Pics from Columbus Day

Columbus Day in Rochester:
We went on this great canal trip and a walking tour of Mount Hope Cemetery. My dad with two cameras of course !



We got to see Susan B Anthony's gravesite. If you're ever in Rochester check our her house--they have a really cool tour. Hurray women's suffrage. Mount Hope is gorgeous too--Frederick Douglas is also buried there. Neat history, beautiful landscape and some cool old monuments. It's so different than the cemeteries in Boston--no skull and cross bones on the stones.

We had a lot of fun-too much food and lots of great conversation.

This is our second Columbus Day trip to Rochester to meet up with my parents and I think we're going to make it an annual event.

Driving

I have never really loved driving. But I could drive myself from home to college and to P's family's house. I moved to Boston (it is crazy to drive here!) and drove to work an hour to and an hour from everyday. Then P and I moved in together and he needed the car for work, and I could take public transportation to work. I much preferred the bus or getting rides from people anyway.

My fear of driving has steadily increased over the last few years. To the point where I might have a panic attack just thinking about it. Yikes!

So I'm working on a self-imposed intervention that I must drive whenever we go on long trips.

Today I had a very successful six hours driving back from Rochester with only a couple minor stresses.

Hurray!

Summer moves on

So it is officially fall. It's time to wear jackets to work in the morning, and I have to throw a nice light scarf on too. I get really cold and will be wearing gloves at the bus stop in no time. The leaves are starting to change and the foliage watchers will be showing up to New England in droves. It reminds me of college, of a rebirth of sorts. Starting fresh.

The dying and dropping leaves. They have to fall so new leaves can take their place next spring. It is beautiful in its own way. Cuddling up on the couch with a blanket and cup of tea, a bowl of hot soup.

If only I could hold it there and move straight in to spring. Skip the need for snow boots and calf length downy coats and Snow Emergency parking bans.

Oh fall, come and stay a while. Pumpkin beer and apple cider. Delicious and lovely.

Today we wandered around Walden Pond, I watched P and others swim in the "warm" water. (Who are they kidding, as soon as you get out you're freezing). We went EARLY so we could beat the crowds and I'm so glad we did. By the time we left the parking lot was packed, the beach was crowded and the trails were busy.

It's nice to be out of city but not too far away. A bit of quiet, sunshine and wilderness.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

A couple favorite pics from California

Just what you want to think of in the bathroom!
A fun pic of the two of us. Lucky that P has such long arms.
I don't know why, I just love this picture!

California, I'm coming home . . .

So what to say about California. I went from Santa Cruz (lovely beach town) to Berkeley and San Francisco (Grownup Noise played at a great place there) to Sacramento to Los Angeles!

My favorite place was definitely Berkeley. KF was staying there during a three week intensive class. We could walk from her apartment to a BART station and head straight to San Fran from there. BART is pretty user friendly and quick. Berkeley is cute, friendly, has a nice college town feel to it.

Los Angeles was not as hideous as I supposed it would be. Actually, aside from the driving, I thought I could make a home there if I could find the right neighborhood. Somewhere I can walk or catch a good bus line and close to good restaurants! The area around Kodak Theater and the Chinese Theater was crazy, overrun with tourists and stores. Unfortunately if those two things weren't there you might think you were anywhere--Sephora, the Gap, etc, the stores that are in malls everywhere were also there. It was fun to hang out with CW and see other friends who live there too. Sorry folks, no celebrity sightings!

Didn't get as much time in San Fran as I hoped BUT I definitely want to go back for another visit. Santa Cruz was extremely relaxing given the fact that we were steps from the beach the whole time we were there.

Last and least thing to mention is the droves of homeless people. I mean, it's warm there almost all the time. If I was homeless I'd probably make my way to the West Coast too. After all, "California is good to the homeless, Califor-o-o-or-n -i-a is good to the homeless!"

Crazy town!

I will elaborate when I return, but I have been in LA for less than 24 hours and it is one crazy place! So much traffic even at 2 in the morning. We walked down Hollywood Blvd this afternoon and as you get closer to the Chinese Theatre and Kodak Theater the crowds increase exponentially. We saw Marilyn Monroe among other actors who hang around in costumes all day hoping for tips when you take your pic with them. Where in the world does Marilyn keep her change?

Pictures and more tales to follow once I settle back in to Boston living.
Having a great time!