The Wait is Over!

Yesterday suddenly felt like fall. I was walking Little Jerry on the Riverwalk and wearing a long sleeve t-shirt for the first time in months and I began to get a little depressed about the end of summer and my return to work on Monday (yes, I give you permission to curse me out for complaining about having “only” 6 weeks off during the summer). But then I remembered my post from two weeks ago: focus on the positive. So, I decided to spend our walk thinking about all of the things I have to look forward to even as the summer ends.

1. All Things Pumpkin

The person who invented pumpkin beer might be my idol and the yearly anticipation is finally over! Although I don’t know which brewing company started this trend, many companies have followed suit. In my opinion, none compares to The Shipyard’s “Pumpkinhead Ale.”

A common complaint of spicy, flavored beer is that it’s difficult to drink more than 1 or 2, but Pumpkinhead is my personal favorite because the pumpkin flavor is ever so slight. With Pumpkinhead it’s easy to finish off your 6-pack so your $8 doesn’t go to waste. The only thing that bothers me about Pumpkinhead’s growing popularity is that it used to be available well into December, but now you’re VERY lucky if you can find it for a Halloween party. Shipyard really deserves a spot up on a pedestal alongside the person who originally combined chocolate and peanut butter (Reese?).

If you don’t like pumpkin flavored beer there’s always pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream (amazing!) or pumpkin pancakes (Johnny D’s, anyone?). If someone tells me that something is pumpkin flavored, my ears suddenly perk up and I must have it!

*Update: I just tried Dogfishead "Punkin Ale" for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. Actually, I have grown to love this brewing company thanks to my sister-in-law, Liz, who became a fan when she went to school in Delaware (that's where DFH is based out of). The pumpkin flavor is much stronger than Pumpkinhead and it definitely tastes spicier. The alcohol content is 7% so a 4-pack was just fine. I don't think I'd buy it as OFTEN as Pumpkinhead but it seems like it would be a nice little treat once in a while.

2. Candy Corn

As I see it, the world is divided into two groups: those who love candy corn and those who hate candy corn. This is yet another obsession of mine which probably accounts for 90% of my winter weight gain. I have actually been known to get ill after eating too much candy corn. It’s one of those things where I don’t know when to stop and I just keep shoveling handfuls into my mouth and then the stomachache hits me out of nowhere like a ton of bricks. Yet the next time I eat it, I do the same thing all over again, never learning my lesson.

Oh and it can’t be the chewy Brach’s candy corn, it has to be Farley’s or Zachary's candy corn. You know, the brand that has the really grainy sugary texture, comes in the round plastic container and somehow manages to prolong the candy corn season by making Reindeer Corn, Cupid Corn and Bunny Corn? It’s almost as if they knew I wouldn’t make it through a long New England winter without it!

3. Changing Weather

This is why I could never live in CA or FL. As much as I LOVE the summer, I have to admit that by the time the end of August rolls around, I always feel like I need a break from the 85 degree weather. Honestly, the pressure to maintain a “summer body” for bikinis, dresses, tank tops and skirts is quite exhausting. Sometimes I just want to put on my biggest sweatshirt and sweatpants and eat a whole pizza by myself. And then maybe wash it down with several handfuls of candy corn. Is that so bad?

4. Fall Fashion

Once you start packing on that weight for winter, you then have to try your best to hide it in something stylish. Fall fashion is perfect for this! My personal faves: sweaters, hoodies, skinny jeans, knee-high boots, oversized handbags, vests, long cardigans, scarves and Chuck Taylors. Enough said.

5. The Rib ‘n Brews Festival

Lowell is known for its festivals but this one is by far my favorite because it combines two of life’s greatest pleasures: BBQ and microbrews.

This event is held every year on the weekend after Labor Day. It’s the one weekend out of the year that I don’t have to drive to Somerville to enjoy Redbones, but it’s also fun to try the authentic BBQ from the south. It costs $20 to get into the microbrew tent where you can taste several different beers from breweries all around New England. $20 sounds like a lot at first, but it is totally worth it. They give you a checklist to taste each beer once, but a majority of the vendors don’t even look at it and encourage you to keep coming back for more! And don’t let the tiny little tasting cups fool you because I guarantee you’ll be walking home a bit sideways.

The first year Matt and I went to the Rib ‘n Brews Fest, we went by ourselves and just as we were about to leave the tent, it started thundering, lightning and pouring rain. Our first thought: “Hmmmm, stuck in a beer tent in the pouring rain…can’t think of anything better, really.”

If you're free on September 6th, come join us!

*UPDATE: It was announced on 8/21/08 that the Rib 'n Brews Fest has been cancelled! Since I've mentioned this festival in a few posts now, you can imagine my devastation. According to the Lowell Sun, the date has always been "unpopular" and the coordinator recently fell ill. As an alternative, he is trying to plan an Oktober-style beer festival since the microbrew tent has always been a successful component of the festival (no shit).

6. Parker’s Maple Barn

I feel bad for my brother, Gerard, because his “No NH Policy” means that he will never be able to experience this fabulous eatery that our friends, Amber & Matt, introduced us to a few years ago. Yes, it is in Mason, NH, in the middle of nowhere and you might have to wait over an hour for a table for 4 for a weekend brunch, but they have some of the best pumpkin pancakes I’ve ever had in my life, maple baby back ribs (yes the guys order this for brunch!), their own maple coffee, maple cream, maple syrup and…drum roll, please…MAPLE FRAPPES!

The first time we went here for brunch, Amber and I finished our meals and decided that we were going to order maple frappes for the ride home (on the ride there we had to resort to counting red doors to pass the time). Needless to say the frappes made for a very enjoyable ride home!

7. Concerts

So far I have Cold War Kids lined up for October 14th and word on the street is that Vampire Weekend will play in Boston sometime in December!

8. New TV Season

After a summer of reruns, it’s nice to have something to look forward to every night, even if it is a cheesy, 30-minute sitcom that you get way too wrapped up in. Don’t you remember when you were a kid and the season premieres always aired the first week of school? It’s depressing that nowadays we have to wait until the end of September/beginning of October. Except for a lonely few.

Here’s a list of some of my faves:

· Sept. 1 – Gossip Girl
· Sept. 2 – the “new” 90210 (that’s 9/02 for those of you who didn’t make the connection and you bet your ass I’ll be tuning into this show!)
· Sept. 7 – Entourage
· Sept. 16 – The Biggest Loser
· Sept. 22 – How I Met Your Mother
· Sept. 25 – The Office & Grey’s Anatomy
· Oct. 30 – 30 Rock
· Jan. 2009 (Boooooo!) – Lost, American Idol & The Bachelor (with Jason!!!)

And there’s still no word on the 3rd season of Flight of the Conchords (unless someone has some inside info I’m not aware of??). WOW…this is a bit depressing…I guess I really do watch a lot of TV.

9. Sunday Celebrations (and I’m not talking about showers, ladies)

When it comes down to it, the weekend is really only 1 day. Friday night is usually a wash because you’re exhausted from the week and by the time you leave work, go to the gym, stop at the liquor store and grocery store, fight traffic to get home, walk the dog and make dinner, it’s time to fall asleep watching TV on the couch.

And like many other people, I despise Sundays. They are so NOT relaxing for me because all I’m thinking about is how much I’m dreading the start of the work week…which is funny because once Monday morning comes, I’m usually fine. It’s just that Sunday afternoon and evening feeling that gets me every week. So how do I cope? As much as I hate football, I’ve come to realize that it is THE best excuse to go to a friend’s house, “watch” the game, drink a few beers and eat rubbish.

10. Matt Finally Turns 30

For 6 months out of every year my husband gets to rub it in my face that he is younger than me. This year has been especially fun for him because he’s been able to say casually “Yeah…I’m still in my 20s.” Enjoy the last 8 weeks of your 20s, Matt!

Granted, September 1st - January 1st will never compare to April – August, but I really do love this time of year. A new school year means an increase in pay, getting back into a routine and work is busy in a good way. I love postseason baseball, I love not feeling guilty about eating dinner at a French or Italian restaurant, I love Thanksgiving, I love the entire Christmas season, I love the first snowfall (notice I said first) and I even love getting dressed up for a cheesy New Year’s Eve party.

What I don’t love is January 2nd – April 1st: the bitter cold, having to walk the dog in the bitter cold, the thought that warmer weather is NEVER coming, much shorter days, dry white skin, no baseball and feeling like there’s “nothing to do.”

Happy (almost) fall everyone!