62. November 12th, 2010 Picture.

So, I don’t know if you know this or not, but Ratty and I like food.  We like to watch food shows on TV, we like to test new restaurants, we like to take pictures of our food (moreso him then me), we like to talk about food when we aren’t eating and we like to talk about food while we are eating.  We just really like food.

I love cupcakes, and Ratty always goes out of his way to buy me one as a surprise.  It may have something to do with the fact that I say ‘whatcha bring me?’ every time he comes back from running errands, but I digress.  One of the greatest little, non-Italian bakery, sweet shops is Lulu’s, which just so happens to be on Ratty’s street.  I’m pretty sure I’ve posted Lulu’s cupcakes before, but I honestly just can’t get enough!

{On the left we have a salted caramel chocolate cupcake and on the right we have Lulu's take on a Hostess Cupcake.  They were both amazing, obviii!}

62. November 11th, 2010 Picture.

So sometimes, where there is lots going on, I pack up a bag and camp out at Ratty’s apartment for the weekend.  It is much easier than going back and forth, especially with the difficulties in parking my car in the North End, so once I find a spot, I refuse to move it until it’s absolutely necessary. 

I pretty much drive Ratty crazy.  I drop things on the floor, put my jacket over the arm of the couch and mess up the magnets on his fridge on purpose.  He follows me around, picking up after me, hanging my coat in the closet and putting all my things on his bed (this one makes no sense to me, but it does to him, so I guess it’s okay).  Here is documentation of the devastation that is ‘Hurricane Amy’.  That is his oh so sweet pet name for me.  Now, let it be known that having all my stuff spread out all over the couch like this stresses me out too.  Things get wrinkled, sat on and misplaced all the time, and it drives me mad, but what else can I do?  No one sits on that couch (it has been dubbed ‘the other couch’ because it just kinda sits there, unused, most of the time.)  So yea, this is all my stuff.

62. November 10th, 2010 Picture.

This fantastic restaurant in the North End, Prezza, does a special on Wednesday nights, where you can get their famous spaghetti and meatballs for $6.  Since the 11th was Veterans Day, Ratty and I thought it would be a great night to get a seat at the bar, check out the special and have a few glasses of wine.  We got 2 seats right away and went about ordering drinks.  Now, I love fig, love it.  I love fig jam on cheese, pizza, in sandwiches, you name it I’ll eat it, so the fig martini seemed like an obvious choice.  The first few sips were really great, it was nice and chilled, so it seemed pretty refreshing.  It unfortunately got sweeter the more I drank so by the end I was on the verge of diabetic shock.  Thankfully the drink had a skewer of blue cheese stuffed figs in it, which really cut the sweetness.

After enjoying our martinis, we talked to the waitress about the special.  She was under the impression that the $6 special was something that they only did from 5-7pm, which was a little bit discouraging.  Ratty told me that he had seen the owner Tweet that it was available all night, so I suggested he go ask the manager.  Prezza is in the upper upper tier of restaurants in the North End, so the thought of having to pay for a full price entree was not the type of 'cheap date night' we had planned.  After a quick discussion with the manager, it was all cleared up, the special did run all night, so we were free to order our dinners. 

Let me tell you, they did not disappoint.  It was so yummy, and the absolutely perfect size.  Granted, I could have eaten another entire bowl full, but that would have been excessive, unnecessary and probably kind of disgusting.  Ratty loved it as well and we even joked with the manager about how he may have new Wednesday regulars.  We stuck around for a few more glasses of wine (no more fig martinis for me!) before calling it a night and heading home with full bellies.

62. November 9th, 2010 Picture.

Since I started at BCBS, I have pretty much gotten a new piece of mail from them every day.  EVERY DAY!  What a waste of paper, and stamps and money and energy.  BCBS is known for sending out lots of mailings to their members, most of which are probably unnecessary.  There isn't really any communication between departments on what is being sent out, so there are days when I get multiple pieces of mail from the same office, where it would have been much more efficient to send out those items together.  Our new President realizes this  and is working on streamlining our communication to members, so sooner or later this will be a thing of the past.  I am not totally sure what to do with all this mail, so for right now, it just sits in a pile on my floor.  What a great place for it! 

62. November 8th, 2010 Picture.

Ratty and I made the mistake of watching an episode of Nova entitled ‘Trapped in an Elevator’ and it completely freaked me out, shocker.  It was pretty cool to start, talking about how elevators are made, how it’s next to impossible for it to free fall (thank God) and finally ending with how a man was trapped in an elevator at his work for an entire weekend.  A WEEKEND!  Apparently he was working late on Friday, and attempted to take the elevator downstairs to smoke a cigarette.  The elevator got stuck on the non existent 13th floor, SUCH a bad omen, and all his calls to the security desk went unanswered.  He sat in the elevator for 40 something hours with no food, no water, no watch, nothing.  He had no idea how long he’d been in there or when he’d possibly get out.  How terrifying is that?!  Someone finally saw him on the surveillance video on Sunday afternoon, and got him out.  He ended up suing the building management company, because there should have been a security guard on duty 24 hours a day, but no one noticed his calls or him on the video for over 2 days.  No one could ever answer his questions about what exactly happened and why it took them so long to do something about it.  I think he got something around $250,000, to which I promptly looked at Ratty and was like, ‘that is SO not enough, I would have gone for millions.’

So the next day, at work, I had to take the elevator to the 8th floor.  I had a new found appreciation for how they worked, but was now ever more scared of the fact that I could get trapped.  Granted, I’d never be at work at 11pm on a Friday night, and I am usually only on the elevator at peak times, so I’d definitely be found quickly, but that doesn’t stop my mind from racing though worse case scenarios!

Here is a quick shot of the elevator bank at my work, just to drive the point home.

62. November 7th, 2010 Picture.

 Ratty is a superior neat freak.  He is always picking up things, asking if I'm done with my glass (which I never am), and puttering around organizing.  His magazines go in the same spot, in alphabetical order, his Netflix movies are on his DVD player at a right angle and he has the most organized collection of magnets on his fridge I've ever seen.  He has been known to Lysol the table while I'm still eating 'oh can you just pick up your plate for a minute?'.  I am sure that he loves living on his own, knowing that things will always be neat and tidy.  That is, until I come over.

I manage to use every single fork he owns, which isn't saying a lot since he only has 2.  We go through pint glasses, champagne flutes and plates faster than should be humanly possible.  They all stack up in the sink and we only wash them when we've completely run out.  By the time Sunday rolls around, he is probably glad to be rid of me so his life can go back to its rightful organized balance.  He can keep the apartment as clean and as dark as he wants.  When I go over, I open all the blinds, I love natural light, and this drives Ratty berserk, literally absolutely berserk.  If it's sunny out, I want to see it.  If it's nighttime, I want a few lights on, so I don't feel the overwhelming urge to fall asleep mid sentence.  Ratty likes to be enclosed in a cave, where the mere thought of natural light would turn him to stone. 

So anyway, I ruin Ratty's apartment when I go over, but I am totally okay with it. 

62. November 6th, 2010 Picture.

Saturday morning I was awoken with the sweet scents of a coffee delivery from Starbucks.  Ratty knows how much I like to sleep in, on Saturdays and only Saturdays, I have extensive feelings about sleeping in on Sunday.  Okay, since you asked, I don't like sleeping in on Sunday mornings because then I struggle to sleep Sunday night.  I am very finicky, so I try not to disrupt the very delicate balance of my beauty sleep.  Ratty is aware of my Saturday Sleeping In Requirement, which means he usually sneaks out before I wake up and comes back with coffee and breakfast for us.  I'm totally spoiled.

Ratty had read about an Open House at the North Bennett Street School on Daily Candy that was taking place that afternoon, so we decided to check it out.  The NBSS is a few doors down from Ratty's apartment on Salem Street in the North End, and I must have walked by the building at least a million times.  It's a very nondescript 5 story brick building that takes up a small, congested block.  Aside from a small brass sign on the outside, there is nothing particularly special about the building, and definitely nothing that gives any indication of what's inside.

Now, up until I was actually inside the North Bennett Street School, I thought it was an elementary school.  When I had read the blurb about the open house, it said that there would be tours, information sessions, as well as a shop where students would sell items they made.  I honestly thought it was going to be something similar to a Christmas Bazaar.  Come and buy artwork, potholders, and various other knick knacks all while supporting students at an inner city school.  I was vaguely aware that they specialized in various trades, but I still equated it to something like the Museum School, which is the MFA High School.  

Once inside, we were greeted by various staff members, volunteers, students and teachers.  Old photos lined the hallway, showing the very first class of the NBSS in 1885.  Most of the students looked like young teenagers, which further validated my thought of it being an elementary school.  Ratty and I made our way into one of the first rooms that was dedicated to Restoration Carpentry.  It looked like a huge workroom, filled with power tools, stacks of wood and various pieces at different stages of completion.  I walked around, admiring the window valences, rocking chairs and dining tables that were on display.  This was definitely not what I expected, but I was very pleasantly surprised.  

We stopped to chat with a few people, whom I thought were instructors - hi, it's an elementary school, remember?  I was curious about the student population, so I asked how old the average child was.  He looked at me bewildered, while Ratty literally took a step away from me and said 'what?!'  What?!  I thought it was an honest question.  Turns out, I was totally wrong.  So off base that I wasn't even playing the game.  The NBSS specializes traditional trades and fine craftsmanship...for adults.  The students range in age from early 20's to mid-60's.  Whoopsie daisy, I could not have been more wrong.  Thankfully, I rebounded quickly, or at least I would like to think I did.  I know for a fact that I turned the brightest shade of red and could not stop sweating.  It was hot in there, for the record, and I was still wearing my jacket.

{One of the piano building rooms.}

The school is actually two buildings that were somehow meshed together.  The front building was 4 flights, with a grand stair case and relatively large classrooms.  The back building was much smaller, 5 or 6 flights, with half staircases between the main floors and teeny tiny rooms that kept multiplying.  You could start in one room, and walk through doors and entryways and suddenly find yourself completely turned around.  I think at one point I called out Marco, hoping that Ratty would answer Polo and I'd be able to find my way out.  Every inch of space was maximized, with grand pianos tucked into small corners, chair legs and banisters strung across the walls, chairs hanging from the ceiling and window sills lined with antique door knobs and skeleton keys.  No matter how long you spent looking around, it seemed that you'd always discover something new, no matter where you looked. 

Ratty and I eventually reached the top of the stairs of the back building, and realized it lead out onto a roof deck.  Now, I'm not totally sure we were even supposed to be out there, something about it screamed holy liability, but no one stopped us so we stayed.  

NBSS has 8 full time programs.  Jewelry Making and Repair, Cabinet and Furniture Making, Restoration Carpentry, Locksmithing, Piano Technology, Bookbinding and Violin Making and Repair.  I think that the violin classroom was one of the more impressive spaces, if forced to pull rank.  There are only a handful of schools in the United States that teach violin making, and NBSS is one that's highly regarded.  Ratty and I spent quite a bit of time talking to a few students, learning about their program, how they must make 7 violins while in school and to pass the program they must submit 2 violins, one polished and ready to play and the other bare wood, so they can detect any flaws.  I was in such awe of the talent and creativity that these students had, it make me wish that I had a calling for some type of trade.  

I was immediately smitten with the bookbinding department and took a flyer about 1 day courses they offered.  The books and journals that the students were able to create were spectacular, and it seemed like such a personal profession.  Each student had their own signature style, which came through in their bindings, closures and design.  In true Amy fashion, I was mentally planning the gifts I'd make and the Esty shop I'd open once I took a few classes.  One might say I was caught up in all the excitement.

{A bookbinding press.}

I was immensely impressed with NBSS and was surprised that such a fantastic school could be sitting right in front of my face without me knowing it.  After walking through their student shop on the first floor, I realized that I'd walked by their display window hundreds of times, but never gave it a second look, or even a FIRST look.  There was so much talent hidden in an old brick building; it made me wonder what else there was out there that I didn't know about.  I'm guessing quite a lot!  It makes me want to go out and soak up as much as I can about anything and everything.  Which is precisely what my 101 list was intended for!

After spending the entire afternoon lost in a completely crazy and creative world, Ratty and I headed to Wagamama for my lunch.  I love Wagamama, it's my favorite.  Funny story.  Wagamama is a British noodle shop (Hi, I love all things British so naturally I'd love this place).  While in London 4 years ago with Ratty, I desperately tried to get him to eat there.  I begged, I pleaded, I started to walk in the door only to be pulled back out.  Ratty's reasoning for not wanting to try Wagamama was that he needed more substantial food than noodles.  Sighh.  I never made it to Wagamama in London, my first taste of it was in Boston, far less impressive than on a Thames riverbank overlooking Big Ben.  Once I tried it I was hooked, and you know what?  Now Ratty loves it too.  Guess noodles can be substantial.

{My chili teriyaki beef with udon noodles, I die for udon noodles.}

{Ratty's chicken ramen with ginger.  Of course he loves the ginger.}

{So, while perusing the shop at NBSS, I saw these fantastic silver studs, made by some terribly talented student and I needed to own them.  So I bought them.}

{Aren't they so shiny and awesome?  I get loads of compliments on them all the time, and I love having a reason to strike up a conversation about the NBSS and what a fabulous school it is.  I love to show my support in any way I can, and if wearing fancy earrings is what does it, then who am I to argue?}

62. November 5th, 2010 Picture.

So this is how Ratty and I spent our Friday night.  We were searching for a Christopher Plummer move to watch (a nod to #15) and somehow stumbled upon the ‘Sound of Music’ IMDb page, I don’t know how that happened!  Ratty’s a good sport.  And you might just be able to make out the shadow of a champagne glass on the left, I am sure that helped lessen the blow.

62. November 4th, 2010 Picture.

Ratty and I decided that we'd like to go out for drinks and appetizers on Thursday after work.  Ratty and I both work in the same neighborhood, so we decided to try out a brand new restaurant in the Fenway called Island Creek Oyster Bar.  We had been going back and forth between ICO Bar and another new place called Citizens Public House and Oyster Bar, but ultimately settled on ICO Bar, or so I thought.  After work, I headed over to ICO Bar and grabbed two seats at the bar, and patiently waited for Ratty to arrive.  It was absolutely pouring outside, and even though I had offered to pick Ratty up, he said that he would just walk over to the restaurant.  I sat and sat and sat, wondering where he was.  I had Tweeted that I was sitting at the bar anxiously awaiting his arrival, and it was only a few minutes before he called in a plight of utter confusion.  He was at the other restaurant, wondering where I was.  He thought we had settled on the Citizens Public House and Oyster Bar, while I thought we have decided on ICO Bar.  Whoops!  I mean, it's not that crazy, the names are extremely similar and they are both in the same area and both were brand new, I am sure this wasn't the first, nor the last time this type of mix up would occur.

It took Ratty a few minutes to walk over to where I was, but when he arrived I made sure that there was a nice martini waiting for him.  While he dried out, we both sipped our drinks and admired the interesting decor.  Okay maybe that last part was only me.  I was super impressed with how cool the restaurant was.  Island Creek is an oyster harvesting company that is extremely well known in New England.  They operate out of Duxbury MA and grow/harvest/market/sell and shuck their own oysters.  They have built up quite the reputation and opened their first restaurant in the Commonwealth Hotel, next to Eastern Standard.  They are very good at keeping their name out there, so even those who don't like oysters, like moi, know who they are.  Last year they teamed up with Harpoon Brewery to create an Oyster Stout that was sold in limited batches in the spring.  I had the pleasure of tasting it at Harpoonfest last March, and let's just say it was an acquired taste.  One that I so much didn't care for.  That aside, I still really like their company, and it's pretty evident that I am not the only one.

The inside of the restaurant looks like the inside of a fishing shack, or boat dock.  They somehow managed to do this in an upscale way.  I know, this sounds crazy, but stay with me.  The walls are made of old clapboard and drift wood, large mason jars are filled with rope and twine, stacks of old milk crates line the shelves in the bar, which created this casual, nautical vibe (so weird that I would like this place, right?).  There were slight industrial touches, with groupings of stainless steel pendant lights and metal chairs.  It was just really, really cool.

{This is what Ratty and I dubbed the perfect table.  Tucked away from the noisy dining room and the perfect spot to sit and spend the night having dinner and drinks with friends.}

{The menu is all fresh seafood, not surprising, and boasts lobsters caught by the chef's cousin Mark on his commercial lobster boat.  The selection changes daily, based on what is caught that day, so I will definitely need to go back and see what new things they have!}

{Snug Harbor Smash, with rum, lime and mint, was absolutely fantastic.}

{The cocktail list is filled with eclectic drinks, like the Perennial, that mixed lemon and fennel together.  I had it, I hate fennel, but it was really delicious.  The bartender, who quickly became our best friend, as most bartenders do, made it for me before I had a chance to argue and I am really happy I tried it.  I do not like licorice, but it was subtle and really enhanced the lemon flavor, which is the best part of the drink, obviously.}

{The shrimp cocktail was unbelievable.  They were ridiculously big, like comically large, and so fresh.  I could eat nothing but shrimp cocktail for the rest of my life.  Someday when I'm uber rich, I will be able to do this.}

{Clam Chowder.}

{For dessert, Ratty and I got milk & cookies.  It was this frothy, vanilla milkshake that was out of this world, with an assortment of cookies and brownies.  That vanilla milk was amazing, I am still dreaming about it.}

We went for drinks and apps right after work, and casually spend 5+ hours sitting at the bar.  It was a pretty great impromptu night out!  I definitely want to go back and see what new things popped up on their menu.

62. November 3rd, 2010 Picture.

I just took out my AC on November 1^st (it was much easier to take out then to put in), and it is still sitting on my bedroom floor.  Since my bedroom is on the second floor, I’d have to carry it down 2 flights of stairs to get it to the basement, so for now, until I can muster the strength or convince someone else to carry it for me, it will sit on my floor.

{And let me just note that at Press Time, that AC is STILL sitting on my floor.  It's bound to get hot again soon, right?}

62. November 2nd, 2010 Picture.

I meant to take a photo of my polling place, which after 3 years at the same location, changed this year.  I used to vote at the Curley Rec Center in Southie, otherwise known as the L Street Bath House, but with my ‘recent’ move to the West Side, my polling place changed to the Condon School. 

I was nervous about a new polling place to be honest.  The bath house had been good to me, I’d bumped into many important people casting their vote and been bombarded with news crews at the ungodly hour of 7am while I was still in my PJs with pillow creases on my face.  I’d seen past Boston Mayor Ray Flynn voting in the Presidential election in 2008, and Michael Flaherty casting his ballot on the news when he was running for Mayor in 2009.   I was comfortable at L Street.  I knew where to park, where to check in, and where to check out.  Without fail, every time I’d say Deveau, the girl behind the table would ask ‘Are you related to Ken Deveau, from over on Sixth?’  Not that I know of, I’d say and then be on my way. 

But now, the Condon school was a different story.  I’d never been there before, only driven by it, so I was slightly anxious to go vote.  I didn’t know where to park, I didn’t know where the front door was, and once inside, realizing that 3 different precincts all voted in the same place, I had no idea what ward or precinct I lived in.  So, with all that hoopla taking place, I completely forgot to take a picture once I was there.  Also, taking a picture inside the polls might be illegal.  I am going to have to check on that.

So instead I present to you a photo of the Boston seal that was on my new voter registration letter.  At least it’s keeping the theme consistent! 

62. November 1st, 2010 Picture.

Since number 9 on my list is to send out Christmas cards, I decided to stock up on a few packages nice and early to prevent me from procrastinating and eventually putting it off until next year. 

I was at TJ Maxx, getting a slight jump on Christmas shopping, and took a picture of the Christmas card display – so many to choose from!  I grabbed 3 boxes of cute, not super religious cards, a mix of blues and yellows with sparkly stars, which after further consideration looked more like Hanukah cards than Christmas cards, but they are pretty, so who cares.

So, with this purchase I am one step closer to completing another task on my list!

62. October 31st, 2010 Picture.

So, this probably comes as no surprise to any of my loyal readers, but I am kinda obsessed with parking, parking spaces and anything Boston/car related.  They just upped the price of meters and made it so much less customer friendly.  25 cents for 12 minutes, but they don’t take nickels or dimes, so you are forced to find 10 quarters for 2 hours of parking, and even then you are overpaying.  Do they NOT want people driving into the city?!  It’s is so stupid and I am mentally penning my angry letter to the mayor at this very moment. 

Anyway, one of my ultimate pet peeves is when people take up 2 viable spots with their car.  It happens sometimes, people leave their car in the same spot for the entire week while all the other cars keep moving around it, ultimately messing up the fine balance that is city parking.  I’ve come out after not using my car for a few days and said to myself, okay I swear I was parked normally when I left it, I would NEVER park like that on purpose – I look like such a jerk!  This is why the city should paint lines on the street.  I’ve been saying this for YEARS.  If they made parking spot lines on the streets (paint them on street cleaning days), then no matter how many cars come and go, everyone would still be parked in neat little spots that maximized the very scarce amount viable parking spots.  Our friend Kevin took my idea a step further and said that people parked outside of these lines should be ticketed.  I like your style, Kev.

So, walking through the North End, on our way back from Connecticut, I saw this glaring offender.  This would totally not happen if I were in charge.  Just another example of how my ideas are the best.

62. October 30th, 2010 Picture.

Saturday morning Ratty and I were up bright and early to attend Leanne and Bill's wedding.  The ceremony started at the chipper time of 10:30, which meant that I would need to be fully caffeinated to make it out alive.  I got ready and hopped in my car for a quick trip to Starbucks.  I promised Ratty it was right down the street (which would have been true if I had gone the right way the first time), but literally made it back to the Inn about 40 minutes later.  Seriously though, you'd think suburban housewives had never seen a girl in a black dress tapping her high heels with impatience, at 10am in a Starbucks before.  Even the little kids were standing next to me, looking at my shoes, and then looking up at me in confusion.  Okay, I am pretty tall when I wear heels, like giant tall to them, I'm sure, and these were great heels, so it was fine that they were staring.

I peeled into the parking lot of the Inn, slowed down slightly for Ratty to get in and flew to the ceremony.  It was about 20 minutes away, and it was a race between me and my GPS 'Arrival Time'.  I am always looking to shave a few minutes off it anyway, but this time was exceptionally important.  We made it running into the church just as the bridesmaids were lining up and grabbed a seat just as the music started playing.  I wish I could say that this was the first time I've arrived at a wedding like this, but it's actually my second.  From what I can remember, I might be mentally blocking a few.

The church was so pretty, so bright and airy.  I loved the lights, and the stained glass and painted ceiling were beautiful.  I tried to get a shot of everything, but it was SO bright that almost everything came out blurry.  Obviously this picture doesn't do the 'brightness' justice, but I became quickly obsessed with the pendant lights.  They are gorgeous.

The ceremony was beautiful.  Once Leanne and Bill were married, we all poured outside and took some unofficial pictures.

{The sun was REALLY bright.  I thought it was hilarious that we kept insisting we stand there, mainly because of the foliage in the back, even though we were blinded and the pictures obviously suffered.}

{We finally moved.  You can't really see the awesome shoes, but they are the same color as my scarf.  So fantastic.}

{The boys toasting with their first drink of the day, er, morning!  Um, 11:30am is still considered morning, right?  By typically sane people, probably.}

{The reception.  SO pretty!}

{Ratty and I during the cocktail hour.  The food was really great, lots of fall classics, which included an apple cider station.  I stuck to champagne, obviii.}

{All the guys, Chad, Chris, Ratty, Aaron and Scott.}

{First dance.}

{This groomsman LOVED to rock the leg guitar.  Is that even the right term?  All I know was that he was kicking that leg up A LOT.}

{Leg up again!}

{Rocking out!}

{Dude, we get it.}

 

Once the reception was over, at like 4pm, we all piled into a shuttle which took us back to the hotel.  Since everyone was staying at the same place, the plan was to meet at the hotel bar and continue the celebration.  

The absolute best thing about the hotel bar, besides the bartender that loved us, was the piano player.  Oh yes, a piano player.

We sang and drank and kept singing all night.  I believe this was taken during 'Piano Man' were the crowd got really into it.  We started mixing and matching versus, singing them out of order and sometimes skipping ones completely.  The piano player just kept playing and let us all make a ridiculous scene.  It was a blast.

After we had exhausted the hotel bar, the best man threw a party up in his room, where he ordered 3 gigantic pizza, 33 slices apiece.  Needless to say we ate every single slice and kept the celebrating going until the wee hours.  At one point we made it back to the hotel bar for one more, final nightcap before turning in.  It was a GREAT time with some great friends.  Leanne and Bill were so happy and it was so great to share their special day with them.  Ratty's friends are fantastic, and while they live all over the country, some married and some with kids, there is no doubt that they love seeing each other and make the absolute most of it when they get the chance.