Daily Life

For all my complaints about the commute I do appreciate working in the city and enjoying the hustle bustle of rush hour. During the last round of the job searching I was considering companies closer to home or outside of Boston (reverse commute).

But I would miss a lot. This picture is down on the edge of the financial district in Boston. I was able to pass by all the protesting that happened last year and in this picture you see the remnants of the farmers market. Also this is where the excellent food trucks will park for lunch. The produce is expensive but the food trucks are cheap for good eats.

There's nothing like surging out of the subway station with the masses in the early morning and coming back together at the end of the day.

Daily Life

One afternoon on my way to the T-stop, I saw this person staring straight up at this building. I was curious but in a rush so the next day on my way home, I looked up. I was astonished. It's striking isn't it?

I had never given it a thought. Discarding it as a boring windowless wall. But standing at the base, looking straight up, it's a striking perspective of manmade meeting mother nature. Especially on a bright sunny day. Nighttime - it's not as striking.

Now, if I'm not in a rush, I look up.

Daily Life

I've been meaning to document my daily route. This came up when I thought I might be moving and wanted to catch all the moments I take for granted and might forget.

This is a strange photo to start with but I won't let that hold me back from starting.

I take buses everyday. Different buses at different times at different stops. This picture is the bus stop I'll grab when it's raining out and it's late.

It reminds me of Ann Boleyn right before she is beheaded - fighting for her life. I think that's because I was stuck here for awhile one time waiting for a delayed bus reading a book about that time.

There's some nice cobalt blue tiles but not much more. Thank goodness there are benches and a window into the subway station bustle.

New Toys

Right on schedule - I’m getting my one post in for the month. Life has been busy. Popped down to DC for work and squeezed in a visit with Joanne and her family. Made it up to VT for father’s day and some strawberry picking and canoeing. Unfortunately my first batch of jam didn’t set properly. Still good in yogurt. We’re just coming off of an official heat wave - three days with over 90 degree weather. And humidity is in the mix making it quite a challenge. However, I’ve held off putting in the AC. I’m not a huge fan and since I’m at work most of the day, fans and low activity do the trick. However, with the onslaught of the heat arriving, I was getting in some cleaning. The boys haven’t been doing so well so several sick cats mean lots of cleaning and some strange smells going on - worse than usual. Even after the cleaning, there was still a lingering smell - realized it was the carpets so I finally pulled the trigger on getting a small steam cleaner. We’ve been flirting since I saw this guy at Christmas. He’s small, green and under $100. He arrives on Wednesday! I’ve been reading a bunch about the Irish famine, so think I’ll name him Paddy. Haven’t figured out where to keep him yet.

So that’s toy #1 I get to play with next week. Not really too much of a toy, but something that’s been on my list for years. Toy #2 I got this week from work - an iPad. I’ve got it set up and running and was using it for the first time on my commute yesterday. It’s a bit like when I got the iPhone for the first time - a little anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to have it, but all the cool stuff has limitations. However, I just downloaded a blogging app, so if I’m inclined, I may post more. Still figuring what works out best for me. And being price conscious I’ve been limiting the apps I download to free (or reimbursed by work), except for three exceptions.

First is the Catch the Bus app. I had it on my iPhone and it was the biggest thing I missed when I switched back to a blackberry. It gives me real time for the buses I take. Think it will translate well to the iPad.

Second is the Star Walk app. A colleague had this on their iPhone and used it when we were in Costa Rica for a project. It was soo cool - identifying the stars you see in the sky - especially when it was a different sky you were under. Although I probably won’t be outside at night with the iPad often, for those winter months on my way home, I think it’s work the price.

And finally, I got the Stylebook app. I’ve been struggling with how to make getting dressed easier for work. Sounds strange doesn’t it. Here’s the deal. Some days, I come up with great outfits that I love. Other mornings, I stare in the closet and can’t figure out what a good outfit is. Or end up at work with something that’s not all put together. I’ve been trying to make things simpler, and short of overhauling my wardrobe to one style of outfit, I’ve been thinking of taking photos and making a matrix of good outfits I can reference. This has been on the books for months (really years, but just got the new camera at Christmas). And then with the iPad, I thought, I bet there is an app for this. And low and behold I think this will work. So am off to catalog and track outfits this weekend. Wish me well.

Any cool apps (preferably free/low cost) that you recommend for the iPad?

iPad Blogging

Testing to see if I can post from an iPad.

Easter

I always forget what month Easter is in - I think it's April. Which means this post is a bit overdue. For my birthday, not in April, I finally got a new digital camera - and it makes a world of difference - no more shaky blurry pictures! Still trying to break old habits of not taking pictures. I was able to snatch a few at Easter. Mom and Nick were visiting and we were invited over to the Braun's. Mom being a good guest, picked up some easter gifts for the kids - including some bubble machines. Needless to say, it was a big hit!

Final Decision

If I were to add up the numbers they would be daunting: number of hours spent house hunting, number of towns considered, number of house viewings, number of scenarios considered, number of numbers crunched. And in the end? I followed my gut. Of all the places, I still like my current place best. So I’m moving forward with purchasing my place! Crazy that it took all that work to come to this decision.

I realized I was superimposing what other people/society thought onto my thinking. I would look at places and think - well that looks more impressive, that has a more comfortable dining room, that has a larger guest bedroom, that has a garage to park my car. But at what cost was I paying for all these things - financially I was purchasing space that I rarely use. I estimated the guest bedroom was used about 14 days last year - 4% of the year. The dining room I rarely use - mainly when I have guests and an occasional dinner party - again about 4% of the year. My car is perfectly fine living outside. I don’t use it daily so dealing with snow isn’t really an issue.

I also was sacrificing the now for the future, and in some cases the future for the future. My place is unique, it’s unconventional, it’s small, it’s really just a one bedroom so how would it resell. Should I live in a more conventional single family house that would be more straight forward to sell? Even if it wasn’t as nice and I would be financially strapped? The nicer places I could afford would mean a much longer commute with less flexibility. So I would be living a life where I spent most of my time in the car/train commuting with very little pocket money. And for what?

In the grand scheme of things, I figured I’d rather be in a comfortable place that I enjoy living, than try and fit into the mold of what I thought I should be buying. I never thought I’d own a condo. My place is small and cozy - it fits me well for this moment I am in. I continue to practice a relatively low carbon footprint, living in a dense urban area and using public transportation. I live in the best neighborhood of all the places I looked at and feel safe and secure. To top it all off, it’s the cheapest option I reviewed so I can pay back the loans for the down payment much quicker. It’s even cheaper than renting somewhere else!

So that’s where I’ve landed. I still have about a month to go before it’s legit - the paperwork, inspections, financing, etc. But I feel good having finally made a decision - I didn’t end up with a compromised living situation. Thank you to all those out there who shared their thoughts and experiences and support. It’s good to be reminded about the important things.

Next step - pull out the decorating books and start dreaming up what I want to do next with my place! I’ve had my eye on some really nice decorator wall paper for the small guest room and I’ve been eyeing some painting swatches.