For the last few years, my mother has been saying, "When we have our yard sale..." My sister finally called her on it and we made the date. Over weekend we finally all pitched in and had a it at my parents' house. It was a total dud. Not that many people came, ad while we did sell a few things, the most productive part about it was taking several truckloads to Salvation Army. The biggest thing about it is that my mother didn't even protest us donating so much of the junk; she is a major packrat. Maybe it was just bad timing, but now we all know that we can't hold out for another one to be a success.
One of the biggest successes of the day is that I found the dress I wore to my senior formal in 1993--just in time for someone to wear to a big '80s/'90s prom.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
NYC highlights
Lately I feel like I couldn't post anything until I'd put up a summary of the trip Memorial day weekend. The weather was perfect! We got to hang out with Tak's family, our NYC pals, and I got to see Karen & meet Zoe (she's so sweet)!
-Food/Coffee: We introduced Owen to the ritual of eating a New York hot dog from a cart on a rock in Central Park after going to the Natural History Museum; La Columbe Torrefaction in the Toyo's neighborhood won for best coffee (even if the interiors did get the Soho treatment--that's not a bad thing); the big coffee loser was City Girl cafe (too expensive and poorly laid out), and their Red Velvet cupcakes were not great and small to boot. The new Kinokuniya is gorgeous, and the cafe is really small, and sleek and modern (of course).
-Knitting: Visited the new location of Seaport Yarns (cool new straightforward layout, although somehow it seemed smaller than their old shop). Really wanted to get something at The Point Cafe but didn't--nothing really moved me. The owner at Stitch Therapy was very cool (especially about exchanging unused yarn from Christmas without a receipt), and it's a nice small place and I did get a nice skein plus a little camouflage Know Knits bag that I've had a little crush on for awhile. Lorie & Sarah were very patient with me while I futzed around.
-Friends & Family: Explored Hoboken a little bit to meet up with Karen & Zoe. Hoboken's a neat area and so close to Manahttan, plus it's got a bunch of kid-friendly parks along the water (yes, Frank Sinatra drive). We did some good hanging out with Lorie & Pete, Sarah & Dan: seeing Indiana Jones 4 at the Ziegfield, going out for dinner (Spice, yummy) & a Harvard Sailing Club sketch show at the P.I.T.; picnic at Prospect Park. Owen (and Tak & I) got some good hanging out time with Baba & Jiji.
A fine time!
-Food/Coffee: We introduced Owen to the ritual of eating a New York hot dog from a cart on a rock in Central Park after going to the Natural History Museum; La Columbe Torrefaction in the Toyo's neighborhood won for best coffee (even if the interiors did get the Soho treatment--that's not a bad thing); the big coffee loser was City Girl cafe (too expensive and poorly laid out), and their Red Velvet cupcakes were not great and small to boot. The new Kinokuniya is gorgeous, and the cafe is really small, and sleek and modern (of course).
-Knitting: Visited the new location of Seaport Yarns (cool new straightforward layout, although somehow it seemed smaller than their old shop). Really wanted to get something at The Point Cafe but didn't--nothing really moved me. The owner at Stitch Therapy was very cool (especially about exchanging unused yarn from Christmas without a receipt), and it's a nice small place and I did get a nice skein plus a little camouflage Know Knits bag that I've had a little crush on for awhile. Lorie & Sarah were very patient with me while I futzed around.
-Friends & Family: Explored Hoboken a little bit to meet up with Karen & Zoe. Hoboken's a neat area and so close to Manahttan, plus it's got a bunch of kid-friendly parks along the water (yes, Frank Sinatra drive). We did some good hanging out with Lorie & Pete, Sarah & Dan: seeing Indiana Jones 4 at the Ziegfield, going out for dinner (Spice, yummy) & a Harvard Sailing Club sketch show at the P.I.T.; picnic at Prospect Park. Owen (and Tak & I) got some good hanging out time with Baba & Jiji.
A fine time!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
almost 5 years ago to the minute
Owen was born!
Today is not only Owen's birthday, but also his graduation from Preschool (although he'll be attending over the summer since it's also a daycare center.. It's going to be a big change next year!
Today is not only Owen's birthday, but also his graduation from Preschool (although he'll be attending over the summer since it's also a daycare center.. It's going to be a big change next year!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
i heart procrastinating
Instead of packing, I'm blogging. SMART. We leave for a few days in NYC tomorrow and I haven't really begun to get my stuff together. Knitting? Do I bring the sweater for Owen, the baby gifts to finish... ? It might be 80 degrees over the weekend. Oh, and cleaning: must remember to hide things from the parents who are coming to check on the cat. I could color my hair (again; the Manic Panic washed out in less than 2 weeks), except that now it's really time to pack.
I was going to finish this post with some recent cooking exploits, but again, I'll put it off (or see my flickr page). Spike is showing 1000 Ways to Die (it's horrible but I can't resist the Bernie Wrightson-esque comic panels). Very Distracting.
I was going to finish this post with some recent cooking exploits, but again, I'll put it off (or see my flickr page). Spike is showing 1000 Ways to Die (it's horrible but I can't resist the Bernie Wrightson-esque comic panels). Very Distracting.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Apple has Landed
Today the new store opens in the Back Bay, and it's coooool. Thanks to the excellent Digsters, I was able to check it out before the masses sully its pristine glass. But I was cheated out of a first to review (oh well) on Yelp. There will be tons of photos swarming the Internets--it's the biggest store in the states and #2 worldwide. The stairs are the one of the coolest parts. 
Looking up...
...and looking down.
Looking up...
...and looking down.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
2nd blog aniversary
So I missed my own blogiversary on May 6. I'd been meaning to update the layout anyway, and needed an excuse. While I'm not exactly a fan of how much room is over on the side, the new & improved functionality of laying out in Blogger was pretty cool. There might be some more tweaking as I go along.
taking the rest of the day off
Friday I took the day off to write, knit, and explore a couple of neighborhoods. Happily, I managed to do everything!
First stop, Adams Village, to Greenhills Bakery--one of the best sources for Irish brown bread in Boston. While I didn't actually have the brown bread, I'll definietly go back. I was totally overwhelmed and hungry, to I went with the cinnamon roll. I walked around, although there's really not a lot to see. We considered living over there, and it's really quaint.
On a whim, I walked down to Lower Mills--both not too bad and no mean feat, either. It's a straight shot down Dorchester Ave. Lunch was served at Common Ground Cafe, which has a reputation for being excellent but the interiors are very woody--like a Hobbit's hole or a 70s holdover (or both). The other reason for its notoriety is that the cafe & market are run by the Twelve Tribes, an obscure Jewish sect (for lack of a better word) that's pretty hippie-ish. I sat and knitted while I had a really leisurely lunch. They were nice enough, and the food was really good. I kept walking, visiting a couple other shops. The high-speed trolley from Mattapan is back up and running, so I took that back to the Red line. Then I went home and Yelped all about it!
I'm finally tackling my first real sweater. Last weekend I went through some of my yarn stash (as the flickr shots will show), and found a fun camouflage self-stripe, so I'm working on that for Owen. Mostly, it's so I can practice increases and actually reading a pattern so I can knit my own sweater. It should be done by the fall; one sleeve is already 2/3rd of the way along.
I've also been doing a fair amount of cooking; more to come.
First stop, Adams Village, to Greenhills Bakery--one of the best sources for Irish brown bread in Boston. While I didn't actually have the brown bread, I'll definietly go back. I was totally overwhelmed and hungry, to I went with the cinnamon roll. I walked around, although there's really not a lot to see. We considered living over there, and it's really quaint.
On a whim, I walked down to Lower Mills--both not too bad and no mean feat, either. It's a straight shot down Dorchester Ave. Lunch was served at Common Ground Cafe, which has a reputation for being excellent but the interiors are very woody--like a Hobbit's hole or a 70s holdover (or both). The other reason for its notoriety is that the cafe & market are run by the Twelve Tribes, an obscure Jewish sect (for lack of a better word) that's pretty hippie-ish. I sat and knitted while I had a really leisurely lunch. They were nice enough, and the food was really good. I kept walking, visiting a couple other shops. The high-speed trolley from Mattapan is back up and running, so I took that back to the Red line. Then I went home and Yelped all about it!
I'm finally tackling my first real sweater. Last weekend I went through some of my yarn stash (as the flickr shots will show), and found a fun camouflage self-stripe, so I'm working on that for Owen. Mostly, it's so I can practice increases and actually reading a pattern so I can knit my own sweater. It should be done by the fall; one sleeve is already 2/3rd of the way along.
I've also been doing a fair amount of cooking; more to come.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
what a little nightshade can do
Last summer when I dyed my hair pink, I still had leftovers of the 2 almost-rans: violet & Manic Panic's Deadly Nightshade. To get out of my gray-hair funk, I went with the nightshade, since it's slightly more conservative.I forget how the grays really pick up color and reflect it=no bleaching necessary. I love it. It's a fantastic purple-y plum color. Plus, I still have half a jar!
(Owen & I are playing with Photobooth. He especially loved the twisty effect but I vetoed it.)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
delicious
Last week I finally started up with del.icio.us and love it. Thanks to Rob, I found Cooking with Rockstars, and maybe someone will find and enjoy Best Parent Ever, a.k.a. Stuff White Parents Like.
I was in an odd mood last night, and so I made banana bread using my mother's recipe. As I was getting underway, I realized that I ran out of crushed walnuts. Luckily it still tastes good, but walnuts definitely add an extra level of texture and fragrance.
My crazy work project is finally over, and it's so weird not to be going constantly. I can shamelessly laugh out loud to LOL cats.
I was in an odd mood last night, and so I made banana bread using my mother's recipe. As I was getting underway, I realized that I ran out of crushed walnuts. Luckily it still tastes good, but walnuts definitely add an extra level of texture and fragrance.
My crazy work project is finally over, and it's so weird not to be going constantly. I can shamelessly laugh out loud to LOL cats.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
mucinex-d is my friend
I've finally completely off the Mucinex-D--the one with pseudoephedrine that I had to get ID'd for--which worked like a charm. I figured out the extra strength was 2x the dosage I needed. Duh. That and the antibiotics.
Monday, March 31, 2008
mucinex is not my friend
I have had a nastier-than-usual cough for the last couple weeks (but really it's been about a month). I've been to the doctor's twice and today they finally put me on antibiotics for definitely an ear infection, maybe a sinus infection, and possibly atypical pneumonia. (At least it's not strep.) Until now, I've tried various combinations of sinus & allergy meds, cough & cold meds of the drowsy and non-drowsy varieties, inhalers, homeopathic honey cough syrup, and typical home remedies. The only OTC drug I haven't tried up to this point is Mucinex, and the doc recommended it today.
It's horrible. I still need to cough, my body goes through all the coughing actions, but nothing comes out. It's like there's a hair stuck somewhere in the back of my throat. Since it's a 12-hour dosage, I still have about four hours to go.
Needless to say, I'm working at home tomorrow.
It's horrible. I still need to cough, my body goes through all the coughing actions, but nothing comes out. It's like there's a hair stuck somewhere in the back of my throat. Since it's a 12-hour dosage, I still have about four hours to go.
Needless to say, I'm working at home tomorrow.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
best weekend in ages
Friday night: Took Owen to the Kids' Night at the Flower show after school, which involved riding a Town Trolley to the Expo Center, seeing Hedwig the Bard Owl, petting both a boa constrictor and an alligator. Owen got his face painted with a leopard. It wasn't one of the pre-fab choices (yay!), but inspired by the leopard they had on the table.
Saturday: Visited the South Shore Model Railway Club in Hingham, for their bi-annual Open House. Yes, grown men who rent a space in former WWII storage buildings with bad lighting may not sound exciting, but Owen had a great time. Some of the tracks were still a work-in-progress, which was cool to see. Some of the model freight trains even had graf! The boy really liked the model Green Line Train (the old ones). When, when will the MBTA learn to sell toys like their trains?
Sunday: After much resistance, we made it in the nick of time to catch most of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Southie at my friend's house and hang out with her & her family. She grew up right on the parade route, and we got to watch from the front window. And we enjoyed eating a traditional corned beef & cabbage, plus loads of sugar.
Also: I totally finished the pink boucle hat. I look almost like I did this summer with the pink hair.
Monday: Owen had the day off from school because of Evacuation Day, which just happened to also be St. Pat's day proper. Gotta love those Boston-area holidays! I took a personal day so we could hang out. It was so nice to have a long weekend. So we saw Horton Hears a Who, his first movie in the theater. We'd been reading the story, so he was OK with it, but he was way more excited to actually see a movie on the big screen. Unlike most movies, the volume was set to a normal level, not outrageously loud, which I was really happy about, even though we were prepared with cotton balls. It was a banner eating day: we shared a Shamrock shake and ate movie theater popcorn.
All that fun has made Owen a tired boy! It also makes up for the not-so-great news we got from the Boston Public Schools last week. He (we) got waitlisted for our 2 top schools. (You can pick up to 5, but you only get on the wait list for your first & second choice schools for a year.) BPS doesn't choose alternate schools for K, only for G1 (because it's mandatory the kid be in school by age 6; which is sad to think that for some kids the first time they're in a classroom could be in 1st grade). We could have gone in and frantically tried to find a seat at a school that we may not have seen or didn't feel 100% about. What a huge drag. Most of the charter schools have already just done or their lotteries/applications, and there weren't too many we were interested in. Luckily, we also applied to Catholic school! So unless 82 kids (!) at our #1 school don't go, or 8 other kids from our #2 school--which I don't think is going to happen--the BPS is out for us. Maybe we'll give it another shot next year, but I'm actually looking forward to sending him to the school we chose. What a surprise!
Saturday: Visited the South Shore Model Railway Club in Hingham, for their bi-annual Open House. Yes, grown men who rent a space in former WWII storage buildings with bad lighting may not sound exciting, but Owen had a great time. Some of the tracks were still a work-in-progress, which was cool to see. Some of the model freight trains even had graf! The boy really liked the model Green Line Train (the old ones). When, when will the MBTA learn to sell toys like their trains?
Sunday: After much resistance, we made it in the nick of time to catch most of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Southie at my friend's house and hang out with her & her family. She grew up right on the parade route, and we got to watch from the front window. And we enjoyed eating a traditional corned beef & cabbage, plus loads of sugar.
Also: I totally finished the pink boucle hat. I look almost like I did this summer with the pink hair.
Monday: Owen had the day off from school because of Evacuation Day, which just happened to also be St. Pat's day proper. Gotta love those Boston-area holidays! I took a personal day so we could hang out. It was so nice to have a long weekend. So we saw Horton Hears a Who, his first movie in the theater. We'd been reading the story, so he was OK with it, but he was way more excited to actually see a movie on the big screen. Unlike most movies, the volume was set to a normal level, not outrageously loud, which I was really happy about, even though we were prepared with cotton balls. It was a banner eating day: we shared a Shamrock shake and ate movie theater popcorn.
All that fun has made Owen a tired boy! It also makes up for the not-so-great news we got from the Boston Public Schools last week. He (we) got waitlisted for our 2 top schools. (You can pick up to 5, but you only get on the wait list for your first & second choice schools for a year.) BPS doesn't choose alternate schools for K, only for G1 (because it's mandatory the kid be in school by age 6; which is sad to think that for some kids the first time they're in a classroom could be in 1st grade). We could have gone in and frantically tried to find a seat at a school that we may not have seen or didn't feel 100% about. What a huge drag. Most of the charter schools have already just done or their lotteries/applications, and there weren't too many we were interested in. Luckily, we also applied to Catholic school! So unless 82 kids (!) at our #1 school don't go, or 8 other kids from our #2 school--which I don't think is going to happen--the BPS is out for us. Maybe we'll give it another shot next year, but I'm actually looking forward to sending him to the school we chose. What a surprise!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
cables ahoy!
Last night I finally taught myself how to cable. A friend tried to teach me last winter, and I just couldn't get it. Lo and behold, thanks in part to Knitty's feature Techniques with Theresa, also to Super Stitches Knitting by Karen Hemingway, and some time alone on the couch, I was finally able to get it. Now I don't have any idea what to do the the 1.5"w x 19"l strip of knitting (steering wheel cover? sweater section?), but I am quite proud of myself.
Monday, March 10, 2008
fear of a boucle hat
My 2nd knitting anniversary has come and gone, and I recently rediscovered the boucle yarn that I bought on my first trip to Woolcott & Co. I had tried to knit it when I was first learning, and just couldn't get the hang of it. Then for Christmas, Lorie gave me a hat & scarf kit--in alpaca boucle.I started the hat, sans the earflaps called for in the pattern. On #8 wood needles it has taken me at least a month to do (in gray Lang Bolero/ Mohair blend). Then Saturday night while watching 30 Days of Night, I started on a purse that was going to have a pink boucle border--and it grew until I used one whole ball. It's now on its way to being a hat, I think. On #11 metal needles, it flew by.
So now I think I've gotten over my fear of boucle. Now I just have to figure out what to do with it.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
i confess
I have been mostly good and have only had one muffin. Of course that doesn't count the lovely homemade cupcakes from my friend Barbara Ann, the orange chocolate K Bliss bars or the 100 calorie Hostess Carrot Cake cupcakes. At least I can still fit into my skinny jeans, but I haven't lost any weight. Oh well. Still haven't joined WW, but I am working out once a week, usually followed by vermicelli bun, or cutlets & anko donut.
Tak & I got out for a night out to see the English Beat (which is really a Red Bull pounding Dave Wakeling & a new band). He still sounds the same, and the show was almost 2 hours full of skanking goodness.
Just finished the sequel to Peeps called The Last Days. One of my favorite things about it was the chapters are named after bands.
Tak & I got out for a night out to see the English Beat (which is really a Red Bull pounding Dave Wakeling & a new band). He still sounds the same, and the show was almost 2 hours full of skanking goodness.
Just finished the sequel to Peeps called The Last Days. One of my favorite things about it was the chapters are named after bands.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Fat Tuesday
Usually I don't like to talk about weight, because it gets kind of boring really fast. But after months of stress-induced eating & holiday feasts, I've managed to gain back half of the weight I lost while doing Weight Watchers--15 pounds/30 lost total. Part of it I'd like to blame on hormonal eating binges; back in April I had my IUD taken out in a so-far unsuccessful not-quite-whole-hearted attempt for baby #2. (Sorry if that's a little TMI.)
So, tomorrow we diet. To celebrate Fat Tuesday, I had an apple fritter from Starbucks. Damn, those things are eeeevil.
I haven't given anything up for Lent in ages, but to get kick started, I'm giving up coffee-shop pastries: fritters, donuts, muffins, breads, etc., baked by our friends at Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Borders Cafe, et al. I'll keep the home-made goodies to a minimum.
Part of the whole Weight Watchers thing is tracking what you eat, and that really makes a difference. And meetings. Somehow being held responsible to a group of people and paying for someone to weigh you is a motivating incentive.
Heck, maybe I'll even to a yoga class on a regular basis. I may even go to church!
Oh yeah, and I aim to finish knitting a sweater.
Wish me luck.
So, tomorrow we diet. To celebrate Fat Tuesday, I had an apple fritter from Starbucks. Damn, those things are eeeevil.
I haven't given anything up for Lent in ages, but to get kick started, I'm giving up coffee-shop pastries: fritters, donuts, muffins, breads, etc., baked by our friends at Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Borders Cafe, et al. I'll keep the home-made goodies to a minimum.
Part of the whole Weight Watchers thing is tracking what you eat, and that really makes a difference. And meetings. Somehow being held responsible to a group of people and paying for someone to weigh you is a motivating incentive.
Heck, maybe I'll even to a yoga class on a regular basis. I may even go to church!
Oh yeah, and I aim to finish knitting a sweater.
Wish me luck.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
surfacing
So I'm finally almost coming out of my work insanity. January has flown. We've looked at and registered for public schools. We find out in March. We're starting to look at Catholic schools.
I've also got back to cooking. After two weeks of having lunch brought in (very nice lunch), it was good to have lighter fare & be in the kitchen. I made steak tips with my homemade marinade: salt & TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute rub, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine, sesame oil, lemon juice. With whole wheat orzo to beef up the rice pilaf. Tonight Tak made apple chicken sausage with squash I'd saved from the farmer's market in November (it was still good!).
Owen has discovered "rocking out." One of his train videos features Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, which he really likes. On our ride in the car the other day we had our own little Wayne's World moment.
I've also got back to cooking. After two weeks of having lunch brought in (very nice lunch), it was good to have lighter fare & be in the kitchen. I made steak tips with my homemade marinade: salt & TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute rub, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine, sesame oil, lemon juice. With whole wheat orzo to beef up the rice pilaf. Tonight Tak made apple chicken sausage with squash I'd saved from the farmer's market in November (it was still good!).
Owen has discovered "rocking out." One of his train videos features Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, which he really likes. On our ride in the car the other day we had our own little Wayne's World moment.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Yay! ROTD!
On Yelp, they have a Review of the Day, and, after thinking I would never get one, I did! It's for Black Ink, which is a review I really like and had fun writing.
psst...if you sign up, you can vote on reviews you think are Useful, Funny, or Cool. That's how they calculate ROTD.
Yes, it is snowing, very hard and wet. We have about 2-5" at 10:15amEST. Owen's school is still open, and I'm at work. Happy Mondy!
psst...if you sign up, you can vote on reviews you think are Useful, Funny, or Cool. That's how they calculate ROTD.
Yes, it is snowing, very hard and wet. We have about 2-5" at 10:15amEST. Owen's school is still open, and I'm at work. Happy Mondy!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
a very merry unbirthday
Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone! And happy new year, too. I worked on my birthday. (Work is still crazy.) We had a mellow family dinner, courtesy of Tak & Teriyaki House. My dad was funny, and said it was the best Chinese food he ever had. And cake, of course. Owen was sick (ear infection), but he still managed to jam a huge piece into his mouth.
One of the Dig cover artists Tak uses/knows, Daniel Lim, aka Fawn Fruits, is doing a project of 1000 drawings. Tak sent him my photos to use, and lo--there's my birthday present, #47 "Sweeter."
mmm . . . pie
Yes, I know, it's been ages. But I saw this on Devon's blog and couldn't resist. Gee, I wonder why?
| You Are Mud Pie |
 You're the perfect combo of flavor and depth. You are overpowering and dominant - and that's what people like about you. You bring energy and a new direction to most interactions. People crave you in a serious way. You're that important to them. Those who like you give into their impulses. You don't represent reason. You represent pure temptation. People get addicted to you rather easily. You offer people a dark side that is very hard to resist. |
Friday, December 21, 2007
beauty of the season
I did the bulk of this last week, on the day when it started snowing and kept going for almost 24hrs. Now, most of the snow has washed & melted away with the warmish weather and the rain.
Hope you all had a lovely holiday!
12/20: I'm commuting through the woods on a snowy morning, riding on the famed Greenbush line (the commuter line going to the South Shore that took 20 years to build). It's been hectic the last--however long it's taken me to update--and this is a nice repreieve before I go into the maelstrom that is work.
We've done some fun things too, though. Last weekend we saw Owen's school friends from last year at a birthday party. Then we went off to Edaville railroad, to ride the train, see the lights, plus we got our visit to Santa in! The goodies were numerous, including hand-made mini donuts (didn't try those), and (gasp) deep fried whoopie pies served with a side of ice cream. The deep fried chocolatey goodness I could not resist, and it was so rich and warm and creamy...and made me sick to my stomach that I could barely eat anything else for the rest of the night.
The Weekly Dig holiday party held at Church (formerly the Linwood) last week was like an old reunion, and some people came out that we haven't seen since before Owen was born. Tuesday night was a Yelp Elite event, and we cleaned the downstairs bar of the Good Life out of vodka. Yay!
I still haven't done any great shopping for Christmas, but I am furiously working on knitted gifts when I have the energy. In January, I've been charged with leading my Wed. Night Knitting group from the South Shore on a Boston Yarn crawl. I'm more nervous about where to take them to eat/drink--too cool and people won't know where they went, not cool enough so that when they tell their kids they' won't be, "you went where?" Should be fun though.
The other big thing is that we're coming down to NYC for New Year's weekend, but leaving on New Year's Day. Owen is more excited to ride on the Acela than anything else. (I bought the tickets far enough in advance that they were only $4 more than the regular train.) There's talk in the office of some people--don't know if I'll be one of them--going down to NY to finish our project. It would be funny if, just having been in NY, I'll have to turn around and go back. We'll see!
Hope you all had a lovely holiday!
12/20: I'm commuting through the woods on a snowy morning, riding on the famed Greenbush line (the commuter line going to the South Shore that took 20 years to build). It's been hectic the last--however long it's taken me to update--and this is a nice repreieve before I go into the maelstrom that is work.
We've done some fun things too, though. Last weekend we saw Owen's school friends from last year at a birthday party. Then we went off to Edaville railroad, to ride the train, see the lights, plus we got our visit to Santa in! The goodies were numerous, including hand-made mini donuts (didn't try those), and (gasp) deep fried whoopie pies served with a side of ice cream. The deep fried chocolatey goodness I could not resist, and it was so rich and warm and creamy...and made me sick to my stomach that I could barely eat anything else for the rest of the night.
The Weekly Dig holiday party held at Church (formerly the Linwood) last week was like an old reunion, and some people came out that we haven't seen since before Owen was born. Tuesday night was a Yelp Elite event, and we cleaned the downstairs bar of the Good Life out of vodka. Yay!
I still haven't done any great shopping for Christmas, but I am furiously working on knitted gifts when I have the energy. In January, I've been charged with leading my Wed. Night Knitting group from the South Shore on a Boston Yarn crawl. I'm more nervous about where to take them to eat/drink--too cool and people won't know where they went, not cool enough so that when they tell their kids they' won't be, "you went where?" Should be fun though.
The other big thing is that we're coming down to NYC for New Year's weekend, but leaving on New Year's Day. Owen is more excited to ride on the Acela than anything else. (I bought the tickets far enough in advance that they were only $4 more than the regular train.) There's talk in the office of some people--don't know if I'll be one of them--going down to NY to finish our project. It would be funny if, just having been in NY, I'll have to turn around and go back. We'll see!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
craptacular vernacular
Combined with mixing words, like ginormous, it seems like a fun but somehow wrong thing to teach a four-year-old. Or not? At least we don't say that the "vominator left a crapalanche on the table" around the boy.
Someone left a copy of this book the other day in the ladies' room for the taking. It seemed too much like an omen, but at the end of the day, it was gone.
Someone left a copy of this book the other day in the ladies' room for the taking. It seemed too much like an omen, but at the end of the day, it was gone.
Monday, November 26, 2007
back on scarf wagon
knitted this to match Owen's winter coat. 1 skein each of Sheep Shop (Orange & Navy). CO 147 stitches onto 48" circulars and knit up. I get bored knitting the long way, so I thought this would be over faster by knitting long & wide...and I was right! Still took the most part of Thanksgiving, but it's done. Now, on to the hat...
Sunday, November 25, 2007
quote of the day
Owen's holding himself like he has to go to the bathroom.
When asked if he needs to go, Owen replies, "No, my things are sticking together."
When asked if he needs to go, Owen replies, "No, my things are sticking together."
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
we turned out OK
One of the last times I was home, I rescued some of my old books. Among them was this gem that we've been reading a lot. Owen loves it, especially the silly stories. His current favorites are Big Bird's Rhinoceros Rhymes and Pete the Pirate (who's not nasty, but bogus like our good friend Pete always says). It's amazing how progressive it is, with "townspeople" and a woman mayor. How '70s! Then in the New York Times today is a big article about how the Sesame Street of our day isn't appropriate for today's toddlers. Sure, there's some sarcasm in the article, but there's some seriousness too. Some of it is good, and some of it is people reading too much into things. Heaven forbid anyone smokes a pipe anymore.
It amazes me how much of my job--sanitizing books to a certain degree for children's textbooks--I've absorbed. Those scissors are too pointy! Where's the helmet for that kid riding a bike? Look at the udders on that cow! On the other hand, I read and recommend so many fantasy-based and funky picture books that I know we could never, ever use in the reading program.
So what can we do to make reading fun? Another oh-so-cheery article from the Boston Globe tells us that kids are reading significantly less for fun than ever before. The report points the finger at the media, multitasking, and a disconnect in education between the ages of 9 and 17. The most interesting part from the article for me is was: "The poorest Americans who read did twice as much volunteering and charity work as the richest who did not read," (NEA Chairman Dana) Gioia said. "The habit of regular reading awakens something inside a person that makes him or her take their own life more seriously and at the same time develops the sense that other people's lives are real."
Monday, November 12, 2007
is it any wonder?
Finally, a night when I'm not so brain dead that I can catch up on the blog. (if it's any consolation, my yelp reviews aren't faring much better.) I've had Keane's Under the Iron Sea on repeat for awhile.
Work has been awful. The project is grossly understaffed. No one knows what will happen in January. People are leaving left and right. That's all I can say about that. I've been going to sleep with Owen and going to bed straight after. Zero energy left to do much else.
Halloween was fantastic. Owen was Thomas again, but what a difference from last year! We carved pumpkins, he had a great time at his preschool's parade, and we made it around 2/3rds of our neighborhood. We watched the first two songs of Nightmare before Christmas and he was singing them all night. Totally fun.
On the knitting front (slowly but surely. I've been making a few coasters.), I've discovered that old throw pillowcases in canvas that zip make great bags to felt in.
Also been to two shows: Tori on my sister's birthday which was awesome; the Police last night, which was eh. Glad I went, but still feel taken somehow. Which I had a feeling was going to happen. Oh well.
Work has been awful. The project is grossly understaffed. No one knows what will happen in January. People are leaving left and right. That's all I can say about that. I've been going to sleep with Owen and going to bed straight after. Zero energy left to do much else.
Halloween was fantastic. Owen was Thomas again, but what a difference from last year! We carved pumpkins, he had a great time at his preschool's parade, and we made it around 2/3rds of our neighborhood. We watched the first two songs of Nightmare before Christmas and he was singing them all night. Totally fun.
On the knitting front (slowly but surely. I've been making a few coasters.), I've discovered that old throw pillowcases in canvas that zip make great bags to felt in.
Also been to two shows: Tori on my sister's birthday which was awesome; the Police last night, which was eh. Glad I went, but still feel taken somehow. Which I had a feeling was going to happen. Oh well.
Monday, October 15, 2007
celebrity sighting: Stephen King
This morning after we dropped off Owen at school, I saw Stephen King walking into the Transportation Building. Pretty cool! He is very tall, and looks just like he does on the book covers, only dressed really casually. Don't know if he's in town for book stuff or a Sox game.
Sorry I've been off the blog. I finally got an invite from Ravelry, so I spent a night playing around on there. Like a dummy, I signed up as traceybits, instead of tracey2bits. I'd think by now it'd be pretty automatic to type in, and then for me to check it. But no, they won't let you change it once you've put it in. Duh. I've also got some new artwork for a Yelp elite event at the Nile Lounge in Allston on Tuesday, 10/16. The work will be up for a few weeks, which is both excellent and sad because now we have a big blank wall in our house.
Finally reading "Love is a Mix Tape" and I love it. Highly recommended.
Sorry I've been off the blog. I finally got an invite from Ravelry, so I spent a night playing around on there. Like a dummy, I signed up as traceybits, instead of tracey2bits. I'd think by now it'd be pretty automatic to type in, and then for me to check it. But no, they won't let you change it once you've put it in. Duh. I've also got some new artwork for a Yelp elite event at the Nile Lounge in Allston on Tuesday, 10/16. The work will be up for a few weeks, which is both excellent and sad because now we have a big blank wall in our house.
Finally reading "Love is a Mix Tape" and I love it. Highly recommended.
Monday, September 24, 2007
ghost of a fish
James, Owen's Betta/Siamese Fighting Fish, passed on to the big fishbowl in the sky today. He'd been having a hard time the last few days, and for the last couple weeks we tried medicating the tank and carefully checking the pH, but to no avail. I suspect it was something in the brand-spanking new tank, or Mattapan the Cory Catfish (who was the first fish to die) introduced a disease. Owen took it extremely well. He didn't even cry. Or say anything about the empty tank when we got home. Is that OK? He did think we should not put him in the toilet, but in the sink because it was smaller.
This morning I realized there was a bunch I wanted to say in my "I'm not ready for fall" post that I really should have said a couple of weeks ago. It's going to get updated, so please don't freak out. That's what happens when I blog at 1AM.
On a last note, I want to sing the praises of my new Lexie B. bag in the Baja. Yes, I finally broke down and made the investment. We were sitting on the T and I discovered it had a hidden pocket. Shazam! It is huge, stays on my shoulder like a good bag should, and I can find everything in it. Perfect. (And special thanks to Patrice who watched Owen while the super helpful saleslady at Seed Stitch called to make sure it was 25% off.)
This morning I realized there was a bunch I wanted to say in my "I'm not ready for fall" post that I really should have said a couple of weeks ago. It's going to get updated, so please don't freak out. That's what happens when I blog at 1AM.
On a last note, I want to sing the praises of my new Lexie B. bag in the Baja. Yes, I finally broke down and made the investment. We were sitting on the T and I discovered it had a hidden pocket. Shazam! It is huge, stays on my shoulder like a good bag should, and I can find everything in it. Perfect. (And special thanks to Patrice who watched Owen while the super helpful saleslady at Seed Stitch called to make sure it was 25% off.)
Sunday, September 23, 2007
100
Wow, I've reached 100 posts! I've also reached over 100 reviews at Yelp, too.
Saturday I was lucky enough to have Tak watch Owen for a bit, so I got to get to some places I've been wanting to go, and others I haven't been to in awhile. It made me miss how many cool things we used to have near us at Davis/Porter/Union Squares. It also makes me NOT miss having to take a bus everywhere. It seems like so many people are moving or live north of Boston, and that I'm living in one of the least cool places. But I really like my neighborhood, and we're close to a lot of other neat things, so I don't feel like we're missing out too much.
Change is in the air, though. Even though we're having a last taste of summer, the leaves are coming off the trees and there's a chill in the air. I don't think I'm all the way ready. Blueberry beer is still available, but all of the pumpkin ales have been out since Labor Day. The pumpkin donuts are certainly enjoyable at Dunkin Donuts (and if I eat more of them I'm going to head back to Weight Watchers--well, I'll have to do that soon anyway, too many cupcakes and carbs).
Summer flew by, where did it go? I feel like most of it was spent working. We did have some fun trips & visits. We are going to NYC in a couple weeks. (YAY!) Tak's dad is doing really well--enough for us to stay. So I think that will help with the transition into fall.
Saturday I was lucky enough to have Tak watch Owen for a bit, so I got to get to some places I've been wanting to go, and others I haven't been to in awhile. It made me miss how many cool things we used to have near us at Davis/Porter/Union Squares. It also makes me NOT miss having to take a bus everywhere. It seems like so many people are moving or live north of Boston, and that I'm living in one of the least cool places. But I really like my neighborhood, and we're close to a lot of other neat things, so I don't feel like we're missing out too much.
Change is in the air, though. Even though we're having a last taste of summer, the leaves are coming off the trees and there's a chill in the air. I don't think I'm all the way ready. Blueberry beer is still available, but all of the pumpkin ales have been out since Labor Day. The pumpkin donuts are certainly enjoyable at Dunkin Donuts (and if I eat more of them I'm going to head back to Weight Watchers--well, I'll have to do that soon anyway, too many cupcakes and carbs).
Summer flew by, where did it go? I feel like most of it was spent working. We did have some fun trips & visits. We are going to NYC in a couple weeks. (YAY!) Tak's dad is doing really well--enough for us to stay. So I think that will help with the transition into fall.
Friday, September 14, 2007
hooked on felting
it's past midnight, UFC is on, my eyes are bleary from finishing Friday Night Knitting Club. i'm typing with my fingertips, not wearing glasses, my brain is fried, and letting run-on sentences rule. instead of talking about all the boring stuff going on, i'll talk about knitting.
i felted my first clutch, and i'm hooked. knitting something in one piece in a day or two with minimal sewing rocks. throw it in the washing machine 3 times (tucked in a pillowcase) and viola! now i have a way to burn through my stash. i used the pattern from one skein by leigh radford, but i'm working on changing it to a top-down instead of bottom up, and playing with measurements for #11 needles for regular worsted; the pattern uses bulky on #15's.
The Knit Picks interchangeable needle set has been intriguing me for awhile, and I've heard a lot of good things about them. Before shelling out a bunch of money for the whole thing, I tried the #11s just to see if I'd like them. They're very sharp and pointy, which I don't like, but they are smooth like addi turbos and the wire doesn't kink. Since I don't really *need* all the smaller size needles, I'm not going to invest in the set, but if I need larger needles they're more economical than the Turbos.
Friday Night Knitting Club was super slow to get into, and to be honest I only skimmed it until the end. The author goes on and on...just tell the story. Probably one of the few books that will be better served by a movie. If you look over in the sidebar, I've added a link to my goodreads page. (thanks, Devon!)
Speaking of books into movies, who knew I'd find something to knit via Neil Gaiman's blog? Someday I'll be worthy of Ysolda's Coraline sweater.
i felted my first clutch, and i'm hooked. knitting something in one piece in a day or two with minimal sewing rocks. throw it in the washing machine 3 times (tucked in a pillowcase) and viola! now i have a way to burn through my stash. i used the pattern from one skein by leigh radford, but i'm working on changing it to a top-down instead of bottom up, and playing with measurements for #11 needles for regular worsted; the pattern uses bulky on #15's.
The Knit Picks interchangeable needle set has been intriguing me for awhile, and I've heard a lot of good things about them. Before shelling out a bunch of money for the whole thing, I tried the #11s just to see if I'd like them. They're very sharp and pointy, which I don't like, but they are smooth like addi turbos and the wire doesn't kink. Since I don't really *need* all the smaller size needles, I'm not going to invest in the set, but if I need larger needles they're more economical than the Turbos.
Friday Night Knitting Club was super slow to get into, and to be honest I only skimmed it until the end. The author goes on and on...just tell the story. Probably one of the few books that will be better served by a movie. If you look over in the sidebar, I've added a link to my goodreads page. (thanks, Devon!)
Speaking of books into movies, who knew I'd find something to knit via Neil Gaiman's blog? Someday I'll be worthy of Ysolda's Coraline sweater.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
a sorta fairytale
from Storyland to Stardust, it's been quite a week!
We joined our friends Frank, Patrice & Sofia at Storyland, in NH, and I'm so glad we went. It was so fun...like a smaller, less corporate Disneyworld. Owen had a blast! He loved the rides and is still talking about them. He yet again did damage to his cute little face: he ran away from us and tripped into some gravel, cutting his forehead. Not badly, but enough to leave a mark. We had dinner & hung out with F/P/S; the next morning we were in the pool. We played an "evil monster" game that involved "saving;" Frank was the monster (I was the witch/sea hag) holding Sofia, and Owen "rescued" her. Sofia is really into princesses, so of course, they had to get married! It was the running joke all morning. Then somehow, Owen said they needed blood tests--how did he know? We'll see what happens in another 20+ years!
I went to my first Yelp elite event at the Milky Way in JP. Lots of fun...I actually got up to sing karaoke, "Love Shack" w/ Russ S, who is quite an entertainer. Met & matched some people up to their profiles, which was also neat.
Tonight, Owen slept over at my parents & Tak was working, so I took myself to see Stardust, finally! It was really good. If you go in not expecting things to be just like the book, it's very enjoyable. A plus seeing the gorgeous scenery on the big screen, and Charlie Cox is perfect as Tristan. I think I may have been more excited to see the trailer for the Golden Compass, though.
We joined our friends Frank, Patrice & Sofia at Storyland, in NH, and I'm so glad we went. It was so fun...like a smaller, less corporate Disneyworld. Owen had a blast! He loved the rides and is still talking about them. He yet again did damage to his cute little face: he ran away from us and tripped into some gravel, cutting his forehead. Not badly, but enough to leave a mark. We had dinner & hung out with F/P/S; the next morning we were in the pool. We played an "evil monster" game that involved "saving;" Frank was the monster (I was the witch/sea hag) holding Sofia, and Owen "rescued" her. Sofia is really into princesses, so of course, they had to get married! It was the running joke all morning. Then somehow, Owen said they needed blood tests--how did he know? We'll see what happens in another 20+ years! I went to my first Yelp elite event at the Milky Way in JP. Lots of fun...I actually got up to sing karaoke, "Love Shack" w/ Russ S, who is quite an entertainer. Met & matched some people up to their profiles, which was also neat.
Tonight, Owen slept over at my parents & Tak was working, so I took myself to see Stardust, finally! It was really good. If you go in not expecting things to be just like the book, it's very enjoyable. A plus seeing the gorgeous scenery on the big screen, and Charlie Cox is perfect as Tristan. I think I may have been more excited to see the trailer for the Golden Compass, though.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
love is a mix tape
I saw this book in a little while ago, and it just conjured up so many memories. I have a few books in line before I can check it out, but it inspired me to dig through my old mix tapes. Luckily many of the songs are on iTunes. Some of the music I'd forgotten how good it was, like Mind Bomb by The the. Some of it I'm not surprised is hard-to-find (Miracle Legion, Mary's Danish, the Peregrins, 17 relics) and some I'm just going to get used (Bongwater, Edie Brickell, Melissa Etheridge). Now I have to figure out how to transfer the analog to digital (something that has been explained to me many times and it just won't stick in my head). Even the mixes themselves kind of hold up after all these years, too (if I may so myself). It's funny listening to songs that have such a strong place and time association. And last week, I saw my friend Bob, who was in Boston visiting with his family, who I hadn't seen since the end of our freshman year when he moved back to Ohio. So cool. But lately it hasn't been the kind of day that I could bail on work, either, which is huge bummer, 'cause I would have loved to hang out more.
Which reminds me, I have to burn a CD (how times have changed! or not...) for my sister's sister-in-law, who is just starting college. I think it might be stuff she'd like, too.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
No. 9
Here's us in 1998 at the Silver Bell Chapel in Vegas, right after we got married. We'd just been to Comic Con for the first time, our friend Rob was with us. One of my best friends from high school, Michelle, who introduced us, flew out from LA with her boyfriend to watch us get married, too. That was it! (We had a reception a few months later.)
They didn't even ask us for ID when we went to get our license. There was an Elvis in the building, but he didn't walk me down the aisle; we did get a photo with him later.
It was pretty surreal. We left the next day for San Fran, where we hung out and partied with friends up there. (I got the dress in London with Ilona.) Looking back, there isn't much I'd really do over.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
knitmas in august
Photos of the yarn haul accident I had at Circles are up on flickr. More photos to come, since I think I need some serious stash and needle management in general. I've been on the fence about ravelry.com, between the site getting up and running and my own involvement--even though it looks like a ton of fun. Oh, what the heck--I just signed up anyway. I'm probably pretty far down on the list (which is actually OK with me).
Tak's dad really liked the hat, which was nice. He's going to wait until the fall to start wearing it. (OK, so I did use the bathroom as a backdrop. It has the best lighting at 11 o'clock at night in the house.)
I'm finally knitting a sweater for myself. It's slow going, since I'm pattern & time challenged. All of my #11 wooden needles have chipped at the tips, even my nice Lantern Moon pair. Out of curiosity and novelty (and a sale at AC Moore), I bought a pair of Knit Lites, knitting needles with plastic lights at the tips. Owen immediately began waving it around like a magic wand. I have to admit that I do quite like them, and the tips are quite smooth, although I don't know if I'd actually knit in the dark. They're just a little unwieldy for travel, and they've come on a couple times by accident. I keep eying the Options needle set from Knit Picks, but I really don't need it. I'll keep you posted.
Tak's dad really liked the hat, which was nice. He's going to wait until the fall to start wearing it. (OK, so I did use the bathroom as a backdrop. It has the best lighting at 11 o'clock at night in the house.)I'm finally knitting a sweater for myself. It's slow going, since I'm pattern & time challenged. All of my #11 wooden needles have chipped at the tips, even my nice Lantern Moon pair. Out of curiosity and novelty (and a sale at AC Moore), I bought a pair of Knit Lites, knitting needles with plastic lights at the tips. Owen immediately began waving it around like a magic wand. I have to admit that I do quite like them, and the tips are quite smooth, although I don't know if I'd actually knit in the dark. They're just a little unwieldy for travel, and they've come on a couple times by accident. I keep eying the Options needle set from Knit Picks, but I really don't need it. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, August 13, 2007
surf & turf
It has been a crazy couple weeks. We spent last weekend in Boothbay/Southport Maine, visiting my sister's in-laws with our whole family. It was a gorgeous spot, perfect weather. Ate in Boothbay, toured around the harbor, relaxed. Except when I fell down the stairs at the house where we were staying (I'm OK. The extra padding helped cushion the fall.) I even got a tan! Owen had a great time, too. He did great in the car both ways, considering it was his first big road trip.
Last week I went to my first Yelp event, an open house in a wonderful coffeeshop in the North End. The North End is one of those places that I just don't get to enough. I've also realized that Yelp is totally addictive for me. I think I wrote 5 or 7 reviews in one sitting last week, and stayed up until 3am. Silly me.
Oh! and went with Katie, Jason & my uncle George & aunt Cyndy to see Crowded House a week ago. Pete Yorn opened, and Juliana Hatfield came out and did a duet. Crowded House were very good--I love the sing a-longs. The best show I've seen Neil Finn was in Feb of 2003, it was Neil Finn with a couple other back-up musicians at Avalon, and my whole family went for my dad & George's birthday. The Harborlights/ Bank of America Pavilion show was great, too. The weather was lovely, and it's a great spot to see a show, under the tent and on the water. We all got a little goofy at the end, too.
My hair color is really fading. After doing the whole thing fuchsia, I decided it was too much and did low-lights (dark brown) myself, leaving pink parts in the front and sides. Now it looks closer to light brown and a washed out, light pink. I'll re-color the whole thing brown for a family wedding this weekend. It was fun while it lasted. Heck, I could always do it again!
Last week I went to my first Yelp event, an open house in a wonderful coffeeshop in the North End. The North End is one of those places that I just don't get to enough. I've also realized that Yelp is totally addictive for me. I think I wrote 5 or 7 reviews in one sitting last week, and stayed up until 3am. Silly me.
Oh! and went with Katie, Jason & my uncle George & aunt Cyndy to see Crowded House a week ago. Pete Yorn opened, and Juliana Hatfield came out and did a duet. Crowded House were very good--I love the sing a-longs. The best show I've seen Neil Finn was in Feb of 2003, it was Neil Finn with a couple other back-up musicians at Avalon, and my whole family went for my dad & George's birthday. The Harborlights/ Bank of America Pavilion show was great, too. The weather was lovely, and it's a great spot to see a show, under the tent and on the water. We all got a little goofy at the end, too.
My hair color is really fading. After doing the whole thing fuchsia, I decided it was too much and did low-lights (dark brown) myself, leaving pink parts in the front and sides. Now it looks closer to light brown and a washed out, light pink. I'll re-color the whole thing brown for a family wedding this weekend. It was fun while it lasted. Heck, I could always do it again!
Friday, August 03, 2007
optimus prime
The o-man slept over at my parents' house last night, and Tak & I got to go to the movies before his trip to NYC. We saw Transformers and WHOA it was excellent. Non-stop go go go. Sometimes the special effects were too much so that you don't know what's happening on the screen. Also a couple plot holes/wha-wha-what just happened moments. My friend Sofia has been recommending this to me for the last month and I'm so glad we saw it on the big screen.
My big OOPS for the day was I made Tak's train reservations and scheduled him to be on a train *yesterday* morning. Luckily he was able to switch the ticket over and make his train. Whew!
My big OOPS for the day was I made Tak's train reservations and scheduled him to be on a train *yesterday* morning. Luckily he was able to switch the ticket over and make his train. Whew!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
when the editor needs an edior
I'm finding this to be especailly true like in the long random psycho tailspin post from a couple days ago. I've edited a chunk out. Thanks for the support, too!
Monday, July 30, 2007
my new favorite things: July wrap-up
Haven't done one of these in ages!
Thomas's Blueberry Bagels: OMG. I have to split this in half because they're diet wreckers. Soft bagels. Mmmm...with cream cheese.
L'Oreal Colour Rays One Step Brush-on Highlights/ Fuchsia Flash ($12.99 CVS): Because it's made for dark hair, the color is *very* vibrant (the lightener is 30vol for DIY beauty shop junkies). My hair is pretty gray too, and I obviously ignored the warning on the box. 1 application/box is a waste if you're only going to do highlights, unless you have super-long hair, but it's hard to measure the proportions right. One box was enough to color my short hair--and have leftovers to spare. The applicator is like a big mascara wand that really grabs the hair from end to tip; wash it out and save if for another time. The color is staying put (but then, I haven't been washing my hair everyday either. TMI?)
Almay Smart Shade Makeup (SPF 15/light): This is an amazing base for hard-to-match skin tones. Takes the guesswork out of figuring out if your skin has warm tones, rose tones or whatever confusing jargon the makeup companies come up with. Covers evenly and also does ok masking small blemishes.
Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Mist Sunblock SPF 45: It's not greasy, and yes, fresh and cooling too.
Lexie Barnes handbags: I have the Hermosa 8&1/2" x11" bag and it fits whatever knitting I bring around with me. Found it at Webs 'cause the it's imperfect (aren't we all?), sewn upside down, but you'd hardly know it. ($13.99)
Brooklyn Industries' Heritage Lexy Bag: Mine isn't on the website anymore since I got in on clearance ($36). The print is excellent, the pockets all make sense, and it's roomier than you'd think on the inside. The handles don't slip easily off my shoulders--another bonus. Yep, I'm a bag fiend!
boingboing.net and mcsweeneys.net: Better late than never. Read Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs... last year and loved it; the website didn't occur to me until I saw news on gawker.com. Found Cory Doctorow through Neil Gaiman's blog, and loved Overclocked.
Ok, my seat is sinking in on itself (it's one of those storage stools with a foam top but old and cat-clawed) and it's way past my bedtime. Again!
Thomas's Blueberry Bagels: OMG. I have to split this in half because they're diet wreckers. Soft bagels. Mmmm...with cream cheese.
L'Oreal Colour Rays One Step Brush-on Highlights/ Fuchsia Flash ($12.99 CVS): Because it's made for dark hair, the color is *very* vibrant (the lightener is 30vol for DIY beauty shop junkies). My hair is pretty gray too, and I obviously ignored the warning on the box. 1 application/box is a waste if you're only going to do highlights, unless you have super-long hair, but it's hard to measure the proportions right. One box was enough to color my short hair--and have leftovers to spare. The applicator is like a big mascara wand that really grabs the hair from end to tip; wash it out and save if for another time. The color is staying put (but then, I haven't been washing my hair everyday either. TMI?)
Almay Smart Shade Makeup (SPF 15/light): This is an amazing base for hard-to-match skin tones. Takes the guesswork out of figuring out if your skin has warm tones, rose tones or whatever confusing jargon the makeup companies come up with. Covers evenly and also does ok masking small blemishes.
Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Mist Sunblock SPF 45: It's not greasy, and yes, fresh and cooling too.
Lexie Barnes handbags: I have the Hermosa 8&1/2" x11" bag and it fits whatever knitting I bring around with me. Found it at Webs 'cause the it's imperfect (aren't we all?), sewn upside down, but you'd hardly know it. ($13.99)
Brooklyn Industries' Heritage Lexy Bag: Mine isn't on the website anymore since I got in on clearance ($36). The print is excellent, the pockets all make sense, and it's roomier than you'd think on the inside. The handles don't slip easily off my shoulders--another bonus. Yep, I'm a bag fiend!
boingboing.net and mcsweeneys.net: Better late than never. Read Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs... last year and loved it; the website didn't occur to me until I saw news on gawker.com. Found Cory Doctorow through Neil Gaiman's blog, and loved Overclocked.
Ok, my seat is sinking in on itself (it's one of those storage stools with a foam top but old and cat-clawed) and it's way past my bedtime. Again!
weird, random, stupid things maybe you don't want to know or I shouldn't tell you
It's weird being a cartoon character. It's also pretty cool too. Naming myself was the weirdest part. Having your husband ask is weird too. I keep thinking that I should have put together cooler names to choose from. (Marie is my middle name; Campana is a family name, and the last name of my cousin who was in 4 of the 5 Planet of the Apes movies, and her sister was the model on the 60s version of the Nancy Drew books)
Every once in awhile, I think of changing my name to match the rest of my family. Then I realize that I really like my name, and I get my stubborn pants on. Part of me wants to blend in, and part of me fights that urge tooth and nail. I spent so much of high school wanting to be cool (in the Molly Ringwald Pretty in Pink way), trying not to care that I was pretty far from the mark. Then I went off to college and ended up being kind of cool after all. Being part of the beginning of the edgy alt-news weekly was also incredibly cool and DIY and also gave me a purpose and focus I didn't have before. Part of me misses it fiercely, and then I remember how burnt out I was working basically 2 full time jobs by the time I had Owen. I missed a deadline when I went into labor and that was it.
So it's funny running around on Yelp, seeing 1st reviews for places I wrote up years ago. Part of it is nice & reassuring that those shops are still around, and people are getting that jolt of excitement. And it's a high, a rush, discovering someplace special. Another part of me is jealous and missing my old silly self that used to go around exploring neighborhoods for days--that I don't have the time and energy to really do that anymore. That all the cool points I had pre-momhood have been used up, which gets me down, and now I'm trying to put some of the pieces back but they're fitting in a weird way. Not in a pity party/boo-hoo/woe-is-me kind of way, but just that I get the feeling I'm doing something wrong or bad, and I don't know what it is. And no one wants to tell me, either. OR maybe everyone goes through it and you just have to work it through yourself.
Oops. I wasn't supposed to drop off emotional baggage. Too many nights of writing between 11pm and 2am. I was supposed to post pix of the FOs; talk about how crazy Hogwarts Sq was (and being called Tonks!); that I loved Order of the Phoenix; that I colored over most of the pink hair but left the pink shock in the front (and got complimented by girls on the subway and a hair stylist on it). Well, the hormonal post has been brewing for awhile. Sorry. When you all look at me funny next time I see you at least I'll know maybe why. Or maybe you'll tell me your story.
Every once in awhile, I think of changing my name to match the rest of my family. Then I realize that I really like my name, and I get my stubborn pants on. Part of me wants to blend in, and part of me fights that urge tooth and nail. I spent so much of high school wanting to be cool (in the Molly Ringwald Pretty in Pink way), trying not to care that I was pretty far from the mark. Then I went off to college and ended up being kind of cool after all. Being part of the beginning of the edgy alt-news weekly was also incredibly cool and DIY and also gave me a purpose and focus I didn't have before. Part of me misses it fiercely, and then I remember how burnt out I was working basically 2 full time jobs by the time I had Owen. I missed a deadline when I went into labor and that was it.
So it's funny running around on Yelp, seeing 1st reviews for places I wrote up years ago. Part of it is nice & reassuring that those shops are still around, and people are getting that jolt of excitement. And it's a high, a rush, discovering someplace special. Another part of me is jealous and missing my old silly self that used to go around exploring neighborhoods for days--that I don't have the time and energy to really do that anymore. That all the cool points I had pre-momhood have been used up, which gets me down, and now I'm trying to put some of the pieces back but they're fitting in a weird way. Not in a pity party/boo-hoo/woe-is-me kind of way, but just that I get the feeling I'm doing something wrong or bad, and I don't know what it is. And no one wants to tell me, either. OR maybe everyone goes through it and you just have to work it through yourself.
Oops. I wasn't supposed to drop off emotional baggage. Too many nights of writing between 11pm and 2am. I was supposed to post pix of the FOs; talk about how crazy Hogwarts Sq was (and being called Tonks!); that I loved Order of the Phoenix; that I colored over most of the pink hair but left the pink shock in the front (and got complimented by girls on the subway and a hair stylist on it). Well, the hormonal post has been brewing for awhile. Sorry. When you all look at me funny next time I see you at least I'll know maybe why. Or maybe you'll tell me your story.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
yelping away
I've been writing a bunch of reviews on yelp.com, which has been fun. Kind of like what I used to do for the Dig except I don't have a theme or a deadline or manage/find, writers. The word count is short so it helps me try to keep the writing tight and still fun. And I just got asked to be on the Elite team, which feels like being one of the cool kids. The downside is that I've let the blog slide, but I'll catch up tomorrow.
I finished knitting the fugly vest, and I'm going to donate it. Owen refuses to even try it on, and I don't blame him! The trim and the colors are all wrong. Maybe next time I'll use a pattern! Circles knitting salon in JP closed its storefront today, and I "helped" them by buying up some of the stash. oops. Allison, the owner, was very sweet and gave Owen one of the trucks from the kids area. There's also a binder sitting on my kitchen table crammed full of circular knitting needles that need to be inventoried now that I have them all in one place.
I finished knitting the fugly vest, and I'm going to donate it. Owen refuses to even try it on, and I don't blame him! The trim and the colors are all wrong. Maybe next time I'll use a pattern! Circles knitting salon in JP closed its storefront today, and I "helped" them by buying up some of the stash. oops. Allison, the owner, was very sweet and gave Owen one of the trucks from the kids area. There's also a binder sitting on my kitchen table crammed full of circular knitting needles that need to be inventoried now that I have them all in one place.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
the things kids say
Some funny things Owen has said in the last couple weeks:
When being grilled on who his favorite character was, Owen replied, "Mama."
He points to my Harry Potter book and says, "That looks like Mama!"
(I'm supposed to pick up my copy of book #7 at Borders at Downtown Crossing, but haven't decided if I should see the events at either Harvard Sq or Coolidge Corner, where there are going to be all kinds of events. This also means going out after Owen is asleep and taking a cab home.)
Decides he likes changing his clothes in his egg chair from IKEA, and emerges waving his arms, flies around, and says, "I'm a beautiful butterfly." He then makes both Tak & I fly around for the rest of the morning.
When being grilled on who his favorite character was, Owen replied, "Mama."
He points to my Harry Potter book and says, "That looks like Mama!"
(I'm supposed to pick up my copy of book #7 at Borders at Downtown Crossing, but haven't decided if I should see the events at either Harvard Sq or Coolidge Corner, where there are going to be all kinds of events. This also means going out after Owen is asleep and taking a cab home.)
Decides he likes changing his clothes in his egg chair from IKEA, and emerges waving his arms, flies around, and says, "I'm a beautiful butterfly." He then makes both Tak & I fly around for the rest of the morning.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
if wishes were fishes
We now have fish in the house again. It was kind-of a last minute decision; we'd talked about it in vague terms. So, we went to the pet store to buy cat food and came home with a fish: a blue and red Betta/fighting fish named James. We haven't had fish since Owen was born and we moved. Our managuense ended up at New England Fish and Reptile; our chinese water dragons Bode and Bisley died before or while I was pregnant. Tak and his friends always had fish (M the arowana, a variety of South American and African cichilds). Wiley has been good with the new fish so far. He used to sit on top of the managuense tank and stick his arm in the water to taunt the fish; he even got bit a couple times! 
Owen is now a reader: a couple weeks ago he read the whole book of Today I Will Fly. It was awesome to see him recognize words he knew and figure out the ones he didn't. The book is a good one because it has repeated text, words that are slight variations of each other, and lots of picture support. Owen thought it was funny, too. Secret Asian Man is up daily. Check it out at comics.com.
My work has also been pretty insane too.
Lastly, I finished Ilona's scarf after a year, and a cap for Tak's dad.
If you ever wanted to knit marzipan, here's how.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
catch the magic
In gearing up for the Harry Potter onslaught, I'm re-watching movies #3 (my favorite) tonight and #4 tomorrow night, and will hopefully see #5 over the weekend. I re-read books 5 & 6 last month, too.
Neil Gaiman keeps letting people know about Stardust, which should be in theaters later this year.
Over 4th of July, our friend Dan had his annual BBQ. Once again, the numbers are intimate, about 20 people. I think for his 30th (or 29th?) birthday, there must have been 300+ people there, and amenities included a DJ, a band, bar with an ice sculpture shot slide, and port-a-potties. Crazy. One of the best though, was the year ('96? '97?) people got up on the mic, (we think--the memory is vague) Scruffy from the Dropkick Murphys played bagpipes against some drumbeats (amazing), and f-14s flew overhead towards the end of the night. (BTW, if someone reads this who was there, please correct me if I'm wrong on any of these points!) Anyway, again, happy birthday Dan. You rock!
The fireworks in Dorchester lasted at least until midnight, and people were still lighting them off until Sunday night.
Lorie from NYC stayed with us, and I kidnapped her to sleep overnight at my parents' house with Owen. We went blueberry picking (TreeBerry Farm in Scituate), lunch at Haddad's in Brant Rock, and a jaunt to Scituate Harbor. We did a lot of driving around, too. It was awesome to hang out (sans Owen) with Rob & Jude, go out to an excellent dinner at Petit Robert, visit the Dig offices, and cap off the night at JJ Foley's. Lorie left the next morning. Sadly, her guy Pete couldn't come up because he has to save his vacation for San Diego Comic Con, where he & co will be doing their Comic Book Show. Woo-hoo! We missed him, but we know how fantastic ComicCon is, too.
Last bit of news: Tak's comic, Secret Asian Man, should (fingers crossing, wood knocking) start running daily on Monday in the Patriot Ledger and other papers all over the place.
Neil Gaiman keeps letting people know about Stardust, which should be in theaters later this year.
Over 4th of July, our friend Dan had his annual BBQ. Once again, the numbers are intimate, about 20 people. I think for his 30th (or 29th?) birthday, there must have been 300+ people there, and amenities included a DJ, a band, bar with an ice sculpture shot slide, and port-a-potties. Crazy. One of the best though, was the year ('96? '97?) people got up on the mic, (we think--the memory is vague) Scruffy from the Dropkick Murphys played bagpipes against some drumbeats (amazing), and f-14s flew overhead towards the end of the night. (BTW, if someone reads this who was there, please correct me if I'm wrong on any of these points!) Anyway, again, happy birthday Dan. You rock!
The fireworks in Dorchester lasted at least until midnight, and people were still lighting them off until Sunday night.
Lorie from NYC stayed with us, and I kidnapped her to sleep overnight at my parents' house with Owen. We went blueberry picking (TreeBerry Farm in Scituate), lunch at Haddad's in Brant Rock, and a jaunt to Scituate Harbor. We did a lot of driving around, too. It was awesome to hang out (sans Owen) with Rob & Jude, go out to an excellent dinner at Petit Robert, visit the Dig offices, and cap off the night at JJ Foley's. Lorie left the next morning. Sadly, her guy Pete couldn't come up because he has to save his vacation for San Diego Comic Con, where he & co will be doing their Comic Book Show. Woo-hoo! We missed him, but we know how fantastic ComicCon is, too. Last bit of news: Tak's comic, Secret Asian Man, should (fingers crossing, wood knocking) start running daily on Monday in the Patriot Ledger and other papers all over the place.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
I love my neighborhood #2
Almost every night for the last couple of weeks, there have been fireworks. I don't know where they're coming from, except slightly southwest of my neighborhood, on the other side of Rt. 93. Whatever the occasion, they can last from 9-11. It's nothing like the Pops for 4th of July, but they're big enough to be pretty and make a lot of noise. Who'd have thought living in the Dot would be so festive?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
yummy
This morning I got through washing all the strawberries we picked over the weekend. On Saturday we went to Lookout Farm in Natick. Friends of ours went the weekend before, and said it was packed; so we left relatively early and picked a ton of strawberries. The picking was good; we didn't find too many large strawberries, but small and sweet ones. The Farm itself is huge and more like a theme park. What farm has a petting zoo with ostriches, emu, and reindeer? Owen had a blast riding the "trains" all over the farm, the catepillar ride, and the burlap maze. There's a gigantic playground with a mountain climbing structure and a treehouse slide. I only wished we had packed a lunch or picked up a sandwich from the market, because the food served at the playground was superbasic and priced conveniently. 
Guess what we had for breakfast on Sunday? Strawberry pancakes! And for dessert? Coconut sorbet with...strawberries!
If any are left after tomorrow, I'm freezing them.
The delicious Sea Dog blueberry wheat beer I had tonight reminded me that blueberry picking will be here before we know it. Especially if we keep having hot humid days like today!
Currently reading: Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present by Cory Doctorow.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
what's up with imports from China?
First, it was the cat food. Back in February, the Wileymonster stopped eating his wet food, Nutro Max Light pouch food. Luckily he was still eating the light Science Diet dry, even if he was occasionally throwing up, and I played around with the Friskies/9 lives/Fancy Feast for treats. I took him to the vet in March, where thankfully, his blood & urine didn't test for anything. That same weekend was when the first press release came out about the tainted wheat gluten in pet food. (He continued to lose weight, but has started gaining it back with a low-allergy dry food). Totally opened my eyes to the insane stuff that's in pet food.
Then the fake Colgate toothpaste arrived. Yes, that's my brand. Great. Good thing I don't shop at dollar stores.
Now, the staple toy of choice for my kid has been recalled: red paint on wooden Thomas the Tank toys. We happened to be watching the news the first night they announced the recall, and we're sending back several trains as a result. Lucky for me, Thomas and Percy are the favorites, and not James. But I look at Bertie the bus and wonder if I should I should send him back because he's red, junt not that vibrant bright red. In addition to the horror and disgust at the thought of "who still uses lead paint?!", I just hope these toys are being destroyed. If they're using the tainted production methods, what the hell are they using for their own kids?
Thanks too, to everyone who's told me about this.
An insight to why this stuff happens was a great documentary we saw on PBS called China Blue about a girl who works/lives in a jeans factory. Takes the fun out of shopping, and is just a facet a consumer culture.
Then the fake Colgate toothpaste arrived. Yes, that's my brand. Great. Good thing I don't shop at dollar stores.
Now, the staple toy of choice for my kid has been recalled: red paint on wooden Thomas the Tank toys. We happened to be watching the news the first night they announced the recall, and we're sending back several trains as a result. Lucky for me, Thomas and Percy are the favorites, and not James. But I look at Bertie the bus and wonder if I should I should send him back because he's red, junt not that vibrant bright red. In addition to the horror and disgust at the thought of "who still uses lead paint?!", I just hope these toys are being destroyed. If they're using the tainted production methods, what the hell are they using for their own kids?
Thanks too, to everyone who's told me about this.
An insight to why this stuff happens was a great documentary we saw on PBS called China Blue about a girl who works/lives in a jeans factory. Takes the fun out of shopping, and is just a facet a consumer culture.
Friday, June 22, 2007
same fight, different day
We have on a UFC fight that we watched last week (the guy in green trunks wins).
Owen has been having problems with transitions which is hard. I go to pick him up at school, and he gives me a hug an then he hits me/bites my clothes, won't go to the bathroom, runs off to the elevator. I try and help him go to sleep and he hits me, headbutts me, unleashes a torrent of poophead talk. (BTW, the word for today was booger.) When I threaten to leave, he begs me to stay and starts crying. It sucks. The situation has been snowballing for the last week or so. Tonight we didn't give in and Tak helped him go to sleep. It's funny, but going to sleep is that last little thing that he really wants me to help him with. I see it as a sign he's really torn about getting bigger. It would be great for him to go to sleep without so many problems, but it makes me sad because it's a kind of weaning.
He's making great strides reading: reading signs, high frequency words like and and the. He finished reading the title of Minerva Louise and the Red Truck; he loved the book and totally has a sense of humor.
Last night I sat in bed and knit: I finished a coaster for my sister (how I love self-striping yarn) and ended up ripping out the cap I'm knitting for my father-in-law. I admitted defeat that not only were the stitches twisted and going moebius, but also that it was going to be way too big. Do over!
Owen has been having problems with transitions which is hard. I go to pick him up at school, and he gives me a hug an then he hits me/bites my clothes, won't go to the bathroom, runs off to the elevator. I try and help him go to sleep and he hits me, headbutts me, unleashes a torrent of poophead talk. (BTW, the word for today was booger.) When I threaten to leave, he begs me to stay and starts crying. It sucks. The situation has been snowballing for the last week or so. Tonight we didn't give in and Tak helped him go to sleep. It's funny, but going to sleep is that last little thing that he really wants me to help him with. I see it as a sign he's really torn about getting bigger. It would be great for him to go to sleep without so many problems, but it makes me sad because it's a kind of weaning.
He's making great strides reading: reading signs, high frequency words like and and the. He finished reading the title of Minerva Louise and the Red Truck; he loved the book and totally has a sense of humor. 
Last night I sat in bed and knit: I finished a coaster for my sister (how I love self-striping yarn) and ended up ripping out the cap I'm knitting for my father-in-law. I admitted defeat that not only were the stitches twisted and going moebius, but also that it was going to be way too big. Do over!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
a little bit of shameless promotion
...For Secret Asian Man in the Patriot Ledger: http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/06/20/life/life04.txt
Hopefully the link will work, and if not, I'll fix it later if I can remember the code. Go ahead & copy/paste if it doesn't. Enjoy!
Hopefully the link will work, and if not, I'll fix it later if I can remember the code. Go ahead & copy/paste if it doesn't. Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
blogging in bed
This past Father's Day weekend was exciting: Tak got a new computer, a spankin' new 15" MacBook Pro, wireless, the whole kit and caboodle. Sure, we still have the 4-year-old iMac with a whopping 800MGhz connection and OS 9 to work Word. But it pales in comparision to a light-up keyboard and widescreen. Sigh. Tak also got a new desk, because the dinner table where he'd been working was constantly littered with mail and crap, which entailed moving a bunch of stuff around in the living room. The dinner table still needs a thorough douching, but that can wait until we get the rest of the garbage off the floor and vacuum.
At least the bathroom and kitchen are clean, even if Wily has been stalking mice. He had one last night, but he dropped it on floor to show me, it came to, and scampered under the floorboard, avoiding the carefully laid out trap. Delightful. Better than on Sunday, when we came home from brunch, and Owen picked up a dead mouse, not knowing what it was. Luckily, I was in the bathroom for that 2-minute interval, and Tak had the pleasure of freaking out. We checked out the body, and figured that Wiles got that one too. He's been keeping watch over the kitchen for us, thankfully.
Secret Asian Man is going to be running in my parents' local paper, The Patirot Ledger. Our new summer schedule is working out so far, so good. I finally finished my knitted cotton shell, and still need to weave in the ends, even if I did bind it off too tightly. Looking forward to the Order of the Phoenix movie and final Potter book, as well as in the fall/winter, I think, Stardust and the Golden Compass films. Found this great magazine I can't believe I'd missed, Venuszine, which is like a more music-based version of BUST. Bjork's on the cover, and there's also an interview with Tori Amos. OK, I think Tak needs his computer back. Sometimes, it's hard to share.
At least the bathroom and kitchen are clean, even if Wily has been stalking mice. He had one last night, but he dropped it on floor to show me, it came to, and scampered under the floorboard, avoiding the carefully laid out trap. Delightful. Better than on Sunday, when we came home from brunch, and Owen picked up a dead mouse, not knowing what it was. Luckily, I was in the bathroom for that 2-minute interval, and Tak had the pleasure of freaking out. We checked out the body, and figured that Wiles got that one too. He's been keeping watch over the kitchen for us, thankfully.
Secret Asian Man is going to be running in my parents' local paper, The Patirot Ledger. Our new summer schedule is working out so far, so good. I finally finished my knitted cotton shell, and still need to weave in the ends, even if I did bind it off too tightly. Looking forward to the Order of the Phoenix movie and final Potter book, as well as in the fall/winter, I think, Stardust and the Golden Compass films. Found this great magazine I can't believe I'd missed, Venuszine, which is like a more music-based version of BUST. Bjork's on the cover, and there's also an interview with Tori Amos. OK, I think Tak needs his computer back. Sometimes, it's hard to share.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
finally!
Finally, I am able to get in a few words. Mr. Man has been dominating the computer, which is just as well because I haven't really been able to put together a possible cohesive blog entry for at least the last week.
Owen turned four, and had a little party. He also finished with the 2-half-days (Tuesdays & Thursdays) of preschool at the South Shore Science Center with a graduation on the same day as his birthday. Some of his Science Center friends came over after the picnic for ice cream, cake, and to take turns driving his ride-on jeep in my parents' backyard. We've met some wonderful people that I hope we can keep in touch with.
We've enjoyed this week of not running down to Braintree on the train 2x/week and being crazy with "What are we doing today?" Owen has had a fun-filled post-birthday week of going to the vet with me & the cat, going to the dentist (see below), going to the top of the Pru (the 50th floor), a trip to IKEA, and riding in the car while Tak DROVE with my dad (my mom & I were at a bridal shower for my cousin's fiancee).
You know it's a good sign when you bring your kid to the dentist and the movie being shown in the reception area is Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky. We still haven't let Owen watch it with all of the shooting and flying robots on fire, but the part he caught was the best for him--the train chase. The dentist was awesome, very sweet--and Japanese. He doesn't have any cavities, either, which is a big relief. Owen especially liked riding up and down in the chair, and also wearing rainbow sunglasses while the dentist checked his teeth under lamp. What I want to know is how did he learn, "Pink is for girls"?
I finally broke down and bought a new rice cooker for Tak as an early father's day gift--a $30 one at Target. We've been eating curry for the last couple days and I have to say that now, I missed having one.
Owen turned four, and had a little party. He also finished with the 2-half-days (Tuesdays & Thursdays) of preschool at the South Shore Science Center with a graduation on the same day as his birthday. Some of his Science Center friends came over after the picnic for ice cream, cake, and to take turns driving his ride-on jeep in my parents' backyard. We've met some wonderful people that I hope we can keep in touch with.
We've enjoyed this week of not running down to Braintree on the train 2x/week and being crazy with "What are we doing today?" Owen has had a fun-filled post-birthday week of going to the vet with me & the cat, going to the dentist (see below), going to the top of the Pru (the 50th floor), a trip to IKEA, and riding in the car while Tak DROVE with my dad (my mom & I were at a bridal shower for my cousin's fiancee).
You know it's a good sign when you bring your kid to the dentist and the movie being shown in the reception area is Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky. We still haven't let Owen watch it with all of the shooting and flying robots on fire, but the part he caught was the best for him--the train chase. The dentist was awesome, very sweet--and Japanese. He doesn't have any cavities, either, which is a big relief. Owen especially liked riding up and down in the chair, and also wearing rainbow sunglasses while the dentist checked his teeth under lamp. What I want to know is how did he learn, "Pink is for girls"?
I finally broke down and bought a new rice cooker for Tak as an early father's day gift--a $30 one at Target. We've been eating curry for the last couple days and I have to say that now, I missed having one.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
when turkeys fly
Last week at my parents' house, we came in there was a 20-25lb male turkey standing outside, just walking for at least 5-10 minutes. I pulled out my camera to try & take a picture, and I think the movement scared him off. The even cooler thing was that he flew into up the tall trees, where they roost at night--which was an amazing to see.
Thanks to the Best Buy pre-sale, I was able to get Police tickets--for November. The band had better be good.
Right now I am making cupcakes for Owen's birthday party at school tomorrow and watching Borat. What a frickin' crazy movie. The cupcakes came out OK. Note to self: if you have a choice between using spray-on oil, flour, or both--just go with the spray-on oil. These cupcakes came out the easiest. I had to frost the cupcakes with a dusting of oil & flour or just flour on the muffin pan upside-down. All because I didn't have cupcake liners!
Thanks to the Best Buy pre-sale, I was able to get Police tickets--for November. The band had better be good.
Right now I am making cupcakes for Owen's birthday party at school tomorrow and watching Borat. What a frickin' crazy movie. The cupcakes came out OK. Note to self: if you have a choice between using spray-on oil, flour, or both--just go with the spray-on oil. These cupcakes came out the easiest. I had to frost the cupcakes with a dusting of oil & flour or just flour on the muffin pan upside-down. All because I didn't have cupcake liners!
Friday, May 18, 2007
fun friday thing
My friend Susan at work sent this to me. I've never posted a silly questionnaire on my blog, so here you go. Enjoy.
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No, although I was supposed to and my mom changed her mind.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
The other night when I was trying to go to sleep, I kept thinking about if something bad happened to Owen.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
most of the time
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I like most of them.
healthy: turkey; naughty: pastrami or bologna
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
yes, just one (for now)
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
probably, although I'm terrible at keeping in touch with people, and tend to say what I'm thinking (good and bad!)
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
who, me?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
only out in nature--not in the city
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
all-time: peanut butter cap'n crunch or alphabits
but most of the time I eat old-fashioned oatmeal
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
clogs don't have laces
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I can move heavy furniture & put up with a lot of crap.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
half-baked; Edy's girl scout cookie line; chocolate & vanilla twist soft serve in a plain cone
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
the whole package: how they're dressed (no judgement!), their eyes & breath, what they say.
15. RED OR PINK?
hot pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
overprocessing; losing my temper with my kid; in some situations I don't know what to do, don't do anything, and feel badly about it or like I should have done *something*
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
my nana
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
only if they fill it out with their answers
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Jeans, black beat-up clogs.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Trader Joe's 99% fat-free blueberry muffin
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
purple
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Lilacs, freshly mown grass, the ocean, that clean earthy smell right after it rains, (these are weird) the smell of a clean T-shirt drawer that smells kind of like paper money (reminds me of my dad), and my aunt's house in NJ
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
either my sister Kate or Susan
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Japanese game shows, Iron Chef, UFC, the sox & the Pats if they're in the playoffs
27. HAIR COLOR?
Today it's medium golden brown, but the grays are starting to come through.
28. EYE COLOR?
Hazel (brown/green)
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
If I'm going out or if I have time in the morning to put them in.
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Pastries (cupcakes, donuts, brownies), hamburgers, lobstah, chicken curry. Baked fish with seafood stuffing on top. Waffles & pancakes. So hard to choose!
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
As long as it doesn't have zombies, yes, scary movies...preferably with happy endings, although that usually doesn't happen.
According to my answer, Shaun of the Dead is a perfect movie. (it comes quite close)
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
All the way through? Probably something I've already seen a gazillion times but watched it because it was on...either Wings of a Dove or Happy Gilmore.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
mismatched shades of green long-sleeve T-shirt & sweater. It's always ridonkulously cold in my cube.
Shouldn't there have been a question "What are you wearing?" Or does that sound like a dirty phone call?
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall isn't an option? WInter.
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Toughie...both. Hugs are less germy.
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate anything.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. Just finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was amazing.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
One of those built-in wrist cushions and the whole thing is yellow, pink and blue psychedelic swirls that I've had for ages. Although I'm noticing now it's starting to get pretty gross and might need a new one!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Ultimate Fighter, the reality show (not my choice); The Daily Show; Colbert Report; Showbiz Show
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
the ocean, Owen laughing
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles, although everyone needs a little Satisfaction once in awhile.
44. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
West: California; East: London
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can sing most of the time, and I don't usually have a problem getting up in front of people and making an ass of myself.
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No, although I was supposed to and my mom changed her mind.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
The other night when I was trying to go to sleep, I kept thinking about if something bad happened to Owen.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
most of the time
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I like most of them.
healthy: turkey; naughty: pastrami or bologna
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
yes, just one (for now)
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
probably, although I'm terrible at keeping in touch with people, and tend to say what I'm thinking (good and bad!)
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
who, me?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
only out in nature--not in the city
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
all-time: peanut butter cap'n crunch or alphabits
but most of the time I eat old-fashioned oatmeal
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
clogs don't have laces
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I can move heavy furniture & put up with a lot of crap.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
half-baked; Edy's girl scout cookie line; chocolate & vanilla twist soft serve in a plain cone
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
the whole package: how they're dressed (no judgement!), their eyes & breath, what they say.
15. RED OR PINK?
hot pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
overprocessing; losing my temper with my kid; in some situations I don't know what to do, don't do anything, and feel badly about it or like I should have done *something*
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
my nana
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
only if they fill it out with their answers
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Jeans, black beat-up clogs.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Trader Joe's 99% fat-free blueberry muffin
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
purple
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Lilacs, freshly mown grass, the ocean, that clean earthy smell right after it rains, (these are weird) the smell of a clean T-shirt drawer that smells kind of like paper money (reminds me of my dad), and my aunt's house in NJ
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
either my sister Kate or Susan
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Japanese game shows, Iron Chef, UFC, the sox & the Pats if they're in the playoffs
27. HAIR COLOR?
Today it's medium golden brown, but the grays are starting to come through.
28. EYE COLOR?
Hazel (brown/green)
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
If I'm going out or if I have time in the morning to put them in.
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Pastries (cupcakes, donuts, brownies), hamburgers, lobstah, chicken curry. Baked fish with seafood stuffing on top. Waffles & pancakes. So hard to choose!
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
As long as it doesn't have zombies, yes, scary movies...preferably with happy endings, although that usually doesn't happen.
According to my answer, Shaun of the Dead is a perfect movie. (it comes quite close)
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
All the way through? Probably something I've already seen a gazillion times but watched it because it was on...either Wings of a Dove or Happy Gilmore.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
mismatched shades of green long-sleeve T-shirt & sweater. It's always ridonkulously cold in my cube.
Shouldn't there have been a question "What are you wearing?" Or does that sound like a dirty phone call?
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall isn't an option? WInter.
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Toughie...both. Hugs are less germy.
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate anything.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. Just finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was amazing.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
One of those built-in wrist cushions and the whole thing is yellow, pink and blue psychedelic swirls that I've had for ages. Although I'm noticing now it's starting to get pretty gross and might need a new one!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Ultimate Fighter, the reality show (not my choice); The Daily Show; Colbert Report; Showbiz Show
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
the ocean, Owen laughing
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles, although everyone needs a little Satisfaction once in awhile.
44. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
West: California; East: London
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can sing most of the time, and I don't usually have a problem getting up in front of people and making an ass of myself.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
he's got a permit to drive
Mr. Man got his learner's permit today! It's only taken a few years... Now we can start cruising around in the Caravan. Woo-hoo!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Green Day
You know those days it seems like everyone in the office wears the same color? Today, it's spring green.
According to http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/, Owen is the 58th most popular name, up from #476 in 1992. Tracey is down in the 900s.
According to http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/, Owen is the 58th most popular name, up from #476 in 1992. Tracey is down in the 900s.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
happy mothers' day
Happy Mothers' Day to all the awesome moms out there! We went to my parents' and we had a blast playing catch and sort-of T-ball. Owen made a great card for me, which included pipe cleaner stitching on the envelope.
(Yes, I know I still need to blog about our trip. And the improved Children's Museum & Charles MGH T stop. I was sick and needed sleep, or Mr. Man was using the computer. I'm also almost done knitting my first sweater. But tonight, I did a facial mask and really need to wash it off.)
Owen did his first real magnetic words on the fridge last night. My new in-laws at Thanksgiving gave us a set of "artistic" magentic poetry. (We took some words out: smoke, drugs, psychedelic, beer, sex, cigarette.) He kept adding to it until it arched across the bottom of the fridge. I had to say, each time he added more words, "Say, 'Oh my goodness,' then laugh really hard." This is what the complete line was: I ate mess imagine did miasma surreal mount never you scale almost approach you full how we wild open shard fashion pain death glass piece
currently listening to: Amy Winehouse, Back to Black.
(Yes, I know I still need to blog about our trip. And the improved Children's Museum & Charles MGH T stop. I was sick and needed sleep, or Mr. Man was using the computer. I'm also almost done knitting my first sweater. But tonight, I did a facial mask and really need to wash it off.)
Owen did his first real magnetic words on the fridge last night. My new in-laws at Thanksgiving gave us a set of "artistic" magentic poetry. (We took some words out: smoke, drugs, psychedelic, beer, sex, cigarette.) He kept adding to it until it arched across the bottom of the fridge. I had to say, each time he added more words, "Say, 'Oh my goodness,' then laugh really hard." This is what the complete line was: I ate mess imagine did miasma surreal mount never you scale almost approach you full how we wild open shard fashion pain death glass piece
currently listening to: Amy Winehouse, Back to Black.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
bermudaful!
We got back from Bermuda this afternoon, and it was amazing. My sister is a married woman! We have a whole new wing to our family. My ears are still blocked from the plane landing. I'm still finding super-fine grains of sand in our luggage. It's hard to put it all down now; photos & commentary are up at flickr.com. We didn't do very much of what we wanted, but Bermuda is gorgeous and I want to go back. A 1-gig photocard is a wonderful thing. The cat is fine and very happy to see us.
After getting wrapped up in packing & wedding prep last week, I don't think I mentioned how awesome Loreena McKennit was in concert. She did a wide variety of her music, and "The Highwayman" gave me chills. There were about 7 other musicians on the stage. She was incredible live and is so talented. The Wang Center is a great place to see music, because it's such a beautiful hall.
After getting wrapped up in packing & wedding prep last week, I don't think I mentioned how awesome Loreena McKennit was in concert. She did a wide variety of her music, and "The Highwayman" gave me chills. There were about 7 other musicians on the stage. She was incredible live and is so talented. The Wang Center is a great place to see music, because it's such a beautiful hall.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
lesson learned
The other night, in an effort to break up the Miyazaki repetition, I put on Disney's Alice in Wonderland, thinking that Owen would like the silliness of it. We've also been reading Bill Peet's The Caboose Who Got Loose, and he worked on a bunch of Disney movies, including Alice in Wonderland. We start watching, and we get to the part after Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole, and is looking through the keyhole as the White Rabbit is running away. Owen comes over to me, tells me to turn it off, and bursts into tears. When I get him to tell me why he's so upset, he says, "She lost her kitty!" The crying jag lasts a good 15 minutes. So, I guess we won't be watching a good chunk of the Disney catalog for awhile!
Currently listening to:
Currently listening to:
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
knitting at symphony
Since it's spring vacation and the little guy doesn't have preschool 2 days this week, I missed my recent usual knitting group night near my parents' house to go to the open rehearsal at Symphony Hall. Usually, there's a talk before the rehearsal; the lights are up, people are still coming in, it's pretty casual. I break out a small project, and my mom says not to, that it's rude. Really? It seemed pretty OK, or am I just clueless? 
We're sitting up in the balcony, the lights are on, I'm paying attention. I tell her I'll stop before the performance begins. So I look around, and there were 2 other knitters doing the same thing in our area where we're sitting. My mom grudgingly relented. I stopped when we were joined by some friends of my mom's. The talk was great, the music was great: Mozart (Nachtmusik, Serenade #13; Violin Concerto N1 in B-flat); Ravel (Ma Mere l'oye/Mother Goose) with Sir Andre Previn & Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Other knitting projects: I finally joined the 2 halves of my first sweater for me. I'm knitting the one-skein shell from WEBS in white cotton. Now I just need to keep knitting in the round & stitch in edges. woo-hoo!
There's a fugly vest for Owen that needs its edges finished & stitched together. It was one of those things that I bought a skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky on-line and didn't realize what the true shade was until I started knitting it--and had to figure out what other colors to match with it. It'll be a good layering piece for next year. At least he likes the orange.
We're sitting up in the balcony, the lights are on, I'm paying attention. I tell her I'll stop before the performance begins. So I look around, and there were 2 other knitters doing the same thing in our area where we're sitting. My mom grudgingly relented. I stopped when we were joined by some friends of my mom's. The talk was great, the music was great: Mozart (Nachtmusik, Serenade #13; Violin Concerto N1 in B-flat); Ravel (Ma Mere l'oye/Mother Goose) with Sir Andre Previn & Anne-Sophie Mutter. Other knitting projects: I finally joined the 2 halves of my first sweater for me. I'm knitting the one-skein shell from WEBS in white cotton. Now I just need to keep knitting in the round & stitch in edges. woo-hoo!
There's a fugly vest for Owen that needs its edges finished & stitched together. It was one of those things that I bought a skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky on-line and didn't realize what the true shade was until I started knitting it--and had to figure out what other colors to match with it. It'll be a good layering piece for next year. At least he likes the orange.
Monday, April 16, 2007
wedding countdown
There's a little over a week to my sister's wedding. I still have some things to do (get luggage, clean the house, make appointments, finish husband/son shopping, lose 3-5 lbs.). At least I have my dress, shoes, and some of the little things.
Oddly enough, one of my landmarks to my sister's wedding was the wedding of one of my best friends from high school on Saturday night. Michelle & Darren came to our wedding in Vegas, that's how long they've been together. Michelle looked beautiful, and Darren is so sweet. They make a great couple and I'm so happy for them. They've been dating for almost 10 years and it's nice to see them finally married. Stacy, our 3rd amiga, was there too, and it was awesome to hang out with her. It was also fantastic that my favorite teacher in high school was also there, Ms. V.; I ended up talking to her quite a bit. My parents were invited, and the oddest twist is that Tak & I ended up getting a ride with them, both to and from the wedding.
With the torrential downpour we've had with the Nor'easter this weekend, Morrisey Boulevard was the most flooded I've ever seen it. On even a small rain day, Morrisey Blvd. gets flooded, and walking to Shaw's from the JFK T stop involves navigating puddles that go into a whole lane of traffic. Down by the beach, it so bad they were closing the road off, but were just doing it at 10:30 this morning. Owen & I found out the hard way by suddenly driving into two massive puddles on the way to Ikea this morning. Luckily, our side of the road was farther away from the beach; the other side was completely overtaken by the tide. There was no beach.
Owen's quote of the day: We read our first few of Shel Silverstein poems tonight. Owen loved the "Ickle me, Tickle Me..." poem from Where the Sidewalk Ends. His reaction: "Is there a silly poem about a froggie and a duck? It's called 'Take me to the water and I'll swim.'"
Oddly enough, one of my landmarks to my sister's wedding was the wedding of one of my best friends from high school on Saturday night. Michelle & Darren came to our wedding in Vegas, that's how long they've been together. Michelle looked beautiful, and Darren is so sweet. They make a great couple and I'm so happy for them. They've been dating for almost 10 years and it's nice to see them finally married. Stacy, our 3rd amiga, was there too, and it was awesome to hang out with her. It was also fantastic that my favorite teacher in high school was also there, Ms. V.; I ended up talking to her quite a bit. My parents were invited, and the oddest twist is that Tak & I ended up getting a ride with them, both to and from the wedding.
With the torrential downpour we've had with the Nor'easter this weekend, Morrisey Boulevard was the most flooded I've ever seen it. On even a small rain day, Morrisey Blvd. gets flooded, and walking to Shaw's from the JFK T stop involves navigating puddles that go into a whole lane of traffic. Down by the beach, it so bad they were closing the road off, but were just doing it at 10:30 this morning. Owen & I found out the hard way by suddenly driving into two massive puddles on the way to Ikea this morning. Luckily, our side of the road was farther away from the beach; the other side was completely overtaken by the tide. There was no beach.
Owen's quote of the day: We read our first few of Shel Silverstein poems tonight. Owen loved the "Ickle me, Tickle Me..." poem from Where the Sidewalk Ends. His reaction: "Is there a silly poem about a froggie and a duck? It's called 'Take me to the water and I'll swim.'"
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Happy Birthday, S.A.M.
April 11 is Tak's birfday, so we sent Owen stayed at my parents' overnight so we could have a date. Granted, we did the sort-of boring dinner & a movie. Since we were seeing The Host at Kendall Sq. Cinema, we ended up having upscale dinner at the Blue Room, which was excellent. Our waiter was great with suggestions, we had great drinks, delicious food (ricotta gnocci with spring peas, spinach & prosciutto; ceasar salad with white anchovies; mahi mahi with mango salsa, black beans & plaintain cake; stuffed eggplant with cous cous, chick peas and minty yogurt). I made the mistake of eating most of the dessert (banana bread & pudding) which put me over the edge. No room for popcorn! The Host was not your typical Asian horror film; the characters are bumbling & flawed, it's got a lot of humor in it. Weta helped out with the creature's effects; it shows--it's really well-done.
Owen's quote of the week, regarding my 95 or 96-year-old Uncle Francis: "He's old, but he's great."
Owen's quote of the week, regarding my 95 or 96-year-old Uncle Francis: "He's old, but he's great."
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
what noisy cats are we
Happy accident: While typing in the url for the Boston Public Library (bpl.org), I typed in the bplo.org. Imagine my surprise to find the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, an Irish cover band. Enjoy.
In avoiding putting together our stuff to finally pay our taxes, I'm blogging, and probably knitting. There's a crapalanche of half opened mail that needs going through, too.
Over the weekend we checked out the Art of Dr. Suess at Newbury Fine Arts, which runs until Thursday, 4/5. In addition to lithographs & proofs for the more well-known books, they also have advertising art and political cartoons. Owen & Sofia wanted to pet the large, $3000 statue of the Cat in the Hat. We took them to Ben & Jerry's, then to the Frog Pond playground. I'll have to go again either tomorrow or Thursday to actually read the work during my lunch break. Owen was just as interested in talking to the woman who worked in the gallery and playing at her desk than the art with corrected proof from the Cat in the Hat book.
In avoiding putting together our stuff to finally pay our taxes, I'm blogging, and probably knitting. There's a crapalanche of half opened mail that needs going through, too.
Over the weekend we checked out the Art of Dr. Suess at Newbury Fine Arts, which runs until Thursday, 4/5. In addition to lithographs & proofs for the more well-known books, they also have advertising art and political cartoons. Owen & Sofia wanted to pet the large, $3000 statue of the Cat in the Hat. We took them to Ben & Jerry's, then to the Frog Pond playground. I'll have to go again either tomorrow or Thursday to actually read the work during my lunch break. Owen was just as interested in talking to the woman who worked in the gallery and playing at her desk than the art with corrected proof from the Cat in the Hat book.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
sister of the bride II
I should start with my sister's shower/bachelorette, except we're watched the new Casino Royale, which is excellent. And now White Chicks is on, and I've never seen the whole thing.
The shower was good and went off without a hitch. The Old Colony house is a lovely place to have an event, service was great, the food was good. It was wonderful to see people, and Kate will need to re-register.
The kids' birthday party was hectic, going from one event to another, but Tak did fine going solo while I was still doing best-woman duties. I went & picked them up, and brought Owen & gifts to my parents' house. Then back home to party. Tak went off to meet the boys, and I left to meet the girls.
1st stop: Flash's for dinner. Started the night out right with Dark & Stormies. Food was great and we were there for 3 hours. They were very nice and let us have our Sweet n'Nasty cupcakes, which went over very well.
Oh, yeah, and it snowed.
2nd stop: Limelight for karaoke. I opted for the "private" studio, which was fun because we could be as cheesey as we wanted to be and not have to worry about Emaerson students. The drinks were big and strong, but our waiter kept opening & closing the door instead of bringing them all in on a tray. The singing was so much fun I'm just getting my voice back.
3rd & last stop: JJ Foley's. There isn't a better place to end a long night of drinking than at Foley's.
2:15AM: time to go home. Katie, Meredith & I hailed me a cab, miraculously on Beacon Hill. I hadn't been out that late in a looong time, and was shocked to see so many people out trying to get cabs. It was surreal.
Tak beat me home: he was back at 11:30, but the grooms' men started at noon. Their party included tequila shots. The next morning/afternoon we didn't recover until 12:30-1pm, when my parents brought back Owen. Needless to say, I've gone to bed early most nights this week. And "Heaven is a Place on Earth" has been jumping into my head at random times this week.
The shower was good and went off without a hitch. The Old Colony house is a lovely place to have an event, service was great, the food was good. It was wonderful to see people, and Kate will need to re-register.
The kids' birthday party was hectic, going from one event to another, but Tak did fine going solo while I was still doing best-woman duties. I went & picked them up, and brought Owen & gifts to my parents' house. Then back home to party. Tak went off to meet the boys, and I left to meet the girls.
1st stop: Flash's for dinner. Started the night out right with Dark & Stormies. Food was great and we were there for 3 hours. They were very nice and let us have our Sweet n'Nasty cupcakes, which went over very well.
Oh, yeah, and it snowed.
2nd stop: Limelight for karaoke. I opted for the "private" studio, which was fun because we could be as cheesey as we wanted to be and not have to worry about Emaerson students. The drinks were big and strong, but our waiter kept opening & closing the door instead of bringing them all in on a tray. The singing was so much fun I'm just getting my voice back.
3rd & last stop: JJ Foley's. There isn't a better place to end a long night of drinking than at Foley's.
2:15AM: time to go home. Katie, Meredith & I hailed me a cab, miraculously on Beacon Hill. I hadn't been out that late in a looong time, and was shocked to see so many people out trying to get cabs. It was surreal.
Tak beat me home: he was back at 11:30, but the grooms' men started at noon. Their party included tequila shots. The next morning/afternoon we didn't recover until 12:30-1pm, when my parents brought back Owen. Needless to say, I've gone to bed early most nights this week. And "Heaven is a Place on Earth" has been jumping into my head at random times this week.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
nature shock
Tonight at my parents' house, a big fox came trotting through the yard, and across the field next door. It was sudden, and had just caught something. Sometimes I forget how closely these creatures live to us. When it snowed Monday night, I saw--maybe it was even this same fox--animal prints close to the house before the tracks went towards the woods. All of us just watched the fox in the twilight.
On an odd note, I have weird memories from childhood--I must have been 5ish--of checking books out of the library where we lived in upstate NJ that had color photos of teddy bears doing stuff outside. Although I might be getting them mixed up with the Leo Lionni books, I feel like some of them may have been mice in the (real) grass.
Owen has been asking for his own library card, but I have to find out what the minimum age is. We are currently reading George & Martha, and he loves them.
I am reading Stolen by Kelley Armstrong, the follow-up to Bitten. Since I'm on my parents' computer, I don't want to download anything that I won't be able to figure out how to delete later. It's amazing how much I've forgotten about using PCs since I've been back on a Mac for the last few years. It was bad enough that I had to explain to my mom what a blog was and that I had to tell her I had one.
We're in the home stretch for my sister's wedding. The shower & bachelorette are this weekend. Should be a treat!
On an odd note, I have weird memories from childhood--I must have been 5ish--of checking books out of the library where we lived in upstate NJ that had color photos of teddy bears doing stuff outside. Although I might be getting them mixed up with the Leo Lionni books, I feel like some of them may have been mice in the (real) grass.
Owen has been asking for his own library card, but I have to find out what the minimum age is. We are currently reading George & Martha, and he loves them.
I am reading Stolen by Kelley Armstrong, the follow-up to Bitten. Since I'm on my parents' computer, I don't want to download anything that I won't be able to figure out how to delete later. It's amazing how much I've forgotten about using PCs since I've been back on a Mac for the last few years. It was bad enough that I had to explain to my mom what a blog was and that I had to tell her I had one.
We're in the home stretch for my sister's wedding. The shower & bachelorette are this weekend. Should be a treat!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
jolly good show
We're finally watching Bridge on the River Kwai. It's fantastic...and long. What motivated us to watch it was Sessue Hayakawa, one of the first Japanese actors to break into Hollywood--in 1915.
Happy Evacuation Day and St. Patrick's Day. We've been invited to a friend's family home in Southie to watch the parade on Sunday. Again, something I've never done in all my years of living in Boston. Maybe it's the insanity of dealing with the yahoos who come in, like on First Night. But this year will be fun, and Owen's first big Irish parade.
Also on Sunday is a new Boston Comic Con, at the Back Bay Events Center. Something to do before or instead of the St. Patrick's Day Parade. People I know who'll be there: Paul Gould, Hannibal King, Mark Poutenis, and Frankie B. Washington
In other comic book geekery, my friend Pete does a fun improv show in NYC called the Comic Book Club at the PIT. Congrats on the show, the website, and interviewing the editor of Captain America. Keep up the good work.
Just finished: Gene Yang's American Born Chinese. It got a lot of hype as being part of the graphic novel wave, and deservedly so. Quick read and superbly done.
Owen and his jingly hippo have stumbled into the room, so it's time to get in the big bed. Good night!
Happy Evacuation Day and St. Patrick's Day. We've been invited to a friend's family home in Southie to watch the parade on Sunday. Again, something I've never done in all my years of living in Boston. Maybe it's the insanity of dealing with the yahoos who come in, like on First Night. But this year will be fun, and Owen's first big Irish parade.
Also on Sunday is a new Boston Comic Con, at the Back Bay Events Center. Something to do before or instead of the St. Patrick's Day Parade. People I know who'll be there: Paul Gould, Hannibal King, Mark Poutenis, and Frankie B. Washington
In other comic book geekery, my friend Pete does a fun improv show in NYC called the Comic Book Club at the PIT. Congrats on the show, the website, and interviewing the editor of Captain America. Keep up the good work.
Just finished: Gene Yang's American Born Chinese. It got a lot of hype as being part of the graphic novel wave, and deservedly so. Quick read and superbly done.Owen and his jingly hippo have stumbled into the room, so it's time to get in the big bed. Good night!
Knits in the Dig
Here's the photo used in the Dig of the mini hat & scarf I knit for the photo shoot. (It'll open in a new window.) The little blue hat & bag came out better. Big props to the design team who made the whole set from scratch. Owen's been using the gift bag I made to carry his nice stones/rocks in. Guess I'll have to make another.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
cold snap
Crivens! Winter isn't done yet. It's still ridiculously cold. Finished Wintersmith, though, and liked it better than Hat Full of Sky. It's just a really enjoyable series. Love those Mac Nac Feegles.
Knitted a smaller version of the gift bag on the cover of Last Minute Gifts, but in Malabrigio yarn. It came out really nice, especially as my first time doing yarn overs. Now I just have to figure out what to put in it! Next I'll have to do the gift bag in the yummy Blue Sky Alpaca yarn like in the book.
Finally saw the Departed. Holy smokes. It's amazing. There are very recognizable scenes from Infernal Affairs, but it's also its own film--as it should be. And the language is outrageous. The extras are worth it for the second disc. We also got to check out Letters from Iwo Jima, which was also incredible.
Oh, and remember how I didn't think I'd need another circular knitting needle? I need a 24" size 15 for my next projects, a felted handbag and the Diotoma shell from Webs. Oops. Of course, Michael's didn't have one in 24" (or 32"), but in 29". At least I can return it.
Knitted a smaller version of the gift bag on the cover of Last Minute Gifts, but in Malabrigio yarn. It came out really nice, especially as my first time doing yarn overs. Now I just have to figure out what to put in it! Next I'll have to do the gift bag in the yummy Blue Sky Alpaca yarn like in the book. Finally saw the Departed. Holy smokes. It's amazing. There are very recognizable scenes from Infernal Affairs, but it's also its own film--as it should be. And the language is outrageous. The extras are worth it for the second disc. We also got to check out Letters from Iwo Jima, which was also incredible.
Oh, and remember how I didn't think I'd need another circular knitting needle? I need a 24" size 15 for my next projects, a felted handbag and the Diotoma shell from Webs. Oops. Of course, Michael's didn't have one in 24" (or 32"), but in 29". At least I can return it.
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