Paris: Tres Bien!

C'est Magnifique!
I'll have to make this post a bit shorter than usual, because the letters and punctuations on the keyboard here at our hotel are completely rearranged from what we're used to, which means I'm currently hunting and pecking. At this rate I could be here all day. ;)
Paris is an incredibly fascinating city, both with areas of over crowded hoards of tourists, along side areas of pure magic.  Some of our highlights:
Crepes with Nutella! So simple, but what a deliciously perfect food.
Baguette sandwiches- again, they're incredibly simple, but so delicious. We also realized during our stay here, that we never use butter at home. Is it because it just doesn't taste the same? We've had some of the most amazing butter here! 
Our favorite moments of our time in Paris have not been visiting famous monuments and tourist attractions (although they are amazing to see), but really just walking the streets, people watching, tasting the food, smelling the unbelievable cheese shops, and just experiencing the lifestyle in general.  Our favorite dinner here was actually a selection of things we bought along Le Rue Mouffetard (a fabulous narrow street of shops & markets), and just ate in our hotel room!  Today we'll be picking up a car, and starting our drive through France, heading south. I have to admit, Mass has been a great navigator, which is so fortunate, since I've been known to get lost in my own neighborhood.  Let's hope I can adequately read a map. :)  Au Revoir Paris! 

Dinner in our hotel room





Does it look like I'm touching the top of the Louvre?

 

One of many Eiffel Tower photos

The most amazing markets at Le Rue Mouffetard!

London: A Culinary Delight?

Yes!  Strange as it may sound, I believe London has received a bad rap for having crummy food.  Or maybe we're just hanging out with the right people.  :)  These last couple of days in London have been so delightful.  On our last visit here, 3 years ago for Peter's 30th Birthday, we did all of the tourist requirements.  We checked off all of the boxes: Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, the required museums, etc.  This time, we've had no pressure to do any of those things, so it's been an entirely different experience!  Our days are leisurely, spending time with Peter and Rose, walking around, people watching, and mostly eating and drinking.  

Some of the highlights:

The Bistrot Bruno Loubet, where we had some of the most incredible salmon tartare, and a very memorable dish of boudin blanc.  A deliciously rich meal.  

Bangers & Mash!  I wasn't sure what was so exciting about this dish, but we had a super flavorful version of it at a great little pub we stumbled upon, and I'm now a fan.  (btw, there's also this thing called 'brown sauce' that's everywhere here.  It's like someone mixed up a bunch of ketchup, some A1, and a little sugar & vinegar, and poured it in a bottle. I love the smell, but I'm not a fan of the taste)

Bangers & mash with Bill Shakespeare

And my personal favorite: Kopapa.  This was truly a culinary joy ride!  From the sliced tuna preparation, to the super knowledgeable sommelier, to the most perfect risotto I've ever had.  And the desserts: amazing!  To quote our dear Rose after taking a bite of a Date Creme Brulee, "I would have sex with this dish!"  We've also learned that desserts here are all called 'puddings'.  They could be cakes, pies, mousses, ice creams, you name it, but they're all called pudding.  We can't wait to give Rose a taste of our version of pudding: my vote is for the chocolate jello pudding snacks in a cup.  :)

My other new favorite discovery: porridge!  It's not like the oatmeal we make in America.  It's rich, creamy and delicious.

As for today, we're off to our next adventure!  In a couple short hours we'll be taking the train to the fabulous city of Paris.  Stay tuned!

At the airport, excited to start our voyage!

Delicious macaroons

The Whole Fam-Damily

What an incredible week we've had!  The fun began last Thursday when mom & pop Backus flew into town to kick off our 'bender' of celebrations.  A few major events occurred over the weekend: Massimo's graduation ceremony where he received his official title of "Master", and Val's 60th Birthday! (not to mention brother Peter's official completion of his phD.  We now have a Doctor and a Master in the family!)
Friday we celebrated Val's birthday with an always innovative and entertaining dinner at The Bazaar in Beverly Hills.  (Thanks again to our friends Sara & Anthony for using their connections to ensure us a great experience)
Saturday was a BIG day!  Not only was it the day Mass walked in his cap & gown to receive his hard-earned Masters degree, but it was the 60th anniversary of the day this world was blessed to be introduced to our beloved Valerie!  Mom & dad O'Leyar also flew down for the big events.  The morning was filled with hurried excitement, running around to prepare for the day's events.  Nona even came in from L.A. so she wouldn't miss a thing.
I have to admit, I got a big lump in my throat and a bit teary eyed, seeing Mass & his friends in their cap & gowns.  I've been witness to all of their hard work, and it's such a wonderful thing to see them finish victorious!

Mass & Phil before the ceremony.  (and Mahoney of course)

Immediately after the pomp & circumstance, we hosted a graduation party at our home.  It was a big success- I think it was actually the largest number of people ever in our home at one time- and it was SO great to meet everyone's families!  It's so neat to see the amazing support that helped all of our friends achieve their goals, and to see where they came from as well. 
The celebration continued- with a more intimate family dinner at Mike & Anne's in South Pasadena.  It was perfect! This was our first visit to Mike & Anne's, and I would highly recommend it! Finally, after putting our folks to bed, Mass & I went out to one more party...but admittedly I was tuckered & didn't last long at all.


Sunday started off with our parents participating in a group Pilates session! (and Mass sleeping on the cadillac while they worked out)  It was so much fun (and quite hilarious) to see our parents all giving it their best shot- they were great sports and it was nice to share that part of my world with them.  Our folks are truly one supportive bunch!

After our Pilates session, I took the moms to get mani's & pedi's as our Mother's Day gift, then we met the boys for lunch. After just a few minutes of R&R, it was time for more partying!  We had a fabulous dinner at Osteria Firenze in north Hollywood, to celebrate Val's 60th.  She was surrounded by 19 of her closest friends & family, and showered with gifts.  I was bummed that we didn't get to meet Fabio (from Top Chef), but the food was excellent.

Monday morning we said goodbye to my parents, as they continued in their quest for more sunshine in Phoenix.  Tuesday morning Val & John went back to Seattle, and took our little munchkin (Mahoney) with them.  Our parents have kindly volunteered to watch Mahones while we spend the next few weeks exploring Europe.  It's amazing how attached we've become to our little ball of fur!  But we know she's in good hands, and we couldn't be more appreciative of the help.  She'll spend time at both camp Backus and camp O'Leyar, and I'm sure she'll be treated like a queen and have the time of her life.  She looks to be settling in quite nicely already!

The next few days for us will include work, looking for work, and preparing for our trip.  Stay tuned, as our next post will likely be from a foreign land!

If I Could Turn Back Time

I actually wouldn't change a thing.  The title of this post is in fact a tribute to my dear friend Jenn.  Last weekend we had the pleasure of celebrating her upcoming nuptials.  So as to make life easier on us travelers, her bridal shower and bachelorette party were organized on the same day.  There are SO many hilarious and memorable tidbits from the weekend, that I must edit so this doesn't become a novel.  
Friday included a flight to Seattle, a quite eventful car ride to Spokane, and a wonderful girls night of pizza, wine & laughs.  (The ride to Spokane did include Kim getting car sick & dry heaving into an empty bag of chips, us almost running out of gas, and getting lost and driving in circles around Spokane)
The shower was perfect- Jenn's closest friends and family, drinking mimosa's & sangria, eating delicious food, and showering her with gifts.  She glowed with pre-wedding happiness!
Party time arrived- and boy have I missed the days of sharing everything with my best friends- beds, bathrooms, beauty products, bodily functions, and just personal space in general. :)  I love these girls!  Most importantly, Jenn had a blast, and got to sing a rendition of a Cher classic (hence the title of this post) with a Drag Queen.  Every girl's dream, right?  I'll never forget Jenn's beaming smile, and hearing her shout, "this is the best night of my life!...except when I marry Jon, then that'll be the best night of my life!"  I still get choked up thinking about it.  :)


Since life is filled with constant learning experiences, I figured I share some important life lessons I learned from the weekend:


1) Some places still exist where you can get a cocktail for $3.50
2) There is definitely such a thing as too much pizza
3) It's probably not a good idea to take a free pizza from a delivery guy, not knowing how long it's been sitting in his car, or how many other people he tried to give it to
4) It's also not a good idea to drink a 5-hour energy at 11:30pm
5) As we get older, our comfort level and personal sharing have no boundaries
6) There is almost no greater thing on earth (that I have yet to experience) than spending time with your best girl friends, and laughing to the point of tears.


I love you Jenny Girl, and can't wait to celebrate your special day!

There were so many great photos, but here are just a few.  A special thanks to Hillary for teaching me how to make a collage like this.  :)

"Master" Backus?

No, it's not me.  Although sometimes I'd like to think so. ;)  
Kidding aside, I'm incredibly thrilled to announce that as of tomorrow (Friday) around 4:00pm, Mass will have completed his last final exam of his Masters degree education, and will shortly be receiving a post-graduate diploma, declaring him a 'Master'.  Master of the universe? Maybe that'll take a few more years, but for now, it's an amazing accomplishment and I couldn't be more proud.
While I'm not known to be a particularly gushy or sentimental person, I wanted to take this opportunity to write a little note to my loving husband:


Dearest Massimo,
Look what you've accomplished!  I couldn't be more proud and amazed at what you've achieved over the last 2 years.  It's really hard to believe that this time has come already.  I remember the first days of our new adventure down here- we were newlyweds, fresh from leaving the home, city, family & friends we grew up with, embarking on a completely new life and the new challenges that would come with it.  After being in school for a mere week or two, we sat on our patio one night after dinner discussing this new life.  You were so distraught.  The pressures of this new program were a lot to handle, and you were doubting yourself.  You questioned your ability, your brain power, and your self-discipline to handle it all.  But there's something we both knew you had that would carry you through- your determination and motivation.  You worked so hard to get here, giving up was not an option.
Now look at you!  Tomorrow you will finish the final exam of your Masters degree, and in just over a week, you'll be dressed in cap & gown, accepting this incredible degree from Claremont Graduate University.  I've always known you have the ability and drive to do anything you set your mind to, but I'm so incredibly proud and impressed with your achievement!  You've done this with grace & style, and while we both know there were several hard times & serious bumps in the road, I think we can both agree it was worth it.
Congratulations my love! Here's to you.
Your loving wife, 
Brie

Massimo's Qualitative Analysis group on presentation day in front of their poster. I'm guessing he did not wear sunglasses during the actual presentation.

Celebrating at the Back Abbey after completing another big project

CGU Friends- Josh, Kelli & Ann

Vitamin D

I love the sun.  I know we get bombarded with everything we should be afraid of about the sun; skin cancer, premature aging, etc., but I truly believe the sun has healing powers.  I can't think of many things that feel as wonderful as the sun on my face.  There's just something about it that makes me so happy. This morning on my daily walk with Mahoney, I started thinking about how spoiled I've become with this southern California sunshine.  Nowadays I wake up- not to an alarm clock- but to the sun shining in through our bedroom window, bright blue skies, and the sound of birds chirping.  There's just an ease about things when the sun is out. I can throw on a pair of sneakers and go for a run without worrying about the weather or bundling up.  Mahoney gets frequent walks because often times it's just so nice out that taking her for a walk is a great excuse to get out of the house.  Throwing on a bathing suit and spending an hour reading by the pool is no big deal- I can squeeze it in between errands.  I wonder sometimes if those around us who grew up around here, can truly appreciate it because they've had this all their lives.  I've come to grips with the fact that we won't have the luxury of this weather forever, and I'm truly excited for whatever our next chapter brings, but for now, I'm soaking in every minute I can get.  

Mahoney loves the sun too- she finds the sunny spots on our patio and happily lays in the dirt