Thank You to RedsArmy.com!

A huge thank you to John and RedsArmy.com for their generous donation to Team Eye and Ear! This donation is particularly exciting for me, because it's the first donation I've received (including last year's campaign) from someone who isn't a family member or prior acquaintance.

I added a link list to my sidebar (under the Firstgiving.com widget), asking readers to check out the sites that support Team Eye and Ear. Thanks again, Redsarmy!

The Holiday Spirit Touches Some, and Misses Others

I just hopped on the T at State (hey, it's raining) to go to the Macy's downtown. I wanted to take advantage of the sales to buy a bigger ticket item. Anyway, when I got off at Downtown Crossing, the street level exits were lined with pedestrians shielding themselves from the rain. Squeezing past a teenaged girl, my bag accidentally brushed against her shoulder. "Excuse me," I said and continued to walk by.
"Don't excuse me, you b*tch," she yelled. "F*ck you!" Her sentiments were punctuated with an equally eloquent gesture.
Tis the season!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

That Thing Looks Like it was Made Out of Green Pipe Cleaners!

While walking to the bus stop just now, I was hit with a refreshing whiff of pine. I love the smell of Christmas trees; their fragrance is one of the few things that really gets me in the holiday spirit. If you're in the city and looking for a tree, this stand on the corner of East Berkeley & Tremont promises a good selection for those looking to buy sooner rather than later.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Fore Crying Out Loud

If you're not planning on playing golf, don't use your huge golf umbrella to commute on rainy mornings. Why don't you try a nice Totes umbrella? They fold up nicely and can fit into most bags and purses.

You can even squeeze a friend under here too... which leads me to sing...

"Bus stop, wet day, she's there, I say Please Share my Umbrella" All together now! (That's got to be the best rainy day song to sing while waiting for the bus.)

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Or Missouri, or Nebraska. Nick and I just boarded our flight to BOS via DET from KCI. We originally came down here for a long weekend, so that we could visit MO, NE, and KS. Nick had been to 45/50 states prior to this trip, and the 3 we visited were part of the remaining 5. (AK and ND are the 2 states that he's got left.) We also timed the visit so we could go to a Bills/Chiefs game, which was a treat. It's so hard to get Patriots tickets, that it had been a long time since I got to see an NFL game. Kansas City isn't on most people's must-see lists, but it's an interesting place to visit. The city is very easy to navigate, there are some great restaurants and bars/clubs and the best part is that there's free parking lots and garages everywhere. It's not really a walking city though, so that's a bit disappointing considering my favorite way to explore a city is by foot. There are a lot of day trips you can do by car, which is how we came to visit the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph, MO. (Really cool museum that features old techniques to cure patients diagnosed with depression, schizophrenia, etc). After seeing the restraint cage and the "bath of surprise" be thankful that you weren't a patient at Glore... We also visited the Squaw Creek wildlife refuge, where we got to see a handful of eagles. All in all a good trip; it was nice to see another part of the country and get away for a few days. Also, traveling to other cities makes me realize how much I love Boston.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Wheel of Fortune

We went to the ski and snowboard expo at the Bayside Exposition Center (said in electronic T voice) last night. The Expo is awesome for discounted ski & stay packages and equipment. Nick and I both got helmets this year, and we booked some trips with our favorite ski couple, Brad & Jenny. When you book a trip at Loon, Sugarloaf or Sunday River, you get to spin the prize wheel. They make a big deal out of it. You stand on a platform, bang a gong and have a try at lady luck. You can win a bunch of prizes; the most coveted being a season's pass and the least being logo gear. Nick won logo gear and I won a free ticket. Jenny got the 2nd best prize (5 day ticket) and Brad won a 2 day ticket. Here's a picture of Brad spinning the prize wheel. Its worth booking a trip just for the thrill of spinning the wheel! The Expo goes through Sunday, and is definitely worth visiting if you plan on skiing this year.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

It Must Be Italian

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Goofus & Gallant Meet a Fox

This is a photo of Newbury Comics' magazine rack in Faneuil Hall. Why on earth do they sell Highlights? This product placement is a little disturbing.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Did You See that Catch Coco Made?!

I'll miss Coco. He looks like the type of player who always gives 100%. He had a highlight reels worth of amazing catches in the outfield. Nick and I are going to be in Kansas City this weekend; maybe we'll see Coco scouting out his new digs?

Got to Twitter!

So, some co-workers and I were talking about Twitter yesterday, and I decided to make an account. I'm not sure how often I'll remember to update it, but you can follow me at:

http://twitter.com/got2trotlibrary

Maybe Jobu Can Take the Fear from a Football too

Nick's favorite player on the Bills is the punter, Brian Moorman. He says he's the best player on the team; to which I say, if the best player on your team is the punter, then you've got a problem. For his birthday, I gave Nick a Brian Moorman jersey and he was thrilled. The party guests had a good time laughing at his enthusiasm for the punter, but Nick just kept repeating that he was the best player on the team. Anyway, I watched Monday Night Football last night with Dwayne, because Nick was traveling for work in Vermont.

Just chilling, watching the game...

After Trent Edwards' 2nd interception in 3 passes, I sent Nick a text.

8:51 PM "Uh Oh"

Then I sent him another one after Leodis McKelvin scored after running the ball 98 yards on a kickoff return. I wanted to make sure that he either a) hadn't fallen asleep, or b) gotten frustrated and turned off the game.

11:01 PM "Are u awake?"

11:02 PM "Yeah, what's up? Bills aren't looking so good."

11:03 PM "What r u talking about? That was a great return!"

11:06 PM "I missed it! Watching Rambo."

11:06 PM "What the freak?!" (Nick's dad, Joe, says that a lot.)

In the end, former game-winning hero, Rian Lindell blew a 47 yard field goal and the Bill's lost 27-29.

11:53 PM "Ugh. I'm so sad."

11:55 PM "Do you see now why my favorite player in the punter!"

I can actually see that now, because with the exception of Marshawn Lynch, Moorman had the best game performance. But like I mentioned earlier, if your punter is the best player, than you better start breaking out the lucky charms and offer Jobu a cigar.

A Knotworthy Flyer

I saw this sign taped to a post in the Financial District. This is the first time I've seen a sign offering a reward for a found scarf. There's no mention of it being a cashmere (therefore expensive) scarf or any hint as to why a reward is being offered for turning it in. This is really intriguing. KNOT!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

"Take a cha-cha-cha-chance"

Happy 30th Birthday to my Wonderful Husband, Nick!

Looks like he's ready to celebrate already!

I was going to list 30 reasons why I love you, but that might be a little too mushy for the blog. I do love you, and I hope you have a wonderful day! (Your age is finally starting to catch up to all your grey hairs, ha ha.)

Seeing & Hearing Firsthand Where Our Money Goes

Last night Nick and I attended an event that the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary holds annually to thank their donors. In addition to the event's great location (the Intercontinental) and tasty food & drinks, the best part of the evening was learning more about how MEEI's donations are being put to use. We saw a presentation that included two patients sharing their stories. One woman spoke about how her unborn baby had a ping-pong ball sized mass in the throat & neck area. Her doctor at UMass recommended her to a specialist at Mass Eye & Ear that saved her daughter's life. Doctors performed surgery on the baby both before and after she was born, and with the help of a trach (which may be able to be removed soon), the baby is thriving! We also heard from a woman who is receiving injections in her eye to prevent blindness, as well as a woman who was able to resume her professional singing career after having a potentially career ending surgery.

All of these success stories were made possible in part by generous donations to Mass Eye and Ear, and they were great motivation for me to increase my fundraising efforts for 2009! As Bostonians, we're so fortunate to have a world class medical facility like MEEI; please consider making a donation to my Boston Marathon Fundraising Team (Team Eye & Ear) by clicking on the widget to the right, or by clicking here.
To learn more about how your donation can make a difference, please visit this site.
Thanks!

The Secret to Turning this Economy Around

Ugh. I think Wall Street needs to read The Secret.

Here are some suggestions to get the vision board started:

Bull Market!

Happy Trader!

Confidence!

Comeback!

Kill Your Television

Man, there's nothing good on these days... I saw this TV set smashed screen first onto a fire hydrant, while walking down East Broadway this morning. In any case, I don't think the digital converter box will help now.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Overheard in PO Square

After grabbing my coffee this morning, I was walking through PO Square, when I heard a snippit of a man's conversation.

"See the thing is, if you want to drink, don't drive. That's it."

Pretty good advice, if you ask me.

A Nice Change of Pace

We're at the BC/ND game, and the line for the women's room is only a few people deep. The line for the men's room wraps around the corner and to the end of the hallway! Now they know how we women feel!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Calling All Winos!

My friend Jen is earning her MBA part-time at Suffolk and is conducting a survey for her marketing class. It's about wine, how often you drink it, and what you think about it. Plus, there's a reference to the Olson twins. What more could you want from a survey? She's looking for as much data as possible, so if you have 5 minutes, it would be great if you could take it! Here's a brief intro from Jen and a link to the survey:

Its completely anonymous and there is no way for us to trace it back to anyone. Please forward this along to anyone else you think might be interested in taking the survey. The more responses, the better!
Please let me know if you have any questions at all. I really appreciate your help on this!! You guys are helping me get through school :)
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228G3KMJN3J

Scents and the City

An article on Boston.com discusses how the author strolls around Faneuil Hall with "home fragrance impresario" Harry Slatkin. I've never heard of the guy until this article, but I'm not sure I'd trust his opinion based on this:

"Surprisingly, the store that Slatkin applauds for superior scenting is Abercrombie & Fitch. It uses its fragrance, along with images on the walls, the clothes, the music, and the comely young sales clerks, to project an image of sensuality."

I've written before how Abercrombie & Fitch reeks like cheap cologne. Harry prides himself on his refined and heightened sense of smell, but if the entire store smells like a Guido on the prowl at an 18+ dance club, then I don't think that qualifies as superior scenting. And certainly not sensual.

The article also touches on how Boston, in general, just doesn't smell all that great. Being a city, that's expected; however, this also reminded me of a spot I pass on Tuesday and Thursday mornings on my way to the gym. I walk by the corner of Arch & Franklin half-asleep around 6:15, and am jolted awake by the stench of urine. I can't imagine what Finagle a Bagel did to provoke such wrath, but that is one pissed off customer.

This Month's Featured Reader: Vince!

Introducing November's Featured Reader: Vince

Vince was married a few weeks ago, & this photo is from his honeymoon in Santiago, Chile! Ole!

Vince and I both graduated Boston College in 2001; however, we didn't become friends until Nick and I started dating. (Vince and Nick were roommates after college.) Vince is a great guy for many reasons; one being that he shares a love of puns and corny jokes with me. Vince is a great cook and is fun to go out to dinner with, because his knowledge of cuisine is impressive. I admire Vince because he does everything with purpose and meaning; he's one of the most thoughtful people I know. Here is Vince in his own words! (My questions are in bold.)

1) By day I am an Compensation Analyst, by night I am an amateur chef!

2) I can't live without my iPod and cheap Mexican take out.

3) Best meal I've ever had is the epic tasting menu at Salts restaurant in Cambridge. That meal involved 1 Amuse Bouche (white gazpacho), 2 Appetizers (heirloom tomato salad and seared monkfish), 1 Palate Cleanser (grapefruit sorbet), 2 Entrees (chicken ballotine and a duo of pork confit and pork filet) and 3 Desserts (churros with a peach dipping sauce, a chocolate truffled dessert, and a nasturtion sorbet). It was absolute heaven and nothing has compared to that experience yet!

Worst meal I've ever had is in college, when my attempts to create a succulent piece of steak resulted in a dorm full of smoke and steak so burnt and so hard that you could've used it to hammer nails in.

4) Quirky Fact 1: I can stuff my fist in my mouth
Quirky Fact 2: I have no middle name
Quirky Fact 3: Despite my Chinese background, I don't like ginger.

5) Write a haiku that describes what you did yesterday:

Ate at Dumpling House
Had Pork Buns and Sauteed Eel
Nauseous all night long

Less than 12 Hours Later, Change is Already Here

Lately I've been taking the 7 to work, unless the 9 pulls up to the bus stop just as I'm passing by. This morning, just as I stepped outside I saw the 9 stopped about a block away, and I decided to make a run for it. In this scenario, maybe 25% of the time the driver will pretend not to notice me running towards him and waving my hands like a maniac. Normally, the driver does wait, but will practically shut the door on me and pull away in the process. This usually means that I'm falling into the aisle and putting on a show for the other passengers.

Today, as I breathlessly boarded the bus, while fumbling for my pass, the driver smiled brightly and said, "Good morning!" Completely caught off guard by her greeting, I said, "uh, hell0..?"
"Thank you!" she said smiling again, when I pressed my card to the reader and found a seat. Last night, most of the nation collectively sighed in relief and is ready for change. Based on my experience this morning, people are happier already!

No Line at 136 H St in Southie

No line, but no stickers either. :-(
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Weekend Wrap Up

On Friday afternoon, I battled rush hour traffic on the Pike and drove home to Glastonbury, so I could help my parents hand out Halloween candy.

I may wear this to the BC/ND game on Sat night. This is the warmest suit ever.

Saturday morning, my mom and I drove to Bethlehem, CT to attend a baby shower. Bethlehem's post office is particularly busy around the holidays; a lot of Connecticut residents like to send their Christmas cards from there so they'll be postmarked from Bethlehem. I doubted whether someone would notice that, but my dad said that the few times he sent his cards from there, that his clients would tell him how they thought it was a nice touch.

Sunday morning, after I got home, Nick and I went to Costco to stock up on chicken breasts and paper towels (and unexpectedly, chicken meatballs after receiving a free sample.) Sunday around 11 am is probably the worst time to go to Costco, because the sample booths are in full swing. The popcorn chicken sample table was particularly swamped, and I felt bad for the older woman in charge of cooking the chicken and placing a few pieces in the small paper cups. As soon as the chicken hit the cup, greedy hands would grab as many samples as they could. I was frightened for the sample lady, but she seemed unphased.

This was not a good weekend for football, as BC, Buffalo and New England all lost. This weekend the Pats (my team) and the Bills (Nick's team) will go head-to-head; we only have one television, so that should be interesting. I'll hate to see Nick so upset after the Pats kick butt! (Hopefully.)