Wacky Wednesday

My schedule today is completely insane. Plus, after a very busy work day, I am meeting Berkshire Boy for a drink around 8pm!

Yikes. So since I have no time to post normally today and Blogger's photo thing is still being wonky, here is a link to a website with a number of beautiful background images. Enjoy!

Embracing the Randomness

Is it just me or is Blogger's photo upload feature being very stubborn this week? I've been having trouble uploading images. Consequently, you don't get the promised picture of Hometown green today, or any pictures to accompany this post.

Not that I have anything much to say anyway. Nothing extraordinary has happened this week, so I'll give you some random thoughts & events:

• I gave blood last night at the Red Cross drive near my apartment. I used to donate blood much more often, but I've been too busy lately. It was nice to do so again. Makes me feel like a bit of a hero, actually. :)
• I'm reading a new book called Sea of Glory, about the U.S. South Seas Exploring Expedition of 1838-42. It's a really interesting read about a largely forgotten exploring expedition, written by the author of In the Heart of the Sea.
• I worked on my graduate school application a bit last night - added 200 words to my personal statement & wrote a note to an old professor asking her to write a recommendation.
• My date from Sunday emailed today to see if I wanted to get a drink later in the week. That was a nice surprise. Based on the typical "3-day rule", I was expecting to hear from him tomorrow. I think I'll need to think of a good nickname for him, since it seems like he's sticking around. Since he grew up in the Berkshires, let's go with Berkshire Boy for now. ;)
• One of my friends (Jaynie's beau) emailed me yesterday & said: "One of the drawbacks of your having a blog is that I always feel updated on your life. I get a daily update... then I forget that we haven't talked in like a month. Ah well, such are the digital times in which we live." Indeed, J, indeed.
  

D is for Dating Again

So here's the quick date recap, for those of you who were waiting with bated breath. :)

We met around 11 a.m. at the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown. We had a nice breakfast (me - two eggs scrambled, wheat toast, home fries, cranberry juice, coffee. him - Greek omelette, toast, home fries, coffee) & stayed for about an hour. One of my co-workers & her BF were there for breakfast as well, so we said hi to them.

He walked me to my car afterwards (which was impressive, since it was 4 blocks away). I mentioned that I was going to go sit out on the Hometown green since it was so nice out. I said he was welcome to come if he wanted. His plan was to watch football, but he called me on my way home & said he'd like to join me on the green.

We hung out & talked on the green for a couple of hours, then grabbed lunch/dinner at Bertucci's. We scored an outdoor table, which was lovely, but HOT! We ordered two glasses of shiraz, since it was past noon & perfectly acceptable. ;) Both of us wanted some version of their tomato & mozzarella salad. However, because of the ban on spinach, we chose a Margherita pizza instead.

He dropped me off around 5:15 & saw the apartment (liked it). Not bad as far as first dates go. :)

Days of Auld Lang Syne

I've been thinking a lot lately of my Scottish family. By that, I mean the American students with whom I studied in Edinburgh & the Scottish boys that we befriended there. We're a motley crew & currently spread out over the globe. Friends from my Scotland experience live in Boston, New Hampshire, NYC, New Jersey, DC, Michigan, Seattle, Buenos Aires, Wales, and (naturally) Edinburgh.

However, we have all stayed in touch & continued to care about each other's lives. I think the experience was important & transforming for all of us (even the Scots). Perhaps that's why we have all stayed close, as a way of honoring that bond. Here are some pictures from various good times together over the past few years:

Kristin (NYC), Kate (DC), and I - the summit of Arthur's Seat, October 2003

Steven (Isle of Canna), David (Wales), Kate, Monica (NH), Kate (Chicago), Alex (Buenos Aires), Me, Sarah (Edinburgh), and Iain (Edinburgh) - the Grassmarket, Edinburgh, June 2004

Iain, Sarah, Monica, Me, David - Finnegan's Wake, Edinburgh, January 2005

David, Chris (Seattle) and I - Medford, MA, April 2005

And the real reason that prompted this post - Iain & Sarah, who are getting married today in Edinburgh. Congratulations, you two! You're a great couple & I know you'll be happy together. I couldn't make the wedding, but I'm still hoping to make it across the pond in the spring. I've been too long away . . .

B is for Brunch

So you know what I haven't done in awhile? Gone out to breakfast or brunch. I know - that was a toughie, particularly with the answer right there in the title. Anyway, I haven't been out for "morning food" in awhile & I've missed it. There's something I love about settling into a big feed of eggs, bacon & toast, accompanied by coffee & orange juice. Could there be anything better?

I have a brunch date on Sunday which I'm excited about (aagh - ending a sentence with a preposition!). Since no one in my office is over 40, I sent out an email requesting recommendations for good brunch places. I got no fewer than thirteen responses, ranging from American diner-style to upscale French, from Watertown to the North End. My office is better than a Zagat's guide!

So far, my top choices are S&S, Cambridge Common, Zaftig's, and Deluxe Town Diner. I'll let you know on Monday how the restaurant (& the guy) were! ;)

Green Things

I've been thinking about plants & fruits & vegetables more than usual lately. It's partly because I was given a stalk of fresh basil & a matching garden tomato by the mother of one of my students last night. I'm still mulling over how best to prepare them. I'm leaning towards chopping them both & eating them with sea salt & olive oil, but I am open to other ideas. Anyone?

It's also partly because I needed to re-pot one of my desk plants last night, so I brought it over to my grandparents' house. I had hoped they would have potting soil, but I was resigned to just stealing dirt from their yard. ;) God bless them, within minutes, I was kitted out with gardening gloves, a trowel & a bag of enriched potting soil.

And finally, I think it's partly because we're coming into the season of harvest. I don't have a garden of my own. All I can lay claim to is a small ivy plant and a boisterous pothos plant on my desk at work. However, tending them has been a pleasant experience. I look forward to having a garden someday . . . In the meantime, I'll keep bumming tomatoes off my other grandmother & my clients! ;)