Lessons Learned

1) When visiting a new city (especially a large one) get to know the different "neighborhoods" and their reputations. Heaven knows you don't want to be lost in The Tenderloin after dark.

1a) On that note, when you find a street that has a good reputation: walk it! Some of the cutest shops and best dining don't come up on any Google search.

2) If you are renting a car, be sure to coincide the drop-off time with the time of your flight. Dan and I overlooked this fact and had over 5 hours between drop off and take off. Because we didn't want to spend most of our last day at the airport, we ended up paying an unspeakable cost for two cabs to take us back into San Fran after we dropped off the car and then to the airport later on.

3) When using a cellular navigation program like VZ Navigator (which I highly recommend) be sure to take it off "Pedestrian" mode when you begin driving again. Pedestrian mode does not honor one way roads which San Francisco has A LOT of.

4) Don't feed a pigeon just to see it up close.* In reality there is no such thing as "a pigeon" and once you feed "a pigeon" you will be swarmed by dozens of his buddies that were hiding on a nearby statue, waiting for a careless country girl to toss a piece of bread. Because pigeons know there is no such thing as "a piece" of bread.

5) Never pass up a bakery. Even if it's on the wrong side of the road. While on vacation, an indefinite number of cupcakes, cookies, and miscellaneous pastries are permitted. Did you know that calories become irrelevant once you cross times zones?

Other than these few minor mishaps, our trip was great! We had loads of fun, ate far too many cupcakes, and made some great memories. But I must say, its good to be back at the Inn and back to my blog. Pictures and more Berkshire-related posts coming soon!

With Love,
~Brande N.

*I know this one might be dead obvious to some of you, but I grew up in the country. Pigeons are still a novelty to me. Well, they were until we got attacked by a dozen hungry ones in Union Square.

How to Avoid Travel-Planning Induced Headaches

Last night, while planning more of our trip to San Francisco, I realized that I have not properly prepared you, readers. I've told you about several resources that I swear by, love, and adore. Yet I haven't told you about those that I hate. Abhor even. I've even got one resource that I have a long-standing love-hate relationship with. It's complicated.

So here is a list of resources that I DO NOT recommend. They are headache inducing liars that will build up your hopes and let you down. Or just get you lost on a major highway. More on that in a bit.

1) Yellow/White Pages online
A year or so ago, Dan and I were thinking about visiting the Florida Keys. I started doing research and realized that looking in the phone book for restaurants was a genius idea--why didn't I think of it sooner! I found one restaurant I had never heard of called Buca Di Beppo. Great menu with interesting Italian food, funky/fun atmosphere. Sounded great! So I wrote it down, excited. I later discovered that the Yellow/White Pages have "Sponsored Listings" that come up no matter what city you look up. Even if there isn't one of those restaurants anywhere near your destination. The nearest Buca was actually in Mississippi. Additionally, they don't update their listings to reflect that businesses are closed. In other words, no good.

2) Menuism.com, Allmenus.com
Often out-of-date, inaccurate, and incomplete. If the place you're interested in doesn't have a website, give them a call! This is also a great way to get an idea of the quality of service you'll get at that establishment.

3) CitySearch.com
I've given myself one too many headaches trying to navigate this website. My biggest gripe is that it is so poorly organized. For example:
Pittsfield Clothing Stores - Via Citysearch.com
Notice that an automotive shop in Pittsfield is located next to an independant clothing store in Lenox which is next to a tuxedo shop in Lee. The unfortunate part is that I am aware of this because I know the area. If I was from San Diego or Des Moines I'd be absolutely lost and confused. I'd also like to note that the "Sponsored Lisiting" is coming up under the "Clothing" category, even though it's an auto parts store!

4) Websites with Outdated © Dates
Like this one:
Museums in the Berkshires
If you scroll to the bottom, you'll see that the © is from 2000-2005. Four years is a long time if we're talking small businesses, especially in difficult economic times. Granted, a museum is something that you can usually count on to still be there. But it's good to notice this because it means that the website is not being maintained and, once again, the info might be outdated and/or inaccurate.

5) Google Maps
This is my love/hate relationship. I love you Google Maps. I hate you! I love you. I hate you!
But I've noticed I only hate it when I don't do all the work.
Like on Wednesday night. See, Dan and I went to Albany. We were shopping at Colonie Center and right around dinner time I decided that I would settle for nothing but Ruby Tuesday's.
(Which, FYI, is a secret obsession of mine. I could sing the praises of Ruby Tuesday's all day. I have no idea why I love it so much. I just do. Don't judge me...)
Anyway! The problem was that we were at the wrong mall. We had to drive 3.5 miles away to Crossgates Mall to get there. So I got out my cellphone, and Goog-411'ed the address. It looked super easy; basically just a left out of the mall, hop on Route 5, and then take the exit for the mall a half mile up.
The problem? Route 5 runs east and west. And Google didn't specify which way to go. I tried really hard to visialize the mall in my mind and told Dan to go west. Wrong. We completely missed our exit and literally watched Crossgates Mall pass us as we drove along I-87, heading away from Albany, now 20 miles from the nearest turnaround point, and over 40 miles from home. Ugh! We ended up just going home (we were headed that way anyway, right?) and instead of having a delicious Strawberry Iced-Tea and a Killer Fish Burger for dinner I had leftover pizza.
The lesson? Look at the map!! Have it sent to your phone!! Print it!! Use GPS!! Google is a great resource, but at the end of the day it's still just software and not the all-knowing mythical being that I wish it was.

I hope this helps you out or at least saves you a few headaches. And if you've got any bad resources/horror stories to share, please do! Heaven knows that I love a good horror story!

With Love,
~Brande n.

I Feel Your Pain, Little Guy...

This is the mug Dan got me for Christmas. When I gave him my Chiristmas list, my demands were as follows:
-Must be handmade
-Prefferably from Etsy
-Must be unique or quirky in some way
-Must be able to hold at least 14oz of liquid
-Must have a lid

All things considered, Dan got me a pretty a awesome mug. But I do need a lid. You see, one of the very first things I learned about being an innkeeper is that you should never expect to have a hot meal or drink between 1pm and 7pm. At least not if you're me. I have the absolute worst luck. I'll make soup and a sandwich or pour a cup of coffee or even just microwave a burrito and invariably, the second I sit down to eat, I'll get a check-in, a walk-in, a complicated 20 minute phone call, or some other crisis. Cold coffee and a a soggy, room-temperature grilled cheese do not a good meal make. Bleh.

So I set out to find a lid. I contacted the potter that made my mug, and she said that it would cost $10 plus shipping to make it and she couldn't guarantee it would fit. Bleh. I contacted another potter to see if he had a better price. Nope. He blatantly refused to do it, stating that it was too difficult.

So I decided to look for a universal lid. Something that I could just throw over my mug to give the coffee another 10 or 15 minutes of life, even if it didn't fit perfectly or match the mug.

And I found it! This fantastic, affordable, quirky website had a silicone (which I believe is a biodegradable material, but am currently researching) lid that was made to fit all mug sizes, was air tight, and was only $4! Yay! After finding that, I decided I might as well grab something else to offset the $6 shipping. I found this great little travel size metal spoon/fork/chopstick set. What a great way to avoid plastic utensils when dining on the road! And it was only $6! What a deal!

I submitted the transaction and waited for my beautiful, ecological, awesome, earth-friendly goodies to come. And I waited. And waited. And waited. Two and a half weeks later, I started to worry that I had been scammed. So I went to the website and hit the FAQ.

Ugh. Turns out that my wonderfully inexpensive, quirky online store was in Hong Kong. And my "beautiful, ecological, awesome, earth-friendly goodies" were being flown to the United States via air mail. I may as well have just poked a hole in the ozone layer myself! Ahh!

A week later, my package arrived:
And of course, it was in a plastic bubble envelope and not a cardboard box. *Sigh*

But there was good news! First of all, the utensil set was/is amazing and has already gotten used several times. And the lid? Fits like a glove. Totally air-tight and keeps my coffee toasty. Best of all, it perfectly reflects the way I felt about this whole messy transaction:
(Yes, that's right, there is a tiny, angry little man on my lid. He's actually the handle. Awesome.)

With Love,
~Brande N.

It'll Put Hair on Your Arms

Cast of Characters:

MAN – Middle aged, athletic

WIFE – Middle aged, delicate

WAITRESS – (Me)

The Scene:

MAN and WIFE sit at breakfast table. He’s reading the sports section while she nibbles on her egg-white omelet and reads “Berkshire Living”. The WAITRESS comes by, pours coffee the WIFE, and then proceeds to pour the MAN a cup.

MAN: Thanks! This coffee is great! It’s nice and manly.

WAITRESS: I’m glad you like it! It’s a manly coffee for a manly guy! (laughs)

WIFE: (having just taken a sip) Well, what does that say about the women who drink it?

WAITRESS fails to find an adequate response and proceeds to eat foot.

Regarding Large Pancakes and Bad Diners

Yesterday, Dan and I went out to breakfast. If we aren't cooking it ourselves or eating at Haven, we're every bit in love with Sylvester's in Northampton. Did you happen to click that link? You should, because no one can fully understand the glory that is Sylvester's without at least looking at their menu. Huevos rancheros, eggs benedict, ham-apple-chevre omelet, banana bread french toast, homemade corned beef hash... it's too much! And that's just breakfast. They do lunch, too!

But we eat at Sylvester's A LOT. And my greatest fear is eating there so much that we grow to hate it. How sad would that be? So Dan and I decided to go to a new place, about 20 minutes past Northampton, for breakfast. It offered locally sourced and organic ingredients, had an interesting menu (French meat pie, anyone?) and seemed quirky and fun.

It wasn't. Ugh! This place was in the middle of nowhere, we got lost, had to turn around twice, it was humid and musty in the dining room, and the food ended up being pretty much bad. What a disappointment.

I have always been an optimist, however. So out of the pile of burnt homefries, microwaved turkey sausage, and cold pancakes I found something precious. A blog topic. I give you:

The World's Most Atrociously Large Pancakes:

Now at first glance, they might not seem that big. But that's a butter knife on the left there. This pancake was at least one-and-a-half butter knives in diameter and almost an inch thick. And there were two of them. You can barely see the second one peeking out from the monstrosity on top of it.

When Dan ordered "two blueberry pancakes, please", the waitress asked him if he'd like one instead, "They're plate sized, you know".
"Nah, I'll take two." he says. Because he had been craving pancakes. Really craving them.
"Alright," says the waitress, "But I rarely see any man finish two."
And then, the eavesdropping gentleman across the room joins in and says, "That sounds like a challenge!"

What man can stand up to that kind of pressure? Dan couldn't. The sleeping gladiator in him awoke and attacked those pancakes with fire and zeal. He suffered and perservered but, after eating about two-thirds of he mess, he was beaten. And a little bloated and kind of drowsy.

That was breakfast. you know where we went to dinner? Roberto's. A sister restaurant to Sylvester's. And it was delicious.

The lesson of the day? Sometimes it's a good idea to just stick with what works!

With Love,
~Brande N.

My feet must be tasty...

...because I seem to stick them in my mouth A LOT. Remember our previous conversation about all the mistakes I'll inevitably make while I learn the nuts and bolts of innkeeping? Well this morning was a perfect example of that.

This is the story:
A very nice couple ordered their meal, Dan and I made it, and then I brought it out to them. Whenever I bring out an order, I always check to see if the guests need anything else: syrup for their pancakes, butter for the toast, tabasco for the eggs, etc.. Speaking of tabasco on eggs, that is one thing I have just never seen the appeal of. It's just weird to me! But then again, I love beets and tuna fish with green olives and maple syrup in milk, so I guess I don't have much room to critique the preferences of others.

Anyway, the order in question was 2 eggs over easy with goat cheese and fresh tomato and basil on the side. In my head I thought, "Okay, they've got eggs, so they don't need syrup, and they've already got the side of goat cheese, tomato and basil, so they’re probably alright. But I might as well check, just to be sure.”

Me: “Could I get you guys anything else? More coffee? Ketchup or hot sauce for your eggs or anything weird like that?”

Guest: “Uh, yeah, hot sauce would be great.”

...and I just called it weird. Ugh! Boy my foot is tasty!

Our First Experience with the Smoke Detector

Today I am standing in the kitchen, just about to pour out last night's coffee. Just as I tip the carafe this ear shattering screech rips through the silence of my Monday morning. "Oh my..." I think, "The fire alarm!"

I run over to the security panel, panicked, and try to see which sector the alarm was set off in. They're ALL blinking! AHHHH! Lights are flashing, sirens ringing, I'm trying to figure out why, if the panel says the alarm was set off in the sitting room, I'm not on fire.

And then. Silence. *sigh of relief*

I go back to the panel, and it now shows that the alarm was set off in Room 10, the bottom level of our Eladesor cottages. Za, our housekeeper, and I run to the cottage and intercept a very frazzled looking Dan on the way. I tell him where we're going and the three of us head off to see what happened.

We open the door to Room 10 and an impenetrable wall of smoke faces us. Thick, grey, odorless smoke rises and falls in waves. "Odorless? Is it carbon monoxide?"

Dan (being the silly, slightly foolish, and sometimes too-brave soldier that he is) decides he's going to go in an see where it's coming from. I, of course, am panicking and reminding him not to breathe while I wait for the fire engine to come screaming into our driveway.

And long, seemingly exciting story short. A pipe burst. It was steam. The plummer came. All is well.


It's funny, because when people ask if Dan and I own the Inn, I always jokingly tell them, "Nah, John owns it, we're just here to make sure it doesn't burn down." And boy am I glad that today wasn't the day Dan and I stood outside and watched this 228 year old Inn burn. Whew!

With love and RELIEF,
~Brande N.

An introduction, of a sort.

I read blogs. A Lot. It’s an addiction. If you were to peek into my Yahoo account and view my bookmarks, you’d see an entire folder called “Blogs”. You’d see that that folder contains about 25 different blogs, and you’d see that I read every one of them every single day. Some of them I even several times a day in desperate, grasping hope of an update. Like I said, it’s an addiction.

I read a lot of books too. And the ones that always grab me are the ones that throw me headfirst into the action. “Johnny lept from the bow of the ship, terrified of what might await him in the murky waters below…” Those are my kinda books. And while I won’t be jumping off the bows of any ships as an Innkeeper (hopefully), there are times in this new job when I feel like I am.

I think that’s sort of the way I like things though. When I first learned how to waitress it was because our best waitress called in sick just before lunch. My boss looked at me and said, “So Brande, you’re going to be my waitress today.” I was thrown headfirst into the lunch hour, stunned and utterly clueless, left to take orders, bus tables, deliver sodas, and make more mistakes than I care to think about. But I learned. And because of those struggles, I became a darn good waitress.

So while I have no experience of any kind in Inn Management, I know the struggles and silly mistakes I will inevitably make will be good for me. It’s sort of like going to the dentist. It usually hurts and I always want to go take a nap afterwards, but it’s good for me. And it’s gonna make me a darn good Innkeeper.


So here’s to making mistakes, learning from them, and, above all else, keeping an online record of every last one of them. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of stories to tell. So stick with me, keep reading, and let’s have some fun, shall we?


With love,
-Brande N.