Elizabeth & Brendan

My new year’s resolution is to run one race per month and Brendan has adopted this one as well. But I can’t complain since I took a co worker’s new year resolution to run a 5k in 2011 and modified it. (she fulfilled it on December 18th when we ran the Yulefest Cambridge 5k.)

We started the resolution off with a new year’s day 5k with optional ocean plunge. Brendan and I both ran much better than expected. We ran so well we both took the plunge.  Here is the first picture.  1 down, 11 to go.

Brendan has been in the UK since last Sunday missing the earthquake and hurricane (or tropical storm).  Since we are prone to water in the basement, I was in full on panic mode.  At first Brendan didn’t think the threat real or serious but then he found the Internet and realized I was not crazy.

I had flashlights, food, and a plan for the basement.  I was all set.  On Saturday we got a lot of rain and there was water in the utility room and in the laundry.  I got the wet vac and got all the water.  It wasn’t a threat but I figured, let’s get it up and out of the house since more rain was coming.  I was going to sleep on the floor in the basement but Kim talked me out of it.  Instead, I slept in my comfy bed but set the alarm for 5 so I could see if the leaking started.  I awoke, looked outside and was hopeful.  I went downstairs and nothing, bone dry.  So I took Eli out for a walk where he went #1 and #2.  The wind had started so I tried to get in and out and Eli knew the deal.  He trotted to the Bike Path, did his business and then trotted home.  Since there was wind and no rain, we went back to bed.  Around 7:30 the rain started and things went well overall.  I had to vacuum up a bit but it was only from 11:30-2:00.  When we moved in, there was leaking in 3 of the 3 rooms in the basement.  Today it was just 1 room.  And I am not sure the vacuuming stopped it all that much but I figure it didn’t hurt it.  So in the afternoon, I just checked in a bit. And now it is really drying up.  So I will be able to sleep fine.  The wind is still coming from time to time but so far, just a lot of debris and branches in the street.

…five different routes to the office.

This past week was an experiment in commuting.  The first day I had no problem getting there but I had to go through Harvard and I wanted to avoid that.  Harvard can get backed or it can be fine.  You never know. So I spent the next few days trying to figure out how to get to the office via the back roads of Harvard.  On Thursday I thought I had it all figured out but made one wrong turn and 10 minutes were wasted.  But alas, on Friday, I figured it all out.  I just hope I remember what I did on Tuesday.

I also learned that you can’t turn left into Harvard from Mem Drive which made the first drive home difficult. Blerg.

On Friday nigh, Brendan and I went to dinner at the British Consulate.  For reals.  I had found out about eat boston which is a concept of a pop-up restaurant.  Meaning, a restaurant pops up when there was not one.  The web site describes it as:

“Eat, our Pop Up restaurant, is opened in various locations around the city just about once a month. Our goal is to create a fine dining restaurant experience in a non-restaurant environment. As these experiences happen most often in thriving businesses, our challenge is to make this change in a matter of an hour.”

So they had their first one on foreign soil at the British Consulate (which is also in the same building as Brendan’s job).  And since it was my last day at work, it seemed like a good night to go.

The menu and commentary

First
Seared foie gras and crumpets. Maple gel, HP powder, pickled berries, lemon butter

OMG – the foie gras melted in my mouth and the lemon butter on the crumpet was delectable.  A true Brit at the table wanted the crumpet to be crispier.  I didn’t know any better and it was delicious.

Second
Chicken korma soup with curry leaves, green garlic and fiddleheads
I do not like curry but I liked this.  I didn’t love it but it was tasty.

Third
“English breakfast”
Earl grey tea smoked duck bangers with bubble and squeak, griddled tomato and fried local egg
This was one of the tastiest meals I have had in a long time.  The duck sausage with brussel sprouts and potato mixed with egg was sooooo good.  Really good.

Main
“Fish and Chips”
Local Dayboat Cod, brik batter, crispy fried parsnips, leek cream, citrus and basil tartar sauce
This fish was amazing in some sort of flaky paper-like encasement.  The fish melted in my mouth.  And I don’t care for white fish usualy.

Dessert
Sticky Toffee pudding

Like a spice cake – not sticky at all.

From the website the dinner : “Also featuring Greylock Gin cocktails from Berkshire Mountain Distillers, lovely beer from Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, wine from Bear Flag Wine, and flowers from Bittersweet Gardens. Cocktail hour performance by musicians from A Far Cry, with support from Opus Affair.”

I really cannot wait for the next one.

So…aunt versus aunt.  Or rather ahnt versus ant.

I have always said “ant”.  I am going to my ant’s house.  Hi Ant Carol.  How are you Ant Betty?  However, after living in Mass. for about 7 years I started to notice that in my head, when talking about my ants in general, I used the word ahnt.  But I had never said it aloud.  Then comes Opening Day 2011.  B and I were at my Ant Carol’s house.  I was on the phone dealing with a work issue and was asked “Where are you?”  I responded, “I’m in NY at my ahnt’s house.”  It was the first time I had said it that way.  B and Kevin started laughing at me and then I had to explain to my co-worker.  I still do not call my ahnts “Ahnt Betty” or “Ahnt Carol”.  That is too weird for me.  But talking about ahnts is not.  Weird.

I found this map that was really interesting.  I would say my answer is choice F.

…here is an excerpt from an article on Boston.com about the snow and Somerville specifically.

“In Somerville, New England’s most densely populated city, some snowbanks are so tall that they deflect the plume of snow cleared by plow trucks and send it sliding back down to the street, said Michael Meehan, a city spokesman. Between storms, crews have been trying to clear snow piles and dump them on basketball courts, while the real estate trust planning a 50-acre redevelopment at Assembly Square has offered the city private land for use as a snow farm.”

Our driveway. With all the snow we have been getting it is great to not have to worry about saving/finding a spot. In Medford, we started to follow our neighbor’s cues. If Dave saved his spot, we saved ours. If Dave stopped saving his spot, we stopped. We had an orange cone we used. Some days I was as worried that someone would steal the cone as well as still the spot.

I love this pictorial review of the items used to save spots on Boston.com

http://boston.com/realestate/gallery/parking_space_savers/

Also with all the snow we are running out of places to put it. We have mounds and mounds around the house. We had to shovel a path to the yard so Eli can get to the yard to do his business.

On Christmas Eve, we got word of a blizzard.  As the holiday played out, the blizzard got bigger and bigger.  We decided to cut our stay short in order to beat the storm.  We left Brooklyn at 9:30 and got home around 4:00.  This included a stop for gas, the bathroom, food and firewood. We made it home just before the driving conditions got too bad.

This morning getting Eli out in the yard to do his business was difficult.  Being the smarty that he is, he realized that it was cold and snow deep.  He needed to be coaxed out.  So ahead I went, paving a trail to make it easier for him to walk.  Here he is scoping out the scene.

And here he is trying to walk around.

The current accumulation is at about 15 inches and it is still snowing…

Life in Somerville has kept us very busy. Between football games, hockey games, visitors, and work, we haven’t had time to write.

Brendan’s parents came up and we went apple picking. We have not yet made the pie but Brendan made a really tasty apple chutney that went well with pork chops.

Brendan and the spoiled pupster

Brendan’s parents

Brendan and Pupster

Then this weekend was the first time we didn’t have plans in what seemed like months. Brendan decided that this was the weekend to add insulation to the attic. We had R-19 and he wanted to add R-30. So after 18 rolls, 3 trips to Home Depot and a lot of Brendan’s hard labor, we are more than fully insulated. Best part is that the purchase qualifies for a tax credit.

our attic

Next week is anniversary weekend. We are going back to the hotel where Brendan proposed (Hotel Providence) and then heading to New Rivers Restaurant (thanks Emily and Lowell – still have credit on your wedding gift). We may venture to the RISD museum and Thayer Street.

Picking up from where we left off…

• Visit with the Goodalls – check (SOOOOO good to see them)
• BC versus Kent State – check
• Lilly’s baptism – check (even though the priest called Brendan “Frank” and I tried to correct him for fear of voiding the baptism
• Vegas wedding – check (turns out I like Black Jack)
• Run Boston Race for the Cure 5k – check (official time of 35:10)
• BC versus VA Tech – check (though the defensive did all they could and the lack of a real QB killed BC)
• Switzerland – check (gotta love 5 straight nights of 4 hours sleep)
• Run Somerville Homeless Coalition 5k – check (course time of 34:16)
• BC versus Notre Dame – check (great house guests who had there GPS stolen out of the car in front of our house and the QB situation is even worse than the last game.  I hope Rettig can get a medical red shirt)
• Sitting around doing nothing – check

Upcoming:

• Visit from Brendan’s parents and Eli’s first grooming
• Belle and Sebastian concert
• BC versus Maryland
• BC versus Clemson

And that takes us to the end of October.