Toeing The Line

We were moving our stuff over to our new home with some friends when we discovered just how close we were to the border between two neighboring cities. We also discovered that we have very friendly neighbors who know each other by name and have "border" parties to celebrate just how close they live to the city border. Our friend Zandy was parking his truck across the street from our new place when some neighbors said that he'd get a ticket since he was technically in another city so the parking pass I'd given him was invalid. We were naturally curious just where the city line was. Turns out, our house is about half a house from the border. The house next door is also a duplex and one side of the house is in one city and the other side of the house is technically in another city so they pay taxes to two different cities. Our neighbor across the street is mostly in one city, but pays about $25 to another city because a sliver of his home is on the other side of the line. Unfortunately, he doesn't get anything in terms of services for his $25. Unbelievable! Fortunately, we don't have to get a visa to cross the border between the two

Cutie Couch

After much contemplation, MGDub got a new couch. Looks comfy...I look forward to sleeping on it next time I visit.

Zoey

As a fun gift, Wheezy planned a fun overnight adventure for her little cousin Zoey. Zoey would sleep over at Wheezy's new place, go on the Swan Boats, maybe eat some pizza, etc. According to Wheezy, Zoey is a very polite child and somewhat indirect. The following are reconstructed conversations that Wheezy reconstructed for me:

Zoey: Have you ever had that snack where you cut up apples and dip them in peanut butter?
Wheezy: Yes! [pause] Would you like that snack?
Zoey: Yes please.

Zoey: Gosh, we've been walking around for a long time.
Wheezy: [pause] Would you like to take the bus?
Zoey: Sure!

I predict Zoey will do quite well in high context indirect cultures like say some Asian cultures.

Air Hello Kitty

plasticmom flew on this adorable jet last fall and bought me an official Hello Kitty flight attendant apron so boy was I excited to get the full Hello Kitty experience myself when we flew on it from Taipei to Tokyo on EVA air. Hello Kitty infused almost every aspect of the flight. Boarding passes, headrests, TV programming, salt/pepper packets, wet wipes, etc. My meal included a slice of Hello Kitty fish cake and the dessert was Hello Kitty ice cream with a little "spoon" shaped like Hello Kitty's bow. (Hello Kitty strawberry ice cream is pretty nasty and artificial, but the little kids probably like it.) However, my favorite was the Hello Kitty barf bag which I saved...unused.

Splitting the Bill

I'd read somewhere recently that splitting the bill at the end of a meal with a friend is reduces the utility and joy one derives from sharing a meal with your buddy. Therefore, they suggested that people should alternate paying for meals rather than splitting the bill on every meal. I proposed the idea a while back to Wheezy since we often go out for lunch together and she readily agreed to the plan. In fact, according to Wheezy, Wheezymom has always thought it was weird that we split the bill since she and her friends alternate. (Wheezymom is quite wise and knows what's up even without reading the article.) The only glitch to this alternate bill paying plan is I can never remember who paid last time and this uncertainty was making me a little anxious since I didn't want to shirk on my share. So at 3am one night last week when I was suffering from insomnia, I came up with a great solution. A little card for my wallet that reads, "I'll get the next one" laminated in packing tape. Whoever has the card pays for lunch and after you pay for lunch, you hand the card to the other person for next time. Problem solved. Now we just have to remember to hand the card back and forth.

New Home

Adam and I just got back late Monday night from a three week vacation to Japan and Taiwan with plasticmom. We had a blast eating our way through Tokyo and Taipei and seeing all the cool sights. Today, we closed on our new condo so we're now officially homeowners. It hasn't sunk in yet, but I do feel overwhelmed by yet another move and I feel intimidated by the responsibility of maintenance. Hopefully, we'll become handy responsible people who water the yard and shovel snow. I've already purchased the Martha Stewart Homekeeping Handbook which has instructions for everything from washing dishes to exterminating pests.

Let's Go Red Sox

For Adam's birthday, I got him tickets to see the SF Giants play the Red Sox at Fenway. The baseball gods [or Jesus] were smiling upon us. The weather was perfect and the park was packed. Wheezy was also at the game having also received tickets for her birthday from her brother and her beloved Manny scored the only run of the game...a homer to boot. Since Adam is a big Red Sox fan and slightly bigger Giants fan, the game was pretty much a win win for him. He was cheering for everyone, but booing no one. I think he was slightly disappointed that it was a "pitcher's game" [as he tells me] and there weren't a whole lot of hits. In the end the Red Sox won which was fine since [according to Adam] they needed the win more than the Giants.

Lucy Kaplansky

We just got back from a Lucy Kaplansky concert tonight at Club Passim where we sat two feet from the stage and a foot from the speakers. Wasn't too bad given that it's folk, but the higher notes were bugging Adam's ears. Lucy was taking requests and some folks were being less than helpful:

Lucy: Would anyone like to request a song?
Adam: Brooklyn Train!
Lady: Can you sing the one about...your dad?
Lucy: Which song?
Lady: The one, about your dad.
Lady 2: How about the one about your mom.
plasticann [to Adam]: Can she sing the one about the train....and Brooklyn?

Unfortunately, Adam missed the entire exchange and didn't hear my little comment so I didn't get my token chuckle.

Ritz Galore

Last weekend was the Community Fest at church so they got the Ritz cracker van to come out and pass out free samples. After all, the new Ritz is flakier and tastes more buttery. When I stopped by on Tuesday, I noticed boxes upon boxes of crackers that the Ritz folks had left at church after the festival. I was overcome with joy at the prospect of 30,000 Ritz crackers and had to fight the urge to run over to the stack and hug the boxes. Adam even let me take a whole box home (300 two packs = 600 crackers) since I was so excited. The problem is, I'm so attached to the idea of a pristine box of crackers, I wouldn't let Adam open the box and snack on the crackers. I feel somewhat justified, we do have an open box of Ritz in our pantry and shouldn't we eat those first? I should think so.

Wagamamas

We walked over to Wagamamas for dinner last Saturday after we saw Ocean's 13. I was craving ramen since it was a cool damp day and Adam was kind enough to check out Wagamamas even though he would have rather had a Chacarero. I had the grilled chicken ramen and a delicious fruit juice and Adam enjoyed the pan fried udon noodles. Overall, the food is pretty good, but not fantastic, but it did whet my appetite for eating ramen in Japan when we go on vacation.

Events and Happenings

We've had lots going on and lots of visitors recently with Adam's birthday and my graduation. Here are some fun highlights.

Kristen, Dave, Adam and I went to Salts for Adam's birthday where we all ordered the roasted duck carved table side. It was a surprise for Adam where we were going and I tried to trick him up until the end implying we were going to Cuchi Cuchi across the street.

Adam's parents and the entire plasticfamily came to Boston for my graduation from that school that rhymes with BIT. There was even a contingent from Taiwan. We all woke up way too early to get to graduation. I had to be in line by 7:30am and Adam went and saved seats. I got my cool diploma and they even said my name correctly. Afterwards, we went to Mistral for a yummy graduation dinner where we were all stuffed senseless. We showed our Taiwanese relatives around town who requested lobster twice so we went to Legal and Summer Shack. Ironically, I ate a Pearl hot dog and a piece of fried chicken at Summer Shack while everyone else ate seafood. It was a mighty tasty hot dog, those kids know all about the good stuff.

Other than that, we're busy planning details for our upcoming trip to Japan.

Penny A Day

The other day, we sent our nephew Zames a cool ball for throwing around and we sent Zess a small coin purse, Hello Kitty of course. Zess was so excited about the coin purse and the random change and money I stuck in there that she's now inspired to earn a penny a day for doing her chores. I was immediately intrigued about the types of "chores" a three year old does. Apparently, she's responsible each morning for the following:

1. turn off her white noise machine
2. turn off her nightlight
3. bring her water sippy cup into the kitchen

Perhaps if Adam offered me a penny a day, I'd do some of the chores that I perpetually overlook. Oddly enough, they're pretty similar to Zess' chores. I often forget to turn off the humidifier, turn off the bathroom light and I sometimes forget to bring my water glasses into the kitchen. I am reasonably good about doing dishes so at least I've got something on my three year old niece.

Tapas at Masa

We finally made it over to Masa in the South End for their one dollar tapas tonight. It was actually 50 cents since we went before 8pm. We each got a combo platter of 10 small bites, shared a citris mojito and a chorizo quesadilla. Our favorites were the taquito, shrimp on plantain and the poblano goat cheese. The empanadas and zucchini frites were pretty tasty, but I wasn't a huge fan of the skewered chicken and the Mexican hummus. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're in the bar area especially if you're looking for a fun snack in a nice bar. The combo platter was really fun and only five bucks when it's 50 cent tapas. For another five bucks, they'll throw in a small pitcher of sangria.

Did you go to...?

The following is a reconstructed conversation at the supermarket this afternoon. Note, I was wearing my college shirt.

Checkout Lady: Did you go to Brown?
plasticann: [surprised because she forgot she was wearing the shirt] Yes!
Checkout Lady: I went there too...
plasticann: oh, you did!
Checkout Lady: ...and now I'm a cashier.
plasticann: [pause] Did you like it at Brown?
Checkout Lady: [pause] Well I liked my major.
plasticann: What did you major in?
Checkout Lady: Studio Arts.
plasticann: That's cool, what kind of art do you do now?
Checkout Lady: Last few years, mostly charcoal.

So, if my job doesn't work out, maybe I can work my alumni connections over at the Star Market and get a job there. If I had a choice, I'd rather work at this particular market versus the one over at Porter Square. It's always quiet and never too busy.

City Slickers: Urban Gourmet Revived

The weather warmed up over the last week so we walked over to Union Square for dinner at The Independent last Friday. On our way there, we passed by a new pizza place, City Slickers on Somerville Ave. To back up just a moment, Adam used to love pizza from Urban Gourmet in Ball Square. Unfortunately, they closed down after a fire and Adam's been mourning ever since. Turns out, the owners of Urban Gourmet opened up City Slickers with a similar menu and they even offer Christina's Ice Cream by the scoop. Needless to say, Adam is pretty darned excited that he can have favorite pizza again.

Nothing To Complain About

plasticann: I have to go home and do dishes. They're everywhere and I see them all the time now that I'm home a lot. I think Adam's stopped doing pots and pans since I finished school.
Wheezy: Do you do the cooking?
plasticann: No, Adam cooked.
Wheezy: [pause] You know, I want to take your side, but you really have nothing to complain about.
plasticann: I know you're right, I have nothing to complain about. I'm just being lazy

I still haven't done the dishes and it's 6:21pm.

All Done!

I had my last exam yesterday afternoon for Finance II and boy is it strange being "all done." I thought my exam was from 1-5pm so I showed up ar 12:30pm and ate my lunch near the exam room. There were some folks hanging around and I figured people would come in closer to 1pm since I was a little early. I stake out the room and save four good seats for my buddies and me and hang out. My friend Zeff strolls in around 12:55pm and then my friend Zara a few minutes later with her lunch. I wonder if she's planning on eating during the exam. The room is half empty so I get my hopes up that I might be able to spread out and have two seats for my exam. Soon, I notice it's 1:01pm when Zara is unwrapping her sub sandwich, munching away. 1:02pm, the room is still pretty empty and the TA is nowhere to be seen. It finally dawns on me to ask what time the exam starts. Turns out, as you may have already figured out, the exam is scheduled for 1:30-5:30pm. Good thing I got there a whole hour early.

My Feet Are Too Warm

I was trying to sleep last night, but my feet were too warm so I had to take my socks off. The following is a reconstructed conversation that occurred while Adam had my socks:

plasticann: Don't put the socks on my face.
Adam: [laughing uncontrollably]
plasticann: What?
Adam: I was going to hold them in front of your nose and make you smell them.
plasticann: [sigh] I guess I know you too well.
Adam: You used to sometimes say, "Don't put the socks in the vicinity of my face."

I think he once put them in front of my nose when I asked him not to put them on my face so I started hedging my bets by asking him not to put them in the vicinity of my face. I'm happy to report that Adam usually does comply when I put in a request.

Picardie No More

We have these awesome Duralex Picardie drinking glasses that we absolutely love. Adam likes how the big ones hold a lot of water and we both like how they're kinda old school. In fact, Adam's parents and his sister may have the exact same glasses in their homes as well. They're tempered glass, have a flared shape and are really durable. We got ours at Williams-Sonoma, but unfortunately, the manufacturer has discontinued the original Picardie glass replacing it with a new version that stacks. I don't understand why Duralex discontinued the glasses, afterall, it's caused quite the uproar in my life and in the lives of a couple of other people who've complained about the situation online.

The new ones are OK, but they just don't compare to the originals. I couldn't find them anywhere so I was super excited to see them at Crate & Barrel a few months ago. I stopped by Crate & Barrel this afternoon and saw that the glasses were on sale. While I was initially excited by the discount, I also surmised from the sale sign that Crate & Barrel was most likely discontinuing the glasses. I'm sad to report that they are in fact discontinued. They still have 5000 glasses in stock in New England, but they'll eventually run out. Since Adam doesn't appreciate how I like to stock up on things, I won't disclose exactly how many glasses I bought today. Let's just say, it was enough that my bag was cumbersome, but not enough that I took a cab home. Now that we have a giant basement, I'm thinking about going back for some more and somehow sneaking them by Adam and squirreling them away at our new place. The only problem is, now that I've blogged he'll be on to my little plan. Don't worry, I won't buy 5000 glasses...my basement isn't that big.

Short Term Memory

Conversation 1

Adam: What do you want?
plasticann: Slice of pepperoni and a garden salad.
Adam: What kind of pizza?
plasticann: Pepperoni!
[two minutes later]
Adam: Greek salad?
plasticann: No, garden salad.

Conversation 2 by way of cell phone

Adam: I'm stopping by the store, do you need anything?
plasticann: Can you get some dishwashing soap, shampoo and some eggs?
Adam: Sure!
[15 minutes later]
Adam: I'm at the store, what did you want again? Laundry detergent?
plasticann: No, dishwashing soap.
Adam: Do we need laundry detergent?
plasticann: No, just dishwashing soap.
Adam: OK!
[one minute later]
Adam: So we need dishwashing soap, eggs and what?
plasticann: Shampoo.
Adam: Oh, that's right.
[one minute later]
Adam: What kind of shampoo?

Real Grownups

Adam and I will soon be real grownup homeowners come July. We're very excited about our new place, it's a pretty pale green color on the outside, we have a nice porch for hanging out and a whole lot of bedrooms, four to be exact. I tried to convince Adam that we could each have a room just for ourselves, mine could be pink and Hello Kitty and Adam can have his Marvel comic book room, but he's insisting that we share everything.

My friends at school suggested that I offer to negotiate a 1 year lease on one of the rooms which reminds me of the time my aunt had to pay her brothers (my uncles) "rent" back when they were kids. I guess there were three rooms for four kids, plasticmom got one because she was the oldest and soon off to college so there were only two rooms left for the other three kids. My aunt wanted her own room so the boys had to share, therefore my aunt had to pay "rent" to her brothers from her allowance.

We're very excited about our new place and we're looking forward to having room for guests so if you're ever in our neck of the woods and need a nice bed to sleep in...let us know.

Prodigal Suitcase

We lost our suitecase when we flew home from Israel last month. I'd given up all hope and started replacing my stuff when lo and behold, forty days later, it made its way back to Boston. Wheezy surmised that the suitcase had been on "lots of interesting little trips." I tried to confirm whether our suitecase had wandered, but the baggage person simply said, "I don't know." I'm just happy it's back home since I really missed my stuff so rejoice...the suitcase is home. I'm going to celebrate tomorrow by wearing as much stuff from the suitcase as humanly possible.

Footloose and Fancy Free

Having just finished year two at ZYU Zilm Zchool, MGDub is footloose and fancy free in Boston for a quick visit. We went to Out of the Blue for dinner last night with Wheezy and the Zoritys where we scored some delicious fried calamari. Wheezy, MGDub and I met up for lunch in Harvard Square today and I got to see Wheezy's new place. Wheezy did such a good job picking the place, it's totally perfect for her and Wheezy's dad, Cap'n Zoby did an awesome job painting. Wheezy even has a pink room. I totally want a pink room, but I have a feeling I won't be able to sneak a whole pink room by Adam, maybe a towel, but not a whole room.

Capone Foods

My friend from school Zara raves about the empanadas at Capone Foods in Union Square so I was psyched to see a second Capone Foods open up on Mass Ave near Davis Square. We finally went in last Saturday where we tried delicious pasta samples and other treats. They even have cannoli kits where you get the shells and they sell you a bag of the filling so you can fill at home. We got the vegetarian lasagna which was delicious, some focaccia bread and some frozen empanadas. Haven't tried the empanadas yet, but I'm looking forward to them.

Happy Belated to Wheezy

Wheezy had a super fun b-day party last Saturday and I finally got to meet Wheezymom and her dad, Cap'n Toby. We enjoyed tasty deep fried appetizer snacks, listened to tunes DJed by Wheezy on her ipod and we even got cool party favors (personalized mugs, M&Ms and cookies). Sweet!

I tried to get the dirt on Wheezy's childhood and teen years, but turns out she's a model child/citizen just as I suspected. Her childhood friend said that she was super smart, excelled at academics and sports...blah blah blah. Wheezymom said that she was a well behaved child who loved to read. Wheezymom would even take Wheezy to interviews since Wheezy was super well behaved and could read for hours. Just as I suspected!