a quintessential fall weekend:
*learning (in the form of a digital publishing seminar hosted by IPNE) — CHECK
*driving around NH to see the fall foliage — CHECK
*visiting a local farm — CHECK
lessons learned from said fall weekend:
(1) i can still manage to get lost even when i have a GPS, ALL the google maps at hand (thank you, adriana), and three different navigators. (i really wish my superhero powers were something more useful like flying or shooting fire out of my eyes.)
(2) we tried to combat my superhero powers by using different navigators. gina, front seat = we started chatting and forgot to pay attention to the signs. we had to pull a few U turns. adriana, back seat/front seat = she counted the number of blocks left until the turn. very efficient. justin, back seat = he told me the amount of time until the next turn. worked more often than not.
(3) there are sauces called MOTHER SAUCES. (no, there aren’t any daughter or son sauces. i asked.) these are the five basic (french) sauces from which every other (french) sauce is made. they are: tomato, bechamel, hollandaise, espagnole and veloute. (ok, i had to look up the last two.) (sorry, justin. i swear, i was paying attention. once i stopped giggling at the idea of mother sauces.)
(4) goats can climb up really thin ramps that lead up to a tree house. (it’s as weird to watch it happen as it is for you to read about it.)
(5) pumpkins! (i didn’t really learn anything about them, but it’s the only picture i took and look at the pretty.)
(6) cider donuts are scrumptious. (i know! and there’s no chocolate in them either.)
(7) landing in cambridge at the same time the red line goes off the rails AND the head of the charles races are done for the day AND all the cabs have gone missing is SHEER MADNESS, especially if you’re then trying to leave. (fights for cabs will ensue. justin will win.)
(8) william defoe in THE BOOKDOCK SAINTS is ridiculous. you all have to watch that movie just for him.
(9) having a plan is necessary, but when things don’t go according to it, laughing your way through it helps.
(10) taking the scenic route is worth the extra miles.
what did YOU learn this past weekend?
Abigail Mumford 
It was a fun weekend, wasn’t it?? I had a great time. Lessons 9 and 10 are my favorite!
I’m trying to think of what else I learned over the weekend… Hot cider with rum and spices = delicious! That’s all I got. I guess I need more coffee :)
hot cider + rum and spices is delicious if you’re into that kind of thing, which i’m not, so i’ll just have to take your word for it. make that lesson #11.
I learned that weekends are NEVER long enough. And cider donuts? Never had one, but they sound luscious.
i wish i’d taken a picture of the donuts. they’re petite and sugar coated and scrumptious. i was afraid they’d be too apple-y, but they were just right!
Yes, 9 and 10 on repeat (for me).
(6.5) Fried capers are the bomb. Salty explosions in your mouth. TWSS.
(6.5a) Justin makes a mean vegan chili. Want. More. Chili.
HA HA HA. love the name.
i actually had the vegan chili as one of the items, but then took it out because i needed to stop talking about all the food and wax some poetry about the lessons learned. but really, THE FOOD that weekend? DELISH.
RE: mother sauces. yes, i knew about them, and have made every single one of them at least twice. why yes, i am a food network/cooking channel uber-geek. also, speaking of which: how excited are we for the Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs? It starts sunday :)
there is oh so very much i don’t know about cooking, which is probably why i find it so fascinating to talk to my friend’s husband. he’s the only real chef i know (and v. patient with all of my questions.)
i love those cooking shows! although i wish i could taste what they’re cooking.
This weekend I learned I am way more competitive with my neighbors than I thought. (Yes! I will win the Halloween Decorating Contest this year.) Just watch me.
Like Karla I am a huge cooking show fan. But I am picky. The shows have to be fun as well as entertaining. And I can’t wait for the new season of the Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs. I already know who I want to win.
good luck with the halloween decorations! make sure to send pictures!
i’m afraid i won’t be able to get sucked into the super chefs show because i’m about to downgrade my cable package to the bare minimum. hopefully this will help me develop my writing and reading habits into something stronger since i won’t have a tv to distract me. sigh. i am going to miss mindless tv though.