I need some romance in my lifer.

I'm going to New York tomorrow (again.) I am wondering if Maria's sick of me yet? Either way, I am excited to get out of Boston and run around Brooklyn like a cuckoo.

We're gonna try to go to Fire Island on Saturday. In celebration of that, here's a video of The Long Winter's Fire Island, AK (yeah it's about the Fire Island in Alaska, but whatever.)




My camera is on the fritz, so who knows if I'll get any pictures.. I guess I should take it to the shop??

I've got my mind so set on this, that it haaaaaaaas to work out, right? Please please please let me get what I want..

Heather sent me some pics of her apartment/my future apartment if all goes as planned. It's a large studio with a separate bedroom down the hall. There's lots of space, and the best thing is that they're not raising the rent and all utilities are included! Now I just gotta find a way to pay for it. Making lists of what I would need to buy as we speak.. I am a huge nerd.







I want to get this locked down so that I can be full on EXCITED and really get to work. I essentially have 1 2/3 months to find a subletter for boston, pack, go to Costa Rica, find a job, and move move move.

Scarrrry.

Dear Livejournal

I tend to keep things fairly light hearted in this here blog, but for some reason today threw me about 8,000 curve balls.

Lack of sleep last night - sore throat this morning...

Found out that I can take over Heather's apartment in October, which is great news. It's a one bedroom studio in Greenpoint. Big, lots of storage.. Problem is, the conversation with my boss did not go as I hoped. I was hoping to be able to work remotely, but he did not seem optimistic. He did say it might be possible to come up with a contract or maybe work part time and slowly faze myself out of the company. He's going to talk to our CMO next week.. I'm hoping we can come up with something that works for everyone. I know I'll eventually want to transition out of my job, so maybe this will be the best thing after all.. I just know I want to move on to the next stage of my life. The New York City stage. Basically I have to do this. I need to not be afraid - I'm always ok.



My Tante (Virginia, my mom's step mother) was recently diagnosed with cancer, I was told today. I haven't gotten up the courage to call her yet - I'm not sure what to say. She will go through some rounds of radiation, but it's unclear of how she will handle it after that. I can only hope that she has the strength in her to fight this as long as possible.

This is one of the hardest parts of being across the country from my family. I wish I could hug my mom right now.

I don't usually say this, but please keep my family in your thoughts.

Really Seattle?? Who ARE you??

500 Days of Bummer

Maria convinced me to see 500 Days of Summer today - which I was purposely trying to avoid.. First of all, it's hard to look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt without thinking of 3rd Rock From the Sun... Also, that line "you like the Smiths, I love the Smiths" line from the preview makes me want to vomit. OH REALLY? YOU LIKE THE BEATLES?? ME TOO. WE MUST BE MEANT TO BE.

Other than that it's cutesie and "indie" and blah blah blah.

My dear Maria came up from NYC this weekend! She's having boy problems (who isn't these days) so a bonding session was in order. Dinners, dancing, block party, wandering Boston in the blazing hot sun ("Let's go to the South End! I think it's this way....")

Gabi had a bloc party in cambridgeport - djs out on the street with lots of people.. Fun until the cops came. Felt like I was in high school!



I've known this lady since the tender age of 10 and I adore her. Hopefully we'll be in the same city for good soon...

<3 <3 <3 <3

I properly sunned and laying in bed about dead. Oh rhyming.

Friday I went on a quick date (hmph, single life) and headed to Allston for Lacy's bday party at Cat's. It was.. interesting. I hadn't seen Cat in forevs, so it was good to catch up.. and to WTF at "Google" and "gray hair."




Woke up the next day to jump on the train to Gloucester, my "vacation destination." I was staying at the Manor Inn, about a mile away from the train stop.. Worried about getting hit by a car (why am I constantly worried about that? Ahh life on legs.) Finally made it and dropped my bag in my simple little room.


On my way out, like a true nerd, I snapped some pics..



About 10 mins down the street was Stage Fort Park, right on the water. Flags, flowers, rocks, ocean, sun. Yesss.







On my way back, I creeped around an abandoned house. Cause I'm a creeper.



I had dinz at the inn and hit the hay rather really, after suffering a sudden rash/bug bites? all over my arm.. I was worried it was bed bugs (AGH!)but it went away after I doused it with water.. Weird.

Woke up this morning, checked out, and walked for miles in 80 degree weather to Good Harbor, which was INSANELY packed.

Not my pic.. but it was like this, with 8,000,000 more people. Lots of kiddies running around with buckets and covered in sand.


Note to self: it is hard to apply sunblock to your own back, no matter how much you squirm.

I love getting out of the city like this. New England really is incredibly beautiful.. It's one of the reasons I've stuck around.

Notes to self: You do not know Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill well enough to sing it at karaoke. God Only Knows is not a crowd pleaser and White Rabbit gets really high and loud at the end. Your voice will crack.

I am taking myself on a mini solo vaca this weekend.

Gloucester, here I come.

Boy oh boy oh boy. I have that full body swimming exhaustion and it is AWESOME. I was just talking about how I missed all of the lakes in WA (sooo many lakes).. then Andy suggested a trip to Walden Pond, about 20 mins away. I've never been.. I looooved it. There's not a bunch of beach room, but we found a spot about a half mile down and jumped in... and stayed in for over an hour. I love swimming. Have I mentioned I love swimming? Cause I do. I turn into a 10 year old and make motor boat noises and do handstands & somersaults and float on my back with my ears underwater so I can't hear anything. Best best best way to spend the afternoon.

Not my pic, but a good visual


Yesterday I had a BBQ in ye olde backyard.

roasted red potatoes with mustard vinaigrette, greek yogurt and green onion
chipotle beans with cilantro & gorgonzola
Marinated chicken legs in jerk spices (it's fun making meat dishes when I can't taste what it ends up tasting like.)
hamburgers/veggie burgers

Jim brought sangria, Vib and his friends brought chips, Kim brought Flavor Ice (no one seems to know what otter pops are here...)



Laura enjoying the chickensss


Karen's face is an A++


Not sure about THESE faces.


View from the blanket


People eventually started trickling home and we pulled everything inside.. and then it started pouring.. Pouring pouring... so we made Scott and Laura makeshift raincoats.


The remaining few went to Newtowne to meet Lauren. We staying for a bit, and then on the walk home, we came across this little gem on the sidewalk.. and promptly situated it on the fence to leer at the passersby
\

Vibhu then decided he wanted to create a person. I dunno. It was late

(that is his new tshirt with his "spirit animal" (don't ask))

Andy is scared/in love??



I got the best new the other day - my friend Josh from Bham is gonna be in Boston next week! I haven't seen him in forever and he's one of my favorite people ever. Those are the phonecalls I enjoy getting.

Oh I love bloggin' about my friends and the cool things that they do. Today it's Greg and Darin, who are written up on both CBS (about their cooking show Dinner With the Band) and in the New York Times for a monthly bbq/show they throw in Brooklyn.

I should work on doing something cool. Novel idea.

Had a chat with my boss about the October trip and it looks like it's gonna work out (as soon as he approves me.) If so, I'll be in WA from Oct. 10th-18th to see one of the bands who defined my late teen years.



I can't remember if I saw them more than one time - but the trip to Bellingham was a big one. I was 17 and decided that weekend that I wanted to go to WWU; I got one of Goldsmith's drumsticks for Charlie (cause he couldn't be there); I think I was there with my brother, Angie, Brannon.. Josh? Faust? Ahh memories.

Hopefully I can make up for the small amount I was able to see my friends the last two times I was home.

Also, if I stick to my guns (which I must,) I will come back to only a few weeks in this city. I decided that I need to set a GO date, and quit putzing around. So we're aiming for Nov. 1

Cross your fingers.

I bailed on all plans today. Was supposed to get brunch with Gabi and dinner with Vibhu, but instead I chose All Day with Bethany. Bed lounging with bad tv. I haven't been taking much time to myself lately. I'm doing some reflection.

Thursday night Gabi convinced me to go to JP for "ladies night".. which is just a bunch of girls I'd never met eating food and mixing cocktails and eventually taking "crazy face" pictures


Everyone was super nice and I got to try flame grilled pineapple.

After that we went to Make It New and danced out the rest of the night. I still can't fully commit to this whole techno wave that's taken over Boston, but I suppose trying new things is always encouraged.


I had Friday off and Doug got in about noon. We took the train into the city and walked along newbury. We settled on Cafeteria for lunch.. a leisurely 2 hour lunch of people watching and whatnot. Next we took advantage of the rooftop deck at Baseball Tavern, where we met up with Mike.


Eventually we headed to Allston to meet up with Justin and Patrice for dinner at Zocalo Cantina Mexicana (Groupon!!) Dinner was delicious, definitely want to return. We ended the night at Patrice's and on the dance floor at The Pill.

The 4th of July was spent in Medford at Glen and Anne Marie's. They have a great condo, and were once again awesome hosts. Nate, Laura, Andy, Luke and Erica were all there - plus many Bang Camaro members and whatnot. They set up outdoor karaoke (best idea.) I saw Mariah Carey's Fantasy. Luke sang back up.




Laura cut off her hair and it looks adorable!



Andy and I got into an epic game of Ice Wars, which basically consisted on pouring ice from the cooler down each others hair/shirts/faces. Nate slapped me a couple of times. We're all good healthy functioning family.

So yes.. after all that fun, I just want to be quiet today. My ideas have been changing about how to handle this weird point in my life - grad school ideas have been circulating, wondering how long things will come together for nyc, wondering how to handle this strange single-person world. I feel I'm spinning my wheels a bit. Oh life.

On a less heavy note, Eli recommended Dent May to me last week, and I love it. Album gets an A+



Not sure what's going on this week. Going to try to make it a bit low key. Petrol tomorrow to start.. Maybe a dinner party on Saturday. Gotta sort that out...

I attempted to go to bed early last night, but that was thwarted by lack of AC, followed by severe thunderstorms (at 4am.) The incredible amounts of rain hadn't really gotten to me until yesterday.. it came down literally all day. The storm cloud has felt like it's on top of my house.

So yeah, I'm still tired.

Gabi and I cooked dinner on Tuesday, and Jim, Kim and Andy came over to eat it.

Spinach salad with apple and gorgonzola
Sauteed brussels sprouts with caramelized pecans
Cous cous with chickpeas, zuccini, tomato, feta and cilantro

Food was good, company was good. Andy brought over the alto clarinet that he rescued from being tossed out by his school. Needs a new reed and probably some work done, but I got a few notes out.

Othere things that I've forgotten to mention: Saw Cymbals Eat Guitars with Magic Magic at GS on Monday, and Most Serene Republic last week. Saw Phoenix the week before that (blew my mind! My friend Gabby works for their label and was nice enough to get me in VIP style.)

And I saw Up finally! I didn't outwardly weep, but I did get a little teary.

Anyway, I saved the 3d glasses and punched out the lenses so that I could be as obnoxious as possible:




And, also annoying, here is me and Nate, the monster.



Tonight, against my better judgement, I'm going to Make It New (H8 techno.) Doug gets in tomorrow early afternoon. I'm going to meet him downtown and get some lunch and maybe adventure. He's staying with me Friday. Karaoke or Jay Reatard. Not sure about the 4th yet. This rain sorta ruins the excitement.