Two weeks...of relaxing

If you are looking for this aqua girl, I am gone. I am headed to Sam & Tony's wedding. But, I have a few detours on the way. First, I am headed to the RV for three days. Then I am off to Lake Geneva with my mom and back to Chicago to visit with friends and family and celebrate my grandpa's life. But, after that, I am going to be here. In this hammock, "resting my eyes."

See you when we get back from paradise.

Minnesota for the NCMR

I keep going back to the NCMR and each year it keeps getting better and better.

This year, however, it was in my home state of Minnesota and it was fun to host my coworkers in the Land of Lakes.

On the conference, all I can recommend is that you go to this site and watch some of the powerful speakers. My favorite of the weekend was Van Jones, but his speech isn’t up there yet.

On the homefront, we had a blast. Not only did I get to spend time with my coworkers, I also got to spend time with my mom, Too and Amy.

On Sunday when the conference was all said and done we went to uptown and walked over to Lake Calhoun and watched the people go by and the boats sit still as the wind was non existent.
It was a great conference and trip! I wonder where we will go next year!

NYC "Cabin" for Memorial Day

I spent Memorial Day weekend in NYC with Aron, Liz, Anne, Sam and Tony! It was a lovely weekend at the "cabin" on the Upper West Side.

I even did a little touristy stuff, like go to the 125th Birthday Celebration of the Brooklyn Bridge.


Liz and I went to the Union Square Farmers Market.

Overall it was a great weekend get-away in the city. We drank good wine, ate great grilled treats and had tons of time to sit in the Zero-Gs and catch up.

Maine was beautiful!

Last week, for work amazingly, I had the opportunity to add two new states to my list. New Hampshire and Maine. In the “live free or die” state I only saw the highway and a bit of the coastline. But, I am still counting it. I would like to go back and spend more time in the more wooded area of NH.

In Maine, on the other hand, I spent two lovely days. When we arrived in Portland it was a wet and dreary day. The fishing boats were in because of a fog warning.

We still wandered the streets in search of a good place to dine for the night and we scoped out the spot where the Old Port Festival (our reason for being there) would take place the next day.


On Sunday, the first day of June, the weather was perfect for a street fest and I was covered in sun screen for the eight hour event.

When the Port Festival was over I waved goodbye to the RV Crew (this was my last stop with them…for now). I decided this was my opportunity to see some of Maine.
I asked a local shop owner, if she had a few hours to spend seeing Portland, what she would do. The recommendation was to take a commuter ferry boat out to one of the islands on Casco Bay and walk around and have dinner.

I chose Peaks Island. Mostly, because when I was scoping out restaurants on ChowHound I saw a good recommendation for lobster out there. What the heck. I paid my $7.75 and boarded the boat.

It was amazing. What a difference a day makes. May was cloudy, wet and cold. June was sunny and warm.

Take a look:

Fort Georges
I think that this is one of the two Cape Elizabeth Lights.
Welcome to Peaks Island.

Lobster traps.

That night after I wandered the island, I stopped at the Inn on Peaks and had a lovely lobster dinner all by myself. It was one of the most decadent things I have ever done.

I even made a new friend on the island. One thing I can say is Maine people have funny accents.

That night as I went back on the last boat, it was a perfect sky and I think, just maybe I will have to go back to Peaks Island again someday.

Here is the shot as the boat pulled back in to Portland.

Windsurfers are crazy!

While on the east coast I had an opportunity to pop over to ISSB's parents place on the Cape. Barbara and I took a stroll on the beach on a very windy Saturday afternoon. Here are some photos of the crazy windsurfers!

Yeehaw!

Where in the world is Morgan and why is she slacking on the phlog!?!?!

I have been working on the road for the last month. And for the last week, I have been following this rig around the country. Take a look: www.CoverAmericaTour.org

Radiohead was AWESOME!!!

ISSB and I went to Dallas a few weeks back (sorry for the late posting, I have been busy). Here are shots from the show. It was amazing!