ok, I don't remember everything we did the weekend of the 13th-the 16th. I know that on the 14th we were in charge of cooking at the Chelsea Soup Kitchen. We made jambalaya and except for the fact that most of the rice was undercooked, we had plenty of food and most things turned out right (I did get a lecture the next week telling me that we should have cooked the rice separately when I pointed out that the thing that made jambalaya jambalaya was that the rice was cooked in it he started over at the beginning explaining I should have cooked the rice separately like I was a big dolt).
That Sunday (the day before Patriot's Day or maybe it was on the Monday of Patriot's Day) we went for a Greek Easter dinner. It was great. It deserves more recognition, but I have no time.
Friday April 20 was our churches big dinner. It was a very fancy affair at the Copley Westin Hotel. Sadly, they didn't have enough wait staff to serve the number of people who showed up (huge delays in the first being served and the last). Also, some of the donated flowers impeded the view. We had a very pleasant table though. With three lovely couples and my friend's parents who had come in from their own church's retreat. Her parents are actually stellar people able to talk to any number of weirdos (which is good since a good number invariably show up at large church events -- oh, wait, have I mentioned that I am a bad Christian?). Anyway, good event.
That Sat. we helped in the soup kitchen in the morning then my boy went to a crosswalk event and I went with friends on a route one road trip. This time we managed to find Costco (though it did take two passes) and we went to the mini golf place where the dinosaur had been vandalized the week before (he'd undergone a gang beating). We managed to miss a good number of other fun sites though, so another road trip is definitely in order!
Sun. we went to costco and ran other random errands ending by picking up a friend and taking her all the way to the 'ville to get dumplings at wangs. It was good (I LOVE their cucumber salad so garlicky and light and good).
That brings us to April 28th -30th or the Boston Independent Film Festival (the same festival where I saw chalk last year and am still anxiously awaiting it's widespread release -- go contact them, tell them we all want to see it over and over again!!!!). We saw several great films that weekend. We saw Eagle v Shark which is a New Zealand film combining elements of Napoleon Dynamite and Little Miss Sunshine.
The next day I watch Low and Behold an insurance film (of course) it was quite good and it turned out that the creators had been through hurricane Katrina And one of them had been a claims adjuster. It was quirky and a pseudo-documentary. I recommend it.
My favorite film we watched though was the King of Kong, we randomly ran into a friend in Harvard Square shortly before the movie and convinced her to join us (which made it even more fun) The King of Kong was just exactly the kind of fluff documentary I LOVE!! It reminded me a lot of Cinemania (if you haven't seen that you totally should) and a little of Trekkie's (another must see!). It was just such a good movie with good v. bad and suspense and lovable wackos. So good. I can't wait to see it again. I am so glad I chose it as my random third choice.
Ok, that brings us to May (YAY!!! aren't you excited we've made it this far?). On May 1st I randomly ran into the gang I usually ride the redline home with (sans two very important people). The four of us tried to ride home but due to a random fire, we ended up stranded in Lechemere. So we decided to hoof it home from there. It was a lovely (if long) walk. I am sad I can't remember all the amusing things we talked about. I do know that after we'd made it all the way to Harvard Square I convinced John to go with me to Unos and we both convinced Suzib to get out of bed and join us. It was fun and good practice for my upcoming walk.
May 5th we went to Chelsea and then rushed to a farewell picnic for two of the people leaving our small group. Then I rushed to meet my old roomie for a pedicure at Bella Sante. It was great (it's only now fading slightly and only b/c my nails have grown) nice to catch up and good to be pampered. After the pedi, we convinced my boy and my current roomie to join us in Roslindale for dinner and an HDTV version of a devils game. We stopped at Viva Mi Arepa in West Roxbury (the food there is amazing -- you MUST try the garlic sauce and the owners are really helpful/nice) on the way back to the house. It was a lovely evening except I started to fall asleep and the devils weren't doing so hot. So we headed home for a fairly early evening good since we had to be up early for the walk the next day.
May 6th was the Walk for Hunger. Thank you all for your incredible support. I have been meaning to write a good post and take pictures of my shirt and mug and sticker and everything, but I haven't had a chance yet. Anyway, I made it to the end and my boy was incredibly encouraging and it wasn't so tough if you kept breaking it down into small steps. I am only walking to Brookline. I am only walking to Newton etc. I will try and write more, but I think that sums it up.
May 12th was my roomies special day (it was the day she was adopted). We spent the day pampering her. We started with a manicure (for me) and a pedicure (for her) at the Square Nail Studio. We then went to breakfast next door at Johnny D's and then headed over to Harvard square where we got her a new nose ring and searched high and low for a breast cancer pink ribbon pin. We didn't find one. We found a breast cancer t-shirt, pen, mug, scrubs, but no pin. We finally gave up and came home. I tried curling her hair but it fell out. I told her that my sister could have made it stay, but she didn't believe me (I think that's a challenge, you should come visit now Lea). Anyway, she rushed off to her benefit and my boy came over and we watched tron (which apparently has two actors who went on to Babylon 5 -- I only recognized one).
I can't remember what we did May 13th. . . .
May 18th was women's night in at my house. It was sort of done in shifts. we made taco fixins and gin punch and then consumed them at 9:00 or so when we traded women (one came and one left) there was lots of punch left because no one was at the top of their game. We had a good time though and talked and watched Friends (hence why my mood improved on May 18th).
May 19th my boy and I were in charge of cooking for Chelsea. We did extremely well this time with the incredible help of one of the women from my tues. night small grp and one of the guys from my thurs. night small grp. Our plan of peach muffins didn't work out so well (too much baking powder in the mix I swear the batter almost started to foam over the side). I improvised with dinner rolls drizzled by butter and raspberry melba sauce (not sure how that went over). We made spaghetti and meatballs with a side of spinach and incredibly yummy garlic bread made with garlic we'd roasted on the grill. That got great reviews (and let me tell you they're a difficult crowd). Probably their favorite part was that we had so many leftover meatballs. So many in fact, that my boy was eating meatball sandwiches for days afterward. . . .
My boy and I went back to his house after the soup kitchen and I promptly fell asleep. I was out cold for two or three hours. I woke up and we discovered the bread dough we'd brought home was bursting out of the bags it had been placed in. We went on an adventure to find a baking sheet. It was a lovely walk to the fenway Bed Bath and Beyond (where we also picked up a rib rack). When we got home I was hungry and so we ordered bad Chinese food (bad in a fairly good way). As we were dealing with the bread it got to be too much. We finally just stuck a giant loaf in the oven and struggled to stay awake till it was finished.
I don't remember what we did May 20th.
May 25th was my boy's photo show. It was a lovely affair good music, interesting conversation and a good display of artwork. My boy's was a shining example. He also looked very nice in a great pair of jeans (suzib and I helped him buy them) and a pretty blue striped shirt (and you could hardly notice the little seaweed salad spot he'd gotten on it at suzib's new favorite sushi place -- she like it b/c it has karaoke).
May 26th was my boy's birthday party. He managed to lose his mp3 player in one of the zipcars but other than that and a mishap with a missing zipcard it was a pleasant evening at the decordova sculpture park. People seemed to enjoy themselves and my boy was happy. Our picnic featured, ants (on a log), lady bugs (on honey dew melon) and snakes, and was terribly yummy. People didn't even notice they were being slipped healthy brownies (they're still healthy if the only thing good for you in them is the eggs and the whole wheat flour right? even if they're covered in chocolate and marshmallows).
May 27th was my boy's actual birthday. We attempted Church but after an hour and a half driving, we ended up dropping a delivery at church and then going out for happy meals where I treated everyone. For dinner my boy grilled incredible ribs with a marinade and bbq sauce he'd made from scratch the night before. I quizzed my roomie on CNA related questions while my boy finished up the grilling.
May 28th I was planning on taking my boy out to a special breakfast, instead we went to one of our usual weekend spots b/c we overslept. I was taking him skating (not an easy feat in the Boston area in May). I had researched it and was very excited. It required taking a train and then a bus (which I hate). We made it though with few mishaps and we were putting on our skates when my boy realized one of the worst mishaps you can have happen. His wallet fell out on our bus. It took us over an hour to catch another bus (two of them passed us by) and then much hassle which I just can't go into again asking around for the wallet until we gave up and went back to his place to cancel credit cards etc. It took us all afternoon. We were not happy campers when we ended up at the Memorial Day bbq we'd been invited to (an hour late). The food there was good though and the company comforting. I think it was good that we got out among other people again.
June 1 we stopped at the butchers for meat and then came straight home so we could listen/watch my boy's AHL team play for the Calder cup (more on the game he took me too later -- it was on a wed. night not a weekend -- hitting the highlights here people). My roomie watched a sox game at the same time. I was so distracted by both I didn't watch either. Both games ended up lost I think.
Saturday we went to the soup kitchen and then came home and relaxed before we went to a friend's engagement party. There were some false starts (I put a glaze on my boy's pineapple upside down cake and while we walked to the train it leaked all over him so we had to go back home and start over again). We finally made it to the party. It was so great. The hostess had an incredible eye for design. There were beautiful lanterns, lights, candles and draping of swags. The dessert table was gorgeous, a two tier affair with a mirror top and hurricane candle. It was very nice. The couple we were celebrating looked ecstatic the whole evening flitting from group to group. One awkward moment was when a couple of women came up to me and my boy and said, isn't this lovely? My boy and I nodded and then the other woman said, so when are you two going to have one? The first woman said I am glad you could see where I was going with this. I think, perhaps I am being a little sensitive, especially since it does seem like something I might say, but my first thought was we've been dating slightly less than four months people!!! Calm down!
June 3, I slept and slept and then slept some more. My boy was surprisingly supportive (he doesn't usually tolerate that sort of laziness. He gets bored with it and wants to go out and do something. He was oddly compliant though. Around noon he started grinding meat for homemade sausage. We took a break to get a new toilet seat (long story) at home depot and then we went to church and came home and replaced the old toilet seat and my boy finished making sausage while I posted two craigslist ads. So all in all a very lazy day.
Let the record show, I am officially caught up!!!!!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Take 2 and Call Me in the Morning
So I watched The One with Two Parties and half of another episode of friends and feel much better. Course the real friends who came ever helped too.
Gotta go. Supposed to get up in four hours. I am SOOOOOOOOO taking a nap when we're done at the soup kitchen tomorrow!!
S
Gotta go. Supposed to get up in four hours. I am SOOOOOOOOO taking a nap when we're done at the soup kitchen tomorrow!!
S
Borderline Personality or Just a Bad Attitude
I'm still cranky and unhappy.
I called my best friend last night because she can usually cheer me through a bad mood and out onto the other side to humor just laced with pure bitterness. She was busy (though in fairness she called me an hour and a half later to check on me even though she was the only one working on her floor so that was sweet and earned her serious bonus points in the people I am willing to talk to arena).
I called home assuming my father would answer the phone and would jolly me along with tales of the ridiculous (you know like moose catching buses and the tried and true joke of the post office). He didn't answer. My mother did. I love my mother, but she and I have a tense relationship at best. Oddly enough, my mother was kind of down last night too. Even more oddly, she and I managed to carry on a conversation for over 30 minutes without pushing either person's buttons.
I made it home and finally found my computer (which probably wouldn't have been so hard to find on a good day but was made even more maddening on an already rotten day) and promptly took a test to determine whether I have borderline personality. It was all very scientific. Sadly, I can't blame my poor attitude on a disease (at least not the disease of borderline personality).
Perhaps I'll have to go back to the family favorite and just take depression. When I was talking to my mom last night I said that I was really cranky, but I was also fairly sad. She said she was depressed. I said maybe I am too. She said, "you could be, you come from a long line of depressives, it's like you've been bred for it like a Kentucky derby favorite." I like that. I like imagining breeding for depression. Lets take these Polish Jews and mix them with some German Farmers (you know so you get the stubbornness that refuses as much help as possible) and see how that turns out. Turns out you get a strong willed person who is sad when people don't offer to help her and gets cranky at the least provocation. . . .
Here's hoping my mood improves tonight. I am trying to self-medicate, good friends, guacamole and gin (the latter being an old family remedy -- if the gin doesn't work maybe I'll try tab and rum).
I called my best friend last night because she can usually cheer me through a bad mood and out onto the other side to humor just laced with pure bitterness. She was busy (though in fairness she called me an hour and a half later to check on me even though she was the only one working on her floor so that was sweet and earned her serious bonus points in the people I am willing to talk to arena).
I called home assuming my father would answer the phone and would jolly me along with tales of the ridiculous (you know like moose catching buses and the tried and true joke of the post office). He didn't answer. My mother did. I love my mother, but she and I have a tense relationship at best. Oddly enough, my mother was kind of down last night too. Even more oddly, she and I managed to carry on a conversation for over 30 minutes without pushing either person's buttons.
I made it home and finally found my computer (which probably wouldn't have been so hard to find on a good day but was made even more maddening on an already rotten day) and promptly took a test to determine whether I have borderline personality. It was all very scientific. Sadly, I can't blame my poor attitude on a disease (at least not the disease of borderline personality).
Perhaps I'll have to go back to the family favorite and just take depression. When I was talking to my mom last night I said that I was really cranky, but I was also fairly sad. She said she was depressed. I said maybe I am too. She said, "you could be, you come from a long line of depressives, it's like you've been bred for it like a Kentucky derby favorite." I like that. I like imagining breeding for depression. Lets take these Polish Jews and mix them with some German Farmers (you know so you get the stubbornness that refuses as much help as possible) and see how that turns out. Turns out you get a strong willed person who is sad when people don't offer to help her and gets cranky at the least provocation. . . .
Here's hoping my mood improves tonight. I am trying to self-medicate, good friends, guacamole and gin (the latter being an old family remedy -- if the gin doesn't work maybe I'll try tab and rum).
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I Am Cranky! --and this isn't funny or interesting
I am cranky. It's just me. Okay some things were said to me that ruffled my feathers and the weather is grey and the big zipcar birthday party I went to at lunch was lame (though I did win a day with a bmw) and I am annoyed I can't remember what terribly exciting things I did on April 13th-16th (except that I know that I went to a great Greek Easter party) because my memory used to be good and now it sucks and I am only 3/4 of the way through my first diet coke of the day and I have a canker (or cold) sore. . . But really, that shouldn't be enough to make me as cranky as I am. I mean I feel like the girl that I saw in a cartoon a long time ago who had some fire superpower. I don't remember who she was or what the cartoon was about I just remember that she was playing dolls with the other girls and then her doll melted (because they'd given her one made of ice) and the other girls laughed and she shot fire out and all their dolls were caught in a blaze. Or maybe I've made that all up. regardless, all that to say right this moment I think I could swallow people in a blaze of fire if someone had been stupid enough to actually give me a superpower -- just ask the adt employee who just had to call and re-schedule an appt. she'd tell you I am not my usual work-fake-nice-self.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Easter Sunday
So quickly, because I am tired of being so far behind, my boy and I had a lovely Easter.
We went to church at my childhood friend's church and then we went to her house for an incredible brunch. She and her husband are both incredible cooks. Their friends added to the bounty (bringing such delicacies as monkey bread a deviled eggs -- I LOVE deviled eggs).
The table where I was seated was incredibly fun. there was a professional go cart racer (I think --it could have been another recreational vehicle), a graphic novel aficionado (who also worked destroying a library once -- it was being torn down/packed up, downsized and moved) who worked in Long Island, and encouraging/fun people filling out the rest of the table.
After a lovely and filling brunch we went back to my boy's brother's house picked up our stuff and said our goodbyes. We got on the highway and started listening to Alan Alda's book Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and Other Things I've Learned. While I found the book quite enjoyable, I can honestly say the ride home was THE WORST in recent memory. A van almost hit us (and not in the I am overly dramatic and I always think everyone is trying to hit us when I am in a car it really did almost hit us). From that moment on, I was a nervous wreck. Shouting at my boy when people two up were breaking and the person in front of us was still rushing toward them, shouting when a car would come up beside us, flinching and jumping and really, generally being the worst passenger you can possibly be short of grabbing the wheel or anything. My boy, to his credit was calm through it all. He didn't yell at me, he didn't demand that I calm down and he never once said I was overreacting (though I am sure he was thinking it). He calmly drove as competently as he could and got us home safely.
We picked up my roommate and returned the car to the rental place. Then we proceeded to walk in the freezing cold to the South Street Diner (one of the few 24 hour restaurants in Boston). It turns out that they serve mimosas so after the harrowing drive home I treated the table (mind you my boy doesn't drink) to a pitcher of cranberry mimosas. They called it cranberry, but really they only used the cranberry to color the champagne so that it was more of a pink champagne -- I am not complaining. It was exactly what I needed at that point.
So yes, the day ended well -- even if I wasn't so great at trusting the God who had come and died on a cross for me to also keep me in his perfect plan on the way home. . . . .
We went to church at my childhood friend's church and then we went to her house for an incredible brunch. She and her husband are both incredible cooks. Their friends added to the bounty (bringing such delicacies as monkey bread a deviled eggs -- I LOVE deviled eggs).
The table where I was seated was incredibly fun. there was a professional go cart racer (I think --it could have been another recreational vehicle), a graphic novel aficionado (who also worked destroying a library once -- it was being torn down/packed up, downsized and moved) who worked in Long Island, and encouraging/fun people filling out the rest of the table.
After a lovely and filling brunch we went back to my boy's brother's house picked up our stuff and said our goodbyes. We got on the highway and started listening to Alan Alda's book Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and Other Things I've Learned. While I found the book quite enjoyable, I can honestly say the ride home was THE WORST in recent memory. A van almost hit us (and not in the I am overly dramatic and I always think everyone is trying to hit us when I am in a car it really did almost hit us). From that moment on, I was a nervous wreck. Shouting at my boy when people two up were breaking and the person in front of us was still rushing toward them, shouting when a car would come up beside us, flinching and jumping and really, generally being the worst passenger you can possibly be short of grabbing the wheel or anything. My boy, to his credit was calm through it all. He didn't yell at me, he didn't demand that I calm down and he never once said I was overreacting (though I am sure he was thinking it). He calmly drove as competently as he could and got us home safely.
We picked up my roommate and returned the car to the rental place. Then we proceeded to walk in the freezing cold to the South Street Diner (one of the few 24 hour restaurants in Boston). It turns out that they serve mimosas so after the harrowing drive home I treated the table (mind you my boy doesn't drink) to a pitcher of cranberry mimosas. They called it cranberry, but really they only used the cranberry to color the champagne so that it was more of a pink champagne -- I am not complaining. It was exactly what I needed at that point.
So yes, the day ended well -- even if I wasn't so great at trusting the God who had come and died on a cross for me to also keep me in his perfect plan on the way home. . . . .
Holy Saturday
On Saturday (the 8th of April -- so I am slowly catching up) my boy and I went to visit his brother and my childhood friend (she claims I am her oldest friend since my mother was her mother's nurse when she was pregnant with my friend).
He and I woke up fairly early (for me) and got on the train with all our stuff (we were spending the night and having Easter there too). We didn't pause for cash on the way because it was just too much to do with all our luggage etc. We made it out to the airport where we rented a car from enterprise (they were really great, the guy was at the gate right when we got off the airport shuttle so we got right on to go to the rental place and we were met by a friendly woman who gave us each a bottle of water and asked us if we needed her to mapquest anything). We were on the road shortly afterward and I realized we only had $7 After the first tunnel we were down to $3.o0 and fairly quickly we were down to $2.00 (counting all the change we had) so I suggested (screamed, suggested really who's paying attention?) that we get off at the very next exit. It was sort of self serving since the next exit had the whole foods with my absolute favorite wine. . . . After stocking up on some wine and some chocolate rabbits etc. we were back on the road better prepared to honor our hosts and with enough money to make it off the highway without any promissory notes.
He and I woke up fairly early (for me) and got on the train with all our stuff (we were spending the night and having Easter there too). We didn't pause for cash on the way because it was just too much to do with all our luggage etc. We made it out to the airport where we rented a car from enterprise (they were really great, the guy was at the gate right when we got off the airport shuttle so we got right on to go to the rental place and we were met by a friendly woman who gave us each a bottle of water and asked us if we needed her to mapquest anything). We were on the road shortly afterward and I realized we only had $7 After the first tunnel we were down to $3.o0 and fairly quickly we were down to $2.00 (counting all the change we had) so I suggested (screamed, suggested really who's paying attention?) that we get off at the very next exit. It was sort of self serving since the next exit had the whole foods with my absolute favorite wine. . . . After stocking up on some wine and some chocolate rabbits etc. we were back on the road better prepared to honor our hosts and with enough money to make it off the highway without any promissory notes.
We sped toward New Haven (I had no idea how quickly until we got there and my boy's brother calculated how fast -- that did not make me happy!!!!). Anyway, we pulled up to my boy's brother's house and he came out and helped us with our luggage (have I mentioned that I am a terrible packer? I don't know why/how, but I am).
In the bustle I was never actually introduced to my boy's brother. Then my boy went to the bathroom leaving me alone with his brother who said, "so I am Adam, your boy didn't really introduce us" and I said, "srh, and yeah, I know, he's done that before to me." Adam said, "yeah, we're kind of a socially awkward family. . . ." it was cute.
I had worked hard not to have big expectations for the weekend. I tend to over plan, having itineraries that are practically laminated with timing and side notes but for this trip I had decided to be "breezy" The only thing I wanted to do was go to ikea (and we didn't actually do that). Adam asked what we wanted to do and the only thing my boy could come up with was a fountain that he wanted to see. We made our way down to the Yale campus and wandered around and around until we realized that the fountain was probably in the construction zone we had circled twice. I was starving by this point. His brother asked once more what we would like to do and I finally let some of my bossy nature show when I said I would really like some food!
We tried for a famous burger shack but it was closed for the day so we ended up at some hole in the wall diner with a Greek flare. It was pretty quiet, my boy's brother being only slightly more vocal than my boy. I would grasp any possible question or comment to talk as much as I could. At one point in the diner Adam asked my boy if he was going to the family reunion and my boy said he didn't know and I asked what the family reunion was like (it might have been more like: What's a family reunion like? I have a small family so we've never really had a family reunion, well my mom has a big family, but we've never been to a reunion, the closest was one time when we went to a family luncheon and my sister and I were completely snubbed except for one time when someone asked who we were and someone else answered with a sigh "second cousins I suppose" um, yeah, so what's it like?) and Adam said it's pretty much like this, a bunch of us sitting around not really saying anything. . . . and then one saying suddenly I am going to go for a walk (just so they can get out of there) and everyone deciding they want to go for a walk too. -- We really need to bring horse shoes or something this year so we can at least do something! (I suggested board games too, just in case it rained, but perhaps they get out of the reunion if it rains -- I am getting out of the reunion, I have a wedding that weekend).
After lunch we wandered around a little more ending up at the museum of natural history (which apparently has a triceratops out front with an incredibly detailed butthole -- so I hear). It was an interesting little museum and it definitely took the pressure off everyone trying to talk/accept silence :). On the way home we stopped at both East Rock and West Rock -- where I refused to get out and hike because my feet hurt from all our wanderings.
We got home and collapsed, my boy went to the bathroom and his brother said "you know I have to report back to the family about you right? Your boy hasn't told anyone about you and my mother called me and asked me what I knew about SRH and I said all I know is he said they were coming to visit me, he didn't tell me anything more. . . ." I said, well am I going to get a good report? He said yeah, I think so and I said is there anything I can do to earn bonus points? and he just laughed.
We realized that it had been five hours since the diner, so we decided to go to texas roadhouse. Yes, I would like to get on my high horse about chain restaurants. Yes, I would like to say I don't like it, that I hate the kitschy atmosphere and the unimaginative food but gosh darn it, I LOVE the cinnamon butter and the rolls and honestly, the meat is really tender. So yes, not terribly brilliant cooking, but good.
I called to invite my childhood friend and she gracefully bowed out (except for the point where she said TEXAS ROADHOUSE?! SERIOUSLY? THIS IS NOT A JOKE?! -- oh, wait please don't tell them that). We waited for quite some time (the beer cart in the lobby closed before we made it to our table but then we stocked up on the cinnamon butter baby!!! Adam had a blue moon with an orange. I said I'd never heard of that and he said it was the way it was supposed to be. I have always had it with a lemon (in fact tonight I tried it with an orange and I can tell you I like it better with a lemon, it's a stronger flavor).
Anyway, dinner was good and then my boy and I went over to my childhood friend's apt. It was so gorgeous (she mentioned that really I should have a wedding just for the cool presents!). She and her husband have done incredible things with the space and found items they have. They have a pantry to be jealous of (it's California closet-esque). I swear they should publish and interior design book.
The difference between me and my friend and my boy and his brother was striking. Where the two of them had long pauses the two of us had no spaces. I swear that her husband and my boy simply sat there the whole time while the two of us went back and forth. I had such a good time with her reminiscing and chatting about important ministries/recent events in our life. It was late in the night and finally her husband mentioned bed and my boy looked grateful :).
We went back to my boy's brother's house and I set out Easter presents for the both of them. . .
In the bustle I was never actually introduced to my boy's brother. Then my boy went to the bathroom leaving me alone with his brother who said, "so I am Adam, your boy didn't really introduce us" and I said, "srh, and yeah, I know, he's done that before to me." Adam said, "yeah, we're kind of a socially awkward family. . . ." it was cute.
I had worked hard not to have big expectations for the weekend. I tend to over plan, having itineraries that are practically laminated with timing and side notes but for this trip I had decided to be "breezy" The only thing I wanted to do was go to ikea (and we didn't actually do that). Adam asked what we wanted to do and the only thing my boy could come up with was a fountain that he wanted to see. We made our way down to the Yale campus and wandered around and around until we realized that the fountain was probably in the construction zone we had circled twice. I was starving by this point. His brother asked once more what we would like to do and I finally let some of my bossy nature show when I said I would really like some food!
We tried for a famous burger shack but it was closed for the day so we ended up at some hole in the wall diner with a Greek flare. It was pretty quiet, my boy's brother being only slightly more vocal than my boy. I would grasp any possible question or comment to talk as much as I could. At one point in the diner Adam asked my boy if he was going to the family reunion and my boy said he didn't know and I asked what the family reunion was like (it might have been more like: What's a family reunion like? I have a small family so we've never really had a family reunion, well my mom has a big family, but we've never been to a reunion, the closest was one time when we went to a family luncheon and my sister and I were completely snubbed except for one time when someone asked who we were and someone else answered with a sigh "second cousins I suppose" um, yeah, so what's it like?) and Adam said it's pretty much like this, a bunch of us sitting around not really saying anything. . . . and then one saying suddenly I am going to go for a walk (just so they can get out of there) and everyone deciding they want to go for a walk too. -- We really need to bring horse shoes or something this year so we can at least do something! (I suggested board games too, just in case it rained, but perhaps they get out of the reunion if it rains -- I am getting out of the reunion, I have a wedding that weekend).
After lunch we wandered around a little more ending up at the museum of natural history (which apparently has a triceratops out front with an incredibly detailed butthole -- so I hear). It was an interesting little museum and it definitely took the pressure off everyone trying to talk/accept silence :). On the way home we stopped at both East Rock and West Rock -- where I refused to get out and hike because my feet hurt from all our wanderings.
We got home and collapsed, my boy went to the bathroom and his brother said "you know I have to report back to the family about you right? Your boy hasn't told anyone about you and my mother called me and asked me what I knew about SRH and I said all I know is he said they were coming to visit me, he didn't tell me anything more. . . ." I said, well am I going to get a good report? He said yeah, I think so and I said is there anything I can do to earn bonus points? and he just laughed.
We realized that it had been five hours since the diner, so we decided to go to texas roadhouse. Yes, I would like to get on my high horse about chain restaurants. Yes, I would like to say I don't like it, that I hate the kitschy atmosphere and the unimaginative food but gosh darn it, I LOVE the cinnamon butter and the rolls and honestly, the meat is really tender. So yes, not terribly brilliant cooking, but good.
I called to invite my childhood friend and she gracefully bowed out (except for the point where she said TEXAS ROADHOUSE?! SERIOUSLY? THIS IS NOT A JOKE?! -- oh, wait please don't tell them that). We waited for quite some time (the beer cart in the lobby closed before we made it to our table but then we stocked up on the cinnamon butter baby!!! Adam had a blue moon with an orange. I said I'd never heard of that and he said it was the way it was supposed to be. I have always had it with a lemon (in fact tonight I tried it with an orange and I can tell you I like it better with a lemon, it's a stronger flavor).
Anyway, dinner was good and then my boy and I went over to my childhood friend's apt. It was so gorgeous (she mentioned that really I should have a wedding just for the cool presents!). She and her husband have done incredible things with the space and found items they have. They have a pantry to be jealous of (it's California closet-esque). I swear they should publish and interior design book.
The difference between me and my friend and my boy and his brother was striking. Where the two of them had long pauses the two of us had no spaces. I swear that her husband and my boy simply sat there the whole time while the two of us went back and forth. I had such a good time with her reminiscing and chatting about important ministries/recent events in our life. It was late in the night and finally her husband mentioned bed and my boy looked grateful :).
We went back to my boy's brother's house and I set out Easter presents for the both of them. . .
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Begging Take 2
So I know this isn't fascinating since I still haven't even managed to post about Easter weekend and now it was a month ago and the last two (now three) posts have been about begging, but it's what's on my mind now.
I went to a meeting last night where they were giving us a script (and again I felt like phoebe) to call people and remind them to give to our church's capital campaign (it's a good cause, we haven't changed the roof since the civil war). We are the tail end. People have been calling for the last three months. We get to badger the people who still haven't responded. Of course we aren't telling them that, we're just calling with a friendly reminder. I really do believe that this is a good cause and I believe that it's okay as fellow church goers to nudge people to give. It's just interesting to me right now since I have been thinking about the begging for my walk so much.
It also made me think even harder about whether I should send out the reminder emails to the people that haven't responded to my request for donations for the walk. My boy says he only sends the emails out once and whatever happens happens. He doesn't want to appear to be begging. Project Bread, every time I check my progress, urges me to email the people who haven't responded and ask them to send again. . . . .
I met my first and second goals already, but I am only $80 away from my final goal and there are 40 people who haven't responded yet. I kind of want to send them an email saying for less than the price of a cup of Starbucks if you band together you can help me make the $500 goal! Then I think of how it's begging and I chicken out. Anyway, last night's meeting made me think about it even more.
I have decided to tackle my church calls tonight. We'll see how I feel about sending a reminder email out after that :).
Ooh, and in related news, my roomie and I were at the bar near my office for a beer before our meeting and a guy at the bar started talking to us -- he offered us shots, but we declined telling him we were on our wary to church. He asked us more about our church/meeting etc. and we explained and he gave us $10 to put towards our capital campaign. I like the idea of just going to bars and getting the equivalent of two shots worth of money to put towards the capital campaign -- maybe I should have asked HIM to support the walk for hunger :).
http://www.projectbread.org/goto/get_bitter
I went to a meeting last night where they were giving us a script (and again I felt like phoebe) to call people and remind them to give to our church's capital campaign (it's a good cause, we haven't changed the roof since the civil war). We are the tail end. People have been calling for the last three months. We get to badger the people who still haven't responded. Of course we aren't telling them that, we're just calling with a friendly reminder. I really do believe that this is a good cause and I believe that it's okay as fellow church goers to nudge people to give. It's just interesting to me right now since I have been thinking about the begging for my walk so much.
It also made me think even harder about whether I should send out the reminder emails to the people that haven't responded to my request for donations for the walk. My boy says he only sends the emails out once and whatever happens happens. He doesn't want to appear to be begging. Project Bread, every time I check my progress, urges me to email the people who haven't responded and ask them to send again. . . . .
I met my first and second goals already, but I am only $80 away from my final goal and there are 40 people who haven't responded yet. I kind of want to send them an email saying for less than the price of a cup of Starbucks if you band together you can help me make the $500 goal! Then I think of how it's begging and I chicken out. Anyway, last night's meeting made me think about it even more.
I have decided to tackle my church calls tonight. We'll see how I feel about sending a reminder email out after that :).
Ooh, and in related news, my roomie and I were at the bar near my office for a beer before our meeting and a guy at the bar started talking to us -- he offered us shots, but we declined telling him we were on our wary to church. He asked us more about our church/meeting etc. and we explained and he gave us $10 to put towards our capital campaign. I like the idea of just going to bars and getting the equivalent of two shots worth of money to put towards the capital campaign -- maybe I should have asked HIM to support the walk for hunger :).
http://www.projectbread.org/goto/get_bitter
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