Cape Cod Getaway Part 1

Guys, I'm writing this blog post on the deck of the Inn On The Sound in Falmouth, MA. I'm looking over Vineyard Sound and can see Marth'as Vineyard! The sun rose just to my left. To my right I see a sailboat. Once in awhile, a car drives by this beach side road. But other than that, it's the occasional walker and pack of cyclists. It's early. I have coffee and I am so happy!

Paul and I never stayed at a b&b before. This place is really nice I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Paul and I try to be self sufficient on vacation... bringing our own water, snacks, etc. But this place has it all.

The innkeeper, Howard, greeted us from the porch when we arrived. He showed us the kitchen and common areas. Coffee, tea, water, soft drinks, and seltzer where available all day. There were bananas, scones and lemon poppy seed bread out for snacking. Then he took us to our room. It was beautiful and clean. We had a panoramic window that looked out over Vineyard Sound and we could see Martha's Vineyard in the not too far off distance. We were just giddy with our accommodations! We were especially excited to eat breakfast on the front porch the next morning. Little bistro tables were set up with the best view in town, in my opinion!

 Common area

Common area

Come area

 Dining area

  Dining area

  Dining area

  Dining area

 Guest kitchen

Our room

 Our room view

Our room

We were quite tired from traveling when we arrived but I will not complain about that! We stopped on the way in Fall River, MA to tour the Lizzie Borden House, but I will recap that on another day. Today, it's all about our first two days in Cape Cod! Three pictures for a tease...

 Quiz: Who was murdered on this couch?

Quiz: Who was murdered RIGHT HERE?

After we settled in, we headed right down to the beach! What a trek... .01 miles away! It was so convenient! (I knew it would be. That's why I picked The Inn On The Sound... none of the hassle of driving to the beach and parking.) Our Inn provided beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, and a beach bag! I felt like a celebrity! Although I guess if I were a celebrity, someone else would have carried my beach chair for me. That's okay, I felt like a butterfly!

The beach here was different than the East Coast beaches we're used to. There were lots of big, smooth rocks on the sand as well as on the floor of the sound. It looked like you could drink on the beach because everyone was enjoying a beverage. Someone made a fire. There were dogs. It wasn't crowded because we were at the part of the beach with no lifeguards. (Don't worry, we only went up to our ankles!)

We opened a bottle of Reisling and just spent some much needed time relaxing and enjoying the sun, wind, and surf. This was meant to be our "chill" vacation. No stress, no plans, no rushy-rushy. So far, so good!

After chilling on the beach, we walked back to our inn and freshened up for dinner. We didn't feel like driving anywhere, so we walked about two blocks along the water down to the British Beer House. It was just pub style food but that was fine with us. Paul had meatloaf and I had a salmon salad. We shared pickle chips for an app. I really want to learn how to beer batter because I think my goal in life is to eat EVERYTHING fried in beer batter! The food was good but the service was slow. It was 16 minutes before we even had waters! And no, it wasn't busy.

He gets mad when I have to take food pics before we eat!

"I have a blog!!!!"

 Just a few pics from our walk home!

We went to bed pretty early, since we had gotten up before sunrise that day to travel. We kept our blinds open so we could fall asleep looking at the lights of Martha's Vineyard!

The next day, I had every intention of sleeping in as long as my little heart desired, but of course I woke up at 5:30! That's okay. I padded out to the kitchen, made myself some coffee, and then took my laptop out to the front porch to relax! Only one other person was up, Fabien, a man from Philly! He told me he has been staying at this inn with his wife for 15 years! I asked if all b&bs are this nice and he said he didn't know, this is the only one he ever stayed at!

After several cups of coffee, it was time to go for a run. Paul walked along the sound while I ran the running path depicted on our Falmouth map. Part of it was along the water and the other part was through neighborhoods. It wasn't too busy because it was still early. It looks like Cape Cod people like to sleep in!

 These shrubs are everywhere. What are they!??

Then we showered and were ready for our breakfast at the inn at 8:30 sharp. We had french toast with fruit, which was DIVINE. We also had fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh fruit. It was all delicious and definitely the fanciest breakfast Paul and I ever had! Paul told me breakfast FAR exceeded his expectations, which made me feel good that I picked such great accommodations. Oh, when we got back to our room after breakfast, room service had already come! This place is the shit!

The first part of our day was spent biking the Shining Sea Bikeway. It's an 11 mile (one way) bike route through the woods, past bogs and marshes, and past little towns.

 The path is an old railroad route. The station is now a spot for bikers to stop for food.

We biked the whole bike path (out and back). Just before we were nearly done, we stopped in Woods Hole for lunch. We were starving! The place we ate at looked out over the Steamship Authority Ferry that goes to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, so we got to see all the hustle and bustle.

I had a huge burger and fries. Paul had fried cauliflower.

The last time I biked, my ITB and knee hurt so much, so I totally expected it to hurt after this ride... but it did NOT! How awesome is that!? The only thing that hurt is the area that hurts from sitting on a bike seat for a long time! We did 31 miles total!

We spent a couple hours relaxing on the beach.

Then we had drinks at our inn and played cards. Hey, it's just like home...

... but with a way better view!

We ordered in sushi and ate it on the porch.

Our second night in Cape Cod ended with laying in bed watching the new episode of Big Brother. Priorities, people!!!!

Come back Tuesday for the last part of my Cape Cod recap!

Have you ever been to Cape Cod?
Any idea what that shrub is?
Did you ever stay at a B&B?

Weekly Workouts!

This week, I got to do a couple runs and a bike ride while we were on vacation in Cape Cod. It was gorgeous, as you will see from the pictures.

I'll have a wrap up of our trip ASAP. But first, I have to recover from our HORRIBLE drive home. Our 7 hour trip took 9.5 hours due to traffic and then downpours and fog the last two hours.

If I never have to drive again, I'll be a happy girl.

Saturday- 2 deck of cards workouts and 45 minutes of Zumba. I ended up doing 50 burpees in a row! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Sunday- 6 neighborhood miles. I was actually sore from Zumba! Mainly my groin area. Interesting...

Monday- 2 deck of card workouts. I wanted to lift since we would be on vacation for the next four days and I wouldn't get to, BUT I slept wrong and I had a sharp pain in my back, especially when I turn my head! I was able to do push ups no problem, so I did incorporate those into my workout. At least I got a little bit of resistance training in there!

Tuesday- Rest! We were busy driving to Cape Cod, touring the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, and laying on THE BEACH!!!!!

Wednesday- 6 morning miles in Cape Cod. 31 miles on the bike! I followed the normal running route depicted on my map. About half of it was along the water and the other half was through neighborhoods. I woke up really early naturally so there weren't many people out there. 

 After breakfast, we rented bikes and rode the Shining Sea Bike Path. It was 11 miles each way, plus the couple miles it took to ride to the path. We had so much fun! I was surprised that my knee and my ITB did not hurt at all! Maybe cycling truly is something I can do!

Thursday- 6 morning miles in Cape Cod. I went in the opposite direction as the day before. I ran along Vineyard Sound for awhile and past a couple beaches. I also went up through a neighborhood and around a lake. It was so humid in the morning even though it was not sunny or too hot. I was dripping with sweat after every run.

Friday- 6 morning miles in Cape Cod. This time, I drove to the bike path Paul and I rode. I ran part of that and then a loop that went past rocky cliffs and the Nobaska Lighthouse!

How were your workouts this week?

Friday 5: I got my ears pierced! (Again)

Hey all! I am linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 5 2.0!

The Friday 5 format has changed a bit. We can still list "5 Things" on a certain topic, or we can write a short blog post that takes 5 minutes or less to read.

Today, we're talking PIERCINGS!

When I was 7, I got my ears pierced. My mom took me to the jewelry store in our hometown called Leitzel's Jewelry and they were pierced with a piercing gun. I wear earrings all the time and I have fun with all different styles.

When I was 13, I got my cartilage pierced. I got it done at Claire's, which is a jewelry store in the mall. It was done with a piercing gun, which apparently was a bad idea. My ear ended up growing around the earring and I got a big bump on the back of my ear. My dad ended up having to use pliers to get the earring out. Eventually, the bump went away.

When I was 22, I got my navel pierced. I was visiting my friend Sherrie, who lived near Philly, and we decided to get our piercings at the same shop Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie got their's pierced at. (The Simple Life was a popular television show at the time.)

I went first and it hurt A LOT!!!! You had to lay on your back, which meant your stomach was a taut as possible. (I was pretty thin back then and had like zero belly fat so that made it worse.) Then they used some sort of clamp to PULL MY BELLY BUTTON SKIN UP! OWWWW! That hurt more than the needle, but the needle hurt too. I was glad I went first. Sherrie ended up going through with it too, but I know she was scared after my reaction! 

I remember my belly button ring getting a little pus-y once or twice, but that's it. It doesn't rub on my clothes because I don't wear high waisted pants. 

One interesting fact is that I did not change my belly button ring until I was 31 and had to take it our for an MRI! Then I put in a new ring I got at Spencer's. Last week, I changed the ring again. So in 14 years, I have only ever had three different rings! I get nervous changing the ring because I'm scared I won't get the new one in. I'm also scared it will hurt, which of course it doesn't. I use water and soap to get it to slide in.

I will tell you, that after having a ring in for so long, my stomach looks REALLY WEIRD for the couple minutes I have it out while changing the ring. I don't like it one bit. Which means I will prob have a navel ring even when I'm an old lady.

When I was 29, I got my cartilage pierced again. I remember I was feeling old (BWAHAHAHA!!!) and I thought getting something pierced would make me feel younger. This time, I did my research and I went to a "real" piercing place that would do it with a needle. It didn't hurt much during the actual piercing, but sleeping was a little tricky after. It took some time to heal but once it was healed, I didn't have any problems with it. Needles are the way to go- not piercing guns! I don't change my cartilage earring much at all. In fact, I think the earring I have in now is the only one I ever had in besides the hoop I got when it was done initially!

And that was my last piercing... until last week!

I got my ears pierced again! I have wanted to get second holes in my ear lobes for several years. On Wednesday, I finally made it happen! I went to 717 Tattoo in Mechanicsburg, which is a highly recommended place in the area for tattoos and piercings.

I was so anxious leading up to it. I was scared it was going to hurt really bad. It ended up not hurting at all. They could have pierced my ears for an hour straight and I wouldn't even have flinched. I researched it, and apparently needles hurt a lot less than piercing guns as far as ear lobes are concerned.

That's ink at the piercing of my second hole, not bruising.

I need to keep these hoops in for 3 months before I change them. If I want them changed before that, I can go back to the shop in 4 weeks and pay the piercer to change them. I'm not going to do it, I'll just ride it out for the three months.

They haven't hurt at all since I got them pierced- not even right after, which is so surprising! Sleeping doesn't hurt them or anything. I have been keeping them clean with a special spray they gave me. But other than that, it's been smooth sailing!

Do you have any piercings?
Which hurt the worst?
Any horror stories!?

Randomy Radomness!

I found a secret pocket it in my running shorts! When I was hanging up wash, one of my shorts were turned inside out. This is when I discovered there is a POCKET on the butt lining of the shorts. I have had these shorts for several years and I have like 10 pairs in different colors, so I am wondering how I never noticed this! The butt lining is an odd place for a pocket and I will never use it, but it's funny that it's there and I just discovered it.

Some morning doves made our hanging baskets their home! Paul discovered them and he thinks we should get a "Dove Cam" so people can watch our new buddies. We named them Paige and Thomas.

My niece drew my picture! A couple days ago, I went over to my SIL's to get my haircut. Afterwards, Ellie wanted to draw my picture. The resemblance is uncanny! She is quite the artist and normally only draws princesses, so I feel very special.

Let me tell you a story about this picture. We were putzing around the York Galleria Mall and I saw this cardboard cut out for a photo op displayed outside Claire's. "I dare you to let me take your picture," I said to Paul. "No way," he replied. "Okay, take mine," I told him. "And do it fast so no one sees me. Are you ready?" I asked. "Ready," he said. I quickly stuck my head in the unicorn. "SMILE!!!" Paul exclaimed, so anyone nearby or in the store could hear. I burst out laughing. "You little effer!!!!!" I told him.

Tell me something random!
Ever have birds shack up anywhere strange?

Things I'm Loving Right Now

Hola, blog reading peeps!

Today, I just want to share with you a couple things I'm loving at the moment...

~~ Jack's Hard Cider ~~



My favorite ciders are sweet. I don't like ciders that taste like beer because I do not like beer! This cider is made at Hauser's Winery in Gettysburg. It's local!

~~ Eggplant Parm... or Yellow Squash Parm ~~

So I ended up waiting until Paul and I were married for almost ten years before busting out an Eggplant Parm meal! He loved it so much, I made it two days in a row. The second day, I was running out of eggplant, so I made some eggplant and some yellow squash. It was just as good!

~~ Big Brother 20 ~~

This season is ON FLEEK!!!! And now that I'm on reddit, I have a whole new world of ways to keep up with what is going on in the house! In case you care, these are my thoughts on the house guests. Note: my thoughts on them can change at any moment!

Like: Haleigh, Bayleigh, JC, Rachel, Scottie, Rockstar, Brett
Dislike: Tyler, Sam
Neutral: Fessy, Kaycee, Angela

~~ My layered bracelets ~~

I didn't purchase these bracelets all at once. The first one that says Wanderlust was actually a gift from Katrina @ My Pineapple Ponderings for a blogger gift swap. It is from Laurel Denise on Etsy. The second bracelet I just purchased at The Gallery on the Square in Millersburg for $20. It was made by artist Marcia Klinger. The third one I got about a year ago at The Gallery for $40 and it was made by artist Lisa McConnell.

~~ Zumba ~~



I've been going back to Zumba from time to time this summer and doing some workouts I found on Youtube. I'm having fun shaking my booty and pretending I'm Beyonce!

~~ Lady Gaga ~~

I love her music. I love her voice. I love her dancing. She is so beautiful.
Lady Gaga, I love you! 

Tell me something you're loving right now!