Because this is local

We had a Coney Island restaurant back in Maryland where I grew up. I only ate there once, though it figured large in family lore. Here in South-East Michigan, Coney's are an important cultural tradition like Cheese Steaks in Philadelphia. We wanted to eat and get to a movie one midday out together, so we looked at the restaurants that were very close to the theater. It was a bit of a question, but Uptown Coney won in the end. 

I'm so glad it did. I chose to order their patty melt. It's close enough to standard diner food to be fair, but enough of a frump on the back page that it demonstrates range. It also just sounded good. It was great. Both slices of bread were perfectly toasted and crisp. The patty was meaty and the gravy and onions made you lick your palette twice in case you missed something. I have since ordered the Rueben and found it equally excellent. 

The best judge of how we like a restaurant is when we can't wait to take the kids, and Kurt and I were both looking for an excuse to introduce our brood to this fine diner food at Uptown Coney. Every plate was clean and both the crispy battered french fries and the perfect onion rings were hailed as extraordinary.

If you are in Ann Arbor, and you like fine diner food, this is a must eat restaurant.

Paradise is my present address

Sometimes the past clouds the present. We've grown accustomed to a buffet style Asian food experience to the point where I'd forgotten about ordering one thing and eating just that. I was a little homesick for my plate of everything, so when Kurt asked where I wanted to go I said Chinese. Kurt is a cautious man, so he did research and took me to Paradise Asian Cuisine. It is a small restaurant, only fifteen tables, but they fill up quickly. The owners waited on us, which was so personable and charming. Choosing my one plate took me some time, but I decided on the Rainbow Chicken. I love stir-fried vegetables, and rainbows are always appealing. Lucky for me the chicken was good too. If I had been more observant and less nostalgic about Chinese food, I would have paid attention to the Vietnamese menu and tried something new. I guess there is always next time.

Melting

I needed a copy of The Divine Comedy, and Kurt needed to get out of the house. I was also hoping to scout editions of Aquinas, but Barnes and Noble only had one edition. My shopping trip took way less time than I'd thought, so Kurt suggested we try a new restaurant. Sundays in Ann Arbor seemed very dead today. We decided to try The Melting Pot, again. It was our third try. Previously, we'd been left to rue that our lives don't often leave time for making reservations, but this afternoon there were plenty of tables, and we were seated in a very private booth in the back. 

We weren't sure what to order. Kurt went with his standard "see what they recommend" approach and I was feeling adventuresome. There is something about fondue forks that inspires confidence. We landed on an Old Bay Cheese Sauce, the Melting Pot House Salad, and Honey Orange Duck Breast for me, Filet Mignon for Kurt. The Old Bay Cheese Sauce was indiscreetly bitter, a fact the broccoli bits underscored unpleasantly, but the apples relieved nicely. The bread cubes were leaning toward some version of rye. I wouldn't want to eat them plain, and they didn't help the Old Bay Cheese Sauce. It was a disappointing beginning. The house dressing on the house salad was lovely, and restored our confidence. The salad was put together with care and flair, and I'm still kicking myself for not buying a bottle of the dressing. 

About the duck, I am working on a novel and I wrote a section about my main character preparing Duck a l'Orange. I've been up to my elbows in recipes and such. Honey Orange Duck Breast will never find me such an open target again.

We chose the Coq au Vin broth which came with potatoes and mushrooms and broccoli to round out our entree. Kurt's Filet Mignon was delicious. The potatoes soaked up the excellent broth and made it more fully heard. We skipped the broccoli, but enjoyed the mushrooms. We also skipped dessert, so I 

can offer no advice on that subject.

I am pretty sure we'll try this restaurant again. The staff was courteous and either well-trained or in the process of being trained. The atmosphere is equal parts romance and fun. It's a small thing, but the iced tea is good. Everything was clean and well managed. The third time certainly charmed.

Glimpse of the Sky

When I was a child we spent our summers at the lake. I alternated between reading on my beach towel, playing in the water, and building things in the sand. My favorite thing to do was to float on my back looking up at the clouds and enjoying the muffled sounds that meant I was free to ignore everyone. It was a feeling of deep peace, of only hearing what is important. Having children has profoundly disturbed that inner peace, the knowledge of what to listen for. They are quite literally my heart running around outside my chest, and I have forgotten how to be at peace if they are not.

Until tonight, at swim class, we are learning the back strokes, and suddenly there I was ears muffled looking up. I could have done that all night. It was better than any sort of therapy. I think I'm going to have to join the Saline Recreational Center. The place is unpretentious, smartly practical, and my swim instructor is an angel. There's lots of great amenities, and everything is busy and well-used. I fit in there.

It is a great find--a place to remember myself.

Sometimes You Need a Guide

Five minutes after meeting Tracey Roy, I knew she'd be a pleasant companion on the journey to our new home.  She was both professional and good at carrying her end of the conversation. As we started looking at houses, she displayed a gift for quickly knowing what we liked and what we didn't. She saw houses the way we were, looking for classroom space for our young ones and a little separation for our college student.

When we thought we'd found the perfect place, she did all she could to get us in to see it. When it all failed, she helped us see perfection might not be worth the drama. With our eyes open again, we quickly found a home that truly is perfect for us and comes with a pool!

At this point everything seemed to be ready for a gentle coast to the end, but details, details, details, about wore everyone out. Right up to the last minute, Tracey was our warrior, making the way forward with great advice and helpful connections. Without her persistence and advocacy--even under difficult personal circumstances--I doubt we'd be settled in our magic home, children in school, and the daily routine once again becoming dull.

If you are looking for a realtor, look no more. Tracey Roy is the complete package.

Washtenaw County's Colorless, Odorless, Killer

We are in the process of buying a house that failed its Radon test in a manner my inexperience deems spectacular. Evidently it's a common problem for the area, and mitigating Radon isn't that hard. All I knew about Radon I learned from Nathan TerMolen's poem. His poetry can be terrifying taking the commonest items and making them murderous. It has been at least six years since I heard him read it, and the image of the silent invader destroying a woman's lungs cannot be forgotten. Especially now that it's my lungs and my husband's lungs and my kid's lungs. 

God bless Wikipedia. The whole thing becomes a science lesson. Many different government sites explain reassuring practices for abatement and why and how they work. I look at pictures of our current system with my newly educated eyes and scoff that such a system would ever be considered sufficient in the first place. I imagine the amazingly complex structure and rigorous testing schedule we will follow, and I scoff at at Radon. I mock and I laugh. 

Until I remember Nathan's poem, then I cover my mouth with both hands.

222Rn

A snake made of absolute

shadow, held together by 

glass scales that spar, nod

and wink in light. It chose to

adorn itself with thick mist,

an aura the color of blood 

fresh to air. So heavy. Clung

to the ground like a beaten

dog, it slips in sideways

through foundation cracks.

Cobra as vapor — a donned

hood, black tongue tasting air. 

A grazing bite starts down-road 

through parted lips, starts a mute 

riot in lungs, leaves widowers — crumpled 

wet paper behind

                                     a quiet

ever-sneaking

               tail.

                                                            

Anniversary Upgrade

I've been making regular visits to Ann Arbor, and whatever was cheapest on Expedia was good enough to put a roof over our heads. This last visit we decided to invest in an upgrade since it was our anniversary. There are a number of great hotels in Ann Arbor if you believe the web hype. I am partial to jacuzzi tubs, so The Regent Hotel of Ann Arbor earned our business.

The room was nicely decorated, very clean, and came with a fridge and microwave standard. The jacuzzi tub was one of the nicest ones we've been in. All the finishings were granite and quality wood. The carpet in the hallway was plush, and few sounds of people coming and going were audible. We didn't make it to the breakfast, but it sounded good. We also missed using the hot tub, pool, pool table, and a lovely outdoor sitting area. There's also great eats nearby.

It was a happy place to celebrate 20 years of marriage, and I imagine it would be wonderful for lots of other occasions as well.

Orientearing

The biggest thing about Ann Arbor is The University of Michigan. Our daughter is a freshman this year, and as such we all had to participate in Orientation. It was all fine and good until the time came for her to join the student queue. At that moment it was like sending her off to the Hunger Games. We had our own queue involving money, and a fancy binder, and name tags, so off we went. The day was well planned and well spent. All the key aspects of life on campus were covered in a light-hearted way, and everyone pretended not to notice that you were crying. Lunch was served in the Michigan Union, and it made me feel very important and pampered. We met the nicest couple who had eight children to our puny six, and we got along right away. I have to admit we kept hoping Mea would answer our texts, but she was terribly busy with placement tests and such. 

The second day they let us see the kids for a single joint session. I was late arriving, so I missed the best opportunity for exchanging gossip. She looked to be in good shape, and later I found out she was. The second day was only a half, and not as much fun as we quickly lost our student orientation leaders--in our case, Marissa, Ross, and Sarah. They did a great job turning difficult days into victories.

Mea still had the rest of the second day and half of a third to finish. Kurt had to go to work, so I was on my own. I grabbed a quick lunch, shopped a little bit, but mostly I plunked myself down in the Law Quad. What a beautiful space! Quiet, shady, the old buildings are powerfully present without being intimidating. They seem welcoming, glad to work with you. I found lots of empty benches and sat down to work on the idea for this blog. 

Orientation was really Mea's big step, but I fell in love with the university as well.

Where Everybody Knew My Name

In the Muskegon area there are very few places where a woman can sit down and get to work and feel comfortable on Saturday night. For me, Saturday is the best time to separate from my kids and do intellectual work.  Barnes and Noble became my nurturing home away from home every Saturday after mass.

They say start with what you know, and I know Barnes and Noble. I've eaten almost everything on the cafe menu (Personal faves--Turkey Chipotle Panini, Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, and Double Chocolate Cupcake, excellent for ending writer's block). I never walk by the sales table and bargain shelves--homeschoolers use all those quirky books. It's also a great place to take kids for one on one time or for special rewards.

The Ann Arbor B&N is much larger than the Muskegon store. Every department offers more and better. There are two escalators that will be thrill rides for some of my kids and a reason to read more challenging books for others, win/win for me. This store also has new to me departments like the music and film area. 

Everything is familiar but better. I think there will be times when it will be comforting to come back here where everybody knew my name.

A Stadium Marks the Spot

Ann Arbor has always been on our family map. Kurt, my husband, is a proud alumnus of the University of Michigan. We've made pilgrimage, and our kids are growing up in Wolverine apparel. I was content with that. Life in Spring Lake was very good, and I would have lived there until forever was proved to have an expiration date.

Kurt needed a bigger adventure.

He found one near Ann Arbor, and we are moving to Mecca or at least Saline. I've come on three scouting missions including our oldest daughter's student orientation. So much is crammed in so small a space. The possibilities for exploration seem limitless from lectures, to ethnic food, to beauty, it will take me years to get to know it all. Come and explore with me, even if all you know is the Big House marks the spot.