In a Quandry …

Posted by Sarah - 28/09/05 at 07:09:47 pm

OK, so we’ve moved. Which means that my audio recording business, Capital City Studios, has moved too. The business is alive and well and will hopefully attract new clients in the coming weeks. The question is: How do I make the identity change from the DC area to Vermont?

Now, technically, I could keep my business name the same, at least for the time being, as Montpelier is the state capital. But I’m not sure this idea has much appeal or longevity. The idea, when in DC, was that the Nation’s Capital had it’s own musical sound. I’m sure there are a few aspects of Montpelier’s native music that are original, but my focus isn’t only on this town, even though it is my home for now. Burlington seems to offer a much more populated music scene, and I hope to explore other towns in Vermont as well as parts of upstate New York. I’m looking for a more open-ended name for the new incarnation of the recording business.

So, I’m asking all of you for your opinion on business names, and I’ll throw out some interesting words that Rick and I have been pondering. Keep in mind that the name should roll off the tongue and must be short enough (or easily abbreviated) to work as a website name. You can check out the existing Capital City Studios web site to get an idea of the business. The look of the new site will of course be revamped (less slick/dark, more friendly/groovy) once the new name is selected but the content will be similar.

Here are some interesting words; feel free to ignore them in favor of your own ideas:

  • muse
  • mountain
  • green
  • monte verde (which means green mountain)
  • recording
  • audio
  • Vermont

I was going to avoid the word “studio” this time around because I don’t actually have a studio. (I use equipment to record on location.) “Music” could also imply that I am a record company and/or sheet music supplier, though it is more open-ended than “studio” and I’d use it in the right context. But there have got to be other inspiring, image-rich words out there that can catch the attention of potential clients, I’ve just run out of ideas.

As an incentive, I offer a CD of your choice if you submit a winning business name to the comments in this post. (Please submit your best ideas and limit yourself to three suggestions, and don’t worry, Rick’s disqualifited from this “contest”.) I’ll post the “final name” and link to the new business website once it’s all in place. Thanks in advance to everyone for your thoughts!


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In Search of Breakfast …

Posted by Rick - 18/09/05 at 11:09:48 am

Other than our friends there isn’t much we miss about DC—at least yet. Except maybe our yard, but that is more for the dog’s convenience than ours. And maybe our favorite restaurant, Mark’s Kitchen.

Mark’s was our comfort place where we went to relax and have nice meals served by people who quickly became our friends. We went every Sunday, and sometimes more often than that. But Sundays were special to us. When we were going to yoga classes, we would stop by immediately aftwards. When we weren’t, we would go early to avoid the rush. The place was so much like our own home, that Mark and the staff (Hi Kate, Ann, Sarah, Benji and Kiran!) would just laugh as we cleared our own tables, or got up to get any condiments we might want. A few times Mark called us honorary staff members and would knock 20 percent off our check.

When we left for Vermont, we half-jokingly said that job number one was to find a place for our special Sunday breakfast. We knew we couldn’t ever replace Mark’s Kitchen—especially not the numerous vegetarian and Korean options on the menu—but we hoped we would find a place to relax on Sunday mornings.

Our first attempt was a place across the street from our flat, named The Coffee Corner, but that plan fell through after a less than good experience with a lunch the second day we arrived. The fries were crap, the burger bland, and they left out the cole slaw despite promising Sarah it was in the bag. All that, and it was expensive. We may give it another chance for breakfast, but first impressions are lasting ones.

Our next attempt was a place called The Wayside Restaurant & Bakery. We had passed it a few times on our way to and from our storage facility in Barre. It looked almost like a truck stop, and the parking lot was packed with cars (not trucks) each time we drove by it. After getting a second opinion (so to speak) from Jessamyn we decided to give it a try.

The Wayside ends up being a great little spot. There isn’t much on the lunch and dinner menu for vegetarians such as Sarah but the breakfast menu has plenty of options. The place is clean, the wait staff very friendly, and the prices are amazing. We can both eat for under $15 and be stuffed for hours. It’s not Mark’s Kitchen, but that’s okay. Vermont isn’t Maryland either. We weren’t looking to replace our favorite restaurant in Maryland, so much as find a new place to spend our lazy Sunday mornings. We’ll certainly miss our friends at Mark’s, but The Wayside suits us just fine.


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Exploring Montpelier …

Posted by Rick - 06/09/05 at 10:09:24 am

Since arriving in Montpelier a week ago, we have been wicked busy. Much of that can be expected when moving to a new state; however, in addition to doing the usual moving tasks—dealing with movers, banks, and post offices—we have been spending a great deal of time exploring our new city and what it offers. We have sampled the food at Sarducci’s, Julio’s, Main Street Grill, The Diner, La Brioche, McGillicuddy’s Irish Pub, Positive Pi2, Nini’s Wraps, Ben & Jerry’s (natch), and the deli at Hunger Mountain Coop. We have also made a few meals with the delicious ingredients we found at the farmer’s market, including yummy sweet tomatoes from Cate Farm. We have taken numerous walks along Montpelier’s back streets, admiring the beautiful (and huge!) Victorian homes. Yesterday morning we took the dogs for a short hike in Hubbard Park. This is a beautiful city with lots to offer, most of which we haven’t even begun to discover. The people are warm and welcoming. We are looking forward to more exploring.

Oh, and our fridge is stocked with Magic Hat’s Fat Angel!


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We’ve arrived! …

Posted by Sarah - 03/09/05 at 08:09:51 am

After months of careful planning, packing, selling the house, more packing, long-distance apartment hunting, and finally moving, we’re here: Montpelier, VT. It feels like a dream, and also feels right and comforting and exciting. Here from the front are some first impressions of our new home.

  • The people (even tourists!) are friendly and polite, and not in a constant state of “hurry up!”.
  • The weather (even the rain) is beautiful.
  • Montpelier has not strayed too far from its French influence; we catch glimpses of the language and culture everywhere.
  • The Green Mountains are georgeous and approchable, not dominating like the Rockies.
  • Capitol Grounds makes awesome organic, fair-trade coffee and offers free wi-fi.
  • The architecture is beautiful and varied, and the houses are huge.
  • Vermonters take pride in and know much of their state history.

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