Lest you think I have been slacking on my real job (going on horrible dates for your amusement), I have NOT, but I have been slacking on writing about them. In short, in the last two months, I've been out with four different and new frogs and well, here's a brief summary:
*Frog #1 (2 dates): MIT-grad working at a start-up company, area code: 609. We went to City Bar and Piattini (decent selections). He actually made me feel physically threatened twice by shoving his tongue down my throat once and continually grabbing me. EPIC FAIL.
*Frog #2 (2 dates): Harvard grad working at a start up company, area code: 508. On our first date, we went to Sister Sorel and actually had a pretty good time, although I realize in hindsight, I thought we had a good time, but really I was just highly amused by my new insta-gay friends I met at the bar. He then asked me to go to a concert and very nicely left two gift-wrapped CDs of the band with my doorman so I could listen to the band prior to the concert. Unfortunately, he picked me up at 5pm to go to a concert at House of Blues... 6 hours of angsty white people music/"music" that is indistinguishable from feedback/no dinner/standing with no seats later, I wanted to die. Incapable of reading my subtle cues of pain and anguish, he then sent me several unanswered texts asking to go out again. K & I subsequently ran into him at Capital Grille where she proceeded to stand in front of him and stare which was not awkward at all. NICE GUY, NOT THE ONE.
*Frog #3 (1 date): Radiologist, area code: 608. I had semi-decent hopes for Frog #3, he seemed to have a decent sense of humor and shared my love of Bill Simmons.... however, when I met him in real life for dinner at Sorellina, I wondered if it was possible to be more bored. Sigh. He sent me an email asking to meet up again, and I (oops) haven't written back SUPER NICE GUY, REAL BORING.
*Frog #4 (1 date): Cardiologist, area code: 607. I knew we were off to a rocky start when he made me leave the city of Boston to meet him in a place called Brookline. "Brooklyn?" I asked. No, sadly. He seemed kind of judgemental, sort of racist and more feminine than I am. Hmmmmmm.... SIGH.
As I reflected on the past couple of months of terrible dates, I wondered, "am I being too picky here?" After all, for the most part, these guys seemed genuine, nice, successful, highly intelligent and fairly attractive. Should I talk myself into liking one of them? But I kept remembering that after each date ended, I had this feeling of "oh, I hope he doesn't ever contact me again."
Then, I watched the season premiere of How I Met Your Mother, one of my favorite tv shows. The main character is trying to decide between two women to take to an event and eventually realizes that he doesn't actually like either one...that he wanted to be a crazy in love idiot... and that you don't need to talk yourself into being with someone or take days to choose, it either works (which is obvious fairly quickly) or it doesn't and that he'd forgotten that.
Although I don't think I should pattern my life after a television show, I think that there is complete truth to his observation. We all know when we've truly been "crazy about"/interested in someone and the many, many times we've talked ourselves into second dates, good on paper or even entire relationships. Yesterday, I was waiting for the T/underground railroad and ran into an ex-boyfriend from my past and realized that it is true. I had probably talked myself into an entire yearlong relationship with someone that I didn't have genuine chemistry with/wasn't really into just because I wanted to have a boyfriend and wanted the "sort of happily ever" ending he promised. Needless to say, that encounter was awkward and semi-stalkerish (from his end). But, I guess if this experience has taught me anything, it's that I'll know it when I see it and hopefully will meet it/him soon b/c being a crazy in love idiot is pretty fun too!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Doormen = the new barmen = wisdom/A Cautionary Tale
Yesterday, I was walking to my apartment after picking up groceries in the morning. I hear a door hurridly open and my next door neighbor runs out. "Hi... Are you coming back from the pool? I'm going to Vegas this weekend - want to get a drink sometime or something?"
"Ummmmm... yeah. sure." and I run away from awkwardness and into my apartment.
Tonight, as I was coming home from yet another mediocre date, I decide to relay the story to my doorman.
"Oh, you mean, "the dwarf"? he asks me.
"Yeah, I think we're talking about the same person." (although technically dwarves are < 4'10" and this dude was probably 5'9"... )
Well, here are some salient facts about my next door neighbor that my doorman and I obtained from GOOGLE:
*In 2010, he was arrested and served two months in jail with a suspended sentence for stalking and verbally harassing a judge, placing "alarming" calls to the judge and his family members
*Apparently his "time off this summer" was a result of a large, prestigious financial services firm not liking the fact that he was incarcerated
*He made an average of $900K for each of the last five years
*Marshalls have shown up to my building to arrest him more than once
*He has been divorced two times (and counting....)
*He filed for divorce several months before telling his wife so he could pay her lower alimony payments per their prenuptial agreement
*Has sent messasges to several people saying "I can S my own D and have. True Story."
The lesson as always: Deadbolts are key. Doormen are wise. Google can be quite revealing. Be careful out there!! People are SCARY.
"Ummmmm... yeah. sure." and I run away from awkwardness and into my apartment.
Tonight, as I was coming home from yet another mediocre date, I decide to relay the story to my doorman.
"Oh, you mean, "the dwarf"? he asks me.
"Yeah, I think we're talking about the same person." (although technically dwarves are < 4'10" and this dude was probably 5'9"... )
Well, here are some salient facts about my next door neighbor that my doorman and I obtained from GOOGLE:
*In 2010, he was arrested and served two months in jail with a suspended sentence for stalking and verbally harassing a judge, placing "alarming" calls to the judge and his family members
*Apparently his "time off this summer" was a result of a large, prestigious financial services firm not liking the fact that he was incarcerated
*He made an average of $900K for each of the last five years
*Marshalls have shown up to my building to arrest him more than once
*He has been divorced two times (and counting....)
*He filed for divorce several months before telling his wife so he could pay her lower alimony payments per their prenuptial agreement
*Has sent messasges to several people saying "I can S my own D and have. True Story."
The lesson as always: Deadbolts are key. Doormen are wise. Google can be quite revealing. Be careful out there!! People are SCARY.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Chop Suey!
In the past two weeks, I have had two wildly different experiences at Asian restaurants in Boston: one authentic and one fusion. The first one began as B and I started our quest for the best BROWN (aka peking duck) in Boston. He googled "best brown boston" and a restaurant called King Fung Garden was revealed. We quickly cross-referenced the search result with YELP and saw comments like "best hole in the wall in Chinatown"... even further piquing our interest, we saw on the restaurant's website that you had to order BROWN 24 hours in advance... I mean, the preparation and deliciousness that implied... just epic. We made a reservation for 3 two Saturdays ago and brought along our perennial good sport and fellow foodie, DrS.
As we drove up to the restaurant, trepidation began to mount as the restaurant looked to be half the size of my apartment and was adjacent to a massage parlor providing happy endings. We walked inside and saw that there were only five tables held together by masking tape, two of which were filled with the loudest, trashiest, 22 year olds that I have almost come to blows with over their obnoxiousness. The restaurant was BYOB - so I brought a classy bottle of pinot noir, while B brought 1/4 of a bottle of Johnny Walker Black - not only was the restaurant BYOB, but apparently there was no ice, tap water or real cups as well... hmmm.
We ordered scallion pancakes, dumplings, a pork dish that was recommended by our waiter and, of course, the three course duck. The scallion pancakes were amazing and so was the pork dish; however, the dumplings were mediocre at best. Then, our peking duck arrived. Crisp skin and tender meat, scallions, cucumbers, hoisin sauce and pancakes... mmmm.... magical. After we'd scarfed down all of that food, S asked for the check. "Oh wait," our waiter replied. "There are two more courses of Brown." Well, lo and behold, a duck stirfry dish arried that was strikingly, suspiciously similar to the pork dish, followed by a nice duck soup.
Even though the other clientele and decor left something to be desired, the food was great and the service was attentive. I would give King Fung Garden 7 out of 10 stars.
As the three of us were walking home, we stopped for a drink at Mistral and I mentioned that there was a restaurant that I'd walked by in the area that looked interesting called Red Lantern. B stepped out for a smoke and reported back that behind Mistral and down a shady alley, he had seen a sign for Red Lantern. We left Mistral and discovered a magical Back Bay alley that none of us had ever seen before. A Mexican restaurant, Zocalo, with an outdoor patio full of people drinking margaritas and a trendy Asian fusion restaurant named Red Lantern. Sheer madness that three such hard-core back bay dwellers as ourselves had never even heard of these places!
So, fast forward a week, my friend R and I decided to check out Red Lantern. I stepped inside and looked around: the decor was spectacular and very cool in NYC/Las Vegas/Tao sort of way. Although the crowd at the bar looked suspiciously reminiscent of Post 390, the drink list was amazing. Oh scorpion bowls, how I love thee. R and I ended up sitting at the bar in front of the kitchen and ordered hot and sour soup and singapore street noodles... which were both excellent. Probably the soup was slightly better on the margin than the noodles, but a great meal nonetheless. I would give Red Lantern 8 out of 10 stars and promise to be back soon!
As we drove up to the restaurant, trepidation began to mount as the restaurant looked to be half the size of my apartment and was adjacent to a massage parlor providing happy endings. We walked inside and saw that there were only five tables held together by masking tape, two of which were filled with the loudest, trashiest, 22 year olds that I have almost come to blows with over their obnoxiousness. The restaurant was BYOB - so I brought a classy bottle of pinot noir, while B brought 1/4 of a bottle of Johnny Walker Black - not only was the restaurant BYOB, but apparently there was no ice, tap water or real cups as well... hmmm.
We ordered scallion pancakes, dumplings, a pork dish that was recommended by our waiter and, of course, the three course duck. The scallion pancakes were amazing and so was the pork dish; however, the dumplings were mediocre at best. Then, our peking duck arrived. Crisp skin and tender meat, scallions, cucumbers, hoisin sauce and pancakes... mmmm.... magical. After we'd scarfed down all of that food, S asked for the check. "Oh wait," our waiter replied. "There are two more courses of Brown." Well, lo and behold, a duck stirfry dish arried that was strikingly, suspiciously similar to the pork dish, followed by a nice duck soup.
Even though the other clientele and decor left something to be desired, the food was great and the service was attentive. I would give King Fung Garden 7 out of 10 stars.
As the three of us were walking home, we stopped for a drink at Mistral and I mentioned that there was a restaurant that I'd walked by in the area that looked interesting called Red Lantern. B stepped out for a smoke and reported back that behind Mistral and down a shady alley, he had seen a sign for Red Lantern. We left Mistral and discovered a magical Back Bay alley that none of us had ever seen before. A Mexican restaurant, Zocalo, with an outdoor patio full of people drinking margaritas and a trendy Asian fusion restaurant named Red Lantern. Sheer madness that three such hard-core back bay dwellers as ourselves had never even heard of these places!
So, fast forward a week, my friend R and I decided to check out Red Lantern. I stepped inside and looked around: the decor was spectacular and very cool in NYC/Las Vegas/Tao sort of way. Although the crowd at the bar looked suspiciously reminiscent of Post 390, the drink list was amazing. Oh scorpion bowls, how I love thee. R and I ended up sitting at the bar in front of the kitchen and ordered hot and sour soup and singapore street noodles... which were both excellent. Probably the soup was slightly better on the margin than the noodles, but a great meal nonetheless. I would give Red Lantern 8 out of 10 stars and promise to be back soon!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Is height (or lack thereof) a dealbreaker?
It's been a long time since I've actually felt something resembling "excitement" about any of these dates. But, several weeks ago, I started emailing with a "frog" that for reasons which may later become apparent, I'll call "Frodo." He seemed ideal: very smart, accomplished, funny, nice, etc...he had only posted two pictures, but he seemed attractive. It seemed like we had a lot in common and I was very much looking forward to getting to meet him in person.
Frodo suggested that we meet for drinks at *Mini *Bar (which is not at all/totally hilarious) last Thursday at 8pm. I donned a *short* dress and *low* gold heels and set off to meet him. As I walked into the bar, I looked around for someone who might resemble Frodo and spotted a likely candidate sitting on one of the couches. I walked over and he stood up and I was SIGNIFICANTLY taller than him. My Asian math brain immediately kicked in.... I am 5'2" or maybe 5'3" soaking wet + my heels (2"-3") - my towering over him (approx 2") - my thinking he was probably wearing lifts (1")... compute.... he is somewhere between 5'1" and 5'3"... there is no way he could be the 5'7" he indicated in his profile. OMG, I am on a date with a little person!
Now, I don't mean to denigrate short people in any way, clearly, I myself am short and am sensitive to the fact that it must be quite hard to be a shorter man. However, I am a big believer in being honest in these profiles so you don't waste people's time or set someone up for the cognitive dissonance that will occur when, as a logical progression, you meet them and reality does not match advertising. I also think that it is maybe okay on the margins to lie about an inch... but 4"-6"... that just strikes me as a less-than-ideal foundation on which to start a relationship.
But, I digress... Frodo asked if I wanted to go sit on the couches outside and desperately needing a drink, I agreed. We actually started out having a nice conversation, but then the topic of my job search came up and I mentioned that I was interviewing at a company in the midwest the following day. "No, you can't leave Boston. I won't let you." He repeated this six times throughout the night. Um, psycho much? As he left on a bathroom break, I quickly wikipedia'd the official definition of "dwarf"... phew. Apparently, one needs to be under 4'10" to qualify. Finally, I brought the date to an end and said I needed to call it early since I had an interview the following day.
Sure enough, the following morning, he sent me a long email asking me out for "thursday, friday or saturday" and making it creepily clear that he had somehow google or otherwise stalked me. And, then I had to put on my big girl pants and turn him down (I hate being mean). Did I say no simply because he was short? Am I a mean person? I think if he had been his actual height and hadn't lied or been overly aggressive/stalkerish, I actually would have been interested. I think there might be a lesson in there somewhere. Or something.
On another note, apparently, I have run through all normal sized, honest people in Boston, so maybe a job in NYC or SF would open up a whole new set of possibilities?
Frodo suggested that we meet for drinks at *Mini *Bar (which is not at all/totally hilarious) last Thursday at 8pm. I donned a *short* dress and *low* gold heels and set off to meet him. As I walked into the bar, I looked around for someone who might resemble Frodo and spotted a likely candidate sitting on one of the couches. I walked over and he stood up and I was SIGNIFICANTLY taller than him. My Asian math brain immediately kicked in.... I am 5'2" or maybe 5'3" soaking wet + my heels (2"-3") - my towering over him (approx 2") - my thinking he was probably wearing lifts (1")... compute.... he is somewhere between 5'1" and 5'3"... there is no way he could be the 5'7" he indicated in his profile. OMG, I am on a date with a little person!
Now, I don't mean to denigrate short people in any way, clearly, I myself am short and am sensitive to the fact that it must be quite hard to be a shorter man. However, I am a big believer in being honest in these profiles so you don't waste people's time or set someone up for the cognitive dissonance that will occur when, as a logical progression, you meet them and reality does not match advertising. I also think that it is maybe okay on the margins to lie about an inch... but 4"-6"... that just strikes me as a less-than-ideal foundation on which to start a relationship.
But, I digress... Frodo asked if I wanted to go sit on the couches outside and desperately needing a drink, I agreed. We actually started out having a nice conversation, but then the topic of my job search came up and I mentioned that I was interviewing at a company in the midwest the following day. "No, you can't leave Boston. I won't let you." He repeated this six times throughout the night. Um, psycho much? As he left on a bathroom break, I quickly wikipedia'd the official definition of "dwarf"... phew. Apparently, one needs to be under 4'10" to qualify. Finally, I brought the date to an end and said I needed to call it early since I had an interview the following day.
Sure enough, the following morning, he sent me a long email asking me out for "thursday, friday or saturday" and making it creepily clear that he had somehow google or otherwise stalked me. And, then I had to put on my big girl pants and turn him down (I hate being mean). Did I say no simply because he was short? Am I a mean person? I think if he had been his actual height and hadn't lied or been overly aggressive/stalkerish, I actually would have been interested. I think there might be a lesson in there somewhere. Or something.
On another note, apparently, I have run through all normal sized, honest people in Boston, so maybe a job in NYC or SF would open up a whole new set of possibilities?
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Favorite Things + Unfavorite Things
I apologize for the lengthy delay in posting. Apparently, looking for a job is the approximate equivalent of having a second job, so between actual work and faux work, I've been running around like a crazy person.
Anthony Gizelneck (sp?) once said: "If you spent half as much time reading books as you do chasing skanks, you might not have AIDS." If I spent half as much time doing deals as I do chasing new jobs, I might not have to look! :)
Without further ado, here are my favorite things from the past couple of weeks:
1) Rediscovering some oldies, but goodies...
Sometimes you forget how much you like certain things - summertime, the Olympics, the endless amount of crazy surrounding a presidential election - but then you remember and it's the best thing ever. I recently added a couple: NYC - hello darkness, my old friend, Market by Jean Georges and no-strings attached "relations" with an ex... :)
2) "Be kind, work hard and amazing things will happen." - Conan O'Brien from the 2011 Dartmouth commencement speech.
Perhaps because of my recent job situation and enjoyment of fratboy humor, I really appreciated what he had to say... Check it out:
Anthony Gizelneck (sp?) once said: "If you spent half as much time reading books as you do chasing skanks, you might not have AIDS." If I spent half as much time doing deals as I do chasing new jobs, I might not have to look! :)
Without further ado, here are my favorite things from the past couple of weeks:
1) Rediscovering some oldies, but goodies...
Sometimes you forget how much you like certain things - summertime, the Olympics, the endless amount of crazy surrounding a presidential election - but then you remember and it's the best thing ever. I recently added a couple: NYC - hello darkness, my old friend, Market by Jean Georges and no-strings attached "relations" with an ex... :)
2) "Be kind, work hard and amazing things will happen." - Conan O'Brien from the 2011 Dartmouth commencement speech.
Perhaps because of my recent job situation and enjoyment of fratboy humor, I really appreciated what he had to say... Check it out:
3) Liberty Wharf in Boston
Beautiful floor to ceiling glass windows that open out to the water, stronger than f*k margaritas, real sports bar and great food.... even if it leads to the realization that texting + margaritas + high heels = sprained ankle, it's worth it. I will be going back... often!
4) Brown!
Different from yellow (dim sum), B and I recently discovered a love of brown aka peking duck. After a false start at Hei La Moon, we went to New Jumbo last weekend and the brown was amazing. We just made dinner reservations at "the best hole in the wall in Chinatown" with the duck included (you have to order 24 hours in advance!)... will report back.
5) Interviewing
Initially, I was a bit nervous... after all, I hadn't interviewed for a new job in 6+ years. However, I quickly realized that it was a great excuse to talk about myself for hours on end and put *others* on the spot. I might be addicted!
6) Babies named after 90210 characters
Recently, two of my friends had babies named Dylan. In the span of two days, both babies pooped on me. Am I the new baby laxative? Minus the pooping, they were both legitimately adorable and no, I'm not lying, they do not look like trolls.
In memorium, "may the bridges I burn light the way." - Dylan McKay
7) Singing Adele's Rolling in the Deep at highest decibel in my car...
Bill Simmons, one of my favorite writers in the world, started this website featuring up and coming writers + guys like Chuck Klosterman
9) Mavs win the NBA Championships/Bruins win the Stanley Cup!
Now, I am not a Mavs fan, but I am a fan of anyone who takes down the classless juggernaut aka Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat + random German dudes with a slight hip hop twangs. Dirk, I'm sold, you are one bad Mf*r.
I am also not a hockey fan, but am happy for all of those true Bruins fans who have suffered through some lean years. A late entrant, but nonetheless, welcome to Boston sports dominance, Bruins!
In a semi-related note, please come back football.... we miss you more than words can say.
10) Bridesmaids... hilarious/must see! "hey f*k buddy...." "you are no longer my number 3"
11) Anything at my rooftop pool...
Unfavorite things from the past few weeks:
1) Hangover Part 2
I couldn't believe how unfunny this movie was. I think I laughed once. Also, Thailand is awesome and so are Asiatic people.
2) The Registry of Motor Vehicles
3) Douch-ey cops, you know who you are
4) Airplane acne
5) Pretending to still care about my job/awaiting my Oscar nomination
6) Ashley A-Bear, the self-esteem-less Bachelorette, thanks for ruining our show.
7) Mechanical delays resulting in an unexpected stay at an airport hotel/motel in Houston
8) Inability to resist pasta/bread
9) Not having enough time to post things in my blog!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
It's a jungle out there!!
My job search so far:
* 6 days of panic attacks
* 1 combo job offer/proposition from a newly separated ex-colleague
* 3 drunken flirty 11pm emails from an inebriated work colleague who promised to help me find a job... if I'd come meet him at Abe & Louie's
* 3 interview offers from the midwest: Detroit, Minneapolis or Denver, anyone?
* 1 interview potentially scheduled with the semi-famous owner of an NBA team
* Countless forms filled out on recruiter websites
* 1 call scheduled for Friday with my dream job in...BOSTON! (fingers crossed that he's hiring...)
* Many debts of gratitude owed to all my non-skeezy colleagues and friends who have listened to me blindly panic - yes, S, I am following the steps!
* 6 days of panic attacks
* 1 combo job offer/proposition from a newly separated ex-colleague
* 3 drunken flirty 11pm emails from an inebriated work colleague who promised to help me find a job... if I'd come meet him at Abe & Louie's
* 3 interview offers from the midwest: Detroit, Minneapolis or Denver, anyone?
* 1 interview potentially scheduled with the semi-famous owner of an NBA team
* Countless forms filled out on recruiter websites
* 1 call scheduled for Friday with my dream job in...BOSTON! (fingers crossed that he's hiring...)
* Many debts of gratitude owed to all my non-skeezy colleagues and friends who have listened to me blindly panic - yes, S, I am following the steps!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Inspirational thoughts on a Friday morning...
As you might be able to tell from my recent entries, my life has been pretty chaotic recently! A very awesome/sweet friend of mine sent me the following quotes to inspire me and it really meant a lot. I thought I'd share them in case anyone else was feeling a little down because of the three straight weeks of gray skies... Happy Friday everyone! (PS. the Gandhi quote is gourmet fo'sho'!)
life does not put things
in front of you
that you are unable to handle.
-unknown
life isn't about finding yourself.
life is about creating yourself.
-unknown
do not go where the path may lead.
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.
- ralph waldo emerson
the adventure of life is to learn.
the goal of life is to grow.
-arthur
what lies behind us and what lies before us
are small matters compared to what lies within us.
- ralph waldo emerson
every truly great accomplishment
is at first impossible.
- fortune cookie
be the change
you wish to see in the world...
- gandhi
you are master of your own fate,
the captain of your own soul.
- william ernest henley
the journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step.
- lao tzu
limitless like the ocean
are your excellent qualities
- the dalai lama
twenty years from now you will be more
disappointed by the things you didn't do
than by the ones you did.
so throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor,
catch the trade winds in your sails.
explore. dream. discover.
-unknown
it is never too late to be
what you might have been.
- eliot
life does not put things
in front of you
that you are unable to handle.
-unknown
life isn't about finding yourself.
life is about creating yourself.
-unknown
do not go where the path may lead.
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.
- ralph waldo emerson
the adventure of life is to learn.
the goal of life is to grow.
-arthur
what lies behind us and what lies before us
are small matters compared to what lies within us.
- ralph waldo emerson
every truly great accomplishment
is at first impossible.
- fortune cookie
be the change
you wish to see in the world...
- gandhi
you are master of your own fate,
the captain of your own soul.
- william ernest henley
the journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step.
- lao tzu
limitless like the ocean
are your excellent qualities
- the dalai lama
twenty years from now you will be more
disappointed by the things you didn't do
than by the ones you did.
so throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor,
catch the trade winds in your sails.
explore. dream. discover.
-unknown
it is never too late to be
what you might have been.
- eliot
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Kick in the arse
Sometimes, you look around at your life and you think.... I feel kinda lost - I know I'm not 100% in the place I'm supposed to be, but I'm too content/complacent/whatever to shake things up.
Well, today I found out that my firm is winding down... and that I have to go look for a new job... a prospect that is simultaneously absolutely terrifying and exciting. I feel like my job has been stuck in neutral for the past 9-12 months and... hopefully this is just the kick in the arse I need?
I guess I'm scared b/c (1) unfortunately, most of the jobs in my field are in NYC or San Francisco or Chicago... but there are some in Boston as well... (2) it's not the best time in the world to think of getting a new job and (3) fear of the unknown.
What I need is a drink! and for my heart to stop beating so effing fast.
Well, today I found out that my firm is winding down... and that I have to go look for a new job... a prospect that is simultaneously absolutely terrifying and exciting. I feel like my job has been stuck in neutral for the past 9-12 months and... hopefully this is just the kick in the arse I need?
I guess I'm scared b/c (1) unfortunately, most of the jobs in my field are in NYC or San Francisco or Chicago... but there are some in Boston as well... (2) it's not the best time in the world to think of getting a new job and (3) fear of the unknown.
What I need is a drink! and for my heart to stop beating so effing fast.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
H_ngm_n
Last night, my friend P and I went to The Gallows in the South End and it was gr_a_. Compared to Citizens, another "upscale" gastropub I've recently eaten at, The Gallows was much more chill (i.e. I could hear myself think/actually have a conversation) and the food was delicious. Even though I'm on a stupid diet (the "don't eat things that might cause a heart attack" diet - patent pending) until I unveil myself at the RTP on Memorial Day, my field green salad and Kentucky bugoo were quite tasty if not entirely what I expected. Although I desperately wanted to order the poutine and burgers, discipline ruled the day and I went healthy, sort of. My field green salad was incredibly fresh and light and the bugoo was tasty. I guess I had pictured more of a piece of lamb instead of a stew... but either way I enjoyed the bugoo!
P did a better job of ordering than I and had the chicken which was SO good.
We had a great night and I'd give The Gallows 7.5 out of 10 st_rs.
P did a better job of ordering than I and had the chicken which was SO good.
We had a great night and I'd give The Gallows 7.5 out of 10 st_rs.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
No Soup For You
Today, I might have taken a cab to volunteer at a soup kitchen in Beacon Hill, Saturday/Sunday's Bread. Yes, all of the limos and town cars were booked. I walked into the church (no, I was not struck down) and met the group of people I would be working with for the afternoon. It was a mix of young and old people, everyone seemed very friendly. It was my first time there and I learned that Saturday/Sunday's Bread was started because there were a lot of institutions providing food for homeless and marginally homeless people during the week, but not on weekends.
The head of the kitchen informed us that the meal of the day was shepherd's pie, green beans and salad with bread and cookies on each of the tables. I couldn't believe that there was no soup at the soup kitchen! We weren't allowed to make the shepherd's pie, but made tons of salad (red peppers are my b*tch!) and set tables, laying out the bread, cookies, juice, water and condiments. As we were cutting up vegetables, the chef told us to make sure everything was cut into tiny pieces as most of the people we'd be serving had severe dental issues.
At about 2:30, the floodgates opened and 80+ people walked in, primarily male. They eagerly devoured the food as fast as we put it in front of them and were clamoring for seconds. Ladies, if you ever need an ego boost, head to the nearest homeless shelter... I got more sweet compliments and requests for my phone number than I can count! All of the people seemed so grateful for the food and a chance to talk to us and kept thanking us profusely. Talking to a lot of the people there, I felt pretty sad.... some of the people were clearly well-educated, some seemed quite well read and talked about former jobs and schools... I wondered how they got to where they are now, but it didn't seem appropriate to ask.
After we cleaned up the dining room and kitchen, I left... smelling slightly of shepherd's pie, but feeling a sense of accomplishment and happiness. I would definitely recommend going and I hope to go back soon!
The head of the kitchen informed us that the meal of the day was shepherd's pie, green beans and salad with bread and cookies on each of the tables. I couldn't believe that there was no soup at the soup kitchen! We weren't allowed to make the shepherd's pie, but made tons of salad (red peppers are my b*tch!) and set tables, laying out the bread, cookies, juice, water and condiments. As we were cutting up vegetables, the chef told us to make sure everything was cut into tiny pieces as most of the people we'd be serving had severe dental issues.
At about 2:30, the floodgates opened and 80+ people walked in, primarily male. They eagerly devoured the food as fast as we put it in front of them and were clamoring for seconds. Ladies, if you ever need an ego boost, head to the nearest homeless shelter... I got more sweet compliments and requests for my phone number than I can count! All of the people seemed so grateful for the food and a chance to talk to us and kept thanking us profusely. Talking to a lot of the people there, I felt pretty sad.... some of the people were clearly well-educated, some seemed quite well read and talked about former jobs and schools... I wondered how they got to where they are now, but it didn't seem appropriate to ask.
After we cleaned up the dining room and kitchen, I left... smelling slightly of shepherd's pie, but feeling a sense of accomplishment and happiness. I would definitely recommend going and I hope to go back soon!
Friday, May 13, 2011
BFF (aka a self-indulgent, hopefully cathartic, not funny at all article)
Tonight, I went to Bergamot with Emily. In truth, I had been both looking forward to dinner and dreading it, as she is moving to Michigan shortly and I knew that I'd have to face that fact - which I had been conciously avoiding dealing with. You might cry for a day or two or maybe even a month over losing some guy who will ultimately fade to nothing more than a memory, but how do you stop crying over losing somone who has been a huge part of your life since you were 15, someone you went to high school and college with, someone who is the first person you call when you're happy, scared, surprised or sad and someone you can always, always count on... I don't know.
I first met Emily when we were both new sophomores at boarding school. Neither of us had quite found our niche yet, but when we met each other, we finally found true friends. Someone once asked us if we'd always been close, or whether, since we were so close now, we'd revised our history to make it seem that we'd always been that way. "Nope," we replied, "we've always been this way." When I think back on our friendship, which at this point has been going on for over half our lives, I think of... sleepovers in Boxford, mixing vodka and snapple and drinking in her parents' hot tub, PALS, our frequent bowler cards, concerts at great woods... and getting arrested, laying out by the pool, living in the ABCDs together in college, watching days of our lives and 90210, graduating from ramen to fancy restaurants, shopping and nice vacations, crying after breakups, laughing almost all the time..too many memories to write down in one place.
Last week, I was on a business trip and grabbed a trashy novel to read on the plane, Something Borrowed. Basically, it was about two girls who had nominally been "best friends forever", but beneath the surface, there was competition, one upsmanship, jealousy, manipulation, betrayal, distance and a lack of understanding about and appreciation for who the other person was. As shallow as the book was, I found myself actually thinking about different friendships in my life and comparing them to the one in the book. When I thought about Emily, I realized that we have, and always had, a complete absence of any of those negative factors. Now, that's pretty rare. I think that we could hang out forever and never get sick of each other.
Emily says that nothing has to change, that we're family and will be best friends forever. Even though I know that's true, I can't help feeling that I'll probably start crying again the first time I drive by Inman Square and know that she won't be there. I'll miss all the everyday things I know.
Thank you, Emily, for always making my life better and being there for me. I love you more than I have the words to express.
Oh yeah, and Bergamot was really good too with fresh, local ingredients and great flavors. Although we both cried all over our food and I'm a little embarrassed to go back, I should probably wait to give it a true, non-cried-on review.
I first met Emily when we were both new sophomores at boarding school. Neither of us had quite found our niche yet, but when we met each other, we finally found true friends. Someone once asked us if we'd always been close, or whether, since we were so close now, we'd revised our history to make it seem that we'd always been that way. "Nope," we replied, "we've always been this way." When I think back on our friendship, which at this point has been going on for over half our lives, I think of... sleepovers in Boxford, mixing vodka and snapple and drinking in her parents' hot tub, PALS, our frequent bowler cards, concerts at great woods... and getting arrested, laying out by the pool, living in the ABCDs together in college, watching days of our lives and 90210, graduating from ramen to fancy restaurants, shopping and nice vacations, crying after breakups, laughing almost all the time..too many memories to write down in one place.
Last week, I was on a business trip and grabbed a trashy novel to read on the plane, Something Borrowed. Basically, it was about two girls who had nominally been "best friends forever", but beneath the surface, there was competition, one upsmanship, jealousy, manipulation, betrayal, distance and a lack of understanding about and appreciation for who the other person was. As shallow as the book was, I found myself actually thinking about different friendships in my life and comparing them to the one in the book. When I thought about Emily, I realized that we have, and always had, a complete absence of any of those negative factors. Now, that's pretty rare. I think that we could hang out forever and never get sick of each other.
Emily says that nothing has to change, that we're family and will be best friends forever. Even though I know that's true, I can't help feeling that I'll probably start crying again the first time I drive by Inman Square and know that she won't be there. I'll miss all the everyday things I know.
Thank you, Emily, for always making my life better and being there for me. I love you more than I have the words to express.
Oh yeah, and Bergamot was really good too with fresh, local ingredients and great flavors. Although we both cried all over our food and I'm a little embarrassed to go back, I should probably wait to give it a true, non-cried-on review.
Picking at scabs
Once upon a time, I dated a frog…let’s call him… LT. Several years ago, LT and I met through work and instantly hit it off – although at the time, he was in Chicago while I was in Boston Boston to prepare to swim across the Atlantic . Although this seemed far-fetched, it was completely in keeping with his over the top personality and we feverishly traded emails, texts and phone calls, counting down the days until our first date on the day he arrived. Well, it turned out that the truth was more mundane, instead of facing sharks and cold temperatures, he was here for graduate school. After all of that anticipation, our date was, well, drunken and may have ended when he ran out of my apartment before he puked. The very next day, I met a new frog, J, who I fell for deeply and LT became absorbed by his new graduate school life.
We always kept in touch and last spring, almost a year ago today, he stopped by a party I was throwing and… it happened. That elusive thunderbolt of “I need to be with this person no matter what” struck both of us. I was dating someone else at the time who was much more stable, mature and not moving to NYC to take a 100-hour a week job at an investment bank. Although I tried to be reasonable and logical and, for once, make a smart decision, I couldn’t resist the electric chemistry and broke up with my boyfriend for the wildly charismatic puzzle that was LT. We enjoyed a couple months of absolute bliss… long conversations until 5 in the morning, the amazing feeling you get when someone tells you that you’re the most important thing in the world to them, strolls through the Common, dates to Celtics games, the most fun ever and laughing… We’d never felt that way before about anyone else.
Unfortunately, reality then struck and LT became really busy with his job in NYC… we started fighting over not spending time together, religion and the different places we were in life. As happy as I’d been, I felt equally miserable. One night, after a particularly grueling “conversation”, I was sitting in my window, drinking wine by myself and smoking cigarettes (which I hadn’t in years) and I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. The next day, I broke up with him over email. Cowardly I know, but I knew if I talked to him face to face or over the phone, I wouldn’t have been able to end things. Afterwards, we talked and emailed a bit, but it was just too painful and we resolved to forget about each other and move on. So, I got back together with the dull boyfriend and tried to forget. But, it was hard, everything reminded me of LT… things we’d talked about and both loved, songs on the radio (Eminem’s Love the Way you Lie and U2’s With or Without You were particular favorites if that tells you anything about the dysfunction) and I would forget about the misery and just miss the happiness.
But, as with anything, time, as well as a sense of “God, you’re pathetic,” made things easier. And, just this week, I remember thinking “wow, I’ve made a lot of progress – I think I might be over him. “
Cut to last night… I was getting dressed to meet my friend S for dinner when my phone started ringing… I looked down…. and it was him. LT. What would you do? In a state of shock, my heart pounding, I answered the phone. It turned out he was in town for work and wanted to see if I would like to get “a drink or two or zero or a cup of water” either Thursday or Friday night. I told him that I had dinner plans, but could meet up afterwards if it wasn’t too late. I thought, “wow, I’m an idiot…. all those months of progress down the drain…” But, I knew that if I didn’t go, I would always wonder what he’d wanted to say and that might end up being worse. So, I went to meet him after dinner. We started talking and it was like old times…. Inside jokes and, even though a lot of time had passed, it seemed like we remembered everything about each other and our brief relationship.
Beware the giant, white elephant in the room.
He started talking about his job and his “problems with authority” and how that fed into his control issues. “I have problems doing things other people tell me to do if I don’t think it’s my idea as well. Things need to always be my idea. I hate the feeling of not being in control.” And, I remembered why we didn’t work out.
Then, he asked, “are you still stuck on staying in Boston
And he said it “I miss you… I think about you a lot.”
We left the bar and he grabbed me and kissed me on the streets of Beacon Hill , like old times. Then he asked me if I wanted to go back to his hotel room. And the answer came suddenly, “No. I don’t want to be some random girl.” “It’s not like that at all, but I respect your decision.” “Why did you call me tonight?” “I missed you and we have so much in common and the same sense of humor and I want to be back in your life.”
Same old LT. All the pretty words, none of the commitment.
I left and went home. I guess I don’t know why I feel so sad and no sense of the closure I so desperately wanted. Maybe because when you pick a scab, you bleed.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Lovin' the Lone Star State
As the meat in the middle of a hefty work-trip sandwich, my weekend visit to Austin, TX to see some dear friemds was highly anticipated and did not disappoint. As much as I hate to be disloyal to Boston, I have to admit that Austin may have one over on us Northerners. Weather? triple check. Outdoor living/Water sports? check. Live music? check. Food? toss-up, depending on whether you prefer healthy + seafood to BBQ + Mexican. People? A LOT friendlier, but missing that sarcastic/something to grab onto. Fun? double check.
I woke up on saturday morning and my friend S proposed we walk to the local breakfast cafe. A mile later, I made my first discovery: the breakfast taco. In hindsight, I have spent way too much time laboring under the false delusion that tacos are only for lunch and dinner... oh no, my friends, tacos with eggs and hot sauce and sausage = magically delicious start to a morning. We then hung out for awhile before heading to Lake Travis for lunch on a cliff overlooking the lake. Although the food left a little to be desired, the views were spectacular and I found myself wishing that Boston would have a complex of bars and restaurants where one could drink margaritas on a lake.... We then headed into town for dinner and drinks with S's husband, J and his hot, single friend, Brian. After several margaritas + Lone Star beers (taste like Budweiser), we ate what I assume to be authentic Mexican food at an upscale restaurant and then headed to a section of town where a developer had bought a group of houses and converted them into bars - complete with hula hoops and ping pong tables. Oh, and did I mention that this Brian is hot? Apparently, he is not only hot, but also ridiculously smart, successful, nice, and sharing of my love for Bernese mountain dogs. sigh. After we talked for several hours, we left and Brian promised to meet up with us on Sunday for dinner and to buy a ticket to join us at a Lauryn Hill concert.
Although we were a bit hungover on Sunday, S & J and I still made our way to the bottom of the lake where they keep their boat next to a fun restaurant on the lake. Second amazing TX food discovery of the weekend: fried pickles. As I ate my friend pickles and drank my beer, I looked over the people driving their boats up to docks while bands played and grabbing beers, jet skiing and swimming... maybe this is the life?
On Sunday night, we went to a great restaurant, Parkside, for dinner and walked around 6th street (kinda trashy, I have to say) before making our way over to Stubbs, a famous outdoor arena. Intimate and full of character, Stubbs seemed like the kind of old-fashioned place that's ideal for people who really like music. Brian and I stole off from S&J and watched the Lauryn Hill concert together. Alas, the night ended too soon and I headed back with my friends to catch an early flight to Dallas for my work meetings. Sigh.
All in all, I highly recommend a trip to Austin... especially for one of the music festivals (SXSW or ACL) or UTexas games... hopefully I will be seeing the Lone Star state (but, really only Austin) again soon.
I woke up on saturday morning and my friend S proposed we walk to the local breakfast cafe. A mile later, I made my first discovery: the breakfast taco. In hindsight, I have spent way too much time laboring under the false delusion that tacos are only for lunch and dinner... oh no, my friends, tacos with eggs and hot sauce and sausage = magically delicious start to a morning. We then hung out for awhile before heading to Lake Travis for lunch on a cliff overlooking the lake. Although the food left a little to be desired, the views were spectacular and I found myself wishing that Boston would have a complex of bars and restaurants where one could drink margaritas on a lake.... We then headed into town for dinner and drinks with S's husband, J and his hot, single friend, Brian. After several margaritas + Lone Star beers (taste like Budweiser), we ate what I assume to be authentic Mexican food at an upscale restaurant and then headed to a section of town where a developer had bought a group of houses and converted them into bars - complete with hula hoops and ping pong tables. Oh, and did I mention that this Brian is hot? Apparently, he is not only hot, but also ridiculously smart, successful, nice, and sharing of my love for Bernese mountain dogs. sigh. After we talked for several hours, we left and Brian promised to meet up with us on Sunday for dinner and to buy a ticket to join us at a Lauryn Hill concert.
Although we were a bit hungover on Sunday, S & J and I still made our way to the bottom of the lake where they keep their boat next to a fun restaurant on the lake. Second amazing TX food discovery of the weekend: fried pickles. As I ate my friend pickles and drank my beer, I looked over the people driving their boats up to docks while bands played and grabbing beers, jet skiing and swimming... maybe this is the life?
On Sunday night, we went to a great restaurant, Parkside, for dinner and walked around 6th street (kinda trashy, I have to say) before making our way over to Stubbs, a famous outdoor arena. Intimate and full of character, Stubbs seemed like the kind of old-fashioned place that's ideal for people who really like music. Brian and I stole off from S&J and watched the Lauryn Hill concert together. Alas, the night ended too soon and I headed back with my friends to catch an early flight to Dallas for my work meetings. Sigh.
All in all, I highly recommend a trip to Austin... especially for one of the music festivals (SXSW or ACL) or UTexas games... hopefully I will be seeing the Lone Star state (but, really only Austin) again soon.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
American jurisprudence at its finest...
This morning, I woke up early and headed into Dorchester , or as it is more commonly known, Deathchester, to participate in my thrice annual civic obligation, jury duty. Dim eyed and flat tailed, I sat in a drab room and tried to read about how Christopher Columbus was not a nice dude (thank you, S! I am on page 38) while silently scheming to avoid being placed on a jury. After about 45 minutes, a bailiff wheeled out a tv with some tubes protruding from the back and tried to entertain us with a 1980’s video about the U.S. court system and…. Well, I sort of tuned out the woman justice with the bouffant. The one thing the video got right was, “the one thing that’s foremost on everyone’s mind is “when do I get to leave?” You are correct, ma’am! The bailiff also announced that a snack truck would appear in front of the courthouse at 10AM and visions of breakfast began dancing in my head.
Unfortunately, at about 15 minutes before 10AM, the bailiff called us to come to a courtroom. Mentally steeling myself to discuss my latent racism, hatred of the law and my vague familiarity with the defendant, I anxiously sat in the back of the courtroom. The judge began calling jurors by number. Oh! I am juror number 20 and they only need 6 jurors… I began to feel better and better. However, voir dire begins and the lawyers started tossing jurors off the panel…for reasons such as being visibly drunk/high and have a constitutional law final. (well played, sir, well played.) They finally settled on 6 jurors but apparently needed an alternate and the last number called was 18. I started to breathe a sigh of relief, but heard a dreaded “20” called. Before I could spout off every potential prejudice I could think of, I heard the judge ask the lawyers: “does anyone have an objection to BostonGal?” Sadly, noone did and I was the last juror seated.
I have to say, I did warm to the judge through the trial, he seemed to share my affinity for quick action and efficiency as well as a twinkle in his eye and a Southie accent.
Here is a brief summation of the trial (with all identifying details removed): Alleged Victim (AV)’s sibling was murdered while he/she was sitting out on the street with the defendant (a friend). It was unclear what happened or who murdered him/her. AV never heard from the defendant and the defendant, who had named the AV’s sibling a godparent of his/her child, never came to any funeral or expressed his/her condolences in any way. AV waited a month and then called the defendant to ask him/her what had happened to the sibling. All sorts of invective spewed forth with both sides using words that Boston
A few observations from the trial: nothing is more amusing than a translator being forced to translate ghetto insults in broken English/strange Caribbean language, if you are on trial for assault, maybe try not to wear jeans, a sweatshirt, sneakers and a menacing aura, perhaps we should pay our ADAs more money so they will make better fashion choices and, most importantly, if you are a policeman witness who needs to present key pictures and evidence, maybe you want to actually show up.
After all the evidence/testimony was presented, the judge selected ME as foreperson and away the jury went to deliberate. WELL, noone cottons to faux authority and the chance to run a room for hours better than BostonGal! My fellow jurors were barely seated when I went up to the whiteboard and started writing out an agenda for our discussion and the hurdles we’d need to measure to find the defendant guilty or not guilty. I suggested we tackle the “threat” charge first as I thought it would be the easiest to resolve: the defendant had actually admitted to threatening the AV and had implied the intent to follow through. However, as we reviewed each of the four elements that constitute a threat, it became clear that we were deadlocked 5 (on the side of logic and reason) to 1 (Forrest Gump IQ, made up crazy backstory telenovela in her head). Forrest Gump steadfastly held her ground. “Yes, the defendant broke the law, but I cannot emotionally say that he/she is guilty.” This went on for TWO HOURS. I tried everything to point out to Forrest that she was being an idiot without coming out and saying it. I then instituted a 10 minute “recess” when it become apparent that she was taking a wild, wild detour into digging her heels in and during that time I tried to humanize everyone by making them go around the room and tell us about themselves. Great quotes included, “I have lived in South Boston for 38 years and I am very angry.” And “I work in a vault.” Although this seemed to help, we were still at an impasse. FG suggested that we tell the judge we couldn’t reach a decision. No way was I coming back tomorrow!
Finally, I summoned my inner To Kill a Mockingbird and gave a speech on the duties of jurors that was half pulled from my vague recollections of the 1980’s video and half pulled from my a**. I don’t know if it was my dazzling oratory or perhaps the realization that she’d already eaten a free lunch and was unlikely to get more food, but Forrest finally caved. PHEW.
Now, onto the assault and battery. For this, I suggested we “stage a re-enactment” so that we could all be on the same page as to what occurred. This actually proved to be helpful as I had initially thought the defendant was guilty, but I realized that I couldn’t tell beyond a shadow of a doubt whether the “scratching” had occurred as the AV was grabbing the defendant by the jacket (self defense) or after as the AV was being dragged away in a bear hug by his/her father (assault). Here again, we were deadlocked 5 to 1 and the 1 was actually a real-life corporate lawyer. However, after I explained my reasoning, she agreed that, although we both thought that actually the AV and defendant were guilty of assault/self-defense, we couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt what had happened based on the evidence given. Another deadlock broken!!
Friday, April 15, 2011
If you fall off the pole... there's no safety net
To continue our trend of trying new and slightly offbeat activities such as trapeze-ing, B and I signed up for Pole 101 at Boston Pole Fitness. Last night, we walked through the Gold's Gym at Fenway to a dance studio with 10 poles descending from the ceiling. Although the website suggested that people wear yoga clothes, apparently, the most practical clothes were those that exposed the most skin as that helped the "dancer" hold onto the pole with her crotch and knees. The skill level of the participants varied greatly from an '80's haired 45 year old to someone who *might* be a professional.
Star ran us through some warm-up squats and stretches... and then it was on to the holds/climbs... we learned to jump onto the pole and "suction cup" on with either our crotch or knees and lean back. Then, on to twirling around the pole. And, finally, we finished off with headstands/upside down splits against the pole.
Sometimes you try new sports and are amazed at how quickly you pick them up (yoga), sometimes an hour is enough to convince you that you probably can't moonlight at the Golden Banana, hoping to supplement your income and buy that awesome apartment in the South End with the hot tub on the patio.... Let's just say, pole dancing fell on the latter end of the spectrum. Instead of looking "sexy," B and I just looked scared... of bruising, falling off the pole, falling on our asses. And, apparently, pole dancing is kind of hard! I have a newfound respect for those that work the stage. I mean, not only are they someone's daughter, but kind of athletic/graceful as well. I would give the experience 4.5 out of 10 stars.
B's take:
Star ran us through some warm-up squats and stretches... and then it was on to the holds/climbs... we learned to jump onto the pole and "suction cup" on with either our crotch or knees and lean back. Then, on to twirling around the pole. And, finally, we finished off with headstands/upside down splits against the pole.
Sometimes you try new sports and are amazed at how quickly you pick them up (yoga), sometimes an hour is enough to convince you that you probably can't moonlight at the Golden Banana, hoping to supplement your income and buy that awesome apartment in the South End with the hot tub on the patio.... Let's just say, pole dancing fell on the latter end of the spectrum. Instead of looking "sexy," B and I just looked scared... of bruising, falling off the pole, falling on our asses. And, apparently, pole dancing is kind of hard! I have a newfound respect for those that work the stage. I mean, not only are they someone's daughter, but kind of athletic/graceful as well. I would give the experience 4.5 out of 10 stars.
B's take:
Ummm I mean, 5 being avg, I’d say it was like a 5.5 or a 6.
I DID laugh and have fun…
The visuals of our faces while we were trying to be “sexy” was pretty fricking hilarious.
Also in comparison to the stripper-in-training that was on the other side of the room doing splits.
The headstand was pretty solid also – you had some nice moves there.
Now that I think about it more, I’m giving it a solid 6.
Deducting points for: bruising, crotch friction, and the smashing of dreams
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
5 napkins = Meh
One day about 5 months ago, I walked by an empty storefront with a sign: "5 napkin burger - coming soon." I googled 5 napkin burger and found out that the chain had been voted best burger in NYC! I thought back to all of the burgers I'd eaten in NYC - at Corner Bistro, JG Melon's, Raw, Shake Shack to name a few - and couldn't even fathom what a better burger might taste like... Anticipation ran high every day as signs of progress began to appear. My friend B even called to ascertain when the restaurant might be opening and we learned it would be in March.
We tried to go the week the restaurant opened, but the wait was 2 hours long, so we just had drinks at the bar....(mixed crowd... potentially Boston bridge & tunnel - more than 1 scrunchie was spotted). So, finally today, my friend A generously offered to buy me lunch and the long-awaited day had come. He ordered a burger salad and I had to get the original 5 napkin burger which came with gruyere, carmelized onions and white bread. When my burger came, I was a little disappointed b/c I had ordered a medium burger, but this was pinkly rare... I thought it was kinda greasy and the cheese and bread weren't great. :( Even though the company was good, the meal did not even come close to my expectations of deliciousness.
Sadly, I have to give the 5 napkins 4 stars out of 10.
We tried to go the week the restaurant opened, but the wait was 2 hours long, so we just had drinks at the bar....(mixed crowd... potentially Boston bridge & tunnel - more than 1 scrunchie was spotted). So, finally today, my friend A generously offered to buy me lunch and the long-awaited day had come. He ordered a burger salad and I had to get the original 5 napkin burger which came with gruyere, carmelized onions and white bread. When my burger came, I was a little disappointed b/c I had ordered a medium burger, but this was pinkly rare... I thought it was kinda greasy and the cheese and bread weren't great. :( Even though the company was good, the meal did not even come close to my expectations of deliciousness.
Sadly, I have to give the 5 napkins 4 stars out of 10.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Super Secret Voice… or SSV
My friend B and I developed a concept called SSV – it refers to the voice in your head that instinctively “knows” the answers to relationship issues. Do I really like him? Does he like me? Are things going well? Is there something “off” or is everything clicking? A lot of the time the SSV has answers that you don’t want to admit to yourself. As Shantaram says, “the truth is a bully that we all hate.”
On Friday, I went out to dinner with Frog #4 at Tico, a new Latin American restaurant in the Back Bay opened by Michael Schlow. The bar seems fun and the margaritas/tequilas are good, but the food was terrible… ugh. I had moderate hopes for Frog #4, but they were dashed partway through dinner when the following conversation occurred:
Me: “What have you been up to the past two weeks?”
F #4: “Nothing.”
Me: “Oh… um, what are your plans for the rest of the weekend?”
F#4: “I don’t have any.”
Me: “Oh.. um, so you said you like movies. What are your favorite movies?”
F#4: “uh… I don’t really know…. maybe [insert movies from my online profile]”
Me: Silence followed by feeling creeped out. My SSV started screaming “get me out of here!”
I like vanilla … but not to date. Leading to my Friday post: "I just can't force myself to settle."
So, he then sent me a text the next day asking me if he could take me to a Celtics playoff game…. which is like waving crack in front of an addict… but I thought the nicer thing to do would be to politely decline. Which I did. Followed by a quick donation to Redcross.org to benefit the Japanese tsunami victims to cleanse my karma.
Hopefully, I meet someone a little more appropriate soon….
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
What I did when I was sick...
Unfortunately, I've been really sick for the past several days. Coughingsneezingstuffyheadfever... ugh! But, worst of all, it's super boring. When you feel terrible and are obviously contagious, you can't be around anyone and you can't do anything, so you have to amuse yourself by yourself with things in your apartment. So here is what I did:
1) "Mr. Trump, you've disappointed more women than Sex and the City 2" - from the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump (which is AMAZING and I cannot recommend it highly enough)...
However, I had already seen the Roast *maybe* 5 times and was forced to watch some truly terrible television, including... Sex and the City 2. It was on HBO on sunday afternoon and somehow in my Dayquil haze, I started watching it. It was absolutely horrible - the writing, the acting, the clothes.... just ugh, ugh, ugh. How far we have fallen, Carrie Bradshaw. Please don't make another one.
I also watched Black Swan/White Swan in an effort to understand Kobe Bryant's description of teammate Pau Gasol: "He's too white swan all the time.... and I need him to be more black swan." Hmmm.... maybe we shouldn't compare our best teammate to a crazy, inarticulate lesbian ballerina... oh, I'm sorry, are we still pretending that movie was good and that Natalie Portman had an Oscar worthy performance? Ok, I'll shut up now.
Here's the thing: I have 900 channels and, well, with the exception of the Boston Celtics, 90210/HIMYM/The Office reruns and the Good Wife.... there's very little good on.... except my new discovery of Kim and Kourtney take New York. I can't tell if it was the Dayquil or what, but is that show actually super entertaining? Is it bad news that I like Scott Disick??
2) SHANTARAM
If you haven't read Shantaram, head straight to your neighborhood bookstore because damn, that book is good. Largely autobiographical, the book is about Lin Ford, a convict who escaped from a jail in Australia and ended up in India... yeah, my friend A gave me that description and it didn't make me want to read the book either. But, I was forced, in my boredom, to start reading it... and yes, while that is an accurate description of the plot, it's really about love and fate and redemption and sort of made me want to go to India and live in a slum and dispense medical supplies and join the mob and run away....
Bottom line: I haven't read a book this entertaining in a long, long time.
3) Dayquil/Nyquil... mmmmm
4) Attempted various household chores. Cleaning out closet - yes. Hanging heavy things - no. Making chicken soup - debatable.
5) Recovered... thank god!
1) "Mr. Trump, you've disappointed more women than Sex and the City 2" - from the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump (which is AMAZING and I cannot recommend it highly enough)...
However, I had already seen the Roast *maybe* 5 times and was forced to watch some truly terrible television, including... Sex and the City 2. It was on HBO on sunday afternoon and somehow in my Dayquil haze, I started watching it. It was absolutely horrible - the writing, the acting, the clothes.... just ugh, ugh, ugh. How far we have fallen, Carrie Bradshaw. Please don't make another one.
I also watched Black Swan/White Swan in an effort to understand Kobe Bryant's description of teammate Pau Gasol: "He's too white swan all the time.... and I need him to be more black swan." Hmmm.... maybe we shouldn't compare our best teammate to a crazy, inarticulate lesbian ballerina... oh, I'm sorry, are we still pretending that movie was good and that Natalie Portman had an Oscar worthy performance? Ok, I'll shut up now.
Here's the thing: I have 900 channels and, well, with the exception of the Boston Celtics, 90210/HIMYM/The Office reruns and the Good Wife.... there's very little good on.... except my new discovery of Kim and Kourtney take New York. I can't tell if it was the Dayquil or what, but is that show actually super entertaining? Is it bad news that I like Scott Disick??
2) SHANTARAM
If you haven't read Shantaram, head straight to your neighborhood bookstore because damn, that book is good. Largely autobiographical, the book is about Lin Ford, a convict who escaped from a jail in Australia and ended up in India... yeah, my friend A gave me that description and it didn't make me want to read the book either. But, I was forced, in my boredom, to start reading it... and yes, while that is an accurate description of the plot, it's really about love and fate and redemption and sort of made me want to go to India and live in a slum and dispense medical supplies and join the mob and run away....
Bottom line: I haven't read a book this entertaining in a long, long time.
3) Dayquil/Nyquil... mmmmm
4) Attempted various household chores. Cleaning out closet - yes. Hanging heavy things - no. Making chicken soup - debatable.
5) Recovered... thank god!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Secret Museum Fetish
On Sunday afternoon, I met Frog #3 (boat dweller) for big trouble in little china - or as is more commonly known, dim sum. I was impressed with his willingness to try anything and also that his favorite dishes - pork pillows and yellow - were also mine (clearly great taste). We vowed to come back and be even more adventurous, although I'm not sure anything will get me to try the chicken feet.
After food, we headed over to the Museum of Fine Arts to check out the new American Art Wing. As an aside, the new renovation looks great! I love the central atrium with the chihuly (sp?) glass sculpture and cafe and some of the new paintings in the art wing are really cool. I especially liked the Winslow Homer, landscapes and Gilbert Stuart/George Washington dollar bill painting.
But, I digress. What do I secretly love to do in museums? Touch old, awesome stuff. Before you get your panties in a bunch, I would NEVER touch a painting - just sculptures, statues, blocks of carvings, etc. After we walked around for awhile, I shared my dirty fetish with Frog #3... even though I think he was secretly horrified, he still joined in and enjoyed the adrenaline rush of 1) completely breaking the rules and 2) touching old awesome stuff!
We then headed over to the cafe to get some coffee/tea and talk... which we did for a couple hours. He then walked me back to my apartment building and we stood awkwardly outside, completely sober in the daylight with other people around. He hugged me and promised to call me and come up with a really cool plan (he even mentioned karaoke!) for us to hang out soon. We've been texting since... so I'll keep you posted.
Question for the KF readers: since it was our third time spending time together, should I have kissed him? or more leadingly touched him? According to W & B, my flirting skills are super rusty....
After food, we headed over to the Museum of Fine Arts to check out the new American Art Wing. As an aside, the new renovation looks great! I love the central atrium with the chihuly (sp?) glass sculpture and cafe and some of the new paintings in the art wing are really cool. I especially liked the Winslow Homer, landscapes and Gilbert Stuart/George Washington dollar bill painting.
But, I digress. What do I secretly love to do in museums? Touch old, awesome stuff. Before you get your panties in a bunch, I would NEVER touch a painting - just sculptures, statues, blocks of carvings, etc. After we walked around for awhile, I shared my dirty fetish with Frog #3... even though I think he was secretly horrified, he still joined in and enjoyed the adrenaline rush of 1) completely breaking the rules and 2) touching old awesome stuff!
We then headed over to the cafe to get some coffee/tea and talk... which we did for a couple hours. He then walked me back to my apartment building and we stood awkwardly outside, completely sober in the daylight with other people around. He hugged me and promised to call me and come up with a really cool plan (he even mentioned karaoke!) for us to hang out soon. We've been texting since... so I'll keep you posted.
Question for the KF readers: since it was our third time spending time together, should I have kissed him? or more leadingly touched him? According to W & B, my flirting skills are super rusty....
Solas - where first dates end in marriage...
On Friday night, I was at dinner with B, W and J when I inserted my foot so far into my mouth that it might still have acid burns from my stomach. I mentioned that I had an upcoming date on Saturday night with Frog #4 (met on the interweb; vital stats: mid-30's, back bay dweller (hurray!), works at some sort of health care company, seemed nice, etc.). Frog #4 had asked me to dinner and said that he had a certain restaurant in mind, so I told him to go ahead and book it. However, I was really disappointed that he ended up choosing Atlantic Fish because it seemed kind of chain-y and corporate and maybe where you'd eat with your parents... and he also asked me to meet him for a drink at Solas beforehand.
So I asked my friends, "oh my god - I can't believe he chose those places to take me to - why would anyone ask someone to meet them on a first date at Solas????" Well, it turned out that J had taken W to Solas on their first date (and now they are married). I was completely mortified and no amount of quick thinking could make my snotty statement any better! Luckily, W and J have a great sense of humor and were not offended. (I hope) So, we decided that actually all first dates at Solas must end in marriage.
With a newly inflated set of expectations, I went to Solas to meet Frog #4. Thankfully, it seemed that his pictures were recent and he immediately struck me as being very nice and chill. We ordered a couple drinks and ended up talking about disastrous mistakes that people can make on dates. I mentioned dropping the L-Bomb too early on and he said "oh, so you think my plan of proposing to you tonight is too much?"
We then headed over to Atlantic Fish where they took us to a creepy special downstairs room with bright lighting, four tables and a huge flatscreen. I was a little taken aback that we weren't eating in the main dining room, but Frog #4 said "I planned it this way on purpose. I wanted the flatscreen so you could see the video I made about my life so that you could get to know me before I proposed. Who do you think the other people in the room are?" I answered, "your family?" and he said "of course!" Later in the meal, an Asian family (two parents and a son) walked in and he said "I also arranged for your family to join us."
Even though he did not actually propose, we ended up having a great time. He also texted me the next day, so hopefully we'll meet up again and I can keep you, the KF readers posted.
So I asked my friends, "oh my god - I can't believe he chose those places to take me to - why would anyone ask someone to meet them on a first date at Solas????" Well, it turned out that J had taken W to Solas on their first date (and now they are married). I was completely mortified and no amount of quick thinking could make my snotty statement any better! Luckily, W and J have a great sense of humor and were not offended. (I hope) So, we decided that actually all first dates at Solas must end in marriage.
With a newly inflated set of expectations, I went to Solas to meet Frog #4. Thankfully, it seemed that his pictures were recent and he immediately struck me as being very nice and chill. We ordered a couple drinks and ended up talking about disastrous mistakes that people can make on dates. I mentioned dropping the L-Bomb too early on and he said "oh, so you think my plan of proposing to you tonight is too much?"
We then headed over to Atlantic Fish where they took us to a creepy special downstairs room with bright lighting, four tables and a huge flatscreen. I was a little taken aback that we weren't eating in the main dining room, but Frog #4 said "I planned it this way on purpose. I wanted the flatscreen so you could see the video I made about my life so that you could get to know me before I proposed. Who do you think the other people in the room are?" I answered, "your family?" and he said "of course!" Later in the meal, an Asian family (two parents and a son) walked in and he said "I also arranged for your family to join us."
Even though he did not actually propose, we ended up having a great time. He also texted me the next day, so hopefully we'll meet up again and I can keep you, the KF readers posted.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Top 10 Signs you might need some detox
1) Yesterday, your meals were: drunkenly made Kraft mac 'n cheese, french fries and beer, philly cheesesteak and orange gatorade (hangover cure of champions)
2) Your memory of the last few weeks consists of: reality, drunken episodes and half-drunk dreams.... and you're not really sure which is which
3) Four drinks in a row, no buzz
4) You have renamed your apartment "Sober Valley Lodge"
5) Did we accidentally start smoking again?
6) You've become real good friends with every bartender on Boylston from Arlington to Mass Ave
7) "Bipolar? Biwinning!"
8) You've instituted nap time b/c you haven't gotten sober sleep in awhile
9) It might've taken you a good minute to button your jeans this morning
10) Your drunken/hangover tv watching has caused you to become *real* familiar with the Kardashians
2) Your memory of the last few weeks consists of: reality, drunken episodes and half-drunk dreams.... and you're not really sure which is which
3) Four drinks in a row, no buzz
4) You have renamed your apartment "Sober Valley Lodge"
5) Did we accidentally start smoking again?
6) You've become real good friends with every bartender on Boylston from Arlington to Mass Ave
7) "Bipolar? Biwinning!"
8) You've instituted nap time b/c you haven't gotten sober sleep in awhile
9) It might've taken you a good minute to button your jeans this morning
10) Your drunken/hangover tv watching has caused you to become *real* familiar with the Kardashians
Patti Stanger would not be happy...
So, last Thursday, I met Frog #3.... and had an instantaneous, irrational crush. He was everything I usually go for - witty, smart, friendly, lots of quirky, so cute and potentially a little damaged. Unfortunately, as noted, he also lives on a boat w/o indoor plumbing, might not be long for Boston and, as we learned yesterday, has an unofficial on/off relationship with a girl from Seattle.
We met up yesterday at the Museum of Science and learned even more about the universe (!), while bonding over the fact that we both used to be super dorky and watch Star Trek The Next Generation when we were kids. He then suggested that we go to Boston Beer Works where he proceeded to order me blueberry beer and fries with ranch dressing... I mean, I was officially smitten. :) Finally, we finished the night smoking cigars at Cigar Masters on Boylston Street. We ended up hanging out for 6 hours and laughed and talked the entire time. It was amazing.
I watch a tv show called Millionaire Matchmaker, starring Patti Stanger as the Jewish matchmaker/BFF/taskmaster that we all wish we had telling us how it is. When Patti goes to set up her clients, she always throws them a "test"... who epitomizes everything that her client used to go for, but shouldn't, to see if they'll take the bait.
I think the "universe" might have sent me Frog #3 as a test.... if so, I might be in danger of an epic fail. To be continued....
We met up yesterday at the Museum of Science and learned even more about the universe (!), while bonding over the fact that we both used to be super dorky and watch Star Trek The Next Generation when we were kids. He then suggested that we go to Boston Beer Works where he proceeded to order me blueberry beer and fries with ranch dressing... I mean, I was officially smitten. :) Finally, we finished the night smoking cigars at Cigar Masters on Boylston Street. We ended up hanging out for 6 hours and laughed and talked the entire time. It was amazing.
I watch a tv show called Millionaire Matchmaker, starring Patti Stanger as the Jewish matchmaker/BFF/taskmaster that we all wish we had telling us how it is. When Patti goes to set up her clients, she always throws them a "test"... who epitomizes everything that her client used to go for, but shouldn't, to see if they'll take the bait.
I think the "universe" might have sent me Frog #3 as a test.... if so, I might be in danger of an epic fail. To be continued....
Sunday, March 20, 2011
"Yet another successful interaction with a male!"
Date #2 with Frog #2
3 quotes that indicate you should run away:
1) "My therapist and I had a field day with that one"
2) "I guess I shouldn't tell you this, but.... I have some trust issues. I just want to be upfront."
3) "Want to meet up at the Oak Room for a drink before dinner?"
+ thinly veiled anger and control issues.... = please pack your knives and go. there are no more roses tonight. you're fired.
3 quotes that indicate you should run away:
1) "My therapist and I had a field day with that one"
2) "I guess I shouldn't tell you this, but.... I have some trust issues. I just want to be upfront."
3) "Want to meet up at the Oak Room for a drink before dinner?"
+ thinly veiled anger and control issues.... = please pack your knives and go. there are no more roses tonight. you're fired.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Luck of the Asians?
I was at Mass Ave tonight and met a really hot guy (Frog #3)... who was super smart and funny and interesting... we went for a walk around the city and ended up at the Top of the Hub and then ate a late night snack at the two tops by the liquor section at Shaws. Whereupon I found out some interesting facts: 1) he lives on a boat (with no shower - and let's face it, you all know how I feel about indoor plumbing), 2) He's 29 (seen this peter pan movie), 3) He's from Seattle and wants to live there again someday. Smart money says run, but somehow I agreed to go out with him on Sunday to the planetarium.
Sigh. I have the worst ideas sometime.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! (Thanks for driving all the snakes out of Ireland)
Sigh. I have the worst ideas sometime.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! (Thanks for driving all the snakes out of Ireland)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian."
For someone who has so, so many stomach troubles, I sure do love to eat. To me, exploring new restaurants is like going on a first date... you never know what you're gonna get. Will it live up to advance hype? Will it be exciting... or at least an interesting story? Will it smell/taste good? Maybe the service will improve, given time?
This past week, I made it to two restaurants that I've been meaning to try for awhile, Menton and Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar. On Friday night, S & I ventured over to the "Fort Point" neighborhood, or as I like to call it, the area where I get wasted at Drink and Lucky's. Surprisingly, not sure if I could pick it out on a map. I was very excited as the restaurant is run by Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park and B&G Oyster fame... and also because I got to get all dressed up in a short, one-shouldered, eggplant-colored dress and heels. Gotta love any excuse to pull out the heavy artillery. We walked into the restaurant and it was very beautifully decorated - elegant, but warm at the same time. As S said, the lounge looks like "what I would ideally want my apartment to look like." Although we had to wait for a few minutes, we sat in the waiting area as they brought us free drinks - pinot noir for me, and possibly the fruitiest (though yummy) drink one could make and still include makers' mark for S. After our drinks, they showed us to our table which was set back into the wall for privacy. There were two menus - a four-course tasting menu ($95) and a seven-course tasting menu ($140). After a litttle debate, we chose the seven course menu as we figured both "go big or go home" and didn't know when we'd find someone nice enough to give S a big gift certificate to Menton again. Our courses were as follows: Maine Rock Crab Salad, Diver Scallop, Cod (probably my favorite course), Foie Gras, Rabbit, Rib Eye and Chocolate Cake... followed by yummy macaroons + an amuse bouche and palate cleanser. They really started off with a bang as the first four courses were amazing! I was a little less partial to the rabbit and rib eye, but that could be b/c I was getting *real* full. The dessert and macaroons were a solid ending to the night. The service was impeccable - just the right level of attentive without being overbearing and the company was, as always, the best! All in all, I give it 9.25 out of 10 stars.... probably only surpassed in Boston by o ya.
Here's S' take:
i also love the bathroom--lol
Then, on Saturday, I went to Citizen, a new gastropub behind Fenway (near Jerry Remy's)- owned by the people who run Franklin Street, with a friend of mine. The decor was eurotrendy + pub... visually pleasing and cool, but the acoustics were sort of subpar (very noisy). We sat at our table in the back of the restaurant and... waited and waited. (Service = hella slow) But, when the waiter did come over to us, he was quite friendly and apologetic and brought us our menus. The food menu had several choices which looked delish and the drink menu was insane (tons of mixed drinks + whisky drinks) I decided to get meatballs as an appetizer (surprise!) and the roast chicken, while my friend got oysters, mussels and bread pudding for dessert. I thought my meal was very good - the meatballs were tasty and the chicken was very tender and moist... I also tried a bit of the bread pudding and, even though I am not a dessert person, I have to say it was super tasty. I am looking forward to going back at some point - hopefully with a larger group to try the 10 person pig roast!
7.75 stars out of ten
And, yes, I did go to the gym or yoga on saturday, sunday and monday!
Sorry for the lack of posts, I was in sort of a "mean reds" mood/funk last week and have been slacking on the dating front. I have a dinner date coming up with Frog #2.... and some other things in the mix to report on in the next couple weeks, fear not.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
This past week, I made it to two restaurants that I've been meaning to try for awhile, Menton and Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar. On Friday night, S & I ventured over to the "Fort Point" neighborhood, or as I like to call it, the area where I get wasted at Drink and Lucky's. Surprisingly, not sure if I could pick it out on a map. I was very excited as the restaurant is run by Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park and B&G Oyster fame... and also because I got to get all dressed up in a short, one-shouldered, eggplant-colored dress and heels. Gotta love any excuse to pull out the heavy artillery. We walked into the restaurant and it was very beautifully decorated - elegant, but warm at the same time. As S said, the lounge looks like "what I would ideally want my apartment to look like." Although we had to wait for a few minutes, we sat in the waiting area as they brought us free drinks - pinot noir for me, and possibly the fruitiest (though yummy) drink one could make and still include makers' mark for S. After our drinks, they showed us to our table which was set back into the wall for privacy. There were two menus - a four-course tasting menu ($95) and a seven-course tasting menu ($140). After a litttle debate, we chose the seven course menu as we figured both "go big or go home" and didn't know when we'd find someone nice enough to give S a big gift certificate to Menton again. Our courses were as follows: Maine Rock Crab Salad, Diver Scallop, Cod (probably my favorite course), Foie Gras, Rabbit, Rib Eye and Chocolate Cake... followed by yummy macaroons + an amuse bouche and palate cleanser. They really started off with a bang as the first four courses were amazing! I was a little less partial to the rabbit and rib eye, but that could be b/c I was getting *real* full. The dessert and macaroons were a solid ending to the night. The service was impeccable - just the right level of attentive without being overbearing and the company was, as always, the best! All in all, I give it 9.25 out of 10 stars.... probably only surpassed in Boston by o ya.
Here's S' take:
nine
i thought it was amazing
i loved the aesthtics of the place
i thought the service was superb
i think it is an excellent special occasion place but i also think it is nice for a small group of people to just enjoy nice food and be able to talk about it
everything was approachable
Then, on Saturday, I went to Citizen, a new gastropub behind Fenway (near Jerry Remy's)- owned by the people who run Franklin Street, with a friend of mine. The decor was eurotrendy + pub... visually pleasing and cool, but the acoustics were sort of subpar (very noisy). We sat at our table in the back of the restaurant and... waited and waited. (Service = hella slow) But, when the waiter did come over to us, he was quite friendly and apologetic and brought us our menus. The food menu had several choices which looked delish and the drink menu was insane (tons of mixed drinks + whisky drinks) I decided to get meatballs as an appetizer (surprise!) and the roast chicken, while my friend got oysters, mussels and bread pudding for dessert. I thought my meal was very good - the meatballs were tasty and the chicken was very tender and moist... I also tried a bit of the bread pudding and, even though I am not a dessert person, I have to say it was super tasty. I am looking forward to going back at some point - hopefully with a larger group to try the 10 person pig roast!
7.75 stars out of ten
And, yes, I did go to the gym or yoga on saturday, sunday and monday!
Sorry for the lack of posts, I was in sort of a "mean reds" mood/funk last week and have been slacking on the dating front. I have a dinner date coming up with Frog #2.... and some other things in the mix to report on in the next couple weeks, fear not.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
Monday, March 7, 2011
KF Favorite Things - Week #3
KF Favorite Things – Week #3
Oh, what a busy past couple weeks it has been! Unfortunately, I have been delinquent in writing my Favorite Things, so hopefully, I can make up for it with a giant FT post. Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things from the past couple of weeks:
1. Adult Spring Break aka Retox 2011
B ,M and I headed down to sunny Florida to catch some much needed rays and warm weather and to drink many fruity drinks. At our first bar, we discovered a drink that we’d long heard tell of, but never seen in real life: Firefly Sweet Tea vodka – a vodka so delicious that we couldn’t taste the alcohol. Mix with some lemonade and voila… a delicious John Daly. Yummy!
Fort Lauderdale is an interesting juxtaposition of unbelievable waterfront mansions and yachts, white trash strip malls and teenage spring break. So, trying to find some watering holes suitable for 30-something Bostonians could be quite difficult. However, our good friends at US Airways magazine recommended the new W hotel on the beach. We made dinner reservations for Steak 954, the W’s “new, hip” restaurant and were pleasantly surprised. The entrees and sides were expertly prepared and appropriately priced, and the clientele were upscale and attractive.
Our consensus was: 7.5 out of 10 stars (minus 1.0 point for the disgusting jellyfish tank)
After dinner, we checked out Whiskey Blue and the upstairs Living Room lounge. All in all, pretty much what you’d expect from a W – modern, stylish décor, out of towners looking for a good time, GREAT throwback (late 80’s/early 90’s) music.
The next day we took a water taxi on the Intercoastal – definitely an activity I would recommend for Fort Lauderdale first timers… it’s a relatively inexpensive way to check out the city and see the beautiful mansions and boats – getting off at each stop where bars seemed near. The people watching (read: National Geographic study of the modern white trash culture) was priceless. Although, after exchanging high fives with a few too many shirtless 20-somethings, we sought refuge in the comfort of the Ritz where we returned to civilization after a few blackberry margaritas.
After some discussion, the bartender directed us to Fort Lauderdale’s version of the Cougar Triangle. Thick with the glow of Botox in the evening, YOLO (“you only live once”) was crawling with people from 25 to 90 looking to get their hook-up on. P to the S, ladies of Fort Lauderdale, implants should be a tasteful ONE full cup above your natural size and no, white jeans are not the thing. All kidding aside, it seemed like everyone was having a good time.
2. Oscar parties with girlfriends + my unfortunate discovery that watching TV on a sofa bed with the bed extended is well, kind of unbeatable
For our last night in Florida, we decided to get our Whole Foods on, make dinner and watch the Oscars aka make fun of people on the Red Carpet/slam overly arty movies. After stuffing ourselves full of spaghetti alla gricia + all of the rigorous retoxing, we decided to pull out the sofa bed and watch the broadcast. Thank God I do not have a sofa bed or I would never ever leave my apartment again. Oh my, it was heavenly!!
A few quick thoughts on the Oscars:
· Amy Adams’ outfit – epic fail!!! It is what her character from the Fighter would have worn to the Oscars
· My, that Anne Hathaway sure is cheerful
· Lena Horne, really????
· King’s Speech winning all the awards thumbs down… I mean, I get that the acting was good, but I have to say, the movie was sort of a snooze. Also, when Colin Firth (who I normally love) stammered, I kind of wanted to punch him in the face so he’d talk faster. Although, my friend S said “perhaps this is not the best movie for someone with acute undiagnosed ADD to watch”
· Overall, M’s feedback: “I am surprised by how bad all of the dresses have been”
3. The way you feel when a guy you’re crushing on touches your arm during a first date….
4. Dorkapalooza
So, I attended the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conference this weekend. It was crawling with eligible males! Unfortunately, the ones I met were either from Colorado, Georgia or married. However, I did get to briefly meet my idol, Bill Simmons, the Sportsguy and see Mark Cuban, Jeff van Gundy, Eric Mangini and the owners of the Boston Celtics to name a very few. If you are a sports fan, this is one of the coolest experiences you can have, I highly recommend it!!!
5. Learning!!!
S, K and I went to the newly revamped Hayden planetarium and learned the following:
· Exoplanets probably look like fried eggs or… Mordor
· We are insignificant in the overall scheme of things
· If aliens make it to earth, then we will all be anally probed and dissected… and, they might be made of flames
· Pluto’s demotion is official….farewell, old friend
· Astronaut ice cream + pop rocks + margaritas + Mexican food = sad stomach
And… that’s all! Have a wonderful Monday, KF readers. I hope to have fun updates throughout the week! J
Frog II, The Sequel, The Redux
So, I went out with Frog #2 last night. He wanted to meet up at Via Matta, but it was closed, so he last minute audibled to Davios... which I thought was a good location. My first impression was... wow, those match.com pictures were taken several years ago! Definite flight/lemon law response. But as we had a couple of drinks and I settled in, I started to actually like him. He seemed really nice, articulate, easy to talk to, smart, successful, interesting, etc. I still can't figure out if I'm sold yet... He sent me a text after the date wanting to go out again... but I don't know! I think I'm losing motivation to date. What should I do, KF readers??
PS. Update on Frog #1, we have been texting, etc... I will keep you posted. :)
PS. Update on Frog #1, we have been texting, etc... I will keep you posted. :)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Dating Do's and Dont's from two Boston bachelors
Take with a shaker full of salt....
Q: What is the worst thing a girl can do on a date?
A: The worst thing is misleading touching - when a girl touches a guy (other than accidentally), he automatically thinks she wants to sleep with him. But, not all girls know this, so sometimes girls will touch a guy when they have no interest and act offended when the guy becomes more aggressive. Other answers include: Go through her marriage checklist during conversation ("what do you do? what religion are you? do you want kids?"), be ugly, cry, urinate in front of (??????), throw up/not handle liquor well.
Q: What is the best thing a girl can do on a date?
A: Be hot.
Q: What should a girl wear on a first date?
A: "Anything that exposes her v***** to the wind!" (???? - we think this means skirt or dress)
"Wear something that accentuates your best assets without being vulgar."
"Don't wear tights."
Q: What is the best venue for a first date?
A: "A high two top near a bar... not at a bar so the girl has more space and feels comfortable.... so there's room to manuever. Some restaurants - Sel de la terre, Lucca, Island Creek Oyster Bar."
Q: Is there anything a girl should or shouldn't order?
A: "Don't order anything fruity." "A martini straight up or a nice glass of wine." "Don't be too dainty with food." "Vegetarians and people with weird food restrictions are bad." Also, apparently, if you order what he's having, that indicates future submissiveness.
Other general observations:
*If he doesn't call/email or text after 3 days, he's not interested
*If HE touches you, then it's an unequivocal sex invitation
*A hug is a nice way to start a date
*Sleeping with a guy on the first date is probably not the best idea.
Q: What is the worst thing a girl can do on a date?
A: The worst thing is misleading touching - when a girl touches a guy (other than accidentally), he automatically thinks she wants to sleep with him. But, not all girls know this, so sometimes girls will touch a guy when they have no interest and act offended when the guy becomes more aggressive. Other answers include: Go through her marriage checklist during conversation ("what do you do? what religion are you? do you want kids?"), be ugly, cry, urinate in front of (??????), throw up/not handle liquor well.
Q: What is the best thing a girl can do on a date?
A: Be hot.
Q: What should a girl wear on a first date?
A: "Anything that exposes her v***** to the wind!" (???? - we think this means skirt or dress)
"Wear something that accentuates your best assets without being vulgar."
"Don't wear tights."
Q: What is the best venue for a first date?
A: "A high two top near a bar... not at a bar so the girl has more space and feels comfortable.... so there's room to manuever. Some restaurants - Sel de la terre, Lucca, Island Creek Oyster Bar."
Q: Is there anything a girl should or shouldn't order?
A: "Don't order anything fruity." "A martini straight up or a nice glass of wine." "Don't be too dainty with food." "Vegetarians and people with weird food restrictions are bad." Also, apparently, if you order what he's having, that indicates future submissiveness.
Other general observations:
*If he doesn't call/email or text after 3 days, he's not interested
*If HE touches you, then it's an unequivocal sex invitation
*A hug is a nice way to start a date
*Sleeping with a guy on the first date is probably not the best idea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)