Labor Day weekend 2015

Oooooooooooooh Labor Day weekend.  How I love thee.  You represent (to me) the end of an uncomfortably hot Summer and the beginning of one of my favorite yearly seasons… Fall!  You are also great because you give me an extra day of rest.  Gotta love my three day weekends! WOOOHOOOO!!!

So this year I decided to go visit my dear friend, in Salem, MA.  She did her duly research and got us running around all over the town doing all the touristy things I love to do.  We went to way too many places, but these are the ones I enjoyed the most:

The Burying Point is oldest cemetery in Salem. Judge John Hathorne’s body, a judge in the Witchcraft Court, is buried here.  Actually… tons of people are buried here! It is a cemetery after all!  Worth a walk and a stroll through the graves.  The best part of this, besides the history, is that it’s FREE!

The Witch Trial Memorial is adjacent to The Burying Point.  It looks like a little park with benches to sit on, but… on these “benches” are the names of the “witches” that were accused, tried, convicted and executed.  This memorial was created in “honor” of the 20 “witches” that were executed in 1692.  Visit this for FREE!

The Witch House is not what it sounds like or what you might imagine.  Here lived no witch!  This was home of Witch Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin and is currently the only structure in Salem that is directly tied to the 1692 Witchcraft Trials [VIDEO].  In this little house I learned that a man accused, tried, and convicted was sentenced to be pressed to death.  Now… that’s a gruesome way to go!

The Bewitched statue is one of those things you either wanna go because you were a fan of the show (which I never watched), or you just find it curious and decide it would be fun to take a picture of/with it.  So… if you happen to be driving through Salem, MA… make a quick stop and snap that selfie!

What is a visit to Salem if you don’t take a picture with a freaky scary looking creature?  We were strolling around going from shop to shop and I see this scary thing that looked like was floating on the ground as it moved from side to side.  So I did what any tourist would do, I have him a dollar and took a selfie with him.  Later in my trip, I found out he was knows as Vampire Steve and apparently, Steve has been causing lil troubles for some people.  Whatever!  He was nice and very patient with kids and he’s earning a buck honorably – which is more than I can say of some people in this world.  Good job Vampire Steve!

Pickering Wharf is the place you want to go if it’s nice out.  It’s simply something to do located near the water with quite a few restaurants/bars and shops there.  If you want a nice little drink, strong, affordable and pretty, I suggest you go to Finz and get the Finz Cocktail for $9 (Disclaimer:  Where I come from, $9 for a drink is on the cheap side).  The drink is blue and refreshing and tasty and STRONG – or maybe I’m just a light weight.  But whatever, head over to the Pickering Wharf and hop on a cruise, tour The Friendship of Salem, or just visit the shops and drink your little heart out and just have a good time.

The Salem Trolley is one of the things we decided to do.  Tickets can be bought right by the sidewalk of The Visitors Center – which is also the area where the tour starts and ends.  The tour is split in two loops and both loops start and end in the same spot by the Visitors Center.  The Trolley operates like a “hop-on/hop-off” bus.  There are stops where no hopping off is allowed, but you can definitely “flag stop” the trolley in quite a few areas of interests like Pickering Wharf, The House of The Seven Gables, Winter Island, Salem Willows, and the Salem Witch Museum, among others.

Last but not least are the spooky tours.  You’d be a fool to come stay in Salem and not go on one of these ghost/paranormal/witch/creepy tours. It is fun, and enjoyable, and sometimes educational.  We did the Candlelit Ghostly Tour.  I cannot say I regret doing this tour cause I really enjoyed walking around Salem with a lit candle while the Tour Guide spitted out historical facts about certain structures and points of interest, but, the Tour Guide didn’t have the equipment necessary to tour around with a big group of people (no microphone) so it was very very hard to hear all the “facts” to the point where I just stopped listening and watched my candle wind breaker a/k/a plastic cup catch fire and melt. The other tour my friend and I went on was the Paranormal Salem Investigation Tour.  This one was a different kind of tour.  The guide met us by The Witch Trials Memorial and whipped out quite a few gadgets to read paranormal activities in the area.  I am a skeptic, but I do have to say it was pretty interesting.   Next time I go on a Salem spooky tour, I will make sure the tour guide is one of those that wears a costume and gets in character.  I am sure that will make it even better.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot!  While walking around Pickering Wharf's hood, I stumbled upon a lil box with a bunch of books, so I came out with winnings!  #SCORE!!!!

Looking forward to my next visit!

Until then....

South House

This Mint Julep has me jonesing!

Ever since I had this drink last Saturday, I've been craving it!  I was my first time drinking Bourbon and it hasn't been the last since then, but that first time was the only time I TRULY enjoyed Bourbon in my drink.

DAMN! I never thought Bourbon could taste so damn good!

I will surely get this drink on my next visit to South House, but nothing else (South House, your menu/chef needs CRITICAL HELP - and so does your website!)

So until the kitchen help arrives, I shall visit South House exclusively for its libations.

CHEERS!

New addition.

Hello world!

Let me present to you the new addition to our lil family unit.  Isn't she the cutest thing ever (after Miss B., of course!)

S.P. will be very much loved and I cant wait to see her grow old with us.

Welcome to our world PP!

Happy New Year's Eve - and New Year!

Happy New Year's Eve everybody!!!!

I am so glad some of my new friends and the old were able to come out last night to have a nice and last year's meal together.

Today I am grateful for the new friendships forming in my life and for the ones that have been present and constant for years.

I wish all of my old and new friends (and my family, of course) a happy and wonderful and full of blessings and health new year!

May you all be able to make the right decisions.  And if  2015 comes with lemons...  go to the store and get some vodka!   *CHEERS*

37 years ago... I was born.

What a day!

Today started like any other. Up by 7:10 a.m.  cuddled with my doggie for 15 minutes to then get off the bed to start my morning routine to get ready to go to work.  My wonderful boyfriend comes home from the gym and gives me my birthday gifts: (1) The sappiest -and most genuine card he's ever given me; (2) a lil tray of Rocher chocolates - which I DEVOURED by 10 a.m.; and (3) a water pick - which I was thinking of buying myself (therefore making it the perfect gift). Great start of the day I have to say!

All ready, I head out to face the day and commuting animals. What a NICE surprise it was to get to my work desk to find a nice Lil bouquet of flowers and a card from my boss!  Haven't had a boss do something nice like that for me in over FOUR years!  It's amazing how much the little things really count - especially when completely unexpected.  Lunch came and some of my coworkers got me a cupcake (candle and all!) And sang me happy birthday.  That was sweet and unexpected.  Later in the afternoon bossman let me leave half an hour earlier - because every minute counts, YAY!!!!

When I got home, I was so tired I pretty much wanted the couch to swallow me. My boyfriend tho, wasn't having that, so we went to a restaurant of my liking. Food at GP is mofo delicious! Later, as I see a waiter carrying around a big block of what I think is cheese, turns out it's my birthday cake!  This, I wasn't expecting.

Life is annoying at times... Unbearable even! But its days like today that u get to realize and appreciate the "little" things in life that make IT matter.

That is all.

Weekend getaway.

Well... Double celebration weekend's coming!  And we are heading to Woodstock, NY for the weekend.

No clue as to what's to do there, if anything, but we are going regardless.

Hopefully it'll be fun.  If not, then at least we'll have each other.

Oh, and the pooch is coming with!

The family that travels together, stays together.

That moment.

So after a long day and a bunch of unanswered questions about life, I lay in bed tired of being tired, and ponder for a moment, what was the point of me living "today". Honestly, I couldn't find a reason - which is pretty damn depressing.  Then I turned around and my heart got all warm and le fuzz to the sight of my current " home". I guess its moments like THIS I need from time to time to remind me of how lucky I am and what's important.