SPOOKTACULAR EVENTS!!!!

So today was definitely a fun day.  It was mostly for Zoey to get out and socialize with other dogs.  The local Petco in Quincy was not only having a "Howl-o-ween Pet Costume Contest" but they had a mixed breed mixer afterwards.  And Zoey got to ride the bus for the first time today!


Waiting for the bus

On the bus

So...at first when we get there, the other dog costumes were so lame...there was a skeleton and it was just a dog in a sweater with a skeleton on the back of it.  Seriously....these people thought they were going to win with that?  But Maisey was the cutest Golden Lab I ever seen.  So she gets points for cuteness.
I'm thinking to myself...oh wow me and Zoey got this in the bag.  Then a cat (the only cat) shows up as a king...it had a crown and a cape...okay...that's cute too, but I'm thinking..we still have a chance.  Then a dog dressed as the Black Swan shows up and I'm like wow!  After that we have a dog dressed as a devil that showed up and in a wheelchair...okay we are screwed!


But it was alot of fun and even though Zoey didn't win she had fun meeting these dogs:


Meet Riah the winner of the contest....The Black Swan (You can't see the feathers but the costume was awesome)

Sophie...

Zoey liked her the most and of course my baby who didn't want to wear the hat but I'm attaching another picture of how she should look as a banana split...

So after the contest everyone got a certificate of participation...

And Zoey participated in a relay race but she didn't win that either...it was a tie.  And I wasn't smart enough to answer all the questions to get more money so she could have won some prizes...but Zoey didn't go home empty handed.  Between the 3 toys and treats I bought her she got three goodie bags...so in the end, she didn't do so bad at all

So we had a good day, I'm exhausted and so is Zoey...I think it is time for a nap for the both of us.


Well until next time....

F-A-I-R! FAIR.....FAIR.....FAIR......FAIR!!!!!

What drives people to go to the fair?  Is it the food, the rides, entertainment, animals?  Or is it just good old fashioned fun that brings friends and families together to socialize...it's a little bit of everything.  This weekend I was able to experience going to the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, MA.  This fair has been around for 192 years and probably is one of the longest running annual fairs I've ever heard of.


This is me on the way to the fair:

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Now being that I'm here from Texas, I attended the Texas State Fair in Dallas several times and that is probably the LARGEST fair I have ever been to.  This one as quaint and cute as it was is no comparison to this fair.  But there was lots of activities to do there, like visit the pig barn which was kind of a rip.  Because there is much talk about the piglets and that is what Brian wanted to do pet a piglet.  By the time we got there, they were all sleeping and not running around and you couldn't even pet them....WHAT GIVES????? 

But we were able to pet cows in the cattle barn:

Also pet goats and there was an odd goat called a lamancha which had no ears...it was weird but cute at the same time:

Then there was the Beekeeping station....look at all of those bees!

This was a little nifty thing made out of beeswax

Look at the little rabbit!  So cute!

The most amazing thing I saw was the amazing sand castle....How do people have the patience to do this???  I'll never know.

All in all this was a smaller fair than I'm used to, but I was able to get my yummy ribbon fries

And ended the day with popcorn!  But was it worth it to sit in all of this traffic?

The highlight of the day was this:

Ha ha ha ha ha!  Yes this was a fun day indeed!

Well until next time....

KOWLOON! FAIR DAY CONTINUED!

On the way to the fair we spotted this place and was thinking yummy....chinese food!  And Brian stated that he heard the food was good there, so on the way back since we were going to go right past it we decide to eat here.

So the N is burnt out...but you know what I mean

Let me just tell you this was the biggest chinese restaurant I have ever been to.  It was kind of tacky on the inside but it was a fun experience.  Let me just say that their menu itself was quite overwhelming.  The choices you had to choose from was traditional Chinese dishes, Szechuan, Thai food, Sushi, some items A la carte, and then they also had an American menu where you could get a good old fashioned burger.  Now that's my kind of place because not matter what mood you are in you could pick something to eat there.

We end up getting a pu pu platter, chicken fried rice and a side of chicken fingers.  All of which was fantastic!

I bet you are jealous!  But everything was great even down to the tap water...who could get excited about water?  We did from the first sip Brian said "Wow...this water tastes so good!"  And it really was good and you all know how I'm not a fan of water. 

So after I get home, I tend to Zoey who of course always gets something.  And what was it?

They had an all natural dog treat stand at the fair.  So here is a chicken cheese taco (left), cannolli (right) and french fries (center).  Boy this dog is doing pretty good I'll say so myself.   She enjoyed her cannolli and a few fries that night so she was pretty content.

It was a long but good day!

Well until next time....

BEEF BALLS???? RANDOM BLOG

I don't know and I don't want to know....

Well until next time....

THE FRIENDLY COMMUTER RAIL WITH THE MBTA....OR IS IT?

My daily commute to the Downtown Financial District is on the trusty....well maybe not trusty but old Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or as us Bostonians call it the MBTA.  Or the Subway. Or the T. Sure the rail system here is old, but boy you can get pretty much anywhere here just look at this rail map

I enlarged this just so you can see it.  Since I have been here I have been on every line since the Blue Line.  The red line is what I take every day and I get on at Quincy Center and take the red line down to South Station.  Not too bad of a ride...just about 28 minutes to be exact.  

So my monthly pass costs $59.00 per month...not bad considering it is unlimited and I can ride any of the subway lines above as well as any buses in the Boston area.  How cool is that????  Well I thought it would be a good idea to start to ride the commuter rail...that's a whole different chapter in the book.  So I go to the Downtown Crossing station to get my pass and I tell the worker I'm riding the commuter rail from Quincy Center to South Station so he tells me "Oh, you need the 1A pass".  So I say oh okay then that's what I want.  Total price $59.00....WHAT????  The same price and now I can ride all the lines on the subway, any bus, the commuter rail if I want to and can ride the ferry too????  What a baaaarrrrrrgin!

This is greeeeeaaaaat I'm thinking.  So I ride the commuter rail the other day with no problem...and what a nice ride it was.  No crowded, hot, stinky funky subway for me.  It was so smooth and quiet....everyone had a seat and there were no rude people pushing you out of the way.  I'm thinking this IS the life and I will be taking this train to work everyday so my day won't start out so stressful!

UNTIL.....today....I'm on the commuter rail "enjoying" my ride when the train conductor looks at my ticket and tells me I have the wrong ticket.  WHAT???!!!  I told him that the ticket agent told me that was the one I needed to buy...soooooo he let me slide this time.  I get off the train at South Station.

There is a huge crowd of people and then there is a part that branches off and not too many people go that way so I think they must know a shortcut!  Well.....it wasn't a shortcut. I ended up near the waterfront...which was way out of the way and I had NO idea where I was.  So I walk around and then I see a street that looks familiar and then I get to work

So what's the moral of this blog?  Don't listen to people who work for the MBTA and...don't follow the crowd they just might not be going the same direction you are.  But my ticket wasn't a total bust, I can still ride the commuter rail if I end up at the JFK/UMASS stop and I still get my unlimited rides on the subway and the bus.  Steamy subway and funk...here I come!!!

Well until next time....

SCALLOPS, SHRIMP AND CLAMS OH MY!!!!

So every year for my birthday, the tradition has always been that my best friend in the whole world Nicole AKA Nikki AKA White Lightning always takes me to Joe's Crab Shack so I can get CRAB LEGS!!!  Well this year it was a little different but still just as good!  


So yesterday Brian AKA White Knight takes me to Legal Seafoods in Natick, MA and I knew it was going to be a fun time when we pull into the parking lot and Brian cuts off an elderly couple for a parking space and then laughs when he does it.  I notice that the couple is going to the same place and I tell Brian that look they are eating here too...and he says see they got a good parking space I wanted to park here! Ha ha ha!  

We have been there before and the last time I got the Fish and Chips and it was really good of course.  So yesterday I decide to get the Fried Fisherman's platter.  This was definitely something I had no business eating...but hey it's my damn birthday I can do what I want!  It was fantastic!  And then instead of cake this year I had ice cream bon bons....they were so delish! (As Rachel Ray would say)


Then after we were stuffed, we went to Crate and Barrel, strolled through the Natick mall and I went to THE most BEAUTIFUL bathroom I have ever visited! There was this huge lounge area where there was chandelier hanging from the ceiling.  A chandelier???? Seriously???  Well anyway...it was gorgeous in there.  Then after we went there we go to Petco so I can get Zoey poo her food and of course I give in and get her a special treat and a toy that I know isn't going to last 24 hours...but I just can't help it!!!!!


But spending time with Brian is always entertaining, either I'm acting a fool or Brian is making me crack up with his funny sayings.   Oh I forgot to mention that we also stopped at Ben and Jerry's for a frozen tasty treat!  So after we wait longer than we should have I end up with Triple Chunk Caramel ice cream on a sugar cone coated with chocolate!  (another thing I shouldn't have been eating)  But remember...it's my BIRTHDAY!  


So Saturday was a fun day with White Knight and Chocolate Delight...that's me!  Sometimes I wish there was a video camera with us at times...kind of like a reality show...because Brian is such a crack up!  But at the end of the day, I went home, got in my jammies and I cuddled with Zoey of course.


Today I got up, walked Zoey, talked to my mom, went back to sleep and didn't get up until after noon!  I've been bumming in my jammies all day today and I was able to get some laundry done this weekend too!  So I guess I have been a little productive this weekend, it wasn't a total bust!  


Hope you all have had a good weekend...tomorrow is Monday so it's back to the old grind!


Well until next time....

THE BIG FOUR-OH!!!

Well this week I turned 40 on September 29, 2011....was this a date I was looking forward to absolutely not.  But it came and went and I'm glad it is gone.  For some reason this birth year I was definitely not looking forward to.  So it was a very low key birthday, I took the day off, stayed home, fried chicken and drank wine.  Yes one would say wasn't it horrible that you chose to spend your birthday alone?  Well when I moved here in March I kind of figured I wouldn't know many people and it wouldn't be like a normal birthday in Dallas...so I really wasn't expecting much excitement.  


So the day came and went and the next day I went to the doctor...not an exciting trip to the doctor but good thing is I got my flu shot taken care of so that's handled.  Had to go for some more blood work...and would you believe they had to stick me twice before they got something?  Sometimes I feel like a lab rat...I have rolling, moving, tiny, deep veins and everyone always wants to come look at me like I'm a freak.  I'm not...I'm unique and just because I'm giving you a little bit of a challenge at your profession doesn't make me a freak of nature. So on this trip to the doctor I was stabbed three times!!!!!  Oh and then I have tennis elbow and have to wear this weird contraption that I'm not so sure of but hope it works.


After all is said and done, I go to work walk around the corner to my cubicle and what do I see?  My desk is decorated with the most beautiful purple roses that I have ever seen.  

They are are called purple rain...yes like the Prince song!

So my Friday ended up not being so bad even though it didn't start out very well.  On top of that my co-workers chipped in and gave me a gift card to Massage Envy here in Quincy!  Oh yeah...I will be getting a massage as soon as possible!!!  I LOVE MY CO-WORKERS!!!




Well until next time....