Two for the Price of One

Picture it: Southeastern Expressway 6PM, Wednesday, somewhere near exit 12.

My cell phone rings and it's my brother. Wait, first some background info:

Adam and I and my brother are kind of tag team taking care of the dog while my parents are in South Africa for a few weeks. So on Mondays and Wednesdays Adam goes to my parents' after work to walk and feed him, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I do, and on Fridays/the weekend Peter usually handles it.

Ok so back to the story. The phone rings and it's Peter

"What time did Adam walk the dog today?" he asks

"Uh, not sure. Probably around 4ish?"

"Do you know if when he walked the dog, there was a car in the backyard?"

"What!? A car"

"Yeah there's a car parked in the backyard"

"What!?"

Now this is not an every day occurance at our house. IN fact it has never happened. So we were both a little disturbed.

"What do you think its doing there?" I asked, knowing the obvious answer (Hello, dead body in the trunk. I watch Law and Order. I know what goes on).

"I don't know a stolen car someone ditched?"

"Why would they ditch the car in someones backYARD? I thought you would ditch a car some place it wouldnt be seen right away".

While we debated the finer points of thieves/murderers logic, I decided to call Adam and see if by chance he had seen anything when he was there feeding the dog. When I called him he informed me that while there was not a car in the backyard, there had been tire tracks leading from the front yard to the back yard and the yard was all kinds of ripped up. But no car. And furthermore if I ever checked my voicemail I would know this (true).

So I call my brother back, at this point heading over there instead of back to my apartment and relay to him this new info. Not only was a car parked there now but it had been making trips for some reason to and from the back yard. Curiouser and curiouser!

At this point a diagram might be helpful.



As you may recal Wednesday was really rainy and gross and as such this car and it's several trips had ripped up the side yard and much of the backyard. Peter told me he had called the police and they were going to send someone down but they weren't that surprised or concerned about it.

Clearly they don't watch Law and Order as much as I do.

In any case I told Peter that whoever's car that was had been back and forth a few times and Adam had seen the tracks. Nothing was missing from the house though. What the heck is going on?

We ended the conversation and I continued my drive to my parents' house. When I was almost there Peter called me "A tow truck just came and I called the police back and told them not to come...it was the PAINTER'S CAR".

My parents are having the house painted while they are gone and apparently he decided that because it was raining he didnt want to carry his paint buckets to the back yard, he wanted to drive them there by driving through the side yard and backyard instead of down the driveway (???)

I don't know how a mind works that decides that driving and tearing up the lawn of someone you work for is a good idea.

So apparently the whole abandoned car thing happened because on one of his trips out back the car got STUCK in the lawn and he attempted to dig it out with a shovel several times before leaving to call a tow truck.

Again. ???????

It doesn't make any sense to me at all. And yet to him it made perfect sense. I find this both amusing and a little scary. He did go back and sod over the ruined lawn and I am sure come spring it will be fine but in the meantime it makes a good story!

Not Five Things

Inspired by Jenny. And by inspired I mean totally ripped off from her. Thanks woman!


1) Samurai Chai Mate from Teavana: All of the caffeine of coffee plus "strong spices, invigorating herbs and revitalizing citrus". Delicious!!



2) Snakeskin Accessories. This obsession/mission began a few months ago at, where else, the Talbouts Outlet. I found the most amazing snakeskin bag. Roomy. Slouchy. Snakeskin. Braided Straps. Perfection! However at over $100 it was a bit out of my price range so I decided to wait for a price break, since there were so many of them I figured what the hey? Next thing I know they go down to $36 but are sold out! WAH!! This bag haunts my dream and I am on the hunt for it's twin. I just really love the edginess of snakeskin in a really nice leather. Sigh.

3) Finding the perfect "Fall" nail color. Right now it's Siberian Nights from OPI but I am getting bored with it. Have you tried the new matte color line? That might be next on the list althuogh my nails are so short I am accustomed to the pizazz of shiny nail polish.





4) Solutions AM/PM Face Cream. Its about time I got myself into a day AND night facial care regime and this fits the bill. I need a lot more moistureizer as the seasons change and the AM cream is nice and light but still makes my skin feel great. The night is a bit heavier but not greasy. Just enough so you feel like it's going to do good things for you while you sleep. And it does. Not to mention you really can't beat the price.



5) The fact that I have had this brower open ALL DAY and could not come up with a fifth thing. I am apparently only into four (4) things currently. That's all I can handle! Just four. A fifth thing would throw me totally off balance.

The Day of 1,000 Drinks

Saturday started off innocently enough. I woke up at 8AM with the kind of energy reserved shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. Not for any particular reason though. And it's unfortunate that I wake up during the week feeling like the walking dead but on the weekend when I can sleep in, I can't. Ho Hum.

So to expend this energy I did what anyone would do: I went food shopping. It was long overdue and I have to say that the supermarket pre-9AM on a Saturday is just as good as my old favorite time, pre-9AM on a Thursday. Seriously. Tons of carts. No lines. No screaming kids. Just me, and everyone else who felt compelled to leave the house in their PJS taking our time and doing our shopping. So nice. I didn't even mind that when I got home it turns out my pants were on inside out.

After relaxing a bit at home Adam and I decided to head out for lunch. Some of my coworkers have been raving about Abby Park, the newish restaurant in East Milton Square, so we decided to check that out. Designed by the same architect who did Davio downtown, the space is gorgeous! Nice large bar area, modern and inviting decor, super friendly bar staff (that = key) and a varied menu. Since it was only lunch we decided to get salads (Caprese for me, Cobb for him) and alcohol (nice crisp Albarino for me, Sam Adams for him). While we decided we will definitely go back for dinner sometime soon (they had me at this dandy addition to the menu), the salads were substantial and delicious and our drinks were great! Just the hearty fare we needed for our sojourn up the street to Lower Mills to check out the Dorchester Open Studios.

We bounced to The Baker Lofts where we checked out some vibrant abstracts and adorable ceramics

Then it was off to The Boston Home, where the art of some of the residents was showcased and we were blown away by the talent. I fell in love with a little water color of the harbor/gas tank but it was "Not For Sale". Sad!!! Still, it was lovely to see all the fantastic paintings and the Boston Home's art program is on my list of Awesome Things.

And then we went off to the First Parish church and visited my friend Paul who was showcasing his brilliant photography. There were loads of other artists in the space including jewlers, multimedia, glass blowers and (my fave) stained glass! The stained glass artist Raine Newman doesn't have a website but he does make beautiful stained glass pieces and I picked up a few brooches from him. Makes me feel like a church when I wear them!

So all in all the Dorchester Open Studios was a success! I wish more of the studios had been open at the Baker Lofts but such is life, maybe next year. In any case after all of that art-viewing we were in dire need of a drink. So where to? The Ashmont Grill of course.

Our favorite bartender whom we love TARA was working, thank god, and she set us straight with a pumpkin martini (me) and a large beer (him). We split the bluefish pate (I love this. So far only Andy loves it as well so if you go PLEASE try it if they have it and tell me you love it too.) and what the hell I had another cocktail, the cranberry ginger which was also divine. I am 90% sure we will be attending their Halloween party this Saturday. Who doesn't love a costume party and a haunted patio?

And who doesn't love having a week to throw together a costume? I will pull it out though, don't you worry.

After a brief stop at Esprit du Vin, we arrived at a party for our dear friend and Andy's mom. His family is so much fun and so great to hang out with, we always have a blast with them. Not to mention his mother is one of our favorite people ever, so of course we wanted to celebrate her day with her. We noshed on a delicious buffet and then over champagne and cake we toasted to her and then later had a Fleetwood Mac singalong in the kitchen. All in a night's work.

We sojourned back to Andy's after the party for a nightcap and then it was back to Quincy for bed. It was a busy day but a great day nonetheless.

Maybe see you tomorrow at Trick or Tweet?

Blogtoberfest Recap!

Last night was the third Boston Blogtoberfest planned by and hosted by the lovely Ms Jenny!

I headed into the South End after work, threw my car in the Ateilier 505 garage (I find as I get older the appeal of searching for street parking for an hour has waned. The bloom is way off that rose), and walked down the street to Stephi's to meet Peter for Pre-Fest dinner and drinks. I arrived first, ordered us an appetizer to split and a delicious "Winter White Martini".


hello lover.

Once Peter arrived we set to gabbing over delicious entree salads (Yellowfin Tuna for me, Roast Turkey Cobb for him). Stephi's meets all my requirements for a lovely dinner out on the town: ample bar seating, delicious and varied cocktail menu, reasonably priced entrees and super friendly staff. We both agreed it was divine and we would certainly be back. But for now we had somthing else to take care of - Boston Blogtoberfest!

It was held this year at 28 degrees and it was as usual a lovely space for the event. We put on our nametags and set to mingling and exchaning cards with Boston Blogerati, including new friends Julie, Rebecca, Pam, Jaclyn, Kristen and Angela and as always it was nice to see John Wall and run into the Dorchester peeps Albert and Rakeisha. There were a lot of other fabulous people I met but alas I left my cards at home and these are who I could conjure up on the fly. Suffice it to say it was a fantastic event and it's always nice to hob knob with new and interesting people. Great job, Jenny!

Peter and I Blogtobering (hijacked from the fabulous JQ Lounge)

I'm attending another event next week at one of my fave restaurants Tavolo. So if you are a local blogger/tweeter/social person come check it out!


(click for deets)

And on another note thank the LORD it's Friday! Two points of interest for the weekend (both of which Adam and I will be checking out).

Tomorrow and Sunday is the Dorchester Open Studios, where my coworker Paul will be showcasing his gorgeous photography among many other local and talented artists! Its important to support the arts in your community and this is an easy way to do so. Meander around. Check out some great art. Maybe even purchase something fabulous for your home.

On Sunday we head to Braintree for Bin End's Wine Flea Market for Charity. There will be over 75 delicious wines to taste and enjoy and BUY if you are so moved for up to 50% off. There will also be a raffle of local gift certificates and more wine all in support of Hugs for Healing, a local charity that provides comfort for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. Combining drinking with charity work? Sign me up!

Whatever you do, enjoy the weekend!

Will I Be Seeing You?

I'll be there! Wooooot!

A Carnival in Your Mouth

I love risotto.

Seriously. It is such a great go-to meal. It can be impressive or casual. You can dress it up or dress it down. It can be a long involved process or it can be easy-peasy. I appreciate it's versatility and affordability!

Last night I had a hankering for my favorite grain but I was unimpressed with the usual recipes I had been using. Spicy Turkey Sausage and Spinach? Done that. Pumpkin? Done that too. Shrimp and Pea? Over it.

So I hopped on Epicurious.com and hunted around until I found a risotto recipe that caught my fancy.

Cauliflower? Interesting.
Almonds? Love!
Brie? Yes please.

And so it was settled: Cauliflower Risotto with Brie and Almonds was to be our dinner!

I headed over to Russo's to pick up the ingredients and made the untimely mistake of going between noon and 1PM.

Now, Russo's is divinity on earth. Heaps of fresh and delicious and hard to find produce that rivals if not exceeds Whole Paycheck but at half the cost. A to die for cheese section. A delectable bakery. Nothing about this place can be beat....unless you go during the lunch hour and then the heaps of produce and sumptuous cheeses are obscured by masses of people clamoring to get their lunch or squeeze in their shopping on a lunch break.

I don't begrudge them. I mean, I am doing the same thing but I normally go later in the afternoon to avoid the rush and not end up clutching my scallions to my chest hyperventilating as swarms of people clamor for the last Jerusalem Artichoke.

In any case since it was so crowded I stuck to the edges of the store to work my way around. It was there that I found the cauliflower and noted there were two kinds. The regular white kind and a funky PURPLE kind.


Woah!

As the old adage goes, when faced with buying something regular or something freaky it is always wise to choose the freakier option. And I thought the purple would be more visually appealing in the risotto anyway!

Once I was home later that night I followed the recipe to a tee. I simmered broth and water and fresh thyme. I crisped up the cauliflower with olive oil and more fresh thyme. And I made extra sure not to overcook the rice (something I am smashing at!).

The result? Delicious, gooey risotto swarming with brie and studded with crispy cauliflower and toasty almonds.



So. Freaking. Good. Even Adam, who and I quote "doesn't really care for cauliflower" loved it. So if you are in the market for a new risotto recipe to try out. I highly recommend this one.

Print the recipe here

Time for a Diatribe

The saga begins a few weeks ago.

In an effort to save some money I had been going over our monthly bills to see where we could make some adjustments. Our biggest monthly bill by FAR, aside from rent, is our Comcast bill. We had been in a bundle for the past few years (for those lucky enough not to be involved with Comcast, it is usually cheaper to bundle your phone, internet and cable service into one package than it is to pay seperately for each). As a result of this bundle timing out, our monthly bill leapt to about $250 a month (up from about $160).

Now, I know there are adjustments we could make at home to drop this bill down. We get the movie channels, the NHL Package (sigh), have two DVRs, plus high speed internet. And we like having these things. So I am not expecting to pay small money, neccesarily.

But I am also not expecting to be reamed.

I casually twittered about our Comcast bill a few weeks ago and within minutes @ComcastBill contacted me with an email address of someone at Comcast who could help me. That was helpful. Thanks Comcast Bill! So I sent off an email about what we had and what we were paying and what can you do for us? Within a few hours a woman named Nancy called me, cited my Tweet and told me she wanted to help me lower my monthly bill. What a doll!

"Ain't technology grand?", I thought.

So I talked on the phone with Nancy for about twenty minutes and while she was nice and helpful, I deduced almost immediately that she was also clearly a Company Gal. Someone who was not as much interested in helping me save money as she was in helping her company get the most money out of me. She would give me pricing info but it was vague. She would answer my questions about induvidual pricing but always steer me back to bundles.

And every bundle she tried to sell me came in a THREE YEAR CONRACT that costs $275 to get out of if you try to before your three years are up. I am not at all interested in committing myself to a cable package for three years. Especially one that increases by $20 a month every year you are in it. Are you serious?

I told Nancy that I would be moving in the Spring and could not guarantee that I would be sticking with Comcast when I moved. Perhaps this was not smart to say but I wanted her to understand how little sense it made for me to lock myself into a 3 year contract that comes wth a $275 early termination fee when I knew I would be moving (and if at all possible leaving Comcast) in LESS than a year.

So after some hemming and hawing she told me I could lock in a somewhat reasonable price for the next six months, that included all of our channels and the internet (but not AS high speed) and I would return the DVR in the bedroom (sob!) to save an extra $25 a month. I would have to call after the six months was up and see what new pricing was availabke but I am willing to do that. Easy peasy.

A few days later I realized that I may have been misled about keeping all of our channale since some had dissapeared (TMC and Turner Classic Movies). Now, I don't watch these channels every day and it's not the biggest of deals. But I found it a little suspect that I had been told I could keep all of my movie channels and I clearly could not.

I had it on my list to call Comcats back and find out what had happened when a surprise came to me in my mailbox. And what was it? AW! A two year contract from Comcast. That included none of the things I had spoken to Nancy about. How lovely. Especially after I told her I wasn't interested in signing a contract. She shouldn't have!

Really, she shouldn't have.

I called Comcast with the contract in hand and spoke to another woman about my confusion. Hadn't I just spoken to Nancy and she quoted me a price for a six month contract with no early termination fee? And she also told me I didn't have to bundle in a phone since we don't have one and dont use one. Oh no, this rep assured me. Nancy was dead wrong. In fact there was no record on Comcast's end of Nancy making ANY changes to our current contract. This is fishy to me since

1) Why did two of my channels suddenly dissapear
2) What prompted me getting this bullsh*t contract in the mail?

I expressed my dismay to this rep who assured me "IF" Nancy had told me those things, she was incorrect. I loved the "if" casually thrown in there to let me know that she doesn't entirely believe me. Then I was informed that it is impossible to bundle your services for anything less than a two year contract but at least the two year contract only comes with a $75 early termination fee. But still! Why do they need thatmoney? Why can't the accomodate a normal person who doesn't know what their living situtation will be in a year and doesn't want to have to pay a fee for being in this situation. I mean I love a money hungry monopoly as much as the next person but really?

If you are thinking I should just not bundle my services then I am right back to paying over $200 a month because that is what our cable package and internet cost together without a bundle.

So after going back and forth with the rep I excercised my right to t ake 30 days to sign this wretched contract and in the mean time weigh my options. Within the 30 days I will continue to pay what I have been paying and recieve all of the services. Fine. Whatever.

The next morning I was treated to another surprise, Comcast style! I opened up a web browser on my laptop and lo! The comcast homepage comes up asking me to log in and confirm my infofmation and accept their terms and conditions.

How curious!

I opened up another web browser and lo! The same thing. Internet Explorer. Firefox. All with this comcast homepage beseeching me to log in and create an account and confirm my contract information. Or else I can't get on the internet

WTF?

Once again I hopped on the phone and called my very good friends at Comcast. They were TOTALLY surprised. "We don't see the comcast homepage showing up on your computer on our end". Really? How interesting. How interesting that the day after I tell you I don't want to sign my contract you basically make it so I have to sign my contract before I use the internet in my own home even though it says right on the contract that I have 30 days to decide.

So after almost an hour and a half on the phone during which I was led to disable my router and my modem and then Adam had to swoop in and save me from breaking everything, we finally were able to get online without signing our souls over to Concast.

But the clock is a ticking. I now have 23 days left to make a decision. And what stinks the most is we probably WILL have to sign that contract because doing so and paying the early termination fee is still cheaper than not being in a contract at all because Comcast makes it so that is the case.

So enjoy my $75 when you get it in April. It is worth it to finally cut ties with the devil.

It's Like That and It's LIke This

This weekend was entirely too short, don't you agree?

Saturday was quite the busy day for us. We got up early (well, early for a Saturday) and were out the door by 9AM. Our first stop? French Memories in Cohasset for almond croissants and coffee. We make it a point to have breakfast there at least once a month. For one thing the ride is incredibly scenic and for another those almond croissants? TO DIE FOR. We drove along the ocean on the way back and holy hell was it crazy.





We pulled over a few times to get a better look at the enormous angry waves (and to narrate faux snootily a la the show Clash of the Gods "Poseidon's wrath could not be contained, ho ho ho". In any case it was breathtaking! Maybe it is my inner bitchy Pisces but I love an angry ocean.

Moving on, we arrived at the Talbots Outlet in Hingham, which luckily is located next to an EMS so Adam could keep himself entertained while I hit the sales HARD. I would have to say the deal of the day was scoring a fabulous blood red wool pea coat for $31,99. Marked down from $279. And the ticket said $89 which is what I thought I would be paying. What what!

The trick about the Talbots Outlet is definitely go early and go hard. We got there about a 1/2 hour after it opened and it was still pretty empty which is KEY. So you can hunt for deals at your leisure and at this place more than any other I would say ALWAYS try things on. You may think something won't look great on you but it does. Or you may think something will make you look incredibly elegant but it turns out it makes you look like a swollen disco ball. Not cute! But in any case seriously if you live in the area and can spare an hour to pop in and look around you will not leave disappointed. This is my dead horse and I will continue to beat it until everyone I know has shopped there.

After running some more errands we later met up with Andy and his roommates at the Eire Pub for "afternoon beers". Every bit as classy as "Afternoon tea" if you ask me. We had a grand time recounting our weeks over afternoon beers (or in my case, afternoon G&Ts) and then it was off to Burlington for our friend Sarah and Tony's for Tony's 30th birthday party.

As always the party was a great time and it is fun to get a chance to catch up with people I pretty much only see at Tony& Sarah parties. Plus I have to say a party that starts in the late afternoon is my new favorite thing. Because by the time it's over and you're like "oh it's so late" its really only 8PM. Of course we tried to take advantage by going out after the party but lasted only one drink before packing it in and heading home. I blame the afternoon G&Ts.

Yesterday was a bit of an abomination. I woke up SUPER sinusy and with an earache (something that has been happening a lot lately and that I am really not into) but I powered through and went to my parents house to hang out with my man, Bodhi, make some Beef Bourguignon (which came out DIVINELY. Simmered it for 4 hours on the stove!) and do scads of laundry. I am proud to say there is now not one item of dirty laundry in my apartment. I dont even rememeber the last time I could say that. Not a bad way to spend a SNOWY (yes, I said snowy. and yes it's freaking October) Sunday.

And now it's Monday and I am frankly, not having it.

Two Autumn-y Recipes

It was quite the fall weekend up in here, was it not?

The pumpkin lasagna I posted about in the previous entry was a HUGE success. So seasonally delicious. And, though a tad time consuming, pretty easy to make as well. It is, as most decadently tasty things are, not that good for you. But that is why Giving Away The Leftovers was invented. right? Also, though it says the chard is optional I would definitely use it. It adds a nice flavor and texture that I think you would miss.

Real Simple's Pumpkin Lasagna

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 15-ounce cans pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Parmesan
1 1/2 18- to 24-ounce packages refrigerated cheese ravioli

Heat oven to 400° F.

In a large pan over medium heat, add the oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chard (if using) and increase heat to medium-high.

Cook, stirring frequently about 5 minutes.

Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, the sage, and the nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, 1 cup of the Parmesan, and the remaining salt and pepper.

Place a layer of ravioli in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with half the onion mixture and almost half the pumpkin mixture. Top with another layer of ravioli. Repeat with the remaining onion mixture and all but 1 cup of the pumpkin mixture.

Top with the remaining ravioli, pumpkin mixture, and Parmesan. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.




You can also make this ahead (like I did). Just assemble everything, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then just add 20 minutes to the baking time! Easy peasy.

So that was Friday night dinner.

Sunday, we had big plans to go apple picking. We got up relatively early, got ready to go out and then sat down at the computer to look up orchards. And did you know that all the orchards around here are over an hour away? I just wanted to like zip out for 20 minutes, have the whole "apple picking experience" and be on my way. So in true Adam and Sarah fashion, instead we went out to lunch and then stopped at the supermarket for a bag of apples. Deadbeats, I know!

In an effort to celebrate our deadbeattery - I decided to make an apple-themed menu for the night. I had some boneless country style pork ribs in the fridge, a jar of apple-cranberry chutney and some red cabbage. With that an idea was born. With a few more items from the supermarket we were in business for

Cider Simmered Pork Ribs with Apple Slaw

2 lbs country style boneless pork ribs
1 liter of apple cider
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup apple cranberry chutney (I got mine from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chopped and peeled apple
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste


Put the ribs in a large pot. Cover with cider and bring to boil over medium -high heat. When lightly bubbling, switch to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Then remove from cider and pat dry.

In a pan, cook onion and apple in oil over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the apple/onion mixture and stir until well mixed.

Place ribs in large 13x9 casserole dish. Pour mixture over ribs and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes then remove foil and cook for 30 more minutes.

Serve with Apple Slaw

1 package shredded red cabbage (about 2 cups)
1 julienned apple
1/43 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup sliced onions
1/4 cup golden raisins.

Combine and let sit in fridge for at least 15 minutes before servings.



Delish!

I used the rest of the apples today making a ginourmous apple pie that came out pretty f'd up but let's just call it "Rustic" and leave it at that ok?

Pumpkin Is All Around Me

There is a lot of pumpkin in my life right now.

1) I am drinking a Dunks pumpkin coffee. Sweet jesus have you had one of these? Autumn in a cup!!!

2) Last night I made a pumpkin lasagna. PUMPKIN LASAGNA. I had it in my head that something like that would be good since other pasta and pumpkin dishes are good like pumpkin ravioli and this recipe so I simply googled "Pumpkin Lasagna" and lo, tons of recipes. I will share with you the one I used in another post with photos over the weekend. I haven't actually baked it yet- as it is for dinner at my cousin's house tonight but it is fully assembled and I expect it will be sinfully delicious as I may have sampled each ingredient before putting it all together. YUM.

3) Last night, after preparing the lasagna, Adam and I went out to celebrate (because he got PROMOTED yesterday!! He has worked really hard for a long time and it is so nice to see him being rewarded and recognized!), and after dinner he browbeat me into going to karaoke. Life is tough. However when we arrived it turned out there WAS no karaoke happening that night so instead I browbeat him into taking me to Stop and Shop and bought the fixings for one of my favorite desserts - Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread + Semisweet Chocolate Chunks. My dear friend Andy shared this idea with me and it is always a hit. And super easy to boot.DIVINE! I then stayed up way too late baking it and brought it into work today to shared the pumpkin love with my coworkers.

4) In a non pumpkin related story, I have a sorely needed 4 day weekend upon me as of 5PM today. WOOT! Maybe I'll buy a pumpkin for the apartment. BAM! I just made this one pumpkin relevanta fter all.

Happy Monday!

First things first: we have decided to push out our wedding to Spring of 2011, rather than Fall of 2010.



Their are three main reasons for this decision. The most important one is that my parents' Peace Corps interview on Friday went very well and they are basically shoo-ins for the program. While this is fantastic news for them, it also means in likelihood they won't be here next fall, nor would they be able to return for the wedding since for your first 6 months of the assignment you can't travel.

Then there is the fact that, as I am realizing more and more, if we want to have a wedding next fall we basically have to book everything now. Even as it is now the places we have looked at only have 1 or 2 weekends left in the month we want. And I haven't yet found anything that really knocks my socks off. And it would be kind of luxurious to just check places out as I hear about them, really get an idea of what we want to do. I have felt much more relieved since making this decision!

Then there is the tertiary matter of housing. If my parents do leave next summer, we will in all likelihood be moving into their place (Sorry Peter!). This would be incredible since we both love their house and it would be a total money saver. However on the off chance the Peace Corps thing doesn't work out then we are for sure buying a place next year and it will be nice not to have to plan & pay for a wedding the same time we are buying and moving into a house.

Basically my life right now is a choose your own adventure novel, but I'm into it!

Anywho. This weekend was busy but delightful. Friday we toyed with some plans and decided to just stay in and relax. I had gotten maybe 7 hours TOTAL sleep over the past two days and was exhausted. I was asleep by 9:30 PM. Party in the USA!!

Saturday my mom and I went to Littleton for an all day Baby Shower celebration for my cousin Kate. We met at a nail salon in Acton and my aunt Marilyn came by with goodie bags for us all ()(water, granola bars and chocolate - one must keep one's energy up while one is being pampered). It was great to catch up with Kate and my cousins Jen and Dawn who live in Connecticut and who I never get to see! The party them returned to Marilyn's house for scads of inappropriate talk, hilarious baby shower games and loads of Seabreezes. Kate really cleaned up gift wise and it was fun to just hang out and relax with family.

Sunday Adam and I slept in (weird) and then headed out to get some sushi for lunch. Then visited my cousin Anna in her new pad (2 miles from my place, welcome to the neighborhood!) and then came home for some homemade macaroni and cheese.

Oh yeah and there is the small matter of the fact that I'm an Avon lady now? Yeah. Stay tuned for more on that this week!