May 09, 2006

spring has sprung

This morning's run was full of wonder for the season we call spring. Trees and flowers are in full bloom, there is the hint of rain in the air, birds are singing away and I just felt a real sense of pleasure from being outdoors. The lilacs are bright and full of fragrance. The azaleas are vibrant and the irises are just starting to pop. It was so gorgeous. I DID stop to smell flowers...white and purple lilacs wherever I go. They remind me of my mom and growing up outside of Spokane, the Lilac city. When I was little I loved going to the Lilac parade...they had a gorgeous nighttime festival that was full of the most spectacular lighted floats.

I also saw one of the best things, in my opinion, about spring--babies. I shooed a little fluffy grey cat away from our garbage and watched as she slid around the fence next door to join her calico friend. Together they were protecting at least two little black kittens. I came over to the fence and found one on a low stump, staring at me, his tiny navy blue eyes as big as he could make them. He was shaking, he was so afraid. Poor kitty. Probably not really been near a human at all. His mother seemed unconcerned with me for the most part, she was watchful but seemed to realize I had no intention of hurting her little ones. Finally he jumped off the stump and scampered away. I watched them for a little bit. So so so cute. I wish I had a picture of that little baby on the stump to send to cuteoverload...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:29 AM | TrackBack

April 20, 2006

while jogging

This morning, in a quiet neighborhood just a couple of blocks away from my house, I came across the Pig Mobile (and no, this picture was not taken by me, near my house...it was taken in Tampa Bay, FL a couple years ago):

I did some checking into it and an old True Majority Press Release describes it best:

The “Pig Mobile,” conceived of by Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s, consists of three different-sized piggy banks strung together to illustrate just how big a financial disaster the Iraq war has turned out to be.

The largest pig (by far) shows the financial cost ($200 billion)[1] of America’s attack on Iraq, including the projected minimum cost of reconstruction. The smaller pig illustrates how much the federal government spends on K-12 education ($34 billion)[2]. And the third pig, which is a wee little pig, shows America’s dedication to lessening world hunger and poverty ($10 billion).[3]

Except those figures were two years ago so the numbers on the piggy have changed. And its belly is packed full of dollar bills.

It was so so quiet, not a soul around, just me, the birds, the squirrels and the pink piggy mobile. It made me feel very very sad.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 20, 2006

Naughty naughty?

Greg is keeping me updated on the whereabouts of my panda. Turns out that my little friend is a bit of a wild one!

Apparently Greg came across "this photo of our little friend doing something covert. i didn't ask but when I got home last night he smelled of smoke and had lipstick on his scarf!"

pandacovert.jpg

Posted by crystallyn at 08:55 AM | TrackBack

December 07, 2005

quality comfort and price--that's annoying

So last night at our company party at the Metropolitan Club, we saw Bernie of Bernie and Phyl's furniture store. And for those of you who aren't from Boston, you can just imagine. Car lot and furniture store owners all feel the need to be in their own commercials no matter where you go--WHY IS THAT?

I was glad that he was without Phyl because she drives me nuts. Most people can't tell who is Bernie and who is Phyl. She's terribly manly. Anyway, Bernie was there without Phyl. He was there with a bunch of good ol' boys, including one of his sons, who is also now featured in the commercials. WHY DO CAR LOT AND FURNITURE OWNERS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO BE IN THEIR OWN COMMERCIALS? I don't get it. They are nearly always terrible and annoying. And when you annoy me too much, I boycott your stuff.

Take Bob, for example. Bob's Discount Furniture stores. Bob, who I won't even link to because I can't stand the guy. Every time he opens his mouth I change the TV or radio station.

And he has Mrs. Bob on the commercials, who is equally annoying. We have no clue who she is (we're assuming it's his wife) but she just shows up, lately without Bob, and talks about how "right" Bob is. Bob is so annoying that he refers to his stuff as "My Bob." And the commercials try to get clever but they flop miserably. Like the one where they cartoon Bob or they have dozens of Bobs (oh my god, RUN!) in the showroom. It's just plain frightening.

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December 02, 2005

Things I Love About December

* Getting a tree, wreath, poinsettas, mistletoe
* Decorating the house! I go all out!
* Decorating the tree with our annual Xmas ritual beginnng with a really nice Joe-cooked dinner (this year it's pheasant!) followed by champagne and chocolate during the trimming--It's a Wonderful Life playing in the background.
* The annual work party. There are only 7 of us in our location so we pick a nice restaurant and go out to eat. This year it's the Metropolitan Club.

* Buying a new holiday dress
* Our annual Holiday party!
* Christmas lights up in the neighborhoods
* Snowstorms on quiet nights, a fire in the fireplace with all the xmas lights on
* Getting Christmas cards
* Christmas carols! I'm so sappy....I have tons on my iPod and I listen to them all month long.
* Catching up with lots and lots of old friends.
* Finishing up the semester (this year as a professor, not a student!)
* Cookies and candy!!
* Eggnog!!
* Christmas Eve at my in-laws. They have all the relatives drop in over the course of the night--it's such a wonderful, fun, loving evening (where we invariably all drink a little too much)
*

Posted by crystallyn at 06:16 PM | TrackBack

November 16, 2005

Home on the Range

Heading out to Boise this morning. Oddly, the company I work for acquired a software company in Boise. What are the odds of that? My mother is ecstatic. She thinks it means more trips home. Maybe a few more but for the most part there isn't a lot of reason for me to go there for work. This trip, yes, because of transition stuff but once that has happened there isn't much need for me to go back. We'll see.

Other than seeing my family, I'm never very excited to go back to Boise. It's flat, full of cows and lacks character. Well, at least the character I'm interested in hanging around. It's becoming such an awful sprawl of cookie cutter houses, strip malls and chain restaurants. I don't agree with the politics and the general religion of the place. Just doesn't do it for me. There is a lot of outdoor things there--skiing, hunting, fishing, but well, not into those either. Their little downtown area is perking up a bit, finally, but it's less than a square mile of the entire town.

My mom thinks that I bolted right after high school because I was running away from them. That's not really true--I was running away from the dead end hole called Boise. Still, I'm excited to see my family, especially my adorable little nephews who are growing up so quickly. But coming back to Boston will be a big breath of fresh air otherwise...

So dang tired. I never sleep before trips. So I tossed and turned all night and finally got up at 4:30, even though I don't leave until 6. Argh. And of course we're out of coffee. *pout*

Back in a few days...

Posted by crystallyn at 05:26 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 31, 2005

FINALLY!

Since moving from Seattle nearly 10 years ago, I've been so so sad that I came to a place that was devoid of one of my favorite places. I've been waiting impatiently ever since. And now...on November 9th....

WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

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September 23, 2005

today

* I was excited to find gas at $3.04--the cheapest I've seen for premium (that's so sick)
* I saw a woman trying to get her Bernese Mountain dog to move. He had decided he was going to lie down in the driveway and wasn't going to budge.
* I saw mid-life crisis man with his green corvette and license plate FABIO, for the third day in a row.
* I drove by a four car pile up on my way to work.
* I was invited to speak in Singapore at a big PR and Media Communications conference.
* I noticed that the leaves on Rte. 2 are starting to change...only the slightest red/brown tinge but they are starting to turn to fall color.
* I was really struck by how cute this sushi is (found on Lifehacker):


but I realized that I probably couldn't stomach half of what they are made out of.
* I wondered why I haven't seen any turkeys roaming around work lately...
* I took Joe's phone to work instead of my own. Sigh. His has Blitzkreig Bop for the ringtone...
* I'm still irritated by an email argument I had with my mom, who thinks King Bush is really just a nice, misunderstood, god-fearing guy. I can't figure out how I am related...

* I'm looking forward to our 5th anniversary, which we'll be spending in P-Town again. We try to go every year to celebrate. That's where Joe asked me to marry him. We'll just happen to be there on Leather weekend (we try to avoid Women's Week because it's a lot of mullets and tiny pickups and manly manly women--I like the fabulous men!) so it should be entertaining at least. It was last year, when we witnessed the tattoo competition from a nearby window of a restaurant, watching leather clad gay men drop trou...

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September 15, 2005

She's In Parties

Joe was paying attention when he saw that the Bauhaus are coming to town! Yes, yes, the reunited full band! Wooohooooo! Dead Can Dance AND the Bauhaus all in the same year! We scored presale tickets!

That picture is circa 1981 or something, I think. Totally cracks me up. But I'm so excited! This will mark the 4th time I've seen Peter Murphy on stage. He's so mesmerizing, melodic and just plain amazing. Bauhuas is much darker music than Peter Murphy, who has dozens of really wonderful lovesongs to his credit. I imagine will have quite the goth crowd there, but also a bunch of 30+ geezers as well. More mainstream listeners may be familiar with Love & Rockets which is pretty much Bauhaus sans Peter.

It's the year of reunion tours for me. Duran Duran, Dead Can Dance and now Bauhaus! And if we don't go away for our anniversary (five years!) we may go see one of the bands I used to promote when I was doing radio way back when, The Posies. I've seen them six gazillion times and was so so sad when I heard they broke up back in 97. I've followed Jon and Ken's solo careers but wow--seeing them again would be awesome! They are just so great together. Every Kind of Light is a must have album!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:57 PM | TrackBack

September 05, 2005

i wish i was an oscar mayer weiner

Or so the song goes, right? On our way back from the Berkshires where we spent a quiet and relaxing weekend, we saw the Weinermobile!! It was going the other direction but we saw it!

Weinermobile!

That marks the 4th or 5th time in my life I've seen it, I think.

So the Weinermobile has a 32 gallon gas tank. If prices are about $3.00 a gallon, that's $96 a tank, and I figure it probably gets about 10-12 miles a gallon. So it probably needs to fill up 1.5 times a week.

Still pretty damn cheap advertising if you ask me. Even if you count in the cost of toys handed out. Everyone tells people when they see the Wienermobile!

Posted by crystallyn at 04:43 PM | TrackBack

August 22, 2005

"the price of gas...

keeps on rising
nothing comes for free..." ~Bloc Party

The song is terribly apropos these days. It's like a strange sort of sickness; driving around and comparing the prices at the various stations around town. When we see one that is only $2.81 we say woohooo it's better than the one that we saw that is $2.89, or $2.99...we haven't seen over $3.00 for premium yet but I'll bet we see it this week.

Stupid us bought a turbo earlier this year. Sigh. If only we had known!

We went to a wedding this weekend and one of the wedding party is in the Air Force. We were bitching about the price of gas and he said, "I can't talk bad about my boss, so I won't say anything." Well we'll say plenty about Mr. 5 Weeks of Vacation (319 days of his presidency) on his behalf. Argh.

So I've been far more concerned about conserving gas and have been really looking into what I need to do to help save a few dollars here and there.


Here are some gas-saving tips from the experts at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence:

• Monitor tires. Under inflated tires or poorly aligned wheels waste fuel by forcing the engine to work harder (let the tires cool down before checking air pressure). Out-of-line wheels, as evidenced by uneven tread wear, should be aligned by a professional.

• Remove excess weight. Remove unnecessary items from the vehicle. Store only essentials in the trunk. Less weight means better mileage.

• Consolidate trips and errands. Some trips may be unnecessary. Also, try to travel when traffic is light so you avoid the stop-and-go conditions that hinder fuel efficiency.

• Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends or family.

• Observe speed limits. Speeding decreases the miles-per-gallon average of your vehicle.

• Drive gently. Sudden accelerations guzzle gas. Try to anticipate traffic patterns ahead and adjust your speed gradually.

• Keep your engine tuned up. A well maintained engine operates at peak efficiency, maximizing gas mileage. Follow service schedules listed in the owners manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended. Have engine performance problems such as rough idling and poor acceleration corrected at a repair facility.

Additional tips from Fine Living:

* Reduce air conditioning.Running the air conditioning burns up fuel, so do your best to limit your use of it. Roll down your windows for some fresh air, or use your air conditioner's economy setting.

* Try a light colored car. When renting a vehicle in the summer months, opt for a light colored exterior and interior and cloth seats, as this will keep you feeling cooler and allow you to use the air conditioning less frequently.

And even more from About.com:

* Purchase only gas that is the correct octane as specified by your car's manufacturer.

* Fill up in the morning--cooler gasoline is more compact, so you'll get more drops of the precious fluid for your dollars.

* Obey posted speed limits; fuel economy decreases substantially at speeds above 55 miles per hour.

* Set your cruise control to maintain a constant speed, which can also improve fuel economy.

* If your car has overdrive, use it. It reduces fuel consumption during highway driving.

* Try to avoid extreme acceleration.

* Don't tailgate. It leads to unnecessary braking and acceleration.

* Don't let your car sit and idle. Start it only when everything is packed in the truck, the kids are strapped in, and you're ready to go.

* Because running a car's air conditioner may increase gas consumption in some cases, opt for open windows, particularly at speeds under 40 miles per hour. Check your owner's manual for specific information about your own vehicle's fuel efficiency when operating the AC.

* Be sure to park in the shade.

* Try not to make single-purpose trips. Bring your beach gear along so that you can go straight there after a morning of sightseeing.

And from the American International Auto Dealers:

* It's all about the oil. Proper oil maintenance and viscosity will help your car to operate at maximum efficiency. Heavy oil will cause the engine to work harder. Use the lightest grade oil for hot climates. Check the chart in the owner's manual to find out what grade is best suited to your vehicle.

* Let your engine coolant be cool, but not too cool. Improperly mixed engine coolant can cause your engine to run too hot or too cool and can hamper fuel economy. The right temperature makes the car run more efficiently, so make sure your engine has fresh coolant.

* Replace the dirty air filter. An air filter works hard on freeways and roads and collects dust, dirt and debris. A new and functioning air filter will provide better gas mileage.

* Fire up the spark plugs. A tune-up is a misnomer in this day in age. Computer-driven coil packs replaced the points, condensor and distributor in most vehicles a long time ago. However, spark plugs must fire properly for the engine to run smoothly. Replace the spark plugs on time, according to your owner's manual.

* Don't ride around on big, big tires (besides you look like an redneck idiot). For those who bought bigger tires and fancy wheels for SUV's and mini-vans, it's more than likely that fuel economy has significantly decreased. If you still have the original tires, switch them back. Consult the vehicle owner's manual for the correct pressure.

* Tires. Tires. Tires. Maintaining your vehicle's tires is crucial to fuel economy. Every other fill-up, walk around the vehicle and check tires for uneven or excessive tread wear as well as proper inflation. Refer to the vehicle's doorjamb, fuel filler flap, or glove box for original equipment specifications or the manufacturer of the replacement tire for proper tire pressure inflation, he added. Check your owner's manual for your specific vehicle's service recommendations.

* Service engine light. If the engine light is on, one or more systems in the vehicle aren't working properly and can hamper fuel economy. Take the car into a reputable repair facility to be evaluated. Get a written estimate, if work is to be diagnosed.

* Keep it not so cool. Use your air conditioner sparingly.

* Don't stomp on the accelerator. How hard you depress the throttle will greatly affect fuel economy. Accelerate less aggressively, brake gently and stop speeding. Instead of driving defensively, go on the offense and adopt a more fuel-efficient driving style. If you're not already driving defensively, now's the time to adopt a more laid-back and fuel-efficient driving style.

~~
Sad though that it is going to take an energy crisis for us to start doing all of these things...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:43 AM | Comments (2)

July 11, 2005

ay?

So I'm off to Canada in the AM. Waterloo, to be exact. Heading up for some meetings and leaving Romeo here to take care of Joe. I'm not too terribly keen on travelling these days. In my past, I loved to travel. I wanted to manage all the trade shows specifically so I could be off and away. It's interesting...I realize that it's not because I dislike travel--but rather, I dislike travelling without Joe. Sort of sick and sappy, I know, but it's true.

I'm renting a car and driving an hour from Toronto to get there. It's trips like this where I'm off on my own where I feel strange--like how did I end up grown up enough to do this? To fly on my own, rent a car and drive some distance, stay by myself, etc. I don't feel scared, just strangely out of place--how did I get here? How did I manage to be grown up enough to do these things without anyone helping me? It's silly, especially since I've been doing these very things since I was 18 but it never ceases to make me feel a little nostalgic for those days when I was 8 years old and someone else packed my stuff, put me on a plane, in a car and just let me play slugbug in the backseat with my siblings.

off to sleep...because I have to be up at some ungodly hour. At least I saw Abreau nail 24 homeruns out of the park...with Ortiz on his tail with 17.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:41 PM | Comments (5)

June 13, 2005

random misfirings

~Michael Jackson innocent??? *boggle*

~I forgot to put suntan lotion on my left arm when I was at the beach with Paulette. I think I did one arm, got distracted and thinking I needed to do one more arm, did the same one again, not realizing I already did that one and not the other. Hurty hurty!

~Last Friday, Joe and I met up with the beautiful Redpanda and her boy Sean for some yummy Redbones BBQ. We had a great time--very cool people they are. We didn't end up going to the Redbones Underground, but you should check it out--the puzzles section is nifty.

~The other morning I was getting ready to enter my code to the gym parking lot and there was a sign saying to watch out for the turtle! So I punched the code in and drove through and sure enough, a huge snapping turtle was moving super slowly across the parking lot. I parked and got out and stood a little ways from it. It tucked its head and legs mostly into its shell and just sat there. Crazy big huge turtle it was, with a nasty looking beak. When I came back out an hour later, it had only managed to move about 15 feet. I imagine that people kept stopping to look at it. Poor turtle. There is a stream next to the gym that I'm sure he wanted to get to.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:01 PM | Comments (3)

May 08, 2005

checked out MASS MoCA this weekend

and Cai Guo-Qiang had a big presence there. Took some cool pics--check out that link for all the pictures.







Posted by crystallyn at 04:46 PM

April 07, 2005

when woody woodpeckers don't peck wood

This morning when I was leaving the gym, I heard this strange drilling sound. At first I thought it might be a jackhammer in the distance or perhaps in the weird gravelpit place next door to the gym but as I walked out to the car, I realized that the sound was in the little woody area on the edge of the parking lot. I stopped and looked to see where it was coming from, suspecting it might be one of the woodpeckers I saw there last year.

After a bit of searching through the trees, I heard it again. And realized it wasn't in the trees. It was on top of the lightpost. The big huge metal lightpost. Drumming on the top. How odd is that? I mean, it's not like he's going to do much to the metal. After looking into it a bit, it seems that it could be territorial or a mating call of some sort. I suppose that makes sense. But how on earth can it hammer away at solid steel without hurting itself? That's what I want to know!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:59 PM | Comments (3)

April 01, 2005

Hold Back The Rain

Somehow I don't think that Duran Duran will manage to hold back the torrential downpours we're expecting this weekend. According to the National Weather Service:


A Moisture Filled Spring Storm Will Spread Heavy Rain Across The Region Starting Late Friday Night Or Saturday Morning. Current Indications Suggest That Rainfall Of 2 To 3 Inches Is Likely But Isolated Amounts Of Up To 5 Inches Are Possible In Some Orographically Favored Locations.

But tonight...well, that's another story. Going to check out the new Agannis Arena tonight and see the boyz!

CANNOT WAIT!

I was such a Duranie way back in the day. Became hooked in 1980 when I first heard Girls on Film. Of course, I was so young that I had NO clue what the song was all about. I loved loved loved John Taylor.

And weirdly, I just did a search on something related to them, and discovered that Neil Gaiman wrote his very first book on Duran Duran, Duran Duran: The First Four Years Of The Fab Five, which also happens to be buried in a box in my attic. How odd is that? Who would have thunk it? Coraline is one of my most favorite little books.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:05 AM

March 22, 2005

is April really the cruelest month?

Or so Eliot tells us. I'm not so sure. But they do say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. But if that's the case, why is April so cruel? Personally I don't see any lamb grazing around here. No grass to graze upon.

I think this Boston March has been cruel. First day of spring arrives and I was faced with a snow flurry on my way to work. Then today is a miraculous 53 degrees...the first time it has been this warm in months and months. And the rest of the week? Back down to the 40s. The snow is slowly slowly melting. Key word there--slowly.

I don't think all of it will be gone until well into April. We just had too much this year. And it keeps teasing us...melting a little, then turning cold again. Mother Nature is having a grand old time with us this year.

Boston had the 5th snowiest winter on record this year. So much so that they had to haul snow out of the city so it wouldn't clog up roadways. There is one such dumping ground (called snow "pahks") between my house and my gym. It's a side yard in a gravel pit and I saw them hauling truckloads of snow in and using a crane to pile up the highest dirty snow mountain I've ever seen. It won't melt until September I bet. This morning I drove by...couldn't see much snow, actually. Oh the mountain was still there but instead it was one huge butt-ugly dirt mound. Only if you saw them bringing the snow in would you realize that it was a pile of icedirt. BLECH!

But today, oh glorious day! I drove into Concord center with the sunroof open, windows down and my jacket off! I saw a robin! The first one yet for me this year. I can't tell you how happy I was about that. And today, on a conference call, one of my colleagues was telling me that she saw flowers in her neighbor's yard! Could it possibly be? I thought she had to be joking. Not one iota of green to be seen around my town.

But I've been waking up around 5:30 because it is light outside, so I know spring has nearly sprung. I just wish the coils would hurry up and unwind. I'm ready to usher old man winter back into his cold empty hole.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:41 PM | Comments (3)

February 16, 2005

in my very near future, i'm looking forward to

staying here:

eating at Fleur De Lys:

making wine angels fetch at Aureole:

drinking champagne here:

watching Zumanity:

and who knows what else? ;-)

Posted by crystallyn at 07:11 AM | Comments (2)

February 02, 2005

green taxis in Boston

Daily Candy Boston had an article on new environmentally friendly taxis in the Boston area. VERY cool and you can bet that next time I need a taxi I'll be thinking about this type of service instead.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:43 PM | Comments (3)

January 25, 2005

DON'T let it snow

We have enough already! Our town got 30" and there is another 6" expected tonight. Crazy crazy weather. We've had barely any snow at all this winter and then BAM! It all happens in one fell swoop.

Here are some pictures of the digging out...

See how it blew into the door? This is up on our porch which is four feet above the ground.

And Joe having to dig out of the drifts that were up on the back door.

Here is what the drift around the cars looked like. The wind created these strange canyon-like walls in the snow around the cars. Look close, you can see a couple of buried cars across the street.

Here's another picture of the same:

There are still more pictures!

Joe near his car.

Here's another of the drift around the car.

The buried cars...ours and our landlord's.

Joe trying to dig those out.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:06 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

October 08, 2004

okay okay

I haven't posted in awhile because I've been crazy busy!!! But I have had lots to say...so here goes:

1. Went to Barry Manilow last week. I was one of the youngest ones there. My friend ticked off the old people in front of us because she was screaming like a madman. He played ALL of the old hits. But the thing that cracked me up the most was that he played three MEDLEYS. I didn't know that anyone did medleys anymore!

2. Seeing Mt. St. Helens going nutso brings back memories of being in the 3rd grade, standing out on the lawn in back of our house in Nine Mile Falls, WA on May 18, 1980, the day before my mom's birthday. At about 3PM I was staring at the sun. The sky was a thick gray color. The sun was blue. Then the ash started falling and we ran inside and watched out the windows for hours as an inch or more of the strange gray powder fell like snow. My father was trapped in Montana unable to get back to us. School was canceled for two weeks. We had to wear surgical masks for nearly a month. I remember when my father did make it home, we rinsed the stuff down the driveway and he got up on the roof to rinse it off. That summer we took jars of it down to my cousin Rhett in Twin Falls so he could sell bags of it to his friends for a $1. It didn't rain ash that far south.

2. MORRISSEY ROCKED on Tuesday night!! We had killer seats (until 3/4 of the way through the show when the widest guy with the fattest head decided to stand in front of us) and he was just amazing. I was SO thrilled when he played "Rubber Ring" which is my favorite Smiths song. Out of the gazillion songs off his 20 something albums (between the Smiths and his solo career), he played the ONE song that I was dying to hear. I was so so happy! And to see him do "How Soon Is Now" was wondrous...like when I heard David Byrne do "Burning Down the House." I felt blessed to be able to see it played. Silly, but true. I am a massive Morrissey addict now...

3. We went to P-Town this last weekend. Turned out it was Pet Appreciation Weekend and Leather Weekend. So we saw lots of poochies on leashes and leathermen with leashes. Never a dull moment in that town! We stayed in the most adorable little inn, The Snug Cottage. Very high recommend.

There is more rambling I could do, I'm sure, but I will save that for later this weekend...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 24, 2004

crazy weekend sans apples

We've been trying to figure out when to go to the Nashoba Valley Winery and go apple picking but this weekend is out, and so is next weekend, so hoping that we'll still have good pickings over Columbus Day.

We're highly popular this weekend, so popular that I've had to say no to some dinners that sound wonderful and to a Chowder Fest that someone I know has been key in planning. But it sounds great, so if you are up for some fresh cooked New England clam chowder, head over to the:

The Marina Bay Chowder Festival
2 Seaport Drive, Quincy
Sunday, Sept 26th 2-4pm
$10 donation for adults, Kids 12 and under free.
Entertainment is the Kadima Band and there will be clowns for the kiddies!

All proceeds go to Operation Mom, a military support group based out of California. One of the things that they do is send off care packages to soldiers overseas.

There will be more clam chowder than you can shake a stick at, with a competition between 12 restaurants: Alfredo's, Bare Foot Bob's, Fowler House Cafe, Jimbo's South, Joe's American Bar and Grill, Siro's, Outback Steakhouse, Skyline, Hingham Bay Club, Rick's Cafe, and two local nursing homes. There will also be a gift certificate raffle for various restaurant gift certificates.

So if you get a chance, check it out. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous and Marina Bay is a really beautiful place. My girlfriend bought a condo down there and believe me, I can't wait to go visit her again! Definitely a great place for an early fall afternoon. The views are breathtaking!

Posted by crystallyn at 05:56 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

September 20, 2004

Speaking of concerts,

Barry Manilow is right around the corner!

Even better, the day after, Joe and I are heading to P-Town for our 4th anniversary celebration...we go to the Cape every fall and celebrate. We're staying at a very cozy little B&B that looks great! I'll be able to tell all the queens at breakfast about Barry! We also have dinner reservations at one of our all time favorite restaurants, Chester.

Mmmmm can't wait!

Posted by crystallyn at 06:54 AM | TrackBack

September 19, 2004

I had FUN

last night! They Might Be Giants put on an absolutely amazing show at Avalon. We stood near one of the bars in the back and had an awesome view. I screamed my lungs out, belting out the words to Particle Man, Birdhouse in Your Soul and really great new songs off of The Spine.

I can't wait till the Boston show goes on sale now!

I picked up a t-shirt, which has a wonderful John & John '04 emblazoned across it. I like the double entendre there, and it's a shame that the other John & John (the political ones) haven't picked up on that slogan-wise. Kerry needs a catchy phrase and some savvy marketing to pick up where his lack of charisma has left him.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:36 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 29, 2004

summer's end

Friday and Saturday nights this weekend really spoke to the foodies in us. We dined in style at both 33 and then at Mantra. Mmmmm. Mantra is a definite recommend. Interesting, innovative food and the atmosphere is delightfully modern and stylish.

Labor day is going to be a quiet one for us, with an evening with friends on Friday night and then me hoping that the beach will be in order at least one of the subsequent weekend days! I want one more day at Crane's before the season ends!

But what I'm really looking forward to is Brimfield, which is September 7-12 this year. If you live in New England and love antiques, this is the place for you. Every kind of antique you can imagine...linens, dishes, furniture, sports equipment, posters, jewelry, art, ephemera, and on and on! We're going to take off Friday the 10th and head on down to see what we can find. In past years we found our dining room table, our really nice wire plant stand on the porch, jewelry

and this wonderful antique egg print for our kitchen:

I need a dresser, so we'll be on the lookout for a good bargain. I'll also have the chance to look for antique postcards of Seattle and Boston. My collection is really growing these days.

After Brimfield, back to the Berkshires to spend time with Joe's family, who are the most wonderful people in the world. I really love the Berkshires, and it's been too long since we've been back. We didn't make it at all this summer, even though I vowed I would finally see a concert at Tanglewood. Next year.

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August 05, 2004

so it turns out

that I have a wedding to go to the day after Manilow. In New York. From one magnificent party to another.

Other things of note:

1. I have a tan. Really. Imagine...pasty white me, tan. :)

2. Joe forgot to pull the paper off the disposable litter box while we were out at Mirror Lake in NH on vacation last week and Romeo decided that the big rubber plant in the living room was a suitable cat box. Well, he is smart, I have to give him that. We at first thought he was disgruntled, but then realized that he was just using his next option. Besides, how could he be disgruntled? He had Paulette taking care of him (in between hanging out with Jerry Springer (literally!) that is).

3. CONGRATULATIONS TO BRENT AND MARY ANN!!!! WOOOOHOOOO YOU TWO! You better be sending some pictures in my direction! I want to see this Dreat guy once and for all. ;)

4. Joe and I have decided that we're going to France next year. No clue how or when, but it is going to happen. We're targeting 10 days. I minored in French...figured I better actually put all that education to use. But it's been 10 years now and a brush up is DEFINITELY in order. Would welcome any recommends on places to eat or stay in Paris or any of the wine regions.

5. When I get my first paycheck from the super cool new job (I haven't had a paycheck in a month!!), I'm getting one of these:

6. I learned about the wicked cool Archimedes Palimpsest today.

7. Urbanoutback pointed out what someone else pointed out...in that every day you think of a monkey. OMG it's SO TRUE! Every day since then, a monkey has surfaced at some point during the day. Amazing. EVERY DAY YOU THINK OF A MONKEY.

8. In case you ever wondered about the evolution of food, now there is the Food Timeline

9. WOOOHOOO I made the Wikipedia. Who knew that a little jaunt by Joanie and I would end up being a bit more than 15 minutes of fame?

And I'm sleeeepy.

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July 10, 2004

turkey time!

So I've started a new job...filling in for a woman who is out having triplets! That poor girl. I just can't imagine. She won't sleep for a year.

It's a six month stint, but the pay is good and I needed a change from what I had been doing before. The old job wasn't challenging and it was a strange strange place.

So far so good! The new job is EXACTLY what I have been looking for...crossing my fingers that it turns into something permanent. But the people are nice and normal (WOOHOOO NORMAL PEOPLE!), the work is challenging and it's perfect for my skillset. It's 20 min from home, decent hours, did I say normal people?

But the abnormal bit about it is that there are lots of turkeys around. It's a very rural area in one of the most historic towns in the country. I usually see a couple turkeys each day, out the window that looks toward the woods. Coming from the West coast, I never saw wild turkeys till I moved to New England. Truth be told, I think I thought that there weren't any left, that, like chickens, they were mostly domesticated for good eating. The first time I heard a turkey gobble in the woods I was amazed. Then when I saw one! Wow, very different than the squatty types that I was used to seeing in books or that I assumed I was eating. They are huge birds, with really long legs, necks and freaky long wattles. Nearly as tall as me, I would bet, if they stood tall with their necks high.

When I met the controller for the company, she told me about how a few years ago a female turkey flew through one of the windows at work. I was incredulous...first of all, we're on the third floor, and second of all, turkeys could fly??!! I guess it had never really occurred to me. In my mind, turkeys still held the status of eating bird, looking a bit like these:

They don't fly.

Wild turkeys look a bit different...taller for one thing. Their legs are much longer and their heads are a bit smaller. Their tallness makes them look much more foreboding when they are walking around.

The other big difference is that wild turkeys do fly.

The woman who was telling me about the turkey that flew through the window says that in the winter you can see the whole flock...about twenty of them, flying. Crazy, huh? How terrifying would that be, to see a whole flock of 30 lb birds darkening the sky?

As for the turkey that shattered the window and freaked out the poor people sitting in the cubes there, it turned out to be alive and okay. Bit banged up but animal control came and took it to a vet where I'm sure they rehabilitated it. Or maybe had Thanksgiving dinner.

Wild turkeys are really freaky, I think. I wouldn't want one coming after me! In a way, I can understand why Ben Franklin wanted to make them the national bird. In a letter to his daughter he wrote...

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country....

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

Interesting...perhaps America has lived up to the image of the Bald Eagle in many ways. Maybe Ben was on to something.

"Don't fuck with Ben Franklin," Joe says.

Incidentally, Joe makes the best turkey gobbling noises.

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June 15, 2004

i cannot wait

for CB2 to come to Boston!!!!!!!!

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June 04, 2004

Nobody ever called Pablo Picasso an...

I have pictures of last weekend's "Hellraiser" (as Sean mentioned) trip to MASS MocA.

But before I go there, let me post an old picture, which I rather like, taken a few months ago at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, when Joe's friend, Steve, was visiting. This picture is of an exhibit that is part of Da de los Muertos/Day of the Dead.

Now on to MASS MoCA.

A mirror picture in the bathroom, which is a strange bathroom.

And an odd picture which I really love. I don't remember the name of this exhibit...I should have written it down. It is, essentially, wall graffiti posters that take up an entire wall. This is just a bit of it.

And to see the Corpus pictures...keep going...

I really enjoyed this exhibit and I didn't have a sense of Hellraiser at all, but that could be because it's been AGES since I've seen those movies.

Ann Hamilton's Corpus takes up Building 5, which is about the size of a football field. Rather, I felt much like the artist intended, that I was in a cathedral of some ethereal sort. I loved the light, airy feeling, the sense of peace that I had while I was there. I especially loved the windows, which are covered in pink silk. The light was wonderful. From the ceiling bullhorns rise and fall, slowly, with numerous voices chanting and talking simultaneously. Pieces of paper randomly fall from the ceiling to cover the ground. When we realized that they must have just cleaned the floor, we were disappointed. I wish we could have seen it when it was completely layered in paper. Still, I really loved this exhibit.

And Joe, watching the falling paper.

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June 01, 2004

little bits of stuff

All sorts of things to chat about...

1. The June Plum Ruby Review is up!

2. If you are ever in the vicinity of North Adams, MA, you need to check out MASS MoCA. We saw many wonderful exhibits, including Matthew Ritchie's Proposition Player.

3. Hiking Bash-Bish Falls is a wonderful thing to do on a sunny Saturday!

4. Through LJC, I found some Ugly Dolls, and lo! At MASS MoCA this weekend, we found the Ugly Icebat! Perfect for our little nephew's 4th bday. ;) I want one too!

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May 02, 2004

spring fever

I haven't been writing much...and in some ways I'm not sure why. I can think of all sorts of things to post, but then I haven't been coming here to post them. So what has been happening with me?

I've been out walking nearly every day...along the Charles in the morning and/or lunch and often around Fresh Pond some evenings and on the weekend. I live about 3 blocks from Fresh Pond so it's a great place to head to...lots of doggies along that walk. Everytime I go I see some funky breed of dog that I haven't seen before. I walk it enough now that I see some of the same people when I go. My landlords told me that they used to walk it every day when they were younger. One trip around the pond is 2.25 miles and when I tack on the distance to and from our house, it is around 3.25 miles total. Yesterday morning was so warm and humid, despite the clouds. It was such a beautiful walk, with the wind in my hair, cooling my skin. I feel torn...I want a good MP3 player to walk with but at the same time, I like just hearing the birds, the waves lapping the trees lining the pond, the dogs barking and panting as I walk by them. Add that to the fact that IPods are still $300 and that there isn't any good knock-off yet (which I fail to understand).

Trying to get geared up for the Cystic Fibrosis walk that I'm doing in a couple of weekends. Six miles to raise money for a good cause. If you are interested in donating, send me an email at poetess AT crystallyn.com and I'll send you a link to my online donation site. I wish I could just link it here but they have a funny set up where it generates a unique URL for people to donate at otherwise it just comes in like I have been the one to donate. You can also PayPal me money at that same email address as well.

Finishing up this semester at school as well. I can't wait for it to be finished. I've been so frustrated with my current class. I dread Mondays and sitting in that classroom for 2.5 hours. My motivation is lacking so much this semester...I know a lot of it is attributed to how I feel about that class. My project is one that will carry me through my last few classes, so it's annoying that because I'm so frustrated with this class that my excitement for my project has dropped off. It's amazing how much teacher/managers can motivate or demotivate a person, even about something they are passionate about.

And I am frustrated by the world climate these days. The job market isn't any better, really, and the numbers become more skewed as more and more people drop off of unemployment. More and more people are dying the longer we stay in Iraq (and to top it off we have a few renegade soldiers over there humiliating prisoners and embarassing the US even further). More and more lies and contradictions unfold every day (our little fiery friend hangs in our living room, btw...excellent gift options for your friends!). Don't even get me going on the whole gay marriage thing, or our environment falling to pieces around us or how my tuition seems to raise everytime I turn around. Sigh. More and more...

I think mostly I just want a few things...

* School to be over.
* Politicians to be dissolved by aliens.
* To win the lottery.

Well of course! This month will be busy though, even once school lets out. Need to get the next issue of Plum Ruby Review ready for its June 1 launch date. Going to help my dad get his Website up and running for his business. And somewhere in there we need to go to Brimfield again. And I need to do spring cleaning on the house!

But mostly, despite all those need-to-do's...I just feel this incredible need to vege out these days...

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April 24, 2004

in spring...

...more mortal singers than belong
To any one place cover us with song.
Thrush, bluebird, blackbird, sparrow, and robin throng...
~Robert Frost, "Our Singing Strength"

Every morning before work I've been trying to walk along the Charles. First thing in the morning, the birds sing with the most heavenly voices. Once the day begins to move toward noon, the songs taper off and I wish I could see and hear more of those birds...the ones that seem to hide during the day, not the pigeons, the geese, sparrows and starlings.

Today we walked along the Minuteman Trail again and saw both a hairy woodpecker and a little

downy woodpecker.

We also saw a little hawk swooping through the woods, only a few feet above our heads, probably looking for squirrels.

More wild than the wildlife was the man using his above-ground pool in his backyard as an enclosure for the burnpile he had going.

It wasn't really as wild as when we went out last night to Bukowski's with Joe's ex-co-worker, Jess, and when we went to pick her up, we saw that her neighbor had filled in their below-ground pool with dirt (LOTS of dirt) and were going to plant a garden in it. How tacky is that?

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April 22, 2004

spring is sprung

finally! Every morning I try to get to work early so I can take a walk along the Charles River. It's wonderful to be able to see the way that the seasons are changing over. This week has been especially wonderful weather-wise. On my morning walks I have seen:

* Two swallows swooping and flying over the water.
* A cat sitting on the edge of the river, enviously eyeing a goose that it couldn't get to.
* Starlings, sparrows, pigeons and ducks primping, preening and dancing for their mates.
* A goldfinch every morning, singing sweetly.
* Lots and lots of poochies...bulldogs, dobermans, pugs, poodles, and even a little golden retriever puppy still clumsy and curious.
* A doll's arm floating in the river.
* Rowers, rowers, rowers.
* Magnolia trees beginning to blossom.
* Boatowners beginning to take the plastic off their boats.
* Lots and lots of Duck boats in the water.
* Fish jumping.
* A Buddha on someone's apartment porch.
* Trees beginning to extend their leaves...each day a little more.

My right ear is blocked up a bit...allergies are definitely starting to kick in! Today is supposed to be hot and humid, but cloudy until the afternoon rolls around. This weekend I think we're going to take a stab at planting flowers, getting out the summer clothes and well, writing my 10 page term paper.

I'm really looking forward to summer this year!

(oh and figured out the stylesheet, sorta!)

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April 13, 2004

national poetry month

is upon us. This is, oddly enough, readily apparent as one drives along the Charles river. No, I don't mean the river is poetic, although it is. I'm not talking about the view, although it is too. Or even the ecclectic mix of people that walk, run, bike, blade, skip and meander along its banks--certainly lots of poetry there.

No, I mean literally--there is poetry on the banks of the Charles. Sticks of it poking out of the ground all along the paths. At least that's what it looks like from the road as I drive to and from work. I haven't been able to stop and check it out as I would like.

It looks like someone has put little signs all along the bike path, with poems on each sign. What a great idea! I have tried to do a little search to see if I could find out who is behind it, but alas, nothing. The signs themselves might say, but as already noted, I haven't been able to stop and see.

I went to a poetry reading by Jorie Graham this weekend. Had the chance to meet a woman in the online poetry group I am part of, Zeugma. The reading was interesting. It was in the upstairs of the Harvard Advocate building, which was a cute little house, quite old, and also packed to the gills with kids ten years younger than me. We ended up sitting on the cramped floor, with no room to move about at all, which left me with one foot in a near coma by the end of the reading.

I think it's fascinating to hear poets read their own works. Their reading is always different than how I would have read it, and often the meanings completely change. As my friend pointed out though, poets often don't know HOW to read their poetry aloud. I believe that is true. I've heard recordings of some very famous poets who essentially near wreck their poems by uttering them to captive audiences. Jorie read her poems in a tremendous rush, as though they were rivers bursting their banks, or as though she were desperate to read them and leave. She read all her poems like that, which I found both curious and sometimes distracting. I found my mind wandering when I should have had rapt attention. I wasn't surprised when, as soon as she finished reading, she slung her pack over her back and made for the door. I was disappointed...I'm used to going to readings and have books signed. John Updike, Maxine Kumin and Tess Gallagher weren't too busy. I mean, the fans are the ones essentially who are anteing up her paycheck...and nowhere is that more true than with a poet.

I think Katey was the one that mentioned something about buying poetry books equates to good poetry karma for the poetic self...or maybe that was Stephanie...it was certainly one of them. As my two Jorie Graham volumes sat, unsigned in the bottom of my bag, I realized that in this case, it wasn't the case.

Perhaps my poetic karma will manifest elsewhere...

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March 21, 2004

i finally discovered

who does all the little sign art around Cambridge.

This sign was up for a long time.

And these, along the Minuteman, which we always like:

They've always made me inexplicably happy, seeing these little bits of color scattered throughout the city. In 2003, he posted his 600th sign of life. Pretty damn cool, IMHO.

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March 11, 2004

Taking Great Strides

Joe and I took a six mile walk on Sunday along the Minuteman trail. Six miles is a little bit, but not too much.

Six miles is what I'll be walking in May for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's GREAT STRIDES.

One of my very good friends has Cystic Fibrosis. He's an awesome kid and you probably wouldn't know he even has CF until you realize that he coughs a bit more than most people and that he ends up in the hospital every few months to undergo weeks of antiobiotics via IV. The ONLY really great thing about it is that he gets out of school...and I can go hang out with him and play video games.

Otherwise, having CF really sucks.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that makes breathing a major chore for those with the disease. CF causes life-threatening lung infections and the average survival age of those with the disease is the early 30s. Currently, there is no cure and the future of those with CF lies in the hands of people like you and me.

I wrote a poem for my friend's sister, who lost her life to CF two years ago. You can read it at the Rose & Thorn Magazine. No one should have to lose their sister, or their child, and I want to do what I can to make sure my friend is around for a long fucking time. My mom knew one of the oldest CF victims. She was 54!! I'm doing what I can to help find a cure for this disease so that my friend and all kids with cystic fibrosis can be around much much longer than that.

My goal this year is to raise over $500 and I would really appreciate any help you might be able to give me to help me meet this goal. Any amount would be helpful. $10, $20...anything. Every little bit counts.

There are two ways you can donate.

One: write me with your email address (I can be reached at: poetess AT crystallyn.com) and I'll send you a link directly to my online campaign through the CF foundation. You can pay online from the personal link (from the CF Foundation) that I send you.

Or: you can go https://www.paypal.com and use Paypal to donate. My email is poetess AT crystallyn.com. Either way, I can count it toward the walk. If you use Paypal, please make sure you note Cystic Fibrosis GREAT STRIDES Walk Donation so that it will show up on your receipt.

Your donations, of course, are tax deductible. I will be walking the six mile walk in May, so if you can't help now, maybe you will think of me again in a few weeks when I repeat this post.

To learn more about CF, visit the CF Foundation's Web site at http://www.cff.org, or call (800) FIGHT CF.

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February 25, 2004

fret...less

If you are looking for good music to listen to on your Thursday night in Boston, check out Ned Evett playing tomorrow night at Ryles. You can't beat the $7 price and a fun time will be had by all!

Need more incentive? Ned invented the glass-necked fretless guitar (and people like Martin Gore, Dweezil Zappa and Adrian Belew play fretless guitars that he designed)! His music is absolutely excellent...and yes, I'm biased, but really...would I steer you wrong? Built to Spill fans will find him playing on their 1993 album, "The Normal Years" and Ned toured with Joe Satriani in 2002. So just trust me and go check him out. Plus, if you are a working stiff like me, you can get out early and get back in time to see the ten o'clock news--he plays early, headlining at 7:30PM tomorrow eve.

Too bad you aren't up here Corwin, you'd like this show!

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February 02, 2004

things about NY

I just got back from a four day whirlwind of museums, drinking and hanging out with friends and still feel utterly exhausted.

We decided to take the Acela, which was a mistake. Next time we'll suck up the extra $120 or so and fly. The Acela, a supposedly 150mph train that was to whisk us to NY in three hours. It took us six. About halfway there, the train decided to just stop on the tracks. We waited for an hour for another train to pick us up (in the meantime the slightly slower train that we had reservations on and we switched tickets to the earlier train...whizzed right by us). And let me tell you, that train NEVER went 150mph. Neither of them either direction. At the most we might have managed 100 or so, but only for brief periods of time. Mostly I bet we averaged about 70. We could nearly have drove for the same amount of time with less hassle.

And remind me to ask Sean why in hell he picked JANUARY to have a gathering? Damn it was cold! /whine off But seriously, he did an amazing job organizing it all. You would think that he was a wedding planner in a previous life. ;)

We spent Friday wandering the museums since the other 35 people hadn't yet arrived. At the Guggenheim, we saw the Kandinsky Several Circles painting that we love--the one that we bought a print for while we were in Vegas.

We also were able to see Van Gogh's Mountains at Saint-Rmy:

It was the first time I had been there and the building IS very cool, but damn, it needs a serious paintjob on the exterior.

Then we headed over to the Met and saw about 1/4 of it. It's just way too massive to see it all. They have the best medieval art collection and the best armor collection.

.

They have a really wonderful modern art collection as well. Some of the highlights for me:

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere--Grant Wood

Pollock's Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)


But the most interesting were the 50 or so Men In Skirts.

We did some serious drinking that evening, but unlike others, we managed to leave the bar without consequence! ;)

The next day was all about the American Museum of Natural History, which is a really cool museum. The difficult thing about that is trying to tour a museum with 35 other people--not quite as difficult as herding cats, but definitely a challenge.

We had a really nice dinner at this cozy little Irish bar that night. We had a really wonderful time and was able to visit with both old friends and meet some new ones.

Now, it's all about recovery...I think it's going to take me a few days to regain my sleep!

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November 12, 2003

one of the nice things

about both Joe and I being unemployed is that we have a chance to go out in the middle of the day and do things that most people can't do because they are holed up in an office or behind a counter somewhere.

Today we went walking at World's End.

It wasn't nearly so green, but it was beautiful. The smells were very pungent--the mud mixed with the rotting leaves. Was wonderful being out when no one else was. No other people, no dogs, just us. It was very foggy, however, which was beautiful over the water but it meant that we couldn't see the Boston Skyline, which is a wonderful view from World's End.

I think that Joe and I are going to join Paulette and purchase a Trustees of Reservations membership. We'll be able to receive discounted or free admissions to places like World's End and Crane's Beach, but we'll also be helping preserve some of the more beautiful places in all of New England.

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November 02, 2003

back

from the Berkshires where I had the pleasure to spend more time with the in-laws. I swear, I really lucked out this time around!! They are truly the most wonderful people. Joe's mom wants to steal Romeo so badly. We took him along because he loves their screened in back porch.

Saturday, Joe and I wandered down to West Stockbridge and stopped in at Charles H. Baldwin & Sons. Martha even recommends them! The store, like the town, is quaint and quiet. It smells incredible when you walk into the tiny old building. In addition to vanilla (which is at astronomical prices no matter who sells it, due to crops in Madagascar being destroyed by a cyclone a couple of years ago), they sell all sorts of extracts and different baking supplies and some classical types of toys. Methinks cookies are in the future this week.

We also stopped in at Hilltop Orchards, producers of Johnny Mash Hard Cider. Joe said that the store he used to work for was one of the first stores to start selling Johnny Mash. We were one of the last people who were able to get in for the tastings that day. We ended up picking up some Apple Cidre, which is amazing, as well as a bottle of Riesling, Merlot and Cab, which they make from grapes brought up from Long Island.


We also stopped into a little known place in Richmond, MA, the general store, which is next door to the post office. Not your average general store, they sell a small selection of gourmet cheeses from all over the world so of course we had to pick some up. They also specialize in olive oils, gourmet food, regional wines and pastries. Worth going out of your way if you are ever in the Berkshires.

And now, well, I'm doing VERY WELL at procrastinating on my NaNoWriMo novel. I'm doing better than expected, but it's best to get my nose back to the grindstone. Thank god for chinese food!

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October 15, 2003

in my town

is a Chinese restaraunt called Your's Chinese Restaraunt (and yes, the apostrophe is there). They claim that they are the oldest Chinese Restaurant in town--since 1991!!! This may be true, our town is lame and is 90% residential, with few eating places. But their slogan cracks me up:

During a war,
During a pour,
We still deliver
to your door.

Oh my!

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October 12, 2003

i vant to suck your bluhd

In Bucharest, they are putting together a Vampire theme park. They're also going to be putting a historical spin on one area of the park, dedicating it to a truthful historical portrayal of Vlad Tepes.

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October 01, 2003

things i love about montreal

1. everyone speaks French


things I hate about montreal

1. I forgot all my French (minored in it in College).

Posted by crystallyn at 11:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 31, 2003

just came back in

from the backyard where we set up Joe's telescope to check out Mars, which, in case you have been living under a rock and were unaware, is closer than it's been in 60,000 years.

It's the brightest thing in the night sky besides the moon...a big red light in the southwest sky. It's pretty cool. We couldn't see it quite like shown above--there is just too much light pollution, but we could see the polar cap and faint black lines. I think that in the next two weeks or so, we should head over to the Museum of Science and try to really see it. I mean, we'll never have the chance again.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:08 PM | TrackBack

August 11, 2003

home of baseball

We just came back from four days in Cooperstown, NY, where the National Baseball Hall of Fame is and Doubleday Field is. Joe played two exhibition games against a North Carolina team. They lost one and won one. We had a great time.

If you go, there are a million things to do, ranging from the Glimmerglass Opera, the Farm Museum, Fennimore Cooper Folk Art Museum, Ommegang Brewery, Howe Caverns and exploring the cute little Main Street, which is filled with baseball memorabilia shops. I blogged about last year's trip if you want all those details.

You need to stay at the Daylily Dreams bed & breakfast if you go. We stayed in the Velvet Rose room...beautiful, affordable, and great breakfasts. I can't praise this little place enough!

And now, back to the grind. Vacations are always so short lived.

*reminds self to continue to find ways to become independently wealthy*

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August 03, 2003

i'm looking over a four-leaf clover

Actually, I'm looking over a little round globe of water that is filled with 22 four leaf clovers!! I managed to get them back from the Berkshires where we were visiting with Joe's parents for the weekend.

His mom has a knack for finding them...I've never seen anything like it. She can usually pick up one or two from the yard or from up at the garden, and I've pressed them before and brought them home. Yesterday, on the way out to go see Edith Wharton's Mount, we stopped up at the garden (which is about 1/2 mile from the house--they take part in a community garden which gives them more room than the garden at home) where they were weeding and picking cucumbers and beans. Rosie found me a four-leaf clover right away (after she showed us where the woodchuck has been living under the garden shed). I placed it in my poetry notebook and we headed off to see if we might catch a glimpse of Edith, who is reportedly still haunting her old manse.

When we came back that afternoon, with a strawberry-rhubarb pie in hand (I had decided it was too hot to cook the cobbler I was thinking about), I discovered that Rosie picked me an entire bouquet of four-leaf clovers--it's amazing. I have only found one in my lifetime--and it took me three hours of lying in a clover bed when I was about 12. She just looks down and they seem to jump into her hands.

A little extra luck never hurt anyone, right? And 22 four-leaf clovers?! I'm bound for good things, I think.

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July 25, 2003

it's officially

high summer--the cicadas are out.

I heard the first one this evening when we came home from Margarita's in Waltham (Paulette it was great!). I never heard them till I moved East--and now it's always such a wonderful marker of summer.

And fireflies--of which I have only seen two in my whole life. Sad, huh?

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July 14, 2003

jellyfish elvis and sunshine idiots

Saturday found Joe and I down on Pier 4 waiting for the Elvis Costello show. We went down about 3 hours early and parked across the street then meandered down to the Barking Crab for dinner. On the walk toward the Crab, we found a spot in the bay with hundreds of jellyfish. We stood and watched for a while, listening to Elvis warming up back at the Fleet Pavilion. The day was bright, the air was perfect, the jellyfish were wonderful and mysterious and other than the fact that I wore the wrong shoes, the entire world seemed to be in the right place.

Elvis was great, as to be expected. He didn't address the audience much--hardly at all, in fact--but he more than made up for it with the rousing show that he and the Imposters (2/3 of the original Attractions) put on. He played a lot of the more obscure songs, which Joe knew and I didn't, but he did play the most amazing lounge-like version of Watching the Detectives, which I felt was the best song of the night, and not just because I knew it so well. He only played a few popular tunes, (Watching the Detectives, Clubland, What's so Funny about Peace, Love & Understanding, Pump It Up, Every Day I Write the Book), which left me really wishing that he had played She, Alison, Accidents Will Happen and my personal favorite, Veronica. But as Joe pointed out, he's played all those songs so many damn times and he has SO MUCH music that it's perfectly understandable if he is playing his other tunes. I mean, we're talking about a man that will put 25-30 songs on a CD. I guess he's brought a song wheel to some of his past shows and spun the wheel to see what will come up--now that is pretty cool, I think. He does have a powerful voice. He never wavered, he was strong until the very end. Two thumbs up, Elvis!

Sunday we decided late in the day to head to Singing Beach to add to my splotchy tan (a result of uneven suntan lotion, sigh). On the way there, some idiot in a really nice Acura, came flying by us, weaving in and out of traffic and then riding quite literally on the bumper of anyone that was in front of him. We watched him do this in the fast lane and Joe was saying that he was, essentially, an accident waiting to happen.

And it did.

He must have tapped the minivan in front of him, because next thing we knew, there was smoke and screeching and cars swerving everywhere. We were far enough back to be able to slow down and react. Three cars pulled off to the side, and it looked like no one was hurt--the cars weren't even banged up, strangely enough. After we moved past this little fiasco, we quickly realized that the guy wouldn't have made it very far anyway. It was wall-to-wall traffic all the way up the North Shore.

But Singing Beach was beautiful and the water was slightly warmer than Crane's Beach on the Fourth. We ended up down in the gay section, I think...lots of fancy men in tight swimsuits oiling each other up and eyeing each other. I mean, don't get me wrong, some of my dearest and closest friends are gay, but watching gay men in prowling mode is not really my idea of communing with nature.

I think the worst was the old man in a flesh colored sagging speedo with big huge silver nipple rings wandering the beach. His appearance just seemed to scream child molester for some reason. And that makes me wonder about the parents who let their 4 year old girls run around topless at the beach. I realize it's all very innocent and when I was young I'm sure I did the same, but the world is very different now and letting your youngster run around naked in public basically opens them up to the view of some really sick-minded people.

Okay, /rant off, and back to getting stuff done, of which there is a lot...

Posted by crystallyn at 10:37 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

July 08, 2003

elvis is everywhere!

Joe called me at work this morning with a delightful surprise...we're going to see Elvis! The show is at the Fleet Boston Pavilion on the wharf, where I saw Duran Duran a few years back (yes yes, I was a Duranie...can't WAIT for their 25 anniversary reunion tour!).

Both of us are longtime Elvis fans, but especially Joe. Funny enough, for being the music lovers that we are, this is the first actual concert (i.e. not in a bar) that we've gone to together.

Elvis, was, rightfully so, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. Oooo I can't wait to see him perform. I know he has a new album coming out in September, called North, so this tour must be in advance of that. Still, I'm really hoping to hear Everyday I Write the Book, Accidents Will Happen, Veronica, Watching the Detectives...he's got 100s of songs though...how difficult it must be to figure out what to perform.

As for other things...got my computer back and I'm sunburnt but had a fabulously lazy weekend...

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July 04, 2003

Happy Independence Day!

I am celebrating by turning personally patriotic...with a glorious shade of red across my back. Oh, and on my temples where I didn't put suntan lotion today when Paulette, Joe and I were at Crane Beach today. I even had SPF30 on, go figure. I kept reapplying all over everywhere else but I should have had Joe get my back one more time.

Crane Beach is gorgeous...two miles of pure, clean white sand. I love looking down the beach at all the colorful beach umbrellas, the heads bobbing in the water (which was pretty damn cold but felt great after a few hours of roasting in the 95 degree sunshine). We brought margaritas that Joe made (mmmm yummy) and cheese and crackers and Paulette brought fruit salad. Great picnic, great company and just a perfect day.

We're resting up (lying all day in the sun is draining!), cleaning up and then grabbing Paulette again, heading for drinks and then probably watching the fireworks out in Waltham or Newton...no need to brave the madhouse of the Esplanade and the million+ people that will be there. Just too damn hot and traffic gets nasty.

Tomorrow and Sunday we're heading up to my friend's cabin on the lake where we are going to lie around, drink sangria, swim, read books, play cards and be lazy.

FINALLY, summer is here.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 17, 2003

bright eyed and bushy tailed

Joe and I went to MASS MOCA this weekend...

Make sure you click the MORE link to see all the pictures. There are a lot.

I think I did ok in the photo realm!

Window pictures...these are actual photos, none retouched.








Keep going for...

Joe and Steve and Steve and both and Joe...





And other random shots...







And at the Hancock Shaker Village...



Posted by crystallyn at 09:35 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

June 02, 2003

she's coming back!

I called the Salem Visitors center today and the Friendship of Salem apparently attended some event this weekend at a nearby Navy yard. She should be heading back into port around high tide at 2PM.

My view looks so empty without her there!!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:25 PM | TrackBack

May 30, 2003

maiden?

Every day I have the fortune to look out my office window on the Friendship of Salem, a replica of a 1797 sailing vessel which they have been slowly building over the last ten months that I've been there (actually, they brought it to Salem in 1998 and have been building on it ever since, even after it was hit by lightning at one point). Every day I see this lovely image...

Today, for some reason that we couldn't figure out, they decided to sail it away. Well, not exactly sail it because not all the sails are rigged yet (only the lower tier are installed as you can sort of see from the pictures).

It was rather odd...they have been slowly adding the rest of the masts, the crossbeams, the rigging and in recent weeks the sails. Not all the sails were even on the ship yet. They sailed the one lifeboat/dinghy up to it, someone climbed up the ladder...they pulled the ladder and the boat up and that was the majority of the fanfare.

Read on for...

There were SOME passengers, but not really very many. A handful of people. There wasn't any press, which I thought was odd for the maiden voyage of such an amazing vessel. The wimpy coast guard ship played tugboat (which is odd since there is an actual little tugboat tied up in the docks nearby).

Finally they pulled away...you can sort of see the figurehead in one of the pictures...a woman in blue with a bouquet of flowers.

I was so surprised that they didn't wait till all the sails were on it before they sailed it away. It wasn't back at the dock when I left work at 5PM, so it must be staying somewhere for the weekend--maybe Marblehead or Boston. Ignore the factory in the background...I try to...

I scoured the web looking for news on why she was sailing but nothing. There wasn't any press, there was no fanfare except that she was sporting a strange amount of flags (with symbols that, for the most part, had no meaning for me). Human Resources even called the chamber of commerce...they had no clue.

I feel so lucky though, to be able to be watching the progress of her building...and to be there when they finally moved her out of the bay. She's a big ship and very beautiful. I should have taken a picture of the empty dock...everything looks rather forlorn now.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:29 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

May 24, 2003

lots of nature

spent the evening at Tapeo...mmm. Lots of sangria. Lots of tapas. Mmm. The goat cheese, honey and figs were the best part.

But back to earlier today at the Harvard Museum of Natural History...

They had a LOT of dinosaur bones but for some reason I was more amazed by these whale pictures...I mean, check them out! Joe is!

This was a funny pygmy whale, about four feet long:

They had cases and cases of mothball smelling stuffed animals from all the continents. It was amazing to see them all...that hummingbird case in the previous post was just a small sample.

Keep going to see more pictures...

They also had many jars of formaldahyde preserved creatures...fish, tapeworms, frogs, and more. Honestly, it was pretty damn cool. I didn't even really notice the million kids running around because I was so mesmerized.

I took lots of pictures. The worst part is that in looking back, I wish I had paid a bit more attention to WHAT I was taking pictures of.

For example, here is this great mirror picture I took but I am not entirely sure what the animal it is that I took the picture of...I just plumb forgot!

And this mirror picture...

But the best? The glass flowers. As the site says, "This unique collection of over 3,000 models was created by the glass artisans, Leopold Blaschka and his son, Rudolph. The commission began in 1886, continued for five decades, and represents more than 830 plant species."

I had heard about them for years but hadn't seen them. I walked in and after ten minutes I think Joe was ready to leave me there...I think I was driving him crazy saying, "These can't be glass! I can't believe they are glass!" But they were. I tried to take some pictures but they really don't do them justice.

This place was a botanist's dream as far as being able to look at the plants, their cross-sections, reproductive systems, etc. But for the rest of us...it was an exercise in pure admiration for the handiwork of the Blaschkas.

Here are some...ALL glass and trust me, you couldn't tell in person, so don't feel bad if you can't tell in the pictures.

Hurry...before now and the end of May, if you live in New England and have a Fleet card, you can go to this and other area museums for free!

Posted by crystallyn at 10:58 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

harvard museum of natural history

We explored the Harvard Museum of Natural History today...I can't believe I have never been there before. Only a short time to post a quick picture of one of the hummingbird display...

I'll post some of the pictures of the glass flowers tomorrow...it's shocking, the beauty and exquisite detail of the flower specimens there, all in glass. I also managed to get a couple neat pictures for the mirror project.

Posted by crystallyn at 05:48 PM | TrackBack

May 19, 2003

so we REALLY scored

what I didn't mention about the typewriter bracelet is that it cost $40 and the really nice man that was there threw one in for Paulette for being such a nice friend to get it for me for my birthday. So today, in looking at Reusablog, I discover this link to the same sorts of bracelets. We made out like bandits!

Posted by crystallyn at 03:01 PM

May 17, 2003

we scored

at Brimfield. Now we are exhausted, but we came home with a few treasures. I spent nearly $70 on postcards, sigh. I wish my scanner were hooked up! Paulette got me a cool, funky bracelet for my birthday (it's in a couple weeks) made by this guy from Tacoma, WA (we called it Tacky-Aroma when I lived in Seattle). He collects keys from old typewriters and makes bracelets out of them.

We also picked up a great plant stand for the balcony as well as some old milk bottles for me to use as flower vases. For the kitchen, we acquired a nifty print of the incubation of a chicken egg that had been hand colored by an artist. You can't see it well here, but the colors are beautiful and it's just so odd that we had to have it.

The artist said that she found it wonderful that Joe and I liked the same art (well, from what she saw!). She said that most couples would come by and one of them would love the prints and the significant other would hate them. Speaking of art, we came across a guy selling vintage posters. They were in excellent condition and the art was unusual and interesting. Some of them were quite beautiful. I wish we could have afforded the ones that we liked...this one I absolutely loved, from a series of public service announcements on working and behaving better...

and this one, which I found on the website, but didn't see at the show:

There were also many many strange and odd things, but I think that this was one of the strangest:

Tiles made on the thighs of a woman. I can hear the men saying YEEHAW!

Posted by crystallyn at 02:57 PM