I’m off to Chicago this morning but not before the Chef & I discovered a raccoon in our living room.

Figures.

Happy Thursday. If you see the Chef this weekend give him a big ‘ole kiss from me. xoxo

In less then 24 hours I leave my children, my husband, and my canine kids to go to Chi town to hang out & room with a bunch of chicks I have never met before.

I have been going through the ups and downs of high school nervosa again & again however my fears were put at ease when two blogging chicks on a roat trip to the conference met up with me at our restaurant. We wined & dined with some other kick ass blitches (blogger+ well you know…), Alexa, Michelle V, and Allison and ended up having a really cool time.  Devra & Sarah really eased my bullshit psychosis and I must admit I feel pretty good about the experience I am about to embark on.  Thanks hot mammas.

Today is my packing day.  But it is so NOT working.  All I can think of is leaving C-money & Biggie Smalls.  And all I want to do is kiss them and eat them and take them to Cedar Point so I can watch them dance like pixies in (what is probably) really gross lake water:

We are so those parents.  You know the ones who let their 1 yr. old dance in the middle of an amusement park in her diaper.

I know that I am going to have a fanfuckingtastic time.  I am going to meet 5.7 million cool blogger chicks, I am going to travel to a city I have never been too, and I am actually going to learn a little bit about the thing that has been such a significant part of my life over the past five years.  The blogness. I am also really looking forward to eating at Publican, a Paul Kahan restaurant that has been highly recommend by my friends Michael & Liz.  I just spent the last 20 minutes looking at their menu and I all I can muster is a na na nah. Delish.

With all of the above to look forward it is really kind of hard to feel sad about leaving.  I know that my heart is going to be crushed when I walk into the airport leaving my kids behind but I also know that I deserve this trip.  I have poured my life into my babes and I know now that I am ready for a breather.  This will also be the first time in 5 years that I have left the Chef on my own.  Usually he’s the one who’s off gallivanting across the country not myself.  I have a sneaking suspicion that he is probably more nervous than I am.   He’s a silly Chef.  And I so heart him.

Making babies since 2005

So yeah off I go.  To a city that I have never been too.  Let’s hope what happened with NYC* doesn’t happen with Chicago.

Speaking of NYC there was a random Chef sighting in the City….

*I went to NYC once on a whim and didn’t come back for 2 years.

An array of deliciousness, especially the cucamelon, mini melons that look like water melon yet taste like cuks.  The snozberries taste like snozberries!

Farmer Bob Jones explains the seed process which is actually WAY more complicated then putting a seed in the ground and covering it with dirt.

Succulent herbs and lettuce grown in the greenhouse by George

The above scene made briefly considering selling all of our possesions, buying a plot of Earth, and farming it up…& then I woke up.

This really cool irrigation tractor that the family invented

Diamond Crystal Lettuce, something I’ve never heard of but something that made my mouth drool.

But the Chef’s Garden knows how to grow some kick ass vegetables…

Pictures above are from our amazing tour of Chef’s Garden, a place that inspires me to really really love vegetables…

My first real live protest waaaaaaaaay back before GW sent us to war

This weekend was most enjoyable even though it started off particularly disheartening.  Friday morning I was on the go by 6 am.  The Chef had to leave at 7 to get to the Veggi U Food & Wine event and I had to get the house packed, cleaned, and ready for our weekend away.  I got my coffee, settled in at my computer and opened my inbox.  Low and behold there was an email from a friend.  A friend who is well aware of my political stance.  It was a forward supporting the right (actually it was a comparison of Obama & Bush, not sure how that can even be possible) and it was absolutely absurd.  Not because it was for the right but because armchair politics is cheesy.

Here’s what I don’t understand.  Does one really thing change can be made through an email forward?  Does one really think that I am going to switch teams because of something that landed in my inbox? I think not.

If you have something to say or you desperately care to change the way this country works, then get off your ass and make a move.  Don’t email.  Don’t assume that I am ignorant and will automatically change my belief system because you send me some fear mongering propaganda.  Seriously don’t have time for it.  I have two kids, 2 dogs, one restaurant, and a husband that never sleeps.  My plate is full.

This email did get me thinking though.  Pre kids I was a bit of a spit fire.  I minored in Poli Sci and loved it.  Every class, every book, and quite a few teachers inspired me to actually care about what was going on around.  They inspired me to read and search for answers instead of letting some news outlet tell me what to believe in.  Since then my fire had cooled.  My passion for policy and politics weaned as my passion for my family grew.  It wasn’t until last years election and the campaign prior that my political passion exploded again. Funny(and terribly sad) how a complete breakdown of our country by a buffoon president will make one care.  Although my passion for this country’s political system began to grow again I still was complacent.  My news came from CNN and NPR.  Both decent sources, however back in the day I had at least 3 newspaper subscriptions from around the world and the New York Times was the first thing I read on the daily.  Man, The State, and War didn’t leave my side and I would even quote from it while I was out drinking.  A bit silly I know.  But at least I had a source.

Times have certainly changed for all of us and I hope they keep changing.  Change is necessary for our country’s growth and expansion.  Change also needs to happen for me.  I need to educate myself more with the world.  Current events need to be mind on mind.  Because if they aren’t, I will just become a complacent American who forwards bullshit emails.

****Update: after receiving a few nasty comments regarding the above post I thought it may be time for an update.  My post above meant no ill will to anyone.  I think that I respect both sides quite well.  Hell I’ve gotta considering our entire family except the Chef, myself, and my sister in law are all members of the Republican party.  My point was that the email itself inspired me to get of MY OWN ASS and do something.  Re-educate myself with the world.  That is all.