things that are making you happy - Page 1751

Today I visited Kinderhook, NY, one of my favorite places. It's a bucolic Hudson Valley village full of 18th and 19th century homes and feels more New England than NY (many towns/villages in NY lack a New England-esque village/town square; Kinderhook does not). It's also where Martin Van Buren was born and where he returned to enjoy retirement. After the presidency he bought an estate named Lindenwald, which is outside of the village in the rolling countryside. The house is imposing; I'm kind of peeved I didn't get to go inside, as it's closed 'til May. But it was only a 25 minute trip.

I remember reading about the fallen mulberry tree back when the 2011 ice storm hit. Stumbling across it was a pleasant surprise.

That is one fugly ass house.

took the leftover chunk of pie dough from my thanksgiving pie.
Rolled it into a rectangle, brushed it with melted butter, sprinkled generously with cinnamon sugar.
Rolled that up into a log, chilled it for a few minutes, and then cut it into pinwheel slices and baked on parchment for 15 minutes.

Like a miniature buttery and flaky cinnamon roll--tasty as hell.

NYC.

I love that city. Gotta move there ASAP.

Yep. It's no Monticello.

you're going to need bumper buddies for your car when you street park bro.

^thats the most random RISD tie in... I used to do the summer classes they offer for teens there back in high school. I was clueless at the time and thought it was some vocational school that had "drawing and art classes".

I'm happy that I've actually got a pretty complete bicycle bike workshop in my place. We have this tiny exercise room that we ended up turning into a bike room and now I've got a nice little tool collection going. Everything is online/on youtube so you can just teach yourself to wrench. I've build two bikes this year and it was a great way to just clear my mind and escape the wife when she gets too chatty..
Edited by LawrenceMD - 11/25/12 at 8:53pm

There's no city I'd rather visit, there's no city I'd rather not live in.

Well, maybe Detroit but that doesn't count, wink wink.

A professor of mine once told the class that "New York is the best city to visit on someone else's dime"

He also said that Chicago was the best city to raise a family in but he may have been biased by living there.

had a really awesome weekend in chicago.

great family dinner thanksgiving meal. took the kids too a cool children's museum on friday. spent a very nice shabbos staying at the home of one of my dads best buds from high school. played pool with a friend of mine in a really cool pool hall on saturday night (they shot, the color of money, there). had a nice sunday brunch with the family again. and now safely back home.

great success.

^ very nice, stitchy.

someone give this gentleman a slanket!

you are the whitest white man I know.

lol

++++++

pretty good weekend:

- friday night home movie with the kids and caught up with sleep after
- met with our architect and contractor saturday night and things are going on without a hitch (for now)
- went to our high school homecoming, met up old friends whom I haven't seen in years, got wasted
- woke up sunday and hit the trails, and it felt great coming back to the familiar mountain trails after a long absence

I actually like that house.

thanks, acid. sounds like you had a great weekend too!

also, i didnt mention in my previous post, cuz i mentioned it earlier, but it bears repeating. i had a great couple of hours shootin the breeze with GT. we had a real nice time. and the coffee house he picked, was awesome.

9 days in Carmel, California - Wine, golf (3 rounds, walking), family (14 of us), cooked great Thanksgiving dinner, ate several other great meals, ran against older brother on the beach most mornings.

Flights all went perfect and 2.5 year old + 7 month preggo wife slept most of the way.

Now on detox, lite eating, and working back from my office (as opposed to out of pocket and/or in bed with laptop).

I've been doing it so much lately, I don't think I want to do it anymore.

Just a great, fun filled, and relaxing weekend. More good food, more drinks with friends, and more sleep than I've had in a while.

Countdown to 12/20 begins for a three week vacation.