Hello, hello!
It’s 8:30pm on Sunday night and I have a few minutes to blog! Luis is at IKEA trying to sell back some chairs that we have had sitting in Mazál for a few years and no longer use. Did you know they have a buy-back program?!
We just got back from an amazing trip to Italy and I want to share all about that trip, but first I want to share a few snaps from a last minute trip to Philly a couple weeks back. I booked the trip last minute so that I could lend a hand to my parents in helping to clear out my Dad’s office for a well-deserved retirement! It was a big job that I was more than happy to use as an excuse to fly home and spend some time with my OG two favorite people in the whole wide world.
My Top 5 Favorite Moments from the trip (in no particular order!)
- A delicious Double Espresso in Milan
This one is from before I even arrived in Philly. I had a layover on the flight into the States in Milan (I much prefer a layover on my way in over the way out!) and parked myself at a coffee bar right in the middle of the airport for this delicious italian double espresso (un doppio). Yes, that tiny coffee is a double. Have you ever heard of “torrefacto café”? It is a type of coffee that has been toasted with sugar, which creates a dark color to the beans and creates a bitter, strong flavor in the coffee. Also possibly cancer causing … It originated in Spain and is now considered to be used only with bad quality coffee (because you are essentially scorching the coffee with sugar). Well, surprise, surprise – the countries that continue to serve torrefacto cafe are some of the most “iconic” countries for their coffee, including Italy, Cuba, and Spain.
Moving on…
2. Spending time with Teddy baby
That picture above makes me laugh. It looks like he took a selfie.
I love him so much.
3. Getting to be a part of such a big moment for my Dad!!!
We spent a few hours every day (except one) that I was home cleaning, organizing, filing, shredding, laughing, and planning. It definitely wasn’t an easy process to get this entire office packed up, but we did it and it looked great. I found some interesting artifacts, like these comic strips:
I have lots of memories of visiting my Dad at work – early on at a different office that I have blurry memories of a little ramp in the hallway/entryway that I thought was great, and that the secretary sat behind a window (I think?), like a real secretary. Then a few years later, lots of memories from this office where my Dad has spent the last 20 something years – writing, creating, defending clients – and also sending me email articles and chatting with us on the phone, leaning back in that chair you see above!
Here is a visual for you:
It’s the end of one era and the beginning of an even greater one. Congrats, Dad. Love you.
4. The best food made by Mom
Home is my favorite restaurant there is. My mom is the best cook I know and had a homemade dinner ready every night I was home. Look at this salmon, summer salad, challah, and MAC AND CHEESE! My favorite. And homemade thai food another night. She must be Superwoman.
5. Just Being.
My favorite thing about being at “home” (I have two homes) is that I can just BE. I don’t need to do anything, see anyone, be anywhere, reply to anyone. I can just exist, and I enjoy that very much.
I saw old friends for lunch….
Spent long hours sitting in the kitchen over breakfast…
Watched the herd of deer that have moved into the backyard…
Went to the pool with my parents…
Marveled at this ENORMOUS blueberry…
Slept long hours, watched many episodes of The First 48 with my Dad, walked Teddy, drove alone for the first time in a long time, sat out on the back deck, went for walks.
I landed in Madrid a couple weeks ago, had 5 days to run around like a chicken with my head cut off and then Luis and I were off on our Italian adventure. I hope to be back soon to share a bit about that!
Thanks for reading, amigos.
P.s. Luis just called. They said the chairs are too beat up to pay us anything for them. Wommmmp womp.
