Writing is hard. I’m sitting here in front of my laptop trying to find the right words to tell you about the last half of our visit, and it’s not coming easy. I don’t know if it’s because there was a great deal going on. Some good, and some not so good. For now, let’s try a little good, starting with some pictures with our wildly generous host, Bob.
He brought us on a few walks, which I lovingly named them "Bob's death march". There was also the many hours, talking, listening to music, laughing, eating and of course drinking copious amounts of vodka.
The visits with our kids and grandkids were great. There wasn't nearly enough, but great just the same. Let’s face it, life didn’t stop for them just because we rolled into town. So we made them count, with cornhole games, walks, talks and even a hot sauce challenge. Which took place on perhaps the hottest most humid day of the year. And no, that wasn’t on purpose it just worked out that way.
There was the visits, with Tim and Stacey- great friends that we would be lost without. The countless adventures and road trips with our partner in crime; Larissa. Let’s not forget our friends Mike and Stephanie from Frogg Brewery (and the rest of their crew), as well as Thirsty Thursday with Rick, Jackie and the gang.
And then there were the restaurants: Phonkey Noodle, Luca’s, The Stage, Elm City Brewery, Machina Kitchen and Art Bar and the newest one, Sole! All of them were great, 2 of them even managed to spoil me one more time before we left. Let me tell you about it.
So here’s the story, Mike at Elm City Brew Pub, would on occasion make a spectacular Dill Pickle Soup, yes I said that, don’t knock it till you try it. So when I reached out to Mike and requested he make it again, it was up for debate for many reasons, but during his last week there, he texted me and said he made his last batch and it was on special for the next 2 days- and it was fantastic! Next up, Machina Kitchen and Art Bar. Chef Jordan is like a magician when it comes to Scotch Eggs. Now for those of you that don’t know what that is, you need to literally hang your head in shame. Seriously it’s a soft boiled egg, wrapped in sausage, rolled in panko and either deep fried or baked. Done right, it’s one of the best creations ever. And I’m here to tell you NO ONE does it better than Jordan. He manages to poach the egg instead of soft boil, which leaves the yolk a yummy runny goodness, it’s culinary brilliance. Well we stopped for Test Kitchen Tuesday and I asked Jordan when he was making them again, and he said how does next Tuesday sound? And as promised, the next Tuesday I enjoyed not one, but 2 of them!
In the interest of full disclosure, there was sadness about as well. One friend lost his brother, and I can only hope that at some point he can find some peace. And then there was Cliff; a former classmate and husband to a very dear friend that lost his battle with cancer. He was one of the inspirations for the adventure we are currently on. Life is short, and we’ve lost too many friends, and relatives too soon to not understand that. It’s my hope that we are making them all proud.
Our last weekend with a family reunion with my brother’s and their families along with a few special guests, but that story falls under “Short stories”, until then, Be Well, Be Happy, and Safe Travels.