Where everybody knows your name.

Today we decided to check out Hi Hat Coffee. It is in a tiny and very charming brick building just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the house. Chris has been wanting to try it out for some time now, mostly because he likes the little building so much.

There were a few customers coming and going, and the barista's knew all of their names (except ours, of course). If we were going to be regulars at any coffee shop, this would be the place. It is a cute place and most importantly, the coffee is GOOD.

Hi Hat Coffee Hi Hat Coffee

Flipping the Switch

Last night we met our friends Alan and Angela to watch the annual lighting of the Plaza lights. Then we stayed on the Plaza for drinks. Thanksgiving is the busiest night of the year for the dining and drinking establishments on the Plaza.

The Plaza Lights

Look at all of the people and all of the lights

Angela, my grad school pal, and her boyfriend Alan.

Angela and I.

Cranberry-Orange Chutney

Cooks.com - Recipe - Cranberry-Orange Chutney
1 c. fresh orange sections
1/4 c. orange juice
4 c. cranberries, fresh
2 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. chopped unpeeled apple
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until berries begin to pop. Chill until serving time.

Keep stored in refrigerator. Yield: 5 1/2 cups.

We have a lot to be thankful for.

Picture from: http://www.teenstylelounge.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/turkey.png

First of all, we want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

We are having our own Thanksgiving together in Kansas City, just the two of us. We had grand ideas of making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but then reality set in - it is a lot of work and a lot of food for two people. Instead, we have a modernized plan for our old favorites.

We bought a nice turkey breast, take and bake Ciabatta bread, and ingredients for home made cranberry orange chutney for Thanksgiving sandwiches. We are going to pair them with sweet potato fries and fresh asparagus. For dessert, we are making chocolate pudding pie and berry shortcake.

We will let you know how things turn out...

Sunday Funday: Thanksgiving Edition

We have a little tradition here in Kansas City. Most Sunday evenings, our "chosen family" meets at the Engles for Sunday dinner and drinks. Tonight we are having a Thanksgiving version. Keith is making a turkey. Franzy is making a roast, sauteed asparagus, and sweet potato souffle. Libby doesn't cook so she will be bringing alcohol. Abbey and Wade have appetizers, Katie is bringing cheesy corn and corn bread, and we are bringing dessert.

This morning we went to the Mexican Price Chopper for ingredients for Chocolate Pudding Pie and an Autumn Harvest Cheesecake. While we were there we got side tracked by the Mexican sweet breads and the just baked, and still warm tortillas from the tortilleria:

Chris is assessing his options.

Chris has been eating tortillas non stop today. It is true, fresh is best.

Date Day

Erica has been working on a 15 page (single spaced) health care policy analysis which is due on Tuesday. To take a break, we had an afternoon date to Chef Burger in the Power and Light District. Chris had the KC BBQ Blue Burger. Erica had the BLFGT (bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomatoes) burger. We accompanied our burgers with sweet potato fries and garlic parsley fries. They also serve milkshakes and spiked milk shakes.

Then we drove to our new favorite cheap-o theater for $4 matinee movie tickets for Quantum of Solace. We had Casino Royale on this morning per the advice of AGPERP. We liked it. Chris thought they should have died in the parachute scene.

Impulse Purchase

Tonight I was at Target and I walked by some Archer Farms tortilla chips. I did a double take. They were s'more flavored. Of course, I had to try them. They kinda taste like s'mores. It's a little weird and a little interesting, and I kinda like them.

Why didn't we think of this sooner?

Last night we logged onto msn messenger, turned on our web cams and put a puzzle together...together. I stayed up much too late, but it was worth it to see and hear and spend time with Chris.

This is a screen shot of us and the puzzle we were working on. Chris's new computer with built in web cam has some sort of light that illuminates his face much better than the overhead light in my living room.

Everybody's doing it.

Chris's jacket got posted, Emily just posted her new winter jacket, Courtney did too. So here is mine.

It was super cheap, simple, and it came in a Tall. Now my sleeves are the right length and it doesn't pull across the shoulders. I think it looks much better in person too.

Engagement Announcement Link

In case you can't get enough of the engagement announcement, you can now read it online at the Boulder Daily Camera website:

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/nov/16/kloehn-mcmenamin-engagement/

This is the engagement announcement that came out in the Boulder Daily Camera today (click on it to make it larger). Thanks to Pam and Jim for scanning the announcement. It should also be posted on the Boulder Daily Camera website soon.

Wined and Dined

I was in Louisville, KY this past Friday and Saturday interviewing with Humana's Graduate Accelerated Leadership Program (aka Infusion Program). They flew in about 50 interviewees from around the country for the interview event

I interviewed for two positions. The first was a National Network Infusion Program Executive position. The second was in Product Development, specifically Senior Products which focuses on Medicare and Medicaid benefit design.

We went to the Muhammad Ali Center on Friday evening for a dinner/social and a stroll through the Muhammad Ali museum.

Saturday we were at Humana's Corporate headquarters for interviews, Q&A sessions, and a van tour around the city.


The Humana building at night ala my camera phone. You can't tell very well, but the sides of the building are waterfalls. The entire building is made of pink marble, granite, and steel.

4th Street Live. An entertainment district, almost identical to the new Power and Light District in KC.

Belated Birthday Present

Here it is! We have been looking for a winter jacket for Chris for a long time and finally found this one today. So handsome.

Chris raked and bagged 8.5 bags of leaves while Erica worked on a paper for school.

Now we are both at the dining room table doing work. Chris is making 3-D models of sheet metal parts and then making drawings of those parts. Erica is composing a paper on the problems, causes and solutions to the challenges facing the profession of medicine today.

Pic from the weekend

Here is a picture from last weekend. We met our friends Keith and Christina at McCoys for karaoke. I sang the song that Emily and I always sing - Brand New Key by Melanie. It all started in Aunt Krystal's living room when we were little girls.

What's missing?

We'll give you a hint: there are 3 things and we've already blogged about two of them. The winner gets their own congratulatory blog post that will be archived in the digital annals of history forever and ever.

Early Birthday Dinner

We had home made pizza. The left side is Erica's, the right side is Chris's.

Chris picked warm brownies and cookies-n-cream ice cream with caramel sauce and Halloween sprinkles (on clearance for $.50) for his birthday dessert.

Here is the birthday boy blowing out his candle.