Me Day

Today I had my massage and I wanted to just fall asleep on the table tonight. It felt so good and I really need to make it a point to go monthly. It was snowing when I left and raining when I got out. It was my second night over in Cambridge. Yesterday when I was over there I stumbled into a shop that sells foods and goodies from around the world. Lately I've been craving Vegemite for some reason, haven't had any since I was a kid and when I saw that this store carried Marmite, I ended up spending $10 on a tiny jar of the stuff (125g)- the closest thing to Vegemite this side of the equator. It's a yeasty (salty) spread. You either love it or hate it and I'm ok if I have a tiny bit. Less is more where Marmite is concerned. So I'm going English tonight with some tea and crackers with some Marmite, nice way to end the night after my relaxing massage. Of course, this came after I cleaned myself. I hate Central Square, it's so dirty and I feel like I need to go through one of those bio hazard showers after passing by. So of course, a guy that gets on the T at Central on my way back to Brookline has to sit right next to me. Nothing like the smell of pot and greasy fried chicken for what seems like the longest 3 T stops ever! I did the best I could to hold my breath b/c my stomach was turning, yuck! Not what you want to experience after enjoying an hour long massage.

Live Music @ Club Passim

Tonight I did something I haven't done since I worked with the IT guys last summer, I went out to see live music performed in a lounge-like setting. Location: Cambridge. Food was by Veggie Planet so I could everything on their menu! I had this Peanut Curry meal- coconut rice, broccoli and Thai peanut curry sauce topped with fried tofu croutons and peanuts on a pizza dough. It was delicious until my friend tried a tofu crouton and said it tasted like eggs (since I don't eat eggs b/c they make me vomit, I had a hard time chewing them after I was informed it tasted like overcooked scrambled eggs). It was definitely filling and I'm still tasting the curry sauce.

Kevin So and Paul Erlich performed. It was a small, intimate crowd, many of whom have followed Kevin for years, so they knew his songs and sang along. There was a lot more interaction with the group than I had expected. It was my type of music too. A little bit of Stevie Wonder mixed with Bob Dylan. Kind of reminded me of an Asian-American Jamie Cullem. It was a late night, but I'm glad I went because it reminded me of when I was in college and I wanted to be an A&R (music scout). It was fun sitting listening to music that didn't heart my ears, makes me want to go out and listen to some jazz music in a lounge with little tables (maybe it's time to look up an old friend of mine who is an amazing trumpet player and see if he is performing in Boston anytime- or make a trip out to NYC to see him). If you're interested in listening to some of the music I heard tonight (which was streamed live tonight on some live stream site) you can check out his Myspace http://www.myspace.com/kevinsoandmidnightsnack

I'm Back!

I've had a rough few weeks with my bowling game, where I couldn't even bowl a 3 digit game. Today during another free Red Pin Party I got my game back. I noticed I wasn't doing my ballerina/shot put move when I bowled. Once I started raising my leg during my throw, bam! Stike! I even got a strike on a red pin which means, I have another free bowling party to book :) One of the other guys also won a free party, his first! With our luck, we should be able to bowl for free at least once a month until summer! I found a new ball that I like, a pound heavier than what I usually bowl with and hope that come Sunday during the league I can bowl high scores again! Yay!


Me (Red Pin Winner) Suz (redeeming her Red Pin Party tonight) Max (Red Pin Winner)

I FOUND IT!!!

For tonight's blog you may read the bracketed text for the longer version, otherwise feel free to skip down to the unbracketed section for the story that goes with the photo. :)

[I spent all day looking up travel tours and have to narrow down where I can practically travel to over the winter break this year. It honestly scares me to travel alone to some of these places where one can die from tons of different viruses and bugs. I feel like I'm at the point that I'll just have to make a list of all the places I want to see and just start pulling from a hat, because I really can't decide b/t Bali, Australia, Argentina, Egypt, Chile, South Africa, Antarctica, Iceland...and the list goes on. Before I knew it, it was 5pm and off. I have started walking home from work and even if I stop into Trader Joe's to do some grocery shopping, it only takes me 32 minutes from Gordon Hall to my back door. I did some power yoga, fixed myself a salad (which was just lettuce and avocado) and heated up my homemade split pea soup and ate in front of the TV. I've started watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and it's quite funny, I'm really surprised that I'm enjoying it.]

To end the night, I went up to the grocery store and bought tons of fresh produce and some frozen veggies, and my guilty pleasure Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn. For some reason, every time I go to a grocery store, I find myself looking at the Gelatin. Why? B/c I am determined to find a gelatin that I remembered eating when I was little. Memories of me being sick with tonsillitis and laying in bed watching Gilligan's Island and eating 3 layered gelatin treat, a treat that disappeared like many other childhood snacks, years ago. I have yet to find it, but tonight I my trip down the baking aisle, I found this box and it looks very similar to what I remember as 1-2-3 or something like that. It was a pink colored dessert and I don't remember what the flavor or flavors were, but it was 3 shades of pink, each layer having a different texture. So imagine my surprise when I found this box. THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING I'VE FOUND to this childhood dessert!! I almost bought it, but I decided that now that I've found something that looks similar (despite it being grape flavor and more purple than I remember) I can do some research online and buy it later (they weren't going to run out unless word gets out and all these kids of the 80s go out and buy them all after reading this blog). It's amazing how little information you can find on stuff from the pre-internet years. I've found others posting questions trying to find this dessert I remember as a kid in the 80s, and apparently this brand is from Canada and the closest thing to what is believed to be 1-2-3 JellO from my childhood. All these years of searching and I stumble upon this at the grocery store up the street from me. And NO, I've never seen it there before...notice packaging says "NEW"...maybe all those people who petitioned to get this dessert back on shelves succeeded :)

Strike...Out

Another Sunday and I woke up before 8am again. Only, I decided to make the most of the day. Started off with yoga, then packed my bag to drop library books off before going to church. Made my way out to the library by 10:30 only to find that the library doesn't open until 1pm on Sundays. So I decided to pop into Starbucks where I acted like the old lady that I am and told the cute boy working that I couldn't read the teas behind him so he'd have to tell me what my options were [true story!]. It was 29° out and windy so it felt good getting out of the elements. I ended up getting Calm tea and don't quite understand why tea stays so hot and takes for EVER to cool down.

I went to church in town, instead of going back into Brookline. St. Clements Shrine I used to go to when I lived in Fenway, they are the only church I know that still does wine with communion and they actually sing parts of mass in Latin, which I like. Of course, since I gave up wine for Lent I didn't drink any, but as Suz pointed out... "it's not wine, it's blood so you could have drank it" and then after the fact of course I remembered that Sundays are not included in the abstaining for 40 days and 40 nights so I could have some. Anyway...after church I headed towards the North End and had some time to kill before meeting a friend to walk part of the Freedom Trail. My plan was to go to VS down near Faneuil Hall, but low and behold, that one was closed, so I waited around the courtyard at the Old North Church. So twice I had planned on something and stuck out.

My first time walking the Freedom Trail was in January 2008 when I flew in to see the AFC Championship Game. Of course, I've been here for almost 2 full years and I have yet to walk the entire trail. I'm missing the part that leads to the Bunker Hill Monument, but I'll get there. I want to start doing a Sunday walking club. Get some people together and pick a different part of the city to walk (no food, no drinking... just walking and enjoying the weather, scenery and company) so this was a start. 3 miles in one hour, following the red brick road through Boston. Afterwards, I hit up the library to return my books I carried with me since the morning and picked up Mad Men Season 2 and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Seasons I and II). Then hit up VS before making it back home at 4:45pm.

With just enough time to cook some pasta and scarf down some food before making it back out for bowling. A few strikes for me, but I am sucking. I keep tweaking my wrist and 3 out of the last 4 games I've bowled under 100 (the 4th game was exactly 100) which is horrible for me. So, I started using a heavier ball, which helped a tad, but not by much today. I'm so glad this is the last season until next year b/c I'm kind of done with bowling (probably just my frustration talking here). Anyway, now I'm feeling sick again. Probably overdid it today, but I guess that just means another week of taking it easy.

HOMEsick

Today I got a little homesick. I went to The Home Depot today and got kind of sad. I loved going to Home Depot back home; sometimes with my dad, sometimes not. It brought back memories of all my gardening I've done over the years, from plotting out sections in the backyard to hoeing, shoveling, raking, weeding, watering, driving away pests and eating the fruits of my labor. I truly miss having land to dig and grow things in, but my window containers and pots are just going to have to do until I move out of the city. It made me realize how much of a country gal I am. Anyway, this a picture of the Somerville Home Depot's garden section. Notice how empty it is? I guess since we are still getting snow flurries and below freezing temperatures overnight, the plants just aren't ready for the outdoors yet. That totally makes sense, but quite different than what I am used to. I mean, it's not always sunny and warm here, so it's just one other adjustment I have to work through.

Flowers

I love daffodils, they aren't my favorite flowers, but they are up there. It's like the earth is smiling when I look at these and I can't help but smile back. Given to me anonymously for the American Cancer Society fundraiser at work. This is our second batch as the initial delivery we received were a bad bunch; they were sick and turned black, never blooming. When I left work last night these daffodils were all sealed up and it was such a surprise when I walked in this morning to see that most of them had opened up; it was like they were singing to me when I walked in. I love springtime! Which may leave some of you scratching your heads b/c you're probably thinking, "wait! I thought you love winter?" I love seasons; I love winter just as much as I love spring, just as much as I love fall, but summer and I kind of have a love-hate relationship. Of course, being a spring baby does play a part in my love for this season.

A Whole Foot of...

Chocolate brought back from Europe. The Dean was on a trip overseas receiving an award and brought the office back Toblerone chocolate. The box is a foot in size and there are 16 servings in this sucker that weighs 400g (or .88lbs). Can you see why my clothes don't fit me anymore? What is a girl to do? It just sits there staring at me and I'm not the one to let food go to waste, certainly not chocolate. If it weren't snowing outside, I'd force myself to walk home, but I came unprepared thanks to the weather people at Channel 7 who told me that we would be getting sun and that the snow wouldn't come. Can't wait to get home and put on my comfy sweats.

See How They Grow

It's been a few weeks since sowing some veggie and flower seeds in my egg carton. I forgot to water them once or twice and they have started to wilt. It hasn't helped that the sun hasn't been out, just gray clouds lately, but some are growing strong. I have cucumber, tomato and zucchini growing with no problems. Kale is doing ok. Some flowers and lettuce have sprouted, but have started to wilt, not sure if they will make it. The only thing that hasn't sprouted is the lavender that I planted. I think I'm going to plant some more in a pot and see if I can get some to grow. I'm going to have to buy some more containers to replant the seedlings once they get bigger and sturdier, but I am thankful that I've started them inside because we are supposed to get some snow tonight and tomorrow which would kill seedlings.

Tulips

Last year I bought this pot at Costco which had blooming tulips in it. They didn't last long, and decided after they died to stick the pot outside on the patio in hopes that they'd re-bloom this spring. Looking out on my back patio I was excited to see that I had green stalks sticking up...until I looked closer. Something is eating the stalks! Now, I know it's not deer b/c they would have to climb up and down these narrow, old, metal stairs, not to mention the fact that I live in a city and haven't spotted a single deer in my neighborhood. So that leaves squirrels, birds and I guess maybe mice who could be munching on my tulips. I'm a little frustrated, but if it is mice, I can't help but laugh. They've been out of my apartment for 3 weeks now, so if they are munching on MY TULIPS, I can say that these buggers refuse to stop harassing me and giving me gray hairs :) Haha, well, better for them to be outside snacking than inside.

1st Full Day of Spring = Snow

The first FULL day of Spring, and it's snowing in New England. Of course, the ground is warm enough so it's not sticking, but those are snowflakes in the photo and not rain. Many people are complaining about this, but I don't mind. Sure, things get wet, but I feel like I don't get as wet with snow (like the snow falling today) than I would when it rains. Plus, precipitation is precipitation regardless of what form it's in. Yes, it's snowing in the upper atmosphere [and by upper I mean above me] but turns to rainy wet drops when it hits me or the ground, so it's pretty much raining. The plants are getting watered and the tulips are popping up! It's all part of Mother Earth's cycle.

This cold, snowy/rainy day is setting the tone for the week. I'm in much need of a week off, so I've canceled plans for after work this week and am not going to hit the gym. I had the worst time falling asleep last night b/c my body ached all over. Of course I can't get in to get a massage until Thursday of next week, so I'm going to take it easy until then. This means no gym and plenty of hot baths, using a small ball to roll against my back like the massage therapist showed me and chillaxing after work with some hot tea and a book.


So maybe it stuck a little in some places. From my back patio.

St. Patty's Day Parade

My first time in Southie and an experience it was as I made my way through the crowds to watch the St. Patty's Day parade. It seemed like all of Boston (600,000-1M people) were down watching the parade today. We were towards the middle/end of the parade, on our feet in the shade. I wore tights, a skirt, drinking socks, long sleeved shirt with a top over and my Ireland sweatshirt, thin gloves and a shamrock headband. After 2 hours standing, I couldn't feel my toes. The South Boston St. Patrick's Parade is the second largest parade in the country. Police, Fire, Military, bagpipes and drums, marching bands, politicians, horses, the Wilcollane Singers from Cork, Ireland and motorcycles and costumes. It was insane! The crowd was dressed in all shades of green (not hard to do living in Boston, with the Celtics sporting green and shamrocks and the Red Sox with green and clovers on some of their apparel, it's practically St. Patty's Day year round here). I don't know if I'd do it again, kind of like the Rose Parade and Macy's Thanksgiving day parade...you don it once, you don't really need to do it again.

I didn't stay for the entire parade, it was long and I was cold and sore from standing. I managed to find my way to the T stop (having to cross over the police tape and parade route to do so) and met my friend and her friends in town before we took the T out to Forrest Hills to catch a bus to Roslindale where we ate, drank and played pool. It was a fun time and I enjoyed listening to a true Irishman (one of the girl's husband is from Limerick).

94 Mass Ave

Another restaurant, another night out with friends. We had a huge table that sat 20+ people. Small plates allowed for sharing, but the best part of the night was the cupcake birthday cake brought in from Long Island. Birthday girl was a trooper, falling sick this morning, but managed to make it out to her party. The drinks were rather herb-y...I'm not really a fan of having herbs in my drinks, but a fun atmosphere. I feel like such a lush, since St. Patty's day (first day in a month where I could drink alcohol again) I've had a drink everyday. 3 days in a row I've had at least one drink (3 on St. Patty's day and we all know how that went- see post), tomorrow will make 4...definitely plan on detoxing after the weekend ends.

Bergamot

Tonight I went out to Somerville for a friend's birthday dinner. My last Restaurant Week outing. Once again, kind of upscale with a somewhat formal place setting. Napkins would magically get folded when you got up and stepped away from the table. 3 courses in 3 hours. The food servings were perfect portion controlled sizes. We weren't rushed, and had plenty of time to chat, drink and eat.

Course 1: salad
Course 2: delicious plantain gnocchi with black beans and avocado
Course 3: pretty much like a small puff pastry with chocolate on top.

1 alcoholic beverage: Beacon Fix (Reyka Vodka, lemon, Luxardo Triplum, bergamot-rooibos syrup)

I had a lovely night catching up with friends who I haven't seen since the end of last year. The food was good and the staff were wonderful.

Happy St. Patty's Day

St. Patty's day is my favorite holiday and I think it goes back to when I was a kid and the thought of leprechauns being real. I mean, how cool would it be if they did exist? Tonight was my first night in a month of being able to drink alcohol and my free day to drink coffee during lent...so I had 3 cappuccinos and one regular coffee with Bailey's creamer and Irish Soda bread while at work today...needless to say, I was highly caffeinated by the end of the word day.

Donning my sequins hat I acquired last St. Patty's day, my sequins top, my Irish Drinking Socks (bought when I was in Galway) I went out to have some fun doing some pub hopping with 3 girlfriends. First stop, Washington Square Tavern (definitely Irish) and I walked in with people staring at me and commenting on my outfit, and I didn't care how ridiculous I looked b.c. I love this holiday and was going to have fun with it. Started with Magners hard cider, which is the US version of the cider I loved in Ireland (Bulmers) in a liter bottle...on an empty stomach. We then made our way to American Craft for some food. Blue cheese fries were a must and we scarfed those things down so fast, it gave a few of us stomach aches. Then our dinner arrived (most of us had a burger of sorts) and that's when things went downhill. Stomach aches and OMG, I had a beer with my meal (an Allagash White) but was burping cider! GROSS! One friend had to depart before the check came and another one left after we got the check. I sucked it up and went out with my last friend standing and walked past The Publik House, which was going to be the 3rd stop, but b/c of a bad ex (not mine!) and his connections who work there, we ended and up right back where we started the night, Washington Square Tavern.

Observation: Not too many people were wearing green, and lets face it, we were the most decked out group I've seen all night which made me think... I guess there aren't too many Irish Jews, ay? Which would explain why these pubs weren't crazy packed with drunken people dressed in green (I live in a predominate Jewish town). Anyway, the old me would have freaked out if I walked into a bar looking as I did tonight and worried about not only embarrassing myself, but my friends to. But not here! I have this confidence, where I don't care if people look, I see them smiling (maybe b/c they think I look ridiculous, but I'm getting them to smile, which makes me smile and everything is fine in "Lorien" world). I love this holiday and I'm going to look as ridiculously green as I can. And this is just the warm up. In Boston, we have a whole week (with weekends on both sides) to celebrate. It's not just a one day holiday like it is in other places. [cough: San Diego]

So, I downed a Guinness (I mean, not doing so would be against the rules I think, I mean, it IS St. Patty's day after all). And I have to say, that was like a whole other meal altogether. So we call it a night. 4 hours in, 3 drinks down while they have my favorite U2 album playing (and by favorite I mean the only U2 album I own) which was getting annoying, and still burping Magners Hard Cider. I don't think I'll come down with the Irish flu tonight (which I jokingly mentioned to my boss in case I didn't see her tomorrow) but I am ready to take some tummy medicine and call it a night. So, to all my friends (Irish and Irish for the day) "Oíche mhaith, codladh sámh" [good night, sleep well].

The Berkeley Building

Today I ran into town on a rainy day [well took the T and walked...I don't run]. There are certain buildings in Boston that I love admiring. As you have read in a few posts this year, the Pru is one of them. The John Hancock tower is another one that is really hard to miss, this weird glass sky scraper in the middle of old stone looking buildings. Anyway, the building with the red beacon on top is the Berkeley Building. This weather beacon shining steady red means rain (though, I argue it should be flashing blue as it was cloudy and not raining). If it was blinking red, it would mean snow…it also has blue lights which if steady means the weather is clear or flashing blue which means clouds. This can be seen throughout Boston, so if looking out your window doesn't give you a clue as to what the weather is like, you can look up in the sky and read the weather beacon :)

16 Minutes

7:25am...alarm goes off
7:25:10...I hit snooze
7:30...alarm goes off
7:30:10... I hit snooze
7:35...alarm goes off
7:35:10... I hit snooze
7:40...alarm goes off
7:40:10... I hit snooze
7:45...alarm goes off
7:45:10... I hit snooze
7:50...alarm goes off
7:50:10... I hit snooze

My alarm must have gone off again and instead of hitting snooze I shut it off b/c after noticing I wasn't moving my arm every 5 minutes, I look at my clock and have to check my phone to make sure I was reading the time correctly....8:11am [HOLY SHIT!!]

8:11...jump out of bed
8:11:45... go to the bathroom, wash my face, put on lotion, etc.
8:15...stare into closet
8:17...put on jeans
8:18...do hair, makeup
8:20...take vitamin
8:21...put on top and necklace
8:22...grab lunch from fridge
8:23...put my lunch in my gym bag, grab my gloves, glasses, keys, wallet, cell phone
8:24...lock door and speed walk to the bus stop
8:27...get on bus [phew!]

This is how my morning started. No coffee, no breakfast (until I got to work and had some oatmeal), didn't brush my teeth (thank goodness for gum and mints), and I get to work 15 minutes early so I can relax and read a bit before starting my workday...and a long day it was! Even with this rushed morning, I still smiled and laughed at myself and enjoyed stopping to look at (and snap a photo of) the bulbs popping up out of the ground on my walk to work. The crocuses (or croci- as either are correct plural forms of crocus) haven't flowered yet, but soon...yay for spring! I just have to remind myself to live in the moment, b/c in my head April is practically over (all booked up and waiting for me to live it out) and that means May is almost here.

Dinner Creation

One thing I love about Boston is on any given nice day, companies are out on the street giving away free products. My time in Boston I have been given soda, energy drinks, yogurt, chocolate and the latest this cooking creme by Philadelphia. So tonight I was creative and fixed some rotini pasta, steamed and shelled soybeans and cooked some broccoli. I decided to try my creme, savory garlic flavor, by mixing it into my rotini, shelled soybeans and broccoli for a nice tasty pasta salad dish. It was quite savory (as the container suggested) and it went well with my fresh bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a bottle of [not wine silly] Pellegrino water.

Daylight Savings

Just like last Sunday, I got up before 8am on my own. The time change didn't effect my sleep, but I just got home at 9:15pm from running around, so now my bedtime routine is all screwed up. I had a productive day. Bowled, walked to the gym, lifted and did cardio, walked to Trader Joe's...then I get home and see the landlord out with a gas guy. We had two pipes burst in the boiler this morning, so we have no hot water or heat. They of course didn't have the parts to fix it, so we hope they can fix the pipes tomorrow, but to be on the safe side, I'm showering at the gym tomorrow. I don't mind not having heat. I sleep with my radiator off anyway, but thankfully there was just enough lukewarm water left for me to soap up and rinse off in one minute, since I didn't shower at the gym- I had no choice. I decided to run errands at 6pm tonight (it was still sunny) and took a photo trying to capture the sunset and purple mixed in with the clouds and blue sky walking to the Christmas Tree Shops around 6:45, but it didn't turn out too well on my camera phone. The true test to this whole daylight savings time will be tomorrow when I have to get up for work.

Chinatown

Today was a long day. It started with me waking up in what felt like the summer, sweaty as hell. It was 80° in my apartment- the heater wasn't working right and I had to open all the windows and doors and change into shorts and a tank top to keep myself from overheating. It was 40° cooler outside and I am glad I spent all day out of the apartment. It did remind me of what's to come in 3-4 months and made me thankful for buying an AC unit.

Went into Somerville for an Irish craft fair and bought some homemade soda bread. I had Indian food at Diva before heading into Boston to see The Adjustment Bureau. Of course the movie time was sold out, so after buying tickets for the next showing, I took a tour through Chinatown, and this time on purpose. I am known for stumbling into Chinatown while trying to get to my destination (which never call for passing through that neighborhood, always taking the longer route and getting turned around) but not tonight. For the first time I saw the gate that marks the start of Chinatown and petted the lion that's in front of the gate, talked in a Chinese phone booth, wandered into a Chinese store where they sell carrots on steroids and had a coconut shake with bubbles. Those bubbles are interesting.

Loved The Adjustment Bureau! It had a little bit of everything and never lost interest.

Baklava

After 6 says straight of working out and no alcohol for 3 weeks or coffee in 2 days, I deserve a treat. Baklava is my favorite dessert of all time I think. A quick trip 5 doors down and I'm at Athan's Bakery where they have a nice selection of baklava. I bought a few pieces of 3 different type...delicious. The perfect way to end this unusually long week.

Hockey

Tonight, I went to my 2nd NHL game ever. Last year I went with some girl friends towards the end of the season, where they played the Buffalo Sabres. Tonight, was a rematch. Dining before the game down near the arena is a bad idea, we missed almost all of the first period b/c we were waiting to get a seat to eat. But we didn't miss much. There was a hell of a lot of testosterone in the house tonight. We had some boys behind us with the towny accent, the boys in front of us, then the guys who constantly made us get up so they could pass through in our row (we had the first 5 seats in the row). You know its bad when you're standing up and down more than you do in church all b/c the assholes have to use the head or get more beverages with a foamy head. Ugh! They could have gone the other way, but b/c we were girls, I bet they wanted to pass by us in hopes of brushing against us (pervs!). There were a lot more fights tonight than the last NHL game I went to, I say about 5 or 6. There were A LOT of penalties, at one point I think it was 3 on 4. The game went into sudden death overtime where the Buffalo Sabres scored, winning the game. See, last year when we saw the Bruins vs. Sabres I was rooting for the Sabres and the Bruins won. This time I rooted for the Bruins and the Sabres won. So, it's my fault. I really do enjoy going to hockey games, I think it reminds me of college and I'm even debating about buying season tickets for next year (believe me! I know!). Anyway, it was an exciting game and great night out with the girls.

Trader Joe's

Living in a city with no car allows you to see things you may never see. I'm very fortunate to live up the street from Trader Joe's (the one in three or four TJ's in Massachusetts that sells wine and beer). It's a 15 minute walk from my apartment, and I often stop in for one or two items on my way home from work. This is also one of the busier sections of Brookline- Coolidge Corner. Tons of restaurants and stores are squeezed into this intersection and branching streets. It's a pretty normal occurrence to see the TJ's deliveries at night. A truck, tons of huge wooden pallets wrapped in plastic wrap, dropped off on the sidewalk in front of the store. It's cool seeing something that one normally wouldn't see- I actually see how the items make it onto the shelves, something I probably wouldn't get to see if I lived farther away from a TJ's and had a car.

Speaking of wine and beer. I have 7 more days left of abstaining from alcohol, but I won't be able to drink wine until my birthday (can't wait for those Easter brunch mimosas!) since I gave up wine for Lent. I also gave up coffee, except I drank 2 cups today so I am allowing myself 6 "free" passes, since Lent to Easter is 46 days long (Sunday's actually don't count as Lent and some argue it's a free day) I am going to allow myself 6 days between now and Easter to have coffee at my choosing. I have become a coffee addict, so this may be harder than I think. However, good things will come from this, like it will help keep my pearly whites white and help me with my "drink green tea daily" resolution. I'm also going to do my best to not be negative. We will see how it goes.

Boston Public Library Courtyard Restaurant

This week and next is Boston’s Restaurant Week. I had heard good things about the BPL Courtyard Restaurant which is only open for lunch, so I got a group of girls from work together, only to have everyone but my coworker cancel overnight and this morning. So after changing the reservation from 6 to 2, we went at lunch. Of course, we got lost. We entered on a side of the library where I’ve never been before… it was like a whole new world…think palace/museum feel to it. They actually have a courtyard with chairs and tables- which was pretty (I’m definitely going to hang out here in the summer!)

After finding the restaurant, I apologized to the maître d’ for being late, but he said so not a problem, “we held your table for you”. I felt very VIP. 3 course meal for 20.11 (which I just noticed was the year, lol). My first course was a wild mushroom cappuccino, white truffle foam, crispy mushroom chopstick w/ Israeli aruccola. Now, I had no idea what to think of the plate when it arrived, I tried to drink it like a cappuccino, but it didn’t work very well, so I had to use my dessert spoon. Let me rewind. This place was fancy schmancy. They had “for show” plates on the tables that looked like pieces of art that could be hung on a wall, which they removed once we were seated. Someone came around with a roll plate and we got to choose from a few different types.

The table setting got me b/c there were 2 forks, 2 knives and a spoon which was above where the plate would be. My dinner parties are never this fancy, but I had to think about which utensil to use for everything (and I think when I used the spoon for my mushroom cappuccino, that was supposed to be my desert spoon, but no way could I drink the mushroom thing from the espresso cup, so when dessert came they had to give me another spoon). The table linens were nice and the opposite patterned napkins were thick and really nice quality napkins.

For the main course I got salmon with delicious mashed potatoes (which it turns out, weren’t actually potatoes at all, but rather mashed celery root… I knew they tasted different, but now I know why my mashed potatoes never taste like that… they were extremely delicious… YUUUMMMMY!!!). No sooner were we done with the main course when our dessert plates arrived. I had gingerbread with sautéed apples and cider sabayon, omg… I shouldn’t have ate it all b/c the rest of the afternoon I had trouble breathing b/c I was SO FULL! As we left the maître d’ said “thank you Ms. Hecht” which again made me feel like I was “someone”, lol. Great experience. I did feel a little rushed, with the main course and dessert back-to-back so we couldn’t let the food settle, but it did helped us get back to work earlier than expected (1:40 instead of 2 hours).

So to recap, tried a lot of new things today and can’t wait to explore this side of the library in the future.


wild mushroom cappuccino, white truffle foam, crispy mushroom chopstick w/ Israeli aruccola

Foundry on Elm

Dinner out Foundry on Elm. What a crazy day. Work is driving me nuts and I'm not sure how much I can take, but am glad I get along with my coworker who knows the situation and I can vent to. Tonight we headed out to Somerville for dinner. Foundry on Elm is a nice place and after watching Kitchen Nightmares last night, I have a better appreciation for the restaurant industry. I had a delicious entree, stuffed acorn squash. For the appetizer we shared cod fritters which were very tasty. For dessert, I was going to get the lava cake, but opted for something new, blood orange tart. So delicious and rich thanks to the meringue topping. The place was rather on the dark side and felt like an old person as I squinted and moved the menu closer and farther away so I could see. You could dine in casual wear or dressy without feeling under or over dressed. Prices weren't bad for the quality/quantity of the food. Lorien tested, Lorien approved :)

Winter, Spring or... Fall??

Today was a busy day. I woke up at 7:30 but was able to get myself to sleep a little longer. I woke up super sore and I'm pretty sure it was from my 6 days straight of working out last week. I made it to church today before hitting the gym for an hour. I walked to bowling and I couldn't really tell which season it was. It was 59° out, but overcast. There were leaves all over the place and that wet leaf fall smell was in the air, and yet there are still snowbanks all around the city. I guess these leaves must have been from last fall (even though we didn't get any major snow until the end of December before Christmas) and just got buried under the snow which is finally melting. I was having an off day today at bowling. I really sucked, but thankfully everyone else stepped up so we won the match. The sucking didn't stop there either... playing 4 games of pool and I lost each one (and mostly b/c I knocked the 8 ball in when I still had balls on the table...oops). Good news though... today I walked over 5 miles so that weekly goal has been met, anything else this week walking wise is a bonus :)

Professional Mousetrap

What a day! First, I woke up early and escorted the exterminator into all the units of my apartment building (minus 1 who was not home). I got to meet people on both sides of the building, which is nice b/c after living in this apartment for about a year and a half, I only knew the people next door and the girls above me. It was weird being in the girl's apartment b/c I notice the ex roommate gave a lot of her stuff to them. Not a fan of them, but it was weird seeing her stuff up there after it once cluttered my apartment. 3 traps with bait were set in every apartment as well as the basement and shop below. Some holes were filled with steel wool or foam and maintenance guy will have to go into a couple apartments to plug larger holes with wood and screws. I am beat, running up and down all the stairs today. We should be mouse free in about 3-4 months. I did go out for a few hours to walk around the Public Gardens and Newbury Street before spending almost 3 hours in the Borders on Boylston (which is closing) only to walk out with 2 Little Golden books for my niece and nephew. So disappointed b/c I couldn't find the books I wanted or any good calligraphy books. I must say, the weather was gorgeous today, sunny most of the time and at 55° I didn't have to wear a coat, gloves or hat! Now off to bed as I can barely keep my eyes open.

Kiss Me

It's not too often that I get headaches, but today I got one at work. Now, normal people would go for the Excedrin or Advil, but I think I've proven to ya'll that I'm not exactly normal :) What do I do? I go through my list:
1. Have I had any coffee today? It could be a caffeine headache, so drink a cup or...
2. When did I last eat? It could be that I need food, if I am not starving myself...
3. Sugar...have I had any sugar?

This is how I chose to grab the Hershey's Kiss on steroids rather than some pain pills. This giant kiss did help get rid of my headache, but while working out tonight I noticed some tightness in the usual areas of my neck and shoulders, so I am pretty sure the headache was not 100% caused by low sugar, but from tension... I'm no MD, but doing whatever it takes to help cure something without resulting to drugs is the best way to go.

Shoe Drawer @ Work

So I mentioned my drawer full of shoes at work to my best friend and she laughed at me. In San Diego, I would have a car, where I would drive in flip flops (despite drivers ed emphasizing how it was unsafe to drive barefoot or with flip flops) and then change into my heels when I parked and went into the office. In Boston, I don't have a car and carry everything to work, so after last winter where I was tired of carrying 2 pairs of shoes to work (gym and work shoes), I decide to store my work shoes in one of my large desk drawers. It started out as just 2 pairs, but now I have nearly all my work/dress shoes here. This morning when I got in and took my gym shoes off, I had a hard time finding the match to my brown flats this morning, but found it burried in the back of the drawer. Meanwhile my boss was standing at my desk talking to me and felt a little embarassed for having this drawer, but it works for me! One less thing to worry about packing in my gym bag every night, even if I do feel like Mister Rogers- taking off my shoes and putting on my work flats every morning as part of my routine [while "won't you be my neighbor" plays in my head].

3 Blind Mice

Today I called an exterminator and was told they could do my unit but there is no warranty on it, they encourage having the entire building done since mice run in between walls. So I got the info and decided to text the guy who uses my parking spot ever so often on the 3rd floor. I asked if they have mice, they do. When I got home from work, went to the 2nd floor and of course they don't but they have 2 cats. I left a note for unit 3 b/c I was told they have called and nothing seems to get done. One of the girls up there called me and I went up to meet her and she told me that they always have mice in the winter (which leads me to believe that we didn't have this problem last year b/c the roommate had a cat). I was told an "exterminator" came out and just set snap traps (something I've been doing) and made a comment that they could do the glue traps but "white people don't like those". From what I gathered, this "exterminator" was one of the maintenance guys people he knows... which in English means, half ass no credentials exterminator. So, clearly the guy who is supposed to fix things up doesn't do shit and so after talking to the neighbors I called the landlord to tell them that I wanted to discuss what I found out and that we should really do the entire building and that I would be more than happy to coordinate with everyone a time to get it done (and to think the maintenance guy gets to live here for free b/c he's supposed to do stuff like this! I should get a few hundred knocked off my rent!)

I have never met anyone from the 3rd floor unit, and who would have thought the mice would give me the reason to meet them. They also have the mice on their counters and stove and so far not in their cabinets... weird. And whenever they mention it to the maintenance guy he's like "yeah, I know, my cat caught 2"...well, then get real EXTERMINATORS out here! The lady I spoke with at the exterminator company said we could call the Board of Health and then they would have no choice but to fix this problem... but I'll hold that card in my hand and play it if necessary. And for those keeping track...it has been 1 week since I last caught a mouse and last saw any signs of mice...if history repeats itself, I should catch one tomorrow or at least find signs of their presence.

Resolutions

After reading The Happiness Project, I have the inspiration to continue working on goals and making resolutions for myself. Part of the author's process was creating commandments for herself and working on resolutions each month, while trying to keep the previous months resolutions. So here are some the things I'm going to continue (and start) working on in March.

Be Lorien
Drink green tea daily
Shower daily (yes, I skip a day every now and then, esp when I'm not going anywhere, but I feel so much better even after a quick jump in the tub)
Spend out (basically, use what I buy, stop saving for another time)
Smile
Walk 5 miles a week
Practice yoga 3 times a week
Lock door after closing the door [photo above is of the door I tend to forget to lock]
Take off my shoes when I enter my apartment
Do a little bit every day
Drink water
Take a few moments each day to be like a kid (like coloring, or dancing around the apt. or even hula hooping, jumping in a puddle)
Make time
Forget the past
Stay in touch by sending notes, cards, letters the old-fashioned way