Upstate Weekender in Ithaca, NY

I took a few days off (because I have unused vacation days) and decided to spend a weekend upstate in Ithaca with Sarah. The weekend was fabulous and eventful.

The weekender began on Friday, enroute to Ithaca, after a mini adventure getting lost in Nichols, NY and Endicott, NY - I stopped by a convenience store to ask a girl if she knew how to get onto the 79. Oh no, She had no idea. But she mentioned how she could lead me through the backroads to get to Ithaca ... the directions were hilarious, drive for 10 mins, pass a Sunoco on the left ... and finally, little did she know she was leading me to the 79!

503 E Buffalo, Ithaca, NY

Nicely decorated apartment

Sarah Style

After arriving and some hugs, Sarah and I shopped at a rather large supermarket where we picked up groceries for dinner making on Saturday, and Five Guys (for some fries) and a wine shop for some local vino. Our dinner was peanut butter and blackberry jelly with some white wine.

On Saturday, we took a yoga class in the am. I can safely say it was the strangest class ever. The teacher, David (had a beard and lots of hair) was very in my face and he even wanted me to return to class again Sunday. He pushed me a lot, which was nice. Following class, we showered, drove to a bakery for chamomile tea and then to the Ithaca farmer's market. So many goodies. As we discussed what drew Ithacans to the area, we established that it could be in pursuit of fulfilling dreams of owning farms.

Green and Blue, My Favorite Colors

Vino Tour Along Cayuga Lake

In the afternoon, we began our wine tour along Cayuga lake (Frontenac, Americano and Knapp). The sun came out and it turned into a beautiful fall day. On the way back to her place, and after 23 tastings for $7, we stopped by some scenic stops. Drove through Cornell to check out the suspension bridge. Finally we made dinner based on the Moosewood recipe book she gave me for my birthday (vegetable stew with potatoes, eggplant, carrots, celery, mushrooms, squash; zucchini feta pancakes; pepper and tomato hummus; layered apple tartlets). We crashed into bed, falling asleep to early episodes of Sex and the City.

Dinner Food Based on Moosewood's Pocketbook

Sunday am was reserved for mass.

Immaculate Conception

It really was a fun, action packed weekend and I cant wait to see her again.

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Quick Recap From First Weekend in May

(L-R, Top to Bottom): A House in Aquebogue; A Dirt Path, Windows Vista-Like; More Muddy Paths, Roanoke Winery, Red Barn, a Red Plated Californian 4x4, More Red, Backyard of Winery With Fluffy Clouds

I spent much of Saturday on Long Island, volunteering at an organic farm, Garden of Eve. The task of the day was to plant strawberries, and my friends and I collectively carried that out for a few hours (even implemented assembly line production to maximize efficiency). At one point, I saw a pitchfork and it instantly reminded me of my encounter of being chased throughout the yard with a rake maybe fifteen years ago. Nonetheless, it was bucolic, natural and pretty ... and the best feeling was washing my hands after getting them covered in dirt!

We were mildly rewarded with a yummy lunch of pasta and fresh organic spinach. The spinach was probably the best spinach I've ever had, and I got to bring home with me a huge bagful - a nice souvenir. After completing the task, and because we were already so close to the Long Island wineries, we made a stop at Roanoke Winery, where we split a bottle of red and basked in the slightly cool sun. The slight drizzle that started when we were working went away, and the day turned out to be gorgeous.

Saturday dinner was in Brooklyn, was followed by a post-dinner stroll, and we ended the day chatting on a couch in a coffee/tea shop, very Friends-esque. Apologies to my friends for repeatedly whistling Yael Naim's New Soul, and getting that Macbook Air song stuck in their heads!

Sunday was rain and more rain ... even so I shopped in Chelsea with Erika (Loehmann's, Housing Works, Banana). Purchased a few items, but still need to find some new flats.

Oh, and my friend Nora dropped off scrumptious brownies -- mmm good.

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