Resolution Update: A Slightly Delayed 2-Month Status Report

2009 Resolutions: The Two Month Update

1. Lose 20 lbs. by graduation (May 1) - I've mostly failed at this goal, althought it remains on the backburner. After reading Fat Land, I've attempted to cut out all high-fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils (soybean & palm) from my groceries. This has been a great way to help me focus on eating more natural foods and less diet-oriented over-processed foods. Plus, now that the weather is nice I can get outside to be active. In fact, after work tonight the boy and I want on a bike ride/roller blade adventure around the block (about 2.5 miles).
2. Plant a vegetable/herb garden on the deck - More on this project in April!
   
3. Improve my impact on the environment - Trying to figure out if I can compost in the city (without causing a foul smell to waft from my deck).
   
4. Balance my checkbook! - Off by $20 dollars. After 45 minutes of struggle decided to just adjust it and move on. I've also started using Mint.com which has been super useful. It gives you an overview of all your online accounts, tracks your spending by category, lets you create budgets, and even emails you to remind you when your bills are due!
   
5. Journal everyday - I've been journaling a lot more, for sure.
   
6. Have more adventures - Despite my propensity to stay in most nights, I've been having some superb adventures. I had a photoshoot for headshots with Cait Madden (@caitmadden), a hilarious brunch with about 15 of my closest friends at Tremont 647 that later turned into an adventure in Photoshop, and dinner at Eastern Standard with the boy's family. Last week Mike came up and we did a mini beer bar crawl that ended in hilarity at Deep Ellum when we met up with a bigger group of friends. The best adventure so far has been driving up to Maine for two days (10 hours worth of driving plus 3 hours on the bus) to go skiing at Sugarloaf. The mountain was fantastic, the intructors & ambassadors kindly saved a few of my friends. And the day after skiing, we had a Snowpocalypse in the backyard (there was still 3.5 feet of snow there)!
   
7. Spend more time with my friends - See above & last night's escapades at Sunset Grill & Tap. (Damn, we do a lot of drinking in teams!)
   

Giddy

I am absolutely, positively giddy today. I have been bitten by Spring Fever. I know that winter will return, but for today I can pretend that this 50+ degree weather is actually going to stick around.

Our server (or something related to it) crashed at work today while I was out to lunch with my boss. That means I got leave work at 2 pm and actually have a chance to get outside while the sun was still up. So I decided to take full advantage of the opportunity and walk from Kendall Square in Cambridge to ERC in Back Bay. It was marvelous - even the breeze was warm!

And now I'm working on job apps with Maris while waiting for my pre-photoshoot meeting tonight with Cait Madden.

Resolution Update: Fun, what's that?

So in the last week or so I've been trying to make a real effort to get out of my cocoon a little bit. The freezing cold weather and alternating mini-blizzards have made it a lot harder for sure. It's so easy to just stay in, getting cozy with the Wii and a glass of wine. However, I did promise myself to be less of a homebody/party-pooper this year.

Friday I was going to try to see a free movie at the Omni Theater at the Museum of Science after meeting my new coworkers in Cambridge for drinks. And then we were going to go to my friend Kate's for games & dessert. All three plans failed on Friday because the boy decided that I needed a night to just unwind. Apparently work, even though it's only part time, had me wiped out. Plus, it was about 2 degrees before the windchill. Brr!!

But there were definitely highlights this week! Wednesday was world's longest day ever. I got up at 4:45, and was with Maris by 6 am at the Sheraton for GMA's Great American Job Fair. Then after work, we met up with Kate and Dana at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government to hear about "Women Waging Peace." And of course what trip to Harvard Square would be complete without a stop at the Border Cafe?

On Thursday, Jess came over to interview me about co-op experiences. So I turned that into, let's get a bottle of wine & have some delicious snacks. Maris brought this cheese that's similar to brie but much more flavorful (cannot remember the name for the life of me), petite baguettes and some fruit. We all chatted about life in the living room and even had a mini Wii Bowl-a-thon.

This coming week I'm trying to organize a girls night. First, wine tasting at Federal Wine and Spirits downtown. Then movies at the Lucy Parson's Center about resistance to the separation barrier in Israel and Palestine. Lastly, heading to the Fireplace in Brookline for Jazz Night (and hopefully bumping into my client, chef & owner Jim Solomon).

If you're wondering about more adventurous ideas, check out this Google Calendar: Super Fun Things to Do in Boston.

Dirty and Clean

I feel slightly dirty even though I just took a shower a few hours ago because I spent the whole evening packing. We have a little bit of the kitchen, the party supplies, and the board games in sealed boxes. That makes me feel so much better. Even time we seal a box with tape I realize we're one step closer to moving out of this place. While we definitely had some great, crazy times here, I am so ready to move on. It's going to be a lot of fun to explore a new neighborhood. I'm ready to feel just a little more grown up. I also keep realizing that there are so many loose ends to take care of: comcast, keyspan/national grid, giving our keys back to our slumlord, etc.

Lately: Bball, DOTC, Bowling, Mac&Cheese

Being back in classes means a lot more running around, a lot more switching gears several times a day, and a lot less reading/blogging in between adventures.

Here's what I've been up to:
Saturday
Basketball tournament for AI kids out in Brookline. Watched some kid slam his face into the side of the pavement. Sports are so interesting because really, what does winning mean? For street games there is no trophy, no prize money. But the way these guys were playing, you'd think it was a battle to the death. Chanting, yelling, pouring sweat, harassing each other, half-court shots, scrapping for every rebound - it was unreal. But to be THAT in the moment with something, it's an intense thing to watch.

That night got eaten alive by mosquitos on my feet (damn flip-flops) at Dancing on the Charles. Definitely not my crowd, music preference, or age demographic, but we still managed to make it fun. (See Adam's post at www.bostonin60.com)

Tuesday
Worked at Banana. Met up with friends at King's Bowling Alley to watch them compete in the championship for the College League. Apparently it's "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner." They were on fire for awhile, knocking out strikes left and right. But alas, there will be no chicken dinner or pizza party for us. Also - playing pool with intoxicated friends is dangerous.

Wednesday
Had the best homemade from scratch macaroni and cheese ever. Seriously, I can't explain how delicious it was. And made even better by the fact that I didn't have to cook it, or clean up really, just drank white wine on the couch while looking at my lovely flowers.

I'm a Bravo TV addict. I am SO, so excited to watch the new season on Project Runway. And there was a new Sheer Genius on last night too. Seriously, how can you go wrong with clothing design, haircuts, and bitchy queens?

More exciting stuff is on the horizon this weekend, so stay tuned.

Also, really interesting video (Lest We Forget) that we watched yesterday in American Society. Watch it and tell me what you think.

"Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it."

Nomads

Is it possible to forget so completely how busy your life is? I have not stopped since arriving back in Boston/NH. It is fantastic and exhausting. I've been couch crashing and spending a lot of quality time in my car. I'm also carrying around about 25 lbs. of luggage everyday -- althought as a bonus I guess that means I'm burning extra calories!

So far classes are going well. I'm glad I made the decision to take TV Newswriting with Schroeder this summer. He's such an excellent teacher. Plus, he provides some of the best off-the-cuff quotes during class. Islam is interesting in that it is paced completely different from TV News. It's a straight-up lecture for an hour and forty minutes. Granted, we cna ask questions if we want too, but mostly we just scribble notes and attempt to absorb everything El Shihibi throws at us. He's a soft-spoken man who just has so much knowledge to impart that it all tumbles out too fast for us to grasp sometimes.

I had my first bartending class last night. Within ten minutes of being there the six of us were shooting the shit and cracking jokes. The instructor, Tom, was a classic old-school Boston guy. Got to love local flavor. Apparently I'm a natural and pretty decent at it for just trying it out last night, which was really cool. Can't wait to see where the rest of the week goes and where I end up working.

There are so many people coming to visit in the next few weeks! There's some kind of party every Saturday for the next month. First, Solstice on Saturday (a little late this year), Josh & Angies Reception, Mookfest, and finally Michele is coming into Boston with her two kids. Going to see John Mayer next week with Nicolle for her birthday.

Alright, it's time for some lunch and trying to keep my brain from exploding. I will be in and out for the next month or so -- please bear with me.

For a smile they can share the night

This afternoon we had an all-you-can-eat sushi, drinks & karaoke extravaganza for SB. I mustered up the courage to ask him what his plans after leaving were. Then I asked him if he could do anything, what would he do? He told me a whole story about "This Is Your Brain on Music" and how he wants to do something with music, but he's not sure what. He's such an incredibly personable man. Engaging, awe inspiring, and still down to earth. I really want to read that book now. I'm glad I got a chance to just chat with him one on one. If I'm ever in Chicago I will look him up.

I also sang "Don't Stop Believin'" all by myself... sober. In front of my co-workers (the entire department -- creative, proofing, and account services), my bosses, and apparently the chairman of my company. I know I cannot sing. I usually reserve the pleasure of my singing voice for my closest friends and strangers driving by in the car. But KP told me to do it, SC can't sing and she went all out, and then the last straw was KS giving me the song book to pick out songs. MT helped me pick a song. I can't believe I sang it. And I made everyone get into it. People were so supportive. It really doesn't matter how bad you are. They were impressed I had the guts to do it. MT gave me props.

I feel incredible. "You gotta go out with a bang, hon."

Restless

I feel restless. I'm ready to book a trip somewhere. I'm ready to travel. Now the questions -- where to? And when?

A weekend of tourism

[Friday]
Seeing as how this was our last Friday with no big plans and that we both had A DAY (you know, when you're just so fried/out of it/don't care/stressed), Dana and I decided a roommate happy hour was in order. So good to just kick back. I also gave up on counting points for the weekend, and just let myself enjoy eating or drinking anything that I wanted. I had beer, salad, shrimp, salmon, cocktails, buttery roll things, and a white russian. After dinner we laid around the apartment for a little bit, and then both ended up going to the gym for about 45 minutes. It was empty - surprise! But we both felt so much better after making ourselves go. It's nice to have someone around to motivate and inspire you. I can guarantee I would not have gone if Dana had not put on her sneakers and marched out the door. We also saw Knocked Up, which I highly recommend. We were laughing so hard the entire time, plus the back story was pretty cute.



[Saturday]
Saturday we headed out for DC in the late morning. Dana had yet to do the grand tour of the monuments. We walked from the Washington Monument, around the WWII, and up to Lincoln. We were talking about how much more we appreciate monuments and things like that now that we're older. We also went over to the Vietnam Memorial. There were pictures with names, rank, where they died, and how old they were. I almost lost it right there -- out of a row of six pictures, only one of the boys was over 21. But what really hit me was a fellow soldier's letter to his friend AJ, who has offered to cover another soldiers post and died in the line of duty. It makes me wonder what kind of memorial, what kind of atmosphere will surround Iraq when our kids look back on it? After the Vietnam Memorial, we visited the Korean War Memorial, which is home to one of my favorite quotes, "Freedom is not free."



I finally got a chance to visit the FDR Monument during the day. What a well designed space. And the abundance of quotes was amazing. Plus I'm pretty much in love with any kind of sculpture that involves water. From FDR we walked down the edge of the tidal basin to the Jefferson Memorial. I never realized you can see the White House from the Jefferson steps! Apparently FDR wanted to be able to wake up each morning and see Jefferson, which is why there are no cherry trees planted there. After Jefferson we made our way to the White House in the stiflingly hot afternoon sun.

With our day of tourism near its end, and our feet crying for a reprive, we headed to Historic Georgetown. It took us a little while to find the area from the Metro stop, but we finally did. It's basically like Newbury Street, with a little extra European flair. When we couldn't stand window shopping anymore, we stumbled across the cutest italian restaurant on the corner of M and 31st Streets (NW). Dana busted out her wine ordering skills, and showed me how to properly swirl and taste the wine. The waiter never rushed us and we enjoyed the view from our corner table on the second floor balcony. The food was perfect. All of the fish was cooked immaculately -- nothing was dry or undercooked. It was one of the absolute best meals I've had in a long time.



[Sunday]
Sunday morning we were at the pool by 9:45 am, which is technically before it even opens. It was so nice because there really weren't any kids there. Just laid around in the sun, read my book, and took a nap. We splashed around to get some relief from the heat, but we had to stand in the shallow end so Dana didn't have to tread water.

Sunday afternoon we donned cute outfits and headed to Annapolis. After a bit of an ordeal trying to find a parking spot, we wandered up and down Main Street. Bought some jewelry at one of the shops with a very dymanic (and slightly pushy) jewelry maker/sales lady named Amiee. So many people down there speak French. I was really shocked! We ended up on the docks about 5 minutes before a tour of the harbor and Naval Academy was supposed to leave, so we hopped on. The narrated tape was kind of cheesy, but it was still fun. And it was probably the best way to see the USNA without trekking all around it. Afterwards we had drinks and dinner at one of the restaurants on the docks. We people watched and chatted about how we're pretty much always going to have to live near some body of water. (Coincidentally or not we're both water signs.)

And to top the weekend off, I finally got a REAL ice cream cone (none of this frozen yogurt junk) from a local ice cream stand. We sat next to some Navy boys in their dress whites and just relished in the summer-ness of it all.

Being a tourist can be so much fun. It just keeps reminding me that I need to do it more often in the places that I'm from. And now it is Monday, with only 10 days left in Baltimore.

Lunch conversations make you want to leave work

We got into two really involved discussions today during our lunch break. One was about the Sopranos series finale (never watched the show, but I think the ending was awesome as far as concepts go) and adventurous things to do. Which made me think I should actually write down the things I keep saying that I want to do.

That scare the daylights out of me, but I really want to do anyways:

• Skydive (Pepperell, MA - SkyJump)
• Bungee jump / base jump
• Glass walkway over the Grand Canyon (to open spring 2008)
• White water raft the Colorado River (and also the Dead River & Kennebec (again) (in ME) -- one of the best ways to spend a summer day in Maine)

I was also thinking about places I need to visit state-side:

• Arizona (Kyle, Grand Canyon, dessert)
• San Diego (Laura/Blake)
• Portland
• Austin/Houston (Danny)
• New Orleans
• Atlanta (Michele & Mary)

A weekend of unplanned adventures & inspiration

Today I woke up at 9 am with no roommates and no plans. Sometimes I hate being alone, I'm just in the mood to be with people. But today was a good alone day. Had breakfast and came up with a game plan for the day, talked to Kightlinger way over in NZ, and headed out the door at 10:30 am. I really love driving down the road, blaring the radio, singing at the top of my lungs. I mean, really, is there anything that compares to that?

Some guy was driving like a complete asshole getting onto the 795. Karma came around to bite him in the butt when along came Mr. State Trooper.

My first stop of the day was the American Visionary Art Museum down in Fed Hill. Some of the exhibits were interesting, some were ridiculously hilarious, some made me think, and some really made me think. I've never just done a museum by myself before (other than the MFA, but that doesn't count). It was interesting to get lost in my own thoughts about a piece or installation without comparing them with someone else's. It was nice to be able to stare at a pencil drawing, finding humorous vignettes only upon close inspection, that I might have otherwise passed by because someone I was with was ready to move on to the next gallery. My favorite part of AVAM was the expansion warehouse. (I would love to live in converted warehouse space one day, so cool!) I've discovered I really like provocative pieces that are designed to catch you off-guard. And I especially enjoy environmental pieces, as opposed to paintings or drawings.

This quote was mounted on one of the walls:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

-Mother Teresa (Adapted from The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith (1968))

I really think there's a lot to take away from that. Forgiveness, inspiration, drive, passion, ambition. And remembering that what you do should be for no one other than yourself (and your god).

I finally made it over to Blu Bambu in Inner Harbor, an Asian kitchen Blake has been bugging me to visit since she found out I was moving down here. I was surprised, I thought it was going to be take-out typical Chinese food. But they had this really cool Mongolian stir-fry bar. Nice and healthy with lots of flavor and not that expensive. Then I stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe to get a pin for John.

Next it was over to the Mount Vernon neighborhood to visit the Contemporary Art Museum. They're currently displaying an entire collection by Joseph Grigley. He became completely deaf at the age of 10. His pieces "explore the idiosyncrasies of language and the dynamics of everyday communication." Totally unexpected and definitely got me thinking about something I wholly take for granted. The coolest installation was called "We're Drunken Bantering about What's Important in Life" (2007). It's a collection of notes - snippets of conversations people had with Grigley - posted to a wall. "With these works, Grigely asks the question: “We presumably know what a conversation sounds like—but what does a conversation look like?”"

The rest of the day was filled with the delightful routine chores of a sunday -- produce market, grocery store, nap, and gym. I also watched a documentary called F**k (at least, that's how it's listed on Netflix). It explores the nature of the word fuck, where it comes from, how we use it, why it's such a big deal, and the pervasive use of the word in American society. I might also watch another movie -- we'll see.

Yesterday was the Race for the Cure 5K at work bright and early am. We were going to do the last 1 mile Fun Walk, but at the last minute I convinced my roommate to do the full 5K with me. So we grabbed numbers, ran about half of the course overall, and I finished my very first 5K with a time of 38:25. I didn't get a plaque, I think we may have even been the last people doing the full 5K to finish -- but we did finish. And it was fun. I will definitely do more charity walks/runs in the future.

I spent most of yesterday doing a whole lot of nothing by the pool. Then went to an O's game with Kristen because she had free tickets. Nothing eventful, but fun to hang out with someone new!

Overall, it was a really nice weekend. I can't believe this chapter of my life is coming to a close so soon already. I'm finally feeling settled here. I almost forget what it's like to just hang out with everyone... I haven't been to Boston since February and haven't been home since Easter. Who knows -- more adventures ahead!