An update from Gavin

Hi Guys! It's me- Gavin! I have been so busy lately. Walking has made my life awesome! I have so much fun being chased around by my parents! Plus- I can see a lot more stuff from way up here! The other day we went to the mall so mom could try on shoes. Dad and I were so bored until we found these cool trucks to play on!
I really like this ice cream truck! It would be way cooler if it actually served ice cream!
Today mom took me back to the museum- I guess she wants me to learn stuff! This time she let me run around though so that was better. I love the Sesame Street stuff!
Dad met up with us after work- I showed him this cool elk exhibit. "Whoa!"
I'm crazy!
Here I am sitting on the old "A" Train- sweet!
I don't know why my mom had to keep pulling me away from the cool trucks! I can easily walk under those ropes!
I guess she thinks it's cute how little I am. She kept taking these pictures of me! Well, that's about it. We're going to get more snow tomorrow so we're going sledding again! Yay!

A winter day in Vermont...

Over the past weekend we decided to go for a drive somewhere and thought that Vermont was as good a destination as any. The beauty of living over here is that we really don't know much about anything so every experience is new and fun. I had taken this particular drive in the fall- you might remember from a previous post. It was cool to see everything covered in snow and the trees without their leaves. We just headed east and got lost in the rural woods of Vermont. Maybe we weren't lost- if you don't have a specific destination in mind, then getting lost leads you to interesting gems that you may never have seen otherwise. Somehow we found ourselves in Shaftsbury- where you will find the Robert Frost Stone House Museum. While Frost was actually born in San Francisco, he lived in this house from 1920 to 1929 and much of his work was inspired by this part of the country. His grave is in nearby Bennington. Apparently the museum doesn't attract too many tourists on winter Saturday afternoons because it was closed. Oh well, at least we all got a little history lesson about Robert Frost. Glad I could help you out with a little trivia!
After we passed the Robert Frost museum- we stumbled upon The Chocolate Barn! I just love finding places like this. I believe my exact expression to Adam was, "Oh let's stop! They always have the coolest crap at places like this!" To be clear, they do not have "crap" here. They actually have wonderful chocolates and candies. We purchased an assortment of truffles that are delicious. I am not really a chocolate lover but even I can appreciate a really good truffle.
We then headed through Bennington and grabbed lunch at a little pub. Gavin thoroughly enjoyed his grilled cheese sandwich and with Vermont White Cheddar Cheese- who can blame him!
I made Adam drive an hour and a half out of his way because there is this really cool store where they sell cheese, maple syrup and handmade mittens. I had gone into this store last fall and did not buy the mittens- which are $12 lined with fleece. I have been regretting it ever since. I know that I can knit myself mittens but these ones were really awesome. Anyhow, after driving the 45 minutes past Bennington- we found the shop and it was CLOSED. Total bummer- but the above picture is really cool because you can compare the same shot from the fall.

In these troubling times- we cannot afford a bad hair day!

Confession:  I spent the majority of the past week in my pajamas. The first couple of days is sort of a "Yes, I am free to do this!" By Friday, it's more like, "Jenny deMars- take control of your life!" I'm all for a nice pajama day and snuggling up on the couch but if you spend too much time doing this- it's a slippery slope to Frumpville my friends! I came to this realization yesterday when I looked at myself in the mirror. I immediately booked a hair appointment.

Now for those of you who know me well- you know that I like to change my hairstyle frequently. I am fairly confident that I've tried most hair colors and cuts over the past couple of decades- from "the Rachel" to "the Posh" -not to mention all the Meg Ryan debacles!  I actually consider myself somewhat of an expert on the subject. I have a general rule for myself which is if I catch myself wearing my hair pulled back five days a week- it's time to see a professional. And on this specific subject- seeking a hair stylist- I have set some ground rules that I thought I'd share with you all!

1) Loyalty is only as strong as the quality of haircut. I am very serious about this- I know a lot of people who continue to be disappointed by their cut or color and keep going back to the same person because they feel bad. We are not looking for a new friend- we are looking for good hair.

2) Be Specific: the second part of this rule- don't say "oh, whatever you think will look good!" Believe me- I have burned by this one many, many times! I suppose it can prove successful at times, but is it worth the risk? 

3) Dump the over-booker: Listen, unless we're getting a complimentary spa day as a part of our visit- i.e. massage, facial, pedicure- we do not need to spend our entire day at the salon because our stylist overbooks appointments.  

4) Try the newbie- I have had a lot of success with this one. Basically, the new stylists charge the least amount of money because they are new and still proving themselves. If you choose to see this person, often times they will give you an awesome haircut and color. They have less appointments booked so they spend more time making you look fabulous. They still need to build a client base so they are aiming to impress. A couple of side notes here- first, only attempt this at a nice salon where they actually had to prove themselves to be invited to work there. Secondly, refer back to rule 1 once you've been seeing this person for a while and they start getting sloppy.

Now this may all seem superficial and ridiculous but I think we can all agree that our spirit is higher if we are looking our best.  We are more productive and confident. It all starts with a good haircut.  I personally can't afford to be going to the salon as often as I used to. Therefore, I have stuck with dark color closer to my natural shade. I was very happy with the first stylist I went to since moving here but she decided to change salons. She had told me that she was considering this and I told her that I would follow her so long as she stuck with Aveda (where my true loyalty lies).  She did not stick with an Aveda salon so I cut ties. I tried rule number 4 at the salon yesterday- and for $35 I got an excellent haircut. Let's face it- in these troubling times, we cannot afford bad hair.

The Chef's Manolos- a comfort food dream!

I received many lovely Christmas gifts and I am highlighting two as part of my tribute to comfort food. I received TWO Le Creuset dutch ovens... one small and one large! For those that do not cook- I must explain that Le Creuset cookware is to a cook- what Manolo Blahniks are to those who love all things shoes! Or what pocket aces are to a game of Texas Hold Em. You get the idea...
This comfort food season I have been obsessed with braising- slow cooked meats with root vegetables, herbs, wine and broth. My new dutch ovens are coming in particularly useful. Today I am braising short ribs- I have made these once prior to today and recently ordered them in a restaurant. Short ribs have jumped high on my list of comfort food. What is fun about braising is that you can really experiment- sometimes I flour and season meat, sear it, and then put in the dutch oven. Whereas today I roasted the short ribs for 15 minutes and then added to my vegetables. You can add whatever herbs and vegetables you think sound good. I have combined several recipes for today's concoction! Here is my experimental recipe- should you wish to indulge!

Ingredients:
8 Short Ribs
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Celery, 4 stalks - chopped (fairly large)
4 Carrots- peeled and chopped
1 Fennel Bulb- chopped
1 Spanish Onion- chopped
2 Leeks- white and light green portions- coarsely chopped
10 oz Whole Button Mushrooms
4 Cloves Garlic- chopped finely
Thyme- fresh bunch
1 Tbl Brown Sugar
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
4 cups Beef Broth

1) Roast Short Ribs seasoned with Salt and Pepper for 15 minutes at 400
2) In large dutch oven, saute vegetables in olive oil for 20 minutes
3) Pour wine in and bring to a boil until alcohol has cooked out and liquid is reduced by half
4) Place short ribs over the vegetables
5) Add beef broth, brown sugar, thyme and season with salt & pepper

Cover dutch oven and bake at 300 for 4 hours until meat falls off the bone...

I recommend serving these with garlic mashed potatoes.

We are expecting more snow and ice tonight- can't think of anything that will taste better on a cold winter's night...

What to do on a cold winter day? Play tourist!

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Well, not really but I can tell you that the New York State Museum has the original street scene from the beloved children's show. Adam had the day off on Saturday so we decided to head downtown and check out more of Albany.  Not too surprising, the New York State Museum is the largest and oldest state museum in the country.  We decided to pay it a visit.
The museum is made up of three sections - New York Metropolis, Adirondack Wilderness, and New York Native Americans.  It's takes up four floors and admission is FREE! We started in the Metropolis section and that is where we ended as well. Keep in mind- 16 month old boys don't quite appreciate museum visits. We will return another day to see the other sections. The New York City section is awesome- it goes through the history of how the city developed and neighborhoods were formed based on immigration and class warfare. The exhibit is broken down by neighborhood and you can see original taxi cabs, bicycles, subway trains, replicas of store fronts, and more. On a more sobering note- there is also an exhibit on the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.  While the exhibit is impressive with its memorabilia- it is really gut wrenching to look at. 
We left the museum feeling a little somber so we decided to go get lunch. Gavin enjoyed a chocolate milk shake that the owner, a nice older gentleman, made for him. He said just seeing Gavin made his whole day! I think after the chocolate shake- Gavin can say the feeling was mutual.

This brings me to the title of my post- it's amazing how we take our own towns for granted sometimes. There are plenty of "tourist attractions" that I never saw/did in Seattle because I lived there and just never thought about it. I never visited the new Seattle Library, never took the underground tour, never took a tour of the wineries. My point is- if you find yourself bored one afternoon, go play tourist of your hometown. You might be surprised how fun that actually is! 

**Side note- the camera left a crazy glare from Gavin's stroller straps... we did not dress him in metallic... nor did we strap glow sticks to him, as Steve Davey suggested!

Heading into a New Year...

As we approach 2009, it's hard not to think of all that's happened this year. I try to keep this blog uplifting and light-hearted but sometimes I feel I need an outlet to work through some of my feelings and reactions to what is happening in our country. I was watching Meet The Press yesterday and one piece caught my attention. It was a quote from Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric, the parent company of NBC--at a speech in November: "The economic crisis doesn't represent a cycle; it represents a `reset.' It's an emotional, social, economic reset. ... People who understand that will prosper. Those who don't will be left behind." I think this is absolutely true. When I reflect on my time at Washington Mutual- there are years that just blend together because everything was moving so quickly and the idea of quantity over quality dominated our way of life. Slow and steady did not win the race. Or did it?

While it's hard not to worry about all of our problems- I find myself hopeful that, because we have a chance to "reset," our lives will end up more fulfilling. It could be just the stage of life I am in with starting a family but I am so grateful that I have something else to talk about other than banking. This time in Albany has been enlightening in many ways because I have learned that I actually have a lot of interests. I think we get so wrapped up in careers and proving ourselves that we sometimes miss the joy that all of that is supposed to provide. I had a conversation with my friend Whitney about this last week because she turned 30- as many of my friends have or will shortly. I told her that 30 is the new awesome- we spent our twenties trying to prove ourselves to everyone. It's time to be confident! For me, going into my own thirtieth year- I want only to build on my own happiest life. So with that, I offer you my 2009 New Years Resolutions:

1) Start a vegetable garden
2) Find work that fulfills me
3) Exercise- I'm not aiming for a specific weight goal- I aim only to treat my body with the respect it deserves.
4) Utilize our Netflix account- 3:10 to Yuma, while good, was not worth $60 - nice that they let us keep it for six months though
5) Enjoy time with friends and family- traveling, cooking, eating, and playing

We are having friends over to ring in the New Year- I'm planning a fabulous dinner and hope you all have equally fun plans! Cheers!

More Winter Fun

We had another full day of snow!  I have no idea how much we have in total- it's just a lot!  It really is pretty.

We took Gavin and the dogs out for a long walk.  Gavin had the luxury of being pulled on a sled! He had an absolute blast!

We went to Saratoga Springs yesterday afternoon and ran into Santa! Gavin wasn't a real big fan of him!
Outside Santa's workshop...

Gavin scored a job as one of Santa's elves...


Playing in the backyard... Adam was having fun picking Starsky up and throwing him into the snow!  You can sort of make him out in the photo below- flying through the air!  Hope you all are having as much fun as us!

Winter Wonderland

Well, this may not be impressive for those of you living in the Northwest considering you are experiencing similar weather!  I like to think that Mother Nature wants you to feel more connected to us in spite of the 3,000 mile separation.  Our snow storm began around noon yesterday and dumped about a foot of snow.   
We have the joy of having to shovel after each snow storm- per New York State Law.  The thrill wears off pretty quickly.  Although, we've discovered how we can stay in shape this winter. 
Starsky loves the snow- plays in it like a puppy!  Max, on the other hand, remains huddled by the back door. 


We are fortunate to have better plows etc... so we're going to venture up to Saratoga Springs for the afternoon.  We will take pictures and post later along with snow pics of Gavin. He hasn't been out in it yet... I'm sure that will be fun!  We're expecting another foot of snow tomorrow and from what it sounds like- you are expecting more snow! Stay warm and have fun!

Winter Ice Storm- 2008

Ok, I don't mean to sound like one of those lame weathermen that stands outside in their North Face jacket waiting for the first sign of controversial weather BUT we had an ice storm! I'd never experienced an ice storm before. The forecast actually predicted ice accumulation- we got about a half an inch of solid ice on everything. At first glance, it might appear that it snowed but it's just ice. Trees are down all over the place- it's so crazy! Albany was even featured on the Today Show this morning as one of the cities worst hit by this storm. However, we live in the more urban part of Albany and it's not as bad -at least we have power! I'm not really a big fan of ice - I'd prefer snow. I guess that's a good thing because before I finished typing that sentence, I looked out the window and now it is snowing! I'm such a wuss when it comes to this kind of weather. I hope to "man up" before the end of the season. Well, guess I better go scatter ice melt on my front steps so the mailman doesn't sue us! Hope you enjoy these pictures of Albany's Ice Storm 2008 :)

12 degrees, feels like- it's freaking cold!

It is sooooo cold here! Apparently, just six degrees earlier this morning. It is 12 degrees right now. Also extremely dry- even my jeans stick to my legs from static. At this point the weather forecast should just be- Monday- cold, Tuesday- colder, Wednesday- dress in tons of layers because you're going to be freakin cold! You get the idea. I also don't understand the whole "it's 12 degrees but with the wind chill- it feels like below zero temperatures." I'm sorry but if it feels like, then it is. I am actually not complaining- more like expressing my shock at how different it is. I'm sure by mid-January, I will advance to full-complaint mode. The thing is- even with the cold- it is so beautiful outside. It is sunny with blue skies which makes it incredibly misleading! For example, yesterday we decided to go get our Christmas tree. It was sunny and clear and so we thought- let's go to the tree farm and cut one down. Here's how the event took place:
2pm- The deMars arrive at tree farm
2:02- Adam says to Jen, "wow, it's cold!" Jen replies, "yeah, and with that wind- brrr...."
2:03- The wind picks up; Gavin's cheeks are bright red. Jen says to Adam, "That tree looks good!"
2:04- They look at several other trees- Adam says, "I think that first tree is perfect." Jen agrees.
2:05- Gavin has tears rolling down his face from the wind. Jen says, "ok, we'll wait for you in the car."
2:10- Tree is on top of car and as they drive off, Jen says to Adam, "Do we even know how tall that tree is?"

Our tree looks nice- it's very simple. We decided to skip the beads and shiny red balls- hoping to make it less tempting for Gavin. We went with the Fraser Fir which seems to be the the tree of choice here in New York. It would have been nice to have walked around for an hour or so looking for the perfect tree but I think we did fine considering the circumstances. Now I just need to find a tree skirt and a tree topper. After all these years, we have never invested in either.