To Cleveland from Lancaster, MA (with Help from Boston and Baltimore)

We packed on July 1st and 2nd.  After making sure that we had everything, we said goodbye to Dan.
Patty then took Bob and me to Boston's Logan Airport.  We checked our bags inside the terminal (It was performed outdoors in Cleveland.)  Security was more routine, including the removal of our shoes.  As far as TSA was concerned, it went smoothly.  Since we had a long layover in Baltimore, we relaxed until our plane was ready to board.  The plane had a smooth takeoff, but there was some turbulence during the flight.  On the plus side, we received pretzels, peanuts, and Coke for a snack.  The landing into Baltimore went fine.  However, I discovered that my glasses were not on my face when I left the plane.  Fortunately, they were in a Southwest Airlines employee's possession, so they were not damaged.

Once we made it into the airport, it was lunchtime.  Since we were in a different section of the airport, our food options turned out to be better than they were eight days earlier.  Bob sent me to scope out options.  Since I didn't have a directory at the time, I called Bob, but his cell phone was turned off.  I found a directory and shared it with Bob upon my return.  I chose BGR: the Burger Joint because it was not as far as the more extensive options.  Bob agreed with the decision.  We took our carry-on bags with us and found a seat in the food court.  I ordered our $7.00 burgers and split a $3.00 order of French fries.  The burgers were filling and the fries were tasty, but the soda that we purchased from Subway because the fountain drinks machine at BGR was not functioning apparently turned out to be Diet Coke.  I guessed that I should have sprung for Cheerwine at $2.79 a bottle (Bob paid for the food.).  Oh well, you don't visit Baltimore-Washington International Airport everyday.

After lunch, we waited for our flight to board.  Thanks to Hurricane Arthur, our flight was about half an hour late leaving Baltimore because it was late coming in from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.  Our plane encountered so much turbulence that we only enjoyed Coke on our plane.  After a short flight, we were back in Cleveland.


Once we were in the airport, I called Maggie at our house to pick us up.  We then collected our baggage.  We waited patiently for Maggie to show up.  It wasn't too bad, considering it was rush hour.

Maggie arrived.  Since we needed supplies, we went to Aldi Seven Hills to pick them up.  It was a successful shopping trip.

Before we arrived at Aldi, Maggie revealed that Subway was offering footlong subs for $4.50 on Wednesdays.  I decided that we try the Subway on Broadview Road, (near Brookpark Road) which opened while we were gone.  They were not participating.  We skipped the Subway on Broadview Road at Carlton Road.  We headed for the Subway on Broadview Road (near Sprague Road)  They were not participating, either.  Maggie wisely decided to go back to her house to find the ad which would have the participating Subway(s).  As it turned out, the Subway in question was on State Road (near Pleasant Valley Road).  We all bought subs to go.  Bob and I bought chicken subs (My sub was on flatbread.).  I don't remember Maggie's sub, but she picked up a meatball marinara sub for her husband Mike.

After three Subways that I had never visited, Maggie dropped off her sub and Mike's sub at their house.  I handed over the small wooden boat that I had purchased at Woods to Goods in York, ME to Maggie.  She then took us home.  We immediately passed Mike as he was coming home from a long day of work   Maggie visited with us for a short time.  We then ate our dinner.  Bob ate all of his sub, but I only ate half of mine.  The other half was eaten for dinner on July 5.

It was a very nice trip.  Boston was limited to our trips to and from Logan Airport.  Maine replaced New York City.  I wonder if our next trip will be as memorable!         

    

From Foxwoods Casino to Ninety-Nine Restaurant

For the third year in a row,  Bob, Patty, and I visited Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, CT.  In addition, Amy Gould, Patty's close friend joined us for the second year in a row.  We started off with lunch at California Pizza Kitchen in the Foxwoods complex.  We had some difficulty finding it.  The interactive directory decided not to "co-operate."

Once we found the restaurant, I had a mushroom and spinach flatbread that was delicious.  The other participants half salads which were big enough for dinner, let alone lunch.  They were priced if I were eating at Perkins or IHOP.  I sampled Patty's Waldorf salad and Bob's Chinese Chicken salad.  Both salads were tasty.

After lunch, the men and the women separated for each gaming room.  We visited the Great Cedar and Fox Tower Casinos.  Our beloved Rainmaker Casino was closed due to "lack of customers."  We won a little.  We gave most of it back.  It was fun, though.

After Foxwoods, we came back home.  Amy went back to her house.  Dan had a conference call at 5:00 PM, so we relaxed.  Eventually, we dined at Ninety-Nine Restaurant in Fitchburg.  I was going to have steak from the $9.99 menu, but the lemon caper swordfish appealed to me.  It met my expectations.  The rest of the group enjoyed their meals, too.  I guess that I should take notes on their meals, too.

After dinner, we went to Sears at Mall at Whitney Field, so Patty could exchange a gift for one of  Amy Gould's granddaughters.  Bob and I took a brief look in Sears, while Dan stayed in the car.  Somehow, we made it out of the store before it closed for the night.  We came home and relaxed while eating ice cream.

This day was quite enjoyable.  I have to acknowledge Amy Gould for bringing the Jumble App to our attention.  Bob enjoyed playing it on Amy's cell phone so much, it is on his cell phone and Kindle.  It's fun, but not when I am trying to look out the window to and from Foxwoods.

By the way, there is renewed hope for visiting Mohegan Sun.  Amy Gould has never been there.  Patty had dismissed it as we were leaving The Old Timer Restaurant in Clinton on June 29, but she changed her mind by July 1st.  Twin Rivers in Lincoln, RI could be fun, too.  If I make it to either casino, it will be reported here.

The conclusion of this trip is coming soon!   

From Leominster to Medway

There were two significant trips on June 30!  The first trip was to the Mall at Whitney Field in Leominster.  This trip was scheduled in conjunction with Friday's Wal Mart-Aldi trip, but we didn't start the trip as early as I expected.  (The beer and wine making store was educational.)  It is an adequate mall.  We bought nothing.  We had lunch at home because we had another late start.

After the mall, we visited Market Basket, which is across the road from the mall.  Though we did not buy anything, I was impressed with their selection of Lean Gourmet products that were selling for a dollar apiece at the time.  They even had Swedish Meatballs, which are a luxury in our area at this time.  The renovations after CVS built a stand-alone store nearby after our last visit made the store even better than before. (CVS still has a non-pharmacy store in the mall.)

After Market Basket, we relaxed for awhile.  We then headed for Dave and Amy's house in Medway (with a detour to a nearby liquor store to pick up some beer for Dan Jr.) to celebrate Dave's birthday, which was the next day.  Dave enjoyed his presents.  He enjoyed our Olive Garden gift card, but the most popular gift was a R2D2 which had vocal commands allowing it to do such tasks as "walking."  Patty, Dan, and Bob had tested it at home, but it did not work very well on a rug.  It performed better on the floor at Amy and Dave's house.  It stopped short of a speaker near their home theater system. 

On the other hand, Amy and Dave's dog Caesar's brakes did not work quite so well.  After grabbing  wrapping paper and running through the living room, Caesar broke a fragile candle.  Amy was not happy.  Thankfully, Caesar calmed down for the most part for the rest of the evening.

Dinner consisted of Chinese food from Hang Tai Too in Medway.  Patty, Bob, Amy, and I went to pick it up.  Bob and I did not enter the restaurant.  A brief tour of some sights in Medway occurred on the way home.  We had pork lo mein, chicken with cashew nuts, barbecued boneless spare ribs, crab rangoon, Mongolian barbecued beef, vegetable fried rice, and sizzling three (shrimp, chicken, beef) delight with homemade noodle.  This restaurant does not do combination plates which sometimes include egg rolls.  Also, we did not purchase won ton soup, but it was not missed.  The selections were chosen by "committee" (Dave was doing some online work related to renewing his driver's license, so he was not involved.)  The food was delicious.  There were a lot of leftovers.  Hopefully, Amy and Dave enjoyed them. 

We relaxed for awhile.  One interesting event that I have not mentioned is that we fed the fish in the coy pond near their patio area before dinner.  We drove home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

The next post will discuss our adventures at Foxwoods Casino.
        

From Marlborough to Clinton

Bob and I started June 29 with cereal for breakfast.  Dan made a delicious brunch of blueberry pancakes and bacon.  Patty had suggested eggs when she put Dan in charge, but the blueberry pancakes and bacon were filling.

Around 2:30 in the afternoon, we headed to Solomon Pond Mall on the Marlborough/Berlin border, so Patty, Bob, and Dan could see Godzilla.  Since I had very little interest in seeing the film, I spent my time enjoying the mall and the surrounding area.  I started off at Macy's in search of a belt because my belt fell apart just before we left for Mass the day before.  Their belts were on sale, and I had a coupon, but I thought their designer belts were still too "expensive" for my tastes. 

After Macy's, I found the Food Court in search of a "time-killing" snack!  Normally, I would have chosen Master Wok, Pizzeria Regina, or D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches because they are not present in the Cleveland area.  However, I had a craving for potato cakes because Arby's is a "luxury" in Massachusetts, and I had never had food at an Arby's in New England, let alone Massachusetts.  The potato cakes were nice and hot, but I overpaid for a soda with a free refill because I had missed the Value Drink on the menu.  The clerk also either didn't hear me, or he chose to ignore me when I asked about a value size.  Thankfully, it was only $.40 more.

After my snack, I went to JcPenney's to continue my quest for a belt.   I found a Stafford reversible belt for $19.99 (It was tax-exempt.).  Since my shorts were loose, I wanted to wear the belt, but I could not loosen the brand hook.  I then went to Sears to see if I could find a cheaper belt.  They had cheaper belts, but they were not reversible, and the quality was unknown. 

After Sears, I walked around the mall in search for a phone book.  I didn't find any in the mall, but in the parking garage, I found the phone books by the mail boxes for the stores.  I took a quick look, but since they weren't for the public, I did not take one.  It wasn't for my sister's area, but it would have been useful.  (Occasionally, phone books are available at libraries, supermarkets, and malls for public consumption.)

I then headed to Best Buy and Eastern Mountain Sports.  Neither store excited me enough to buy anything.  I then headed back to the mall.  I took a chance going over the Assabet River "bridge".  The rail was on the right going back.  There was no room for two-way traffic.  I was relieved when I made it to safety.

I then sat in the mall for a short time before I went to meet my group after their movie.  I looked at the phone book again before walking into the lobby of the theater complex. (There was no mall access from the complex.)  After a short wait, Patty, Dan, and Bob came out of the theater.

Dinner was approaching.  I had suggested 99 Restaurant in Marlborough, but Dan had another idea.  He suggested The Old Timer Restaurant in Clinton.  I had seen an advertisement somewhere for the place, so I was willing to try it.  The Old Timer claimed to be an Irish-American Restaurant, but their menu seemed to be "lacking" in that category.  They were also lacking in customers at about 5:30 in the evening.  We were the only customers.  I think that the warm weather may have been a factor.  The place had fewer customers than IHOP at Cleveland's Steelyard Commons at dinnertime.

Despite the lack of customers, the food was delicious.  I had one of the specials which consisted of a lobster roll, French fries, cole slaw and two rolls.  Cheesecake and Coke supplemented the special.  I may have sampled Patty's salad, but I didn't record it.  I did sample grape nut pie, though.  It's not something that I would order, but I guess that people in New England love it.  The service was very friendly.  Somebody had to alleviate the boredom.

After dinner, we relaxed for awhile.  Eventually, Patty, Bob, and I used Netflix's Streaming service to see Madea's Witness Protection.  We enjoyed it, but Bob fell asleep.  Surprisingly, I stayed awake for this film and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  Once again, we relaxed for the rest of the evening.

The final three days of this trip will be very interesting.

From a Library to a New Priest

June 28 was a quieter day compared to the day before.

I ate tortellini salad from the night before for lunch.  Although it was a re-run, it was still more exciting than the box meals that Bob and I eat five days of the week. Aldi's mini butter croissant was a highlight of this meal.

After lunch, Patty, Bob, and I went to the Sterling Library (near Lancaster).  Patty went up a street when the library turned out to be next door to the building by the street in question.  By the way, Sterling Pizza, (Now under new ownership) the provider of the pizza from May 17, 2009, is practically across the street from the library.  The library is a combination of an older building and an addition.  The blending of the two is pretty impressive.  The highlight of this experience is that Patty and Bob came home with books that were either purchased or were free (Surprisingly, for keeps in both cases).  One book that Patty picked up was a book for Amy Gould's granddaughter Lizzie who just acquired a sister on June 25.  Bob's book was written by Calvin Trillin, one of his favorite authors who used to appear on David Letterman.  The library was appropriate for a small town

After the library, we went into Clinton to pick up a gift card and greeting cards for Amy's husband Dave's birthday.  Bob and I chose an Olive Garden gift card from Shaw's Supermarket.  We looked around the store.  I was disappointed with having one option for Michelina's Lean Gourmet ($1.29).  I guess that you have to live in the area to find deals.

Family Dollar, next door to Shaw's, did not have a great selection of cards, but the three of us were able to find two cards that were appropriate.  By the way, Family Dollar does sell gift cards, but our local branch decided to make them cash only for a time (The current policy is unknown.).  As much as I love Worcester County shopping, my options for cards are more convenient in my area.

We came home and briefly relaxed.  We then headed to Immaculate Conception Church in Lancaster for 4:30 Mass.  Our priest was the newly named Pastor, Fr. Tom Hultquist.  (Fr. Ed Lettic, the Pastor for twenty + years was relieved of his duties due to alleged misconduct.  Details can be found at http://www.worcesterdiocese.org )  Patty said that he was amusing.  This was not the case that afternoon.  He and the Deacon greeted parishioners after Mass.

After Mass, we had dinner of grilled chicken (on a propane grill), rice pilaf, and mixed vegetables.  It was another delicious meal.  While watching the Red Sox-Yankees game, we enjoyed blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream.

The evening's highlight (Besides the Red Sox win in Yankee Stadium) was a phone call (on speakerphone) from Dan Jr. and his daughters.  Laura was not present.  We heard about Amy's piano recital.  Dan also promised to reveal when the family was going to invade Lancaster. 

This day was enjoyable because I was able to enjoy two of my favorite hobbies of libraries and comparison shopping. 

Sunday will be more interesting!               

From Beer Making to a Bird Rescue (Walter Mitty Probably Only Dreamed This!)

This was the first of two consecutive days when all of our meals were at Patty and Dan's house.  I had Tuesday night's kielbasa and sauerkraut with sides of cottage cheese and cheddar and Gorgonzola cheeses in hot dog buns for lunch.  It was just as tasty as it was three days earlier.

After lunch, Dan, Bob, and I went to Homebrew Emporium in West Boylston, MA to pick up some blueberry extract for his homemade beer.  We toured the store and learned from Dan and Pat the Clerk about various aspects about beer making.  I was interested to learn that wine making is "easier than beer making, though the fermentation usually takes longer.  I wish that I remembered more details.  In addition to the blueberry extract, Dan came home with more supplies to make beer.

We came home.  Remember the mystery in the stove pipe?  It turned out to be a live bird.  Dan and Bob were able to rescue it.  A laundry basket was used to trap it.  (Yes, Patty authorized this action.)  The bird flew away.  Miracles do happen!

After the fun with the bird, Patty, Bob, and I visited Wal-Mart Supercenter and Aldi in Leominster.  Cough syrup and eyeglass lens cleaner (I thought that I had misplaced the lens cleaner when I was unpacking, but it turned out that we left it at home.) were our goals at Wal-Mart.  We did not see the cleaner with the free refills that we normally use, but we found an 8 oz. bottle that would turn out to be beneficial for Dan after we came home to Cleveland.  Patty found the cough syrup which had the same retail price as it did in the Cleveland area.  We then "cleaned out" Aldi.  Aldi was not super crowded, even on a Friday afternoon.

After coming home,  Dan prepared the beer that he had started weeks earlier for bottling.  Dan was in charge of bottling.  Bob handled bottle cap placement.  I packaged the beer.  Forty-nine bottles of beer came out of almost five gallons of beer.  (A small amount was lost in the production process.)  I hope that the beer was a success.

Eventually, dinner was prepared.  Grilled hot dogs, cheese tortellini salad, and baked beans were on the menu.  In addition, Dan made guacamole and blueberry pie to round out the meal.  Multigrain scoops accompanied the guacamole.  The guacamole was okay, but the blueberry pie was delicious.  Vanilla ice cream supplemented the pie.

After dinner, we watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty from Netflix.  The movie did not merit the hype.  The rest of the evening was spent relaxing.

This day was very educational and exciting.           

From Ogunquit, ME to Lancaster, MA (The Ocean View)

June 26 started with the Coconut Cream Tart that we didn't eat the night before because Bob had fallen asleep.  I then walked down to Cumberland Farms (The Gulf station was across the street from the motel.) to buy some newspapers.  I ended up buying seven papers (including the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, which would have been cheaper back in Lancaster).  The other papers were from Maine and New Hampshire.  After returning to the motel, we checked out, but with a parking permit, we were allowed to keep our parking privileges. 

Since we planned on walking along the Atlantic Ocean, we took a short drive to The Omelette Factory for breakfast.  I had a ham and three cheese omelet.  It was tasty.  I also enjoyed the sweet bread and the half English muffin that accompanied the omelet.  Originally, I just had water, but I needed something more.  I decided to have a soda based on the free refill principle.  It also would have been reasonably priced at $2.00.  I ended up with a can.  Thankfully, Bob skipped the soda.

After breakfast, we drove back to the motel.  We then walked towards the Atlantic Ocean, with a detour to stop at two stores.  Ro's by the Shore (The first store) specialized in clothing advertising Ogunquit and Maine, along with some toys.  Patty, Dan, and Bob bought some clothes there (including a shirt for Maggie), but I found nothing for myself.  The second store was housed in a former church.  It was named Revelations Gifts: The Sanctuary Shop.  It was more of a traditional gift shop, but we didn't buy anything there.  Dan then took the purchases back to the car.

We all enjoyed the scenery along the Atlantic Ocean.  I walked near the ocean, but I didn't want to ruin the shoes that I started wearing on June 3 that were bought on April 15, 2012 at the New Balance Factory Store.  When we were finished, we decided to take the trolley back into "Downtown" Ogunquit.  The trolley cost $2.00.  It had no windows, which allowed us to enjoy the breeze.  We left Molly the Trolley (No relation to Cleveland's Lolly the Trolley) just before Main Street, so Dan and Patty could go back to the toy store to buy gifts for their granddaughters Amy and Emily, who were coming to visit in the coming weeks. (As far as I was concerned, we should have left the trolley at the stop across from our motel.  The walk back to the toy store was not that far.)  The gifts included a Charades game and a couple of items that I thought would be a disaster.  Hopefully, the granddaughters will appreciate the exercise that will result from the toys.

On the way out of Ogunquit, we shopped at a store called Woods to Goods in York, ME.  This store specialized in items made by prisoners.  Bob picked out a small wooden ship that I bought for Maggie because she likes sailboats.

After our shopping experience, we dined at Wild Willy's, also in York.  I had a Pineland Farms Beef burger with mushrooms and Swiss cheese.  We shared French Fries.  I had another can of soda since this restaurant did not have fountain drinks.  (Last year's Worcester branch had fountain drinks, if I am not mistaken.)  The food was enjoyable, but the restaurant was too small for the crowd that it attracts.  We ate outdoors because the table inside would have been a "traffic nightmare."  The condiment selection was either non-existent or inconvenient, but it was not a major problem for me.

After lunch, we were headed back to Lancaster.  We stopped off at a Liquor Store in New Hampshire, just off the turnpike/freeway.  The only shopper was me.  I bought two sets of numbers at $2.00 apiece for the Saturday and Wednesday drawings.  Beginners' luck held true because I broke even on the Saturday drawing and won $2.00 on the Wednesday drawing.  I was 17 the last time that I visited New Hampshire.  Pheasant Lane Mall was the only item on the itinerary in New Hampshire that day. 

After returning home, it rained.  Patty heard something in the Stove Pipe of their Wood Burning Stove.  Dan went on the roof to investigate.  Nothing was found at this time.  (Details of the eventual rescue will appear in the next post.)  No injuries occurred on the roof, but I fell walking barefoot on a wet bridge on the property.  The injuries were minor, so I was able to enjoy the rest of my vacation.

Dinner that night was sandwiches.  There was a variety of breads, meats, and cheeses.  The food was appetizing.  The rest of the evening was spent in relaxation.

In closing, our motel was nicer than I though it would be, but I would have stayed at a hotel or motel in the Maine Mall area, so I could enjoy the shops in the area.  Maine was memorable, though.  The next trip's goal is Vermont.

Until my next Post, enjoy your day.           

To Ogunquit, ME with "Love"

After eating breakfast at Patty and Dan's, we headed for Maine!  Our first stop was at the Cumberland Farms on Main Street in Lancaster, MA, so I could buy my Massachusetts Lottery tickets and the Sentinel Enterprise (Fitchburg-Leominster, MA) newspaper.  We then headed towards Maine via New Hampshire.  Our first steps in Maine were at the Maine Visitors Center in Kittery, ME.  I picked up a lot of useful reference material (Most of it is still back in Lancaster, MA.)  A picture of Bob and me was taken with Smokey the Bear.  (At this time, I can't access it to show you, but my Facebook Friends can enjoy it.)

After the Visitors Center, we headed for The Maine Mall in South Portland, ME.  Bob, Patty, and I enjoyed our soups from Kamasouptra.  I also had Chow Mein (It may also be known as Lo Mein at other restaurants.) from Panda Express.  Dan had a sub from Charley's Steakery.  I can't speak for the rest of my group, but I enjoyed my food.

After lunch, we had a brief amount of time to enjoy the mall.  Bob and I visited Eddie Bauer, Bon Ton, Sports Authority, and Macy's (Not necessarily in that order).  Our time in Macy's could have been better spent exploring the Sears Wing.  Patty and Dan bought an Indoor/Outdoor temperature  thermometer at Radio Shack, so The Maine Mall was worth it.

After we were done shopping, we researched how to find the Main branch of the Portland Public Library.  Once we found it, we enjoyed looking throughout the building.  It's a nice library in a modern building.

After the library, we headed for L.L. Bean in Freeport, ME.  There are a number of buildings on the campus, but we visited the Apparel store.  Bob bought Maggie a coffee/tea mug as a gift for caring for Morgan and for other household tasks.  He also bought some "hiking" socks for himself.

After the first half of our L.L. Bean visit, Dan, Bob, and I went to Ben and Jerry's to enjoy a snack.  My Ice Cream was Triple Caramel Crunch.  I would enjoy it again.

After our snack, we visited the L.L. Bean Outlet Store.  Patty and Dan bought some merchandise.  We did not visit any of the other outlet stores in the complex.

After we left Freeport, we headed for Ogunquit because Patty and Dan have a love affair with the town.  We were also spending the night at the Studio East Motel and Suites.  The drive's highlight was a storm that cleared up before we reached the motel.

After checking in and settling, we went back to the Front Desk for a restaurant recommendation.  After dismissing "expensive" restaurants, we settled on the Cornerstone restaurant.  There was an approximately thirty minute wait for a table, so we visited a toy store and a small grocery store. 

We returned to the restaurant and waited on the patio.  We ordered some drinks, but our table became available.  I had Sprite that turned out to be soda water, but I said nothing.  My refill was a bottle of Capt'n Eli's Root Beer that was more enjoyable.  Between Beverages, I enjoyed scallops, mussels, and haddock in a spicy red sauce (The seafood was tasty, but the sauce was not to my liking.) with a side of garlic bread.  I also sampled Patty's macaroni and cheese.  It was delightful.  I almost ordered it, but I would order it if I return to Ogunquit.

After dinner, we visited Bread and Roses Bakery to buy snacks.  Bob and I split a Coconut Cream Tart.  The toy store also received a return visit.  We then spent the rest of the evening relaxing.  I went to the Front Desk to buy cans of soda.  Bob enjoyed his during the trip, but I left mine in the refrigerator in my room. along with half a bottle of water that was supplied during our drive. The can was a dollar.  This turned out to be a bargain as you will see in the next Post.

From Cleveland to Lancaster, MA (with a Detour to Baltimore)

On June 24, my brother Bob and me went to visit our sister Patty and her husband Dan in Lancaster, MA (near Worcester).  The trip did not start off smoothly!  I accidentally damaged the strap to my bag that I had already packed to use as my carry-on bag.  My backpack became the replacement.  In addition, I had to change my shirt because the oppressive humidity that resulted from a post-shower walk to the mailbox at Spring Road and South Hills Drive left the shirt unsuitable for traveling.

Despite the minor complications, our trip to the airport with our sister Maggie went smoothly.  We checked our bags.  A miracle happened when we went through the TSA security line without emptying our pockets or taking off our shoes.  Bob held my cell phone, but otherwise it was painless.

Our flight to Baltimore via Southwest Airlines went smoothly.  After exiting the flight, we enjoyed some lunch.  I enjoyed a Salmon Teriyaki Bowl from Gachi House of Sushi.  Bob enjoyed two Pretzel Dogs from Auntie Anne's.  We then relaxed until catching our plane to Boston.

This flight was also relatively smooth.  After picking up our luggage, we waited for the Logan Express Bus to Natick, MA where our sister Patty would drive us to Lancaster, MA.  (The bus used to go to nearby Framingham, but a renovation project that started the day before caused the temporary change.)  Thanks to Boston's notorious rush hour traffic, a trip that should have taken 30-45 minutes took over an hour.  After exiting the bus, we went into the building to pay.  (It was supposed to be on the bus, but the bus was late. Otherwise, there was no "official" explanation.)  We were then headed to Patty and Dan's.

Dan cooked us an appetizing meal of Kielbasa and Sauerkraut with Sweet Potato Fries.  It made not dining out in the Framingham-Natick area less disappointing.  We then headed to Rota Spring Farm in Sterling for some ice cream.  It was quite popular, but we were able to find a table on a hill near the cow area. (The tables in the covered area were surprisingly not popular.)  The ice cream was a climax to a very exciting day.

We relaxed for the rest of the evening.  I ate some Cheddar Multigrain Crisps to finish my eating for the day. Our trip to Maine the next day was eagerly anticipated.