Happy Saturday!
These past two weekends have been rather eventful–and although this weekend isn’t over yet, I thought I’d share some fun photos about the neat things I got to do.
But before that–I want to encourage anyone who is a social media junkie like me to be sure you check in on Foursquare at Starbucks as many times as you can between now and Sunday, June 10th. Every time you check in on Foursquare, Starbucks will donate $1 to help fight AIDS (up to $250,000; in the US & Canada). This is part of the (RED)Rush to Zero–because by 2015, there could be no babies born with HIV/AIDS. 
Social media has lots of pros and cons, but I love to see the neat ways that it can be used for good. This is such a great opportunity to help the world in the easiest way possible. Personally, I live so close to a Starbucks that I can check in from home…so I’ll be doing that quite a bit over the next few days. At least I’ll be lying for a good cause. :) I’m always trying to find little ways to help out in my community or in communities across the globe, and this is a little way to help that will add up to a BIG help if everyone is on board. So go grab a coffee and check in!
Anyway–so back to my weekend recap (which seems so unimportant compared to what I just talked about…). Last weekend Dan & I went to visit some friends of his that live in the North End of Boston. My family is originally from MA and we have all spent time working in Boston at one point or another, so it is always fun to revisit the city. I will always love Boston more than NYC (sorry, New Yorkers!). I just love that it’s a somewhat small city with a ton of personality, and so much history.
We decided to do something a little different: we went on a whale watch with Boston Harbor Cruises! I hadn’t been on a whale watch in years, so I was really excited. We had a great view of the city as we headed out to the ocean…
It was about a 3-hour venture, and we got really lucky because we saw TONS of whales! I believe all of them were humpback whales (or at least the majority were). At first they were all on the other side of the boat, so I couldn’t see much, and I didn’t want to move from my spot in case I missed something on our side of the boat. We eventually saw a bunch of whales in the distance on our side…but then, as everyone else was looking toward the front of the boat, I glanced towards our side and yelled “OH MY GOD” as a group of whales surfaced right next to the boat–so close we could see them under the water!
Moments like these made me wish I had a telephoto lens…maybe someday when I’m rich! At least I got some photos of their cute tails. Yes, I just called a 40-ton whale “cute.” This is how my world works.
On the way home, Dan and I stayed on the top deck. The boat was moving so fast that you could lean into the wind at a 45 degree angle and not fall! We had lots of nerdy fun with that. :) Not to mention the wind was so crazy that my hair was horizontal the whole time. :)
I couldn’t stop laughing! :)
I snagged this pictures of a lonely little sailboat. I really like this picture. I think because it’s so peaceful.
After that, we got to go to the Red Sox game! :) They were playing Tampa Bay. Nothing happened for the first 6 innings, so it went by really fast. We wound up having to leave before the game was over because we wanted to eat something before going out with friends, but later we found out that they won! I’m not a big sports person, but being from Massachusetts, you pretty much have to root for the home team. :)
The next day we went to Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, MA. It was such a nice beach–I had never been! There was a food stand and bathrooms, which is always a major plus at a beach. Not to mention they also sold Choco-Tacos…which are one of my greatest weaknesses. :) The only thing was that there was SO much pollen in the water. And being a girl who is allergic to everything in nature (no, really…I just had my first round of allergy testing done and the nurse said she’d never seen someone react to EVERYTHING before…), I decided to just walk through the water instead of diving in. :)
So, fast forward to this weekend! On Thursday night I had the honor of going to my old high school English teacher’s retirement party. This man inspired SO many students in his time teaching. I learned so much from him–not just about books and writing, but about life and how to navigate during the hard times. He taught me the value of the little things in life, and showed me that, as Martha Washington said, “The greater part of our happiness depends upon our dispositions, not our circumstances.” I could have easily become an angry, jaded person after all I had gone through in high school, but because of his classes, I came out a positive, loving person who finds something to smile about every day.
Of course, it was really awesome to see some old classmates and teachers, too! Here’s a picture of me with some old friends and two of my favorite teachers–the man of the evening, and my chorus teacher!
The next day, before heading home, I stopped by one of my favorite places in the whole world: Newburyport, MA. It is a goregous little town right on the water, with tons of interesting shops! I was sad that Oldies Marketplace was closed–it is heaven for nostalgic folks like me. :)
I had to swing by two of my favorite shops. The first was Ganesh Imports. They import all kinds of goods (clothes, instruments, jewelry, etc) from all around the world! They appeal to my inner boho/hippie chick. :) I snagged a really cute dress, earrings, and a fabric that I will be using to make some clutch purses/purses when I have time to sew.
I stopped by Cafe di Siena for some tea. I just love the teapot/cup combo that they use–I want one of these at home so badly! Here I’m enjoying Yogi’s Pomegranate Green Tea.
Before heading back to Connecticut, I had to indulge in my favorite meal of all time: Grilled cheese, french fries, and chocolate milk from the Agawam Diner in Rowley, Massachusetts. Anyone from the Essex County area simply refers to it as “The Ag.” This place has been family owned & operated for quite some time, and traveled around a whole lot before finally settling in Rowley. In my opinion, they have the most perfect grilled cheese sandwich ever (on white bread–YOU HAVE TO GET IT ON WHITE BREAD). I have had/made my fair share of grilled cheese sandwiches, but there is just something about theirs that is unbeatable. I don’t know what it is, but I’d rather eat it than ask questions. :)
this is heaven on a plate.
I got back to Connecticut soon after that, and then on a whim, Dan & I decided to go to Bushnell Park for the Black Eyed & Blues Festival. We indulged in some excellent BBQ and beers provided by Black Eyed Sally’s. It was such a fun night, with some great bands! I had the pulled pork sandwich, a Red Hook pilsner, and a Kona Wheat–all of which were fantastic. Dan had the chicken skewer, a Drifter ale, and we shared the chicken & sausage jumbalaya. I was pretty much raised on blues & BBQ, so this was a pretty awesome way to spend a Friday night! Next year I want to plan it out so that we can invite a lot of friends and make it an even more fun night!
After such a great experience, I’m planning on going to the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, which is July 20-22. Same idea as the blues festival, but with jazz instad! :)
Whew…that was long. Haha. Normally my weekends consist of either extra events for work, or recuperating at home–so it’s been really neat to have two weekends full of doing different things! But for now…it’s time to relax on the couch before heading to the gym. The rest of my weekend will consist of cleaning and working–so it was nice to relive the fun parts. :)
walk in love. 