Random Notes from the Sandwich Life....and Maine....

note: no pictures because it takes eons to upload them on this connection...there are some on facebook (Cynthia Voelkl) if you're interested....

1.  What is it about Maine that does my heart such good?

2.  We drove from Champaign to Batavia, New York the first day.  Leo managed to not have to use a bathroom until we got to the hotel.  How does he DO that?  Ernie has nicknamed him ‘bladderpuss.’  Suffice to say Leo is not fond of the name but it had Ernie and me giggling hard for an hour.

3.  Spending three days in the car with three males always finds me resorting to scatological and/or unusually vulgar humor by the end of the trip.  And the boys always say 'MOOOOoooooommmm' in shock.  Heh.  It’s good when you can surprise the people that know you best.

4.  On one of our last trips we had stayed at a fading Holiday Inn near Buffalo.  Afterward I told myself….”no more fading Holiday Inns.”  So this time I found a Clarion online that had a pretty good rate.  We got there and Owen said it looked familiar.  We told him no, no, no, we’d never been here.  Then we went to check in and Ernie asked if it had ever been a Holiday Inn.  Yup.  AND the pool was closed.  AND the food we ordered from a local restaurant was virtually inedible.  Oh well…we didn’t mind because we were so happy to be heading to Maine. 

5.  Got to spend a wonderful evening with Nancy and Michael in their gorgeous house in Alfred, Maine the next night.  Judi gave me many things, including some truly lovely friends. 

6.  We stopped at a few antique shops on the way up (down?) to Lubec.  We bought some nice glass….not sure if it will be for us or for sale….probably a bit of both.  We sped into Lubec just at 5 pm when we could check into our house.  The house is wonderful….more on that later.  Ernie went and picked up some frozen pizzas because we didn’t have much time until Rod Picott was playing down the street.  At the last minute we double checked the time and realized he was playing earlier than we thought so we turned off the oven and left our pizza in there.  Owen decided he didn’t want to go because he thought it might make it less special when Rod plays at our house…so the guys stayed home and Debbie and Ernie and I whisked ourselves down the street.  Rod Picott.  Sigh.  Oh man….he was beyond wonderful.  I knew I’d like him----I adore the album and Van had said he was great live…but he was better than I could have imagined.  One of those times when the clips on youtube don’t do him (and his smile) justice.  Oh, and funny, funny, funny as well.  It was absolutely lovely talking to him too----I can not WAIT til he plays at our house.  People are going to be blown away!!!

7.  Sunday we were lazy….it took awhile for it to sink in that I didn’t need to feel guilty not doing anything but it took eventually.  Ernie and I did a bit of grocery shopping and stole a drink at Annabell’s while we were out.  When we got home it was time for the grilling throwdown.  Owen was SOOO excited.  The original plan was for Ernie to use the gas grill and Owen the charcoal but the gas grill was out so they competed on the Weber.  Debbie and I judged.  Owen begged us to be honest and indeed we were.  Ernie got high marks for juiciness but Owen won with superior seasoning and delightfully crispy skin.  It was a great moment.

8.  Yesterday we, well we were lazy again.  Ernie and I drove out to pick up some haddock and some clams.  We went for a long walk on the beach at low tide….when the beach lasts forever and ever….watched the movie Babe while having popcorn and ice cream and waiting for our delivery from Tide Mill Organic Farms.  Got AMAZING vegetables and some gorgeous meats.  Cooked some of the chorizo with onion and threw the clams in with it and served it with some bread.  It was pretty wonderful except that I forgot to rinse the clams so there was a fair amount of sand.  Oh well.  Then I did the haddock with some of my favorite Penzey’s sweet curry powder.  I need to get a better handle on the stove and cookware but it tasted good anyway along with some swiss chard and tiny little baby carrots that had been browned to crunchy sweetness in some butter. 

9.  It’s rainy and foggy today.  I’m sitting on the back porch listening to the fog horns….and I’m as happy as a clam at high tide.