Thought I'd Give it a "Tri"

I competed in the Danskin Triathlon this past weekend in central Mass near the Connecticut border, and I am happy to report that it was my best one yet! It was also a fun mini-vacation weekend for Ben and me. We got to visit a new, albeit not too exciting, city--Worcester (pronounced "Wister"), which is the second largest city in Massachusetts. And, we got to visit the famous Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, which is where I swam for the triathlon. The name of the lake has a Native American translation of "You fish on your side, I'll fish on my side, and nobody fishes in the middle." It's a nice lake with a beautiful sandy beach, but its main claim to fame is having the longest name of any lake in the country! ;-)

Now, for the tri report...

Most of you know that I participated in several triathlons while living in Austin, but that was because I was practically guaranteed warm (usually hot!) weather, and the water for the swim would never dip below 75-80 degrees. So, when I started researching triathlons in the New England area, I was shocked to find that wet suits are required for most competitions because the water can easily be below 70 degrees! Needless to say, I was a bit reluctant about committing to that kind of a race, but I went ahead and signed up anyway, trained for a few months, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best! The great news is that it actually happened! The weather was perfect--88 degrees and cloudy, the water was about 75 and smooth, and the bike ride was as hilly as ever. The swim was very enjoyable, and I finished in a record time (for me) of ~15 minutes! I loved the hills on the ride--we actually rode through Connecticut for half of the ride, and Massachusetts for the other half, and the run, although there was a large uphill, wasn't bad at all. I can't take all the credit for a good race, though--Ben was there as my loyal supporter every step of the way. He had his cow bell ringing at every turn, and was invaluable as a pacing coach. It if wasn't for his time updates on the run, I wouldn't have been able to keep up the pace and finish strong. Thanks, Ben!!

This race definitely gave me the "itch" to do more, and I am considering doing another one in September if my school schedule allows. Only 3 1/2 weeks until I start law school! Woohoo!!!

On a side note, we also watched the Simpson's movie this weekend (Ben is a loyal fan), and I must admit that it was one of the most hilarious movies I have seen in a while. I highly recommend it.

Anniversary Weekend

Ben and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary on Sunday, and it was an amazing weekend! The weather was ideal, and the best part of all was that my family came to visit! We saw the sights--the harbor, Faneuil Hall, the North End, the Public Garden, Newbury Street, the Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival, etc. We also took a Duck Tour in a big yellow duck that was once an amphibious military vehicle that can function both as a truck and a boat. It was a great way to see the city both from the city streets and from the Charles River.

Thanks, Mom & Greg, for a great weekend and a wonderful anniversary dinner in the North End! We are so happy that you could come, too, Sarah! We love hosting guests--it was a great weekend!

Here are some pictures from the weekend:


The Harbor at Sunset
















Riding the Subway

















Our Yellow Duck










Greg and Sarah at the beach













Beach shot













The winning sand sculpture




























Sarah posing with a strange wooden sculpture in the North End (the Italian section of Boston)















Cheers!




















The "Make Way for Ducklings" statues in the Public Garden



















Hanging out at home

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

I am sorry that it has been almost two months since I have posted to this blog--that is too long! We have been very busy travelling lately, but I have some great photos to post of our trips to Cape Cod, Ireland, and NYC! I will post a few as soon as I can.

This weekend was a lot of fun! We went to our first Red Sox game at Fenway Park with our friends Brian and Christine. The Red Sox have quite a following here (the fans call themselves "Red Sox Nation"), and, literally, any time the Red Sox are playing, the game will be blaring from every TV set and radio in Boston. It reminds me of how Austin felt when there was a UT football game--Go Horns!

This Friday, the Sox played the Texas Rangers, which was a conflict of interest for me, but luckily both teams played well, and the Sox ended up winning by one run (2-1). At least is wasn't a blow out...that would have been sad for the Rangers.

Fenway is the oldest baseball stadium in the country that is still in use (it was built in 1912!), and it definitely has a lot of charm and character. When you sit in the wooden seats with layer upon layer of chipping paint, it feels like a place that is full of energy where people have come for almost a century to eat hot dogs and watch some "ball." Obviously, the "ball" here is a little different than the football we are used to back home, but it was still just as fun to go to a game. Thanks to Brian and Christine for getting tickets for us and for a wonderful night--the game and the Fenway Franks were delicious!

Here are some photos of the stadium and all of us with the mascot, Wally the "Green Monster," which is also a nickname for the stadium, which is green.

Settled In

Knowing that you have finally settled in after moving to a new place is a wonderful thing. The realization that we were finally Bostonians (well, maybe not Bostonians, but definitely no longer outsiders) was when we ran into friends we had not planned to meet up with at a concert! One of our Austin favorites, Junior Brown, was in town last weekend playing a few shows. We went to see him play on Saturday night at a fun, laid back venue in our neighborhood called Johnny D's Uptown. As Ben and I were hanging out watching the opening band, we heard someone call our names. We figured that the voice couldn't possibly be calling for us, but to our surprise, it was our friends Dave and Liz!

You know you have finally settled in to a new city when you are running into friends at a little hole-in-the-wall music venue to watch a rockabilly band that no one in the area has probably ever heard of. Until this past weekend, we have recognized virutally no one when we have been out and about, and it was incredible to actually run into people we know in a big city like Boston! It was a great feeling!

Here are some photos I snapped of Junior Brown and of Johnny D's:

PaloozaHeads!

The PaloozaHeads Web site is so addicting! I can't get enough of it! It is definitely responsible for a lot of lost productivity here at work.

(P.S. Ben's hair was done especially that way for the "rocker" effect. He is getting it cut soon--even if I have to do it myself ;-) ).

Check these out:


Create Your Own PaloozaHead - Visit Lollapalooza.com


Create Your Own PaloozaHead - Visit Lollapalooza.com

Coffee Art

Ben and I love the espresso maker Meryl and Marco gave us for our wedding gift! Ben has to wake up for work earlier than I do because he has to catch an earlier train; so, every morning my "alarm" is Ben turning on the coffee grinder and espresso maker. As soon as I hear it, I manage to wake up (even if the real alarm clock has been going off for 20 minutes) because I love making coffee for Ben before he leaves. I am experimenting with different types of foam designs in the coffee, and my foam heart turned out pretty well this morning!

When we were on our honeymoon in Crested Butte, Colorado, we had coffee every morning at a small cafe called Camp 4 Coffee. Camp 4 Coffee is in a small shack with siding made from old license plates from around the world. The baristas at Camp 4 Coffee were amazing--they could make foam designs of howling coyotes, bicycles, landscapes...the possibilities are endless! Maybe with some practice I can have a future as a barista if this law school thing doesn't work out. ;-)










Here are some photos of Camp 4 Coffee taken while we were in Crested Butte:

Saved By The Bob!

Just when I start to lose faith in Yankeeland (it is still in the 40s in April!!!), Bob Schneider, one of my all time favorite Austin music artists, comes to town and sweeps me off my feet! Ben and I went with our new friends Lisa and Patrick from Austin to see Bob and his band last night at an intimate venue in Cambridge called the Middle East. The Boston Texas Exes even made the concert their "Event of the Month," but there were only a few of us dedicated enough to come out at 10:00pm on a school night. I guess we'll have to wait till Pat Green or Robert Earl Keen come to town meet the other 900 supposed members of the Boston Texas Exes. ;-)

Unfortunately, news of Bob's greatness hasn't made it's way up here yet--there was a disappointing turn out--but he put on one of the best shows I have ever seen, and we got front row seats for the occasion! And it was perfect timing--I needed a little taste of home in a bad way to get me through the morning "wintery mix" commute!

St. Patty's Day in Southie

St. Patrick's Day is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year in Boston. There is a huge parade in Southie (South Boston), and all of the Irish pubs open early and stay open late, have bands come to play, and serve delicious green beer! Even though it was pretty cold this St. Pat's Day, we decided to grab some "Dunkaccinos" to stay warm (there is a Dunkin' Donuts on every street corner here--literally) and head to the celebration at the Southie parade. We met up with our friends Heather & Mark, Christine & Brian, and Carolyn & Richard to watch the parade, followed by food and drinks at an Irish pub downtown. The floats in the parade weren't all that impressive, but there were plenty of Irish men in kilts and dancing Irish girls with the traditional tight curly hair. There were several groups who came from Ireland for the celebration--Irish people are a hoot! The L.A. Police and Fire Dept. also decided to enter the parade, but all they did was fix their hair while talking on their cell phones the whole time. I guess I'm just jealous of their tans!

Here are some of the picture we took at the parade:





The Steel Worker's Union dressed up as Tin Men!


Seedy Boston Politicians/Mobsters (I can't wait for the Sopranos to start back up this weekend--at times, I feel like I'm living on the set!)


A Chubby Star Wars Storm Trooper!


Irish Band from Dublin


Crazy clowns were everywhere!


Good Ole' St. Patrick, the Namesake of the Holiday

JFK Themed Weekend

About a month ago, Ben and I decided to have an entirely "Bostony" weekend--no Tex Mex, no going to the same old places we could visit in Texas--so we decided to make it a John F. Kennedy themed weekend. People in Boston (as well as all of New England) adore the Kennedy family. Not a day goes by when I don't hear someone reference the Kennedys--whether it is commenting on a bill that Senator Edward Kennedy passed in Congress, or how Jackie Kennedy used to wear her famous hats--everyone here is Kennedy obsessed. So, Ben and I thought it would be a good idea to learn more about the Kennedy legacy by visiting the JFK Aircraft Carrier as it was cruising through the port, and by visiting the John F. Kennedy Museum near the traditionally Irish area of town, South Boston, affectionately known to Townies as "Southie."

The USS John F Kennedy aircraft carrier was so massive that it took my breath away! It has been in the Naval fleet since 1964, but was decommissioned this March, and it decided to make a pit stop in Boston before it moved on to reside in Florida.

We had a great time visiting both the aircraft carrier and the museum. We also enjoyed some lobster and a bowl of New England clam chowder to go ahead and make it an over-the-top Bostony experience. ;-)

Here are some of the photos we took that day:

Ben in front of the JFK Museum


















Me in the JFK Museum Atrium
















More photos of the Atrium




The JFK Aircraft Carrier in the Boston Harbor



Coasting Seagull



On a side note, the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign that is making an appearance all over Boston never fails to get Ben's attention...I think they are on the right track with their advertising if the goal is to get attention.

This Old House

We have had a few requests for more pictures of the inside of our house, but before posting the photos, here's a short history...

Our neighborhood was etablished in the mid 1800s, and our house was built some time around 1880 according to the stories I have heard. It's crazy to think that I am living in a house that is older than the city where I grew up!

So, with those 125+ years of history comes a lot of "charm." Like the original baseboards and wood flooring. Beautiful they are, but there is definitely no sneaking around--the second you think you've made it, the floor will creak in such a way that it is practically screaming, "I'm tired--stop walking on me!" And, of course, I can't forget the radiators. If the water coming through the pipes gets a bubble in it or has any flow issues, it sounds like an old lady is downstairs banging on the pipes with a frying pan. It scared the @#$% out of me the first few times it happened, but now I'm used to it. Some friends told me to slip pennies underneath the feet on one end to "balance" them, and the old lady has only come back a few times since we made the adjustment.

A few additional interesting traits about old houses like ours are that over the years many, many people have made their own repairs the way they thought it should be done, and it is definitely apparent that not everyone who lived here along the way was qualified to be making the repairs. This is not as noticeable inside our house because it was renovated in the last 10 years, but the basement is a total disaster. There are so many wires and pipes running every which way that it's hard to know which ones work and which don't.

Here are some photos:

The living room complete with our new C&B couch and Ben's original artwork. ;-)















Another living room view.

















One more living room view. This one has a great view of the radiator. ;-)











Ben's favorite spot with his favorite chair.

















More chairs...I like to call it the "reading nook." ;-)

















The dining room is my next project. We need a bigger table, and I am working on convincing Ben to let go of his prized cafe table so that our guests don't have to cram themselves in when they come over. He loves cooking for large groups, but protests the idea of a bigger table. It just doesn't make sense.











Our bedroom.
















The kitchen, office, and bathroom are probably not photo-worthy, but I will try to post some photos of the basement to show you guys what a "garden apartment" in Boston looks like. I can't believe it, but in the 1970s when our neighborhood was overcrowded and was one of the most densely populated areas of the county, someone lived in our 300 sq. foot basement. There is a bathroom, a sink, and only two tiny slivers of windows. I can't imagine living down there, but people do it all the time around here. In fact, our 1000 sq. feet is considered a luxury by some of city dwellers I have met here--life in yankeeland doesn't come with much personal space. ;-)

Girls Weekend in Boston

We had a blast this weekend having Jenny and Meryl in town for a visit! Jenny arrived around lunch time on Friday. We had a wonderful lunch on the harbor, then did a bit of sightseeing in the city, and of course a little shopping, too. Ben made a delicious dinner for us Friday night, then we went to meet up with Meryl (she and Marco drove down from Montreal after work). It was so much fun being able to catch up!

We spent most of Saturday in the city exploring the Back Bay, the Boston Common, the Fenway, Chinatown, and the North End, and of course we made a pit stop at the Cheers bar because we needed a break from all of the walking! Jenny was exicted to see Cheers, though it looks nothing like the bar from the TV show and neither Ted Danson nor Woody Harrelson were there. It was fun to see some old photos and souvenirs from the show, and the food is actually pretty decent! Then, Saturday night, we all met up with Hyemi and her boyfriend, and had a great evening of tapas and drinks at one of my favorite restaurants here, Tapeo. After dinner, as we had promised Jenny, we went out to the Foundation Lounge, an upscale lounge where star sightings occur frequently. :-) Meryl ran into Nick Lachey there when she was in Boston last fall, but unfortunately, he was not able to make a showing for us this time. All the more reason for Jenny to come back and visit again!

I have posted some pictures of us by the harbor, in my living room, at the Chinatown gate, and at Cheers. I have also posted some photos of the exterior of our house, and the park by our house that is the historic site of the Powder House where the American troops held their gun powder while fighting off the British in the American Revolution. It is a beautiful park that I am lucky to have practically in my backyard! We loved walking through it and picnicking there before it became covered with snow--now we sled through the park instead of walk! Jenny couldn't believe that even though the Charles River that runs through town has frozen over and my driveway could double as an ice skating rink, the city still keeps moving. The city doesn't shut down until there is at least a foot of snow! A few months ago, I would have also been shocked at this realization, but it seems completely reasonable to me now. I guess that's a sign that I am getting settled in to my new home. Only a few more weeks until Spring arrives!