small things...

Halfway-point list Recap

Wow. It’s July. 

I’m still chipping away at this year’s list.  It’s had a different feel this time.  I didn’t put as many tasks on the list this year and frankly – I miss having really specific goals to achieve.  Maybe I’ll add a few, or swap a few…

In any case – I’m still crossing items off the list.   Here is the update:

(You can read the last recap here)

#4 Try 12 new-to-me local restaurants.  I’ve tried 6 new restaurants so I’m right on track.  I’ve been to 4 since March

• Parsons Chicken and Fish. My bestie Leah and I headed to Logan Square for what I think was a belated birthday (mine) dinner.  We’d tried to eat here once before when it first opened, but weren’t interested in the 2 hour wait.  This time we got right in.  I had the 2 piece fried amish chicken and we shared hush puppies and baked beans and a negroni slushie (not shared.  I mean, come on).  You sit family style so you’re a little smushed in with your neighbors.  Hush puppies were the best part.  The chicken was a little dry.  Fish next time
• Flying Saucer. Met my friends Kristy and Sarah here for breakfast back in April.  I’d read the yelp reviews that mentioned some kind of surly-hipster atmosphere – and all I can say is..yeah, kind of.  it’s a tiny place and it was empty when Sarah and I got there, but they wouldn’t sit us until our “whole party” arrived.  I can see how sometimes that could be an issue cuz it’s small and all.  But….it was empty. and nobody came while we were waiting at the bar.  They were seriously disinterested in a perpetual I’m-over-everything-kind of way.  The food was good, though.  I think I got the huevos volando and it was delish.  Seriously, I need to write these up closer to when I ate there.  Because maybe I just want the huevos volando now.  I don’t remember what I ate.
• Hofbrauhaus.  Moments before meeting my friends (Simona, Kristy and Peggy) at Hofbrauhaus I broke my foot.  That is what I remember most about eating at Hofbrauhaus.  Did I eat anything?  who  knows. They did have some fine German music and ladies dressed in those busty German dresses.  I should prolly go back.  Maybe I had some schnitzel?  I did have a broken foot that’s for sure.  Found that out on my trip to the ER an hour later.
• Haymarket Pub & Brewery.  Okay, now we’ve reached a restaurant I remember eating at!  My friends Brenda and Shannon and I grabbed a bite and a beer before attending The Moth event that night.  I had the Grilled Salmon BLT (YUM) and an Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils.  This particular neighborhood is filled with amazing restaurants and I’m not sure Haymarket is even among it’s best, but it was dang good.
• okay – a promise for the next set of restaurants:  I’ll take some notes, maybe some photos. 

#5 … attend a The Moth-like storytelling event – wrote about it here.  Now to work on a story to submit…

#6 Take a trip (even just for the day) at least 4 separate times:  added a trip to Maine!  You can read about that here and here.  Two trips to go!

#9 – Make 41 beautiful things: I’m only up to 9!  Which means I’m about 12 beautiful things behind! But here they are:

              

(the beauty of my medicine cabinet is questionable.  eye of the beholder?)

#12. Read 41 books.  I’ve read 17 books so far.  Which means I’m about 4 books behind.  I blame Orange is the New Black.  And also American Ninja Warrior.  And then there is the napping. 

#14. Grow a big luscious garden.  I’ve stuck with my back stairwell this year to grow this garden, but I’m loving it.  I wrote a little about it here.  I’ll update it later this summer

#15. Meditate Daily for 60 days.  Wrote out about it here.  I’m a little out of step right now.  These last few weeks have been a doozy and the meditation would have been so helpful.  Starting up the next streak now!

#17. Go see two out of the following three: mountain. ocean, desert.   I’ve been to all 3 this year already!  The mountains and desert on my trip to New Mexico.  And the ocean on my trip to Maine.  That is something to celebrate.  Maybe I should add waterfall to the list to just keep it going….?  Or like a frozen tundra?  maybe a meadow would do.  Suggestions?

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What’s up next?

• Trip #3!

A wedding in Maine Continued

The Day Before the wedding

I woke in Portsmouth to the news that my grandfather had passed away overnight.  (I wrote about that here).  I still needed to get myself to Maine that morning and I wanted to get there by noon so I could make the bridal lunch I had helped plan!  Obviously no longer able to help host the thing I still wanted to be there.  My head and heart were flooded with adrenaline, grief, excitement and a general feeling of “where-the-hell-am-I-and-what-am-doing??”  But I made it to the continental breakfast and had one of those make-it-yourself-pancakes that are equal parts disgusting and comforting.  When the front desk lady went in back and found a banana for me I nearly cried.  why? cuz I just wanted a banana, okay?

I hit the road by about 8am with 4 hours to go.  As soon as I pulled on the highway I saw a bunch of confused tiny baby ducklings running between lanes with no mama in sight.  It was too much.  Unable to decide if I should pull over and help them I broke out into sobs.  Heaving, fat teared, moaning sobs.  I kept at it for a good 5 minutes, finally laughing at how crazy I probably looked sobbing in my rental car and speeding along the highway.  Keep your eyes on the road folks – you never saw a girl lose her shit before?

Look a moose!

and then I felt better.

Four hours later I pulled up to the site where all the wedding festivities were to take place – The Lookout Inn

(source)  Yep – I just completed #17 - Go see two out of the following three: mountain, ocean, desert.  I’ve actually seen all three this year!

The lunch was well underway but my sister and the women in her life welcomed me with hugs, laughter and good food and then ushered my crazy-ass-tired self up to my room for a nap. 

The Lookout is a really beautiful spot.  Many of the guests were staying in either the inn or one of the cabins on the property.  It felt like camp! (I think…I’ve never been to camp)

 

As evening approached we each slowly wandered down by the water for a Lobster Boil!  Yay, Maine! The air was cool and the flies were pestering us, but the food and company were great.  I had my wits about me now and was starting to get into this whole wedding in Maine beeswax!

Just before dinner was served I learned my bag had arrived at Bangor International Airport! woo hoo!  I would have to go get it b/c they couldn’t guarantee me that it would arrive before the wedding, but I didn’t care – I could change my clothes finally!

A few of us headed up to the bar at the Inn where the fun and quirky staff made us any drinks we requested.  I think we would have been happy to settle down for the evening hanging out here, but soon texts reading “bonfire on the beach!” and “get down here!” were coming in – so with drinks-to-go we headed down to the beach.

 

The Wedding Day

I made the quick 2 hour round trip to grab my bag with one of my *DP’s – Dan (of “happy place” Michigan fame).  After returning I showered! and put on clean clothes! Then went down to my sister’s cabin to hang out with the bride for a bit while she and her hubby-to-be took care of last minute details for the wedding.  Our hanging out mostly consisted of her making me a sandwich (so nice of the bride!) and then running down the hill to deal with some immediate wedding need.  I tried to help out by doing the dishes before I headed up to start getting ready myself.  Okay, I realize now that doing the dishes – not the most important task on the day of the wedding -  but it was something!

By 3 o’ clock the family gathered together for photos.  4 o’clock cocktails were drunk and by 5:30/6pm the ceremony began.

I’ve opted against a moment-by-moment recap of this wedding in favor of the photos.  They will tell the story.  What I will say is that this was maybe the happiest wedding I’ve ever been to.  The bride and groom were happy, the families were happy, the friends were happy.  It was a great, great day.

Enjoy.

 

  

 

Let’s do it again every year!

xoxo, Erin

 

 

 

 

*DP = Designated Parent