This past Saturday, Karen and I took our two year old daughter (Briana) and four month old daughter (Bridget) on a little mystery road trip. That road trip was to the Cape, or more specifically, Onset. Too bad I suck at Onset.
For this week, my friends (Marc and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry) rented a place down in Onset. The idea was the brainchild of Kerry, who has been renting the same place since 2009. Since neither Karen nor I had any available vacation time, we decided to just head down for the day.
Needless to say, Briana was quite excited. The moment she spotted the beach on our drive down, she told us that she wanted to go swimming. Now, Briana can't swim, but she absolutely loves the water. Her version of swimming is essentially me holding her and moving her about in the water.
And naturally, we ended up going to the beach. Or more specifically, I ended up taking her to the beach while Karen and Bridget got to hang out with everyone else. Briana was totally ecstatic.
Eventually, we took a break to grab a bite to eat at Marc Anthony's Pizzeria. It goes without saying that the food there is delicious. Karen was actually craving their homemade Syrian bread. ("Yum-O!")
And of course, after eating at Marc Anthony's, Briana wanted to do what else? Go back to the beach for swimming. So off Briana and I went back to the beach while Karen and Bridget hung out again with everyone else. We pretty much were the only ones left at the beach by that point.
All in all, I thought it was a fun trip. I got to spend some time with my friends. I got to spend a lot of quality time with Briana. I had a great time and I think Briana enjoyed it too.
Showing posts with label onset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label onset. Show all posts
Monday, July 9, 2012
Sunday, August 7, 2011
I Suck At Onset
Starting today, Karen, my sixteen month old daughter (Briana) and I will be in scenic Onset for the entire week. Yes, it's true. I suck at Onset. The last time Karen and I were in Onset was over two years ago.
At that time, it was just Karen and I along with our friend (Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). I had a great time. After all, what could be better than hanging out with friends and having fun for a week... and eating as much ice cream as humanly possible within a one week period.
Well, fast forward two years. This time around, Kerry was able to get the two adjoining houses during the same week from the same renter she used two years ago (and last year as well). Thus, in one of the houses was Kerry and my friends (Marc and Kelley); In the other house was Karen, Briana, Andrea and I.
Apparently, this was the week to come to Onset. After all, the annual blues festival was being held today in Onset. For anyone curious, it was the 19th annual blues festival. At the same time, the Pan Mass Challenge was taking place in Onset. And who was riding this year in the Pan Mass Challenge? None other than the most famous cyclist in U.S. history, Lance Armstrong.
Needless to say, seeing Lance Armstrong ride down the streets of Onset made Kerry's day. (Kerry is a fan of all things Tour de France) Personally, I think all riders look the same.
Anyway, it was a good start to the vacation week. After grabbing a bite to eat at Marc Anthony's, we hung out at the beach. For Briana, this was her first time at the beach. So I was curious as to how she would react to the sand and all of that. She seemed to enjoy it well enough, especially the sand. And really, what's not to like with the sun and cool breeze on the beach?
And as an added bonus, the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority happened to be on the beach. For anyone curious, sororities are nothing like television. Like television's depiction of cheerleaders, sorority girls are not what one would normally expect. Well, they are not what I would expect. I expect shiny objects. I was so wrong.
Following the veg out period at the beach, a few of us headed to the grocery store before grilling some burgers and hot dogs. And by grilling, I mean having the owner of our adjoining houses grill our burgers and dogs. It was pure coincidence that they were using the grill when we were getting hungry. So we were lucky enough to have them grill our food for us. What service!
After dinner, I spent the rest of the night at the house while everyone else went out for ice cream. I was actually glad that Karen got to go out with everyone. She doesn't get to go out with everyone when it's just her. So it was nice that she was able to do it tonight.
So while they were out getting ice cream, I did what any normal closet fan would do. I watched Friday Night Lights... season 2. I'm not sure if Briana quite likes the show since she was crying practically for the entire first episode. Granted, she was put down to go to bed before I started watching the dvd. Yes, my daughter does not like going to sleep. She will cry, wail and scream herself to sleep. Of course, I would never admit it, but it breaks my heart at times to hear her cry and scream.
But once she does go down, she is good. I sometimes think that Briana thinks she is missing out on what is going on by going to bed. If she only knew the truth... that her daddy is watching countless episodes of Friday Night Lights back to back. Oh well. I guess she is like me that way (since it's well past three in the morning and I am still up). She just likes to be up.
Anyway, today was a great day. It was a nice start to the vacation.
At that time, it was just Karen and I along with our friend (Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). I had a great time. After all, what could be better than hanging out with friends and having fun for a week... and eating as much ice cream as humanly possible within a one week period.
Well, fast forward two years. This time around, Kerry was able to get the two adjoining houses during the same week from the same renter she used two years ago (and last year as well). Thus, in one of the houses was Kerry and my friends (Marc and Kelley); In the other house was Karen, Briana, Andrea and I.
Apparently, this was the week to come to Onset. After all, the annual blues festival was being held today in Onset. For anyone curious, it was the 19th annual blues festival. At the same time, the Pan Mass Challenge was taking place in Onset. And who was riding this year in the Pan Mass Challenge? None other than the most famous cyclist in U.S. history, Lance Armstrong.
Needless to say, seeing Lance Armstrong ride down the streets of Onset made Kerry's day. (Kerry is a fan of all things Tour de France) Personally, I think all riders look the same.
Anyway, it was a good start to the vacation week. After grabbing a bite to eat at Marc Anthony's, we hung out at the beach. For Briana, this was her first time at the beach. So I was curious as to how she would react to the sand and all of that. She seemed to enjoy it well enough, especially the sand. And really, what's not to like with the sun and cool breeze on the beach?
And as an added bonus, the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority happened to be on the beach. For anyone curious, sororities are nothing like television. Like television's depiction of cheerleaders, sorority girls are not what one would normally expect. Well, they are not what I would expect. I expect shiny objects. I was so wrong.
Following the veg out period at the beach, a few of us headed to the grocery store before grilling some burgers and hot dogs. And by grilling, I mean having the owner of our adjoining houses grill our burgers and dogs. It was pure coincidence that they were using the grill when we were getting hungry. So we were lucky enough to have them grill our food for us. What service!
After dinner, I spent the rest of the night at the house while everyone else went out for ice cream. I was actually glad that Karen got to go out with everyone. She doesn't get to go out with everyone when it's just her. So it was nice that she was able to do it tonight.
So while they were out getting ice cream, I did what any normal closet fan would do. I watched Friday Night Lights... season 2. I'm not sure if Briana quite likes the show since she was crying practically for the entire first episode. Granted, she was put down to go to bed before I started watching the dvd. Yes, my daughter does not like going to sleep. She will cry, wail and scream herself to sleep. Of course, I would never admit it, but it breaks my heart at times to hear her cry and scream.
But once she does go down, she is good. I sometimes think that Briana thinks she is missing out on what is going on by going to bed. If she only knew the truth... that her daddy is watching countless episodes of Friday Night Lights back to back. Oh well. I guess she is like me that way (since it's well past three in the morning and I am still up). She just likes to be up.
Anyway, today was a great day. It was a nice start to the vacation.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
I Suck At Provincetown
On the agenda today for Karen, my friend (Andrea), my BFF (Kerry), and I as we vacation in Onset for the week: Provincetown.
Now, I suck at Provincetown. I have never been to Provincetown. In fact, the only one of us who have been to Provincetown was Kerry. So by default, Kerry became our tour guide again.
According to my friend wikipedia:
"The area was originally settled by the Nauset tribe, who had a settlement known as Meeshawn. Provincetown was incorporated by English settlers in 1727 after harboring ships for more than a century. Bartholomew Gosnold named Cape Cod in Provincetown Harbor in 1602. In 1620, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact when they arrived at the harbor. They agreed to settle and build a self-governing community, and then came ashore in the West End. Though the Pilgrims chose to settle across the bay in Plymouth, Provincetown enjoyed an early reputation for its fishing grounds. The "Province Lands" were first formally recognized by the union of Plymouth colony and Massachusetts Bay colony in 1692, and its first municipal government was established in 1714."
I was surprised to find out that the Pilgrims actually landed in Provincetown. Who knew? The four of us just happened to discover that fact during our walk around the town. After all, in the day there really did not seem to be much to do in Provincetown except shop and walk around.
Truth be told, from everything that I had previously heard about Provincetown, I was expecting a lot of wild sights... much like what I imagine Mardi Gras would be like in New Orleans. (I have never been to New Orleans. I'd like to go someday.) Of course, the difference between my vivid imagination between the two would be that New Orleans would have half naked college girls whereas I pictured Provincetown to have half naked men in assless chaps... or cross dressing.
Sadly, I was a little disappointed to find out that my vivid imagination was just that... vivid. There were no bizarre sights during the day. Although near the end of the day, I did get to see a cross dresser with nylons and big hair... on a bike. So perhaps the weirdness only comes out at night. Oh well. As odd as this sounds, it was disappointing to not see things like men in assless chaps.
In my opinion, the best part about the trip to Provincetown was the "Breakwater". The Breakwater was constructed in 1911 to protect the harbor from the shifting sand of its dunes. Essentially, the Breakwater is a path of large rocks that stretches over a mile long. On the other side of the path is the outermost finger of the Cape and the Wood End lighthouse.
(The picture below is of Kerry, Karen, and Andrea trying to figure out where to go after crossing the Breakwater.)
Anyway, I had a blast crossing the Breakwater. Unfortunately, all the fun did lead to some casualties. Because the rocks were wet and uneven, Karen slipped and scraped up her shin. Likewise, I had a little accident. On our way back, there was a little girl coming from the other direction. Figuring that I'd let her easily by, I stepped off to rocks on the side. WHAM! That's when I slipped. I ended up scraping up my shin as well... and my hand... and the ring on my hand. It was a little comical because the little girl did ask if I was all right while I was getting up off the rock. Mental note: next time... push the little girl out of my way. Just kidding.
Interestingly enough, Kerry and Andrea were unscathed and they had sandals on. Karen and I both had sneakers. Despite the injuries, the Breakwater made the trip to Provincetown worth it. I had a great time crossing to the other side.
Following our trip to Provincetown, we went to Sundae School... twice. Our original plan was to catch the drive-in in Wellfleet, but with the inclement weather we decided that it was probably better to forgo that option. So Sundae School it was.
For anyone curious, Sundae School is an ice cream place. Part of our goal for the vacation week was to visit different ice cream locations every day. For today, it was Sundae School.
The Sundae School location that we went to following Provincetown was in East Orleans. Unfortunately, we did not stay long at that location. The East Orleans location, although probably very good, was not up to the standards of our tour guide, Kerry. We basically arrived to the location, got out of the car, walked back to the car, and left. It was that quick.
Apparently, Kerry... after hyping up Sundae School... did not want our opinion of Sundae School to be bad. So we ended up leaving the Sundae School in East Orleans to go to the Sundae School in Dennisport.
As it turns out, the Sundae School in Dennisport was definitely much nicer. I ended up getting a peanut butter sundae. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) The sundae was very delicious. Kerry made a good choice. Needless to say, Sundae School was a good way to end the day. (Technically, we ended the day by going to CVS to purchase first aid equipment for our scrapes...) All in all, it was a fun day.
Now, I suck at Provincetown. I have never been to Provincetown. In fact, the only one of us who have been to Provincetown was Kerry. So by default, Kerry became our tour guide again.
According to my friend wikipedia:
"The area was originally settled by the Nauset tribe, who had a settlement known as Meeshawn. Provincetown was incorporated by English settlers in 1727 after harboring ships for more than a century. Bartholomew Gosnold named Cape Cod in Provincetown Harbor in 1602. In 1620, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact when they arrived at the harbor. They agreed to settle and build a self-governing community, and then came ashore in the West End. Though the Pilgrims chose to settle across the bay in Plymouth, Provincetown enjoyed an early reputation for its fishing grounds. The "Province Lands" were first formally recognized by the union of Plymouth colony and Massachusetts Bay colony in 1692, and its first municipal government was established in 1714."
I was surprised to find out that the Pilgrims actually landed in Provincetown. Who knew? The four of us just happened to discover that fact during our walk around the town. After all, in the day there really did not seem to be much to do in Provincetown except shop and walk around.
Truth be told, from everything that I had previously heard about Provincetown, I was expecting a lot of wild sights... much like what I imagine Mardi Gras would be like in New Orleans. (I have never been to New Orleans. I'd like to go someday.) Of course, the difference between my vivid imagination between the two would be that New Orleans would have half naked college girls whereas I pictured Provincetown to have half naked men in assless chaps... or cross dressing.
Sadly, I was a little disappointed to find out that my vivid imagination was just that... vivid. There were no bizarre sights during the day. Although near the end of the day, I did get to see a cross dresser with nylons and big hair... on a bike. So perhaps the weirdness only comes out at night. Oh well. As odd as this sounds, it was disappointing to not see things like men in assless chaps.
In my opinion, the best part about the trip to Provincetown was the "Breakwater". The Breakwater was constructed in 1911 to protect the harbor from the shifting sand of its dunes. Essentially, the Breakwater is a path of large rocks that stretches over a mile long. On the other side of the path is the outermost finger of the Cape and the Wood End lighthouse.
(The picture below is of Kerry, Karen, and Andrea trying to figure out where to go after crossing the Breakwater.)
Anyway, I had a blast crossing the Breakwater. Unfortunately, all the fun did lead to some casualties. Because the rocks were wet and uneven, Karen slipped and scraped up her shin. Likewise, I had a little accident. On our way back, there was a little girl coming from the other direction. Figuring that I'd let her easily by, I stepped off to rocks on the side. WHAM! That's when I slipped. I ended up scraping up my shin as well... and my hand... and the ring on my hand. It was a little comical because the little girl did ask if I was all right while I was getting up off the rock. Mental note: next time... push the little girl out of my way. Just kidding.
Interestingly enough, Kerry and Andrea were unscathed and they had sandals on. Karen and I both had sneakers. Despite the injuries, the Breakwater made the trip to Provincetown worth it. I had a great time crossing to the other side.
Following our trip to Provincetown, we went to Sundae School... twice. Our original plan was to catch the drive-in in Wellfleet, but with the inclement weather we decided that it was probably better to forgo that option. So Sundae School it was.
For anyone curious, Sundae School is an ice cream place. Part of our goal for the vacation week was to visit different ice cream locations every day. For today, it was Sundae School.
The Sundae School location that we went to following Provincetown was in East Orleans. Unfortunately, we did not stay long at that location. The East Orleans location, although probably very good, was not up to the standards of our tour guide, Kerry. We basically arrived to the location, got out of the car, walked back to the car, and left. It was that quick.
Apparently, Kerry... after hyping up Sundae School... did not want our opinion of Sundae School to be bad. So we ended up leaving the Sundae School in East Orleans to go to the Sundae School in Dennisport.
As it turns out, the Sundae School in Dennisport was definitely much nicer. I ended up getting a peanut butter sundae. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) The sundae was very delicious. Kerry made a good choice. Needless to say, Sundae School was a good way to end the day. (Technically, we ended the day by going to CVS to purchase first aid equipment for our scrapes...) All in all, it was a fun day.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
I Suck At Sandwich
Today's featured stop on the Cape tour for Karen, my friend (Andrea), and I was the town of Sandwich. My BFF (Kerry) opted not to attend the tour today, opting to relax at the house in Onset.
Anyway, the town of Sandwich is located in Barnstable county. As Karen reminded me during our trip today, the name for the county, "Barnstable" is a bit redundant. Breaking the word down... there is a "barn" and there is a "stable". Both words are synonymous with one another. (Look it up.) Thus, Barnstable could conceivably be called "Barnbarn". It was that logic that made me smile on our trip today. For anyone curious, that logic was actually provided by my friend (Marc) while in high school. Like Karen is apt to do, she remembered some of our more sillier conversations from years past.
Regardless, neither Karen nor I have ever been to Sandwich. I guess you could say I suck at Sandwich. It just so happens that Karen was intrigued to learn that a store in Sandwich was decorated in such a way that each room of its house had a holiday theme. (I contested that the store probably did not decorate any of its rooms for Chanukah or Kwanzaa.) Nevertheless, she wanted to go. And apparently, Andrea was quite interested about the store as well.
So off we ventured to Sandwich. Our first stop in Sandwich: the Green Briar Nature Center. What is at the Green Briar Nature Center? Well... the Green Briar Jam Kitchen of course. After all, what goes better on a sandwich than jam? If only there were a peanut butter factory nearby. That would be totally neat.
The Green Briar Jam Kitchen is a museum where visitors can view the cooking process for various canned items like jam. (They were making pickles when we arrived.) Everything there is homemade using these old looking stoves. It was quite interesting to see the old stoves. Karen ended up purchasing some jams, of course.
Located near the Jam Kitchen was the Nature Center featuring a slew of animals (most notably the cute and cuddly rabbits outside), a wild plant garden, and the Thornton Burgess Museum. For anyone curious, Thornton Burgess is a Sandwich author who has written numerous children's books (over 170). Peter Rabbit was one of the characters featured in his books.
Following the visit to the Jam Kitchen, Karen, Andrea and I headed off to the Sandwich Glass Museum. While at the Sandwich Glass Museum, we learned about the history of Sandwich and how its glass came to be famous. Well, I should say that Karen and Andrea learned about the history of Sandwich. The history lesson was provided in an auditorium... complete with actors pretending to be from the time period. Like most history lessons, I tend to zone out. History has never been my forte. I consider myself lucky that I even passed the history course in college with my friend (Kelley). This history lesson of Sandwich was no different... because I pretty much dozed off.
For anyone curious, Deming Jarves started the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company and headquartered it in Sandwich for its shipping ports. The sand in Sandwich is actually not that good to use for glass, so sand had to be imported from of all places... New Jersey. The company prospered in the 1800s. Unfortunately, the company had to close due to a glass worker union strike.
Regardless, I woke up in time for the glass blowing demonstration after the history lesson. It was neat to watch the craftsman create a piece of glass artwork in a matter of minutes.
Anyway, after the Sandwich Glass Museum, the three of us ventured off to the store with the holiday themed rooms. As it turned out... the place was closed for the day. I felt a little bad for Karen because I knew she was looking forward to the place. I guess it just wasn't meant to be today.
Eventually, the three of us headed back to the vacation house in Onset. Andrea soon ventured off to her cousins while Kerry, Karen and I watched the "Sex and the City" movie. Hey, I'm not proud of that fact. Interestingly enough, the movie was not that bad. It was predictable like most chick flicks. I have seen worse.
Karen, Kerry and I then watched some more episodes of the second season of Veronica Mars. As always, the episodes were great!
When Andrea returned, the four of us decided to play Trivia Pursuit: Totally 80s. The game was okay. It basically turned into a game of attrition, to which I was the last one standing who was not tired. The winning question was about Rick Springfield.
All in all, it was a good day for me.
Anyway, the town of Sandwich is located in Barnstable county. As Karen reminded me during our trip today, the name for the county, "Barnstable" is a bit redundant. Breaking the word down... there is a "barn" and there is a "stable". Both words are synonymous with one another. (Look it up.) Thus, Barnstable could conceivably be called "Barnbarn". It was that logic that made me smile on our trip today. For anyone curious, that logic was actually provided by my friend (Marc) while in high school. Like Karen is apt to do, she remembered some of our more sillier conversations from years past.
Regardless, neither Karen nor I have ever been to Sandwich. I guess you could say I suck at Sandwich. It just so happens that Karen was intrigued to learn that a store in Sandwich was decorated in such a way that each room of its house had a holiday theme. (I contested that the store probably did not decorate any of its rooms for Chanukah or Kwanzaa.) Nevertheless, she wanted to go. And apparently, Andrea was quite interested about the store as well.
So off we ventured to Sandwich. Our first stop in Sandwich: the Green Briar Nature Center. What is at the Green Briar Nature Center? Well... the Green Briar Jam Kitchen of course. After all, what goes better on a sandwich than jam? If only there were a peanut butter factory nearby. That would be totally neat.
The Green Briar Jam Kitchen is a museum where visitors can view the cooking process for various canned items like jam. (They were making pickles when we arrived.) Everything there is homemade using these old looking stoves. It was quite interesting to see the old stoves. Karen ended up purchasing some jams, of course.
Located near the Jam Kitchen was the Nature Center featuring a slew of animals (most notably the cute and cuddly rabbits outside), a wild plant garden, and the Thornton Burgess Museum. For anyone curious, Thornton Burgess is a Sandwich author who has written numerous children's books (over 170). Peter Rabbit was one of the characters featured in his books.
Following the visit to the Jam Kitchen, Karen, Andrea and I headed off to the Sandwich Glass Museum. While at the Sandwich Glass Museum, we learned about the history of Sandwich and how its glass came to be famous. Well, I should say that Karen and Andrea learned about the history of Sandwich. The history lesson was provided in an auditorium... complete with actors pretending to be from the time period. Like most history lessons, I tend to zone out. History has never been my forte. I consider myself lucky that I even passed the history course in college with my friend (Kelley). This history lesson of Sandwich was no different... because I pretty much dozed off.
For anyone curious, Deming Jarves started the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company and headquartered it in Sandwich for its shipping ports. The sand in Sandwich is actually not that good to use for glass, so sand had to be imported from of all places... New Jersey. The company prospered in the 1800s. Unfortunately, the company had to close due to a glass worker union strike.
Regardless, I woke up in time for the glass blowing demonstration after the history lesson. It was neat to watch the craftsman create a piece of glass artwork in a matter of minutes.
Anyway, after the Sandwich Glass Museum, the three of us ventured off to the store with the holiday themed rooms. As it turned out... the place was closed for the day. I felt a little bad for Karen because I knew she was looking forward to the place. I guess it just wasn't meant to be today.
Eventually, the three of us headed back to the vacation house in Onset. Andrea soon ventured off to her cousins while Kerry, Karen and I watched the "Sex and the City" movie. Hey, I'm not proud of that fact. Interestingly enough, the movie was not that bad. It was predictable like most chick flicks. I have seen worse.
Karen, Kerry and I then watched some more episodes of the second season of Veronica Mars. As always, the episodes were great!
When Andrea returned, the four of us decided to play Trivia Pursuit: Totally 80s. The game was okay. It basically turned into a game of attrition, to which I was the last one standing who was not tired. The winning question was about Rick Springfield.
All in all, it was a good day for me.
Monday, July 20, 2009
I Suck At Martha's Vineyard
Today, Karen, my friend (Andrea), my BFF (Kerry), and I ventured over to Martha's Vineyard to spend the day. Now, I suck at Martha's Vineyard. I have not been to Martha's Vineyard in quite some time... probably around the end of high school or early college. In fact, Kerry reminded me of the time my friend (Marc) took his car over the ferry, forgot to turn on his lights when exiting, drove the wrong way, and got an officer angry with him. Ah, the good old days. So, it's been quite some time.
Andrea, however, has never been to Martha's Vineyard, which is where the movie Jaws was filmed... as well as the burial place of John Belushi. I don't think Andrea cared much for those particular details about Martha's Vineyard. She seemed more interested in obtaining her goal: purchasing a Black Dog sweatshirt.
For anyone curious, no... Andrea is not a big fan of the Patrick Swayze movie, "Black Dog"... well, at least to my knowledge. "Black Dog" was a terrible trucking movie. The unrelated Black Dog that Andrea was interested about was the tavern/retail company based on Robert Douglas, a captain who called Martha's Vineyard his home. Douglas just so happened to have... a black dog.
Anyway, one of the first things that the four of did when we got off the ferry in Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard was visit the Black Dog store. (We subsequently visited the other Black Dog stores in the other parts of the Vineyard too.) Oh, one of the other things that we did when we first arrived was visit the oldest operating carousel in the United State as well... which is the Flying Horses Carousel. And yes, Andrea purchased her Black Dog sweatshirt.
With Kerry acting as our tour guide (since she was the one who had been there the most recent out of the four of us), we then ventured to see the gingerbread houses. In Wesleyan Grove, there are over 350 gingerbread cottages that encircle a Methodist Tabernacle that was the site of an annual revival. The place started out as a campsite and gradually grew more elaborate over the years. Thus, to distinguish between the tents in the campsite, the different gingerbread designs were created. Karen and Andrea actually know more about the gingerbread cottage history of the campsite as they ventured into the Cottage Museum.
Kerry and I just killed time while Karen and Andrea were in the museum. I actually had quite the chuckle with Kerry. While we were sitting on the ground waiting for Karen and Andrea, Kerry had her knees bent and tucked in toward her chest. She then whipped out a map of Martha's Vineyard from what appeared to be her cleavage. It was not her cleavage. There was a bag between her knees and her chest, but the quick motion had me laughing.
Following the cottages, we ended up having lunch at the Offshore Ale Company. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) The place was delicious. I highly recommend it. For anyone curious, I ordered a fish sandwich. Generally, fish sandwiches are highly greasy. This one... was great... and the portions were nice too.
After lunch, we ventured to Aquinnah. Unfortunately, we had to make a little pit stop in Vineyard Haven (Tisbury) because we took public transportation. (We purchased the all day bus pass to transport ourselves around the island.) We had just missed the bus that was taking us to Aquinnah, so we had some time to kill in Vineyard Haven.
Anyway, we eventually made it to Aquinnah. Aquinnah, formerly known as Gay Head, was the only thing that I really wanted to see in Martha's Vineyard. The last time I was in Martha's Vineyard, I remembered the Gay Head Cliffs. I remember the site being beautiful and scenic. Sure enough, the place is still very nice. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a nude beach below the cliffs as well.
(The picture below is of the Gay Head Cliffs.)
For anyone curious, my favorite cliffs are still the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland... not that I'm a cliff aficionado or anything. Of course, I may be even more biased now because while on our way to the Gay Head Cliffs, my boss called me. Apparently, there was some work emergency... and chickens were running around without their heads.
Believe me, I am not important enough to be contacted normally for work. So, it must really have been an emergency for me to be called. Being contacted during a vacation by your place of employment is never fun. It can ruin your day because from that point on... all you can think about is work. Sigh.
Regardless, we headed to Edgartown after the Gay Head Cliffs. While Karen, Kerry and Andrea did some shopping, I sat by the dock on a conference call. Well, technically, I did not have a conference call. I called the conference line like my boss asked me to do... waited... and waited... waited for 15 minutes... hung up... called my boss at work... left a message on his voice mail... called the conference line again... waited for 5 minutes... hung up... called my boss's cell phone... left a message on his voice mail... called the conference line again... waited 2 minutes... hung up... called my boss's home number... and finally spoke with my boss. The conference call had been canceled. Yes, I was quite annoyed and frustrated. But at least I got to see a swan up close and personal while I sat waiting for the conference call.
After catching back up with Karen, Kerry, and Andrea, we indulged in a little relaxation therapy known as ice cream. We decided to eat at Mad Martha's Ice Cream. Mad Martha's Ice Cream... delicious. Normally, I don't eat ice cream for dinner... but today was one of those rare occasions which required it. The cookiewich was very good. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
Eventually, we made our way back to the ferry. In fact, Kerry got to see a part of Oak Bluffs that she had never seen before. She seemed quite excited.
All in all, I had a great time in Martha's Vineyard (work stuff aside). It was fun to be with everyone. Needless to say, the four of us were wiped out when we got back to the vacation house in Onset. We did, after all, spend the entire day and night in Martha's Vineyard. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Andrea, however, has never been to Martha's Vineyard, which is where the movie Jaws was filmed... as well as the burial place of John Belushi. I don't think Andrea cared much for those particular details about Martha's Vineyard. She seemed more interested in obtaining her goal: purchasing a Black Dog sweatshirt.
For anyone curious, no... Andrea is not a big fan of the Patrick Swayze movie, "Black Dog"... well, at least to my knowledge. "Black Dog" was a terrible trucking movie. The unrelated Black Dog that Andrea was interested about was the tavern/retail company based on Robert Douglas, a captain who called Martha's Vineyard his home. Douglas just so happened to have... a black dog.
Anyway, one of the first things that the four of did when we got off the ferry in Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard was visit the Black Dog store. (We subsequently visited the other Black Dog stores in the other parts of the Vineyard too.) Oh, one of the other things that we did when we first arrived was visit the oldest operating carousel in the United State as well... which is the Flying Horses Carousel. And yes, Andrea purchased her Black Dog sweatshirt.
With Kerry acting as our tour guide (since she was the one who had been there the most recent out of the four of us), we then ventured to see the gingerbread houses. In Wesleyan Grove, there are over 350 gingerbread cottages that encircle a Methodist Tabernacle that was the site of an annual revival. The place started out as a campsite and gradually grew more elaborate over the years. Thus, to distinguish between the tents in the campsite, the different gingerbread designs were created. Karen and Andrea actually know more about the gingerbread cottage history of the campsite as they ventured into the Cottage Museum.
Kerry and I just killed time while Karen and Andrea were in the museum. I actually had quite the chuckle with Kerry. While we were sitting on the ground waiting for Karen and Andrea, Kerry had her knees bent and tucked in toward her chest. She then whipped out a map of Martha's Vineyard from what appeared to be her cleavage. It was not her cleavage. There was a bag between her knees and her chest, but the quick motion had me laughing.
Following the cottages, we ended up having lunch at the Offshore Ale Company. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) The place was delicious. I highly recommend it. For anyone curious, I ordered a fish sandwich. Generally, fish sandwiches are highly greasy. This one... was great... and the portions were nice too.
After lunch, we ventured to Aquinnah. Unfortunately, we had to make a little pit stop in Vineyard Haven (Tisbury) because we took public transportation. (We purchased the all day bus pass to transport ourselves around the island.) We had just missed the bus that was taking us to Aquinnah, so we had some time to kill in Vineyard Haven.
Anyway, we eventually made it to Aquinnah. Aquinnah, formerly known as Gay Head, was the only thing that I really wanted to see in Martha's Vineyard. The last time I was in Martha's Vineyard, I remembered the Gay Head Cliffs. I remember the site being beautiful and scenic. Sure enough, the place is still very nice. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a nude beach below the cliffs as well.
(The picture below is of the Gay Head Cliffs.)
For anyone curious, my favorite cliffs are still the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland... not that I'm a cliff aficionado or anything. Of course, I may be even more biased now because while on our way to the Gay Head Cliffs, my boss called me. Apparently, there was some work emergency... and chickens were running around without their heads.
Believe me, I am not important enough to be contacted normally for work. So, it must really have been an emergency for me to be called. Being contacted during a vacation by your place of employment is never fun. It can ruin your day because from that point on... all you can think about is work. Sigh.
Regardless, we headed to Edgartown after the Gay Head Cliffs. While Karen, Kerry and Andrea did some shopping, I sat by the dock on a conference call. Well, technically, I did not have a conference call. I called the conference line like my boss asked me to do... waited... and waited... waited for 15 minutes... hung up... called my boss at work... left a message on his voice mail... called the conference line again... waited for 5 minutes... hung up... called my boss's cell phone... left a message on his voice mail... called the conference line again... waited 2 minutes... hung up... called my boss's home number... and finally spoke with my boss. The conference call had been canceled. Yes, I was quite annoyed and frustrated. But at least I got to see a swan up close and personal while I sat waiting for the conference call.
After catching back up with Karen, Kerry, and Andrea, we indulged in a little relaxation therapy known as ice cream. We decided to eat at Mad Martha's Ice Cream. Mad Martha's Ice Cream... delicious. Normally, I don't eat ice cream for dinner... but today was one of those rare occasions which required it. The cookiewich was very good. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
Eventually, we made our way back to the ferry. In fact, Kerry got to see a part of Oak Bluffs that she had never seen before. She seemed quite excited.
All in all, I had a great time in Martha's Vineyard (work stuff aside). It was fun to be with everyone. Needless to say, the four of us were wiped out when we got back to the vacation house in Onset. We did, after all, spend the entire day and night in Martha's Vineyard. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
I Suck At Eating Ice Cream
Today, Karen and I left for our vacation in the Cape. Joining us were my friend (Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry).
The four of us had rented a house for the week as a means to just hang out together, relax, and enjoy each other's company. For me, this was the first time that I have been to Onset. Karen used to visit Onset with her family when she was growing up. Andrea likewise was familiar with Onset. I'm not sure about Kerry.
Needless to say, I was pretty excited. There was actually very little traffic on our way down to Onset. So we arrived pretty early at the house. And might I add, the house in Onset is very nice. The house is literally right across from the beach. As an extra bonus, the owners of the house were installing new faux wood blinds in the unit. So we get to break the blinds in! Now no one can see what we're doing inside... not that we would be doing anything anyways...
Because we arrived early, the four of us had lunch at Marc Anthony's Pizzeria. Apparently, people love the food at Marc Anthony's. I have heard a lot of recommendations for the place. Andrea and I ended up splitting a pizza. Truth be told, the pizza was okay. It was not terrible. It was not the best I have ever had either. But it was good.
Following lunch and a brief walking tour around the neighborhood, the four of us did what any vacationer down in the Cape would do: we went to the beach. The beach in Onset is nice. I have never been a big beach person, probably because I like to be active. Lying around in the sun has never been high on my list of activities... and apparently it shows because right now I have a little burn on my chest, a result of not applying any sunscreen in my attempt to get rid of my farmer's tan.
Anyway, the beach was surprisingly fun even if I did turn a little pink. (Curse you sun... you and your anit-Rickets vitamin D abilities!) The water was nice. The breeze was great. Plus, I even learned an interesting thing from Andrea. Andrea likes to rub her feet in the sand, because like a pumice stone, the action makes skin nice and smooth. Naturally, I tried it out. Interestingly enough, it's true. My skin was noticeably smoother. I am hoping to have baby soft hands and feet by the end of the week now. We'll see how that goes.
After our little beach excursion where I managed to get a little burnt on my chest (eyes up here please), we headed off to get some groceries for the week at the local Stop and Shop. When we returned, we had a little cookout. There is a commercial grill at the house in Onset. The grill is cool. I want one. Of course, I want a lot of things... and to quote Adam Sandler... "We're living in a material world and I am a material girl... or boy."
Anyway, shortly thereafter the four of us decided to get some ice cream. Andrea has decided that she will have ice cream every night... which, of course, I am all for. Unfortunately, I suck at eating ice cream.
(Pictured below is my ice cream cone.)
We went to Guido's for ice cream. Sure, I agree. It's an odd name. I ordered the daily special: double dutch chocolate. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-o" sound.) The ice cream was good. Unfortunately, I had the ice cream all over me. I had ice cream dripping down the cone... all over my hands... my arm... my mouth. It was not a pretty sight. A seven year old could eat ice cream better than me. But, it tasted good. (Well, the parts that did not drip all over me were good.)
If ice cream weren't enough excitement for the day, today was "Illumination" in Onset. Apparently, the harbor master "illuminates" the beach by creating a ring of flares. The illumination was quite beautiful looking (like Karen, Kerry, and Andrea... brownie points... brownie points.)
To cap off the night, we ended up watching a couple of episodes of Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars is such a good show. All in all, it has been a great first day for our vacation. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the week.
The four of us had rented a house for the week as a means to just hang out together, relax, and enjoy each other's company. For me, this was the first time that I have been to Onset. Karen used to visit Onset with her family when she was growing up. Andrea likewise was familiar with Onset. I'm not sure about Kerry.
Needless to say, I was pretty excited. There was actually very little traffic on our way down to Onset. So we arrived pretty early at the house. And might I add, the house in Onset is very nice. The house is literally right across from the beach. As an extra bonus, the owners of the house were installing new faux wood blinds in the unit. So we get to break the blinds in! Now no one can see what we're doing inside... not that we would be doing anything anyways...
Because we arrived early, the four of us had lunch at Marc Anthony's Pizzeria. Apparently, people love the food at Marc Anthony's. I have heard a lot of recommendations for the place. Andrea and I ended up splitting a pizza. Truth be told, the pizza was okay. It was not terrible. It was not the best I have ever had either. But it was good.
Following lunch and a brief walking tour around the neighborhood, the four of us did what any vacationer down in the Cape would do: we went to the beach. The beach in Onset is nice. I have never been a big beach person, probably because I like to be active. Lying around in the sun has never been high on my list of activities... and apparently it shows because right now I have a little burn on my chest, a result of not applying any sunscreen in my attempt to get rid of my farmer's tan.
Anyway, the beach was surprisingly fun even if I did turn a little pink. (Curse you sun... you and your anit-Rickets vitamin D abilities!) The water was nice. The breeze was great. Plus, I even learned an interesting thing from Andrea. Andrea likes to rub her feet in the sand, because like a pumice stone, the action makes skin nice and smooth. Naturally, I tried it out. Interestingly enough, it's true. My skin was noticeably smoother. I am hoping to have baby soft hands and feet by the end of the week now. We'll see how that goes.
After our little beach excursion where I managed to get a little burnt on my chest (eyes up here please), we headed off to get some groceries for the week at the local Stop and Shop. When we returned, we had a little cookout. There is a commercial grill at the house in Onset. The grill is cool. I want one. Of course, I want a lot of things... and to quote Adam Sandler... "We're living in a material world and I am a material girl... or boy."
Anyway, shortly thereafter the four of us decided to get some ice cream. Andrea has decided that she will have ice cream every night... which, of course, I am all for. Unfortunately, I suck at eating ice cream.
(Pictured below is my ice cream cone.)
We went to Guido's for ice cream. Sure, I agree. It's an odd name. I ordered the daily special: double dutch chocolate. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-o" sound.) The ice cream was good. Unfortunately, I had the ice cream all over me. I had ice cream dripping down the cone... all over my hands... my arm... my mouth. It was not a pretty sight. A seven year old could eat ice cream better than me. But, it tasted good. (Well, the parts that did not drip all over me were good.)
If ice cream weren't enough excitement for the day, today was "Illumination" in Onset. Apparently, the harbor master "illuminates" the beach by creating a ring of flares. The illumination was quite beautiful looking (like Karen, Kerry, and Andrea... brownie points... brownie points.)
To cap off the night, we ended up watching a couple of episodes of Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars is such a good show. All in all, it has been a great first day for our vacation. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the week.
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