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A yummy day...

Masala (not my picture...just thought
you should know).

Sometimes I think I just have the best job ever -- even when I don't sell a house.   Last Friday, I had a typically atypical day being a Realtor.  That's one of the perks of working in real estate, you rarely have the same day twice. She was in Lexington interviewing for a position and I was asked to give her a tour of town and show her some housing options. We had spoken on the phone on Tuesday and made our plans to meet. She really wanted to just rent and honestly there's not much I can do as a Realtor for people who want to rent. Lexington is different from other cities as far renting something happens. I wasn't overly optimistic about how our day would go but I figured I'd do the very best I could for her!


Padma turned out to be lovely, smiling extrovert! She talked immediately about her job interview while we drove off to one of the schools she wanted to visit and a nearby apartment complex.

And that was it. We found the perfect apartment if she takes the job.

Then, we went to lunch! We went to Masala, one of Lexington's best Indian buffets. I felt a little odd taking the Indian woman to the Indian restaurant. I hope it wasn't inappropriate but we had smelled Masala from the apartment complex, she said she was open to anything for lunch, we were running out of time and Masala does have a buffet!

Delicious! That's what lunch was. Padma thought lunch was great too. She struck up a big conversation with the owner which was all in Indian but I'm sure she was telling her what a great Realtor I am. (Then, he brought her some cute little green peppers that probably would have burned a hole in my tongue.) Actually, he told her that we were good luck as the health department was inspecting them right then and the inspector thought we were very happy patrons. Which, of course, we were because lunch was so delicious. I was even happier because Padma thought our little Indian place was really good. I'm so proud.

Over two huge plates of food, we talked a lot about parenting, the importance of family dinner time, exercising, our mothers and then she treated me to lunch which was so very nice!

I'd say the odds are good that Padma won't be moving to Lexington so subsequently she probably won't be buying a house with me. While those three hours might not be profitable in an immediate financial sense, they were sure fun! I'm delighted to have spent an afternoon with her and have the good fortune that I get to call it work!

Hunter Boots - the new Mom appliance

Oh but I loved the comments from my last post about coffee!  I love hearing what the nice nieces are doing (real nieces and faux nieces as well as sisters :-)).  This blog is awfully girly most of the time, isn't it?  Sorry male readers.  Are there any male readers?  Speak up and we can be more boy-ish sometimes!

Anyway, in the spirit of girly-ness, I just wanted to share that I took the plunge and ordered my boots as an early Christmas present!  My logic:  I stood out at Will's lacrosse scrimmage yesterday for 2+ hours. The weather was glorious as it was on Sunday afternoon at Will's baseball game.  But, imagine if it hadn't been!  I would have been so much happier in my waterproof Hunter Boots.  They're a mom-investment. Plus, showing property? They'll be swell and I'll feel like a New Yorker!  We're getting to the fall and winter season -- dry feet are happy feet! 

Like a minivan, Hunter boots may be the perfect Mom/Realtor appliance.  Have I ever pointed out that my van is white to match my washer and dryer?  I ended up getting the black boots because it will match my range & dishwasher.  

Maybe they should make stainless steel colored boots or perhaps Aubergine appliances. 

Coffee, anyone?

I know it’s not Monday but it feels like it. Maybe it’s the rain and the early autumn chill in the air that I hope shall pass. Plus, I’ve been longing for New York lately. Again, is it the Fall change of seasons and not knowing what to wear post-Labor Day? Can I still wear my white jeans if I pair them with something from the orange/brown family? Is it too early to wear boots? I’m sure there’s something at H & M, Uniqlo or that lovely Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center that would ease my morning suffering as I stare into my closet at a total loss for what to wear in an unseasonably cool early September.


To counteract my Thursday-feels like-Monday-pining-for-New York-morning doldrums, I decided that I needed a coffee treat so I stopped in downstairs at Starbucks before heading upstairs to the office.. Don’t spread this around but I’ve been at Starbucks more than usual lately (perhaps the influence of Isabug’s morning coffee blogposts). But enjoying Starbucks is part of my effort to take advantage of my prime office location and to feel better about the suffering my back bumper is experiencing at the mercy of the worst parking lot in town. Obviously, horrible parking is the price one pays for cool working space. Anyway, I did get my favorite parking space both yesterday and today. It’s the end space where your car can only get hit on one side. Then, I decided to try something new (and cheaper), I cautiously ordered a Caffee Misto surprising the barista by asking what one was! He was really excited to tell me about it. I guess no one asks for help ordering at Starbucks anymore. It’s only $2.10 for a tall Caffee Misto versus $3.70-something for my usual latte (except that I usually get a grande which is even more expensive). It isn’t quite the taste treat of a Cinnamon Dolce latte or pumpkin spice (which is back! Yeah!) but it’s pretty darn good, plus if I get a cheaper coffee treat I can have them more often, right?

Oh, and why else am I missing New York? Did I mention that I am listening for the umpteenth time to Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Nights? I finally finished listening to Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven and needed a little literary candy after that. Good suggestion from the nieces that I would definitely need some post-religious fundamentalism palate cleansing. I tried starting Ann Patchett’s new book State of Wonder and as much as I love her writing, the nieces were right --after Under the Banner of Heaven you really need some fun!

So what’s new with you? Anybody want to get a coffee with me later?

Milestones...

Vanderbilt gets the prize for being the first
college to recruit Mary Rollins...
!

Parenting continually presents an array of milestones that when they occur make you realize that a particular moment is an important first in the forward movement of your child's life.  There are the obvious things, of course, like a first smile, a first step, a first haircut and first days of school.

And then, there's the complete curve balls like the first college brochure that arrives in the mail.  Eeek!!! 

I mean I knew she'd go to college one day but dang, I feel old...

Also seen in my backyard...

As previously posted, I've been spending way more time than usual in my backyard.  There's been a lot going on back there with the flora and the fauna.  There's my bumper crop of poison ivy, the frog who seems happy to have new fishy friends, a really big, really brave bunny rabbit who has been coming to graze in the middle of the back yard every afternoon and my lovely hummingbird, Snitch.  I've spent a lot of time staring out the kitchen window into the backyard at my hummingbird feeder lately. 

For most of August, my hummingbird feeder has only had the one customer.  An adorable, miniscule ruby-throated hummie who calmly sits on the feeder and greedily slurps away.  Then, last week all hummingbird hell broke loose and we had a turf war at the feeder.  Snitch zoomed in and chased away an itinerant hummingbird that had discovered my feeder.  It was very dramatic and buzzy -- like Snoopy and the Red Baron!  The new hummingbird must really like my recipe for food though because he won't be deterred by the angry Snitch.  He keeps sneaking back and hovers over the nectar holes with one eye on eating and one eye looking out for Snitch.  I can tell he's really nervous because he won't sit and eat.  

Yep, it's exciting times at my house.  I should probably get back to work...

Full Circle

You know your life has come full circle when you lose your parents at the grocery store AND your parents bicker at the grocery like you and your brothers used to do.

I've heard that grandchildren are a parent's revenge but I'm pretty certain the parents themselves are the parent's revenge.