tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56085562011-11-27T19:44:57.076-05:00my own personal soapboxninanoreply@blogger.comBlogger4151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-28784232397442099382011-03-08T12:17:00.000-05:002011-03-08T14:25:06.649-05:00

so yesterday was the series finale of greek, the best show on television that you weren't watching. after four years of living greek life at cyprus rhodes university, i can honestly say i will miss these characters a lot. the writers managed to create a realistic portrayal of college life with people that you cared about, even the secondary and tertiary characters (beaver, katherine, tegan),

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-54751274395744118722011-02-16T14:04:00.004-05:002011-02-16T14:16:45.602-05:00

here are some more phrases i've noticed being used around my office but which don't really mean anything. cover off on v. cover. usage: "did we cover off on everything on our agenda? i don't want to skip anything." real words/phrases that could be used instead: "did we cover everything on our agenda? i don't want to skip anything."buttoned up adj. calm under pressure. usage: "joe has so many

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-33140029709725374092010-12-27T12:52:00.003-05:002010-12-27T13:09:06.153-05:00

this past fall, we started a music class with asher called music together. there were about 12 other kids in the class, ranging from a little younger than him to about 4 years old. the teacher played the guitar, sang songs, gave them instruments to play, and so on. he totally loved the class and we play the songs in the car and at home all the time. however, some of the songs are much better

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-85445773063585907232010-12-03T20:37:00.007-05:002010-12-27T12:52:10.292-05:00

so, if you asked me what i listened to most in 2010, it wasn't any of these songs. it was definitely bert and ernie sing-along, hands down. however, catchy as they may be, those songs were not my favorites of the year.i can't remember the names of all my favorites, and i'm a little slow these days, so some of the songs i liked best this year are from last year. i'm also not including plundered

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-32461743823254934422010-09-02T14:31:00.004-04:002010-09-02T14:39:52.087-04:00

this was really fun! i have seen many of the movies here, including save the last dance, which i saw in the theatres and am not at all embarassed about. but not honey--i do have some standards. there are few things i love more in a film than a choreographed dance scene. others that i thought of while watching this include:* prom dance scene from she's all that* hall and oates dance scene from

ninanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-30322448593691049702010-07-02T19:21:00.003-04:002010-07-03T07:47:47.523-04:00

i was somewhat concerned when i read, a few months ago, that bret easton ellis would be publishing a sequel to his first novel, less than zero. less than zero is one of my favorite books. i read it for the first time many years ago, when i was way too young to be reading it, because i found it in my brother's room. the cover was a photo of the three principals from the horrific movie version

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-28037260445965134472010-05-04T20:18:00.004-04:002010-05-04T21:02:25.602-04:00

alex and i went to japan for ten days in the middle of april. he was invited to give a talk at the annual meeting of the japanese pediatric society. this year, the conference was in morioka, in iwate prefecture. morioka is known for its rock-splitting cherry tree. the people organizing the conference hosted a welcome dinner that friday evening at a restaurant on the sixth floor of a building

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-70209605653978040152010-03-19T12:06:00.003-04:002010-03-19T12:08:05.436-04:00

image is care of the gilt groupe web site. the nausea you may feel is all your own.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-80999041726547130952010-03-18T08:48:00.010-04:002010-04-03T09:57:47.585-04:00

alex chilton has died. maybe with his death, more people will discover the awesomeness of big star. my favorites are: thirteenthe ballad of el goodoseptember gurlsfrom his solo stuff, of the songs i know, i like: bangkokyou can't have mecan't seem to make you minewith a girl like youfree againalso, just for fun: the replacements :: alex chiltonthe bangles :: september girls

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-12273399338071335742010-03-09T19:04:00.002-05:002010-03-09T19:14:00.095-05:00

got home at 5 PM with asher. took off shoes, put down bags (three of them), hung up coat. took asher out of stroller, walked around the house so that he could point at things. went into his room and unzipped him out of his snowsuit. smelled like poop.attempted diaper change by plying him with books. was successful. put laundry into washing machine. played in his room--read some books,

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-25089365296271888832010-02-04T07:56:00.002-05:002010-02-04T08:03:38.968-05:00

the fact that my uncles' sensei came to the funeralwhether or not knishes from yona schimmel's knishes are kosherthe six-pack of kaffiyeh-style scarves that my brother bought in coalition forces colorsthe drawbridge on the gowanus canal and how it swings upwards at an angleschnitzi's schnitzels, which sarah, josh, and i ate after the funeral on the way to the cemeterygetting free tickets to NFL

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-17557717320101423322010-01-31T09:47:00.003-05:002010-01-31T09:53:25.996-05:00

i love nabisco's famous chocolate wafers but can't find them in the grocery store very often. when i saw them in the store a few months ago, i bought a box and waited for the right time to make the icebox cake whose recipe is on the box. when my parents said they were coming to town this weekend, i figured that was as good a time as any because my mom really likes the cookies.if you see this

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-57884805325737744172010-01-21T14:58:00.003-05:002010-01-21T14:59:36.090-05:00

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-26496462274216251192010-01-15T08:37:00.002-05:002010-01-15T08:45:06.154-05:00

it is no secret that alex and i are not fans of boston. we would not have moved here if not for the fact that boston children's hospital and dana-farber are located here. if i had pushed a little harder, perhaps we would have moved to san francisco or philadelphia. i can't say anywhere is better than here but other places would be, for sure.this morning, as i was getting ready after my shower,

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-35323478431558342962010-01-03T15:26:00.002-05:002010-01-03T15:37:05.750-05:00

i love chocolate pudding and my favorite brand is definitely kozy shack. i was surprised--and excited--to see a new flavor, chocolate hazelnut, while in the store yesterday: chocolate hazelnut. it must be very new because it's not even on their web site. i thought it would be similar to a gianduja. however, when i sampled it this afternoon, i was a little disappointed to discover that it

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-53638754356485282622009-11-14T08:56:00.002-05:002009-11-14T09:08:58.053-05:00

last weekend, we drove down to NYC for some family stuff. while we went down for a reception for my cousin erik and his new wife ali, the more important thing to do was visit my grandfather.over the summer, my grandparents, who still live in their house in brooklyn, had a fire in the basement. they went to live with my aunt and uncle for a few weeks while the house was worked on, but it was

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-11793185399864398282009-10-09T15:00:00.001-04:002009-10-09T15:01:22.396-04:00

so i just signed up for twitter. we'll see how that goes.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-15623552856985413882009-09-25T12:24:00.002-04:002009-09-25T12:26:32.345-04:00

we are moving tomorrow! i am very excited. there are some things that i will miss about our current apartment, which is a kind of non-neighborhood that borders on so many other neighborhoods. i'll miss the convenience of the grocery store, bank, video store, drugstore, hardware store, radio shack, dry cleaners, and post office, all underneath my building. i'll miss being able to walk to

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-58659305691307664972009-09-09T20:54:00.004-04:002009-09-30T17:02:08.632-04:00

we are moving to brookline at the end of the month. it's a very nice two bedroom apartment with a much larger kitchen, two bathrooms, two balconies, and a hook-up for a washer and a dryer in the apartment. there are lots of closets (linen closet!) and a pantry (pantry!). we found the building because our former neighbors here moved to this new building in april. they had a baby in july and we

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-46608734670380737262009-08-29T12:06:00.004-04:002009-08-29T12:19:49.921-04:00

i started watching USA's new television series royal pains when it first aired earlier this summer. i was intrigued because i love campbell scott. the show is about a NYC ER doctor, hank, who loses his job because he decides to treat a kid from his pick-up basketball game over one of the hospital's founders--he believes that the founder is doing fine--but then, the founder of the hospital dies.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-411168545450697272009-08-19T10:50:00.003-04:002009-08-19T10:52:43.399-04:00

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-47802492130239432722009-08-08T09:36:00.004-04:002009-08-25T09:09:16.265-04:00

so john hughes died on thursday. the last of his movies that i saw was the unfortunate career opportunities. i have, of course, seen much of his earlier work and committed much of it to memory. he introduced me to james spader, who i love, and, via the soundtrack to pretty in pink, echo and the bunnymen, the smiths, and new order. the first of his movies that we saw (by "we," i mean my sister

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-23346098964771240182009-07-26T17:17:00.003-04:002009-08-08T09:36:41.261-04:00

tomorrow, i return to work. i am both happy and sad about this. in many ways, it feels as though all i have ever done is take care of asher. like, i never had a job or any life before this. i can barely remember what it is like to be in the office. however, i don't really want to be a stay-at-home mom (SAHM, for those in the know). it is hard work to take care of a baby, although he is just

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-34902843426040953992009-06-28T14:11:00.003-04:002009-07-07T18:19:10.259-04:00

we just got a new car. it is not a pink cadillac; it is a volkswagen jetta. we have been driving a honda accord for the past three years and it has been just fine, but the VW is much more fun and sporty.bruce springsteen :: pink cadillac

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-2410259430318066072009-06-26T09:08:00.003-04:002009-07-07T18:18:54.298-04:00

how crazy is it that michael jackson died yesterday? i mean, i guess he had to go sometime, but he was still quite young. and poor farrah fawcett. his death is totally overshadowing hers.michael jackson :: don't stop 'till you get enough

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-13656417353512273972009-06-23T16:56:00.006-04:002009-08-25T09:11:37.110-04:00

the book for my book club, which meets this evening, is american wife, by curtis sittenfeld. i read her first book, prep, a few years ago and did not like it at all. i also did not like american wife for mostly the same reasons.american wife is a story about a woman who marries a man who becomes president and is loosely based on the life of laura bush and george w. bush. first of all, i am not

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-69825005284254195262009-06-07T08:35:00.004-04:002009-06-07T08:41:31.651-04:00

i have finally decided to end my nearly 7-year relationship with lucky magazine. my subscription ends this month and i am not renewing. i don't think that i'll miss it--i get a lot of other magazines, as is evidenced by the image. and, this month, they have advised me to wear a romper. i have a five-week old child who wouldn't be caught dead in a romper.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-147378997205860742009-06-06T08:04:00.004-04:002009-06-07T08:52:18.750-04:00

we had some baby announcements created, which you can see here. in putting together the list of people to send them to, i thought it'd be interesting to see where all of our friends live. that's what these cities are, with the bigger words being the cities with more friends.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-86507554631807522942009-05-29T17:23:00.004-04:002009-05-29T17:36:36.153-04:00

last month, we had a baby. or really, i had the baby, via c-section, at the lovely brigham and women's hospital here in boston. i highly recommend the mac and cheese--it was very tasty. our son's name is asher. we chose it because we liked it and also because we wanted a name that began with "a" to name him after my grandfather, aaron. you can see some photos here. he is adorable, although

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-6570495234410840022009-04-27T08:50:00.003-04:002009-05-12T18:45:28.943-04:00

on wednesday morning, at approximately 11:30 AM, i will be in the hospital, allowing my doctor to cut into my abdomen and pull out my baby. this is commonly known as a "cesarean" birth, or "c-section." my parents are coming up tomorrow night and alex's parents will come up on wednesday. i am nervous for a few reasons--i've never had surgery before, i've never had a baby before. while i know

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-85155123099536559962009-04-13T18:34:00.004-04:002009-04-22T12:02:30.442-04:00

while the whole story was entirely fishy, i am a little bit surprised that phil spector was found guilty of murder. there seemed to be a lot of holes in both sides of the story, but what do i know? i wasn't following the case very closely.let's take a minute to remember his contributions to music, before he went off the deep end. the ronettes :: be my babythe crystals :: and then he kissed me

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-68739854290238748682009-04-12T21:55:00.005-04:002009-04-12T22:10:26.765-04:00

our bedroom used to be extremely minimalist. then we had to plan for baby furniture. this is the plan that i drew up for how we could rearrange everything.and here is what we ended up with.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-13547042450519124852009-04-05T17:47:00.003-04:002009-04-05T17:53:29.799-04:00

well, it won't start for a few months, but here is the trailer for the new movie where the wild things are. i was skeptical that it would be a good film, but the trailer is beautiful so we shall see. i think that baby will be a bit too young to appreciate it this october, but perhaps in the future.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-62788021499206416302009-03-23T21:29:00.001-04:002009-03-23T21:33:34.132-04:00

alex's parents came to visit this past weekend and brought us many baby things, including lots of clothing for baby. i'm not sure this is alex's color, but it is very cute.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-62877012675780558932009-03-15T18:05:00.002-04:002009-03-15T18:08:36.581-04:00

here are some more pictures. i didn't think i was getting bigger, but obviously i am. none of my (three pairs of pants) will stay up--i keep hiking them up like an old man. that's OK--i can get through seven more weeks with three pairs of pants and three dresses. i will be creative. some people don't have much more clothing than that--or that much clothing--ever.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-64586578722544695072009-03-06T07:37:00.004-05:002009-03-07T08:32:07.261-05:00

last month, we went to visit alex's parents for his mom's birthday. alex's dad has built a huge train set in their very large garage and every time we go to visit, it has gotten more elaborate. alex made a little film but i'm not sure if you can view it. you can try by clicking here.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-63364665126902840542009-02-23T18:27:00.001-05:002009-02-23T18:27:24.429-05:00

no.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-26914928101320484002009-02-16T16:25:00.003-05:002009-02-23T18:28:01.683-05:00

i haven't had too many food cravings as a pregnant woman but i have been really, really into citrus fruits. i have always loved the citrus and, even before pregnancy, would drink orange or grapefruit juice every morning, but this is above and beyond. now, when we go to the grocery store, we buy at least three different kinds of citrus fruits. in the photo are a tangelo; half of a grapefruit

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-13908232585044569622009-01-29T07:21:00.002-05:002009-01-29T07:26:54.185-05:00

we went on a family vacation to mexico last week. here are some photos!

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-53165756021485138472009-01-16T13:50:00.003-05:002009-02-16T16:26:16.362-05:00

i have been a subscriber to lucky magazine almost since its inception and have enjoyed "reading" it each month. i like that there is no content, that it's just images of products. i have even bought a few things that i've read about in lucky magazine, either in the spreads or something i've seen in one of the ads. over the past year or two, though, i have been given pause by some of the items

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-83960821700756189582009-01-05T10:37:00.003-05:002009-01-05T10:40:07.499-05:00

i have been feeling much better, too, although still not great. sleeping is tough, but i am working on adding some padding to the bed, underneath my hips. i think it is helpful. last night, monika and i had a long conversation--she is due next month--and so much of it was about babies. it's crazy! what did we talk about before?

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-12016715963741614162008-12-30T10:51:00.004-05:002008-12-30T14:01:12.808-05:00

i have not written in a long time. two days after my last posting, things took a bit of a turn for the worse. i am pregnant (yay!) and have a fibroid (boo!) that became really painful due to its large size and position. it was almost impossible for me to find a comfortable position to lie down or sit, and standing wasn't much better. sleeping was nearly impossible. the doctors didn't really

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-60858476041016248262008-11-17T10:52:00.003-05:002008-11-17T11:07:51.202-05:00

yesterday, i went to see role models with hao. it was much funnier than either of us expected it would be, and i must disagree with the reviews i read that compared it to a judd apatow movie. anyone who has seen anything done by david wain should have different expectations. while i have enjoyed the work of judd apatow, his humor is more mainstream, and i hope this new film takes mr. wain and

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-71710520812392266242008-11-12T16:13:00.002-05:002008-11-12T16:18:12.127-05:00

you'd think that blair would have known not to go up against a sicilian when death is on the line...oh, wait, maybe she does know.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-7619913443341115202008-11-05T07:13:00.001-05:002008-11-05T07:14:59.326-05:00

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-77769818283765751272008-11-03T09:44:00.004-05:002008-11-03T10:02:20.580-05:00

a few years ago, i went to visit a friend in utah and it happened to be during the sundance film festival. we went to see a "sundance classic" film, a documentary called the times of harvey milk. imagine our surpise when, in the middle of the film, harvey appears in a protest with a sign that says, "i'm from woodmere, ny"! that's where my friend and i were from! yesterday, at the movies, alex

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-76998997464648151062008-10-29T17:40:00.004-04:002008-11-11T10:21:25.427-05:00

i bought the 'mats album let it be a while ago and it has been in my car almost since the day i got it. i don't know what took me so long; i think i thought it would be too punk, like many of the earlier replacements albums. i tend to like their later, poppier songs more than their earlier, punk-esque songs. there was a big fuss a few years ago when both cat power and britney spears covered the

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-53283422129451632482008-10-28T13:46:00.004-04:002008-10-28T14:18:10.205-04:00

esquire: while it's not ringing, the editors nevertheless choose obama. they also have a guide to every congressional and gubernatorial race in the country.the new yorkerst. louis post-dispatchthe new york timesLA timessan francisco chroniclechicago tribune. apparently, this is the first time the chicago tribune has endorsed a democrat for president.anchorage daily newshere is a list of which

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-73445726214440140412008-10-17T13:17:00.004-04:002008-10-17T13:47:43.972-04:00

so every month in vanity fair there is ridiculous "article" called my stuff where some famous person shares with you all the things that they own. the november issue features ashley olson. i thought that it was time to share my stuff with the world. herewith, nina's favorite things...CLOTHESjeans: AGsneakers: camperst-shirts: american apparelday dress: what?day bag: le sportsacevening bag: um, le

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-39984173622129950482008-10-14T13:32:00.004-04:002008-10-14T13:38:34.452-04:00

in a few years--three years and eight months, approximately, but who's counting?--alex and i will leave boston. where we will go is unclear since that will depend on where alex gets a job, but it will most likely be either NYC, LA, or SF. as much as i love california, i would really love to move back to NYC. i think that, for the most part, the california chapter of my life is likely closed.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-91285225414559167362008-10-12T11:13:00.003-04:002008-10-12T11:16:01.087-04:00

two weeks ago, we had a little get-together in greenwich for cindy, whose wedding is next weekend. here are some photos!

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-12273792727403172672008-09-27T10:39:00.002-04:002008-09-27T10:40:07.546-04:00

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-62110250424025611982008-09-23T14:13:00.002-04:002008-09-23T14:18:16.575-04:00

but i have a cold. and it stinks. speaking of frank, you can read gay talese's story frank sinatra has a cold at the esquire archives. they've been putting up a lot of their more famous, classic pieces online, which is great. i'm particularly interested in reading superman comes to the supermarket, norman mailer's piece about JFK and the DNC of 1960. there's also a piece on tennis by david

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-83439639795208245932008-09-19T15:25:00.002-04:002008-09-19T15:36:26.408-04:00

so, yes, today K sent me my very own break-up email. it reminded me of the letters that snoopy receives when he sends off his manuscripts--"your story does not suit our present needs." the strangest thing is that, while i would feel sad that our friendship has come to an end, i can't really be sad because the K that i knew would never act like this. which leads me to believe that she has

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-9378990436515277202008-09-18T18:04:00.009-04:002008-09-18T18:32:31.301-04:00

i have had many friends in my lifetime, some of whom i'm still friends with (even if it's only on facebook) and some of whom i talk to or email or see all the time. there is also a sub-group of friends (we'll call them "boys and also cara") who i talk to infrequently but about whom i care just as much. sometimes, however, you grow apart. i have only one real friend from my elementary school

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-14477834310256739022008-09-06T10:45:00.004-04:002008-09-16T13:08:14.627-04:00

this morning at the gym, when i got on the treadmill, i put in my age and i was no longer 30! i suppose i could have lied--the treadmill would never know--but i would know.tonight, we are going to see my morning jacket with meredith, tamy, and guido. i am very excited about it. here is a different song, though, about the month of september and the lucky girls (gurls?) born during that time

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-16487364112093124072008-08-29T13:03:00.001-04:002008-08-29T13:04:31.785-04:00

otherwise, how can you explain this?

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-60449941148710350312008-08-25T12:54:00.002-04:002008-08-25T12:58:43.583-04:00

i went to san francisco last week for a few days. the purpose of the trip was work-related although i went out a few days early to see some friends. it was really fun but--no surprise--really cold. for most of the time i was out there, i was wearing three or four layers. i spent some quality time with heather and pete and got to see nicole and dima and their new baby, who is very cute. i

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-74646602964656749112008-08-14T18:19:00.002-04:002008-08-22T07:29:55.769-04:00

the first time i saw radiohead was not in concert. i was in a small vegetarian restaurant in paris with my friend CJ about eleven years ago. i was studying abroad in paris and she had come to visit me from london. the place was very small and we sat down at a table for two. three british guys walked in and sat down at the table next to us. one of them was wearing a radiohead t-shirt. they

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-12973288103633504722008-08-11T10:14:00.004-04:002008-08-11T10:25:44.578-04:00

when i lived in france, i became obsessed with this cereal that was a type of muesli or granola with bits of chocolate in it. i would eat it almost every day for breakfast with plain yogurt. i have been known to ask my aunt to bring back a box or two for me from paris and my friend alex brought me back a box a few years ago for my birthday. it was a great present.meanwhile, nothing like this

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-25022386771959593502008-08-07T17:23:00.001-04:002008-08-07T17:25:05.894-04:00

this is a funnel cloud spotted near amherst, ma! i am going home right now.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-90617526526976136972008-08-06T07:36:00.005-04:002008-08-15T07:36:05.234-04:00

i have a fondness for things vampire-related (buffy and angel on TV, dracula movie and book, anne rice books, etc). this is a YA take on vampires, and it's a little odd. however, i read the whole thing in two days, so it's definitely a page-turner.here's the thing though: edward, the vampire with whom bella, our heroine, falls in love, is kind of creepy. if a normal boy did the things that he

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-56382630548696365312008-07-30T11:39:00.003-04:002008-07-30T11:42:16.602-04:00

my friend deena started a blog where, pretty much every day, she posts a new picture that she has drawn. the batman one is my favorite so far, even though i haven't seen the movie yet, and i like mad men on DVD, too.

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-20009690524410091272008-07-29T14:50:00.005-04:002009-08-18T09:29:28.998-04:00

apparently, while i was all distracted by a potential tornado in rhode island, there was a real tornado in new hampshire. it looks pretty devastating, too, especially on a lake with houses so close together.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-18613019742893822802008-07-28T13:05:00.005-04:002008-08-06T07:35:12.518-04:00

mr. george michael could have followed a bit of his own advice last night when we went to see him in concert. he was an hour and a half late by the start time on the ticket, although probably only an hour late in reality (very few concerts start on time). apparently there was a weather-related delay and he almost didn't make it at all. however, after an hour of concert, he took a twenty-minute

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-33842758341983135792008-07-24T08:49:00.003-04:002009-08-18T09:29:43.962-04:00

it has been raining cats and dogs here in the boston area over the past few days. this morning, when i got up to go to the gym, it was almost comical, how heavy the rain was.just as i was leaving the gym, i noticed on the TV (sound off) some images of a tornado in rhode island. whether it was an actual tornado or a warning was unclear. so i looked it up online and yes, there was a tornado

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-66498815245187695042008-07-23T11:08:00.002-04:002008-07-23T11:16:54.406-04:00

why does everyone persist in dropping the "ly" from every adverb lately? for example, i was walking to the car this morning and saw a truck from a large local dairy drive buy. it had a huge sign on the side that said something like, "Act Natural. Drink Local." now, everyone is looking to, "eat local," when, a few years ago, we were asked, properly, to "think globally, act locally." i

ninanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-30624965747672915062008-07-17T09:30:00.003-04:002008-07-17T09:41:44.838-04:00

i am so glad to see television shows that i love get some respect from the emmys, especially if they are struggling. the rosemary's baby episode of 30 rock might have been the funniest half-hour of television i watched all year. i am happy that it has been nominated for so many awards.other shows that i love that were nominated include: pushing daisies and the wonderful kristen chenowith and

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-13215840623005011122008-07-15T21:56:00.003-04:002008-07-15T22:06:01.941-04:00

i have been hearing about this odd project from the genius creator of buffy, joss whedon, for a while now. it's three short segments about...what, it's unclear. a mad scientist who wants to get in with the big guns? a misguided "good guy" who's kind of an ass? a clueless girl, caught in the middle?who cares? there's singing, and neal patrick harris! singing!click here to check it out. you

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-20313950908986562492008-07-10T15:51:00.005-04:002008-07-18T09:40:43.750-04:00

i heard this song by mates of state on a paste magazine compilation and then again on WERS. it is extremely catchy, even if it seems like it's a little depressing. honestly, i'm not sure what it's about. then, i heard this song in the gym this morning. the gym that usually plays hilary duff has been playing bruce springsteen and mates of state. i might have to give up the ipod

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-60127200078273231952008-07-07T19:41:00.004-04:002008-07-07T19:46:17.002-04:00

alex and i met sarah out on cape cod at our aunt and uncle's house for july 4th weekend. we didn't do too much since the weather was not great on friday or saturday. there was a small parade through wellfleet on friday afternoon. then, we saw a bad movie that my uncle found hilarious. saturday, darline, sarah, and i took a nice long walk on the bay side of the cape. saturday night: lobster!

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-10323995492853271452008-07-01T21:42:00.006-04:002008-10-29T17:51:21.410-04:00

a few weeks ago, i read a post on one of my favorite music blogs about a show that ryan adams gave at SXSW a few years ago. this was around the time that i saw him in san francisco, and the songs he played in SF did not sound like the ones he played in austin.were you looking, perhaps, for a missing link between the replacements and bruce springsteen? i might have found it. ryan adams :: gimme

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-6888593077519888612008-06-27T12:35:00.003-04:002008-07-01T21:42:08.046-04:00

for some odd reason, i've been re-reading some of the books i read when i was much younger, like middle school or early high school. i re-read are you there god? it's me, margaret, which was, of course, excellent but, i realized, freakishly interested in margaret getting her period. and i just re-read the pigman, which i must confess, i don't remember at all.i know that i read the book in

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-61592366783556917972008-06-26T09:48:00.001-04:002008-06-26T09:50:07.757-04:00

i have been riding the bus to work for the past month since alex has needed the car to drive out to a community hospital in framingham. i have read a lot of books this month. the ride to work is not bad--usually about 40 minutes, since i have to change buses. the ride home usually takes an hour since, by then, traffic down mass ave is much worse. for the past few mornings, though, the second

ninanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-33458288949047678912008-06-23T12:28:00.007-04:002008-07-01T21:41:55.005-04:00

can you believe a) that it's been fifteen years since exile in guyville came out; b) that it's been OUT OF PRINT or whatever the CD terms is for that; and c) that you can buy it now with a new DVD? if you do not own this album, BUY IT NOW. it's amazing to me that a collection of songs this great could ever be widely unavailable. what do angsty teenaged girls listen to now--avril lavigne? i

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-17301650519247503522008-06-21T08:55:00.002-04:002008-06-21T08:57:13.887-04:00

yesterday was bring your dog to work day. i don't know if that was just our office or some kind of national promotion but there were a lot of super-cute dogs in our office.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-78561180536643221662008-06-18T13:44:00.002-04:002008-06-18T13:46:10.243-04:00

here is a link to a story from the BBC about terrible business phrases. i think my favorite is sprinkling our magic. enjoy!

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-81650385874116119262008-06-13T16:59:00.002-04:002008-06-13T17:02:21.405-04:00

is it wrong that i can't wait to see mamma mia, even though i had no desire to see it on broadway? i love meryl streep and amanda seyfried!

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-57639044951171295972008-06-11T08:55:00.003-04:002008-06-11T09:03:09.693-04:00

last night, karina and i went to see sex and the city. the theatre was packed--there were even rows marked off as reserved. as we watched the film, commenting on the clothing, the fact that steve has not aged well, and how scrawny SJP is, i couldn't help but wonder...why was i more interested in seeing a different film about four other women equally obsessed with clothing? well, make that one

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-40977681291241502462008-06-10T14:21:00.004-04:002008-06-10T14:36:18.565-04:00

i love to go to concerts. some are better than others, of course. in the next few months, i'm going to see jose gonzales, josh ritter, george michael, and my morning jacket. yes, george michael. i have only been to a few music festivals, most notably the tibetan freedom concert and merlefest. both of those were ten or more years ago. i don't think i've been back to a festival since.please

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-85470098335610284132008-06-06T13:29:00.002-04:002008-06-06T13:44:53.285-04:00

last night's concert did not disappoint. we heard many songs from robert plant and alison krauss' album, including rich woman, gone gone gone, through the morning through the night, please read the letter, trampled rose and, my favorite, killing the blues. t-bone burnett also played two songs while also backing them on guitar for most of the show. in addition, and very exciting for me, they

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-49311666116405668672008-06-05T08:46:00.001-04:002008-06-13T17:03:20.922-04:00

tonight, my friend meredith and i are going to see robert plant and alison krauss! i am very excited about this show, even though the picture on that web site makes robert plant look like a kindly old muppet instead of the rock genius that he is. here is a song that i think they will play.robert plant and alison krauss :: gone gone gone

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-75782306187009476872008-06-02T11:52:00.003-04:002008-06-02T11:54:05.767-04:00

in february, as i wrote, i helped some of the kids from 826 boston make a film. well, it's finally finished! enjoy!

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-44970232917554848882008-05-29T22:14:00.003-04:002009-08-18T09:30:29.947-04:00

a new store has opened in boston! no, i'm not talking about the apple store, although it does look beautiful. i am talking about the sweet cupcakes shop that is right down the block from our apartment. it is almost dangerously close. i stopped in there yesterday on my way home from work and bought two cupcakes: a vanilla with chocolate frosting and a chocolate with vanilla frosting. both of

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-15945594605751299422008-05-26T09:54:00.002-04:002008-05-26T10:09:14.419-04:00

i know that many people go to cemeteries on memorial day to honor fallen soldiers. we don't have any fallen soldiers in my family, at least none that i know of, although a few people have served in the armed forces. i don't know anyone serving in iraq or afghanistan now. the war there is very abstract, especially as there is less coverage of it on television news and even in the newspaper. i

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-85674802141349112742008-05-13T12:28:00.003-04:002008-05-13T12:49:40.930-04:00

alex and i just got back from our trip to argentina. we spent a week in buenos aires and then went to a northwest province called salta, which was recommended to us by our friends here in boston who are from Bs As.we walked around, we ate a lot of meat, we bought some alfajores, or really, i did, we window shopped. everything was relatively cheap but still, the only lasting item (read: not

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-88302295616541318012008-04-29T07:14:00.000-04:002008-04-29T07:14:05.015-04:00

today is my last day of work! what, i didn't tell you that i got a new job? it's with a company called communispace. i am very excited to begin...which will be in mid-may, after our trip to argentina!!

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-89223047967279259422008-04-28T09:41:00.002-04:002008-04-28T10:00:57.775-04:00

on saturday afternoon, alex, allan, sharon, and i went to the movies. first, we went to see harold and kumar escape from guantanamo bay, which was pretty funny. although (spoiler!) they escape in the first fifteen minutes of the film and spend the rest of the movie on another long road trip. and yes, of course, NPH is back.after the movie ended, we found ourselves standing in front of another

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-30235227786149881552008-04-24T16:24:00.002-04:002008-05-26T09:54:18.812-04:00

the weather has been so nice here in boston lately. it seems as though spring is really here, which is likely a total lie. last year and the year before, it got very nice and then got freezing again.still, here is a happy song for something that feels like spring.simon and garfunkel :: the 59th street bridge song

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-11693430555991772822008-04-23T21:24:00.003-04:002008-04-23T21:33:17.363-04:00

on occasion, i read a blog called dooce, and it is usually really funny. sometimes, she links to interesting stories online. recently, there were two stories from the british daily mail that fascinated me with their photos of the cutest animals ever. take a look:these are pygmy hedgehogs that are the hottest new pets in the UK. how long until paris hilton has one? aren't they adorable? this

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-79404251600901282312008-04-17T09:16:00.001-04:002008-04-17T09:17:29.831-04:00

last night, sharon, allan, and i went to the open house at the helping hands organization. sharon had seen a story about the organization on the today show and became a big fan of these little capuchin monkeys. we learned all about training the monkeys, how they behave, what they can help out with, and so on. then, we got to watch one of them taking a bath. she was very cute. click on the

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-22486258785093460422008-04-16T07:28:00.005-04:002008-04-23T21:23:30.196-04:00

phish :: the mango song

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-1524656016934427412008-04-15T14:08:00.002-04:002008-04-15T14:16:41.593-04:00

a few months ago, i started watching season one of greek, a new show on ABC family. you're totally thinking, ABC family?! isn't that, like, a christian channel? kind of, but not really. also, lauren worked on the marketing for the show, and i'd been reading good things about it, so when i found it as an option in the DVR, i was excited to check it out.of course, i totally got hooked since A)

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-63004844299886632722008-04-04T18:41:00.005-04:002008-04-04T18:47:29.759-04:00

last week's episode of how i met your mother, aka "the best sitcom on TV that you are not watching," was all about brackets in honor of the NCAA tournament. i used to watch most of the tournament games and can still get into NCAA basketball, vs professional ball, which doesn't interest me at all. my problem, though, is that i always choose duke to go all the way, and that hasn't worked out

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-55224396134354500542008-04-02T09:26:00.002-04:002008-04-02T09:33:13.896-04:00

today is our second anniversary! it is, traditionally, the cotton anniversary, although we are not getting each other gifts. instead, we are going to dinner at this place called o ya, which he's very excited about. the ny times also likes it.

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-31097692268528666152008-03-31T13:11:00.002-04:002008-03-31T13:20:49.606-04:00

alex and i just returned from a week spent in israel with his parents and sister, visiting the rest of the family that lives around tel aviv. it was really great to see everyone again and to meet shoshi's husband and their three super-cute kids. it's so hard for me to imagine living so far away from my close family and not really knowing them very well at all. all six of my first cousins lived

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-27807579109619875762008-03-13T10:51:00.001-04:002008-03-13T10:53:10.947-04:00

since i do not celebrate easter, the only thing that i have to look forward to regarding the easter season (which began, in terms of products, right after valentine's day), is the chocolate. for many, many years, my heart--and stomach--belonged to the cadbury creme egg. you can only buy these during the run-up to easter and they are made in the UK, which means the chocolate is better, and they

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-8756917015250622232008-03-12T15:55:00.003-04:002008-03-12T16:10:06.596-04:00

i drive to work every day, unfortunately, and every time i get to work or get home without getting into a major (or even minor) wreck, i thank my lucky stars. there are three awful merges in my commute to work, one of which is basically a blind entrance onto the mass pike and the other two involve merging across four lanes of traffic. on the way home, there is one blind entrance, also on the

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-55355966126501842862008-03-11T09:47:00.002-04:002008-03-11T09:53:24.013-04:00

i heard this news about eliot spitzer this morning as i was driving to work. oh my lord! how can people be so stupid and hypocritical? i will never understand such actions. it's almost worse coming from him, what with his history of prosecuting, well, prostitution rings. this article in the new yorker (which is 13 pages long, for lord's sake people EDIT) made it seem as though he was priming

ninanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608556.post-23157460450855999382008-03-05T13:50:00.004-05:002008-03-05T14:04:21.086-05:00

here at the MMS, we like to have big meetings. why invite only four people to your meeting when you could invite 13? yes, i had a meeting this afternoon with 12 other attendees. let me tell you, lots got accomplished!i've been wanting to do another post of business words. do you use words like this in your office? please, do comment.unpack v. to take a difficult concept and break it down

ninanoreply@blogger.com0