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Today has been hard. Last night before I left I drank 3 beers and downed a capful of NyQuil. The plane was delayed an hour, but I was able to get some sort of semblance of sleep. I woke up in a daze, freezing. I had to take the shuttle to the T right away because we were so late, but I got to work right at 9. I grabbed the bathroom key and changed, then immediately went downstairs to Au Bon Pain for a large coffee and a cheese Danish. Once having eaten and gulped half the coffee I felt better. My tasks today were easy, track coverage for a release that went out last night, clip what I find and create a summary. Easy peasy. I set up my google searches and went to work. Once I got all the initial coverage I took a break at that and worked on the clip book for a different client. Clip books are compilations of the clips I create with all the coverage. So what starts with a release and a couple google searches, ends up with a huge summary chart and a compiled clip doc of 600 pages at the end of the year. Today I worked on both ends of the spectrum. I also read my usual websites, chatted a bit with Jackie, and zones out a few times. I should have gotten lunch but I didn't (I know, I know, I know).

I was supposed to stay until 5 today to make up for yesterday, but I couldn't do it. I left at 3, I'll work later tomorrow.

I. Am. Exhausted.

Now I'm on the train on my way home, with my headphones on to mute the rest of the world. I can't wait to see the kitty and take a nap.

It was really nice to go home. I fit right back in (once I was able to sleep on a real bed). I miss it a lot, but I also really like Boston. Too bad they're so far apart.

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I am back home and I love it.  I do miss it here when I am in Boston.  Dad has made some of my favorite foods, Ive been able to hang out with my friends, and I don't have to work!  It's been pretty good so far.

I got in super early Thursday morning.  I was supposed to land at 1 am, which happened- but I wasn't able to get off the plane until 2.  Which SUCKED.  Apparently there was another plane in our gate, so they had to finish loading before they could pull out and we could leave.  But then they were having fuel problems.  And we had to wait.  They kept coming onto the speaker telling us it would be 5 more minutes.  We were stuck inside the plane, at the airport, for an HOUR.  People were complaining and it was really annoying.  I dont know why we couldn't just have pulled into another gate.  Luckily Eric and Kourtney, hung out in the cell phone lot and didn't have anything to do the next day.  We got home at 3 and I went straight to sleep, I was exhausted.  Woke up at like 10, had some coffee, hung out and talked to mom, watched some TV.  We then all got dressed and went to the outlet mall, looking for some stuff.  Mom didn't know what I wanted so she didn't get me the cardigan I asked for.  So we walked around the stores and looked for something simple:  black long sleeve button up cardigan.  you know what we found? Nothing!  Some places had cardigans, but they were 3/4 sleeve and I want full sleeves.  Some places had different colors, but no black.  It was crazy.

That night I went to Pint Night with my friends and had a blast, I really missed them.  The beer of the night was Bison Organic Gingerbread Ale, it was ok.  I wouldn't order two.  I was able to see Christine while I was in town, so that was really nice, and hanging out with the boys is always interesting.  Also, we saw Josh & Justin at the alehouse so that was nice too.

Friday was our Christmas Eve and Christmas celebration, since Kourtney has to work both days this week and won't be home.  Dad made his traditional (awesome) dinner, I ate a lot and could barely move.  Eric came over for dinner, as well as a family friend, Donna.  Mom posted a pic on facebook but captioned it wrong, I wonder if she noticed, lol.  After dinner and dessert we opened all our presents- I got some DVDS, pajamas, clothes, candy, and a new purse.  Oh yeah, and I cut my hair in the morning.  Just a trim and a dye job, nothing crazy.  But a bit different, and I needed to chop the ends, they were getting bad.

Saturday we watched a lot of Big Bang Theory.  Dad made gumbo and potato salad, and we cleaned up from Christmas the night before.  My friends came over for game night, we ate the gumbo and potato salad, played trivia and Scattergories, and watched more Big Bang.  It was a good, chill night.  We didnt drink a lot, we just hung out which was perfect.

This is a weird post because I am writing it on Kourts keyboard, and am not used to it.  I keep messing up.  But its reading like I learned English as a Second language, which is not my intention.  I am just tired.  I have to sleep on the futon, and it's not comfortable at all!  I might sleep in kourts room after tonight since she's not around. 

No music because I am lazy.  Also, one day I will post pictures of the stuff that I have been crocheting.  I made two scarves for mom and kourt for christmas, and I just need to weave in the ends to be finished (of course I forgot my needles though :/)

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I Need Your Love by Elle Goulding

I know I am so bad at this blog thing now.  I used to update all the time!  Now it's maybe twice a month?

I was moved at work today, from sharing a cool office with a nice view of the garden.... to the hallway.  A new Senior Account Executive started today, she's super nice, but basically means that I won't ever be hired on here when they think I am worthy.  So after a few months of solid PR work here, earning a stellar recommendation, I will try and look for something a bit more permanent.  Hopefully with business cards involved.  I am bummed about having to move.  I thought the new girl would use the pregnant lady's office until she came back (her last day was Friday so it would have worked out perfectly).  Also I want a new MacBook and guess what you get when you're a new BackBay employee?  But she's really nice and so I can't take out my personal frustration on anyone here.  (she's also younger than me, with a high title, so I'm extra miffed).

I am flying home Wednesday night, and I am super excited about it.  I can't wait to see my family and friends.  I basically have the week already booked up with stuff to do/people to see.  I am still a few presents behind, but I think I still have some time to catch up.

When was my last update? Like in the beginning of the month I think. hmm.. Since then we've gone to dinner at Jessi's house, tried to go ice skating in the common, traveled to Porter Square, gotten "Happy Hour" drinks in the financial district (I put happy hour in quotes because if this was a normal state, that's what it would be.  Since there are no drink specials in MA, it was just us getting full price drinks and appetizers at 5pm).  I had a fancy work party dinner at Stella, an Italian restaurant in the South End.  The work dinner was fun, I got really good food.  I didnt feel bad ordering an appetizer and dessert since everyone else was, which is a first.  And there was a lot of champagne and white wine.  I started with mozzarella stuffed arancinis, then got linguine with asparugus cream sauce, parmesan, thyme, and a poached egg, then had tiramisu for dessert.  It was all so good, I was so tired and full that I went to sleep as soon as I got home.

It's finally getting cold and ugly here- at the same time.  Lately its been cold but nice outside, or ugly but weirdly warm.  I'm hoping for some snow, but it would totally suck if it happens while I'm back at home.

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Does anyone really think the world is going to end tomorrow? I feel like there was all this hullabaloo over the summer about the world ending, and now that it's so close there is nothing. I guess we'll find out tomorrow what the crazies did.

Here are some pics from recently that I haven't been able to upload.

I actually went out for a run yesterday!! By myself while my clothes were at the laundromat in the washer. It felt really good.

I am almost finished with my presents, I just have to get something for kourt :/

I'm tired, might take a nap and update more later.

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Understatement by New Found Glory- relevance will be explained in a bit!  I hate that I can't always post the actual videos because of copyright stuff.  These lyric videos are kind of lame.

I know, I know, I know, I am so bad at this.  The thing is, I want to write when stuff happens- and nothing has really happened.  I've just been living my day to day life, hanging out in Boston.

Tonight was the New Found Glory concert that we couldn't get tickets to.  It would have been great, it was a 10 year Sticks and Stones anniversary tour.  I was obsessed with that CD in high school, I had the lyrics to Understatement written out on the cover of my B day binder.  Alas, it was sold out and tickets were wayy too pricey if they were available.  Even checking Ticketmaster daily didn't help us.  It's ok though, I listened to the CD a lot today to make up for it.  It just would have been a great show to catch.

Work has been going well, I get to do more and more each day.  I really need to get more sweaters though, sometimes I get a bit cold in the office.

Express's Black Friday sale stuff finally came, so I have more than 2 pairs of pants! Now I have 4!

I wish I could take the cat home with me for Christmas.  She is going to be lonely here.  But it's $125 each way, and I know she would have a fit on the plane, just meowing the whole time.  We're gonna get someone to come cat watch (like we did for Thanksgiving) but I just feel SO BAD.  She's so starved for attention it seems like.

Also, does anyone know how radiators work?  Because I swear, I have the one in my room turned up to 8 (the highest dial) and it is still always cold in my room.  and I only hear it go off sometimes.  There doesn't seem to be very good climate control here.  Luckily I have lots of blankets.

So there isn't really a Dunkin Donuts near my work... there's one but its a bit out of the way.  So instead of Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee that I was previously addicted to, it's now Au Bon Pair's Sweet Cheese Danish.  There is one directly underneath my office, and I always stop to get one (and a small coffee).  It's a bad and unhealthy habit.  I've been trying to balance it out by not getting lunch out on those days, and only eating once I'm back at home at 4.  But then I am not hungry for dinner until later, and it kind of throws everything off.  I just need to stop stopping at ABP.  But when I get to work early, and I don't eat breakfast and coffee smells so good..... It's easy to convince myself to just spend the $5 for breakfast.

So this is a ramble post.  Mom texted me last night and said I needed to update my blog.  But I couldn't think of much to say (hence the lack of updates).  We haven't been doing much as of late, it's been cold outside.

This weekend we are going to Jessi's for dinner, since we weren't able to a few weeks ago.  That will be nice.  I have to do laundry so I have clothes to wear to work next week, since 3 out of 4 pairs of my pants will be dirty.

Oh, something that I have been thinking about a lot lately:  whether or not to trade in my gorgeous big iMac for a MacBook Pro.  I mean, it wouldn't be an even trade, I would have to pay an additional $461 dollars for it to work out.  But a laptop would be so much easier to take places (like home for christmas, or when we move again) and I could sit on the couch and watch TV while also being on my computer (a past time of mine that I am missing now that I don't have a TV in my room and/or a computer in the living room).  When I got this computer it was because I wanted something big, and I never moved my laptop off my desk anyway.  But now things are different.  I'm really torn about it.  I  probably won't end up doing anything, but I've been checking things out a lot lately.  I can get $740 for my iMac as a trade in, the new MBPs are $1200 starting out..... hmmm.  But it's way hard, because I do love my computer.  It's my favorite thing.  I've also thought about getting a tablet of some sort, to use for the couch and while at home.  But again, expensive.

I'll prob just keep with my current arrangement.  When it comes to big things (like cars and computers) I've always been a big looker, researching and checking everything out- but not so much of a buyer.  Which is funny, because I am the exact opposite on small stuff like movies and food.

So.  In review, I haven't done much at all.  I made enchiladas for dinner one night, they were good.  I also made Pasta Carbonara one night, that was ok.  Tonight I didn't eat dinner (good habits- I know, haha).  We watched a bunch of TV and I worked on crocheting a mitten.  I am slowly making some sort of square shaped something with the knitting needles and yarn that Brian gave us, but I have trouble holding them and it's all kind of crooked and awful looking so I tend to get discouraged and put that down after a row or two.  After a couple more weeks I just might have a dishcloth!

2012 is almost over which scares me, another year gone by!  I don't think the world is going to end next Wednesday, btw.  I wonder what kind of craziness will go down though.  I'm surprised I haven't heard more hullabaloo regarding the impending apocalypse.

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Wanted to upload pics before I forgot again! Post to come tomorrow before we head to Pennsylvania!



11/27/2012: Update

So..... Yeah it's been awhile.  I posted the pics to write a description... and then I didn't write anything.  then we got back and.... I didn't write anything.  Still.

But here we are!  I have a few minutes to spare that I can use finishing this up so I'm not ashamed when I look back (if I ever reflect on my time in Boston when I am old).

Last update was 11/15- a lot has happened since!  Chronologically, here we go.

Friday was my 2nd day of work, and it was Casino Night!  Sara got off a bit early, we got ready and headed out to the Long Wharf Marriott.  The Casino Night was for "Friends of Christopher Columbus Park" which is right next to the hotel and right by Sara's office.  They were raising money to keep the trellis at the park lit up for the winter.  Sara took a picture of it on her Instagram, it's pretty.  Anyway, we got there pretty much right at 8 when it started, there was a cocktail hour with snacks and a lot of old rich people.  Drinks were $10, ouch.  We loaded up on hummus, cheese, and pita bread while we waited for some of Sara's co-workers to show up (we got there first).  They came, I met most of them (very nice people, btw) and then it was time to gamble!  We got a $1000.00 bill when we first walked in, and were able to exchange that for chips.  We didn't gamble right away, we actually went and walked around.  We took some pictures in the photobooth (see Facebook for those, can't upload them on here) and ate some more.  There were actual mini- dishes instead of just snacks, the best was a short rib and a spoonful of garlic potato puree (too fancy for simple mashed potatoes).  We ended up at the Craps table, which I don't fully understand, but was a lot of fun.  We lasted awhile!  I didn't lose all my money right away, which was nice.  I mean, I did lose it all, but still.  The chips could be turned in for raffle tickets, and they were raffling off some baskets that had been donated.  They also had a silent auction, but the cheapest bid was $200.00 so we looked but didn't touch.  We ended up going out to a nearby bar with one of Sara's co-workers and his girlfriend.  It was fun while they were there, but once they left it got weird.  I hate talking to guys at bars that are douchefaces and total assholes.  We left, but had to take a cab since the T had stopped (lame that it stops so early).  Sara got mad at the cabbie because he took the long way and it cost $32.00.

Saturday we lounged, I can't really remember anything special we did during the day.  That night though, we went to the House Of Blues and saw a concert, Taking Back Sunday and Bayside!  I know I've talked about it on the blog before, but it was so much fun.  Took me all the way back to high school when "Cute without the E" first came out.  We went to Mexican after (eh, not that great) and then home for the night.  Sunday we were supposed to go to Jessi's but she had a mouse situation so we had to reschedule.  We lazed about and that was our weekend!

The rest of the week passed like normal, I stayed until 5 at work Monday and Tuesday to make up for Friday that I was going to miss.  Wednesday I got off at 1:15 since the office closed early and I was able to go back to the apt before leaving for PA.  I met Sara at the bus terminal and it was kind of a mess.  There were people everywhere, and we couldn't find anything with our bus information on it.  Sara talked to someone that said since there are so many buses going out, we just kind of get on one to NY.  So we did.  I busted out my Kindle with the Mindy Kaling book, and 3 hours later we were in NYC.  We had to wait an hour for the next bus to PA, but it wasn't so bad once we got something to drink.  I didn't get anything when in Boston because I didn't want to have to pee on the bus, but I was SO THIRSTY on that trip that I could not stop thinking about Coke Slurpees.  Anyway, on the bus to PA Sara and I took shots of Zzzquil, put on our headphones and neck pillows, and zonked out.  Only woke up a few times so it wasn't as bad as I was thinking!  We got in at 5:40 am, and Brian was awake and picked us up pronto.  As soon as we got to his house we jumped into the guest bed and took a "nap."  I woke up at 1030ish, we hung out with Brian and James for a bit, and then went over to Dave & Jackie's!

Thanksgiving was really nice, it was good to be in a family environment since I couldn't be at home.  Dave, Jackie, and Jennifer were really nice and welcoming, and I didn't feel totally out of place like I normally would have in an unfamiliar situation!  There was a lot of food, we had banana bread and coffee to start, then appetizers (a lot of them) and later down the line was dinner.  Brian made olive cheese balls and onion puffs, there was also baked Brie, cream cheese & salsa, french onion dip and chips, rum soaked pineapple, mouse cookies (which I think were also out during the dessert portion of the day).... and more that I can't think of right now.  We talked a lot; I got to hear a lot of stories about Dad and the family growing up from Dave, which was nice because Dad never talks about that kind of stuff.

For dinner we had Turkey (duh), pea salad (a Cinqmars family tradition), mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, corn pudding (my favorite), stuffing, sweet potatoes, and salad.  I took a picture of my plate, find it below!

After dinner we played some games, a trivia game that was fun and an Awkward Family Photo game which was funny.   We left and went home to watch Glee and then it was bedtime!  A long day, but a good one.

Black Friday!  I didn't wake up until like 10:30 again, James had already left for work (he had to work 12 hour shifts both Friday and Saturday).  We took our time getting ready, eating breakfast.  Brian had made banana bread with ginger and chocolate chips that was really good.  We went out to Target, Best Buy and Half Price Books.  I got some DVDS and some books (I can't resist a good deal, or a good book!).  We had the Pittsburgh staple of Primanti Brothers for lunch (see pics below), then went back to the house and played trivia (Brian has a PS3 trivia game called Buzz! that we played a bunch of times.  It was really cool, and we didn't get any repeat questions.  Also I online shopped and bought some work clothes from Express.com (50% off EVERYTHING! Can't beat that, and I love their Editor pants).  We ordered a you bake pizza that was delish and watched Happy Endings and Friends and other random TV shows.  Did you know there is a show called Killer Karaoke?  Hosted by Steve-O, we only caught the end but it was ridiculous.   

Saturday I woke up again too late to see James before he left.  Brian made Tortilla, which is something with potatoes and eggs that I have never had before that I really liked.  We went to Salvation Army (or was it Goodwill?) to get ugly sweaters for a party that we are going to go to in December.  We both found sweatshirts that are not cute, and they kind of match so we snagged those (mine was only $1.99).  We walked around the craft store until Brian broke a candle and we left.  We stopped at the grocery store, bought some items for dinner (Brian made Sara's favorite: Chicken Devan) and then hung out a lot more, lol.  Brian gave us a lot to take home:  a bunch of Partylite candles, a bunch of yarn (and some knitting needles and a knitting for dummies booklet), some books and he even made us brown bag lunches for the trip!  James got off work with just enough time to come back to the house, change, play a round of trivia, and then go with us back to the Bus Station.

There was drama at the bus station, we almost didn't make our bus.  Apparently we were supposed to 'check' our bags and get special tags.  No one told us, and we didn't have to on the way to PA so it was a rush when we were boarding and realized we couldn't get on.  We had togo wait in another line, get tags, and then make it back.  Luckily there were 3 buses, and we made it on the tail end of the 3rd bus.  Sara called Brian when we were panicked we wouldn't make it, but we didn't have to call him to come pick us up which was awesome.  We were seriously freaking out that we wouldn't make it.

I slept on the bus to NYC this time, and we got there early so we waited in line for the Boston bus for awhile.  We had our lunches this time, so we didn't have to stop for refreshments.  I slept on the bus to Boston as well, and woke up only for the required stops.  We were so bedraggled, we took the T back to the apartment to see our lonely kitten and just slumped on the couch.  We caught up on TV and took a nap and got our butts ready for work on Monday!

Monday at work was good, same with today.  It's kind of slow right now because I'm still learning, but it should be picking up soon which will be nice.  I like my 9-3 schedule, I always get in a bit early so I can stop and get coffee.  Au Bon Pain is right underneath the office, so I normally stop in there for a pastry and a coffee.

We want to take pictures for Christmas Cards, but we need someone to take them for us!  We've been trying to hang out with a few of our Boston friends to kind of ask them.  Also we are looking into boarding/cat visits for Christmas.  Boarding would be the best option, so she won't be so lonely, but most places are booked.  The cat visits for Thanksgiving ended up being $$ and I think she was sad being alone most of the day.  So I would like to find something else.  I would love someone in Boston, a friend of ours, to keep her for a week, but we don't really know anyone well enough.  The few that we do we are going to slyly ask, but I have a feeling it will be a no go.  That would be ideal, and because of that it's not going to happen, lol.

Anyway, that's pretty much everything.  If I missed anything, well oops.  I will try to not be lazy about this anymore, this update was a doozy.  Took almost an hour!

Sara on her way to Casino Night

View from my office!

Mike's pastry- apparently famous, there are always tons of people there.  Sara stopped for a Cannoli to celebrate my new job!

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Bayside :)

My Primanti Bros. pastrami sandwich

Ringo under the blankets

Redneck Wine Bottle, only $7!

Mike's Pastries:  Chocolate Chip Cannoli and Boston Cream Puff

Primanti Bros. sandwich from the side

Kitty didn't want me to find a job, or leave, lol.

Taking Back Sunday!!

In our fluffy coats

Me and Ringo, just hanging out

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Saturday Sara and I are going to a Taking Back Sunday/Bayside concert.  I am SOO excited, Bayside is my favorite.  I like TBS, but not as much as Bayside!

Today was my first day of work at my new job at BackBay Communications.  I received my first assignment, research trade publications and conferences for Automotive Parts & Trucks, but was only able to work on it for an hour and a half.  The IT guy came in to set me up with my login and email, and somehow everything got messed up!  He ended up replacing my computer, keyboard and mouse (which is a good thing, as the ones at that desk were really really dirty and nasty).  It took all day, to figure out that it needed to be replaced, then update the new computer, and set everything up.  He wasn't even finished before I left at 3!  I couldn't do really anything, so I basically read the whole time, trying to catch myself up on financial situations and learn the lingo.  I read the Wall Street Journal, which I never thought I would do!  This morning though was pretty bad, I got super anxious, which leads to sickness and dizziness.  I actually got off the T 2 stops early because I thought I might pass out, so I braved the cold and walked the last couple of blocks (I had the extra time and the cold made me feel better).

Tomorrow I have to turn in my list before lunchtime, so I have to do some at home research (which I don't mind).  It might be easier, I doubt anyone will be on Cision right now so I can build the bulk of my list and not be worried for tomorrow.

I got hooked up with some swag, I got a water bottle and a workout shirt (kinda weird I know but one of the guys is really into running, so I guess that's where it came from?).  I do need a good thick cardigan for the office though, I share an office with someone else, and it was freezing!  Then again, I had on a short sleeved shirt.  Tomorrow I will wear a sweater and that will probably be better.  But I do want to get a good cardigan.  I'll put it on my christmas list for mom.

Also, Pret A Manger just opened in Boston!! Down the street from my office!! I noticed when I was walking to work this morning.  I didn't have a chance to go by today, but I am super excited for future lunchtimes.  It's pretty centrally located, and I have a really cool view of Boston Garden and the pond right from my window (I will take a picture tomorrow and post it).

So yes, I am finally employed, and it's a relief.  It doesn't pay much, and it's not full time, but that's ok!  I still have money saved up, and this will pay rent.  Also, I won't have to deal with too many people on my commute both ways!  Only in the mornings.  So, lots of pros to this job.  Also it gives me more current experience in the field I want to be in, and I will be able to make contacts for the future!

Tonight for dinner I ordered food on Foodler, which is a food delivery service.  I ordered from Teriyaki Joes, and it came in about 45 minutes.  My chicken teriyaki was ok, nothing special about it. I prefer Teriyaki from Livermore.  I also got some Bao Bao dumpling things, which were really good, and some rangoons which I liked.  Sara ordered some Pad Thai, but she's just eating it now so I can't give a review.  Ordering in on Foodler gave me points, so I now have $4.30 for next time I order from them!  Pretty neat.

This weekend is pretty busy (did I already say this?).  We have Casino Night tomorrow, with the people from Sara's office.  Saturday night is the Taking Back Sunday/Bayside concert, and Sunday we are going out to Jessi's for dinner.  Yay plans!

Bonus #2

I got a job!!

Well, kind of.  It's a part time PR internship, 30 hours a week, for an undisclosed amount of time.

But still!  It's what I wanted.  Doesn't pay a lot, but that's for now.  If I get hired on at the end I'll get paid more, and if I don't, I will have more current relevant experience for what I want to do!  Win Win!

I start tomorrow at 9 :)

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Hang You Up by Yellowcard for today!  I forgot that I really like this band, there is another song off this CD that I will probably post in a few days because it's pretty.

Today I baked!  I found a recipe for Quinoa Cocoa Almond bars that sounded really good (and healthy) the other day, so I went to Whole Foods and bought everything I would need.  Let me just say, all that healthy stuff is expensive.  Luckily they taste good, or else I would have been angry how much it cost, lol.

I'm also going to try a new pasta recipe for dinner.  I got all the stuff I needed for that at Shaw's yesterday (except Creme Fraiche, which I couldn't find, so I had to make).

Having no job and a lot of time on my hands gives me a chance to try new things.  I've been reading a lot more, practicing my French, looking up recipes.  Oh, and catching up on old shows.  I'm almost all caught up on Supernatural, yay!

I sent emails to all my job contacts today- all the people at staffing agencies that I have talked to.  I need to keep in touch with them so I can find a job!  I am still looking on my own, don't worry.  I really want hockey season to start so I can find a job with TD Garden, or the Bruins themselves.  I applied for a sales position with them, but they aren't going to do any actual hiring until the games start again.  So that blows.

I tried to start NaNoWriMo, but I don't have any good ideas to write a 50,000 page book in one month.  And now I'm way behind, definitely wouldn't finish in time for the challenge.  One day maybe.

I finally changed my Songkick over, so it showed me a bunch of the shows that are happening in Boston.  Bayside and TBS next week!! SOLD OUT.  Motion City Soundtrack tonight!! SOLD OUT.  Yellowcard and I am the In Crowd!! BUSY.  All Time Low!! SOLD OUT.  I waited too long to look into shows, I should have done it as soon as I got here!  There are a bunch I want to go to and now I can't.  They release more tickets closer to the date of the show, so I'm going to check a couple times each day just in case.  Today there was 1 ticket for the TBS/Bayside show available, but I want two!  Sara said she would go with me, yay!  I just have to get the tickets.  So I will.  I haven't been to a show in ages, and Bayside is my favorite :)

Aunt Cathy is in town tomorrow, that will be neat.  We cleaned the apartment just for her (I just have to do my dishes from my muffins and probably dinner tonight).  I don't know if there are any plans for her visit, but it's always nice to have people over!

I need a haircut.  I like that my hair is getting longer, but my bangs are at an odd length, and I need to dye the grays out again.  Maybe I will wait until I go home for Christmas.  Maybe I will find a Groupon for a good salon and use that instead... hmm...

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Erase and Rewind, by The Cardigans.  Great song, featured on the Never Been Kissed soundtrack.  Been stuck in my head (like most of the songs I post here).

Today there is a free Aerosmith concert down the street from our apartment.  I went and checked it out, and it was SUPER crowded.  I couldn't even see the stage (will post pics of what I could see later).  A lot of people were on the roofs of their buildings, but that's illegal at our apt building, and I prob wouldn't be able to see anything anyway.  I stayed for one song, and then came back home.  Too crowded, and I didn't havent anyone to talk to since everyone I know has a job and is at work.

My temp job ended on Friday, and I got my first paycheck for the week before.  12 hours, $155.00!! Hahahhahahahhahahahhaaha I feel so pathetic.  I met up with another staffing agency on Friday morning, this guy is also gonna help me find a job.  He's more direct hire, so no temp positions.  I also talked to Kevin at Monument, who got me the last temp job, he's submitting my resume for another position.  So we'll see.  I'm still applying for other jobs on my own, and I rescheduled the internship interview for tomorrow afternoon.  So I have some stuff in the works.

This weekend, Sara and Jessi and I went out with Jeff to Cambridge.  We ended up at a bar called Zuzu's which played world-ish music and we danced a lot.  It was fun for a bit, then I got bored (as I tend to do).  After we went and got burritos, Jeff's friend almost got into a fight with some gangster kids, and Sara got into an argument about San Diego burritos.

Saturday night was the Donkey Show!  We had bought some deals off of Livingsocial, and we went this weekend.  It's not a Donkey Show like you are thinking (dirty!).  It was a reimagining of A Midsummer Night's Dream that takes place in like a 70s disco club.  There are no seats, you watch from the dance floor, and it's very interactive.  There was a lot of older ladies there, shaking their bon bons (lol) and having a good time.  I thought it was a lot of fun, I really liked the music.  I took a video of part of the beginning, when the "fairies" are go go dancing on the dance floor.

Afterward we went to Deep Ellum, got some meatloaf sandwiches and drinks.  We've been watching a lot of Mad Men, and Deep Ellum is famous for them, so I ordered an Old Fashioned.  I won't order it again!  It wasn't bad, but it was bitter and I like sweet more.  I felt like an adult though :)

Sunday we did laundry (it was terribly needed) and went on a Meetup.  It was a walk through the Arboretum, but ended up being more of a hike!  We went on unmarked paths, and I almost slipped down hills.  It was fun, but long.  There were like 50 people all walking together.  The whole point is to go do something new, and meet people.  The thing is, I hate asking and answering the same 5 questions each time I talk to someone new.  So after awhile, I was a bit annoyed- not that I stopped talking to people, just that I probably wasn't as friendly as I could have been.  When the hike was done, the group split up and we all went to lunch.  We went to Dogwood in Jamaica Plain, the service took forever (1 waitress for 18 people).  My tuna melt wasn't a melt, it was a toasted tuna sandwich with cheese (that wasn't melted).  I was disappointed.  The company was good though, we got into a few good discussions, made a few new friends.

Today I am at home, I crocheted a whole beanie earlier and watched a movie on Netflix.  I need to make lunch and maybe read another book.  For the year 2012, I have already read 50 books!! I wanted to make it to 50 before the year was out, and I made it!  Maybe at the end of the year I will post the list.  I finished Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children yesterday.  It was good, I wonder if there will be another to follow up.

Cat still doesn't have a name :/

I made this "White Beans and Cabbage" from our Super Natural Everyday cookbook by Heidi Swanson.  It was really good!  I thought it was a bit dry, and added a bit more salt, but it was a successful dinner!

The kitty, sleeping :)

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Halloween!  Friday night we went out to a local bar, Common Ground- it was 90s night!  There was a $5 cover which was lame, but the music was good.  We were the only ones dressed up for awhile, not until later did anyone else come in costume.  We only had cat ears on though, so not too crazy.  I had a lot to drink, and only really remember some parts of the night.  We met up with one of our friends named Jeff (we have 2!) and his friend Mark (I think).  Fun night, we got pizza on the way home and some how ended up with a tow zone sign in our living room!  

Saturday I was hungover, but was able to take a good long nap.  We had to wake up early to take the cat to the free clinic and have her looked over.  The vet there said that she had a fever, gave her some shots and some new antibiotics and eye cream. We also had some iced coffee while we waited.

Saturday night we went out with Sara's friend Hannah, someone she met at a Tri Delta alum event last week.  It was really cool, I dressed up as Velma and Sara was a cat again (this time with whisker makeup).  We went to a pub down in backbay, where a friend of theres was having a halloween party.  That was neat, but we ended up leaving around 11 and going to a different friend's house party in the south end.  That was fun, hung out and talked a lot.  Afterwards we went to Harry's by the house, but it was super packed.  We weren't there for very long before Hannah and her boyfriend Nate left, and then Sara finished her drink and we left too.  Pretty chill night, definitely good after the drunk night I had Friday.

We watched part of the game at the pub in the beginning of the night, and then I got the updates about our win.  So excited, after tonight we might be World Series Champions again!!!!!  I'm pretty happy about it.  Even though the weather right now kind of sucks, we are going to go out to the bar tonight to watch Game 4.  

Today has been a lazy day, we got up and caught up on all the shows we had missed this week.  Then we went to the store, got some crackers.  We went to CVS to get batteries for the flashlight, but they were out.  We went to two convenience stores for them, and finally found them near the house.  $6 for two D batteries!  Is that normal?  It seemed expensive.  We aren't really prepared for Hurricane Sandy, but what do we need to do?  We have water, we have food if the power goes out.... Sara doesn't work tomorrow but I am guessing that I do since I haven't heard anything about it.  

Tonights post has been scattered, I keep getting distracted.

These are friends we made

Friday night we were cats!  

Saturday night I was Velma and Sara was a cat (with whiskers this time)

Oh yeah, our costumes were awesome.  This was Friday, when almost no one else dressed up

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Taylor Swift:  I Knew You Were Trouble- new CD came out, of course I got it!  This doesn't sound like her, it's more poppy and auto-tuned, but it's catchy.  It's been stuck in my head all day.  Enjoy!



I know it's been ages since I've written.  I've actually been busy!!  I started a temp job (lasts a week and a half) on Wednesday, and we've had the Giant's games to watch.  Not much time for remembering to write!  So my temp job is in Cambridge, it's 4 hours a day, and I call people and ask them to take a survey.  Not fun or glamorous at all, but I am making some cash and getting out of the house.  It's kinda far though, and getting back after I get off at 2 is kind of a hassle since there is no direct bus.

We've been able to watch at the Giants games so far, we basically frequent bars and spend lots of money to do it though.  Last night was the first night we watched on a friend's TV, and we kind of coerced him into letting us watch it.  Going out to watch the games are expensive, even when its half price bar snacks or dollar burger night.  Beer is costly, and it's hard to nurse one during a whole 9 inning game.  Most of the time we can't stay all the way through to the end though, since its on so late here and we have to go to sleep.  But I'm excited for my team!  I wish I was back at home to celebrate and watch the games with my family.

Our cat (who still does not have a name) is sick, which the shelter told us might happen, but she's not getting any better.  We got meds for her on Tuesday, and I've been giving them to her exactly as they say, but she seems to be getting worse :/ and now she's not eating.  Tomorrow we are taking her to the free clinic to get looked at.  I don't want her to feel sick!  She's not as fun, and she sleeps all the time, and she is always sneezing.  I feel so bad for her.

I have an interview Tuesday next week for a part time PR internship.  I'm not 100% if I want it, because I don't really want to be an intern AGAIn, but I really want to get into PR out here, so I will do it if I have to.  I had a phone interview already, and it seemed to go ok- but when I asked if there was potential to be hired on after the internship, he wasn't sure.  I don't want not sure!  I want to know that if I do a GREAT job, I can be a part of the team for real.  Also, I don't know what the pay is.  But it would start right after my temp job ends, so that might be nice.  We'll see.  I also applied for TripAdvisor again, and got my friend Dan to send my resume to HR and refer me, so maybe that will pay off and they will call (since he is a current employee).  Hopefully- I'm crossing my fingers.

I was so bored on Monday that I crocheted a whole new scarf.  It's nothing fancy, just a taupe double crocheted infinity scarf, but I'm pretty proud- it didn't take very long and it came out pretty clean looking.  I was supposed to be following a pattern so it would have a design, but I messed it and decided just to go basic.  Next I'm gonna do a beanie and a cowl.  I got this weird colored yarn from Walmart I'm gonna use.

Hmm what else?  I got a postcard from Kyle in Australia, that was neat.  I'm glad he's doing so well there.  I always feel guilty when I think that he left because he wasn't really happy back in CA, because I know I was part of that.  I always mess things up for the people I care about :/

Sara and I got LivingSocial deals for The Donkey Show which actually sounds a bit insane.  I'm really excited though, I'll try to take pictures and update right after so it's all fresh in my head.

We still don't know what we are going to do for Halloween.  The few people that we know and have reached out to are busy with not Halloween plans, so that's no fun.  We might just go out.  I think a house party would be the most fun, maybe we'll walk around and crash one!  Hahahaha.

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Soundtrack:  Speed The Collapse by Metric!


I had an interview with another staffing firm on Thursday! I think it went well, hopefully he can find something for me. I'd really like to be employed :)

So... We got a cat! Her name at the shelter was Fluffy, but that doesn't fit her, so we're gonna think of something else. She's 3 years old, very mellow, very cute. It's a big step, getting a cat, but I'm pretty excited :) I miss having a pet, and I miss having a cat! She's fixed, she's litter box trained, and according to her previous owners, she doesn't scratch much (but I guess we'll find out on our own).  She always has to be the center of attention, she LOVES to be pet.  She seeks out your hand, and she gives you this look, like 'why aren't you petting me?' if you try to stop.  Right now she's just in my room, the shelter said she needs to get acclimated to us before we let her into the whole apartment.  I think by now though, she's bored- she keeps trying to escape! Aaaand, I think she's nocturnal.  I havent gotten much sleep these last couple of days, lol.


We went to a movie screening on Tuesday, saw The Silver Linings Playbook. It was really good, I liked it a lot. I went in not really knowing what it was about, and I came out really enjoying it. Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Chris Tucker were all in it.

Today Sara and I did our pumpkin day; we are only eating pumpkin stuff.  For lunch (or Brunch, which sounds better) we had pumpkin pancakes (the kind that Dad make are way better than Trader Joes though).  For dinner we had pumpkin wrapped in bacon, with rice a roni.  We have pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert!  I'm so weird, I love that we did this.  We went to Trader Joes the other day, and they had all this pumpkin stuff, so we decided to just only eat pumpkin things for a day!  But then they were out of a lot of stuff and we had to improvise.

New Kitty!  She's awesome

Pumpkin Pancakes!  I kinda burnt a couple....

Now she's sleeping.  She's so cute!

Bonus

Sara is hired! A temp position at a real estate office!

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I wrote a whole post while waiting for the bus earlier, but I guess it didn't save since it's now disappeared!

Anyway, we tried to get a cat today.  But we went all the way to the MSPCA and it was closed.  They're not open on Monday!  So we are going to try and go again on Wednesday (Sara has an interview downtown tomorrow afternoon).

Instead of getting a cat, we got crepes!  I got Nutella with bananas and whipped cream.  Sara got a special, called the Vermonter, with turkey and cheddar and apples and bacon and maple syrup.  It looked really good.  I also got a Nutella Frozen Hot Chocolate.  It was amazing.  I took a picture of it (I forgot to for the crepes).

We also went and picked up the rest of the beginners stuff we will need for a cat:  litter, food and water dish, scoop.  I figure it doesn't need a bed yet, we have blankets it can sleep in- if we need one later down the line the pet store is super close (which is neat).

The weather the past couple of days has been pretty nice.  Today I walked around in a tank top (I had my jacket just in case) and it was bright over the weekend.  Bright but cold, nice and crisp.  The leaves are all changing, it's really cool to walk down the street and see.  I really need to take some better pictures, so I can share the scenery.

I finally finished my gray scarf, so now I need more yarn to make this cowl I found online.  Walmart has cheap yarn (and they can ship it to me!) but they're out of stock of the colors that I want.  Poo.

Hmm what else?  I finally got a call today from the staffing agency, my contact is going to submit my resume for a position downtown- an administrative assistant for a tech startup.  Pretty neat, but I wish I could be getting more money.  I have applied for a couple more jobs today, so hopefully something clicks.  I still havent heard back about that Account Coordinator position in Newton that I REALLY want.  I sent an email last week and he said I should hear back by the end of the week- still haven't heard anything.  I'm going to send him another email tomorrow morning.  Even if I didn't get the position I would like to know so I'm not still freaking out for no reason.

Sara just left to go buy a suit.  I should go and apply for more jobs.  If I think of anything exciting I will add it here later!

My Nutella Frozen Hot Chocolate!

Drunken Pizza from Friday night, just delayed on the posting.  White pizza with pepperoni and olives.  The best!

My drink from Lolita and the granita palate cleanser.  Pretty cool looking with the dry ice, but it's hard to see.

Cotton Candy!  Apple flavored :)

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Been listening to Lana a lot lately, so here's the soundtrack for today!  Lana Del Rey- Video Games




There is a better version, but it can't be played anywhere except youtube, which defeats the point of a soundtrack for a blog!  So this is the best I could find that is allowed to be embedded.  Hope you like!

Today we went back to Back Bay and got some supplies.  I got my knee highs for my Halloween Costume, so it's pretty much complete!  The shoes won't be perfect, but I'm not going to go out and get red Mary Janes just for one night.

We also went to H&M and they finally had the coat I wanted in the right size!  It's oatmeal colored, only $40 and I finally bought it.  Sara got a red leather jacket that was on sale.  We also went to Zara, where I found two coats I liked (but they were  $$ so I didn't get either one).  We stopped and got iced coffee at Dunkin and walked around.  On our way home we went to Bed Bath & Beyond, and Sara bought a blender.  Now we can make smoothies and milkshakes!  I bought the Trader Joe's pumpkin ice cream so a milkshake of that would be delicious!  We just need milk, lol.

I'm going out tonight with my new friend Jason to a place called Lolita's, it sounds really neat.  Sara's friend Jamie and her family are in town, so she's out with them right now.

We went back to White Horse last night, it was fun! Well actually, first we went to Great Scott, but there weren't a lot of people there so we left after one drink.  Then we went to White Horse- we wanted to go to Common Ground, but there was a line.  And we don't like lines for bars, lol.  So White Horse was our third choice for the night, but it ended up being a good one.  I know I've said it before, but I really like the pumpkin beers with the brown sugar rim!  I had three last night.  We met some people, one guy reminded me a lot of Ben so we talked a lot.  We almost went back to someone's house for a fire pit, but Sara wanted to go home so we left.  I wish we could meet people easier, people that aren't just boys at bars.  We're trying to do this Meetup thing at the bowling alley, but it keeps getting rescheduled!

Tomorrow I really have to do laundry.  My bag is almost full, and I'm gonna have to do two loads at least!  I wanted to get in the habit of doing laundry more often, but who knows if that will actually happen, haha.  I don't want to do it tomorrow, I feel like it's super busy on the weekends.  I would rather wait until Monday morning to do it.

Omg I am rambling about laundry.  I am really boring, I apologize.  Btw, I was disappointed with Vampire Diaries premiere.  I wanted more Damon/Elena, and I was left in the cold.  Stefan is boring and she needs to give Damon a chance.  Especially now that she is a vampire.

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Giants won!!

I had an interview with a staffing agency today, I think it went well. Sara has had 4, with different agencies and she's gotten a couple calls, so hopefully it works out for me too.

We went and saw a free screening of Seven Psychopaths last night. I liked it! I only got the passes because our previous plans had fallen through, but I'm glad we went and saw it. It was funnier than I thought it would be. I rally want to score passes to see Silver Linings Playbook, but those keep running out before I can get them.

We bought a groupon for a local gym and have been twice so far this week. I'm excited, I like going to the gym. I didn't like going before because I was always tired from work, but since I do t work I don't have that obstacle! It's only a for a month, and I can't afford to renew after that ($60 a month PLUS $149 reg fee!!). I don't know what I'll do then. Hopefully find another groupon or something.

I listen to French podcasts and catch up on The Nerdist podcasts while at the gym. Music sometimes, but not a lot lately. And I watch the news on the TV. VP debate tonight!! Everything I read said that Ryan lied a lot and was very vague. But then CNN sent me an email saying that the majority of people polled said he won! That doesn't really make sense to me. I don't like him, I will not be voting for him. BTW, we sent in our registration forms almost 2 weeks ago- aren't we supposed to get something in the mail to confirm our registration and to tell us where we can go to vote? I want to vote (though Mass is a blue state anyway). I should have moved to Florida, make my vote count.


We finally got a coffee table!! Sara found it on Craigslist, $40 blue wooden table. It's so cute. We had to use zipcar to go pick it up, and made a few wrong turns on our way to Somerville. But I am glad we finally have one. We just need another chair and we're set!

The last couple days have just been hanging out, applying for jobs, and going to interviews (Sara, notsomuch for me).

I started studying for the GRE, and I forgot how much I hate/suck at math. Even easy math (which I had forgotten how to do- I had to look up how to prime factorize a number). I feel stupid and I just started studying! Luckily I know I'll remember and relearn stuff as I go, and that I have plenty of time, since I can't go anywhere this year anyway.

Ok, so that's it for now. It's late and I have to clean tomorrow- my room is a mess.

My workout!  Obviously not finished yet...

Our new coffee table!  It's really cute, and powder blue!

I'm addicted to iced coffee.  I swear, we always end up at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts getting an iced coffee.  Later when I ask, where did my money go?  Please refer me to this picture.

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Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park



Instead of the normal 'this is what I did today' post, I'm gonna get a bit more personal.

I moved to Boston because I felt like I was missing something in my life, and I wanted to try and look for it in a new place.  It's not that I was having a horrible time at home, I just felt like I could be doing more.  So here I am.

I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss my income, lol.  But I don't miss being bored at my job, and feeling like my brain was wasting away.  I don't miss driving 2 hours a day to get to and from work, and I don't miss my monotonous routine.  I don't miss feeling like a zombie.

But now I am here, and I don't have a job yet and it's scary.  I apply and send out resumes and cover letters, but still come up with nothing.  I haven't been looking for very long, so I'm not super frustrated yet, but it might get to that point.  I haven't applied for random positions yet.  I would like an income, yes, but I don't want to end up in the same position I was at home- at a job I hate just for a paycheck.  I haven't gotten there yet.  When I do, you will know.

I did apply for some admin jobs today, and I applied for Whole Foods over the weekend.  I never heard back from the PF firm that responded to my first email.  They didn't even respond when I sent my follow up email, which I think is kind of rude.  I know people are busy, but how hard is it to send a quick 'We're not interested at this time, Thank You' email?  That just took me 4 seconds to write.  I feel like they expect so much of me, I expect an equal amount from them.  But I guess it doesn't work out that way.  Blah, I should be used to this by now.

So yeah, I'm getting a bit frustrated, but I will keep on truckin'.  I know I will find something eventually.  Until then I can stay up until 1:00 a.m. watching Dawson's Creek on Netflix :)

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Today's soundtrack:

How to be a Heartbreaker by Marina and the Diamonds:

We did some cool stuff today!

My alarm went off at 10 this morning.  I got out of bed at 1045.  Just enough time to get dressed and ready to heat out by 1115!  

Today was the 3rd annual Boston Local Food Fest, and it was really neat.  It's down by the water, right in front of the aquarium (which I still want to go to, btw).  

We walked around, got a bunch of free samples of TONS of stuff- from cheese and bread to chocolate and caramels.  It was a bit cold, but nothing a nice coat couldn't take care of.  We walked around, listened to the different bands, watched demos of cooks (and tried their food).  We bought some samosas (still can't find any that compare to the indian place near Lauren's apt in London though).  We got free salad and tried home made ginger soda!  It was cool, I am glad I got out of the apartment to see it.   

That was a good 2 hours.  I took a few pics, it was crowded but not crazy.  We also went down the water and sat for a bit.  The pics might be a bit muddy, but the sky was gray and not ideal for photos, lol.  We also walked around some shops- Urban Outfitters was having a sale- ok actually this is weird.  So Sara got an email the other day saying they were having a 30% off sale.  So yesterday we went to the Allston store.  I bought a tank top and a $.75 nail polish.  We go to the Urban in Quincy Market- everything is 50% off!  For the same stuff.  It was dumb.  I wonder why one store was 50% off, and another was 30%.  Anyway, we also went by Newbury Comics, because theres a new graphic novel I really want (found here if anyone is interested in knowing what I used to spend all my money on).  They didn't have it, and really, I don't need to keep buying myself stuff.  Ive been a lot better at it lately though!

We stopped and Shaw's and got a few small supplies, and then headed home.  We watched a couple movies, Daydream Nation and The Jerk Theory, I watched some Dawson's Creek and Hart of Dixie (I only watched a little bit of each show).

Then we parted, I went into my room to study French- and then got distracted by a long Skype session with Missy!  So it's now almost 1 am here, I'm discussing Silent Hill and Jeremy Renner. 

A misty interactive sculpture at the park.

Sara at the water!

Wharf pic

The Aquarium!  

The Food Festival

A Band!  

Free Salad :)

More random pics of the festival

Muddy pic of the city

Another band playing