So Long, SJ!

Our last few weeks in Salem County were kind of a blur, and moving preparations definitely took a priority over blogging.  As a result, I have a lot of pictures on my computer that were intended for something when they were taken; the purpose of which has now been forgotten.  My new intention for these pictures is to randomly disperse them throughout this post (I'll whittle it down to the best ones only)!

What I do remember about that week is that we had some very strange weather...raining and 65 degrees one day, and then back to below freezing temps towards the end of the week.

Murphy wants to remind everyone to keep their extremities

covered to reduce risk of frostbite.

We spent our last full weekend catching up with some friends that we knew we probably wouldn't see for a while after moving.  On Saturday night, we went into Philly to visit my UConn buddy and former roommate, Megan.  Of course, I made BearFace drive because I despise city driving, and tend to get flustered easily when I don't know where I'm going.  Rather than subject myself to BearFace's "What the h*&% are you doing?!" looks, I just let him take the reins.  Unfortunately I get just as flustered when someone else is driving in the city.  This resulted in a minor freakout in which I may or may not have yelled, "JUST PARK!  I need to get out of this car now!", which in turn led to us walking a frigid 5 blocks only to find a parking garage directly across from Megan's apartment building.  

When we finally got feeling back into our fingers and toes, we settled on a stroll around the block to pick a restaurant for dinner.  Megan suggested Village Whiskey, and we were able to avoid the 2 hour wait by grabbing the last three seats at the bar, which opened up just as we arrived.  They are known for their whiskey (obviously), as well as their dynamite burgers.  Since I do not personally drink whiskey, I decided to break my no-red-meat rule and sample a burger.  And it was fabulous!  We started out with an appetizer of olive tapanade, bread, and pickled tomatoes, beets, and something else that I seem to have forgotten.  Sounds odd, but it was amazing!  Being my first encounter with beets, I was a little skeptical but they got an A+ in the end.  We all marveled over the selection of whiskey, especially the one that cost $150 for a 4 oz. glass...  

Delicious food aside, we had a great time catching up with Megan.  Seeing college friends always makes me nostalgic about our UConn days!  Megan and I definitely had our share of crazy stories from our sophomore days as roommates.  

On Sunday we visited with Drew's friend Mike and his girlfriend Nicole.  We headed over to their place Sunday afternoon for a puppy playdate with Murphy and their two dogs, Gunner and Zoe.  I was a little nervous about this meet-up since Murphy has not played with many other dogs in NJ.  The poor guy was traumatized by the husky that attacked him back in CT, which has led to his undying hatred of huskies, and a wariness of new dogs that he never had before.  After a tense half hour, they settled down and got along famously.  Murphy went from raised hackles and guttural boxer snarling to "Come here and let me give you a kiss, you big silly dog!" pretty quickly.  

Puppy play-by-play: 

Murphy: Come here, let's just hug it out!

Gunner: Awww, you got me!

Zoe: Hey. Watcha doing guys?  Can I play? 

Murphy: Hold on, I got him right where I want him.  Don't distract me. 

On top of helping Kelly drag the riding ring and unload hay at the barn Saturday and Sunday, Murphy was absolutely exhausted by the time we got home after his playdate (He basically couldn't move until Tuesday).

Face. Is. Melting.

The rest of the week was spent making UHaul arrangements, packing up, and doing last-minute errands.  I also made sure to visit Chubbles a few more times (whom I will really miss!), and tried my best to empty out the fridge. I had just enough food left to whip up this pizza one night:

Chicken and Broccoli White Pizza  (Follow recipe for Sausage and Broccoli White Pizza)

For the chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cajun seasoning

Garlic powder

Salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

1. Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and Cajun seasoning. 
2. Saute in olive oil over medium-high heat about 7 minutes, or until browned on the outside and cooked through.  

It's not delivery!  (Or DiGiorno)

 I also used whole wheat dough for the crust this time.  BearFace prefers the whole wheat, but I haven't quite been convinced yet. 

Thursday was my last day at work, so Friday was reserved for packing and cleaning.  Let me tell you, for people who "Don't have a lot of stuff to move", we certainly had a lot of stuff to move.  After a farewell dinner with my friends Jenna and Kim, I headed home to surprise BearFace with birthday Chinese food and a tasty brownie cake.  He got a little shafted having his birthday the day before our move, but we spent an hour or so with his favorite things (couch, TV, Chinese, tasty treats), before he had to start packing!

Icing fail.  I do not see cake decorating in my future.  

Last random picture:

Nom Nom Nom.  Kitty snack.

My friend Jenny sent me this adorable picture one day last week...our love child Molson (her horse) made a new friend at her barn in KY.  Apparently he has turned into quite the kitty masseuse!  (If you don't believe me, watch this video she put together.)  Molson is probably the most affectionate horse I have ever met, and I sure do miss his hugs and kisses!  Also he's super cute.  I mean, just look at those ears.