The Cookbook Junkies

We had a wonderful trip across the country in June.  Day one, we drove from New York (Long Island) to Chicago.  We left at 6 a.m. and arrived at our hotel in Chicago about 7:30 p.m. (that is with an hour time change – so technically we were on the road almost fifteen hours).  That first night we ate at the Rainforest Cafe – Andrew was exhausted but he loved it. I have always been in love with several cities and Chicago is one of them.  


The next morning after breakfast in the hotel we surprised him with Legoland Discovery Center.  He was over the moon!

After spending a few hours there (and of course a Lego set purchase) – we drove to Wrigley Field – where we happened upon a Sausage Festival.  Chicagoland knows their sausages!  After having some sausage and chips – we drove down Lake Shore Drive – and I saw Lake Michigan for the first time – I was in love (again).  We found parking and walked to the Navy Pier and decided to take a boat ride.

The next morning we took off for Denver…over seventeen hours in the car — it was an exhausting ride (at one point I prayed for death).  We spent two days in Denver looking at homes and figuring out what part of Denver we wanted to make our new home.  We had some great meals, met some wonderful people and enjoyed our time there (our real estate agent Tina Delgado was amazing!)

Next stop was St. George, Utah for a one night rest stop.  We drove through the Rocky Mountains and I have never seen anything so awe inspiring. Maybe I’m just older and can appreciate the beauty more.  I’ve been to the Grand Canyon, lived in Phoenix, St. Louis and New York, visited Niagara Falls and  honeymooned in London and Paris – but driving through those mountains — there are no words.

After our stop in St. George for the night, we made our way to San Diego.  I remember the first glimpse of the Pacific – again my heart just burst.  We live on the Atlantic and my husband’s family have a beach house at Breezy Point – and I remember the first time I saw the Atlantic – I was gobsmacked.  The Pacific just ruined me for all other bodies of water.

We didn’t want to tell Andrew about our surprise for the first full day in San Diego – but we ended up having to spill the beans.  He saw “Carlsbad” on the door of the hotel and started to cry.  He didn’t understand why we told him Legoland was too far away and we couldn’t make it this trip.  Here is his reaction to the news:

We had a fun day at Legoland the next day (and of course he left with another Lego set)!  The last day in California – we drove to Los Angeles and I got to see the Hollywood sign, walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I had lunch at Susan Feniger’s EAT AT STREET – it was wonderful!  All I cared about on our trip to California – was giving Andrew Legoland, seeing the Pacific and I hoped to see the Hollywood sign and eat at Susan’s restaurant- I lucked out and got everything on my wish list!

We drove back and stopped in all the same cities for one night each – but with a four hour stop in Las Vegas (for daddy).   Las Vegas is not for me (even though I was lucky).  In Cedar City, Utah after leaving St. George, we had a wonderful thirty minute visit with my wonderful friend Pam and her gorgeous daughter, Anna and dog Olive!  I met Pam through her blog Living Rancho Delux and we are great friends!

It was 6,500 miles and a once in a lifetime trip!  We had fun in the car playing “Guess What I’m Thinking Of?”, singing songs and talking.  It was an incredible bonding experience for our family to live in one room for two weeks – we loved it.  We thought it would be difficult – but it was beautiful and Andrew was a ROCK STAR!

Now we are packing and getting ready to have a contractor come in and do some cosmetics – carpets pulled up (hard wood floors), painting and more.  We hope to have the house up on the market by September.

Colorado here we come!

I have a brand new copy of Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough’s Cooking Know-How!  You can check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Know-How-Techniques-Step—Step/dp/0470180803/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340124073&sr=8-1&keywords=cooking+know+how

I love Bruce and Mark’s cookbooks – and believe I have almost every one – except for their newest…have to fix that soon.

Leave a comment here and I’ll pick a winner using Random Number Generator on Andrew’s birthday June 29th!

UPDATE:  Jenni Field – won this cookbook! 

Things have been hard. 

Another alleged “friend” is no longer one because Andrew in a fit of anxiety caused by my being thirty seconds away on the blacktop after school swung his backpack at her daughter.  The backpack didn’t even make contact and for this – she has had four meetings with the teacher – are you kidding me?  You were my friend.  We went to the Bronx Zoo, we went to Lego builds, we were at your house, my husband spent a weekend fixing your laptop, you were at my house, I’ve made you meals – we ate meals together – and for this you “defriend” me in real life.  I talked to her that afternoon several times – and I thought we had it resolved.  “I love you – you are the greatest person and I know Andrew is a good boy.”  Apparently the next day she felt otherwise and will not return my calls or texts – making sure everything is alright.  I am of the mind set that you try everything you can to keep a “friend” especially in my situation but I have done all I can do and now I’m extremely hurt.  Well suck it, ex-friend.  I now pick up Andrew in the office after school so we don’t have to deal with the blacktop cluster-fuck.  It is very stressful back there – and I’m enjoying sitting on a leather couch waiting for Andrew and not getting rained on and having to deal with a bunch of craziness.

Do not misunderstand me – I was distraught about Andrew’s behavior.  We spoke long and hard about it.  I didn’t even see the “event” but two of my friends said – he did not make contact, that he stepped up and swung his backpack her way.  He says that she stole his personality – that he use to be the good kid in kindergarten and first grade and now he’s the bad one and she is the “perfect angel” – that is what her mom told me the teacher called her.  She is a sweet girl but she also is very mature for her age – meaning she is allowed to watch adult reality shows and she talks like them too – she rolls her eyes and says sarcastic things – which are cute to me – but misinterpreted by Andrew.  No matter — what is done is done – and we move on.  I do believe that even Andrew can sense that a regular classroom is too much for him – that he never had this much anxiety and never did something wrong at school until now.

The reason I was thirty seconds away on that fateful day was because I had been stuck on the phone with the gym teacher.  We had learned over the last few months that Andrew had been bullied by another child.  Pushed down, taunted etc.  Apparently they all believed it – because this isn’t the first time this child has been accused.  I told the school – Andrew had bruises all over his body – and he doesn’t want anything done because this child is a “cool kid” and Andrew wants so desperately to be a cool kid.  I think that situation has been resolved. 

Andrew just isn’t doing well.  He’s anxious, nervous, scared all the time.  He had a massive breakdown at a friend’s communion party on Sunday and we had to leave.  It killed a piece of my husband to have Andrew do this in front of that room full of people.  We took him out – we spoke to him – we went back in – same thing happened again – he went after his friend and it was a horrible scene.  We left.  I have to say – I think Andrew is remorseful about this situation.  The last two days he has been quiet – and not mouthing off – and he admitted he was wrong.  (He is never wrong – it is always the other kids or our fault that something has happened.)

One of my friends on Facebook said to me – that kids with Aspergers do have it worse in a way – they appear to be normal – they act normal and then from out of nowhere – they do something bizarre, they act out, they become aggressive, their anxiety manifests in flapping and pacing and hyperactivity.  I don’t know about that I think autism is hard no matter what the situation – but I do believe she has a point.  Everyone judges Andrew because he appears normal and then does something so abnormal that it boggles our minds and hearts — that we are bad parents and he is a brat.

We aren’t and he isn’t.