Busy bee

Buzz buzz.
Last weekend I actually had the entire Saturday off.  Until I picked up a bouncing shift, then I had MOST of an entire Saturday off!  But I spent the day hanging out with my parents at Owl's Head Transportation Museum.  I hadn't been in probably 13 or more years... but I used to go A LOT.  And my parents still go, A LOT, especially since my dad has a car to show (just not this time around).  I'll take a Corvair please...OR a GTO, or a '66 Mustang, thank you very much.  They even have a great shop...

Complete with aviator gear.  And one of the books in the aviation sections was on Glenn Curtiss, but it mentions my Grandmother's uncle: Admiral John Towers.  I'm guessing there is a family resemblance to my great great uncle John and this photo...
Next stop was Owl's Head State Park...it has a lighthouse.  But it can't count towards my goal, because my Gram wasn't with us.  SOON enough we will get that show underway...  However, I can cross another state park off my list - best news, it was FREE!

We also did a pass by the wharf in town too...and that just screamed all sorts of Fourth of July in Maine:

But wait, there's MORE!
I went to TWO new restaurants.  Gilbert's Chowder House was a stumbleupon because J's Oyster was PACKED.  I couldn't attend Jenny's 30th Birthday party, so with some arm-twisting, she agreed to get some mussels with me :)  Becky and Catherine came along for good measure too!  Though the mussels were tasty, the service was a bit delayed.  Let's chalk it up to a busy crazy awful day for the staff.  The chowders were great, and I am pretty sure everyone was content with our food while seated on the back deck.  The second place was Aurora Provisions in the West End of Portland.  I was overwhelmed with yummy options on display, but we were headed to the beach so I needed to keep it together. They fixed me up with a delightful chicken salad wrap, iced mocha coffee, and chocolate chip cookie...  LOVED it.  Will definitely go back for a pre-made quiche or more desserts. YUM.

I leave the best and saddest for last.  I finished my third book: Mockingjay.  The Hunger games trilogy is over, sadly, but I am SO delighted for how it turned out.  I love love love this series, and I can't WAIT for the movies to come out.  I finally know what it's like for the Harry Potter and Twilight fans out there who had to wait between book and movie.  I finished it about 20 minutes before I had to work today, but had enough time to ask my dad "Is this how satisfying all books are???"  Haha, he is a much more avid reader than I am.  I can't get off my emotional roller coaster just yet, but I think I might know just the trick: Tina Fey.

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...