memorial day weekend

My dad came to visit this weekend! He got here midday Sunday just before Tanner left for work. He, of course, brought presents: several books that I unfortunately can't read right away, quarters for laundry (!), and six bottles of wine. Yes, six. Oh, and a bottle of Scotch for Tanner. My goodness. after Tanner left for work, my dad and I walked down to the Old Port and had a relaxed lunch before I went to work and he watched a movie at the theatre across the street.

On Monday we made the short drive to Freeport so my dad could do some shopping at the big L.L. Bean store. Tanner and I poked around for a bit and were almost convinced by an employee to go on a short kayaking trip for only $20 a person. We said we would definitely be back. We then found ourselves in the hunting section and Tanner struck up a conversation about archery with an employee who then took us to their indoor shooting range and he immediately got me hooked up with a bow and some arrows. It was so much fun! He then gave me a more intense bow (compound?) which was much harder for my muscles but still enjoyable. We left after that and did a bit more shopping before stopping for a few drinks and a snack. It was such a beautiful day and we sat on the back patio under an umbrella and we just had a really good time. When we got back into Portland, we headed straight for the Old Port but the pizza place we wanted to go to was closed so we went across the street and had a pizza specially made for us! There were a lot of people walking around, dogs too, and it was getting just a bit cooler outside.

We got back to the apartment and watched 180 South, an excellent documentary, and then watched part of the sunset from the roof of the parking garage across the street. We were a bit early so we didn't stay for the whole thing but it was still beautiful and we all had a good time looking through my dad's binoculars and taking pictures. We also discovered a nesting gull and Tanner saw two large eggs in her nest. I wanted to get closer to take a picture but I didn't want to aggravate her too much by getting close to her babies. We didn't do much the rest of the night; my dad went to bed early and Tanner and I made smoothies and watched some TV online before going to bed ourselves.

This morning I got up early with my dad and went to the fish market so he could bring back some lobsters and cod. We then went to Two Fat Cats Bakery and picked up a couple whoopie pies (which are delicious) and then he brought me back to the apartment and he left. It was a great visit and we're so glad he came. We're expecting more guests soon and throughout the summer; I'm so excited to explore this area even more with people who will be new to it as well.

beach time!

Today Tanner and I went to the beach. It was wonderful! These mini-adventures make everything so much better (a few nights ago we went around taking pictures of Portland with all the fog; they were my first long-exposures with my AE-1). I knew today would be beautiful so I told Tanner I wanted to go to the beach before he had to work and so we did. We had a bit of a lazy start but we got there around 1pm and started digging for beach treasures. The part of the beach we like to visit is very rocky and full of sea glass, clam/oysters shells (we don't know which) and all sorts of things. We saw so many snails today. Tanner waded into the water for a few minutes to cool off and then noticed all of the snails and got out soon after so he wouldn't squish any of them. His mom collects sea glass so we searched for some for her and I managed to find a light purple one. How crazy! We saw so many dogs and talked for a while about getting one. The only thing that's really stopping us, I think, is that we're not allowed a dog in our apartment. Bummer. Maybe next year when/if we move.

I may have gotten a bit of a burn but it was absolutely worth it and I can't wait for more adventures! I also started pressing flowers today in a notebook I got specifically for doing so. I'm pretty excited about it.

recently

adventures

Tanner and I had a spectacular day yesterday! We were quite lazy until mid afternoon (we both had the day off) but then we went out to do a few errands and the weather was beautiful! I was so happy to be wearing a dress without needing a jacket and tights and possibly boots, too. Lovely. We drove to a park behind Back Bay (just a few minutes drive from Portland) and walked quite a bit to this beautiful and strange quarry. Just beyond that was a small hill leading up to a wide field. From there we could see rain coming our way and it was beautiful. Before we left I picked a bunch of dandelions and attempted to make a crown but I couldn't quite remember how to do it and so it looked a little wonky. Off the field we took a path and hopped a fence, me in my dress and moccasins, and carefully walked our way up the wooded hill and to the edge of the cliff it was on that overlooked the other side of the quarry. Tanner had to carry me for a few feet because of poison ivy and he picked what he thought was jade on the way back. We went back to the field and as I took pictures, Tanner started to crush up the jade to rub on my ankles in case I did get poison ivy. Then he realized it might not actually be jade so we left it and tried to beat the rain back to the car. As we walked I saw some lilacs and picked a handful because they are my favorite flower scent. While admiring my new bouquet we walked through the dog park (how sweet!) and promptly a beautiful and very happy black dog came up to me, eyed my flowers hungrily, and took a big bite. She was so cute about it that I wasn't mad at all and her owner turned out to be a coworker of Tanner's. As he was apologizing to me she came back and bit off the rest of the buds and munched them a few feet away from me. At least she enjoyed them more than I would have.

We got back to the car and realized we were starving so we went to a diner and saw the biggest whoopie pie ever! It was a cake. Yum! Afterwards, it was much later than we would've liked, we raced to the Goodwill in South Portland and lo and behold, we found a coffee table! It's a little smaller and goofy looking than we wanted but it was only $10 and why not? So the only thing we need now is a futon for the guest room.

Later Tanner's friend Ron came over and we made the most incredible smoothies ever. We put in frozen mangoes, strawberries and a drink called Green Plant. And a little vodka, too. So filling! Then we played with some building straws I had which was so much fun, and watched a movie. What a good day.

in our apartment

:: I finally finished rereading Lolita last night. I'm glad I did because I don't remember the ending from the first time I read it. It's such a sad and misleading book. I almost tell people not to read it because it's not what you think it is; or rather, it's not what people know it for. Does that make sense? On to the next book!

:: I realized a few days ago that our shower curtains were getting a bit...moldy. Gross. I just put them in the dryer and they look a bit better but we may have to switch over to the vinyl ones instead. It cleans right off them but they're thinner than our fabric ones. The unfortunate thing about this situation is that we need to keep our curtains magnetized to the tub in order for them to stay put while we shower which means they don't dry out before the next morning when the showers start again. It'll be a hassle but it seems that we must disrupt the magnets and keep the curtains open so the tub can dry out. What an awful annoyance.

:: As anyone who knows me is probably aware, I love books. I love books so much that when I went to college and was encouraged by my professors to write, underline, highlight, and make notes in my textbooks, I was appalled. Really. And I didn't start doing it until my junior year when I took a class on Plato. I justified it in my mind because I bought the book and knew I wouldn't be trying to sell it back, so it was okay. It just scares me when things other than reading happens to books. So when I see book sculptures like this, I'm not sure what to think.  Because of course, I love art and creative things too but not when it involves cutting books apart. Am I the only person who cringes when they see things like this?

:: Tanner and I finally found a coffee table that we both like and will hopefully be getting it tomorrow! It's solid wood and has two drawers in front. We've had bad luck with people responding to our emails so we really need this to work out. Also tomorrow we'll be looking for a futon (again, finally!).

it's that time!

This weekend I journeyed to Wheaton College to watch my best friend graduate. How crazy! It's incredible to think that four years ago we were graduating from high school and were clueless about our futures. Now I'm living in Maine and being an adult and Liz has a bachelor's degree and is going to study in China for the next six months.

I left Friday morning and got to her school in the early afternoon. Her parents got there right after I did and we milled around for a little bit and made our plans for the rest of the evening. After Liz and I ran some errands we sat on the grass in front of where she would be graduating the next day and soaked in the sun and time. The weather was beautiful and we talked about graduation and if she was nervous and how content or not she was about leaving Wheaton. It definitely sparked some feelings of jealousy and a little regret or something in me about the last four years of my life and how we differed. Then her parents came back and we attended a little appetizer event before heading to dinner where we met a friend of hers. Later when we got back to campus we spent time with her friends and went to a few different events and drank a little. We found an impressive gathering in the courtyard outside her dorm and stayed there for the rest of the night drinking and hanging out with people. But as much fun as we were having we were exhausted and knew that waking up for a 10am graduation would not be fun. So we went to bed.

The weather on Saturday was almost unbearable for most of us who had direct sunlight and no shade. There was a little breeze but it was absolutely a sweaty and fidgety crowd. The pre-degree speeches were quite lengthy but once names started being called it flew by. Liz is in the middle of the alphabet so we had plenty of time to ready ourselves for the best picture taking positions. And then it was all over! We spent a lot of time looking for her friends afterwards and were pressured into taking plates of food back to her dorm by one of her friends mom. And then the intensive packing began. It only took about two hours which wasn't bad since she hadn't done too much before then. After getting it all packed into two vehicles she said her last goodbyes and it finally hit her that she was leaving and wouldn't be seeing her friends for a long time. It was sad for me to see her upset but I'm glad that she didn't leave school so glad to be done and then get home and regret that she didn't make the most of her last few minutes there.

Overall it was a great weekend, even though I have to work this afternoon. I'm so happy that I was able to see her graduate and spend a little time with her and her parents before she leaves for China in a few weeks. I took a lot of pictures but it'll take a few days for me to get my film developed. But here are some I took with my phone.

lately

Not much has been going on here. The weather is stubborn and so am I. Tanner's been working a lot lately and I'm still getting five hour shifts a few times a week.

Tomorrow I'm going to Wheaton College to visit my friend Liz and watch her graduate on Saturday. I'm so excited to spend time with her and her family and to live through her graduation. And the weather will be lovely, too.

Yesterday Tanner came back from work with a sticker he snatched from a tomato. It says "Grown In New York." He was very proud of that. And he also bought the coolest bottle of wine (from Germany)!

realizations

:: I miss my cats terribly. I've been longing to get a cat but I know I can't afford one. I would also be tempted to stay in all day to spend time with it.

:: It's just come to me that I would really love to either live within a mile of a beach (a sandy, accessible, hanging-out beach) or in a large cottage in a wooded area (but still close to things) surrounded by paths to clearings and gardens.

:: As much as I love Maine, there really is no place like home.

:: Being an adult is not very fun. Bills are stressful and jobs are tedious. This is not the real world. Childhood is the real world.

:: I need to read more like when I was younger. I devoured every book I could find back then. When I was in fourth and fifth grades I read every Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books that my school library had (and there were a lot). I've only read 75 books in the last four years. That's almost 19 a year. Compared to my childhood, that's nothing! I have a goal to read at least twenty books in one summer. When I was in fifth grade I tested at an eighth grade reading level and I was so proud of that. I feel like I've plateaued in the last few years.

:: I really miss substitute teaching I hope I'm able to do that again this coming school year. I definitely want to work with kids, finally, but the high school is just down the road from us and I did like being at the high school. It's so much more rewarding than folding clothes all day and I feel like I'm actually earning the money I make.

:: I talk about the weather a lot. I think about it more than I ever have. Maybe because I walk to work now. It's been a very rainy and cool spring and it doesn't seem like that will be changing soon. Saturday was beautiful but of course, Tanner and I were both working.

:: I made a list of 22 things to accomplish by my 22nd birthday which isn't going to well. I think I was a little over ambitious with some of them, like figuring out how to work my sewing machine and setting up a brand and etsy for my crafty things. Maybe by my 23rd birthday?

:: The gas has been going down a lot in Maine. I found a place in South Portland that's $3.67 a gallon so I put in over half a tank and only spent $15. I hope it keeps going!

sunsets

Last night Tanner and I finally went to the top of the parking garage across the street from our apartment and watched the sunset. We missed some of the beginning but we still saw most of it. It was beautiful and we both took a lot of pictures. It was a little chilly and the clouds were wispy and therefore moving around and around the sun as it set.