Archive for August, 2006

Our First Prin Wedding

Published by kindli on August 20, 2006 in friends. 1 Comment

After a busy morning of mattress shopping, Gavin and I finally decided on the a Select Comfort Sleep Number bed (or something like that). We’re going to give the 30-day in home trial before deciding for sure, but it was by far the most comfortable mattress we sat/laid on all day…

In the afternoon, after another failed attempt at cleaning the kitchen floor –it’s a rather special color, or rather colors.

After the failed attempt at making the kitchen floor a uniform color, I decided to shower before we went to Jenny & Paul’s 2nd Wedding/belated Reception. I accidentally got my hair wet so I opted to wash it again. At the point my hair was full of lathery shampoo a voice called from the office:

“Kindli, we have to leave in 10 minutes!”

Apparently Gavin was rechecking the times for our bus and T connections and noticed the bus left Quincy Center at 6:02, NOT 6:30 as we’d originally thought. The reception started at 6, but the JP wouldn’t be there until 6:30 to re-preform the ceremony, so we had a little time to get there before things got too started.

I managed to get ready in 8. As we waited for the 83 bus to take us to Porter, Gavin admitted, “You could’ve had about 5 more minutes, we just have to make it to the Redline by 5.” The bus was 5 minutes late. “If we’d taken longer the bus would’ve been on time and we would’ve missed it,” Gavin unhelpfully tried to point out.

On our way out of the tunnel we noticed a woman trying to get her brother’s attention, apparently he was heading the wrong way. I only point this out because once we arrived at the reception, the woman from the T was there! It is a very small world. How she managed to arrive well before we did, we’ll never know, they wern’t on the 245 bus with us, that’s for sure.

The 245 bus held adventures of its own. We weren’t *quite* sure which stop to get off at, we had an idea of what the apartments looked liked, and that they were on the road called “Quarry.” Apparently at one point there was a quarry there, then it became a landfill, now it is apartment buildings. When you google map their home, and click to the satellite images, there are no apartments, just some dirt.

It also started to sprinkle lightly as we got off the bus and headed to the Highpoint Circle Apartment Clubhouse where the reception was held. Fortunately it was a short walk, and we didn’t get too wet.

We were met at the doors to the reception room by Jenny in her lovely wedding gown, waiting for things to start. We went in and sat down. There were 30-40 people there and a very lively live band from Ecuador in the corner jammed away with their guitars and traditional looking wind instruments.

We all stood when the JP came in with the groom, best men, and Jenny’s sisters who served as bridesmaid/maid of honor. We continued to stand when Jenny came in, no one wanted to be the first to sit down, so we joined the happy couple in standing through the entire ceremony. It was a nice change from sitting.
Jenny, Paul, J’s Dad, Krista (J’s older sister), Roger (Krista’s husband), Katie (J’s younger sister)

After the ceremony, I consulted with Katie (the younger of the three sisters), and then we helped her move the chairs and set up the tables for dinner. Gavin also got the water started at the bar.

Jenny told us we could sit, and hoped others would follow our lead, eventually they did. She also told us to get started with the food, again, not a problem. We lined up along the buffet of locally catered Chinese and fruit/veggie trays and people fell into line behind us.

We sat with Seth, Beth, Katie, Tracy & Rob. None of us really knew anybody else, aside from Jenny and Paul, James and Emanuel, Jenny and Paul were surrounded by family, and James and Emanuel had taken up at a different table. We had three empty chairs for awhile before Rob & Tracy showed up, they’d gotten poor directions and ended up asking a pizza delivery guy how to find the apartments.

Once dinner was mostly over and it was cake time, we helped Katie and Roger facilitate the clearing of the tables. Beth and Seth pitched in and we had a festive time behind the bar wondering where things would all fit in the tiny space.

Jenny and Paul cut the cake, and then Krista took over for them. The cake was a two tiered lemony confection, decorated with little flowers (Katie mentioned they had started to melt in the car ride home from the bakery, but you couldn’t tell). It stood in sharp contrast to the collapsed looking cheesecakes Gavin and I had at our wedding.

When cake was over, we again helped facilitate the cleaning and clearing up of the tables. Roger joked we should go into the catering business and he’d offer good recommendations. For our troubles we took home four bottles of sparkling water and a bottle of sparkling apple cider. Katie claims they still have a crate of each left in the apartment somewhere.

We caught a ride to the T-station from Beth and Seth, the agreement was, if we could navigate Beth there, she would happily drive us. Gavin had navigated for the Prin Solar Car team –and he was holding the map Beth had handed to him, so he was nominated for the job.

The Redline out at Quincy Center is now on the Charlie Card, most annoying, we had to change our tokens over, and it costs more because Quincy Center is “so far out.” We missed the first train and had to wait 14 minutes for the next one. Tracy and Rob were on the T with us as far as Central, Gavin and I continued on to Porter, and then walked home –we didn’t feel like waiting 20 minutes for the bus to show up.

Jenny and Paul’s was the first “Prin Wedding” I’ve been to. It was a little odd to see a former roommate, traveling companion, and friend walk down the aisle. It was very nice to see some of my other Prin friends, James was there, as was Emmanuel, Rob and Tracy, and Beth and Seth.

There were only 30-40 people there and, because it was such a small group, we were asked (by one of Jenny’s Aunts?) how we fit in to the picture. “Well, Jenny and I were roommates at college.” She turned to Gavin, who replied “I married one of Jenny’s college roommates.”

To see pictures of Jenny’s Wedding, please check out the link for Kindli’s Yahoo Photo Alumb on the right

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error!

Published by kindli on August 18, 2006 in fun. 0 Comments

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?

Today Gavin told me about Lorem Ipsum. It is the “dummy text” used by the printing industry. I think it looks cool, but I never stuided any Latin so it is totally meaningless to me. Apparently some guy translated part of it back in 1914, but I don’t know how accurate it is, again, Latin wasn’t my thing. Personally, I think it looks better before it was translated.

But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?

Back-to-School

Published by kindli on August 16, 2006 in fun. 1 Comment

In yesterday’s mail, yet another LandsEnd catalogue showed up addressed to Gavin, this one was entirely for Kids with an emphasis on Back-to-School Savings.

Gavin suggested that maybe LandsEnd is trying to use its marketing power to convince us to have children.

If this is the case, they’re not doing a particularly good job. I still remember the joys of back-to-school shopping for myself (and my sister), and I’m in no hurry to conform my life around a school district’s arbitrarily set schedule.

That being said, if (when?) the time comes for Back-to-School shopping, LandsEnd will be on my list of places to go for durable clothes for little people. I don’t want experience the joys of Back-to-School shopping with them in the stores with all the millions of other little people and their escorts.

Similarly, instead of braving the Walmart masses, or the crowds at Office Depot, you can buy crayons, glue and folders online. Why hunt for a parking lot, walk a mile over hot asphalt, and play bumper carts when you can have it all boxed and delivered to your door?

Is it really worth saving the 5% on the tax exemption days to mingle with the crazed Back-to-School shoppers all hunting for the best possible deal? Ok, so you’ll pay a little more if you don’t, but you won’t have parking-lot dings in your car, dehydration/stress headaches, and you won’t pay $3.50 for a bottle of water at the Food Court.

Seeing as I’ve done the “back to school thing” since the mid-1980s, from preschool, K-12 and a four years of college, I am the first to admit I’m a little cynical about the experience.

I would say the people that benefit the most from the Back-to-School madness are the Evil Gigantic Corporations. Teachers’ lists require items: crayons, glue, paper, folders, binders. Crayola, Elmers, Mead, all sold at Walmart.

Yes, crayons are only about $1.50, but when there are 25 kids in a class each required to have a box that’s $37.50 for an average class –just for crayons. If there are four classes per grade level, that’s $150. Now, in a K-5 school, that’s six grade levels for a total of $900. Five Elementary schools in the district, $4,500 for a YEAR of new CRAYONS…. in one district in just the K-5 grades (K-5 are the most likely to require crayons, after that they want things like “map pencils” ooh!).

I found the Back-to-School supply lists for the Elementary School I used to go to:

THIRD GRADE
Description Quantity
70 CT. Wide Ruled Spiral Composition Book 3
200 CT. Wide Ruled Filler Paper (loose leaf) 2
Composition Book Marble Cover 100 CT. 1
Assorted Pocket Only Folder With Brads 7
Red Medium Stick Pens 2
Yellow #2 Pencils 24
Dry Erase Markers (4pack) 1
7” 12 CT. Presharpened Map Coloring Pencils 1
Washable Crayola Thick Classic Markers 1
16 CT. Crayola Crayons 1
Sharp 5” Fiskar Scissors 2
4 oz. Elmer’s School Glue 1
Pink Bevel Eraser 2
1/16” Ruler—Standard And Metric 1
Large School Box—(6” X 9” X 2 1⁄2”) 1
200 CT. Kleenex Tissue 1
Antibacterial Soap-Pump—GIRLS ONLY 1
Box of Zip Lock Easy Lock Quart Bags—BOYS ONLY (20 CT.) 1

THIRD GRADE SCHOOL SUPPLY PACKET $32.00

I picked the third grade to post here because the cost was about average. These sets are assembled by the PTA to help save time with back to school shopping. It makes some sense, but I’ve known the kids that get the pre-packaged kits, the stuff is NEVER as cool.

So while the parent probably saves about $20 (ball park estimate here because they didn’t have to pick up the “cool” other stuff the kid wanted while being dragged around the MegaStore), the kid suffers from terrible uncoolness, and we all know that can’t be allowed to happen.

Sneezy v. Kennedy, the public is polled

Published by kindli on August 15, 2006 in fun. 2 Comments

This morning’s headlines were rather unsurprising: a poll has shown that Snow White’s dwarfs more famous than US Supreme Court Justices.

Snow White’s dwarfs more famous than US judges: poll
Reuters - Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:21pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three quarters of Americans can correctly identify two of Snow White’s seven dwarfs while only a quarter can name two Supreme Court Justices, according to a poll on pop culture released on Monday.

I managed to name a few of each with out putting forth too much effort:

Dwarfs: Doc, Sneezy, Bashful and Grumpy
Justices: Kennedy, Souter, Altio, Ginsberg, and Thomas

I have a simple explanation for this, Snow White and her little friends have been around since 1937, the Supreme Court Justices change every few years. Every child has seen the movie at least once. Parents with young daughters probably own a copy of the popular movie on VHS or DVD.

With the popularity of Disney’s Princess Collections how could you not know your favorite Princess’ side kicks?

Overstocked Kids

Published by kindli on August 14, 2006 in fun. 1 Comment

Today we received two seemingly identical Lands’ End Summer’s End Savings Event catalogues. One was addressed to Kindli T. the other was addressed to Gavin C.

I picked up one and started to flip through it, I got distracted, set it down, walked away. When I came back I picked up the other catalogue, something felt different. It was lighter.

I compared the covers, identical. Front and back matched. The first few pages were also the same. Still puzzled, I opened them to the exact center –where the little staples could be seen holding the catalogues together.

The heavier one turned out to be Gavin’s. It was heavier because it had an entire section of Kid’s Overstocks. The one addressed to Kindli did not.

I am amused. Gavin is declining comment.

three months later & we’re still speaking to each other

Published by kindli on August 13, 2006 in apartment and marriage. 0 Comments

I was laying on the daybed watching Gavin’s screen saver (he’s using his iPhoto collection rotating through randomly), almost 2 out of 3 pictures is from the wedding.

The pictures turned out really well, the flowers turned out really well, my dress turned out really well, Gavin’s tux turned out really well, the entire wedding turned out really well…. Even the picture sorting process went really well (even though it’s going to be awhile before I want to help Gavin sort 1,600 pictures every again).

Today is our three month anniversary, and this morning reminded me a good deal of the morning after he proposed (“Gavin, I’m not feeling so great, can you get me some water?” note to self: throw out leftover Chinese food, do not attempt leftovers from there again).

If we’re doing anything special to celebrate our three months together someone didn’t tell me. That’s fine, we have stuff to do around here. Most importantly we’ve learned a lot and we’re still speaking to each other.

Apartment update: We have Curtains!

Published by kindli on August 12, 2006 in apartment. 0 Comments

A few days back we finally got curtains for the bedroom. We debated getting curtains for the living room as well, but decided to wait and make sure the curtains in the bedroom were the right size.
I would link to the curtains we got, but they no longer seem to be available on the J.C. Penny web site. Pity, we rather like the ones in the bedroom and they would be the perfect size for the living room windows as well.

It was quite wonderful to wake up this morning (with out the alarm clock blaring at 6:45) and have a semi-dark cool room (actually it was down right cold at some points during the night –we left the window open & the fan on).

Casual Fridays run on Dunkin’

Published by kindli on August 11, 2006 in Public Transportation. 0 Comments

I think I was the ONLY person in the Boston Financial District NOT wearing jeans and flip flops today. In my nice blue button down, khakis and closed-toed black shoes, I really stood out, even more so when I pulled on a navy blue cardigan (the place I was working was kept rather chilly).

Most of the women were in jeans and nice t-shirts, while then men went for jeans and polo shirts (mostly) untucked. One or two of the women showed up in skirts, but didn’t bother to change out of their flip flops into nicer work shoes. It was quite the sight.

I dressed as I had all week, slacks, blouses, closed toed shoes, and a cardigan. My faux leather bag with supplies in tow. I limit myself to one bag. Several of the women in the Financial District looked like pack animals juggling backpacks, laptop cases and the seasonably fashionable oversized purse (frequently all at once).

The men are frequently no better, or they take the opposite extreme. They show up with backpacks, messenger bags or laptop cases, or simply an iced coffee from Dunkin’ Doughnuts.

That’s another thing I don’t get about Boston: Dunkin’ Doughnuts. I haven’t been to one (nor do I plan to venture into one any time soon), I just use them as places of reference: The bus stop past the UPS Store and the Dunkin’ Doughnuts.

They have a crappy slogan: America Runs on Dunkin’. I would like to dispute this; maybe Boston runs on Dunkin’ I prefer Ashley’s (the local CL establishment) or Shipley’s.

Nearly everyone I see is clutching a Dunkin’ Doughnuts coffee or iced coffee in the mornings, like a druggie who can’t live with out his morning fix. Deprive Bostonians of coffee and the city would come to a halt as they slowly go into fits of withdrawal and break down into shaky heaps.

This is probably true of most major cities across America, but Bostonians would have their withdrawals while on public transportation and walking to work, in other cities people would suffer the withdrawal symptoms in their cars –which could be deadly.

I’m glad I don’t drink coffee.

My Commute

Published by kindli on August 10, 2006 in Public Transportation. 0 Comments

I think Gavin likes the idea of a wife that works. As he kissed me good by at the door this morning, clad only in boxers, he promised to get the dishes done before I got home this evening.

I do not like my morning commute much. I walk to the 83 bus stop and take it down to the Porter Square T-station, from there, I take the Red Line to Downtown Crossing and try very hard not to get get lost on my way to my current temp job.

On this mornings commute as I walked down the escalator, I thought of happier subway commutes, in nicer, cleaner, quieter subways. The bustle of Vienna came to mind, but 8:30 in Boston rush hour commute to a temp job, doesn’t compare with 8:30 in Vienna as you make your way to your intensive German classes, chocolate-filled pastry in hand, water bottle and lunch packed away to save a few Euros.

The T most mornings is muggy and standing room only. This morning I was lucky enough to snag a seat at the Harvard Square, sit for about 5 seconds, and then offer it to a very pregnant little woman who looked like she needed to sit more than I did. I got a grateful smile.

This is the first morning I have not gotten hopelessly lost. I find it an appropriate irony, the second to last two day I have temp in the Financial District is the first day I don’t get lost, it would’ve been an even crueler irony if I had gotten lost today, but not tomorrow, or worse yet, get lost tomorrow although I found my way today.

Yesterday morning I called Gavin because I was so turned around, only to argue with him about street directions. Morning before last, a very kind lady pointed me in the right direction as I wandered aimlessly on the street.

In the evening, I have to make sure I leave out the other door, or I get hopelessly turned around. I go up the street (literally, uphill) and turn left at the Claire’s on the corner. I go past Wendy’s and D.S.W. to find the Downtown Crossing T-station. I have gotten a lot better about getting home.

The commute home is not quite as bad as the one in the morning. Although the T is still crowded, I can usually manage to snag a seat and try to read as the train lurches and jerks through the tunnels. So far I have not been lucky enough to catch the 83 bus home, instead I walk the 3/4 of a mile back to the apartment.

The walking aspect of all of this is getting a little old. Although the new shoes I got a month ago are quite comfortable, the knee-highs were not as cooperative. Aligning themselves with my little toes just so they rubbed wrong, the knee-highs of doom made for an uncomfortable day. I tried adjusting them to minimize the rubbing, I put band-aids on my little toes to help prevent further damage. I ended up with matching blisters, impressively shining on each little toe.

I talked with one of the other women in the office, together we guesstimated that 90% of the women here wear other shoes into work (mostly flip flops because it is August) and then change into more professional looking shoes (that they leave here at their desks). It is tempting to do the same, I might try it tomorrow, but I have limited room in my bag (I also bring a sweater, umbrella, book, water bottle and lunch, in addition to the little necessities t-tokens, bus money, wallet, etc.).

The novelty of the T is also wearing thin (although it never did posses that much to begin with). It is smelly, hot, over crowded, and slow. It goes get you from point A to point B, but not with out lurching, jerking, squealing, and rumbling through the tunnels. I much prefer the bus, when it stops for no apparent reason at least you’re not trapped underground wondering when (if) it will lurch back to life.

However, both the bus and the T are less expensive than having a car, and easier to use than trying to find parking in the Financial District. My average commute cost is $3.50. The bus is 90 cents (I pay $1 and they don’t give change) and $1.25 for the T one way (I got 8 tokens for $10). I could give exact bus fare, but that would rapidly deplete the supply of quarters that have a higher calling –laundry day.

Genghis & Lolita

Published by kindli on August 9, 2006 in books and reading. 0 Comments

I sat outside enjoying the beautiful weather. There was a since breeze and sunlight filtered through the tree over the bench were I had chosen to rest. Having finished my lunch, a turkey sandwich and raspberry newtons, I turned my attention to the book I had brought along Reading Lolita in Tehran.

I’m not very far along into the book, but it has captivated my attention nevertheless. I was particularly drawn to the stark contrast of it with the book I finished yesterday, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.

In Genghis Khan, the latter half of the book emphasized the expanding and blending of cultural ideas as the Mongols, under both Genghis and his later family, as they expanded their empire into through our Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, going so far as to visit one of the English Kings. Genghis and Kublai Khan took pride in the vast empires trading routes, information exchange programs, religious diversity, and immense wealth that they attained through conquest and trade.

The other thing that struck me about Genghis Khan was the same trade routes that helped to build his empire also helped to destroy it. The vast and effective trade routes allowed that allowed the fine fabrics and goods to flow from one part of the empire to the other also allowed the plague to be quickly and efficiently transferred stowed away in rats and their fleas.

As the plague spread death, destruction and despair, the Great Khan’s empire crumbled. The trade routes and lines of communication fell into disarray and it was no longer possible to give orders across the vast empire. With armies spread across pockets of the Empire, and everywhere being besieged by plague it was only a matter of time before the Khan’s Empire collapsed. It is a cruel irony that the same great system brought about the downfall of the Empire.

Although I am only on page 60 (out of 343), Reading Lolita already stands in stark contrast to the vibrant and colorful world of the Khans. It is the story (memoir) of Azar Nafisi, a teacher in Tehran, who, after retiring from a position teaching English at the University, takes on a select few students for a Thursday morning book group where banned literature will be read and discussed. The book, as the title suggests, focuses on the group’s reading Nabokov’s Lolita. Nafisi is very careful to clarify they are not drawing parallels between Lolita and the Ayatollahs of the Iranian government.

Nafisi’s group is entirely made up of women, and they are careful not to share what they are doing with others. Because Lolita was banned, several of them women in the group are reading a massive volume of photocopies.

Reading Lolita is filled with every day occurrences from Nasifi’s life. She recounts the day her daughter came home from school distraught because a school mate’s fingernails had been too long and the headmaster had cut them so short one of them bled (the schoolmate had recently re terned from the U.S. and didn’t know long fingernails were not allowed by the cultural police, make up and friendship bracelets were also banned).

Although it might be a slightly over idealized version of Genghis and his fellow Khan’s history, they allowed all religions to prosper (Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Buddhists all got along), as well as many of the local traditions (although Genghis was adamant they get rid of the tradition of “wife stealing”). From everything I’ve read, so far I have come to the conclusion that Genghis Khan’s (and the subsequent Khans) system of rule in 12-something was more open and treated women better than Iran in the 1990s.

Will Iran’s cultural police bring down the country similar to the way the Khan’s great trade routes brought down the Empire? Although they are not rats carrying fleas, it seems the oppressive cultural policies are spreading unhappiness and dissent. It reflects poorly on a country when a group of women holding a weekly book discussion group do so knowing they risk being imprisoned if they are found out.

I am going to go back to Reading Lolita and reflect on these ideas as I delve deeper into the forbidden world of a women’s book group.