I had to buy these for their color. The package said 'seedless'...but they aren't 100%!

Larger than life, almost.

I've been in the mood for summer food. Smart dogs and kraut!

A few weeks back Tom and I went for massages in Berkeley Springs, WV. This is a great overlook with the Potomac River and WV and MD. The 'mountain' in the center is part of the eastern continental divide.

Montana and Me. Damn it was hot that day...95+, hence the top was up.

How could I have neglected putting these up sooner? Dinosaur Land for Big Rex! Did you know this existed in central VA? Photos by Tom.

Watch out!

Show me the money! After 8 years of an undergrad school loan large enough to have bought a fancy car, I have less than $20 left to pay off! Drinks on me!

The Five-Finger Discount

Man, seems like a slow time in the blogging world lately. So here's a word one.

Remember that rant a while back about women stuck in the 80's who waste your time while writing checks at the supermarket? They're still there, still writing out that check, but I have another supermarket peeve: when you're not given the discount price at the register. We've all bought toothpaste, grapes, tortillas, Oreos to only find out when we got home that we were charged full price! How annoying is that! Where's my money?

Some may say it is the shopper's duty to watch each item being scanned for the correct price. This isn't always possible because of those annoying shopper's club cards. Plus, I'm too busy loading my groceries into the canvas bags to really pay attention. This week I was charged $2.49/lb for nectarines when there was a sign above them for $.99/lb. Hmm. And since no one is at the customer service desk, what is one to do?

I've been known to apply my own five-finger discount in recompense. Ok, it only happened once and it was for *one* jalapeno pepper, and I thought I was saving the cashier the trouble of weighing one little pepper. Anyway, it's supremely frustrating when the supermarkets steal your money from improperly labeled or scanned grocery items. Isn't a little honest lifting appropriate for both parties? They would still end up stealing more from me than I could in return (have you ever tried putting a melon down your pants and walking out with it?).

Other suggestions welcomed.

After camping for a week with my family in Cape Cod, I headed to Provincetown on the tip of the cape for some relaxation, a bed and shower in a guesthouse, and nightlife. Ptown is one of the most beautiful places I've been as it's quaint, lively, and is surrounded by the national seashore. During the summer it is flooded by tourists and is a mecca for gay travelers. The whole town preaches a theme of acceptance and being who you are--it's great to see gay couples holding hands next to families with children. The world would be a more peaceful place if we could all learn to be a little more open-minded.

The main section of town, with traditional cape cod buildings.

The harbor at sunset.

In the harbor are lots of fishing boats, a theme that is carried throughout Ptown. They also have a rich Portugese heritage, including a fab bakery!

The infamous early evening t-dance. Where all the boys are.

A colorful dock.

Walking along the breakwall. The tall monument is the Pilgrim's Monument, which is the highest all-granite building in the country at about 250 feet high. It commemorates the Pilgrim's landing in Provincetown first before moving on to Plymouth. They stayed here for about a month to replenish the food and water on their trip. There was no tillable land at the tip of the cape, so they moved on to the mainland.

Long Point lighthouse.

This tidal area behind the beach and dunes fills in with water at high tide.

The main drag, which is wall-to-wall visitors at the height of the day. In the center of town are some tacky shops, but on the fringes are great restaurants, numerous art galleries, and a bunch of really great shops.

There are great views everywhere. And something about that light.

One of many artists' cottages in Ptown. There is a rich heritage here of artists and playwrights, such as T.Williams and Eugene O'neil. Some used to live in isolated shacks scattered among the dunes so they could focus entirely on their work. The nat'l park service has preserved some of them.

Last week I went camping with my family in Cape Cod. We stayed at a great state park that was really large, forested, with freshwater lakes for swimming. It's turned into a yearly event that my entire family goes camping with my sister and her family. There were 13 of us this year--all three siblings, parents, brothers-in-law, my 3 nephews and niece, and my brother's girlfriend! Here is some of the crew soaking it up at the beach.

Setting out early a.m. for the long drive there--13 hours!

Another shot of Coast Guard Beach. Fun waves! And since it's part of the National Seashore, you had to park at a remote lot and they bus you in, which I think is cool.

a sea creature.

the beaches were often pretty rocky.

lots o' boats.

Vineyard Haven, on MV.

Some very cute cottages on MV.

campfire action.

campfire.

Exploring the bay side at low tide. It went *way* out.

One of the fresh water lakes at the campground. Great for swimming.