112712

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

111512

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 :)

110912

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...

110512

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 :)