a few blogging points today

A few blogging points today so I guess it might be a long one.
First I decided to play tourist with the in laws and Jeremy on Thanksgiving, I honestly was not looking forward to getting up at 5am and trekking down to the city to see some giant helium balloons on a day when I could easily sleep a few extra hours. Reluctantly I got out of bed, put clothes on and we boarded the 6 train for the parade. We made our usual stop over at 125th st, but knowing that today was a holiday AND it was before 6:30...there was no express train, but it was insisted we got off, and what do yah know I was right, no express train, but we took the 4 train anyway and got off boarded the next train...N or something and then got off in Times Square. I realize this is a big parade and people line up early but you would have thought it was New Years Eve and people wanted to get a glimpse at that glittery ball slowly dropping on the pole. So we walked a few blocks and claimed stake next to what we thought would be an open corral (since we are cattle and need to be corralled. It turned out we were right and being the gracious humans we are pushed our way to the front...knocking over an old lady in the process...I wish. No but we did get to the front and I was half on half off the side walk, standing...in the cold...for almost 3 hours. Then the parade started. A barrage of giant helium balloons including Smurfs, Dora, Shrek, and others came down the road. Giant Kermit was in there, as well as the cast of Sesame Street, come on I almost cried when I saw the cast of Sesame Street...childhood memories...and THERE THEY ARE!! Later on singing Kermit on a float came. I had the joy of standing next to two what seemed like late high school/early college girls who LOVED Mylie Cyrus and David Archulleta...as in the kid who SHOULD have won American Idol...like I care, there is a bad picture of Mylie...for Bob. Oh well the parade came and went and Santa showed up as usual. It was a fun time, cold but fun, and I will probably never do it again.

point two...making my first turkey
So since we decided on hosting thanksgiving we were wondering when we would have time to cook since we were going to the parade. We started out with the idea of just cooking a boneless turkey brest a-la-Rachael Ray...but of course 5 store later I couldn't find one. So I moved onto the idea that my sister in law gave me and get just the breast, again would have taken the same amount of time it would have taken me to cook a real turkey. SO we went with the real turkey and it would have been ready within 4 hours, awesome. So I think I am a pretty good cook, not good enough to warrant my own Food Network show but damn my turkey was delicious! I mean it was suculacnt and delicious, I brined it although after reading several places not to follow the "new trend" and brine the turkey and having 28 other thanksgiving dinner and various other turkey holidays I have had enough turkey to know, brining is the way to go! Everyone pitched in and it was a great time had by all. The next day we all slept in and attempted suicide by going to Macy's Herald Square...urgh...we moved on past the mad house. We saw Grease and at first I really could've cared to go, but I must say it was good. I was very pleased with the musical, I was upset that Max from the TV show wasn't in it. Ace from American Idol was though, really I didn't know who that was, heard of him but didn't care for him. Oh well it was a fun time.

next point: following advise on bars in manhattan...if a celeb or psuedo-celeb advises you to go to a certain bar, I think there is a rule, PEOPLE FOLLOW WHAT THEY SAY! SO of course on a saturday night it is going to packed to the brim. Of course it is also probably on the expensive side, unless it's Rachael Rays's 40 Dollars a day. It wasn't so expensive, pretty good beer, but it was crowded. I am glad I went, the two bars we went to McSorley's which makes their own Ale. It was good, and for some reason we each got two...and we better have we waited about 20 min just to get in, and Pepe wasn't working. The other bar we went to was called the Burp Castle this place was cool, not as crowded but damn expensive, kinda small place. Oh well what are yah gonna do, right?

What's 5 more kilometers...I said to myself...

Seriously, what is 5 more kilometers, or 6 as it ended up being. I went out to run 5k today because I haven't been out for a real run in a week, so I went out for a 5k and when I took a few extra turns to add maybe a mile or so, I ended up pretty far from my starting point, so I kept running...that's where endorphins come in. So I kept running, and crossed a bridge and then added some more turns...and more turns, and the woman on my Nike+ kept telling me I exceeded my goal, 1,2,3,4,5...so at this point I was ready to finish, I mean this is almost 6.5 miles...so I had at least 1k left before I was home, so I cut through Parkchester, almost fell down some steps, almost got hit by a few cars (as I usually do) and hit my power song (Barracuda,) but then my power song ended...really...come on and so I kept running and ended up running a little over 11K which I was like a little shy of 7 miles...although this picture shows 7 miles...whatever.

running, dancing...you know workin out...or trying too

So no pictures this time, although I know everyone who reads this...all three of you love my little screen shots from google maps and other various locales, but today I decided to do something different and figured since I am paying all this money for all these on-demand channels and knew I had an "exercise" channel (it's called Lifeskool, also one called Sportskool..cleverly spelled as you can see) I would use it. So I tuned to Lifeskool to see what cardio,dance,yoga, and what not offerings there is. I discovered Kareoke challenge and decided to sing Endless Love first, then went on to look for yoga, which I found. I must say they need like a really basic basic basic yoga cause I just can't do even the basic moves...it sucks. Oh well so I did a yoga routine, and then figured I should do some more. So I choose Hip-Hop dance...kinda funny watching three overly hyper blond haired white women doing hip-hop dance, so I stopped it and moved onto Latin Combo Dance, which is "Basic." Again, please explain the steps. I realize I could just stop them and rewind, but that takes too much effort on my part, so I just went with it tried as much as I could and I am sure I looked like a fool...I JUST WANT TO TAPPA TAPPA TAPPA!!!

lost in Bronxdale (neighborhood, not village), Nike+, bad arch support

So I did it, I broke down and I bought some Nike + shoes in hopes of tracking all of my running and doing some fancy data comparison charts, blah blah blah, but really the Nike+ website does all this...FABULOUS! So this is my shoe it's blue, and orange, and bright, and I am glad its not white. I am over white running shoes, I feel weird wearing anything white as it is, I don't know why, maybe because I wear white and instantly it attracts dirt, messes, grime, any of the above??? Oh well back to my run, so I went on this run and I had programmed 4 miles into my little I-Pod thing to keep track, and I am starting to realize things in the Bronx are closer then they seem. I mean a place so far away isn't really that far away, there are just a lot of turns, intersections, and when in traffic...cars. So I am running, my arches are hurting and I make an eventual turn after I hit the 2/5 up in Bronxdale (so the neighborhood is called) and start back here and realize I have only gone 2.5 miles and need to add some turns or a long straightaway or something. I turn down a street I had seen while making up a g-map run, and see the MetroNorth Tracks but realize...there is no place to go over them, so I keep running, arches hurting, along the tracks, finally I come to the bridge to cross, a van load of children drive by cheering me on, and I see a familiar seen, but have about a mile to go. Oh and if you have not ran with the IPod/Nike+ there is a nice voice that tells you either how far you've gone, or how much you have left. I really like at the end, when she says 400 meters left, 300...200...100...congratulations, you have finished. So I finish my run 4.01 miles and then a mans voice comes on. "Hello, this is Lance Armstrong, that was your best workout yet, keep up the good work." Wow, endorsement money or WHAT?? So this little gadget is pretty cool I must say, and there is a neat training tool online that customizes workouts for different runs, like when I get to my half or full marathon next year...look for the movie.

getting myself lost and almost hit (a few times)

So while out on my jaunt today I thought I knew where I was going, well I had a rough idea of where I was going to go. Unfortunately I took the wrong bridge to cross the tracks and I ended up far away from where I wanted to be and I ended up in a neighborhood called Van Nest. I mean it wasn't actually such a bad neighborhood, looks like mine, although that isn't too hard, all the houses around here look roughly the same. Also while on my run I need to run by many intersections, and of course since I am in NYC there are a lot of cabs, but these aren't the yellow cabs of Manhattan no these are car service cabs...and these cars FLY, I am talking 40+ on these little side streets and more then once on my run today a few of them flew to the end of road where more then likely they were going to pause and then run the intersection, but I was there to almost get hit and have them stop short...stupid drivers.
So While on my run today I thought I would try out my new Nike + thingy that tracks your time and distance and pace and you can upload it to the website and join the largest running community blah blah blah...the only thing is you need to buy these shoes and I honestly do not like running in Nike's, or I was told I should run in Nike or whatever. Anyways I think I might try because I just put the sensor thing in my shoe and now my ankle hurts, and I think this thing is cool to track all those things and I can see how I am doing on my runs and what not.
My other thing I have been fighting with is whether or not to sign up for this half-marathon, I mean it is 13 or so miles...you know ONLY 13 or so miles, but still its a goal and I think I can achieve this goal. I signed up for one before and was all ready to run that one, and I ran and ran and ran and got myself all ready, then we had to move that day...stupid moving.

race number one...Race to the Finish...ugh

So the first of my races (3rd ever) I must say this was the WORST. I am not a professional runner, I am not an amateur runner, I am still a beginner, but the other two races I have run have not been as bad. This race as you will see in the picture was straight for a little over 2 miles, seriously, I am enjoying running, but I would like a turn, or a little bit of a hill or a little bit of a downhill??? PLEASE!!! I digress, I finished the race NOT LAST! and I felt good afterwards. I must say, running races for a team was never my forte but running for myself has been great and now I have a time (yes it was 42:10) to go from, so I can improve from there, run some more races and when registration for the Hartford Marathon opens up, I will be registering! I know a 5K at 3.1 miles is a little different then a Marathon at 26.3 miles or whatever, I think if i have a year to train, I think I can do it! I believe in myself, and I am going to sign up and do it! Way to go me!

still running

SO this running kick is taking off, funny I know, kick...taking off HA I KILL ME! Anyways, I have been slowly increasing these runs hopefully getting to a 10K level, if not some 5k races, although it is getting colder so they will be some cold races, especially since there are few weekends left and most of the races take place at 8 in the morning! Not to keen on the getting up so early on a Saturday but oh well a lot of people do it and make it worth-wile. When I was running before I only did 2 races and they were signed up for another one which was a half-marathon. I think it is that whole adrenalin things that I get going, it just starts you want to go and go. The only thing I don't care about yet are my times, and I am sure that again will come, but right now, when I don't need a certain time to qualify for anything I don't especially care. I don't even care that my first ever race I came in 11th in my age group, which there were 11 other men in my age group...which tells you something, but you know, I run for myself and I don't have a team I am running for. Someday I will run that marathon...someday, maybe not next year, maybe not the year after, well hopefully the year after...maybe even next year...Hartford Marathon here I come.

back to running...and hurting...

So here I am and it's October and I need to wile my time away, but alas I don't know how to. I could get dressed and go to the gym, but really is the gym the best place to go? I mean someone once told me they couldn't stand a treadmill or people that run on it, and really it makes sense. The treadmill is one of these pieces of exercise equipment that someone in Alaska invented. Someone that really just wanted to run in place, like we always did in gym class. Anyway I really don't like the treadmill and I want to ask people on them, hey where are you going? Seriously, if you are going to run, why not run outside, at least there is air, a destination, and sometimes an occasional spectator (see April's blog about running in my neighborhood.) Well so I decided two days ago to start running again, and I embarked on a journey, got my route and went expecting to run about half of it, throw up in the middle and walk home a shorter way. I actually ran the whole way, and man did my legs hurt after. Now when I say run I mean a weird pseudo-run where I a jogging. So the next day I stretched and went out again, this time hopping to run just a tad more, and I did. I ended up running 3 miles, and it was a nice 3 miles, I really wanted too run a little more but knew I needed to stop, damn adrenalin. Soon maybe I will find a 5K again and start doing some of those even though my time will be slow I will finish them and then work on some speed!

The Art of the Reunion

Here it is August 2008 and in my hands I hold the letter I have been waiting for, the letter that says everyone in your past is getting older, and you are too, the letter that says, it's time, it's time to PARTY! Well okay maybe it didn't say that and it was a little more classier, but in words, this one letter told me I was 10 years older, I am almost 30 and yes, there are people you have not seen in 10 years. I am talking of course about the High School 10 Year Reunion. O and I decided we would reenact our journey to Virginia 10 years ago by leaving at 11pm, wow what the hell were we thinking, besides there is NO traffic and some crazy people at the 24 gas stations and Dunkin Donuts and inevitably we met the. So we took a few extra days in Maine, met some people for dinner (Shout out to Beth YAY I Love you and I had fun at Gritty's even though the pretzels were a little tough, we got shoved in the corner, my sandwich was kinda dry, your cornbread kept falling on the ground, and your "HALF" order of mac and cheese was HUGE.) OH and thanks for the Loon Salt and Pepper Shakers Grammy would be happy that someone special got them! Alright BACK to the reunion.
So we checked into the hotel room (the wonderful Auburn Inn and Suites or Fireside Inn or whatever) and found our way to our room, unpacked...and rested until 3pm. Then the mayhem ensued (I wish.) We just watched 3 drinking filled episodes of Three Sheets thanks for wireless internet and Hulu while drinking delicious Surfers on Acid. I also added a Jager Bomb, and a small amount of Highland Park 12 year Whiskey to my count. Then decided it was time to get ready to go. We checked ourselves in the mirror and made our way down to the Androscoggin Room, and we were promptly greeted with smiling faces by our class officers Karly, Will and Jenny. All looking pretty much the same but with the usual 10 year differences. We received our name tags, which of course brought back memories of the day I had to get my senior pictures and thought, man I miss my hair. Well we grabbed a seat and headed for the bar. Always feeling a small amount of pressure in these situation never knowing what I want to drink for the rest of the night I just kind of blurted out a drink...Jack and Coke...and then I thought to myself, really Jack and Coke? When do I drink Jack and Coke??? NEVER, oh well it was delicious and I took my drink and went out into the room to start chatting. The day before I had visited Will at his new coffee shop but decided to chat with him and Jenny some more. In high school I always thought of myself as that one guys who goes between groups, never a jock and always a Band-o I was always labeled a Band-Geek FINE, but I still had friends among the jocks and the smarter kids. So in comes the freakishly religious guy Josh, and Lauren and her husband, and Kelly and Katie (Band buddies for me), the always awkward Scott, Mike the kid I knew since Pre-school who was now a smooth talking Business man, and a barrage of other people whom I really don't want to name. So the night goes on, dinner is served, the usual horrible American Wilted Salad, some sad excuse for Chicken Marsala (really white sauce on Marsala...no) and then the sad dry chocolate cake with hersey syrup. Well I am glad I only paid 20 bucks for the whole thing. The night goes on, chatty chatty, drinky drinky. I must mention I did loan my room key out to one of my former classmates (Jenny) who had recently given birth and needed to pump, but when I turned around to tell O, he was gone, I figured, oh well, he'll figure it out, and he did. So some horrible lemon drop shots later, I figured it was time. TIME TO SWIM! I invited anyone who wanted to jump the fence to jump in the pool...of course no one did and I am the ass who apparently "Won the competition" didn't know there was one, but oh well here I am in the pool.
Low and behold it was a pretty darn fun time, talked with people I hadn't talked to (nor would have) in a while, and just had fun. OH and we stole the cheese tray! SO MUCH CHEESE!

trip to the end

So yesterday we had planned a trip out to Long Island, we were just going to go to Mineola to get a tuba case because mine decided to crap the bed, well the handle fell off and the cats have been using it as a scratching post. So anyways, we were going to go to the beach but instead took a detour to go to Ikea to get a few items. After stopping at Ikea and going crazy as usual because of the millions of children that are usually running around out of control, we left, and drove to Montauk, seriously, we drove to the edn of Long Island. I was very happy with this drive, I wish we had stopped somewhere in the Hamptons and MAYBE, just maybe, we could have spotted a celeb, oh well, no Ina Gartner, no Alec Baldwin, and NO Barbara Walters. The best thing was we literally at the end of Long Island, and it was dark and we sat on the smelly rocky beach and watched the foglight drank an adult beverage on a log, watched the fishermen fish and then sat on a swing and swung ourselves ready to leave. We drove back through the Hamptons, and then came home. All and all it was a nice spontaneous trip and we will be back.

...this book i'm reading

While on our travels through Germany (sounds better then "when I was in Germany...") anyways, my brother-in-law was telling me about Munster and how it was in this book called Salt: A World History, so I was intrigued by this. I went in search of this book and found it. I was actually very happy because I haven't read a good book in a while. The last book I read was about World War 2 and I had found it at the Forth of July book sale at the Turner Public Library. It took me all of one day to read and it read like one of my undergraduate history class textbooks, which I am sure it was at one point. Anyways this book about Salt, you wouldn't think it would be very good, well unless you like historical non-fiction, or are interested in semi-obscure non-fiction as I am, but really its great subway reading. I am really interested in reading this guys next book, or other book, Cod.

The hills are alive with the Sound of Music...

So I just want to start with the fact that Austria (Salzburg was all we really saw, but that is okay) is so beautiful that I would go back. I am sure that Vienna and other cities in Austria are beautiful too but back to the story. We started our trip to Europe by flying into Frankfurt Airport, HUGE HUGE HUGE airport. This trip from Newark Liberty was about 6-7 hours and it was a great overnight trip and we arrived in the morning in Frankfurt, Germany around 10am. We then had to get a train to the main train station, it was a bit confusing since we got off here... frankfurt stadium, not station in the middle of nowhere...only one person sweeping and then a few trains came through.
17 min or so later a train that we took to the real station we needed so we waited around for our train to Salzburg, boarded and took the train through the countryside and finally into Salzburg. We arrived at the Hotel Markus Sittikus and took a walk to a local beer garden, delicious pretzels, beer and Bratwurst, delicious. We found a local bar had some Wiessbier (Dunkel and not dunkel) from Austria and went home to sleep off the lag. Next day, tour tour tour! We walked around Salzburg and toured the Fortress Cathedral awesome of course and as you notice the river is an awesome green color...salt, minerals, light stuff like that, it's nice. So after this tour and some Schnitzel Hawaii style...you know pork with ham, pineapple, and cheese...hmmm, we took the Sound of Music tour!! I know we're dorks and all but come on...you have to do it plus it was air conditioned tour buses and Europeans apparently don't believe in AC...anywhere. We go to see all the places that were in the movie the sounds of music and it was great! Here are some pictures.









So as you can see we saw a wide variety of places. I must say I really wanted to find the grave spot where the Family VonTrapp hid behind, and I guess we were in the grave yard, but we didn't know...sad I know. Anyway it was a great trip to Salzburg and was finished with a wonderful night of drinking way too much WeissBier getting ripped off at the bar, getting lost getting back to the hotel, and scaring the woman at the reception desk because I was trying to check out and almost threw up there...I did throw up outside...we hopped on the train and switched in Munich...hmm Bavarian beer is wonderful and took the ICE high speed train to Dortmund...which many people have never heard of. We met my sister, her husband, my other sister and mom and went to the house where we were staying. THE NICEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD! This couple was very hospitable maybe in the future we will stay with them again! We had some German breakfast, coffee and cake at 3:30pm, more beer, Bratwurst, salad, food food and more food. Germany is great. My sister had her wedding the next day at this beautiful modern church and then the reception which lasted into the wee hours of the morning...I believe we left the hall around 4??? Well around 1:30am/2ish a big plate of sausage, cheese, and breads came out... SO GOOD! Next day we recovered a bit and went to a Turkish Flea Market...or I guess just a German Flea Market? Everything is closed on sundays due to some Labor Laws or something, but they still have a huge flea market, lots of clothes and junk and stuff I couldn't bring back to the states. I got some delicious chocolate and a picnic basket though. Also we all enjoyed a 2 foot long bratwurst...more meat. The meat didn't fit in the buns...it was good though just fold it in half. Later, more meat, beer, and hangin out. The next day we visited Munster, a very nice city, very bicycle friendly and friendly to everyone. Although they have this very old church where in the
old days...long ago I really don't remember the date exactly but the church has these cages where they put people and the birds would peck at them and then the remains would eventually fall out of the cages. I think that would qualify as cruel and unusual punishment.


Also in Munster is this great Astrological clock, not very logical as I read the instructions on how to read it and could not understand how to...its pretty complicated trying to determine the time and seasons and all that junk, but hey the clock is like 500 years old so I guess it would be hard to read. We drank more beer that night had more salads with mayo on it and I never found my favorite liberwurst pate...sad I know, but my brother-in-law's mother gave me some that she had...hmmm. So we fell asleep woke up and got back to NYC JUST in time for rush hour...how wonderful. I suppose that was our trip in a nutshell! We hope soon to go back and enjoy more of the German countryside, maybe this time we will go to Amsterdam!

The Apple of my eye...

So since I was a wee little lad my family and I have always had an Apple Macintosh. My father bought the original '84 apple (see You Tube for the commercial) if it doesn't work...search it yourself. Anyways, so time went on the apple went out and we lived computer free for a good, I would say 10 years until I realized, I wanted a computer. I got a compaq (it was cheap for a computer then...and I am talkin $1600 or so...and the Mac I wanna say was somewhere between $1900 and $3000!! Anyways back to my point. After I got a compaq and that flopped oh so quickly I decided on my first new mac in a few years, so i purchased an old "Blueberry colored" i-Mac http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Indigo_iMac_G3_slot_loading.jpg I loved that computer and held it close and tight until I realized portable was the way to go, I mean at that point of my life I was getting lazy and didn't want to go in the "office" and use the computer, I wanted it right front of me, on my lap where I can make sure it's behaving. So I erased the hard drive, reset everything, and sold it on E-bay for like $400 bucks. Pretty good sale I would say. So on the way was a lovely little iBook the one in the picture, sans mouse. I must admit I was blown away by this powerful machine, and it treated me well for a long time, in fact it was only last summer when I purchased my newest mac the MacBook and here is where my story gets good.
So last summer I purchased this MacBook it really is one of the coolest tools in the world, it does so much. I had my photos, music, movies, you name it i did it on my computer. It is one of the things I would go in a burning building, the first two of course Jeremy and the boys. Well so I am attending my second to last class meeting before I receive my MSEd in Assistive Technology...remember that it is useful info for laster on in this blog. Well so I am so good at technology (people tell me) that I am usually the go to guy in class now, etc. So I was sitting in class yesterday, working on a movie, playing with some new programs, when I get...(scary music here...maybe a theatrical scream) THE SPINNING BEACHBALL OF DEATH!!!!
not something you really wanna see. SO I gave my computer a hard shut down, whispered sweet nothings into the microphone gave it a good rub, and turned it on...wait...regular gray screen, good sign? NO since the next screen was the BLINKING DEATH FOLDER...meaning...my hard drive...CRASHED, fried, boom, its dead, kaput...etc. So, I turned the computer back on, shut the lid, breathed...then tried again...nope it'd dead. Okay good thing I bought Apple Care, right? DAMN RIGHT IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER!!!! Not only did Apple fix the damn thing right in the store, I got a bigger hard drive, and all the new iLife tools, and LEOPARD!!! I am SOOOO excited, and they replace the top cover on my keyboard, my clicker works, and there is no more crack. I love nice friendly helpful service people, thanks Apple...thanks for being a friend! Although I must say, I miss the Happy Smiley Mac icon and the Frowny face icons, for a happy computer and a sad one :( Oh well, I love my basically new computer...the whole lesson to this...backup before you say "Hey I am going to back up my computer tonite."

Green Onions and Scallions are the same thing

I think I have been thinking this for a little while now and really just wanted to get it down on paper to see if it actually made sense, and you know what it does. Why do we say green onions and then say scallions and then say, oh well they are the same thing. I think we say this for a lot of things. I think it really has to do with dialect and where you are in the world. I mean my Merere and Mom always said "put scallions in it, or I need scallions..." so one day I set off to the grocery store to get scallions, to my surprise...no scallions ANYWHERE. I have always wondered about this and then one day watching Racheal Ray or Paula Deen or some Food Tv star's cooking show the recipe called for green onions and the host stated, "Green Onions, Scallions...same thing." For a kid its can be confusing when people call the same thing different names, but I guess that's life and that's why we live in a confusing world, confusing time. I know I am being a little to philosophical with this whole thing, but I think hear this thing over and over just got me to thinking about how the french have one word, for one word, no double meaning words. Oh well what are we gonna do right? So since I usually post a visual picture with my blog I will post two pictures (from a google image search) and one is green onions and one is scallions. Do you know which one is which? See they look the same, can't tell can you? Well apparently the first picture (the one on top are scallions) and the picture below is of green onions...weird I know. Well I know it's not my usual "travel" post or post on my rants on NYC, how bout something different for once...just plain nonsense.

Reasons why I currently dislike NYC...Part 1

Eighth day of Heat...and humidity...and no real end in sight...and I swear like a MO-FO!!



*Thanks to The Weather Channel for this chart*

witty title for a week in Maine...

SO I really could not think of a good title for this blog post, but oh well here is my post for my week in Maine, which I have needed for a while, it was pretty much a get the heck out of dodge (and by dodge I mean NYC) and get to Maine. Actually let me correct myself it was not just a trip to Maine, we did a whorl-wind tour of New England (only three states and one for a stop at the Liquor Store.) SO here we go our vacation in New England:
Days 1,2,(half of 3) Monson, Mass:
Look I am a little orange person! Anyway there we were for a high school graduation party, which was a lot more fun then more high school graduation party (which I remembered was 10 years ago.) Anyways drinking, debauchery, drunk swimming, etc. Always have fun in Monson, MA. I mean its not the biggest town, but it is fun, just like a little bit of Maine in western mass. Basically that was it, a graduation party and then leave to go to Maine. You know it was fun!

Days (other half of 3-half of 6) Maine (various locales including Ogunquit, Auburn, Lewiston, Buckfield, Rangeley, Madrid (pronounced MAH-drid), Sandy River Plt, Winthrop, Turner, and South Portland): I'm not going to put all those pictures, but this could be a long post, but there will be some pictures of Maine since I took lots.
This first lovely picture is from well the AT, I am impressed that I walked some of it. I would love to hike some more of this awesome trail, it was so neat and I realize it is a long trail and it is a hard (or can be at times,) some day I will hike the whole thing...maybe. Well let's see what is next...
YES this beautiful sunset well, the result of the sun setting behind the mountains. It was so good, and after the sun went down, we saw stars, and we haven't seen many stars since moving to NYC...VERY NICE!! Next I would like to show a picture of a cliff I jumped off, I am in the picture and I suppose this is okay because it's my blog, my pictures (except of course the ones I have used from Google Maps...(thanks)) SO this cliff has waterfalls and you jump from about 15-20 feet into about 50degrees of clear river water. This is probably my favorite place on earth. To go on I would like to next talk about what we did next which was continue on to Lewiston/Auburn. I would like to say that I will be moving back to L/A as the locals call it ASAP. What can I say I like it. Unfortunately I have no pictures from the rest of the trip, oh well. Where to start, okay so I would like to say I went to my old hometown and saw the 4th of July parade...and well it was a small town parade. The Marching Band was in it, the town fire trucks and the ambulance...now my question is what would happen if in the middle of the short one mile parade there was a 911 Emergency in Turner and the Ambulance had to cut the parade short?? Well there was great strawberry shortcake, a nice tour of the Turner History Museum, and that is about it! After a fun childhood friend's family picnic I went to the wonderful L/A Liberty Fest! AND OH WHAT FUN IT WAS. Really it wasn't that bad, for the first time, I only saw one person who I knew! Good fireworks spectacular and I got to chill with my nephews. So now we move to the next part of vacation and the next state.

Day (part of 6): New Hampshire

This is really the only place people go in NH...not really but I am sure they make a butt load of money any given day. If you really can not tell what this picture is of, well it is the NH state liquor store. 10 min (or so) and we were out the door with some cheap liquor (8.99 for a good sized bottle of Jager...delish)

Day (rest of 6 and most of 7): Windsor Locks, CT

KEG PARTY! That is really all I can say about this stop...except this time I found someone (besides the guys who were throwing the party) that I knew. I was EXTREMELY happy that I found someone else that I knew. Well I actually went to bed at like 4:30am maybe later...I don't know the sun was coming up and it was still very humid and sticky.
Well that was our vacation, it was nice to come home to the cats and public transportation, but I am ready to move back to Maine! Hopefully sooner then later.