Sunset - West Chop, Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard, So Specific (And Some Other Ramblings I Wasn't Planning On)

(This photo is from one of the roads on Martha's Vineyard.  Gotta love it.  Right now the East Coast is bracing for Hurricane Irene, Boston included.  It looks like we will get hit with some fierce winds and lots of rain on already saturated soil.  I'm prepared with supplies and plan on hunkering down tomorrow.  I will share stories after the storm passes, if anything interesting happens.  Also, for those who have asked, I did not feel the earthquake a few days ago.  But then again, it was relatively small for a California girl.  I do think it is funny that everyone ran OUTSIDE during the earthquake, pretty much the worst idea.  I also love how California has poked fun of the East Coast's reaction to the quake.  Here are a couple of my favorite joke pics of earthquake "aftermath".)

Nautical Grammar

This is a sign on the ferry to and from Martha's Vineyard.  Inspires confidence, no?

My People

Beloit College just released their "Mindset List" for this year's incoming college freshmen.  Since I just celebrated my 27th birthday (shudder), I thought I would go onto Beloit's website and look up what the Mindset List for my incoming class looked like.  Here are a few that hit home (I've added a few of my own comments to their list too):

• Most were born in 1983 or 1984 (I was always the youngest in my class).
• "Ctrl+Alt+Del" is as basic as "ABC".
• Paul Newman has always made salad dressing.
• Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents (and now they can legally marry in New York!).
• There has always been some association between fried eggs and your brain.
• Computers have always fit in their backpacks.
• The Osmonds are just talk show hosts.
• They have always been able to make photocopies at home.
• A Southerner has always been president of the United States (until Barack Obama, who is, of course, Kenyan).
• South Africa's official policy of apartheid has not existed in their lifetime.
• Cars have always had eye-level rear stop lights, CD players, and air bags.
• Bruce Springsteen's new hit, Born in the USA, could have been played to celebrate their birth.
• Barbie has always had a job (And still doesn't make as much money as Ken for the same job).
• Afghanistan has always been a front page story.
• The U.S. and Soviets have always been partners in space.
• Nicolas Cage, Daryll Hannah, Eddie Murphy, and John Malkovich made their first major film impressions the year they were born.
• The drug Ecsasty has always been around.
• Electronic filing of federal income taxes has always been an option.
• The Coen Brothers have always been making films.
• Datsuns have never been made.
• Directory Assistance has never been free.
• They knew how to pop a Popple and trade a Pog (Total flashback to 8th grade).
• They can still sing the rap chorus to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ("West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days..." Damn it, now that's in my head!)

Well, that makes me feel a little younger, thanks Beloit!  Now everyone older than me can proceed to the comments section and share their thoughts on me feeling old.  

Boston Area Driving Hints And Tips

Okay, I have a confession to make.  I was wrong about how much it sucks to drive in Boston.  It sucks.  Hard.  I'm not sure what the other drivers are thinking but my thoughts usually go something like this:

   "Alrighty, pull out of the driveway and...wait, why is my street blocked off.  Oh, it's just a couple of hundred people double parked.  Everything is good...hang on, is this a rotary?  Damn, it is.  How many lanes is it?!  Why aren't there any lines?! Let me out!  Let me out!  I'm alive!!! Wait, why is everyone turning?  Is this a turn only lane?  But I'm in the middle lane! Okay, moving over.  Let me in!  Let me in!!  Ooh, that guy doesn't like me.  OH MY GOD THERE'S A TRAIN COMING!  AM I ON THE T LINE?!  That was close.  Now, the GPS says that my destination is at the next right.  Wait, there are three rights and four lefts at the next intersection.  Which fork do I take?!  Excuse me.  Pardon me.  Oh, go to hell! Okay, made it through the intersection.  Wait, why is that guy coming right at me?  Am I on a one way street?  OH MY GOD I AM!  But, wait, HE'S THE ONE GOING THE WRONG WAY!  Phew, I made it.  Now how do I get home?"

I'm sure I will continue this series as I learn to drive like a Bostonian, but here are my first observations:

1. People generally go 15-25 miles above the speed limit and will sit three inches off your rear bumper if you don't.
2. There are two places for informational road signs - six inches before an intersection and ten feet after an intersection (the latter saying, basically "you should have turned there, now you're screwed").
3. There are two ways, and only two ways, that people give directions here: "Oh, that's easy to get to" and "You can't get there from here".  
4. Blinkers are for pussies.
5. Merge and Yield are not recognized words in Massachusetts.
6. Why park when you can double park?  
7. A two lane road anywhere else is a four lane road here.  Most of the time there aren't lines on the street.  I imagine at some point there was a conversation like this:

             "Hey Bernie, how many lanes should this road be?"
             "I don't know Ray, I guess it depends on how big the cars are."
             "Then we shouldn't put lines on the road.  We don't want to confuse anyone."
             "Wicked smart man, wicked smart."

Complain about any of this and you will get the following explanation -
"Well, the roads were laid out for horses and carriages".

I understand that, but there have been some upgrades since then.  Right?

Twenty Seven

More years than candles in the package.

Move It

What can I say about my move to Boston?  I think one word sums it up well: Surprising.  I was surprised again and again by how calm I was.  I'm still sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

My mom and I flew out on 7/31 around 10pm and arrived in Boston early the next morning.  I didn't sleep on the plane.  At all.  Fun times.  When we arrived in Boston I discovered that one of my bags had been "misplaced".  And by "misplaced", I mean that it was probably sent to Boston via Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands, perhaps with a stop on Mars.  Luckily, the bag was dropped off on my doorstep sometime in the middle of the night having only gone to Philadelphia (but with a tan that suggested a more tropical locale.)

So, my mom and I spent the next three days waiting for my car and furniture to arrive and making many trips to Target and Ikea.  These trips were fun at first, but two hours in Ikea deciphering and translating is way too much time.  My right eye still starts to twitch whenever I see a letter with two little dots above it.  

As it stands right now, I am about 90% moved in (thanks, in large part, to the two guys downstairs who row crew at Harvard and have been my sherpas).  On 8/4 I dropped my mom at the airport and I drove down the coast to Martha's Vineyard.  (Note: the ocean is on the wrong side out here.  This may lead to some interesting navigation for a California girl).  I took the ferry here and am in paradise.  I'm sitting on the screened in porch looking out at the lighthouse and Vineyard Sound.  I can see why the Obamas and Kennedys hang out here.  

I will share photos of my place once it is completely set up.  Until then, enjoy some pictures from the Vineyard.  

Cleveland!

While I get together a post detailing my move, Boston, and what Martha's Vineyard is like, I want to show you this hysterical video about Cleveland.  My other top choice grad school, Case Western Reserve University, is in Cleveland.  I think Boston was the right choice.

Life On The Deck

The decks at my parents house are gathering places for all kinds of critters. The top deck sees it's fair share of squirrels (which Arrow hates), various species of birds, and one chipmunk called Bob. I love Bob and was able to get a few shots of him and his friends last weekend. Behold - Bob!  (And Friends)