Haunted Happenings

So, in looking back at my posts from before my hiatus, I see that the only thing that I promised to talk about but still haven’t is my Halloween trip to Salem, MA. Of course, I don’t remember all the details now, being that it’s almost six months later (*gasp*), but I will do my best.

Early in the day, Brian drove down to meet Bill and me at our apartment. We then headed to Dan’s in Cambridge to park the car and continue the rest of our journey on the T. We headed to North Station and waited for the commuter rail train out to Salem. Although we missed the train we were aiming for by literally a minute and had to wait an hour for the next one, the experience on the train was certainly better than the previous year’s. In 2007, Dan and I impulsively decided to go to Salem on Halloween so we tried to take one of the rush hour trains out there. Well, practically everyone and their mother, and their mother’s mother too, tries to head to Salem after work on Halloween for some evening partying. That made for a very cramped and difficult ride. Additionally, Dan and I were more interested in the “Haunted Happenings” than the late night drunken parties at the Salem bars but we got there so late that all we were left with was thousands of obnoxious drunk people in costumes. Hence the decision to take the day off from work and head out there for a nice full day this year.

When we first got off the train, we weren’t really sure where to start. We ended up at the Witch Dungeon Museum where you get to watch a stage reenactment of a 1692 witch trial before heading down into the basement where you get a guided tour of the dungeon. The original dungeon was torn down but they have one large beam from the original structure on display down there. The show is pretty good and the tour is fun. It was a good way to start the day.

We then got something to eat at a small local place and people watched as the costumed revelers walked past the windows. After lunch, we wandered around a little, checking out all the available activities and entertainment, not to mention more crazily costumed people. We really wanted to get into the Salem Witch Museum but they said that they would not sell tickets in advance when I called a few days ahead and by the time we made it down that way, the last showings were sold out. We then wandered around the graveyard trying to make out names on the tombstones. I know that some well-known “witches” are buried there, as well as some historical figures, but I think you need to be with a tour guide who knows exactly where they are…because all the writing is worn away.

Our last stop was Eerie Evenings at the Witch House, a 17th -century mansion and home of Judge Jonathan Corwin. We were taken into three different rooms of the house and in each one, a costumed actor came in and told a story – they were actually more like monologues and they were quite good! It was a really great atmosphere and the actors were great. Apparently they were all actually Union actors which definitely showed.

After that, we headed back towards the train to begin the journey home. We were all exhausted and sore from wandering all day long but had a good time. I’d definitely do it again sometime, even on a day that’s not Halloween since that day is so crowded in Salem. You can’t beat the atmosphere of actually being there on Halloween, but Salem does a good job of getting into the Halloween spirit starting right on October 1st. Most of the museums are open year round too – I know I’ve been there on a school trip before. When I have kids, it can definitely be an autumn family activity – fun and educational.

Bill is not pleased at being in my witches brew!

The guys hanging with some pirates.

Who's skinnier? lol

Hangin’ Tough

So, I found a partial draft of this post today…I guess it was the last thing I was working on before I went MIA. LOL

On September 28, 2008, I made a childhood dream of mine come true. I saw the New Kids on the Block perform live at the TD Banknorth Garden with Sarah.

That was all there was. LOL I am sure I had a lot more to say about it at the time, but I can barely remember it now. Things got pretty crazy in my life soon after the concert.

I do remember that it was like being thrown back into the 80s/early 90s. There was so much blue eyeliner, big hair (or side ponytails) and distressed denim. Of course everyone in the audience was our age or even older, but they were all acting like insane teenage girls. I imagine it’s similar to what the environment at a Hannah Montana or Jonas Brothers show is like. hahaha

It was a lot of fun through. You can tell that the boys put a little more pizazz in the show for their home town crowd (Boston!!). I haven’t been to many concerts but this was definitely a great night. I think Sarah and I realized that were were not as excited as a lot of people there but it was an experience I am glad I had since I did love them so much when I was little.

You’d be amazed at how many people still had their original paraphernalia with them…I guess my mom threw most of that way but I had posters, t-shirts, night gowns, pins…everything. I had my Joey McIntyre pin for a long time but for some reason gave it to Emma in high school…I wonder if she even still has it. Sarah and I kinda wanted to buy a big ridiculous button for the sake of it, but they were mostly sold out…they only had Danny left and frankly, he was my least favorite. I would have bought a Joey, Jordan or even Donnie in a heart beat. LOL

All in all, I am glad we went. My 9-year-old self is thanking me for the opportunity that she was too young to have.

OMG

It’s been way too long. How did I let this happen again?

Sorry!

I promise to post something soon.

I have so much to tell!!!

Made me think of Bill…

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Who’s been there?

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Happy Anniversary!

Bill and I celebrated our one year anniversary on September 19. It’s been a fantastic year and we have come a long way since we first met through eHarmony last September. It’s been a year full of fun and love and exciting new adventures, including me moving out of my parent’s house and in with Bill. I wouldn’t trade this past year for the world and I look forward to many more with my honey.

So, as a gift, I made Bill a photo book detailing our first year together. I must admit, it is pretty sweet. It starts with a full-size picture of each of us on opposite pages – they were our primary eHarmony profile pictures, so it’s like “boy meets girl” all over again. Then I included the story of how we met, which I wrote for the blog (the link to it is in the paragraph above). After that, I was able to chronicle the past year in photo’s pretty well, giving detailed captions and telling short stories. It includes our first pictures together, meeting each other’s friends, Bill’s 29th birthday, our first Christmas together, our vacation to San Francisco with friends, watching the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Southie (a tradition for me and my friends), Easter, moving in together, getting our kitten Toby, summer fun and finally, our romantic summer vacation to Newport, RI. I really enjoyed making it and I was so excited about it, that I actually gave it to Bill about three weeks early. I just couldn’t wait. I think he really liked it too. (I hope!)

On our actual anniversary, Bill surprised me at work by sending a dozen red roses, chocolates, a teddy bear and a balloon to my office. The women in the office next door were super jealous and popped their heads in to tell me so. Our anniversary was on a Friday so we knew that we could go out and have a nice night without having to worry about getting to work the next day. I had told Bill that it was his job to plan something special and he kept it a secret. I didn’t know where I was going on Friday night until he called me at work in the afternoon on Friday to tell me where to meet him. He told me to go to Pizzeria Uno’s (The Uno’s of Love) in Waltham, which is where we met for the first time. When I got there, he was sitting on the same bench waiting for me as he was the very first I ever laid eyes on him. Walking across the parking lot towards him filled me with the same excitement as it had a year ago and I even felt a little nervous! It was like reliving our first date all over again and it was really cute and romantic. The only difference was that at the end of the night, I got to go home with the cute guy I met at Uno’s – something I cherish doing every night.

I love you Bill. Happy anniversary, again!

Valentine's Day on Alcatraz. Romantic, huh? j/k!

Dancing Squirrels…

How’d they do that? LOL

Hopefully this gives you a 2 minute reprieve from slogging through Hump Day at work. The weekend is coming, I promise!

Happy Birthday to me…

So, it’s been over two months since my birthday, but I’m going to try to recap all of the related festivities. Funnily enough, I actually had a birthday dinner with my work last week. My boss’s new grandchild (the new daughter of my other boss as well) was born on my birthday so they were both out of town with the new baby until late September. Then, in early October, my dad passed away so I guess it wasn’t really the right time for birthday celebrations. However, last week my boss asked about my availability for a dinner which really surprised me because I just assumed that it had gotten forgotten and passed over. It was a nice dinner and a nice time. So dear readers, although it is two months late, the spirit of my birthday is still very much alive and therefore there is no reason not to blog about it!

So my birthday was on a Monday, which is pretty lame. But on Sunday night, Bill, Dan, Ann, Kate and I had dinner at Border Cafe in Harvard Square. Mmmm, fajitas!

The next day, I actually had taken off work and somehow decided that it was a good idea to get my New Hampshire driver’s license and to get my car registered to NH on my birthday. (Considering I had already been living in New Hampshire for about 5 months already, I guess it was bordering on necessity.) To back up a bit, I had actually tried to get this taken care of in April, but I did not double check all the proper forms of ID I would need. I assumed that my Massachusetts license would count as a valid ID (since I use it as such all the time) but it apparently wasn’t – they would take a passport or birth certificate. After standing in line for about an hour, I was sent away without a license. This experience is probably what caused me to avoid trying again for so long. Anyways, the tiny, little DMV office I went to was ridiculously crowded and confusing, with really bad signage and customer service. I ended up standing in the wrong line for 45 minutes (along with several other people). Also note, that in April when I first tried to get my license, it had been the right line! They must have changed things and neglected to make new signs. So, I get in the correct line and wait another 45 minutes to an hour only to find out that I do not have the right documentation again!! Last time I had gone, I brought my lease addendum – the official document showing that I joined the lease that Bill had already held. The woman had told me that it was fine, the only thing I was missing was my passport or birth certificate. However, this time I was told that the lease addendum was not proper proof of residency. I needed to also bring the original lease, even though my name is nowhere on it, to show what the addendum was an addendum to. She told me I could run home and grab it and then come back to the front of the line. Basically, I got back to my car just in time to have a nervous breakdown and start sobbing. I was so frustrated. Bill told me to just stay calm and get home in one piece, then he’d go back to the DMV with me for moral support. When I got to the apartment, Bill had my birthday cards and presents all laid out in the living room to cheer me up. (They definitely helped.) So, we went back to the DMV with everything they needed and skipped to the front of the line and finally got my frickin’ license. I look so angry in my license photo, it’s not even funny.

That night, we went to dinner with my mother and Dan at Dandelion Green in Burlington. It is a nice place, although a little expensive. Definitely a “special occasion” type of place. They have a salad bar, which comes free with most meals, which I really enjoy. I love salad bars! I wish more restaurants still had them. They also have really good meat and seafood, including great prime rib and steaks. If you go on your actual birthday, you get to eat for free which is cool. You have to show ID to prove that it’s your actual birthday. I don’t think there are any restrictions on how expensive the meal you order is either, so go ahead and order the lobster!

That weekend I went to see A Chorus Line with Dan. That was my birthday present from him. We had some Vietnamese food first and then saw the show at the Opera House. I enjoyed the show, but it’s not one that I need to see again. Not like Les Miz or Avenue Q or others which I could see over and over again. There was a lot of incredible dancing but I didn’t think the storyline was very exciting. I also didn’t like how some of the songs fit into the story…it felt forced. Disjointed. And aside from one or two really good songs, songs I’ve heard before, none of the others really caught me. I found myself entertained but let down a bit. I certainly enjoyed it and am glad that I saw it once, but once will be enough for me.

Finally in the birthday lineup was the surprise dinner that Bill organized for me at The Melting Pot in Burlington. (The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant which is really fun. I had been to one in the Seattle area a few years ago and was really looking forward to doing it again someday.) So, I won’t say that I didn’t have my suspicions about some kind of birthday surprise going down, but the further it got from my actual birthday, the more confused I became. When Bill said that he wanted to go to the Melting Pot with me and Dan, I was suspicious but also kinda starting to think that there was no surprise coming and it really was just a dinner for the three of us. Unfortunately for Bill, there was no traffic on Route 3 that day and we got to the restaurant right on time…however, the person bringing the guest of honor is usually supposed to show up a few minutes late. So, we get to the parking lot and I see Ann, Kara and Kate walking towards the restaurant. Rather than drive by them, Bill hopes that I didn’t see them and swings the car around and starts driving the other way, claiming that he just realized that we entered the wrong way. I try not to laugh and just go with it, but when we enter the parking lot from the other side, Bill’s dad is standing in front of the restaurant. I just started laughing and Bill realized that the cat was out of the bag. Hahaha. He really tried though, and I was even starting to doubt my own suspicions so I think he did pretty well. Next time, I’ll be totally blindsided. So, we go into the restaurant and Ann, Kara, Kate, Dan, David, Marilyn, Brian and Bill’s parents are all there. It was a really nice party. The fondue is so delicious and so much fun!! My friends had put together a slide show in honor of me, featuring pictures starting back from age 7 or 8. It was crazy! Ann also baked a delicious cake. I had a great time and I love Bill so much for putting it all together for me. I am sorry the surprise part didn’t work out 100% the way you wanted it to but I know how hard you tried and that’s what really matters to me. I love you babe!

So, I guess now, two months later my birthday is finally over. I don’t think that there will be anymore dinners or parties in my honor until next September. Oh well, I can wait. And until then, I have the holidays to tide me over.

Having fun at the Melting Pot. :p

Laughing too hard to blow out the candles.

No really. I can't!

Finally got it!

Dinner at Rialto

So, to continue with the tradition that we began last year, Dan, Kate, Ann and I decided to take advantage of this year’s Restaurant Week. Basically, for one week during the summer (they also do it once during the winter) some really nice, and normally quite pricey restaurants offer a fixed price, three-course dinner menu for only $33. ($33.08 to be exact. And next year will be $33.09. They also offer a lunch menu for $20.) It is a nice way to give people a chance to visit restaurants that they may not normally be able to afford and perhaps open them up to a new “special occasion” favorite.

This year, we decided to try Rialto which is located in the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. Unfortunately, since we went on Monday, August 18th, I don’t remember all of the details about the experience but I’ll do my best.

Since we were all coming from work, it was a little difficult to ensure that everyone arrived on time so Kate, Dan and I ended up waiting at the bar for a little while. The bar was nice and the bartender seemed pretty knowledgeable…or at least he was trying to seem knowledgeable to the pretty woman who he was talking to while she waited alone for her friends. He got her to try a cocktail made with egg-whites which she seemed to really enjoy even though she had been skeptical about it. I know that Ann, Dan and Kate also really enjoyed each of the interesting cocktails that they tried. When Ann arrived, we found out that we had lost our reserved table in the main dining room but that we could sit in the lounge adjacent to the bar. The lounge was actually really nice. There was a comfy, cushioned bench on one side of the table and sheer, white curtains surrounded the table making it seem like we were having our own private VIP party. The food was really good. I remember having a risotto for my appetizer which was amazing. For the main course, all four of us had the steak dish which was also very good. For dessert, I forget what I had but I know it was chocolate, it was decadent and we were all very excited over it.

All in all, it was another good experience. Again, I probably will not return there outside of restaurant week because I just am not the type of person to drop so much money on a meal, despite the quality. Perhaps on a special occasion in the future, who knows?

Catching up and keeping promises…

So, there are several things that I’ve promised to write about which I never quite got around to. Some date back as far as August. I am going to try to remedy that in the next few days. Some posts may be a little brief, but I will at least touch on the issue I promised. There are also some things I should write a little bit about even though I never made any promises about them. Things have been a little crazy the last month or so and I’ve definitely let some blog-worthy material go by the wayside. I’ve got to catch up!

Expect to hear about:

• Boston’s Restaurant Week
• My birthday and all related events
• Me & Bill’s 1 year anniversary
• NKOTB in concert
• Halloween Festivites

Stay tuned…