A Day Out - Mount Vernon

We've been super duper lame lately, so last weekend I suggested we go to Mount Vernon for the day. It's only about an hour from Baltimore and neither of us had ever been, so I thought it was a good choice. The weather was a little chilly, but it was a pretty gorgeous day.

The entrance fee for adults was $15 each. We both thought that was excellent value for money, especially since we ended up being there for 5 hours. Yeah, we got our money's worth. Apparently we were there on a good day because we heard a woman on the phone talking about how it was empty compared to the last time they visited. I guess in the summer it is just wall to wall people which would be pretty miserable. The entrance fee included two short films at the visitor's center, a guided tour of the house, and access to all of the outbuildings, grounds, museum and education center, and Washington's crypt. After April you can pay an extra $5 to tour the distillery, which we'll do when we go back next time. We also ate lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant was nice and oldie worldie. You can't take pictures in the house, which is really a lot smaller in person than you'd imagine (even with 10 bedrooms). They have done a really beautiful job at restoring the property, but I think I was most enamoured with the red roofs against the views of the Potomac River. It's a really beautiful spot and you could see why Washington never wanted to leave!

Restaurant Review - Broadway Diner

We pass this diner all the time (I mean, it's on the way to Target and Home Depot!) and this morning I finally suggested we go there for breakfast.

I am so glad I did! It was deee-licious!

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera (again) because when Wes' breakfast came out I wish I had a picture. I'm not sure why, but he always orders the largest thing on the menu. I guess when you're planning on running 20 miles that afternoon you can eat whatever you want. When we were in Boston he ordered The Emergency Room for breakfast. Today he had French Toast Deluxe which was 3 huge pieces of French toast, bacon, ham, sausage, and two eggs. I tend to not order French toast at restaurants, but after a taste of his I will definitely get it there. It was cooked perfectly and they even put some cinnamon on it. It was divine. I ordered the Western Omelette which came with fried potatoes (not hash browns) and toast. It was so much I couldn't finish it, but it was delicious. Honestly though, the biggest surprise was that the coffee was excellent. Most of the time when you go to a diner the food is great, but the coffee is disgusting. This was definitely not the case here. It was a little pricey for breakfast ($34 with tip), but they had other less expensive options than the French Toast Deluxe.

If you're in the Baltimore area or travelling through on I-95, it's conveniently located just off the Eastern Ave exit. And if you're into the show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives it was featured on there in 2009! We look forward to going back for lunch or dinner.

Check it out!
Broadway Diner - 6501 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224

Website Recommendation

My friend, Laura, has just launched a new site where she sells cards, painted furniture, and commissioned projects. She's located in Bristol, England, but she will ship the cards internationally. I think my favorites are the camping scenes and the bowl of Brussels sprouts! 

Check it out!

http://www.lmdoriginal.co.uk/

2011 Book Roundup

Okay, so this year wasn't so much quantity as it was quality. Moving countries and starting a full-time job really puts a damper on reading time. The good news is I did get a Kindle for Christmas, so I'll be downloading books to read on my commute. I think first up is going to be Room by Emma Donoghue. I've also joined a book club and hopefully we'll read some interesting books this year!

Last year I did a best and worst list of the year, but it's difficult this year. I truly enjoyed all of the books I read this year. I was probably most pleasantly surprised by The Remains of the Day. I guess I had preconceived notions that it might be boring and it really wasn't. The one book I probably wouldn't recommend is Dublin Noir. I couldn't get past the story where the girl says she's sitting in a coffee shop trying to read a Dublin city map, but finding it impossible because the street names are all in Irish. Clearly the author had never been to Dublin and walked down O'Connell Street to Westmoreland Street to College Green and on to Nassau Street. Annoying.

What was  your surprise read for 2011? What would you recommend?

Happy reading in 2012!
 

2011 Reading List

• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
• Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel by S.J. Watson
• Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris
• Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
• Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Dublin Noir: The Celtic Tiger vs. The Ugly American Edited by Ken Bruen
• Deliverance by James Hickey
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Jewel by Bret Lott
• Small Island by Andrea Levy

To the people who buy new winter coats

I know you're excited about your new coat. You want to show it off to the world!

It's Calvin Klein! It's 100% wool!

But you know what? You need to cut off the label on the sleeve. You know, the one down by your hand? You may not even need to cut the two pieces of thread holding it on. In a lot of cases, it's just a sticker that you can just pull off.

And once you finish with that, you can scratch the clearance stickers off the bottoms of your heels. We can still see them when you're walking, even if you can't.

Phew! Got those two pet peeves off my chest! Merry Christmas to me!

Here's one thing I miss about Ireland

Moisture in the air.

I'm so glad I now have an answer for people when they ask me what I miss about living in Ireland since I am asked this All.The.Time.

It's only December and the skin on my face already feels like it's going to break off. I use Dove Extra Moisture soap in the mornings to wash my face in the shower and by the time I get out my face is bright red and on fire. I apply my sensitive skin moisturiser and it feels like I'm dousing it in acid. Then I proceed to shock myself with everything I touch as I walk around getting ready for work or stand up from the couch. My clothes stick to me. I'll soon be in the market for a humidifier in the bedroom since it's only a matter of time until my nasal passages are so dry I can't sleep. I miss radiator heat which is warmer and not nearly as dry as central heat.

Oh yeah, I miss one other thing - M&S reduced fat hummus. Grocery store hummus here is nasty. We've tried a couple different kinds and we both agree that it's gross. Funny thing is when I first moved to England and was visiting friends, I specifically remember saying to them that I didn't like the hummus there and thought it was nasty. Oops! Fortunately, it's good at the local Greek restaurants, but I don't want eating hummus to be a special occasion!

Trying to get my blog mojo back with this Christmas quiz!

The Annoyed Army Wife posted this on her blog and I thought it was cute. I'm having a bit of writer's block, so I'm hoping this helps!

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Definitely hot chocolate. Egg nog has uncooked eggs in it that you're supposed to drink and well, that's totally gross.

Colored lights on tree/house or white? I actually like both (we have white), but I don't like a mixture. Either go small colored, large colored, or white. Don't put a string of each all willy nilly around your yard. That's the worst. Oh, and if you're putting candles in the window keep them white. There's a farmhouse down the road from my parents who use red lights. I'm pretty sure Satan lives there.

Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I like the look of real mistletoe. Not too keen on the fake plastic kind!

When do you put your decorations up? Not until sometime in December. November is way too early and I'm usually still digesting Thanksgiving until at least December 1st.

What is your favorite holiday dish? I don't really have a favorite dish, but I like to have nibbles/snacks on Christmas eve, something special for breakfast (basically anything but cereal), and ham on Christmas day.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Getting dressed up to go to the candlelight service at our church when we lived in State College. We had these little pins with bells on them that we would wear and I just thought that was something special.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I'm not sure, really. I think my best friend who had an older, wiser brother spilled the beans. However, her dad used to go around visiting all the kids in the neighborhood dressed as Santa and I would always ask her if that was her dad and she would deny it over and over. She didn't admit it to me until we were teenagers.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? This was the first year we have had a tree since we were married. My husband sat on the couch watching 'The Hangover' while I put it up. As I unpacked the ornaments I would show him every single one. Good times. 

Snow! Love it or Dread it? It's definitely not winter without the possibility of having snow. I love it unless I'm stranded for 3 days with my parents. 'Nuff said.

Do you remember your favorite gift? I got lots of good toys growing up, there was the year we got the rollerskate jackets, but I think my favorite gift was a ladder. That's right. It's one of those things that you want, but it's just pricey enough that you don't want to buy it yourself.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I think it's easier to say what is my least favorite. Mince pies. These were a non-issue in my life until I moved to England where pretty much the ONLY Christmas treat people bring to the office are mince pies. It was seriously annoying. This reminded me of my favorite holiday treat which is chocolate chip cookies with red and green M&Ms.

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Baking cookies. I don't do that many, but it does put me in the mood!

Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? I'm indifferent. They're okay, but I don't go nuts.

Favorite Christmas movie? Hmmm...well, it's NOT White Christmas. That movie is the pits and it has nothing to do with Christmas. I'm a big fan of Elf and all the retro movies from the olden days.

Saddest Christmas Song? Christmas songs aren't supposed to be sad. Period.

What is your favorite Christmas song? I'm a fan of the hymns. I really like The Holly and the Ivy, Lo' How A Rose Er Blooming, and O Come, O Come Emmanuel.