Happy Birthday Ryan!!

My first trip to Kansas was a great one! All the media coverage regarding travel horror must have coerced many travelers to stay home; Regan National was deserted on Thursday. Ryan and I arrived in Kansas City on time and poised to travel to Manhattan with Amy, Andy, and Alex. As soon as we arrived (after a two hour drive that reminded me much of the starkness of Manitoba) I had my camera in hand, ready to document my first holiday in Kansas. However, my batteries were dead. I am sorry, but I don't have any photos to share.

As we know, Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with sharing; sharing of food, memories, tradition... and this year, germs. I actually haven't figured out if the restaurant that we ate at Friday night shared their germs with us, or if we shared them with each other, but at least two of us were lucky enough to welcome illness into our holiday weekend. At least I didn't get sick until I got home.

Tomorrow morning Ryan and I are heading to Kansas to celebrate Thanksgiving! We will be eating dinner with his grandma Jeanne. I am really looking forward to seeing Jeanne, Amy, Andy, and my nephew Alex! I will share photos when I return. My fingers are crossed that air travel will not be a problem.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

For the Hawkins family, Thanksgiving is most often a quiet holiday. The low murmur of football and the crackling of a fire in the fireplace makes me feel right at home. And while Christmas is celebrated with our traditional Italian feast (antipasto, homemade ravioli, etc.) our Thanksgiving tradition is quite simple and reflective. Started by my paternal grandmother Marion Hawkins, the beginning of each meal is marked with the planting of a single stalk of celery in each mound of mashed potatoes. To her, this signified the planting of a new tree, an embrace of life, a thanksgiving.

I'd love to hear about your holiday traditions!

Wedding photography is now available. I will post photos as I format them for the blog!

Being without a computer at home is very difficult. Though we have another laptop, Ryan is constantly on it. So, obviously, my blog writing suffers. Hopefully the situation will turn around soon. Thanks for checking in.

Not long after Ryan and I met he handed me a book and told me to read it. Having won me over with his cooking, Ryan intended to share with me the allure that the food-industry held for him. Though he ultimately pursued a career in education, Ryan is a chef at heart. He worked in restaurants for many years and was even accepted into culinary school. The book he handed me was Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

The publication of Kitchen Confidential was a life-changer for Bourdain and had a significant impact on food writing. It was one of the first books to delve into the under-world of cuisine (though George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London long-preceded it. Published in 1933, it exposed the darker side of Parisian restaurants.) Today, Bourdain is most commonly known for his successful show, No Reservations, and his many other industry books including A Cook's Tour, The Nasty Bits, and most recently No Reservations. (He is also a writer of crime novels, having published two: Gone Bamboo and Bone in Throat.)

Clearly, we've been fans of his for a while.

Thanks to Theresa, who reads the Washington Post, I learned that Bourdain would be in town discussing his new book. Theresa and I headed over to Olsson's bookstore around 11:40am for a noon appearance. The place was crowded (I believe over 200 people were in attendance...and Olsson's is small!) Bourdain spoke for about forty-five minutes and then signed books and took photos.

What is it that draws the average individual to celebrities? Why do we get giddy or nervous when in their presence? I admit, I had butterflies in my stomach as I approached Bourdain, but I honestly had very little to say to him. There was nothing that he hadn't already heard fifty times. He knows he has the best job. I don't need advice on how to quit smoking. And I'm quite sure he isn't interested in my last culinary experience while I was abroad. So, I thanked him for signing my book, posed for a photo, and moved on. But for an hour before I met him, Theresa and I sat about three feet from Bourdain while nearly 200 people awkwardly tried to connect with him. I think our fascination with celebrities is made up of a combination of curiosity, a bit of envy, and the simple fact that these people are simply not part of our planet. Even so, we make fatal attempts to bond, be noticed, or be remembered.