Is This Thing On???

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It's been foreverrrrrrrr since I've posted, but here I am. I'm clearing the cobwebs, pushing aside the tumbleweeds, and dusting off the microphone/keyboard.

Testing, testing, testing...1 2 3.

OK, I think everything's in working order.

Since this (^) is happening right now, I figured there was no better time than to crank out a blog post.

First, let me just say that I'm highly annoyed that it's snowing out. It's the last "real" Saturday before Christmas and I have a TON of errands/shopping to do. Grrrrrrrr. However, I've been sick for the past three days, so a forced day of staying inside isn't necessarily bad (although cabin fever is ramping up). 

While I did do a fair amount of shopping online, there are some things I prefer to/have to do in person, i.e., stocking stuffers, certain clothing items. Browsing in a "real" store also helps if I'm at a loss for a gift for someone. 

Our basement is 95% done!!! (I'll do a separate post with pictures to do it justice. No, really, I will.) I'm actually blogging from there, right now! We have a double recliner on order (to be delivered on New Year's Eve), 

It looks nicer in person, but here it is:

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I'm on the hunt for a desk for down here. Preferably a white one with a large surface for writing/organizing. I've been looking on Overstock and Wayfair, but part of me thinks I'll find a nice older one on Craiglist or a used furniture store.

We have three cement poles that we're going to cover (well, I say "we," but John will really do it.) That has to be done and some touch up on the painting. We also need to build something to cover the electric panel and then find something for the BluRay player, cable box, etc...

John's vision is coming to life and he did an AMAZING job!

I'm dealing with a cold or a sinus infection. I think it's the former with some sinus pressure thrown in. I've had more peppermint tea in the past three days than I've had in my life.

Thanksgiving was quiet here. And by quiet, I mean silent.

Just John and I. Little John stayed in Baltimore and Grace was with her Mom. We still made a turkey breast and the sides we prefer- brussels sprouts, scalloped potatoes. It was relaxing.

What are you watching? A co-worker INSISTED I watch "Divorce," an HBO show. It's hilarioius!

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It's more of a dark-ish comedy. I like it.

I've also been told to watch "The Crown."

We watched the first episode of "This is Us" and we were somewhat confused. Apparently that was a common reaction and we were told to push forward.

Oh, and I also watched the new "Gilmore Girls" four part series. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. Let's just say that I was sufficiently underwhelmed.

Monday night we celebrated John's birthday by going out to eat at a fun restaurant in the Theatre District in Boston- Abby Lane.

We started out with Grilled Italian Hot Pepper-Parmesan Wings. They were delicious!

We each got a "Shut the Front Door" drink- very refreshing.

And then we had sandwiches/flatbreads for our main course.

Great place if you're seeing a show (they also give 15% off your bill if you show them your show tickets.)

We then saw "An Evening with David Crosby" at the Wilbur Theatre (thankfully right across the street from the restaurant, as we had a second round...)

I knew one song. So, yeah.

He was on stage with three twenty-somethings, clearly trying to promote their music. Not a bad thing, just not what I expected. Of the three, I really enjoyed Michelle Willis. She sang one of her songs solo and it was very moving. The other two? Meh.

So, I took a break from writing this. Had lunch. It's now stopped snowing.

John's last words before he went outside were, "I hope the snowblower works."

I haven't heard it churning yet, so I'm stealthily hiding out inside, wondering how long before I hear, "Um, it's not working."

And then we have to go old school with shovels. Happy happy joy joy!

October Observations

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Completely random stuff!


1. I've noticed that as I get older, I look forward to Fall more and more. Probably the hot flashes that cause me to overheat (TMI?) and make me glad to see cooler weather.

2. The Red Sox are down 2-0 in the ALDS. Cleveland's no joke. I don't have high hopes for the Sox.

3. I did a webinar for the National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS) and I'm still on a self-confidence high from it. I was a wreck leading up to it, but I feel like it went really well and has affected my mood overall for the better. (You can see more about the talk here.)

4. I'm already starting to see people on Facebook posting "Only xx more days until Christmas!" That's reason for blocking in my book!

5. When watching the Little League World Series over the summer, I saw that they asked each player for his favorite emoji. Here's mine:

6. I need to start wearing gloves when I chop onions. .(Or, get a chopper.) No matter how many times you wash your hands after chopping onions, they still stink.

7. A friend tipped me off that Bon Jovi's going on tour!!! Hoping for more dates to be released.

8. I'm totally bummed out that season two of Indian Summers has not been good. I'm a couple of episodes behind and I don't even care.

9. The new season of The Middle starts Tuesday- can I get an AMEN?!?!

10. The whole "ICE-T at a lemonade stand" commercial is annoying.

My (Almost) Social Media-Free Long Weekend

Happy Labor Day! (Do people actually say that? It's not like "Merry Christmas! or Happy New Year!)

Anywho, it's been a  nice long weekend so far and I spent most of it social media-free...and I couldn't be happier.

I'd been feeling blah about Facebook and burnt out on it, so on Friday night I decided that on Saturday, I would be completely social media-free.

I woke up around 9ish on Saturday and it was hard. Usually the first thing I do is check Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. (Addicted much?) But, I pushed through the constant voice in my head telling me I might be missing out on something (!) and got showered and ready for the day. 

The key to this being successful was STAYING BUSY. (And now you're going to hear every painstaking detail of staying busy.)

I went to my town's library and picked up my next book:

This is the first in the Penn Cage series (I previously read one of the later ones).

I then went to the library in the next town over (because I needed to return some books there and I wanted to pick up a book they had, but my library didn't). I was able to successfully return the books, but they were closed (I still haven't figured out why- maybe long weekend for them?), so I left empty-handed.

I then went to Rite Aid to get a prescription and I was off to treat myself to a pedicure. I really love pedicures. I have awful fingernails, so I never get manicures, but I feel like most everyone has awful feet/toenails, so I don't have to cower in shame while they clip, file, buff. (Oh, and the hot stone massage they do on the legs is to die for!)

I chose Essie's Angora Cardi, one of my all-time faves.

Oh, and another good thing about getting a pedicure? My phone usually only gets one bar while I'm in there, so it really prohibited me from getting onto Facebook! 

I came home and actually sat outside and ate my lunch. Without my phone. I brought my Kindle out and read while eating. It was great. 

I did some laundry and picking up around the house to keep busy. (This is when it was toughest not to get on social media.)

Late afternoon, I got ready to go out, as we were heading to Manchester, NH.

Here I am in my cute new shirt (TJ Maxx clearance!)

I had done research on Trip Advisor about the best restaurants in Manchester and ended up choosing Firefly.

It was great! Their drink menu is endless (an entire book dedicated to cocktails is OK by me!) I started with a Peartini and John had a Red Sangria. The Peartini was OK, but somewhat different from others I'd had in the past. We started with Go-Go Bread, which is toasted bread slices with gorgonzola fondue. Mmmmm. We wolfed that down and decided on our dinner- the catch of the day special for me (scallops with linguine, pancetta, spinach in a vodka sauce) and chicken piccata for John. The food was EXCELLENT! I highly recommend. Nice atmosphere and nice staff, as well. Oh, and I ended up trying another drink- the blood orange cosmo (that one was more to my liking!)

After eating, we walked through downtown Manchester to the NH Fisher Cats game. It was about a 20 minute walk and it was a nice night, so that worked out fine. 

I really do love minor league ballparks. They often have more character than major league parks and they're quirky and fun. (More on that later.)

The view from our seats:

Happy people:

The uniforms in minor leagues can sometimes rival the majors- personally I think these are wayyyyy worse than the Arizona Diamondbacks uniforms.

(Does anyone else think "jockey" when they see this half red/half blue get up?)

I was able to put the horrible uniforms aside, when I saw Ollie, the Fisher Cats' bat dog:

And how lucky were we to see him? This weekend is his last weekend, or his "retirement tour" as the jumbotron kept telling us. (I didn't see him get any gifts like David Ortiz has gotten on his retirement tour- I think Ollie might've gotten the short end of the stick...get it?)

We had a great time. 

When we got home, I'd gone 24 hours without social media. I was proud of myself and as a treat, got on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

You know what? I missed NOTHING.

On Sunday (yesterday), I probably checked in to social media maybe five times all day (which is low for me). Today is the same. 

That first 24 hours was the hardest, but now? Eh, I can live without it. The best part? I don't have that "oh my gawd, I did nothing over the weekend and now it's time to go back to work guilt trip." I cleaned the basement yesterday, put a shoe rack together that's been collecting dust, and enjoyed myself.

I think I like the fact that I proved to myself that I can survive without it.

And now I will go post this on social media. :)

Periscope: Sensory Overload & It's Theme Song Is Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"

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Are you familiar with Periscope?

Not the thing that comes out of the submarine, but rather the technology that allows for Person A to watch/listen to random Person B on the other side of the world. Person B could be eating dinner (see above), could be watching TV, could be tending to crops, etc... Person A then has the ability to submit questions/comments and Person B, if so inclined, can comment/answer. Just realize that there are are hundreds, if not thousands of other Person A's watching the broadcast/submitting questions.

While the original Person A is listening to/watching Person B, Person A is thinking of what to say/ask AND reading the scrolling commentary going by at a fast clip.

Two words (well, four, but two phrases)-

a) Sensory overload
b) Narcissist central

I stumbled across Periscope while scrolling through my Twitter feed and saw that Curt Schilling (former professional baseball player) posted that he was on Periscope. Curiosity got the better of me and I downloaded the app to see what it was all about.

At first, I was sucked in. A superstar (to Red Sox fans he is- helped us win the first World Series in 86 years) was on my phone and talking to "the people." (Truth be told, his snoring dog Georgia is really what sucked me in.)

People were asking about the infamous bloody sock, chicken and beer in the clubhouse, life as a professional athlete, etc.. For someone as nosy as me, well, it was cool.

I sent some of my own questions and when he'd answer them, I was sold on Periscope.

After the first time I watched, the subsequent broadcasts were the same. Curt sitting in his living room answering the same questions over and over (FYI- Todd Helton was the hardest hitter for him to get out and no, the bloody sock didn't have ketchup on it.) He also ventured out for trips to Taco Bell, to the hockey rink for his son's practice, to his kitchen for a late night snack.

After about the fourth or so broadcast, I was feeling sensory overload. Trying to watch the video (he might flash to his dog!), watch what others were posting/asking, listening to his responses, and trying to think if I had any brilliant questions that hadn't been asked before was a bit too much for me. While I think Facebook has its pros and cons, I'm comfortable with the fact that it's not so fast moving. (Did I just say that? How old am I?)

But, what I really started to realize (I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes), was how pompous Person B can be (in this case, Curt Schilling.)

Again, while Facebook is not THE social media outlet, at least you're sharing things with your friends/people you know/people that in theory care about what you're sharing. You're not posting that you're feeling down and waiting for millions of strangers to ask you what's wrong. THAT is what Periscope can be.

Feed the ego with attention from strangers in real time.

My opinion has done a 180. (At least of Curt's Periscope.) Washed up professional athlete that doesn't get attention on the playing field, so looking to get it wherever he can. (And, as an aside, use it further his own aspirations for a career in politics.) It's all about him. Ugh.

That said, my husband reminded me that Periscope CAN have a valuable purpose. Example: At the non-profit my husband works at, they'll Periscope a training, which would obviously benefit listeners/watchers.

Have you used Periscope? Have you been Person A or Person B? What are your thoughts?

**The thoughts expressed in this post are 100% mine...and I have a right to them!**

Vacation Goals: How'd I Do?

(Written Sunday July 31st and updated today, Sunday, August 7th)

We're here!!!!!!!!!

John and I are on our much needed, much anticipated week's vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

This is our sixth year coming here and we absolutely love it. (So much so, that we talk about retiring here!)

I've put forth some vacation goals for myself:

• Spend some time each day blogging
• Spend at least 1 hour each day reading
• Try at least one new restaurant
• Go swimming every day that we're on the beach (by swimming, I mean actually going under)
• RELAX!

So, how I'd do?

• Spend some time each day blogging: So-so. I spent some time each of the first three days blogging and then fell off. Not bad! (I have another post ready to go after this one that I wrote on vacation and I'll post this week.)

• Spend at least 1 hour each day reading: A+! 
• I finished reading Turning Thirty by Mike Gayle, which was a fun British 'bloke-lit' easy read. 
• I then read Cane River by Lalita Tademy. This was a much more serious historical fiction read, along the lines of Roots.
•  I then started Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes. While Marian is one of my all-time favorite authors, I wasn't thrilled with this. For some reason, I had it in my head that it would be fictional essays/short stories and instead, it was non-fiction, everyday life stuff that she's written (and most of it I'd read in the past.) 
• So, being somewhat disappointed by that, I started another book on my Kindle, Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton. That turned out to be just so-so, too. Oh well. 
• I also caught up on my magazine reading!

• Try at least one new restaurant: A++! We tried four new places! (I think...I feel like I'm forgetting some.)
• Lily Thai: I'd give this a C. The service was not great and the food was just so-so. (Is "so-so" the catchphrase for this post?)
• Salt Air: I'd give this an A. It's a newer place, popular, and somewhat upscale. They take a limited amount of reservations, so by the time I looked online, there were none available for our week. We ended up having to wait an hour (which was OK, based on our expectations) and I'd say it was worth it. We had lovely cocktails, crab deviled eggs, I had scallops, and John had crab cakes. The atmosphere was fun and a nice departure from the typical beach fare.
• Gilligan's (Lewes): I'd give this a C+. We'd originally planned on eating lunch at Kindle, which we've eaten at before and really enjoyed, but I forgot to check to see if it was open for lunch...and it wasn't. So, we made a quick decision and decided to try this waterfront place. It was average...typical lunch fair. Overwhelmed waitstaff, so service wasn't super. 
• Purple Parrot Grill: I'd give this a B+. It has a fun/casual atmosphere with decent food. We ordered frozen raspberry margaritas and they were LARGE! John had a German meal and enjoyed it. I had fish & chips, and it was good. We'd go back.

• Go swimming every day that we're on the beach (by swimming, I mean actually going under): hahahhahahahaha. Yeah, no. I went under once on purpose and a second time accidentally. The first time was fine. I said I'd do it again. The second time, um, not so much. The surf was really rough and I was getting slammed because I couldn't get past the breaking point. After that? I was a spectator.

• RELAX!: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!

It was great, but we're sad to be back to reality. Wah wah.

Volunteering: It Does a Body Good!

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I've been volunteering at local public libraries for the past three years, or so.

When I started, I had three goals in mind:

1. Get to know people in my community. (We'd only lived in our town for a few years, so I thought this would be a good way to get to know people.)
2. Utilize some of the skills I learned in library school. (I don't work in a "traditional" library, so I wanted to keep my mind sharp on things I'd learned.)
3. Be in an environment where I'd be able to help, and in turn be appreciated for that help. (I was struggling with my paying gig at the time.)

I ended up achieving these three goals and getting back so much more than I expected.

Do you volunteer? If yes, good for you! 

I've learned that volunteers are often the life blood of an organization, especially those with small budgets/small staff. At my town's public library (where I volunteered for a little over two years), volunteers did cataloging, weeding, and helped with programming- tasks done by employees in larger libraries. In my previous life, I worked for a non-profit, and we LOVED volunteers. There wasn't enough bandwidth to get certain things accomplished by employees, so we utilized the volunteer force.

If you don't volunteer, why? Do you think you don't have enough time? Do you think you're not qualified? To these statements, I say pshaw! Currently I volunteer one hour per week. During that time, I still make a meaningful contribution, doing an hour's worth of work that the librarians don't have time to do. There often are no "qualifications" needed for volunteering. Yes, I went to "library school," but could I do the tasks I do without the degree? You betcha. My Mom volunteers at her public library in the Friends' book shop. Other than being a lover of books (and the fastest reader I know), she doesn't have any "formal" qualifications...and doesn't need them. I think that's the beauty of volunteering. I often think about volunteering in some capacity with dogs. I'm not interested in pursuing a veterinary degree, but I'd love to walk dogs or even clean out crates! Volunteering allows you to embrace your love of something without having to go through formal schooling. A win win!

Here are some fun pictures taken throughout my last six months or so of volunteering:

One evening I was charged with a project to pull books off the shelf that were in bad shape/need of replacement, i.e, broken binding, ripped pages.

As I opened each book and started flipping through, I found all kind of "treasures."

I often stamp new books that have come in. The library I volunteer at imprints their seal on page 101 of each book. I often find some interesting things on page 101 (or page 100).

Ghanaian cuisine, anyone?

I love perusing the new books. I often find titles to add to my "to read" list. And then, there are some that I just make fun of.

An entire cookbook devoted to TOAST? (Oh, wait...TWO entire cookbooks devoted to TOAST?)

I love volunteering- it enriches my life!

Pioneer Woman's Overnight French Toast Casserole

I'm making it my mission to look back through the photo stream on my phone and write related blog posts. So, yeah, we're turning the calendar back to Christmas!

I'd wanted to try an overnight french toast casserole for a while and I saw that the Pioneer Woman had one, so I decided to give it a whirl.

I wanted to make it on Christmas Eve and we'd have it Christmas morning, but due to scheduling, that was a bit tough. So, I pushed to a day later.

On Christmas night, I threw together the ingredients and it looked like this:

It's basically a loaf of French bread torn into bite size pieces with an egg/milk/cream mixture poured over it.

You also create the topping ahead of time (no pictures, however.) That is a pebble-like mixture of cinnamon, flour, brown sugar, butter & spices. (And really...the phrase "pebble-like" describes it to a "T!")

Stick both in the fridge overnight, wake up, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, pour the topping over the casserole bread/milk/egg mixture and cook for a while.

A while? Yes.

Per the recipe (which I'll post a link to below), you cook for 45 minutes for a softer "more bread pudding texture" and an hour (or more) for a firmer less liquid texture.

I cooked ours for an hour and it still was, how can I say this? Squishy.

You can't see the squishiness, but here it is:

While I enjoyed the flavors, I had a hard time getting past the texture. If I get some feedback re: cooking time and a firmer texture, I'd try it again.

Here's the recipe.


Have you made this before? Which texture do you prefer? If you prefer the firmer texture, how long did it end up taking to cook?

Exercise Schmexercise

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Let me make no bones about it.

I.hate.exercise.

What? You didn't hear me?

I. HATE. EXERCISE.

I did the Couch to 5K program almost five years ago. I discovered that I *like* jogging (really just fast walking), but at the same time, also discovered I have no interest in competitive jogging, i.e., formal 5Ks.

Shortly thereafter, we bought a treadmill. I liked that because I could plug in my Kindle and catch up on British TV shows I'd missed. If it was cold outside, I could still jog/walk inside.

The whole "jogging thing" didn't last, however.

I got bored and found TV/Facebook/eating more interesting.

I've been on an exercise hiatus for at least a few years (sad, I know).

Recently, however, I decided I needed to stop being so sloth-like and pick up some form of exercise.

I reached deep into my memory banks and remembered that I used to LOVE Pilates!

My company used to have an instructor come in and do a lunchtime Pilates class that I was a part of. I remembered the benefits I gained- relaxation during a tough workday, improved posture, flexibility, and just the overall good feeling from exercising.

I did some creative Googling (stalking) and found that the instructor we had has her own studio in her house. I contacted her and voila - I now do a mat class on Monday nights!

Yes, it's only one day per week, but it is a workout!

After the first class, my core was killllllling me. (We did TRX, as well as Pilates.)

The last class we did on rollers and used weights. Arms? Killlllling me.

I guess that means it's working, right?

All this to say, that while exercise is NOT my favorite and I still pretty much hate it, I've found a program that I like and that invigorates me...and, as the cartoon says, it's better than being dead 24 hours a day. :)

What I'm Loving Lately: April 2016

Here are a handful of things that I've recently discovered that I'm loving!

1. Up & Up Hand Soap: Lemongrass + Basil

I'm super sensitive to fragrance, so I usually just buy unscented hand soap. I happened to see this one, took a quick smell in the store, and bought it. It has a really nice light fresh smell. It's very springy.


2. Skinnygirl Mints: Pomegranate Matcha Green Tea

I love pomegranate and I love green tea. Put them together in a mint? Awesome! (And sugar free, on top of it.)

3. Lipton Decaf Half Berry Lemonade & Half Iced Tea to Go Packets

I'm a huge fan of berry flavored iced tea. However, I generally don't drink it, because it's not caffeine free. (Caffeine wreaks havoc with my sleep!) I love this half and half...it really gives a flavor of a berry iced tea.


4. Nabisco Lemon Oreos

With Girl Scout cookie season recently ending, I was lamenting the fact that I didn't get any Lemonades, which are hands down my favorites (I even like them better than Thin Mints!) I happened to see these Oreos in the cookie aisle and tried them on a whim. OH.MY.GAWD. They taste exactly like Lemonades (and they're cheaper!)

5. BUZZR

As I believe I've stated before, I grew up on game shows and LOVE them! The Game Show Network has been around for a while, but it's a total sham. They mostly air new game shows (ones they've created). BUZZR, however, show the creme de la creme, i.e., Super Password, Sale of the Century, Family Feud (Richard Dawson). It's like reliving my childhood all over again!

BQOTD: Do You Do Spring Cleaning?

Let's start this by saying that I'm NOT good at keeping a clean house.

I hate cleaning.

I always find excuses to avoid it.

And then...

Someone comes over and I'm thrown into a frenzy. This is what I like to call "situational cleaning." It's filled with me swearing and saying I'll never wait this long to clean [insert room, appliance, toilet, bathtub, etc...]

And then it happens all over again.

Needless to say, spring cleaning does not happen here.

UNTIL NOW!!!

I happened to be scrolling through my Bloglovin feed and came across this 30-day spring cleaning calendar:

You can find this calendar at the Simply Stacie blog.

I like how it breaks the tasks down- it doesn't seem quite as overwhelming.

I also think I'll probably break it down over the weekends of spring, as the thought of cleaning the oven on a weeknight makes me want to drink!

So, the BQOTD (Big Question of the Day) is this:

DO YOU DO SPRING CLEANING AT YOUR HOUSE?

If yes, do you have any tips, schedules, shortcuts that you can share??

Happy Spring! 

(Oh, and if you're in New England, enjoy the snow coming tonight/tomorrow. Gah!)

How to Invite People Over When You Live In Your House and it Shows

In 2014, I read a pretty great book:

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What you may not be able to see is the subtitle - "It Doesn't Have to Be Beautiful to Be Perfect."

(Oh, and you may not be able to see the author's name- Myquillyn Smith. A completely funky/unique first name paired up with the most common American last name. Funny.)

Back to the book.

The gist is that your home is beautiful, no matter what. It's YOUR home and you should feel comfortable in it. You should also feel comfortable enough to have others over, regardless of the state it's in.

So what if only three sides of your house are painted (and you've lived there for nine years).

So what if you still have the mint green bathroom fixtures that were put in when the house was built?That you swore you'd get rid of ASAP.
Or, that wall to ceiling mint green tile with the purple flowers in it.

So what if you still have the hideous 80's cabinetry and even better - hideous orange countertops?

So what if we use the treadmill in the third bedroom to hang wet clothes off of?

So what if I didn't get all of the cobwebby things from the chandelier over our entryway?

The list goes on.

You know what, though?

We live here and we're happy.

Do I hope that we hit Powerball tonight and we can update everything? You betcha. Chances of that happening? (Well...you know the chances.)

I've never been good at having parties, never mind just inviting people over. I always think, "Oh, we'll just wait until we do this. Or that." And then a year goes by.

I need to get better at that. I will get better at that.

There are so many more important things than worrying about what others think about your house.

This post was inspired by the book I mention above and this blog post. (Also by Myquillyn Smith.)

This picture from the post sums it up:

Big deal.

This was a bit "deep," so I'll leave you with something humorous.

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OK, so cheese "might" be a deterrent to inviting guests over...

Four Facts

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Four names that people call me other than my real name:

1. Katie (You thought that was my real name, didn't you?!?!)
2. Kate
3. Katydid
4. Kater

Four jobs I've had:

1. Church rectory receptionist
2. Cashier (of the year!)
3. Dorm front desk attendant
4. Loss prevention associate (I chased people who wrote bad checks!)

Four movies I've watched more than once:

1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. Legally Blonde
3. Sweet Home Alabama
4. Miracle

Four things in my work bag:

1. Laptop charger
2. Laptop
3. Notebook
4. Planner

Four books I'd recommend:

1. any book by Marian Keyes
2. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
3. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller
4. Mouse-Proof Kitchen by Saira Shah

Four places I've lived:

1. Greenfield, MA
2. Northampton, MA
3. Cambridge, MA
4. Arlington, MA

Four places I've visited:

1. Montreal
2. Aruba
3. Lake Tahoe
4. Grand Cayman

Four places/things on my bucket list:

1. Visit Europe
2. People watch on Rodeo Drive
3. Parasailing
4. Go to a Stanley Cup game (that the Bruins are in)

Four places I'd rather be right now:

1. Aruba
2. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
3. Aruba
4. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Four things I won't eat:

1. BEEF STEW!!!!!
2. Avocado
3. Coconut
4. Lamb

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Lobster
2. Mac & cheese
3. My Mom's American Chop Suey
4. Pad Thai

Four TV shows I watch:

1. The Middle (blog post to come!)
2. Downton Abbey
3. Blue Bloods
4. New Hampshire Chronicle

Four things I'm looking forward to in 2016:

1. Trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
2. Being healthy & happy
3. Reading new books
4. Learning new things at work

What's New (to me) In the Oldest City in America?

Last weekend, John and I went to visit my parents in St. Augustine, Florida.

(In case you don't know, St. Augustine is the oldest city in America.)

They've been there for a few years now (three?), but we haven't really done a lot of "touristy" things downtown...until now.

But first...let me share with you some super cute pictures of Ray & Jules, my parents' adopted greyhounds.

Here's a close-up of Ray, lounging on the settee in the spare (our) bedroom. Ray's almost 11 and a little bit wobbly. He still LOVES to get his babies (stuffed toys) out and play with them. He's a very sweet dude.

Here he is with his favorite blankie. He loves soft things. I think this is his "no paparazzi" pose.

And this is Ms. Jules. She's younger than her brother from another mother, but has been through a lot in her short life. She broke one of her legs in three places, but was nursed back to health and is now a happy girl living in her adoptive home. As my Mom would says, "She's a pip!"

You don't think Ray loves John, do you? He nestled in next to him and silently demanded he be patted during the entire Bruins game.

And of course, if one's in on the action, the other needs to get in. Jules entered the room and demanded the same attention. Luckily John was kind enough to oblige.

We were in St. Augustine from Thursday-Sunday. On Friday, we decided to go downtown and check out the Oldest City in America. We parked in a garage downtown and walked down St. George St, which has tons of shops, restaurants, museums, etc... We perused a few shops and then headed to a place for lunch.

I didn't take any pics there, so we'll use some stock photos (which won't do it justice) to share. We ate at Gaufres & Goods (which doesn't have its own website), which is a Polish & Greek restaurant.

I.love.Polish.food. (I'm Polish on my Mom's side, hence the love for it.)

I knew right away what I'd get -- golobki. I had it probably 20-ish years ago at a Polish restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC (of all places), when my parents lived in Durham. My grandmother used to make it and I've loved it ever since.

It's basically boiled cabbage with meat (hamburger) and rice rolled up in it in a tomato sauce. Here's a photo for your information:

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Let me just say that it tastes better than it looks!

John and my Mom had pierogies, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with. If you're not, pierogies are a type of dumpling and they can pretty much be filled with anything...cheese, meat, vegetables. They're usually served with sour cream.

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My Dad got something called pyzy, which is another kind of dumpling, but made of potatoes and rounder vs. a half moon. It's served with bacon.

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After we devoured this amazing food (I'd HIGHLY recommend the restaurant), we headed to the Lightner Museum. It houses an eclectic collection of items...from taxidermy to Tiffany glass, from stamps to musical instruments and so much more. It's in the original Alcazar Hotel, so many of the rooms tell you what was originally there when it was a hotel (steam room, dining room, etc...)

When we first got there, they were doing a demonstration of antique mechanical musical instruments, which was very interesting. It's amazing to see things that are so tiny that make music and a piece of furniture that basically holds an entire orchestra within it and makes music.

Not a great photo (because I'm in it not once, but twice!), but this is a conch shell with a cameo carved into it. Amazing!

Here's a cradle. Doesn't look too comfy, does it?

While that's the extent of the photos I took indoors, I highly recommend visiting if you're in St. Augustine. (It's inexpensive and very welcoming.)

Here's a photo of the garden type entryway. (Look...in January...it's warm and sunny!)

Needless to say, we had a good/relaxing time.

I'll leave you with this one last photo of Jules. How can that possibly be comfy? I feel like it's a puzzle and you have to figure out which arm/leg/tail to untwist first!

Perfection: It's In the Bag

You MUST try this. 

It's the most interesting combination of sweet and salty.

I'm a huge fan of Boom Chicka Pop. 

The white cheddar is pretty awesome.

I stumbled upon the fact that there was a MAPLE (yes I'm shouting) flavored one and I about jumped out of my seat. (I LOVE maple.) You can see it here.

It's very elusive, however. I can't find it for sale online. I can't find it for sale in my local grocery store. I've asked some friends around the country to look out for it and no dice. It made me very sad, until....

I bought the Holidrizzle white chocolate & peppermint. It really is amazing. I was uncertain about the mix of flavors, but one bite and I was sold.

So, go buy some- you won't regret it!

Just Call Me the Terminator

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I'LL BE BACK blogging in 2016!

Really.

I will.

I miss writing a lot, as I think I've said before, I find it cathartic.

It's just one of those things that I have to make time for. (Less time on Facebook, perhaps?!?!?)

I hope everyone has a happy & healthy 2016 & that you make the time to do the things you really like to do!