Lazy Sunday

A small part of me wishes I was in NYC eating cupcakes and heading to the movies, but I think last weeks adventure was enough for now! That's right, I spent last weekend in Manhattan catching up with friends. Thanks to the wonder of the Bolt Bus James and I were able to afford a quick weekend trip. We were hosted by my old boss at SAB (thanks again kelly!!!). I would have to say this was a trip filled with amazing food. We started off with dinner saturday night with my friend Noel at LAND, indulging in some of the best Thai I have ever tasted. Mmmmm. We followed this up with pie at Good Enough to Eat. I definitely had a food baby! As we (ok, I) waddled the 18 blocks home, I gave James a tour down memory lane as we passed areas I frequented when during my summer there. We came home to a playful Otis (!), so we relaxed, played with the pooch and then got some sleep!














Sunday we were up bright and early to meet Stephanie and Stephen! This was Stephen's first time to the city, so we tried to give him a good overview without pushing it too much. We started our day at Lincoln center, then trecked north to Alice's tea cup (where Noel works) and had the most incredible breakfast. I drool just thinking about it! This was a great way to fill up, warm up, and start our whirlwind day. Our quick tour consisted of:
a section of Central Park, walk down broadway, rockefeller center (with a stop at Dean & Deluca), WTC, then a stop in Washington Square park. There was so much I wish I could have shown them, but that will have to wait for another time! We ended our trip down the street from the empire state building, where we boarded our separate buses for the long (but comfy) ride home. Yay Bolt!















This weekend I have decided to go .... nowhere!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!! :)
James is sick, I am exhausted, and we decided this combo called for a weekend in. The cold weather also helped this decision. I spent an entire day yesterday on the couch. 6 hours of that time was spent trying to get Red Sox tickets, an experience that I have learned much from for next year. We got tickets in the end, but those were painful hours! ha. Our roommates were gone most of the day, so having the living room to ourselves for once made for a perfect lazy day. Laundry is done, photos are edited, and James & I are caught up on our sitcoms! Currently, I am typing from bed and watching Igor sniff around the room. I know that any moment I need to get up, shower, and finish my list of At Home To-Do's. . .

But perhaps that can wait 15 more minutes?? :)

A decade of movies: pt 2

Let me say, the last couple years have been pretty pathetic. Being newlyweds with a lot of student debt, we barely went to the movies. I saw more then 10 from each year, but I did not feel like they all deserved to be named... to do so would simply make them fillers. I have a feeling that my lists for 2008 & 2009 would/will be drastically different after I catch up via netflix. :)

2005:
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Batman Begins
3. Star Wars Episode lll: revenge of the Sith
4. Walk the Line
5. Wallace & Gromit: the case of the were-rabbit
6. Pride & Prejudice
7. Everything is Illuminated
8. Green Street Hooligans
9. Match Point
10. Munich


2006:
1. Thank you for smoking
2. Mission Impossible lll
3. The Devil Wears Prada
4. Jesus Camp
5. The Queen
6. The Departed
7. Stranger than Fiction
8. Casino Royale
9. Blood Diamond
10. Brick


2007:
1. Reign over me
2. Waitress
3. Ocean’s 13
4. Ratatouille
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Atonement
7. Once
8. Across the Universe
9. Juno
10. La Vie en Rose

2008:
1. The Dark Night
2. Wall-E
3. Slumdog Millionaire
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
5. Sex and the City
6. Man on Wire
7. Son of Rambow
8. Quantum of Solace
9. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
10. Revolutionary Road



2009:
1. The soloist
2. Star Trek
3. The Brothers Bloom
4. Up
5. The Hangover
6. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
7. (500) Days of Summer
8. Where the Wild Things are
9. Sherlock Homes
10.

A decade of movies: pt 1

So I finally got around to making my list of my favorite films of the decade. I was tempted to go as far as Jen Smith and break them into categories, but for now I will give you my top 10 favorites from each year. Some were chosen because of their overall excellence, others made the list simply because they make me smile and can be watched repeatedly. I have a feeling these lists would have shaped up differently if I actually got around to watching some of the films from those years, and realized my netflix queue needs a serious update! :) If you notice a serious oversight, leave me a comment... what better time then now to catch up on the must see films of the 2000's.

2000-2004

2000:
1. Almost Famous
2. Best in Show
3. Billy Elliot
4. Cast Away
5. Gladiator
6. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
7. Quills
8. X-Men
9. Meet the Parents
10. The Beach


2001:
1. Amelie
2. Donnie Darko
3. Lord of the Rings – fellowship of the ring
4. Moulin Rouge
5. Ocean’s 11
6. Royal Tenebaums
7. O
8. Shrek
9. Vanilla Sky
10. Zoolander


2002:
1. About a boy
2. Bend it Like Beckham
3. Chicago
4. City of God
5. Ice Age
6. Lord of the Ring – the two towers
7. Van Wilder
8. The Pianist
9. Spider Man
10. Bloody Sunday



2003:
1. Big Fish
2. Down with Love
3. Elf
4. Finding Nemo
5. Kill Bill vol. 1
6. The Life of David Gale
7. The Lord of the Rings- return of the King
8. Lost in Translation
9. Love Actually
10. Under the Tuscan Sun


2004:
1. Closer
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3. Finding Neverland
4. Garden State
5. Harry Potter – prisoner of Azkaban
6. Hotel Rwanda
7. Mean Girls
8. Saved
9. The Terminal
10. Supersize Me

Project 365

I am happy to be doing this again, and also VERY excited it was not self portrait. I have a feeling I will only attempt that again if I am doing photography full time. This means that I will have the equipment and flexible time to produce images that are worth the year. :) Don't get me wrong, I loved the last project, but without the time and the gear, it wouldn't be worthwhile. We had our first group theme yesterday (suit up!), and I was reminded how much I love themes! Especially seeing everybody's interpretations. The one thing holding back my creativity is the temperature of this beautiful but freezing city. I prefer using natural light, but I also prefer keeping my toes from falling off! :0) I guess I can see this as a challenge... figure out how to work with what I have, find natural reflectors, etc... but I wouldn't mind a warm day! Note: I did not say sunny day. We get plenty of sunny days, but it will still be 17* out! It baffles the mind.











On a completely different topic... my husband is a gigantic nerd. This was in no way brought on by him prancing around as I typed. Nor was that inspired by the number of silly things he has said since I woke up this morning. :)

Call of the belly

I get crazy cravings. I have my entire life. Combine that with my excessive nausea and I continually am asked if I am pregnant. :) However, I am starting to believe that pregnancy is the only time I will like a normal person. Either that or I will be the crave monster. Poor James. Poor. Poor. James.

Currently I want onions. Note, I did not say fried, bloomin, carmelized, etc. Just onions. Also, sliced avacado.

Yum.

Weekend Update

I often get in the habit of only updating with silly information, or more often then that, not update at all! I decided I should commit myself to blogging on Sundays. Sunday is a day that I like to use to relax, reflect, and reorganize, so what better a day to sit down and share a few thoughts with the world? So today it begins... my weekend update.

I have realized that while I am good at multi-tasking, I do not like to have too much going on at once. In college, it was a thrill. After graduation, it was necessary. However, I feel that now I very much prefer a simpler life. I like to keep myself focused. This has definitely helped with my anxiety and health issues I developed a few years ago. It is a shame that my body had to go to such extreme measures to get my attention, but, thankfully, I have finally learned. I am currently making efforts to keep a "healthy soul", as I learned about in my disciplines course. My areas of focus:

Physical: physical health has always been a struggle. I am finally in the habit of prioritizing rest. That's right people, I sleep! :) ha.
I have found a massage clinic that gives 1 hour massages for $25, so I will finally be able to partake in that portion of my recovery. My muscles are so tweaked from the crutches that I can not even attempt the lightest of strength training without feeling every inch of my body pinching. I am so thankful for massage therapy! I will start my sessions next week and begin light exercise in between. I should be back to a regular routine in February. Also, James and I have decided to start training together. Thanks to Couch to 5K, I feel that this won't be as scary as I have found it all before. :)

Spiritual: We are in the process of church hunting. This is often a frustrating time for me. I still am sorting out my feelings about church, and what I think that should be. However, I do feel it is somewhere that I need to be to even have a chance to find my answer. So the quest continues...

Social: I am far less social here but am finding it so much better for me. James and I put each other first, and we are having such a good time. He is my favorite person in the world, so this has not been too hard. :) I enjoy my time with new acquaintances, chatting with other families and nannies, and seeing my family. I am lucky to have friends who are so committed to staying in constant communication. I do not even care to make new friends right now. Life is quiet, and those still in my life are loyal and uplifting.

Mental: I am spending more time reading books, listening to NPR, and catching educational specials. My french program is on my laptop, and while I do not listen to it enough, it is a start. :) ha. I am also signing up for a prerequisite for a nursing program here. I will be taking 1 class per sessions (spring, summer, fall) to see how I do. If I still am interested after that, I will be applying for a Nursing degree in the fall of 2011. :) I am attempting to keep creativity alive and enjoy the beauty/joy of the everyday through my next 365 photo project. My brain is happy!

Emotional: This moved provided me with space and clarity. I have the opportunity for healing, and am taking it. I also feel that everything I have mentioned above has brought me to a place where I feel stable emotionally. (deep sigh).


Looking over this, it feels like a lot. However, for those who knew me well before, this is a huge step back from the fast paced life I was caught up in. I feel balanced. I feel free.

2010

I have chosen not to set any resolutions for the year, although I probably should have decided to blog more! :) I do, however, have a few expectations for the year. I believe that it will be filled with far more contentment than 2009. This entire year, nay, past decade, has been a very long lesson in trust, balance, and serenity. I am thrilled to be starting a new decade as fresh as possible. Living in a new city, working a new job, the possibility of a new degree/career... even my marriage feels new in that it is not weighed down with those exhausting aspects of our prior lives that lingered in California. It feels as if with very deep breath of the crisp, cold New England air, I exhale with a sigh of relief. God has provided in ways that (I felt) I continually hear of but rarely experienced. I am excited about day to day life, yet things are so simple. This is not an elation brought on by an adrenaline rush or social high, only to cause me to crash later. This is a genuine delight in the simplicity of my new life. We have had enough visitors to not feel too lonely, and other then that I have been happy to split my time between work and home. I find plenty of time to spend with James. We talk, play games, take walks. I chose to rest rather than overextend myself (shocker I know). I have plenty of time to read, as well as invest in new habits (like cooking, yum!). Thanks to the wonder of Instant Messenger and email I have not lost touch with those that I love. Boston is a bustling city, but one with little pressure.

In a nutshell... I am happy.