Mariah Carey's "Through the Rain"

This is another inspirational song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRNdmkH8zrI

The first stanza is about adversity, dealing with hard times on your own:

When you get caught in the rain with no where to run
When you're distraught and in pain without anyone
When you keep crying out to be saved
But nobody comes and you feel so far away
That you just can't find your way home
You can get there alone
It's okay, what you say is 

But the chorus is all about perseverance, believing in yourself (and God), and knowing you will "make it through" :

I can make it through the rain
I can stand up once again on my own
And I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith
And I live one more day and I make it through the rain 

And more words of encouragement continue:

And if you keep falling down don't you dare give in
You will arise safe and sound, so keep pressing on steadfastly
And you'll find what you need to prevail
What you say is

I can make it through the rain
I can stand up once again on my own
And I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith
And I live one more day and I make it through the rain

And when the rain blows, as shadows grow close don't be afraid
There's nothing you can't face
And should they tell you you'll never pull through
Don't hesitate, stand tall and say

So if you're facing hard times, listen to this Mariah Carey song on repeat!

Hashtag Trends on Twitter

I don't usually follow the hashtag trends on Twitter unless it's something major, like the Olympics or some holiday. But occasionally I do like the idea that hundreds (if not thousands) of people are using the same cute hashtags to spread an idea.

For instance, I was at a conference for work, and we had a special hashtag for the retreat. It was fun following all the tweets that people were posting relating back to the conference. It also helped me find people who were at the event whom I didn't know before!

And just the other day the #sixwords and #sixlies trends started. Now, I love being snarky and sarcastic, so I totally glommed onto this idea. I posted "I really care about your feelings" and "I love taking red eye flights," along with others. And of course it's fun to see what other people write. I think my favorite was, "You're the love of my life" #sixlies from comedian Michael Ian Black.

So check out the trends and get to tweeting!

Hotel Wifi Rant

When you’re traveling, you frequently have to stay in hotels. Hotels are supposed to be luxurious: your towels are always folded nicely, there’s a delicious breakfast buffet waiting for you every morning, and you get to enjoy a flat screen TV without actually having to invest in buying one.

You’d also like to be able to enjoy the World Wide Web. But, alas, you usually cannot. Most hotels charge for wifi, which blows my mind; it should be included just like electricity or running water. But even if the wifi is included with your room, it probably won’t work. You won’t be given the right password, or if you are the page just never loads. The connection may be spotty, coming in and out, or you can only access certain sites…the list of issues goes on and on.

Hotels: Pull it together. How difficult is it to provide good wireless internet to your customers? Don’t you want them to have a good stay and to recommend your hotel? Because right now…I’m giving you a bad review on Yelp.

Traveling Internationally

I am headed to Vancouver tomorrow, so I thought I would write a post on traveling international. I'll admit that I am not an expert at this. I've only been out of the country three other times: to France, Mexico, and the Caribbean (and the last two don't really count, let's be honest). But from those few times, here are some tips and tricks.

*Love this Kate Spade bag I got for my birthday in April. It's obviously meant to be a travel bag!

1. Get a passport. Okay, that's an obvious one. But it's something everyone should have, even if they aren't sure they'll travel abroad. It's good to have, just in case! And if you already have one, make sure it hasn't expired.

2. Pack light. For one, foreigners always seem to wear their clothes multiple times before washing them (and usually for multiple days in a row). So they don't care that you didn't pack a different outfit for every day of your trip. Mix-and-match tops and bottoms. You can either do this with a particular occasion in mind (ex. a business conference), or I like to do it by color (ex. Pick three colors, and only bring clothes that are in those color families so they all match. I really like black and red together, or black and shades of blue). 

3. Carry on your bags. Most likely if you're traveling abroad, you're flying. Flying is already stressful, going to an unknown place always freaks me out...The last thing I need is for an airline to lose my bag. So I always carry my bags on so I know where my stuff is at all times.

4. Learn the language. I'm not asking you to become fluent in the native tongue of your destination. But people always appreciate when you make an effort to speak to them in their own language, rather than barging in link an arrogant American who assumes everyone in the world speaks English. So learn how to say things like "Hello" "Thank you" "Hotel" "Taxi" etc.

And of course be safe! I recommend traveling with a big, strong man, but sometimes that isn't an option...

TV show review: Undercover Boss: Australia

So I'm sure you've all heard of the show Undercover Boss. But did you know that there are international versions, too? The shows from the UK, Canada, and Australia are available on Netflix Watch Instantly.

I have been watching the Australian version, and it is just how you'd expect it to be. For starters, they all have cute accents; whether you can actually understand what they are saying is irrelevant.  And they are all quite happy, all the time; even as the workers and the undercover boss are doing dirty jobs like scrubbing toilets and dealing with garbage, they still smile, laugh, and joke the whole way through. And even when the undercover boss catches employees being unprofessional on the job, they just blame themselves and the company, saying that the employees need more training; they never get angry at the employees themselves.

Once the undercover boss reveals himself or herself (yes, female CEOs participate, too!), they sweetly give out "prizes" to the employees they worked with, from family vacations to donations to specific charities to surfboards. Everyone is happy and crying, and they give each other "cuddles" (i.e. hugs) before saying good-bye. And the Australian version added the nice ending of having the undercover boss give a presentation in front of all the staff, and he or she shows video clips from the undercover adventure, which is quite humble and funny of them.

I definitely recommend watching it! I'll get to the other versions at some point!

Make-Up post: Kate Moss Lipstick

I just found these last night at CVS, and I simply could not resist. I mean, look at the packaging! How could I say no? They're personalized!

These are part of the "Lasting Finish Matte" line by Kate Moss for Rimmel-London.  I was disappointed that there wasn't a larger variety of colors (I'd say the store had maybe 12 colors at most). So I went with a more natural-looking pink and a sexy red. I didn't really need more lipstick, so I'm not sure when I'm going to actually put these to good use, but they were just so pretty! I'm also not sure how I feel about matte lipstick, but if I don't like it, I can always swipe some Vaseline on top for a shiny look.

* Bring on the kisses! *

Mystics Game

I had never seen a women's professional basketball game before last weekend, but when my dad got free tickets and gave them to me, I was definitely excited to go! So I invited a friend and we headed down to the Verizon Center.

I was very pleased with the game! For one, I prefer women's basketball to men's: there's more skill involved, rather than just dunking all the time. Plus, because the game wasn't televised, there were no commercial breaks, therefore the game lasted less than two hours. We had good seats, the fans (a lot of kids) were really into it, and the Mystics won, so it was a fun time!

Here are some photos for your enjoyment:

 Great seats!

 Such tall ladies!

Katie Smith from the opposing team is retiring this year, and at the game they announced many of her accomplishments, including three Olympic gold medals, two World Championships, and the fact that she is the all-time leading scorer in women's basketball.

This photo is interesting for many reasons. One, what's with the panda? I know the National Zoo has one, but so do many zoos...And these two ladies have had season tickets for 16 years. I didn't even know the Mystics had been around that long! And why would you hold on to DC basketball tickets for that long anyway...

Ego-Boost: Attention from the Opposite Sex

So, last week I was all mopey and pouty because I had gone on a blind date and hadn't heard from the guy for a week. I was thinking, "What could he have not liked? What went wrong?" But that all turned around last Friday night.

On Friday I went to a happy hour, and I seriously felt like it was my freshman fall at college all over again: I was the young, cute girl, and I had my pick of the litter when it came to the men at the bar. I was the queen bee, chatting with everyone and dancing with anyone I wanted. I like to say it's biology, but maybe I'm just being pathetic, but getting attention from the opposite sex can give you a high. Granted, I was pretty tipsy at the time, and I'm always giddy whenever I'm dancing, so maybe it was the combination of everything that got to my head. But seriously, I can't remember the last time I had that much fun or felt that good. I don't need a man to make me feel good about myself, but the attention from a guy (or lots of them!) is definitely good for the self-esteem.

And THEN on Sunday I was just walking down the street with a friend, and this guy stops me and says, "Hey, I thought you were really cute so I wanted to see if you'd like to get coffee sometime." WHAT?! Things like that only happen in movies. I wasn't even looking that cute (just jeans and a T-shirt, ponytail, very casual). I gave him my number, and as we were walking away, I turned to my friend and said, "And that's how it's done."

This post needs its own theme song. How about Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" ?

Link for photo:  http://www.edgeoftheplank.com/2013/08/americas-next-top-model-cycle-20_17.html

RECIPE: Chocolate Strawberry Jam Bars with Streusel

I made these last week when I had some downtime, and they were so yummy! VERY rich, so watch out! And this photo is really poor quality, but they do taste good even if this photo doesn't!

 RECIPE: Chocolate Strawberry Jam Bars with Streusel

For the bars:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups flour
2 cups (12 oz) chocolate chips/morsels (or white chocolate chips, like I did)
1 jar (10 oz) strawberry jam

For streusel:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter

For icing:
1 cup powered sugar
1 tbl. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 13x9 inch pan.
2. Bars: Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in flour. Stir in 1 cup morsels. Spread mixture in prepared pan. Spread jam evenly over mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
3. Streusel: Combine flour and sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or whisk until mixture in crumbly (Note: don't stir the whisk around like usual; pump it up and down instead). Stir in remaining morsels. Sprinkle evenly over preserves.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden. Cool in pan on wire rack. Mix together ingredients for icing, then drizzle over bars. 

What I learned on Yom Kippur

Today was full of fun facts! I thought I'd share them with all of you:

1. Just like any language, you can pronounce Hebrew words many different ways. I grew up saying "Yom kipper," I generally hear "Yom Ki-POOR," and today I heard, "Yom KEE-por." And while I never heard the phrase "Shana tova" until this year, I've heard it pronounced two ways: "SHA-na TOE-va" and "shi-NA toe-VAH."

2. It is traditional to wear all white on Yom Kippur. I guess the Jewish calendar doesn't include Labor Day and its fashion rules.

3. You're not supposed to wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur because they are seen as a luxury item (just like colored cloth, I suppose). So a lot of people wear sneakers and TOMS (which, by the way, I can't stand. SO ugly!).

4. A woman can wear a tallis (or tallit), too, which I had never seen before. While most of the men wore tradition tallitot (white with blue strips and some sort of design made with metallic-colored thread), the designs women wore were more artistic, with flowers, city scapes, etc, and in all sorts of colors!

5. The person (usually a man) who sings the prayers is called a "chuzzan."

Book Review: Catching Fire

 Images from imdb.com and mockingjay.net

 SPOILER ALERT: Although I will try to make this post pretty vague, it may give away some things.

Since the second Hunger Games movie is coming out this fall, I figured I should read the second book called Catching Fire. I really enjoyed the first book (such an easy read: read it in three days) as well as the movie (Jennifer Lawrence is so hot as Katniss). So, I hopped onto the HG bandwagon.

The second book is also very quick to get through. The action moves the book right along, and of course you're kept in suspense the whole time wondering what's going to happen next that you can't help but read straight through, just waiting to see how the book ends!

This book mainly focuses on the beginning of a revolution throughout the districts, a revolution that seems to have been sparked by Katniss' act(s) of defiance during the Hunger Games in the last story. For the entirety of the book, you are wondering whether a full-fledged revolution will break out, or whether the Capital will be able to squelch it before anything major happens.

While I still enjoyed the book, I did not like this story's Hunger Games arena as much as the first one. I just didn't think the threats the characters had to face were as bad. But I can imagine that this second movie will do justice to the "reality" of the book. Now that the first movie has come out, I could picture all of the characters, their homelands, the Capital, etc. just as they were in the film. I have no doubt that this second film will be just as beautiful and entertaining.

I also didn't feel like the relationships between characters were well established. You knew people were in an alliance together, but why? You knew someone had a loved one back home, but what was the background? I felt like the relationships were quiet fuzzy, with no details. The author assumes the readers will assume these relationships as fact, but why? Where is the background, the evidence?

I liked the book, but I'm hoping I enjoy the movie even more!

It's hard being a 9...

Yes, I mean a 9 out of 10 (I'm conceited, but I'm not going to say I'm perfect). Being a 9 in the DC dating scene, and trying to find another 9 (I'd even settle for a strong 8!) is nearly impossible. People have told me since middle school that I "intimidate men" because I'm beautiful AND smart, and I know it. But I'm not going to change who I am just so a man will stick around for more than one or two dates. He's either going to like me for who I am, or find someone else.

1. I will not dumb myself down. I refuse to stare at you with Bambi eyes, twirl my hair around my finger, and repeat the word "like" in between every sentence. I will not deny that I went to an Ivy League school and lie to you saying I went to community college so you feel better about your own education. I will not limit my topics of discussion to make-up, clothes, weddings, and babies because that's what women are "supposed" to be interested in.

2. I will not gain weight. I'm not going to apologize that my slender figure and flat stomach may make you self conscious about your beer belly. I'm not sorry for the fact that I'm comfortable with my body but you have to have the lights off once you undress. I love my body, and I keep it in shape for me, not you.

3. I will not pretend that I hate my life. I will not make up a sob story about a bad childhood or complain about my job or make self-deprecating comments so that you think I have a low self-esteem and therefore don't realize my own self-worth. I'm a very happy person: I come from a loving family, I happened to find the perfect job at the age of 23, and I love who I am.I am a confident woman.

I guess having all three of these mantras in my life keep me from getting a man. If I were only happy and beautiful but were as dumb as a rock, men could put me down and I just wouldn't get their sarcastic comments. If I were only smart and happy, but fat and ugly, I could easily find another fat and ugly person (they're EVERYWHERE!). If I were only smart and beautiful but hated myself, men could date me because I wouldn't realize how much better I could do.

Yes, this is a "woe is me" blog post about the cursed life I lead as a pretty, intelligent, strong woman. Damn it all.

Hindu Poem

As a man in the arms of his beloved
is not aware of what is without
and what is within,
so a person in union with the Self
is not aware of what is without
and what is within,
for in that unitive state,
all desires find their perfect fulfillment.
There is no other desire
that needs to be fulfilled,
and one goes beyond sorrow.

In that unitive state there is
neither father nor mother,
neither worlds nor gods,
nor even scriptures.
In that state there is neither
thief nor slayer,
neither low caste nor high,
neither monk nor ascetic.
The Self is beyond good and evil,
beyond all the suffering of the human heart.

— Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

I like this poem because it's all about being harmony: harmony between yourself (both physical and spiritual), your environment, your destiny, etc. Lately, I have been closest to self-peace as I have been in a while. Everything is going right, and I like to take a moment every day (i.e. during prayer) to appreciate my life and where it is at right now. We should all hope to reach those moments when it feels like everything stops because just then everything is how it is supposed to be. Whether we can make that moment last for eternity is a little far-fetched, but to strive to achieve more of those perfect moments of serenity is possible.

POEM: The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

A friend of mine sent me this poem recently. A while back, she and I met up and I was telling her all of my dating woes and my frustration with the whole idea of romance. I am in a much better place now (focusing on myself rather than trying to find a needle in a haystack!), and she said this poem reminded her of where she was at in her life when she was dating (she's now happily married). So I thought I'd share it with you:

The Invitation 
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting
Your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
For love, for your dream,
For the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life’s betrayals,
Or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain,
Mine or your own,
Without moving
To hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy,
Mine or your own,
If you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
Without cautioning us to be careful, realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithless and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty
Even when it is not pretty every day,
And if you can source your own life
From its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure,
Yours and mine,
And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
Weary and bruised to the bone,
And do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
In the center of the fire with me
And not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
From the inside
When all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
With yourself,
And if you truly like the company you keep
In the empty moments.

***

I think the poem really encompasses the idea of looking for "The One" (if there is such a thing). Yes, when you meet someone you ask them about his job, his education, where he lives, etc. But in the end, that stuff doesn't matter at all when you're in love. It doesn't matter what he does for a living: what's important is whether or not that is his dream career and if he has aspirations for more. It's all about character, not the prestige of a fancy diploma or a mansion on the outskirts of the city. Can he stay by your side in the hardest of times? Can he work through failure? And the last stanza is my favorite: Is he confident in the man he is? Is he complete in himself without anyone else? I've never liked the saying, "You complete me" because every person should be himself/herself without depending on another human being. So make sure you are complete before looking for that special someone: only you can fill any void you think you have. Once you are at peace with yourself, THEN love will come.

Fashion blog post: Showing less is more

Now, I'm still one to show off my great bod whenever I get the chance. However, there are also times when I prefer to keep things covered up except for one place. Just that little hint of skin can be just as sexy as showing off all your assets at once. I bought this shirt at White House/Black Market for $10! You can't see it, but it has an art deco design on the front completely made of black sequins. I bought it for that part, but when I tried it on, I absolutely adored how it showed off my upper back and beautiful shoulder blades. I feel like that part of the body isn't usually seen as sexy, but when it catches all of the attention, it's definitely a hot profile spot.

Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company

Last night, I got to see the Upright Citizens Brigade, an improv comedy group. I had only ever seen improv at school (unless you count Whose Line Is It Anyway?), but I always enjoyed it, so I was interested to see some professionals live in action. And I was not disappointed! A group of four (two men and two women) was on stage, and they were funny from start to finish. They started the show asking the audience what the hot topics were in DC. Answers included Syria and gentrification, typical political stuff, as well as events like Jazz Fest and Beer Fest. Then they called up a member of the audience, asking for someone who had a good story from the summer (stories included a girl who went on a bus tour of Canada with her family and a bunch of "octogenarians," and a man proposing to his girlfriend in a car wash). They chatted for about five to ten minutes to get material for the show, the conversation in itself amusing, and then the group started its act. It always amazes me how an improv group can just take a couple of words and/or scenarios and make a comedy show out of it all.I definitely recommend seeing them if they come to your city!

Rock 'N' Roar concert at the National Zoo

Last night, I went to the Rock 'N' Roar concert at the National Zoo. I actually had entered a contest to win tickets to the show, but I didn't receive notice that I had won until less than a week before the day of the event. So it was sort of spontaneous, but I was excited to win the chance to see two of the members of O.A.R. perform.

I showed up to pick up my tickets, and realized that I had actually won VIP access to the event! So I slipped on my lanyard and went directly to the Fat Tire tent to get my free beer. Then my friend and I set up our blanket in the VIP section of the park, right in front of the stage.The opening act was Taylor Carson, a local artist from DC. He was good, sort of weird (he just kept talking about how much he wanted to hug people...creepy!), and when O.A.R. came on, you could distinctly see the difference between the amateur and the professionals.

From O.A.R. were Marc Roberge and Richard On, with Marc as the lead singer and Richard as another guitarist. I had heard of O.A.R. before, but I couldn't name one of their songs. In their repertoire for the night were these songs: Heaven (Marc mentioned he thought of this song by thinking of bullying and acceptance), Shattered, Love and Memories (which is about past relationships and how those memories never go away, which anyone who's been heartbroken can relate to), Black Rock, Peace (which Marc explained as about peace of self, not world peace), and my favorite was Hey Girl (which I had heard before but didn't know it was them!).

Here are some photos from the night. It was so much fun, especially when I got to go for free!

VIP lanyard! Woot! I felt so official.

 Our awesome seats: SO close!

 Taylor Carson and his lead guitarist.

 Marc and Richard rockin' it out.

 Such a great crowd, all the way up the hill!

 Impromptu dance party for the last song of the night.

Make your dreams come true

I was watching an episode of Breaking Pointe a couple of weeks ago, and the friend of one of the dancers said: "I want you to follow whatever your dream is, but I don't want you to give up a dream for someone else's dream. I want it to be your dream." I thought this was such good advice! Although you may want to help make someone else's dream come true, if it interferes with your own goals and aspirations, then don't do it. Don't give up a job you love because your current love interest asks you to move across the country with him. Don't take a second mortgage out on your house and go into deep debt because your child insists on wanting to go to boarding school. Don't become a doctor because your grandmother always wanted to brag to her friends about her grandchild's medical degree. Don't get a boob job because your husband wants you to. Don't agree to be a bridesmaid in a wedding for a girl friend you never even actually liked. If you are doing anything that takes away from your own happiness, DON'T DO IT.

Can you think of any other examples? Share them with me!

Movie Review: Blue Jasmine

Image from imdb.com

I had never seen any previews for Blue Jasmine: all I knew was that it was a Woody Allen film, and therefore I had to see it.

When I bought my tickets ahead of time, there were two women in front of me saying that this movie was not the usual "laughing fest" this most of Allen's films are. I asked them then if it wasn't worth seeing, but they said it was still very good, just not as silly as one would tend to expect.

Here is my synopsis of the movie. There is a snobbish woman Jasmine (played by Cate Blanchett) who marries well and gets used to the luxurious lifestyle that her husband provides for her in New York City. But once he is arrested for making his millions through illegal means, she must move in with her sister to a hovel in San Francisco. Throughout the film there are flashbacks to her fancy life, and then she is ricocheted back to reality. All of this sends her into her own form of insanity.

I enjoyed the film, but even as I am writing this post, I realize it is not memorable enough for me to even describe what I liked about it. The costumes were amazing (who doesn't love the fashion sense of a New York socialite?), and I certainly laughed out loud a couple of times, but I can't really tell you much more than that.

So, I'd watch it again, but I wouldn't rush out to own it on Blu-ray.

Fashion Trend: Crop Tops

I love that crop tops came back in style this summer (finally I can show off my flat stomach in something other than a bikini!). They are so much fun, and SO sexy! Here are a couple ways I rock the crop top:

This top is actually from the 80's. My aunt gave it to me, and I absolutely love it. It's an ivory lace shirt with an extra layer in the front to cover up my lady parts. This is so feminine, which is my favorite way to dress.

 This is a more athletic look for yoga or the gym. Men frequently work out without their shirts on, but women don't have that luxury. So this is as close as I can get without completely showing off my sports bra (not as cute). This is a go-to yoga outfit for me.

So, ladies, if you've got it, flaunt it!

Caprese Salad

This is one of my favorite snacks/small meals. It's very nostalgic for me because that's what I had for dinner on my 16th birthday at the Caroline Country Club. My mother made it this weekend, and it was so delicious that I wanted to share the recipe with all of you.

The ingredients for Caprese Salad are pretty much always the same:
-Tomato
-Mozzarella Cheese
-Basil
-Some sort of oil

But they can be in different forms. Most of the time, you will find large tomato slices, basil leaves, and slices of Mozzarella laying on top of one another in a pattern, either in a circle around your place or in a tiny tower; then it's drizzled with (usually) balsamic vinegar. My mother prefers to use cherry tomatoes and tiny balls of Mozzarella. She uses fresh basil from the garden, and then pours balsamic vinegar over the mixture (you could use olive oil if you prefer).

So refreshing, yummy, and healthy!

Movie Review: The World's End

Image from imdb.com

I should qualify this review by saying that I had never even heard of The World's End before I went to see it. My friend wanted to go and heard it was funny, so I went along with it.

The movie starts out fine. There are these five guys who try to do a pub crawl when they were high school, but they never finished it. 20 years later, their ring leader (played by Simon Pegg) wants to relive their youth by completing the pub crawl. It's reminiscent, with flashbacks to the good ol' days, and I figure that's how the whole movie is going to go. But then it took a ridiculous turn when they all discover that the town they are in has been taken over by robots who look human, but you know they aren't because their blood is bright blue. So the rest of the movie is just a bunch of silly fight scenes of these men beating up these robots by pulling off the robots' arms and beating the rest of the bodies with the extremities. Honestly, I don't even remember how the whole thing ended: I fell asleep.

So stupid, so boring. Yawn. The only good thing about it was this cutie.

Cape Cod: 2013

 So, you already read about my flight to Cape Cod last week. But what about the rest of my vacation? My friend picked me up, we went to lunch (fish tacos!yum!), and proceeded to move a bunch of her things from one house to another. After she spent a few more hours at work (I sunbathed on the green meanwhile), we went to the grocery store and had our own little barbeque at her house (her house just for another week or so before she moves again. These seasonal homes, jeez!). It was nice having a relaxing evening just to catch up.

The next two days were spent entirely out on the water. We took out "The Caliper," my friend's 17-foot O'Day sailboat. Last year it was too early in the season for boating, but this year, that was all we did. We took the boat out to Devil's Foot, a small island pretty close to the harbor. We spent ALL day out there sunbathing, and only came in around dinner time. My friend dropped me off on land (Relaxing is hard work! I was tired!) and went out again, and she even slept on her boat that night!

The next day was much the same. We went through "the guts" (under a bridge we a strong current) and settled in "Hadley's," an incredible shallow beach where we parked the boat for the rest of the day. Again, we partook in some skinny dipping (or just laying out try to get rid of our tan lines), and lounged under "the cabana" (If you didn't notice, her sailboat has no mast nor sail. In it's place, we would put a large beach umbrella. What a great idea!). Throughout both days we would run into other people, most of whom my friend knew, and we would hang out on their boats, too, livin' the dream.

This is my favorite picture from the trip. My friend is all sorts of crazy (in the best ways!), and this photo is the epitome of her. Neon pink inner tube, cowboy hat, and green reflective sunglasses. Clearly this girl knows how to have a good time. Besides boating, we saw a movie (I'll write a review later), ate several meals at Parkside (such good pancakes and sandwiches!), and did a little shopping in Falmouth. I bought a Cape Cod sweatshirt that I will definitely be rockin' next summer when I visit again.

 Another great trip! Honestly, Cape Cod is the place where people started using the word "summer" as a verb. You just can't beat it!