Big things!

As I hope most of you already know, I have officially accepted a position as Admissions Counselor at Northeastern School of Law! I'm very excited about this new opportunity, and while I will surely miss Maine, I am eager to return to Boston. My first day is August 23rd, which means that I have a lot to accomplish in the next couple weeks! Luckily, I already have the perfect place to live: with Hakim in Union Square! We're really looking forward to be able see each other every day (definitely won't miss those Sunday evening drives back to Maine!). And it's also good news for this blog because we'll be able to do a whole lot more cooking and eating together!

In other news, we just had a really nice weekend in Massachusetts. On Friday I was able to get to the city fairly early so we could try out the new BBQ place in the neighborhood, The Bearded Pig (it is literally one block from the apartment!).  I went with the pulled pork platter accompanied by corn bread, mac n cheese, and creamy slaw.  Hakim opted for the full rack of ribs with beans (as well as mac n cheese + corn bread). The food was hearty and filling, but not the best we've ever had.  Still, I think we may become regulars due to sheer proximity and the cheeriness of the staff!

The next day, after a morning of separate endurance (I hit the road for a 14 mile jog in the heat while Hakim tackled a mountain of school-work), we headed south to Lakeville to spend time with Mama Lakhdar and Hakim's Nana. We had a delicious lunch of meatball subs and tuna sandwiches and got to catch up for a bit (and admire the new windows Hakim had put in the cottage!). Mama Lakhdar also surprised me with a lovely cake, card, and gifts (incl. framed photos from our Florida trip) to congratulate me one my new job! So thoughtful! Despite myriad technical difficulties a la Comcast (are you really surprised???), we had an enjoyable time at the cottage and the next morning came far too soon!

After a cuppa tea/coffee in the morning, we headed back up to the city to meet Hakim's cousins for brunch at S&S Diner in Inman Square.  S&S is fast becoming our go-to brunch spot for out of town guests due to the fact that it's spacious, has plenty of parking, and they take reservations...Oh, and they have pretty darn delicious food (maybe we'll take you if you come to visit)! It was great getting to meet Hakim's cousin Raquel, her boyfriend, Scott, and his two kids, Liam & Wade; and Hakim's other cousin Andriana (Raquel's sister), her husband, Nick, and his brother, Andrew.  We all had fun meeting each other/catching up, eating, and sipping mimosas and delicious peach bellinis (mine was frozen!). We then split ways, so Hakim could take his quiz. Once finished, it was time for a much deserved beer, so we headed to Faneuil Hall to meet back up with Andriana, Nick, and Andrew for snacks and beverages at Cheers. I would have liked to stay longer, but it was time for me to head back up to Maine. It's nice knowing that next time I'll get to stay!

This weekend we're going to Alec & Sara's wedding in Maine! We're looking forward to helping them share their special day. I'm also very excited to catch up with friends from college who are coming from around the country and across the pond! And on Sunday we will be meeting Hakim's mom and nana to visit Stone Fox Farm Creamery at the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbor show in Rockland!