You Can Never Go Back

It's true.

When we went back to Sarasota for the New College 50th Anniversary in 2011, I felt this. I didn't just feel it. I was staggered by it.

Funny, most of the people I was so excited to see again were people I've seen since leaving Florida anyways. And there were a surprising number of people I saw that, when confronted with their face, I realized I could have happily never seen them again. So many people that I saw through the crowds and thought, "Good lord, I forgot about YOU" with varying degrees of joy and horror. And then there were the strangers I saw chatting with "my friends" who turned out to be people I knew quite well once upon a time. Shock upon shock upon shock. As a group, we speculated about motivations... for people who made the trip to come back and for people who stayed away, as well as those who never left.

The campus was so familiar and so different all at once. Keeping in mind, this was the first time I've been back to campus since leaving Florida in 1998. Ham Center, Pei dorms and the Library bridge were all competing against newly blocked roadways, new science buildings and new dorms where once there was open green space. Drinks could still be had at the Bahi Hut, though surrounded by a very different sort of clientele than I remember from back in the day. It was actually more than a little painful to see.

Being in such familiar places and wandering among so many unfamiliar faces, brought back some of my less pleasant memories from those years and I was surprised by them. I don't know why. I suppose we do that though, don't we? We remember the good stuff and sweep the bad things under the proverbial carpet. We remember things "better" than they ever were to begin with. College was fun and I made my very best friends there, friends that to this day mean more to me than I can express. But looking back, I can see that I spent too much of that era suffocating under the weight of my own insecurities.

I can't really say whether or not I'm glad we went. I almost wish we had simply arranged our own gathering of friends somewhere that wasn't New College. I'm not sure if I will attend another reunion. Because you really can't ever go back.

Whoa.

Sorry about that. It's been a busy summer. Let me recap:

Memorial Day Weekend at Mirbeau (where we had our honeymoon)
Visit to Montreal to see Prue's first solo painting exhibition
Mom & Prue both came to us for a visit
We celebrated our second wedding anniversary
I travelled to Baltimore for a conference for work
I went to Ft. Lauderdale to visit my friend Heidi
Adam returned to Montreal for another visit
We joined our first CSA - split with Bethany & Joe
Many weeds were pulled, by many different people
There were picnics & BBQs with friends
We had a very cute brown bunny in our backyard
Rochester got a second Chipotle
Adam installed lights, ceiling fan and baseboards in the attic
The attic is finished to the point that we started moving furniture up!

I hope you have all been enjoying your summer, keeping well and thriving! I'll try to be a little more reliable with the posting from now on.

There and Back Again

To NYC that is... for another eight hour visit. This time I got to see some landmarks, namely Central Park and Rockefeller Center. I was surprised how small the ice rink was, I always imagined it to be so much more grand. I may even have seen the Empire State Building from a distance.

I took a picture this time.

Central Park after the blizzard, as seen through the cab window. Can't you tell?

Daddy would be so proud.

I Know You're Jealous

My evening commute today...

Jet-setter

I took my first ever trip to the Big Apple yesterday, for a whole ten hours. I'm sure someone took a picture, but it wasn't me. I took a Yellow Cab, sat in a Manhattan cafe and ate a chicken salad sandwich. I looked at a meeting room, took another taxi, and had a Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate (I hear they're famous) with my boss before staffing an event for work. Mad dash back to the airport and that was that.

The stuff dreams are made of...

The Christmas That Wasn't

At least, it wasn't what we were planning...

It started so well, too. We had our shopping done, gifts wrapped, vacation days saved up. We breezed through the first two days of highway with nothing more than a light drizzle, and arrived in Oklahoma City right on schedule. The photo was taken from our hotel window the next afternoon (Christmas Eve). If you own a TV and turned it on around Christmas, you probably know where this is going. Bless their hearts, Oklahoma City just isn't equipped to deal with fourteen inches of snow in an afternoon.

We were fortunate in a number ways.

• My Mom had decided, at the last minute, to stay at the hotel with us. 
• We decided to brave the blizzard to pick up our pre-ordered Christmas dinner (we had volunteered to bring the turkey, stuffing & mashed potatoes) just in case the roads would be clear the next day. 
• We actually made it back to the hotel with the food. 
• Our hotel room had a fridge & microwave.
• We did not require a tow truck after all.
• We were able to get out of town and down to Dallas almost on schedule.
• We had no trouble getting to Ponca City to visit Uncle Herb, who had driven through the storm after his flight home from Chicago was cancelled.

We won't dwell on the ways in which we were unfortunate. It could have been so much worse, and it was for so many people that were not as lucky as we were.

OH! And those wacky Canadian sunflower seed flavors? They sell them in Oklahoma City, too.

O(nly in) Canada!

Yes, what you see there are snacks available at a convenience store in Montreal - Smoky BBQ and DILL PICKLE flavored sunflower seeds! I'm surprised there are no ketchup flavored ones (*shudder*).

I Know You're Envious, But Try to Restrain Yourself

Those of you who've never been to Braum's won't understand, but BEHOLD! The Cherry Limeade. See how it glows in the light of the setting sun... taste the glory of real lime juice. Can't go to Dallas and not stop at Braum's. Yes, back in Dallas just for a few days to see my Mom.

It Can't be Summer Because I'm Not Sweating

So, yeah... it's been awhile. Sorry about that. We'll just call this a quick update before I head off to a BBQ at a friend's house (woo-hoo BBQ!).

My Dad stayed for about a week and even bought himself a new Old Car before he left. I believe "Daisy" has now made it safely to Texas where she is acclimating to the heat. A few days after my Dad's departure, my Mom & Adam's Mom (henceforth to be referred to as the gardeners-in-law) met up at our house for a few days worth of gardening. And there was much gratitude in the air. I haven't been out there since, but it is still massively improved! They got out almost every sprout of fennel (can I get an A-men?) and did a truly heroic amount of weeding and pruning. We got the weeping [read: falling over] cypress tied upright again, and eliminated a couple of renegade rosebushes that had popped up in the middle of other shrubs. Four - count 'em FOUR - 4.5 foot deep wheelie bins full of weeds and trimmings. *whew*

The bat exclusion people finished setting up, so now we just wait a couple of months and then they come back, take off the valves and seal up the holes. Yay - no more bats! For those who are unaware, they identify the major bat entrances/exits and place one-way valves over them so the bats can get out but not back in. They seal up all other potential entrances and wait. The bats leave to get food and are trapped outside the house. No chemicals, no dead animals, no guilt. I'm sure there's another house somewhere in the neighborhood they can get into...

Adam narrowly escaped having to make a short notice trip to Nigeria. The company he does most of his contracting with wanted him there for almost a month! Lucky for me, the logistics just didn't work out. I have filed my request for him to please not go to Nigeria again. I think my odds are fairly good on that one.

Last week, I went to lovely Chapel Hill, NC, for my first business conference - ABSAP, the Association of Business School Alumni Professionals. I wasn't sure what to expect, as the only conference I've been to before was NCECA. It was certainly different (50 people instead of 2000 - membership is limited to top tier schools), but it was actually quite fun and gratifyingly educational. The group has an amazing spirit of sharing and camaraderie that was somewhat unexpected. I guess it makes sense though, as we all do the same work, face the same challenges, share the same goals for our institutions and yet are not in any real competition. We are all trying to better engage our own alums, for the improvement of our school communities. If I haven't mentioned it before now, I absolutely LOVE being able to feel good about what I do.

Now it's back to work, but with the addition of drywallers coming to finish our attic so Adam can have better space for his office! Yay - office! We planned to do this when we bought the house three years ago, and it's only just now becoming a reality. The previous owner had started the drywalling and Adam has done a ton of work up there in preparation for this point, so once the rest of the drywall is done, it's just woodwork, paint and carpet. The picture above is the "now", and I'll post some during and after shots as we move forward.

The driveway has already been given fair warning that it is next on my list.

*Whew* What a week... or so!

The last couple of weeks have been super crazy at work! We just put on our major advisory board meeting for the Spring, and it's such a relief to have pulled it off with no hiccups. And smack in the middle of the lead-up to the meeting, I took a couple of days off to go to a wedding. Boy did I need it! I realized last week that I hadn't had more than two days off in a row since our wedding last July. Too long. WAY too long.

We spent three lovely days in Florida, loaded with sunshine and ocean, friends and pancakes. I even got me a new hat. Why is it that you can't get a decent hat in Rochester? I have searched for hats here on many occasions, and the options are frankly dismal. We also discovered Rasta Sauce at Tijuana Flats. I almost cried when they told me they didn't have any inventory for sale. Even the website is out of stock. Bummer.

When we got home, we discovered the most amazing thing had happened while we were out of town... Spring is fully sprung. It's past time for the first mowing and the trees are flowering, the flower beds are filling up and it's already time to do some weeding! GAAHHR! WEEDING!

And finally, many congratulations to Jill and Chris for the safe arrival of little Miss Ada, the teensiest gnome in Seattle!

Overheard On a College Campus Near Here...

According to the slightly furry young man who just passed me in the hallway, "London has some museums, and Buckingham Palace..."

I'm hoping he's not planning a career in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Homecoming

Spent the weekend in the Keys with Heidi and the girls. Driving down that 2-lane highway in the brilliant sunshine, blue skies, turquoise water and mad tropical flora and fauna... it's been more than ten years, and yet it felt oddly like coming home again.

A Weekend to Remember

This was one trip none of us will forget! You may remember groomsman Danny from last July... well, we attended his wedding this past weekend in Atlanta! Now - people always refer to Atlanta as HOTlanta, but I think we'll rename it FOGlanta. As we sat in the airport in Rochester, listening to other flights being cancelled due to (and I quote the pilot here) "poopy" weather in Atlanta, and watched people pile up at the desk to rearrange connections... we were glad of our non-stop schedule. We were also glad that our flight was NOT cancelled, merely delayed for 2.5 hours. We eventually met up at the airport with (also delayed) Novo Collegians Naomi and Kelcey, and Kelcey's husband Mike, and wound our way to Stone Mountain.

The day of the wedding dawned clear and calm, if a bit too chilly for an outdoor ceremony (once again, so much for HOTlanta). Danny called to let us know the 6PM ceremony would be moved inside, and we all met up for coffee. Long story short, with six of us (including Danny the Groom) enjoying our coffee and the view of the lake and the brisk Fall air on our fifth floor balcony, the sliding door locked behind us. After several panicky minutes and quite a bit of nervous laughter, we discovered that Kelcey had the hotel phone number saved in her cell phone (lucky it was in her pocket). So we called the front desk, and asked for someone to come let us back in. Yay for cell phones!

Fast forward through a calm and uneventful afternoon to the ceremony. The guests in their finery, men in tuxes and suits, ladies in cocktail dresses, the bride in a lovely beaded strapless gown. The stately processional, the warm welcome, the readings, the vows. The fire alarm. Yes. Fire alarm. Followed by evacuation, with outdoor temps in the forties. The most impressive thing to me was the relative calm of the bride and groom. I would have been howling! I would have stalked the empty hotel, raging at anyone I came across! But Danny was steady and calm, Shelley shed just a few quiet tears. And after the fire department came and cleared us to re-enter the building, the wedding party reassembled at the front, the smiling and laughing bride and groom RE-processed to a standing ovation, and the ceremony resumed with grace.

So how do you follow that? With cocktails and dinner and dancing to an excellent live band till they kicked us out! I must say the Hora was a first for me, and somewhat nerve-wracking (and I was just watching). Shelley looked just a little concerned as well!

So - with the couple safely married and shipped off to Cancun, we returned to our cozy nest here in Rochester. We got settled in, and when I checked my email, I discovered that some other folks have been making memories too! My friend Chloe delivered a baby girl on Friday, and my cousin Allison and her fiancé Danny popped down to the courthouse and got married on Thursday!

What a weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving, eh?

So the Mr. has been working in up Montreal for longer than I care to contemplate, and lucky for me, I had the forethought MANY weeks ago to request off several days in a row so that I might attend Canadian Thanksgiving for a change. So, new tires on the little Golf, and off I trundled on Friday... up I81 and across the 401, in a blaze of glory. It was beyond lovely to see Adam, and to NOT be at the bookstore. We had turkey and dressing and mashed potatoes, courtesy of Malibu. I even made cheese grits. I think the cranberry sauce may have eaten a hole in my tongue...

There is really no adequate segue... so I will just say that Monday morning, Adam's step-dad Jim had a small stroke. We are thankful that it was a small stroke. We are thankful that Prue noticed something was not right. We are thankful that he agreed to go to the hospital. We are thankful that he is OK.

I am home now, sans husband.

SP-Ahhhhhh!

My husband ROCKS! Just thought you should all know. Behind Door H(oneymoon) was a sybarit-astic weekend at Mirbeau! Cue orchestra.
Click the photo above to view the slideshow.

I had NOT heard of it.

I was glad of the swimsuit.

We arrived to the most amazing hotel room I've ever seen. Those of you who saw the rooms Adam & I had at the Adolphus will have some idea just exactly what that statement indicates. Shortly after our arrival, we received a delivery of wine & cheese, which we consumed on our deck overlooking the coy pond and gardens. But wait - there's more!

While exploring the grounds, we encountered the spa where we would receive our "treatments" on Saturday. They gave us a proper tour of the facility, including the Relaxation Room and Aqua Terrace. Enter the need for a swimsuit.

When we approached the hostess to be seated for dinner, I spied two plaques at the entrance to the restaurant. One declared a AAA Four Diamond rating, and the other, a Mobil Four Star rating. Yum. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We spent Saturday sleeping, eating, getting massages, sleeping, getting manicured, eating, and then eating some more. And then sleeping again. Sunday was a final hedonistic wallow, including more sleeping and overeating, before a leisurely drive back to the house to rejoin the cats for good.

We're planning to go back for a winter visit.

Mystery Honeymoon Destination

We made it! We arrived in Rochester late last night, to some very happy kitties. Our decorations drew quite a bit of attention on the road, and we eventually got used to the honking. It was kind of sweet actually. The expressions of good will were a refreshing break from the usual highway experience. Thursday was awfully long, due to the fact the AC went out in the car about an hour into the day. So many miles of HOT car and sunshine before the sun set... Ah well, Rochester is gray skies and rain as usual! Nice and cool!

We are off on our mini-honeymoon this afternoon, and while I still do not know where we are headed, I've been given a few hints.

It's not the Pocono's.

I don't need my passport.

I will probably want a swimsuit.

It's about a two hour drive.

I've probably heard of the place.

I've never been to the town.

I got nothin' here people. Totally at a loss. Any thoughts? OK fine - stay tuned for updates!

And here we go again!

Hold on to your hats! We're off to ford the mighty Mississippi!

Ponca City, USA

And we return for another visit to Ponca City, home of the Rains clan and the Pioneer Woman! It was a full house this time, with friends Rick and Malin visiting from Sweden as well. We were greeted on our arrival by live music pouring out of 221 N Oak. There were 3 guitars, one bass guitar and one harmonica rockin' the house, and an appreciative audience spread round the house and out on the porch.

We spent a lovely evening catching up with Herb & Margareta and getting to know Rick and Malin. Herb grilled up some steaks, and we did a bit of reminiscing and some wedding planning. Sunday was Herb's birthday, and there was a big celebration with BBQ ribs and deep fried turkey and all manner of sinful indulgences. We even got to do some sight-seeing!

In the picture above you may just catch sight of the Braum's cup...

At some time in the past, I introduced Adam to the Sonic Cherry Limeade, and he was hooked. Oddly enough, every time we stopped for one of these special treats, I was vaguely disappointed by the experience. Something always seemed to be missing. So when we passed the Braum's here in Ponca City, and I recalled the Cherry Limeades of my childhood, I knew Adam needed to try one. EPIPHANY! That's what was missing - I didn't grow up on Sonic, I grew up on Braum's! We'd been drinking the wrong Cherry Limeade! Much like the burgers at Johnnie's, if you get to this part of the world, you've got to try the Braum's Cherry Limeade - you won't be sorry!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE HERB!

Our short stay in Ponca City coincided with Herb's 64th birthday, and Margareta made a carrot cake for the party, much to Adam's surprise and delight!

Visiting with the Adams Family

As we are now wrapping up our trip, we headed to Oklahoma City to spend some time with my Mom's family. Friday afternoon, Adam and my mother and I picked my grandmother up, and we all went to meet up with the other Adams girls (Aunts Lele & Junel, and cousins Annia and Allison). Whenever we manage to get all of us in town at once, we get a professional photo taken, and this was one of those times! We had beautiful weather, so we went for an outdoor session at Daffodil Hill. Adam took advantage of the light and got some shots of his own (see above). I'll post one of the pro shots when we get them.

We followed our photo shoot with a visit to Johnnie's, and a life sustaining Cheese Theta with Bacon and Onion Rings. If you ever go to OKC, GO TO Johnnie's! The best burger you will ever find, from the plain and simple to the Ceasar Burger and the Theta. We topped off our evening with some of the tastiest gellato I've ever encountered (at Giovanni's, tee hee!). Who'da thunk, in OKC?

Saturday morning, we got up and had breakfast with Mr. Adams himself - my mother's father. He took us to Beverly's Pancake Corner, the home of "Chicken in the Rough". No idea what that means exactly... but they have a stuffed chicken on top of the bakery case. And by stuffed, I mean a taxidermy victim and mascot, feathers and all. Can't speak to the chicken, but they made my poached eggs just EXACTLY (I refuse to make that pun) the way I like them.

Hit the Starbucks in the parking lot, and it's off to Ponca City!