In case you were wondering...

We made it to Wisconsin.  The drive was okay (2 days).  We are busy.  Very busy.  Here is what I look like after a long drive:

Three very tired girls.

Here is what makes me feel better from said drive.

An epic Bloody Mary at Benelux in the Historic Third Ward.

Lessons for Miami Me

I figured I'd follow up my Lessons for Little Me post with a Lessons for Miami Me post.  Enjoy!

Try New Food

This picky eater is trying to be more adventurous.  Eat the duck tongue.  Eat the oysters and clams.  Try dim sum.  Try Peruvian food.  Dining with friends is fun.  Dining with J is a great experience to talk.   I have found a lot of new cuisines that I like and restaurants that I will miss.  I'm looking forward to exploring the dining scene in Seattle now.

Tapas.  Yum.

Travel

It's a cliche, but it's true: it's not about the destination, it's about the journey.  Some of my best memories are about what happened on the way to a end-point and who I was with (reading silly billboards in GA with Miss E comes to mind immediately).  San Fransisco was a cool place, but going there with our friend and meeting up with J's brother enhanced the trip for me.  France is beautiful but my friends also made it fun.  Eat the local food, sleep on the floor if you have to, but just GO.

France is Fun-iculaire with friends.  Inside joke.

Learn Constantly

I've taken a writing class and numerous crafting classes.   I've also learned from people around me: how to crochet, how to work smarter and not harder, how to live and work in Miami...  I'm really passionate about being a life-long learner. 

I've learned how to do things that I never thought I could do...

Read, Always

I've had my nose in a book since I was a wee little thing, but my reading went to the next level while living in Miami.  I joined a book club and read books that I normally would not have picked up and in the process my world expanded even more.

Reading with wine is even better!

Be Brave

Yes, I am afraid of murky water.  Yes, I think about crocodiles grabbing me, but if I have to swim through murky water to pet a baby manatee and if I get to see that manatee roll over on it's belly because it likes being pet then I will just have to be brave.  When we went on that trip I was literally saying "Be Brave, Becca" over and over in my mind while snorkeling.  I'd never gone snorkeling before and that in and of itself was a challenge that I overcame.  I've had to be brave while driving and while working with some difficult individuals.  Be brave and you'll be fine most of the time.

This is not the murky water!  This was from the same trip, though.

Be Assertive, Ask Questions

I've had to stand up for myself, my husband, and my pets in situations that I might have usually shirked away from.  It can be difficult doing that in a city with a different culture than the one I grew up in.  I've been confused in some situations and I've had to ask questions.  I'm actually a fairly shy person (unless I'm one-on-one) but in the last three years I've had to learn how to navigate some challenging situations and keep some conversations afloat (to avoid that potentially awkward silence).

Becca and Grumpy Cat both hate awkward silences.

I'm sure there is more, like: How to do Your Laundry and Dodge Little Lizards and That was a Miami-Left Turn... but that's it for now.

Summer Bucket List

21 days left.  3 weeks!

We've been so busy with packing, working, and fitting in last minute fun.  In the last month or so we've been to the Miami Symphony Orchestra (Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 and Piano Concert No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 with Eduardo Marturet as the conductor and Philippe Entremont on the piano), A La Folie, Fox's Sherron Inn, the arcade, an Italian Greyhound meet-up in Broward County, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden with Emmy, Lan Pan Asian Cafe, dim sum at South Garden (twice), Bahama Breeze dinner with my office mates, lunch with some professors at Peru Criollo, and some drinks with my friends on Miracle Mile -first at John Martin's for Happy Hour and finishing the night at 100 Montaditos to soak up some of that liquor, but they had good sangria too! ;)  J and I have also managed to sneak in a last meal at Ms. Cheezious a couple of weeks ago. 

Farewell to my favorite Miami Food Truck!

Close-up of a Rainbow Eucalyptus from FTBG

The Cannonball Tree at FTGB is in bloom this month!

You can see where it gets it's name from...

Ending our evening out at 100 Montaditos

During that time I've still be volunteering, reading towards my goal of 85 books in 2013, and making a lot of crafts.  I made a project for J's friends that I cannot wait to show you, but for now it needs to stay a secret!  I also made little glass ornaments that were almost like cards for my office-mates.  On the front it showed their initial and on the back was a small saying of appreciation.  I embellished with dangling beads and keys that said Memory, Love, and Heart.  I didn't get a picture of them, but I plan on making one for my Craft Night friend.  I also finished my secret project for my future sister-in-law.  I've been busy! :)

We have some plans for what we want to fit in while we are still here.  We're hoping to get some good pictures of the graffiti at Wynnwood, some of the trees in Coral Gables, FIU campus, pictures off of the Rickenbocker, maybe of the Venetian Pool from the inside, the Country Club Prado promenade, us by my favorite pink snail sculpture, and picture/video of our Coral Way drive home.  I want to take a picture walk and get some of the smaller details too: the awesome tile at the library, a close-up of Miami oolite rock, the lions at the nearby bank, and more.  Right now J takes almost all of the pictures for this blog and has to e-mail them to me.  I wish I had an iPhone to take pictures of those small moments from my daily life that make me smile... maybe this summer.

Which brings me to the main point of this post: Our Summer Bucket List.  We will have less than 30 days in Wisconsin to see all the special folks, visit the places we love, and eat the food we've missed.  While talking to J, I ticked off on my fingers all of the people we're making plans with, events to attend, things to do, and mini-excursions to plan and it was more than one thing a day.  We'll be busy.  Here is -some- of our Summer Bucket List:

1. Join this century and get an iPhone
2. Visit Greenfield News and Hobby with Dad
3. Madison (definitely going out, definitely eating some yummy food, definitely seeing friends, definitely visiting the arboretum, probably hitting up State Street, the Chazen, and MoMA)
4. Make a trek up to MN to see a very special friend and her very adorable baby
5. Check out the Rusty Quarters arcade (J and I love arcades!) while in MN
6. Visit with J's high school buddy and his lovely girlfriend in MN
7. Go to my family's cabin
8. Tailgate at a Brewer's Game (for J)
9. Go back to my old sanctuary: The Milwaukee Art Museum
10. Comet Cafe for Old Fashioneds and oh-so-bad-for-you-but-oh-so-good food
11. Brewery Tour
12. Red Raspberry Frozen Custard at Kopp's
13. American Science and Surplus to see if we can get some funny stuff for our new apartment
14. Date at Alterra and Discovery World
15. The Dentist! (I love my dentist.)
16. Girl Day with my future sister-in-law
17. Treat our newlywed friends to dinner (we are leaving Miami the day they get married!)
18. Meet up with an old friend from middle school
19. Bake a Rhubarb and Raspberry pie with my grandma
20. Special Dinner with the 'rents
21. Enjoy time with my new puppy-sister
22. Barbeque with the Z's
23. Makin' stuff with Mom
24. Visitors! Emmy and her boyfriend might come to WI to see where we're from
25. Dream Items: karaoke, paintball, and/or laser tag!

Of course, there are more items that are more personal and specific to special peeps in our lives, but you get the general idea.

I have missed some Wisconsin things and Wisconsin people, but I have realized there are people and things that I will miss down here in Miami (despite still not being too too fond of the place).  I found a little family here that I will miss terribly.  Everyone in my office is on to bigger and better things, but we've all expressed the sentiment that we're going to miss our team and the well-oiled machine that we've become.  These people made me feel loved and cared for here.  I didn't make a lot of friends, but I think the friends I've made are quality friends and I hope they come to visit me and my new life in Seattle.

Now I'm off to clean the bathroom and maybe try my hand at a new recipe.  Catch you later.

Things I'll Miss and Things I Won't...

We have been in Miami now since August 2010.  We're leaving at the end of June 2013.  We're just two months shy of three years.  Don't worry, I'm not wishing to spend any additional time here!  The impending departure has both J and I waxing poetic on some things... and saying, "Oh my God, I won't miss this!" on other things.  So, I thought I'd do a quick catalog of what I will miss and what I won't miss.

I'll Will Miss You...

• No snow.  I hated getting up early to brush my car off.  I hated driving in snow.  I had a couple of close calls thanks to a car that lacks ABS breaks.  I didn't like driving in fog, either.  
• MY CAR! We're not taking it with us to Seattle.  I'm really mourning this loss.  To me a car represents freedom.  And I own it fair and square.  It is mine, and soon it won't be.  I have to learn stick-shift in order to be able to drive in Seattle because J's car is manual.  I hate riding the bus (I get terrible car sickness and the smell of buses makes me woozy) but I'm going to have to take it in to campus for work three days a week, so I'll have to get used to it.
•  Free time.  I won't have time to tinker or read when I'm struggling to keep up in school work.  I did a good job of making the most of my free time in Miami.  I read oodles and oodles.  I also volunteered almost three hours every week.  I'll be happy to get some time to watch my favorite shows when I'm not doing school work, work work, or sight seeing!
• Craft Night.  I enjoyed having people to craft with.  We didn't do it every week, but we did it fairly regularly and I liked feeling like a part of a family, even if it was for two hours on a Tuesday.  Crafting, for me, is enhanced by chatting while my hands are working.
• Living 7 blocks from the library.  In Miami I learned how to request books and I utilized the service to the fullest.  It saved me a lot of money to borrow books.  Reading copious amounts helped ease my loneliness here.  In the last year and a half, I've kept myself so busy with reading and volunteering that I don't feel lonely anymore.
• Living in Coral Gables.  It really is "City Beautiful."  The trees are gorgeous and I felt at ease living under their green canopy.  I don't know that I'll ever get to live in such a tree-filled neighborhood again.  The buildings are gorgeous and I'll miss gawking at them too.
• Bougainvilleas.  Always colorful, no matter the time of the year.  Seeing as I don't plan on living in such a hot, humid place again, I will really miss them.
• My 2 bedroom apartment.  We're downsizing and yet our fur-family grew.  While we strove to be minimalists, we still acquired stuff.  We're selling as much as possible, but sometimes I feel bogged down.  Where will this junk go in our new place?  This was also our first place as a married couple.  We made it home and all of the furniture matched and was new (thanks to wedding money and the reasonably priced IKEA). 
• Croquetas.  It took me awhile to fall in love with them, but now I look forward to mornings when I have time to stop by Bustelo or even Publix for the $0.69 breakfast treats.  
• LAN Pan Asian Cafe.  J and I go here on the regular and we've taken several people to it.  Yummy Asian Nachos.  Yummier sushi platters.  Great service.  Reasonable portions for a reasonable price.  It started to feel like "our place."
• FIU Friends/Family.  The ladies in my office feel like my family away from MKE.  I've celebrated holidays and birthdays with them.  They've been there for me and laughed with me.  We've disagreed and we've made up.  They made me feel welcome in this hard city.  I'll miss some of the students I work with, too.  They were the closest to me, age-wise, so I always enjoyed chatting with a few of them.  I'll also miss some of the teachers.  Many of them did things to make us feel appreciated.  Many of them made me laugh.  I learned a lot during my two years in the real-world working.

Goodbye and Good Riddance to...

• Rude Peeps.  This city is known for being really rude.  I'm not going to miss all of those people that acted like butt-munches.
• Healthcare.  J and I received some really horrible service regarding healthcare down here (both of us, multiple times each).  My dogs get better care from our vet than we got from some doctors.  I do have two good specialists I see, but it took me a long while to find one of them.
• Identity Theft.  South Florida is notorious for it and between J and I we've had our Credit Card/Debit Card information stolen/compromised five times.  So frustrating.  I hate the bozos who do that kind of stuff.
• Dumb Drivers.  Okay, we don't have the worst traffic in the country, but I think we have some of the cruddiest drivers.  They pull fast and dangerous moves.  They are always on their phones or having animated discussions with others in the car.  I see a fender bender (or more than one) almost every day!  ..and I only drive to work and back and while keeping errands to a minimum.  The month I worked that terrible job in Fort Lauderdale frayed my nerves with the commute alone.
• The Heat (temperature, not the basketball team... but I could care less about them too.) Oh. My. Word.  I am a sweaty individual.  My dad and brothers have the gene too.  But I'm a girl.  I'm not supposed to be this disheveled looking!  I avoided the outdoors so much that I'm really pale now.  The lightest colored Too Faced BB Cream is called Snow Glow and it is too dark for my pasty skin.  But I don't worry too much because it doesn't stay on me long since I'M SO DAMN SWEATY ALL THE TIME.  Ugh.  
• Mold/Mildew.  It's humid and we live in an old apartment with cruddy A/Cs and no fan in our bathroom.  A neat-freak like me finds this to be a nightmare.  I know Seattle will have it's fair share of mold/mildew (everything is covered in moss there), but we're moving into a newer place that will have fans and less build up gunk.
• DUST.  A/Cs seem to kick up a lot of dust.  My work desk is dusty and my house is dustier.  I now know that I cannot own dark furniture without going crazy.  It shows every speck of dust and cat hair.  We eventually shaved Tashi to cut down on her tufts of hair flying around and because she is hot too- she's sitting in front of the A/C as it is on full-blast as I type this.  In our next place I am planning on lighter furniture.  Hopefully there will be less dust.
• Lizards.  They're fast and they make me nervous.  But their not fast enough that I don't see their little corpses once in awhile.  It totally skeeves me out when they get in the apartment.  Give me spiders and snakes any day.  Yuck.  Enough said.
• Six months of summer.  I could file this away with The Heat, but I miss the change of the seasons.  Right, I know I said I don't miss snow.  But I miss colorful Fall and pretty Spring.  
• Lack of Comfort Food Restaurants.  There will be too many of these in Seattle.  I'm going to have to practice self-discipline.
• Lack of Quality Craft Supply Stores.  But, I won't have time for this stuff in Seattle, so, oh well.
• Crummy Target Stores.  I don't know how corporate Target doesn't shut these locations down and start again from scratch, but I certainly hope Target is better in Seattle.  
• Crummy Shopping, in general.  I have the damnedest time finding clothing that I like down here.  Here's to hoping I won't struggle as much in Seattle.  Also, shopping is the Miami past time, so no matter when you go you can count on the malls/stores being frustratingly full and you might have to pay for parking just to buy your junk.

So, there you go.  Things I'll Miss and Things I Won't... I'm sure I'll have more to add as the next month and couple of days progress, but that's how I feel for now.  :)

Big Update: Past, Present, and Future

I would first like to start the post by saying that on April 8th we went to the vet with Trini and unfortunately we came home without her.  Even typing this is very hard for me.  She would have been 19 in July/August.  She's been with me longer than my youngest brother.  Life has seen us through many changes, many different locations, many different relationships, and our personalities have grown and shifted.  She wasn't the easiest cat to love, but I loved her with my whole heart and it broke my heart and I sobbed whenever I had to clean her in her last few days.  All I ever want is to be the best guardian and life-steward I could possibly be to the creatures in my care.  I am a profoundly in love with my pets, even when they make little messes or misbehave.  I know, with confidence, they love me right back.  I've tried my very best to move on and pretend as if everything has been fine, but it has been on my mind constantly.  I consider myself a very lucky person that I've only encountered death a few brief times in my life and it naturally brings up questions and concerns.  J has been a huge support for me in those moments of weakness when I felt I was failing or when I was frustrated with the situation.  I called my parents frequently to give them updates because even though they don't particularly like cats, Trini was a big part of their lives too.  All that mattered to me in those last few days was that I was doing everything I could.  I won't lie, it was very exhausting.  When we took her in, someone in the waiting room said something about how she looked "icky" and any other day I might have walked up to that privileged woman to give her a piece of my mind regarding my life companion but in that moment I could have cared less about others.  It was about me and Trini.  It was hard.  I cried a lot and in front of everyone.  Thinking about it right now makes me teary, so I will wrap this bit up.  All I know is that when I came home, J and I sat on the couch for a long time with the rest of our girls.  Tashi, our 10 year old cat, gave me a lot of attention and I gave her a lot of care, too.  She seemed to understand.  In a very un-Tashi like event, she sat on my chest, maintained eye contact for a long time and then just licked my face a couple of times.  She's mourning in her own way.  Every day is a little better for her.  Every day is a little better for me.  As long as I have my loves, I'll be okay.  Thanks to everyone for thinking about us.  We appreciate it.

Love you, Trini.

~~~

In what was probably good timing, I left to visit my friend E in Galveston, Texas two days after we said goodbye to Trini.  E helped us move down to Miami and set up our apartment back in August 2010.  She really eased my transition from having my wedding to moving two days later.  J had to start school the day after we arrived in Miami and I was unemployed in a jumbled apartment in a brand new city.  She had moved to Galveston with her boyfriend from Madison and I was excited to be her first visitor.  I flew in on a Wednesday and had until Sunday to hang out and explore some of Houston and Galveston.  Here is my trip in some pictures. 

On Wednesday we took it easy.  Houston to Galveston is a bit of a hike and traffic is -dare I say it- worse than Miami.  The drivers aren't as bad as Miami drivers, but there are just more people on the road, so there are bound to be loads of accidents.  We went grocery shopping and made tacos for dinner and planned two crafts we wanted to tackle.  On Thursday we headed back into Houston.  First we stopped at a mall because I had my Sephora VIB coupon for me and a friend (15% off -what a deal!) and then we went to the National Museum of Funeral History and the Cullen Sculpture Garden.  I thought the museum would be a fun, unique Houston attraction and I wasn't disappointed.  It was in a residential area and it was virtually empty, but for $10 it was a nice way to spend a couple of hours.  It was also massive at 30,500 square feed.  That is a lot of history. 

E and I decided to do a quiz.  If you got 90% right you got 20% off an item at the gift shop.  I thought I could bring something funny home for J.  Well, let me tell you- that answer sheet was locked up so tight!  E and I diligently answered the quiz and the cashier pulled the money out of the till, set it right in front of me so that she could "grade" us, and then she proceeded to take HALF points off for things like, "Name an animal represented as a fantasy casket"  I wrote, "Chicken/Rooster."  The answer was "MOTHER HEN."  She offered to call management to see if I could get a full point but we politely told her that it wasn't necessary and laughed our butts off all the way to the car.  It was especially funny because there was a book on Abraham Lincoln's assassination as a part of an exhibit that was labeled as "top secret" but we felt that the answer key to the silly quiz was more guarded.  Still, we learned some really interesting things.  I'll enlighten you with just a smattering of what I learned!

This is a glass casket.  They stopped making these because when they were lowered into the ground the lids would often crack.  It was one of my favorite caskets there because it was so unique and oddly pretty.  Glad it's not see-through, though.

This is a casket for three.  It was a sad story of a couple who lost their young child to an illness.  They commissioned this casket because they were planning a murder-suicide and they wanted to be buried with their child.  They had a change of heart and they moved cities, but they were still charged for this expensive piece.  I've never seen anything like it.

The museum had an exhibit on celebrities and I wasn't that interested in it, but I was really intrigued to learn about Mr. Meinhardt Frank Raabe.  He was a little person and a Wisconsin native.  He was cast as the Coroner in the movie The Wizard of Oz.  E and I couldn't remember a Coroner, but sure enough, he's in it, he sings a couple of lines about how the first witch is really, truly dead.  He graduated from UW-Madison (Go Badgers!) with an M.B.A. and he came up with the idea for the Weinermobile, something near and dear to any Wisconsin-ites heart.

Unlike the first glass casket, this glass casket really creeped met out.

The museum had a couple of international exhibits.  They had a full-sized replica of King Tut's sarcophagus.  This mummy cracked me up, though.  Mostly because, wouldn't it look like a person while it was being embalmed, not like a movie mummy?  I had E take my picture by it, but I looked no better than the mummy, so I deleted it.

They had a lot of stuff on the first embalming techniques.  The "Father of American Embalming" is Dr. Thomas Holmes.  Interestingly enough, I saw a table just like this on Oddities, a show I watch that is on the Science Channel.

I call this picture, "Look out, Abuelita!"  Death is knocking on Abuela's door.  What a creepy exhibit.  This is part of their Dia de los Muertos Exhibit.  It had a little girl in it too, but honestly, she gave me more heebie jeebies than Skeletor over there.

E and I took a ton more photos, but these are just a few.  They had a lot, a lot of hearses and carriages and caskets.  They had an exhibit on presidential funerals, military funerals, Victorian funerals, and oddly enough, an exhibit on "Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes."  That last one was a huge exhibit.  As neither E nor I were raised as Catholics we didn't understand a lot of the customs or the pomp and circumstance but it was interesting to walk through, nonetheless.  And I got to see the actual Popemobile used by Pope John Paul the II.  It was a 1982 Range Rover, in case you were wondering. 

After that we headed to the Houston Museum District to stop and enjoy the Cullen Sculpture Garden.  It was free.  A lot of the sculptures of people were nekky.  A lot of the sculptures were really modern.  I mistook a jaintor's cart for a sculpture at one point.  I can't take me anywhere.  Then we went to lunch at a really cute place called Barnaby's Cafe.  It is a dog-themed restaurant with ethical food (I think if we had ate more in Houston, there would have been more restaurants like this to choose from).  And then we headed back to Galveston to try to beat traffic and we stayed up past our bed-times chatting and crafting.

One of the many sculptures.  I liked this one because it had a lot of optical illusions (water, reflections, glass).

See? Nekky.  I liked this one, too.  He's missing his ten gallon hat, though.

The rest of the trip was pretty relaxed.  We stayed close to Galveston.  E showed me the numerous antique and thrift shops and The Strand (it was odd, a bit like a shopping street in Universal Studios).  Galveston has an interesting composition.  It reminds me a little of the Keys.  We did a little shopping at Hobby Lobby and Goodwill and the mall.  It is nice to go shopping with a fellow female once in awhile.  J and I are very purposeful shoppers and we have a nice shopping groove, but it is fun to take your time once in awhile and window-shop for the hell of it.  E drove me, yes, drove me to the beach.  It was so weird to see cars and trucks driving along the water.  We went to a couple of neat restaurants (The Spot, Jimmy's on the Pier, Farley Girls). 

It was interesting to note how different the ocean is on the east coast, the west coast, and the Gulf coast.  I found black sea shells for J.  I guess the water is brackish.  I like the color of the Miami ocean but the look and feel of the Oregon coast.  In some places you can see the oil rigs.

An entire serving of raw oysters all for me because no one else likes them?  Oh what a shame.  Who am I kidding, I wasn't going to share with anyone anyhow! :)  How I eat these disgusting things, I will never know, but I love them.  From The Spot.

Okay, so my excuses for this meal at Farley Girls was 1) it's Texas and food there is ostentatious and 2) it was technically National Grilled Cheese Day.  I'll have you know I ate with a knife and fork, barely touched the fries, didn't finish the burger, and the grilled cheese was my favorite bit.  I felt actually pretty bad after eating this meal.  (My tummy wasn't exactly thrilled with my either, J and I eat relatively clean back in Miami.)  But, you go to Texas and eat no meat.  You can't.  Even their salads are chicken salad, tuna salad, bacon and blue cheese salad.  No wonder people are unhealthy there.  I'm no skinny minny, but it was really eye opening to see all of the food, the size of the portions, and the types of food.  Off the bucket list...

Shrimp po'boy from Jimmy's on the Pier.  I liked the tots.  I couldn't finish everything you see here because we also had an appetizer of tots.  J informs me that this is not a real po'boy.  I'll have to try a NOLA one.

It was really nice to see E and visit with a friend.  If you'd like to read her account of events, please check out her blog at:

http://theodoregriffithandco.wordpress.com/

~~~

Now, to address the future.  As you all know, J and I have been taking steps toward moving out of Miami and continuing the adventure of our lives.  I've worked hard at my position as a secretary, but I've always wanted something more for myself.  I really have a passion for learning and I've wanted to go back to school for quite sometime.  (In the future I hope to have Ph.D. after my name!)  I have been attending information sessions and writing away for informational packets for the last two and a half years.  (I've even started a career binder that was thoroughly labeled and color coded.)  There are many things I think that I could be successful at and many things I like to do, but I spent a long time considering what would bring my passion and talent together.  I applied to two schools and J applied to three schools for Ph.D. programs in his field.  We got into all of the schools we applied to and it came down to a long discussion about where to live and how to pay for it.  That discussion was answered when I was offered a position as a Graduate Assistant that would cover a large portion of my tuition in addition to providing me with a stipend.  So... here is the big news... (it's already dropped via Facebook and family, so it's probably not news to most of you, but I haven't said anything yet on the blog...)

J and I will be moving to Seattle, Washington.  As I mentioned, he'll be continuing his studies in Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies and working towards his Ph.D.  I'll be working towards my Master's Degree in Library and Information Sciences.  I'm combining my love of reading, organization (see example of career binder above), information, and learning into a career that is expanding beyond the traditional stereotype of a librarian.  I'll be working with technology, assisting professors with their websites and I'll be taking most of my classes online, but I'll be taking some on campus and I'll be working on campus.  While I am in school, I hope to get some writing done, unlike now, when I come home exhausted from my 9-5 and volunteering.  There are opportunities for me to work with world-class faculty and to study abroad.  UW-Seattle is the ranked the third highest in Library and Information Sciences in the country and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I was very, very bummed to turn down and opportunity to return to UW-Madison, but we feel like this is the best move for the both of us.  We'll be leaving Miami at the end of June (spending a month in Wisconsin before we head out west in August), there is an end in sight for this Midwesterner!  Now we'll just become Pacific-Northwesterners.  Very busy, very tired, very hard working Pacific-Northwesterners. 

Craving: Sentimentality

I am a picky eater.  Not by choice.  I'd like to think I have refined taste buds.  If I try something once or twice and I don't like it, I can't see the point in forcing myself to eat it.  I also have a sensitive gag reflex.  I can't think of a prettier way to say that, so, pardon me.  There are some dishes that I cannot even hope keep down (calamari bad, takoyaki -fried balls of octopus- good).  So, the next time I politely decline food, don't take it personally... it would be far more rude to lose my lunch all over yours (first grade, wild rice, and my mom made me write an apology note).  Why am I randomly writing about this now?  Well, because I was thinking about the foods that I am fiercely fond of earlier today.  I wanted to write about it, and even though it doesn't have a whole lot to do with my Miami life, I figured I would put it on this blog.

I was eating a tomato a few moments ago.  I love tomatoes.  I crave tomatoes.  I despise those mealy, shiny, red spheres the average grocery store passes off as tomatoes.  The uglier the tomato, the better it is.  Red, orange, yellow, brownish purple, and green... I want them all.  Down here in Miami, I usually go for heirloom tomatoes.  They are very good, but they are nothing compared to a homegrown tomato that has warmed in the afternoon sun, so ripe it comes off the vine with the lightest tug.  One of the first treats that I can remember was sharing a tomato from my grandpa's garden with my grandma and my little brother.  We picked it right off the plant: a big, fat, juicy tomato and we took turns taking bites out of it like it was an apple, sprinkling it with a bit of salt... I think of that happy time whenever I eat a fresh tomato.  Now I usually cut it up and garnish it with sea salt and pepper.  If my husband is lucky, he'll get a slice or two.  Every time I see one of those ugly, glorious tomatoes in the store I buy a couple, but I know I'll never recreate that moment in the sun, when I was very young.

Mushrooms are another food I adore.  I should be disgusted by them, like I said, my preferences are irrational.  They are fungi and I am a neat freak, but that is fungus I can get behind.  I love sauteed mushrooms.  I have good memories of meeting up with a friend in high school and we would just fry up an entire carton of them: butter, salt, mushrooms.  Delicious.  And the first time I had morels?!  My mouth waters just thinking about those hideous, spongy things.  They remind me of being in Southwestern Wisconsin with good, honest people, sharing a meal of fish (I skipped that- reasons later) and foraged morels.  They remind me of a time when I used to be outdoorsy and the teensiest bit wild.  These days, when I come across a dish in a magazine that has mushrooms as the star ingredient the page gets ripped out and thrust into my husband's hands.  "Make this for me, please?"  He's an excellent cook, even if we disagree on how long to cook them (he likes them on the raw side).

I have so many memories tied to food that are both good and bad.  The time I choked an a fish bone from a fish fry: bad.  The time I did it again: worse.  I keep a wary eye on lake-caught fish fry to this day.  The first time I had sushi with friends: so much fun.  I already disliked fish and I couldn't imagine eating it raw, but I was hooked (pun intended), and the plum wine didn't hurt, either.  My first oyster, purchased for me by my brother-in-law: a risk.  I loved it.  Sliding an oyster down is like taking a tiny gulp of fresh ocean.  Now, the fried oysters I had in San Fransico's Chinatown: I didn't like so much.  Duck tongue during the same meal?  I tried it.  It is off the bucket-list.  Never to be repeated.  Especially since I accidentally swallowed the tiny bone inside.  

... Spicy Cheesy Bread from Madison's farmer's market?  I dream of that and have never been able to find anything remotely like it here.  Oregon strawberries?  They are red all the way through and taste like no other strawberry I ever had in my life.  My grandma's dumplings?  Such a simple recipe, but I love it because it reminds me of my 13th birthday, when she came to my house and spent the day showing me how to make them.  My other grandma makes -THE BEST- chocolate chip cookies.  In our family she's famous for her fudge, but her chocolate chip cookies are my favorite.  How does she get them like that?  So soft.  So perfect.  Not too sweet.  She tells me it is the Tollhouse recipe, but I'm not sure.  It's probably grandma magic.  Another sweet I am fond of: Kopp's Red Raspberry frozen custard.

... And then there are my auntie's fruit pizza and veggie pizza.  Oh, it is not a party in my family unless my auntie brings something.  I loved coming home from college and enjoying a slow morning breakfast made for me by my dad.  I've tried to replicate his french toast and bacon- alas, I cannot.  Or what about my brother's scrambled eggs?  His are the simply the best.  He's  ruined scrambled eggs for me, though.  I stopped liking them after I was spoiled by his.  My poor husband- I won't eat them when he makes them.  Brunch with my future sister-in-law at the local Greek diner is always better with her than any I've had down here (even if it is just toast, an over-easy egg, and greasy hash browns).  My mom always knows to stockpile the Diet Coke and string cheese when I come for a visit.  And I like sharing a meal with her after a day of card making at Archiver's in Middleton.  I usually talk her into getting pretzel rolls from Sendik's because my youngest brother and I both love them.

... In my family, on both sides, Easter and Christmas are time for Adamczyk's Polish sausage.  When I was little my brother and I frequently requested pork chops, peas, and mashed potatoes from my grandma.  Interestingly enough, I only liked her pork chops.  I didn't eat pork (bacon aside) otherwise growing up.  Her peas were from a can, cooked in a rue that turned green.  They were only loved by me and my brothers because they make my parents gag (I told you I have odd tastes). General Tsao's Tofu and an egg roll from Asian Kitchen in college were almost as good of a reward as the grades that came from late night studying with buddies in the library.  Bluephie's, Dottie Dumpling's Dowry, Ian's Pizza, Harvest, Mickey's Dairy Bar... high brow, low brow, it didn't matter what the price point was, I miss those places equally.

... In Miami I found joy in tapas and bubble tea and Ms. Cheezious and red grapefruit frozen yogurt that is as sour as the sour gummi worms I top it with.  Those are new food traditions I share with my husband.  We discovered we like home-made risotto and spring rolls.  I will have some of these foods when I leave Miami, but there will be some I leave behind.  We will find new ones in our new place, wherever that may be.  There are just so many foods and dishes that I miss from home, but looking back at this post, it is the people who make the food, provide the food, and the ones I share the food with that bring it to life.

So I didn't like the duck tongue, but I shared that with friends in a great city and it made us laugh.  So I don't like lake-caught fish, but it was always caught by my grandpa or my dad and that made it special.  I may not be the best cook, but there are some recipes I'm good at.  I married a man who grew up with a rich family food history (his mom regularly wins blue ribbons at the State Fair, I could do an entire post on her amazing food alone).  My food history may be different, but just as rich as his.  I had grandparents who wanted to show me they loved me with food, but the thing I remember and admire about them the most was how they respected food by growing it, preparing it, and preserving it themselves.  I have a grandma who always took the time to put out her signature fudge and cookies at nearly every gathering: fudge on a heavy plate covered in saran wrap and cookies in that iconic tin.  I grew up with aunties (related by blood and not) who came to parties bearing Polish sausage and perfect dishes.  I have a dad who can cook and grill really well, even if he doesn't do it that often.  His respect for nature and hunting gave me a unique perspective on how I want to eat (a challenge here in Miami).  I remember not wanting to try the duck and the rabbit that he caught, but those are some of the most memorable meals he made for us and I liked them.  I have a mom who produces events that Martha Stewart would approve of.  She makes her home the perfect backdrop for family gatherings and she brought my wedding plans to life.  I'm sure good food would be good food eaten at a card table, but good food eaten in a warm and beautiful environment enhances the experience.

I have to clean the dishes now.  My husband made a very good vegetarian lasagna... lasagna reminds me of my brother, he always asked for my mom to make it on his birthday.

Thanksgiving Weekend Picture Post

I am really overwhelmed with work, personal projects, and the holidays right now...  So here is another picture post instead of a lengthy description of my holiday weekend.

We had J's friend over for a semi-traditional American Thanksgiving.  She has treated us to traditional Chinese food on more than one occasion and this was the least we could do to return the favor.  Ever since J and I started going to one another's family functions I have been in love with his Grandmother's Sage Stuffing.  I asked him to ask his mom how to make it - and for his first attempt at stuffing, he did an excellent job!  He also wanted to do most of the food on a grill, so we grilled potatoes instead of mashing them.

Our table for three.  We skipped the turkey (see the last post) and aside from stuffing and potatoes we had steak, vegetarian squash tart, salad, and grilled corn.  I was the only one who wanted the pumpkin pie, though... More for me!

A better view of our feast.  We sent our friend home with a ton of food and we still have leftovers.  I guess that's the American tradition- overkill.  (She liked the sparkling cider.  Personally, that is always one of my favorite family traditions.)

J and I went on a day-date on Saturday.  We decided to go to South Beach.  We hit up Bolivar again (we went their on a food tour with my in-laws).  We've both been craving their fried plantains and we decided to give tapas a try.  I've never had tapas before, but I think that it will be how J and I dine from now on.  We had a lot of fun, got to try a lot of different things- all wonderful, and it was reasonable ($40, tip included, for two people).  By the way- we did not touch the ketchup, the sauces (in the background) were amazing!

The purpose of our SoBe trip was to visit the Wolfsonian Museum.  We've been wanting to go to more art museums, but sometimes it is hard to justify the price.  This one was free for us.  It was a pretty small museum and had more of a "design" aspect than a straight-up "art" aspect.  It was neat, but we don't have to go back.  Me with the Wolfsonian Museum's famous "Wrestler" statue. 

J in front of the "Lo and Behold" or "Miro y Ve" fountain.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

It wouldn't be a blog post by me if I didn't include my babies.  This is an older picture that J took when walking the dogs.  Now Lily is as big as Ruby.  They are a funny duo. 

What a doll.  I like the way she crosses her paws.  You can tell how much bulkier she is than Ruby just by her paws alone.  This was after a particularly trying day at work a couple of weeks ago.  (You can tell because my hair is frazzled.  It likes to do that when I'm stressed.)  I love coming home to a full house.

Lily loves everyone.  Equally.  And she doesn't take the hint.  Tashi is an opportunist though, so if she thinks she'll get some nice cuddles out of it, she'll stay.  Lily is in her new sweater that we bought her last week.  Ruby has the same one in red.  I don't know WHAT we will do with them when we move to a colder climate.  They are wusses.

Saturday was a good day.  We had our day-date, went to the dog park, and then I came home to my Etsy package.  I had been spying on this little creature for several weeks and I decided that because I've made two sales (plus the ones to my mom) that I would treat myself to an Etsy item.  She's custom made and all the way from Australia.  You can't really tell, but she is sitting on a half-shell.  (You should check out the artist's work- she's great: http://www.etsy.com/shop/scarletsbones?ref=search_shop_redirect)  It has been a long time since I have ordered something online, so I was anxiously waiting for her arrival

 

 

So, that's my holiday weekend in a nutshell.  (Minus the top-secret holiday preparations for work and family/friends... and the two loads of laundry... and the massive cleaning on Thursday... and the grocery shopping... you get the picture- I just gave you the highlights.)

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your loved ones.  I am glad that J and I were able to host our first successful psuedo-Thanksgiving.  We had fun.  I don't know what we'll do for Christmas, but honestly, I'm not even ready to think about that.  Now, I'm off to pull my laundry out of the dryer.  Fun stuff!

Since September...

I haven't posted since September... yeesh.  In my defense, J has been working diligently on his thesis and I have been trying to help around the apartment in little ways (planning meals, cooking dinners, cleaning, keeping a watchful eye on animals). He's finally done with writing and he'll be defending his thesis in the beginning of November.  I'm incredibly proud of him.  Aside from working like crazy for school, he is an excellent puppy parent, an avid runner, and he's been working on side projects like his blog: http://www.wxnotes.com/blog/

Our animals have been keeping us busy.  We've been taking the dogs to a new dog park that was recommended to us by a fellow UW-Madison graduate.  Sometimes we meet up with her there on the weekends.  We've started Lily in Puppy Classes with the same trainer that worked with Ruby.  We keep them busy because happy dogs are tired dogs... but that also makes for tired dog owners who'd rather relax than blog.  Guilty. 

I haven't been lazy though!  I have been working hard on my goal of reading 75 books in 2012.  I am currently reading two books (60 and 61).  If you want to keep up with what I am reading, you can check out my Shelfari account.  (http://www.shelfari.com/beccaf)  There is no doubt in my mind that I will meet my goal, but despite my fast reading pace, it still takes a lot of time to read that much.

I also was able to go home for a week in late October.  My mom and dad paid for my ticket to come home so that I could celebrate my second cousin's wedding.  It was really beautiful.  She and her mom did some cool things for me when I was planning my wedding so I would have been disappointed to miss hers.  Aside from the wedding, I was able to spend good time with my family.  My mom and I hit up a Wisconsin farm-stand and I bought goodies for the girls at work.  I also indulged in New Glarus Raspberry Ale and cheese curds.  I was able to get all of my favorite food stops in: Kopp's for Red Raspberry frozen custard, Bluephie's for Ooey Gooey Pasta (with two of my best buds), Noodles, and The Comet Cafe.  It was a really good trip.  I was dying to get as far away from Miami as possible for the last couple of months.  I needed a reality check: somewhere where people are nice and there are a few of them who care about me.  Sometimes it is hard living so far from family and friends- even if it is an adventure.

Going back to Wisconsin helped also get me back into my creative groove.  One day my mom and I made a pumpkin still life that was inspired by some of her home decorating magazines.  I miss having a crafting buddy.  I always did my scrap-booking and card-making with her.  I hate doing those things alone- so I haven't done them in years.  We made a lot of elements for my wedding together and making those pumpkins was a fun activity.  When I came back to Miami (after I was sicker than a dog for two days) I pulled out my crafting supplies and started on some new projects.  I'll add some pictures below.  You can see more at my Etsy site.  And speaking of Etsy- I made my first "outside" (as in someone I don't know) sale two days before my trip!!  Someone in Nova Scotia bought some magnets.  I jumped for joy!

Current projects I've been working on:

The first altered Moleskine journal I made.

Another altered journal.

Another.  I'm sort of addicted.  I have to wait and see if these sell before I buy more journals to alter.  I don't want to end up with too many sitting around like some of my other crafts. *See footnote*

A Fairy Ornament that I decided to try.  The idea came to me when I was trying to sleep and after I thought of it I couldn't actually fall asleep because I was so excited to try it out.  It finally gave me an idea of what to do with all of the bits I've collected/found over the years.  This one is sea-themed.

This one is Halloween-themed.  I wanted to do one in colors that reminded me of the holiday.  Please don't judge my photo styling.  I'm not a photographer and I was trying to get the pictures taken while there was still some natural light outside.

Where my ornaments are currently residing: on the wine bottles that we don't drink. :)

On Monday I go back to work.  I know I'll have a lot on my desk.  I was supposed to go in to work the two days after I got back, but I was sick on Thursday and worse on Friday.  I got up and took a shower at 7:00 AM both days.  On Thursday I was exhausted from traveling and had a headache/sore throat, so I didn't even bother getting dressed.  On Friday I woke up feeling even worse, but I figured I really had to go in since it would only be me and one other office member.  I pulled on my clothes, told Joe that I might be home early, drove about a mile, and then pulled into a gas station so I could get sick all over myself.  I called my co-workers and explained that I would not be in, I needed a shower and different clothes, and then I went home and got sick three more times.  It was, by far, one of the worst days of being sick/having a migraine in my life.  I couldn't keep anything down: water, saltines, Sprite, or medicine.  I just iced my head in bed until 1 AM when I finally fell asleep.  On Saturday I still had a bit of a headache, so I took it slow in the morning, but by Saturday night I finally felt better.

I should go get ready for my first day back at work since the 17th.  Besides the work I have to get a campus parking pass and schedule an allergy test- a tale for another day- so I'm sure tomorrow will be crazy.  But I kind of don't want to get up to make my lunch right now.  I have two tuckered puppies cuddling my feet and I don't want to disturb them.  They look so angelic... then they wake up.  :)

 - - -

* I went a little crazy with the magnets I was making.  I liked repurposing magazine pages and it was so easy to put the magnets together that I made more than I needed.  I personally like the painted ones best, but I can't make too many at a time without getting a headache from the fumes.  When I was meeting with another Etsy crafter (http://artzazzle.blogspot.com/) she mentioned that it would be cool to leave crafts like geo-caches.   I used to geo-cache with my mom and I loved the idea.  I'll save the geo-cache idea for when I live in another city, but I decided to leave some gift bags around town of some surplus magnets, my business card, and a note that reads, "Surprise!  A gift for you or someone you love.  Just a little way to brighten your day."  I hope people find them and enjoy the fun that is finding a little secret. Who knows?  Someone will probably find it, hate it, send me an e-mail telling me what a jerk I am for some inane reason, and then instead of making their day better they'll ruin mine.  (I've been living in Miami too long; I expect the worst of people.) *

5 Things: Places I Want to Live In

Portland/Seattle

I have been to Portland and I have been dying to go back.  J and I have wanted to do a roadtrip through the Pacific Northwest for our honeymoon.  I have no idea when we will get to that.  All I know is that this region is beautiful.  These cities are big enough to be cultured, but the surrounding areas are beautiful enough to escape to.  (The closest thing I have to that here is the Everglades, and trust me, you don't want to "escape" to that.)  The dining and music scenes are also phenomenal.

San Fransico

J's brother is currently living here.  Boy, I am jealous!  Actually, I'm really happy for him.  San Fransico is iconic and has a rich history.  It's more laid back than other big cities and unlike L.A., appearances aren't everything.  I've been told that UW-Madison was based off of the Berkley campus, and I've always wanted to go and take a peek (and maybe a class or two).  I hear that there are lot of excellent restaurants there, too!

Denver

Another great city that is surrounded by nature.  As a kid and a teenager I enjoyed being outdoors.  I would love to go white water rafting, canoeing, and hiking.  I feel like I am out of touch with nature living in Miami.  I do like living next to a large body of water (I grew up with Lake Michigan in Milwaukee and Lake Mendota and Menona in Madison), so being landlocked is the one thing I wouldn't be crazy about here.  But I'm sure there are plenty of things that would make up for that if I was living in Denver.

Abroad

I have dreamed of living abroad.  One regret I have about college is that I didn't take the chance to do so.  I didn't really have the funding for it, but it is one of the few times in your life when it is exceptable to pick up and move without being too tied down for a couple of months or a year.  Living in Miami is sometimes like living in a different country and I've made life work for me here, whose to say I couldn't do it elsewhere.  J and I sometimes discuss the post-doc oppurtunities abroad.  I don't know if we'll ever have the chance to live in Europe or Asia, but if the oppurtunity ever came, I'd be hard pressed to turn it down.

Madison

I don't know if I'll ever live in Wisconsin again.  I'm okay with that.  In some ways I really miss the state and in others I don't.  Madison is the place I think of when I think of home.  It was my first time out on my own.  I had to establish myself and figure out a lot about life.  Madison was a great city to test out my wings.  I didn't always fly beautifully, but there were times like I felt I was soaring there.  I have not been able to recreate that feeling here.  In Madison, during my college years, I had a mix of friends, school, work, community, art, music, food, comfort, and new experiences that I don't think I'd ever be able to recreate.  If J's career brought us back to Madison, we'd be pretty happy campers.

Miami Meals

(Consider yourself warned!  This is probably my longest post yet.  Don't worry, I broke up the text with some pictures.  Make yourself comfortable and get ready to get hungry...)

If you've only skimmed this blog once or twice, you know what a foodie I am.  I don't consider myself to be an epicurean, though.  To me, those are the food adventurers who love to try new, odd, and exotic eats.  I will occasionally try something a little out of the ordinary (like my latest Persian dish), but I'm very particular (yes, you can read this as picky) about food.  I'd like to think it's because I'm a super taster, but until scientific testing labels me as such, I'll have to remain with the term particular.

I have implemented some dietary regulations on myself (such as eating ethically raised meat), so I can't chow down with abandon like I have in the past.  J and I eat meat that is rated 4 or higher from Whole Foods about once a week and for the most part, I don't miss eating regular meat.  (J doesn't adhere to the exact guidelines I do, but we're pretty close.)  I think this kind of meat tastes better, but I have a clear conscious which allows me to enjoy the meal more.  Having less meat means that it is more of a treat.  The only complaint I have about it is the lack of ease.  There are few vegetarian options on the go and even fewer vegan ones.  (One day I would love to get my food from farmers markets, but it is a hard in Miami and J and I have financial constraints.)

That being said, I still love going out to eat.  There is something about sitting down at a cleared table, having food made for you, and not having to do the dishes.  Going out for a meal also allows for conversation.  When we're home, J and I will eat at the table once or twice a week.  Otherwise we take our meals to opposite ends of the apartment, or both sitting on the couch watching The Colbert Report.  It is nice to catch up and daydream together while exploring a new facet of our city.

A great way to get to know a place is to go on a food tour.  When J's family was here in April, we went on our first food tour with Miami Culinary Tours.  I don't have my own camera and I don't think J brought his, so I don't have pictures to share, but I can still remember the food.  At Bolivar, a fusion restaurant, we had the most amazing patacones.  They are usually served with beef or shrimp, but J and I had vegetarian ones.  Patacones are deep fried green plantains that are served with a scotch bonnet and tomato sofrita (spicy, but pleasantly so).  I would never have tried them on my own because I dislike plantains in general, but I still dream about that dish.  J and I talk about going back.  If we do, we'll have to snap a picture for you.  Another great stop on that food tour was the Tudor House.  There we got gourmet grilled cheeses and homemade Oreo cookies.  I promised to take J there after he defends his thesis.  My favorite drink on the entire tour was at Chevichery on Espanola Way.  It was a pisco sour drink (I don't know if that is the proper name) and it was refreshing and tart.  It was also the first alcoholic drink I've ever had made with egg whites (sounds gross, but it was good).  There were so many other stops on that trip, but those are the highlights.  I'm sorry I don't have pictures.

The second food tour we went on was with Miami Tour Des Forks.  I loved it.  The first tour we got to learn a lot about the history and interesting facts.  The second tour focused more on the development of Miami as we know it today and the amazing architectural history.

The first stop was The Cafe at Books and Books.  Books and Books is a great bookstore chain down here.  It's a little pricey and I usually get books from my library or on my Kindle, but it is still a neat place.  The Cafe specializes in Miami Nouveau Cuisine (read as fresh, French-style fare that is friendly for your waist).  There we had Bernie's Starter for 2 which included ceviche, humus, corn salad, and avacado salsa.

From there we stopped at David's Cafe, a Miami institution for Cuban cuisine.  I learned about the various types of Cuban coffees.  Colada is the strongest type and it is served in thimble sized cups;  drink anymore and your tummy is going to be tied in knots while also having heart palpitations.  Cortadito isn't as strong and it's fairly sweet.  I'm not much of a coffee person, but if I had to drink coffee, this would be it.

At A La Folie on Espanola Way we had an amazing plateau de fromages that consisted of Brie, Cantal, Goat cheese with herbs de provence, Swiss, Roquefort, apple slices, walnuts, and grapes.  As a Wisconsonite I love my mainstream Cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses, but I also love branching out and trying new cheeses.  The flavor combinations when cheese is paired with fruit and bread is something that I would like to learn more about.  This was my favorite dish on the whole food tour.

While on Espanola Way we stopped at Boteco Copacabana.  There we had really awesome limeades (a whole lime for each serving).  They serve traditional Brazilian fare, like coxinha, a type of "chicken nugget."

Me, with my limeade, taking copious notes so I could share with you guys.  

The plates at this restaurant were absolutely adorable and I made J take a picture of his.  I think I'm going to buy them later!

I loved going on the food tours.  It was such a great way to experience our new city and it was an even better way to share it with guests.  I wish I had taken my parents on one when they were down here.  They would have liked it.  Before going on the food tours I had always avoided South Beach because it intimidated me.  I'm not a beach bunny and I'm not a club kid.  I didn't think there was anything there for me to enjoy.  Boy, was I wrong and I'm glad I was.  The dining there is great (a lot of it is pricey, but there are reasonable gems).  Shortly after the food tour we went back to South Beach to have brunch at The Ice Box.  I saw it on the Cooking Channel.  Oprah had declared it as the best place to get cakes in the U.S.  I listen to Oprah.  I had a red velvet cake there and it was divine.  I cannot wait to go back.  (Another mental note- take pictures here too!)

J and I found another little place closer to us called Del Sur.  We had read about it in a local paper and we wanted to give it a try.  The prices were really reasonable, the wait staff was awesome (on par with my favorites at El Racho Grande), and the chef was so nice.  He came out to greet all of the customers as if we were some snobbity-snobs at a Michelin rated restaurant.  My favorite thing there was the Mozzarella Tasting plate (again with the cheese!).  It had Burrata cheese on it which I have been dying to try.  Burrata is fresh cheese that has a Mozzarella outer layer, but when you cut into it it's creamy.  Amazing.  The other thing I loved about this cheese plate was that it came with sauces.  My favorite was a spicy marmalade.  The others were honey and a cranberry-esque jam.

Ignore J's soup.  Focus on that amazing cheese plate.  I need to work with J on what to focus on at dinner.  :)

 

Here's the sandwich that I had.  I wasn't as fond of the chips, but the Diet Coke was oh so cute!

Last, but certainly not least, are some pictures from Ms. Cheezious, our favorite food truck.  I gush about it all of the time, but trust me, it's worth it.  If you are ever in Southeastern Florida, make a pilgrimage to a food truck rally.  You will not be disappointed.  I try new things from trucks each time I go, but I always make Ms. Cheezious my main stop.  These pictures are horrible, so I apologize in advance...

Grilled Harvest (Havarti Cheese, Apple Slices, and Spices)

 Goat Cheese and Prosciutto with Arugula and Tomato

Crabby Cheese Melt

The best cheese fries in the state.  There is just something about them that is amazing.  They are never soggy, always crisp, and perfectly salty.  These are meant to be shared though.  Unless you mean business. 

J pleased with himself for scoring some awesome food.  This was the trip where we were called out on being regulars.  If it is wrong, though, I don't want to be right.  (This is technically in Hollywood, not Miami.)

Whew!  What a post.  I've been working on this for the better part of the evening.  It's probably really bad blogging etiquette to post something so long.  I've been meaning to break it up into a couple of little posts, but I figured I'd throw caution to the wind.  (Please note, that these events were during the course of four months.  I like my food, but I'm not that big of a piggie!)

Miami doesn't really feel like home, but it is where we find ourselves.  Living here is an eye-opening experience.  There are wonderful things we have discovered and other things that make us disgruntled.  But it is nice to know that even though we are far from Milwaukee, there are still little things that keep us tied to our hometown.  While walking down Lincoln Road on South Beach I came across a PBR sticker on a sign post.

I know PBR has a reputation for being a very "hipster beer."  See my "hipster" Halloween costume below.  (If you don't get what a "hipster" is, that is good, because my costume was "meta-hipster" because "hipsters" don't like anything that is mainstream.  But if you are still curious, you can look it up on Google for a better definition.)

But, seriously, PBR is sentimental for me.  It is one of the few beers that I actually enjoy and it was my grandfather's favorite beer.  His dad worked at Pabst.  Seeing that PBR sticker was a connection to home and it made my heart happy.  And if we know one thing about Becca's heart, it is that you get to it through her stomach. 

Bon Appetit!