Sunday, February 27, 2011

Creativity Bust

This isn’t a blog, but a log.

1. We had a low key and relaxing weekend that included haircuts for the boys, Graham’s first by a professional, and dinner at a friend’s house where we had lamb burgers on the BIG GREEN EGG. (see #5)

Graham at “the haircut store”

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2. Graham is severely allergic to peanuts. My unfortunate mom & sister were the ones to discover it after a knife that once had peanut butter on it was used to cut his fruit.  A day/night in the ER and a large stash of EpiPens later and he’s OK. I’m praying he outgrows it.

3. Last week Greyson and Graham got sick at the same time for the first time.  Fevers, ear infections, cough and cold (and pink eye for Greyson, in both eyes). Then Sara got it.  Then Mike. So far, I’ve been spared.

4.  My 4th trip to Ireland just wrapped up. I’m in over my head on the business side, mostly thankful for my Ripon College education, but failing to put it to use as I attempt to clone myself.

Michelin Star restaurant in Dublin…YUM

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5. Mike and I dined at Woodfire Grill in Atlanta, as I mentioned in my most recent (yes, I know, not all that recent) post.  It exceeded our expectations and now we need to find an excuse to fly back to Atlanta to eat.  Seriously amazing.

5. Mike had the distinct pleasure of celebrating his birthday in Cancun (little bit of sarcasm there). My colleagues made sure he was full of tequila and I made sure to let him know that his gift, the BIG GREEN EGG, was ordered and would be ready to fire up upon his return.  His Egg envy is gone; now he’s just overwhelmed with ideas, blogs, recipes and demonstrations.

6. My all girl’s golf team, Chicks with Sticks, took the $400 prize in Cancun.  We did it under the influence of copious amounts of tequila, a coordinated effort by the men in the tournament to sabotage our efforts.  But alas, their efforts were in vain and we look forward to defending our title next year.  All in all, it was a great trip aside from a monsoon on our last day that holed us up in the hotel lobby where adults aged 35-50 played the college card game Asshole. I had to look up the rules on the internet further demonstrating how many years have passed since we graduated from the aforementioned accredited College.

Chicks w/ Sticks and the sabotaging 4some in front of us

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7.  Congrats to the pregnant Goehlers who are having a boy this summer, to the Shahs who are having a girl and to the Becks who are having a baby.  I’m sure I left someone out and I’m sorry.  We do try to keep up with all of you and miss you terribly, even if we don’t tell you to your face.

8.  Greyson turns 5 next month.  His teacher has asked us to consider holding him from Kindergarten until he turns 6.  This would make him what likely would be the oldest 6 year old in his class.  She made sure to let me know that it has zero to do with his intelligence and everything to do with his emotional-readiness.  I’m not emotionally stable enough to make this decision and I started Kindergarten a month after I turned 5. He can pronounce the word ‘unbelievable’ and use it appropriately in context. So he cries a lot.  Maybe I should stop sending him to bed without dinner if he forgets the i before e.

The boys of winter

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

On a plane again…have I used this title before?

Cue Willie Nelson…and a country twang.  “On the road again” (or plane, as it were)

This post is going to bore you and I’m sorry.  Or, maybe they all bore you, but you keep coming back!  Between the NFC Championship win, 10 days on the road, jet-lag, shopping with Greyson, smothering Graham and the Super Bowl climax (YES!!!), I don’t have a lot left in me to creatively share all of the in between. 

My trip to Asia was amazing. The people in both India and China were so accommodating and friendly.  The service was top-notch, the food was exotic and (mostly) delicious.  Our hosts in both countries made sure that we got a chance to try the local flavors- traditional Peking Duck is worth the great time and effort that goes into preparing it.  We took a trip to the Great Wall.  Amazing.  I would like to go back to India; preferably next year at the same time. The weather was perfect.

Greyson had all sorts of good things to say when I got home. I brought him a Chinese kite and woke him up from his nap.  We laid in his bed for an hour, me dozing and him talking a mile a minute.  His best line, “I thought you were never going to come back!”  Ouch.

After 5 jet-lagged and kid-filled days back at home, Mike and I are, for the first time in a long time, on a plane side by side en route to Cancun with an overnight stop in Atlanta where we’re going to eat at the Woodfire Grill, one of our favorite Top Chef’s restaurants.  The boys are safely and happily in the hands of my mom, sister and Alayna so no worries there.  We’re like kids in a candy store right now, having a cocktail on the plane and watching movies.  I feel guilty…sort of…well, not really. 

Hasta luego!

This is my Hyderabad hotel, not Cancun ;-)    

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PS. I fell in love with my toilet in Beijing.  That is, the toilet in my hotel room at the Fairmont.  It had a heated seat, it opened automatically when I stepped in front of it and, in turn, closed when I walked away.  An electronic panel mounted on the wall to my right gave me all sorts of options for ‘extras’.  I Skyped with Mike and the kids and it’s the first thing I showed them.  My Fairmont toilet is not to be confused with the one below which was 1 of 2 options in the women’s bathroom on our way to the Great Wall.  I’m not averse to trying new things but take note of the garbage can and imagine the stench.  My guess is the last cleaning occurred somewhere between 2004 and 2007.

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The 2nd toilet option in this bathroom was not photographed, unfortunately. Although it looked like the Western toilets we all know and love, the seat was covered with a worn terry-cloth material that was padded and printed with pink and purple hearts.  I chose door # 2 and hovered.  TMI, I know.