hurricane throw-down: nyc vs cape cod?

hi from the cape. decided at the last minute on friday to get the hell out of nyc and head north to the cape. part of me wasn't sure it made much sense to leave nyc and go where the storm could be even worse (oh the fun of living/working on the east coast - always heading into a storm when i go north/south), but as they talked about shutting down the subway at noon and widespread power outages in nyc it started to seem like a better idea. i was planning to come up here on thursday for labor day weekend (incidentally, it's supposed to be beautiful weather for labor day weekend) so i figured i could work from home next week and avoid what may be a tough aftermath in manhattan.

it's a little weird to be here - had all these plans for the weekend that got cancelled one by one as the hurricane new rolled in so all of the sudden i didn't have plans anymore. it was a little like when a class would get cancelled in college - you'd be planning to go til almost the last second and you'd suddenly find yourself with an open hour b/c you had planned to be in class.

had no plans for the cape since it was a last minute trip but had lunch with christine at wimpy's yesterday, and my sister got home from soph summer last night. helped my dad harvest corn ahead of the storm yesterday and changed sheets so my mom turn over the rental house (though it's not rented until thursday). of course the puppy kaiser is here to play with - he's not much bigger than when i was here a few weeks ago but very rambunctious with lots of energy.

i remember when hurricane bob hit the cape in august 1992. i was 8 and amy was 6 and i remember she didn't want to go to tennis lessons in craigville with my cousins that morning b/c she was scared. i went, and then spent the storm with my cousins running from window to window in my grandparents house predicting which tree was going to be knocked over next. ah youth.

i've been tuned into what's happening in nyc and thinking of the people still there. so far it's windy here but no rain yet. the weather glass is creeping up, but it looks like the brunt of the storm is going to be in western mass and not the cape. at any rate i don't have to go anywhere and we have a generator and the entire harry potter series here and it's almost nice to have a reason to stay inside. just trying to reason with hurricane season.

c'mon irene

thoughts and activities:

• i hate the lion king. some of the songs are okay (circle of life and i just can't wait to be king) but i really really don't like it. just irritates me.

• i don't care about keeping up with the kardashians. i barely know who they are. 

• saturday is the dartmouth alum assoc event with the mets that i put together. the mets gm is an alum, so we're doing a reception at citi field and have tickets to watch the mets/brave game afterwards, all dependent of course on the whims of hurricane irene. fingers crossed the rain holds off.

• speaking of irene (why hasn't 'c'mon irene' been used by the media yet?) i'm thinking i'll buy some water and get a flashlight for sunday in case it really is as bad as everyone's saying it will be. otherwise i plan to stay inside and be lazy - typical sunday really. there does always seem to be a hurricane this wknd of the year though. the jb hurricane concert was this same wknd, as was the wknd of our big sis/little sis reunion a few years ago. good to remember for the future.

• had a delightful time with the friends this past weekend - boxa was in town and had dinner with celeste. vin's coming in tomorrow for a wedding so we're doing dinner - will be nice to catch up with her.  

been quiet around here as my boss has been out for the last week and next. counting down the days til i can head to the cape for labor day. current count: 7

the interweb

going to start posting my google reader shared items to the blog, as most people don't use google reader and there's just too much good stuff out there. hat tip to celestia for this one.

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers.

via www.mcsweeneys.net on 8/21/11

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get my hands on some fucking gourds and arrange them in a horn-shaped basket on my dining room table. That shit is going to look so seasonal. I'm about to head up to the attic right now to find that wicker fucker, dust it off, and jam it with an insanely ornate assortment of shellacked vegetables. When my guests come over it's gonna be like, BLAMMO! Check out my shellacked decorative vegetables, assholes. Guess what season it is—fucking fall. There's a nip in the air and my house is full of mutant fucking squash.

cape cod girls

liz mumford print :)

footloose and fancy free

last week was super stressful b/c i was taking off early on friday to go to seattle for zana's wedding, and i had a dentist appt to have 3 cavities filled, which meant 2.5 hours out of my thursday to have needles and drills and lockjaw. now that both things are behind me i feel a strange sense of euphoria, which can only be because my calendar is (relatively) wide open and i'm staying in nyc for the next two wknds.

that is not to say i didn't have a fantastic time on the west coast this past weekend. it was my first trip to seattle, so i didn't know much about it, and i was excited to get the grand tour. jess was kind enough to act as my hostess and tour guide, so i learned quite a bit about the pacific northwest.

got in around 7 on friday night and was so surprised to see snow-capped mountains on the air train into the city. according to wikipedia seattle gets 71 sunny days on average a year, and friday was one of them, so it's only fair to note i'm biased.

met up with jess and ppocket and headed to dinner with swanny, skips and skip's girlfriend. was fantastic to catch up with them, eat delicious thai food and see an almost full moon over the space needle.

saturday we picked up a zipcar from the local community center (a vintage porsche car fair was going on. we were driving a vw rabbit) and got all gussied up for the night. picked up skips and ppocket and we headed out to the red hook brewing company for lunch and the brewery tour. for $1 we got 5 samples of beer, a rocks glass and learned that one of the co-founders of red hook is the founder of starbucks, there's a red hook brewery in portsmouth, nh, and 30 people work at the brewery. highly recommend it if you're on the east or west coasts.

we cut out of the tour early to get to zana's parents' ranch where the wedding was being held. they live on a gorgeous piece of property north of seattle and zana and linda were married down by the pond in an incredibly beautiful and heart-felt ceremony. afterwards we ran around looking for horses, giving hugs to zana and rosi, and getting drinks in the dressage arena where the reception was held. jess and i gave toasts, zana, linda and the boys did a choreographed dance to get things kicked-off, and we had brick-oven pizza for dinner. we also took a number of pictures that ppocket is converting into a collage at the photo booth, and danced the night away.

sunday jess and i had brunch downtown, and then i explored the waterfront of docks and ferries and pike place market (think real world seattle fish and original starbucks) before heading back to the airport for my red-eye. seattle is the western-most terminus of i-90 (of boston and james taylor fame) and it was so funny to think about being on the other side of the country but on the same road. really liked seattle overall - it's such a cool combo of water and woods and mountains. everywhere you looked there were boats and beautiful scenery and people outside running or playing soccer or sailing. there were also lots of gardens, farmers markets and community centers. was surprised to see tons of red sox fans out and about, but realized it was likely because they were playing the mariners. still, it kind of felt like home. all in all it seems like a very legit place to live and that there is a lot more to explore. will have to get back out there soon.

liking a song lately by emmylou harris (covered by miranda lambert) called 'easy from now on'. the lyrics i like are

It's gonna be easy to fill
The heart of a thirsty woman
Harder to kill the ghost of a no good man
And I'll be ridin' high in a fandangled sky
It's gonna be easy, It's gonna be easy
It's gonna be easy from now on

part of why i like it is that it resonates, part of it is the 'fandangled sky' bit, but worth a listen if you're into bluegrass country.

in the vein of culture and arts, i also read 'the big house' last weekend - a great memoir about summer houses, family and boston W.A.S.P.S. i've touched on the role my grandparents house in craigville has played in my family and i'm sure i'll get around to doing a post on it one of these days, but worth a read. started reading 'last call' about prohibition on sunday night as well. in the middle of that now but enjoying learning about something i don't know too much about. will report back.

Port of Seattle

Exploring the waterfront!

stuff i like

today's mary engelbreit calendar:

sea shell sea shell sing me a song o please
a song of ships and sailor men and parrots in tropical trees

of islands lost in the spanish main
which no man ever may find again
of fishes and corals under the waves
and seahorses stabled in great green caves

sea shell sea shell
sing of the things you know so well
- amy lowell

wedding gift inspiration

summer is wedding season and i have weddings on the brain thanks to diana, swanny, zana and maynard, which of course means i'm thinking about wedding gifts.

there's the tried and true registry, which is good in a pinch, but i prefer my gifts to be a little more unique than what's often on a couple's registry. and i have etiquette on my side: no one says you have to give something off the registry - it's the thought that counts.

so here are some of my current favorite wedding (or holiday or birthday or whatever!) gift ideas. if you're a good friend it's a high probability that you'll end up with something from this list when it's your turn to tie the knot. ;-)

state cutting board - a.heirloom - am a big fan of gifts that commemorate the couple's tie to a particular place, be it where they live, where they met or where they got married. etsy has lots of great gift ideas, but this particular site will do cutting boards of a state with a heart over the location you care about.

birch mugs - jessica rust  - came across this artist in an issue of 'real simple' years ago and have often given this set of handmade birch mugs as a gift. each mug has birch trees in a different season with a heart around the couples initials and year carved into the tree. beautiful and meaningful.

cat studio glasses and pillows  - in the category of place-based gifts. i love their glasses in the city, state, region of your choice. they also have pillows that are beautiful but a little more expensive.

tervis tumblers - these plastic glasses are an institution in my family, ever since my grandmother had a set with 'captain', 'first mate' 'admiral' and 'crew' on them when we were little. they're customizable, and the couples monogram or initials are never a bad idea. they also have schools, nautical themes and other icons available. plus - they have a life time guarantee - which is why i buy them whenever i see them in thrift stores.

liz mumford painting - this gift is a good idea for nautical/new england types. i used to baby-sit for the artist's son when i was a teenager on the cape and have several of her prints that the family gave me as gifts. they're beautiful paintings with a quote or saying around the border - lots of wedding and love and family-oriented options. one of my favorite of the quotes is 'i love you a bushel and a peck. a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.' you can buy her paintings and other nautical fun things from oak and ivory (a store in osterville, ma on the cape)

frame the invitation - this idea came from my parents, as they have a framed wedding invitation on their wall in the second-floor hallway. it's an inexpensive idea that the couple will love.

fishs eddy glassware - fishs eddy is a nyc brand that i love. it's so much fun to go into their store and poke around. lots of fun and cute glassware, dishes (their motto is 'we do dishes') and kitchenware type stuff if you're looking to put a twist on the typical registry items, especially for a nyc couple.

storypeople wood frames - anyone who reads this blog knows that i love storypeople. they now make wooden frames with stories on them. they aren't cheap, but you can choose the story you want, and as so many of the stories hit right where a wedding does, it's a great idea for a gift.

gift certificate to a show, restaurant or service - everyone likes the excuse to go somewhere fancy or do something they wouldn't otherwise. give the couple a fantastic date night by choosing somewhere unique or special in the area.

i bleed dartmouth green - for a dartmouth couple i like to do something from the co-op, like this lithograph and mirror or dartmouth hall pillow, or simon pearce - also not cheap but a gift that will resonate with the couple.

there are lots more ideas out there, and i'm sure i will add to this list in the coming years, but these should at least provide inspiration. some other ideas from 'what would jackie do': unique wedding gifts

remember - what you give the couple is entirely up to you! yes there are guidelines but you can follow or not follow them. you're giving a gift - it's up to you to decide what it is and what you spend. with a little thought and creativity you can give a gift that is uniquely you.

we are all fools in love

loved this rumination on love from a fellow blogger at 'totally confident and completely insecure'. it resonated so much that i'm reposting rather than linking, but you can find the original post here.

Okay so I saw the movie "Crazy Stupid Love" last night. I won't go into my thoughts on the movie because I'm not qualified to critique a movie and any criticism i have is hypocritical considering that I'd kill to have been in it. The point is that it's all about love and yearning and loss and the kick in the face that happens when we fall in love and the kick in the gut that happens when someone leaves us or stops wanting us. How powerless we are to it, how rational thinking goes out the window and logical reasons of why we shouldn't love them simply can't be factored into our feelings. Being in love can make the toughest person vulnerable. Once you've had it, its the only reason to live and once you've lost it, you can't imagine how you'll continue on living at all. I'm obsessed with watching this in other people. The way that we swim against the tide. When someone pulls away we try pulling them closer. It pushes them further. The way that one person's indifference creates an others panic. The smartest person acts like an idiot. The most seemingly insignificant person levels someone you had on a pedestal. Time moves so fast you can't catch your breath. You see something in someone that no one else can find. Watching them stand next to the new girl in their life makes you forget how to move the muscles in your legs. It makes you wonder if you'll ever eat food again. People who have never experienced this, they glide on the surface above you where nothing is ever too painful and nothing is ever so amazing they're speechless. They're somewhere in the middle. And that's a fine place to be, but we don't really have a choice do we? So, I thought back to the songs that captured the desperation of love and loss and the crazy person it stirs up in us. Here they are. Maybe you're feeling it right now and hearing the insanity in someone else helps you remember that you're not alone and you're definitely ALIVE to the fullest degree. You shouldn't ever regret that.

thoughts on a hybrid

one of the good things about zipcar is it let's you test drive different types of cars. usually when i'm renting i try to rent the same car (lately a toyota matrix) so at least i've had experience driving it, even it was very brief.

this past weekend i went to the cape for a quick trip. my brother's home for a week so i visited with him and the grandparentals. i rented a honda hybrid from new haven b/c it was all they had available for the weekend by the time i booked. although i really really want my own car, i realize it is impractical and a waste of money as long as i'm living in nyc. however, when it comes time to buy a car i will not be buying a hybrid b/c of its design:

1. there's a bar across the back windshield that divides the windshield in half. the back windshield is more like a piece of horizontal rectangle and then an angled piece that reminds me of a greenhouse. the bar is inconveniently set across the middle right where your line of sight is when you're driving. now maybe this isn't a problem when you're driving around town, but when i'm driving on the highway i use the rear view almost as much as i look out the front. that bar is in a bad place.

2. the hybrid shuts off the engine when you come to a stop or slow down below 10 mph. this means there's lots of herking and jerking when you start and stop frequently. again - might not be a problem on the highway, but driving around town is kind of rough.

3. no cruise control. i drive a lot of long distances and that is a must.

4. no arm rest in the center console. a personal preference here i guess.

so great mileage be damned. i'm going to stick with my toyota matrix whenever possible.

had a great but short weekend on the cape. was not beach weather at all - got a couple hours in on saturday but it was overcast and windy - and it poured on sunday morning, but played some pong at one of my brother's friend's house (a '12). their summer house is being renovated and they convinced the contractor to build them saw horses and leave a piece of plywood so they could play pong on it. one of the annoying things about the cape is someone always has to drive when you go out, so couldn't get after it like i wanted, but it was fun to play. also managed to play some foose at the fox hole.

christine and i went to the raw bar on sat night for the twin lobster special. the lobster was $15 and the shells were so soft you didn't need to use the crackers at all. we stopped by to see my grandparents, as the raw bar is down the street from where they're staying this summer, and had some ice cream and a nice chat. i did breakfast with them on sunday morning at IHOP - we used to go a lot when we were little. love that blueberry syrup. enjoyed being home but it is such a long trip it's hard to do for the weekend. hoping to get back for labor day for an extended long weekend - we'll see.

going to be a long and crazy week in nyc - wish it were over already. lots of work and i have a dentist appt on thursday to fill 3 cavities (ugh!). friday i go to seattle for zana's wedding. looking forward to seeing the crew girls but it's going to be a quick trip and the red eye back on sunday night will not be fun. have enjoyed all the travel but ready for a couple weeks in the city. must get ready for work.

the office

things i love about my job:

• the president of my division runs around the office barefoot
• i've learned a ton of excel and power point tricks from my formerly-a-consultant boss
• i'm getting a new work computer (long overdue) next week! wheee! maybe now i'll be able to open excel sheets on mondays