A Sandy Pond summer send off

Tomorrow is September people, how did that happen?! I'm glad I got one more short camping trip in.

There's a small trail at the campground and Derek and I have been saying that we were going to do it at some point and we finally did it this camping trip. It was really short but had some nice views.

I have no idea who's hat this is.

Um yep, I'm super pale. Sunblock up baby.

Last time I played washer toss I did well but it hurt my arm a bit. I think I need to pump more iron.

Uncle Scott learning cat's cradle.

Crafts for the kiddies.

Here is my free yard sale sweatshirt. I did not go to BC. It's warm and has a hood and that's all that matters. Do I look like a college kid? They are all moving back in this weekend and driving me insane.

And now gather round as Derek shows us the art of making a marshmallow stick.

We won camping with this right here guys.

The campground had a breakfast in the morning. I don't have enough pancakes in my life.

So I tried to pop a squat in the woods and peed on my shoe. Ugh gross. I'm just not good at peeing in the woods. I used the bathroom after that. I was being lazy and didn't want to walk down and so as a result of my laziness I get pee on my shoe.

Curve cut to fit

Hello and welcome to the 25th floor.

So I was right about last minute panicking on Friday. I had two "very urgent" phone calls. I was able to get out at 3 to start my weekend early though. Here's the view from my desk. I'm right next to very large windows. Good thing I'm not afraid of heights. That's the Prudential on the right.

I was a bad girl and got Pour House for lunch. It was worth it. I hadn't had french fries in over a week which is a really long time for me. *pats self on back*

There's a tattoo convention in Boston this weekend. I just walked by but kind of wish I could go. I have one tattoo on my lower back. Yes I have a tramp stamp ok! Yes there is a butterfly! I was 18. I have been thinking about getting a second tattoo for years. Nothing large, maybe something to remember my dad by. He was an artist and passed away when I was a teenager. Or maybe I should hold a blog contest and the winner will have their face tattooed on me.

The Red Hat makes a really good burger but I couldn't have a burger two meals in a row so I went with teriyaki chicken.

No dispensers in the bathroom to take a photo of so I took a photo with this chap. Yes I am curve cut to fit.

It was a bit slow but hey that means faster service for us. They were playing the weirdest music. I was tempted to put Die Antwoord on the jukebox like I did last time I was at the Red Hat.


I'm off to go camping! Have a great weekend.

I'm already in long weekend mode

Ello ello, it's almost time for the long holiday weekend. There are no attorneys in the office tomorrow so I'm sure there will be some client demanding that they speak to an attorney. It always happens before a holiday.

How is it almost September? Summer just flew right on by. I really hope fall takes its time. No need to rush winter please, I still haven't recovered from it.

Blimp races! I'm not sure if that's what was actually happening here but there were more blimps and they were all following each other so I'd like to think it was some sort of race.

No photos of my in this post but don't fret for I have included a sleeping Bosco who is probably much cuter than me anyways.

Mr. Furlong and Mr. Chin. I really think you should consider a new name. FurChin just doesn't sound right. All I can think of is bearded ladies and how is that going to get me thinking about my real estate needs?

Ok time to finish watching Jurassic Park. I'm at the part where Timmy says he's going to throw up after the car gets thrown over the cliff by the T-Rex. I feel ya Timmy. I threw up one time from fear/adrenaline and that was after being attacked by wasps. Not as scary as a T-Rex flinging me off a cliff after trying to eat me but it felt that scary at the time.

Phobias

I work on the 25th floor of my building. Working on the 25th floor has brought to my attention how many people are afraid of elevators. Today I received a frantic phone call from a new client saying that she is afraid of elevators and is on the 23rd floor because she couldn't be on the elevator alone and everyone got off. She asked if someone could come get her. I was covering the front desk and asked one of my co-workers to go get her. This has happened a few times. One woman clung to my arm the whole time we were in the elevator. Nice to meet you too.

I've been stuck in our elevators more times than I can count. They breakdown all the time. Just last night the button to call an elevator wasn't working. I had to take the freight elevator down. I'm nice though and don't tell the elevator phobs this.

Apparently there is no official phobia name for a fear of elevators.

Triv-i-aaaaaaaaaaa

I'm stealing a tradition from my BFF Melissa. Melissa had a photo blog and she would always take a photo of the dispensers in the woman's bathrooms in bars. I am taking on the task of photographing the dispensers in bathrooms. I do this in honor of you Melissa. You are dead to me now that you've moved to Colorado. JK you're dead to me because you don't blog anymore. I find it amusing that they always have the bar's name on it. Is anyone going to steal the dispenser? This is also way over priced. No one is going to pay $1.00 for a condom. Make that shit free if you want to prevent babies.

After trivia (which we lost) Derek and I tried to catch the bus but then realized the bus was not coming for a long time. It was very windy and things got very dramatic.

Germana is too cool for me. She should have dumped me back in 1997.

We had to go back to the Green Briar since our bus was not coming forever. This was not the worst thing in the world.

So we hung out with our friends a little longer. Someone working at the Briar came over and told us we under paid. Um what? We paid with three credit cards and I wrote on the check to put the remainder on my card. I'm not the best at math but this does not add up. When we got a copy of the receipt it showed two credit cards and cash which is funny because no one paid in cash. So my card is probably going to be billed something way over the amount I owe.

Hey but trivia was fun and I learned no one really cares about the Beach Boys.

How to take an expensive bath

There was a Suzanne Somers diet book at work so I took a peak. Here's what I learned.

"Every once in a while it's fun to be a little crazy: a warm bath of rose petals while sipping a frosty Fruit Smoothie."

Is there any water in this bath? I was thinking a couple of rose petals would do but no that is not crazy enough. You must buy out the flower shop and laugh about how you have enough money to drown yourself in roses.

Ah yes I also end my day sipping on ginger tea, nibbling on fresh fruit, surrounded by beautiful lace. This is after my rose petal bath. I feel myself getting thinner already!

I'm no Suzzane Somers but you'd never guess that I busted the zipper on my skirt right before I took these photos. It's called composure.

Do you have "it"?

It's been a long time since I've done a photo post.

There are quite a few neighborhood cats. They are all very friendly and will come over for a pet or two. This guy I call Ben. Bosco is not allowed outside because I am way to nervous about something happening to him.

Derek got me an orchid. I love it. I've named her Agusta. I really hope I don't kill it. I've been reading up on orchid care.

Some yard sale treasures. I don't know where my mother got these sunglasses from or why no one bought them but they are mine now. And they fit my face! No sliding down or pinching.

I thought the pin was pretty even though I don't wear pins. I'll have to go somewhere fancy that requires a scarf and a pin.

I watched It this weekend, the silent from 1927 starting Clara Bow not the creepy clown It.

Do you have "it"?

"That quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force. With 'It' you win all men if you are a woman and all women if you are a man. 'It' can be a quality of the mind as well as a physical attraction."

I like the last part. "It" can be a quality of the mind as well as a physical attraction." I've said this many times to people feeling down on their looks. Attraction is not always purely looks based. There's always that guy or girl who may look average but people are drawn to them because of their personality.

Clara Bow is adorable in this movie. I'm a fan.

I was cracking up to myself over the "dialogue".

I think I should talk like I'm from the 20s. I'll say things like "hot socks" and "I'll take the snap out of your garters yet!"

Ah yes, Sunday night boredom. I made a faux hawk with my pony tail. I kind of look like a fem dude.

Yard sale vultures

Yesterday Derek and I got up at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. to head to my mother's house to help with her yard sale. I hate waking up early on Saturdays but I will do it for my mother.

The yard sale was supposed to start at 9 but the first person showed up at 6:45 asking my mother how long she had to wait for the stuff to be put out. "Will you be ready in a half hour?" she asks. NO you vulture, go away. It was like that pretty much all morning. People were circling the cul-de-sac waiting for the first items to be put out. We were set up before 9 and and vultures could pick.

My mother did pretty well. Anything that sold that I brought went towards Mr. Binx's dental surgery next week. And good news on the Mr. Binx front. The kitty cardiologist said that his hernia is congenital and that they don't recommend surgery. The organs have been like this for so long trying to move everything could make things worse. I'm so happy about this news! He seems to be doing good and now they can move forward with pulling the bad tooth.

Back to the yard sale. I got to meet pancake.

Pancake is three months old and belong's to Tony's grand daughter Jillian. I don't even know what to do with this much cute. I mean come on, look at those ears!

Jillian was having a guess the amount of candy in a jar contest. The winner got the candy and a dozen fresh eggs. Tony's daughter has chickens in her back yard.

She had a cane and would dance around.

"One dollar to enter the contest. Guess the amount of candy and win the candy and some eggs but not the jar!"

I asked her how everything was going and she declared "business sucks!" I tried not to laugh and offered to help. We did pretty good I think.

The neighborhood kids set up a lemonade stand and my mother had the brilliant suggestion of spiking our purchased lemonade with vodka. Don't worry I just had one small cup. Thank you for the idea mom.

It got hot so I borrowed my mother's picnic table dress. Derek laughed it me. I kind of like it. I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible hence the hat. I'm wearing SPF 50. I say no thank you to skin cancer. I will be pasty.

Now I have a bunch of leftover crap from the yard sale. I mean it's good fun crap that I like so I couldn't leave empty handed. I saw a movie called Predators lying in a box and swiped that up quick. I have a weird love for anything Predator or Alien related. Both great franchises in my opinion. How I missed this movie I have no idea. 

Sadly the picnic dress did not come home with me.

Bad luck always comes in threes

I really wish the universe would give my mother a break. First she had to put her boyfriend's dog to sleep after he bit the dog sitter. When Tony was in the hospital they had to put Sam the dog with his sitter due to his aggression towards my mother when Tony was not around. Even though the sitter agreed to continue to watch Sam my mother and Tony did not feel it was right to have her do that and risk being bitten again. My mother felt horrible about this. Tony passed not long after Sam was put down. He never made it back home from the hospital. Tony and Sam's ashes were mixed together which I know Tony would have been happy about. He loved his dog. 

After Tony passed I brought Mr. Binx back to live with my mother. He was her cat and I took him in when she and Tony first moved in together due to Mr. Binx and Sam not getting along. Not long after Mr. Binx was back with my mom it was discovered during a routine checkup that he has a hernia pushing on his heart and lungs. He is doing ok and probably has had it for a long time but they are recommending surgery to repair it. My mother is trying to save as much money as she can to move since the house was Tony's. This surgery will cost thousands but the results are usually good. She can't lose her cat now after all of this.

I wish I could help more financially but she is having a yard sale this weekend and I plan on bringing some stuff for her to sell that she can put towards Mr. Binx. I was also considering a crowd funding page but I'm sure there are many other people who need help with their pet's medical needs. I also don't know if she would be upset with me asking for donations. Hopefully the stuff I sell can contribute something to the bill.

Now what is the third thing you might be wondering? Well my aunt was diagnosed with cancer around the same time Tony went into the hospital. My aunt is currently in the hospital for a few weeks trying a new treatment as the last one did not work. So I'm counting that as the third thing universe. Enough already!

So if you have a moment maybe direct some positive thoughts my mom's way. I think she could use it.

I should probably be a party planner

My response to my friend's birthday party invite.

I’m going to bring a dead guy and prop him up likes he’s alive Weekend at Bernie’s style. He will be the “life” of the party. Then at the end of the night I’ll be like “it’s on that guys tab” and we all leave.

I see a party planning career in my future.

There's a new keyboard cop in town

Now hold it right there folks. There's a new keyboard cop in town.

I made the horrible mistake of getting into a "debate" on facebook. When will I learn? The answer is never. I just can't help myself. I nicely stated my opinion on a matter and someone was very unhappy with my opinion. I was labeled a "keyboard" cop and was told that I live in a cherry colored fantasy world. Sounds nice right? I waited for my blood to stop boiling (I'm a sensitive Sally) before I calmly responded. I then turned off notifications and didn't check for responses. See I have some self control. I probably should't have responded at all but I was very nice and civil about it because I'm a fucking lady.

So beware for I am patrolling the information superhighway with my cherry colored opinions. Respect my internet authoritah!

This can't be good

Some people check the weather religiously, I check Pollen.com. This is not looking good folks. I might have to live in a plastic bubble for a while.  

Massachusetts is an allergy hell hole. I've conducted my own research on the matter so I know this to be true. Every person that I know who has moved to Massachusetts has allergies here. People who have never had any type of seasonal allergies before suddenly have to pop Claritin like candy. When I travel it's amazing how much better my allergies are. I don't want to move though so you're in luck big allergy pharma, I'm keeping you in business.

Sometimes you just need a knitted wizard in your life

I came across this wizardly gentleman on my way to the bathroom at a going away party I attended last night. This is one of the best knitted items I've ever seen in my entire life. I mean his wand is a knitting needle you guys! I offered to sell a kidney or my soul to obtain him but alas he was not for sale. I've searched etsy for "knitted wizards" but so far I have found nothing like my friend here. At least I have this photo to remember him by.

I should also let you know this house had a "fairy room". This is the house of dreams.

Bon Voyage Melissa and my 20s

One of my best friends is currently road tripping across to country to her new home of Colorado. This move is bitter sweet for me. On one hand I know that this move is something she wanted but on the other hand she will no longer be right down the street from me. Melissa is the person that I did everything with in my 20s and her moving feels like officially closing the door on that time of my life. I'm a little sad but that's because I had a great time in my 20s. I had great friends and a good job and I enjoyed myself.

One of my co-workers the other day said that in her next life she wants to come back as me. I told her, trust me you don't, I have a horrible stomach. Her reasoning was that I'm always out and about and having fun. I would say that's true. I plan on keeping the good times rolling in my 30s because that's just who I am. The good times will involve different people and different types of fun but fun will be had.

I wish Melissa the best in her new Colorado adventure. Boston will miss her and I will miss her but thankfully we have the internets to stay in touch and many old photos from those crazy nights of our youth.