Irene's Bakery

Irene's Bakery is a cool spot I found when exploring the area around our hotel. Granted, our hotel isn't there greatest (it's a three star) but the location, I think, makes it a good place to stay.

Irene's Bakery is about a ten minute walk from the hotel. Along the way, you'll pass a woman who sells coconut jello with fruit, a guy that makes home made ice cream, and a small laundromat. All posts for another day.

Irene makes desserts. She has cookies, cheesecake, carrot cake, and something called 'orange cake'. Her oatmeal and chocolate cookies are awesome. They are more crunchy than chewy but not dry. The flavor of the cookie is rich but not overly sweet. Her carrot cake is equally excellent. Moist and sweet but not excessively sweet with a rich cheesecake icing.

But even better than the baked goods are the drinks. The Thai iced tea is really good; unlike most Thai ice teas, it's not highlighter orange with an overbearing sweetness to it. But if I had to recommend one thing it would be the green iced tea. It's a sweetened tea like the Thai iced tea, but there is a layer of whipped milk on top followed by a sprinkle of macha.

I didn't get a chance to try everything; money wasn't the issue, everything there is priced really reasonably. The lack of time and the threat of diabetes were the obstacles in the way of tasting everything Irene had to offer.

Irene also has a really cool story. I don't know all of it, but her excellent English tipped me off that there was something different about her. You should ask her when you go by.

And when you do, let me know what you think.

Thailand

The Boss, who is just as consistent as I am about writing, and I have this ongoing discussion about vacation. For her, it's relaxing and enjoyable to sit on the beach every day for at least 9 days. I can survive maybe 5 days. After the fourth day I slowly start getting antsy before I start longing for the 0° (Fahrenheit) weather of home where I can be "productive".

Before moving away from the US, I read this wonderful book on rest and the Sabbath. Honestly, it takes a lot of work for me to rest. I have to be purposeful about what is restful and say no to a lot of fun things in order to find the rest I need. One big idea of true rest is that it is a break from what you normally do; the distance created by the break gives renewed energy for the work that needs to be done. Needless to say, I haven't been disciplined about creating those breaks, and thus, am seldom rested.

That's been one of the really great things about Thailand this time around: I'm really taking a break. I didn't bring the laptop. I'm spending a lot more time with the Boss, the Princess, and the Poop King. I have a greater appreciation for the hard work that goes into being a mom but an equal appreciation for the joy that one gets from being around your kids most of the day.

Other things I've gotten to do that I normally don't do:

• enjoy an after meal walk with my wife and kids
• blog
• eat (relatively) giant breakfasts
• go swimming
• nap with my daughter
• take baths
• meander around a mall
• watch a live American football game

It's not hiking through a redwood forest, snorkeling off a coral reef, or riding a winged wyrvern through the Palamecian skies, but I wouldn't have it any other way.