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Monday, May 27, 2019
Memorial Day Weekend - Finger Lakes Escape
Monday morning and for once I am not complaining about it. Haha. Reason behind that is simply that it's a holiday
here in the US - Memorial Day. So that means I am off from work. I am sure tomorrow will be crazy at work but I'll try and not think about that until tomorrow morning.
Mike and I had a really nice weekend. We are currently in the Finger Lakes (upstate NY). Such a pretty region with a lot of lakes, great scenery, great wine, great food. Really a lovely break. And all in all it hasn't been too busy here considering it's Memorial Day weekend either. Some of the wineries have been a little more packed but we have also been at others were it's been really peaceful and quiet. So let's recap our trip so far so I can go back and look at this later for the next time we come up here (I always like to do this so I can remember the name's of places we went/ate/etc)
Saturday morning we left home a little after 8 and ended up at Dano's for lunch around 12.30. I love Dano's Heuriger. The most delicious food and great atmosphere as well. We had some delicious spreads (Hotel Sacher & Roasted Red Pepper) as an appetizer with some bread and I got the schnitzel as my main course and Mike had the curry sausage. We also had spaetzle and cucumber salad. Definitely a feast. :)
After we were done with lunch we made our way over to Lake Cayuga and our 1st stop was Sheldrake Point WInery. We only did a wine tasting there and didn't linger but they had a nice outdoor patio area where people were sitting, sipping wine and eating some cheese. Next up was Buttonwood Grove Winery. They also had a neat outdoor deck/patio type area overlooking the lake. After that we headed to Varick because I remembered that they sell oils, marmelades, dips, stuffed olives etc. And you can taste most of the things they sell as well. Unfortunately that was one place that was super packed so we decided to leave and move on. Ended at Goosewatch WInery instead. They also had a nice deck so we decided to get a bottle and sat outside. We were just finishing up our wine when it started to rain. Made a mad dash for the car and actually managed to outrun the rain as we drove to our hotel. The Finger Lakes have such a weird micro climate with all the lakes.
Checked in at our hotel and then headed to "Finger Lakes on Tap" which was kind of a neat place. Lots and lots of draft beer. The building it was in looked like a doctor's office but the drinks were good. We also got a meat and cheese platter as a snack since we were still pretty full from our lunch feast.
Yesterday, Sunday, we started at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. Went to the Visitor Center and did the 1 mile loop trail. Lots of neat marshy areas. After that we also did the wildlife drive which was also pretty cool. Saw some neat birds, a turtle and plenty of nice scenery. After the wildlife refuge we headed to lunch at the bistro at the Thirsty Owl Winery. Had a yummy egg salad smoked salmon on a croissant type sandwich. Yum! From there we decided to go back over to Seneca Lake. Our 1st stop was Castle Grisch Winery at the bottom of the lake near Watkins Glenn. We did a tasting and then also sat outside for a while as they had a really pretty backyard facing the lake. Next up was Barnstormer which was also really cool because it was all aviation themed inside an old barn. Then headed to Magnus Ridge which was unique as they do cheese pairings with all of the wines you are tasting. So that was pretty cool. After that we made one more stop and then headed back over to Skaneateles to have dinner at Gilda's. We went there before and really liked it. I was a little skeptical that we would get a seat as it is a super small place but we were lucky to get 2 seats at the bar. Had delicious pizza (Nonna's) and veal meatballs and of course some more wine. :)
And well here we are, it's Monday morning and we have to leave this beautiful place and drive back home. Next up is breakfast though. We are going to try a place called Willow Glen Cafe. And after that we may stop at another winery before finally making our way back to Connecticut. And then tomorrow it's back to reality. Ugh.
Letter/Mail Update: All caught up with my mail right now :)
Posted by Hanna at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, May 20, 2019
Eurovision, thunderstorms and more
Monday morning and ugh I am so tired. For once I can't complain about the cold because it's actually 66F (18C) this morning and is going to go up to around 84F (28C) this afternoon. But because of this and the humidity we had really strong thunderstorms overnight. We didn't go to bed till around 11.40pm or so. And the thunderstorms started just a little after midnight and probably lasted for a few hours. So I really didn't get much sleep. I was tossing and turning between the thunder, lightening, being kind of hot and just uncomfortable in general. Not a good sleeping night at all.
The weekend had pretty nice weather in the low 70ies (22C). Saturday was really nice with bright blue skies and no humidity either. Sunday had a few more clouds and towards the end of the day the humidity definitely started to pick up. We still managed to get a nice 5 mile walk in on Sunday though. Went to the usual trail in Cheshire/Meriden where we tend to go when we want an easier flat but still pretty walk. I think that was the first time we actually went this year as the weather has been so miserable for most of the year. Usually we go at least a couple times before the leaves turn green but this year the weather was just not very cooperative. Let's see how it goes the rest of the year.
Saturday was the Eurovision Song Contest so I watched that. It's one of those things where you had to grow up in Europe to understand it. Well, I still don't really always understand it (so many crazy costumes and antics *g*) but it's a guilty pleasure of sorts. The Netherlands won so next year's contest most likely will be held in Amsterdam I'd assume. I always enjoy the host country highlighting their country, showing off their destinations, cities, nature and so on.
Well, let's see what this week will bring. Last week was busy at work. I am now mentoring a new person who started last week plus was also covering for someone who was out. This week I am covering today only so let's see how this week progresses. The one good thing, a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak, is that next weekend we have a holiday weekend with Memorial Day and we'll be away for it as well. Heading up to the Finger Lakes on Saturday. So just need to get through this week. :)
Letter/Mail Update: A letter went out to Celia/MA last week.
Posted by Hanna at 07:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, May 13, 2019
Mother's Day Weekend, Broadway and more
Another Monday. And brrr it's cold this morning, not like May at all. I actually turned the heat on for a bit. When I woke up it was only 40F/4C outside but they said it felt like it was in the 30ies. And the high is only supposed to be 47F/8C today plus it's going to rain. So it's going to be a wet cold Monday. Ugh. The weather yesterday, Sunday (Mother's Day), was not a whole lot better honestly. When I talked to my mom in Austria she said that the weather in Austria was similar at the moment. What the hell. Seems like the weather all over the world is going mad. I mean I know why, climate change and all that, but ugh.
Anyway, Saturday was at least a decent day. It was mainly sunny and in the mid to high 60iesF/18C. So a really nice day. We were in NYC on Saturday as we had tickets for "Beetlejuice" on Broadway. Before the show we had brunch at a place called Lillie's. What a neat find. It was just a few blocks from the Wintergarden Theater right in the middle of midtown, an area that is usually full of generic Irish pubs, lots of tourists and nothing good. So it was really nice to find that place. We had a delicious brunch there and hung out before the show. The musical was a lot of fun and would definitely recommend it. After the show we headed to the Yardhouse in Yonkers. Holy crap, that place was packed. We were able to snag two seats at the bar but it was just so crowded in there. I guess not all that surprising being Saturday night and Mother's Day weekend on top of that. Anyway we ordered some snacks and had a few drinks and then decided to move on and had a couple more glasses of wine near home at Two Steps in Danbury. Much quieter there, even though they were pretty busy too for their standards with a party and some other stuff.
And well now it's Monday and another week ahead. Last week was busy at work but somehow made it through. Let's see what this week brings? We have a new person starting today and her mentor won't be there for the first few days so we need to make sure that we keep her occupied. :) I am also covering so definitely shouldn't be bored. The week after this week is going to be a similar situation with vacation coverage and an intern starting so yeah time should be flying by. Oh I am also starting on a new account this week at work. Yeah, like I said. Shouldn't be a dull moment to be had. :)
Letter/Mail Update: A letter will be going out to Eunice/Malta.
Posted by Hanna at 07:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, May 06, 2019
Back to the daily grind
Alright I am back in the US. The weather has been super dreary, mostly cool and often rainy since I have been back. Yesterday, Sunday, was a dreary, rainy day. But of course today, Monday, the sun is shining and it's supposed to be a beautiful day (around 70F/21C). How does that always happen that way? We definitely have not been having typical May weather. Looks like today will be a pretty decent day but that of course doesn't help me all that much since I have to head into the office. Also going to shape up to be a pretty busy day so I don't think I will get a ton of chance to spend time outside. I'll try and go for a little walk during my lunch break if possible.
Anyway, my return to the US last week Monday was pretty uneventful for the most part. Immigration at Newark airport was a nightmare though. There was something wrong with the machines and their whole system was backlogged and clogged up. The lines were sooooo long. It was absolutely crazy. I had never seen it like that. I think it took me about 2 hours to get out of the airport. Crazy.
The week itself went by relatively smooth. Fighting jetlag, dealing with catching up at work and whatnot. All the usual stuff I guess. The weekend went by way too fast. Also nothing unusual there.
Saturday we had a vet appointment with our cat Sadie. Mainly a check-up appointment. She's one of the more neurotic cats I have ever met and since Sherlock came into the picture she has been even more neurotic. She really does not like the idea of Sherlock being around. Anyway Sadie's appointment went fine (I was honestly not convinced I'd get her into the carrier but I did) and they said she's fine, her check-up and exam was fine. So she's just weird. :) We'll need to continue working on integrating the cats and hopefully at one point things will return back to normal - whatever that means.
Sunday we went to see the new Avengers movie. I won't post any spoilers but will say that I did really enjoy it. I thought they did a good job. I am really not a super heroes movie person at all but have seen enough now to be somewhat invested and get the basic stories. I also enjoy the humor behind all of it. Anyway, it was a good movie. Afterwards we were going to do brunch but the place we wanted to go to was super packed so we ended up at different place which was fine. Hung out there for a bit before heading home and catching up on some recorded TV.
Letter/Mail Update: Letters have been written to and were all mailed on Wednesday to: Lotte/Denmark, Celia/MA, Kimber/Canada, Nina/WA and Tiffany/OK.
Posted by Hanna at 07:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)