Maine

This weekend, Todd and I went to Portland, Maine for an early birthday trip for me. On the way to Portland, we outlet shopped in Kittery. We bought more clothes than either one of us has bought in a single trip in a long time. Having some really good outfits makes me happier than it has a right to. In particular, I'm thinking of the cranberry red corduroy pants I bought, which I wore today. Life is good.

Portland is a terrific little city. I've determined this because it has a nice arts district and downtown, and a seemingly endless supply of vegetarian or veggie-friendly restaurants. I guess there is just something about Portlands, since Todd and I also love Portland, Oregon, in part because of the wonderful downtown and the tofu that rains from the sky. Well, the tofu is really for me, since Todd has yet to become conscious of his deep love for tofu. I'll break him down.

On the way back from Portland, we stopped in Kennebunkport, home of very rich people. We even saw some of them, although, luckily, we didn't run into any Bushes. We took some pictures there, including a few digital ones. I could post them now, but the camera is still in the car and I'm too lazy to go get it. And besides, patience is a virtue.

One of the best parts of this trip is the fact that it's fall. The leaves are peaking around here, and in the parts of Maine where we were as well. I feel a little like I'm living in a postcard. For instance, this morning while running, I passed a field that contained a red barn and was framed by red and golden foliage. A fog lingered on the grass in the early morning half-light. So I stopped for a while to take it all in. The fleeting nature of this makes it all the more beautiful: Soon the leaves will be off the trees and I'll be staring a skeletons in the snow. Which will probably be beautiful in its own way, although certainly more chilly. Natick may not be everything we would ever dream of for a place to live, but it does make for some nice runs.

My birthday always makes me reflect on the past year. Last year at this time, I had no clue that I would be living in New England, looking at leaves, and going to Maine for my birthday weekend. It's funny the way things work out. And I'm so glad that I took the risk to pick up my life and move into unknown territory. It turns out that the unknown is full of foliage and red corduroy pants.