So today I am 44. The celebration of my 44th year started Friday night with Brian and I driving to Buchanan, MI. to visit Rob and Wendy Strom and eat at Rob's restaurant Wheatberry. We arrived about 8:00 PM and sat at the bar. Brian and I split a couple of appetizers (crabcakes and coconut shrimp) then I had my favorite: blackened salmon club. By the time dinner was over Rob was done working and he pulled out the beers that needed to be tasted! We went to the house to meet up with Wendy. The house was great, wonderful screened in back porch which is where we parked it for the night. Finally went to bed at 2:45! I haven't been up that late in a very long time.
Saturday Brian and I were planning on heading back to Fremont, maybe stopping to catch the MSU game at a restaurant. INSTEAD, we stayed and I am so glad that we did! Rob had to work but Wendy, Brian and I got to hang out for the day. Wendy had to register for the APPLE CIDER CENTURY bike ride which brought us to Three Oaks, MI. cute town, farmer's market, etc... AND signs for the wineries in the area. Berrien County is known for the wineries and fruit orchards. So, why not, right? We went to Round Barn winery first. For $7/each we got to taste 5 wines, a dessert wine and a vodka and keep the glass. Once we were finished with that we went over to the beer tasting barn for a free sample. Brian and I played a quick round of cornhole (I won). The $7 glass of wine also included a tasting at their sister property, Free Run Cellars. 5 more tastings, a bottle of cherry wine and a tshirt later we were all having a lot of fun! Final winery of the day was Lemon Creek. $5 included a glass and 5 tastings. To say it was a "buzz kill" may be little exaggerated but it was SO crowded and the woman serving us clearly did not like her job! All in all though, really fun way to spend the afternoon. Headed to Buchanan to shop a little and back to the house.
Brian, Wendy and I brought a load of wood and chairs down to the fire pit below the house (right on the St. Joseph River) for the Bonfire that night. Then it was time to nap before dinner back at Wheatberry! Dinner was excellent again. New Orleans BBQ shrimp for me! Some of Wendy' friends joined us, who were in for the bike ride. After dinner we headed to the house for the bonfire. Brian and I talked about the fact that it was actually very nice to sit around a fire and NOT have to sing songs! Having beverages helped as well. Not nearly as late of a night but still later then my regular bedtime.
Sunday, Brian and I headed home with numerous stops along the way - shopping, of course! We got my birthday present (19 inch flat screen for my kitchen) and picked up some things that Sarah wanted. Discovered Earth's Edge in Grand Haven - great store. Maybe I got a new pair of shoes there!? Mr. Fatoosh for a late lunch and home.
Yesterday there was a package in the mail from Zach, brought a tear to my eye that he remembered early enough to get that done! There have been birthday's in the past that this was not the case so it was especially wonderful that he remembered at a time that he wasn't even home.
Today started out with Happy Birthday wishes, a smoothie waiting for me at work and instant lottery tickets.
Tomorrow Brian and I are Skyping with Sarah for the 1st time! Hope to be able to get all of the animals in the office and camera ready!
I am looking forward to a wonderful 44th year!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
wonderful weekend and other stuff
Zach's been gone 22 days. I am not really counting it that way, I just happened to talk,talk to him on the phone for the 1st actual talk last night and we wondered that it had only been 3 weeks since we had dropped him off! It feels like it has been a couple of months since he was home. Not that time is dragging, it just seems like so long ago. It was great to talk to him although I missed him more today then I had before hearing from him. Instant messages and Facebook conversations have been great, I feel like I kinda know what he is doing (maybe he is laughing at that and saying I have NO IDEA what he is doing!) He doesn't sound homesick in the least and that is a really good thing. Although I miss him I don't want him at home! (He knows what I mean) So, classes are good, sports are good (MSU's stunning win over Notre Dame for example and his season tickets for MSU Basketball), seems like he has made a good group of friends. Enough about him! EXCEPT...he needs to get a job!
Sarah walked in the Oktoberfest Parade, among other wonderful things that she has done in the short 10 days she has been in Germany. Again it seems crazy that it has been such a short time! She has done a great job of getting information to us via Facebook and her Blog. We actually got snail mail from her, which prompted me to write her back. I actually wrote instead of typed the letter. She has huge, wonderful things coming her way as well as the everyday living. Her struggles with the German language will be a thing of the past quickly!
Brian and I had a fun filled, childless weekend! Octoberfest is not the only beer drinking thing going on in this world. Michigan Irish Music Fest was in Muskegon! We had a great day of Irish music, Irish dancing and BEER! On Saturday we went out to lunch in Muskegon at a favorite restaurant. Brian tried a chocolate martini and enjoyed it so much he bought the ingredients and had a couple more when we got home.
I have been having fun with cooking. The 1st couple of meals I made WAY to much. I like leftovers but this was planning on feeding four with leftovers! I have gotten better. I am not in the mood to follow recipes as much as envision what I want to make and how I want it to taste and then going for it. Here is what I need to work on: SAUCES. The chicken with mushrooms and red wine cooked down too much. The shrimp, bacon and broccoli with lemon and cream served with pasta cooked down to much.... I think I need to get a lot more chicken stock in my house! I still have "ideas" for meals which is fun. I am also looking forward to following recipes... plenty of time! It's great that Brian is willing to eat anything I put in front of him.
I have also been working out. 3x last week and I mixed it up. Elliptical, hiking with the dog and Aqua Blast! OK, a second on Aqua Blast, I really liked it even though it sounds so corny! I was for sure a decade younger then anyone else but once I stopped feeling so self-conscious it was fun. I love being in the pool. It was a lot of stretching and arm stuff, not cardio really but something. Liked it so much that I did it again yesterday! Even said hello to Joyce and Don my 2 new friends that having been doing this class for over two years! It gets me out of the house.
Next weekend may not be filled with lunches out and festivals but I am going to tackle the office! Yikes...
Julie
Sarah walked in the Oktoberfest Parade, among other wonderful things that she has done in the short 10 days she has been in Germany. Again it seems crazy that it has been such a short time! She has done a great job of getting information to us via Facebook and her Blog. We actually got snail mail from her, which prompted me to write her back. I actually wrote instead of typed the letter. She has huge, wonderful things coming her way as well as the everyday living. Her struggles with the German language will be a thing of the past quickly!
Brian and I had a fun filled, childless weekend! Octoberfest is not the only beer drinking thing going on in this world. Michigan Irish Music Fest was in Muskegon! We had a great day of Irish music, Irish dancing and BEER! On Saturday we went out to lunch in Muskegon at a favorite restaurant. Brian tried a chocolate martini and enjoyed it so much he bought the ingredients and had a couple more when we got home.
I have been having fun with cooking. The 1st couple of meals I made WAY to much. I like leftovers but this was planning on feeding four with leftovers! I have gotten better. I am not in the mood to follow recipes as much as envision what I want to make and how I want it to taste and then going for it. Here is what I need to work on: SAUCES. The chicken with mushrooms and red wine cooked down too much. The shrimp, bacon and broccoli with lemon and cream served with pasta cooked down to much.... I think I need to get a lot more chicken stock in my house! I still have "ideas" for meals which is fun. I am also looking forward to following recipes... plenty of time! It's great that Brian is willing to eat anything I put in front of him.
I have also been working out. 3x last week and I mixed it up. Elliptical, hiking with the dog and Aqua Blast! OK, a second on Aqua Blast, I really liked it even though it sounds so corny! I was for sure a decade younger then anyone else but once I stopped feeling so self-conscious it was fun. I love being in the pool. It was a lot of stretching and arm stuff, not cardio really but something. Liked it so much that I did it again yesterday! Even said hello to Joyce and Don my 2 new friends that having been doing this class for over two years! It gets me out of the house.
Next weekend may not be filled with lunches out and festivals but I am going to tackle the office! Yikes...
Julie
Friday, September 10, 2010
It really happened!
They are both out of the house. The last couple of days were pretty emotional getting Sarah ready for Germany. We went to Evanston and met up with my parents and saw family and friends. We ate A LOT of food. It was really fun. The hardest parts were when it was just SJ, Brian and I sitting around. We would look at each other and start talking, giving advise or whatever and we would all tear up! Dropping off Sarah yesterday was fast! Checked her luggage and left her at security with quick hugs, I love you's and Thank You's (that is the one that got me!) We were all crying! Brian and I walked to the elevator, got on and then looked at each other and got off! We knew we had to at least see her get through security, what if there was a problem? She had no phone! She never saw us as we watched her go through!
I haven't actually "talked" to Zach in days, well over a week even. We text, sometimes we catch each other on Facebook. I would love to talk to him, but I also want to give him his space and independence. I want to ask the simple questions as well as the ones he probably doesn't want to answer: what did you have for lunch? what do you do in the evening? who have you met? Are you going to parties? Are you comfortable or is the whole thing awkward? Are you homesick? Do you take your vitamin? Did you figure out a printer solution? Do you like work? Maybe I don't really want to know the answers to some of the questions? It's like I am frustrated because we aren't talking but I am also a bit relieved not to know all of the details of his days... I don't know if that makes sense.
So what happens now? Work is going to keep both of us busy during the days. We have some "goals": one night a week watch a movie together either from the library or pay per view. Find at least one show or one night of shows that we can settle in and enjoy together (I am hoping for Tuesday night!) We already chill out together pretty much after we get home from work, we mostly always eat together. I like the idea of a date night (I am hoping for every other Wednesday, out to a new restaurant EVEN if it means DRIVING OVER 30 minutes!) I think we are going to try and work out together, although he likes early mornings and I like afternoon/evenings. I will probably compromise. Weekends are pretty booked through October with get-a-ways, wither together or separately. MSU parents weekend is booked. Pete and Marya's wedding is booked (with a MSU/NU football game thrown in!) Girls weekend in Chicago happens before all of that.
I think that we will be fine. I think that it will all go so fast! The hardest part is going to be the time when we are just sitting around, the 2 of us and we start thinking about them too much! As Sarah said to me: "Don't waste this time just sitting around staring at each other, get out and do stuff." Thank you Sarah!
I haven't actually "talked" to Zach in days, well over a week even. We text, sometimes we catch each other on Facebook. I would love to talk to him, but I also want to give him his space and independence. I want to ask the simple questions as well as the ones he probably doesn't want to answer: what did you have for lunch? what do you do in the evening? who have you met? Are you going to parties? Are you comfortable or is the whole thing awkward? Are you homesick? Do you take your vitamin? Did you figure out a printer solution? Do you like work? Maybe I don't really want to know the answers to some of the questions? It's like I am frustrated because we aren't talking but I am also a bit relieved not to know all of the details of his days... I don't know if that makes sense.
So what happens now? Work is going to keep both of us busy during the days. We have some "goals": one night a week watch a movie together either from the library or pay per view. Find at least one show or one night of shows that we can settle in and enjoy together (I am hoping for Tuesday night!) We already chill out together pretty much after we get home from work, we mostly always eat together. I like the idea of a date night (I am hoping for every other Wednesday, out to a new restaurant EVEN if it means DRIVING OVER 30 minutes!) I think we are going to try and work out together, although he likes early mornings and I like afternoon/evenings. I will probably compromise. Weekends are pretty booked through October with get-a-ways, wither together or separately. MSU parents weekend is booked. Pete and Marya's wedding is booked (with a MSU/NU football game thrown in!) Girls weekend in Chicago happens before all of that.
I think that we will be fine. I think that it will all go so fast! The hardest part is going to be the time when we are just sitting around, the 2 of us and we start thinking about them too much! As Sarah said to me: "Don't waste this time just sitting around staring at each other, get out and do stuff." Thank you Sarah!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)