A Whirlwind Month

I cannot believe it is almost the end of September. I feel like I have so much left on my to-do list. So much to do, so much to enjoy. I am also afraid I am biting off more than I can chew in life. All these extra-curriculars for K's school. (I will be very active in my children's educations, there's just no excuse not to be.)

Trying to do the best I can at work ... trying to be the best wife ... trying to do things to enjoy myself. Yes, it's a lot to take on ... but you know what I realize ... the more you take on, the more time you make to take on those things. It's odd, it makes you wonder what you did with that time beforehand. I mean, when I actually get my butt out of bed at 5 a.m. to work out, I have to ask why I don't do it every day (other than the complete muscle fatigue that reminds me that I am not Jillian Michaels.)

Of course, with all these extras, I am having to grow up more and more. Do things on my own, and not hide behind a friend or someone else. I'm pushing my introverted self out into the world. Starting with a solo wine tasting event tomorrow (unless someone reads this and wants to join me ...) And later in October, I'll be flying solo at a cooking class. I'm excited, nervous ... all those feelings of having to make small talk and be social that exhaust me. But I just need to force myself to do it!

So, here's to the last weekend of September - I raise my glass of Cab to you all and hope everyone has a pleasant weekend.

The Mirror

I think I have reverse body dysmorphic syndrome, or reverse body image distortion. You know how anorexics look in the mirror and think they look like they are 100 lbs overweight. Well, apparently, I have the exact opposite problem. When I get dressed or look in the mirror, I clearly think I look better than I do. 

Seriously. How I've come to this conclusion is this ... I hate the way I look in photos or on video. Usually my inner monologue goes something like this, "OMG ... I did not think I looked like that?!!! Do I really look that fat?! and I better kick into gear my workout routing" and then I have a small internal cry for a few minutes. 

Is it possible to be under an illusion of how one looks in the reverse until you see photographic proof? This seriously devastates me. I used to look at other people when I was out and about and think that they were not dressed appropriately for their body type. And then, I would be all catty-like and say to myself, "wow, they must not have looked in the mirror, or ... don't they realize those muffin top rolls are not attractive." Now I totally understand that they probably also suffer from RBDS. 

How does one cure this - besides actually losing the 50lbs that I am goaling myself to lose? (And if you think that is an unrealistic amount ... according to my BMI research, it is still very much in the healthy weight range for my height.)  

I know for people with regular body dysmorphic syndrome, it can be almost life-threatening, but with rbds ... well, it can be mentally crippling once you find out the truth. Facing myself in the mirror every day just took on a whole new challenge ... now I know why she took Polaroids of herself in the movie Clueless. 

Seasonally Delicious

The September outing for my Wine Club took us to a little hidden gem called In Season. Tucked away in a small strip mall on a busy street, I almost missed it when I first drove by. We'd been saving this restaurant for this time of year because a lot of us are huge fall fans. While there was a small bit of disappointment when we realized it was still very much the definition of summer and their summer menu, the actual fare did more than make up for it being the "wrong" season.

My first course was Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio with Pickled Trout, Sweet Corn. (For those who eat gluten, it is usually garnished with a rye crouton.)

There is nothing more lovely than a tomato at the peak of freshness - and the pickled trout added an extra layer of depth with the fresh sweet corn. It really did capture summer on a plate - light, refreshing and bright. It was like eating a a plate of sunshine. I paired this delightful plate with a picpoul de pinet- a bright, crisp white (yes, I know, I thought I had put away the whites for the year, but the weather was clinging on to summer, and sitting on the patio ... it just was the perfect crowning jewel.)

For my main course, I had duck breast with quince and balsamic sauce, over a sweet potato souffle with pears. I realize that I order duck a lot ... I guess I never realized how much I like until it started to become the thing I always order. I could have married this duck it was so delicious. Cooked to perfection ... yum. I had a medium-bodied Spanish red. Which is where I have to side bar with my only surprise of the evening. I asked the server what would pair with the duck. She said it was a brand new dish, so she'd have ask, as she hadn't had it yet. One of the other diners also asked what would go with their dish. The next thing we knew, she was bringing all of us wines to go with our meals. I liked it, but was also surprising (what if I hadn't liked the wine?) She did ask the person who'd ordered pork if they preferred white or red. But I guess it was just another way of adding a nice personal touch to this beautiful plate:

For dessert, my options were sorbet or cheese. I'm not a huge fan of sorbet, but I am definitely a fan of cheese, so I got to end my evening with four little beauties.

They paired well with the Spanish red as well, so it was a good way to finish the evening. I may have to make it a point to try In Season every season!

From White to Red

I love red wine. I hadn't realized how much I really missed it until I decided to open up a bottle tonight. I am a pretty seasonal preference wine enjoyer - white or rose in the summer, red in the fall and winter. Of course, let's be completely candid ... if I open more than one bottle a month, it's an anomaly. Alas, tonight we were reacquainted, and a lovely reunion it was.

Ending a week of busy, crazy, innovation with a smooth glass of Italian red ... truly a piece of heaven. The icing on the cake, watching a little Downton Abbey. Yes, I couldn't ask for a more delightful Friday evening. Here's my toast to fall!

Putting Yourself Out There

For the last two and a half days, I've participated in an intense brainstorming "bootcamp" focused on creating innovative solutions to help with our company's future business model. (Sounds sexy, right?) For an introvert like me, it was beyond training ... simply put, it was hell. Alas, I stuck through it and forced myself to participate (granted I wasn't the most vocal person in the room, but I participated as much as I could push myself.)

Today, the bootcamp ended by presenting our recommendations to three executives ... via a skit. Yeah, it was different then anything we ever expected, and I put myself out there and said I would "play" one of the characters. Now, I am glad that it's just the end of the day, and I am done. My introverted self needs some me time to process :)

A Range of Emotion

If you want to feel every emotion humanly possible, become a parent. (Be it a parent of a child or pet.) There are moments when you will feel so much love you think your heart will burst, and there are times when you will feel such worry, concern and fear that you think your heart will break.

K had surgery this morning to remove a cyst from his wrist. I have to give D a lot of credit, I think he mentally helped prepare K so that he would be as at ease as possible. I've also learned that my son's defense mechanism is humor and silliness - because that is what exuded most of the time. There was only one moment where he let me know that he was scared, but then he quickly switched back to his silly ways.

The hardest part for me was watching him be put under general anesthesia ... I held it together while I was with him, but my heart was aching so severely I wanted to cry. It's so hard watching your baby be surrounded by medical professionals. And then, as his eyes closed, I kissed him on the check and then was quickly escorted out of the operating room. The next two hours were spent just sitting in the waiting room ... waiting ... I don't know if it could get more agonizing.

Of course, my story wouldn't be complete if I didn't take a short break to mention the very talkative, perhaps slightly crazy woman who chose to talk to me. She had just received reassuring news about their family member in the hospital, and apparently O flashed her a smile. She then went on and on about how he must have just seen the stress leave her body at the news and how he made her day. Then she looked at O, looked at D, looked at me and asked how it was possible that he looked like both of us. (I didn't feel it was appropriate to go into the whole when two people love each other spiel, so I just smiled and said he was a good blend of us both.) The women then proceeded to tell me how "blended" babies are always the prettiest and asked about D's ethnicity. (I'd like to point out this woman was African American, and I always find people who are not Caucasian much more willing to talk about ethnicity in general.) She then talked my ear off for another ten minutes. During these ten minutes, D had snuck O out and they went to a playroom. I texted my husband that I wasn't thrilled he left me, and he told me I needed to own my own behaviors and my willingness to talk to strangers.

Post-surgery K was good, it was hard to see him suffer with the pain that he initially felt coming out of the anesthesia ... he was suffering a bit. But as a family we have a high tolerance of pain, so D and I determined we actually think it was him seeing the bandage on his hand that hurt more than anything. The nurse offered us Tylenol or Codeine. We decided to try the Tylenol first -- it took a bit to affect K, and I think she thought we were cruel to make him suffer and not give him the stronger stuff. (However, now that it's been more than six hours and he's not complaining about any pain, I think we definitely made the right decision.)

And yes, now other than the big red bandage on his arm, the guy is acting like the K we know and love. He's got to sit out recess, gym and football for at least two weeks, which will be a bummer for him (and I kind of love that his football pictures will have him wearing the big bandage ...) but I am just glad that the cyst was a ganglion as the doctor thought. (Of course, I am also grateful that they automatically send them to pathology just to make sure, and will let us know if anything abnormal is found.)

I also want to make sure I give kudos to Gillette's Children's Speciality Hospital. The hospital was great from a communication standpoint, you can sit and watch the progress of the surgery via symbols on a screen in the waiting room, they page you during the surgery to give you progress reports. It's a children's hospital, so clearly they understand their patients are the most precious packages in the world. And I hope, other than K's post-op check-up that, God willing, we don't have to ever visit there again.

The Night Before

Now that I have a school-aged child, I have another special occasion to mark the passing of time: the first day of school. There is something so delightful about the excitement and energy that that fills the air. The joy of a new adventure. It's sort of unfortunate that we don't mark a new work year with this excitement, new pencils, crayons, a new outfit, new shoes (of course, I suppose we sprinkle those things throughout the year once we are an adult.)

Getting K ready for the first grade is all quite exciting. Perhaps the most exciting thing was when he woke up this morning and told me how he had a great dream about school. He proceeded to tell me all the details and his enthusiasm grew. I am hoping it's a sign of a great year ahead - a year where he is appropriately challenged and encouraged. (If not, D and I will need to determine what our new plan will be ... because we need our son to be challenged, otherwise, boredom takes over, and he just rushes so he can be done.

I took inventory of all his clothing last night and started my routine of picking out his clothes for the week. It's a nice routine, but one I didn't do during the summer. Of course, their school day doesn't start until 9:15, so it doesn't really help them in a rushed morning, but I figure if I can get him in the habit young, why not?

I decided to celebrate a new school year by cutting off five inches of my hair and getting some new bangs. I've been sporting long locks for a couple years now, and while my hair is still considered long, it definitely feels good to have a more stylish cut for the fall. I also treated my self to a genuine British tweed jacket.

Of course, we'll see how much I like it when it arrives and I can try it on in person.

O is in for an interesting year now that K won't be here every other day. Or maybe I should say D is in for an interesting year ... Last year, he had K around to entertain O so he could have a break ... this year, it will be just the two of him while K is at school ... yep, it's going to be an interesting year indeed.

And of course, football season is officially upon us ... not just the NFL or college ... but flag football. Every weekend will now be full of games. I'm looking forward to cheering my little man on and sitting with a warm cup of hot cocoa or cider as the season progresses. It's the small comforts that really make me love this time of year!!

The State of the State Fair

Leave it to us to pick the hottest day of the month to go to the State Fair ... but alas, it was the date we picked and we were on our way.

Most buildings don't open until 9 a.m., so we decided that our goal would be to leave around 8:30. Every year, we park at one of the free shuttles, so that we can take a bus to the fair - it saves us the parking fee ... and the hassle of having to maneuver with all the traffic. This year, we made the decision to rent a stroller at the fair for $15 instead of lugging our own stroller. So, getting on the bus was even easier this year.

We arrived a little after 9 and entered the gate right by the Dairy Building. So, our first mission, D wanted a caramel apple sundae. Once the boys were settled and sharing their Sunday, we walked around the building and then were off to get the stroller. Okay, so maybe coming on Senior Day and deciding to rent a stroller wasn't the wisest choice. Because everyone else was renting scooters. So, after about a half hour in line, we were finally on our way.

Next stop, D had to get this breakfast sandwich. The ultimate Elvis - a peanut butter, banana grilled sandwich coated in powder sugar. The sandwich was his demise, it was so sweet, it sort of made him off-kilter the rest of the day from an eating perspective. K enjoyed a chocolate sandwich. We then walked around many of the buildings. It was so hot, that I took samples from both win slushie booths. While not a huge fan of either (cheap wine, definitely too tanniny for me) they were refreshing.

While I won't give a long winding list of the variety of foods we tried, I did try the lamb fries. Also known as lamb testicles. I had the grilled version, as they were gluten-free. They were cooked in a variety of delicious spices from The Holy Land booth. I didn't know what to expect, especially from a textural standpoint. I sort of think it was all about the spices. But I figured, how often was I going to get to try something like this. So I went for it.

They were really good (again, it's the spices). No one else wanted to try them. (K did see a picture of the fried ones and wanted those ... but alas, I wasn't going to wait in line again.)

The other main food item worth calling out was the wine smoothie. It is made with a raspberry wine from St. Croix vineyards.

It was good, I wanted more. But I'm not sure if that was the heat talking or the smoothie. I've had the wine before, and it's a very sweet dessert wine. The smoothie definitely beat out the free wine slushie samples from the day. So, I'll give it to that. Not sure if it was worth the price though (then again, I can't remember how much it cost.)

Overall, it was a lovely day. The breeze kept the heat bearable, the boys had a fantastic time (even winning a prize at the midway.) The only disappointment was that there was a fitovers booth (y'know, my sexy sunglasses that fitover my regular glasses.) Even though I had a pair on my head, apparently the women didn't think I was their target market, they ignored me, when I asked for help, they were abrupt and rude. I walked away and they didn't get the sale ... which is too bad, because I definitely needed a new pair.

And now ... it's Labor Day weekend ... and the unofficial end of summer ... which means ... the unofficial start to FALL!!!