year in photos - caleb edition

my new mac is magic - i anticipate fantastic things for the new year!

just hanging around

We have this new thing on the weekend that we are trying out in lieu of a nap - an hour (timed) of time alone in caleb's room where he can read, play, whatever - as long as he is quiet and does not call us in there. the first time left to his own devices (a month and a half ago?), i peeked in and caleb was half-wearing his robot costume from last year with a dinosaur hat and this silly monkey backpack my parent's bought him in guatemala.

A couple weekends ago the activities appeared to be a bit more sinister.

iphotograph food

just a sampling of some of the food moments over the past year that i felt were worthy of a camera phone shot.

Jamon at Vila Viniteca in Barcelona. My love for all things pork is well known and well documented (my son was conceived at Bacon Camp). I went from having a crush on Spain to falling head over heels when he/she served me jamon at every meal.

Pickle bar at a deli in New Jersey. Some people may have been more impressed by the sandwich with 48 ounces of deli meat (which while impressive was more of a nuisance).

Taco stand in Sayulita, Mexico. This whole rig was awesome and the second best taco we had on Taco Tour.

Raw shellfish platter at Kabuki in Madrid. This was easily one of the best meals of my life - hands down the best sushi I have ever had and the wines we drank that night were just plain crazy good. LOOK at the deliciousness on this platter - Razorclams! Oysters from Galicia!

Cloud at L2O in Chicago. I hate I didn't snag a menu from our dinner there - HUGE regret - because while the meal was so very memorable, I cannot remember many of the details. I do remember there was foie gras lurking in this cave of cotton candy. Also, I had fish (escolar) that tasted like pastrami. Also, I took a picture of the tiny baguette (do you like the advil for scale?)

listening only

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED

Today I am going to listen to excerpts from what NPR/NPR listeners deems the 50 most important recordings of the decade (gosh, it is almost over?). Pretty interesting list and hoping to discover some things that I may have missed. I am a little disappointed the Decemberists (either The Crane Wife or Hazards of Love) didn't make the list - I mean - come on!

On a related note: Erik gave my for my birthday an awesome indian gift (can we still say that?) - the book Stuff White People Like. And I like about 92% of the book. Including NPR. And I am drinking a Starbucks too.

ended up in the 80s

listening: Inspired by the music that was playing at The Violet Hour I have recently revisited Lou Reed/Velvet Underground. I started listening to Lou Reed because my older sister did. I distinctly remember dubbing the Best Of Album on the boom box I had gotten for Christmas that year (which at first thought was while she was in college, 1982-1986) that had double tape deck for dubbing capabilities. Now that I think more on it, it was the same year Duran Duran's Seven and the Ragged Tiger came out - because the was the first tape I owned and the powers on the internets have told me that was 1983. I was 9. And a pretty hip 9 year old at that, listening to Lou Reed and all.

reading: I am NOT reading ANYTHING right now. I have a table full of fantastic books but I seem to have lost what was once an addiction to reading (see: watching). BUT I do read PLENTY of kids books - Caleb has a nightly three book minimum. So there's lots of Seuss. But yesterday I was reminded not once, but twice of Beverly Cleary - who when I was a little girl I wanted to be when I grew up. Her or any of her characters - but of course none more than Ramona because we were basically the same person. I am really hoping that Caleb will like the Henry books because I would really like to read Beverly Cleary again.

watching: Too much television! In to the very beginning of Season 4 of the Wire which really IS fantastic. That's all I'm gonna say about tv because I am ashamed at how much I have been watching as of late.

as for eating & drinking: We had this dinner at our house last weekend where one of Erik's work cohorts came to do an "interactive" dinner which was all well and good - food was pretty good though nothing besides the homemade mozzerella (and even that was just using curds - I am such a snob!) was anything we couldn't or haven't done before ourselves. We sort of failed at the interactive portion except that Erik cooked the steak on the rotisserie and Bill fried the quail eggs. ANYWAY I pulled a few random things out of the wine fridge to drink. One was an 04 Saintsbury Brown Ranch and that wine really put me in my place. First of all, I have to say that Dick Ward from Saintsbury is one of the REAL good guys - incredibly nice, generous, just a GOOD guy. And while I have always thought Saintsbury made good wines it was always with the caveat "for what they are" - they were nothing I ever really got excited about. But for some reason, the Brown Ranch spoke to me last Saturday. And it said, "Aren't you glad you have another bottle?"

CAP: I need to start using this blog to write down some milestone moments - because I don't remember them. A friend with a 10-month old asked me last night, "When did Caleb start to wave?" And I'm like, "I don't know, when are they supposed to? Because I am going to say that minus a few months because he is advanced, naturally." So. That being said - Caleb is starting to write his name. The B is a bit problematic. He draws pod people - and has a particular penchant for portraits of Shelby. He asks why questions INCESSANTLY. At first I am all excited because I have an inquisitive kid with an obvious passion for learning but that has evolved into general exhaustion trying to muster up a decent answer. He thinks it is hilarious to use our own phrases against us (i.e. 'Mom, you are being difficult' or 'You are killing me' or 'Get out of here'). He knows the alphabet - both to recite (he was doing that from like birth) but know to recognize letter is words ('that's a C like Caleb! That's an H like Haly! That's an E like you!) Obviously I should commence MENSA training very soon.

korks for kids II

Yesterday's post is something I am going to get kicked off in the next week or so - call it my personal service project for the year.

I really need to update and compile a good contact list of folks to reach out to - enough to make it effective and impactful (really? not a word?) but not so many that it becomes too cumbersome and unmanageable.

Also I am thinking I should get this all organized on a spread sheet. Despite the general lack of organization in my personal life and my sole proprietor small business life - my real professional life is incredibly streamlined in a sea of Excel spreadsheets. And even an Access database or two thrown in for good measure.

korks for kids

Support children and help reduce environmental waste

WHAT you can do: save your corks. that’s it – find a bag/box, a little space and start saving.

WHERE the money goes: children with autism – i am organizing this in honor of my good friends dawn & kylie. kylie has been caleb’s buddy since they were about 6 months old and she was diagnosed with autism about a year and a half ago. she has made remarkable strides but there is so much more to be learned about autism and how we can help these kids thrive.

Korks for Kids recycles the corks and sells them as material for composite corks and flooring – proceeds from that sale go to the Autism Foundation.

WHO can participate: you and anyone you know. But bear in mind that it would be fantastic if you could collect in a central location (store, restaurant) for the big pick up day.

WHEN I will pick up the corks: if they become unruly, I will arrange to have them picked up when you ask, otherwise I plan on doing a BIG pickup to pull it all together and ship (I will cover this expense).

WHY should you do this: support the cause and reduce waste with very little effort and no cost to you – why not?

HOW to get involved: just shoot me [emily peterson] a quick email to emanderik@gmail.com and let me know you are going to participate.

thank you for your support

chicago

what ridiculous fun can be had in this city. and by ridiculous i do not necessarily mean in a childish or frat boy way - though that was covered too. some highlights from just the first day because i don't have time for a complete post:

Arriving at 8:30am - sure, it was no fun waking up as early as we did to catch the plane, but I wouldn't do it any other way. It meant we had plenty of time to drop our bags and

Be at Frontera Grill when they open at 11:30. There was a significant line, but thankfully we snagged a table on the first seating. Oysters, ceviche two ways, carne asada, pork tacos - all delicious - as were the margaritas which set the tone for the remainder of the day. We were desperate to find another cocktail at 1pm. In a town like Chicago, it shouldn't have been an issue but we had only been there a few hours and were already a bit in our cups. So we took this LONG walk around only to stumble in to the lamest bar at 1pm ever. I won't even name the name because maybe it would have been fun at night. So we quickly finished up those drinks and

Headed to the Blue Frog for more drinks which was recommended on Yelp and nearby.

Quick side note: To the iPhone apps Yelp and HopStop: thank you.

So the Blue Frog reviews talked primarily about their karaoke at night, but also of all the old school board games they had. Since it wasn't night and we don't sing anyway, we tried to play a few but was sort of not as much fun as it could have been (we should have played All My Children!) so instead we bellied up to the bar to meet all our new Blue Frog friends and watch Jeopardy! and drink what ended up being too much. These friends included but were not limited to Cliff (the bartender who bled later in the evening) and then Julie and Larissa (there are some people who will find that hilarious - we did). After far too many drinks, food was in order so we settled for a recommendation by the nice frog folks for

Deep dish pizza at Pizano's right down the street from our hotel on State Street. It is sort of a good & bad thing that our only Chicago pizza experience was while we were hammered. I don't think i am a real fan of this style pizza - i really do like my crust doughy and bubbly and wood fired. Still, it was tasty and one slice sure did help with all the alcohol swimming around. But only one slice - man, that was filling. So we arrived in Chicago at 8:30am and we

Passed out in Chicago at 8:30pm. Yep, FAST asleep. 2/3 of us threw up - I was the lone wolf - which means Day One was a TOTAL SUCCESS.

a rainy day edition

Today is one of those days that i want to make a bed in the living room and watch movies all day. Rainy, nasty, cold.

listening: or rather, what I may listen to later - Richard Louv, the author of a book (The Last Child In the Woods) that i have been trying to read for oh, 9 months, was on Charlotte Talks this morning talking about kids with 'Nature Deficit Disorder.' I love the hypothesis of the book but not really a page turner if you know what i mean.

reading: well, NOT The Last Child In the Woods. BUT as a marketing director with nary a marketing class under her belt I often question if I am doing what Marketing Director are supposed to be doing. But what I have been reading this morning are several mags featuring some of our wines and I like to think I played a role in making that happen. Check out some of the highlights:

Bon Appetit - November 2009

Wine Enthusiast - November 2009

Wine Spectator - Insiders

and also HERE

Also, in tomorrow's Wine & Spirits mag we have 2 producers featured on the Top 100 Wineries list!

watching: the days count down until it is time to go to Chicago!

eating: a real home cooked dinner every night this week - following an article from last month's Real Simple. Didn't like the Week 1 recipes, but Week 2 pretty good so far. Also, I spent only about $70 at the store for the week.

drinking: in moderation. because i have a feeling that chicago will pretty much be a binge.

CAP: woke up with his manners this morning

now format idea

maybe instead of the listening, eating, drinking blah blah blah format that has been done to death and is completely unoriginal yet i still like it -

For the month of October I could post on "What I Want to be for Halloween" by Caleb Peterson. It would be updated almost daily. Today? Spiderman. Because "he has webs in him" - even the best craftiest websites don't tell me how to get the webs inside. Also, I loathe those websites and the self induced pressure to be THAT mom that makes his Halloween costume.

But I have to admit...last year's robot was RIGHT ON.

short caleb edition

listening: humming the Imperial Death March.

reading: If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss. It was Erik's very favorite (according to Grandma Pete). He (Caleb) about fell out of bed laughing last night at 2 particular passages:

"I'll hunt in the mountains of Zomba-ma-Tant

With helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant,

And capture a fine fluffy bird called the Bustard

Who only eats custard with sauce made of mustard.

And, also, a very fine beast called the Flustard

Who only eats mustard with sauce made of custard."

NOTE: Holy xenophobia!

"I'll catch 'em in countries that no one can spell

Like the country of Motta-fa- Potta-fa-Pell."

watching: The Holy Trinity: Star Wars Episodes 4-6. see also: "listening:"

it's a snoozer

listening: trusty Pandora station. though it is losing some of its originality. Yes, we have established I like the White Stripes, Death Cab for Cutie, Radiohead, The Shins, Iron & Wine. How about giving me some stuff I don't know?

reading: actually, proofreading. tasting notes for an upcoming portfolio tasting.

watching: the leaves starting to turn colors - i just love this season.

eating: special K with fresh milk in a glass bottle

drinking: one too many vodkas (actually it was the shortie that got me)

CAP: did not do something for me, even though i did something for him. i can't tell if he doesn't grasp the subject or just chooses to ignore it. yes, i can tell. he knows exactly what he is doing and it is infuriating!

Captain Sir Star Wars Superhero

listening: The Black Keys Attack & Release and specifically Psychotic Girl - can't get sick of it

reading: Newspaper headlines. Yesterday when I glanced at the Charlotte Observer's homepage, headline coverage of the devastation in Southeast Asia was limited to the following: "'Survivor' not harmed by Pacific quake, tsunami."

watching: Sesame Street. Trying to wean Caleb of the Wow Wow Wubbzy and push something that has some educational value (yeah, yeah, I'm talking about TV - start judging). This morning they were talking about NEAR and FAR - when I was a little girl Grover was my favorite and his NEAR and FAR sketch my absolute favorite of the Grover moments. Sadly, either we missed the sketch this morning or they retired it. Thankfully, we live in the age of youtube!

eating: Pancakes. Much improvement made on the morning front - enough so that Caleb & I enjoyed pancakes for breakfast - that I made from scratch mind you (there are no other pancakes in my mind). He ate 2 1/2 - which is a hungryman breakfast for him. Also, when I was a little girl I loved pancakes more than Grover. Seriously? I could eat a half dozen EASY.

drinking: nothing of enough interest to report. some black coffee to get me through the rest of the day. not very good coffee at that.

CAP: This Halloween costume obsession is killing me! First it was a Jawa. Then a pirate. Then he brought a knight in to the mix (thanks to his buddy Harris at school). And then he tossed around "Star Wars" as a general category - sometimes being as specific as a stormtrooper. And then he saw a Batman costume at Target. What is a mom to do?

listening: Pandora station created with First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes

reading: emails. lots and lots of emails. my inbox hasn't been filed/cleaned out properly in three weeks.

watching: caught the series premiere of Flash Forward last night. Not bad - hoping this is a series that unfolds with many regular answers and does not pose any more mysteries. That's how Lost lost me. also hoping it isn't cancelled before answering those questions.

eating: yogurt and granola for breakfast

drinking: coffee I brewed at home - implying i did not stop and pay way too much for what is a slightly better cup, but not enough to justify the expense and the trash.

CAP: seems like the new daily morning routine is waking up late on the wrong side of the bed. for both of us.

what these SHOULD say

it occurred to me that it would be fun to think about what these would say if i was living someone else's life posing as my own.

listening: the sounds of a babbling brook and rustling leaves while on a nature walk

reading: Infinite Jest - for the second time - because i am that smart

watching: my baby blossom in to a handsome young gentleman. also, this is meant to imply i have no television.

eating: local, healthy, slowly, with my family, at regular times

drinking: 10 glasses of water a day

CAP: 'yes, mother, i would like an additional helping of fresh green vegetables because they are both nutritious and delicious. thank you for having the time to prepare such a wonderful meal for me. after this, i think i will retire quietly to my quarters to sleep for the night.'

a new strategy with possible copyright issues

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

and now it is my turn. i need some sort of regular update feature instituted to keep me writing so i am going to borrow some ideas from a few blogs i like and follow. goal is to try to fill in the blanks here and perhaps those answers will lead to interesting posts. or not.

doesn't have to be in that actual moment, just what is most exciting in my head at the moment. CAP is reserved for great Caleb moments - of which there are MANY.

listening: The Decemberists Hazards of Love

reading: Ashamed to admit I am 'between books' - so I guess that means I am reading magazines - food & wine related and I have a stack of about 6-8.

watching: The Wire Season 2

eating: pork belly - we are experimenting at home with bacon and belly

drinking: Losada Bierzo

CAP: So last night during bath time Caleb made up his own Star Wars song. Further testament to the fact he is absolutely the coolest kid ever. Tonight I will try to recreate the magic and this time record it.

bicycles & pedestrians

I applaud you all for taking it to the streets - but please, for your own safety - stop being so audacious (and in some cases, ignorant). because you will get hit and even if it IS the car's partial fault, you are still the one with the potentially crippling injuries.

the cyclists fall in to the audacious category. in fact, i think they are frequently self important and entitled. like, look at me, i am all healthy and fancy in my tight bike wear and i own these streets. but here's the thing - the other day two of you needed to ride side by side on what was already a pretty narrow street. and there was a landscaping truck/trailer just up ahead. i looked ahead and slowed down for you. you both (still side by side) pulled out pretty quickly to go around that trailer. had i not been looking out for you and being otherwise pretty courteous, I would have completely made a sandwich out of you. a crash sandwich. now, let's just say i was on my phone (guilty) or talking to caleb (also guilty) or changing the radio station (guilty) or texting (not guilty but it happens ALL THE TIME) - you, my friends, would probably never ride a bike again. how about next time instead of acting like you have the rights to the road, be realistic that you have no more chance than an antelope on the savannah. because the lion will EAT YOU. you need to be aware of the predators and just avoid confrontation with them. because, again, they will eat you.

pedestrians are another beast. what really prompted this post - which is, admittedly, sort of stupid - is the number of close calls i have come with pedestrians in just the past two days. start at the corner of central & pecan and go one block in each direction - these are the sites of all infractions - of which there are many! let me back up and mention that i reserve one excuse to spank my child - and that is if he EVER runs out in to the road. thankfully it has not yet happened, but when it does, you better believe he will know that what he did was worse than anything he has ever done before because there will be a spanking. because it is THAT dangerous and I want to put that fear in his little mind. that being said, there are ADULTS that do that very thing - walk across the street without even looking. it is incredulous! and then when i come to a screeching halt to avoid, umm, KILLING YOU - you have the GALL to stare at me as if I (me! me?) was in the wrong. You, my friend, are an idiot. survival of the fittest?

cheap post

whoops-

i just realized that i am once again not doing very well here.

it is a recurring theme.

know what else I haven't done?

PLENTY - let's just leave it at that.

quick list of adult things we say to caleb that he now says to us

1. we need to have a talk

2. you are not being a good listener/you are not listening to my words

3. is that a deal?

4. does that sound good?

5. that would be perfect

6. i'm a good boy for doing that

other awesome things that he does right now

1. cleans up

2. plays pretend

3. tells me, unsolicited, that i am the best mom in the whole world

latchkey kid

so it is wednesday morning and our first milk home delivery arrives. in addition to yummy, tasty fresh milk, Lakeview Farms also offers other grocery staples (some local, all organic). We got some nitrate free bacon, farm eggs, pancake & waffle mix and a single pot pie to try. So as i am putting away my groceries - that were delivered to my door - caleb asked to help so i gave him the pot pie to put in the freezer - which he did with resounding success.

MEANWHILE. my coffee has finished brewing so i pour a cup and as i do so, caleb asks if he can have coffee too, BUT NOT THE KIND WITH MILK THAT YOU STIR. {backstory: i used to/kind of still frequent coffee shops much more often than i care to admit - often with caleb and he would get a chocolate milk which we called his 'coffee.' coffee for him has never been anything BUT chocolate milk. at home, chocolate milk does not come in boxes, it is made with MILK THAT YOU STIR}

SO. this leads to a 3-4 alarm temper tantrum - because the only coffee i have is the KIND WITH MILK THAT YOU STIR - and now caleb does not want to go to school. it was high drama - he even tried to (and sort of succeeded in) physically preventing me from heading to the car. After about 5 minutes or so, i throw up my hands and tell him FINE. you can stay here today by yourself. there are plenty of toys and books in your room to keep you busy. if you get hungry for lunch, you can get something from the refrigerator. i suggest after you eat your lunch you lay down and have some quiet time. i will be home around 5. yes, i said all of that and started to turn around to 'walk out the door.' at this point during my tirade, caleb is quiet and sort of sheepishly taking it all in. and as i am heading to work (right) he starts to mumble something.

so, thinking he has reconsidered and maybe maybe was even mustering up an apology, i get closer to hear him and ask him to repeat it. and he says, "for lunch i am going to have the new thing that i put away before."

it did it by the self of it

this is something my family still says today - taken from my adorable age 3ish vernacular. and as cute as it is, it is really the only phrase that remains from this awesome time in language. and it is an awesome time for language as i am now discovering again with my own 3ish year old. despite the fact that caleb's questions are INCESSANT and hence a little exhausting*- they are also chock full of little nuggets that i never want to forget. but, i suspect i will as i have most of the details of my pregnancy and his first year. so, to try to immortalize just a few of my favorites - i anticipate this post to be one i will add on too because i KNOW i am not even scratching the surface here:

1. endearing pronunciations, food related: 'swammich' 'creesah'

2. endearing pronunciation, while being kind of a brat: 'weave-me-wown'

3. learning manners: 'please-may-can-i-...'

4. emoting: 'you make me upset'

*i have just about given up reading books that have pictures - we end up just talking about the pictures because i can't read 3 words without a questions about who he is, or what he is doing, or why does he have that. on a related note, caleb 'reads' most of GO DOG GO to me now - and Tony and his Friends. And the Honey Hunt. given some quiet and concentration, i am pretty sure i could recite all three of those cover to cover.

green means go

thanks in part to the book 'go dog go' as well as some out in the field training, caleb is now an authority on stop lights. he is the consummate back seat driver - letting me know while i am rummaging around in my bag looking for my phone or whatever that i need to GO! the light is green now mom, GO! i am noticing a direct correlation with a reduction in the number of honks of which i am on the receiving end.

my radius

often times i agree to things that i will later regret for one reason or the other - 9 times out of 10 the event or whatever itself isn't so bad, but i would rather be home or within a mile or two radius of my home so i can be home in 2 minutes. but certainly not driving to a portion of town that i will undoubtedly get lost in.

several (many?) years ago (i was trying to think exactly how many years ago, but truthfully, i have no idea and when i queried google it don't come up with a snappy enough answer) - how ever many years ago, they built 485 that ran between pineville and matthews - two towns i knew only because there was a target in each of them (but not one in the charlotte city limits (YET)). so one day i decided to head to one of the said target stores - in pineville - or as i referred to it in my head, 'the one at the end of south boulevard'. at the time, it took about 35-40 minutes to get to pineville, but not only was there the target but also plenty of other discount shopping destinations - so it was worth it.

after scoring what i am sure were some sweet deals, i thought i would be clever and just hop on the new expressway over to matthews ('the one at the end of independence blvd with equally good prospects for scoring a great deal') and since it was nearing rush hour, avoid driving across town/on I77, etc. there is a road (regular road) called pineville-matthews road so i guess i just assumed the two suburbs were right next to each other. and now with this super fast expressway, i could be in matthews in 5, and then a straight shot up independence against traffic for a smooth 15-20.

so i start driving. and pass an exit (not to matthews). and drive some more. no exits. then an exit. and i drive some more. and then i am like, 'did i miss the exit?' so i turn around - after driving about 10-15 minutes, maybe? and i drive. and i drive. and i get off at the exit for carolina place mall (never visited) which is in PINEVILLE. so i turn around again, convinced i must have missed the exit (TWICE now). and i drive and i drive and i drive until FINALLY i hit matthews. and it is NO WHERE NEAR pineville. i vow to never travel on 485 again in my life.

View Larger Map

and THIS is why i stay in my radius. I still have to think twice about which of those suburbs is at the end of south blvd and which independence. i have NO IDEA where waxhaw or weddington are but i suspect providence road eventually dumps you out into one of them. i DO know where ballantyne is because i had an event there in my past life but i have NO reason nor desire to return (by the way - i went there pretty often for about a year and a half. i always took the freeway except one time i experimented with colony road. unsuccessfully).

but tonight? i have agreed to a tasting at rivergate. i just google mapped it and it is almost to south carolina. past the dreaded 485 - like, WAY past it. the address says charlotte, but i say no. and i am thinking...why, oh WHY do i agree to do these things? south carolina, will be seeing you in just a few hours.

View Larger Map

Aspirations

if there is one thing i have, it is good intentions and aspirations. the execution and follow through proves to be quite a bit more challenging. here are just a few things on my wish/idea list - if only i had the motivation and dedication to see it through...baby steps may be the solution.

1. remodel the house. sure, we are fine in our 1274 square feet. there are plenty of people in the world that would consider 400+ square feet per person a luxury in fact. but i am going to step inside my selfish world momentarily and say that one bathroom has gotten crowded now that caleb is finally potty trained and we sure could use some storage space and i would just like to update and redecorate. or maybe we just need less crap. i am thinking it is surely the latter - but i would hate to admit that. so the issue becomes - am i ready to pack it up for 4-6 months and spend $100K+ that i don't really have to do this thing once and for all? no, not really. but yes, really because i take one look at those bathroom fixtures in the ikea catalog and i get all excited again!

2. eat locally. the past 3 books, maybe more, have all been food related (surprise) and of course the evils of processed foods that travel thousands of miles and the virtues of home grown produce, farmers markets, locally raised meats etc. i am a believer - seriously. but i still find myself succumbing to the temptation of large scale agriculture and unwilling to put a better effort to really commit to local sources. i failed to dig the asparagus bed earlier this year and while we have done a fair job with tomatoes and cucumbers, we are still cheaters because it is not technically our garden.

3. have a nice backyard. i love the idea of a tranquil, green, lush backyard but what i have is the disastrous aftermath of a rash decision to rip everything out. I am left with prehistoric size wisteria stumps that continue to sprout, 'grass' that is in fact 60% weeds, a rotting shed, poison ivy that prevents Erik from really digging in - a job far too big for me to even know how to tackle. what i want is: a shed like the one next door, a hedge of the tall skinny evergreens like they have in europe, a vegetable garden of our own WITH an asparagus bed, some grass to play in.

BABY STEP GOALS

1. call matt, spend the $500 for energy audit, measurements and initial plans

2. better meal planning, have erik stop on his way home from work

3. borrow the bobcat from joe and just start clearing. if this fails, hire someone to do it.

Are You There Internet? It's Me, Emily

I am a super failure at this blogging thing! I really just remembered that I never wrapped up my 'Things I Learned' that week and now too much time has passed and I have already forgotten the lessons. I may owe an apology to San Francisco for the final night when I wrapped it up and cut it up with the Spaniards - they are a rowdy bunch!

So here is the list of blog entries that I have failed to write:

1. 'Things I Leaned the week of...Part II, New York'. Highlights included my attempts to act like I was totally comfortable in that city. I did manage a crosstown errand to track down a bottle of Mas Donis Barrica in its fancy new package. Never found it and deeply disappointed a certain someone that did not deserve to be let down. But I navigated across several streets, in and out of 3 cabs, and into a couple buildings with resounding success.

2. 'Things I Learned the week of...Part III, San Francisco'. Arrival to perfect spring weather, decent tasting, lots of trips to NOPA, a late night at Absinthe, amazing dinner at Spruce. Wrapped up the final night at about 4am drinking Mas Alta (?!?) that i managed to talk the night duty folks at the Fairmont in to letting me grab out of our storage room. Apparently I can do 'sober' and 'responsible' pretty well even at 3am.

3. 'Sayulita, Mexico'. Casa Brava was pretty much one of the greatest houses i have ever stayed in. Taco Tour was pretty much the cheapest best 'meal' i have ever eaten. Non-naps were pretty much the greatest escapes my brain have had in recent memory. Week long girls trip is pretty much a great idea for a vacation. Returning from Mexico exactly 2 days before 'SNOUTBREAK 2009' was pretty much not cool at all.

4. 'Spain 2009'. My first trip since second grade and it was AWESOME. I hope to spend much more time in this amazing country! I made a very novice little multimedia piece (that impressed!) that can be viewed HERE . In addition to the wine things, i visited the Reina Sofia in Madrid and have an amazingly visceral, emotional visit thanks to one Pablo Picasso. Guernica is truly something to be experienced, not just viewed - it about brought me to tears. Also was this extremely eerie sculpture piece by Juan Munoz called 'Many Times' and then the exhibit on the New Figurative Movement made me ashamed I do not know a bit more about the world of art, because i sure do enjoy it. Had wine meal of a lifetime at Kabuki restaurant - maybe i will write this up separately sometime and include some of the pictures i took with my phone that night.

5. "My Cub Turns Three'. So this just happened but i am pretty much in shock that i have what is now a real little boy (at this point he would say, 'i am NOT a little boy - i'm a big kid!') who does boy things and knows the big 5 dinosaurs and likes to do kung fu and exasperates me to no end until he says 'mom, i am happy now and i like you' and loves dressing up as a super hero and can't play chutes & ladders or memory the correct way which drives me nuts and who laughs at all the right jokes and finds things as silly as they are and who asks to be tickled and has his own cute names for food and drink (like CreeSahs). Babies are fine - sometimes i miss the peace but i just can't imagine getting all worked up about rolling over and shit like that when now caleb can tell me that a T Rex eats meat and that means he is a carnivore. Skills!

Things I Learned the Week of March 22 - 28 - Part I, Boston

1.  It is not springtime in Boston yet.  In fact, it is bitter cold and windy.

2.  TORO restaurant {Boston} is just great.  Thanks to Courtney & staff for great, albeit cramped space and delish food - especially our little piggy.  How could they have known the way to my heart is via swine?

3.  The post Toro jaunt to Pho Republique seemed absolutely necessary at the time.  And, in fact, it was.  Except maybe for the giant girly drinks that were ordered.  But definitely for the ribs.  I seem to recall I was in SHOW OFF mode and took down an entire rib in one suck and bite motion.  Classy.

4.  Why is it that in the Northeast,  folks will drive in from all over - Maine, NH, Vermont, RI - and not make a big deal about it?  Maybe that is why the region is often referred to as "New England" and they can all share a football team.  But then again, how many people come up from Charleston to see the "Carolina" Panthers? 

5.  Sometimes it is the people you least expect that stress you out the most.  A cautionary word against taking someone out of their element and expecting them to be "okay"

6.  500+ people in attendance makes for one happy boss and fifty happy producers.

7.  It helps when giving directions from the hotel to the restaurant to include ALL the turns to be made.  And most importantly the FIRST left out of the hotel.  Oops.

8.  More thanks to Kenny, Brett and staff for our quick, perfect bite at LTK.  Is eating four lobster roll sliders going a bit too far?  perhaps - but i saw it done.  By several people.

9.  Note to concierge:  when i said i needed cabs to the airport for 50 people ready at 5:05 I sort of meant it.  I thought you were on my side.  Maybe it was a cab company conspiracy.  I'll give you that.

10. I know that a fear of flying is no laughing matter, but it sure is cute on a thirty something Spaniard.

Next...New York