Birthday Lunch with Old Man Winter

I will not, I will not, I will not, I will not............begin this post complaining about the ridiculously cold winter we're having.   Ooops, well I tried!    What I will do is take a few moments to share with you one of the benefits of having a real, old fashioned northeast winter.  I think you all probably know by now that I'm more of a fair-weather kind of girl which means I don't snowmobile (although I did in my younger days), or ski (would never) or partake in any outdoor winter sports.  My idea of winter sports is taking a drive in the country shooting photos out the car window.  Lame, I confess.  Blame it on old (middle) age, I guess.  As a kid I ice skated (and mostly stayed on my feet) and as a young adult I enjoyed snowmobiling, even in subzero temperatures.  But these days I'm happy tucked inside my warm home or car being a spectator of the snow-covered world around me.
Yesterday was my hubby's birthday and a balmy, sunny 21 degrees!   That called for an outing.  Hubby chose the Log Jam for his birthday lunch (yummy choice).  As always, we had a delicious meal.  John chose one of yesterday's specials -The Scottish Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Tickler Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese sauce tossed with cavatappi pasta and Nueske’s Bacon. Garnished with seasoned breadcrumbs.  It was, as you might imagine, sinfully delicious.   I chose a crock of French Onion Soup and while it was very delicious, it was not quite as good as the onion soup at Power's Pub.  There's is the best and the only one that I can and want to finish.  If you haven't tried it, and you like french onion soup, I highly recommend it.  Nothing against Log Jam, theirs was very good too.  Both of us enjoyed the salad bar which is by far the best and most interesting and fresh salad bar around.  Then, because it was a special occasion, John had to have dessert!  He chose a chocolate layer cake which was so dense, moist and delicious, served with a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a pile of fresh, homemade whipped cream.  And yes, except for the two bites I had, he ate the WHOLE thing!

This was AFTER my two bites!

 All of this delicious goodness was served to us by our delightful waitress, Jen D, who was not only top-notch efficient, but so friendly and kind.  I love when wait staff are efficient and still take the time for a little small talk!  I felt sorry for the poor waiter at the next table.  He had a man who was dining alone, maybe a businessman.  The waiter was the consummate professional - efficient and friendly.  He tried his best to perform above and beyond, yet this diner was the most unfriendly, stone-faced guy.  Throughout his entire meal he did not smile once or acknowledge the great service he received.  Shame on him.  I just don't get why some folks find it so difficult to warm up.  It just annoys me when people refuse to acknowledge a job well done.  Maybe this guy was having a bad day, but still, he could have managed some sort of smile.  Doesn't cost a dime to smile and say thanks!  I'm sure he relished his chicken wings and Reuben, along with great service.
Anyway, after lunch we took a ride north to catch a glimpse of the snow sculptures in Lake George.  Each year Lake George hosts a month-long Winter Carnival.  Every weekend in February is filled with family-friendly events consisting of outhouse, dog sled, ATV and snowmobile races, chili and bbq and chicken wing cook-offs, helicopter rides, activities for the kids, and so much more.  This coming weekend will feature 4 x 4 Truck races, a chowder cook-off and chicken wing cook-off, fireworks Saturday and Sunday night at 6:00pm, and much more.  If this sounds fun - check out the their official website for a complete list of events and times. http://www.lakegeorge.com/winter/carnival.cfm
This year's events feature the First Annual Lake George Snow Sculpture Contest.  Three teams of well known artists have worked to create some pretty amazing sculptures.  Some of these are in Shepard Park, at the Visitor Center on Beach Road and elsewhere in the village.  The three teams consist of  Glenn Durlacher and Tony DeStratis , local ice and wood carvers (and event coordinators). Olympic World Champion Peter Vogelaar from British Columbia will be bringing his team to compete, along with USA Champion Jerry Merrill from Sackets Harbor.  (Thank you to the Adirondack Journal for this information.)
In case you aren't able to make it to Lake George, you're in luck.   I have a sneak peak at some of the sculptures for you.  They are pretty impressive and thanks to this weather, I'm pretty sure they'll be around for a while.

Don't forget - for a larger view, click on any photo to be taken to a slide show format.

WOW!

 

Lots of talent out there for sure!  These are all winners in my book and kuddos for all these artists for braving the conditions to create such masterpieces for everyone to enjoy.   Although some snow is expected this weekend, the temps are predicted to rise into the toasty 20's and 30's.  Check 'em out!  Thanks to the Log Jam Restaurant for another great meal and to Jen for being such a great server!  Next time you eat out, take a moment to recognize great service.  These guys and gals work hard for their money and when they do a job well, they deserve some praise.  Don't we all appreciate some recognition?
Thanks for reading and go out there (or stay inside) and have a great day.  Thanks for riding along through Life As I See It!