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Thursday, December 29, 2005
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Well, I made it back to the Boston area relatively unscathed, but still have yet to move pictures from my camera to my computer. So patience on the visual front.
My vacation made me glad that I only see my family a few times a year, sad as that may be. I tried, I really did, to be a good person and to act my age (because 24-year-olds no longer need to tattle on their sisters or have petty shouting matches). But there's only so much I can take. When I got off of the plane, I was so happy, despite the cold and the rain that welcomed me. I then proceeded to take the T back to my apartment, both for the experience and the 38 dollars in savings over a cab. It was a little difficult (two giant suitcases and a still sore ankle had to be overcome) but I made it home.
I already did quite a lengthy post on why I hate winter, so I won't go into it again. The week between Christmas and New Years is always the hardest, though. There's the after-Christmas depression, this year compounded by the fact that I've totally gone off of my "be healthy" regime due to not wanting to put too much stress on my ankle and the varied array of not good for you but ohh so tasty treats that surround me. This week is also generally used to look back on the past year and be depressed because of the mistakes you made, the failed attempts, the missed opportunities. And then right on top, there's stress about what, if any, New Years resolutions should be made, that you will inevitably break sometime before the year is barely started. Of course, things will start to look up next week, however marginally, because then there will be at least some determination to make it a week without breaking a resolution. Maybe I'll post those in the next two days.
I did at least force myself to go to poker last night. Up until Jamie asked if I was going, I wasn't sure that I would. I figured that it being the week between Christmas and New Years, there would be very few people there, and I already knew Herb wouldn't be there, so I was somewhat worried about there not being any familiar faces, or at least any that I would want to talk to. But the turnout was good, with some new people even, and I had a good time. A lot of the time for me, my biggest problem is that first step, whether literally or figuratively. I know that, and yet sometimes, it still gets in the way.
I have a lot on my mind right now, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm scared. There are some things that I feel need to change, but the idea of changing them is terrifying. There have been many things in my life like that, but all of the big ones, deep down I've always known what to do, and that's what I end up doing. For these things, my resolve changes on a daily or hourly basis. Last week, I was sure that it was finally time to stand up and close a long, stressful, amazing chapter in my life. Now I'm pretty sure that I won't be doing that, or at least, not right now. Only a few hours ago I was thinking about whether I should try and change another situation, and now I feel that I will continue to wait and see, as I have been doing for awhile now.
My apologies for the purposely vague sentences. Perhaps my inability to trust my blog readers stems from my inability to trust people in general. I don't know. For now, though, it doesn't matter.
I will try and post pictures in the next couple of days. But if you don't hear from me, Happy New Year. I hope all of you can find peace and happiness in 2006.
- Lizzardie, at 2:34 PM
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Sunday, December 25, 2005
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I hope you're all ready for weeks of vacation photos once I have returned to my homey apartment (I'm too lazy right now). That's all I'm going to have!
So, today is Christmas. Merry Christmas. Please forgive me if I don't seem all that festive (lack of exclamation points should be the giveaway).
I'm not exactly sure what went wrong. I try very hard to not let the materialism of Christmas get to me, and focus more on the gift-giving than the gift-receiving. This is made a little difficult by my mother's insistence that I give her a long list by early October, but you know, that's just a bump in the road. And I think I ended up doing a pretty good job of getting gifts for people that they would be happy with. I even hand-picked jewelry for all of my sisters and my mom. I'm even happy with the gifts for Boston people (though I do have one last purchase - I know what it will be, though). Still, though, the Christmas spirit never found me.
12 hours of Christmas songs with Corinne when we went to Ithaca certainly didn't do the trick. A week of vacation before Christmas also didn't work. In fact, it sort of spoiled the only thing that has succeeded in putting me in the spirit the past several years - candlelight church services. I've been going on Christmas Eve since high school, and I very much missed it this year. I was trying to recall the feeling and I just wasn't able to. Hearing the Christmas story read, Pastor Suzanne's husband (Steve, my neighbor back in Romeoville) singing "Oh Holy Night," and of course my favorite, the candlelight singing of "Silent Night" - it just wasn't the same as being there and experiencing it. So Christmas never came to me.
I didn't sleep last night, really at all. I've been staying at a different place than my parent's and younger sisters, but they insisted that my other sister (also younger) and I stay there for Christmas Eve. My sleeping arrangements were not uncomfortable, but they were not comfortable either. So I've been grumpy all day. But the icing on the cake has been my sister being truly awful since she arrived the last four days. While I hate to complain (okay, I'm lying, but I do feel bad doing it), I do not recall actually doing anything wrong, but she's been saying what a "jerk" I am while at the same time lecturing my other sisters about how things would be much nicer if everyone was a little more pleasant. So at this point, I just want to go back to Boston, and I'm questioning whether I want to join my family for Christmas next year. As much as I do not get along with my family, I never thought I'd say that. I want to be alone (I've had no privacy for almost 8 days) and yet I feel lonelier than ever.
That being said, my Christmas takeaway for pretty good. There was the typical clothes and jewelry (it flows in my family - from the homemade to the funky to the expensive) and Starbucks gift cards, as well as the luggage I received at Thanksgiving, a 16-bottle wine cellar that is currently backordered and scheduled to arrive at the end of January, and a gorgeous Nativity set that will have to be shipped back to me. I also received The West Wing Season 5, Alias Season 4 and Lost Season 1.
I'm now tempted to pre-order Grey's Anatomy Season 1. At least I have the excuse of having missed most of those episodes.
- Lizzardie, at 10:56 PM
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Thursday, December 22, 2005
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Pictures? I normally post pictures? Imagine that.
I shouldn't just complain about my vacation. I should say good things. And what's good about any good vacation? Yes, it's the food. !!! Sunday my aunt made steak and baked potato. Monday we went to my aunt's restaurant for English tea and lunch (I had a sandwich, but shared in the other food). And my dad made dinner that night. Tuesday my mom took me to Red Lobster - not nearly as good of seafood as I get in Boston, but I take what I can get. Yesterday we went out for Chinese food, and I had more shrimp. Not great, but okay. Today we went to one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook in front of you. Sushi, shrimp, scallops and filet mignon, all fabulous. And this salad with some sort of creamy orange dressing - it tasted like a dreamsicle! Yummmmm. Tomorrow my dad is supposed to be making seafood for dinner (my parents are hosting dinner at the house they're staying in). Then Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally oyster stew. We're not having our traditional beef on Christmas Day, but there will be turkey and ham, and my aunt is brining the turkey, which should be good. Ohh, and my grandfather (and cousin and uncle) made English toffee, which is my absolute favorite of the Christmas traditions. :-)
So that's the food. My aunt bought us beads today at the bead store next store to her restaurant, so I'm looking forward to making some sort of necklace, and maybe stealing some of the tiger's eye beads my sister got. :-) Maybe now I'll knit for awhile.
- Lizzardie, at 11:07 PM
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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
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Still no picture! I have some now, but my aunt still has my camera (she took it to Universal Studios today - I did not go due to the sprain).
My mood has not been improving. I sorta wish I wasn't on vacation this week, because I'm having trouble enjoying myself. It's like being sick - it sucks when you have work/school, but it's even worse when you're on vacation! I had really been looking forward to being active while I was here, since it's so cold in Massachusetts this time of year. Instead I'm stuck sitting. And doing more sitting. Walking around the Sponge Docks yesterday was painful, and shopping today was painful. At least I got my shopping done (except for a few loose ends to be completed upon my return).
Now I'm very very tired. Maybe sleep will help (one can hope).
- Lizzardie, at 12:31 AM
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Sunday, December 18, 2005
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No picture today. I don't have one to post.
I am in Florida, though, where it is substantially warmer (currently 58 degrees) than Boston (currently 27 degrees). I'll take pictures soon, but today it was cloudy and not good picture taking weather.
Susan's party yesterday had its high points and its low points. I drank a lot - more than I should have. And for most of the time, people were talking to me. It was lonely when I was left by myself, though. And something that happened at the end really upset me. And I hate that it did. And I don't know what to do. At times, I think I just need to be patient, and things will work themselves out. Other times, I feel like I'm wasting my life away. I don't know what to do.
Susan, though, is a saint. She not only agreed to drive me to the airport at 5:30am this morning (after we went to sleep at 2:30, at her house - it was easier that way), but when someone parked behind her, she walked to my apartment a mile away to get my car.
Flying while hungover is not a good idea. I got very sick, and the flight was generally miserable. But JetBlue is nice - I'd love to fly it again. It was funny, because I spent the morning like I would have on any normal Sunday morning - I watched the news for a little while and then turned it over to TLC.
A week with my family is probably going to be a little rough. It's hard to admit that everyone is getting older and won't be around for much longer. I don't actually have a lot of experience with this. And it's putting a strain on everyone. First my mom's family, with my mom's mom, and now my dad's family, with my dad's dad. You want to make the most of the time you have with people, but it's hard with the bickering and the complaining. It's just sad. And difficult.
I need to rest now. I'm looking forward to getting some sleep tonight and not being hungover tomorrow. :-)
- Lizzardie, at 10:30 PM
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Saturday, December 17, 2005
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Kristen and Susan, last January, wearing wine bottle covers. Yeah. :-) I figured it fit within the holiday genre.
I meant to post yesterday, but it totally slipped my mind! AND, I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow, where I don't know how much access to internet I'll have. So if you don't hear from me, Merry Christmas!
Thursday's Stitch 'n Bitch went well. Tonight: Susan's Holiday Housewarming!
- Lizzardie, at 5:21 PM
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Thursday, December 15, 2005
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Normally I'm going inbound at Davis Square.... in fact, I don't think I've EVER gone outbound (there's only one stop past Davis - Alewife). Still, I enjoy the picture. I think I took this on Saturday, on the way to Harvard Square to go to the yarn store (where I bought way too much yarn - but at least I have plans for it all!).
I've been trying to figure out what to do with my Flickr account. I'd love to put ALL of my pictures up there (or selected albums), but without a paid account, that won't work. So I'm thinking I may put up my blog pictures, so that there's a stream of the pictures I put here. It could be an alternative to my blog. We'll see.
Tonight is the first Stitch 'n Bitch! I'm really excited, and I think everyone who is coming is, too. I had originally decided to wait until January to set one up (I'm thinking once a month for these), but then I checked to see if people were available in December and now I'm expecting 6 or 7 people to come! I bought cheese and crackers and eggnog, and there will of course be WINE (I even put a bottle of white in the fridge) and Jamie is providing soda. I'm hoping for a good knitting time. :-)
- Lizzardie, at 2:30 PM
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
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I was able to move the pictures from my camera to my computer, yay!
And THIS PICTURE was what I really wanted to post. It's now Wednesday, but THIS is why I did not go into work on Friday (nevermind that I didn't go into work on Monday because of the sprained ankle). This is from my front porch (I'm standing inside the apartment still from here). Notice the rail sloping down - that means there are steps there and those are what I slipped on to give me the sprain! Wee! And I swear there are houses (lots of 'em) across the street from me. On the far left side, the top car is mine - it would have been VERY UNHAPPY to drive in this. This snow actually came later in the day - around 1pm or so it was actually raining and I felt like an idiot staying home. And then this came - and I tell you, it was actually thundering and lightening during the snow storm - I don't think I've ever seen/heard that before.
All right, back to icing my ankle/working/eating lunch/looking at knitting things. :-)
- Lizzardie, at 1:42 PM
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Tuesday, December 13, 2005
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This is from the Pats game I went to with Kathy back in August. It was a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints (pre-Katrina), and we lost. :-( This picture was actually taken on a bridge at Gillette - our seats were in the end zone that you see in the picture. It was fun. :-)
So I finally post a picture! The whole sprained ankle thing has kinda taken me off my game recently - I'm not getting anything that I want to done (or it's getting done SLOWLY). There was all sorts of cleaning and cookie making I planned to do this week, and there will be none of that (okay, a little cleaning).
Another thing on the pictures? My camera is acting funky! The camera says it's connected to the computer, but the computer doesn't do anything. :-( I've tried both my laptop and my work computer, and I get nothing, so I'm thinking it's the computer or the cable. I hope I get it fixed soon, because I want to get all of the pictures on there off before the Florida trip. I have most of them on my work computer, but it would be easier to just transfer them straight from the camera to the computer than computer to computer.
All right, back to scarf making and then bed.
- Lizzardie, at 11:23 PM
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Sunday, December 11, 2005
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Another reason to hate winter: we got 8 inches of snow on Friday, half of it melted yesterday and today, some of it re-froze today when the sun set, and I wound up spraining my ankle when I twisted it slipping on ice going down the steps in front of my house. At least I think I sprained it - at best that's what it is; at worse it's, well, much worse. I missed the Bruins game, though I tried to get there (that was painful, then I gave up). Staying home from work tomorrow, so maybe I'll actually get around to posting pictures. :-)
- Lizzardie, at 9:09 PM
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Thursday, December 08, 2005
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I'm hoping to post a picture later on tonight once I get home from work, but I'm kinda running out of pictures to post on this computer. I either need to take more pictures, or dig some up from the other computer. I know there are pictures on my personal laptop that I'd like to post, but that requires me actually turning that computer on! :-)
Also, I'm going to be posting pictures of various knitting projects as I complete them. I've thought about taking more "work-in-progress" pictures, but the truth of the matter is that I don't care and I don't think any of my readers do, either. Finished works on the other hand... entirely different story (for me at least - you all may still not care, but I'll ignore that). :-) The only thing is that several of the projects will be gifts for various people, so I may hold off on posting pictures until the gifts have been received by their recipients. Currently, I'm working on my first project involving increases and decreases and thus far I'm pretty happy with it. The green and black scarf is nearly done - I just need to weave in the ends and do some blocking.
Also, in case any of you were worried about my heat situation, everything has been resolved. Our landlord got the heat working last night, at about 7:00pm, so it was entirely unnecessary for me to bring my space heater home from work (but I did anyway, because, you know, better safe than sorry). I think it was the regulator, or at least that's what Peter (landlord) said it was Wednesday night, because it wasn't the batteries or the water level or the wiring or the spark plug. All I care about is having the heat work again!
- Lizzardie, at 12:50 PM
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005
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I don't think I wrote about Maggie yet. This is Maggie, the dog we got 2 years ago (which my sister and I picked out as a surprise for the rest of the family for Christmas). She followed me EVERYWHERE while I was home. You also can't pet the cat, because you should be petting her, and she thinks she is a cat - which means she likes to climb on people's laps and takes up lots of space. :-)
In other news, I have no heat at my apartment. :-( I noticed it was a bit chilly in there last night and saw that the heat wasn't going on, even though it was 64 degrees in there (the thermostat is set for 68, so it should go on at 66). I gave it a little more time, but at 9:30pm and 63 degrees, I had to call our landlord (who lives upstairs). He came down, and spent an hour and a half tinkering around - everything is working except apparently the regulator, which is a big problem. *Sigh*. I didn't sleep well last night and I'll be avoiding the apartment except for sleep for the next few days, I guess (electric blanket and space heater make sleeping at least bearable, though my heater is noisy). It was 56 in there this morning, so let's hope the problem is fixed relatively soon!
- Lizzardie, at 11:51 AM
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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
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I'm in love with Picasa's multi-exposure function, if that wasn't obvious. :-)
I got the flower this weekend while in Ithaca, and it has miraculously survived the trip back to my apartment in lovely Somerville. I'm posting it because it brings a bit of color and cheer at an otherwise gloomy time.
I really dislike winter. It's not so much the cold - though I'm always cold. I love cozy sweaters and hot drinks and roaring fires, and you can only really enjoy those things when the temperature drops below freezing. And it's not the snow - there's nothing more peaceful than snow falling on the quiet morning... and let's not forget the skiing, which does not exist without the snow.
I'd boil down my hatred of winter to two things: the lack of sunshine and holidays. With the sun, there are not only less hours of possible sunshine, but the sun I guess doesn't like the cold and hardly comes out when it can. The result is either darkness or days and days of greyish-white sky, which results in me being grumpy. It also results in me not wanting to get out of bed, ever. And so I spend all season in a grumpy, tired mood. Yuck.
And then the Holidays. Hello, Christmas, New Years and St. Valentine's Day. Ugh. I don't exactly hate Christmas, but it has become bit of a stressful time. It's sometimes difficult to deal with my family during this time, I miss certain traditions, buying gifts can be stressful (though sometimes it's also fun, if I can come up with the perfect gift for each of the dozen or so people on my gift list), and my mom gets super cranky with all the gift wrapping and cleaning. Add that to the travel, which makes me cranky, and it can end up not being so much fun. Everyone will be in Florida this year; we'll see how much more fun that is. New Years: I hate this holiday. It's like a non-holiday that people have made into a holiday which means very little to me. Last year I spent New Years alone, drinking a bottle of Cava. At least I already have plans that do not involve being by myself this year. And finally, Valentine's Day. This most lonely of lonely holidays for people who have spent every last one of these single. Ahh, independence - great as it is, it's rather depressing on this day. I end up wanting to shoot all of the happy and gushy couples - shouldn't they be celebrating their love for one another every day, as opposed to making a big deal out of it one day a year by pumping up chocolate revenues? Yes, I know I'm bitter.
And that's it. Cold, dark, bitter and alone. That's what I think of winter.
Enjoy my pink rose.
- Lizzardie, at 1:38 PM
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Monday, December 05, 2005
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Fall 2005 Service Key picture. It seems only 5 of us are allowed to be there at any one time. :-)
Ithaca was pleasant enough, though I was ohh so tired. Corinne and I left the Boston area at the amazingly wonderful hour of 5:30am on Saturday, so I was super tired at the Formal and the after-party.
We opened the bunny wine, and it turned out to be sparkling, even though it said Vino de Tavola (Table Wine) on the bottle. Hmm. It smelled funny at first, but it tasted like dry champagne, so I didn't mind drinking a little of it. Seth makes strong pina coladas.
I'd say the highlight of the night was when we did an apple pie shot assembly line. I don't think we've ever done more than one at a time, and to accomplish this, we set up four chairs in a row, and 4 of us walked on down the line, pouring and shaking. It was fun. :-)
- Lizzardie, at 10:33 AM
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Friday, December 02, 2005
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My Woot wine finally came yesterday! The wine is called Rifrescante, and it was a half case; I split the 6 bottles with 2 coworkers, leaving 2 bottles for me. :-D
Here's the blend:
Vintage 2000
42% Sangiovese
27% Cabernet Sauvignon
26% Merlot
5% Cabernet Franc
Here's the description from the back of the bottle:
Once in a millennium, a wine dribbles upon us from beyond the heavens, it’s transcendent relish forever blinding our palates with its perspicuous brilliance. This approachable, insouciant wine drapes itself in satiny robes of oak and vanilla, with a cherry brooch, pendulous berry earrings, and a regal tiara of finest juniper.
Like a viticultural geisha, it trades light, airy repartee with any meal, gently teasing red meat or whispering the latest rumors to fish and poultry. With a rich garnet color and a stouthearted but fastidious mien, it gracefully shadowboxes your perceptions and urgently prods your appetite. Also, you can shoot bottle rockets out of it when you’re done.
This particular bottle of Rinfrescante you’re holding is the best bottle from the best case from the best barrel of the finest mega-wine ever sold in the Western Hemisphere. A bottle of our wine grants you instant cred in the wine snob scene – that’s the Rinfrescante promise.
Produced and bottled by: Woot Cellars, Sonoma, CA
What's the you say? $12.50/bottle for a totally unknown wine which may or may not be good? Well, some of the people on the Woot message boards found out which wine had been repackaged:
2000 Santerra Rosso from Vianza Winery, Sonoma, CA
Perhaps the joy of this is lost on those of you who either do not enjoy wine and/or those of you not in the Woot obsession. But I'm happy to get it, and can't wait to try it. Not to mention I waited more than 3 weeks for it to arrive.
Ithaca this weekend, so no pictures until Monday most likely, but maybe there will be pictures with people in them! :-)
- Lizzardie, at 11:16 AM
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Thursday, December 01, 2005
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L (or El, whichever spelling you prefer) tracks outside of Laura's Wrigleyville apartment (obviously a picture from my trip to Chicago).
The picture's a little blurry, but I like it. It's taken at night, and since my hand isn't very steady, I end up taking blurry night pictures. :-)
It was nice to see Laura while I was there. I actually got to see Laura, Alexis and Jaime, which meant 2 trips into the city and one trip to Bolingbrook. Jaime has a house - I can't believe I have friends who own houses (still getting used to the friends being married thing). Laura also showed me several baby announcements from people we went to high school with. Scary.
- Lizzardie, at 10:55 AM
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