Sam Adams

Those that know me know I'm not a beer drinker. I'll try a sip or two of someone's just to see what it tastes like, etc. and since Jim brews his own at home I've learned alot about it.

Wednesday night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for drinks and dinner and I ordered a berry margarita and he tried seasonal Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, at my urging because it sounded neat.

I think I found a beer that I like! This is what they have to say about it on the Sam Adams website:

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat® follows the centuries old American tradition of brewing beer with native ingredients, in this case Michigan cherries as well as a touch of honey. The sweet fruitiness of the cherries is balanced against the crisp, cereal note from the malted wheat and the subtle citrus flavor from the Noble hops. The end result is a sweet, refreshing beer that is light on the palate but long on complexity.

Pretty cool that it uses Michigan cherries! I'm now on a search to find some of this, I think it'd make a great beer bread!

Thanks Sam Adams for making a beer I like!

Soul 2 Soul Tour II

I'm preempting my Boston updates to post about the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert Jim and I went to last Thursday.

Awesome concert!

We had incredibly close seats and got some great pictures!

Taylor Swift opened for them and I have to admit I was impressed. I think she is overplayed on the radio so I was take it or leave it with her as the opening act - we actually thought someone else not as well known was opening.

I found I really enjoyed her set, she's 17 years old and I didn't realize she wrote all the songs on the album. She's very spunky and not like she is portrayed in her video's.





After Taylor was done there was a brief intermission to set the stage and then Tim and Faith opened with a duet.





After that song they both left the stage and then Faith came back out to start her set.












After Faith's set she left and then she and Tim came back and did a couple of duets together and then she left and Tim started his set.












The picture didn't turn out but when Tim sang, Last Dollar, their oldest daughter Maggie came out and sang the end of it like she does with her sisters on the song and in the video. Very cute. She got a standing ovation and a ton of applause from the audience.

After Tim's set he left and then he and Faith came back out for a few more duets and Taylor Swift came back out playing guitar.



Faith and Taylor:


Even though the spotlight moved right as I was taking this I kind of like how it turned out.

Virus

Anyone want to RAK me the latest Norton Security protection for my PC?

I've not been blogging much as most of my free time has been taken up trying to get the junk off this computer. Grrr.

Haymarket

Our first scavenger hunt stop in Boston was to go to Haymarket which is Boston's big outdoor market.

It reminded me a bit of the main level of Pike Place but without the flying fish :)










At the end of the day all the leftovers get swept up and thrown out.

Happy 4th of July!

Today was a pretty low-key day. I'm still trying to kick this nasty cough and congestion from my allergies going awry.

Jim and I went out on a photo safari today - which consists of driving around until a place or places strike us to stop and take photos. We stopped a couple of times for a few pictures and just enjoyed the drive around in the nice weather.

After a stop at Coldstone we went to see Transformers. Good movie. I was surprised at how many of the names of the characters I remembered from my childhood!

Here's a few more pictures from Boston - since it's related to the Revolutionary War and to me fits in with Independence Day.


(you can click on the photo to enlarge them)


(this is not his actual gravestone - this is next to it. I'll share it later)

Boston

I'm going to hold off posting much more about Boston until I get the rest of my pictures back. I mailed about a dozen rolls of film into Snapfish and I should have them online for viewing by the end of the week.

In the interim, here's a few more from the start of our day.

We parked at Sullivan Square to meet up with Sarah, Laurie, and Sarah and then took the T (subway) into Boston itself for our first stop on the scavenger hunt - Haymarket.

You can buy a 1 day pass for the T for $9.00 which is what we all did - much cheaper than paying each time.






At the end of a long day in Boston - waiting for the T to back to the van

Day 4 - Mallrats

Saturday Melissa, Christina, Amiee and I got up early to get ready and to head to the mall for mani's and/or pedi's at 10am - we had plans to meet Nel there. Sarah wasn't able to join us but we'd meet up with her, Laurie, Judy, and another Sarah in Boston later that day.

In spirit of the bachelorette party we all wore our matching shirts.
Anyone remember the show Bosom Buddies?


On our way to the nail salon



At the mall in the salon. I just got a pedicure since manicure's never hold up on my nails. My toes are red (color is Kennebunkport - in honor of my trip) and I have daisies painted on my big toes.



After mani's and pedi's we went out into the mall to do some shopping and to get something to eat. I was planning to get some chowda from Legal Seafoods when I rounded the corner and found


They even had sweet tea!




More lunch pictures, this is Christina - the bride to be




After lunch we went in search of a pair of Athens Crocs for Amiee and found her a pair. I almost got a pair but since I was already wearing Crocs for the day I didn't need them. (I ordered them after I got home - they'll be here Thursday *wink*)
and headed to Cheesecake Factory for dessert!







After dessert Nel had to leave us so we set up some group pictures, Brady Bunch style in the mall and said goodbye to her before we headed into Boston!



Next stop, Sullivan Square in Boston to park and catch the T!

Day 3 - Maine and Chunky's

Friday was the day to go up to Maine! Anyone that knows me knows that one of my goals in life is to visit all 50 states and in this trip I was able to add 3 more to the list of places I've been!

We got in the van and headed up to Oguncuit and Perkins Cove Maine. It reminded me alot of being back in WA.

Once we got there we started to walk the Maringal Way (a 1 1/4 mile walk above the rocky coast) and when we got started we saw dark clouds and some funnel like clouds on either side of us. We decided to at least get started walking.



Lobster traps






As we started taking these pictures it got windier and we started to feel some raindrops.





This one may become my Christmas card this year - Melissa did her Christmas card pictures up in Maine last year and I loved how they turned out and she told me when I come visit she'd take me and we can do the same. I think she's right!



After we took these we kept walking and not a minute later we got drenched! The storm cloud was right over us and it was thundering and some lightning in the distance. I love storms and watching one on the Atlantic is a sight to see. With the thunder right over our heads we started to head back into "town" and towards the car.

The whole storm lasted maybe 10 minutes and then we were left as drowned rats.


(If you ever need a smile during the day look at this picture and look at Payton. It's just precious and I laugh every time I look at it! What a face!)

Shortly after this picture we did some more shopping for souveniers (no pins, Dad, sorry. I did get some postcards, a fridge magnet, and a stuffed lobster beanie that said Maine)and we dried off and we took off back to the van to head into Oguncuit to go to the Life is Good store and do some more shopping and get ice cream!

Some pictures of Perkin's Cove after the storm blew through







After going into town and visiting the Life Is Good store and getting ice cream (I had *the best* raspberry sorbet!) we left because Payton needed to get picked up and we were going to Chunky's Cinema and Pub to see Knocked Up and Sarah, Nell, and Amiee were meeting us at Melissa's.

After we got back we got cleaned up and I redid my hair and set set up the tripod for some group pictures before heading to Chunky's.





Chunky's is something I've not heard of but had seem something similar on Food Network once. It's a cinema and pub where you go into the theater and sit at long tables in Cadillac car type seats, order your dinner, and eat it while watching the movie. So much fun!

Knocked Up is a hilarious movie and I will definitely purchase it when it comes out on DVD, it's one of those with tons of quotes and I think the more you watch it the more you get and the funnier it gets.



After the movie Nel went home and Amiee came back with Melissa, Sarah and I to Melissa's for the night and Christina was there when we got back!

We stayed up way too late talking and going through our goodie bags that Melissa thoughtfully put together for us (I need to find those pictures) and then went to bed around 2am with plans to get up about 7 so we could get ready for the day in Boston!