#28 Boston - Rebelling Against My Chi
That is what my trusted acupuncturist said is the reason for my ongoing troubles with my stomach, and that I really need to get some calm and quiet in my life. Well, try that during Christmas season - even if you don't have a large family to shop for and a large meal to cook, it still is crazy everywhere you go and just a short trip to the store to buy wrapping paper can turn into a bona fide nightmare. You have to wrestle your way to the cash register, where folks with shopping carts full of useless plastic junk are ready to side swipe you in defense of their spot in line. Dangerous stuff. She (the acupuncturist) would be happy to see me today. I had a sensible breakfast with some stomach-friendly tea and it is now close to noon, and guess who is still wearing her pyjamas? I have read the entire Sunday Boston Globe, finished watching a movie and have no intention to engage into anything that resembles work.
I have no idea why the holiday season always turns into this preposterous circus - and that is just outside of work. Here is just a snapshot of what my week looked like - take Thursday for example. Spent all day at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, meetings, meetings and meetings, then host Novartis for an Oncology Pipeline presentation; leave a 5:45 PM to zip to my gym to attend "Cardio Dance" class - leave frustrated - people with epileptic seizures are more coordinated than I am - not an ounce of rhythm in my bones.... Hustle over to Charlestown to check out a washing machine - too big for my basement staircase - more frustration - head home and finally have dinner at 8:30 PM.
Saturday - Volunteering for Boston Cares at "The Home for little Wanderers" In Jamaica Plain (http://www.thehome.org/site/content/index.asp), a nonprofit that provides temporary residency and services to children that have been removed from abusive family situations. It is actually the oldest child welfare agency in the country and has been around since 1799. Our task for the day was to sort gifts (either general donations or child-specific) and wrap them (boy, was I the right person for that job - I can't wrap a gift to save my life).
Then head to JP to "The Purple Cactus" for delicious burritos and quesadillas with fellow wrappers Ellen, Patrick and Amy. Head home, and throw myself into the Christmas craziness at the store (just for wrapping paper), do two loads of laundry, wrap gifts and at 6:15 PM head to the Kendall Theater to meet Amy and her husband Dana for the new Pedro Almodovar movie "Volver". (Excellent, BTW). Zip home, finish watching "Coming Home" and fall asleep on couch.....
Now to the past weekend. As you know a small crew of friends headed up to Rick's family's house up in Franconia, and we were rewarded with winter wonderland and tons of snow. I was as always markedly excited by the white stuff and could not wait to get out and play. So Saturday the group trudged up an old favorite, the Coppermine Trail in Franconia leading up to Bridal Veil Falls. It was picturesque, a bit on the chilly side, but the hiking group (and Phoebe the dog) certainly enjoyed it. We had to stop, of course, at the memorial plaque that Bette Davis had placed in Coppermine Brook for Arthur Farnsworth, the farmer that saved her when she got lost in the woods, and who eventually married her.
The evening was spent low-key with a fairly competitive Scrabble game (damn the letters V,C and J!) and the completion of a puzzle that took us into the late hours of this very pleasant day.
Some folks had to leave early on Sunday so it was up to Denise, Rick, Phoebe and myself to find a little adventure. We hurrried over to Crawford Notch and made our way up Mt Willard (2850 ft) - http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Mt%20Willard&btnG=Google+Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi. It was a splendid day for a hike, the sun was shining, and the path along a snow- and ice-covered brook was just lovely. The top of Mt Willard affords spectacular views, in particular over to the very icy Mt Washington (http://www.mountwashington.org/). On the way down Mt Willard we were once again reminded of how quickly conditions change in the White Mountains, and that you better be prepared. The sun quickly disappeared and after taking my gloves off only briefly to add a fleece, my fingers were so cold that I could have cried from the pain. Thanks to the foresight of Rick, who always carries extra gear and protective wear for three people, I was able to don some serious anti-glacial gloves (they definitely resembled over mitts) and pretty soon my hands were warm again. It does feel good when the pain subsides....
The hightlight of the weekend - no question. Rick had generously offered that I could cut down one of the trees on the grounds. Now, we are not talking Christmas tree farm here - the trees are not as bulky and often stand in groups, which restricts how full their branches are. We did pick a good one, but it does have a "Charlie Brown Tree" feel to it. The branches go off mostly only to one side, which makes it a very good "lean-against-the-wall" tree, or as I named it "The Anemic Space Saver Tree with Personality". It looks festive now, with red lights and some ornaments (most of them very light, as its delicate branches could not handle the heavier kind of decorations. I myself am proud of THE TREE, and proud of the fact that I did cut it myself. So, there you go.
The house is decorated nicely, tree branches everywhere with decor, and today there will be some more baking of Christmas cookies. The first batch was eaten up in Franconia, and I litterally have only one left. One lousy Christmas cookie..... Come to think of it, I am going to eat it right now.
Happy Holidays my friends, and don't get to wrapped up (no pun intended) in the craziness. Enjoy your friends and family.
Love you tons!
pet:)
I have no idea why the holiday season always turns into this preposterous circus - and that is just outside of work. Here is just a snapshot of what my week looked like - take Thursday for example. Spent all day at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, meetings, meetings and meetings, then host Novartis for an Oncology Pipeline presentation; leave a 5:45 PM to zip to my gym to attend "Cardio Dance" class - leave frustrated - people with epileptic seizures are more coordinated than I am - not an ounce of rhythm in my bones.... Hustle over to Charlestown to check out a washing machine - too big for my basement staircase - more frustration - head home and finally have dinner at 8:30 PM.
Saturday - Volunteering for Boston Cares at "The Home for little Wanderers" In Jamaica Plain (http://www.thehome.org/site/content/index.asp), a nonprofit that provides temporary residency and services to children that have been removed from abusive family situations. It is actually the oldest child welfare agency in the country and has been around since 1799. Our task for the day was to sort gifts (either general donations or child-specific) and wrap them (boy, was I the right person for that job - I can't wrap a gift to save my life).
Then head to JP to "The Purple Cactus" for delicious burritos and quesadillas with fellow wrappers Ellen, Patrick and Amy. Head home, and throw myself into the Christmas craziness at the store (just for wrapping paper), do two loads of laundry, wrap gifts and at 6:15 PM head to the Kendall Theater to meet Amy and her husband Dana for the new Pedro Almodovar movie "Volver". (Excellent, BTW). Zip home, finish watching "Coming Home" and fall asleep on couch.....
Now to the past weekend. As you know a small crew of friends headed up to Rick's family's house up in Franconia, and we were rewarded with winter wonderland and tons of snow. I was as always markedly excited by the white stuff and could not wait to get out and play. So Saturday the group trudged up an old favorite, the Coppermine Trail in Franconia leading up to Bridal Veil Falls. It was picturesque, a bit on the chilly side, but the hiking group (and Phoebe the dog) certainly enjoyed it. We had to stop, of course, at the memorial plaque that Bette Davis had placed in Coppermine Brook for Arthur Farnsworth, the farmer that saved her when she got lost in the woods, and who eventually married her.
The evening was spent low-key with a fairly competitive Scrabble game (damn the letters V,C and J!) and the completion of a puzzle that took us into the late hours of this very pleasant day.
Some folks had to leave early on Sunday so it was up to Denise, Rick, Phoebe and myself to find a little adventure. We hurrried over to Crawford Notch and made our way up Mt Willard (2850 ft) - http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Mt%20Willard&btnG=Google+Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi. It was a splendid day for a hike, the sun was shining, and the path along a snow- and ice-covered brook was just lovely. The top of Mt Willard affords spectacular views, in particular over to the very icy Mt Washington (http://www.mountwashington.org/). On the way down Mt Willard we were once again reminded of how quickly conditions change in the White Mountains, and that you better be prepared. The sun quickly disappeared and after taking my gloves off only briefly to add a fleece, my fingers were so cold that I could have cried from the pain. Thanks to the foresight of Rick, who always carries extra gear and protective wear for three people, I was able to don some serious anti-glacial gloves (they definitely resembled over mitts) and pretty soon my hands were warm again. It does feel good when the pain subsides....
The hightlight of the weekend - no question. Rick had generously offered that I could cut down one of the trees on the grounds. Now, we are not talking Christmas tree farm here - the trees are not as bulky and often stand in groups, which restricts how full their branches are. We did pick a good one, but it does have a "Charlie Brown Tree" feel to it. The branches go off mostly only to one side, which makes it a very good "lean-against-the-wall" tree, or as I named it "The Anemic Space Saver Tree with Personality". It looks festive now, with red lights and some ornaments (most of them very light, as its delicate branches could not handle the heavier kind of decorations. I myself am proud of THE TREE, and proud of the fact that I did cut it myself. So, there you go.
The house is decorated nicely, tree branches everywhere with decor, and today there will be some more baking of Christmas cookies. The first batch was eaten up in Franconia, and I litterally have only one left. One lousy Christmas cookie..... Come to think of it, I am going to eat it right now.
Happy Holidays my friends, and don't get to wrapped up (no pun intended) in the craziness. Enjoy your friends and family.
Love you tons!
pet:)
posted by My Boston at
9:57 AM
1 Comments:
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