Back from the Abyss...

So I know it's been a decade since I last wrote.  We've had visitors, I started a new job, yahda yahda yahda....First off, I need to introduce you to Ned, our homemade chia pet.  He's cute huh?  This was after his first haircut.  He's now got quite a full head of hair and started to get an awesome unibrow.  
A few weeks ago we met a friend at one of our favorite parks and took some pictures of Annie.  Brooksvale Park has chickens, roosters, horses, sheep, goats and a pond with the occasional duck.  She had a good time checking out these roosters--until one crowed in her face and made her fall over.  I guess if you were the same size as a rooster, you'd be a little intimidated too.
A few weeks later my mom and grandma came to visit.  Thanks Mom and Brammy.  We had a fantastic time (more details to follow) particularly involving a particular fiasco in the Hamptons, Long Island, NY (again, keep reading).  
Annie loved petting the horse at Brooksvale Park but he was more prone to eating her fingers...

As mentioned above, while my mom and grandma were in town, we took them over to Long Island for the weekend.  We had a good friend from Sean's work getting married (congrats Ani and Jay!) over there and since the wedding was not until the evening, we thought it made more sense to stay over Saturday night and drive back Sunday.  My mom offered to tend Annie while we were at the wedding (A night out alone?  What's that?) so we thought we'd take advantage of this chance to check out posh Long Island, in particular the Hamptons.  Prior to moving to CT, I had never heard of said Hamptons but apparently this is the place where wealthy New Yorkers go to vacation.  It's about 2 hours north east of New York on the very end of Long Island.  Picture beautiful white washed clapboard homes with verandas, white Adirondack chairs in the yard, sipping cool lemonade or the local day's catch.  Sigh.  We took the ferry over from New London, Ct to Orient Point, Long Island (the very end of the island).  This is on the way over (actually on a smaller ferry we had to take from Orient Point over to the Hamptons).  Four generations of girls. 

This is where our adventure really began.  We had lunch at LUNCH (also known as Lobster Roll) right on the Montauk Highway.  Can I say, mouth watering YUMMY.  And EXPENSIVE.  $18.50 for 10 bites of mouthwatering goodness.  Oh well, when in Rome, umm, New York, do as New Yorkers do.  

We drove out to Montauk Lighthouse, snapped a photo and were heading back into town when...Sean remembered that he had left ALL of our clothes for the wedding in a suitor in our closet (we had packed the night before and put it in the closet for easy removal in the morning, ophhs).  Ummm, problem.  We had about 4 hours until the wedding so we drove to the nearest town and hoped we could find something quickly.  We parked and split up.  My mom, myself and Annie took off in the direction of a women's clothing store and Sean and my grandmother headed towards Ralph Lauren--the only men's store in town.  
Ah, here is dear Ralph Lauren and the queen of daytime, Oprah.  I would not have been surprised to see "O" dear in the store my mom and I went in.  We took one dress off the hanger, saw the $695 price tag and walked straight out of the store.  Sean walked in Ralph Lauren, saw the store clerk dressed in a sarong, another in lime green shorts and a knit tie, and picked up a dress shirt (priced as a mere $300) and also walked straight out of the store.  Within 10 minutes we were back at the car and panicked.  

Finally Sean got up the nerve to ask someone on the street where we could find some dress clothes for cheap, or better, free.  Do you think they have a Goodwill in the Hamptons?  They suggested Banana Republic (B.R.) for our "whatever" clothes.  Umm, since when was Banana Republic " considered whatever" clothes?  B.R. is at the top of my clothing budget--and that's when it's 60% off.  

We headed down the road and were having trouble finding the store so stopped at a gas station hoping someone who didn't own millions worked there.  The clerk didn't know where B.R. was but did give us directions for...KMART!  Now that's more my style, err, or rather my checkbook.  Fortunately, we found the KMart...and a TJ Maxx, Payless Shoes, an Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic.  We spent the next two hours working out the clothes for the wedding (even had to get Sean shoes, socks and a belt) but ended up clothing both of us for $160 (remember, included shoes, belt, socks, pants, tie, shirt, skirt for me).  Not a trip I want to repeat (well, at least the shopping fiasco) but memorable none the less.

For anyone else who cares, we made it to the wedding on time, looked great and no one would have ever guessed.

I'm currently visiting my sister-in-law Natalie in Raleigh, NC so it might take me a bit to get another post up.  It's HOT and HUMID down here.  But at least they have AC!!