Boston Confidential

March 3 in Mysore - Funkytown Part II

2007-04-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Most of the Westerners I have met here, the ones who come to Mysore to practice yoga, are quick to start a conversation and engage any other Westerner . It's great for me because my friend is basically working all the time (they work 6 days a week here in India - from 9:30 am until 9 pm. Tough for an American) so I'd be alone all day if I hadn't hooked up with this crowd. Now everyday is booked but even though I only do about 3 things a day, yoga class, meet for brunch Gokulam, go to a bookstore and sit by the pool, it takes all day to accomplish all of these "chores". Nothing is easy here but I love it.

One of the pics here was taken outside of Pattahbi Jois's shala where I am sort of an honorary member because I meet the girls there everyday after class to go to brunch. Another is of Mysore city center where we browse the bookstores for counterfeit yoga books and cheap ($1) yoga mats. The thing about this pic is that there are women in the street; first time I have seen women walking around in crowds. The streets here are typically teaming with Indian men and I wear dark sunglasses to avoid eye contact as it is considered provacative here in India to look into a strange man's eyes. I think this part of the city has more women because of the marketplace. Someone has to to the food shopping.

March 1 in Mysore - Another day, another random ox

2007-04-11T10:21:00.000-04:00

We walked down the most dung-ridden street last night on the way home from the yogashala. Nathalie was actually put off by it b/c of the filth and the cows tied up all over the place but I loved it. It was just full of families, you could look right into their home and see the laughing kids, dinner being made, etc. A lot of people sit outside at night too so there were groups of old men, young kids...the real India.

India is best experienced at night but my camera does not have the capability to take sopisticated night shots. I so wish I could capture the people and the shops but I could never get the sounds and smells in a snapshot.

Feb. 27, Mysore, India

2007-04-11T09:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of Nathalie and I outside of my yogashala. I have been practicing at Mysore Mandala Yogashala with Sheshadri after P Jois told me I could only practice with in his daughter's class which is not until 8:30. Everything happens for a reason though as Sheshadri is the nicest person and his shala has a really friendly vibe, so unlike Pattabhi Jois's. The crazy thing is, I got the feeling that Pattabhi Jois liked me in spite of his rejecting me but his disposition is unlike and Indian person I have met here and he is very gruff. His daughter was nice to me but I still felt like the whole place had a snobby vibe. I am no stranger to coldness, being from Boston where snobbery rules the day but I did not want to deal with that in India.

These boys in the pic live near my Shala and they are among the privileged here in Mysore. They have servants and go to an all-boys school near the shala. I like their confidence but I know now that confidence comes with being in a higher caste than most people. They like to hang around the front of the shala to talk to Westerners and practice their English. At least, I think that is why they engage us. Most of the time, white people here are treated with the same "hands off" policy that the lower castes have with those above them so no one, other than those in the upper class, ever starts a conversation. Could be a language thing too although most people seem to speak a least a little English.

I thought I'd lose all kinds of weight when I got here because I'd have to avoid getting sick and eat only certain things but that has just not been the case. The hotel has na amazing breakfast buffet everyday and they give me a plate of cookies and basket of fruit every night. When I first got here, I would only eat fruit that had to be peeled but now eat apples, grapes and these kiwi-type things I get from the hotel. I eat salad everyday at the poolside restaurant. After spending 4 days, watching all of these skinny yoga chicks eating salads, I figured it was safe to have one myself and I have been lucky so far. It's a good thing but I was sort of counting on dropping some pounds when I got here and told my boyfriend how thin I was going to be when I got home. At this point, he won't notice any difference from when he last saw me. It's all good though.

Feb. 26, Mysore, India

2007-04-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

Day 4 here in Mysore and I love it more everyday. Spent yesterday afternoon with my NBF Natalie (British chickie); yoga, shopping, taking rickshaw rides all over the place and arguing with rickshaw drivers.

I had to take a rickshaw home by myself from Gokulum after dinner at the Grene Leaf and the guy DOUBLED the price from last night. I know the drill now so I only had 40 rupees in my hand and he was trying to tell me it was 80 rupees b/c it was after 10 o'clock (lie) so I acted upset and said, "I only have 40 and it was 40 yesterday so how am I going to get home so late??" and he said OK. There were, no kidding 9 or so rickshaw guys, lazing around, laughing and a fare comes along and they act like supermodels that don't bother getting out of bed for less than 80 rupees a pop.....

I took three showers ysterday. The "sidewalks" are clay and there is just dirt everywhere. The constant traffic of scooters and rickshaws kick up dust I come come absolutely filthy everytime I leave the hotel and I love it. Still only wash my hair every other day though. This isn't a fashion show!

I still take pictures of cows and pigs in the street b/c I just cannot get over it. Took about 14 pics of monkeys yesterday at Chamundi Hill. Just in case I forget what monkeys look like when I get home.

Utterly. Totally. Devastated. But Back in Action!

2006-09-29T12:33:00.000-04:00

OK - they say bad things happen in 3's and I hope to God it's true because that means I have had my share of crap for 2006. To bring you up to date:

My cat became terminally ill
My boyfriend of 2 years and I broke up when a friend called to say she'd seen his profile on Match.com
I lost my job

And that was just in May.

Since that time, my cat has had 2 blood transfusions, I've lost 19 lbs by running and eating right and I've started my own business. Haven't felt this good or looked this amazing in a long time. I was a real rut there and sometimes you need to just lose it all and build things back up to get what one wants. What I want is good health, a steady income and good times. I thought I had everything when I had a boyfriend to ski with every weekend and a high-paying job. Now I truly have it all and I did all on my own. No boss, no guy, no problems.

At least I have a backup plan

2006-05-02T15:43:00.000-04:00

All of the fans who have to drive to the Yankees/Red Sox game tonight? Not so much.

It looks as though we'll actually have to go to Fenway and pick up our tickets whether the game is cancelled or not. You have to feel for the fans who pay a non-refundable $90 to park tonight and end up drowning their rained-out sorrows in a Landsdowne Street bar.

I am actually glad that we did not have tickets for last night's game as I could not stand the booing of Johnny Damon. Just hoping for the best here! GO SOX!

That's What I am Talkin' About!

2006-04-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

The office is a morgue on Fridays as about half of the staff (including me) works from home. Not today though. I made my way in here after taking a few days off this week to take care of my cat. Anywho, I just turned on the radio to liven this place up and the Beastie Boys are on. This is the way to start the day!! I am going to bring in my Paul's Boutique and crank it on those crappy that invariably occur around here.

I need all the good vibes I can get as I just had a shocker. G. & I were walking on Comm Ave. on our way back to my place after dinner when I heard someone call me name. I turned around to see a vaguely familiar girl jogging with a strange guy. As she got closer, I saw that the reason she was "vaguely" familiar is that she has lost a lot of weight and is absolutely stunning. Her running partner and she were all smiles and it was good to see her. She lived in Brussels last year for a few months and I had not seen her since she came back.

She asked how I was doing and her running partner said, "Don't you have something to say?" She laughed and said, "OK, we're getting married! In July." OK, OK, OK, they met about 3 months after I met G. and they are getting married. This is the THIRD couple that met about when we did and are getting married (the other two already made it to the altar). What the hell is going on with us? With him, I should say. C'mon, if we don't know by now, what are we doing together? This is just getting old.

G. knows that I was affected by this chance encounter and tried to be extra sweet and upbeat the rest of the night but I was in a daze. I think the fact that I did not comment at all or take the opportunity to "talk about us" scared him. I have noticed that guys are more unnerved by silence than by a straight on "talk". Let him think I am questioning everything. I have nothing to say.

It's a great day to be alive but...

2006-04-25T09:44:00.000-04:00

When I walk to work a beautiful spring day such as this one, I can't help but be happy.

I need all the assistance from nature that I can get because something very upsetting has happened: my little cat Chester is sick. He's only 9 and I do not know how this could have happened. Paxton (my other Siamese) is totally fine but Chester is really skinny, weak and citically anemic. We've already had one emergecy room visit to Angell Memorial (I went home with a still-sick cat and $581.00 poorer). I never thought we'd be going through this anytime soon as his live expectancy is 20-25 and he is and an indoor cat. I have to give him pills and liquid medicine which is just a nightmare for all of us. I am cautiously optimistic about his chances for recovery and we're seeing his vet Thursday for some more tests.

G. proved himself (AGAIN!) to be a dope guy and has gone by my place to check on Chester while I am at work and has even helped me give him his meds. This from a guy who is allergic to cats. And he's a handsome fella to boot!

Having a sick cat has made me sentimental and understanding. Even the beggars howling at me up and down Boyslton and Newbury streets don't bother me. I just just rudge home after the gym, afraid of what I am going to find when I open the door to my condo...

Good time had by all, except for the all the losing going on...

2006-04-13T11:18:00.000-04:00

After the game last night, the Blue Jays awarded David Wells with an MVP award. I knew he was Toronto’s best player on the field but still, I was shocked.

At least we had some fun people in our section. Just for yucks, we'd chant "Wily Mo You're Da Man!" to make him look at us. It worked! One guy took it to the extreme though by running out on to the field (from our section - we were in a field box) to high-five Pena. News Flash for Jackass Fan: Pena hates you and so do we.

Miracle of Marlborough Street

2006-04-12T11:19:00.000-04:00

I actually got out of bed at 5;45 and made it to Healthworks for the 6:30 running club departure. Incredible. I have so many people to thank: the makers of Ambien, the author of "Snow" (puts me right out) and of course, my significant other for shaming me into getting my getting-fat ass into gear this spring.

So much to look forward to today. This'll be my first Red Sox game of the season and we got box seats right in front of the right outfielder. I know that Trot Nixon is out of commission so I guess we'll be getting to know the new guy (Adam Stern?) pretty well as we'll be staring right at him for most of the night.

Nothing compares to the feeling of following the crowd up to Kenmore Square, grabbing a bite at Game On and then giving the ticket taker our Golden tickets on Yawkee Way.

OK, I have to go concentrate on not overeating. I read about this lip gloss (Promise) that curbs appetite and "promises" thin thighs. Anyone who buys this must immediately surrender her high school diploma to the issuing high school. No questions asked.

God, I miss binge drinking!

2006-04-07T14:03:00.000-04:00

So I thought that cutting down on and ultimately eliminating, my binge drinking would cause me to shed "those unwanted pounds" we all hear so much about in the "Special Advertising Section" of magazine. No such result here though. Eleven weeks without a drink and I weigh about .5 lbs more than I did after my last black-out.

There are upsides of course: no hangovers, no regrets, no requisite morning-after apology calls to make to Bush-supporters and others I may have come across whilst on a bender. Oh, and I spend a lot less too. When the happy hour / apres ski check comes the conversation goes something like this: "Ok, looks like everyone owes $32 each, tip included. Except Mia who only had a seltzer water. You owe $5. Me: Sweet."

Maybe I am eating more than I normally do because, hell, you have to put SOMETHING in your mouth at a bar and now that I have quit smoking and drinking, my choices are limited. I am all about excuses, folks!

When it's over, that's the time I fall in love again...

2006-04-03T15:53:00.000-04:00

For all of my complaining about how we had to spend every friggin' weekend in Vermont this winter, I am sad that the season is over.
The skiing this past weekend was "Southern-Vermont-in-April's-Finest" with bare patches and mud everywhere. I only did one run in the slush and my little quads could not take it anymore. G. did about 8 runs while I soaked up the sun from an Adirondack chair at the base of the mountain. All in all, a good season as I finally conquered my fear of the Black Diamonds.

Now that Spring is in the air, it's time to concentrate on getting out of this hellhole of an company and to start running after work. First things first: I am on my third interview for the
Dream Job of a Lifetime. Please help me God. As for the latter goal, Healthworks starts its running club this Wednesday morning. I plan to make a pathetic attempt at doing 5 miles. If I run anything like I did in the Run to Remember, it should take me about 50 mins (I said my running was pathetic!).

Should I be worried about this?

2006-03-02T12:44:00.000-05:00

So, all I can think about today is going to see Seinfeld tomorrow night at the Wang and, because we could only get single seats, Mr. Wonderful and I are 4 rows apart. Very sad and much of today has been spent dreaming up my fantasy pitch to the usher and other singles who may want to switch. High hopes here!

Last night I had occasion to use my boyfriend's computer to check my email and (this was not planned!) his email happened to be minimized. I clicked on it. And read it. Seems he emailed Amanda Congdon from Rocketboom to see if he can get a tour of the Rocketboom "studio" (which we have both laughed about as we think it's her apt.) when we are in NYC in a few weeks. He has never mentioned this to me. Now, Amanda is a super-cool chick and we are both card-carrying members of Cake and I straighten my hair just like hers so we have a lot in common but what's up with the email? He has a snowball's chance in Hades of every meeting this girl but I am thinking this email thing is taking to too far.

I guess I should just be glad he is not emailing chickies from Match and Yahoo personals. Sad story here: an amazing, beautiful trusting girlfriend of mine just got totally screwed and caught her new guy with another woman. Seems he never took his Match profile down and, after 3 months of dating, she understood why when she saw the girl leaving his apartment. That she had just stayed in the night before. (Vomiting right now) He fessed up and said he did meet the girl off Match a few weeks ago. The worst part? He let her go and wants to pursue the new girl. Maybe that's the best part (for her in the long-run) but the whole thing just stinks.

Crate & Beggars

2005-11-14T11:35:00.000-05:00

Just called Crate & Barrel, my favorite retailer (not!) to see if the rug I ordered (and paid for in full last week) is "in" so that I can schedule my the delivery of the rug and the dining room table. Guess what? It isn't.

The saleswoman said the rug was promised "mid-November" and I pointed out that it is the 14th. I was advised to wait for a phone call from the tomorrow. Why oh why does this company have merchandise in the store hat is does not actually have available within a week?? We aren't talking a custom couch here. Just a plain old, 6 x 9 rug. Did they not expect that anyone would actually puchase the rug? Of course the dining room table is in stock but I am not getting htat delivered separately and paying the $60 delivery charge twice. They should be glad that customers are willing to walk to the gauntlet of beggars just to get to their Boylston Street location and bend over backwards but I guess they don't see it that way.

On the subject of the Boyslton Beggar Gauntlet, this week's Boston Courant has the story on the front page. Boston Police are actually encouraging retailers to put ATM's in front of their storefronts as no loitering is allowed within 10 feet of an ATM. If that is the case, I respectfully request that Crate & Barrell, CVS, and Trader Joe's put ATM's out front. All the bars on the strip should as well. Nothing like seeing all the poor tourists, just stepping out for a smoke, being accosted for "spare change!".

On a more positive note: had another great weekend at the Vermont house. My boyfriend planned a horseback trail ride for us and it was just gorgeous. Perfect fall weather and the horses were sweet. The saddles were Western though and now I know why most women prefer riding English and why cowboys walk bow-legged.

Everyone should be eating and drinking at Match

2005-11-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love that new place Match on Mass Ave. My girlfriends and I are averaging one visit a week at this point and we have had the same waiter each time (Hi Kevan!)

Last night I had the tuna sashimi burger with wasabi and a side of asparagus and my friend had the lobster burger with a side of spinach. I could eat there every day and already have my next two meals planned there (spinach salad the first time and salmon steak with spinach and risotto cakes the second if you must know!). The sad thing is: our bar tab consistently exceeds our food bill. We have good reason though! The food is cheap-ola while the drink prices are kind of steep. Truth be told; we do drink a lot. Each of us owed $48, tip included last night and we each had three drinks at about $10 a pop so you do the math...Another bonus - even the most unattractive people look good in the glow of the massive electric fireplace in the dining room. Not that any of us needs soft lighting to look good but some folks out there may benefit.

Not so fast W!

2005-11-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

Very exciting news: We may not be drilling in the Arctic after all. I am just as shocked as you are but the WSJ tells me:

House GOP leaders agreed last night to strip plans to permit oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and in the offshore continental shelf from a $54 billion budget-cutting measure, probably securing the votes to pass the bill today.

One for the good guys! Here is my favorite quote:

"The move is a blow to President Bush, who has made expanded oil exploration a priority since he took office." Too bad! Sucker!

Coulda' Woulda' Shoulda'

2005-11-10T13:13:00.000-05:00

Today's Globe reports that the company behind the little red robot that keeps my floors so spankin' clean is also cleaning up on the NYSE.

Shares of iRobot climbed $2.70 to $26.70 from their opening price of $24. The company and its insiders sold 4.3 million shares on Tuesday, in an initial public offering seen as a test of the appeal of robotics to investors. The company said its share of the offering was about $72 million, and yesterday's trading gave it a market value of $621.8 million.

As I write this, the stock is trading at $34. Why, oh why didn't I buy some yesterday at the IPO? I thought about it. I can still pick up some shares but this is like buying a coat right after the 20% off sale ended...

Nice Try Jen

2005-11-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

Tivo caught a snippet of Jennifer Anniston talking to Diane Sawyer about her divorce and refsing to talk about her new role as Vince Vaughn's beard. In the 16 seconds before my boyfriend changed the channel, the-former-Ms.Pitt said something about how the public insists on making her divorce out to be "some soap opera" and mentioned that she still talks to Brad Pitt.

Hellooo! When your movie star husband screws his co-star and the co-star is Angelina Jolie, aka every woman's nightmare, and then you get divorced and he moves in with the pinnacle of female sensuality, that is a soap opera!! And there is no way she is talking to Brad Pitt regularly. Does she really expect us to believe that she psyched when the phone rings and its Brad talking about the funny thing Maddox said and how cute the new African baby is? I call "Bullcrap"!

Civic Duty - Check!

2005-11-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

I can relax and enjoy the day as I just got back from the polls. Unfortunately, I had to go all the way to the Fenway to vote as I never did change my voter registration to the Back Bay. But it's all good now and next time I won't have to go any further than the Copley Library - Tres convenient!

When my boyfriend and I decided to cook Thanksgiving Dinner (rather than have both of our mothers cook which I what happened last year) in an effort to prevent having to drive to two different states on the same day as we did last year, I had no idea how collaborative an event this was going to be. Just about everyone has weighed in on my decision to buy an organic, free-range turkey (general consensus - expensive and unecessary. Outcome: buying orgainic free-range turkey) to our announcement that we needed to borrow a turkey baster (general consensus: basting not necesary. Outcome: not basting but rather building turkey foil tent (?)). I called a few supermarkets to put and end to the families's endless speculation about whether or not an organic turkey comes frozen, will they run out of we wait until a few days before the holiday and exactly how much is this free-range turkey going to cost. Outcome; Only Wholefoods has the right turkeys, $1.99 a pound and there should be plenty to go around up until the Big Day. Geez!

You are either with us or against us!

2005-11-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

I am so ready for the Pats game tonight. Tom Brady v. “Jesus Christ” Manning (aka, “Son of God”).

By kickoff, I’ll be on my couch, snacks close at hand with a couple of cats, screening my calls and cheering on the hometown team. Anyone who does not also do this is un-American and supports the terrorists.

Another Vidal Sasson Success Story

2005-11-04T13:46:00.000-05:00

Must give props to Nicole and Amy at Vidal Sasson for once again working their magic. Just left the salon and feelin' good!

Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole was also getting her hair "done" (no details - must protect fellow celebrities's privacy) and quietly took a lot of calls on her cell. She also has aBlackberry that she kept checking and I wish I knew her email address as I would've sent her an email to thank her for being such a great commissioner. "Dear Kathy: I think you are doing a great job and totally blame do-nothing Mayor Tom Menino for our city's high crime rate and lack of adequate numbers of police. Signed, Girl in the Next Chair".

On a somber note, I was troubled to see the picturesque mountain vista in the newspaper today with the caption below: "Senate OK's Drilling in Alaskan Wildlife Refuge". Why does this country have to suck to much sometimes? Hearing news like that is no way to start the otherwise bright and shiny weekend planned in Vermont.

Why is this so bad?

2005-11-02T10:54:00.000-05:00

According to the very-reliable Boston Globe, immigration rights groups are railing at Kerry Healy because she suggested children of illegal immigrants attend private colleges rather than get in-state tutition at state schools. What is wrong with this statement? Nothing.

Hey, if you want to advocate for a change to the immigration laws, making it easier to become a legal alien, be my guest. The fact is, the laws exist and the Govenor has to uphold them and Tom Reilly has to enforce them. Black and white issue here, Folks.

On a more serious note, my skin is just falling off my face at an alarming rate. I totally blame this on three-straight days of being subject to the wood burning stove in Vermont. Is this what I can expect all winter? My water consumption rate hit an all time high last weekend at the ski house but all that hydration did not make one bit of difference. We are heading up there again Friday after work so I have to go google: "dry skin hydration winter".

Vote for Menino as Worst Mayor of Boston

2005-11-01T15:49:00.000-05:00

The Boston Herald endorsed Do-Nothing Thomas Menino for Mayor today with this slam on City Councilwoman Maura Hennigan.

I am going to go way out of my way to vote for Maura next week and I think you should too. This city is filthy and crime-ridden and last I heard, Menino was trumpeting his plans to develop the Waterfront area as a reason he should be re-elected.

He needs to hire a new focus group because who gives a rat's ass about the Waterfront? How about less-bomb sniffing dogs at South Station and more cops on the street? How about doing something to control the crazy-beggar-on-every-corner-in-the-Back-Bay trend that makes running errands after work akin to walking around Calcutta (expect our beggars have limbs).

Why not fund an elementary school for those of us who live in the Back Bay and Beacon Hill so that if we can't afford private school, we don't have to move to the suburbs after we start a family? We're taxpayers too, Jerk!

I could go on and on about how I have had my headlights stolen twice because thieves know they'll never come across a cop on Comm Ave unless there is a construction detail and how we were BURGLARIZED at 8 pm because the city has the same No-Cop-In-Sight policy on Marlborough street but actions speak louder than words.

VOTE FOR MAURA ON NOVEMBER 8th! At least she is making the right campaign promises. Menino is just living on another planet at this point.

By any other name...

2005-11-01T15:39:00.000-05:00

The crazy thing about this article is, although it happens to be about a country full of religious extremists, I can easily envision it taking place in Alabama. Now that's scary!

What the F*%# ?

2005-10-18T13:31:00.000-04:00

No sooner do I post about prostitutes on Craigslist and about how Johnnie Law looks the other way than a bunch of chicks get busted in Braintree for soliciting on Craigslist.

Officially, I applaud any law enforecement agency that earns its paycheck but isn't this like shooting fish in barrel? Come on. I could pose as a prostitute, arrange to meet my johns (I know the lingo!) and call the cops when they show up to arrest them but should I get a medal for it?

This just seems like a waste of taxpayers time. If they had busted up some sex-slave ring which exploited illegal immigrant women (which I am completely opposed to by the way), I would consider that a job well done. A bunch of bored housewives having sex with guys at the Days Inn in Braintree is just so not on my list of gripes. Now if the Braintree police could get rid of the beggars that yell shit at me whe I refuse to give them quarters every time I walk through Downtown Crossings, I'd be totally psyched!

Since you asked...

2005-10-11T13:34:00.000-04:00

Just checked my Blog Stats and one lonely viewer was referred to my site after doing a Google search for "Craigslist Prostitution Police Boston". What am I, the Crimebeat?

Anywho, it turns out I actually do have some information on this topic. I once spoke to a prostitute (long story involving the Bristol Lounge and, you guessed it, copious amounts of alcohol) who gets clients on Craigslist who relayed the following: one of her best clients is a Boston cop who told her not to worry about getting arrested as long as she stays on-line. The Boston police only go after the girls who solicit in public places.

That's all I know. Hope this helps.

Sox Go!

2005-10-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

The Sox loss last Friday means the early departure of my favorite neighbor, Bronson Arroyo.
Very sad day. The moving trucks pulled up to my building this morning to shuttle he and his wife's possesions to, I am sure, warmer climes.
I actually respect the fact that they live on the 4th floor rather than one of the 9th floor penthouses with a view and private roof deck. Can't say most professional atheltes would be content in such on-flashy digs.
Oh well. Here to hoping that, next year, he has to stick around until November. Go Sox!

On my best behavior

2005-10-08T21:24:00.000-04:00

Just got back from Vermont and I have to lay off the sauce as my significant other is running a half-marathon tomorrow at 8 am. I really don't want to be the slightly nauseated girl friend with puffy eyes left behind as my boyfriend takes off running with perky fit blonde girls. I want to be the stunning how-can-she-look-that-good-so-early-girl as my boyfriend takes off running with perky blonde fit girls.

How does one pass a Saturday night unaccompanied by her friends Sam Adams and Stella Artois (lovely companions both)? Sigh.

2005-10-05T11:33:00.000-04:00

Must share a shot of my absolutely stunning new bamboo floor (and one Badass Siamese)! The condo just rocks at this point and there is just nothing more to add. The beauty speaks for itself.

Another Lovely Day in Chinatown

2005-10-05T11:07:00.000-04:00

Very exciting day here at the office. I am wearing a really sharp suit I bought in Rome three years ago. The zipper on the skirt broke the second time I wore it and I just got it fixed in August. I carted the un-wearable skirt during two house moves and finally made it worthwhile. Oh the joys of temporary periods of non-laziness!!

Another downside of working in Chinatown is the live poultry place across the street. This place would make me absolutely swear off chicken if I wasn't already a vegetarian. At approximately 8:30 every morning, the hapless chickens pull up in an open truck (so they have a good view of the traffic on their journey) and are unloaded. During the unloading process, copious amounts of chicken-doo and feathers are spread all over the sidewalk which is immediately hosed down as soon as the empty truck pulls away.

Now I have walked by this place a million,, stomach turning times but today was the worst. I usually cross the street before I get to the poultry store just so I don't have to see the chickens but today I forgot. I was directly in front of the open door when I heard a baby uttering short, staccato cries followed by a "thwack" and silence. Then I heard it again. It was the friggin' chickens! They squawk right before their heads are chopped off because they know what is about to happen! Just an awful way to start the day. For me and the chickens. Makes me miss Post Office Square, big time.

One Last "Bush-ism" for the Road

2005-10-04T16:22:00.000-04:00

William J. Bennett resigned from some company today and released this statement:

"I am in the midst of apolitical battle based on a coordinated campaign willfully distorting myviews, my record, and my statements. Given the controversy surrounding theremarks I made on my radio show, I am stepping down from my positions at K12,so that neither the mission of the company, nor its children, are affected,distracted, or harmed in any way."

The company has children? Whaa?

Agony of Defeat

2005-10-04T12:17:00.000-04:00

Biggest failure this year: Signed up for a half marathon I cannot possibly finish.

The BAA Half Marathon is this Sunday and, as the summer started out with so much promise, I coughed up $45 dollars to register for it. Usually, the way I motivate to run is to sign up for races I have to train for and I beat myself up into running. Didn't work this time though; haven't run in 8 weeks.

So, it's sort of a blah day around here. I feel fat and ate my lunch at 11:20 because god forbid I go 3 hours without eating. Geez, with all this whining, I think I need to call a "whaa-ambulance"!

Just for the record...

2005-08-23T16:48:00.000-04:00

I cancelled my plans to run with Tanya (even though I am in the worst possible shape and am dying to run) because Golden Boy wants to go to hang out at Fenway Park before the Stones concert starts. Our tickets say the show starts at 6:30 and we're meeting at my place at 6.

Just before we hung up, he slipped in the fact that he is going to squeeze a run in before the show but promised not to run for longer than an hour. If I cancelled my run and end up waiting around for him until 6:30, oh, so help me God...

On a more positive note: CANNOT WAIT TO GET TO THE PARK! I can see the helicopters circling Fenway from my office window. Takes me back to the days when I lived near Fenway park and the helicopters hovering during concerts and special events turned our neighborhood into a M.A.S.H. episode. Man, that sucked!
ROCK ON!

Missing: One TiVo, Laptop and Sense of Security

2005-08-19T22:29:00.000-04:00

Although we have a parking space in a locked garage, Golden Boy parked the Audi in front of our place on Marlborough Street building. In exactly-the-same-spot it was in when the Xenon headlights were stolen a few months ago. So, the headlights were stolen again. The last time, it was in the shop for 11 days. This time, we are hopeful it’ll only take 5 days to restore its eyesight.

Last night, Thursday, we went out to Upper Crust which took exactly 55 minutes. That turned out to be just enough time for some low-life to climb up four flights on the fire escape and burglarize the place. I won’t get into the details but I have to give a shout out to the much-maligned (even here on BC!) Boston PD.

The old beat cop that showed up to take the report was totally cool, took his time and sort of made us feel better. He didn’t even bat an eyelash at the heap of laundry the guy (gladly sexist here) dumped on the dining room floor even though there things everywhere and one Flexee.

OK, I have to digress. I just watched a promo for a TV drama about fertility doctors. Sitting here in shock and have to go because I have some calls to make before some fancy pants steals my idea for a TV show about a liver transplant team that saves lives while struggling with the pressures of family and relationships in Los Angeles.

Gossip Edition

2005-08-08T13:17:00.000-04:00

I so seldom have celebrity gossip that I must share at the vaguest of details to satisfy my need to share without causing any trouble.

In a nutshell, one of Mark Wahlberg’s entourage was filed by Marky Mark recently because the guy objected to the addition of a guy who bring the party favors to the party. Here are the details in no particular order:
Four Seasons
Coked-up
4 am
Argument
Pink Slip

The thing about the story I find most shocking is the Mark Wahlberg paid this groupie between $2k-$4k a month for doing what plenty of guys out there would do absolutely no change: travel with Mark on his dime, VIP-style and partake of his sloppy seconds. Since the heated firing episode, Mark has called the meathead former groupie and left some messages and the idiot won’t pick up the phone. Hello?! That’s your meal ticket calling. Pick up the frigging phone. You have a baby to provide for. Deadbeat.

Space Shuttle Discovery Scheduled for Tomorrow

2005-07-12T09:43:00.000-04:00

3:51 pm launch, 3:58 pm mid-air explosion.

It's Going to be a Great Day!

2005-06-29T09:04:00.000-04:00

I am not the least bit sore from my six mile run around the Charles last night and I got lucky this morning so it's all good!

Golden Boy has convinced me to go to Vermont tomorrow night even though Friday is my day to work from "home". I guess all I need is wireless access and my cell phone and my boss won't know if I am on Marlborough Street or Mt. Snow. We did some research and found that there are a few wi-fi hot spots in West Dover; Tony's pizza and the Snow Goose Inn. Let's hope the Innkeepers don't find it strange that some chick is parking in their parking lot for an hour or so with a laptop. This after we drive around the Inn slowly to find the best signal. At some point we'll get Tony's pizza but they only offer take-out service so we be sitting in their parking lot as well. This whole scheme might just work!

The only troubling part of blowing out of town Thursday as opposed to Saturday (when we have to drive to Newport for the long weekend) is that I do not have anyone to feed the cats for five days. I can leave them from Saturday to Monday, no problem but this extended absence is problematic. GB wants to drive straight from Vermont to Newport as it'll add an hour to the drive to stop in Boston first. My poor little guys! They deserve better than to be left alone for days on end with three bowls of dry food, a perpetual water feeder and a stinky littler box.

I have to bust it out here at the office for the next few days so I'll have as little work as possible to take "home" Friday.

Why do I do this again?

2005-06-28T15:59:00.000-04:00

Sunday's 5k race was a bait-and-switch if there ever was one. The event website boasted, "picturesque Charles River views" and implied a shady run through the Emerald Necklace. Basically, we ran up Soldiers Field road and did a loop back over to Storrow Drive (not at all shady for those of you not from Boston) and ended sort of near the water near the Publik Theatre. Another scorcher on blacktop in the unrelenting summer sun and I paid $22 to do it. I think I weighed about 4 lbs. less at the end of the race which isn't a bad thing!

Anyway the race route wasn't completely closed to traffic and cars were trying to sneak past runners in the left-most lane of Soldiers Field road. If I still practiced personal injury, I would've been praying for someone to mow down some poor bastard so that I could run upon the scene, business card in hand. Oh and only the first 1000 runners got T-shirts which meant my running partner didn't get one. So lame! Some woman offered my $5 for mine when she heard me complaining that they had run out of Small and I had to take a medium. Little does she know that to me, these t-shirts are the only trophies I'll ever get from running; I pay for 'em and I earn 'em!

We registered for the Johnny Kelley 10K in Hyannis next month. I just won't run a race unless I am guaranteed to suffer from heat stroke and dehydration from Mile 1 on.

My weight is under control thanks to this running thing. I quit BSC yesterday. A big step! I have been a member of the gym for over 5 years but now that I have been running and doing Bikram (the yoga classes at BSC Copley kind of stink during the week), I haven't seen the inside of the place since May. Running is cheaper and more effective so me and BSC are done! I am taking my $68 a month elsewhere. Like to Sonsie.

Oh Good! The US war with Iran has already begun

2005-06-20T12:49:00.000-04:00

Aljazeera.Net - The US war with Iran has already begun
And here I was thinking that Bush was a lame duck with no power or support on the Hill. I stand corrected!

The Good Life - Runner's Style

2005-06-14T14:33:00.000-04:00

I am loving this catchy running video and plan to download the song from The Presidents of the United States of America onto my new Ipod as soon as I buy one.

Saturday's 10K was a blast in spite of the 94 degree weather and the brand-spankin-new blacktop in downtown Portsmouth. Running under those extreme conditions was a first for me, as was running 6.2 miles but I survived and am pumped to do it again. My running partner and I are just going to do a 4.5 mile loop around the Esplanade tonight. No need to do 6 miles everyday, right? Especially after the nachos and two beers I had last night at Rock Bottom.

At this point:
Weight: stable
Relationship: stable (unless I don't get a ring sometime this summer)
Job: stable

Overall assesment: still can't get my head around the Michael Jackson case and can only think, "WTF was that all about?" but, for the most part, things are good.

Good job on the "Journalism" Thing Guys!

2005-06-08T09:54:00.000-04:00

The Globe did another half-assed job reporting the story about Kerry's and Bush's grades while at Yale. I haven't registered to read the Globe on-line so I only saw the headline but I wondered why this story was supposed to be interesting. The election is a distant, painful memory at this point so why was this even news? Well, the headline, if written by a Journalist, should have been: "Campaign Attack on Kerry Found to be Baseless". And I was only a Journalism minor. Imagine if I was my major; I'd be running the Globe!

On a more somber note, the weekend in NYC and eating after 7 (which is an absolute no-no but I can't be perfect every day People!) have set me back a little but today is a new day.

No Excuses

2005-06-08T09:48:00.000-04:00

Well, I told myself when it got warmer, I’d have no excuse not to run and now it’s so friggin’ warm I can’t stand it. My Craigslist running partner and I struggled for 3.5 miles last night on the Charles. She cramped up after about a mile and we had to walk a few times as I wasn’t going to run alone. I started drinking water like a madwoman around 1 pm and almost screwed up the hydration schedule by drinking to close to the start of my run. No bathroom breaks on the Esplanade!

On Fox 25 this morning, the commentators were debating a school ruling that kids can’t wear fake Kevlar vests to school. This is a totally retarded trend and I can’t help but think that full SWAT gear can’t be far behind. Anywho, VB (is that his name?) said that it was analogous to the NFL banning do-rags because they were associated with gangs. The female Black co-anchor got upset, said her father wears do-rags and he’s an engineer. As if we thought for a minute that he was in a gang. She was beside herself and it was best just to drop the subject, which they did, but the point needs to be made that wearing a do-rag to bed and wearing one to school are two completely different things. Let’s not make this a Race issue folks! Nothing gets under my skin more than turning issues like school dress codes into "Race Issues". That is all.

How Broke Am I?

2005-06-07T13:13:00.000-04:00

I am so broke that I had to buy my salad today from McDonald's because they take Amex and I have only $6.40 cash until payday next week. But don't cry for me Argentina as it isn't half bad.

Along the same poverty-stricken line, I had to use Golden Boy's credit card to register for the Market Race on Saturday. Amex-financed post-race lunch is on me!

Full Circle

2005-06-07T09:18:00.000-04:00

Just when I finally healed from the brazen theft of my wallet, the incident is back on the forefront.

I got a call this morning from a woman with an Irish accent who said she was calling for Lir on Boylston Street and she had my wallet. Yeah!!! Lir is a block away from the scene of the crime (Sonsie – still have not been back there) and I have never set foot in the it but my wallet loves the place. One of the cleaners found it, with everything in it except the cash, in the basement next to the garbage. I guess my thief makes the rounds and must’ve stopped by Lir to help himself to a few purses and to dump mine. Or maybe the cleaner is the thief and this is how he atones: returns the wallet to another restaurant manager who he knows will call the poor owner.

I can’t believe I am getting this wallet back. The thing costs over $200 and I thought for sure some bitch has already bought it for $25 off a street punk selling it in front of Shreve, Crump & Lowe. Last week I was standing alone in that very spot when a "non-local" kid asked me if I wanted to buy a Discman he was holding. I said, "You mean the one you just stole from a jogger? No thanks." and crossed the street.

All of those resolutions about only buying cheap nylon wallets form now on and never carrying a wallet at all? Already fading from memory. Viva La Lir!

Another Match.com Cautionary Tale

2005-06-06T13:37:00.000-04:00

No Ticker today as this weekend in NYC was Diet-Free and I am not going to weigh myself until Wednesday at the earliest.

Sorry Fung Wah but I think I’ll be taking Peter Pan home from NYC from now on. It was only an $11 fare and we caught the bus at the Port Authority which was a nice change from schlepping all the way down the Chinatown from the UES. I’ll always take the train to NYC though because there is no way I am starting off my Friday night on a bus. The train has a café car and chatty strangers so it’s sort of like being in a bar.

Hit all the spots I had on my agenda: amazing guacamole at Rosa Mexicana, Guiness at Murphy’s, crappy exhibit at the Guggenheim, had a frozen drink at the Rooftop garden at the Met, lunch at the Boathouse and still managed to get up at 7:30 on Sunday to drag myself to the NYRR road race in Central park. Beautiful day for a run in the park; too bad about the Sahara-like conditions. It was no where near as hot as Bikram yoga though so I was able to tough out the sun beating on me for 30 minutes. US soldiers about to be deployed to the desert should take a few Bikram classes to get an idea of what they have in store for them.

I was disappointed to hear that my friend’s date with a hot guy from Match was a bust. He was easy on the eyes and cool on the phone and then hit her up for half of an $8 tab (he only had a $5 on him!) and had the nerve to go in for a kiss before she ditched him. What is wrong with these losers? You show up for a drink on a Saturday night and only bring a five dollar bill? It isn’t as if she had racked up a huge tab here. Last time I checked, a little Class never killed anyone.

Big Shout Out To Nicole at Vidal Sasson

2005-06-02T08:57:00.000-04:00

A gal who hands-down does the best highlighting job evah. She just rocks and now I do too. See you in 12 weeks Nicole!

I cannot wait to get on that 3:20 Amtrack train tomorrow and head to NYC. Must take it easy though as I am registered to run in this road race in Central Park Sunday at 9 friggin' a.m.! No $56 dollar bar tabs this weekend. Guess we just missed our chance to run in the Healthy Kidney road race but I am going to keep an eye out for the Healthy Myelin Sheath 5K as that is a cause I wholeheartedly support.

So Golden Boy isn't happy about my not going to Vermont with him this weekend but I have been bored out of my mind there the last few times we went up. I feel like Carrie on SITC the time she went to Aidan's cabin and stayed up alone to do vodka shots out of boredom till she passed out. Minus the doing shots part.

Pour Moi

2005-06-01T11:14:00.000-04:00

Just a little note-to-self that I am making progress. Met my Craigslist running buddy after work yesterday and we did a 3.5 mile loop around the Esplanade. This afternoon I'll be suffering though a Bikram Yoga class instead of going home and snacking for 30 minutes straight as is my wont.

I am still a little peeved that I have to this at all. What happened to those glory days of law school where I lived on pita chips and beer and wore a size 4? Nowadays, a pita-chips-and-beer binge is followed directly by two days of "fat clothes". Totally unfair.

Back from the "almost" dead

2005-05-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

Lisa and I tried the new Bikram yoga studio in the Leather District and oh man am I out of shape. I have felt so great lately what with all the running and not-drinking-beer but 90 minutes of yoga in a 102 degree room almost killed me. Not that Bikram isn't always challenging but I was nauseaous and dizzy after just 70 minutes and would've left the class if the instructor hadn't blocked one guy from leaving the room at the exact minute I was thinking of leaving.

That's right - she blocked the doorway and asked him if he could "hold it until the end of class". He sheepishly went back to his mat for another 20 minutes of torture and I felt for the guy. I wasn't going down like that so I stayed put and imagined that I was on a 102 degree beach rather than trapped in a 102 degree room but that just conjured up images of a plane crash and burning alive in the blistering sun so I worked on just making my mind go blank.

Giving it another go tonight and let's hope I can go say, 80 minutes instead of 70 before I reach my breaking point.

Out of Their Element

2005-05-24T09:23:00.000-04:00

I have just had it with what G. calls "the element" in my neighborhood. "The Element" are the people who do not live in the neighborhood but commute into it everyday to harass us, beg for money or otherwise try to swindle it out of us. After getting my wallet stolen from Sonsie, I have zero tolerance for assholes who try to take my money away from me. Case in point:

Last night I caught a yoga class at Newbury BSC and almost lost it on a member of The Element. Apparently, I cannot walk in this city for 7 minutes without being harassed or feeling as if I have to avoid being harassed by avoiding eye contact or pretending to be in deep conversation with the person I am walking with. Now I am just like, "Fuck It".

I walked to the gym in the rain and there was an upstanding Element-type person loitering in from of the Capital Grille looking from side-to-side for the next person walking by. By "upstanding" I mean, an obese individual, about 20 years old and wearing a hood over his head and enormous jeans. Seriously, a baby elephant could have worn these jeans. Obviously, he was not waiting for his table to be ready or waiting for the valet to bring his car around and I just swelled with anger. Sure enough, he saw me coming and when I passed him, he fell into step with me. But only for 4 brisk strides because I cut him off (he was on my left) to walk into the gym and when I turned around as I stepped through the door, I saw him turning and looking back at me.

My mind was made up as I walked towards him that if he said one word to me, I was going to scream at the top of my lungs, "Noooooooo!" and keep walking. I knew I’d be safe going into the gym because, sure enough, there were about 17 buff guys at the bottom of the stairs that could have taken out Fattie in a hardened-artery heartbeat. I used to feel guilty about my hostility towards The Element, holing open doors at CVS, approaching me to say their car broke down and they need 2 dollars to get to Natick and cutting me off on the sidewalk to wave a Dunkin Donuts cup at me. Not anymore. This is War so stay out my way.

To You-Know_Who

2005-05-23T13:37:00.000-04:00

Dear Madman:
Kindly endeavor not to embarrass me in the presence of the heavy hitters at our 2 pm meeting. A former colleague will be in the room and I do not want her to know that now report to an unqualified crazy person who only got this job because he was fired from his last one. She will instantly size up the situation and conclude that you could not have slept with someone to get this job as you are an old heterosexual male and therefore must be close friends with one of our biggest shareholders. I know her and she is that sharp!

Please do not even bother to pretend that you understand our industry or the science behind it. Just sit there quietly and listen. If you insist on hijacking this meeting by cutting off qualified persons mid-sentence and droning on and on about your "career", all of the "centering" I practiced in yoga clas this weekend will be all for naught and I may just slam my forehead into the conference room table with an anguished cry.

Thank you,
Mia

Token of Appreciation

2005-05-23T11:33:00.000-04:00

My work day kicked off to the accompaniment of blaring salsa beats thanks to the office cleaners who listen to my radio at night and I have yet to change the station. I didn’t even know we had a Spanish-speaking station here in Boston! Thanks guys!

I am kicking myself for not jumping on those U2 tickets that a friend offered us last week. At $165 each, I just thought it too pricey an indulgence and as much as I love U2, my wallet had just been stolen the day before and I was feeling poor. Now she tells me they are box seats with waitress service and $165 is a drop in the bucket for U2, really. C’est dommage!

Love the new T booth operator at Hynes Convention in the morning. I don’t buy a T-pass as I usually walk to work and my token stash was stolen along with my wallet. The woman that worked the booth before was surly and slow. She talked on the phone all morning and it really bothered her when people pestered her for tokens or tourists asked how to get to the Blue Line. It’s all good now though and the new guy is cool and quick; answers the tourists with a smile and sends them on their merry way. Keep up the good work T guy!

7 or 9 for the road

2005-05-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

In an effort to cheer myself up after having my wallet stolen, a girlfriend invited me out for "one or two" after-work drinks. I lost count of how many glasses of pinot I knocked back. The second glass was the "one" another friend asked that I have for her as she could not join us. There was absolutely no reason to have the remaining 7. We had a great time though and I think was may have to stay away from Sorriso at least until things cool down with the French owner, Lucien(?). I got loose-lipped and said I thought that the northern part of France was once part of Germany. I meant the Alsace region (just to show how much I love France, here is a pic of me in the French countryside) but he got really pissed off. Oops.

Back in action today though. I think I was still drunk when I woke up but I just polished off a Gatorade and a fruit cup and I am doing OK. After work, I am supposed to have a few chicks from the office back to my place so they can check it out and we can go to that new Bubble Café on Newbury or whatever it is called. Problem is, I haven't been home in over 48 hours and I think the place is a hell-hole. Oh well. They'll just have to use their imagination and picture what it looks like neat and tidy. Must find greasy lunch item to calm queasy stomach now.

Even if it kills me

2005-05-19T14:52:00.000-04:00

I am going to go for a run after my 6 pm appt. tonight.

Running will be a lot more enjoyable after I get that Ipod (or so I tell myself) but for nw, I'll have to suffer in silence and run only to the soundtrack in my head. Living about 4 steps from the Esplanade makes this running thing easy but I just lose my motivation after a long day at the office and a twist-my-arm call from a friend who wants to meet at Cactus Club for drinks and half priced appetizers (like last night). Today is a new day and I am going to run like I am being chased. See you there around 7:20 or so! I'll be the one without earphones.

You don't have to live in India

2005-05-19T10:13:00.000-04:00

Graphic: How Class Works - New York Times

Lots of fun to be had by answering the questions and finding out exactly where you stand in the merican version of the Caste System. I fall in the 91st percentile and my beloved is in the 83rd but I even if our families opposed me marrying out of my own caste, I would do it anyway. Live Free or Die!

At least I wasn't mugged

2005-05-18T17:03:00.000-04:00

God I am glad this day is over.
Some bastard stole my wallet while I blissfully polished off two glasses of wine and some grilled mushrooms at the bar at Sonsie last night. After my crying jag in front of the manager and obligatory calls to the credit card companies, I went to bed exhausted. Didn’t get much sleep though as misery has a way of keeping me awake in order to contemplate all that is bad in my life.

So a long night gave way to an even longer day which involved extensive contact with a horses arse I sort of report to. This night has got to get better in order for me to fall asleep tonight. Post- theft recovery details to follow…

Craiglist Rules Again

2005-05-17T16:12:00.000-04:00

My running partner emailed me today about meeting up next week to run. I was a little worried that maybe her refusal to respond to my emails was because I: a) sucked as a runner or b) she thought I meant to post in Women Seeking Women instead of Activity Partners.

But it's all good now and we are meeting next week. For some reason motivation has not been an issue lately and I even went running last night after having two glasses of Pinot. Yes, that's right. I went on a cramp-inducing, half-assed run with a buzz on the Esplanade at 8 pm. World Class Athlete here!

2005-05-17T09:23:00.000-04:00

8:06 a.m. - View from my balcony. Another glorious day in the Big City.

Sonoma County Bait and Switch!

2005-05-16T12:13:00.000-04:00

I really did not want to go to this wedding out in Sonoma County in July but it is G's family and he was going to go with or without me so I relented. But not before he sent me this link to the sweet Bed & Breakfast where we supposedly had our reservations.

Well, last night I said I was actually now looking forward to going to California because the hotel looked "romantic" and he looked at me as if I had two heads. Seems the hotel he said we we staying in is just one of the places the invite recommended and he booked us a room at the "no-tell-motel" neaby where "everyone else is staying". This just sucks and now the other place is booked so there's no going back. At least with the new place we can drive right up to the door of the room so that's convenient. And the motel bar boasts "local country and blues' bands" and the rooms have a "combination tub/shower", oh what the hell? This is just going to suck.

Another Craigslist Blow Off

2005-05-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought my days of meeting-someone-on-Craigslist just-once-and-never-hearing- from-them-again were over, it has happened again.

I posted on Craigslist for a female running partner and met up with a girl last week on the Esplanade. She was really cool and we ran at about the same pace but she has blown me off since! G. said this morning that she had something more in mind that being just running partners. Come to think of it, she did seem really nervous on the phone and she did get really quiet after I mentioned my boyfriend while we were running. I just assumed maybe it was because it was a sore subject with here and was like, "hey, shave your armpits and maybe you'll get more dates.” Kidding! Couldn’t even see her armpits. Meeting G. on Craigslist was the highlight of my Craigslist experience (not inlcuding the time I sold all of my furinutre on there in 3 days) and I guess I should quit while I am ahead.

Had the most boring weekend on record up in Vermont. It is "Mud Season" up there and it rained most of the time so we were housebound. The only indoor activity up there is hanging out in smoky bars at 2 pm. No thanks. The smoking bans in Boston and NYC have spoiled me and the slightest hint of white smoke in bar or restaurant now bothers me. The smoking bans have also forced me to cut out my drunken “social” smoking that I so enjoyed but that is another story.

2005-05-13T15:11:00.000-04:00

I absolutely cannot wait to be sitting in front of this woodburning stove tonight with the Golden Boy. It'll be in the 20's overnight in Vermont but I am wearing my flip-flops anyway because it is a short walk from the car to the house and that's the kind of girl I am.

OK, Scary

2005-05-13T15:02:00.000-04:00

I just typed in www.cityofboston.com instead of .gov and this site came up. The first listing caught my eye "abortion alternatives" and then I saw the biblical quotes scrolling on the bottom of the page.

What is going on here? And guys, everyone knows what the alternative to abortion is: getting fat, going through excruciating labor and then being a parent for the rest of your life. We don't need your website to tell us that although something tells me that is not what you are on about here.

Boston, Massachusetts

As Jesus "Anally" Cared for Women

2005-05-12T12:10:00.000-04:00

Wonkette blows the lid off of Bush's FDA guy's anal sex scandal. I am neither for nor against anal sex but I just love it when Republicans anal sex scandals break. Democratic anal sex scandals just don't pack the same punch.

Stress and the Woman's Unconscious Ass
It may be time for a rewrite of Stress and the Woman's Body. Co-authored by Dr. David Hager, a Christian gynecologist and Bush Administration appointee to the FDA's Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs, the book tells women to "ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to access his supernatural grace and strength on your worst PMS days." Hey, it's cheaper than Midol, but what about less common ailments, like waking up in the middle of the night to find your husband ass-fucking you in a "painful and threatening" manner? Are there any good Bible passages for treating that? We ask, because in a new Nation article, Linda Carruth Davis, who was married to Hager for 32 years and co-authored Stress, "alleges that between 1995 and their divorce in 2002, Hager repeatedly sodomized her without her consent." Davis also claimed her ex-husband paid her as much as $2000 for oral sex. Said Hager himself: "My official comment is that I decline to comment."

Oh good. Another reason to hate Dr. Phil

2005-05-10T17:13:00.000-04:00

As if being a sanctimonious jerk wasn't reason enough, a friend just IM'd me to say that Dr. Pill (heh) has a show today on a website that helps married people cheat.

I guess it is called "ashley madison" and the founder of the website is on. Apparently, the women in the audience are disgusted and their husbands are home googling "ashley madison".

So, a complete business model for an on-line dating website like Match should probably also include a site dedicated to facilitating cheating on that longed-for-loved-one after you finally get married. Think about it but don't steal my idea without giving me props.

Just setting all the trends, nationwide

2005-05-09T16:18:00.000-04:00

Well, this was fast. No sooner do I give up drinking beer in general and Guiness in particular, beer sales fall off. Coincidence? Too soon to tell. All I know is that it has been 17 days since I decided to abstain from beer (reason: I can drink 6 in 1.5 hours and apparently, there are calories in beer) and the national numbers mirror my drop-off in consumption.

Not off the sauce completely here. It isn't as if I have a problem or anything. I just like to hit the pubs with the girls and drink until I start to find other bar patrons interesting to talk to. Waking up the next day to find several strangers' business cards and a handful of crumpled $1's in my purse has not been an uncommon occurance since I got out of law school. But, with the change in metabolism that I don't remember getting as a gift per se but seemed to accompany hitting my mid-thirties, something had to go and it wasn't going to be cheese god damn it. Otherwise, "being in Fat City" was taking on a whole new meaning that had nothing to do with good luck.

The most tangible result of the self-imposed beer-ban far are: a bar bill of $18 (2 martinis) instead of $42 (7 Guiness). Not too shabby!

2005-05-06T15:44:00.000-04:00

Were I wish I was at this moment

"Girl With Pen"? Wha' happen'?

2005-05-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

I haven't been blogging lately what with my new raging sex life and condo projects but how could I have missed the departure of Emily our "Girl With Pen" blog? She was way cool and lived in Sommerville and actually helped me get this blog up and running.

The mutual "friend" who brought us together is getting married to a girl he met on Yahoo personals. The same site on which he met Emily. Have Gossip!! Must Tell All!! Now I can't find her. Maybe the absence of her blog means that she has moved on and no longer cares about old flames and tales of the city.

Emily if you are out there, email me to let me know what the hell is going on.
Oh, and ranyone who is in the market for a badass new car, mine is for sale on Craiglist. Just need to finance my upcoming bamboo flooring project. The wall-to-wall carpet is absolutely disgusting and to make matters worse, my cats insist on vomiting on the carpet rather than the tiles floor which would be much easier to clean. Bastards!

And the day held so much promise...

2005-05-04T09:22:00.000-04:00

Just when I was feeling good about the way my suit fit today, a kindly soul on Tremont Street sidled up to me to say, she was sorry but she thought the zipper to my skirt might be broken. And of course, it is. Thank god I didn’t wear a thong as I was thisclose to doing so and switched out at the last minute.

Got up early (for me anyway-7:15), did some yoga and actually made spinach and cheese omlette for breakfast and a grilled cheese and tomato for lunch. I am trying to be good. Both to save money and eat healthier. Same old, same old.

Battered Women of Florida Rejoice!

2005-05-03T17:49:00.000-04:00

The best news to come out of Florida in a long time is the Castle Doctrine which takes care of that bothersome "duty to retreat" issue which has prevents us from legally shooting those who threaten us with serious bodily injury.

No worries now though. Battered women all over Florida can now legally shoot those abusive neer-do-well's they married (against all of their friends' and family's well-meant advice) as soon as they sufffer enough of a beating to prove to the cops that they were in fear for their lives. So let the bastard get a few blows in and then cheerfully blow him away. I imagine support groups now providing gun permit applications at weekly meeting and organzing field trips to the rifle range for target practice. A Beautiful Day.

Excellent! Another Conservative Pope!

2005-04-19T14:47:00.000-04:00

I am going to celebrate tonight by engaging in wild pre-marital sex and practicing birth control.

Update: New Pope celebration sarts 3 am our time. Set the alarm!

Mayor Loses Touch With Reality

2005-04-13T12:58:00.000-04:00

Is Menino high? In today's Globe, he rants about the cost of parking at private lots for Red Sox games and, as usual, thinks the voters in Boston are all too stupid to see things are they really are.

Menino's buddies, the ones he agreed to block off Yawkey Way for (a public access road) so they could increase their beer and food sales at the expense of local businesses, charge the highest ticket prices in major league baseball. All of this is voluntary though; the Red Sox owners have no desire to provide subsidized parking for their fans, the Green Line continues to be a substandard, poor excuse for transportation to the game, fans choose to drive rather than take said public transportation, and local lot owners make a killing from willing fans.

Using taxpayer money to draft and push through legislation to cap parking fees during Red Sox games is completely irresponsible. How does capping parking fees in one little corner of the city on certain days of the year add any value to the lives of Bostonians? If Menino thinks that all this tough talk is going to get him votes, he is delusional.

Back in Action - Sort of

2005-04-05T14:07:00.000-04:00

I have discovered that an unforeseeable downside to having a recently unemployed-Wall-Street-Analyst-marathon-running boyfriend is tremendous weight gain. While I sit on my ass at the office all day, he runs errands and does an 8 mile loop around the Charles. He then calls me at 5:30, asking when I am coming over and what do I want for dinner and I respond by blowing off the gym and rushing over there to look at him for a few hours and get fat.

Last weekend was a record breaking eating and sleeping binge and I wanted to start the week off right. I caught a Club Strength class at Copley BSC and used lighter than usual weights, given my current pathetic condition. That decision turned out to be a lifesaver – literally – as I almost died even with the lighter weights and we did about 550 lunges. I knew I was in trouble when my legs started to hurt, not the next day as per usual after a long workout hiatus but during the class. Not good People!

I talked to Golden Boy on my cell as I walked home and took the stairs to my apartment. Six flights. I almost needed medical attention and he was on the line saying, “should I call an ambulance?” . No thanks Wise-Ass! Just order a personal oxygen chamber I can zip myself into when I get home from the gym for my birthday and I’ll be all set.

Note to Self: Try Not To Do This Again

2005-04-04T14:41:00.000-04:00

I woke up today and was shocked to find myself as big as a house. Apparently, if one averages two beers and four meals a day and sits on one’s ass for two straight days in Vermont, the human body expands like a sponge in water. Who knew?

Anywho, today I have only had an orange, an Atkins bar and a salad. Not too shabby but how did I let this happen? What can I learn from this experience? If the answer is that old song-and-dance about diet and exercise blah, blah, blah, I’m not hearing it!

Oh, and I heard the most amazing “teaser” while watching the Red Sox pull out all the stops (joking here!) at Yankee Stadium: “The Pope’s Death. Hollywood Responds” and the screen flashed a picture of Oprah and then to some scruffy actor with sunglasses on who looked like Armand Assante. Do I really need to say anything here?

And I just have to pass this one on...

2005-03-24T14:06:00.000-05:00

Wonkette for President!

Paying all the Social Security benefits the government owes to old folks over the next 75 years will cost $4 trillion, and with a growing elderly population, payroll taxes won't bring in enough cash to cover it. But the trustees' report also had a hidden silver lining: Medicare will run out of money almost 20 years sooner than Social Security. Which means, we've solved the problem already! No money for Medicare means no health care for seniors. No health care for seniors means... no seniors! And no seniors means no Social Security problem.

I am banking on my over-priced Back Bay condo to save me from all of this and finance that 2 bedroom condo in Nice I plan to spend the rest of my days in.

A Little Levity Please!

2005-03-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

Just to take one's mind off feeding tubes and neo-Nazi Native Americans: http://www.grayace.com/dex/bunny.html

Ladies Night at the News

2005-01-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

We checked out the Ladies Night special at The News and am pleased to report that it rocked. Chicks who buy a drink get a three course meal with a chioce of three entrees. I bought three drinks but still only got one meal.

On the way back from the ladies, I asked the bartender to send over the manager. From my seat, I watched her call him over and say something as she gestured to our table. Rather than just head over to see what was up, he spoke first to the other bartender, waited for our waitress to get back to the bar so he could speak to her and got the same response from all parties: shrugged shoulders and blank looks.

He finally walked up to the table with a big smile and introduced himself to me. Despite the smile, he seemed to be bracing for some confrontation. I shook his outstratched hand thefollowing exhange took place:

Me:"I found this wallet in the ladies room."
Him: "Oh. Thanks."

They should press charges against this lady too

2005-01-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

And it should be noted that a person crossing Route 95 is not a "pedestrian". Such a person is called a "moron". A $55 dollar fine just doesn't cut it. If I still practiced personal injury, I'd sue her ass on behalf of the driver and take her house. That'll learn her.

What would Alanis say about this?

2005-01-27T11:07:00.000-05:00

So the guy who, in another failed attempt to commit suicide, triggers a chain of events that kills 11 now faces the death penalty? Much more costly for the state of California than an open-an-shut investigation into a successful suicide but oh so gratifying. I have zero sympathy for this "cry for help".

Costa Rica or Bust

2005-01-24T14:11:00.000-05:00

I have had absolutely nothing to blog about in the past few months as most of my time has been spent eating, learning to ski, moving into and decorating the new condo (Malrborough Street kicks The Fenway's-you heard it here first!) and sitting around with G. watching all of the "Blind Date" episodes Tivo can find for us.

Anywho, I am at a sort of crossroads as I am thinking of taking a vacation with one of my drinking buddies while G. heads up to the Vermont house to ski on President's Day Weekend. Let me back up: he has to go up there for that weekend as the share house he owns is full and he needs to make sure the hottub stays operational, that the fuel lines don't freeze (again!) and that no one throws a tampon into the toilet and clogs up the septic system (again!). I am totally skiied-out at the moment and am craving sunshine and really, really want to get the hell out of here but can I really go away without my Homeslice? He is not going to like it but he goes up to Vermont without me once in a while so it isn't as if we are joined at the hip every weekend.

This is big for me: I am used to doing what I want, when I want it without having to consult with/consider the feelings of a guy. I am also a little nervous about sort of taking myself out of the equation when it comes to the ski house. You'd feel them same way if the guy you were crazy about rented out the house you are used to having to yourself to girls you don't know (or like in some cases). There are guys in the house too but there are one or two girls that would not mind if I had decided to leave him for the long weekend. I am insecure about this for a reason and am trying to work through it by writing it all down.

What is my real problem? I am going to miss him for the four nights I am away (yes) or I am worried about him having a good time without me with people I don't really know? Both. This all sounds like high-school fluff when I write it down but this issue rules the day and I have to get by it.

Bottom of the 7th - Cavalry Stands Ready

2004-10-27T22:45:00.000-04:00

Just to give you an idea of the scene outside of my window: AN 18-wheeler trailer which reminds me of the trailer Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon used a month ago when filming that movie in Marlborough Street. This trailer, however, has the words "State Police Incident Unit" on the side. I fully expect the Staties to come out of the trailer in full makeup, refreshed and ready to shoot. It isn't the trailer truck causing me to take notice though, it is the men on horseback, trotting up and down Park Drive with the Pru and the skyline in the background. It is a scene from the past; law enforcers on horseback, patrolling the streets.

Don't even get me started on the "no parking" signs around here. Every meter within 4 blocks of Fenway Park is off-limits. And, are those rifles the cops are carrying? I was too busy looking for parking to get a good look.

The fans are cheering, "Let's Go Red Sox" in St. Louis. It is absolutely unheard of for another team to be cheered on here at Fenway. What is going on out there? Are the Cardinal fans defecting in droves? Must go watch.

Isn't this special?

2004-10-27T22:04:00.000-04:00

So, as I write this, the Red Sox are up 3-0, bottom of the 5th, in Game 4 of the World Series and a lunar eclipse is taking place. I am sitting alone in my apartment with my cats, watching the World Series solo.

The night held so much promise. Earlier today my boyfriend and I planned to watch the Sox take the Series together (we went to Game 2 and Fenway on Sunday night -just a great night to be alive). One tiff and 42 minutes of circling around to find parking in the Fenway later, and we are both sitting on our respective couches wondering if it was worth it.

I could've let his transgression go by as it wasn't the biggest deal ever and I like to think I always fight and play fair. It's just that I think I am going to have this person in my life for a long time and, let's face it, guys don't come in perfect packages, all wrapped up and well trained by prior girlfriends. Training programs must be logical and consistent from the Trainee's point of view. Letting it go would just set a precedent I do not want him to draw on in the future.

I am so crazy about him and do not want to fight. My last words as I walked out of the door of his apartment were, "And I am not going to Vermont this weekend". Of course I am going to Vermont. I love Vermont and my one mistake was takng it too far. I just wanted him to know what if felt like to cancel plans at the last minute (OK, the "transgression" was we were supposed to go out and watch the game in Copley and I blew off my friends, only to have him say he decided to watch it at home). Watch-the-Red-Sox-Win-The-World-Series at home. WTF?

I make fun of him for trying to assert his independence in small ways and call it his "Struggle for Self". We laugh about it but apparently, I am doing it too. This time around though, I know it is going to work and my quiet confidence in "us" is the reason I am going to sleep like a baby tonight.

Damon just hit a triple and it is all good. At this moment, I had hoped to be sitting on Prince Charming's couch, watching the lunar eclipse throuh the skylight but it was just not meant to be. The Red Sox have only swung and missed 16 times in 366 pitches against the Cards? Did I hear that right? This game is too good to be blogging.

Could this get any scarier?

2004-10-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

As Jesus Cared for Women?

What kind of crackpot is this Hager guy and how much worse can the Bush Administration get? Please don't tell me I have to start praying to get rid of cramps - just pass me the percocet!

I just cannot wait until 3 pm when I leave the office and go home to pack for Vermont. The Sox game starts at 4 today and, if the helicopters circling the park at 8 am this morning are any indication of how crazy things are going to get over there today, I am glad to be getting the hell out of Dodge.

Message from Michael Moore

2004-09-28T13:59:00.000-04:00

Put Away Your Hankies...a message from Michael Moore, 9/20/04

Dear Friends,
Enough of the handwringing! Enough of the doomsaying! Do I have to comethere and personally calm you down? Stop with all the defeatism, OK?
Bush IS a goner -- IF we all just quit our whining and bellyaching andstop shaking like a bunch of nervous ninnies. Geez, this isembarrassing!The Republicans are laughing at us. Do you ever see them cry, "Oh, it'sall over! We are finished! Bush can't win! Waaaaaa!"Hell no. It's never over for them until the last ballot is shredded.They are never finished --they just keeping moving forward like sharks that never sleep,always pushing, pulling, kicking, blocking, lying.They are relentless and that is why we secretly admire them -- they just simply never, ever give up.
Only 30% of the country calls itself "Republican," yet the Republicans own it all -- the White House,both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court and the majority of the governorships.How do you think they've been able to pull that off considering they area minority? It's because they eat you and me and every other liberal for breakfast and then spend the rest of the day wreaking havocon the planet.
Look at us -- what a bunch of crybabies. Bush gets a bounce after hisconvention and you would have thought the Germans had run through Polandagain. The Bushies are coming, the Bushies are coming! Yes, they caughtKerry asleep on the Swift Boat thing. Yes, they found the frequency in Dan Rather and ran with it. Suddenly it's like, "THE END IS NEAR! THESKY IS FALLING!"No, it is not.
If I hear one more person tell me how lousy a candidateKerry is and how he can't win... Dammit, of COURSE he's a lousycandidate --he's a Democrat, for heavens sake! That party is so pathetic, they evenlose the elections they win! What were you expecting, Bruce Springsteenheading up the ticket? Bruce would make a helluva president, but guyslike him don't run -- and neither do you or I. People like Kerry run. Yes, OF COURSE any of us would have run a better, smarter, kick-asscampaign. Of course we would have smacked each andevery one of those phony swifty boaty bastards down. But WE are notrunning for president --Kerry is. So quit complaining and work with what we have.
Oprah justgave300 women a... Pontiac! Did you see any of them frowning and moaning andscreaming, "Oh God, NOT a friggin' Pontiac!" Of course not, they were happy. The Pontiacs all had four wheels, anengine and a gas pedal.You want more than that, well, I can't help you. I had a Pontiac onceand it lasted a good year. And it was a VERY good year.
My friends, it is time for a reality check.
1. The polls are wrong. They are all over the map like diarrhea. OnFriday, one poll had Bush 13 points ahead -- and another poll had them both tied. There are three reasons why the polls are b.s.: One,they are polling "likely voters." "Likely" means those who have consistently voted in the past few elections. So that cuts outyoung people who are voting for the first time and a ton of non-voters who are definitely going to vote in THIS election. Second,they are not polling people who use their cell phone astheir primary phone. Again, that means they are not talking to youngpeople. Finally, most of the polls are weighted with too many Republicans, as pollster John Zogby revealed last week. You are being snookered if you believe any of these polls.
2. Kerry has brought in the Clinton A-team. Instead of shunning Clinton(as Gore did), Kerry has decided to not make that mistake.
3. Traveling around the country, as I've been doing, I gotta tell ya,there is a hell of a lot of unrest out there. Much of it is not beingcaptured by the mainstream press. But it is simmering and it is real.Do not let those well-produced Bush rallies of angry whitepeople scare you. Turn off the TV! (Except Jon Stewart and Bill Moyers-- everything else is just a sugar-coated lie).
4. Conventional wisdom says if the election is decided on "9/11" (thefear of terrorism), Bush wins. But if it is decided on the jobwe are doing in Iraq, then Bush loses. And folks, that "job," you mighthave noticed, has descended into the third level of a hellwe used to call Vietnam.There is no way out. It is a full-blown mess of a quagmire and the bodybags will sadly only mount higher. Regardless of what Kerry meant by his original war vote, he ain't the one who sent thosekids to their deaths -- and Mr.and Mrs. Middle America knows it. Had Bush bothered to show up when hewas in the "service" he might have somewhat of a clue as to how to recognize an immoral war that cannot be "won." All he has delivered to Iraq was that plasticized turkey last Thanksgiving. It is this failure of monumental proportions that isgoing to cook his goose come this November.
So, do not despair. All is not over. Far from it. The Bush people needyou to believe that it is over. They need you to slump backinto your easy chair and feel that sick pain in your gut as youcontemplate another four years of George W. Bush. They need you to wish we had a candidate who didn't windsurf and who was just as smartas we were when WE knew Bush was lying about WMD and Saddam planning 9/11.
It's like Karl Rove is hypnotizing you --"Kerry voted for the war...Kerry voted for the war...Kerrrrrryyyvooootted fooooor theeee warrrrrrrrrr..."Yes...Yes...Yesssss...He did! HE DID! No sense in fighting now...what I need is sleep...sleeep...sleeeeeeppppp...WAKE UP! The majority are with us! More than half of all Americans arepro-choice, want stronger environmental laws, are appalled that assault weapons are back on the street -- and 54% nowbelieve the war is wrong. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TOCONVINCE THEM OF ANY OF THIS -- YOU JUST HAVE TO GIVE THEM A RAY OFHOPE AND A RIDE TO THE POLLS.CAN YOU DO THAT? WILL YOU DO THAT?Just for me, please? Buck up.
The country is almost back in our hands.Not another negative word until Nov. 3rd! Then you can bitch all youwant about how you wish Kerry was still that long-haired kid who once had the courage to stand up for something.
Personally, I think that kid is still inside him. Instead of the wailingand gnashing of your teeth, why not hold out a hand to him and help theinner soldier/protester come out and defeat the forces of evil we now so desperately face. Do we have any other choice?
Yours,
Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com mmflint@aol.commailinglist@michaelmoore.com> 9/21/04 9:25:33 AM

Why do I not care about this?

2004-09-24T15:20:00.000-04:00

Besides giving reporters a million different ways to crack themselves up writing headlines, what is the value of this story? I love gossip as much as the next person (and am not afraid to admit it!!) and am not in the least bit tantalized by Cynthia Nixon's Sapphic love. Now, if she was dating Dick Cheney's daughter or something, THAT would be news...

At least the British are trying

2004-09-24T14:54:00.000-04:00

I cannot fathom how the US can so completely occupy a small country like Iraq and not be able to find those poor souls who are about to be beheaded. If this was Law & Order, the cops would've tracked down where the internet signals were coming from, performed a shakedown of all known kidnappers' associates and the SWAT team would be busting down the door of the kidnappers' lair at this moment.

OK, I know it is not reality but you get my point. The Law & Order scenario could happen and one would think that the US Government would be at least as capable as the NYPD but you'd be wrong.

Maybe the US forces over there did do something like this to gather information about the Americans before they were killed. I didn't hear about it but I'd like to think we tried everything.

This just says it all

2004-09-20T13:36:00.000-04:00

LEO
Monday, September 20, 2004
(Tomorrow)
You might not announce it to the world, but your lack of interest underscores a waning concern for how things turn out. Career matters are not as exciting as they were a few years ago. As your social life has improved, professional aspirations seem boring and unchallenging.

Could this start get any fresher?

2004-09-10T08:12:00.000-04:00

It is a new day and let me tell you, I am not going to be eating the kind of crap I ingested yesterday. I felt so crappy after all of the junkfood (I have not had an apple turnover in years and yesterday I made up for it by consuming 1.5) I downed that I skipped running after work. Well, that was my excuse anyway.

Cannot wait for the Jimmy Buffet concert tonight. No, I don't have ticket and am not a fan but I live right near the park and have big plans to hang out on Landsdowne and check out the 40-something men in floral shirts and grass skirts.

Yard is Pet-Friendly

2004-09-09T16:47:00.000-04:00

Take a look at the third picture here. The house just sells itself!

Dreamweaver 2004

2004-09-09T09:41:00.000-04:00

I rode my bike home from the PC's in the rain this morning. I could have taken a cab but it was only drizzling and I am not that much of a baby. Anywho, I was the only biker on the road at 6:40 a.m. Even my comrades the morning joggers gave themselves the morning off.

I went running after work last night and am going to do it again today. Running is so much easier to motivate for b/c, unlike going to the gym where I have to think about: walking to the gym, changing, waiting for a treadmill, hooking up my music and then getting started, running is just like, I walk out of my front door, break into a trot (which is all I do really) and presto! I am working out. I ran for 15 mins last night (distance: unknown and irrelevant) so I am going for 20 tonight.

I wrote an advisory memo this am and caught a typo in it before I sent it. It read, "from a kegal standpoint" instead of LEGAL and it grossed me out. Aren't Kegals those pelvic exercises that keep you nether regions firm? Ewww!

It rained like a son of a bitch here but I slept so soundly last night, it was unreal. I had a dream I remember so clearly.
PC was in it and we were dating, as usual. Then someone told me he had a girlfriend and, instead of believing it and being crushed, as is my wont, I thought about everything in our relationship and how he acts and said to the person, "that doesn't make sense". As soon as I said it, some weird thing happened (it was a dream after all so all kinds of crazy stuff goes on) and I saw the person who was supposedly his girlfriend and it turned out she was a teacher and the things she was saying to one of her students was exactly what made the trouble-maker in my dream say that she was PC's girlfriend. So, whatever, I felt so good in my dream and I knew I could trust PC. I guess I finally put all of that crap from being cheated on (twice - very bad both of them) behind me.
I can finally drop the "I am unlovable" thing from my dating schtick. It was always there, lurking in the background and now I have told it to fuck off.

God Bless America and Nobody Else!

2004-08-25T14:57:00.000-04:00

I am loving this animation. Pass it on...

Media Outlet Gives Public Blow Job!

2004-08-03T14:33:00.000-04:00

I got a kick out of the Herald's Chandler equating the Globe coverage of the DNC with fellatio. Thought you might like it too...

“We are just trying to extract some news from an event where there isn’t any. We knew that the Globe was going to give it a big blow job. If I produced a newspaper as boring as the Globe, I’d kill myself.”

But it is still real!

2004-08-03T13:18:00.000-04:00

I am treasuring this latest Homeland Security TERROR ALERT! The head of our Nation's best effort to protect us from attack defended this alert by saying that they have information that the entities in question were infliltrated as recently as last January. It's AUGUST! Why not announce this earlier and is a three-day Terror Alert going to help prevent an attack on say, September 19th?

I am waiting for the "Bin Laden to attack US using commerical airliners sometime this summer" announcement. Thanks for the heads up guys!

What are we - Republicans?

2004-07-26T14:03:00.000-04:00

Isn't banning free speech a Republican thing? Someone is going to have to tell me why the "Anti-abortion protestors of Louisberg Square" had their permit revoked.

Hey - I can't stand these bullies either but the fact that the protestors here have to stand in cages here in Boston just turns my stomach. And who cares if they protest in Louisberg Square? It is, by design, one of the least visible place in the city. I'd prefer to have them there than on Copley Plaza where I may accidentally read one of their signs.

I can't wait to go home and ride my bike around the city tonight. The place has never looked better and the palpable feeling of "Martial Law" evoked by the throngs of police and miles of fencing makes me feel as if I am on the movie set of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". Remember? Right after the Russians invaded Prague with tanks? It's just like that!

Saudis sound an awful lot like Americans here

2004-07-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

What we need is a massive attitude change. Let us not blame others. We must realize that nobody is taking our jobs from us just to spite us, and we must begin to learn that hard work never shamed anybody no matter how menial the job may seem. A hardworking plumber is infinitely more deserving of respect than a lazy executive who sits in his office all day twiddling his thumbs while others do the work for him.

Just a scream

2004-07-21T09:05:00.000-04:00

This Land is Your land

New to the Blogging world

2004-07-15T10:31:00.000-04:00

Check out the new hip way to air your post-breakup dirty laundry. A must for the broken-hearted career person on-the-go.

Bad Curves Ahead

2004-07-12T14:59:00.000-04:00

I think that place "Curves" is for shit but here is another really, really good reason hy absolutely no one should buy a membership there. This goes a long way in explaining the sexist premise on which the whole business is built.

Via Susan over at Pretty on the Inside (I am sure she is easy on the eyes but, whatever.

Tom takes one for the Team again and Kerry disrupts popular Hub tour

2004-07-12T10:20:00.000-04:00

Is this for real? The idiot who advised Americans to protect themselves by covering every window in their homes with plastic is the front man for the Republican please-God-we-need-to keep-our-jobs machine? If after three years of fighting and two toppled countries under our belts, we are in so much grave danger that we have to have a plan in place to delay the Presidential election, we should demand to hold the election sooner rather than later in order to replace the current incompetent regime with one that can actually protect us. Maybe we can use the same ruse we did with the "Transfer of Sovereignty" and hold the election two days before the actual date to fool the terrorists. The government can just make a surprise announcement on the new Election Day that everyone has to get out and vote by 8 p.m. or George Bush will stay in office. I predict a record turnout in that event.

June 11, 2004 - Charles Street, Beacon Hill. 8:58 p.m.
While waiting outside for a table at Figs with the New Guy, we saw two State Police motorcycle patrols block off traffic and on Charles Street and we knew what was about to go down. Kerry lives a few blocks off of Charles and not just everybody gets to bring the major thoroughfare of Beacon Hill to a standstill in order to avoid traffic. It got comical when the "Ghost Tour Trolley" refused to move along as it was idling in front of the Paramount (I guess the building is haunted or something. All I know is, the breakfast there rocks!). One of the troopers got so mad, he jumped off of his bike and started storming towards the trolley. Now, I don't know if the people on the Trolley knew what was going on or if they just let out a collective "Booooooo!!!!" every time they leave a Haunted site (like the Duck Tour folks "quacking" at people in Copley Square) but as the Trolley moved away, every passenger said "boooo!!" leading to the inevitable response "boo!!" from everyone on the sidewalk and, if the Trooper wasn't mad before, he was certainly looking to "Gitmo" someone at that point.

Anyway, the little convoy of Maryland plated-SUV's finally rounded the corner and the NG saw Kerry in one of them, wearing his glasses and talking on his cell phone. I wanted to comment on how hot some of the Secret Service guys were but thought better of it.

Don't Ask, Don't Win the War

2004-07-09T10:13:00.000-04:00

10,000 persons more qualified than the President to protect our country lost their jobs for being gay.

Marty Meehan is quoted as saying that the Bush administration should lift this ban in the interest of national security. He also made an impassioned plea for Hell to freeze over by midnight.

Eewwww!

2004-07-07T15:18:00.000-04:00

Please, please do not make me visualize a shriveled-up eighty year old man having sex with his wife "Wende" (age not disclosed but the spelling and the fact that she gave birth puts her under 40 in my book). Further, please do not make me imagine a geriatric naked Scotty from Star Trek on top on his young wife with his skinny white butt and atrophied arms...oh, maybe this is just a restatement of the first sentence here. I have to go now.

Thanks Reliable Source.

Reality Check

2004-07-07T12:28:00.000-04:00

I was laughing at the LA Times’ writer's calling the vice presidency the "world's biggest job" (in a rant against Edwards via Political Animal). I always thought that was a label more appropropriate for the United States Presidency itself. Then I remembered that our President was reading "My Pet Goat" while hundreds of Americans were being incinerated that the VP was giving the orders to shoot down the jets and I realized: maybe it is the world's biggest job. How could I have been so blind?