Friday, June 19, 2009

Rain in June!

I didn't notice it initially, but now I'm seriously wondering if I missed a memo. It feels like April - what with all the showers. Don't get me wrong, I'll take cool showers over hot sticky summer days anytime. It's just strange and I have two complaints:





1. After 3 years of being an only child/plant - my African Violet had to make room for a bunch of new herbs this spring. My reasoning is that I like to cook with fresh herbs, I don't like to pay $3.99 to buy a few cut sprigs from the grocery store, and plants are good. After setting up the plants, dealing with the cats wanting to eat them (and then throw them up), realizing that my 3 season porch facing South doesn't really get sun due to the surrounding trees, and remembering to water them, not over-watering them and remembering they are there - I get to report that there is one plant left. My oregano died within the first week. The chives limped along for a good showing of a month or so but they died. The rosemary and thyme looked like they could endure - being hearty enough, but alas the rosemary was declared dead this morning at oh-seven-hundred hours. The thyme is all that's left, for now. I am currently blaming this failure to keep plants alive on the weather - there not being any sun for quite awhile. But, honestly, I'm slowly remembering why I've had a fairly plant free adult life - I have trouble keeping plants alive. At least the cats are doing well.





2. Second, why do people feel the need to be obnoxiously self centered and use a giant golf umbrella to walk around the crowded streets of downtown Boston? It's a GOLF umbrella, used on golf courses (or sometimes they're red sox umbrellas, but same principle). Use a normal umbrella like everyone else - it's just water, so if you get a little bit on you, unless you're the wicked witch of the east (or was it the west?), nothing will happen.





In other news, I'm a little worried about my weekend plans - specifically, I had my heart set on some strawberry picking. If it's not pouring, I'll still be out there getting my stash of fresh berries - I read June is the month for Massachusetts and strawberries.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Big Red

I can't believe I almost forgot to blog about this today. On my way into work this morning, I end up taking the "slow" bus when I should have just waited for the "fast" bus that was just 5 minutes behind. But you never know if they're on time, so you take what you can get. Anyways, finally arrive at the T and am waiting for the next train when over the intercom they announce the next train will be a high-capacity train. Immediately I start thinking about things to blog about this upcoming experience. Many of my friends know me as a "sitter" so you can see how the idea of a subway train with no seats does not bode well for me.

Well, I enter and am faced with a feeling of awkwardness in the air. No one quite knows where to go and does already in the car are awkwardly waiting for the car to fill up. At first I thought - not so bad. I was able to claim a spot against the wall, there's a bar, I'm not wearing heels, it's not that crowded. And then I proceed to have the longest commute feeling commute ever. Well not quite as long as that time I felt ill on the subway. And then proceeded to be ill in the T (station not car thankfully). That was a long ride home. But I digress, yet again. This ride was not that pleasant. I'm tired and feel uncomfortable trying to lean and read. It wasn't that crowded, but if I had to vote, I'd rather pay a little bit more a month to be able to ride a train with seats then deal with that again. Unfortunately I'm personally not a big fan of the Big Red. Good idea but not for me.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Biking

Here's the short version, from the beginning:

1. I feel blah lately - work's wearing me down, overall tired, mentally drained.

2. I know exercise on a regular basis can help bring positive change.

3. I hate exercise - only way I can stomach it is if it's a by-product of something else.

4. No extra time - at least that's what it seems like.

5. Brilliant idea - bike from my apt. to the T station. It's on a bike path - beautiful and safer. The T station has tons and tons of bikes there already - infrastructure in place.

6. My bike's not wonderful.

a. It's not my bike, but my brother's that he got cheap while in school.

b. It's a cheap bike.

7. I start telling people my brilliant idea as my first baby step. I say that if I bike for awhile to work and it looks like I'm committed I'll consider investing in a decent bike.

8. I buy a bike lock last weekend. (The bikes cheap, but I'm not naive enough to think if I leave it unlocked it won't just "roll" away).

9. I make a pack to start Monday.

10. Monday doesn't work - I had an early morning conference call. My biking start date gets shifted to Tuesday.

11. I've already forgotten why, but Tuesday didn't work - maybe it was rainy.

12. Wednesday - another early morning conference call.

13. This morning I’m blah. I’m running late in the morning. Its overcast – showers imminent. I consider pushing it off to Friday.

14. I notice a pattern – it’s now or never. Well not really, but need to get over this hump.

15. I gear up about the time I should be in to work. Tires are flat. Get everything loaded up – change of clothing, helmet. I’m ready.

16. I bike and it’s such a pleasant way to get into work.

17. I’m sore moments in – poor little muscles. They need to grow!

18. I’m surprised how fast the ride goes – I’m at the T in no time. Less than 15 minutes.

19. It takes me awhile to lock up – everyone has the U locks. I don’t. Hopefully that’s not a problem.

20. While relaxing on the subway, it hits me. The same issue that I faced a few years back with my food share – what goes down must come up. My whole bike ride was downhill. Tonight will be interesting – end of long day at work, and I’ll have to climb my way back up to home. My poor wee muscles. At least I have all evening to get home, hopefully before it gets dark.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Bruno the Lobstah!

I have to post this picture. This was sent by an old colleague of mine. She learned how to knit last year when we were at the same company. Instead of starting on scarfs like other coworkers she dived into knitted food to feed her fetish. This is her latest which is pretty amazing considering it's probably only her 4th project. The pattern I stumbled upon here and immediately forwarded, which is about the limit of credit I can take for this project.



To give you a sense of her background, she was able to complete this project after only asking two questions:

1. What does "Work stockinette stitch" mean?

2. What is m1?



Pretty amazing, no? Can you imagine knitting up a whole gaggle of lobstahs?