Happy Ever After in the Marketplace

You could say I love The Beatles.

So its a good thing Paul McCartney came to Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati so Jeremy, Mom, Dad and I could enjoy some of their songs.

True, Dad's favorite Beatle, John, wasn't there. I was hoping he would show up. Miracles happen!

The show was INCREDIBLE. "Live and Let Die" with perfectly-timed, out-of-this-world fireworks. "Something" by ukulele. TWO encores. And to cap it all off, finale with my personal favorite (and tagline of this blog!): the last songs from Abbey Road.

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

(That there links to probably my favorite piece of television ever.)

Marvelous.

And Dad even smiled. He may have danced, but I'll never tell.

Zoo Friends, New Friends, I like YOU, Friend!

A few weeks ago I went to the Columbus Zoo with my friend, Jen, and her little man, Aidan, both of The Stoycheffs' Saga fame.

I have lived in Columbus for almost ten years and have been to the zoo exactly once, for the annual Teddy Bear Safari.

I only went for my required 2-hour shift to support the NCH Dental Clinic table, then high-tailed it outta there.

(Not a huge fan of crowds...but also walking the zoo alone is kinda depressing).

This is a shame, because our zoo really is amazing.

Jen to the rescue! Hooray!

Mrs. Stoycheff is a true zoo veteran, seasoned by weekly zoo adventures with the munchkin since near infancy. Armed with a sturdy stroller and icy bottles of water, we saw almost the whole place in under three hours, and nary a crowd in sight. Good animal advice from Jen: Get there early to avoid the lines, the "Zoombezi Bay" crowd, and the sweltering July heat.

Slow moving, overheated primates + personal baby fever + overexcitable pediatric dentist = TONS OF PICTURES

Zonked and its only 9:00.

This kangaroo was raised by humans and was very comfortable letting us get up close and personal. G'day! I couldn't believe how close we were! No fence, either!

Aidan loved the water sprayers. A lot. His lady companions also enjoyed the refreshing spray.

At 8 inches, the detail of this baboon's face was incredible.

Polite advice from the gorilla house.

Thanks ever so much, Jen and Mr. Aidan!

Sometime soon we have to BBQ with the rest of the boys!

Seriously super day. How cute are they? Seriously, I say.

Any Minute Now...

...my bestie, Katie, is going to have a baby.

Need proof?

Despite being 9 months pregnant, in the last week of her pregnancy Katie managed to take me out to dinner for my birthday AND complete 1,203 patient visits in her dental office in Marysville. Even on that sweltering July day, Katie was the same cheerful, beautiful friend I have grown to love over the past 9 years.

"I just have too many cases to complete to have this baby this week." - Dr. Montgomery

What. A. Trooper.

Here's to the 2011 Mom of the Year, Katie Montgomery! :)

The Elusive Ashok

The Ashok has never been captured on film in its natural habitat -- until now.

A largely noctural mammal that is also shy of humans, the Ashok can be found in children's dental clinics and Hindu temples, but its preferred habitat is the South Indian restaurant, Dosa Corner, on Old Henderson Road.

He does exist!

National Lampoon's European Vacation

My little sis Kristin said I needed to blog about our trip to Europe. I said that I wanted to, but I didn't know where to start.

Cue Julie Andrews as Maria Von Trapp:

"Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start..."

We didn't get to see William or Kate, and believe me, we were looking. It also rained a lot, but we didn't care. Not one little bit.

Where else do they have giant lion statues but London?

After the first of several rainstorms, we stumbled into a lovely London Pub. It was magical.

I said to Kristin, "That beer looks a lot like you."

"Why?" She asked.

"Because its tall and blonde."

Prawn Cocktail potato crisps are delicious, I might add.

If you must leave London, you should probably take the Channel Tunnel train to Paris. Swell.

Parisians also sell delicious treats. C'est Magnifique.

And you can see Notre Dame from the Seine if you are very, very lucky to take an evening boat cruise.

Traveling with the Neaders by bike through the streets of Paris. Fantastic!

I want to go back.

The Louvre is pretty great, too. Even if your feet really hurt because earlier the same day you took a train to Reims, France to see where your most favorite champagne is made.

When I come back to Reims, I will:

1. Speak more French.

2. Spend more than four hours in the city

3. Visit the tasting rooms of other sellers. But not necessarily more cellars.

To be perfectly honest, the Veuve Clicquot tour was a little dry. But, nevertheless, by the end, we were all a little rose.

After all the bubbly, we left Paris and headed for one of finest examples of socialism I have ever seen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

We had a fantastic time catching up with old friends and enjoying more boat tours. This particular boat tour, sponsored by the marriage of Brian and Signe, featured picturesque views of Copenhagen on a ridiculously sunny day washed down by multiple glasses of bubbly.

You might call that a trifecta.

This couple is certainly an exacta, in any country.

After all those wonderful places, you will be extra glad you have such a wonderful travel buddy. You will be ready to come home and ready to plan your next trip.

You will love your husband more than ever.

You will be happy you are 30 and able to do such wonderful things.

You will pray every night in gratitude for all the blessings in your life!

June, Where Did You Go?

To the Eiffel Tower, that's where!

And to:

New York City

Copenhagen, Denmark

London, England

Reims, France

Moshi for birthday sushi

In fact, June may have been the best month in history!

Even if I did turn thirty.

And we had to move a bunch of our stuff from the Ironton house.

And from AJ's flooded basement.

And for having to say goodbye to my dear residency pals.

All of which involved about seven different dinners.

Which involved me gaining exactly ten pounds since May.

July is all about the gym and salad. And water.

Of course after Ft. Loramie's Liberty Days festival which was AWESOME.

August and everything after is looking pretty good.

There are two types of travelers in this world...

The first set is like my friend Kim. Aggressive. Adventurous. Inclined toward public transportation. Scoffs at FAA recommendations to arrive at least one hour before departure at the specified gate. Learns of the best museums, restaurants and sites to see not from yelp.com but from new friendships made along the way with people named Christophe, Jaime, or Kwan.

At the other end of the check in line is the second group. Passive. Sleeping in. Inclined toward concierge recommendations. Waiting for pre-arranged airport transfer in the lobby, 30 minutes ahead of schedule, nibbling away at her cuticles wondering if she tipped the bellman enough. Not afraid to try new things, but a bit unsure about how to go about trying them in the first place. Maybe we should research that a little first. Safer to just check urbanspoon.

Travel might be a lot like studying; some students are crammers. Others are neatnik, color-coded flashcard neurotics.

But if they both end up with the same grade in the end, does it really make a difference?

This weekend's trip to NYC: A+.