30 May 2012
25 May 2012
On the Friday before a three-day weekend,
when you discover that you get to leave work four hours early,
you make plans. Obviously.
First, you stop at Starbucks to visit Jackie and/or Emily (can't remember if they're both there on Fridays?) and get some hot chocolate, because it's surprisingly cooler than was expected today (good choice on the jeans rather than a skirt this morning).
Next, you walk 1.5 miles from the Starbucks at Faneuil Hall down to the Boston Public Library at Copley Square. It will look something like this:
When you arrive at the BPL, you don't go straight for the books (even though you want to). Instead, you go to the Changing Exhibits Gallery to see this:
After being inspired by printmaking, you browse the books. Also, you look for Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows on CD because they are no longer available via grooveshark. You might hit up the DVDs, maybe they have Anne of Green Gables? Or, even better, Liam Neeson movies! (Specifically, The Mission. Also, Taken.)
Once browsing has ended, you take public transit back home, where, if you were successful in your movie search, you take your laptop to the kitchen to watch a Liam Neeson (or Anne?) movie, put on stretchy pants and your Garamond T-shirt, take out your ink, rubber blocks, and printmaking tools, and attempt to recreate art you saw at the BPL. You might also paint with oils. It is quite likely you will accidentally paint the tiny kitchen table while doing so.
Hours later, when your roommate and her best friend arrive home, you realize you should probably stop making messes pretending to be an artist and actually eat a real meal. So you clean the table, wash your hands, and eat something before spending hours alternating between reading Howards End and watching either A Room with a View or episodes of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix, depending on how cultured you feel. Then you go to bed surprisingly early, considering the rest of the week.
And that's how you start a three-day weekend when you get to leave the office four hours early.
you make plans. Obviously.
First, you stop at Starbucks to visit Jackie and/or Emily (can't remember if they're both there on Fridays?) and get some hot chocolate, because it's surprisingly cooler than was expected today (good choice on the jeans rather than a skirt this morning).
Next, you walk 1.5 miles from the Starbucks at Faneuil Hall down to the Boston Public Library at Copley Square. It will look something like this:
When you arrive at the BPL, you don't go straight for the books (even though you want to). Instead, you go to the Changing Exhibits Gallery to see this:
 |
| Image via BPL. |
After being inspired by printmaking, you browse the books. Also, you look for Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows on CD because they are no longer available via grooveshark. You might hit up the DVDs, maybe they have Anne of Green Gables? Or, even better, Liam Neeson movies! (Specifically, The Mission. Also, Taken.)
Once browsing has ended, you take public transit back home, where, if you were successful in your movie search, you take your laptop to the kitchen to watch a Liam Neeson (or Anne?) movie, put on stretchy pants and your Garamond T-shirt, take out your ink, rubber blocks, and printmaking tools, and attempt to recreate art you saw at the BPL. You might also paint with oils. It is quite likely you will accidentally paint the tiny kitchen table while doing so.
Hours later, when your roommate and her best friend arrive home, you realize you should probably stop making messes pretending to be an artist and actually eat a real meal. So you clean the table, wash your hands, and eat something before spending hours alternating between reading Howards End and watching either A Room with a View or episodes of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix, depending on how cultured you feel. Then you go to bed surprisingly early, considering the rest of the week.
And that's how you start a three-day weekend when you get to leave the office four hours early.
23 May 2012
TTT: Nonbookish Reading
I haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday for a while, but I thought this one was interesting. Plus, it made me think about what other websites I have open in all my tabs at work/home all of the time. So, my Top Ten Sites That Aren't About Books:
- Wikipedia. Seriously. A few close friends could tell you how often I consult Wikipedia (multiple times a day). It might be a problem. But they have information on everything. Plus it's so easy to click through their hyperlinks and learn more stuff! I can't help it. It's such a useful tool.
- NPR. This is one of my staples in my google reader feed. I read NPR articles a couple times a day, and sometimes listen to their podcasts. (Speaking of, Clay Christensen was on WBUR this morning. Not sure if you can still access it, but try.)
- NYTimes Opinion page. Specifically, Thomas Friedman's column. This should come as a surprise to zero people, I'm sure I've mentioned him before.
- xkcd. Funny, nerdy, sometimes linguistic-y humor.
- Appazoogle. I love this blog. It discusses the various changes in the publishing industry, specifically how the ebook and ereaders are affecting the publishing model. It also may or may not help fuel my Amazon hatred (though they do that fairly objectively).
- LDS.org. I look up all sorts of random stuff in the scriptures, Bible dictionary, and General Conference talks throughout the day.
- CJane, Nat, Meg, etc. I am a major blog stalker, and go through a specific list every morning. Sometimes when I get terribly bored I'll go into the archives, even though I've already read all the archives for each of them before. (When I find a new blog I like I kind of go on a blog-binge and read the thing in its entirety. It makes you a little ill afterward. Like a food binge.)
- Dream Moods. This has brought so much entertainment to my life (thanks, D!). Learn how to interpret your dreams! Sometimes it's weirdly accurate.
- The Art of Manliness. This one can be a fun time waster. Some of their articles are ridiculous, but others are awesome. A few are both.
- #whatshouldwecallme. Oh man. Sometimes I just can't stop. Another serious binge site.
Y tú?
18 May 2012
It's because I graduated
PDF to JPEG conversion is slightly fuzzy. Please, click to enlarge the image.
10 May 2012
The L Section
There are a lot of things I could blog about this week. I could blog about my growing loathing for Amazon, and the excellent series of articles published in the Seattle Times about a month ago (it's a four-part series, make sure to read them all).
I could blog about my recent trip to the MFA and how I still recognize what carvings mean in the Egyptian exhibits. They make me homesick. Always.
I could blog about ending school, and how we keep getting together (Clarke's, Border Cafe, Starbucks, Max Brenner) "one last time" because we don't want to say goodbye.
But instead, I'll give you this video for Mothers Day. I'll be busy with my own mother (in Boston! They'll be here tonight!), so I probably won't be posting much, but this is beautiful. I've expressed my great love for Billy Collins in the past, and when I heard him read at Boston College a few months ago that love just increased. He's a fabulous writer, and an equally fabulous reader. (Not everyone is both.)
But you know, the audience laughs at some of the lines. They did it when he read at BC, too. I imagine it's because his delivery is so straight-faced, which is great, but really, I don't find this one funny. I think it's really sweet, and a little sad, and very true.
I could blog about my recent trip to the MFA and how I still recognize what carvings mean in the Egyptian exhibits. They make me homesick. Always.
I could blog about ending school, and how we keep getting together (Clarke's, Border Cafe, Starbucks, Max Brenner) "one last time" because we don't want to say goodbye.
But instead, I'll give you this video for Mothers Day. I'll be busy with my own mother (in Boston! They'll be here tonight!), so I probably won't be posting much, but this is beautiful. I've expressed my great love for Billy Collins in the past, and when I heard him read at Boston College a few months ago that love just increased. He's a fabulous writer, and an equally fabulous reader. (Not everyone is both.)
But you know, the audience laughs at some of the lines. They did it when he read at BC, too. I imagine it's because his delivery is so straight-faced, which is great, but really, I don't find this one funny. I think it's really sweet, and a little sad, and very true.
Watch "The Lanyard" by Billy Collins on PBS. See more from Poetry Everywhere.
03 May 2012
Across the Pond
Dear Europe,
I know everyone says you are fabulous and that I will one day admire you, and I'm sure that's true. Especially Florence, I look forward to a love affair with Florence. But good grief, this was quite possibly the worst possible timing to take away my Melis. This whole unreachable thing is taking a toll on me. And perhaps on a few others. Send her back to me?
Impatiently,
Al
I know everyone says you are fabulous and that I will one day admire you, and I'm sure that's true. Especially Florence, I look forward to a love affair with Florence. But good grief, this was quite possibly the worst possible timing to take away my Melis. This whole unreachable thing is taking a toll on me. And perhaps on a few others. Send her back to me?
Impatiently,
Al
A Magical Place Called Clarke's
To celebrate the end of finals, some of us got together again at our favorite bar at Fanueil Hall. In fact, it might be my favorite bar anywhere. Why?
Nachos.
Clarke's has the most delicious, largest platter of nachos I have ever experienced. Each time we've been there, the male waiters look at us skeptically and don't think we can finish the platter. Each time, we finish it. This time we ordered dos.
That's right. Two. And they're freaking huge. Check it.
It was supposed to be our last Clarke's hurrah, but man, those nachos are just so good, I'm hoping Jackie and Emily will want to go after work, since we all work within walking distance (they're literally across the street, luckies).
Nachos.
Clarke's has the most delicious, largest platter of nachos I have ever experienced. Each time we've been there, the male waiters look at us skeptically and don't think we can finish the platter. Each time, we finish it. This time we ordered dos.
That's right. Two. And they're freaking huge. Check it.
 |
| This is Kelly. She loves Clarke's. |
It was supposed to be our last Clarke's hurrah, but man, those nachos are just so good, I'm hoping Jackie and Emily will want to go after work, since we all work within walking distance (they're literally across the street, luckies).
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