Happy Thanksgiving! Worked this morning, Stephen is still there, but I am home preparing for our vacation. We are so excited, our first real vacation since our honeymoon in 2005, we have gone away for 3-4 days, but first real 10 day vacation..

Looking forward to seeing Washington for more than 1 day, and actually staying in the city.. Stephen's birthday is next wee, and we are going to our favorite restaurant "Capital Grille" we have never been to the DC one, looking forward to a wonderful celebration and our time together..

Hope everyone is giving thanks to their friends and family today...

Reality Bite:

We all know I love the Real Housewives on Bravo, but the latest incarnation has a new villain and she is better at playing the victim then Danielle from NJ. If you don't' watch it let me give you a little something about the women.

Kyle and Kim- Sisters actress, Kim was a "HUGE" Child star in the 70's, Think "Return to Witch Mountain" yes Kim Richards. Kyle has a wonderful home life, 4 girls loving husband and she does some work now and then but her family is everything. Kim has children but no husband and what I can see no career, how does she live? On her royalties from being a child star? She is so real full of self doubt, it is kind of sad to watch her, she was (1) of the people I wanted to be when I was a child..

Lisa - British, funny outspoken owns a restaurant and actually works in it, from what I can see has been very successful in the restaurant/nightclub world, which I appreciate very much. I don't really understand Cedric her permanent house guests but I like her, she tells you like it is.

Taylor - her marriage seems to be she is the Trophy wife, and he has no personality but runs her, if he doesn't want her to do something she won't it seems he controls everything and I see no love between the two.

Adrienne- my favorite, she works hard for everything she has, and her husband and her make a good team they bicker, laugh and definitely you can see the love between the (2)..

Camille- Villain or Victim? I see her as the Villain she loves to tell everyone she has (4) Nanny's for her 2 children, she is working on a project for Nickelodeon and she is married to Kelsey Grammer, exactly what does anyone have to be jealous of you for? The fact you are a Trophy Wife, who by the end of the show we know is no longer with Kelsey? Did your project ever get off the ground? Do you still have an abundance of staff? You are ridiculous I have no use for her, except to see her attack Kyle and try to look like she was the victim, you are insecure, you have no life but your ex-husband, your children seem more like and accessory then anything else, 4 nannies why?

The fact that she says she is SOOO busy doing what exactly on the show all we see you do is take 1 meeting for Kelsey, and then on vacation and yell at your staff. I think she can give Danielle a run for her money. At least Danielle really does take care of her girls on her own and includes them in everything she does. Believe me Danielle is not going to get Mother of the Year, but a bit better then Camille.

Project Runway, I am still upset that Gretchen won over Mondo, I wanted him to win so much, I love everything he did, I am sure he will still have a huge Career.

I dont' watch Dancing with the Stars, but who hasn't heard about Bristol Palin in the final 3? I read that people think it is a conspiracy, seriously is that what our elected officials are doing watching the show and voting? Give me a break, maybe more people actually like her, why is it so tough for people to understand? Why does it have to be something wrong, because of who her mom is?

Reality TV has gone so far, there aren't alot of shows on other than them it seems sometimes it gets me down...

The Husband at Moat Mountain Brewery, being funny, see he goes out with the guys and acts silly.

We love Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery in North Conway, this time it was bonding day with the boys...www.moatmountain.com

They were there doing research for our Beer Dinner on January 14, 2011 here at the Wolfe's Tavern featuring the Beer of Moat Mountain.

Thought this was funny, so sharing...

Eastern Point Beach- I love this place, it brings back such great memories, I saw this picture in the New London Day today, thought I would post it...

From the Hartford Courant: These case has affected everyone, we are suppose to feel safe in our own homes, if Steven Hayes wants to die, then deny the appeal and get on with it, why should we house and feed you while you linger for years, you didn't give Jennifer, Hayley and Michaela the same courtesy. You are a SCUM!!! I hope in your time alone you relive what you did in your head and get no peace...


NEW HAVEN – — Certain words in the litany of verdicts that sent triple murderer Steven Hayes to death row Monday were reminders of what happened to a woman and her two daughters inside their Cheshire home three years ago.Sexually assaulted. Kidnapped. Murdered.Included in the repetitive recitation of the verdicts by the judge's clerk Monday in Superior Court were the words Dr. William Petit Jr. has said were often missing from three years' worth of court hearings:

Jennifer. Hayley. Michaela.When their names were read Monday, Petit, seated in the courtroom, lifted his head and closed his eyes.After deliberating for nearly 17 hours over four days, a jury of five men and seven women decided that Hayes, 47, a career burglar from Winsted, should be executed for the torture and murders of Petit's wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and their daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela,11, during a home invasion at their Cheshire home on July 23, 2007.Petit was badly beaten with a baseball bat and tied to a pole in the basement. He was able to break free and escape before the fire consumed his home."This is a verdict for justice," Petit said to reporters outside the courthouse. But, he said, upon hearing the jury's decision, "I was really thinking of the tremendous loss … I was sad for the loss we have all suffered."Petit, pausing to choke back tears, said, "Michaela was an 11-year-old little girl. She was tortured and killed in her own bedroom, surrounded by her stuffed animals."Petit also talked about his daughter Hayley's bright future and her strength and the many children who his wife, Jennifer, helped.Petit thanked the jury for doing its job, and said, "I appreciate the fact that there was seven women on the jury. This was a case of sexual predation …

I liked to see women stand up for other women." Hawke-Petit was raped during the attack, and Michaela was sexually assaulted, according to testimony."Crimes like this have to be pursued and prosecuted vigorously," he said. "The easy way out is to plead things out." He described how New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington came to his house and said "If any case deserves the death penalty, it's this one. If I don't go for it, there's no reason to have it on the books." Petit said he agreed."In a civilized society, people need to be responsible for their actions."In court Monday, Petit shut his eyes and cried quietly as he clutched the hand of Beata Bagi, a victim advocate. Some of the more than two dozen family and friends, most of whom attended court with him daily, also cried and clutched one another as Judge Jon C. Blue's clerk, Edjah Jean-Louis, read the verdicts one by one.Across the room, Hayes, seated at a table with his public defenders, did not appear to react to the six death verdicts. He stared straight ahead toward the judge's bench, rarely looking at the jury or anyone else.The jury decided for death on six capital counts: killing Hawke-Petit and Michaela and Hayley in the course of a single action; killing a child under the age of 16; killing Hawke-Petit in the course of a kidnapping; killing Hayley in the course of a kidnapping; killing Michaela in the course of a kidnapping; and killing Hawke-Petit in the course of a sexual assault.During the penalty phase,

Hayes' lawyers argued that a series of mitigating factors, including Hayes' addiction to drugs, a "significantly impaired" mental state, a troubled family history of abuse, a weak personality and the responsibility they say Hayes has taken for the killings with his offers to plead guilty in exchange for life in prison without release, warranted a life sentence rather than death.But the jury found those mitigating circumstances did not outweigh the aggravating factors: whether Hayes killed Hawke-Petit and her daughters during the commission of, or immediate flight from, the commission of a felony — third-degree burglary — and that Hayes committed the murders in "an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner" and "knowingly created a grave risk of death to another person."

After the verdicts were read, New Haven Public Defender Thomas J. Ullmann shook Hayes'
hand and patted his arm before a judicial marshal led him out of the room.

NEW HAVEN – — Outside the courthouse, Ullmann said Hayes "was thrilled" with the outcome. But he declined to say why he thought Hayes was thrilled and he refused to discuss what he talked about with Hayes. He said Hayes smiled at the verdict."That's what he wanted," he said, adding that Hayes wants to commit "suicide by state" with an execution."He's tried to kill himself before," Ullmann said. "The jury gave him what he wants."

I am pretty baffled today! Our new "chef" came in this weekend to find a place to live, he is not to start until Nov. 15, he treated everyone as if we were beneath him, wouldn't even acknowledge the staff, and had (1) bite of his dinner and left a $2 tip and walked out.

What is that?

Home from work, relaxing watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. These women crack me up.. They are so into image!!

Tonight out for cocktails and now just waiting for the hubby to come home from work..

I hate BRIDZILLAS!! Repercussions from a past bride, give it up...She won't be satisfied until she has my head...

I love this picture, Pelosi Vs. Gibbs. I am so glad that she is no longer the Majority Leader, how will she handle no longer being in charge?

Maybe Gibbs can finally say his real feelings on her. Yesterday, was a historic election. We will see if anything changes in Washington or not, if not guess who is out next?

Election Day, is only a few days away! TV/RADIO Adds are exploding. I truly do not believe it is so Republicans vs. Democrats. I think it is INCUMBENTS vs. NEW COMERS! It will be truly interesting to see the outcome of the midterm elections.

If it is what I believe is going to happen, it will make Washington wake up, no longer are we the people going to put up with the status quo, and we will make Change, by changing who is in office. I have always believed we should have term limits not just for the President for all elected officials. If these new elected officials don't fulfill their promises, guess who will be out next, them..

We the people want what we deserve and are promised, we do not need BIG GOVERNMENT! Is Big Brother watching? Yes, it is 26 years late from the prediction of Orwall.

Election day is coming up, and you wonder how much the "Tea Party" has influenced the voting public.

I for one will be glad when the commericals stop and we can get back to seeing what is our government doing for us at this time of no jobs, bad economy. The biggest question will be if you do not help us as Americans you will be out...

It is an election to watch.

From the New London day, I have some great memories of this place...

The Flood Tide restaurant served a different kind of dinner last week to a small handpicked group being watched by cameras and under the critical eye of a celebrity chef.
Chef Robert Irvine stopped everything and said, "I'm shutting this down," as Flood Tide executive chef Bob Tripp tells it.
"That's when the Flood Tide-bashing started," Tripp says, with a smile.
The Mystic restaurant underwent both the pain and renewal that comes with makeover reality TV when the Food Network came to town to shoot its a new show, "Restaurant: Impossible." The show, which likely won't debut until 2011, aims to transform struggling restaurants in just two days with $10,000.
"It's a pretty demeaning experience," Tripp says, but he's not upset about it.
"It's not as bad as they made it out to be," he notes.
But now that the cameras are gone, Tripp and his team are left to adjust to the aesthetic and culinary changes, both good and, well, let's just say Tripp will "let you decide."
The dining room has been brightened with color - red Gerbera daisies in the center of each white tablecloth and the custom mahogany woodwork around the open kitchen has been painted in alternating blocks of mustard and coral red.
Lights are covered in fishnets, a large fish skeleton sculpture hangs by the entrance to the room and a nautical map has been replaced by blackboards with boat sketches.
But the carpets are still the same and in need of replacement, as are the older wooden chairs and other furniture. The lower dining room wasn't touched.
The restaurant, meanwhile, has been re-branded as "The Wood Grill at Flood Tide," a nod to its woodfired brick oven.
Flood Tide's previous menu was a little more classic, with entrees such as surf and turf and filet mignon and, Tripp says, focused on presentation, which meant meals might take a little longer to be served. Staffers would pipe the mashed potatoes from a pastry bag and top it with a gaufrette, a latticed potato chip. Some dishes were served table-side, such as Caesar salad and Chateaubriand, which called for flamed brandy and was carved in front of the customer.
But the new menu has been taken out of its stuffy, plastic jacket and features both modern fonts and fare. It focuses more on flavor, simplicity and local ingredients, such as an appetizer of fried green tomatoes in a cranberry brown butter, feta cheese and balsamic reduction ($7). Flatbreads include a duck and beef carpaccio, apple mascarpone, tomato and herb salad ($17), and entrees feature wood-grilled and oven-roasted fish and meat entrees, ranging from $20 to $29.
The prices are meant to be more affordable than before, Tripp says.
During the grand opening, the show's producers hid microphones in bread baskets and captured customers' reactions. They served 250 people that night, almost twice what they'd serve on a normal busy night.
The makeover was very scripted, Tripp says, in the sense that the staff was assembled and asked to display various emotions (scared, angry, eye-rolling), but there are "ways of bringing out reality." He and his sous chef, Dave Moore, worked 45 hours in three days.
"We might as well have opened from scratch," says Tripp, who has worked at the restaurant on and off since 1989, back in its heyday.
He talks about when the Flood Tide was one of the area's premier restaurants with pride, winning awards for brunch, desserts and continental cuisine. He left in 1999 and says "things started slipping a bit." He came back from 2001 to 2005, and agreed to return again in June 2009.
Tripp knew changes had to be made, and, in a poor economy, says the call from the Food Network was finally the spark to do it.
"We had to appeal to a broader customer base and be a freestanding restaurant - not just cater to the inn," he says.
And though Tripp has reservations about some of the changes, he hopes to "pick up where (the show) left off."
The staff is enthusiastic and energized, he says. "The opening was a great success," he adds. "That part is definitely going to come out in the show."

From Fox News: I am so glad he was convicted, what they both did to this family is so evil, and unbelievable!!

A jury that heard eight days of gruesome testimony about a Connecticut family's night of horror has convicted a paroled burglar of killing a mother and her two daughters.

Steven Hayes was found guilty Tuesday of capital felony murder in the July 2007 deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela.

Jurors had begun deliberating Monday afternoon. The same jury must now decide whether Hayes should be executed or be sentenced to life in prison.

Hayes' defense conceded his involvement in the fatal home invasion but blamed his co-defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky, for being the aggressor. Komisarjevsky faces trial next year. He also faces the death penalty.
Click here to read more on this story from CTnow.com
Click here to read more on this story from the New Haven Register

BRIDEZILLA Weekend! Enough said.

This article is from the NEW LONDON DAY:



Food Network program intends to revamp Flood Tide
Mystic - Come Wednesday, the only thing that may remain the same at Flood Tide could be its hilltop view of Long Island Sound.
A new Food Network show, "Restaurant: Impossible," is in town to bring dramatic changes to the Mystic restaurant, long regarded as one of the top restaurants in the state.
But that perception, said executive chef Bob Tripp, has hurt the Flood Tide, with many thinking it is an elegant, high-priced restaurant suitable just for special occasions.
"I think that this will be the rebirth that the Flood Tide restaurant is really looking for," said Tripp, who has worked at the restaurant on and off since 1989. "We've been combating the special occasion restaurant thinking for years ... And then when this economy came, it really hit the skids."
"Restaurant: Impossible" aims to help restaurants "on the brink of failure." Celebrity chef Robert Irvine, who has hosted the show "Kitchen: Impossible," will spend Monday and Tuesday at Flood Tide before the restaurant reopens on Wednesday.
"They're way, way, way ahead of me, as far as being modern," said owner Jody Dyer. "I've been here at the Flood Tide for a long, long time. We try to run a very nice restaurant and do a nice job, and they will have a lot of critiques about us and I'll listen to them, because you can always learn something more."
The new series starts with Irvine and his crew observing how the restaurant operates, then he oversees an overhaul of the venue's design and menu.
Tripp said he is eager for the opportunity to work with Irvine and his team from Food Network.
"I think it's gonna be really something else, and we're going to make a really good episode," Tripp said. "We're just so excited about it."
Tripp said early information from Irvine indicates that the restaurant's new menu will focus largely on new, creative dishes made with fresh, local ingredients.
The restaurant will be closed on Tuesday for overhauls and will reopen to the public on Wednesday night, when cameras will record the restaurant's first evening open with changes implemented by "Restaurant: Impossible."
"This is crazy. This is really nuts," Tripp said. "This is the big time. This is as big as it gets."

* I loved working at the floodtide and am so excited for them...

I thought this picture was great, it is taken in NC, but I saw it on my local paper, the New London Day's website.

Yesterday, felt like the middle of August, which is nice in September, hopefully the weather will hold out for the weekend, it is our last tent wedding here this season, and my staff has worked really hard this season to make all the brides dreams come true.

We had a few rocky moments, but as long as the brides don't know it, then makes it even better. The Chef is leaving Oct. 2, I said in June he would be gone by Oct. 1 only off by 1 day.. Actually looking forward to him leaving, he is not happy and making everyone here miserable. So, now we are down (2) top managers, but it was not if they were either ever here so it is fine..

Working away, doing my job bookings have been a bit slow coming and I get nervous but truly believe and know it will come, just have to work harder to get the bookings. For now, just going to enjoy the Fall here on the Lake...

The husband is in Colorado this weekend, this is a picture of Broomfield, CO where he is staying, I believe it is close to Denver. I have never been to CO but the pictures look incredible. He is out there for a SOBCon Conference, so excited to be away from work and to learn from other "bloggers"..

I had to stay home, due to weddings and such here in NH, but it is ok, my friends Claudette is coming up tonight and we are going on the BELLE, and tomorrow Tom will join us and on Sunday we are all going ZipLining up in Lincoln, NH, so excited...

I miss the husband but he needs to be away from here to not think of the restaurant, and to relax summer has been crazy busy here on the Lake, so this is good for him.

Sunday on my Birthday he surprised me and we stayed at the Parker House in Boston, our favorite hotel, and went to dinner at Davio's it was incredible. We had so much fun.. It was a wonderful birthday... I miss him, but know he needs this, so I am thinking of him and wishing him fun and learning ( which he loves)...

Sept. 11, 2001

Where were you? Who were you with? I was with Thomas Kotfer who passed away August 21, 2007, and Seth Hicks who passed in early 2007. Thomas was my roommate and best friend, Seth was my boyfriend at the time. I love them both and miss them terribly. We watched the news coverage, cried, screamed wanted to do something.

Thomas ended up moving to Austin, TX within the month, I broke up with Seth and moved into my own place with no roommates for the first time, stood on my own. Seth tried to stop drinking and work harder, neither did he win in the end. I remember sitting in our house, on the couch just watching and not believing our eyes. It was awful to think of those people in the towers who had no idea what was happening, or the innocent people on the plane knowing and not able to do anything. Flight 93 were all hereos along with the Police, firefighters, EMT who went into the towers to help, not thinking of their own safety.

As Toby Keith, " Put a boot up their a**" is what we had to do, the sad fact is there are still people out there trying to hurt us and will stop at nothing, Americans will not back down from a fight but you brought it to us that day, so why were you shocked when we hit back?

ALWAYS REMEMBER 9/11...

Well, it feels like fall here on Lake , it isn't as of yet, the colors have not changed as of yet, but this is from last year, so I know it will be beautiful and colorful.

Drama here at the Inn, the underage people we have let on the boat, and have told "NO" drinking seem to be mocking us, putting pictures on facebook, and just being sneaky, hate sneaky. Try proving it, so now "no more" underage on the cruises at night, a few are upset but you know 1 person ruins it for everyone. I am hoping that sense everyone knows this person they will make it awful on this person for being an idiot.

We are interviewing for a new General Manager and I wanted to put my 'hat' in but realized that then I would be married to the company 24/7 which I am anyway, but this time I would have to answer the phone and get in here. Also, I am not really trained for it, but want to grow within the company, should I let them know I want to move forward or just let it go?

My birthday is on Sunday, and we are driving down to Boston for a nice dinner, the husband is going away starting on Thursday, so he has no time off except Sunday night and Monday morning, so it will be a quick trip. He is going to Colorado to a convention without me, I have weddings this weekend and can't get away. He is so excited he could not go to the convention in May, so he is very happy he gets to go to this one.

My friends might be coming up the weekend he is away to go Ziplining in the White Mountains which will be so much fun. I am really enjoying living in New Hampshire, I thought I would miss Connecticut so much but not really.

Reality TV Update:

Jersey Shore- Snooki? can you hair get any higher? I think you should take lessons from Paulie to see who's hair is higher? Just a thought

Project Runway: Michael Costello won the last challenge, I really did not think he deserved, so this week I was excited to see what is going to happen? Challenge is 6 people per team.. Just starting to watch, Yes, love Tivo!!

Real Housewives of NJ: Ok, so Danielle is really crazy, and Caroline finally tried to make peace, yes it was a bit "mafia" but I thought it was entertaining, I really love Caroline and Albert they are so cute... Can't wait to see the finale next week.

Real Housewives of DC: Cat could you be anymore of a B****! I thought it would be fun to stomp grapes, why was she so hard? Lynda didn't get to see to much of her this week, sad, I really like her and her style and class.

Bad Girls Club- Kristin is crazy, but Brandie is certifiable!! Would you want to live with her? Why was she freaking out so much? She was complaining about the guests of Cat made a mess then she started breaking things what was that about? Why pick on Danielle? SHe is awful!!