Kanye & I Agree!

Recently I was lucky enough to be a winner in the "I want to eat birthday cake with Lois" contest and after a day's delay (due to no one being home to sign for it from UPS) my luscious Lemon Yogurt Friendship Cake arrived on Tuesday much to my tastebuds' delight!

If you've never tried one of these incredibly moist and delicious cakes you have no idea what you're missing but should you like to find out for yourself then just head over to Fleur de Lis Catering and order one custom-made just for you. Trust me, you'll be glad you did!

Thank you, Lois, for the fantastic treat; thank you, Mags, for baking one heckuva scrumptious cake; and thank you, Amanda, for help with the graphic!

Three Years of Blogging and Friendships

Holy cats! Has it been three years already since I first started writing this blog? Seriously? For those who never had the chance to read my very first post, feel free to click here so that you can see what this blog was supposed to be about when I first started it back on July 25th, 2006. I think I have more or less, at times!, stuck to my original goal of writing about being a single parent though I'd have to say that has definitely not always been the case!

When I first started blogging, I'm not sure I knew exactly what I was getting into as I had no clue that there was such a thing as a Blogosphere, had no idea what a meme was (a French grandmother?!?), and certainly never knew that there were so many wonderful people out there to meet and become friends with both virtually and in real life.

I was thinking this morning about the wonderful group of people that I have had the privilege of meeting face-to-face; people who have enriched my life and made me laugh and smile and even break down a little bit of that "hugaphobia" that I have!

The very first blogger that I met was Ms. Maggie Moo who, at the time we met, was also a fellow Nutmegger ...

We met on September 2nd, 2007 and of course the very thing she did when we met was give me a big ole' hug. In addition to that one of the things I remember most about our meeting was the "tiny Margaritas" we were served and the fact that we had no problem spending four+ hours laughing and talking!

On October 5th, I got to meet my second blog-friend in real life, Morgen of It's a Blog Eat Blog World. Mo had taken the train down from Michigan to spend the weekend at Mags' house and we had a wonderful time of it slow-dancing in Mags' kitchen, eating some of her delicious food, and then exploring parts of Connecticut in one of the worst heat waves we'd had all year! Ugh!


Still, it was one heck of an outstanding weekend and we had such a good TIME even as we laughed our way through the HEAT of Gillette Castle!

On November 2nd of 2007, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting another blogger from Michigan - Carrie of Asara's Mental Meanderings, and her wonderful family. Carrie and Billy had taken a road trip with their two adorable children and we met at a Chili's not far from the hotel they were staying in. Mags joined us as did Amanda and we all had a really good time. Geesh, I look horrible in this picture so I think I'm going to have to get together with Carrie again to get a new one!


The next time I was to meet anyone from the Blogosphere again wasn't until March 29th, 2008 when I was ushered into the presence of Royalty at a Bertucci's Pizzeria in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

It was there that I met Queen Mimi herself who was visiting the north from her castle in Bloggingham and Princess Patti who had driven in from her estate in Ansonia. My hair looked like crap but in spite of that we had a great time laughing and carrying on and no doubt scaring the locals! It was a night to be remembered and we truly had A Royal Time of It!

On Saturday, August 9th I got together with royalty again when I met Princess Patti's husband and fellow blogger, Prince Ralph of Airhead 55 along with their lovely daughter the Lady Allegra at the local Olive Garden.

We giggled our way through a delicious meal and probably raised the eyebrows of a few other diners but I've come to the conclusion that when fellow bloggers get together, worrying about what other people think is not a problem!

Earlier in the year during a trip out to Stockton, California, I had the extreme privilege of meeting my first two West Coast bloggers - Sandee of Comedy Plus and Katherine of Wading Through My Stream of Consciousness - when we all got together on Friday, May 2nd for dinner at Cancun, my favorite Mexican restaurant of all!

Joining us were my friend Cyndi, Sandee's hubby Zane (the official photographer of the evening), and Katherine's significant other Dave (who now also has a blog of his own!).

This past May I found myself out in California yet again and Sandee and Katherine and I reprised our dinner at Cancun on Monday, May 4th. Unfortunately Dave was out enjoying his Teamster 5-0 Tour and couldn't join us but Zane was there with the camera again recording the event for posterity! We actually ended up closing the place down we were having such a good time and the evening remains one of the highlights of my trip West. Which also gives me good reason to go West again at some point!

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from the meeting but during my trip to Stockton this past May, I also got to meet another West Coast blogger when I first arrived in Sacramento on May 2nd. Shortly after arriving in Sacramento I had the privilege of meeting up with Carol from A Letter To Me at one of the local IHops where we had a lovely late breakfast. Carol is originally from Massachusetts but has been living in the Sacramento area for quite some time. She truly is a lovely lady and I was thrilled to meet her though I wasn't smart enough to take a picture or have someone else take one!

On September 8th, 2008 I met my very first blogger from Across the Pond when Claire arrived in Connecticut in anticipation of our Blogger Beachhouse Vacation in Rhode Island. What a great birthday present (my 50th was the day after her arrival) but I can't post a picture as Claire has even more of a phobia of cameras than I do. We spent the next day going out to a birthday lunch with my friend Rhonda and then hit the local pub, The Harp & Dragon, with some of my friends from work and Mags who drove down for the auspicious occasion. Because I don't have a picture with Claire from that night (bugger the girl!) I'll post one from our beach vacation ... that's her with her back turned to the camera looking home towards England!

Finally, on Saturday September 13th myself, Claire, and Kai (who had flown into Hartford from Canada the night before) piled in the car with a lot of stuff en route to a week on Matunuck Beach in Rhode Island for our much-anticpated Blogger Beach Vacation. Joining us there was Mo, Mags, and Callie of Scrappin' With Life ... who had flown into Boston from the wilds of Oregon and come down with Mags and Mo.

I find it hard to believe that almost a full year has gone by already since we spent that week at the beach and I can't go back to Rhode Island at all without thinking about at least one or two things that happened during that week which included a ferry ride out to Block Island, a lot of really good cooking, and a ton of picture-taking!

Just last week I met another blogging friend who has found herself in Massachusetts for a few months while her husband is assigned to a job at a local yogurt plant. Lois from Lowdown From Lois is just like she is on her blog - warm and friendly and a real hoot to spend time with. You can't help but smile and laugh when you're around her and her husband Hank is just as nice - he also has that streak of sarcasm that I so enjoy in a person! I'm hoping we have the chance to get together again a time or two while they're on the East Coast.

So ... after all that, the question now begs to be asked ... who's next as I start on my fourth year of asking "Are We There Yet??" Any volunteers?? I have a few blog posts available for future meetings!!

Meanwhile ... Back in Massachusetts ...

As previously posted about last week, I had a spur-of-the-moment, hey-kids-let's-pack-a-bag-and-go-north-to Massachusetts moment last Thursday which resulted in the girls and I driving north through some hellacious traffic and landing at our final destination which was the Fairfield Inn Marriot in Amesbury - just down the road aways from that one and only Nashville Belle and Blogger, Lois.

My post from last Friday described our first get-together at Salisbury Beach, a place that has definitely seen better days but is trying to revitalize. In spite of the fact that we were all waiting to be attacked by pizza-eating zombie clowns, we had a good time and when we parted company we were looking forward to the next day's get-together at lunch with another blogger, Ms. Maggie Moo, who was coming up from Boston to join us.

The Fairfield Inn turned out to be a lovely place to stay with comfy beds, free wireless internet, and a free breakfast buffet that certainly was not lacking in variety. The breakfast room was actually pretty crowded so Jamie and I went downstairs, snagged a bunch of goodies, and went back up to our room where the girls took advantage of the free wireless for a couple of hours until it was time to check out and head over to the Friendly's that was right next to the hotel for lunch.

Upon on our arrival at Friendly's, we joined Mags sitting at an outside picnic table fresh from her drive up from Boston (about an hour south of Salisbury depending on traffic) and then shortly afterward we were joined by Lois and her hubby Hank who had opted to work at home out of the Air Stream rather than make the drive into the plant in Metheun where he is currently assigned to a project. Of course he joined us for lunch because even if you're working from home you deserve a lunch break, right?!?

After sitting outside and laughing and chatting for awhile we moved inside for lunch and ice cream because you can't be at Friendly's without having ice cream (though strangely enough neither Amanda nor Jamie did as I think they were still a little full from the free breakfast at the hotel!). Following lunch Mags was going to head back to Boston for an evening out with friends, Hank and Lois were heading to Haverhill to buy bicycles, and I was going to stop by Shirley, Massachusetts to drop Jamie off at her cousins' house for the weekend on my way to the train station in New Haven, Connecticut to pick up Amanda's friend who was going to be visiting from Brooklyn, New York for the weekend. Whew!

Before we all went our separate ways, though, there were a couple other things we needed to do with one being to try to stop laughing long enough to have our picture taken by Amanda ...

... we seemed to have a major case of the giggles in this one (perhaps it was in reference to Lois and my white pasty legs!) so we tried it again ...

... and managed to stop laughing long enough for the picture to be taken.

Following that, I needed to deliver some hugs to Lois from some other blogging/Facebook friends who had requested them so there was a big bear hug for Mo, a hug for Callie, one hug for Claire and another for her Mumborg, and several more hugs for myself and others. Let it be said that Lois gives great hugs! Actually, it was probably starting to look like a big hug-fest under the tree there at Friendly's by the time we were done but I guess that's just what we bloggers do when we get to finally meet in person!

Lois and Hank plan on being in Massachusetts until perhaps October so I'm hoping to get back up there and visit again (I found out there's an old lighthouse not too far from where we were that I want to check out) as well as perhaps meet up with them again when they come down to my part of New England. No matter where it is, though, I'm sure there will be more giggling and carrying on as that's just the type of people they are! I'm really looking forward to it!

Happy Birthday To You, Our Sweet Maggie Moo!

One of the very nicest people not only in the Blogosphere and on the East Coast of the United States but in the entire world is having a birthday today so I thought I'd bake her a cake in honor of the occasion!

A very happy birthday, Ms. Maggie Moo, and best wishes for many, many more! May today be as special as you are! I just wish I lived closer so we could go out for a drink or two but we'll just have to make arrangements to do that another time, right?!?

If anyone would like to go over and leave her some birthday wishes, I'm sure Mags would be tickled to pieces so what are you waiting for? Click here and go forth and comment!

Linda & Jamie's Excellent Adventure!

Even though I've been back from Boston since Sunday night, I'm still a bit worn out from the terrific weekend that Jamie and I had visiting Ms. Maggie Moo and the wonderful city she now calls home since moving there from her former place of residence in Connecticut. This was my second time going up to Boston since Mags moved up there - I first went in May when it rained on us and this time it was hotter than I would have preferred but Jamie and I still really enjoyed our weekend.

We started our journey on Friday by heading north to Shirley, Massachusetts where my cousin lives. My cousin's husband is my former brother-in-law which makes their two daughters Jamie's cousins so it also gave her a chance to see them. As a matter of fact, she stayed there on Sunday to visit for a few days while I came back to Connecticut to return to work. Amanda and I will be going up later in the week to pick Jamie back up and give Amanda a chance to visit her cousins for a bit.

Anyhow, I digress ... in Shirley we caught the commuter train into Boston which brought us into North Station and a hop, skip, and a jump to the "T" to then head out to Mags' apartment. We arrived there just a little before 6:00 with just enough time to hop back on the "T" and head up to Tasca, the tapas restaurant that Mags and I went to on my first visit to see her. I had really enjoyed it then plus they had graciously sent me a $14 coupon as they were celebrating their 14th anniversary in July. Who knew I would actually have the chance to use it?!? Woohoo! Mags and I ordered a small pitcher of Sangria and thought it rather odd that the waitress asked Jamie if she would be having some, too. Uh ... hello? Does she really look that old? Jamie ordered a ginger ale instead, more in keeping with her age of 14!

We ordered several different dishes to try and even though Jamie took a taste of everything her very favorite was the Albóndigas, which are tenderloin meatballs in a green peppercorn sauce. Surprisingly, she seemed to like the sauce the best. Her other choice of Gambas al ajillo, sizzling shrimp in garlic, turned out to be not as good as she thought so she graciously gave the rest to Mags. After dinner we walked back down the hill to Mags' apartment where we watched a little TV along with a fantastic lightning show out the windows before calling it a night.

Saturday morning had us up and heading off on the "T" into Boston for breakfast at the Omni Parker House Hotel, which is the oldest continuous running luxury hotel in the country having opened in 1855. Parker's Restaurant is the birthplace to Parker House Rolls and Boston Cream Pie and ever since learning that fact while overhearing a tour guide on my last trip to Boston, I've wanted to go check it out. The dining room was elegance at its best with a very courteous waitstaff and beautiful surroundings. When he learned that it was our first time there, our waiter was kind enough to bring us an entire plate of just-out-of-the-oven rolls with our own individual dishes of butter, Even if that was all there had been for breakfast, I would have been a very happy woman! They were absolutely delicious and the best I've ever had - bar none!

In addition to their breakfast dishes, Jamie and Mags had both ordered Boston Cream Pie (yes, it's on the breakfast menu!) but I figured I would just sample some of Jamie's which she didn't mind and it turned out to be fantastic. They prepare it unlike any other Boston Cream Pie I've ever seen before but I figure if they invented it to begin with, they can dress it up any way they want! All in all, it was a very nice breakfast and I really enjoyed the ambiance of the dining room - as well as my breakfast company! My next goal for the Omni Parker House is to actually be able to spend the night there as rumor has it the third floor is haunted and that totally intrigues me!

After breakfast we made a quick stop at Haymarket so that Mags could pick up some fruit and vegetables. The prices there just astound me and Mags walked away with a bag full of goodies - including strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries - for $7! I tell you, Haymarket alone is enough to make a girl want to move to Boston - never mind all the other great stuff there!

From there it was back to Mags' where we hopped into her car and headed out to Revere Beach and the annual Sand Sculpting Competition that they have there. After driving around lost through the streets of East Boston for awhile, we were finally able to find the place and miraculously a parking spot opened up right before us. At that point it was getting hotter than a June bride on a featherbed (I love that saying!) and being by the shore didn't make one bit of difference as there was no breeze helping to cool things off.

As we walked down to the area of the beach where the sand sculptures were, I was beginning to understand why the place is referred to as Freakin' Revere (or worse!). The traffic was terrible, there were people all over the place, and a good majority of those people had absolutely no business being out in public wearing what they had on. No offense to Boston but holy cats, there were some truly ugly people on that beach - or at least close to the beach because most of them were parked in lounge chairs and the like on the sidewalk which was nowhere near the water! I just didn't get it ...

We checked out the sand sculptures, which were all pretty cool, and then decided to forget trying to find Kelly's Famous Roast Beef where we had hoped to have lunch and try to find our way out of there instead. Leaving turned out to be much easier than getting there was - thank goodness! - and we eventually ended up at Panera Bread in Brookline for lunch. It was no Kelly's but it was good and gave us time to go back to Mags' to rest up a bit before catching the "T" back into Boston for our Evening Harbor Cruise that we had booked. Mags has this fantastic couch and I had no trouble drifting off for a nice little nap while Jamie spent a little time watching TV.

Our 90-minute cruise around Boston Harbor gave us some wonderful views of the city as it took us out past some of the islands in Boston Harbor including Georges Island where Fort Warren was built in 1847. The fort served as a prison for Confederate soldiers and is reported to be haunted by a Confederate prisoner's wife who is said to have been sentenced to death for aiding in an escape and hanged in a black robe made from the fort's mess hall drapes. Yet another place I need to check out more up close and personal!

Continuing our cruise, we went past the U.S.S. Constitution, aka "Old Ironsides", where we got to witness the firing of the guns - which turned out to be one gun! - at sunset. It went off a little earlier than expected and surprised most of the people on board but it was still pretty neat. Seeing Boston from the harbor was wonderful and a great way to spend Saturday evening as it was a little cooler out on the water than it was in the city itself.

We rounded out the night with dinner at the Boston Hard Rock Cafe which Jamie was definitely into. When an AC/DC song came on the video monitors around the room she couldn't have been happier as that's "her" band. It was at the Hard Rock that yet again Jamie was asked if she wanted a beer or glass of wine so I don't know if she looks a lot older than she is or if people in Boston are just used to college students and assumed her to be one. I guess if you're underage and want to drink, perhaps Boston is the place to go? Good grief!

When we finally got back to Mags' apartment, it was after 11:00 and even though I would have liked nothing more than to collapse on that comfortable couch and call it a night, Jamie wanted to watch a scary movie so we ended up watching Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers". It really wasn't all that scary as for some reason most Stephen King stories don't seem to translate well to film but Jamie enjoyed it and we didn't turn off the TV until after 1:00 a.m. What a long day!

Suffice it to say it was after 10:00 when we finally managed to wake up on Sunday morning! You would think that sleeping on a couch would cause a person to wake up early but not if that couch is the one in Mags' apartment! That thing is wicked comfortable and I want one of my own!

Around mid-afternoon Jamie and I thanked Mags for a wonderful weekend, bid her good-bye, and climbed on board the "T" for one final trip into Boston and back to North Station to catch our commuter train back to Shirley. While waiting for the train, Boston was hit with one heck of a thunderstorm that rattled the walls of the building around us while dumping gallons of water on the waiting trains. Good thing we didn't have to wait outside in that weather!

The train ride back to Shirley was uneventful though a little warm as the storm had knocked something out in the train that left us without lights and/or air-conditioning. By the time we got to Shirley, it was starting to get a bit warm and stuffy so I was glad we were at the end of the line for our adventure.

After leaving Jamie happily ensconced with her cousins in Shirley, I made the hour and a half drive home to Connecticut exhausted but happy. I think that Jamie had a really good time visiting both Boston and Mags and she can't wait to go back so we can go on the "Ghost and Graveyards" night tour that she saw offered. Perhaps that's something to think about for next summer when maybe by then I'll finally be rested up!

A big thank you and a cyber-hug to Mags for a truly fantastic weekend - it really was wicked awesome and you freakin' rock! Can't wait to see you in September!

Barely Back from Boston!

Just a quick post to let you know that I have returned from Boston but it's late and I've got to work a 16-hour shift on Monday so I'm afraid I won't get to a post of any sort until Tuesday. Until then let me just say that Jamie and I had a fantastic time visiting Mags and not only does she have the nicest apartment in Boston but she's most definitely got the comfiest couch in Boston, too!

Be back Tuesday with details and pictures - lots and lots of pictures!

Off For a Wicked Awesome Weekend!

Having hauled Amanda, Darci, and Cate down to New York City a couple of weekends ago, it only seems fair that I take Jamie someplace special while she's here this summer and what could be more special than a visit to Boston to stay with Ms. Maggie Moo at what has been described as "the nicest apartment in Boston"? To answer my own question - not much I'm sure!

We'll be driving up to my cousin's house in Shirley, Massachusetts outside of Boston and after leaving my car there we will then take the commuter train into North Station where we'll switch over to the Green Line to head out to Allston and hang out with Mags until sometime Sunday when we'll reverse the process a little bit!

We've got some really fun stuff planned for the weekend but I don't want to give any of it away just yet in case something changes along the way. You never know, something unexpected may pop up that sounds even better than what we have on the agenda! Even though it's going to be hotter than the hubs of Hades due to the darned New England summer weather and those miserable three H's - hazy, hot, and humid - I still think we're going to have a really good time.

Boston is definitely one of my most favorite cities in the United States and I think Jamie will enjoy her time up there even if she isn't into history like her mother is! This might, however, be a good time for her to start though, right?

Tapas, Tombstones, and Trains - Oh My!

Even though yesterdays' weather wasn't New England at its finest, I was holding firm to the adage that an overcast or even rainy day in Boston was infinitely better than a sunny day in dispatch and that proved to be correct as I had a great time visiting blogging buddy (and real life friend) Mags in her new home this weekend.

When I first met Mags she was still living here in Connecticut but after graduating from culinary school she decided to pursue a dream of hers, sold her house, and moved to Boston to live the life of a brave young woman in a big city. I teased her a bit about being our own real life Mary Tyler Moore and that she was only in need of a beret to toss in the air to make the picture complete but I have to say that I totally admire her greatly for having had the guts and determination to do such a thing. I also envy her greatly as it's such an adventure and something I would love to have done if my life had taken a different direction.

Anyhow, even if I can't live in a big city with all of the excitement that it has to offer, I can certainly go up and visit Mags, right? Right! To that end I climbed on board an Amtrak train in New London Friday afternoon and made the slightly less than 2 hour trip north. I had planned on making this trip completely on my own but much to my surprise while I was sitting on a bench outside of the Amtrak station waiting for the train to arrive, who should walk up but one of the EMTs I work with at American? Not just any EMT either, mind you, but one that I've mentioned in my posts before as being extremely cute - this one in the middle of this gang of guys.

Well, I certainly wasn't going to turn down an attractive travel partner just so I could listen to my iPod so we made the trip to Boston together. It was a great chance for me to get to know JM a bit better and find out why he went into EMS to begin with as well as some other things I'm not going to find out in a work environment. JM is always "on" at work and it was nice to talk to him when he wasn't in a constant joking mode. Besides that, it gave people at work something to gossip about as I couldn't help but call dispatch from the train and hand the phone to JM to tell them 'hi'! I know, I know ... I'm bad but what can I say?

Upon arriving at South Station we went our separate ways as JM went off in search of his friends and I continued on to Mags' apartment via the Red Line to the Green Line. I've only been to Boston a couple of times but I have always been impressed with their public transportation system and find it extremely easy to get around without getting at all lost. I don't mind feeling like a tourist but I'd rather not feel like a lost tourist, thank you very much!

When I got to Mags' part of the city she was sitting outside of her apartment building waiting for me and after a big welcome hug I got to see her new home on the 5th floor that has a very nice view of Boston itself from her living room window. For dinner, Mags had made reservations for us at a Tapas restaurant and I was really looking forward to trying something different. Tapas are a Spanish cuisine which are basically small appetizer-size servings of all sorts of different dishes. Because the dishes are small, you can order three or four of them and be able to try a variety of things rather than just one main meal. I had never tried Tapas before but they sounded delicious so we took off in the direction of the restaurant which was almost at the top of a rather high hill. By the time we reached the restaurant I was more than ready for the Sangria we were planning on ordering - or at least a big glass of water!

Dinner was absolutely delicious as I tried a Tortilla española (a traditional Spanish potato and onion omelette), Costillas de ternera (slow oven braised boneless beef short ribs over scallion mashed potato), along with Pollo curruscante del ajo (crispy garlic chicken) - all of which were fantastic! Mags ordered Gambas al ajillo, (sizzling shrimp in garlic), Albóndigas (homemade tenderloin meatballs in green peppercorn sauce), Empanadillas de queso de cabra (herbed goat cheese empanadas served on a roasted red pepper relish), and Bocaditos de tomate, queso manchego y anchoa (garlic toasted bread with tomato, anchovy, and Manchego cheese). Even though these were all small servings we were pretty full by the end of dinner and decided a walk to Brookline for dessert might be in order.

After stopping and changing my shoes (I will never get the whole proper walking shoes in a city thing right!), we hit the streets for a walking tour of the neighborhood of John F. Kennedy's birthplace. Brookline is, as they say in Boston, wicked awesome and I loved all the little shops that we passed along the way. The side streets were lined with very nice residences and homes that had probably been in families from one generation to another throughout many, many years. We stopped at JP Licks for ice cream and then walked back to Mags' where I had absolutely no problem falling asleep on her extremely comfortable couch!

Saturday was calling for a chance of showers but I was thinking positive as we headed out on the T towards the Boston Common and our day in the city. Being the history nut that I am, I wanted to drag Mags around to a couple of the local historical hot spots that she said she hadn't seen since moving to Boston. For some unknown reason I always think that because I enjoy history and learning about our country from its inception, other people will too so I sure hope that Mags wasn't bored to tears as we walked through the Granary Burial Ground, which is the 3rd oldest cemetery in Boston, as well as Kings Chapel Burying Ground which is also part of the Freedom Trail and Boston's oldest cemetery.

The Granary Burial Ground is the final resting place of such historical notables as Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and the parents of Benjamin Franklin - who was born in Boston even though he's best associated with Philadelphia. At King's Chapel Burial Ground one can find the graves of John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts, as well as Mary Chilton, who was the first woman to step off the Mayflower. Most interesting though is the gravestone of Joseph Tapping which depicts a skeleton and Father Time battling over death. Having not spent a lot of time in old cemeteries, Mags thought that a lot of the gravestones with their depictions of leering skeleton heads and the like were pretty creepy and I can't say that I blame her. People were just a lot more superstitious about death back in the 1700's and it showed on a lot of their tombstones.

After touring King's Chapel, which was built in 1754 and holds Sunday services to this date, we continued on towards Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market as the skies above us started to cloud up even more. We had a lovely lunch at The Purple Shamrock, an Irish pub with windows that open onto the street so you can watch the city as you enjoy your lunch. From there we continued on to Haymarket and the produce sellers that hawk their wares every Friday and Saturday. Mags picked up a few things for dinner and then we made a quick stop by the North End and Mike's for a cannolli to take back for dessert. At that point, the umbrellas that Mags insisted we take with us came into good use as the skies above us opened up and the 80% chance of rain the forecasters had predicted turned into 100%!

Back at Mags' apartment we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and watching silly shows on MTV. Mags made a delicious dinner of pork chops topped with a delicious pineapple and cilantro salsa, mashed potatoes, and zucchini. She didn't go to culinary school for nothing and her skills in a kitchen are nothing short of amazing! I had learned this the first time when Mo and I visited her last September but it was certainly nice to have a tasty reminder of her talents with food! Had I done nothing else in Boston all weekend except eaten that dinner, it would have been more than worth it!

At the end of the evening I caught the Green Line back to the Red Line back to South Station and my awaiting Amtrak train to make the trip back to Connecticut and home. Not having any adorable company sitting next to me that time I spent the trip listening to my iPod and thinking about my next visit to Boston. I told Mags that perhaps I'd bring Amanda with me the next time and we'd take a Duck Tour as well as eat in one of the many cute little Italian restaurants in the North End.

Thank you again, Mags, for your hospitality and allowing me to drag you through the burial grounds of Boston! Next time we'll keep our fingers crossed for only a 20% chance of rain rather than the other way around!


Oh, and Mags - as to why people place stones on top of the graves, the best I could find is this - No one's entirely certain of the origin of the tradition, but most people believe that the tradition is borne out of the desire to mark your visit somehow -- to let the world know, "Someone was here. This person is not forgotten." If anyone knows where and or why this tradition started I'd love to know as there were plenty of stones left on top of the gravestones we visited!

Would You Buy a Donut From This Woman?

I sure would! As a matter of fact, I'd travel to Boston to spend a day or two with Ms. Maggie Moo and that's exactly what I'm doing this weekend! Even though the forecast is calling for an 80% chance of rain in Bean Town on Saturday, that's okay by me as I'm sure we'll find something fun to do and it sure beats the heck out of spending another Saturday in dispatch answering 911 calls from hysterical mothers who have no idea how to remove a tick from their hysterical 7-year old son's neck or mothers whose child cut his hand an hour ago and doesn't have a car to get to the hospital to have it looked at even though it isn't bleeding anymore ... sigh!

Yep, I definitely need to get away for a day or two. It's been a hell of a week and I need some adult time with an adult friend in an adult city! I promise pictures when I get back!

Everyone have a great weekend! I know I'm going to! Oh, and if you haven't looked at the tree in the post below this to try to tell me what kind it is, please do so!

Rock on With Your Excellent Self!

Once again I am honored to have been given a couple of really cool awards from some really cool blog buddies. First up is this nifty little award that Dixie, proud mom of a United States Marine, gave to me. She got the award from Roger at Idaho Daily Photo who designed the award himself and then presented it to his entire blogroll and anyone else who wanted it. Even though I haven't played Rock Band or Guitar Hero in awhile I still think this badge is totally cool (or is that sweet?, I forget the vernacular!) and I thank Dixie for thinking of me!


Roger said that we could do anything we wanted with this award so I'm going to pass it along to a couple other people who truly do rock - a woman who makes the best brownies eva', Mags @ Ms Maggie Moo Talks 2 You; that cheeky little brit with the gorgeous red hair from across the pond, Claire @ A little Piece of Me; and Carrie @ Asara's Mental Meanderings as she not only rocks but she also rolls right over trolls and other monsters while perfecting her WoW skills. Ladies, you all rock in my book and if you'd like you can click over to Roger's and pick up the codes for this bigger badge as well as a smaller one that goes nicely in your sidebar.

Another nice award that was presented to me this week comes from Debbie Dolphin of New England Lighthouse Treasures. Ms. Dolphin was kind enough to award me the Excellent Blog Award and put me in with some very excellent company that you can find at this post here.

Debbie states that "according to Cyberspace rules in the eUniverse of eAwards, acceptance of this Excellent Blog Award requires me to tag nominate 10 virtual victims excellent Bloggers to receive this award." It is truly my belief that every blog that graces the sidebar of my blog is rated "E" for excellent so I rather hate to just pick and choose ten people to give this award to even though the rules are rather blatantly stating that I need to do just that. However, because my back is giving me some issues today and I've taken some rather nice muscle relaxers to try to bring the pain down to a dull roar, I'm going to fly in the face of convention and just give this award to everyone over there on the right. Should anyone have a problem with that I will just claim that it was the Flexeril that made me do it!

Thank you again to Dixie and Debbie for thinking of me! You are both E-Rockers in my book!

Defining "The Flu"

Three days after coming down with a nasty stomach bug, I am finally starting to feel a lot better and want to thank everyone for their kind comments regarding my health and recovery. I also want to thank my cheeky little British friend Claire for her lovely post and cartoon rendering of my - shall we say - dilemma? Please bear in mind that Claire is suffering from another nasty sinus infection and perhaps that it what is affecting her sense of delicacy hence the rather graphic depiction. Oh wait ... no ... Claire has no sense of delicacy when it comes to some things but that's one of the things I love about her! Do stop by and wish her well with her bout of "sinus urination" if you get the chance!

Meanwhile, I also wanted to thank a couple of other folks for setting the matter straight regarding a stomach bug versus The Flu. I had lamented that after having now had a nasty upper respiratory infection/head cold and a stomach bug both in less than a week what was the sense of having gotten a flu shot and both Lee and MightyMom set me straight on the difference:

Lee of Tar Heel Ramblings said:

"Just a little bit of information that won't make you feel any better. What you have is almost certainly not the flu. Believe it or not, but there is really no such thing as "stomach flu." Flu symptoms include fever, body aches and sometimes a rash. But rarely does it involve vomiting or stomach upset.

What you have is probably not a virus at all, but rather a bacterial infection of some kind. Hence the nausea and vomiting."

NinjaNurse aka MightyMom of My Wonderful Life stated:

"NinjaNurse is obligated to inform the public of the following:

The flu shot you got does nothing for what folks call "flu" which is really a stomach virus (GI if you want to be specific) because that isn't the flu. It also does nothing for head colds as that is an Upper Respiratory Infection and isn't the flu either.

The flu is a disease caused by the influenza virus. It causes cough, congestion, fever, fatigue (extreme), generalized achiness, runny nose, and decreased appetite. It lasts 7-10 days. So, as long as you've not been in bed for a week going through 2 boxes of tissue a day and feeling like you were hit by a semi .... your flu shot worked. Be thankful!"

Ah-ha, well, yes, I guess that I did know that what with working in a medically-related field and all but for some unknown reason I have always called it a stomach flu. Obviously I am wrong in doing so as a quick check of Dictionary.com produced this definition of influenza (the full word for flu) that is even more chilling than what NinjaNurse depicted:

Main Entry: in·flu·en·za
Pronunciation: "in-(")flü-'en-z&
Function: noun
1 a : an acute highly contagious virus disease that is caused by various strains of orthomyxoviruses belonging to three major types now considered as three separate genera and that is characterized by sudden onset, fever, prostration, severe aches and pains, and progressive inflammation of the respiratory mucous membrane —often used with the letter A, B, or C to denote disease caused by a virus of a specific one of the three genera influenza A that has been widespread in the United States this winter —H. M. Schmeck, Jr.> b : any human respiratory infection of undetermined cause.

Alrighty then - that sounds much worse than what I have had recently as I can't even pronounce orthomyxoviruses never mind want them floating around in my system! Plus influenza has been known to wipe out large amounts of people at various times in history so I am going to be thankful that I did get my flu shot and keep my fingers crossed that it works!

Whatever it was that I did have - whether you want to call it a stomach bug or a stomach virus or I'm sure some sort of more colorful description that Claire could come up with - it wasn't fun and I'm still kind of afraid to eat real food for fear of setting my intestinal system off again but at least I was able to get back to work yesterday for my usual 16-hour Monday shift (hence no post!) and am going to be able to enjoy some of the incredibly out-of-season warm temperatures that are predicted for today.

In the meantime, though, Amanda has been home from school for two days with an upset stomach (lucky for her it remains simply upset and not active) and I've heard that my good blog buddy and all-around-nice-gal Ms. Maggie Moo is also home sick from work today with an equally upset stomach. If you get the chance, please drop by and wish her well.

And as for all of you who wished that Jamie would not get sick with this bug herself but be a carrier for it down to Florida - shame on you and what a lovely thought!

Update: I just found a post called Watch Out for the Norovirus over on The Boomer Chronicles and it sounds like exactly what I had! Well, except for the vomiting because as I told Rhea in a comment I left, "I didn’t have the vomiting as it seems to take an Act of Congress for me to be able to just throw up and get it over with and Congress failed to meet during my time of illness ..."

Isn't it nice when you can put a name to what ails you? Well, a name other than that of one's ex-spouse??

City Thoughts

One of my blog buddies that I have had the pleasure of meeting in person several times, Ms. Maggie Moo, made her move to Boston this weekend (actually, it's been a bit of a gradual process but this was her first official weekend in her new apartment) and I've been wondering how she's doing. With all moves, it takes time to get everything set up and reconnected so Mags is without internet, TV, and phone this weekend (though I think she might still have her cell phone and I might actually try giving her a call later just to check on her!).

I can't even imagine moving to a place like Boston or Baltimore or New York City or any of the big cities that we have here on the East Coast though when I was younger I used to think about living in New York City (I even went so far as to look at a New York Moving Company or two) but I think that's just a fantasy that a lot of us have. Big cities are exciting and yet scary at the same time and you certainly can't base the decision to move there on what you see in the movies; you actually have to go check things out for yourself and see if it's something that you can handle.

As for New York, I've been there numerous times and it always, always wears me out regardless of why I went - a Broadway show, a trip to the museum, a trip to flunk the audition test for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (twice), a shopping expedition, a baseball game at Yankee Stadium (and yes, I live in New England but have gone to games at Yankee Stadium - several times!), a visit to Grant's Tomb, or whatever reason I decided to visit "the City". It's a big city with lots of people and lots to do and by the time I get on the train to head home or point the car in the direction of Connecticut, I am totally worn out!

I've only been to Boston twice so am not sure if that city has the same affect as New York for the same reasons. The times I've been to Boston I spent so much time walking (the first time I walked the Freedom Trail with my cousin and the second time was when we walked the entire length of Newberry Street both ways) that it was no wonder I was worn out! But Boston is a different type of big city than New York - it's cleaner, less manic, less harried. In Boston you can always see the sky because it's less closed-in than New York and that makes a big difference, at least for me.

I'm looking forward to visiting Mags once she's had a chance to get settled in as there is so much more of Boston I'd like to see and I'm sure she's going to want to do some exploring in her new home, too. I'll just have to make sure I take vitamins beforehand and wear comfy shoes - and take lots of pictures so I can share the city with you!

Boston-Bound!

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This is an apartment building located in Allston, Massachusetts which is only 2.68 miles away from Fenway Park, home of the World Champion Boston Red Sox and favorite team of one of my very favorite bloggers, Ms. Maggie Moo, who will soon be making this very apartment building her new home. How exciting is that??

Mags was able to sell her cute little house here in Connecticut in no time flat, interviewed for and got a great new job before you could say "Bob's your uncle" (even if he isn't!), and located a nice little apartment in this building on the 5th floor with a partial view of the Boston skyline where she will be moving in less than ten days time. I tell you, when the girl makes up her mind to do something - she does it!

I get the feeling she's a bit overwhelmed and nervous at this point and I can't say that I blame her as moving is supposed to be one of the biggest stressors out there and, considering she's leaving behind family and friends to move to a new place where she knows only one person at her new job, there's lots to be nervous about! But, Mags is one of those people that you just can't help but love when you meet her and no doubt she'll have lots of friends in no time flat.

Honestly, part of me is a bit envious as it sounds like such a great adventure but I'm sure I'd be as nervous as a cat myself with everything that's going on! In the meantime, please join me in sending good thoughts to Mags while she sorts through the stuff in her house, waits for the roofers to finish before the closing on the 27th, and gears up for a whole new life in Boston.

Oh ... and Mags ... the sooner you get settled the better as I will definitely be visiting! Amanda would love to visit Newberry Comics on Newberry Street and I bet Boston at Christmas time is beautiful! What better way to see it then with a good friend with the best smile in the whole Blogosphere??

Mags, Carrie, and I from our dinner last Friday evening.

Once you're settled in Boston, Mags, don't hesitate to find a dating service that that can allow you to find friendships or a relationship. Finidng free Boston personals is easy.

Meeting Another Blogging Buddy

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I had the extreme pleasure of meeting what has got to be one of the nicest families in Michigan tonight when I had dinner with Carrie from Asara's Mental Meanderings and her fabulous family. They made the drive all the way from Michigan to spend some time in Connecticut this weekend so Mags and Amanda and I met them for dinner at a Chili's restaurant not too far from their hotel.

I have got to say that their children, Andrew & Emily, are the cutest and best-behaved children I have sat down to dinner with in a very long time. No whining, no crying, no playing with their food - I was completely and totally impressed! Carrie's husband, Billy, was just the nicest guy ever and very easy to talk to (I absolutely loved his bleach-tipped hair!). This trip was part of his birthday present and he really seemed to be enjoying it.

I love the idea of being able to take an impromptu road-trip like that - to just get in a car and drive part-way across the country to actually meet people that you've come to think of as friends online. If I had the time and the finances, I'd be driving all over the place meeting all of the wonderful people whom I have come to know through their blogs myself. Alas, until I win that elusive lottery, though, it's only a dream!

There are other pictures from tonight but I have to wait for Mags to email me one as Amanda neglected to recharge the batteries in our digital camera and it died on me (figures!). At least I was able to get one to post here tonight!

I hope that Carrie and Billy and the kids enjoy their time in Connecticut tomorrow before they head back out to Michigan early, early Sunday morning. We're supposed to be getting part of Hurricane Noel but hopefully it won't be too bad while they're here and they can see a little bit of the country they've never seen before.

Meeting blog buddies is just the coolest thing ever!

Technically I Don't Think It's a Secret Anymore

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One of my blogging buddies said that she had a secret the other day but I don't think that it's technically a secret anymore so I believe it's okay to post about it. If it isn't, well, I guess then I'm in trouble and shall have to deal with the consequences!

Carrie of Asara's Mental Meanderings decided that her family needed to take a bit of a road trip so they got themselves a rental car and left Michigan bound for Connecticut yesterday evening. Enroute they stopped by Dowagiac and had dinner with our good friend Mo and, from what I hear, they had a wonderful time. Mo got along quite well with not only Asara's husband but her children, too, and who wouldn't get along with Mo? The man is a big teddy bear!

Tonight Amanda and myself are going to meet up with not only Carrie and her brood but also Ms. Maggie Moo for a lovely little get-together over dinner in a town not too far from here. It's going to be so neat to meet another fellow blogger and share some stories and laughs! I wonder if I should dress casually or wear my pearl necklace that I only reserve for special occasions? Hmmm ...