Tavolo

We went to dinner at Tavolo with Alex tonight. They have these awesome lights in one section of the dining room. It casts super awesome shadows on the walls and ceiling - not that you can tell from this photo.

Lower Mills

Our lease at the Chocolate Factoy is up soon and we'll be moving. I'm really really hoping we can find something new in the area, because there are a million things I will miss when we move away. Among them: the gorgeous views along the bike path when running/walking, getting frappes from The Ice Creamsmith, browsing through Streamline Antiques with a super tasty iced mocha from Flat Black, watching the Neponset River every morning/evening when I cross the bridge to the trolley stop, waiting for the single headlight of the adorable (and orange!) trolleys, chatting with the owners at Esprit du Vin while they recommend cheese and wine for fondue... I swear that's a partial list, even if it seems lengthy.

10 on Tuesday

1. I voted today! Yay for civic duties! I will now anxiously await election results.

2. I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately, which is not usually my thing. Last night I made hot cocoa from scratch (with choco chips, not cocoa powder, because that's what I had) and tonight I tried a recipe for chocolate mug cake that was halfway between this one and this one...but with no cocoa powder I threw in some instant coffee and lots of choco chips to give it flavor. Pete said "pretty good" and sounded very surprised. All of the choco chips sank to the bottom, but that's okay - they end up on top when you dump the cake out of the mug. It would be much better with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but it'll get the job done on it's own! ;)

3. The long weekend was awesome! There was a hair cut, lots of crocheting, Avatar, lots of pajama wearing, and enough working out to make me incredibly sore today. Did I mention there was a lot of pajama wearing and relaxing?

4. The working out? Yeah...that hurts. I came home to an empty house on Sunday and my first mission was to put on a workout video and work on getting myself into shape (isn't everyone doing that this month?). I should point out now that I'm barely coordinated enough to follow these types of videos, and that we don't have a ton of space here in our living room. I'm sure it would be amusing if anyone had witnessed it. At some point about 10 minutes into the video, Pete texted me saying that Hea Yon wanted me to come over and save her from being the only female at her house...and I texted him back that I thought I was dying. I actually felt okay when I first finished - I had definitely gotten in a workout, but I didn't hurt like I thought I would. And then I took a shower. And I, honest to God, was pretty sure Pete would come home and find me sleeping on the couch because my legs had stopped working and I couldn't get upstairs to bed. Clearly, the working out was a success!

5. It was so much a success that I did it again on Monday! I'd been in pajamas all day and it was after 4pm. Pete was going downstairs to hop on a treadmill, and I thought to myself that perhaps half an hour on the elliptical would help with this soreness situation - a little warming up and stretching and moving to help my muscles from getting too much more stiff and sore. I took the elevator back up to our apartment. And then took a shower. And then CRIED. Because people, sitting down? HURT. Standing up again? HURT. Going to the bathroom? EXTRA HURT. Yeah. I think that maybe taking a day off would have been a better solution to my soreness problem.

6. Today, I took the day off. There will be some stretching before bed, as there has been throughout the day. And hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to go to the bathroom without whimpering in pain every time I get on/off of the toilet. (Was that more than you guys wanted to know? It's about pain in my quads/hamstrings, it's really not that gross.)

7. Oh, let's talk about Avatar quickly! It was a) too long, b) an eh story, and c) beautiful and technically amazing. Also, we were smart enough to buy tickets online to be sure we got them, but not smart enough to get to the theater early and ensure we didn't end up in that front, flat section of seats. I think we all had stiff necks Saturday night. Oops! But glad I saw it in the theaters, the 3D was pretty awesome.

8. I do enjoy the new spate of 3D/3D Imax movies coming out...but I kind of hope it doesn't turn into the norm. Is that weird? I can't really explain why I feel that way, but I do.

9. I was very excited to get a belated Christmas gift today...that was a gift certificate to Exhale Spa! What?! I know! I'm so in love with that place it's ridiculous. I'm currently stalking the weather forecast and waiting for the next freezing cold spell, which is exactly when I will make an appointment for a massage there, get myself all relaxed (thanks to Risa, who is a seriously amazing massage therapist), and then sit in the steam room until I'm so warm and happy that going back out into the freezing cold won't even faze me! I can't wait!

10. On the other hand, I could really do without another freezing cold spell...those 40 degree days over the weekend really made me happy. I didn't need a hat! Or mittens! My scarf was only wrapped around me once! Is it too early to say that I can't wait for the spring?

10 on Tuesday

1. First, please ignore the spots flying through the sky in the photo. I need to clean my lens. And/or have my sensor cleaned. Probably and. Regardless, that was the sun coming up this morning when I was on my way to work.

2. I was happy to discover Sunday night that we could now get into the fitness center that was put in on the first floor of our apartment building! I saw someone on one of the treadmills when I was on my way in, but hadn't heard anything from the management company about it. I needed to do laundry last night and figured I'd try my key and if it worked I'd use the bike while I waited for the washer to finish up...and it did, woohoo! We got a notice today that Friday is the "grand opening" of the fitness center, but I decided to go ahead and use it again after work today rather than waiting for the "grand opening". Yay for free access to cardio machines!

3. Anyone know why my left foot falls asleep when I use the bike in the fitness center? I'm thinking I'll be switching to the elliptical or treadmill in the future (booo - harder to read while I'm on those!). Pretty sure having my foot fall asleep while exercising is not a good thing.

4. It's getting C-O-L-D around here! It's been cold enough for long enough that the river is starting to freeze over - there are even huge chunks of ice in part of the "rapids", which is when you know it's bad. I love seeing that river every time I go to/from the trolley, but I like it a little less with it's got tons of ice all over and is reminding me exactly how cold it is outside!

5. We took the kitties to the vet on Saturday! Time to put Champ on a diet - she weighed in at 13.6 lbs! Remember when when found her a year and a half ago? When she weighed ONE POUND? Not anymore! On the other hand, Barley came in just over 10 and doesn't need to diet...but he'll be doing it anyway, because she steals his food if we aren't policing them, so we'll have to feed them the same thing. The good news is that aside from weight, everyone is doing okay. The bad news is that the vet recommended surgery to remove some of Champs extra toes (she's got 6 toes on each paw. Our little mutant!) as the claws are growing around in a circle - almost like a ram's horns do - and cutting/irritating her little paws. If she weren't such a brat and would let us hold her we could cut them ourselves and she would be fine...but someone can't stand being held so she may end up with surgery instead. Right after one of us gets a part time job to pay for it. You'd think with that extra toe/almost opposable thumb she could get out there and earn the money herself!

6. If you think I'm joking about Champ not liking to be held, trust me, we've tried! The record is 8 Mississippi. As in you can pick her up and hold her while you count, and by 8 Mississippi she will have her claws fully out and be digging them into your chest/stomach/neck while she launches herself out of your arms with every ounce of strength that she has.

7. It's possible that I've done nothing in my free time but read since...sometime on Saturday, I believe. I borrowed book three of the Twilight series (Eclipse) from Alannah and book four (Breaking Dawn) from Emily, so I'm catching up. Well, finishing up. Rather quickly!

8. As much as I've been reading lately, Pete has been playing Assassin's Creed 2. This has led to a number of occasions where I was pretty sure we were going to be replacing an XBox controller, because as it turns out someone has a little problem with controlling his temper when the game isn't doing what he wants it to. It doesn't help when he's playing Assassin's Creed in between football games (well...the first quarter of football games) where his favorite teams are getting their butts kicked. Fun times at our house last Sunday!

9. Speaking of which, who's counting down until the Super Bowl?! I am! Or rather, counting down to the day after the Super Bowl.

10. Did I mention that I'm having trouble putting down Breaking Dawn? I think it's time to snuggle up with a blanket, some tea, and Bella, Edward, and Jacob! Particularly Jacob.

Just

another rainy trolley ride.

10 on Tuesday

1. I've been loving the farmers market lately! I only have a month left before it's gone for the winter, so I'm trying to take advantage, which also means getting creative and doing a lot more cooking. Today I picked up parsnips, turnips, carrots, and onions that will be turned into veggie tagine on Friday. I'll let you know then how it turns out.

2. I've also been doing a lot of crocheting lately. This has a lot to do with the fact that it's football season again, and that means I lose Pete to the TV for the majority of Sundays and part of Saturday....so what the heck else am I going to do?! I made a hat for myself, but decided I didn't really love the pattern with the weight yarn I used...so I made it again, with a bulkier yarn and put the first hat in the donate pile. Then I found a cute baby hat pattern and decided to make one for Orly, which looks too small to fit her head. It's currently paused, and will be finished and probably tossed into the donate pile once I measure her head and discover I need to make a second one that's big enough. :) Last weekend I made an awesome hat for Pete. I like it so much that I'm tempted to make another one for myself, even though I already made myself one.

3. EVERYONE is getting hats for Christmas!

4. Okay, maybe not. Once I get the Orly hat situation sorted out, I plan on trying to make some socks....wish me luck, I think they may be beyond my abilities.

5. I've been doing more yoga lately, trying to get back into a regular practice. This will (hopefully) make my massage therapist happy the next time I see her! I've been alternating between videos from the Yoga Today Blog and videos available on Netflix Instant. Tonight I did a video on Netflix that's meant as a soothing and calming practice, and I'm not sure yet how I feel about it. I typically lean toward a faster paced, more athletic style of yoga.

6. Today is the third day in a row that I've done yoga, and that's mostly because I'm curious to see how many days I can go before I take a break. I've been sleeping better and waking up feeling significantly less groggy and stiff than usual. And I noticed that after just one day! Every time I notice these differences and how great I feel after doing yoga, I tell myself not to forget it, and to pull up this memory when I'm sitting on the couch unmotivated to practice. This week that's working better than usual.

7. Do I sound like a total hippy? I can't help it, there's a tree hugging, yoga loving hippy inside of me that seems to come out more often the more time that goes by.

8. I'm late to the party on this, but have you watched Glee? WATCH IT (and if you need more than that - check out this clip). All of the previous episodes are available on Hulu. I'm so in love. It's Bring It On meets Dawsons Creek/One Tree Hill, and if that's not a recipe for my ideal TV show, I'm not entirely sure what is.

9. I apologize if you watched that clip and Single Ladies is stuck in your head for days. It's been stuck in my head since Saturday. They say if you listen to a song from beginning to end you can get it out of your head. Good luck.

10. If you're wondering what to get me for my birthday, you could pick up this tshirt. Or this print. Or these magnets. Or any one of these prints.

And now it's time for bed!

PS - the photo looks better LARGE.

Ledge

Pete and I took Jamie to dinner at Ledge in exchange for him checking in on los gatos while we were in DC. It was chilly, but there was no wait.

River Views

I love my walk home from the trolley after work. Yup, yup I do.

Dreamy

Walked home from Ashmont today and found this guy peeking over a fence. I am in love with this garden - it's the cutest little front yard I've ever seen. They have an arbor with Wisteria growing over it and a beautiful bench on the side of the walk up to the house. I thought I'd posted more pictures of their flowers, but I can only find this one right now. I'll have to get some of the arbor and bench someday.

Busy Day

It's a two-fer day...the picture above is from the AIDS walk and the picture below is from the Dorchester Day parade.

Purdy

Just a pretty flowering bush thing that we saw on our walk tonight.

Trolley

Rainy morning, riding the trolley.

Last man standing

SB and I were walking and talking about how a lot of the blossoms are already gone and how it's kind of sad. I know that other flowers are cropping up, but there's something about those blossoming trees that really screams "it's spring!" and makes me very happy. Here's the very last magnolia blossom from the trees behind my apartment building.

I also took heaps of other photos today, and you can find them here, here, and here.

This is what spring looks like

Tree

This is the tree in front of my building. I can't wait for the actual blooms to start. Spring, are you really here?!

10 on Tuesday

1. My new cell phone left Santa Clarita, CA, last night at 8:52 PM. I do believe I'll continue to stalk that purchase until it arrives. Hopefully prior to this weekend, but I'm not holding my breath.

2. If I have time this weekend, I'm going to paint the wall in my kitchen orange. I'm nervous that with the new (brighter) light fixture it's going to be too bright and crazy. Guess there's only one way to find out!

3. I have back to back baby showers this weekend, and I'm excited for that. Baby shower #1 is Jack & Jill and baby shower #2 is girls only, so it will be a nice chance to hang out with everyone over the weekend. I am not excited to be getting up early to do my walking before all the baby shower prep and actual baby showering.

4. My hair is growing like crazy lately. I swear it didn't grow out this quickly last time I got it cut, and she even cut it shorter this time than last! Crazy. It grows out really well though. If anyone in Boston needs a hair dresser, I've got one for you who is awesome. And used to live in the building I do now. And prior to that lived on the same street on JP that I did. If I continue to move to the same neighborhoods/buildings she does, it seems I'll be moving to the South End next. I wouldn't complain (but I would be broke).

5. Oh my, friends! It is one heck of a tear inducing Biggest Loser this week. Makeovers with reveals/reunions? Yup, I'm done. Someone get me some tissues.

6. On the way home from work, I sat next to a woman on the T who was making condolence calls. As in "I'm so sorry to hear about your father's death, it's such a huge loss to the community." Um...don't we think there's maybe a better time and place for making a call like that? As in not while the driver is announcing that we'll be standing by due to a medical emergency at Ashmont?

7. I did yoga last night (thanks Yoga Today!), and it started with some intense ab work. Well, at least intense to me who hasn't done any ab work in years. I have paid for that all day today every time I laugh or cough. I can also feel it in my hips and legs, and it's good. More tomorrow I think. Hopefully without the ab work. Owie.

8. Pete and I saw a bird that we cannot identify in the river on our way home from our walk tonight. If you know who this guy is, please share. Not the Canada Goose, we know who he is (he's also the daddy to the eggs that his honey is currently sitting on!).

9. We have so much chocolate in the house it's ridiculous. I also have a stash in my drawer at work. It completely counteracts the fact that I've been drinking less Starbucks and Coke, and having salad with lunch most weekdays. I will be happy when it runs out and I can try to be healthy again.

10. I realize this will be shocking to many of you, but I'm actually struggling to come up with a 10 here tonight, so I'm going to bed. Peace out homies. Oh, and make sure you look back - I've caught up with posts from last weekend through today.

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday! Today's thankful Thursday has nothing to do with this photo...

Today I'm thankful for healthy babies (not mine, in case you're new around here)!! Our friends Jason and Alisa are new parents to Genevieve, who was born yesterday after 16 unsuccessful hours of labor and a c-section (yowzah! Also thankful for healthy moms, everyone is doing okay). Genevieve was 8.1 lbs and 21 inches. Welcome to the world, little girl! We can't wait to meet you when we visit in July!

The photo, in case you're wondering, was the view I got walking across the bridge this morning on my way to work. I'm so in love with our neighborhood. I love walking over the bridge every day on my way to and from work and seeing how the river looks today - the constantly changing water level (tidal) makes for really awesome rockscapes. Recently, a pair of Canada Geese have shown up and today it looks like she's sitting on a nest - hopefully with better outcome than the one we saw last year, which was abandoned with unhatched eggs left behind.

And so it begins....

I've started training for this year's Breast Cancer 3 Day - let the fun begin! I'll start posting about my training walks over here, and you can donate here. At least we had spring-like weather this weekend: 60s yesterday and 50s today. But snow tomorrow, just to keep us from getting too excited and content.

Walkety walk walk

It flurried most of the day today, and Pete and I went out for a walk this afternoon. I love this area. Every morning on my way to work, I can look out the trolley window across this marsh (the wetlands along the Neponset River) and it makes me so happy. It's corny, I know, but I'm so grateful to live in such a beautiful little corner of the world. I love this field of reeds (is that what they are? I don't even know), and I know I've taken a million pictures like this, but I can never stop myself from doing it again.

Also, snow is pretty and makes the cold worth it. I hate the cold.

Working on my night moves

I was headed downtown for a happy hour and playing with my camera while I waited for the train. What is that greenish light blob that shows up whenever I take night shots with my new lens?!