Updates

Apologies, apologies, apologies for the silence on my part. It is my busy season at work and I've had less time all around to devote to personal matters.

Since the last post, I did successfully play tennis, and surprisingly it is coming back to me. Our second attempt was not as fruitful - thinking we had found a hidden gem of a court in D.C. (I'm not telling where it is!) until some guys showed up who "say" they actually reserved the court. Boo.

I watched the season finale of Lost - amazing!! I can't believe I have to wait 9 months until season 4. It really may be an impossible thing to ask of me.

I received a phone call from my tennis coach from camp. No, not the hottie of course, the creepy one. He is 7 foot tall and has a mouth the size of a pea. I don't know why this makes him creepy, but it just does. I don't plan to call him back.

I attended a funeral.

I watched three movies. Pirates of the Carribean (the third installment), Notes on a Scandal, and the Last King of Scotland. (Save your money on the first one.)

And, as I just found out, I won a iPod.

Love, Love

I’m joining a girl’s tennis group tonight. Well, not exactly joining – let’s say forming. It is the first night that four of us ladies – who I know in varying degrees – are starting a bi-weekly tennis outing, and I’m psyched. It has been, literally, ten years since I have picked up a racket. Ten years since I took tennis as my gym requirement in college. And would you believe that I once was a member of a four-year undefeated, all-state championship high school team? Well, ok, I never quite made it to Varsity – it was too hard. These girls had tennis courts in their back yards! One even took a season off to train with Bolletieri. Sometimes the coach would let me play 2nd doubles on Varsity if we were playing a really bad team, but I found being at the top of JV wasn't bad either. Nevertheless, I remember my tennis days with fond memories.

Intense preparation each year at summer camp. Falling in (secret) love with my way hot tennis coach – he was from South Africa, and made me feel like I was destined to be the next Jennifer Capriati (in her stable days). High school pre-season in the staunch summer heat. Taking the bus to matches and tournaments. Learning every word to “Jump Around” (it was our pep song). And, leaving the same matches and tournaments with “We are the Champions” blaring through the windows. I had two tennis partners over the course of the five years, and although we are not close anymore, I do still smile when I hear stories of what they are up to now. One just had her second baby, and even had gone on to play tennis in college.

I gave up tennis after high school. I thought about trying out for the college women’s team, but the truth is, I wasn’t good enough. Plus, I wasn’t about to get up EARLY to practice! Not after a long night at the local watering hole. After college, I moved on to golf, at the extreme excitement of my parents. Both are so-called “life sports” and I do hope they carry with me for a while. My husband golfs, so it is easy to get an outing now and then. And here I am about to pick up tennis again. It is not going to be pretty, I hope the others know what they are in for. My forehands have been known to soar over the fence after a while of not practicing. But, hopefully with time, I’ll get the smooth strokes back, the thrill of rushing the net, and the wicked serve I used to have.

Game (on).

A National Day Off

I thought I was on to something today. [note: please keep reading, but know that it is far from a perfect argument…] As I took a leisurely stroll during lunch, on what is truly a picture perfect day, I got to thinking how great it would be if we had a national day off – and as I've been informed, we do have Labor Day, but this would be different. And not like a holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving, either. Just a random, regular day… maybe announced the week before and kind of like a “hey, United States, you’ve been working hard, you’ve had to endure a rough few years, we’re in a war we can’t win, morale is low – why don’t you take a day off to enjoy yourselves.”

The personal impact would be huge. Husbands and wives could spend some quality time with each other, kids could have a play day, you could finish that book, DVD, or home repair project you started ages ago. One-day personal fulfillment would be at an all time high. Talk about a mental health day. And Dubya, you may even score a few more points in those ratings of yours that seem to be just slip, slip, slip sliding away. (Not from me, mind you, but I’m sure someone in the country might give you a little boost.)

Of course, there is the economic impact to think of, and while an absurd amount of money would be lost on that one day, would it really be a big deal? The country would be up and running again in 24 hours. It would probably take a long time to recoup, but in the whole scheme of things, one day revenues are probably equivalent to a gas station’s 10th of a cent. And besides, there would be a spending “shift”: what isn’t purchased on the national day off, would most likely be purchased shortly before or after. In fact, now I’d hazard to say that there would be no noticeable blip on the economic radar. (But then again, what do I know?)

Of course, there would have to be some preparation involved, such as making sure you had food for the day because the grocery store vendors would also be enjoying their day off. There would be no retail capability that day, but with enough notice, I don’t think many people would mind. Think of the benefits. A chance to spend the day away from your desk, leave your computer behind and get some fresh air. A chance to spend the day with your kids, instead of catching up with them after daycare. A back to basics approach, where entertainment is found in the simplest of activities.

Now there are those “essential” employees to think about and I’d like to give them a break too. Here in D.C., about the only time we thank our lucky stars that we are “non-essential” is when a snow storm rolls through and we get to stay at home. What if emergency personnel, hospital workers, ambulance drivers etc. were also given the day off. Then we might have problems. I’d hate to have someone die or not receive the medical care they need just because I want a day to spend in the sun.

So, as you can see, there is still some more thought to be had to this argument, and many more flaws to it that I just don’t have the time to get into. I guess the bottom line is that everyone deserves a day off – on a perfectly sunny, 70 degree weather day - just because.



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Expenses (on the road to saving something):

• May 17
• Dinner: $12
• Metro: $1.35
• May 18
• Tolls: $8
• May 20
• Gas: $32
• Tolls: $8
• Dinner: $44
• May 21
• Lunch: $9
• Happy Hour: $25
  

To market, to market!

14th and U is getting a farmer's market! Or, maybe we always had a farmer's market, but it is news to me. [update: looks like there has been a market at this location in the past, but on Wednesdays.] Starting June 2, and every Saturday through the summer from 10am-2pm, local vendors will be selling their home-grown fruits and veggies just mere blocks from where I live (specifically outside of the Reeves Center). See ya Whole Foods; Safeway, I shun you. I've got the real deal now.

To me, going "to market" is such a satisfying activity, and brings me back to simpler times, or even to memories of some places I've visited in Europe. For a moment, gone are the days of chain brand supermarkets and whole sale consumer clubs. You get to meet a face behind the food you purchase, perhaps even hear a story or two. You get to support a farmer - directly. And delight in selecting a vegetable or fruit that may not look perfect on the outside, but you know that it will be the most delicious one you've tasted in quite some time.

And there is something to be said about cooking "in season." We live in a temperate climate, but that doesn't mean that certain produce should be available year-round. It is nice to relish in the delight that summer tomatoes and peaches are on their way, and to remember with fondness the winter root vegetables of yesterday's stews. A farmer's market allows you this luxury. Everything on display is in season - no hesitation - because it comes from a farm just a stone's throw away.

So, I rejoiced when I read the news last night on an inconspicuous flyer outside of the old Companion Pet Store. A farmer’s market – in MY neighborhood. You know where I’ll be on June 2.

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Expenses (on the road to saving something)

• May 10:
• Nordstrom: $32.00
• May 11:
• Breakfast: $2.50
• Lunch: $8.00
• Iced tea: $2.00
• May 12:
• CVS: $3.50
• May 13:
• NJ Turnpike: $13.50

total to date: $521.09

Coppi's Organic Restaurant: A Taste of Real Italy

Coppi's Organic Restaurant
1414 U Street, NW
http://www.coppisorganic.com/

Coppi's is one of those restaurants that I've grown to love over the past few years. When I first moved into the neighborhood and prior to my really understanding "organic" and all that it meant, I thought that Coppi's was a place for Whole Foods Vegetarians. Yes, I realize how completely naive this thought was (and truly, I've never passed up a vegetable so what's the big deal), but in the interest of full disclosure, I'm putting it out there. Since, I don't consider myself a WFV, I would always pass it by without much of a second thought.

Then, as it happens so often, my pre-conceived notions are shattered in the blink of an eye. Through some force of the universe, I was invited to Coppi's with some good friends of ours and my world was changed. Upon entering the dimly lit restaurant, my first intake of the Italian aromas awoke my senses like a hammer to the head. The smell of toasty wood-fired pizzas and savory cream sauces filled the air.

If you don't have a reservation, you can plan to wait by the bar for a while before being seated - but this is a great place to indulge in a chianti and the Piatto Salumaio platter (an antipasto with smoked salmon, smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, calabrian salami, and San Remo olives). It is complemented by a really delicious focaccia bread.

At the table, you'll have the chance to peruse the menu. It is not huge, overwhelming, or even downright unmanageable (a la Buca di Beppo) - al contrario, you can tell that a lot of planning went into the food selection and while there are only 5 or so pastas and entrees to choose from, the menu is accompanied by an ever-changing list of specials, which I find have consistently proven to be top notch choices.

The salads are excellent and most likely because they are organic. The lettuce and vegetables are crisp like they are right off the farm. My favorite salad is the Condijun, a traditional Ligurian salad of roasted red peppers, cucumber, bliss potato, olives, and red onion. It is a beautiful marriage of flavors.

You'll find more pizza options than pastas and entrees and the best part about the pizzas are the wide variety of choices. Get a few to share and everyone at your table will be happy. Everything from a standard margherita pizza to more inventive options such as the Genovese (basil pesto, shrimp, fresh mozzarella, pine nuts) or the Merguez (lamb sausage, ricotta, cucumber, onion, rosemary, garlic, tomato sauce). One of my favorites is the Soppressata with salami, ricotta, mozzarella, mint, parsley, cremini mushroom, red onion. The salami arrives with crispy edges from the wood burning oven.

But save room for dessert - if you love nutella as much as I do, then you must indulge in the Calzone Di Nutella. Yes, it is pizza dough stuffed with nutella and yes it is to die for. Another popular and delicious option is the Caffe Viennese with Illy espresso poured over house made fiordilatte ice cream with fresh whipped cream and Dutch chocolate powder. Order up a cappuccino and you'll feel like you're in a cafe in Florence.

*** (out of 4 stars)

20% tip: order food to share, everyone will want a taste of yours.

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On the road to saving something:

May 9:

• Happy Hour/Dinner: $20

So busy

I'm really swamped this week at work, preparing for two upcoming exhibitions, so I apologize that I haven't had time to post. I have a lot of great thoughts to share, just no time to put them in writing. So, for the time being, I will leave you with a visual.

This is the model I drew last night in my drawing class. Now, I realize that he is horribly out of proportion, and missing a hand, but he's not that bad, right?

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On the road to saving something:

May 7
Lunch: $5.95
May 8
Lunch: $6.00
May 9
Lunch: $6.03

Runner's World

I had the opportunity to watch another 10K race this weekend - the same course that my husband ran three weeks ago. He ran this time as well, but three minutes faster. This race, though, was a lot bigger than the last and the running culture was in full force.

I am not a runner. In fact, after 30 years of life, I just recently stepped on the treadmill for the first time ever. I am one of those people that doesn't understand running as a form of exercise or pleasure and although I am an avid supporter of races (I've watched friends in 3 Marine Corps marathons and watched the same friends in numerous smaller 5 and 10Ks), I just don't get it. Pounding the pavement, damaging knees and feet, blisters, callouses and bloody toenails - moreover getting up at the crack of dawn to beat yourself up... it is beyond me.

So, here I am at the race this weekend, surrounded by a culture that I just don't understand. I couldn't be clearer that I considered myself on the outside - with my jeans, fleece and tote bag to carry my husband's things while he ran.

We arrive at 7:00am - on a Sunday - and the field off of Ohio Drive is already littered with people stretching, meditating, praying, doing yoga (?), and... running! BEFORE the race. Yes, as if 6.2 miles is not enough, there was the select group, The Obsessed, that insisted on taking a quick jog before the shotgun. Some made long strides, some made short strides, and some kicked their knees up high in the air like hyperactive marching band members. I even saw someone taping up his ankle. Now, that's dedication. All the while, there is the activity on the stage. On the stage there were the requisite welcomes from the organizers and sponsors, then a dance performance by the Washington Wizards cheerleaders (to psych you up or make you sick, I couldn't figure out what exactly the intent was), and a group-led stretch routine in which only a few people actually partook.

There is so much activity leading up to the race, that once the actual race came around, I could not understand how everyone wasn't already exhausted. The order of events: the wheelchair race, the regular race, the family fun run, and the walkers. I positioned myself in the sun, on the sidelines, to watch the events unfurl. The one racer in a wheelchair took off. Although I'm sure he was simply striving for a personal best, I couldn't help but think that he may have been pushed a little harder had he had some competition. Next, the regular races - with the fastest racers positioned strategically in the front. The family fun run was adorable. The cutest children - from toddler with mommy to about age 10 took off in a highly competitive sprint. About 10 minutes later when they came back in toward the finish line, the spectators broke into cheers for them. I couldn't help but wonder how many of these children would be back on this same course somewhere down the road, maybe even as an Obsessed.

30 minutes after the start, the first runners started coming in. Tall, lean and all from Africa, these men were beautiful to watch. Long strides, it looked like they were gracefully soaring through space toward the finish line. It is amazing how differently these serious runners run - it is an entirely different form than the casual runner, I guess much like a professional golfer's swing vs. that of your everyday Joe, riding the cart, with a 12-pack in the back. I did find it interesting though that each of the top runners were announced as they crossed the finish line as being from either Ethiopia or Kenya, but when the race results came out later in the day, they were all listed as having residences here in the United States. Why make the distinction? My husband was announced as being from Washington, D.C., not New York where he originally hails from. I haven't figured that one out yet.

Big cheers came when the first female runner crossed the line, myself included. I felt some sort of solidarity with the women in the crowd. This woman was fast. And she had stats! The announcer announced her ranking and that she won some race just a few weeks ago. I was impressed.

Soon after, the rest of the race rats started to cross the finish line, and it was exciting. Many pumped it up to a sprint in the last leg and there were a few close mini-races to be seen. My husband made a respectable showing and I was very proud of him. It was fun to see the personal glory on the faces of the runners, no matter where they finished within the playing field. Each striving for their own sense of personal accomplishment, especially further back in the pack where they are not trying to be #1. It looked kind of fun. My husband is already trying to convince me to sign up for a 5k. That's where it all starts for some people. One race, one thrill of the finish, one taste of exhilaration. Then, I'm afraid, it seems there is no turning back.


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Expenses (on the road to saving something):

• May 4
• CVS: $7.37
• May 6
• 7-11: $2.99

Patience

I'm working on customizing the look of my blog, so please bear with me while I get it just right. Currently having problems sizing the header and aligning the text...

Doesn't anyone else work?

Today I took a day off from work. Call it a mental health day, call it a comp day, call it whatever - it was great! Now, it wasn't quite Ferris Bueller style, but nevertheless, it was well worth it. Just knowing that everyone was holed up behind their computers having the life sucked out of them from the fluorescent lights and I was on my way to enjoying the sunny 70-degree weather made me giddy like a school girl.

After a lazy morning of catching up on personal emails and making a real breakfast, I headed out to run some errands - but first, a stop at the car wash. I never drive and my car is wearing a good 1/4" coat of pollen, so I decide to treat it to a bath. Besides, if I'm going to be zipping around the city, I might as well do it in style. 11am on a Friday and I'm on my way down 13th Street to the Mr. Wash and what is this I see? A line?? Yes. About 30 cars are stretched down two city blocks with the same idea as me. Who are these people? Don't they work?

Car wash aborted.

I keep heading south, past the Washington Monument dodging packs of tourists who don't want to obey the walk signals. But, I'll give them some slack. They're on vacation, unlike the patrons at the car wash. Across the 14th Street bridge and I'm soon arriving at the Pentagon City Mall (one of my least favorite places, but I'm desperately in need of a new dress for a wedding next weekend). The parking lot is packed! I drive around twice before finding a spot. Seriously, there must be more housewives in the area than I thought.

Wrong. They are teenagers. Hoards of them. Isn't it a school day? For a moment I think I've time warped to the summer. Fortunately, they are not browsing the evening dress collection at Nordstrom so I'm safe for a while. Until, that is, I want to eat. There they are again. With food court vouchers! I decide to check out a few more stores until the lines go down but the only one within eyesight is some store called Forever 21. The fact that I'm 30 should have stopped me from entering, but I was desperate to kill time until the teeny boppers got through the Taco Bell line. (Gross, I know, but it IS my day off). I immediately concluded that this store is a disaster and that they most certainly won't have a dress for the "black tie invited" wedding I am due to attend, but I pick through the racks anyway, hoping for a miracle. No such luck, I'm better off in the Taco Bell line.

With tacos in hand, I set out to find a table and grab a seat at the end of a really long row. Creepy diplomatic man is sitting diagonally across from me and out of courtesy I ask if the seat was taken. Big mistake, he took that for my interest in conversing with him. I've never eaten three tacos so quickly. On my way.

I did finally find a dress - back at Nordstrom where I started. It was on sale, but needs some altering. I swear it looked better on than in this picture. Maybe it is because I wasn't doing that stupid pose and I don't have fake blond hair.

2 1/2 hours later, mission accomplished and I'm on my way home. Back up 13th Street and the cars are STILL lined up at the car wash. It truly may be the same people, so I skip it again and decide to go to the gym. U Street is lined with shoppers and all of the outside tables at Starbucks are filled. For 3:3opm on a week day there are even more people at the gym than I expect, but it is no problem to get a machine. Still, I wonder what these people do that they can get to the gym in the middle of the day. I spend an hour and a half there, on the treadmill listening to my newly downloaded Amy Winehouse album, and then I watch the first 20 minutes of Oprah on the bike. Life is good. Oprah's playing Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandel and a lucky audience member goes home with $100,000. I head home with two sore legs.

Back in the hatch, I tidy up a bit, prep the porch for the summer and settle down with a good book.

What an excellent day. I'm sorry for those of you who were stuck at work, but from my observations today, I don't think there were too many of you!

_________________
Expenses (on the road to saving something):

• May 3
• Mother's Day flowers/gifts: $168
• May 4
• Lunch: $6
• Parking: $2
• Dress/ Alteration: $200

Indebleu: Not Quite There

Indebleu
707 G Street, NW
www.indebleu.net

Sorry this is so long overdue. Several weeks ago, at this point, we decided to go out to dinner after a late afternoon round of golf. With something more casual and close by in mind, we had our hearts set on one of our favorite restaurants in the city, Merkado - but we had waited too long and they were booked for the night. A quick search on Open Table indicated that Indebleu had an opening for two and it had been on our list to try for a while. Bonus! A bit more of an “outing” than we had anticipated, we hopped in a cab to Chinatown.

We entered into the “chicly” appointed lounge – which incidentally was a stop during my bachelorette party – and I learned that the restaurant was actually upstairs. I had no idea! It was a much larger space than I expected, which is perhaps why we could get availability so late in the game. It was an interesting crowd that night. We were the youngest by about 20 years and most of the patrons seemed to be tourists, those who would stay at the across the street Hotel Monaco, not those taking the DC Duck Tour.

We snuggled into our table for two and began to look through the menu, which is set up as a four course meal – first, second, main and dessert – although anything can be ordered a la carte. They had a chef’s tasting menu, a three course ($55) and a four course ($69) price fixed menu with most options celebrating a marriage of french and indian flavors. Wavering between the three and four course options, we ultimately decided to “craft our own” thinking that we weren’t all that hungry and that with the courses we had our eyes on, it would be a cheaper option anyway. We decided on three appetizers to share, two main courses, and one dessert.

It is unfortunate, sometimes, that the memory of a dining experience is impacted more by the quality of service rather than the quality of the food. And even more unfortunate that this was our experience with Indebleu. [Disclaimer: I did enjoy my entree very much, my husband’s was far less than exciting, and the service was just poor all around.] Our main complaint was with the wine service – we ordered a bottle of white wine, which was kept on ice, but in no real proximity to our table. Our server was often no where to be found, so we found ourselves waiting an inordinate amount of time between pours, meaning that we drank most of our wine after our meals were already done. In addition, my husband had ordered a glass of red wine to drink with his braised veal shank. It arrived with our dessert. [Disclaimer #2: our waiter did comp the glass of wine, without our asking.]

But, on to the food. For our appetizers we ordered the shrimp samosa – recommended by our waiter (basil shrimp samosa, tomato almond marmalade with sun choke puree), the tuna tartar (crispy papadom, sunburst mustards and beet relish), and the lobster and lump crab tower (marinated mango, pine nuts and curry oil.) Everything came neatly appointed and in threes. Although small, there was plenty and it was easy to share. The samosas had a kick to them and were a bit on the dry side, but the flavors were interesting. The two cold appetizers were very clean tasting, great palette cleansers after the spicy samosa.

For our entrees we ordered the veal shank roganjosh (slow braised veal shank with ratatoiuille tortellini, kumquat chutney and garlic mash) and the tandoori rack of lamb (with green lentil ragout, grilled portobello and sauce mojito.) My husband had the veal shank – anything braised is an automatic choice and usually an instant favorite for him. Not so this time around. I’ve never seen a veal shank so fatty – and I know it is a fatty piece of meat, but usually after braising for so long, the fat has melted into delicious little tendrils of juice, flavored with the chef’s marinade of choice. I would say about half of this shank was inedible. The tortellini was small and more of a garnish on top of the veal shank than any integral part to the meal. The rack of lamb, though, was very nice. Presented as one lamb chop, I’m not sure I would classify it as a rack, but it was tasty nevertheless. Cooked medium rare, it was very tender and juicy and nicely complemented in taste and texture by the lentil ragout. The mojito sauce was mild and sweet.

The dessert options did not blow me away, but since we had the glass of red wine to finish, we decided to order something anyway. We went with the “spaghetti and meatballs,” a clever take on the traditional indian gulab jamun, served with saffron ice cream. The gulab jamun, a lightly fried sweet dough, was run through a pasta maker at our tableside. Served with a scoop of ice cream, it did resemble spaghetti.

I'm sorry that I did not have a more memorable experience at Indebleu because I think the restaurant really has potential. French and Indian flavors do go so nicely together, but for the image the restaurant portrays, it seems they need to kick it up a notch. Bam!

*1/2 (out of 4 stars)
20% tip: don't carve out this experience for a special occasion, you may be disappointed.

___________________
Expenses:

• May 2:
  $9 Grocery Store
  $3.25 Iced Coffee
  

Budgeting Woes

Money.

It's what makes the world go 'round. And no matter how much you have, it never seems to be enough, right?

Budget.

Making what you've got last a little bit longer.

Budgets are the bane of my existance. In my last job, I swore I'd never take another that required me to balance the budget. Fortunately, for me and our organization, I do not have that responsibility this time around. But, you can never really get away can you? People at work constantly complain about "doing their budgets" and with our upcoming grant cycle deadline looming, it is all the topic around here. At home too. With being a newlywed comes the financial responsibility of making your money work for two, and even though we have combined our funds (what's yours is mine and what's mine is yours) it doesn't seem to have made a difference. The more you have, the more you'll spend.

Therefore, I have put myself on a budget. $1000 per month for groceries, lunches, gym membership and incidentals (birthday presents, happy hours etc.). This sounds like a lot to me, but over and over again, I have overspent my money for the month leaving my contribution to the mortgage in jeopardy. So, the only way I think that I will not cheat is to share my daily expenses with you, my loyal readers. I'll continue to post as normal, but at the end of each post I will list my expenses for the previous day. The mere fact that I have promised to share my each and every penny spent this month with the greater internet world, should make me think twice before buying another pair of shoes.

Here it goes:

• May 1:
  $1 Circulator
  $10 Lunch
  $12 Grocery Store

artDC: a [very short] personal recap

I'm back from a whirlwind of a weekend at artDC. I did wind up manning the booth nonstop during show hours from Thursday night's opening reception to yesterday's close at 5pm. Since it was my idea, I felt compelled to take every shift, I guess! It was a blast, and a nice change of pace from sitting in the office. We were fortunate to be given one of the free non-profit booths to disseminate informaton on our organization and programs, so we were not there actually selling art like the larger gallery spaces. The jury is still out, it seems, on whether it was a successful event, but as far as I am concerned, we connected with a lot of really great people and were able to spread the word about what exactly it is that we do. I know that the show organizers expected somewhere around 10,000 people to walk through the doors, so I look forward to a final report in the near future.

The art on display was all, unfortunately, out of my price range because I did see a lot that I liked. I think the galleries were catering to much more established collectors than me.

Some personal highlights from my time at artDC:

• Watching some of the areas top art collectors narrow down their next big purchase
• Finally meeting the legendary Tim Tate and seeing his new glass work incorporating video
• Conversations with the proprietors of The Steps Gallery, Bristol, UK and Migration: A Gallery, Charlottesville, VA - both of whom hold motivational stories of following their dreams to enter the art world and open a gallery
• Getting lost in the Perpetual Art Machine
• Discovering that Gallery owners and uber art world people are much more down to earth than I previously thought
• Connecting with the other non-profits in the row and learning more about what is going on in this city of ours, specifically Take Me To The River, Black Artists of DC and the Lorton Arts Foundation- all have excellent missions to bring the arts to larger communities and through non-traditional venues

I'm looking forward to next year. I've heard that the organizers have signed a three year contract with the convention center, so if you missed it this time around, don't let it happen again!