Fifty Fifty

Last week, I was at a party when my friend Meg told me about this challenge she's doing, where for a year she's reading fifty new books and watching fifty new movies.  I thought it sounded like a good idea, so I decided to start as well.  From September 30, 2012-October 1, 2013 (I realize it's over a year, but I liked that it was a rounded-ish number) I'm going to try and read 50 new books and watch 50 new films.  I figure it will not only help with expanding my reading/viewing horizons, but will also help keep stress down with wedding planning.

So far, I'm in decent shape on both fronts.  For the books, I have read Mindy Kaling's book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and I am winding down on Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.  I am lucky in that Ricky was also an English major in college, so he has a big bookshelf of potential.  (not a euphemism).  For the movies, I am also in decent shape, though I'm not worried about the movies because it's easy for us to watch a movie a week, as we have a Netflix Subscription.  We've seen Hamlet 2, The Secret of the Kells, and the new Frankenweenie movie. 

I'm lucky to have a good amount of time each day on public transportation, so it's making the reading part easy.  Are there books I should check out?  Movies I should watch? 

I'm recording dates and reviews on my Pinterest Page, but I think I'll recap in tens here as well.  Keep an eye out, since I only have 2 books and 3 movies, for this to come in a few weeks.

Happy Birthday, Julia Child!

It's Julia Child's 100th birthday today!  My first job out of college was for public television, and I remember getting goosebumps standing on the stage where The French Chef was shot.  You could see the pipes for her kitchen in a corner!  When they tore down those offices, moved across town, and sold the land to a local college (years after I had worked there) I remember feeling melancholy that her studio was gone in turn.

Anyways, I feel like so many people are inspired by her, so it would feel done and disingenuous to talk about it here.  She did a lot for French cooking, and making it accessible, she did a lot for women in television and in a field that was dominantly menfolk.  And she did a lot for those cooks who when a mushroom or chicken falls out of the pot and no one's home, dusting it off and putting it right back in the pot and pretending it never happened.

I mean, that's never happened to me.  I don't know what you're talking about.

I found this clever video that has a variety of clips of her through the ages, and it felt appropriate today.  There are many more clips on youtube, which I'd recommend checking out.

Sunday flea market find with Erin

I liked the cool composition of this photo.

MFT Day 18: MGMT's Electric Feel

Last night was Jess' bachelorette party, which was a lot of fun.  Great to spend a night out in the city with a bunch of good friends, being silly and dancing.  I wish there were more opportunities to that in life that didn't revolve around someone getting married.

Anyways, I was in charge of making the mix for the room while we were getting ready.  One of the songs I put on there was MGMT's Electric Feel, which I love putting on dancey mixes for friends as a surprise.  It's a great song and fun to dance to, but no one ever thinks to put it on (I feel like Kids or Time to Pretend makes it on there more).  So here it is for you!

I'll be posting something later on tonight, so that I stay on schedule.

Christmas traditions

As Ricky and I get older and celebrate more holidays together, we've decided to create our own Christmas traditions that are ours.  One that I've enjoyed two years in a row is to travel into Cambridge on a weekend and see It's a Wonderful Life at the Brattle Theatre, then walk around Harvard Square to Christmas shop, eat snacks, and enjoy treats.  Today we went into the city and did just that.

There's something I really love about The Brattle.  I think because it's a small, no frills, independent theatre that plays both large hits and old classics.  I've seen lots of movies here, and it's great seeing movies that I was unable to see on the big screen.  It also feels great supporting a small, independent theatre, something I fear is disappearing in this day and age.

After the movie, we got our standard lunch at Cafe Crema (mmmm) and a dessert at Burdicks, and walked around only slight.  It was waaaaay too cold to do our normal loop.  I saw recently that a Burdicks is opening down the street from where I work, so perhaps there will be more chocolate penguins and teas in my future.

I think it's great that the longer we're together, we're establishing our own traditions for holidays and memories.  Our trip to see It's A Wonderful Life is something I'll look forward to every year for a long time.  It's a nice wintertime date day.

This makes me inexplicably sad...

Probably because I have a lot of memories of going into the basement of the North Shore Mall with my mom, trying to find good gifts and discounts.  I'll probably make a trek soon for memories and discounts.

So it's been real, Filene's Basement.  My Beantown pride is sad because this is one less Boston-based department store that exists.  (I still am bitter about you, Macy's, for taking Filene's away from us)

Also, I'm a little pissed off I'll never have the option to compete in the Running of the Brides.

Day 22 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

I'm happy I have an AC unit today. This makes me think of when I lived in my first Salem apartment on the 3rd floor (which I'll always miss, since it was a dream and pretty much what I compare all other apartments to) in the summertime. So very hot and gross. We had ceiling fans, but after awhile, A ceiling fan just blows hot air around.

Keep cool, everybody, and just get to Monday when it's supposed to cool down and possibly rain.

Today, Ricky and I are attending a wedding in Boston, so we're hoping it won't be too gross in Boston (hint: it will be very hot and gross in Boston, so this is futile).

Day 22: A song that you listen to when you’re sad

Perhaps because today is my anniversary, I'm in a Ricky's Mix CDs frame of mind. This song was near the end of a mix Ricky made me when I went to the Hudson River Valley with my knitting group, and it was waiting for me when I came home. This also has my favorite cover art from a Ricky mix, since it was him, Alva the fish, and my stuffed sheep that I grew up with welcoming me home. (Lewis wasn't in our lives yet, just the fish)

This song also kind of makes me sad, mainly because it's so haunting and beautiful. So when I'm feeling sad, I'll listen to this song because it just brings that sadness to a different, beautiful level.

Day 5 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

Ricky's watching The Big Chill right now on TV, and before I go join him I wanted to post today's, since I had been thinking about it all day long and decided that this would be the best option for the day.

Day 5: A Song That Reminds You Of Someone

Perhaps it's because we just bought some concert tickets, and also because my brothers, mom, and I have been talking about this band a lot lately, I chose Other 99 by Big Audio Dynamite. While my brothers and I were brought up on The Clash, we were almost brought up more by Big Audio Dynamite. We knew all the songs by heart, danced to them, and still quote them. BAD is coming to The House of Blues in August, and we all jumped at the chance to get tickets. (yep, going to a show at the House of Blues with my mom. Deal with it, Cate Blanchett)

Whenever I hear a snippet of a BAD song, I think of being little and growing up with my brothers and my mom. Every day we thank the music Gods that my mom is cool and taught us to love and appreciate good music, and that we don't know much about Top 40 except for what we learned in college. But we know all about The Cars, BAD, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and so on.

I've always loved the beat to Other 99, and find myself quoting it often. Everything's not always great, sometimes it's just fine. I ain't with the 100 crowd, I'm with the 99.

And you can bet that when they play this song in August, I will be dancing my little heart out.



And BONUS ROUND! the live version

Day 2 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

I have this whole week off, so I'm hoping to bang out a few of these before going back to work.

Day 2: Your Least Favorite Song

This was also difficult because just like there are so many shitty, awful songs out there. I had even written a note on Facebook a few years back highlighting my top 10 least favorite songs. I reviewed it to see if any stood out for this... and they did. But the question was: which one to choose??

I decided on Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline, for a host of reasons. I've found the simple tune annoying for years. There was all this hype about revealing who the song's about... and it was Caroline Kennedy, which is kind of lame. It's overplayed at Sox games and has NOTHING TO DO WITH SPORTS OR BOSTON. I could go on and on.

So Neil, enjoy this brief moment in the sun and on my blog, because I don't see it happening again in the foreseeable future.

Thursday Eve Lunch

Mmmm... a ton of different flavors thrown onto a bagel...

Tomorrow I will be out of commission for eating a variety of things for a few weeks, because I am getting horrible, sad times gum surgery. I had the first round of it in December, but had to wait until now due to the limits of dental insurance. I decided that, on the eve of this surgery, I'd have one of my favorite things in the whole world before I'm unable to eat solid foods for a while. This would be the Everything Bagel.

My favorite Everything Bagel exists in two places in Salem. One is at Bagel World (this comes as no surprise). Recently, I think they've changed their recipe so the bagels are less salty. It's a nice touch.

The other is at Gulu Gulu. I have a feeling they don't make their own bagels, and I sadly don't know the origin of this bagel. But it is glorious. It has caraway seeds on it, and just the right amounts of garlic and onion.

Today's Everything Bagel comes from Espresso Royale Cafe, which is a great little coffee shop/cafe around the corner. What I like about this bagel is that it's a whole wheat everything bagel. I also get the impression they don't make their bagels themselves. I think, if I can remember correctly, they're made in Somerville.

So here I sit, enjoying my crusty, tasty, too-many-calories bagel, knowing that in 24 hours I'll be reduced to eating yogurt and pureed sweet potatoes.

Frog Pond Skaters

Last weekend, Ricky and I spent some time soaking up Christmasy things in Boston. It's nice being there without having to be at work, and to enjoy it at a leisurely pace. Anyways, at the end of our day, we found ourselves at the Frog Pond in the Commons, watching the ice skaters. Neither of us are particularly good at skating, nor did we want to leave our bags unattended. But it was still very relaxing and nice watching everyone else.

I took some photos of it, and this was my favorite shot:

I love that everyone is blurry minus that one couple in the lower right hand corner. I also love the lighting. I took this without flash, because when the flash was on, the pictures were turning out horrible.

Just a little something to get you into the spirit.

How do you measure, measure a year?

I don't work with Jack Black. Or Michael Cera. Or cavemen.

Sorry for the Rent reference.

So today marks one year at my new job... which I guess is not so new anymore. It's crazy to think it's been a year. It both seems longer and shorter than that. But I am happy I'm here, for sure.

I think I've learned a lot in the last year about working and myself. Such as:

--Driving to work is overrated. It turns out I love commuting to work via public transportation. I've done so much knitting, reading, podcasting, it's been great. I still have my car, but I don't miss sitting in traffic. And on those rare days when I had to drive in... I was reminded further why taking a train is great.
--I still have friends from my old job, which is very nice. I'm glad I still have my core people I talk to regularly.
--I'm capable of pulling off great things at work. I organized 850 college students for a graduation and it went off surprisingly well. I've also learned so much about curriculum and this college, which always pleases me.
--Newbury St and Boylston St kill my wallet. Regularly. I'm looking at you, Anthropologie and Crate and Barrel.
--There will always be that one person at work who drives you crazy and is close to useless, but it depends on the number of annoying people vs. non-annoying people which helps the work atmosphere. Two words: Ned Flanders.
--I really like working with college kids. 89% of the time, they're eager and sweet. And I like seeing how they have such big aspirations for the future. I'd say about 11% are awful entitled kids, but whatever. Also, they're far more stylish than me. Definitely makes me feel more Liz Lemon-ish than before.
--I don't miss eating at a caf daily.
--I do miss having a free gym daily.
--I hope to be here awhile. I really like working for a college, especially this one.
--I like working with caring, quirky, creative coworkers, and I hope they feel the same way about me.

The National at HOB

I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders.

Last night, Ricky and I went to see The National at The House of Blues, with opening act Antlers. Ricky had given me tickets for my birthday. I was quite pumped, as I'm a fan of the band, but also slightly nervous that it'd be a solemn night of sad songs that'd make me want to drink red wine and cry.

Fortunately, I was 100% wrong.

I won't say much about Antlers. They were alright, and packed a huge punch for a shoe gazey trio, but none of their songs were particular stand out. They were what you hope for in an opening act: pretty, a good lead-in, and not too noteworthy.

By the time 9:30 rolled around, HOB was packed with a good mix of people. A lot of thirtysomethings with their girlfriends, a lot of guys in plaid shirts, and even two kids who couldn't have been older than sophomores in college who wore Tokyo Police Club shirts. A varied but respectful and enthusiastic crowd.

The National played primarily from Boxer, as well as some deep cuts. Opening with two tracks from Boxer, the second being Mistaken for Strangers, the crowd was on their side and revved up. The band also punched a lot more energy and showmanship into these and all songs, which was great. Frontman Matt Berninger wafted between introspective singing and jumping all over the stage... and even into the audience on a few occasions. Very little band banter between songs, but that was okay.

The horns and violinist were punched up, and they added layers that you maybe miss when listening onto the CD's. Ricky and I both agreed that they were the unsung heroes of the band and the concert as a whole.

I think two highlights for me were Mr. November and Cherry Tree. Mr. November, which from everything I've seen and heard turns into Matt and band shouting their energy and emotional into the song, was near the end of the night. Matt ended up surfing through the crowd to the sound booth and back. He seemed to be enjoying the set and the crowd most here.

Cherry Tree was a song I wasn't as familiar with, but I love the haunting minor keys and strings, as well as the muffled chorus of "loose lips sink ships". The band joked about this chorus and said they were just mumbling the whole time, and that they weren't actually saying words. It was well performed.

At one point Matt said "respect the sadness", which I think summed up the show as a whole. They know that their songs are a little more somber than other bands, and they embrace it, but they also know they need to punch it up for performances. It definitely had a different vibe from listening only to the albums, and I'd recommend checking them out when they circle back into town, whenever that is.

Here are the two songs I mentioned:
Mr. November


Cherry Tree

On the prowl for a patio

I'm just a girl, looking for a little patio to call my own...

The weather is getting nicer, and unlike the last two years in Salem, I don't have a porch to call my own. For the last two years, I had a private porch where I grew all my herbs and flowers, and at night I could sip drinks and read on while watching the sunset. (I know I know... "boo hoo I don't have a porch!")

So I think this year will be my hunt for a porch or patio to sip drinks on on warm nights and enjoy the Summer. I caught this bug a few weeks ago at Great Scott in Allston with my friend Dave. After a trying day at our respective jobs, we decided we needed to drink a beer while sitting on patio furniture. It was lovely. Newbury St dining also keeps luring me in during lunch, but I don't have the funds and time to keep that lifestyle up.

There are a few candidates for my patio. Unfortunately, my first choice in a patio (Edgewater Cafe) has closed down. Here are the candidates with pros and cons, in no particular order:

Gulu Gulu Cafe, Salem
Pros: Good food and imported beers. Can listen to the bands playing indoors. Open all day long, so I can have breakfast on a "patio". Short walk from where I live. Near Modern Millie's, for post-breakfast consignment shopping.
Cons: Service is slow. It's not really a patio, inasmuch as it's a chained off section of sidewalk.

Rockefellas, Salem
Pros: Big area for sitting. Big drink menu that's decently priced. Also close to where I live.
Cons: I feel like the scene here is more for moms who are out with their girlfriends and left their kids and husbands at home. Again, not really a patio, more of a chained off area of sidewalk.

Tavern In the Square (TITS), Salem
Pros: A burger stuffed with bacon and blue cheese. Big drinks for not that much money. Waffle fries. Also down the street from where I live. Open until 11pm. More of a formal patio than other places. Pithy nickname.
Cons: LOUD. Could be very crowded, as it's the first summer of patio-living. Kind of chain-y. A burger stuffed with bacon and blue cheese (I'm in a wedding in August, can't be tempted too much!)

Murphy's, Salem
Pros: Dirt cheap. Wing nights, burger nights. Tucked away and fenced in from the street.
Cons: I hear if you don't get there early enough, there's a cover. Every night I've been there, it's been a bit "yah dude!"


Right now, there's no clear winner. Are there any other patios in Salem I should check out? Should I just live on Newbury St after hours and go broke? Or should I go to Gloucester every night and just hit up Madfish?

Overheard on the T...

For St. Patrick's Day, I had a nice dinner at Asgard in Central Square with Bob and Erin. Lots of chatting, potato-based meals, and Irish beer. On my way back to the train station to go home, I was on the T with many drunk undergrads. Lotta Celtics jerseys on the guys, and lotta tight green shirts and leggings on the girls.

This particular group had a lot of drunk "Yah Dude!" undergrad boys and one very drunk, very vacant, very fake blonde (or so her eyebrows told me) girl. I'm still on the fence if she was trying to get into one of their pants at the end of the night, or just wanted to hang. Here is the conversation that transpired:

Yah Dude: Dude, let's go back to my place and do Irish Car Bombs! Yahhh!
Drunk Blonde Girl: (giggle) Is an Irish Car Bomb like a muffin? (giggle)

So we're all on the same page, this is what an Irish Car Bomb looks like:


And this is what a muffin looks like:



You be the judge... are they the same thing?

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

I think after four years at an Irish Catholic college and 26 years of not being Irish, it's safe to say my caring about St. Patrick's Day has bottomed out. I think it's a silly holiday and excuse for people to pretend their a heritage as an excuse to drink themselves into a gutter. That being said, Erin and I are spending tonight with Bob at an Irish pub for dinner, and I did begrudgingly throw on a green shirt at the suggestion of Ricky, but that's about as far as I'll go.

So instead, I think I'll say Happy Evacuation Day to all the Massachusetts residents out there who read my blog.


Oh, and an even bigger happy birthday to my friend Karin. That's the real holiday right there.

Cool Tattoo Alert

Today, while walking to the T to go home, I saw a girl walking towards the college with a very cool tattoo on her arm. It was on her right forearm, and it in black ink the British slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On", crown and all. It was created on the dawn of WWII, but never used.

I've always liked that slogan and find it interesting that it was rediscovered and used over 60 years later. I also think in many ways it sums up the reserve and mindset of the Brits.

The tattoo was a good size, and the simplicity of it gave it punch. It was a statement and drew the eye to it without a full sleeve of color and design.

Etsy also has a lot of shirts with this logo on it, and I'm debating springing for my own or as a gift for others in the future.

If only a student of mine will come in with a Le Petit Prince or Tin Tin tattoo, then my European-loving ways will be complete.

Don't Let Me Wait Too Long by The Russians with special guests Brian King and Corin Ashley

Last Friday, Ricky and I checked a very good show at TT's that featured The Corin Ashley Quartet, The Russians, and The Figgs. It was a freezing cold night in Boston, and the club brought in a lot of that chill, but the acts were warm and inviting.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm a fan of both Corin Ashley and Scott Janovitz, frontman of The Russians. You may also remember him as half of the frontment for The High Holidays, which I raved about last February.

My friend Brian also sat in on both Corin Ashley Quartet and The Russians as their keyboardist and delivered the goods yet again. I know I'm biased, but I really think he'll be a force in the Boston music scene in the years to come, whether as a writer or a performer.

Anyways, one of the many highlights of the night was a cover The Russians and Corin did of George Harrison's Don't Let Me Wait Too Long. Scott channels his inner George for sure, and it's a great song:

Furthermore, I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued

A little shout out to a trustee who I may or may not be seeing speak on campus soon...

Curses, Anthropologie!

I've been eying these items for weeks at the Anthropologie down the street. And now that I've worked there for two weeks, I can actually say weeks and mean it. Ha!

It's a butter dish!


Measuring cups that look like geese!


And a really pretty and comfy cardigan in teal green.


Willpower, don't fail me now!