Memorial Day Weekend

Well it's back to work after a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Keith and Holly drove up from New Jersey on Friday to spend the weekend in the fresh air. We had a nice evening Friday drinking Mango Margaritas, wine, and good beer of course, while Ryan slaved away at the grill making us a pork tenderloin. I spent too much time talking (as usual) and ruined the cranberry-port sauce that was supposed to accompany the pork. I'm not sure if it was the margaritas, or just the blond in me, but I mistakenly poured salt into the sauce instead of sugar. They really are in similar containers, I swear, and they were also both right next to the stove. Okay, okay.... so I was jabbering away too, and not paying much attention. Regardless, we had a nice dinner. No thanks to me.

Saturday we left early for Lake George to catch a ride on the Minne Ha-ha (which I was told today is a right of passage to becoming a true upstater). It's a paddleboat ride around the southern portion of the lake (which is over 30 miles long). From the middle of the Lake you can see the Adirondacks rising up around you. We had great luck with the weather, it was beautiful!

View from Minne Ha-Ha

After the boat tour if was off to the Sagamore resort for afternoon tea. The hotel sits on an island in the lake and has great views in all directions. For tea we sat on the Veranda that overlooks the lake, and had little sandweeches, yummy scones with cream, chocolates, and of course the tea of our choice. With full tummies we walked around the grounds, enjoying the spectacular view, and day dreaming about coming back here to stay

(when we're rich, of course). Sagamore Views

After a stroll around the nearby quaint town of Bolton Landing and some shopping it was off to Saratoga for the evening. We walked around downtown Saratoga, mostly window shopping but occasionally peeking our heads into a boutique of some sorts, until it was time for dinner at The Wine Bar. Dinner was tapas that we all shared, the best being Sea Bass that consisted of no more than 4 bites. Our pockets a whole lot lighter (especially Keith's), and our bellies only slightly full we headed home for the day. We almost order pizza on the way home, but settled for popcorn, ice cream and a movie. Little Holly in a big chair:)

The quote of the day: "Whenever I see people in tents I think that they're poor, why else wouldn't they be in a hotel." We all cracked up! I immediately thought about Holly camping with us last weekend, with the cold temps and black flies, which made me laugh even more. Oh Holly, if only you knew how expensive all that camping gear is! New Jersey is a world away from upstate NY (thank goodness!).

We relaxed on Sunday after having a big brunch together before they left to go back home. I always get a little sad when we have friends or family up visiting and it's time for them to leave, and this time was no different. We immediately started discussing a trip down to Ga in July. (We're thinking the 20th possibly)

Monday we ran errands early, then went hiking with Zoe at Normanskill. Ryan grilled yummy bacon wrapped fillet with blue cheese for dinner. A nice relaxing night to top off a wonderful weekend.

Camping Pictures Finally

Chef Ryan cooks a camping staple of hamburgers and baked beans (a nice time later in the tents was had by all)



Zoe wants to go canoeing with Cate! Maybe when the water is above 33 degrees, Zoe.


Blue Mountain


Ed and Cate preparing to go paddling

Best Job Ever!

You know how great Ryan's job seems to be.... well it gets better. Heres the run down...

• Got paid for a full week after only four days of working! (More than I make)
• Everybody is super friendly
• He gets to be GQ everday
• He got taken to lunch already
• He has his own window
• He has his own office
• He has flowers outside his window (that may be more of a plus to me than to him, but still)
• As a 1L he is actually researching statutes, writing memos, and billing hours.
• He came into work today only to smell fresh croissants, bacon, sweet rolls, and juice
• He gets off at 2 on Fri (I mean what the he**!)
• Oh yeah, and he gets paid for his lunch break.

I think I may go to law school, not for three years, I mean who needs three years of school when it is that good after only one!

Back in the Workforce again!

Well...
Ryan has almost finished his first week working for Thorn, Gerson & Bonanni and really seems to like it a lot. He hasn't had to fetch a single cup of coffee, his coworkers took him out to lunch today, he is actually working on cases, he already got his first paycheck, and best of all he gets to wear a suit everyday. Those of you who know Ryan well know that he loves to look spiffy, and wearing a suit everyday is actually a plus to him. I would hate it! But basically it seems like he is with a great firm. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that he also has his own office with a window! I have a window too, but all I see is a brick wall about 5' from it, I usually can't even tell if it's raining or sunny. I know, pity party for me.

I do, however get to look at a restored carraige hanging from the ceiling. Our office is in an old carriage house and the lift still works where they would put the carriage on and crank it up to the top floor (the first floor was a barn I think). There is a restored carriage on the lift and I get to look up at it from my desk whenever I want.

Keith and Holly are coming up tommorrow for Memorial Day weekend and we are going up to Lake George. Yeah! Two three day weekends in a row!

Camping in the rain.

Well last weekend, to celebrate Ed and Ryan's last exam we went camping in the Adirondack's.

We have had glorious weather up til the day before we left, then a front came through and it was cool....it was drizzly....and there were black flies. The park ranger told us that the day before we got there it had flurried! It was May 18th!

Well, we ignored the cold weather (and lingering mounds of snow left from the winter), we ignored the rain (and made it a game of moving everything under the tarp and back out every 15 minutes), and desperately tried to ignore the flies (I may never get Ryan back to the great outdoors this time of year) and HAD FUN regardless! We drank, we canoed, we fished (atleast I think you can call it that, considering nothing was actually caught), we drank some more, we hiked, we had s'mores around the campfire, and best of all we enjoyed the company of friends!

I spent the whole trip back planning our next trip up to the 'Dacks to hike the High Peaks. We hiked one of the 46 high peaks last fall (Cascade Mtn.), and plan to do several more this summer/fall. Who knows...maybe I'll be 46er one day!

Here is a picture of us at the top of Cascade last fall, not dressed appropriately at all! Little did we know at the time.

I'll post pix from the camping trip when I get around to uploading them off the camera.

Ciao!

Tulip Fest

Well this is Ryan's last week as a 1st year law student (or One L) and I can't wait for Wed. to be over! He had a minor meltdown last night because of his Contracts exam today, I think he had been looking at the material for so long that he stopped undestanding what he was reading. He didn't even make it to Tulip Fest either day, I ended up going alone. Here are some more pictures from Washington Park and Tulip Fest.

This Friday we are going camping with Ed and Cate up in the Adirondack's. This will be our first time camping since we moved, luckily we are going with two seasoned campers to show us southerners the ropes. We're also bringing Zoe along, that should be interesting! Hopefully it will be relaxing, as the guys deserve a break after their long semester, and I haven't had any time off since Christmas.

Tulips and More Tulips!

Ryan, Zoe, and I went to Washington Park yesterday to see all the flowers in bloom and the tulips were magnificent! They will be perfect for Tulip Fest this weekend. The weather was perfect, and so the park was packed with people still excited about the Spring finally arriving. We wanted to see the tulips before the festival and all the crowds. Zoe was less interested in the flowers than sniffing all the wonderful smells around (especially those left behind by her four legged friends).

Beautiful May!

I just have to say that the weather lately in Albany has been wonderful, which we totally deserve after the Winter we had. Supposedly this winter was milder than normal for the northeast, except for a few dumpings of snow, but for a southerner it was MISERABLE!
The only good thing about the winter is that it really makes you appreciate the nice weather more (still not sure that it is worth it however!). See, I'm a glass full kinda gal.