Drugs- bad.
Alcohol- bad in excess. Wine doesn't count.
"Never drink to feel better; drink to feel even better!"
Day -03 Your view on drugs and alcohol.
Drugs- bad.
Alcohol- bad in excess. Wine doesn't count.
Drugs- bad.
Alcohol- bad in excess. Wine doesn't count.
"Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man."
Day 02- Where you'd like to be in 10 years.
In 10 years I'd like to be a mom. I have thought a lot about this question before and I think it's important for anyone to do. If you don't know where you want to be in 10 years then how to you know what to work towards today? That being said, how exactly does one work towards being a mom? (Yea yea, very mature.) In all seriousness though, I would be thrilled to have a job I love and being famous or really rich would also be fantastic but when I think about my future the most integral part of it for me is family. In the meantime, I can work towards being the kind of person my future kids can look up to. I can make decisions I'm comfortable explaining to them one day. I can set an example for them and I can marry someone I'd be proud to have them emulate. I can try to be a good Christian every day. I can read the bible, go to church and continue to learn as much as I can now so I can answer their questions later. And of course, I can obsess over what I'll name them.
In 10 years I'd like to be a mom. I have thought a lot about this question before and I think it's important for anyone to do. If you don't know where you want to be in 10 years then how to you know what to work towards today? That being said, how exactly does one work towards being a mom? (Yea yea, very mature.) In all seriousness though, I would be thrilled to have a job I love and being famous or really rich would also be fantastic but when I think about my future the most integral part of it for me is family. In the meantime, I can work towards being the kind of person my future kids can look up to. I can make decisions I'm comfortable explaining to them one day. I can set an example for them and I can marry someone I'd be proud to have them emulate. I can try to be a good Christian every day. I can read the bible, go to church and continue to learn as much as I can now so I can answer their questions later. And of course, I can obsess over what I'll name them.
"Sometimes the good stuff doesn't make sense"
Hooray! I have found blog inspiration. Aka I found a picture on pinterest that tells me what to talk about for the next 30 days. No promises that I will do this everyday but I do plan on going through all 30. I may do a few at once every few days. We'll see. I'm also fairly certain that no one reads this anymore because I suck at it but in that case I'll be less worried about what you'll think. Since you are just a pretend reader in my mind. So here it is:
Day 01- Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.
So I take this to mean that if I'm not single I should not discuss it and no one cares. BUT GUESS WHAT? It's my blog and Imma do what I want.
I am in a relationship that makes me happy everyday. I find myself becoming a better, more selfless person because of it. He is kind, patient and understanding. He also drives me nuts and sometimes I want to throw him out the window but I think that's because he makes me crazy in a really good way. I am a planner and being in this relationship is forcing me to be okay with not knowing and I do think I'm getting there. The closer we get the more I learn about myself and oddly the more independent I feel. Also, he's really good lookin.
Day 01- Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.
So I take this to mean that if I'm not single I should not discuss it and no one cares. BUT GUESS WHAT? It's my blog and Imma do what I want.
I am in a relationship that makes me happy everyday. I find myself becoming a better, more selfless person because of it. He is kind, patient and understanding. He also drives me nuts and sometimes I want to throw him out the window but I think that's because he makes me crazy in a really good way. I am a planner and being in this relationship is forcing me to be okay with not knowing and I do think I'm getting there. The closer we get the more I learn about myself and oddly the more independent I feel. Also, he's really good lookin.
"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."
Anyone still there? I read something on twitter the other day that made me laugh. It was something along the lines of "90% of blog posts start with an apology about not blogging awhile." Heh.
But I think I might be slightly better now and here's why. I've started a journal. It seems like this would be counter productive to blogging however I'm convinced it shant. You see, I've struggled with blogging because I don't think I could exactly define my purpose. Was I blogging to get my thoughts out? Was I blogging to update my family on my whereabouts? To figure out mah lyfeee? I had no idea. And quite frankly...I still don't. However I think I have at least eliminated the attempt to use it as some sort of catharsis. For awhile I think I was trying to but I was also constantly assessing everything due to the reality that Heaven only knows who was reading it and even when I just assumed I knew everyone that was reading it I was pretty sure they didn't care. Or would be wildly offended. So anyway... Here's a photo update of what I've been up to in no particular order. (AKA- the order my computer picks.)
But I think I might be slightly better now and here's why. I've started a journal. It seems like this would be counter productive to blogging however I'm convinced it shant. You see, I've struggled with blogging because I don't think I could exactly define my purpose. Was I blogging to get my thoughts out? Was I blogging to update my family on my whereabouts? To figure out mah lyfeee? I had no idea. And quite frankly...I still don't. However I think I have at least eliminated the attempt to use it as some sort of catharsis. For awhile I think I was trying to but I was also constantly assessing everything due to the reality that Heaven only knows who was reading it and even when I just assumed I knew everyone that was reading it I was pretty sure they didn't care. Or would be wildly offended. So anyway... Here's a photo update of what I've been up to in no particular order. (AKA- the order my computer picks.)
NYC!
Concert at the Hatch Shell (Panera picnic included)
Moved to Newton and gained Kipper, one of the best dogs ever.
Had an AMAZING visit home.
Michelley came to visit!
Went to Six Flags...where we didn't take many pictures.
Hiking on Spectacle Island
Exploring George's Island
More adventures to come when I upload them!
"Learn not only to find what you like, learn to like what you find."
I'm not on my computer at the moment and thus have no access to my pictures but I assure you all that a recap of Michelle's visit is forthcoming sometime before Easter. In the meantime I thought I'd recap the second half of my list since I'm A.D.D. (I'm realizing now how improper the grammar of that is. It's like saying I'm schizophrenia.) and clearly can't focus on any one topic for more than one blog. So here we go.
6. Read more.
6. Read more.
- It's going pretty well! I wouldn't say I've been voracious about it but I'm averaging about a book every three weeks which is FAR more than I'd been doing. The three I've completed so far are:
- Bossy Pants by Tina Fey-HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND. HILARIOUS!
- One Day by David Nicholls- there's a movie about this now with Anne Hathaway...don't really care to see it because I really didn't care for the book.
- Are You There, Vodka? It's Me Chelsea. by Chelsea Handler- pretty funny but not as good as Bossy Pants.
- Right now I'm reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett which is really good so far. Hopefully I'll finish it soon then convince someone to go see the movie with me.
- I imagine my previous blog acknowledges that I'm doing a fairly decent job of this. I will admit that the past 3 days or so have been the worst in the last few weeks thanks to crazy schedules, a trip to New York and a fun little 24-hour flu of sorts but by tomorrow that should be back on track!
- I am really proud of myself on this one to be honest. Excluding rush-hour traffic, of course. Realistically, I definitely have some crappy days where I over-think, dwell too much or just get frustrated but I really think my perspective in the last few months has changed drastically. Little things bother me a lot less than they used to and I find my happiness tends to be much less related to other people's opinions than it once was. I imagine knowing there are some seriously unfavorable opinions about me may have forced me to get to that place but I think what it really taught me was that there are people who know me and know my heart and they always have. Maybe I thought more people did than was actually the case but it is what it is. Life is way too short.
- I have sucked royally. Like...beyond royally. Here are my excuses:
- I live in Boston so there are an infinite amount of restaurants that must be tried.
- Kyle's roommate, Chris, and occasionally Kyle, make delicious food! Plus I happen to enjoy sitting on the couch blogging while watching them be this cute in the kitchen:
Chris explaining how to brown hamburger.
10. Have patience.
- I really don't remember what I was referring to when I said this. So...I'm counting it as a smashing success.
“Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”
I interrupt this recap of visits to announce my latest bout of inspiration. I signed up for a 10k. For the record, I am in absolutely no condition to run a 10k right now but I am hoping that in the next 6 weeks I will be. The race is on October 16th and it's along the river in Boston. I have been told that the weather will be nice by Mister "I-can-apparently-predict-the-weather-slash-I-will-tell-you-whatever-you-want-to-hear-if-it-will-get-you-to-sign-up-and-run-this-with-me." For the record, he also goes by "I-just-ran-a-marathon." He has a lot of names. He also goes by Kyle but I anticipate I'll just address him as "SLOW DOWN" for the next 6 weeks. I did warn him today that there is a certain point every time I run where I literally hate the world so hopefully I won't lash out...Another big concern is that apparently training for a 10k also means we can't get ice cream virtually every day so we'll see how I deal with that.
Anyway, I am actually excited about it. I have been fairly lazy lately so this should help. I also have this T-shirt from high school cross country that says "Yes...I run for fun" and I'd like to get somewhere near a point where I'm not embarrassed to wear it taking out the garbage.
I'm telling all of you about this race so hopefully you will ask me about it for the next month or so. That way I'll keep up with it because I'll be too embarrassed to tell you I quit. Dad, I'm going to ask you to run with me when I'm home in a few weeks!
I'm telling all of you about this race so hopefully you will ask me about it for the next month or so. That way I'll keep up with it because I'll be too embarrassed to tell you I quit. Dad, I'm going to ask you to run with me when I'm home in a few weeks!
"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."
Hey buddies...you still there?
Sorry for the crazy delay. Working is hard. I've also had some of my favorite people taking up my free time lately which I can't say I mind! Kyle finally showed up a few weeks ago, Becca and Ethan came to visit two weekends ago and Michelle and I payed tribute to 2009 last weekend. So I will try to start filling you in on what I've been up to!
We picked Becca and Ethan up Friday morning and after dropping off Ethan's sensible duffle bag and Becca's unnecessarily massive suitcase we walked through Harvard Yard and headed into the city.
Sorry for the crazy delay. Working is hard. I've also had some of my favorite people taking up my free time lately which I can't say I mind! Kyle finally showed up a few weeks ago, Becca and Ethan came to visit two weekends ago and Michelle and I payed tribute to 2009 last weekend. So I will try to start filling you in on what I've been up to!
We picked Becca and Ethan up Friday morning and after dropping off Ethan's sensible duffle bag and Becca's unnecessarily massive suitcase we walked through Harvard Yard and headed into the city.
You're my person.
We headed to Faneuil Hall where we ate at Dick's Last Resort which was so much fun! It's sort of like a slightly raunchier Ed Debevic's. Then we headed to the pier to see some Boston sights before going back to my place where Becca and Ethan passed out for awhile.
That night we took the midwesterners to Cheers which brings the tally of times Kyle and I have been their to 14 billion which I am not complaining about because I will eat that Bacon Blue Burger every day of forever. Afterwards we walked through Boston Common which is one of my favorite places in Boston. I definitely want to spend more time there! There's also a place called frog pond there that you can wade in but I've yet to be there during "wading" hours which are something like 11:00-11:03.
Wildly inappropriate statue.
Saturday we headed to the Cape!
We staying in Hyannis which is sort of near "the elbow."
We had such a great time here. It was honestly a lot like the little lake towns in Michigan. Lots of ice cream, cute little shops and beaches. Major differences being the amount of seafood and the amount of sea.
Playing catch on the beach. The beaches here are SO rocky/seashelly. It's annoying.
Really nasty sea critter of some sort that Becca and Ethan found. We later saw this in a gift shop so apparently we did not discover a new species-
Why anyone would ever want this is beyond me.
"The best thing about having a sister is that I always have a friend."
The worst part about the Cape was the traffic. The way back was particularly awful. It was supposed to take about an hour and a half and ended up being closer to 4 hours. I wouldn't go back just for a night strictly because it wasn't worth the travel time. Luckily we did get back in time to do the sunset cruise in the city which was actually really awesome. It was crazy foggy which made the city look really cool but I'd like to go back when we could see a little better.
Afterwards the boys had their final lobsters of the weekend at Tia's. We decided on a whim to go see if we could get any late tickets to the Red Sox/Yankees game. Unfortunately we were too late but Becca and Ethan still got to see Fenway and we made it back to pinkberry just before they closed which was a delightful ending to one of the best weekends ever.
Lobstah!
Shrimp!
Aaaaand corn.
The giant Citgo sign by Fenway
Mmmmmm.
Come back soon you two.
" Some days are for living. Others are for getting through."
Edit: I wrote this post a few weeks back and didn't publish it because I didn't want to be a downer. I decided that now that it's paired with a cheerful post about my awesome weekend I'll go ahead and post it in the spirit of sharing both the ups and the downs.
Some days suck. I always wait to blog until I'm in a really good mood because I don't think anyone wants to read about me whining. I know the last blog was all about my bad luck but I also chose to write it when I had things under control for the most part and was no longer totally freaking out, except due to insane caffeine. Anyway, I just feel like being realistic and saying that as much as I truly love Boston and in addition to all the amazing experiences I'm having, there are bad days here just like there are anywhere else. There are days where I really, really miss my family. There are days when I just get inside my head and dwell way too much on too many things. There are days when people lift me up and days when they let me down. And there are days when all of those things happen at once and perspective is a little hard to come by.
When I type things out then it gives me the chance to analyze it and think about how much worse things could be and to realize that I'm probably being dramatic but I've been saying "sorry I'm being dramatic" and "sorry I'm rambling" etc. etc. way too much and I think that once in awhile I just have to be dramatic and ramble. So that's what this is. I'm being dramatic and I'm rambling. And it might all be really annoying but fortunately I do not have you cornered in a room somewhere that doesn't allow a polite departure. You are free to exit at any point. Fortunately for the lucky few who do actually have to listen to me on such days, they are fairly rare.
I feel like I've been really anxious to make sense of every little thing, to have a clear, one sentence summary as to what I'm thinking/feeling/doing or why I'm thinking/feeling/doing it. As though if I can't completely justify why something makes me happy or sad then I shouldn't be feeling it and I'm irrational if I do. I think that's the wrong approach. I think if something is going to make me sad then fine. And if it's going to make me happy then fine. I think I worry too much about what other people are going to think or say instead of acknowledging that people don't actually care that much about what I'm doing and the people that do care would have already run for the hills by now if they were going to so I think they're going to stick around. I also think I need to keep good old Eleanor Roosevelt, or El Ro as I call her, in mind when she said that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent because I'm not loving that feeling as of late.
I've been thinking a lot about who exactly I am compared to who I want to be. Could there possibly be a more dramatic and obnoxious sentence than that one? What I mean to say is that I have this idea of who I am in a friendship, family, relationship, as an employee etc etc and in some cases I've been struggling with whether or not the idea I have in my head is actually what I'm expressing and whether that means I need to change the way I'm acting or perhaps change the idea in my head. In the midst of determining that I can't figure out if I'm creating unrealistic expectations or doing myself a disservice by thinking they may be unrealistic.
I have no idea what the answer to any of this is. I don't know if I'll find any answers or if I'll just come to accept that life is far less black and white than I'd like it to be. I imagine I may find myself somewhere in the middle.
End dramatic ramble. I promise to blog about something fun next time. Thanks for listening. :-)
Some days suck. I always wait to blog until I'm in a really good mood because I don't think anyone wants to read about me whining. I know the last blog was all about my bad luck but I also chose to write it when I had things under control for the most part and was no longer totally freaking out, except due to insane caffeine. Anyway, I just feel like being realistic and saying that as much as I truly love Boston and in addition to all the amazing experiences I'm having, there are bad days here just like there are anywhere else. There are days where I really, really miss my family. There are days when I just get inside my head and dwell way too much on too many things. There are days when people lift me up and days when they let me down. And there are days when all of those things happen at once and perspective is a little hard to come by.
When I type things out then it gives me the chance to analyze it and think about how much worse things could be and to realize that I'm probably being dramatic but I've been saying "sorry I'm being dramatic" and "sorry I'm rambling" etc. etc. way too much and I think that once in awhile I just have to be dramatic and ramble. So that's what this is. I'm being dramatic and I'm rambling. And it might all be really annoying but fortunately I do not have you cornered in a room somewhere that doesn't allow a polite departure. You are free to exit at any point. Fortunately for the lucky few who do actually have to listen to me on such days, they are fairly rare.
I feel like I've been really anxious to make sense of every little thing, to have a clear, one sentence summary as to what I'm thinking/feeling/doing or why I'm thinking/feeling/doing it. As though if I can't completely justify why something makes me happy or sad then I shouldn't be feeling it and I'm irrational if I do. I think that's the wrong approach. I think if something is going to make me sad then fine. And if it's going to make me happy then fine. I think I worry too much about what other people are going to think or say instead of acknowledging that people don't actually care that much about what I'm doing and the people that do care would have already run for the hills by now if they were going to so I think they're going to stick around. I also think I need to keep good old Eleanor Roosevelt, or El Ro as I call her, in mind when she said that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent because I'm not loving that feeling as of late.
I've been thinking a lot about who exactly I am compared to who I want to be. Could there possibly be a more dramatic and obnoxious sentence than that one? What I mean to say is that I have this idea of who I am in a friendship, family, relationship, as an employee etc etc and in some cases I've been struggling with whether or not the idea I have in my head is actually what I'm expressing and whether that means I need to change the way I'm acting or perhaps change the idea in my head. In the midst of determining that I can't figure out if I'm creating unrealistic expectations or doing myself a disservice by thinking they may be unrealistic.
I have no idea what the answer to any of this is. I don't know if I'll find any answers or if I'll just come to accept that life is far less black and white than I'd like it to be. I imagine I may find myself somewhere in the middle.
End dramatic ramble. I promise to blog about something fun next time. Thanks for listening. :-)
"Just because today is a terrible day doesn't mean tomorrow might not be the best day of your entire life. You just have to wake up and get there."
Let me start this blog with two disclaimers.
1. I am WOUND UP ANDIDON'TKNOWWHY.
2. In a previous post I stated "I will never get sick of this Adele song." That is SUCH a lie. I can't even begin to tell you how freaking sick of that song I am. I do not care if they could have had it all. However, I'll never get sick of her new song. Ever.
So let me tell you about the last two weeks, eh? Last Monday I was robbed. Yesterday my car died. Ok, nice chat!
No but really, I had some credit cards and my license taken from my purse at work last Monday. Totally sucked. Luckily I have an awesome Mom who helped me and is also good at understanding me when I'm hysterical. After the initial panic we were able to get everything pretty much taken care of. I'm still waiting on a driver's license so until then I get to use my passport. Fortunately its a really flattering photo.
In the meantime I realized there are zero Chase banks in the state of Massachusetts. Who would have thought? Not me. So this means that without any valid checks and no way of cashing my paychecks I found myself in a new pickle. I opened a new account with a bank here WHO SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS, DO NOT ROB ME. But it means waiting a few weeks for new checks, waiting 5 days for every check I deposit to clear for the first 30 days, etc. etc. FUN. I did get approved for a credit card with a credit limit that they should never have told me so apparently I have good credit for now. Hopefully that will come in handy if....
...I have to buy a new car. My sweet, sweet Geo is currently dead as a doornail in the driveway. Tricia has triple A and they're coming later to hopefully bring him back to life. Whether they are able to save him or not, I will probably at least start seriously looking for a new car because I have a feeling he is trying to tell me that he's not planning on being around much longer. *Sniff* Apparently car years are not the same as human years. Side note for anyone who may not have known this- do not waste your time and energy trying to push a car that will not shift out of park. It seems they're designed to not move while in park.
In all seriousness, other than some minor details like not being sure if my car works, technically driving illegally without my license, not really being able to access my money at the moment and it being 104 degrees outside things are good here! No really, I still love Boston. Love my roommates, love the city, love my window air conditioner, love the fact that there's a cupcake place 0.2 miles from my house and love that I have visitors coming soon!
1. I am WOUND UP ANDIDON'TKNOWWHY.
2. In a previous post I stated "I will never get sick of this Adele song." That is SUCH a lie. I can't even begin to tell you how freaking sick of that song I am. I do not care if they could have had it all. However, I'll never get sick of her new song. Ever.
So let me tell you about the last two weeks, eh? Last Monday I was robbed. Yesterday my car died. Ok, nice chat!
No but really, I had some credit cards and my license taken from my purse at work last Monday. Totally sucked. Luckily I have an awesome Mom who helped me and is also good at understanding me when I'm hysterical. After the initial panic we were able to get everything pretty much taken care of. I'm still waiting on a driver's license so until then I get to use my passport. Fortunately its a really flattering photo.
In the meantime I realized there are zero Chase banks in the state of Massachusetts. Who would have thought? Not me. So this means that without any valid checks and no way of cashing my paychecks I found myself in a new pickle. I opened a new account with a bank here WHO SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS, DO NOT ROB ME. But it means waiting a few weeks for new checks, waiting 5 days for every check I deposit to clear for the first 30 days, etc. etc. FUN. I did get approved for a credit card with a credit limit that they should never have told me so apparently I have good credit for now. Hopefully that will come in handy if....
...I have to buy a new car. My sweet, sweet Geo is currently dead as a doornail in the driveway. Tricia has triple A and they're coming later to hopefully bring him back to life. Whether they are able to save him or not, I will probably at least start seriously looking for a new car because I have a feeling he is trying to tell me that he's not planning on being around much longer. *Sniff* Apparently car years are not the same as human years. Side note for anyone who may not have known this- do not waste your time and energy trying to push a car that will not shift out of park. It seems they're designed to not move while in park.
In all seriousness, other than some minor details like not being sure if my car works, technically driving illegally without my license, not really being able to access my money at the moment and it being 104 degrees outside things are good here! No really, I still love Boston. Love my roommates, love the city, love my window air conditioner, love the fact that there's a cupcake place 0.2 miles from my house and love that I have visitors coming soon!
"Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need."
The time has finally come! Time to show you my room! If you choose to also interpret this as the time having finally come for me to unpack the final box that was haunting me you would not be incorrect. First I'll show you some of the before pictures I took.
The beginning! Light blue walls, dark blue trim and dirty, smelly carpet.
There aren't any pictures of this but my dad and I spent the majority of the first day cleaning/shampooing the carpet. Unfortunately the girl who lived in my room before me had a very cute but very smelly dog. My dad was a huge help with the carpet and painting as well as helping me assemble a bunch of things!
Here's a delicious photo of some of the things I vacuumed up.
Mmmmm.
Lots of holes to patch. You can also see the dark spots where there were things hanging before.
And the purple begins!
Just a really flattering picture for you all.
And here's the finished product! Sorry for the skinny, iphone shaped video. I also realize I say about 12 different things are the best things ever.
"So just live, have wonderful times and make mistakes but never second guess where you've been, where you are, and most of all where you're going."
It has been almost a month since my dad and I hit the road for Boston so I thought I would take a look at the list of things I was hoping to accomplish when I left and see how it's coming. Here's my assessment of 1-5.
- Figure out how to get out of my own head all the time.
- Eh. Depends on the day...
- Be okay with being bored once in awhile.
- Absolutely! I think that it has come as a sort of side-effect of living in a big city. I can't say I have been bored once since I've been here. It feels like there is constantly something to do so if I'm not doing anything it's probably because I'm exhausted or craving some Friends/Gilmore Girls action.
- Learn new things.
- I wish I'd been a little bit more specific with myself on this one. I've certainly learned things like where I live...what borders Massachusetts (some...)...where the cheapest grocery store is...how much a drink costs in a Boston bar (I MISS THE CACTUS)...I can almost get to/from work without my gps...but I can't necessarily say I feel like I've accomplished this one yet. I'm not sure what it is that will make me feel like I have but perhaps I will know it when I learn it.
I'm being honest...I'd never get Vermont.
4. Enjoy myself.
- Yes, yes a million times yes! I really couldn't say the number of times I've just been smiling to myself. Whether it's remembering a place from my first trip here or just realizing what an awesome city I live in, I am definitely content more often than not. I think my post about walking is probably a testament to that. Side note: I also enjoyed an amazing bike ride today although there were slightly more near-death encounters than while walking. I see why most people wear helmets here.
Pictures from my bike ride today:
MIT from the bike path
My favorite view of the skyline
5. Find a church.
- I have tried out a few churches since I've been here and I found one I enjoy. They have a contemporary service which tends to have a younger crowd and I really like it. Love the music! It's sort of an interesting process when looking for a church because it's difficult to decide what you don't like about a church versus what you just don't want to hear. There's not going to be a church that tells you that everything you decide to do is the right thing just because you want to do it. Believe it or not on very rare occasions I tend to mess up. Instead, I'm trying to find a church that makes me think and learn in a way that I connect with. Learning a lot!
"The best things in life are free. The second best are e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e."
Piece of mind is currently on sale at Target for $99.
Yesterday I bit the bullet and upgraded from my TomTom One. Yes, that's actually it's name- TomTom One. Because it really was the first one. I had been trying to avoid it with the idea that if I could get accustomed to the roads with my ancient friend then I wouldn't really need one anymore slash also sort of hoping that whenever I get a new car it might be fancy enough to have one built in.
Anyway, after yesterday's rant I decided it was time to consider upgrading from this bad boy:
To this city slickah:
I had to be at work at 9:00 today and considering it's taken me over an hour to get home during rush hour, I had no idea how bad it would be in the morning so I gave myself an hour and a half to be safe. I am thrilled to say that I took a 40 minute nap in the parking lot. It was glorious! I did not have to turn 17 times and I didn't hate my life once! On the way home the "traffic" feature wasn't as impressive and I ended sitting for a little while but still made it back in about an hour.
So all in all, if things continue on this path I will be a very happy girl!
Yesterday I bit the bullet and upgraded from my TomTom One. Yes, that's actually it's name- TomTom One. Because it really was the first one. I had been trying to avoid it with the idea that if I could get accustomed to the roads with my ancient friend then I wouldn't really need one anymore slash also sort of hoping that whenever I get a new car it might be fancy enough to have one built in.
Anyway, after yesterday's rant I decided it was time to consider upgrading from this bad boy:
Mmmmm...Hello, lovah.
I had to be at work at 9:00 today and considering it's taken me over an hour to get home during rush hour, I had no idea how bad it would be in the morning so I gave myself an hour and a half to be safe. I am thrilled to say that I took a 40 minute nap in the parking lot. It was glorious! I did not have to turn 17 times and I didn't hate my life once! On the way home the "traffic" feature wasn't as impressive and I ended sitting for a little while but still made it back in about an hour.
So all in all, if things continue on this path I will be a very happy girl!
"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead. "
I was talking to my grandma on the phone the other day and while I was telling her all about my new city she asked me if there was anything I didn't love about Boston and I definitely had an answer- my commute.
I'm not sure there is really an adequate way to describe it so I will attempt by giving you a sampling of the thoughts I have on an average day.
"Ok, maybe today won't be too bad.
OH MY GOSH, GPS TURN ON TURN ON I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
Ok. We're ok. We're good.
OH MY GOSH, GPS FIND A FREAKING SIGNAL I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
Ok. We're good.
Ugh. Who thought talk radio was a good idea.
Oh good, here's some music.
Ugh. Who thought Nickelback was a good idea.
I will never get sick of this Adele song.
WHICH ROAD DO I TURN ON? WHICH ONE WHICH ONE? OH. That one back there. Great. Aaaand we're turning around.
Here we go, back on track, this isn't so bad. Clipping along.
Well that was a speedy mile and a half. And we're stopped.
Okay lady, sure, make your own lane. WHAT IF WE ALL DID THAT?
No. No no no. Nonononononononononono I will not let you in. Your car is nicer than mine. Try it.
I wish these bikers would stop passing me.
I wonder if it'd be faster to bike to work.
How sweaty would I be after a 20 mile bike ride?
Are you allowed to bike on the highway?
Music by The Fray does not have an expiration date.
I never know what the heck The Fray is talking about.
Ah yes, buddy, lets slow down every time we pass a parked car.
Oh look at that, we're going five now. FIVE.
Ok, self, calm down. Things could be much worse. You are not dying.
Think positively.
I HATE TRAFFIC.
But it's BOSTON traffic. How cool is that?
Boston is so cool.
Dee dee dee life is good, I heart Boston.
WHY ARE WE STOPPING?
GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN. GOOOOO IT'S GREEEEEEN.
I wonder how much of my life will be wasted sitting in traffic.
Do they still make books on tape?
Maybe I can learn a language while I commute.
Hmm what langauge would I like to learn...
YOU SAW THE LANE CLOSED SIGN THE SAME TIME I DID PAL. NOW YOU WAIT."
So you get the idea...
I'm not sure there is really an adequate way to describe it so I will attempt by giving you a sampling of the thoughts I have on an average day.
"Ok, maybe today won't be too bad.
OH MY GOSH, GPS TURN ON TURN ON I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
Ok. We're ok. We're good.
OH MY GOSH, GPS FIND A FREAKING SIGNAL I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
Ok. We're good.
Ugh. Who thought talk radio was a good idea.
Oh good, here's some music.
Ugh. Who thought Nickelback was a good idea.
I will never get sick of this Adele song.
WHICH ROAD DO I TURN ON? WHICH ONE WHICH ONE? OH. That one back there. Great. Aaaand we're turning around.
Here we go, back on track, this isn't so bad. Clipping along.
Well that was a speedy mile and a half. And we're stopped.
Okay lady, sure, make your own lane. WHAT IF WE ALL DID THAT?
No. No no no. Nonononononononononono I will not let you in. Your car is nicer than mine. Try it.
I wish these bikers would stop passing me.
I wonder if it'd be faster to bike to work.
How sweaty would I be after a 20 mile bike ride?
Are you allowed to bike on the highway?
Music by The Fray does not have an expiration date.
I never know what the heck The Fray is talking about.
Ah yes, buddy, lets slow down every time we pass a parked car.
Oh look at that, we're going five now. FIVE.
Ok, self, calm down. Things could be much worse. You are not dying.
Think positively.
I HATE TRAFFIC.
But it's BOSTON traffic. How cool is that?
Boston is so cool.
Dee dee dee life is good, I heart Boston.
WHY ARE WE STOPPING?
GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN. GOOOOO IT'S GREEEEEEN.
I wonder how much of my life will be wasted sitting in traffic.
Do they still make books on tape?
Maybe I can learn a language while I commute.
Hmm what langauge would I like to learn...
YOU SAW THE LANE CLOSED SIGN THE SAME TIME I DID PAL. NOW YOU WAIT."
So you get the idea...
I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”
Here's a little tour of my apartment for inquiring minds! Please don't stalk me.
"Unless you try doing something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."
Today was my first day of work!
Overall, I would definitely say it went really well. I certainly feel like I have a TON to learn but all of the people I worked with were really great. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures to spice this post up but here's one of me before I left for my first day!
The commute on the way to work wasn't bad except when I almost killed myself and the guy behind me when I realized I was in the wrong toll lane which brings me to my next point...Tolls. Ew. I'm going to try a different way tomorrow that doesn't have tolls because $5 a day is redonk and I'd rather spend that on cupcakes. And by cupcakes I obviously mean running gear. The way I'm trying has 17 turns in 17 miles. Thanks a lot, historical buildings. Who's idea was it to found America anyway? Could we not have taken the long way and started in California? Where was I... Ah yes, the commute home was a bit more challenging due in part to my dear Red Sox who once again chose not to consult my schedule when planning their game time. I'm hoping the 17 turn route will help alleviate some of those issues too since the exit I take now is the same one used to get to Fenway.
Overall, I would definitely say it went really well. I certainly feel like I have a TON to learn but all of the people I worked with were really great. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures to spice this post up but here's one of me before I left for my first day!
Wooo! Here I come, Geoffrey!
My official title is Human Resource Department Supervisor which was news to me but actually sounds pretty neat. As I said though, it seems like I'm going to have a lot of responsibility and I sense they're going to want me to take much of it on sooner rather than later so hopefully I can pick up on things quickly. My manager is such a great guy and everyone had really great things to say about him so I'm looking forward to working with him!
The commute on the way to work wasn't bad except when I almost killed myself and the guy behind me when I realized I was in the wrong toll lane which brings me to my next point...Tolls. Ew. I'm going to try a different way tomorrow that doesn't have tolls because $5 a day is redonk and I'd rather spend that on cupcakes. And by cupcakes I obviously mean running gear. The way I'm trying has 17 turns in 17 miles. Thanks a lot, historical buildings. Who's idea was it to found America anyway? Could we not have taken the long way and started in California? Where was I... Ah yes, the commute home was a bit more challenging due in part to my dear Red Sox who once again chose not to consult my schedule when planning their game time. I'm hoping the 17 turn route will help alleviate some of those issues too since the exit I take now is the same one used to get to Fenway.
I'm proud to report that I did convince myself to go for a run when I got home though! More on that harebrained idea in another post... Just learned its harebrained and not hairbrained..thank you for the lesson, spell-check.
"Not all who wander are lost"
Sorry in advance but this blog is pretty much about walking. I'll post one about my first day too for a little bit of substance but for now, let us mosey. I officially love walking! I really enjoy that Boston is such a walking town. I'm already developing the mindset that if something is a mile and a half away, you don't just hop in the car, you go for a little stroll. Granted, that's also probably because Boston driving is a sport in itself but it's so nice to just slow down a little bit and let my mind wander.
Yesterday I went and scoped out Kyle's future residence just so I could explore a new area and also perhaps warn him if he was about to rent a room in a brothel. Not the case, as far as I could tell. Anyhow, it was about a 4 mile walk in total and the weather was PERFECT. It put me in the best mood and I actually started taking pictures of random flowers I found along the way. Who am I?? Here they are just in case any of you have also recently become aspiring horticulturists. They aren't greatest quality but I did manage to remain aware of how I looked to the people who own the lawns I was documenting so I was a little hasty.
Yesterday I went and scoped out Kyle's future residence just so I could explore a new area and also perhaps warn him if he was about to rent a room in a brothel. Not the case, as far as I could tell. Anyhow, it was about a 4 mile walk in total and the weather was PERFECT. It put me in the best mood and I actually started taking pictures of random flowers I found along the way. Who am I?? Here they are just in case any of you have also recently become aspiring horticulturists. They aren't greatest quality but I did manage to remain aware of how I looked to the people who own the lawns I was documenting so I was a little hasty.
These were the coolest colored hydrangeas which you can't really see.
Some sort of massive flowering bush that I stopped and sniffed for an awkwardly long time.
These cute things were growing on a tree.
Ok, I get this is a blog about walking and flowers so I'm going to wrap it up but I just wanted to share my new-found love of walks. I don't imagine I'll feel the same way in December. Fun fact, I was sitting here trying to think what you would call someone who loves walks and I tapped into my 6th grade Latin studies and thought "hmm...ped is relating to the foot and phile is relating to love sooo...." :-/
"You never know when you're making a memory."
I came to Boston at the right time. I also ended up with awesome roommates, one of whom has shown me two amazing nights. The Bruins were in the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday so I went out with Tricia and her friends to watch the game at a bar near The Garden and had SUCH a fun time. I can't say I'd ever been much into hockey but everyone here will turn you into a huge fan quickly. It was so fun watching the game with such an excited crowd.
The next night we ended up seeing the Bruins twice which was also pretty awesome! We got to talk to a few of them a little bit and touch the Stanley Cup...so cool!
I'm going to need Boston to wait a few weeks before they win any more major sporting events...my wallet and I both need some recovery time. And to reassure my family, there will be no support from this girl for New England football...blech.
New roomie!
Awesome new friends!
Madness in the streets!
The next night we ended up seeing the Bruins twice which was also pretty awesome! We got to talk to a few of them a little bit and touch the Stanley Cup...so cool!
Mark Recchi and the cup!
I'm going to need Boston to wait a few weeks before they win any more major sporting events...my wallet and I both need some recovery time. And to reassure my family, there will be no support from this girl for New England football...blech.
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