Saturday, August 01, 2009
That was so fun!!! :-) We tried to go to Mitchell's, but they closed two seconds before we got there (even though we got there before 8:00, grrr), so we went to Rein's instead. I found out why the ferry isn't running, though. The river is all flooded! Part of the parking lot (past some black benches) was underwater. Anyway, Rein's was great, and we even hung out in David's family's RV afterwards, drinking a can of Cel-Ray that we bought on the way out, to see what it was like. It was weird and good!! It reminded us of: 1) celery (obviously), 2) V8 (because you always picture V8 with a stalk of celery stuck in it), 3) that green throat spray stuff that used to live in the medicine cabinet in Robert & David's basement bathroom (we weren't sure why it was kept there) (note: I have some, but I still don't know what it's really called... I got it because I think it's cool!). Also, I think it would make a good lozenge flavor. Note: when we were sitting across from each other at the RV table, Hunter said, "I'm Greedo and you're Han Solo," so I instantly (without even fully registering what that meant) whipped out my finger from under the table and shot him, and he slumped over. Hmmm. I guess I have good Star Wars reflexes.
Posted at 10:57:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
He was also naming ten zillion spells from Harry Potter (because we are planning to see the new movie at the Mansfield Drive-In) and I knew what almost all of them do. Heh.
We played a super-fun game at Rein's where you have to make up a meal (main course, drink, and dessert) where all the items start with the same letter (for each letter of the alphabet in turn). We came up with lots of SUPERB ones! Marilou and I each had a kippered salmon appeteaser (I had PREMIUM saltines with mine), and I stole some of Hunter's dish of "jello with whipped cream" kid's menu dessert while David and Marilou shared a piece of New York Style cheesecake. It didn't even tell what kind of jello it would be! It wasn't lime, though. It was red and in cubed format. He ate ALL the whipped cream (there was almost as much whipped cream as there was jello). Everyone was LOLing nonstop; luckily, we had the whole lounge/bar section to ourselves!
Oh also, when we drove to Mitchell's, Hunter rode with me (I told David to park the RV at Starbucks, and everyone went in my car from there to the river), and then he rode with me again from Mitchell's to Rein's. He was all excited about riding with me. :-) I told him my wooden nickel from Lyman's is for tolls.
I like it when Hunter randomly holds my hand. I'm glad he still does that. :-)
Hunter: That looks like a really OLD Dunkin' Donuts.
Me: Actually, it was only built a couple years ago.
Hunter: But it's a Colonial.
Me: This is New England. They like Colonials here!
Just called Mitchell's, and they're open today! :-)
Posted at 12:08:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wow, I didn't know the Rocky Hill ferry is (believed to be) the oldest continuously operated ferry in the United States!
Posted at 9:22:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Marilou wants lobster rolls when the David fam comes to visit Connecticut, so this afternoon after I went to my blind lady's, I drove over to Mitchell's on the River to see if they'd be open tomorrow evening so we could go together when they pass by my part of the state on the way to the Lake. I'd tried calling Mitchell's on the phone, but it just rang and rang, and I wasn't even totally sure it was the right phone number, so I thought it would be better to investigate in person. It was still early afternoon, since when I got to the blind lady's, her house was all dark and there was no one home. I hope she's okay and was just mixed up about the time/day we planned for me to come (which has happened once before). I left a message on her answering machine, but she hasn't called back yet, so that's not really a good sign. :-/
Posted at 7:30:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Anyway, I drove to Mitchell's, which is the little restaurant near Hale's at the Rocky Hill ferry landing. When I got there, there was a big FERRY NOT RUNNING sign posted, and Mitchell's was all dark and locked up. What's going on?? It didn't look CLOSED closed; I mean, they had the chairs and umbrella tables out on the deck (stacked up/closed up) and take-out menus on display in front of the locked down windows, so maybe it was just closed for the day and will be open on Saturday. When I drove away, it started to rain (again), and I thought, "Hmm, maybe they just decided it would be pointless to be open because no one wants to sit outside getting wet while eating a lobster roll." Not sure why the ferry isn't running, and if Mitchell's being closed is connected (maybe 99% of their business comes from the ferry and it's a waste of time to be open when there's no ferry). So, I don't know if they'll be open tomorrow or not. It is a Saturday and it's not supposed to rain, so maybe we'll get lucky. Anyway, I found out their hours (Mon-Sun, 8am-8pm) and that they definitely have both cold and hot lobster rolls on the menu. I hope they'll be open, because otherwise I don't think David's family will have much luck finding lobster rolls within an hour's drive of Eastford!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
My Husky Training was great! I really like Susan, the lady who sold me the machine and gave me the intro lesson (which was free!). She's a good teacher and I feel really comfortable with her and get along well with her (we're both slightly goofy). She even said I can call her at any time (or come in) if I have any sort of sewing question!
Posted at 7:44:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I learned all kinds of fancy stitches!!! Wow. And what all the different feet are for, including a special slippery one for leather. Clever. And I learned how to make a blind hem (using a special foot), and how to do a buttonhole (totally easy on this machine!) and even how to sew on a button using the sewing machine. That's just crazy. Also I learned how to clean my machine and that I'm supposed to clean it lots (before or after every project), not never like I did with my old one. Heh. :-)
I should try doing the stuff she taught me again SOON, so I won't immediately forget it all. All those stitches are so professional looking. My new machine is a zillion times better than my old one.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
I signed up for my Owner's Class (tomorrow!) and I sewed a line of stitches on my new machine. It makes a pretty whirring sound.
Posted at 5:40:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I have a pal at the Glastonbury Whole Foods: Syd. He's the hair guy, and he always says hi to me whenever I shop there. Today he introduced himself and asked my name and shook my hand. He reminds me of an old-style (i.e., good) Starbucks barista, or a Nerd Herder at Buy More (from Chuck). He's cool. :-)
Posted at 3:51:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I had no idea it was supposed to rain today, and was totally startled when I walked out of Whole and the sky was dripping like crazy. I know, big surprise, right? What's wrong with me? When I turned on the engine of my Beag and my CD started playing, "Buckets of Rain" came on, and I cracked up.
Whole Foods hasn't had True Yogurt all month!! *Cry*. I asked the Yogurtmonger about it, and he claimed they were just out of it today. Suuuuuure.
I really love the Glastonbury Whole Foods. As much as I once loved Wild Oats, years ago.
P.S. Current year-to-date Suder Blueberry count: nine containers.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Posted at 10:07:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
!!! I got a new sewing machine! I have to RTFM to figure out how to actually use it, though. But I got it threaded! It's a Husqvarna Viking Emerald 116. Dean got all excited when I told him the machine I was looking at was a Husqvarna, and said, "You've got to get it, then!" because Husqvarna makes good chainsaws. Then when I called my mom, my dad asked if it starts with a pull cord. When I told my mom I got a new machine, she asked me what brand, and when I said Husqvarna she cracked up because she was just about to suggest that as a joke, not even knowing it's a sewing machine brand. (!) Ha!! It's a good quality machine, not too fancy but well-built and with a bunch of features my old super-cheap machine didn't have, like an automatic buttonholer and a bunch of different stitches (my old one only had straight and various not-too-great degrees of zigzag). And, it's nice and squarish looking! I don't know how to sew anything with it yet, though. All those stitch and tension settings are blowing my mind. I think I'll wait 'til tomorrow.
Today was a 100% real summer day. People kept asking me rhetorically, "Is it hot enough for you?" and I kept thinking, "Why, yes, it is. It's perfect. This is what summer is supposed to be like." It didn't even rain!
Posted at 7:09:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
