Monday, October 20, 2014

Kart fail

Fourth race in a row ending in mechanical failure... Peace out, plastic trophy.  It was nice almost getting to know you.
Never even got to the first qualifying heat.

Piston chunks.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Beautiful Bermuda

Not too shabby!

A few months ago over drinks at Cuvee, we hatched a plan to reward ourselves for making progress on the living room and kitchen.  At the time, that meant paint, furniture and organization.  The conversation went something like:

Land of relaxation and mediocre food.
"After we make some real progress, let's take some time away."
"OK!  Where do you want to go?"
"Up to  you!"
Travel junkie that I am, I upped the ante: "Does it have to be driving distance?"
"No.  My friend just went to XYZ hotel, he liked it."
... "I've already been to SD a few times.  If we're flying 6 hrs west, why not 6 hours east?  Want to go to Europe?"
"Sure!"
"You like beach vacations, right?"
"Yeah, I like relaxing ones."
"Ever been to Greece?  Beaches!"
... and so the plan to go to Greece was hatched.  As all plans go, the Greece plan eventually went out the window and we ended up in lovely Bermuda.

Farewell Feet @ Fairmont
We ended up splitting our time between two different hotels: The Grotto Bay and the Fairmont Southampton, which has its [much nicer] private beach adjacent to the famed Horseshoe Bay.   Reviews of both hotels will probably come in a later post.

Why does it taste
like dust?


Birthday sunset... before the epic public transportation fail.
Embellished. ;)
By circumstance only, the trip coincided with my birthday, making it the third year in a row that I've been out of the country on, or very close to my cake day.  Unlike last year, the hotel did not spring for a
surprise cake.  I did, however, receive the best and most awkward birthday serenade ever while being presented with the driest, thinnest slice of birthday cake known to man a very shy Indian waiter at a British themed Bermudan pub specializing in sushi, with a three piece band covering Train's "Marry Me" with Irish 50-somethings dancing their butts off.  Cake pic or it didn't happen:

View along the Railway Trail
BTW, if you ever find yourself thinking about a trip to Bermuda, go ahead and take a picture at Horseshoe Bay, then take a 5 minute walk westward.  Unless you really really want to relive the Jersey Shore experience, it will be worth your while.  Since the cruise ships don't dock in Hamilton anymore, cruisers have limited time to hit the beaches.  Nearly every one will spend their precious shore excursion time at Horseshoe Bay.  EVERY SINGLE OTHER BEACH to the west of Horseshoe will be less crowded.  If you're there during the shoulder season, you'll have your own private beach to do as you please. Want to make a tent out of towels?  Go for it.  Want to run into the beach wearing nothing but a hat?  No one will see you.  Want to collect all of the pink sand to make sand art when you go home?  That too.
Birthday explorations: Coney Island Park

My precious....
Highlights of the trip included snagging the best table, and view at The Pointe, swimming in a cave (a real live cave!), feeding and catching fish, John Smith's beach, enjoying a swizzle on a pirate ship, hitchhiking with a pair of semi-locals, getting stranded in St. David's on my birthday, reenacting "Wipeout" on the water skillet of death (and then conquering my fear of drowning). The drinks at Port O' Call.  Skip their fish chowder.  Being given a free ride by a kindly cab driver.

Nope.
Definitely worth mentioning: Jamaican Grill (the best bang for your buck on the island that will remind your taste buds to keep fighting the good fight), the fish chowder at the Frog & Onion and the free ferry ride between the Fairmonts.

Lowlights: All of the other
food.  Oh, the food.  Go ahead and skip most restaurants that have been highly recommended.  I won't name names. Snorkeling at Church Bay.  If you've been snorkeling before and have seen tons of colorful coral and fish, you might be disappointed.  I saw two parrot fish. They looked tasty.

All in all, it was quite a memorable trip, even if it was not my typical vacation. 
Not great, but way better than
"the best sushi on the island".

Gorgeous views, fantastic server.  $33 of
"does your stomach feel funny too?"
Virgin sand.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

The Tough Mudder and Maine

The Mudder was a lot easier than I thought it would be, but I probably would have had a lot more fun and been in less pain if I'd actually trained.  The jaunt to Portland brought a visit with my new nephew Silas, Eventide (the BEST lobster rolls ever to touch my lips), Glidden Point, and the Lobster Shack at Two Lights.


Great Northeast - August 2014

My adopted boys!
Lobster with a view.  And shockingly expensive clams.
You know when the bill comes and
you think you've been given the wrong check?
Never order the large tray of clams.  

Heaven.

More heaven.  Or Maine is heaven.  I'm not sure.