REAL WORLD

It's here - life after college!  I moved up to Burlington on Tuesday, and so far have: completed two days of work, become a bike commuter, cooked myself some decent dinners, unpacked most of my stuff, and assembled a bed.

WOAH also just realized I moved from zipcode 04105 to 05401!!  How cool!

So life as a Vermonter has been good, though seeing all the UVM students darting around campus makes me wish (sort of) that I too was going to be a college student this fall.  One big JTerm would be ideal.

Here are a few random thoughts that have been on my mind lately, in no particular order:

The NYTimes has been on a sort of anti-men streak lately...here are links to 2 articles.  The first is an editorial on how men, biologically, aren't really very necessary for reproduction.  And the second is an interesting piece on the role of men in today's economy (entitled "Who Wears the Pants in This Economy", very witty).

So excited for the new Mumford and Sons and Avett Brothers albums to come out!  Should be some great new tunes for my long commutes to Middlebury this fall :)  I am also planning to join the Burlington Public Library so I can get some books on tape.  Any suggestions are welcome!

And finally, a collection of pictures from my first couple days of "adult" life.

Dinner #1: Angel hair, tomato sauce, salad.  Basic but delicious.  Oh, and Mike's Hard, move-in day was a long one.

Dinner #2: More homemade.  Tofu, carrot, pepper, onion, garlic, soy sauce stir-fry with jasmine rice.  A pretty solid first stir-fry effort.  I had leftovers of this for dinner #3.  

According to the instruction manual, you can only assemble this bed if you have friends.  Discrimination!

I already posted this on Facebook, but despite the haters, I made my bed all by myself!  From a pile of wood/screws to a masterpiece.  Now I just need to get myself a mattress!

That's the end for now.  Check back in for more of my adventures.  Can't wait to be back out on Dunmore, driving the launch!

feeling crafty

First off, thanks for helping me exceed 2,000 views!  Glad to know there's lots of sunshine being spread throughout the world.  Also, I don't think there's a way to share the map, but it's cool to see viewers in so many different countries!  Even if I have only been to three, I sort of feel like a part of me has gone wherever my friends go.

So I find myself with two weeks to go before the big move to Burlington.  I'm excited, but also a little wistful about my limited time that remains in Maine.  But I've gotten to do most of my favorite Maine activities this summer, and I'm feeling rested and ready to be a little busier again.  In the meantime, I'm gathering together all the stuff I need to bring with me, and finishing up on my newly painted table!  I'll post a picture next time...waiting for the paint to dry.

Last weekend, I went to the Cumberland Arts & Craft Show.  I love browsing, and it was especially fun this year since I have pierced ears (coming up on my one year anniversary).  I didn't end up buying earrings, but did get this necklace, made by a Portland-based artist who uses recycled sterling silver in her jewelry.  Here's her website.

And in other crafting news, here are some earrings I made this morning.  I really like the beads - I got them from The Beadin' Path in Freeport.  I think this is also a local artist who produces Japanese-style ceramic beads.  Hopefully there will be a bead shop in Burlington so I can keep up my earring-making!  Or I'll just have to stock up in Middlebury.

Well, that's basically all that's new in Maine.  Have a lovely day/weekend!  

on my mind

1.  I just finished watching the last episode of season two of Downton Abbey - so amazing!  I am beyond excited for the start of the next season.  If you have not yet gotten hooked on this show, I'd recommend starting to watch it immediately.  Every episode is jam-packed with great early 20th century drama, and it's fun and exciting.  And I'm also looking forward to all my other shows being back on the air this fall.
2.  Two major racewalking events are tomorrow, so I'm going to try and tune in for those.  Here's an interesting article from the NYTimes about controversy with officiating the racewalk.  Having been disqualified once from a race, I can tell you that it's really hard to walk quickly without violating the rules.  The idea of shoe alarms seems pretty cool, so maybe that's where the sport will go in the future.
3.  It's hard to believe it's already almost the middle of August!  I am starting to get ready for my move to Vermont.  I just brought up our old kitchen table from the basement and am trying to refinish it/eliminate some of the arts and crafts remnants stuck to the surface.  It's a bit of an undertaking, but if successful, I will post some before and after pictures.
4.  Posted this on facebook, but I LOVE this song and have been listening to it (almost) non-stop after hearing it on NBC primetime Olympics coverage.  Home by Phillip Phillips

hiya

An adventure from my most recent foray into fine dining: last night, I made some tasty lobster mac and cheese.  I'd call it a solid first effort.  With the abundance of lobsters in Maine this summer (see this article from the NYTimes for more info), it's a great seasonal dish and a fun twist on one of my favorite comfort foods.

I have been OBSESSED with watching the Olympics for the past 10+ days...it's especially cool to see sports that otherwise wouldn't make it on TV.  If you're missing swimming and/or haven't seen this video, watch the US swim team dancing their hearts out to Call Me Maybe.

And finally, in honor of my recent Rubix Cube addiction, here's a neat little article from the NYTimes about the reemergence of the Rubix Cube and hardcore cubers.

Those are my fun tidbits for now - keep on the sunny side :)

life in pictures

As a change, here's a collection of recent pictures.  And, as a disclaimer, these look sort of instagram-y/wannabe hipster/retro...really though, my camera is just kind of broken.

A super cool beetle from the Insectarium in Montréal.  There were so many amazing (live and dead) insects.  One of my favorite parts was a terrarium filled with mini walking sticks from Malaysia!  So cute!









Beautiful white orchids at the Montréal Botanical Gardens.  There was a whole greenhouse full of orchids that were all lovely.  Better than the garden full of poisonous plants!

MUMFORD & SONS!  Portland, Maine was one of four cities chosen as stopovers for their US tour.  They played as part of an all-day music festival with other bands, and it was an amazing show.  The Eastern Prom was converted into a seaside concert venue, and watching music while overlooking the ocean at sunset was pretty amazing.  They played a lot of songs from Sigh No More, as well as some of their newer stuff.  Here's a link to Lover of the Light, a song I hadn't heard before.  And the show ended with fireworks, always a plus!

Just another day at the beach!  It has been hot and humid in Maine, so I cooled off today at Crescent Beach.  Despite the huge waves, gusty wind, and sand blowing everywhere, it was still a beautiful day on the ocean.










As a side note - I had a great time in Vermont/Canada last week, especially hanging out at Midd and watching the Olympics!  And, if you're ever looking for a cheap thrill in Burlington, check out the Lake Champlain chocolate factory.  They give free tours that include samples!  That's all for now, be back soon.