Chicago Visit

I was in Chicago yesterday for work and below is the picture from my hotel room. Very beautiful view of the sunrise on the lake. While there, I got to briefly see my good friend Kim too. The picture of Kim and Ryan is from last October.

Medication!

George,
The pharmaceutical industry has made great strides with medications. We recommend that you see your doctor ASAP.

A Trip to the Coast

One day we traveled to the coast by way of Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport, and Portland. Like we mentioned before, it rained for much of the vacation so when we got to Portland we pretty much had to jet because a big storm was heading in. Above is us in Portland for the short time we were there.

This Picture Says It All

This was the shot of Val right before we closed the car and headed home to Philadelphia. The picture pretty much captures how we all felt leaving Maine. We think Val was especially sad because she won't get to have her daily swimfest. Woof, woof Bark (that's bye, bye Maine in doggie speak).

Dinner With the Gang

The crew at dinner on our last day!

My Parents

I don't get to see my parents that often because I live in Philadelphia and they live in Pittsburgh, so it was very special to have them to myself for a whole week in Maine. We love hanging out with my parents - they're fun.

Mmmm - Lobster!

We pretty much had a lobster roll every day in Maine...it was spectacular! We are going through withdrawal.

A Hike & A Bike at Lake Sebago State Park

Lake Sebago State Park was a fun place to go. You could hike a 4 mile hike or bike around the park. We did both and had a picnic on the beach while enjoying the lake. Tons of fun.

What Time Is It?

So every clock in our summer cottage had a different time. Yes it was strange, but who really cares about the time on vacation and what more do you need to know than it is always five o'clock somewhere...if you know what we mean!

People Pay A Lot of Money to Swim With The Doggies

Hmmm...or is it 'the dolphins?' Well, I guess I would rather swim with the doggies and it was very special to get to swim with Val. We try to take Val swimming every weekend here in Philadelphia, but in Maine she got to swim twice a day! We would take her out early in the morning and in the evening when everyone left the beach. She was in heaven and loved the lake.

A Hike Up Douglas Mountain

One of the highlights of our Maine trip was our journey up Douglas Mountain. Douglas Mountain is in Lake Sebago, Maine and is about an hour and a half hike...not very long, but it has rocky terrain, has moments of steep hills, and during those moments, you have to pace yourself so you can get to the top without losing your breath. And that is important because when you get to the top, the view is breath taking - the pictures don't do it justice. The funny thing is, it was a struggle for us at times to get up the mountain and then on our way down we saw lots of kids (like 4-5 year olds) coming up with their parents. I offered one of them a hiking stick and he said he has strong hiking legs and didn't need a stick. Ouch!

Above are pictures of our trek up the mountain and then when we got to the tower that overlooks the lake. The video is up at the very top and captures the panoramic view of the area.

Our Maine Summer Cottage

Well, not really. This year we wanted to try something different for vacation. We had a few mandatories...must be drivable distance from Philadelphia where we won't try to slit our wrists due to the drive, must be able to take Val (meaning pet friendly), must be a cooler place because Julie doesn't enjoy the heat, and must have activities we enjoy (hiking, biking, water activities, cocktails throughout the day, etc.). After much investigation and procrastination, we rented a house in in Lake Sebago, Maine (Ward's Cove to be exact).

The next few posts will include the highlights from our trip -- there were many. It was one of our favorite vacations to date. Even though it rained for much of the trip, it was everything we could have asked for - we hiked, we biked, we drank, we swam, we relaxed, we drank, and best of all, we were in good company. We went with Julie's mom and dad and her Uncle George, and his friend Jay. Above are the following pictures - our house, view from our house (lake right across the street), last two pictures are from the lake. It was unreal and we luckily found a location that was quaint and fun with great neighbors.

We love Maine and would recommend "the Pine Tree State" to anyone! By the way we didn't see a moose and why wouldn't a group of moose be meese when the plural for goose is geese? Hmmmmm?

Dinner with Bob & Mary

To celebrate Brian's 34th birthday and Bob & Mary's 6th wedding anniversary we went out to dinner at PF Changs. Pics of us above from the icecream place after dinner.

Hilton Head 2008

I grew up going to Hilton Head every year. I think we started going there when I was 2. We would all jump in the car and drive the 12 hours to get there every year. We met life long friends there, I met my first summer boyfriend there, I believe I learned how to swim there, it's where my friend (Stephanie) and I made our first radio commercial which launched me into my love of advertising, and lastly where I decided to take Brian on our first vacation.

We haven't been there for the past few years but my parents and brother's family continue to make the trip. I made them send me pictures of Alana as this is her second year. As you can see she loved the swimming pool and I heard she couldn't stop crawling into the ocean. Too bad we missed that but can't wait to see it in Stone Harbor.

Mmmm - Camarones a la Diablo

http://www.lossarapeshorsham.com/index.htm

Brian and I went to Los Sarapes for dinner last night and I had my favorite dish, Camarones a la Diablo. It is so good!

Visit the site and make a reservation if you are in the Philadelphia area. It is the best Mexican food you will ever have!

July 4th Glenside Parade

We had a fun 4th of July this year. A morning hike and swim with Val and then we got food and cocktails ready for the parade down the street. Our drink of choice this holiday was Tecate - cheap Mexican beer that tastes like Corona if you add a slice of lime. We had our fair share during the parade. Below is a picture of Brian and me along the parade route. Our friend Tom is a volunteer firefighter - he is someone important because he gets to wear the white hat. We embarrassed him by jumping in line to grab a shot with our Edgehill hero. Our neighbor, Thomas, also joined us on the parade route for his first 4th of July. He made it through the bag pipes, horns, and drums without any tears. And in 4th of July tradition, I got my pedicure and had them decorated in the festive holiday colors.
Is that Abe Lincoln? Quigs, Tom, and Jean came over after the parade for eats, drinks, games, and s'mores. Brian and his good friend Quigs.Val's good friend, Homer, also made it over for the holiday. Tom lighting bottle rockets. Our own fireman couldn't resist. Then we got the big guns and lit off a few big fireworks - see below.