I spent my Labor Day weekend in New York, New York. My 2nd Cousin (my mother’s cousin’s son), who is also a 1st Lieutenant of the United States Air Force, was getting married to his long time girlfriend. We left on Saturday morning at 5am – yes, that’s right – 5am. My father was doing the driving, so it did not matter to me what time we left. The trip was not so bad, since no one is out on the road accept truckers and others that want to get an early start. My father has a navigation system similar to mine (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134&pID=339) and it shows you exactly where to go, as long as you have the correct address. Actually, even if you sort of know where you are going, it will get you as close as possible. Anyways. The trip took a total of 4-1/2 hours. I sometimes wonder how my father doesn’t take his hands off the steering wheel and strangle my mother. She is completely nutty when she’s in the car in the co-pilot seat. She’ll be sitting there talking to you and then all of a sudden she is pumping her right leg up and down and telling my father to “step on the breeeeeeeeeeak!!” Because a car is slowing down 1 mile away from us. Or she will point to something and my father will turn to look and then she will scream at him to keep his eyes on the road. She has a theory that my father is secretly trying to kill her using the Expedition as a weapon. But I swear, when I drive with her, I want to just very nicely put her in the back seat with a blind fold and a gag. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mother so very much, but man, she can drive the normal mind to a dark place. =]

The hotel we were staying at (http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/NYCMLHH-Millenium-Hilton-New-York/index.do?WT.srch=1) is located in the financial district of downtown New York City. We arrived so early that we were not able to check in. So we dropped out luggage off with the front desk and then headed out into the city!

My parents, me and my fiancé took the Staten Island Ferry around the Statue of Liberty and to Staten Island – the ride is free! The ferry ride was absolutely beautiful, though, plus, it always helps when there isn’t a cloud in the sky! The weather was perfect and it gave us some good views of the New York City skyline and a couple bridges. The ride was super smooth and it wasn’t all that crowded. But since we were taking a round trip, we had to get off the ferry, re-route in the ferry station, and then get back on board of the same ferry that got us there. I believe that it was because of the security that you couldn’t just stay on board and wait to ship off. I got some pretty good pictures and it was pretty cool to see the Statue of Liberty so close up!

The whole trip, though, was only about an hour – so we had to try and think of other ways to use the time until we could check in. My dad had suggested that maybe we should go to Ground Zero. We weren’t sure where that was, so we actually ended up going to Friday’s for lunch. $93 dollars for lunch? Someone should check my jeans and make sure there isn’t a hole there from being f-ed over. ANYWAYS. I’m not bitter; I’m just amazed at the expense of eating or doing anything in New York.

So after lunch, we started walking back towards the hotel. As we rounded the corner, we noticed that there was a lot of construction going on across the street from our hotel. Then we noticed a sign that said, “WTC Pathway.” And then it became crystal clear that we were staying right across the street from Ground Zero. Yikes. Once we were able to check-in, we went to our rooms – my parents stayed on the 49th floor and we stayed on the 48th floor. The view was…well, astonishing. If you looked directly down, you could see the entire base of where the Twin Towers used to be. When you look out onto the site, in many ways, it takes your breath away. There is this feeling of heaviness as you gaze out onto an area where many are still buried and will never be found. The view is different – where there once were these massive towers for buildings, there is nothing. In about 7 days, we will be remembering September 11th, as it happened 6 years ago. People always say where they were when they heard about the 1st plane…I was in Waltham, MA – my friend had IM-ed me to tell me what happened. At first I thought he was joking…But then I came to realize that it was true. Time sort of stood still that day and for days to come after. But I believe that this is to be saved for another blog.

So later that night, we all went out to dinner at a restaurant in the South Street Seaport Historic District. The restaurant, Sequoia, was located on the pier and we had a great view of the harbor (http://www.southstreetseaport.com/html/AttractionDetail.asp?aid=2213). Dinner was good, and when we were done, there were lots of stores to shop in. We only went into a few of them, though. The night was getting late and it was already a pretty long day. Our hotel room was beautiful, though. There was a 42” plasma screen television and a king size bed. What more could ANYONE ask for? =]

The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel restaurant (http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/NYCMLHH-Millenium-Hilton-New-York/dining.do#detail ): Church and Dey. They offered a buffet or menu ordering – I went with pancakes and a side of bacon. After breakfast, my fiancé needed to go to the ATM and then to Modell’s (http://www.modells.com/corp/index.jsp?page=storeLocator&locationCode=68429&state=NY&city=New+York&locName=55+Chamber+Street). The main reason we had to go there is because the Modell’s that is located near us doesn’t have New York Mets stuff. So he was a happy guy when we walked in and he found the hat he was looking for and a new t-shirt. The only down side is that the store smelled like some guys old basement where he worked out and sweat a lot. Pee-yewww. But as long as my fiancé was happy, that’s all that really mattered.

We had some time to spare before the wedding, so we walked down to Ground Zero and up the street where there is a church that has been there for a very long time, since the 1700’s, I think. My fiancé and I walked through the cemetery and into the little church – they were having a service there, but they allowed people to come in and walk through as it was going on. There were several little tables with pictures of the people who were lost on 9/11 and there was a stand with a lot of badges from different fire departments around the United States and some from different countries. I don’t know if it’s the guilt of not going to church or feeling like I’m missing something, but as soon as I stepped into the church, I felt a weight on my mind. It’s almost as if I was some place I was not invited. The words, although heavy, ring true for me as I stood there looking at pictures of people who are no longer here. People came to that little church and prayed and left messages and left pieces of the people who are gone. Often times, things are shown on television and that distance is what keeps you from feeling the raw emotions of actually being there. So, as you can see or feel from what I am writing, what you see on television is no where near what you can feel in person. As I was saying earlier, I’ll have to write a different blog about what I was feeling later on.

The wedding was held at Our Lady of Victory Church (http://www.ourladyofvictorychurch.org/). My 2nd cousin and his fiancé are Catholic, so it was done by a priest, or Parochial Vicar – whichever is more politically correct. There were 5 bridesmaids (including the maid of honor) and 5 groomsmen (including the best man). Although, the sad part was that the father of the bride was not there in protest. You see, my 2nd cousin is ½ Chinese and apparently, since his daughter is Japanese, that is ½ too much. I find is very unfortunate that he could not look past the race and instead look to the future of his daughter’s happiness. The bride’s mother escorted the beautiful bride down the isle – the mother was wearing a very beautiful kimono – which is traditional Japanese wear for an occasion like this. Everyone looked so great! After the ceremony was over, the bride and groom walked down the isle under a saber guard! My 2nd cousin’s sister got married a couple years ago, and they did it to her and her husband, too. She is a Captain in the Army and her husband is a black hawk pilot, so you can see why they did it. The walk under swords that are crossed over head and just at the last one, the two saber holders bring their swords down and spank the bride and groom. =]

We actually had about 2 hours to kill before the reception was to begin. I am not sure why there was such a long time between the ceremony and reception – I hope that I booked enough time! So we took a cab to the South Street Seaport Area, where the reception was held (http://www.theglaziergroup.com/restaurants/bridgewaters/index.html) – its funny we were there the night before. We ended up going to a corner bar and getting some drinks and some appetizers (http://www.southstreetseaport.com/html/AttractionDetail.asp?aid=2197). It was a pretty busy and cool place.

The place where the reception was held, as you can see from the website, is very upscale and very extravagant with a beautiful view of the harbor. We had cocktails for about an hour with an open bar – actually, I think the bar was open all night – and there were these fancy hors devours that I couldn’t pronounce or tell you what they were. The reception began with introductions of the bridal party and then introductions of the bride and groom. Everyone looked so great! Then they had the 1st dance with the bride and groom and then everyone was asked to join them. They had a live band, who was actually pretty good! Sometimes it can be a total gamble on whether you get Adam Sandler from the “Wedding Singer,” or someone who can really sing. The lady had a great voice and the band played a lot of songs that are typically heard at a wedding. Dinner was cooked to order – so it took a while for people to get their meals. I had the filet and my fiancé had the salmon. There was more dancing, and then they did the wedding cake thing – I’m thinking that for our wedding, we’re going to have a small wedding cake made and then everyone will get a small piece of a sheet cake – because no one really eats it anyways. After the wedding cake was cut, the bride’s bouquet was thrown, we left. My father was getting tired and we had an early start the next day.

So over all, the wedding was great! The views were spectacular, everyone looked fantastic and I was so happy for my 2nd cousin and his new wife. They looked so very happy together! =] The ride home was uneventful – which is good. We made it back home by 12:30pm and just like that, the long weekend was over. But guess what? We’re going to have to do it all over again in January. My 2nd cousin’s brother is getting married in the Central Park area. Eegad. But this is the last of those kids to get married. After I tie the knot next August, there is only 1 other cousin who won’t be married! But it should be a great time! So for now…that’s all.

TTFN! =]

Mets Vs. Dodgers

VS

Well, you know, someone once told me that going to see the Mets http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nym is quite interesting. Most baseball parks are friendly, happy places where it’s safe to walk. But Shea Stadium http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ballpark/seating_pricing.jsp is located in Flushing, yes, I said Flushing, New York. And it’s smack in the middle of a mini-china town. Or maybe we WERE in Chinatown, and I just didn't know it. We stayed at a Comfort Inn http://www.sidestep.com/hotels-rates-h05747-comfort_inn_flushing_flushing_ny and if you turn right or if you turn left, you just feel like you are either going to get jacked or killed - and no one would notice. ANYWAYS. Let me begin...

Our trip began with a nice breakfast at MaryAnn's http://www.maryannsdiner.com/. This is a great place for breakfast, and typically, my fiancé, his good friend and I go there before we go see the latest blockbuster movie. So the restaurant also serves as a good starting point for a long trip. After breakfast, we began our journey into NY. It’s about a 4-5 hour ride, depending on how fast you go. I was traveling at typical 70-75 mph. I have to tell you that its kind of a boring ride. The worst part, though, is driving through Worcester. Man, that city is always under construction and I don’t know why. They are always mapping out new routes using jersey barriers and I always end up asking myself, “Am I going in the right direction? WTF?” I do not mean to offend those that are from Worcester, but I think if you Worcester Natives take a long hard look, you’ll realize I’m right. ANWAYS. After stopping in Connecticut some where, my fiancé took over driving. He offered, and I didn’t mind. So he took us into Flushing, where we had a little trouble finding a place to park. The streets are narrow, only going one-way and people are always coming, so you don’t have a second to think about what you are trying to do. So we ended up going to an under-ground parking garage that was just around the corner from the hotel. I have to say it was kind of sketchy and I felt weird leaving my car with Johnny McAsian. Is that racist of me, if I’m Asian and I am skeptical of other Asians? Or does it just make me paranoid because of the area I’m in? Anyways, reluctantly, I gave the guy my keys and we walked around the corner to the hotel. The Comfort Inn was tiny with not many rooms. We had a room on the 2nd floor with the grand view of some sort of furniture store that looked like it had been empty for 50 years. Once we dropped our bags, we left to go on the ¾ mile hike to the stadium.

Walking through any city in New York is pretty scary. And I am the first to say that I was happy that I was accompanied by 2 guys. I know in this day in age where women are always fighting to get out from under the shadowy protection of men, that this is not the greatest statement. But I say it when only thinking about me and my own capabilities of protecting myself. Its always good to have back up, you know? Anyways. The walk to the stadium, as I was saying before, is rather scary. You have to pass by some rather pungent smelling stores that smell like they killed several animals and left the carcasses out to rot. Yum. And the fact that it was ninety-five degrees out with a humidity of 1000%. So that added to the deliciousness of the aroma that is Flushing, NY. It’s just odd because so many times, my fiancé has told me that Shea Stadium is located in a dumpy area, and each time he said it, I was always thinking, “well, it can’t be THAT bad.” Well, guess what, kids? It IS. Sometimes I guess, you have to see and smell things for yourself. I just really couldn’t imagine living in that area full time. It’s just a really rough and poor looking place. Its one of those places you take a look at and realize how good you really have it, even if you were to think that you live in a crappy place (which I don’t). So, to put the icing on the cake, so to speak, as we were walking along the narrow sidewalk, there was this guy standing there. He looked a little spaced out and I kind of looked at him and saw him kind of open his mouth and then I realized that he was puking. Most people, when they puke, they bend at the hip or crouch down or do SOMETHING that looks like they are puking. But not this guy. He looked like it was an hourly occurrence for him and let it just fall out of his mouth. Ew. Just now as I type this out and share it with anyone who’s reading, I feel like I’m going to puke…the RIGHT way, bent over a barrel. LOL. Well, I have to say that it just added to the atmosphere.

We got into the stadium – I was wearing my Manny Ramierz shirt – but by the time we made it to our seats, I was sweating quite badly. Luckily, I was wearing a tank top underneath. We sat in the upper deck, 3rd base line. The seats were good because in front of us were bars. So no one to watch out for in front of us. Part of the pre-game show was an Irish dancing crew. I can’t imagine that it would be comfortable in those uniforms. And then there was a singing Irish due – one sang and the other played some sort of accordion thingy. Needless to say, I was not terribly impressed. I’m not a fan of the Irish singing/dancing stuff. But I will say that it was good – didn’t hurt the ears and it looked pleasant. So after the pre-game festivities, we had the national anthem. And then its “plaaaaaaaaaaay baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!” The New York Mets were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers. These are two of my fiancé’s most favorite baseball teams. To be honest, I am not sure why, but I believe it is because growing up, he watched baseball and became a fan of his own teams, as opposed to just rooting for the hometown Boston Red Sox. So his love of these teams comes from himself, with no lineage of sports fan to base his opinions on. The pitcher for the Mets was Orlando Hernandez, who fans call “El Duque:” http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=133340. The pitcher for the Dodgers? Well, I’m going to have to look that one up because I can’t remember. Anyhow. The game was quick – national league games tend to be quicker because the national league does not have a designated hitter – the pitcher has to hit. So in some cases, this is an automatic out and it moves the game along. Plus, national league teams tend to steal bases more often and use a different offensive strategy than the American league. I am not saying that the American league is inferior to the national league, I am just saying that they are different.

It’s also weird to watch the game live, as opposed to on television. It’s hard not to watch the players in awe as they play a game of baseball. If I had to choose a favorite Mets player, it’s definitely David Wright http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=431151. He is a total cutie and only 25. Hey, I know I’m engaged, but that doesn’t make me dead. So. He had a good game – he went 2 for 2, driving in 2 runs. I also like their catcher, Paul LoDuca. And Carlos Beltran…and Carlos Delgado. Overall, if there were no more Red Sox, I would for sure be a Mets fan…But don’t tell my fiancé that. =]

After the game was over, we went back to the hotel and kind of just laid there. Our friend had one bed and my fiancé and I had the other. It’s just that we were sweating so bad throughout the game that it made us tired. But after a few minutes of rest, we went out to get something to eat at this place, Deluge http://www.delugerestaurant.com/. As you can see from the website, it is a pretty fancy place. Its located in the lower level of the Sheraton – but it is very fancy and romantic. Which struck me funny because when we were discussing where we wanted to eat, we agreed on Chinese – I mean, we were, afterall, in Tiny ChinaTown! We asked the front desk guy at the Comfort Inn and he told us to go here. There wasn’t an oriental thing on the menu! And I was looking forward to eating white rice and spear ribs! The meals all came out on these square dishes and they were all fancy like you see on the Food Network! Yeesh. So we ate and then headed back to the hotel for a long rest.

The next day, we checked out around 10:30-ish in the morning. We went around the block to collect my car and then we were off. Our friend had 200 points on his Mohegan Suns players’ card, so he made the suggestion that we stop there on the way back for lunch http://www.mohegansun.com/. We ate at this bbq place: http://www.mohegansun.com/dining/big_bubbas_bbq.jsp. It was good, and it was neat because they had both the Red Sox and Yankees playing separate teams.

But you know, we go there and it’s almost kind of instant that you feel the need to gamble your life savings away. HAha. I did not. I only gambled 60 dollars away. I was hoping to win at least enough money to cover our New York trip – its not like I was asking for a million dollars, you know? But the gambling gods do not see it that way. They will take your money and they will laugh in your face. I played black jack and lost it all in 15 minutes (and I think I’m being generous giving myself 15 minutes for time). Our friend lost 300 dollars in half an hour. My fiancé doesn’t like to gamble, so I knew he wasn’t having a good time, and I knew that he was tired, so I didn’t want to stay. If I had more time…well, if I had more time I’d have to push the marriage out two years because I would have gambled all my money away. Hhaha. Just kidding. I actually have more will power than that.

So thus began our final journey home. It was a great weekend – although Flushing, NY is not a place to send postcards from, I have to say that there are no mere words that could ever fully describe it. You really do have to go experience it for yourself. =]

And if you can believe this, next weekend we’re going BACK to New York! My mom’s cousin’s son is getting married and we were invited to Manhattan. My parents booked us rooms at the Millenium Hilton in New York City: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/NYCMLHH-Millenium-Hilton-New-York/index.do. Pretty fancy, HUH? Well, I’ll have to tell the story next weekend, then.

Until then. TTFN.

York Beach, ME

Well, this past weekend (Aug 17th thru the 20th), me and my fiance spent the time in York Beach, ME. Above, you can see where we stayed. Right off, I must add that you don't really need to ever stay 3-1/2 days. I didn't realize that you would be able to do everything and see everything in 2 days! But regardless, it was still nice to take 2 days away from work. We had some nice weather - it wasn't as hot as it has been the last couple weeks. There was very low humidity. There were a lot of stores that were along the main road of the short sands beach - and we went into every single one of them twice! I think that is what lead me to believe that we only needed to be there for 2 days! Oh well.

They also had a zoo: http://www.yorkzoo.com/. Which as you can see from the website, it is a very small zoo. But we did get to see many primates, lions, panthers, birds, snakes...etc. I even got a poloroid of myself holding a snake...It felt kind of weird and if I didn't feel it move from time to time, I'd have thought it was dead. Ew. And I didn't realize that they made poloroid cameras anymore...BUt then again, the perverts have to have SOME sort of way to capture their pervertivenes. LOL. ANYWAYS. They also had a huge pen where there were several deer that you could feed - they have one of those gumball machines that you put in a quarter and it spits out a handful of food. Man, those deer are HUNGRY. One of the deer was camped out in front of the opening to the food machine and he wouldn't let me open the door because he was trying to use his nose to open it himself. Some guy had to step in front of the deer and give me time to get the food out. YEESH. So, the zoo was actually pretty cool...

We ate at some cool restaurants - the first night, we ate at the restaurant at the hotel. Then the 2nd night, we ate at this place that was located just down the street from us - I don't recall the name of the restaurant, though. And the 3rd night, we ate at a japanese/chinese food place. Overall, the food was pretty good. Nothing too special or too fancy. =]

So there you have it. Our long weekend at York Beach, ME. Not very exciting, I know. BUt you know, its always nice to get away.

Hmm.

August 15th lands me in the land of boring. Actually, its painful just to sit here and try to fill in some space. I mean, if I had a little drama in my life, I'd have no problem. But life is just too "adult-ish" for me to elaborate on the life of me.

On an upside, we have recently started to watch the 1st season of "Rescue Me." The best part? No commecials. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised because when it first came out in 2004 and was showing on FX, I wasn't that impressed. BUt After the 1st episode, we're hooked! Denis Leary is excellent and the charachters really gel well together...The show is a weird mix of drama, comedy relief and action. Its an interesting view of a fire fighters life. I keep saying through the entire show - "wow, I wouldn't ever want to be a fire fighter in a big city..." because if you think about it, they don't just put out fires. They have to respond to accidents, to family crisises (is that how you spell it?) and to any kind of other incidents that aren't so good on the soul. I mean, how do you handle having to deal with death, burning flesh, crazy people or accidents that shouldn't have happened? I mean, I feel sick when I accidentally singe a piece of hair on my head - how would I do if I smelled someone's flesh burning away? Most likely, not so good. I admire people who put themselves before anyone else. Not everyone is built that way.

The other thing, too, is as I was saying in the beginning - Denis Leary is excellent in this show. I have been used to his quick witted stand-up and harsh sarcastic look on life, but he applies his personality to this type of character and it works really, really well for him. I can't honestly say that I am a full-on Denis Leary fan, but to tell you the truth after watching the first 6 epidodes, I'm starting a new appreciation for him as an actor. Plus, I thought he was great in the Ice Age movies. Haha.

So if anyone out there is reading this - and I highly doubt it - go watch it!

ANYways. I'll end it here. Before someone else ends it for me.

Famous Last Words

I'll get a world record for this.
Let me reach in and get your watch out of the printing press.
Hey there's no handles inside these car doors!
Gee, that's a cute tattoo.
Here's my Kent State student ID.
It's fireproof.
He's probably just hibernating.
What does this button do?
I'm making a citizen's arrest.
Can we get a vision plan?
So, you're a cannibal.
It's probably just a rash.
Why am I standing on a plastic sheet?
Are you sure the power is off?
Yeah, I made the deciding vote on the jury, so what of it?
No, my shoes aren't untied.
The odds of that happening have to be a million to one!
What do you mean, "I'll be back"?
Why is the rest of the Star Trek landing party wearing a different color?
Pull the pin and count to what?
Which wire was I supposed to cut?
I wonder where the mother bear is.
I've seen this done on TV.
These are the good kind of mushrooms.
I'll hold it and you light the fuse.
What's that priest doing here?
You look just like Charles Manson.
Let it down slowly.
Rat poison only kills rats.
OK, I'll go ahead and make your day.
It can't possibly rain for forty days and nights.
I'll get your toast out.
Give me liberty or give me death.
Just take whatever you want, this is a ghost town.
It's strong enough for both of us.
This doesn't taste right.
I can make this light before it changes.
Nice doggie.
I can do that with my eyes closed.
I've done this before.
Well we've made it this far.
That's odd.
Hey that's not a violin.
I'll just slip into the commuter lane for a second.
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses on, would you?
OK this is the last time.
Don't be so superstitious.
Now watch this.
This planet has an atmosphere just like on earth.
That birthmark on your head looks like 999.
What duck?

Kevin Garnett and Eric Gagne

Thank you, Kevin Garnett and Eric Gagne. For you have given sports writers something else to spew about besides the Yankees, Barry Bonds and...Mr. No Brain, Michael Vick.

But I know it won't last.

But I'm going to enjoy it anyways.

Mini-Vacation #1

My idea of a vacation has always been to sit, read, drink, eat, sleep and be able to do them in no particular order. Some people are Cape Cod people, and some are Maine people. I am a Maine person. I've been to the Cape, so please don't think that I am making a judgment without having tasted the Cape. And this is in no way a knock against the Cape - I am just a person who prefers the great state of Maine. That said, let me indulge myself on the details of my mini-vacation - it also helps soothe the pain of being back to work.

My fiancé and I took off on Friday morning at 7am. It’s a 2 hour ride - and initially I had wanted to leave at 6am, but that hour comes really quickly when you go to bed late, so we were already running a little behind. We plugged in the 'ol navigation device - whose voice has been changed to some English lady who sounds like a sex hotline chick. So each time she led us in the right direction, I'd say, "good work, slut!" LOL.

Anyways. We got to the campground around 8:45am. When I use the word "camp ground," I use it very lightly here. This is a place where you can get electricity, water, sewer, and cable. They also have an area with a pool, Jacuzzi, arcade and live entertainment. My parents own a pop-up trailer where if it were to start raining, we could go in and watch TV. There is even a little stove top, sink and working shower/toilet. Weird, eh? They stay at a site where there is a lot of land and it is at a point where you can sit and do a lot of people watching. One thing I have always loved about it is the ability to sit by the fire and watch the different people.

So, we got there and my oldest brother was there with his 2 kids and his wife. They are ages 7 and 4. The first thing I did when I got there was give my nephew his birthday gift – I had bought him a pop-up book of mega beasts (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780763622305&itm=1 ). He already had a shark one (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780763622299&pwb=1&z=y ) and a dinosaur one (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780763622282&pwb=1&z=y ), so it was a good gift. The funny part was that he seemed excited about there being a camp fire. So he kept asking if he could burn stuff. He asked to burn the wrapping paper and the box…Glad he didn’t want to burn the book. He didn’t seem too afraid of the fire, but was cautious of other people getting too close. So then we had to go to Target - I needed to get a tarp to lie on the ground for our tent – my niece and nephew were sleeping in the other bed in the pop-up, so my fiancé and I had to use a small tent and air mattress. So I went with my brother, my mom and my niece and nephew to Target. Its funny how everything is so close together and how you can go from being at a camp ground to being in the middle of civilization! So we purchased the tarp and then went back to the camp site.

From there, we packed up 2 cars and drove down to the little private beach my parents like to occupy while they are there. In years past, there were times when we were the only ones on the beach. But now, since they started charging money to park in certain areas, word has spread that this little beach exists and the parking is free. I can almost guarantee that in about 2-3 years, they will start charging to park there, as well.

On this particular day, though, the sun was very hot and it was very humid. So much so, that I actually went into the ocean. It was not until I ducked my head under, that when I felt a sting on my face that I realized I was getting a sun burn. But I kept chugging along, playing with my nieces and nephews and in general just hanging out. We left the beach about 4 hours later and returned to the camp. There, my dad cooked us some seriously good filet mignons. Yum! Then we spent a little time by the fire. My brother and his wife were staying at a hotel, so they left and the kids went to bed shortly there after. So did we, because we wanted to make sure the kids got to sleep at a reasonable hour.

The next morning, we had breakfast and waited for my brother to come and get his kids – they were taking off to visit some friends for a week – I had wanted to come on Friday so that I could see them, if only for a short time. So they packed up their stuff and headed out. Now all that remained were my parents, me and my fiancé. We went back to the beach and stayed there for quote some time. It was another beautiful day and I was just happy to be doing absolutely nothing. Sometimes it’s great to not have to worry about anything or think about work. =] We packed it up and headed to a local seafood restaurant where I like to get fried scallops. They are so yummy! Then after each meal, if you go out the back door, you can take your food and feed it to the seagulls…or at least, I think they are seagulls. These birds are massive. Must be all the food people serve them. I remember this one time I threw a piece of fried chicken out to them and I swear on my grandfather’s grave that it never touched the ground!! I am scared for little kids when they go out there, should the gulls ever confuse them as tasty little morsels. =D

So, you know, I’d like to go on and describe the whole weekend from Friday AM to Monday AM, but it pretty much played out the same way. Sleep, eat, drink, lie on the beach, burn, sit by the fire, and back around again. Sunday afternoon, though, we got to see a very small wedding. It consisted of a very pregnant bride, the groom, the JP, and a couple witnesses ( I think one of them was the mother of the bride). It was pretty cute – as they were walking off the beach, everyone gave them a round of applause. I turned to my fiancé and said, “maybe we should do that…” So that was a nice ending to a nice vacation, eh?

In a couple weeks, me and my fiancé and going to York Beach, ME. We’re staying at a hotel – I’ll post the details when they happen!

Until then…