Author: Markman

Umbrellas in the Skies of Newport RI

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I wanted to take a jaunt over to Newport Rhode Island yesterday to check out this marketplace that has umbrellas all set up hanging above one of the walkways throughout the complex. Got some amazing deals of some hoodies and shirts while we were there, so bonus. I also learned that two of the elephants from last years migration along the Breakers are now permanently installed over at the library a few blocks down so I had to check them out as well.

On the way back we hit our favorite vegan ice cream place in Providence. They have a vegan deli next door and I tried the “fake” ham and cheese. LD found she couldn’t eat it – it was just too “wrong” but surprising I was able to chow it down just fine, which is rather unlike me. I guess there really is no replacing the real thing!

Pretty in Pink with Beautiful Skies to Match on a Rooftop Garden Summer Night

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Amazing sunset last night too.

We decided to go see Pretty in Pink playing as an outdoor movie at this neat little rooftop park in Cambridge down by Kendall Square. It was hot all day and there was a chance of rain but all our apps said it should be okay. We got in the parking garage and not a drop around. Coming out of the elevator of the garage to access the roof we were bombarded with a pretty heavy rainfall. Oh no! I said we should wait it out a bit. It started thundering. Still waited a bit. Finally we decided to cross the rainy park to this area on the other side that looked to be covered and had one of those pop up food thingies. After getting a burger and some mac and cheese with pulled pork (both were really good by the way!) the rain stopped and we were able to watch the rest of the movie!

Just as we were going to head back home, LD noticed that the skies looked pretty wild and there might be an opportunity for some interesting sunsety shots, and once again she was right! The sky had this amazing pinkish color to it and just the way that it reflected off the water of the river made it look like you were in some magical place, which I suppose we were.

This park is really cute plus it’s neat that it’s up on a roof. We might go back to see the Goonies playing there in September. Anyone is free to join us!

As usual, you can click any picture for the captions.

Gametime: Cloud Walk. I like to keep my brain sharp! I need to, I forget stuff all the time and can’t remember half the shit I need to!

Lowkey BD

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I’m having a nice birthday weekend so far. Yesterday we went to our friend’s pool and hung out which was just what I needed. Between the water, drying off in the sun, enjoying a nice BBQ they made for us, and just chatting away the hours, I was pretty spent by the time we finally got home in the evening. Playing with their dog was great too. I’ve given up soda pretty much, been almost two weeks now, all I drink is water (and some coffee in the morning). I’ve been conscious about hitting my steps goal daily.

Today I’m just going to hang out in my gravity chair on the back deck in the sun, work on some puzzles, and just relax. I do have some stuff queued up for this week that I can’t wait to experience!

Mr. History Post 15: Visiting The Real Mother Goose

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It’s been a while since I did one of these. I had some extra time this afternoon to hop the subway on into Beantown to visit a very special lady. This grave in an old Boston cemetery is promoted to tourists as Mother Goose’s burial site — the 1690 tombstone of Mary Goose, first wife of Isaac Goose. His second wife, the Mother Goose who is said to have actually inspired the fictional character might be buried here too, but no one is sure.
While there I checked out a few other nearby sights, such as the Greenway Carousal. There’s a new display in Faneuil Hall towards the end of a minstrel like being. Click the pics for captions.

The Only Place I Want to Be is With You…

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A moment is not complete until you realise it is fleeting…

Last weekend down the Cape is in the books! The high point of Saturday though would have to be getting invited up to the deck above the restaurant there at Rock Harbor to enjoy the sunset. Mind you, the deck is someone’s apartment and a restricted area, so it was cool to be invited up there, just us and our two friends. Felt like a real excusive VIP experience! I also finally also get to check out “Staples Rock”, a silly little Orleans ‘attraction’ that’s gained a lot of traction lately. On the way down we usually stop at a place by the canal for lunch, I was jonesing for a clam plate. It did not disappoint. The Airbnb we were staying at had a piano which I played a bit.

The next day was even more fun. Also the weather has been gorgeous, but I digress. We started by hiking the Eddy Trail in Brewster, a favorite of ours. We love to get to the end where the cliff overlooks the miles of Brewster Flats below. It’s a great trail and pretty easy going. Then it was off to the pool and sun and some outdoor fun and games. Wrapped it up with a dinner with out friends and another beautiful sunset evening. (You can click through each pic for the captions).

I brought my professional camera down and took some shots but I haven’t processed them yet. I’ll post some of those up and soon as I find enough time to do so but the top photo of this post is a quick example!

Having a Blast at Our First WNBA Game

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High point though was getting to meet a star player on the Valkyries, Veronica Burton Number 22. These women players are Bad Ass! As a bonus we even got to hang with her sister Kayla, who is a sports reporter and anchorwoman on the NBC Boston network and does the Celtics games too! Oh and their mom and dad too, who is also a big name sports reporter here in Boston. Mad props to Ginni for making it happen! Oh, and Suns actually WON this game and by a considerable amount so the place was going crazy! These fans are serious! (You can click on the pics for descriptions).

Currently Reading: Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance by Laura Delano.

Now you’ll have to excuse us for a bit as we need the water heater replaced as it decided to go belly up this weekend. *sigh*

Made the News

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A photo from Maine that I took made the Scenic Six at Boston.com

Scroll to the bottom here to see it bigger.

Got something really exciting brewing up for the end of this upcoming weekend! It’s going to be a blast!

A Rooftop Garden Oasis in the City

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I wanted to check out this rooftop garden in Kendall Square because we might see some free outdoor movie there sometime next month with another couple possibly. (Pretty in Pink, if you must know!)

I had some business at Earth-1, so after that was done I decided to bike on down there and scope it out. Found it pretty easily. Basically next to the train stop a door down from Legal Seafoods. It’s cute but small. I’d be down for hanging out there tho. Google has a huge office space there and there’s a bunch of MIT stuff.

On the ride home I trolled thru Central, passed by some places I hung out at back in the day. Although it looks pretty different now. The Middle East is where I’d see local rock acts in the early aughts like Angry Salad, Tootsie/Jaded, Waltham, and Damone. And at TT the Bears next door (long gone now).

There’s a Target in Central now??? Guess I’ve been out of the loop for a while!

Love Me Brewster

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This picture was taken from a wooden walkway like the one you see in the photo while looking back toward the sun after walking around the are for a bit. I always likes this picture for some reason. It’s one of my personal favorites. There really are a lot of scenic areas to shot down the Cape, this shot is from Brewster, one of the towns that we particularly like down there,

Gametime: One More Treasure. This game is pretty sweet!

A Whirlwind Weekend Quiets Down on Sunday

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Goodbye Sweet Weekend

Did a bunch of things around the house yesterday. I finally got around to installing the new doorbell. It’s pretty sweet how it senses when someone’s outside. Mostly good to know when an package has been delivered. Went to the hardware store and got some screws to help address some issues with the side door and got a new hibiscus plant to be planted in the corner now that the new fencing is just about done. Ended up watching some tv, the first part of that Billy Joel documentary for one. It’s really good but be prepared to watch it for a while – the first part is almost 2 and a half hours long. For lunch LD drove me over to the Bubbling Brook in Westwood where they have different food trucks on different days and yesterday was Capt. Mardens. I was jonesing for a clam plate. Must have been all that beach time we had the other day.

Pool Days and Beach Days Equals Summer Fun!

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I had a great time at the pool yesterday. I must have spent at least 4 hours solid in the pool, which is a lot for me. We played water basketball, and I was very tired afterward but it was a lot of fun. I got a pretty good sandwich from a place called Café Sarina. I wish there were more places to eat up there but I guess that’s how it is. I love visiting the dog Mollie. She is so cute, but a little sassy, which I like. When we got home, we got takeout from a local place and watched a documentary about the Idaho college kids tragedy.

I was planning on going to Maine this morning but I was too tired so instead I went to LD’s gym and used the hot tub, which I needed since my arm and shoulder were a little sore from all the throwing and splashing in the water yesterday. Ended up chatting with the trainer there today. Pretty cool.

Then, this afternoon we decided to hit the beach and meet up with another pal! Why not?

Also starting to set up a new doorbell this weekend with video capabilities as a side project.

If I Ever Make the Cover of Men’s Health

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Mark stood in front of the bathroom mirror, adjusting his favorite t-shirt and let out a long, exasperated sigh. “This is just perfect,” he muttered, running his hand through his thinning hair. “Twenty years ago I could play basketball for hours, now I throw out my back reaching for the cereal on the top shelf.” He stretched gingerly, feeling the familiar twinge in his lower spine that had become his constant companion since turning forty-five. The irony of his shirt choice wasn’t lost on him as he contemplated the growing list of daily aches and pains: his creaky knees that predicted weather changes better than the meteorologist, his shoulder that protested every golf swing, and his neck that seized up from sleeping wrong on his supposedly ergonomic pillow. “When did my body become a walking complaint department?” he wondered aloud, though deep down he knew the shirt was both a badge of honor and a cry for help—a middle-aged man’s way of announcing to the world that he’d officially entered the phase of life where comfort trumped style, and ibuprofen had become a food group.

Hot Afternoon at the Gym Pool

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Yesterday was a good afternoon to hang by the pool, even if only to watch LD get some more yards in. What else happened? Not too much, kind of a rest day. Went to the lobster food truck for lunch, watched the Indiana Fever game, did some weeding and cleaning of the back deck, had a pizza for dinner. Pretty chill for a hot day.

Emotional Baggage at a Winery!

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Woke up this morning to some kind of screeching. Couldn’t tell what it was. Eventually we figured out it was a Common Raven! Never encountered one of those before, it’s always been crows.

Checked out the Blueberry Festival this afternoon in Mendon over at the Vandervalk Winery. There was a giant Santa there and we got some really cool stuff from some artisans that had a few tents there. Before that we hit this Hosta place in Mendon that sells very specific varieties of Hosta and Lillies that they grow themselves. Got a few of those. They also do a great job with Lotus plants, but that’s really tricky stuff to grow, plus you need a body of water. I ate some grilled cheese from a food truck that was there as well for a quick bite.

My Princess Cheyanne book arrived just as we were leaving the house. I grabbed it up but LD wants to read it first, so I let her. She actually knows the person, from a different time and career path at the time. Anyways, I’m going to see if I can find the former Princess and see if I can get her to sign the book.

Gametime: Blobun Mini. Get the snake to cover all the squares!

It Was An Interesting Fourth In Jersey

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Sun’s Out – Tongue’s Out! 👅 Also highlights: Enjoying lunch at the Pompton Queen Diner after a long drive down, watching LD do forty lengths at the Madison Y – amazing facility and great job LD! A dinner at a place called the Thirsty Turtle – the pretzel buns are shaped like pretzels! A doggo falls asleep on my foot after I took him for a couple of long walks – think he enjoyed! Finally Cowboy Up before leaving – also I learned something new called “Alabama Apple Sauce!” – you had to be there.

A Fourth Day of Fun and Some Pottery Pickups

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Had a fun fourth over at a friend’s house down in Fairhaven along the water yesterday. I ate a bunch of burgers, dogs, chicken, chips, desserts, etc. Hung with with 4 dogs. So cute. This was right after we celebrated LD’s achievement again at the pool at the gym – there were treats and balloons and a lot of fun. Also picked up a bunch more Dedham pottery bunny stuff in Swansea which was sort of on the way and today in Dedham of all places, obtained a bunch more, some of them cats with their kittens. So it was a good haul this weekend to be sure!

Enjoy this pic of the lilies on our friends property from yesterday.

An Adventure That Happens Once a Year Thankfully

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Yesterday we had to take the cat to the vet. It’s always a big production to get him down there because we have to use guile and trickery to get him into a position where I can grab him by the scruff of the neck and then quickly dump him into the carrier. There was only one problem with that pan this year. He escaped my grasp – I can’t believe how strong and fast this little guy has become. Now it’s a problem of somehow figuring out how to contain and grab him. But he runs, he leaps over LD’s head, he hides under the bed and growls and knows just the right distance to be just out of reach. Eventually we did manage to get him after many tries and probably about half an hour of chasing and corralling and prodding. There were some scratches left on skin, left not out of anger, but fear.

Then driving him down there is an ordeal because of this pitiful wail that he does the whole ride there. I’m happy to say that he got his shots and a clean bill of health from the doctor and that he was very brave and so well behaved that they were able to get everything done and even got his nails clipped. The doc said he barely moved once there (of course) but tried to flatten himself down like a pancake thinking if he blended with the table no one would notice him. So that was great but it did take a little bit out of us. Let’s just say we needed an Ativan and some of us did actually take some. It’s the gabapentin next time for sure Buddy! Maybe for us too.

Doing Bunny Yoga For a Change of Pace

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First off, I have to send out a Congratulations to my one and only, Ladydoc, for completing 5 miles of swimming to benefit the American Cancer Society! Awesome job! This morning I went down to the pool with her and watched her take the final laps and document the occasion for posterity!

The town of Dedham had some all afternoon bunny events. We chose Bunny Yoga!

Fire Lily 2025

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Actually it’s a Ruby Spider but I’m still calling them our fire lilies which are starting to pop now!

It’s been a pretty busy week, between walking around the town in over 100 degree F heat, to trying to get my mom set up with a new cell phone, to doing all the other stuff. It’s all good though.

Currently Watching: My Mom Jayne.