPads as their wine lists. .

The day after surgery, my mom and I did a little sight seeing, including visiting "The Bean" and one of the most famous view points in Chicago to see the city line. Chicago really is a beautiful, bustling city - much like New York, just a little..cleaner.

Tré

For some time, it was fairly hard to find any good Italian food in San Antonio. There was always the local favorite of Paesano's with their Shrimp Paesano and Florio's for great New York style pizza, but when it came to true italian, there was not much to offer. That is until Chef Jason Dady opened Tré Trattoria near the Witte Museum on Broadway. Chef Dady had apparently already opened a few other restaurants in the San Antonio area, but this was his first in the Alamo Heights area and it became an instant hit.

With their phenomenal spicy pizza (soppresetta and pepperocinis), the great bolognese and delectable italian style rib eye with parmesan mashed potatoes, I feel as if I go on a smorgasbord every time I visit Tré. Their all italian wine list, fresh procuitto and pulled mozzarella just add to the genuine italian-ness of this perfect little spot. Although the service can be a little snooty at times, its worth it for the quality of the food.

Dady just opened another location at the quaint Fairmont Hotel downtown (and it has brunch!!) and I cannot wait to give it a try!

Christmas Break - Tito and NYC

Because I had no finals at the end of the semester in the fall, I was able to go home fairly early to start what became my 6 week break from school. I was pretty eager to get home to this little guy that we got 3 days before I got home from school.

My 17-year-old brother got Tito for his birthday, and although the new addition was supposed to be "his," he still had three weeks of school and football practice and not much time to train a dog, so he became primarily my and my mom's responsibility. Because we have two older golden retrievers, Tito was smart enough to catch on really quickly and has become a perfect addition to the family.

A few weeks after I got home from school, I flew up to the wonderful New York to meet my mom who had been there already for the weekend for a friend's birthday. One of the many friends of a friend that she came in contact with whilst there was the head of the CIA (culinary institute of America) who insisted on taking us out to dinner while I was visiting. When my mom told me we were going to Cipriani I wasn't totally impressed...but when we arrived with the man we were with, the attention we got was impeccable. Little did I know that at 10 o'clock stairs fall out of the ceiling leading to a private, members-only club that we were lucky enough to get to visit as the guests of August. It was a memorable night to say the least. After a few more wonderful meals and some early Christmas shopping, we returned home just in time for the Christmas holidays to begin.