I can't remember what day it was this week, but I took a study break and went for a walk around the Eastern Promenade with one of my friends. A quick break for exercise is really good to help keep you focused when you are studying. The trail took us down to the Narrow Gauge Railroad. I loved looking at all the old train cars, specifically this Ocean Spray cranberries car.


There are so many different forms of beautiful areas in Portland and I am just starting to find so many of them. It's my new goal to get outside more often, explore more and just have an amazing time while I am in this city.

The tree in my neighbors yard is just starting to bloom/leaf out and it is so beautiful. I like to look out my window and watch the squirrels run around the trees or even just watch the new leaf growth sway in the wind. Green is my favorite color, so now that everything has started the regrowth process it is much more appealing to take walks around the neighborhood and around in town. The cemetery up in the East End has these trees that have bloomed this week and they are so beautiful. I forgot my camera at my apartment when I left to meet some friends at Silly's early this afternoon, so I wasn't able to take a photo of them. Maybe later this week I can manage to.

Yesterday started with a wonderful walk up and down Pine Point Beach. At first I pointed all the way to the end, saying that we were going to walk there. I knew that was an unrealistic goal to begin with, but sometimes it's nice to just say "yes, we are going to do that or attempt to do that and even if we don't make it the whole way, we will enjoy our journey." Which we did. I had some of the best and most understanding conversation that I have had in years. It is really nice to find a friend who can understand things that others try to, but just can't fully grasp. Not that I love those other friends any less, because honestly, all I can ask is for them to try and they do with a whole lot of love in their hearts.

I can't even fully describe how full of awesome yesterday was. I saw so many people, so many friends specifically and it was just amazing. The day was packed with fun times with my friends and my favorite foods, such as soft serve from the Dairy Corner in Scarborough and the hot bar at Whole Foods. We ended up having a picnic on the Eastern Prom after our trip to the hot bar and it was just so beautiful outside. I can't wait to have even more picnics this summer. I also got my first sunburn of the season on the back on my neck and a little color on my nose.

One of my favorite views of home. This weekend has been jam packed full of seeing friends and family. I don't know how I have managed to see so many people in such a short amount of time, especially now that I have finally come to the conclusion I am coming down with a cold. In a word, I am exhausted.

Recently I decided that I was going to take up running. My first step is to read a book called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall, which was suggested to me by my friend Erin (http://www.bluebirdbaby.typepad.com/) and also by my chiropractor. I am going to save up enough money to get a pair of sneakers that my chiropractor recommended (Nike Free) and then start running. Hopefully this will all take less than a month before I can actually start running. The goal is to start small and then be able to run a few miles at a time. I feel like having a small goal of a few miles is reasonable, since in the past I have not enjoyed running. Perhaps since I will be on my own and not being yelled at by a field hockey coach it will be more fun this time. I like to move my body and want to be able to enjoy running. So I shall start small and see where it will take me.

I took a walk at lunch with my mom and I brought my camera along with me. I'm not one to edit my pictures at all, so i try to take as many pictures as I can to make sure that I can get one that I like. Plus, it's hard to see what it even looks like on my camera screen outside. I am pretty sure I have dropped this old canon just a few too many times. There is also a nice layer of dust between the image screen and the protective glass over it. I keep thinking about upgrading to a fancier camera, but in a way I like to be limited in this way. I feel like it forces me to be a little more creative with my shots, since I know that most of them won't turn out the way I want them to.

Sometimes I really love looking through old pictures. This one was taken last year at the Hate the Love event for Maine Roller Derby. It was Lady Gay Gay's (on the right) and my (on the left) coming out party for the derby world, as well as the rest of our newbie group at the time. I am no longer involved in derby as a skater, I volunteer when I have the time, but I still love going to watch my friends do what they love and have such obvious passion for. Roller Derby requires an enormous time commitment and passion is required in order to become highly skilled at this sport on skates.

Speaking of which, there is a bout coming up this weekend at the Expo. If you have yet to go see a roller derby bout here in Maine I highly suggest going to see this one. It is our local girls the Port Authorities versus the Boson Massacre. My roller derby nerd skills are putting the win on the Boston Massacre, but I think that the Port Authorities can really give them a run for their money. The Port Authorities recently acquired two skaters from Gotham (ranked number one in the East) and additionally have a really solid lineup of veteran skaters, with a few very skilled newish skaters. The Massacre seems to be in a rebuilding year and possibly suffering from a few injuries with key skaters, which could give the Port Authorities the slight edge that they might need to take a win.

http://www.mainerollerderby.com/events/

There is even an after party at the Empire.

Even though my weekend will be dominated by:



those cuties and the rest of my family for Easter fun, I am definitely going to this bout to cheer on some very talented ladies and to the after party to get my dance on with them.

There is nothing super special about this picture, but I really love having Oakhurst as my neighbor. There is something about the building and the trucks that I find magical. I know that is probably a bizarre thing to say, but to drive past it at night and see the building with it's lights on really stirs some sort of emotion inside of me. I don't drink milk any more, but I still will only have Oakhurst whipped cream.