i'm in vacation mode here at work.
i've crossed off all the big things on my to do list so now i'm just waiting another hour or so until i can check out and get home to do laundry and pack and then get to bed by 10. i have to be up at 4am to catch a flight at 6. eeks. all for the love of cleveland indians. we're going to see a game at noon and the later flight wouldn't have gotten me there on time. it should be fun. hotdogs and beer and popcorn - and apparently right behind homeplate. yeehaw.
i saw the devil wears prada last night with my new movie/book club. slightly strange because there wasn't much discussion on it and the group parted ways right after the movie. so i guess it's really just an excuse to see movies with people. but perhaps we'll change the format for next time. it makes me miss organizing parties - but since i didn't get it started, i don't really want to charge in with my get-to-know-you games like i would if it were mine. (ok, right, everyone get NAKED!) ha ha. i don't think these girls would play games like that! :)
but the movie was cute, in a very predictable way. in fact, i think the exact same movie has been done already because i've seen it twice - just can't remember the name of it, one of those lame disneyfied movies. frumpy girl from the midwest moves to new york to make it in publishing. been there, done that.
but meryl streep was great. and there was a part of watching all that that made me miss london, and being so in touch with what's happening and stylish and 'now'.. (frumpy girls goes back to the midwest...) and definitely made me want some of those stylish clothes - but know that i'll never get those and really, at the end of the day, don't care that much. though a trip to topshop would be nice right about now.
in any case, only 55 minutes left to this day and i'm outta here! off to the family reunion in ohio this weekend!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
music in boston
this has been a great week for music.
i was riding my bike home on wednesday night and stopped when i saw some free jazz in the fens park. a little five piece was set up playing jazz classics on the green with the audience on a sloped hill in the sun. and last night there was a free concert in copley square and none other than edie brickell and the new bohemians played for over an hour! classic! it reminded me of highschool and college .... and the countless times i would play 'shooting rubberbands at the stars' - and she sang the great ones as well - 'nothing' 'circle of friends' 'what i am' etc etc. it was brilliant!
and the rest of last night i spent reorganizing my living room, moving tables and chairs and couches to make it more homey for my parents arrival. i don't know why i didn't think to do this earlier - like when i FIRST moved in - to make it mine - but it's really cool now. looks much more lived in and less temporary. i guess i'm just getting used to not really being in one place for very long, so not investing much in where i'm at. when perhaps, that would make all the difference for my experience. i'm getting anxious again to start investing in a place. (on large and small scales). i've been able to overlook the fact that i'm living in someone else's apartment, with his things on the walls and his uncomfortable futons as beds/couches, but i'm getting ready to have my stuff again. not that that will happen anytime soon - particularly if i relocate temporarily to san francisco this fall - but anyway, it's around the corner!
i was riding my bike home on wednesday night and stopped when i saw some free jazz in the fens park. a little five piece was set up playing jazz classics on the green with the audience on a sloped hill in the sun. and last night there was a free concert in copley square and none other than edie brickell and the new bohemians played for over an hour! classic! it reminded me of highschool and college .... and the countless times i would play 'shooting rubberbands at the stars' - and she sang the great ones as well - 'nothing' 'circle of friends' 'what i am' etc etc. it was brilliant!
and the rest of last night i spent reorganizing my living room, moving tables and chairs and couches to make it more homey for my parents arrival. i don't know why i didn't think to do this earlier - like when i FIRST moved in - to make it mine - but it's really cool now. looks much more lived in and less temporary. i guess i'm just getting used to not really being in one place for very long, so not investing much in where i'm at. when perhaps, that would make all the difference for my experience. i'm getting anxious again to start investing in a place. (on large and small scales). i've been able to overlook the fact that i'm living in someone else's apartment, with his things on the walls and his uncomfortable futons as beds/couches, but i'm getting ready to have my stuff again. not that that will happen anytime soon - particularly if i relocate temporarily to san francisco this fall - but anyway, it's around the corner!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
it's been awhile
sorry for the lack of blogs ... just haven't caught the writing bug as of late, and nothing terribly exciting has happened since i last wrote. i ended up going out in new york for a pretty crazy night. it was really only crazy because paul said 'catherine says you sometimes get up and dance on tables, so we're not leaving until you dance on tables' and proceeded to buy me lots and lots of cocktails. i can't imagine what catherine was talking about!
otherwise, it's been a pretty quiet week. my parents are coming to boston tomorrow, so i'm looking forward to showing them a good time. i think we'll probably do a chilled out walking tour around boston and end up on a pub crawl at some point on saturday night. i think they're probably coming to see me more than they are the city of boston or bunker hill - but we shall see. maybe a duck tour is in order.
and i leave on wednesday for my family reunion in ohio which should be great fun! it seems that most people have jumped on the bandwagon and will be there. i'm glad to see people are making the effort.
norah jones is playing in the background here at work. that album always reminds me of summer in london circa 2002.
how fast time flies!
happy birthday to my cousin sara! she's 29 today!
otherwise, it's been a pretty quiet week. my parents are coming to boston tomorrow, so i'm looking forward to showing them a good time. i think we'll probably do a chilled out walking tour around boston and end up on a pub crawl at some point on saturday night. i think they're probably coming to see me more than they are the city of boston or bunker hill - but we shall see. maybe a duck tour is in order.
and i leave on wednesday for my family reunion in ohio which should be great fun! it seems that most people have jumped on the bandwagon and will be there. i'm glad to see people are making the effort.
norah jones is playing in the background here at work. that album always reminds me of summer in london circa 2002.
how fast time flies!
happy birthday to my cousin sara! she's 29 today!
Friday, July 14, 2006
NY NY
sitting in the lobby of my hotel where i get internet access. i feel a bit like pig pen, except i'm shrouded in a cloud of vera wang - the perfume i accidentally doused myself in while walking through macy's. but nevermind. i'm sure my au natural smell after a day walking all over town will seep through shortly and i'll be rid of this stench.
what can i say, there are so many adjectives that come to mind it's difficult to get them all down, or even begin to express the thoughts i've had over the last few days about this crazy city. for a start, work has gone well. i've had 7 really good meetings that will hopefully lead somewhere as far as internships are concerned, so that's been a plus! it hasn't been a waste of time where work is concerned.
and i've walked everywhere. i've not used the subway once, and don't intend to. i've only cabbed it twice, and spent a good 2-3 hours/day getting to/from appointments. i'm staying on 8th and 34th, just next to penn station and madison square garden - the garment district, apparently. and most of my meetings have been around park or 5th and 46th. you can figure the grid. and last night, after a workout in the gym, i just put on my tennis shoes and started walking south. i must've walked about 30 blocks before i stopped and cabbed back to the hotel. it was a straight shot through chelsea and down to greenwich village - and fun to see the places the girls and i saw/stayed last time we were in here october. (remember the bar with the cabaret singer on the first night? still there! and the store where we bought papers at six a.m.? yep, still there!) crazy times. i felt a bit like forrest gump, i just kept walking .... (walk, meeeeegan, wawalk!)
and yesterday i bought myself a nice watch. i've been needing one because i've been wearing the same one my grandparents bought me at harrods (maybe seven years ago?) every day since - so i didn't mind investing in another one. only it's slightly annoying because it's a smidgen too tight, but if they put in another piece, it's a smidgen too loose. but it's so beautiful that i'll deal. tight.
apart from that, i haven't succumb to the shops that surround this area. it would probably be worse if i was in lower manhattan with the boutiques and one off shops ... it's easy to pass by h&m without stopping (there's one in boston anyway).
but new york is just mad. so many people and so many DIFFERENT people. i love it. there's a convention at this hotel of people going to see some woman from india, ammah, maybe? anyway, they are all dressed in beautiful flowy white outfits and look like the most peaceful people in the world. and then you step outside to the cacophony of 8th street and the madness begins. what a strange place for a peaceful woman to lead her followers. i've noticed that people here don't really look at each other, which is a shame - because i've seen some of the most interesting people since i've arrived. everything's acceptable in new york, i'm not sure there is such thing as bad taste here. irony is in full swing, and i think they 'get it' - how could you not in a city like this?
but i don't think i could live here. too much consumption for me. i was on park avenue today where the big banks are headquartered. people driving around in cars like mr big, chauffered and all, very flash, very grand. but i was sitting in starbucks and overheard a husband talking to his wife and daughter. from what i could make out, they were camping, and he was supposed to be at the campground with them. but instead, he was drinking a frappacino under towering skyscrapers in a hot and muggy city. maybe he's making a lot of money. who knows. and i guess he'll make s'more. only without the marshmallows.
so now i'm off for a friday night with a friend i met in london who lives in ny. he's a really good friend of a girl i work with and she introduced us a few years ago and i've kept in touch every so often. we were going to go swingdancing with his girlfriend and her friends, but it's WAY too hot and the dancing is outside, so plan b is a bar called angel's share (http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/new-york/angels-share-new-york.htm) the drinks are probably $20 each, but what the hell, it sounds very cool. as a friday night in new york should be!
adios!
what can i say, there are so many adjectives that come to mind it's difficult to get them all down, or even begin to express the thoughts i've had over the last few days about this crazy city. for a start, work has gone well. i've had 7 really good meetings that will hopefully lead somewhere as far as internships are concerned, so that's been a plus! it hasn't been a waste of time where work is concerned.
and i've walked everywhere. i've not used the subway once, and don't intend to. i've only cabbed it twice, and spent a good 2-3 hours/day getting to/from appointments. i'm staying on 8th and 34th, just next to penn station and madison square garden - the garment district, apparently. and most of my meetings have been around park or 5th and 46th. you can figure the grid. and last night, after a workout in the gym, i just put on my tennis shoes and started walking south. i must've walked about 30 blocks before i stopped and cabbed back to the hotel. it was a straight shot through chelsea and down to greenwich village - and fun to see the places the girls and i saw/stayed last time we were in here october. (remember the bar with the cabaret singer on the first night? still there! and the store where we bought papers at six a.m.? yep, still there!) crazy times. i felt a bit like forrest gump, i just kept walking .... (walk, meeeeegan, wawalk!)
and yesterday i bought myself a nice watch. i've been needing one because i've been wearing the same one my grandparents bought me at harrods (maybe seven years ago?) every day since - so i didn't mind investing in another one. only it's slightly annoying because it's a smidgen too tight, but if they put in another piece, it's a smidgen too loose. but it's so beautiful that i'll deal. tight.
apart from that, i haven't succumb to the shops that surround this area. it would probably be worse if i was in lower manhattan with the boutiques and one off shops ... it's easy to pass by h&m without stopping (there's one in boston anyway).
but new york is just mad. so many people and so many DIFFERENT people. i love it. there's a convention at this hotel of people going to see some woman from india, ammah, maybe? anyway, they are all dressed in beautiful flowy white outfits and look like the most peaceful people in the world. and then you step outside to the cacophony of 8th street and the madness begins. what a strange place for a peaceful woman to lead her followers. i've noticed that people here don't really look at each other, which is a shame - because i've seen some of the most interesting people since i've arrived. everything's acceptable in new york, i'm not sure there is such thing as bad taste here. irony is in full swing, and i think they 'get it' - how could you not in a city like this?
but i don't think i could live here. too much consumption for me. i was on park avenue today where the big banks are headquartered. people driving around in cars like mr big, chauffered and all, very flash, very grand. but i was sitting in starbucks and overheard a husband talking to his wife and daughter. from what i could make out, they were camping, and he was supposed to be at the campground with them. but instead, he was drinking a frappacino under towering skyscrapers in a hot and muggy city. maybe he's making a lot of money. who knows. and i guess he'll make s'more. only without the marshmallows.
so now i'm off for a friday night with a friend i met in london who lives in ny. he's a really good friend of a girl i work with and she introduced us a few years ago and i've kept in touch every so often. we were going to go swingdancing with his girlfriend and her friends, but it's WAY too hot and the dancing is outside, so plan b is a bar called angel's share (http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/new-york/angels-share-new-york.htm) the drinks are probably $20 each, but what the hell, it sounds very cool. as a friday night in new york should be!
adios!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
NYC or bust!
happy to report that I've made it to NYC.
i'm staying at the ramada on 8th between 34th/35th - if that means anything to anyone. just next to penn station which is very convenient. i saw the empire state building and macy's on the walk here - so i don't think i'm too far from the action. annoyingly, they won't let me check in until 3 - so i've got two hours of waiting around before i can change clothes and get to my first meeting. it's a relatively calm day today, but tomorrow i've got meetings back to back starting at 9am. (HSBC, L'Oreal, Barclays, JPMorgan) ... and then a few more on friday - but again, relatively low key. i'm meeting a friend for dinner friday night and then heading back to boston on saturday at 2. i figured that would allow me time to wander some saturday street markets in the morning.
i wish i'd bought a map. and perhaps a few friends along for the ride. not quite the same on my own.
already i can feel the buzz of new york city. we'll see how i feel after a few days of the buzz. i may be anxious to get back to the quiet of boston and my treelined street in the south end.
i'm staying at the ramada on 8th between 34th/35th - if that means anything to anyone. just next to penn station which is very convenient. i saw the empire state building and macy's on the walk here - so i don't think i'm too far from the action. annoyingly, they won't let me check in until 3 - so i've got two hours of waiting around before i can change clothes and get to my first meeting. it's a relatively calm day today, but tomorrow i've got meetings back to back starting at 9am. (HSBC, L'Oreal, Barclays, JPMorgan) ... and then a few more on friday - but again, relatively low key. i'm meeting a friend for dinner friday night and then heading back to boston on saturday at 2. i figured that would allow me time to wander some saturday street markets in the morning.
i wish i'd bought a map. and perhaps a few friends along for the ride. not quite the same on my own.
already i can feel the buzz of new york city. we'll see how i feel after a few days of the buzz. i may be anxious to get back to the quiet of boston and my treelined street in the south end.
Monday, July 10, 2006
italians at sunset
so italy won the world cup, if you weren't watching.
alex and i went for a picnic in the north end last night - the italian section of town. i packed us a bolognese (in honor) and we biked up to hanover street to see the action. it was crazy. a sea of blue italian shirts and red white and green flags for miles. by the time we got there, they were at least two hours into the celebration - and going strong. cars were honking girls hanging out of the cars in bikinis, italian stallions in full force.
one in particular seemed to have had a little too much fun at the party. alex and i were enjoying the beautiful pink and purple sunset when he came over to the bench nearby, sat with his head between his legs and let out a disgusting croak followed by an outpouring of his own shades of pink and purple. alex got up to offer him our water - which he declined - and then moved to the grass nearby to lie down.
he stayed as long as we did, occasionally getting up to share a bit more, shout at no one in particular, and then lie back down. as we were leaving, he came towards us to shake alex's hand to thank him for the offer. and the conversation went something like this:
him: hey man, thanks for offering that water.
alex: no problem, you look 100% better.
him: you are a true gentleman.
alex: hey, don't worry about it.
him: my name's quentin, you know i just got out of the penitentiary, been locked up for 6 years. i'm weak, i have a few glasses of wine and look at me. but thank you man, i really appreciate it.
and he was so grateful. honestly grateful. you could see it in his eyes. and his eyes were really deep. when he looked at alex, he REALLY looked at him. i guess after six years, you would look at everything more closely. and you'd be grateful for everything. even water.
it was one of those really cool moments.
the rest of my weekend was great - a very ME weekend, going out with new girlfriends on friday night and my cousin anna on saturday night. girlie and all about ME AGAIN! hooray.
alex and i went for a picnic in the north end last night - the italian section of town. i packed us a bolognese (in honor) and we biked up to hanover street to see the action. it was crazy. a sea of blue italian shirts and red white and green flags for miles. by the time we got there, they were at least two hours into the celebration - and going strong. cars were honking girls hanging out of the cars in bikinis, italian stallions in full force.
one in particular seemed to have had a little too much fun at the party. alex and i were enjoying the beautiful pink and purple sunset when he came over to the bench nearby, sat with his head between his legs and let out a disgusting croak followed by an outpouring of his own shades of pink and purple. alex got up to offer him our water - which he declined - and then moved to the grass nearby to lie down.
he stayed as long as we did, occasionally getting up to share a bit more, shout at no one in particular, and then lie back down. as we were leaving, he came towards us to shake alex's hand to thank him for the offer. and the conversation went something like this:
him: hey man, thanks for offering that water.
alex: no problem, you look 100% better.
him: you are a true gentleman.
alex: hey, don't worry about it.
him: my name's quentin, you know i just got out of the penitentiary, been locked up for 6 years. i'm weak, i have a few glasses of wine and look at me. but thank you man, i really appreciate it.
and he was so grateful. honestly grateful. you could see it in his eyes. and his eyes were really deep. when he looked at alex, he REALLY looked at him. i guess after six years, you would look at everything more closely. and you'd be grateful for everything. even water.
it was one of those really cool moments.
the rest of my weekend was great - a very ME weekend, going out with new girlfriends on friday night and my cousin anna on saturday night. girlie and all about ME AGAIN! hooray.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
islands of fun
after a late night on friday with a few friends, alex and i started moving around noon and had the brilliant idea of getting out to the beach, cape cod, to be precise. however, looking at the traffice report, and a 13 mile back up, we opted to go north instead. we drove (traffic free!) up to plum island on newburyport. it was an amazing beach, with a coastline you would expect in new england, with beach houses, sand dunes, and beaches for miles. surprisingly for such a gorgeous day, the beach was rather empty. we dipped in the water, but it was FREEZING, rivaling the beaches i remember growing up in california. far too cold for me. then we found bob's lobster market for dinner where we had a crab roll (me) and a clam roll (him) and shared a bowl of chowder, a crab cake and a stuffed clam. i would say it was delicious, and from the look of the outside of the market, it should've been one of the best 'off the beaten path, local's favorite' type place - but we both felt pretty queasy for most of the drive home. maybe we OD'd on the shell fish. 
but that doesn't mean we won't go back for more. apparently today is the big 'chowda off' down at fanueil hall. the best of the best will be showcasing their chowder for a vote for the city's best. so we're heading down there on our bikes for lunch. it's a slightly hazy day in boston, but still beautiful and with a warm breeze.
i've discovered i have a blender here and am getting into smoothies for breakfast. today's was mango, strawberry and nectarine. delicious. i would highly recommend trying it yourself if you have the means. today is like saturday all over again - and with two more days off! hooray for the weekend! hope you're enjoying yours wherever you are.
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