Update!

I've been seriously neglecting the blog over the past month. Between the holidays and an extended dogsitting stay, I haven't had much time. Let me start the new year with some things that have happened since the last update, random-style...

Celtic Classic

I'm going back to September for this one. Several friends and I went to the Celtic Classic in Bethlehem, PA. I kept calling it Celticfest for some reason, but that's not its real name, even if that is the website. This event was a lot of fun. I can see going to this every year. We went on Saturday. There was a parade, performances, and Highland games. Okay, so my favorite part was the half and half- half Guinness and half Harp. That's good stuff. My boyfriend says that is gross. He is wrong. I will admit that I prefer to mix Bass with my Guinness, but Harp is good, too.

Wildwood

My cousin and I went to Wildwood one day in the summer. We gorged on Mack's pizza and birch beer. YUM. This led me to finding out that Dave had never been to Wildwood. So he and I went down for a day. We walked the boards and ate tasty boardwalk food. It's fun going places with him that are familiar to me and seeing them afresh through his eyes. And so...

Philly

I went to Philly and did touristy things! Again, Dave had never done this stuff, and it's old news to me. But walking around Philly was fun. I even went to the boring Liberty Bell. And there is photographic evidence.

We ended the day meeting up with a friend and her kids at the Academy of Natural Sciences. We saw the ever-present yet still-awesome dinosaurs and a special exhibition on chocolate.

Florida

I took the quickest trip I've ever made to Florida. My cousin moved back to NJ, and I helped. I flew down, we packed her car, and we left. We drove straight through, which is something I've done in the past but definitely forgot how LONG it takes. It was longer with two dogs in the car. But I'm glad she is back now, so it was worth it.

Cape May

Some of my relatives from Indiana came to visit. We planned to meet up with them and some other relatives in Cape May. Before meeting up with the family, Dave and I wandered around the town because yep, he had never been. It was fun. I have mentioned in the past how I like Cape May in the offseason. It's peaceful and beautiful.

That's me on Higbee Beach. We walked around the state park and went to see the ocean and the shops on Washington Street, too. (Higbee Beach is on the bay side of Cape May.)

Peddler's Village and New Hope

These places aren't new to me, but they're always fun. What was new was discovering that the chocolate shop at Peddler's Village has one of the best things I ever tasted- chocolate covered s'mores. That's s'mores covered in an additional layer of chocolate. Okay, so when I can't get to Peddler's Village, I've found that the smorez bark from David Bradley Chocolatier is just as good, if not better.

Walking outside when it's probably too cold to be outside

Dave and I like to go for walks. It's hard to give that up when it gets cold. There's a park near where I live that we go to a lot, and we discovered a hidden lake there.

This was in the fall when the leaves were turning. It was very pretty. We also often like to walk around Merrill Creek. Last time we went there was snow on the ground. I think we're pretty much done with our outside excursions until the spring.

Kenobi is still adorable

My parents gave Kenobi a sweater for Christmas.

I thought this pic of him wearing his sweater/begging me for treats needed to be shared. He is doing well for an almost 14-year-old beagle. He has kidney disease and heart disease, but his arthritis medicine has made him like a young beagle again, and at dinnertime you'd never know he was an elderly dog. I adore him, as ever.

Downton Abbey costume exhibit

My mom and I watch Downton Abbey. We discovered that there is a touring exhibit of some of their costumes, so we went to Winterthur in Delaware to see it. It was fantastic! I especially loved the hats. I want to wear 20s hats. Lady Mary's costumes were absolutely gorgeous.

Misc...

To wrap up, some random things...I have been playing the game KOTOR, and I love it. That's Knights of the Old Republic. Dave thought I'd like it a lot, and he was right. I've also been enjoying more tabletop games. I binge-watched Wil Wheaton's TableTop, and now I can't get enough. Luckily, Dave is a willing participant in my reawakened love of gaming and doesn't mind at all that I'm going to ask him to play games he has never heard of like Carcassonne and Forbidden Island. I used to play a game called Diplomacy in high school. I probably shouldn't have told Dave that it got to the point that my friends wouldn't let me play as Great Britain anymore because I'd crush everyone with my mighty British navy.

That's it for the update. I'm sure as soon as I publish this post I'll remember things I wanted to include. Too bad! Next time- Doctor Who or food. The Whoathon has been delayed, but not forgotten.