Friday Favorites

1. I had my first football draft of the season on Wednesday night, and I think I did pretty well, especially considering I was in 12th (yes last) pick! I would share who I got, but I have another draft on Monday and I know some of the other people read this here blog and I don't want to give away any secrets/who I have my eye on, but I'm pretty dang excited with my players!

2. Three day weekend and take out for lunch! Currently deciding between Chipotle or sushi... mmmmm....

3. Around the Interwebs:
Steph wrote about this awesome nail polish that changes color when you're exposed to a date rape drug

There will be a pop-up Central Perk coming to NYC (SoHo) to celebrate Friends 20th anniversary. AND they will have free coffee, music, and appearances from Gunther himself. I've already marked my calendar!

Summer TV sucks, and I can't wait for my favorite shows coming back this fall, especially The Mindy Project. Here are 18 things I'd like to see happen the next season!

4. My current jam: I Got U - Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones

5. This Book: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

From GoodReads:
"Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?"

My Thoughts: 
I absolutely adored this book. I loved Beth and Jennifer's banter- it felt like I was reading messages my friends and I send each other through the work day. I didn't love Lincoln; he seemed whiny and too insecure, but a good fit for Beth, who had been described as "too much." It ended a bit abruptly, but overall, it was a great, quick read.

Confessions/ Random Thoughts

Happy Hump Day! It's that time again! Linking up with Kathy for some weekly confessions:

I couldn't care less about these popular award shows. The VMA's? Does anyone even watch music videos anymore? I don't remember the last time I saw one. I didn't even know MTV still played them. The Emmys? I don't watch enough TV to know even one third of the shows nominated.

I'm also confused why Netflix is counted as a network

Also, why do celebrities get swag bags? Like they don't have enough money to buy whatever they want? Can I get some free shit just for showing up to work every day?

I'm not sure bringing back Full House is such a great idea. It didn't work for Boy (or Girl)  Meets World, why do they think it would work for Full House? Especially now that we know what a dirtbag/ foul mouth Danny Tanner is, or what a crackhead Stephanie Tanner is. And what about those Olsens?

Sidenoet: I confess I may have watched about 6 episodes last night on Nick @ Nite. But still. 

Some noises really irk me. The person wearing flip flops in the office? Other person stomping through the halls clicking your damn pen? Cut it out. (Though it is good to be able to know when you're coming so i can close out of Blogger, but it's still annoying as hell.)

Have you seen this floating around the internet lately? I have. And ya know what? IDGAF. PSL and chai lattes are the only things I indulge in at Starbucks. Really, it has HFCS? WHAT DOESN'T??! Preservatives and "artificial flavors"? Say it ain't so! Puh-lease. Stop trying to ruin it for me.

Monday night I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the opening night of the U.S. Open. The entire place was packed! So you can imagine my surprise when I bumped right into one of my exes. Can we say awkward?!? And I had to say hello because I had already been spotted. But for once, I didn't feel like I looked like complete shit. Or at least I don't think I did.

Tonight I have a fantasy football draft and I am completely unprepared. I thought it was tomorrow night. I don't know why I signed up for a second draft- these things stress me out! Gahhhh.

Do you participate in Fantasy Football? What do you think of all these TV remakes?

Salem Mini Vacation, Pt. 2

You can read Pt. 1 here.

I forgot to show the wonderful B&B we stayed at! We were at The Stepping Stone Inn. The couple that owns it are so sweet and accommodating. Plus, since we were staying for 2 nights, they gave us free passes to the Salem Witch Museum... which was literally right next door! We stayed in the Salem Room- it's the only room on the third floor and has its own little balcony- so cute. The only thing I would change would be the bathroom- trying to shave in the smallest shower stall ever was like an Olympic sport.

old town charm

Salem Room-also the comfiest bed ever, next to my own

itty bitty bathroom

balcony

Now that that's out of the way....

After the Witch Dungeon Museum, I went to check out The Witch House, which was Judge Jonathan Corwin (the one who presided over the trials) 's house. It wasn't all that interesting, it just was a glimpse into how (the rich) people lived back then. I took a ton of photos (like one of the transcript from Tituba's statement), but I'll spare you. 

nursery/kids' room

One of things I saw but didn't go in was the House of Seven Gables. Since I haven't read the book (yet), I didn't see the point of exploring it. 

I stumbled upon America's Oldest Candy Co., which also claims it is "Home of the Famous Gibralters and Black Jacks."

I wish I had taken more pictures of the harbor area, but I was too busy enjoying it. My bad. I thought this building and boat were pretty cool though. 

We could not go to Salem and not take an after dark haunted tour. I wasn't having it. The only thing that was hard was picking which one, because there were so many different companies running them. We decided to go with the "Voodoo, Vampires, and Ghosts in Salem Tour" because it was TripAdvisor approved and got great reviews. Plus, it offered something a little different than the other "haunted" tours- voodoo and vampires! It was pretty cool. They took us to some of the sites featured on Ghost Hunters. [Sidenote: we decided to take this trip after watching that show/episode, so this was definitely awesome.] 

Paul Revere 1801 Bell- where the tour began

We stopped at a lot of places and the tour guide was really friendly and seemed well informed. We walked on a trail next to Salem's Lyceum Restaurant, which was built on the site of executed "witch" Bridget Bishop's apple orchard and there were reports of people smelling apples there. We sat on the steps where they filmed Hocus Pocus and learned about witches today (there are over 1,00 practicing Wiccans in Salem), and vampires (did you know there are 3 different types of vampires?). We stood in the place where Giles Corey, a man accused of witchcraft, was pressed to death.

Everywhere we were told to keep an eye out, let him (the guide) know if you felt anything, and take pictures, because most times you can't see paranormal activity with the naked eye, but can sometimes catch it on film/video. I forget exactly what happened in the building that I'm touching above, other than that there were several "spirits" and they did NOT like to be disturbed- when the Ghost Hunters crew came in, the "spirits" made that very clear. Currently, no one lives or works in this building. The guide said we could go up to and touch the door if we wanted, but at our own risk. Some people had reported feeling cold "hands" on the arms, pulling them away from the door, or feeling like they were being strangled. So of course I was first to go up to the door. 

Do I believe in ghosts/spirits/etc? Yes. Did I actually think something would happen? No. I went up to the door, waited a second, touched it, got a picture touching it, and walked away. Nothing. Then about 20 minutes later, I got the strongest pain in my wrist on that hand that I have ever felt. I couldn't even hold a beer (I know because I tried). It felt like the muscle hurt- like a really bad sprain. The pain lasted into half of the next day. Was this because I touched the door? I don't know, but I don't have any other explanation. I will say that I won't be touching anything I'm warned against again!

Another place we stopped at was the police station where the guide said Houdini escaped as one of his acts. However, upon researching the building, I found that the place we saw was the new, renovated police station. Boo.

police station

Of course we visited a graveyard. The guide told us to take picture of a far corner in the back as some people had done so and gotten images/apparitions/etc. I didn't- I guess the old iPhone camera just isn't fancy enough. 

The last day we checked out late, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed towards the harbor area. We were going to take the 60 min ferry ride from Salem to Boston, and then the Boltbus home. I should note: the only reason we didn't take the ferry into Salem two days earlier is because RJ is afraid of ferries/boats. Not a little afraid- like, almost broke down in full anxiety attack mode once he found out it was a 60 min ride. He has never been on a ferry or boat in his life. So as soon as we made it to the harbor, I made sure he had a few beers. Then gave him another one on the ferry, and distracted him with peanuts and chips. It worked. *Phew.*

view from the ferry

Doesn't he look thrilled?! 

I wish I could say that once we got to Boston it was smooth sailing (ha ha), but it wasn't. We had some time to kill, so we found a little dive bar near(-ish) to the bus terminal. We spent some time there, then headed into the terminal and got some food. (Thanksgiving sandwiches. OMG so freakin goood!) A few minutes before boarding, RJ asked to see the tickets which were on my phone. Except I suddenly did not have my phone. We searched the duffel bag and my small day bag. Nothing. And then they started boarding. And this was the last bus home.

*Cue Panic*

The only place it could be was the sandwich shop or the bar. The bar that was at least a 10 min walk from where we were. A 10 min walk if you know where you're going. Which I didn't. I'm absolutely terrible with directions. But somehow I found the bar. And thankfully no one had stolen my phone. I had left it in the bathroom. Phone tightly in hand, I start literally racing back to the terminal. Except I walked into the wrong one first- I was in the train terminal, and RJ was text-yelling at me to hurry the eff up because ya know, they were boarding and he was stalling the driver.

Long story long, I made it to the bus, but not without a stern "talking to" from the driver on "being on time."

swing chair life

Do you have any ghost stories? 

Weekend Updates

Good morning friends! This was the first weekend in a while with no set plans, which was awesome. However, it still turned out to be kind of busy. 

Friday, my friend came out with RJ and I and we watched the Giants beat the Jets 35-24. Ahhhh football (pre-) season has begun! I was a little disappointed we couldn't attend the game, but watching at a bar when every single person around you is either a Giants or Jets fan was pretty intense!

Saturday morning I woke up early to get some laundry done before I met up with my mom in NYC. I was all proud of myself- coffee, book, and detergent in hand, I headed over to the laundromat. Throw my clothes into one of those triple loaders, and dive into my book. 20 minutes later I go to check on it, and it's on final spin. So I find a seat a little closer and wait some more. 10 minutes go by, and it's still spinning, though the "final spin" light has gone off. Hmm... something isn't right. I try the handle, but as it's still running, it's obviously locked. I find the manager and tell her, but she says wait a few minutes, "you'll hear it click when it's ready." I wait 10 more minutes... still spinning.  "Lady, it's not working." So she comes over and attempts the handle, and then unplugs the machine and plugs it back in. It starts spinning again. 

Her response? "Awww shiiiiiiit." 

This is NOT what I want to hear. I have to meet my mom. This wouldn't be too bad, except she somehow lost her phone, and we're supposed to meet at a Starbucks in NYC. So there's no way to reach her; I have to be there. At this rate, I don't see how I can even dry my clothes and make it in time. The manager re-runs the machine, hoping that time time, at the end of the cycle it will click open. Another 20 minutes go by. It doesn't click open. "Well, we're going to have to call the mechanic." A MECHANIC?! Are you kidding me??! I go outside and call RJ, seething. When I come back in, she says that the mechanic won't be able to come until that night. I told her that I (obviously) couldn't wait there all day, that I wanted my money back, and I want them to dry and fold it because it was their fault. I left my name and number and told her to call me when it was ready. ::end rant::

I met my mom only 30 min later, and Starbucks was quickly thrown out the window after I told her what happened. We got some giant beers and headed to Brooklyn Bridge Park. I had never been there before, but she had and wanted to show me everything. We wound up sitting by a pop up pool that was also set up like a beach with a tiki bar. The whole place was empty, so we were able to have our giant beers in peace. 
Then we took a stroll around the park before heading home. 

The only carousel left standing after Hurricane Sandy because it is enclosed

like mother, like daughter

under the bridge

Sunday I got a chance to sleep in. RJ packed and we headed out to brunch. Later that afternoon, RJ's parents took me to pick up my laundry and then we drove RJ the 45 min home. They had recently gone to Hershey Park, and got me this awesome over-sized mug and Krackel! I freakin love Krackel, and they don't sell it in stores anymore; you can only get the fun size ones in the Hershey mixed bags. I was so excited. 

I ended the night with pizza, beer, and True Blood. Can I just say again how freakin happy I am that this show is OVVEERRRR??! Seriously. Anyway... 

How was your weekend?

Literary Junkies/ Book Club Friday

This is my first time participating in the Literary Junkies linkup, and the first time ina  long time that I've particpated in Book Club Friday, but the good thing is that I'm back on the reading bandwagon! So without further ado...

THE QUESTIONS

1. What are you reading? Tell us about it!

From Goodreads: "I've been single for my entire life. Not one boyfriend. Not one short-term dating situation. Not one person with whom I regularly hung out and kissed on the face."

So begins Katie Heaney's memoir of her years spent looking for love, but never quite finding it. By age 25, equipped with a college degree, a load of friends, and a happy family life, she still has never had a boyfriend ... and she's barely even been on a second date.

Throughout this laugh-out-loud funny book, you will meet Katie's loyal group of girlfriends, including flirtatious and outgoing Rylee, the wild child to Katie's shrinking violet, as well as a whole roster of Katie's ill-fated crushes. And you will get to know Katie herself -- a smart, modern heroine relaying truths about everything from the subtleties of a Facebook message exchange to the fact that "Everybody who works in a coffee shop is at least a little bit hot."

Funny, relatable, and inspiring, this is a memoir for anyone who has ever struggled to find love, but has also had a lot of fun in the process."

My Thoughts: This was not very good. Some parts went on for far too long (like the entire Childhood section, because who has anything serious at that age?), and some parts had absolutely nothing to do with the main story (like the Dream Phone section). I did not find her funny or relatable, and certainly not a "heroine." In fact, I found her quite pathetic and desperate. One-dimensional. And socially awkward. The only person I found relatable was her "lighthouse" friend Rylee. Rylee, even when dumped, cried for a while but eventually picked herself up, got herself back together, and kept flirting and/or dating. Katie seemed broken- and once she was broken, not even the strongest Super Glue could piece her back together again, even though she was never in a relationship. She says she's ok being single, but I think if you're writing an entire book about how you have never been in a successful relationship, or even on a second date, maybe you're not really ok with that. 

However, since this is the book that got me back into reading, I will say that it was light, fluffy, and mindless. Which I guess is what I was looking for. I just thought she would evolve a bit. I give this book 2 stars. 


2. Do you read one book at a time, or read multiple books at once?
One at a time, otherwise I get the stories mixed up!

3. What is the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

4. Do you prefer a physical copy of the book or an electronic version?
Physical. E-books are very convenient, so if I'm going on a trip (and/or it's big) I'll usually load it on my Nook, but I find it easier to read and gauge how far along I am when I can literally count the pages. Also, I almost always earmark pages with quotes I like.

5. What are three books currently on your To Be Read list?

Confessions: The Last Time List

I found this list... somewhere in Bloggerland, I forget where. But anyway, I decided I wanted to play along, so here we go:

The last...

recipe I made... "recipe" and "made" are strong words. I threw some chicken in the crockpot the other day, shredded it, and had it over some rice with corn the other night though.

good decision I made...bringing my book with me to work and finding a quiet place to sit and read during lunch instead of just sitting at my desk.

cool place I went to...Salem.

show that I watched... True Blood. [Sidenote: I cannot WAIT until it's over. So, so bad.]

awesome thing that happened...Winning tickets to Global Citizens Concert! Jay Z, No Doubt, Carrie Underwood, The Roots, Fun., Tiesto... WOOHOO!!!!

thing I bought for myself... a magnet from Salem.

good photo of RJ and I... 

bad decision I made... not paying my student loan before going to Salem. It was due on the 15th and I totally forgot about to mail it before we left. Unfortunately they don't accept online payments. I just got a second request email. Ooops. 

time I was really excited... Did I not just mention I just won free concert tickets? You want more?! Hmm... I'm visiting my friend in LA next month, and I've never been to LA and haven't seen her in about 6 months (she recently moved there), so that's pretty exciting!

time I had a free weekend? Uhh... I think sometime in early July? Maybe? Whatever- it's been a fun filled summer!

Ok, your turn! What are you confessing today? Share it with Kathy!

Salem Mini Vacation, Pt. 1

For the last three days, RJ and I have been gallivanting around Salem, MA. This was our first trip together and to say it was a whirlwind would be an understatement! We took off on a Bolt Bus Friday morning. Several things about this bus: 

1) I liked the curtains

2) I did not like that the "free wifi" didn't work for literally 3/4 of the trip

3) I did not like that there were no outlets anywhere

4) I REALLY didn't like that after about 3 hours, the bus driver decided to pull into a Burger King... DIRECTLY behind a MegaBus. As in, they had arrived like 2 minutes before us. And we only had 20 minutes to get food/use the restrooms/stretch our legs. MegaBuses hold double the amount of passengers as Bolt Buses. Therefore, there was absolutely no way we could do anything other than stretch, because the lines were too long. Also, I don't understand why the driver would choose a BK instead of a normal rest stop- with multiple food places and many more restrooms. Ugh. Moving along...

We got to Boston, and I knew we were planning on taking a commuter bus to Salem, however, we didn't know where exactly to get said bus. The MA Transit people were of no help whatsoever. Eventually we did find it, and right in the nick of time. I knew it would take a little longer, being a commuter bus, but I did no expect it to take approximately 2 1/2 hours. This bus stopped just about every two blocks it seemed, and took us through some SUPER shady areas. No bueno. When we did finally make it to Salem, we promptly checked in (more on the adorableness of the B&B tomorrow) and headed out to the nearest bar. 

Once slightly refreshed, we realized that we hadn't eaten besides the snacks we brought on board the bus, which were long gone. We headed to an Irish pub/restaurant nearby. 

violins and guitars and singing

We were met with some live Irish folk music- they were awesome! I had New England clam chowdah and crabcakes. RJ had loaded nachos. We were so tired that neither of us could finish our meals. It was delicious though. We were in bed by 9:30!

"Irish Curry and Rice"? I asked the waiter about this one- he didn't have a good explanation lol

Saturday we got up early and started exploring. The first stop was the Salem Witch Museum, which was conveniently located directly next to our B&B. The B&B also gave us free tickets because we were staying for "2 or more nights." I'm glad the tickets were free because it was kind of lame. They sat our tour group in a large room and a recording came on with the story of the Witch Trials, and they had figurines set up on the walls, and during different parts of the story, their section would light up. These figurines didn't even move! I'm glad we went, because otherwise I would have been curious, but it definitely wasn't as good as I expected. 

After this "museum," we grabbed some lunch on the main drag and then headed to the Witch Dungeon Museum. 

This was by far my favorite part of the trip. They had a live re-enactment of the trial (albeit short), followed by a tour of the dungeon. Mind you- this is not the original dungeon. The original was in the basement taken over many years ago by Con-Ed or one of those big businesses, and at the time there was nothing that marked it as "historical," so they were able to take it over. However what we saw was an exact replica, so that was cool. 

Original piece of the woodwork from the actual dungeon- if you touch it, women are supposed to get good luck.
Obviously I touched it, just in case.

What struck me most about the dungeon museum was the size of the cells. Some of them were literally the size of a coffin- there was no room to even sit, literally. So these people were standing throughout their time there? That's insane. Also, the fact that they (or their families)  had to pay for everything: food, water, the cell, any ropes or chains "necessary" to "keep their spirit from wandering." Even if they were accused and found innocent, if they couldn't pay for the release papers, they had to stay. The dungeon was only made to hold about 100 people... there is estimated to have been up to 250 people there.

Other than the coffin sized cells (which I couldn't get a decent picture of), this was the scene that hit me the most. I just can't imagine what these people went through. Especially since one of the main people who started the hysteria afterwards said none of what she had originally accused was true! 

None of the people who were hung in the Salem Witch Trials received a proper burial. In fact, they weren't even hung in Salem, but a neighboring town. This memorial was literally a short wall of stacked stones, though I'm not sure exactly what it represented. 

And of course, since i don't want to end this with death and sorrow, a fun/ridiculous pic of me that RJ was almost too embarrassed to take!