More Snow and New Gadget

Things are starting to get back to "normal". Here's a picture of my commute into the office. 

Still taking hours to get to and from work.  Which is where my new gadget comes in. Last weekend I bought an external battery pack in preparation for my trip. I've been thinking of getting one for awhile since I'm not great on keeping my phone charged. Plus it's great for long trips. Like on the flight if I want to watch movies on my iPad I'd run out of battery on a long flight. But with the battery charger you get to charge and extend the battery life. 

I found this slim version. It doesn't have tons of recharge - just one full charge but that's all I really need. 

So tonight when I get to my bus stop and see it would be 15 minutes until my bus arrives and the phone is showing this:

Only 10% left - not enough to get me home - especially if I'm listening to podcasts and writing emails and blog posts. 

And that's when I remembered I'd packed my new toy. I pull it out and hook it up for the first time. 

Already I'm up to 25% charge! This is great. And it's just a bit bigger than a lipgloss. Amazing technology we have. And only $15 at TJ Maxx. Curtesy of Aunt Sues Christmas gift (gift card). 

All Clear

I weathered the storm with no issues. Tuesday was a strange, windy, overcast day. It didn't seem like it was snowing but by the end of the day we were left with two feet of snow. 4+ feet in areas the wind blew snow drifts. 

It took awhile to shovel especially when you're throwing snow above your head. Not a lot of people were out shoveling Tuesday so Tuesday night while I was working on the dreaded end of the driveway section and took a break and shoveled out the fire hydrant across the street. Part way through, I look up and see the old man that lives across the street. In the dark lonely night, being the sole person outside,  I see him backlit looking out of a second floor window. A little later I see him looking out a different window while I continue to work on my driveway. It was a strange moment. 

Here are pictures from this morning. You can see how high the piles are at the end of the driveway. 

And the sidewalk is up to my waist only. 

And on my walk to the bus stop the sidewalks are even higher. 

And the piles loom over you - towering almost 10 feet high. 

Long Commute in the Blizzard

How long was my commute yesterday?  Long enough to read this whole book, cover to cover. 

I had picked up a copy of a childhood favorite this weekend while dropping off two boxes of books at the used bookstore in town. I had gone through my young adult books and decided to only keep my really favorite favorites from childhood. And there were two books that I loved but didn't have. So made a deal to get the 2 books if I let go of the 20 books. 

Yesterday morning - not so bad but going home.... Let's just say it took 30 minutes to go 2 stops that I could have walked in 10 minutes. It hadn't really started to snow yet but had been quite cold so think that was what caused all the delays. It was so uncomfortable standing on the subway - I was wedged in. The upside was that I was able to finish my book. 

Now just gearing up for the "storm of the century". We're supposed to get at least 2 feet and the wind is crazy. The roads are shut down along with the subway and bus system so it's truly a snow day. 

This weekend I enjoyed the first snow storm of the year. Got about 8" and Sunday morning, after sleeping over I was building forts and having snowball fights. 

We each built our own bed in the fort. Cameron's is very skinny. 

Maggie's is a crib. 

It was such a beautiful morning - crisp blue skies. 

Fun Websites

Cleaning out old files, I came across this list of grammar/punctuation themed blogs/websites. No clue where I found these. Far from being grammatically correct, I have to say I still appreciate the collection. 

apostropheabuse.com

quotation-marks.blogspot.com

grammarblog.co.uk

And a fun love affair with one character in particular:

ampersand.gosedesign.net

5 Minutes of Fame via Youtube

All of a sudden I have a ton of things to post.  Here’s the latest for those of you who can’t get enough of me (jk).  A 16 minute video of me… and a few other folks. With about 25 views, so not really my five minutes of fame.  But it is my first youtube video, I think. 

This was for a work thing.  I was asked to be on a panel for the Boston Disrupt CRE (stands for Commercial Real Estate), I think in October.  This one was a bit different than the regular events I participate in.  I usually talk about my specialty.  But in this case, we were being asked specific questions that were being asked of every panel throughout the day.  And each panel consisted of folks from all different industries.  So some of the questions were really challenging to answer for our subject matter.  Like what is the app you cannot live without for your job.  Doesn’t really apply for me.  I was quite impressed with myself and the answers I came up with - luckily we had the questions ahead of time.  I had limited time to really come up with my answers.  I remember doing most of the thinking on a Delta shuttle flight a few days before the event.  And ended up referencing the in-flight magazine they provided.

I know the panel session was recorded but have no idea where the video is or if it was even posted.  I had worn a dress and remember being challenged sitting on the tall stools we were given during the session.  It was really challenging to keep the legs crossed at the ankles.  I wish it had been the usual set-up with chairs and table.  Luckily the post-show was much more comfortable.  This is an interview of myself, Barbra Batshalom, who happened to be my old boss at the non-profit I worked at when I first came to Boston, and Grey Lee who moderated the panel.  The third panelist had to leave early so wasn’t able to participate in this post-session interview.

I just came across this video via our company newsletter that was issued this week. Glad to see the video surface, kindof.  It’s strange watching yourself and to hear yourself.  I don’t think I really sound or look like that but it’s all about your angle of perception.  This one was interesting because we didn’t know what questions were going to be asked so remember thinking I came up with pretty good answers on the fly.  Plus I was still in talking mode from the session we literally came out of a minute prior.  The sound guy who was sitting opposite us behind the camera really perked up at the beginning when I said my favorite TV show is Walking Dead.  I think he even gave me a thumbs up which you can tell caught my eye if you look closely. I’ve been finding I can watch the video in snippits.  Maybe I’ll save it for the commute home.

Enjoy!

“Disrupt CRE: The Science of Building Systems” on youtube.

Baby It's Cold Outside

I woke up this morning to -1 F. I could tell something was up but it wasn't because I was cold under my cozy blankets. No, it was the light, or rather lack of.  My east bedroom window was much darker than it should be. I opened the blind and found frost on the inside of the window!  I  was reminded that I was missing one storm window. It went missing sometime over the summer. You can see my finger print in the center - me checking there actually was frost on the inside. 

Looks like I need to get onto that task and get a new one made. Here's a picture of where the frost on the window belongs - the outside. 

Cat Presents

I do have to post a little peeve of mine.  Cat presents.  I don’t mind getting presents that are gifts for my cats.  Mom brought a great toy for the gang during her Thanksgiving visit and it’s Webster’s favorite toy.  If a cat is playing with it, I can pretty much guarantee it’s him.  What I’m on about is gifts for me that are cat themed.  I got two this year.  I was looking around my place this year and couldn’t find a single thing with a cat, other than one poster in the bathroom that has a cat in the background grasses - you almost don’t see it if you aren’t looking.  But otherwise, I’m catless, other than the real deals.

 

I recognize I’m probably a hard person to shop for, but there is a difference between loving the actual animals and loving things with cats on them.  I was trying to figure out why I was a bit peeved this time round.  And I think I’ve figured out it comes down to two things.  One, I’ve been trying to down-size, slowly weeding out things.  I’m finding I hang onto gifts for sentimental value - because so and so gave it to me, not because I actually appreciate it’s form or function.  Which is a no-no.  And secondly, I realize I’m getting close to becoming “that lady”.  The old cat lady who lives alone and knits.  I’m starting to take up knitting again, and with three cats at the moment, the only thing I can do to try to stall the perception is not build up a collection of kitschy cat stuff.

For all those readers who ever need a good default/safe gift, I give you this: Maple Syrup Candy.  Be careful, I’m a snob, and there are imposters.  Be sure to get the ones made with 100% real maple syrup.  There are cheaper blend versions with “maple syrup flavor” which frankly shouldn’t exist (both the candies and the flavor).  I love Maple Syrup so much I would go without chocolate for the rest of my life versus real Maple Syrup.  Luckily I’m not in that position so still love the chocolate - just finished all my Christmas chocolate the other night.  But you get the idea.

I realized I accidently left one of the cat gifts on the mantle at dad’s in Vermont and the other gift had its price tag on the back (accidentally I think) so am going to try to exchange it at the small private gift store in Lexington.  It’s a hard thing though, what do you say?  This is why I never buy art for people - it’s so subjective and personal.  And why you should step back and appreciate the thought that went into buying the gift.  It’s the thought that counts after all.

End of rant.  To end on a positive note, I also experienced the inverse.  My uncle Fred is an avid… trainer.  What do you call a guy that is into trains?  Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.  BTW, did you hear about the blind man that walked into a bar?  And a chair? And a table?

Well, as part of our family Christmas exchange, Fred drew my name.  He sent me a little special extra gift, along with a gift card to my favorite store (TJ Maxx) which was very thoughtful and I think had more to do with my Aunt, am I right?  The gift was a dinner plate from the Boston train line.  I will need to get the letter to add the particulars and will have to post a picture later of its new home.  They very thoughtfully included a plate stand.  Nick and I were talking the other weekend and I was saying that it was really sweet that within the world of trains, when Fred sees Boston/North East lines, he thinks of me.  I’ve got quite the collection of cookbooks/history books from the different lines in the area.  I’m trying to think if this would be translatable.  I don’t think it does.  For example, if I had someone who was into baseball, I’m not sure how much Red Sox paraphernalia I would be wanting.  I guess it helps that I appreciate trains, especially the old romantic image of a bygone era of rail travel.

 Well, that’s me for tonight.  Be sure to see my other post I just posted below as well.  Tons more pictures.

Vacation Accomodations

I have a list developed of blog posts to catch up on.  They all have pictures which makes it a bit more time consuming since I can’t just do it on my phone during my commute.  I thought I’d catch up on them during the holidays, but that was wishful thinking.  So for a future time, I will write about mom’s Thanksgiving visit, getting my Christmas tree, Christmas festivities: nutcracker, Harvard Revels, Handel’s Messiah, Christmas, 2048 competition, new office.  The list goes on and on.

In the meantime, I do have something I’m excited to post.  I just locked in my accomodations for my Paris trip coming up.  I had locked in my Reykjavik hotel right at the start since it seemed to be booking up quickly.  I took some time trying to find just the right hotel.  I’d find something that wasn’t too bland, only to read in reviews it was on a noisy street, or some other issue.  I finally landed on a place that felt very Scandinavian.  There were surprisingly few of places with this style.  Well at least in my price range.  It’s on a nice quiet street and has rave reviews. 

 

But for Paris, I kept going around, trying to find just the right place.  Part of the problem was that although fairly cheap to fly to, Reykjavik is super expensive for all other things - from accommodations to food and everything in between.  So my hotel budget was quickly blown by my three nights in Reykjavik - it was almost as much as my budget for 7 nights in Paris.  I was trying to figure out if I should go cheaper in Paris to balance it out. 

I checked the hotel I stayed in 25 years ago when I first visited Paris, Hotel Esmeralda.  It was so quaint and I loved the morning breakfast in the cellar.  Such great hot chocolate and croissants from such a friendly rolly-polly french women.  From our hotel room we could see Notra Dame just across the water.  It looked like it hadn’t change a bit since I was last there.  And well, I kind of wanted something a little less dated.  Plus, when I was last in Paris, I visited the area and the neighborhood had become fairly touristy and crowded.  And the price wasn’t all that great.

 

 

I did come across a great find - staying at a religious place.  I was intrigued with the cultural experience, especially as one that still doesn’t fully understand religion but appreciates the beautiful architecture it has produced.  There’s a place associated with Sacre-Coeur, but I found the location a little too non-central.  I’m hoping to walk a lot and with the February weather, I want to limit my hikes to the city center.  I was tempted by Maison Eymard in the 8^th adr blocks from the Arc de Triomphe.  The price was ridiculous - about $45 per night for a single bedroom.  I think you had to go to service each day and there was a curfew, but that worked into my travel plans.  At one point, I was considering booking 5 nights at the Maison Eymard, which is the minimum required and then splurging at a high-end hotel for the last few nights, which also happen to be my birthday.  There were a several other in this category that I found via this website.

In the end, I ended up going the apartment route.  I found that you seem to get much more bang for the buck when renting an apartment, instead of a hotel, and this doesn’t take into consideration any money saved by having a few meals at home.  Seven days of eating out all your meals is a lot.  It will be nice to have a fully furnished apartment/kitchen.

 

I searched and searched, and narrowed it down to two places.  One place was this beautiful top-floor apartment, under the eaves, but it was just a bit too pricy.  It was very Parisian and reminded me of the era that An American in Paris with Gene Kelly was set.  I could imagine myself as Audrey Hepburn from Roman Holiday (but in Paris).  Here's the link: http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p1209190a#calendar

The other place was on the Isle Saint Louis and was just lovely old school French with exposed wood beams and classic furnishings.  When I first stayed in Paris, I stayed on the left bank and the last visit was on the right bank, so I figured, the middle is next.  Plus the location was great.  I was finding I would find some great deals but then read reviews and realize the neighborhood was a bit… um, let’s just say they were often next to the rail stations - think Times Square of a few decades back.  Not great, and not the Parisian charm I’m after.  I do have to say I’m spoiled by the friend’s apartment I stayed in a few years back near Place de la Bastille.  I'm linking to an old post but realize I didn't have many pictures of the place.  Dead batteries.  I felt so Parisian walking through the residential streets.  Not a hotel in sight.

 

The Isle Saint Louis place turned out to be already booked for my dates.  They did provide a list of other available apartments.  Which then put me in a stand still again.  The ones that were in my price range were not that great.  I did find this beautiful, royal, wood-paneled place that was also in the Isle Saint Louis.  It was out of my price range, but I figured I’d ask if they would negotiate on the price.  I’ve learned, you never know unless you ask.  Turns out they were willing to negotiate and I am happy to report I’m staying at a place where I feel like a real Queen, my own royal chambers in Paris!  This is why you travel in the off season.  Here's the pictures of the apartment I will be staying in:

 

 

  

The living room is drop dead impressive.  The dining area is delightful.  The bedroom is up in a loft area which is a bit non-traditional but very cozy.  And who cares, you’re sleeping when you’re up there.  The kitchen is fully equiped. The neighborhood is so charming and the entrance is just so classically Parisian.  Nothing you would ever find in the States and something to delight in every time I return home each day.  Entrance from the private courtyard and the front door leading into my apartment.