We were in a sorry state when we finally arrived in D.C. so we pretty much went straight to bed. Being so hung over in a 6-year-old girl’s room covered in Selena Gomez posters and all things pink feels a little wrong. I should probably explain that we stayed with our friends Seth and Jill just outside D.C. and their daughter Chloe generously let us use her room for a few nights.
We got a bit of a late start the next morning and started out going to Seth’s local Dunkin Donuts where Seth is famous and the manager loves their son Cooper (who couldn’t?). We headed down to the Georgetown area as neither Alan nor I had ever seen or spent much time there before. We grabbed lunch at J Paul’s and then walked down to the Potomac where we could see the Kennedy Center and Arlington buildings across the river. I fell in love with the residential areas near Georgetown with the stunning row homes and pleasant streets. This is one of the few places on our trip I felt like I could see myself living (though I’m sure this particular area is no easier to get a starter home in than Santa Monica). We meandered around the campus for a bit and Seth showed us where he taught a class.
::seth and jill at georgetown::
Another one of Alan and Seth’s fraternity brothers came down (up?) from Baltimore for the day and met up with us here, and we all went over to drive by the national mall, and walked over to the White House and WWII memorial.
::white house, obligatory around the world photo::
::high fiiiive::
::i love fall::
Back at Seth and Jill’s we kicked some soccer balls around with the kids. I thought it was cute that the neighborhood kids go “ghosting,” which is when they ring the doorbell, drop a bag of candy and run. The neighborhood was full of young families and obviously a great community for raising kids. I was jealous of this, as it’s harder to find in LA.
::cooper and jill playing with the neighbors adorable puppy::
:adorbs::
::how cute is this munchkin?::
::jumbo in a diaper::
Much to Chloe’s dismay the adults went out to Mexican for dinner at Mi Cucina where I was regaled with more stories of the Tufts college experience. Those crazy kids. Seth and Jill even dug out their old photos when we got home and we enjoyed seeing how young everyone looked and how different Alan was.
It was a short visit, but great to catch up with Seth and Jill and I was very happy to finally meet and get to spend some time with their too stinking cute kids.
After we fought Friday traffic out of the city, we arrived in Long Island to celebrate Phil and Eileen’s nuptials. The rehearsal dinner Friday night was at a nearby restaurant where food and alcohol were provided in abundant supply. The toasts were my favorite part, especially father of the groom, who gave his toast in Russian while Phil translated.
The next morning Alan and I drove out to Great Neck to visit his paternal grandmother, Elsie, and his uncle Mickey and Sharon and their son Jonathan. I was obsessed with the collection of mid-century modern furniture in Elsie’s house. we had a great conversation over some tasty bagels, and we also enjoyed the family photos she had on display.
::I’m Ron Burgundy?::
::my handsome father in law::
::how cute! alan and kenny::
Back at the hotel we quickly got ready and hopped onto the shuttle to the wedding. This was my first Russian wedding, and boy was it Russian. Rumor has it they chose this location because it was the only county within driving distance from Boston that lets you put a bottle of vodka out on each table. And a bottle of vodka there was, in addition to cognac, wine and a full bar, not to mention the vodka martini bar that literally dropped from the ceiling amid dry ice during the cocktail hour, and the most impressive spread of edible offerings I have every seen at a wedding. My favorite part was that every time someone says “Gorka! Gorka!” the bride and groom have to kiss (and I think everyone is supposed to take a vodka shot). Given the ample supply of vodka its no surprise the party lasted past 5am.
::just a glimpse of the food situation::
The ride out of Long Island the next day was the worst. I’m not naming names, but someone whose name rhymes with Schmalan may or may not have booted in the car, and I may or may not have had to stick my head out of the window to avoid vomiting myself on account of the smell.
P.S. Anyone know why there are no tolls on the west coast, but they’re all over the east? Also, when did they get so expensive?! The Illinois toll was $7.90 and then Ohio was $9.75… and then the Verrazano Bridge toll was $15! (I was happy to see tolls of 70 cents upon entering Virginia).
Seven and a half hours of driving took us into the city for some good eats and friend time. We stayed with our friend Jack in the East Village.
Our first night in town we headed over to Café Mogador on St. Marks for some Moroccan food and a great time catching up with two of my Cornell friends, Ellie and John.
The next morning we stopped for our first bagels of the visit. Russ and Daughters’ bagels were tasty, but more than $15!? What?? Granted Alan ordered sable, which is apparently fancy bagel ish, but honestly. It’s a damn bagel. Then I ordered a small latte at a coffee shop nearby which cost more than $5. New York, you were not nice to the budget.
::I do love the street art in NYC::
We wandered all the way down to South Street Seaport to get discounted tickets to a Broadway show from TKTS. We ended up choosing a Jersey Boys matinee the next day (though I was really bummed they didn’t have tickets for the Glass Menagerie or times that worked for us to see First Date). Afterwards we met Jack for lunch at Mad Square Eats, which was a collection of tented food and drink stands from popular New York eateries out for a limited time near Madison Square. I opted for some fabulous thin crust pizza and Alan got a lobster roll. Jack gave us a quick tour through Eataly – which is super cool; I could totally spend a lot of time in there (and eat a lot). The roof deck is equally amazing, and perfect on a sunny day like the one we were experiencing.
Later, we caught up a bit at Jack’s condo as he regaled us with stories of his fast paced and sleepless New York life. We had on Project X in the background (we’d all already seen the movie, which is awesome by the way) and I said that this movie makes everyone in the world nostalgic for college, except Jack because it probably makes him nostalgic for Tuesday night.
We got dinner at one of Jack’s favorite spots – the Redhead – with my friend Emily and her boyfriend Mike. The fried chicken Jack had raved about did not disappoint, and it was as always super fun hanging out and catching up with Emily.
On Wednesday we again got bagels, this time from David’s and they were much less expensive. We did a little bit of work in the am before grabbing a slice at Vinnie Vincenza and heading up to the August Wilson theater for the Jersey Boys show, which was really good despite the fact that people were singing along in the audience. Am I the only person who finds that annoying? I came to hear the talented actors and singers perform, not the audience.
After the show we met up for drinks with Alan’s friend John whom I’d never met (and was lovely), then ran over to our friends Mili and Sharath’s to catch up and meet their uber-adorable little boy. We hurried next over to Ippudo to meet our friends Morgan and Conrad for dinner (always hurrying in New York). I unfortunately found out about Beyaz’s passing right before the meal. I managed to keep in most of my tears to enjoy dinner with them, but let’s just say the rest of my evening was quite unpleasant.
The next day we went to the Met, and in between crying fits I saw the Balthus cats and girls exhibit and an Arab section we liked a lot, with tiles and carpets and various implements. The views from the roof were spectacular on that again sunny day.
::view from the met::
In need of a snack, we stopped at the Dutch in SoHo. I think we may have been confused for food reviewers, because we were given a second oyster sandwich, appetizer, cornbread and pie for free, all this while sitting at the bar and not even ordering a cocktail. Maybe it was the “you look like you lost your best friend” consolation prize. Or with swollen eyes I look like someone famous? Who knows. It was quite baffling as nobody around us seemed to get all the extra treats on the house.
From there we went to the James Hotel to grab drinks with another one of Alan’s fraternity brothers whom I hadn’t yet met. Then it was off to DBGB to get dinner with lots of Tufts alum, most of which were in the city for Phil and Eileen’s wedding on Long Island that weekend.
Before heading out to Long Island the next day we grabbed lunch with two of Alan’s cousins – Nina and Jonathan at Breslin.
OK, granted my dog died and I was in a terrible mood for much of my time in New York (grieving while on the road – and especially while trying to connect with friends and family left and right – is no fun. And this was worse than when my cat died and I took three days off of school to grieve), but here are some general thoughts. I’ve never been a huge fan of New York. I think my blind faith in all things Boston and my love for the Red Sox may have played a role in this growing up. But I also think it’s just too much for me. New York City is a city of excess. One never feels the proper amount of any sensation – too cold, too humid, cramped, loud… I gave it a shot, especially given Alan’s love and respect for the city, but the over-stimulation that New York provides on a constant basis is just not my cup of tea.
We drove back up to Massachusetts after the wedding, this time headed towards Western Mass to see Alan’s mom for a few days. It poured rain that day, which was perfect because we had no intentions of doing anything productive. Alan and his mom watched some football games while I finished my book – The Marriage Plot. It’s written by the guy who wrote Middlesex, which I read a few years back and absolutely loved. This one picked up slow, but the second half of the book was fantastic. There was one simile that I so enjoyed. Eugenides describes a scene in which the manic-depressive character faces an emotional event, its effects thwarted by the lithium he was taking. The way he explains it is just magic: “[He] stood rooted to the floor. His eyes were filling, but if he kept blinking fast enough, no tears fell. As much as he hated his lithium, here it was his friend. [He] could feel the huge tide of sadness waiting to rush over him. But there was an invisible barrier keeping the full reality of it from touching him. It was like squeezing a baggie full of water and feeling all the properties of the liquid without getting wet. So there was at least that to be grateful for. The life that was ruined wasn’t entirely his.”
We spent our days in Longmeadow catching up on some much needed exercise, looking into visas for our international trip, and other fun and riveting errands like obtaining flu shots and dozens of passport photos.
In more exciting news, we met Alan’s grandparents, Frieda and David, for dinner and I saw their new home in Longmeadow for the first time. As always, they were wonderful company, and Alan and I came by again for lunch with just them the next day. Afterwards we visited the Longmeadow farmer’s market where Ronnie sets up a stand selling her jewelry. I bought a beautiful vintage piece from her to give to my mother as a gift. Since Ronnie had plans in the evening Alan and I went out to dinner at a new spot in his hometown – Max’s. It’s primarily a burger spot, and Alan enjoyed his Alfred burger, covered with Comté cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli, though I went with the seared scallop salad, which was less impressive.
I headed back to Maine the next day to squeeze in a couple more nights of mom and dad time while Alan bonded with his mother. It was great seeing them (and Bey) again and I of course ate some more lobster and drank some more wine. My last night there we checked out a new restaurant in Kennebunk called the Village Tavern, which was impressive! We went super early and were surprised to have a substantial wait. The pan seared shrimp, sea scallop and lobster stew with truffle oil drizzle was phenommmmmmenal. The fried clam appetizer we shared was also divine. Highly recommend this spot.
That Friday I, Alan, his mother and Rich, aunt, grandparents, brother and cousin, each set out to New Hampshire for a weekend celebrating Frieda’s 90th birthday and her and David’s 70th wedding anniversary. The journey there was crazy for almost all. While I think Kenny, Leslie and Sam made it in relatively with ease, I heard from Alan that after getting a delayed start to have all four tires on their car replaced last minute, the five of them headed out on the highway only to have one of the brand new tires blow out while going 75mph. Yikes. Glad Alan was driving and safely handled the situation. Meanwhile, I was driving from Maine by myself on a route for which no highways existed, meaning a million turns on residential streets. This was absolutely beautiful and idyllic with the incredible foliage except for the fact that the cell coverage was in and out and my sense of direction is lacking even with my iPhone telling me where to turn. I made it there with no directional mishaps, though my own trip was delayed by the strangest stop I’ve ever had. I made a turn onto a one-lane road where I was soon stuck in a line of incredibly slow moving traffic. It was then that I noticed helicopters flying above, and cop cars up ahead. Then I looked closer and saw lots of black SUVs and men wearing jackets that said “FBI” on them. This is when I started panicking. I tend to expect the worst (often of people and definitely situations), and this is when I pictured a shooter on the loose and me stuck in my car with nowhere to turn. Well, it turns out, as usual, my imagination is unnecessarily panic inducing, and my life was not the one at risk. The FBI were searching for and stopping everyone to see if they had any information on a young girl who had gone missing the day before, as well as take note of everyone’s license plate numbers and ask them where they’re going, whether they’ve seen this girl, etc. This was my first ever encounter with the FBI and they must get some really good training, because I felt like the agent could see into my soul. My heart still racing, even after I understood why I’d been stopped, I had to ask him if it was safe to continue driving the way I was headed. His response? “I have no reason to believe it isn’t safe, ma’am.” The bellhop eyed me strangely as I was checking into a fancy hotel with a missing girl flyer in my hand. [As far as I know this girl is still missing. My heart goes out to her family and friends].
::beautiful foliage driving in::
::setting up for a wedding on the property::
::impressive pumpkin carving::
After everyone finally made it safely to the hotel we were able to relax and enjoy a weekend celebrating a very special woman and their inspiring marriage. There was lots of tennis played, and I was blown away by David’s skills on the court at age 91. We also played a handful of games. Leslie introduced us to a new game called Anomia, which I believe she said was created by an Oberlin grad. Really fun – I would definitely recommend checking it out (http://www.amazon.com/Everest-Toys-0001-Anomia/dp/B00363B5FC). I also learned how to play “Patterns,” which I guess is a family tradition where the group comes up with a pattern of answering questions when one person walks away from the table. When he or she returns, they ask everyone else questions and try to guess the pattern they are using to answer them. We definitely enjoyed a few rounds. I am always down for a good game.
::grandpa wowing everyone with his tennis skills::
::grandsons being gentlemen::
On Saturday night we had “the” celebration and Frieda opened her gifts. The gift giving ended with a “rap” written and performed by her three grandsons, which was witty, funny and touching. Alan also donned his tuxedo for the occasion knowing his regal grandmother would approve. We had a lovely dinner (among several other great meals on the property that weekend). The boys, Leslie and I checked out the hotel bar “late” night and we were wowed by Leslie’s dance moves.
::one year of marriage : seventy years of marriage::
It was great spending this QT with the Lawrence side of the family, and to celebrate a woman and a couple whom both Alan and I very much admire.
Newport, Rhode Island here we come! This was my first time in Newport, an absolutely beautiful city, and I was there to celebrate my best friend’s wedding – talk about a LOVEly weekend! We left early on Friday to try and fit in some more touristy activities in Newport before the bridal festivities began. After checking into the Viking Hotel (which is a beautiful historic brick building where the wedding was held), we went down to Easton Beach and started the cliff walk, which offers views of some of the most famous and beautiful Newport mansions, including Jaimie’s favorite – Rose Cliff. We were surprised to see that part of the walk along the coast was still closed off due to damage from Hurricane Sandy.
We grabbed a quick lunch across the street from the hotel at Le Petit Gourmet – sharing a delicious salad and caprese bruschetta. I rushed off to begin my maid of honor duties before walking over to the rehearsal dinner where I drank a lotta pinot grigio and had a fantastic time catching up with Jaimie, Matt, Kait and Sean, as well as Jaimie’s family and friends. While the boys took Matt out to party quite hardy Jaimie, Kait and I took a pedi-cab back to the hotel for some vino and girl talk in the bridal suite. Our poor guy had to sweat through a huge hill with the three of us in back so we sang the Rocky theme song at the top of our lungs to motivate him. Passerbys approved.
::supplies for the room::
::making sure the groom doesn’t see the gown!::
I was up early with the bride and other ladies for a great morning of hair, makeup and lots of mimosas at the salon (meanwhile Alan was crushed and spent the day in bed, just barely making the ceremony). And Jaimie was just the most breathtakingly stunning bride. She could not have looked more perfect! The ceremony was sweet, elevating, a little funny (perfect and fitting for such a funny couple), and to the point.
::getting the bride even prettier::
::getting pretty::
I met up with Alan and my parents at the cocktail hour, and drank some more pinot grigio to settle my nerves for my first ever wedding toast. Add fear of public speaking to my list, put it up high on there. Though pinot grigio helps boatloads. I hope Jaimie liked it! The party took off from there, and it was of course, a PAR-tay.
::too pretty!!!::
::me and kaitrin::
Both of us crushed the next morning we barely made it out of the room in time for check out. We got to say a quick goodbye to the happy couple though we had missed brunch at the hotel restaurant. Instead we headed for the drive-through and ordered chicken nuggets for “breakfast” in honor of my nugget loving bff.
I wish I had more and better pictures to share but I was too busy having fun to snap photos. Plus, I leave that to the professionals.
We spent a lovely weekend in Newport celebrating the marriage of our dear friends Matt and Jaimie. Camera issues seem to have arisen as I can only find one photo of the weekend that is not the ladies getting ready.
October 4-6, 2013 (Friday-Sunday)
Jenni was (co) maid of honor so we knew Friday afternoon was likely our only time for a tourist activity in Newport. We parked at Easton’s Beach for the Cliff Walk which runs along the ocean and past some of the magnificent estates for which Newport is famous. Tours are available for several of the homes (Breakers is probably the most well-known) but we had limited time so we just walked and gawked.
This is a beautiful area, but I did experience another bout of shame for government to coincide with the federal shutdown. A long stretch of the walk remains closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. Of course it was a devastating and tragic storm, but this was a year later. And the website for the Cliff Walk as I write this says it will be closed until June 2014. Seriously?! We are not talking about an astounding marvel of engineering here. It is a sidewalk that runs along the water, and it is a major tourist attraction. I was stunned this could not be repaired promptly. OK, done venting.
Cliff Walk
Anyway, there were meters where we parked and it was nice to do the whole walk but I think you could park closer to the big mansions near Narragansett Ave which may also be free. Oh, we jumped the fence and walked the closed part, too.
We stayed at the Hotel Viking which was very nice and had a great location on Bellevue Ave, a main street just up the hill from the waterfront. For you tennis fans, the hall of fame with grass courts is just up the road. Across the street from the Viking was a nice spot for a late lunch called Le Petit Gourmet.
The welcome party was at the Newport Harbor Hotel and afterwards a big group went to the Rhino Bar for drinks and general debauchery. We partied with the pirates there (true) before walking back to the hotel late at night. The block where the hotel sits looks like a small town in England or Ireland (I am imagining this as have only been to London) which makes it pretty neat to sit on the brick patio and absorb the surroundings.
The next day I was hurt and did not do much other than Boardwalk Empire and some college football. On my way to the ceremony at the chapel around the corner, I had just my second exciting chance encounter of the trip. I saw Dana, one of my favorite law school compatriots who I had not seen in several years.
The wedding was a blast and they had a great DJ who played lots of 80s and 90s music and especially hip-hop. I was impressed how many guests knew all the lyrics, both guys and gals. My optional tuxedo was very well-received, and that made me happy. It ended up being a late night between the after-party at the bar, the after-after party in their suite and the after-after-after party out on the patio. I was schooled in the way of McGillicuddy’s and Irish exits. Kait’s fiancé Sean told me about this car show in the UK that sounds fun, I am not certain but think it is the Goodwood Revival Car Show.
The next morning we said goodbye before hitting Wendy’s drive-thru and some back roads to Longmeadow, where I grew up. I really enjoyed getting to know Matt and Jaimie’s families and friends. It was a great group and a wonderful celebration!
After Maine we went down to Massachusetts for some more time with my family. We stopped by my parents’ house in Concord for a bit, though stayed with my brother Devin in Westford both because Alan is allergic to our cats and because Devin is awesome. He took us to his local sandwich and meat shop called Meat Again, which had an impressive selection of marinated pork, chicken and beef. We picked up sandwiches for lunch and meats to grill up for dinner. If you’re near Westford I highly recommend checking it out, and get the Hawaiian flavored steak tips!
::pups getting some ice cream::
::whatchya doin?::
We took the dogs for a walk around Burgess Pond where the foliage was beautiful and the dogs went for a muddy swim in the pond. We had incredible weather – 80’s in October! Later, my parents came over to Devin’s with dessert and wine while Devin cooked up the meats on the grill. Devin’s friends from college joined us afterwards and it was so nice getting to know them, and reminiscing about Ithaca (Devin went to Ithaca College – and we overlapped in the town for a few years).
::handsome boy::
Devin, hosting with the mosting, woke up and made us pancakes for breakfast. We drove into Harvard Square and walked around, stopped for lunch at Bartley’s, which is famous for their burgers named after other famed people. They had an “Obamacare” on the menu. Under the description of toppings it read, “nobody knows what’s in it.” The cost: trillions. A sign out front read, “order an Obamacare and we’ll shut down the grill and go home.”
::how beautiful is this boy??::
::i luff him::
::cuddling with my boys::
::again, Ryder tuckers me out::
We headed over to Medford and Alan gave us a tour of his alma mater, Tufts. We checked out his fraternity – DTD – where I questioned if they were really the “cool party frat” given the cleanliness of the living room. We were comforted to see a red headed stoner in Alan’s former bedroom. Devin and Alan got in a game of Frisbee on campus as well, which I know brought Alan great pleasure.
::my hubstah in college.. he’s changed a touch::
We didn’t do much of Boston proper on this trip, but don’t worry Boston you’re still my home.
My parents know how to enjoy an evening in Maine, and we arrived in Biddeford to open arms, a few bottles of Sancerre, and the first lobster rolls of the visit. We enjoyed these immensely before heading to the hot tub and admiring the stars. As you’ll recall from my prior post, the porch in Maine is my happiest of happy places. Our house sits atop a little hill, over a rocky landscape that my parents have beautifully landscaped over the years. Just in front of the house is Lily Pond and a two lane road which divides the pond from the ocean and a small bay which we have a lovely view of. I think my heart rate slows done the minute I sit in those adirondak chairs and start breathing in the salt air.
::my beautiful Bey Bey::
::wine and cheese post-hot tub, begging dogs::
::our maine house::
The next morning my brother, Devin, and his two dogs Louie and Ryder joined us. The boys played some tennis while I got in a workout chasing Lou and Ryder around the yard. Good gracious does Ryder have some energy. I think I always sleep well after playing with that little ball of exhaustion.
::from a prior visit, but this is Ryder and me all tuckered out::
::action shot!::
::lou lou and Ryder::
::love this munchkin::
::waiting to get in::
::kisses::
::dog scarves, all the rage::
For dinner we enjoyed round two of lobster, this time enjoying some soft shell lobster in the rough. They were fantastic – best lobsters I’ve had all season. I’d like to add that Alan put in his notes: “Jenni crushed her lobster.” Devin surprised us with some fireworks and a Roman candle, which he launched over the pond after dinner while we continued enjoying our Chablis Premiere Cru.
The boys played tennis again the next day, and we all enjoyed a relaxing evening spending some time in the hot tub, devouring a delicious escarole and pasta dish my dad cooked up as well as a blueberry pie, then of course more wine in front of the fire built by our expert fire maker, Alan, whom my father dubbed “Bodaway” (Native American for fire maker, apparently).
The following day my mom made one of my favorite meals (linguine with clam sauce), after which Alan and I went out for a long walk on the beach down to the nunnery and back. I again pointed out to Alan the rocks that I’d spent my childhood learning, and the names of my favorites (house rock, with the kitchen sink of course topping the list). At night, Bodaway created another fire and we enjoyed leftovers with the parents and lively discussion, which somehow always seemed to come back to passive solar. (The new house will use passive solar design to keep it warm in the winters and cool in the summers – ask Alper about it, he’d love to tell you more 😉
Sven pooped out on us again the next day, which was poor timing at my parents had already left. Luckily my dad’s car and a battery-jumping tool were there and we were able to start it so that Alan could drive it back to Portland for the third set of Volvo service people to look at it. Over an hour and a half later we finally got a theory as to why the battery constantly dies though the battery itself is fine: apparently (and only maybe) there is a glitch in the Sirius XM radio (which I don’t even have turned on) which causes it to drain the battery while the car is off. Strange, because it never did this for the first two years I had it in LA. On the bright side, we picked up lobster rolls from my favorite spot: Mike’s near downtown Biddo. Well, it’s no longer called Mike’s, it’s called Pool Street Market, but I still think of it as Mike’s. The size of the roll never changes, they just sell lobster rolls by the amount of meat you want, ranging from an original at just $5.95 up the range of Jumbo, Deluxe, Supreme and Winn for $18. I order them with mayo and lettuce, which is placed on the bun before the lobster meat, rather than mixed in with the meat itself. It’s not your classic lobster roll, but it is divine. I used to be content with a Deluxe, lately I’ve been ordering Supremes. Though tempted, nobody has ever tried a Winn.
For dinner, we drove over to Cape Pier Chowder House in Cape Porpoise and got the more traditional lobster roll. The location is really what sells this place, you drive through the quintessential sleepy New England beach towns to get to the cape which is charming beyond belief with its light house and boats and lobster traps. The restaurant itself is decked out with buoys, though we usually opt to sit outside and enjoy the views of the water at their full effect. We split a bowl of clam chowder to start, and finished with lobster rolls, served on the more classical toasted and buttered hot bun. They were a bit disappointing this time, I think this late in the season they may have been off their game (it was already October by this point), and they may have even forgot to put mayo on them. Oops.
::Cape Porpoise::
::it sure is!::
The government shutdown began this day and we discussed our good fortune in not being at the several national parks we visited on the trip during this time. We also opined on how foolish and third worldly this must seem to foreign tourists visiting those parks.
On our way down to Mass the next morning we stopped at the Cape Porpoise Kitchen for coffees and breakfast.
So here is Maine in a nutshell: family, dogs, lobster, wine.
I was also surprised to notice on our drive out that there is another coffee shop named Brewed Awakenings in Maine. In addition, I noticed that there is a state minimum price for milk and I got to wondering if this is the case everywhere (I don’t believe it is). If you’re curious how the Maine Milk Commission establishes milk prices, read up here: http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/mmc/priest.htm. The strange things you notice while driving the perimeter of the country.
Maine holds such a special place in my heart. Every summer of my life I’ve spent some or all of my time at my family’s cottage in Biddeford. I don’t think there is any spot on this planet that could make me feel as content and happy as I am sitting on the porch in Maine with my family, our dogs, and a glass of good white wine. Of course, a pot of steamers and a lobstah roll bring this scenario to ultimate bliss status.
This particular trip was especially meaningful to me for two reasons. One, it’s likely the last time I’ll be at the Maine house in its current state, as my parents are nearing retirement and realizing their long term dream of redesigning the house for use as their full time home. Second, as many of you know, our beloved family dog Beyaz passed away soon after I left Maine and this was my last time seeing her. She was loved tremendously by all of us, and watching her battle an illness in the last months of her life and ultimately losing her was difficult to say the least. Thank you to everyone who sent kind wishes and thoughts our way. As many of you know, I am a huge dog lover, and Bey-Bey was a member of our family. I can’t do her justice the way my father did, so I’m sharing his eulogy for her below.
Farewell to Beyaz
3/13/2004 – 10/14/2013
After a 6 month bout with Congestive Heart Failure, we said farewell to Beyaz on Monday evening. Beyaz was diagnosed six months ago with a prognosis of 3-6 months. Thanks to Margaret’s superb care with support from the cardiology team at Tufts Veterinary Hospital, we managed to extend her life to the full six months.
Over the years, we had several pets but none of them touched our hearts as Beyaz did. She had a strong emotional connection with her clan and an unforgettable personality. Beyaz followed her mom everywhere, met her dad at front steps every night, loved taking power naps with mom, wrestling with Devin, cuddling with Jenni, sharing a Chobani with dad, and almonds with mom. She always wanted to be with her clan, was happiest when the clan was together, and apprehensive when it was not. She always wanted to pull her weight in household chores by pulling out weeds, and bringing down vines.
Beyaz welcomed every day with excitement. She loved waking up mom and dad with kisses, taking mom and dad for walks, playing goalie in our soccer practice, attacking waves in the beach, trotting with a majestic stance, riding in the car with window down, and eating a salad at dinner. As the chief detective of CSI Conantum, she catalogued every scent in our neighborhood. She did hate thunderstorms, the song “You can’t touch this.”
We did a bucket list for Beyaz when after the initial diagnosis. Unfortunately, we could not check off every item on that list given the rapid deterioration in her physical stamina. Of that list, she did manage to see Jenni to make up for the crying sessions on FaceTime, having her own ice cream bowl at Erikson’s in Stow, sunbathing at our front patio in Maine, …
In her last days when she could hardly walk, she managed to bring her football to Devin and Jenni for play, and didn’t forget to kiss mom and dad.
So farewell Beyaz. You gave us so much love. I hope you knew that we loved you just as much. Rest in peace.
Thank you Dad for the beautiful words.
I’ll address the trip in more detail in another post, but as Bey was such a big part of our lives, I thought this deserved its own post. Since the pictures of her in her last days portray a tired, frail Beyaz, I thought I’d share some of my favorite photos of her throughout her life. Bey-Bey, my sweet girl, I hope you’re eating lots of (not Jenni sized) bites of delicious food up in dog heaven. We love you and miss you terribly.
::bonding with the kitties::
::waiting for mom or dad to come home::
::accepting Alan as family::
::she misses dad from the backseat so cuddles up on his shoulder::
Cue the bucolic towns and quaint apple stands (which we of course stopped at for a peck of apples – did you ever hear of fancy vs. utility apples? Apparently the utilities are the uglies), we’re entering New England! And more specifically, we entered Vermont for the first stop on almost a month of family time, something we west coast transplants really cherished.
We spent several nights in Shelburne with Alan’s dad and Linda. (Though Sven spent the first night at the Shelburne Volvo station where the second set of Volvo service technicians were unable to figure out what was wrong with the car). We enjoyed a lot of their wonderful home cooking, which was most appreciated, especially using the great produce from Ron’s garden.
We indulged in several outdoorsy activities, including a surprisingly difficult about 5-mile hike. Ron was right – east coast hiking goes a lot slower with all the roots and loose footing. The foliage was beautiful, thought not quite peak yet, but the best part by far was having Olivia join us. She is the sweetest dog and the cutest ever to hike with. She runs ahead and then turns around and runs back down until she can see that everyone is behind her. Well that’s what I thought, until Ron went from last in line to first, and I realized Olivia was less concerned with my keeping up with the pack.
We got dinner after the hike at Shelburne Farms. It’s a beautiful 4,000-acre space with a most stunning barn and lawn overlooking the lake. It was lovely meeting our Merrill Lynch ladies in person. Alan used his newfound Oregon wine knowledge and ordered a Bethel Heights pinot from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA that pleased everyone.
We also set out on Lake Champlain for some kayaking which was beautiful and we saw some turtles, great blue herons, ducks and geese while we paddled south to the LaPlatte River.
Our last day, we all (Olivia included!) took Ron’s boat out and scooted over to Burlington for lunch and wandering around the town. Alan and I apparently bring bad luck with batteries, but fortunately we were able to jump the boat battery off the one parked next to it. I’m not sure if I’d ever spent much time in downtown Burlington before, but it’s really lovely. Next time we’ll have to do the Magic Hat brewery tour.
::cutest captain, though she did get scared on the bumpier parts, poor thing!::
It was great spending time with Ron and Linda, and especially lovely to be in Vermont doing so as this was probably our last time seeing his home up there before he moves to Florida full time.
::boats on lake Champlain at sunset::
::cutest captain, though she did get scared on the bumpier parts, poor thing!::
champagne&backpacks 