To each his own... strangely

Heather has 'Crazy of the Day' on her blog, and that's exactly what I thought when I saw this van this morning on my way to work.

If you can't read it, the stickers on the window read, "Jesus is coing back soon. Are you ready?"

I'm not sure I'm ready, but I'm also not sure I believe him. Good for him for utilizing his power of free speech.

Per usual

The more I have going on, the less I blog. Ironic actually - you think that is when I would say the most!
Stay tuned for:
- Beatle Juice @Johnny D's
- Ugly Sweater Party
- life updates

it's like that dream where you forget to wear pants to work

Do you listen to your Ipod/music at work via headphones? Do you ever worry that you will start singing out loud or humming to yourself? Because I do. Worry, that is - not sing out loud or hum. At least - not that I know of. And knowing the people I sit around, they'd tell me if I was. Probably by laughing and pointing.
Anyway - I almost did it today. I was listening to the random playlist of the week and fought the urge to sing 'American Boy' out loud. I feel like randomly singing out loud would be quite embarassing - similar to those dreams where you are at school, work, the bus, etc. without pants, or something.

For my Boston Commuter friends

Dunkin' Donuts hands out free Charlie cards
via Loaded Gun by Sam Baltrusis on 1/20/09

On Friday, Jan. 23, Dunkin' Donuts teams up with actor Peter Ostrum, the former child star from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," to hand out 10,000 pre-paid Charlie Cards to morning commuters from 7-10 a.m. at Boston's North Station, South Station and Back Bay.

Ostrum will work with Dunkin' Donuts in presenting one lucky commuter with a "Golden Ticket" for a year's worth of Dunkin' Donuts Coffee and a Charlie Card for unlimited subway rides on the T for one year.

Unfortunately, Oompa-Loompas are not eligible for the "Golden Ticket" prize.

To help spread their so-called "Kin' Do" spirit, Dunkin' Donuts is launching a free transportation program in January in Boston and select markets throughout the Northeast.

Let's take a look back

at our exiting President:



Though this all was pretty entertaining, I am happy Obama will be in the White House.

negative

It is super cold here, but at least I am not in Maine! Jen's brother sent this pic to her today. It was -23 in his car. YIKES.

reader

Recently found this blog courtesy of another blog. It is the story of a guy named Matt, whose wife had a baby 3/24/08 and then she died the following day. His blog chronicles his life raising his baby girl, Madeline, mainly by himself. (but with some assistance from family and friends.)
Last weekend, I think I sat down and read about 90% of the past posts, and have since added this to my google reader. I love the way he tells his stories, and he is a fantastic photographer.
Today he launched a website for a foundation in honor of his late wife, that donates money to families that have lost a parent.

Steve in Real Life

Steve Carell buys Massachusetts general store

MARSHFIELD, Mass. – Steve Carell is going from "The Office" to the general store.
Carell, who plays bumbling boss Michael Scott on the NBC sitcom, recently bought the Marshfield Hills General Store. The 45-year-old actor is a part-time resident of the town on Massachusetts' south shore, 25 miles south of Boston.
He put sister-in-law Tish Vivado in charge, but said customers should not be surprised to see him working there on occasion.
"I will be manning the cash register, and stocking the shelves as time permits!" Carell wrote in an e-mail to The Boston Globe.
He said the purchase was more of an "emotional investment than a business one" and an opportunity to preserve a piece of Americana.
The store's previous owner, Sherry Bechtold, said she and her husband, Bob, sold the 155-year-old building and business to Carell after being convinced he wanted it "for the right reasons." She said she wanted to make sure the new owner retained the store's character.
Vivado took over as store manager on Jan. 1.

Awesome ring tone of the day

is......
"What is love" - the song's claim to fame is being featured in the SNL skit(below).
Awesome. Click here to read about ring tones in the office.

accidente

No wonder the ride to work today took over an hour.

A dream involving Britney Spear's kids?

I had a weirdo dream last night that I need to discuss.
I got a call that I needed to babysit - which wasn't weird in the dream but is sort of strange bc I haven't babysat in years. So I went over to this house, which was massive and had gates. I get inside and I am at Britney Spears' house. She has been arrested and I have to watch her kids. So I am playing w/ her sons, hanging out. Then, Britney comes home and says it was all a joke, she is not arrested and is laughing a lot. Next, I am sitting in the back of a van, and the doors are open. Someone tied up my hands w/ plastic ties (I saw this happen in an episode of How I met Your Mother at the gym yesterday) but told me it was just for a bit for a radio show. Then I see a guy from a local radio station roaming around the park we are nearby. And the person I am with goes, 'Look - it's the Gunner!'* Then I woke up.

*the Gunner is a fan of the aforementioned radio show - who is always hammered and calls up the show with nonsense comments.

interview

Not with a vampire, or Steve Buscemi as Pierre Pierre, but with me - courtesy of Paula.

1. Do you tell people you know, in real life, about your blog and/or tell them the URL so they can read it if they want?

Yes, but sometimes I think about starting a completely anonymous one so I can full-on vent about everything and talk about whatever I want without having to ever think about censoring it.



2. If you were given the option to have an epic kiss with any famous person, who would it be and why?
I'm going to take this as - you have to have the exact kiss that occurred in the movie scene with that celeb. SO - I will have to go with Brad Pitt in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. There are some pretty good ones in there. However, if you can pick any scene and any actor, I would take the Notebook kiss (the running/jumping one) w/ Christian Bale.



3. If you had the option to swap lives with someone, who would you choose? (Anyone - someone you know, or someone famous)
At this point, I can't say I want to swap lives with anyone. Maybe swap lives with some people I know to get a better idea of what goes on in their world.. but that's about it. (and no, I can't name names)



4. If you were only allowed to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Only one?? I guess I'd have to pick cereal. You can eat it day or night, dry or w/ milk - and there are a ton of varieties so there would be less chance of getting sick of it. My other thought was pizza - but I think that if I had that a few days in a row, I'd get bored quick.

5. Are there any reality tv shows you would consider taking part in?

I used to want to be on Real World - until it got completely out of control and obnoxious. Now, the only one I would consider is Amazing Race. Even if I lost - it'd be cool to travel around. Although it would be a pretty stressful way to see the world.

X marks the spot

Snow sucks when you have street parking. You have to shovel out a spot and then you leave and risk losing it. In Boston, residents are allowed to reserve parking spots they shoveled out after a snowstorm for 48 hours by placing an object on the pavement. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO MEDFORD. I should know, I called the cops to ask.
Our fantastic* neighbor, who we've dubbed 'Joan Jett' - is marking her spot with cones. It snowed Wednesday, so even if she was allowed to follow the 48 hour rule, it is over now. Things that my friends and I have discussed doing to the cones:
- pouring water on them and hoping they freeze to the street
- putting them on their front porch
- stuffing foul smelling items inside (i.e. dead fish, etc.) so when they put the cones in their trunk the car smells
- removing them and hiding them/throw them away
- burning them (this will not be good for us bc burning plastic smells and is bad for the environment.)

I have yet to bring myself to move the cones, or do anything about it. . partly because I think it is just as petty and immature as Joan Jett putting the cones out in the first place. She is crusin' for a bruisin'.** haha.

*Joan Jett thinks she is entitled to a parking spot in front of her house bc she does not have a driveway. Unfortunately for her, the street is public parking and we all pay for permits to park here. She calls our landlord to complain. our landlord says, put in a driveway - they can park wherever they want. She leaves notes on our cars that say, your car has been in front of my house for 2 days (someone was away for the weekend) please move it since we don't have a driveway and want to park in front of our house. If Joan was sick, or had a disability, I'd be way nicer about it. She is just a b*tch.

** when we were younger and annoying my mom, she'd let us know we were on thin ice by telling us we were "crusin' for a brusin'."

juicy?

Ridiculous - have you heard of this site - http://www.juicycampus.com/ ? Apparently some Duke University grad started it as a forum to anonymously gossip about your school, classmates, etc. I found out about it on boston.com, and was disgusted.
People list names of classmates for comments and discussions - and the information can be completely true or completely fabricated, and it's up to the public to form their own opinions. The comments and discussions also cover topics such as where is the best place to live on/off campus, best bars, etc - but that also turns ugly when people comment out of control.
Seriously - why do people find it entertaining to spend their time talking about other people and speculating on their lives? At some point in life, everyone gossips - sometimes innocently, as in - did you hear so and so got engaged. Sometimes maliciously - as in - Did you see person x & person y sitting in the cafeteria? That must mean something is going on between them. Come on. Find something else to do.
In high school - I couldn't wait to leave and get to college where I though petty situations like that might die down a bit. To my disgust, it got worse. When I entered the working world, I thought - Finally the b.s. will stop. Nope, not there either. I am grateful that I am not in college now - because this juicy campus b.s. would be too much to deal with. I'm sure it causes all sorts of unnecessary fights, with people accusing their friends of making comments or whatever. And - it is just mean and hurtful. Why do people think they have the right to post on a forum like this? (Even if it is 'anonymous') If you can't tell someone something to their face that you are telling others - then you probably shouldn't be saying it at all.*

*unless of course you are planning a surprise party or something fun!

Puzzling

I do not understand:
- people who watch your TV on your treadmill at the gym while they have their TV on a different channel. Put on the same channel, then you won't have to crane your neck into my space.
- People who do not wear sports bras while working out.

Grinchy about Holidays

My friend and I were headed to a Christmas gathering last Monday and we were both a little cranky. We were feeling a little grinchy about the holidays, and were annoyed by other random situations - so we were both in a state. But we were laughing about it so it was fun.
It led to the discussion about our favorite holiday. Hers is Thanksgiving bc all you have to do is eat and hang out. I said I like Halloween - costumes are fun, and I like Halloween decorations. Also - I like the 4th of July. All you do is hang out outside, have a few beers and see fireworks, which I LOVE. And,there is no pressure to gather the entire family from all ends of the earth, no gifts to buy, etc. Which made me come to my own conclusion a few days later - I don't really like holidays. I like other people's birthdays bc I like to find a fun gift for them, send a cute card or celebrate my friends bc I love them. But - if I really think about it - holidays stress me out and I'm not a fan.

Let's go through them: (Holidays consist of days off from work, or certain days noted on a calendar as a holiday)
- New Year's Day:
Plus: There is the potential for fireworks, but you have to stand outside in the cold to see them. It's an excuse to put on a silly crown and use noisemakers. If you have a fun party to go to you can dress up for it.
Minus: You have to stay where you party if you want to have drinks* It is super expensive to travel. Bars have high covers, even if they are in Killington, VT. A whole lot of hype for 10 seconds of excitement.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day :
Plus: A good guy to celebrate and a day off work.
Minus: You can't do fun things on your day off bc ski slopes, the mall, the movies and everywhere is crowded with people off for the day.
- Groundhog Day:
Plus: You can print out pictures of Groundhogs, color them and stick them on your roommates bedroom doors.
Minus: A groundhog cannot stop winter from continuing, and that god awful movie - Groundhog Day - exists.
- Valentine's Day:
Plus: it is one of my good friends' birthday! You can make cookies for your co workers, and no matter how old you are - you can give out little valentine day cards to your friends.
Minus: If you are single you might be annoyed at the lovey dovey day you are spending alone. There is pressure to get a gift and have dinner/hang out if you are with someone. restaurants are crowded.
- St. Patrick's Day:
Plus: I like beer, and that is how we celebrate
Minus: EVERYONE wants to go out to the bars, so its super crowded. Bars hike up the cover charges - again. Hangovers.
- April Fool's Day:
Plus: One more day til My sister's bday!
Minus: I don't like practical jokes. I don't know who to believe that day.
- Easter
Plus: Cadbury Mini Eggs
Minus: I don't like ham, I am not religious, too many pastel colors together grosses me out - especially when it is all gray and rainy and there are no leaves on trees.
- Memorial day:
Plus: Day off from work, and it's near my friend Jess' bday, sales in stores.
Minus: Expensive to travel bc it's a long weekend. It might not be warm enough for a picnic.
- 4th of July
Plus: Fireworks, beer, picnics
Minus: Traffic, crowds
- Labor Day:
Plus: Day off from work, and it's near my friend Colleen's bday, sales in stores.
Minus: Expensive to travel bc it's a long weekend. People all go their own way and do their own thing so you might end up a loner for the weekend. End of summer. :(
- Columbus Day
Plus: some people don't have to work, sales in stores.
Minus: I have to work. Columbus really wasn't that fabulous.
- Halloween:
Plus: costumes, candy, decorations, Hocus Pocus
Minus: people lose interest when we get older, attempting to come up with clever costume ideas can get tough.
- Thanksgiving
Plus: you can be lazy and no one cares. It's the perfect day to watch Home Alone. Apple pie.
Minus: Travel is expensive and can be hectic. Traffic. Christmas music starts the day after. Turkey is gross - esp after I have had to cook one.
- Christmas:
Plus: giving gifts, reuniting with family and friends, Christmas movies and songs (for about 3 weeks), decorating trees.
Minus: Missing people you can't spend the holiday with, pressure of giving great gifts and finishing everything on time, listening to christmas music since thanksgiving, people in malls, on the highway, etc. General un-excitement for the holiday bc there is nothing special about it for me right now. Some people are over zealous about it which gets old QUICK. (HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!)

So that is my recap of my take on holidays. I guess I do like some - 4th of July, and St. Patricks day maybe?



* I'm a brat now and enjoy sleeping in my own bed, not on random floors and couches.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays!

Wii bowling - Kaitlin and Chris brought their Wii over on Christmas day. We were a little worried that Dad would hit the TV on his turn!

Venting and nachos made me feel better

I went outside, shoveled, got soaked and tired - annnnnnnnnnnnd got over some of my annoyances. Also - Jen and I made round 1 of nachos* (the appetizer version) and are now all warm and watching the Patriots game so I'm happier. **

*Round two is buffalo chicken nachos
**the game is on FOX which has that super annoying animated robot.

Cranky

Snow is beautiful and can be fun. In small, manageable increments. It has been snowing non stop since Friday at 2pm. . we have at least 1ft, and 3-5 more inches falling today. Jen and I have back pain from shoveling! (i.e. we are getting old) So - I'm bummed and sort of annoyed that I am stuck in the house today bc I have a few things to do today that I apparently can't get out to do. To be honest, I'm just not thrilled at the idea of doing laundry and cleaning my room.

So - I'm cranky because people are inconsiderate. I've been annoyed often lately at the ridiculousness of people not picking up after themselves in our house. I don't know what to do to make it clear that they need to think twice before doing things - like messing up the internet router 3x's in 2 days, or leaving the house for the weekend and leaving a mess. Maybe the people I live with read this blog - but I'm not sorry for talking about it here. I already sent an email telling them that if you leave the house for an extended period of time it's not fair to the rest of us that now have to clean up after them if we want to use pots and pans. So - it's not anything they don't already know I'm mad at. CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELVES!

Last - our lovely (terrible) neighbor*, who we nicknamed Joan Jett thinks that it is acceptable to put cones in the street 'saving' her parking spot when she goes out. Um - no. We ALL shoveled out our cars, we ALL have to park here. Get over yourself, or put in a driveway please. I sort of want to move her cones.

*Joan Jett is the neighbor who complains to our landlord** that we park in front of her house. She lives directly next door and does not have a driveway. There are 5 people living at our house (4 here, 1 downstairs) and room for 2, maybe 3 cars in our driveway. Joan Jett thinks she is entitled to park in front of her house bc she doesn't have a driveway, and thinks we should accomodate her. Too bad it is public parking on a city street! She has even left notes on cars telling us not to park in front of her house - when someone left their car there for 3 days over a weekend. Ridiculous.

** Our landlord told her she needs to install a driveway in her yard bc she can't tell us where to park.

Missing

So I randomly looked at pictures of our old dog Molly tonight and got incredibly sad. I miss having a dog like you wouldn't believe. . and it's just not possible with work, roommates, etc. So that's not ideal but I have 9 months to figure that one out.

Anyway - Molly was a sweet girl, after she grew out of her terrible 2's, and 3's. .She passed away about 2 years ago right around this time, and it caught me off guard that I still get so sad missing her

.

weird dream

Last night I had a strange dream - that I was at a summer camp/resort type place with a friend, J. We wandered around, and at one point decided to take a sailboat out for a bit. I guess everything we came across was free for us to use? Who knows. So neither of us know how to sail, but had no trouble w/ the boat and when we get out to the water - a helicoptor picked us up for a ride. What?? Weird, I know. The helicopter brings us back to the boat,and we go back to the dock. Coming into the dock, it is rainy and the sailboat has a windshield.* So it's all cloudy and we hit the dock, but the boat is fine and I jump off as quick as I can.
Next - it is sunny and hot and we are about to go swimming.** But J realizes his bag is missing, and we need to find it. Suddenly it is dark and we are going to a bonfire. We tell someone at the summer camp/resort that the bag is missing and they say we have to search the premises with flashlights. Not just us but everyone there. J says, that's impossible, I have to catch a flight in 30 minutes. I say - what good is it to leave without the stuff that you need? He says, they can ship it - we're leaving.
And then I woke up.

*Impossible.
** Why didn't we do this when we were out on the boat?

team sports

I just found out about this site and want to share it w/ everyone.
It's www.sportsvite.com and basically - you go on it, make a profile listing the sports you are interested in, your skills, etc. Then you can search for teams in your area, create teams, or see what is going on that you might want to join. Super idea.

If Santa was real...

I'd ask him for the following things:

- a dog, and a shorter commute home from work so I could actually take care of it

- more patience - mainly in my personal life

- a dog

- infinite plane tickets to SF and a few other places

- no more bills (car loans, school loans, mortgages, etc.) for my family members and friends

- a winery that I can own and run

- a new computer

- did I mention a dog? I need to figure out how to have one

Polar Express

Medford, MA is on the Lowell commuter rail line, and yesterday hosted a Polar Express ride to see Santa.
There were tons of cops managing the foot traffic of kids, parents, etc. all in line to get on the train to ride who knows where. If I was a kid, or had kids, I'm sure it'd be fun - looks like a cute idea. . even though it was awful for traffic downtown!

Come on, try harder

I cannot make this stuff up.
I live w/ 3 people*and we are all in and out of the house all day. Friday night - the internet stopped working. One roommate - A - said to me on Saturday AM - hey did you know that if we turn off the power cord** that the extension cord /plugs are all in, the router/modem goes off, so the internet shuts down. So, I put a note near the power cord that said, Unplug the christmas tree by the cord on the floor, otherwise, you will end up turning off the router/modem.
That did not sink in to someone in our house. I came home later that day to find the extension cord(that has the router, modem and tree plugged into it) UNPLUGGED from the POWER CORD. Come on. I said the plug for the tree was on the floor. Not on the shelf with the power cord. If you stop and think for .2 seconds then you will realize that the extension cord needs to be plugged in for the modem, router, tree, etc. to work.
So - since the router had been unplugged for HOURS, the wireless profile I had set up and made secure reset itself. Oh for the love.. now I have to call linksys and have them tell me how to do it again. Thanks for making me do extra work because you did not understand how to turn off the tree.*** And, if anyone has called telecommunications customer service before, you know that you are in for at least 30-90 minutes of fun.
Now, in an effort to be COMPLETELY clear -
1. There is a note ON the Christmas tree plug that says, 'Unplug this to turn off tree.'
2. There is a note on the router that says, 'Do not unplug router or modem.'
3. There is a note on the extension cord that says, 'Do NOT unplug this.'

I can't wait to see what happens.

*yes, that is a lot of people, yes, I am ready to live alone.
** to shut off the christmas tree lights
*** Sorry if anyone I live with is offended, but I use this to vent sometimes.

Hey, Jealousy

No, not the Gin Blossoms song. . but an obnoxious reality.
I really really really cannot stand being jealous. It is a useless and frustrating emotion that is hard to control. And it is striking its viciousness into my life.
And - the little snake that it is, is coming at me in a few directions. One - I am jealous of something.* Two - someone else's jealousy is messing with things.*
1. I need to get over it. I need to work harder to get what I want so I won't have any reason to be jealous. I think it bothers me most when you want or need something, and can't get it and see other people with things they may not appreciate.
2. In the second instance - it is sad to say that many, many years after high school, some people still thrive on petty behavior. I hoped that later in life those situations and actions would die down and people would grow up and act like adults, but clearly it continues.

* Unfortunately, I cannot divulge all the details of either situation.

Mom Weekend

My mom came to visit me in Boston this weekend - Friday night - we had dinner at PF Changs, which my mom had never been to! She is now also very fond of the lettuce wraps appetizer.
After that, we went to see the Grinch at the Wang theater. It was cute - a bit silly, but fun. There were a lot of kids for the 8pm show - and there was a fairly obnoxious group up in the balcony. I get it, they were excited, but they were talking, yelling, etc. and clearly did not have the proper adult/child ratio.

The Wang Theater

Park Place, outside PF Changs

Saturday - we attempted some Christmas shopping, but were overwhelmed by the crowds. So - we went to the movies and saw "Four Christmases." It's pretty funny, and I love Reese Witherspoon. That night, we went to dinner in the North End, came home to watch White Christmas and write our Christmas cards.

Sunday - we made cookies before she left for CT!

It was fun to hang out, and have a girls weekend.

Slacker

I have not kept up with the blog probably in about two weeks. Quick recap :
Thanksgiving - you can see the entire recap on Heather's Blog, but the highlights include - being incredibly grossed out by the turkey, and cooking it upside down:
Seriously, we had no idea it was upside down til Amy told us. Doesn't it look normal in that pic??Just spending a week with Heather was fantastic. I miss her so much! Napa was fabulous -

and of course I loved a wine that is not distributed. It is sort of pricy so maybe that's a good thing! When I left, Heather and I both cried. I was sad to leave, because I miss being able to hang out with her, Erik and Evie. Hopefully we will schedule another trip soon!
Oh and of course, I had fun seeing Miss Evie and hanging out!

Evie May

Erik, Amy, Heather, Me @ the Bus Stop

Andretti Winery - Napa

Alamo Sq - The Full House St.

Start me up

I woke up today because I heard someone on the stairs* and looked at the clock telling me it was 7:30. F. I should have already been in the car! So, I get up, get ready and leave by 8 a.m. – and should hopefully be at work by 8:45 – 9 if all goes well. All did not go well.
I got about a mile from the house, and look down at my gas gauge – damn, I need gas. The next thought – oh crap, I never took my wallet out of my other bag last night. So – I turn around and go home bc I don’t want to get stranded in Canton or anywhere else in between tonight. (At this point, we can add 7-10 minutes to my trip.)
8:25 – at the gas station. I get back in the car and smell gas. It followed me into the car – probably on my rain boots, hopefully not on the bottom of my pants.**Then, I hit super fun traffic getting onto 93, and get through the tunnel at 8:45. I call my mom bc who else would listen to my ridiculousness? She seconds the notion that staying in bed would have been a better option, and sends her best wishes that my day improves, and I was in a better mood after talking to her.
I get to work by 9:05 – so not a huge deal, but not when I like to show up.
All in all – not a horrible morning, but a pretty hectic start. In the grand scheme of things, life could be MUCH worse. Next time I wake up and think, I should stay in bed, I might just do it.

*thankfully we have wood stairs and multiple people in the house to wake me up when I turn off my alarm.
**I worried about this the entire ride to work. . what would I have done if my pants smelled like gas all day??

ARgh.

I was typing a blog about how I was having a horrible, no good, very bad morning - and at the end, there was some random error, and the entire thing was deleted, proving my theory that staying in bed was the better option today.