Ch-ch-ch-Changes!

I'm writing quietly this afternoon so as not to wake Kerry, who is recouperating from oral surgery.  The wisdom teeth finally came out today!  I know he'll be much happier tomorrow, but it's hard to see him not feeling too good at the moment.  Unlike my experience, he said he can remember everything - which is a scary thought for me.  Bless him! 

Over the weekend, we said goodbye to Ol' Blue and hello to the new family ride! That Honda took me everywhere from the age of 17 until now, so it's kind of sad to see it go, but I LOVE my new car!  It's a 2011 Nissan Murano, and it's sharp if I do say so myself.  :)

Another semester is in the books, and this is the beginning of the LAST SEMESTER OF ANESTHESIA SCHOOL!  ~*par-tay!*~  Less than 4 months to go at this point, and it's going by extremely quickly.  After labor day Kerry will start clinicals at Flowers Hospital, so I hope it keeps flying by.  I hate being separated!  We should be house hunting soon in the Dothan area, as well, so all you folks that know your way around Dothan, help us out! 

New England in two Days

I neglected to blog anymore from Boston, I'm sorry...but we've been here and done that, so not really too much new to report on.  There were meetings, dinners, naps, etc.  Just like normal, right?  ;)

BUT, Thursday finally came, and we were done with Boston and ready to take on the rest of New England.  We packed our bags, checked out of the Sheraton, and took a taxi to the airport to pick up our rental car.  It was a 2012 Ford Focus - small, but very surprisingly NICE!  Kerry nicknamed it the squirrel, and we took off headed north.

As soon as we crossed into the state of Maine, we pulled off at the welcome center to get some maps and plot our lighthouse route on the way to Portland.  We saw a total of 7 - there were many more on the way, they were just a couple of miles offshore, and only visible by boat or helicopter (of which we had neither).  We stopped for lunch nearby Cape Elizabeth at the Lobster Shack for a lobster roll and french fries.  Of all the food I ate on the trip, I must say that a lobster roll is the one thing I'd love to have again and again! The air temperature stayed in the mid-70s, and the drive was absolutely beautiful.  If it wasn't for the winters, I'd be very tempted to pack up and move up that way!  I don't do winter too well! :)

After a full day of chasing down lighthouses and points of interest, we pulled into the B&B, and were greeted warmly by the innkeeper.  He showed us to the 3rd floor of a VERY old house, and told us it was ours!  Yay for privacy.  :)  He gave us a few pointers on dinner - we wanted somewhere the locals would hang out rather than the overpriced, tourist-driven, fancy-shmancy stuff. He sent us to the harbor area to J's Oyster Bar.  Definitely a gritty hole-in-the-wall, but the servers were fun, and had that awesome distinctive Maine accent.  "You ottah go up to Bah Habah.  It's ahhsome."  We both ordered the steamed dinner (1 1/2 pound lobster, a dozen clams, and an ear of corn), and got the lesson in how to eat them.  Only word for it was FAB-U-LOUS.  We meandered around the cobblestone streets downtown for a few and headed back to the B&B.

Breakfast Friday morning was a bread boule stuffed with eggs, local cheeses, and bacon...A+ in my book!  You can't go wrong with bacon. ;)   The innkeeper was kind enough to give us directions to the Kancamangus  Highway for a scenic drive through Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.  We drove for a total of maybe 8 hours all day (through 5 states and 3 mountain ranges), but we made it from Portland all the way to Albany, New York - and then back to Framingham, MA to spend the night.

So now here we sit at the airport, rental care turned in and waiting to check our bags.  It'll be another long day of travel, but we'll eventually be back to PCB and real life - and laundry.  Tomorrow, we pick up Otis!  I can't wait to see my little man...it's been 2 weeks!  Thanks for checking up on us - til next time.  :)

Bright Lights and a Bigger City!

It's Varner Vacation time again!  Except this time around it's only about 50% vacation for Kerry.  We're here in the great city of Boston, MA for the AANA annual conference.  He's been pretty busy at the Wellness Committee's booth, so I've had time to catch up on sleep, shop, etc.

We left Friday morning bright and early from PCB's airport headed up (with a pit stop in Baltimore to change planes).  We arrived at Logan around noon, and quickly realized at the baggage claim that the airline had broken and ripped our bags.  {Side note - Southwest Airlines, you will be hearing from me.  Bags fly free, but not gently, huh?} Kerry asked a nearby airport employee for directions to the T (subway), and he told us to jump on the next shuttle.  WELL, about 2 minutes into the ride we realized we had gotten on without paying, so MBTA, here is my apology for being a stow-away on the bus, then the red and green lines, respectively!  We resurfaced and headed down the 2 block walk to the hotel, and checked in.  Kerry had to go to the conference pretty much immediately, so I unpacked.  As I unpacked I discovered not only were our bags broken, but some of our stuff was, also.  So, after some rinsing and muttering under my breath, our clothes finally smell normal again.  Ugh.
We ate dinner at the food court that's part of the Prudential Center's mall (aka the PRU), and enjoyed a little stroll around outside.  Temps in the 70s are MUUUUUCH better than 110 in the shade back home!

Saturday after the conference activities were finished, the group went to Fenway Pahk to see the Sox beat up on the Yankees!  It was such a good time.  We hung out at the Bleacher Bar for a few before going into the stadium for the game.  Kerry absoultely loves it here.  It's fun to see him like such a little kid.  :)
After the game, we all walked to Beacon Hill to eat at the 21st Amendment - which claims to be the first pub to open after the repeal of Prohibition.  Pretty cool. :)

I'll update again as the trip goes on.  So far, so good, though.