B is for Boston Bruins and Beach Birthday

{my sister and I with a random fan dressed up as Stanley. Good grief.}

{Chara super head. I love the high five happening on the right.}

{A new One of My Favorite People in the World}

The Bruins parade was such a blast. 

Okay, the parade was hot and sweaty and crowded, but the day itself was so far one of my all time favorite days. We had adventures from morning til night, don't you love days like that?

Here's a quick (and maybe boring) breakdown:

We saw the parade, though I missed my favorite player, Thomas. Bought some fresh fruit from a farmstand and caught a breakdancing performance in Faneuil Hall. I felt nostalgic because I used to work down there! We got our car towed in Charlestown and went on a wild goose chase to find it, but even that was fun. Stopped by the North End to grab a couple cannolis at Mike's since I'm no longer right around the corner, waah. Grabbed some lunch at Whiskey Priest, on the porch overlooking the bay. Went back to Keith's to swim in his pool, and started out our evening with the funniest game of mini golf that I've ever played. Ended the night with a movie: The Tree of Life, which I'm pretty sure changed my life. Phenomenal. Still processing. Need to see it again. 

I love days like that. Completely full of adventure and laughter, and new friends.

My 25th birthday was spent on the beach with my favorite girls in the world.

I took the best beach nap I've ever had, and we left with enough time to go to a local beach (Revere Beach, anyone?) so I could have the birthday dinner of my choice: Kelly's fries with tartar sauce and a gigantic chocolate shake. 

mhmm. 

Sigh. I've been in a funk, and I still am. 

But mostly right now I feel like this recap 

has helped me get my blogging game back. 

You'll see. 

O Me! O Life!

O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean— of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer. That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse. -Walt Whitman ______________________________________________________________ I'm in a weird place in my life. I guess 25 is hitting hard. Adulthood, etc. A friend recently told me that he remembers 25 being an age where he really took charge and ownership of his life. Like he really realized "this is my life" and made a conscious effort to live it the way he wanted to. Hm. I'm thinking (read: crying) a lot about that. I don't know. My head's spinning but I find some strange comfort in Whitman's words. Also, this: & a text sent to my sister sends me back to the Best Day Ever. I'm hangin in. Please forgive me for a lack of creative and inspired posts as I try to figure out what the heck it means to live my life. Heh.

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Caps Lock = I'm excited.

I am leaving in 1/2 hour to go spend the weekend at home in Boston with my

Favorite Girls In The World.

(mom, gram, sisters)

Tonight, my itty bitty sister Kyla has a ballet recital. I am so excited for it! I used to dance when I was younger, so recitals for me are both adorable to watch and nostalgic. It totally brings me up. I can't wait to see the wee one all dolled up and present her with a bouquet of flowers!

Tomorrow morning is the Bruins Parade!!! EEEEEEE! (In case you didn't know, I'm a huge hockey fan, and in case you haven't heard, the Bs just took home the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972.) My dad has a hat he got signed by all the players the night before they won it back in 1970! Also, being a Boston sports fan is wonderful.

OK, dude guy rant over.

Following the parade, sistagirl #1 and I are going to the ICA because she has 4 free tickets!

This is going to be an amazing birthday weekend, just so you know.

The rest of Saturday I'm planning on hanging out with my fam and laughing a lot.

My Gram is one of my best friends in the world.

Sunday is Father's Day, so Al and I are gonna drag my pops out for some pizza, mini golf and ice cream.

I'm most excited, as I'm most excellent at mini golf.

Monday, my actual birthday, is wide open.

I think I'll spend it at the beach.

I just LOVE my birthday.

25 I'm going to crush you.

{This was me last year, crushing 24 in a tutu.}

An Apple a Day (Keeps the Stress at Bay)

I have started this sort of routine for my daily walks to and from work. 

I am lucky enough to live about a 15 minute's walk from my place of employment. For that reason, I walk there pretty much every day. Back in April I started leaving my house a little earlier than necessary so I could take my time and enjoy all of the trees blooming all around me. It also gave me time to stop in at the local market and pick up an apple, which I would save at my office for the walk home. Some days I'd be so drained from work that I would be tempted to just hop on a bus, but I found the apple to be a kind of incentive to get me to walk. 

Thhe apple is only part of it though.

It reminds me of just how much I cherish that walk home to listen to music, get some excercise, and just unwind from a sometimes stressful day. I've been doing it pretty much every day since the springtime,

and I'm going to try and hold out as long as I can.

(Note: I even walked home that one crazy evening the tornado was in town!

Did you hear about that? It was scary for sure, but those of us here in Worcester remained untouched. Read about it here.)

{Early spring, E had my camera for the day, taking some photos of around the city for a work project. He caught me outside my office just after work! Sunglasses, check. Apple and music in hand. Mhmm.}

Oh & pardon the lack of makeup/half shut eyes.

...My allergies were in full force that week.

Do you have any daily routines you try to stick to?

I like hearing about other people's habits and daily life! So.. tell me, please!

Wear Sunscreen

Srsly.

That is all.

I'm here, I've been here the whole time

Sometimes (a lot of times) I just need to disconnect.
I've been having a hard time adjusting to life lately with some life changes going on here. Nothing too crazy really. Or I don't know. Ha.. this is all so cryptic.

Nonetheless,
I've been keeping up to date with my daily blog readings, and I have missed posting.
I just didn't really know what to post. My heart didn't feel in it lately, because my heart wasn't really feeling in anything.
But I'm back.

And I'm tan.

{5am sunrise.. everyone but the sleeping beauty bachelorette}

{Long sands beach with the bridezilla herself! ;) }

{pehhhfect}

{favorite new sundress, favorite kind of apple (gala), favorite author. poolside.}

 {Guac N Roll for margaritas y... Mex food.}

{sparklers on the beach!}

{quick stop at the Nubble before our trip home to get some fried seafood and ice cream. Naturally.}

This past weekend truly was just what I needed.
Six laydees went up to York Beach, Maine for a bachelorette weekend for my friend Tara.
It was pretty low-key. We went to the pool and hot tub at night (we were the only ones both nights!), and the beach all day. Saturday evening we went to a favorite restaurant down in York Village then putzed around. We took a midnight walk on the beach where we lit sparklers and toasted to T's last hurrah as a single lady!
We laughed a lot. Napped a lot. Ate a lot.
Watched the Bruins lose (waah), and maybe a Lifetime movie or two..
It was one of the most relaxing vacations I've ever been on, but really fun too!
I'm hoping to make it a yearly occurence!
FYI- the first weekend in June is the perfect time to go stay up there. It was gorgeous weather, and it's not exactly tourist season yet because all the wee ones are still in school.
Bazinga!


And, I'm tan.