SuperBowl Bound-Day One

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I didn’t expect my first post back from hiatus to be a trip to the Super Bowl, but, well, my life is unconventional at times, and I’ve learned to roll with it! So, instead of sharing my travel advice from sunny Puerto Rico, (to break my writers block) I am going to give a day by day, blow by blow, of our fun filled time headed to New Jersey for the All American event called ‘The Super Bowl’. (I will be sharing my Puerto Rico traveling tips, and gluten free experiences when I get back, be patient!)

Currently as I type, (I intend to keep it current daily, yeah, nothing like good intentions!) I am winging it from snowy frigid Minnesota to snowy but less frigid New York City. Yes, I know, the Super Bowl is in New Jersey, but we are staying at the Palace Hotel in NYC. It’s ironic really, as my husband and I are not football fans. In fact, we really are not sports fans in any traditional sense of the word. Our girls were equestrians. Yep, we lived the horse world, from which we are recently, (and too be honest quite happily) divested. Not only are horses a budget buster, (the things we sacrifice for our children!) but it is a sport which can be rather singularly individualistic. Me, being well, me, I made it a party. Loving to love on our group, it was not unusual that a typical ‘show’ would consist of a chicken cesear salad ‘luncheon’ to be eaten in lawn chairs in the scorching sun surrounded by a lot of hot dirt and dust. Equestrian is not a ‘team’ sport in the normal sense of the word. The girls did have ‘teammates’ who rode with the same trainer but when it came down to the wire, it was my girls and their horses who did the competing. It most certainly is not an environment where a bunch of fans all congregate, have a huge party and get noisy wild! No, it is a slow paced, patience testing, mentally challenging, endurance sport. Lots of hurry up and wait. The sport is stamina testing, learning how to keep calm and relaxed under duress for extended periods of time, (so as to keep the horse and rider calm and yet focused) which can be a grueling marathon for both horse and rider. So, when I say that the game of football is lost on me, I mean it sincerely. It is a world which, having horse-loving girls, we did not experience.

So, you might be wondering, why am I excited?

IT’S A PARTY! And that, my friends, is right up my wheel house! Parties? I know those! I know how to host a party and I know how to appreciate being a guest, and we are lucky enough to be guests of a group that knows how to not only have fun, but knows how to make their guest feel special! That, is a party I cannot refuse.

When we arrive in NYC there will be a reception and if past experience holds true, we will be meeting with the new up and coming rock stars of the NFL. More to come….

While I catch my Breath

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Hubby and I rolled in late afternoon yesterday from the Harley Davidson 110th Anniversary party in Milwaukee, WI.

We had beyond an amazing time and both of us agreed we would be back in 5 years. In the meantime, while I catch my breath, run some laundry, and generally catch up on some sleep, I would like to share a fantastic post by Gluten-Free[K] which showed up in my email InBox. I can totally empathize with her concerns about eating gluten free on a budget as I have 2 daughters in college trying to manage their finances and pinch pennies. Her point about having a well stocked pantry will inspire me to put up a post of my own, which will hopefully help people to maintain and refine their own pantry…and if you don’t have one, how to set one up.

I also will be sharing some of our experiences in Milwaukee, which, thank goodness for camera phones and old fashioned memory, because I think we’ve lost our camera. I don’t care about the camera, I just wish we had the data card with all the pictures we took. Bummer.

So, here is the link to Gluten Free on a Budget. Please, take the time to head over and give it a read, especially if you are looking for some ideas! And stay tuned, reports from HOG heaven are on their way!

SFO Day 4: Home, there, and back again

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Breakfast this morning started out at The Daily Grill which was both delicious, worth the 15-20 minute wait and had excellent service. We had walked by the previous day and the line was out the door. Since there were only a few waiting, we decided to give it a try. As seemed to be typical in San Francisco, they did not have a gluten free menu, nor designation on the menu for gluten free items, but they were happy to accommodate both my daughters gluten free diet.

Then there was general consensus to spend our last few hours on the ground on Fisherman’s Wharf. (We were to fly out late afternoon) We packed up, put our luggage in hotel storage and headed off to catch the trolley for the obligatory tourist experience of riding the San Francisco trolly. After standing here, waiting 20 minutes with a pack of other tourists,

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we changed our minds. Yep, we took a cab.

The cabbie dropped us off near 12:15pm, which is when the next heat of the Americas Cup was running. So I dragged my family out to the end of the Pier where we watched the boats race. This time the Emirates boat had some competition, the Prada boat. Well, kinda sorta competition. They started out within sight of each other

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The Prada boat is on the left (facing the camera), the Emirates on the right, headed towards Alcatraz Island. Then, all of a sudden, the Emirates boat took off and sailed away.

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Since the Pier where the cabby dropped us off is near the shopping mall, and behind the ‘main drag’ of the Wharf, after watching the boats we headed off to pass time. It was so lovely on Sunday, as it was less crowded, but still lots of artists and activities.

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We passed more time enjoying the sights and sounds, then headed back to The Franciscan to warm up (there was a chill in the air) and grab a light bite. We shared a crab and my oldest was able to enjoy our fun experience also.

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We polished off our crab, Yummmmm.

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Then it was a stroll up to Ghiradelli Square, where again, the crowds were nearly non-existent and we were able to grab a sweet treat.

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I tried the ‘new’ chocolate-banana salted caramel milkshake, my ‘cold babies’ had a hot chocolate.

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By this time, it was with a bit of sadness we grabbed a cab back to pick up our luggage and head to the airport. Another lovely surprise, the airport was nearly empty! On the plane headed home, my oldest treated me to ‘fun with food wrappers’ as a way to combat the boredom of the 3+ hour flight home.

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As I rolled my bag to the car, it struck me as odd that I was headed ‘home’. The mid-west has been good to my family. It has provided us a wonderfully slow paced life, a safe place to raise my children, a good job for my husband and a small, but treasured network of friends. Yes, it has been good to us. But…..to me, the West Coast will always be ‘home’.