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Rachel and I closed on our first home yesterday. It’s a farmhouse built in 1860, on Ellis Hollow Road in Ithaca. Here’s a picture from the listing taken back in the winter. I’ll send more seasonally appropriate pictures once I bring my camera up to the house. We’re spending the month of August doing some painting and other projects, moving in around Labor Day. Really? We own a house? In the words of the late Phil Rizzuto…Holy Cow!
We had a reunion visit to Brooklyn last weekend, meeting our family for dinner at Lucali’s in our old neighborhood and then staying for a wedding at South Street Seaport. Lucali’s was our favorite brick oven pizza place in Brooklyn, which was just ranked by GQ as the second best pizza in the country. Walking into Lucali’s is like taking a step back in time, with candle lit room, no menu, and just a wood burning oven in the back of the shop. The owner stands in the back making pies and offers different fresh ingredients each night for the pizza. Oh, and it’s a bring your own wine establishment. I think I just drooled on my keyboard. Yup, I did.
This was taken the weekend before last, 3.5 months until baby Ash arrives.
We took a trip up to Grassroots Festival this weekend to meet a few friends and listen to some cajun, country and bluegrass music in Trumansburg, NY. It was my 7th Grassroots and Rachel’s first. If you enjoy this music, I’ve been told its one of the more organized and well run festivals of it’s kind. The food is great, the size is manageable and people-watching alone is worth your weekend ticket.
My Weekend Winners
Best Food: Pulled Pork from Stonecat Cafe (also a great restaurant on Seneca Lake)
Best Singer (and outfit): Jim Lauderdale (pink cowboy shirt and matching pants with diamond sequins)
Best Performer: Sharon Jones (Not a huge fan of the music, but she knows how to work a crowd. Her “I Want You Back” tribute to Michael Jackson was great)
Most Unbelievable 65 Year Old: ”Toots” from Toots and the Maytals (the guy can still pull off a black leather sleeveless jumpsuit)
Best Band for Dancing (or band I wish I had at my wedding if I were having Irish wedding): Scythian
Best Song & Solo Performance: Courtney Granger from Pine Leaf Boys singing “She Thinks I Still Care” by George Jones. (Also a great band)
Most Cliche Homage to the 60′s: Carving a peace symbol into a painted bus with your pink daisy
I know that watching golf on TV is a tough sell, but this weekend Tom Watson almost became the oldest player in golf to win a championship. He had the lead by 1 stroke on the 18th hole today and then it all crumbled as he lost in a playoff. But watching this 59 year old play the way he did for 72 holes caught my imagination. I pictured people all over the world following this story, as he tried to show that wrinkles and experience can still trump youth. He may not have won, but I’m sure this old “geezer” as he refers to himself, inspired people young and old to continue playing and competing for what they love, well into the golden years. Thanks for that, Tom.
I just bought the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D fixed lens, and this is my first picture of Russ with it. If my behavior towards the dog is any indication, our poor kid is going to be the subject of a lot of pictures growing up. As a matter of fact, he’ll probably rebel hard against photography in his teens and become a painter.
We know we’ve moved out of NYC, when we spend the morning of July 4th at a farm watching the 4th Annual Sheep Dog Trials. We had a lot of family in town this weekend for the holiday including my cousin, his fiance, and their shepherd dogs. To reconnect their dogs with their natural environment and experience something new, we visited the Fetch Gate Farm. If you’ve never been to a sheep dog trial, I can’t say run out and find one, but it was a unique July 4th adventure. Don’t worry, we still spent the afternoon drinking beer and eating burgers.
On the way home, Rachel spotted this golden field on the side of the road.
My brother and his girlfriend visited for July 4th, and brought my little niece, Mabel. Isn’t she cute?
I meant to add this along with the Purity posting, because they really go hand-in-hand. I’ve been going to Glenwood Pines for at least 20 years and their french bread burgers & bloody marys are the best in town. If you’re feeling up for it, they offer a Pines Burger Challenge. Eat 4 burgers in one hour and receive a t-shirt and photo on the wall.
Last weekend Rachel’s brother and family came to town. We introduced the kids to the burgers and the antique miniature bowling game that my brother and I played growing up.
I’ve been getting a lot of requests for more pregnant Rachel pictures. Here’s one of her and a curious Russert from last week.
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