therealtamara

Far away

If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

It’s a wide wild world.

Figuring out where to start a trip is a big part of the fun.

Dry hands

This handy little machine lives up to its name.

It is also a punny appellation.

It dries thoroughly and completely which those models that look like hand eaters really don’t.

Thin Air, now that is an accurate and great moniker!

Uh uh

What’s the story behind your nickname?

There are those who almost instinctively call me Tammy.

No no no.

Touch of joy

What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

Fine. Dining.

This morning’s wailing child breakfast interruption put me in mind of young parents’ dilemma. Does getting out of the house with your tot have to be disruptive?

How can those in possession of a small child enjoy a protracted fine dining experience? There is the simple “get a babysitter” way. Too simple, too costly. We like to shlep our kid everywhere.

Top chefs, here is your next frontier: 4 course tasting menu for 2+. Parents will wear snuggies and hold the baby during the entire course.

Ode

An ode to the garden tomato as opposed to the farm-raised one is in order.

It’s a seasonal thing, of course. Like the peaches [and their cousins, the nectarines], the garden tomatoes are a summer fruit.

Well, it’s summer now!

Veg out

I want to propose veggie-forward menus as the wave of my future.

Greens are a part of it, but there’s cauliflower white and big yellow peppers, not to mention gorgeous red ones and tomatoes too.

I love that vegetables are so darn colorful, don’t you?

Work it

What do you listen to while you work?

Work is behind me. Retirement ahead. When I did work, there was no hold music to keep me company.

Today’s workplace is different from the one I inhabited. Headsets were not the fashion then.

You worked in relative silence, the tap tap tap of your computer keys broke in; colleagues would stop by your desk with questions; there might be a meeting to interrupt your morning’s quiet.

I tune into 60s rock or my Carole King Pandora feed when I wander about taking pictures or inspiration. I wear a pair of earphones to keep my listening private.

Times change. It’s good to keep up.

Pop pop pop

What’s your go-to comfort food?

It’s a reassuring sound even if it does sound like a backfire.

The physics and chemistry that goes into popping a bowl in your microwave releases a great aroma.

Pop open a prepackaged bag, and you let out that same great smell.

Hey, old sport

What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

Horseracing or horse riding are two ever so different recreations.

Those who ride are further divided by the shape of their saddles. English aficionados have a slight disdain for the Westerners. I have ridden both styles and had an equal liking.

Taking to horseback is an often exhilarating activity and very fine exercise.

You won’t burn as many calories in the stands at Saratoga even if you jump up every time number 7 takes his turn round the track.

While riding is a way to canter away a leisurely afternoon, it’s a bet at the races that gets your heart racing.

Going to the window to put your money down turns this spectator sport into a participatory one.