Pitchin' A Tent

Stacy's parents gave us a 4-person tent for Christmas, and with this weekend being the annual Alexander camping trip, we were able to finally try it out. Friday started off with heavy rain, so we weren't looking forward to putting it up for the first time in the rain, but fortunately for us, the rain stopped and it turned out to be a beautiful day.

While Eric prefers to just "do," Stacy insists on always reading the directions first.

Beer is a must when pitchin' a tent.

Eric insists this big rock was to hammer in the stakes, but it certainly looks like he was hoping to whack something else from this picture!

Ta-da! We managed to erect the tent with only a few pieces of advice from the audience!

The tent is awesome! There is plenty of room, and best of all, it's waterproof, as we were able to verify during the downpours Saturday night through Sunday morning!

A True Maine-ah

Despite having lived in Maine her whole life, Stacy has never felt more like a Maine-ah than she did today...

That's right, she has duct tape holding up her bumper!

There was a fight while at work involving a 3-in tall steel screw and her front bumper, and as you can see, the screw won. With an upcoming wedding and hopes of buying a home soon, Stacy has chosen to opt for the economical quick fix...

You've gotta love duct tape!

Signs of Spring...

With the sun shinning and nowhere we needed to be, we decided to finally take out our bikes and go for a ride. There were quite a few other people who had the same idea, including three horseback riders. The horses were quite surprised when they saw us coming around a bend in the trail and were not impressed to find that we didn't have any food for them! It was a great way to spend a spring afternoon, and we're looking forward to many more biking adventures this summer. (B&M-We better make those plans for you to join us for some biking in Acadia before the weekends fill up!)

Red Sox Cherry Poppin'

It had been four years since Matt, Melissa and I had been together, so we planned a weekend to meet up in CT with a Red Sox game as the main attraction. Matt had taken me to my first Red Sox game, so we thought it only right that he pop Melissa's cherry too.

Despite the Boston loss to Tampa Bay, the day was filled with lots of food and laughter!

On the ride back from Boston, Stacy insisted on stopping at VIP to do some research for her new job. Why VIP? Because in CT, VIP stands for Very Intimate Pleasures! This warehouse sized store had it all, including some special pumps that got Matt excited!

Thanks for the laughs, guys! We have to do it again soon!

Stacy's New Challenge

Patience does pay off. Since graduating college, Stacy always wanted to work in the field of HIV prevention. With few such positions in Maine, Stacy resigned that it wasn't meant to be and put herself behind assisting those with autism. Then, about a month ago, there was a job posting in the Bangor Daily News for an HIV/AIDS Outreach Educator. Stacy applied and now, the job is hers! She absolutely loves it, and actually is excited to go to work each day. This past Sunday, her employer, Down East AIDS Network, sponsored an AIDS walk to benefit the agency. Here, she poses with her work supplies...
lots of condoms!

She is extremely proud of her very own office. While she is still in the process of making it her own, she has had time to spruce it up a little bit with plants and photos. Her first addition to the office? A recycling bin for each staff member!

"Have You Ever"...

...heard of Brandi Carlile? She is one of Stacy's favorite artists. We had hoped to catch her show last year as part of the L.L.Bean summer concert series, but unfortunately it fell on the same evening as Stacy's cousin's wedding. When we saw that she was coming to Portland, we jumped on the chance to see her, and we are glad that we did! It was an intimate show in a small auditorium and the music was phenomenal. Not only is she a talented musician, but she's also a conscientious citizen of our planet...her tour is carbon neutral!

85 Years Young

All of the Alexander kids went home the last weekend in March to celebrate Grampy's 85th birthday. While the years may take a toll on his body, his wit remains as quick as it ever was!

Happy Birthday, Grampy!