Brand New Bostonian

Little Wonders

2010-10-24T18:13:00.006-04:00

I don't know if my blog really fits it's name anymore. Here I am going onto my 4th year in Boston, and no longer do I feel brand new.

I have been sleeping, waking up in the eastern sun, strolling through days and living my life, sometimes running through it...

I've put my life and heart in hands besides mine, always trying to regain control of what I know, what I need, and what I've always wanted. Sometimes I feel so far away, in a different world, surrounded by strangers. I miss my family, I miss my old friends, and I miss the innocence of myself before I came here. Looking back though, I know these last 3 years have taken me on a tumultuous ride filled with new friends, new love, new laughter and tears, while searching and learning new things. I came and did what I set out to do here, but I've gained so much in the process.

From driving across the country wide-eyed, to feeling almost completely helpless between these tall city buildings, I remember wondering why I did it and if I could actually pull through to accomplish my goals. Not really knowing what would come out of going to school here, I knew one thing...that I needed to finish. Last year I did, and I was completely proud of myself for getting there. Now, I'm just here and I've been so anxious thinking, what next? I get nervous when I'm still.

What I'm learning though, is it's okay to be still. I need to stop and appreciate where I've been, how I got there and who has listened to my frustrations, wiped my tears, and also laughed in light of my ever changing questions of life. I've laughed and smiled with those close to me, and have loved every opportunity I've had to enjoy the friends and awesome places that surround me.

I hope all my memories of being in Boston for the last 3 years will stay with me forever. It truly has been a life changing experience. It's funny how this thought comes up...it's usually when I'm driving down Memorial Drive, into the sunset and looking to my left at this city that's been my home. I live in Massachusetts. Who would've thought?! Certainly not me...

Oh So Hipster

2010-09-30T08:45:00.007-04:00

People always say that it’s such a small world. You go to a city that has 18,976,45 people in it, and at any given moment you will run into practically any of those people. How does it happen that when you’re in Queens New York, at the “Maker Faire”, you happen to run into an old Boston colleague on the science playground, as well as get a text message from your aunt and uncle who happen to be in front of Dean & Deluca in Times Square, NYC? Mind you, your aunt and uncle are from Salt Lake City, Utah…

What a crazy and random weekend I just had. It started on Friday, as I was schmoozing with some New Art Center socialite artists for our fall exhibition opening. Waiting for the time to go on, I busted out of work and quickly drove home to throw some clothes into a backpack and drive with George to Brooklyn, where Doug was patiently waiting for us. As we drove the 4 hours from Boston to NYC, we talked about all the fun fall activities we should do, like corn mazes and apple picking, and what we should be for Halloween. I’m thinking fierce female movie character, while George is thinking Caterpillar. :)

As soon as we got to Brooklyn, and after the rush of traffic in the city (yikes!) we finally made it to Doug and Morgen’s simple, yet awesomely quaint one bedroom apartment on Oxford Street. It’s on the 3^rd floor of an old Brooklyn brownstone and has a tiny-ass kitchen. Typical, but what it does have is a friggin’ solarium! Yes, one of a kind I am sure. We got to drink beer, sleep on the fold out couch, and eat breakfast underneath the East Coast sky. It was fantastic and I’m so jealous.

The next day, we headed out for a full day of City. First it was down the street to the Brooklyn Flea Market where George got a new colorful belt, of course. Then it was through the tunnels of the Metro to the Museum of Modern Art where we saw Yoko Ono photographs of bums, unique kitchen gadgets and Matisse’s naked ladies! We made wishes on the Wishing Tree and then headed out to get burgers at the Burger Joint, located in the fancy, Le Parker Meridien Hotel. By no means was this a fancy joint however, it is a secret spot that is now not so secret…

After some grub, we met up with George and Doug’s college friend Dave who lives in Chelsea. Then we headed to the “meat-packing district” (I just learned these terms…) where we spent the evening in a pretty awesome and crowded Biergarten! Packed with tables and enormous pretzels, we enjoyed eachother's company as we drank some German bier and watched the frat boys play ping pong and hit on some cougar ladies. I even got in on some of the action by being hit by one of the ping pong balls in my eye! Yeah, gross. I was so startled that I jumped, knocked over my glass and it shattered in front of my eyes. Bummer indeed. We all decided that the dude should buy me another and what does he say to me?

“Ummm, yeah well I totally should. But, I just spent all my money and I can’t buy you another one…here…I’ll give you some of mine!”

He was so impressed and proud of himself for thinking of that idea for compensation. Funny that his shirt said “Boston College”. Hmmmm….

Anyway, afterward we hit up some water and rest before we went back out to Brooklyn for a swanky loft party. It’s always so funny these Brooklyn parties. Same vibe, ladies and gents who are into fashion and design, wearing plaid and sneakers, with their hair styled to perfection and their lips a perfect shade of red. A perfectly laid out shabby chic. Music, vintage, and bicycles…that’s what I always find when I happen upon those Brooklyn swingers.

It was fun, we danced, we had wine and cheese, and as we were walking back to Doug’s we learned that it’s always good to have tools on you in case you find a lone bike that has a valuable bell on it. Good thing Doug is always prepared.

The next day we woke up, sort of refreshed and made some delicious French Toast. George even cooked up some smoky bacon in his smokin’ outfit of boxers and an apron. Yep, just that. I’ll let you imagine away. :)

After a quick jaunt in the city traffic again, we headed out to Queens, where we would take a big yellow school bus to the Maker Faire! I felt I was back in 3rd grade again as I sat in the musty smelly brown seats. I never remembered buses having seat belts…I guess times have changed. We pulled up and all I could see as we were walking in was fire…jet-propelled fire that is! This place was amazing. From a picking locks lesson to giant pendulum swings and sensor controlled bustiers (imagine me saying that with a French accent…); there was anything anyone could imagine! In order for you to imagine, let me compare it to the World’s Fair in 1889, where the Eiffel Tower was introduced. Just think, whatever was radical or crazy back then…the Eiffel Tower must surely have been on the list. Here, you could say these people are those who are inventors, DIYers, or they just take the technology of today and put it to new and creative use. It was quite an amazing sight. If you want to check out something really amazing and one of the things we saw here, check out the guys of ArcAttack:

http://www.arcattack.com/video/vid5.php

Right before we saw these guys, I had the 2 very random and coincidental things happen to me which I mentioned at the beginning of this story. My uncle Rhett texted me with a picture of my aunt Becky standing in front of Dean & Deluca saying, “Guess where Beck is and who she wants to be?”

I was immediately shocked because obviously she was in NYC, unless of course she was at a really good replication of a DD in Vegas or something. I called right away and said the valley girl response, “Shut up! You’re totally in NY!” Indeed they were. Thanks to buddy passes, which by the way…why don’t I have any friends who want to give away buddy passes?!

Unfortunately we couldn’t see them since we were in Queens and on our way out of the city back to Boston. It would have been hell trying to drive back into Manhattan at that time of the day/weekend ending. But I really am glad that I got to be there when I got that happy little text. PS. Becky and Rhett, or anyone in my family/friend circle: Let me know if you’re ever on the East Coast...I just may be anywhere too!

On the science playground is where we saw an old co-worker of mine, who now works and lives in Queens doing art and exhibition design. What a small world indeed. It was good to see him, and I think he was happy that we showed him and his girlfriend the way to the ArcAttack dudes. He said, “I think I may pee my pants, that was so cool..”

The weekend came to an end when George and I battled NYC traffic and long one-lane bridges, stopped in New Haven Connecticut, home of Yale, to have a bomb-ass burrito at Bulldog Burritos. We even got to watch the Hispanic version of Dancing with the Stars! Bueno, bueno. After a long drive home, we passed out watching the rain come sweeping through Boston. It was a completely awesome fall weekend, busy as always, but so much fun.

Hopefully these next few weekends will be just as great. We’ll be headed to the Topsfield Fair, which has become a yearly tradition. Gotta love that fried dough!

Racin' & Boilin'

2010-06-18T10:37:00.004-04:00

Well, well folks! So sadly the Celtics lost last night…

I’m not devastated, but I’m not happy that it was to the Lakers. Uggh. Those last few 3’s were pretty amazing though, putting my ‘sighs’ and ‘ahs!’ through a 5 second rollercoaster, sheesh!

So I’ve been meaning to update you with certain things, like the Harpoon 5 Miler race that I did a few weekends ago! I did better than I thought with a finish of 46:20! Damn Gina!

Race Results:

Jessica Alexander, 25F, Brookline MA
Place out of 3000: 1224
Group Place out of 638: 292
Time: 46:20
Pace: 9:16

George did pretty well too!

George Pechmann, 26M, Brookline MA
Place out of 3000: 390
Group Place out of 381: 108
Time: 38:56
Pace: 7:48

I’ve got good news for you all in Salt Lake...George and I will be gracing you with our presence for Labor Day weekend! After taking September 1st, to move everything into a new apartment down the street, we’ll be flying out early on the 2nd to hang out with all you Utahns. Get ready!

We’ll also be headed up to the Mountain Man Rendezvous on Saturday for some good grizzled fun, dancing jigs and cannonballs! Afterward, we’ll head back East on Tuesday the 7th. So keep your calendars open my friends!

And now I’ll leave you with a few pictures of what we’ve been up to the last few weeks. Yes, that is a lobster we bought live and boiled ourselves! We’re becoming regular ‘ol New Englanders!

Racin' & Boilin'

2010-06-18T09:50:00.006-04:00

Well, well folks! So sadly the Celtics lost last night…

I’m not devastated, but I’m not happy that it was to the Lakers. Uggh. Those last few 3’s were pretty amazing though, putting my ‘sighs’ and ‘ahs!’ through a 5 second rollercoaster, sheesh!

So I’ve been meaning to update you with certain things, like the Harpoon 5 Miler race that I did a few weekends ago! I did better than I thought with a finish of 46:20! Damn Gina!

Jessica Alexander 25 F, Brookline MA

Place:1224 (out of 3000)

Place in age group: 292/638

Time:46:20

Pace: 9:16

George did pretty well too!

George Pechmann  26 M, Brookline MA 

Place: 390 

Place in age group: 108/381

Time:38:56   

Pace: 7:48

Nothing like runnin’ 5 miles then getting 3 beers afterward. Good incentive eh?

I’ve got good news for you all in Salt Lake...George and I will be gracing you with our presence

for Labor Day weekend! After taking September 1^st, to move everything into a new apartment

down the street, we’ll be flying out early on the 2^nd to hang out with all you Utahns. Get ready!

We’ll also be headed up to the Mountain Man Rendezvous on Saturday for some good grizzled fun, dancing jigs and cannonballs! Afterward, we’ll head back East on Tuesday the 7^th. So keep your calendars open my friends!

And now I’ll leave you with a few pictures of what we’ve been up to the last few weeks.

Yes, that is a lobster we bought live and boiled ourselves! We’re becoming regular ‘ol New Englanders!

It's a RACE!

2010-06-02T09:22:00.004-04:00

Welcome back from the official kick-off to summer! Is it hot yet in your neck of the woods yet?

So there was one thing that I've always wanted to do: Beach Camping. Now, I had in mind something like plopping a tent in the sand, next to the crashing waves....but enough to miss high tide... Then I could fall asleep to crashing waves and wake up to brilliant sunshine lapping on the ocean waters. Yeah I know, sounds awesome!

Well it wasn't quite like that, but it was indeed as close as we could get... here in New England. For Memorial Day Weekend, George and I headed with friends, Greg and Amy, down to Horseneck Beach for some good ol camping! The campsite wasn't on the sand, and acutally, I'm kinda glad it wasn't...that stuff get's everywhere! But it was rather, smack dab in the middle of an RV haven!

The beach was rocky in parts, and the generators drove me nuts as they came on a 7 am...but I did take the little moments to enjoy the sun, sand and kite-flying! We got a few awesome kites, an osprey and a parrot, to fake out our fellow seagulls at the beach, and did an intense scavenger hunt that had us digging into the sand for hours! Thanks Amy.... :)

So, I take a toast to the first camping trip of the summer season and can't wait until we visit Acadia in a few weeks!

Up next? A RACE! Yes, I'm running a 5 mile race for the Harpoon Brewery on Saturday. In fact, George, myself and a bunch of other friends are as well. It's gonna be fun on the bun...well when I get done at least. :) A cold beer for a run well done sounds delectable.

Wish me luck!

One More Fist Pump

2010-05-25T08:51:00.004-04:00

Good morning!

What to talk about today? We can talk about how hot it's going to be super hot today here in Boston, getting up to 90 degrees, or perhaps how it snowed yesterday in Salt Lake City...Odd how wonderful our spring has been this year. I'm definitely not complaining, and also holding my breath since I know the sticky humidity is well on its way...

Or we could talk about how I had a fast paced weekend, filled with a Spring Gala Fundraiser where George and I schmoozed with the rich folk of Newton while also feeding them dry martinis to open their checkbooks...or how we got a dose of culture while seeing the musical RENT at a local theater in Auburndale.

OR maybe LOST? Anyone watch the grand total of 3 1/2 hours of all things LOST? Well I did. Funny thing about LOST, I started watching back in the day like everyone else... it was Andrea who introduced me. Andrea actually introduced me to many things, awesome things such as ALIAS and dressing up in sheets, trying to look like Greek Goddesses while watching Disney movies. Ahhh...college.

But somewhere along the way, I lost track of LOST and fell away from all the hubaloo until I came to Boston and George was all into it...I said OK, you're going to have to catch me up though...

So I managed to get past all the beginnings of smoke monsters and polar bears and crazy French women, and finally started watching last season. I thoroughly enjoyed the latter half of the series, and although the finale wasn't as sad to me as say ALIAS was...I will still miss the Tuesday night Fish/Lost bonanzas!

I guess we'll just have to start watching Jersey Shore...

Ahh the fist pumping!!

Just Boil It!

2010-05-03T21:26:00.007-04:00

Ok, so in the midst of worldwide catastrophes, Boston finally hit it's own mark, though not to the extreme extent of oil spills and volcanic ash. Some might consider otherwise however, especially those who ran out to the nearest convenient store and purchased entire racks of bottled water Saturday afternoon. A main water line had cracked, and now most of Boston's drinking water has flooded the banks of Weston, a small town outside of Boston.

You'd think it was end of the world, people looking to stock up for their fallout shelters! After our governor had declared a city-wide boil order, people started going nuts. Loaded cars, with cases of bottled water, Whole Foods fights between suburban moms in velour sweatsuits, and hand-written scribbled sharpies saying, "sold out of water".

So what do we do? Just boil it.

Seriously, just boil it people! I mean yeah, an extra minute of boiling the water just to make sure the bacteria is gone, is not going to kill you. I'm so glad I was brought up going on camping trips and taking baths in rivers and lakes, and boiling water for dirty dishes and such...

It's actually kind of fun. George and I have got a system. Boil, cool, put in a pitcher in the fridge, and drink. Voila! Perfectly delicious. And, I do think it's funny that we are getting the water from the very lake we ran around on Sunday. Ah, life.

So enough about the water crisis here in Boston! Let me show you pictures from right before the water freakout!We had a perfectly great morning, making eggs, toast, avocado, and BACON! Orange juice to finish it off as well. Then we headed out to Lewis Wharf for a bit of gentleman's sailing! This was our 3rd trip of free sailing, which happens every spring. This day was glorious, maybe a little too glorious for only May in Boston. But, it was 80 degrees and a bit humid...but when that salty wind breezed past you on the sailboat, it was indeed glorious!

So we sailed, spoke of vacationing in the Hamptons and the Cape, and drank a lot of free wine in the lounge. Haha, ok the wine was boxed and the lounge was actually a barge, but whatever! We had a great time. I wore my best nautical outfit and hit the high seas!

Afterward, we hit up the North End (Little Italy of Boston) and ordered a big fat Italian sub. You walk into this little shop, I believe it's called "Mercato del Mar", and you pick out your baguette. You then hand your baguette to the deli person behind the counter and say, "everything please!"

You end up with one of the best subs you've had in your life, and it's huge!

We ate on the greenway, as we rested in the sun. At this point, a little drunk off boxed wine and full of delicious Italian-ness, we find out about the water situation. Suddenly we're all thirsty as hell! And, with a good right to be, since we were probably all very dehydrated from the wine and the sunshine.

After that, we were home bound, getting ready to heat up the stove. It was a pretty intense weekend, but just what I would've wanted on a summer-like spring day. :)

Back and Battle-Wounded

2010-04-07T08:47:00.005-04:00

So I've tried to put some of these pictures in order, but it's just not working with me! Anyway, here we are back and recovered from Puerto Rico! My sunburn is on it's last peeling stages and my bug bites are finally letting me rest of their itch. Talk about battle wounds! You should see my legs! I look like I've had an outbreak of the chicken pox...

If you want to see the ENTIRE Puerto Rico album, just go to my Facebook page, as well as George's page and view ALL 500 pictures! Don't cha just love digital these days?

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044157&id=122800083

We had an amazing time down south in the Caribbean! From the first moment we got there, we realized that iguanas ran rampant and the little lizards are like our squirrels in Boston!

We had an awesome underwater camera with us, and not one of those silly plastic encased ones, we had an actual black waterproof digital camera. It went a little bit like this:

Will (roommate): "Hey guys, you wanna take my waterproof camera to PR?"

George & Myself: "Heck yes we do!"

Will goes into his room and hands us a slim black digital camera with a large red floaty attached to it...

George: "This is waterproof??"

Will: "Uh, yeah...(babble geek speak, insert here)"

Me: "Wow, that's sweet!"

George: "Yeah, we'll try it out."

Ok, now fast forward to a beautiful Puerto Rican beach, waves, blue sky, surf and sand. We get into the warm water and George has the camera...

George: "Ok, you ready for this?"

Me: "Yeah, well let's do this.." as I slightly wince.

By the way, I forgot to mention that Will said he'd never actually tried out the camera's waterproof function. So, we're a little nervous at this point that we may break it!

George: "Alright, here goes nothin'!" He tosses the camera into the wave. The red buoy holds it up. I grab the camera and turn it on...so far so good.

"click"

Me: "It works!"

George: "Nice!! Let's do the damn thing then!"

Then we continue to take about a million underwater pictures! It was amazing. :)

And now for a few preview pictures:

This is George doing his "Lost" pose. How "Sawyer" of him... :)

We caught, well George and our friend Jake caught, so many little anoles! Little lizards!

This was the Caribbean side of the island.

I'm just loving it!

Iguanas!
Oh my goodness, we got sooooo lost in San Juan! And let me tell you how crazy Puerto Rican drivers are! Worse than Boston, as if that's even possible...

George is a tree-hugger at heart. :)

So least we can say is that we had a lot of fun, and maybe a few times in the rain that weren't so fun...my bites and sunburn being the worst part of the trip. BUT...the great part was that we had a wonderful host named Amy. She and her boyfriend had a beautiful room/bathroom for us to stay in and they were so generous and hospitable! Amy works at General Mills and served us many a granola bar, while Spencer is a pretty awesome pilot with a great moustache and aviators! He, however, is originally from Utah (St. George to be exact), so we had some pretty great conversations about growing up in the Beehive State.

I will say I'm pretty proud of the fact that I actually got on a surfboard, even though there was definitely NO surf that particular day. But, for now, my daydreams of being a surf bum chick in tropical paradise, are slightly satisfied.

If you want any more stories, say of creepy rest stops, getting stuck on a small island and drinking margaritas...then you'll just have to give me a call!

As for life right now, I'm knee deep in April Vacation Week at work. I'm directing a children's art program and have been blasted back to Newtonville, (the town I work in) which is a "ville" full of velour sweatsuit, coffee drinking, yoga doing, I've adopted a child from a foreign country because I have the money to do so...moms. Ahhh, the suburbs. :)

I had a 5 year old girl eating a full lobster for lunch yesterday! For lunch, lobster in a tupperware! Sheesh. I thought I was happy with my roast beef sandwich...

Today, I dealt with kids needing band-aids and peeing their pants. Well, that was only one kid, but you know, all in a good day's work.

Thanks for reading family and friends! I will be sure to update you with my experiences in the next few weeks at work. It's sure to be exciting...

La Vida Rico!

2010-03-09T23:29:00.003-05:00

Whelp, nothin' happened with that dang storm....

So it's been a few weeks, but we have had snow since then. A little bit here and there. But man o man was this weekend beautiful! We had a balmy 60 degree day on Saturday and around there on Sunday, Monday and today. Gives me a taste of the coming weeks! George and I had a great weekend biking around the city, 13 miles! We went from Brookline to downtown, to Harvard Square and then back to our lovely roof deck. Ahhhh...

But wait there's more!

Ok, not much more...just that we're leaving to Puerto Rico tomorrow! Actually pretty early, so I really shouldn't be sitting here on the computer when I should be finishing up my packing...

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you all that I love you! Have a great St. Patrick's Day while I'm away and give a toast for me if you're drinking some green delicious concoction. :)

Alright, it's off and away we go! Expect a full report when we return, full of stories such as horribly failing to surf a good surf. (that will be me...first time attempt...eek!)

Adios!

Horrilbe Storm Coming...!

2010-02-10T15:20:00.003-05:00

So, I've been waiting all day for the "impending snow storm" to hit. It's 3:20pm and still no sticking of snow. Sure, it's cold, windy, wet and I can see flurries...but no blizzard for sure. All the schools here are canceled for the afternoon, and I'm home from work because everyone is worried about the evening commute, if, it happened to get really bad.

Ok sure, two years ago when I first arrived in Boston, there was a surprise snow storm that basically wiped out the entire city. I left early from the museum and foolishly hopped on a street train rather than the one I usually take, which sits in a ditch. Long story short, I finally got off that train that was stuck in traffic and snow, walked about 2 miles past people stuck in their cars and eating full boxes of pizza while sitting in the street...and soaked my tiny black shoes and socks up to my knees in snow. I was definitely ready for PJ's and hot cocoa at that point.

But today! I don't see anything looming! People always make such a big deal about these "possible" storms out East. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry though, and make it home without sitting in 8 hours of backed up traffic. All I know is, this isn't Utah. I mean we'd have to have snow up to our heads in order to get a snow day! And when you're a kid in elementary, you'd always dream of that elusive snow day that would never ever happen...ahem. I've gotten more snow days here in Boston than I ever got in my entire 13 years of schooling in Utah! Talk about shattered dreams of sledding and staying home from school sipping hot chocolate...

Other than that, I have a few important pieces of news!

#1. I finally got my wisdom teeth out! Ugh, it was painful, all four at once. Good thing there are legal narcotics out there...thank you Vicodin.

#2. We got a turtle! She is an adorable little three-toed box turtle that we named Gertrude. Call her Gurdy or Trudy...or Trudster...whatever you want. But, truth is, she is friggin' adorable. George got this custom cage built for her and it looks amazing. I'll get some pictures soon for you all to swoon over.

#3. Puerto Rico is only 1 month away! George and I are very excited to get our hands wet at the Captain Morgan Museum... Haha! ;)

#4. Wish me luck next week as I lead February Vacation Week as the official Director of the program....

So that's all for now. I'll be sure to let you know what happens with this storm...ah New Englanders...such wimps. :)

A Gentleman's Sport

2010-01-15T13:13:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I've been doing a little bit of research on this whole Puerto Rico thing, and I'm getting so excited! But first of all, let me show you what I just read:

"Cockfighting in Puerto Rico is a gentleman's sport. The game has been legal in the island since 1933 and its considered a beloved tradition dating from Spain's colonization of the island more than five centuries ago. Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico in Isla Verde is a great place for turists to experience the sport. On Saturdays the fights go from 2-10 PM. Aside from the fights, you can watch the birds being prepared for their matches, an art in itself. As a tourist, you pay $5. They have friendly tour guides and translators to show you around. To read more about cockfighting at Club Gallistico click here."

Yes, a gentleman's sport ladies and gents! Are we going to participate in this so called gentrified activity? Well you're just going to have to wait and find out! Until then, check out this awesome island that George and I will be feasting on in a few months!

First Week Done. Only 51 Left to 2010.

2010-01-10T23:34:00.002-05:00

Wow.

It has been so long. I am so sorry to all those who have faithfully read my posts. I guess the only reason I have for not keeping up is that I don't think I've kept up with myself. Since August, let's see...I watched one of my best friends get married, went to Oregon the following weekend to see my uncle get married, played on the beach with my other uncle, aunt and cousins that I haven't seen in years...

I got an official offer to work at the New Art Center as their Assistant Education Director, I quit babysitting and therefore quit working over 60 hours a week. George moved into the apartment, we got some awesome fish...I went to Binghamton for Thanksgiving to see all the Pechmanns, went to the Moosewood Restaurant once again, and once again it was delicious. We also saw our famous pondering statue, once again.

It was a fast and furious December. Right before getting to go home for five days, George had to make a trip to the emergency room and as a result. has a pretty epic battle wound. Will probably be an awesome scar. Kinda jealous.

Then the next thing I know, it's New Year's and I'm taming off a headache from the night before while watching the Rose Bowl on a sunny snowy day. Dang champagne cocktails!

Now, it's just the first week of the new year is over and I am wondering how the last four months of my life just squeezed on by. Phew?

It's crazy you know, a new decade and a new number to write. I always had a struggle with the new year and writing it down on paper. I can remember times in elementary school when the first few weeks of the new year would be scribbles in the date line. I'm still getting used to putting a 1 before the zero...

Anyway, just so you all know, I am just rambling on this late Sunday night before a new week. I wanted to at least send out something, which is more so to jump start me into writing again. You know sometimes you go so long without doing something, that it's hard to just begin again. It has always been a fun thing for me to tell you about the day to day here...and I would never want it to become a chore. So, I guess I had to tell myself that this isn't a chore, it's a way of expressing the fun, silly, calm, and sometimes difficult things in my life. Honestly, it's probably more of an outlet for me, than it is for you to read about the craziness here. But in any case, thank you. Thank you for reading and caring and letting me just ramble. :)

Oh and an FYI to my grandparents out there, I have started to write things...but a few I didn't finish. One...being about our fish here. I think I'll post that too, it can be sort of a "lost articles" feature.

Time for bed now...debating on whether I should read this over and make sure it's actually comprehensible....

Naww, I'll just dive into my bed and wake up another day in Boston.

Love you all!

A Collection of Lost Posts

2010-01-10T23:30:00.002-05:00

Here are some of the posts I never finished. Some are actually quite hilarious...others I was clearly venting! Anyway, enjoy!

"So meet our new fish!

First we have Brother Sushi II, a red-eyed tetra who may actually be a girl...We started off with 2 of them, but poor Jujubee committed fishy suicide. He friggin' jumped out of the tank one morning! Seriously, who does that...?

Anyway, R.I.P. Jujubee.

"Then we have our friends that we call the Hoes. Now here is the story: We got 4 of these little guys, who are called Harlequin Rasboras. They have what looks like to be black pants on their bottom halves. When we put all of them into the tank, one little one decided to get rid of her black pants, and don some classy khakis. So we decided to call her the Housewife. Now apparently you can't turn a Hoe into a Housewife, but we were going to try and turn the Housewife back into a Hoes..." 11/19/09

"Well well, a special grandmother has encouraged me to get on my stuff and write about what's been going on here in Boston. Thanks Big She! :) I've been thinking a lot about home lately. Don't have any particular reason why, I just have. I miss all of you! I was home for about 4 days in September, but that was so quick. I did have a fantastic time though, one of my best friends got married! Jen's wedding was fast, fun and awesome. I was one of 6 bridesmaids, who all of which were pretty stellar girls. After flying from Boston to Salt Lake, then back...I thought it would be a good idea to fly back across the country to Oregon for yet another wedding the following weekend! Talk about jet lag..."
This time it was my Uncle Mike getting hitched. Let me tell you how fantastic this weekend was! First of all, I got to see all the Tinker side of the family, which is hard to come by. We all gathered at this quaint hotel outside of Portland, called the Grand Lodge..." 11/04/09

"The saying always goes, "Keep a plant alive and then you can get a pet. Keep a pet alive, then you can think about children..."

I say, "babysit four nights a week for a 6 and 2 year old...and you'll rethink everything!"

Ever since I started sitting for a nice Jewish family in Newton, I've had many fun evenings. Most nights consist of playing house and going on walks..." 7/22/09

"So, tomorrow will be my last day at the MFA." 2/19/09

"Getting escorted through Fenway Park is going to be on my "To-do in Life" list...and it will be crossed off. :)

So Kristen and I, being the fabulous girls we are, got all gussied up to attend a nice evening birthday party near Fenway. Actually, the address of the apartment was indeed on Yawkey Way, which is the address of the Park. Hooray to all you baseball fans out there!" 9/15/08

"So, a little venting time: sorry in advance.

A little piece of advice for those who are upset and are calling to request assistance. More specifically, if you're waiting to get your parking validated and no parking attendant shows up and you call the members desk asking for help...don't assume they'll be able to drop everything to run across the street to stamp a card for you.

#1. I don't even know how to use those stamper things!

#2. Although I'm sure if you just stick it in, it would work it's magical wonders and put silly little numbers on your card.

#3. Be a rebel sometimes! If you aren't being helped, do it yourself!

(I can't tell you how many times I've been in a clothing store and got that little metal arm thingy and pulled something off the wall. PS...retail associates in Boston are really lame at customer service!)

#4. If you do call, realize that who you are calling is a person who has frustrations just like you.

#5. Don't assume they don't know what they're doing.

#6. And don't patronize them by saying they are smart and should be able to figure things out" 7/11/08

This is just a song...

"I've faced my demons Wrestled these angels to the ground And all that I could find Was a thin line between All the saints and villains It was crossed in my own eyes Someday I'm gonna find it Wish I knew what I was looking for Inside the disarray (inside the disarray) I woke up this morning Don’t know where I’m going But it’s alright I wouldn't have it any other way I’m struggling between the facts and fiction I’m alone But I'm alive Everyone around me is trying to make a statement, then there's me I’m just trying to survive Someday I'm gonna find it Wish I knew what I was looking for

Inside the disarray (inside the disarray) I woke up this morning Don’t know where I’m going But it’s alright I wouldn't have it any other way If this was any other day I pretend to know where I stand I Just don’t know (just don’t know) I Just don’t know Someday I'm gonna find it Wish I knew what I was looking for Inside the disarray (inside the disarray) I woke up this morning Don’t know where I’m going But it’s alright I wouldn't have it any other way Someday I will find it Wish I knew what I was looking for Inside the disarray (inside the disarray) I woke up this morning Don’t know where I’m going But it’s alright" 3/28/08

Kind of fun to look at the things that got left behind. Some important things going on here. It's good to look back and see...

Bowel Movements

2009-08-25T14:59:00.003-04:00

Hello hello everyone!

So, things have been busy here in Boston since the last camping trip. July flew by, August flew by and what do you know? I'm directing the last 3 weeks of the summer art program here at the New Art Center! Since the Assistant Education Director left last week, it's been my job to finish out the season and make sure things run smoothly. As it looks now, I have the interim position of Assistant Education Director and come Fall, if I do well and interview spectacularly for the full-time position, then I will be the next Assistant Education Director! If this happens, I'll be planning school vacation weeks as well as summer vacation programming. I'll also be helping the Exhibition Director in their Connections program, where they bring students into the New Art Center throughout the area, giving them tours and talking about what art is and how it affects them. I could use all your good vibes coming my way, in hopes I secure the job!

Other than that, I'm still babysitting for the 2 little rascals. Now, tell me if this is common...

After filling the bathtub up with water, plopping the cherub in, I turn away for two seconds only to find upon my return, the babe squatting in the water with a sour look on his face. What may this be?

Yes, poop. Poop ALL over!

Gross.

Never having kids...

Ok, maybe I will. :)

But seriously people, that is the first time...and I pray the last time, this will ever happen to me. Tell me good luck, because I'm sure you'll all say it could be a lot worse.

So that's what's going on in my life as of the moment. I've got my own desk (finally), a fully bowel-functioning 2 year old to watch, another NY camping trip this weekend, and delicious sushi tonight with a special man-friend! Life is great!

Crosswords and Camping

2009-07-14T20:22:00.005-04:00

Crosswords, I have found, become quite addicting. First you think you are awful at the things, then you get a few easy ones. Next, you finish an entire puzzle. Then you start seeing the same clues, written in different ways and start to think, "man, how dumb do these people think I am?!"

After a few of those and it's a damn near heart attack if I don't get my daily fix. Seriously! Every night, even if I'm completely exhausted from working 12 hours a day, I'll still work out a couple of clues. It's so sad. Good news is, I hear it keeps your mind alive so you don't get Alzheimer's, so I've got that going for me. :)

In other good news, I just found out yesterday that I will be receiving a raise for the last 3 weeks of my summer (full time, paid!) internship! Sweetastic, eh?

Also, I just found a decent deal to come home for Christmas. I impulse bought. So now, I'm helplessly asking for donations of early Christmas presents to help me actually fund the trip. Any takers? :) I'll be coming home on the 22nd and leaving the 28th, oh and I want to bring Ashley back with me for her birthday! (Haha, that would only be in a perfectly optimal world...but seriously Ash...think about it.)

As for recent happenings, I just got back from camping in upstate New York! The Finger Lakes to be specific. It was an awesome trip! A mere 7 hours from Boston, we got to our campsite at Keuka Lake around dinnertime. We set up camp, roasted up some dogs and drenched ourselves in bug repellent. We smelled terrific! The boys got up early to do some fishin', although none were big enough to keep.

We started of the day with swimming in the lake, well more like wading. I was the only one to get all the way in! Since we had 2-3 functioning scientists/engineers, we had a blast turning over rocks to find sneaky little crawdads! Equipped with nets and strawberry plastic containers, we collected enough to have for the next morning's fish bait. (and yes, George caught a fishy with a crawdad the next day! But still was too small to keep...)

We gathered up our things and headed out to taste the fruits of the region...grapes! More specifically, the wine. Up and down the narrow paths and unsigned streets, we took many sips of delicious Reislings, Blushes and Cabernets. We even had a taste of the "Foxy Lady", which was fantastic as well. We went on an unforgettable wine tour at Bully's and sang songs about how Napa Valley is really just an autoparts store. We went the the "pretty" place, where I found a semi-dry reisling to buy, but sadly I left it in a car that belongs to upstate New York. Sad panda am I.

Later that night, we headed to the Yates County Fair in Penn Yan, New York! How the country folk were flying that night, holy moly! Let's just say that the "front butt" is not a good look...on anyone! Fried food galore, we feasted and then took a ride on a gravitron-like ride. Ugh. Bad idea, and the first ride at that! Bumper cars, enoromous slides, scramblers and getting denied for the swings because we were too heavy, left us satiated and satisfyed.

The rest of the week, we headed up to Ithaca where the great Cayuga Lake stands. We hiked around Watkins Glen and Robert H. Treman State Parks, waded up the rivers and gorges and saw amazing waterfalls. We found abundant wildlife including toads, snakes (a black rat snake!) salamanders, fish, and spiders. George was even working on the trip as he taught and showed the snakes to kids hiking along the way. We even ran into some good old Utah folks! Crazy.

There were many shenanigans along the rest of the way, including catching fireflies, dropping watermelon in the dirt AND still eating it, trying out the Asian Squat and of course, the Hoofah. But all those are stories for another day.

Alright, I've done my laundry and now need to put it away. That is the worst part. I absolutely hate putting laundry away. Doing it? Fine. Putting it back? Agony. I think Mom will attest to this...

Ok, Here It Comes!

2009-07-06T17:15:00.013-04:00

Before you read this, you must know...you should probably grab a latte and have a seat. This may take awhile.

First of all we have a trip I took almost 2 months ago! Yes, 2 months. The only question is, "Where has half the summer gone?!" It's already July 6th and I'm headed into the last half preparing myself for new jobs and new responsibilities, already! Whew!

Alright, so the summer so far...

(Breathe...)

So it started of with a flight to Chicago, where George and I dove right into the cultural hodgepodge of Art, Marine Biology and Natural History. We sampled pizza, $2 beer from Haagen Daaze, walked forever to Navy Pier and got followed by nuns! Our friend Jesse got mistaken for a "Dad", we got lucky with a ladybug and saw the great Chicago skyline! I also left my favorite comb there, in case Thaxton ever reads this. We had great weather, a once in a million thing according to some, and enjoyed Chicago-Style brats by Lake Michigan. Fantastic!

After meeting some more of George's family, we drove up to Beloit Wisconsin to see his sis Jessie graduate from Beloit College. We stopped in for a quick beer and game of pool at the local college hangout, where George showed his pool hall shark skills! I had no idea, but let me tell you...I wasn't complaining! ;)

Graduation Day was beautiful and happened to be the lucky outdoor graduation that hadn't happened in years! Jessie graduated in Anthropology with a minor in Museum Studies. Yes, she's got the bug too! We toured around the campus, did a little rubbing elbows with some important people and discussed the finer qualities of brewing your own home brew with some of Jessie's friends.

That night, we hit up the EconoLodge pub. Fantastic little place...so fantastic that I almost peed my pants when the barkeep told me two drinks only cost $5 buckaroos! She was so delighted at my reaction that she gave out a graduation round on the house. Again, we played pool where George schooled us all, although his dad was getting the hang of it and almost sweeped the table.

After picking up some good Wisconsin cheese, we headed out on the long road trip home! The highlights were many, so I'll just mention the big ones.

1. Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota (let me tell ya, they love their state and will decorate with corn like no one's business!)
2. Badlands, South Dakota (Eat your heart out Bruce!)
3. Mt. Rushmore (actually pretty amazing...)
4. Wall Drug Store (if you're ever there...please let me know...we'll have stories for hours!)
5. The Sinclair in Upton Wyoming!
6. And finally Yellowstone! (truly and amazing sight...)

There is so much to write about Yellowstone and the awesomeness that is...but seeing that I already have so much to say, please feel free to look at the "extended version" of pictures on Facebook. The album is called "The Grand Chicago Wisconsin Plains Yellowstone Road Trip" Dive in at your own will! It's even a sort of "photo essay" if you will...

After making it to Utah, I had a fantastic time visiting friends, friend's babies and family. P.S. Everyone is having babies lately. Just so you know.

Ok, you need a break yet? Feel free.

So after getting back home, we had about 5 days before the month of visitors began. First up was Leslie, who was the infamous one that introduced George and myself. Everyone had pretty much the same response to the fact..."Oh, so you're the one responsible..." (with a slight grin) Ben Gobin actually bowed, but I won't go into that now. :) Leslie, George and I took a trip up to New Hampshire where we met up with a friend named Ross. Ross was awesome and showed us around Portsmouth on bikes, and helped us fly wicked awesome kites on the beach! We won a $25 dollar gift certificate to Portsmouth Brewery thanks to my killer ring toss skills. Yeah, I'm pretty proud.

Next round, the Grandparents! The Aunt and Uncle and cousins as well! So let me set the scene for you:

Boston has been rainy and gloomy for approximately 2 weeks, and it's not waning any time soon.
I pick up Mr. and Mrs. Wonderful at the airport and show them the ropes of Boston subway transit. Little did they know that, it gets pretty muggy down there. Let's just say, the whole train knew how much love was still there when Grandma Sheila spouts out, "You're makin' me hot just lookin' at ya!" Ow, ow! Grandma! Now I know it's your anniversary, but keep the clothes on the T at least! ;) Haha!

After the summer lovin' on the train, we had some cooler dinner at George's place and enjoyed a nice evening. The next day, I showed them around the Tufts campus as well as my exhibition at the art gallery. We stopped at Trader Joes for some provisions and 2 Buck Chuck (thanks guys!) then went out for some fabulously amazing crab and lobster at the Barking Crab. Holy Hayday, it was good! (thanks again guys!) So much finger lickin' goodness.

Saturday called for a Super Duper Walking tour of Boston, starting with the Museum of Fine Arts. We cultured ourselves, then went up to the Top of the Hub for a fancy cocktail and to look at the view. We lucked out on the rain, it was pretty dry the whole day. Grandma did have to get some alternate shoes at CVS though, I know the feeling. I've gone through so many shoes here. It is the walking city you know!

We had a cold Sam Adams while looking at a cold Sam Adams...eh eh? Along with all the dead revolutionaries, we saw most of the city with the exception of the North End. Seriously, you have to come back for this...it's awesome up there. Instead, we happened to be surprised with tickets to Beerfest. (I'm just noticing how much beer has come up in this post...I blame it all on George!) Anyway, we grabbed our silly hats and headed to the Trade Center for some tastings of delightful hops! The funniest thing about that night? Grandma, who started with the idea of not liking beer too much, ended up saying, "Alright guys! We need to stand in line while we're drinking, come on, more beer!"

Ok, that's probably not verbatim. But, I'd like to think that's the gist of it. :)

After the brew, Sunday brought brunch, Becky, Rhett, Jake and Alex. I was so happy to see everyone! We feasted and then headed to the Red Sox game. Although misty, we enjoyed the usual peanuts and beer (there it is again!) and watched a home run in the beginning and a walk off homer against the Braves. It was a great day of baseball, and I even think we may have swayed Jake a bit to become more of a Sox fan instead of those dang Yankees!

That night we feasted on some pretty amazing supper. Jake and Alex had "the best noodles and butter ever!" Or so they say. Mmm...a big thank you to Val for being and amazing chef and hooking us up with a pretty good deal.

Monday was the last hurrah. We started off at the Museum of Science, where we caught a Duck Boat Tour. Tim Burr was our tour guide as he showed us the way of the city in a huge military vehicle. The best part was one, counting to see how many umbrellas would get turned inside out in the torrential Boston wind, and two, Jake and Alex drive the Duck on the Charles River. Alex couldn't stop giggling and Jake got hounded with Yankee questions by Mr. Burr (obviously trying to trip him up...) Let me say though Jake, I didn't even know all those players!

After the tour, George showed everyone the cute, fuzzy, furry, scaley and stinky animals in the Live Animal Center, a usual stop for any Boston guest. Shortly afterward, I was sad to see everyone go...but I hope you all had a wonderful time and come back soon! (And not only that, but to try and get others to follow in your footsteps, word of mouth fellas, word of mouth!)

The very next weekend, we had a visit from George's friend Carl Edwards and a surprise addition, Dennis McMillan. Old college buddies of his, and very awesome indeed. We had a quick weekend of fun full of grillin' and chillin'.

So this brings us to the Fourth of July!

Seriously.

Ok, so we headed up to New Hampshire with good old Ben Gobin! He was back in town from St. George and had a lot of catching up to do! After the good north, we came back down to Boston for a rousing game of KICKBALL! Woo! I haven't played kickball in forever, and let me say...it really works out some odd muscles. I'm still sore!

More grilling and a little Independence Day watching left us itching for some real fireworks, so we headed to my roof and watched the city light up with color! It was a fantastic view and I couldn't have asked for a better 4th in Boston. I did miss Park City, as always, though I was so happy to get picture updates of the Grandparents starting their own silly hat collection. Damn, we're good. :)

Well, so that puts us to about now and what do you know? I'm leaving on Wednesday to go camping at the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Spoiled I know. But you know what? I deserve it! As crazy and busy as this summer has been so far, I've worked and been working really hard to have a little fun. So watch out mini NY mountains, I'm gonna come and hike your booty off! (and stop for a little wine on the wine trails along the way...heck yes!)

Thank you to all of you reading and keeping up with me, even if it's been few and far between. I love to let you know what's going on over here and also for me to recount my time in Boston, because you never know when it's going to end.

Peace and see you after camping!

Coming Soon

2009-06-18T22:39:00.002-04:00

Hey guys! So yes, I've been back for...3 weeks? You want to know about my trip right? Well, funny that I told Facebook before I wrote on my blog about it. Don't you worry, I'll compose something soon. However, right now...my Grandma Sheila and Papa Tim are in town! Oh it's been great so far! I picked them up at the airport, we had a great quote about "hotness" and had some "business" in the kitchen!

Stay tuned for more!

What's the "Soup de Jour" ??

2009-05-11T23:32:00.002-04:00

In one more day I'll be relaxin' in the "Windy City"...named after politicians long-winded speeches of course. Anyone who's anyone knows the windiest city is BOSTON! Hecka right, you try walking through large skyscrapers sucking you like a spider in a vacuum tube AND with zero degrees wind chill!

Geez, I'm so glad is spring. :)

Time to sleep and wake up refreshed to be a 2nd grade celebrity!

(Pssst...It's true! Tuesdays all I hear is "Jessica! You came to our school! I remember you, do you remember me?? So cute.)

I'm On My Way!

2009-04-29T14:02:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone!

I've been gone awhile, but that's because I've been finishing up my graduate certificate at Tufts! Yes that's right, I will be all done with classes next week and will be finishing up my internship at the New Art Center at the end of June. With one 20 page paper to write about my experience, I'll be home free. :)

Also, some good news is that my unpaid internship at the New Art Center now...will be turning into a paid internship for the remainder of the summer. I will be working with the Assistant Education Director in running the summer art camp for youngsters. I am very excited for the opportunity and also to get some cash-ola for it!

As for next fall? Well I'm leaving my hands up and my eyes open for opportunities to use my new grad certificate and excellent skills over these past 2 years. If anyone feels like throwing a prayer out for me, I'd be much appreciative. :) I've been asking the Big Guy upstairs myself, to get me to a place where I'll be happy and learn a lot next fall.

Alright, now for the good stuff! Since I'm almost done with school, I'm coming out to see my Utah loves! George and I will be coming in on Friday the 22nd, so mark it on your calendars! We were thinking we could all get together for a beer or so at the Tavernacle that Friday night. What do you all say? Let me know so I can spread the news. I would really love to see all of you and since I only have a short time, this would be a great time to get together all at once.

So I've got to get back to tie up more loose ends. I love you all and see you soon!

Is It Really March?

2009-03-13T13:02:00.008-04:00

It doesn't really feel like March. March should be sunny...AND warmer than 30 degrees. It is not so here. Ahem.

Well besides that, I've been quite busy setting up my new schedule and life surrounding it. Monday's and Tuesday's I'm going to schools and showing 7 year olds around the museum, making sure they stay in line while I show them snakes and butterflies. I've become quite popular on Tuesday mornings and I love when the kids say, "Hi Jessica! I remember you! Can you be in our group?" Ahhh, the fame. :)

I just started my internship at the New Art Center, where I've already gotten to paint gallery walls and apply vinyl lettering for the show "raw & cooked" These guys are a little wacky in their painting and woodworking skills, but it's kind of funky and I like it. There is this one painting of a man lying on his back with a huge, well (male anatomical part). It's kind of jarring at first but then you just start to giggle.

Besides that fun part, I'm doing a lot of press updates and creating price lists and other documents for the show. Tonight is the opening reception, so it should be great to see the reactions of the little old ladies who wander in...

My "other" job purely for income just started last night. I am working the front desk at the YMCA. It's not paying as much as I hoped, but at least it's something for now until I can find something to help out more. But the people are fun and at least I'll get a free membership to work on my killer calves!

So basically, I've suddenly become very busy. So in order to relax, I take weekend trips. Last weekend, George and I headed off to upstate New York to visit some of his family. First stop, Binghamton, to visit the Miss Helen Pechmann (great woman who absolutely LOVES Syracuse basketball!). An industrial little town, and 2 Giants (grocery stores) sitting head to head across from each other. Geez, it's like the Walmarts in Logan! Next we drove through Ithaca, the town of Cornell. Pretty impressive, huge hills and quaint shops...OH and also the most fun little statue I've ever seen!

(so inquisitive!)

We stopped into Moosewood (Grill? Maybe? I forgot...), a delicious restaurant where we got a flight of beer and surprisingly great vegetarian food. Don't worry though, I would never give up my meat!

After the Moosewood, we headed up through the Finger Lakes where we'll be going back to camp this summer. They have a plethora of wineries along the trail...mmmm! We ended up then in Rochester where we picked up Judy and Jessie, George's mom and sis. We had a quick trip visiting his other grandma and cousins, and watching old "pool videos" (this is, you know, the embarassing family videos that everyone has...imagine George about 120 pounds and 16...awkward? Haha! No, no...he was a stud muffin! Not that he isn't now...!)

We did take a stop at Lake Ontario, which I had never seen. In fact, I've never seen any of the Great Lakes! There's always a first for everything! It was a cloudy day, but I now know why the lakes are Great. They're HUGE! And this isn't even the biggest. We also saw some Long Tail ducks that were down from the Arctic. Beautiful birds that usually don't come this far, but enjoyed floating next to the slush along the shore.

(Judy giving a great explanation of the slush!)

After the long 7 hour drive back to Boston, we crashed out. However, this week must have gone by pretty quickly because I can't believe it's already Friday again. Tomorrow we're gonna have a St. Patrick's Day bash in celebration of snakes and saints and things. Oh, and my 24th birthday. Ugh, 24? I have to tell you, these gray hairs aren't stoppin'!

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

PS. Ok, one more story. So about a month ago, we went to Sunday River, a resort up in Maine. We wanted to try out first hand, New England skiing and snowboarding. What did we get? Well...a crazy Aruban, an accidental Black Diamond, and a thoroughly bruised knee and leg! See pictures below:

(my knee STILL hurts...)

(Yeah it "looks" nice...)

(Oh and the Black Diamond was NOT the cause of this. That would have actually been cool. This was thanks to the last run of the day and the damned New England ice! I heart Utah Snow. :0 )

25 Things

2009-02-09T16:02:00.002-05:00

Ok, for some of you who have already read this list on Facebook, sorry. But let my family revel in the aura of "Me" :)

Thanks to all of you who responded to my last few posts, I think there might be one more spot for a free prize!!! Don't worry, I will get around to getting those 'things' to you!

Here are 25 random things about me:

1. I'm obsessed with writing lists...I made a list for this list...so it's only fitting that I list that first.

2. I can't help using ellipses...sorry.

3. I secretly dream of being a pro dancer. So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Crew and Dancing with the Stars get me hooked.

4. I've always wanted an older brother, but I'm blessed to have Taylor my punk rocker younger bro (he'd kill me for saying that...) But I absolutely LOVE having a sister, no matter how often we fought as kids.

5. Speaking of fighting with my sister, I once cut off the hair of Skipper Barbie to sub for another Ken doll that we were fighting over. My mom almost murdered me when she started to wail. I know, you wouldn't think I was that brutal!

6. I secretly want to have twins, a boy and a girl.

7. I have had 8 cats and 2 dogs growing up...NOT at the same time though.

8. I played a lot of dress up...in college. :)

9. I'm ocd about my eyebrows. My sister, my aunt and my mom know this best. (check your arches girls!)

10. I bask in the morning sunshine. It's my therapy.

11. If I could go to a concert every week, I would.

12. I can be extremely critical of myself, yet I'm a pretty confident person.

13. I want to rock at piano, write a memoir and be a travel writer on the side.

14. I'm very picky about my planners (it's probably because of my list thing...) Ugh, the one I have now is NOT that great.

15. I only have really great handwriting in blue ink.

16. I miss the Utah mountains incredibly, but want to eventually live footsteps from the ocean.

17. I will forever be a Utah Jazz fan.

18. I hate when people take texting shortcuts! UR is not an excuse for You Are and CU should be See You...what else is T9 for people!! Ugh.

19. I will learn how to surf one day.

20. I am what they call a "love child" and I'm glad my mom kept me. So don't be upset if I'm a little sensitive when it comes to the whole abortion debate...

21. I also, like Liz, have not smoked anything. (Well...besides that one cigar I shared with George. I would not reccommend smoking after drinking and then not going to bed without brushing your teeth. Dry and awful taste lingers for days!)

22. I have lived in 2 countries (US, Germany), 3 states (Utah, South Carolina, Massachusetts) and 4 cities (Salt Lake City, Logan, Freiburg, Boston).

23. I have never thrown up from drinking...although I have been close. This year for Patriot's Day, I'm taking it easy. :)

24. I played on the first girls lacrosse team for my high school.

25. I'm so glad I have more than one best friend...you know who you are! Oh, and I hate tomatoes.

Holy Moley, it's a Great Day!

2009-02-04T18:29:00.003-05:00

Wow. I felt my heart beating faster when I saw the number 617-589-0100.

This is it...

"Hello?"

"Hi Jessica, it's Stephanie from the museum. I'm calling to tell you that I got an email from Diana today and she wants you to join them for the Eye-Opener program."

"Really!? That's great!"

"Yes, haha, I'm glad to be calling you with some good news for once!"
(she actually said this, and it made me giggle...but it's so true)

"Well I'm so happy and I'd love to!"

* * * *

So, it went on like this. Getting details of start dates and paperwork. I was ecstatic. After all this time, and especially time spent trying to get a job at the Museum of Science...I've finally got a start. Granted, the position is only part-time and temporary, but I know it's a great opportunity and a perfect situation for me. Resume after resume, and cover letters galore, I'm finally going to take a break for a bit. A bit, meaning until June when the job, internship and program will be completed and I will be available with a museum studies certificate, plenty of job experience and toughened skin to get me through to the next chapter of my life. Wherever that may lead...

So take a toast for me and thank God for knowing the right time and the right place for me to grow. I owe Him a lot.

Also praise for being free and clear of skin cancer! Got to check those moles out once in a while you know. The doctor said I'm what they call "Holy Moley". I just couldn't get over that, it was great!

Enter to win FAB prizes!

2009-02-03T22:22:00.001-05:00

Lucky you! The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2- What I create will be just for you.

3- It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)

4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Welcome To The New Year! (or February, take your pick...)

2009-02-03T11:23:00.003-05:00

Punxsutawney Phil says six more weeks of winter...

Where does he get off! Seriously. You think he knows weather? That cute, cuddly little critter? All he knows is how to crinkle up his nose and make all the girls go "Awww.."

Six weeks, balderdash!

...so it's snowing right now. A storm is coming. Phooey. Ok, all I'm really saying is that I want my own punsutoto groundhog. Is that too much to ask??

On another note..

Welcome to the new year! So I missed the first month. (gasp) Ok, sorry to all my raging fans but I've been quite busy and have got at least a bit to show for it. I started my last class of my program, exhibition development. We're a class of about 20 and will be working on an exhibition about Gertrude Beals Bourne, a lesser known artist who lived in Boston in the late 1800's. It pretty much goes like this: Back Bay, wealth, European summer getaways, private artist teachers...wealthy. She was definitely one of those privileged few who pretty much got anything she wanted. And she wanted to paint, so that's what she did.

In other words, we'll be creating an exhibition probably about her life, her time and her watercolors. Actually, her work is really great. I love all the travel scenes, for obvious reasons. May 7th is the big day for the reception, so if any of you are planning on an East Coast visit, that would be a great time to come! (but I'm also leaving for a couple weeks on the 13th...fyi)

Oh yes, that's another thing! I'm going to Chicago with George (for his sis's graduation, congrats Jessie!), then taking a road trip back with his mom and sis to Utah. Can you believe I've never been to Yellowstone? Well, tally-ho my friends! I'm on my way this spring! I should be rolling into the valley about the 22nd or 23rd. Take note. :)

Another busy bee item has been getting my internship settled for the spring. I will be working at the New Art Center, a small community institution outside Boston. I'll be helping the exhibits coordinator with installation/de-installation, graphics/ads, gallery talks, preparation for education reviews, and much more. I'm pretty excited that I'll get some good experience under my belt, since that's been one of the main struggles in making it work out here. These days, people want you to have both a degree and a lot of experience. And, it's looking so that attaining a Master's is more credible as a job requirement. I've decided school never stops. *sigh* However, once I'm done with this graduate certificate program, (which will most likely be by the end of the summer) I am going to take a school and tuition break and just work for a while. Geez, I'm only 23. I've still got time.

Speaking of 23, I'll be 24 soon! Woohoo! It's kinda crazy growing up, thinking about all the things that are happening in your life, and in others lives. Geez, the next thing you know I'll be sproutin' out kids! Haha, just kidding...seriously not for awhile...but still weird to think about. This year, I hope St. Patrick's Day will be just as good as last year, with the hope of a little warmer weather. Fingers crossed!

Well I just wanted to say this whole blog thing has been fun for the past year, and I hope to continue writing on a regular basis. So...it hasn't been everyday, but hey, that's what I do! I remember writing in my journals when I was little and I had a goal to do it every day. The next entry went a little like this, "Dear Kitty (shh...that's what my diary's name was..), Sorry I haven't written in a while, but this is what has been happening this past month. Well David (my 3rd grade crush...) ran past me during recess <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 (yes, I did draw 7 hears after his name...was my lucky number!) and my heart skipped a beat!"

Anyway, I love you all and I'm going to leave you with a little song. Imagine me serenading your tender hearts as I croon at the night sky. :)

Love,
Jess

Matt Wertz:
Keep Faith

Everybody hurts Everybody’s broken But you gotta know If you ever need me I will be waiting I... Even when your hope is gone Even when you’re barely holding on If there’s anything that I’m sure of I know that we were made for love So if you start to break Keep faith Keep faith When the days drag on And you’re barely breathing Searching for a light You’ve had all along Trust me, I’ve seen it And if I could Baby, make you believe it Oh… Even when your hope is gone Even when you’re barely holding on If there’s anything that I’m sure of I know that we were made for love So if you start to break Keep faith Just let yourself go Just let yourself go Just let yourself go Just let yourself If there’s anything that I’m sure of I know that we were made for love So if you start to break Oh… Even when your hope is gone Even when you’re barely holding on If there’s anything that I’m sure of I know that we were made for love If you start to break If you start to break Baby, if you start to break Keep faith Oh… You gotta keep faith Oh baby You gotta keep faith Keep faith.

*Oh you gotta love the cheesy middle of this song! But still, I just like keeping faith in my own life. Gotta get up another day, gotta keep the faith. Plus, I love Matt Wertz. So there. ;)

PS. Sad day for the Cardinals, but just know I was cheering for them the whole time!!!!

Here's To Me Grog!

2008-12-15T16:06:00.002-05:00

Can You Say Cranberry Sauce?

2008-11-24T14:08:00.004-05:00

Thanks for all the comments from my last post, my fams! I like hearing what you have to say about my funky and slightly awkward moments in The Hub.

So I'm looking forward to this week because, #1 it's pretty much two days until I get a long 5 day weekend! Mini-vacation! And #2 because I get to taste this apparently delicious Halupki when I go to Binghamton, NY for George's family Turkey Day. It's a dish that he fully described to me last night after our "Jump-The-Gun-Turkey-Run" soiree, which was also fabulously feasted with succulent turkey that Mr. G$ seared and roasted to perfection...anyway, the turkey run has now finished it's 2nd year, where we all get together with friends and have our own baby mama drama before the real thing happens with families all across the country. ;) But seriously, last night I was stuffed to the gills and I probably get to do it all over again in a few days...but what else is Thanksgiving good for besides gluttony? It's not like those pilgrims and indians were important at all...

Next up?

Post Thanksgiving update and the Mustachio Bashio. Oh and I also have forgotten that it's almost the time that I started this thing...and I haven't finished my "best of" for 2007! Tisk tisk...I'll have to get on that before the clock hits midnight in a month.

For any who are curious...check this out:

http://novembeard2008.blogspot.com/

Oh and did I forget to tell you how I got sprayed in the face with a fire extinguisher? Yeah, that stuff stings. :)

Honest Mistake

2008-11-17T13:32:00.002-05:00

So imagine this:

It's Sunday evening. You're having a lovely dinner with your family. Conversation is flowing, your aunt is trying to get Sally to eat when all she wants to do is run and bounce off the walls, Uncle Tom is feeding the gabbing baby while awkwardly picking at his own roast beef. Then to everyone's sudden surprise, a girl in a white beanie holding a book and a large bag stuffed with technology comes waltzing through the front door.

Forks are dropped, along with jaws. Sally suddenly stops in her tracks. Looks go furiously from inquisition to "who in the hell..?"

This girl seems torn, face crumpled. Obviously scared and embarrassed. Her steps edge backward as if walking away from a carnivorous canine.

The door shuts.

....

I wonder what conversation ensued after that click of the handle...because...THAT OBLIVIOUS GIRL WAS ME!!!

After sudden fear and complete idiocy, I ravishly laughed while walking down the stairs of the wrong house, as the boys behind me giggled and informed me that they were actually yelling, "this is not my house!"

I just wonder how many years grandpa will be telling stories of, "The girl who busted down our door."

(...as I slap my palm over my forehead...)

The Framing of the Roger

2008-11-10T14:08:00.005-05:00

What a whirlwind of a month right! So much that I can only remember Halloween, job searching and Obama.

You know I remember about two winters ago, I was in Philadelphia and New York, and in passing I heard this name Obama. Who knew that two years later, I would be watching history being made. No matter what the speculation or who you voted for personally, we can all agree that it's prime time to make some significant changes in our lives. From changing to new and efficient light bulbs or living within our means and taking more walks, we should all strive to become healthier in every facet of our lives. I'm just happy for the optimism and excitement we have ahead of us.

This is also the first time an election has truly taken an impact in my life. I voted last election, but I feel now that I wasted it, since my excitement for just taking another step into adulthood overtook the need to make an informed decision. I took the time this time. And let me say not only was it exciting yet tough, it was also entertaining! Especially when I saw "Super Dale" on the ballot for governor! In my information searching for Utah candidates, it came to my surprise that this "Super Dale" guy was that dude in all those commercials from so long ago! Did that ever take me back down memory lane! Also, my old elementary school principal running for senate my me giggle...I do recall her yelling at me once...

Nonetheless, I voted and I am happy.

Other than that huge event in everyone's lives, Halloween was a hoot...although I can't say I was an owl! (Oh! Gotcha! Haha...) First of all, I ordered a perfect red-sequined dress from China. Ebay is wonderful isn't it? The day my dress arrived, I rushed down the T to the Coolidge Corner post office. A big bag with my name on it always makes me smile. So while standing back at the T station, I ripped open the bag to find lots of sparkly fabric and a bib. Yes a bib. Those Chinese...it was a thank you for ordering from me. Bibs, who would've known!

After a bit of alteration and some major purple make-up efforts, I transformed into Jessica Rabbit. And no, she's not a rabbit! But Roger is! Yes, George was a sewing master and crafted an amazing Roger Rabbit costume from scratch. Ok, so he got the ears and bunny tail from a "sexy bunny" costume, but we all know he's a sexy bunny right? ;) If there was a best costume contest, there is no question who would've won. We had total domination. Sorry Burger King, king...maybe next year when you have your pickled princess with you. You want it your way right?

Unless you can send me pictures and convince me otherwise, I will humbly take the prize.

On another note, I'm still searching for a better opportunity for me. A job that will help me grow and develop my skills and talents. This is probably not the best time, but at the same time, a great time for new ideas. Who knows if I can create my own position somewhere? Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers, I need it everyday.

The brighter side is that for my internship, I have been so nicely asked to develop and re-vamp an existing exhibit at the Museum of Science...painting and all. Prayers could also be used to bring back all those young years of painting class in elementary school!

Love you guys!

PS. Would you kill me if I listened to 2 Christmas songs today? ;)

Always Remember the Gravitron.

2008-10-17T15:21:00.007-04:00

Well hello again!

It's officially Friday and the weekend will start in T-minus 60 minutes, woo hoo! So since my last post, sorry that sounded all depressed-like, though it was not my intention. :)

In this time of all our uncertainty, I just need some wise advice from all my dear loved ones you know? Thank you to all who responded and had some very kind words to offer. XOXO!

Now, what have I been up to otherwise? Well I'll tell you! Birthdays, Ashley visits, Flying, Camping, DA HOOOF!, Fairs, Corn dogs, Traffic..oh the traffic, Portland! Oh so much! Here are a few pictures to summarize:

A few points?

Always tell the boys that we need to leave 2 hours earlier than we really do.

Don't forget DA HOOOOF!

Don't piss off the witches of Dogtown.

Be wary of ticks in your bum.

Always go to George's Place in Gloucester. Seriously, their breakfast kicks some major tush!

Oh! And ALWAYS go on the Gravitron and eat TEXAS-sized corndogs, when you get the chance!

Ps. Careful of those carnies!!!

Small Pushes

2008-10-06T15:09:00.003-04:00

This is probably the most confusing time in my life. With about a million resumes and cover letters strewn throughout my files, I have yet to find something that will put me on a path to success and fulfillment. It's a major rollercoaster. It kind of goes like this:

1. Excitement. Ooh, you've found something that could possibly be a foot in the door to the future institutions you'd want to work for.
2. Motivation, thrive for learning about the company, going to every meeting/info session, a real pride for where you are.
3. Time flies when things are calm, getting into a routine.
4. But then, suddenly a drop! People leave, things change! What once was not broken must now be fixed, and you're right in the middle of it.
5. Haha, then you try and get your self out of the whole mess by any means necessary. New ideas, new attitudes...new place? But to no avail, it seems.
6. You can see the hills up ahead and know that you can't avoid them..but why is the second hill so damn hard to get past??

Advice anyone?

The Countdown

2008-10-03T16:12:00.002-04:00

Oh man, work is almost done for the day and I reeeeallly need to pee! The trials of life! Sheesh!

Biggest Little City In The World

2008-09-25T15:55:00.001-04:00

Well, the day is almost done and I'm off tomorrow morning at 7 sharp to go see the Tinker side of the fam damly. :)

Surprisingly, we can ALL make it this weekend! We'll see what a little Tinker action has in store for me the next few days...

Finally Back

2008-09-11T14:42:00.022-04:00

Here's the story, or rather, stories...of my life within these past few weeks. It's a story told with pictures, since you all know how much I love me my photos.

It all started off in lovely Utah. My home that will always be. I miss the skyline, the mountains and the 'wide open spaces'. Nothin' brings me back like the sweet words of the Dixie Chicks...

After the extra long jaunt home through DC and Chicago, George and I finally made it back. It wasn't that long until our social calendar filled up with dinners upon dinners with families and friends. One in particular stands out as the most merry of the bunch. Michael Gunnuscio and friends, or rather family, put on a great show! Mike's dad, who is the head honcho when it comes to Italian cooking, gave George's and my parent's a real treat of chicken marsala that Monday night. I don't really know what I was expecting when coming to the Gunnuscio household, but what I got was something unforgettable. A big family dinner with banter and tales of drunken boat sailings...things that kids intended on parents not to hear...and sightings of love through random hugging of restaurant employees. I can't tell you how much fun I had. (and how much that wine was making me flush, even if we weren't talking of "do you want to go somewhere and talk?" talk.) Nonetheless, I thank the Irish-Italian peas in a pod of a family for the truly wonderful night. (And to Amy for reminiscing of our equally unforgettable SOUL circus!)

Next on the agenda was George's 'Big Wednesday'. Basically a pub crawl where a pub crawl might seem absolutely impossible without putting your wallet on fire. Salt Lake City. The theme was 'Hawaiian Luau' and it was sure to impress as Sasha, George's tall frenchie friend, came waltzing through the door garbed up as a PALM TREE! The only thing UN-great about that nut-holding tree, was his palm leaves brushing in my face every five seconds. No wonder I can't remember how many drinks I had that night!

Even PRB and his roomie showed up!

So finally, here we come to the awaited prize. The Mt. Man Rendezvous. Let's just set the scene with the arrival of George and I, and the words of my grandpa, "Don't you get too comfortable over there, your tent is over there..." As he points to the shower tent.

"Here" I say, as I hand my grandpa a bag full of beer.

"Hmmm...ok, ok, this is looking good. You got any money to go along with this??" He gloats.

And the festivities began!

George started with a look that was considered 'good enough for now..' But as soon as he added fringe on the vest, he was kickin' some heels!

I got to show off my own guns with this extra-long muzzle. (If that's what you call it??) Apparently, I have the 'woman hips' to hold guns like these. Or so the toothless mt. man said to me in the shop...

We came across a handful of toothless men, by the way. Each offering libations. Ok, only one offered us libations, only after we stumbled upon his fart-making-tent! But I am not bragging when I say, we made him elated with our smiles. Rich.

Magic shows, kites, cannons, cannonballs...haha, and storms, all hailed the 2008 year of the rendezvous. I think when it was all said and done, we both had rosy burnt flesh and cold hail-battered bruises...but all worth it in the end. Plus, I even acquired a megatoothed tent! Thanks Grandma!

After we got back to the safety of the valley, the only thing on the agenda was Brewvies and rest. Oh and fabulous haircuts, that we desperately needed.

Lovely before shots:

*Note the full scruffiness...

Now, let's see a nice after picture, shall we?

*Note how clean cut we are...

Now, let's see how our plane ride back to Boston went.....

*Now note the highlighted area of the picture...

FU MAN CHU! Boy 'der was I a lucky little lady to be ridin' with such a slice a homepie!

(Don't worry everyone, it got progressively funnier/worse with columns too. Haha, sorry I just had to show you all what you're getting into when you hang around this muscle man.)

Well we got home alright, and I couldn't believe how pungent the smell of the ocean was when we walked out of the airport. Man I love that smell. It's funny how you get used to things over the months. I need to go down to the harbor more often.

(Doesn't George look like a regular 'ol tourist?! Hee hee!)

Boston has been nice ever since we've been back. Weather-wise anyway. Sunny and summer-like. Quite a difference from when we left, which felt like monsoons every other day. Sheesh! But both coming home to new apartments, and myself to new roommates, we've had our share of stressors. Funny story though, so George, Mike and Aaron were supposedly getting new couches and felt kind enough to give my new abode a new look with their old ones...however, as soon as they were about to pick up their new couches, the dude told them that his wife changed her mind and was not going to be selling anymore. What a bummer! Haha, now I'm sitting on their couches while they're sitting on crates! Well maybe not crates...but that would be funny.

Last weekend, we all went up to New Hampshire to participate in a high school fundraising 5K. Guess what? We ALL won medals! Friggin' schweet! Mike, Ben and George swept their division winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. And I, my friends, won 3rd in my division. Ok, so there were only 3 women in my division...but still! My only 2 goals were to not stop running and to make it in at least 30 min. Done and Done. I'm pretty proud. The only question I have about this organization though is, who gives away 30 pounds of chocolate as a raffle at a race?!

Apparently New Hampshire. :)

Anyway, my life is hectic. But I absolutely love it. Thank you to all of my friends and family who came to see me and spend time with me while I was home. You don't know how much it means to me, especially being so far away for the better part of the year. I had a blast and will be looking forward to the next time I can get paid to dress up in 1840's garb and hang out with palm trees.

My room still needs dusting. Paint needs to be on the walls asap and I have class readings to do. Life is going, and that's all I can say. I just have to keep in the now and not worry about if my car registration will get done in the future. It will. (Promise Dad, I promise!)

Hope you enjoyed the tales. Obviously this is the "long-shortened version" but alas, I'm only so adept. I love you all, keep writing to me. And if you want to send me more pics of the rendezvous, (grandparents...!) I wouldn't be opposed to it!

Cute Bunns!

Almost Caught Up On Life

2008-09-08T10:16:00.003-04:00

Keep an eye out for tomorrow! I will be posting about my trip to Mt. Man AND my amazing race from this weekend where I won 3rd Place! Woot!

Jonesy and The Leeches

2008-07-29T17:51:00.003-04:00

Did you know that leeches will chase you?

Well, my friends, let me be clear; leeches CHASE YOU! I'll say that I have never had an experience with a leech until this last Saturday morning when George woke me up (at the crack of dawn, mind you...) to take me fishing...

We headed out Friday evening, to camp in New Hampshire's White Mountains, Russell Pond to be exact. After a pit stop in Tilton, NH where the nightlife is beamin', we grabbed our wood and hurried to relieve Ben from a 3 hour stint trying to keep a fire alive and a buzz in his belly. I really haven't been camping in a long while, so I was ecstatic when we started setting up the tent in the thick green thicket and roasting marshmallows on the fire. Just when we were getting cozy, a large bright light swept over our camp and the thudding hum of a truck screeched to a halt just at the foot of the path. With the lights still on, a few men stumbled out and started walking to the fork. George went down to check out the scene, since that scratchy truck was basically on my car's rear end.

"Jerry!?" cried the man.
"Um no..." I'm assuming George said this...

Then another group of men from the campsite yonder came to meet the obviously intoxicated individual.

"Can you believe how f&^*ing green this is!" said Jerry's first mate. Then with probably a breath of 'hello' Jerry's friend tumbled into the said green bushes with a loud thud.

As you know, we all were watching the new development with an eyeful of fervor and consequently started laughing our little behinds off! It was probably the funniest thing I have ever seen while sitting around a campfire. So funny, that I started snorting (thanks Jen..) and holding my area of relief (thanks Becky..) to keep from putting out the fire!

Side note: Funny that I did not realize this earlier, but we had our own Sailor Jerry to laugh to...(wink wink)

Anyway, after the commotion, we calmed down for a night under the starry sky. This brings me back to the leeches. Morning rose with a beautiful mist. The water on the pond was so calm and crystal clear, I actually thought we had to do some seriously climbing to get down to the shore. The shore was no more than 5 feet away at this point. George lured me to wade in the water to get to a farther and better fishing spot. After realizing the water wasn't that bad in the cold department, I hear from behind me, "I hope that's not what I think it is! Oh wait, it is..." A leech! I have never seen a live, slimy squirmy, red, gross leech before and here was this little rascal chasing after my leg!!! George came to my rescue after the thing came back, scooped it up and threw it to it's demise on the dirt-ridden land. This wouldn't be the end of the leeches during the trip, but it was at least out of sight to me. (I'll have you know though, that this is the same feeling when you have a spider in your bed, or crawling up your pants; you just keep feeling them all over. Paranoid, you constantly check every limb, OCD-like, for the remainder of the day.)

After fishing, catching frogs and newts, cheesy egg scrambling, rain-proofing and lunch-time napping, we went back for some more water fun. George and Ben decided to find a better place to fish and ended up swindling our kind neighbors to lets us use their kayak. They rode around for awhile, then switched it up to let George and I go for a spin. We ended up finding a nifty little rope swing on the other end of the pond. Let me tell you, this was wicked fun! We took a few turns and then headed back to grab the rest of the bunch. The plan was to let Mike, Amy and Ben hop on over and then taxi George and I back, but alas this did not happen the way it was planned. I blame too much fun. The rest of the day pretty much went like this:

More frog catching.
More rope swinging.
More napping.
More fishing.
More eating.

Then the rain came. After our Brats and Beer, a clap of thunder hit and you could literally hear the rain sweeping across the pond. I knew it was coming, fast. After sitting in our rain proof hut, the night wore thin and I grew tired. While I thought it was a good idea to go to bed, George Mike and Amy thought it was a good idea to go catch more amphibians. (are you starting to notice a trend with these frogs...?) Yeah me too. So this was about midnight. I slipped in the tent, fell asleep and woke up and hour and a half later to Mike coming back to refresh his stock. I thought to myself, 'oh they probably won't be too much longer. Half hour maybe...' The next thing I know, I'm waking up at 3:30 in the morning and they are still not back. Worried, I get out of the tent and use the only light source I had, my ipod. I know, lame. But in my best efforts to go looking for these crazy fools, I got too scared to walk in the intense black of night, during rain nonetheless. So I climbed in the tent Ben is sleeping in.

"Hey. They aren't back yet. What should we do? I'm worried."
Sleepily Ben mumbles, "Huh, ummm I don't know..."
He looks at his watch.
"Well I'm staying in here until they get back"
...
...
"Maybe they got taken in?" Ben says.
That sets my mind off racing...all sorts of situations run through my head. Taken in by cops, held behind bars with one phone call, which I actually thought at that point it might be good to check my phone, attacked by bears, attacked by hitchhiking crazy murder men...

Then we hear voices coming up the path. And then a light. It was them, they were back. I step out of the tent and say, "Where were you!?"

"You don't want to know," all three chime in together.

Turns out, the frog hunting was a success. Then, they thought it might be a good idea to commandeer a canoe sitting helplessly on the shore of the pond. After floating out into the middle of the pond, Mike accidentally tips to the side and isn't quick enough to correct, which ends up capsizing the canoe which then became impossible to flip back over. To make this long story short, they came back soaking wet from swimming for an hour or more to shore, each with only one shoe and Amy with a leech in her behind. (Dang leeches!) After I hugged them all and said "I'm glad you're ok.." I slapped them all silly! I was worried! Making me think they'd been taken in an exit-only manner by some pedophiliac New Hampshirites! Geez!

After all the slapping and blood sucking and water logging I believe this weekend was a camping success. I mean, after all Jonesy, who was a very lucky little fly ended up living after accidentally falling into Mike's beer! That's got to be good, right?

All Kinds of Witchery Things

2008-07-25T13:23:00.004-04:00

"Witch witch! She's a witch, he's a witch! Your dog's a witch!"

Although there is absolutely no validity to this quote, I'm pretty sure that's what was said in 1692, the year of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Sure everyone has heard of the trials, but how many times have you gotten the chance to see where these people lived? Up close and personal even!

Amy and I started off toward Salem, which is actually not too far from Boston...about a half hour. It's a small cluttered town and once you enter, prepare for everything witch. Besides the multitudes of museums, there are little stores filled with trinkets and glittery toys, all to enchant your sorcery imagination. Tarot, palm readers, witch dungeons, and magic dominate the common area. There are tall, ominous-looking mansions and 17th century cottages all wrapped around the Salem Harbor.

We started off at the Witch House, which (haha, see what I did there? ;) is actually the house where the weathly town sheriff George Corwin lived. He was a prominent man who was involed in most of the village's hysteria. It was crazy to see how "wealthy back then" was simply a 4 room house with a fireplace. And one interesting fact? You can tell how much money a family had by measuring the heigth of their ceilings! The higher the room, the more money you had. Basically since you had more money to heat the bigger room.

Next we paddled around to the Witch History Museum, where we walked through a basement of diaroma exhibits depicting the stories of the 3 afflicted girls, Tituba the carribean servant, the townspeople, George Burroughs the minister getting pulled out of his house, Gallows Hill where most of the accused where hanged, and the cemetery where Giles Corey, an accused man who refused to respond with a plea, was buried. Corey was actually smashed to death with piles of rocks! Uck!

The next stop was the Witch Dungeon Museum, which was basically the same thing, except for the little acting out of a trial and the actual beam from the dungeon itself. The dungeon was a place where all the accused were held. And get this! They actually had to pay for their accomodations and food! So, you can imagine if you were a poor farmer...yep, they called them "coffin cells" You couldn't even lie down in these things! I think people died from just mere exhuastion of standing 24/7!

After some lunch at the Upper Crust, a delicious pizza joint, Amy and I hit the last stop: The Pirate Museum! I know, witches? Pirates? Relation? Well this was the late 17th century and piracy in the New England area was full force and abound! Now these pirates called the Salem Harbor their safe haven because, well, Boston Harbor was just too dang big for their briches! I mean, well they didn't want to get caught. So we learned about Blackbeard and William Kidd, and also the first woman pirate, who was in fact the last pirate to be hanged here in New England. It was a mighty good time! Our tour guide was a little fast talker but after the 'arghs' and 'gahrs' we made off with all our appendages. Also, an interesting tid bit...the reason why pirates are missing an eye, leg or hand? Well there was a pirate bonus for anyone who lost a body part during battles. Talk about workers comp!

Anyway, that's my history lesson for ya'll today. Brief and golden. I'm on my way to go camping in the White Mountains for the weekend...so keep an eye out for some tall fish tales! Here fishy-fishy! Here fishy-fishy! And a good AAARGGH! (just for good measure.)

The Pen is Blue!

2008-07-23T10:38:00.002-04:00

So I'm off to the Salem Witch Museum.

When I get back, prepare for a history lesson! This week has been full of history, from the infamous Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, to the polygamist communes I've been reading about in "Under the Banner of Heaven". You guys have no idea how 'different' some people can be...

I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories from those crazy Puritans that once ruled all of New England! Wait, they still do! Crazy blue laws...did you know that the Puritans once banned Christmas for 200 years in 1659?

Cheese and Wine

2008-07-21T20:15:00.002-04:00

Ok! I admit it! I saw Mamma Mia before seeing Batman!

There, I said it.

Aw man, that's been on my chest for the last 24 hours...phew!

So now before you go chastising me, I must tell you Mamma Mia had some very fine points. It had glitter, glamour, song & dance, Grecian landscapes and Pierce Brosnan singing. All that make up for some fine and purely entertaining cinema. Yes really. Ok, it started off completely and ridiculously cheesy...but then the cheese aged and it grew into ripe deliciousness. Pure cheese, pure satisfaction. All I needed was some fine wine...

....which Batman had promised and delivered to be! Oh and what a fine wine it was! Christian Bale, Heath and that new Ken-esque guy...

This weekend was surely not a disappointment.

A Weeks Worth of Llama's and Fireworks

2008-07-08T14:50:00.010-04:00

Well well! I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! As some of you may know, it's one of my favorite holidays...but then again I just love holidays in general. Here's the thing: I love holidays because it's an excuse to get dressed up in some silly garb and spend time with friends and family, whether it's eating roasted duck, singing Irish drinking songs, or watching parades and fireworks! But wait, I just had a thought. I don't really need an excuse to do all that, right? I mean Andrea, Camille and I got dressed up all the time for no reason. I remember one night, Andrea and I wanted to watch The Sword and the Stone, (or was it The Road to Eldorado??) anyway, we decided to dress up like medieval princesses. (it must have been The Sword and the Stone then..) Well, she ended up looking like a British punk pop diva and I ended up looking like a Grecian harlet. Ahh, the times!

Nonetheless, the weekend was filled with fabulous and spectacular down home enjoyment. It actually started off with a trip to the UniverSOUL Circus, and let me emphasize SOUL. Haha, all I saw when I went to grab the tickets were cornrolls and finger snappin'. If you know what I mean by that, well then good for you. It was so cliche. I'm serious...fried chicken jokes included. Anyway, Mike's little sis Amy, is staying with all the boys for the summer so I decided to try and get her out of the house by taking her to the circus. Plus, I've never been! We got to see zebras, llamas, tigers and elephants. Clowns and acrobats, Chinese flippers as well! There was even a "little" sidekick, who had some killer dance moves! I'll tell ya, I've never felt so pasty in my life! And it was awesome!

Friday morning we were well on our way to go cove kayaking on Spectacle Island, but unfortunately due to "island maintenance" we had to forgo that idea and instead see the Gloucester Sea Chanty and Clogging Band on Georges Island. (yeah, would you believe there really is a 'georges island' ?) Although when we got there, there was no clogging to be had and they in fact were not from Gloucester. Oh good 'ol Gloucester! They did sing Yankee Doodle though and played the pogo bass/thingy, yeah that. :)

We stopped and had some delicious meat, burgers, rice, noodles, pound cake, more meat and soda from the family that George carried coals for on the ferry to the island. They were incredibly sweet, and would not stop handing us food. They could've rolled us of the side of the island and we'd have floated back home no sweat! The remainder of the day was filled with tourists, arm painting, cell-phone hugging, BBQing and watching fireworks from a penthouse apartment with a killer view of the entire city!

Saturday, we got up early once more to make our way to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, New Hampshire! Oh and the boys were super excited! For what I say?! Ok, who am I kidding...

After learning how the brewery worked and that Budweiser, Michelob, Natural (light or ice..no just natural..) were all the same company, we sat down in the "hospitality center" to have a few samples. Our conclusions? I love the Michelob Ultra Raspberry Pomegranate beer and the Summer Ale was OK. The Clamato beer was Uck! and the Lime infused was not so bad for me, but the boys hated it. The stout definitely puts hair on your chest, so I passed on that one. And the porter was a close second. I'll stick to my pales and ambers. :)

After the brew-haha, we took off for some poolside BBQ and a little lacrosse playing. The night rounded down with some lighting of our own fireworks in which the "Grand Canyon" was AMAZING!!! Sunday the day was good enough to head to the beach where some wave surfing was definitely in order!

So what do you get when you play hard all weekend? YOU SLEEP HARD! And that's definitely what I did the last two nights. Too bad it was too much of a sweaty hot mess over here to use any blankets, or clothes for that matter....

KIDDING!

But I'll just say it was minimal. ;)

Seeds and Sweat

2008-06-26T12:35:00.002-04:00

Hello my everyone! It's officially summer now, can you believe it? June has flown by, but this assures me that I'll get to see all of you that much sooner!

I am really excited to come home for a bit.

One thing today that would make me really happy is if you all checked out this website:

http://www.lifeisgood.com/festivals/LIG-kids-foundation.aspx

And then, consider donating because George is going to kick some major tush by competing in the Boston Festival this year!

Synopsis:

"A playful spirit and a love of quirky games. You'll compete and laugh your way through a number of non-traditional events, including seed spitting, Frisbee toss, and bocce. The only sweat you'll break will be on the obstacle course, and the competition is decidedly low-key and friendly. That is, until the drama of the final rounds, when the crowds swell, records are challenged, and a bragging-rights title is within grasp."

Let me tell you how excited he is...wait there aren't words for his excitement! I mean a seed spitting event? Come on now, that just screams George! So, here is his webpage for donations, I'm sure he'll appreciate anything you can give!

http://www.firstgiving.com/georgerocks

Thanks, I love you all!

Well Look At What We Gone N' Dun Now...

2008-06-19T16:08:00.003-04:00

Well what do you know!!!! The Celtics are our champions! After a long fought out battle, we (and look at me saying 'we' jeez) won our 17th championship...on the 17th nonetheless!

Although I am very happy for the C's, I will never ever ever stop being a Jazz fan. They came close this year...they came close last year. Getting into the finals I mean...because let's face it, if the Jazz beat the Spurs last year and the Lakers this year, yeah we would have been in the finals...but actually not choking and winning...well maybe if we got to keep Derek Fisher.

Anyhoo! The city has erupted in green. It's like St. Patrick's Day all over again. Woo hoo! Can I be 24 now? Kidding! I'm glad I still have 3/4 of the year left before that...

I hope all you enjoyed the finals. Too bad we couldn't have a 3 game sweep over here with sports. Now is a good time to be in Boston!

A Lesson in Life

2008-06-12T10:55:00.003-04:00

Question.

What do you do when you're waiting for someone to come out of a bathroom in the back of a grocery store and that someone turns out to be a rather large fellow with a blue wife beater and track shorts too short to match that says, " Aw man! Don't go in there! I'm sorry...uh...really.. is there some air freshener back here? (as he rummages through dirty hoses and paint supplies) Really, I've just had a hard day and well my, you know... (as he grabs his robust belly and gives it a jiggle) I'm sorry, ah I gotta go..."

So I thought to myself, well should I go in anyway? Can I just hold my breath? Not breathe through my nose? Do I have to go that bad? Hmmm...he is quite a large species...I'm sure he could create a rather large specimen...What do I do?!

I didn't have to go that bad.

There are just those times, I suppose, that 'just holding it' is necessary. :)

Killer Bruise Man!

2008-06-09T14:50:00.003-04:00

It is unbelievably hot today.

It was hot yesterday.

It will be hot tomorrow.

The crazy thing about New England is that it can go from being 50 degrees one night and the very next morning be 95 with 70% humidity. Yes, I have forgotten what humidity feels like. Oh the days in South Carolina, stepping out of the shower and then outside only to find the beads slowly forming, even when standing still. Yes the power of that huge star lying within our heavens, it is a bittersweet mistress...

Good news is it won't last long. In only 2 or so days, it should be back down to normal breathing temperature of 75 degrees. A comfortable and lovely feeling.

In other happenings, I'll let you all know that I'm a bruised son of a gun today. Yes, during the crazy notion of playing ultimate frisbee yesterday..yes crazy..I was unfortunately knuckled right in the collarbone. It was like slow motion, suddenly the white disk came into view...that sweet round piece of victory and then the next thing you know I see a white shirt in my peripheral vision. (Good thing it was the right peripheral, but not that that would've made any difference anyway!) And then BAM! Throbbing pulses through my right upper shoulder. Did I fall? I can't even remember...

I look down to see what everyone is staring at. And then it was like a scene out of a sci-fi movie--I actually did think about Iron Man in that precise second--here just below my neck was a tiny speckle of red, flaring out like mini veins through my skin. I could see the blood vessels popping! A blue spot here, a burst of red there! Oh the awe! Then I had to look away. I said I was fine. I was...kinda. I ran around for a bit more, tough and rugged, just like any lax alum should do. Let's just say the next game, was devoted to running in the probable pee-ridden fountain in the playground. It was divinely cold, to say the least, which was exactly what my sweat glands and popping blood vessels needed. :)

I am happy to say that I should have a pretty killer bruise in the next couple of days though. I mean, it's not too cool looking now, just red and pink with splashes of blue on the top...but when it starts turning yellow...now that will be the ticket! Haha!

Also, my first day of my internship at the Museum of Science was pretty schweet if any of you want to know more about it...especially the time when I put together an ostrich skeleton!

I Couldn't Have Written It Any Better

2008-06-05T13:17:00.003-04:00

So, I'm not sure if most of you know about the recent "event" this weekend. Well remember when I told the story of how George and I took a trip up to Hampton Beach, only to accidentally find ourselves in Gloucester (pronounced Glah-ster, for all you newbies...)? So in spite of that unfortunate yet inspiring event, we decided to go back for an intentional visit, just for fun. And this time, we took Mikey along! Once the stage was set, I knew we'd just be getting ourselves into some sort of shenanigans. So since I couldn't have written the story of our time in Gloucester any better...here I give to you the play by play straight out of Mike "our Italian savior" Gunnuscio's mind.

Ahem:

"This weekend George, Jessica and I took a field trip to Gloucester. This town in Massachusetts is the oldest fishing port in America. It is also where they filmed the movie The Perfect Storm. I was told before leaving that it has the best beaches in New England. Go ahead and giggle about "beaches juxtaposed with New England". I cannot say much for the beach atmosphere, partly due to the overcast weather we had that day, but it is very beautiful. There is a very pleasant fishing motif heavy present as well. It seems every house had lobster traps in the front yard. The houses are the typical grand New England style you would expect.

We did not have an agenda, and since Jessica had left her Tourist for Dummies guide book at home I found myself once again aimlessly walking through an unknown town talking to strangers. The people are refreshingly friendly and helpful. Without much prompting they will not only offer great advice, but also share their life story. We met Kristen upon arrival who had moved from California to take care of her ailing grandmother. Jay had a very impressive job as a resort appraiser, and boasted that he grew up in the most picturesque house in Gloucester. By far the most memorable people were met would be the local mafia.

Oh, now I have your attention I am sure.

It was around 11pm when we realized we had never gotten around to the delectable seafood dinner we had planned. Our search for food was proving extremely difficult, each place we entered had stopped surviving anything but a liquid diet. We resorted to walking the streets asking people in hopes of finding the local seafood midnight jackpot. I approached a group of gentleman smoking cigars on the sidewalk. I introduced myself and asked if they knew of anyplace to get dinner at this hour. The quickly replied that we should step inside the establishment they stood in front of explaining there was a italian buffet inside. George and jessica being famished quickly entered. I lingered speaking more to these kind older guys, and entered with them. I immediately noticed two things. One, this was not a restaurant. Two, every person in the place was Italian and seemed to be starring at me. I found my way to the back to find George and Jessica merrily enjoying plates of italian appetizers. Still feeling the skeptical examining gazes I explained that we "probably should not be here, and that I think we might get our own pairs of cement loafers is we stayed." My friends seemed only mildly bothered. Soon a few rough looking men approached me and started what became a short interrogation. After answering a few questions with responses like, "I don't know anyone here" and "please don't make me take a dirt nap" I was saved by the guy that invited me in. He seemed to be affluent and once he said "they are with me" no one really bothered us again. I chatted with him for a while trying to make a good impression. He actually asked for proof of my Italian heritage, which I made by showing him my passport.

A DJ started playing dance music, with almost no one dancing and this is where we go from being outsiders to relished guests. The three of us, no doubt elated at not being "offed" danced up a storm. In fact George and I started pulling heavily made up women onto the dance floor. Many were thrilled. Let's be honest, they were all thrilled. However the respective husband was not always thrilled, and more than once our dance partner was pulled away from us, or we were persuaded to find a new one by a subtle but threatening look of disapproval. We made friends, ate their food, drank their booze and danced with their women. Best of all I am alive and well and writing you the story of how it happened. I will end by saying at the end of the night we thought it better to leave the town and make our way safely back to Boston."

And there my friends, you have the story to pass on through generations. :)

Aww, nighty night.

2008-05-27T22:36:00.002-04:00

I just have a few things to say tonight. First of all "So You Think You Can Dance" is back on and running strong! Woo hoo! I can't wait to see what's in store this year. Oh, and this question is directed toward Kaye, "Did you watch it? And if so, did you see Mia Michaels do the 'freudian slip' about the Italian dude?" Haha! It was hilarious!

Secondly, check out these ridiculously gross pics of Tara Reid. Do any guys find this attractive?

http://x17online.com/celebrities/tara_reid/tara_gets_baked-12182007.php

And lastly, I read this pretty great line during my 'me time' night out at the bookstore, which was so badly needed:

"If you're lucky, putting together your life is a process that will last through every single day you're alive." ~Ann Patchett

I thought that was particularly profound.

Happy Memorial Day to the Lucky Ones

2008-05-26T11:55:00.006-04:00

It's 80 degrees out this Memorial Day and I'm stuck inside answering non-existent phone calls. Today at the museum we have an Open House, however I can't imagine anyone not wanting to get out and enjoy this phenomenal day by sailing, boating, playing park games or BBQ's. I guess that's just what I'd imagine myself doing. That OR watching the National Lacrosse Championships at the Patriot's stadium in Foxboro!!! Yeah that's today too and George, Aaron and Ben will be in attendance. I do have to say that of all the lacrosse players out here, they are for sure missing an integral part of LAX appreciation: ME!

Haha, ok enough complaining. I'm not a complainer really. I'll just vent a few sentences and then get over it. I'm also over it now because I'm making overtime money, which is something very needed right now. I filled up my tank yesterday and guess how much the bill came out to? Any takers? 50 buckaroos. Yep, 50! For my little car! I can't imagine my fellow friends and family who have SUV's still...sheesh!

Anyway--these past few weeks have been quick, but full of adventure! I spent a few days up in Ogunquit, Maine a couple weeks ago with "Das Pechmann's" as I've heard them be called. We filled our time by going on a lobstering cruise where we learned how to catch those delicious creatures. And yes, they ARE delicious! I had never eaten lobster before that night, and I don't think I can go back to being a non-fish/crustacean eater. Seriously. If I can entice you at all to come out here and visit me in the Northeast, the succulent lobster should do most of the talking! So come on over and I'll take you on an 'wicked adventchah'! (horrible attempt at an accent included!)

Not only did we experience the Lobstah, but also beach bocce ball, fireside talking, a rousing game of pool, touristy window shopping, brewerys, a natural wildlife reserve, the senior Bush compound at Kennebunkport, picnic lunches, lighthouses, ice cream and finally a 400 pound pig! Holy moly was that pig awesome! It just happened to be sitting in a yard full of random animals off the side of the road in Maine somewhere. We actually turned around so we could drive by again. I thought I had been seeing things, but I do believe we have the picture to prove it...but I may have to post that picture later, as it goes that my camera is definitely kaputt right now.

I've actually been spending much time up north of Boston, for this past week Andrea was here to visit. Wednesday, we took a drive up to Hampton for breakfast with her friend who was to be married and then Saturday I drove to Lake Winnepesaukee for the ceremony and reception. It was beautiful right on the lake shore, although a little chilly because of the wind. The food was superb, can we talk about surf and turf?! Yummy steak and shrimp! We danced the evening away with odd flashbacks of the Wedding Crashers montage when they played "Shout". Yeah that montage, you know the one with the flying women's...well assets. Haha!

After driving to Portland that night, we had a bit of Red Sox ice cream, hit the sack and woke up to drive back down to Boston to catch a plane. After saying my sad goodbye to a good friend, I hit up the usual frisbee game back home. It was a great day for roughin' around in the dirt. I say that because I was falling down and diving most of the game...no blood=you're not trying hard enough.. ;)

So that brings me back to here today. I'm sore. Haha, sore and daydreamy. Day dreaming that I was out and about...but alas *sigh*... The good news is that June is almost here and I get to experience a Boston summer! We'll see how sweaty I get...

Also, keep you're fingers crossed for me while I continue my search for advancement opportunities in the career section of my life...

An Odd #5

2008-05-09T10:45:00.005-04:00

I have officially been living in Boston for 38 weeks.

Now while figuring out this number, I thought to myself, "well that's not that long..." but after putting into perspective that there are only 52 weeks in a year...well that number jumps up quite a bit. Only 14 more weeks until I've been here for one year.

*GASP!*

One year? I've never been anywhere other than Utah for longer than 3 months. And at that time, I thought 3 months was long. It's crazy to think that I've woken up 266 times, gone to work about 146 days and have walked miles and miles in this unique and bustling city.

When I first arrived I was nervous, but somehow survived by running off the excited adrenaline pulsating through my bones. I met unknown relatives, got lost for hours in my car trying to find one-way and name-changing streets, I applied for multiple jobs, looked for hours at apartment ads, and met very bright people while feeling somewhat inadequate in graduate classes. Oh, and lost a bunch of money learning my lesson of parking in the city. (I wish very much I could forget that memory...!) Looking back I remember feeling at times overwhelmed and claustrophobic. Every building was tall and outside the city, every tree and bush barricaded my view from any glint of horizon--horizon that I was so used to seeing back home.

Now, 38 weeks later, I somehow feel comfortable and safe. Taking the train to work and walking to the grocery store is now normal for me. Seeing sunshine in the morning and rain in the afternoon happens all too often and parallel parking is still a pain--especially when I notice appearing car bruises constantly--but the rush of it all keeps an air of open-mindedness and opportunity. And this, this is why I'm enjoying this whole experience. I thrive off this feeling of opportunity. There is always something new to see, to do, to enjoy. There are always options, there are always ventures that you haven't quite got your feet wet in yet. There is always tomorrow, but never a forgotten memory.

I remember at one time before a class last fall, I was walking up the stairs on this Tufts campus that oddly reminded me of Utah State. I saw that there was an open terrace on top of the library. As I meandered my way through the boxed flowers, the sky suddenly opened. It was a horizon...I saw the Boston skyline, I saw the dense trees of the upper Northeast, I saw a glimmer of ocean, and I also saw the sunset. I can't describe how incredible it was to see that sun drop beneath the trees. I felt as though I could breathe again, so I did. I took a long and deep breath, and although it wasn't the spectacular sunsets we often overlook in the West, it was a bit of familiarity and comfort that said, "it will all be ok..."

Right now, even though I feel a stall in my life's goals and a lull in the action, I know that I'm still moving at the same pace as when I first moved here. Every sigh of relaxation brings me peace, but I know the hard part is not over. I don't think the hard parts of our lives will ever be over. There is always going to be some obstacle that we must hurdle, or some water that we must cross, but maybe if we all paddle a little slower and splash a little more, we'll enjoy and appreciate the scenery around us at the time. I'm taking my time. I'm enjoying my scenery and throwing water balloons at the people around me. I'm living my life out here! I never want to quit living my life by worrying about the future...

I started off this blog by wanting to talk about being a college graduate. The number 5 on my list of greatest things of 2007. But after reading a mind-stumbling quote by the Dalai Lama in Time magazine this morning, my mind slowly wandered to the thankfulness I have in every single day and the opportunities we have in this life to learn from our experiences, from each other and to understand the world around us. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to be out here, and to learn even more about myself. Who knows what will come later, but all I can hope for is that I never stop wanting taking those chances and dance in the smiles that surround me.

"Without relying on religion, we look to common sense, common experience and the findings of science for understanding." ~Dalai Lama

I know this quote may come as perplexing to some of you who know me, as maybe something that I wouldn't find worth remembering. But it actually describes my current state of mind quite well. Without relying on religion, and instead a God to give a mind that is capable of searching for better understanding of this world, I can put my faith in a uniquely fused-together universe that allows for both the acceptance of spirituality and science. To give a second look to an this ideal is so captivating, and this is why I say it's a 'mind-stumbling' quote.

Well the weekend I can now say is finally here. I'll be watching softball, movies and friends turn 30. (I know 30...totally different world out here) I'm really excited to see a Boston summer and all that can be offered. I'm sure you'll all be listening as I make my way through these next 14 weeks, so I just want to thank you all for caring. Until next time...

Two-Steppin' Astronauts

2008-05-06T11:40:00.004-04:00

So it's been awhile, yes I'll admit. But you have no idea how much stuff went on this past week!

First of all, a week ago today, I was priveleged enough to see and hear the 4th man to walk on the moon--Alan Bean--give a lighthearted yet inspirational talk about doing whatever makes your heart happy. When he started by saying, "Each and every one of you is different..." I almost started to tear up. Well ok, I did tear up...but no droplets came out I swear!

Mr. Bean was 76 years young and seemed to be teeming with life and vigor! He spoke about his obvious accomplishment of being one of the great men who have seen Earth from the dust prints on the moon, but what I loved most was his little anecdotal stories of his life. Somewhere on the moon, there is a small silver pin lying in the dust and whenever he looks back up at the moon, he wonders where it landed...How amazing it was to see someone standing before my eyes and to know that he has stepped his feet on land out there in the universe! But this was just an ordinary guy who told jokes and talked about Texas football!

Alan Bean is also an artist. He said that he had always loved painting, so why not paint something no one has ever painted before? The coolest thing? In some of his paintings, he has taken little bits of his journey (US flag patch, moon dust, NASA equipment pieces..) and has put them into his art! Wow! On of my favorite paintings that he showed was the one of him and another astronaut throwing a football across space. He said, "I thought 'why didn't I throw a football up there?' so instead I painted it! I used my artist's license!" He was hysterical. The night ended spendidly with a surpise guest in the audience, a Russian who asked how he felt about the Russian space program and how the KGB controlled everything. I felt like the music could've swelled with some high drama action beats and Sydney Bristow busts in decked out in a perfectly put-together costume, saying 'Da' all night long. Ahhh...but 'tis was not so...

Anyway, Alan Bean has given me new hope. New hope to get out there and not be afraid of what we feel we cannot do, but to have the courage and faith to do what we imagine to do!

So that was only Tuesday. :)

Wednesday and so forth brought on lots of cowboy hats and honky tonk dancing at a rare country club in Danvers. I mean rare, seriously rare. No one knows what country is out here! Except for Danvers-ians. And thank God for them!

You can tell spring is in the air though because Friday held a time for a great BBQ and Saturday for a short shorts extravaganza! Don't worry, it was just a house-warming party...nothing to get your panties all twisted in a bundle about! But man did I see legs! All I had running through my head all night was, "She's got legs! And she knows how to use 'em!" Thanks ZZ Top. I love you to pieces!

Well then, you may be "bored now" or you may be intriqued to check out Alan Bean and ZZ Top. I know peculiar combination, but try it out! Tell me how it fares. Until next time, which will be soon I swear...Love you all!

Fridays Bring Smiles

2008-04-25T11:37:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I fibbed. I didn't update like I said I would yesterday. Sorry! Other things on the mind ya know?

Anyhoo...I've got a few great things to say. First of all, for all you who are interested in seeing part of the Boston Marathon, I've got a video of Brett, George, Mike and myself running around like idiots..but mostly just Brett. ;) But I mean it is his podcast so...

But in other news, Brett a.k.a. The Amtrekker, was on Good Morning America this morning! It was so exciting to see our own V list celebrity movin' on up the ranks as he chatted with Robin Roberts about his life and list! Also, a stunning surprise, they were so glad to get the one and only Donald Trump on the telephone, so Brett could cross the "Tell Donald Trump he's fired" item off the list! Wow! I bet Brett is feeling pretty surreal right now. I hear he's headed back up here to Boston to tell us all about it!

So what else could be more exciting than running with Boston Marathoners and watching a friend tell Mr. Trump he's fired?

SAILING! Yep, the preppy yuppy in me is gonna get all geared up in stripes and anchors and hop on a free ride around the Charles this Saturday. Oh and perhaps tennis in the morning. Man! I'm turnin' into a regular old Ivy Leaguer here!

Well I hope you all have a great weekend! I know I will...I'll leave you with Marathon Madness!

Thursdays Always Come So Soon

2008-04-24T07:07:00.002-04:00

Good morning to all! I have woken up basking in sunshine! Mmmm, the best way to wake up most definitely.

Well, I'm off to work. Tonights events should be busy, but I have to say that I'm doing MUCH better after my resting day yesterday. When I get to work I'll have more to say, but until then...say thank you for the things you have right in front of you. :)

I wonder if I made it on TV when Lance Armstrong ran by...?

2008-04-22T14:55:00.003-04:00

I'm feeling totally obliterated today...just so you know. I'll have more stories soon, but right now all I can think about is the rolling of my liver inside every crevice of my body.

Thanks Marathon Monday.

In the mean time, check this out:

Would you do it?

2008-04-15T12:07:00.013-04:00

"The fierce Kingda Ka is simply the tallest, fastest roller coaster on Earth. This remarkable thrill ride breaks all world records for coaster speed and height, zooming from 0 to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds and catapulting you 45 stories into the sky.

Get propelled horizontally at 128 mph via hydraulic launch
Hang on tight as you shoot 90 degrees into a quarter-turn
Blast 456 feet high, then plunge vertically into a 270-degree spiral
Experience weightlessness as you swoop down a valley and up a 129-foot camel hump"

So...whaddya think? Think I could do it? Think I could do it TWICE! Hells yeah! Man what a weekend I had! Let me tell you about it.

First George and I were intending on driving up to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire to see Josh Kelley and Collective Soul in concert with Ben. We started off right on track and continued on I-95 while having good stimulating conversation about college and our experiences with crazy roommates and Ramen noodles. Anyway, the next thing you know I start to see cars ahead of me slow down...up ahead was a rotary. A ROTARY! (a round-about for all you non-knowers of the term rotary. Yeah I have a funny story about that too...let's just say a rotarian does not sit in a rotary over on the East Coast..) Alright, so thinking it's kind of weird to have a rotary in the middle of the freeway, George says..."Gloucester?! We're in Gloucester!" (pronounced GLAHSS-TAH) We quickly refer to my trusty map that got me across this large country.

View Larger Map

So you see the green arrow? That's where we were! And do you see the little town up the coast north of there called Salisbury? Well that's where we were supposed to BE! Being the smart and saavy travelers that we were, we re-routed to go across towns and backroads to try and get to the casino ASAP without going ALL the way back. Bad luck hit again though when we came to the bridge to cross into New Hampshire. "Bridge OUT OF ORDER!" And yes, it was screaming at us. Bridge out! You've got to be kidding me! We had to back track again...to finally find a through road to the 95. Once there, getting to Ocean Blvd. was easy. Though to think how much time we could have saved by actually paying attention to the signs. Boston officially gets my vote for city with the worst signage system. Officially.

After skipping through the sceevy slash mildly amusing town of Hampton Beach, we finally arrived to see Josh Kelley on the stage...and man was I happy. :) Oh and Collective Soul was pretty good too. All those early 90's songs I'd forgotten about, came around full force in my memory!

Man, but the weekend just gets better.

But rather than writing a novel that I know none of you have time for, I'll just summarize bulletin-stylie!

After concert, got pulled over in Burger King parking lot for missing tail light. (That damn tail light just loves to give me trouble doesn't it! Thanks for the jail record Mr. Tail Light!)
After warning ticket, we find out BK is closed. Humf.
Sleep, but only for 4 hours.
Wake up, get pulled over again...by the SAME cop. Exact words? "So we meet again..."
Drive through terential rain to NYC.
Cross George Washington Bridge to find we have to go back to pick up 1 Amtrekker.
Pay 8 bucks to fix that mistake.
Have eggs in a sans English shop in the Bronx.
See 1 Amtrekker wandering aimlessly.
Yell at 1 Amtrekker.
Accidentally hop on the fast track on the turnpike, have to pay MAXIMUM TOLL!
Drive to Jackson, New Jersey
See Angel, get in for free to Six Flags Great Adventure! Wahoo!
Get VIP treatment, escorted to the KINGDA KA! The fastest, tallest rollercoaster in the world!
Then the rain starts, shutting down the ride.
We wander aimlessly throughout the park, riding kiddie rides compared to the King...
20 minutes waiting for the worst ride that we never got to ride..blah!
And then...FINALLY! We see the clouds clear and the rain cease, to find ourselves with exit passes to ride the KING! Sheer exhileration!
Tiger show...

Haha, and then finally as we exited the park...where we were High Fived by all the newbies, or that's what I assume they were. We drove back to Boston that night, making excellent time and making sure that our stimulating conversation was NOT distracting us from the task at hand. All I knew is that I did not want to end up in Ohio or West Virginia...oh Lord please Not West Virginia....

And while I passed out peacefully in my bed, George and one kidnapped Amtrekker continued on throughout the night chasing fooseballs and kitty cats. And that's all. 2 days, a million roads, and one very happy camper.

Whoa Purple People Eater!

2008-04-10T15:09:00.003-04:00

Alright, so who has seen the NEW $5 Dollar Bill?

I'll admit, I was a bit freaked out this morning when I was counting money and all of a sudden I realized there was color on the bill. BUT WAIT! Not only that, I flipped it over to find a purple 5 on the back! Now that's craziness.

I just thought I'd share...Check your pockets for lurking magenta imposters! They're almost cute. :)

Punch Awesome!

2008-04-09T12:15:00.002-04:00

Hey family! Alright so I've got some homework for you to do. Have any of you heard of Nickel Creek, the band? Well if not, that's ok because a former band member, Chris Thile and his new band PUNCH BROTHERS is just as awesome!

It's a little bit of folk, little bit of bluegrass, and a little bit of soul all wrapped up into one!

I just thought you might want to hear about it and gear up for some great music to put on at the rendezvous this year! I'm looking into getting a flight back home for the shindig now. :)

I'll leave you with this:

Chicken Cacciatore Comes to the Rescue!

2008-04-08T10:28:00.004-04:00

Today, you should check out this:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/04/07/ntm.amtrekker.cnn?iref=videosearch

PS. I know him!
PS#2. Brett, come back to Boston!

************************************************************************

So it's really quiet today. I've been here for an hour with not one phone call. But now that I just said that...

That always happens. Grr. So I have to share my latest gripe. Weather forecasters. It's not really their fault I know, I mean weather is fickle. I understand, sort of. I just don't like it when they are WAY OFF! Forecast for Sunday? 45 and Sunny, perfect outdoor weather! Well perfect for us over yonder. 45 is good and 48 is sandal weather...what can we say? When the sting of Boston wind subsides, it feels like Aruba. (not that I've been there...but I imagine)

Anyway, when waking up on Sunday morning I find not only is it not 45 and sunny, but it's not even 44, or 42..heck I'd even be happy if it were 39. But no! It was 32! With wind making it feel like 29! And the sun was indeed being stubborn and shy, so it decided to cry for me. Rain. All day....

Good thing I had some good cacciatore that night, totally saved the day. Thanks Mike.

PS. Mom, I'm going to the eye doctor tomorrow. You'd be so proud of me...

Sweet Caroline!

2008-04-04T15:45:00.002-04:00

Four things:

#1. I love watching people

#2. I love watching people sing karaoke.

#3. I enjoy hyperbole.

#4. I enjoy hyperbole while playing the dating game in the Hong Kong Karaoke Bar.

That is all.

HUGE Earthworms!

2008-04-02T12:13:00.002-04:00

Glorious Wednesdays return.

I woke up to a beautiful morning today, and although it's a bit colder than yesterday (it was 60!) I can tell spring is practically here! This weekend looks promising, with sunshine and 55 on Sunday. Perfect for getting outside. Frisbee? Lacrosse perhaps?

Speaking of Lacrosse, I picked up my stick and threw around a few weeks ago. Surprisingly I was better than I imagined myself to be after 3 or so years. I feel old. (I know you're all laughing...but think about that threshold you cross from feeling invincible to realizing that your body is constantly changing over the years. Don't laugh when you see me wincing over gray hairs! Sheesh!) Contrary to what you may think, I do like getting older. It's fun because of all the life you get to experience, good and bad, boring and exciting...and even though seeing those tiny wrinkles start to form around the crease of my mouth, it makes me laugh and think I'm lucky I've gotten to smile so much.

Anyway, since yesterday was so warm, I got the chance to 'step out of the city' and into the backyard of Boston. (Basically just across the street...) Even though I could hear cars faintly whizzing by, I felt like a kid again exploring the ponds of the Emerald Necklace designed by Federick Law Olmstead (I knew I knew that name George..and that I did say that about Central Park...but hey, give me a break...they almost have the same initials!) So yes, the guy who also helped design Central Park and is not Frank Lloyd Wright. He designed houses.

Haha, so we ventured out, George, Greg and myself...to find what else besides AMPHIBIANS! Being that both George and Greg were Biology majors and myself itching to get a woodsy camping-ish action, it was a perfect night to explore. Supposedly after the first warm rain in the spring, these creatures rush out of their warm lairs to get a little booty action and food before all their predators swarm the area. That is the most of my knowledge in the area, from what I learned last night. (forgive me for not remembering all of this from 9th grade bio...but that's why I have scientists surrounding me!) Unfortunately, we did not catch any salamanders, tree frogs or toads. We did however catch some fairy shrimp and dragonfly larvae. (cool!) We concluded that all the human traffic has driven out these poor little creatures and that we'll have to venture out further than just across the street to find them.

All in all, (Hey look! It sounds like I'm writing a report, haha!) We had a pretty good night. We walked back through all the cool, old and spooky looking houses of New England. All I could think about were Salem and witches. And that one Disney movie that had witches in it...

March is officially gone now. April caught me with a few Fool's Day jokes...but nonetheless I am happy that the days are getting longer and I'll be able to spend more days exploring the East Coast. So if any of you want to come visit soon, be sure to bring your swimsuits (ok not just yet..) and hiking boots!

Fung Wah + Hipster Loft Lounge = Smoky Fried Tramp Stamped Swagglers

2008-03-25T13:16:00.007-04:00

Well well well...

It started off with a bright and early morning. The Chinatown bus, Fung Wah, was waiting patiently for our arrival. Patient enough to get us loaded and on the road earlier than expected.

New York City, T-minus 4 hours.

Basically we just slept the whole time. Slept and read about George Clooney. Supposedly George is a pretty down to earth kind of guy. A regular schmuck, if you will, one with a motorcycle...

Oh George... *sigh*

Haha, anyway we arrived in NYC pretty dang easily for it being NYC. We got dropped off right in the middle of Chinatown! Too bad we couldn't find our way around, or else we'd have gotten some cheapo knock-offs of Chanel bags on Canal St. There's always next time. Oh, and there will be a next time. :)

The day pretty much went like this:

(I don't know if you've all noticed, but I'm a big fan of lists...)

Standing on the corner looking for a tall man in a hat (funny thing is I just read "pimpin'...")
Sushi and boxes, or rather, boxes full of sushi!
American Museum of Natural History...

Jessica: "Uh..I can't do it. Here, you do it!"

George: "I'd like two admissions please..."

He slides two quarters across the table.

We both wait breathlessly in anticipation...

Lady at counter: "Here you go, have a nice day."

Suggested donation rocks.

Huge dinosaurs, stuffed animals and blue whales
ABGFDC...W4th Street=subway. Also = "We're not in Boston anymore...
Cocktail party and famous California scenes in Jude Law movies
Darts and domination
Papaya Dogs and sleep

We were well rested until the next day which in New York time, seemed to last a lifetime. Not a bad thing...but just long. I think the six-word memoir for Saturday went something like this: Breakfast Bocce More Beverage Hipster Eternity. Or my recollection of it anyway! It was a gorgeous day outside, despite claims of snow and rain. So we took to the grass, or turf rather..and played like there was no tomorrow! Bocce ball, kick ball, football, whiffle ball...lots and lots of balls! Then we had wieners for dinner. ;0

Haha, AND BURGERS! Geez, get your minds out of the gutter!

We watched the NCAA tournament, yelled and screamed when Marquette lost to Stanford and then played or own team tournament with little red plastic beverage containing containers. And then they brought more...

We ended the night with a romp around Brooklyn, in a loft over-looking the Manhattan skyline and across from Jay-Z's own hipster loft where sources tell me Beyonce has been spotted. The tide swept us across the street into another swanky loft with total urban cliche-ridden twenty somethings all looking to see and be seen. Not only was there a ton of smoke, soft lights and a DJ...there was also a professional photographer with a medium format camera catching the ultimate mood of the party. Whoa. I'm exhausted just describing it all. Try being there.

Around 2pm, we were asked, "Ok, what next? You wanna go into the city?"

Sheesh! Don't you guys ever sleep? We started at 4pm and by the looks of it wouldn't end 'till 4 am! But alas, words had spoken our sleepy nature and that we desperately needed sleep, so we took to a very vocal Cuban cabbie and drove home to sleep sweet dreams of skinny jeans, boots and plaid/velvet hipster vests.

The weekend flew by. Easter morning was easy, besides the fact that it was actually weird that it was Easter...but we got up had some delicious brunch and jetted on our way out. Hoping to make the 2 pm Fung Wah back, we stumbled upon the Lucky Star instead. The Lucky Star seemed just as nice so we said, "why not?" More sleeping, more reading and with pitstops at Chinese buffets where we gorged ourselves on Dragon and Tramp Stamp tatoos, we felt pretty good about getting back home. After a quick shower and a visit to the grocery store, we whipped us up some ham, pineapple and deviled eggs. Thank goodness Michael was around to get the butt of all our jokes, teach us how to actually boil eggs and help get out all our jiggy-ness from sitting on a bus for 4 hours!

So...next up on the list?

Matt Nathanson. :D

"Van the Man!"

2008-03-18T15:26:00.004-04:00

Happy Day After St. Patrick's Day!

Yes, what a weekend! Whirlwind would begin to describe it...but only the beginning! It started off with a very angry man who yelled at me on the phone at work Friday morning. All because he was a "member" and "deserved better since he was a member." I will try NOT to tell anyone that programs are sold out ever again! Sheesh!

After getting some air, I came back to find a very large school group in front of me. There were a particular group of boys, around 12-13 years old who kept sneaking a peek over and snickering uncontrolably. Finally one of the boys gathered up some courage and waltzed on over to talk to me. He oh so subtly leaned on the counter and said, "Hey...so you get bored in there much?"

I replied, "No not really. I keep pretty busy..."

The boys behind him were laughing, so he blushed, turned around and went to go punch their faces.

A group of girls were next.

"What did he say to you?!"

"Oh, nothing really." I said.

Then they wandered off, with sneers in their eyes.

The boy came back. But this time it was with a white piece of paper in his hands.

"Uh, so can I like have your number? Well, it doesn't have to be your number...it can be a fake one if you want..."

I was dying inside.

"Haha, sure!" I giggled.

So I wrote George's number down. (I think I may have been off one number, but my intentions were hilarious)

The girls came back.

"Was that really your number?"

I put my finger up to my mouth while I shook my head no...

"Shhh..."

I said to myself, "I just got hit on by a 5th grader!" Which later figured out he was probably in 7th grade instead...

And that was just the beginning of my fabulous weekend!

After work, I rushed home to get ready for a quaint little restaurant on Newbury St., Steve's which was delicious in all it's Greek Glory. Then George asked me if I wanted my birthday present now or later. I usually don't like getting stuff early, cause then I have nothing to do on the real day! But quickly after that statement he said, "you better say now..."

I said ok and opened a card that spit out two Van Morrison tickets for that night! Wow! I had wanted to go to Van the Man's concert forever! (hee hee Van the Man...) We rushed to the concert, sat at the top of the beautiful Wang, where I'm sure balls were held...You know like balls, the dancing kind! (get your mind outta the gutter!) Van was amazing in his suit, fedora and sunglasses. He complemented his scatty style with a 12 man band and a very powerful finger.

Saturday started off with a music-filled room full of cleaning, getting ready for the St. Paddy's slash birthday party. We had the green jello shots all ready to go! All I can say about the party that evening was there were lots of dancing, jigging, toasting, green spray painting, cake eating and lucky charming. :)

We woke up the next morning fully intending on going to breakfast but instead sacrificed for an Irish Car Bomb and a box full of Lucky Charms and Jelly Bellys. We headed down to Southie, which is apparently the Irish Hub for all of Boston. Let me tell you, no one is a stranger for St. Patrick's Day heading to the parade in Southie. Everyone=Friends. My Lucky Charms cereal was a hit though..."Gimme some of your lucky charms!"

Other events on Sunday?

1. Tried to pee in an alleyway. Couldn't do it. A. too many people B. stage fright C. a leprechaun could've been lurking in the corner!!

2. John Harvard's for big, juicy burgers!

3. Back to Brook St. for some more games and shenanigans...cookies, ping pongs and terriyaki chicken included.

4. Sleep.

I woke up Monday morning with a most fantastic birthday wish and letter, slept more and more and took it easy the rest of the day. I finished off the day with a sworn off alcohol attitude and chicken mole enchiladas and flan for a small birthday dinner with friends.

It was a good day.

It was a great weekend.

I love holidays!

#6 Summer Fun

2008-03-10T12:07:00.008-04:00

Well I guess it's time for a come back of my greatest times of 2007. It's been a while yeah?

Since Spring should just be around the corner (let's hope!) I have started feeling nostalgic about warm memories of last summer. This was the last summer living in Utah (for who knows how long...) and I was adamant about having the most fun I could before setting off to the sunrise at the end of August for Boston.

Here is a list of my best memories:

free summer concerts!
slushies at those concerts, mmm mmm--a new tradition
making new and lasting friendships--makes me think of traveling pants...
new babies--NOT ME! Haha, welcome cousins Kaela and Keira
the always fun time in Park City on the 4th of July
hanging out with my cool bro, Taylor.
making fun of Pet Rock Boy with my cool bro and the REST of my fam! :)
summer weddings--AGAIN NOT MINE! Shelli and Kelly (although I did once have a little crush on Kelly...shhhh) And then the Vietnamese wedding with Huu where I was the only white person in a room full of 200, and I didn't understand a word anyone was saying! It all depended on body language--karaoke and Remy Martin apparently mix fun times for the Viets!
the demolition derby! Hells yeah! Getting all gussied up in our best wife beaters and ruby red lipstick to cheer on destruction...all while holding babies on our hips! UH!
The Bayou
The Tavernacle--ooh and bar humping! Thanks to Huu!
Wendover! Other good times with Huu and his posse. Me and 5 guys all ready to gamble our money away. Ok, me not so much. All my dad told me was "just remember 6 and 8" I obviously have a bad gambling streak, because I remembered and did NOT win. I did get a free drink out of the deal though. Other memories? Steak and slabs of butter, margaritas, hot tubs, crossing the Utah/Nevada border trying to find more bubbly...and then playing word games before passing out from exhaustion...good times.
ZZ TOP concert! Man O man, if they ever come to Mass...
Yard Sales and going away parties
Iggy's Sports Grill :) And mind you, the only reason I applied here was specifically because I thought I could use my "assets" to obtain driving across country money. I know, shameless...
Interning at the UMFA, cute little ones and their obsessive knowledge of Egyptian mythology...
My attempt at culturing myself by visiting and trying every different kind of ethnic food I could get my hands on. Let's see, Mazza's, Siegfried's, Star of India, Ahh Sushi!

Now that's what I call SUMMER!

No I did not get hitched in Vegas!

2008-03-06T09:33:00.002-05:00

What a bright and beautiful, glorious morning!

I woke up not because of my alarm, but because of the sunshine streaming in through my window, reflecting off my sheets and softly onto my face. It is truly the best way to wake up.

My walk to the museum was warm and I could feel the glow of the sun heating the cold and damp ground. A few songs came on and made a quick pep in my step, let me retrace them for you:

Crocodile Rock--Elton John:
"Crocodile rocking is something shocking when your feet just can't keep still..."

Who Do You Love--George Thorogood & the Destroyers:
"Who do you looooove???"

Danny's Song--Kenny Loggins...but the dumb but ultimately fun punk verson:
"Pisces Virgo rising is a very good sign, strong and kind..."

Brand New Day--Van Morrisson:
"Well it shines so bright and it gives so much light And it comes from the sky above Makes me feel so free makes me feel like me And lights my life with love"

Well that's just a sampling of my morning. I hope all of you are having a wonderful morning, day, afternoon, evening! March makes such a difference...

La Vida Loco or Viva Las Vegas?

2008-03-04T13:31:00.002-05:00

Surprisingly I came home to the same temperature as it was in Vegas yesterday...

The weekend started off quite well, and by starting I'm talking about the comedy show last Thursday. Mr. Showalter and Mr. Mirman did not disappoint, as well as a few others including my favorite cabbie, Luppe. I can only hope that sometime in my life I will by lucky enough to hop in to his cab. Also, good news is I got most of this on video, so my friends' Frank, Jena and Elizabeth are forever etched in history. Thanks for the tummy cramps after laughing so hard!

Friday I clugged to work with my backpacking gear. I was headed to sunny Las Vegas right after my last art class registration. I made the plane alright, enough time to conk out for the first few minutes. Haha, and I mean the first few minutes. I can never sleep on planes, especially when the wind picks you up and propels you about 5 feet in the air and drops you back down to 35,000 feet. Wonderful feeling of weightlessness though!

Vegas was spectacularly warm for the first day! About 75 and glorious with the sunshine curing my Seasonal I Hate Grey Weather Blues. My mom and sister met me with great enthusiasm right as I was contemplating putting my coat, gloves, hat and scarf back on and say, "Oops! Wrong city!"

After a day of window shopping, roasted turkey crepes and chardonnay we settled in for a spectacular, although slightly cheesy, Matthew Mcconaughey Shirt Off for 3/4 Time movie called Fools Gold. Ok ok, I know it didn't get great reviews, but for a girls night out...what more could you ask for? ;) And then to top it off with a great hot tub soak and some soul to soul sister talk? It was great.

The next few days were windy, and slightly less warm but still sunny. Just to briefly go over the events, breakfast at the country club, talk about tea bags and such, In N Out with Ash and a mad dash to the Galleria for some essentials, attempts to have a nice Asian lady clean me up, then some naps and Gramps famous "Big Salad" with wine and boner talk. Ok, don't ask. All I can say is that my mom's side of the family starts in the morning and lasts all night. You just can't get away from the innuendo! Geez!

I left on Monday afternoon to learn that my flight was delayed about two hours. Finally, getting in to Boston about 11:45, I raced to catch the train. Silver line saved me, but made me look like an idiot for getting out at WTC and having the same bus pick me up. Ugh, I could not look any of those people in the eye...major embarrassment!

So, I'm home now. It's warm outside. Probably not for long though. This weekend was a much needed getaway, but I am glad to be back to see those people I've come to miss quite naturally.

PS. Tomatoes are just plain gross.

Little Victories

2008-02-25T22:32:00.004-05:00

So while I was walking home today, this song came on. This is pretty much the definition of my life right now, so thanks to Mr. Nathanson for speaking words my heart has had such difficulty in finding.

This time, I'll be sailing
No more bailing boats for me
I'll be out there on the sea
Just my confidence and me

And I'll be awful sometimes
Weakened to my knees
But I'll learn to get by
On little victories

This time, I'll have no fear
I'll be standing strong and tall
Turn my back towards them all

And I'll be awful sometimes
Weakened to my knees
I'll learn to get by
And I'll learn to get by
On the little victories
And if the world decides to catch up with me
Still little victories

Thank you to all who have given me words of advice, hope and encouragement. I hope I've told you how much I appreciate feeling that "more-powerful-than-words form of love". You've truly shown me more than anything you could say.

I've been flogged with tax and health insurance forms!!!

2008-02-20T15:19:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I really meant Wednesday.

FLOGGING MOLLY TONIGHT!

I've been a busy girl lately and it seems that it's not going to slow down. Not until the end of March anyway, which may not be such a bad thing...

So who watches American Idol? I don't...but I do remember hearing the name Constantine. Yep, I saw him Monday night and you know what? He was GREAT! I had not expected him to actually sing good songs! But alas, I was pleasantly surprised. Stacy and I even talked to his band mate, who insisted that Buffy the Vampire Slayer--the TV show--was better than the movie! What a load! Haha...

(Ok, and I asked Constantine if he went to 'autograph school'...must have been the tonic talking.)

I did get some great lines from that night though. "You're not as funny as you think you are.." and a very esteemed list that only my roommate and I must know about.

And it is as follows:

bunny ears
$ sign
exit sign
enter sign
U-turn
no left turn
caution
rain cloud
hot dog bun
fruit basket
lips
scissors
eyes
noose
sapphire
airplane
X marks the spot

Ok that's all. Anyway, I just bought a ticket to Vegas for a trip to see my mom, sister and grandpa. Oh and also the sun. I need the sun...and warmth and maybe a tan to cure this New England pastiness. Maybe, yeah? As for the money, yeah I'm getting a larger sum of money back from taxes than I ever have before. Woohoo! The downside of that...meant the more money I actually paid for taxes than ever before in my life. Last year? 5 buckaroos. This year? $363 to be exact. Yeah and I don't doubt that every year that sum will keep getting larger and larger.

The plus side of being an adult? Having your own, real, live health insurance. Wait...that's not a plus! I have to pay for that baby! Ugh!

I guess I just feel way too grown up paying my first premium this morning.

But...

FLOGGING MOLLY TONIGHT!

Just a typical Monday

2008-02-18T16:13:00.002-05:00

So I've got about 15 minutes left here, but I figured I haven't said anything in awhile so this will be short and sweet.

First of all, Happy President's Day! Who is your favorite pres? I am quite particularly drawn to FDR, probably because he was the cool dude I did my 5th grade report on. Sweetness. That and his memorial in DC is friggin' cool.

Today, I've pretty much been addicted to Questionable Content. WARNING THOUGH!! Do NOT, type questionable content.com into your browser. Bad things happen, and bad things while using a work computer does not = promotion. ;)

It's .net for all those who want to check it out. Music+Science is just getting sexier every day!

Alright, tomorrow I will write more...especially about my up and coming events such as Flogging Molly, Michael Showalter and Eugene Mirman, St. Paddy's Day, NYC and Matt Nathanson. Will explain all.

Until then...

So I had this funny dream...

2008-02-08T16:08:00.000-05:00

Water...

Life, emotions, could be dangerous but more so uncertain.

Birds...

Freedom, liberation.

Dolpins...

Spiritual guidance, intellect, mental and emotional trust, utilizing your mind to capacity.

Walking and Roads...

Movement, where are you going? Or want to go?

Young girl...

Learning to be receptive to happiness, tranquility.

Old woman...

Ready to learn from examples and the past.

So I had this funny dream.

It all started somewhere along a road. I could see in front of me down a long path with buildings standing tall on either side of me. I could see a cross road ahead, but still the same with large buildings blocking my view from any sort of horizon. I was walking with who I thought to be my sister, but nonetheless younger than I. We were walking and talking about usual things, life, love, what vacation we were to go on next...
But then it seemed to move into a place where I was more so watching the conversation instead. I started to to drift off. I then came to a balcony overlooking the ocean. I was standing next to an older woman and she was showing me the women down wading in the water. I saw them metamorphosize into dolphins and then looked up to my right where there was a seagull hovering in the air.

This is about all I remember of my dream, but I do know that I don't remember dreams that often.

This past week was sort of a difficult one. For one reason or another, which I can't quite put my finger on, I fell into a state of fear and longing for old friends. It wasn't about not being happy. I am so very happy right now, I'm happy that I'm out here doing what I need to do and seeing what I need to see...and meeting those who I need to meet. I am happy that I even have an opportunity to experience life outside of bubbles and prewritten paths. But I guess it was more of a longing for knowledge, for encouragement, for vision. I have no idea what will become of my life. I know what kind of a person I want to be and I know that no matter where I am, I can be content. But I think I am afraid of the road...

It's hard to start over. With people, with everyday happenings, going to the store, making trips to the bank...all those little things. It's so different, and the people you meet don't provide you with instant and unconditional companionship. It takes time to cultivate that, and being patient is one of the hardest attributes to attain.

Now dream interpretation could be considered taboo or silly, but I think your mind is so intricately made that sometimes the things we want to express cannot escape the noise of the everyday. When my mind wanted to scream out and release that lever, I believe it did so in my dream...and my tears. I know I cannot see far ahead of me, and I know it's going to take baby steps. But I also know that in order to tackle the roads, the freedom, my intellect...I have to be ok with what I have right in front of me. That bird will not move until I accept that. And I do have people that look up to me and people that I look up to myself. Learning from the past and listening to signs of the future will be key in moving at all. Otherwise, the more happy with a stagnant life I become, the more my smile will fade and I certainly do not want that.

I am so grateful for the people I have around me right now. Those people who are encouraging and can certainly see the best potential in me...those people who know what words I need to hear and seem to express those words with quite serendipitous timing. They have been part of my backbone that holds me up throughout my own metamorphosis, and I thank them for that. And thank you to those who even though I may be far away geographically, still care enough to hold on tightly to relationships that have cultivated my own character.

Although this past week was taxing emotionally, the lesson remains the same. Keep looking foward, never settle and always follow your dreams. :)

For me, I think it's just figuring out what my dreams are.

Somber Faces

2008-02-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

Whelp...the dream of 3 championships in one year...over. It was a nice dream. A dream full of wonder, love and sweet sugary goodness. I learned this morning that the Giants just might have stolen my kidney.

(You're welcome all you Charlie fans...)

At least the greasy, cheesy, SPICY (friggin' wings..!) party was fun. I fully enjoyed eating about 1 of everything. I cheered, over-exterted myself, and I think I forgot to take my vitamin. I'm surprised I'm not in the ER right now... ;)

Ok, off to better and not so depressing things. Good news I just found out this morning: Gypsy Kings are coming to town! Woohoo! February 22...anyone want to come out?

"A Heart-Pounding Game..."

2008-01-31T15:19:00.000-05:00

Thursday, January 31st

BostonNow, Sports section:

"Super Bowl Sunday: Could it be a new cardiac health hazard?"

Ok, so I don't know about you, but when I think about Super Bowl Sunday I think about pizza, wings, egg rolls, beer, big screens, big men...
I mean what else can you do while watching padded men pound each other into the ground, but eat fatty greasy foods while dodging clenched fists and beer spills..?

So while riding the T to work this morning, I picked up the small, almost tabloid-ish paper, BostonNow. It has mini-articles and sudoku...that's about it. However, this article in particular was warning me about my Sunday plans...because if I'm not careful, I could wind up in the ER with a heart attack! Yikes! :)

Rules on how to avoid a close call on Sunday:

#1. Take meds as prescribed.

(Check. Hair, skin and nails vitamin will be ingested)

#2. Avoid tobacco smoke and fatty meals.

(Hmmm..tobacco? Check. Fatty meals? Are you serious? I'm not going to have any sustenance on Sunday!)

#3. Get plenty of sleep the night before.

(Sleep? What's that??? Boston doesn't sleep! The Puritans didn't sleep, so WE don't sleep!)

#4. Don't over-exert yourself.

(What does that mean exactly, over-exert? Are they talking punching holes in the wall or grunting too hard?)

#5. Limit yourself to one drink for a woman and two for a man.

(Haha! Now that's a silly rule! How can you yell belligerent nonsence to the refs if you're sober?)

#6. Try "not to get too angry with the refs."

(I don't know what the quotations symbolize, yet it must mean something other than what it says...I'm so confused! Haha!)

So there you have it folks! The rules for Super Bowl Sunday! If I end up hearing about any of you in the hospital from over-exertion or fatty meal syndrome...I'll know who you really listen to! And on the other hand, if I hear about any of you in the hospital, I'll cheers to you and say, "Way to go for "referee-focused angriness!" as I slather my lips with wing sauce.

:)

Go Patriots!

#7 Meeting New Relatives

2008-01-29T11:52:00.000-05:00

As you know, I moved to Boston not knowing anyone at all, including my recently discovered 3rd cousin Wallace Hayes. My grandfather calls him Wally, as does everyone close to him. Wally, I discovered, has the same grandparents as my mother's father. I know, confusing. But there shouldn't be a lick of worry, because I've got it all straight inside my head. Not even Wally himself understands, but I'll let it go since he's in his 70's.

Anyway, Wally and his sweet southern belle Sandy, agreed to take me under their wings and stay in their custard-colored Massachusetts home in Andover just until I grounded myself and found an apartment and job.

You know when you go to family reunions and every person above the age of 40 comes up to you and says, "Oh wow! You have gotten so big! I remember when you were just this small..." (as they imitate placing their hands on a mini coffee table and wiggling it to and fro) Well, this was absolutely nothing like that.

Imagine driving 3000 miles across the country, pulling up a long cobblestone driveway and rounding out in front of a little cottage-like home with everything you could stuff and therefore own, in a tiny Volkswagen Jetta and walking up the steps to say, "Hi, I'm related to you. Can I come in and stay awhile?"

Fortunately, Sandy opened the door with a friendly face and a welcoming air around her. "Come in, come in!" In an unforgettable southern accent, which is just unheard of around Boston! "Just pull your car up to the back driveway, and you can unload your things there...here's a key, here's a room all made up for you and if you need anything, just holler." I was put in the "west wing" of the house, which is a lot bigger than what this picture shows. I'll just tell you it had been three weeks living there that I found out there was a sauna in the basement. Yes, a sauna.

Although I'll admit that I was terrified about moving in with relative strangers...(Haha, get it? Relative? Sorry, cheesy I know...) I was pleasantly surprised with their hospitality and graciousness. I was fed extremely well by Sandy's unforgettable cooking and although Wally was a bit intimidating at first, you could see the Auburn grad/Harvard professor/toxicologist extraordinaire opening up towards the end of my stay. He was gone most of the time doing work in Germany, but he really is such a sweet man and invited me back anytime, day or night.

I find comfort in having relatives out this far away from home. And, I think my family back in Utah does as well. That stepping stone was imperative in my cross-country journey, and I couldn't be more grateful. I still go out to Andover about once a month to accompany Sandy and Wally to church and get a large portion of southern home cooking and leftovers for the rest of the week. It just reminds me that you can find "home" anywhere, as long as you're willing to keep your eyes open, and keep driving up that long cobblestone driveway...

Welcome Little Green Monster! You're So Cute!

2008-01-23T17:33:00.000-05:00

Great news today!

I got A LOT accomplished! I woke up with the dawn when I thought for sure I was going to be sleeping late. All because of a Red Bull and the musical Guys and Dolls that I stayed up so late to finish. I loved the movie though. It has just gotten me even more excited to go to my dance class tonight. Jazz Hands!!!

After a delicious breakfast burrito and a few rounds of Karaoke...yes Karaoke. Side note: we have Karaoke on our TV! How killer is that? Granted, it's only a handful of songs...but I so killed Faith by George Michael and That Don't Impress Me, by Shania Twain. Oh yeah baby. :)

Ok, so after singing my guts out alone in my apartment, I started the cleaning ritual that has become my Wednesdays. Let's just say that our apartment gets really dusty and gritty, really fast. Hardwood floors collect dust like you've never known before! The cleaning must go on!

I finished up the chores, got dressed and then headed out for a few items. Number one? A plant. I was determined to get a plant, a REAL ONE. I've never had a real plant before, and even if I tried I probably would have killed it. But today after endless searching, I found my beautiful and lovely Ziven. That's what I named him, Ziven. Yeah it's weird, but it means strong and vigorous! So I figured he would appreciate that encouragement everyday from me. He's so adorable. Even though I don't know what kind of plant Ziven is, he's still going to be my light every morning! Hooray and welcome my new little addition to my family. Hee hee!

The rest of the stuff is just boring, like cotton balls and what not. So I won't put you through that misery. But I did have a fabulous 32 degree and sunny day today. It's almost six, so I'm likely to go grab a bite to eat out of my kitchen and then I'm headed to my dance class!! Wahoo!

Up next?

#7 on my list and the preparations for this weekend and the SUPERBOWL! Go Patriots! Yeah, I jumped on the Bandwagon, whatcha gonna do about it?

Oh and PS...I got 8 bucks from rounding up ALL my change today, schweeeeet!

#8 The Day I Almost Died: The Matt Wertz/Jon McLaughlin Concert with Special Guest Dave Barnes

2008-01-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Man oh man. I really thought on that semi-cold day in December of 2006 that I was going to pass out from sheer ecstasy. Yes, I had indeed found out that two of my favorite artists were coming to Salt Lake City at the SAME TIME!

I remember the day. Me, Jen, Vegas...much too much screaming.

(side note: Matt's song 5:19 just came on my ipod. How fitting. :)

Anyway, I couldn't believe it. Not only were they great musicians, they weren't too shabby looking either. ;) Of course you have to think that. Here I was acting like a 13-year-old newly budding hormonal mess because of some teenage heartthrobs. Ick! Nonetheless I did not care. I mean, I had seen Matt Wertz 3 times since then, once in Boulder Colorado on a spontaneous road trip with 3 guys when I was yet to be 21. I had never heard of Matt before, and yet to my surprise he was fabulous...especially fabulous with Matt Nathanson who he opened for. Then he did show up to Utah for a small show in which I melted when he said, "Hi, I'm Matt." Gosh, doesn't he know that I know?!

I actually drove to Vegas for the 3 concert that he played. Haha, and I even sneaked my little sis in for all the action. Noelle gave a great performance by driving down to Vegas that same day in an amazing 5.3 hours! I loved it!

So back to my original story, Matt Wertz was coming with Jon McLaughlin. Jon is a swooning pianist who I absolutely love. I was just so sad when I saw him that night, that there was a little metal thing on his left hand. Hmmmpf. Oh well, my tears were soothed when I saw Dave Barnes walk out of the bathroom and jump onto the stage with my boys to do a bit of spontaneous serenading!

That was a great night, and it was great that Jen was there to hold me up when they came out and I could feel the sweat off their faces. Thanks Jen, nothing better to have a friend for. ;)

#9 St. Patrick's Day

2008-01-18T12:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, back to the countdown!

We have #9 ready for your enjoyment today. The big 9 has to be St. Patrick's Day. Two reasons: one, who doesn't love themselves a good leprechaun and gold at the end of a rainbow. And two, it's my birthday.

I think I will be surprised if I ever fail to have a fun and happy birthday ever in my life. So I consider myself to be very lucky. Ha ha, lucky...

Yeah so last year for my birthday we went to Port 'O Call, in Salt Lake City. And by 'we' I mean WE, the whole posse! Ok, so maybe I don't really have a 'posse' but I did have some good friends there. Even Jared came down from Wyoming! It was such a surprise to see him and have him see me a 'little tipsy'...I think he was very surprised! It was just because everything was green, that I couldn't tell the Irish Car Bombs from the Seltzer!

Anyway, we did a little dancing. Even Stu and Evan danced! Crazy times I tell ya. The night ended with Jen successfully getting me home safely. Thanks Jen. I miss her, and don't know what I'll do without her this year while I'm in Boston. Yeah Boston. I'm going to die. Haha, well hopefully not, but I'm just waiting to see what it's going to be like. Good thing St. Patty's Day is on a Monday this year..to tone it down a bit. While Jen is off in Rwanda, I'll be swimming in Green Goo, with my very own Leprechaun!

(Sorry Mike, I have to claim you for this year! It's just so perfect!)

Uber Red Neck

2008-01-16T10:09:00.000-05:00

Just had to show you...

Honky Tonk Nights

2008-01-16T09:32:00.000-05:00

Well well, I'm definitely back in Boston. My welcoming mat?

A "Wicked Nor'Easter!"

Definition: describes a low pressure area whose center of rotation is just off the East Coast and whose leading winds in the left forward quadrant rotate onto land from the northeast.

Thanks Wikipedia.

So I spent this weekend in Music City with a darlin' of a girl, Ashley McCritterLover. Yeah, that's what I'm calling her from now on. Hee hee! Anyway, we started off with some down home good Mexican food. Her favorite hole-in-the-wall, where the sangria flows like the women of Capistrano! Ok, so she didn't really like the sangria. Her face was all twisted, scrunched and contorted like a constipated pug. Haha, ok maybe not that bad...

Let me just say that Nashville is a little smaller than what I imagined. The recording studios and little labels where situated on Music Row, a street with cute little houses slightly resembling Sugar House in Salt Lake City. It was comforting nonetheless. The only BIG studios were, well you know stuff like CMT and GAC. I loved it though, I was living in my Cowboy Wednesday glory!

We hit the streets to check out all the honky tonk bars. Of course there was Coyote Ugly, where a couple of dudes begged and pleaded for us to come inside and dance, offering to buy us drinks and all. We weren't going to fall for it though, we knew the real dancing was going on at the Wild Horse Saloon! It was just too bad there was a big film/reality/talent show being taped there...No dancing on tables for us that night!

We went into some of the mini souvenir shops and record shops. I got some great shots of uber redneck T-shirts, as well as some shot glasses themselves. Tipsy Shooters! I'll have to show you, they are ridiculous and I can only imagine what it would be like when you're tipsy yourself!

After the perusing, we headed to The Stage, where we got some down home country cookin on the guitar. We bumped into this bachelor's party and tricked them into buying us drinks! Wahoo! Ok, we didn't really do much...just made sure they noticed us throwing our empties in the trash and looking real sad about it. Haha, suckers.

We ended the night with Bluegrass from Old Crow and special appearances from Bucky Covington and Joe Nichols. Yee haw! A few beers, pizza and "Love Actually" later, we passed out from sheer southern exhaustion. Man, what a day! We woke up to some great pancakes at the Pancake Pantry, D & D instructional books at the local bookstore, and Opryland. I then flew outta Nashville and took some great memories with me.

So now I'm back. Covered in snow and ready to rock this drawn out winter...just waiting for the first sign of the mini spring that New England supposedly has just before the heat of summer shows up.

#10 New Year's Eve

2008-01-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

Since it's the most recent thing in my head and for the fact that I had a great time, I'm choosing New Years Eve to be my #10.

My last NYE was a bit lacking from what I anticipated, so I had major expectations this year. Good thing I was not disappointed. :)

As I already posted, I had the chance to get all gussied up and go to a NYE party on the penthouse floor apartment of Erin's. The view was spectacular and the drinks were flowing! I remember every single moment up until the strike of midnight, where I got a sweet New Year's kiss from a very special person dressed in suspenders and a pink tie. From the stroke of midnight though, I have to admit I'm a bit sketchy on the happenings. Now, just for clarification and also to let all you know that I'm not drinking my life away over here, that has NEVER happened to me before! All I had was a rum and coke, a fruity cocktail, and some champagne! I do remember playing foosball and realized that my hand-eye coordination was definitely not up to par. I think I giggled endlessly and fell asleep.

The morning was great waking up with all your friends and firing up the stove to make pancakes, eggs and BACON!!! Wahoo! Playing board games and watching cartoons on the first day of the new year is probably the best way to start out any year. Try it, you'll see.

And this is why New Year's Eve made my Top Ten Best Memories of 2007.

You can "Cheers" to that!

(Don't worry, that's just my half attempt to be funny and plug in a reference to Boston...Cheers? Get it? Cheers like the TV show...?)

Cowboy Wednesdays turned into Happy Morning Jazz Hands Day!

2008-01-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

Before I get started on my "Best Of", I must show off some pictures from today! It was a beautiful 60 degree day in the middle of January and was absolutely fabulous.

After stopping for a picture of little Beacon Hill, I decided to venture into the city to finally step my feet inside the Public Garden, a place I have yet to frequent. Now I've gotten my feet wet, I will make it a point to watch this beautiful and peaceful place in the middle of the city, change with the seasons.

Funny and random note?

I 'happened' upon the original Cheers Bar, and ran inside to get quarters for the meter. I felt like such a 'local'. (Which most people know, makes me smile)

Oh, and I finished off my great day with a little bit of dance...

Yay for JAZZ HANDS!!!

Best Of 2007

2008-01-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

Well, since everyone else is doing it...

I've decided to do a little "Best Of" for this past year.

I'm just going to throw down a few ideas for now. I'm sure a final list will surface as I do this. It's hard to remember a whole year!

Let's see, New Year's back here in the East Coast, Sundance, being graduated, working and living in Logan, new roommates for the first time in 3 years, as always my birthday. I'm trying to go in chronological order if you can't tell by now...

Waiting for an answer from Tufts, being OK with things not working out. Summer, Iggy's, UMFA, cultural inspiration, saying goodbyes...

Hawaii! Wendover! (Those aren't even in the same league! But still fun.)

Summer concerts and slushies.

Traveling Pants.

Driving across the country...

Meeting New Relatives!

Finding my way around rotaries and footpaths of old, finding my way within a life, within a city, within myself. Finding good people. :)

Aquariums, Museums, Music, Home.

New Year's...fabulous.

And so much in between.

I Can't Feel My Fingers

2008-01-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

So....

Currently: 7 degrees
Feels Like: -6 degrees

What am I? Back in Logan??

The funny thing is that if you "don't like New England weather, wait five minutes and it'll change." Forecast?

Fri: 33
Sat: 39
Sun: 44
Mon: 48
Tues: 49
Wed: 50!!

Wahoo! Man, I can't wait to break out my sandals! ;)

And By The Way...

2008-01-03T00:16:00.000-05:00

If you want to ask questions...ask away!

The pictures are of Elizabeth, a Californian who moved to Boston to work and live. Awesome girl! And Kate, who I just got to know this weekend. Also awesome and funny girl. They're both beautiful, and I must say Liz has almost got me on the top end! Haha!

George was whipping me around the dance floor like a madman, but can you tell how much I enjoyed it?!

And see what I mean about Liz? :)

And then George in his half grin, so adorable trying NOT to make his "picture face."

More about "picture faces" later.

The First Day of the New Year!

2008-01-02T23:34:00.000-05:00

Ok my loving and fabulous family! I am starting this little blog for all you to check up on me and see what it's like out here on the East Coast!

As they would say, "East Coast, represent!" Haha, along with a Playa tone of voice...

After returning to the land of the Puritans, I quickly put on my walking shoes and got right back on the T (the subway system here) and lugged my bags back to my apartment in Cleveland Circle. I slept like never before and headed to work on a Friday night. It was nice to be back in the city, I must say. Being at the museum at night was a bit different, but I got to see the life bustling through differently as well as the night/weekend staff people. I was invited over to John's for an afterwork get-together, which usually means a few beers and lots of laughing.

Then, BAM! All of a sudden the weekend came and went and New Year's Eve was upon us. I felt really special this year because I got to go to a fancy party! We got all dressed up and headed to a penthouse apartment with a fabulous view. I am really sad I did not get the view on my camera...but I'm sure I'll be back there sometime. The deck was great, and I know there will be summer BBQ's there soon.

All I have to say about Boston at this point, is it gets better each month. I'm learning a lot about myself and about life in general. AND, how to dodge cars when you're a pedestrian as well as dodging pedestrians when you're a driver!!!