So, we have had a good first week!

We’ve slept on the kitchen table, we’ve explored the driveway a little, we’ve met the cat (who is still fine with him, which is weird). He’s had a bath, and I have before and after pictures of what he looks like all fluffy…and soaking wet (seriously, where is his body).

Good times so far 🙂

Gluten Free Garden Pasta Salad

This little girl is terrified of dogs.

She is so scared of dogs, she couldn’t even be in the same room with them.

I have comforted this little girl when she was standing on the couch screaming, because our older cocker spaniel walked through the room. She had never been bitten by a dog, and she had never seen someone be attacked by a dog. There was something very deep down in her soul that simply told her that dogs were a malevolent force in the world. She believed very sincerely that she was scared of dogs, and that was that.

Until she met Charlotte.

Charlotte is a funny story…I had just dropped some people off at a Bay Area airport at a blistering 6am, and beat the traffic home (which is weird to say, if you are from the Bay Area). So there I was, at an underripe 7am, sitting in my front room drinking coffee with Ben.

When suddenly…

a knock at the door. On a Tuesday. At 7am. Who on earth could this be??

It was a neighbor we had seen around, but never spoken to. In his arms he clumsily held a very young 8 week old puppy. He was very polite, but rather shy about asking the awkward question: “This puppy has been sitting on my lawn for the past 4 hours. Is it yours?”

Since we were the only ones in the neighborhood with a brood of children, it would be the logical assumption that it was our lost puppy. That would be my first guess, as well; but, alas, it was not our puppy. I had already promised Ben we would get no more pets, especially dogs (remember this for later).

I looked at the uncomfortable cradle this mad was holding the puppy, and realized that he was not familiar with puppies. The head was draped over his forearm in a crooked slant, and the legs were askew in his embrace. It looked lost and afraid, and being carried far, far away from his home.

I replied, “No, that isn’t our puppy.” Simple enough, “However, we do have a dog already so we have dog food on hand. I can take him for you, and we will find the owner.”

Our kind hearted neighbor gratefully handed the little bundle over to me, and we smiled and parted ways.

I turned around to see Ben standing behind me, half drunk coffee in hand, and asked:

“YOU TOOK A PUPPY…?????”  

“It was the right thing to do, and you know it.” I replied, confidently. And marched right into the kitchen to refill my empty mug, since it was going to be a long day ahead of me, after this decision.

I will say that I am usually quite confident about the decisions I make in life, which I have always admired about myself.

Sometimes, for instance, I am sincerely confident that I made the right choice in a matter. I have thought the instance through, and I believe that, easy or hard, the decision I have made was the right one to make, for all involved.

And other times I am absolutely certain I just waded into a fast running current with no life vest and no back-up plan.

I won’t admit to which of these confident positions I stood with this matter, but that is really beside the point for this story anyway.

tl;dr – we found a perfect home for Charlotte 4 months later, and I am glad for the time we had with her.

The point of this story is not my lightly impulsive decision making skills when it comes to accepting lost baby animals into my home.

The point of this story is the look of joy on my daughter’s face when she held Charlotte.

There wasn’t an inkling of fear as she held that puppy. She refused to let her go, and doted on her day in and day out. She made sure the puppy had food and water, and brought her blankets for her nap. This was a breakthrough among breakthroughs…and I guess she just needed to find the right dog to break the ice.

Well, it’s been a good 2 years since we last saw Charlotte, but I have never forgotten the look of joy.

So, after lots of mildly obsessive research on dogs, I found the dog that would be perfect for us.

Meet St. Sebastian 🙂

No one believes me, but Pomeranians are not yappy dogs…they are actually Icelandic herding dogs!

“Despite its present diminutive size, the Pomeranian originally was used as a sheep-herding dog and was much larger than it is today, weighing up to 30 pounds.”

Poms are also one of the best family dogs with intelligent, happy temperaments. They are easily trainable, and fantastic companions overall.

“Poms are excellent watch dogs and home protectors. They are especially good with children and the elderly.”

The purpose of Sebastian is to be able to tag along with us wherever we go…to the park, to the store, inside, outside, for walks for hikes and in the car. We don’t have to section off the entire trunk for this dog, he can fit easily into our cat carrier and sit with the kids in the back. He doesn’t eat much, he needs daily exercise but way less than a bigger dog. He is happy all the time…and we love him.

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
—Mark Twain

We are having fun playing with him…

He is turning out to be a fantastic writing companion…

And I found that look of joy for my children.

It is what every parent wants, more than all the gold in the world.

“Giving time and space is the best recipe for a working long-term relationship to work.”

-Someone

If you work hard, chances are you rest hard as well.

Our school schedule is packed this year, and we are working our tails off…which means, when we are exhausted, we need some space.

Off to the aquarium/volcano we go!

So, before we hit the aquarium we walked around Seattle a little (getting my 10,000 steps in, one Seattle hill at a time). We hit the Seattle Public Library, which was a) the biggest library I have ever been in, with 10 floors to it, b) the most modern/hipster/kinda weird vibe library I have ever been in. The escalators were neon green/yellow and it looked like we were being loaded into some futuristic anime movie.

Then I took the kids to the Columbia Tower for some coffee and hot chocolate, which is one of my favorite places to have coffee in town. The Columbia Tower is something like 70 stories tall, and the Starbucks is on the 43rd floor. The view is simply delightful, and there is no hustle and bustle up there. It is a relaxing, tranquil spot overlooking the troubles of the world.

How can you not love this.

We also found Air!

Not entirely sure what’s going on with that one.

We got to watch the otters have lunch, the seals do perimeter checks, our favorite puffins be all puffiny, and Nova found a wolf eel swimming around!

That was one day, but the next day we drove up to see Mt.Rainier, which led to finding some CRAZY waterfalls!

Don’t squint. Don’t squint. Don’t squint.

I definitely got my 10,000 steps in that day with all the hiking to get to the waterfalls.

Now, here’s the thing.

In the next two pictures, we were standing on Mt. Rainier. The volcano was literally right behind us.

But the only thing we could see was clouds.

So, here we are just going to use our imaginations and pretend that the incredible volcano is right there, and being majestic and stuff.

To make up for this gigantic bummer, I had some Rainier beer in front of Rainier clouds.

I figure this is compensation for now.

Until last year, I was a wine snob.

I enjoyed deep red wines, I could tell you if the wine came from the coast of California, from Napa or from the valleys in Livermore.  I went through a season of Pinot Noir, slipping into deep Merlots and then rebounding into Petit Sirah with a great flourish.  I love picking out the flavors of dark cherry in the Syrahs, or the lavender in Merlots; the sweet finish of Cabernets and the dry spirit of Pinot.  It is a beautiful adventure in a stemmed glass to explore the nature of wines, and I couldn’t enjoy it more.

And then I rediscovered bourbon.

Good heavens, is bourbon wonderful.  It just sits in those raw oak barrels and sucks the heavenly life out of the wood.  The flavors are oaky, sweet and bold.  I love it.

But this is a corn whiskey, so you have to be prepared for a little kick.  If you prefer margaritas or rum & Coke, I don’t know if this is really the spirit for you.

However, if you are an explorer at heart and love unearthing the deepest secrets in your drink, you will love bourbon.  If you honestly love the personalities of scotches, but you can’t get over the peat, bourbon is definitely your drink.

So, here are some bourbons that I have, and some notes on what they are, exactly. I’m going to be citing a lot of distilleries so I get this right.

Let’s start with what I like the most, and move to the least:

1) Blanton’s

The Blanton’s brand was launched in 1984 under the guidance of the distillery’s master distiller Elmer T. Lee, as the first modern bourbon marketed as a single barrel bourbon.^[1] The original brand name was “Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon”. A single barrel bourbon is one that is poured (and typically chill filtered) from the contents of one particular aging barrel – not mixed with whiskey from any other barrels and not blended with neutral spirits, colorings, or flavorings. The company says that producing a high quality whiskey using this production method requires constant monitoring of every barrel in the middle of the warehouse by the Master Distiller. The barrels are dumped by hand without using machinery. There are eight different stopper designs, each with a different letter of the alphabet molded into it and topped with a figurine of a racehorse and jockey. When placed in order, spelling “B L A N T O N’ S”, the horse and jockey’s poses display eight different scenes of a horse race, from standing at the gate, to crossing the finish line with a win.”

Notes:

Rating–     A

Price–     $45 at BevMo

Type–      Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Nose–      Very oaky, vanilla, cream, a little spicy.

Alcohol–   93 Proof, 46.5% abv

Taste–      Oak, vanilla, nutmeg, raisins, corn.  Sweet front, solid middle and a good clean, warm finish, no lingering tastes.   

Overall–   This is a beautiful bourbon with a decent amount of complexity, a very bold flavor, smooth overtones and a pleasing taste.  It is sweet, warm, delightful with a very rich blend of flavors.  You get the tastes of so many natural things in this, that you can almost picture what they look like while you are sipping it.  The oak tastes like a warm oak wood that has been left out in the afternoon sun on a dry day.  The vanilla is this musky vanilla that has been hanging in an empty cupboard.  The spice is like a gentle spice cake with extra nutmeg and warm golden raisins.  I just love how this bourbon opens up.  This is absolutely my favorite bourbon, hands down.

2) Buffalo Trace

 

 

“Ancient buffalo carved paths through the wilderness that led America’s first pioneers and explorers westward. One such trail led to the banks of the Kentucky River where we’ve been making bourbon whiskey the same way for over 200 years. Uncompromised and unchanged, we’re proud of the whiskey we make. Dedicated to the independent spirit of America, Buffalo Trace is the world’s most decorated distillery. We invite you to explore our rich history, our award-winning bourbon and learn why we’ll always stand strong. (-Buffalo Trace.com)”

Notes:

Rating–  A-

Price– $45 at BevMo

Type– Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Nose– Dark Vanilla, fresh cotton candy

Alcohol– 90 Proof, 45% abv

Taste–  Such a bright flavor, very cheerful front.  Sweet but not too sweet.  Very solid flavors for the middle, lots and lots of warm oak.  Beautiful oak notes.  Some gentle nut flavors, maybe walnut. Maybe some toasted sugar on the middle. Sunflowers.  Apples in the finish.  

Overall–  I love Buffalo Trace very much.  It is absolutely my go-to bourbon on a day to day basis.  It never disappoints, it always impresses.  It is a very optimistic, bold, bright bourbon with lots of aggressive flavors coming together.  I will always have some on hand, and it will be the one I order if we go out.  Definitely a winner in my book.

3) Old Weller 

 

” “Replacing the rye grain in our recipe with wheat provides for an exceptionally smooth taste. W. L. Weller is a truly outstanding buy.” –Wine Enthusiast Magazine”

Notes:

Rating–  A-

Price– $45 at BevMo

Type– The Original Wheated Bourbon

Nose–  Bread, light, burnt sugar, leather, dark honey, some wildflower floral notes 

Alcohol– 107 Proof, 53.5% abv

Taste–   Very smooth, very light but with a great solid flavor.  Sunflowers, creme brule, light vanilla.  Spicy on the back.  Warm finish, but not as clean as Blanton’s.

Overall–  This bourbon was completely different than what I expected.  I thought it would be more rugged like rye, but it was actually lighter than Buffalo Trace!  Unbelievable.  The flavor isn’t as impressive as Buffalo Trace, but it is still an amazing bourbon.  Definitely A- in my book.

 

Side note- I have Celiac and I have never had a reaction to this bourbon, and I am very sensitive to gluten.  Just take this with a grain of salt…if you have Celiac, you need to take responsibility for your self, as always.  primum non nocere.

4) Angel’s Envy

 

“First a wee bit of back story as to why Angel’s Envy is called Angel’s Envy. No it’s not just to be clever, though it does sound clever, it actually has meaning; known as the “angel’s share”. The angel’s share is the portion of alcohol which will evaporate from the cask during aging. It’s not much that evaporates, between one and three percent depending on how hot the barrel house is. But this amount of alcohol is for the angels, as the story goes. Angel’s Envy derives its name from the fact that they finish aging their bourbon in Ruby port barrels from Portugal, making the angels truly envious. –See more at: http://whiskeynose.com/angels-envy-bourbon-review/#sthash.Pz9TBnRM.dpuf“

 

Notes:

Rating–  A-

Price– $45 at BevMo

Type– Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels

Nose– Vanilla, cream, light sugar, honey

Alcohol Content– 86.6Proof, 43.3% abv

Taste– Honey, light brown sugar, a little vanilla. It is a simple bourbon, but delightful.

Overall–  Angel’s Envy is a blend bourbon, so it tastes completely different from the other Straight Bourbon Whiskies.  The blend is 25%A 40%B 35%C: On the bottle it explains that “As bourbon malcontents, we appriciate subtle nuances and tinkering.  This micro blend was created from samples of 3 Angel’s Envy batches selected by Lincoln and Blended to the Specifications of BevMo!” My bottle is empty now because I have shared this one with friends the most.  It is a very smooth, very likeable bourbon without the kick that straight bourbon has.  It is very friendly and very open.  I liked this one very much, but it is completely different as a blend.

5) Knob Creek

I am not a woman…

Well, I am a woman.

To invoke a little Rockwood humility: I am quite a woman. I have enough woman in me to spare, to be quite honest about it.

However, I am not a woman who shrinks from adversity.

I think this quality I possess is a given.

There are few obstacles I will not take on, few opponents I will not combat with full eye contact, and hardly an opportunity I will let pass.

I have “BRAZEN” written on my heart, and “FEARLESS” stamped upon my soul.

Except when it comes to aliens.

I have been scared, to the point of a phobia, of aliens ever since forever. And I have no reason for it. I don’t think there are flying saucers visiting us, and I don’t think skinny big eyed crazy people (excuse me, “crazy aliens.” I’m so speciest.) are feasible on earth. For one, the atmosphere is all wrong for them, and for two the sun is too bright for their eyes, plus there are so many microbes/viruses/bacteria/parasites on earth, I just don’t see how they would survive. I mean, seriously. It doesn’t make any sense that a being from another world can walk around on earth with no protective suit, and that walking around barefoot and naked is going to work out at all. I mean, I can’t even walk out to the garbage can in front of my house barefoot without stepping on a stick the wrong way, or getting pebbles lodged into my hobbit feet uncomfortably. So unless these little green guys are made out of sharkskin, I just don’t see how this is possible. Also, how are they not passing out from breathing our air? How are they walking around when they have, like, 1% muscle mass on their tiny frames? And they are always walking around at dusk, apparently, so what do they do about mosquitos? Do they get moths stuck on their gigantic eyeballs all the time or what?

Honestly. None of this makes sense.

Many, many hours of my life have been spent on rationalizing why aliens are the dumbest idea of the 20th century.

OH SURE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN ALIENS IN EGYPT, OR IN MAYAN CULTURES, OR IN THE HIMALAYAS OR IN SCOTLAND…BUT WE JUST WON’T KNOW, NOW WILL WE.

Anyway.

The notion of something from out of our world visiting has always been too much for my tender sensibilities, and I have not been able to watch “Encounters of the Third Kind,” or “E.T.” or “Alien,” or anything. My stomach gives out, my knees cease to function and all rational thought leaves my normally rational brain, and I am useless to any function.

I remember one time my dad gave me a little inflatable green alien (WHYY DAD??), and I was very nice and put it on my bookshelf in my living room.

Until the next morning when I nearly peed myself when I was walking into the kitchen to get coffee, and there was an alien staring at me from the other room. I don’t need this kind of stress in my life, so that little guy was thoroughly deflated. (omg.)

Fortunately, I have grown up. A little bit. I have finally sat through the entire movie of “Encounters of the Third Kind” without having to run out of the room to throw up. I actually let the kids watch “E.T.,” and they totally showed their Mom up by saying it was “boring.”

Even though there is a slimy alien with koala shrieking abilities and a contagious fever (I TOLD YOU THEY’D GET SICK HERE) running around someone’s house the whole time.

But I’ve gotten through a few classic alien movies so far, because I’m taking steps here, and this next step was a big one for me. It was something I avoided like the freaking plague the entire time it was playing, and I had zero interest in watching it or even hearing about the stories…until now. Because I’m ready for this.

I have watched many episodes of X-Files this year…and I’m doing okay.

There are some really creepy alien episodes I haven’t watched yet, but the fact that I could watch many episodes…alone…means I am making progress.

I’m pretty sure this is Adulting: Boss Level.

Next up: Ghosts.

Waayy back when, in January, particularly, I acquiesced to get a new toaster.

It was a weird decision, since you can literally just go down to Target and get one for $20, and that is that.

But, naturally, I turned a very simple, uncomplicated decision that would have been very easy to solve, into a long drawn out emotional tale of fire and ice.

Listen. You ask a poet to buy a toaster, you’re going to get an epic tale. That’s just how it is.

So. Since the crew and I were at Target getting groceries anyway, and we were passing by the toasters anyway, I let the kids pick out a toaster for the kitchen. They were delighted to see that it had a bagel button (I have no idea what this does, besides toast more vigorously).

So, the news is that we got a toaster…and the kids are basically living on toast right now.

In other news, I also have been experimenting with Sloppy Joes!

ceux-ci sont si délicieux

Which is a weird thing to experiment with. But we’re doin’ it anyway!

See, the thing is, the kids were in band camp a few weeks ago and band camp had really impressive lunches every day. Asian chicken salad, monkey bread, taco salads and Sloppy Joes.

They were not fans of the Sloppy Joes because the meat was way overcooked in an industrial sized crockpot that could feed an army…which, I guess it did. There were ~150 kids in camp, so it’s either that or have a fleet of crockpots.

Anyway, the Sloppy Joes were more black than brown and mushy than tasty. Nova said it tasted like warm coffee grounds, and no one wanted to have Sloppy Joes ever again.

I have never been a big fan of Sloppy Joes, since it’s just kinda mush on a bun…but, still. I can’t let the kids believe there is nothing redeeming about the dish. So, it was my responsibility to find a Sloppy Joe recipe that was killer.

And I did.

Welcome to Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes! 

(and here is the recipe!!)

Dude, these things were killer. They were zesty, tasty, fresh and not only did the kids love them…I loved them.  I will definitely be revisiting this dish in the future!

Besides these amazing things, we’ve also gone to some wildlife lectures…

Made some vanilla playdoh…..

WE FINALLY WENT TO DICK’S, AND IT WAS EVERYTHING WE HOPED IT WOULD BE.

AND WE WILL BE VISITING MORE OFTEN.

And here is Conrad, just being dapper. Because he is.