Looking inside the box

Ever wonder how that little box of a TV makes all those magical images appear? Well, I can't really tell you. But here is a look at some of the mechanisms that make ours function (or as of right now, don't).

Unfortunately, ours stopped working two days ago. I wish I could tell you that this little experiment made me realize how unnecessary television is, how it has helped Shawn and I have deeper and more meaningful conversations, and how I now am more productive and efficient. Instead, I am just hoping that the DVR is still recording!

But really, the TV went down randomly during a show Tuesday night. I called a repair company, and they think they might have the part and be able to fix it for a not completely outrageous price. Now, however, Shawn thinks he can fix it. Tuesday night, I was encouraging this. Now, I am less sure...

He is good with cars though. I'll let you know if we head to Best Buy in the next few days and get a new one.

Baking to procrastinate

This year brings with it a lot of tasks...dissertation research, paper writing, job hunting, job applications, and then even more tasks with various projects I am involved in for school and work.

Sometimes, instead of thinking about the constant to-do list I have, I find distractions. This weekend's distraction: Baking.

I decided to put up some Halloween decorations and get in the spirit of the holiday by making some cupcakes. I didn't get very fancy this year with my decorations or with my cupcakes, but here are some pics from both. Overall, it kept me occupied for a bit and made our house a little more festive. It also gave us a tasty treat that lasted a few days anyway.

Lobster day!

While on our last day in Maine, we decided it was time to experiment with some lobster (who goes to Maine and doesn't have lobster!). We started the day with a traditional breakfast of french toast, eggs and bacon, but Hollie cut the french toast in lobster shapes. Unfortunately, they didn't hold up all that well (and I didn't get any pictures).

We then kept busy with some shopping, buying various items for Hollie's apartment.

Like the new piece for the kitchen? It only took us an hour or so to assemble (and all we had to do was attach the legs).

While out, we got some lobster, which we then used to make a delicious lobster macaroni and cheese. It was a Food Network magazine recipe, and it was wonderful. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that hard to make either, so who knows, if I end up with some great lobster again, maybe I will give it another try.

Also during the day, we decided to make lobster cookies--lobster sugar cookies that is. Don't be alarmed--they don't actually contain lobster, but they look like little lobsters!

Overall, it was a great final day of the trip. We spent the evening eating our delicious dinner and tasty cookies while playing a game of dominoes and listening to music.

Traveling through Maine

After I returned from our whirlwind trip to Washington, I had two days to get to work before I was heading out again. This time, I was heading to Bangor, Maine, to see two of my good friends and have a girls' weekend. Luckily, Shawn got to stay home on this one.

One of the days, we drove out to the coast. We went to Acadia National Park, where the trees were beautiful shades of red, gold and green. We drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which has spectacular views, but all we could see was fog. However, that did not stop us from enjoying some beautiful Maine scenery.

Next stop was the coastal town of Bar Harbor, where we went to get some delicious ice cream at Mount Desert, which is known for it's...interesting...flavors. Some of the samples had by our group: Cardamon Raspberry Strudel and Boiled Coffee Oreo. I ended up playing it safe (and delicious) with Maine Sea Salt Caramel and Nutella in a waffle cone. We then walked down to the water and along a small path that has been around for more than 100 years.

After that, it was time for some shopping. We went through a number of cute coastal shops, where I came across some dog bone and lobster shaped cookie cutters, which we used the next day. More on that later...  

Touring the Red Hook brewery

After the Cougar game, Shawn and I were fortunate enough to visit two of our good friends in Seattle. Unfortunately, we did not take any pictures, but we got to see their great new house, eat some good food, and catch up--it was wonderful.

The next day, it was time to meet up with my parents and do some more exploring. We went to the Red Hook brewery for a tour and tasting session. In all honesty, I am not a big beer fan, but I thought that hearing about the process and trying a few would still make for a fun afternoon. Luckily, I was right!

We had a great time. The tour guide was hilarious! Overall, we didn't have to "tour" very much, as most of the time was spent with him talking and pouring us different types of beer to taste, but we learned a little bit about the process and got to try some new things. It was a blast!

Now I just have to find Shawn some of the Red Hook Copper Hook he enjoyed so much--we only seem to have the IPA in North Carolina.

Go Cougs!

We may have left Washington, but we will always be Cougs at heart!

Shawn and I were fortunate enough to get to attend a Cougar football game with my parents and my brother when we were back in Washington. We drove up to attend the Coug game against the Oregon Ducks in Seattle.

Although the Cougs had bad odds going in, we were in good spirits. We attended some of the pregame events at the field, and I was able to see a number of people I knew from when I worked at the Alumni Association and with New Student Programs.

 
We then got some Ivar's (chowder and garlic fries) and sat down to watch the game. The first half of the game proved to be really exciting. The Ducks scored right away, but the Cougars chipped away at their lead until they weren't very far behind at the half. The second half of the game was another story though, so I won't write about it here (too painful).

Although the game didn't end well (51 to 26), we had a blast getting to yell "Go" and "Cougs" at the appropriate times and cheer on our team. I also really enjoyed singing that fight song--Fight Fight Fight for Washington State...Go Cougs!

A day at the beach

Shawn and I went back to Washington for a quick trip. I hadn't been home since right after the wedding (and we had our two year anniversary back in July!).

It was great to see my parents, and see how Ocean Shores has changed (or mostly stayed the same...).

One of the days, we went with my parents down to the beach. The beaches have changed a bit over the years, and while we were at the beach this time, we got something we weren't expecting: Great weather! It was a beautiful day, and warm enough to walk around without a jacket. We went to a few different beach spots, drove around looking at beach houses, and got ice cream--Just like tourists!

More on some of our other adventures to come...