Back to the Grind

Hello Everyone,

So my blogging while on vacation didn't work very well. I had a lot of trouble connecting to the Internet and getting my pictures and text to download/upload properly so I apologize for the delay. I got back from vacation on Tuesday and have been back at work since yesterday, which is still nerve racking since I still feel like the new kid on the block, but I'm adjusting slowly but surely.

That being said one thing I am really excited about in the office is not only the Biggest Loser competition I told you all about but also the new program which starts today called, Get Fit for Summer. It is an 8 week course that they are holding in the office all about weight and weight management. I have to give the office props for really encouraging its employees to be healthy. I'll have to write an update to this later on after my first meeting but I'm looking forward to it.

In other news I did manage to get some good exercise in while away. Nothing super strenuous...well except for the hike but I'll get to that.

So here is a recap of the trip.

Wednesday night we left around 6:30pm on our way up to Massachusetts. The drive went by pretty fast but it was still fairly long, about 6 1/2 hours with stops to eat, gas, go to the bathroom etc. When we got to the house it was exactly midnight and I felt like I'd turn into a pumpkin but we were so excited to be there that the adrenaline kicked in and we didn't end up going to bed until 1:30. When we got to the house we let ourselves in and took a while to explore. It was really fun to look in all the rooms and see where everything was. Paul's uncle let us use his Massachusetts vacation house for a few days before we went up to New Hampshire to see him. Also, the bed we got to stay in was R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S! It was so comfortable! Both Paul and I had one of the best nights sleep in our lives....no joke.

We didn't wake up till late the next morning but finally got started with some breakfast; we brought a cooler up with eggs and bacon to save money and not eat out. We then took a walk behind the house to a trail that leads to the beach about 100 yards away from the backyard which was pretty cool. 

We met a seagull friend but he had a sore foot. :0( We felt bad for him.

After we played around on the rocks for a while and took in the view of Boston in the distance and the beautiful sunshine we headed downtown to see the town and check out the historical museum. By the time we got downtown we decided to walk along the harbor checking out all the lobster and crab nets along the way. We then stopped for lunch at a brewery along the ocean. And you could tell that their seafood was fresh since the nets that caught the lobsters and crabs and such were right outside where we were sitting.We of course had classic New England lobster rolls.

They were good. Oh yeah and did I mention their special for the day was call Bluetine Fries.....what are Bluetine fries you may ask? Oh nothing except, gravy, bacon, and blue cheese on french fries. Pretty much the coolest fries I've ever had. It made it hard to tell what was better the fresh lobster caught that very morning or the delicious fries.Lobster always wins though in my book.













After lunch we headed back out to the harbor and took a look at the fisherman statue, the fisherman wives statue and then headed into the town to look around in the shops. We also stopped in to see the Cape Ann Historical Museum which had all sorts of interesting paintings, old boats, and information on the town. We learned about a man who took like an 8 foot wooden boat with wooden oars across the Atlantic in I think 1903 or 1888 or something like that in 66 days. They had the boat in the museum and both Paul and I were just seasick at the thought of having to ride that across the Atlantic. We also learned a little bit about how they used to catch and sell the fish in the town which was really interesting. Then we went in search of pj's. The night before I had discovered that the one thing that I forgot to pack was pj's. I ended up sleeping the first night in running pants and a t-shirt so that afternoon we went in search of pj's and low and behold I found a pair. Lobster pj pants. Is there anything more awesome? I'm thinking no. I love them; they are a little big but that just makes them super comfortable.

After we got the pj's we decided to head back home and take a nap. We were exhausted from the drive and tired from walking around the town and museum so we headed back to just relax in the house for a while. I was excited because I found a CD to listen to, Moonlight Cocktail, with songs from the 40's which I LOVE! So I turned it on and just relaxed for a while and kind of dozed off. We finally got up around 6 and decided to go back to town for dinner. We landed at a restaurant that had been recommended to us at the museum and it was right on the harbor with open doors and windows and was absolutely gorgeous. It was still warm and beautiful and we watched the sun set and just had a fabulous time. We had decided since we were in a lobster town we needed to get our lobster fill so we gave the waitress our order of 2 lobster dinners. And then the unbelievable happened. The waitress turned to us and said, "You know if you get two lobsters it's only a few dollars more." Paul and I looked at each other and kind of went "What?!?!?, how is that possible?" She just laughed and explained that for each of us to have 2 lobsters it was only a few more dollars. So we just laughed and said...."OK!" So that night we were living high with fancy drinks, and not 1 not 2 but 4 lobsters between the two of us. Paul had the regular steamed and I tried the baked....because I had no idea what that would be like so I tried it and it had scallops and shrimp in it. It certainly wasn't "light" and to be honest I'm not sure I cared for it so I left that part and ate the lobster. After dinner we then decided to go all the way and split a sundae that was in the size of a small fishbowl. Go big or go home right? He he he he. We had a really nice dinner though and the best part was it was only 60 dollars! We thought for sure it was going to be really expensive but since it was our special night out we were prepared and so we were delighted when the check came and it was only 60 dollars. It was a really special night for us since we don't go out much, last time was Valentines Day, and it was just the perfect night.

The next day we woke up and decided that instead of driving to Salem to see the Witch Museum we just wanted to get up to New Hampshire to see Paul's Uncle. We ate breakfast, cleaned up, and locked up the house and headed out. The drive wasn't too bad....although it was about an hour longer than it should have been because of a wrong turn. We went about 20 miles in the wrong direction before we realized we were going the wrong way. Instead of just turning around and driving 20 miles back I had the smart idea to make our way north and meet up with the highway we needed by using back roads. Let's just say that that idea took FOREVER. Back roads are great but there were lots of lights and we got stuck behind elderly drivers and truck drivers going 25 on a 2 lane highway and no way to pass. Yuck. We were both pretty cranky by the time we got to New Hampshire but all that crankiness disappeared once we got there and got settled in our new home for a few days. It was so great to see Paul's Uncle and we had a fantastic time. We had fun playing board games, chatting, cooking, sitting outside, and having a bonfire one night.

We also had great weather except for one day when it rained but instead of staying in we went to a Maple Syrup demo at a local Maple Syrup farm where they showed us how it was made, the sugar house, and got to sample different grades of syrup and try fun things like Maple Cotton Candy and Maple Syrup Mustard. There was also a cute little cat curled up on a mat by the fire which was so cute.

Finally we headed out of New Hampshire early on Monday morning to get down to Massachusetts. We went to Paul's college town to visit some of his favorite haunts, and do his favorite hike. 1.5 miles up and then another 3 to 4 to get back around the mountain. We think it is around 4-5 mile hike. I was having trouble with my camera so I don't have pictures but here are some from the last time we did the hike a few years back in July.

We then walked around the town, ate dinner, took a drive, and went back to the hotel early. We were really tired from the hike and so we decided to turn in early and just relax. We played our new game called Carcassone that we bought for the trip to play with Paul's Uncle and we are now officially addicted. We played until 10:30 that night and then finally went to bed. The next morning we got up and went to breakfast close to the hotel and then went to the Yankee candle factory which is just about the coolest place ever. Each room is themed and they have a Christmas market, castle, and more. Again, I don't have pictures from this trip but here are some from my first time being there a few years ago in July.

We then headed home and made great time stopping on a couple times and managed to get home by dinner time. We spent the last night chatting about our trip, doing laundry, and just relaxing before going back to work on Wednesday.

And there you have it friends my very long winded description of my trip. Randi's class is tonight and I'm looking forward to it! More tomorrow!