36 Time's The Charm

This is my wife getting so gussied up for my birthday that she felt the need to take a selfie. And I have to hang out with this all day....

Then this happened. So far, off to a bad start.

But then we got these two bamboo rocker/swivel chairs, originally $125 and talked down to $65 for both. Birthday bargain.

We decided that since we were celebrating we would check out the infamous Saen, best Thai in the Poconos. 

Aesop does not like pahd Thai

Fried banana was the first dessert of the day

Good, quite good, but we still like Thai Orchid in all it's boring glory.

Best part of the day was lost in Child's park, closed for years now open to the public and ready for exploring. I have tons more photos from the trails and falls, but that'll come another day when the news is slow.

The water was cold. Snow still melting.

Boy likes the wilderness.

A woodsy family shot.

Instead of going home for the planned dinner, we struck out in the rain for Sycamore Grille. I eat for free on my birthday so, try and talk us out of it.

I had the chicken medallions sprinkled with feta, sun-roasted tomatoes, and spinach, drizzled with a wine sauce and served with green beans and a three-cheese polenta cake. I don't know what anyone else got because I was in a heavy bliss. 

Dessert #2 was the ridiculicious lemon/blueberry marscapone they serve at the ol' SG. Worth the price of admission alone, we split one, because dessert #3 was still waiting at home.

By the time we got home and changed into pajamas everyone was asleep or on the verge. I tried to get Yuula downstairs for cake and she followed me to the top of the stairs but then collapsed in a desperate yawn of exhaustion. I carried her back to bed, headed downstairs and ate some ice cream cake by the light of the fridge. But I was not sad. I couldn't be. That was the best birthday I have ever had.

Did They Even Have Marshmallow Topping?

We finally wandered into the Castle Inn in the Water Gap, after driving by so many times and wondering what the hell was going on in there. It was quite a surprise. A handful of quaint shops selling all sorts of goods, from lovely little toys to vintage kitchen appliances. Also a fairly stocked auction house in the back with some pretty sweet finds for some ridiculous low prices. Makes me curse our square footage.

They also had a cute little ice cream shop, called Zoe's I think. Got word that all the furniture was reclaimed from Tavern on the Green. I was hoping Rick Moranis would bang on the windows before turning into Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster, and summon Gozer with the helo of Zuul, but instead we just got sundaes. Laura got a shake.

Yuula sat by herself at the children's table, which was simultaneously adorable and pathetic, mixed with her inability to eat ice cream without causing a complete disaster area, so I guess it was pretty close to being attacked by a skyscraper-sized marshmallow man. 

we don't do moderation

Spice On, Storm On, Spice Off

We're on high alert over here. Laura is 5cm dilated and I think, for most women, that means you are in the middle of giving birth. Of course, this does not apply to my amber-headed beauty, and she ain't had a single, what one would call, contraction, and for the record, it's starting to piss me off.

We tried the spicy food thing, and during the meal realized that the incoming storm would cause a slight travel complications and immediately ceased the spice inhalation, and by immediately I mean after three more trips up for tikka masala and almost accosting the waiter when they said they were out of rice pudding. AFTER that we did things opposite of what one would if they wanted to expedite the birthing process.

Like wander around an antiques warehouse.

Yeah. It didn't go as planned. What has? WWe moved Yuula doctors appointment to today as well, since the storm was going to interfere with that as well. She was a champ.

See.

(I don't know what the makeup is all about)

Until We're Rich, We'll Just Eat Ice Cream

Danielle had told us about this amazing place that sold all sorts of fun things, right up our alley. We didn't expect a four story warehouse of anything and everything we'd ever want or need to furnish a home. 

 There was one whole room dedicated to chandeliers and tile. I mean, c'mon. 

 One tile, $55

 I think I can make this and sell vegetables in the front yard

Here's Yuula playing with $130 blocks on a $2200 marble table top 

So we left, and got ice cream

The Iron And The Candy

First things first...

Now onto the anniversary-ing. Six years here. Candy is a theme. Iron is a them. Double theme. Not sure why but we ain't arguing. So we went to Callie's Candy Kitchen and everyone filled their pockets with delicious treats. 

Yuula got some gummi bears and a Hello Kitty lolli, Laura got chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels and I, coconut clusters. Then we got this emblematic #6 made of milk chocolate, and some chocolate covered sunflower seeds which are magically delicious.

After some antiquing in the drizzle we hit up Van Gilder's Jubilee for some lunch.

Laura of course got a steak sandwich

I, a nice chipolte baja grinder

and this was all that was left of Yuula's quesadilla.

As a bonus we got to play some photo hunt, which we are now terrible at, and I saw some of the Mets game at the bar. 

Check out our iron finds from the day (note, all items are not in fact iron)...

 a little wrought iron for garden decorating

a bootscrape to maximize futile efforts

The thing on the left was listed as a kitchen utensil, but we're not really sure what all those nuggets do. I think there's a bottle opener in there and maybe a grip to tenderize your meats, but I dunno. And a frog.

Not thematic. I just wanted one to hang fruits from.

And some cast iron skillets so we can eat fajitas like a boss.

Okay. Six years. This is the itchy one coming up. We'll see how it goes. But the theme for seven is wool and copper, so that sounds worth it.

All Because The Sun Came Out

 We had planned to run the electric thru the new walls today, getting another step closer to sheetrocking, bringing us closer to actually having s closet and being able to sop picking thru the pile of clothes that has become the front room upstairs. But when we woke up ad felt the sun shining and the temperature up in the 50's we decided to head out and make a day of it.  

We went to the tiny-but-expensive antique shop on 611 to see if we could get inspired by design. They have some incredible finds there. If we were wealthy we'd be having a good old time up in there. But for today's cause, we were content to browse.

This here is a photo we found online that we fell in love with the sink and hoped to model our new bathroom upstairs after, as close we could, knowing we'd NEVER be able to find that sink, but we'd be willing to settle for a close knock-off from the Home Depot or something. And it was the furthest thing in our mind when we rounded the corner in the basement of the antique shop when...

Bam. I mean we are talking identical. Just without the updated faucet, which is a feature still up for debate. We were stoked and having learned our lesson numerous times over of thinking "oh it will be here next time we come" and then not, we snatched it up and didn't look back. The owner assured us it's a great deal, but she also told us not to trust anyone, especially if they're trying to sell you something. Seems like an odd approach to sales. What do we care, we found our sink!

Yuula got a free purse and baby Raybans and we hit the road, glad we didn't stay home for once and encouraged that the renovation is going to end up just as we want. That is if doesn't all collapse thru the floor.

 And Laura got a mimosa.

The Ride, The Reset, & The Reminder Why

So we drove at sun up...

And at sundown we were still driving. Isn't that always the way. Someday we'll have enough time to stop and enjoy all that route 81 has to offer, in the way of caverns, flea markets and religious epicenters, but for now, no sleep til Acworth. 

We did stop briefly to give Yuula her first taste of Waffle House waffles. She ate almost a whole quarter. I can't put it down there like I used to.

Friday Laura had an appointment with the inevitable Dr. Jeff. She needed her shoulder and wrist fixed and a few new allergies tended to. Here is a photo of Jeff "resetting" her allergy to wool with the receptionist/wife's boot. It worked.

Then he hand drew me this little take-home acupuncture map of therapeutic pressure points for homework I guess. I made an appointment for July.

One of our favorite antique shops was on the trail between stops so we hit it up. It is a vast space and we did not have vast amounts of time so it was a hunt on fast forward which is never a good way to do it, but we did manage to find some bowls that matched a set of dishes we bought years ago. Yeah bowls.

Then we made the silly mistake of stopping at Panera for lunch, where apparently a four person table can be taken up by one 20 year-old dressed to the hilt and checking their facebook on their ebook/ipad/applemac. The remainder of the tables were sucked up by groups of older businesspeople in their Friday casuals trying to blend in and look as hip with their blackberries/dells/actualbooks. We finally found a table in the corner where we allowed Yuula to be as loud and obnoxious as she wanted while eating. 

Then back to the Krupp house for the festivities would soon commence...