Matt enjoying a Saranac beer
Just got home from a Saranac beer tasting at the Lovin Cup. Patrick from Saranac led the tasting. We had six beers in all, including the new Summer Brew. The Summer Brew was a mix of beer and lemonade–which was better than it sounds. It was actually very refreshing. However the winner of the evening for me was the IPA. I haven’t had it in a while, and I forgot how good it was. Overall a very fun evening.
I’ve been asking around, but no one in Rochester seems to make a chimichanga. Don Pablo’s used to, but they have now closed. So I’ve been searching the Internet and asking co-workers and friends but most have never heard of it. Recently a friend at Church was going to Albany. I told her to visit Garcia’s. It was a favorite Tex Mex restaurant of my family’s and where I had taken Matt on one of our earliest dates. I told her to go there and order a chimichanga and told her how wonderful they were. Sadly I found out that Garcia’s is now closed as well. Then this friend told me she was going to Texas and that while there she would make sure to find a restaurant that made chimichanga’s. When she returned she told me that though she had called all around she could not find a restaurant that served them. I had hoped this was only isolated to Rochester, but now I am afraid I may never have a chimichanga again :(. So now I beseech the online world. Can anyone tell me where I can get a delicious chimichanga? (especially if near Rochester).
I found it! For six years I was looking for a trac ball set. I had lost the ball to my trac ball set and when I went looking for a replacement was told that the manufacturer had stopped making them. Still whenever Matt and I were at a store with outdoor activities I would look for a new set. About a month ago Matt convinced me to throw away my trac ball racquets. 
This Saturday we were at Target and I wandered through the outdoor toy isle not expecting to find anything, then I saw it on the shelf. I began to jump up and down and beckoned “Matt, Matt, Matt!” Matt came over and knew as soon as he saw it that we would buy it that day. The company that makes it has changed but it still the same game. Matt and I played Saturday and Monday. If you haven’t played trac ball, I highly recommend it.
I thought this was a very cute news story, and I wanted to share. In the Democrat and Chronicle today (Rochester paper) there was an article about two Fairport math teachers having their wedding on Pi day. (3.14 or March 14th). I thought this was romantic in wonderfully geeky way. By the way have you met my husband 
I not sure but I think the Wii Fit was commenting on our marriage. When Matt log on today it asked him if callijenn (that’s me) looked fatter, slimmer or the same. Matt said I looked the same. Then the Wii said “change is more interesting, maybe you are not pay enough attention to callijenn”. Thanks Wii Fit
But then it said, “dogs do better when their masters pay attention to them”. Whaaaa!!! What does that mean? Is the Wii implying Matt is my “master” or that I am dog? I don’t know but I think the Wii should mind its own business. Matt was amused.
Just some updated news about Matt and I.
For those of you who do not know–I just started a new job this week. I am now working for VisitRochester. (I used to work for Agape Physical Therapy). I am going to miss all my co-workers from Agapé but I feel this is a really good move for Matt and I. I will have to keep you updated on how the new job is going. So far (day 2) I’m still just learning where things are.
Matt and I decided to get season tickets this year for RIT hockey. (yep ,were those people now). So that is what we will be doing most weekends. Including this Friday, Halloween. I told Matt he can wear his hockey jersey to work and when people ask him what he’s dressed up as, he can say, “a winner.”
I invented a new pie! (see photo). I used a spring form pan and pressed rice crispy treat mix into the bottom and sides forming a crust. Once that set, I filled the crust with a fudge chocolate pudding. I placed the pie in the refrigerator to chill. Once I was ready to serve it, I topped it with whipped cream (and sprinkled the top with coca powder but Matt didn’t really like that). It really came out very well.
pie
The bottom crust was a tad soggy but the sides were nice and crispy. Matt said it looked like a crown and suggested the next time I make it to put jelly beans (or something small and colorful) in the side crust to make it look jeweled. We are trying to come up with a name for it. We are thinking of something to do with “crown” or “royal”, but I am open for suggestions.
Matt and I have been traveling a lot lately and this has been one of the few weekends we have been home. So we went shopping. Not just any shopping… we went to Wegmans. It’s an exciting life we lead.
They just built a new super Wegmans in Henrietta, and since we were in Henrietta already (checking out the new RIT college town) we decided to check it out. While we were there, Matt noticed a can of marzipan. I had tried making mazipan from scratch a few years ago, which turned out to be a complete disaster. (I was cleaning almond dust from the dining room for months).
But this time it was a lot of fun. Matt and I made some fruit shapes which we colored with food coloring, and then I made a picnic blanket and a basket. I also attempted to make a mazipan “Starship Enterprise”, it did not turn out as well.
You may know from reading our blogs, that Matt and I often occasionally enjoy some Saranac beer. A few years ago we went on the Brewery tour and had such a good time, that we have been trying to plan another trip this summer with some friends to on the Saranac tour and then maybe hit the Cooperstown beverage trail (that’s what they call it). On Thursday night (May 29th) Matt was on his laptop and turned to me and said “Did you know there was a fire at the Saranac Brewery?” I asked him if anyone was hurt. He said there were a few injuries but everyone was going to be okay. I then asked “What about the beer?” Matt laughed and said “I guess we’ll have to stock up”
The fire started at one of their Thursday night concerts (it was the first of the year). I have linked to an article from the Utica OD. I know there are typos in the article (Calin lets out sad sigh). I didn’t write it.
I joke about it, but Saranac really is a good beer, a great tour (well worth the trip) and a pillar in its community and local economy. I really do hope they are able to repair and recover quickly.
Today is a my Birthday! As many of you know, Matt and I are only 7 days apart, so we usually just get one birthday gift together. This year it was a Wii. We opened the Wii for Matt’s Birthday and have been playing it all week. And now I have Tennis elbow! Really, I do. I work at a physical therapy office and the therapist told me that was what it was. Who knew the Wii could be so dangerous (or more likely I’m really out of shape if I get injured from a video game).
On other news, Starbucks today is unveiling a secret surprise at exactly noon (9 pacific). I wanted to go at noon and see the surprise (its my Birthday after all). I told Matt and he said “what if it’s just a big sweaty guy standing there who says ‘I’m the new Venti Baby’ “. Ha Ha, Matt is so charming. But he heard on the blogs this morning its really the release of their new blend. I did want to go but I have too much work to do. I’ll have to try the new blend another time.
