This Full House

What? My house... full? Last night it was because Liz of This Full House and her family came for dinner!

Her hubby surprised the family with a weekend trip to Cape Cod and I got to reap the benefits! I knew I would see Liz in San Diego, but a sneak peak visit was awesome!

The girls and I invited the whole family over for burgers and dogs. I also offered lobster because when you live in a town of fishermen, you can get seafood easily and inexpensively. Liz, being polite, said no to the lobster, but I wasn't convinced.

So my fisherman friend, Scott, drove his truck over and let them pick out which lobbies they wanted to play with, um taste.

This picture cracks me up. Way to pick on the little one :)

My sister and baby R came over, as did my mom. That's right, sorry Melisa, but Liz got to meet Sally first. Now they will probably be facebook friends and plan excursions up and down the East coast together...

Pulling out lobster meat is serious business...

Look for Liz on the beach today, she will be the one with oodles of lobster salad. I cannot promise that she will share with you though...

Coming Soon! Blogher 11!

It's that time of year again.

I start telling  people that I am going away for a week. Of course they ask "where?" and I say, "LA/San Diego" and then they ask the dreaded question, "why?".  I could just say vacation, but I am honest to a fault. So I either squeal off in my minivan before I get asked "why" or try my best to explain what a blog is and why 3000 other of my closest blog friends would need a conference.

Because we are geeks.

My first Blogher confence was in 2009 in Chicago. You can read about my anticipation of it here. Let me just say that my local friends and family thought I was going to an internet convention with a bunch of pedophiles.

Last year, Blogher was in NYC, advice can be read here. By now my friends and family understood what a blog conference was and didn't hesitate to let me go (probably because they knew they would get good presents).

This year it is in San Diego. A far stretch from Cape Cod, but so worth it to see my friends.

I have made Blogher out to be that place where I go every summer to connect with other internet "geeks" like me. These (mostly women) are my friends. I only see them once a year, but know them better than I know some of my friends that live in a 50 mile radius of me. I know what the highs and lows of their year have been, I know who has a new job, who thought about not blogging anymore, where they all went on vacation and all about their kids.

It is also an opportunity to meet new bloggers, get insight into where you want your blog to go and meet with brands like P&G, Chevy, MacDonalds, Playskool, Hallmark etc.

It is a chance to wear the hats you want to wear, not the ones that people in your community see you in. For example, at Blogher, I don't have to be a mom, daughter or sister, shy, an elected official, a nanny, a wedding photographer, a woman mid-divorce, worried about how I am going to pay a bill, worried about who needs what from me that day....

I can just be Sue the blogger (OK, and mom).

Before anyone jumps on me for being ungrateful, I do not mind wearing those hats and enjoy all of them (maybe not the bill paying one). It is just at Blogher I am a writer hanging out with other writers and that is kind of cool. My only responsibilities are staying on my side of the bed (you're welcome Melisa) and absorbing all the fun, laughter and knowledge that I possibly can.

I am truly grateful for the group of bloggers that I have hung out with for the past few years. I am excited to make some new friends this year. I am excited to see the expo, excited to learn new techniques and excited to see San Diego. Blogher is what you make it out to be. I don't know how this one will top the 2 previous years, but I am eager to find out!

Sundays in My City

This week's pictures brought to you by Sebago Lake, Maine where we were with awesome friends last weekend!

There was tubing....

There was cliff jumping, boat and golf cart fun....

Kayaking, dog loving, a town fair and lots and lots of love, laughter and smiles!

Happy Sunday!

Sundays in My City

K went on her first official fishing trip with her dad today. She got up at 4:30 am and was laying on the couch by 11 am after catching skate fish and monk fish. She saw the sunrise and a bunch of whales. These are pictures of the boat coming past a beach and then at the Fish Pier. If you click on the pictures and make them bigger, you can see her waving. Don't you love the pink boots?!

Happy Sunday!

Frag'n Friday

Stop by Mrs. 4444's and see that there are other people like me that only have fragmented thoughts on Fridays....

*I forgot to mention how patriotic Texas is!!! One (70's soft rock) radio station (the only station that wasn't country), played the National Anthem every day at 12. There were so many Texas flags flying that it made us wonder what the Mass. flag looked like because we don't see it over every other house in MA like they have them flying in TX!

*A friend of mine's fiance has a tattoo that says Pitt on his leg. I was thinking it was for Pittsburgh something or other, but B had other ideas. "I think it might be for Brad Pitt. Maybe he has a 'bro-mance'." I love how that kid thinks!

*My parents are officially on "vacation" tomorrow because they are moving out of their house in order to rent it to vacationers and make some extra money. They are staying at their friend's house (and sometimes my house). We are worried that my Dad will not know what to do with himself if he doesn't have his house to "putter" around. Any ideas for fun things for him to do? Crazy question since we live on Cape Cod and there is plenty to do, but let's see what you come up with.

*I have to write funny things this week because my friend Laurie had her tonsils out today. She is looking for entertainment for the next week or so. If you have any ideas on what I should write, now would be a good time to suggest them.

*Took this pic of my niece on the 4th of July. Love these legs!

*B took this video while we were in Texas while going down a water slide. Maybe only Laurie will look at it, (and laugh in her post anesthesia state) but it cracks me up. We have a flip video with a waterproof case. AWESOME!



Happy Weekend!

Top 10 Things I Learned in Texas....

These are the following things I learned while spending 10 days in Texas....

1. It is effing HOT in Texas in June.

Can you see the sweat pouring off these poor children that we "dragged" around Sea World for 10 hours? Fine, they still look great, maybe it was just me that was sweating.....

2. Gas prices are 50 cents cheaper in Texas than they are on Cape Cod. I tried to smuggle some home with me, but the airport was having none of that.

3. Do not go tubing down a river when there has been a drought for 6 months. No matter what the lady at the desk tells you about how wonderful it is, you will still be walking over rocks for part of it. (carrying a big tube, in a bathing suit over slippery rocks = not pretty)

4. Texans like their beef. I traveled with one vegetarian and it was hard finding yummy vegetarian meals (except at Subway).

5. Buc-ees has the best billboards I have ever seen in my life. We had to stop there and almost miss our flight because of one liners like this, "beaver fever", "we love tour buses: 49 toilets", "power to the beaver", "beaver nuggets". Buc-ees is only in Texas.

6. The San Antonio river walk is lovely although someone needs to take charge and clean out the disgusting river.

7. An average of 300 people fall into that river every year according to our waiter, although many of that 300 actually are drunk and jump in on purpose. We did see one lady fall in, however.

8. Did I mention how effing hot it is there?

9. In MA you can find a Dunkin Donuts on every other street corner, Texans prefer Starbucks evidently by the amount I saw.

10. If you are going to be hot and sweaty, you may as well be hot and sweaty with your friends. Ok, I just re-read that and realized many of my dirty minded readers might read that wrong..... What I meant was I spent 10 days in Texas with  friends which made the hotness bearable.

Yeeee-ha!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th Everyone!!!!

Sundays in My City

Having returned from a very (read extremely) hot trip to Texas, Friday..... please enjoy my first "vlog" instead of pictures from my trip.....



Who knew my first vlog would be so close up and in a bathingsuit? Ugh.

Happy 4th weekend!