Boston

You know, it is REALLY difficult to follow an "I stuck my head in the toilet" post. I mean, seriously, what tops that? Nothing! All posts from here on out will seem boring and dull by comparison. I apologize in advance.

Kyle and I went to Boston two weekends ago and had an AWESOME time. After nearly not being allowed to board our plane (because we checked in 41 minutes, instead of the requisite 45 minutes, prior to departure - hey it was 5:30 in the morning, I needed those extra 4 minutes of sleep!) we (me, Kyle, and my 800 lbs of luggage) managed to make it to Boston in one piece. Hooray! Unfortunately, I also managed to bring some seriously crappy weather with me – It poured almost the entire time we were there. Typical.

Kyle's sis picked us up from the airport and then gave us her car so we could get around town on our own. We decided Kyle should do the driving because I have a difficult enough time making my way around cities with street signs and roads that make sense. For the record: Hey Boston! Your streets make no sense! None of them are labeled, they change names every 8 feet, and I swear if I hear you’ve named one more of them Washington I’ll scream.

Anyway, our first night there we (me, Kyle, and two Boston friends) went to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, which was super fun – expect for the extreme cold. I actually applied for a credit card because they were giving away free blankets with every application. (Way to know your audience, credit card people.) Eventually we had to leave. Even our hard core east coast friends couldn’t handle the icy bite of the wind and we were all miserably hiding under my credit card blanket. We ended up at a bar across the street with cheaper beer, giant hi-def TVs (with views much better than what our bleacher seats provided), and all the cozy warmth we could handle. Duh! Why did we let ourselves freeze for 7 whole innings!?


At Fenway Park


It may look warm - but it wasn't.


In a warm bar after the game.

Speaking of hard core east coast friends – I need to take a quick moment to mock Kyle’s friend Andy, who is so east coast he hangs his collared shirts WITH THE COLLARS PROPPED.


The closet of an anal east coaster.

Way too funny! Hand this boy a pair of aviator sunglasses to wear indoors and he’ll be good to go! And did you notice how orderly his closet is?? His shirts are hung in color order*! Hee Hee! Needless to say we teased him. A lot.

Anyway… the second night, Kyle and I drove to Worcester (“Wosta”) to see my friends Mike and Andrea. The last time I was in Boston it was for their wedding (aww). It rained that entire trip too (boo). Mike did not see this as a coincidence. I’ve been advised to alert the weather bureau prior to all future trips to Boston so they can plan accordingly for the impending storm. (Serves them right for their street sign ineptitude.) The four of us went out to dinner and then to a favorite local bar. Fun times!


End of the night - we all look sorta sleepy.

Saturday we were back in Boston. We did some sight seeing with Kyle’s fam during the day and then went out in Cambridge at night. (Yes, it was still raining.) We totally would have just stayed home watching old episodes of The Office, but noooooooo Kyle's younger brother had to go and make us feel old and lame for wanting to stay in on a Saturday night - so we caved and went out. We got home around 2 am... and *then* watched old episodes of The Office. Because that show just rocks and I NEVER have time for TV.

Sunday was Kyle’s Grandpa’s 80th birthday. (!!!) We took a duck boat tour (which was actually a lot of fun and a pretty great way to see Boston in the pouring rain), did some more sightseeing, and then went out to a fancy schmancy dinner (complete with fabulous cake!) before going back to the hotel to have drinks in the hotel bar. I hope on my 80th birthday I'm surrounded by as much good food and as many loved ones.

Monday, we woke up early and set out for Boston College to watch Kyle’s sis graduate with a Master Degree in Teaching. (Congrats Erica!!!) It finally finally FINALLY stopped raining and actually turned out to be a glorious day. Thank goodness! Afterwards the whole family went out for Thai food (I swear all we did was eat this trip!) and then Kyle took off for Ohio for a work thing. And then, yes, I was left in Boston ALONE.

Ok, I wasn’t actually alone – I was with Kyle’s sis, which turned out to be a blast. Prior to this though, she and I hadn’t spent much time together and then BAM! There we were, alone together in Boston. Per usual, I was nervous, but (of course) it turned out ok. We went to Quincy Market and shopped in all the touristy stores and then we went back to her place and had a lazy night of chatting, ordering pizza, and watching TV – so nice after a busy weekend!

Bright and early Tuesday morning – actually it was 4:30 am, so Dark and early Tuesday morning I headed for the airport to be back in SF by 10 am. From the airport I went straight to work. Booo. But at least I had an awesome weekend to look back on. :)


Kyle with an Unbrella - I heart this picture.

*I must admit that I, too, hang my clothes in color order - and I oganize them by long sleeve, short sleeve, and tank top... but I'm a GIRL. We're allowed to do things like that!
-------
I was actually going to write about this past weekend as well – but, darn it, I’m just too lazy. So you’ll have to be content with just Boston for now. I’ll catch up eventually, I swear.

Does This Kind Of Stuff Happen To Anyone But Me

I got up late this morning.

I had specifically set my alarm for 8:15 am even though I didn't have to be at work till 2 pm (I'm working the 2 pm - 10 pm shift this week). We got a note from our apartment complex people a few days ago saying they'd be turning the water off sometime between 9 and 3 today and I wanted to make sure I had a chance to shower before the water went bye-bye.

But I got up late. Just a little late. 9:15 to be exact.

Certainly they wouldn't turn the water off *right at* 9. They probably wouldn't turn it off till like 10 or something, right? I went into the bathroom to check. Sure enough, when I turned the shower on, the water happily flowed. It was warm and had good pressure. YAY! I thought to myself. I'll just take a REALLY quick shower before they turn the water off.

Well, no sooner than the moment shampoo started dripping into my eyes did the water abruptly shut off. Enter panic. I scrambled, blind, to the sink. Nothing. As I stood there, naked, soaking wet, with my eyes on fire, trying to figure out what to do, it came it me. THIS was a desperate time. And desperate times call for desperate measures.

(I cannot believe I'm about to post this on the internet...)

I took a deep breath and then stuck my head in the (just cleaned yesterday!) toilet.

(I cannot believe I just posted that on the internet...)

They always say that, in an emergency, toilet water should be used. And this was definitely an emergency. And the toilet water definietly fixed the problem. But still, I felt pretty dirty. I mean, I just gave myself a swirley. On purpose.

Immediate crisis taken care of, there was still the need for a shower. Now so more than ever. I had two options... 1. break into my friends house across the street - doable but sketchy - or 2. throw on a bathing suit and shower in the shower by the swimming pool in our complex. Option 2 it was.

I packed a little bag with soap and shampoo and other shower stuff, put on a bathing suit and flip flops, grabbed a fresh towel (because my old towel was covered in toilet water - which NOW seemed gross) and headed off for the pool area to shower.

The thing that I had totally forgotten about the pool shower was that it was outdoors and COMPLETELY exposed. Just a shower head protruding from the wall right in the middle of the complex. No privacy whatsoever. So there I am, full on showering, obviously not just rinsing off after a quick swim... surrounded by random people. They were walking their dogs, getting their mail, going into and out of the main office. The maintenance guy even nodded hello. Don't mind me, I thought, I'm just exfoliating in public. So embarrassing.

I returned to my apartment, a bright shade of self-conscious crimson, to find my roommate sitting on the couch downstairs. When asked where on earth I was returning from, I explained to him about the water being turned off and my desperate need for a shower. I think I left the toilet part out, though.

He gave me a strange look and pointed out the fact that the dishwasher seemed to be running just fine.

WHAT!?

We checked all the sinks too. All fine. All had plenty of running water.

Seems I had managed to (attempt to) shower in exactly the tiny window of time that the water had actually been turned off.

Why oh why didn't I just snooze for like 15 more minutes?

Halo-Scan... Where Are You?

While in Boston this past weekend, p.s. I was in Boston this past weekend... play-by-play for those with inquiring minds to follow, I, lost my cell phone, yes (kill me), but, also, had the privilege of surfing the net on Kyle's little sister's snazzy little Mac computer. And you know what? When I surfed on over to my blog THE COMMENTS LINK WAS MISSING!!!!

Gah!

Miss Hola Isabel had mentioned something about not being able to comment on my blog last week. I was, of course, distraught at the thought of losing a potential comment, but I thought it was an isolated event.

Apparently it is not!

Gah!

How many other thousands of would-be commentors are there out there - WANTING to comment, but unable to?

GAAH!

Can YOU see my halo-scan comment link? Is it a Mac thing??? Someone please help!

Help

I’ve discovered a new level of Hell. Please save me…

We’re running that test at work again… remember? The one that requires me to be here ‘round the clock for a week straight. The one that makes me loopy, and exhausted, and disgruntled. Uggggggh. I hate this test. On the upside I got the day shift this round. On the downside, the day shift starts at 6 am (way too early!) and usually runs long. Boo.

The test basically requires me to sit in a cleanroom for 10-12 hours straight and stare at a fancy oven/freezer (called a “thermal chamber”) while the stuff inside the chamber goes hot and then cold and then hot again and then cold again. Basically, I have to monitor the temperature and make sure nothing goes horribly wrong. Fun. The going hot part is accomplished with heat lamps inside the chamber. The going cold part is accomplished with Liquid Nitrogen (which, by the way is fun to make ice cream with – you should try it!)

According the Safety People (dun dun Dun), Liquid Nitrogen is DAN.GER.OUS. So I have to wear a giant face shield and huge rubber gloves whenever I go near one of the Nitrogen tanks. P.s. I look GOOD in rubber gloves and a face shield. AND I need a buddy with me AT ALL TIMES. ALL TIMES. Even if I’m 30 feet from a tank of Nitrogen just farting around on the computer. Even if I’m wearing an oxygen sensor, and my gloves, AND my face shield. I still need a buddy. Why? I don’t really know. In case I pass out, I guess. Then, you know, my buddy could, like, drag me to safety or something. Yay.

So ANYway… my buddy this morning was some random guy who I’d only met once or twice. Hello new buddy, I say to him, your job, for the next 10 hours, is to watch me work. Oh and please drag me to safety if I pass out. M’kay?

Most buddies bring a book, because watching me watch a fancy oven/freezer is just not that entertaining.

Well, this buddy was different. He saw our special time together as the PERFECT opportunity to get me to buy into his AWESOME pyramid scheme, which, by the way, is going to turn him into a millionaire in just 2 short years. And did I know, by the way, that 90 % of the millionaires in the US today earned their millions with similar pyramid schemes. (To which I felt like responding Did YOU know that 78.276% of all statistics are made up on the spot?) AND, he continued, if I was lucky enough to get in on it early I might also enjoy millions of dollars of income in just 2 short years with little to no effort on my part.

When I asked how he intended to make his millions he said, “I’m recruiting thousands of people to be distributors beneath me. And then they'll all recruit thousands of people to be beneath them. And EVERYONE will get rich”

“Oh really?” I asked, “How many of these distributors do you have so far?”

“29.”

“Huh. Only 971 to go. And what exactly is your product?”

"Ecrap* (which, he informed me, means Ethics in Greek, so the company MUST be reputable) FR.

“Ecrap*FR?”

“Yes! Ecrap*FR!! (enter sales pitch) It’s a mineral oil, with esters, that you put in your car’s gas and oil tanks that will make your car run smoother, get better gas mileage, AND emit fewer toxins into the environment.”

“Hmmmm.”

“The environmental part is really the best part. You know, global warming and all that stuff.”

“Uh-huh”

“And you’ll save so much money on gas that the product pays for itself! You can basically save the planet and it doesn’t cost you a thing.”

“Interesting.”

“You know, if you become a distributor – you too could enjoy a lifetime of financial freedom! You’ll be saving the planet and becoming wealthy beyond your wildest dreams all at the same time.”

“I’m good. But thanks anyway.”

This went on for over an hour.

Really? THIS is my buddy? Mr. Why Don’t You Join My Pyramid Scam? I think I’d rather just pass out and die from the Nitrogen. And the worst part? I couldn’t leave!! I HAVE to monitor the test at all times. And he has to monitor me at all times. So I was just STUCK with him.

I pretended to surf the internet in an effort to make him stop talking to me, but instead he hovered over my shoulder and made me look up the company website, where he showed me exactly where I could sign up, pay a simple one time fee of $49.99, and then start raking in the dough. Up to $25,000 per week! Wheee!!!

Please go away. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease at least stand more than 6 inches from me. And PLEASE stop talking to me about your STUPID pyramid scheme!!!!!!!!!

In a final act of desperation I feigned freezingness. (Totally a word). It was not cold in the lab, but I pretended I was cold, and I got a heater… and then I turned the heater on full blast… and then I aimed it straight at me (and therefore straight at Mr. Hovering Right Above Me.)

Ha HA! Success.

Hot and sweaty, and clearly getting nowhere, he finally gave up and went back to his own work area.

Ugh. As if my job wasn't horrible enough already.

---------------------
*Name changed so I don't advertise for these slimey people.

Rhymes With Theme

She called me pretty! How can you say no to someone who tells you you're pretty? It can't be done. When the amazing Miss Julieness tagged me for this meme (ryhmes with theme... yes it does! Wikipedia says so) and called me pretty all in the same sentence I was olbiged to acquiesce to her request.

So here goes... The ABCs of Courtney

A - Attached or Single: Attached, thank you very much, to a melt me with his eyes and make my toes curl with his touch hottie.

B - Best Friend: I am fortunate enough to have more than one – My sister, Caitlin, who my mom had especially for me so I would have a playmate (thanks mom!); my bff from kindergarten, Kim, who still loves me even though she was grounded for 95% of high school because of me and my bad influence; my bff from college, Sara, who was my roommate and partner in crime all four years – oh the fun we had running amuck in Berkeley; and Kyle, who is there for me everyday and gets me on every level. It is so reassuring to know you have someone who will listen to you without judgment and will always love you no matter what. That I have four such people is a blessing beyond words.

C - Cake or Pie: Normally, I’m not much of a dessert person – unless it’s cookies, I’m quite the cookie monster – but Kyle makes a mean apple pie (it’s reason enough to date him, really) that I could probably live on forever. So I’ll say pie.

D - Drink of Choice: Good German Beer.

E - Essential Item: My point and shoot camera. You never know when a moment will need capturing.

F - Favorite Color: Blue and Gold, baby. Go Bears.

G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears for sure, see above. But really, give me a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie over fruit candy any day of the week.

H - Hometown: Tarzana, California – The San Fernando Valley. Yes, the Valley, where true valley girls are born and raise. And yes, it also happens to be the porn capital of the world.

I – Indulgence(s): Cho.co.late. (Everyday, or heads will roll.) The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (I have absolutely no time for television – but sometimes, when no one’s looking, I sneak in an hour to watch these two shows.) Sunday morning brunch. (No matter what else is going on, I almost always try to save Sunday mornings for a leisurely brunch with Kyle – it gives us a chance to take a deep breath, slow down for a second, and catch up.)

J - January or July*: (*I edited this one… it used to say January or February but what kind of choice is that?) July! Summer makes me happy all over.

K - Kids: Please God. Please God. Please God. A boy and two girls, if at all possible. But not quite yet. Let’s let me get married first, m’kay?

L - Life is incomplete without: My fam. Chocolate. A really comfortable mattress. A hairdryer. My kitties. Good beer. Good wine. Good conversation. Sunshine.

M - Marriage Date: Wish I knew. If you hear something from Kyle, for the love of all that is good and holy, let me know!

N - Number of Siblings: 3. A little sister and two older half brothers. 2 of each, how very balanced.

O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges! No scurvy for me. Unless it’s Rosh Hashanah – in which case I’m all about the apples and honey. (Note: I’m not actually Jewish, but sometimes I like to pretend I am.)

P - Phobias/Fears: Grilled onions. Falling asleep in the sun and burning my eyelids. Spiders falling from the ceiling and landing on my FACE.

Q - Favorite Quote: Oh I have so many…

“You need only two tools in life: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use the WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use the Duct Tape.”
“It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.”
“Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.” -Faith Whittleseny
“Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.” -Alex Levine
“Don't be afraid to take one large leap… you can't cross a chasm in two small steps.”
“Live Well. Laugh Often. Love Much.”
“If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
“Good Judgment comes from Experience. Experience comes from Bad Judgment.”
“Wherever you wander, wherever you roam, be happy and healthy and glad to come home.” “Life’s not fair” – my mom
“If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.”

R - Reason to smile: I’m gonna be an aunt in just 2 ½ months!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeee!

S - Season: Summer. Warm Santa Anna winds on a clear August night in L.A. – perfection.

T- Tag Three: Oh! So tough to pick… eenie meenie minie moe…Miss L over at Love This Life. Miss Katie over at White Skinned Goddess. And Miss K over at The Misadventures of K. There. Done. Oh the pressure. It was intense.

U - Unknown Fact About Me: I have absolutely no desire to go into outer space. None. Oh, I’ll send widgets into space all day long – but please don’t make me go.

V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: If God didn’t want us to eat animals, He wouldn’t have made them so tasty.

W - Worst Habit: Procrasti-cleaning. On the one hand, my house is spic and span, but on the other hand I’m 9000 hours behind on my homework. Ugh.

X - X-rays or Ultrasounds: X-rays = broken bones. Ultrasounds = babies. Call me crazy, but I’m rooting for Ultrasounds.

Y - Your Favorite Foods: Medium rare steak – which just a touch of salt and pepper. Broccoli. Salad. Chocolate chip cookies. Strawberry shortcake. Ripe plums. Hummus and pita. Fresh cherries. String cheese. German salami with mustard and pickles. Chicken in white wine sauce. Glazed donuts. York peppermint patties. Kyle’s apple pie. Good German rye bread with butter.

Z- Zodiac: Center of attention loving Leo over here. Meow.

Ta-Duh! Wasn't that fun?

Shotgun A Beer!

More camping pics... I thought these deserved a post of their own.

The ritual shot gunning of beers prior to, well, just about everything we do.









Make a flip book, it's fun.

Hooray For No Rain

We arived Friday night and while the ground was certainly soggy and the air was VERY nippy, the sky had indeed cleared up and the rain had stopped. Thank goodness for small miracles. Saturday was beautiful even though it was a little windy. We made breakfast and then left for the river where we played all day. Sunday, the weather was PERFECTION. Too bad we had to pack up and headhome. All and all a great weekend!

I'm feeling lazy, so I'll let pictures tell the story.



Absurd amount of fire wood at the beginning of the trip - compliments of Dave.


Boys.


Don't mess with Lucia.


Everyone around the fire Saturday morning.


On our way to the River.


Gina across the River.


Christine across the River.


Christine's purse across the River.


Zach.


Hiking.


Linden, me, Emily, and Lucia.


I love feet pictures


Pretty Emily


Pretty Kyle?


Chillin on a rock


Back at camp - trying to figure out how many people fit in the Trunk of Lucia's new car. The answer is four. Five if we were dead.



Wood left at the end of the trip. The next campers are gonna be mighty happy to see this - especially considering wood is $7 a bundle at the campground!!

Seriously, Go Away

I'm talking to you, Rain.
I planned this camping trip in January. JANUARY!!!! And I did not put in 3 1/2 months of forethought and planning so that YOU could come along and spoil everything. I did not spend $134 on camp ground reservations (yes, the high cost of living extends even to camping in California) just to have you storm in and make everything all muddy and cold. And I certainly didn't turn down perfectly wonderful cinco de mayo plans (read: warm and dry) just to freeze my butt off in the soggy wilderness. I won't even be able to play in the awesome river because you're making it too darn cold outside. Gaaaah! Seriously, you are ruining everything. Go away now please.
:(

p.s. For those that don't know, I'm going camping this weekend in Big Sur and yes, it's raining. Ugh.