PS

Does anyone have any new great bands for me to listen to?

My awesome Shrek pumpkin

King Richard’s Faire

We hit King Richard’s Faire this past weekend. I decided I had not seen enough of the fun last year, and proceeded to drag my boyfriend and his cousins along for the ride. (Actually, I did very little dragging.) I have to say, I love it. I might drag them all again next year. We started at the jousting tournament. It’s obviously fixed, but who cares. It’s like wrestling. Well, it’s like wrestling with less bodily injury and more horses, which is win-win, in my book. Then we moved on to the beverages - having the yard of beer is a must. Sadly, they no longer come in yard long glasses. Also, a word of warning, it will get expensive. The food is expensive and at the end of every show people are asking for money. I just treat it like a casino, take out whatever money I’m willing to spend, and enjoy. We browsed in the shops, picked out some nice teas and smelly oils for the apt, and moved on to the food. Turkey legs! I was composing songs to the turkey legs (as well as the yards of beer) in the shower that morning. J was not as pleased with my singing as I was – apparently I had composed a very catchy mind worm tune. We also had the fried dough, caramel apples, and fudge.

                In between stops at the food carts, we made time for a few other shows. We saw the Mud Show (two guys telling a few dirty jokes and challenging each other to gross-out competitions with mud) and the Big Cat Show (Ligers, and tigers, and lynxes, oh my!). The cats were very impressive. A 900 lb liger was walking just a couple yards from us, with a young Arnold holding his chain. I’m glad they keep them well fed. Plus, there are all the sights to be seen just walking around. A lot of time and effort goes into this place, and it shows. I can’t wait for next year.

Pepperell Skydiving

To be fair, I was not the actual participator in this event. I went for my own moral support, and to catch should anything go wrong. We found out about this place via groupon (of course!). J had wanted to skydive for some time - part of his bucket list. We drove up a long dirt driveway to what looked like a shanty town. It looked like the place could be broken down quickly if the locals got restless. We found our way to the office, signed in, and sat down for the video instruction. During the video, they explained in great detail all the legalese of the papers being signed. I suppose this is a good thing, but the number of times they mentioned the phrase "be killed" did nothing to ease my fears. After the video (which ended with some mood lightening bloopers), we wandered around the site, waiting for J's turn. I got a hot dog at Skippy's Drop In Cafe, and we watched as people fell from the sky like brightly colored snow flakes. Then it was J's chance. Rich, the instructor, came over, introduced himself, and away they went. About 20 minutes later it was over. J landed safely.

Over all, I liked the place, and would recommend it to a friend that was skydiving inclined. They were professional and safe, and had food and chairs for those who weren't skydiving inclined.

Brunello Bistro

Following a weekend of reflection (Yom Kippur – also new for me), we managed to jam pack this weekend full of fun new activities. First, the food. Brunello Bistro is new to Somerville. I think it’s only been around for a year or so. We found it on Groupon, as we do so many of our activities, and decided to go for a “date night.” Basically I wanted to dress up, and go out for some good food. Driving up to Brunello, you would not expect to find a romantic mecca. I think there is a Quiki Mart right across the street. But Brunello does a great job secluding the customers with large bushes, so you can sit ot on the patio, take in the landscaping, and forget where you are.

The traditional bread basket that came out before the meal was great. I’m one for bread, but this was nice. The bread was crusted with herbs, and came with a tasty pesto. The meal itself was fantastic. The boyfriend (J) got the lamb osso bucco. When we go back, that is what I’m getting. The lamb was delicious, and the polenta was a perfect side. I got the filet (regular, not the special cut). That was pretty good too. I was just blown away by the lamb. The wine list was nothing special, all a bit expensive so we got the cheapest bottle, and it was fine. The featured dessert, tiramisu, was good, but it had too much powdered chocolate on the top. We both made the mistake of breathing in while taking the first bite and a bit of hacking ensued as the chocolate powder flew into the backs of our throats.

Still, I was super impressed by the service. Our waitress was great, attentive, but not overly-present, and one of the owners (Mario) stopped at our table to ask how we heard of the place and chat a while. He was friendly and charming, remembered our names, and spent some extra time chatting with J about his cooking and his skydiving. All in all, I want to go back. It is a bit pricey, but they have discounts on restaurant.com, and the food, as well as the service, definitely make it worth the price.

The Foundry on Elm

I have been hearing about the Foundry since it was in the planning stages, and it sounded too good to be true. A downtown/South End style restaurant and bar in Davis? Not going to happen. But it did. I went last night with a friend to try out the Davis newcomer. It was surprisingly large. The front half is more the bar scene, with music, tvs and lots of chatter. We didn’t care where we sat, so they put us in the back. We got to see into the kitchen (they have nothing to hide!), and enjoy the quieter ambiance. We tried the 80’s retro drink special, the raw bar, smoked salmon, and crabcakes. It was all fantastic, and the service was great. I think we had four different people who stopped by our table to quietly remove anything we were done with, and our waitress couldn’t have been better. I think I have found my new favorite spot!

The Patriots

Sunday we went to the first official game of the New England Patriots. The sun wasn't shining, and I didn't hear any birds, but we had a blast. We got a late start - leaving from our crash pad in Marlborough after the planned 9am (we couldn't find coffee, and there is no getting out the door without coffee!). Note to all others venturing to a Pats game: leave earlier or stay closer. We left at 9:30 and didn't arrive until 11. It's so sad to be sitting in traffic thinking about all the wonderful tailgating goodies just out of reach in the trunk. Also, don't fall for early parking signs. Park at Gillette. The cost is the same, and any time you save on a fast exit, you have to make up on trekking to your spot. We parked in P10 and had a fine time.




For the meal, we were very ambitious. We planned on making breakfast burrito wraps, followed by burgers for lunch. With our late start, only the burgers got made, but they were delicious! Half-pound burgers topped with grilled mushrooms, onions, and cheddar cheese - it doesn't get much better. Tailgaters beware: if you bring a grill that has a vent on the bottom, bring shielding so you don't have to spend tailgating time re-lighting. While the large fancy grills were impressive, the most successful grills seemed to be the simplest.



The game was tremendous! Pats won, and we got to sit near some true fans, who always add to the fun.