62. July 9th, 2010 Picture.

So when my hard drive crashed I was upset because I lost about 3 months worth of pictures.   I am crazy when it comes to backing up my computer and had just backed everything up in March, so in reality it was a small small sliver of my overall files that I lost, I could deal.  Most of the great pictures I took in that time frame ended up on my blog, so they aren't completely gone.  The only things that were on my computer that had not been blogged about were my Nantucket pictures.  I was kinda upset about this because my camera was the fun one.  Ratty had just bought a new one, so he was testing out every setting, taking real artsy photos, while I was the one that took the crazy fun pictures while we were out at night.  I was sad that most of the funny ones were lost.

I did some research and realized that it is possible to retrieve pictures that have been deleted from your memory card.  I guess nothing is totally deleted, so there was a small glimmer I could at least recover some pictures.  I read that if you took pictures after the memory card was deleted it would lessen your chances of recovery, so I stopped taking pictures with my camera on the off-chance my plan would work.  Once my laptop was returned to me and I had reinstalled software (they completely upgraded my operating system which was AWESOME, but I soon realized that iPhoto was not included anymore, so I was forced to buy the iLife package, hi $80!) I tried out the recovery program.

Well friends, my retrieval process WORKED and I was able to salvage about 40 pictures from Nantucket!  Granted I took about 200, but the ones I was able to find were real gems!  And I actually got back a few 'picture of the day' ones too!  Seriously, I am so good at this computer stuff I should work for the FBI or something as a hacker.  All in all, I lost a handful of photos, but had I not backed up my stuff on an external hard drive, something I've been doing for years, I would have lost every single picture I had from 2005 on, plus videos and so much more.  I cannot begin to explain how important it is to back your files up.  I even keep my external HD at my mom's house, on the off chance something happens to my apartment, all my stuff is S-A-F-E.  Call me paranoid, but had I not been, I would currently be devastated beyond belief.  

Okay, since I took a lot of pictures, which I am going to mix with some ones that Ratty took or that I took with Ratty's awesome camera, I am just going to start posting and let the captions go where they please and explain our trip.  We had a blast, I want to move there, like now, or yesterday, or tomorrow if that works better for everyone.

We made the 9:15am ferry, which was not looking good AT ALL.  We left at 7:15am and zipped right down to the cape.  We stopped at the bridge and got Mary Lou's, seriously the best coffee ever, along with some breakfast items at McDonald's.  Yum, hashbrowns.  We made it to Hyannis with about 20 minutes before the ferry was scheduled to leave and we could not find the Steamship Authority for our lives.  We are circled the area but there were no signs and this is where I started to panic.  The next ferry wasn't until 1pm, so I was getting upset internally like, what are we going to do in Hyannis for 4 hours?!  We're supposed to get to Nantucket at 11:30am at this rate, if we miss this ferry we don't get there until 3:30pm!  This trip is off to a horrible start, it's awful!  Ratty seems to know me, because he was like, Amy it's fine!  If we make it we make it, if not, no big deal.  Apparently, he told me this later, he too was freaking out inside but knew if he said anything even remotely negative I would have pulled the car over on the side of the road and started crying.  He was right.

We finally found the Steamship Authority and there was a parking lot right across the street.  It wasn't an official parking lot, basically someone parking cars in their driveway, but I didn't care.  We didn't have time to drive around, parking in an official lot and taking a shuttle back to the boat.  I dropped Ratty off to get tickets and looped around and parked in the driveway. The guy was so nice he gave me a ride back to the ferry in his golf cart, which was terrifying because I was not buckled in and he was driving like a lunatic.  That's all I needed, to be thrown from a golf cart minutes before leaving for vacation.  Anyway, WE MADE IT!  

Apparently the ferry uses the same logic we do, and they were serving beer at 10am.  Ratty went to find a bathroom and I was sitting reading my book, and he came back with 2 beers.  I still had my coffee, but it was soon traded in for beer.  There were 2 people drinking beer on the boat that morning, me and him.  Happy vacation!

Anxiously awaiting our docking in Nantucket!

So after we docked in Nantucket, we went straight to our B & B to change and drop our stuff off.  We freshened up and headed out to The Gazebo, seen above, where they have the most amazing frozen mudslide known to man.  It is truly fantastic.  Best I've ever had.  Now, I had tried to explain the Gazebo to Ratty before our trip and he just didn't get it.  

Me: Ratty, it's just a big gazebo, it the middle of the wharf, and it's a bar.

Ratty: I don't get it.

The infamous frozen mudslide.  It's absolutely amazing.  I want one right this second please!  Sidebar: Isn't Ratty's camera awesome?  Look at the detail, it looks like a professional picture!  Ugh, I want it.

So after the Gazebo we grabbed sandwiches at Provisions, which is SO GOOD.  As we were waiting for our lunch, Ratty tested out his artsy side and snapped the picture of the receipt.  Like, for real, how awesome is this camera?!

To continue the pictures of inanimate objects:

This is my one and only Nantucket Nectars cap that I got on Nantucket.  LOOK AT THIS PICTURE.  I think it may be the greatest picture ever.  The colors, the white counter, like, I should enter it in a contest or something.  GET ME THAT CAMERA!  (I already asked my mom for it for Christmas.  You can buy a waterproof case too so you can take pictures underwater.  IT'S PERFECT!  I LOVE USING ALL CAPS TO SHOW MY EXCITEMENT!)

After a few mudslides at The Gazebo, Ratty and I made it to the Ropewalk, which is right at the end of the wharf.  His camera also has a cool black and white feature where it only picks one color to focus on.  Here, you see green.

While at the Ropewalk we made friends with the guys sitting next to us.  One was asking us where we live and such, and we find out that his family owns the bakery RIGHT across the street from Ratty's apartment.  Bova's.  The one that is open 24 hours.  The one I frequent all the time.  What a small world!  Then he bought us a round of drinks, without telling us, and I won a $25 bet with Ratty.  I knew he'd buy us drinks but Ratty was all like, 'NO WAY'.  I was right.

THEN, a massive boat pulls up along side the Ropewalk and docks.  It was a pretty spectacular boat, when the Bova's guy tells us that it's one of the owners of the Celtics.  Don't ask me who because I don't know, but Ratty does.  Lots happened at the Ropewalk, like lots.  Meeting people from the North End, seeing multi-billionaires, it was nuts.  I was tired.

So tired in fact, that when Ratty and I went back to our B & B to relax and have some champagne (Ratty packed his champagne flutes again, as a surprise) I fell asleep on the grass.  I had about 1 glass of champagne and was all like, I'm just gonna lay down here, I'm tired, no no keep talking, I'm awake, just resting my eyes.  Yeaaa then I passed out and Ratty was left sitting alone outside.  If you looked at his camera immediately after this cat nap, you'd see about 75 pictures of champagne glasses.  He had to keep himself busy I guess.  He took innumerable amounts of pictures of nothing, but when he told me there was a bunny I missed during my nap, he had zero pictures to show for it.  How do you miss the bunny?!  He said it was wicked cute too.

So, after my lil nap in the grass, we went back upstairs to get ready for dinner and drinks.  It was then that we both fell asleep and woke up at 9pm.  I really like to sleep, but I never nap.  So for me to nap TWICE, I must have been really tired.  I knew when I woke up and it was pitch black that I needed to get up immediately or I would be out for the night.  I tried to wake Ratty up, but he starting muttering things that made zero sense and literally fought me as I tried to shake him.  Like, if I wasn't so irritated it would have been hilarious.  He sat up, said he was up, and thought that I would totally miss him flailing himself back on the bed.  Ohh, you fooled me Ratty!  I totally didn't see you sleeping there, I thought you were in the shower!  After much prodding, he got up, we got ready, and made our way to Slip 14 for drinks.

This was the first of many shots that weekend.  I don't know why, but we were on vacation and it SEEMED like a good idea. 

For anyone who has ever been to my mom's house, you'll know that she ALWAYS has Fresca in the fridge, always.  It's Steph's thing.  When I saw a Fresca at Slip 14 I, of course, had to take a picture!  SPOTTED.

Sipping on a Cougarita, which was Ruby Red vodka, grapefruit juice with a Fresca float. 

Still sipping...

Like, even still...

Thumbs up for Nantucket!

And to close out the night, a formal shot.

Slip 14 was bumpin'!  The plan was to stay there for a drink or two and then make our way someplace else to grab dinner, but we ended up getting seats at the bar and just couldn't pull ourselves away.  I was starving by the time the bar closed, so I showed Ratty where to get the late night pizza downtown.  The line was out the door but we nabbed 4 slices pretty quickly.  I wanted to sit on a park bench and shove pizza in my face, but Ratty wanted to wait until we got back to our room.  Do you know how hard it is to carry pizza for 15 minutes when your starving and tipsy and NOT eat it?  I complained the whole way, like, Ratty I'm starving.  How come I can't eat it now?  I want it now!  Very Veruca Salt of me.  When we did make it back to our room we didn't even breath between bites.  The pizza was fantastic; I was so full and happy.  I ended up falling asleep fully clothed with the pizza box on my lap.  I woke up when the sun was coming up and was like, oh man, I fell asleep while eating, again.  

Day one on Nantucket: Success!