Moonlight Sledding

I was getting sleepy at 8:00, but instead of putting on my jammies, I suggested that we go out and sled down the street. We live at the top of a cove and there's no traffic at all, so it seemed safe enough. At first, Satchel thought I said we were going to sled to the Cove a few blocks away. (a.k.a. The place Mommy drinks beer on Tuesdays.)

It took us a few turns to get the hang of things. There was a tire track that kept shooting us into the neighbor's yard and one car inconveniently parked on the left side of the road. (Trying to avoid the car, Satchel bailed, but didn't let go of the sled, so he ended up getting dragged down the street.) After awhile we got in a good groove and started playing a game to see how far we could go without ending up on Hollywood. Our "high score" was achieved when we made it all the way to the sidewalk adjacent to it.

It was awesome. Satchel said, "I had no idea today was going to be so much fun!" I told him that was the best part about life-- never knowing what tomorrow will bring. Then he said, "You should post about this on your blog!"

Snow Day in Overton Park

Last year when we went to the park to enjoy the annual snow day Satchel and Jiro were both miserable and cold and cried the whole time. I wasn't going to let that happen again, which is why when I saw snow pants in Target in August, I bought them. This year we were ready. Not only did we layer and bundle, we packed a backpack with hot chocolate, five pairs of extra gloves, and even shoved foot warmers in our boots.

We ventured out with our sleds, and thanks to the perfectly icy ground, were able to easily pull the boys as we walked to the park. And even the slightest slope in the ground made for a fun ride. We made our way to the Shell, which we thought would be perfect for sledding. There were tons of people there, as well as behind the Brooks. We did some sledding, chatting, and warmed up with some hot chocolate and new gloves. It was hard to tell who was having the most fun--the kids, the parents, or the dogs!


After a few runs, we made our way over to the "Bunny Slopes" by the golf course, stopping only for a little dogsledding. Jiro absolutely loved having the dogs pull the sled. He started cheering in what was the cutest moment of the day. It was super slick over by the golf course, making it hard to even walk. It was less crowded, but had some diehard sledders taking advantage of the elevated golf holes. (We even saw a guy on a snowboard!)

The multiple falls and the monkeys' fascination with the snow and ice required another glove change and hot chocolate break. Realizing we'd been there for almost two hours, we started our journey home.

Snow Day! Again!

I had to work today, so Warren stayed home with the monkeys. He sent me this video, which I feel is self-explanatory.

Breakfast Brackets

My friend, Kerry, works for the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. She is the person behind the I Love Memphis blog. (You may have seen her on the cover of last week's Flyer.) Anyways, I first met her online, but since she is a derby girl, I had the pleasure of meeting her in person and have the continued pleasure of seeing her on a weekly basis. Therefore, I felt like inviting myself to to eat breakfast with her one morning was a completely acceptable thing to do!

Let me explain. A few weeks ago Kerry started the Breakfast Brackets on the I Love Memphis blog. She is going to "scientifically" decide once and for all who has the best breakfast in town using a sports bracket model. How awesome is that? I followed along as she ate 16 breakfasts consisting of eggs, bacon, pancakes, biscuits, and coffee. I was totally jealous that I didn't come up with the idea AND that she was getting paid to do it!

Of course I had to get in the action.

Kerry is currently in Round two, which is a free for all, meaning she can order whatever she wants. She ate at the Arcade on Tuesday and its challenger, Bryant's, today. That's where we met. (To see who won, click here.)

Kerry told me that after the 16 breakfasts in Round One she may never eat a piece of bacon again! This might also explain why her breakfast this morning was a bit strange--one potato pancake, one biscuit, orange juice and one blackberry cobbler! Pie for breakfast! "I'm an athlete," Kerry joked.

In case you were wondering, I had a very awesome "grit bowl" for $3.50. (That's what Warren always gets when we take the monkeys.) I was looking for something low fat and healthy, but soon scratched that and went for something hearty and delicious. (I didn't eat it all!)

It was awesome having Kerry all to myself and learning a little more about her--and the various other blogs she's done over the years. She's got two things I don't--a journalism degree and a very outgoing personality. I like knowing that Kerry is out there on the prowl, looking for great restaurants, bakeries, clothing shops, music shows, weekend activities and what not.

I already loved Memphis, but Kerry has made me love it even more. Read her blog, friend her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter. You can thank me later.

Fun!

This week I wrote about how fun it is to be the mother of monkeys. It's called New friend, coffee table forts build memories, which is not what I would have titled it, but okay. (And I'm too lazy to look, but I'm pretty sure this "build memories" part has been used on me before.)

Here they are pictured sitting in a box for no apparent reason. (Maybe the chair wasn't big enough?)


And because I really am human, I'll admit that sometimes their antics aren't all that cute and funny. Especially at 10pm when I am super tired and desperately trying to read them the last three pages of Pippi Longstocking.

I Smell Gas!

Today Team Oster starred in a gas safety commercial for MLGW. I work at MLGW and we're doing 18 commercials, so I guess they were desperate enough when they started casting that we got picked! No really, I thought it would be a fun learning experience for the boys. When I say the boys, I'm including Warren. He was by far the most excited one!

We got up extra early and drove out to Brooks Road. The studio we were filming in was the same studio they used for Hustle & Flow, which made us feel extra fancy. We had to bring a whole laundry basket of clothes so that they could make sure we all matched and stood out against the white background. Next we had to get our make-up done. This was almost a deal breaker for me and Satchel, but Warren and Jiro loved it! (For reals.) We all also got to wear hairspray.



Next we went on to the set where we learned our lines. Ok "lines" is an exaggeration since they weren't recording any sound, but we had fake lines we said to each other to keep our "acting" on cue. Basically Warren and the boys smell gas and I walk in, smell it too, and order everyone to evacuate.

The director worked with the boys to perfect their exaggerated fake sniffing. I joked that if we smelled rotten eggs in real life, which is what gas smells like, Warren would first accuse me of farting, then the boys. When we all swore we didn't fart, he'd make us lift up our shoes and prove we hadn't stepped in dog doo. However, the director preferred his own "rabbit faced" sniffing method, so we stuck with that and kept our helpful hints to ourselves.

The boys were surprisingly agreeable through all ten of our takes. I was not at all surprised by Warren's ease in front of the camera and his ability to perfectly do everything the director asked. In fact, Jackie, our make-up artist and Warren's new best friend, was absolutely convinced that Warren was going to be a movie star someday.

Our second scene involved a MLGW worker identifying the gas leak. When he gave us the thumbs up, we were all instructed to clap. You know, just like in real life. Doesn't everyone clap when service people come over and do their jobs? Between takes we goofed off high-fiving each other and cheering. It was fun.

I'm not sure when the commercial will air, but supposedly it'll be on regular channels and play at the Malco Studio on the Square and Paradiso before the movies start.

No autographs, please.

Just Ducky

I wrote this up for the Convention and Visitors Bureau website. Too bad I didn't take my staff photographer!



Thursday after school, I decided to take Satchel (7) and Jiro (5) down to the Peabody Hotel to see the famous ducks. When I explained to the boys that we were going to watch as the ducks got out of their pond, walked to the elevator, and then rode up to their house on the roof, their eyes brightened and they asked, “How do the ducks push the elevator buttons?”

This was the first of many questions. How many ducks were there? What kind? What did their house look like? Could we ride in the elevator with them? How did they get a pond in the hotel? I assured them that all of their questions would be answered once we got there. I personally hadn’t seen the ducks in twenty years, so I knew nothing except that they come down at 11am and they go back up at 5pm everyday.

The Peabody offers valet parking and there is metered parking on the street, but we opted to park in a nearby garage. On the walk over I explained to the kids that the Peabody was a very fancy hotel and that they should be on their very best behavior. As we approached the entrance, Satchel saw that the welcome mat had ducks on it. “Wow, they are famous!” he exclaimed. Once inside, both boys got quiet and Jiro whispered, “It is fancy in here.”

I was already glad we came.

I directed them towards the marble fountain in the middle of the lobby bar and we circled the ducks to get a count. “Four?” I said. “Five!” Jiro corrected me, pointing to one that was camouflaged against the marble. “This is not a pond,” Satchel said, adding, “There are four females and one male.” The male had a green head so I felt pretty confident informing the kids that the ducks were mallards.

There were a lot of people enjoying beverages at the surrounding tables and a few tourists milling about like us. I thought about sitting down and ordering a few drinks, but all of the tables with a good view of the ducks were taken. Since it was only 4:00pm, I suggested we go on the roof and check out the ducks’ house. Riding in an elevator to the roof was an easy sell and the boys darted towards the line of elevators.

Once inside the big question was why we pushed “S” for the roof. (We later learned that the “S” stood for skyway.) The elevator was quite full and each stop was a tease. “Is this it?” the boys excitedly asked. When we finally made it to the top, the boys bolted out of the elevators and out of the glass doors and onto the wide, open roof. “Cool!” they shouted.

It was cool. The weather was great, we were the only people there, and we had an amazing view of the city and the Mississippi river. After looking over the railings, we followed the signs to Duck Palace, which is on the backside of a palace façade. When the boys saw the 20 x 5 foot glass enclosure they were a little under-whelmed. “This is it?” they asked. Inside there was a mini-Peabody Hotel and a small fountain, but I can only imagine what the boys had dreamed up in their minds after seeing the lobby of the Peabody for the first time!

After exploring for awhile we went back down to check on the ducks. The lobby was starting to fill up, so we went on the Mezzanine to survey the scene from above. Once we saw the Duck Master walk over to the fountain with his red carpet and mini stairs, we bolted back down, afraid that we were going to miss the whole thing!

Turns out the ducks’ exit is quite a production. The Duck Master, Jason Sensat, rolled out the red carpet, set up ropes alongside it, and gave the kids the best seats in the house before doing a 10 minute presentation on the history of the hotel and the ducks. (They actually started out as a practical joke by some hunters!)

Once the official talk was over, the Duck Master moved a board he had placed between the fountain and the stairs, and the ducks came parading out. They stopped right in front of where the kids were sitting, shook off a bit, and then proceeded to the elevator. Surprisingly there were way more adults than children present, and every one of them had a camera. However, the flashing and carrying on did not seem to ruffle any feathers.

Once the ducks were out of sight, we raced to another elevator and went back up to the roof. The ducks were already inside their house, but the boys enjoyed watching them play around for a bit. Meanwhile, Jason happily hung around and answered questions. Just by eavesdropping we learned that the ducks came from a farm when they were one year old. Their flight feathers were clipped, but they grow back. They spend one week training with the previous group of ducks before going on their own for three months. When the standard three month tour of duty is over, they are sent back to the farm and eventually released into the wild.

And yes, they lay eggs, but they don’t hatch and no one eats them.

As the sun set, we said good-bye to the ducks and the Duck Master, had a brief stop in the wonderfully clean rooftop restrooms, and made our way back to the car. Satchel asked if I thought he could do his American history presentation on the ducks and Jiro asked how the ducks could be famous if they didn’t make any art.

Rock-n-Romp Recap

I was so nervous about Saturday! I just really wanted things to go well. I always get a little antsy right before we get started. My friend Caleb said, "When has Rock-n-Romp not been awesome or gotten a good turn out?" Never. Never! But I can't help it, I stress up until the minute I get my first beer and people start rolling in the door.

Then I'm all smiles.



Satchel and Jiro are of course the bad Rock-n-Romp kids who bring their Nintendo DS to the show. We had a deal that they could play until the music started. (They do arrive two hours early with me.) Once their friends arrived, they behaved like normal little boys, running around and having a good time.



It wasn't long before we had about 500 people in attendance! I saw a lot of new faces as well as many of our regulars and my good friends. I think it's pretty safe to say that our second indoor show ever was a smashing success. How nice to have rain in the forecast and not have to worry about it! The staff at the Center for Southern Folklore was really nice and they went out of their way to make sure we felt right at home. With a bar, huge bathrooms, all the tables and chairs we could dream of, and an actual mop and trash guy, we felt absolutely spoiled!

We had no trouble keeping our rompy vibe despite being inside.



Our special guests, the Slomski Brothers, got things started with their modern vaudeville routine. I loved the suits, the fact that their mic stand had cup holders, and the cool sound of that crazy drum. A very unique act! (I got to see their full show later that night at the Cove. They are hilarious.) I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of these guys in the future.




Next up, we had the Kindergarten Circus, who came from Murfreesboro to play. They were all in their late teens, and this was one of their first live shows. They were awesome and really rocked it.





Once the Circus ended, the Slomski Brothers did another short set. Gustafer Yellowgold was up next and before we could even try and get all the kids settled in front of the stage, we noticed they were all already settled there waiting for Gustafer to get started. Yes, even Satchel and Jiro were happily seated and waiting with bated breath! (I even saw Satchel singing along!) It was both awesome and freaky. I think Gustafer's visual aids drew them in.



Morgan Taylor, the man behind Gustafer, did a great job engaging the kids (and adults!), who were absolutely riveted for his entire 45 minute set.




It was such a treat to have Morgan, his awesome wife, Rachel, and their adorable son, Harvey, in attendance. How awesome is it that a young family gets to make a living making good music? And go on tour?



I can't believe Rachel escaped getting her photo taken and that I didn't insist on getting a Team Oster/Team Gustafer photo! Warren later told me about their awesome touring van, which I didn't get to see. Oh well, they'll hopefully be back soon and I won't be shy about getting out the camera.

The Yazoo Shakes closed out the Romp with their high energy performance. I loved seeing three women in one band, playing horns and strings. They were super fun.





And check this out--the kids stuck their heads under the quilt curtain in order to get a better look at the drummer!



My kids found where we hid the DS and had a round of "let us show you how awesome we are at this game."



When all the music stopped and everyone said goodbye, the hardworking, all volunteer staff of Memphis Rock-n-Romp stayed another 45 minutes to clean up. We asked people to recycle their Central BBQ cups, which they did a great job of, but we unexpectedly had a lot of bottles and cans too, which ended up in the trash. Check out our commitment to recycling! Sadly, this isn't an uncommon scene after the show--us digging through the trash. Hopefully next year we can devise a better system.



A final thank you to everyone who made this show so incredible! We could not have done it without the enthusiastic support of the Center City Commission and the generous donations from Central BBQ, The Hunt Phelan, Whole Foods, Bluefin, and The Rendezvous. And an extra special thank you to all of our volunteers!

Allen Elliotte was our substitute photographer and is responsible for all of the lovely photos you see here. View the whole set here. Add yours to our Rock-n-Romp Memphis Flickr pool.

We have a really exciting 2010 season coming up, so stay tuned for details. Our first show will be April 24th at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. Mark your calendars!

Gustafer Yellowgold + Rock-n-Romp = Awesomeness

You may remember my post about seeing Gustafer Yellowgold last July at the Germantown Barnes & Noble. I left feeling like he was just way too awesome to play to a handful of people in a bookstore, so being the busy body that I am, I got on the horn and invited him to come back and play Rock-n-Romp.

That's right, he's back! We don't usually do kids' music at Rock-n-Romp, but Gustafer Yellowgold is not your average kid's act. He's sensitive, and despite being from the sun, super cool. The music is crazy catchy and the videos are ridiculously clever. You can hear the music, see the videos, and meet Morgan Taylor, the talented dude who created Gustafer, this Saturday at the Center for Southern Folklore (119 S. Main). The Rock-n-Romp is from 2-5pm, Gustafer goes on at 3pm. (Park at the Peabody Place parking lot on second and get your parking validated at the show.)

But wait! Gustafer is just the tip of the iceberg. We've also got The Kindergarten Circus from Murfreesboro. This is a group of teenage guys that came highly recommended by Those Darlins. And locals, The Yazoo Shakes, will also be playing. They have horns, drums, keyboard, guitars, and more. And if they get up early enough, The Slomski Brothers will also be making an appearance!

All this and beer for just $5. (Kids are free.) Bring a blanket or chair, a snack to share, and your dancin' shoes!

Here's a sneak peek...



And check out this story from yesterday's GoMemphis: Musician's sketches lead to goldmine of fun.

Quiet Here, But Not There

Sure is quiet around here. How did I let a week go by without posting? Yikes. Must be the cold! Our heater has been on the fritz and we've been freeeeeezing. But you can read all about that in my column tomorrow! While I think of something fun and/or interesting to write about here, check out some stuff I've written elsewhere.


In last week's Flyer, there was a piece I did on the best kids' meals in town, called Rated G. I love doing stories that require eating out a lot! (However, it does make my profit margin--and pants--rather tight.) I also love doing stories that result in some crazy cute pictures of my kids! Thanks, Justin!.

This week's Flyer features one of my recommended dishes, Scotch eggs. Mmmmmmmmm!


This month's Memphis Parent has my Workout Warrior feature, chronicling my boot camp experience. Oh, and check out that gut! Thanks to Chip for getting up at 5:30am just to take pictures of me and my sweaty women friends. (And just so you know, after two months of boot camp, I am going on my second month as a 6:00am regular at the downtown Y.)

Chip also came along for my story on Convenience Store Food in the latest Edible Memphis. We tried out five different places that you may have never heard of. It was pretty exciting, if you ask me! It was almost like visiting different countries without ever leaving town. (Clearly all this food writing is the yin to my 6am Y yang. Dang!)

Thanks for reading! And please stay tuned!

The Promise of Snow

There are two very excited little boys running around the house making plans for the snow day tomorrow. They've placed toys in water in clear plastic cups and put them on the porch to freeze. There's talk of snowmen and forts and snowball fights.

"Uh guys," I said. "They're only predicting one inch." (There's a joke in here I'm sure about boys and inches, but I'm not going to say anything.)

Warren is being more encouraging. In fact, he suggested they set their alarm so they can get up at 3am to watch the first flakes fall.

"Why not wait until the morning to see it in all of it's glory?" I suggested. I do not want two very excited little boys running around the house at 3am.

Warren has also taken this opportunity to teach them a little something. Specifically, how to read the weather radar. "See the pink?" he said. "That's snow."

I think Jiro senses that I am not as excited as he is about the snow. I do have to go to work and carry on per usual, after all. I'm more worried about driving amidst the madness than enjoying it, which I guess is pretty sad.

"I'm going to make you a card about snow tomorrow," he just informed me sweetly.

Happy New Year!

A couple of weeks ago, Warren and the monkeys met me downtown for a photo shoot with the ever so talented Chip Chockley. I really wanted to have us in front of Greely Myatt's awesome Quiltsurround by City Hall. Along with our multicolored outfits, it certainly made for a vibrant shoot! Chip was digging the walkway behind City Hall, so we did a few shots there too. We ended up with so many good shots that Warren and I had a hard time choosing the one we liked best. (A good problem to have!) In the end, we went with three different cards.



Due to the sad nature of the last couple of weeks of the year, I never quite got motivated to write my usual family letter and I haven't spent much time reflecting on 2009 or my goals for the new year. We're still in survival mode around here. I was just happy to finally get the cards in the mail a few days ago!