Jack Attack!: 2011, Impossible

I just can't believe it's 2011. The past decade -- heck, the past year -- it's all been too much, too quickly. In the coming months, Jack will turn 1, Greg and I will tip ever closer to our individually new decades (3rd and 4th, respectively), and the dogs will enjoy their last single digit year. A big job change for me, possibly even a geographic change for us, could happen in 2011. We'll take a family trip to Spain. We might finally, finally, get the crown molding up in our living room. Perhaps I'll organize my sweater drawer.Phew. I feel old. Can someone please turn back the clock? I feel this way every year.

Despite my apprehension about the turning of the calendar, New Year's is almost always a good time for Greg and I, and we have almost always spent it in Vermont. I met Greg in June of 2004, having just moved from Phoenix to New Haven. Me and my wimpy scarf collection were just starting to get comfortable with snow (y'know, that white, fluffy stuff that falls from the sky?). To put it in the words of Austin Power, I was frickin' freezing.

Every time I've seen this backyard, it's been covered with at least 4" of packed snow. Burlington had quite the warm spell over New Year's!

So, off me and my new boyfriend went, with our two dogs, up to see his high school friend (Justin) and friend's wife (Jen) and their dog (Gus) in Burlington. Jen stayed busy enjoying the glorious 50 degree weather that year by removing her winter coat. I stayed busy by shivering.

It may have been a cold New Year's for me in 2004, but it was an important year. Little did I know that the boy I kissed that night would eventually be my husband and the father of my child. Funny how things like that get started right under your own feet and you don't even realize it.

Ina Garten's lemon herbed pork tenderloin, roasted cauliflower, gorgonzola stuffed (wine-soaked) figs, and fried gnocchi with tomato cream sauce

Somehow or another, Burlington ended up being a yearly tradition: snow, dogs, delicious food, and good cheer. Justin and Jen are fantastic, the kind of people everyone wants to hang out with: so easy going, and so much fun. We've gone every New Year's except 2005. (2005 was an unfortunate mistake, for reasons relating to boring geography, overpriced dinner out, and poor company).

Gus-Gus!

This year, Jack experienced the Burlington New Year's tradition himself. The night before we left, he woke up at 3am and decided it was time to play for the next hour and a half (yes, I said hour and a half). Many raspberries were involved. Despite our tiredness, Greg and I nearly died laughing over Jack: he was nothing if not enthusiastic.

This made Jack nice and tired for the car trip. He spent most of the car ride sleeping away, and, for five lovely days, he had a grand old time. There was some teething trouble each evening, but he got lots of attention, met a new dog, ate avocado for the first time, took a ride in a sled, and basically did what a baby gets to do: have loads of fun all day long.

We had fun, too. We did the standard tour of VT and laughed at the goofy dogs. I submitted something for work that had been hanging over my head for weeks. I enjoyed a beer and Greg enjoyed several. Jen and I cooked up a storm, and we all enjoyed the company of good friends.