Fall on Flask Walk
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
NFL in London
Ric and I had GREAT tickets to the NFL game that was played at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday (thanks Kell!!!). 35 yard line, 26 rows back... it was closer than I've ever sat at a football game and something I could definitely get used to!
We were worried that it would be a complete blow out, and after the Pats intercepted the Bucs in the first few minutes of the game for a touchdown, expected the worst. But it actually ended up being pretty entertaining. Not sure if New England wasn't trying its hardest or if the Bucs thrived off the London atmosphere, but we saw some great plays, a good amount of scoring, and lots of excitement. The opening of the game was really cool too... fireworks, music, American and British flags, both national anthems, and shooting flames when the Bucs ran out. Becuase the Bucs were the home team, they also put flags under everyone's seats which got waved frequently.
Wembley Stadium
The crowd - lots of Brits and Americans, and NFL jerseys from almost every team imaginable
Inside the stadium - it's partly covered with a roof that can be closed if necessary
Music before kickoff
One beer, one water...
Baby's first NFL game!
Tampa Bay takes the field
Fireworks shoot out from both sides of the roof, very exciting!
I look huge in this picture...
British and American flags
Kickoff
Flag waving
We were worried that it would be a complete blow out, and after the Pats intercepted the Bucs in the first few minutes of the game for a touchdown, expected the worst. But it actually ended up being pretty entertaining. Not sure if New England wasn't trying its hardest or if the Bucs thrived off the London atmosphere, but we saw some great plays, a good amount of scoring, and lots of excitement. The opening of the game was really cool too... fireworks, music, American and British flags, both national anthems, and shooting flames when the Bucs ran out. Becuase the Bucs were the home team, they also put flags under everyone's seats which got waved frequently.
Wembley Stadium
The crowd - lots of Brits and Americans, and NFL jerseys from almost every team imaginable
Inside the stadium - it's partly covered with a roof that can be closed if necessary
Music before kickoff
One beer, one water...
Baby's first NFL game!
Tampa Bay takes the field
Fireworks shoot out from both sides of the roof, very exciting!
I look huge in this picture...
British and American flags
Kickoff
Flag waving
Monday, October 26, 2009
It slices AND it dices...
After months of debate, research, and informal polling (of friends and strangers), we finally made the all important stroller decision over the weekend. The first step was actually learning to call it a buggy, instead of a stroller, and then we had to sort through the seemingly endless options. I know this is cliche, but it really is like buying a car. We actually kicked the tires and talked about the resale value, in addition to its off road capabilities.
We're both happy with the one we settled on - the Mountain Buggy Urban, in navy... it will work as a running buggy, is rugged enough for strolls through the Heath, and is comparatively lightweight and easy to fold.
I think Ric's been more excited about this than any other part of the baby process so far. Can't wait for it to be delivered!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
30th bday
Ric threw a very nice little dinner party to celebrate my big 3-0... We had some delicious chicken parm and a beautiful pink tinkerbell cake! Here are some pics...
The birthday bump:
The chef hard at work (on the chicken parm assembly line)
Lots of wine, most of which didn't get drunk. We really are getting old!
Getting ready for dinner
A Tinkerbell birthday
The birthday bump:
The chef hard at work (on the chicken parm assembly line)
Lots of wine, most of which didn't get drunk. We really are getting old!
Getting ready for dinner
A Tinkerbell birthday
Friday, October 23, 2009
Doc
Went for my 32 week check up today and there isn't much to report other than the fact that everything looks fine! My last blood tests were all good and blood pressure is where it should be. The baby was facing in the right direction (head down) but will probably still move a lot for the next couple weeks before getting into his final position! We go to the doc every two weeks now, and every week starting in a month. At the next appointment we'll get another scan so should have more pics to share.
In other news, the NHS doctors in London have started recieving their allotments of the swine flu vaccine. I was not planning to get it, but changed my mind after talking with the doctor today. He said that it's totally safe and while this specific strain has been tested fairly quickly, the basic vaccine has been through a very thorough testing process and proven to be safe for pregnant ladies. He also said that women who are later on in pregnancy are more likely to get swine flu and, while the overall percent is really small, they're also 8 times more likely to get a serious case which could lead to death (yikes!). But the real clincher was that by me getting the vaccine I'm able to pass on those antibodies to the babe. For the first six months of his life, the little guy wouldn't be able to develop his own antibodies even if he got the vaccine, so really the only way to protect him is for me to get vaccinated. Ok, that's hard to say no to. Even as much as I hate shots.
So now I'm calling the local NHS GP every three days to see if they've gotten the vaccine in. They won't know in advance, so they tell people to just keep calling back... wonderful process :) At least when they do get it I move to the front of the line.
In other news, the NHS doctors in London have started recieving their allotments of the swine flu vaccine. I was not planning to get it, but changed my mind after talking with the doctor today. He said that it's totally safe and while this specific strain has been tested fairly quickly, the basic vaccine has been through a very thorough testing process and proven to be safe for pregnant ladies. He also said that women who are later on in pregnancy are more likely to get swine flu and, while the overall percent is really small, they're also 8 times more likely to get a serious case which could lead to death (yikes!). But the real clincher was that by me getting the vaccine I'm able to pass on those antibodies to the babe. For the first six months of his life, the little guy wouldn't be able to develop his own antibodies even if he got the vaccine, so really the only way to protect him is for me to get vaccinated. Ok, that's hard to say no to. Even as much as I hate shots.
So now I'm calling the local NHS GP every three days to see if they've gotten the vaccine in. They won't know in advance, so they tell people to just keep calling back... wonderful process :) At least when they do get it I move to the front of the line.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fluffy's alive!
Just a quick note to put your minds at ease... Our favorite neighborhood cat, Fluffy (our name for him/her, but most likely not his/her actual name) was spotted by Ric a few days ago and we can confirm that he/she is alive and well. This marks the end of a long streak without any Fluffy sightings and we had come to the sad conclusion that maybe Tiger Eyes, or an aggressive fox, had finally gotten the better of the more timid scaredy cat. Happy to know that's not the case and hope Fluffs will start to visit more often.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Parma
Ric and I are back from a great weekend in Parma! We ate some amazing food and really enjoyed our tours of the cheese and balsamic vinegar factories (although they were a little small to really be called factories). A couple things we learned from the cheese place:
1. Only natural ingredients are used to make Parmigiano-Reggiano througout the entire process. Even the equipment is cleaned with all natural ingredients (no chemicals). The cows don't get any horomoes or antibiotics or anything to increase their production. And all that goes into the cheese is milk, which comes freshly eash day from different local farms, whey, and enzymes from a cow's stomach. That's it.
2. The process is VERY closely monitored by the Parmigiano-Reggiano consortium and the only official cheese comes from a D.O.P region where the consortium has complete control. The cheese comes from thousands of producers, large and small, but the only way to tell which one a specific wheel came from is by a number stamped on it. There's no other branding. Most people find their favorite maker and buy it directly from a "factory" like the one we visited.
3. The one we visited is considered a medium sized maker and they produce about 10 wheels per day.
4. The quality of the cheese changes throughout the year becuase the milk changes - it's fattier in the winter when the calves need more nurition and more watery in the summer when they need hydrating. Of course nothing is added to the milk to balance this out, so the cheese is just different based on when it's made. Best to look at the rind for cheese made in the winter (each wheel has the month and year it was made imprinted on the side).
5. The cheese maker we met was celebrating his 49th birthday and had been doing this for 31 years (since he was 18). He works every single day, including weekends, and in the past 5 years has only had 5 days off. They're having a hard time finding young Italians to continue these jobs becuase they're so intense, so many of the people learning are Indian immigrants who are carrying on the tradition, which is centuries old (they still follow a recipe that traces back to the 1100's).
The vinegar place we went was also very interesting. True balsamic vinegar (which Modena is most well known for, not Parma) is also controlled by a consortium. They taste it all and determine whether it passes and if it gets a red, silver or gold label. The gold stuff, which is the best, costs about 80 euro per tiny bottle. But you only use a couple drops. It's almost more like syrup than what you'd think of as balsamic vinegar. And like the cheese, there's no branding to differentiate the makers. It all goes into the same bottles and the consortium does the bottling itself.
Parma itself was a beauitful city. The people were very stylish in that great Italian way that looks totally effortless. Everywhere we ate was delicious. And people were so friendly (especially to the big pregnant lady). The hotel where we stayed had a beauitful courtyard and looked almost like an apartment building.
On Sunday, as we headed back to the airport, we stopped in a town called Soranga to eat at a restaurant that Ric had read about. They didn't speak a word of English, but Ric did a great job communicating and by the end they actually thought we spoke Italian! It made us both want to do a better job actually learning (or re-learning) the language.
As always, we leave wishing that one day we'll have a house somewhere in Northern Italy where we can go for family trips. We can dream... :)
All of our pictures are up on Flickr as usual, but here are some of the highlights.
Balsamic vinegar aging. Some of it ages for more than 30 years, although there's a group in Modena that's considering adding a new category for vinegar ages 75-100 years!
At the cheese maker's
The cheese maker putting the cheese into the molds where it will sit for a couple hours to settled, let the liquid drain out, and then be put into steel molds for a couple days before taking a nice salt bath.
Coming out of the vat of whey, pulled up in linen cloths
The "factory"... each vat makes 2 wheels and there are 5 vats total
Where the magic happens...
Salt bath
Loving the cheese tour
A few pics in Parma
Our family run hotel, right next to the Doumo.
Lunch place in Soranga
1. Only natural ingredients are used to make Parmigiano-Reggiano througout the entire process. Even the equipment is cleaned with all natural ingredients (no chemicals). The cows don't get any horomoes or antibiotics or anything to increase their production. And all that goes into the cheese is milk, which comes freshly eash day from different local farms, whey, and enzymes from a cow's stomach. That's it.
2. The process is VERY closely monitored by the Parmigiano-Reggiano consortium and the only official cheese comes from a D.O.P region where the consortium has complete control. The cheese comes from thousands of producers, large and small, but the only way to tell which one a specific wheel came from is by a number stamped on it. There's no other branding. Most people find their favorite maker and buy it directly from a "factory" like the one we visited.
3. The one we visited is considered a medium sized maker and they produce about 10 wheels per day.
4. The quality of the cheese changes throughout the year becuase the milk changes - it's fattier in the winter when the calves need more nurition and more watery in the summer when they need hydrating. Of course nothing is added to the milk to balance this out, so the cheese is just different based on when it's made. Best to look at the rind for cheese made in the winter (each wheel has the month and year it was made imprinted on the side).
5. The cheese maker we met was celebrating his 49th birthday and had been doing this for 31 years (since he was 18). He works every single day, including weekends, and in the past 5 years has only had 5 days off. They're having a hard time finding young Italians to continue these jobs becuase they're so intense, so many of the people learning are Indian immigrants who are carrying on the tradition, which is centuries old (they still follow a recipe that traces back to the 1100's).
The vinegar place we went was also very interesting. True balsamic vinegar (which Modena is most well known for, not Parma) is also controlled by a consortium. They taste it all and determine whether it passes and if it gets a red, silver or gold label. The gold stuff, which is the best, costs about 80 euro per tiny bottle. But you only use a couple drops. It's almost more like syrup than what you'd think of as balsamic vinegar. And like the cheese, there's no branding to differentiate the makers. It all goes into the same bottles and the consortium does the bottling itself.
Parma itself was a beauitful city. The people were very stylish in that great Italian way that looks totally effortless. Everywhere we ate was delicious. And people were so friendly (especially to the big pregnant lady). The hotel where we stayed had a beauitful courtyard and looked almost like an apartment building.
On Sunday, as we headed back to the airport, we stopped in a town called Soranga to eat at a restaurant that Ric had read about. They didn't speak a word of English, but Ric did a great job communicating and by the end they actually thought we spoke Italian! It made us both want to do a better job actually learning (or re-learning) the language.
As always, we leave wishing that one day we'll have a house somewhere in Northern Italy where we can go for family trips. We can dream... :)
All of our pictures are up on Flickr as usual, but here are some of the highlights.
Balsamic vinegar aging. Some of it ages for more than 30 years, although there's a group in Modena that's considering adding a new category for vinegar ages 75-100 years!
At the cheese maker's
The cheese maker putting the cheese into the molds where it will sit for a couple hours to settled, let the liquid drain out, and then be put into steel molds for a couple days before taking a nice salt bath.
Coming out of the vat of whey, pulled up in linen cloths
The "factory"... each vat makes 2 wheels and there are 5 vats total
Where the magic happens...
Salt bath
Loving the cheese tour
A few pics in Parma
Our family run hotel, right next to the Doumo.
Lunch place in Soranga
Quince moves
Just wanted to make sure all our faithful San Francisco readers saw that Quince has opened in its new location. Since we can't be there to celebrate with Mike and Lindsay ourselves, we encourage you all to go, try it out, and report back!
Here's an article from the Chron about the restaurant's new digs: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/04/FD3C1A03N7.DTL
And a pic of the kitchen, which you can see from a window on the street...
Here's an article from the Chron about the restaurant's new digs: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/04/FD3C1A03N7.DTL
And a pic of the kitchen, which you can see from a window on the street...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Anniversary!
It's hard to believe that it's been three years since the wedding and nine since we first met in Florence. Time sure does fly! Thanks to everyone for the happy anniversary wishes yesterday. It was fun to think back on the beautiful day at my grandparent's house, the gorgeous leaves changing colors, and all our family and friends together in one place. We had a nice dinner last night at a restaurant called Piede a Terre, which was delicious and had the best service of anyplace we've been in London. Here a few pics... they saw Ric give me a present and thought it was my birthday (thus the decorated dessert plate). Even though that wasn't technicaly true, it was a very nice gesture and they're only a couple weeks off!
Yummy scallops that they pan fried for me since I couldn't eat the raw/marinated version...
Ric enjoying his smoked fish starter
We head to Parma, Italy for the weekend which will be our final pre-baby trip. Plan to enjoy every single minute and are especially looking forward to a tour of the parmesean cheese and balsamic vinegar factories. Will post pics here when we return!
Yummy scallops that they pan fried for me since I couldn't eat the raw/marinated version...
Ric enjoying his smoked fish starter
We head to Parma, Italy for the weekend which will be our final pre-baby trip. Plan to enjoy every single minute and are especially looking forward to a tour of the parmesean cheese and balsamic vinegar factories. Will post pics here when we return!
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