Another Sign of a Turning Tide

I had a somewhat shocking political conversation with a friend of mine yesterday. Though you might not guess that he's the type I'd be really good friends with - a rabid Republican Gulf War vet who has completely opposite views on all the issues - but he is a good guy and we enjoy testing each other on our politics quite often. (He's the same guy who's trying to create the Hawaiian Shirt Friday revolution.) Plus he throws the best bbq parties ever. But I digress...

Like I said, we talk politics all the time, and we usually are good-naturedly challenging each other then agree to disagree and walk away. Well, yesterday he said something that truly made my jaw drop. This guy who in the past I would've said would personally - even physically - defend George W. Bush until the day he died... actually said something to the effect of "Republicans are f**king everything up so much lately, they deserve to lose in November." Whaaaa???? I couldn't believe it! This, from one of their most loyal supporters!

It turns out the immigration issue is what has turned him against the current administration and Congress. Of course, he and I disagree, but the difference is this time he completely disagrees with Bush and the Administration. So now he seems to have written them off and is on the same "kick the bums out!" wagon train that so many of my friends and I have been on since the beginning.

We talked about how it's looking more and more likely (though I'm not chicken-counting yet) that the Democrats will do well in the mid-terms, and I again stated my view that while I will accept a reactionary victory as a vote against the Republican majority, I still really wish there was some kind of message or vision or inspiring alternative that the Democrats were offering. If it's all just politics as usual, and if there are a lot of bitter, betrayed, or disillusioned-feeling people like my friend out there, voter turnout could be very low this time. It's very hard to get excited and be motivated to go out in November for just the lesser of two evils.

Memorable Memorial Weekend Memories

Hooray for the first long weekend of the summer!

This totally escapist weekend included wine tasting with Mr. & Mrs. L, a tasty steak dinner, my first fruit smoothie of the season, several rounds of Brewmasters, a Target trip, 750 bucks dropped on a new mattress and box spring (me), two scorchingly hot DC days in a row, and brats, burgers, chicken drumsticks and Paula Dean's inCREDible fruit dip at Brunette & Mandy's first summer bbq of 2006. All in all, a great way to kick-off what is sure to be a long, hot, fun summer! :-)

Here's me being pensive as I drink a glass of viognier at Mediterranean. Nope, not at all posed...

And the vines at Grey Ghost are looking good. I have more pics, which I'll share on a slow day.... :-)

The Start of Another Really Long Day

I am just now starting 24: Season 4 via my Netflix addiction. I've been with Jack Bauer through an assassination attempt, a nuclear bomb, and a deadly virus. Now it appears the season's Big Bad is a Turkish terrorist cell that has kidnapped the Secretary of State and plans to put him on trial for war crimes. I'm just starting episode 5 now. Call it a lucky guess, but I imagine that by the end of these 24 hours Jack Bauer will have saved the day again.

What I'm loving about Season 4 so far:

- Jack was fired from CTU last time around and he was struggling with a heroin addiction. It looks like he's all cleaned up now and has a high-ranking position in the DOD. But, of course, to make the show work they have had him bulldoze his way back into CTU and he's totally taking over the investigation - and all of the action - from the current director, a cold fish named Erin Driscoll. This scenario gives Jack plenty of opportunities to be arrogant and reckless and end up almost-in-trouble, but he proves himself right every time and stays in charge. A smug Jack is a productive Jack, so it's great to see.

- Shohreh Aghdashloo rocks! And I love that her son in this show is the same actor who played her son in House of Sand and Fog.

- As of episode 5, no Kim Bauer! God, I hope she never shows up. But in the area of distracting daughters, CTU Director Driscoll has a schizophrenic daughter who's causing problems with the neighbors. In true 24-daughter fashion, she picked the perfect time to have an episode and pull her Mom away from a really stressful day at the office.

- So far there's been no appearance by Tony Almeida or Michelle Dessler, either. I know from hearing about season 5 that they still exist in the 24 world, but I can't remember where they ended up after season 3. I think Tony had been shot? And Michelle had the virus? But I can't be sure. I'm okay without them for now, though, cuz I thought they both got wussy and googly-eyed once they got married. The current CTU staff seems a lot more detached and tense without them.

- Chloe is still the coolest IT nerd ever. And it's fun to see Aisha Tyler as a bad guy with some kind of agenda we don't know yet. She's come a long way from her Soup days!

- Where's former President Palmer? I know he shows up again at some point, and it doesn't end well for him. But I don't know if that's in season 4 or 5.

For now, I'm having fun watching Jack chase people all over LA, without ever needing a bathroom break. Back to the show....

One of the Harder Parts of Getting Older

I have had many, many conversations with friends and colleagues over the last few months, including at what turned into a pretty deep happy hour conversation tonight, about one of the biggest challenges that many of us are starting to face as we get older. Many of us now in our 20's and 30's are finding that, after a lifetime of being nurtured by our parents and knowing that they are there to help battle whatever may harm us, now is the time in our lives when we need to start being there for them. So many of us, myself included, are now learning how to care for our parents while they care for theirs.

I've seen a lot of articles lately about the "sandwich generation" - baby boomers who have just finished raising their own kids and sending them out of the nest, but now are faced with the difficult challenges of having to care for their ailing parents. This generation is now often facing heart-wrenching decisions about assisted living or end-of-life care, and the potentially very ugly conversations with siblings and other relatives about settling their parents' financial affairs.

A coworker and I were comparing stories tonight. While we have had very, very different upbringings, we were both able to share stories of what our parents (in this case, both are our mothers) are going through as our grandparents are suffering. My family situation involves Alzheimer's, which has emotionally heartbreaking implications, and his involves a large family with a lot of different agendas and alliances... but both of our stories align when it comes to how our aunts/uncles are treating our own parents.

These adult siblings are saying and doing terrible things to each other, damaging or even destroying lifelong family relationships, and just adding to the pain everyone already feels at watching their elderly loved ones deteriorate. It becomes about money, or control, or accusations of manipulation, or claims of who always loved who more... it's truly astounding the power that families have to hurt each other.

I've heard many such stories in the last few months. Situations where the real pain of illness and loss is just compounded by the spiteful things squabbling relatives do to each other. I can't imagine how hard this has been for my Mom, or for the other parents who are facing these hurtful situations.

For me, as the product of a family that was always pretty separated by distance and years of bad blood, my own grandparents' illnesses have not been about my own grief for these relatives I don't know, but instead are about trying to find ways to lessen my parents' pain. How do you learn to be the nurturer of the person who has always nurtured you? When I learned some of the things my aunts have said to my Mom, I'm amazed at how angry I've become. I've really wanted to retaliate, and almost physically defend my mother. How dare someone try to hurt my Mom?!?!? I've also struggled with trying to find ways to be supportive and let Mom know she can lean on me - but she's fairly reserved about her real emotions and doesn't really express them.

So I try to listen, and help her see things from an outside perspective with maybe less deep-seated emotion, and sometimes I just try to make her laugh. I hope that it's helping.

LOST Until Fall

Um, wow. Do I really have to wait until fall to see what happens next?!?!?

Spoilers and thoughts on the LOST Season Finale...

There was a lot of action in the 2-hour episode tonight. I am so not ready to process it all yet. So much went down... and the last 15 minutes left so many major unresolved questions I can't even wrap my head around it all. Is the Hatch destroyed? What the hell was that light and sound show - all from electromagnetism? Is Desmond gone forever? What about Eko and Locke? And then on the Other side of the island.... is Henry Gale actually the leader of the Others, the one he himself called "Him?" And what is going to happen with Sawyer, Jack and Kate???? I've heard spoilers that much of Season 3 takes place in the Others' camp, so I guess we'll be following our lead trio for a while. Are Michael and Walt gone for good? Desmond was sailing Libby's boat? Did Libby's husband die before or after she was in the hospital with Hurley? And what the heck is Penny Widmore doing monitoring electromagnetism to search for Desmond? And could her dad - the industrialist / philanthropist - be any more of a bad guy?

We did learn some answers - who Kelvin was, how he died (but not how he went from Iraq, where we last saw him with Sayid, to the island), what happens when you stop pushing the button, and what actually caused the plane to crash. (DJ Flowerz, you totally called the Clancy Brown connection!) But there are still hundreds of plot threads they could follow for many seasons to come.

For now, I give you some of my favorite lines from tonight's roller-coaster finale:

Sayid to Jack on his plan for the black smoke: "This time, they will know we are coming."

Eko to Locke: "Do not tell me what I can't do." Sound familiar???

Sawyer to the gang about to head to the Others' camp: "Let's roll." Sean is probably gonna have plenty to say about this one!

Hurley: "Did that bird just say my name?"
Saywer: "Yeah, it did. Right before it crapped gold."

Sayid, on seeing something strange on the shore: "I don't know what is more disquieting: the fact that the rest of the statue is missing, or that it has four toes?" Trippy Planet of the Apes moment, anyone?

Desmond to John, after blocking Eko with the blast door: "We locked out a priest?" Haha, get it? "LOCKEd"

Charlie: "Oh, bullocks!" before getting blasted by a fireball.

Kelvin to Desmond: "I lied to you cuz I needed a sucker to save the world after I left!"

Michael: "Who are you people?"
Henry Gale: "We're the good guys, Michael."

Oh, it's gonna be a long summer waiting until that season premiere!!!

Busted by my Gums

I got the lecture at the dentist today. You know the one. The lecture about flossing. I was honest, at least, when the hygienist asked and said that I floss "sometimes, but not as much as I should." Um, that's true in a literal sense. But I admit, I'm not a good flosser. Never have been.

And now I'm suffering for it... they put me on an every-3-months appointment schedule cuz she saw the onset of gum disease. Damn. Sore, inflamed gums are not a good thing. Bring on the nightly flossing. And I can't even use the easy threaded flosser things, cuz apparently they don't do a very good job.

I actually feel kind of sorry for dentists. They have been trying to get us to floss our whole lives - from those school nurse lectures back in elementary school to the gingivitis commercials on tv - and no matter what they do, most of us just don't floss. They're battling apathy, which is a tough adversary.

I did learn today that a good electric toothbrush can make a big difference, and the hygenist strongly recommended any made by Sonicare. So now I'm in the market and there are a lot of varieties to try. Does anyone out there have any electric toothbrush insights to share? A thumbs up or thumbs down on any brand? My gums and I will thank you.

My Own Gallery

Well, kinda. I just picked up three new framed pieces of my photography, and I *love* the way they look. I finally now have one wall in my apartment dedicated to my own work. What fun! I'm not entirely happy with the way everything's hung - which is party because of where the previous nail holes were and partly because I do things quickly, eyeballing them, and don't own a level. But I can play around with the wall and see how different arrangements work. For now, though, I love staring at my own stuff!

A photo of my photo wall. How meta!

These are all original photos by me except for the little watercolors that are in the navy blue matting. I really, really love the way that b&w triptych from the Arboretum came out. Framing is expensive, but it sure looks great.

Damn you, Oprah!

I usually try to avoid anything associated with Ms. Winfrey, cuz she's just not my style. But goddammit, I just got sucked into this hour-long "Legends Ball" program... and wouldn't you know it, I'm crying like a baby. From the moment when she introduced all the "legends" and the "young'uns" to each other at the lunch, to the surprise ridiculously extravagant diamond earrings gifts, to the white-tie ball with the poem read out loud by all the younger women to honor all the efforts of Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Tina Turner, Cicely Tyson, Diana Ross, Della Reese, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Chaka Kahn, and countless other women I can't even think of at the moment cuz I'm still weepy.... wow. Halle was crying, Mary J. Blige was crying, Phylicia Rashad and Alfre Woodard were elegant, Angela Bassett kicked ass, Sidney Poitier was speechless, and even John Travolta was bawling like a baby. And then a gospel-signing picnic in her backyard? Dammit, Oprah, you had me at "legends."

15 Seats

That's all the Democrats need to take control of the House this November.

There's an interesting article in today's New York Times about races that are in play. Just over the past week, many more Republican seats that had been thought to be a "lock" are now seen as vulnerable. According to this article, there are 36 GOP seats considered "in play."

Sure, it's early and it's hard to predict. But check out what this pollster from the Pew Research Center had to say:

"Everything is pointing to a pretty big Democratic victory if attitudes toward Congress remain as negative as they are and attitudes toward President Bush remain as negative as they are," Mr. Kohut said. "It's hard to imagine any way that wouldn't happen."

Now, if we were to take over the House as a negative reaction to the Republicans, I'd be okay with that. And I'd be happy even if we pick up 6 Senate seats that way to take over the other side of the Capitol, as well. But wouldn't it feel so much better if we had a great message, a great vision, to offer ourselves? Rather than just being seen as the lesser of two evils?

Paradise, Just a Little Over an Hour Away

I spent all day yesterday in one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen.

Would you believe it was for a Board retreat? A woman who works at the organization offered that the Board could have its retreat at her weekend home in Lusby, MD. I had no idea where Lusby was, and I wasn't the one driving so I didn't even look at a map beforehand to see what might be nearby. All I knew was we had more than an hour-long drive each way to get there, and I wasn't totally thrilled about waking up earlier on a Saturday than I normally do during the week.

When we got there, though, it was completely worth it. This house - which was gorgeous in and of itself - was located on its own little point on the banks of the Patuxent River, right before it drains into the Chesapeake Bay. The house was surrounded by little coves, so even though there were neighbors they are separated by more water and it really felt like the house had its own private view of the river. And what a spectacular view it was! I'm so sorry I didn't bring my camera.

We could hear the waves of the river lapping against the banks, we saw an eagle and an osprey and several hawks, and at one point our meeting in the house - with its walls of windows and panoramic views on each side - was disrupted as we all had to watch the progress of a gopher out on the lawn.



This was the perfect site for a movie - or a wedding! I jokingly asked if the house was available for weddings, should I ever have the need. Our hostess laughed, but I was only half-kidding.....!

That's the Ticket

Here's a tip: If you ever get invited to an exhibit opening at the National Building Museum, go!

I had the pleasure of attending the opening party for their new Green House exhibit on Wednesday night. What a great party! The Museum's Great Hall is quite possibly the most beautiful interior in DC, described on its site as "a reservoir of light and air," and the grand space is big enough to have a huge event done in style. Many, many, many open bars (specialty drink: an apple-tini) and buffet tables, and room for I'd guess as many as 1,000 people or more. It's definitely a top spot for Presidential galas and fancy society weddings. Sometimes they even let little old me in the door!

The Wednesday night event was such a great time. I scored, count 'em, two personal invites, cuz after working in the arts in DC for 4 years I happen to have made some good connections. ;-) Onyah came along as my partner in crime, but I wasn't sure if we'd see anyone else we knew. You never know, going to an exhibit opening... they can be very stuffy and dry, or very pretentious. Turns out it was the place to be, and we saw Big Gay Kevin and his guy, the Barmaid, MH and her visiting family, Balfour, JJ and her cool HSUS pal, plus a bunch of other people I know through work and networking. How great to be at a big event at some other organization, where I can just socialize and don't have to work myself!

As for the exhibit, well... the line was so long, and Onyah and I had to be home in time for American Idol and Lost, respectively, that we decided we'd each come back some other time to actually tour the galleries. This exhibit is open until next June, so we'll be sure to check it out!

Cat Scratch Fever

I'm happy to report that both trusty cat Cleo and I survived the annual trip to the vet this morning. After one struggle to get into the carrier, two long cab rides, three big dogs in the waiting room, one cold exam room table, one scary trip by herself to be weighed, a mini-kitty panic attack of trembling and hissing, lots of shed cat hair, one vaccine shot, and 96 bucks, kitty has a clean bill of health. Thank goodness. And she's only gained two-tenths of a pound in the last 2 years (I should be so lucky).

So now we're home. She's already devoured a special-treat can of tuna and I'm ready for a nap. Thank goodness for a Friday off....

I mean, seriously, how cute is she???

LOST In the Prelude to War

Time for my weekly spoiler-rific LOST recap. Consider yourself forewarned...

Wow! Tonight's episode - "Three Minutes" - certainly covered a lot of ground, didn't it? There's a lot to talk about, and I hope people will comment with their own thoughts. As always, I recommend you head over to Lost...but Found? in the next day or so to read Sean's recap as it relates to the political allegory. For now, my immediate reactions:

First Inkling
Even though I'd seen the previews for this week, I was still so excited to see Malcolm David Kelley's name in the cast credits. Bring back Walt for good!

Power Struggle
One of the main themes tonight hit on a favorite of mine... the power struggle between the alpha males on the island. And there are a lot of alpha males. This episode, to me, was all about the main men. Tonight, Jack, Sawyer, Michael and Sayid kept shifting around in their positions with each other and with the group, ceding power, building alliances, and establishing their loyalties, like human pieces on a chessboard. Jack somewhat willingly gave Michael control, and Sawyer reached out to build a stronger personal alliance with Jack. Sawyer also reached out to Sayid, recognizing his strength, but Michael pushed Sayid out, for reasons we learned later. Then Sayid went to Jack with his assessment of Michael, seeding doubt and mistrust among the group. It was fascinating to watch. And a little bit hot. :-)

The Others
I loved that the first part of the hour took us in one direction about the Others, but then the second half threw everything in doubt yet again. When Michael first encountered the group and went to their camp, I found myself thinking "see, they're not so scary. They're just trying to survive and are probably good people too." It seemed like they were really just struggling to make a go of it in their ramshackle little tent village. It was lending itself well to my belief that there are probably 2 sets of Others on the island - good guys (former test subjects from the Dharma Initiative) and bad guys (former scientists). Well, but then they started to play hardball... and suddenly these Others started to look a little more ruthless, and like they may actually be the former scientists themselves. Confusing, unsettling, and very intriguing. But we had definite proof that Henry Gale (or notHenry) was a member of this not-so-merry band of islanders.

Michael's Motivation
I thought it was really gratifying to hear Miss Clue (was that her name? sounds frightfully like Miss Cleo) lay out the blackmail / bargain just as so many of us had assumed. Michael would be sent to go let Henry Gale free, and in exchange he could have Walt and they would be let go. Although, now that I think about it, I'm just *assuming* that the "one of ours" they were talking about was Henry Gale. I'm 99% sure that's who they meant.... but this is LOST, so I'll have to retain some doubt. But Michael's real motivation came in that titular three minutes, when he was allowed to see and talk to Walt. This is where all the shiny, happy thoughts we may have been harboring about these Others went out the window... as Walt's cries that "they're pretending!" and "they're not who they say they are!" were just chilling. Seeing his son in such a panic motivated Michael like nothing else could, and it's no wonder that he's been so steely and single-minded. He *has* to get Walt free.

The Four
Aha, here's the catch. In addition to freeing Henry Gale, Michael had to bring four - exactly four, no more - of his fellow castaways back to the Others. Miss Clue identified them by name: Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, Hugo Reyes, and James Ford (aka Sawyer). We don't know why they want these 4 specific people, I'm assuming as hostages and/or new test subjects. Are these "good people" like Henry claimed Locke was? Or is this a "most wanted" enemies list? And I found it a little spooky that the Others seem to know so much about the 815ers, including their real full names. Simple spying, or something more devious and strategic? So this explains why Michael was so insistent on who can come with him on the mission. Sawyer and Sayid tried to change his plan, but Michael would have none of it. My hope lies in Sayid, that somehow he'll be able to throw a wrench into the Others' plot, whatever it may be. Alls I know is that if I was an actor on LOST, I'd sure hope my character name was on that list... cuz I have a feeling this group of 4 will be pretty darn important in the setup for main storylines of Season 3.

The Finale - Next Week!
So that golden glow off in the distance that we kept seeing in this week's trailer? It's a boat! A pretty darn nice -looking sailboat, heading right for the Losties' beach. It was just a quick shot in the last minute of the episode, but I swear it looked like there wasn't anybody on that boat. And the scenes from next week were edited with such quick cuts I barely got a sense of anything.... but it looked like somebody does end up out on that boat - maybe Jin? - and it sure looks like next week's 2-hour finale will be action-packed. I've heard rumors that Desmond comes back, and we learn about his history with Kelvin and the real reason why 815 crashed. Yowza!

Some Great Books, According to Me

Two of my favorite ladies and I were talking tonight about book clubs and favorite things we've read in the last few years. It made me want to take a few weeks off to just read some great books! Ah, wouldn't that be the life?

I used to have a book club a few years back, and while it was a lot of work to coordinate I really loved the fact that I had a *reason* to read interesting books and talk about them. Some folks are talking about launching a new book club, and I hope they do (hint, hint!) cuz I'd love to join and have fun book talk again!

So I thought I'd share with you all a list of some of my favorite books of the past few years. I hope you'll return the favor by suggesting some of your faves to me!

In only somewhat of a particular order:

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld.
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
4. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
5. The Namesake *and* The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.
6. The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
7. The River King by Alice Hoffman.
8. Krakatoa by Simon Winchester.
9. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
10. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.
11. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
12. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

I know these are all pretty common book club fare - cuz they're so darn good - so I'd love any recommendations you may have on lesser-known, more obscure books that you love.

Right now I'm reading Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven. What are you reading?

Next Stop: Ripened Fish Thighs

An AnonymouS friend sent me the greatest link the other day. Check out this crazy-world version of Metro!

So what's your regular commute?

I usually take the Genre Line from Laugh Biochemist to the Shrivel My Caveman stop, but I could also get on at Farcical Vitamin Ruse/Warm Color Road Maize and get off at We Got a Carp/Lynn Hill.

On weekends, sometimes I take the Red Lien all the way out to Harvey's Dog. That's a long trip! And my volunteer gig, and my first DC job, are over at Amtrak Entrees. This is so fun!

Which is your favorite???

East Coast Rivalry

I went to a lovely wedding party yesterday celebrating a young couple who have collected an interesting bunch of liberal, ambitious, well-educated, and outspoken friends in their 20's and early 30's. Spending the afternoon as part of this group was great, as I was able to have great conversations about our travels, our diverse careers, and our shared politics.

One topic that kept coming up, though, was people's love for their preferred city, either DC or NY. The crowd included both people who live here now or those who came down for the weekend from NYC or New Jersey, but I think I was little outnumbered. Conversation kept coming back to why people loved their city (usually NY) and thought the other (usually DC) was inferior.

Apparently, according to this group, the cities can be characterized as the following:

New York: Exciting, loose, liberal. NY has great bars and the best scene in the world. It's a place where you can be free to be yourself. There's no reason why anyone should ever want to be anywhere else. And if anyone has made the mistake of leaving NYC, they really should be working hard to get back there as soon as possible.

DC: Conservative, "tight-assed," filled with suits with no feelings or creativity or heart. A place to come for a few years to try to change the world, but then realize you can't make a difference and leave to go back to New York.

I have to admit, it hurt a little bit to hear so many people - including a few who live here - dogging my city. I love it here! Sure, I like to visit New York, but I would never want to live there. And I have my frustrations about DC, with its crazy municipal government and lack of representation, and its humdity, but I've found a niche for myself here in a city that feels comfortable, and after 4 years is definitely home.

• I much prefer DC, where the streets are cleaner and you can see the sky. I love the political passion here, and the protests, and the opportunities to get involved in whatever cause you may believe in.
• I like the mix of North and South, and the national scope. I think people here tend to look outwards, towards the rest of the country or the world, rather than New Yorkers believing that their city is the only place on Earth.
• Yes, I get frustrated with tourists sometimes, but I definitely feel pride that I live in the city that so many people feel it's a pilgrimage to visit.
• Important people do important things here, and have for 2 centuries. I love that both history and the future are made here, in our nation's capital.

Okay, readers, time for you to weigh in.... where do you fall on the whole Big Apple vs. Nation's Capital debate????

A Mouth-Watering Mailbox Surprise

Lookkee what I just got!!!!



Yep, it's an Entertainment Weekly Special Collector's Issue with a great LOST cover story! There are 4 different collectible covers, but those smart pals of mine at EW sent me the right one. How freakin' hot is Sawyer/Josh Holloway on that cover? And Michael and Sayid aren't looking too shabby, themselves. It's enough to make a girl swoon! I may have to bring this cover in and hang it up in my office, discreetly somewhere.

The cover article is really good, filled with hints at the upcoming season finale. Apparently we'll find out a lot more about Walt, Michael, Desmond, and even the reason why Oceanic 815 crashed. And there's good news for Libby fans - she'll still be appearing in flashbacks! Damon, Carlton, and cast members all give their opinions about what may or may not happen, and the EW folks even cover 5 of the main conspiracy theories and how likely they each are.

Oh, I'm so glad our boss let us leave early today... now I've got all afternoon to continue obsessing - and staring at that cover!!!

Don't Fall Victim to Peer Pressure

A guy pal at mine at work has an iron-clad tradition of wearing Hawaiian shirts every Friday. In fact, among our gang of friends, the day itself is just known at "Hawaiian Shirt Friday." He was also at the conference with me in Boston a few weeks ago, and I had to make a special call back to the office just to let everyone know that Hawaiian Shirt Friday still stands, even on the road.

He has been on a campaign for YEARS to get others to join him in this tradition, but no one has. All of his female friends, starting with his wife, have told him repeatedly that this will never catch on as a trend for one simple reason. They just don't make attractive Hawaiian shirts for women. Period. And therefore, we gals will never join him in his one-man trend.

Well, today he launched a new campaign to get us to join in on Hawaiian Shirt Fridays by sending us this site. He used this as his argument that they DO make Hawaiian Shirts for women. But our argument back? Until they make *fashionable* versions, he'll just have to be the cheese that stands alone.

No "Very Tasty Ladies Hawaiian Shirt" for me, thank you!

Pardon This Commercial Interruption

A brief programming break to give a rousing product endorsement:

This morning I had to be at a breakfast meeting at a fancy place at 8 am. Well, I already knew I wasn't dressed fancy enough, because I've been so busy with work at night this week I haven't done laundry in a while. So I was trying to sneak my way through with khakis and a sweater set.

I headed off to the meeting with my leather padfolio, the kind that has a little loop to stick your pen in it. Little did I know the pen that was in there did not have a cap on it. See where I'm going with this?

I was bustling around NW to make it to the breakfast in time, and when I got to the place it involved climbing a very twisty staircase. I remember clasping my padfolio to my side as I climbed the stairs, trying not to get dizzy. Then I went in, filled my plate, and sat down.

When my coworker joined me, she sat down and then immediately pointed to my leg and said "Oh no! That's too bad!" or the like. I looked down. Yep, black ink all over my khaki-ed leg. Dang. So there was much discussion about whether I should try to use water or one of the products in the bathroom (hairspray? Clorox wipes?) to get the ink out, but I decided to wait until I got back to my office cuz I had some stuff here. I was pretty bummed, though, cuz I recently had to retire a pair of khakis with an unremovable ink stain on them. I didn't want to have to think about buying a whole new pair.

This is what the ink stain looked like.

Once I did get back to my desk, I debated between using either Shout Wipes or the new Tide To Go stick I just picked up. I went with the Tide To Go. And guess what????? It got all the freakin' ink out! It didn't smudge or anything, and now the ink stain is gone. There's not even a little detergent splotch like the Shout Wipes leave behind. I'm in love with this product!

Now my pants look like this!

How do you get 575 hits in one afternoon?

Well, if you're little old me, mention Ann Coulter and get picked up by Wonkette. Thanks for the plug! My poor little SiteMeter didn't know what hit it! :-)

Down the Hatch!

WARNING: LOST SPOILERS HERE!

Good episode! Not as much edge-of-your-seat action as last week, but that's okay cuz I don't think I could take it again so soon! There was a lot of character development tonight as well as some major progression of the plot. A quick summary of the main things I got out of this past hour:

The Swan
We pick up just after we left off in the Hatch, as Michael stumbles out to be found by Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Locke. As predicted, he immediately blames Henry Gale for the shooting. Ana Lucia is dead, and Libby is in critical condition. She really was shot through those blankets, so all the hope of wine bottles seems to have been in vain. Also as many folks predicted, the fact that Libby is still alive disturbed Michael greatly and he got in several creepy, sinister looks over the course of the episode. And, though somewhat cliched, Libby does wake up for one final moment and manages to blurt out "Michael!" in her dying breath. Jack assumed she was asking if he was okay, but I got the sense that poor, heartbroking, grieving Hurley might have sensed there was something more to it. She certainly died with a look of terror in her eyes. Rest in peace, Libby. May you return in flashbacks so we can find out more about your history with Hurley.

The Pearl
Aha! Did you note that we now have to call the Hatch by its Dharma name? In this episode, Eko and Locke head out on a journey led by visions Eko is having in his dreams. They find the mysterious ? of Locke's map, and it turns out to be another Hatch, the Pearl. Our men explore the Pearl, which appears to be deserted, and find a very high tech-for-1980 facility with a huge wall of tv screens hooked up to a closed circuit system across the island. Watching another Orientation Film showed them that the Pearl was an observation station, and that the workers in this hatch monitored the experiments going on in each of the other hatches. This revelation - that the pushing of the button is just an experiment - devastates Locke, which leads me to my major theme of the evening....

Faith
I think tonight's episode focused on faith. Locke has long been the messianic/shaman character of the show, the one with the most faith in the mysteries of the island - from the smoke monster down to the numbers and the 108-minute routine in the Hatch. But he has started to become cynical, and even his reluctance to join Eko on a mysterious quest - a journey of faith - showed how he has lost his beliefs. By the time he learns that the numbers and the button were just an experiment, he's ready to declare his entire life meaningless. That doesn't sound like the Locke I know! But who has been increasingly taking over the role of the spiritual, otherworldly savior? His companion tonight, Mr. Eko, stepped fully into the light of believing in the island and its mysteries. If you tie in all of Eko's flashbacks about investigating a purported miracle, you can see how far he's come, as well, from a skeptic to a full believer. I *loved* watching the scenes of Locke and Eko together, because I think they are both such rich characters and their changing of roles is really intriguing. (If you're following the political allegory theory, check out this blog. I have a feeling he'll have some very interesting things to say about tonight's episode, in light of who he believes these 2 men symbolize.)

Connections
Through Eko's flashbacks, we encounter the psychic from season 1. This man admits to being a fraud, but we know that Claire had faith in his dire warnings about her baby. She believed him when he warned that she should keep the baby and raise it herself. Was he really just playing on the obvious fears of a nervous young pregnant woman? Or might he have had an actual vision of Aaron's early life on the island?

At the airport in Sydney, the young woman who was the supposed miracle found Eko and challenged his skepticism by revealing a message from Yemi, his brother, that she claimed to have received on the "other side." As Eko responds agitatedly, fellow passenger Libby steps in to make sure everything's okay. I think we may be seeing her again, somehow.

Questions
Is the closed circuit feed in the Pearl recorded? Might there be an actual tape of Michael shooting the women and setting Henry Gale free?

There has to be further exploration of how brother Yemi and Eko's planes both ended up crashing on this island. That's too crazy of a coincidence - a drug-running plane from Nigeria ends up crashed in the South Pacific? And the big brother's commercial flight ends up crashing on the same exact island? Must be something more to this.

I miss Henry Gale already. I hope he's not gone for good, cuz I love his intensity.

Where the heck is Sayid??? Along with Locke and Sawyer, Sayid is one of my favorites! I know he had a bigger storyline at the beginning of the season, and I know this is such a huge cast that they can't keep everyone in the limelight all the time. But man, it's been ages since we've seen him for more than about a minute. Same goes with Claire, Charlie, Sun, Jin. I think the trick must be that if you want screen time, you have to hang out in the Hatch!

Scenes from Next Week
So it looks like Michael successfully rallies everyone to take up arms against the Others. Did you see Zeke on the attack??? They must make it to a camp, because a woman I didn't recognize tells Michael that Walt is okay and standing right outside. We hear Sayid say he thinks "Michael has been compromised." And then cut to the Castaways on the beach, with some bright golden glow coming over them, apparently from the direction of the sea. A ship? Something on fire? Whatever was in that briefcase in Pulp Fiction? We have to wait another week to see!

I Can't Believe I Forgot To Share This!

I had an encounter with pure, unadulterated EVIL on the way back from Boston last week!

Picture it: National Airport, Monday, May 1st, mid-afternoon.

I'm walking off the jetway with my carry-on, with my boss about a step ahead of me. We're making our way through the very crowded gate area, and she's telling me a story about something (can't even remember what at this point) but it involved some female coworker of ours.

As we're walking, I look up and see someone walking right towards me. This person walks by, passing right next to me, with our shoulders only about an inch from each other as we pass.

When I saw who it was, I had an almost uncontrollable physical reaction. I screwed my face up into a grimace and kinda growled. My boss turned to look at me and I said, in a low, guttural voice, "I HATE THAT WOMAN!"

Poor boss was so confused, thinking I meant the female coworker we were talking about. She said "Stefanie! That's a strong reaction!" So I had to explain the close encounter I'd just had.

It was ANN COULTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She was very thin, of course, and very blonde. She looked anxious as if she was late for her flight or something. She was actually pretty unassuming and I don't think I would've noticed her if she weren't right in front of me. Perhaps the smell of sulfur and the crackle of hell-fire would've tipped me off anyway.

I immediately sent a text to several friends saying I'd seen her, and I got the most R-rated, not safe for work text replies I've ever seen. Tee hee!

Hillary Hollas for the Hometown!

I met Hillary Clinton tonight! I went to a lecture event where she spoke about the world in general, and was sort of testing her campaign platform for the next few years. At the end of the event, she stayed on stage for people to come up and meet her and get autographs. So I spent some time while with my friends in line trying to think about what I could say that would be unique and different. ("Oh, I volunteered in your office last year" didn't seem cool enough.) Well, when I got up to her and handed her my program, I said "I'm a Skaneateles native." And she got a huge smile on her face, bent her knees (she was standing) and gave a high-pitched "Yeaaaaaaahhhh!" Ahaha! I was so much cooler than everyone else in the room. :-)

Boston is Beautiful: Public Gardens

The last of my Boston photos... enjoy!


On the Saturday of the conference, I skipped an afternoon session (with the full permission of my boss) and went for a nice walk from the convention center to the Public Gardens. I'm so glad I did!


It was a beautiful afternoon. Families were out with their young children, couples of all ages were walking hand in hand, people were letting their adorable puppies run and play on the fresh new grass. What a great escape! I could sit and watch those swan boats for hours.

The Next Front in the Culture War?

Have you seen the NYTimes Magazine cover story yet? "Contra-Contraception" gives a view of a potentially scary political future...

Just a quick clip to give you an idea:

As with other efforts — against gay marriage, stem cell research, cloning, assisted suicide — the anti-birth-control campaign isn't centralized; it seems rather to be part of the evolution of the conservative movement.

Really, how much further can they take this fight? Is the conservative right really attempting to roll back most of the personal freedoms that Americans have gained in the past century?

I keep wondering what will be the last straw. Which fight is it that will finally spark a major reaction from the opposition - from people like me? I was one of the 1.1 million who marched for women's lives 2 years ago. That was a great moment, and one of the most thrilling experiences I've ever had as an American. But the *need* for real strength keeps growing. What has to happen before liberals, progressives, and even moderates say enough is enough, and that the Religious Right should not be controlling a government that is less and less concerned about individual rights?

Remember, we have a choice this fall. Let's work to make sure it's not the only choice we have left.

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks...

Last night, I enjoyed my first Nats game of the season. I went to 5 games last year and really loved every one of them, so I'm glad the boys of summer are back! (But I was a little premature thinking it was "summer" last night and ended up freezing in my short sleeve shirt and sandals. Too soon!)

Brunette, Mr. & Mrs. L and I went to the game last night to celebrate Mr. L's imminent 30th birthday. Hooray! He even got a bonus present from the Nats themselves cuz it was free cap night! I scored two free caps to give away as gifts. I have my hometown team pride, and I have one of those blue DC capts that I like a lot, but I just plain refuse to walk around with a big W on my head until that sumbitch is out of office. In 988 days, I'll start wearing W merchandise. Not sooner. So my little bro and my accountant at work will be getting these nice new free caps. :-)

The game was fairly exciting. I know a little bit more about baseball in general than I did last year, and I actually do read all the articles about the Nats in the Express so I've been sort of following their changes in lineup and current stats. And my expectation for the night was that it would be a pretty evenly-matched game with the Pirates...as in two teams that aren't playing so great battling it out.

What we saw in the field proved it to be true, indeed, that neither team really overpowered the other. The game ran very long - after an exciting first four innings which found them tied up at 4 each, about two hours and five more innings went by with no one scoring at all. There were an unusually high number of foul balls hit into the stands, and lots of walks and strike-outs. By the bottom of the ninth, they were still tied.

I was sad that because we were running a little bit late and got to RFK just as the game was starting, we missed that first inning home run. We only knew about it cuz as we were outside walking up to the gate, Mr. L saw the fireworks go off. Dangit! That's the 2nd time I've missed seeing a Nats homer while I've been at the game... last time it was cuz the pizza line was too long!

We decided to stay through the end...and while we still really wanted the Nats to win, I think we were excited for anyone to score just so the game would end and we could go home. In the top of the 10th, the Pirates actually hit a homer and brought it to 5-4. The Nats did manage to get 2 men on base in the bottom of the 10th, and it looked like they just may be able to pull this one off.... but then that third strike came, and the game was over.

So now my record of attending Nats games is 1-5. I saw them beat the Mets, but lose to the Pirates, the Reds, the Padres, the Astros, and now the Pirates again. I'm going back to see them play the mighty Yankees in June, and I'd really love to see our boys take that game!

Cinco de Mayo!

Yes, I know, it's already May 6th. But I just got home from my Cinco de Mayo festivities and I don't want to go to bed yet, so I shall post...

I had a fantastic time tonight. I went out with a group of good friends, and something funny struck me about 1/2 way through the evening. While this is a group of my closest friends, I think it's pretty remarkable that we are all people who are either current or former coworkers. We have a great bunch of folks who all met over the last few years (with the exception of MH - she and I have known each other and worked together off and on for almost 5 years now!) who, with all work aside, really do enjoy spending time together. What a great thing!

We started out in DC at a usual haunt - good old Austin Grill. We made it there just after 5 pm and were lucky enough to score a table in the bar for happy hour priced margaritas and quesadillas. Fantastico! The place got very crowded over the 2 hours we were there, but we enjoyed it all from our comfy perch at a prized table.

Then I compromised on my usual city-centric ways and headed out to the wilds of NoVa with all my VA-dwelling friends. Big Gay Kevin was able to join us for a little while, so he picked us up and we drove out to Gua Rapo. I've never been there before. I believe it's in Arlington, near the Courthouse metro, but I really don't know the area well so I could be wrong...

I'm glad we hit the happy hour prices first, cuz Gua Rapo was not cheap! I had 3 of their $10 specialty drinks, and my arm was twisted (not too hard) into gettng a $5 tequila shot, as well. Note to self: when you graciously offer to be the one to open a tab at a bar - heck, 2 bars in one night! - use the credit, not the debit. Between both tabs, I ended up debiting about 260 bucks from my account tonight! Thank God it's payday.

I did really enjoy the "Bubbles the Chimp" drink - enough that I had 2!

Gua Rapo was great. It definitely seemed to be a different crowd than what I'm used to in Penn Quarter or Adams Morgan. A little older, a little less pretentious (read: dorkier and okay with it), and it seemed like there were more couples. We even saw one guy dancing like a crazy man in between hits on the hookah, wearing short khaki shorts, sneakers and athletic socks. That boy was born to dance, in a kinda flailing fashion. Good times. But I did feel very comfortable with the crowd and thus inspired to dance myself... gotta love that all those 80's hits we grew up with are back again! PYT, Billie Jean, Holiday, Bizarre Love Triangle, Don't You Want Me, Push It, etc. Now *that's* what I call music!

I had such a good time tonight, I'm considering possibly heading back out to Virginia for a lunch or dinner outing next weekend.... stay tuned. I may be crossing the river more and more as my friends keep moving out of the city!

Spa Recommendations?

Blog world, I'm seeking your advice. I'm in the midst of trying to convince (corrupt) a fellow lovely blogger lady to join me for a stress-reducing, escapist, "Calgon take me away" weekend getaway to a spa. She and I have both been having a stressful spring, and I think we'd both benefit from some exotic spa treatments involving hot stones or rose petals, from healthy meals with things like figs and bamboo shoots in them, from a few glasses of really good wine, and just from some away time to unwind. I think I've got her halfway convinced.... ;-)

So, now I need to start looking for possible spa destinations and checking out prices. The brass ring is the Greenbrier, of course, but I don't know that she and I are willing to go that self-indulgent. We're doing well professionally, but not THAT well! Those rooms cost a mint!

Does anyone have recommendations of spas that are within a reasonable driving distance from DC? I'm hoping to find a spa that includes a hotel, but would be willing to stay at a cute bed and breakfast or inn that might be near a spa somewhere. Any advice? Anywhere we should avoid?

I thank you, and my lower back tension thanks you.

LOST: Game On!

To quote my coworker AJ in her email to me at 10:03 pm:
DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMNNNNN!

Note: This post will be all spoiler, all the time, so if you don't want to know what happened on LOST tonight, don't read it!

Wow, a lot happened on tonight's episode. A lot happened in the last freakin' 5 minutes! My mind is a total jumble of thoughts that need to be processed with a night's sleep and much discussion tomorrow, so I don't have a cohesive approach to tonight's episode yet. Instead, I'll just share with you some bulleted (pun intended) impressions and observations:

- First off, I was totally suckered in (by myself) to reading a bunch of spoilers yesterday. And every single damn one of them came true. So apparently those blogs I read have good sources. I don't regret knowing the spoilers, though, cuz then it makes it fun to see if they're right or wrong.

- I've hated Ana Lucia since the beginning, so I was not overly excited at the possibility of character development for her via her own flashback episode -- but it did illuminate some *major* plot points. Like the fact that she and Christian Shepherd - Jack's dad - were companions for the last few days/weeks of his life. And that he had another woman and a daughter in Australia. Who knew? It was very fitting that the last time Ana saw Christian was when she practically delivered him to Sawyer, for that boozy regretful flashback scene we all saw in Season 1. And how crazy was it to have a scene with Ana, Christian, and Sawyer all in it together?? My blog buddy Sean is loving this, I'm sure! :-)

- My hate for Ana Lucia increased triplefold when she did the nasty with my man, Sawyer, just to trick the big dumb male out of his gun. This epsiode now marks the 2nd time that a woman who's been getting some island loving has ended up dead. First Shannon, now Ana. Sun, are you next? I hope not. I know AJ would prefer it to be Kate!

- I was cracking up at my own little observation that on the one episode where Ana sluts it up, Kate is suddenly dressing like a schoolmarm. I've never seen her as covered up as she was tonight, in long pants and a full-coverage shirt. Funny.

- On the blogs earlier this week, I started seeing references to something called the Hanso Foundation. I had no idea what it was, but the name stuck with me. So I nearly fell out of my chair when there was an actual commercial for the Hanso Foundation on ABC tonight. I was texting MH (a fellow addict) like crazy. Well, I just visited the site, and when I saw what it was I enjoyed the fun of knowing I've been masterfully manipulated. Well done.

- Henry Gale contines to rock. I think he's my favorite part of Season 2. And I was amazed at how chatty-Cathy he was tonight, totally revealing himself to be an Other in cahoots with the long-gone Goodwin. Wow, he had some hate for Ana Lucia, too. I wonder what he meant by saying he was there to get Locke, one of the "good ones?" There are all kinds of possible implications for that - did they take Walt cuz he was a good one? And the original tailies? What are they doing with these people, if they think they're good? Probably not punishing them, is my guess.

- Michael was suspect from the instant he came back. I don't know his game yet - I'm torn between either his having been brainwashed or (more likely) blackmailed into come back to the Castaways and doing something in order to get Walt back. What was his "mission" from the Others? As simple as kill Ana Lucia, or as complex as egging them on to start a war? Early on, when he was explaining how weak and simple the Others were, I knew he was lying but just couldn't figure out his agenda. I'm really intrigued to see where he goes with it all next week.

- And THOSE LAST FIVE MINUTES! Holy crap! I was first ecstatic, throwing my arms up in the air and shouting "game on!" in my living room, cuz I was just thrilled to see what happen to Ana Lulu. But, then, whoa! Libby! That was clearly a mistake on Michael's part.... talk about unexpected. And then he shoots himself, so I'm guessing that he's going to let Henry Gale go and then frame him for everything. How's he going to play this? Very exciting!

- The cynic in me, however, was laughing at which characters appeared to have kicked the bucket. Might it be the ones played by the two actresses that have cost LOST so much in bad PR with their DUI recklessness? Yes, I believe so. Thanks ladies, don't let the door hit you....

Oh, good times! I can't wait to check all the blogs tomorrow and have my regular day-after lunch with AJ and MH. I'm sure there will be more to discuss!

Good Eats, Boston Style

A quick break from my photo journal.... now I'll try to draw for you a mental picture of all the tasty, self-indulgent meals I enjoyed while in Boston. Conferences are really bad for dieting (see my other blog) but there are lots of opportunities to network productively while enjoying some of the best local restaurants. The highlights of my eating tour of the Back Bay:

The Pour House: I enjoyed a great lunch with some coworkers from another department at this kinda dive-y place that had a huge eclectic menu, really funky decor and big portions. The Pour House is on Boylston, directly across from the convention center, so we couldn't miss it. I started with the chili appetizer, cuz it was surprisingly cold up in Boston and I wanted to warm up. The appetizer came as a little mug of chili with a great crust of melted cheese and a plate of tortilla chips for dipping. This was one of the hottest chilis I've ever had, complete with huge chunks of jalepeno. I loved it, but I kept having to hit the diet Coke cuz my mouth was on fire. I followed that up with the chicken caesar salad. The dressing was great, but the chicken part of it made me laugh. It was totally recognizable as being the same Perdue fit 'n' easy chicken tenders that I buy myself, just cooked plain. I didn't eat much of the chicken, but overall the salad was good. And the low-key, low-maintenance atmosphere was great, especially cuz we'd been shuttled around having to be all professional for days. It supposedly has great brunch on the weekends, too. Next time!

The Cactus Club: This place, also on Boylston, was a recommendation from a Boston native coworker. She strongly suggested going there at happy hour for the appetizers and huge margaritas. While we didn't make it there any evening, we did go for a big group lunch. I had the Texas Chili appetizer, which featured a bowl of smoky beef chili smothered in cheese with tri-color tortilla chips. It was really hearty and delicious, and made for a nice contrast from the super-spicy chili I'd had the day before. I followed it up with an entree salad, the Mayan Mango Chicken Salad. This was a huge portion, and it was really tasty. The chicken was just a wee bit too char-grilled for my taste, but the key lime cilantro dressing was delicious. And I *love* fruit on a salad, so those little mandarin orange wedges made me very happy. Plus the salsa that came with the chips early on was fantastic!

Ciao Bella: Another lunch hour found us on Newbury Street, at this really cute little Italian bistro. I loved the decor - lots of mirrors and marble warmed up with some great photography on the walls. (Apparently it's been featured on E!) After several days of rich food and catered events at night, I wanted something simple so I went for the penne bolognese. So tasty! It was a nice-sized portion, piping hot, with a really hearty meat & mushroom sauce. My companions all enjoyed their meals, too - a panini sandwich, a cheeseburger, and the calamari salad. Word to the wise, though, their calamari is served fresh, not fried. It was still good, but my coworker was really craving the fried kind. I really liked this place, and it'll be on my list of places to hit the next time I visit Boston.

Great Bay: The best meal of the night was actually our first night there, when we all went "off the grid" from the conference schedule and followed our director to a really fancy place. Great Bay is one of the "Best of Boston" and it's famous for great seafood. Located in the first floor of the Hotel Commonwealth Boston on Commonwealth Avenue, the restaurant is really open, spacious and airy. It has a daily menu based on the fresh catch and available ingredients, and we really went all for it. I had 3 courses plus some of the tastiest riesling I've ever tried! I started with a mixed greens salad, with walnuts and goat cheese (I think - it's been a few days) that had a really tasty vinaigrette dressing. It was *really* hard to make a decision on an entree, cuz each of the approximately 10 choices offered sounded delicious. I went for the halibut. It was a gorgeous piece of fish - about 4 inches long, 1 1/2 inches wide, 1 inch thick. Cooked to perfection, the fish was both light and buttery. It came on a bed of gnocchi, little potatoes, some greens, and a few other things I couldn't identify in a light oyster sauce. I wanted to lick my plate. Everyone else loved their meals, too. Then it was time for dessert.... ooooooh, nelly! We were all pretty full, but couldn't resist the temptation of seeing TWO kinds of pudding on the dessert menu. So we ordered them both with 4 spoons. Teehee! The gingerbread pudding came out as a kind of bread pudding, both rich and light, and it had a cute little side of a scoop of lemon sorbet between 2 nilla wafers. Love it! And the real prize of the evening? The butterscotch pudding. No fancy explanation. It was just a giant dish of rich, creamy, smooth, delicious butterscotch pudding topped with whipped cream. To. Die. For.

Four great meals in five days - not too bad! The rest were either plates of catered food at events or quick bites from Starbucks or Au Bon Pain. The beauty of it? Work paid for it all!!!!

Boston is Beautiful: New England Aquarium

As this was an artsy conference, we did get to spend some of the time visiting the cultural hot spots in Boston. The Kennedy Library was one night, and another night I went to the New England Aquarium. I'd been there before, actually, but I'll never turn down the opportunity to see some penguins up close and personal! :-)



The photos are a little blurry cuz I had to leave the flash off.... except when I caught those 2 hot divers coming out of the tank! Ooooh-la-la, under the sea!

Boston is Beautiful: Architecture Part 2

More photos from my trip! These are of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. The Kennedy Library is in a gorgeous building designed by I.M. Pei and opened in the late 70's. The location features a panaromic view of the city and the harbor, and good old I.M. maximized that view by making I think 3 sides and part of the roof of the building all steel and glass.

The 2nd photo is taken from the 1st floor of the atrium, looking up!

The building is striking enough on its own, but the exhibits about JFK are truly worth a visit inside. I learned a lot that I didn't know about one of our most famous and still-loved Presidents. But the most shocking thing I learned? I am now EXACTLY the same age that Jackie Kennedy was when she became First Lady. She was only 31!!!! That boggles my mind.

Boston is Beautiful: My Favorite

This is a church on Boyleston - I think it was called Trinity Church.

More pics to come.... the JFK Library and the Public Gardens. Then you'll have seen the highlights of my whole trip!

Boston is Beautiful: Trees

Some more fun pictures from 5 sunny days in Beantown.... Their trees are about a week behind ours (not so good for the allergies) but they made for some great images. The 3rd one is my favorite.

Boston is Beautiful: Architecture Part 1

My camera and I are back from Boston! I'll post some crazy conference stories later, but for now I want to start uploading some of my favorite photos from my trip to that historic, red-brick city up North. I *loved* it!




These are from a block of houses on the gorgeous Commonwealth Avenue, just a few blocks away from the ultramodern Hynes Convention Center.