more East Coast...

So the next day we checked out of our hotel, bought tickets for the Redsox game on Monday night and headed over to Fenway park to check it.

 After hanging out there for a while we headed back over to Quincy market where we all enjoyed a full lobster lunch, very delicious, before we headed off to the airport to pick up the rental car that would take us to New Hampshire.

side note:  here is picture I snapped on the way out of Boston, DUNKIN DONUTS...there are Dunkin Donuts EVERYWHERE!  Every corner you turn there is one so I had to take a picture and this one has a very classy looking black and gold sign which kind of disguises it.

Moving along...we drove up to NH and landed in Littleton.  We stayed at a cute little inn where our room had 2 bedrooms and a little kitchenette, very quaint.  The next morning we headed off to the Highland games where Jacy took 1st place in his drum major competition.

 (I took the above picture for his Mom but my sister thinks it should be, "the official picture of Jacy's drum major-ness")

After the competition, Jeremiah and I left the games to explore the area.  We went up to the Flume gorge and it was absolutely beautiful.

That day was my birthday so even though I was away from my twin sister (she got a surprise party while I was gone) I got to celebrate with Jeremiah, Jacy and some Irish and Scottish.  We had a really good dinner and enjoyed hanging out with everyone.

The next day was the last day of the highland games, Jacy set the World Record for the high toss, and all the drum majors were treated to dinner at with their friends and family.  We had a really good time getting to know such a close knit group that travel from state to state and overseas for the love of their traditions.

The last day of our trip was spent heading from NH back to Boston where we turned our car in and checked our bags at the Hilton airport hotel so that we could head down to the Redsox game at Fenway.  We had bought the tickets for only $9 a piece on stub hub and Jeremiah and Jacy were eager to see the game.  Fenway is such a cool stadium because it's so old, but beyond the actual structure the fans are so loyal and proud that being there for a game was such a an awesome experience.  I am a converted Redsox fan, sorry Padres!  Plus check out the cute sweater I treated myself to :).

(apparently the the Green Monster is the big green wall in outfield at Fenway, I thought it was a person...learn something new everyday :) )

So those are the highlights of our trip...hope you enjoyed!

<3

East Coast trip

(started this blog post on Thursday Sept. 23rd)

Well I should be making flowers right now for 2 weddings this weekend but my flower delivery is not here yet and apparently behind schedule so I will have to procrastinate for now and at least start to tell about our fabulous weekend on the East Coast.

Well we left on the red eye last Wednesday night and arrived bright at 10 AM in Boston Thursday morning.  Wait...let me back up for a little "Sally" story. 1st we had to go pick up Jacy and then we were going to pick up my mom and she was going to drop us off at the airport in my car.  Okay so we pick up jacy and decide that we all want Lolitas for dinner (side note: anyone from the south bay knows that this is the best food you'll ever eat in the world, seriously!  Well we are kind of biased because we all grew up on it but it it seriously good!) so we pull into the parking lot, Jeremiah and Jacy jump out to go get the food.  I need gas so I up to the gas station to buy gas and what happens?!?!?  The car locks with the keys in the ignition!!!  Now I am not taking full blame for this because this never happens to me and I ALWAYS leave the keys in the car when pumping gas but somehow that day, of all days, the car locked (I think Jeremiah hit the lock button, just saying).  I start to panic thinking we are going to miss our flight but Jeremiah calls his brother to have his keys brought over (we were just down the street from our house) so that car can be opened and in a flash we are back on the road eating our Lolitas.  But wait it doesn't end there...Fast forward to us getting dropped at the curb of the airport.  We get out, say our goodbyes and off we go, vacation here we come!  5 minutes later I realize I left my cell phone in the car and my mom is long gone.  So there are the 2 "Sally" stories to start this journey with.  Not having my phone was not that big of a deal except that I was looking forward to Facebooking our adventures and using the internet if needed along the way.  Moving on...

So like I said earlier, we arrived in Boston at 10 AM and instead of renting a car we bought a 7-Day public transportation pass for only $15 and headed out for our 1st subway adventure.  Side note:  I L-O-V-E cities with a really good public transportation system!  It's one of my favorite things about traveling.  When Jeremiah and I were in Rome we used their bus and subway system and went all over.  When my sister, cousin and I were in NYC the subway was amazing.  It is a cheap, fun and efficient way to get around a city;  I wish San Diego had a better public transit system.  So we catch the silver line bus, luggage and all, and head to the "Pru" (Prudential building) where our Sheraton hotel (thanks for the hook up Rachel) awaits.  After a quick check in and freshen up we hit the streets to explore.  We headed outside, found Boylston Street and walked all around Boston from the Prudential building all the way up to Boston Common through some parks and along the most gorgeous looking streets I have ever seen.  While in Boston Common we stopped to grab a bite at the Cheers Bar, it looked NOTHING like Cheers.  The sign was the same outside and apparently the actual bar was a replica but it looked nothing like the TV show...kind of disappointing.

From there we walked up to Qunicy Market and then over to see Paul Reverie's House.  Along the way we found this really cool cemetary...

Some of these headstones were from the 1600's!!! 

We made our way over to Paul Reveries house but by this time both Jeremiah and Jacy were clearly bored of "seeing the sights" and learning the history and would not pay the whopping $3.50 to see the inside of Paul Reveries house so I went in alone.  It was kind of interesting to see and I learned that the house was the only 17th century home left in Boston, kinda cool.  Over all not too exciting, just cool to see and since I was traveling with 2 guys, this ended the history portion of the vacation.

 I love cobblestones!!!  Makes me wonder about all the people and things that have walked on these and events that happened.

Paul Reverie's House

After this little walk in history I decided that maybe it was time to cut this little lesson and head back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We caught the subway back to the "Pru" and got dressed up for a little dinner on the town.  The night went something like this...

• we wanted to eat seafood in a NON-tourist spot
• asked the concierge for a recommendation, he recommened the "Seafood Shack" across the street, it looked like Joes Crab Shack AND had the work shack in it so we passed
• went outside, asked the bellman for a recommendation, he told us to go to the Cheesecake Factory!!!  I think NOT!  
• down the street we went and stopped a girl along a bridge that told us to go to Southend (not Southie) to a place called B&G Oysters...perfect!  Plus she was from Carlsbad but living in Boston, cool!
• Off we went for another walking adventure to Southend...

It was a lovely dusk walk filled with brownstone homes and lots of trees.  We arrived in Southend, which was a very cute part of town, found B&G Oysters but the wait was something like 2 hours so we moved on.  After checking out a few places along the way with no luck we jumped back on the subway all the way to the marina and found the best restaurant on the water where we at the BEST clam chowder and I had a lobster with a plate of mussels for $19.99!  DE-Lish!  Here are some funny pictures of the poor lobster that I completely devoured.

  Well that was pretty much it for day 1...

East Coast sneak peak...

Don't have time for a full post yet because I am still playing catch up on work but here is a little sneak peak...

We spent 2 days in Boston

Then went to New Hampshire...

Then back to Boston for a Red Sox games and then home...

More stories and pictures later.

:)

We're off to the East Coast!!!

Yep, tomorrow night we leave on the red eye for Boston and New Hampshire!  It was a completely last minute trip that was thought about, planned and booked within a matter of 24 hours, so fun.  On Friday afternoon Jeremiah called and asked if I had talked to our friend Jacy, I replied that I had not and Jeremiah told me that he was going to Boston and wanted to know if we wanted to come along.  I immediately yelled YES and hung up on Jeremiah to call Jacy.  Jacy told me that he had a competition in New Hampshire on the 18th and 19th (he is a Drum Major, see here) and that he was flying into Boston wanted us to come hang out.  The next morning he came over and we booked the tickets!  Done! 

However, as much as I love being spontaneous, I also get anxious and I instantly felt guilty about leaving my twin sister on our birthday.  We didn't have any plans set in stone but we had been hoping to do something fun for this year, last year we dorked it out and went to Disneyland in matching outfits.  Well sorry sis, I do feel kinda guilty about leaving you, especially since a lot of our friends will also be on the east coast in NY, but I just gotta go!  It's an opportunity I just gotta take, I know you'll forgive me :).  Plus this is just the thing you have been telling me I can do since my job is flexible and I literally only have 1 weekend off from August to November.  This was just the thing I needed and was longing for in these posts from July and August, remember.

Ok, ok, now that I have worked out my guilt ;), moving on...

I have so many things I want to do and see not only in Boston but in NH and along the way.  I want to see all the historical sites in Boston but also experience the local atmosphere.  I want to sit in Harvard square and watch all the smart people go to class.  I want to stop at a local antique shop and pick up something really cute and east coasty for my house, I want to see a lighthouse, eat good food and just take it all in. 

We are going to a place in New Hampshire for Saturday and Sunday called Loon Mountain and it looks absolutely beautiful.  While Jacy competes, I figure Jeremiah and I can explore trails like this...

I am really looking forward to it and I hope to share it all when I get back.

Now I have to finish my work for the week and start packing.

Jeremiah's Birthday...

He turned 30 this year!!!  

We had a small BBQ at my sisters house on his actual birthday, the 4th, with some close friends and family.  This is the only picture from that night :(

Then on Sunday we had a nice lunch (pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw, mmm) at my parents house with Jeremiah's parents, 3 of his 5 siblings and 4 of his 13 nieces and nephews, here are some pictures.

P.S.  that's a Tiramisu cake from San Diego Desserts, good idea Marcie :)

For Jeremiah's big 30th I got him an iPhone and a Wii, I actually gave them to him about a month ago because I just couldn't wait and he was excited about both.  He has never had a good phone so the iPhone was a treat, especially since he is self employed now and needs to keep up with emails all day. 

The Wii was one of those gifts that is disguised as a gift for him but really for me...well it was suppossed to be that way.  So here's a little side story...I saw a commercial for Netflix and the Wii, you know that one that says you can get Netflix streamed right to your TV through the Wii?  Ya well i was totally sold, I went online and bought one immediately and signed up for Netflix (advertising and commercials are one of my biggest weaknesses, I am always "sold").  I figured the Wii would serve multiple purposes, gaming console, Netflix receiver and DVD player...WRONG!!!  Yes it is a gaming console and we have had fun playing Tetris, however, while it is a Netflix receiver, come to find out our TV is ALSO a Netflix receiver.  To top that off, it doesn't play DVD's!  Oh well, we have had fun with it anyway.  Sometimes I really am just way to impulsive! 

All in all, we had a good weekend and I hope he had a wonderful 30th birthday.  Plus...we have exciting plans for this coming weekend (my birthday) which will kind of serve as a birthday month present to both of us!!!  So excited, stay tuned...

I ran today :/

I decided it is time to get back in shape, for real!  Plus, if I'm going to get pregnant again soon, fingers crossed, I want to make sure that I am in really good shape this time.  If you scroll down, you will see that I have added a new widget on the right hand side, it is my "DailyMile" widget to keep me accountable.  I am not saying that I will run everyday but hopefully I will run more often than I blog ;). 

I went for my 1st mile today and it was really really rough but I did it and I feel better already.  I had to stop along the way to walk for a bit but I tried to push myself a little at a time.  A few years ago I had a personal trainer and I loved it.  She pushed me really hard and sometimes I would get so frustrated I would yell back (instead of crying) but I always felt really good and in turn I ate really good.  I don't have a personal trainer anymore but I am going to really push myself and get motivated.  I figure if I put this DailyMile widget on here then maybe it will make me feel more accountable because some (even if it's only a few) people are watching.  I am going to try to mix in a little at home workouts as well, pilates or something like that.  Jeremiah downloaded P90X but I am not sure if I can do that all by myself, I am afraid it will be really hard and I will just give up.

Wish me luck!

P.S.  a little encouragement never hurts :)

Step Up 3D...yep I saw it and I liked it :)

Went to see Step Up 3D on Tuesday night with my sis and of course, really really liked it :).  We have seen every Step Up in theatres so if we a MUST that we see this one as well, plus it was 3D!  Now I will say this, the acting has gotten progressively worse since the 1st movie, which is quite comical since the acting was horrendous in the 1st one, but we still loved it.  The dancing is just so good and makes me envious, plus each movie has a super cute guy in it and this guy was definitely the cutest of them all, sorry Channing Tatum.  If you like dance movies, which I obviously do, it's a must see...well maybe not a must see but it's very entertaining none the less.

Jeremiah turns 30 on Saturday!!!  I am throwing him a little BBQ at my sisters house, hopefully I will have pictures to share next week.  

September is here!

Which means...fall is going to start, leaves will fall, kids go back to school, Jeremiah turns 30, wedding season starts to slow (not end just slows), fall television starts up (yippee!), temperatures start to drop (hopefully) and I will turn 29!!!

In case you are wondering, and want to mark your calenders, my birthday (along with my twin sis) is on September 18th and I will be starting the last year of my 20's.  It's been a big decades, them 20's!  But I am sure that the decades to come will prove even bigger. 

I love September, not only because it's my birthday month but because it is the time of the year that temps start to feel cozy and comfy.  The time of year when the darker colors come out in fashion and I am reminded of things like lace up black leather shoes, knee high socks and plaid; I get nostalgic. 

You see, from kindergarden to 8th grade I went to parochial school and wore a uniform every day and absolutely loved it.  In fact here is a picture of me and my sister all dressed up in uniform.

September reminds me of these freshly ironed uniforms and backpacks full of new school supplies.  So much fun, especially now that I don't actually have to go "back to school". 

So to remember these uniformed days, I designed an outfit that is reminiscent of parochial school but something that I would wear now for these crisp fall days to come (oh wait we live in So. Cal and Santa Ana's are coming), a girl can dream ...