The Traditional Easter Fire?

This weekend was so cold! I understand that if you were in the New England area you are well aware of this fact. But regardless, I feel the need to remind you that these past 48 hours or so have been EXTREMELY cold. My father went as far as to make a fire yesterday evening and then again TODAY when we got home from amazing Easter brunch. (Ok I'll stop with the caps lock - I do realize it is annoying)

I can't remember the last time we were building fires mid-April. (that was almost a caps lock) I really really really hope that the weather report is accurate in that it is supposed to be in the high 50s this week. I poached some pieces of summer clothing from the basement for my west coast trips and so my bedroom looks like my wardrobe exploded. My room has the world's smallest closet. Don't even try to argue with me on this one. You can't even hang clothing the normal way in it... So between with that already filled with winter clothing, my drawers stuffed to capacity and my strange new addiction to purchasing underwear (I can go for well over month without having to worry about dipping into anything remotely related to a granny-panty) I realize that I really need to turn over my wardrobe. I also need to purge out some clothes - so if you like my fashion be aware that I may be downsizing real soon.

Easter Take 2

This morning I woke up at 6 am so that I would be ready to leave for a 7 am Easter Mass by 6:30 with my father and sister. Everything went as planned until we pulled up to the church down the road from our house. The parking lot was empty.

There was no 7 am mass.

My father was insistent that he had seen a 7 am mass listed so we went to the sister parish in the center of town. Yeah that was a no go. So we made a pact that we would not let on to my mum that we didn't make in for service as we had given her a hard time about skipping - she went to both Holy Thursday and Good Friday service/mass and didn't want to come along so early in the morning.

We got coffee from DD and returned home.

Then I remembered that I really needed to attend mass. I took Friday off with the plan of attending Good Friday mass and instead I went to O'Brien's in Newport...I haven't been to church since Christmas...

When we got home, I told my dad when I got back that I NEEDED to find a 9 am mass. His response was, "what and make the rest of us look bad?". I said I was really over due. Then he remembered that I said I haven't been in a church since Christmas and he said "GO".

I figured 20 minutes would be enough time to make it to morning mass, and I was right... Barely. I had to park down the street and dash across the parking lot to make it inside before the procession. I'm glad I went. The message of the sermon was uplifting and inspiring.

It always comes back to RI

Last night I went out with two friends (who go to URI for grad school and live in Gansett) to Newport for some drinks. We were meeting one of the girl's college friend and that girl's current boyfriend. My friend is from Connecticut and went to Manhattan College as an undergrad so I had no inclination that I would know who the people were that we were meeting up with. We walk into the bar and I see a guy that worked at the catering company I served at for 3 summers. I was taken back a bit and figured I would say hi and then continue on with my group. After we chatted for a few minuteswe both turned around to see his girlfriend talk to my friend. Turns out he was the current boyfriend I was about to meet....

This is why I love coming home to RI. You truly cannot go anywhere without running into someone. I will say that the RI connection that I can make to the lawyer on Law & Order SVU is just as amusing, but that story will be one for another time.

Easy to Find in a Theater

I have a loud laugh. I inherited from my mother. The laugh can be a bit embarrassing. Anyone who knows me would be able to locate me in a crowded theater once something amusing happened because in a dark theater I just let myself go.

Well, "I love you, Man" was a movie that you would have been able to find me in a heartbeat. I could just not stop myself from laughing. It is just hysterical. I highly suggest anyone who hasn't yet, go out and see it ASAP. There are moments where Peter (Paul Rudd) just makes you feel so awkward that it hurts when he tries to interact with other males. But overall, the movie is just so much fun to watch. I just adored Sydney (Jason Segel). He just says what he thinks and does as he pleases. The Ugg boots just make me giggle when he is shown walking his puggle down the boardwalk. The movie really just put me in such a great mood before I started my Easter break :)

----

Sydney: Society tells us we're civilized but the truth is we are animals. Sometimes we just have to let it out. Try it.
Peter: Baaah!
Sydney: Good. Now gently remove your tampon and try again.

Jesus is getting in the way of Burlesque

In my going email this week I was told of a Burlesque Expo this weekend here in Boston. Sadly it will only be from Tomorrow thru Sunday. I will be home in RI for Easter weekend. :(



If anyone reading this is staying around the area, please go and tell me all about it!!! Tickets are just $5... I mean there are classes and fashion and all sorts of stuff going on! Think about it you could be the next Dita Von Teese and dance in your own Martini Glass!

National Skirt Day

Yesterday when I was walking to work I felt that it would have been a great "National Skirt Day". National Skirt Day was declared each year at my undergrad. An email went out letting girls know that in a few days they were to pull their favorite skirts out of the storage bins under their beds and prance around campus in them. I was handed the honor of declaring it my senior year and hope that the person I passed it to continued on the trend.

You may be asking yourself what makes a good skirt day? Typically, the day falls in March/early April. It is that first day that temperature is not predicted to be freezing and the sun should be out. Most years there would be a frost a few days later - mainly because Worcester likes to f with you - but the holiday itself was always a gorgeous day and everyone loved that they were encouraged show some legs.

My senior year I was a bit hesitant about making the declaration because with my luck it would end up raining. But I took a deep breath and sent it out...but I started small and just sent it to my closest 75 girl friends. Coincidentally the seniors that lived on Caro decided to throw a Senior BBQ block party at same afteroon. It was such an awesome day. As more and more people made their way down the hill, I started to noticed how many girls were wearing skirts. Eventually people who I barely knew started to come up to me to tell me that the email had been forwarded to them like 5 times, one girl even took a cab to the mall to buy a skirt because she didn't have one here. Oh the power of Skirt Day!

My guy friends were playing corn-hole and made a side comment to me about how all the girls looked great that afternoon. I told them about my email, I was profusely thanked. :)

In the end, I miss National Skirt Day. It doesn't really work to well in the real world...and I can't wear most of my skirts to work either... oh well... it is days like these that makes me miss college the most.

Mmmmm Citrus

On my first real day in S.F. we went to the best Farmer's Market ever. You have to be local and organic to sell your stuff. Generally, I don't really care if my food is organic, but I will say those two hours of sampling was the best way to start the morning. I did learn some interesting things wandering around there. For instance, did you know that jam falls in the gel/liquid rule for carry-on luggage? I do. I sampled some amazing jams and desperately wanted to take some home with me only to be informed that I would have to check my luggage to do so. I decided that I didn't need jelly that much, but I was highly impressed that the guy running the stand knew this. I wanted to ask him why he didn't sell smaller jars, but I realized that there were probably not that many people that were deterred from purchasing his product because of this federal regulation.

I had some of the best citrus here, comparable to the Citrus place in FL(!). Mandarin season had just begun so they were particularly amazing, sweet, and delish. We found the best stand for them - in the front to the left - and after snacking on the few we realized we would want more when we got home so we turned back to purchase a few more. People had seen us eating them, could tell that these were particularly good, and asked where we got them from. We let them in on our find giving them precise directions to the proper vender. When we eventually returned for a few more for the road we let the guys working the stand that they had the best ones and we pointed a number of people in their direction. They guy was so happy he gave us one for free! How cool! Yes, I know they were only 50 cents but still!

I absolutely loved this sign. Anyone who has talked to me about citrus knows that I often use that term when talking about oranges, grapefruits, tangeloes, etc. I realized I looked like a weirdo taking a picture of this compost but I couldn't resist.

I'm sure you gathered that this area is super eco-friendly, but just so you can truely appreciate how hippy green they are here, let me tell you about their trash. They have a person who's duty it is to watch the trash recepricals to make sure that individuals throw their waste in the correct bins. The bins available are recyclable, compost and god forbid actual trash. These trash monitors have vests on and everything. It is kind of awesome. The farmers market is about to go completely plastic bag free. There is a countdown near the fried asparagus stand. You read right, fried asparagus. It is AMAZING.

My kind of town

Instead of getting the sleep I need I feel like I need to give this blog some attention. Let's start with the San Fransisco trip...

My friend L who I was visiting lives in one of the best neighborhoods. She is in the middle of the Mexican section so there were these great bakeries everywhere. I ate pastries every day. And there were tons of small wonderful places to get cheap tacos and pupusas. Pupusas are basically like mexican calzones - cheese and meat wrapped in dough...looks like a stuffed pancake. Oh I would be so fat and happy there. :) This place was more than just good food.

The buildings are all covered in these awesome murals. It was crazy some of the stuff that would be put in them. The one to the right here was one I hadn't even noticed until my third day walking around. Yeah, how I missed this thing is beyond me too.





This one is my favorite buildings on the street that we had to walk down to get to the BART (its like a cross between the T and the commuter line) I don't quite understand why they second floor is covered in pictures of carp with a 99 cent sign but I feel like you don't questions things in San Francisco.


Oh yeah, and lets not forget the best delivery truck ever...



The neighborhood was a ton of fun to walk around in. This was a mecca for places where the owners thought, "hmmm I think having only one purpose to my building would be boring, let's make this a one stop place for people who have a few errands to complete". One example would be the video rental that has its own post office inside of it. After you pick out the movie you want to rent the clerk can then walk down to the other end of the counter and sell you stamps or weight your package. Later on, down the street, you may be thinking to yourself, "hmmm I'd really love to buy a new motorcycle. Too bad I didn't get a cup of coffee yet because I am too tired to drive one home" Well have no fear, the bike java shop is here just for you! I couldn't make this up if I tried!

The only bad part of her immediate neighborhood was that everything closed at 9 pm. But, hey, it was like being back home so it didn't really bother me too much.

This kid can't even use alcohol as an excuse. :P

This kid has the best dance moves. I love that many of them follow the lyrics literally :)




I love that he tries to shimmy his butt. He is just too young to handle that kind of movement.


Here is a second one. The but jiggle at the end is worth the two minutes....oh and all the but smacks are pretty amazing too.

Packing is an Art

Overall, I would say I am pretty good at packing. I try really hard to not over pack clothing, and in general, I usually don't have many unworn items by the time I return home. Books are my downfall.

I over pack books like it is my job.

I was in S.F. for a total of 4 days. I brought 5 books. FIVE. I could even rationalize why I needed each and everyone of them. I came no where near close to reading them all. Fortunately for me I was much more realistic for Vegas and only brought two. I did finish one and started the second while I was sitting in LAX waiting for my red eye home.

One of the books I brought to S.F. that I did finish was Eclipse. Eclipse being the 3rd installment of the Twilight series. I am so glad I only have one more left. Not only do I truly want to see how this all wraps up, but once I finish that one I can finally live my life guilt free. I won't feel like such a tool being a grown female reading a tween romance novel.

It is funny to see how many adults are reading the series. Most are women. If Harry Potter hadn't taken the world by storm, I am not sure Twilight would be doing nearly as good. Part of the reason I started was that I had kind of hoped the writing would be of the same caliber. It is not.

On the plane to S.F. there was a woman kitty-corner to me reading Twilight, and she was probably in her 40s. This helped me deal with my addiction. In Vegas, one of the girls on the trip with me was in the middle of reading Eclipse so that did make me feel a little better. I mean she is about to be a Dentist and was still letting herself read this mindless vampire romance book!

Now we wait to see how long I break down and purchase the last one. Being the OCD person that I am, I am slightly bothered by the fact that I bought a hard copy of the third book and will have to purchase the 4th in this style as well as the paperbacks have not been printed yet. That will mean the first two are paper and my second two are hard. I like series to look like they match. I think this is why I held off purchasing the H.P. books for myself. Fortunately my mother understands my quirky behavior and bought me the box set (the kind that comes in its own trunk) for my birthday two years ago :)

This is why I don't un-subscribe...

ICE COFFEE DAY - APRIL 21ST - 50 CENTS FOR 16 OUNCES!!!

Clean Streets Cost Money

I have been slowly getting through emails in my gmail account. Honestly, I should consider un-subscribing to a few lists, I had to clear out my Google Reader because I was over a 1000 unread stories yesterday -- eeep. Yes, I am an addict.

I got around to opening the one from the Somerville Parking Office that was politely reminding me that street sweeping was starting up again. Last year they put flyers on our windshields and that same day it downpoured, so the notices were not so useful. This year, they went email. Way better and eco-friendly to boot.

Seems like the city is trying to find ways to make more money because they upped the fee for not moving your car!

"Failure to comply with street sweeping parking regulations will result in a $50 fine."

I am relatively certain it was $20 before, but maybe that was in Medford...

At least the office is nice enough to remind us why it is necessary for me to move my vehicle every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month...

Street sweeping is an essential public works activity that not only keeps the city looking cleaner, but also reduces the risk of flooding due to catch-basin clogging and storm drain back-up.

I mena, good thing the sweeping is done, I can't imagine how much worse those puddles could get if the drains weren't cleaned. As it is, one good rain and I am walking through 4 inch puddles due to all the freekin potholes.

w00t for t-shirts

This is today's shirt.woot.com t-shirt. It is about math so of course I love it.


Here's the description below. If you want one order one today! http://shirt.woot.com/

I'm still debating the purchase as I bet I could solve the problem in the background, but it is just so cute. Thankfully, the designer reminded me it was probably not a good idea to wear it to any future interviews...

Something Just Doesn’t Add Up

The protesters may have shouted her down, but Barbie was right: math is hard.

And for most of you, that question that made your math teachers so uncomfortable – “what am I ever going to need this for?” – turned out to be an apt one. All those years of schooling gave you was the false sense that you can accurately figure out a restaurant tip or a necessary quantity of cyclone fencing. Such hubris.

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if you could just pay some really smart person, like, fifty cents every time you need a complex math problem worked out? Math whizzes get jobs, waiters receive their proper tips, less cyclone fencing is wasted, and the rest of us have more mental energy to contemplate which Gossip Girl cast member is the hottest – what’s wrong with that?

Also, in Great Britain, they call it “maths”. That’s just messed up.

Wear this shirt: while you’re doodling spirals and stars in your notebook during math class.

Don’t wear this shirt: to interviews for any job involving numbers, or math, or money – in other words, just about any job except pro wrestler or Internet copywriter.

This shirt tells the world: “Hey, what’d you get for #9?”

We call this color: The Square Of The Hypotenuse Of A Right Triangle Is Equal To The Sum Of The Squares Of The Other Baby Blue Sides

Way Past My Bed Time

It isn't quite 10 pm yet, but I was due in bed about 2 hours ago. East - West Coast round trips twice in 11 days is a bit rough. I've only slept in my bed once in the past ten nights. Two of those nights were on airplanes. I am not looking for any sympathy because these two vacations were AMAZING and AWESOME and I wouldn't have traded them for my bed in a heartbeat. But it is why this blog has been so neglected.

Thankfully, my camera is back in action because I broke down and bought a new charger. Per usge I took a bunch of pictures and some of them are of the strangest stuff.

The only picture I regret not taking was of the boot polishing/cleaning sign in the Las Vegas Airport. In Boston, San Fransisco and Las Angeles the signs all read "Shoes $6, Boots $8". In Vegas the sign reads "Shoes $5, Boots $7, Exotics $9". I would love to see what classifies as an exotic...
More to come in the next few days...

PS - Thanks for all ya'll for visiting. I had just over 1,000 hits this past month :) COOOOL

Virgin goes for Sex Appeal

Virgin America is totally trying to be the new cool kid on the block. I flew with them to get to San Fransisco. You walk into Logan and all the other airlines have long painful looking winding wait lines. Everything is dull and you just cringe at the idea of checking in.

Then there is Virgin.

It has a red carpet that you walk up to get to the self service monitors and check in people. There is a disco ball and bumping music. It is like they want to be a night club.

Then you walk through the security machines and find yourself in a private gate area. They only use two gates and they are completely closed off from the rest of the airline. Which is cool but there is absolutely no food options, nor is there a magazine stand. Boo

But anyway...

When it was about time to start boarding my plane, I noticed the flight attendants/stewardess wearing the most amazing heels. They were gorgeous four inch shoes and I could not wrap my head around the idea that these women walked up and down the narrow aisle of the aircraft with turbulence! I mean, come on, I have a lot of practice walking around my office and what not, but I could not do turbulence. These women were my heroes.

I get on the plane and notice the woman greeting us is wearing ballet flats. Then thought it was a bit weird but maybe she just wasn't quite ready for the big heels.

At one point I went to the back to use the toilet and noticed the two women who I were wearing those amazing shoes were also in ballet flats. Being the awkward person I am I asked them what was with the change. They explained that the airline says that while in the airport they need to look sexy and thus the shoes. But once they get on the plane flats it is --- because otherwise they would topple over or run over a small child.

!!!!!!!

Can you believe it? I thought we were maybe a bit beyond all that. But guess not. I mean, damn, those shoes were hot. But really.

Procrastination at its finest

Took my first Red-Eye flight in this morning from San Fransisco, CA. The four days on the West Coast were AWESOME. Trust me, there will be posts later on about the actual activities, because true to form, my vacation was chock-full of adventures! I even got to be in an Earthquake (4.3) which was not something on my itinerary.

At this point I have gotten through most of my email and done a little clean up to get ready for the work that piled up the last two days. Of course, I now feel guilty about ignoring my blog for the last four days so I had to quickly put this up, but since I only have 48 hours over here before I head back for Vegas!!!!!, I should get back to work. Yes, I agree, my life is pretty sweet right now.

A Gift Before I TakeOff

I got this in my email yesterday? Wednesday? Doesn't matter. The point is you get a doughnut for 49 cents if you get a medium or large coffee!

Who doesn't like a doughnut with their coffee. Sadly the pumpkin one is out of season.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I am just leaving my house to get to work a bit early as I have to scoot out to catch my flight to CA this evening and I realized that a) I am going to be in CA before the end of the day and b) I will be in the middle of lift off one week from this minute on my way to Vegas. Life comes at you fast. One month ago I don't think I had plans to do either of these things.

More and more I have become a subscriber of taking that big leap and hoping that the landing won't hurt too much. It has been a fun experience so far. Not to many bumps or bruises. I may permanently have some extra ink on my skin but whatever that isn't so bad, and it's pretty.

I may get a few posts in before I jet off, but there is a good chance this blog doesn't get updated all that much in the next 10 days or so. So, sorry to disappoint. This can give you time to do some some leaping in my absence. It really does give you a high :) I know John Denver wrote this song, but I like the Peter, Paul and Mary version.

Lucky Jeans and a H&M tank

This title is obviously a play on one of the best Chick Lit books that I have found and shared this past year, Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown*. The main character goes through her closet and each piece of clothing reminds her of a story of her life growing up. Personally, I have some clothes that are from as far back as 2nd grade (pink minnie mouse t-shirt from disney). I also have sweatpants, sweatshirts, and t-shirts that I inherited from my father that are even older than I am (one sweatshirt is from his trip to Ireland that he took in COLLEGE with the rugby team). Interest of full disclosure this is not my closet --->

Today I was wearing a bunch of pieces that reminded me of recent events, I kind of have been revamping my wardrobe so sadly not as many old memories to share on a daily basis. What started the revamping was this past spring/summer I finally came to terms with what size I really was. Some people are in denial and buy clothes that make them look like sausages thinking they are the same size they were in high school. I have the opposite problem. My mother trained my sister and I with the idea that we will probably grow tomorrow. So always buy a size up. Once you stop growing, this causes one to just buy clothing that is just plain too big.

Well, this spring I realized I might just be a bit smaller than I thought. I went to Lucky Jeans - one my personal indulgences - and decided that I owed myself a new pair. I asked the store clerk for a pair one size smaller than I usually go. She told me to take a size TWO sizes smaller. I laughed at her. She said, no really try them on. I told I would, just to show her she was crazy. Let the record show, she was right. I had never worn pants this small in my entire life. This moment helped me reevaluate what I really looked like. I have always been comfortable about who I am as a person, I was even awarded a "I like myself" ribbon. But most people feel awkward about their appearance. I am no exception. But that weekend was the beginning of a change in my life. I have become more and more comfortable about myself and have become less critical. I mean I am not delusional, I still consider myself quite average, but now at least I feel average, before I felt less than. WHOA, this is getting personal. But so yeah, that was the story of the pants.

You may have gathered, I wear tons of layers. My sweater today was one I got from Old Navy - I think. It's a couple of years old, maybe, and I like it mainly because it has a hood. I will wear most anything that has a hood, can't explain why. But this piece makes me think of one of my best college friends. Simply because not only does she also own it - we did not purchase them together - but we also have a tendency to wear them on the same day. It can be awkward. You know what they say, great minds think alike :)

The tank top is from H&M. I got it just over a month ago. I needed something fun to wear to the battle of the bands. I was hoping to channel my inner b. spears and needed something to punk up my school girl skirt. A friend of mine went shopping with me and we found this great gray tank. We had so much fun looking through H&M together. That store normally really overwhelms me but that afternoon it was so simple. We had a ton of fun bonding that day and I think it really helped our firendship along. I feel really good when I wear the tank. It is so simple, but the gray and black lace just do something that causes me to look, for lack of a better word, hot. I normally don't like tight clothing, but this is so comfortable I think it might become a standard part of my wardrobe.

Oh, speaking of the battle of the bands night, the band I was cheering for, The Ben Kultgen Band, will be playing at the finals at the Paradise on April 14th...come watch and cheer them one! I'm fairly certain they are awesome and I hope to maybe drink a little bit less so I actually remember more about their music, all I can remember about the two shows I've seen is that I had a great time... I think after three shows I can consider myself a groupie - which would let me cross one more thing off my life list :)

I like that my clothes hold memories. It is like walking around with a set of photographs.

*If you want to borrow the book let me know. It is currently in RI but I should be able to retrieve it when I head home for Easter

What can't they put in vending machines these days?

A pizza vending machine is in the works in Italy. I don't exactly know how I feel about this. One the one hand this would solve my cravings for pizza rather quickly, on the other hand this pizza could be terrible. I think I need to travel to Italy to test this out. But then I'd be in Italy and would rather have some authentic pizza and pasta. Oh well...

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