Food and things

Some pictures I have taken but not been able to formulate into a blog post: 

We went to a concert (surprising?) near Fenway..favorite was Foster the People, their album Torches is fantastic 

 Jen and Jacobi photo shoot: 

(I wasn't actually pulling her hair...I think)

New York picture...

The City at night 

Teddy, the cutest little mut ever and an excellent roommate, he cooks spaghetti!

Italian food at Fiore on The North End.

I have never seen such funny looking pasta! Cute.

Spinach, yum.

That is the best I can do today...sometimes pictures just say it all. 

New York

Last weekend we took a bus to NYC from Boston, which is about a 4 hour situation.  The bus really is not as bad as I thought it would be, but by the time we arrived in the city I was definitely glad to be getting off of it.  We met one of Jacobi's friends (and now mine too) from home named Ali at a pub called Pony Bar in Midtown...I think that is what the part of town is called, how in the world are you supposed to keep up with all the neighborhoods?!

Jacobi and I decided to order an "appetizer" and split a bacon and avocado sandwich (because Jacobi is OBSESSED with avocados and we are both large fans of overeating, especially on the weekends).  The sandwich was fantastic and so were some of the local beers we sampled.  The bar got increasingly louder and even after eating our sandwich we decided to venture off to find yet another meal.  As you can see, this blog is mostly turning into a food diary, which I am 100% okay with because it gets me once step closer to making a cameo on the Man Vs. Food TV show.  

We ended up eating at a restaurant called Nizza and it was delicious.  Like the prepared individual that I am, I had my ID out to show the bartender before I ordered a glass of wine and his exact words were, "Honey...you are not 17 anymore, I don't need to see your ID."  UM!! I may not be 17 anymore but I am definitely not 50 either, he was probably just jealous because he was bald and old and I have hair and am young.  Either way, I hate him.  This is what he looked like: 

Anyways...the next day we ventured out to Governor's Island for an all day music festival.  We had to take two ferries and a taxi to get there, but it was definitely worth the trek.  I have never been to a music festival in NYC so it was definitely a new experience for me.  We heard some great music, including; Pretty Lights, Girl Talk and Empire of the Sun.  I liked this festival because there were only two stages, vs. Austin City Limits where you find yourself running all over the place just to make it to the next show.  Also, they had some legit food here.  Jacobi and I got a falafel pita with tzatsiki sauce that was incredible.  The beer they were service was called Magic Hat, which was only ok.  I definitely would have preferred Coors Light (love you Colorado) but it was good to branch out I suppose.  

Here are some pics from the music fest:

Jacobi and Ali with some important city in the background, I forget the name...

There was a part of this that said Texas but it involved a very awkward positioning for the photo, so just know that this board said Texas, which I enjoyed and you should too!

Finally found the people who got the virus on Jacobi's computer!

Muddy ground=ruined sandals :(

Two people who probably should not look so happy around this type of public restroom

All in all it was a fantastic weekend.  Was the bus ride back to Boston fun? No...not at all, but it was definitely worth the trip.  Until next time....

...

Cute puppy

Hockey and such

I am learning many things throughout my stay here in the north.  Generally they are lessons about how to order extra meatballs with my spaghetti or a side of tarter sauce with my crab cakes.  I never imagined learning anything about what is a new sport to me, hockey.  I have a very small portion of my brain that is able to handle sports and up until last night I truly thought that part of my brain was at capacity.  Having said that, I am always a fan of a good sporting event where I can identify with my hometown or college team and in this case, the area I am currently living in.

Last night was game 7 of...shoot, is finals the right word? Either way, it was the final game standing between the Boston Bruins and The Stanley Cup (very cute name, Stanley).  What this means to the miniature portion of my sports brain is that it is a big deal.  Trust me, I am a Texan from Austin where people bleed orange, I know a thing or two about finals.  However, I can honestly say I have never seen anything like I did last night.  We got to a bar to watch the game around 6 pm, which seems like plenty of time because the game started at 8 pm.  Unfortunately, every bar was already at full capacity and we were turned away, being told "we are full for the night."  We decided to watch it at our friends apartment, which has a rooftop.

(Not the best shot but you get the point)

(I briefly considered how amazing it would be to actually be IN this picture but then I remembered the name of the blog and that I would probably fall backwards so I decided Sam Adams was okay by himself on the roof)

Somehow they got the TV upstairs on the roof working, which registers with the Home Deport part of my brain that was closed for business the first time I stepped foot at the corner of handyman and TV cord.  We began watching what was my very first hockey game.  It is pretty easy to follow, get the puck in the net thing and then you score.  It is an extremely fast paced game, which I like.  Although at one point I DEFINITELY thought that a bug on the screen was the puck and was pretty confused about why no one was going after it to hit it in the net thing, then it flew away.  Anyways, long story short, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup for the first time in a long time and you could literally hear the city going crazy.  People in my immediate location were also celebrating heavily and it was a really fun thing to be a part of.

(The one thing I would like you to take away from this picture is the clothing.  Sweatshirts and a scarf in June? I admit, it is kind of nice to not be dripping sweat at 11 pm at night)

(Grown men hugging over hockey, so American...or Canadian, or maybe it was one of these three that got the virus on Jacobi's computer)

We had been warned previously to steer clear of the "garden" (I wish y'all could hear me say that in my amazingly newfound Boston accent, sounds like, gaaahhhdeeennn).  This is wear the Bruins play and most people in the city were rushing to the area, even though the game way away, to celebrate.  The gaaahhhdeeennn is actually really close to Jacobi's apartment and so we faced some difficulty getting home.  Every bar along the way was packed and the city was LOUD.  We finally made it home and were forced to sleep in ear plugs, even at 1 am, as the city would not be slowing down anytime soon. 

The moral of the story is, keeping an open mind, even to something you never thought you'd enjoy, is imperative in life.  I cannot say I am a hockey lover, but I can say that I am an experience lover, and this was another one for the books. 

Oh and also, no matter how "northern" you consider yourself, please never use this phrase:

(Note: Awkward mom pose to take photo, probably could have gotten the same shot standing up)

The Awkward Apple Store Experience

When I woke up in Boston on Monday morning, I was too overwhelmed to search for my computer in my huge pile of stuff so I decided to use Jacobi's instead.  I crawled out of bed and into her desk chair looking forward to being connected with the world again after what seemed like such a long travel hell the day before.  I was immediately greeted with all kinds of porn websites popping up left and right. 90% of them were specifically gay porn websites, something that caused me to realize immediately that Jacobi had a virus (not that there is anything wrong with that, I just new immediately it was not her doing).  I closed the sites, still eager to sign into Gchat, because, like some of you, I am addicted to it.  Every few minutes I would be redirected to any number of gay porn websites, some flashing pictures, others making noises.  I decided to close the computer and give Jacobi and call to see what was going on.  Turns out, her computer had caught some type of scam/virus the day before and was virtually unusable ever since.  With her being so busy between work and entertaining me, I offered to take it to the Apple store to get it fixed.

I did not realize what an awkward encounter I was signing myself up for until I was on my way to the store yesterday afternoon, which by the way, was also my very first solo T (subway) experience in Boston and it went very well, aside from me not being tall enough to reach a handle bar and violently thrusting back and forth as the train made frequent and sudden stops.  I am sure I will get better and better at it.  Once I arrived (after walking 8 blocks in the wrong direction) I had to wait about an hour for an appointment with the technician, but that was fine because it took me about that long to make it up to the third floor where the help desk was located.  A three story Apple store?!

(Some guy was laughing at me for taking such a random/touristy photo but I am sure he was new to the city once himself.  Loser.)

When they finally called my JTORIOUS indicating that my appointment time had finally arrived, I braced myself for what was to come.  A nice man then asks me, "What can I help you with today?"  I awkwardly leaned in as closely as possible and whispered, "Well, um, my roommate, and I swear this computer is my roommates, she got some type of gay porn virus-but she wasn't visiting the websites I swear."  Unfortunately, he was in no mood for being playful and did not even so much as crack a smile.  With his awkward silence and my pacing back and forth, the time seemed to go on forever.  Without looking up from his desk, he closed the laptop and told me we were finished.  Needless to say, he should not put "handles strange situations well" on his resume.  All that matters, though, is that we fixed the computer.  Another day, another adventure.  See awkward face reaction to the websites popping up below:

Exploring

Yesterday was my first day in Boston.  After a travel day from Hell (weather delays, bumpy flights and not so comforting seat mates) I finally arrived.  Somewhere in between the bumpy flight and the mean flight attendant I was able to get off of the plane and purchase a book for entertainment. My dear friend Katie Q recommended it to me and when she recommends a book, you know it must be serious.  I started it at about 5:00 pm on Sunday and finished it at less than 24 hours later.  I absolutely recommend it if you are in the market for a new book.

(and yes, after googling this image, I learned this is a teen phenomenon type of book, but I still whole heartedly recommend it)

When I was finally able to put the book down, I decided to go explore the neighborhood I will be living in, The North End/Little Italy.  I absolutely love it.  It reminds me a lot of when I lived in Italy and has a very neighborhoody/comfortable feel to it.  There are TONS of Italian restaurants that all seem to offer their own charm and uniqueness and I look forward to trying them all.  I am also very close to Paul Revere's house, which is never a bad thing.  I wound up there somehow yesterday and took a tour of the house by myself with my large-should be a 50 year old Moms camera and really enjoyed it.  History will always have a place in my heart and I plan on learning as much as I can about Boston while I am here. 

Photography is something I am starting to dabble in, and with a camera like mine, it takes studying and practice to actually learn how to use it.  Bare with me as I attempt to provide images, I hope to get better and better. 

Paul Revere across from the apartment.  He is wearing some type of jersey and one tourist said "That is disgraceful" and I replied, "What does the "B" stand for?"

I know this photo is uneventful, and it is clearly just a random building, but I am getting used to the architecture and scenery here so just go with it

Cross St.  I liked the feel to it and quite honestly I need to try that Famous Deli ASAP

A. How good is this shot? Took me about 15 minutes to get it on a setting that I will never know how to get back to and B. How good does that coconut macaroon look?

Fancy meeting you here Paul

Instead of following the yellow brick road, which was stuck in my head all day after I sang it to myself when seeing this, you can follow Paul's freedom trail around Boston.  I know for a fact I would probably end up in Connecticut if I even attempted that.  

Paul's House, built in the 1600s, was actually quite boring inside but definitely worth a look if you are in the area.  Lets just say he wasn't much of a decorator 

Paul Revere himself! This is the tour group I tried to nonchalantly join for about 5 minutes until I was politely asked to show my ticket. Rude. 

This is Jacobi being embarrassed of my should be a 50 year old Moms camera, we are slowly going to get her used to it.  The point of the photo is to capture the wonderfully flavorful Watermelon beer that is brewed locally in Boston.  It was delicious.  

No, you are not mistaking.  This is my first fall in Boston.  We hand the chunky camera to the waiter to take a picture, he asks me to scoot my chair back a little and then I am on the ground. Slightly ridiculous, my clumsiness. 

Here is the final product.  Kara, Jacobi and myself.  Roomies.  Of course they are lawyers, but they do not know that I have an uncanny ability to soothe and distract attorneys.  We will see how that goes.

Up close and personal. 

There you have it.  Day one in Boston.  Eventful, beautiful and fun.  I am very excited for my time here and I will do my absolute best not to develop some strange hybrid of a southern and northern accent.  Or maybe I will just start speaking full on Bostonian.  Stay tuned. 

Travel Essentials

Each time I take a trip, regardless if its 2 hours North to Waco or 10 hours East to Europe, I always make sure to bring along certain items that provide entertainment, comfort and remind me of home.  Today I am making a list of those items as I pack the final things in my way too large FOR SURE TO BE CHARGED FOR BEING OVERWEIGHT suitcase.

First and foremost, I cannot travel without my Longchamp bag.  It is absolutely the perfect carry on and has served me well for many years.  For those of you who do not know my quintessential dollar rule, you should...each time you wear/use the item, it counts as a dollar, so will you wear your Lulu Lemons 110 times? If so, they are not overpriced and you will get your moneys worth.  I can honestly say that this rule applies to the Longchamp bag.  Get one now.

Item number two is almost as important as item number one.  I MUST have something Haribo in my bag.  It can be the traditional gummie bears, the not as tasty but will do coca cola bottles, but I definitely prefer the Cherries (notice they get to be capitalized while the others remain in lower case).  These are truly fantastically enjoyable and I never leave home to travel without them.

Item number three is an obvious choice, the Ipod.  However, it is what you put on your Ipod that makes the trip.  There are two things I must have on my Ipod for comfortable traveling.  The first is the entire Carrie Underwood CD (kind of embarrassing but if you cannot admit it on your own blog, where else can you?).  I absolutely MUST listen to "Jesus Take The Wheel"as soon as portable electronic devices are permitted, and sometimes sooner.  Secondly,  I always make a brand new playlist with new music to entertain me while I read US Weekly basically for a second time because I already learned everything from PerezHilton.com .  And also on a side note, renting that movie that you never got the chance to see in theaters is always a great idea as well.

Just one more suggestion...something that may be a relevant travel essential to you.  If you are ever on a plane next to me, MOVE. I will hold your hand and potentially break it.  I will cry when the flight attendant makes an uncertain face because I am sure the Captain has just told her that the plane is in trouble and I will repeatedly ask you, is everything going to be okay? Let's hope that my seat mate tomorrow has patience and his/her travel essentials, otherwise, it could be a long ride for both of us.  Next time I post, I will be in Boston.  Cheers to adventures.

(Oh, I should also be honest and mention that this is also a semi-essential travel item for me as well)