How I spent my first week of summer vacation, from boat to throat.

Grab yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, if it's after noon. This is going to be long.

My summer vacation only started a week ago because I was really stupid smart to volunteer to spend the first week of vacation taking a math class for grad credits. While I am grateful that I can say I officially started my master's, five 8 hour days of math was brutal. Too bad I didn't read this first.

One of my kiddo's got this book from his dad. Hysterical.

The 4th of July was spent soaking up the sun on Lake Winnisquam with family. Lots of fun was had on the boat, at the sandbar, playing on the jetski, and sitting fireside. I have no pictures to show from this lovely trip until Jeff's mom comes home from vacation and can email a few. My camera is also sucking big time and I no longer carry it everywhere with me. Sadness.

I love, love the extra time I was able to spend with my adorable niece and my sweet cat. Both girls live with my parents and the first thing I do when I get there is round them up for hugs and kisses. I have the most adorable picture of Elizabeth sitting in the window sill next to Princess, but of course, it's on my sister's camera.

I had lots of fun roadtripping to UMass Amherst to pick my brother up from his freshman orientation, even though we didn't stop at Antonio's for pizza. I am envious of his upcoming college days after hearing all of the fun things happening on the campus. I just love spending time with my baby brother! On another note, the western part of the state is beautiful but a bit strange in parts. I tried to take a picture (but I was driving and it wasn't happening) of a truck that I saw that I can only assume caught fish and delivered it. The slogan on the back said, "from boat to throat". Um, gross. Even more gross, there were boxes full of produce, and I assume seafood, in the bed of the open pickup truck. I don't know about anyone else, but somewhere in between boat and throat, I usually refridgerate my seafood.

I started walking the lake, Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, three times a week with my lovely friend, Leslie Ann. We were pretty hard-core on our first walk in the rain! I'm very much looking forward to catching up with LA, seeing her cutie-pie baby boy on the reg, and burning a few cals.

I also started Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred because I'm a big fan of a workout that only lasts 20 minutes. The verdict: 20 minutes is a long, LONG, time and Jillian Michaels is the devil. I'm pretty sure that she is trying to kill me. After 5 minutes, I am sweating like a hog, after 10 minutes, praising God that I am halfway through, and after 15 minutes, begging the clock to move faster. It isn't even a super hard workout but it is NON-STOP. Today is Day 5 of the workout and once I can motivate myself to hit play, I will be halfway through Level 1. 25 days to go. Pray for me.

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My sweet friend, Hayley, just welcomed her new baby boy into the world! Asher Daniel was born on July 6, and I cannot wait to take a trip to Maine to meet him!

My cousin, Jillian, and I went to Hampton Beach yesterday (more on the trip later) and we spotted the most adorable leopard print beach cooler. The girl it belonged to said she got it at Marshall's for $20 and so when we left the beach, we stopped there to pick it up but didn't find any with that pattern. We were a bit sad but the trip wasn't a total failure because I found cushions for my patio set, 50% cheaper and 100% cuter than what I've been finding in other stores. Jillian stopped at three more stores on her way home and couldn't find it. Then, today I stopped at Homegoods, TJ's, and Marshall's and had no luck, either. When I tried to google it to see where it could be located, this picture came up..

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I assure you this was not the cooler we were looking for.


I started reading The Hunger Games Trilogy and I'm kind of addicted. This series was pretty popular with my advanced readers so I used my Scholastic points to order it. The Hunger Games is about a game in which 24 tributes, teens between 12 and 17, are put in an arena to fight to the death; the last one alive, wins. I wasn't really expecting so much blood and violence, but I'm into it. I'm not sure how I feel about my students reading it, though. This may be another permission slip book, along with The Twilight series.

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I've been pen-pal'ing late night with this girl and cracking up. It reminds me of the time I signed up for a pen pal in Tiger Beat magazine. I was "matched" with a girl named Kendra, who I think was from New Jersey. I don't think I was any older than sixth grade, at least I hope I wasn't, because our letters were signed with things like W.B.S., B.F.F., and I {heart} J.T.T. I also sent a letter to J.T.T. and he wrote back on a post card. True story.

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I should be embarassed by this, but I'm not... My first whole day off with nothing planned, I watched a 12 hour marathon of Teen Mom. This is not a joke, but it should be. I even caught Jeff poking his head through the window between the living room and kitchen to catch a glimpse of Amber beating up Gary. Too bad someone didn't beat up Amber. LOVE that it's almost Tuesday again!

I'm also kind of addicted to browsing the web for wedding ideas, reading blogs, my Nook (Barnes & Noble e-reader), the sun, and diet coke. Maybe it's the free time, maybe it's the technology addiction that Jeff says I have. I don't know.

Speaking of technology, I have become obsessed with the MacBook and iPhone. I know I am late to the party, but I want one of each, pronto.

My thighs are burning from this damn computer, so I'm off to let the devil-lady shred me. Then I'll really be complaining about burning thighs. Wah!