Being a Homebod and a Traveler is Not Mutually Exclusive

As is evident from my posts, Alex and I travel A LOT. And we love to do it. A weekend trip is always a nice opportunity to get away from it all and spend time with people that are important to us. It really puts life into perspective. Not to mention, our trips usually involve tasty food, exploring new sights, friends and family and too much fun {You know it was a great weekend when you get home and feel the need for a full day to recuperate and catch your breath}.

As much energy as we have, it's a difficult pace to keep up, and we don't always want to. Often when we have that lone weekend sandwiched between two traveling weekends we become total homebodies and spend all of our time just the two of us. This past weekend was no exception. And I LOVED it. It's absolutely rejuvenating.

Friday I got home from work early {which is always a bonus, especially on Fridays} and I convinced Alex we should head to Whole Foods for Flights After 5. I think I've referred to this before, but basically Whole Foods features a brewery, or sometimes several, and has five different beers that you get to try with food pairings. The whole shabang is only $5; actually only $4 per person if you bring back your beer tasting glass! It's always an interesting crowd and this time it was a local brewery {for Craft Beer Week} and the owner/brewmaster was on site. I got my fill of beer and food while Alex got his fill of answers {well, let's be honest, he probably would've stayed and talked even more if I let him}.

It's such a great value and a really good time. I also love it because it's early. On Fridays I don't usually have too much energy to spend the whole night on the town, so an hour or two is perfect. They also had wood fired pizza outside, so after our tasting we picked up a little more food for a light dinner {sometimes the tastings are filling, but usually you leave even hungrier than when you came in because of all of the beer you've had!}. We had a margherita pizza and split a salad from the salad bar, a double chocolate chip cookie and a sparkling peach izze soda. It started to drizzle, but that didn't stop us from enjoying a few minutes of the live music outside as well. I cannot resist any opportunity to eat outside. All in all we had some delicious food and met some new people while only spending $20!

Then we headed home and camped out on the couch to be lazy and watch a few episodes of Sons of Anarchy on Netflix. The show was recommended to Alex by someone and somehow I got sucked into it. Sometimes it feels good to just sit and not worry about where you have to be next. It also feels strangely luxurious to be able to watch a couple episodes right in a row.

The next morning we got up pretty early to drop off my car at the dealership and to drive to Shelbyville for a 10 a.m. appointment. We finalllllly had an appointment at a lighting distributor/showroom to pick out some new ceiling fans! I had been wanting to replace our ceiling fans since the moment we moved in. Two years later... We found three ceiling fans for the bedrooms and a complimentary one for the living room. Then we ended up picking out some outdoor fixtures as well. Might as well do it all in one swoop right? Since we had driven out that way we decided to stop somewhere nearby for lunch.

One of the culprits. See what I mean?

We ended up at Wallace Station which I had been wanting to try. They were actually featured on Diners, Drive-In's and Dives, which is one of my favorite shows to watch when I have nothing on my DVR. It was a beautiful scenic drive and we both had yummy burgers. They were the type of burgers that you really don't need all of the extra stuff piled up on them because the burger itself is so juicy and melts in your mouth. I was a little upset at my pimiento cheese for trying to steal the thunder.

On the way to Shelbyville

Versailles, KY close to Wallace Station

We finally made it back to the house and started installing the outdoor lights. Everything went smoothly with the four towards the front of the house. It became a little sticky when one of the old screws broke off in the outlet box out back. My car gave us the perfect excuse to step away for a minute and brainstorm, as well as make a stop at Lowe's. We found a new outlet box and Alex had to do a little mortar chiseling to get it to fit just right, but man he did a great job problem-solving. Of course big projects like these can sometimes cause some bickering, but I am always so impressed by how well we work together and how much we can accomplish when we set our minds to it. We make a heck of a team if I do say so myself.

In the left picture the bronze light is the one we used next to the front door and side garage door. The brass one next to it is what we removed from the side garage door and also out back.

We replaced the one out back and the two next to the garage with the ones in the picture above. They are more of what you would call statement pieces. They reflect the light beautifully and as a result you get a bright light without looking at just a plain light bulb! It's difficult to tell in the pictures, but I was instantly wowed by the difference. There's also a certain satisfaction that comes to doing home improvements yourself too. Then we moved on to the inside and we decided to tackle a ceiling fan. The first one is always the most challenging because you have to figure out the instructions and where all of the pieces and parts fit! We replaced the one in the office without too much trouble and then decided to break for the night.

Alex made panko-encrusted tilapia with green beans and broccoli-cheddar flavored brown rice {made from the leftover soup from Soup's On that we attended on Thursday}. Then we went for a nice walk through our neighborhood and split an icee {Alex's idea, not mine}. After a relaxing night we got up early again and got right to it. You definitely do not want to lose your momentum because that's when a project can easily drag out for months or maybe even years! I took everything out of the boxes and dealt with the trash so it was all prepped once Alex returned from his workout. Then I played assistant while he did all of the actual installations. He's a little bit taller than me and actually knows something about electrical wiring so he was the chosen one on that. We installed the fans in the other two bedrooms which were easy because they were the same as the one we had done the day before! Although, the fans we removed were not necessarily the same.



Then it was on to the big guy, the one in the living room with the drop rod! We decided to go a little bit nicer with that fan just because that room is the focal point of the house. I was very surprised when that installation went pretty smoothly as well. I could hardly believe we were done! My next task was to get rid of the evidence. While Alex mowed the lawn and got busy outside, I cleaned up all the trash and thoroughly cleaned the house for a few hours. I love love love to clean the house. {Okay, I don't always feel that way, but usually I do}. That was my therapy alone time as well as Alex's. We like to share the chores around the house, but it's still nice when the other person likes to do something that you don't really enjoy too much.



Then it was time to get ourselves cleaned up to head over to church! Having a 5 p.m. mass is really nice just to change up our schedule a little bit, and I love that service because they have a praise band so it's a little more contemporary. After church we hit the grocery store together and split the list right down the middle {It was literally one of those weekends were we did everything together}. Then we made a Buffalo Chicken Salad for dinner using this buffalo chicken tender recipe. We cut the chicken into even smaller pieces so it would cook faster, because by that time we were STARVING. We added a little ranch dressing, some diced celery, mozzarella cheese and that was it.

After a "it hit the spot perfectly" dinner we capped off the weekend with a few more episodes of Sons of Anarchy and some cookies and cream ice cream. Then to bed early! It was a very productive and rejuvenating weekend spent together. We had some fun, got a lot done around the house, and just enjoyed each others' company.

The only thing missing was some time with friends. We made up for that last night though when I hosted book club at our house. Up next on the docket is Memorial Day Weekend in Cincinnati! It should be the perfect mixture of travel, yet being at home at my parent's house and Alex's grandpa's house. The two are definitely not mutually exclusive, and what I love most of all, is the fact that whenever I am in the mood for a weekend spent mostly at home, Alex usually is too.

Nothing Like a Road Trip to Kick Off Wedding Season

Last weekend we kicked off this year's wedding season! Last year's calendar was quite robust with weddings, and this year will prove to be the same. This wedding gave us the perfect excuse to have a little adventure and explore some new cities that we might not typically visit.

The wedding was going to take place in Kansas City, MO which is about a 9 hour drive, give-or-take an hour. Anything under 12 hours we usually try to drive. One, because it's cheaper, and two because sometimes flying,with all of the time spent at the airport, can take just as long. Plus, when we drive we can be in control of our stops and what we do along the way, which we both value highly. You have the opportunity to see more of the country which this post clearly demonstrates!

Alex and I are very car compatible. Usually we are both hungry at the same times, have to use the restroom at the same times and we can split the driving pretty evenly down the middle. It's a little bit ridiculous how easy it is to travel with him. This was our first trip with Alex's new car, a 2013 Ford Escape! A new car always makes a road trip a little more intriguing. There are so many buttons to play with. The extended sun roof is hands down our favorite feature, even when it's not open, it's refreshing to have natural light hitting you when you're in the car for a long time.

We left on a Thursday afternoon and made our way to St. Louis, MO which is directly West of Lexington. Unfortunately, it was overcast and rainy the whole way. This doesn't always make driving enjoyable, but it does make it easier to be stuck in the car because you're not missing out on beautiful weather. One of our first sights when driving through St. Louis was the Arch! Downtown and the Arch were a lot more picturesque than I had anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised. Apparently our GPS did not love St. Louis quite as much. It had trouble keeping up and kept trying to give us directions that didn't really exist. I think there had been some construction in recent years, but phew that was quite frustrating!

After a little arguing with our GPS we finally arrived at our first destination in Eureka, MO. My Human Resources Director, Kelly, {from my job in Columbus} moved to St. Louis with her husband and two girls this time last year. They were gracious enough to let us stay with them for the night and we had a wonderful visit with the Vergara Family. They also introduced us to Provel Cheese and "Toasted Ravioli", both of which are staples in St. Louis. Toasted Ravioli is basically fried ravioli and provel cheese is likened to "white velveeta." It's actually a mixture of cheddar, swiss and provolone. Apparently it has a low melting point which gives it a gooey and buttery texture at room temperature.

After a restful night and relaxing morning we hit the trail again for a few adventures in St. Louis. First stop was experiencing the Arch up close! Prior to researching things to do in the city, I had no idea that you could go up in the Arch! I thought it was more of a monument that you admired from below. Imagine my surprise even more when we went underground and were surrounded by gift shops and museums and a whole visitor's center. It was much larger than I expected. You ride up the sides in a small little cart which would not be a good idea for anyone that has claustrophobia. I, for one do not, but I almost thought I could develop it from that little ride. It was quite crowded at the top and because you're in an Arch the floor is curved which makes you feel a little off balance, but the view was beautiful.

Following our visit there we drove 10 minutes south to the Anheuser-Busch "campus." After checking in for our tour we walked across the street for a quick and delicious lunch at Sage, one of Kelly's recommendations. I find that local recommendations are always the way to go. Alex and I split a black bean burger and a meatball sandwich. I love when he agrees to share food with me because then I get to try more food without overating! We tend to order together quite often.

We signed up for the paid Beermaster tour which was perfect for us. It was a much much smaller group than the free tour and we were able to see more. Alex took about 5,000 pictures at the brewery and probably asked just as many questions. It was a little overcast and chilly, but it definitely didn't rain on our parade. We got to see the Clydesdale horses and meet one of their dalmatians! That experience, along with trying the fresh Budweiser straight from the tank, were my favorite. The whole experience made me think of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Everything was so impressive and there was history and beauty everywhere, along with a lot of high tech equipment. Finally the fun had to come to a close and it was time to hit the road again. 

We hit some awful traffic leaving St. Louis, but for the majority of the drive there was not much to see at all nor too much traffic to contend with. We arrived in Kansas City, MO around 8:30 p.m. that evening {love gaining an hour, thank you time zones}. Driving into downtown reminded Alex of Cleveland and reminded me of Cincinnati. Once again, I was very surprised at the size of the city. Both St. Louis and Kansas City were so much more than I was expecting. They both reminded me quite a lot of Cincinnati, I guess that shouldn't be too surprising. I recharged for an hour while Alex finished an online quiz for his MBA program {Don't feel too bad for him, he's got the summer off now}. 

Then we headed down to the bar to meet up with our friends who had also traveled from afar. {The entire group, including the bride, were in a Leadership Development Program with Alex for Eaton Corporation. Now they live scattered throughout the US so we see each other for weddings and last year we went on a cruise together}. 

We also had the opportunity to see a little bit of the bride and groom. They went to bed on time, as they should've, and we decided to extend the night by hitting the town. Once again, taking the advice of a local, we hit a nearby spot called John's Big Deck. It was a covered rooftop patio with live music and tables with firepits in the middle. Such a perfect atmosphere to reconnect with friends. The girls and I also took advantage of our local tour guide, the bartender from our hotel, and experienced some amazing late night burgers at Town Topic. 

The next morning we lounged around until it was time to head to the ceremony which was held at a beautiful church. I just love to watch the expressions on the bride and groom's faces throughout the ceremony. You can plainly sense their excitement, nervousness and love for one another. It's just an amazing moment in life to witness and I'm probably more sappy about it because I remember my own feelings in that moment {this is when my mom or Alex would say to me, really, you remember? I am notorious for having a bad memory when it comes to certain things}. 

 

After seeing the bride and groom off we headed to a local BBQ joint to grab lunch. The first spot we tried to go to, Oklahoma Joe's, was in a gas station and had a line out the door! Based on the slightly chilly weather we decided to forgo that spot for another. It was an interesting experience, I had no idea what many of the things on the menu meant, but the meal was satisfying. From what I understand Kansas City BBQ is more about the sauces then the actually meat itself. You could choose between beef, turkey, pork, chicken etc. I still love my Montgomery Inn sauce though!

Then we headed back to the hotel for a little nap and downtime before the reception. The reception took place at a local brewery called Boulevard Brewing Company. Apparently they do not distribute to Ohio or Kentucky, which is why I had never heard of them, despite the fact that they're the 8th largest American owned brewery. Once again, Alex took tons of pictures and tasked himself with trying all 8 of their beers on tap. He completed his task, but ultimately decided he liked Ed Janesz's homebrewed beers more! After having a little nightcap with some friends we called it a night. 

The next morning we got up bright and early to get on the road. Since St. Louis was about half way home we decided to stop there for lunch since our drive wasn't going to take as long as we original thought. We stopped at a little restaurant in The Hill called Guido's Pizza & Tapas. The Hill has a largely Italian influence and therefore boasts a multitude of Italian restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores etc. Once again we had the opportunity to experience some provel cheese and ravioli. Delicioso! Our lunch stop helped make the drive feel less monotonous and it's nice to not always have to eat fast food when on the road. Finally we made it back to Lexington around 8:30 p.m. and I immediately set to uploading my pictures from the weekend. I always try to upload my wedding pictures ASAP because I know what it feels like to have to wait for your official pictures for weeks!

Congratulations to Megan & Kevin on their wedding, and here's to kicking off the 2013 wedding season with a bang! St. Louis and KC it was nice getting to you know you.