What We've Been Up To....

1. Stuart graduated from Brandcenter on May 21st. His parents and brother Garrett flew out to be a part of the celebration and it was so nice to have them here! His parents arrived on Thursday night, so we took them out to one of our favorite Richmond restaurants, Edo's Squid. After a lovely Italian meal, we went home and relaxed the evening away.

I took a personal day on Friday, so we all took the dogs to Belle Island, one of our frequented spots for a hike/swim with the dogs. We were so excited to share this place with mom and dad, but the river was unusually high and we never managed to find a safe spot for Hutch. :( (Izzy doesn't really enjoy swimming, so she was perfectly content with the long walk around the island.) Still, it was a really nice morning and the walk was enjoyable. Then we headed to Carytown, a really unique part of Richmond with great shops and restaurants and grabbed some lunch before going to Hollywood Cemetery.

Saturday morning, Stuart picked Garrett up from the airport (he was supposed to arrive Friday night, but had flight issues) and we spent time lounging around the house before graduation. The Brandcenter ceremony was really nice and they held a post-graduation party at the Brandcenter afterward, so Stuart was able to show his family around what has been a "second home" for the past two years. Then, for my favorite part... we went to what is probably our favorite restaurant downtown - The Belvidere at Broad. I simply cannot get enough of that place. So, there you have it - my priorities for Stuart's graduation lied in the food, not in the celebration of such a momentous life experience. Only kidding. Sort of. :)

On Sunday, we grilled some hot dogs and brats, and made strawberry shortcake (Stuart's favorite dessert) and enjoyed visiting before everyone had to make their way home. It was a really nice weekend and it signaled the start of the next stage... the job hunt!




2. We took a 2-day trip to the Outer Banks over Memorial Day weekend. We've been wanting to go camping for quite some time and we also wanted to make sure we hit the beach at least one more time before moving... who knows? We could be landlocked again! So, we came up with the brilliant idea of camping on the beach. We settled on a campground on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Dogs are allowed on-leash, so we packed up the car and headed out.



The trip didn't start well - the air conditioner in my car went out. Then, about an hour away from the Outer Banks, we realized we had forgotten to put the dogs collars on them before leaving. So, we took a 40-minute "detour" and resolved that issue. Once on the island, we hit some serious traffic (to be expected, but still a pain), so by the time we arrived at the campground, we were hungry, very hot, and cranky. But the beach was just on the other side of the sand dunes!!! :) After making a quick lunch, we grabbed the dogs and the beach gear and made our way to the water. Hutch and Izzy were not nearly as enamored with the beach as we were expecting, but they still enjoyed the people and the scenery.

Izzy was completely worn out from the anxiety of the drive and enjoyed sleeping in the sand...

Hutch liked the people-watching.

After setting up camp that evening, we grilled some dinner and busied ourselves until bedtime while the dogs remained motionless from exhaustion. And just in case you didn't hear, one of my 1st grade students was staying in the next campground over. I can't escape them!!! She seemed absolutely stunned (as was I, to be honest) and never uttered a word to me while there, but when she saw me at school the following week, she proudly announced that she had seen me having a "romantic moment" with my husband, which as I remember, was a brief kiss before leaving to get ice. Ah, first graders...


The next morning, we packed up and left for Duck, NC - a northern section of the Outer Banks close to the mainland. We had seen online that dogs were allowed off-leash on their beaches and we really wanted to give that a shot. The problem is, there are no public beach access points in Duck and every access point is in a private neighborhood. After some serious scoping, we managed to find a parking spot in one of those neighborhoods that was not laden with "no parking" and "towing enforced" signs. Stuart dropped me off and went to park while I walked to the beach with the dogs. We didn't stay too long on this beach because I was already starting to dwell on how much I had to get done for school the next day, but the dogs did enjoy getting to roam freely. Hutch went in for the ball time after time and learned to time and ride the waves in order to do. Smart dog!



The air conditioner finally decided to cooperate on the way home, so we were very grateful to have a much more pleasant drive back. We discovered later that night that Hutch had limber-tail syndrome, also known as cold-tail syndrome from swimming in the very cold ocean water. His tail was limp for a couple of days and he was sore and a little off-balance. Fortunately, an Aleve and few days' rest was enough to bring him back to normal. A week later, we found a ruptured blister on one of his paws and while cleaning and covering that wound, we found several other burnt spots and blisters. Poor dog... So, we came to this conclusion: Camping is fun. The beach is fun. Camping on the beach is not fun. At least not with two dogs, no working car a/c, and limited time. BUT, it was still nice to get away for two days... you can't not feel relaxed on the beach.


3. We've been soaking up Richmond, which, of course, means the food. Whenever we leave, we will miss this city more than we miss St. Louis. Richmond has so much to offer, especially considering its size. Today, we had sort of an accidental French-inspired date that made for a lovely afternoon. Can Can Brasserie is a French restaurant in Carytown with an amazing menu and atmosphere. On nice days, their storefront windows completely open up, so we had a fantastic lunch in the sun. It started for me with a blackberry bellini (champagne with blackberry puree) and a summer pilsner for Stuart. For lunch, a Croque Monsieur for him... a "ham and cheese sandwich" and a Croque Madame pour moi (the same thing as a Croque Monsieur but with the delicious addition of a fried egg). AMAZING.

See?!

Then while we waited for dessert and coffee, Stuart made a doodle out of some egg yolk that had dripped on the table. This is what it's like to be married to an art director...

The waitress thought it was funny...

Then came the coffee and dessert.... a chocolate, toffee-lava cake with oranges. YUM!!!



If you've never had French food, do yourself a favor and find some quickly... it's happiness on a plate. I guarantee it.

Anyway, after our delicious (and heavily-documented) meal, we went to see Midnight In Paris. Very different from what we were expecting, but a great movie that we highly recommend. Very clever. :)

And so now, we are planning a vacation to France. When? No idea. But as soon as we can get there, we're going. I've always wanted to go, but today sealed the deal. I must see Paris soon!!! Until then, we will continue to soak up the things we love about Richmond while Stuart continues the job hunt. Hopefully we'll have news to post soon! :)