She was made by me in AI.
Category: Art
Ahhh….Refreshing!
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Winter Doldrums
We are definitely in the doldrums of winter, and I am feeling it every day now. I am getting very tired of this bitterly cold stuff, and it is getting old. The weeks seem to go on forever, and it’s only Thursday? But I am getting excited to visit my old pal Lenny on Friday! I am looking forward to seeing him again – wonder if he remembers me? It has been quite a while.
Here’s a pic from about 10 years ago when the weather was a lot warmer!
BusyBody
Been a busy couple of days with a friend coming over to visit for one of the days and doing a ton of baking and cooking things. Here’s some other shots from the last few days. January is usually slower time of year for me because I like to do outdoor things but it may be too snowy or cold to do so. That said, there does appear to be some cool things coming up that I am looking forward to.
Today actually ended up being kind of a crappy day, between LD needing to get to an emergency dental appointment this afternoon and has to go back tomorrow, to me waiting in two CVS’s for the prescription, to her car not starting anymore and probably needs something. Well, tomorrow is another day!
Follow My Socials!
Remember you can always follow me on my social accounts like Insta. I tend to post to those first before posting them here because it’s usually quicker and more convenient for me in the moment. I do tend to be more in depth on here though,
My Top Life Moments from 2024!
The Year in Review
In no particular order this year because how could I rank them, each one was awesome in it’s own way. Actually the last one I mention was probably the best. Can you guess what it was before scrolling all the way down?
First Up, Baby Bunnies born in the flowerpot on the deck, again!
I awoke, to my utter surprise one morning, to notice that three baby bunnies had been born in the same old flowerpot that previous generations of buns had been born in, running around the deck, in between the various pots. I suppose we were first alerted to their presence when we realized that Carson never came up to the bed last night. He was watching the bunny action apparently. We put out some carrot strings in the afternoon and by early evening, they were eaten, most likely by the one bunny that is still hanging around, although after today, I would imagine it will be on it’s way to it’s life’s adventure.
Visiting my first Salt cave Experience!
We had a “free” couple of days to stay at the Cape which we obtained last summer so we finally decided to use it up this weekend. So back down to Earth-3 we went. (Earth-3 being the place down the Cape that we regularly stay at – a time share that we have). So we arrived Friday night and we ended up using a gift certificate to a local restaurant that we’ve gone to a bunch of times and got rid of that. (The gift certificate was also a “freebie” since they messed up our later last time and this was the way amends were made). So that all worked out quite well.
Some other fun things we got to do on this mini-vacation was, as usual, our multiple visits to the Chocolate Sparrow, a place we love to get our treats from. We grabbed a brunch from a place called Grumpies and they weren’t grumpy at all. In fact, I’d say the food was actually really good. I would go back there. We got much needed massages from a lady we know down there who is amazing, and those felt really good. Late Saturday night LD got me a surprise experience, my first, being in a meditative salt cave. So that was pretty cool. The weather wasn’t all that great, a bit rainy at times and quite windy which made the air very cold, but nature is nature! We used the down time to catch up on some of our reading.
The Saco Maine Getaway Pre Prelude!
This was being back from a relaxing weekend getaway in Saco and Kennebunkport Maine. The sunrises in Saco were amazing and we stayed in the cutest little Airbnb right on the water. Would stay there again for sure! On Small business Saturday KPT had all these sales if you wore your pajamas so that’s what we did! Oh, we met up with our pal Em to hang out this weekend as well, and we got to meet Boomer and Pippa (not shown) again! A lot of shopping and laughs were had. It’s not as busy there as it would be during prelude but it’s pretty much the same vibe more or less so in some ways it’s better. Again, it was fun hanging out with Em, and the dogs with her pops, and again, the amazing sunrises right on the water. Thankfully it wasn’t even that cold, considering. It was nice to be able to have a little getaway to take a break from all the stressors of life.
You can click the pics below for a bigger version. There’s a new version of the gallery tool now even though I preferred the old one but that currently isn’t working with the latest update so I have to use this. The snow globe I climbed in could have been inflated more (thanks town!) and a quick side trip to OOB didn’t really add too much but KPT is always top notch. Ultimately it’s all about the views, the scenery, the friends and the laughs. Oh, the pajama Saturday shot of the three of us was actually taken by someone on the Chamber of Commerce pages for the towns of Kennebunk, KPT, and Arundel so we’re also on those websites. That wasn’t a planned thing, the lady just saw us and wanted to post us!
Oh, and yes, I am wearing Pac man pajamas and believe it or not, I actually got quite a lot of comments on compliments on then from many different people!
Visiting the Island of Nantucket with Great Friends!
Finally got to revisit Nantucket, it had been about 10 years since the last time we went and never over top this particular side of the island.
I loved the Sconset Bluff Walk. This trail is truly loaded with beautiful views. It makes me so happy I got to walk along it! The experience is constantly changing. One minute you’re walking through a quiet neighborhood, the next you’re passing through a yard and the next you’re walking under a canopy of trees. Flowers, birds, pathways to the water, and places to stop and take in the scenery are in abundance. This walk can be quick or long, depending on how much time you have. It’s a great place for a leisurely stroll or a more invigorating hike. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy the stunning views. I sure did!
I have to also express my gratitude to our wonderful hosts who were so kind to invite us to spend a few days with them on this beautiful island. They were so kind and generous with their time and hospitality, and I really appreciate it. We thoroughly enjoyed the beach, seeing the sights, and all the great meals and places we got to see like the Brotherhood and Millie’s and Claudette’s. I hope we can repay the favor one day.
I’m also so grateful for the opportunity to visit the rose-covered cottages in Nantucket. The winding lanes and idyllic scenery transport you to a simpler time. Each cottage has its own unique blend of architecture and blooming roses, which make it a one-of-a-kind experience. The smell of roses and salty sea breeze (and it was pretty breezy at times!) is a relaxing combination that invites visitors to immerse themselves in the serene beauty of Siasconset. It was a perfect place to slow down and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Pig Yoga? You Read That Right!
So much fun! I was surprised at how fun it actually was! Then it was an afternoon by the pool, a night of grilling and doing a fire pit. Beautiful day! One of LD’s childhood friends came up and did it with us while she was visiting, along with some other activities over those few days in the summer.
Rhode Island Trolls and Elephants!
For my Birthday LD and I got to check out some amazing sights in the beautiful coastal areas of Rhode Island. First up, was a drive down to the charming community of Charleston, RI, a place we had never been. We were there to see the trolls Greta and Erik. There’s a bunch of these trolls up in Maine at the Botanical gardens, which I may get to check out and some point, but these two are newer and closer. I had a little bit of a hard time finding Greta, but LD, with her amazing tracking skills, was able to locate her pretty quickly. A nice woman who works at the senior center there nearby gave us some great tips on where to go and find them! (Each picture below is clickable to see a larger version).
We were going to eat at a local place in Charleston but after a while that didn’t seem like the greatest idea so we headed over to Narraganset and ate at a place called The Coast Guard House, which amazing is literally right next to the Towers in a building that used to be a Coast Guard Life Saving Station back in the 1880s until the 1940s. The views there are amazing and the food was excellent, also the prices weren’t that bad! (I did get a little tipsy again on some drinks).
Then it was off the beautiful town of Newport to check out the installation of the elephant migration. We ended up going to the ones at Salve Regina University, although there’s some at the Breakers and a couple of other locations. The amount of detail on the elephants is truly amazing! We spent quite a bit of time there, plus it’s right along the cliff walk which is beautiful.
We finished off the day with a giant pizza! What a great day! Today I’m off to my very first ever reflexology appointment – we’ll see how that goes!
Oh, I almost forgot! I got some great gifts too! A Dunkins gift card from our friend Em, a foot massager, some capybara socks and a capybara shirt (I love capys!) , and some more fireflies to help light up the night in the back patio!
Giant Hungry Hungry Hippos!
This game was amazing, have to see if one exists in our area and if so need to get some pals on board to challenge us!
A Summertime Family Visit
Family came to visit this particular weekend. Sort of an impromptu visit but it was a good one. Friday night I grilled and we did a firepit as everyone got settled. Saturday we went to the DeCordova Museum in the afternoon to check out some sights, get some photo ops, etc. The hearts are the best thing there in my opinion but that slanted house which is a newer installation was also pretty cool. Naturally we had to pose with it, along with some other installations. Had pizza in the afternoon at the hotel, and then headed to the beach in the late afternoon for some swim time. I think the dog had the best time of all!
Sunday was another low key day, breakfasts and then I watched the dog while everyone went to the pool to cool off and/or exercise. I will say the dog was extremely well behaved and such a pleasure to be around. Such a sweet dog. Not sure how Carson felt about everything but he got through it. Late afternoon was another grilling session, LD and one guest helped with some amazing sides, and even had the landlady down the street over to join.
All in all it was a pretty amazing time! Go figure!
.I will admit, I am a little fried at the moment. Geez, it’s tough to get older!
Getting to Meet and Hold ‘4-Day!’
Hanging out with these baby goats this afternoon at a place in Northborough, Massachusetts was simply, “Baaaaaaa-mazing!” The goat from the video below we were told was only 4 days old! He has quite a set of lungs on him! Another goat also got to biting my ear, which while kind of funny, also hurt a teeny bit! And then a third goat fell asleep in my arms- she was a sweetheart. We did get an amazing picture and video out of it all!
Honorable Mentions before we get to the Final!
I’ll just link the entries here because this post is getting WAY too long!
- Meeting Molly the Puppy Dog for the first time!
- Visiting a Cat Café in Rhode Island!
- Making my first Bunny Cake!
- Diane’s Goodbye Party at Emerson!
- Checking out the Purple Sands at Revere Beach!
- Checking out the scenes of a heinous crime from the past! (no link for this one, sorry.)
- Kite Festival!
- Cambridge City Spring and Fall Bike rides (You better do it with me this year Em if you read this!)
- Picnicking with Alpacas!
- Multiple visits to our friends’ new pool in the summer!
- NJ Alumni Reunion trip for LD
- Cape Cod week with LD and Em! (Here and here and here and here!)
- Celebrating July 4 with Liz!
- Pizza Cupcakes for the Birthday!
- Revere Sandcastles visit!
- Walpole Ducks!
- MiniGolfing with pals!
- Wilson Farm Pumpkin Wall!
- Fashion Dresses with Em!
- WNBA stuff! (Still going to root for the Suns this year – maybe see a game live?)
- Mt. Auburn Visit in Autumn
- Old Amusement Park in Rhode Island!
- Running with Charlie along the beach!
…But the Bestest Moment Has to go to….
We got to partake in an amazing experience, getting to cuddle and play with a pair of capybaras! I love them! Their fur feels like straw. I never thought in a million years I’d ever be able to play with a capybara, let alone two. I remember seeing this animal in a zoo a few years ago and only learned about their existence a few scant years ago. To me, they seem to be the next up and coming “big thing.” We also go to see a wallaby which had a baby popping it’s head out of her pouch every now and again, which was cool to see, and a special cat, some yaks, alpacas and, of course, some goats, but the capybaras were the stars of the show for me! We were lucky to even get into this experience as it is currently very limited but I hit it just right and was able to get us access. The location of all this wonder was down in Mattapoisett, a town down on the southern coast. It was a bit chilly.
I’m definitely going to visit them again this year and get even more interactive with them.
Some of the best books I read last year were:
- The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi
- Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI
- There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America’s Biggest Catfish
- On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service
- The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels
- Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
- A Murder in Wellesley: The Inside Story of an Ivy-League Doctor’s Double Life, His Slain Wife, and the Trial That Gripped the Nation
- Sociopath: A Memoir
- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
- My Effin’ Life
I hope you all enjoyed looking through some of our memories from the past year, I know I have. Let’s hope 2025 has some good ones too.
If you still haven’t had enough you can check out some previous years:
All Lit Up for the Holidays
This house in Somerville always does up their holiday lights like crazy.
The Solstice Viewing That Wasn’t
Started the day by making lemon orzo soup again! Great day for it as it’s been snowing all day. The star of tonight’s show though was attending the SOLSTICE EVENT this evening down at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Unfortunely when it was time to go it really started snowing pretty heavy here. We gave it the old college try but took forever just to get to the highway and then that was backed up like crazy. So we decided then and there to abort the mission. It was becoming too stressful and might even be dangerous. Kind of sucks because it’s hard to get tickets but there’s always next year. We were supposed to meet up with some friends there who actually did brave the snow and got there but they were in the car for like 3 hours. So below would have been some cool pics from the event but since we couldn’t make it, there aren’t any.
Currently Reading: Tits Up: What Sex Workers, Milk Bankers, Plastic Surgeons, Bra Designers, and Witches Tell Us about Breasts by Sarah Thornton and Oh, the Pics That You’ll Post! by Maiana Rose. That ought to finish out my year of books read. I’ll do a post of my favorites I read this year along with my usual top ten or so moments from the year. I already starting looking a little bit about what I’m going to post but that probably won’t see the light until after the new year so stay tuned for that.
Put A Nickel in the Jukebox baby
Happy National Jukebox Day!
There’s something undeniably captivating about jukeboxes. They’re more than just music machines; they’re portals to a bygone era, where the thrill of selecting a song and hearing it burst to life filled the air with excitement.
Owning a jukebox isn’t just about collecting a piece of history; it’s about curating a personal soundtrack. Each record, each artist, each memory – it all comes together to create a unique listening experience for us. It’s fun to go find these 45s at various places in our travels, although we haven’t done so lately.
Beyond their aesthetic appeal, jukeboxes offer a tangible connection to the past. They remind us of simpler times when music was shared and enjoyed together. That’s an important point for us. In a world dominated by digital streaming, there’s something truly special about holding a physical record and placing it on a turntable. It’s a tactile experience that can’t be replicated. Plus, vinyl sounds so much better as long as it isn’t scratched!
These Jukes can be pretty temperamental at times though. What can you expect with a mechanical machine with 700 parts!?
Thanks for the Free Shirt!
I went to get a chicken sandwich for in the late afternoon after completing my work for the day at this fairly new place in town and they were kind enough to give me a free shirt! Great place, food’s pretty good!
A Little Jersey Weekend Trip
I’m back from a quick weekend trip to Jersey. Actually I came back alone since I have as stuff to address back here while as LD is going to spend a few more days there and come back by train on Wednesday when I’ll pick her up. Been trying to get a lot of stuff done and it’s been a lot of work. Stayed over at a cute little AirBnB nearby. Nothing to write home about and pretty small but gets the job done as it’s mostly just a place to crash for the nights, Anyways, we also got gifted a sweet rocking chair from a friend down there who wanted to part with it which I brought back and will use a lot I think.
This photo is from just outside Parsippany Hills High. We happened to be tooling around the area and noticed that all the spaces were painted different things by the students. I settled on getting this one with Venom from the Spiderman comics.
Currently Reading: Brothers by Alex Van Halen
Statuary of Mt. Auburn: An Education
Alright, I couldn’t help myself. I decided to go back for the second part of this particular journey, this time focusing on the various statuary that I came across. Here’s a chosen few that I really liked. I’m especially fond of the ones that have the dogs in them. You can click on each one for a larger view. I’ve added my own commentary to a few of them. It’s been a educational experience for me to look up the many notable figures buried there and learn about their contributions to the world. Oh, and the grounds are absolutely gorgeous.
Printed out a little happiness
Just me with another one of my masterpieces. This is actually one of my favorite shots. I tried something different than usual this time by having it printed on acrylic. I must say that I am very pleased with the results! I also went a bit large on this one so you could easily see all the little details in the image.
The Cutest Halloween Mugs
Check out this cute mugs LD got for us. I’m the ghost btw. Also notice the pumpkin is holding a ghost pail and the ghost is holding a pumpkin pail, so they compliment each other! Just like us!
Gametime: Dungeons n’ Ducks. This game was pretty cool.
Visiting the Fluers de Villes Artiste
I braved the rains this morning and actually took the subway into Boston’s Back Bay this afternoon to check out the flower dresses. I hadn’t taken the subway since probably 2018. I did get to ride on one of the new red line trains which was pretty nice. I did it to check out the amazing Fleurs de Villes exhibition. Each floral installation this year is based off a famous work of art in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston collection. Swipe to see the different ones! Which one is your favorite? Thanks to Em who lived nearby and came out to meet up with me for taking my selfie!
Hanging It Up
Currently Reading: The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI Ray Kurzweil
I went into the gym this morning that has an outside pool and large hot tub so I could use the hot tub. Ahh, that felt pretty good. It was a beautiful morning too so that adds a lot to it. Then it was off to Staples to return some Amazon things. They make the returns so easy now, just pop in and they scan a QR code and it’s done. Afterwards we headed to the office to hang up one of my photographic landscapes. This particular shot is a little old before I really knew how to shoot scenes better so there’s a newer shot that I want to do and hang, at least for myself. When I get around to having that done I’ll post that here as well. Finished off the afternoon with a short nap in my gravity chair on the deck (maybe that hot tub took more out of me than I thought!) and then some light grilling of burgers and salmon. A pretty standard Labor Day weekend thing to do.
Taking Down a Ton of Weeds
I loaded up the lawnmower last night and trudged it over to Earth-1. My mom’s grass had become way overgrown and she only has that old dull pull kind the spins as you push it. It was actually my grandparents and I don’t think it’s ever worked well. Anyways, the mower fit in the back of my car and I got over there and mowed it all down, weeds and all. I was done in about five minutes, it’s not a huge area. Seemed like there were a lot of weeds. My mom was very happy that all the vegetation was now gone. In fact, after you could see the lawn area again I noticed a bunch of Wooly Bear caterpillars! They’re kind of cute. I left them to fend for themselves on the edges of the now shaved lawn area. Afterwards after a day of hanging out, I brought the mower back and got it back in the shed over here. Mission accomplished!
Doing the Ziptrip Thing and Minigolfing
Woke up early this morning to check out the final Boston Fox25 News Ziptrip of the year. It ended up being over in the next town so I figured why not check it out. I got some free swag while I was there (I had gone one time before probably ten years or so ago – I actually got on tv that time and people watching in their homes actually recognized me!). It seemed a bit smaller this time. In all honesty once you get over the novelty of actually seeing the people in person that you see on tv every morning it’s a little boring. There’s a lot of just standing around as they just film in-between the news segments. One cool thing is they had all the ducks there. Scroll back in time if you want to see them all individually when we went to check them all out.
Now on to the main event of today!
One of our couple-friends were coming over today and I had suggested we do an activity. Originally I had wanted to do a glass blowing class but that sounded too expensive and somewhat of a time commitment (might still do it some other time though!) or axe throwing but one of our guests threw out his back a few weeks ago so that was out for now (still want to that that though too!) . Eventually just settled on playing a round of Minigolf. There’s a great course over in Dedham – supposed to be one of the best which is good because a lot of the mini golf courses around here are ass.
Finished off the day with a lead on three small Dedham pottery bunnies so we picked those up and then someone in town was getting rid of a bunch of their bearded irises so we went and picked those up and I’ll try dropping them in the ground tomorrow.
Trolls and Elephants and Fun, Oh My!
For my Birthday yesterday I got to check out some amazing sights in the beautiful coastal areas of Rhode Island. First up, was a drive down to the charming community of Charleston, RI, a place we had never been. We were there to see the trolls Greta and Erik. There’s a bunch of these trolls up in Maine at the Botanical gardens, which I may get to check out and some point, but these two are newer and closer. I had a little bit of a hard time finding Greta, but LD, with her mazing tracking skills, was able to locate her pretty quickly. A nice woman who works at the senior center there nearby gave us some great tips on where to go and find them! (Each picture below is clickable to see a larger version).
We were going to eat at a local place in Charleston but after a while that didn’t seem like the greatest idea so we headed over to Narraganset and ate at a place called The Coast Guard House, which amazing is literally right next to the Towers in a building that used to be a Coast Guard Life Saving Station back in the 1880s until the 1940s. The views there are amazing and the food was excellent, also the prices weren’t that bad! (I did get a little tipsy again on some drinks).
Then it was off the beautiful town of Newport to check out the installation of the elephant migration. We ended up going to the ones at Salve Regina University, although there’s some at the Breakers and a couple of other locations. The amount of detail on the elephants is truly amazing! We spent quite a bit of time there, plus it’s right along the cliff walk which is beautiful.
We finished off the day with a giant pizza! What a great day! Today I’m off to my very first ever reflexology appointment – we’ll see how that goes!
Oh, I almost forgot! I got some great gifts too! A Dunkins gift card from our friend Em, a foot massager, some capybara socks and a capybara shirt (I love capys!) , and some more fireflies to help light up the night in the back patio!
The Duck Hunt Was On!
The Ladydoc had heard that there were painted ducks all around the town of Walpole, so we wanted to check them out. There were only five, so they were easy to find. Plus, they’re in different parts of town so it’s a great way to see some of Walpole. These ducks were designed and painted by a group of students from Walpole High, and they’re a fun way to celebrate the town’s 300th anniversary! The ducks names are Maggie, Lewey, Wally, Morgan, and Birdy. I never expected to be checking out ducks this afternoon but spontaneity can be fun!
You can learn more about the ducks as well as some Google map links which I used to find these guys at this website.
Even though it rained later in the afternoon we went ahead and grilled some chicken, shrimp, and salmon. I dodged the raindrops as best I could!
Catching Summer Beginnings of August
Enjoy another shot from our Cape trip above. Today in the late afternoon we hit Revere Beach because it was so hot out today. I even went into the water which even though I go to Revere quite a bit lately, I actually had not gone into the water there since I was a kid, if you can believe that! The water was a little on the cold side which I wasn’t expecting, but refreshing and cooled me down as I sat on the beach chair afterwards. Finally went to check out the sand castles there. The two that caught my eye were cat-inspired ones.
Made the Cover and Some Fun Stuff to Maybe Try
A very rare collector’s edition with a print run of only….one issue? Just being silly. Anyways, onto today’s stuff. Also, I’ve been playing around with the fonts on the site, have you noticed? They may be changing again so just a head’s up.
I learned of some new places today that I might want to check out over the next few months. A bunch of them are over at Earth-1 in that Bow Market place, which unfortunately I find it very hard to park anywhere around there, but there’s a roast beef place and some pinball place there that I’d like to check out someday. Also over in Ball Square is some new Neapolitan pizza joint that looks pretty cool. Speaking of pizza there’s also a pizza cupcake place over at Legacy Place which I’ve been meaning to check out, to see what weirdness that is all about.
I’ve done baby goat yoga, alpaca yoga, piglet yoga, and now I heard there’s puppy yoga where the puppies are shelter pups which you could also adopt later. Might need to explore that one. I’ve also been meaning to do the free yoga class outside down at Assembly on Saturday mornings but never get around to it. Not that I’m really into yoga, just something to check out. Some other things that I’d like to do is check out the Elephant Migration statues down in Newport, RI, maybe some axe throwing over in Foxborough, Minigolf in Dedham with some pals. I looked into taking a glass blowing class here at Earth-2 which I thought would be fun to do with others as they show you have to make your own blown glass ornament, but it is a bit on the pricey side. There’s also an old style arcade in the area which might be fun to check out.
Visiting the Nantucket Serengeti
There’s this preservation area on the island which looks amazingly like an African Serengeti plain. It’s so strange to see such an ecology as that on a New England island!
Yesterday I noticed one of my car tires would keep looking low so I figured it might have a slow leak. I took it to my guy over at Earth-1 since I was heading there for the day anyway and they discovered that there was a nail in it, which they happily fixed up for me, so that was good. I ended up taking my mom to Revere Beach for an hour or so because I felt she might like to get out of the house and get some fresh air. She wanted me to ride her over to Wellington Circle for something and since the beach wasn’t too far from there I suggested we hang there for a bit. I think she had a good time so that was nice as well.
Fit Together Like a Jigsaw Puzzle
Finally got around to putting this together:
Currently Reading: Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans (review).