Last night was my first night sleeping in the JRMBR (Jamie Rubin Memorial Bedroom) at vickyandnorm‘s new house and it was a very comfortable night indeed. There was even a sound machine that I could have used to listen to crickets, or the sound of the ocean, or white noise, but I didn’t need any of that because the room was so comfortable.
It was my intention to shower right away, but I wasn’t sure what towels to use. Vicky had arranged a set of towels on my dresser, all tied together by a bow, a-la Martha Stewart, but they looked so night there, I thought they were decorative. So instead, I headed downstairs and listened to some music for a while until Norm and Vicky headed down as well. (It was soon clarified that those nicely wrapped towels were, in fact, for my use.)
Vicky proceeded to make breakfast, the first of three meals that she cooked today. We had thick pancakes and bacon and sat in the breakfast area of the kitchen with a pleasant view of the woods in the backyard. Tt was all very good. After breakfast I showered.
Norm and Vicky were due to get their new kitten, who they named “Maddie”, today. After some delay (it turned out the little girl had pink eye), we headed out to Westchester County to pick her up. In addition to getting the kitten, they got the instructions they needed to give her eye ointment treatment to her, as well as general instructions for her care. She cried most of the drive back home. Once home, however, she quickly began exploring her new house and began settling in.
It was mid-afternoon and rather than have a full lunch, Vicky made an excellent dip (it had cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes and all kinds of good stuff in it) and we had that with some very good crackers. Meanwhile, we continued to watch Maddie explore and grow accustomed to her new home.
Dinner was a real highlight and Norm and Vicky really outdid themselves on this one. We had a three-course Fondue dinner, hosted in their formal dining room. It started with a cheese fondue made from three cheeses, wine, and who knows what else. It was delicious! We dipped bread, apples and carrots into the mix. For the main course, we had servings of raw beef, chicken and shrimp. These we dipped into a tasty broth until they were boiled and cooked. We finished off a bottle of white wine while having this delicious course. After this, we took a break. Norm and I headed across the street to explore the shell of the house being built to see how much it was like Norm and Vicky’s house (Norm and Vicky’s house was better, in my opinion).
For the third and final course, dessert, we had a chocolate fondue that had chocolate and rum and who knows what else in it. We dipped marshmallows and strawberries and apples and it was outstanding! Vicky and Norm really did a a terrific job with all of the meals. Next weekend they are hosting a bigger dinner party and I’m sure everyone who attends will wish they could stay permanently with Norm and Vicky, if for no other reason than the great dishes they produce.
We spent the later part of the evening drinking champagne and playing Scrabble.
It was a great, relaxing day, and my last Saturday before I head back to work after having a month off.
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