Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
11.09.2011
9.16.2011
I love putting food in jars.
14 pounds of Roma Tomatoes cooked down, food milled and sent through a sieve = the most delicious, fresh tasting Tomato Sauce ever. 4.5 pints of it actually. Photos some day but today it is dark and dreary which does not equal good lighting for photography.
All that is left to can is the cherry plums which have been pitted and are chilling out {literally} in the freezer.
Then we wait for the pomegranates to ripen and the next round of canning will begin.
What have you been up to?
5.18.2011
3.13.2011
Day 2.
Pain Precedes Patty Powwow Plus Party Prattle.
Meeting up with Patty was nothing short of laughter and fun. I love this girl. She is the sister I have always wanted. We picked up as if we had just seen each other yesterday. Her son has grown into a wonderful young man and is a delight to know.
Our morning began with me gasping in pain as my back began to seize up and spasm. This poor blonde sleeps on a waterbed and has done so since she was about 18 years old. Hotel beds just don't measure up. Rudy suggested that I was more like The Princess and the Pea. I would have to agree. LOL! After a handful of advil and a smaller handful of tylenol when the anvil didn't work plus a nice hot shower I was eventually comfortable. And hoping that there will not be a repeat tomorrow morning.
Soon after waking we headed down stairs to what we had assumed would be a quick and easy trip to the lobby for breakfast which quickly turned into a painful experience complete with a crazy woman talking on the phone quite loudly and discussing topics that should be kept for a more personal time such as green snot. Do I really need to hear about green snot while I am trying to eat my breakfast? I think not. I hope she will not be there tomorrow morning. I may not be responsible for what I will say to her if she is there talking loudly about things I just don't want to hear about. It was also seriously crowded with many young families and a severe lack of table space. It was nice when it did finally empty out and quiet down. I fear we are turning into a crabby older couple. That being said - we don't really care. tee hee!
After breakfast we returned to our room for showers and to unpack the suitcase left haphazardly on the side of the room when we checked in last night. Once that was accomplished we made a quick stop at the store and Starbucks and headed down the freeway straight for Patty's house.
The GPS, which we fondly call St. Brendan, had us zipping along without a hitch until it dumped us onto a toll road. Oddly enough it took us back to the hotel an entirely different way, avoiding the toll. WTF?
The afternoon was full of love and laughter as we shared time with Patty and her son, Blake. We had the tour of her cute little house and met the kitty, Kippy. What a cute kitty he is. I am so happy that she was able to get her house. It is so perfect for her. After visiting at her house we headed to Red Robin to share a meal. A good time was had. Stories shared. Laughter danced from our table like a child jumping about on a hot sidewalk in summer. I am so happy that my bestie and my honey finally got to meet. I love them both so much and have looked forward to this time. I can't wait to see her again tomorrow.
Once we were back at the hotel we surfed the net and eventually ventured down to the lobby for coffee to bring back to our room. As the elevator doors opened on the lobby floor the aroma of warm cookies began to tickle our noses and we realized that the hotel had set them out just as they had the last time Rudy was here. We indulged in a cookie in the lobby and discussed dinner plans. We were not very hungry but decided at least something more substantial than the pieces of pie we brought home last night was in order. We decided to go to a sports bar for nachos and beer {or in my case, wine}.
Rudy is in town to take classes along with a couple of co-workers from Alaska so he hunted them down {they are in the same hotel} and invited them to join us. One accepted our invitation and we were soon at the bar enjoying a plate of nachos and chatting. It was nice to meet the co-worker that I have heard so much about. Now I have a face to put with the name. A very nice man and nice to spend time with.
I am a lover of the pomegranate martini and after discovering it on the menu decided that was my drink {or two but who's counting and don't you judge me} for tonight. It was a very good martini and I will have no problem going back to this bar for another some day. ;-)
Day 2 has been a fabulous day. Day 3 will find Rudy at his class and Blondie and Patty getting together to see what kind of trouble they can get in to. Tomorrow is also Steak and BJ Day for those that celebrate. ;-)
Stay tuned.
love and hugs,
~ b
Meeting up with Patty was nothing short of laughter and fun. I love this girl. She is the sister I have always wanted. We picked up as if we had just seen each other yesterday. Her son has grown into a wonderful young man and is a delight to know.
Our morning began with me gasping in pain as my back began to seize up and spasm. This poor blonde sleeps on a waterbed and has done so since she was about 18 years old. Hotel beds just don't measure up. Rudy suggested that I was more like The Princess and the Pea. I would have to agree. LOL! After a handful of advil and a smaller handful of tylenol when the anvil didn't work plus a nice hot shower I was eventually comfortable. And hoping that there will not be a repeat tomorrow morning.
Soon after waking we headed down stairs to what we had assumed would be a quick and easy trip to the lobby for breakfast which quickly turned into a painful experience complete with a crazy woman talking on the phone quite loudly and discussing topics that should be kept for a more personal time such as green snot. Do I really need to hear about green snot while I am trying to eat my breakfast? I think not. I hope she will not be there tomorrow morning. I may not be responsible for what I will say to her if she is there talking loudly about things I just don't want to hear about. It was also seriously crowded with many young families and a severe lack of table space. It was nice when it did finally empty out and quiet down. I fear we are turning into a crabby older couple. That being said - we don't really care. tee hee!
After breakfast we returned to our room for showers and to unpack the suitcase left haphazardly on the side of the room when we checked in last night. Once that was accomplished we made a quick stop at the store and Starbucks and headed down the freeway straight for Patty's house.
The GPS, which we fondly call St. Brendan, had us zipping along without a hitch until it dumped us onto a toll road. Oddly enough it took us back to the hotel an entirely different way, avoiding the toll. WTF?
The afternoon was full of love and laughter as we shared time with Patty and her son, Blake. We had the tour of her cute little house and met the kitty, Kippy. What a cute kitty he is. I am so happy that she was able to get her house. It is so perfect for her. After visiting at her house we headed to Red Robin to share a meal. A good time was had. Stories shared. Laughter danced from our table like a child jumping about on a hot sidewalk in summer. I am so happy that my bestie and my honey finally got to meet. I love them both so much and have looked forward to this time. I can't wait to see her again tomorrow.
Once we were back at the hotel we surfed the net and eventually ventured down to the lobby for coffee to bring back to our room. As the elevator doors opened on the lobby floor the aroma of warm cookies began to tickle our noses and we realized that the hotel had set them out just as they had the last time Rudy was here. We indulged in a cookie in the lobby and discussed dinner plans. We were not very hungry but decided at least something more substantial than the pieces of pie we brought home last night was in order. We decided to go to a sports bar for nachos and beer {or in my case, wine}.
Rudy is in town to take classes along with a couple of co-workers from Alaska so he hunted them down {they are in the same hotel} and invited them to join us. One accepted our invitation and we were soon at the bar enjoying a plate of nachos and chatting. It was nice to meet the co-worker that I have heard so much about. Now I have a face to put with the name. A very nice man and nice to spend time with.
I am a lover of the pomegranate martini and after discovering it on the menu decided that was my drink {or two but who's counting and don't you judge me} for tonight. It was a very good martini and I will have no problem going back to this bar for another some day. ;-)
Day 2 has been a fabulous day. Day 3 will find Rudy at his class and Blondie and Patty getting together to see what kind of trouble they can get in to. Tomorrow is also Steak and BJ Day for those that celebrate. ;-)
Stay tuned.
love and hugs,
~ b
8.13.2010
2.24.2010
2.17.2010
10.05.2009
Dinner and Drinks.
When Rudy told me he would be in San D for a class and that I should come spend the night when his class was finished I was excited. San D is one of my favorite places to be. I loved the idea that I could share my favorite places with him Then I found out that Seaport Village, which is one of my very favorite places, was located right behind his hotel and we could access it from there. His hotel was also very close to the Gaslamp District, which is an area full of shops, restaurants and art galleries. Score.
I suggested that we go to the Gaslamp District for dinner. To the Old Spaghetti Factory. I have been to The Old Spaghetti Factory many times. When I was married to CS we never took a trip to San D that did not include a dinner there. Back in the day it used to have an old Trolley car inside. I made sure that my kids got to eat in the Trolley a couple of times. It meant a wait time much longer than the norm but they loved having their spaghetti in the Trolley. My sentiment about The Old Spaghetti Factory isn't the reason I wanted to have dinner there with Rudy.
The real reason I wanted to show Rudy The Old Spaghetti Factory is because CS and his new wifey choose this place as the ideal spot for their wedding reception. I guess he loves the Factory way more than I do because I would never want to have a wedding reception there.
We returned to our room to freshen up after our walk out by the ocean. After a brief appetite-whetting interlude we headed down to speak with the Concierge. Once we had rough directions we headed out for a nice walk to the Gaslamp District. We found the correct street and after a stop at Chuck Jones gallery (from Looney Tunes fame) to take in visions of Dr.Seuss, DC Comics and the Roadrunner/Coyote we crossed over and were soon seated for dinner.
The Old Spaghetti Factory is a nice but slightly noisy and busy restaurant and sadly our beloved Trolley is no longer there. I laughed as I looked around, at the thought of CS having his reception there. Even in a private area it is still a very busy and very noisy place.
We ordered our dinner and were soon happily eating our salads and enjoying the loaf of fresh bread. My choice for entree was the Semolina Pasta topped with Sicilian Meatballs which consisted of Two large roasted beef meatballs delicately seasoned then covered with Marinara Sauce. Very Yummy. And you should have seen the size of those meatballs. {That's what she said}. Rudy chose the Spinach Tortellini with Alfredo Sauce, which consisted of Hat shaped pasta, stuff with a delicious blend of meat and cheese. Both Entrees were very good. mmmmm
After dinner we wandered upstairs to the bar to take a peek at the actual bar. The atmosphere was nice up there. Rudy commented that it would be a great place to go and watch a game. I enthusiastically agreed. The bar itself was quite cool. Literally. The top portion of the dark wood was a river of ice where one could set their drink to keep it cool without watering it down by putting ice into the drink. I loved it.
We left The Old Spaghetti Factory on a mission. We had decided to go for drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe. I had actually never been to a Hard Rock Cafe so I was quite happy to go check one out. We took the scenic route {which of course is code for the blonde got us lost. heh! Remember the first installment of my San D adventures? Where I freely admit that I need someone to tell me where to go, but nicely. It is so true whether I am driving or walking. I am directionally challenged. :-) } For future reference the Hard Rock Cafe is nowhere near the Hard Rock Hotel. Go figure.
Rudy was surprised to find out that I had never been in a bar for the sole purpose of having a drink. As shocking as that may be, it was indeed the truth. I can no longer make that statement. We ordered the overpriced and watered down drinks in the Hard Rock shot glasses. I had the Cran-A-Kazi, which is Vodka, triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice. It was yummy but heavy on the lime and light on the Vodka. Rudy had two B-52’s, which was Kahlua, Baileys and Grand Marnier. My second drink was a lemon drop. Oh dear lord that was yummy. It was so yummy that my mouth is watering as I type. mmmm.
We saw many interesting pubs and restaurants as we strolled along. Even as full as we were, from our dinner, the sights and smells of the varied cuisines caused us to pause and savour the deliciousness of it all. I look forward to a return visit so that we can go check some of them out. I could smell the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop before we saw it. What wonderful chocolaty smells danced down the street to tempt those nearby. We even happened upon a shop that had windows covered with paper and a sign stating you must be 21 to enter. Well, we all know what kind of shop THAT is. I declined to go check that one out. You know, since we didn't need to get a room.....because we already had one. ;-)
Rudy was surprised to find out that I had never been in a bar for the sole purpose of having a drink. As shocking as that may be, it was indeed the truth. I can no longer make that statement. We ordered the overpriced and watered down drinks in the Hard Rock shot glasses. I had the Cran-A-Kazi, which is Vodka, triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice. It was yummy but heavy on the lime and light on the Vodka. Rudy had two B-52’s, which was Kahlua, Baileys and Grand Marnier. My second drink was a lemon drop. Oh dear lord that was yummy. It was so yummy that my mouth is watering as I type. mmmm.
We saw many interesting pubs and restaurants as we strolled along. Even as full as we were, from our dinner, the sights and smells of the varied cuisines caused us to pause and savour the deliciousness of it all. I look forward to a return visit so that we can go check some of them out. I could smell the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop before we saw it. What wonderful chocolaty smells danced down the street to tempt those nearby. We even happened upon a shop that had windows covered with paper and a sign stating you must be 21 to enter. Well, we all know what kind of shop THAT is. I declined to go check that one out. You know, since we didn't need to get a room.....because we already had one. ;-)
2.11.2009
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