Resignation

It was such a relief to finally get a new job! I have been ready to leave my job from hell for months and I finally can. Once I had the offer in hand, I gave my notice the next day. It was better than I could have expected! I have been dreaming for months about being able to walk into work and say "I quit" and that moment was finally here. It felt so good! I have not been able to wipe the smile off my face. One of my co-workers told me I was absolutely beaming! I am indeed. It's such a relief that I feel 1000 times better to be leaving the stress and dysfunction of my group.

In preparing to quit, I realized that in I haven't done it in awhile. I was laid off from my last two jobs which made resigning rather redundant. I have been transitioning and purging all this week. It's amazing what you accumulate over four years in the same job. The hardest part is definitely leaving the people I have come to know. I sent out my "Farewell" email with my contact information and the responses I have gotten back are so kind and sweet and touching I am trying not to cry when I read them. I wish that my company could have gotten it's act together and I could have transferred to something else. But they treated me so badly that I am glad to be having a clean break. I can't wait to start my new job!

Snow Day

Today was a great day. Actually this has been a great week for a few reasons I'm not ready to post here yet. I went into work for the morning but as the snow totals kept creeping up, I headed home. It was a very fast storm as it took about ten minutes from the first flake to fall for the roads to start to get covered. It was snowing so hard at points that the poor dog was completely snow covered standing in the yard.

We just got back in from brushing off the car and taking a walk around the block. I love everything about snow, but that quiet hush that falls over everything is really something. People were just starting to dig out and pull their kids on their sleds in the road.

Chock Full of Holiday Spirit

It was off to NYC this past weekend to see the sights and wrap up the birthday celebration of my friend. We left on Saturday morning and arrived in Grand Central just in time to see a stream of Santas. One after another they flowed into the station. No one had any idea why. After we got home we found out it was a Santa Bar crawl. I think I am not alone in amazing at how many people have Santa outfits!
Out hotel was conveniently located so we dropped the bags and headed out for lunch.
Barbecue of course! We hit the MOMA and wandered into an exhibit of Latin American art that was nothing like either of us had expected. She's an artist and I love going to museums with arty people. They have such a different perspective on things it's fun to watch.

Heading back to the hotel, we took 5th Avenue to try to get out first glimpse of the tree. The throng of people was impenetrable so we took a shortcut via Banana Republic and viola, there it was. It's a pretty tree this year.

Dinner was in SoHo and we had a great meal. Post dinner was a fun trip to a good smelling store and walk through the village. We hit Rockefeller Center late and the crowd had thinned a bit. Seeing all the lights, the tree, the people, the Saks window and snowflake display put me right in the heart-swelling holiday spirit good will towards men kind of mood. Until my toes were run over by another baby stroller.

We were two tired girls as we sank into bed that night and were up bright and early to hunt down a breakfast place. We wandered around SoHo again and I showed off my favorite store and solved a vexing camisole mystery. It was such a fun trip!

When Life Hands You a Five Pack

That was my life Friday night when I stopped at Trader Joe's to get some pre-party supplies. I got to the register and the clerk and I both realized at the same time my 6-pack of beer was a bottle short. I have no clue where it went, but got a 6-pack with all 6-instead. I was worried this might be a harbinger of how the party was going to go. I did not need to worry.

My Mom arrived and offered up some tremendously needed help, along with a wreath for my door. She and I both foodied out at the new grocery store in my town. It was so bitterly cold on Saturday it was a perfect night to light up the fire place. When my friends arrived, they greatly appreciated the heat!

After cooking and cleaning all day, it was nice to catch up with everyone. It was a great chance for everyone to come together and get to know each other. Plus, I think the birthday girl had fun. The food was great, if I do say so myself. The spiced nuts with sugared bacon were a hit (thanks NY Times Food Section). The baked brie was so good I will make that all the time now. My favorite red lentil dip went over well. For the main course it was lemon and herb risotto with chicken piccata. And the peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate frosting hit the spot. It was such a fun evening I can't wait to do it again. Once I get rid of these dishpan hands that is!

Pickle Trays and Green Bean Casserole

It's been a busy week but I was glad that Thanksgiving was on the horizon. It meant a lot of yummy food. The dog and I headed to my Mom's house a bit early on Thanksgiving to help out. She had already done the pickle tray, which I love. I have a particular love of anything pickled so a whole pickle tray is a treat! I pitched in with the cheese and cracker tray. The dog enjoyed the scraps! It smelled so good in her house. There is nothing like the smell of turkey. I went a different route for my pumpkin contribution this year. I love pumpkin, except in pie. It's the texture I am not a fan off. As one friends says, it's too much like mousse in a crust. So I made a pumpkin upside down cake with cranberries and pecans. It was very good, though I will make some tweaks to the recipie the next time I make it.

My mother was in her entertaining element on Thursday. And to top it all off, she had three other Green Bean Casserole fans at dinner. I am not a fan at all. In fact I dislike all Campbell's Soup based casseroles, which is weird since we never had them as a kid. My mother was good that way. I love green beans but add that can of fried onions and cream of mushroom soup and yuck. No thank you.

Addictive Site

Combining my love of words and altruism is the ridiculously addictive game located at Free Rice. The premise is simple. They give you a word and four possible meanings. You choose the right one and viola you win grains of rice. You get enough right and the grains add up. Added bonus is if you get a word wrong, they will give you the right answer without penalizing you. Plus you get to add new words to your vocabulary! Play now and play often.

House Guest

After a week of miscommunication and cultural differences, my house guest arrived this weekend. It was nice to see him though it's always a bit nerve wracking having someone to your home for the first time. I cleaned so thoroughly that I can't seem to find anything!

We had a great weekend with sunny but cold weather. We went to the beach and saw some great waves, to a great breakfast place/maple barn and of course to the main event - The Police concert. What a great show. They were amazing. They played so well and we had great seats. Sting looked so hot that I am ready to take far more yoga classes! And it's not often that you get to stand next to someone playing air guitar. The man next to me found his sad attempt at rhythm. His date seemed properly horrified. He was playing so forcefully he kept bumping into me. So I had to keep moving closer to my date thereby almost pushing him into the aisle!

The time flew by. It was a good trip as we really got to talk. While email, IM and texting are handy sometimes you really need a good face to face conversation even if it does go into the wee hours of the morning.

Family Time

After enjoying a quiet, rainy day at home on Saturday today I spent time with my family. I met my Mom to head over to my 98 year old Great Aunt's house for tea. Mom and I stopped and picked up my other Aunt along the way. My Aunt, my Mom's older sister, has been stricken with MS. Her legs do no work anymore. Looking at my Aunt you would never know anything is wrong with her. This once very active woman is now trapped in a body that doesn't cooperate. It's beyond tragic. She is pretty much confined to a wheelchair in a non-wheelchair friendly world. It's very difficult getting her from point A to point B. As tired as I was, I can't even imagine how she gets around. I would be so depressed. But she has the strongest spirit that is just amazing. My Great Aunt is amazing too. She is healthy, lucid, active and lives alone. Not many other 98 year olds can say that. She's a tough cookie that you don't want to make angry. I think part of her longevity can be attributed to this!

My Dad and Stepmom had a football party today too. I stopped by after tea with my Aunties. All in all, given I am still trying to recover from my cold, I had enough. I was exhausted and though I love them, had my fill of family today.

Happy Halloween!

Well once again it's that time of year for costumes, pumpkins and candy. If you look back to the pagan roots of this holiday, it's approriate that it's a time of ending in terms of harvest as it's usually coincides with our killing frost. It's also believed that it's the time of year that the boundaries between the living and the dead are thin. Halloween is the modern name for Samhain, an ancient Celtic holy day which many Neopagans — especially Wiccans, Druids and Celtic Reconstructionists — celebrate as a spiritual beginning of a new year.

So with that, enjoy your Reese's Peanut Butter cups and beware of the spirits!

It's All in the Telling

As I sit here on my couch with a nasty cold and a raging case of laryngitis, I do appreciate the slight irony of the subject of this entry. As I sip my umpteenth cup of tea with honey, I was reflecting on some interesting events of the last few weeks.

I am a person who will tell you anything you want to know about me. Occasionally this has gotten me into trouble, but the positive effects of it far outweigh the negative. For some reason, some people in my life are taking different paths lately and it makes me wonder why.

I have a man in my life who tells me about his life in great detail, but then balks when I try to share similar details with him. There is the friend who just completely pulled away in a puzzling silence that has yet to be broken. Another friend has taken to not keeping me in the loop, but then tells me events with a look that makes it clear to me that he thinks he already has told me.

From my experience, if a friend isn't being upfront and honest with me it means there is something to hide. I consider myself a good friend who is always around to listen but it's hard to listen when people won't talk. Given my current condition, I should be talking again by midweek!

Hello Again Big Apple!

After trying to get together for most of the summer, I finally headed back to NYC to see the girls and catch up. I also was meeting a new friend courtesy of my Mother's intervention.

It was a gorgeous weekend, just oddly warm for October. I dropped my bag off at the hotel and headed off to meet the girls. Walking towards our lunch spot, there were an odd amount of puddles. I tried to avoid one and managed to splash right into it. I got water into my shoe and let out a rather loud "Dammit". As I looked up, I saw the two priests and a nun waiting for the light staring at me. It was like the start of a bad joke!

The girls are well and we had quite a few laughs. I found out my dinner date was earlier that I thought so I had to go back to hotel to check in and get ready. I was a little nervous since I don't have a great blind date track record, but he called me about an hour before dinner and we got to talk. He had a good voice so I figured I'd be ok.

Dinner. Oh. My. God. He took me to Nobu. As my friends know, this was the best place to impress me the foodie. He was funny, charming, smart and eats the way I eat. We started with Fig Martinis that were so very good and got a few dishes to share and then our entrees. It's rare for me to want to lick the plate but with the Kobe beef I was prepared to. Words can't even describe how good this beef was. Or the oysters. Or the yellowtail with jalapenos. Or the salad with lobster and shrimp. Or my black miso cod. Butter fish indeed! It was a great date of amazing food and wonderful conversation.

Spice of Life

Like most people, I can procrastinate like the best of them. So when faced with studying I should be doing, often I can find about twenty other pressing things that need to be done. Take my spice cabinet for instance. While I should have been doing something else, I got the brilliant idea to organize my spices. They are nice and neat now. I will admit to a love of Penzeys and spices that seems a bit excessive, I do indeed use them all. I also am a fan of what I term procrastibaking. It's when, once again I should be studying I decide I want something sweet. So I bake cookies, brownies or a cake from scratch. I will say that it could have been worse. At least I didn't arrange them alphabetically or by region!

To the Top

In spite of the rather summery weather of last week, it is autumn here in New England. Given that, my friend and I decided to go for a hike and see the foliage. We got up early on Saturday and with coffee in hands, headed north to the White Mountains. It was a pretty drive but we weren't sure if the foliage would be peak or past. Well after a fun, yet really vertical hike, we got our answer. Perfect peak and a tremendous view to eat our lunch by. It was gorgeous. And the weather could not have been better. Though showers were called for, they did not appear until we headed back down. After such physical exertion, of course we headed for a brewery and the coast.

Shunning the 45 minute wait outside in the rain, we plunked down at another grill and had the most perfect Pumpkin Ale and burgers. It was such a good day but once I got home and showered, I was beat. I slept like a log.

More Work Dysfunction

So while it's known that I do have the boss from hell, one of my friends actually has me beat. It's sad but true. As evil as our bosses are, they do have something in common. Apparently they went to the same management school since they are inept at communicating anything or giving direction. And when you somehow can't figure out what exactly they want you to do with a project and you give it your best shot, all hell breaks loose. With my charming boss, she runs to HR and spreads lies behind my back. This is bad, but my friend has a better story.

After yelling at her team about a job he feelt they did poor (mind you while receiving no direction) he, as a creative professional, decided to draw how angry he was. That would be the hysterical drawing you see here. It's him being the leader and dragging the rest of the team behind him to bring them up to his standard. You can be sure that any time any us has an emotional response from now on, we are going to draw it!

Urban Chick

Well I survived my week away with the chickens. It was fun but I don't really think I'm going to give up my city life for the farm life anytime soon!

It was such a crazy week last week that I am still trying to get caught up. But it's very nice to be home. I started watching the PBS series The War. I am not normally a fan of Ken Burns documentaries but for some reason I got hooked. It's always odd to me to watch historical films. The suspense should be gone since we all know how WWII turned out by now. But watching all the archival footage and stories it has been enthralling. The stories these men, mostly boys really, have to tell are incredible. The horror they had to deal with day in and day out is just unimaginable. It makes me think what the troops in Iraq are going through.

Displaced Person

Well I am not at home this week. Instead I am house and chicken sitting for my Dad and step mom in my hometown. It's been a horribly stressful week (yes I am aware that it's only Wednesday) and I really just want to go home.

When I read Elizabeth Gilbert's book, Eat, Pray, Love, I identified with her description of crying on the bathroom floor. I've been a bathroom floor cryer for a long time. It's not that I find the bathroom particularly comforting but it's generally the one room in a house that you have complete privacy for a meltdown. It's also actually really efficient since you are not out of reach of things to wipe your tears on.

So after a nasty, angry, vicious phone call with someone who has been a friend for far too long, I find myself sitting at my Dad's kitchen table in tears. And it doesn't feel right because this is not my home. Once again I am in tears, having a cry, sitting on a bathmat. I am angry that this person made me feel this way. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm stressed beyond belief right now. How dare he.

Roses Are Red, Pineapples Not So Much

Being single, I am firmly involved in the dating game. Though it may seem a bit old fashioned there is something to be said for getting flowers. I love roses, only if they actually smell like roses, orchids, peonies, and really any cut flower other than carnations. I've gotten flowers before the date, after the date, just because, and they always manage to make me smile. It's a clear signal that someone is interested in you.

Trying to account for regional or gender differences in dating styles I still can't stop laughing at a male friend of mine and his choice of what to send a girl he is interested in. No mere roses for him. Nope. He's going with the Fruit Bouquet choice. Yes indeed, fruit on a stick. He was thinking about not signing the card and sending it anonymously. Can you imagine getting anonymous fruit?

I think he might have gotten a bit offended that I laughed at him (still laughing by the way). I have gotten some odd gifts from the men I have been involved with but if any of them showed up at my door with a fruit bouquet that would be the end of that date. Red roses say "I really like you". A fruit bouquet says "Good luck Grandma with that cataract surgery" or "So sorry that sinkhole ate your car."

Brain Static

There has been so much going on I can’t even begin to see straight this week. Today at work was the group announcement to those affected that we are undergoing a reorganization”. My boss from hell is no longer my boss which is great. I did not get laid off (darn) but got reassigned to a different boss. I’ve worked with him in the past with no problem but I still want out of that company.

So I head home with a brain full of so many thoughts I feel like I have a hive of bees up there.

As I got off the train I thought

-I need to get gas oh and oj still need that book for book club what am I going to wear to the party Friday boy it’s really getting dark early it’s chilly I am definitely wearing pants tomorrow I need to send out some more resumes where are all my pants anyway I cannot believe how early I have to go to work tomorrow stupid meeting what the heck is that woman wearing I still have to do that data mapping project at work you know she is being a bitch to me where are my keys I could really go for a pizza do I have $2 for parking tomorrow god I do not want to go to work tomorrow is that my phone-

SMACK
I managed to not open the car door as wide as I thought. As I went to get into the car I smacked the left side of my jaw on the top of the door so hard I thought I had cracked a tooth. Both the real ones and the ones I paid for were fine. It hurts to open my mouth (so much for pizza). I can’t even touch that side of my face it hurts so badly. As one with jaw issues (TMJ) this is not good. Plus it will be a very oddly placed bruise.

*sigh*
So I have decided, since I have a busy weekend, to take Monday off and try to get myself back to center.

There but for the Grace of God

My Dad is a recently retired firefighter in my hometown. After hearing of two firefighters killed in a fire last night in Boston and two others killed in New York my heart just goes out to their families. I know that it could have so easily been my family. And I feel selfish because I offer a huge prayer of thanks that it was not.

I would get phone calls from my Dad after roofs would fall on him or he got heat exhaustion while being on a roof battling a blaze and my heart would just sink at what could have happened. Then there would be a sigh of relief that he was still able to call me on the phone and tell me what happened.

Neither my brother nor I became firefighters. I think it's truly a calling to perform a job like that. One that I did not get. I am so proud of my Dad. As we get ready to celebrate his retirement, I reflect back and thank the heavens that he made it out ok. And I wonder how long it will be until hearing the sirens stops my heart for a moment.

Balls of Hamburger, Bowl of Gouda

Well it was another Friday of fun! The food and drinks we had to start our evening were very good. The inattentive waitress and vinyl covered seats were not so good. It was an evening of confusion over a purse (which made me wonder just what that purse was made of!) and a pseudo-frat/college party. Oh and the round about ride to the liquor store that gave us a chance to explore :-)

While I am quite comfortable with my mind being constantly in the gutter, I was certainly not alone on that car ride. I will admit the talk of "man nipples" actually caused me to stall my car. On a hill. At a light.
I plead the 5th on why ;-)

It was truly fitting when we arrived at the party I did actually park in the gutter. I did appreciate the appropriateness of it.

All in all another good Friday after another difficult week at work.

Reason #145 Why My Boss Sucks

So one year ago, in typical hurry up and wait fashion, my boss asked me to build a database for some contracts we had received. No problem. I created the database, populated it and filed the contracts away. As per our agreement, she needed to look over the database and make sure it was what she wanted. Fast forward to a week ago.
She finally started looking at the database. Took her a whole year to do so.

It seemed from the beginning that there may be other contracts that went to our legal department that should be in the database. I had no proof of this, just a hunch and was not getting any confirmation from legal.

My boss decides there must be more contracts so she asked me to make a list of all the ones we do not have. So, she wants me to make a list of files I don't have. I have no copies or paperwork stating what files are missing but yet I need to list them. Once again she seems to be under the delusion that I have ESP.

It took me pointing this out to my highly educated, yet clueless, manager from hell, that maybe it would make more sense to make a list of the ones already in database and ask legal if they have others above and beyond that. Maybe I just have too much common sense.

So even though I threw my back out and was is some serious pain, it still was better than going in to work. Yup, time for a new job.

Best Moat Themed Party Ever

So as a means to show off her art, my friend decided to host a party. But what theme to pick? Of course. Moats. There is a back story to the whole moat thing (of course there is). And here it is.

Out at our usual Irish pub Friend One says "My dad loves boats". Friend Two says "Moats?". And that was it. We were off and running. Now we have a Moat Song (to the theme of Mr. Ed), a drink (Moatini of course), a cake and many other "moat-ments" of silliness. It was a great party of good snacks (mmm, cheese), fun, witty and occasionally lewd conversation, amazing artwork, and a ton of laughs.

It was a weekend of good drinks. The Moatini is a lovely mango concoction that goes down far too easily. The night before was an amazingly perfect lemon drop. It was perfectly sour and sweet and icy cold. Those went down far too easily as well.

Open mouth, insert foot

So I met this older man on the Red Line one evening. He was handsome and we shared one of those common public transportation moments at the expense of the very inebriated girl berating her poor boyfriend. We both got off at the same stop and started chatting as the train stopped. We exchanged numbers outside and spoke the next day. Turns out he's divorced (seems like not by his choice) and has 4 kids. So this puts him out of my dating range. But he's really interesting (pilot, artist, chef, designer) and I wouldn't mind grabbing a drink with him and being friends.

Anyway, so we spoke after my recent trip and he made the comment about my work ethic "you are just like my ex-wife". Uh, ok. Awkward. I surmised that he meant it in a positive way so I let that slide as a slip of the tongue. The next comment he made threw me for a bigger loop.

We talked for a few more seconds and he said "Who knows, you could be my future ex-wife". Oh boy. Lucky me.

Away

Well I was lucky to be able to head out on a much needed but very impromptu vacation. I desperately needed a change of scenery after the hell that work has been for the last few months. A week recharging in San Diego was too good to pass up, especially with the person I was invited by. I got the invitation on a Monday and had my ticket by Tuesday at lunchtime to leave on Saturday. I think some of my friends and family were a bit shocked especially since my travel partner is a new entrant into my life.

So with a little bit of nerves and maps in hand, I headed out. I received quite a nice welcome upon my arrival. In spite of still being on East Coast time we stayed up far too late catching up with each other on many levels.

San Diego was a blast. Since my friend was attending a conference, I had the days free to roam. I had a great time at the beach just people watching (hot surfer guys and alarmingly tan women) and body surfing in the ocean. The zoo was so much fun. I saw a lot of interesting animals and for some reason, all the big cats were on. The gorillas were zonked out in the heat pressed up against the glass. I always feel like I am in a Far Side cartoon when seeing gorillas like the display is reversed and we are actually the exhibit! Balboa Park was amazing and I stumbled into a great rose garden in full bloom. The bees were drunk on the fragrance, as was I. The Desert Garden was beautiful but the people using it as a jogging path were far braver souls that I.

I spent one evening in La Jolla. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It is home to Children's Beach that has been taken over by Harbor Seals who have no inclination to give the beach back. They were fun to watch zoom out of the water like bullets and become less sleek once terrestrial.

The food was great and I ate very well. I wandered into one cute trattoria an evening I was solo for a quick bite and had so much fun. The bartender has a sister up here and the man next to me was a New Yorker. We chatted about everything under the sun and the food was fabulous. I had a great arugula salad and gnocchi that were everything gnocchi should be but often aren't. It was such a great meal that we went there again right before I had to catch the red eye. The other meal that stands out was just amazing food and a great view of the water and the little military planes engaging in a faux dogfight.

All in all, a great trip to explore a new city and to learn much more about a new friend.

Social Butterfly

This has been such a busy month I have been a bit remiss in my blogging.
So here is my attempt to catch up a bit.

If you enjoy fiction, run don't walk to get Water for Elephants. It's a gripping novel that had me sitting in my car after I got on the train so I could read the last 20 pages before I got home.

On the movie front, I've seen a great French film at the MFA French Film Festival, Family Hero. It was a fun, complex film that showed a whole new side of Catherine Deneuve to me.

The next great movie I saw was Ratatouille. What a great movie! I had seen the movie trailer for this ages ago and have been waiting and waiting until it finally came out. I can't say enough about it. The animation was so amazing that at times you forgot that you were watching a movie about a rat. Plus it was a fun contrast seeing a French film and then one by Disney!

Add to that a Caribbean themed party (ok, so the espresso mini cupcakes I brought weren't technically on theme - they still went over well) and it's been quite a full week.

Kiehl's

I have loved Kiehl's since I first wandered into their store on Third Avenue. The simple black and white packaging and their great products have kept me a customer since then. Conveniently there is a Kiehl's right next to the hair salon I go to. I went in last week after my hair appointment to get some more Coriander shower gel (normally I would question trying to smell like an herb but in this case it works). The great part about Kiehl's, other than the products, are the samples you get at checkout. I had a cute Kiehl's boy helping me out and he very emphatically told me he was putting samples of his absolute favorite product into my bag. He put in a few others as well.

When I got home I unloaded my Kiehl's booty. I got some moisturizer, some great hair product and not one, not two but seven packets of Massage Cream! I was not quite sure what to make of this. Apparently the Kiehl's boy thinks I lead a more exciting life that I do. Or his life is quite fun!

Summertime

This time since my birthday has been very interesting to say the least. It's one of those periods of time where you meet someone and a week later you can't imagine not knowing them. I've clicked with people in a whole new way - both old and new friends. It's been fun and only slightly dampened by a nasty summer cold. Now that I am finally feeling better, I can reflect with a clearer head on the events.

Sitting with a friend overlooking the Boston skyline after one odd evening last week helped to put some further perspective on things. That evening was a meal with a new friend we had met at a birthday party. It was an evening that really required other people since the dynamic made it seem like we were all on a date! Add to it one surprisingly loud restaurant that did not help things and well, you have a pretty different evening.

I feel like this birthday has given me clarity that I've been working without for the last few months with all the nasty drama at work. For the last few days I have been accomplishing things that eluded me for many weeks. It feels good and I'm back to feeling like I am on the cusp of new things and positive changes finally.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well yes, it is my birthday. I am not one of those bashful birthday girls. I will tell anyone! It's hard having a birthday right around the 4th of July since most people travel. So sometimes it seems like I am celebrating my birthday for two weeks. That's fine with me!

I went out the night before my birthday for dinner and drinks with my best friend. We had a great time, as we always do. We went to our usual bar and met an very nice Southern gentleman in town for a conference. My friend met him first but he and I quickly hit it off. She is such a good friend that she headed to the ladies room so often that I was beginning to wonder if she had a UTI! She thankfully does not but the sparks he and I had were clear to her before they were to me. Once he found out it was my actual birthday the next day, he insisted I had to let him buy me lunch. Not one to turn up a meal or good company, I readily agreed.

After coming home far, far later than I had intended (I did not really mind seeing the sun rise on the morning of my birthday) I caught a little sleep, did some errands, gave the pets some attention and headed back to the city for my lunch. He even got me a card! It was very sweet. We sat outside on Newbury Street and just watched the crowd strolling by. He is just such a great conversationalist and a lot of fun. We found plenty to occupy our time and even went for ice cream. I can honestly say I had the best birthday ever :-)

Fourth of July

I happen to love this particular holiday. Though it was unseasonable chilly for this one, it's usually a day of BBQ, fireworks and swimming. A friend of mine from London recently asked me if the 4th of July is a big deal here or not. I had to answer that it was. It's not all about the food and fireworks (which, granted, are a part of my holiday celebration). I told him it was about more than that. For me, it meant a reminder that I am actually proud to be an American. Mind you the current administration does not make this easy. But I am not going to focus on the mind-numbing badness of the current political quagmire for this holiday.

My best memories of the 4th of July are getting up early and heading to get a good seat for the parade with my grandfather and grandmother. It seemed like hours of waiting before the parade would start. But then, there it was. This started my lifelong appreciation of parades. You can imagine my delight when I moved to New York and realized that it's a very pro parade city!

Fireworks are also a big part of my 4th celebration. There is something awe inspiring of seeing them burst against the dark sky. As kids, we were given Sparklers of our own to run around the yard with. I guess that wouldn't happen now since Sparklers can burn at 1800 degrees F. Guess they are not so child friendly. Once again this proves my point that any of us who grew up during the 70's are lucky to be in one piece!

A Matter of Faith

I grew up as a Catholic. Irish Catholic to be exact. I am not a part of the church anymore for a variety of reasons ranging from the sex abuse scandal to the exclusionary aspects of the religion. I'm pretty sure I lost my faith somewhere along the way. My only recent visits to church have been either weddings or for funerals. While I don't consider myself Catholic it's amazing how the rituals and routines of the service have wormed their way into my memory (sit, stand, kneel, pray, shake hands, sit, stand).

This weekend I was able to attend a Hindu temple with my friend. It was amazing. The first thing I noticed, after I took my shoes off, was the incense. It was so fragrant. The incense in the Catholic church reminds me of death and seems to smell like dust, dirt and old men which is actually the way I think of the church.

The colors were eye popping. The women in their saris, the glittering deities, and the priest in his saffron colored robes. My friend was a fabulous guide and explained everything to me. I felt that I needed to pray while my friend prayed. Granted my prayers were more along the lines of "you have a lovely temple" or "thanks for having me". When my friend finished his prayers we sat for a bit on the cool marble floor. I wasn't sure exactly how to sit or if there was a certain way so I just sat cross legged. Our conversation was surprisingly about pedicures. (Or not surprisingly since we were barefoot). At one point the priest came over to my friend to tell him he couldn't sit the way he was sitting. Turns out he had the soles of his feet facing the deity. That's a big no-no. My friend left to run to the men's room and I just sat alone. It was so serene and spiritual. It was oddly quiet and loud at the same time. I felt really peaceful there.

Shiny Men and Plastic Women

Last night was the birthday celebration for my dear friend. It was a fun night but we were out in an area of Boston I normally don't hang out in. The rule of the night seemed to be that the bar patrons believed in the theory of more is better. More hair gel. More sunless tanner. More makeup. It must have taken some of the ladies hours to shellac themselves and flat iron their hair. The men were equally coiffed and plastic. It did provide for great people watching.

The downside of going on on a Thursday night is that it feels so like Friday as you tip back your third ruby colored drink with the controversial star fruit garnish. The evening started right after work and seemed to go on forever. It did turn out to be late as we tried to nudge the rather tipsy birthday girl into a cab. It took some persuading but finally, with fare clasped in her hand, she was off. When I finally got through the door I realized that spinach and artichoke dip does not make a meal. I was dealing with the fight of two very strong urges - sleep or hunger. Hunger won out.

Father's Day

It was a beautiful day out today to visit with my family. My Stepdad was out fishing so I didn't get to see him today. My Dad and Stepmom were home so that's where the dog and I spent most of the afternoon. My Dad opened the pool today. He didn't put the chlorine in because he wanted to let the dog swim. It's a riot to watch him since he looks like a polar bear in the water! It's such good exercise for his old joints and it keeps him cool. He was good about staying away from the liner on the sides of the pool. My step-mom absolutely adores him and she actually made him an ice cream cone to enjoy by the pool. Yep, he's spoiled rotten but he is such a good boy he deserves it!

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my grandfather's death so it was a bit of a subdued family visit. It does not seem like it's possible that it's already been a year but yet it some way it seems like the Friday I watched my grandfather die was a lifetime ago.

Friday Night on the Town

Well this last week was a tough one. So it was very nice that old friends and new could head out for some drinks and laughs. It was fun and in spite of promises that none of us was staying out too late due to Saturday morning commitments, we closed the bar down!

After hailing some cabs, one friend and I decided to walk across the Mass Ave bridge to where my car was parked. It was such a nice night out and walking across the bridge did remind me how pretty Boston can be at night. Our topic of discussion was the immense pride and awe at living in the only state in the Union that allows for gay marriage. I was thrilled and happy that all of my friends have the right to marriage regardless of their orientation. That is the way it way it should be and I'm glad I'm living here at this time.

Man's Best Friend (Woman's too!)

So as a dog owner and science geek, it's been very interesting to read about the recent progress of the Dog Genome Project. A lot of the research that is going on with dogs could very well have applications in human genetic research. If you own a purebred, AKC registered dog you can help. They NIH is looking for owners to submit either blood samples or cheek swabs for selected breeds. You can learn more about it here.

Laugh so hard it hurts

Well it was another fabulous Friday night out with my friends. After being laid out with my cold last week, it was so nice to be out and about. As one friend said, I was on fire that night! We started the evening at a cultural/singles event that provided way too much fodder for snarky comments. We may all be going straight to hell for some of them but at least we'll be together! After that, it was back to our usual Friday night spot for some more fun. There was indeed a moment that I was laughing so hard that I was afraid beer would come out my nose. Thankfully it didn't because really no one likes that. A surprise gift of a strand of pearls from my friend brought me to tears. The gesture was so sweet and unexpected it took me by surprise.

I can't even begin to relay some of the comments of the evening here because I don't know where to begin. I have been breaking into a Cheshire Cat grin as I play back the events of the evening. One friend headed out a bit early since she had to be somewhere at the crack of dawn on Saturday. We stayed a little later and then headed out to grab a cab. I do admire my friend's continued belief that he can hail a cab faster than I can. He is such a gentleman when we are out and it's always a sweet gesture. He's cute and all but what cabbie isn't going to stop for a girl in a short black skirt and tank top! I did finally make it back to my car and got home to three very sleepy pets.

Blue Moon

As I was out with the dog on skunk watch, I realized there is a big, full moon tonight. Given that it's our second one in a month, it's Blue Moon. Of course, it would be better if it was actually blue!

Last Week and Memorial Day

This was a great weekend. It was so nice to have time off and to be outside.
The downside was the nasty cold I managed to pick up. Given the stress of the last few weeks, I suppose it was inevitable. It's been a miserable one and my head still feels like it's going to explode. In spite of this, I did manage to have some fun.

I was quite busy last week and out almost every night (which is probably why I got the cold I have!). The Web Innovator's Conference was a lot of fun and I met some new people afterwards. It was very busy Tuesday night!

What happens when you a bring a box of Cheez-its to a bar? That was what my friend and I found out when we grabbed dinner later in the week. We went to a place she is a regular and there was some back story about the Cheez-its. Surprisingly they were a good bar nibble and created no end of controversy for the Cheez-it-less people in the restaurant.

Though I was feeling a bit stuffed up, I headed into the city on Friday night to meet another friend for drinks by the water. It was such a gorgeous night out we had our drinks and dinner outside. We tried to solve the mysteries of dating in Boston but she and I didn't come to any solid conclusions. We walked back to the T via the Harbor Walk.

Even though we thought my Pomegranate Martinis were providing good anti-oxidants, apparently I needed many more because I woke up Saturday with my cold in full bloom. I had no energy and had to cancel the plans I had because I couldn't leave the couch. It was a bummer but it was better I not spread my germs.

Sunday was BBQ time. It's really not Memorial Day weekend if I don't have some form of meat on a grill. I wasn't feeling great with the cold so it was only a short visit with the family. The food looked great but with my nose so stuffed up I couldn't taste much of it.

Today was a relaxed day outside with the pets and reading a book. All in all a good weekend!

First Summer Day

It was a gorgeous day Friday and the weather was perfect. The dog enjoyed some time in the pool to cool off!

Light up my life

Everyone knows how handy a flashlight is. Imagine that you have no electricity at all. No light to read, do your homework, keep you safe or seek medical attention. Imagine you live in a refugee camp. What's the one thing that you do have? Sun. So how about a solar flashlight? Brilliant idea. The creator of this light has a deal for you. It's the ultimate buy one, get one free. You purchase one flashlight for $25 (plus shipping) the free one gets shipped to Africa and an additional $1 gets donated to an aid group. It's a great idea and I encourage everyone to get one. You can learn more about this program here.

Friday Night Fun

After a rather long week, it was good to have a night out with my friend. The downside was the fact that it was cold, rainy and raw. With umbrellas in hand, she and I still had a good time. We had fun at our usual Irish pub where we managed to pick up a bachelor party. We chatted with the two Jim's from Philly. It was amusing and I'm sure the boys had quite the evening! There was one quirk however. Due to construction, we had to get to the ladies room by leaving the bar, going around the corner and coming back inside. It really made you evaluate whether you wanted to go or not.

We then headed to my friend's usual spot over by Faneuil Hall. When we got out of the cab, I managed to make a friend from Calgary thus continuing my streak of International men. The bar was a cute neighborhood place and fun. I met a handsome Spanish man who was very disappointed he could not persuade me to have another drink but we were off to the cigar bar. I have smoked a few in my day and just love the smell of cigar smoke. To me there is something so masculine about it. It's hard to explain. All in all, a great evening!

Goodbye Gilmores

I generally do not watch a ton of television. No Survivor, American Idol, or Lost for me. I have the attention span of a fruit fly when a new show comes on. I watch the first one and then forget all about it. Besides The Simpsons, the only show I have watched religiously has been Gilmore Girls. I loved the show the first time I saw it in 2000. The fast talking mother and daughter as best friends was enormously appealing. As someone who has a very similar relationship with my rather young mother, I was instantly hooked. The musical and pop culture references were astounding.

Tonight was the series finale. It came as a surprise to me and I was saddened to have to see it go. So with thunderstorms rolling through, I watched and cried.

Goodbye Gilmores, thanks for being my steady date on Tuesday nights.

Dating Post-mortem

A few thoughts after recent events.

"Act your age" - I've dated someone 50 who thought he was 20. If you are 40 please do not act as though you are ready to head to Boca to play shuffleboard and eat dinner at before it's dark outside.

"I want kids. Maybe. Sort of" - This is a yes or no question. Mind you, I wasn't sure if I wanted to mingle my genetic material with yours but at least know where you stand. Given that in this day and age all I need is a credit card, Internet connection and a turkey baster to have a kid, I know where I stand.

"I called ahead to the restaurant to see if jeans were ok" - That clears things up. I had assumed when you opened the door that I was early and you hadn't changed yet. While it may be fine to wear jeans to the restaurant, we were also going to the theater. I took time to dress up since it was a date and all. Nice to see you put in such effort.


"You should tell her you hope she gets cancer" - To my boss? Are you serious? How is this appropriate adult behavior? The fact that I had a family member who was diagnosed with cancer a mere three weeks before you uttered this statement shows a remarkable level of insensitivity.


"You're a good kisser" - Yes I am. Thanks for mentioning it. While we're at it, could we clear up that kissing is all about lips. It is not about you sticking your tongue down my throat for ten minutes. This isn't fun for anyone and if I wanted that I'd be dating a Labrador retriever.

"I don't go to concerts unless I have great seats" - Well aren't we picky. For me it's an evening out and a chance to hear some good music. I can hear just as well from row 27 as I can from row 2. Thankfully the concert I was kind enough to invite you to was open seating.


"I like the outdoors" - Great! Me too. Do you ski? Snowboard? Kayak? Mountain Bike? Hike? Oh you walk. Well that's like hiking except for the trees, dirt and bugs. Going to a Starbucks is not considered an outdoor activity.


"I don't want to get in the way of your school" - Thanks for that. Given that I have worked my butt off for the last three years and this was my last semester I appreciate the understanding. Why then during finals, did you have attitude with me when I couldn't spend time with you? I've been in school for 3 years. I've known you for 2 months. Which did you think was my priority?

"I really like my life nice and quiet" - That's great that your life is so quiet. I assume my life will be quiet too. When I'm 90. Right now, I'm a bit too busy enjoying the noise.

All About My Mother (and Stepmother)

Of course, unless you are living under a rock, today was Mother's Day. It was one of those days where the sky is perfectly blue and the new leaves are still lime green. My mother being the excellent cook that she is, opted to roast a chicken instead of my brother and I taking her out. The dog and I had a very nice time. We both got a doggie bag of leftovers to take home. My stepmom and Dad had other plans so I just dropped off her card and gift.

It was a day with a bit of a cloud over it however. I had a puzzling conversation with CBM last evening that really irked me. I am a ridiculously direct person and I expect the same thing from people. When I don't get it that really annoys me. I can't change the fact that I have pets and he can't change his allergy to two of them. It's not just my felines, there were other, larger issues as well but it is what it is.

Stressful day, warm night

I was just outside with the dog in my bare feet on skunk watch. It's one of those nice May nights where you can still feel the heat of the day emanating from the pavement. While he sniffed around I had the chance to stare up at the stars which are out in full force on this clear night. I always seek out the Big Dipper first since that's the very first constellation my Grandfather ever taught me. It's so peaceful and quiet that it helped to blur the stress of the day.

Work has not been a wonderful place for me of late. I have a boss from hell who finally decided after 3 years to give me a review. To call it a review is an understatement. It is a 16 page, single spaced massacre. I'm pretty sure it blames me for every ill of our department and possibly blames me for global warming.

I believe this line sums things up. My boss said "although we discussed some issues that need to be addressed, please accept our appreciation for the part of your efforts in which our expectations have been met." Ouch. In non middle management speak I think she's trying to say thanks for nothing,

Today I had to work on my rebuttal. Thoughts of taking a black Sharpie marker and writing "COMPLETE LIES. I DISAGREE." on every page did cross my mind.

Since I've finally finished finals, all signs point to finding a new job. Until then, I have to suck it up and trudge in. Thankfully this week is almost over.

Food glorious food!

Mangoes from India are finally being allowed into the US! Oh the wonders or irradiaton and bilateral trade.

Mangoes are one of my favorite foods. That blend of gingery and almost piney flesh and the juice are incredible. The best mango I have ever had was once in Grenada when our tour guide, Clint, pulled over at some woman's house and asked her if he could have a ripe mango from a tall tree in her yard. It was warm from the sun, like a cherry tomato from the vine in the summer. The juice that came from this fruit was amazing. The taste was incredible and I have yet to replicate it here. Hopefully once the Indian mangoes hit the market, I will be able to indulge.

The other food news is a bit puzzling. Yes, it's the Kool-Aid Dill pickle. It's as puzzling as it sounds and gives a normal pickle an otherworldly red hue. Apparently it's from the South and combines sour and sweet in a new way. As much of a fan of sweet and sour as I am, it looks a bit off putting.

You Are What You Eat. Sort of.

Interesting stuff about obesity in the New York Times today. It would seem that if you are overweight and you lose weight, then you should be able to keep the weight off. Not exactly.

It seems that "each person has a comfortable weight range to which the body gravitates. The range might span 10 or 20 pounds: someone might be able to weigh 120 to 140 pounds without too much effort. Going much above or much below the natural weight range is difficult, however; the body resists by increasing or decreasing the appetite and changing the metabolism to push the weight back to the range it seeks.".

Huh. Who knew? It makes all those people who insist that when you hit "25, 30, 35, 40, 45 you will see" look a bit silly. I have a hard time believing that once you turn a certain age you will suddenly just wake up with 20 extra pounds. I do realize that metabolism does slow as you age but these people seem to forget that every one's metabolism is different. Some of us are luckier than others in that regard, but as long as you keep active your weight should be pretty stable.

Chicks!

So today the dog an I took a little trip to visit my family. We headed out to my Dad's house to see his latest arrivals. The new chicks were here! My Dad started raising chickens a few years back. I grew up with all kinds of animals both as pets and non-pets but this has been an interesting experience. I can't tell you the last time I had to buy eggs in the grocery store. There is something so very cute about a fluffy little chick. As the designated chicken-sitter when he and my step-mom go on vacation I have a significant number of charges this year!

Disco Ball With Legs

One this very busy weekend of finals, I did what anyone preparing for exams would do. I went out of course!

Last night was a fun night with my usual Friday night nacho eating friends. We laughed and had a great time but I stayed out far later than I had planned. We were all amused by the women wearing the odd silver sequined dress. We were in an Irish Pub so she was definitely overdressed. Black leggings did not add to the outfit at all. When my friend said that this woman looked like a disco ball we all realized we are going straight to hell for being so catty. At least we'll be in good company! When I came back from the ladies room I have no idea what happened in my absence but the lady who looked like she had escaped from Princess Bride kept glaring over at us for the rest of the evening. By far the best comment of the night, "Nice shirt. Did you buy it or was it a gag gift?"

This evening was the Brandi Carlile concert in town with CBM. What an amazing show! There is something so sexy about a woman who can play the hell out of a guitar and she certainly can. The show started with a Dylan cover, had a great version of Creep by Radiohead and a rollicking Johnny Cash tune. It was a blast and it was one of those shows where clearly all the planets have aligned because the music and performance were so incredible.

My New Sister

Well I do have a new "sister" but it's not in a traditional sense. I just got a package from Women for Women International containing the information about the latest sister I am sponsoring. She is living in the Sudan.

Here are a few facts -

-She shares a home (hut actually) with 24 including her 5 boys. She had 6 children but one died. There is no running water or electricity and the main source of lighting is kerosene.

-She cannot read her name or write and has never been to school.

-Medical attention is too expensive, too far and has a shortage of medicines.

-In the Sudan, a woman is more likely to die in childbirth than to graduate from primary school.

-Almost 90% of women in Sudan have experienced FGM (female genital mutilation). Women who do not under go FGM risk being shunned or sanctioned.

-Rape has been used extensively as a tool of war during the conflict in Darfur to terrorize the population.

It's a big reality check as I wrote my letter to her in my home with heat, hot water, ample food, computer, tv, cell phone and pets that are probably better fed than some of the residents of Sudan.

Science Friday

Today I was lucky enough to sit in on the live broadcast of NPR's Science Friday. It was two shows (two hours each). The first hour was devoted to Cambridge Science Week and had panelists discussing recycling and green efforts in the city of Cambridge.

The second hour was completely fascinating. It was all about stem cell research. I have read a lot about this subject but it was great to hear even further explanation about how it's done and what the potential could be with further research.

I know that stem cell research is one of those hot button issues like abortion that just gets people all wound up. I have a very scientific mind and am a firm supporter of this research. I do understand the "life begins at conception" people and why they would have this belief. One gentleman who called in was completely in this camp. When one of the panelists was playing devil's advocate and asking this man if there was a fertility clinic on fire and there was a six year old girl or a tray with twenty frozen embryos and he could only save one, which would he save? This man hemmed and hawed and finally said that if he was a firefighter he would save whoever was closest to the door! I asked my dad, a retired firefighter of twenty five years, which he would do and the answer was clearly the little girl.

I respect the caller's right to his own opinion but it annoys me to no end when people bullishly insist on their belief as being the correct one but can't back it up. Stem cell research is very subjective. It's easy to say it is wrong until it is your child with diabetes. Or mother with Parkinson's. Or husband with Alzheimer's.

Tension in Virginville

So I received word from R. today that's he's a bit peeved at me for blogging about his virgin situation. He thought I should not have told anyone. As I pointed out to him, I told him I was going to post on that topic. Additionally, if this had happened to me (not that I would ever in a million years date a 27 year old virgin, mind you) I would be writing about it as well. He was so upset that I was really quite taken aback.

Then it occurred to me, the downside to dating a virgin is that you are not getting any. I think that R. is feeling a bit pent up and looking for an outlet. Instead of sex, it was being mad at me. This is not my problem.

He said I had no integrity and was poking fun at him about this situation. It's a funny story and I would be remiss in my duties as someone with a great sense of humor not to share! The gall of someone who considers himself the "Designated Deflowerer" questioning my integrity is really priceless.

Call me Boo

So my baby brother, the one who coined the Boo of the title, has had this nickname for me since he could talk. My real name was too tough for him to say so thus I am Boo.
I think it's great that he still calls me this and it comes in handy for purposes of this blog.

My brother does not have a computer so he calls me for all his Internet needs. Is so and so dead or alive? What do you feed a Venus fly trap if you don't have flies? Where did the guitarist from Alice in Chains go?

Usually they provide a distraction so I don't mind. My brother figures that since I am getting my hard earned IT degree shortly, it's really just me using my education.

This evening while talking to him, he asked me to find out something else for him. I laughed and said I was his Google. He one upped me and said that no, I was actually his "Boo-gle". That just cracked me up to no end!

Like a Virgin

So today I heard from my friend, let's call him R. He's in his upper 30's. Apparently he's been seeing a girl, we'll call her Mary. She's in her upper 20's and very religious. They've been out as a part of a group and hadn't even held hands. Granted there is a very large height difference that may also preclude hand holding!

Apparently they spent all weekend together. Cut to the evening and he's going to sleep over. Of course, he's assuming that what happens when you have a date and sleep over will happen. So they are in bed and that's when she tells him that she's a virgin. The timing could have been a bit better!

By the time you are post college, you pretty much assume that once you're in bed with someone they have done this before. And there is a huge difference between being a teenage virgin and an almost 30 year old virgin.

I think that with someone who's religious and held out this long there can only be one reason. Saving yourself for marriage. This is not a fun situation. If she does decide he's the "one" what's his obligation? Are you pledging something about the relationship that's just started? What if she has religious remorse about the whole thing? Is her family going to show up to beat the crap out of you? The one positive I pointed out to him is that if he's terrible, she won't know!

R thinks he should do research. I don't think there is a "Deflowering a Virgin for Dummies" book. He also seems to be viewing this as the Fates trying to tell him something about his life, particularly after a really bad relationship. I guess the Fates are telling him not to have sex. Hmm, fate does work in a mysterious way!

The Young and the Clueless

After an atrocious Friday the 13th it was a relief to see my good friend for an evening out after work. She and I had a lot to catch up on and decided to walk through the Common and chat. We weren't quite sure where we were going but the walk was enjoyable. We were both engrossed in our conversation when we finally looked around. Our actually conversation went as follows.

Me, looking at the barricades and Adidas trailer: "Did we miss something? Looks like some sort of sporting event went on earlier."
Her, looking around too, "Yeah it does."
Both of us, "Duh. They're setting up for the marathon!"

In our defense, we had both had really tough weeks and were a bit distracted. I am confident we would have figured it out once we walked over the finish line!

We finally made out way to a bar we had been to before. Another friend joined us and we were having fun, until the bar took our bar stools away. Apparently they have problems with their patrons "stumbling over the bar stools" and "fighting with the bar stools" so they take them all away. It would seem to me if you have people tripping over a bar stool or jousting with them, maybe you shouldn't serve them so much alcohol.

Finding ourselves vertical, we took being seatless as our cue and walked up the street to a different bar with seats where we finished our evening.

Failure is not an option

"It is on our failures that we base a new and different and better success". Havelock Ellis

Actually it is an option and it seems to be happening quite a bit lately. For me it's on the heels of a great personal success so it's kind of dampening my spirits despite my best efforts. There are a few others in the same boat as I am.

While failure can be in the eye of the beholder, it doesn't help when it's you who are the one it applies to. I certainly understand the whole "when one door closes another opens" thing but for once can't both be doors stay open?

As for the author of the quote above, if anyone knows about overcoming obstacles it would be him.

Hit me

It is know amongst my friends that I will, in a social situation, attract the oldest man in the room. I'm not sure why but I've changed my perfume, just in case.
A recent new trend has caused me some alarm. It seems that I am attracting 20 year old boys with depth perception problems. More precisely my car is attracting them. In the last 4 months I have been rear-ended in traffic twice. The most recent occurred this evening on the way home.

When you have one main road in and out of town you sit in rush hour traffic. I was in this traffic, not moving quickly and lost in a reverie when I realized my car was being pushed forward and had stalled. Given that I was in gear and still had my foot on the clutch I was a bit puzzled until I saw the young man in the Jeep behind me getting out of his car. I got out of my car and told him to back up so I could assess the damage. This is when he informed me that his car does not go in reverse. Reverse is broken. What? How is this possible? I must have shot him a look because he took a step back from me. Fortunately it was low enough speed that there was no damage to my car. But still, no reverse??

Back in Time

Blogger Kathy Sierra of the Creating Compassionate Users blog received disturbing and graphic death threats. The prevailing assumption is that they are due to her gender, not so much about what she says or lectures on. Pure misogyny it seems.

As a female who has worked in the high tech field, I can attest that it was a "boy's club" at times. I have a very thick skin. I grew up a tomboy and can hold my own. But really, should I have to? I know that this is not a perfect world but shouldn't I be judged on my abilities and not if I'm wearing a skirt? No one should ever be touched at work but I've been grabbed, pinched, leered at, and propositioned by coworkers. One even put his hand on my knee and called me "sweetie" in a training I was leading. My grandmother is the only one who ever got to call me sweetie.

Moving to the quiet world of biotech has been a relief and I haven't been touched once. But if I go out and flirt at a bar, I'm a slut. If I assert myself or rebuff unwanted attention, I'm a bitch.

It's 2007 and it saddens me that we are still having these incidents and conversations. With all hell breaking loose in the rest of the world, could we stop viewing women who are working in "non-traditional" industries as a threat?

Full Disclosure

I find myself in the lucky position of having new people in my life that, for the near future anyway, have become part of my life. This brings me to wonder just when it is that you should fess up your past. I'm not talking about the little stuff here. While everyone has their issues and baggage, at what point do you roll out whatever your issue is? I try to go by the "when the time is right" method but in my current case, I'm not sure that's the best. Granted, it depends what your particular skeleton is but for me it's something that helps to explain why I am the person I am today. It's not pleasant or easy but it's a discussion I usually have to have.

I find that this time I am feeling a bit like a petulant child having to do this. It's the feeling of "how dare this interfere with my life" which is silly since it is my life. I think it's just the mood I am in.

Weekend Fun

This was quite the weekend for me. Even though I am crushed with homework, I was a social butterfly. Friday night was out with a friend to celebrate his birthday. The evening did not turn out as I had planned but was quite a bit of fun. I wasn't anticipating staying up until all hours of the night but when you are in an Irish pub talking to Irish people, the beer and conversation flow quite easily! There were two older couples who just a blast, even if they kept insisting my friend was my husband :-) I'm not quite sure the number of beers I had but I will admit to being a smidge tipsy. Little flashes of forgotten moments keep coming back to me. Like all of us being on our hands and knees looking for a dropped ring.

Saturday brought a wonderfully overdue 90 minute massage. I was jello when I finally oozed my well lubricated self off the massage table. Then it was home for a much needed nap.

The evening brought dinner at one of my favorite Greek places (mmm feta) and a movie. I saw The Namesake. The book was wonderful and so was the movie. I greatly appreciated that my new friend, CBM, did not tease me for crying.

Today was breakfast. I love breakfast out especially at a little diner. Any day that starts with bacon is alright in my book. The rest of today was homework and writing my research paper.

All in all a very interesting, varied and good weekend!

So Mad I Could Spit

About three weeks ago all heck broke loose for me at work. While I finally got recognition that I have been working two jobs, I was told that I "don't fit with the group" and that "my skills would be better suited doing something else" and my boss offered her "full support to help me find somewhere else within the company so I can succeed". Whole lotta lies right there. After meeting with HR and finally getting the scoop, I learned my boss has been lying to my face. What she has been telling me is not what she reported to HR. By being sneaky and underhanded, she has also sabotaged my chances of transferring within the company. I am absolutely livid.

So I must be getting laid off or fired, right? Nope. Instead I am in limbo. I am being asked to still do both jobs but with no recognition or promotion, the motivation is not really there quite frankly. My HR person even agreed that the group is not treating me fairly. Great, thanks for the validation.

While I did plan to get a new job when I get my long-awaited degree in a few short weeks, I do not appreciate the needless stress that my boss is putting through.

Spring Break and Wearing of the Green

Well this week was Spring Break. I am officially at the halfway point of my last semester! It also brought a 70 degree day and ended with a foot of snow. Gotta love the New England weather. I took a day off from work Friday to get caught up on stuff. I had two very nice dinners with my new friend as well. For purposes of these pages and my Mom, he will be referred to as CBM. He's very good company and I am always grateful when someone makes me dinner!

In addition to clearing cars and shoveling today it's a holiday. Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's a holiday in my family so I am getting ready to head out to eat my fill of corned beef. I do enjoy that.

Dinner and a Show

Add another perfect date to my list. Saturday brought dinner and a show and perfect company. The meal at The Ivy was amazing. It was Italian tapas that started with a really good salad. The show was hysterical. The rest of the date was just perfect :-)

Coldest Date Night Ever

So after my lengthy Starbucks date and a very long phone conversation after class on Monday, he asked if I wanted to meet him in Harvard Square after work on Thursday.
I was happy to be seeing him again before our date on Saturday. The only problem, the bitter, bitter cold! It was so cold out Thursday night I think it was the coldest night of the year.

We met at a coffee place and had cocoa and chatted. He then asked me if I wanted to go to dinner and we went to a place that was a favorite of his. Oh my god. We walked in from the wind to this cute place with a huge, roaring fire. It was rather romantic. The food was wonderful. I am a happy girl if I can have good duck and it was good!

We had the best time! We talked, ate, and had some wine. He showed me some more of his work (he is so talented). He offered to drive me back to my car at work (saving me from the cold and the joys of the Red Line). I was getting ready to get out of the car and then it happened. A very, very nice goodnight kiss :-) And he smelled so good too.

It was the perfect date. I drove home with a huge smile on my face. I can't wait until Saturday!

Third time's a charm!

Well so far I'm a few weeks into the online dating and it's been ok.
I get a wink for a cute guy nearby so I winked back. He sent back a great email. It was long, detailed and in complete sentences! We decide to meet for a coffee. I talked to him on the phone and oh boy, what a great voice he has :-)

We meet at Starbucks and I figure it will be a nice way to spend an hour. I walk in and he surprised me because he was right at the door. He was working on something and it's amazing how artistic and creative he is. Long story short, after 4 1/2 hours I had to go to another event. The time just flew by. He's funny, smart, literate, handsome, easy to talk to and such a nice guy. He gave me a nice hug when he walked me to my car as we watched the lunar eclipse.

We have plans for the theater next week and I am looking forward to it!

Hooray for Bollywood

So my limited exposure to Bollywood prior to Friday has solely been spoofs of the genre on the Simpsons. I was more than curious to see what Bollywood Girls Night would hold.
My friend made such an amazing dinner I still can't even believe it. I will have dreams about the okra and potato dish she made. And the lentils? Don't even get me started. They were beyond amazing.

The movie we saw was "Kal Ho Na Ho" (which translates to "Tomorrow May Or May Not Be").
I enjoyed it because it was so different from anything I have seen. The singing, the dancing, the colors. It was like walking into Times Square for the very first time. I didn't know where to look first.

My friend is a huge movie buff and sent me home with a movie that is more of an art film that a big Bollywood production. I am looking forward to watching it.

Passionate Kisses and Delicate Ears

So it's been a busy week. I have been a very popular girl in the dating world.
Over a 2 day period I had 2 dates. Date number one was responsible for the comment from the title about my ears. It's not a body part I generally get compliments on but hey. You when someone gives you a compliment about something and you immediately become self conscious about it? That's what happened. I suddenly could not stop thinking about my ears. As far as the kissing of the title, that was not to be found on either of these dates!

Both dates were fun but a study in contrasts. Date number one in Cambridge. Hanging out drinking good wine and imported beer eating mussels and frites. Date number two was a townie bar (thank god I wore jeans and not work clothes!) drinking beer eating dirt cheap, but good pulled pork and brisket.

Both men were gentlemen, funny, decent conversationalists and very happy to be in my company. Date one was extremely bitter about his ex and had a not so kind nickname for her. Date two has food issues. No fancy food, no orange food and an odd love of chain restaurants. So those two are a wash, but I knew that when I first saw them. No chemistry. No spark. Nothing.

So while these two didn't go well, I am not quite writing off online dating just yet.

Layers

I do like winter. I am thrilled that it finally feels that the season has come. I went snowboarding today in the snow and it was great. The problem with winter comes when you try to date or go out. It's a tough season to try to look your hottest. Static from hats, hat head, chapped lips, layers and layers of clothing and boots and mittens and scarf and coat. The city has been so icy lately it is impossible to wear heels, my preferred footwear. LL Bean is generally not the first name that comes to mind when I am getting dressed for an evening out. But I'd rather not twist an ankle or slip like so many people have.

So blue

Work has sucked. School is getting really, really busy. Date with man with no-name was meh. I drove into to work today and almost got hit by every crazy driver on the Pike and in the Stop and Shop parking lot. I have not been in the best of moods.

So I walked into my door tonight and sat down in front of the computer. A few clicks later I had reupped my sponsorship for a new sister through Women for Women. I asked for my sponsorship dollars to go either to Sudan, Afghanistan or Rwanda. In about 12 weeks I will get my sponsorship packet and be off and running. I would sponsor more women if I could but I am only one person and can only do this.

I got tired of feeling sorry for myself. So I am turning my blues into action and helping someone who really has something to feel bad about.

What's in a name?

So I met a guy on my crazy Friday out a few weeks back. He seemed nice enough so we've been in touch. We have plans to go out this weekend. The problem? I have no idea what his name is. He introduced himself to me (and my 3 friends) at the bar. None of us know what it is which is sad since clearly none of us were paying attention. . We are also not sure of his nationality. His accent was German. Or Russian. Or Spanish. When he calls me he doesn't say his name. I was hoping to get his voicemail but no such luck. I'm not sure of the etiquette, but I think we are past the point where I can just ask him point blank. So I am left to hope that he pays by credit card so I can sneak a peek at his name. Or I can ask him for his email address.

So essentially I am going out with indeterminate accent no-name guy. It should be interesting :-)

Snow and Valentines

Well as far as Valentine's Days go, this one was good because our first major snowstorm hit today. And let me tell you, it's about time I got a snow day! Happy Valentine's Day!

Goodbye Gotham

I had a quick trip to NYC to visit the girls. I decided to stay over as a bit of a break. I can do homework in an airport or hotel as well as I can at home.

We were celebrating new house, new job, new teeth, new engagement and the fun of being together again. It a blast and we usually laugh so hard that it qualifies as an ab workout.

My day started and ended with a case of mistaken identity. In the security line at Logan, the family in front of me had four kids. One of the little boys wasn't really paying attention, nor was I, and next thing I know he's got his arms wrapped around my legs hugging me! I don't know who was more shocked! The look on his face when he realized I wasn't his Mom was too funny. I mean we all must look the same when you're 3 feet tall. Apparently he is a painfully shy child as well. I'm sure he recovered by the time they got to Florida.

At dinner that evening, I was sitting alone in the middle of a row of tables. I was having a great time and had just finished my goat cheese and beet salad. All of a sudden this man I had seen at the bar earlier was across from me trying to hand me his coat to put on the bench next to me. I had no idea who he was but he was certainly insistent. Then he sat down at my table. The waiter looked at me. I looked at him. The people around me looked. The man then asked the waiter for a glass of wine. All of a sudden this man realized I was not his date. She was sitting four tables away looking really peeved. It was hysterical and I'm guessing the date didn't go well after that.

Because I Say So

So it appears that after 3 weeks of intensive counseling former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Rev. Ted Haggard, is now 'Completely Heterosexual'. This is in spite of that pesky incident with the call boy which caused him to have to step down.

Well thank goodness. I guess if you say something to yourself enough times it will be true. Oh, that's right. It's only true if you have 21 days of intensive "counseling" with four ministers. They can declare you completely heterosexual - as long as you leave town and enter the secular workforce. Sounds to me like they really, really believe he's straight.

Fishnets and raindrops

It was a very interesting Friday evening. It was a long night out that really seems to have been broken into three distinct acts. I got an extra act that the rest of my friends did not, but it certainly wasn't what any of them thought.

Act I - An outing with a friend prior to meeting up with other friends. Had great conversation, wine and tapas and a few laughs at the scenery.

Act II - We all finally met up and headed out. We had no idea it was raining so a quick sprint to the T and trying to find a bar based on proximity rather than preference. We settled in, had some snacks and drinks and had a rather entertaining evening with quite the revolving cast of characters.

Act III - I headed off to see another friend for something I was not expecting. He had mentioned great life changes so I was anticipating great things. The discussion that followed was a complete shock. I am still reeling with the information I have been given because I had no idea he was in such pain. Why is it that conversations like this happen at the wee hours of the morning?

Postmortem was lunch with the girls to deconstruct the evening.

Overall it was a great evening. It's going to take me a few more days to make sense of some of it but I will rest assured that I have a great smile.

And the fishnets of the title were a big hit!

Can we please stop talking about this?

Ok I give up. I cannot bear another day talking about the Mooninites and the Turner Broadcasting guerilla marketing campaign. Should you have been blissfully spared of this news, see the story here.

Fine, maybe in this touchy time we live in putting Lite Brights on a bridge overpass was not the brightest idea. But what gets me more than anything else is that it took almost 2 hours for the media and mayor to say that this was a publicity stunt. Two hours. So instead of letting all of us know that there was nothing to worry about, the massive police presence continued. At 6pm when I went to take my train home I could barely get through the throng of Transit Police clogging the platform.

I am all for safety and security and will admit to a bit of travelling on faith every morning that each of the hundreds of other commuters I encounter mean me no harm.

Debacles like this one make me feel embarrassed and nervous that if something really did happen (god forbid) this city is still not prepared for it.