CH CH CH Chaaanges

OK, after a few folks have pointed out my awesome timing skills, they are correct, I'm actually IN my thirtieth year...marked at the end by my thirtieth birthday.  So, I've tweaked things a little.  Happy?

I've also contemplated changing one of my goals, too, though.  29 Random Acts of Kindness.  This is hard.  Not because I'm mean, and can't be kind, but rather because I think I'm pretty nice already, and already incorporate doing nice things for others in my daily life.  So to pick out things that are totally random and out of character?  Well that's just not fair.  Something I do lack, though, is fashion sense...  Eeks.  I would love to be more fashionable.  I want to put more effort into my daily appearance, and that, my friends, will take way more effort than 29 acts of kindness.

I would also like to note the end of my SECOND book (seriously, two books in two weeks, this is insane for me...) - Catching Fire (second in the Hunger Games triology).  I am now moving on to Mockingjay and will be deeply upset by the ending of this series.  I RARELY read books that I'm excited to go home and keep reading, but I even turned down going to trivia the other night so I could be home, doing laundry, and reading.  This is an entirely new sensation...we'll see what happens for the last two books...

Whoa, too long!

SO much has happened in the last week or so!  I had to finish up with my "adult job" while juggling the start of summer vacation!!  I now know that teachers look forward to summer vacation more than students do.
Let's start with a new restaurant.  Sebago Brewing Company.  I'm not sure if it counts, but for now it does.  I've actually been to the old Sebago a few times, but a group of us girls went to the NEW Sebago last week, and it was lovely.  Despite confusing our server a little at the end, our meals were delicious (better than I had at the old Sebago...), beverages were super, and I actually found decent parking!

Next, let's cover my first State Park of the year: Kettle Cove!  This adorable cove fits right between Two Lights and Crescent beach, and is used to launch commercial fishing boats.  Parking is great (I take that back, parking is terrible, awful, DON'T GO!!!), there are CLEAN outhouses, and a cute boardwalk to take you around the perimeter of the beach easily.  And because it's a cove, waves are barely noticeable and the water is tolerable.  Anyone who has been to Sand Beach in Acadia Nat'l Park knows that wide open Atlantic waters are CHILLY!!
 And while at Kettle Cove, I started my first book of the summer - The Hunger Games.  I was HOOKED immediately!  And I have since finished the first one, and I am 275 pages into the second one!  It feels a little bit like cheating, because they are young adult books, but they are SOOO good; I don't care.  In fact, I'd rather be reading instead of writing this blog write now.  Please don't hold it against me...  So one book down, four to go!

AND, I've been to Peak's Island!  On Saturday, after the Warrior Dash (http://warriordash.com/register2011_new_england.php), we made our own dash for the Peaks Island Ferry.  Becky and I did not anticipate the Lobster Festival crowd or parking hazard... so at 7:07 the kindest man in Portland gave up his parking spot for us, and we ran to the ticket office and then to the 7:15 ferry...and made it.

We had a lovely lobster dinner with the girls, and Sunday morning Becky and I went into town early to have a proper look around...

 Vehicles don't get to leave Peaks Island very often...

 But they obviously have great taste in music...

 Looks a little sketchy, but it has a playground...

 It's really hard to tell, but this house is pink, with heart trim all over it.  And there was a guy on the back deck...wearing a pink shirt.  Puke.

 Not enough time this time around, but I'll be back to the Cockeyed Gull, with my Buffalo eye.

 This guy MUST be a REAL Maine Ship Captain!  That beard means business.

 Maybe his boat?
And these photos are from our lovely ferry ride back after our Reggae afternoon. 

 Little Diamond Island.

 Eastern Promenade.

And Portland Harbor!!


So to recap: Did some reading, eating at a 'newish' restaurant, crossed Peaks Island off my list, and hit a State Park!  I also did some photo editing for the Tour de Cure...here's a sneak peak...

Maine Made products

So one of my goals is to pay more attention to my photo business.  Today has revolved around just that!  A few weeks ago, my friend's mom took a liking to my photos and asked for cards to stock in her antique booth in a tourist town.  I am gladly obliging!!  I want to take a moment though to showcase what goes into making a photo card, because sometimes, folks forget what happens behind the scenes when you pick up a homemade item.  I do get my photos printed for me, and get my cards shipped to me, so other than those steps, we'll start at the beginning.

Step 1: Choose the photos to work with at this time.  I chose 61 photos (some duplicates) to work with today.
Step 2: Methodically put stickies on the back of each photo, making sure the tabs hang off the end of the card for easy removal.

After taking each backing off, affix to the card. Rinse and repeat 60 more times.
Step 3: Handwrite on the back of each card business name, email address, and where the photo was taken.

This was a self portrait, FYI. 
Sometimes it's really nice to pile the cards together because they look so nice.  Or maybe this is to help you visualize them all...

Step 4: Stuff an envelope inside the card, 61 times.

Step 5: Stuff the card/envelope combination into a clear envelope - for their own protection - 61 times.

Step 6: Rip off plastic to reveal sticky stuff (professional term) to seal the envelope. 61 times.

Voila, almost done!  The last part of the day was Step 7: Set up the display...

And that's that.  It took all day (I may have been watching a movie or sitting in the sun for some of the time), but since I'm sick, I had the time...
So next time you pick up a homemade (Maine) item, remember how many steps - though simple and tedious - someone had to go through to arrive at a finished product.

And feel free to check out my website: www.hbarberphotography.smugmug.com

Lobstering

I love lobster.  I hate putting them in steaming/boiling water while alive.  That makes me a killer, and I can't stand that.  But it all washes away when I'm sucking sweet lobster meat out of each and every leg the little critter has.  At that point, my shame washes away...until the next time.  I didn't like lobster when I was little - it was frightening looking, and strangely, I never saw my parents eat it, so I refused as well.  But now we all love it.  Can't get enough of it.  I even befriended the CUTEST ol' fisherman at the Orono Farmer's Market.  They don't have a fishman at the Portland Farmer's Market (FYI); I suppose this has to do with being on the ocean already, with plenty of markets around...?

Anyway, I want to work on a lobster boat for a day.  I think I'd like it and be good at it, for the following reasons:
1) I can't smell.  For reals.  I think I would be really great at baiting - whatever that task entails.
2) I feel I should really mask my shame in eating these creatures by being a part of the task from beginning to the bitter, scary end.
3) I'm strong.  I could be useful hauling traps n' such.
4) I talk like a pirate and don't embarrass easily - I think I could "hang" with lobstermen.
5) I'm a Mainer; it just feels right.

So I guess there is a "lobster cruise" (I'm not naming names) that leaves from Portland.  For $25 and 1 1/2 hrs, you get to learn about lobstering and hauling traps.  However, lobsters pulled up are not given to you, but rather purchased for boat price.  Which I'm sure is a good deal, but to pay for the opportunity to pull up traps too?  C'mon.  So I need to find someone that might be willing to let me work on their boat for a day in exchange for some crustacean friends :)  I need ideas for how to make this happen - friends of friends of friends?  Hang around the old port in hopes of spotting a lobsterman?  Go further and hang around the DOCKS?!  I just don't know - has anyone tried this?

Please advise!

Good start!

So yesterday was my 29th birthday, and I set some goals for myself to focus on over the next year.  I'm hoping I will stay motivated, because obviously people from around the world will read this blog and respond with kind words and lots of inspiration.  We will laugh and cry, and then laugh some more; or maybe I'll just write this blog to give myself another thing to do...  who can say, really?

So yesterday was my first day, and I went to TWO new restaurants!!  I had a Groupon for the Farmer's Table ($25 for $50 worth of food/drink), so it was time to consume it!  Cait and I had the Bang Island Mussels, obviously.  Becky (roommate) had a salad from Laughing Stock farm, and other Becky (not roommate) had the spaghetti.  The mussels were fantastic; really super yummy with great broth for dipping the complementary bread.  Everyone seemed satisfied!  The bill was managable with a Groupon to offset it :)

My second First was Ginko Blue, the new jazz club on the corner of Middle (across from Harbor Hotel).  Though the waitstaff is dressed for New Year's Eve (so Catherine deems it), the patrons seemed less dressy - myself included.  The jazz was super, the seating was somewhat scarce, and specialty drinks were too expensive for my public education paycheck.  It was certainly a classy venue, and the doormen were sharp!

Today I had a jump start on my volunteer hours!  I photographed the Kennebunk Tour de Cure as a volunteer course photographer.  I spent four hours being driven around, hanging out a car window, and cheering bikers on their fantastic journey!  I took 970 photos in those 4 hours, and I'm hoping for at least 100 usable photos.  Perhaps one of them will fulfill my "get published" goal...???

This has been a great start, thanks for the encouragement!

Hols

The 29 Missions

Get published.
Take my Gram to 10 lighthouses of her choosing.
Have a photo day with my Grampy.
Have a yard sale with my parents.
Lose 29 pounds.
30 hours of volunteering - outside of my school-related activities.
Wear every hat in my extensive collection at least twice (in public).
Bike 29 miles at once.
Pay more attention my photography business.
Do 29 random acts of kindness (outside of what I usually do).   Be more fashionable (put together).
Turn off Facebook for 30 days.

Go to Peaks Island.

Go to the Desert of Maine.
Make a digital movie of my Grandmother's life.
Finish typing out my Grandfather's courting letters to my Grandmother.
Polarbear dip.
Run a 5k.
See a movie at the drive-in.
Wear a dress/skirt every day for a week.
Try 29 new restaurants.
Actually start SAVING money.
Go lobstering (bait, pulling traps, the works!).
See a Red Sox game at Fenway.
Learn to can meat.
Learn to make my own pasta.
Be a pescatarian for 30 days.
Visit 16 of the 33 Maine State Parks.
FINISH five for-pleasure books (this is sadly harder than it may sound).
See Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard/or Nantucket.

Good luck to me!