lobster pots + fog + the Atlantic = Bar Harbor, Maine

On July 5, we took Jordan to the airport, snuck in a quick nap, tidied up, then headed back to the airport to meet Ian's family. We enjoyed a pretty low key week — exploring (them), working (us), and enjoying some delicious local dining establishments followed by an episode or two of Burn Notice.

And when our extended weekend rolled around, we were ready to hop aboard the Downeaster to Maine. From Portland, we picked up our rental car and continued up to Bar Harbor, one of Dane and Micki's favorite places (and the location of the Obamas' latest vacation — we missed them by a week).

Our first order of business was lobster. On a recommendation, we stopped at Trenton Bridge for the catch of the day.

Then we watched them boil.

I'm not particularly fond of lobster as food and have a hard time eating anything that makes it to the dinner plate with a face. But the guys assured me it was the best lobster they'd ever had.

The next morning after indulging in tasty blueberry pancakes, we strolled down to the docks and hopped on the nature cruise around Frenchman Bay.

We learned about lobster fishing and how Maine is protecting its lobster population, saw seals and a bald eagle nest, and marveled at the expensive cottages (i.e. mansions) along the shore.

After lunch, Micki and I spent the afternoon on Oli's Trolley through Acadia National Park while the guys attempted to buy fresh lobster from the lobstermen. When we saw them again after our tour, they didn't have dinner but had managed to turn into lobsters themselves. Never go on the water at 10 a.m. in patchy fog without wearing sunscreen.

We finished our day at low tide, when a bridge emerges from the bay and you can drive from Bar Harbor to Bar Island. Just make sure you're back in town before high tide leaves you stranded!

Bar Harbor is picturesque — reminiscent of Colorado mountain towns we enjoy. And the coast of Maine is stunning. This made it fun and easy to snap lots of gorgeous landscape photos — the adjective "gorgeous" specifically modifying "landscape" and not necessarily "photos" (see more here). Maine is very photogenic. We'd love to go again to spend a little more time in Acadia National Park exploring the trails and taking in the views.

Thanks to Dane and Micki for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the city!

the best fireworks show. period.

Since we moved here, everyone kept telling us we have to experience Boston's Fourth of July celebration at least once, so we convinced Jordan to join us on the Esplanade with the Reunion crew. Sarah owns a 600 square foot tarp and shows up at 6 a.m. every year with a rotating group to secure a prime viewing location for Reunioners to hang out and enjoy the show. And wow, what a show.

Everything started at 8:30 with a flyover and the national anthem to kick off the concert. At 9:30 p.m., the Boston Pops played the 1812 Overture. Nearby churches ring bells at the appropriate time, cannons explode, and fireworks light up the sky. This, mind you, is just a precursor to the big show. And that teaser was the best fireworks show we'd ever seen.

From our vantage point, there was a bit of a lull in the action after the Overture. The national coverage started with host Craig Ferguson and special guest Toby Keith. They both sounded muffled on the giant speakers over our heads, which was disappointing in regards to Craig ("I know!") and less so with Mr. Keith (we're from Kansas, but we're not big country music fans).

After more great music by the Pops and a discussion on the music of John Williams, the fireworks began.

We realized exactly how great our location was. The fireworks were directly overhead, with MIT across the river as a backdrop. And there were fireworks I'd never seen before. One of my coworkers informed me Boston's Fourth of July show is the pinnacle of a firework person's career, and they often debut new fireworks here. I'll admit, I caught myself jaw dropped a few times during the show.

I echo the sentiment that no one should pass up the opportunity to spend the Fourth in Boston. And we picked up a few tips for next year.

• To snag a prime viewing spot, you should show up early (6-7 a.m.) and either have a rotating team or a picnic and games/books. And lots of sunscreen. And water.
• Embrace the fact that you won't get home quickly. We hung around the Esplanade for 15 minutes and things had cleared up considerably. We then wandered through the Public Gardens and the Christian Science Center Plaza before hopping on the Green Line, which had cleared up by then.
• A car downtown on the Fourth is really not a good idea. Drivers get grumpy when it's bumper to bumper on narrow, one-way residential streets at 11 p.m. And then people start honking, residents start yelling out their windows... it's not pretty. Parking then taking the T is a much less stressful option!

I hope you get to experience a truly spectacular fireworks show sometime in your life, and maybe we'll see you on the Esplanade next July 4th!

the Lion and Boston's most famous red stockings.

Jordan's family is competing to see who can visit all 50 states first. Two weeks ago, we were happy to assist him in crossing Massachusetts off his list, as well as serve as base camp for his excursions around New England.

You may recall Jordan, a.k.a. "the Lion," as one of our visitors during Ian's internship in Philadelphia, who joined us for an excursion to New York City.

For Jordan's first Boston adventure, he made his way from the airport to Sasaki without directions or a map, just because he can. He's one of the UCLA ROTC's best and brightest and a newly minted lieutenant.

Arriving two hours earlier than we expected, he left flowers and a photo at the front desk, raising some concerns from my coworkers. "Do you know this guy? ... Does he know you're married?" Yes, and yes: he was a groomsman in our wedding.

During the week, we enjoyed lovely evenings catching up and wandering around Boston together. And of course Jordan also made two side trips. He's a true Wilderness Explorer. The first was a drive around New England, where he spent a night camping to wake up to a beautiful sunrise in Maine. Or New Hampshire. Something like that. The second was a Megabus ride to take advantage of $5 Yankees tickets procured by friends visiting NYC. Even though he hates the Yankees. It must be a boy thing. Neither trip was planned out before he arrived in Boston. His motto is "fly by the seat of your pants."

Jordan returned in time to spend Fourth of July weekend with us. We spent Saturday afternoon exploring Harvard and the Esplanade with Fox, and indulging in J.P. Licks. We also visited the spot where George Washington took command of the Continental Army exactly 235 years to the day after the fact. Very momentous, given Jordan was commissioned just a month or two ago.

We then jumped on the T and headed to Fenway for Jordan's (and my) first Red Sox home game.

We found our seats, picked up some snacks, and settled in for the game. We've recently been watching Burn Notice, seasons on loan from Dane and Micki. To our surprise, Michael Westen walked out on the field to throw the first pitch.

Fenway was an incredible baseball experience. The park has so much character and history. I loved overhearing a kid behind us asking his grandpa how old Fenway is and about the red chair. And while "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is still a must during the 7th inning stretch, Fenway has added another tradition. At the middle of the 8th, everyone sings along to "Sweet Caroline."

We had great seats in the outfield and laughed at the strange guy in front of us who snuck in a McDonald's double cheeseburger in his back pocket, only to forget it was there and sit on it. He may or may not have had some chemicals in his system, which also made him and his friend noisy. Thankfully, just when they started getting annoying, the actual ticket holders for the seats showed up and the guys had to go bother someone else.

It was a beautiful evening, and to top it all off the Sox beat the Orioles 9-3. I think I might be a Sox fan for life now.

For more photos of the game, click here.

Stay tuned for Boston's Fourth of July celebration!

summertime in our new hometown

The Sunday after Flag Day Ian and I were meandering home and bumped into the Brookline Flag Day celebration carnival, which provided us the perfect opportunity to sample fried dough (the Bostonian equivalent of funnel cakes) and take fun photos.

As much as downtown Boston has to offer, I most enjoy our neighborhood. Kids bounce through park fountains, rainbow snow cones sparkle on a hot summer day, locally-owned shops and restaurants beckon patrons in from the busy sidewalk, a flashing marquee announces showtimes for classic films, bicyclists ring cheerful bells as they pass along the street, neighbors wave as they water their gardens. In these moments, it feels like we've never left home.

For more memorable June photos, click here.

a delicious afternoon at the beach

A few weekends ago, Fox and Sarah invited us to join them for a trip to a New England beach. Deciding the beach was a much more interesting way to cool off than installing our new window a/c unit, Ian and I grabbed towels and swimsuits and piled in the car.

We headed towards Plum Island, which is about an hour out of downtown. On our way, we stopped at one of two Sonics in the entire state of Massachusetts — something all four of us miss from "back home." The limeades made the rest of the trip go quickly, and in no time we had paid for parking and were rounding the corner to the beach.

We laid out our towels, ate brownies, made sand turtles, and Fox and Ian decided to be boys and jump into the frigid Atlantic.

The rhythm of the waves and the cool ocean breeze drifting over the hot sand was a recipe for nap time.

We woke up completely relaxed and decided ice cream was the next destination. Sarah navigated us through downtown Newburyport and found Gram's, thanks to her handy Google phone (oh, to work at Google and get all the cool new phones for free!).

After finishing off several large scoops between the four of us, Fox drove us back, sans GPS, and found a beautiful drive back to Boston. It was a perfect way to spend a hot afternoon!

For more photos, click here.

we shop at Trader Joe's part 3, i.e. Ian won... again.

I don't think Ian can continue arguing he isn't lucky. He won the Trader Joe's Bring Your Own Bag raffle for a second time. No complaints from me though — who doesn't love free groceries!

happy birthday, anna!

happy birthday to the one who makes my life brighter each day. i love you, anna!



love, your hubby.