"Beantown"

I flew out to Boston for a long weekend to spend some time with Todd and Laura. It was an interesting trip from the get-go...a red-eye to Atlanta, the busiest airport in America, where the fire alarms started going off and then all the power went out on the whole concourse. You'd think they would have a generator for this, or get it under control at least within the hour...but 5 hours later, with no TV screens to tell people what gate connecting flights were at and how delayed everything was made for complete and total chaos. I finally got on a flight and got out to Boston where Laur met me and off we went. Even though she goes to Harvard Law, her and Todd live on the Business school campus. The weather had been warm in the fall, which helped delay the change in leaves until I got there. As soon as we got to their apartment complex, we saw "Turkey Jane"...a turkey that really just randomly lives in the courtyard and sleeps in the trees.

Here are some pictures of the gorgeous scenery outside their apartment and on the walk to the train station...

We spent a lot of time doing the tourist-y things. We follwed the Freedom Trail around the city, which is a red line painted on the sidewalk. I saw the site of the first schoolhouse of America, the graveyard with Mother Goose, Franklin's parents, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams; Faneuil Hall which was a historic marketplace where colonists would meet to make plans, the steeple from the church where Paul Revere had the lanterns hung, the balcony of the State house where the Declaration of Independance was first read...etc....etc....I really enjoyed the historic sights.

This pumpkin was randomly in a tree at the graveyard. I don't know why, but the squirrel seemed happy about his treat.

Lastly, I had to sample all the 'traditional' Boston foods....clam chowder and, of course, Boston cream pie. We found a little bakery in the little Italian neighborhood, and I got a small taste of deliciousness. Unfortunately, we forgot a fork....or napkins. That didn't stop me.

Boston was one of my favorite trips that I can remember taking. I look forward to visiting again soon!

So Long, Gallbladder

This semester has been going well. Everything has been looking up, I'm like a little grown up with my very own apartment, and school hasn't been too ridiculous....yet. But, the only thing holding me down was the gallbladder. I kept having little attacks, so I finally went and had it cut out. After a few days of nervousness, it was time. But not before a pre-surgery party for myself out on Mill Ave, of course. Several of my friends and I went to one of our favorite bars to do some singing, some dancing, and a whole lot of drinking a few night before surgery to celebrate. Then, the morning of surgery I went to the hospital, got into one of the sexy little gowns they give you with a hair net and bootie socks, and waited. Everything went much more easily and smoothly than I had planned or even hoped for. The IV didn't hurt, the anastesiologist was hilarious, and I didn't even throw up. Besides the separation anxiety I find myself feeling from time to time, I'm feeling wonderful. I'm sorry, gallbladder, but you had to go.

Hiking Mania!

Recently, I had the chance to go "hiking" up Camelback mountain. To me, hiking is walking up a trail with a grade, which can be steep at times. Camelback is a little more like rock climbing, if you ask me. My friends and I had a good time, but I highly doubt this is a hike I will be taking again anytime soon.

Good Times in Tombstone

My friend Jessica and I decided to take a random roadtrip to somewhere in Arizona together. Since it was still snowy, and neither of us can really drive in the snow, we ended up driving south to Tombstone. Along the way, we stopped off at the ostrich ranch near Picacho Peak. There, you pay $5 and get feed for ostrich, deer, and lorikeets. You can feed the ostrich and deer by hand, but the ostrich were far too excited about the feed and were very aggresive and scary. The lorikeets were very beautiful birds, and they like to fly up and land on you and make new nests in your hair. I would highly suggest making this stop if you have to make the trip to Tucson.

Tombstone was neat, but it was more of a touristy showy place, and not historically enriching like I had hoped. I did sit down at a saloon for some lunch and a drink though, just like the cowboys must have done back in the day. After a quick stop in Tucson on the way home for dinner with Jay and to visit our friend Jon, it was home sweet home.

Family Night Fun

I've always wanted to be one of those cute families that get together and hang out and play games. When Mom mentioned that she'd enjoy a few games that we could all maybe play together, I, of course, jumped right on that and bought a few family friendly games as Christmas gifts for her. After going out to dinner to celebrate Dad's birthday, we brought out the Mexican Train domino game. After being more confused by the rules than not, and having several debates on how to interpret the rules...we gave up on that dream and moved on to an old classic, Monopoly.

It was good times all around, I think. Hopefully, we can all do it again sometime, and I hope by then I have figured out exactly how to play the Mexican train. We wrapped up the night by playing the 'stuff-on-my-cat' game. Scruffy was pretty good at it.

FINALLY!

After their 11 years of dating, and my 8 years of anticipation, Steve and Carol are finally getting married. As usual, I was very suspicious, and when Steve called me to ask why I was not in attendance, I finally got the proposal plans out of him.

Of course, we were all ridiculously excited, but I think in the end we decided Carol's mom and myself may in fact be the most excited. I know Carol makes my brother happy and always has, and I really couldn't be more excited for them.

Halloween Fun

Halloween came and went this year, and my friends and I celebrated by doing what college kids do best...dressing up and partying. For one party, I dressed in an old dance costume, because, well Mom and Dad paid a lot for it back in the day, may as well get as much wear out of them as possible. So I wore the old dress we wore for the dance "The Rose", threw on a pair of red fishnets and devil horns, and went to a party as an "age appropriate" devil, as Mom says.

The top picture is me with the friends I've had since Jr. High, the middle one is friends I've known since elementary school, and the bottom one is me with Allison - one of my best friends through high school.

Then on Halloween, Samantha, Chrisanne, and I stopped by a party our other housemate was having with her friend. I wore Dad's old navy jumper top and hat and went as a sailor. It was cute, and kind of weird that Dad was my size when he was my age.