Tek, you are my HERO!!!!!!!!!! Ya, OK, Francona, you're OK too :)
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Ladies' Weekend, Ogunquit, Maine
I am blessed enough to have some truly wonderful and remarkable people in my life. When I went to Bates College, long long ago, I could not have imagined how it would shape me. One of the ways Bates influences me to this day is through my college friends, who I do not see often enough! Last weekend, I flew to Maine to spend the weekend with Kristen (aka Twinkletoes) and Jenn Moniz-Carpenter. Amy Bean Kelliher (aka ACBK) was to have joined us too, but her baby Matthew has been sick and she needed to stay with him. We missed her very much, and I look forward to the holidays, when I hope we can spend some time catching up :)
We stayed at The Cliff House, in Ogunquit, Maine. Thursday and Friday the weather was a little yucky, but Saturday morning was gorgeous:
The weekend was fun, relaxing, and theraputic. There's nothing like hanging out with friends you've known for 16 years - it's better than warm towels from the drier :) We ate, we drank coffee, we read trashy books, we went to the spa and then sat by the pool, we shopped, and we watched the Sox kick some tookus (Bye bye, Cleveland; hello, Rockies!). Well, "ate" isn't the proper word to describe Friday's dinner, JMC took us to Arrow, listed by Gourmet Mag as one of the top 50 restaurants in the US.... that was way more than just "eating!" I only aspire to be able to cook like that.
And now I'm broke beyond broke. But sometimes life quality issues trump fiscal conservancy... and besides, what's $600 when you're already $70K in the hole??
The only downside is that I had a big comprehensive clinical exam on Wednesday, on which I didn't do so well. We will see how it goes, but I think I crashed and burned on one of the four sections. My own fault, 100% - I knew full well that I was agreeing to be out of town the weekend before the exam, when I should have been studying. I can only hope that I was able to skim thru... because I am required to pass this exam to progress from Student Clinic to Outpatient Clinic. Well, the worst thing that can happen is that I will fail. I'll deal with that if and when I have to.
I did get my National Boards scores back for part I. That.... was not a crash and burn :)
As for now, I am off to a friend's house to catch The Game. We have a small cadre of Boston and New England expats here, it should be a fun gathering. Especially because the word SWEEP keeps coming up!!!!!!!!!!!!
We stayed at The Cliff House, in Ogunquit, Maine. Thursday and Friday the weather was a little yucky, but Saturday morning was gorgeous:
The weekend was fun, relaxing, and theraputic. There's nothing like hanging out with friends you've known for 16 years - it's better than warm towels from the drier :) We ate, we drank coffee, we read trashy books, we went to the spa and then sat by the pool, we shopped, and we watched the Sox kick some tookus (Bye bye, Cleveland; hello, Rockies!). Well, "ate" isn't the proper word to describe Friday's dinner, JMC took us to Arrow, listed by Gourmet Mag as one of the top 50 restaurants in the US.... that was way more than just "eating!" I only aspire to be able to cook like that.
And now I'm broke beyond broke. But sometimes life quality issues trump fiscal conservancy... and besides, what's $600 when you're already $70K in the hole??
The only downside is that I had a big comprehensive clinical exam on Wednesday, on which I didn't do so well. We will see how it goes, but I think I crashed and burned on one of the four sections. My own fault, 100% - I knew full well that I was agreeing to be out of town the weekend before the exam, when I should have been studying. I can only hope that I was able to skim thru... because I am required to pass this exam to progress from Student Clinic to Outpatient Clinic. Well, the worst thing that can happen is that I will fail. I'll deal with that if and when I have to.
I did get my National Boards scores back for part I. That.... was not a crash and burn :)
As for now, I am off to a friend's house to catch The Game. We have a small cadre of Boston and New England expats here, it should be a fun gathering. Especially because the word SWEEP keeps coming up!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Darcy and Chris' Wedding
In autumn of 2004, I introduced two of my favorite people and friends from two areas of my life to each other. On October 13th, they got married at a castle overlooking a beach on the Massachusetts coast, under crystalline skies in the crisp October air.
When they first met, the sparks between Darcy and Chris were nearly palpable. It was a random evening in the Boston Rock gym. Each sized the other up - and knowing them both well, I could almost hear the "hmmmmm!!!" from both. On their first date, Darcy and Chris went sledding. The next time I saw the two of them in the same place at the same time, a subtle shift had transpired - and frankly, the rest is history and future :)
A few pix of C and D:
and me and Ms., or rather now Mrs. Darcy!
The wedding weekend was lovely, and it was a wonderful treat for me to be able to carve out time to zip up to New England to be there.
Darcy and Chris are currently in Playa del Carmen, hopefully napping on the beach or playing in the water, or enjoying a well-earned massage, or perhaps they haven't left the honeymoon suite?... Wedding planning (and execution!!) is no cup of tea!
When I arrived on Friday, the skies were overcast and spitting. Mother Nature had different plans for Saturday, however - the sun peeped over the horizon across the water and into my room at the inn at dawn, waking me up with a gentle orange-pink light:
And the day got better from there. Caroline and I got to take a walk by the water, across the rocks. Note the deep b
lue sky!
From the Emerson Inn, we were taken over to the Castle Hill B&B, where Darcy was beginning preparations. Darcy and Caroline got their hair started, while I went for a walk with Darcy's cousin Reid to Crane Beach proper, a stretch of soft white sand.
On the way back, we bumped into Tom, who as usual tossed me around like a toy (yeah, I love it):
then I returned to the inn to have my hair done. Updo, lots of hairspray, only 19 bobbypins this time! apologies for the sideways picture, i assume you can turn your head if you wish...
The next pic is of Darcy's ladies in waiting: Brenda, Caroline, and me. Both Brenda Ulrich and Brenda Donald were due the week of the wedding (fertility symbols, anyone?) but thankfully neither baby made an appearance. Phew.
The wedding was magical, albeit a bit cold (about 55 degrees, with spaghetti straps and thinned blood from living in the south?) The pashminas that Darcy gave us were so comfy and soft, and were great to take the edge off of the cold!
I have no pictures of the ceremony, something about I didn't think it would be appropriate to stride down the aisle with a camera in hand... but I can tell you that Chris looked absolutely dashing, and Darcy looked so perfect. The dress she chose is so simple, so classy, so her; and her glow, I can't describe properly. Hopefully one of the "real" photographers caught that, and if I can snag pix, I will post those.
After the ceremony, I got to meet up with Andi Machl and his new lady Lisa, as well as Russell. It was lovely to catch up a bit! Russell and I danced a bit, which was so very fun, until I started to be clumsy.... two left feet sometimes, I tell you. And I wasn't even wearing heels to trip me, or drinking much. (for a change? it's this new leaf i've turned over!) It was so nice to catch up with Andi and Russell.
Sunday morning, we had brunch at the Emerson Inn: me, Brenda, Tom, Caroline, Bryan, Eileen, Mike, and Chris' brother David made an appearance too. I had one "hm" moment when I looked around the table and realized that none of us ladies had bothered to put on makeup - AH, i'm home!!!!!!!!!!!!
After brunch, Tom and Brenda drove me back to Boston, where I got to meet up with Michelle to climb for a while at Metro Rock. I had such a wonderful weekend visiting with Tom and Brenda - awesome quality time. I am looking forward to visiting again at Xmas, and meeting the new baby! Oh, Brenda, how are you ever going to manage with three boy children, the old one being far more outta control than the younger two?... ;)
It was a terrific bonus that my flight left so late and gave me some time to play!! Michelle and I climbed for a few hours, until my arms legs fingers ankles everything hurt, then headed for Logan. I got home nice and late to a Moose and Billy who had been so spoiled by Aryn and Tom that they hardly noticed I had been gone :)
I am so fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life. Some of my friends here in Atlanta and some of my family doesn't really "get" why I am drawn back to Boston. It's simple: while I enjoy my life here, New England is home, and I dearly miss being around people with whom I truly connect. I am not a Southerner and have no aspirations to be one, and could never do so anyways, as I do not care to understand or perfect the art of the backhanded slash with a smile.
And now I must go, I believe my red sox are playing. Wakefield is rested, hopefully the Sox will have a stronger showing than last night...
When they first met, the sparks between Darcy and Chris were nearly palpable. It was a random evening in the Boston Rock gym. Each sized the other up - and knowing them both well, I could almost hear the "hmmmmm!!!" from both. On their first date, Darcy and Chris went sledding. The next time I saw the two of them in the same place at the same time, a subtle shift had transpired - and frankly, the rest is history and future :)
A few pix of C and D:
and me and Ms., or rather now Mrs. Darcy!
The wedding weekend was lovely, and it was a wonderful treat for me to be able to carve out time to zip up to New England to be there.
Darcy and Chris are currently in Playa del Carmen, hopefully napping on the beach or playing in the water, or enjoying a well-earned massage, or perhaps they haven't left the honeymoon suite?... Wedding planning (and execution!!) is no cup of tea!
When I arrived on Friday, the skies were overcast and spitting. Mother Nature had different plans for Saturday, however - the sun peeped over the horizon across the water and into my room at the inn at dawn, waking me up with a gentle orange-pink light:
And the day got better from there. Caroline and I got to take a walk by the water, across the rocks. Note the deep b
lue sky!
From the Emerson Inn, we were taken over to the Castle Hill B&B, where Darcy was beginning preparations. Darcy and Caroline got their hair started, while I went for a walk with Darcy's cousin Reid to Crane Beach proper, a stretch of soft white sand.
On the way back, we bumped into Tom, who as usual tossed me around like a toy (yeah, I love it):
then I returned to the inn to have my hair done. Updo, lots of hairspray, only 19 bobbypins this time! apologies for the sideways picture, i assume you can turn your head if you wish...
The next pic is of Darcy's ladies in waiting: Brenda, Caroline, and me. Both Brenda Ulrich and Brenda Donald were due the week of the wedding (fertility symbols, anyone?) but thankfully neither baby made an appearance. Phew.
The wedding was magical, albeit a bit cold (about 55 degrees, with spaghetti straps and thinned blood from living in the south?) The pashminas that Darcy gave us were so comfy and soft, and were great to take the edge off of the cold!
I have no pictures of the ceremony, something about I didn't think it would be appropriate to stride down the aisle with a camera in hand... but I can tell you that Chris looked absolutely dashing, and Darcy looked so perfect. The dress she chose is so simple, so classy, so her; and her glow, I can't describe properly. Hopefully one of the "real" photographers caught that, and if I can snag pix, I will post those.
After the ceremony, I got to meet up with Andi Machl and his new lady Lisa, as well as Russell. It was lovely to catch up a bit! Russell and I danced a bit, which was so very fun, until I started to be clumsy.... two left feet sometimes, I tell you. And I wasn't even wearing heels to trip me, or drinking much. (for a change? it's this new leaf i've turned over!) It was so nice to catch up with Andi and Russell.
Sunday morning, we had brunch at the Emerson Inn: me, Brenda, Tom, Caroline, Bryan, Eileen, Mike, and Chris' brother David made an appearance too. I had one "hm" moment when I looked around the table and realized that none of us ladies had bothered to put on makeup - AH, i'm home!!!!!!!!!!!!
After brunch, Tom and Brenda drove me back to Boston, where I got to meet up with Michelle to climb for a while at Metro Rock. I had such a wonderful weekend visiting with Tom and Brenda - awesome quality time. I am looking forward to visiting again at Xmas, and meeting the new baby! Oh, Brenda, how are you ever going to manage with three boy children, the old one being far more outta control than the younger two?... ;)
It was a terrific bonus that my flight left so late and gave me some time to play!! Michelle and I climbed for a few hours, until my arms legs fingers ankles everything hurt, then headed for Logan. I got home nice and late to a Moose and Billy who had been so spoiled by Aryn and Tom that they hardly noticed I had been gone :)
I am so fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life. Some of my friends here in Atlanta and some of my family doesn't really "get" why I am drawn back to Boston. It's simple: while I enjoy my life here, New England is home, and I dearly miss being around people with whom I truly connect. I am not a Southerner and have no aspirations to be one, and could never do so anyways, as I do not care to understand or perfect the art of the backhanded slash with a smile.
And now I must go, I believe my red sox are playing. Wakefield is rested, hopefully the Sox will have a stronger showing than last night...
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