RM – your note about horseback riding hit home. I had a horse in HS, but haven’t ridden since then – until I started riding lessons this past January. I recently changed stables, and am much happier with my teacher and the lessons. I’m having to unlearn a host of habits I acquired when I rode my little gray mare for fun. Who knew riding was such a lot of work – mental & physical?
First pony was Western saddle but English reined. Took some time when I got my horse to “convert” that. 
I have never ridden English saddle. Looks MUCH more difficult then Western.
DTE, your H doesn’t like the People’s Republic of Cambridge? I think it is a nice place, although ShawWife and I would miss the real outdoors (rivers, conservation land for hiking and skiing, etc.). We have Cambridge friends who say, when they are in the park around Fresh Pond, that they are in the wilderness. Nope. If the path is paved and their our fences around it to block out the site of major thoroughfares, that is not the wilderness.
We have also thought that Coolidge Corner in Brookline could be a nice place to live.
RM, I understand the feeling about running out of excitement at wineries – I also start to feel that way at museums – even though I enjoy a few winery tours. Lots of great stuff to do in Marin (Muir trail hiking), Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino (cycling?, great food). For our honeymoon, ShawWife and I bicycled across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausolito, San Rafael (I think), into Napa then to Sonoma then to the Anderson Valley (really tough climb I would not be in shape for today) then to Mendocino, then down the coast on Highway 1 (tough, tough biking though very beautiful), into Bodega Bay, and back over the Golden Gate Bridge. Phenomenal trip with great food even 31 years ago, and lots of great B&Bs. Just celebrating my birthday and this year, we realized, I have been married longer than I was single before that.
c_q I am only in NYC for one night. I would love to meet up another time. I really wanted to get home to be with H on Father’s Day as this is the first one since we had kids that neither will be here. And with losing my FIL recently, this will be a tough day for H.
I am eager to downsize (right size) the house but it will be at least a few years before we retire and we would like to have some idea where the kids will end up. I would love to have them living close (but not with) us.
Nope H does not like Cambridge and feels the same way about Home Depot. Very uncomfortable. Funny because he is very easy going.
When we go to Capetown we will visit the winelands. D2 leaves in 2 weeks.
I got lost in Brookline and was in some really nice neighborhoods. I had never been in that area, more the Beth Israel frequent flyer.
Good morning. Enjoy NYC however briefly, FG 
RM, if your h doesn’t like city driving, don’t get a car at the airport – get a driver to take you into the city if you decide to stay for a night or two then pick up a car to head to Sausalito, Muir, wineries, etc. Getting a driver is also nice for the wineries so everyone can relax and have fun.
Parking dt will drive your h crazy, and I say this as someone who used to live right downtown in Toronto When we were there in the fall, I think it took my friend about 24 hours to unwind from the trip crosstown to get to the hotel I’d warned her we shoulda ditched the car on the way into the city but she thought I was being a spazz…
Thanks all for the suggestions. Met with other couple last night and we are very much in agreement on what we want to do in general. We will actually try to extend the trip by a day although we will stay at the one B&B in Napa the entire time. We both feel that we “loose time” if we need to pack up and move. Glad that we are of like minds. We expect to spend some time in SF doing the Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, etc. type stuff. We’ll figure out the driving. Decided that we want a small suv on the off chance we want to go someplace where it’s needed. We aren’t planning what we are going to do yet. Just wanted some other ideas of what there was to do. Everyone agreed that we could fill the week with just staying in the Napa area. Now to decide on the air and get the B&B booked. I know it’s almost a year away but B&Bs (especially nice ones) have such a tendency to fill out quickly or that is my experience.
RM, if you like hot mud baths, I think you can still get them in Calistoga. http://www.goldenhaven.com/spatreat.html (I didn’t, but ShawWife did). No doubt they will purify your soul and draw out toxins and other wonderful things.
Shaw - that does sound good to me! The other wife is actually very like me and her H is very like my H. I’m thinking that there will be a day when the guys will go out for the day on a rental bike and really do some riding and she and I will hit a spa or shop.
Book the Alcatraz tours ASAP. They tend to fill up quickly and during the summer, can be booked solid weeks in advance.
Hi, back from the ceremony. It was a gorgeous day and everything went very well. H and I explored Everrett and had a nice day while waiting for the event.
Alcatraz use to have a cool thing–if you are the last tour you get to experience all of the cell doors closing and hear that scary sound. We were suppose to when we were there in 2005 but S was toooo hungry and we had to leave.
Glad all went well oregon.
I never seem to have a bad time in NYC. On Friday I got to finally see D’s office and meet some of her friends there. We did lunch and then on to the Morgan Library. The show that night was fabulous. On Sat wer walked around the park which I always have to do, then on to Brooklyn for brunch.
Happy first full day of summer to all! We had a lovely weekend with D, in spite of the rain yesterday. Saturday afternoon we went to a Summer Festival at a nearby winery – tastings, food trucks, live music, etc. We left just as the rain started. For Father’s Day H didn’t want to go out, so we cooked lobsters at home.
S called, after repeated text reminders from both D and me. He’s currently at an AF base in Ohio for additional training – how to build runways or some such. He still hasn’t received orders for his next duty station but seems to think it will be South Korea. (Great – now I get to worry about the MERS over there.)
D told us last night she’s not renewing her lease in August and will be moving in with her BF. H seems to be upset, which I don’t get – after all, WE lived together before getting married. (One difference, though – he was too chicken to tell his parents, so they thought we each had our own apartment until we said, “I do.”) I think the real issue with H is that this means things are quite serious between D & BF, and H is worried about them getting married since BF did not grow up in a church-going family. I can’t get excited or bothered by any of that. BF treats D very well, is respectful of her, has a great job and is careful with money. Again, H and I went through some of this before WE got married – why does this same stuff bother him so much now?
CBB, so glad your son phoned home!
We returned home from the road trip on Thursday evening. I came in to work on Friday (BTW, a great day to return to work; no one expects you to be there, you can catch up in relative peace, and the next day is Saturday.)
We brought home tons of stuff from my mom’s house and H’s parents’ house…including three sets or partial sets of china. I am just too soft when it comes to stuff my mom wants me to take. It breaks my heart to tell Mom that I don’t want something that was Dad’s or hers. The whole process actually makes me want to get rid of so many things, versus absorbing more into the house.
D’s graduation went well and D starts work full time today (although not officially on salary until July 1st.) She found out that a guy ahead of her is likely going back to grad school so she may be “thrown into the fire” with his job. Meaning many long hours but more experience. (BTW, did you read that Golman Sachs had to make a rule that forbids summer interns from working all night? Now they have to be out of the office between midnight and 7 am.)
Poor older D…she has done the math and has now realized that when she is working full time, she will barely have any more money than she has had with her internship + our support. Welcome to the real world, sweetie…it does make me feel a bit sad when they have to tackle the adult world. (Yes, CBB, I do realize the irony that your son is in the way adult world of the military and I am feeling sorry for my little princess who may have to cook at home more.)
We ate all the essential food groups in Chicago and Memphis. Memphis was perfect for a three night/two day stay…Graceland, barbeque, blues, National Civil Rights Museum, fried chicken, Sun Studio, barbeque, blues.
Son’s summer school class is very difficult. It’s on a topic related to physics, so they have a physics prof teaching a room full of non-science majors and the class average on the first test was 55 (Son got a 78 - yay I guess?). Son is on his way to tutoring right now.
My cousin’s husband appears to be in the final weeks or days of his battle with liver cancer. She keeps posting pictures of him with various relatives on Facebook. I certainly hope she has his consent to do so. He is virtually unrecognizable and looks miserable.
I post this not to vent about my poor cousin who is losing her husband, but as a reminder to myself and all of you to have this discussion with our spouses, kids…I need to tell them DO NOT post pictures of me ill or dying without my express consent, and if I do not have the capacity to consent, the answer is NO!
Glad all your trips went well. We had a very nice week in Cape May with our sons (and my sister). S1’ s girlfriend joined us for 2 nights as well .
Both sons did call my husband yesterday, even though they had just seen him the day before when we were leaving Cape May!
Funny MP no I did not want bald pics on FB but other people done seem to care. In fact I have no bald pics at all. However when I repost something or say anything in the least down people think I am sick again and send me messages “are you ok” yada yada. I wouldn’t announce it on FB for sure.
CBB my H is rather funny about the live in thing. My D1 is moving in with her BF this summer. They have been together 3 years and are quite good together. My H does not like it, Maybe its a Father daughter thing. but I do find with my H that he has definitive ideas that do not evolve over time. Sometimes I ask him if its “rules for rules sake?” doesn’t seem he needs to think it through before he forms an opinion. (Unlike our Shaw)
I was at the lake, I wish we could update it more but its not the correct time yet. It is a lovely spot. drove to work sunday in the torrential rain and was late
One of my BFF’s just got diagnosed with tongue cancer. she doesn’t smoke or drink. I am seeking support so I can support her. I already know what I do when stressed so am going to need to get on a nutrition and exercise plan.
On the good news front have been reading boysx3 has been recovering very well. Miraculously well. speaks to her strength and that of her family and friends , so happy for her!
Sorry to hear about your friend’s cancer. It really is great to see that boysx3 recovery is going well.
My older son told us he is going to start looking at a place to buy in DC. He and his girlfriend of over 4 years are going to check out some places together. He may not buy right away but wants to get an idea of what’s out there