the travel itch

I'm not sure if it's January cabin fever or the travel bug, but I am oh so itchy to travel.  I would settle for a trip anywhere at the moment, but I'm itchy for an adventure trip...a backpacking on a shoestring trip.  Sometimes I make Loren play a game just to ease my clostraphobia.  It typically when we're having our morning coffee.  I say, "let's pretend that we're on vacation right now, drinking our coffee in _____.  What should we do today?"  We spend the next cup or so of coffee chatting about what where we would be, what we would see, what we would eat.  It's great.  It's my favorite game.  Thankfully, we do have a trip on the agenda!  We'll be sailing the breath-taking British Virgin Islands in slightly over 2 months.  The two of us plus Loren's family, mom, dad, sister, sister's husband, and close family friends, Mike and Linda will be the crew.  I can hardly wait.
Here's a little snack from our past trip in 2009.  85* weather, sparkly blue water, and plenty of time to sit and read a book.   Yes, yes I am looking forward to this treatment again. 

So what will be next after BVI, I haven't a clue.  Here's the ever changing list of places I need to see tomorrow as soon as possible.

Turkey

Ireland.  I would love to do a hiking trip along the coast and stay in B & Bs at night.  Lovely.

 Russia.  A train trip through Russia would be A-mazing.

Greece.  I need several trips here.  I need to explore the mainland and the isles.  Wouldn't it be great to drink your morning coffee from that tabletop tomorrow? 

Great trip suggestions?  Know of any good eateries, pubs, or places to stay?

quiet friday nights

friday nights as a college student. not that long ago in my life. late nights, out with friends, sleeping until noon with no guilt. yet, here i am, on a friday night, starting a blog.  i'm currently sitting at my dining room table, drinking a woodchuck hard cider, hovering over my laptop.  i'm completely content.  i'm not quite sure when this change occurred.  when did i stop planning out every minute of my weekends?  or when, exactly, was the last phone call from an intoxicated friend that i received in the middle of the night?  i'm not sure. awhile.  its not that i miss those bits of being a young whipper snapper, i just wonder when i out grew these events.  nonetheless, i'm happy.  very happy in fact.  at this very moment, i have 3 out of 4 of my favorite men sitting on my sofa.  my brother, isaac, my husband, loren, and my bulldog, hank are all cozied in for the night.  my dad, i'm guessing, is having a similar night up in roseau.

its been a fairly dreamy winter this year.  2011-2012, my favorite winter.  abnormally warm weather.  so warm, in fact, that we don't have snow.  duluth minnesota has no snow in january.  madness.  until today that it.  i scoffed at the weather man today when he predicted 2" of snow.  twenty minutes later it was snowing giant, beautiful, cotton balls.  even someone that dislikes snow becomes awed by a good, slow snowfall.  i was able to take the peanut, aka hank, for trot through our new surroundings after work.  we both loved it.  later, loren shoveled sidewalks and  i made amazing zuppa toscana per isaac's request.  good choice, isaac.  we mixed a bit of mexican in with our italian.  we pregamed with homemade guacamole and salsa.

this was a phenomenal friday night.

here's the recipe for the soup i made tonight.  enjoy!

1 pound ground spicy italian sausage
5-6 small potatoes
49 oz chicken broth
2 cups kale
1 pint half and half
1 2/3 tbs crushed red pepper

i use one pot to cook everything.  brown the italian sausage.  add chicken broth, sliced potatoes ( i used reds), crushed red pepper.  cook until potatoes are soft.  add kale and half and half.  eat.