City Sights - Ice and Clouds

I feel like I could take pictures of snow all day, especially on a snowy day like today.

But here's some other things I like noticing during the wintertime.

Wall of ice made from water droplets. 
Some of the icicles were reaching upwards!
Brighton, MA
February 2011

One restless night, I watched the clouds flit quickly through the sky.
So many clouds moving so fast.
Brighton, MA
February 2011

Simple Pleasures Sundays - Delivery

In this crazy coldness, I have to say that I really appreciate that so many food vendors and restaurants deliver.

Once in a while, the boyfriend and I like to be extremely lazy and just order pizza for dinner (and it usually serves as a fairly decent lunch the following day).

We usually order from Presto Pizzaria in Cleveland Circle, where they have thick slices that are extremely filling.  The pizzaria was actually the location of our 3rd date, and he discovered that I usually eat the crust before the rest of the pizza.

I had to think about all the pizza I've ordered in my life.  In Los Angeles, I don't know of any pizzaria's that deliver that aren't Domino's, Pizza Hut, or Papa John's.  There might be some small pizza place in our neighborhood, but I couldn't even tell you.

I do feel like I usually get food delivered in L.A.  Perhaps because it's never too big a deal to go out to get your food, seeing that the weather doesn't go below zero.

But here in the Northeast, I love that I can get pizza, or Chinese, or Thai, or subs delivered right to my apartment's entrance.  Especially on a cold cold night like this.

Snow-Related Terms

Being that I'm from Los Angeles, there were so many things I didn't know about snow.  Most of what I didn't know was the different types of snow.

In the past month, there's been 3 storms that have made quite an impact on the city.  So, I wanted to point out 3 new snow occurrences that I didn't know existed before moving here.

Flurries
When I first heard about flurries, I kind of fell in love with the word.  It's the type of snow that's really light, and gets easily blown around.

Obviously, the name for this type of snow makes sense when you think of the phrase "a flurry of activity."  But I like the lightness and the airiness of the word.

Thundersnow
Whoa.  I mean, Whoa.

First of all, that's a really cool band name!

Secondly, it's an honest to goodness thing!  It's basically a thunderstorm while it's snowing.  I didn't actually witness it during the big storm this month, but a lot of folks did.  Here's how it works:

Science is cool.

Bigger Flakes are Generally a Precursor to Rain
Today, I was sitting in my little area, and I realized that the flakes were suddenly getting extremely large!

Look at how big the flakes are!

I was seriously having a double rainbow moment while watching the snow fall from the sky.  It looked like some little winged being was throwing clumps of snow while sitting on its cloud.  But I had to just ask, "What does it mean??"

Luckily, some native New Englanders answered my question, and told me that this will happen when the snow is about to turn into rain.  But still, it was gorgeous.

Gorgeously Ginormous

 

Travels: Maine in a Blizzard

The day we were leaving for Maine happened to be a day when a major blizzard was going to slam the Northeast.  Luckily, the storm was still making its way up through New York before we were on the road.

The boyfriend's dad and step mom live up in Pittsfield, Maine.  They have a gorgeous house that overlooks the Sebasticook River, and there's even a bit more of a pond where they are.

From my previous post on my toesies, I did mention the blizzard.  But here's how it looked from their kitchen window.

Blizzard!

In the right side of the picture, you can somewhat see the roof of the sauna.  What's kind of funny is that I seem to have a habit of making my way into the snow during a blizzard.  This year was no exception.  We took the dogs for a walk, and then I made my way into the sauna and back.

There was so much snow that we needed to strap on some snow shoes if we didn't want to swim through it.

Dress, leggings, boots, and snow shoes.

Luckily, the blizzard finally let up on our 3rd day up there.  We were all excited to see the sun, though the wind was still quite biting.  Here's the same view on the following day.

No more blizzard!

When the blizzard let up, the boyfriend's sister and step sister planned to head back to Massachusetts, but we were staying one more night.  This allowed for some girl-time shopping and bonding action with the boyfriend's step mom, step sister, and her two older teenagers before their departure.  It also allowed for some extra time with the family pets.

Frida

Maggie and Sophie

Ivy

It's been nice to have such a full house with the boyfriend's family, young and old and furry.  It's somewhat comforting to have so many animals around.

But we had our own crazy animals to return to.

On our way back to Boston, I pleaded with the boyfriend to make a stop at the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport.  I had been eying 2 coats on their website, mainly because of the price and practicality, but I held back quite a bit mainly due to my finances.  But considering that they had great reviews on the website, and it was on the way, I couldn't resist.

Also, there was a GINORMOUS boot I needed to get a picture with!

L.L. Bean 90th Anniversary Bean Boot

Truth be told, the L.L. Bean style is not really my personal style.  I was really hesitant about going into the store, and I could tell that the boyfriend was hesitant for the same reasons. 

But we were both impressed by the winter coats and shoes.  I'm super excited to be more warm this winter!

Super warm!

Tosies of the Month - December 2010

There was definitely a moment where I wasn't sure if this was going to happen.  At some point, I just realized that I would be fairly busy, and might not have time to sneak in a pedicure.

But, I managed to sneak one in between a job interview and getting my best friend from South Station.

I was in the Government Center and Downtown Crossing area of Boston, so I had Googled nail salons before leaving the house.  I didn't check up on the reviews at all, and figured that I would just take the chance on the first one I came to.

Well, I'd have to say that when you get a good nail person or salon, it's really hard to find another that lives up to it.  The place I went to definitely left a lot to be desired.

I love my nail color, though!  I ended up painting my fingers on my own prior to official holiday festivities.

Now, I didn't get a picture of the pedicure until earlier today, though I actually went on last Wednesday, the 22nd.

Okay, so I personally feel that if a nail technician brings me a bunch of design samples and asks me to choose one, I get a bit disheartened.  I've talked about how I prefer to have the nail technician do whatever design on their own.

So, since I was getting this for the holidays, I picked a design that looked kind of like fireworks.  But here's what they actually look like.

Designed by Katie at Nail Time, Boston, MA
Color: Sephora by OPI - 212 Sephora
Occasion: Holidays
December 2010

I will explain more about this picture in a second.

The nail technicians were so lucky that I LOVE this color!  Here's a better view of it via the Sephora website.

212 Sephora

It's described as "opaque smoky black with iridescent, gold and copper chunky glitter."  Absolutely a fabulous color for the holidays, in my personal opinion.  To me, it's all about that glitter.  To me, it's my light within the dark - something I'm still holding onto in the midst of the unemployment.

Alright, now for the picture explanation.

The boyfriend and I are currently in Maine, and his dad has built a sauna on their property.  I'm generally not much of a sauna person, because I get a bit claustrophobic and unsure whether I'm actually breathing.  But I wanted to be adventurous.

Now, considering that we were in the midst of a blizzard, it felt somewhat appropriate to go down to the sauna.  I believe we were in there for almost an hour, but I kept wussing out and needing to take a break in the changing area.  The boyfriend's dad and brother-in-law were more brave than I could ever be and would dive into the fluffy snow.  But I would just step out onto the steps for a bit.

Considering how hot it was in the sauna, the freezing snow was almost more refreshing than anything else.  Then heading back into the hot steaminess was also great after the freezing cold.

So, this was proof of my slight braveness in this crazy winter weather.  Perhaps a sign of things to come in the upcoming year?  Perhaps more light among the darkness and more bravery?

Lunar Eclipse and Winter Solstice

Almost as if to remind us that today is the official start of winter, it finally snowed in Boston yesterday.

It was weird for me to feel like I really needed to see some snow on the ground, especially considering that I knew I would not enjoy walking through it.  But it was a pleasant sight to see.

First snow!

There's something about how quiet the city seems to get when it's snowing.  Though part of it might be because people are staying indoors, I feel like there's a certain serenity to watching the snow fall from the sky.  There's also the fact that the first snowfall is so clean.  It's almost like a cleansing ritual.

Then, in the early hours, there was also a lunar eclipse.  For the first time in over 370 years, the lunar eclipse coincided with the winter solstice.

Truth be told, it's hard for me not to hope that it means that the tides are changing.  Considering that the days are just going to get longer after so much darkness, I'm really hoping it's some metaphor for life right now.  Perhaps it's a good time to consult the tarot cards.  Perhaps it's a good time to start changing our perspectives on all the negative things that have happened in the past several months.

Here's to the hope that this solstice is bringing.

Simple Pleasures Sundays - Gloves

Apparently, I have strangely bionic thumbs.  I have these awesome pair of gloves that I've loved for 2 years, but my thumbs have managed to burrow a hole out of the thumb part.

Now, the gloves are woven wool, with a felt lining.  Super comfy, super cute, and matches with all my outfits.

I've asked several friends to fix them, but my thumbs still manage to burrow a new hole.

Sad thumbs...

I guess I could invest in more intense gloves.  But I love these gloves.  They keep me extremely warm and they're really cute.

I got them 2 years ago at the Cultural Survival Bazaar.  This weekend, I returned to the Cultural Survival Bazaar to seek a new pair.

Well, I am happy to say that I found myself a new and better pair!

Happy thumbs!

These gloves, while not necessarily all green like I'd like them, have thumb flaps!  So, if my thumbs were to attempt burrowing out of the gloves, they could just un-hood themselves.

Winter Wear Woes

These colder seasons have always caused a lot of grief for me.  Not just because it's freezing cold and it gets so much darker earlier in the day.  But because I have a hard time knowing how to dress.

When I first arrived to Boston, I bought a big coat that went past my hips.  I soon found, however, that I would heat up quite quickly and I would just be a sweating mess after walking around a little bit.

One time, the zipper of that big coat got stuck.  Luckily, I was already in my apartment.  But I kind of freaked out.  I couldn't get out of the coat!  The only thing I could think of doing to free myself was to grab my scissors and start cutting.

Soon after, I bought a new puffy coat from Gap, and that kept me warm and visible in my first two Boston winters.

Keeping warm during a Pub Crawl by dancing in the street

I retired that coat after graduation, and graduated to a less bright puffy coat that I've had for about 4 years now.

On the way to a ski trip...I don't ski.

My next issue was finding the right type of shoes.  I had a pair of Merrell waterproof shoes that were fine, but they weren't tall enough to keep me completely waterproof.  So, if I stepped in a puddle and wasn't aware of how deep it was, my feet were pretty much soaked.

Then I got myself some Tretorn boots, which I loved.  They were comfortable, fit around my ginormous ("Pacific Islander" the boyfriend calls them) calves, and they survived the rain and snow.  But, I wore them for multiple days at a time, and I would wear them all day instead of packing extra shoes for work.

My boots in snowshoes!

Because of all my wearing and tearing around, I would need to replace them every year as they developed a tear in the Achilles tendon area.  I probably bought a new pair ever year for the past 3 years.

This season, I decided I need to get separate rain and snow boots.  Unfortunately, boots and I have a strange relationship because of my ginormous calves.  So, the first pair of rain boots didn't work out very well, and were a bit too uncomfortable when I took them out in the rain.

I might actually just buy another pair of Tretorn boots, because they're relatively cheap and they fit really well.  But I'm also looking at some Keen boots and other rain boots.

However, I'm excited to report that I found some really cute shoes that will keep me warm and fashionable all winter.  They fit really well, and they're extremely comfortable so far.  I made sure to do a quick walk-around in my apartment before deciding they were awesome.  But I'm quite satisfied!

Sorel Mackenzie Lace Holiday Boots

For the first time, I'm looking forward to the first snow fall, just so I can sport these babies.

Toesies of the Month - February 2010

So, this is what I was doing when I received my mom's text message about my Lola.

I had a big work event to not-stress about, and one of our previous interns suggested that we hit up the nail salon.

We were chit-chatting about what was going on at the organization and in our lives.  I started telling her all the things I'd been saying about anticipating my grandmother's death.

Suddenly, I realized that I hadn't checked a text message that I noticed when we walked into the nail salon.  So, out came my phone, and there it was.

"Lola is gone"

Such finality.

My friend was very understanding of my need to call my family.  Seriously though, what better person to be around than another social worker!

Honestly, though, I felt awkward.  I was very conscious of the need I felt to make sure the rest of the family was okay.  I also didn't want to make anyone else feel uncomfortable by such a sad situation.

And, you know...I'm usually really good about this....I promise...I forgot to ask one other time only!  But, I totally didn't ask for the nail technicians name.  I feel really bad that I forgot to do so.  Though, I know my mind was elsewhere at that moment.

As the nail technician was painting her chosen design, I was speaking with my mom.  So, it wasn't until after I hung up that I was really able to look at it.

Designed by Unknown Nail Technician, Dana's Nail Salon, Brighton, MA

Color: OPI-Yoga-ta Get this Blue (bottom), SEPHORA by OPI-Too Good for Him (sparklies)

Occasion:  De-stress and Valentine's Prep

February 2010

"Ooh! It looks like fireworks!" I exclaimed when I finally saw what she did.  It felt like my toes and the polish were trying to uplift me, in a way.  At such a difficult time, it was hard for me not to smile at the cheery design.

Cold fire close-up

Upon further staring, the design is almost campfire-like.  Interestingly, the event I was not-stressing about was a Camp Fair.  

But it makes me think of light in the dark.  Hope.  A spark.  Starting new.  Transitions.

It almost makes me wonder if the images I interpret from the designs are dependent on what's going on in my life.  What a neat way to free-associate.  What a neat distraction from the more difficult things.

Dropping Things That Are No Longer Useful

As noted on my Top 5 Goals for 2010, here's my #5:

5. Learn to let go and move away from things that might be holding me back.

I'm realizing this is definitely going to be one of those multiple-year projects.   But I'm trying to get a jump on it.

In the next couple of days, I plan on slowly dropping things that are no longer of any use to me.  This will include the following:

1.  Old paraphernalia of/from my ex (who I learned is engaged to his preferred type of Asian..I mean, Congratulations and all....but still...)

Photographs, Postcards, Leaves, and A Contract for 1 Heart

2.  My last journal (much more private than this blog, but filled with too much of the sadness) regardless of how many pages are empty.  I'm only really closing it out, but I'm not one to throw away my journals.

3. Weight.  I know, I know...this is such a standard New Years thing.  I hate being so cliche.  But it's also about the weight that I feel during the winter.  I can't handle all the darkness that comes with the winter - especially in New England.  So, if I focus on my Word of the Year, I think I can not only better handle the darkness, but also lose some pounds.  I've already started yoga and my pilates class starts soon.  So, I'm getting there.

From My Goddess Guidebook Adventures

I'm sure the list will continue to grow throughout the year.

Tomorrow, I'm getting with my girls and hopefully burning up all the things in the first picture.  I'm super excited about that!  I've never in my life thought I would take such a dramatic action.  But, I know it will feel so cathartic.

And it's just what I need right now.

Toesies of the Month - December 2009

The December blizzard has finally arrived.  Seems like it hits pretty hard around this time every year.

My theory is that the City of Boston knows that it's losing the majority of its population to the holidays.  So many of the students leave for winter break, I'm sure the City feels lonely.  But Boston is somewhat passive-aggressive.

Sometimes it will snow, as it did on the 20th, and the City is successful in holding on to its inhabitants for just a little longer.  But, us pesky humans manage to get away.  While Boston is happy that it's not completely desolate, it's still angry at all of us who leave.

Boston has one more chance to mess with us:  Our return flight.  If somehow Boston manages not to thwart the departure, you can bet that the City will call the Snow Gods over for an extended stay right around the time when the vacationers return.

Unemployment Files: Not the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As if things weren't any more difficult, another thing gets piled on to the list of things that just aren't going well.  I'm starting to wonder if maybe it's because I'm the bad luck that's walking around.  I don't want to be all negative about this, so I'm going to get that part out of the way.  I promise to end on a more positive note.

Let's review the facts, shall we?

City Sights - "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas"

I love the holidays. The songs, the gift-giving, and the awesome holiday-themed movies. With Channukah in full force and Christmas merely a week away, here's some fun pictures I've snapped around the city.

First Snowfall in December

Allston Parking Lot

December 6, 2009

Santa Speedo Run Hits the Floor on Boylston St.

December 12, 2009

 

 

Live Carolers Amidst Live Wires

Tremont St., South End

December 6, 2009