I had a vision of love

Kodakgallery.com Slideshow
Our friend Alyssa took these pictures recently. Can you see the love?

Thanksgiving

Hey there. I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving, where ever you were. Tammer and I went out for dinner, but in the spirit of the holiday we decided to make a pie.

First we had to decide what kind of pie to make, and since the only kind we could agree on was apple, apple it was. Neither of us had ever made a pie before, but it turned out AWESOME!

thus ends the most boring blog ever.

Donnie Darko

I guess he had been paying attention because a few weeks ago Tammer saw a poster for a local stage production of Donnie Darko and he somehow knew that I would want to go. A couple days later he surprised me with the news. Last night was the big event, and we both really enjoyed it.

For the most part their adaptation was true to the movie; the only thing I was bothered by was that they made some of my favorite characters somewhat unlikeable, like Donnie's mother. Well, I guess they made her more "typical" than "unlikeable", while in the movie I found the character somewhat extraordinary. Also, rather than going completely dark during "scene" changes they had all the different sets arranged on the stage and Donnie would have to run back and forth for the rather fast paced show. It was a little distracting at first, but I began to like it after a bit.

Thankfully, my favorite line ("sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion") was delivered flawlessly and in the spirit of the sentiment behind it (and as the screenwriter surely intended). Also, Frank the bunny was scarier than ever; right there in the flesh (cloth), and me in the second row! I couldn't look directly at him.

Anyway, the whole premise behind Donnie Darko fascinates me. The philosophies of time travel are so varied and often contradictory. I in no way want to imply that I understand the philosophies, but I still think they're neat.

This is me, blogging again. See you in a couple months.
PEACE!

status

tired

busy

white water rafting

Last weekend was the Chemistry Department's rafting trip. A bunch of us loaded up the cars to make the 6 hour trek to Millenoket, ME. That's right, we decided to go rafting in Maine...that's pretty far north, and I don't want to exaggerate or anything, but it was effin FREEZING on the river.

I think it would have been ok if we had nice weather, but when we left the base camp to go to the river (the Penobscot River) it was about 60 degrees and cloudy. By the time we broke for lunch it was ~55 degrees and rainy. That means the weather was crappier, folks; it also means that my hands were frozen while I was trying to eat lunch. Everyone was shivering.

In their infinite wisdom, the rafting company we used decided that within 5 minutes of getting back in the river after lunch we would go over a class 5 rapid (read: a 10 foot water fall cleverly nicknamed "lose your lunch falls"). I managed to keep my lunch, but then we did this thing called "surfing" in which we paddle the boat into a "hole" at the bottom of the falls and basically get stuck there trying not to fall in until the river decides to give us a break or our guide can steer us out of it. In our case we had to get another boat to bump us out of the hole. It was fun, but exhausting. Then the guide asked "who wants to go over the falls again?" and everyone in my boat is like "hell yeah!" Going over the falls again entailed paddling over to an outcrop of rocks, getting out and lifting the boat back up the falls (10 feet!) and then paddling down the falls again.

Let me paint several pictures in your minds' eye (I am aided in this endeavor because I have seen the pictures the rafting company too k for us from shore).

Picture 1 - April's boat is half way down the falls, all seven crew members are holding on for dear life. Looks fun, right? It was tons of fun!

Picture 2 - April's boat is in roughly the same place, but now it's making a 45 degree angle with the water's surface. Everyone's mouth is open as we're yelling in our surprise/excitement. Still a lot of fun.

Picture 3 - what is no longer April's boat is perpendicular to the river, none of the crew is in site (we're under water)

Picture 4 - The ill-fated boat is once again flat against the water's surface, but now we can see the bottom. You still can't see people (please imagine us under the boat desperately trying to find a way out from underneath it...we're looking for air dear reader).

I had to use the aid of pictures because the sequence of events took place so quickly that none of us in the boat had time to figure out what the hell was going on until we were already drowning. In the pictures, the boat barely changes it's location in relation to the river (only the angle)...they must have a pretty awesome camera to get so many shots so quickly.

Luckily we all made it back to the surface without incident. One nice thing about being dumped was that the water was actually warmer than the air, so we were a little more comfortable in that respect.

Talk about treading water!

The next hour was pretty calm, so we "dried" in the freezing, wet air. We were actually paddling to try to stay warm.

That's it for now folks!

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Now playing: Sergio Mendes - E Menina (Hey Girl)
via FoxyTunes

back to school

Teenagers aren't the only ones going back to school these days. That's right, folks, last week was my first week at school in not less that five years.

Wouldn't you know it, I was half an hour late to the first class of my graduate school career (I thought I had that bus schedule down, but apparently they just show up whenever the hell it suits their fancy). I have since been making an effort to get to school an hour before my class; this has proven very successful as far as my punctuality is concerned. I should note that the rest of that first day proceeded as it began with my being late for appointments, having problems with insurance, and getting lost on routes I regularly take. I think the stars were just aligned out of my favor.

The rest of the week was much smoother. I am currently taking two classes (organic and inorganic chemistry) that are for my required core proficiencies. Both of these classes will be very challenging for me (as the undergraduate level classes on the same topics were), and I will have to put in a lot of time outside of class to keep my head above water, so to speak. My first weekend as a graduate student was primarily spent studying and doing homework (already!)

In addition to my classes, there a several seminars I am required to attend throughout the semester (usually a couple a week). These seminars are presented by visiting scientists, department faculty and other graduate students defending their thesis. I will be exposed to a variety of topics and this should help me decide what type of work I am interested in doing.

Finally, since nothing is free, I have a teaching assistantship position that I have committed to in order to get that nice stipend they promised me. I got my teaching assistant assignment last week; I am a TA for Chem1 Recitation. In addition to helping the professor grading and proctoring exams, I teach 3 one hour sessions a week, I am required to have at least one regularly schedule office hour each week, the TA's have a weekly meeting with the professor to go over the assigned homework problems (that we should go over beforehand), and we are required to attend the class lectures (3 one hour lectures a week). It's quite an undertaking all by itself (I'd say a full day's work each week).

As you can see, dear friend, it's a lot. I am trying not to let it get too overwhelming, but please understand if I phone you even more infrequently now (for those of you I am in the practice of phoning). If I do post updates here, they will probably come on Thursdays since I have a break from 1-7:30 that day (evening recitation section).

All of that said, don't fret for my mental well being. This weekend I am going rafting with some of my fellow students in the chem department. It promises to be a raging good time. I'll let you know!



Oh- i just downloaded this little plug-in that inserts the song i am listening to...see below! exciting

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Now playing: The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
via FoxyTunes

something witchy this way comes

or should i say, we went someplace witchy?

Last saturday, Tammer and I got up early, hit the local IHOP and then scurried our butts downtown to catch the ferry to Salem, MA (appropriately named the "Salem Ferry"). We had book a room at the Salem Inn, a lovely little bed and breakfast near the heart of downtown Salem.

We visited the House of Seven Gables and the birthplace of famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie (the oldest candy company in America) and a nice little restaurant on the wharf the first day.

The next day we visited the Witch History Museum, the Witch Dungeon Museum and the New England Pirate Museum. It was all so hokey and wonderful.

We took the ferry back to Boston around 2pm after a quick lunch in a local hot spot (Red's Sandwich Shop). The town is so small that in the 24 hours we were there we managed to walk across it about 8 times. I think I write for both of us when I post that Tammer and I would be willing to take any of our visitors to Salem if they wanted to day. Even just a day trip would have been so much fun; however, I think we'd have to drive next time since I got quite sea-sick on each ferry ride.

chance meetings

Tammer and I were wandering around town on Saturday, taking in what this town has to offer. We were coming out of CPK after a late lunch, on our way to the mall map to figure out where to go next, and who should we bump into but a friend from JPL, Abhijit, and his wife. This was very unexpected, you see, since we did not plan to meet them there, let alone even know they were in town!

There have been a few such instances in my life in which I have bumped into people I know in unexpected places. It always makes me think about all the circumstances that had to come together just so in order for it to happen. Tammer and I rarely go to that mall, we usually eat lunch much earlier, and if we had known where we were going we would have missed them entirely. I tell you, dear readers, because I know you will agree it's neat...Tammer thinks I am silly for being so intrigued.

Anyway, Abhijit mentioned that they had considered taking a duck tour (in fact, they had just tried to get tickets, but the tours were sold out for the day). Tammer and I have been meaning to do this for several weeks, but just couldn't get it together. The four of us made tentative plans for a Sunday duck tour and went about our days separately. Yesterday we went on our duck tour, and it was absolutely lovely.

Wishing you happy coincidences.

updated digs

Well, I was quite busy last week. I can't remember what I did last weekend other than going to Home Depot for painting supplies. You see, once our landlord okay'd the new paint for the kitchen and bathroom, that was all I could think about.

The kitchen has a strange fake-tile about halfway up the wall, which isn't so bad, but it was turquoise; i felt like I was in a pool. I have changed it to a soothing "Ocean View" blue. The bathroom used to have a light cafe latte (read dirty off-white), paired with the wooden cabinets and brown toilet/tile/grout, the bathroom always felt dingy. Now the walls are "ultra bright white" and practically sparkle.

All of the work was done in 2 1/2 days, and we love it! Tammer and I even got a new white shower curtain and super soft towels (Thomas O'Brien collection from Target...check it out).

History

I remember in elementary school I had to memorize the first 3 or 4 stanzas of this poem. On Saturday we visited the Old North Church where the famed "two if by sea" lanterns were displayed. We also got to see the oldest functioning clock in a public building. The other thing that I thought was neat was that in this church a family would essentially pay for their private, enclosed pew which they would decorate however they liked. Also,the more they "donated" the closer to the pulpit their pew would be.

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,

Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar

Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar

Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

moon festival

Yesterday we went to the August Moon Festival in Chinatown. They had all kinds of vendors and presentations. We saw a fashion show, some traditional singing, and a martial arts demonstration. (I took a few pictures/video).

We ate at a place called Hong Kong Eatery and had the best roasted pork I've had. We popped into the Bao Bakery next door a little later, but they were out of our favorite bbq pork bao. No worries, we've decided that we'll be going back to the HKE often, so we'll have another chance.

We also went to see the Bourne Ultimatum...3 1/2 stars. I was worried because I've tried to watch the Bourne Supremacy a couple of times and I still have no idea what happened in that movie.

with my winnings

I like to be pampered, can't get enough of it, so when I had some extra money I decided to visit the spa. I once saw my friend Kari after a facial and she looked so relaxed and was practically glowing (you were glowing). Ever since I have wanted to try it, so I called the fancy Aveda spa Pyara to make an appointment.

I won't go into much detail, but let me just say it was extremely relaxing. The technician asked me about my skin condition and we chose products to use that would work best for me. While different masks/treatments were doing their magic, I got leg/foot, hand/arm, and head/shoulder/neck massages. It was like getting two treatments at once.

I highly recommend to anyone with a face.

Vegas: Part 2

Hello again faithful readers (all 5 of you); you have waited patiently for the next installment of the Vegas trip. I hope you won’t be disappointed. So, where were we…that’s right, Friday evening.

Before we got out there I had done some research on what to on Friday night and we all agreed that we would go to Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce (it’s a burlesque club). Ralph, Rochelle, Tammer and I got all dressed up and headed over to the club where we met Kari, Erica and another couple that R & R work with.

The place wasn’t very crowded, but there weren’t any free chairs unless you ordered table service. Table service is nice in that you get a designated seat in a roped off area and a personal waitress. Table service is not so nice in that there’s a minimum alcohol purchase. After much debating we decided to go ahead and splurge. The first show didn’t start until 12:30am and the second show was at 3 (ouch, I usually go to bed at 11); there were two dancers in each show and both were a lot of fun. In between shows the bar turns into a dance club and patrons are allowed patrons up on the stage to do their own little dances, and I have to tell you that some of those girls better hope that their drunken stupidity stays in Vegas.

I can only stand so much base and bad dancing without a break, so I went to the casino (we were at Mandalay Bay) to hit the pennies. I found my favorite Alien game and within 5 minutes I had won $150! If you weren’t keeping track I am now $120 up for this trip playing nothing but penny slots. I went back to the club to enjoy the rest of the evening (or morning); we left after the 3am show and got home at about 4:30.

On Saturday we went breakfast/lunch with the family and spent the rest of the day hanging out at the house taking it easy. I thought it was a great way to spend our last day with our friends. That night my friends Ben and Renee got back home, so we made the 40 minute drive to their place to spend the night. In the morning we went to breakfast with Ben and Renee on the way to the airport.

At the airport I hit he nickel slots, which turned out to be a mistake because I immediately lost $60 (it kills me, too, because after 2 games I was $40 up, but I just couldn’t stop). I won something else, though, sort of. Our flight was oversold, and after discussing it Tammer and I agreed that I should volunteer my seat in exchange for a free round trip ticket. After Tammer got on the plane I got Ben to come pick me up and I got to spend the whole day with them. This was really nice because I don’t get to see them very often. Also, with my new ticket I will be able to go to LA in the fall for Kari and Christophe’s wedding!!

The rest of the journey was pretty uneventful, except I did get to see a 21 month old kid who could swim…I didn’t think that was possible.

Next time I’ll tell you what I did with my cash winnings.

health forms

I was just going over some health forms for grad school. Now I have the word "meningococcal" stuck in my head.

Vegas: Part 1

A little more than a week ago Tammer and I traveled to Las Vegas to visit some friends and take in the sin! While their whole campaign revolves the idea that it all “stays in Vegas”, I think that’s stupid, and I’m going to spill my guts.

We flew into the city on Wednesday evening, that’s July 4^th. Believe it or not, as we were landing, we could see fireworks going off all over town. It was absolutely beautiful. From the airport we picked up the rental car and headed on over to Ralph and Rochelle’s place in Henderson. I went to bed immediately while Tammer stayed up and visited with our host for a bit.

Thursday morning we woke up at dawn (we were still on eastern time) and relaxed until the kids tried to sneak up on us. After a little bit of playing and some breakfast, Ralph and Rochelle took the kids to school and went to work themselves, and Tammer and I were left to fend for ourselves (always a good idea). We headed over to downtown, the older side of Sin City where you can find cheaper food, the casinos you think about from old movies and the Fremont Street Experience. About 3-4 blocks of Fremont Street are covered with a giant structure with lights (there’s a light show at night) and lined on either side with casinos and souvenir shops.

Our first stop was La Bayou casino where in the back we each purchased a yard of frozen cocktail (Tammer got a margarita and I got a strawberry thing with lots of rum). We hit the street with our refreshments, and it was at this point we became the trashiest people in the area. Keep in mind it was about 10am. We were pleased to discover that all the businesses left their doors open allowing the air conditioning to escape. The effect was such that the area was a pleasant 75-80 degrees; however, once you left the protection of the awning the 110 degree heat punched you in the face. During a quick pit stop at one of the casinos I put $10 in a penny slot machine and walked away with $27.15.

After we got good and liquored up we hit the Main Street Station Buffet (I had read online that it was the best buffet under $10. The food had helped us sober up, but we were still suffering from the effects sugar in the drinks, the heat, and the impending food coma, so we decided to go back to the house for a nap.

While we were recovering Erica and Kari arrived in town (yea!). We met them at their hotel for happy hour by the pool (where I consumed copious amounts of water) and then dinner at a lovely Chinese restaurant in their hotel. After dinner Tammer and I went back to Ralph and Rochelle’s to spend the evening with the family.

Friday morning on our way to see where Ralph and Rochelle work our tire blew on the freeway. Luckily we were able to pull over at a gas station and poor Tammer had to put on the spare in the heat (it was already well on its way to 115). Ralph and Rochelle work for Ralph’s cousin, famous artist Michael Godard. After a quick visit/tour of their office, during which we met the artist himself (ooooh-aaahhhh), we were off to the rental car place to exchange our car.

Friday afternoon we met Erica and Kari at their hotel pool where they had rented a cabana for the day. It was so nice spending the afternoon lounging around in the pool and the cabana, but it was still terribly hot. At about 4 I couldn’t take the heat and decided to go inside to try my hand at the penny slots again. I lost $40 immediately, so I got $100 at the ATM (conveniently located on the casino floor). I was able to play with this for more than an hour and lost only $6. For those of you keeping track I am now $30 down.

More later…I am tired of writing and I’m sure you need a break, too.

where have i been?

Tammer's Birthday

Yesterday was Tammer's birthday; I won't mention how old he is. We had a great day.

First thing I picked up a chocolate/raspberry layer cake. It was decadent.

Next we hopped on the T to get to the annual Chowderfest at city hall plaza. They were handing out all kinds of free goodies outside the venue. Inside we were able to sample chowders from 9 different area restaurants; then we got to vote on our favorite to be named best chowder in Boston. I voted for The Skipper and Tammer voted for Ned Devine's. One entry was so awful that I feel too bad for them to even tell you who they were. However, I don't think anyone is in danger of being exposed to their chowder anytime soon, if you are, I will warn you.

Here are some photos of Tammer weighing the candidates and of the colonial marching band entertaining the crowds.













Also, in honor of independence day and our fine country, I include a photo of some cops on horses disturbing a guy who was just trying to grab an afternoon nap.











After getting our fill of chowder we went shopping for a while. Then we went to see the ultimate summer movie "Live Free or Die Hard". As the man says, "yippee kayee mother fu[BLAM!!!]"; I recommend it highly.

For dinner I took Tammer to a sushi place called FuGaKyu; it's the largest sushi place in New England. I haven't been able to stomach sushi since an unfortunate incident in 2000, but last night I tried some rather tame selections and was pleasantly surprised. I think I am ready to add the cuisine back into my rotation. I am pretty sure Tammer really enjoyed it, too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!

Chi-Town

Last weekend the boy and I went to Chicago. We traveled there with Tammer's brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. We were lucky enough to even have a free place to stay (college friends of Tammer's brother).

On Thursday the women (not me) had to work, so the rest of us went to the Wishbone for brunch; it was just outside Harpo Studios, apparently Oprah convinced the owner to open a place near her studio way back when and promised she wouldn't open a cafeteria in her building if he did that (local legend?). Then we scuttled on down to Millennium Park, while the kid played in the fountain Tammer and I explored the park a bit. Then the five of us went shopping on Michigan Avenue; I had never been shopping with three men and a seven year old boy...it's interesting. For dinner we went to a neat little Italian place (I have no idea what it's called); the guy we were staying with is somewhat of a foodie, and everything we ordered was excellent.

Friday morning we all met for breakfast at the crazy little place called Orange, they had things like French Toast Kabobs and Pancake Flights (like wine flights). I ordered the Green Eggs and Ham which was eggs scrambled with pesto, tomatoes and ham. Pretty cool. Then the family piled into a rental car (I bonked my head so hard it hurt for two days) for a 3 hour drive south to Moline for a visit with Tammer's mother.

This was an event for me, as it was my first time meeting "the mother". We all took her shopping and then out to dinner at a little surf and turf place on the Mississippi. That night Tammer's brother's family continued on to Iowa to visit other relatives, while Tammer and I got a hotel room next to the John Deere Museum (unfortunately we didn't have time to visit this establishment). Saturday morning mom told us she wanted something else from the mall, so we headed over there again for a little while.

We were lucky enough to have arranged to hitch a ride back to Chicago with our host's father on Saturday afternoon. We spent Saturday night casually with our hosts, going out for Chicago-style deep dish pizza and then to Navy Pier.

We walked the pier, rode the ferris wheel, watched fireworks, and enjoyed the band in the beer garden. There's something magical about that place, and Tammer and I found ourselves enjoying even the (in retrospect) lame fun house maze. The four of us explored all the goodies Navy Pier had to offer with wide-eyed amusement. I loved it.

Sunday morning, our foodie host made an excellent breakfast of eggs, some kind of sausage and polenta. Then Tammer and I went to the aquarium where we got to see whales, dolphins, sea lions, and cool reef dwellers (you know, like at an aquarium).

Sadly, our journey ended there as we hopped on the L for the airport.

That's it folks...next week Vegas!

the most awkward moment ever...

the boy and i were at a party over the weekend, having a smashing time. after we had been there a couple of hours a guy showed up with his fiancee. many of the people there had never met her; the introduction went something like this:

"This is my fiancee, [name1]...oh, I knew I was going to do that...[name2]."

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

He called his fiancee by the wrong friggin' name! In front of a room full of strangers! She immediately looked as if she was going to cry, and his eyes panicked, "please don't break up with me". The room was full of people, all of us looking at our feet, not daring to make eye contact.

Then, my man saves us all...bless him. He asks [name2] something about her shirt; it was from a trip she had taken and afforded us plenty of conversation. When that one died down he kept coming up with new things to talk about until the happy couple took their leave about 15 minutes later. Once they were safely out the door it was like the entire room breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Hope they worked it out.

my pick won

I think Sean said it best:

"All I can do at this point is give props to my girl, April. She pulled off the grandest of Idol picks and, for at least one year (probably forever), has dethroned the self-proclaimed Idol Guru....[C]ongratulations to April on a boldly contested battle (one I really failed to even show up for)."

I predicted the winner after the auditions but before the Hollywood round began. She wasn't even on Sean's list (top 10 or "people to watch"). Here's an excerpt from the notes I took during the auditions; my pick is clearly indicated. Please note that I also noted Blake (2nd place). Unfortunately, Sanjaya is there, but in my defense his audition was leagues better than his Hollywood performances:

SEATTLE

Thomas (black w/ fro)
Blake the beatbox
Shaymali (Indian girl w/ brother)
Sanjaya (her brother)
Rudy “in a band” – rudolpho
Jordan Sparks (Glendale, AZ) - big curly hair WINNER!

I should work in Vegas.

JEWELL OUT!!

Dali for dinner

Last Monday Tammer and I had dinner with a few friends at a place called Dali (there should be a little accent mark over the i). It's a Spanish tapas bar, and the location couldn't be better; it's right across the street.

The food choices were both elegant and varied, and the five of us certainly took advantage ordering three items a piece. Just to give you an idea we had braised rabbit, roasted duck, broiled quail and stuffed squid (i declined to try that one- i was squeamish). We also tried some fried cheeses and Spanish tortillas. The portions were the perfect size for all of us to have a taste of everything. Really a delightful journey for the taste buds.

The restaurant also offers a wide variety of wine and beer, but we stuck with the sangria (which we ordered two liters at a time).

We had a heck of a time, and I can't wait to get back there. Come visit and we'll go there.

visiting family

I am in Chattanooga visiting family. I have been here a week, and one would think that having a 3 week vacation would give me plenty of time to "blog". However, I can't really go on the internet unless I am in the basement near the wireless modem (i need a new wireless card, I guess), so very little gets written.

Since Friday I've been spending time with family. I've gotten to see my nephew play baseball a couple of times and my niece play in the dirt. I got to see Shrek the Third with my littlest brother and his family and Ryan and his family. I'm loving it.

i remember

These photos are old, but I am feeling silly and narcissistic.

Remember these guys? They still make me laugh.

craigslist ad

i was able to unload a desk with the following ad:

A desk came with our apartment, we don't want it.
It's functional, but a little ugly.  Perfect for
your kid who's just going to destroy it anyway.
Also would be good in your garage or under that pile
of papers that currently resides on your kitchen table.

It's amazing what people will go for.

the UK

I went to London and Dublin with Kari and Erica. We were on a mission to see everything the two cities had to offer, and my stamina (not to mention legs and feet) was put to the test. I took almost 250 photos, but i am not going to post them all. Eventually, I may put up a few of my favorites, but most are just pics of buildings.

here's the blow-by-blow. don't feel like reading everything?, just know that we did it all.

Day 0 - meet the gals at Boston airport and fly to London.

Day 1 - wake up incredibly early, gather our "free" continental breakfast and get moving. Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, London Eye, River tour (Thames), Tower of London, tour of the London Underground...we didn't stop until dinner. It was neat/surreal getting to see the place Anne Boleyn lived while awaiting execution. Before dinner we drank a bottle of wine and after dinner we split a 4-pack of giant Stella's; needless to say we slept like babies...very drunk babies.

Day 2 - wake up at a more reasonable time. Off to Windsor Castle! The queen was "in residence" while we were there, so we didn't get to see the state rooms and all that, but it sure was neat. Then we went to Kew Gardens and saw all kinds of neat flowers, plants and water fowl. We couldn't even begin to cover all the ground there in the amount of time we had, but we gave it a good go. For dinner we went to this awesome little Italian restaurant. We split a bottle of wine, and we each had room for a spectacular dessert (I went for the millefoglie).

Day 3 - We decided to take a tour. As luck had it, the pick up point was outside our hotel, so we didn't get lost or anything. They took us to Winchester, Stonehenge and Bath. Having heard so much about Stonehenge I was expecting to be totally mystified, but the touristy feel of the place sort of takes away from the mystery. I think I enjoyed hearing all the theories about its purpose and construction more than walking around it (being sure to stay outside of the roped off perimeter). Bath was neat, too. I got to thinking about what it would have been like to be a rich ancient Roman who had nothing else to do but lounge around in hot pools and saunas...and I actually relaxed a little. I was even able to sleep a little on the 3 hour bus ride home. The bus dropped us off in the middle of the city, and we walked through Hyde Park to get back to our hotel...beautiful. I had been seeing a the "Physical Energy" statue on the map of Hyde Park all week; imagine my disappointment to see that it was just a statue of a guy on a rearing horse. Yeah, that's physical energy, but I was expecting something more...subtle.

Day 4 - Despite the fact that we were leaving London in the afternoon we managed to make the trip to Buckingham Palace and Harrods (never go there, it's chaotic!). Poor Erica was feeling sick, so Kari and I sent her ahead to the train station while we gathered the luggage and joined her on the train to the airport. In Dublin we checked into our hotel and then went out to grab dinner and visited our first real live pub. It was a pretty fun night considering how cranky we all were after the flight.

Day 5 - Start the day at Kilmainham Gaol. This is a jail that was used in the 1800s and early 1900s. It was probably one of the most interesting places I've been; we got to see the evolution of the jail system from cramped, damp, dark cells and halls to the more open setup. Also, a lot of very important Irishmen were imprisoned and executed at the Gaol. The place still felt very much alive. Then we shuffled on over to the Guinness Storehouse to learn how the "ruby red" miracle is made and even enjoyed a free pint. Next we went to some big church; I think it was called the Christ Church. They kicked us out cause they were about to have services. The Dublin Castle was next on our whirlwind tour. This is still a "living, working" castle, and the lady giving the tour walked so fast that it was hard to keep up. She would be behind us one second, and then standing in the next room (impatiently) waiting for us the next, it was creepy. At this point we were very hungry so we stopped at a little Bistro and had probably the best vegetable soup I've ever had and little cream filled pastries for dessert. The last stop of the afternoon was St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was beautiful! That night I stayed in while the girls went out. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Day 6 - In the morning we rushed to get a shuttle to Newgrange. We got to see neato burial mounds and even go inside one. This is another one of those neolithic sites that is extremely large, hard to build and we have no idea why it was built or by whom...there are, of course many theories. The thing I thought was the neatest was that hundreds of years ago the tops of the mounds slipped and covered the entrance and front of the mounds and preserved it for us to see today. They had to reconstruct the front, but they did so using only material found on-site. If you ever get to Dublin, I suggest making the 45 minute trip up there to check it out. After we got back to town we visited Trinity College and hopped on the bus to visit the coast/Malahide Castle. The castle was closed and in the middle of a beautiful park. We probably would have enjoyed the park more if hadn't taken us 20 minutes to make our way through it to the castle (thus arriving 10 minutes late).

Day 7 - fourteen hours of traveling home to Tammer...I missed him a heap!

au bon pain

au, how i have missed you.

the weekenders

Friday
Tammer came home and we made a lame ass dinner. Then we're off to a bar with a couple of his co-workers. I even got to meet one of his bosses, which was neat. I think it was only supposed to be 4 or 5 of us, but since Tammer works with teenagers, the crowd eventually grew to 10 or so, which was too large a crowd for the tiny-boothed establishment. We drank, we laughed, and we made sure to catch the last T home (it stops at midnight), so we wouldn't have to pay for a cab.


Saturday
We slept in till noon. I haven't slept this late in years...4 years, folks! Saturday was the first truly nice day of spring, so we decided to go on an outing.

First stop was a little Japanese place where we got authentic (?) ramen and rice bowls. Then we wandered around Newbury Street for a couple of hours. This street is full of those stores that most normal people can't afford to go into. I am surprised they don't do a credit check when you turn the corner..."what's your annual income?" "Right this way, madame." We went into a place that sells kitchen stuff, and the only thing we could bring ourselves to buy were some cheap little corn cob holders.

We finally ended up at a cute little jewelry store (the reason for our outing) where we spent a gift certificate we had (Tammer returned some things after Christmas). Their website doesn't show everything, but I got a fun bracelet and some tiny skull & crossbone earrings and couple pair of hoop earrings. So fun!

After "shopping" we were tired and thirsty, so we headed over to the bookstore for some coffee. Along the way we went through the Boston Common, and there was some kind of concert going on. There was a band and a bunch of kids all singing and celebrating. Later, someone told us it was for Earth Day, but I am too lazy to check.

On the way home we stopped by Blockbuster and quarreled over which movie to rent (I get grumpy when I'm tired), then we stopped by Tammer's friends house to say hi. We stayed there for a while just chatting until it was time for them to have dinner.

Then we came home and collapsed; ordered a $5 pizza and watched an episode of Angel before going to bed. This was one about a guy who could detach his own body parts (hands and eyeball) and they would move/behave independently from his body...pretty terrible.


Sunday
This morning I gave Tammer a haircut (I'm his new barber) before going to brunch. Then we went to a coffee shop where I looked through my London travel books while Tammer coded a bit and then played pool with some strangers. On the way home we picked up a travel book for Dublin, so I'll be well prepared. Now we're home, safely under the covers. It's rainy and cold (my jeans were soaked through after the walk from Harvard Square), so it's nice to be indoors. Maybe in a bit we'll watch the rented movie that caused so much drama.

BTW- I leave Tuesday for London. I'll be there until Saturday, then I'm off to Dublin. I come back the following Tuesday. I'm going with a couple of pals from Pasadena, and it promises to be a rockin' good time!

I'll tell you all about my trip when I get back. Stay tuned.

TBD

Domestic Bliss (Sort Of)

or

How I Survived My First Week in Boston

As many of you know I recently made the move to the Boston, MA area to be with my beloved and to attend graduate school. The former is Tammer, the latter is Tufts’ chemistry Ph.D. program.

I arrived last Tuesday (April 3^rd) in the evening. Tammer met me at the airport and we then took a cab to our new home and then out to eat.

The house:

We live in a cute little green house in Somerville, just over the Cambridge line. We have the entire first floor to ourselves, and the landlord lives upstairs. We also have lots of space in the basement, a back porch, and our own (coin-free) washer and dryer. I’m pleased. We’re a 10 minute walk from Harvard square, a 5 minute walk from Inman square and within a ½ mile from many markets and restaurants. There’s a great Indian place right across the street (that’s where we went the first night) and a pizza place with a $5 pick up special about ½ a block away. Good thing I have to walk everywhere.

My stuff:

The moving company is taking its sweet time getting my belongings to me. Phone calls made a week apart informed me that by stuff would get here "mid-to-late next week". We don't have a couch or a TV, so time at home is spent in the (thankfully large/furnished) bedroom. Last night we got a kitchen table, so that opens up more options. Tammer and I are going a little nuts. I guess we need to think of it as a high intensity adjustment to co-habitation.

The kitchen floor:

It’s nasty. It’s supposed to be white; there are these white tiles (probably vinyl) with flecks of blue, purple and black (think elementary school cafeteria). I would like the floor if that was actually how it looked. I don’t think the people who lived here before ever cleaned the floor; they left a mop, but it was disgusting, I think they cleaned muddy dogs with it or something. The tiles are brown in high traffic areas. Meaning, most of the floor, you can actually see the paths you have to take to get to the door, the pantry, the bathroom and the hall. It’s gross. We have tried bleach, ammonia, pine sol, hands and knees scrubbing! Nothing will make the floor white again. What do we do?

The weather:

My first day of residency I immediately realized that I had made the biggest mistake of my life. Why, you may ask. On the afternoon of April 4^th, 2007 it snowed in Boston; not just a wimpy little flurry, but big, fat, stick to your coat snow bombs. Imagine my horror, two days earlier I was in sunny California, home of the mildest winters in the country, it snows there and people die. Don’t get me wrong, Boston is notoriously cold, and I was fully aware of the weather I would be facing, but in April…come on, this is ridiculous! I timed my arrival to be after the thaw!

Despite the weather I have to go outside, so the first few days I bundled up for small errands. When people asked me at Christmastime if I had a winter coat I was like, “Sure, I lived in DC for a while, I have coats.” I was naïve to think that these “coats” would be any match for the Boston springtime weather. The wind cuts through these garments as if they’re made of tissue paper. Luckily, my man takes care of me; on Saturday he bought me a fancy coat with a liner and everything. This one should be good for three of Boston’s seasons, even rain. I will worry about getting a “winter” coat in 8 months. For now, I am pleased as punch (and warm).

My health:

I got sick on Thursday or Friday, a cold. I am always amazed at the body’s ability to produce mucus. I was cold, grumpy, lazy and snotty, and Tammer handled all of this surprisingly well. You would think that after waiting for me to arrive and to show me this city he loves for 6 months he would be a little put out. Nope, he went out to buy me medicine and tissues. When the two of us went out for dinner or something he was always ready to return home as soon as my sickly bad mood demanded.

My days:

Mostly I explore. I wake up between 8 and 11, but I can’t seem to get motivated to even get out of bed before 11. I decide what I want for lunch at about 2, look on-line to see where I can find it and then I walk there. It’s been a good way explore the ½ mile radius around my apartment. I stroll, have lunch, go to a market to pick up something for dinner (sometimes I leave this to Tammer). So far this has been enough to keep me from getting bored.

I have also decided to switch the way I get my email and internet news and manage my calendar/address book. I have been downloading all sorts of software (“clients”) to help with this, and getting everything set up just right took a few of days. Now I’ve switched to a new blog service, too. Since I have so much free time LOOK OUT! You’re gonna be bombarded with useless information about my boring daily life and my thoughts on the mundane.

Tammer:

As before he left for Boston six months ago, Tammer never fails to surprise me with how easy he is to spend time with. I am always at ease. In past relationships I was never sure of myself or of my partners feelings, this is nothing like that. We are open and honest with one another on every front. It's far from perfect, but we work on it every day.

Dinner Disaster

Friday night, we decided to meet one of Tammer’s work buddies for dinner. We were hoping to go to a pub or something (I was really in the mood for a burger) and be home by 8:30 for some lazy Friday night snuggling.

We walked down to Harvard square to meet this guy, and he tells us that some of his friends are at a Mexican place a couple of blocks away, so we (reluctantly) decide to join them. This place was apparently the most popular place to grab a margarita or watered down Mexican beer in the area. The place was packed, standing room only, the type of place I was reluctant to go to even during college. Upon our arrival (~7:10) we were assured that a table was being prepared for our party of seven, and were invited to wait in the (shoulder to shoulder) bar. We weren’t seated until 8. Did I mention that I was starving at 6:30. Grrrrrrrrrr.

The people we met for dinner seemed nice enough at first. One girl and I had a conversation about my move and she kept checking on the table so that we wouldn’t leave. However, the longer we waited for our table, and later our food, she and her boyfriend continued to consume more margaritas than is socially acceptable. By the end of the meal they were beyond drunk and beyond obnoxious. This same chick insisted on splitting up the bill for the waitress, a process which took about 15 minutes. She was circling items and drawing arrows…she even got one of those pens with different colored inks.

Did I also forget to mention that I was suffering the onslaught of a head cold? I finally said, “I need to leave” in my meanest voice possible. Have any of you heard me try to be mean? Needless to say, this had no affect. Tammer ended up just throwing money on the table once I started to walk out. I am certain we got home before the rest of them even got out of the restaurant. We agreed that we don’t like that girl or her meat head beau.

The next day we saw that same girl on the T. She was returning from some farmers market and appeared totally normal. No sign of the drunken mess that we left behind the night before. People can surprise you. I can’t decide if I ever want to see her again. I suppose everyone deserves a second chance. Next time, though, I will make sure tequila is not on the menu.

i'm new

i am new to blogspot. i moved from myspace cause i didn't like it over there. if i don't like it here, i will move again.