Random

Since coming out to Boston I have to say I have become a bit of a slacker in the blogging department. I don't pull out my camera near as often as I should and I haven't had an update in far too long. So, I apologize. I am going to try to do better in the future.

This past few weeks has been so fun for me. I've gone out with different people from the ward and discovered a few really cool places. Last Saturday I went with a few girls from my ward to Saturday Brunch at Jonny D's in Davis Square. We ate breakfast and listened to a guy play Jazz on his guitar. It had the similar feel of the Big Easy back home. I'll for sure be going back there again.

I also went and had dessert at one of my favorite places ever, Burdicks. I met a few people there and enjoyed the excellent hot chocolate. I was told that the dark hot chocolate is so rich you can hardly drink it but the milk hot chocolate is the BEST! If every you are in Boston, you have to stop and try this stuff. Believe me, you'll be sorry if you don't.

This week and weekend I will be moving into my new place. Kristin and Kenley will get their house back and Cora and I will go back to sleeping in our own rooms. I have to say, this past month that I have lived with them has been so fun. We have had a lot of good laughs, scary Supernatural moments, and great dinners. I always hate a blog that has no pictures so enjoy a few funny pictures of Cora and Kristin that I took recently.

I hope you are all doing well and I promise to keep you better updated in the future.

Here's a funny fact for those of you who didn't know, Kristin hates to touch meat. She buys gloves so that she wont have to touch it. It cracks me up.

Cora Beth...Such a funny girl!

Adventures in Public Transportation

Now, I just want you all to take a good look at the pictures that I have posted. This is NOT I repeat NOT what the Train "T" looks like when I am normally on it. I just happened to get on the T one night when I was headed to FHE and it was so empty that I felt like I could take some pictures without upsetting anyone or feeling stupid.

So, let me just walk you through my public transportation experience today. I got up walked out the door, walked down the street and saw a bus coming up the road. The bus stop is on the other side of a very busy street so I frantically walked back and forth praying for a break in traffic. The bus pulled up to the stop and just then there was a break. So I darted across the street and just barley jumped on before the bus driver could take off and leave me in his dust.

I noticed that there were quite a few people standing but I spotted an open seat. SCORE!!! I worked my way back and sat down. I was sitting there, enjoying my strawberry pop tart when all of a sudden the guy next to me started to mumble something. I thought that maybe he was on the phone or something and didn't pay much attention until I heard him say, "Yum...Joy...yum..J is for Joy." I wasn't sure what he was talking about and was too afraid to turn my head and look at him for fear that his appearance would make the whole situation a whole lot scarier for me. So I just sat there in silence trying to finish my breakfast as fast as possible. He went right on with the same"J is for Joy.....J...J...J...J is for Justin." Then he would add in something different every once in a while like," I'm from...Lexington...Joy...J...J...J." What could I do but just sit and enJOY the ride, right? So, that's what I did and he mumbled the whole way getting loud and then soft and then loud again.



The bus stopped at the T station. I jumped off, ran (okay, walked quickly) down 7 flights of stairs and walked up just in time to see my train getting ready to close the doors. I ran as fast as I could and jumped on the train just as the doors were closing. Then I realized that I would be in for one of the most uncomfortable rides ever. I was squished between the door and like 3 other people. The train would jerk around and I had nothing to hold on to, so I rocked back and forth and felt like a total surfer riding one huge wave. People filed on and off the train and I had to keep getting out and then back in in order to let them off.



Also, it was so awkward because I had nothing to look at. If I looked out the window of the train I would get sick, If I looked to the right I was staring right at a girl, If I looked left I was staring at a guys chest, If I looked up I looked like an idiot, and if I looked down I was looking into a guys paper. So, I just pretended to be asleep.

So, taking the public transportation today proved to be a very educational experience. I learned that J is for Joy and Justin, I learned what it would feel like to be a surfer girl on the massive waves in Hawaii, and I learned how to pretend to be asleep.




This video is from last week. It was so funny because I got off and there are 2 escalators that go up these 7 flights of stairs. Well, one of them wasn't working. So all of these people were waiting at the bottom to get on the one escalator that was working. After I turned the camera off the other escalator broke and I don't think I have ever heard so many swear words in one place in all my life. I died laughing as I huffed and puffed my way up the stairs.

Lobster, Shopping and Lighthouses

So this last Saturday I jumped in the car with some friends and we took off for a day trip to Maine. We had a blast shopping the outlet stores, eating lobster, and seeing lighthouses. We even stopped off at some cute antique stores! Scroll down for a picture over view of the trip.

First stop, Freeport Maine to see the huge L.L. Bean store. Seriously there were three of them, One for Fishing and hunting, one regular store and one outlet.

In Freeport all of the outlet stores were lining this cute little street. What made them so great was that they had converted old houses and libraries into these stores. Check out how cute this Banana Republic is!

Next it was time for lunch! We went to this cute little place right next to the outlets and got ourselves some lobster. Now, I've had lobster before but I have never had to crack the shell myself or anything like that so it was a new experience for me.

Alicia and I had a good time laughing about how gross some of it was. They bleed water because they are boiled and the fact that they still have eyes that can stare up at you is a little disturbing when you are ripping off their arms!

They were so good though that it was pretty easy to get over that kind of stuff.

I really could have had two or three even they were that good!

Just look how well I cleaned mine out!

Jen and Ellen enjoying the lobster feed of Alicia and Sarah 2008

Next we went to York and stopped at the Nubble Lighthouse. It was raining extremely hard and the wind about blew us away but it was so beautiful! The lighthouse is a working one so we really got to see it in action which was cool.

I couldn't resist the opportunity to get out and get a picture with my umbrella.

Here you can see just how hard we were being hit with wind and rain. We could hardly keep our eyes open and my hair went straight up! Hello rooster! Jen was the only one who really came prepared with that hood of hers.

While in York we stopped at Long Sand Beach which was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The sand stretches and stretches really far out before you actually hit the water. I thought it was so cool that these guys made the best of the bad weather by throwing on their wet suits and jumping in for a good surf. There were about 6 of them out there and they were all really pretty good.

This is just an example of the houses that are out here. This one we loved in particular. Ellen spotted it and didn't miss the opportunity to document it properly. (Great picture Ellen!)

We finished up our trip with diner at Chick fillet and then headed home to sleep off the amazing day we just had. Maine truly was beautiful! I can't wait until it warms up a little and I can go back.

It's raining It's pouring...

It's morning. I slowly turn over and rub my eyes as I wake to the sounds of Damien Rice and rain on my window. I jump up and after getting ready, I run out the door well equipped to dance my way to work in the pouring rain. I feel a little ridiculous in what I am wearing because I normally wouldn't be caught dead in it back home but here in Boston...practicality is key. Just in case you were wondering, I had on a black shirt, black and white skirt, black tights, and my wellies (which are a green plaid color). I also had on a rain coat which is blue and a black umbrella.
As I walked in down town Boston I was really happy to see everyone wearing very similar silly outfits. The only problem was when I headed home and it was no longer raining. I was the only one wearing miss matched wellies. Where on earth did everyone else's go?

I took some of these pictures the night before as I walked to the train station to go home. Down town Boston is absolutely gorgeous when it's raining. I'm not sure why I love these so much because they really aren't that great. I felt kind of dumb pulling out my camera to take pictures so I was a little rushed. enjoy them all the same.
By the way, we are expected to get another down pour this weekend!

Dinner thanks to Pioneer Woman

Okay, so I've heard Kristin and Shelly talk about this Pioneer Woman before but for some reason I never went on to check her out myself...until now.  The other day I was looking at my friend Ellen's blog and she had a link to the Pioneer Woman's cooking website.  I started to look around and it all looked so good and so easy that I thought I would give it a try.  I also laughed the whole way through. That Pioneer Woman is hilarious!  

So first up... grocery shopping.  I jumped in Kristin and Kenley's car, even though I hadn't driven in about a week, and was fairly confident that I could get myself to the grocery store and back safe.  

(Look what I found!  Who knew you could buy half sticks of butter!) 

First I had to stop for some gas though which was such a funny experience because everything here is full service, meaning I sit in my car and don't do anything while a nice guy pumps my gas.  Only problem was that I didn't check which side of the car my gas tank was on. So, when I pulled up I opened my door just to make sure I was on the right side and the guy started freaking out because he thought I was going to try and use the pump myself.   We got it all figured out and I just have to say, I love not having to get out of my car! How lazy am I!

Okay, so groceries in hand I returned home to start cooking.  I went in the kitchen, set out my lap top on the kitchen table (there are tutorial pictures of how to do everything), Turned on my music, set out everything I needed and began. 

(One of the greatest inventions of all time...I give you the apple slicer)

I was in the kitchen for quite a while (mostly because I took my sweet time) cutting, stirring, boiling water, pouring, simmering, tossing, baking, washing and a little singing and dancing may have been in there somewhere as well.  

After I finished, I sat down to a few episodes of Psych and just relaxed the rest of the evening.  It was one of the best ways to spend my Saturday night if I do say so myself. And I have to say, I really do enjoy cooking! I had so much fun and in the end had one of the best diners I have ever cooked.

Penne a la Betsy

Apple Dumplings