RandomAnna Has Moved to Vox!

The move is now complete.

You can find RandomAnna here from now on:

www.annaliisa.vox.com

See you there, kids!

RandomAnna is moving!

Hello dear readers--I have decided to move this blog over to Vox. I just like Vox better. I think the interface is a lot easier.

To read RandomAnna on Vox, please go to:

www.annaliisa.vox.com

I hope to see you there!

I Have Returned.

I am back home at last after 7 intense weeks of traveling all over the USA for my job (OK, so one week was my family vacation in Tennessee, but the other 6 weeks were work-related.) I am overwhelmed by how much I have to blog about, but I also have some inflamed muscles in my dominant arm and shoulder, making typing painful. So I am not sure how quickly I will be able to blog about everything on my mind, everything that has happened, everywhere I have been, everything I have seen and enjoyed. I guess all I can say is: Stay tuned for more!

Away...

All my blogging is on hold as I rapidly run from one state to another. Back from Tennessee yesterday; heading to Virginia Beach tomorrow; then to Arizona on Sunday.

Much to blog about...but no time to do it until I get home from Arizona on April 19th...

Raise a Glass to Charlotte Winters!

Charlotte Winters of Boonsboro, Maryland, the last surviving female veteran of World War I--and one of only 5 remaining living WWI veterans--passed away this week at the impressive age of 109. Raise a glass in honor of this patriot and women's rights pioneer who proudly served her nation. You can read more about Charlotte's accomplishments here and here.

Charlotte's funeral is tomorrow and she will be interred in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Frederick.

Paeonian Grocery & Gourmet: A Little Gem Between Leesburg and Purcellville, VA

Every day driving home from work I pass by the Paeonian Grocery and Gourmet on Route 9 in Loudon County, Virginia, and for years now I have wondered what is in it, but I have always been either too busy or too lazy to stop there. Now I am chiding myself for this egregious oversight--the Paeonian Grocery and Gourmet is exactly the type of store I was craving as a convenient stopping point between work and home. Imagine a store where you can pick up an organic Amy's frozen meal for dinner, a single serving-sized sliver of a decadent cake or a mini-Ben and Jerry's ice cream (with spoon under the lid) for dessert, and a bottle of wine to go, all in a minute or less. Imagine a store that stocks everything from Route 11 potato chips to Cheerwine soda to Stonewall Kitchens jellies and jams. This tiny store manages to pack in dozens of local, gourmet, and microbrew products artfully arranged so you can grab what you need and go in no time. It's the perfect place to grab some snacks or microbrew sodas for that long commute home to West Virginia or other points West on Route 9 or Route 7. There is also a gas station at the same corner so you can pump your gas, then pick up a healthy quick dinner at the PG&G.

Paeonian Grocery and Gourmet
40602 Charles Town Pike (a.k.a. Route 9)
Paeonian Springs, Virginia 20129
540-882-3700

Curious about the name, like I was? Check out this quick history of Paeonian Springs, Virginia.

That Cuban Place Cafe: The Perfect Antidote to Winter

This past Friday we might have witnessed winter's last gasp, and thankfully so, because many of us are quite sick of slush, scratchy wool overcoats, missing gloves, and gray overcast skies. If you are like me, right about now you are craving a getaway in the tropics, envisioning yourself sipping fruity drinks on a chaise lounge as you watch seabirds overhead and waves lapping at the shore. And, if you are like me, you also don't have enough vacation time nor enough money to vacation in the Caribbean right now. So the best place in town for you to approximate that warm and relaxed vacation feeling is at That Cuban Place Cafe on Market Street, home of what has to be The Best Mango Smoothie on the Planet. Seriously.

Owners Alfredo and Narcisa have created a little tropical oasis in the heart of historic downtown Frederick, adorned with palm trees and bright tropical colors to help take away winter's frigid edge. The menu, which contains freshly made Cuban sandwiches, plantains, black beans and rice, Cuban beef, fried potatoes, fruit pastries, and more, is designed to be affordable, with all options priced at $10 or less. And trust us, everything there is delicious. Also, Alfredo and Narcisa are so friendly, warm, welcoming, and humorous that you will feel right at home in the cafe. The TCP Cafe also serves strong Cuban coffee that is bolder than anything that famous Seattle coffee chain can possibly brew up.

From the word on the street, That Cuban Place is gaining a legion of loyal fans both in Frederick and beyond, probably because the combination of authentic, freshly made Cuban food at reasonable prices paired with the little restaurant's happy, charming atmosphere is a winning combination.

That Cuban Place Cafe
301-760-7776
300 North Market Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701
nadjebi@aol.com
mamerta1@hotmail.com

Random Goodness I Found in Williamsburg, Virginia

So I am back from business trip #1 in a series of multiple business trips that are scheduled to occur between now and the end of April.

We worked long, hard hours on this trip, so I didn't have much time to scope out the area for special stuff, but I encountered two great restaurants while I was there:

1. Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que, which is family owned and has been in operation since 1971, is a classic BBQ shack serving all the traditional Southern favorites: pulled pork sandwiches with slaw on top, BBQ chicken, ribs, hush puppies, corn bread, collard greens, and more. But the number one most distinctive menu item they serve--an item that I consider a "must order" item if you go there--is their delicious sweet potatio sticks. These are not sweet potato fries like you might have encountered elsewhere. Instead, imagine a treat the approximate size and shape of mozzarella sticks, stuffed with creamy, warm sweet potato puree, with a lightly crispy outer shell (not the heavy breaded outer coating typical of mozzarella sticks.) That's what these sweet potato sticks are like--smooth, creamy, slightly sweet, the ultimate comfort food.

Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que
757-565-2955
www.pierces.com

2. The second restaurant, Second Street Restaurant: An American Bistro, was so yummy and full of decadent dinner and dessert options that my work team went there twice during our 5-day stay in the Williamsburg area. Recently remodeled so that it exudes a kind of Californian "atomic ranch" vibe, Second Street has been voted Virginia's Best Burger joint every year since the Virginia Gazette started this annual contest. Instead of burgers, however, we sampled items from the newly revamped menu. Our work team loved the crab pile with garlic spinach and potatoes au gratin, the shrimp 'n' grits platter, and the flatbread pizzas the most. We also rampaged through the desserts, including the 4-layer chocolate cake, the bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce, the hazelnut chocolate bomb (my personal fave), and the carrot cake.

My next destination: Jacksonville, North Carolina, home of the Devil Dogs stationed at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River. I will be there from tomorrow until late on Friday.

Election Day in Finland 2007

Today is a historic Election Day in Finland: it marks 100 years of democratic elections for the Finnish people.

According to the Associated Press,"Finland's incumbent centrist party barely won parliamentary elections Sunday, with the main opposition Conservatives making strong gains to claim a possible spot in the next government."

And She's Off!

I have been warning all my close family and friends for awhile now: Beware, because I am entering my "7 weeks of hell" zone. By this I mean all of the activity associated with my job over the next several weeks, which involves travel to 4 separate states and more action items and deliverables than I can possibly remember. Sandwiched inbetween these business trips is a quick Spring Break jaunt with my family to go relax in the Tennessee Smokies for a few days, but even that trip involves many, many hours in a car (yuck).

So, to make the best of it, I plan to take detailed notes about all of the interesting and blogworthy things I encounter on these trips so that I can make full blog reports on the weekends when I return home.

Destination number one this week is the Williamsburg, Virginia, area, where I will be from tomorrow until Friday the 16th.

The reason why I must warn everyone close to me about me entering the "7 weeks of hell" zone is because I will, at some point during these 7 weeks, either:

a.) Snap in a harsh and cruel manner at someone who does not deserve it over something incredibly minor and unimportant,
b.) collapse into a crying, twitching ball, or
c.) enter a near-catatonic state involving 18+ hours of nonstop comatose sleeping due to extreme stress and fatigue.

Game on!

Score! Our Auction Results

So we went to the Brunswick Main Street benefit auction today, and for $131.25, we came home with two used cedar chests (1 in great condition, 1 in fair condition requiring some sanding and refurbishment) and a tote bag filled with new outdoor gear, including a map of the C & O Canal Towpath and Trail printed on a bandana. We feel like we got a good deal, and our contribution goes towards beautification and "First Friday" events in Brunswick, a worthwhile cause.

Crafty? Have some neat stuff to sell? Then check out this website.

I am so excited--I just found out about Etsy, an online site that allows artisans, craftsters, and designers to sell their handicrafts and arts straight to the public without dealing with middlemen, art galleries, etc. Typically the items showcased on Etsy are hand-made creations offered at reasonable prices. I already spotted a number of rings and scarves on there that I would love to buy...I am sometimes overwhelmed by how many talented creative people are out there, quietly churning out gorgeous works of art in their bedrooms and basements.

Another cool thing about Etsy is that they have a rating system similar to eBay, so you can purchase with confidence knowing the seller has satisfied other customers before you.

First Signs of Spring!

This weekend I noticed one of my snowdrop flowers blooming in the front yard, and the yellow crocus are blooming in Wayne's yard across the street.

New Market General Store

After our wonderfully satisfying brunch at Mealey's Restaurant this afternoon, we walked over to the New Market General Store in search of penny candy. We were excited to find that the general store now offers far more than just lemon drops and fudge squares--it now stocks clean-burning, soy-based Beanpod-brand candles, Thymes luxury bath products, Violette sticker sets (reproductions of Victorian images of butterflies, cats, marbles, birds, and other subjects), affordable prints by local painter Harry Richardson, locally-thrown pottery, a variety of teas, and so much more. A new addition to the store is the introduction of Redneck Ribs barbecue. If you haven't visited this little gem in New Market in awhile, give it another look to see all of the changes and all of the new product offerings.

Sunday Brunch at Mealey's Restaurant

I've been hearing great things about Mealey's Restaurant in New Market for ages, and I finally had a chance to eat brunch there today with my mother and my (step)son. I don't think I have adequate words to describe how delicious this brunch was or how wonderful this restaurant is.

First, Mealey's Restaurant has a cozy, traditional, rural American ambiance, with a homestyle dining room accented with elegant antiques, creating a comfortable sort of "upscale country" vibe, if there is such a thing. Although the dining room was packed full, there was still plenty of room to maneuver about, so you could lean back in your chair after eating if you needed to. The service was impeccable, so we tipped accordingly at the end of our meal. All the staff members were polite and responsive--in fact, they were the fastest hosts and servers I have encountered in years, always quick to bring an extra cup of coffee or whisk away a spent plate.

One side of a long table was heaped with lunch offerings such as steamed shrimp and smoked salmon, the smoothest sweet potatoes ever, green beans, roast beef you could carve yourself, and a ton of other fresh options. The other side of the same table was dedicated to gourmet breakfast options: a made-to-order omelet station, a spinach frittata, cheese blintzes, French toast, home fries, and more.

But the piece-de-resistance was the dessert table, where I almost lost my mind trying to decide between all of my favorite desserts in the world: creme brulee, bread pudding with vanilla bourbon sauce, chocolate fondue for fresh fruits, caramel cheesecake, apple crisp, key lime pie and English berry trifle. So I opted to create two small "sampler" plates with about one spoonful of each item--the perfect ending to a great meal.

My impression is that Mealey's goes the extra mile to buy the freshest, tastiest ingredients available on the market--all the flavors in the foods were so savory and strong, as they should be. For example, the cucumbers in my salad were sweet like the ones I grow in my own backyard in the summertime, and the shrimp tasted exactly as shrimp should, with no odd "fishiness" about it. I would rank this brunch a 10 out of 10--we were completeley satisfied and left wanting for nothing. How often do you get to eat a perfect meal like that? We're lucky we have Mealey's in Frederick County.

Mealey's Restaurant
8 Main Street
New Market, Maryland 21774
Reservations Phone: (301) 865-5488
www.mealeysrestaurant.com

You MUST Experience Snow Tubing!

If you grew up in a climate where you had at least one snow day per winter, then you have probably already experienced the thrill of sledding down your neighborhood hillside on your old Flexible Flyer or a similar model. As fun as local neighborhood sledding can be, it doesn't exactly compare to the exhilaration of flying down a mountainside on a comfy, squishy plastic inner tube (remember, the lack of friction means you reach much faster speeds than on conventional sleds). The Van family visited White Tail Resort in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania today for 2 hours of thrilling and heart-pounding snow tubing on White Tail's 10 tubing lanes.

For only $18, you can rent a huge inner tube, ride an escalator up a multiple-story mountainside, and cascade down hundreds of feet at pulse-stopping speeds for 2 hours. You can tie together up to four inner tubes at a time to whisk down the slopes with your family and friends, although we found that the optimal combination is two tubes together to achieve some really amazing speeds and distances.

As you rush down the tubing lanes, spinning in circles or bouncing off of the snow walls that separate each tubing lane, just relax and enjoy the ride. The lanes are designed for maximum safety so you don't have to worry about a thing--go down backwards, go down lying on your stomach, or spin around in circles. Unless you try to do something risky such as standing up or dragging your feet, you'll be fine--let the contoured slopes guide you to a gentle tapered stop at the bottom of the hill.

If you have little ones under age 5, there are tiny inner tubes and "junior" tubing lanes available (for much less cost) where parents can gently pull their children along on shallower slopes, or else let their toddlers take a safe tumble into the soft cushiony snow.

We really enjoyed the White Tail facility today for many reasons, including:

• Quick and easy access off I-70 West
• Ample free and easy parking (so there is no need to walk a lot of you are feeling lazy)
• Plenty of man-made snow that looks packed and polished into 10 slick, countoured lanes of tubing fun
• Large bathroom stalls and clean bathroom facilities for changing in and out of your gear
• $1 locker rentals to hold and guard your stuff
• A hickory wood fire burning next to the tube shed, so you can warm up between tubing sessions
• Helpful, friendly personnel who make sure you don't launch off too soon and accidentally hit another tubing fanatic on your way down
• Automatic boot and glove warming devices
• A fully stocked restaurant for small meals and snacks on site
• Lip balm, disposable cameras, sweatshirts and other necessities on sale in the ticketing facility if you forgot something
• Automated transport up the hillside so you can be as lazy as you want to be
• Huge, durable, squishy inner tubes with leashes for easy transport

This adventure is only 45 minutes away from downtown Frederick, Maryland.

Whitetail Ski Resort 13805 Blairs Valley Rd Mercersburg, PA 17236 (717) 328-9400

America's Best New Designer: Tory Burch

I can't afford anything she creates, but I am obssessed with the clothing, shoes and accessories designed by Tory Burch. I love everything from her name (very Californian) to her ornate back-to-back "T" logo (so ornate and geometric and clean and memorable all at once--the near perfect logo) to her retro-mod inspired designs: shift dresses, ballet flats, beautifully patterned sweaters and skirts in boldly contrasting colors. I am in a general sense obsessed with all kinds of ornate patterns, and I also love simple 60s dress forms, and Tory blends the two effortlessly into classic pieces that will be coveted for years to come. I bet one day women in vintage stores will be fighting over Tory Burch pieces like they would fight over a good Chanel boucle suit or a Christian Dior dress. In the mean time, I am checking Ebay and Overstock.com religiously in the hopes that one day I will be able to afford some of her pieces.

Sudden thought: some chunky resin jewelry from Dinosaur Designs would probably go great with a Tory Burch dress and flats.

Sunday, March 11, 2007: Awesome, Must-Attend Auction in Brunswick!

I am soooo excited that the Brunswick Main Street organization is holding a spring auction again this year on Sunday, March 11. This auction is HOT. Last time I attended it, I scored a retro serving platter with a 50s/60s boomerang motif for only $1 and a framed early 20th century black and white photographic print of the VFW hall near my house for only $15. Steals and deals for bargain hunters of every income level will be available here.

Past items offered at the auction have included: cedar chests, furniture sets, collectible coins, jewelry of various vintages and price ranges, kitchenware and utensils, a new ventless fireplace, Civil War and military memorabilia, books, rare vintage photographs of Frederick County, artwork, and more. No one can guarantee which items will show up there next Sunday, but you can get a quick peek before the auction begins and stake out the stuff you love during the 12:00 noon preview.

Although this is a charity auction to foster Brunswick revitalization and beautification, it is also a truly professional auction with experienced auctioneers at the helm to keep things moving: John Rickard and Ed Trainor of Rickard's Auctions. These kind gentlemen are donating their time and their professional services to help preserve and grow historic downtown Brunswick.

If you have items to donate, there is still time to get the goods over to the Brunswick Main Street organization. Donations of all types and vintages are welcome, and these donations are tax deductible.

Be sure to bring some cash and/or your checkbook with you to pay for items onsite. Please also bring a valid form of identification to be assigned your bidder number. Lunch options will be available onsite and the charming Emerald Garden restaurant is a few blocks away.

I'll see you there!

Brunswick Main Street Auction details:

Sunday, March 11, 2007 at 2:00 PM (with a preview at 12 noon)

City Park Building
655 E. Potomac Street
Brunswick, Maryland 21716

Information line: 301-834-5591 or 301-834-7976

Sponsored by the Brunswick Main Street group:
http://www.brunswickmainstreet.org/index.html

Our March 2007 Charity of the Month: Alley Cat Allies

On 9/11/2001, I decided that every month, no matter how poor I was, I would somehow find a way to donate at least a few dollars to a charity as a way of saying "thank you" to all the family members, friends, and strangers who have helped me and my family members when we needed it most.

With the exception of a few months where we were hit with multiple costly family emergencies at once (e.g., surgery combined with drastic car repairs), I have met my goal. In 2006, the Van family donated nearly $700 in cash and used items in excellent or good condition to more than one dozen different charities.

With my stepson living here for the entire school year now, we have involved him in selecting the charities so that he, too, can be closely involved in choosing which causes need our attention. (We hope he learns a little something along the way about sharing and helping others no matter how much money a person has in their own pocket.) We rotate months so that each one of us can choose a charity 4 times a year.

Certainly there are an overwhelming number of charities out there, so a website like the Charity Navigator can help when trying to decide which worthy causes deserve our dollars, and we consult this site for guidance before donating to a new group. The Navigator publishes data on how much money these charities spend for marketing and administration, how many dollars are directly applied towards helping people or animals in need, etc.

I figured while blogging about my favorite snack foods and bath products monthly, why not also blog monthly about the charities we are supporting so that other people can read about these awesome organizations and the good work that they do.

Our charity of the month for March 2007 is Alley Cat Allies.

Everyone who knows me well also knows that I adore felines, and that I have tried to take care of cats over the last 30 years. I received my first cat as a pet when I was 3, and from then on I have loved cats the same way other little girls have loved horses, dolls or teddy bears. I think they are great companion animals and so hassle-free when compared to dogs. Not that I dislike dogs--one day I hope to adopt a rescued racer greyhound--but I have always had this affinity for cats, ever since my first kitten was placed into my arms. Many people call me the "cat whisperer," too, because I have a proven method for befriending strays.

Even if you think alley cats are a nuisance, Alley Cat Allies is working towards bettering communities everywhere by reducing the stray, feral and wild cat populations in urban areas big and small. They do this in a humane and sensitive manner too.

The group's focus is on executing and implementing successful TNR programs--Trap, Neuter, Spay programs. Humane animal traps are set to capture the members of feral cat colonies. The cats are then spayed or neutered so that they cannot overbreed. The cats are then returned to the area in which they live. Because they do not breed, the cat colonies shrink in size or disappear entirely over time, naturally. No cats are harmed or killed, and the nuisance of wild cats is eliminated with kindness.

Spayed and neutered feral cats are less likely to spray to mark territory and less likely to scream and caterwaul at night, so they are less of a nuisance to the community.

Of course Alley Cat Allies also strives to find loving homes for stray cats that are tame enough to be adoptable, and they advocate immunizations and good health care for felines too.

If you, too, would like to contribute to Alley Cat Allies, their contact information is listed below. The Van Family cats would like to thank you for your support of this charity:

• Kahlua, age 6, a purebreed Tiffany cat--found as a stray kitten in my parents' back yard
• Gabbi, age 7, a tabby cat who became homeless--until she found the Van family house
• Speckles, age 2, born in the Van family backyard to a feral mother
• Redbud, age 2, born in the Van family backyard to a feral mother
• Buffy, age unknown, showed up on our front porch a few months ago, now she is here to stay

Alley Cat Allies

www.alleycat.org

7920 Norfolk Avenue

Suite 600

Bethesda, MD 20814-2525

Phone: 240-482-1980

Fax: 240-482-1990

ACA office hours are between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Darlin', You've Got to Let Me Know...

...Should I Stay or Should I Go? To my 15-year high school reunion, that is! Truth be told, I hated all 4 years of high school along with most of the people I was stuck there with. But my mom and my brother are all excited about the reunion this year and want me to go. So my question to my readers is this: Should I stay (at home) or should I go to my reunion in July? Did you go to your 15-year high school reunion, and if so, why? Or why did you choose to skip it? I want to hear everyone's high school reunion stories.

In a strange twist of fate, my brother "met" his second wife at one of his high school reunions. They had been students together 20 years before, but had never really interacted with one another. But at the 20 year reunion they hit it off and voila, a few months later they were married! It was a happy marriage for about 15 years, and then, unfortunately, it fizzled out. But still, kind of a neat story about high school reunions and the power these events have over our lives.

And on a final note--no, I never went to any of my previous reunions, but yes, I did log on to the reunion website to spy on my former classmates to see what they are up to these days. Most of my high school peers apparently married, have 2 children, and now work in marketing or sales--the vast majority of them. I know several of them are dead now, but they don't seem to have a "Dead Classmates of 1992!" page. I am listed on the "missing" page, but I don't want to be found, tee hee (insert wicked little giggle here). I was also an option in the "who was our valedictorian?" quiz question, which was interesting to me, because I thought I was invisible in high school. Somebody out there remembers my (maiden) name. Weirdness.

Random Yumminess

Today is the first day in many days that I feel healthy and energetic after battling a wicked week-long cold. I managed to pay all the bills, get the tax documents in order for the accountants, and organize a bunch of stuff. In other words, I am back in the land of the living! And I am eager to blog to all my readers about all of the little things that are making me happy today. That's right, it's Random Yumminess! And in random order too.

1. As some of you might know, I make casual jewelry for fun. I think I might have raved to you before about ArtBeads.Com, but I must rave about them again. First of all, every order has a free shipping option. Every single order, no matter how small, has free shipping. Plus, Artbeads.Com has recently added a ton more merchandise to the site, including resin pendants in bright sherbet hues; colorfully-patterned wooden beads for merely $3 per plentiful strand (including leopard-print ones!); gorgeous etched shell pendants by Lilly Pilly Designs; and tons of sterling silver options. While I am on the bead topic, whenever I want chunky semi-precious stones, my go to site is StoneAge Hardware. Their shipping is super fast and they go to the annual gem shows in Arizona to stock up on finds you can't get anywhere else (at least not at these affordable prices and in these small quantities).

2. On the candy and edibles front, Route 29 Napa has recently come to my attention. They are purveyors of gourmet licorice and a bunch of other old school treats such as buttery caramels and crunchy peanut butter sticks; they have been in business since 1907. The grourmet licorice, which comes in fun animal shapes like tiny little piglets and miniature ducklings, is accented with cinnamon, orange, or other unique flavors. My boss and his family raved about the Route 29 Napa holiday cinnamon pigs I gave them at Christmas this year. By the way, I was able to score these cinna-pigs at Brunswick's own Beans in the Belfry. Let's hope they stock the orange licorice ducklings for Easter time!

3. I mentioned my accountants in the top paragraph, and I have to give them a shout out here as well because a.) they make tax time a breeze for me and my family, 2.) they have provided us and many of our friends with impeccable, affordable service for multiple years now, and 3.) Joe, Sherry and the crew are just nice folks! Rather than taking your taxes to a chainstore tax prep place at the mall, take them to Kilner & Associates instead. When you ring them up to ask them for an appointment, tell them the Van Family of Brunswick recommended them to you. By the way, I can't guarantee this for you, but Kilner & Associates usually takes care of our taxes for the same price as H&R Block. In other words, we get top-notch, trustworthy expertise, quick and painless service, and rapid electronic filing, all for the same price as the chain places (where you can't guarantee that you are being helped by a real expert.)

Kilner & Associates
5235 Westview Dr # 100
Frederick, MD 21703
(301) 668-6300

By the way, they also have an office in Gaithersburg, and you don't have to live in Frederick County or Montgomery County to take advantage of their services--they have clients all over the U.S.!

To be fair, as a Brunswick citizen I should mention that we do have some tax prep services right here in downtown Brunswick, so you don't even have to venture to Frederick to get tax help. I should note that I have never used any of these services myself, but to find one of them, click here to access listings on our Brunswick Chamber of Commerce website.

4. A quick shout out to the Brunswick High School Wrestling team for an awesome 2006-2007 season! All of the wrestlers and the coaches should be amazingly proud of their progress and accomplishments this year. Go RailRoaders! You rock.

5. Last weekend my friend Tamm took me to one of the last remaining outposts of the Rodman's gourmet food and wine stores in Rockville. There used to be a lot more Rodman's shops in our area back in the early 90s, but now there are only 3 or 4 left. Anyway, why you need to get yourself to a Rodman's, stat: hundreds of yummy international food and candy options from Russia, Holland, India, China, Japan and more! More global candy and dessert options than you can fathom, all conveniently located in one (sort of cramped, but still friendly and charming) shop near White Flint Mall. As you can tell by our name (the Van family) there's some Dutch blood in this brood, so I picked up some soft and delicious gouda cheese and honey cake from the Netherlands, along with some of my favorite treats from England. Custard in a can, and RownTree's Fruit Gums. In England last year, I nursed my sore throat by sucking on roll after roll of Rowntree's Fruit Gums, and became addicted to them (in fact while sick this week, I relied on them to ease my throat again). Now I have a reliable stateside source for these treats! (I also picked up a pack of them at Frederick's Cafe Anglais tea house in October; however, I am not sure if they plan to stock them continuously there. By the way, Cafe Anglais is a great place to sip a cup of Earl Gray in a dainty, girly teacupwhile watching people stroll by on Market Street.)

Cafe Anglais
238 N Market St
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 698-1223

Bath and Body Product o' the Month: Frederic Fekkai Winter Hair Anti Static Weightless Mist

Ah, the joys of winter...freezing temperatures, plunging humidity levels, ever-present hat head, and static. One of my biggest pet peeves in life is static in my hair. I have often been tempted to spray my locks with StaticGuard, although that seems somehow...dangerous. I could put on a ton of hair spray, but who wants stiff ands sticky tresses? Finally, after lots of searching, I found the perfect solution to this nagging problem: Frederic Fekkai Winter Hair Anti Static Weightless Mist. It's a bit pricy at $15 for a small can, but it will probably last me all season, it smells yummy (if you like sweet tropical florals such as jasmine, like I do), it seems to keep my hair soft and conditioned, and it banishes all of the static so that I can wear fuzzy hats without consternation. I got mine off-the-shelf at the Columbia Sephora, but Amazon sells it here.

A Curious Little Case of Retail Recycling

I just find this amusing: I was browsing randomly online tonight when I saw a familiar item advertised for sale: the same style of necklace I wore to my wedding in 2001.

I knew my wedding necklace was not a "one of a kind item." I purchased it for about $250 (I know, that's an inflated price for crystals, but hey, it was my wedding day I was shopping for, so I went all out) at a random retail store (the name escapes me) in Baltimore Harbor. I can't remember their name now, but they sell what could be called "upscale costume jewelry" for the middle class. But I figured after 2001 I would probably never see the same design again.

But lo and behold, one of my favorite lines of costume jewelry, Roberta Chiarella, is suddenly selling the same necklace, only this time the price is a whopping $320! And now there are apparently multiple color combinations, not the silver tone and clear crystals combo I picked out.

I still stand by my choice of necklace for the ceremony, and I have been able to wear it to Christmas parties and other affairs since. But I just find it amusing that a design I bought 6 years ago is now licensed for sale under another vendor's name for $70 more dollars. The design was recently showcased in Los Angeles Weddings magazine and Marie Claire.

I also wonder if I am going to see the same design reappear every 5-7 years, each time licensed under another brand. This will be interesting.

Come Celebrate Chinese New Year for a Great Cause!

Come and watch an exciting tai chi demonstration by a martial arts master, enjoy graceful Burmese dancers perform, and celebrate the Chinese New Year with your neighbors at the American Legion hall in old town Brunswick on February 10, 2007.

This free and festive event, masterminded by local entrepreneur Judy Chang and friends, will feature Asian food and entertainment and crafts and wares sold by local vendors. The event opens at 12 and runs until 4:30 PM or later.

Although this neighborhood party is free, donations are being collected for a new Greater Brunswick Youth Center that will provide our kids and teens with after-school activities and martial arts and dance classes.

Anyone who has lived in old town Brunswick for awhile knows there is a dearth of green spaces within the city blocks for our kids to roam and play safely; a youth center like this is desperately needed. Cheng hopes the youth center will fluorish so that children from neighboring communities like Knoxville and Lovettsville will also have a fun, safe place to hang out after school.

On a side note, the restaurant that Cheng owns with her husband Bobby Chow, the Emerald Garden Chinese Cookhouse (formerly Pacific Cafe), was recently remodeled in cool pastel tones of blues and greens, making the dining space an elegant and breezy, spring-like setting for a meal--the perfect antidote to the cold gray weather we are experiencing this month. The food at the restaurant is still delicious, freshly-made and hearty as always; our family recommends the sesame beef with a side of broccoli.

Another side note: Cheng was profiled in our local paper lately, and after reading about her recent battle--and victory--over a brain tumor in 2006, I am convinced she is a superwoman: she's a mom, a successful entrepreneur, a community revitalizer, and philanthropist all rolled into one!

Location for the Chinese New Year Party:
Brunswick American Legion Hall
18 S Maple AveBrunswick, MD 21716
(301) 834-8121

Emerald Garden Chinese Cookhouse
12 S Maple AveBrunswick, MD 21716
(301) 834-3338

You Know You are an Old Punk When...

...a Buzzcocks song is featured in an American Association of Retired Persons television ad. Sigh. (Thanks to Matt for telling me about this. Matt first heard the sick sad truth about this commercial from Bob Mould's blog.)

You Know Political Correctness is Out of Hand When...

...monkey butlers are no longer called monkey butlers, now they must be called "service monkeys" instead. I still want a monkey butler, dammit! Any marmoset or ring tailed macaque will do. I mean no disrespect to little monkeys.

A Brunswick Citizen Needs Our Help Today

Crystal Yourtee of Brunswick, Maryland, is in desperate need of surgery to remove a debilitating cyst from her brain. Crystal, age 26, is dealing with crippling memory loss and pain, and needs constant care. Her mother, Pam Boore of Brunswick, was told that the surgery Crystal needs will cost about $150,000, and Crystal has no health insurance to cover it.

Pam has started a fund for Crystal. Please consider making a donation, however small, if you are a Brunswick resident, or even if you are not. Every dollar will help, so even if you can only spare $1, please try to contribute so that this young woman can have the cyst removed and regain a normal life.

Donations to help Crystal can be accepted at any BB&T bank branch--just say the donation is for Crystal Yourtee in care of her mother, Pam Boore. You can drop off a dollar bill (or more) in person, or else send in a check for more, like we did. Here is the mailing address and phone number for the BB&T branch in Brunswick:

BB&T
94 Souder Rd
Brunswick, MD 21716
(301) 834-5306

Mark any donations as "Crystal Yourtee Fund c/o Pam Boore."

Brunswick and Frederick County bloggers, if you could spare a moment to blog for Crystal, that would be a great help to her and her family.

I don't know Crystal or her mom, but I do know how easy it is in this country to become uninsured and lose your health care benefits--it could happen to anyone, anytime. It's particularly sad to me that Crystal and others like her go uninsured in the state of Maryland, home to the Johns Hopkins Hospital system, arguably the #1 hospital in the nation, if not the world. Johns Hopkins, by the way, is where Crystal would have her surgery if her family can raise $150,000.

Random Bits from Random Anna

Just answering one of those Internet polls, out of boredom...

1. If you had to choose one vice in exclusion of all others what would it be?
Sugar! I have a sweet tooth and it gets the best of me. If I could eat masses of sugary products with impunity I'd be thrilled.

2. If you could change one specific thing about the world, what would it be? Oh man, a tough one. In the end, no matter what the topic or issue is, it always goes back to that line that little kids often whine: "It's not fair!" Even as an adult I am often incensed by the unfairness of it all. Like, why should women in the thousands be raped and killed in Darfur? It's not fair. Why should thousands of our soldiers die in Iraq? It's not fair. I would want to make the world fair.

3. Name the cartoon character you identify with the most?
I never liked cartoons, so I can't immediately think of anyone...I suppose the sarcasm of and dark spectacles worn by"Daria," if you can remember that MTV character from way back. I think I'm a little nicer than her, though.

4. If you could live one day in your life over again, which one would it be?
There's been a number of "best days" in my life that would be fun to re-live. The day I got married was pretty swell, as was my first day in San Francisco; my first day in Tucson; the day I met my stepson; my first day in San Diego; seeing the Alps and touring a medieval castle in Zurich; my last day in Japan; etc.

5. If you could go back in history and spend a day with one person who would it be?
I would love to spend a day talking with Joe Strummer about music and life and lessons learned.

6. What is the one thing you lost, sold or threw away that you wish you could have back?
There are many things I want back. Speaking of material possessions, I want the IKEA Poang zebra-print chair I bought with my own money but my ex-boyfriend insisted on keeping when I left the house we had shared long ago. But I bet by now he's gotten it all dirty, so I don't really want it back anymore. I'm just mad because when I went to buy another one the pattern had sold out and been discontinued and all I could get was the foot stool without the matching chair.

7. What is your one most important contribution to this world?
To be honest I am not sure I have contributed all that much really. But I like to think I have made life better for my family.

8. What is your one hidden talent that nearly no one knows about?
Hmm. Once again, a tough one. My husband says typing very loudly is my hidden talent. I don't thin any of my talents are actually hidden, per se. But few people know I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue just like the actress Sherilyn Fenn did on Twin Peaks.

9. What is your most cherished possession?
My husband points out that the ancient, hole-y Rancid T-shirt I am wearing right now and insist on keeping despite multiple holes and rips and a decade of wear and tear seems pretty damn cherished. I'm just fond of the "Give 'Em the Boot!" tagline and cartoon mohawk boy on it. I guess my most cherished possession is actually a collection: my personal photo collection, especially shots of family members who are dead now.

10. What one person influenced your life the most when growing up?
Aside from my parents, my friend Tamm, who has the greatest sense of humor ever. We've been pals since 6th grade, about 20 years now.

11. What one word describes you better than any other?
Dorky!

Epidemic?

Almost everyone I know (myself included) has come down with a strange stomach ailment over the last 2 weeks. So if you suddenly start burping strange little burps, beware! A bizarre tropical illness and intestinal suffering are on the way. At least we can be thankful it's not bird flu. And it does have an end point, so it's not fatal.

Build Your Own Smoothies, Sandwiches and More at The Common Market

On Saturday my family and I wandered into The Common Market cooperative in Frederick seeking out build-your-own sandwich opportunities. I used to acquire my favorite sandwich combinations at Collamor's in Middletown, sadly now defunct. Luckily The Common Market fills the gap left by Collamor's. You can choose from a dozen or more varieties of breads, pile on the cheeses and meats of your choice, and revel in the huge selection of veggies (including yummy sprouts, which many Whole Foods Markets, formerly Fresh Field's, stores stopped offering several years ago) and spreads.

But wait, there's more. Step to your left and design your own smoothie or juice to complement your sandwich creation. The staff will custom blend and make your own fresh juice or smoothie right before your eyes. You can ask for a traditional yogurt or milk-based smoothie, or else try a juice base or vanilla soy yogurt combo.

The mind boggles when it attempts to tabulate the sheer number of sandwhich, juice and smoothie combinations available...there are literally thousands of possible combinations you can enjoy, and everything is fresh and made to order right in front of you. What's not to love? You can dine on their sunny patio or in their indoor dining area, then wander the store to do your weekly grocery run. And you can do it all knowing you are buying fresh, organic, healthy stuff, totally guilt-free. (P.S. But if you want the guilt, keep in mind The Common Market offers cheesecake! And there's an ice cream aisle!)

The Common Market
Evergreen Square, Frederick, MD
301-663-3416

Totally in Love With Total Basket Cases

Lovettsville, Virginia possesses a gem of a gift store called Total Basket Cases where you will find a huge selection of gourmet foods, locally made tea and other local products, luxuriuous bath and body goods, and handsome gifts (quirky lamps, pens, handbags, photo frames, ornaments, Polish pottery, tea towels, etc.) at a variety of price points. The kind owners will gladly whip up a custom gift basket for you and even mail it to your recipient so you don't have to do any work. My tiny little blog cannot possibly illustrate the amazing number of yummy gift options contained in this store, so you will have to stop in yourself or else take a look at their website. I am also pretty impressed by the friendly and informative owners. On Christmas Eve my husband and I pulled up to their door a few minutes after closing time; one of the owners saw us standing there forlorn on their doorstep and invited us in, even though she was probably pretty eager to get back to holiday activities at home--that's some awesome customer service.

Total Basket Cases
2 E. Pennsylvania Ave
Lovettsville, VA
20180
540-822-9415

Snack o' the Month: Bodacious Bites Peanut Butter Bliss

This is by far the best snack food I have encountered in months: Bodacious Bites Peanut Butter Bliss Chocolate Covered Pretzels by Angelic Gourmet. Right about now you are probably sniffing to yourself "Yeah, right, chocolate covered pretzels, like nobody's ever done that before, how original." No, you don't understand! Imagine crispy pretzel bits, crunchy and lightly salted, but not too salty; imagine said pretzel bits wrapped in a layer of silky white chocolate that melts in your mouth; and then imagine these white-chocolate-covered pretzels hand rolled in a mixture of miniature chocolate and peanut butter chips. These Bodacious Bites are the perfect blend of sweet and salty, crispy and smooth, peanut butter and chocolate. The company claims these treats are "created to be extravagant," they certainly do taste decadent. But even if you an ardent calorie counter, you can probably get away with eating one bite a day, meaning your box will last you more than a week. If you can't eat these yourself, then gift them to somebody, because that somebody will love you forever. I got mine at Total Basket Cases in Lovettsville, Virginia.

Stressed? You Need The Daily Kitten

If you're feeling tense and cranky, you need a dose of The Daily Kitten. What could be more heartwarming and joy-inducing than a little ball of fluff?

Happy Holidays!

This is just a quick note to wish all my friends, family members, and neighbors (including new friends I met here on Blogger in 2006) Happy Holidays 2006! I hope to get back to blogging in a few days after all the holiday hoopla is taken care of...have fun everybody, and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2007!

Finnish Winter Scenes

Click here to watch a beautiful presentation of still images of winter wildlife in Finland. You don't need to understand Finnish to enjoy the slideshow--most of the narration is poetic and literary as opposed to educational--it talks about how quiet winter can be, stuff like that. The images are great. Click on the words "Aloita Eistys" ("Begin Presentation") to start the slideshow.

Christmas Quiz

This Christmas quiz was stolen from another blog. Here's my own personal responses:

NAME: Anna Van

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Cocoa Trio at Seattle's Best Coffee

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa doesn't come to this house anymore. I wrap gifts poorly, so everyone gets their goods stuffed into gift bags and wrapped loosely with crepe paper.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Every year is different. This year the tree is not up yet. Outside we have a blue and white color scheme going.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sometimes. I finally bought some of the real stuff 2 years ago. But you have to keep it away from cats or else you will poison them.

5. When do you put your decorations up? It varies from year to year. We wanted exterior lights up in time for the town's annual decorating contest. Our block won best decorated block for two years in a row now. But our tree is not up and I only set out the holiday porch mat today.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Tough one, because my mother's raw gingerbread cookie dough wins hands down as my favorite holiday food. I guess I always like the meat of the day with gravy. The meat of the day (Christmas Day) changes from year to year.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? When the whole family would come to my parents' house and we would all open gifts together and many of us were still kids. These days we are scattered to the winds, geographically speaking, most of us are grown-ups, and a number of us are dead, so it's just not the same anymore.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Can't really recall. I just remember being mad, but also thinking "I always had a feeling this Santa thing was hinky!"

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, many of them. For Scandinavians (at least us Finns) Christmas Eve is the big deal when it comes to the gifts. Christmas Day is more about being quiet and holy.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lights, little Finnish flags, ornaments we all made by hand about 5 years ago, random ornaments collected on trips and given to us by friends and relatives.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? It depends. The first big snow day is great: shoveling snow, followed by hot cocoa, hanging out relaxing at home, taking snow photographs. Then it gets a little tired. Wet feet, slush, dirty salty cars, being stranded in isolation in the house, etc.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, shakily. Lifelong balance issues.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? From childhood, my mini Pac Man arcade by Coleco.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? I love having an excuse to see the family, and I really love giving people gifts as a message that says "Hey, I care about you and want to make you happy, so I searched all over to find this perfect [insert item here] just for you!"

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? As noted above, raw gingerbread cookie dough (mom's special Scandinavian recipe). I also love her Finnish holiday pulla pastries with the saffron.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Over time I am starting to love the lights more and more.

17. What tops your tree? Currently nothing, as the tree is not up. Last year: some type of sparkly star ornament that was too heavy for the tree tip, so it slumped over. Classic.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? I gotta admit I love them both!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? "Winter Wonderland." I also like that Everclear song that has the chorus "I will be hating you for Christmas!" It's hilarious.

20. Candy canes? Sometimes. Not my favorite candy in the world.

BooYa, BHS!

Brunswick High School Wrestling kicked a** tonight! Good job, team! It's great to see a team that really works together and teammates that really support each other, no matter which individuals win and which individuals lose on any given night. Everyone on this team contributed to tonight's big win.

Next big match: Wednesday night at BHS.

Maryland: Driving Us All Crazy

So, Car and Driver magazine just came out with their 2006 rankings for the most and least driver-friendly states.

Is it any surprise that Maryland ranks badly on these lists?

I've lived in this state my entire life, and I am routinely ashamed (and scared by) the flagrantly dangerous driving behaviors I see out here on a daily basis. And, I must admit, I am ashamed of my own road rage-filled past in this state. I never did anything as bad as running someone off the road onto the shoulder, but I still did my share of seething and tailgating back in the day. In recent years I have worked hard at being a calmer, gentler, politer and more forgiving driver.

In case any Virginians out there want to gloat, Virginia didn't fare much better on the Car and Driver rankings.

The magazine examined a variety of statsitics and metrics ftom multiple sources and declared the Washington, DC metropolitan area the worst place to drive in America.

Lucky for us, we also have some of the longest, most painful commutes in the nation too.

Our area rates poorly not just because of the congestion and the number of traffic accidents and casualties on the road; we also rank poorly due to the revenue-hungry ticketing behaviors of some of our jurisdictions. (Hello, Fairfax County, VA!)

As the holiday season continues, drivers around here will become more and more frazzled and impatient as they worry about getting to parties on time, fight for parking places at the malls, and watch the price of gasoline escalate again.

So, dear readers, I have 2 things to ask of you for the remainder of 2007:

1. Be on guard at all times and practice defensive driving to protect yourself ands your loved ones during this hectic time of year. People on our local roads will be more distracted, emotional, and sloppy over the next few weeks (e.g, making lane changes at the last minute, forgetting to signal, etc.) Drivers who do not normally drive at night or on weekdays will be out there on the Beltway and I-270 right next to you (squinting at road signs, driving slower than the speed limit, etc). Beware and look out!

2. As you try to avoid them, try to forgive the idiots too. Yes, you will certainly encounter them out there between now and the end of the year: idiots weaving in and out of lanes at warp speed, idiots driving too fast or too slow, idiots running red lights, etc. If you successfully avoid collisions with the idiots, then you have won the game. Don't waste any time feeling angry at the idiots; forgive them. Afterall, you never know when you yourself might become the idiot. I was the idiot myself tonight in a local parking lot: preoccupied, hurrying to make it to a meeting on time, and trying to make a mathematically perfect arc into a parking spot to my right, I moved too far to my left, and a young lady who was trying to reverse out of a space (also on my left) almost collided with me. Her view had been impeded by a parked truck next to her. If I had been doing my driving job right, then I should have anticipated that someone might be trying to pull out of the space next to the truck, and I should have kept myself tighter to the right. As I exited my car, feeling like a total moron, I hoped and prayed that the young lady would be forgiving of my idiocy instead of keying my car. Luckily, at the very most, all she did was call me an idiot and move on. Road rage = stress points = taking years off of your life. Believe me, I know. As a former road rager, I think I aged myself by 5 years and shortened my life expectancy to boot.

Maybe, just maybe, if Frederick County residents drive more calmly and more gently all year long, then maybe we can influence the drivers in all the other neighboring counties (and districts, too-- ahem, DC!) to drive more calmly and more gently too, and then maybe in 2007 some other poor state will earn the title of worst place to drive in America instead of us. C'mon guys, I know we can at least beat Massachusetts!

Awwwww!

I just found out about this blog, which compiles video clips of adorable little creatures falling asleep: Cute Things Falling Asleep. My favorites are, of course, the monkey and the kittens. It's so funny to watch these little creatures fighting it...fighting it...struggling to stay awake...and then falling, sometimes literally, into slumber. The site includes clips of puppies, chicks, babies, and more.

Urgent Snack Alert! A Snack Fit For the King

I don't know if you will be disgusted by this or excited by this, but I sure am excited to try one: for the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death, Hershey is coming out with a limited edition peanut butter and banana creme variety of Reese's cup. Yes, it's true! Advertising Age has the scoop.

Itty Bitty Brunswick Holiday Shopping Guide

Beans in the Belfry has an amazing selection of European and gourmet chocolates, some of them available in tiny bite-sized quantities that are perfect for tucking into Christmas stockings. They also have a vast collection (in fact the largest I have seen in the county) of all-natural Burt's Bees products available for purchase in the cafe; look over the Burt's goods online and then pick everything up at Beans without dealing with the lines at the malls or the vagaries of the postal system. You can also buy some of Beans' own beans, a colorful coffee mug, or a gift certificate if you can't decide what to get your loved ones.

Over at Book Crossing you can pick up some railroad-themed holiday cards, individual-sized portions of gingerbread hot chocolate (another fun stocking stuffer), beautiful glass ornaments (don't tell my pal Lisa, but I picked up a cute little orange and yellow glass chicken for her over there), or some locally-made crafts or snacks. Also, Sherri and Tracy can order any book you need, so if you don't see what you want in the store, order now to have your books in hand by the holidays. Why deal with the mob scene (and empty shelves) at a chain book store when you can order everything you want right here at Book Crossing?

At Sundance Art and Frame on Potomac Street, you can pick up affordable (as low as $10-$15) prints or photos by local artists, including scenes of historic Maryland buildings and waterways, or close-ups of butterflies and flowers (I plan to get some of these for my 16-year-old niece). You can also use their art database to order famous prints and posters that can then be custom framed at the store. The options are nearly endless.

If your father or brother is a local fisherman, you can get Brunswick-themed fishing apparel over at Smoketown Bait & Tackle on Potomac Street. Of course you can also load up on tackle and other fishing gear while there.

The Brunswick Railroad Museum offers an array of items for railroad enthusiasts, including train sets for youngsters as small as age 3. My favorite item in the store: the adorable Chessie system logo mugs. Meow! You can also get Victorian stickers, locally-made bath products, or jewelry embedded with actual coal at the museum.

While you're on Potomac Street, poke around in the antique stores for one-of-a-kind deals at reasonable prices, participate in the North Pole Stroll (December 1), roast your marshmallows at the December 8 "Hometown for the Holidays" party, or come watch the city tree lighting at 6:30 on November 30th.

By the way, the holidays are a great time to contribute to charities, and Brunswick's own volunteer fire department is in the midst of their annual fundraising campaign right now. You never know whose Christmas tree is going to erupt into flames or whose turkey fryer is going to explode, so you might want to send them a few spare bucks today in case you need their help over the holidays.

With that being said, I do hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. Now go out and support your local businesses. For more information about any of the Brunswick shops I've mentioned, or for other Brunswick shopping options, click here: Check Brunswick First.