Sunday, June 28, 2009

Garden Update and a Completed Patio

The patio is complete- I cannot even convey how much work that was...

Adam's beautiful design...
Lettuce, Basil, Cilantro, Cucumbers and Tomatoes
Green beans are really taking off and starting to climb up the teepee.
Sort of blurry- but you can see the peppers are fruiting.
Spinach, Carrots, and Lettuces
Sugar snap peas
Summer Squash and Nasturtiums

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Albany, a year in review...

We have lived in Albany for a year already. It's crazy to think that a year ago we were pulling up to this house after only seeing it twice before. I remember the night that we moved in- we went out grocery shopping and spent an hour trying to find our house afterwards. Adam and I still get lost from time to time. More Adam than me, as he basically spends all of his time driving the two miles from our house to the hospital. 

It's strange because I'd really like to hate it here. It was hard having to move 3,000 miles away from everything I knew so well. Though, oddly enough, this has been one of the best years of my life. The Northeast is lovely- the seasons are all enjoyable in their own way. I love driving around and exploring new places, each has so much history. Just last night, we drove over to Troy, NY- home of Uncle Sam. Seriously, I'm upping my trivia skills on a daily basis (if only my "mom brain" didn't diminish those skills at a faster rate). It's nice knowing that we have a time limit on this experience, as it makes it feel sort of like an extended vacation. What's funny is that I was thinking last night, "oh, we only have three years left and there is a lot more to see!" 

I have enjoyed slowing life down a bit and having the time to cook and garden. Gardening has become a quick addiction and when we return to the Northwest, I'll be seeking a home with ample sun. I think we'll also need a front porch and lots of maple trees. I can do without the grey squirrels but will miss the cardinals. 

Adam is just a week from completing his internship year and is more than ecstatic about that. Now he will finally be studying anesthesiology and should start to really enjoy his work. He has worked a lot of hours over the past year but it was not nearly as bad as I thought. I have a tendency to build things up to be really crappy, then I'm usually relieved when they aren't so bad. I can't decide if that makes me a pessimist or an optimist... 

When we arrived, Gavin was 9 months old. He could sit up, but could not crawl. Now, he's a crazy little boy that runs all over our house. He provides us with hours of entertainment and continues to surprise us daily. 

The beagles, after some initial struggles, have finally accepted their new home. Thankfully, they have mellowed out and seem to enjoy it here. I'm pretty sure they're west coast dogs at heart. And really, aren't we all? Don't worry, we'll be home soon.
Albany: Summer 2008
Albany: Fall 2008
Albany: Winter 2008
Albany: Spring 2009

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Lobster Feast

Lobster is the silver-lining of the seafood selection in Albany.  It's been hard not having access to wild salmon, halibut, and even Oregon bay shrimp meat. BUT- we can buy whole live lobsters at a very reasonable price and that is just what we did when Jenny and Emily came up to visit. I had not bought them live before- I previously had the seafood guy steam them for me. We decided to be adventurous and that provided quite a few laughs. It was actually a little disturbing watching them try to crawl out of the pot and squeal. 
We made a nice little meal of bow-tie pasta with asparagus and snap peas (Emily's creation), sourdough bread, a fresh garden salad (with my home-grown lettuce), and of course lobster with lots of melted butter. It was fun to provide Em and Jen with a quintessential New England dining experience. Hopefully, it was so tasty- they'll find themselves flying back for more!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

An Epic Surprise Party

I had the most amazing 30th birthday celebration! Last Friday, Adam told me that we were going for a day trip to celebrate my birthday. I had no idea what he was up to but I went along with it and the three of us piled into the car and headed out. Once we got on I-87 South I realized that we were heading to NYC. I asked him what we were going to do there and he told me that we could do anything I wanted until our dinner reservation at 6:45pm. Because it was pouring out, I decided that we should finally go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The MET had been on my to-do list for years but I never feel like spending my NYC time at a museum. Unfortunately, we had a somewhat frustrating time because Gavin was an absolute pill! He had missed his nap so he proceeded to scream bloody murder in the middle of the Modern Painting Exhibit... my apologies to Picasso. I was a little confused as to why Adam didn't take our friend Toyin up on her offer to babysit Gavin. Don't get me wrong, love him dearly, but I was just thinking our day could have been a little more relaxing without him! We did manage to see most of the museum in between temper tantrums but eventually we had to spare the other patrons.

After driving around trying to figure out what to do on a rainy NYC day with a grumpy toddler, 6:45 finally came. We arrived at Bar Americain, Bobby Flay's restaurant. We were shown to our table where it was set for 9! Ok, what's going on?!? Looks like a surprise party! But, nobody was there! Poor Adam had been texting my friends all day trying to keep his plan organized. I explained to him that none of my friends are particularly punctual (sorry girls, but it's true). It was still an amazing surprise as I watched my friends arrive- first Allison Engman and Chelea Kent. Then my three fabulous NY friends, Michelle Barson, Toyin Weaver, and Ryan Cowper. Finally, my original college roommates, Melissa Ardales, Jenny Goodman, and Emily Adamson! At that point, Adam scooped up little Gavin and said that he was leaving! He explained that he had booked us all a hotel suite for the weekend! He had been planning this for a year! It didn't go as he had hoped- he had thought we'd have a fun family day but the weather really killed his plan of walking around the village and central park. It didn't matter- it was absolutely perfect! 
Here are all the amazing gals that were in on the surprise! We had a great dinner at Bobby Flay's complete with a sampling of desserts.
The gals had maneuvered a deal with a limo driver - could it get any better? We then proceeded to have a fun night out and those details I will not share! HaHa! It was all clean fun, don't worry!
The next day we split up to go see the city. There is so much to do that some decided to shop, others wanted to sight-see. We all met up for dinner and then hit a Broadway show, Rock of Ages, a new musical featuring 80s music. It was awesome! I am so grateful to have so many good friends and an amazing husband that put this all together. It was a fabulous way to ring in my next decade!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Rounding the Corner to 30!

Never before have I had so many people ask me about my upcoming birthday. I guess 30 is one of those milestone birthdays, new decade and all. I have already written about why I am perfectly comfortable with becoming 30. However, I will admit that the other night- I was made to feel, for lack of a better word, older. Not OLD, but OLDER... Here's how it went down:

My girlfriends wanted to take me out to celebrate my birthday, but with conflicting schedules we had to do it a week early. They planned a night out, complete with dinner, cocktails, and dancing. We started out at Ryan's house with some pomegranate margaritas (really good by the way). There, they surprised me with a birthday tiara that read "Birthday Queen" across it and with a lei full of sparkly flowers. I really didn't want to wear this out all night, but I'm not one to spoil such a gesture. Plus, it's my 30th birthday and I should be ready to announce this proudly! So, of course, the rest of the night I had people saying "Happy Birthday!" "How old are you?" "Is it your 21st birthday?" At one point,  a guy came up to me and said, "Oh, it's my birthday tomorrow! How old are you going to be?" I told him and he said, "Oh, wow, I'm going to be 23!" Awesome. But, here is the best part- when we hit the dance club, a guy came up to me and wanted to dance. He starts asking me questions about how old I am etc. He then says, "Well, if you're 30, I should ask if you're married?" Yes, I am. "Oh, does it get worse?" What do you mean? "How many kids do you have?" I have 1, a little boy. "Ok, Peace out!" HAHA! That was the conversation verbatim! Classic! 

The moral of this story is two-fold. First, don't wear a tiara out when you feel the urge to let loose and just go dancing with your girlfriends. Second, and most important, the club scene really is meant for early 20 somethings. I find nothing wrong with indulging occasionally but honestly, it's just not my thing. Obviously, part of that is being in a different part of my life entirely- married with a kid. I'm perfectly comfortable with forgoing the $3 shots for a $12 martini. I seek the comfort of a nice booth over being shoved against strangers in a crowded club. I can do without my shoes being sticky and my clothes smelling of cigarettes. That whole scene actually will make you feel OLD. But, indulging a few times a year will sure give you some good laughs! Awe... to be 21 again! That's the beauty of aging- each age gives you a little more perspective and lots of good stories for years to come! After all, we should never take ourselves too seriously! Cheers!