Oh... Boston!

Yippee!!! I got to mark another destination off my list by making a quick day trip to Boston from my last site. It was so exciting!




I went to Boston Common (America's oldest public park) where I made friends with a squirrel, then began my journey on the Freedom Trail. The trail began outside the visitor's center and went to the Massachusetts State House.




From there, I followed the little red line on the sidewalk to the Park Street Church - site of many "fire-and-brimstone" sermons. Additionally, on July 4, 1831, the hymn America (AKA My Country 'Tis of Thee) was first sung on the Church steps. Next stop was Granary Burying Ground. This is the final resting place of many famous/prominent Bostonians such as John Hancock, Samuel Adams, all five Boston Massacre victims, and Paul Revere.


The trail continued past King's Chapel and the U.S.'s first public school (can you imagine sitting in a classroom with Ben Franklin, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, or Ralph Waldo Emerson? They are just some of the alumni from Boston Latin School.)





Then came the Old Corner Bookstore and the Old South Meeting House (site of the December 16, 1773 meeting to protest the tax on tea).







Since everything on the trail is old, I'm not sure why Boston feels the need to name them as such, but the next stop along the trail was the Old State House Museum. The Old State House is Boston's oldest surviving public building. It was the site of the Boston Massacre (out front) and the reading of the Declaration of Independence from the east balcony. Faneuil Hall, a public meeting place and open-air market was next. It is adjacent to Quincy Market and the new Cheers restaurant designed to be a replica of the TV show.

The home of Paul Revere was next on my list. Along the way, I passed the Holocaust Memorial,
the Union Oyster House (this guy is across the street), and the Boston Stone. I loved all the history that surrounded me with every step! As I continued along my red-lined route, I stopped by a local fire department. The guys there were great! They gave me a tour, we watched some of the Patriots game, had a cup of joe, and took some pictures. If you're ever traveling, it's nice to know that you can usually stop by the local firehouse and use the restroom. They are usually very clean (although manly), the guys are very friendly, and its always safe for those that tend to travel alone such as yours truly.

Moving on... I went to the Old North Church next and saw the actual window used by Robert Newman after he hung the two lanterns in the steeple to warn Paul Revere and others of the approach of the British regulars (you know the story, "one if by land, two if by sea"). As the trail continued past Copp's Hill Burying Ground, I couldn't help but take note of the gorgeous sunset over the Boston Harbor. The last stop I made was to the Charlestown Navy Yard, home of the USS Constitution - Old Ironsides. She is the oldest warship afloat today, having been commissioned by George Washington in 1797, and is still manned by an active duty U.S. Navy Crew.

The Bunker Hill Monument is the last stop on the Freedom Trail, but due to the late hour, I opted out of that stop and chose instead to head back towards Boston Common and the original Cheers bar for dinner. I selected Boston Baked Beans and Boston Creme Pie for dining. They were both very good!

I walked back through the park on the way to my car and enjoyed watching the locals ice skate on Frog Pond and the children admire the Duckling Sculpture inspired by the mallard family that lived in the Public Garden and whose story was told by Robert McCloskey in the book Make Way for Ducklings. It was a great day, and I can't wait to return!

A Day in NYC

I recently flew into La Guardia airport and was supposed to meet up with a coworker then drive to our site. Things changed a bit, however, when her flight was cancelled not once, but twice. Thus, I ended up with about 5 hours to kill in The Big Apple. Trust me, I was not disappointed! With the short notice and limited time, I had to decide what I really wanted to do. It helps that this was not my first time to the city. I decided to park the car and head out on foot. My first stop was Rockefeller Center to see the famous Christmas tree. I felt just like Kevin in Home Alone 2!

I did a quick trip by Central Park, into FAO Schwarz, browsed H&M, grabbed lunch in Times Square, and headed to Junior's in Grand Central for dessert. This was my first time to NYC in the winter and it just made me love the city more. Every store window was decorated to the nines, the snow fell softly to the sidewalks, and the people seemed to be more jovial and friendly. It never ceases to amaze me that I can feel so clam and at home in New York; I truly love that city. I looked up some friends of mine who live near the Lincoln Tunnel, but unfortunately they were out of town for the weekend, so I spent my remaining time just wandering around and taking in the sights. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed my little trip!

The end of a decade

I was fortunate enough to be home for longer than originally scheduled at the end of the year. I actually managed to catch up with quite a few people too! I flew into town on the 28th, enjoyed a nice lunch with Dad, then napped for a bit until Mom made it home from work. We enjoyed our Christmas time that evening with my opening my gifts and us enjoying a great dinner. Mom prepared turkey, ham, potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, etc... It was a feast (especially for just the 3 of us)! And I can't forget to mention the great big pitcher of sweet tea, my favorite!

Katelyn came over Tuesday night and stayed over into Wednesday afternoon. She and I had a lot of fun just sitting around talking and being lazy. That evening, she came back over, along with Taylor, and we had a mini-Kelly Party. I can't speak for the girls, but I really enjoyed it! We watched movies, ate snacks, talked, made picture frames, and giggled until the wee hours of the morning. I sure hope they don't outgrow me...

For New Year's Eve, Mom, Dad, and I went to East Texas. Dad volunteered to babysit Joshua and Atalie while Josh and London went out, and Mom and I visited with Elaine. Those kiddos are so cute! Atalie is walking, and this was my first chance to witness this milestone in her little life. Joshua talks nonstop, and now truly knows me and will actually play with me even with his Grandmom in the room~ both of which are huge changes in behavior from last year! Elaine picked us up after dinner and we headed to the movies. We saw "It's Complicated" and laughed so much! Definitely one of the better movies I caught in 2009. Once the movie was over, we headed out to TGI Friday's for dessert and coffee then went to Elaine's for a little "girl time" before taking Mom back. Elaine and I rang in the new year by chatting and giggling the night away then got to sleep in the next day! Pure bliss.TJ and Kristina came over New Year's Day and ate the traditional black-eyed peas, watched football, then even watched a movie! The next couple of days were spent doing laundry and getting ready for my next work trip. Even that was nice because it was "normal". Did I mention I had a good week at home?

Hope your new year is off to a great start too!

Leaving Las Vegas

I actually left Vegas a week ago, but have been running full speed ever since. I'll blog about that next time. For now, I just want to fill in the rest of my Vegas experience. After Betsy left, I think a part of me did too, mentally anyway. I was just pretty much over the whole trip and ready to be home (seriously, a month in Vegas? Working? You try it and tell me how much you enjoy it). I digress... On Christmas Eve I was feeling a bit down, so went out and about on The Strip to see if there was anything going on. I met a very nice guy, Lawrence, who taught me the fundamentals of successful Blackjack. Only problem for me was that for every minute or so we spent talking, more money got placed on the table. Fortunately, he was a pretty good teacher and I came out no worse for wear. After getting back my original investment (a whopping $20!), and being harassed by a drunk, I decided to call it quits.

As a special gift from work, I was able to go in at 6AM instead of 5 on Christmas Day, talk about a treat!!! Of course, that meant I had to work later, but what are ya gonna do? My new friends, Alicia and Jason, graciously invited me out with them Christmas evening to my first ever Christmas Bar-B-Q. It was so nice to feel normal again and just get away from the craziness of The Strip. We went to a coworker's home and then proceeded to his neighbor's house where we sat outside on the driveway, huddled around fire pits, eating, talking, drinking, and laughing, all under the close supervision of an inflatable Santa. It was awesome!!! I doubt A&J will know how much it meant to me to be included. I also spoke with T.J. while at the party and he gave me a great gift. He said that when my nephew, Joshua, found out I wasn't going to be there, he was genuinely upset and said, "Awe man! No way!" I melted.

The rest of my trip was uneventful. I went into work at 8AM on the 26th at the request of my lead, but hated that, so switched back to 6AM for my last shift. Things started working more smoothly and by the time I was scheduled to depart, I felt confident that I'd done the best I could. I met up with Lawrence again on my last night in town and watched as he demonstrated his magic trick of making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe next time I travel to Vegas it will be for fun and I'll be able to practice what he taught me...

Below are pictures from Aria as promised =0)