The Greenbrier Gun Club

On Saturday morning during our Greenbrier Birthday Weekend, Katie and I headed to the mountains and shot some guns. Girls Gun Club went on the road while the guys went on a history tour of the hotel. How cute is that? 

Katie and I chose to shoot on the sporting clay course vs. skeet shooting. Sporting clays, as you may remember from the 2016 original GGC, are basically like golf with guns. You walk to each trap, get 25 shots total for the whole course, and go to five traps. We were the ONLY TWO PEOPLE ON THE WHOLE COURSE. It was amazing and we love, love, loved our instructor Jimmy Fraley. I can't even begin to explain the difference between the Greenbrier Gun Club and the Point at Pintail, but you know I'm going to try. Bear with me. You know by now that you need a passport to get through these posts. 

Jimmy set us up, reviewing the safety rules and going over the basics with us. Katie and I were both outfitted with our own guns, to carry, and practice gun safety from the get go. Truly, it changed everything. We loaded our own guns, emptied our own guns, and opened the guns when we walked to each trap, practicing gun safety at each step. It made me so much more confident around the guns to be honest. In 2016 our instructor had one gun for five women, loaded the gun each time which felt vastly different than this noble time in West Virginia. 

Katie hadn't shot since she was in camp. I hadn't been since 2016. 

Jimmy was really proud of Katie's stance and wanted me to make sure I got a video of her shots. 

He was a patient coach.

He also was hilarious, in his Jimmy'isms. I can't remember ever laughing so much in a two hour period. Re-watching some of these videos has me cracking up. He warned if the clay was a bear, we'd have problems...because we missed. He poked fun in the most delightful way. But he did not in any way baby us, because we were women. Even more than my first experience, he really trusted us. It was awesome.

Jimmy and I bonded over our arthritic matching fingers!

And it was colder than you know what. He was also proud that we didn't complain how chilly it was. We were also taught how to catch the shells against our torso. One day I'll get good at catching them mid-air, like Olympians.

photo credit

We used a 20 gauge Beretta, over under, which I think is called a Silver Pigeon. Katie made a great point that there really should be a candle made to smell like gun powder. 

I got 16 out of 25. And this time I shot two double traps. I was so proud I texted my uncle and cousins to brag. And had to tell my Girls Gun Club travel buddies on a group text.

This is a video of one of my double traps. 

Jimmy was our biggest cheerleader.

Back at the lodge, the fire was blazing and our favorite Garden & Gun magazine with the southern women feature, was on the table. Alcohol is not allowed before shooting, for obvious reasons, but I really should have brought my flask to warm up afterwards. We were wind burned for an hour after, and it was the kind of cold that keeps your legs red for a few hours too. Snuggling up by the fire was such a treat after the chilly morning. 

If this is your jam, follow my Girls Gun Club board on Pinterest. One of my dreams is to start a destination travel company for women who like to shoot, love art, cooking, artisan flours, local flowers and studing history. Can you imagine touring Ireland or Scotland, then settling in for the night in a black tie gown for dinner, a la Monarch of the Glen? Getting an artist to speak about working with the First Lady? Arranging flowers in the morning, and using house milled flours in the afternoon to bake bread? A girl can dream right? 

For those who want more inspiring stories about women, go to Second Life. I just found this podcast and have been binge listening to it on my way to work. I started with Kerry Diamond, Ellen Bennett, and Nancy Silverton. 

Thank you so much Greenbrier Gun Club for taking such good care of us. Seriously, it was such a good time. Being with friends and feeling empowered by something you enjoy is such a simple pleasure. I called the Greenbrier to get the names to thank the great staff. The precious woman Kim, who answered the phone was delightful. She said, "Oh Jimmy Fraley? He and I were in the same home room." Jim Thomas was the manager of the gun club and was also quick to respond to my questions about what kind of guns and bullets we were shooting. Jimmy, we can't thank you enough for treating us like competitive Olympic champions. Can't wait to come back again.

Lenten Social Media Fast

On Ash Wednesday night I was cruising my social media channels and noticed a St. Monica school friend said she was giving up Facebook for Lent. That instant I decided to take off all of my social media apps from my phone. "Are you sure you want to delete Facebook?" the phone asked. Um, yep. "Snapchat?" Uh huh. "Instagram?" Really. And "Twitter, are you sure even Twitter, Aunt Nellie?" Yep phone, even Twitter. I consider myself a social media junkie so this would seem to be a hard and fast, fast.  But by ridding myself of all of the temptations and distractions it was pretty easy. However, I couldn't give up Pinterest, because, let's face it, I have a problem.  I did check-in to FB once a week after the first few weeks to make sure no one was trying to reach me and low and behold, my own father used FB to communicate via direct message. But it really wasn't as hard as I thought. 

Full disclosure, I did Tweet during the #finalrose ceremony, because Ben. I loved this season of The Bachelor and Tweeting while watching TV is one of the most entertaining things ever. And this blog is connected to Twitter automatically so the posts were automatic. :)

What I learned during my Lenten social media fast:

• No one noticed I was gone. 

• No one emails anymore which means no one really ever writes real letters anymore.

• People hate talking on the phone. My mom especially. 

• I started blogging a little bit more.

• In general I had so much more time. 

• My phone never died during the day. 

• I didn't take pictures of food and I didn't care about taking photos of food. The immediacy of insta-everything makes the minute seem important. It's also basically free. I do love the church of paying attention. I do love a good roast chicken picture, but it just didn't matter. And I didn't miss it.

• I did not have fomo.

• After a two weeks on this fast I had no fear of missing out. Feeling disconnected hit hard week two. It was like a bad caffeine headache. During any fast you should pray when you are going through it. If I grabbed my phone I would say the Jesus prayer. Do I think social media is sinful? Not necessarily, but the distractions it was creating in my life certainly had sinful characteristics. I think sin is a separation from God. There were times on Instagram that I felt so connected to God and our glorious world through travel photos, flowers and general beauty but those moments were few and far between.

• My two week social media withdrawal was cured when I reached out in real life to friends I missed and needed to connect with for real. We wrote emails. Lots and lots of emails. I even got a real letter in the mail from one friend who I reconnected with via email. 

• We also met with people in person. See last post for Carla's birthday. That was a direct result of asking friends to do stuff in real life.

• Social Media is a lazy man's letter. I tried to connect via email to some of my most fun social media people and it failed miserably. A post is like a quick blanket blast that tells the world what you are up to, who you are supporting and made me realize how complacent I had become with the quick fix of posting just to make sure I was out there. Not for my job, but for my social media peeps. But again, no one noticed I was gone, so there was a part of me that felt free and lifted of the pressure to post at all.

@NelleSomerville

• Sharing on social media is like sex. The real brain crush was how addicted I had become to so many of these sites. Well, they are built to be addictive. Self disclosure was associated with the same pleasure as sex, food and money in this study. Well no wonder there are over 2 million articles about the addiction of social media just on Google. Brain crushing. Maybe that's why I enjoy blogging so much! Sharing is sexy.

• The universe sent me people I was supposed to be in contact with during this 6 week break. I kept running into people who I was "friends" with on social media, but who I hadn't seen in person for what felt like years. Thanks Universe.

• I was more attentive in meetings at work. I turned my phone to airplane mode more often during meetings and felt again, present. This article nailed it. Watch in your next meeting how many people are actively texting or reading emails. Is the meeting important if everyone is distracted? Now I'm seriously annoyed when I see someone texting or pull out there phone out in a meeting. The article associates the use of our cell phones in social and work situations as rude and obnoxious as smoking in public. Yikes. Watch at the next party or dinner you attend. Do people pull out their phones? If so are you engaging with your friends enough? Do you have interesting things to say? I think social media has mushed our brains a little bit. 

• I couldn't remember peoples names. I used Facebook as a crutch for memory. I ran into people I see once every 5 years and totally blanked on their names. I think that is fair, but still, I noticed it a lot.

• I read books and did check into our book club group to make sure I had the right books cued up. But then weeks later, I totally missed the reminder note about our meeting and retreat. My friend texted me knowing I wasn't checking FB so again, the important information got to me in time. Thanks Susan.

• I got rid of clutter in the house. This extra time off of my phone made me think about the things that were important in the house. We donated lots and lots of stuff in the last six weeks.

• I lost weight. All this not looking at food pictures every day made me only eat when I was hungry.

• I listened to Podcasts. Lots of them. I'll do a whole post on my favorites.

• I learned to ask people what was happening in the news. I haven't read The Four Hour Work Week, but at the cider tasting in the last blog post, our friend Kevin talked about the need for media fasts and to ask people what's happening in the news. I asked our neighbor Pam one afternoon and she told me about the pollution in Stoney Run. I didn't realize that Nancy Reagan had died until five days later. That meant I never turned on the radio or TV in five days. Pure, ignorant, blissful freedom.

• I fell in love with the liturgy again. I began going to Rite I, 8:00 am services, every Sunday. After talking to my dad about it, he said he thought he would miss the music too much. For Lent, no music was okay and a perfect way to get spiritual nourishment. 

• I found an adult forum studying the Bible, at an Episcopal church! There was time in my life to give back to God. I learned I just needed to wake up earlier to do so.

Sending lots of prayers for times of quiet and attentiveness this Holy Week. 

Highlights from Timberweek on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

I DVR Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and watch it when I get home from work most evenings. I love this show. When @MrJoshCharles played bubble soccer on the show and was out of breath playing with the Raven's shooting goals into the elevator banks I about died. Jimmy's beer pong, Catch Phrase, Pictionary, golf and other games show off his extremely competitive side. Somehow it still comes off as funny. He played Call Me Maybe on elementary school musical instruments. He dances. Sings. Does voices. Plays the guitar and works only a few floors away from our friend Todd Cole. I'm dying to get tickets one day to the show. Come on Todd Cole! I know you can hook us up!!!

This week was the best because Justin Timberlake was on each night to promote his new album 20/20. They called it Timberweek. After killing it on SNL, JT hung out with Jimmy and I had to post them so I could have them all available to go back and watch again and again. The camp scene is my all time favorite!!! 

Khong River House, Miami

My apologies. I have become one of those bloggers who is posting photos that have already been posted on Instagram. However, I have to share the details of this amazing new restaurant in Miami with you, twice. If you don't know what Instragram is, the saying goes it is Twitter for people who don't like to read. Insta-photo-gratification is what I think it should be called. I had the privilege of working a conference with Elizabeth Duncan Events in Miami last week at the Grove Isle Resort and Spa and had many opportunities to show off on Instagram, another key feature to the social media tool.  Our first and only dinner away from the resort was suggested by the rooms manager Ben. We ordered the Thai pork balls to start. It was, after all, a very cool Thai restaurant focusing on the flavors found in the Mekong Delta region of Thailand. Don't try to order Pad Thai. It's not on their menu. They are focusing on being as authentically Thai as possible without the watered down, Americanized Pad Thai craze.

The restaurateur, John Kunkel, also owns the James Beard Award winning Yardbird as well as Khong. The Executive Chef for both is non-other than Top Chef hottie Jeff McInnis from Season 5. Correction, Chef Piyarat Potha Arreeratn aka Chef Bee is at Khong and Jeff McInnis is at Yardbird. (Thanks to the restaurants PR team for shooting me the correction note.)  So who did we spy at the bar? Non-other than Top Chef judge, Tom Colicchio. When we mentioned it to our waitress, she said, "Who is that?" Ha! I let the poor man enjoy his drink without photo bombing him, but I have to say it took everything in my power not to say hello. Instead I tagged the hell out of him on my Instagram feed!

The space is industrial but doesn't feel cold. It features corrugated steel lined ceilings, exposed bricks and a confessional wall for sinners, dreamers and truth tellers giving everyone something to gawk at on the way to the restrooms.

This is a Thai tradition that works as a living art piece in the space. The confessions are brutally honest and I imagine each board is burned in some awesome kitchen ritual every three months or so with a Monk flown in from the east for absolution and prayer. This has not been confirmed but please lie to me if it isn't true. Restaurants and religious ritual! I can totally get into that. As my father taught me, why let facts get in the way of a good story. My husband lived in Thailand and caught dengue fever while working there. I still have this image in my head that Monks took care of him and nursed him back to health. Thank heaven for those wonderful Monks! Who cares if it isn't true, right? The point is, he made it back alive, well and much refreshed from that scary experience.

Back in Miami this bar at Khong summons up ideas of toothless fisherman weaving baskets in the food markets. It is beautifully lit and covers one full wall of the restaurant. The unique lighting was made with fish traps, I imagine they were bought from said toothless maritime waterman in some wicked cool village thousand of miles away. I did call the restaurant to confirm, but no one answered. We made our reservation on Open Table and got a seat that evening.

The wood tables add a warmth to balance the space. We enjoyed the Gimlets featuring Thai basil. Notice the gold purse party in the background? When in Miami Rome, one must wear gold. Who am I kidding? I wear gold any chance I get in Charm City.

We split the Crispy Duck, ordered jasmine rice and stir fried broccoli as a side. All the items are meant to share.

I just adored the look of these pepper berries and the glazed plates are gorgeous. Every detail was thought of without a hint of white tablecloth stuffiness.

Tom Colicchio sat here. The place was pretty empty due to the Alabama v. Notre Dame game that was taking place at the exact moment.

The open kitchen is small and somewhat tucked away behind the bar wall. Their is no view of the kitchen from the dining areas, but again, it is something to behold before heading to the confession wall and restrooms.

The baskets looked like another art installation.

We decided that it should be a rule in the Gastronaut bi-laws that you can't pass up any coconut dessert when offered on a menu.  This photo is making my mouth water with memories of it's all-things-coconut on the plate. I've written about my love of coconut on this blog many times and so if any of you dear readers remember you know I was in dessert heaven. 

Instagram

Thank you Elizabeth for such a wonderful outing and for trusting me with the restaurant choice. Ben! You couldn't have picked a better spot for us. Thank you again.

Baltimore Sun Tweet Up

A few work pals and I went to happy hour at Kona Grill before heading to the Baltimore Sun "Tweet" Up last night.

The five dollar frozen margarita's were delicious. After two Tom and I headed over to the B&O Brasserie.

What is a Tweet Up? It's a way for people on Twitter to meet in person. Kind of scary actually. But it was a lot more fun than I expected. The Sun created a #suntweetup hashtag (#) so that guests could live Tweet. They were streaming in the bar. It was hilarious! I checked in on Foursquare and scored the mayor title at B&O Brasserie. Don't know what the mayor gets. I forgot to ask. But there are many places that give you a free drink, a free rice crispy treat, or a discount when you "check in" on Foursquare. It's like a grown up social networking game. I love seeing where @summerisaverb checks in. Mostly beaches! How great is that?

Kate met her boyfriend, my coworker Tom, on Twitter. It's Tom's fault I know how to Tweet or check in to Foursquare. He taught me all there is to know about social media. You can thank him or curse him, but he gets the credit.

I met a friend of a friend. When you checked into the party they gave you a ticket for a glass of champagne. Delish...after the marg's...not such a good idea.

I met folks I've been "following" for a while; @roswellencina, @TomOKeefe1 and the ever stunning @katekatebear.

Do you remember the Mobbies from last year? The Sun was creating buzz about the contest at the event. Maybe Stone Hill Farm will be nominated again for the "best personal blog". I still don't know who nominated it but was tickled since the blog was only 2 months old during the contest last year. EAS won for Best Popular Culture Blog. I'm a huge fan of "Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore" and am an over commenter on her blog. Do they have an Over Commenting Anonymous (OCA) yet? Seriously. I may have admitted to having the cocktail flu today on her site. Marg's and champagne are not a good mix for the record.

I love the bar at the B&O and took this photo before I realized it was @sushgirl in real life! We've been Tweeting for two years now and finally got to meet. So much fun and again Lisa so nice to meet you!

@citythatbreeds was hilarious in real life. His blog is seriously funny, crass but seriously funny. Anyone who comes up with a Cosby Sweater Bar Crawl is good in my book. Twitter handles are so clever, why not use them in real life? Kate is certainly KateKate to all who adore her and I've met people who now call me Baltiville. I thank @Baltomoto for my name as she inspired the Balt-whatever handles for folks in our office.

The highlight for me was meeting the famed crime blogger @Justin_Fenton. I sometimes like to be in the dark about crime in Baltimore, hence the recent unfollow. Nothing personal man. It was great to meet you.  Now if only I could meet @gorelickingood, my Twitter web would be complete.

My darling husband called from DC at 7:40 saying he'd meet me at B&O in an hour. An hour and a half later he showed up. He was so late that the party had already ended downstairs. But a great group decided to stick around for dinner. I had the crab and tomato salad with tomato sorbet. The sorbet was a delightful, cold, savory bite with a hint of sweetness.

The crab salad was laced with fennel, my fave.

Roasted Chicken

My husband got the shrimp and grits and his 6'4" self was a little disappointed in the portion size. 

Tom was hungry too.

Good defense KateKate. 

My husband is real, not Snuffy. The proof is in this shot of his drink of choice. He and Jordan both went to UNC. It was fun overhearing their convo about all things Chapel Hill.

We got to bed very, very late. It was worth it to meet so many interesting people and rally for a midnight meal with my Charlie. 

Thanks FrontRowe for introducing me to the wide world of the Twitterverse. Kate, we do have to go Kate Spade shopping stat. Roswell and Jordan so fun to get to know you a tiny bit better at dinner. Tweet ya later. (Yes, I am as cheesy in real life as I am in this blog.) Kasia, thank you again for teaching me how to eat a balanced diet. Looking back at my B&O birthday dinner post reminds me of how sad and overweight I was last year! Charlie, thank you for driving like a bat out of hell to get to dinner on time. I love you.