Last night Nana and I went to the Red Sox vs. Angels game at Fenway Park. According to 96-year-old Ruth, our seats were along the first base line. In reality they were way out in right field. But for a price of zero dollars, I’d take Red Sox seats behind a fat guy challenging another fat guy to a hot dog eating contest. (Please don’t actually tempt me with this offer because I don’t know that I would actually follow through.)
Here are the highlights of the night….
Nana: “Do you know who’s pitching tonight?”
Lisa: “Actually I don’t. Who?”
Nana: “Dike-a-sake.”
Nana: “Is that Ortiz? Oooh, I hope he strikes a homerun!”
Nana (to the 115-pound college girl in front of us who dined on two meager slices of Papa Gino’s): “You ate too much pizza!”
Nana (to the same girl earlier in the game): “Can you scrunch down a bit? I can’t see.”
A beachball came our way during the 5th inning or so and miraculously landed in Nana’s lap. I told her to pick it up and hit it. So she took the ball and, with all her might (which isn’t a lot), pegged a guy sitting two rows in front of us right in the back of the head. So he took the ball and jokingly turned around and pretended like he was going to nail her in the face with it. I think that kinda scared her because she put her arms up in defense. The man then realized that he could possibly be responsible for an old woman having a heart attack and apologized profusely saying he didn’t really mean it. I told him that while maybe he was joking, she surely wasn’t and meant to hit him.
Then, when we were trying to find the bus after the game, I’m pretty sure I made Nana walk around the entire perimeter of Fenway Park. Probably not the best idea in the world, but I told her that at least she wouldn’t have to go to the gym the next day (and yes, she actually does go to the gym).
So while the Red Sox lost 7-5 to a team with a guy named Figgins, I certainly can’t complain about a lack of entertainment or fun.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
A posting full of cats
Walter attacking Harvey attacking a trash can.
Harvey staring intently at nothing.
Harvey staring intently at nothing.
Their stares are intense.
Walter eating out of a cat.
Snugglemuffin.
We’re slowly falling out of reach
So there I am sitting on the sofa watching Men In Black II with my parents when a commercial for a dog and cat nail groomer comes on. The product advertises as a less painful way to trim your pet’s nails and, to prove their point, shows a cartoon clip of a regular nail clipper snipping off part of a dog’s toe in addition to the nail. It is at this point that both my parents scream at the top of their lungs (much like you’d hear during the Achilles tendon part of the movie Hostel) and my dad yells above my mother’s shrieking, “Change the channel! Change the channel!”
I’m back in Boston. And all is right with the world. I’ve been back for two weeks and haven’t had time to breathe let alone write down some of the fun things that have happened. For example, I was walking home one night and saw a middle-aged man coming out from behind a secluded building fiddling with his pants. I then saw a middle-aged woman, who I presumed to be his wife, coming from an altogether different direction saying, “Honey, don’t be a weirdo.” Or that time that I was walking to play tennis on Boston Commons at 8am on a Sunday morning and saw a man (who didn’t appear homeless and/or crazy) spinning around in circles with his arms out. He then tried to walk in a straight line and obviously couldn’t. What kind of grown man does this?
By far the most awesome thing that has happened since I got home, other than finally being able to watch the Food Network with my new cable, was acquiring my two new kittens, Walter and Harvey (pronounced Wahltah and Hahvey like a true Bostonian). They’re 5-month-old tabby cat brothers who I adopted from the Animal Rescue League through some help of my friend Courtney who, as the shelter manager, has the greatest job in the world. Sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart since their markings are very similar, but the one distinguishing feature is that Walter isn’t exactly weaned yet and likes to pretend that Harvey is his mom and suckles all over him - his shoulder, his neck, his back, and his non-milk producing belly. This was cute at first, but when combined with a tiny sucking sound and a mat of wet fur, it’s become just disturbing. While acquiring two cats is a much bigger step on the way to becoming a cat lady than merely adopting one, you need not worry just yet because I will never take them for a walk on leashes or in a stroller. The day I do that is the day you find 34 frozen cat bodies in my freezer. Or the day someone pays me $200 to do it…whichever comes first.
I’m back in Boston. And all is right with the world. I’ve been back for two weeks and haven’t had time to breathe let alone write down some of the fun things that have happened. For example, I was walking home one night and saw a middle-aged man coming out from behind a secluded building fiddling with his pants. I then saw a middle-aged woman, who I presumed to be his wife, coming from an altogether different direction saying, “Honey, don’t be a weirdo.” Or that time that I was walking to play tennis on Boston Commons at 8am on a Sunday morning and saw a man (who didn’t appear homeless and/or crazy) spinning around in circles with his arms out. He then tried to walk in a straight line and obviously couldn’t. What kind of grown man does this?
By far the most awesome thing that has happened since I got home, other than finally being able to watch the Food Network with my new cable, was acquiring my two new kittens, Walter and Harvey (pronounced Wahltah and Hahvey like a true Bostonian). They’re 5-month-old tabby cat brothers who I adopted from the Animal Rescue League through some help of my friend Courtney who, as the shelter manager, has the greatest job in the world. Sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart since their markings are very similar, but the one distinguishing feature is that Walter isn’t exactly weaned yet and likes to pretend that Harvey is his mom and suckles all over him - his shoulder, his neck, his back, and his non-milk producing belly. This was cute at first, but when combined with a tiny sucking sound and a mat of wet fur, it’s become just disturbing. While acquiring two cats is a much bigger step on the way to becoming a cat lady than merely adopting one, you need not worry just yet because I will never take them for a walk on leashes or in a stroller. The day I do that is the day you find 34 frozen cat bodies in my freezer. Or the day someone pays me $200 to do it…whichever comes first.
Friday, July 11, 2008
The last blog in the form of fivers
Top 5 Things That Happened In The Last 24 Hours
5) Nearly every other person at the Corporate Challenge ran with a Blackberry in their hand
4) I tried to look nonchalantly cool after I couldn’t figure out the Gatorade drinking nozzle thingy and had to pretend like I was actually drinking the beverage even though there was nothing coming out of the spout.
3) I watched 15 minutes of Big Brother for the first time and felt really thankful that I’m leaving tomorrow or else I would probably watch that show religiously.
2) While waiting for the race to start, I listened to a woman talk about her sister’s hysterectomy.
1) I unknowingly saw G for the last time since it’s 9:37 AM and I don’t think he’s coming into work today.
Top 5 British Words I May Or May Not Start Incorporating Into My Vocabulary
5) Fiver
4) Ta
3) Row
2) Nappy
1) Pants
Top 5 Places In London I Will Miss
5) The row of global embassy mansions behind Kensington Palace
4) Soho Square
3) The library on Shoe Lane
2) Portobello Road
1) Oxford Street
Top 5 Places In London I Won’t Miss
5) Queensway (it’s like walking around Downtown Crossing only trashier)
4) The Circle Line at rush hour or any time on the Central Line
3) Hackney and Peckham (where 90% of the stabbings happen)
2) The British Museum on a Sunday afternoon
1) Oxford Street
Top 5 Random Londoners From My Daily Routine
5) The guy who hawks TheLondonPaper outside my office
4) The security guards who are skeptical of my badge EVERY SINGLE TIME
3) The guy at the front desk of my apartment building who always has my LoveFilm movies for me
2) The barista at the coffeeshop on my floor who looks surprised every time I get a Diet Coke even though that’s the only thing I’ve ever bought there
1) The street cleaners who wave to me every morning on my run
Top 5 Foods/Restaurants I Will Long For Back In America
5) “Authentic” Indian (although I didn’t really notice too much of a difference)
4) Caramel-filled waffles
3) Sandwich shops EVERYWHERE (especially Pret A Manger)
2) Gourmet Burger Kitchen
1) Kitchen & Pantry coffeeshop in Notting Hill (any coffeeshop with plush leather sofas and chairs is okay by me)
Top 5 Co-workers
5) R – because who else uses as many exclamation points when they’re not needed? (“I had a tuna sandwich for lunch!!!!”)
4) M – she gets a little overeager with fixing defects sometimes, but she’s got an awesome South African accent
3) K – the best-dressed straight man in London
2) T – probably the only person who I would be friends with outside of work; he also wears cowboy boots which earns him 80 Awesome Points
1) G - you had to see this one coming
Top 5 Places I Visited Outside Of London
5) Bath – even though I made Susan wait an hour in the gift shop of the Roman bathhouse, walking around that quaint, English town was a lot of fun
4) The gardens at Hampton Court Palace – when I get rich I’m going to have an expansive garden just as beautiful
3) Beneath the streets of Edinburgh – okay so the ghost tour lady scared the absolute crap out of me by screaming in the dark, but I still found those old streets and homes intriguing
2) The Burren – seeing the look on Susan’s face when she saw that stone formation was about 3 feet tall was priceless
1) Paris – Theresa made that trip one of the best I’ve ever had and it wasn’t even because she fell down a lot
Top 5 Potential Cat Names For My Future Cat
5) Onoshobishobi Ingelosi (Shobi shobi for short)
4) Marvin
3) Meester
2) Killer
1) Schrute
Top 5 Things I Am Excited About Returning To In Boston
5) The Phantom Gourmet tv show
4) The South End Open Air Market, Shakespeare on the Common, Movies By Moonlight at the Boston Harbor Hotel, and classical music concerts at the Hatchshell
3) Papa Gino’s and Dunkin Donuts
2) My apartment (but not the year-old bagels from Finagle A Bagel I stole from work that are still in my freezer)
1) Hanover Street in the North End and the smell of garlic wafting out of the restaurants
Top 5 Things You Should Know
5) I can fit all my belongings into my three suitcases, but I can’t move them
4) I know how to say ‘meatballs in my bellybutton’ in Spanish
3) When I see you again, I will give you an excessively strong and uncomfortably long hug
2) It has been so much fun writing to you all every day and hearing your (mostly positive) responses
1) I will continue this blog when I get home, but it probably won’t be as frequent and it will only be found online (http://www.lisashoshana.blogspot.com/) as I won’t be sending out emails anymore
Much love to everyone and see you all soon!
Lisa
5) Nearly every other person at the Corporate Challenge ran with a Blackberry in their hand
4) I tried to look nonchalantly cool after I couldn’t figure out the Gatorade drinking nozzle thingy and had to pretend like I was actually drinking the beverage even though there was nothing coming out of the spout.
3) I watched 15 minutes of Big Brother for the first time and felt really thankful that I’m leaving tomorrow or else I would probably watch that show religiously.
2) While waiting for the race to start, I listened to a woman talk about her sister’s hysterectomy.
1) I unknowingly saw G for the last time since it’s 9:37 AM and I don’t think he’s coming into work today.
Top 5 British Words I May Or May Not Start Incorporating Into My Vocabulary
5) Fiver
4) Ta
3) Row
2) Nappy
1) Pants
Top 5 Places In London I Will Miss
5) The row of global embassy mansions behind Kensington Palace
4) Soho Square
3) The library on Shoe Lane
2) Portobello Road
1) Oxford Street
Top 5 Places In London I Won’t Miss
5) Queensway (it’s like walking around Downtown Crossing only trashier)
4) The Circle Line at rush hour or any time on the Central Line
3) Hackney and Peckham (where 90% of the stabbings happen)
2) The British Museum on a Sunday afternoon
1) Oxford Street
Top 5 Random Londoners From My Daily Routine
5) The guy who hawks TheLondonPaper outside my office
4) The security guards who are skeptical of my badge EVERY SINGLE TIME
3) The guy at the front desk of my apartment building who always has my LoveFilm movies for me
2) The barista at the coffeeshop on my floor who looks surprised every time I get a Diet Coke even though that’s the only thing I’ve ever bought there
1) The street cleaners who wave to me every morning on my run
Top 5 Foods/Restaurants I Will Long For Back In America
5) “Authentic” Indian (although I didn’t really notice too much of a difference)
4) Caramel-filled waffles
3) Sandwich shops EVERYWHERE (especially Pret A Manger)
2) Gourmet Burger Kitchen
1) Kitchen & Pantry coffeeshop in Notting Hill (any coffeeshop with plush leather sofas and chairs is okay by me)
Top 5 Co-workers
5) R – because who else uses as many exclamation points when they’re not needed? (“I had a tuna sandwich for lunch!!!!”)
4) M – she gets a little overeager with fixing defects sometimes, but she’s got an awesome South African accent
3) K – the best-dressed straight man in London
2) T – probably the only person who I would be friends with outside of work; he also wears cowboy boots which earns him 80 Awesome Points
1) G - you had to see this one coming
Top 5 Places I Visited Outside Of London
5) Bath – even though I made Susan wait an hour in the gift shop of the Roman bathhouse, walking around that quaint, English town was a lot of fun
4) The gardens at Hampton Court Palace – when I get rich I’m going to have an expansive garden just as beautiful
3) Beneath the streets of Edinburgh – okay so the ghost tour lady scared the absolute crap out of me by screaming in the dark, but I still found those old streets and homes intriguing
2) The Burren – seeing the look on Susan’s face when she saw that stone formation was about 3 feet tall was priceless
1) Paris – Theresa made that trip one of the best I’ve ever had and it wasn’t even because she fell down a lot
Top 5 Potential Cat Names For My Future Cat
5) Onoshobishobi Ingelosi (Shobi shobi for short)
4) Marvin
3) Meester
2) Killer
1) Schrute
Top 5 Things I Am Excited About Returning To In Boston
5) The Phantom Gourmet tv show
4) The South End Open Air Market, Shakespeare on the Common, Movies By Moonlight at the Boston Harbor Hotel, and classical music concerts at the Hatchshell
3) Papa Gino’s and Dunkin Donuts
2) My apartment (but not the year-old bagels from Finagle A Bagel I stole from work that are still in my freezer)
1) Hanover Street in the North End and the smell of garlic wafting out of the restaurants
Top 5 Things You Should Know
5) I can fit all my belongings into my three suitcases, but I can’t move them
4) I know how to say ‘meatballs in my bellybutton’ in Spanish
3) When I see you again, I will give you an excessively strong and uncomfortably long hug
2) It has been so much fun writing to you all every day and hearing your (mostly positive) responses
1) I will continue this blog when I get home, but it probably won’t be as frequent and it will only be found online (http://www.lisashoshana.blogspot.com/) as I won’t be sending out emails anymore
Much love to everyone and see you all soon!
Lisa
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Ear buds are a very nice item, BUT - - if you were about to spend $100, then I would much prefer a kitchen mat
I'm not sure who came up with this restaurant name, but I have a feeling it might have been a bird disguised as a human.
Bags? Excuse me?
Bags? Excuse me?
I suppose it's normal to see a Princess Di postcard in a bicycle basket in London, but that didn't prevent me from stopping in my tracks and taking a picture.
On my way to Southbank on Sunday I crossed the Waterloo Bridge. As I was walking, I looked right and this was the view. It was at that moment that I realized how lucky I have been to have spent the last 6 months living in one of the greatest cities in the world. I mean, there I was just taking a walk and my neighborhood was Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Millenium Eye. It was definitely a surreal moment.
18-5? Seriously? Wow. Look at you, Red Sox.
Well things just never work out the way you think they’re going to, do they? I mean, when I was born my parents had hopes of me becoming a WNBA player (they had a gut feeling that a women’s professional basketball league was going to be formed eventually), I thought I was going to be the principle trumpet player of the BSO, and my friend Ted was quite confident that he was going to be our high school valedictorian. But alas, things change. And instead of returning to Boston on July 19, I’m coming home the day after tomorrow (that’s the 12th for those of you who don’t want to do the math).
Without going into too much detail about why the change of plans (I am now paranoid about writing anything pertaining to my company on an internet blog since it’s a terminable offense), suffice it to say that it’s for a 3 day conference-type-thing happening next week. Needless to say, I’m a bit frazzled. I have spent my morning packing all non-crucial clothes (why did I bring a bathing suit with me?), cancelling my LoveFilm account (I never did get to see The Bank Job), changing my flight (at no added expense probably due to the fact that I overpaid for the ticket to begin with), and trying to eat as much of the food in my kitchen as possible (too. many. grapes.).
Tonight is the Corporate Challenge race, tomorrow night is T's birthday part/my leaving do, and Saturday morning I will soak up the last bit of London before leaving extraordinarily early for my flight to take advantage of every possible moment in that British Airways Lounge. As for things I had planned for next week that I will suddenly no longer be able to do, it could have been worse. I was supposed to attend a BBC show taping about dogs on Monday, watch The Marriage of Figaro in the park on Wednesday, and go to dinner with co-workers at Wagamama for my leaving do on Friday. Now, if I had a date with Tim Curry and Hugh Laurie (yes, at the same time), that would be a different story.
And so the week I thought I had to prepare some leaving blogs has now been drastically whittled down to 1 day. This is the excuse I will use if it sucks. Be on the lookout for it tomorrow…
Without going into too much detail about why the change of plans (I am now paranoid about writing anything pertaining to my company on an internet blog since it’s a terminable offense), suffice it to say that it’s for a 3 day conference-type-thing happening next week. Needless to say, I’m a bit frazzled. I have spent my morning packing all non-crucial clothes (why did I bring a bathing suit with me?), cancelling my LoveFilm account (I never did get to see The Bank Job), changing my flight (at no added expense probably due to the fact that I overpaid for the ticket to begin with), and trying to eat as much of the food in my kitchen as possible (too. many. grapes.).
Tonight is the Corporate Challenge race, tomorrow night is T's birthday part/my leaving do, and Saturday morning I will soak up the last bit of London before leaving extraordinarily early for my flight to take advantage of every possible moment in that British Airways Lounge. As for things I had planned for next week that I will suddenly no longer be able to do, it could have been worse. I was supposed to attend a BBC show taping about dogs on Monday, watch The Marriage of Figaro in the park on Wednesday, and go to dinner with co-workers at Wagamama for my leaving do on Friday. Now, if I had a date with Tim Curry and Hugh Laurie (yes, at the same time), that would be a different story.
And so the week I thought I had to prepare some leaving blogs has now been drastically whittled down to 1 day. This is the excuse I will use if it sucks. Be on the lookout for it tomorrow…
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
I'm secretly the reason behind A-Rod's divorce
Living abroad for essentially the past year has shown me what a prudish, hypocritical country America is when it comes to censorship. There are prime time shows on network channels in America that I get embarrassed for while watching with my parents, teenagers wearing ridiculously skimpy clothes (no wonder pregnancy runs rampant), and video games violent enough to gross out this Sopranos fan. And yet there was such a brouhaha over those Legal Seafoods T ads in Boston. (For those of you who don't know about this, the restaurant Legal Seafoods posted "fresh" fish advertisements on the sides of subway trains such as "Hey lady, I've seen smaller noses on a swordfish," "This trolley gets around more than your sister," and "This conductor has a face like a halibut." T employees complained about the latter ad and said it was offensive.) So when I see advertisements in London such as the AussieBum one below, I can only shake my head and think that it'll be another 20 years before something like this would appear on Newbury Street.
Last Sunday I did a lot of walking around parts of the city I've never been to. This was really fun, but would have been even more enjoyable had it not been raining the whole damn time.
Worn out road.
Sunday afternoon I went to the Bossa Nova festival on Southbank. I was all excited to eat some delicious Brazilian food, but all I found was chicken wrapped in triangular dough pockets and deep-fried; it didn't look all that appetizing. I did manage to see some B-list British celebrity, though, so that was exciting.
This dude braved the Thames shore all in the name of sand sculpting. Gross. (3 hours later it was covered in water when the tides turned.)
Last Sunday I did a lot of walking around parts of the city I've never been to. This was really fun, but would have been even more enjoyable had it not been raining the whole damn time.
Worn out road.
Sunday afternoon I went to the Bossa Nova festival on Southbank. I was all excited to eat some delicious Brazilian food, but all I found was chicken wrapped in triangular dough pockets and deep-fried; it didn't look all that appetizing. I did manage to see some B-list British celebrity, though, so that was exciting.This dude braved the Thames shore all in the name of sand sculpting. Gross. (3 hours later it was covered in water when the tides turned.)
The best part of the festival was the free concert Nouvelle Vague put on. I heard about these guys a couple months ago. They're a band from France who mainly do cover songs but revamped with a bossa nova beat underneath. They're incredible and I'm in love with them.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Captain Zoom should totally sue for copyright infringement
The second half of Saturday I spent at The Big Day Out in Whittington Park in Islington, some sort of fair for families. I thought it was going to be way more exciting than it was, but this picture of Mr. Boom, One Man Band From The Moon was about as exciting as it got.
I don't know if I sent an image of this one already, but I finally managed to take a picture of Banksy's latest work off Oxford Street. The greatest thing about this one is that there's a huge CCTV camera immediately to the right of where he painted.
The Freddie Mercury statue at the Dominion Theatre where We Will Rock You has been playing for something like 7 years. I have to say that the Freddie Mercury statue I saw in Montreaux Switzerland was way cooler. And not just because it wasn't surrounded by hordes of high school kids on a field day.
On Sunday morning I went to the Good Food Festival also taking place in Islington. This too was rather disappointing. The only good thing about it was a huge herb stand that would have been a jackpot if I cooked at all. What do you think this tastes like though? Tender Vittles with a hint of toothpaste?
Ah, the Nice Green Van of organic and fairtrade ice cream. The choices are...limited.
I don't know if I sent an image of this one already, but I finally managed to take a picture of Banksy's latest work off Oxford Street. The greatest thing about this one is that there's a huge CCTV camera immediately to the right of where he painted.
The Freddie Mercury statue at the Dominion Theatre where We Will Rock You has been playing for something like 7 years. I have to say that the Freddie Mercury statue I saw in Montreaux Switzerland was way cooler. And not just because it wasn't surrounded by hordes of high school kids on a field day.
On Sunday morning I went to the Good Food Festival also taking place in Islington. This too was rather disappointing. The only good thing about it was a huge herb stand that would have been a jackpot if I cooked at all. What do you think this tastes like though? Tender Vittles with a hint of toothpaste?
Ah, the Nice Green Van of organic and fairtrade ice cream. The choices are...limited.
I won’t be doing it barefoot, dressed as a chicken, or in a wheelchair
Well, here it is. A confession blog of sorts. One that I have put off sending until now for reasons I will explain in a minute. I, Lisa Wolk, will run the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23 this year. That’s right. The person who, in high school, used to fake being sick every time we had to run the mile will attempt to run 26.2 of them.
I’ve been training for 3 months now and wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to cry, break down, and/or die in my pursuit of finishing the race before I told you all. This past weekend I ran 13 miles and only felt like stabbing my eyeballs out to end my pain once or twice, so I think I’ll probably be able to manage a race twice as long. And while I already sent in my registration fee, I’d be more apt to forfeit the monetary cost rather than forfeit my dignity and admit to everyone that “Oh hey, remember when I told you I was going to run that marathon? Yeah, I’m giving up.”
So now it is your job to keep me from being a wimp. If I ever decide to opt out of the race, I give you permission to find me, threaten to take your love away, and box my ears. (Not too hard, though, I’m weak.)
I’m really excited about running, though. I feel like Running A Marathon is on everyone’s Things To Do In Life List and I know I will feel great when I check that one off. Even Jon Gezotis said it was an incredible feeling having finished one, and this is the guy who ran up to us spectators at mile 23, grabbed the Gatorade out of my hand, and blurted, “I’m fuckin’ done” in exhaustion. As for the venue, I know Philadelphia isn’t the most beautiful city in the world, but a) I fear Boston would be a little too challenging for a beginner like myself b) as a Bostoner, I couldn’t live with myself if I made New York my first marathon and c) Chicago registration was filled by the time I got my act together.
So if you’re in the Philly area around Sunday November 23, come on out with your orange slices, Gu gel, and signs saying “Lisa is the most awesome runner ever.” I will be forever indebted to you and will try my hardest not to get sweat on you as I excitedly wave in your direction.
I’ve been training for 3 months now and wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to cry, break down, and/or die in my pursuit of finishing the race before I told you all. This past weekend I ran 13 miles and only felt like stabbing my eyeballs out to end my pain once or twice, so I think I’ll probably be able to manage a race twice as long. And while I already sent in my registration fee, I’d be more apt to forfeit the monetary cost rather than forfeit my dignity and admit to everyone that “Oh hey, remember when I told you I was going to run that marathon? Yeah, I’m giving up.”
So now it is your job to keep me from being a wimp. If I ever decide to opt out of the race, I give you permission to find me, threaten to take your love away, and box my ears. (Not too hard, though, I’m weak.)
I’m really excited about running, though. I feel like Running A Marathon is on everyone’s Things To Do In Life List and I know I will feel great when I check that one off. Even Jon Gezotis said it was an incredible feeling having finished one, and this is the guy who ran up to us spectators at mile 23, grabbed the Gatorade out of my hand, and blurted, “I’m fuckin’ done” in exhaustion. As for the venue, I know Philadelphia isn’t the most beautiful city in the world, but a) I fear Boston would be a little too challenging for a beginner like myself b) as a Bostoner, I couldn’t live with myself if I made New York my first marathon and c) Chicago registration was filled by the time I got my act together.
So if you’re in the Philly area around Sunday November 23, come on out with your orange slices, Gu gel, and signs saying “Lisa is the most awesome runner ever.” I will be forever indebted to you and will try my hardest not to get sweat on you as I excitedly wave in your direction.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Not that there's anything wrong with that
The first event I went to this weekend was the London Pride Parade. Surprisingly, it wasn't nearly as good as the parade in Boston. But of course, there were some fantastic costumes and some hideous costumes. So here are some pictures guaranteed to make my parents cringe.
Oh my god these guys were so adorable. And the dachsunds were cute too. (zing)
I have no idea how they managed to walk all the way to Trafalgar Square without those things falling off. Nice tiaras, huh?
Oh my god these guys were so adorable. And the dachsunds were cute too. (zing)
I have no idea how they managed to walk all the way to Trafalgar Square without those things falling off. Nice tiaras, huh?
The only way I knew those guys weren't my dad was the fact that my dad got rid of his rainbow suspenders and tie-dye tank tops when he stopped being a hippie in 1987. (Gah! Mom, the dude on the left really looks like him, doesn't he?!?!?!)
I would put up a caption contest for this one, but I feel like it's just too easy. (Notice Wonder "Woman" swinging a whip around her head.)
The highlight of the parade for me happened before it even started. Sir Ian McKellen walked up to a parade marshal right in front of me and asked where he was supposed to be (the answer being leading at the front of the pack). Immediately after he left, the girl turned to her friend and squealed, "Oh my god! I just talked to Gandalf!"
No more mullet. Now just floppy on top.
So I’m sitting at my desk at home and listening to a Time Life infomercial for power ballads of the 70’s and 80’s. The announcers, one of whom was in REO Speedwagon, are absolutely atrocious, and at one point the ditzy middle-aged woman gushes, “3 words – ultimate power ballads…perfect.”
Boston, you shouldn’t feel alone in having violence overshadow an otherwise lovely weekend; there has been something like 6 stabbings in London in the past week alone. I have picked up a lot of knowledge in the last decade watching crime shows, but one theory that flies out the window when trying to solve a crime in London is that stabbings are personal. In the nearly 6 months I’ve been here, maybe I’ve heard about 1 or 2 shootings, but stabbings have totalled over 20, I’m sure. People are stabbed because knives are the weapon of choice, not because people are seeking vengeance on someone they know. I suppose, like Sydney, gun crime in London is kept at a minimum due to stricter gun laws and less access. But a kid stabbing two Niketown security guards on Oxford Street at 7pm on a Saturday night? That is just frightening. Boris is calling for a “crack-down” on knife crimes in Britain, but with the weapons so readily available just by walking into your own kitchen, I’m not sure how they propose to spearhead this so-called crack-down.
Anyway, on a lighter note, this weekend was one of my favourites in London. Usually I’m pretty good at finding most events going on in Boston during the summer, but in a big city like London, you’ll be lucky to hear about half of the things taking place. This past weekend I managed to check out four events, all of which I’ll be posting pictures from in the next couple of days.
In any case, I have started my “countdown of things” until I leave. I now have two weeks, one weekend, one Corporate Challenge race, £40 in my wallet with hopefully no more trips to the ATM, one taping of a BBC television show, and three sleeves of cookies to eat.
Boston, you shouldn’t feel alone in having violence overshadow an otherwise lovely weekend; there has been something like 6 stabbings in London in the past week alone. I have picked up a lot of knowledge in the last decade watching crime shows, but one theory that flies out the window when trying to solve a crime in London is that stabbings are personal. In the nearly 6 months I’ve been here, maybe I’ve heard about 1 or 2 shootings, but stabbings have totalled over 20, I’m sure. People are stabbed because knives are the weapon of choice, not because people are seeking vengeance on someone they know. I suppose, like Sydney, gun crime in London is kept at a minimum due to stricter gun laws and less access. But a kid stabbing two Niketown security guards on Oxford Street at 7pm on a Saturday night? That is just frightening. Boris is calling for a “crack-down” on knife crimes in Britain, but with the weapons so readily available just by walking into your own kitchen, I’m not sure how they propose to spearhead this so-called crack-down.
Anyway, on a lighter note, this weekend was one of my favourites in London. Usually I’m pretty good at finding most events going on in Boston during the summer, but in a big city like London, you’ll be lucky to hear about half of the things taking place. This past weekend I managed to check out four events, all of which I’ll be posting pictures from in the next couple of days.
In any case, I have started my “countdown of things” until I leave. I now have two weeks, one weekend, one Corporate Challenge race, £40 in my wallet with hopefully no more trips to the ATM, one taping of a BBC television show, and three sleeves of cookies to eat.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
John Candy, Paul Shaffer, Alex Trebek, Mike Myers, Barenaked ladies
Well, like I said, yesterday was Canada Day. London celebrated by organizing a day-long-shindig at Trafalgar Square. I made it there after work just in time to see everyone drinking Moosehead beer.
A fantastic t-shirt. Of course, I had to say it in my head three times before I actually got it.
Something for the fellas....
And something for the ladies....
This woman is texting "Yeah, I'm wearing the flag in my hair. No one is talking to me. What the hell?"
Bacon bap, bison egg burger, HOT chocolate, curd cheese, and a misspelled 'poutine'...I don't know what to make fun of first.
A fantastic t-shirt. Of course, I had to say it in my head three times before I actually got it.
Something for the fellas....
And something for the ladies....
This woman is texting "Yeah, I'm wearing the flag in my hair. No one is talking to me. What the hell?"
Bacon bap, bison egg burger, HOT chocolate, curd cheese, and a misspelled 'poutine'...I don't know what to make fun of first.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Relationship Manager job title sounds a lot different than the actual job
Okay, before I forget. Many people keep asking me when I am coming home to Boston. Personally, I think they are more concerned with how much more Lisa-free time they have to revel in rather than how much longer they have to suffer without me. Whatever their reasons for asking though, I’ll tell you that I fly back to Boston on Saturday, July 19 (assuming Terminal 5 doesn’t crap the bed again). That’s a little less than 3 weeks away. The follow up question to “When do you come home?” is always “Are you looking forward to coming home?” And so I will cut you off at the pass, be unoriginal and tell you “yes and no.” I don’t doubt that I will tear up the day I leave my apartment, that godforsaken broken trash can, the shower that sprays water all over the bathroom floor, and the door that slams no matter how gently you try to close it. But as much as I will miss those things (and countless others), I am eagerly awaiting the day I walk through my condo door, see my fake plant covered in dust, curl up on my Jerzee sheets, and call Papa Gino’s for a large cheese pizza (“just for me”) delivery. I’ve found that 6 months is the perfect amount of time to spend working in a different country (3 months in Sydney was far too brief). But enough about this. I’ll write more debriefing blogs later.
Now onto more important things. Football.
Sunday night I watched the Euro 2008 game. I know, I know…I never watch football. It might sound ironic coming from someone who enjoys watching baseball and doesn’t think it’s boring at all, but watching football is about as exciting to me as watching Mr. McFeeley talk about how a VHS tape works. But since Euro 2008 is huge here (it’s analogous to the World Cup the way the Winter Olympics is to the Summer Olympics), I figured I would try to immerse myself completely in British/European culture. So I got my plate of grapes and tub of hummus (not to be eaten together) and sat myself down on my couch for the next 90 minutes. Truth be told, it wasn’t terrible. 90 minutes actually passed by quickly seeing as how they don’t stop the clock and I could be distracted by the players’ hairdos. The greatest part about watching a sport where, on average, there are only 2 goals scored is that I can change channels, watch 3 minutes of Frasier, flip back, and will not have missed anything. I also enjoyed when the announcer kept referring to that one player Javier as Jah-vee-air. I’m not expert in the Spanish language or anything, but I’m pretty sure it’s pronounced Hah-vee-air. All in all, it was a good time. And I’m not just saying that because the Germans lost and you know how I feel about Germans….
Oh and hey brother-in-law…happy Canada Day. Bring a little Toronto fever to the Holy Land, will you?
Now onto more important things. Football.
Sunday night I watched the Euro 2008 game. I know, I know…I never watch football. It might sound ironic coming from someone who enjoys watching baseball and doesn’t think it’s boring at all, but watching football is about as exciting to me as watching Mr. McFeeley talk about how a VHS tape works. But since Euro 2008 is huge here (it’s analogous to the World Cup the way the Winter Olympics is to the Summer Olympics), I figured I would try to immerse myself completely in British/European culture. So I got my plate of grapes and tub of hummus (not to be eaten together) and sat myself down on my couch for the next 90 minutes. Truth be told, it wasn’t terrible. 90 minutes actually passed by quickly seeing as how they don’t stop the clock and I could be distracted by the players’ hairdos. The greatest part about watching a sport where, on average, there are only 2 goals scored is that I can change channels, watch 3 minutes of Frasier, flip back, and will not have missed anything. I also enjoyed when the announcer kept referring to that one player Javier as Jah-vee-air. I’m not expert in the Spanish language or anything, but I’m pretty sure it’s pronounced Hah-vee-air. All in all, it was a good time. And I’m not just saying that because the Germans lost and you know how I feel about Germans….
Oh and hey brother-in-law…happy Canada Day. Bring a little Toronto fever to the Holy Land, will you?
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