Magic Mountain

First, let me start off by making an announcement:  I CAN MAKE PHONE CALLS FROM INSIDE MY HOUSE!!!  That's right, this mountain even has better cell reception than Salem County did.  So, if you refrained from calling me over the last 6 months for that reason, please feel free to dial away!  (My mom has called me almost every day since we moved here, just because she can.)

Second, let me say that this past weekend of moving was absolutely exhausting.  After packing all day Friday, we got up early Saturday morning to pick up the UHaul and load up.  Everything took a little longer than planned, so we didn't get up to Sussex County until around 4pm.  Then we had about 1 hour to unload it all and dump it in the house so BearFace could go get the used furniture we purchased from one of his coworkers.  My parents and Ruby were nice enough to meet us at the new house to help us unpack and also to transport some of the things I had in storage in their basement over the past year and a half (I know my Dad was thrilled to get rid of it all)!

I did try to prep them with the fact that the house we are renting is literally on top of a mountain.  I guess this did not really sink in, because I was greeted with this statement as soon as their car doors opened:

Dad: WHY ARE YOU LIVING ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN?!?!
Michelle: Uhhh, well we just found this place online and liked it...
Mom (in the background): Blah blah blahblah blah
Dad: But why did it have to be on top of a mountain?!?!?
Michelle: Well why not?  It's beautiful here!
Mom: MICHELLE!!  Can't you see the smoke that is billowing out of the van?!?!?
Michelle: Oh.  Yep, now I see it.  Well, I guess it's time to get rid of the van.  Don't blame it on the mountain.

Once the van stopped smoking, they helped me organize and unpack for a couple of hours while we waited for BearFace to return with the furniture.  During which time it began to snow.  It was a light, slow snow, so we didn't think too much of it as we headed down the mountain to dinner at The Vernon Inn.  Our first foray into dining in Sussex County was quite a hit!  We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Dip as an appetizer, and I had a pulled pork sandwich for dinner (Sussex County: 2, Salem County: 0).  The best part about this restaurant is that Tuesday night is WING NIGHT!  BearFace and I sorely miss Rocks and Wings at the Bidwell Tavern near UConn...perhaps this will be a replacement!

As if we had not had enough adventures for one day, there was one more in store for us as we piled into the van after dinner to head back up the mountain.  There was only about an inch or so of icy snow covering the ground, so I really thought we would be ok on the way up.  Not so...as soon as we hit the first steep uphill (pull out your geometry books and look up an 85% angle, then imagine driving up it), things got a little tricky.

Dad (driving): S%&*! We're not going to make it!  My tires are sliding!  We're going down!
Michelle: Dad! You can't take your foot off the gas!  We're going to get stuck!
Mom: OMG WE'RE GOING TO DIE!  I KNEW WE WOULDN'T MAKE IT!  I CAN'T LOOK!
Michelle: MOM you're being ridiculous!  This is not helping!
Drew: You're doing great, just keep going.  Slow and steady.

Clearly BearFace is not from the Santoro family, as 'calm under pressure' is not one of our best traits.  After coming to a complete stop and sliding backwards until my dad was able to turn into a driveway, we went back down to the bottom and stopped at Burger King to regroup (also I was about to pee in my pants) and form a plan.  My mom was adamant that we should NOT attempt another trip up, and should instead go to the fire department and ask them to drive us up.  My dad thought we should wait for a bit until a plow would hopefully go up before us and clear the road.  I voted for Drew to drive, as he is a pretty experienced snow driver and definitely the calmest of the bunch.  And Drew, always the optimist, kept quiet and let us squabble it out while offering encouraging words.

We finally convinced my mom to get back in the van and make another run for it.  I was really hopeful, I was!  But we failed once again, in the exact same spot.  After sliding back down once again, we seemed pretty much out of options until a plow went by!  My dad flagged him down and asked very politely if he would be willing to drive Drew and I back up to our house and then bring Ruby down with him.  He kindly agreed, but clearly thought we were nuts.  It was certainly an interesting first night!

Sunday was spent shopping for apartment necessities, and was equally exhausting.  We were able to see more of the area, however, and it is absolutely picturesque.

About 10 minutes drive from our house.

               
                                             Sunset from the kitchen.                       Morning in our backyard.

With the moving, unpacking, organizing, and deep-cleaning complete, all that's left is a little more decorating.  It feels so great to finally be in our own place, free of roommates, mounted deer heads, and 70's kitchens!

And how does Murphleson feel about all of this?

Murphy: Dad, you're going to have

to step it up a little.  Mom, keep up the hard work!

Murphy: Wait, I thought this was a game...why are you unloading 

everything on top of this mountain? 

Murphy: Guys?  Guys?  Why does no one ever 

tell me when we're moving!

The pictures pretty much say it all...at first he thought it was just another adventure, and Murphy is always up for an adventure!  But by Sunday night, the reality was starting to sink in and he was feeling a little unsure.  Coupled with the lack of attention from Mom and Dad while we unpacked and cleaned, the little guy seemed pretty blue.  Luckily, a hike with Mom cured his puppy depression.

Murphy: Alright, there's hiking here.  We can stay.

I have two recipes to leave you with before I wrap things up here:

Easy Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

Not especially healthy, but sometimes you need something rib-sticking and comforting!  It took me about 10 minutes to throw all of the ingredients in the crockpot yesterday, which allowed me to keep scrubbing my shower and still have a warm dinner waiting for BearFace when he got home from work.

I also made a batch of: 

Homemade Flavored Water yesterday, after trying my mom's over the weekend. 

2 quarts water

1 medium lemon, sliced thin

1/2 cucumber, sliced thin with skin left on

2 tsp grated or shaved ginger

10-12 fresh mint leaves

1. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and let sit for several hours before drinking.

Sounds like a weird combination, but I loved it!  It is very refreshing, and for someone who avoids sugary juices and sodas, it is a great alternative when you feel like a beverage with some flavor.  (I considered taking a picture, but pretty much it looks like water with stuff floating in it.)

We're off to the Vernon Inn when BearFace gets home for Tuesday Wing Night, and then it's a full day of job hunting for me tomorrow.  Hopefully it won't be long until I am employed again...I'm already getting bored! 

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.