Well - I feel like not a lot has happened since last writing, but a TON has happened ….
We basically went on a trip, then planned some trips and holidays….and holy shit it’s 21 December. Yowzsers.
QUICKLY
We flew Dad and Vickie into Barcelona to see them (and of course, because they said they would watch the kids while we travel). I could have them around all the time - but those days are gone. I’ll take any time with them I can get … we always have a blast, and my time with them is cherished every second - even if every once in a while, one of us has too much wine and needs to go to bed early (no names). I’ll see you two in like 20 days!!!! wahoo!
I’m heading to KC-Cabin-KC here on 12 January - my second trip like this. Of course, I need to stick around Barna for Alex's bday - we are hitting Disfrutar - one of the most decorated restaurants in the world. #1 in the world, #1 in Europe (2023), 3 Michelin star - wow - if you have never had a 4+ hour dinner, it’s really something everyone should do….I may even wear a sport jacket!
I’ll only be in KC 1.5 days, then to the cabin for 8 - some alone/thinking time a tiny bit of deep work, and then my stupid idiotic moronic buddies from high school come (I don’t think they read this anyway) - Skiing, Snowmobiles, Cards and too much drinking and laughing. I can’t wait. I look forward to this trip all year …
Ashley is working hard at getting her driving license. I’m sure as fuck not - NOOOO WAY. It’s a process here … she has been working on it for many months and is far from completing it. Once you ‘pass’ all the exams, you have to drive with a huge ‘L’ on your car (for ‘Learner’) for a year - bullshit!
Ellory had her winter concert yesterday - it was amazing! They did many Christmas songs in English, Catalan, and Spanish. Oh, and I think she is finally growing taller (after getting a bit ‘thick’), which we knew she would the way she was eating and packing on bulk. Getting ready to SHOOT up I think!
I had a friend here who had to fly to Cozumel urgently as her husband was put in a medically induced coma - she knew nothing else. Yowzers - these reminders man … reminders to not take life too seriously and to enjoy your days. Hug your loves, smile, don’t wait to do what you want, etc etc etc. He woke up, didn’t squeeze her hand (but smiled and spoke some Spanish (his second language!)), and they put him back under to fly to USA. No idea if he will recover.
Trips and summer plans are slowly coming along - stay tuned for when we may be close to YOU!
As the Class Rep for Hayes's class, I put together gifts for the support staff (over 10 teachers touch our kids!) and his main teacher - I love getting creative! What is better than Chocolate and wine for gifts? Exactly … wine and steak….oh, see below!
Argentina
So we owed Alex and Marta a post-baby-no-baby (PBNB) trip from 2020 when their 3rd was born, and we hadn’t taken it with moving pieces, pandemic, etc. So, ARGENTINA was on Alex’s list, and we went…it was terrific. He and I planned the entire thing - the women had no clue where it was …. I thought fun, Ash thought not!
We flew from Barcelona overnight to Buenas Ares - super simple. Wine, sleep, movie, land at 830am. Brunch, walk, shop, etc - no real jet lag for that far of a trip (I think 12-hour flight). We spent 2-3 days in BA, then flew to Mendoza for WINE. We literally bathed daily in Malbec and ate steak - KILO’s of steak daily. The meat is so good - the wine so amazing. It was a great trip. It was summer there (southern hemisphere) so we were in shorts and t’s most of the time. We rode bikes, slept in wine barrels, and stayed at some amazing properties. We ate at some of the best restaurants and world-renowned chefs - and drank at 2 of the #1 wineries in the world over the past 3 years. A few bullets on this trip:
They have had MAJOR inflation - so we brought USD and converted back alley style to get better rates than retail. It was crazy spending ‘stacks’ of money…see the pics below! A US dollar goes a long way. Ashley had to take a purse to bring all the cash to dinner as I couldnt’ get that much in my pockets! I’ve never felt like a drug dealer in my life …. but bags of cash all day makes you feel funny…
I don’t like Chardonnay as a wine - but I LOVE Argentinian Chardonnay. Strange.
It is so wet there - they for sure will be on the ‘up and up’ when it comes to best wines in the world over the next decade with the 1) water and 2) temp (altitude is less impacted by global warming). The vines looked very healthy and well fed - not like Spain, France, or Italy the past few years …
I don’t need steak for months. Give me fish. Give me pollo. Give me vegetables.
We collectively bought around 12 cases of wine - I’m unsure if we will ever see it again with shipping. They don’t ship to Spain so we had to send to a friend in Switzerland and Alex and I will ROADTRIP (if it ever actually gets there at what cost we have no clue).
Alex and I saw the inauguration of their new President! Good timing ….
The parks in BA are absolutely amazing - HUGE parks with GIANT American style playgrounds. The country is struggling but whomever sells playgrounds is doing great! Yay for KIDS being OUTSIDE!
I 1000000% recommend traveling to Argentina. Beautiful! I’ll be back!
Christmas
As we pass holidays here, we find new ways of enjoying non-US life and traditions - but we do realize what we miss. I wrote last time on Thanksgiving - my first out of the US ever. I really enjoy Christmas here - the city is beautiful, the weather cool but not windy/freezing/icy etc and the traditions (and people to share them with) are amazing (BIG parade, shitting log, sweets, etc). I do miss some things … I was texting with my colleague Jan the other day and she was baking Christmas cookies. I didn’t miss this last year, but her doing it reminded me I do miss it - I miss our house smelling like it, a mess in the kitchen, packing them up and bringing them to neighbors. I miss neighbors delivering them to us. I know I/we could have made them this year and brought to friends and neighbors, but we didn’t. It wouldn’t have been the same. I am super jazzed about our holiday plans, though. Kids get out at noon tomorrow, big 2-3 hour multi-family lunch, then to a friends for drinks and snacks before a light show. Saturday, we will prep for the next few days and take the kids downtown to the Cathedral - it’s all lit up and has beautiful markets. We will have a nice dinner as a family then host friends for Christmas eve - our traditional pizza contest for Christmas day celebration then the next day we start a ski trip to the Pyraneese. We transition on 2nd of January to Andorra - then home on the 5th for the HUGE Three Kings Parade and a big group dinner. Relax on the 6th, kids back on the 8th….a few dinners and lunches that week and I leave the 12th! I’ll be ready for FEBURARY!
Two Quotes I’m pondering:
If someone is giving you a hard time, it’s not on you, it’s them having a hard time. Give them grace - (some podcast I listened to)
What you eat don’t make me shit - JayZ
I can’t wait for 2024 it’s going to be AMAZEBALLS!!!!!!!
Thx for the update, I always enjoy reading about your escapades.
Uncle Dan