family visits

Sorry so much time has passed since I last posted. We were lucky to have Keith's parents and sisters in town for the past week and between work, travels, and sightseeing, I never found a moment to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes. That being said...let me see if I can catch you up and fill you in on the highlights of their visit.

Our first evening, we went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant on the water and enjoyed typical fare...lobster bisque, shrimp, lobster rolls, swordfish, steamed lobster, and...did I mention lobster? Keith and I are big fans of seafood and before moving up here we thought fish would be cheaper (being right by the water and all.) As it turns out, only certain kinds of fish are cheaper. Salmon and tilapia, for example, are more expensive. However, lobster, shrimp, clams, and crab are more readily available and considerably cheaper. Oh - a dining tip for those of you planning on visiting CT - If the server asks, "Are you all set?", which I think asks if I am ready to eat, they really mean "Are you finished so I can clear away your plate?". So, if you are like me and relish taking your time to enjoy every last bite, being sure to soak up all remaining sauce with a piece of bread, this is an important phrase to not reply "Yes, thank you" to.

I worked the first 2 days of their visit while Keith played tour guide through the streets of New Haven. Then, on Wednesday, we were off to New York City for the day via train. Our plan was to seek out the half-price ticket booth so we could catch a matinee musical, followed by dinner, shopping, and then back home. Upon arrival to Grand Central, we walked to Times Square and found a VERY LONG line outside the ticket booth. Sigh. We were on our way to the end when an official looking guy stops us and asks, "You guys planning on purchasing tickets?" We all reply affirmative. "Well then, right this way," he says as he led us past the entire line to the front so he could lift the cord and let us under. Keith stepped up and purchased 6 tickets to Hairspray, and away we went not 15 minutes later. How was this possible? I got one word for ya...AINSLEY!!!!! We call Ainsley the Perk Queen because, well, she's just that. When you travel with Ainsley, you travel in style because she'll somehow always manage to get you something extra. (More on that later.)

We spent Thursday shopping in the Outlet Mall...with the men making bag runs to the car. Everyone came away with something, even little Cheetoe.

Friday we packed up the car and drove to Newport, Rhode Island. If you are not familiar, Newport became the prime summer vacation spot for America's richest and elite around the turn of the 19th century. Today you can tour these amazing mansions, among them the most popular being The Breakers, the "summer cottage" for the Vanderbilt family. It was completed in 1895, has 70 rooms, and is around 138,000 sq. feet. Eh hem. The kitchen is the size of a small house. They required a staff of 40 to run the place, but would only spend about 8-12 weeks a year during the summers at this home. (Their NY City home was 3 times as large...poor dears.) Anyway, we toured the inside and grounds of The Breakers and then moved on to Rosecliff, completed in 1902. This mansion was smaller, relatively speaking, and slightly more comprehensible. It was a frequent of Cole Porter and is also a popular movie set. (Ex. Great Gatsby starring Robert Redford, True Lies with Arnold Swarts (sp?), and most recently, 27 Dresses.) Oh, by the way, no one took our tickets upon entering Rosecliff because they were so focused on our little Perk Queen so we've got 6 tickets to go back and visit any other mansion. Any takers to join us?


And finally, on our way home from Newport, we stopped in New London on Saturday to see one of the DeSonier family friends, Danny O'Flarety in concert at the local Celtic Festival. Keith's parent's and Ainsley traveled to Ireland last summer and Ainsley discovered a love for the Bodhran, a celtic drum. Being the Queen that captures the hearts of all around her, she quickly become a guest performer with Danny in pubs across Ireland. When the family heard Danny would be performing in CT during their visit...well, there was no other choice than to stop by and allow Ainsley a moment in the spotlight. I will end with a video clip of Danny and Ainsley performing at the festival. Thanks for hanging in there...this was a long post. Much love to ya!