With predictable results.

Breakfast at Gordon Ramsey’s, Burgr. (That’s how he spells it Ona)

Guy Savoy has been regarded as one of the top chefs in the world for a long time now. He has a restaurant in Paris and Las Vegas. Always in the top 100 in the world. Sonia and I have been saving up to eat there and finally pulled the trigger. And although Guy Savoy is only in Las Vegas around four weeks a year, he just so happened to be there on the day we were. He even invited us into the kitchen for a picture. Chefs are my rock stars.

First time I bet with my head instead of my heart and Marquette teaches me a lesson. Still, I’d spend $200 for a win any day.

We’re back and already deep in the hole. Early bedtime to regroup.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Brought to you by Sonia’s heart shaped birthmark.

More tears as Brit’s High School team was eliminated from the California sectionals after losing 2-0. This officially marks the end of her high school soccer career.

Those American Idol contestants love them some Basically Me.

Just got this in the mail. Now this is a book.

Biggest client is in town on the same day of our photo shoot.

Celebrating my niece and nephew’s belated 7th birthdays.

Brittany got into her fourth school, Depaul University in Chicago. In addition to being accepted she was awarded a $30,000 academic scholarship. Only Marquette and bragging rights remain unknown.

Enjoyed.

It turns out you really can have too much bacon.

If it wasn’t for your devoted readership I may have closed this thing down years ago.

Keep shooting, Dylan.

More Glutin For Lunch.

Brit played her last regular season and home game of her high school career. Her team beat their rivals 1-0 and made the CIF playoffs in a very emotional game.

The four senior captains (also her club teammates) walk off their field for the last time.

The soccer story began when Brittany was around four years old. We were at the park waiting for Devin to finish baseball tryouts when we found an orphaned soccer ball. I kicked it to Brittany and she kicked it back with ease. Soon, a man approached and asked me how long she had been playing. Ten minutes, I said. He then told me that he was a club soccer coach and offered to work with her for free. I didn’t take him up on his offer, but enrolled Brittany in a “little kickers” class at the park the next day. She figured out everything the teacher had to offer in about two seconds, so we moved on for more of a challenge. That search continued for the next thirteen years. Clinics. Practices. Games. From Utah to Hawaii to everywhere in between. For 52 weeks a year, we drove, she played. Brittany loves the game. We all do. Watching Brittany play soccer is my greatest joy. But there have been plenty of sacrifices. Soccer has often taken the place of birthday parties, family get togethers, vacations and countless school functions, ceremonies and whatever else normal people do. But we all understood early on that if Brittany continued to excel and love the game, it would open up doors that would not otherwise be opened for her. Today is proof of that. Today is the day that a small percentage of high school athletes sign a national letter of intent to play a NCAA Division I sport for the university that successfully recruited them. At 7:10 a.m., with Hemingway offering his support, Brittany signed on the dotted line to play soccer for the University of California – Riverside Highlanders. To quote Anthony Hopkins in Legends of the Fall, “Am Happy”.

Sonia and I decided to go on a gluten free diet. For breakfast I had a fruit smoothie. For lunch I had a wild boar sloppy joe with extra gluten. Shortest. Diet. Ever.

We dropped off Brittany at UC Riverside for her official weekend visit and hit up the town in search of a nice hotel we could call home if Brittany ends up choosing UCR. The historic Mission Inn will do just fine.

While in Seattle my sister and I visited the graves of my paternal great grandparents, Frederick and Aimee, as well as my grandmother’s brother, Stanley.

I finally overcame Apple’s betrayal and figured out how to publish www.mygrandfathersoffice.com on another host.

Challenging, but a well worth the visit.

Walking through the fish market with the flu was not such a good idea after all.

Despite Brittany’s bout with the flu, we I decided to keep our soccer visit with Seattle U. During the seven hour camp, Brittany gagged, fasted and gagged some more, but what she didn’t do was quit. She may have only been at 50%, but in my eyes, she turned in her gutsiest performance to date. I wish I could have rewarded her with an early bedtime, but the coach wanted her to stay in the dorms with the team.

Enjoyed a visit with my sister at her home. My Niece has a perfect smile. Her dog, Rosie, not so much.

Trying to muster up the strength.

In Seattle. First order of business, room service consisting of two bowls of chicken noodle soup.

The Good: Urban Tacos in Dallas

The Bad: Throwing them up all night because of the flu.

The Silver Line: Calories not absorbed.

The Dark Cloud: Brittany stayed home today after coming down with the same illness. This isn’t good timing considering I’m picking her up a 4pm to fly to Seattle for a soccer tryout at Seattle U that will pit her against their current team. In the rain.

Moroccan Octopus & Pork Jowls |aji panca, radish, cilantro

A perfect appetizer that set up a perfect dinner write off.

Setting up in Dallas. Almost a year since the last time. Good to be back.

Enjoyed dinner and a musical with Dad and Georgeanne. Turns out you can make a fairly bad musical based on the forming of the Beatles. But the oysters were fantastic.

Breakfast

Clips win again. Not enough to take the sting out of the Marquette loss.

Nearly 80 degrees today meant lunch alfresco at Spagos in Beverly Hills. We sat next to Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence which is about the oddest celebrity pairing we have seen thus far. But the coolest part was when Wolfgang Puck was seated for lunch at his own restaurant.

Too long and not enough of a story, but just enough funny to be entertaining.

I have clearly forgotten what it was like walking to class at Marquette or work in Chicago during the winter because this cold streak has been hard to handle. Jimmy Kimmel sums up the ridiculousness of our plight.

On a positive note, the week ahead is looking up.

Enjoyed.

Hanging with the Hipsters and Hippies on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Was looking for the Luda Bites food truck, but it never showed up.

It’s been a painfully slow six weeks. Hoping to kick off the buying season for Basically Me.

Sonia thought inviting 44 of Brittany’s teammates over for a team dinner was a good idea.

Brit scored two goals in the first five minutes to help her team beat Pasadena 4-0 and start the league season 3-0.

I really enjoyed this movie. Captured the soul of the starving artist.

Lechon. This will be the name of my future hole in the wall if I have one. I’ve been thinking of making this sandwich for some time now. The heart and soul of it is Sonia’s Lechon. It’s a family recipe. But it wasn’t until we went to Spain and ate suckling pig at the world’s oldest restaurant did I start to thing about creating this sandwich. Rome was the final inspiration. The porchetta sandwich is Rome’s street food. So, with Puerto Rico, Spain and Rome as my inspiration, I present to you my perfect sandwich. Lechon. Sweet Pepper Relish. Crispy Onion. Cilantro. Crispy skin on top. Soft roll.

Like Titanic, you know the ending, but it was an enjoyable ride getting there.

Back in the routine. Brit helped her team win their first league game of the year with a hat trick and two assists.