Thanksgiving 2009 – Chicago & Michigan

This was the first Thanksgiving that I’ve ever traveled, and what a whirlwind trip it was.  My uncle recently purchased a house in Niles, Michigan, and we wanted to go out and visit him before the weather turned too cold for us wimpy Californians.

His house is so cool, especially the 2-acre grounds.  I imagined huge garden parties in the summer, my nieces running with wild abandon in the backyard, and sipping cocktails in lounge chairs.  At least, that’s what I’d do with the place if I had it.  Not sure if my uncle has those same plans, but maybe I can convince him.

The city of Niles, Michigan is very quaint, especially the downtown area, which is peppered with funky stores, antique “malls,” and old-time businesses.  They city is so much smaller than the one we’re from, so it was very interesting.  My uncle seems to be making some friends which is good.  The main thing that I noticed is that the people are much more conservative there than they are in the Bay Area.  Then again, I think most small towns in middle America are much more conservative than the Bay Area.  😉  The one example I have is that we went to a converted mansion in South Bend, IN for Thanksgiving dinner.  When we arrived in the dining room we ordered two bottles of wine – one white and one red – for the table of four of us.  You should have seen the stares!  The woman at the table next to us nudged her husband and sat there agape, as if we were slugging back wine by the gallon.  I looked around and saw that every other table in the room had either iced tea or water – no alcohol of any kind. So weird!

After a day and a half in Niles, we left for Chicago.  I had seen pictures, heard stories, but nothing compares to actually being there.  Chicago is a stunning, immaculate, architecturally gorgeous city!  I still think San Francisco is more beautiful, but I do love Chicago.  I wish we had more than two days in this fun, lively city.  I’ll definitely be back.

I could fill many more paragraphs with all of our adventures in the two day trip, but for now, I think I’ll let my 200+ photos speak for themselves.  I tried to get some artsy shots, so I hope you enjoy them.

Thanksgiving 2009 – Michigan & Chicago

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So, What Are Your Summer Plans?

Lately, I’ve been hearing that question a lot.  This is the first summer where I haven’t signed up to work, and I couldn’t be happier.  I’m looking forward to actually getting one of the full benefits of teaching – an entire 2-month period of time off.

My mom in particular is worried that I’ll get bored.  She knows me too well, because when I get bored, I start to spend money.  What better way to ebb boredom than to go shopping, right?  Well, not this summer.

This summer I plan to do nothing.

And by “nothing,” I mean that the plan is no plan. Nothing too specific. Mornings spent reading the newspaper while sipping coffee. Walking. Working out. Swimming. Biking. Lots if activity & focus on weight loss. Keeping the house super clean and organized. Feeling like every day is a Saturday, even when it’s Tuesday.  Thursday morning WW meetings. Seeing friends. Buying produce and flowers from the farmers market every Friday. Overusing my Netflix queue. Music in the Park. Cooking healthy, delicious meals for myself every day. Laying in the sun reading a captivating book. Shopping, but trying not to spend too much $.  Starlight Cinema.  Buying a new car in August when my current lease is up.  (I’m thinking a VW Beetle convertible would suit me perfectly).  A tiny bit if tweaking my current curriculum. And lots and lots of writing on this blog and BellaOnTheBeach.

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

— Henry James

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Holiday Cheer Abounds

It’s been a fun few days in Bellaland.  Lots of present giving and receiving, great food, good times, and a moment or two to realize how lucky I am.  Truly, very lucky.

I have amazing family and friends who love me and are always there to offer support, encouragement, and a kick in the ass, if necessary.  My life would be nothing without them. And as cliched as that sounds, that really is the best gift of all.

I’m looking forward to going to my great uncle’s house for dinner with all of the extended family – there are going to be over 50 of us there this year, and it will be so much fun to catch up with all those relatives I haven’t seen in a couple of years.

The rest of this week and the next is spread out before me, and I can’t wait to see what I make of it.  It’s so nice to have 2 weeks off with nothing in particular planned.  This way, it gives me the chance to do some things I’ve been wanting to do, but without a strict schedule.  Freedom!

Merry Christmas to All!!

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Break Time!

The past two weeks have been really busy for me.  I’m always busy at school, but the two weeks before break were CRAZY.

It just so happened that I had a journalism deadline AND a yearbook deadline within days of each other.  I’m really strict with my students about meeting the deadlines, no matter what.  In this case, “no matter what” meant staying in my room for the past two weeks, staying at school until 6:30 last Friday (Dec. 12), and going a little nuts when we ran into some technical difficulties.  But, I’m happy to report that both the newspaper and the yearbook deadline were met.  We got rave reviews on the paper, which always makes us feel good.

Couple these deadlines with the fact that I had a set of essays and 2 sets of research papers (think essays, but longer) to grade.  I was determined that I was going to grade these papers before I left for Christmas Break – no matter what.  There’s that phrase again.  This time “no matter what” meant staying up until 2:30AM on Thursday night, waking up at 5AM to continue grading, and still not finishing.  So, I stayed on Friday evening until 5;30 to get them done.  I may have been the last car in the parking lot (teachers clear out early when we have a long break like that), but I am so proud of myself for completely finishing all of the work I wanted to.

Which means I have two weeks off and ABSOLUTELY NO GRADING OR SCHOOL WORK OF ANY KIND TO DO!  (Ok, sorry for the ALL CAPS, but unless you teach high school English, I don’t think you can imagine the feeling of elation I have right now).

So, what am I going to do with myself?

• Read books. For pleasure!  Books like Sundays at Tiffany’s, Pledged: The Secret Lives of Sororities, and A Lion Among Men.  Looking at those titles, I know they sound like quite an eclectic mix, and they are.  Recent books I’ve checked out of the library.  I’m a voracious reader even when life is hectic, but especially when I have some time on my hands.  To see more books that I’ve been reading, you can click on my Good Reads Shelf to the right.
• Catch up on the stacks of magazines that are threatening to overtake my living room. That might be overstating it a bit, since the mags are all neatly placed in a magazine rack, but when I see 4 months worth of Vogue, Vanity Fair, Self, Real Simple, Prevention, and Women’s Health in front of me, I know it’s time to do some light reading.
• Workout or “be active” everyday. Today’s activity was cleaning the house from top to bottom (electric broom and mop the kitchen and bathroom floors, empty the dishwasher, do two loads of laundry, change sheets, clean the bathroom, and vacuum the whole place).  Whew!  I know I probably didn’t burn too many calories, but I did all of that in under 3 hours, and I am sort of sore as I sit here tonight writing this.  It’s been cold and rainy here, so I’m afraid that most of my working out will have to take me to the gym, but that’s ok.  It gives me a chance to catch up on my elliptical and treadmill time.  I am going to start Couch to 5K and see how it goes.  I have a few other activities planned for the new year, but I’ll discuss that more on my weight loss blog.
• Go to the movies. I love movies, but don’t find myself going to many lately.  I think part of it is that my schedule is so busy that I have to pick and choose which movies I have time to see.  There are two movies that I think look very interesting that I’m definitely making time for this vacation: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Seven Pounds.  Seven Pounds hasn’t gotten great reviews, but it intrigues me, and I think it’ll be worth $10 to find out what it’s about.
• Spend time with family and friends. There are so many people I can’t wait to see and spend time with.  I’m sure I’ll post about all the fun ahead.
• Go through my cookbooks. I have lots of healthy cookbooks that I’ve bought or been given in recent years, yet I find myself making my tried and true recipes more often than not.  I want to go through these cookbooks and mark several new recipes to try out in the new year.  I’m hoping to make at least one new recipe a week, just to keep things interesting.

So, there you have it.  Some rough plans for how I want to spend my Christmas Break.  I look forward to this 2-week vacation every year, and yet it always seems to fly by without very much getting accomplished.  I’m hoping that this year, I’ll make it a vacation to remember.

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Home Sweet Home

I got home at 2am on Thursday night/Friday morning, and I was too tired to think.  I was so happy that I had spent all that time cleaning the house before I left, because there’s nothing better than coming home from a trip to a spotless house.

I dragged all my bags into the house and was about to get changed for bed, when a thought occurred to me.  I was about to get into a welcoming bed with wonderfully clean sheets, and I was feeling less than fresh.  Spending more than 13 hours in airports and on planes can do that to you.  So, at 2:30am, I decided to take a shower and wash the day away.

It was the best decision I could’ve made.  As I crawled into my clean bed at 3am, I knew I was going to have a wonderful night’s sleep.  And I did.

__________________

As much fun as I had on my 10-day trip, I am so happy to be back home.  It’s so nice to be surrounded by the familiar comforts of home after being gone for an extended period of time.  I spent most of Friday and Saturday unpacking, doing load after load of laundry, and uploading over 450 vacation photos.  Oh, and blogging about the last part of my trip.

I had an amazing time on vacation, but it’s always nice to be back home.

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Wherein I lost my mind at JFK Airport

What trip would be complete without a tale or two of problems with flights?

CBCB arrived at Logan Airport in Boston around 1:30, in plenty of time to make our 2:35 flight, since we had checked in online. When we got to the counter to check our bags, I was overjoyed that my bag was 49 pounds – no overweight charges on this leg of the trip. Plus, because we had booked our flight back in March, we were allowed two checked items of luggage, so I wasn’t charged the $20 fee for my second piece of luggage. I thought we were off to a stellar start. Oh, how wrong I was.

We boarded the plane in Logan and would have a quick flight over to JFK before heading back home. As we got comfortable in our seats, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and announced that we would have to remain on the runway for a while, because of thunderstorms at JFK. We sat there, on the plane, for an hour. It was miserable and uncomfortable, but just a small prelude to what we would find at JFK.

We got to JFK, and I quickly went outside to have a smoke. I knew we had an hour and a half layover and then a 5 1/2 hour flight home. If only I had seen a bit into the future, I would’ve had another couple of smokes.

I went through security to get back to the terminal without any problems. I met up with CBCB at our gate, and again, no problems. Until we heard a clap of thunder and the heavens opened into a full on storm. Great. An announcement was made that our flight would be delayed due to the lightning and thunder and the storms. Inconvenient, but not a problem. At least we could walk around, get food, and go to the bathroom while we were in the airport. Ah, but this situation was going to go from inconvenient to terrible in a matter of minutes.

We were told we had to board the plane, even though the flight was not cleared for takeoff. What? We’d have to wait on the plane? Trapped like rats for who knows how long? Ugh. The pilot explained that we were “in line” for takeoff, as soon as we were cleared and our turn came up.

We were on the plane for 3 1/2 hours without moving on the tarmac. I can’t tell you how awful this was. Unless you’ve experienced it for yourself, you have no idea. It was hot, stuffy, and utterly claustrophobic. Not to mention the fact that when we finally did take off, I knew we’d have another 5 1/2 hours in the air before we got home.

The upside? I finished an entire book. The downside? My poor dad had to pick us up at 1:45am. We were both tired, and speaking for myself, not in the best of moods. Oh and the icing on this very bitter cake? I broke two nails getting the bags from the luggage carousel. Perfect.

Still, at least we made it home safely, and I knew that my own bed was waiting for me.

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Last Day: Swan Boats & Boston Public Garden

All good things must come to and end.  On Thursday, August 14th, our last day of vacation, CBCB and I had to catch a flight from Logan airport at 2:35pm.  Which meant we needed to be at the airport by 1:30, since we had already checked in online.

With some time to kill, we left The Cape around 9:30, with the thought of going to Salem to see a couple of exhibits at The Peabody Museum.  As we were driving and hit a bit of traffic, CBCB and I looked at each other and realized we probably wouldn’t make it.  It would take us at least 2 hours to get to Salem, which didn’t leave us much time to see the museum.

We decided to stop at a Starbucks along the way, and saw a sign for The Christmas Tree Shops.  We changed our itinerary on the spot.  If you’ve never been to a Christmas Tree Shop. I highly recommend it.  This one, in Shrewsbury, MA would be the third one we’d hit on our trip (we’d also been to the locations in Falmouth and Hyannis).  Each one is a little bit different, and although the main merchandise is the same, each store has different offerings, depending on where it’s located.  I picked up a new lunch bag (and one for my sister) and a Cape Cod t-shirt, although if these were in CA, I would’ve bought a lot more.  They have a lot of great deals on all kinds of home decorating items.

After shopping, CBCB suggested we head into Boston and try to go on a Swan Boat tour of the Boston Public Garden. It was one of the things we hadn’t done yet on our trip.  Sounded like a plan to me.

Once we got in the general vicinity of the Public Garden, we immediately found rockstar parking!   Plus, the weather was gorgeous, so we knew this was a sign that we were meant to go.

The Public Gardens are beautiful.  Majestic trees, a lagoon filled with ducks and swans, and fantastic vistas of Boston.  A perfect way to end our stay in one of the best cities in the country.

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Fenway Fun…well, almost

One of the main things I wanted to try to do on this trip to Boston was go to a game at Fenway Park. I’d seen the Red Sox play once in Oakland, against the A’s, but seeing an actual game in their home ballpark would be something special.

When CBCB looked up the tickets online, she saw the cheapest seats going for $80, which seemed like a lot. Then we thought that maybe we’d buy a few tickets from some scalpers on the day of the game. As it turned out, we realized we’d be spending most of the day and into the evening in Hyannis, so getting to Boston early enough to get tickets wasn’t going to be that easy.

The next best thing? Going to a bar near Fenway to watch the game on TV. Realistically, we’d probably be able to see more of the game that way, and would be more comfortable. So on Wednesday night (Aug. 13), CBCB and I left The Cape and headed into Boston to meet Aunt Judy’s son Michael, and Aunt Mary’s son, S. (Yes, this is the very same S that I have a crush on).

The traffic coming into the city was terrible, and it took us 2 hours to finally get into Boston and find a parking spot. Parking karma was with us, though, and we found a great spot only 6 blocks from the ballpark. As we were crossing the street to meet up with Michael, I had my own little brush with death. I was crossing the street and the light changed, and suddenly a couple of cars were rushing towards me. I thought I was going to get hit for sure, but luckily, I only got a few loud honks of the drivers’ horns. (On a side note, Michael tried to make me feel better that if I HAD gotten hit, I was really close to the best hospitals in the country. I guess that’s a positive way to look at a near-death experience).

We headed to Boston Beer Works, which was fun, loud, and lively. I started with a wheat beer that was good, but quickly switched over to a blueberry beer that was a seasonal special. The night got even better when S arrived, looking even cuter than he did the previous time I saw him. He told us that he had stopped by Bleacher Bar, which is actually inside Fenway Park. He said it was really cool, and that we should stop by there towards the end of the game, because it would be a lot of fun.

As we watched the game, more sparks went off (at least on my part) with S. (CBCB mentioned that she saw an attraction from his side, as well, but who knows?) The things I like about him is that he is really smart (he went to William and Mary in Virginia) yet he is a bit rough around the edges in a good way. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but let me just say that he’s not a snob or a stuffed shirt. He’s fun, down-to-earth, and knows a lot about pop culture. I really like that. Yet at the same time, he’s full of fun facts and likes to research things that he hears about. (That’s actually how he found out about the newly opened Bleacher Bar). I think he seemed somewhat intrigued by me, as well, but there are two pesky problems with this whole attraction:

1. He has a girlfriend. His mom doesn’t seem to like her much, though, and even S said, “ya, it’s ok,” when CBCB asked him about his new relationship. Not a ringing endorsement. I guess he met this girl on the internet, and the thing they have in common is their love of sports. Hey, I love sports, too!
2. He lives on the east coast ALL the way across the country from me. I know that distance can make the heart grow fonder, but this is pretty far. It would be great if he wanted to move to CA, but I doubt it. He seems to love the Boston area, and I doubt he would want to move. (Am I getting just a bit ahead of myself here? hehehehe).

Still, it was fun flirting with S all night. He works at as the manager of a national sporting goods store, and I told him I’d love to “place an order” so that I could use his discount. He said absolutely. I’m thinking this might be a way to keep in contact. (On a side note, when I got back home, I logged into Facebook to read some messages, and saw that he has an account. I sent him a friend request, so we’ll see if he adds me and if we can continue getting to know each other).

The Red Sox won the game 8 to 4 (if I remember correctly), and at the top of the 9th, we headed over to Bleacher Bar. The cool thing about this bar is that it’s inside Fenway, but you don’t need a ticket to get in. The bar is right underneath the bleacher section of the Green Monster (or, Monstah, as Bostonians would say). They have a window inside that has views from the outfield, so you can sort of watch the game as if you were in the stands. Very unique idea.

It was a really fun place that quickly filled up as soon as the game was over. The neat thing was, when I mentioned the place to CTLB, she hadn’t been to it yet. It was kind of fun going to a place that the locals hadn’t discovered yet.

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A day or two at The Cape (and a bracelet to prove it)

Cape Cod has to be one of my most favorite places that I’ve ever been to.  The views are magnificent, the vibe is relaxing, and the houses are adorable.  And rather affordable, compared to Bay Area prices.  Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be able to buy a “summer home” on The Cape?  (Well, only if I marry a rich husband, or win the lottery, or some other windfall occurs).

CBCB’s Aunt Pam and Uncle Fred have a charming house in Bourne, MA, right across the street from the Maritime Academy on the canal.  They were kind enough to let us stay with them for 3 nights, and I have to say, this was my favorite place to sleep, by far.  Partly because of the views, but also because of the fact that I was able to have my own bedroom.  You see, CBCB had a hard time sleeping in the guest room with me because I snore.  (My mom used to tell me that I snored all the time, but I never knew it was so bad, until poor CBCB couldn’t get a good night’s rest).  Luckily, Aunt Pam and Uncle Fred have another spare bedroom, so CBCB was finally able to get some shut-eye.

After our first night on The Cape, Aunt Pam took CBCB and me to Hyannis, so I could see the JFK memorial.  It was really nice, but somehow I expected more.  I thought it was going to have a museum attached to it, but it didn’t.  It had a really nice fountain, though, and a plaque.

Aunt Pam also took us by the Kennedy Compound, which was huge.  The funny thing, to me, was that it wasn’t surrounded by gates or anything that would prevent someone from walking (or driving) right up to it.  I guess if you’re wealthy enough to live on Hyannis near the Kennedy Compound, you’re probably not going to just stroll up to the front door and bother them, right?  We also got to see Ted Kennedy’s boat, docked in the harbor, which was pretty cool.

The next stop on our unofficial Kennedy tour of Hyannis was the church where Ethel and Rose still go for mass.  The church wasn’t as elaborate as I expected, in fact, it was a lot smaller and simpler than my own church at home.  Still, it was beautiful.

I was so touched by the statue of the Virgin Mary with candles at her feet that I knelt down and said a Hail Mary.

The nice thing about our time at The Cape was that the weather was finally good – we had our first sunny, warm days of the vacation while on The Cape, which was perfect.  Although, truthfully, foggy weather is just as wonderful near the water.  Couple with a cup of strong coffee and a good book, I can’t think of anything better.

I would’ve liked to spend some time in Faltmouth, but we ran out of time.  Oh well, you’ve got to leave something for the next trip, right?  Oh, and next time I’m near The Cape, I definitely want to head over to Provincetown, or P-Town, as it’s known.  I’m sure it’s a great time with lots of fun people.  I wonder how it compares to hanging out in the Castro in SF?  Guess I’ll just have to find out the next time.  Also?  I really want to take the ferry and go to Martha’s Vineyard.  FavoriteCousin goes to Martha’s Vineyard every year to help a friend open up the store she has there.  I’d love to tag along some time, because FavoriteCousin raves about how much fun she has each year.

Since I had such a wonderful time at The Cape, I knew I wanted something significant to help me remember it by.  CBCB had mentioned early on in our trip that her mom has a Cape Cod bracelet.  I’d never heard of it, but then we found a jewelry store that sold them, and I really liked them.  I thought it would be the perfect momento for me.  It was expensive, but nice things usually are, and I really like the way it looks.  My goal is to get another Cape Code bracelet each time I go (up to three, otherwise I think it would be overkill).  I think the bracelet looks nice on me, don’t you?

I know I’m no hand model, but I think the bracelet looks nice on my wrist.  Plus, it goes with everything.  Good thing, too, because it’s a pain in the neck to take off.

While the pace of our time in Cape Cod was slower than in other parts of our trip, I definitely enjoyed myself.  It was a nice break from all of the hustle and bustle of the rest of the trip.

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Sunset Cemetery Tour

When CBCB arrived back at the rental car after dinner with Aunt Mary & Aunt Judy, I happened to see a hearse across the street:

A sunset graveyard tour?  How could we say no?!

I inquired about the cost, and for a mere $13, we would take an hour and a half lantern-lit walk through Plymouth, looking at places were spirits frequented.  I’d never taken a tour like this before, and since we’d had a fairly big meal at dinner, the walk sounded like the perfect way to get some exercise and enjoy ourselves at the same time.

Lanterns we carried into the graveyard. waahhhaaaawwww.

The tour must have had at least 40 people on it, and at $13 a head, the tour leader is making some serious money.  During the day she’s a paramedic, but at night, she leads these tours through the creepy, crawly places around Plymouth.

The tour was fun because of the tour leader’s personality (her name escapes me now).  CBCB and I both thought her energy was infectious, and that she’d make an ideal teacher.  You can’t help but give her all your attention.

Most of the tour was conducted in Burial Hill, Plymouth’s most famous cemetery.  The tour guide told us to keep our eyes (and cameras) open for “orbs” or circles of light that would show up in our photographs, which meant that spirits were among us.  I was one of the first on the tour to get an “orb” in my photos.

Can you see the orb, directly above the building?

I don’t know if the orb is a spirit or not, or if any other supernatural presences were with us on our tour.  I do know that someone else on the tour got a photo of a blue “essence” that the tour leader said was the beginning of a manifestation.  Who knows?  All I know is that it was a fun way to spend the evening, and gave me some fun memories.

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Plimouth Plantation & The Mayflower II – Plymouth, MA

CBCB and I got a late start to our day on Monday when we left her cousins’ house in Stratford, CT and headed to Plymouth, MA. (As I found out on this trip, CBCB likes to sleep! She took a little nap after taking a shower, because, hey, that can be hard work, sometimes).

I have to admit upfront, I wasn’t at all looking forward to going to Plimouth Plantation. CBCB really wanted to go, so I acquiesced. After all, we went to Salem because I wanted to, so this was the least I could do.

Photo taken from Plimouth Plantation

Plimouth Plantation is set up with “role players” who reenact what it would’ve been like during those first years in Plymouth. I learned that the spelling of the plantation uses an “i” because that spelling was the one most widely favored by the magistrates at the time. (Apparently at some point along the line, the spelling was changed to using a “y”). The most interesting part of my time at Plimouth Plantation was getting a chance to talk to Wampanoag Native Americans who are dressed in traditional clothing, but who talked about their ancestors from a modern-day perspective. I definitely got the feeling that these people are finally empowered to discuss the tribulations their forefathers suffered at the hands of the early colonists. So, my final verdict on Plimouth Plantation? I wouldn’t go there again, but it wasn’t as boring as I thought it would be. I know that sounds pretty negative, but I guess we all have different interests and things we’d like to do on vacation.  I figure I earned some good karma points by going, and I did learn a few new things, too.

Once we left Plimouth Plantation, we headed to the Plymouth Marina, to take a look at the Mayflower II. The Mayflower II is a reproduction of the original ship that took the colonists from England to Plymouth, MA. It was built in the 1950’s and took its maiden voyage in 1957. The ship is majestic and really gave me a good sense of what those poor people went through just trying to make it to America. No wonder so many of them died on their way over – the compartment where 102 people were housed during the trip was so small, I can’t believe they all fit there. Not to mention the seasickness, scurvy, and other diseases they suffered through.

The mast of The Mayflower II

The Mayflower II, in the Plymouth Marina

After seeing the ship, CBCB and I headed for a really early dinner with her mom’s best friends, Aunt Mary and Aunt Judy. We had a great dinner at Isaac’s on the Marina. CBCB asked me afterwards if I was feeling alright during dinner. I told her I was feeling fine, why did she ask? She said it was because I was so quiet. I told her that with Aunt Mary and Aunt Judy, there wasn’t much room to get a word in edge-wise. 🙂 These two ladies were quite a kick. It was a lot of fun getting to know them.

After dinner, we walked back to our car and found an impromptu tour that I knew we had to join…

(how’s that for a teaser?!)

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The Wedding

8-8-08.  One of the luckiest days in Chinese culture, and the day CTLB and M had decided on for their wedding.  The morning started out beautifully in Cromwell, CT.  The sun was shining, but the weather was still nice, not humid.  A perfect day for a wedding.  We had until about 2:45 before we had to leave to drive 25 minutes to the church for the 3:30 wedding.  It was nice to have a leisurely morning.  I took my time getting ready, and was so pleased with the way my dress for the wedding fit. ($40 was a lot for the alterations, but the seamstress did a beautiful job).

We left for the church, which was in Wethersford, CT.  A beautiful, historic, white church.  As we pulled into the parking lot it dawned on me that this was the first Protestant wedding I had ever been to.  All of the previous ones had been Catholic (except for DRMK’s who had a Pakistani/Muslim nika, followed by a Christian/Catholic wedding the next day).  The one thing I knew was that it would be quite a bit shorter than a Catholic ceremony, which was fine by me.

Inside the church was lovely — clean, white walls and dark wood pews.  No stained glass windows, like I was used to in a Catholic church, but still a beautiful venue, nonetheless.  As we sat in the pews waiting for the ceremony to begin, it was fun to see all of the guests arriving.  One entire pew behind us and to the right (groom’s side) was filled entirely with guys that M went to school with.  I’d never seen anything like it before.  Then again, at most of the weddings I attended,  I was one of the youngest guests.

The minister began with some nice words about commitment, honor, respect, and trust.  Then it was time for the exchange of vows, and M wowed us all with the ones he wrote himself.  I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house, and after the ceremony I told him that I never knew he had the heart of a poet.  He smiled.  CTLB’s vows were just as beautiful and heartfelt, but she added some much needed levity when she  told M that she “would be there to comfort him with the Red Sox, Patriots, or Celtics lost, and would be there to celebrate when they one.”  It was perfect, since M is more of a Boston fanatic than I’ve ever seen.

As the ceremony continued, I glanced out the windows of the church and saw that it was pouring rain outside.   Great.  I was in a sleeveless, satin dress, and hadn’t thought to bring my umbrella, since the weather was so nice when we arrived at the church.  What is it with this New England weather?  Sunny one minute and a downpour the next?!  Always be prepared, I guess.

We made a mad dash to the car after the ceremony and drove back to our hotel.  Watching the wedding that I had been looking forward to for more than 2 years, I felt so happy for CTLB and M.  They are the perfect couple, and more proof that true love does exist.  I hope that I can someday find someone who loves me half as much as those two love each other.

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Boston, Day 2: Night Life

After a great day going around Harvard Square and Salem, MA we met CBCB’s cousin in Boston for dinner that night.

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We started out at Via Matta Ristorante, a restaurant/bar that I had read about in the Boston newspaper that was having a free art show. We got there and found it was packed and loud (they had a DJ spinning), so we decided to go somewhere else for dinner.

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The best place that was in our price range and relatively close was PF Changs. It was actually pretty good. Plus, since I’d never been to the restaurant in my hometown, I didn’t mind going. CBCB paid for our whole dinner with her mom’s credit card. Apparently her mom told CBCB to use the credit card for dinner any time any of the relatives were with us. Very generous of her.

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On a side note, I think I have a little crush on CBCB’s cousin, S. He’s not at all my normal “type,” considering that he’s not dark-haired or olive skinned. He is a good looking guy, and has an amazing personality. The entire night, whenever he would tell a story, he’d look directly at me. It was really cool. Ok, and yes, he does have a girlfriend and lives on the other side of the country from me, but those are two little details that can be worked out. 🙂 I think there was definitely a spark there on both sides, so we’ll see what happens. CBCB said that she noticed something between us too, so it’s not all in my head. We’re supposed to meet up with him again on Tuesday or Wednesday to go to a Red Sox game at Fenway, so maybe there will be more news after that.

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Boston, Day 1

I arrived in Boston at 11am, east coast time. I was tired and hungry, yet completely excited to be in this new city.

BeachGirl and CBCB had already arrived at the hotel, and were waiting for me in the room when I finally arrived via taxi. We’re staying at the Marriott Courtyard in Copley Square, and the room is gorgeous. It’s roomy, yet cozy and feels like we’re really treating ourselves. I love it!

We were all hungry, so we took the T to the North End (the Italian section). We went to Ristorante Fioreon Hanover St., and I had an amazing fig and prosciutto pizza.  It was divine. After lunch, we walked around the North End and found some great sites. We visited Paul Revere’s house, and the thing I liked best was the courtyard with the majestic trees. Then we walked to a few churches, including St. Stephen’s and St. Leonard’s, which had a gorgeous “Peace Garden.”

I’ve decided that Boston is the city of brick buildings, and I’m infatuated with the warmth of the brownstones and other buildings that we’ve seen. I love the combination of green trees, ivy, and brick. So literary! I could see myself wandering around these streets, and stopping at a small cafe to enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book.

Then we made an obligatory and very caloric stop at Mike’s Pastries. Apparently Mike’s (and Maria’s) is a landmark in Boston, evidenced from the 40-50 people inside all clamoring for a sweet treat. I tried a “lobster tail,” which was a delicious and delicate pastry stuffed with ricotta, “yellow cream,” and cream cheese. Rich and delicious. A few bites were all I could handle.

Then we headed down to the Quincy Market, where we saw an impromptu break dancing session from some enthusiastic dancers. Lots of fun shops and restaurants in this section, but after eating a great lunch and indulging in the dessert, I didn’t want to see any more food!

At this point, I was dragging, since I was running on only 2 hours sleep. We headed back to the hotel and took a quick, 1-hour nap. The nap and the subsequent shower made me feel like a new woman. I was refreshed and renewed.

We headed out to do the most touristy thing on my list – take a Duck Tour of Boston. Our conducktor, Sergeant Meatball, made it so much fun with his over-the-top Boston accent and the funny little sayings he had us repeat, and the overall cheesiness of the spiel. We got to see a good section of the city, take great pictures, and learn quite a bit of history. Well worth the $29 fee.

For dinner we went to Legal Seafood, where I had a delicious dinner of almond crusted salmon, spinach, and mushroom ravioli. I accompanied my dinner with a couple of glasses of a dry, oaky chardonnay. What a perfect way to end my first day in Boston.

We came back to the hotel pretty early – around 10:30 because we were all feeling tired, and we want to make sure we’re well rested for the big day we have ahead of us tomorrow.

My first day in Boston was everything I could’ve hoped it would be and more. We ate well, walked a so much (good exercise!), and saw this beautiful city. I feel like I’m living this vacation to the fullest.

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Airport Madness

When I got to the Jetblue counter in my city to leave for JFK and then to Logan (in Boston), I knew my checked bag was pretty close to being 50 lbs.  The man weighed it, and it was 56 lbs – he asked if I wanted to move some stuff from the checked bag to my carry on, but I said, no, it was fine, I’d pay it.  He sent it on the conveyer belt, and then proceeded to tell me it would be $50!!!

Had I known it was going to be that much, I would’ve moved some of the items.  $50 for 6 lbs?  What a rip!  When I asked how much it would’ve been for a second bag, he said $20.  I was not a happy camper, but I took it as a lesson learned.

My flight was fine, but I got no sleep.  I kept waking up every 15 minutes.  I tried reading, listening to music, watching TV, but nothing worked.  I resigned myself to the fact that I’d be going on no sleep the next day.

Can I just say that JFK airport sucks?  Not only is it dirty, but the security checkpoint is no joke.  I understand why they’re extra cautious, but this was bordering on ridiculousness.  One of the women who was “managing” the line kept barking orders at us.  It was awful.

I had two hours to kill, 30 minutes of which was spent waiting in line for shitty coffee at the Dunkin Donuts counter. I don’t get it – I mean, I understand that the donuts are good, but the coffee?  It’s BAD!  Starbucks is definitely not as previlent out here as it is in the Bay Area.  Say what you will about Starbucks, but at least you know the coffee is consistent. 

I was able to sleep almost the entire time on the flight from JFK to Logan – about an hour and a half.  Logan airport is a lot cleaner than JFK, and other than the $30 cab ride from the airport to the hotel, I have no complaints.

I think I’ve learned a few things that will make my return flights a bit more bearable.

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