Day 19 - Groton, CT (4th of July Parade)

I was finally able to witness an honest-to-goodness local 4th of July Parade. It's nothing like the Rose Bowl but it's more of a community parade where almost every aspect of the community has its own float.

Before going there, I resolved to eat a healthy breakfast so I can some cereal, fresh blueberries and humongous strawberries. This is what it looked like:



If there's one thing I miss about the US, it's the fresh fruits as shown above. That was the best breakfast that I had when I was there. I tried to duplicate it here but I could not find fruits that are as fresh like what I got there.

My step-sister-in-law, Eldica and my stepbrother, Patrick together with their son, Christian, picked us up and took us to the next town (Groton) where we staked a spot across the local Dunkin Donut (apparently, Dunkin Donuts is really big in the East Coast. Krispy Kreme is not heard of there) to wait for the parade.

The parade featured the navy servicemen in their really spiffy uniforms. There were also the vintage cars and motorcycles. It was interesting as it gives you an idea on what kind of community Groton is.

I told Eldica that on my next visit, I would want to visit an old-fashioned country fair. I want to eat the local food and see the local sights. Somehow, it's like seeing all the stuff that I read come to life. She promised to take me and I can't wait!

Here she is with her really cute son:

Day 18 - Gales Ferry, CT and Sunni Dae

(Continuation of my travel posts. Day 18 is July 3, Sunday)

We spent the 4th of July weekend with my mom and stepfather at their CT house.

I really love their community because it's so peaceful and most of the people who live there are retirees from the nearby US Navy/Submarine base. We heard mass that morning in the local Catholic church. Again, they have that lovely musical organ and the sole singer who leads the congregation in the singing.

My stepfather has turned my mom into a dog lover and this weekend, they were able to bring home their new dog--an Akita breed--named Sunni Dae. I can't recall why they named her as such but she is one cute puppy.



Like any newborn baby, she pees and poops a lot and my stepdad would wake up in the middle of the night to take her out. I remember waking up also as I would hear her crying in her kennel.

I bet she's big now. I was told that this specific breed really grows and is quite loyal (there's a movie called Hachiko and a lot of my dog-lover friends have attested that it's quite a tearjerker. The dog there is an Akita breed). Can't wait to visit my mom again so I can see Sunni Dae.

The Walking Dead Season 2

After posting about the first season, I knew I had to watch to follow where this new season goes. The first season was just too short so hopefully, they'll make it longer this time.

I'm deathly scared of zombies. It ranks up there with cockroaches as my greatest fear. I used to have nightmares about those damned creatures. I want to blame my childhood as we would watch every zombie flick ever made whenever we would go to the province for a vacation. Since it was pretty rural and that we leave near the cemetery, it makes quite a nice setting for any nightmare.

The new season is now on its second episode. There are still a lot of plots that need to unravel and hopefully, it won't take until the end of the season for all things to happen. I watch them with half my attention as I don't want them invading my dreams. I just read the episode guides to see what I might have missed.

I know I'm such a ninny but I value my sleep too much to have it disturbed by undead creatures chasing after me. *shudder shudder shudder*

The Plans of Mice and Men

Ever since I got back from the US, I've been wanting to do so many things. Updating my blog is one thing and I have fallen way, way behind. There are still numerous items in my to-do list which I hope to finish before the end of the year. I want to start the new year with a clean slate as much as possible.

I also updated my blog template. I've had that template for two years and it's time for a change. Hope you like this one.

One of things that we're planning is to give Basti a baby brother or sister. But it's not as easy as it sounds due to my condition. The first cycle was not successful so we have to go through another cycle--which starts tomorrow. I hope this time around, it works. Wish us luck!

Day 17 - Submarine Museum in CT

(Catching up on my travel posts. Day 17 is July 2, Saturday)



On Saturday, my mom, Leo and I headed off to the Submarine Naval Base to check out their museum. I haven't been inside a submarine before and they have the Nautilus SSN 571 permanently docked at the museum.



Here's a partial view of the submarine at the back.



Instead of a tour guide, they had this interactive handheld recorder (I forgot what it's actually called) where you can listen to some trivia about the ship if prompted by a sign. Here's Leo listening to the device as he views an exhibit.



The whole ship is so small and cramped. I can't imagine the sailors living in that thing for months a time. Even the sleeping compartments are so minuscule! I pity the guy who gets the middle bunk.



We took lots of pictures. I'll just post them in Facebook once I've organized that day.

Day 16 - Gales Ferry, Connecticut

The first of July, being a Friday, was time for mom and her husband to head off to their home in Gales Ferry, CT. It's easier to get there from Shelter Island compared to the trip that we took from NJ.

We took the ferry to Greenport and we drove up to Orient Point, the end point of Eastern long Island. From there, we took the Cross Sound Ferry services which took us across the channel to New London, CT. Gales Ferry is a mere 15 minutes from the port of New London.

Here's a picture of the bridge that we crossed from the port going to Gales Ferry.



Arriving at the house, we put away our stuff and got ready for dinner at a place in Noank called The Fisherman Restaurant. We managed to get a table with a nice view.



After dinner, we drove around Noank to look at the old houses. I think the oldest one that I saw was built during the early 1800s. The town is a small fishing village where they have more ship/boat yards than churches. Look them up in wikipedia.

I was able to take pictures of the houses but since we were in the car, the shots were not so good. Nevertheless, here they are. Advanced apologies for the crummy shots.





I like the house in the last picture but it somehow reminds me of a haunted house (shudder).

Nevertheless, I wish I was able to take better pictures. I really liked that village. Like a blast from the past.

Day 15 - Shelter Island, New York

On Day 14, Tita Chit took us to do some shopping at Walmart and drove us back to my sister at Avenel. I get to watch TV and watch Man vs. Food (I so love this show).

On Thursday, the 30th of June, we were on our way to my mom's place at Shelter Island. A lot of people don't know where it is as you have to take the ferry to get there. It's somewhere in Long Island and the scenery going there is quite charming. Think white houses with porches. I saw my dream house near Greenport too.

As no one would be able to take us there, my mom previously gave us tickets for the Hampton Jitney which dropped us off at port. The trip took us 2 hours and a half. I called my mom when we were near the Southold and she met us at the bus stop at Greenport.

As it was past noon, we had lunch at one of the places near the dock. I finally had the lobster that I have been craving for since I arrived in the US.



Here I am with the meal. And yes, I finished all of it by myself. :)



After showing us a bit of the town, we then boarded the ferry (which takes 7-8 minutes) to Shelter Island.

Shelter Island is definitely a summer place. During the summer, the population swells to almost 10,000 but during the rest of the year, it's only down to 2,000. It's a place where people spend their long vacations and holidays and definitely a hang-out of the elite, not surprising as it's near the Hamptons.

My mom owns a business there which provides home health care and other personal services to those who needs it in the island (most of the people who live there are retirees).

Here's a sample of the scenery in the island. There are a lot of beaches there although of course, they are nothing like the beaches in the Philippines.





My mom and Rusell took us to dinner at a restaurant in Sunset Beach. The name of the place escapes me now but they swore they won't be going back for the lousy service that we got.