Blue Hill at Stone Barns

So, it has now been over two weeks since I had my favorite meal ever, and the memories of that night are still as fresh and delectable as every morsel that I ate there. On the most gorgeous of Spring afternoons, DrRuckus and I went to Tarrytown, NY to experience the perfection that is Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I am not sure exactly how to express how incredible this place is. Even one of my favorite food bloggers of all time made a cartoon after he first visited.








Growing up in northern New Jersey and spending a great deal of time in Vermont, I had no idea that idyllic, lush rolling hills and farmland exists right there, mere miles outside of NYC. Yet, it does! Located 30 miles from the city is the Stone Barn Center for Food and agriculture and this is the farm from which much of the food served at the restaurants (there is one in the city too) is grown.




We had just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma and so heading to this farm to tour it and then really experience a "farm to table" meal was truly exciting for us. We walked around the farm, saw the happy and healthy animals, and acres of greenhouses and gardens where the herbs and vegetables for our dinner were growing.






After touring the farm, and admiring all of their techniques as well as the fruits of their labors, we wandered around the courtyard that is the heart of the Stone Barn Center. There is a great deal going on there, including frequent farmer's markets and a cafe, as well as many educational opportunities. Finally, it was time for our reservation!



We sat outside and admired the view, while indulging in a wild ramp margarita. (It was Cinqo de Mayo!) It was possibly the best margarita ever, out there, soaking up the scene.



Then, we entered the incredible space that is the restaurant. I have never been in such a beautiful room. High ceilings, exposed beams, rough hewn floors - it is stunning and warm. The centerpoint is a huge table overflowing with flowers and edibles. When we sat down, they presented us with a list of items from which the meal was be drawn, rather than a menu. The gracious staff then asked specific questions about our preferences. We chose the 8 course tasting and told them that we would eat anything that they brought us, that if they thought it was worthy of being served, we would lap it up. "Even offal?" YES. You make it, we eat it! They seemed glad that we were adventurous, but we overheard other diners expressing very specific preferences and all were taken into account. Vegetarians are obviously no problem, but some people had difficult allergies or aversions. A woman seated next to us actually told the server, "I LOVE caviar" and this was accommodated. (Why didn't I think of that?)

We found a bottle of an old favorite wine, a Riesling from the Finger Lakes, and settled in to enjoy the ride. We started with a presentation of fresh baby vegetables on tiny spikes, so creative, so simple, so delightfully fresh and beautiful. From there, we enjoyed 7(!!!!) other courses of amuses bouches before even beginning our 8 course tasting. Because they change it every night, and customize for every guest, I won't go into each course but will just list some highlights. One of the amuses was a pork liver pate sandwiched between caramelized chocolate and was so surprising, fun and delicious! We had a brioche made from heirloom red grains and ostrich eggs and topped with fresh, warm ricotta made from cows that had been feasting on the sweetest grasses of the spring. We had face bacon as an amuse and a trio of porky goodness (belly, loin and leg). The meat from the healthy, happy pigs that we had seen just hours before tasted like nothing I had ever had before. Our final savory course was goat with a sauce made from a variety of herbs that they brought to the table for us to touch and smell before being cooked into liquid gold. The timing, the service, the presentation, and the array of tastes were all spot on. But, the fact that each of 15 (7 amuses and 8 tasting) courses was wonderful is mind blowing!

If you haven't been to this restaurant, it should be on your bucket list. I can't wait to go back.

Our Foodie Tour of NY/NJ

We recently returned from two fabulous weeks back "home" in New Jersey and spent lots of quality time with our families and some time (not enough, no never enough) in our favorite place, NYC. We had so much to celebrate, from my parents' 35th anniversary, DrRuckus's birthday, a good friend's bridal shower, my MIL's 60th birthday, and just the fact that we were there, in the springtime, with the people we love! Ladybug is getting so big and really loved playing with her family and all of the doggies. She also fell madly in love with the beach and I can't wait to bring her back this summer. Z-Man shares our passion for the area and is becoming a true expert on NYC transit. He and Grandpa spent two days in the city, one day just riding around and the other taking the 4 train to Yankee stadium to catch a game. He also went to his first Broadway show with his aunts and Grandma, though it wasn't as much of a hit for him as just being in Time Square. I am so glad that my kids have the opportunity to really get to know the places we call home.

So, of course, I had planned many of our meals and nights out, and there were some definite high points. We also had some great surprise finds that just thrilled and delighted us. It has been a while since I did a total foodie post, but bear with me, I have so much to share:

Lately my family is living a very Michael Pollan approved lifestyle. We try to "Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants" and have discovered so many new flavors, textures and recipes by eating this way and participating in a CSA. We eat very healthfully and my kids love their veggies. However, my amendment to these food rules, is that when I out to someplace really special (which, being me, I will have researched to death and all but guaranteed that it will be great), all bets are off and I am going to enjoy the specialties of the house.

DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies in Robbinsville, NJ. This place was so good that we went twice! We went on the first night of our trip and loved it so much that we decided to drag the whole family down there to get there at 4 p.m. when it opened to celebrate Mother's Day. Tomato pie is to traditional New York pizza as, well, Chicago style is to New York pizza. These pies have ultra thin, crisp crusts with a layer of cheese and then toppings and sweet tomatoes. We had the red pie with white clams both times and it was divine. The clams were all chopped up and added a briny savoriness to the pie that I loved. We also had the housemade sausage and sweet pepper pie and, while more traditional, it was ultra flavorful and delicious. They also do a fantastic antipasti plate and different fresh and creative salads every day. Both times we were lucky to have their heavenly heirloom tomato salad which will only get better as those Jersey tomatoes really start to come into season. Believe me friends in north Jersey, it is worth the drive to Robbinsville to have this pizza.

The Bent Spoon in Princeton, NJ: I am about to make a very bold statement. This ice cream shop makes the best ice creams and sorbets (dark chocolate!!!) I have EVER had, including at Berthillon in Paris. I know!!!!!! Palmer Square in Princeton is so adorable and lovely, and this little hippie ice cream place makes me want to live there and never leave. They are Pollan-ites themselves, sourcing their ingredients locally, supporting local farms, making everything fresh, creating so many incredible flavors every day. We went, we sampled the flavors, we chose, we ate, we sampled some more and then we got seconds! I loved this place so much, I even got a tee shirt. It makes my beloved Arctic Zero stand out like the nerdy wannabe cousin of ice cream that it is.

Chef Vola's in Atlantic City, NJ: This was our second time at this fabulous Italian restaurant in Atlantic City and was the place we chose to celebrate my MIL's 60th birthday. It was just as good this time as last time, maybe even better because with more people, we got to sample more dishes. I usually think that portions like this are ridiculous, but here those enormous plates just part of the fun. And, everything is so tasty that you can't help but eat the whole thing (yes, DrRuckus did finish his entire 2 pound veal chop parmigiana!) Making a reservation is a pain and the setting is strange, but they know how to please their customers. I even made reservations to celebrate my birthday there a few weeks from now!

Colicchio and Sons in NYC: After a 3 star review in the Times and being a big fan of Colicchio and his other restaurants, we thought that this place would be a slam dunk to celebrate my parents' 35th anniversary. It is in a lovely space right under the Highline and aims to be a contender for destination dining in New York. (Well, it is, for suckers like me who feed into the celebrity nonsense I guess.) It was okay, there were some high points, but I wouldn't go back. Best parts of the meal were the crispy chicken skin on my sister's chicken dish and an incredible cheese from my cheese course that came from Stowe, VT (love you Stowey) and tasted exactly like it.

Union Square Cafe, NYC: We met some good friends for lunch at USC and had a great meal there. It is just one of those places that is always solid, always tasty, always delightful. Their "greenmarket lunch" on the weekends is reliably fresh and wonderful with ingredients purchased right up the street at the weekend greenmarket. I had a delicious fresh veggie and pasta dish with a farm fresh egg on top and truffles shaved over it. Heavenly. DrRuckus had a very tasty burger. We got to catch up with friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Not bad for lunch! And, afterwards, we went around the corner to Baked by Melissa, an tiny shop that sells adorable mini cupcakes. What fun! They have great flavors, the cupcakes are filled and frosted, and you can sample a whole bunch of flavors without any guilt. Why didn't I think of that?

Degustation, NYC: One night DrRuckus and I were heading into the city to meet friends for dinner but we weren't sure where to meet them. We headed downtown without a destination and then the other couple had to cancel on us last minute. We were in the East Village and I turned to my trusty friend, Yelp. Lo and Behold, there was a restaurant two blocks away with a very solid 4.5 star rating that I had never heard of. Yay! We found parking (karma) and walked over. We didn't have a reservation, but it was early and it was Monday and we were seated around a sushi bar for one of the coolest meals of our lives. This place was made for foodies and we loved every second of it! All 16 patrons are seated around a sushi bar where 4 chefs are preparing "tapas" with a french/molecular gastronomy bent. They offer tapas by the plate or in 5 or 10 course tasting menus. You know me well enough by now to know what we chose! At $80 for 10 courses (plus a plate of 3 amazing amuses), it was a bargain! Each plate, each taste, imparted new delights. It was made even more special by the fact that we were sitting up close, watching these artists create each of our plates and present them like masterpieces. The entire meal was like watching a cross between a ballet and an episode of Top Chef, except that I got to taste it all. Each dish was intricate and interesting and yet harmonious. I must say, though, that the highlight was the bruleed brioche pudding for dessert. I am still dreaming of that . . .

After such an amazing meal, we walked around the very happening East Village for a while and decided that the only thing that could top off such a great meal would be a massage. "Hey!" we said, "This is New York. We can definitely get a massage at 11 p.m. in this city." So, with trusty Yelp on my iPhone, I found a place in Chinatown called "Foot Heaven" that promised to be legit, high quality and open. Off we went and had pretty amazing reflexology massages at that late hour. Only in New York!

The ultimate high point of our trip was the afternoon and evening that we spent touring and dining at Blue Hill at Stone Barn. It was so amazing though, it will get its own post.

A Little Family Time

Who would have thought that a family road trip to Geezer Village West would be one of my top trips of all time? Surely not me! At the last minute, DrRuckus and I decided to take the kids to Lake Worth, Florida to see my self-proclaimed "old Grandma" who, after a few months delay, had finally made it down to her condo there. We hadn't seen her in a couple of years and she had never even met my Little Ladybug. Though she is doing very well for 92, we wanted to see her before, well, before "it was too late". So, we decided that we would load up the car and take our little family on the road, 1200 miles from The Woodlands, TX to Lake Worth, FL. I got some advice from a seasoned road-tripping friend (those Canadians sure do like their car travel) and packed our car full of toys, books, snacks and fun.

The trip was so much better than I expected for so many reasons. First of all, because it was really great to have a dedicated block of time with just our family. We are always running around, and it was nice to just be together. Second, it was a highlight of my life to see my kids with my grandmother and to watch them fall in love with each other. Third, we got the added treat of a few days with my parents and youngest sister and made the love-fest even bigger and better. Fourth, because we learned that my kids are really great travelers.

On this road trip, we actually gleaned a number of important lessons. So, if you are taking a road trip with young kids and toddlers, I hope that this list might help you.

Top 10 Things we Learned on our Family Road Trip to Florida

10. The best driving is done in the dark. We got the easiest, most relaxing miles done early in the morning the first day, when we left our house at 5:30 and didn't stop until 9 a.m. After that, we took it easy and made plenty of rest stops the rest of the day. We even did as our fathers never did on trips, we ventured off the highway to tour the USS Alabama. Still, after a picnic dinner, we put the kids in PJs, let them fall asleep in the car, and drove 400 more miles to end up at Disney World. We never expected to get that far in one day, but the night time miles flew by and we decided to make a spontaneous trip to "Mickey World"! On the way back the other day, we also drove for hours after a delicious dockside dinner in Destin, FL and covered a lot of miles while the kids slept.

9. If you are going to blow your diet, blow it with something worthwhile. I highly suggest the deep fried crab stuffed bacon wrapped shrimp from Dewey Destin's Seafood in Destin, FL followed by made fresh every hour custard from Shakes down the street. You might think that it would be too much richness, too over the top, but really it was a heavenly meal.

8. High Fructose Corn Syrup really might be pure evil, but when you never let your kids consume it and then let them gorge on it for 2 days straight, they are beyond thrilled! Even before reading Omnivore's Dilemma, I knew not to give my kids processed food or things containing "HFCS", but on the road, anything goes! Sweet Tart bunnies, jelly beans, Kix, and even Fruit Loops. Oy vey!

7. It is worth it to go down a couple of "star levels" in lodging in exchange for a lot more square footage. Those who know me know that I love hotels, that I love nothing more than getting a great deal on a luxury hotel, that I take advantage of all of the luxuries at those hotels, and that it makes me happy when the staff know my name and want to take care of me. Well, when traveling "en famille", it is totally worth it to give up luxury for space. We stayed in a huge suite at the lovely Doubletree West Palm Beach Airport and having all that space made the stay there so much easier. (Plus, they were always giving us delicious freshly baked Doubletree Chocolate Chip cookies that were divine!)

6. Kids need to be older than 5 in order to really appreciate Disney. 6 or 7 would be even better. My kids, especially the Z-Man, had a great time and were amazed, astounded and delighted by our few hours at "Mickey World", but they had just as good a time, if not better, playing in GG's pool. One of the highlights of the trip for the Z man was learning to use the key cards to open doors at the hotel. The few hours at Disney were a perfect little taste, and we are glad that we went, but won't go back for at least 5 more years.

5. You might have a house full of toys, but all you need is a bowl of shells and a walker. How many kids have gone to my grandmother's condo and played with that same bowl of shells? And now she has a new "toy", a walker with a seat so that my kids were able to take turns getting rides to the pool. It is the simple things, I tell you.

4. Worth Avenue in Palm Beach is a dangerous place. . . for your wallet!

3. The portable DVD player is the best road trip invention since cruise control. I had packed bags of books, toys, crafts, snacks, etc, but my kids happily zombied out watching movies for 95% of the ride. In the meantime, we got to listen to the music we love and I even read The Omnivore's Dilemma out loud to DrRuckus.

2. The iPhone is the greatest overall travel invention since, well, anything! I knew that I loved my iPhone, but now my appreciation for it is so much deeper. We had music, movies and books right there. Maps and directions were at our fingertips. When we wanted to find a place to eat, we had Yelp and Zagat leading us to some true gems. I could text, email and facebook every mile of the way. I forgot my camera, but I still was able to snap and send pictures. And the list goes on.

And the #1 thing I learned (or re-learned) on our Family Road Trip:

I adore my husband! He is the smartest, kindest, most fun, most generous, most loving husband and father that I can imagine. He used his few days off to get in the car with us and take us to see my grandmother and made the whole trip into the adventure that it was. We reaffirmed that together we can do anything, and that we have a great time doing everything. We make an amazing team. I love you, baby.

Hawaii, Quick Recap

It already seems like weeks ago, but DrRuckus and I had a truly fabulous week away in Hawaii! I can't believe we have been back for four days already and I fear that if I don't post something about it now, it will be too far gone. It was so needed and the help that our parents gave us by coming to our home to care for our kids so that we could get away was really appreciated.

DrRuckus and I honeymooned in Hawaii in 2002 and then lived there for his first year of residency, but we haven't been back since we moved to Chicago in 2003. My aunt and her husband still live there, but not for long! They are getting ready to move to Arizona and we thought that if we didn't go back while they were still there, we would regret it immensely. So, their impending move was our excuse for going.

We spent the first night in our old neighborhood in Waikiki, revisiting old haunts and then having a wonderful sunset dinner at the Halekulani Hotel. There is something about the light in Waikiki that is magical. The next morning I had one of my best runs ever up and around Diamond Head and then we hightailed it out of there and to Kauai.

We spent 8 nights of our honeymoon in Kauai and returned to the same place for our three days this time. The hotel was just taken over by St. Regis and redone and reopened the week before we arrived. The resort already had one of the best locations and views in all of the world, and the redo makes it seem much more in keeping with the location. The old resort was too formal and palatial while it now feels warmer and more Hawaiian.



Our stay at the St. Regis was wonderful, even though the resort is still working out some kinks. The staff there were really friendly and for the most part did everything they could to make guests feel happy and relaxed. Well, we were certainly those things. Sitting on those turquoise chairs gazing at Hanalei Bay, reading a good book and sipping one of their divine El Fresco margaritas with my beloved, I couldn't have been more content. This is how we spent the majority of our three days on Kauai, even though there is so much more to do. We only had those few days to just chill and we took advantage of that. Our big adventure was stand up paddling on the Hanalei River, which was really fun. It was a really great workout and something totally new to both of us. It must be really challenging to do in the ocean and something I want to try next time I have a chance.

The resort's fine dining restaurant was not yet open, but we had some incredible meals on the island. The iPhone is really the greatest thing ever for travel (and everything else) and we found some delicious spots:
Best Sandwiches I have ever had (seriously): Deli and Bread Connection in Lihue
Fresh Sushi, laid back vibe: Hanalei Dolphin
Creative Tapas, cool atmosphere: BarAcuda
Local Ingredients, Old School Hawaii: Hukilau Lanai

After our three days, we flew back to Oahu to stay with my aunt and uncle. We had an action packed 48 hours with them, touring the island and all of the best spots to eat. (Oh yeah and I did my 13 mile training run one night.) We had an out of this world meal at Chef Mavro's justifiably famous restaurant. revisited many of our old favorites, like Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, Dave's for ice cream, and Mariposa at Neiman's (for consomme, popovers, and a great view).

I will not lie, though. A highlight of my trip was searching out and then walking along the beach to the "Lost" beach camp set. I love that show more than any other and it was important to me to make a pilgrimage while we were on the island. We encountered a major rainstorm as we were walking back and were sandy and soaked, but it was so worth it.


We also used miles to fly first class and I don't know how I will ever go back to coach! It made travel so much more relaxing and comfortable. We actually slept the entire red eye flight and had no problems adjusting back to Houston time.

Aloha, ya'll!

TWD-Comfort Food Needed

DrRuckus and I got back from a great and much needed week in Hawaii this a.m. (more on the trip later). Our red-eye was pretty painless (despite the woman with the child who screamed all night in the row behind us) because we had cashed in miles to fly first class and had comfortable seats. ( I actually don't know how I will ever go back to coach again after the comfort, service, space, food, and make your own sundae bar. But I digress . . .)

Anyways, though we were better rested than we might have been had we flown that red eye in coach, we were still pretty tired when we got home. However, we were not nearly as tired as my poor mother in law was! My parents watched our kids for the first part of our week away and then my MIL flew down halfway through to take over for them. She had been looking forward to some alone time with the kids, though I thought she was nuts for taking it on herself. Well, so did she after two days because not only was the Z-Man holding on to the bug that has caused him to run a fever every day for over a week, but she also got sick. I always think that the hardest part of parenting is not being able to take a day off when you don't feel well. I called on some friends to help her, but she persevered on her own and made it through the day and a half before we got here.

So, this gray morning, she was eating her 800th piece of toast as it was the only thing that seemed agreeable to her. The Z-Man was feeling fine but stir crazy, and DrRuckus and I were a little bit jetlagged. I had no intention of baking, but when I saw that today's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was for muffins, I decided that there was nothing that sounded more comforting than fresh muffins. These Allspice Crumb Muffins were intriguing because Allspice is not something I use frequently. The jar smelled delicious, like cinnamon and clove cigarettes (oh how much fun those were back in the day), so I decided to give it a whirl. As soon as everyone went for their nap, I whipped up the batter.


Because I went way off of my healthy eating plan about halfway through the vacation (though it was soooooo worth it), I thought that I better make these a little bit less fattening. So, I substituted all of the flour in the struesel topping and half of the flour in the batter for whole wheat and half of the butter in the batter for Fage fat free Greek yogurt. I did use the optional lemon zest because I think that it adds a zing to everything. The best part of making these was making the struesel topping. I did it all with my hands, mixing the flour, sugar, and allspice and then kneading in the pieces of butter. In my jeglagged state, it felt really good and relaxing.

I divided the batter in the muffin tins and then really smooshed the topping onto each one. I had heard that the topping slid off the muffins in some cases, but I didn't have that problem at all. These are them before they went into the oven.



I added 5 extra minutes to the cooking time because at 20 minutes they seemed raw. However, at 25 they seemed a tad dry and overdone. Might just be the proportion of whole wheat flour though. Tastewise, they are delicious. The Allspice has a subtle kick and a really delicious flavor. The Z-Man thought it was a "good cupcake, Mommy" though he did ask for a cup of hot chocolate to drink with it. I know that it is 80 degrees out, but the kid knows what's good!

Catching Up . . .

Despite the completely NON luxury house that we rented from Our Rental Paradise (Ha!) at 911 Notchbrook, our trip to Stowe was pretty fabulous.

Yes, though the house had such features as this {attractive and safe} pool deck


and this {beautiful} window,



it did have absolutely amazing views of Mt. Mansfield and was in a gorgeous location.


Vermont is great, but there is something magical about Stowe.

Mt. Mansfield stands over the top of town, beckoning you up the road. As you make your way through town and up the mountain road, you find that there is so much to see, do and explore. Stowe has the 5.5 mile rec path, on which you wind your way through fields, trees, over bridges, and up towards the mountain. There are good restaurants, good shopping, tons of outdoor activities, lots of places to stay and enough to keep you busy for weeks on end. It can be totally relaxin or totally active, though I prefer a mix of both.

It was so great to get out of the oppressive heat and humidity of Houston, and to be in a place where mornings and evenings were cool enough for sweaters. Even the heat of the afternoon was bearable (as long as you were not sitting in the kitchen of the NON luxury house with it's lack of airflow). We had a fantastic time running, biking, swimming, cooking, eating and drinking wine. Friends and family came and went and we enjoyed having long days to catch up and relax with people we love. Z Man and Little Ladybug had a blast being loved and adored by their aunts and grandparents (okay well, that was sort of an issue for a few days for LL and Grandma) and had so much fun with their cousins and friend Sam.




I really loved having the time (and the climate) to challenge myself to go faster and farther, even running the path round trip one day (11 miles). I also amazed myself with how much I enjoyed biking, something I never do, and how I was strong enough to bike one mile up hill to the house.

We spent two Sunday afternoons at the wonderful Farmers Market, which is like a big community festival, complete with live music and face painting, in addition to food and crafts.

There an incredible array of food to picnic on there and to bring home to make marvelous meals (such as huge fresh veggie frittatas with farm fresh eggs and steel cut oatmeal risotto with beets and fresh goat cheese).

MrRuckus and I also had a chance to get away by ourselves for one perfect meal at Hen of The Wood in Waterbury. Everything about this restaurant was exquisite. The location at the bottom of a waterfall in an old grist mill. Inside is warm and rustic, with an open kitchen, while still being completely modern. The food was divine - fresh, simple, perfectly prepared. I had been dying to go here for over a year and am now dying to go back.

Speaking of restaurants, we left the kids with a sitter one night and went to my favorite restaurant IN THE WORLD, American Flatbread, in Waitsfield, a place so yummy, laid back, fresh, creative, innovative, fun, unique and just plain Vermonty, that I will might have to devote an entire blog entry to how much I love it.

Our trip to Stowe was wonderful. Being there made us want to move there. It is just that great. Maybe someday!

Laundry List

Readers, I am on vacation in one of my favorite places on Earth, Stowe, VT. It is so gorgeous here and I am so happy to be back in The Green Mountain State. MrRuckus and I are here with the kids and with my family, and we are excited to have friends and family come join us here. We will be running, biking, sunning, golfing, eating and just all around enjoying ourselves here in this mountain paradise. We rented a great big house to accommodate everyone so that all of our guests would be comfortable. The house is huge. There is plenty of space, and many toys to play with. The views of Mt. Mansfield are incredible, but . . . Well, here is a copy of the letter I just wrote to the management company.

Dear Managment,

We checked in today to the house at 911 Notchbrook Rd. We are thrilled to be back in Stowe. Over the years we have been here many times and our family owned a home here until three years ago. It is great to be back in our favorite place.

However, we are currently very disappointed in the conditions of this "luxury" home. There are a number of issues that require some resolution:
- About half of the window cranks are broken. They do not open or close and many of the cranks are missing.
- Light switches are pulled out of the wall. Light bulbs are out all over the house. We would not even know where to start in fixing these situations ourselves.
- One of the major features you sell about the house is the 10 foot tv/home theater. Well, it doesn't work at all. This needs to be rectified ASAP.
- Speaking of the TV, there are remotes all over the house and none of them has any batteries in it. Not one.
- The clutter is appalling. Everything is disorganized, piled everywhere, no rhyme or reason to where things are located, and no storage because there are boxes and junk everywhere.
- The house is not clean, but the cleaning service has notes all over the house saying that tips are appreciated. Here is a tip: clean the house! It is musty, dusty, and just feels dirty.
- Sheets were left in the dryer. We do not know where these go, though I guess they can go anywhere, just like everything else in the house. Meanwhile, we have to put them somewhere because we need to do laundry.
- Speaking of laundry, we were told that there would be laundry soap. There is none.
- We were also told that there would be cleaning supplies. One basic cleaning supply is paper towels, and there were none to be found.
- The lawn is overgrown and full of weeds, as if it has not been maintained in years.
- Another selling points to the house was the keg of beer. This was changed and we were not told until after signing the contract.
- The whole coffee thing: a big point was made about leaving a big bag of coffee. There are about 10 bags with some dregs of coffee instead.

Also, you had instructed me to have things sent to the house. While we did receive the boxes sent via UPS, I had two packages sent via USPS that should be in the mailbox. These are gifts for my father's birthday. I need to get them by Monday.

Thank you so much for your prompt attention to these matters. I will call you and John to follow up tomorrow.

Sincerely,
MsRuckus

This is still going to be a great vacation, but I hope that they can fix some of these matters!