The St. Mary's Foundation Concrete Mixer

Guys in skirts always get the girls!

I have to give it a lot of credit to the St. Mary's Foundation committee members who hosted this fun event to kick off the renovation of the hospital's guest house. First of all, what a great name for a party on the hospital's parking lot. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by my host, Don "Big Daddy" MacKenzie, with a cup of brew from the crew at

Brewery Vivant & Michigan Brewers Guild. Paul Lee was inside the What The Truck roving kitchen dishing out Korean tacos. The folks at One Trick Pony, The Cottage Bar, Greenwell and Culvers were also on hand with concrete party delights.

For more fun, I saw former school chief Bert Bleke dish out his skills at corn holes. I witnessed my buddy Kurt Lacks miss an easy putt on the putting green. Otis Jackoboice was topless on the dunk tank (surprise!). Signal Trip, a local killer band, was atop a truck performing a wide range of hits from the 80's. Mike Hughes, a member of the Up Next class roamed the parking lot promoting the Guest House like a seasoned politician. I even got in the action as Chad Barton's sacrificial lamb at the inflatable jousting ring. 

Tomorrow, I will officially start my term as a trustee of the St. Mary's Foundation Doran Board. I am very honored to be a part of this energizing team. I saw and met a lot of the board members who were on hand with their construction-chic wear to lend support to this amazing project to assist families of patients to have a home away from home as love ones undergo treatment at the hospital.

The FUN element should always play a role in getting people to get involved in making a difference in our community. The Concrete Mixer certainly achieved that.

I need you to do me a favor, "like" the Saint Mary's Foundation facebook page by clicking here, and the 2011 St. Mary's Up Next Class will donate $1 for every new friend. A simple and fun way to make a difference. Thank you.

A Wedding of Interest

Even though we usually only post about weddings on our wedding blog, this wedding was so unique to us that we thought our "regular" blog readers might enjoy seeing this post as well:

http://weddingsatthehawthornehotel.blogspot.com/2011/06/indian-wedding-in-ballroom.html
I hope you enjoy seeing it.

Juli

Vertigo Then and Now

Is anyone a fan of the Alfred Hitchcock classic film Vertigo? I just stumbled upon this website with wonderful before and after images of various locations used in the 1958 film which was shot in San Francisco. To see all of them, visit Vertigo Then and Now's website here.

1958- The magnificent Brocklebank Apartments are where Scottie begins trailing Madeleine's green Jaguar.

2003- The biggest change to this grand apartment building across the street from the Fairmont Hotel is what it costs to live here now.

1958-Post and Stockton. Scottie takes Judy shopping and begins making her over to look like Madeleine.

2003- After forty five years, the flower stand lives on in the same location. The Eddie Bauer store was previously occupied by Gumps, which moved a block down the street.

1958-The Pacific Union Club Shadowing Madeleine once again, Scottie follows her up and down the steep, narrow streets of Nob and Russian Hills. Traveling west on Sacramento Street, Madeleine turns right onto Taylor and drives one block to Clay Street, where she makes another right. Scottie grows increasingly perplexed as they continue down Mason Street to Washington. Much to his surprise, her trail leads him to the intersection of Leavenworth and Lombard, where she turns right and heads one block down the hill to Jones Street. Scottie approaches her at the front door of his home at 900 Lombard where she has just dropped off a thank you note.

2003- On the right is the service entrance to the Pacific Union Club. Sacramento Street is just ahead. Clearly, much has changed in this affluent area.

images and descriptions from Vertigo Then and Now

Flicks for the Long Weekend, at CinemaSalem

If you aren't planning a big getaway for the long weekend, and are looking for something to do around here, perhaps checking out some of the latest movie releases might be up your alley.  Here is CinemaSalem's e-newsletter for your review.

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you will already know that I love CinemaSalem for its very reasonable ticket and concession pricing, real-butter popcorn, interesting tea selection, Fresca, and terrific community spirit.  I hope you will support them.

Here is the newsletter:

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Assuming you're as busy as we are, we'll keep this nice and short this week.

Just one quick reminder that next week is the first Thursday of the month, which means it's time for French Film Night at CinemaSalem, this week feature the French language version of The Red Violin, one of my favorite movies of all time. The charge is $10 and the time is 7:30, and it's sponsored by the Club Richelieu de Salem.

Now, on to the films!

Now Playing: Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D (PG13); Cars 2 (G); Green Lantern (PG13); and Bride Flight (R)!

I didn't think I'd love Super 8 as much as I did, so I'm also looking forward to another Spielberg produced blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D. Film.com already loves it: "Easily the best Transformers of the series, Dark of the Moon is everything that's boisterous and lively about our big studio cinema." And guess what? It opens today! It will screen today and tomorrow at (12:20), (3:30) and 6:45; Friday and Saturday at (12:20), (3:30), 6:45 and 9:45; and Sunday-Thursday at (12:20), (3:30) and 6:45. And it's in gorgeous 3D at CinemaSalem.

Also new this week is Bride Flight which I'll let the Seattle Times describe: "For anyone who shrugs at today's movies and thinks "they don't make 'em like they used to," here's a classy, good-looking chick flick in the old-school tradition." The Newark Star-Tribune chimes in with another in the 80+% positive rating on RottenTomatoes.com: "What's truly moving here are the characters, who all feel real enough to make you want to shout an occasional warning, like a fan in a horror movie. Except this time it's not 'Don't go in the basement!" but "Don't marry him!'"

Bride Flight will screen starting Friday at (11:30 AM), (2:00), (4:30), 7:20 and 9:50; Sunday-Wednesday at (11:30 AM), (2:00), (4:30) and 7:20; and Thursday at (11:30 AM), (2:00) and (4:30).
Back for more is the awesome Cars 2 (G) which the Los Angeles Times adores: "Cars 2 teaches gentle kid-friendly lessons about the importance of friendship and being yourself and introduces some great new characters in its parallel spy drama and auto racing plots." Salon.com has another great take on the flick: "Cars 2 might be a better James Bond film than five or six of the actual Bond films, and the fact that its hero is a bucktoothed, redneck tow truck without a hood does nothing to detract from its appeal.=
Cars 2 will screen Friday and Saturday at (12:00), (2:20), (4:50), 7:15 and 9:40; and Sunday-Thursday at (12:00), (2:20), (4:50) and 7:15.

Finally, Green Lantern has won its share of praise, like this blurb from CinemaDope: "... a shame this fantasy-adventure arrives in a summer swamped by superheroes. It's the best of the batch so far, but it's in danger of being snubbed by the seen-one-seen-'em-all contingent."
Green Lantern will screen Friday and Saturday at (11:45 AM), (2:45), (5:10), 7:30 and 10:00; and Sunday-Thursday at (11:45 AM), (2:45), (5:10) and 7:30.

Scene from Bride Flight

Thanks for supporting CinemaSalem!
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I hope to see you here (or there!)

Juli

Two of My Favorite Places in the World - Mandarin Oriental & New York City

The Mandarin Oriental New York just launched a new video to seduce you to their breathtaking setting overlooking one of the most picturesque cities in the world. 

The Fourth

There is so much going on in Salem for The Fourth of July, Independence Day!  You really just need to be here and soak it all in.  While Boston might have the Esplanade, we have Salem Harbor, and the National Park Service Historic Site as the background for our fireworks and musical celebration.  The schedule is in the flyer below, and you can click on it to enlarge it on your computer monitor, if you like.

In addition, at 9 am on the Common there will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence by an outstanding (and might we say costumed) orator, along with the singing of the National Anthem and other activities, to help us all remember why we celebrate this special day.



We do have a few rooms left for the weekend, but don't wait around to make your reservation if you want to come, as they will certainly be snapped up quickly.  If you live locally, just come for the day, and enjoy all the festivities. 
I hope to see you here.
Juli

Teddy Bears Bring Out the Kid in All of Us

I recently purchased these two darling, nearly life-size teddy bears, and had them sitting in my office.
When Christine Turner dropped by to check them out, she could not resist hamming it up for my camera.

Frank (on the left, named for our founder) and TBD on the right, are available for children's events and baby showers,
and will be front and center of course, for our annual Teddy Bear Tea in December.

Meanwhile we are going to have a contest to name our girl bear (Frank's friend), with the winner getting a gift certificate for Teddy Bear Tea (what else!)

I hope to hear from you soon.

The contest will end on July 31. In case of a tie, the first name received will be the winner.

Juli

Monday, Monday...

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

When I came across this photo today on Pinterest, I thought it was me. The exhausted little girl. I spent the weekend surrounded by friends, starting to clean out my Mom's apartment. What an emotional and grueling task. I think I'm going to lay my head down like this precious girl and nap the day away. And, I even have some colorful slippers of my Mom's that I'll wear...

Wishing you a great week ahead!

sweet image from here

A Pho and Soul Train Weekend

For me, nothing can be more comforting than a bowl of steaming hot pho inside a hole-in-a-wall restaurant. No one cares what you look like. Everyone is there to dive in this bowl of goodness - soup made out of reduced oxtail stock, star anise, seasonings, rare beef, hot peppers, bean sprouts, basil. 

My 14-year old son Jules was craving pho on Saturday, so I took him to Asian Palace on 28th St. and Clyde Park for one of the best pho's in town. We started with the mussels and capped the lunch with pho. Afterwards, he and I played

a round of golf in which he beat me for the first time in his life. Awesome.

On Sunday, Jules was craving pho again. This time, my wife tagged along. We ordered the exact same thing and then played another round of golf. This time, I won by four strokes. 

It must have been Soul Train weekend because Asian Palace had the show on both days. Stevie Wonder and Pho. A perfect combination I must say.

I did ask our waitress why pho restaurants always have a number - pho 82, pho 99, pho 1. She had no idea. Here is my theory. In cities in Vietnam, there are probably hundreds of pho stalls. Adding a number differentiates one stall from another - making it easier for the customer to remember. Anyone care to answer the question?

An Overnight Pub Crawl in Grand Rapids

Mega 80's at The Intersection

The restaurant and entertainment scenes in Grand Rapids have definitely come along way since the arena opened in 1996. Come join me in this overnight pub crawl through the heart of the city via my July "The Good Life" column in Shore Magazine. To read the full article, click here.

Crispy calamari at San Chez

Cheap brews at Stella's

The Winchester

The bustling Green Well restaurant

Alleyway entrance to Stella's

Mussels at Green Well

The dining room at San Chez

Bistec Lomo at San Chez

Bloody Mary at Green Well