Last Post of 2017 (Probably)

On the one hand, I like the holidays, because *nostalgia*. On the other hand, I dislike the holidays because I usually end up thinking about all of the things that I think I should be doing before the year ends, and I find myself wishing that I was Going Somewhere Interesting for Thanksgiving or for Christmas. I like Christmas music (in theory, anyway), but by the end of December, if I have to hear Mariah Carey's cover of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" one more time, I am going to scream (if only in my head).

I don't self-identify as a Christian, although I do say that I celebrate Christmas, mostly because that's the tradition that I grew up with, and if there is one thing that I definitely am, it's a creature of habit. 

The holidays were a lot more fun when I was a kid. :-/ 

In less existential news, I've seen three movies in the last month - The Shape of Water, Darkest Hour, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Darkest Hour was my favorite movie of those three films, with Star Wars: The Last Jedi coming in second.

100 Songs

I decided to sit my ass down and come up with a list of "Songs That I Love Quite A Lot", for no particular reason, just for shits and giggles. Here is my final list. I was originally going to come up with just 50 songs, but I decided to keep going, and I came up with 100 songs in the end. This is by no means a complete list. A song's placement on this this list is also not an indication of any sort of hierarchy/preference.

1. "Come With Me Now" - Kongos
2. "American Idiot" - Green Day
3. "Bitch" - Meredith Brooks
4. "We Used To Be Friends" - The Dandy Warhols
5. “All I Really Want” - Alanis Morrissette
6. “You Oughta Know” - Alanis Morrissette
7. “Hand In My Pocket” - Alanis Morrissette
8. “Ironic” - Alanis Morrissette
9. “Rent” - Song from the musical “Rent”
10. “Seasons of Love” - Song from the musical “Rent”
11. “Defying Gravity” - Song from the musical “Wicked”
12. “Tubthumping” - Chumbawamba
13. “Closing Time” - Semisonic
14. “Kryptonite” - 3 Doors Down
15. “Baby One More Time” - Britney Spears
16. “How You Remind Me” - Nickelback
17. “Wannabe” - Spice Girls
18. “Love and Memories” - O.A.R.
19. “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)” - Big and Rich
20. “This is Halloween” - Marilyn Manson (his cover of the song from the movie “Nightmare Before Christmas”)
21. “All Star” - Smash Mouth
22. “Into the Ocean” - Blue October
23. “When You Were Young” - The Killers
24. “Miss Murder” - A.F.I.
25. “Dashboard” - Modest Mouse
26. “Float On” - Modest Mouse
27. “The Ballad Of Serenity” - Sonny Rhodes
28. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” - Nirvana
29. “What’s My Age Again?” - blink-182
30. “Come As You Are” - Nirvana
31. “Everybody” - Backstreet Boys
32. “I Want It That Way” - Backstreet Boys
33. “Raise Your Glass” - P!nk
34. “Without Me” - Eminem
35. “Tightrope” - Janelle Monae
36. “Here It Goes Again” - OK Go
37. “Somebody Told Me” - The Killers
38. “Move Along” - The All-American Rejects
39. “Fireflies” - Owl City
40. “Love Like Winter” - AFI
41. “Dance, Dance” - Fallout Boy
42. “1985” - Bowling for Soup
43. “Almost” - Bowling for Soup
44. “Girl All The Bad Guys Want” - Bowling for Soup
45. “Glory Days” - Bruce Springsteen
46. “Brilliant Disguise” - Bruce Springsteen
47. “Stacy’s Mom” - Fountains of Wayne
48. “Ocean Avenue” - Yellowcard
49. “Livin’ on a Prayer” - Jon Bon Jovi
50. “It’s My Life” - Jon Bon Jovi
51. “March of Cambreadth” - Alexander James Adams
52. “Firebird’s Child” - S. J. Tucker
53. “Ravens in the Library” - S. J. Tucker
54. “The Truth About Ninjas” - S. J. Tucker
55. “Playing D&D” - S.J. Tucker
56. “Go Away Godboy” - S. J. Tucker
57. “In the Name of The Dance” - S. J. Tucker
58. “Valkyrie Daughter” - S. J. Tucker
59. “Schadenfreude” - Song from the musical “Avenue Q”
60. “Bitter Sweet Symphony” - The Verve
61. “The Real Slim Shady” - Eminem
62. “3am” - Matchbox Twenty
63. “How’s It Going To Be” - Third Eye Blind
64. “In Too Deep” - Sum 41
65. “Sk8er Boi” - Avril Lavigne
66. “Welcome to the Black Parade” - My Chemical Romance
67. “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree” - KT Tunstall
68. “Larger Than Life” - Backstreet Boys
69. “That Don’t Impress Me Much” - Shania Twain
70. “Black Balloon” - Goo Goo Dolls
71. “The Middle” - Jimmy Eat World
72. “The Ballad of Captain America’s Disapproving Face” - Murder Ballads
73. “Let It Go” - Idina Menzel, from the movie “Frozen”
74. “One Week” - Barenaked Ladies
75. “Californication” - Red Hot Chili Peppers
76. “By the Way” - Red Hot Chili Peppers
77. “Chasing Cars” - Snow Patrol
78. “How To Save A Life” - The Fray
79. “Mr. Brightside” - The Killers
80. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” - Randy Newman, from the movie “Toy Story”
81. “Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me” - “Weird Al” Yankovic
82. “Hot N Cold” - Katy Perry
83. “Amish Paradise” - “Weird Al” Yankovic
84. “Gangsta’s Paradise” - Coolio
85. “Oops, I Did It Again!” - Britney Spears
86. “Wyverns in the Winery” - Betsy Tinney
87. “The Dragon Who Fell in Love with the Moon” - Betsy Tinney
88. “Allemande” - Roomful of Teeth
89. “Perdita” - Roomful of Teeth
90. “Good Feeling” - Flo Rida
91. “Where is the Love?” - The Black Eyed Peas
92. “They Don’t Care About Us” - Michael Jackson
93. “Mad World” - cover by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules from the film “Donnie Darko”
94. “People Are Strange” - The Doors
95. “100 Years” - Five For Fighting
96. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” - Green Day
97. “Wake Me Up When September Ends” - Green Day
98. “Minority” - Green Day
99. “Starman” - David Bowie
100. “Under Pressure” - David Bowie

Pre-Thanksgiving Post

It's a rainy day here in Weymouth. I am sitting on my couch, drinking tea, watching Netflix, and listening to the rain fall outside. Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Adrian and I are going out to eat. We're going in to Boston to eat at the Legal Seafood restaurant by the New England Aquarium. We might see a movie while we're out and about. I still haven't seen Thor: Ragnorak, and the latest Disney/Pixar movie - Coco - is out in theaters now, too, and I definitely want to see that at some point. (Hi. My name is Mary, and I am a fan of animated films.)

The last two weeks have been fairly quiet. I think that I have reached the point in the year when I am just waiting for the current year to end, and the new year to start, if you know what I mean. :)

Election Day Post

Today is Election Day. I am keeping my eye on the Cambridge City Council and School Committee races, mostly out of "I used to live in Cambridge!" nostalgia. I am also watching the Boston mayoral race, as well as the NJ Governor's race. Here in Weymouth, there is a City Council race, as well as a School Committee race. A friend of mine is running for one of the three spots on the School Committee, so I voted for her when I went to vote this morning.

I visited my Mom and brother in New Jersey last week. Mom invited some of her friends over for dinner on Sunday, and we had an early Thanksgiving dinner, which was very nice. I like most of my Mom's friends, but I admit that I find it hard to relate to them. I would say that the highlight of my trip was getting to hang out with my brother and some of his friends on Saturday. Billy (my brother) cooked some hot dogs and sausages on his grill, and we had a fire in the fire pit going, which was nice. Billy's friend Anthony was around for a bit. I don't think I've seen Anthony since before he got married. Anthony and his wife Angela have a three month old baby boy now. He showed me pictures of him on his phone. 

It feels good to be home.

Weather

I woke up at 2:30 this morning, and I couldn't fall back asleep. I blame the weather. We got a lot of wind and rain overnight, and it was the howling wind that woke me up. I think that it was nerves that kept me awake. I kept peeking outside to see if any trees had come down, and waiting to see if our power would go out. It hasn't, so far.

I watched a bit of last night's World Series baseball game. I went to bed before it ended, but I know that the Astros won in extra innings. I guess Game Six is tomorrow night. Spooky. :) The Patriots played yesterday afternoon, and they won, so I feel pretty happy about that.

Not much else to report. I leave for NJ in a few hours, so I probably won't post here for the rest of the week.

NJ Bound

I will be in New Jersey next week, visiting my Mom and brother. I am taking Amtrak from South Station on Monday morning. I did some laundry this evening, and I just finished folding it. I am feeling tired, so I might go to bed early. 

This past Wednesday night, Adrian and I went to an event at the Abigail Adams Middle School here in Weymouth, where we got to meet the people who are running for office here in town (school committee and town council). A friend of mine is running for one of the spots on the School Committee, so I know I will be voting for her. Two of the incumbent Town Councillors aren't seeking re-election during this election cycle, so there will be two new faces on the Council (no matter what!) after November 7th.

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Concert

This past weekend, Adrian and I went into Boston for a concert - The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. My introduction to the Legend of Zelda video game series was through Ocarina of Time, and then Majora's Mask, both of which I played on the Nintendo 64 game console. 

I really enjoyed the concert, which ran for two hours, including an intermission. Quite a few of our fellow attendees were dressed up as either Link or Princess Zelda, which made me smile. Besides the music, there was also a screen on stage with the musicians that played footage from the various Zelda video games during the concert, which I thought was a nice touch. 

Other than that, the last week and a half (or however long it's been since my last post) has been fairly quiet and uneventful. I'm going down to NJ next Monday to visit my Mom for a week. I should be back in time to vote on November 7th. The only really interesting things that I have to say about this election cycle are that a) a friend of mine is running for a spot on the Weymouth School Committee, and b) two of the incumbent Councilors-At-Large aren't running for re-election this year, so there will be two new faces on the Weymouth Town Council in a few weeks.

2017 is an "off year" here in MA - just a lot of local elections - town council, school committee, that sort of thing. 2018 is going to be a big year elections-wise. Senator Elizabeth Warren is up for re-election (and she's running, as far as I know), as is Governor Charlie Baker (he's up for re-election, but he hasn't "officially" announced his re-election bid, as far as I know). Attorney General Maura Healey is also up for re-election in 2018. I haven't heard anything about her re-election campaign, but I am going to assume that she'll be running for re-election. I haven't heard anything about anyone running against her yet, but that could change in the next three to six months. The focus seems to be on the Governor and Senate races for right now. 

Oh! And there are also the State Senate and House elections, and I think that Rep. Stephen Lynch is up for re-election too.

October Post

Adrian's employer sponsors a 10K race every year on Columbus Day. Adrian has participated every year since he started working there, in 2012. His time was worse this year than last year, but at least he finished the race. 

Yesterday, I attend the Special Library Association-New England Chapter's Fall Conference at the Conference Center at Waltham Woods. This was my first time at this particular venue, and I have to say that I was very impressed. I hope that we can have future conferences there. There were a lot of folks from MIT at yesterday's event, which makes sense, because I think that one of the women who helped organize the conference works at MIT. 

I am used to attending large science fiction conventions that have multiple programming tracks, so attending a small conference like this, with a single programming track, was quite nice for a change of pace.

The Big E and Birthdays

Adrian and I went to The Big E on Sunday, September 24th with our friends Jim and Renee. We had a good day, even though it was really hot. This was my second time going to the Big E with Jim and Renee. I went with them last year too. The last time that Adrian went to the Big E was 2004 or 2005, when he was living out in Western Mass. I would describe the Big E as your typical state fair, with rides, games, a petting zoo, A LOT of food vendors, and different musical acts performing throughout the fair's three week run. I would describe the Big E as a cooler version of the Monmouth County Fair, the annual fair held in the county that I grew up in in New Jersey.

I think that if Adrian and I go to The Big E next year, we should try to go on a weekday. 

The plumber came by on Monday and installed our new garbage disposal. Adrian's birthday was on Tuesday, and he had a dental appointment that morning. He also had a doctor's appointment yesterday for his annual physical. 

We have plans to go into Cambridge on Sunday for the East Cambridge Rib Fest. I'm excited, since this is one of my favorite annual events. Since 2017 is an election year in Cambridge, I expect that the candidates hoping to be (re)elected to the School Committee and City Council will be out in force, shaking hands and kissing babies, and talking with constituents.

Thoughts and Birthdays

Life has been quiet since my last post (which was September 10th). The New England Chapter of the Special Libraries Association had a Lightning Talks event at a pharmaceutical company located in Boston's Seaport District on Wednesday, September 13th. It was pretty interesting, and it felt good to go out by myself and be social for a change. The event was catered by b.good, a fast-casual chain whose menu is comprised of burgers and other sandwiches, grain bowls, seasonal salads, smoothies, and milkshakes. They engage in business practices that I like and agree with, such as seasonal cooking and sustainable sourcing for their products. 

Adrian's birthday is coming up next week, and he is taking three days off from work to relax and unwind. We do have a few things scheduled for that time. A plumber is coming over on Monday to install a new garbage disposal unit in the sink in our kitchen. The one that is there now is old, and needs to be replaced. Adrian has a dental appointment scheduled for Tuesday morning, and a doctor's appointment on Wednesday for his annual physical. 

September 26th (Tuesday) will mark the 15th anniversary of my father's death. He died a few weeks into my junior year of high school. What makes September 26th rather tricky (and kinda weird) for me is that Adrian's birthday is also September 26th, so to say that I have a lot of mixed feelings about that day would be a fair assessment. One of the things that I randomly think about are how I wish that Dad could've met Adrian. I have no idea if they would've gotten along, or if my Dad would've even liked Adrian. I'd like to think that Dad would've liked Adrian for no other reason than because Adrian loves me, and I love him. 

I also shake my head at the unfairness of how my parents were only together for 22 years - 3 years of dating, 19 years of being married. After Dad died, I remember being so angry that my parents never got to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. 

I miss having a father figure in my life. I also miss the missed opportunities. I would say that I think that I miss my Grandma more than I miss my Dad. I knew my Grandma better as a person - her likes and dislikes, her politics, her habits. I think that it would be fair to say that I took my Dad for granted while he was alive because I assumed that he would be alive for a lot longer, and/or that he would, somehow, get better when he first got sick. 

I am afraid of the same thing happening to me. OK, maybe not the same exact thing, but, perhaps, something similar. I'm afraid of being left. I'm afraid of Adrian dying. I hope that he doesn't, not for a long, long time.

Looking Forward

I was planning on writing a whole "pity party, table for one" post about how I find it difficult to make/maintain friendships, and how I wish that I was more like my brother, who has been friends with some of his friends since middle/high school, but then reality came along and slapped me in the face.

 

I found out that my friend Teddy's mother died today. She was only 67. I also found out that Michael Friedman - the composer and lyricist behind the musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson - died today from complications related to HIV/AIDS. While it's true that I never met Mr. Friedman, I did see a production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson a few years ago, which I remember enjoying. I also never met Teddy's Mom, but I imagine that she must've been a pretty special person. I say this because Teddy moved back in with his parents a few years ago to help his Dad take care of his Mom, which I think speaks volume to the kind of person Teddy is, and to the kind of person his mother was. 

 

I guess there is also a certain element of "Teddy's Mom was only two years younger than *my* Mom, and Michael Friedman was the same age as Adrian!" in play as well, if that makes any sense at all.

 

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In other news, I'm sitting here on my couch, watching the Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers football game. I'd like the Green Bay Packers to win because they are the only publicly owned franchise in the NFL.

 

I applied to a full-time, customer service job with Zipcar, in their Boston office. I interviewed for a job with Zipcar two years ago (more like almost 2.5 years ago at this point), and I didn't get the job at that time. I decided to re-apply because why not? 

The week just ending was pretty quiet, and the week coming up looks pretty quiet too. I am going into the Seaport District on Wednesday night for an SLA-NE event. I'm actually looking forward to it! It's going to be an evening of Lightning Talks, where people give quick 10-miunute talks about what they do at their jobs, and what their companies do, and how it all relates to librarianship (at least that's what I remember from the event description). 

Hurricane Harvey

I've been watching news coverage of Hurricane Harvey off and on over the last few days. What's happening in Texas reminds me of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Super Storm Sandy in 2012. 

 

A friend of mine from college is currently in that part of Texas, volunteering with the Red Cross. She was supposed to fly to Chicago yesterday for a doctor's appointment (and to visit her brother, who lives there), but her flight was cancelled on Saturday. She was in Texas for something completely unrelated to Harvey, but her plans obviously changed once the storm hit. She was OK as of last night. I hope that she remains OK going forward.

I want to "do something". I think that the only thing that I can do at this point is maybe donate money to one of the groups in Texas who are helping people down there - the Red Cross, local homeless shelters and food pantries, etc. 

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In other news, I visited the Peabody Essex Museum last week. They have this really cool exhibit there right now called "It's Alive!: Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection". This exhibit will be at the PEM through November 26, 2017. Adrian took three days off from work next month for his birthday, so I think that we might go up to Salem one day during that time so that he can see the exhibit for himself. 

I saw a movie at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge recently called "Dave Made a Maze". I enjoyed it quite a bit - more than I thought I would, to be honest. I thought that it was both really weird and really creative.

Maine and Eclipses

Adrian and I spent part of the week of our anniversary in Portland, Maine. We stayed at the Chadwick Bed and Breakfast, which we've stayed at before. 

Here are photos of two of the breakfasts that we enjoyed during our stay. The top picture is a photo of chocolate chip pancakes with a side of bacon and fruit. The bottom picture is a photo of  a croissant stuffed with eggs, avocado, and ham, with a side of fruit. Both were very tasty!

We spent one day in Ogunquit, Maine, where we saw a production of "Ragtime" at the Ogunquit Playhouse. This was our first time seeing "Ragtime", and we enjoyed it. I think that this show is still very relevant today. 

We also visited a restaurant in Portland called Duckfat. They are known for their milkshakes and their Belgian fries, so that's what we ordered when we went there.

Fries! Delicious, delicious Fries!

Me, enjoying my vanilla milkshake. 

View of the water.

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Today was the day of the Eclipse. I went to the New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) Clubhouse in Somerville to watch NASA's live stream of the eclipse. I thought that it was pretty cool how they showed the eclipse from various locations in the U.S., like Oregon, Idaho, Missouri, Kentucky, and South Carolina. While I was watching the NASA live feed, I was thinking about my friend K., who lives in Portland, Oregon, and who works at a hotel in that area. Based on her Facebook posts from the last week or so, it sounds like A LOT of people are in Oregon right now, for the eclipse. 

I confess that I am thinking about planning a vacation around the April 2024 eclipse. It's less than seven years away (roughly six years, eight months in the future). Maybe we could travel to one of the spots in New England or New York state that is in the line of totality. We'll have to wait and see.

Pre-Anniversary Post

Tomorrow (August 9th) marks three years since Adrian and I got married. It doesn't feel like it's been three years. If you want to be technical, then we've been together for more like eight and a half years. I met him in the fall of 2008, but we didn't officially start dating until January 2009. 

During our time together (both dating and married), a lot has happened. 

We went from living in separate apartments (Adrian in Cambridge, me in Boston's Allston neighborhood), to living together (with roommates) in Cambridge, to eventually buying a condo and moving out to the suburbs. 

I graduated with my Master's degree. My maternal grandmother died. Adrian got his Bachelor's degree. My two oldest cousins both graduated from high school and college. My oldest cousin graduated from graduate school, and got her first "real" post-college job in her feel. My younger cousin is moving to Alaska for a job. Our friend Carl died from health complications relating to his heart.

I had my wisdom teeth removed in February 2015. I had outpatient surgery to repair the labrum in my right shoulder in December 2009.

I visited Los Vegas and California for the first time in 2010 to meet Adrian's family. We also went camping on the Boston Harbor Islands last year, a first for me. 

Here's to the last three years, and here's to the next three, and the three after that, and the three after that, and on and on and on.

Wednesday Post - With Cats!

Melody (the cat we've been pet sitting for the last five weeks) is leaving us tomorrow. Her humans are coming to collect her bright and early tomorrow morning, and then they head off to the airport to fly to China for their next adventure. (The short version is that R. got a job teaching at an International School in Shanghai, and his wife J. and their son D. are going with him.) 

Pet sitting has been an interesting experience. I've enjoyed having a pet in the condo to keep me company, even if it's someone else's pet. I am, however, looking forward to things getting back to normal tomorrow, even though I know that I'll miss having Melody around too. 

People have asked me if Adrian and I are planning on getting a cat, now that we've had the experience of pet sitting one for five weeks. The short answer is: No, we are not. The slightly longer answer is: We have discussed getting a cat at length. Adrian has said that he is willing to get a cat, even if it means that he'll have to regularly take allergy medicines for the length of the cat's life. That being said, my Mom and my best friend E. are both allergic to cats. My Mom visits us fairly regularly, and E. has said that she thinks that cats are "evil". When you combine all of these factors - Adrian's allergies, my Mom's allergies, E.'s allergies, the fact that E. thinks that cats are "evil" - then getting a cat isn't realistic for us. I would love to get a dog, but, unfortunately, our condo association doesn't allow dogs. The "No Dogs" rule is the reason why I want to eventually move out of our condo complex.

I watched the animated Disney movie Alice in Wonderland this afternoon. It's a short movie - about an hour and fifteen minutes - and it's still one of my favorite Disney movies.

4th of July Post

The past few days have been uneventful. I saw the movie Despicable Me 3 yesterday, which I enjoyed. The ending left things open for future movies in the franchise, which is to be expected. 

Today (the 4th of July) Adrian and I went into Cambridge to see Jaws, a classic film from 1975, at the Brattle Theater. The Brattle is a one screen, non-profit movie theater on Brattle Street that has been around since 1953. It shows a mixture of classic, foreign, and independent movies. I saw Jaws at the Brattle last year with my friends Eileen and Bryce, but Adrian wasn't able to join us because he had to work. 

I like the Brattle. It's one of my favorite things about Cambridge. I like that they do things like show Donnie Darko on Halloween, or screen all of Studio Ghilbi's movies over the course of two weeks. 

We wandered around Cambridge for a bit before the movie. Adrian grabbed a strawberry pastry from the Tatte Bakery and Cafe in Harvard Square, while I had a very refreshing lemonade. I like Tatte. They made and sell delicious pastries, salads, drinks, and breakfast sandwiches.

We grabbed lunch at Otto's, a Portland, Maine, based pizza joint that opened a Harvard Square location a few years ago. They serve the usual cheese and pepperoni pizzas, but they also do specialty pizzas like ricotta and basil; bacon, scallion, and mashed potato; pulled pork and mango; and spinach, white bean, and roasted garlic. You can order pizza by the slice, or order a whole pizza to go. I would say that Otto's serves some of the best pizza that I've eaten in the Greater Boston/Cambridge area. I say this as a self-described "pizza snob". I grew up in New Jersey, so I think that I'm allowed to be a pizza snob! :) 

I expect that the rest of this week will be quiet.

Wednesday Post - Cat Pics!

Cat sitting continues apace. Here are two more photos of Melody. The first one is rather blurry. Sorry about that!

Cat Sitting, Week One

Adrian and I are cat sitting for friends of ours. This is my first time cat sitting, so the last week has been a learning experience. The cat's name is Melody, and she is a very friendly cat.

Here are some photos of her to prove it!

We are pet sitting Melody for five weeks because her humans are visiting the States from overseas. I guess I find that this week has been a rather long one, mostly because having a cat around, and being responsible for one, has taken some getting used to.

Week in NJ Post Wrap Up

I spent the last eight days down in New Jersey, visiting my Mom and brother. My brother was in a car accident last month. His truck was a total loss, and B. himself suffered some injuries - cracked ribs, a fractured wrist, and a broken bone in his right leg that required surgery and pins/screws to be inserted to hold the bones together. He spent two weeks in the hospital, and one week at a rehab facility. He's been home for two weeks now, and he's been going to physical therapy for his leg for the last two weeks too. Today he starts week three of PT at a facility the next town over from where he and my Mom live. B. is looking forward to getting the cast off of his arm a week from tomorrow.

I spent last week making B. cups of tea, fetching things for him, helping him into and out of his truck, and going with him and our Mom to his Monday and Wednesday PT appointments. B. had a friend take him to PT on Friday. On Friday, Mom and I went to a garage sale in my hometown, and an estate sale in the town where B. has PT, and then we went to Costco to pick up some things for the weekend. 

A. rented a car and drove down to my Mom's on Saturday, and then he and I drove home yesterday, using the car to go grocery shopping for the week.

Tired

People often ask me how I am doing or how I am feeling. I usually respond by saying that I am doing/feeling OK or fine. If I am being honest, however, I would say that I have mostly been feeling tired. It's been a struggle to do things, and to get things done. I oftentimes feel overwhelmed and depressed by current events.

On the one hand, I am looking forward to this summer because Adrian and I do have some things planned. We're planning a trip up to Portland, Maine for our third wedding anniversary in August. I am looking forward to (hopefully) checking out Sail Boston, and there are some movies coming out this summer that I hope to catch in theaters, such as Cars 3, Despicable Me 3, Spider Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, Dunkirk, Atomic Blonde, and The Dark Tower. I want to see the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's free summer production of Romeo and Juliet.

On the other hand, I am looking forward to this summer being over. I say this mostly because there is going to be a lot of construction going on in and around the South Shore during the months of June, July, and August, and I am not looking forward to dealing with any of it. 

I wish that I felt more optimistic about the future of the Human species, and, if I am being honest, there have been many times when I've found myself wishing that I could unplug my brain, and/or go back to a point in time when I was innocent, naive, and/or idealistic.

In any event, I need to wrap this up and get going. I have some laundry that I need to put away. 

Memorial Day Post

This past Saturday, Adrian and I went on a day tip up to Brunswick, Maine. We traveled to Brunswick via Amtrak's Downeaster route, which leaves from North Station, and which makes two stops in Massachusetts (Woburn and Haverhill), three stops in New Hampshire (Exeter, Durham/the University of New Hampshire, and Dover), and six stops in Maine (Wells, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Freeport, and, finally, Brunswick).

The above photo is of the Brunswick sign at the station. The below photo is of one of the views we saw on the train Saturday morning.

These next two photos are of Adrian. Here we have Adrian checking out the Little Free Library we found at the station (above), and then Adrian enjoying a root beer while he plays on his phone (below).

The train station was a short walk from Bowdoin College, which is itself home to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. When we made plans to visit Brunswick, I didn't realize that May 27th was the day of Bowdoin College's Commencement. By the time we got to Brunswick, Commencement was already over and done with, but we still saw families walking around town, taking pictures of the just-graduated students in their caps and gowns.

We got ice cream from a small ice cream stand that was right next door to the train station, and we ate our ice cream while we walked over to Bowdoin. We enjoyed exploring the art that was on display, and we spent about an hour wandering around looking at everything (the museum wasn't very large). 

After the Museum, we explored a bit of the downtown Brunswick area. We found a nice cafe, where we got some food. We found an actual honest-to-God video (DVD) rental place! I thought that the smaller video rental stores had all gone out of business with the advent of Blockbuster, Netflix, Hulu, Redbox, and Hollywood Video.

We also wandered around a flea market housed inside an old factory. Adrian, of course, made a beeline for the old comic books and paperbacks. 

Two photos of us! Aren't we cute?

I'm glad that we made the effort to go on this trip. I wish that we had more time to explore the area. That being said, we are planning a trip to visit Portland, Maine in August, and since Brunswick is close to Portland, we are planning to visit again then.

Time Flies

I think about the passage of time a lot. 

 

It's been over four years since my Grandmother died. 

 

It's been almost fifteen years since my Dad died. 

 

My oldest cousin just graduated from Seton Hall University with her Master's degree, and her sister (my middle cousin) just graduated from college with her Bachelor's degree.

A married couple A. and I are friends with moved to Vietnam three years ago (in 2014) so that R. could take a job teaching science at an International School in Ho Chi Minh City. They're coming back to the States for a month-long visit, starting in June and going into July, and then they're moving to China for a year because R. got a teaching job at a school in (I think) Shanghai. 

My nephew just graduated from the fifth grade, and my niece just graduated from kindergarten. (Side Note: It seems weird to me that I have a niece and nephew. Yes, I know that being married to A. means that his sister's kids are now, legally speaking, my niece and nephew too, but still. Kinda weird-in-a-good-way!)

 

I wonder what the next year will bring. I don't know. I hope that more good things happen than bad. Maybe that's me being too optimistic, but I want to try to be a bit more optimistic going forward.

Monday Post :)

Adrian had the day off from work on Saturday, so we wound up going into Somerville to run errands and to have lunch. We ate at Outback Steakhouse to use up the rest of a gift card that we had for that restaurant. We went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, mostly to look around, but also to pick up a few things. We also went to Home Depot to pick up a few light switch plates, which we swapped out last night.

I went into Boston yesterday to see the film Alien: Covenant with the Boston Science Fiction/Fantasy Meetup Group. I think that Michael Fassbender's performance was the best part of the entire film.

I saw Alien Resurrection when it was released in theaters in 1997. I was 12 years old at the time. To be blunt, Resurrection scared the shit out of me. I made connections between having sex and being pregnant; being pregnant and giving birth; between giving birth and death and dying; between having sex/being pregnant/giving birth and one's loss of self. I walked away from that film quietly horrified at the idea of ever being pregnant or giving birth.

I was looking for a similar experience with Covenant and Prometheus, and I didn't get it with either film.

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend was a good one, despite the weather.

On Saturday, May 13th, Adrian and I attended the Watch City Steampunk Festival in Waltham, Massachusetts. This annual even has been held in Waltham every year since 2010. 

Here are some photos!

As you can see, it was a really fun event. Good for people watching. My friend Kesha met us there, and Adrian and I also ran into our friends Julia B. and Dan K. An acquaintance of mine performed in the belly dance show that took place from 1-2pm. 

There were three food trucks at the Festival - Bon Me (Vietnamese food), Roxy's Grilled Cheese (gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and sides), and a BBQ food truck whose name I don't recall. Both Bon Me and Roxy's Grilled Cheese started out as food trucks, and have now expanded to include brick and mortar locations as well.

On Sunday, May 14th, I went to the Brattle Theater in Cambridge to see Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". This was my second time watching "Psycho", and my first time seeing it on the big screen. 

It rained quite a bit on Sunday, but, thankfully, the weather held off on Saturday so that we were able to have a good time.

Birds and Politics

I put my bird feeder out onto our balcony again. It's already proving to be a popular spot. I've seen Cardinals (a male and a female), and a couple of Woodpeckers (unsure if they are the Downy Woodpecker or the Hairy Woodpecker). I haven't seen any Blue Jays yet, but I have seen a few Crows. They Crows haven't visited my Bird Feeder. They just fly around and crow.

In non-bird news, 2018 is an election year here in MA. Elizabeth Warren, one of our Senators, is up for re-election, and our Governor, Charlie Baker is also up for re-election. I know that Jay Gonzalez - the former State Secretary of Administration and Finance under former Governor Deval Patrick - has already declared his candidacy. He's running as a Democrat (no surprise there), and will be seeking their nomination. Gonzalez will be appearing at the Thayer Public Library in Braintree next week, at a Meet the Candidate event organized by a group called Braintree Democratic Action.

Setti Warren, the former mayor of Newton, MA is also running for Governor of Massachusetts as a Democrat, and he will be at a Meet the Candidate event at the Thayer Public Library in June.

I might go to these events. We shall see.

The Walk for Hunger and Free Comic Book Day

Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. I stopped by the Quincy location of New England Comics and picked up a few free comics - a Dr. Who comic, a Tick comic, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic, and the first two issues of a graphic novel series called Flutter. 

My birthday was on Sunday. Yesterday was also the day of the Project Bread Walk for Hunger, which I have participated in over the last few years. I raised almost $400 for Project Bread this year, which is, I think, the most money that I've ever raised for this charity. 

Adrian and I went to an Archer-themed burlesque show last night at Oberon, which was a lot of fun. Archer is an animated spy TV show that is currently in it's eighth season. I know that it's been renewed for a ninth and tenth season, and I also heard that the show's creators intend to end the show after the tenth season.

Adrian and I are planning on meeting up with our friend Paul on Wednesday. We're going to go out for dinner. We're going to go to a restaurant in Hingham, MA calledthe  Rustic Kitchen Bistro and Bar. We've eaten there a few times before, and we like it. I even took my Mom there once a few months ago, and she enjoyed the food, so that's a plus in my book.

Spring and Summer Travel Plans

I've been dealing with seasonal allergies for the last few days, which has left me feeling rather low energy, lethargic, congested, and sniffle-y.

In spite of feeling like this, I've managed to make some travel plans for the next few months. Adrian and I are taking a day tip up to Brunswick, Maine the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and I will be going down to New Jersey to visit my Mom for a week in June. We'll also be visiting Portland, Maine for a few days in August to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. (Is it just me, or is it weird that we've been married for almost three years already? Mind. Blown.)

Saturday Post

Not much has been going on since my last post. I saw the movie "Colossal" - a film starring Anne Hathaway - on Tuesday. I enjoyed it, but I also thought that it was a bit cheesy. 

My birthday is coming up in eight days (or a week from tomorrow). I am looking forward to my birthday this year. I bought tickets for Adrian and me to see an Archer-themed burlesque show at Oberon (a bar/performance venue in Cambridge). I am also looking forward to the Watch City Steampunk Festival, which is being held in Waltham, MA the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend. I hope that there is good weekend for that!

Weymouth's Annual Town Meeting is being held on Monday, May 22nd. I am planning on going to that. I went to last year's Annual Town Meeting. I remember that the Mayor presented the budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, and recipients of the Weymouth Scholarship Fund scholarships were also announced and presented with their scholarship awards.

Monday Morning and Books

I am reading two books at the moment - The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher, and 32 Yolks: From My Mother's Table to Working the Line by Eric Ripert. 

 

I decided to read The Princess Diarist because I am a huge Star Wars enthusiast, and because I read two of her other books - Wishful Drinking (2008), and Shockaholic (2011), and enjoyed those, so I figured I would enjoy this book too. I am enjoying it so far. I like Fisher's writing style. She comes across as warm and funny, and also very articulate and smart. The Princess Diarist is Fisher's account of what happened during the filming of Star Wars: A New Hope, and it includes excerpts from the diaries that she kept during that time. 

 

I think that it's appropriate that I'm reading The Princess Diarist right now. 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars: A New Hope (May 25th, 1977, to be exact). I admit that I still feel a bit emotional (mostly sad) about Carrie Fisher's untimely death last year. I never met her, but I did see her one woman show (also called Wishful Drinking) when it came to Boston in 2008. Intellectually, I know that hundreds (if not thousands) of people die every day, so why am I upset because this one particular celebrity died? I think that the only way that I can explain it is because the original Star Wars trilogy meant a lot to me when I watched them for the first time on the TV in my grandmother's bedroom in 1997, and that part of that experience for me was watching Carrie Fisher portray Princess Leia. It's not an exaggeration for me to say that those movies changed my life, and made me the person that I am today. Seeing those movies for the very first time was a religious experience for me, and I've been trying to recapture that sense of awe ever since. I found something that I didn't even know that I was looking for. Maybe I should say that the movies found me, instead of the other way around.

As far as, 32 Yolks, well, I know who Eric Ripert is mostly because he's made guest appearances on Top Chef (cooking-based reality TV show on Bravo that I like), and also because he is friends with Anthony Bourdain, and has made appearances on his shows Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unnown and No Reservations, so when I heard that he was publishing a memoir, my curiosity was piqued. It also helps that I think that Eric Ripert is cute and has a sexy accent.  

 

Yep. So that's what I am reading at the moment. I'm halfway through 32 Yolks, and maybe about a third of the way through The Princess Diarist. Hoping to have finished one or both of them by the end of this month.