Stars, Stripes & Lobstah

Another holiday means another family gathering. This year's location was Augusta, ME. The Crawford family (I'm still tickled to call myself that. Teehe!) descended on the Young household right in the middle of a heatwave. A heatwave, people. In Maine. Where it's usually so cool that AC is the exception rather than the rule. Yeah.

Marshland

Hot as Hades or not, there's something about the area that has enchanted us. Each visit to New England brings us closer and closer to deciding that it's the place for us when the man retires in a couple of years.

Old Orchard Beach

Our holiday was jam-packed with sightseeing: Old Port, Old Orchard Beach, Back Booth Bay, fireworks over the capital. Of course, I was instructed in the proper manner of disassembling a lobster, Mainer-style. It freaked me out a bit, I'm not gonna lie. Those creepy legs. Ew.

My unfortunate, but yummy victim.

  

Notice my mother-in-law's look :) Oops.

Do you know how to distinguish the difference between East and West coast beaches? Strollers. On the East coast they're as natural to achieving a beach vibe as bikini tops and the smell of sunblock. There were dozens of them. Out on the sand, blocking the view. What's amusing is that it took an entire family pushing and pulling on the damn things just to get them 20-30 feet onto the sand, everyone grunting and sweating. Hilarious!!

Fried clam dinner

Kaya and Aunt Kara

The lovebirds

Oddly, I frequently fantasized in my not too distant youth that I would live in Maine, married to a French-Canadian architect. Two out of three wouldn't be too bad. 

This trip marks the last of my torrid love affairs with treats. Twenty pounds have crept up on me over the last two years. I'd like to say out of nowhere but all one needs do is read this blog to figure out where each and every one came from. I'm leaving for Stuttgart for a month next week and I hope to use the time to really focus on my health. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can find my discipline again. Anytime I feel a craving, I'll just look at all of these photos of my eating adventures. Hopefully memories taste as good as the real thing :)