heidi

I've moved

2010-02-26T21:48:00.000-05:00

to tumblr:

http://suphomey.tumblr.com/

follow my new blog?

nine days without ff. playoffs without ww.

2010-01-09T19:52:00.007-05:00

recent realization: you know what helps make it easy to not eat french fries? don't go out to eat somewhere that you usually order ff. on New Year's Eve I ate a cheeseburger and fries at Deep Ellum. and then it was farewell. sayonara. ttyl. miss you. peace. see you soon....I mean it's the NFL playoffs so fried food is in my future.

those look good. you know what doesn't look good? our chances of beating Baltimore without our Special Little Guy.

when he crumbled to the ground with his torn ACL and MCL, I crumbled to the ground with denial. I'm sure many of you did, too.

Belichick blames Houston's Reliant Stadium's field conditions for the injury. uhhhh why was he playing anyways? the Pats had nothing to gain with a win in Week 17. stupid. that's beating a dead horse though.

I've even read some people think this injury of WW could be career-ending. poor WW. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

and I'll still be rooting for the Pats. probably while eating french fries.

resolutions - fail or win?

2010-01-06T11:38:00.003-05:00

with a new year comes thinking...reflection on the past year, resolutions for the new one. well I've been doing just that. hi brain, I know I left you out of conversations, work and decision-making last year, but 2010 is going to be different.

for instance, I've resolved to blog more. you might disagree, but I'm putting a lot of thought into this blog post.

I'm also trying to conquer my nighttime snacking ritual (4 nights going strong).

well lookyhere, not only am I blogging, here are me and Biff having our bedtime snacks before we go to bed, like responsible and healthy adults.

all these downer forces out there are trying to discourage resolutions, saying they are pointless and that they just make you feel bad about yourself when you fail -- I'm not denying these truths. but isn't the glass half full for those 4 nights that you don't wake up in the middle of the night and eat leftover spaghetti?

as I let my brain mull this one over, I'm reminded of one of my favorite proverbs: one person's Epic FAIL is another person's WIN.

nice to meat you

2009-12-12T21:12:00.004-05:00

Laura, thanks for your blog request. I know I've been slacking on my blogging. I don't know why... maybe because work has been extremely busy. or because I signed up for twitter. no that's not it.

well nonetheless, I'm happy to report an important milestone. Biff just ate bacon and sausage. I wish I snapped a pic with my cameraphone.

+

I didn't think he's be able to chew and swallow it, but his determination trumped the tough skins and cumbersome shapes.

have you been to Drink yet? I dig the concept of explaining what you like to drink and they make something "just for you." when I was there last week I asked the bartender to make me a drink that tastes like an almond joy. (I just realized I love almond joys, btw)

I should have realized this would be made with heavy cream. that's where I went wrong. my second drink was apple cider with magic spices and secret ingredients topped with champagne. that was splendid.

but the best part of Drink was ironically the steak tartare.

sometimes I can't believe I was vegetarian for 5 years. this summer I tried lamb tongue.

(sorry munchkin)
in Italy I ate raw prawn, raw black tiger shrimp, raw tuna and raw swordfish.

(I know those are "fish" and not technically "meat" but I'd argue raw critters from the ocean are as fleshy, juicy and succulent as your four-legged or winged friends.)
I've also become a big fan of rillettes and pates.

etc. etc. basically, meat is wonderful and not overrated. I can say that because I've been on both sides. and if Biff wasn't mute I'm sure he would agree.

I did some fun things recently.

2009-10-02T19:38:00.003-04:00

- Six Flags
- Red Sox game
- 90s Night
- Hung out with cats
- Apple picking
- Sonic

I took photos of all these memorable haps. Then I lost my camera at the apple orchard. So I won't be able to share these funsies on flickr. However, I will assure you they were all goodtimes.
r.i.p. first digital camera

a friendly toast

2009-08-10T16:46:00.005-04:00

"Today on Josh's wedding day, (Heidi)
We, his sisters, have a few words to say. (All)

(Shannon)
Remember when we had matching fangs?
But more recently you sported Ellen DeGeneres bangs.
I cried for a year when you were first born.
But you cried with us when we were torn.

(Emily)
Quoting Friends and Home Alone is our favorite pastime.
I hope we aren't embarrassing you with our nostalgic rhyme.
You gave me a black eye when you shut my face in the door.
But you're still the best brother I could ever ask for.

(Heidi)
You lined your X-Men into rows.
And we made you dress up in women's clothes.
Now you've grown into quite a man,
Beginning your life with Laura Anne.

We're proud to have you, mister.
Laura, we welcome you as our sister.

Cheers!" (All)

Luv you Shoshie.

in heat

2009-07-28T19:21:00.005-04:00

SO... could it BE any hotter? I have been forced to shower everyday. today I was feeling like a sweaty blob and had that film all over me. then I noticed poor Biff and Chip sprawled miserably on the floor, relocating to a different spot every 5 minutes.

poor guys forced to wear furs all summer.

I just like this.

I'm watching the Sox game but I can't hear anything over the sound of the fans.

these kinds of fans:

not these:

my computer is overheating. need diet sunkist.

delicious continued...

2009-07-15T13:21:00.001-04:00

mm tastea

2009-07-09T12:59:00.005-04:00

so I've been obsessed with thai iced tea. it started about a month and a half ago... I went to Wonderspice in JP to get my take-out as I do about once a week (pad thai and crispy fried spring rolls, extra sweet and sour sauce)... whilst waiting for my food I bought a thai iced tea.

**going forward thai iced tea is abbreviated as t.i.t. not to be mistaken for another word with the same spelling**

I sipped it, trying to identify what it tasted like and trying decide if I liked it. I had tasted t.i.t. several times before and thought it was offensively sweet, even for me. this time around it was more refreshing and was delicious with my thai dinner (go figure).

some time passed and I craved a t.i.t. the way I crave a diet sunkist. I'm surprised my pee isn't orange.

thus began my tour de t.i.t. in addition to Wonderspice, I've had the t.i.t. at Thailand Cafe, Petsi Pie, 1369, Dado Tea, Velouria and Brown Sugar, but the most delectable, balanced and sensational t.i.t. is at Junebug in JP.

I brought a large one to Medway last Friday to share with the Smiths. Shannon, Emily and Brad thought it was disgusting. I think it was the neon orange color predisposed them to dislike it.

Mary, my mom and I sipped away at it's deliciousness. my dad wouldn't taste it (I don't think he believed me when I said it was herbal and ok for Mormons to drink). but let's face it: t.i.t.s are the tits.

upon looking at all these mouth-watering images, I must go out and get one.

show me your t.i.t.s!!!

kitty fail

2009-06-23T20:23:00.004-04:00

Rob gave me a Hello Kitty puzzle for my birthday. thanks Bobby. last night I pulled it out as an effort to relax after a long day. (the Sox were also off last night)

I set up camp in the kitchen and turned on "Puzzle Pieces" by Tiger Trap.

I was ready for puzzle-fun-time.

look at Meghan having fun doing a puzzle:

the fact that it came with a tiny set of tweezers should have been an indication that this was a stress causing not relieving puzzle. 204 pieces to make a 4"x6" puzzle.

we proclaimed our frustration with words that Hello Kitty should never hear.
at 1am Casey and I forced ourselves to stop.

score that 1 for cartoon cat.
0 for mankind.

feeding the monster

2009-06-15T13:28:00.007-04:00

book for my b-day:

thanks Casey.

my bookmark:

note: this ticket is from a 2004 game I went to with Shannon only weeks before the Sox won the WS!

I just finished reading Let the Right One In.

the monster in this story is a vampire. it's beyond amazing. I justify it's not like reading Twighlight because LTROI is not part of a series.

Easy Mac for lunch today

Mac n Cheese Monster:

Sea Monster:

why do things that are bad for you feel so good? I'm not talking about drugs. yesterday I was feeling depressed so I went tanning then picked up chicken fingers and fries with extra honey mustard from TGI Fridays and brought them home and ate them while watching "He's Just Not That Into You".

+

+

=

and

and

it was like a cheer and a big friend hug and a nap all rolled into one. and that is better than feeling like this:

...even if my happy glands are becoming addicted to the delights of mid-scale food chains.

that is a carrie underwood song

2009-06-11T15:51:00.005-04:00

just watch this preview.

I can't stop watching gg. my new roommates probably think I'm a crazy teenybopper.

it's a bargain

2009-06-09T12:36:00.001-04:00

skin cancer for $99

teevee

2009-05-21T14:57:00.006-04:00

I've recently started watching tv on the internet.

**this is what me watching internet tv looks like.

I used to be opposed to the small pixelated screen. but just an episode of Entourage after not being able to watch it for 4 months converted me. I watched all of season 5 in about a week.

I love you

now I'm watching Mad Men season 2. yesterday at work I caught up with episode 3, Marriage of Figaro. a couple lines in that episode were so relevant to my life, I have to share them.

I love and hate you

Peggy's mom and sister bother her to go to church. she keeps resisting. finally she goes to appease them. during the sermon Peggy whispers to her sister, "I don't feel good." to which her sister replies "you're hungover." nothing indicated she had been out drinking the night before, her sister just assumed it.

also in the episode, Betty Draper is sitting on her bed with Don and their kids. she says "I hate my feet" and Don (her husband) says, "I thought those were waterskis." Betty, it's a hard life having big, disproportionate feet.

I love you

Summer Reading

2009-05-18T11:38:00.006-04:00

as I child I read nonstop. the usual pre-teen series of Babysitter's Club, Anne of Green Gables, Judy Blume, etc.

upon entering high school that abruptly changed...the instigator: Summer Reading.

NO

I remember avoiding the task all summer.

til a week before the start of school when I went to Barnes and Noble and picked the 3 books on the list with the fewest pages. a few days later I got the Cliffs Notes. finally the day before school started I tried to find the movie versions of the books i.e. Field of Dreams...

a story that I would probably would have loved under other circumstances but couldn't even sit through and still have never watched (or read) all the way through.

I've never had a problem with authority or an attention deficiancy but for some reason I couldn't make myself read a book, poem, short story or anything I was told to. but when the course was over, I wouldn't mind reading The Crying of Lot 49.

I didn't complete any of the assigned reading in high school or college.
(apparently you can graduate with honors from BU and Medway High School without doing your reading.)

in hindsight I wish I had read and kept all those books instead of selling them back to BU for $1 at the end of the semester. my bookshelves would have a lot more books and less chotchkes.

the same applies to my brain.

I recently enjoyed Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby and am currently reading Murder on the Orient Express...all books I was supposed to read at one time or another. upon realizing my love for high school literature I realized you don't really appreciate anything about your youth til your older....a summer of nothing to do but read a few books sounds pretty excellent.

I still love you, Manny

2009-05-08T12:20:00.004-04:00

Statement from Manny:

Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons. I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation.

below I have copied and pasted the entire contents of Wikipedia's description of Manny's 2008 season. Read. then report back to me.

2008 season
On May 31, Ramirez hit his 500th home run, against Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chad Bradford at Camden Yards in the 7th inning on the first pitch, becoming the 24th player in MLB history to do so. He joined two other Red Sox players, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams in this exclusive home run club.
On June 5, during a game at Fenway against the Tampa Bay Rays, an altercation between Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis resulted from Ramirez objecting to what he believed was excessive - and chronic - complaining about the strike zone by Youkilis in the dugout, as well as the first baseman's penchant for throwing equipment after at-bats. Before the fifth inning - and after the Red Sox-Rays punching session - Ramirez was caught on NESN cameras slapping Youkilis. The pair also exchanged words, and had to be separated by teammates, coaches, and training staff. Youkilis headed out to the field still barking at Ramirez, while Ramirez was escorted into the tunnel leading to the clubhouse by bench coach Brad Mills and trainer Paul Lessard. According to three sources, Ramirez had told Youkilis to "cut that [expletive] out." That was what provoked Youkilis and started the problem.[11] Later in the season, during the series with the Houston Astros, Ramirez had a physical altercation with Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick. The two were arguing over Ramirez's large game-day request for 16 tickets to the game in Houston, when Ramirez reportedly pushed McCormick to the ground after saying "Just do your job." The two were quickly separated and Ramirez later apologized for his behavior.[12][13] The matter was dealt with internally and Ramirez was fined.
On July 25, after sitting out one game against the Seattle Mariners with a sore knee, Ramirez was originally slated to start against the Yankees. Several minutes before the game, however, he informed manager Terry Francona, through a bench coach, that he would not be playing. During this series against the Yankees Ramirez was directed to an area hospital for an MRI on both knees, the results showed no damage.[14] When back in action, Ramirez frequently did not run out ground balls. Assuming that this was due to his displeasure about his contract situation, many Red Sox fans and reporters, including Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe, called for Ramirez to be traded.

absolutely stunning

2009-04-26T20:30:00.001-04:00

more pics coming to flickr very soon...

life is a picnic

2009-04-20T18:32:00.005-04:00

Saturday morning at 9am Shannon calls me. I'm sleeping (obvi) and her message says 'call me back, it's important'. she was at iparty.

Emily's bachelorette-picnic.

I feel like a parent who doesn't take as many pictures of their second born as they do of their first. I have millions of photos from Shannon's shower, bachelorette, wedding, wedding weekend, dress try-on, bustle (pictured), etc.

maybe someday if I get married no one will take pictures. actually the pictures seem like one of the best parts of a wedding ceremony. everyone is focused on grooming you and wants their picture taken with you. you're like Mickey Mouse.

KG, it must be so hard to watch from the bench. you should know that you look really good in your suits.

and I just really love this picture.

Go Celtics!

Sports Update

2009-04-13T10:07:00.007-04:00

the Sox have lost their first 2 series of '09. they take a record of 2-4 to Oakland tonight. I'm not worried. 156 games to go!
I have missed the Sox. so very much. during the offseason they unveiled new jerseys. also, the primary logo is no longer the "B", it's the "red socks".
--->

new jerseys:
(do you think that is where the state came from?)

look at the away uniforms:

they look a lot like the Yankees:

at least they got rid of the green jerseys.

yesterday the Cavs destroyed the Celtics. at the end of the first quarter the Cetltics were down 9-31. they managed to lose by 31 points. dumpster time.

only 2 more regular season games.

this week NHL playoffs start. the Bs have the top seed in the East and are playing a 7-game series with the 8th-seeded Canadiens.

last season, the Canadiens were the 1 seed and the Bruins were the 8 seed. my how the tables have turned. (Bs lost in 7 games)

one tidbit you non-sports-followers should know is that baseball play 2-4 game series all season. that's why the Sox played the Angels on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. the difference with play-off series (in all sports) is that play-off series are "best-of" and all 7 (or 5) games might not be necessary. got it?

I ate too much Easter candy.

The Bed Times

2009-04-08T13:42:00.006-04:00

as you know, I love granny style.

but lately I seriously am a grandma. nothing sounds better than going to bed at 8:30 p.m. I look forward to those evenings strictly devoted to reclining on the couch, then in my bed.

couch:

bed:

last night I had the opportunity to go out drinking with pals in Black Kids and Mates of State. no. I reluctantly went backstage where I drank a Poland Springs, refusing several offers of Jameson and Sam Adams. I did help myself to the carrot sticks. (the first vegetables I've eaten in about a week.) then skipped out to go home at 12:30 instead of going to Bleacher Bar.

here's Mary hanging out like a cool 26 year-old.

here's Jon and Owen cleaning out the fridge. in the foreground you see my water bottle.

somehow I managed to age 40 years in a matter of months.

on Sunday, friends from Austin were playing a show at TT's. they asked to crash on my floor while in Boston. figured it could be nice as I haven't seen Logan in 4 years.

after their show they literally had to put me in the van and make me go to The Model kicking and screaming. when we got home I shushed them for an hour. did I mention I haven't seen them in 4 years?

honestly, one Simply Sleep and 10-14 hours of uninterrupted sleep is an awesome Friday night. just gotta make sure the sleep marathon is in the privacy of my own home.

my bed is just too wonderful. I've had the same one for 4 years. I have created my ultimate sleep oasis. of anywhere I could possibly sleep I would pick my bed. it helps that Chip Munk snuggles next to my face every night. occassionally Biff will join.

good times

I think preferring to sleep in your own bed means you are an adult. now I must work on being an adult and not a senior citizen.

Spring Training

2009-04-02T19:49:00.001-04:00

Baseball spring training is going to end with a bang!
Saturday, April 4 at HOLIDAY

2 days til HOLIDAY and 4 days til Opening Day!

Goodnight, Coon

2009-03-30T19:29:00.007-04:00

a magical (and somewhat true) bedtime story.

once upon a time I was cat cuddling.

and I met the sweetest and fluffiest Maine Coon Cat.
his name is Simon.

we bonded and I thought about taking him home to be my very own.
but I already have 3 sweeties.

I was sad because I love Maine Coons.

then a friend of mine told me he met a Maine Coon who looked like my Biff.

this made me very excited.

could Biff be one of these magical creatures?!

I read and read and read about Maine Coon Cats.

and found out Biff is part Maine Coon and part Panda.

and Muffin is part Maine Coon and part Alpaca.

how wonderful to have 2 Maine Coons in my life!
now I'm getting sleepy.

p.s. they lived happily ever after.

who's your paddy?

2009-03-16T18:54:00.003-04:00

I know a lot of Irish people live in Boston. is St. Patrick's Day as big of a deal in other parts of the country? idk.

I just looked up "St. Patrick's Day" on wikipedia. the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in Boston in 1761. but the first "recorded" St. Patrick's Day parade was in NYC in 1762... if wikipedia knows the first parade was in Boston a year earlier then how is that not recorded?

just food for thought.

so SPD is the national holiday of Ireland. as pretty much the only non-Irish person in Boston, I'm wondering why don't we celebrate Święto Państwowe (the national holiday of Poland)?

very interesting, Ameryka.

you may think that the picture below is of Ireland.

...it's Poland!

march madness

2009-03-09T13:46:00.003-04:00

this party will be so amazing, it'll get a tommy point.

(if you're confused)

car wars

2009-03-03T18:36:00.002-05:00

I get into my storm trooper. Dad gets into Vader.

unconditional love

2009-03-02T12:04:00.004-05:00

what happened guys?

I know we have injuries....
Scalabrine - strained neck
KG - knee strain
Tony Allen - thumb boo-boo

but losses to Clippers and Pistons = unacceptable.

I will still sport my Celtics jacket with pride.
And Nathan is really this tall:

lovely

2009-02-18T21:09:00.006-05:00

lovely VD:

sleep in late.

oysters, steak and cocktails at Eastern Standard.

bath.

art show at Orchard.

cocktails (and a hot dog) at Deep Ellum.

how cute is that dog?!

lovely Sunday:

brunch.

Freaks and Geeks.

Pants Yell! and Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

ZuZu.

sleepover with Kimberly.

in other lovely news:

happy 50th birthday to Dad.

exactly one month til I see the Celtics.

exactly two months til Emily's bachelorette party.

Newport tomorrow.

'09 Mercedes til Friday.

9 days til I pick up Emily at the airport.

I miss you Emmy

sealed for freshness

2009-02-11T15:04:00.003-05:00

breakfast of champions

boxing at the Shepard Fairey party

a friend of mine sent me this picture

she said it reminded her of me and Casey... I don't know if that was supposed to be a compliment? I guess if we were wax figures or manicured to the point of no return we might look like that.

this year I'm trying to read more books. since the new year I've read a few gems.

(fabulous books to read before bed)

now I'm reading Music for Chameleons.

next week Sonia, Angelina and I are planning to kick off VJS (Violin Jam Sessions) at my house.
I want to apologize to my roommate in advance.

my soulmate

2009-02-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

http://sorry-mom.com/dudes/652

let's party

2009-01-28T20:06:00.002-05:00

yesterday I wore jeans for the first time in 12 days.

i hate pants

2009-01-13T12:05:00.004-05:00

as soon as I'm in my house, the elastics come on. actually, this is pretty universal among my family.
elastics:

I was at a coffeeshop in Amherst and noticed all the students were wearing elastics.
actual students:

I don't associate my wearing of sweatpants around the house to be the same as wearing them in public. that's just lazy.

did you notice when people describe their significant other as "letting themselves go," the wearing of sweatpants is often included in this complaint?

imagine that cat in sweatpants.

lately you could say the Celtics have been wearing sweatpants. they got too comfortable in our relationship... sloppy, lazy, selfish, they don't even clean up when we have company. and they expect me to still love them. (I do)

they start the season 27-2 and win 19 games in a row. last night that had to rally to beat the Raptors in OT. since Christmas they've lost 7 of 11.

they need to take those sweatpants off and put this back on:

look at this sweet couch I saw while walking to the T:

I wish I had a car so I could've brought it home, cleaned the snow off, then lounged on it yes wearing elastics.

I'm so over 2008

2009-01-01T16:56:00.012-05:00

2008 wasn't my fave.

picture message I just got from Emily:

with text: in nebraska! i miss you shwee.

Emily, I miss you terribly :(

one high note was the addition of Chip Munk.

oh and those glasses.

I did read more books last year which was my New Year's resolution. this year: stand up straight, read even more books. the last book I read was Breakfast at Tiffany's. then watching the movie I noticed Paul (Fred) looks just like Renny Kodgers.

uncanny.

last night I bid '08 farewell and good riddance at the Milky Way. 'twas a good time. toward the end of the night I was in the bathroom and noticed this in the stall next to me:

drunk girl throwing up barefoot next to her Notebook Chucks that Tim designed...a few minutes later I saw her back at the bar (sneakers on) resuming her party.

I will resume my party on Saturday night and so should you.

happy HOLIDAY!

home for Smithmas

2008-12-25T22:26:00.010-05:00

last night 10 people (my parents, 2 sisters, 1 brother, 1 brother-in-law, 2 fiances, 1 uncle and I) and 6 pets (5 cats and 1 dog) slept at my parents' house. 'twas a full house the night before Christmas.

holidog

I bunked with Shannon, Mike, Chip and for part of the night, Biff. poor Mike is allergic to cats but he really had no choice.

true to Smithmas form, we were woken up at 8 a.m., opened stockings, had Polish breakfast, then sat down around 11 for the big show (opening presents), followed by a roast (thanks Mom) and a full day of serious lounging, Big Love and cocoa.

you'd think Mormons would be offended by Big Love but my family got way into it. as you can see from the photo above, my family can joke about smoking, so why not about polygamy. (I'll say it once, polygamy is not a Mormon belief.) there are so many Mormon references in the show that are totally accurate and I don't think could be picked up on by non-Mormons (or former Mormons)....hymns, pictures of temples, catch phrases and jargon, etc.

what a splendid day. well, besides the Celtics' loss but that was bound to happen sooner or later.

bench press

2008-12-18T12:40:00.003-05:00

those of you who frequent Central Sq have probably noticed Hot Off The Press is gone.

a sign out front says "Rotisserie Chicken Coming Soon"...I thought that meant HOTP was going to start having rotisserie chicken.

the quality there had seriously deteriorated over the last few months but I still liked their coffee and bagel sandwiches.

1369 doesn't have bagel sandwiches.

and how's this for salt in my wounds? I only needed one more stamp on my press pass to get $5 off.

an oldie but a goodie

2008-12-02T20:04:00.005-05:00

I searched through my gmail to find this email from a friend who will remain nameless. I always enjoy reading it. hope you do, too.

5/10/07
3:18 am

I AM DRUNK

i also just made out with a boy in boston common!

the nice part, the gardens.

im not a slut, come on!

but it was for like, 2 hrs outside.

hot.

now i am having some special k.
cause i havent had dinner yet! it is 3:11 am. goodness.

also, yes, i am 'replying all' by a concious decision. because i think you all would enjoy this email.

now i am sad because i have finished my special k. theres still a lot of milk left in the bowl though!! oh NO!!! what should i do should i refill the bowl with cereal, drink the milk, or just throw it away!? im gonna think about this for awhile. you may all get a follow-up email in the morning.

xo

3:20 am

alright everyone, i drank the milk.

in case you were worried!

I went to your wedding so you should come to my party

2008-12-02T13:44:00.003-05:00

Santa will be there.

family

2008-11-27T21:16:00.009-05:00

we're having real Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow when Shannon and Michael return from their honeymoon.

today was an unconventional Thanksgiving for us. I had lunch (steak) in Boston with my parents and Josh. then we came to Medway where lounging commenced.... those of you who have spent time with my family know we can get a serious lounge on. I just watched 5 hours of Dexter with my parents. I got them hooked.

when I packed my overnight bag for Medway it consisted of elastic waist pants, slippers, a sweatshirt, Dexter dvds and my book.

(Biff chewed off the laces)

my mom just made me a grilled cheese. today I woke up feeling especially thankful for my mom.

I'm reading I Capture the Castle. it's totally adorable.

I heard of this book a few years ago because it inspired an Anthropologie apparel theme while I was working there.

brief synopsis:
the narrator is a 17 year-old girl named Cassandra who lives in a castle with her family. they moved there after the father had been a successful writer, but has since given up writing and now the family is very poor. they don't even pay rent anymore. Cassandra's older sister, Rose, gets engaged to a wealthy man named Simon. while Rose is in London with Simon's mother to buy new clothes she sends a letter home to Cassandra. I'm going to type in some parts from it because it's just so sweet.

I expect you will wish I would describe everything we have bought but I haven't the time and I also feel embarrassed at having so much when you have so little. But you are to have a most beautiful bridesmaid's frock - you are to come up here to be fitted for it - and I think the ready-made clothes I am wearing now can be altered for you, once I get my trousseau. And when I am married we will shop like mad for you....

I have a bathroom all to myself and there are clean peach-coloured towels every single day. Whenever I feel lonely, I go and sit in there and I cheer up.

for some reason I get misty eyed whenever I think about that letter... the feeling of wanting your sisters to have everything is familiar to me. (sisters before misters!) as is how they can appreciate and understand your silliest behavior.

note between Emily and me:

the thought of how life and family dynamics will change once someone is married is particularly relevant. it makes me sad to think about how future holidays will be spent differently.

I wonder how Emily would've reacted if I left a note that said:

Darling sister, I awoke this morning to find an unpleasant treat from your cat. How I avoided it and thought about just leaving it for you to tidy after. I relented as I do respect your efforts to never clean up after that cat. In turn I request you see to the washing of our rather bedraggled floors.

Smithmas 07:

I don't think it really registered with me that last Christmas would be the last one where our immediate family was the 6 of us.

Emily and Josh both got engaged this week. Emily on Monday. Josh on Wednesday. first I thought I was having my recurring nightmare of the above scenario happening. but no, I was awake.

I haven't really adjusted to the news. in fact, I haven't like it at all. as a protest to what I consider "unreasonable behavior" I ordered beer with lunch today. I have never drank in front of my dad before. I had a winter ale with my oysters and filet mignon. I don't know what I accomplished by ordering expensive menu items but that was part of the protest, too.

oh well. cheers.

boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses

2008-11-16T18:03:00.003-05:00

my grandpa told me that after I got my first pair of glasses - at age 10.
first pair of glasses:

I didn't know what that comment meant at the time, but I remembered it. then at least a teansy bit consequently from grandpa's statement I almost always wore contacts from ages 12-22. sometimes I still feel sloppy or lazy if I wear my glasses (I wore contacts to my sister's wedding and sometimes when I go out) but as of a few years ago, I basically switched over to glasses full-time. on a similar note, I also stopped dying my hair and pretty much only wear elastic waist pants while in my house.

a couple days ago I took my sister, Emily, to my glasses guy:

he's great. he has a good sense of humor about the frames I bring him.
i.e. these sunglasses I had him put prescription lenses in.

and these toy glasses from Savers:

in a month and a half Emily is moving to Idaho and decided new glasses would be a big part of bringing granny style to Rexburg, ID.

some of the finalists:

calling our mom to tell her about the pair she wants to buy (and is wearing)

you can bet on seeing A LOT more photos of these glasses on flickr once she picks them up this week.

this morning at brunch 5/6 of us had glasses. Friday night 3/4 of us had glasses.

I think it's only a matter of time til we take over the world.

Vital(e)

2008-11-12T19:41:00.006-05:00

big games tonight and tomorrow. well it's only like 9 games into the Celtics' season, so it's not that big. I can't believe it's already week 10 of the football season. tomorrow: Pats vs Jets to determine first place of AFC East. Pats and Jets = currently 6-3. the Pats won their first meeting of the season 19-10.

tonight: C's vs Hawks. Hawks = currently undefeated. Cs beat them in the playoffs last year but it stretched to 5 games (it shouldn't have). the other thing to know about the Hawks is that Boston hates Mike Bibby. and he has stupid tattoos.

about 10 years ago I was really into the NCAA's March Madness. I was a fan of Bibby and Arizona all year. then when it was the finals I stayed up to watch Arizona play Kentucky and it went to overtime. I didn't stay up late that much in High School (having to go to church before school and all) but I stayed up and watched Arizona beat Kentucky and Rick Pitino. Miles Simon was MVP. what happened to him? Anyways, the best thing happened the morning after that game. we had a snow day at the beginning of April! so I didn't have to go to school and I could watch highlights on Sportscenter all day. I can hear Dick Vitale's voice now....

I can't believe I found that on google image search.

extreme hangover

2008-11-10T09:47:00.010-05:00

a couple weeks ago my sister was watching something lame on tv (I didn't know what it was but I could tell it was lame) when I asked her what it was she said 'Extreme Home Makeover'

but I thought she said 'Extreme Hangover' which amused me for a while. I thought about how funny that show would be.... until Friday, when I lived it. and my memory was refreshed that someone hungover should never be videotaped or photographed. or probably be exposed to sunlight or living things.

Friday morning I saw Katie at Velouria. she said I 'looked tired' and asked if I ever went to bed the night before. it felt like I hadn't slept (or tasted water) in a long time.

that image still makes me queasy.

about 5 years ago my cousin Aileen showed up to a family gathering at my grandma's house in NH really hungover. she didn't want to tell my relatives why she didn't feel good so all my aunts started thinking maybe it was morning sickness. they laughed and looked disappointed when she told a select few she wasn't up the spout.
here we are 2 months ago at Shannon's wedding (happily inheriting some champagnes)

enough of the lowlights, time for highlights.

Friday night were happyhaps for Elise's 25th birthday. Elise enjoying a sangria sampler:

friendly bats at Kaitlin's art show:

AI goes to the Pistons:

I'm not sure how I feel about the trade. it will be interesting to see how the remaining Pistons react to having a superstar instead of being the team with no stars. I watched the Celtics - Pistons game last night and was surprised how handily the Cs won. I didn't miss Billups or McDyess that's for sure.

I finished reading Little Children and The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta. I'm almost done with The Uses of Enchantment. I need a book to read next, I'm on a roll. if Mary finishes Notes on a Scandal soon I will read that. I'd like to have a book club of books made into movies. then it can be a book and movie club.

Happy Birthday Perk

the party at the Good Life was beyond good.

they asked Mary and I to have a monthly party there, so more partees to come! the next one being December 6.

pound it

2008-11-04T22:57:00.003-05:00

places seemed crowded today...there was traffic going everywhere, Starbucks had a line out the door, the elderly affordable housing complex in JP where I voted was lively and swarmed with people (I'm guessing a rare occurance)... but I noticed very little impatience and road rage (also a rare occurance).

it felt like the day of the deciding game in the World Series or the NBA Finals last year. or maybe Christmas Eve...there's a buzz of energy in the air and people on the T actually make chit-chat and you feel comaraderie with your neighbors? that's what today felt like. it was exciting. and after the victory (fingers-crossed) tomorrow feels even better.

Barack would totally get up there if there was a President trophy... there really should be one.

I like how this person thinks:

how the cookie crumbles

2008-10-28T13:00:00.008-04:00

my sister (and roomie) is moving West in December.

I've known this for about 2 months now, but every time I think about it I feel like I'm just hearing it the first time and someone is punching me in the stomach.

last night I was in bed and Emily knew I hadn't eaten dinner. so she woke me up with a plate full of onies (macaroni & cheese) and a hot dog.

Emily makes the best macaroni & cheese.

we have our own language (something I also lamented about when Shannon moved because we have our own language, too) i.e. onies. we always tell eachother 'luvshu' (love you)... now you are hip to a couple of our words.

Emily's kitten and probably car will stay here with me. but they don't help me feel better about her leaving.

shortly after we moved in together, Emily heard me making my middle-of-the-night snack. (a ritual old roommates thought was completely weird because it is.) she burst out of her room looking so relieved that I was awake too. "I can't sleep" she said (and looking like she had taken some no-doz.) while I ate my rice krispies, Emily made bacon. then I had cashews and she had a jello. like this was a perfectly normal thing to be doing at 3am.

oh Emshee I mishu already.

in other news: I hate this time of year. go Celtics.

the party to be thankful for

2008-10-25T13:56:00.002-04:00

putting the 'stun' in Boston

2008-10-19T19:37:00.006-04:00

it's a stretch but an appropriate one. sports in a second. first, the weather.

I recently turned my heat on for the first time in this apartment. today I wore a hat, scarf and gloves. seems like the cold weather is coming earlier this year than in years past. where are the effects of global warming that make the weather more comfortable?
I try not to wear my winter coat til Thanksgiving.

I had a lovely past few days.

2 days at the cottage on 2 perfect bright sunshining days

attending a Sox playoff game that turned out to be the greatest comeback in a playoff game since 1929

(yes we stayed til the end)

'omg I can't believe this is happening and we're here to see it ahhh'

Emily just yelled at Chip to 'stop acting gay'. how does a cat act gay?

Chip, I love you.

Sox win last night. game 7 tonight. Pats on Monday night football. 3 nights, 3 big games and no overlapping, sweet.

I have to admit that now that Tom Brady is out, I find the Pats much more interesting and likeable... he's just too good. Cassel is the Achilles heel. you feel like if you root for him it just might make a difference. that's my take on it, anyways.

even Cassel was bored by Brady.

9 days til the Celtics' first regular season game.

that was the only picture I could find of my Celtics jacket.

baseball time, all the time

2008-10-10T11:41:00.003-04:00

I really thought the Dodgers were going to pull out a victory last night. Chase Utley hit a clutch home run to tie the game... gave the Phillies the MMT (momentum). I forgot about Chase after the All-Star break but he's really good and cute.
aka Mr Philadelphia:

so big Game 1 tonight - Sox vs Rays. Dice-K vs Shields. Cocoa's fists vs Gomes, Navarro, etc. Shields is the pitcher who hit Cocoa back in June and they had the benches-clearing-brawl. this video is a nice little recap of the fight.

the day after the fight I was watching the video on Youtube (the actual replay of the fight, not the video above) and my Fed Ex guy came by and watched with me. now every so often we watch sports highlights together. it's a beautiful thing.

the Sox will win the series but I don't want them to sweep.... because I have tickets to game 5 on Thursday! hooray!

seasoning

2008-10-06T11:05:00.005-04:00

currently enjoying an apple cider donut from Brooksby Farms in Peabody. field trip there last week for apple picking, fall appreciation, and nerdy photo-ops.

drinking hot coffee, wearing socks everyday, knitting a new scarf... yes fall is really here! I took out all of my fall decorations... frankenstein lantern, jack-o-lantern candy dish, pumpkin salt & pepper shakers, apple shaped dishes, etc.

fall centerpiece...

...small pumpkin on my kitchen table (actually I think it might just be a gourd) and chestnuts we picked up off the sidewalk near my house. we have Halloween candy all around the apartment. Emily and I ate all the kit-kats already.

happy one month wedding anniversary Shannie and Mike!

so Shannie told me there are 2 new therapists where she works and their names are Heidi and Elise! Heidi is shorter and has a weird sense of humor; Elise is taller, blond, and constantly laughs to herself. WOW.

mirror technology that's light-years ahead

2008-09-28T20:31:00.005-04:00

(SkyMall)

my creative director read this book and thought I should borrow it.

the female equivalent of 'nice guys finish last' is apparently 'men marry bitches'.

we'll know tomorrow if Dusty wins the batting title. currently .326

I wonder if Dusty's wife is bitchy.

she looks so friendly there...... ah I bet that's how they get you.

good sports

2008-09-24T20:01:00.004-04:00

clinch last night. nice work, guys!

I love that they are shaking cans of Bud Light.

sweet goggles

this means the Yankees can't make the postseason (for the first time since 1995) ...it's the end of an era. and the Sox will get the Wild Card unless they miraculously gain 2+ games on the Rays in 5 days.

Celtics tickets go on sale this Friday.

I love you.

I don't think I can get tickets for game 1 vs the Cavs so I'll have to wait til March 6 to see LBJ.

I love you.

i just google your na-ame

2008-09-18T14:06:00.003-04:00

Brittany's friend directed this video

how to make a rice krispie treat panda

2008-09-15T10:28:00.004-04:00

thanks Mary

6 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 (10 oz.) package regular marshmallows OR 8 cups of mini marshmallows
12 cups or 2 boxes of Rice Krispies
One 12 oz tub of white icing
Black food coloring
1 small tube of black gel icing

1. Follow the instructions for making Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Original. Be sure to make two separate batches.

2. While one batch is still hot, form a large egg shape, with a flat bottom so that it can stand up on its own. In order to mold, be sure to use wax paper, as the Rice Krispies are so sticky you will not be able to mold them with your hands.

3. Take four smaller proportions of the second batch of Rice Krispies and form four cylinders (these will serve as the paws). While the Rice Krispies cylinders are still hot, press them against the large egg shape made in the previous step, in the positions where the paws would be. Again, be sure to use wax paper, as it is still too sticky to work with.

4. Take a larger proportion of the second batch, and form a dome (this will serve as the snout). Press this onto the facial region. The importance of using wax paper can't be emphasized enough, as the sticky consistency of the Rice Krispie treats has not changed.

5. Next form smaller domes and place these where the ears should be.

6. Allow to cool. While the panda cools, take a quarter of a 12 oz tub of icing and dye it black with black food coloring.

7. Once the entire panda is cooled, coat him/her entirely in white frosting.

8. Place black frosting on top of the white frosting, wherever you desire black accents.

9. Draw on a face with a gel icing tube.

10. Give your panda a name (preferably Chinese, since pandas are native to China).
(I would name mine Ni Hao)

11. Put the panda in the refrigerator until it's time for it to be in the spotlight.

12. Bask in the glory as party-goers admire your creation.

whoever added this to wikiHow should be my friend

while on the topic of China......gchat conversation with Brittany (on 9/4)

Brittany: Heidi
whats the story
?

me: morning glory?

Brittany: HOLY SHIT WAIT
Shannon wedding this Saturday

me: you know it

Brittany: oh my God, life sneaks by

me: hows chiners?

Brittany: i had food poisioning
tonight
a bit earlier
OMG shannon
have you seen the dress???

me: yes

Brittany: is there any way that i can see it?

me: oh dear feel better
will email you pics tonight!

Brittany: Ok that would make my life in china like 10000000x better
god my apartment was filthy when i moved in here. Mould on my pillows (thew them away)
i cried for 2 days
cleaned for 9 hours
so i am serious when i say that pictures of S would really cheer me up
then 2 nights ago i thought someone had like broken into my apt
and i got scared and went to the door and it was a HUGE cockroach

me: NOOOO

Brittany: yeah
i wanted to puke and die

me: did it knock the door down
do you have a door

Brittany: i am serious.
It had like, legs.
like, man sized legs
wait i have a pic

I said 'we'

2008-09-08T11:30:00.003-04:00

I know everyone wants to see the pictures from the wedding. here's a little preview...

everything was beautiful and fun and there was more love in the air than at the Smith house at Christmas.

yes Josh performed the ceremony.

photo by Elise Schroeder.

bon

2008-09-02T20:49:00.006-04:00

today I rode my bike to work. it takes about the same amount of time as the t (40 minutes) but it requires a bit more energy than sitting and reading the Metro.

when I got to Cambridge I was so tired and sweaty. I thought, what is something really big (and cheap and full of calories) that I can eat for breakfast? I remembered the apple fritter from Starbucks that Rhianna used to get when we worked at Anthropologie.

(while looking for that photo I found so many other oldies but goodies, like eating lunch at "little bon")

the apple fritter was good, but Starbucks has made it like half the size that it used to be. it was only about the size of a donut. Rhianna just reminded me that the fritter used to be the size of her head. you can see her feeding it to Chris above (he has a large head though.)
I ate it so fast I didn't think of taking a picture of it for research.

happiness is a warm bun

2008-08-31T17:42:00.003-04:00

I made cinnamon rolls yesterday.

right as I saved this post, Mike showed me a picture of the gun he just bought.

at the game last night

after the wedding reception the real party is at Gritty's in Auburn.

the last time I went to a bar with Shannon and Mike, I got cut off at 11pm and Shannon made me go home (where Elise was in the shower and I walked into the bathroom door then threw up in my room.) then Mike punched a guy who bought Shannon a drink and they got kicked out. here's hoping to an equally memorable evening.

what are the odds

2008-08-26T19:21:00.006-04:00

Saturday morning I awoke with 2 specific goals
1. throw lovely and memorable bachelorette party for Shannon
2. find (matching) wedding shoes for the bridesmaids

I was definitely looking forward to the party more.

to all of our astonishment, we tried on one pair and were content. the store had one of each of our sizes left.....it was a sign.
whew.
doneskies.

soon we (Shannie, Aileen, Elise, and I) were at the Medway casa setting up for the party. I was bringing stuff outside and a bee stung the palm of my hand. I'm not afraid of bees at all and I realized this was because I hadn't been stung since I was like 11 and forgot how much it hurt!!!!!!!!

10 minutes later I went back outside and got stung again! on my other hand. I was then useless with the decorating and prepping of food. I felt like I had hamburger helper hands.

I iced and was well enough in time to hold my own cup.
a.

b.

grampa was struck by lightning twice.

olé!

lovely and memorable

this weekend Elise and I are celebrating our 7 year anniversary as friends. who would've thought when we met that Labor Day in 01 we would still be buddies today.
Elise was my first friend at BU! if I remember correctly, Elise and I met because we actually bumped into each other. (we were both clumsy back then, too)

Halloween 02. Spice girls

what a terrible picture.

so Yankees tonight. the Sox really need to win these games, not because I'm worried about the Yankees contending for the wild card, but because the Sox can't afford to lose any ground to the Twins/White Sox.

Joe Biden had a pulled pork sandwich for lunch yesterday.

I had a pulled pork burrito.

Papi on Dusty

2008-08-22T12:13:00.003-04:00

"He's the best. He's the best of the best. He's the best thing that ever happened to this ballclub... he's a (expletive) great kid, dude. He's the best. I love him. It's great, man. I talk about Pedroia all the time to everybody because of how little he is and the way he plays the game. And I'll be like, 'Dude, seriously, he's a bad little kid.'"

Papi + Dusty = :D
Sox tied for wildcard with Twins = :(
Sox pitching > Toronto bats
postseason - Sox = :'(
Heidi + lunch = B-)

funsies

2008-08-21T14:21:00.013-04:00

I saw the Faint with Kathryn last night. they are always so good.
Kathryn is from Omaha and recently played trivia back home with Jacob (the keyboardist and my fav!)
Jacob

Kathryn and me

the Faint was my first show at the Middle East back 7 or 8 years ago. imagine the Middle East Downstairs as gross and hot and unventilated as it is now, but with the band and 2/3 of the audience smoking inside and a fog machine.

speaking of foggy nights... bachelor and bachelorette parties this weekend.

Josh and the Shannon pinata I ordered

I just drew on her Shannon necklace, medical alert bracelet, birthmark, eyelashes, and a fake "Mike" tattoo.

future brother-in-law

I hope Mike's bachelor party is fun (but not too fun)

double tall one pump cinnamon vanilla nonfat latte with whip

2008-08-20T17:15:00.003-04:00

this is my fall-winter drink at Starbucks. it tastes just like walking to work at American Apparel in the morning, except better because I'm not going to work there. today I had my first one since winter! (probably the beginning of May... seriously this global warming stuff is made up)

blog party

2008-08-19T14:19:00.009-04:00

I'm constantly getting new ideas of topics to blog about, but there's just not enough time to organize all the sentences I construct in my mind into the eloquent brain candy I want my blog to be. You know?

I recently had the chance to talk with some people who read my blog (!) and got their feedback. I was really happy to learn that at least a few of you are coming here to learn about sports. I'm sorry my focus has lately diverted to cats. Also, there has been some curiosity expressed about what it is I do at work. I will tackle that next time.

Here's a picture of Jack!

Sunday morning Biff escaped and got in a fight with the neighbor's boxer.

(not actual dog)
now Biff runs under my bed when he hears the dog bark. sad panda.

Every so often my sister, Emily, likes to remind me of how I taped over the last episode of Full House with a baseball game (this happened about 10 years ago). I feel bad about it (in part) because I can't even remember what game it was... probably a Fox Saturday baseball game with This Week in Baseball before it. In the mid-late 90s I was really into taping sports onto VHS.

Do you ever have one of those small epiphanies when you're looking up directions or something online and think 'how did people do this without the internet?!' When you wonder that whilst looking at sports videos on Youtube, the answer is: VHS.

I know I have a tape somewhere with highlights of the '96 Olympics (it's probably with my '96 Olympics t-shirt). As I watched some women's gymnastics on Sunday night I noticed something that has appeared to withstand the test of time and transcend cultural boundaries.

Almost all gymnasts wear scrunchies.

1996

so interesting.

I miss Manny.

I forgot to watch Alex on Sox Appeal. I'm going to look it up on Youtube.

it's a pet crate that cleverly doubles as a stylish end table

2008-08-16T21:37:00.006-04:00

yesterday I went into my old apartment (chez Curran) for the first time since I moved out.

the stairs have the same squeaks. the kitchen has the same smells. I instinctively shut the door quickly behind me so that the cats wouldn't run out (even though no cats live there anymore). I thought about all the times Biff ran upstairs to the other apartment where the girls hated him.
the googly eye is still on the light switch.
one noted (and needed) change - the bathroom sink now has only one faucet.

about an hour ago my upstairs neighbors invited me to come up to their friendly get-together later tonight. in the 10 seconds our doors were open Biff ran upstairs into their apartment. as one of the girls chased him, the other girl told me something very disturbing... they have pet rats... that run around their apartment. my eyes got really wide and I had flashbacks to the horribly disgusting rat in my Fenway apartment that I named Quiznos. sensing my repulsion, my neighbor said, "the rats look like your cat, they are the same colors."

Biffy has nothing in common with a rodent.

happy times chez Curran

I can't believe a year ago I was still living in the Fenway apartment. it seems like forever ago. I moved into that apartment when I was 22.

the annoying, loud apartment across the street is having a party, like right in the street. they are listening to Fugazi. the cats are all watching in the windowsill.

so last week I was cat cuddling at the MSPCA and they told me that they took in over 40 cats that week. if you are thinking of getting one, there are some I could recommend. I'm a certified animal helper.

Chip changed my homepage to www.bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb.com

a symphony of mark making

2008-08-12T20:21:00.003-04:00

no that is not a product description in Sky Mall. my Drawing in the Landscape teacher used that phrase to describe Van Gogh's style.
I would like to be described in some capacity as a symphony.

my apartment is a symphony of cats and old treasures

today we drew in a cemetery near Harvard Square.

I'm more comfortable drawing gravestones than trees.

I recently changed Moses' name to Chip. here he is checking out my art supplies.

when I was walking through Cambridge with that sketch pad I got the same uneasy pangs that I did when I was in middle school and I had to carry my violin through the high school to the practice room... not embarrassed but standing out in a way that I didn't want to... (I pondered that for a minute and determined that is not the definition of 'embarrassed.')
the streets were crowded and I had an 18"x24" object under my arm. in school, when I was going to orchestra practice, I remember trying to be quick and stealth and unseen. in retrospect that was impossible because 3 or 4 of us would all race through the hallways with our instruments. and because I was as clumsy then as I am now.

for a couple years of school I shared a music stand with my friend, Brittany.

Saturday was the first time I've seen her in a year, and actually the only time for at least another year because in a couple weeks she's moving to Xi'an (Shaanxi province in China.) Brittany gave me a recap of the opening ceremonies. she's practically native to China by now.

I drew those rings.

I just saw a guy from my office building on a commercial for Sox Appeal, he's the bachelor in the new episode on Sunday. I always thought he'd be good for Elise. I think that about a lot of single guys though.

macaroni & cheese

clever ways to make your life better

2008-08-06T22:09:00.001-04:00

earlier today I was flipping through Sky Mall. I'm going to keep it on hand for when I can't think of an email subject. i.e. 'ice cubes in just minutes...how cool'

look at this inflatable tv

a tv so awesome you won't even be interested in your swimming pool.

I want to go in a swimming pool before the end of the summer. all evidence suggested today was fall. I had soup for lunch. I wore socks. when I woke up the air felt cold and I didn't want to get out of my cover cocoon. I needed an extra cover last night.
well you could swim in fall if it's an indoor pool. I bet there will be one at the Hilton we're staying at for the wedding next month. hm yes just confirmed on hotels.com- indoor swimming pool.

feel better Laura
happy early birthday Mike
can't wait to see you Brittany
congrats Elise's aunt Betty
way to go Jacoby

rites of passage/ land and sea

2008-08-03T15:01:00.007-04:00

Friday morning I got on the T to go to work and it didn't feel nearly as crowded as usual. for a second I froze and thought, oh crap is today Saturday? Thursday night I took my sister, Emily, to a show at Paradise, so I hadn't got my usual 10 hours of sleep... threw me off a bit.

so I've been thinking about important milestones for someone out on their own for the first time... I didn't have anyone to show me cool places to go to or what the cheapest food for survival was. of course I learned nonetheless, but I'm really happy I have had the chance to show Emily some of the ways of life as a new adult.

go to show in Boston - check.

sneak into 21+ bar - check.

buy first burrito - check.

stay up late for no reason, doing dumb things - check.

(she usually goes to bed by 9:30, not that I can judge.)

live in hip, sometimes sketchy neighborhood in old house with lots of "charm" - check.

oh and get a pet because you can - check.

in other news, I was surprised Manny left us so abruptly. Jason Baywatch is filling the void nicely though. I am happy Ken Griffey Jr was traded to the White Sox because later on in the month I have tickets to see them play the Red Sox. I saw Jr, A-Rod and the other Mariners of the late 90s play at Fenway when I was in high school. I went with my dad and my brother on the commuter rail, we sat in the bleachers and I know somewhere I have a photo of Griffey's back that I took at that game. Randy Johnson pitched and even from far away he looked so tall. Tim Wakefield pitched for us. I bet this game was right around the time that I read the Mike Piazza article I mentioned in my last blog.

it's raining at my house but I'm watching the Red Sox game and there's no rain at Fenway. yesterday Elise and I rode bikes from Newbury St to the aquarium. while we were on our way we could hear thunder and a felt a few drops of rain. but we made it right before the downpour. we were like yes, sweet fist pump and ran inside to get tickets for Dolphins and Whales in 3D. but the people in line in front of us bought the last tickets to the show! all of a sudden we thought oh no we have the worst luck. then we were deciding if we should wait an hour for Sharks in 3D when these 2 boys came over and offered us free tickets to the Sharks show. yes!!! what a great day.

Rhianna and Rob met us there and we passed the hour preparing for the show by eating swedish fish.

the image of the yellow fish above was more gruesome than anything in the movie. I was actually a bit disappointed by that. however I do recommend the movie purely because of the jellyfish that will swim right in front of your face.

this turned into a long blog because I was planning on blogging before I left to go sailing. then it just kept looking more and more like rain. now there is a Red Sox delay. the sky keeps getting blue then really dark. I don't think we'll be sailing today.

from the vault

2008-07-31T10:52:00.006-04:00

I'm uncomfortable with a .5 game lead over the Twins and a 1 game lead over the Yankees for the Wild Card. for those of you who are reading to learn about sports, that's not great. I also don't think Manny is leaving... (yet)

yesterday I got Sports Illustrated in the mail. I love getting mail. I forgot I got a free subscription when I signed up for MLB gameday at the beginning of July. in my early-mid teen years I had subscriptions to SI, SI Kids, ESPN Magazine, Chop Talk (the Atlanta Braves magazine), Red Sox Magazine and Cat Fancy... you know, the typical magazines for cool teenage girls.

on page 5 there's a section called the 'SI Vault' that has a blurb about a Sports Illustrated issue of the past. this one has a picture of the cover from May 25, 1998.

I remember that issue and the interview with Mike Piazza. I remember being shocked that he swore. he also said something about the pimple he had between his eyes and called himself a cyclops. the fact that Mike Piazza had pimples made me feel like I could relate to him.

I hadn't thought about Mike Piazza in a while.

also, there's way too much fantasy sports in SI.

since when do fantasy sports count as sports? there's also like a full page in the Metro on fantasy sports now.

activities

2008-07-29T09:41:00.009-04:00

yesterday I was riding my bike around JP and I saw the guy from Revolution who fixed my bike. he waved and looked proud. I even rode one-handed for a bit while I drank my iced coffee... that was actually more nerve racking than I thought it would be.

Emily and I played tennis at Stony Brook. I felt rusty and my forearm is still tired. but I'm optimistic that I can be in full form soon. and my muscles look huge. anyone want to play tennis?

Friday I went out in a Mercury sailboat on the Charles. for a little while Rob, Katie, and I were under the Longfellow Bridge. even though we weren't supposed to be under there it felt cool to be in a place that not too many people had been. some little flakes of the underside of the bridge fell on me. I put a piece of it in my pocket to take home. I wonder how many people have touched the underside of that bridge...

a few weeks ago I didn't even know words like boom vang existed. now I use them like a life-long sailor (almost).

kids r not us

2008-07-24T22:29:00.007-04:00

summer is the time of year that most reminds me of being a kid. my summers revolved around a few things.... 1. our swimming pool 2. playing in the yard/woods 3. ice cream man (his name was Scott, I wonder where he is now...) for a couple summers the trampoline probably made the top 3.... when we thought we grew out of the ice cream man, oh how little we knew.

is it weird that I would be content if that was my summer 08? I would even downgrade to a sprinkler if it meant I had no cares in the world.

Summer 1989. I'm twice the size of Shannon.

Summer 2008. Biff is the size of 3-4 kittens.

do you think animals ever look at younger ones and think "I wish I was still a kitten/ insert appropriate youngster terminology here"?

fond summer memories of yesteryear...

06 - ice cream man

07 - big swimming pool

08 - playing in the woods

vegetables

2008-07-22T14:15:00.002-04:00

chopped onions on the street actually help improve the smell of Central Square.

amherst today.

2008-07-21T14:52:00.002-04:00

long drive today.
good lunch today.
-sandwich, chips, pie, fresh-squeezed lemonade (i watched them make it) - only $10.

sometimes it's really nice to leave the city. and not just because stuff is cheaper out here.

i ordered a violin piece today that i've been wanting to play for 10 years. i wonder if it's as good as i've imagined. whenever i hear violin music i imagine myself playing it and i move my fingers on my right hand along with the music. but when you play it's the fingers on the left hand that move. i wonder why my right hand moves when i'm listening.

the red sox are bums.

shannon sent me pictures of her trial wedding hair. it's lovely. last night i had a dream that it was her wedding and no one would let me use a bathroom to get ready. i have had this dream 3 times now.

Burrito Stamps

2008-07-18T12:56:00.001-04:00

I looked through my wallet and found:

Thanks Rebecca!
I need to go to El Pelon more often. Their burritos are supremos.

El Pelon > Anna's

Food Stamps

2008-07-17T16:26:00.006-04:00

I've been going here way too often. It's addictive. For about a 3 week period this spring I didn't want to eat anything but pad thai. I'm hoping next week (week 3 of Berry Line Mania) I'll get over my yogurt cravings.

I go here like every morning...

...unless I go to Hot Off the Press because they have chocolate milk you can add to your iced coffee. It's delicious. Oh I got one more stamp this afternoon when I had lunch with Patti. Next time I go to HOTP I get $5 off, hooray!

This is often where I eat in Newport. After a few trips there I realized it wasn't very good so ever since I've been going for the stamps. Now the card has been full for about 2 months and I haven't claimed my free Panini yet.

The cafes/ coffeehouses I go to in JP don't have frequent eater cards... Food for thought. And there's no fast food. hmmm.

New Seamen

2008-07-16T20:29:00.003-04:00

me and Rob!**

the reception area at the Boathouse smelled like deli meat.

**at the time of this blog it was unconfirmed if Katie had passed the oral test. (she has passed the rigging test)

a couple notes on Cambridge

2008-07-09T16:29:00.006-04:00

Berry Line is my new favorite thing about Cambridge.

at first I resisted because the soft serve is not ice cream. I think it's yogurt, but probably in large part air because it has hardly any calories or nutritional properties. like spray butter.

about a month ago I was waiting for the 1 bus in Central Square and a guy also waiting for the bus (who did not appear homeless or crazy) took off his pants and put on a different pair. then a week later I saw a lady at Savers take off her pants in the middle of the store and try on another pair. then yesterday at the Central Square bus stop, a guy (who I guess was getting tired of waiting for the bus) took off his pants and walked out into traffic. he didn't get hit but apparently wasn't too worried about anything. you know how I know? he was barefoot the whole time..gross.

your food is baloney

2008-07-06T03:26:00.004-04:00

you know how the smell of deli meat pops up everywhere? I've been at shows, bars, walking down the sidewalk, etc. and all of a sudden there's that odeur de bologna. where does it come from? I was on the t a few days ago when that familiar scent wandered through. I thought it's origin would remain a mystery, as usual. then the crowd parted and I saw a girl eating..... a lunchables.

ew. ewskies. I didn't even know people still ate those. I believe people ate them at one point, because I definitely begged my mom to buy them for me when I was younger. ("but mommm pleeeease, you won't have to make my lunch anymore!!!!")

then it got worse. she stacked a lil sandwich and fed it to her boyfriend. gah! I threw up in my mouth. after the initial horror wore off I started wondering if people everywhere are making slimy meat sandwiches and this is just the first time I saw it.

hmm more food for thought.

while we're on the topic of gross food, I'd like to talk about my younger sister's diet....

here is a snapshot of our freezer:

did you think you saw a bag that said Fun Nuggets? yes you did.

who has this much goldfish in their house?

this much mac n cheese?

I wish Emily hadn't drank all of the Sunny D because I would've included a photo of that as well. I bet the next time she goes to the grocery store she's going to buy lunchables.

when I take the T from Tim's house in the morning, the T stop has this inside:

I think they sell donuts.

last night I heard a Spank Rock song (Bump) on a salad dressing commercial. I wonder if the Wishbone execs know the lyrics to that song.....

What About Blog?

2008-07-01T16:34:00.004-04:00

I know I've been slacking on my blogging.

It's hard to keep up with blogspot, flickr, myspace, facebook, second life, plus sometimes real life.
now I have to maintain a blog, flickr, myspace, and website for my work.

in real life news, Tim leaves for Italy tomorrow.
this is how we say goodbye:

that's a lot of Chilis.

jk about second life

party time, excellent

2008-06-26T10:09:00.001-04:00

Happy Jerry Remy Day to All

2008-06-24T10:33:00.003-04:00

I know he's totally Boston, but I love this pic of Rem-Dawg on the Angels

His voice is so soothing. Like my mom's whoopie pies.

Speaking of NESN and cable tv, I'm getting Showtime for free! Showtime series On Demand is bombskies. Tomorrow I'm going to the Newport Beach House for the install of our wireless internet and premium cable tv. Also bombskies.

americana

2008-06-22T21:05:00.003-04:00

12 days from now is my favorite holiday........

thinking about the day brings to mind some of my most favorite things.

fireworks

summer

hot weather

the beach

friends

bbqs

red, white, and blue themed snacks

fireworks in Boston

4th of July myspace layout

I propose a day at the beach. then grillin up assorted meat. then watching the fireworks on a roof deck (Anthony's?) whilst enjoying a cake decorated like a flag (I'll bring the cake!)

get in my poster

2008-06-18T20:38:00.005-04:00

there isn't much I can say about the game last night, besides how thrilling it was to see our boys win.

Peanuts in Celtics gear would be a way better mascot than the leprechaun with the giant hands. just sayin......

Paul Pierce you can do no wrong.

if I had photoshop, I would definitely add myself to this picture

and maybe this one

when I was in middle school, I used to sing "We are the Champions" before bed. I always shared a room with my sister, Shannon, and if I didn't burst into song when we got into bed, she'd say "Heids are you gonna sing?" gosh I was so weird. why that song? why Queen? last night that song played while the C's celebrated. I wish I could have serenaded them.

no Sox and no Celtics tonight.

so, I was thinking about making my blog a source for people who don't watch sports but want to find out what's going on so they are informed enough to watch with people who watch sports. .....I don't think I could phrase it better than that run-on sentence.

there's a great line from an early episode of Gilmore Girls. when asked if she likes sports, Rory says, "we enjoy certain aspects of various sporting endeavors" then her mom says, "but it wouldn't be that kind of thing you could ask any follow up questions on."

I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about inter-league play. if you're wondering why the pitcher is batting you've come to the right place. in the National League there is no Designated Hitter, the pitcher bats for himself. during inter-league play if the home team is in the NL, then they go by the NL rule of no DH. thus the pitcher bats.

and if you're a dummy like Chien Ming Wang, you hurt yourself running the bases.

if YOU have a question, you know how to find me.

they're all made out of ticky-tacky

2008-06-16T20:58:00.007-04:00

today I waited for movers at my boss's new apartment in Cambridge. 6 hours by myself in an empty apartment with 2 magazines and a sprite. oh and a camera phone with a self-timer.

the wave

brand new high-rise apartments are totally not my style. now that I've lived in JP in an old house I can't imagine living in the middle of a parking lot with neighbors who have the same apartment as I do.

so Weeds season 4 starts tonight. I'm trying to give Emily a crash-course in Weeds...it's surprisingly complex. plus she's doing a crossword puzzle and is not interested.

Saturday I beached and it was delightful.

hey guys.

what up R2.

I took those sweet photos with my birthday present from Tim.

I'm gonna carry that bad boy in this sick Marc by MJ bag from my boss.

Simone gave me 'Heidi'. I can't believe I didn't own this book already...it's my namesake.

I used to have lederhosen. (my mom loved the story, we aren't Swiss or anything.)

in cool years he's just a baby

2008-06-11T15:44:00.004-04:00

my sister just started working at Anthro.

do you know how much I love my birthday? not the aging part. but Everything else.

26 is old. I recently realized when I talk about things from my chidlhood/pre-teen years I can no longer say "10 years ago". I have to say "15" or sometimes even "20"!!!!!!!!!!! plus Uncle Jesse was 26 when Full House started and I always thought he seemed old.

I share my birthday with the Olsen twins. I used to be a lot more excited about that.

birthday happy haps of recent years..

I think if it was Fall or Winter, 1369 would just label that as "Gingerbread".
hmm. just (literal) food for thought.

I saw this snail on a white picket fence in my neighborhood.

Emily and I considered bringing it home as a pet. but when we tried to pick it up it had suctioned itself to the wood.
I'm getting used to Stony Brook area. there's a lot more minivans and kids than my last JP hood. and a lot less cars driving by fast with loud bass. and there's no church next door that has singalongs every night.

Tim at the Barking Crab looking like a crab

I love the summer!

800-227-8255 hello you're on car talk

2008-06-06T11:41:00.004-04:00

I drive to Amherst, MA and Newport, RI every week. when I'm on the road I always see things on trucks or lawns or signs that I want to blog about. but they really aren't as funny or ironic without photos. at first I would whip out my camera phone and try to keep a steady hand on 93 or the pike. DON'T EVER TRY TO DO THAT.

this is my dad's license plate

belated birthday wishes to Laura, Gerald, Katie, and early birthday wishes to Emshee (roomies 2k8!)

oh. I moved last weekend. Biff was not happy about it and protested. he had a sit-in in the sink.

he didn't even move when we turned the water on.
***notice there is only one faucet in the bathroom sink. no more shuttling hands back and forth between the hot faucet and the cold faucet.

mid-move, post-heavy lifting we had pizza:

I also wouldn't recommed taking close up photos of pizza toppings.

I forgot all about the air hockey table

2008-06-03T10:30:00.002-04:00

some things I'll miss about 56 creighton st #2

googly eye light switch

homefries light switch

EMILY

cat door/ Lily running away from me

our backyard

KATIE

our porch

boston, cape cod, and the islands

2008-05-28T12:02:00.003-04:00

happy belated memorial day!

i got a bad sunburn on monday. the sunscreen below was only used as a prop. my sister referred to me as a small sun and said i'm at "lobster status." basically i am a red person wearing a flesh colored bikini.

beach still-life in the making-

see those badminton rackets? i traded them for a lemonade from these kids-

(i'm pretty sure they eventually tried to trade them as well... don't buy beach sports at walgreen's unless it's velcro-catch... you can't go wrong with velcro-catch.)

yeah, that's a kite.

tim and i went to a flea market "up north" (where the towns blend together and there's only white people)

they had this cool mini rollercoaster/slide that would've been an awesome ride for cats or babies.

making room for treasures. (like the waterfall painting that makes bird sounds and lights up.)

we saw islands at the middle east on sunday. it was coo.

p.s. this is not in chronological order.

so obvi this post is not complete without a cat photo.

and a shout-out to the celtics.
come on guys tonight's the night you make some good plays! (that means you ray allen)

garnett's on that glass like windex

2008-05-22T19:49:00.006-04:00

and tim finally returns from china tomorrow night.

Lester is Best-er

2008-05-20T19:01:00.003-04:00

Lester is way too clean-cut to be on the Sox but he ruled the school last night.

Shannon graduated from grad school on Sunday. It was not exactly action-packed, but still tons of congrats to Shan.

Emily on the way to the ceremony. Lookin' posh.

from left: Dad, Mike, Mom, Emily (not lookin' posh)

After the ceremony we had a delicious meal at the Olive Garden (Shannon's choice). Did you know the Olive Garden has no tv's, not even in the bar area? I asked the waiter about this. He said corporate doesn't want the 'Garden becoming a hang-out for dudes. pshh

I checked my phone obsessively for the Celtics scores and watched the end of the game at home. What a spectacular game. I had tears in my eyes when Pierce got the loose ball and called time-out.

Celtics Represent!!!!!!!

nachos, pie, juiceboxes

2008-05-16T20:46:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I picked up the keys to the new place. Here is what you see when you're going in the front door.

Today my body was So sore. I DEDUCED it must be because I started moving boxes to my new apartment right after I got a tetanus shot and blood taken. And I've been driving a ton. And I'm overtired. And I used the stairmaster on Wednesday. And I've been jumping into my jeans.

Biff playing air guitar.

So I went to Newport earlier in the week and Amherst today. Highlights of Newport:

(notice Prep is adjacent to Jenna's wedding)

Tonight is Emily's prom. She is just so delightful and amazing...she made her dress. My blackberry pics don't really do it justice. I took more photos with my one-time use camera but in the meantime, here's a couple photos of Emshee.

I brought Emily a McDs apple pie to carry in her purse. You know I prefer to carry cheeseburgers around with me but I thought the pie might smell better. Actual pie:

Last night I looked at some photography at Mass Art.

They were serving juice boxes at the art show...definitely one of the highlights.

Shout out to Becca!

I've got angst in my pants.

2008-05-13T20:12:00.005-04:00

I couldn't wait to go to the show last night. It is rare (at least for me) to see 2 bands play together at a time when I'm really into both of them. My interest in Black Kids/Cut Copy peaked about a month ago but I still listen to them all the time.

After the show we rolled crew-deep to the Milky Way with the dudes from BK and Ben from CC. I wish this photo of the scorecard came out better because I was bowling a really good game!

I was really happy with the outfit I put together so I took this picture before we left. Photography (especially of myself with a camera phone or photobooth) is not my forte. However, I am impressed that I managed to keep a straight face. (I was pinching my thigh)

The bottom half of my outfit was really the star...hm I should've taken this picture differently.

Anywho, here's some pics of Mary and Ben having a thumbwar at Costello's.

I don't usually stay up late on school nights, but I'm glad I did.

I think I'm gonna try jumping off my bed into my jeans.

2-2

2008-05-13T13:37:00.002-04:00

Celtics can't win on the road! It's a little concerning.
come on guys!!!

yesterday I had lunch with Meghan, then picked up her bicycle.

Sunday morning I went to City Feed and thought of Rhianna because they were playing Get Up Kids... but now I can't remember what song it was...

buenas noches amigos

2008-05-10T19:55:00.005-04:00

amherst today.

mother's day tomorrow. going to the lilac show.

my mom is pretty terrific.

(she doesn't let anyone take her picture)

sad. if you ever wondered what the medway house looked like, here's your chance. although the shabby chic was toned wayyy down for these pictures, you get the idea.

http://www.isoldmyhouse.com/index/MA/143315.html

after amherst i brought my violin to get a "tune up" at the violin shop near symphony. i wonder if that is where the term "tune up" came from. literally tuning an instrument. hmm.

the guy who owns the shop is exactly what i pictured... older, short russian man with white hair and small, round glasses. mr. rutman. just by looking at the strings he could tell the last time i had replaced them (6 years ago) you're supposed to change them every 6-8 months.

the ol' fiddle needs a bunch of work done. mr. rutman said the projection was flawed since construction but "the rest of the instrument is not completely incompetent."

violins.

hollergram

2008-05-09T22:02:00.003-04:00

ice cream place in Amherst.

Muffin is large.

this is what you see when you are parked in Tim's parking space.

Red Sox take the lead!

Josh is home for the summer. we ate pizza today with Mom.

Samson.

I gave this gnome to Tim. but the gnome is evil and kills plants.

much to blog about nothing.

2008-05-07T22:40:00.003-04:00

I'm in Amherst in my hotel room. I'm sitting on my "lounging" bed. This is where I surf the web, POST BLOGS, eat snacks, watch tv, etc. The other one is my "sleeping" bed.

Sometimes my friends text me during the Sox games after a good play or something. I get pretty excited when that happens.

This is a pretty sketchy hotel. Usually we get to stay at really nice places, but this "lodge" is walking distance to the store, the other hotels are much further. My room is the very last door on the back corner of the building.

So earlier, I'm chillin on the lounging bed, and I hear the doorbell. No one's at the door. 2 minutes later I hear the doorbell again. No one's at the door. So I'm about to freak myself out, and/or call the front desk to stop the hooligans from running around outside my room. Then I realized my new phone makes a doorbell sound when I get a text message. There were 2 "yeah sox" texts from Rhianna and Rob. I felt dumb then excited. Usually it's the other way around.

Here are a couple places in Amherst you should visit if you come out here.

workin' late. lately workin'.

2008-05-06T17:50:00.000-04:00

I've been working a lot lately. Seriously.

Unpacking website inventory has been a nice change from talking to people. And from driving. I'm still at work. Counting "glossy lip tints" and watching tv (Red Sox repeat at 2, OC at 4, currently Gilmore Girls)

I am excited for the Celtics' game tonight.

I love LBJ.

I harass Biff with Ni Hao a lot.

Ni hao Tim!

cambridge is cool, too.

2008-05-04T22:52:00.001-04:00

went to the cambridge antique market and saw a couple things that reminded me of my friends.

rhianna.

rob.

it's good to be in boston

2008-05-04T22:46:00.000-04:00

yay celtics.

yay red sox.

yay orange line.

yay walk for hunger.

I can't believe the Celtics lost tonight.

2008-05-02T23:20:00.000-04:00

In better news, I got a sweet Celtics jacket from 40 South Street (Gumshoe). Pictures to follow (it's in the wash).

onion ring smiley face.

work

2008-04-30T13:24:00.000-04:00

University Lodge is nicer outside than inside.

The company car.

I wish I was invited to this meeting.

The store (still under construction).

Breakfast at the store.

taken with blackberry pearl 8100

2008-04-29T15:33:00.000-04:00

small coffee/ large plant

new cellphone/ hand-modeling

falawesome/ my first post

2008-04-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

delicious lunch bouquet/ my desk