Boston continued...

Saturday we spent going to Harvard and more of Boston. Vicky teaches a course at Harvard so mom and I wanted to see the campus. Plus I had to get a t-shirt. While we were there we stopped at Lush and awesome store where I bought a great lotion! Then to the gift shop where Vicky and my mom tried to convince me to buy a law school alum t-shirt.


Here I am with Mr. Harvard! I had to push through a bunch of tourists to get my chance up here.













Pretty campus! We were surprised there weren't more green spaces.







We headed back to Boston to see the Boston Public Library or the BPL as Vicky called it. She made sure I saw lots of libraries. Inside are murals done by John Singer Sargent, which were AMAZING!








My mom knocking on the door in the mural room. No one was home.











My mom and I in the courtyard of the BPL.








Woohoo! Boston Marathon!








Swan boats in the Boston Garden. While sitting here we saw 4 different wedding parties taking pictures.








Sunday
Sunday we headed to Concord, Massachusetts. We stopped at the Concord Museum, Orchard House, and the North Bridge.


Mom and Vicky walking in front of the Concord Museum. It was really interesting. I didn't realize that Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau were all from this area. We didn't make it to Walden Pond.






Hysterical picture that we saw in the museum. This is a little girl named Annie. We think there was something wrong with her or the artist was terrible. Her eyes followed us. I don't think she appreciated being laughed at.









Orchard House, or the house of Louisa May Alcott. This house was what the house in Little Women was based upon. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. Louisa's novel was largely based on her family and over 80% of the items in the house belonged to the family.








Orchard House








Me in front of Mr. Alcott's school. He was a huge part of reforming education in this country. I was amazed that a lot of the things he helped to change we still do today. What a cool guy!







Me in front of Ralph Waldo Emerson's house.










Me on the North Bridge, where the Revolutionary War began.











Sorry for so many pictures! Coming soon-pics from the All-Star race and Jammin' at the Zoo!

Beantown Trip

My mom and I just got back from Boston last week where we went to visit her cousin, Vicky. It was a short trip Thursday to Monday, but we packed a lot of stuff in a short time!

Thursday
Thursday was pretty laid back. We got in around lunch time and Vicky picked us up from the airport. We headed back to her house and settled in before meeting up with Vicky's man-friend Carl at their private club. I don't have any pictures but this was a hilarious evening. We all got dolled up and headed out. The club is housed in an old home that is just HUGE! We listened to some piano music while enjoying drinks and apps. The entertainment was just that-entertainment. An older gentleman and his daughter and her family played for us. At one point, they played Let it Be which lead to an impromptu singalong. Not what I was expecting from an older, reserved crowd. I sat next to a guy in a pink seersucker jacket whose name was Morgan and he kept me entertained.

Friday
Friday we headed into the city of Boston for a tour of the Otis House (one of the museums that Carl's organization is in charge of-the house dates to 1796 and was amazingly preserved). We had to wear booties to protect the carpets-didn't get a picture but it was pretty funny!

Next we headed up Beacon Hill for a bit and saw the brownstone where John Kerry resides.

Then we really headed into the walking part of our tour which included the state courthouse (where Vicky used to work), the state house, a private library that Vicky and Carl belong to, various parts of the Freedom Trail, Paul Revere's house, and a gelato stop.


This is the state courthouse...it was beautiful inside!


The state house and where we picked up the Freedom Trail.












The view from one of the rooms in the private library. A historic graveyard of some sort.







My mom and I on the balcony of private library with Boston in the background!









Mom and Vicky on the same balcony!









Site of the Boston Massacre.








Quincy Market where we had lunch. I had an AWESOME peanut butter brownie here too! And yes, that is mom's head at the bottom of the pic!






We stopped to have my picture taken in front of my restaurant.








Vicky and I in front of Paul Revere's house.









I'll finish up in another post!!

What was I thinking?! and Viva La Block!

First of all, I have to mention that I saw NKOTB in all of their retro glory again last night. Basically a few tweaks of their first tour but the addition of Popsicle made my friend Sara's night! I will post pics whenever I get home. Again I screamed like I was 9 again and danced around with a bunch of my friends. It was awesome. The night was made complete by the drive by of Waffle House to see all of the silly 20 and 30 something women hoping that the boys (I mean, men) would be dropping by. It was literally a crowded House. Oh, and Donnie or D Dub as you are now called, please stop making the smarmy comments about getting with little girls moms and us having boobs now. It is creeping us out. As Ashley put it, our 9 year old selves are here not our 28 or 29 year old selves. We're too young to hear this kind of talk. Thanks-love you!


My friend Kristin called the other day to schedule a dinner and mentioned that she is running the All-Star 5K for the All-Star game coming up in a week or so. She told me I should run it with her and what does my dumb self do? I signed up. Keep in mind that I only started running again this week and am only up to about a mile without stopping. I'm really only in it for the t-shirt. Oh, and to top it all off, I'm going to go see Kathy Griffin the night before. I love that broad. And, yep, I'm a glutton for punishment.

Here's to memories of childhood, free t-shirts, and celebrity trash talking!

We interupt this regularly scheduled non-blogging to bring you...

this! I went to see The Proposal with a few friends yesterday and it was so funny! Seriously, like, I don't remember when the last time I laughed out loud that much at a movie theater. Plus, there was lots of Ryan Reynolds (aka Berg!). Ryan and I go way back to the days of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. I love, love, LOVED that show! Anyhow, I just needed an excuse to post this picture again.

In other news, I was forced to sit in virtually no air conditioning with no air circulation or windows all morning. I think I'm a little loopy and have a raging headache. I drank as much water as possible and am now peeing every five seconds. A nap was certainly called for in this situation. I feel a little bit better but am going to take it easy tonight.

Off to Blockbuster to trade in Vicky Christina Barcelona (odd but decent movie) for something lighthearted that I can watch tonight from my couch. I promise pictures of my spending spree soon!

Wait..what was the title of my last post?!

Well, school's back in session. Summer school that is. After a fun week with my friend Amy in Chicago that involved WAY too much shopping (like such a thing exists!), I'm back at work. The nice part is I'm finished by 12:30 so I still have all afternoon to do nothing-which is what a good summer vaca should entail. I'll try to remember to take a picture of all my loot from Chicago and post it along with the incredible view from our hotel room. (Please read the part about hotel sarcastically-view was terrible!)

In order to get off this weight that keeps creeping back on, I am planning to hit the gym this afternoon to go for a run. I haven't run since the GOTR 5K about a month ago! It is amazing to me how life gets in the way of great intentions. Wish me luck that I don't die on the treadmill this afternoon!

School's Out for the Summer!

Yay! I have officially finished school for the year! I've been completely enjoying my first couple of days off. Basically I've done nothing but it feels so good! I did manage to get to the dermatologist yesterday before the huge storm. I have eczema so it is a pretty easy fix. Apparently I should use Vaseline as a lotion. I refuse to be all greasy so Dove will be the alternative.

I'm attempting to summer clean my house but it is a very slow process. So far I've started with the bathroom and am planning to work on my bedroom today. I'm such a pack rat but after seeing all of the crap that my grandparents kept, I'm all for purging.

I'm also starting to plan what to bring for my trip next week to Chi-town with Amy. I'm super excited and I know she is too. I'll have to study what the weather is going to be like. I'm thinking lots of summer dresses unless it's going to rain the whole time we are there.

Alright, I'm going to leave with a picture of my team from Girls on the Run...

Wowza!

I can't believe it has been over a month since I last blogged. Shame on me! Things have been extremely hectic in my life lately and I'm hoping things are finally slowing down.

Let's see what have I done...I've taken a group of 4 girls to Book Battle and met yet another author (who I just know is going to be crazy popular soon). Heather Brewer and her husband Paul are awesome. I've also run my very first 5K with a group of 15 girls from my school at the Girls on the Run 5K. It was so incredible. I was so proud of the girls who showed up and really gave it their all. I didn't get to run the entire race, but I was proud of completing it and making sure all my girls did too. My friend Sarah went with me and ran as well. The most important thing of that race was that I did it in memory of my grandpa. While he was sick I told him all about this program and he just laughed when I told him that we finished with a 3.1 mile run. I don't think he had complete confidence that I'd do it so it became my mission to prove him wrong. Thanks Grumpy Grandpa for the inspiration!

Well, I have one more day of school left. Thank goodness! I don't think I could take anymore. Next week promises to be a little more low key with a trip to the dermatologist (for that stupid rash that isn't contagious, doesn't spread, but itches like a mother f'er on my elbows) and to get my hair cut (I'm debating a big change). This Saturday is the estate sale for my grandma and grandpa. I'm not sure if I really want to go but I feel compelled to do so. It is going to be a rough day.

Ok, back to looking like I'm doing work in the library instead of blogging....