Category — Man About Town

TBG tried. He really did. He meant well. He really did. But he blew it. He really did.

For a romantic Valentines Day / holiday weekend, TBG booked us at a charming farmhouse lodge in Vermont for 5 nights of relaxation, and days of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the Green Mountain Forest.

Except TBG forgot to read the fine print:

• no tv. fyi: we have 3 DVRs in our 4 room NYC apartment
• no cell phone reception
• no internet
• full-size bed: TBG was a college 230lb middle linebacker: Moi and Mignette are sleeping in shifts

Does he know who he’s married to? Not to mention, he was planning to do alot of school work, and for that he needs an internet connection.

I am a TV/internet addict, but I’m not totally dependent. If this was 3 days, 2 nights, no problem. Or if we were away on a desert island or Paris or Buenos Airies, we’d be happy and busy: we went to Thailand for 3 weeks and never saw a TV or computer. But TBG’s plan was an hour or 2 a day skiing or hiking – the most he can do since his recent 6 knee surgeries and quintuple bypass – and the rest of the days in the farmhouse, me reading, watching TV or relaxing, him in front of his laptop pounding out papers and researching articles. Fortunately I was warned: TBG gave me a printout of the confirmation email with driving instructions, and I immediately honed in on: cell phone coverage ends before you reach the lodge. So I had TBG email and find out what else wouldn’t be available.

No worries, there’s a cafe with wifi only 5 miles away.

Moi Note: Quelle surprise, I threw money at the problem. Thank you iTunes: we are watching episodes of 24, Damages and The Deep End that I missed while I was in India and downloaded to my laptop before we left : which I hadn’t planned to bring.  When TBG had his surgeries, I bought him The Godfather DVD collection, which we’d never seen. Finally have time to watch that. Packed another surgery gift, Star Wars Trilogy for TBG. Plus my Kindle is fully loaded. And it is a charming, rustic loft with a working fireplace and cathedral ceilings. And electricity.

Good thing TBG’s cute! btw, it is a fabulous, romantic getaway.

ps: I’m writing this post in our home away from home, Seasoned Books aka Sandy’s in Rochester. I have to type fast. They close at 6pm.

I wasn’t always a pen-atic: I acquired my recent pen fetish from TBG. I think collecting pens is a very typical male obsession: as they climb the corporate ladder, whipping out important or unusual pens to sign the business document is a status symbol. TBG started his pen collection over 30 years ago, inspired by an antique crystal and wood inkwell and pen holder he inherited from his grandmother.  Over the years he’s acquired gorgeous, expensive and unusual pens (new, vintage and antique) and out of necessity, cases, stands and holders to display and store these pens.

Having a spouse with a pen obsession or other mantique passion is very desirable to antique, flea and vintage market lovers like Moi:

• he’s always willing to accompany me to a market or shop as he has his own interest to track down
• when I’m browsing alone I can keep an eye out for the perfect gift
• he totally gets why some things cost what they cost
• he understands that something “similar” won’t do: I can spend years tracking down the exact thing that I want

Over the years I’ve gifted TBG with pens, cases and other accessories to support his collection (and to prove that I was thinking about him while I’m off traveling on my own, such as the flower frog to hold pens on TBG’s desk).

It’s also lucky to have friends who are on similar hunts! I recently visited bff The Antiques Diva in Berlin, and of course we spent much of my visit exploring the antique markets of Berlin. I’d been to Berlin several times before with TBG, and was eager to revisit with a shopping list in mind. And one of the items on my list was a gift for TBG. Fortunately for me, the AD is married to The Wine Guy, and TWG is also an avid pen collector (who discovered several years ago he could research and buy antique and vintage pens on French ebay). So one of the first steps on my mission was to consult TWG for advise as to the perfect German pen to gift TBG.

TWG knew the exact pen to track down: a Pelikan pen, and to complete the gift, a Pelikan pen holder. Pelikan is a German brand, so the perfect souvenir gift. TWG also happens to be close friends with The Pelikan Pen Guy! He even could recommend which market was most likely to offer the pen, and gave Moi guidelines on style, price and condition.

TWG’s Pelikan Pen shopping guidelines included:

• pen should be manufactured around 1950’s
• buy from a pen specialist, not just a stall with pens
• a fountain pen is interesting but roller more practical
• spend time writing with the pen to be sure the ink flows smoothly, the pen feels good in the hand
• preferably the classic cigar-shaped pen
• spend no more than 50€
• look for the Pelikan display case: again not more than 50€
• accompanying filled ink jar and nibs would be interesting (if I went for the fountain pen)
• try the flea market Straße des 17. Juni
  

So with our Pelikan pen mission clearly outlined (plus a shopping strategy of our own) the Antiques Diva and I headed toward Straße des 17. Juni.

What do you think of our find? TBG loves it!

Just when I thought I’d seen it all…Sippin Seat…beer designed especially for your tail. Now the ushers will have to check inside the seat cushions!

$29.99 at www.homewetbar.com

You can’t make this stuff up! Please don’t get me one for Christmas. But my bil J…hmmm.

This weekend we drove up to Vermont to join the throngs of leaf peepers…TBG is a rabid photographer, and this was a by week for ND…and I scored a good last-minute deal at the Equinox Resort in Manchester…loved the cuddly Frette terry robes.

We spent most of the weekend parked on the side of picturesque country roads, each setting looking like a calendar photo or postcard, while TBG shifted between his 3 cameras and happily found each perfect photo op…tumbling down barns, covered bridges, pumpkin fields, fabulous fall folliage.

my fave pic...but not TBG's

We stopped at pretty much any place with the word sugar: sugar house, sugar shak, sugar n spice. We bought maple syrup, fresh hot sugared cider donuts, hot spiced cider, spiced cookies, pumpkins, gourds, mums, indian corn and lots of Christmas gifts…sorry, can’t reveal any secrets yet!

We did not stop at the dozens of outlet stores or antiques shops lining route 7a in Manchester and heading up route 100 to Killington…except one. For TBG. We stopped at his country gentleman fashion mecca: Orvis.

We stopped at the Orvis flagship store. We shopped the Orvis outlet store. We scoured the Orvis tent sale. If you’re not familiar with Orvis, let me explain TBG is very familiar with the stores on 5th Ave in NYC and Michigan Ave in Chicago: this should give you a clue that this store is aspirational. For the guy who aspires to the gracious country lifestyle…and is willing to pay for it. btw… they do have ladies and home and doggie fashions also, not my style; I curled up on the huge leather couch by a crackling fire and checked my emails and twitter and facebook while TBG filled his shopping sac. If you like to browse, fly fishing rods, hunting rifles and knives, canoes and paddles…and all the clothes and accessories to go with them. For a price.

Orvis rhinohide canvas khakis

TBG’s shopping recommendation:
I’m told they’re very comfy, very rugged, and improve with age. They have faux-leather trim, are pre-washed, and come in neutral colors like cement and olive. And are on sale now for $59.

Who knew?

Doggie-dilemna… in the car on our way to the game, and our dog walker plans fell apart. 7am-11pm is just too long for one little dog to cross her legs! So who you gonna call: fave bil M, only 1 mile away, would looooove to run over to the condo, get someone to buzz him in, figure out how to work the new lock, find the leash, find the dog, take the elevator down 22 flights, find some grass, and wait patiently for a little white dog to circle endlessly before she finds a place to pop a squat.

I owe bil M big-time! The perfect gift for a guy who grills everything (except his mother’s key lime pie):

Sirloin: The Perfect Guy Gift

Omaha Steaks! Shhhh….don’t tell M, but a great end of summer sale is going on, and I was able to buy 6 sirloin steaks at half price, plus a jar of bbq sauce!