Oh, sheet

This guy must be really excited to be a ghost, seeing that it's about 2:30 in the afternoon, and we're waiting for an inbound train at Brookline Village. Kids in costumes during the day are sweet; grown men, kind of spooky (but I guess that's the point.)
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Costumes of Halloween Past

The earliest Halloween costume I can remember having is a little clown suit with pom-poms on the front made out of green yarn. My grandma made it for me, and it's pretty cute, although I am terrified of clowns now, so I don't think I'll be passing that one on to any future children we may have. Other costumes include Madonna (maybe 3rd grade?), a hobo (complete with a coffee ground beard), and the Phantom of the Opera.

In 9th grade, we hosted an exchange student from St. Petersburg, Russia who happened to arrive on October 30th. At that point, I was only in my 3rd year studying Russian, and my language skills were limited to introducing myself and explaining how my fictional Russian friend, Tatiana, and I purchased sweaters and books on our recent trip to GUM. Our exchange student, Ekaterina, had never trick or treated before and I did my best to explain the process to her as I handed her a mask and an empty pillow case. What I explained to her in Russian (her English was no better than my Russian) probably translated back into English as, "We get candy. We are walking to many houses and say please give me some candy and then say thank-you."

My junior year at Boston College, I wore a full suit Winnie-the-Pooh costume that I bought at the Disney Store. I purchased it then reasoning that it would come in handy when I had to walk my own children around the neighborhood on Halloween in the freezing cold. My roommates and I went to an off-campus party that year, and after several beers and jello shots in a packed house, I realized the Pooh costume was like wearing a fuzzy sauna. I passed out in the middle of the party to enthusiastic shouts of "Pooh's down!" (or so I'm told.)

I am driving to CT today in order to attend a baby shower early tomorrow afternoon with my mom, but hopefully I'll be back in time to help pass out some candy. My Pooh costume is in CT, and I'll break it out for the first time since college to answer the door, but will be extra careful to stay hydrated this time.

Looking for a Boston Marathon number?

My awesome marathon charity, Team Eye and Ear, has a few spots left on the 2009 team. If you're interested in learning more about becoming a team member, please check out the link on Mass Eye and Ear's website: http://www.meei.harvard.edu/what/events.php

If anyone is thinking about running and has any questions about the training or fundraising experience, please feel free to send me an email or leave me a comment.

Year old cake better than expected!

Despite the fact that our cake was a year old, it tasted pretty fresh. It was still nice and moist; in fact, the only indication that it was celebrating a birthday while we were celebrating an anniversary was that the foundant was looking a little worse for the wear. I think the key factor in keeping the top layer so fresh was that my mom wrapped it in about 6 layers of tin foil, which was then wrapped in a final layer of Saran wrap. Go Mom!
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I'll have a tall skinny Amoxicillin, no whip

Through his work, Nick received a gift certificate to Starbucks, which he gave to me since he doesn't drink coffee. Normally I avoid Starbucks, because their ordering system and staff intimidate me. I feel like most of Starbucks' employees act as if they're fulfilling their destiny to work there; or, perhaps because I don't have their small/medium/large equivalents memorized yet it's just that I am an annoying patron. Anyway, on Friday I went to the Quincy Market store and saw that they had a new smoothie called Vivanno. I decided to try the orange, mango and banana version and threw in the optional matcha for an extra $0.50. Matcha is apparently made from green tea and functions as a healthy add-in and a sweetener. It also turned my smoothie a pleasant green color.

Behold, the Vivanno

The smoothie had a unique taste to it; it definitely didn't taste like oranges, mangoes and/or bananas, but it was sweet and I became slightly nostalgic drinking it. About halfway through the drink, I realized what it tasted exactly like: amoxicillin! Amoxicillin is the pink bubblegum flavored medicine I used to take for ear infections, and it was delicious (for a medicine.) I'm not sure if drinking Vivannos will cure a bacterial infection, but they sure taste like they will.

"Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"

Nick enthusiastically removed my garter- the guy who caught it is now engaged!

Today is our 1 year anniversary! I can't believe a year has gone by so quickly! It seems like just yesterday I was writing about our 6 month anniversary... Everyone likes to say that marriage is full of surprises and it's been no different for us. For example, in the past year, I have learned 2 things about Nick that I didn't know prior to marrying him:

1. He has "the Monster Mash" on his iPod. (I learned this when I heard him singing along to the background ahhh-ohhhhhhs.)

2. He pronounces "Tootsie Roll" like toot-sie. As in, you "toot" a horn.

Happy Anniversary, Nick! I love you, and am looking forward to many more years!

Blogging in the Dark

When I got home tonight, I noticed there was a work crew in the road. Then I got to my building, I realized why- there's no power on our section of Broadway. Dwayne and I are just hanging out in the dark, and I've been trying to think of where we should go to dinner when Nick gets home. That's one advantage of not having power; you can't cook.
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Publix Enemy No. 1?

After big wins, I like to browse the Sports sections of the losing teams' cities to see what their papers have to say. There's an interesting article in the Tampa Tribune that speculates whether or not a local grocery store jinxed the Rays.

Speed 3- Runaway 7

I'm on the 7 going home, and our driver must have tickets to the Sox tonight, or something. She is speeding like crazy and then slams on the brakes* if she has to pick someone up. Everyone's heads are whipping forward when she finally decides to brake last minute. If there is a service slowdown going on, this chick is definitely boycotting it. Ugh, I need a barf bag.
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*someone pointed out to me that I had been using "break" instead of "brake." So this post has been edited to use the correct spelling.

They've Got a lot of Balls

I had to return something to Macy's during lunch, and this guy was in front of me on the escalator. The Downtown Crossing store is ALREADY dripping with garlands and lots of decorative red balls. Sad.
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The New Courtesy Counts Campaign Missed Some Key Points...

So, the MBTA has launched a new Courtesy Counts campaign. After 11 years spent riding the T and buses, I have some other complaints that, in my opinion, are worse than talking on a cell phone. Drawing on multiple personal experiences, here are the rider offenses that I would target:

Big Plans to Pee your Pants? Leave the train at your next chance!

Feel like a long, crazy diatribe? Save it for the next ride.

I know, your prices can't be beat, but sell your crap out on the street.

Gum disease is a shame, but please don't floss while on the train.

BAA Half Marathon- A Great Race!

The BAA Half Marathon was the most scenic course I have ever run. Click here to read a course description.

Image from www.baa.org

Running through the Franklin Park Zoo was pretty awesome. I kept hoping to see some animals, but none were out and about. There was a fake crocodile (alligator?) that initially got some runners excited though. Compared to Boston's Run to Remember, this course was much hillier. To me this is a plus, because you're forced to concentrate on your strides and it's harder to lose focus. There were water stations every mile or so, and a GU station right before mile 8, I think. The race was extremely well run (no pun intended) and the t-shirt was long-sleeved; I'm definitely going to sign up again next year.

Nick and I finished at the exact same time (2:08:01), which was an improvement for both of us from the half marathon we ran in May. I improved by 56 seconds and Nick improved by 9:32! Amazing! We were both humbled; however, by our friend Brad who kicked butt by finishing in 1:56:53 (who also improved from May by 4:47!) Great job! I'll post some photos as soon as they're made available on Marathonfoto.

A Tight Squeeze

I was drying my hair at the gym this morning, and out of the corner of my eye, I see the woman next to me wave down another lady who started to walk by her.

The lady stops and says, "So I went to Citysports to buy some running clothes."

"That's great! What did you buy?" the woman next to me said.

"Well, nothing yet..." She paused and asked, "I was wondering... How tight should the clothing be?"

"Uh, you know, just go with whatever feels good."

"Well," she continued, "I wasn't sure what size to get. I was going back and forth between a medium and..." (Now at this point I was certain the other choice had to be large) "or a small."

"Definitely medium," the woman next to me said; a little too quickly for the other lady's preference. Secretly I was delighted at the turn the conversation took and eagerly awaited the response.

The woman's lips drew to form a very thin line and she hummed a bit, before saying, "You know, I think I'll ask my trainer. You know, someone more qualified." She walked away and I looked at the lady next to me and we burst out laughing.

BAA Half Marathon

It's a beautiful day out; hopefully the weather is as nice tomorrow for our race. We are going to our friends' wedding in Cambridge tonight (yeah for local weddings!) and then waking up early for the half marathon. Then tomorrow night, we are going to see David Sedaris! I'm going to relax now while I can. Have a great weekend!
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Connecticut Pride

My home state, Connecticut, became the 3rd state to legalize same sex marriage today. This is great news, and I'm happy for all of the couples that will now be allowed to marry.

Which of these Statements is False?

Sushi2 tagged me to list 6 details about myself. Since I have done this type of meme before, I will list 5 true details and 1 false detail. Which one do you think is false? (I'm not going to tag anyone; however, consider yourself tagged if you'd like to participate!)

1. On a dare, I once tried to drink a gallon of milk in 1 hour.

2. I made up a dance routine to Weird Al's "Fat."

3. Other girls play house or school. I used to make my friend play "Immigrant," which consisted of me talking in an Italian accent and her in a Polish one. We were just trying to make it in a new land.

4. I won a limbo contest at a middle school dance.

5. In elementary school, my friend, our younger brothers and I made up a musical about a mentally handicapped girl that wanted to show her classmates that it was OK to be different. It was on roller skates.

6. I had a guinea pig named Frabrizio for 2 weeks- until my mom returned him to the pet store while I was at school one day. I also had a hamster named Otto that my mom gave to a man collecting items for a tag sale when I was away for a weekend.

The Love that Blinds

My vision is terrible. This morning I couldn't find my glasses. I looked all over and finally needed to put my contacts in to find them. Already late for my bus, I finally found them nestled in my sock drawer. (I have no idea how they got there. I swear they have legs of their own.) Normally Nick helps me out in that situation, but he's in Montreal for work. I miss him more than he realizes when he's gone!
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A Breathalyzer Test for Your Email

Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Stop sending mail you later regret

This is great, but a true test of Google's brillance would be if they could somehow check your hormornal balance (or lack thereof) prior to sending email.

Alexander McCall Smith's Online Serial!

Check it out. Daily chapters are created partly based on reader feedback. I love it! It's so... er, novel. :)

I had the pleasure of meeting Alexander McCall Smith this past April. He's the author of the popular No. 1 Ladies Dectective Agency books, as well as several other wonderful series.

In a sea of street parking, beware the overtow!

On my way to the corner of L and Broadway this morning, I counted 3 different tow companies within 4 city blocks clearing cars away for street cleaning. (Which takes place on Tuesdays between 5 and 7 am.) I don't remember seeing the trucks before, and I have been going to early morning yoga for at least 4 Tuesdays in a row. They reminded me of sharks greedily swimming around fresh kill. Street cleaning is such easy money for tow companies...
P.S. Getting up to go to the gym this morning was particularly painful after another late, but awesome game. Go Sox!
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One Woman's Tasty Sandwich, Is Another Man's Brussels Sprouts

While ordering my sandwich today, the guy behind me was visibly gagging as I gave my order. I thought about it, and think my order was pretty standard.

ham, American cheese, mayo, lettuce, onion, pickles, & hot peppers on a chili wrap

Is that weird? I don't think so... Someday, when I have my own sandwich shop, Alicia's Tasty Sandwiches, this will definitely be on the menu. The only ingredient I would add is black olives, which aren't an option where I bought my lunch.

My Good Deed Won't Go Unnoticed, because I'll Make Sure to Point it Out to You

While on the train this morning, an older man with a cane and a foot cast entered our carriage at South Station. He didn't seem to be in much pain and quietly got himself situated by holding his cane in one hand and the overhead bar with the other. As soon as the train started to pull out of the station, the women sitting in front of where he was standing decided to take action.

She shattered the train's dead silence by announcing, "I'm getting off at the next stop!" Then she got up from her seat and valiantly gestured that the man should sit down. "You should sit here," she commanded.

"No thank you, I'm getting off at the next station too," he politely responded, although he was clearly not enjoying the attention as the rest of us were watching the scene unfold.

"You really should sit! I'll give you my seat!" And then the woman added (in case the man hadn't already realized), "Your foot is in a cast!" At this pronouncement, other passengers began shifting in their seat and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the man's foot.

Mercifully, the trip to Downtown Crossing from South Station is quick. I would have forgiven the older man for whacking her with the cane on the way out; however, he left as quietly as he came, and the woman disappeared into the crowd; probably to find someone else in need to make herself feel better.

Until We Meet Again...

On Wednesday I saw a sign in Dunkin Donuts announcing that the pumpkin muffin was back. I love the pumpkin muffin, and told myself that I'd get it as a treat for breakfast on Friday. Well, this morning I said to Nick that it was going to be a good morning, because I was welcoming back the pumpkin muffin. I just got to my desk, peered into the bag, and anticipating the soft crumbly top, I saw sugar crystals instead. Those fools gave me a blueberry! Foiled!

Remarkable Show of Self Restraint

I just finished an hour long, grueling kick boxing class. I am starving. My subject heading refers to the fact that I haven't grabbed a handful of the McDonald's fries the guy next to me on the bus is eating. When you're hungry, does anything smell better than McDonald's fries? I don't think so.
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