Weekend recap

We had a really fun weekend in Atlantic City!

It was windy on Fri so the ferry across the Delaware Bay to to Cape May was "interesting".  I didn't get sick but the ferry was rocking and rolling for sure.  Once in Cape May we drove the 40 minutes (plus/minus) to Atlantic City and checked into the historic Claridge hotel.  Then we walked over to the boardwalk where it was windy and quite cold - only in the 30s.  We had some boardwalk food, checked out a few cheesy stores, then headed back to the warmth of the hotel for a little rest.  Spouse & I had not been to Atlantic City before so it was new to us.  We were surprised at the vacant land so close to the boardwalk.  Apparently there had been hotels and casinos there when Atlantic City was the only place to gamble, but once neighboring states began to allow gambling Atlantic City had more hotels and casinos than it could support.  Some were torn down to save on tax revenue or because they were intended to be replaced with new buildings but never were.

A while later we had a snack in one of the hotel's restaurants, then headed to the Boardwall Hall for the show.  Here's Spouse & me waiting for the concert to begin.

Janet was amazing!!  Despite having a baby less than a year ago, she looked phenomenal.  I was thrilled that she sounded so good despite all the intricate choreography she's known for.  The performed all of her hits, but not the full songs.  Several of them were edited down and strung together in a medley.  

Janet singing Let's Wait Awhile

But it was a really great show and we had a great time there.

Afterward we had a snack at AC Snack Shack where we got delicious tacos and burritos.  Then we stopped at our rooms to drop off our coats before heading upstairs to the rooftop bar called Vue.  While it was too cold to stay outside and enjoy the city views, we had a great time inside.  Our friend  Mortimer is a bartender there so he made us some fabulous cocktails (Cosmos for me, of course), and there was a fantastic DJ who had us dancing on our bar stools.

Mortimer shaking my cosmo

Spouse, Steven & Thad

Me & Spouse

We left Vue about 1:45am and plopped into bed about 2am.  I fell asleep immediately, but was awakened at 7:45am when a client texted me.  Argh!!!  Although I didn't respond to the text, it unfortunately woke me enough that I couldn't get back to sleep, so after laying in bed awake for awhile I just got up and quietly looked at Facebook while Spouse slept.

Later we checked out of the Claridge, drove around Atlantic City a little, then headed back toward the ferry with a stop at Phoenix Diner for lunch.  The ferry back to DE was smooth as silk.  Once back home we relaxed on the sofa with the dogs and watched a movie.

It was a fun trip and a nice change of pace.

Visitors, part 2

On Thurs Tornwordo & Serge and I went to Crystal for breakfast, and they got to meet our favorite breakfast server Pau Pau.  Serge agreed to try scrapple for the 1st time and said he liked it.  Scrapple seems to be 1 of those food items you either love or hate.

After breakfast we went for a nice long walk on the boardwalk.  The weather was really nice, as opposed to last year's visit when we had to abort our walk due to the wind and chilly temperature.  Then we ducked into a few beach shops in search of souvenir T-shirts, and Tornwordo got an ice cream cone.  Check out these crazy flavors:

Afterward we did a little 'exploring' near the beach and talked about real estate prices and vacation rental prices, then headed back home.  Again we sat out on the porch with the dogs for a while and talked and looked at facebook.

I organized a small happy hour so Tornwordo & Serge could meet some of our friends.  We met up with Steven, Joe P, Joey, and Spouse (a little later) at Saketumi where we ordered cocktails and various sushi rolls to share.  We had a great time and were there for 3 hours!

Afterward we returned to the screened porch for a final cocktail and lots of good conversations.

The next day my friends from the North packed up their stuff and left after a bit of coffee.  They headed to NJ and I went to work.

We had a great visit and I feel honored to have been included again on their road trip.  Now Spouse & I must come up with a plan to visit Montreal!

Cinco de Mayo!

So yesterday was Cinco de Mayo and we celebrated as we have for the last couple years by having margaritas and Mexican food with Steven & Thad and Joe P at Dos Locos!  I was happy that Patrick was still here so he could join us too.

Me with my Blood Orange margarita

Patrick and his traditional margarita

 



















We are friends with the owners who always go out of there way to make everyone feel welcome and appreciated.  The past 2 years Spouse & I have gotten free Dos Locos/Cinco de Mayo T-shirts so we wore them to dinner last night.  This year in addition to new T-shirts we also received crazy shades.

dos locos wearing locos shades 

Everyone's fabric napkins were wrapped in red Mardi Gras beads with red chili peppers on them. Since no one at our table wanted to keep theirs but me, I took them all.

As we were leaving the restaurant several patrons looked at all my peppers and asked what I had to do to get so many, to which I responded "I'm ashamed to say!"  This produced surprised looks and laughter.  Even folks sitting on benches as we walked toward the boardwalk made comments about all my peppers.  They were quite the conversation piece!

Once on the boardwalk Patrick & I took a selfie with the ocean behind us, which you can't see because it was night.

We had an awesome Cinco de Mayo celebration and hope you all did too.

Halloween comes early here

Since Halloween is this coming Fri, I would think that most bars and clubs would have their big Halloween parties on Fri or Sat night.  Glad I did a little research and found the contrary: this past Sat was the big night.  Maybe this was done to coincide with the increasingly popular Sea Witch Festival which took place this past weekend.

Spouse & I went to dinner Sat evening with Steven & Thad and Joe P, and then we headed over to the Blue Moon.  They "go all out" every year for Halloween, including a big costume party.  None of us were in costume but we figured we'd go anyway to see the clever, creative, and funny costumes of those who were (obviously) more into it than we were.  It was fun and we stayed for about an hour.

On Sun we met Steven & Thad, Robin, and Joe P for breakfast at the Crystal, and then tried on the costumes Spouse had purchased for Marvin & Walter.  I was a little surprised they kept them on, as I remember last year Marvin repeatedly pulled off the Santa hat we'd put on him.

Trying on their costumes at home

Once we had both of our hot dogs in their carriers we headed to the Sea Witch Festival's Costume Dog Parade where we met up with Steven & Thad, Robin, and Joe P.  It had probably been 10 or more years since we'd been to this, and I can't imagine why.  It was a blast!!  There were likely over 100 dogs in costumes, many of which were being walked or pushed in baby carriages or pulled in wagons or floats by their owners.  We didn't enter our guys in the parade as we didn't know how they'd react to being around so many dogs, but we stood along the parade route and enjoyed the show.  Of course Walter drew a lot of attention both before and after the parade as everyone commented on his size (3.5 lbs) and his overwhelming adorableness.  Being there took a lot out of both dogs (sensory overload anyone?) and both fell asleep in their carriers on the 15 minute drive back home. 

Joe P gets lots of puppy kisses from Walter

Holiday weekend highlights

Wow, what a weekend!  I'm not sure if I can fit everything into 1 post, or if I should even try to recap this weekend or not... it might take too long!  So maybe I'll just give you the highlights.

The Breens arrived in the early afternoon and the 3 of us had lunch at the Ocean Diner.  Afterward we came back to the house and talked and played with Marvin until Spouse came home.  Sean made us cosmos from his fabulously tasty recipe which should probably be patented.  For dinner we tried a new spot in town call the Rose & Crown which we all liked.  (Side note: a restaurant by the same name used to be down the block before Spouse & I moved here.  Not sure if its the same owners or not but the new space is much better.)  

On Sat I had to work, so Spouse took Marvin for a nice long walk while the Breens met up with Ron for lunch and a visit.  That evening we had blood orange cosmos which became a hit with everyone as Sean tweaked the recipe.  (Look for the recipe in a later post.)  That night we opted for a 'simple' dinner at Ruby Tuesday, then squeezed into the Blue Moon for the 1st Legends show of the

2013 season.  It was absolutely packed and we all felt like sardines in a can.  After the show we went for a short walk on the boardwalk before heading home to chat before going to bed.

Sun morning we took the Breens to our favorite weekend breakfast spot, the Crystal Restaurant.  Then I met a client and showed a house while Spouse & the Breens went for a walk to the canalfront park.  When I finished with my client I picked them up and we went to Dairy Queen!  We had some great coupons that will expire in a week, so we all got delicious frozen treats.  Since the temperature was warmer and the sun was out we talked and laughed on the screened porch for hours (literally).  Sean mixed up another batch of blood orange cosmos and we listened to the the 

music from mine & Spouse's reception while we visited.  After all, Sun was our 17th anniversary!  For dinner we decided to order Mexican food and eat on the porch, so we switched to margaritas to compliment our chicken enchiladas and bleu cheese quesadillas from Agave. 

Reading over this, it sounds like all we did was drink the entire weekend, which is... umm... well... never mind. 

The Breens left very early Mon morning to avoid the mass exodus of holiday weekend visitors.  I had to work until 1, then Spouse & I had lunch, went to the grocery store, took Marvin for a walk, and then had Steven & Thad and Joe P over for a simple Memorial Day cook-out.  We had hamburgers, hotdogs, BBQ baked beans, chips & salsa, potato chips and French onion dip, and Steven brought summer slaw.  A tasty meal on the screened porch was the perfect way to cap off a terrific holiday weekend.

Weekend

I wasn't scheduled for office duty on Sat or Sun, so I was kind of "off" from work, except that I had to go into the office and meet a client who was signing an offer which I had to upload to finicky website, then meet another client to let them show their visiting parents the home they are buying.  So I was working from 1-4pm on my "off" day.  Other than that Spouse & I didn't do much on Sat, honestly.  Spouse was feeling kind of lazy and didn't feel like doing anything I suggested.  We did have dinner at Dos Locos with Steven & Thad, Robin, Alisha & Jack, and 1 of the Bobs.  I tried the spicy pork tomatillo burrito and loved it!  Why had I never tried it before?  Its my new favorite item there.  I also had a jalepeno margarita which was muy sabroso.  Afterward we went to Steven & Thad's house for dessert and saw that they had gotten new living room furniture!  Spouse & I both really liked the colors and style.

Not our actual garage

Sun Spouse & I had coffee/breakfast and then decided to be productive.  I had been wanting to clean out and organize the garage for several months but it had been too cold or I'd been too busy.  It was a nice day (close to 60 degrees) so we got started.  I acquiesced to Spouse's insistence that I throw away the pile of odds and ends that didn't sell at my yard sale 3 years ago.  I'd been saving them for the next yard sale, but decided to "just be done" with the stuff and tossed them into the trash can.  There was nothing of any real value; just stuff that I thought might fetch a dollar at a yard sale.  I also organized the salvaged construction materials from when the side porch was removed and the garage addition built. I have a project in mind that will utilize some of the materials and just can't bear to throw away good wood.  I will offer the remnants to my neighbors and handymen I know.  Now that the materials are organized and stacked, they take up less space and I know exactly what's there.  I also organized the stuff so that all the Christmas stuff is together on 1 side of the garage and all the construction stuff is on the opposite side.  I swept the garage and threw away the cardboard boxes that lay on the garage floor (absorbing Big Ella's drips) and replaced them with new boxes.  It didn't take that long and I feel so much better about the organization of the stuff.  Now I know that if I need the pruning shears or a hammer, I will be able to find them.  After completing the task I learned that April is National Garage Organization Month!!  Leave it to ME to be on-trend.

Sun I also received a response from a potential buyer via email, wanting to see a home on Sun afternoon, so I cleaned up and met them for a showing.  They were very nice; looking for a vacation home since they are outgrowing their vacation travel trailer.

When I got home Spouse & I decided to take Marvin for a walk on the boardwalk.  It was rather warm (again in the 60s) but turned out to be rather windy on the boardwalk so we still needed jackets.  Marvin seemed to really enjoy the walk and the exposure to different people, dogs, and smells.  We stopped at Lowes on the way home to walk through their garden center.  We are planning to freshen up our yard for Spring and wanted to see if there were any unusual/interesting low-maintenance plants on sale.  We left empty-handed.

That evening we went to Steven & Thad's for pizza. Our friend Michael was there, and we enjoyed teasing him about his new long-distance boyfriend's 1st visit here in a few weeks.  He says he's not letting him anywhere NEAR us!  For dessert we ate what was left over from the night before.

Family invasion

The family arrived yesterday.

If you've been reading for a while, you'll remember that each summer Spouse's sister and her husband bring their 3 kids and Spouse's mom to stay with us for a while and go to the beach.  Sometimes its a week, one time it was 10 days.  How does that saying go about visitors and fish going bad after 3 days?

Originally they were going to come Mon morning, but 1 of the boys was sick and had to go to the doctor's Mon afternoon, so they came yesterday instead.  I really don't mind that they come, although I sometimes act like I do to Spouse.  Now that the kids are almost 15, almost 17, and 20 they are much more like adults than kids.

Spouse's sister's husband couldn't come with them this time due to work, and they can only stay a couple days this time because the kids all have things to do back at home.  One has an amusement park trip planned with friends.  Another has football practice starting.  You get the picture.

But regardless of the fact that their visit will be abbreviated from past years' visits, I know for sure that the following will definitely still occur:

• they will go to the beach and stay in the water as much as possible
• they will want to eat every 20 minutes
• they will want to play games at the boardwalk arcade until they win the largest stuffed animal, regardless of the fact that they will spend more money doing so than they would have spent buying the stuffed animal in the store, which they really don't want to begin with
• they will fall in love with Marvin
• we will have lots and lots of laughs

Now that I think about it, its kind of cool to be "the uncles that live at the beach".

Weekend highlights

As usual, on Sat I worked. A couple whom I'd shown property to a few months ago returned. Their house in MD is under contract now so they were ready to resume their house hunt here in DE. I showed them 4 homes they'd viewed online, but they were not very forthcoming with feedback. I sort of had to ask them directly "what did you think of that home?" which is unusual since most clients normally speak their minds as they are walking through the homes. That night we ditched 'the family' and had dinner with Steven & Thad. After dinner we tried to go to boardwalk for a sweet treat but the traffic on the Ave. was just too bad. So instead we got ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery outside of town. I got Birthday Cake Remix, which is cake batter ice cream with sprinkles, fudge, and a brownie all mixed in. It was deliciously decadent.

Sun I was supposed to be off work and Spouse & I were to go with Steven & Thad to Ikea, Trader Joe's, and King of Prussia Mall. However, my clients from Sat called me Sat evening and requested a 2nd showing on Sun morning of 1 of the homes I'd shown them. Additionally I had a few others to tell them about, so I had to let Spouse and Steven & Thad go on the day trip without me. After the 2nd showing my clients finally divulged to me how much they liked the home and decided to write an offer on it. By the time it was written up, explained, signed, and double-checked, it was after 2pm. I was starved so I grabbed a quick lunch, went home to change clothes, and headed to the beach. It was almost 4pm when I got there but I did run into a few friends so I had someone to talk to most of the time. I left at 5:45 when I learned that Spouse was home. He was VERY happy to hear about the offer on the house. That evening we had dinner with 'the family' at the Green Turtle. I wore my new t-shirt that Spouse and the kids got me in Wildwood on Thurs: I don't know why I think its so funny, but I do! After dinner we drove into Rehoboth Beach so the kids could have some fun playing boardwalk games. It was a gorgeous night so Spouse's mother and I enjoyed sitting on a boardwalk bench watching people. Then we returned home and had a slice of Dairy Queen ice cream cake (for Spouse's upcoming birthday) on the screened porch. It was a lovely end to the family's visit.

I scream

Last night the gang was about to head out for boardwalk pizza for dinner when it suddenly struck me that it was burger night at the Purple Parrot.

The Purple Parrot usually sells a full pound burger for $13.50 but on Mondays they're half price. That's right - $6.75 for a full pound hamburger cooked any way you like it with a toppings bar! You can add as much or as little lettuce, tomato, bacon, raw onions, sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, cheese, mayo, ketchup, and mustard as you like to your giant burger. I knew this would be a big hit with the big eaters staying with us this week.

I was correct. All 8 of us ordered the giant burgers, though several couldn't finish them. The burgers tasted great and we enjoyed the great 80s music coming from the bar area.

Afterward we strolled down the boardwalk and the kids played a couple games at the arcade, winning a Rasta Banana, and then we decided to get ice cream for dessert.

For many years I've been a Kohr Brothers soft-serve purist. There are some things, like soft serve, that simply don't need improving. For years I've gotten soft-serve cones there, until Thad & Steven introduced us to The Ice Cream Store. Its not that we hadn't seen it before - we'd walked past it 1,001 times - but had never gotten ice cream there. Thad told us about the exotic, borderline insane ice cream flavors they offer and got us hooked. So we took the family to The Ice Cream Store.


Here's just a short sampling of some of their ice cream flavors:

• bacon
• beer
• motor oil
• Lucky Charms
• Mountain Dew
• booger
• better than sex
• dip your fries
• the ice cream your parents warned you about
• garlic amaretto chip
• Elvis impersonator
• looks like Viagra
• King Kong
• junk in the trunk

and many more!

David got booger with better than sex and the ice cream your parents warned you about. Spouse got salted caramel with pistachio and chocolate addiction. I got cake batter with Reese's cups and chocolate addiction.

It was absolutely amazing!!

Not sure you'd like these wacky flavors? Well, there's no need to take a risk - just ask for a taste. The staff is happy to give you a little taste of any flavors you want to try. I tried the bacon ice cream but thought it tasted like vanilla. I was really surprised that I liked the beer ice cream so much!

We really had a fun night with the family on the boardwalk.

Weekend highlights

As usual, I worked on Sat. We received a response from the seller's agent on the offer I wrote for my friend. The seller countered at a price not much lower than their unrealistic asking price which left my friend with the impression that they were either not well-informed about the current market and the value of their home, or were greedy. My friend decided not to counter their counter and withdrew instead. So I'll find him some other homes to view and hopefully he'll find something else he likes as much if not better.

That evening Spouse & I met Steven & Thad and Jack at a new Italian restaurant called Tuscan Grille. The food was okay but nothing special. With all the Italian places around here I was really hoping for something better than just okay. But we had a nice time anyway.

I left them at the restaurant and walked over to the Blue Moon to get ready for the Legends show. It didn't take long for me to get into my costume to impersonated Neil Sedaka so I just hung out in the dressing area and talked with the other singers and the back-up dancers as they got ready. Eventually it was time for the show to start and I was surprised that I wasn't really nervous. I was excited but not really nervous, which sort of made me a little scared. But then I told myself I wasn't nervous because I'd practiced a lot and was well-prepared.

Roxy was the 1st to perform her medley as Gladys Knight, then me as Neil Sedaka, then Tom as Tim McGraw.

I had so much FUN doing my medley and the audience was great! The spotlight was blinding most of the time, but when I'd move to the front left or front right of the stage I could see the audience. It felt great to see Spouse and several of my friends (Steven & Thad, Jack, Jason & Kevin, Rusty, Bryan) out there cheering me on!






My medley seemed to fly by and before I knew it my part was over and I was leaving the stage. I quickly changed from my silver ruffled lame shirt into my finale costume and got prepared for the finale song. After the finale we came back into the bar area for a little meet-n-greet with the audience. Then I changed back into my street clothes and joined my friends.

Spouse & I planned to go to the beach on Sun but the weather didn't cooperate. It was very overcast and actually sprinkled a few times, so instead of going to the beach we met Steven & Thad for breakfast at the Long Neck Diner. Afterward we went to their house to listen to some Broadway song options for the upcoming Broadway themed night of Rehoboth Idol. Spouse & I ran a few errands and relaxed at home for a while, then met Steven & Thad, Joe P, and 1 of the Bobs for dinner at Conch Island Key West Bar & Grill, followed by ice cream on the boardwalk. What a splurge that was! But my motto is: All things in moderation.

On a Tues

Spring is definitely here, as is evidenced by the explosion of blooms and blossoms everywhere and the pollen coating on everything. But Spring also means mild weather and the promise that Summer is just around the corner.

After work this evening Spouse & I decided to go for a walk on the boardwalk. It was a gorgeous late afternoon/early evening so we decided to take advantage of it by getting some outdoor exercise (as opposed to indoor exercise at the gym) and talk and look at the ocean as we walked.
As it often does when we go for walks, this recurring thought came to my mind:

Some people wait the entire year to spend a week's vacation at the beach. But here we are, walking by the ocean, after work on a Tues evening.

Its good to be mindful and grateful for all we have, especially when we get to feeling we don't have all that we want.

Weekend highlights

Fri night we had our weekly dinner with 'the usual suspects'. Spouse got a ride home with Steven & Thad because dinner ran late which put me late getting to an art show featuring my friend Michael Sprouse's work. In fact, when I arrived there were only 2 cars in the lot; those of Michael and his partner George. Although the lights were off, I saw movement inside so I knocked on the glass doors. They let me in and I looked at the pieces that did not sell and we talked a bit. I apologized for being late but explained that I thought more people would be there toward the end than at the beginning of the show. As I got back in the car my friend Scott texted me and suggested I meet him at the Blue Moon for Divas Show, so I agreed. We talked a bit and watched the show together. He works at home too so sometimes he feels the need to 'get out of the house' even though his partner wants to stay home. Scott and I definitely have that in common.

Sat morning got to enjoy my favorite Sat morning routine: watch back-to-back episodes of "Sell This House" and drink coffee in my bathrobe. Since I was in real estate school in Jan & Feb and the 1st Sat in Mar, this was the 1st time I'd been able to indulge in this simple pleasure since before Christmas. While I was doing that, Spouse went to gym. When we returned we went for a walk on the boardwalk, stopped in at a few stores on the way home, and picked up some needed groceries. We had a late lunch, then I spent some time on the computer while Spouse took a nap. I spread some weed & feed on the lawn, and then we got ready to go to our friend Pete's birthday dinner at Nage. Pete & Alex live in PA but decided to spend Pete's birthday weekend at the beach so they invited their friends from PA & DC to join them (and us locals) for dinner. There were 18 of us and we had a great time. The food was terrific, and instead of a birthday cake, 1 of the guys made 5 homemade pies for dessert! I couldn't believe we were there for nearly 4 hours.

Spouse & I had a leisurely Sun morning, then went with Steven & Thad to BJ's wholesale club. We don't have a membership so we occasionally enjoy going with them. Afterward we hung out at their house where Spouse tried to make chocolate chip cookies using a George Foreman grill! A little later we had a tasty Mexican dinner at La Tonalteca, then tried to walk off some of the guilt and calories on the boardwalk and around town. It was fun to hang out most of the day with our buddies. That evening we just relaxed and watched TV.

It was my 1st full weekend without having to drive up north to real estate school, and we had a great weekend.

The big day

I spent most of yesterday studying for my state and national board exam for real estate.

This morning I got up at 6am, showered, dressed, grabbed a cup of coffee to go, and and was on the road by 6:45. I arrived at the testing center at exactly 7:30 and saw 1 of my classmates Melissa going in the building. I had forgotten she was testing the same day at the same time as me.

After checking in I was photographed and then instructed to removed my cell phone, wallet, and all contents from my pockets and to lock them in a locker with my jacket. The only thing you're permitted to take in the testing room is your ID to virtually eliminate cheating. The exam was 100% computer-based, 120 multiple choice questions. It took me just under 2 hours to complete the exam. The questions were worded in such a way that I had to re-read some of them 3-4 times to make sure I selected the correct answer. In some cases just 1 word of a 50-word sentence can change the answer.

Once I'd completed the exam and retrieved my belongings I emailed Spouse from the car. Just two words: I PASSED!

Once I got back to town I met Steven for $5. sandwiches in our typical Tuesdays with Murphy style. When I got home I found Spouse was there. He'd come home early after getting my email so we could celebrate. We tried going for a walk on the boardwalk but it was only in the 40s and the wind was too brisk, so instead we just walked around town and talked about my new real estate career.

Spouse thought we should have a celebration dinner at Fish On so we called and invited our buddies Steven & Thad to join us. They agreed and we met them at 6:30. Since our celebration dinner happened to be on Fat Tuesday, I started with a Mardi Gras rum cocktail. For dinner I had the creamy cajun penne with seafood and chorizo which was SO delicious! Spouse had the roasted salmon with bacon brussel sprouts.

After lots of jokes and good-natured teasing that included words like "mogul", "tycoon", and "Donald Trump Jr" the 4 of us shared 2 luscious desserts and coffee. The good old fashioned apple pie was served warm with caramel sauce and topped with cinnamon ice cream.

Oh. Em. Gee.

The big fat chocolate cake was topped with vanilla ice cream and came with a sliver pitcher of warm chocolate sauce to pour over it.

Absolutely decadent but perfectly appropriate for our celebration.

Signs of spring

On Groundhog Day Punxsutawney Phil indicated we'll have an early spring. That was good news to me!

Yesterday evening Spouse & I decided to go for a walk on the boardwalk. It was probably about 50 degrees, so it wasn't quite balmy but it was nice to be able to go for a walk without freezing our @sses off. The boardwalk is a mile long so walking the full distance and back is a healthy walk. When I start to miss the great ethnic food restaurants we had in DC, I remind myself that if we still lived in DC we wouldn't be able to go for a walk on the boardwalk on a Wednesday evening.

Today it was sunny and in the lows 60s. In addition to taking Jordan for a longer than usual walk, I also went for a walk by myself just to enjoy the sunshine and warmth. After doing some reading for school, I decided to pull out the hedge clippers and trim some of the low evergreen bushes that needed shaping. It felt amazing to be doing yard work in 60 degree weather in the middle of February!

Tomorrow its supposed to be near 70 degrees so I'm sure I'll find other ways to be outside. I am SOOO ready for spring.

Weekend highlights

Sat morning Spouse went to the new gym and had another conversation with the recovering alcoholic. Seeing his wedding ring, the guy asked Spouse about his wife. Spouse told him he had a partner named Mark. The guy paused for a few seconds, then said "That's cool." Meanwhile I was at home enjoying coffee while watching back-to-back episodes of "Sell This House" - a perfect Sat morning in my book. Once Spouse got home it was time to get busy. He helped me carry the bins of ornaments, decorations, and the artificial tree itself down 2 flights of stairs from the attic to the living room. I assembled and lit the tree while Spouse got to work on the snacks and drinks.

That afternoon the 15 guests arrived and we had a lovely little tree trimming party.

To my surprise, most of the guests ended up just eating, drinking and watching while just a few of us actually hung the ornaments.

But we had a great time and the tree is beautiful. Afterward Spouse & I went to Outback Steakhouse with Steven & Thad for dinner.

On Sun morning I finished cleaning up after the previous night's party, then Spouse & I went for a nice walk on the boardwalk. We stopped by the grocery store for a few necessities on the way home. Later that afternoon we went to Steven & Thad's to watch "BearCity" and have dinner. Steven made Italian wedding soup and we brought baguettes. Don't you love a meal of soup and bread? We had a great evening with our buddies, and a really fun weekend.

Stress

Since Spouse & I are not going to our personal trainer anymore we have been trying to do more walking. We walk around the nearby pond, around our charming little historic town, and over the canal to the bay. We really enjoy walking the full length of the boardwalk because its beautiful to be able to look at the ocean as we walk, and because the boardwalk is exactly 1 mile long.

Last evening as we were walking the boardwalk Spouse wanted to tell me his thoughts about my plans after I stop working this Friday and after we return from our cruise. It wasn't so much what he said (although some of it was borderline insulting), but more so the way he said it that got me upset. I felt like he wasn't being optimistic or hopeful about me getting re-employed, which I interpreted to be a lack of confidence in me and my abilities. It seemed that nearly everything he said was presented in a worse-case scenario. It seemed like he was saying that something we had agreed upon 2 weeks ago was suddenly not an option anymore.

Perhaps the stress of knowing I will soon be unemployed has made me more sensitive. If you've never been laid off before you might not know how it feels. It takes a real toll on your self esteem and confidence. To have Spouse appear to question my worth and ability to get re-employed really hurt. In hindsight I know he didn't mean it that way.

But we worked through it.

He and I have different ways of processing information and planning. He tends to think through 87 back-up plans, which I find exhausting. I mean, after back-up plan 4 or 5 doesn't work, you'd probably better go back to square 1, right? I am overwhelmed by too many back-up plans. Plus there's just no way to predict all the possible ways things can work out, so all 87 of your back-up plans could be completely useless if something you hadn't anticipated happens. Of course I appreciate his concern and forethought, and I definitely see the need to be as prepared as is reasonably possible for the unknown, but I can't deal with extended decision trees that stem off of 87 different back-up plans.

We're both trying to respect each others' processes and not get carried away. My being unemployed will not be easy or pleasant. It will likely create stress in our relationship again, so we acknowledged the need to stay calm and take care of each other.

Although leaving on a 10-day vacation (cruise) the week after being laid off may not be ideal, I think we will both benefit from the change of scenery and the time to relax together.

Crush du Jour: Robert Miller

Weekend highlights

The weekend started as all good weekends do with Fri Night Dinner with 'the usual suspects'. Afterward a couple guys from dinner joined me for karaoke since my friend Trelynda was hosting karaoke in the lounge at Saketumi. It was fun!

One of the cost-cutting measures Spouse & I agreed to was to discontinue our personal trainer visits. (This alone will save us over $400. per month.) So instead of his Sat morning workout, Spouse & I got up at 8:00 and went for a 2+ mile walk on the boardwalk. It was lovely weather, sunny and 68 degrees. There were lots of other morning walkers too. It was top down weather so after our walk we went for a drive, then had lunch on the screened porch. A little later we decided to check out the clearance racks at the outlet stores. Spouse got some new clothes that actually fit, including a pair of dress khakis for $8. and a sexy Kenneth Cole v-neck t-shirt for $7. It was so pretty outside that I suggested a walk around the large pond near our house, which extended itself into a walk through town, and then to the bay and back. I'm guessing we walked at least 5 miles that day, but enjoyed every inch. Later that evening we met Steven and one of the Bobs for dinner at Cafe Azafran. I had baked goat cheese with roasted peppers, olives, and herbs with pita (YUMMM) and a fabulously seasoned lamb skewer over field greens. We had a great meal and a great time with our buddies.

Sun morning we met Steven for breakfast and wound up talking for nearly 3 hours! Time flies when you're gossiping. (Just kidding.) Afterward Spouse & I went grocery shopping. It was another gorgeous Indian Summer day, sunny and 78 degrees, so we went for another walk on the boardwalk, then returned home to do some housecleaning. (Another cost-cutting measure was to discontinue our housecleaning service, saving us $300. per month.) For dinner we made fabulous BLTs using bison bacon, romaine, and grape tomatoes roasted with red peppers and mushrooms in EVOO and balsamic vinegar. They were DEE-LISH!! Then we watched a movie from Netflix: Valentine's Day. It was chocked full of stars (Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Carter Jenkins, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift, Shirley MacLaine, George Lopez, Julia Roberts) so I expected it to be great, but it wasn't. It was okay; occasionally funny, occasionally romantic, generally entertaining, but not terrific. I did like that the very sexy Bradley Cooper and Eric Dane (both former Crush du Jours) turned out to be gay. That was an unexpected twist.

I absolutely adore Indian Summer weather like we had this weekend. I think of it as Mother Nature's way of saying 'I'm sorry' for the chilly weather we had in Sept. when it shouldn't have been that cool. Regardless, I hope for more such weather before I need to pack away my shorts.

Crush du Jour: Ben Pamies

Weekend highlights

Our buddies Mike & Clark and Ron & James arrived Fri at 4:30, just moments after Spouse got home from work. We had martinis on the screened porch and chit-chatted until we were hungry, then had drinks and a wonderful dinner at Saketumi. I had a spicy Volcano roll and a California roll. Mmmm! The guys really liked the food, service and atmosphere. Through my friend Chris, I had scored free tickets to 'Hurray for Hollywood', a female impersonator show by Christopher Peterson, so we went to the show after dinner. It was was fun, but very similar to the show he did 2 years ago. Afterward we went for a walk on the boardwalk and some of the guys got ice cream. It was a beautiful night to be out.

Sat morning Spouse went for his personal trainer appointment while me and the guys talked and drank coffee on the screened porch. When Spouse returned we had a light breakfast then we walked to the historical society where an antique show/sale was going on. Spouse & I bought an outdoor rug for our screened porch made of recycled plastic bottles. (It wasn't antique.) Then we browsed some of the shops on Second St. We had a late lunch at Irish Eyes, then relaxed with cocktails on the screened porch and visited. Then we went on a sunset cruise up the canal, through the bay and out to the ocean. It was a gorgeous evening which further enhanced the beautiful scenery. Then we had a delicious dinner at Hobo's. I started with a pear/champagne martini and an appetizer of marinated fava beans with olive tapenade and flatbread. For dinner I had a wild mushroom and brie quesadilla brushed with truffle oil. OMG - it was so deelish! Afterward we went for a walk on the boardwalk and some of the guys had ice cream and funnel cake.

Sun morning we walked to JD's Filling Station for breakfast (I had pancakes), then sat and talked a little while until the guys packed up their gear and we said our goodbyes. We had a really great visit with our longtime friends. Since Spouse hadn't slept well the night before, he decided to take a nap and then go to the grocery store. I headed to the beach where I met up with friends and played 5 games of beach volleyball! It was so much fun! It was a gorgeous day (sunny skies, low humidity, moderate temperature) so it was really comfortable for playing. I also swam in the ocean between a few of the games and really had fun visiting with all the friends on the beach. It was a fantastic day! After returning home for a shower, Spouse & I met up with Steven & Thad, Jack & Alisha, Bob, and Joe P at the Purple Parrot for dinner. I had a pork BBQ sub. Steven & Thad had just returned from seeing Heart in concert in Atlantic City on Sat night so we heard all about the show. After dinner we enjoyed a short walk on the boardwalk then headed home. Spouse watched 'Ice Road Truckers' and 'Mad Men' while I watched 'Project Runway' on the DVR. I went to bed early (10:00) since I'd had such a full day with lots of exercise.

It was an awesome weekend!

Now... is it Friday yet???

Crush du Jour: Lorenzo Martone

Weekend highlights

Our weekend started (as all weekends should) on Fri night with dinner out. We dined with 'the usual suspects' at Po Boys and everyone really liked their meals. We watched the Mecum Auto Auction until bedtime.

Sat morning was our long-anticipated neighborhood yard sale. My friend Thad (who gets up early anyway) came over at 7:30 and helped me transport my stuff to the site and set up. Thanks Thad!! (Spouse went to his personal trainer appointment.) Although it was supposed to start at 8:00 we had buyers at 7:30 as we were unloading and setting up. I sold a youth size wooden desk for $50., a small formica top table with 2 wood chairs for $40., a queen comforter set for $20., and a ton of $1. $2. and $3. items like clocks, lamps, and baskets. My grand total was $143. which is not too bad considering it was just stuff taking up room in our house.

Spouse and I had lunch and then went to Old Navy because the location near us (an outlet store) was having a big sale. I got a pair of plaid 'patchwork' shorts, a bathing suit, 2 t-shirts, 2 polo shirts, and a pair of flip flops. Spouse got 2 t-shirts and 3 pairs of flip flops. (The flip flops were $1. a pair.) We drove over to the beach but decided it was a little cool to hang out there, so we headed home. Spouse took a nap and I enjoyed a cocktail on the screened porch and flipped through 2 magazines while listening to Ella Fitzgerald. Positively dreamy. Later I took my 1st bath in the jacuzzi tub. Its crazy that we've had it for 7 months and this was the 1st time, but it was nice and I felt luxurious. Then I took a quick shower, got dressed, and we met up with Steven & Thad and one of The Bobs for dinner at a seafood buffet. It was a gorgeous night so we went for a walk on boardwalk. We watched several episodes of "Sex and the City" since TBS was running a SatC marathon.

Sun morning we met Bryan & Jason and Dan for breakfast at Crystal restaurant, a local favorite for breakfast. Why does breakfast always taste better when someone else makes it? Then we went to Bryan & Jason's and watched "Avatar". I had no interest in seeing the film until everyone on earth said they liked it, even the people who (like me) had no interest in it. I must agree that I liked it as well. I thought the integration of real people and computer-generated stuff was pretty well done. After the movie Spouse & I went for a 2-mile walk on the boardwalk, where we discussed lots of stuff. It seems the times we talk and plan the most are riding in the car and walking on the boardwalk.

Once home again, Spouse took a nap and I watched a little TV. I was in the mood for buffalo chicken pizza so we had that for dinner at Miltonian Pizzeria & Wing House. Mmmmm... I unloaded the dishwasher while Spouse walked Jordan, and then we watched "Casino Royale" since it happened to be on TV and we had missed it in the theatre. It was pretty good.

Crush du Jour: Vince Roman

Weekend highlights

Sat morning while Spouse was at his personal trainer appointment I went a yard sale to benefit the Cancer Society. I found a few things I couldn't live without (picture frame, acrylic paints, candle) and was glad the money went to a good cause. I also supported them by purchasing 2 donuts!

Once Spouse returned home and showered, we went out to lunch and to the grocery store. It was bright and sunny so we had the convertible top down as we ran a few other errands. Our friends Kerry & Hugh were at their place in Ocean City so we took advantage of the nice weather and drove there to say hi to them and to deposit some checks at our bank. (Unfortunately the ATM near our house that accepts deposits was removed so we have to mail deposits or drive to Ocean City.) It was a nice surprise to be able to stop in and see them.

It was our turn to host Movie Night so at about 7:00 our movie night friends showed up for snacks and drinks. Then we watched "Precious". To our surprise, none of them had seen it! Everyone liked it except Spouse, who felt the character of Mary (Precious' mother) was "unrealistically cruel". WTF??? I thought Mo'Nique (Mary) and Paula Patton (Miss Rain) did outstanding jobs. However I felt the execution of the story could have been a lot better. Good films build emotional peaks and valleys several times throughout the film, but I found this one to be a little 'flat' in its delivery. But I thought the story itself was great and could make very a very interesting sequel.

Sun morning I painted this Mark Rothko-inspired painting for my friend Thad.
We took it with us to brunch since we knew we'd see him there, and gave it to him just before we left. I was very pleased that he liked it. I found out this morning that he hung it up as soon as he got home.

On Sun we attended Bob's birthday brunch at Saketumi. There were about 15 of us there, and we all had the Sunday Brunch Buffet which was just as fresh and delicious as the dinner entrees always are. We had a very nice time.

When we returned from brunch we found our friends Kerry & Hugh at our house. They decided to stop by on their way home so they could see our garage/bathroom/closet addition. We showed them around and visited for a few minutes. What a nice treat to see them twice this weekend! When they left Spouse & I changed clothes and went for a walk on the boardwalk. The weather was significantly cooler than Sat so we wore jackets, but the sun felt good as we walked along the boardwalk and looked out onto the ocean. We skipped dinner since our brunch was so filling, and watched some TV. I felt tired so I went to bed uncharacterically early, at 9:30.

Crush du Jour: Craig Archer