Hotel Pittman, Now Closed for Reservations

Its official, our month-long rotation of visitors has started! Hotel Pittman is closed for reservations as every room, couch, and floor is taken by a body! We are so excited to have all this company as we spend 9 months out of the year without visitors (who comes to Montana in the winter!) and savor the few weeks that we can share our homes and heart with family and friends.

My brother arrived last Wednesday and we were able to turn an ordinary storage/office space into a guest bedroom for him. It is small and hot but at least its better than the floor. While on most days I want to kill him for his snarky comments and negative attitudes the few days when we have good conversations make it all worthwhile in the end.

We went to the library yesterday and he checked out some military movies and a study guide for his ASVAB (military aptitude test) and we spent the rest of day tossing a ball into the river for Emma to catch. Sam shared with me some of his frustrations, goals, and has shown himself to be purely contented in the Montana air. He even admitted that he could see himself living here after he gets married and starts a family......(hell froze over just now, as any of you who know Sam, also know that leaving California would only happen if the state sank into the ocean!)

Sam and Dale get along great, in fact, when Dale leaves, Sam sits around idly passing the time until Dale comes back. True Bromance.

It has been helpful having Sam around the house to help me move boxes and clean up for the arrival of our guests. We bought a new bed and he was able to help me set it up before Dale got home so I could surprise him with the luxurious new suite....aka our bedroom. Let me just say, we made the upgrade from double to Queen sized-bed and six inches really does make a difference. Dale and I have slept a full 8-hours (minus my now routine potty breaks) on our new satiny sheets, firm mattress, and extra room to spare. Even our dog, who suffered a tragic fall last week when she rolled over unexpectedly out of her sleep onto the hardwood floors, is enjoying the added space and room. Too bad, she will be getting kicked out soon as we begin to make more preparations for baby.

Alas, tomorrow marks the arrival of our Seattle friends, Ian and Kaisee. We are headed to Glacier National Park for a few days only to return to the arrival of a few more visitors, Dale's parents, our friend Jarred, and a college friend of mine, Hilary who are blessedly arriving in time for our baby shower on Sunday! At that time, our backyard is turned into a beer garden, complete with beer, Sangria, copious amounts of food, and dessert to please a pregnant lady and a half! We are so excited!

I am sorry if I may be absent for the next few weeks but as you can see my duties as a tour guide are filling up! I will try to document our journey to Glacier, continued drama from my brother, and the last party we will host before we journey into parenthood.

The baby is still kicking away. I swear I can now identify the difference between getting kicked by a foot, arm, hand, or elbow, which is truly a bizarre feeling. Our last miserable night in our double-bed led to some serious soccer session as Dale was able to feel our son kick for 5 minutes, at one point stopping to say "holy christ, that was hard!" Tell me about it--I am sure the bruises on my bladder will heal someday after the baby is born. The baby is now kicking high into my ribs, causing a lot of discomfort as I can hardly breathe and it feels as though I have cracked all my ribs. Alas, I savor every moment and fully intend to use these experiences as blackmail when our son is an unruly teenager.

For those of you who need some light reading, Dale started a new wine blog which is truly hilarious, quirky, and marvelous. You can find it at: daleapittman.blogspot.com

26 Weeks

After many unsuccessful attempts to get a clear ultrasound we were scheduled to try again today. However, our little baby is very camera shy, always moving away from the ultrasound wand with his little arm in the way. It really is rather adorable that our baby has already discovered his favorite sleeping position, with his arm nestled next to his face, quietly sucking his fingers. (This happens to also be my favorite position to sleep in--of course, without the finger sucking!)

We were able to get some photos, while not the greatest quality, still show some detail into our little one's world.

The baby is currently breech, which is normal for this stage, and is super active with a strong heartbeat, measuring 153. We will go in August 6th for our last monthly appointment and then from there our appointments will be every 2 weeks!



Tomorrow, I will go in for a glucose screen, which involves chugging a sweet syrupy soda and measuring blood sugar an hour after. So, I am fasting tonight, and hoping to wake up before my stomach, so I can take the test without hunger pangs!

We will also be pre-registering for our delivery tomorrow!!! I have been filling out piles of paperwork, including a birth certificate form! This will hopefully save us some relief come the big D-Day!

In the meantime, I have found a TLC 'Baby Story' DVD that has been accompanying me as I clean the house and prepare for the arrival of my brother! Of course, not without stopping to eat every twenty minutes as I am now constantly FAMISHED!

I am wiped!

I had been experiencing the pregnancy doldrums as I was bored with my routine and felt like my nesting urge was unfulfilled. After camping, a whirlwind trip to Seattle, and catching up with family, I am wiped!!! I felt like I have stopped talking since Thursday!!! So I guess the doldrums are over!


Our spectacular set up at River Junction

Dale and I went camping on Thursday with some friends at the most spectacular site, nestled between beautiful spruce trees and the continuous bubble of the Blackfoot river. We were only there a night and had to leave early the next morning but we have full intentions of returning back to that magical site for some rest and relaxation.

Friday I headed to Seattle to help my family start their moving process to Orcas Island, WA. I had a chance to catch up with a former boss, some friends, and catch up on those Seattle food cravings. We went swimming in Lake Washington, enjoyed delicious Thai food, and watched my friends perform a show for their band Man Party. Of course, all this was not complete without the belly rubbing and somewhat hilarious attempts to get the baby to kick, including a flashlight, a tall glass of ice water, and a chocolate cupcake---after all that, my friends felt the baby once or twice. Sure enough, now that I am home, the baby is kicking up a violent storm!


Swimming at Lake Washington

I forget that I am very pregnant! I am still getting used to the changes in my body and forget that I have a belly to watch out for. Twice this weekend I closed the door on my belly. Once, I was trying to squeeze by a chair with a plate full of food and my belly got STUCK!! This guy had to kindly move a chair out of the way for me! I still feel small and petite and am sometimes completely unaware of my growing dimensions! My friend Jarred took a candid photo of me while I was shopping at REI and looking at the photo, I had to do a double take! I am going to start tracking my diameter just for giggles.

I didn't actually go for a ride, but here I am in Jarred's Ural

Dale and I will be savoring our last two nights together as we realized that between the family and friends that will be visiting it will be our last opportunity sans relative and baby as we have got a full house from now until......???? We love having visitors and are excited the Hotel Pittman is in gloriously beautiful Montana. My brother has unexpectedly decided to come visit for a few weeks and I am very much looking forward to bonding with him, as we haven't spent this much time together in quite a few years. Of course it will be nice to have an extra hand around to do things like wash the car and pull weeds, since those chores have become a challenge. I expect that we will spend many hours camping, hiking, and catching up. I am preparing myself for role as tour guide, brushing up on Montana history and looking at Atlases to plan not one trip, but THREE trips to Glacier National Park. It has been a gorgeous wet year and I don't want anyone to miss out on some truly amazing scenic beauty, even if it means driving 2 hours just to follow an RV up Logan Pass.

Our baby shower is Sunday August 2nd and we are getting excited to celebrate with all our families and friends in what will become know as our last party before parenthood! We have sent invites and are expecting somewhere around 30 people in our already crowded house! It will be a blast!

Lastly, I had been waiting to decide on a name until after the baby was born but while riding on the bus in Seattle, on a perfectly golden sunny morning, I felt the baby kick and lovingly stroked my belly and called him______. It was completely unconscious but it felt right. So I told Dale and he was stoked that we have finally DECIDED on a name. However, we will not be sharing that name until after the baby is born, so keep your excitement at bay until October when we present our dashing son to the world.

I have always been really excited about being pregnant and becoming a mom, but it is really starting to sink in now. I love being pregnant and being part of such a phenomenal change and already I love our son more than I can express. I am so excited for all the challenges and rewards that we are going to face. The gift of parenthood is truly priceless and October just seems so far away!!! We had the pleasure of meeting our friend's newborn and holding him just made my heart sink. The smell of his hair, the softness of his skin, everything was so intoxicating and made my pregnancy seem so much more real. Dale and I are waiting patiently and will be enjoying each and every day with wonder and elation.

Move over! Pregnant lady on a bike!

What started as a somewhat dark and dismal day with a rain shower and thunder storm miraculously turned in to a beautiful and cool 70 degrees with clean blue skies lightly dotted with a few fluffy white clouds. Of course, my new 3 -wheel bike was squeaking in the garage begging to be let out of its cage.

I needed to go to the store anyways to pick up chicken broth for a batch of corn chowder that I was making and rather than drive (and risk losing my parking spot!!!) I packed up the bike, put Emma in the basket and took off for an adventure.

We were only headed to Safeway which is about a mile from our house, however, the only way to get there is either crossing a tall bridge, riding uphill, riding under a bridge with cars flying by, or taking the rather roundabout pedestrian bridge over the railroad. Considering safety, traffic, and sidewalks I decided to take the pedestrian bridge. There was no way I could make it up the whole thing, so I ended up pushing the bike up the path, feeding Emma cookies the whole way to make sure she stayed in the basket. This was really rather amusing to passerbys as they all chuckled at the site.

We made it to Safeway and not having a heavy duty lock for my bike I made it a quick trip for fear that someone would not only make off with my bike but an awesome dog. Of course, I came out to see Emma laying peacefully in the sun, still attached to the bike.

Armed with groceries, a banana-chip eating dog, and 15 pounds of purely visible baby weight, I set on my path for home. I never had to stop at a stop sign, cars just stopped and let me cross the street! This was a relief as once I stop its hard to get going again!

Of course, I made my way up the roundabout, over the railroad tracks and started my descent down, this time deciding that I would ride the bike down instead of pushing it. People must of seen me coming because I started down the windy path, catching quite a breeze, to see 15 people lined up at the bottom waiting to head up! I am pregnant, not plague ridden or a disaster on wheels, but secretly I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs, MOVE OVER, PREGNANT LADY COMING THROUGH!!!!

However, I refrained, and continued on my journey home, still chuckling at all the people lined up waiting for me, my dog, groceries, and giant pregnant belly to pass them on my adult-sized tricycle. Of course, when I got home, the baby started kicking me as though to show his displeasure with my pleasure ride.

I hope this corn chowder was worth the trip. I wish you could have seen it.

Six Months!!!

Baby's first suntan on Lindbergh Lake

It has just occurred to me that I am over six months pregnant. In fact, in 109 days (give or take a few) my nights will be filled with feeding, diaper changing, and relishing in any amount of shut eye possible!

I feel very fortunate that I have been blessed with a so far easy pregnancy. Even though it has been easy, I still grumble during every midnight and 2 am trip to the bathroom and whine when I have pick up things off the floor. My house is a mess, the laundry has been in the dryer for two days, and there is lint flying around on my ceiling fan! I am sure that this is just of preview of what our house will become once the baby arrives!!!


Busted! Our cat looking for what I assume will be dinner.

Aside from messy houses, I have been longing for a glass of wine, salivating for raw cookie dough, and wish that I wouldn't hit my belly every time I close a door. Seriously, who does that! Work is extremely slow and I find myself looking up product reviews, changing my mind between strollers, and reading about childbirth techniques!

If I am lucky, I stare at my belly and actually see it moving....its alien and creepy but still I savor the moments when I see what looks like a foot or head kicking through my belly. Dale actually witnessed this belly theater last week when the baby headbutted my belly button. Dale nervously laughed in what I am sure was bewilderment and fascination. The kicking has gotten more regular, to which point I have actually started going to bed later, in an attempt to avoid the 11 pm utero-kick ball session!

Proving that I can in fact still see my feet.

We are headed camping this week with some friends for a few days and then I am off to Seattle for quick trip to see some friends, finish some shopping, and relax to some oldies tunes and rugid roads. After that starts the beginning of Hotel de Pittman as our friends will be visiting followed by more friends, family, the arrival of Dale's sister, our baby shower, and more friends visiting. School starts August 31 where I will back in the full swing of things until the baby comes and then I am off until Thanksgiving. Wheewww! This year is suddenly seeming shorter and shorter by the day! So yes, for the remainder of July, I will be lazing away, neglecting my housework, blogs, and emails. C'est la vie!

Farmer's Market Fun

Dale and I went to Farmer's market on Saturday and were delighted to see so many beautiful fresh veggies and herbs, that were twice as big and beautiful as those in my garden...We decided to please the more adventurous side of taste buds, purchasing garlic scapes, lemon basil, and beets.

While Dale was working, I had to find someway to use these ingredients and please my pallet. Let me just say, I was licking my kitchenaid clean after making scape pesto!

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO
Garlic scapes are the tops of garlic that are beautiful and tasty, almost like basil and garlic in one plant. They are tough to find, but if you can find scape, this is one tasty concoction! I froze the pesto in ice cube trays and then transferred to a ziplock bag so we can have pesto any day! You can freeze garlic, ginger, and other types of pesto using your kitchenaid and freezing them in trays...pretty handy!

Ingredients

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/3 cup pinenuts (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
Put the scapes, cheese, pinenuts into your kitchenaid, blender, or cusinart and pulse until finely chopped. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in until the texture is smooth. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt and pepper.
The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months. I would serve this over flank steak, maybe toss with pasta and zucchini, or fry some prawns in there as well! The possibilities are endless!

***If you cant find garlic scapes, just grab a handful of basil and a few cloves of garlic and make a traditional pesto. You could also substitute spinach and lemon or arugula and freshly grated pepper. Pesto-magic!!

Pickled Beets

I love beets and will eat them on any occasion. I especially love them roasted in orange juice and garlic and tossed with pork. I also love them sliced thin and served with a sharp goat cheese, like Cana de Oveja. For all you who shudder at the thought of beets, you must try them roasted because they are far superior to any red wedges found in a can.

Ingredients

3-4 medium sized beets, I used red beets and chioggia beets (candy cane striped)
1 tbls Coriander seeds

1 tbls Fennel seeds
4 star anise
1 Cinnamon stick
A few black peppercorns
2 tbls sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Olive Oil

1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of water
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash your beets and toss in a roasting pan. Toss with olive oil and roast for 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Let cool slightly and using a towel gently rub beets free of their skin. Set aside.
2. Bring vinegar and water to a simmer. Meanwhile, lightly toast the coriander, cinnamon stick, star anise, black pepper, and fennel seed until their aroma is released. Toss the spices and the sugar, salt, and cayenne into the simmering liquid and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes.

3. While the liquid is simmering, slice your beets and layer them into a quart size glass jar. Add the liquid and let cool before placing the lid on and store in the fridge for up to a month.
I snack on the beets almost like candy. As mentioned before I serve them with cheese or will toss them onto a salad. Feel free to add garlic or shallot during pickling. Enjoy!!!

Chicken and 40 Cloves of Garlic over a creamy Crimini Risotto

We licked our plates clean with this traditional recipe. I served it over a Crimini mushroom risotto, but had I done it over, I would have served it over mashed potatoes.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves, peeled (I peeled them by rolling the cloves into a silpat and rolling them on the counter until the skins peeled off....took me about 4 minutes...)
  
• 1 4-lb chicken, cut into eighths
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine, divided (optional)
  
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions
Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken starting skin side down, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate. Add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the red wine and all of the white wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 45 minutes, until all the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of red wine and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Crimini Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tbls
  
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons
• Glug of cream or half & half
  
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Glug of red wine
• dash of thyme
• About 1 cup of crimini mushrooms chopped

Directions
In a medium saucepan bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.
In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter, until rice is translucent. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, cream, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mascarpone cheese, and the salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
In a saute pan, heat 1 tbls of butter. Add mushrooms, sauteeing for just a few minutes until mushrooms begin to darken. Splash the pan with a glug of red wine, salt and pepper and serve on top of the risotto.

Flank Steak over Corn Polenta

As promised, I present the much awaited recipes that have filled our kitchen with intoxicating aromas....The first, and I think most delicious, was a recipe adapted from Food & Wine Magazine. Enjoy!

Flank Steak over Corn Polenta

Ingredients

1. 5 1/2 cups water
2. 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
3. 3 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves (you can used dried)
   
4. 2 cups frozen corn kernels
5. 1 1/3 cups coarse cornmeal
6. 2 tablespoons butter
7. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
8. 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
9. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
10. 3 cloves garlic, minced
11. 1 cup dry white wine
12. 1/4 cup red wine (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, 1 3/4 teaspoons of the salt, and thyme leaves to a boil. Stir in the corn and cook until tender, 1 minute for frozen. Add the cornmeal in a slow stream, whisking. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter.
2. While polenta is simmering, in a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Sprinkle the steak with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add the meat to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and cook to your taste, about 5 minutes longer for medium rare, depending on the thickness. Remove.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the remaining any remaining thyme, and the wine and stir to dislodge any brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Boil until reduced to approximately 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Slice the steak across the grain and on the diagonal. Serve the steak over a bed of corn polenta, with the sauce drizzled over all.

California, Camping, and Cats......

I have been meaning to send out a blog update for the past few week but somehow have managed to steer clear of all things technology related. I think after my trip to California being surrounded by mass media, cell phones, and cars sent me into a techno-coma! As immediately after landing in Montana, the quiet was almost deafening and persuaded me to shut my cell phone and computer off for just a few days of recovery. Of course, as a result, I am majorly behind on updates!

Dale and me on the Queen Mary

The rest of my trip in California was amazing. I was able to spend some quality time with family, which was the first time in over a year! My mom spoiled me with new maternity clothes, bras that actually fit, and jeans that can be worn without a fear of them falling down!! Of course, my grandparents did their part spoiling me as we ate delicious food every night, food that made the baby kick like crazy and me, almost forget how to cook! I was sad to say good-bye to everyone as I am the family girl, or rather, Nana&Papa's girl, because I love spending time with them and hate saying good bye!! The next time I see them, I will be carting around an infant!


Almost the whole family!

Of course, Dale made that sadness go away when I arrived in Missoula. He surprised me with roses lining our walkway, a clean house, freshly set dinner table, and a feast for two (actually, 3)! We have since then been relaxing and enjoying what little time we have before friends and relatives start visiting in August, soon to be followed by our new addition in October!


My brother and me at Belmont Shore

Since I had a few weeks off of work, Dale and I spent our days playing frisbee with Emma (she got a new KONG frisbee which has been like crack for a dog!) cooking, and sleeping. We made some amazing meals! One night, we made seared flank steak served over corn polenta and drizzled with a white wine reduction. Another night, we made 40 cloves of garlic chicken served alongside a crimini mushroom risotto. And another, we got more creative and using lettuce and radishes from our garden we made flanksteak seared with radish and served over fresh greens. I promise I will post these recipes soon!


Leaf Lettuce from my garden!!

Tis the season for summer garage sales and Dale and I have been stalking sales in search of baby stuff and new household items. We havent had much luck but we were able to find a THREE wheel bike that has a basket large enough to hold Emma and stable enough to support my pregnant self without a fear of falling. It is amazing and I have been enjoying my tricycles (as Dale refers to it) riding to the park! We were also purchased a new Calphalon 16 inch saute pan which has been an amazing addition to our new family!!! It sears perfectly and cooks evenly and is a major improvement from our former skillet that leeched teflon into our cooking.


Dale on my NEW bike!

We were so excited to head out camping for a few days but realized about 30 minutes from our destination that it was almost 4th of July weekend. Stunned by all the RV's behind us, we were determined to find a suitable campsite free of people. We ended up at Lindbergh Lake (2 hours aways) where we did find an amazing campsite and spent two blissful days floating in the lake, hiking, and reading around a campfire and playing rummy. Unfortunately, our second night was interrupted when a bunch of people showed up drunk, setting off fireworks (which is ILLEGAL!) and making noise well after 10pm. We tried to ignore the noise, but we really came out to enjoy nature not listen to a bunch of idiots so we packed up and returned home.


My mom and me on the Queen Mary

I was a little disappointed having to cut our trip short but it was a good thing we did because when we got home we discovered that our cat, Sascha, had a urinary blockage again. He had struggled with this back in January and he spent 2 days with a catheter in at the vet. We thought the problem had fixed itself, but apparently not. We took him to the vet and $326 the crystals causing the blockage are gone, but he will have to stay on a special diet, drink filtered water, and continue taking prednisone. Normally I am opposed to spending this kind of money on animals but in Sascha's case, the problem, which is easily fixed, is fatal (within 48 hours) if left untreated. Fortunately, we have been saving money to buy a new bed this month and we had extra cash....bye bye bed, hello vet bill! He is home now and doing well but he is going to need extra attention over the next few weeks.

Lastly, Dale and I are starting to get baby ready. I am in the process of washing all of the new baby clothes we received at our baby shower. We have a crib coming our direction shortly and are starting to look more seriously at strollers and carseats. We have narrowed down to four names, but will probably not decide on one until D-Day (although we do have a favorite that will not be revealed until afterward!).


My nana and me

Dale is starting to get more serious about his career in the beer and wine industry and is looking at becoming a certified sommelier through the Court of the Masters Sommelier program. It is an intense program that has a very low pass rate, there are only 171 Master Sommeliers in the US! Nonetheless, they have a two day class and exam at Big Sky Resort (MT) September 21-23. So Dale is starting to study, blind taste, and prepare for the exam. If he passes the introductory (in which he would become a "certified sommelier"), they will invite him to take the next level all leading up to "Master Sommelier". All in all, it would be about 3 years before he could become a Master Sommelier but it would be the highest distinction in his field and would further his career astronomically!

Anyways, I will post pictures of our camping trip and California soon!